Welcome to this League Uncut. Can you rule of twenty four hour NBA news.
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Chris Hands. It's so time, work's time, It's so time. This League Uncut is underway and on fire. This should be a good one.
Hey everyone, great to have you with us for another edition of this League Uncut.
A good one, we hope.
So because it's a big week, a huge week, a crazy time in the NBA that is already off to a wild and chaotic start. It's Draft week Monday night as we record this Tuesday morning release for this edition of this League Uncut, and we've already had a blockbuster trade Sunday, the Suns and the Wizards come to turn on a Bradley Beal deal. Bradley Beal going to the Suns for nothing more than Chris Paul's expiring contract, Landry Shammitt, a slew of second round picks, maybe another small contract
or two thrown into the deal. But this thing happened quick, It kind of came out. It was the weekend when we basically heard that the Wizards had zeroed in on either Miami or Phoenix. And it certainly does appear that Miami was not ready to move as quickly as the Wizards would have liked, whereas.
The Suns were highly motivated.
To move quickly because Chris Paul's contract, the centerpiece of this deal, of course, has the guarantee date on June twenty eighth. The Suns had told Chris Paul, as our own Chris Haynes reported as our own Chris Haynes first reported the Suns was it two weeks ago had informed Paul, left Paul and his representatives with the clear impression that they were going to waive him if they couldn't trade him.
But they did find a trade. I mean, this is.
You know, for the Wizards, it's really the only deal they could make. It's the only way to start their rebuild. That no trade clause that they needlessly and inexplicably gave Bradley Beal a year ago, it gave Bradley Beal and Mark Bartelstein all the control. They were basically able to pick their destination. But for the Wizards to start over getting off Bill's long term money, they basically had to take whatever trade they could to make it happen. So
they've taken a deal that doesn't look great. I mean, I don't. I frankly don't love it for either team. But you tell me, Chris Haynes, you've been covering this one as closely as anyone. What was what was your first reaction when you heard that Phoenix was the destination for Bradley Beal.
I thought Miami would be in the driver's seat because I felt even if brad wanted to go to Phoenix first and foremost, I felt like, well, I thought the Wizards would put up a fight because you can get
they can get more from Miami opposed to Phoenix. So I thought it was going to be a little bit more fighting in that regard from Bill's camp and the Wizards, but there was not, which shows which tells you that the Wizards were prepared with this new regime with Winger as the head of basket operations over there, they were
prepared to go into a rebuild at any costs. You know, they looked at it, and again, you know, they didn't get much, but they got off of the salary, they got off of that contract, and now they can kind of start going into the direction of doing the reset with new management. And for Phoenix, they're going all in.
I mean Stein, They're not going to have a pick at all, like for a while, like they're going they're still trying right now, they're still trying to figure out how many second round picks are going to be included in this deal. They don't have a first round pick, so they're going to be without a pick for a while, which means they put all of their chips in. They are all in. They are sold on this. It has to work. It has to work, So Frank Vogel, he has a work cut out on I don't think it's
going to take much to build around that. That team. I think players are going to come and play for the minimum or some guys will take less money for a year. I think I think it will. You know, Phoenix is not a bad place to stay, not definitely not a bad place to stay. So I think they'll accomplish accomplish that. But what the pieces fit, that's the big question. Will the pieces fit. Who's going to be the primary ball handler on this team? Do they feel they have it already or do they have to go
out there and find one. So there's a lot of holes, but they they definitely got the biggest three, the biggest three that this league has currently right now. So those were my initial thoughts when the trade went down.
Yeah, and look, we've talked already for weeks about what the new CBA is going to do. There are some there are a few of the tough restrictions come in in year one and then after this coming season. Is really when teams that are in second apron territory just lose all flexibility to I mean, you just lose any number of roster building measures. And that's a problem. It's not just that the Suns are going to be lacking depth after making this trade. I mean it's rebounding its defense.
It's coping with Jokic and Anthony Davis, which you have to do if you want to get out of the West, like the tools to change their team. Like basically, the decision the Sun's made was, Okay, we're we've got a crazy high payroll as it is.
We went all in on Kevin Durant.
Then the rules changed, so we're gonna go even farther all in while we still can. And just the problem with that strategy is if it doesn't work, if this thing gets off to a rocky start after year one, or even especially if it goes two years, it's going
to be so hard for them to make changes. So that's why around the league, so many people are expecting that DeAndre Ayton has to get moved, if not immediately, between now and the February trade deadline, because if the Suns keep him, it's gonna be much harder to trade him and get back pieces that work. They just to be able to pull off a trade because of all the restrictions forthcoming.
So you know, what can they get for Ayton? I mean, I just have I don't know.
I guess to me, I'm less worried about, Like I kind of feel like between between Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, they'll figure out the ball handling, but everything else man again, you know, wings, defense, rebounding, I mean, there's so many holes they still have to fill as good. You know, even if you think that these three stars are going to just snap together fantastically.
Yeah, Phoenix initially try to include Ayton in the deal. It was gonna be Ayton, and believe Sammon, the Wizards didn't want that. The Wizards wanted Chris Paul's expiring contract in that deal. So I mean, I honestly think, you know, that's probably a little bit more flexibility for for for defitting Sons, because I think there's a there is a good chance that Aiden could be moved, could be moved
before the season starts. So that's definitely an option out there where the Sons probably feel like they can get a couple of pieces, a couple of quality pieces back in return for DeAndre Aiden, which which will help with their depth and help with the holes that you said, wing perimeter guys, three D guys, those type of prospects. So again, kudos to Matt Ishpia, James Jones. They went all in. They went all in, and you know, we'll
see how it fares from here. But stein the process of going all in, there's a little bit of co troversy on how how and how they handled going all in and how they handled sending out a player. That player is Chris Paul. What did you think when you saw Chris Paul's let me see, he went on Good Morning America First he's doing his tour the name of
his book sixty one, so doing his book tour. Story is in New York right now, Good Morning America First City basically said he was surprised of the News and he found out that he was traded via his son, which I knew about. That son was at a basketball camp at the time, and that's how he That's how he found out, and then he went out on Then he did the story with the did an interview with The New York Times. Stein, Can you elaborate on that one please.
Yeah, So the New York Times, my former Employeyers and my former teammates, Soapandeb did a great piece touching on not just the book, but how everything went down with Phoenix. And in that interview with Soapin Chris Paul twice referred to Matt and Isaiah as the Sun's decision makers, and
Isaiah of course refers to Isaiah Thomas. You reported at the time, just as Ishbia was going to be formally introduced as the Son's new owner, about the influential voice that Isaiah Thomas was going to get in the Sun's revamped organization in the Ishbia era taking over the franchise from Robert Sarver and Matt Ishbia had a press conference and denied those reports pretty strenuously, and people around the league have continued to whisper since that Isaiah does have
a very strong advisory voice at the least with Matt. Of course we saw him sitting next to Ishba at some playoff games. But Chris Paul really kind of put the spotlight on it with the way he described it to Soapan in this Times piece that that you know, he basically made it sound like Isaiah was co making these decisions alongside Matt Ishbia. So something tells me that we're going to be talking a lot about that as we go forward here with the son.
Chris Paul kind of dropped, kind of dropped the bomb there right there. Unexpected a little bomb there right there. Yeah, what was not expecting that during his book tour? Was not expecting that at all. What I will say about Chris Paul, and there's really I believe he has another day. I believe tomorrow, which would be Tuesday to day that this pot is dropping. He's doing another round of book tours,
a few more rounds of book tours. So I hope, I hope whoever is interviewing him really go ahead ask them some questions, ask them some really good questions. I know, I know that an interview is about the about the book, but you know this, Chris Paul is in the news. You got to do your job, journalists, journalists, you gotta do your job. Ask some questions, Ask some basketball questions. You know, just there's some answers that need to be be put out there, and I think Chris Paul has
a lot of those answers. So I please encourage y'all to ask some questions, see what you can get. But you know, I think right now you're looking at what what is the future for Chris Paul. So I reported yesterday, Well, it would have been Sunday that the Los Angeles Clippers are trying to get in position two, get a reunion
going with Chris Paul. So the Clippers right now Marin talk with the Wizards, and we don't know if this is going to be expanded to a three team trade or if this is or if it would be a second trade that would get Chris Paul out of Washington. Chris Paul would not be a member of the Washington Wizards for long. I just don't know if it's going to be a part of a three team trade or except for the trade or wave or wave.
Naturally, it behooves the Clippers to try to swoop in and complete a trade where they acquire Chris Paul without letting him hit the market as an unrestricted free agent. If again, the initial the initial word from the Suns to the Chris Paul camp was we're going to waive you if we can't trade you. They ended up finding the trade to where the Suns don't have to make that posit that to see.
But now the Wizards are in the same position.
They either have to trade Chris Paul between now and June twenty eighth, or guarantee his salary for the rest of the season knowing Chris Paul wouldn't want to play there, or waive him, buy him out, release him, however you want to term it.
So, can the Clippers come.
Up with a trade to where they acquire Chris Paul or are we going to see what? Just you know, I would be really interested to see, just out of curiosity, Like if Chris actually can negotiate his release and becomes a unrestricted free agent, what then happens? You know, is it the Lakers? Does he Are the Clippers still an option in that scenario? Is there some other team that we don't know because Chris Paul is an unrestricted free agent? Wouild certainly attract a good amount of interest if you
have to forecast it. If I forced you to register your very educated guess, how do you think it turns out? Can the Clippers pull this off by trade or do you think he ends up hitting the open market and giving the Lakers a.
Chance to I answered that start. I want to say I was very surprised to learn go to State had interest in Chris Paul.
That's right. I left that, I left them out. You're right, good. I'm glad you brought that up, because that's a that would be hard.
That is very hard to man. Yeah, that was that was surprising. I was like Chris Paul, I was surprised. So so but if if if I'm forced to pick, I think the Clippers work out of trade and get Chris Paul, and I think the trade would probably have to involve Robert Covington deal in that might maybe maybe even Marcus Morris, but I think Robert Coventon for sure. And so that's that's the way I that's the way I envision it planned out.
And so today I checked to see how what would be the chances if the Clippers can pull this off and they acquire Chris Paul from Washington via trade, either as a separate trade or by becoming the third team in this deal. Does that leave any room for Russell Westbrook to re sign with the Clippers. The word I got from a source close to the process today was possibly so. By no means yes, but it was also not a no. Do you think could the Clippers have a team with both CP and Russ together?
I think they could. I wouldn't be too confident in the I wouldn't be too confident in it working out. I just think if you're going to have one of those guys on the team, you have to allow them to do what they do. I don't know that you can have to two point guards. Point guards of that point guards that hand the ball a lot, point guards that are used to setting up the table. Chris Paul, I think, plays better off the ball than Russ. I just don't see. I don't see I don't see them
being able to even at times. I don't see them being able to work well together in the back court. So it'll be tough. But I think Russ played so well for them. He was a big bright spot for them towards the end when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George went out. You know, he was a great locker room leader. He really became the voice of that team the lot of stages of that season, and so he does have value within that within that ball club on the court and what he provides in the locker room. But I
don't I personally, I wouldn't like it, Starn. I don't know what the Clippers are going to do. I really don't know how they feel. I haven't really checked on it out myself. You say possibly, I mean by them just saying possibly, that lets you know they have some some form of reservations about having a two on the team. But again, some teams believe in that, you know, you acquire as much depth as possible, work it out later because you know, guys get injured, things happen throughout the
course of the season. So it's better to have talent than not to have talent. So, you know, I guess we'll just have to see.
So before we move on to the draft, let's circle back to the Bradley Beal trade, just because there was one angle to this that I think we started going down that road and we got a little bit derailed.
And we should cover this.
So, as Chris put it, you know, Phoenix has gone all in whatever it had left in terms terms of trade assets to acquire Bradley Beal. They've surrendered it all. Now the Sun's basically they cannot make. They cannot have a more expensive trio than they have now with Durant and Devin Booker and Beal and everything they've given up to get Durant and now Beal in there. Miami did not go all in with its Bradley Beal pitches, even though Miami was thought to be right at the top
in terms of Bradley Beal's preferred destinations. And with that no trade clause that he and Mark Bartlestein negotiated a year ago, they had this uncommon control of the trade process. The Washington was basically going to have to accept the destination that Bradley Beal picked because of that no trade clause, the only no trade clause, only full no trade clause active in the league at this point, only the tenth no trade clause that's ever been nego shed in the NBA,
because they're really hard to get in the NBA. But look, everybody,
I think by now understands the working assumption here. The belief is that Miami didn't want to go all in for Bradley Beale now because on the you know, basically waiting out the possibility that Damian Lillard that this would be the off season that Damian Lillard actually urges the Portland Trailblazers to trade him, because if it gets to that point, Miami would be at or near the top of Dame's list with Brooklyn and potentially some other destinations.
But Miami would have an excellent.
Chance in the Dames sweepstakes. They would be one of the betting favorites, no doubt. But I mean, Chris, aren't the Heat taking a huge risk here? Because we still you know again, we're recording this on Monday night, this podcast is dropping Tuesday.
There is still not a sentilla.
Oh evidence or hints to point us in the direction of thinking that Dame is close to pushing his way out.
I'll say this, for Miami to take this approach, they must feel like they got some sense, some knowledge that this could be the offseason that Dame request out, like they believe they feel like this could be the year. And the reason is Dame has made it clear that he wants to compete for a championship. He wants to continue, He wants a roster that can get him there. He
wants that now. He does not want to wait, He does not want to go through a rebuild, doesn't want to continue to play with younger guys to help them grow and get to that point. He wants to win. Now. That's why you know, I've been saying this for the last couple of weeks. What Portland does with that pick, number three pick Thursday's draft, that's going to be so important. And we'll see if all indications are Portland is going
to keep that pick. As of right now, all indications are leaning that way, and then Dame will have a decision to make at that point. Does he feel comfortable, well, you know that that pick being say Scoot Henderson, Does he feel comfortable going into another season where you got a rookie, rookie coming in, a rookie who's ultimately going to be the next franchise point guard for that team over the next possibly the next decade. How is he
going to feel about that? So these are all questions that we won't have answers to until after the draft. Or until after the Portland makes makes that pick. Portland also has a twenty third pick as well. They can try to use that twenty third pick and package it with Anthony Simons to try to get some help. But you know, these are things that we won't know until
Thursday or after Thursday. So I think that's why that's why Miami feels like, you know, if they're going to go all in, they want to go all in on an all NBA point guard. They feel like that's a dire need. That's more of a dire need for that team. And you know, I think that's why we saw them kind of reverse course on Bradley Beal.
So how meaningful do you think it is that you know, Dame has been seen in the Blazers practice facility and it looks like he's taking an interest in Portland's draft night machinations.
I guess that's kind of the curve ball here.
Okay. I would say that he's there working out himself, and that's it. That's what I would say. It happens to work out.
Well, we know we know who the there's only one Dame ologist on this podcast.
If if if.
We're looking for a dirkologist. Then I think, you know, then it's my turn to speak. But when it comes to when it comes to Dame ology, we defer to Haines.
So I'm going with what you read, just my read? All right, well your read is very well.
Say this. My reads often get mistaken for being something that Dame told me. That happens a lot if I say something my read, my sense what I think a lot of people think Dame is telling me this, This is my read. I'm telling you. You know, sometimes I talked to.
Yeah, like recently, you were you were either on the dam Show or Colin Coward Show, and you were asked, you were asked about Boston. You gave your opinion on what you would project Dame to do based.
On covering his whole career.
It's not like he told you, Chris, will you please, will you please register my display.
We've had convers like I know some you know, some of the teams that he would be interested in, Like I've known it just for years just being around them, so I know how I already know how it feels about certain teams or certain cities. And so when DP asked me that question, I was able to just be like, nah,
it's not happening. No, not Boston, not that. I just spoke with Dame right now and he told me to say that that's just based off of the history and the relationship that I have with him, I was able to say, nah, I don't see that. I don't see that happening. That's it. That's it. So this right here is just to read. I know he goes to the PF, goes to go work out, and sometimes his workouts coincide with when they're bringing in rookies to work out. So that's it.
Okay, all right, Well, look, this is not the last time we will be discussing this subject. By the time we do, when we get together for the next pod, which will almost certainly be after the draft, will know
what Portland did with that number three pick. Were they able to find a win now trade in the end by packaging number three with Anthony Simons and getting Dame Lillard some help that's more on his timeline, or if the Blazers actually go through with drafting nineteen year old Scoot Henderson or twenty year old Brandon Miller, if that's what the Blazers do, we'll see, we'll see then how Damian Lillard reacts and we won't have to make projections and reads.
All right, let's move on now to the draft.
Because Chris and I we can talk all day about Bradley Beal, about Chris Paul, about Damian Lillard. We didn't even get to James Harden and Kyrie Irving. I'm sure we will soon. That's our sphere of expertise, but we need some help now with what's actually going to be going down Thursday night in Brooklyn at the Draft. Neither one of us are super super well versed in the broad matters of the draft. I've said it a bazillion times over the last really two decades. I think covering
the NBA Draft. To really do it well, you got to kind of make it your life. It's a year round job in itself. I loved throughout my ESBN years fifteen years of ESBN, Chad Ford handled every ounce of the draft and I could just kind of swoop in at the end for trades.
And today I am very.
Lucky, and we are lucky because a good friend of mine, my Dallas neighbor, Raphael Barlow, the director of scouting for NBA Big Board, which is actually a substack that Chad Ford started. Mister Barlow has taken it over, has done a tremendous job with it. If you are an NBA draftnick, I urge you to check out his substack because he's got it all going on there about all the candidates for the fifty eight draft slots Thursday night. Of course,
we won't have sixty players taken. We'll only have fifty eight picks in this draft because of some second rounders that have been docked for free agent misdeeds. But that's a story for another day. Tell us man, ro, it's great to have you with us. I know you're already in New York. We can hear we can hear you the background noise. You're right in the heart of the league's official draft hotel where it's all happening.
Awesome to have you with us, man.
Yeah, thank you guys for the opportunity. Been listening since day one, and I still laugh at the pizza and the dogs in the background. So yeah, I'm just glad to be on. Thank you for having me on.
We're gonna try not to I don't know. I can't promise.
We're going to try to have no Chris Haynes instigated incidents in this pody.
He might beat us today to where he's at. Scoot Anderson might pop up from behind him.
Yes, yeah, you know if Scoot walks by, if if Wenby walks by, and you won't just want to pull him into the pod, you know you have a you have licensed to do. So let's let's start here. Obviously, I'm gonna scoop you right now. Victor wen Minyama is going number one on Thursday Night. That we know that, we all know that we can promise.
But it is there.
Do you see any chance that that someone else infiltrates two three and it wouldn't be Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson in those two spots.
No, I think there. I think it's set. Now which order is I don't know. I mean you've heard that the Hornets like Brandon Miller, and then now you're starting.
To hear that they're like school. I did an.
Interview with one of the I Guess betting sites and they said the odds are at Scoot. Now I'm not a betting man, but that's what they're saying. But other than that, I think the top three are locks. Definitely with Weinbyama.
Man.
I'm just in the lobby now and I've seen plenty of guys when Victorama.
Spurs Jersey, so I guess they are.
Yeah, they're ready for him to hit Alamo City. But like I said, I think one, two, three are locked. I just don't know the order for two and three.
I mean it's Charlotte.
Obviously, we were told brought in Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller one more time to start this week off? What's your best forecast? As you know this is going to drop on Tuesday, two days before the draft? What do you What do you think Charlotte is really doing?
Man, I think they're they're really undecided. I personally think that Brandon Miller is the better fit, and they may have some reservations about school and LaMelo playing together. I think if they didn't, then it would be a no brainer. But right now, I think they're gonna go with Brandon Miller. I think they're gonna entertain, you know, trading to pick and see what they can get for it. But I think at it on Tuesday night, I'm sorry, Thursday night. I think they're gonna go with Brandon Miller.
I know you can't or be I know, you can't predict what's going to happen, what teamers are going to move in and swoop in. But as far as what you're hearing at the two three slot, do you have any pulse on if those teams are two to three Charlotte and Portland. Do you have any pulse on if they will keep that pick?
I don't. I mean, I've heard the rumors.
I had an agent tell me that he thinks that the Siakam to Portland rumors. He thinks they're real, whether or not they happen or not, but he thinks that they're They're definitely kicking.
The tires there.
And then we've all heard the rumors about the Hornets wanting Zion, and then I've heard Brandon Miller and I'm.
Sorry, Brandon Negrom.
It's weird because just a few months ago they were talking about this is a great draft, and now we're in a situation where teams two, three, full maybe even five would.
Be ready to trade out of the pick.
So but no, I don't have a post just hearing like the rumors that they are open.
To to possibly.
Move in the picks.
How deep is this draft?
Arf?
Can talk you talk about that, like how if obviously anything can happen, Guys develop and guys blossom and come into you know, become something that we didn't intend on. But just right now early on, like how deep is this draft? You know, Indiana Pacers they're trying to move their pick at number seven as well, So like how many stars right now? Do you see? I'm not gonna hold you to it later on, but it's just right now.
I think it's more so deep and complimentary guys. I mean, even like the worst teams for the Houston or this Detroit, they have their their guys already. So I think the draft is deep in finding like complimentary pieces that compliment that.
The stars that they have in place.
I think as far as stars, i'd say, I mean historically picks one, two and three don't all make the Star team. I think twenty sixteen was a rare year with Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram and Jalen Brown. I'd say maybe four all stars in this class, just being realistic, but you just never know.
I remember twenty twenty, we thought that.
Was a week class, and I think we overanalyzed it because of COVID and how long the process was.
But if you look at twenty twenty with LaMelo and.
Anthony Edwards and Halla Burton and Tyrese Maxi, that was considered to be a weak class and it turned out to be one of the better classes over the past few years. So it's kind of hard to predict how good this class will be. But I would say four all stars.
I think since last week you've had Bill all Koolibali, who is we've seen him as Webin Yama's teammate in the French League. You've had him going number nine to Utah since last week, higher than most people have projected him.
What are you seeing out of Wemby's teammate?
And I mean Utah was a really tough team to try to pinpoint what they're gonna do because Danny Ainge loves to confuse us all.
What's kind of led you to rate him so highly?
Actually, I just talked to someone that was that's pretty connected to the situation and I jokingly say, yeah, I got him going nine, and they said, oh, he might be going higher than that, So we'll see what happens. But I just think the trajectory I first saw him play eighteen months ago in Paris, and I'm be honest with you, I didn't go to Paris to watch Lao Kulabali play. I want to go watch Victor play. And it just so happened Victor's team because he played for as Vil last year.
They were playing.
The Metropolitans ninety two and they have like an under twenty one league. And I went to that game and nobody heard him a loud. I sat there with Mike Schmidz from ESPN and we had to go online just to find his name.
And I thought, you know, he had some physical tools that he could be in a prospect.
But in my mind, I'm thinking twenty twenty five draft, twenty twenty four at the earliest. And I even went to watch him in September this year and I went to watch him at the under twenty one game and he showed some flashes.
He had a really good game, and I thought, Okay, yeah, this this is that is going to be a first round pick in twenty twenty four.
And I don't think people remember that. When they had the WINB Scoot showcase in Vegas back in October, he got in that game, Like people don't remember he was like a fish out of water.
But he's just got better and better and better.
He had some injuries that opened up playing time, and then he was trending in the right direction at the right time. During the Metropolitans playoff run, he just, I mean just turned into a different player with his athleticism and his ability to impact games without dominating the ball.
So I think based off of like how he's developed over the last eighteen months, there's some recency bias, but he measures well, he's athletic, and so I think that is the reason why he's basically go onto in my opinion, changed the lottery. He could be one of the guys that goes anywhere from maybe six to ten, which is something that we would have never talked about maybe two months ago, maybe even six weeks.
Ago, or be that that individual might be the answer for my question that I have coming up. But I want to ask you look into your crystal ball, who would you think would be the still of this draft? If you had two candidates to pick from when we're talking about this five years later, which guys you think has the potential be the steals of this draft?
I'd say one is Blad Black Gulabali.
Obviously he has the exposure just because he's played with win Byama.
I would say Gigi Jackson.
Gigi is interesting because he was the number one player in his high school class. He reclassified up, and you can make a case and say it could have been a mistake because.
Twenty twenty four class is considered to be weak.
If he stays in his normal draft class, then he could have been at a top five pick.
There are some concerns about maturity.
He's an eighteen year old kid that started the season off at seventeen. I think that just as far as just talent wise, I think he's a top ten talent in his draft. But I think honestly that reclassifying up hurt him as far as like the maturity and developmental stage. I think basically skipped the step. But I think that a team probably selects him late in the first round, and if he develops, I think he could end up
being like the guy that GMS five years later. Like Man, we saw the talent, we just were scared to take that risk. So those are my two.
Rafael Barlow, the director of scouting for NBA Big Board, our special guest here on this League uncut helping us preview Thursday's NBA draft because he has studied all of them, these guys, that's his full time gig. I noticed on your latest mock draft that came out Monday, you had Taylor Hendrix at number twelve going to the Thunder. Has he slipped some has he you know? Has he has? Is he falling out of the top ten? Is that kind of the chatter and buzz that you've been hearing.
No, not necessarily, Well, I say that if he is, it's not because he's done anything to fall I just think that Blao has moved up and has blumped somebody down. And then I think Derek Lively, who I've been high on for the last few months. I think that Lively has really turned the corner and had some really good workouts.
Seven to one.
He's up to two thirty five now. And he didn't shoot the ball really at all at Duke, only average five points per game, but just was dominant defensively in the second half of the year.
And then he had a Pro Day where he knocked down fourteen threes in a row.
He showed some flashes, have been able to knock down open shots at the prep levels, but thinking in some of the pro days, in the individual workouts, he's shown that the touch is real, and so I think some teams may see him as a guy that's ready to come in and contribute right away on the glass from the defensive end and then could be like this versatile rim protector, vertical lop threat, slash picking pop threat down the line.
So I think Lively is more of another.
Yeah, I'm glad you brought him up, because, again, as I've noted many times about myself, I don't do a lot of draft coverage. But I did have a Derek Lively note in my Monday notebook because more than one team I've I guess because I'm based in Dallas and I've covered the Mavericks for so long, these teams felt like they wanted to share this with me. But I've been hearing all these Tyson Chandler comparisons, and he's Tyson
to two point zero. I mean, how realistic do you think it is that he could live up to that?
You know, honestly, that was my prediction coming into the season. I thought he first of all, physically, he kind of looks like like Tyson.
As far as just like the dimensions.
And then if you remember, Tyson was like a great offensive player in high school, but then he just kind of settled into this role in the NBA as you know, your live threat. And I felt like I wouldn't be surprised if Lively just kind of settles into this role as just a vertical lob threat, the guy that plays at the dunker spot. But there are similarities there, and I think that it's fair.
It's fair, especially if you live in Dallas.
And of course people in Dallas are always gonna remember Tyson from being on the championship teams. But I do think that the buzz would Lively to Dallas. I think it is legit.
I think it's real legit. RB. Can you take us behind the scenes with you being there in New York, you being there with with all the draft prospects, the top guys, agents, executives. How will your board in the next two days lead up to the draft? How will your board change? Would it be dramatic change it from now to then? And like, what what do you hear in the next two days that would initiate you moving guys up or down? He's walk us through, like what these next two days are like for you.
Yeah, I mean this is my first, my first time being in New York at the draft, and of course you know when you hear things, you gotta take away to figure what's coming from. The agents are probably gonna tell me that their guy is moving up and so on. I mean, right now, I think my board is solid. I mean, as I'm saying this, NASTI the Thompson Twins, they just they just pulled up, but they just pulled it behind me. But I think my board is solid. But I do think it can change if some trades
are made. So I think, like, for example, if Detroit moves up to two, I'm just throwing something out that I don't think they're gonna select school. I think they're going for Brandon Miller just because it just makes the most sense there. But I think it's I mean, it's pretty solid. I mean can be fluid here and there, especially after.
The lottery, but I think the lottery is pretty solid.
Among the Thompson twins. How much competition is there amongst the two of them, You think.
Well, it's funny because like on draft Twitter and on mock boards, you hear that amen is higher. But just from teams that I've talked to, they don't really see that much of a difference. A Sword is not the one that gets all the attention, but he is the two time MVP of the Overtime Elite League.
He's the better shooter of the two, not by much.
I mean, they both have their their issue shooting, but he's the better shooter, and some feel like he's the better defender. And even if you look at their passing stats, even though one played more so on the ball and another off the ball, the difference between their assist numbers is like six point one to six point two. But Amen is like a phenomenal athlete. He may be the best athlete in the NBA next season. So I think that's why some think that he has the higher upside.
But honestly, I do not think that there's much of a difference. And I also think that a sword his best position is as a primary brought him or too.
All right, Well, we've talked about almost everybody in the top in well maybe not almost everybody. We've talked about several lottery names here without getting into Wemby.
We saved him for last.
You've obviously seen him many more times in person than Chris or I, how would you grade his NBA readiness today and what do you think we'll see in Summer League, because it sounds like I spoke to someone who kind of had a feel for san Antonio's expectations and they were hopeful that he's going to play some portion of
Summer League, probably the veguest portion rather than Sacramento. And then I think we've all seen the clip of him talking after his last game in the French Finals where he was asked if he plans to play Summer League and he said a little bit, just I guess paint your picture of what you've seen from when Minyama to this point and what we're going to see here in a couple of weeks in Vegas.
A funny story, my first time saying when Mayama was actually on my wedding night. So I got married in Paris and me and my wife got married at the Eiffel Tower. So we had to do it at like six o'clock in the morning to make sure there was nobody in our in our photo shots, and the game was at nine o'clock, so I'm like, hey, you know there's a game at later on tonight at nine pm. You want to go check this with Miyama kid out, And I mean I knew my wife would say yes, and so look to the game.
We got a rider. Yeah, I gotta keep for sure.
It was year, what year? How long ago was that?
This was twenty twenty one, so this was this was last season and so yeah, we went to the game and of course he picks up two fouls in like the first four minutes, and you know, she was enjoying the experience because it was her first time in Paris and so on. But it wasn't until the showcase game against School in October but she thought like.
Oh, you're a you're ahead, like you're really good at this.
And so, I mean, everybody knew that that he was special, but for my wife, she could tell her friends that I saw win Beyama like two years before he made it to the NBA.
Bady.
I've seen him play, I want to say five times now, and the jump that he made from last year to this year has been incredible. It's I wouldn't say it's the Luca Doncies jump that he made from seventeen season to eighteen seasons, but it's pretty close. Dodgers's competition was a lot tougher, but I think when Beyama is ready on the defensive end, as far as his impact, He's
definitely gonna struggle with physicality early on. But I think that he's going to even be better in the NBA because the spacing gets better, the game is longer.
Of course, he's gonna.
End up getting superstar calls, so it can add another two to three points to his points per game.
But I think he's ready. It's just unfair.
The expectations are so high, and we've never seen the league put a guy on the NBA app before he's played a game.
And he seems to want it. Though.
Does he seems to want the hype and the and the attention.
I don't know, because I've heard that he's had every.
Endorsement opportunity in the world and he hasn't signed anything. I've heard that he's had so many opportunities to be a pitch man, and he has just no plans to to really pitch products.
Or anything like that. He just wants to play. But I think that I don't know.
I think it's a combination of him wanting to be out there, but also do it in small steps, but I just think he's he's he's ready. Like I said, the expectations are ridiculous, but I think he's ready to come in and contribute right away.
I mean, they played Monaco in the French League finals, and obviously Monaco a euro League team, a successful euro League team, and Ton, I mean when they have seven former NBA players, yet had a feeling that the physicality and that series would be an issue. What did you see in that series? Any reason for concern or I mean, look, I think the European game, you can be more physical than you're gonna be able to in the NBA.
So you know, I wasn't reason for concern.
I mean you're talking about the Metropolitans ninety two teams that you can say two of their three best players were a nineteen year old and an eighteen year old, right, And the Monico team that's Mike James, who's a legend in Europe. I think he's like Europe's I think he's one of the off time leading scores for American players.
Manton Units is on that team.
I mean, call Jordan Lloyd and then you know, I know I'm leaving a boss in game, and they got a lot of x NBA guys on that team.
Yeah, so no, there's there's definitely no reasons to be concerned. And then you know, the Metropolitans had some injury, so they're not even playing with the I mean, it had some late additions, so I wouldn't be too concerned about it. I just think that it's amazing that you got a team that went that far being led by teenagers.
No, that's fair, point, makes sense. And listen, I'm so glad.
I know you're swamped out there in New York and you're right in the heart of the draft beast. I'm really glad that we found a way to track you down connect bring you on here to help us sound a little smarter about the draft. Rafeae Al Barlow again, folks, director of scouting for NBA Big Board, a wonderful sub stack that this time of year especially, I consult daily to try to get a better handle on what we're going to be seeing Thursday night, and I urge.
You to check it out.
And also, he has a podcast, an NBA big Board Podcast, where he's covering this material all the time, five pods a week, making us, making us man, we gotta we might have to step it up.
Oh no, not like that, like that.
Five we get after this, Angelia, thank you for squeezing us in.
Have a great time all week out.
There in New York, and really enjoy Thursday night. It should be a special. It's gonna be. I think it's gonna be a really interesting evening because obviously number one, we know what's gonna happen. But I feel like from from two on, we we we could have some some surprises, some trades, some action, so it should be it should be interesting.
Yeah, definitely, thanks for having me on. I really appreciate this opportunity. Thanks that I followed you guys for years and so it's it's it's actually cool for me to be on a podcast with with you guys.
So thank you again.
We will do it again sometime for sure.
For sure.
All right, everyone that does it for this edition of This League Uncut, Remember please as always, rate, review, and subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Chris and I will be back with you later this week. After again, we can't say exactly what it's gonna be, but yes, I am betting on more trade transactional action.
Stay tuned and we'll talk soon, and that I'll do it for us.
See you next time. This league and cuta is and iHeartRadio Production Loca Chris Haines and Mark Stein