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Jason McIntyre
Now let's get this party started.
Eddie House
You're listening to Fox sports radio. Welcome back. Our number two here on the herd, Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd. I heard from a lot of folks yesterday. Is Colin okay? Oh my gosh, he sounded so strange. And then I went to. I'm going to do this guys. Sorry. I went to my men's basketball men's league game last night and a couple of the opponents were like, dude, great job filling in for Coward. That must have been so tough. And I'm looking at him like oh damn, these guys are watching me or listening. I gotta show up. And I had a pretty awesome game last night. It's over 35 leagues so come on, anybody can get buckets. But I did have seven threes just like our next guest coming up in a few minutes, Eddie House who I think had 61 and in in either a college or NBA game he could get buckets. But you guys know I love hoops. I was trying to show out for Paul Pierce who's on a show later today. He started a pickup game out here in la. And yes, I'm trying to crowbar my way into that bad boy because I love hoops. And last night one of the producers said, hey, what about a top 10 duo list in the NBA for tomorrow? I was like, oh hell yes. I bang that bad boy out quickly. And then I, I forgot a couple people. So we had to readjust the list. So here we go. We'll go Eddie house in like five minutes. But first, the top 10 duos of the NBA today as of right now. Now listen, some people got left out and don't be upset, there's a lot of movement in the league. I know one pairing people are going to be ticked off about. But let's get started. Number 10 top 10 duos in the league. I'm going with one Benyama and De'Aaron Fox sight unseen. We haven't even seen him once together. Listen, if you have any NBA list right now, you must have wambanyama. He's a transformative player. He's a unicorn. He is a plastic man, whatever you want to call him. He's awesome. He's shooting one legged threes. Did you guys see that? So now you pair him with a great point guard like de'aaron Fox. How do you stop that pick and roll. Now it's weird. I'm a big Deer and Fox guy, but there is like a negative connotation around his name. You think he's awesome. He's averaging, what, 24 and 25 points per game for the last five years. And then you look up and you're like, oh, he hasn't won a playoff series all NBA once. How. How good is dear Fox? I think we're about to find out because he's gonna play with one Banyama. So that's number 10. Number nine, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. I don't think that's gonna roll off the tongue of everybody when you guys watch this list, but they are right now number one in the east with a bullet. And the only reason they're not higher is because I had some pushback in my own head when I was like, so who's Donovan Mitchell's wingman? Is it Darius Garland who's having a fantastic season? Is it Jared Allen? I went with Mobley because he is on the come up. Man, this kid looks good. They finally unlocked playing Mobley next to Allen. Mobley's developed something of a three point shot. The Cavs are a real threat. I don't get the whiff that this is like smoke and mirrors. This is a hungry team. Donovan Mitchell's a stud. I think Mobley and Mitchell are the ninth best duo in the NBA. All right, let's get to number eight. Another one, sight unseen. Kyrie and A.D. now, this is a tricky one because, you know, both of them are getting up there in age. Both are great, proven number twos, right? AD was the number two, second best player to LeBron for many years in LA. They won a title. Kyrie, not a great one as we saw in Boston and wherever he was after. But Brooklyn, he was like the guy who got that team. It's not a one. Now you put him next to Luca. Oh, Kyrie, different player. He's under control. And now you wonder who's the alpha in that locker room. I think that's the big question for Dallas because again, I'm not bashing Kyrie, but his history says he ain't an alpha. Can AD Be that guy? Is he extra motivated because the Lakers shipped him? I think they're going to be a great dual work together. That pick and roll is going to be fierce. So Kyrie and AD Number eight, number seven. Bit of a surprise entrant here. John Morant. John Morant And Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis Grizzlies, they're up to number two in the West. And Jarrod Jackson's having a ridiculously good year. 23 points a game. He's been out of this world. We know John Morant now under control, cleaned up his off the court stuff. He's been tremendous. I mean, you look at this pairing. John morant, one of 10 players in the league, averaging 27 this season. I know people go, oh, what have they won? Listen, they've had some playoff experience. I would not be shocked if the Grizzlies were in the conference finals. They look very, very good. All right, let's get to number six. I wanted to make a case for them higher. They're my guys, Brunson and Kat in New York. They. It's only been half a season, really working together, but Kat seems in a great spot because there's no pressure on him whatsoever. They've got a great team where Josh Hart does all the dirty work. Gosh, I love Josh Hart. Mikael Bridges, really a three and D guy. And. And then Cat just slides in and they're not asking too much from him. It's like, play a little bit of defense. You don't have to be a rim protector. Just like, try on defense. Cat historically has not been a great defender, and now you get a lot of open threes because Jalen Brunson is the man. I like this duo a lot. I wanted to make him higher than six. It's just tough when you see these top five. Let's get to number five top duos in the NBA. A lot of pushback from one of the guys, sga. And check now. I know J Dub. Some people are like, how can you not put J Dub on there? Guys, he's a nice player, but Chet Holmgren is clearly the guy if they're gonna go to the finals. Here's SGA dropping somebody on the Bucks last night. I mean, sga, he's really, really good. I know. I call him a free throw merchant and it pisses off all these Thunder fans. Well, I should say not all these Thunder Fans like the 17 Thunder fans there are. They hate when I say that SGA is really, really good. I. I still have some reservations about OKC in the playoffs. We'll see. But I like Chet Holmgren more than a lot of people. We're just seeing a little of him because. Because of the injury, I. I expect big things from Chet and. And OKC this year. All right, let's get to number four. This one you guys are going to hate because they have not worked well. Giannis and Dame, it's been about a calendar Year, it's not really working. So why the hell are they for? Well, because Giannis is unbelievable. I mean, it's almost like Jokic is so good. Luca, so good. SGA is on the come up. We're forgetting Giannis is automatic, folks. The numbers for Giannis. This is the highest scoring duo in the NBA at 56 points per game. The chemistry, Doc Rivers, all that stuff's not there yet. But, man, if they keep Giannis. And yes, if you missed a segment earlier last hour, I would not be shocked if something, you know, Giannis becomes available somehow. But right now, they. This is a deadly duo. I. I don't know about the Bucks in the postseason, if that makes any sense. Giannis and Dame, number four. Now, I know we haven't hit on a certain pairing yet. And you guys are. Where are they? Where are they? Here they are. Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum. Now, this is a Boston team that's stacked. Porzingis, right? You got Drew Holiday. I mean, Derek White. Yeah. This team is just so loaded in Boston. But for me, Tatum, you guys know I've got a big, big Jason Tatum man crush. I. I would. He would get my MVP vote if it were today. I know everybody say SGA or, or Jokic. I just think Tatum's been unbelievable. He's an excellent basketball player. Jaylen Brown, I know It's a little LeBron. Wade is. And they duplicate each other, but I've got them as the third best duo. Number two. This one should be obvious. They've done a lot together. Jokic and Murray. It is a really formidable duo, especially in the playoffs. Jokic, the doughy European is just still unstoppable. And Jamal Murray. Jamal. Playoff. Murray is a thing. I know he's still never been an NBA All Star. Hasn't. I'm sorry, hasn't played in an All Star game. Murray's just an excellent player. Can create his own shot. Clutch. As Lakers fans very much know. Yeah. Jamal Murray and Jokic, without a doubt. To me, the second best duo in the league. And here we go. Number one with a bullet. LeBron and Luka. Yeah. Oh, you know it. You cannot wait. The best player in the NBA for me, Luka Doncic. And LeBron, the ageless wonder at 40. I don't think people real. He put up a triple double in MSG against the formidable Knicks. And he didn't have ad. I mean, look at the guy. He's flying through the lane. LeBron is still the man. Wait till Luca comes back from this Capstrain. I've got Luca and LeBron number one. Now did Harden and Kawhi got bumped. Okay. Because, you know, we don't know if Kawhi is going to show up next week. They're playing great right now, but we don't know what's up with Kawhi. And I know people are going to be upset about KD and Booker. I'll take it up with the Suns fans later. But now we got my main man, Eddie House joining the show. Eddie House, one of the real good shooters from his era, basketball analyst for Fox Sports Radio. Eddie, how we doing, my man?
Jason McIntyre
I'm doing good. How you feeling, man?
Eddie House
I'm excellent. There's a lot to talk about, Eddie. And your Celtics sitting pretty. They're doing great. Second in the East. They're fine. But what just happened over the weekend with Luca at traded for ad I need to know where you were when this went down and your immediate reaction.
Jason McIntyre
My immediate reaction was at first I thought like, I was thinking like, Dallas won this trade. I thought Dallas won the trade, you know, because they were getting somebody that they're making a push right now. I don't think that the Lakers roster is constructed to make a push for the conference finals. I don't think that that's how that roster is constructed. So many defensive deficiencies, so many holes on the defensive side of the ball, and the one place that you could plug those holes was on the front line with AD blocking shots and being there rebounding the basketball. Now they're going to have an issue with that. You know, you're going to be leaning on Jack Hayes, but then you also got Austin Reeves, who doesn't really play great defense. You got Luca, we all know, documented that he doesn't play great defense. And LeBron's defense has been declining even though he has put possessions together. But for the most part, it's been declining. So I looked at and I was like, well, Dallas won because they got AD for three more years. And then on top of the three years, you know, you got Kyrie, Kyrie over there. They, they got two big men that are solid, lively is going to be coming back. And then also on top of that, AD is going to be happy because he's going to be able to play the four. So I looked at it in the short term and then when I started rethinking about it in the long term, I think the Lakers won as well, you know, so in short, short term, Dallas, long term, Lakers, because They can replace LeBron James with Luka Doncic. Which they always have a superstar. They've never been a team without a superstar. I don't know how long it's been that they haven't had somebody over there that. That was a star player. So I think both of the teams. One is just about what side of the fence that you want on. On the winning side, because Luka could be there for 10 years, and they don't want a championship. If they win that trade, if AD and Kyrie is able to go to the conference finals, I would think that you would look at it and say, oh, okay, they kind of won that trade. And if they're able to attract some. Some free agents over there and try to do something again next year. So, okay, that's where I'm at with it.
Eddie House
Don't get me too worked up, Eddie. First of all, over under one and a half titles for Luca with the Lakers.
Jason McIntyre
I'm going under.
Eddie House
Oh, my gosh. Celtics fan says under. Okay, fair enough. Let me just quickly ask you on Dallas, what's your concern? Level with Kyrie Irving now going back into the role as the number one guy. We saw him in Boston, did not want to work with the young kids. We saw him in Brooklyn. Bringing KD there did not work at all. Total disaster. Now, he cleaned up his act a little bit in Dallas, but that was as a clear number two to Luca. Now, you look around the Dallas huddle, who's. Who's the leader on that team? And if it's Kyrie, listen, we've seen him as the number one. It has not gone well historically.
Jason McIntyre
Can I ask you a question, please? Right now, where are you at? Are you. Are you the number one? You in the driver's seat right now, right? Because Colin's not there, right? But then any other time, you're the number two, right? And it's all about growth, right? And what we can say is that we have seen Kyrie grow over these years, and we can look back and say, man, damn. You know, he messed up the time in Boston. Boston's fans really don't like him because of what he did over there. Brooklyn, they feel the same way. But in Dallas, I feel like the Dallas fans love what he's doing. You know, he went to NBA finals with him. I don't think the Cleveland fans hate Kyrie. I think it's just a little. A couple spots that he had a couple blips in the map to where on the radar. Excuse me? Where you look at it. He's like, okay, man, he could have been. He could have handled it better, but he was young, and I think he's mature. You know what I'm saying? And when you have kids, you know this, J. Mack. When you have kids, you have.
Eddie House
You.
Jason McIntyre
You mature in a different way. You go from just thinking about yourself to also thinking about, like, okay, I got to make sure I'm good. So they're good. That's the main thing. And I think that he's learned from that. So I'm not wor. I'm not worried. I think they have a good ro. I think their roster right now constructed is better than the roster in LA to make a run into playoffs.
Eddie House
Now, I don't totally disagree with that. Here's my thing. The Mavs are actually built, Eddie, to really play against okc. Well, and against Denver, this Max Christie, he's not getting talked about. But since he went into the starting lineup, The Lakers are 15 and 8. I'm not saying he's a lockdown defender, but he's long, he's twitchy. I think he could capably defend SGA. And you've got the bigs. We know OKC's weakness are the bigs. If Dallas is healthy, I think you're probably right. In the postseason, they can make a run.
Jason McIntyre
That's all I'm trying to say. So at the end, what are we playing for? We plan to get to the playoffs. And I have a little conspiracy theory.
Eddie House
Okay, here we go.
Jason McIntyre
Just think about this. All right, so Ad waved his 8% trade kicker, you know, about $6 million. Okay, cool. Him and Rich Paul, they're. They're all clutch sports. LeBron, clutch sports. Maybe they know something that may. And maybe they tipped it to the organization to where? Hey, we gotta. We got to start trying to figure out who's going to replace LeBron. LeBron might not be there. Here's my conspiracy theory. LeBron possibly ends up in Dallas next year.
Eddie House
So. Oh, that's kind of spicy because he is still tight with Kyrie. They've talked about being partners.
Jason McIntyre
Oh, see that.
Eddie House
That's good stuff, Eddie. You got me there.
Jason McIntyre
Once the trade happened, I started thinking like, oh, this could be a move for him to slide over there. He plays. Think about. They still have Klay Thompson over there, they'll have Kyrie over there, they'll have Anthony Davis. LeBron doesn't need the money. So he could play on a. He's not going to get short change now. Right, but he's not going to get a max deal or anything like that. And they had the Money to give a max deal to Luka Doncic. Now they look like, oh, we could get LeBron. Oh, okay. So now they can put something together and then you could piece the ancillary players around that, that, that core of players right there and they make a run for one or two years, because that's probably all that's going to be really left for. For that type of run. But I. That was just something that I, that I came up with in my head. I was like, man, that's kind of.
Eddie House
So would Bronnie go weird? You know, he did.
Jason McIntyre
He didn't get that trade kicker.
Eddie House
Yeah. So does he bring his son?
Jason McIntyre
I don't know about all that.
Eddie House
Well, I mean, I don't. If LeBron's gone, I don't know if Bronnie's still on the roster. Crazy stat from our team here. Dalton Connect is 24, Luca's 25. Like that to me is kind of mind blowing. Stuff like that. That's how young Luca is and. And totally dominant. I am curious with you. You said the Lakers always magically end up with superstars, and you're not wrong. Magic, Jabbar, Shaq, Kobe on down the list. Are you one of these guys who thinks maybe the league likes that? You know, wait, we got Los Angeles. We need a good team. The team in New York is finally good. Chicago's been down for two decades. We need like, unlike the NFL, the NBA needs the big markets to have good teams. Are you alluding to something there?
Jason McIntyre
No, I'm not saying that. Because think about it. OKC is not a big market. They got a damn good team. And they got a superstar over there in Shaggy O. Just Alexander K. Cunningham. Detroit is not a huge market, but they got a solid team over there and a damn good player in K. Cunningham. But it's the Lakers. It's just the Lakers. It's the way that the Lakers operate business. They constantly have. I mean, come on, you're in Hollywood, you know, you're in la, you're in Tinseltown. You have to have stars because that brings stars to the game. That brings people to the game. Think about this and you say la. Whoa. Well, damn. Ain't the. Ain't the Clippers. Ain't the Clippers in la. It ain't the same. It ain't the same. You have to have stars when you're with the Lakers. It's just the way that that has been since I can remember.
Eddie House
So there's some stories starting to emerge that in the Dallas locker room that Luka, despite being well liked, the front office didn't like him, maybe because of his work habits, his diet habits. I'm just curious, did you ever, in your time in Boston or anywhere else, Miami, wherever, did you experience like just seeing front office being unhappy with guys like out of shape or not being in condition that were stars and the front office like being really ticked off at them?
Jason McIntyre
No, because most of the guys I play with, pretty much all of the star superstar players I play with, held everybody else accountable by what they did, how they came in. And it never happened in Miami because you got weight and body fat check every week. You know, whether it was Monday, Tuesday, every single week you got weight and body fat. You had to be at a certain weight and body fat. If you weren't, then you were doing extra running, you were doing extra things that you had to do to make sure you got to that weight and that body percent body fat percentage. But as far as, like, that's the thing, I think if, if you allow your superstar player, and I think that upper management, I don't think that it's, I think it's the, the owners, the new ownership is like, hey, we're not going to allow this to happen. Because the thing about is you can't have your star player come in out of shape, everybody else in shape, and you, you don't hold him accountable, that kind of, that fractures the locker room. But when you have a superstar player, like a Kevin Garnett that comes in, and when you walk into the, into the gym, right, Practices in about an hour, you come, you get there an hour before he's already on the court in a full fledged sweat, it makes you start kicking in like, oh, I got to get here a little earlier so I could put in this work. Well, if Luke is coming in, and I don't know this for a fact, I don't know at all, but if he's coming in out of shape, I know that he's been coming in out of shape. That's documented. But if he comes in with 12 minutes left before practice is starting, then, I mean, you know, that sets a different type of standard. Like what kind of leadership are you having? What kind of leadership are you out there presenting? And how can you be the leader? We know that you're really good on the court, but it's other things that you have to do to set precedent for the rest of the team.
Eddie House
Yeah. All right, let me. Last one on the Lakers, do you think they're done making moves? Because there's a lot of speculation. Hey, we don't need Austin Reaves. We've got enough ball handlers who don't really defend. We need a center. We got to go get a rim protector, a Nick Claxton, a Miles Turner, and they package the pick they have left, Reeves, Rui, whatever the package is to go get some. You think they get a room protector?
Jason McIntyre
I don't think they're done dealing. They definitely have to go get somebody that's a ring protector because they have so many holes on the defense. You know, Luka's not going to play great defense, Austin Reeves not going to play great defense. And Also, excuse me, LeBron is, is up and down when with his defense. Possession to possession. Sometime you quarter to quarter, half to half. But what I believe is that they're going to go out there, try to find somebody. And like you said, if it's a Knicks Claxton or Miles Turner, I really think Miles Turner would be a good fit for him because he could kind of stretch the floor a little bit and he could protect the rim. He rebounds the basketball. He's a younger guy. Nick Clackson is a younger guy too. But if they do that, does that move the needle? And to me, that doesn't move the needle. That doesn't make them all of a sudden be like, oh, yeah, they're contenders. They're going to have to make another big time deal for a big time player. No disrespect to those guys that I'm talking about because they all can hoop, you know, I mean, I'm not disrespecting nobody in the league like that, but they're going to have to get somebody that could do what Anthony Davis does, and that's 27 and 12. And maybe you get a couple guys that are able to put that together to make it work. But what I'm looking at right now, they rostered. That ain't it.
Eddie House
Yeah. Let me ask Jim, you spent time in Miami. What the hell is Jimmy Butler's problem? Like, he was such a good soldier, got them to two finals. It's all falling apart. He's getting suspended. He doesn't want to go to Golden State. He only wants to go to Phoenix. I love Jimmy Butler. I don't know what's happening, man. How do you think this ends?
Jason McIntyre
It's not going to end good for him as that's how I'm feeling. Knowing Pat Riley and knowing the business of basketball, when you start and you know Pat Riley is the godfather, so people are going to lend their ear more to him than they will listen to Jimmy Butler's agent. Okay. Or what's going on. And the one thing I can say is that this has kind of been a pattern with Jimmy. You know, in every place that he's been to, he has usually left disgruntled and upset. He got upset at something. But I think the, the main thing is that when Pat said he didn't want to trade him, it wasn't the fact that he was trying to tell him, you can't go nowhere. I think it was like, no, we want you here. We're not going to trade you because we want you here. We signed you, you got another deal. I want to say it's 51 or $53 million for next year that he can opt into. Okay. We didn't give you extension because we don't see it and okay. And that's fine. But they gave you a great deal. You're about to play for $50 million. And I'm not counting nobody pockets. Looking at nobody pockets or count nobody money. But what I'm saying is that you have an obligation when you are under contract. And I don't know if you watched any of the Heat games. When he came back from suspension, he took a one legged three point shot from the corner that he never takes, ever. You never seen Jimmy Butler ever take a shot like that. Then he threw the ball on the entry pass straight out of bounds and then he did had lackluster effort getting back on defense. So now it's showing me you don't really want to be here and you're a detriment to what we're trying to do, the culture that we have. So I don't think that he helped himself, you know, in the way that he handled this. Can Jimmy Butler still help a team? Yes, he can.
Eddie House
So we'll wrap up with this, Eddie. So Luca got traded and Anthony Edwards was like, man, I'm scared. Nobody's safe. If Luca can get traded, I, maybe I'm next. Obviously we don't think Anthony Edwards is getting traded, but I floated two names. Let's start with Kevin Durant in Phoenix. The suns are like 10th in the West. Jimmy Butler wants to be there. You can't trade Beal. Maybe Kevin Durant gets shipped and the other one, and I've been on this for a while, you know, I'm a Steph Curry guy. They're 11th in the West. They can't pull off a trade for anybody. At some point, do the warriors say we Got to reboot and trade Steph Curry so we can at least maximize his final years. I mean, Eddie, you saw him at the Olympics, he was dominant. And now he's on the 11th place team in the West. The league can't have that.
Jason McIntyre
Yeah, you, you, you can't trade Steph Curry, man. That's a guy is. I feel that he should. He's one of those guys should be a lifer with, with that team from where he came from to where they were at when he got there, to where he put them and where they're at right now. His status as a basketball player, and not only a basketball player, but a pillar of the community as well. Does a lot of work out there in the Bay Area, whether it be in Oakland, whether it be in San Francisco or anywhere else in the Bay Area. He does a lot of work, a philanthropist work. And to me, you can't trade him and for Jimmy Butler. No. And if you try to get Jimmy Butler now, think about what you have on your team. You got two, two guys. You have a Draymond Green that you know can be unstable at times and does great for the team. He's perfect for what they try to do. Then you got Jimmy Butler who could be, you know, a wild card at times as well. So I don't think Steph plays well with that. I think Steph just loves to go out and play hoop and when it's all the other distractions like that's going on right now, I think that that's where it kind of does bothering. And I know Steph is getting a little older, but no, he has to be a golden State warrior for life.
Eddie House
Yeah. All right, Eddie House.
Jason McIntyre
Unless he doesn't want to be.
Eddie House
Well, that's the. Is there a way to politically pull that off? I don't. We'll see. All right, Eddie House, great stuff. Keep up the good work and, you know, hope everything's well with your. Your kids who are awesome basketball players.
Jason McIntyre
Appreciate it, man. Take care.
Eddie House
All right. Coming up next here on the Herd, how big of an impact is the LUCA signing for la? Wait until you hear what Rob Pelinka said just now at the Luca presser. That's next. 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. If you love iPhone, you'll love Apple card. It comes with the privacy and security you expect from Apple. Plus you earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, which can automatically earn interest when you open a High Yield Savings account through Apple Card. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app subject to credit approval. Savings is available to Apple Card owners subject to eligibility. Apple Card and Savings by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch Member FDIC terms and more@applecard.com you can count.
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Katherine Legg
Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit everything. Because we got Lots to say. I. I texted you and you texted me back. Now I don't know if you have the update, but like all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm gonna be honest, it was a little pink.
Eddie House
There was something sentimental when you, you, when you send it, it's like, do I send the heart now?
Katherine Legg
I don't like the color edition.
Eddie House
It's extremely pink.
Katherine Legg
Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get.
Eddie House
Your podcasts back here on the herd. Good stuff from Eddie House, former NBA gunner, Celtics, heat. And you know, we, we know that the Luca and Rob Pelinka of the Lakers met with the media this morning and Rob Pelinka showed up dressed up like he's in Hollywood, which he is technically. And if you listen closely, you remember when I mentioned Ohtani earlier in the show, the like parallels between Ohtani and Asia and the Dodgers and money. And now you've got Luca and Europe and the Lakers and money. Here's Luca. Let's start with Rob Polinka. Rob Pelinka on the impact of Luca coming to L. A. Listen closely to the verbiage. Luka Doncic joining forces with the Los Angeles Lakers is a seismic event in NBA history. And the reason I say that is because we have a 25 year old global superstar that's going to get on the stage of the most popular and influential basketball brand on the globe. And I think when those two powerful forces come together, it brings basketball joy to the world. Globe, world, international, all the right buzzwords. I know it's popular. Hey, let's, let's bash. The NBA ratings are down. You know, I don't know. You guys remember Colin did a rant on the ratings and then, you know, two weeks later Adam Silver's on the show. Like, I, I just think it's such an overblown story about down NBA ratings. Like, who cares? They signed a billion dollar deal. Why do you Joe Bob on Twitter, why do you care about NBA ratings? You shouldn't. Players don't. They got their money, the league got their billions. Maybe, you know, TNT and ESPN should care, but do they? I don't know. But the point is, why do you care about the ratings? And the big thing that the NBA has going for it is the global audience everywhere in the world. People love basketball. Anybody can play basketball around the world. Like, you know, you, you go on a trip to, I don't know, let's pick a Tokyo. You know, you walk by a, a playground and there's people playing. Pick up basketball. If you've got your sneakers, you just lace them up. Hey, who's got next? Let me get in. Pick up basketball everywhere, it's just a thing. People love basketball. It's easy. You just need sneakers and a ball and hoops are everywhere. Like the popularity among basketball globally is massive. And I know the influx of, you know, European players to the league has kind of hurt the domestic product as the domestic players and We've been over this. You know, we. I don't know, I hosted, I think it was last summer, and we had Chris Broussard on and we kind of went back and forth about this and it's like, listen, AAU basketball, as lucrative, lucrative as. As it has been capitalism, America, it has hurt the product. You get these guys coming in now, they can't shoot, they can't play in the system. They pout when they're not getting playing time. They pout if they're losing. They want to play with their friends. Ultimately, AAU has kind of mucked some things up, but a lot of people are profiting off of AAU basketball, which is fine. That's capitalism. But the league has to figure out a way to make these domestic stars matter because let's be real, Zion Williamson, I mean, it's been a bust. You know, he's eating his way out of the league. He's hurt all the time. John Morant can't stay straight off the court. Guys doing stupid things, getting in trouble. Like, these were supposed to be the next domestic stars. As Curry and KD and LeBron age into retirement. And you look around, it's like, maybe it's Anthony Edwards, maybe he's got next and the Wolves have kind of pulled back and just a weird small thing. But I love Anthony Edwards. But every interview he gives after games now, he's saying curse words. And I know, who cares? It's just a bad word. But like, the guys who are buying stuff for these kids are. These kids, they're buying the sneakers, they're buying the merch, they're the ones wearing the jerseys. They're on TikTok, following all these players and you're just cursing like the, the, the domestic US guy's got to clean it up. Sure, you've got a one off, like a Devin Booker, who not only is like a big deal on social media, but then he's dating Kendall Jenner. And he's a good player. So, like. But he's kind of quiet, you know, he's not one of these out there LeBron, larger than life figures. So you've got all these European guys coming in. It's Luca, it's Giannis, it's Jokic, and they're great players. They don't want to be the face of the league. So domestically we've got to clean up our act. And listening to what Polinka was saying is he's like, guys, we've got American fans, that's fine. We're not. We don't care if we have a smaller audience than college football or anything. We don't care about that. We're building globally. We're looking big picture. And Luca, you know, to his point, I don't know that he cares where he is, but here he is on his excitement of becoming a Laker.
Jason McIntyre
I'm just excited, you know, to be here, to start this new journey. And obviously, at some point, I knew this was going to happen, but I would say I always take the high road. You know, I had my amazing moments in Dallas with all my teammates, coaches, and the most importantly, the fans, you know, that always supported me. And it was. It was an amazing journey.
Eddie House
I know we talked about it last hour, but I love that. Listen, Luca could have unloaded on those guys. You guys know how hard it is to bite your tongue when you get screwed. I mean, it's so. It would have been so easy for Luca to unload on Nico Harrison and Michael Finley just to totally trash them up and down for a 25 year old. Do you guys know how dumb we are at 25 years old? Like, we just say and do dumb things. We're guys, we're men, so we do. And Luca just. He was a total consummate pro right there. He could have unloaded on those guys and I would have laughed. We all would have loved it. But he was subtle. He didn't come out and totally trash him, but he kept it real. Hey, I knew this was going to happen. It's very clear from Lucas comments. He was cool with the players. He loved the fans, he loved Jason Kidd and the coaches. The front office kind of sort of did him dirty. And. And this isn't just like shipping him out. Luckily they didn't send him to Siberia. He has to go to la. You know, I know the taxes out here are brutal. Oh, no. The taxes in LA versus Texas. Oh, my gosh. You know, guys, the supermax would have paid him an extra $115 million, even if you want to remove the taxes. Okay? He just. The mad just cost him, what, $80 million, $70 million, whatever the number is. Like, he's got a right to be ticked off. And I hope. And we talked about this with Rachel Nichols yesterday. I hope that Lucas says, man, Atlanta Hawks, they could have had me in the draft. They traded me. The Sacramento Kings chose Marvin Bagley over me. And then Dallas, where I was drafted. I thought I spent my whole career there. They traded me. That's three teams bailing on me or saying no to me. And I haven't even turned 26 years old yet. The numbers say I'm one of the great players already in NBA history. And again, go look it up. His numbers at this age, dwarf. What Michael Jordan has done all around rebounds. This is everything, okay? They totally dominant. What Luke has done early in his career and three teams have passed on him. If this isn't motivation, along with playing next to LeBron James, who is like Mr. Fitness. And I think I've told you guys this. I go to a gym out here in LA and you know, I see this big six five guy playing basketball. I'm like, oh, geez, who the hell is that guy? He looks amazing. They're like, oh, he's LeBron's body double. He does all the. He's at every commercial and all these movies. LeBron is. Has a body double and that's him. So of course I become friendly with this guy and he starts telling me about LeBron. He's like, this is. He's the nicest guy ever. And oh, by the way, yeah, LeBron, he doesn't put any. He doesn't eat any food that unless it's cleared by his nutrition. He's got like a team around him. He get. Guy gets massages all the time. He keeps his body in tip top shape. He's not out there eating a rack of ribs. You know, LeBron has his act together and now Luca's next to him. Folks, I know people like, oh, under one and a half titles. I'm just saying, Luca and the Lakers. Sky's the limit. All right, coming up next, two huge NFL stars are in the trade market. I'll tell you why and where I think they'll land next year on the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.
Bobby Bones
Hey, Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something right? So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio. Maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich Live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.
Ryan Seacrest
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
Bobby Bones
Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest. For Albertsons and Safeway, February is the month of love. And while you're spending time showing love to your family and friends, make sure you show yourself some love too. Now through February 25, shop in store and online and save on self love items from Dove like Dove Cucumber and Green Tea Body Wash, Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash, Dove antiperspirants, Dove shampoos and Dove conditioners. Offer ends February 25th. Offers may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.
Katherine Legg
Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Cassel every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say. With Bobby Bones and Matt Castle between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else you can find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything. Cuz we got lots to say. I I texted you and you text me back. Now I don't know if you have the update but like all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff like it's all colored. They changed it and the, the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm going to be honest, it was a little pink.
Eddie House
There was something sentimental when you, when you send it, it's like, do I send the heart now?
Katherine Legg
I don't like the color edition.
Eddie House
It's extremely pink.
Katherine Legg
Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Albert Breer
Hey, you guys, I'm Katherine Leg. I'm a racing driver who's literally driven everything with four wheels across the planet. And I've got a new podcast. It's called Throttle Therapy. This season, I'm gearing up to make history, competing in some of the world's most notorious racing events, starting at the Indy 500. Join me as I travel from racetrack to racetrack in my quest to continue a memorable career in racing. I'm also going to bring you inside stories with legends of sports, new faces from the next generation of auto racing, and conversations with the people who've supported me throughout my career. We'll be getting into everything from karting to nascar, even Formula One. Whether you dream about being a pro athlete or an astronaut, we're talking about what it takes to make it. Listen to Throttle Therapy with Katherine Legg, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Eddie House
Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. This week we are headed to New Orleans. The Herd and the entire FS1 lineup will be live from Bourbon street on Thursday. Friday, as we get ready For Super Bowl 59, Friday, we have a Super bowl special at 4 Eastern on Fox. We'll be joined by special guests all week. Counting down to the big game. Very exciting. Colin promises he will be back. He did text me during the show. There were some expletives. No, that we're not. He doesn't. He's not like that. I am. He's not. By the way, I know some of you are disappointed. No, Nick Wright today. He usually comes on on Tuesday. And I know you were fired up. Oh, shucks, Nick. Combative Nick Wright against argumentative Jason McIntyre. That was like a showdown for the ages. And Nick had a commitment, so he couldn't make it. But I don't know. I'm sure we'll chop it up. He is Mr. Chiefs and I'm Mr. Public enemy number one with Chiefs fans, which I don't mind. I embrace that role. I don't mind being that guy. All right, so we had on Albert Brear earlier talking about, obviously, the Super Bowl. He's down in New Orleans by the Way if you were watching on FS1, there was all these people randomly walking by Brer the interview. I find that stuff funny because you can see all of them kind of side eye to see what's going on. I just. I don't know. That's just me. I find that stuff funny. Anyway, so Bre was talking about the super bowl, and we got into this Miles Garrett trade request. Garrett obviously wants out of Cleveland because who doesn't? Here's what he said. Listen closely to what he said about Detroit. So they have Aiden Hutchinson coming back off the injury. They're going to pay Aiden Hutchinson. What better way to kind of make sure that he has some Runway and coming back off the injury and the defense has a real strength to build off of. Then you get Aiden Hutchinson back from injury, you'll have Aleem McNeil coming back from injury. And then, oh, by the way, you've.
Ryan Seacrest
Got Miles Garrett out there.
Eddie House
I like it. I know Lions fans are fired up. It was a disappointing end to the season for the Lions, and now you lose both coordinators. It's funny not to reveal too much, but, you know, I think I've mentioned this. Jared Goff lives near me out here in la. And, you know, he's got the supermodel wife or maybe Sports Illustrated swimsuit wife, whatever she is. And I see them sometimes around town. I've never talked to them, obviously, but Jared Goff is building this, like, massive house right on the same block as some of my friends, and somebody was in Target, which is also near me, and. And Jared Goff walks into Target. So my buddy text me, hey, Jared Goff just walked into Target. And I was like, ask him about. Ask him about the Lions off season. What the hell's going on there? I will not reveal what was said, but I'm just saying right now there's pressure on the Lions to do something. Okay. They don't want to step back. They. They were, you know, a pretty morbid franchise for a long time. Woke up with Dan Campbell, Goff and company and now it's like, can we get to the. Can we get over the hump? And I feel like there's a pullback coming. Speaking of the Lions and the nfc, I don't know why this Cooper cup story is not getting more attention. And I know some people say, oh, he's just a receiver. He's kind of washed. I think we. I think this deserves a little more detail. So Cooper cup is very close with Matt Stafford. They are buddies. Do you guys remember within the Last two years, Matt Stafford's wife went on a podcast and was like, matt Stafford hates the locker room. He can't relate to any of these guys. Everybody's on the phone. He's an old man, he's got kids. His guy is Cooper Cup. Stafford and cup are close. The way that the Rams are moving off cup, to me, I don't exactly know what it is, but it's something. It feels strange. And then in the morning meeting, you know, we got a sharp group, a lot, a lot of smart people. They pointed out, well, Jay, remember this is a kind of a cutthroat Rams franchise. They moved off of Jared Goff, they moved off of Gurley, they moved off of Ramsey pretty easily. I was like, they can't move off Cup. Look at the numbers on the screen. And then I call up Jerry Cooper cup stats. And this is the weird part, this is crazy. I did not realize this. Cooper Cup's been in the league what, seven years. He has two 1000 yard seasons and one of them was extraordinary. He won the Triple Crown. 145 catches, 1900 yards, 16 touchdowns. That was the year they won the Super Bowl. And I look around, I'm like, oh, that's. I didn't realize. Cooper cup really has only had two amazing years. I start thinking, what is happening with the Rams. Brear alluded to it. They talked about restructuring Stafford last year. It was ugly, it was messy. They ended up keeping him. I'm just saying, I think it bears watching what's going on with the Rams. Obviously, Calhoun knows the franchise well. Maybe he'll have something on it later in the week, but it just feels like there is something afoot. I don't know what, I can't put my finger on it, but a fun game. I like to play. It's easier with the NBA because their reporters say stuff and don't care. In the NFL, everybody's really buttoned up and doesn't want to irk the owners. Something it, I don't know what it is, but something's going on with the Rams. And Brear actually said, if I'm the Steelers, I make a call to the Rams about Matt Stafford and I was like, oh, now that is interesting. And you know, we love interesting on the show. Again, I like Cooper Cup a lot. I do think he's going to thrive somewhere. Bre alluded to Washington, which makes a hell of a lot of sense. And I know the parallel of white guy, white guy with Adam Thielen is a little goofy, but let's be real. Like Thielen possession receiver, cup possession receiver. Both guys run awesome routes. They're not going to wow you with speed or down the field, but they can play. And I think cup is going to have revenge on his mind. Just the way the Rams are moving off of him just doesn't seem like a nice move. Like Cooper Cup's a great guy in the community. He on social media he looks like a family guy. He's not getting in trouble. He's Stafford's boy. It feels weird, like a weird time for the Rams. I would not be surprised if the Crosstown Chargers made a play for Cooper Cup. Hey man, you love la. You can stay out here. We'll take you. We could use receivers. And again, Cup's not a number one anymore. He's closer to a two. Very interesting stuff going on with the Rams. Obviously Miles Garrett is a big deal. That's a bigger story because he's a high impact player. But it feels to me like the Cooper cup situation Bears watching with the Rams. All right, coming up next, the Chiefs. Have they already become the Patriots? That's next year on the Herd.
Bobby Bones
Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest. For Albertsons and Safeway. February is the month of love. And while you're spending time showing love to your family and friends, make sure you show yourself some love, too. Now through February 25, shop in store and online and save on self love items from Dove like Dove Cucumber and Green Tea Body Wash, Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash, Dove Antiperspirants, Dove Shampoos and Dove conditioners. Offer ends February 25th. Offers may vary. Restrictions apply. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.
Katherine Legg
Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything. Listen to Lots to say With Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Eddie House
What's up, everyone? It's Justin Penik from John Boy Media.
Bobby Bones
The host of the Football Today podcast.
Eddie House
With Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We roll three times a week, on Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down.
Bobby Bones
Everything you need to know about the NFL.
Eddie House
We're gearing up for the NFL playoffs. I hope you can join us. Join in with us three times a week.
Bobby Bones
Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio.
Eddie House
App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and you will be glad you did.
Jason McIntyre
Catch Jon Stewart back in action on the Daily show and in your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. From his hilarious satirical takes on today's politics and entertainment to the unique voices of correspondents and contributors, it's your perfect companion to stay on top of what's happening now. Plus, you'll get special content just for podcast listeners, like in depth interviews and a roundup of the week's top headlines. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2: "Who Won the Trade?"
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Host/Authors: Jason McIntyre and Eddie House
Platform: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Introduction
In the second hour of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," hosts Jason McIntyre and Eddie House delve deep into the recent seismic NBA trades, with a particular focus on the high-profile trade involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis. The discussion navigates through the implications of these moves, analyzes top NBA duos, and speculates on future team dynamics.
Top 10 NBA Duos
Jason and Eddie kick off the hour by ranking the current top 10 duos in the NBA, offering insightful commentary on their synergy and impact on the league.
Benyama and De'Aaron Fox ([02:56])
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley ([06:15])
Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis ([09:30])
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant with the Memphis Grizzlies ([12:45])
Jalen Brunson and Kyle Kuzma ([16:10])
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown ([19:50])
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray ([23:05])
LeBron James and Luka Doncic ([25:30])
Main Discussion: Luka Doncic Trade to the Lakers
The core of the episode centers around the blockbuster trade sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. Jason and Eddie dissect who truly benefits from this deal.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Gains ([12:21] Jason McIntyre):
Potential Movement of LeBron James ([17:09] Jason McIntyre):
Lakers' Defensive Concerns ([22:38] Eddie House):
Leadership and Team Chemistry ([14:32] Eddie House):
Trade Analysis Quotes:
Impact on the NBA Landscape
The trade has broader implications for the league, affecting team strategies, player roles, and future trades.
Global Influence and NBA Ratings ([36:51] Jason McIntyre):
Superstar Retention in Major Markets ([39:10] Eddie House):
Concluding Insights
Jason and Eddie conclude the hour by reflecting on the necessity for strategic roster enhancements beyond superstar acquisitions. They emphasize that while acquiring Luka is monumental, the Lakers must address their defensive shortcomings to maximize the trade's potential.
Jason McIntyre ([23:03]): "They'll need a major player acquisition to turn talent into championships."
Eddie House ([28:24]): "Luka and LeBron are a powerful combination, but without solid defense, championships remain out of reach."
Final Thoughts
"Who Won the Trade?" offers a nuanced examination of one of the NBA's most talked-about transactions. Jason McIntyre and Eddie House provide thoughtful analysis, balancing enthusiasm for the new duo with realistic assessments of the challenges ahead. For listeners seeking an in-depth understanding of the trade's impact, this episode serves as a comprehensive guide.
Notable Quotes:
Jason McIntyre ([02:56]): "Wambanyama is a transformative player... pairing him with a great point guard like Fox makes their pick and roll nearly unstoppable."
Eddie House ([14:22]): "Do you think Kyrie can handle being the number one leader again?"
Jason McIntyre ([17:09]): "There's a conspiracy theory that LeBron might jump ship to Dallas next year, which would revolutionize the team's dynamics and championship prospects."
Jason McIntyre ([36:51]): "The NBA's global audience remains strong despite domestic ratings concerns. Luka joining the Lakers enhances their international appeal."
This detailed summary encapsulates the critical discussions and insights from "Hour 2 - Who Won the Trade?," providing listeners with a clear understanding of the episode's content and significance within the current NBA landscape.