NBA Finals Game six tomorrow in Indianapolis. The LA Lakers have been sold for a cool ten billion dollars. But Porters is in his bag today because as much as I stay away from social media prior to the show, I'll check it and our next guest has been aggregated, as we deal with in this business quite a bit, as every fifth tweet was a jazz trade rumor attributed to the great Andy Larson from the Salt Lake Tribune, Andy, why are you all over my timeline today?
You know, you say some things I was on the Lockdown Jazz podcast yesterday or I guess it got released today, and then one Twitter user, you know, tweets what I said and said, but says it in kind of the Andy Larson is reporting x way. And then you know, the fans of the teams involved gets involved in the Lakers, Sixers and MAVs have pretty big fan bases and anyway, Yeah,
you just kind of blow up. And then you get on NBA Central, you get the likes of Everton's Side and Legion Hoops and all those different weird aggregate aggregation accounts come together, and then hearing from fans, I mean it's probably twenty notifications a minute right now on my phone. It is crazy.
Okay, well, fair enough. I was a little bit confused. I was glad we could get you today though, to talk about this. So let's let's just kind of go down the list and I'll give you the space to kind of unpack some.
Of this stuff. And let's start with and you know what's interesting.
I don't know if you've heard this, even though I do know that you listen to this show for four hours every day and never miss a minute. About a month and a half ago, maybe two months ago, I don't know if he was reporting well, actually, let me clean that up. I know that he was not reporting this. But Tim McMahon said he has heard that Colin Sexton could be an option for the MAVs to look at,
well Kyrie gets healthy. So let's start with that potential that you talked about, and we're aggregated about Colin Sexton to the Dallas Mavericks.
Go ahead, Yeah, you know, like, I think it's something that I've heard from kind of both sides of the table there that it is kind of a reasonable landing spot for Colin Sexton because right like he's an expiring contract. He's a very good player. Uh and because Carry Irving is going to miss the majority, if not the totality of the next season with the with the major injuries suffed last year. Right, Like, so I think it just does make sense as the Dallas Mavericks try to stay
you know it, semi competitive. I don't think they're trying to like think out next year to that that Collin Sexton would make some sense. Their salary picture is interesting in that, like the matching salaries in a deal, it's hard to find which players would make sense from the Jazz to take on, you know, like, so the Jazz could take on Caleb Martin, But I don't know that that is makes a ton of sense from a utap point of view, Keavin that he has three years on
the deal and then even that's still not enough. You need to find one other contract to make that work. So, you know, I think it's a I think it's a possibility. I think maybe more likely in kind of a three team scenario or like, you know, but you know, I do think like the fit makes sense, and it's something that's like seen as a fit in multiple conversations I've.
Had, all Right, this is also a situation that isn't necessarily new, and Dave mcminnimon on this show has talked about how the Lakers, well, everybody knows the Lakers need a big Okay, if you watch basketball, you understand the Lakers badly need it big. And even last year, prior to the trade deadline, there were some rumors about the Jazz and Lakers discussing the framework of a deal that would land Walker Kestler in Los Angeles.
So let's move over to that one.
What's your understanding of those conversations, if they're taking place, and if this is a possibility.
Yeah, those conversations are real, And I mean, like, the Lakers have seen Walker Kessler as like a very good fit for them at center for a long time, and it's just kind of like, hey, what are you going to give, right Like, do you have the assets that make sense with the Jazz's rebuilding timeline? Given how much the Jazz reasonably like Walker Kessler? Right Like, they I
think they like Walker Kessler quite a bit. But you know, to this point, they've even you know, the picks they would trade, let's be honest, or probably now with the Luka Dantic trade and everything else like probably going to be at the bottom of the first round, and so you know, are you willing to move on from your most interesting young piece for a couple of picks at the bottom of the first round. I don't know that
the Jazz are in fact that. I suspect if they were willing to do that, they would have made the deal at some point already. You know, it is salt and connecting. That deal I think is relevant is Rehashimura, and that deal is relevant. I don't know specifically, like what the actual offer is, but I do know that there have been multiple conversations about that, or multiple I guess the Lakers have reached out to the Jazz multiple times thinking that Walker Kessler is that guy for them.
I just don't know that the Jazz if they have compiled I mean, obviously they have not yet compiled an offer that the Jazz have said yes to, And I don't know that they have been particularly close and tempting the Jazz and actually making that deal. I do tend to think like if the Jazz were to actually shop Walker Kessler around the league, they could probably get better picks back and maybe better young players back than they could then from the Lakers.
All right, let's move over to the potential of a deal on Well, it doesn't have to be on draft night, but regarding the draft where Affiliated three is thought to potentially be willing to maybe move down, I don't really know much about how that would take place. But this is another one that was out there. Andy shut some light on this one.
Look, they know they need to retool their roster, and you know, there are a bunch of different ways to do that. I think there is a you know, a tank path where you give up on Joelle and Bean entirely.
But the Paul George contract is a part of this, and as I you know, in my view, and I think a lot of league wide observer's view a negative contract given that he just turned thirty five and put up a fourteen per last season, and you know, had a whole bunch of other bad Sixer stuff go on around him, but did not look very good last year. And this is decline time in players contracts, right in players careers. So I get why, you know, the Sixers
would be interested in dumping the Paul George contract. I will say also that if they wanted to do kind of that three for five and Paul George Swap. That would mean that the Jazz have to send back matching salaries, right and given the size of that contract around fifty million dollars a year, you would have to send probably both of John Collins and Colin Section or Lowry Markinen in order to make those that deal work. And it's hard to see how that makes sense for the Jazz.
You know, maybe all of a sudden, if you just Jazz don't have to give up the number five pick and have kind of have two top five picks, and then maybe it makes sense. But like, yeah, it gets you know, then I don't know that the Switchers do that deal, so you know, I from my understanding, it's not something again, it's an author that's been kind of out there. Conversations have been had, and I don't know the current status of those, but I never got the sense that it was like, you know, a piece or
two away. These are big frameworks that I think there is significant disagreement on.
Honestly lost track of all the aggregation, and I did not listen to Pod respectfully, but I do believe there was a John Collins situation, maybe with the Lakers, maybe with the Warriors.
Does that ring a bell?
I mean, I was referring more to the past on that one. I'm gonna be honest, And that's one of the dangers of aggregation, is like, hey, when you're talking about conversations that may have happened around the trade deadline or even earlier. I talked about that on the podcast, and I did not mean to say with John Collins specifically that like those have happened more recently.
Okay, fair enough, but let me expand the question. Look, if they could trade them, they would they they would trade them tomorrow. And now that that contract is expiring, do you think it's more likely they'll find a suitor?
Yeah, I do, you know, And I think you know, John Collins had a really good year last year, and I think that he does fit into a lot of what teams want in terms of, you know, if you have a heliocentric star or you know, your your ball handling situation figured out. I think he provides really interesting spacing, really interesting rebounding, and then I think was better on the defensive end, probably not a plus on defense last year,
but was better than he was two years ago. So I do think it makes sense as a fit on court wise, I think, you know, it's always the tough part is finding a team that can take on a twenty five million dollar salary, give up a twenty five million dollar salary in return, and have that makes sense for the Jazz moving forward, rather than just letting John Collins expire, right, And I you know, I think that's easier said than done. You know, I think so the
Warriors are an example. And actually I said this on the podcast, like they may have had some interest at the trade deadline to go get down Collins. They got Jimmy Butler and said, and all of a sudden, the trade mask doesn't make sense at all, right, Like it's just hard to figure out how the contracts would work there. So yeah, you know, I think it is. You know, I don't think that there's no interest in the league with John Collins, and I think again, he's a good player.
I don't know the status of kind of how those conversations have gone in the last few weeks. Even I was just referring to stuff that had happened months ago.
All right, fair enough, let's move let's move over here. Andy.
I think that's all the aggregation that was across my timeline. But you know, Brian Wyndhorse, I don't know. A few days ago on Sports Center dropped the whole like he's been told the Jazz are going to try to accelerate the rebuild. That's not what he said. I'm paraphrasing, but
you understand the spirit of the whole thing. And then ever since that conversation took place, I've had NBA guests on the show, Haberstrow Old Bye, we had Smittyan studio, and we've just debated what I perceived to be two different paths for the Jazz. And Brian Winhors is a very smart, plugged in, very good NBA reporter who certainly deserves respect. So I'm not saying that he's lying. I
don't know what that avenue looks like. I don't like Boston apparently is willing to trade everybody outside of Tatum who's going to be hurt all next year. And if you add Drew Holliday and Kristaps Porzingis to this roster for free, I mean, playing forty five would like. I don't know what that looks like. But again, Windhorst is a respectable guy who deserves respect. So there's that path that includes adding to the group a veteran or two that can exibedite the growth, add to winning right away.
And then the other avenue, And Tommy brought this up, and you've talked about it before. You and I have discussed it, and this is not reporting anything. This is discussing and pontificating on possibilities where you engage with san Antonio at two and you say something like all right, marketing in five for Harrison Barnes and Kelden Johnson at two and obviously Harrison Barnes is not in your future plans. Calden might bes twenty five, He's fine, and then at
two you grab Dylan Harper. Then you can continue this long game, slow play brick by brick by brick.
That makes more.
Sense to me because you and I have discussed and will continue to discuss all year. That eighth pick, the top eight protected pick that will go to OKC if you're not in the top eight. So those are the two avenues, Andy, what do you think happens?
Yeah, look, I think you made it out well. I think I don't know whether Brandon Windhorst, you know, was referencing aus Mange's comments that the Jazz didn't want to tank next year as like the sole basis of that, or also something that he was hearing around the league. You know, I think like two, you know, I completely agree with you win horses like an awesome NBA reporter and those much more than I do in many many cases. But also he got agrig on that a little bit, right,
and I know what that's like. I think it could be either way, and winhorse obviously then gets the extra bonus points in Utah for the what's going on in Utah meme? Right like where he did, you know, essentially predicts that there were gonna be bigger moves after the Royce O'Neil trade that ended up meaning Donovan and Rudy
and Quinn all left Utah. I could see it going either way, and I do think, you know, there is some interest in the idea of not being bad anymore and the idea of hey, yeah, let's go get the Drew Holliday and Chris hops for Zingis and start building a team that's trying to win and then maybe through
that you make the young guys better too. Right. There's also a thought frankly that like even if you have Drew Holliday and Chris Hops for zingis it's not immediately clear that that's a top eleven team in the West, Right, That could still be a bottom four team in the West, which would theoretically allow you to keep a top eight pick next year, right, and so, and then you're kind of trying to thread the needle that way and build
without worrying about that too much. I think ultimately, like in the end, what often Aine said at the press conference, I think is interesting. It's just like, hey, you're just trying to make one good deal after another. You're trying to make one good decision after another, and I know that boring, and you should have kind of a plan. But that has also been kind of the Danny Ainge and Justin Zack point of view too, is like, hey, when they have traded guys, it's it has been for
positive value. You know, in general, the league has thought they've done well with their business, with maybe one or two exceptions, and so I don't think that they will all of a sudden issue that in order to kind of chase one plan or another if the value they're getting in these deals doesn't make sense.
All right, fair enough, we are one week away from the NBA Draft, and before we get into maybe the individual prospects and the noise around Ast Bailey and such, just what are you hearing about the potential for activity or are you hearing that it's more likely that the Jazz stay at five and twenty one?
What are you hearing as of now?
Yeah, I mean I think they're interested in moving in all kind of different possibilities there kind of the vibe. I believe it was Bestiny who reported this last week that like it's kind of quiet in the trademarket right now, is true? I think like essentially you would expect more maybe conversation a week out, but there are still obvious kind of deals that make sense for a lot of different teams. There are a lot of people waiting to
see what happens with Gianness and Kevin Durant. Will I will say that as far as like specific things of the Jazz do kind of like the context of the Philadelphia thing we mentioned earlier, Like that was my answer to that question yesterday, right Like I have heard that possibility. I don't know of any kind of other specific possible abilities of the Jazz kind of moving up and down are around with the number five and number twenty one picks.
Vesini and Givoni and some others too are reporting that there is some real noise around the league regarding Ace Bailey, who once upon a time was thought to be a top three and maybe even flirting with the.
Top two prospect.
Now it feels like consensus that it's Cooper one and Dylan two. But for a long time, Anie Mock I saw had Ace at three, and then you started to hear some things. Of course, there was the combine measurement that people latched on too. It's like, wow, could he fall the five to the jazz? And now you're seeing things like is he still going to stay in the top ten. I don't have any frame of reference for it.
What's you're understanding about what NBA teams could potentially be concerned about concerning Ace Bailey?
Yeah? I mean, look, I've heard just much more negative stuff than I have positive stuff. I do think, you know, some team in the top ten I think just fits the app r like there is significant talent there, but it's much more interesting at like six ten than it is at six seven, which is where he ended up measuring out. And you know, so you worry about the top shots that he made in college. Do they continue
to go in against longer defenders in the NBA. Then you worry about kind of all the off you worry about the development path. You know, like he's been pretty clear in interviews like he sees his path as getting stronger, which then he can use to bump guys off his body and create more space in the midrange for more mid range shots. And you know, a lot of teams
don't want to go that direction. I think there's some concern about, like, hey, is this guy going to be part of a five man offense or just try to get as many points as he can? And then you know, I think there's some on and off defensive effort questions where we see two teams in the NBA Finals that are absolutely killing themselves on every defensive possession, right, Like, so kind of the the the kind of mid range comp I think Frase Bailey has been Michael Porter junior
for a long time. But if you're going shorter Michael Porter junior, how much value does that really happen? Do you really want to draft that guy over I think some other compelling prospects in the top six or seven. I think that's a reasonable question to ask. And then you know, I done some draft modeling on my own
and looked at other draft models as well. Like, in general, Ace does not project as necessarily like in that same class as Cooper and Dylan because like he because of some of those issues and because Rutgers did struggle and you know, like they struggled even more when he was off the floor, to be fair, but like, it's not the typical profile of the top prospect. So yeah, like I get the concerns. And for me, it's at the point where if I'm trying to create a franchise, not
just get the most talent available. Yeah, I am looking at at you know, Trey Johnson or VG Edgecombe or or Continent Pole right like, and really thinking about who is going to help me win a championship, Who's likely to actually push me to the next round in the playoffs?
It might be those other guys more And so you know, again, I think at some point, whether it's at Washington at number six for Brooklyn or you know, I think he is drafted in the top ten, I am not that worried about him falling out of the top ten, but I do understand the teams that have real concerns and want to go in another direction with prospects I think are also incredibly talented.
As I ask you every week, and this will be the final time, Well, no, we actually might get you on Draft Day. And for our listeners, Andy is doing the show on Friday of next week after the two rounds of the draft, so that'll be some good stuff to stay tuned for that. So I'll probably ask you one more time, but for this week, the Andy Larson take on the most realistic best possible scenario at five for the Jazz is who and why I.
Think best possible scenarios vj It's come false and I like VJs come as a prospect a lot. I've been doing some draft modeling over the last couple of weeks and it considers the model considers vjgs come to be a top here prospect at a higher level than kind of the other guys in that range. So that's because of the block, that's because of the skills, that's because of the athleticism measurements, that's because of the kind of
semi efficiency and kind of small usage kind of projects. Well, he's got a good assistant turnover rate and in general when I talked to VJ at the combine, like was a kid with his head screwed on straight. Kind of reminded me of Donovan Mitchell in his draft workouts, where he's like, you know, look, I think I can impact the floor on the defensive end first and then expand my game to be offensive. And you know that's not
what ended up happening with Donovan Mitchell. But kind of having the right mentality about the game and about his own development and about his own work ethic really impressed me. Then it really impressed me about VJ.
Edge.
Come, I don't think it's realistic that he falls to number five. So in that case, I'm waffling still between Trey Johnson and kongk Nipple, and I think Trey Johnson is more likely from a Jazz point of view, I may go the direction with Kank Nipple just because I like the defense so much more and I think it's well past time for the Jazz to start drafting defensively as well as offensively. But right now, like I don't know which of those two players the Jazz would pick.
Final thing, Andy was Johnny Russell, the missing piece all along.
No, you know, play the good first half and scored a goal on that's great. I think that you could only play forty five minutes with something. But that's a bad DC team that you know lost seven to one to the fire of the week before. The two nil win was good and you know it was fun cheering on ARSOL to win at home. I do not think entirely differently about RSOL now than I did maybe before that game happened.
Fair enough, but thanks for the time, Thanks for hopping on with chat soon. Okay, yep, no worries.
Thanks then.
Andy Larson covers the jazz for the Salt Lake Tribune.