Best of The Herd

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: Best of The Herd
Date: May 12, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts/The Volume)
Guest: Nick Wright (First Things First), with segments referencing JJ Redick and Jason Temp

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the state of the Los Angeles Lakers after a season-ending sweep by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Colin Cowherd breaks down why the Lakers are far from contention, focusing on roster construction and organizational approach, not star power. The episode broadens into the NFL’s intentional scheduling and market dynamics, discusses LeBron James’s future, and explores broader themes around team-building in both the NBA and NFL. Colin is joined in a robust back-and-forth by Nick Wright, adding dynamic analysis and debate across these top sports stories.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lakers’ Painful Reality and Roster Construction (02:25–10:00)

• Series Not About Stars, But Roster Value: The Lakers are swept by OKC, despite playing close games. Cowherd emphasizes this was not about superstars, but about the supporting cast.
  • “Laker fans this morning can say, well, we didn't have Luka. Well, OKC didn't have Jalen Williams. ...This series wasn't about stars. Let's not talk stars. Let's talk role players.” (02:25)
• OKC’s “Value” Players vs Lakers’ Roster: OKC boasts guys like AJ Mitchell ($9M/3yrs, 23ppg in series) and Jared McCain (rookie deal, elite shooter)—contrasting sharply with the Lakers' expensive, low-value contracts.
  • “Oklahoma City has a player named AJ Mitchell. Three years, $9 million. Incredible value... The Lakers roster has no value.” (03:10)
• Organizational Shortcomings: Lakers let go strong role players like Alex Caruso for nothing, have no promising young cheap contributors, and face a future where they’re locked into expensive, low-upside deals.
  • "They're going to lose. Rui won't be able to afford him. So the entire series is about roster construction." (04:30)
• NBA Has Changed: No longer a "big budget, buy stars" league—now about maximizing value at the roster's middle and bottom.
  • “That's why the Seahawks win a Super Bowl. That's why the Rams are stacked. That's why the Philadelphia Eagles can keep affording. It’s like the Eagles have a different bank.... That is the new NBA.” (06:28)
• Lakers’ Identity Crisis: Slowest team in playoffs multiple years, not enough shooters or rim protection. Even good effort and coaching can’t close structural gaps.
  • “They don't have enough three point shooters. Luke Kennard’s fine. Occasionally they're not athletic enough, they don't have a rim protector.” (07:20)

2. JJ Redick and the Coaching Perspective (08:55–09:12)

• JJ Redick (Lakers coach) praised for maximizing effort despite being swept.
  • “I've never seen a coach get swept who had a better series than JJ Redick.” (07:54)
• Redick on championship ambition: “I believe in continuity, but...you have to be realistic and assess where you're at. And we're not good enough right now.” (08:58)

3. LeBron James’ Future—Team Fit & Business Decisions (16:52–23:24)

• LeBron’s LA Preference: Loves the city, family entrenched, but Lakers have much leverage. Fit with Luka is awkward—both need the ball and neither is an elite off-ball, two-way presence.
  • "LeBron's at his best with the ball in his hands. Austin Reaves is at his best with the ball in his hands. It doesn't work. It's a lopsided roster, too much duplication." (18:30)
• What the Lakers Need: Versatile, defense-first wings (e.g., Jaden McDaniels, OG Anunoby) but realistic trade options are slim.
• Major Decision: Does LeBron take a massive pay cut (like Tom Brady did in the NFL) for team flexibility, or demand full value? Guest Jason Temp: “...if LeBron takes anything under the one year max, it’s charity. And he can give charity if he’d like, but he is still one of the dozen most impactful players in a series.” (30:10)
• LeBron’s Uncertainty:
  • “I don't know what the future holds for me. Obviously, as it stands right now... I got a lot of time. ... I’ll sit back... recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them.” (21:03, paraphrasing LeBron)

4. Austin Reaves—Keep or Deal? (32:54–35:29)

• Should the Lakers Max Out Austin?
  • Colin: “What you can't do if you're the Lakers... is pay Austin $240 million, because then you won't be able to move him.” (32:54)
  • Nick Wright: “I don't think you can let Austin Reeves walk and get nothing in return.” (33:34)
• Debate around Austin’s playoff value, potential upside, and whether he can improve his defense further.
• Importance of managing cap flexibility and not being locked into medium-tier salaries.

5. NBA Trends: Small Markets, Defensive Styles, and Rule Enforcement (35:29–39:59)

• Small market team success: OKC’s “annoying” style, roster depth, and physical defense compared to Legion of Boom Seahawks. Colin floats if the NBA needs to change its rules for the sake of television/viewer experience.
• Nick Wright’s Take on Flopping: Advocates for harder enforcement of anti-flopping rules, not new ones. Embarrassment/penalties would self-correct the issue.

6. Around the Leagues—NFL Schedule & Market Size (12:45–15:00, 35:29–36:32)

• NFL’s Intentional Scheduling: NFL succeeds even as New York, Chicago teams underperform, but Colin predicts a “big market resurgence.”
  • “I think this is the year that the big markets return to power... and the New York Giants will be the most improved team in the league.” (11:55)
• NFL Market Paradox: NFL is sky-high even without big market contenders—counter to conventional wisdom that market size drives interest.

7. Team Building Lessons & The Nature of Roster Value (throughout)

• Repeated comparisons to NFL’s ‘middle/bottom of roster’ advantage—successful teams win on value and scouting, not just star power.
• Lakers’ strategy stuck in old era, while teams like OKC are built for this new financial and competitive reality in the NBA.

8. NBA Big Picture: Knicks, Celtics & NBA Trade Rumors (39:01–42:13)

• Knicks’ Surprise Success; Celtics’ Need For Change: Conversation shifts to whether Brad Stevens will chase Giannis, possibly trading Jaylen Brown to the Bucks or using Atlanta as a third-party.
  • Nick: “I would bet right now that Giannis's next team is the Celtics and that Jaylen Brown is the centerpiece of that trade.” (42:02)

9. NFL: Buffalo Bills—Perennial Underdogs No More? (42:13–45:12)

• Colin argues that the Bills are actually undervalued in the current discourse.
• Nick Wright: “Pretty annual tradition. The Bills are the team to beat... and then when they end up falling short, it's, well, how's Josh Allen supposed to win with that type of talent?” (43:15)
• Both agree the Bills will likely win the division, but it's an open question if they can deliver in playoffs with the current window.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Lakers/LeBron’s Future:
  • “LeBron’s net worth is a billion dollars. ...Is he willing to basically on any given night be the most durable, effective player and take a massive pay cut?” —Colin Cowherd (21:26)
  • “I am offended on LeBron's behalf that he's the only guy that we ask to take these pay cuts… Like, if LeBron takes anything under the one year max, it's charity.” —Nick Wright (29:26, 30:10)
• JJ Redick on Team Reality:
  • “I believe in continuity, but...you have to be realistic and assess where you're at. And we're not good enough right now.” —JJ Redick (08:58)
• On Roster Value:
  • “Oklahoma City has a player named AJ Mitchell. Three years, $9 million. ...The Lakers roster has no value.” —Colin Cowherd (03:10)
• On Team Building in the Modern NBA:
  • “It's about maximizing value at the middle and the bottom of your roster. That is the new NBA.” —Colin Cowherd (06:28)
• On Flopping and Officiating:
  • “I don't think Adam Silver needs to actually change any rules. I think he needs to enforce the anti flopping rules that are on the books.” —Nick Wright (38:15)
• On Buffalo Bills’ Reputation:
  • “The most undervalued team in the league is the Buffalo Bills. Am I nuts?” —Colin Cowherd (43:15)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Lakers-OKC Series Review & Roster Value: 02:25–10:00
• JJ Redick on Lakers Reality: 08:55–09:12
• NFL Schedule/Big Market Dynamics: 12:45–15:00
• LeBron’s Future, Fit, and Salary Dilemma: 16:52–23:24
• Nick Wright on Star Contracts: 29:26–31:33
• Debate: Austin Reaves’ Value: 32:54–35:29
• Defensive Styles and NBA Rule Change Talk: 35:29–39:59
• Knicks/Celtics Trade Window: 39:01–42:13
• Buffalo Bills Discussion: 42:13–45:12

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Episode Tone & Style

Cowherd maintains his trademark candid, sometimes incredulous tone, laced with industry analogies, historical nods, and a sense of urgent honesty. Nick Wright brings energy, acerbic wit, and pointed skepticism about double standards around NBA stars and contract expectations. The overall style is rapid, unvarnished, and laced with direct opinions, making the arguments accessible even if the listener is not up to date on the latest games.

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Summary for the Uninitiated

If you missed the episode, you’ll come away understanding how the Lakers’ failure was about poor roster construction, not lack of stars. The new NBA rewards teams like OKC for nailing draft picks, managing the middle and bottom of the roster, and embracing value. LeBron’s future is precarious—he’s still elite in stretches, but roster fit and contract decisions loom. The NFL is also covered: marketing, scheduling, and the Bills as perennial dark horses. The show punctures myths around market size, star power, and team building, delivering a frank, insightful view of where pro sports are heading.

Transcript

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[Colin Cowherd]

Guaranteed Human.

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[Public Investing Advertiser]

Support for the show comes from Public if you look at your investing app, what do you see? An Interface stuck in 1997 or something that looks looks modern but feels more like a casino than a place to build wealth. Public is different. It's the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build your portfolio for the long haul. Stocks, options, bonds, crypto. It's all there. But what really makes public different is the technology behind it. Imagine starting your day with an AI summarized market briefing, getting clear summaries of earnings calls the moment they end, or turning any idea into an investable index just by typing a prompt. This is what investing looks like when the tools finally catch up. Go to public.com and earn a 1% uncapped match when you transfer your portfolio. Public Investing for those who take it seriously Ad paid for by Public Holdings Brokerage Services by Public Investing Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors SEC Registered Advisor Crypto Services by ZeroHash all investing involves risk of loss. See complete [e-mail] disclosures and now superhuman

[Superhuman Advertiser]

Shack I keep telling them not to say that. I'm no superhuman. Believe it or not, I struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea or osa in adults with obesity. Moderate to severe OSA is a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep, with loud snoring, choking, gasping for air, and even daytime fatigue. Let's just say it can sound a lot like this. Sound familiar? Learn more@don'tsleeponosa.com this information is provided by

[Colin Cowherd]

Lilly, A medicine company. Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. Lakers season is over, bounced, swept by okc, the defending champ. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening. Nick Wright, an hour from now. Thanks for making us part of your day. So when you play a great team, it creates clarity. How far are we away from being great? And Laker fans this morning can say, well, we didn't have Luca. Well, OKC didn't have Jalen Williams. All NBA, great defender, second best guy for okc. And this morning the Lakers are left saying, hey, we played them kind of close. This. This series wasn't about stars. Let's not talk stars. Let's talk role players. Oklahoma City has a player named AJ Mitchell. Three years, $9 million. Incredible value. A playmaker can hit threes. 23 a game against LA. Excellent defender, best plus minus plus 63 in the series, three years, nine million. Absolute value. How about Jared McCain for OKC? Promising young player on a rookie deal. Excellent three point shooter. You're talking about two guys who are basically free. They're free players. Two young, cheap, ascending players. The Lakers roster has no value.

[Apple Card Announcer]

None.

[Colin Cowherd]

I just gave you two of the seven or eight guys for OKC that have value. Now that Austin Reaves is going to sign a big deal and he's going to get it. They'll have no value and yet they're going to keep Rob Pelinka and keep Austin reeves and keep LeBron. And Luka with his defensive liabilities and durability issues is coming back. Let's bring them all back. This series wasn't about stars. Lakers did a pretty good job on sga. It was about roster construction. One is brilliantly built. The Lakers gave Alex Caruso away, let him walk in free agency, didn't get a frozen pizza and get anything for him. They're going to lose. Rui won't be able to afford him. So the entire series about is about roster construction. And the Lakers excelled when the NBA was like a big budget movie. Pay whatever it takes. More stars, cool matters, big budget, add another name. Everybody knows that's not the NBA today. It's about beating the market, maximizing value like the NFL at the middle and bottom of a roster so you can pay two or three stars. Once again, Oklahoma City goes into a general generational great draft with two excellent draft picks. The Lakers 1 25th the best players all gone. Oklahoma City has seven or eight elite defenders. Some start, some are off the bench. Two viable bigs, energy, youth, cost control, and again, two great first round picks coming. The Lakers have one elite defender, Marcus Smart, and he is way past his prime. Again, Alex Caruso could defend. Let him go for nothing. So you want to bring everybody back. You want to convince yourself, you know. Luka. Luka. Folks, the Lakers were the second slowest playoff team last year when they got run out of the building against Minnesota. This year, if you want to know what direction they're going in, they're the slowest team in the NBA playoffs three years in a row. They're the slowest or second slowest team. They don't have enough three point shooters. Luke Kennard's fine. Occasionally they're not athletic enough, they don't have a rim protector. And if you. They're a mile away. Eight straight losses, 0 for 8 this year against Oklahoma City. You know how hard it is to win eight straight games against a team. I mean, generally at some point like last night, the Lakers played their butt off. JJ Redick coached his butt off. The Lakers staff was excellent in this series, Outstanding. They got good coaching. There's so many questions, but you know, when you play a great team, usually in NBA history it was who has the most stars. That is not the new NBA with the new CBA and the aprons. It's about maximizing value at the middle and the bottom of your roster. So you can pay like the NFL Josh Allen, or you can pay a great edge rusher. You can only do that. You can only pay your quarterback two receivers, an edge rusher, an elite corner if you maximize the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh round. That's why the Seahawks win a Super Bowl. That's why the Rams are stacked. That's why the Philadelphia Eagles can keep affording. It's like the Eagles have a different bank. Are they doing it through a Swiss bank? How are they doing it? Because they nail picks that aren't stars. That is the new NBA. So JJ Redick, I'm looking at this morning. LeBron, free agent Rui, free agent Kennard, free agent Austin Ayton. Smart player options. I mean, bring everybody back. But okc, San Antonio, they are ascending. They've got value all over the roster. When Austin Reeves gets paid, the Lakers have none. Here's JJ Redick, who had a great series. I've never seen a coach get swept. Who had a better series than JJ Redick? Here he is. I believe in continuity, but I Do think that there's, if you're trying to win a championship with this organization is. And I'm trying to win a championship. I know RP's trying to win a championship. I know Jeannie is.

[Nick Wright]

I know Mark is like, we're trying

[Colin Cowherd]

to win a championship. And so you have to be realistic

[Nick Wright]

and assess where you're at.

[Colin Cowherd]

And we're not good enough right now.

[Public Investing Advertiser]

And

[Nick Wright]

there probably will be some continuity.

[Colin Cowherd]

There probably won't be, but that's, that's

[Nick Wright]

what the next two months are for.

[Colin Cowherd]

So we'll talk about that today with Nick Wright. I'll talk about it after the break. Is where do you go? You can talk yourself in. I talked about this yesterday with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, we, we had a winning record. What's the standard in Los Angeles? The standard is the Dodgers. The standard is the Rams. The standard can't be. Well, you know, if you, if Luka played well, Jalen Williams, J Dub didn't play for them. And he actually, unlike Luka, gives you a great effort on the defensive end. So, I mean, again, I thought the Lakers played their butt off. I watched every second of it. I thought they played their butt off and they deserve credit. Down three. Oh, playing that well. I mean, they deserve credit. But if, but if you're going to talk yourself into. Just need. Luca. Oklahoma City will be better next year. LeBron will be older next year. All right, so the Cowboys are going to host the Eagles on Thanksgiving. It's going to be week 12. It's going to be on Fox. So the official schedule release is going to be Thursday. It's Tuesday. Stuff's going to be leaking out. Fox actually, we don't know exactly when the dates are, but they're going to have a day in which they get an international game on tv Germany, and then they get two domestic games on tv. Network's never had three games in one day like that. That's pretty cool. But what's remarkable about the NFL, they, they, when you watch them release the schedule, they're so intentional. They totally get it. Is that the NFL has been skyrocketing for 10 years and both New York City teams have been garbage. In fact, many of the league's best teams are Kansas City and Baltimore and Green Bay and Buffalo and Denver and Seattle and not glamorous markets. The NFL monetizes almost everything very well. Very little things they underachieve at. But actually one of them is big markets don't do well. Chicago until last year, a grease fire. Both New York teams embarrassing Atlanta irrelevant. DC Was good for an hour. They're back to being weird. Dallas, eh? I mean, Houston for years, awful. Miami will be atrocious this year. Since 1987, the jets and the Giants have made the playoffs at the same time twice and the league is literally on fire. And but market size matters. New York and Chicago have a combined 11.5 million TV households. Kansas City and Buffalo combined for a couple million. Like big markets matter. And I think this is the year that the big markets return to power. I put out my herd hierarchy, my post free agency, post draft herd hierarchy. Both teams from la, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia, and by the way, Dallas is somewhere around 11 or 12 and the new York Giants to me will be the most improved team in the league. Matt Hasselbeck last week, post draft talking about a team that didn't make my herd hierarchy. Big market Dallas.

[Nick Wright]

You got teams like Kansas City, Detroit,

[Colin Cowherd]

Baltimore, Minnesota, Tampa Bay. Not even in the playoffs. Like all of a sudden Seattle and New England, teams that didn't even make the playoffs are now in the Super Bowl.

[Nick Wright]

You got teams like Chicago, Jacksonville, Carolina. So what you're doing here is really,

[Colin Cowherd]

really difficult to do to kind of forecast that because every year is different.

[Nick Wright]

And so that's why I think there are teams that aren't on your list.

[Colin Cowherd]

I would say like maybe the Dallas Cowboys.

[Nick Wright]

I know what shot Schottenheimer is saying in Dallas. He's saying, guys like, we can do this. Look what Seattle just did. Look what New England just did.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I think the Cowboys, in terms of talent, now have 10, 11, 12 elite players. So the NFL schedule will continue to leak out interesting stuff. Dwayne Wade talked about what LeBron James is going to do. They're close. USC, Notre Dame rivalry because Notre Dame came crawling back. I'll explain that coming up as well. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod, pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sportsbook and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight fire with Jason McEntire on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts

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[Public Investing Advertiser]

the show comes from public if you look at your investing app, what do you see? An Interface stuck in 1997 or something that looks modern but feels more like a casino casino than a place to build wealth? Public is different. It's the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build your portfolio for the long haul. Stocks, options, bonds, crypto. It's all there. But what really makes public different is the technology behind it. Imagine starting your day with an AI summarized market briefing, getting clear summaries of earnings calls the moment they end, or turning any idea into an investable index just by typing a prompt. This is what investing looks like when the tools finally catch up. Go to public.com and earn a 1% uncapped match when you transfer your portfolio. Investing for those who take it Seriously Ad paid for by Public Holdings Brokerage Services by Public Investing Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors SEC Registered Advisor Crypto Services by ZeroHash all investing involves risk of loss. See complete [e-mail] disclosures and now superhuman

[Superhuman Advertiser]

shack I keep telling them not to say that. I'm no superhuman. Believe it or not, I struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea, or osa in adults with obesity. Moderate to severe OSA is a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep with loud snoring, choking, gasping for air, and even daytime fatigue. Let's just say it can sound a lot like this. Sound familiar? Learn more@don'tsleeponosa.com this information is provided by

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Superhuman Advertiser]

I don't know. I mean, I don't know what the future holds for me. Obviously, as it stands right now, tonight,

[Colin Cowherd]

I got a lot of time.

[Superhuman Advertiser]

I'll sit back like I think I said it last year after we lost, I think to Minnesota there, go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them.

[Colin Cowherd]

And then when the time comes, obviously

[Superhuman Advertiser]

you guys know what I decided to do.

[Colin Cowherd]

So again, if Kareem was your best player in his prime, or MJ was your best player, or Kobe was your best player, or Giannis in his prime was your best player, or Wemby's your best player, or Ant is your best player, you don't have to construct your roster a certain way. But if Carmelo is, or Luca is, or even Steph Curry and there's a defensive hole, there is a way you have to construct the roster to win titles. And with I said this about Luca, there's a lot of Carmelo here. You have to be big, athletic and have wing defenders who are elite. And the Lakers have none. Rim defender, none. Youth value, none. So it's very difficult. The Problem is, and it's not really a problem, It's a reality. LeBron's net worth is a billion dollars. Somewhere between 800 and a billion two like Michael Jordan or a Magic. He's done very well. Is he willing to basically on any given night be the most durable, effective player and take a massive pay cut? Jason Tim on LeBron and the chances of him returning yesterday, the Lakers, because

[Nick Wright]

they were not able to get any sort of rookie scale role player talent over the last couple of years, they don't have that luxury. So because they have to pay Austin, LeBron kind of has to be the casualty and it's unfair because frankly, he was one of the 10 best players I watched in this postseason. So you could argue he's worth another max. I think LeBron will be on board with taking a discount because frankly, you can tell in just how he's wired and how he looked in this postseason. He wants to compete, he wants to win. He doesn't want to go through all this again to get his butt kicked. He's too old for that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. So, I mean there's, it's really fascinating and you know, sometimes Tom Brady in the NFL and you can say because at the time his wife was rich, but Tom Brady always understood in the NFL if you're, if you're securing the most money at quarterback, you're going to have limitations throughout the roster. You never had to worry about LeBron in his prime. When he was giving you 44 minutes and could single handedly compete with Matthew Della Badova as the second best player in the finals. You didn't worry about it. LeBron's still great, but it spurs. It's going to be 64 games. It's going to be 29 minutes. He's going to miss some games. So it's. I don't know exactly what they're going to do. My. If you're really asking me what I. Maybe you're not. What I would do is if Luke is your guy, you resign Austin, you try to get a reasonable deal, eventually move him after a great first half next year, try to pick up, try to pick up pieces. It's going to be a terrible draft next year. You're not going to get any help in the draft. But they're in a, you know, they have just been constructed so oddly that they're in a weird, weird spot. I mean you could bring the, the band back, but this is going to be the result. Houston's young and ascending spurs are young and ascending. T Wolves still ascending. I mean, the T Wolves. I feel bad for them. It feels like Phil Mickelson in Tigers prime. Minnesota may never win a title, but they give everybody fits. There's a tremendous roster. Give everybody trouble, but they made it. I mean, just think about that. Minnesota maybe a have not in the West. If you put Minnesota in the east, you can mark them down for the Eastern Conference finals or finals for the next four years. Their roster has everything you want. And Rudy Gobert wing defenders, youth, experience, great coaching. But it's the West. That's what makes it even tougher. Once LeBron went east to west, everything changed. I mean, in the east, it was like, oh, we have to beat Toronto. That's not the way. That's not the way it works. West of the Rockies. One more herd the herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search herd to Listen Live or on demand whenever you'd like.

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Support for the show comes from public Huh.

[Nick Wright]

I wonder if this can beat the market.

[Colin Cowherd]

Everyone's talking about the NASDAQ 100, but let's get more specific. Software Actually, too broad. How about software that's already profitable? Companies that beat the last five quarters? Oh, and I want founders who are marathon runners. That's discipline.

[Nick Wright]

Yeah, let's see what that looks like.

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[Superhuman Advertiser]

Shack I keep telling them not to say that. I'm no superhuman. Believe it or not, I struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity. Moderate to severe OSA is a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep with loud snoring, choking, gasping for air, and even daytime fatigue. Let's just say it can sound a lot like this. Sound familiar? Learn more@don'tsleeponosa.com this information is provided by

[Colin Cowherd]

Lilly, a medicine company. Innovation is what gets your business to the big leagues, and Wasabi is designed to give every business a shot at competition break free from skyrocketing storage costs, unpredictable egress fees from old and top heavy legacy providers. You know the big guys. Wasabi is the world's hottest cloud storage company and the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams and leagues around the world. And here's why. Innovation From Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals, data deletion and ransomware, Wasabi has taken the lead in big league data storage. Remember, Wasabi is up to 80% less than the other guys and doesn't charge a cent for businesses to access their own data. Wasabi is another championship story. Check them out [e-mail], wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, Proud partner of the Voluum Podcast Network. So let's bring on Nick Wright. First things first. All right, so let's get right to the point. You today, hypothetically, you own the Lakers now. We know Luke is coming back. We know Austin Reeves, you're going to sign him. You'd like a team friendly deal. So if you had to move him eventually you could. Those are kind of easy ones. You're going to. You're not going to let him go for nothing. You're going to sign Austin, try to try to move him. Luke is coming back. You own the Lakers. What do you do with LeBron?

[Nick Wright]

Well, I desperately hope he comes back. I don't know if he'll want to. I don't know if he will and I don't know that Austin's going to sign a Team friendly deal. Brooklyn is sitting there with a ton of cap space. Chicago sitting there with a ton of cap space. They both love to have him. So I think the Lakers are going to have to give Austin close to the max. I don't know if that's a good idea, but that's what it's going to take to keep him. But I just, I am, I am offended on LeBron's behalf that he's the only guy that we asked to take these pay cuts. Did you see Steph Curry in the playoffs? Cuz I didn't. Anybody think his $63 million contract's a problem?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, it's Steph.

[Nick Wright]

Are you kidding me? Anthony Davis makes 58 million. I've got him ready because I knew this was coming. Devin Booker, amazing scorer, prime of his career. Guess what, Colin, he made 57 million next year. Is that a problem for Phoenix? Should they try to rework that deal? I mean, Kawhi Leonard, best season of his Clippers tenure, got him absolutely nothing

[Colin Cowherd]

out of the playoffs.

[Nick Wright]

50 million. Oh, LeBron, come play for 20 million. Durant's going to make 44. We saw them play in a playoff series. Who's more valuable? Like if LeBron takes anything under the one year max, it's charity. And he can give charity if he'd like, but he is still one of the dozen most impactful players in a series. He just up against the best defensive team in the league, put up damn near identical stats as the soon to be two time league mvp. And we're like, you know, should they give him the mid level exception now? Again he's within his rights to say, I'll play for the minimum, I don't care about the money. But he also is within his rights to say, you know what, call me crazy, but I think I bring as much value to a team as Bam Adebayo, who's going to make 50 million next year and no one's going to blink an eye at it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, do you feel better or worse about the Lakers after this series?

[Nick Wright]

That's such an interesting question. I feel better about LeBron's ability to in the playoffs still be a difference maker.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay.

[Nick Wright]

I feel like you've got that the Lakers have to feel like they are worlds away and not a Luca return away from beating Oklahoma City. And I think that they have, hopefully the new management and the new ownership will do a better job as far as filling out the roster. And I also think that even, and this is the part that people, I just don't think have put pen to paper on with what Austin's going to make with Lucas salary with the contracts that we believe are coming back. Even if LeBron walks, they're not going to have this massive cap space. And by the way, cap space is not all that valuable these days because nobody hits free agency. Guys just re up and then ask for trades. So I, I think, pardon me, Lucas best opportunity to win in Los Angeles might have been his first two years there. Last year they sat out the trade deadline and this year he got hurt.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, so it's interesting. So the Austin Reeves thing, I never root against anybody. I can be critical of people, but I think it's bad karma to root against people. Austin Reaves, if Brooklyn came up and said, we'll give you the max, if I was the Lakers, I would let him walk. Because my takeaway is what you can't do if you're the Lakers, you can re sign LeBron, do a little bit of a team friendly deal. The one thing you can't do is pay Austin $240 million because then you won't be able to move him. So my take is I can like him, but he's a B plus guy that gets hunted in the playoffs, especially against ascending young athletic players in the West. What would you do? Okay, sign.

[Nick Wright]

I don't, I don't think you can let Austin Reeves walk and get nothing in return.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right?

[Nick Wright]

I just don't think you can.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now you sign their huge deal

[Nick Wright]

if, if the alternative is he walks for nothing. Now. Once upon a time, not that long ago, our mutual friend Rich Paul on a podcast said, if I were running the Lakers, I'd use Austin and his great contract as a trade chip to try to add someone like Jaren Jackson Jr. Young, athletic to put alongside Luke and LeBron. Everybody got so mad at Rich. Like that's outrageous. Austin's better than LeBron. At this point he might have been right that that was even when you're thinking about post LeBron Lakers, the Luka Austin fit is going to. You are going to have to build the perfect supporting cast. Now Dallas Kyrie is similar to Austin. Defensive liability, excellent scorer. They built a great roster around it. In short term, they made a finals. I also want to say this about Austin, an undrafted player who has gotten better every single year. I don't want to act like it's an impossibility that he comes back next year a little stronger, a little better with his lateral movement and has improved some of those defensive weaknesses that really show up against Oklahoma City, but I don't think the Lakers for four years seemingly have. Pardon me, have been dying to get out of the LeBron business, have LeBron fall off the cliff and be able to move on. And what the Lakers might see over the next four years is the best teammate they were ever able to put around Luca was 40 plus year old LeBron James. And I don't know if they're going to be able to replace that if he were to leave.

[Colin Cowherd]

So not to dwell on this series, but it was a game of note last night. Can I make an argument in the NFL? The NFL has grown despite the fact both New York teams have been awful for a decade. Chicago until last year was bad. D.C. is dysfunctional. Atlanta's irrelevant. Dallas is underwhelmed. Market size matters less in the NFL. But it still matters. If both New York teams were playing great, the numbers go up. Bears playing great absolutely helps Fox. Niners playing great helps Dallas playing great helps Fox okc. It's not that they're a small market, it's that their style of play aesthetically is irritating and annoying. And can I make the argument that if they win another championship, Adam Silver needs to step in and makes and say, guys, we gotta change stylistically what they're allowed to do defensively and what they're allowed to do flopping. It's not, hey, the NFL changed the catch rule mostly because it was bad television. I mean, it's bad tv, is it not?

[Nick Wright]

So listen, I want to first let me say this. I thought Shea yesterday was exceptional. I thought he had the best game anyone had in the series he had yesterday. Thought he was great down the stretch and he's obviously a great player. I said all year long I thought he was the mvp. Let me say that on front end. Secondarily, I have no problem with how OKC defends. I've used this analogy before. I'll use it again. It reminds me of the Legion of Boom Seahawks where they're like, we're going to foul on play one and basically tell the refs you're going to call a foul every play. If not, we are setting the level of physicality and we are so. So that part I think Dort can be a dirty player at times. That's in a separate bucket. But the physical defense that Dort plays or Caruso plays or any of those guys, I had no problem with it. The flopping stuff that I don't care how many times OKC fans want to send me Shay's free throws per game or where he ranks Historically, the problem with arguing Shay is not public enemy number one on the flopping and histrionics epidemic is that the games are televised and we all watch it and we know there is. And there is a visceral negative reaction between the difference between. Here's what, here's what I'll say, Colin. I think fans are less bothered by a guy going up for a shot, getting fouled and exaggerating the contact. I think that's in one bucket, a different bucket entirely. And this is where people get upset with Shea is where they feel like very often he had no goal of actually making the shot or even the goal was to trick the refs or draw the foul. So I don't think Adam Silver needs to actually change any rules. I think he needs to enforce the anti flopping rules that are on the books. And I also think that there should be. That should be ramped up and it should be done consistently because I think guys will be embarrassed if they are getting technicals or called out for flopping. And I think that would fix itself.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I want to talk. I mean, the Knicks are obviously a great story. They're playing well. Jason Temp was on the show yesterday and it's like Mike Brown, it worked. We can bang on James Dolan, but it worked. A lot of people didn't like it, but it worked. Offensively, they're like averaging. It's a different basketball team. Yes, but Boston's a fascinating team because I really thought after they won, when they, when they broke through, they gave one away to the Warriors. They break through and they were great analytically, both sides. But I've always said the gap between Tatum and Jaylen Brown is much closer. And Brown's a more aggressive athlete. Tatum's just more beautiful and fluid as an athlete. And now with all the cap stuff, you watch them and you're like, man, the Knicks matched up with them well last year. I think the Knicks are much better than them this year. Were we all fooled by the brilliance of Brad Stevens? That if you look right now at the Knicks and you look at the Celtics, there's no question who has more good players.

[Nick Wright]

Well, so I. And listen, Boston's not the team that won the championship in Boston had Jrue Holiday, had a healthy Kristaps Porzingis, had Al Horford to go along with Tatum Brown, Derrick White and Peyton Pritchard. Now you just have Tatum Brown, Derrick White, Peyton Pritchard. You don't have the rest of those pieces. And so they clearly need to retool in that regard, I disagree with you that Tatum and Brown are super close. I think. I think Jalen Brown is a top 20 player who had a top 15 season. I think Jayson Tatum is a top 10 player who has, you know, will consistently be like sixth or seventh in the league. That's where I see him. But regardless of that, if I'm Brad Stevens, I look at him like, okay, last year we lost to the Knicks, who then lost to the Pacers, who then lost to the Thunder. So how close were we. Last year we lost to the team that lost to the team that lost to the team fair. This year we lost to the Sixers, who just got clocked by the Knicks, who Vegas thinks the Knicks are going to get beat soundly in the finals. Now they would be getting to the finals. So how close are we really? So in a weird way, Colin, the Knicks annihilation of Philly to me makes it more likely that Giannis is a Celtic. Because I think when you see the team that beat you get swept in round two, you are more likely to say, we have to make a major move. And you know what could maybe fix our addiction to the three point shot? Bringing in Giannis Anokounmpo and whether that is Jaylen Brown for Giannis straight up or whether that is Jaylen Brown to Atlanta, where he can have his own team. Atlanta sends picks including Milwaukee's own back to Milwaukee and Milwaukee sends Giannis to the Celtics. I think that's where this is headed. I would bet right now that Giannis's next team is the Celtics and that Jaylen Brown is the centerpiece of that trade. Either back to Milwaukee, year down to Atlanta.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's exciting. Okay, I want to end with a football question. You know, this happens all the time where Sacramento Kings had a great team for years and years, but they couldn't get past a great Laker team. Phil Mickelson was. If Tiger woods doesn't exist, Phil Mickelson's a top three golfer of all time. Like, you have these things. Kansas City and New England have kept out a lot of good teams and one of them is Buffalo. And for years it's been easy to pick on them. The Buffalo Bill. Brandon Bean's kind of defensive and has taken shots. And it's come. And I'm looking at the Athletic the other day because I thought they had a really good draft. Buffalo again. And I looked at their offensive roster and I'm like, it's kind of great. And the Athletic had him as the third best Overall roster, even above Philadelphia. Now, some of that is because part of the roster is quarterback, and quarterback is a bigger part of a roster than any other position. But now I look at Buffalo and I think they're actually undervalued. We've picked on them for so long. The most undervalued team in the league is the Buffalo Bills. Am I nuts?

[Nick Wright]

No, I don't think you're nuts. I also think, you know, this is, what is it, middle of May, Pretty annual tradition. The Bills are the team to beat America. Look at how much talent. And then when they end up falling short, it's, well, I mean, how's Josh Allen supposed to win with that type of talent? I mean, we can set our clock to it, right? It's in the off season. The Bills and Ravens, they're juggernauts. They have all of this unbelievable skill everywhere. And then come January, it's like, you know what? Turns out I didn't love that roster as much as I once did. Now, with that said, I'm on the record that I think Josh Allen eventually is going to break through. I think he is going to deliver Buffalo their only, you know, their first championship as a franchise. I don't know if this year with rookie head coach is the year I would pick them to break through. And I also don't know how much the loss of Brandon Bean is going to hurt them defensively. But I, you know, we found out yesterday the first Thursday Night Football Amazon game is Bill's Lions. And I do think this is a critical moment for, like, those two teams. It's very interesting. Neither franchise won a championship. Both teams feel like the window's been open for this half decade. In the Bills case, longer. And they haven't even made the super bowl yet. So I think Buffalo wins the division again this year. Bounces back in that after not winning it last year. I think Josh, you know, will be a perennial MVP favorite each and every year, and I think they'll be really good. I don't know if I think they have, you know, a top three roster, and I don't know that they would be my pick to win the afc. You know, I gotta survey the landscape, Colin. I'm leaning one way with an AFC team, but I've gotta survey the full landscape before I see exactly where I want to go.

[Colin Cowherd]

Nick Wright. Good seeing you, buddy.

[Nick Wright]

You too, as well. Talk to you soon.

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[Superhuman Advertiser]

Superhuman Shack I keep telling them not to say that. I'm no superhuman. Believe it or not, I struggle with moderate obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA in adults with obesity. Moderate to severe OSA is a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep with loud snoring, choking, gasping for air, and even daytime fatigue. Let's just say it can sound a lot like this. Sound familiar? Learn more@don'tsleeponosa.com this information is provided by

[Colin Cowherd]

Lilly, a medicine company. Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more@electric for all.org Wasabi is purpose built to free your business from skyrocketing storage costs and fees from the big guys. Wasabi is the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams around the world. Check out Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage. Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals. Wasabi driving innovation in data storage for up to 80% less than the other guys. Try for [e-mail] Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Guaranteed human.