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The Herd with Colin Cowherd
What's Wright - NBA Trade Deadline REACTION, Anthony Davis to Wizards + Super Bowl DEEP DIVE | Nick Wright NFL
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- [00:00]
Olivia Culpo
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- [00:35]
Nick Wright
Welcome in what's right with NICK Right, episode 424. This episode of what's Right with Nick Wright is presented to you by Boost Mobile Damanze. Good morning. We are on the eve of the eve of the eve of super bowl and big update. In my world, I find out from your baby sister, yes, there's not a baby anymore. She's 12. Yesterday she's like, so when do you think we're getting to Nana's? And I'm like, what do you mean? She was like, oh, I thought every, I thought we everybody knew we're watching the super bowl at Nana's.
- [01:23]
Damanze
Take it you won't.
- [01:25]
Nick Wright
Well, no, I, I, oh, you. I'm not, I don't know, man. I don't know. I, and I do know and this is, you know, air little family laundry here. I, I think the assumption was, well, the Chiefs aren't playing, so, so Nick will be a little more relaxed, which may or may not be true. And I obviously love my mom and love my wonderful sister and her family and her kids, but watching the super bowl in the midst of young children running around and that, and, and that atmosphere does not seem like peak viewing experience. And so I don't know. I said to your mom, I was like, what, what's going on at with, you know, my mom and Super. She's like, and your mom's like, that's your mom talk to you. You talked, I said it was fine. You talked to her.
- [02:26]
Damanze
So you might be coming down with a little something. Don't worry. I don't know what's going on.
- [02:30]
Nick Wright
I don't know. But I do know that I, I, there's all I, it's just not, it's a little, little wrench in the gears that I didn't necessarily expect as we get ready for what should be an awesome game. And we're going to get to that in a bit. Also NBA trade deadline stuff. All of that coming up. But first, straight to voicemail. Brought to you by our friends at Boost Mobile. The our long national nightmare is over, guys. The, the Kawhi Leonard snub that oh my God had Everyone pearl clutching had people that that dastardly LeBron James who stole Kawhi Leonard's All Star spot as it turns out quite Leonard's gonna be an All Star. We all knew he was always gonna be an All Star. It was all nonsense. The NFC wins the Pro Bowl. I guess Shador throws a couple touchdowns I didn't watch. And Jackson Hayes being suspended for a game for a real shove of the Wizards mascot is really unbelievable. Like no reason to do that. He had no reason. I don't understand it. The video is stunning. I don't get it. It seems like a cheap shot the Robin Lopez famously used to fight mascots in every arena but it was all playful and like mutual Right? Right. This Wizards mascot just running down and Jackson Hayes just like the late Sean Taylor an unsuspecting wide receiver coming over the middle just body mascot.
- [04:18]
Damanze
Dude come on.
- [04:19]
Nick Wright
I didn't get that one at all. Reminder everybody like rate subscribe Review to the show before we get to the NBA trade deadline it we are at the eve of the eve of the eve of the Super Bowl. Reminder our prop show our gambling show for the super bowl comes out on these channels tomorrow. But let's get to the actual game right now.
- [04:44]
Damanze
So the super bowl is a few days ago, a few days away and we'll eventually get to your picks. But first off I got some questions for you one at a time. And the first one is is what is the path to victory for each of these teams?
- [04:56]
Nick Wright
Okay for Seattle, for both teams I think it's actually pretty straightforward and this isn't the only path obviously but the simplest path for Seattle is that they are able to with their outstanding defensive line hurry Drake may a bit get the Patriots into some third and long must pass situations where they the Pats were outstanding the first two months of the year and have been a little shakier since then. Let Tank Lawrence tee off on Will Campbell not let the Patriots stay ahead of the sticks with Ramandre Stevenson because as the Seahawks have been an elite run defense this year and trust their great secondary and great scheme with Mike McDonald to fool a young an excellent but a young quarterback in Drake may put him make him look the way he's looked a lot of this postseason so far and be able to play somewhat on their script. Hold the Patriots offense down and really see put the Pats in the bind of man we need to be throwing and we need to not we need to have as many receivers and pass catchers out in the route as possible which means we can't help our offensive line. We can't max protect. We can't keep people into Chip and Seattle tees off on Drake May who and and I just want to because this has become quite the argument on the TV show and I don't understand why and I just want to emphasize the following facts related to Drake May's struggles this postseason in the last 30 years. The second biggest drop off from regular season passer rating to postseason passer rating in the last 30 years is Drake made these playoffs in NFL history. The biggest drop off from regular season completion percentage to postseason completion percentage is Drake May. These playoffs Drake May in 17 regular season games turned the ball over 11 times total in 3 playoff games has turned the ball over 5 times total. Drake May in 17 regular season games had 8 fumbles. Not lost, just total fumbles. Drake May in 3 playoff games has 6 fumbles. Now those regular season to postseason drop offs, some of that is a testament to how exceptional he was in the regular season. There is no doubt about that. But a guy who led the league in passer rating falling to what would An 85 rating is stunning. A guy who led the Lee and he might have been second in pass rating. A guy who led the league in completion percentage falling to a completion percentage demands a that is lower than Shador Sanders. This season is stunning. It's 55%. They've played great defenses. He has made some excellent plays and he's been very good with his legs when he hasn't fumbled and hasn't been sacked. But the when I get to the Patriots side of it, the biggest key is going to be Drake May looking like Drake May because he hasn't yet this postseason. And the question for Seattle is can they continue that trend? Can they keep Drake May struggling? Because folks are correct that the Patriots have played a murderer's row of defenses. But the end of that sentence is and their quarterback has looked like it has looked like he has played a murderer's row of defenses. And Seattle is either the best or the second best defense they will have faced all year. It's them or Houston, depending on who you prefer. And so it is not unfair or nitpicking to say up to this point in the playoffs the Patriots have been winning in spite of quarterback play, which is in some ways a reason to be very optimistic about their chances in this game because they're they've gotten to the super bowl without Drake playing well. But I think Seattle can present some really big troubles. Seattle, since Mike McDonald got there is 15 and two away from home, which is unreal. Seattle with Mike McDonald facing young quarterbacks is nine and one in the last four years. Quarterbacks the first time they face Mike McDonald's defense have struggled massively. So those are all things that I think Seattle is positioned well for and I think that that Seattle defense the only guy all year long demons A who has been able to oh we're in a must pass situation. Watch me rip it is Stafford. He's the only one. And now they Baker had an awesome game against him too but they weren't down multiple scores where like must pass situation. It's not to say Drake May can't do it, but they have been the league's best defense by most metrics throughout the year. So the Seahawks path is simple. That D line be what it's been all year and that secondary be what it's been all year and not put the game on Sam Darnold shoulders. Okay. The Patriots path is simple as well. Drake May don't be afraid to run the ball. The one place Seattle's defense struggles is quarterback scrambles. Drake May has been excellent at it. Don't be afraid to tuck it and run. Stay ahead of the chains. Make it so Seattle can't sell out against the pass and put Sam Darnold in a spot where the pressure ratchets up even even further because the Patriots as good as Seattle as well as Seattle is coached. The Patriots will not be out coached in this game as buttoned up as Seattle is variable and is going to get every game management decision right and Josh McDaniels will have his guys as prepared as can be. And I am looking closely at Nick Eamon worry their awesome rookie safety who Mike McDonald that was his one of his you know his second first round pick with the Seahawks in who they took to play kind of that Kyle Hamilton role that he played with Baltimore. He hurt his ankle in practice yesterday and the video of him walking into the team hotel is what's good is no crutches, no boot, no nothing like that. What's bad is he's limping badly and he's a key piece and we know Drake May has excellence in him. We just and we also know that unlike other quarterbacks Drake May can be having a miserable game and still make awesome plays. That Houston game he fumbled four times and in the midst of that through some of his best passes of the of the season. So I don't think the Patriots can come from behind in this game. Like I'm not talking about seven nothing. But I, I, I think that they can't be behind the sticks and they can't be behind the scoreboard. But if it's close late I think it favors New England. But I also think Seattle's the team more like if you're like One of these two teams is going to have a 10 point lead going into the fourth quarter. My money in that situation would be on Seattle. What are your other questions on this?
- [15:33]
Damanze
Who do you believe has the most to lose and the most to gain?
- [15:40]
Nick Wright
I don't really look at this as a spot where anybody has a ton to lose. Like Seattle's the favorite but there's nobody would look at this like as a go ahead.
- [15:56]
Damanze
You don't think it's seen as Seattle having more to lose just how everybody probably expects them to win the game?
- [16:01]
Nick Wright
Well so listen they are the favorite and it does seem like a dis for only being a four and a half point favorite there. They have a disproportionate amount of people picking them.
- [16:14]
Damanze
Right.
- [16:14]
Nick Wright
But I don't think if they lose people will be like they choked. So like I but as far as most to gain it is and this is cliche I guess but it's obvious it's the coaches and the quarterbacks. Like Vrabel winning a Super bowl. He got to an AFC championship game with Ryan Tannehill and the Titans. He got the number one seed a different year with Ryan Tannehill and the Titans and his first year with the Patriots to come in and take over a four win team and win the Super Bowl. Some people would say he's just the best coach in the league and he's already considered one of the best. So for variable it would be a pretty remarkable short coaching resume. McDonald second year as a head coach, his final year as coordinator in Baltimore. They win the defensive triple crown. They're the one seed even in the playoff game they lost. They only allowed 17 points to the Chiefs takes over Seattle instantly transforms the defense. They win 10 games last year and missed the playoffs despite that. And this year number one seed with a brutal schedule and then win the Super Bowl. I don't even know what the you know young coach comp is there. And then for the quarterbacks if the Patriots win the Monze and Drake may plays well then absolutely no one will care that he struggled in the three playoff games beforehand and you will have people understandably arguing he's the best quarterback in the league. Like that's if in year two you either and we're going to find out tonight if he wins MVP or comes in second. But if in year two you're a top two MVP finisher and then you win the super bowl and you're play well in the super bowl, folks are just going to argue you're the best quarterback in the league and that's fair. Like e the I was that even if pass path. Except he didn't win it.
- [18:38]
Damanze
Oh, okay.
- [18:39]
Nick Wright
He lost in the Super Bowl. He won MVP and lost in the super bowl in year two and then never got back to a Super Bowl. And and for Darnold, he's just. It's the greatest quarterback reclamation story in league history. It might already be that. But if he wins, especially getting shipped.
- [19:04]
Damanze
Off to another team and like you know, back to back and then getting all those wins, winning a Super bowl, that's insane.
- [19:11]
Nick Wright
I mean this is jets pants. This is his 15. Am I leaving one out? Jets, Panthers, Niners, Vikings, Seahawks and so. But to your point, he goes to Minnesota a year ago, is not, you know, he's supposed to be competing with JJ McCarthy to be the starter. McCarthy gets hurt. They win 14 games, they're playing for the one seed the final week of the year. He plays poorly, plays poorly in the playoff game. They don't really believe in him. Seattle then signs him. I call it a huge mistake. I say they got worse going from Gino to Darnold.
- [19:53]
Damanze
Get out of that.
- [19:55]
Nick Wright
Yeah, 100%. And they win 14 games. They are the one seed, win the Super Bowl. And so those are the guys who have the most on the line. What else?
- [20:08]
Damanze
What is the most important matchup in this game?
- [20:12]
Nick Wright
Will Campbell against DeMarcus Lawrence or whomever's lined up against him. Patriots rookie left tackle Will Campbell, who has struggled mightily this postseason, has given up a pressure rate of I think above 15% in every game he's played. Gave up a bunch of sacks the first two games. Didn't give up a sack in the conference championship game, but PFF still had him graded as a poor performance. That's where the game can be lost. Is Will Campbell, that is with and DeMarcus Lawrence. That was a hell of a signing by the Seahawks who I think a lot of us thought, listen, this guy was a really good player, but he's a 33 year old edge rusher coming off an injury riddled final year with Dallas and he comes to Seattle and makes the Pro bowl. Is not an old pro, but probably the, you know, one of the most impactful guys on their D line. And the veteran leader there. And I just wonder if he and Leonard Williams and the rest of that D line can put Drake May in hell throughout this game. Which kind of leads to my actual prediction. So go ahead.
- [21:48]
Damanze
And what is your final prediction on the game?
- [21:54]
Nick Wright
27:17 Seattle is how I see this shaking out. I think that both quarterbacks have one turnover, at least one turnover. But I think Drake, who is flirting with the Joe burrow record of 19 sacks taken in a postseason, he's at 15. He's taken five in every game that May is under constant duress that Stefan Diggs is not able to get off that they find enough ways to get Jackson, Smith and Jigba lined up in different spots to where he can get going. And there is a major Seattle defensive play, whether it's a strip sack or a tipped pass pick, a major Seattle defensive play that is caused by pressure on the quarterback that gets this game going in the bad in a bad direction for Seattle. So I will swallow the 4 1/2 points and Seattle 27, New England 17 is my official pick. All right, so that is it going.
- [23:19]
Damanze
To be weird for you without the Chiefs not being in the super bowl this year?
- [23:24]
Nick Wright
It is. I mean so they've played in five of the last six. The one they didn't play in was Rams, Bengals. And my only. I have such vivid memories from the. And I want to find it. I have such vivid memories from all of the chief Super Bowls and Rams Bengals is a bit of a blur and I'm. Except for. Let me see if I can find it. Oh, sorry. There it is.
- [24:13]
Damanze
Okay. They made a deep that year though. Didn't they lose?
- [24:16]
Nick Wright
No, they lost in overtime of the AFC Championship game. And I had. The only thing I really remember vividly about that game was having two bets related to Bengals sacks or Ram sacks on Joe Burrow. One was a big plus money bet on Aaron Donald over a sack and a half and at halftime he had zero. And then the second drive of the second half, he got one. I think it was this part. I might, I say I remember it vividly, but I might have it wrong. So maybe I don't remember it vividly. One of those sacks where the quarterback like goes down right at the line of scrimmage, but they call it right behind. So he got a sack for it and then four plays later got another one and hit that, you know, within five minutes after it, looking like we were in trouble. And I had, I had another. Well, he ice the game on a pressure but that wasn't a sack. I had another I basically bet I laddered the sacks in that game, which was Rams to have at least three and a half, four and a half, five and a half and six and a half sacks. And they, they got Von Miller I think. Was that the last one? Von Miller got sack number seven on a play where there was a penalty but it was a penalty on the Bengals. So the sack stood and I hit all those bets. But I don't really, I know that late in the game obviously there was a really ticky tack defensive holding penalty. You know, I remember the game, but it is, it's insane. The Chiefs have played in five of the last six, but it also will make the viewing experience very, very different. And again, we'll see if you know what prop bets we have on our gambling show tomorrow, but I would like to get to some of the NBA trade deadline stuff here in a moment. But first, today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet Florida Sportsbook. It's big Game week on Hard Rock Bet. Seattle is a 4 1/2 point favorite over New England for games like this. Basic bets just don't cut it. Hard Rock Bet is loaded with special props you can't find the rest of the year. Scorami Opening Kickoff Touchback. All the off the wall bets that make every snap matter. These props only come around once a year, so you might as well enjoy yourself here. If you haven't signed up with a Hard Rock Bet yet, there's never been a better time. New signups can double their winnings on their first 10 bets. Max bet of $50. That's right. If you would have won a hundred bucks on your bet, you could make that 200. Plus you don't want to miss hard rock bets $7 million big game bonus party place a $10 big game parlay and you'll get a share of 7 million in bonus bets. Win or lose, every parlay counts and the more you place, the bigger your share. I already built mine. Now it's your turn. If you're in Florida or New Jersey, the Big Game energy doesn't just live in the app. Head to a Hard Rock Casino in person for drawings, giveaways and all the excitement leading up to kickoff. Big Game week is also the best time to be a Hard Rock vip. Hard Rock Bet is rolling out the red carpet for its MVPs, private jets, five star hotels, big game tickets and more. Other VIPs can attend invite only watch parties or with special guests, high end food and tons of exclusive merch. If you want to get on the action, check out the status match page at hard rockbet/lovery hardrock bet. Pardon me? Hardrock bet loyalty. Let them know where you play for a shot at an instant upgrade to the best signature VIP program in the industry. That's Hard Rock Bet. Download the Hard Rock Bet app and make your first deposit today. Payable and bonus bets Not a cash offer. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida. Offered by Seminole hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. Must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, call 1-833-play- wise in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a Gamb wants help, call 1-800-9 with it gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia all right, Demon, I I kind of already addressed the Drake May stuff, so let's get to some of the pre playoff narratives here.
- [29:58]
Damanze
Yeah. Before the playoffs you listed out your top five storylines of the postseason and they were Is this Josh Allen's year to breakthrough? What if Rogers goes on a run? What if the Eagles repeat? Which second year quarterback goes on a run? Which NFC west team will you think look like they did in the regular season? How do you think you did so far with those?
- [30:20]
Nick Wright
Yeah, so listen, I mean the, I mean I think, I think these were the storylines going in and if we address them all one by one, like is this Josh Allen's year to break through that? That was the question. Because since they didn't, they fired the coach. I mean was. Was I putting too much emphasis on this postseason for them? No, I wasn't. And we haven't on this show talked about the Josh Allen interview. Right. He was on the TV show Tuesday after our pod when he was broken.
- [31:05]
Damanze
Up about McDermott leaving the no, what.
- [31:09]
Nick Wright
I'm saying, I'm no, the interview he did on First Things First. Oh and so the so I just want to say something about our spot.
- [31:21]
Damanze
There.
- [31:23]
Nick Wright
Because I tweeted this but I just want to spend a little more time on it. I thought it was so telling that he agreed to go on the show. So the way, you know these radio row week of interviews work is you sign up with a sponsor, the sponsor, you know, books you on a bunch of shows and then you kind of rinse and re repeat throughout. But when you're a guy like Josh Allen, every single show in the country wants you. So there's going to be more requests than actual availability. And so you can pick and choose. So it would have been super easy for him to be like, nah, that guy has been giving me a hard time for years. I'm not, you know, I'm not interested. And so not only did he come on the show, but how good natured he was and how self assured he was I think is not only a testament to off the field the person he is, but I truly believe there is an impact on his ability to win a championship in a positive way that we saw in those 15 minutes we spent with him. And here's what I mean. I, I have always believed that there are some guys that just since they were little kids get a little tight in big spots that when they're in the backyard playing bags, if it's the game winning point, they are going to have their worst shot of the night. And there are some folks on the opposite end of that spectrum that just always have been. They are, you know, gamers. They are at their best in the biggest moments. But most people are circumstantial in that regard. Where success begets confidence, which begets more success and early failings begets lack of confidence, self doubt which leads to more of that. And the example I've, you know, I've used in the past is one of the reasons I always felt Kobe, even though he was not, when you look at the numbers like very efficient on these shots, was never afraid to take the game winning shot was because he never once got nailed with that guy. Can't win because he won as a kid alongside Shaq when the now by their second championship, Kobe was a huge part of it. But that first championship, Kobe was a role player but then he was a champion and nobody could ever hang it against him. And one of the reasons I felt Peyton always struggled was because he struggled early. It became a narrative and it seemed like he got in his own head. All believe, you know, forever that if some, if, if LeBron had somehow been, if they had won the title when he was a kid in 22 in the 07 finals, there's no chance he has the series against Dallas, but he wasn't yet a champion. He had left his team. There was all that on him. And then you saw it for LeBron this play out in real time. He had that series against Dallas and then they win the title the next year. And from that moment forward, by any metric imaginable, he had the greatest 10 year run of clutch play in the history of the league. Like it the success there beget other success. So the reason I say all that is this. There is so much noise now and such a long year by year history of Josh coming up just short in these spots that if he didn't have that confidence, self assuredness and disposition, I think it could drown him. But he has it. And I think that his ability to say I wasn't good enough, I didn't come through, but I know I will in the future is really, really positive for the Bills. And so that's, you know, that's a little sidebar, but that was one of the obvious pre playoff narratives. The what if Rogers goes on a run was really just a thought exercise on what it would mean. We never thought he could. What if the Eagles repeat was also for me just a thought exercise. I never thought they could. And they end up losing in pretty bad fashion in a home playoff game. They didn't really have any business losing to the to a Niners team that we then saw the next week was not good. I shouldn't say not good, but they were not a contender.
- [37:15]
Damanze
Yeah.
- [37:15]
Nick Wright
Yeah. Which second year quarterback goes on a run? We now there was going to be one. Caleb had a shot. Caleb had like the amazing moments. But Drake obviously is the one playing in the Super Bowl. And which NFC west team will look like they did in the regular season? The answer was kind of Seattle and the Rams. The Rams looked like they did in the regular season. They just couldn't get the last stop they needed or the last conversion in. Seattle looked like the best team all year and they were. I thought it was the Rams. I was wrong. It was Seattle. So like I, you know, all to me those, all those all held up pretty well.
- [38:01]
Damanze
Yeah.
- [38:01]
Nick Wright
And I don't. There's nothing. I guess the thing that maybe I should have incorporated more was something related to Denver. The one seed as Denver, you know, could they show they beat the Bills and then they were in that game with the Patriots even though they didn't have their quarterback. So maybe I was just, you know, my big swing before the year was high on the Raiders, low on the Broncos. And that was a giant double whiff there. I was just, you know, I missed on both of those. All right. Are you thinking about upgrading to the all new iPhone 17 Pro, designed to be the most powerful iPhone ever. But you're also thinking about the traffic on your way to the store, transferring all your data. Good news. When you order a new phone online with Boost Mobile, they'll send an expert to your home or work to deliver your brand new iPhone 17 Pro and get you all set up on Boost Mobile within minutes. No hassle at all. Visit boostmobile.com to get started. Delivery available for select devices purchased@boostmobile.com terms do apply. All right, Damante, let's talk trade deadline.
- [39:08]
Damanze
Yeah. So the Wizards are making moves. We know a couple months back they got Trey Young and they went out and got Anthony Davis. Dallas got too late first some second rounders and a handful of players. This LUCA trade just looks worse and worse by the month, huh?
- [39:25]
Nick Wright
So this is the final accounting of in out for the LUCA trade. If we just. If we don't worry about the salary filler guys like Cleba and Mars Chris middle like that. Ultimately within 370 days they flipped Luka Doncic four Max Christie, the 2026 Thunder first round pick, the 2029 Lakers first round pick and the 2030 warriors first round pick which is top 20 protected and three second rounders. And they got 30 games out of Anthony Davis and no playoff run. It is an all time tragedy of a trade. So that's just. That is what it is. It's an all time disaster. You got to see AD and Kyrie play like 20 minutes together. It's just a tragedy now. Luckily they got Cooper flag but so for the Mavs it is what it is. I am stunned demand Dallas didn't get more for Anthony Davis. Yeah, and I'm stunned now that we know the Warrior the Warriors aren't getting Giannis. They traded for Kris Staps like the they cut bait on that. I'm stunned the warriors didn't trump the Mavs offer. I'm sorry, the Wizards offer like Anthony Davis on the Warriors. I understand he's an injury risk. Listen, he. He's a huge injury risk. I get it. But that's interesting now. Yeah. AD with Steph, a a defense with Draymond and Anthony Davis. Like I can get behind that. And it is very, very odd to me that this was Anthony Davis's market. I get he's on a huge contract and I get that he is always injured and it's weird. Injuries all. He barely hits his hand. It looks like torn ligaments. He has to wear goggles now forever because of the retina stuff. I know that. But man, trading AD for Chris Middleton salary filler and two awful first round picks. And those are awful firsts. The Thunder first this coming year is going to be pick, you know, 28 or worse or something. Third and a warriors first. That is top 20 protected is a disaster. And so I can't believe that's what Anthony Davis's value is. I do give the Wizards credit for being like, screw it, we're not signing any free agents anyway. We have a good young player in Alex Sar. Trey Young will be here next year. I mean, he's there now, but he's not playing. So the Wizards hope is nail, you know, get lucky in the lottery this year. Add either Darren Peterson or Carlos Booozers Kid or AJ DeBance in the top three, have one of those guys plus Sar, plus Trey, plus AD and go make a run in the East. Like, I don't hate that at all. And Dallas is just built around Cooper Flag and, you know, Bar Nico Harrison from the city. All right, let's go to some of the other trade deadline news.
- [43:52]
Damanze
Yeah, there's been a bunch of moves since our last show, so we'll start off with the hardened trade. We know that there was a little bit of that going on with the last show, but it's official. Their odds went up in the east for the playoffs, which is weird because it's James Harden. How do we feel about James Harden on the Cavaliers?
- [44:08]
Nick Wright
I don't. I just don't understand why they do it. I, you know, I've spent a lot of time on this on Tuesday show, on the TV show. I. We. The. The record of quitting and falling apart in the playoffs is unmatched by any athlete in American sports history. Just is. And the. I understand the Clippers and Harden are playing nice and it's like, oh, no. It was for both. James Harden wanted to stay in la. They didn't want to give him a contract extension, so he got out of there. And now the Cavs, this idea that, well, the Cabs, they've got to get Donovan to sign an extension this summer. And because of that, that's why you take on this risky move. What's the list of superstars that are like, man, I gotta tell you, I loved playing with James Harden. Like, I got a little taste of that and I was like, sign me up for more of it. So I don't. I don't understand it. Now for the Clippers, I think this is an awesome trade. You're buying low on Garland. Now, Garland is undersized and has had foot issues with both feet. And so it is a concern, don't get me wrong. But the Clippers don't have, you know, a lot of flexibility here. And so they get a lot younger and they get a scoring guard and you hope his defensive Issues don't matter as much when Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubots are on the team like that. They can help you out. I know Zubots isn't, you know, some monster defensive player like they have in Cleveland, but you still hope that you can work around that. And so I like it a lot for the Clippers. I don't understand why the Cavs did it. We also just real quick, the Lakers actually made a move. We'll see if they make another one. This one as much as, you know, I, I think criticize fairly Polinka's lack of action at deadlines in the past. This isn't groundbreaking, but you traded away Gabe Vincent who has just been one of the worst players in the NBA since he got to the Lakers. I don't know why. I don't know what happened. He was good with the Heat, but with the Lakers he is. He's played 112 games. So he's injured. He'd been injured as well in those 112 games. He averages 20 minutes a game. So get drill burn and gives you five points, one rebound, one assist on 38% from the field. Just a truly brutal production. So trading him in a second for Luke Canard who again is a flawed player. But I believe producers correct me if I'm wrong. I think right now he leads the NBA in three point percentage. Like he's shooting almost 50% from three. He's always been an excellent shooter and I just, yeah, I mean for Listen, 49.7% this year, 44% for his career. So it's not even, you know something, you're like, oh, it's Fluky. He's an awesome shooter and he doesn't have much playoff experience. But his playoff experience he did have prior to last year in Memphis when he was brutal, he was solid. And so this is a positive for the Lakers. Is it a needle mover? Probably not. Does it at all help your problems of being a horrific defensive team? Nah, forget about that. But putting shooting around Luke and LeBron is never a bad idea. All right, Next.
- [48:30]
Damanze
Jaren Jackson Jr. Traded to the Jazz. Utah.
- [48:35]
Nick Wright
You don't have to go through all of it. Dorm. The big piece in this is. Let me pull up the exact picks. Jazz trade details. So when they say three future first round picks, it matters what those picks are and one of them is Utah's pick. So let me see if the NBA.com story has it. Gosh darn it. Put it in the doc if you guys can find it because Trading like these are not nothing picks. Okay, here it is. I got it. So Memphis gets the Lakers 2027 first rounder. Not a, not a huge pick. The best of the following four picks. Okay, so they get whichever. Which of these picks is the best? 2027, Minnesota first. That probably won't be that good. Cleveland's first. That probably won't be that good. Or Utah's first unprotected. So you like that Utah is saying we expect to be competing a year from now, like because we're not going to have our own pick. And a pretty juicy 2031, Phoenix first. So they got, they got the Lakers pick next year. Lakers will have Luca. That won't be a great pick. The Jazz pick next year. That could be good. And the Sun's pick in 2031, which again demands a. Not to beat a dead horse. But that just objectively means Jaren Jackson Jr. Had way more, way more trade value than Anthony Davis. Yeah, and that's, that's surprising to me now. He's younger, but he also has, you know, health issues. Health issues. Sounds awful. He's not the most durable player in the league, but not to the degree Anthony Davis is obviously. And so Utah is saying, all right, we're actually going to start trying to win. Not right now though, because Utah. Here's what's interesting about it. Utah only keeps their pick this year if it's in the top eight. And that is going to be a little interesting for them because right now, if you look at the whole league standings, Utah is. Has the sixth worst record. Right. So they would need to stay there and not have teams jump them. However, teams ahead of them in the standings, if you will, like with better records, that could fall beneath them. Dallas, Milwaukee, Memphis. So Memphis is, you know, just got worse. Dallas, I know AD wasn't playing, but got worse. Milwaukee, we'll see. You know, what the. Yan. What ends up happening with Giannis. So, but Udall wants to stay in that top eight and then try to start winning. But, but Triple J and Walker Kessler to be a big team. And Laurie Markkanen. And the real story here is they think Keonte George is ready to start winning games. And then you have Ace Bailey. It's like, okay, Utah's finally going to try to go start winning games. I don't mind that at all. And then the other ones, the, the Celtics flipping Simons for Vucevich. That's more a financial move than a basketball move. But Vuch is fine. Like it's. And Simons is replaceable, obviously for the Celtics.
- [52:52]
Damanze
I think he's more similar to other players on the team. I think that. Correct, right, exactly. I think that's what I mean. Is a better, a better guy to have than Simon.
- [53:02]
Nick Wright
Correct. The, the Celtics have guards that can score.
- [53:06]
Damanze
Right.
- [53:07]
Nick Wright
And so adding a big. And Vucevich I think is smart. Chris Paul's trade of the Raptors, but he's going to get cut. I wonder where he. And if somebody brings him in on the buyout market.
- [53:17]
Damanze
Somebody got to get Chris Paul, man. Come on.
- [53:20]
Nick Wright
Yeah, I agree.
- [53:21]
Damanze
Come on, guys.
- [53:23]
Nick Wright
I, I, I totally agree. I wonder if maybe the Lakers bring him in in the buyout market. The Thunder getting Jared McCain, the tick tocker is. And you know, he went for a real first, not a great first, but Houston's first this year in a bunch of seconds. So he was awesome as a rookie. Awesome. Suffered a major injury and now is marginalized. As a Rookie, he was 15 a game on 46% and 26 minutes a game. This year he's six a game on 39%. But what the Thunder is saying is, you know, we hope a year from now he can get back to that form and he's cost controlled, so, you know, it's fine. Kevin Herder, the shooter goes to the number one seed in the East, Pistons. I like that move for them. And that's about as far down the list as we're going to go. And I, it would appear Giannis is not getting traded. I don't want to spend too much time on it because by the time people listen to this, it could be dated. But it would appear to me Giannis is not getting traded, which is bad, right? I mean, they're going to trade him this summer, I guess, but it's just a wasted year for all parties. It's a weird spot. All right, let's do some listener questions to Maze.
- [54:59]
Damanze
Scruff Dog says Nick, how do you think AD will be remembered all, all time? What if maybe all time. What if maybe.
- [55:09]
Nick Wright
Yeah, I, I mean, I think he'll be remembered as a Hall of Fame player whose prime was shorter than it should have been because of injuries and. For a lot of reasons didn't reach his full potential because he's and I really like AD but his full potential was Lee mvp and he showed that in year three and he never quite got to that level, but he was a huge piece of a champion. And his story's not yet done being written, but Washington, it's hard to see him playing in super high leverage games anytime soon in Washington.
- [55:53]
Damanze
All right, next Scott asked Nick would the Raptors getting Sabonis help them get to the East Finals?
- [56:00]
Nick Wright
I don't think. I mean, yeah, the thing is Demonta Sabonis has been such a bad playoff player that you and he gets exploited defensively so much you don't really think that that gets you over the top. And I know the Raptors having a good year and Scotty Barnes having his best year. I get all that. I don't look at them as East Finals caliber quite.
- [56:26]
Damanze
Next Austin asks, is the OKC first round pick collection from the late 2010s and early 2020s one of the best strategies of all time or was it just lucking into SGA and a good scouting department?
- [56:39]
Nick Wright
A little bit of both. Like it. It was a good strategy that they also then nailed the picks on and sga. Listen, nobody, no matter how optimistic you were about SGA after his time with the Clippers, you didn't think best player in the league MVP was what was on the board. But the Thunder were on the bad end of that once when they traded away James Harden. Even as as optimistic as Daryl Morey was about Harden, nobody thought multi time scoring champ, assist champ MVP was where he was going to be. Go to Manny real quick.
- [57:22]
Damanze
Yeah, Manny asked do you think LeBron still revisits the Cavs return now that Harden is in town? Three guys who need the ball on the same team.
- [57:31]
Nick Wright
I listen LeBron and I have different historical opinions on guys that I think LeBron should want to play with and guys LeBron wants to play with. So I wouldn't want LeBron playing with Harden, but I don't want LeBron playing with Westbrook. So you know, I don't know how he feels about it, but LeBron Harden, Donovan Mitchell feels like a weird fit. Like LeBron Luca is a weird fit and Lucas demonstrably better than Harden but similar stylistically. So I don't know what it does but they. I also don't know. I gotta see how this plays out and see what the Cavs do with Harden in the off season that you know. Is that going to be a trade piece? I. I really don't know. All right, our super bowl prop show coming to this, all these feeds tomorrow morning. So make sure you have subscribed to the YouTube feed to iTunes to Spotify, get the alerts for when we go live when we post new episode. But our super bowl prop show tomorrow. Big thanks for today's show to Blue Duck and a volume and of course, our great sponsors, Hard Rock, Bet and Boost. Talk to you guys tomorrow with all our super bowl bets. What's right?
- [58:50]
Olivia Culpo
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.