THE HERD - Hour 3 - Tomorrow's headlines today, Jovan Buha

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Hour 3 – Tomorrow's Headlines Today, featuring Yovan Buha
Aired: February 20, 2026
Host: Jason McIntyre (in for Colin Cowherd), with Rachel Nichols and guest Yovan Buha (NBA reporter and host of Buha’s Block Podcast)

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Overview:

This episode dives deep into the NBA’s tanking issue, the Lakers’ future direction, the tantalizing possibility of a Lakers superteam (Luka, Giannis, and Austin Reaves), and broader NBA playoff and rebuild storylines. The show transitions to NFL headlines and closes with bold predictions for big names across sports in the “Tomorrow’s Headlines Today” segment.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

NBA Tanking Debate

[01:31 – 04:29]

• Tanking as a Major Issue:

  • Yovan Buha: “That’s the hot button topic right now...I think it’s a big issue” [01:51].
  • Owners are split, especially small market teams who see tanking/draft advantages as leveling the field in free agency and trades.
  • Jason brings up examples of big market struggles ("My Knicks...they were down bad for like 20 years...It’s not just a small market issue" [03:34]).

• Possible Solutions:

  • Adam Silver’s incremental reform approach discussed: adjusting draft odds, possible changes to salary slots for rookies, giving incoming players more choice—but consensus is elusive.
  • "If you had...the worst team can offer 15 million...second worst 13 million...then the player gets to pick...that's drastic, and...owners won’t go for that." – Yovan Buha [02:50]

• Persistent Losing Teams:

  • Yovan notes that drafting alone can't save chronically dysfunctional teams: “When you have...10, 15 year runs of the same teams, nothing’s going to save them.” [04:07]

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Lakers Current & Future Outlook

[04:29 – 08:42]

• Lakers' “Big Three” Health Woes:

  • The trio of Austin Reaves, Luka, and LeBron have played together only 11 times this season; only their third game all season with a fully healthy rotation [05:03].
  • Despite injuries, Lakers are in the thick of the playoff race but have the 8th toughest remaining schedule.

• Performance Concerns:

  • Lakers are 7-3 when Big Three play together, but with a concerning -9.8 net rating for those lineups [06:29].
  • "They’ve managed to win in spite of the struggles with those guys...if those three can’t play together, that limits the ceiling for the Lakers." – Yovan Buha [06:29]

• Offseason Preview:

  • Luka and Austin Reaves are seen as the Lakers' core moving forward; LeBron's future is uncertain—could return on a "hometown discount" for a final season [07:27].
  • "I think Luka and Austin are the two...to monitor...that’s the partnership long term." [07:27]
  • LeBron's next contract, possible retirement, and role all on the table.

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Can the Lakers Get Giannis Without Losing Austin Reaves?

[08:42 – 13:12]

• Cap Space Maneuvering:

  • Lakers could theoretically carve out $51–60 million in cap space by cutting rights to FAs, trading picks/contracts [09:18].
  • Potential trade would involve giving up future firsts (2026, 2031, 2033) and facilitating a large trade exception for the Bucks.

• Bucks’ Dilemma:

  • For Milwaukee, trading Giannis for picks/cap relief is a tough sell to fans, but their financial situation may force radical moves [11:03].
  • Other teams (e.g., Houston, San Antonio) could trump the Lakers’ offer with better blue-chip talent.

• Player Influence:

  • Giannis would likely need to force the destination: “The one variable here is, does Giannis force his way to LA?” – Buha [10:43]
  • Slim chance Lakers are true favorites, but their path improves if Giannis is insistent.

• Luka & Giannis Fit:

  • Would require substantial sacrifice from both, especially in play style.
  • "You don’t overthink it. Two top five guys, history suggests that’s a title." – Yovan Buha [13:12]

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NBA Young Stars, Playoff Projections, and Cooper Flagg Hype

[14:55 – 16:56]

• Best Young Americans List:

  • Cooper Flagg is described as having possibly the most upside since LeBron ("arguably the best teenager in NBA history" – Jason [15:14]).
  • Yovan generally praises Jason’s list, tweaks the order ("I’d have Jaylen Brown lower," "Some staffers would have Ant [Edwards] first," [15:30–15:49]).
  • Flagg is already posting rookie numbers comparable with LeBron and Luka.

• Kyrie Irving’s Future:

  • Yovan’s prediction: "I think they eventually move him. I don’t know if they’re going to move him this offseason" [16:40].

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Spurs' Playoff Readiness & Rachel Nichols News Segment

[20:03 – 25:40]

• Spurs’ Surprise Run:

  • Victor Wembanyama reportedly believes the Spurs are right where they should be—already a contender.
  • Top 7 in both offense and defense, but lack playoff experience.
  • Jason shares his enthusiasm: “I believe in the Spurs team. I...watched the Spurs kick the Thunder’s butt four times...” [21:13].
  • Wemby praised as a future top 10 all-timer by Rachel ("I think he is going to be a top 10 player of all time." [23:13])

• NFL News Items:

  • Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix’s health/timeline as a starting QB questioned. Kirk Cousins’ future potentially in flux.
  • Kurt Signetti Salary Jump: National champion coach moves into college football’s top salary tier ($13.2M), triggering debate on merit and rapid career rise.

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Tomorrow's Headlines Today

[27:41 – 35:28]

Notable Predictions (Sports & NFL QBs)

• Tyreek Hill:
  • “Viva Velocity: Cheetah bets it all on silver and black” (predicting Tyreek to the Raiders). [28:36]
• Derek Carr:
  • “Used car sale: Vikes ditch lemon for old reliable” (predicts Carr to Vikings as a bridge QB). [29:49]
• Tua Tagovailoa:
  • “Tua fast, Tua furious: Finn Diesel finds new full amelié” (projects Tua to the Colts or another QB-needy team). [30:55]
• LeBron James:
  • “Le Blue Light Special: Crown comes at royal Discount” (LeBron returns to the Lakers on a reduced contract, with the hope of one more title shot). [31:57]
• Giannis Antetokounmpo:
  • “Bare Lakered Ladies: It’s been one Greek since you looked at me” (predicts Giannis orchestrates a move to Lakers, even if they can't offer the best package). [32:48]
    • Rachel Nichols: “If he says, look, that’s the only place I’ll sign an extension, nobody’s going to give the Bucks very much for him.” [33:17]
  • Discussion on whether the Lakers could be hated for building a Luka-Giannis superteam, and fallback strategies if Giannis isn’t attainable (e.g., Peyton Watson).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tanking:

  • “That’s the hot button topic right now with everybody...But this clearly is a big issue when you have teams pulling guys out in the fourth quarter when they’re leading...” – Yovan Buha [01:51]

• On Lakers’ Health and Depth:

  • “They’ve been one of the least healthy teams this season. They’ve been one of the least healthy teams going back several seasons now.” – Yovan Buha [05:03]

• On Superteams:

  • “You don’t overthink it. Two top five guys, history suggests that’s a title.” – Yovan Buha, on the potential Luka and Giannis pairing [13:12]

• On Cooper Flagg:

  • “He’s 19 years old, arguably the best teenager in NBA history.” – Jason McIntyre [15:14]
  • “You look at his rookie numbers, he’s right there with LeBron and Luka in several stats.” – Yovan Buha [16:01]

• On Spurs and Wemby:

  • “He is going to be a top 10 player of all time...since LeBron was drafted.” – Rachel Nichols [23:13]

• On LeBron’s Future:

  • “He ain’t doing 50 million. Nobody’s paying him that. Get him on the cheap. I think there’s value.” – Jason McIntyre [31:57]

• Rachel on Giannis:

  • “He is going to be able to dictate, now that we’re waiting until the summer, the best place to do that. So if he thinks that’s the Lakers...he can steer them into not having to give up as much for him.” [33:17]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• NBA Tanking Discussion: [01:31 – 04:29]
• Lakers’ Health, Big Three & Ceiling: [04:29 – 08:42]
• Lakers' Offseason Plans, Giannis Acquisition Scenarios: [08:42 – 13:12]
• NBA Star Prospects, Cooper Flagg, Kyrie’s Future: [14:55 – 16:56]
• Spurs & Wemby Hype, Finals Debates: [20:03 – 23:34]
• NFL/College News Updates: [23:34 – 27:14]
• Tomorrow’s Headlines Today (Key Predictions): [27:41 – 35:28]

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Overall Tone & Style

The tone is lively, speculative, and insider-driven, with frequent back-and-forth teasing and bold opinionated forecasts. Jason leans into the conversation with the energy of a sports fan unafraid to make hot takes, while Yovan provides measured, well-sourced NBA analysis. Rachel delivers polished, seasoned context with occasional tongue-in-cheek humor.

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This summary is intended for listeners who missed the episode but want to catch up on all substantial sports content, highlights, and expert analysis shared during this hour of The Herd.

Transcript

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Yovan Buha]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Now let's get this party started.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yovan Buha, NBA reporter. He's got the podcast Buha's Block. Jovan, glad to have you in the studio. Love you here. Obviously you'll be at Crypto tonight for Lakers Clippers. Before we get to Lakers Clippers, I just want to start with the tanking thing. Do you think it's a major issue? You were around All Star Weekend. Did you get the vibe that it's a major problem?

[Yovan Buha]

It's a major issue? That's the hot button topic right now with everybody. That's all everyone's talking about. So yeah, I think it's a big issue. I don't know how they're going to solve it because you talk to five different people, you're going to get five different answers in terms of a potential solution here. You also have to remember that you're going to need at least half the owners to sign off on any change here. So I think the small market teams like tanking and like the draft and like the system of they feel like they're at a disadvantage in free agency and trades and acquiring these superstars. So I get it to a degree. But this clearly is a big issue when you have teams, you know, pulling guys out in the fourth quarter when they're leading, and sometimes they still end up winning the game, like we saw with Utah against Miami. But it's a tough spot right now.

[Jason McIntyre]

And you look at the schedule tonight across the league, there's a lot of teams trying to lose because this draft is so stacked. So I'm not asking you to instantly solve it, but do you agree with some of these things that Silver mentioned to the GMs around the league?

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah, I think it's probably like, realistically going to have to be a bunch of small changes adding up to a bigger change. I don't think they're going to abolish the draft like some people want. And like, it's interesting in theory, right? If you had some sort of system where maybe you do have like a salary slot for an incoming rookie, and you do do that by record, and let's just say the worst team can offer like, $15 million, and then you go to like, the second worst team, 13 million and on, then the player gets to pick. Which do you want to go to? You reference Utah. Do you want to go to Utah for 15 million, or do you want to go to LA for 4 million? Right. That's a pretty big gap there. And. But then you get to kind of dictate your career. I think that's pretty drastic, though. And I don't see the owner signing off on that.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know, the Lakers, actually, they didn't tank just in the years they had a bunch of top five picks. It was Brandon Ingram, d' Angelo Russell, it was another guy, Alonzo Ball, all of them, they couldn't win anything. So they decided, let's go veteran, let's bring in LeBron, LeBron brings Anthony Davis, and they win the championship. So, you know, even. Even some of the. The big market teams can struggle. My Knicks, man, they were down bad for like 20 years after going to the Finals. Like, it's. I don't think it's just a small market issue. Like, sometimes the big market teams, they can't get out of their own way.

[Yovan Buha]

Well, that's the issue here, is that you have teams who are continually in the top five, top ten, and if you can't draft and then you can't retain the talent, you can't develop the talent. Like, I think there's a reason why we see some of the same teams in the bottom five to 10, year after year, it's not. It's one thing if it's like a few years, but when you have like 10, 15 year runs of the same teams, it's like nothing's going to save them.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, yeah. Washington, Sacramento, it's rough. All right, let's get to a good team. The lakers, the big three are good. Good to go tonight. Austin Reeves, Luka, LeBron. According to Rachel, only the 11th time this season. That's insane. You know, J.J. redick, I think we agree, has done a damn good job with the Big Three. What's a reasonable expectation? Can they get to the third seed and avoid OKC in round two? And I know I don't look to round two yet. They might lose to Minnesota, but can they get to three if everybody's healthy?

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah, I believe so. This is only the third game this season that they've had their entire rotation, just period.

[Jason McIntyre]

Right.

[Yovan Buha]

So 11 games. The big three going to be the third time you got to go back. I think it was sometime in December and then another time in November. So it's been a while since they've had everybody. And despite that, they've managed to be the five seed and right there behind three and four. So they do have the eighth toughest remaining schedule. So that is something to factor in. But you look at the other top west teams, they're all in that, like, top 10. They're all playing each other. So it's going to come down to can they stay healthy? Right. Because they've not been able to stay healthy. I recently did a breakdown of looking at the top six teams in the west, how many games they've missed due to injury, and the Lakers are third behind OKC and Denver in terms of games missed due to injury with their top 10 rotation guys. So they've been one of the least healthy teams this season. They've been one of the least healthy teams going back several seasons now. So it would have to buck that trend of them actually getting healthy and staying healthy. But entering, you know, coming out of the All Star break, they're healthy.

[Jason McIntyre]

Wow. I thought Dallas would be number one. OKC.

[Yovan Buha]

Oh, just looking at the top six.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, just the top six.

[Yovan Buha]

Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. Because that was the west contenders. OKC is missed a lot with SGA JDub and they're back healthy. And I say third because in the 10 games with the big three, the Lakers are seven and three. So you extrapolate that and they. I like the rotation. I. I think Luke Kennard's been a plus. I just. If you tried out Luke Kennard, Austin Reeves, Luca LeBron, Rui DeAndre, there's no defense there. Well, yeah. Who are they stopping that.

[Yovan Buha]

That's the thing. And, and actually so it's interesting that they're 7 and 3 in the 10 games that the big three have played together, but they have a minus 9.8 net rating with those three on the floor. So they've won in spite of the struggles with those guys. And I even went back to last season and just looked at the full sample size. Regular season, playoffs, and then regular season again this season they have a -3.5 net rating with the big three on the floor in about 700 minutes. JJ Redick said earlier in the season they like to look at things in like a 250 minute sample size or more. So we have 700 minutes here of minus 3.5. They've been losing the minutes with the big three. They got to figure that out. I think that's the big question down the stretch of the season is like if those three can't play together, I think that limits the ceiling for the Lakers.

[Jason McIntyre]

Obviously that dovetails perfectly. So if they can't play together, what the heck happens in the off season? What's your best guess? I mean again we're February 20th, nobody's putting you on the spot. They're not going to call you out. What's your best guess as to the top four guys on the Lakers next year? The top three or four guys, if

[Yovan Buha]

you break it down. Luka and Austin Reaves have been the two man pairing that has actually worked over the sample size. Depending on if you're looking at last season or this season, they've been killing teams, you know, plus double digit net rating. So I think that foundation is what the Lakers want to build around moving forward. It's just a matter of is LeBron there for one more year? Is he there for maybe two more years? I think that's a little like I'm doubtful that he plays a couple more seasons, but maybe he plays one more year in LA on a discount and they run this back for a final season. He gets his retirement tour. But I think Luka and Austin are the two that I'm going to be monitoring over the stretch run here of just what's that pairing like? Because we have seen Luka thrive. Jalen Brunson several years ago before he popped in New York, Kyrie Irving en route to the 2024 finals. I think he likes having that high scoring, playmaking sidekick guard Austin has, you could argue, has been the best of those three just based on how he's played this season. So I think that's the partnership long term. They want to keep Austin this summer, but with LeBron, I mean, there's so many unknowns, right? Does he even want to play? Does he retire after the season? Then what type of contract is he looking for? What type of contract are the Lakers willing to give him? So that is the one I have less certainty on.

[Jason McIntyre]

He seems like the kind of guy who would stay on a bit of a hometown discount. He seems to love la. But what the big question is, everybody wants to know how can we get Giannis without losing Austin? Reaves and you have broken this down. It is possible. I don't want to say there's hiccups or it's a bad look for the Bucks, but let's take the Bucs angle first. The Bucs are in salary cap hell, right? They don't have any picks, right? The Miles Turner thing is not great. The Damian Lillard wave and stretch like they're in cap hell and no path to getting out of it. This is where the trade to the Lakers comes into play.

[Yovan Buha]

The Lakers offer them an exit plan where they don't have to take on any money. So right now the Lakers are projected to have around $51 million in cap space if they rescind the rights to all of their free agents. And then also trade that 2026 first round pick. And maybe they could get a little, you know, create more space, get closer to like 60 million. If they can maybe attach like a small asset to get off of a contract, maybe they could trade like a Dalton connect or something like that, stretch it out to like 55, 56 or even closer to 60. So if they can create that space and even in the off season. We talked about it on your show, like the rules in terms of taking on salary, there's a little bit more flexibility. You just have to get under, you know, certain thresholds going into the season. So that's like a later off season thing. But they can acquire Giannis and send out the three picks. It would be 2031 and 2033 plus 2026, which they would have drafted on behalf of the Bucks and send them the three picks, take back Giannis and create a giant trade exception for the Bucs. They could also do a different version where it's a three team trade. And let's just say there's a team with a big contract that wants to get off of it. They could attach a pick to that, send that to Milwaukee. So it's a three team trade. They get like an extra couple years of a bad contract, but they get maybe a pick or a couple picks. Plus the Lakers three picks. Now you're getting like four to five picks. You're already not going anywhere.

[Jason McIntyre]

Right.

[Yovan Buha]

I think the one variable here is like, does Giannis force his way to la, does he say I want to go to the Lakers or like the Lakers are my top two or three teams I really want to go to. And then does one of these, Does Houston flame out in round one and all of a sudden Ahmed Thompson or Alper and Shangun is on the table and that's like a better asset than anything the Lakers can offer.

[Jason McIntyre]

So that's the thing. Like the idea of the Bucks telling their fans, we traded Giannis to the Lakers for three picks and $55 million in cap space. Like, that's a tough sell. Who do we get back for one of the best players in franchise history? It's either him or Jabbar or Lou Alcindor. That's a tough sell.

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah. Like, I don't think the Lakers are the favorites by any means. I think it would have to almost be like, I'm going la, New York, Miami, like if I'm Yannis, Miami doesn't have anybody good. They have four picks. But that's also, I think that's what's in the Lakers favor. Like he would have to basically put the Lakers on the short list and then the Lakers would have to be the best package compared to. Because if it's like New York now, do you want to take back Kat and have like, you're not going anywhere, right? Like you're already rebuilding. Then if it's Miami, it's like, are you really that high on Tyler Herro and Khalil Ware and Jaime Haquez? So I think compared to like maybe some of the bigger market teams, I think the Lakers have a better shot than they're giving credit to. But again, if San Antonio or Houston Flames out and all of a sudden they want to make a bigger move, they have the blue chip talent that they could put the blue chip talent on the table and the picks which the Lakers can't match, like a Steph

[Jason McIntyre]

Castle, I don't anticipate them putting him on the market.

[Yovan Buha]

I don't either. But interesting. Houston, I think is the one that's potentially interesting because I think they're a candidate to like be a disappointment.

[Jason McIntyre]

Does Burner have anything to do with that alleged burner.

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah. I mean, he didn't deny it.

[Jason McIntyre]

And send Goon and Smith and like, you know.

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah, something like that.

[Jason McIntyre]

Interesting. That, that is good. But if you're the Bucks, do you want those guys? Where are you going with them?

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah. I mean, ideally, you want to have a shorter rebuild, right? Like, no one wants to be in purgatory forever, but, yeah, it would have to be something they think about.

[Jason McIntyre]

Or can the Rockets be like, hey, hey, we didn't have Fred Van Vliet and Steven Adams. We're gonna run this back next year. They could KD at 38.

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

A full off season of burner activity. I don't, I just, I don't know if any of that stuff makes sense. Let's go back to the Lakers. Does Luca and Giannis together work? We've seen Luca work with, like you said, Brunson is a wingman, Kyrie is a wingman, Derek Lively, P.J. gafford in the middle. Giannis is a bit of a different, different animal.

[Yovan Buha]

I think it would work, but I think both guys would have to make sacrifices, and probably the biggest sacrifices they've each made up to this point in their respective careers. Like, Giannis didn't love running a bunch of pick and roll with Dame. Right. Like, it started to kind of click right before Dame got injured and they had some flashes, but this would be a heavy dose of Giannis, Luka, pick and roll. Giannis having to be the screener, the roller rim runner, lob threat, which he can do. He could just obviously do much more than that. Maybe you see some inverted pick and rolls where Luka's screening for Giannis, but, like, Luka's not been a big screener in his career, so it would require, I think, both guys making some sacrifices that they've been reluctant to make up to this point, but I think they're both talented and skilled enough you don't overthink it. Two top five guys, like history suggests that's a title.

[Jason McIntyre]

Do we know if they're friends? And I know the European international guys are all friends. Do we know if Giannis and Luke are friends or friendly?

[Yovan Buha]

I, I don't, I don't know. I, I don't think they're close, but I, I, I don't know.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, and I asked that because, you know, Luka is ball dominant. Extremely. But Giannis has also had a bunch of injuries, Yovon, in the last couple years. I think it was three calf injuries.

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah. I mean, you could argue his last relevant playoff moment was in 2022 against the Celtics.

[Jason McIntyre]

Holy hell. What is that, 40 years ago?

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah. Second round, game seven.

[Jason McIntyre]

So at that stage, if you're the Houston Rockets or the Spurs, I'm not giving up all that.

[Yovan Buha]

I mean, that's why they did not make those offers at the deadline. Right. But I think if you're Houston and you're sort. I mean, Houston's kind of on two timelines here where you got KD at the end of his career, and then you have Sengun entering his prime. Amen Thompson ascending. They kind of have to figure that out of. Are we kind of in win now mode or are we taking the long view here?

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, we'll wrap up. So I had a list, our staff. Kate Cunningham made some comments to GQ about I'm the best American player. It's become a fun narrative. It's a good TV radio topic. So we had the list of the 10 best American players to build around. Rachel laughed. A lot of people did. I had Cooper Flagg as number one. You've seen Cooper flag up close. I mean, I'm blown away by the guy's talent. He's 19 years old, arguably the best teenager in NBA history. But, like, what do you hate about this list? And you could be blunt because I've known you here now for a year. Go off.

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah, no, I. I think it's a pretty good list.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, hey, I'll take it.

[Yovan Buha]

I. I would probably have Jaylen Brown a little lower and I would also consider Jason Tatum, though. He is coming off.

[Rachel Nichols]

He's.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's injured, so I love.

[Yovan Buha]

Okay, that's good.

[Jason McIntyre]

I love me some.

[Yovan Buha]

And Halliburton. Right. You know, some of the injured guys, it's fair to question how they're going to return, but some, Some of the staffers would probably have ant first. That. That would be my. My.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's established. He's been to the conference finals.

[Yovan Buha]

Right. I think he's in that top five mix. He's been to a couple conference finals.

[Jason McIntyre]

Does Durant belong on here above Kawhi or in that vicinity? 230 somethings together, maybe.

[Yovan Buha]

I think this is a pretty like top 10, especially if you're taking out Halliburton. Tatum. I think it's. It's a pretty strong list. Yeah, I mean, Cooper flag, I think has that. That upside. You look at his rookie numbers, he's right there with LeBron and Luca in several stats. So, yeah, I think that's like projecting out. Obviously he.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, like Cooper flag, if he gets a wingman in the draft debance or the point guard Flemings. Like there's a lot of guys. They're going to be good quick and I think they move off Kyrie, by the way, last note. So they're shutting down Kyrie Dallas, do you see him on the Mavs next year or are they going to move him?

[Yovan Buha]

I think they eventually move him. I don't know if they're going to move him this offseason.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's another guy who LeBron has a friend.

[Yovan Buha]

I mean, they should be in tear down mode. They should be in like now we're on the Cooper Flag timeline. What fits around Cooper Flag? Kyrie obviously does not, but coming off of a major injury, I don't know what his trade value is currently.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, Yovon Buha, check out his podcast, Buha's Block. Great stuff. Thanks for coming in, man.

[Yovan Buha]

Thank you for having me. Love the new set.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, the set's beautiful. Coming up next year, the most important player on the hottest team in the league. Who might we be talking about? That's next year on the Herd.

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[Jason McIntyre]

Subscribe hit that thumbs up icon and comment away.

[Red Gerard]

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[Fox Sports Radio Host]

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[Yovan Buha]

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[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

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[Yovan Buha]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Heads exploding all over Los Angeles. The Lakers can get Giannis without giving up Austin Reaves. It's a real thing. We'll see if it happens. Let's go to Rachel Nichols with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Heard on the news.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

This is the Herdline news.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right, Jason, yesterday you predicted a Knicks spurs finals.

[Yovan Buha]

Yes.

[Rachel Nichols]

Some people on the Internet may have thought that was a hot take, but guess who agrees with you? Victor Wembanyama says that he doesn't think that the spurs are ahead of schedule. He thinks they're exactly where they should be. He thinks they've been putting in the work, they have the personnel, and they deserve to be where they are as a contender. So, you know, I'm super high on Wemby. I know you're high on the spurs, but I do want to add, Jason, the last time San Antonio won a playoff series was 2017. Oh, so you know the old NBA wisdom adage, right? You got to get beat up in the playoffs a little bit. You got to get that experience before you can actually get to a final or win a title. Do you think that's true for this Wemby led Spurs team, or do you think they can just skip steps?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, my problem is I just said the Pistons haven't won a playoff series since 2008. I don't see them happening yet. Here I am saying the spurs are going to the Finals. A little twisted logic. Sorry, it's Friday. But Rachel, I'm going to be honest. Like, I watched the spurs kick the Thunder's butt four times this season and three of them were in, I think the span of two weeks or something like that.

[Rachel Nichols]

I'm a huge Cade Cunningham fan. He's not wimpy.

[Jason McIntyre]

He's out with me.

[Rachel Nichols]

Hell, I'm sorry.

[Jason McIntyre]

That means they beat the Knicks. I think a lot of that's revenge. I just, I believe in the spurs team. I. So you go to a lot of Lakers games and there was a de' Aaron Fox highlight there where he goes reverse. I think you could see me in the background. We had good seats that night. Yeah. This, this highlight right here. I'm like right behind the hoop there. Yeah. I watch Castle, like, closely. He is the most confident player in the NBA. You just watch him walking around. He's low key, no rah rah energy. And then you watch him on the court and he moves so smoothly. I think he's one of the best defenders. Yeah. Like, I, I, I'm an NBA jersey guy. I'll wear jerseys to, like the grocery store because I'm a nerd. I kind of want a Castle jersey. I think he's that good. You watch him lock up. Sga. Yeah. I'm like, we got Wemby on the back line.

[Rachel Nichols]

Well, look, the spurs are top seven in both offense and defense.

[Jason McIntyre]

Wow.

[Rachel Nichols]

And usually the idea is if you're top 10 in both of those things, you have a chance to win a title. So that's kind of the wisdom I think I saw.

[Jason McIntyre]

Nuggets are 24th in defense.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Lakers are 23rd. Maybe. Now, Nuggets have had injuries.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah. But the spurs are hard to gauge because of all the injury issues they've had. But spurs also 17th hardest strength of schedule, which matters because that means their seeding is going to be propped up a little bit even more. And they have more of that chance. You said they might get a number one seed. They could.

[Jason McIntyre]

Depending on they're two and a half out. Maybe right now. I am just curious. I can't think of a parallel of a young team like this not making the playoffs to go to the finals. I know you're an NBA historian. Even those Orlando teams with Shannon, what

[Rachel Nichols]

did, what did that Oklahoma City team with Durant, Harden, Russ, what did they do the year before? I don't remember.

[Jason McIntyre]

I want to say they smoked the Lakers and It was like a 4 0, sweet, I think, the year before. I think they went to the finals against the heat. I'm not 100% sure.

[Rachel Nichols]

It all blends together.

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Don't call me out on that.

[Rachel Nichols]

Go ahead. There you go. But again, no one's had Wemby.

[Jason McIntyre]

Nobody's had Wembley.

[Rachel Nichols]

You know how I feel. I do. I think.

[Jason McIntyre]

Is he your favorite player in the league right now?

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, favorite, no. But is he the one, I think, with the brightest future I've seen in a very, very long time, since LeBron was drafted? Yes, absolutely. I think he is going to be a top 10 player of all time. I have.

[Jason McIntyre]

Who's getting booted from top 10% confident who you kick it out. Larry Bird going to kick it to the curb.

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, you know, Kobe Curry. I'm saying.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay.

[Rachel Nichols]

Anyway, I like it. All right, let's talk a little football. Again, New Falcons team president of football Matt Ryan asked about his quarterback, Michael Penix, Michael's future with the team. Take a listen here.

[Matt Ryan]

I have had the opportunity to sit with Michael and you know, number one, how do we bring him along? Hey, man, you get healthy first, right? And Rich, you know this. Bruce, you know this. Like, the first thing you got to do is get yourself in a place where we can practice and do that. So job number one, Michael, is. Is to keep doing exactly what he's doing.

[Jason McIntyre]

He.

[Matt Ryan]

He's been in our building, you know, doing his rehab. He's in a good place right now.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right, so Penic's third year of his rookie deal. That puts him in line with Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Drake May. Those guys have had success. Right. So are we at put up or shut up time for Penck at this point?

[Jason McIntyre]

You know, I liked him a lot coming out of Washington. He had an injury history.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Can you pencil him in as a starter? Was it an ACL that he suffered? I don't even know if he's going to be ready for week one.

[Rachel Nichols]

Well, okay, so that's the question. By the way, you, earlier in the show put up this list of available quarterbacks. If he is the starter, if he's ready to go, what do you then do with Kirk Cousins, who says he only wants to be a starter? And by the way, the whole Shanahan McVeigh tree loves Kirk Cousins, so people will want him. So there's a lot riding on Penix's health here. Right.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's not just those numbers they put on the screen. Not great. Now it's only 12 games you, you can't really say he's a, like JJ McCarthy is literally a young quarterback. I think he was the, I don't know if he was the youngest starter in the league last year because so many guys filled in.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

But he's, you know, very young. Pennix, he's like mid-20s already.

[Yovan Buha]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

I don't know, man.

[Rachel Nichols]

Falcons have missed the playoffs eight straight seasons. They haven't won the division in nine straight seasons. And Stefanski, by the way, kind of walked out of Cleveland with everyone saying it's them, it's not you. Right. But now he's walking into a situation where again, there's a question around the quarterback. And this is a team that hasn't had success in a while. So I'm just.

[Jason McIntyre]

They got players kind of curious. Oh, absolutely. John's awesome. We'll see if Kyle Pitts gets the tag. I like that team.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, see, I don't know. All right, let's talk a little college ball. Kurt Signetti, he has taken the college football world by storm, Jason. Including of course, winning the national championship against Miami. This is crazy. I knew this like in general, but the actual number is 27. 2 Since taking the job and now he's going to be rewarded with a salary that is jumping from 11.6 million to 13.2 million. And that is because his original contract, he didn't have to renegotiate this. This was in the original contract. It's called a good market faith review. So if he made even the semis of the playoffs this year, he would have gotten that bump. And he did more than make the semis, by the way. The 13.2 million ties him for the highest paid coach in college football. And you can see the list right there. So what do you think deserved.

[Jason McIntyre]

Do you have that in your contract? A good market faith review. Can I get one of those? I gotta talk to my agent. Look, at three years ago, nobody knew who Kurt Signetti was except for me because he coached JMU where I graduated.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Holy cow, that's amazing.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right, so do you like that?

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, to me, 27 and 2,

[Rachel Nichols]

they won the first national title in school history. Right? First outright Big Ten title since 1945. You were worth a guy. I mean, look at the other people on that list.

[Jason McIntyre]

Give him the money.

[Rachel Nichols]

I. I like Kirby Smart, but I mean, he's had a rough couple years since those back to back titles. In 21, 22 seasons.

[Jason McIntyre]

He has.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah, right.

[Jason McIntyre]

Mark Cuban's writing checks. They're fine. Yeah. Rachel Nichols with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

The Herd lie news coming up next.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's Friday. Tomorrow's headlines today stick and stay. Jason and Rachel here on the hurt.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right, It's Friday, baby.

[Jason McIntyre]

It is Friday. It's a power hour. I mean, we're just, we're getting through it, folks. You guys know tomorrow's headlines today. You know the drill. Rachel is going to team me up and I'm going to read these. We're having fun here. I'm not going to lie. Cowherd's doing whatever he's doing on a. He's having boat drinks somewhere. He won't. It's parts unknown. So let's go. Tomorrow's headlines today. Here we go.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right. LA little weather forecast. Drama. But we have you, Jason McIntyre, you to give us the sports forecast. I feel like I'm on an infomercial hill. NBA, NFL. You might not know what's going on, but I have the answer for you. It's Jason McIntyre with Tomorrow's Headlines today. Done, done, done, done, done. How's that? That was good, right?

[Jason McIntyre]

Infomercials now because you're.

[Rachel Nichols]

It dices, it slices, it predicts the headlines. All right, what is the headline? Jason for Tyreek Hill next season.

[Jason McIntyre]

So I thought I had a great read on this. James Palmer comes on is like, I don't know, he might just wait till mid season. The headline for Tyreek Hill next season will be Viva Velocity. Cheetah bets it all on silver and black. I think there's a good opportunity that he goes to Vegas, partners up with Fernando Mendoza indoor facility in Vegas and is able to cook on turf. I mean, they're going to need receivers, Rachel. They got nobody. It's Brock Bowers, Ashton Genti. They'll probably draft a receiver, Tyreek, to stretch the field. I don't think it's the worst fit in the world. And a bonus for Tyreek, he gets revenge on the Chiefs, right? And he gets revenge on Mike McDaniel. I thought they had a friendship, but apparently it was not good behind the scenes. If you talk to people, he gets revenge on Mike McDaniel and the Chargers and maybe the Raiders play spoiler with Tyree Kill on the outside.

[Rachel Nichols]

I've heard a little Buffalo rumblings. Oh, right, because obviously they need wide receiver help. There is recently a story that a sneaky destination Might be the ramps. I'm not sure if I see that, but that's out there with some of the reporting. I don't know. So your headline is the Raiders. All right, let's keep going with tomorrow's headlines. Today, Jason Boom. What will the headline be for Derek Carr next season?

[Jason McIntyre]

So I wanted to slander this guy because he's like, I'm not coming back for the jets, which is disrespectful. We didn't want you for us. The headline for Derek Carr next season will be used car sale. Vike's Ditch Lemon for all reliable. I do think there's a world where they go outside the box and say, yeah, Carr, you haven't played in a couple years. Come on down. We need you to push our guy, J.J. mcCarthy. And by all, all accounts, the GM was McCarthy's guy. He's now been moved out. Kevin O'. Connell, we'll see if he's lukewarm on McCarthy. I think Derek Carr could go to Minnesota and he might have a chance. And listen, that's a big upgrade. You go there throwing a Justin Jefferson, that backfield, that offensive line and that play caller. I think it could work.

[Rachel Nichols]

You like Carr better than Kyler Murray? If he's available.

[Jason McIntyre]

I. I'm really low on Kyler Murray.

[Rachel Nichols]

Okay. Yeah. All right. We'll see what else your tomorrow's headlines today bring us. Come on, give me the. Give me the. Yeah, there we go. My infomercial is looking good right now. I want to know what the headline will be. Let's go down to my app, Amy Tua. You know?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. Tua. Hey, you had a good run in Miami, but it feels like it's over.

[Rachel Nichols]

The contract is just huge.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, it's an albatross. They're entering the Quinn Ewers era or, you know, some other guy. The headline for Tua Tango Vaila will be Tua Fast. Tua Furious Finn Diesel finds his New Full Amelie. How about that? Do you like that? Tua to the Colts. Can I interest you in. Hey. Daniel Jones is coming off a major injury. He's going to miss half the season. We need somebody. Anthony Richardson ain't that dude. We need somebody to come in and kind of steer the ship.

[Rachel Nichols]

We need somebody else who has a lot of injury issues.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes, that is certainly one way to look at it. You know, I think. I think the offense can work with Tua. He's going. They got guys. I mean, Michael Pittman, they got good tight ends. They got good wide receivers. I like this team. Colts should have made the playoffs last season.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah. I mean, obviously injuries got in the way. All right, now for the next tomorrow's headlines today. Dun, dun, dun. I'm going to ask you the question you've been asking me and Johan and everyone else around here. What do you think the headline for LeBron is going to be next season?

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, you know, he's my guy. This headline is not exactly positive, but the headline for LeBron James next season will be le Blue Light Special Crown comes at royal Discount. Oh, no, they did it to LeBron. But listen, Rachel, we know this. He ain't doing 50 million. Nobody's paying him that. Get him on the cheap. I think there's value. He's averaging 22.7and5ish. Those are great numbers. Go back to the Lakers on the cheap. Try to win a title.

[Rachel Nichols]

This might have been your easiest prognostication.

[Jason McIntyre]

I just don't like Blue Light special attributed to LeBron.

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, you like the Crown Royal reference, though.

[Jason McIntyre]

I do like Crown Royal.

[Yovan Buha]

Yes.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes.

[Rachel Nichols]

There you go. All right, let's check on. On our last tomorrow's headlines today. Dun, dun, dun. Give me the slicer and dicer on where Giannis will be next season. My friend.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know, I try to only sing in the shower, but the headline for Giannis will be Bare Lakered Ladies. It's been one Greek since you looked at me. How about it, Rachel? Come on. I tried my best. Giannis to the Lakers. I know you guys love the Barenaked Ladies, obviously a great group, but I think this is just too perfect.

[Rachel Nichols]

This just became the most troubling part of my week with you singing that line, singing.

[Jason McIntyre]

I try not to sing in public, in the car with the windows out, I'm fine.

[Rachel Nichols]

But look, Giannis has wanted. Right, because they are. Jovan just said it. They're not going to have necessarily the best trade package. But look, Giannis is a very, very smart and savvy agent, and he is aware that where you are going to and what they have left is a big deal. And so therefore, Giannis, if he doesn't accept an extension with the Bucs, he's going to have to put his foot down and dictate where he wants to go. And look, this Guy has made $338 million in his career. He's made more than 100 million off the court. And by the way, I think that's a low number because he's also got investment money where he's made some really smart things. He has everything. He has A title. He has MVPs. He wants to go do this one thing. He wants to go play in a competitive situation again, possibly win another title. And he is going to be able to dictate, now that we're waiting until the summer, the best place to do that. So if he thinks that's the Lakers, then, look, he can steer them into not only going there, but not having to give up as much for him, because if he says, look, that's the only place I'm going to sign an extension, nobody's going to give the bucks very much for him.

[Jason McIntyre]

So remember, Carmelo Anthony was in Denver.

[Rachel Nichols]

I do remember Carmelo Anthony.

[Jason McIntyre]

I want to go to New York.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Yeah.

[Rachel Nichols]

If he had just waited until the off season, New York would have had more resources. They gave up everything. Yes.

[Jason McIntyre]

And they. They. I don't. I think they got to one second round, maybe conference finals. Yeah. It just never happened because you didn't have the dudes. Hopefully Giannis learned the lesson by watching Mello. Do you think the Lakers would be hated if they got Giannis and Luca?

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, I think people who hate the Lakers will always hate the Lakers.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, it's fair, right? Boston. I'm just talking, like casuals who are like, this is not fair. They got Luca. That was just a dumb trade by Nico Harrison.

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, look, here's. Here's what's amazing is that I think Dave McBenman reported that if they don't get Giannis, their next target would be Peyton Watson.

[Jason McIntyre]

So, come on.

[Rachel Nichols]

Pete Watson has had a great season, but, I mean, that's quite a difference.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, I thought you were gonna say Walker Kessler. You need a rim protect. I said we. I know people hate that because I don't know if deandre Ayton's that guy. Yeah, Peyton Watson. I'm just contract theories cooking from three. I like the guy a lot. You know, at ucla, you should talk to the coach, find out what he was like there. No, not. Not amazing. He's playing good this year.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah. Giannis would be better.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Rachel Nichols]

I'm just saying. That's my expert decades of NBA analysis for you.

[Jason McIntyre]

Understatement of the year. All right, that's it for us. Cowherd back Monday. Thanks to everyone who watched and enjoyed Rachel and I having fun. Enjoy the weekend. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.