Hour 3 - Chris Broussard, Benjamin Garcia

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Episode Summary – Hour 3 with Chris Broussard and Benjamin Garcia

Release Date: July 14, 2025

In the third hour of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," hosts Jason McIntyre and Chris Broussard engage in an in-depth discussion covering pivotal topics in both the NFL and NBA. Joining them later is Benjamin Garcia, host of the "Locked on Suns" podcast, who brings additional insights into NBA trade speculations and quarterback evaluations.

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NFL Quarterback Rankings

The episode kicks off with a spirited debate over the latest quarterback rankings. Jason McIntyre introduces his own list, placing Patrick Mahomes at number four following a challenging previous season. Chris Broussard vehemently defends Mahomes, asserting, “He is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen, period. He’s not the GOAT yet, but he’s in a category of his own” (04:25).

Broussard argues that Mahomes remains unparalleled despite facing team challenges, such as a subpar receiving corps and offensive line issues. He emphasizes Mahomes' ability to deliver exceptional performances, highlighted by his astonishing "[...] 15 and 1 and gets his team to the Super Bowl" record (04:35).

The conversation also touches on other quarterbacks, with Broussard favoring Lamar Jackson over Joe Burrow and placing Jaden Daniels at number five. Daniels is praised for his poise and clutch performances despite limited supporting weapons: “He is a special quarterback. Best rookie season we’ve ever seen” (05:59).

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NBA Player Analysis

Transitioning to the NBA, the hosts delve into the potential of the young forward Cooper Klifford (referred to as Cooper Flag). McIntyre expresses optimism, likening Klifford to a future Kevin Garnett: “He can be a Kevin Garnett type player. Obviously not the MVP right out of the gate, but I love the defense, the handle, everything about his game” (06:36).

Broussard counters by praising another emerging star, SGA (presumably referring to a standout guard), stating, “SGA as a guard has done it at the age of 26, leading one of the second youngest teams ever to win an NBA championship” (08:41). He argues that while Klifford has defensive prowess, SGA offers a more comprehensive offensive package with better three-point shooting capabilities and leadership qualities.

The debate underscores differing viewpoints on which young players hold the most promise for future NBA dominance, weighing defensive strengths against offensive versatility.

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Trade Speculations and Team Building

The discussion shifts to team-building strategies, particularly focusing on the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers. McIntyre lauds the Mavericks' acquisition of Deandre Ayton, labeling him a “steal at $8 million” compared to Rudy Gobert’s $35 million contract (17:35). Broussard agrees, highlighting Ayton’s potential synergy with Luka Doncic: “What I want to see from Deandre Ayton is him saying, 'I’m giving my all on the defensive end,'” (18:17).

The Lakers' roster moves are also scrutinized, especially the addition of Ayton. Broussard defends the move despite Ayton’s past criticisms regarding attitude and performance consistency, noting Ayton’s possible transformation under the Lakers’ system and leadership: “He is going to be a great fit with Luka” (18:37).

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Bradley Beal and the Lakers' Offensive Needs

Benjamin Garcia joins the conversation, challenging the notion of trading Bradley Beal to the Lakers. He argues against the Lakers acquiring another high-scoring player, stating, “The issue with the Lakers is not scoring. They’ve got LeBron, they’ve got Luka Austin Reaves” but questioning the necessity of adding Beal as “the missing piece” (26:41). Garcia contends that increasing offensive firepower may not address the Lakers' defensive shortcomings and suggests that Beal’s role as a defensive anchor could disrupt the existing team dynamics.

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Deandre Ayton’s Role and Performance

Garcia further critiques Deandre Ayton, likening expectations to those of Nikola Jokić, but asserting Ayton remains “middle of the pack” despite respectable statistics: “He is not in that category” (28:36). He reflects on Ayton’s tenure in Portland and Phoenix, noting inconsistencies and questioning his long-term impact: “It is a desperate move by the Lakers to go get Deandre Ayton” (28:37). However, he concedes that Ayton could enhance the Lakers’ inside presence and scoring versatility if he can overcome attitude issues.

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Quarterback Spotlight: Kyler Murray vs. Brock Purdy

The conversation circles back to NFL quarterbacks with a focus on Kyler Murray. Garcia emphasizes the critical nature of the current season for Murray, framing it as a "make or break year": “We will know by the end of the year if Kyler Murray can be a consistent enough quarterback to help get you to a Super Bowl” (30:08). He compares Murray’s potential trajectory to that of Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts, suggesting that successful performance could elevate Murray’s standing significantly.

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Arizona Cardinals' Prospects

In a brief segment, Garcia addresses the Arizona Cardinals' chances for the season, asserting the team "better... make a wild card team in the NFC": “This is a year where everyone talks about is that JG is Imani Austin 4, could people be on the hot seat? But could Kyler Murray be gone next year?” (31:07). He expresses optimism about the Cardinals' potential under current coaching and player development, despite media skepticism.

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Conclusion and Future Episodes

As the episode wraps up, Jason McIntyre teases upcoming topics, including the Suns' moves, Bradley Beal's future, and a comparison between Kyler Murray and Brock Purdy. The hosts invite listeners to tune in to future episodes for more in-depth analysis and discussions.

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Notable Quotes

• Chris Broussard: “He is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen, period. He’s not the GOAT yet, but he’s in a category of his own.” (04:25)
• Chris Broussard: “SGA as a guard has done it at the age of 26, leading one of the second youngest teams ever to win an NBA championship.” (08:41)
• Benjamin Garcia: “Bradley Beal is a good team player, but you're asking him now to go over to the Lakers and be this pesky defender.” (26:41)
• Benjamin Garcia: “He is a middle of the pack. I mean, let's forget about that. Jason, after one year of the DeAndre Ayton Experience in Portland, what did they do?” (28:23)

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This episode of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" offers a comprehensive analysis of current NFL and NBA landscapes, showcasing diverse opinions on player rankings, team strategies, and future prospects. Listeners gain valuable insights into the complexities of sports management and player development through the engaging dialogue between McIntyre, Broussard, and Garcia.

Transcript

[Jason McIntyre]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Chris Broussard]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 plus. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for listening to 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. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, back here on the Herd. Oh boy. Listen this next guest. I've known this guy I don't know, probably since I got here to FS1 like 9 years ago and we would run into each other and he was a little taken aback by some of my takes. I had to take him to school, you know, and then the old dog taught me some new tricks. So let's bring in Chris Broussard. First things first, the man, the middle.

[Chris Broussard]

You didn't tell the story. You didn't tell the story about how when you were a cub reporter in New York. Yes, I was the only vet that was kind to you.

[Jason McIntyre]

That is a hundred percent.

[Chris Broussard]

Everybody else was blowing you off and I was kind to you.

[Jason McIntyre]

So I was this young guy at a newspaper in Jersey and I was crushing it and I had a couple job offers. So they were like, oh, we got to throw McIntyre a bone to keep him in. So I went to a USA Basketball thing in Madison Square Garden and I walk in wide eyed, I'm trying to talk to people, hey, where do I plug in my computer? And these guys are brushing me off. And Bruce starts like, hey young fella. Takes me under his wing. I listen, Bruce, Art is a great guy. I, I like how you were in a Jets tie, your shows in New York. How my jets gonna do this season. Brew, what are we looking at? 10 and 7. Look Justin Fields.

[Chris Broussard]

Oh no, I'm not going 10 and 7. I'm excited about Aaron Glenn. I'm somewhat excited to see Justin Fields. I think they will cater the offense to him. They won't try to fit, you know, him into a square peg, into a circle. So I think he'll be okay. But I'm not going 10 and 7. They're not making the playoffs.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, what big talking point so far today is this quarterback list that came out. I'm sure you guys are going to chop it up on first things first next. But Brew, I got to ask you, I had some issues with the list. I did my own. I had Patrick Mahomes coming in at four, coming off his worst worst season as a pro. I had Brock Purdy in there. I love Jalen hurts at 5. I'm just curious if we could get my list on the screen and you want to kind of poke holes in it. I mean there's really a not a lot you can do. I know you're good at this, but this is kind of impervious.

[Chris Broussard]

Patrick Mahomes is number one. What are you talking about? He is in a category by himself. Okay, I will give you if this season he comes out and plays the mediocre by his standards type of football he did last year. And there they win 10 or 11 games, get bounced in the first or second round of the playoffs. Sure, then you can move him down. But until further notice, he is the best. Not much of a receiving core at all last year, offensive line on the blink. And yet he still goes 15 and 1 and gets his team to the Super Bowl. I'm sorry, he is the best. He's the best quarterback I've ever seen, period. He's not the goat yet. He's got to do more and win more championships to get to Brady. But come on, man, dude is number one. He's in the category of his own. Outside of that, I'm putting Lamar ahead of Joe Burrow. If your argument for Josh Allen. What the heat. He has been better in the postseason than Lamar. But right now I would say I would put Lamar at 2. But I understand the playoff argument. I think you, I like hurts like you do. But, and I get it, it's only one year, but right now I'm going with jaden Daniels at 5. A lot of people Jaden Daniels. Yeah, the poise he showed, the clutch play that he showed. He didn't have the greatest weapons, you know, outside of Terry McLaren. So he is a special quarterback. Best rookie season we've ever seen. I put him at five.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, let's pivot to the NBA brew before we get to LeBron. I know he's your guy. You know, LeBron in his camp forever. I want to start with Cooper Flag. There's a lot of doubters. I heard some people say, hey, he could, he could be a Andre Kirilenko in the pros. I was like, come on, guys. Sorry, Baron Davis, that's not happening. They didn't shut down Andre Kirilenko after two summer league games. But Cooper Flag is going to be the truth. I said he could be a Kevin Garnett type player. Obviously not the MVP right out of the gate. But I love the defense, the handle everything about his game. Just scream superstar. Where are you on Cooper Flag after two summer league games?

[Chris Broussard]

Well, I think he'll be a better scorer than Garnett. Like offensively he can do it all. He can shoot the three, he's got the mid range shot. He can post a little bit and I think we'll post better as his career goes on. He can, you know, lead the fast break, can obviously take it to the hole and dunk. So he can do. I think his offensive package is way better than Garnett's. You know, when you, you know, you compare those two. But I think he can be a superstar. Like his ceiling is superstar MVP candidate, you know, and maybe winning it a time or two. I'm not saying he'll definitely be there. What I have said is he's definitely a star. The question is, will he be a superstar? And I get that he struggled in the first game in the summer league. Where he really struggled was just that his shot wasn't falling.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Chris Broussard]

You know, he did everything else well. He led the break. He obviously had the big defensive play and the assist while leading the break at the end of the game to win it. And then I. You know what I like J. Mack. He knew, he said it was, I think his worst game or one of his worst games of his life. Right. What does he do? I like the fact that he clearly looked in the mirror, was upset with himself, and then goes out the next night and scores half of his team's points with 31. Like that shows a dog. And people have questioned that, like wondered, does he have that in him? Will he take over? Does he let the game come to him too much in that game too? In the summer league, he took over. And I like the way he responded to a disappointing game one. So, yeah, I think he is. The truth and great, great luck and fortune for the Dallas Mavericks.

[Benjamin Garcia]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. Fortune favors the bold. I think something nonsense Nico Harrison said. Let me just ask you. This just came to me listening to you gas up Flag. Seems like we're on the same page. I'm going to ask you, Chris, if you're building an NBA team. And I said, next seven years you've got him locked up. Are you taking Cooper Flag or sga?

[Chris Broussard]

Sga. Oh, remember sga? Sg. Stop it. Yeah, we don't, we don't know that Cooper Flagg will ever, as much as I like him, will ever be the number one player and lead a team to a championship that's totally up in the air. And SGA has done it at the age of 26. Oh, by the way, doing it with the young. The second youngest team ever to win an NBA championship. No. And here's the other thing, J. Mac. SGA still has plenty of room to grow. His three point shot is nowhere near where it will be over the next two, three, four years so he can get even better.

[Jason McIntyre]

Wow.

[Chris Broussard]

And so there's no question. Look, Flag looks like he'll be a good defender, but SGA also plays defense. Like, no. No question. SGA all day.

[Jason McIntyre]

Wow, that's a surprise. Honestly, I would take like six or seven guys over sga Wembanyama how to take over sg he had well, yes.

[Chris Broussard]

Wimy okay, I'm not putting Cooper flag in Wimy's on wimby's tier, are you?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, we'll see. After a year. I'm extremely blessed. 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, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of piping hot baseball talk featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Chris Broussard]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800- GAMBLER in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny 467-369 in Connecticut, help is available. For problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill CA Resort in Kansas. 21 plus. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio.

[Jason McIntyre]

I asked Rick Bucher over under 1 1/2 MVPs for Cooper Flag in his career. I took the over.

[Chris Broussard]

Is that Look, I said it. The ceiling for Cooper Flag is superstar. The ceiling. I'm not predicting this but the ceiling for Victor when Benyama is goat, that's the ceiling. He can't be the Goat. Is that what you're telling me? He can't be the Goat.

[Jason McIntyre]

We're just in a different era.

[Chris Broussard]

How many guys are you saying could be the Goat? Him? Who else right now are we looking.

[Jason McIntyre]

At that could ever be the go? But I do think given what he's accomplished through his first six or seven seasons, I think Luka Doncic could be in the Goat. His numbers are going to be there there for sure.

[Chris Broussard]

The defense isn't there.

[Jason McIntyre]

The defense is not there. But you know what?

[Chris Broussard]

He he's going to lock Jordan. They were great defenders. Obviously when Banyama. So when you talk about goat, you nitpick and that would be a nit to pick on Luca.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. No, the defense is not quite there. By the way, let's talk about Luca and the Lakers. Luca's Getting a little skinnier, by the way. Do you believe this? Luca's thin and he's. Are you believing this based on pictures? Seeing Luca at a. At a. At a Jordan party and, you know, Greece or wherever he was.

[Chris Broussard]

Look, he did look awfully thin. I mean, it was noticeable, but I think he did 15.

[Jason McIntyre]

Come on.

[Chris Broussard]

I don't know. He's looked good in the. You know, in the summers before. Right? We've looked at him. Oh, wow. Luca slimming down. But I will say this. I mean, obviously playing with LeBron James may change your perspective for a positive. Right? You look at the way LeBron works. You look at him doing what he's doing at 40 years old, and you may be. I would think a competitor would say, man, I'm going to start doing some of that stuff. So that could be good for Luka. And also, he is entering that. Like, you talked about, what he's done over first six years of his career, and he's been phenomenal. I love Luka, but doesn't yet have an MVP and obviously doesn't have a championship. And so he is now at that stage, J. Mac where until he wins a ring, there is going to be a little bit of criticism of him. Like, people will give him love, don't get me wrong. But it'll be like, okay, when you gonna win? And they've all faced it. Jordan, LeBron, everyone who has taken several years to win as probably the best player, one of the best players in the league, get starts to get that criticism, and that can spark you to work harder. And so I think this could be good for Luke. He's getting a little bit of criticism. And so now I think that can spark him to work harder on defense, work harder on his body, and come back as an even better player.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I'm trying to look it up, Brute, but It looks like LeBron and Jordan both won their first title at 27. Is that accurate right around there? So Luka's, like, right in line with that. It's not a big. It's not a race. Just you can get the first title. You know, it's. It's a marathon. And watching Luka work again, I know people don't like when I hear putting Luka on the goat, but he makes everyone around him better. The way Magic did, the way LeBron.

[Chris Broussard]

Did, the way Jokic does different from Magic. Here's why. Certain players, he does make better, and same with LeBron, they make certain players better, but because this. When LeBron was in his prime, because they are so ball dominant. It is tough to fit pieces around them.

[Jason McIntyre]

Right.

[Chris Broussard]

You have to fit the right pieces around. Like Magic was different. Magic was such a great playmaker that everyone on the team could be the best version of themselves. You haven't seen that with LeBron through his career or Luka through his career. And that's the, that's just the ball dominant era. Some of these guys are just too ball dominant. But, but Luka is phenomenal, obviously. And so I'm just pointing that out.

[Jason McIntyre]

Ball dominant like the free throw merchant sga. Anyways, let's quickly go. So I took some heat on Friday for Deandre Ayton. Listen, statistically, just statistically for seven years, averaging 15 and 10 and shooting 50% he a class listen. That's pretty good for centers, especially in this era where it's not really. They're not getting the ball as much. So I think Ayton is a steal at $8 million. When you consider Rudy Gobert's at like 35 mil, I would take 8 and at 8 mil over him. However, it's Deandre Ayton.

[Chris Broussard]

He.

[Jason McIntyre]

He was malcontent in Portland. He was kind of lazy in Phoenix. Do you think he can turn it around playing with Luka and LeBron?

[Chris Broussard]

Yeah, I'm with you on that now. I don't know how far you went, how you were talking about a class you put him in. What class did you actually put him in?

[Jason McIntyre]

So the guys who were 15, 10 and 50% shooting are our centers like Giannis and Jokic and elite guys. And statistically he's in that.

[Chris Broussard]

He's not in that.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's not as good as. Nobody would say that. Come on.

[Chris Broussard]

Other than you, apparently. But, but look, I otherwise, I otherwise beyond saying he's with Giannis and Jokic, I'm with you. All right, I agree. I think I don't understand why certain people have panned this move to get deandre Ayton. It's ridiculous. People love the Mark Williams acquisition, right. That they obviously kill. He's better than Mark Williams statistically and period. Okay. He's going to be a great fit with Luca. He obviously will be great on the lobs from Luca. And then he's got the short mid range shot that is darn near automatic. I mean, he really is good at that level. What I want to see from deandre Ayton, his problem has really been his attitude, moodiness, his motor or lack thereof at times. I want to see him say, look, I'm playing with the best Player of this generation and another guy that could be the best player of his generation. In Luka, we have a chance to do something special. I'm giving my all on the defensive end. And then don't be so moody again, like luka, learn from LeBron is example. And I agree with you. I think it was a great move by the Lakers. I'm not saying it puts them over the top to win the championship, but I think it was a great move. And look, they're right there. I think right now you would say okc, Denver, Houston and Minnesota are better than the Lakers, but the Lakers are good enough where there's hope. Like, they should go out there. Like, we have hope that we can do something special this year.

[Jason McIntyre]

If the Lakers get Bradley Beal, they're the favorites in the West. Let's quickly go to LeBron.

[Chris Broussard]

Oh, no, stop that.

[Jason McIntyre]

Let's go to LeBron. I have to ask you about this. You know this guy as well as anybody. He's been leaving breadcrumbs on social media for a couple of weeks now. He's using Rich Paul to get his thing out that he's not happy with the Lakers. Not really feeling the love from Pelinka and company. They're good. They're showering. Luca, there's. Please tell the audience there's zero chance LeBron's getting traded.

[Chris Broussard]

Zero.

[Jason McIntyre]

They're not.

[Chris Broussard]

I won't say. I won't say zero, but I am with you. I don't think he's getting traded. I think he starts the season with the Lakers. Now, if for some reason it goes terrible, would they try to move him at the deadline? Maybe get him to a team with a chance to do something in the playoffs? Yeah, something like that. But I don't see it going terrible. Right. They were 15, 8 with LeBron and Luka last year and J. Mack. The teams they beat, they beat Houston twice, they beat Denver twice, they beat Oklahoma City, they beat New York, they beat Indiana. Like, those 15 wins weren't against chump change. Like, they were playing good basketball. And that was on the fly. Right? That was with a roster not built around Luka. It was on the fly. LeBron had to all of a sudden adjust to being the second guy offensively, and they still played good basketball. So you would expect them to be better. You know, J.J. redick has spent all offseason trying to figure out what's the best way to maximize LeBron and Luka and the other parts together. You add a good center in DeAndre Ayton that you didn't have a year ago. Like again, I'm not predicting at this moment that they're going to win the championship, but if I'm the Lakers, I'm. I'm saying we are one of a handful of teams with two all NBA level players in Luka and LeBron. And we've got a good cast of role players now. They need more athleticism on the wing, they need more shooting, but they're good enough where you can. As I said, you should go into this season hopeful. So look, if I, if I could get, and this isn't even possible because of the second apron rules and stuff, but if I could get like Darius Garland and Jared Allen. No, absolutely for LeBron I would do. If I'm the like now you have Ayton, so you may not need Allen. Those contracts are big, that type of package. No, but those are, but those are guys that can play off Luka in the future and the present. See, Darius Garland I think would be good off Luka because he can shoot. And then obviously Allen with the defense and finishing at the rim off Luka would be good. So I'm looking at them as guys that will help you be good in the present and beyond. So I would do that. But again, that's not even possible. So I don't. Yeah, I don't see the Lakers.

[Jason McIntyre]

When the Suns get rid of Bradley Beal. The Lakers could get him for $5 million. Bradley Beal is the missing piece. You can just go ahead and get the parade ready for the Lakers if they get Bradley Beal. I know the paper.

[Chris Broussard]

Not nearly.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, that's why.

[Chris Broussard]

And I like watching. I'm just. First of all, I'm not sure they'd even get Bill. You know, obviously he's going to have a lot of options, but I don't know that he wants to go there and be at best the third banana. Like he would come off the bench. Right.

[Jason McIntyre]

So you want to win anyway?

[Chris Broussard]

I don't know that. I'm not sure. I haven't talked to him. I don't know that he wants to do that though. So it might be attitude issues. I just don't see that. Maybe a nice pickup if you can get him and he's got the right attitude.

[Jason McIntyre]

My main man, Chris Bussard, he's on. First things first after this brew. Anytime you want to lose an NBA battle, just holler at your boy. We'll chop it up, man. Have a great summer.

[Chris Broussard]

I will tell the audience. We used to have a whole segment on my podcast where I beat you down. It was literally called Knock Down Jake and you were j. So what are we talking about?

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, coming up next year on the Herd, what are the Suns doing? Bradley Beal and I got a guest who you are going to love to talk about, Kyler Murray, who he thinks is better than Brock Purdy. No way. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

It done back here on the Herd. All right, our next guest is a guy I've known for a couple years now. Good basketball player, but also he's really carved out a niche as like Mr. Arizona Sports. Benjamin Garcia joining the Herd, host of the Locked on Sons podcast. I've known Ben for a while. He does great social media stuff. Ben, I don't know if you heard me chopping it up with Chris Bouchard, but I'm bullish on Bradley Beal getting bought out, waved and stretched like Damian Lillard and joining my Lakers out here. I think it would be A boon. Where are you on Bradley Beal, having watched him the last few years in Arizona?

[Benjamin Garcia]

Well, Bradley Beal has been someone who to his defense has been very accommodating to what the Phoenix Suns have wanted him to be. He's taken the third option, he's taken more three point shots in that instance. Bradley Beal is a good team player, but you're asking him now to go over to the Lakers and be this pesky defender. The issue with the Lakers is not scoring. They've got LeBron, they've got Luka Austin Reaves. What they don't need is another person who's an anchor defensive, defensively in a bad way. Meaning you're going to stick a starting five out there of Deandre Ayton, Bradley Beal, Luka Doncic, LeBron James. Tell me which one of those guys is scaring anyone on a night in, a night out basis. I actually think it is. That would be, I mean career malpractice for Bradley Beal to go over to a team which he was just on one of those teams that thought if you add more scoring power, more volume to him, then this team would be awesome. We'll just outscore everyone. Take it from someone who has covered the Phoenix Suns on a night in, night out basis. Having more offense isn't always necessarily a good thing. And I would look at the the Oklahoma City Thunder who pushed teams around the entire time. I think it's absolutely crazy. There are two teams that make sense. The Bucks, the Clippers maybe recreate Norman Powell in the aggregate Moneyball style with CP and Bradley Beal. But the Lakers, Jason, come on now.

[Jason McIntyre]

You gotta get $5 million. He's a major deal. Hey, let me quickly on Ayton. Did you. How are your dealings with DeAndre Ayton covering the team? Is this guy a malcontent? We know Kevin Durant doesn't like you, doesn't like me. He gets very upset with people. But what about Ayton? Does he hear all this noise? Is he kind of an issue?

[Benjamin Garcia]

Ayton is. If Ayton had the same presence as Kevin Durant did offensively or as a basketball player at all, he would be seen as someone else that is perceived as quote, unquote sensitive. Deandre Ayton talks a lot of game talks about how he's dominating. He's going to go in and he's going to dunk on everyone. He's going to hit elbow jumpers and then it comes to game time. There are multiple instances where one thing that got back to me is the game two against the Denver Nuggets years ago where he's just standing around watching Nicole Jokic and Kevin Durant fight for a rebound. That is the epitome of DeAndre. No one thinks he's not incredibly talented. And when you look at the statistics like 15 and 10, I'm Jason McIntyre, I think he's the next Nicole Jokic, but that's nonsense. He is a middle of the pack. I mean, let's, let's forget about that. Jason, after one year of the DeAndre Ayton Experience in Portland, what did they do? They went and drafted his replacement, Donovan Clingan. Two years later they said, you know what, we would rather just pay you to leave. It is a desperate move by the Lakers to go get deandre Ayton. Maybe he's a good lob threat with Luka Doncic in that instance, but asking him to come in and be a defender, the biggest sell you could make is can deandre Ayton come in and be someone who on a contract year is looking for that next big deal and turns it on for a year. We saw that happen in 2021 with the Suns. Outside of that, it's been more talk than actually doing the thing. And that's kind of where it goes with DeAndre.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, we got like two minutes left. I'm curious. Kyler Murray, you and I have sparred on Kyler Murray versus Brock Purdy. ESPN had a list today. The top 10 quarterbacks from scouts, executives and coaches and Kyler Murray did not sniff the top 12.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

So I'm just curious, where are you on your boy Kyler in a make or break year?

[Benjamin Garcia]

It's a make or break year for Kyler Murray in this instance. Is he going to be back on the team next year, make or break? I don't think that's the case. He's got like a 60 plus million dollar cap that. You and I talked about this on my podcast before where it's just so much money to move away from. We will know by the end of the year if Kyler Murray can be a consistent enough quarterback on a week in, a week out basis to a point where he can help get you to a Super Bowl. Brock Purdy has been to a Super Bowl. Jalen Hurts won a Super Bowl. Brock party did it twice. It's about now. Can you surround Kyler Murray with enough talent and not make him be VPs? Because what we've learned is when he's the piece, it's a recipe for likely disaster in the later parts of the season. But if you could surround a bunch of players around him talent wise, like you did with Brock and Hertz, he can absolutely be that Good.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, 30 seconds, Ben. Are the Arizona Cardinals gonna make a wild card team in the NFC this season?

[Benjamin Garcia]

Yeah, they better. This is a year where everyone talks about is that JG is Imani Austin 4, could people be on the hot seat? But could Kyler Murray be gone next year? Everyone's got a little bit of pressure on them. The floor for this team is like nine wins. But you could talk me into the talent of this team as well as with all the other players surrounding them and the coaching staff that this could be a conference championship level. If I told you two years ago, if I told you two years ago, Jason, the lowly Lions and the Washington Commanders are going to be in the conference championship game in back to back years, you'd call me crazy. You'd block my number.

[Jason McIntyre]

You'd already kicked me off the show.

[Benjamin Garcia]

But since it happened, it is a. It is. There is a potential for that to be the case.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, Benjamin Garcia, great stuff. Love the show on YouTube. Keep up the good work. Thanks for the time, buddy.

[Benjamin Garcia]

Thanks for having me, man.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, coming up next, we will wrap up the show.

[Benjamin Garcia]

This is an iHeart podcast.