Next on the drive, Tim McMahon dropping dimes for your NBA daily assists.
Van McMahon, Van McMahan, that is duding all the land Texas flood as tickets. Mud. He's man, Van McMahon, Ban McMahan, the man.
All right, Richard Smith not a half hour from now.
Smithy spent forty years with Utah Jazz front office. He's already here and he is about to take me to task for my opinion last year that the Jazz were doing the right thing tanking for.
Their lottery luck.
But our next guest, you know him, you love him, Tim McMahon, Tuesday afternoon. All right, Tim, the whole thing is rich, The whole thing is fixed. The Jazz did the right thing. Yeah, they fell to five. How are you, buddy, County partner.
I know it's a gloomy day in Salt Lake City.
I'm in Oklahoma City.
It didn't work out the way they wanted to eat it, with the Philly pick moving up into the top three, So Donner and Oak get their hands number seventh. My hometown's excited though. They liked the way that lottery worked out. Oh mav was just falling ass backwards into the number one overall pick. After months after traded generational talent, here's a gift of another one. So yeah, you know, I can imagine that you folks are a little bit perturbed right now.
It is literally rainy and like forty eight degrees, so it is cloudy, it is cold. It is perfect for what today has brought with our local basketball fans. But tim, let me, I mean, look, obviously I'm being facetious. You know, what happened last night, ironically was the most likely outcome for the Jazz, about a forty eight percent chance to get that number five.
It's called a lottery for a reason.
But of course it is kind of a rite of passage for an NBA fan base that feels like they've been screwed to scream foul. So for Jazz fans that believe the fixes in what do you have to say?
I mean, I'm not going to get into conspiracy theory stuff. I believe there are two Salt Lake City based reporters that were in the lottery drawing room. I would invite you to read the coverage of Andy B. Larson and Sarah Todd. I mean, I'm pretty sure if there was a conspiracy that would have screwed the Utah Jazz. I'm pretty sure they would have covered it in you know, in their reporting.
I mean, it was just what.
A storyline, what an insane outcome, and what a bummer for the Jazz fans.
Yeah, Nandy was our guest earlier on the on the show, and to your point, he was in the room and talked to Justin Zannak.
I thought, Xana Candle it really well.
And like I said, when you look at the odds, what happened last night was the most likely outcome. So before we move over to the bigger story, which is what it means for the MAVs and potentially some player movement and such. And I am like you where when it comes to who the number five pick should be, I'll read Jonathan Cavoni or some of the guys at
the Athletic. So just instead of me asking you to nail down a name, just what sort of value is your understanding that will be there for the Jazz at five.
I'm gonna look.
Obviously, number one is clear cut, far and away the easiest decision in this draft. There's a generational talent there. I think number two seems to be pretty concrete and then things get a leal, it gets to be more in the in the eye of the beholder. There have been a lot of great players pick for the fifth overall pick. There have been a lot of guys who didn't end up having star caliber careers. You know, we'll see where this ends up for the Jazz. Who I'm
sure the Jazz have had the fifth overall pick. When Dante's in the fifth overall pick.
Oh man, Yes he was, Tim, Thanks for bringing that up. Last time the Jazz pick five, it was Dante.
Hey, so it's the guy.
Who's got an ownership shared.
Delane Wade brooked up pretty well for the Miami Heat, so you know, it's kind of there's a wide spectrum there.
Oh, for sure. Charles Barkley was a number five pick. Look, you can get value at five. I mean, hell Yokich forty two. We could keep going down the list, Like while it feels like Chicken little, this guy is falling.
You never know how this stuff is going to play out.
So let me ask you one more Jazz question before we move on, because you hear a lot of reports and Shams himself was on television yesterday saying he is hearing the Jazz are going to be very active and aggressive even if they didn't get one or two, they're going to try to move up. And you're reporting the MAVs have no interest in trading one, and I completely
get it. I wouldn't either, But can you illuminate our market out here as to whether or not you have any understanding of now we know where the Jazz will draft, what do you think this offseason looks like?
Well, I think this all season is going to first have to there's gonna be a lot of internal discussions because clearly they picked a route this year and took a risk this year that didn' not have the intended reward, did not come close to the intended reward, And then I think, you know, they're really going to have to have some serious discussions debate whatever it may be about whether it is a rational, irrational and and and smart approach to basically repeat to to kind of run it
back and aim for the number one overall pick again next year, or whether that's counterproductive, whether you're you know, how much damage are you doing in the developmental process, all those kind of things. I think it's a rational approach. I also think it's extraordinary risky. And again the risk is number one. Even for the worst record of league,
the most likely spot is going to be fifth. Uh. But the risk is also like, are you just stunning the development of the young players that you already have on board?
There?
There's not an it's not like it's.
An easy solution here.
They're in a tough spot.
Yeah they are, Yeah they are.
And we'll see what sort of magic Danny and jay Z can execute and hopefully give this thing turned around prior to twenty forty five, because that's the way everybody feels around here. But of course, Tim, the one team that could have grabbed number one to lead the entire country to scream foul was the team that grabbed number one with the Dallas Maverick. So of course you know
Dallas better than probably any media member out there. I want to know what went through your mind when you saw that that was the deal and where you're at with it now, you know about a day later, I.
Just started cracking up, to be honest with you, I'm like, you have got to be kidding me. And you know, I've heard some people say, who does this prove that Nigo Harrison made the right decision on MI. Come on, like, folks. What this does is bailed out the franchise from what appeared to be a disastrous trade. And when they made that trade, to plan wasn't like, well, man, let's make this.
Trade to win. A lot of the plane was let's make.
The straight and win a championship this season, which obviously didn't happen for a variety of reasons. And then they just fell ass backwards into unbelievably good fortune. And you know, look if the tanking teams, the outright tankers, the full season tankers got punished and got you know, if Carmel was a factor there, I don't see how the Matericks
ended up with the first overall pick. But what this does is it totally bails them out a fan base that was outraged, that had been apathetic, It was just kind of turning toward apathy.
Well, those folks are going to be excited again. They're going to be on board.
They've not not just a generational talent, but an extraordinarily marketable talent. The long term concerns, oh, you traded your pitch from twenty seven to thirty building around Luca building that final time around Luca. What happens at the end of this read a four year time frame. Oh my goodness, we're going to be given up top three, top five picks. Well, I don't think you have to worry about that now. You just got a gifted, an eighteen year old generational
talent that you can build around for. You know, they hope the next fifteen to twenty years.
And as you reported, you know, because it was interesting, Like I listened to your guy Wendy last night and then watching stuff on ESPN today, and there's a lot of speculation about what And I called this earlier today.
I called last.
Night one of the most consequential nights literally in the in NBA history.
And only time will tell.
It's the Tatum injury, it's the next getting a win, It's the lottery going down the way that it did. It's maybe Gianness is available, maybe Boston breaks it down. We'll get to San Antonio too. But you're reporting Dallas is not going to move off of one and they are going to draft Cooper Flag.
Yes, yes, And like I'm not sure what Nico Harrison's thoughts are, to be honest with you, but I'm telling you that that doesn't matter. Patrick Dumont, who just finished his first year as the MAVs governor, who had the thing blow up in his face, who was looking at bleeding money for the foreseeable future, is not going to entertain We thought of potentially trading this pick for one second. Cooper Flag will be under Dallas Mavericks. Again, this is
a gift. Course they ain't looking at the mouth. This solves their massive business wows. It certainly mitigates the long term concerns of being out all those picks. Cooper Flag will.
Be in Dallas.
And I know you reference the portion of the intrawebs that actually believe this was Nico Harrison playing chessnut checkers, which is beyond dumb.
But let me ask you. Are MAVs fans now.
In a place where they, I don't know, don't want to show up at his house so he doesn't have to have security. Is this completely removing the heat from nie O Harrison as it pertains the way MAVs fans are feeling today.
I you know, I don't think that it solves his relationship with the the fan base, but it does solve the will people show up to you know, to games next year, will people tune in on TV to watch this team? Look, Nico, he put himself in a spot where he's going to be the guy who backstabbed Luca. Uh, you know that's a Luca is always going to be
beloved in Dallas. I don't know that fans are going to you know, they're they're they're not going to be uh, they're you know, they're they're not going to be chanting give Nico a raise. I can tell you that whether there's fired Nico chance or not again next year, I can't say, but I would say this is a this is a stroke of massive luck that I do think will absolutely change the vibe around the franchise. And what I think will happen is Nico Harrison will no longer be a focal point for fans fair.
Enough, so then it gets interest in it too.
With san Antonio, And you know, everything I read about Dylan Harper and everything I've watched about Dylan Harper indicates that he's gonna he has a chance to be really good. Now, these are all young players, and you never know how it's gonna work out. San Antonio, you know, at this point, is in a really really advantageous spot because of all of the assets they have not just now and moving forward, and some really exciting young players, and you know, does
Dylan Harper provide some redundancy after acquiring dearon Fox? And you have Stefan Castle like they san Antonio, I mean, Dallas is the clear winner. But san Antonio comes out of this once again in a really great spot. Of course, the conversation turns to Giannis and anyone else that could be available, and you put Giannis next to when but Yama it feels like it's completely unfair.
But what do you think the Spurs do it too?
Well?
You know, miss Johnson now they're head coach. Uh talked to the media last night and he's the way he phrased it was that puts them in position to make a really big acquisition. I thought that was a very interesting phrase. And I definitely think that they've got you know, they've got two out of picks too, and what is it fourteen? I believe you know, they've got young talent on some of that young talents on its second contract. So there's the you know, they've got plenty of flexibility
and assets. They've got extra picks down the road to Atlantis, which has some value, some significant value. I think the second of ball pick is absolutely in play. Now, It's not in play for anybody. I think it's in play for the honest and you know, the honest Wimby fit Holy moly, boy, Like for all the reasons Brook Lopez and Jiannis. You know Brook Lopez is complimented Jannie so well, Wimby does that has a superstar skills package? Like are
you kidding me? Defensively you want to try to score on the bat tandem and then offensively when we can space out to thirty open it up for you, honest, and then also have the ability to be a go to guy. Like if that happens, it could be pretty being scary.
So the other teams that I've heard and I've heard you guys talk about this on the collective, Houston, of course, that had a great regular season, advanced to the postseason probably ahead of schedule for most, certainly for me. And then Oklahoma City, which of course is going to be in the mix because of all the assets they have
and all the great young players they have. So does this feel like Milwaukee can just kind of sit back and say make us your best offer, and a bidding war could ensue for Giannis.
Well, I think that Jannis is going to have significance say on where he goes, and I think that there was an understanding when he signed this last extension if it reached that point that they wouldn't they wouldn't trade him without giving him some say. My anticipation is number one, we don't know for certain that you honest is gonna ask to be moved, But should he do so, I think he will give them a probably a very short list, and I think the Bucks will respect his wishes and
operate off that list. And you know, we'll see maybe those teams that you just mentioned are on the list, and then they you know, it does become the highest bitterer, uh type of situation. I would tell you this. I think it is ill advised to assume that Oklahoma City Thunder, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be involved here. They could if they could be right. They obviously have the assets.
But I number one, okay See might be you know, about a month away from a parade in Bricktown, but I will be surprised if oka See makes a core altering trade this summer. I could be wrong, not guarantee it doesn't happen. I would be surprised.
So the Tatum news, which became official about an hour ago, and it just it sucks. I mean, entering the prime of a career that's already been incredibly successful, and he was so good at the Garden before going down with
a couple of minutes left. You know, Mark Spears today said something that was interesting that he was told based off of new ownership in Boston, based off of payroll next year that's like two hundred and twenty four million, and you know second Apron, you know, economic liabilities with a punitive nature of the way the CBA is laid out that there were going to be changes in Boston anyway, and now the Tatum thing probably changes the entire scope I guess of the approach.
Is there a chance that a Jalen Brown is available? Is there a chance that Derek White is available?
Like?
What do you think happens in Boston this offseason? And who are the players that could potentially get involved? You grab maybe some of the pieces they decide to shed.
Yeah, it's been pretty well understood throughout the league that this up to sort of make some sort of cost cutting move this summer. Drew Holiday, frankly is the one that hurt most often as the possibility. Obviously when you're looking at age, that makes sense, but you know, whether it's him, whether it's you know, Porzingis, whether it's Janson Brown would be the most.
Surprised to me, just because you know of the age.
But he's the biggest contract out of the non Tatum guys. What this does is basically what Boston is not going to repeat champions probably knocks them out of real contention next year, but they're still going to have a chance to contend the championships during the Tatum during the Tatum era, he's twenty seven, just turned twenty seven. She has to enter in his prime. The medical technology is better than
it's ever been, you know. Kevin Durant is kind of exhibit a of just how strong guys can come back from Achilles these days. And he's going to be six foot time, you know, with a great NBA body with extraordinarily skill. I don't think Jason Tatum's days is a superstar done by any stretch, but this is obviously a massive blow to the Celtics over the next you know, two playoff cycles, and there's going to be big changes at Boston roster.
Now to your earlier point, a lot of the off season will be colored by the remainder of the postseason, which leads me to Cleveland. And I suppose if you're Cleveland, you can say, well, Darius wasn't right, we lost DeAndre Hunter and Evan Mobley, and you know, you can lean back on the injury stuff and the health stuff because
by every metric, they had a historic regular season. Donovan Mitchell knows a thing or two about having historic regular seasons, and it looks like he is about to go home again after the second round.
Is there a pivot in Cleveland?
Did they look at these four and say, maybe it doesn't work or are they going to run it back?
I would way draw on them running it back. You know, they.
Obviously they didn't hitot last year and changed coaches, But from a roster standpoint, they didn't pivot last season. You know, I don't think you can just chalk this uping with other's injuries and whatnot. Like, look, it looks like they're going to exit in the second round. That's a massive disappointment given the success they had in the regular season,
which raises the standard. I think you've got to give it at least another year and say, hey, they showed during the regular season, this can be a contending caliber team. Didn't happen like you wanted to in the playoffs, But let's give this group another year, especially a group where you know, I think there's reasonable belief that Evan Mobley will continue to grow and develop and evolve as a player, and you know that there's a lot more upside to be had there.
Are you ready to say that it's Indiana and New York and Eastern Conference Finals?
I mean, certainly that's where I would put my bets. How's that for going on all in with those teams up three to one and there being injury issues on the teams that are down three to one. I mean, it would be shocking at this point. And it's funny because if it hasn't gone in this series, how to laugh at the possibility. But it's it certainly looks like that's what we're looking at. Middy Miller, you know, get all the old Regi Miller clips out Regi Miller versus Spike Lee and all that stuff.
It looks like we're gonna get a repeat that.
I'm with you.
No part of me ever thought, you know, and mostly it was because of how much I respected Boston. But things have changed, and so we'll see how it plays out. We'll end with the game you're on tonight. But before we get there, uh, you know, I felt like Golden State just needed to get one. You ball, Steph was on the sideline, and now it just kind of feels like, I don't know if it's possible for them to get
Steph back and what's realistic to expect? But do you think they closed it out going back to the Twin Cities?
I would think so. I mean, without staff, it's just a struggle for no Warriors to score. The thunder Wolves are obviously playing with an extreme amount of confidence. And you know, according to esp and research, when Rudy Gobert has a close, that opportunity against the guy who's made a point of humiliating and during this season, he averages twenty seven points to twenty four rebounds, So look out.
Dray mom Well said, all right, what do you think happens tonight? This Nuggets okay series, okayc series has been awesome and I don't even know which way to lean at this point, Tim, So where are you at with this series and how do you think tonight plays out?
Before I set you loose?
Well, it's been an awesome competition. The game four, honestly was awful to watch, So let's not lie. That's I'm sitting there watching that thing in person, and my eyeballs are still acheen. And it's a really tough spot for the Nuggets, man. Honestly, the silver lining for them is they were able to salvage a win during this stretch.
Has been the worst shooting three game one of Nukoleoki's career, and look, man, jokers capable of coming out tonight and giving you the forty two, fourteen and fourteen or whatever. He's that good, he's that great. But man, they're playing him tough. F TI's back for the Nuggets. They're not deep,
They're an older team. Eight games, fifteen nights. It's a really, really tough spot for Denver against a team that won sixty eight games and best point difference from NBA history and goes ten deep by the start of every second quarter.
Yeah, no, it's wild how many guys they have that can play high level All right, enjoy the game. Great work today and we'll chat soon. Text him appreciate well to McMahon.
Covers the NBA for ESPN.
He technically is the ESPN guy on the Jazz beats, but the past couple of years it's not a lot to talk about with the jazz rough day man, no other way to put it. And Richard Smith is going to join us live in studio smid. He spent forty years with Utah Jazz and he is going to take me to task for my opinion that the Jazz we're doing the right thing by losing games this year. Tim
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