Welcome to This League Uncut in the rule of twenty four hour NBA News. This's you, Chris Haynes. It's time, Mark's time. It's some time. This League Uncut is underway and on fire.
This should be a good one. Friends, Welcome in to a long overdue reunion of the cast of This League Uncut. Producer Ryan is here behind the scenes, Chris Haynes is here. I'm Mark Stein. We are back together again. This is so crazy. We did. We did the live show in July at Caesar's Palace with Lakers coach Darvin Ham in the midst of some sort of some sort of scene and emergency at Caesar's that we weren't even fully aware of what was going on. When we were doing the pod,
we got past all that. Chris Haynes and I were together. I was so excited to see him because I hadn't seen him in person and I don't know how long but since then, I've barely spoken to Chris Haynes. I think he needed a vacation from me because we've only done a couple pods since then. In the summertime, we do dial it back, but I think I don't know
if he's prepared to admit this. But I think Chris Haynes has enjoyed his vacation from annoying me, nagging him and bugging him with requests and questions and admin and just my usual panicky self. Is that true? Are you enjoying this time away from that? We've kind of been we've kind of been separated.
Here we have time. But tell you this, the way I feel, have a little bit something to reveal the way I feel right now. I don't want anything to do with a little Caesars pizza. I don't want anything to do with a Caesar salad. I don't even want to hear about history about the King Caesar, whoever it was back in the day. That's just how I feel.
Stan, all right, I got you, get that, I hear you.
Okay, Okay, So.
Maybe you're mad at me? Is the thing is like we text a lot, like I think even our text frequency has been way down, so you've been I don't know. Like I said, I think you've enjoyed this time away from Ryan and not No.
It has nothing to do with you, Stin. It has a lot to do with Charlene's beauty. Supply, I've been working.
That is your number one job.
Working.
You want to lead insider at Charlene's beauty supply. You wear the undisputed.
Hey, I've been on the road. She sent me on the road to go get more stock. I've driven on the road. I flew to Atlanta to get some more stock store. Yes, I'm at the register. What else am I doing? I'm cleaning up oles.
Did you at least get to see your collegiate daughters on your trip to Atlanta when you were on that on that mission?
I did, I did, I did, And I'm actually going back to Atlanta next week. We have a we have a summit out there, company summit pretty soon. So no, I've been stein. I would love to have broken away to do a pod or have a conversation with you man, but Charlene has kept me highly off.
All Right, all right, I'm glad.
It's we're good. Just no, we're good. Just no season salad for me, any other salad, any other pizza. I'm good, all.
Right, I get it. I hear you, I hear you. All Right. Well, here's the thing. We did have to kind of get reconnected here because, like I said, I feel like i's a little. I mean, you know, I get, I get. It doesn't take much to get me worried.
Now.
Our text frequency has been down lately, so I was I was a little I was a little jittery. But all right, I'm moving on because I keep saying this. I say it on By, I say it a lot on my Saturday radio show in Dallas. I've written it several times in my substack. Look, there's no sugarcoating. This training camp is still a long way away. We're not even at September first yet. For all but two teams
in the league. Training camp doesn't really start until Media Day on October second, so we're still a long way from that, but there is I feel like this has been a more active newsier August than normal. We've got the Feeble World Cup going on, so right now we're in the midst of this run where there's eight games of basketball a day from now until September third. There's gonna be one off day and then there's two days two games of basketball, pretty high level basketball every day
through September tenth. That's going to get us even closer to the start of NBA training camps. We had Hall of Fame inductions, and we keep getting news. You know, we're still waiting for some movement on the Damian Lillard trade front, and we're still waiting for more definitive action on the James Harden trade front. But I mean, James Harden has certainly made news with what he said about
Darryl Morian China. And then just this past week, my dear friends at the New York Times, Tanya Gangouli, who had a great story with She did a feature on Janis on Tatakumpo, and Yannis said all kinds of stuff to Tanya in that piece. And you know, the New York Times, the sports section is still rumbling along despite reports of its demise. I don't know how much longer that's gonna last, but this story was a plus plus.
Janis Yannis yannas Antetokumpo is eligible for a contract extension in September, a three year deal worth more than one hundred and seventy million, But he told Tanya he is not signing it. He is not doing an extension this offseason. And then he was asked he, I mean, Yana's volunteered that it makes more financial sense next summer, but he did quickly add even then he's not sure that he
wants to resign it. So basically, Janis Antetokumpo in late August has put the Bucks on notice with these quotes that he gave the New York Times. And you know, this is this is a massive, massive story. This is huge because basically, you know, the Bucks were living under this just contanttant fear of losing Yannis and can we keep Yanis happy? And is Yiannis going to going to extend?
And Yanis on Tetekumpo did extend his contract, right you know, or you know before the run to the championship that season, he signed a five year deal worth nearly two hundred and thirty million. But after just three years of that deal, the Bucks are right back where they were and the whole league is looking at this now wondering, man is Yannis gettable? Is Yanis basically saying that that he wants
to leave? I mean he is. You know, the Bucks made all these moves this summer to try to make him happy, and then this story comes out, so you know, you know Yanis, well, you cover him a ton. I mean, what did you think when you saw some of these quotes? Again, I'm let me just read it. Quote. The real question is not going to be this year numbers wise, it doesn't make sense. But next year, next summer, it would
make sense for both parties. Even then, I don't know, Jannis continues, I would not be the best version of myself if I don't know that everybody's on the same page. Everybody's going for a championship, everybody's going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don't feel that, I'm not signing.
Uh.
My initial response definitely Golden quotes great job by Tire, amazing profile. People should definitely go check that out, go read it from start to finish. I'm not surprised. So this is not the first time Jannis has said something that has kind of perked the ears of everyone who caught it. I want to say it might have been I was looking for it just now as you were
reading those quotes. He says something I want to say last year, maybe the last off season, maybe even two years ago, about you know, if he chose to leave. It was something like, if I left, I might want to play somewhere else I might want to do. It was something along those lines. Excuse me, people, you can find it if you really, Doug, I think I'm looking. I'll keep looking while we're doing this pod. Need to find the right words that he that he used. But
I'm not surprised, uh, he definitely. I definitely put him up there with Lebron James. Of the people that I've covered and spent significant time with, put him above there, up there with Lebron James as the star key players who just having a sensatiable desire to win. Giannis is right there up there, And I like that he's finding his voice over the last few years. He's saying what's
on his mind. You know a lot of times, you know, there are certain players, and Giannis is like that too, where you know he'll be in front of cameras or be in front of a reporter, and you know he'll say all the right things, and then behind the scenes when you talk to him off the record, you'd be like, damn, you're honest, I ain't know I know you felt that way. I don't know, you know, I didn't know you talked
that way, you know. So I like that he's he's bringing his voice and showing his voice to everyone else, right now, But I'm not surprised Sean. I think he's definitely putting the team on notice. But that I think the pressure was always there from the beginning. For Milwaukee, they had to make moves, you know, they did they remember after the bubble, you know, there was uncertainly around if they were gonna keep coach budd at that time.
They ended up keeping them, you know, got a title and then had a lackluster for their standards of lackluster season this past year. And they can But so the pressure is there. Does this anticify Probably so, because because this is not gonna be the last time we hear the potential of Jannis to the potential of Yannis relocate, I.
Mean, to me, I think it ramps it up huge because I just you know again that the whole the league was on Yannis watch until Jannis signed the five year extension with the Bucks. Then they won the championship, and then the past two seasons have not gone the way Milwaukee hoped, and then this whole off season was the conversation was will the Bucks make the moves that
will make Janis Antitokunmpo happy? And they spent to keep Chris Middleton they spent to keep brook Lopez, they made a coaching change, and you know, you and I both reported about how of the names of the coaches that were interviewed to replace Mike Budenholzer, Adrian grit was the coach that Jannis wanted, and that's who Milwaukee hired, a first time coach, replacing a coach who's won a championship. So the Bucks, I'm sure they felt like we've we've
done everything. We did everything with the thought of trying to satisfy our star player. And Jannis comes out with all these quotes that suggest he's far from convinced that they've done enough, and he might well be right. I mean, you know, the Bucks, it was expensive just to keep the team they had. You can't really say that they've improved it. And I mean, the best thing Milwaukee probably has going for itself right now is we have questions about pretty much every top contender at the top of
the East. Philly is obviously in a lot of flux with the hardened situation. Boston has made a huge change by basically sending out Marcus Smart, cutting ties with Grant Williams, and bringing in Christops porzingis so the Celtics are gonna look a lot different. Miami. We don't know what they're gonna look like. We all know they want to trade for Damian Lillard and that hasn't happened. So the Heat have lost They lost Gabe Vincent and Max Strus from
their team that went to the NBA Finals. So there are I mean, there are a lot of question marks at the top of the East, and that's gotta be good news for Milwaukee. But I mean this is this was a thunderbolt to me. And again, the whole league now is going to be back on Giannis watch and is Gianni's happy? That is going to be a constant discussion from going going forward from here.
I think Milwaukee wants to give themselves another chance with the fact that Chris Middleton wasn't healthy last year, so to see if they can duplicate from a few years ago getting to the finals and ultimately winning it. So I found that story the honest. This was almost two years ago. So this happened November of twenty twenty one. It was a story.
He did.
A GQ story. They got Jannis one on one. This was his quotes. One challenge was to bring a championship here and we did it was very hard, but we did it very very hard. I just love challenges. What's the next challenge? The next challenge might not be here? And he said, me and my family chose to stay in this city that we all love and has taken care of us for now. I'm two years and two excuse me, in two years that might change. I'm being totally honest with you. I'm always honest. I love the city,
I love this community. I want to help as much as possible. So I remember when that came out, it made some news, but was it I don't think it hit the magnitude of Tanya's story. But you know, him saying that back then, it was kind of laying the groundwork to say, Hey, as long as I'm here, I'm gonna do everything I can, but I am very much open to going elsewhere and taking on another challenge.
He's clearly honest. I mean he is, he is, he is being as open as as he can. And you know, the other kind of Bombshelley thing he said in this in this Tanya story is you know he acknowledged that, yes, on some levels, he does want to be a Dirk Davisky, a Tim Duncan or Kobe Bryant, the guys who we associate with staying with one franchise forever for their whole career. And you know, he Janis has talked about that that is,
that is something he would like to do. But in this story, he also did mention to Tanya that, you know, quote, winning a championship comes first. I don't want to be twenty years on the same team and don't win another championship. He has the one, but clearly one isn't enough for Giannis Antetokumpo. So yeah, I mean this this is even in a summer where you know, we are still expecting a Damian Lillard trade at some point, and James Harden
clearly wants to be traded from Philadelphia. Don't know if he's gonna get that trade, but he clearly still wants it. Even with those two massive stories, the reverberations from this one might even be more significant because you know, Jannis Is, I mean, you know, on his worst day, he's one of the five best players in the league, maybe one of the three best players.
In the league.
So Milwaukee has a lot of pressure now to you know, have a good season and and do I mean they were That playoff series was disastrous? How bad they looked in the Miami series. Yes, Giannis's injury at the start of that series was certainly a factor, but I mean they were, you know, they were that. I mean that was just collapse, you know, too late, collapses against Miami and just the whole way that first round series unraveled.
I thought Philly was under pressure to start the new season, man, Milwaukee, Milwaukee is right there, if not facing more.
Yeah, this changes things a bit, but it's definitely calculated. For sure. This is definitely calculated. And I don't you know,
this is what you know superstar players do. They oftentimes because they feel like they're putting everything into their body to make sure that they can give it all when it's time to play in an eighty two game regular season into the postseason, and so a lot of times, when they get to a certain level or accumulate certain years of stature, they feel comfortable of putting the franchise on notice, put applying pressure there. Because players always have pressure.
It's always pressure for the faces of the franchise. So it was like, we know what, let's share in this pressure. Let's publicly share in this pressure. So let me allow me to issue a few quotes to get us both on the same page so we could both feel this and uh because often times, you know, obviously, when when things don't when situations come up short, the player or
the players you know, catch the brunt of it. So this is this is definitely going to be an interesting season to see how it all unfolds, especially towards.
What we need now is a roulette wheel sound effect. I don't know if we have that capability in this league. Uncut audio archive. We'll find out when Ryan gets done with this thing. Because now, I really you know, before I was the last time, maybe not the last time, but in one of our recent pods, I know I was giving you a hard time about where will Chris Haynes be on media day? Will he be in Portland with still a Blazer? Damian Lillard? Will will he be
in Los Angeles with the Lakers? But now, I mean they might have to send you to Milwaukee. You might, I mean, you might be in Milwaukee for media Day.
I don't think they'll send you as far east as Philly, but I mean, I mean, well, listen, let me tell you this Philly it all, So let let's transition there. If it's Philly, if I am in Philly, the only reason I would be in Philly, I would think, is it if James Harden is still a member of the Sixers and then James Harden has to show up to
media day training camp. I think that would be the only reason why I or any other national maybe your reporters will be in Philly for media Day, just to see how that is going to play out.
What is James gonna do well on the tension meter?
Where will the most tension be? Now, let's pretend, let's assume that Dame is still a Blazer on media Day October second. Media Day is October second for twenty eight of the league's thirty teams. Only Dallas and Minnesota, who will be opening their exhibition seasons in Abu Dhabi their media day. I believe, I keep I think it's September twenty ninth. I'm doing that one off the top of my head. I think it's September twenty ninth Media Day
for those seasons. Everybody else, Media Day is October second. Who is going to have the sauciest, most tension filled Media Day Philly. If Harden is still on the roster, as it certainly certainly looks like he will be, the Sixers want to slow play this. I do not think
the Sixers even want to trade James Harden. So if Harden is still in Philly, if Dame is still in Portland, and now with Jannis having said what he has said to the New York Times, what would be the most dramatic media day that you that Chris Haynes has to attend.
Of those three if Harton is still a member of Philly.
Yeah, the Lakers, I mean they're boring. On Media Day, they resigned ad, they kept Austin Reeves. Nobody even threw an offer sheet at Austin Reeves. Everybody's Austin Reeves the new darling of Team USA, and everybody's wondering, why didn't san Antonio just give him that four year, one hundred million dollar offer sheet just to make the Lakers match it. We don't even have and the Lakers are boring.
Yeah, I mean Golden State with Chris.
Paul that's another one. That was the other one. I forgot.
What he accept Yeah, will he accept the reserve role or how will he he's going to be a professional.
I don't think that that no longer cracks the top three. I think. I'm sorry, but you know, I hear it.
I hear it.
But I'm glad you mentioned that, because I think that was one of the ones I was quizzing you about before.
You're right. But if it's those three hardened Dame Giannis, I think it's hard because I think Harden's case that has the most potential to be an explosive day. I think Dame, if he's if he's still with the Blazers, I think Dame shows up the camp and I think he handles things professionally, and I think he avoids a lot of questions hard than I'm not sure. I'm not sure if he's going to boy questions, and I'm not even sure if he'll show up. I don't know. So
that's that's what. So if you say from all three those three scenarios, James Harden's situation is definitely good, That's what I'm.
Saying this August. Like you know, on my sub stack, I have this great chat room where I you know, I get to hang out with my subscribers and I know everybody's getting antsy. Everybody's like, man, we still got a month to go before training camp. But there is I mean, all these there are some question marks that
because these are all interesting. I mean, look, you know Dame ten times better than me, but I have to imagine that is not going to be a fun media day for him if he is still a Blazer to have to stand up there and you know, field whatever questions come his way, because we know he wanted to be traded to Miami by now and it hasn't happened. And look also things can happen in September.
And Stele all so also check this out, Starn, check this out for James and Dame. Let me because this just came up to me right now. I think I can see an avenue of which sixers in Portland might say, I haven't heard anything, but it just hit my brain
right now. They might say James Dame don't show up because they have every reason, every intention to trade, probably not on a certain time, not probably not as desperate of a timeline as James and Dame once but because you know, media day is all about let's build up the interest, Let's get the fandom, the fandom behind us, you know what I mean. These all these are all good quotes that's going to get the fan base all
energized and motivated to come out. And then you have James and Dame like kind of bringing a I'm not gonna say a dark cloud, but they're not on that same level of excitement as everybody else. So could you see the Sixers or Portland, if both star players are still on the team at camp, could you see them say, hey, just skip media day. Let's let's avoid uh, let's let's just avoid a bad look.
I'm you know, that's a great question. I would I would have to check with the league because I'm pretty sure that's like that's a you know play. If a let's just say player X didn't show up for media day, that's a finable offense. So I don't know, do teams have the latitude to tell a guy, hey, we think it's better that you don't do media day. I I flat out have to ask the league. I genuinely don't know the answer.
To that one. I would think I would think if the team and player agrees as best, if the players stay home.
I remember with Philly, it's not just you know, look all the focus is onheardened. The union is saying that they're going to file the green now on James Harden's behalf because the league has fined him one hundred thousand dollars, and you know, all the all the questions on the surface seem to be Harden related. Does he have any shot at winning aggrievance? Is he going to report to training camp? Will Philly ease its stance and decide to train But all of that is secondary to what Joel
Embiid thinks, and that I get what you're saying. Obviously there's gonna be tons of curiosity. Is James here, Is James here on the first day and media day? Is he gonna speak to the media? I want to hear from Joel Embiid. I mean, that is the question. What does Joel Embiid think of all this? Because what Philly Philly is trying to thread a really really complicated needle. Because when Harden's contract expires, and when Tobias Harris's contract expires at the end of the season, they could have
tons of cap space. So next summer they have all this cap space and then they'll be in better position to extend Tyrese Maxi's deal, but you've got to if you're Philly, you have to sell Embiid in the meantime on Hey, big man, we might have to take a step back this year, waiting out this chaos and dealing with the hardened drama before we before we can really make a splash. Embiid turns thirty in March. Does he want ah? Does he want a season where they take
a step back? I can't say here and tell you that I've spoken to him anytime recently, but my gut would say I doubt it. I don't think Joel Embiid wants to lose another season where they don't get past the second round, waiting for what might happen next summer. So all my curiosity is how is Embiid going to deal with the fact that is hard and still on
the team. Are they not going to trade him? And I get it from Philly's perspective, Philly doesn't want to just trade Harden and take back whatever because they don't want to mess with the cap space. I mean, if they're gonna trade Harden, they've got to be sure they're getting back pieces that advance what they're trying to do, because they can't take back long term money. That messes up that cap space. But again, they have to sell em bead on this process and that was actually unintentional.
I promise I did not mean to use process there.
So I.
Man, these are they're all fascinating Philly, Portland, Milwaukee and yeah, Warriors too. I mean, it's uh, you're gonna have to be in more than you're gonna have to. You're gonna you might have to be in more than one place.
It feels like we feel like we're missing it to I'm sure we are.
We're off our I mean, I'm off my game. So I mean I already forgot. I already forgot the Chris Paul scenario. But but I think when we were talking about this before, when we were talking about this before, we were guessing that you were gonna be on the West coast. So I think we were talking Lakers. Oh well with Suns. I mean, you know, we haven't seen
the Suns. With all these guys in one place, I mean, their media day will be you know, certainly of some interest, just to have Durant, feel Book and Eighten all in the same room with a new coach. But again, I would even put the Suns. I don't think the Suns cracked the top three either anymore.
It's not but the Clippers. The only reason I say that Clippers are because now with Tylou and the organization stressing how important it is for guys to be available on a nightly basis, and so this is kind of a new structure that the Clippers are embarking on where they're prioritizing being available and getting Kawhi's take on that, like, what is that saying? Getting Paul George's take on that?
And can I just interrupt you the shout out? Paul George's podcast is tremendous. I don't know if you saw today, I mean, he is just I saw clips of him today uncorking a Kawuhi imitation and a Charles Barkley imitation, and they were both like they were a plus. I didn't I didn't know he was an impressionist. I mean his Charles bark Charles Barkley was Wow.
Fresno State education. I'm not surprised.
Look at you gotta bring it always bring it back to Fred.
I'm not surprised. Yeah, No, Paul George's podcast, since we give him a shout out to Pop Player podcast. Paul George podcast is excellent. Jeff t is really big, striking it big out there with.
You know what since and it's funny. We're actually lucky that, you know, we made the big trade with Draymond where we said, Draymond, you come on our podcast and will come on your podcast. Now Draymond is not cashed in his chip. You know, he could have us on. We have to hold up our end of the deal. But maybe he's just maybe he just doesn't want us, Maybe we're not interesting enough. But you know, given the whole Fresno State thing, I think you should extend the same
offer to Paul George. Will go on his pods and he comes on ours. Would Paul George entertain that trade?
Yeah? I think you would. But Paul, we would have to go out to La to Paul. He ain't doing no remote, that's right, But Stein, are you willing to come out of your cave? Okay, all right, it can't be one, it can't be one. It gotta be both of us.
I'll be there with my cal State Fullerton had on. Don't worry, Okay, I don't know if he'll entertain it. But we should offer that.
I'll make the call. I think we could get a yeah.
I mean, he has amazing and he's one of the guys really opening up. But like I said, his impressions, his impressions are really good.
You know, I don't know that we have I don't hold on real quick star before we get to hold on Dallas. Is there any intrigue with Dallas media day?
Yeah, No, I think I think there is. I think there is. But something tells me that all those teams would would probably be higher en lists. I guess the intrigue in Dallas will just be Kyrie Irving. We haven't heard from Kyrie Irving. And you know, Kyrie did not speak at the end of last season, so going into free agency, he decided not to meet with the media. When Kyrie was traded to the Mavericks in February, he
had asked, please no contractual questions during the season. I don't want to cause distract I don't want to cause unwarranted distractions. I think was the term. I got to look it up exactly. I think it was he did not want to cause unwarranted distraction. But then after the Mavericks season ended, he didn't want to do media before going into free agency. So you are correct that when media day arrives, that will be the first time Kyrie Irving has addressed the media since April, and the first
time he's addressed the media since re signing with Dallas. However, as I work my way through this, as we discuss it, the Mavericks, as I said, the Mavericks and the Wolves, they both of media Day a few days early because they begin exhibition play abroad. So September twenty ninth, again, I believe, and I really hope I'm not saying the wrong date. I hope it's not September thirtieth, but I do think it is September twenty ninth. Both the Mavericks and the Wolves will do media Day two three days
before everybody else. So Dallas's media Day with Luca and Kyrie Irving and Jason Kidd and Minnesota's media Day with Kat and Go Bear and slow Mo and Aunt Edwards, Team USA is go to guy. There will be no The Mavericks and the Wolves will not have to battle for they will. They will only be battling each other on their on their media day.
Okay, that's that's all I asked you. I remember Kyrie hasn't spoke, So what about Luca. What's what's the move? Like from outside looking in Stein, it seems, you know, Luca's supporting cast keeps changing. They're trying to get the right cast, you know, around him. Is there you know how people are waiting for like Joel and b to see what you know, what he thinks is that is there a similar thing with Luca or is that's that's definitely way too pret much.
Well, look, it's the NBA, so I mean, I'm sure the question is going to come up. But yeah, I mean, you know, because on one hand, you've got Luca doing media pretty regularly because he's playing for his national team. But he always says when he's with Slovenia and he gets asked questions about the Mavericks, he tends to bat those away because he'd rather not talk Mavericks when he's
on national team duty. So yes, I don't think there's any question that there's gonna be a lot of interest in the MAVs when they do media day because it is the first time both Luca and Kyrie will have spoken since I mean spoken about the MAVs. Since April. So no question, the MAVs are a team that a lot of people are looking at because there are still I mean there, frankly are still questions. You know, Luca
and Kyrie as a duo, it didn't go great last season. Obviously, the Mavericks counter would be that it was a mid season trade. They'll have a full training camp now to try to actually build a team that functions better. And they've certainly made a lot of changes with Grant Williams coming in. They weren't able to get Matisse Tible, who they went after with the restricted free agent offer sheet. They've made changes to their front court rotation as well.
They did not get the front line starting defensive center that they were hoping to, so they did bring in Rashaun Holmes. They drafted Derek Lively, who everybody in Dallas is excited about. They also drafted Olivier Maxentz prosper who is probably going to have a role right away. But you're right, Dallas Media Day is up there. I don't know, maybe we need to do like a Media Day rankings, but I would still say that because because I honestly
I think Minnesota had enough. They had enough late season drama that even theirs will be a source of interest and intrigue as all those guys get together again. But I wouldn't put the Mavericks or the Wolves in that Philly, Portland, Milwaukee tier. No, those are my top three for drama. You know.
A wild card team, the Memphis Grizzlies starting media day, John Morant suspend it for what is it twenty five games? Twenty five games? So those these will be well, it is suspected on media day for it to be his first public remarks or comments from the suspension. What what did the player association or were they looking was they were they last looking into found a grievance or is that done with? Is there anything there? Producer Ryan, can
you help me out on that, buddy? Trying to see if there's anything that can be done before the season starts, But I doubt it. So, I mean, just hearing what Joe's going to say, but you know that that'd be some intrigue right there, but everybody knows he's not going to be there to start to start the season with him, So I don't you know, I don't know if they is that a top tier? Yeah, they probably make top ten the probably most intriguing teams to go into media day.
Definitely not top five, But I'm just trying to think of all type of I guess, uncomfortable situations that can be had on media day.
Do you have any say in the assignment, Like, do you volunteer and say, hey, I'm I would love to go to see Team X.
Oh. I can say that all I want as far as far as anything happened off of that. No, there, they're gonna tell me where.
To gov pressed and ready to go.
Yes, hey, great thing about those polls shirts that it only need to be pressed wrinkle free. Maybe I can ball that shirt up, ball it all up and put it on. It looked good, so I'll be fine.
But yeah, I'm gonna wear the medium again. So that's not you know, that's that reminds me another one, the Chuckster. We gotta get the Chuckster on here. Yeah, he's been hiding from us. And I saw he just did the Bill Simmons podcast.
Yeah, did Bill Simmonson? He did? Rich Did he do rich what's his last name?
Did he really? I missed that he did Richard Disch's pod?
Yes, he did. He read Richard Ditches last week. I think he spoke for like like an hour and a half or something like that. Yeah, it was the quote it came from. Did you see the quote circulating from Charles about Amazon? How how Turner and ESPN are kind of sweating.
Actually TV actually totally missed that. I totally miss that.
Wow, Yeah, that came.
I listen to his pod with Simmons. We have not had the Chuckster on this pod. We have to rectify that, okay, because I want to hear him going at your shirts on this pod.
Hey, listen, you got a lot of requests. See, we don't talk for a month, and already you say, hey, get us on.
The I am demanding and annoying and I worry a lot, and you have to deal with all that. But but I do have a I have a pod lined up. I have a big name guest lined up soon. I do not want to reveal it yet because I don't want to jinx it. But I really think in the next week or so, we will have a very very very good guest that I actually set up for us to kind of make up for all the heavy lifting that I ask you to do.
I'm looking for that that would definitely be a good one. And Producer Ryan just informed us that about ja Morant situation in the MVPA. So far, the union has only said they will explore options and next steps. That's all they said. So I don't think anything's going to happen. So that's that.
Thank you, Producer Ryan, Producer Ryan Music. He went on like seven trips. I don't even know where the last time we did at we did the pod with Spears. We had to call in Minnesota Tim to pinch Hit. Luckily we found him and he was able to. So it's good for all three of us to be back together again. All right, This was a good getting back up to speed effort. I think we would love to be able to tell you that a trade involving Harden and or Dame was imminent, but unfortunately we are not
able to say that. As we recorded on the evening of August twenty eighth, the month of August finally dribbling to a close. But when is it going to happen? I mean, I feel like I've said this fifteen times over the last couple months. We do see NBA trade. In September, we saw Donovan Mitchell get traded last September, so these things can spring up quick. And the thing you do have to say is it's easy for teams like Philly and Portland to have patient stances during the summer.
The closer and closer we get to training camp and the closer we get to October TEWOD and media Day, and when these teams face the prospect of having to bring these guys back, then it does start to get more uncomfortable for the teams. And we'll see if these teams really have the resolve they say they have to
be patient. All the signals out of Philly they tend to suggests that the Sixers want to slow play this and they don't want to rush into a hardened trade, and they're prepared to deal with whatever chaos is created at training camp. But let's see when Harden shows up or doesn't show up, and said chaos begins. And you know, as you said earlier, you expect calmer waters in Portland and not as much not as much of a fuss. But everybody knows that Dame does want the trade and
he wants to be sent to Miami. And when the season starts up again, this becomes a daily topic for the Blazers a day. This is a daily discussion that they will have to manage. So let's see how they do it.
It would be uncomfortable, It would be an uncomfortable situation. But if I'm comparing it to James Harden, I think we've seen James. We've seen James in action.
You know, does not in the closet that he's gonna that he's gonna that he's going to put on where to Blazer?
And Dame hasn't called has it called? Is g a maliar? No?
He is not.
So yeah, Jay Jay, So we we we know how far James Harden is willing to go or has been willing to go. So that's why I think his uh that media day would be something to look out for if James was in attendance. Stein, My birthday is coming up, man, August thirty. First, it's actually this Thursday. You know what I don't want for my birthday?
I'm trying to think of what do I do that annoys you? What do you not want? You do not want to trade on your on your birthday?
I wouldn't minit trade That'll be fine, especially if I get to break it. I would I just don't checks out, stie, check us out. So let me tell you about this. It gave me so much anxiety. I had such an anxiety attack. So my mud, so my mom, we always had this. Is it like a race? I've turned it into a race. And so her address is her address. I'm not gonna give the address. Her address is three numbers. And every time the clock turns to that address, you know,
twice a day, we'll always text each other. Hey, you know when we if we catch the clock at that time, we'll text each other, Hey, it's give example, Hey it's it's five eighteen, five eighteen. And so that's her like she's kind of like trying to say, like a blessing is coming. You know, a blessing is coming. We caught it. A blessing is coming. You know, that's our address. A blessing is coming. Every time we see it. So we do it. But I've turned it into a race, so
I want to beat her text it every time. She doesn't view it as a race. So this morning, this is when I knew it got like got too serious for me. So this morning I text five eighteen and her five eighteen came in before I mind did.
I'm like, damn me, she broke it first. I has home.
I had to chill back, hold on, this is not my job, I said, Bob. I'm sorry. I had to call said Bob, I can't do this. I'm taking it too seriously. I already got to deal with this at work, like let let's stop, you figure another way.
Start.
When I saw it come through before I sit by, man, I was so hurt. It's so mad, Like I was like, oh, she got to scoop. Like man, I'm like, I gotta this time about It's a daily thing, daily thing. It just happens, and I cheat. I'll put alarm on my on my phone to make sure I beat her most times. But yeah, you know, so I'm just I don't want to travel. I told the wife, I don't want to travel. You know, I got kind of kind of you know, this is probably the most lazy.
Is not that long of a trip.
It's not, but I'm talking about just summer, like you go out the country. Most people go out the country scene. Yeah, I haven't done anything.
Like I'm in New York right now at the US Open, Like I just yeah, I've traveled my whole life since I I mean since I was a little kid and we used to get this. My brother and I used to get set overseas for the whole summer to be with our family in Israel. So it's like, yeah, in the summer in here's well. The main thing is with living in the heat in Dallas has been it's always unbearable,
but this this was the hottest August on record. It is one ten every day and you know, I know anybody in Phoenix doesn't want to hear it, but it has been blistering, humidity, withering, suffocating. New York the US Open is always hot weather, but this this US Open has been high seventies every day in qualifying last week. The main tournament just started now. But like, the weather has been so mild. I never imagine that going from Dallas to New York in late August would be that
kind of a case. But I'm literally it's thirty degrees cooler every day, which is insane, and I'm I'm very on your birthday, I am returning to the Dallas heat and I can't wait to see the fan. But man, just going back to the one ten with the crazy humidity, when you could land at DFW at eleven PM and it's still ninety five.
Yeah, that's what I can't stand in humidity.
Well, that's awesome that your birthdays.
I didn't.
I mean, now it is. It is locked in my files. I will never I will never forget it again. It's going to be in my files. That's a that's a piece of Haynes trivia I did not previously have.
Hmm.
Interesting, Okay, Oh, let's give a shout out real quick to Mark Spears and the Conversation Projects. His new TV series on Hulu drops today on Hulu. Check out all six episodes. I went to his his screening in Oakland and Mike Brown was there Stein he said, what's up, Mike Brown there, Bonnie Poole came through. Who else was out there? My guy Lance Young, one of the top comedians here in Sacramento. So we all went out there to support him, and uh, you know, hopefully everybody goes out.
Mark Spears is not really will not soon forget. August twenty twenty three, gets the Kurt Goudy Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame, becomes an executive producer of a Hulu series, and in between that he appears on This League Uncut August twenty twenty three. Yeah, Mark spears and it breaks through on all three level.
And he's going what next month his alma mater, San Jose State. They're honoring him with some prestigis.
That's right. Actually, that was my favorite line of the whole podcast, that he pointed out that all three of us are Cal State guys. Fresno State, cal State Fullerton, San Jose State. We should be on that, We should be on the CSU podcast. Maybe they'll maybe, maybe they'll do a trade with us.
We turned out, We turned out all right?
All right, everyone that does it for this edition of This League Uncut, appreciate your patience. You know again, we we the frequency of the pod does drop off in August and September. In mid October we will be right back to two pods a week. But appreciate your patients. Appreciate you letting Chris and I and even producer Ryan chip Away at the rust. Like I said, I think
we have a pretty good pod fingers crossed. I don't want to jinx it, but in within the next week, I think we have a pretty significant guest and we're gonna work on some of these other things, we're gonna We're gonna make that trade offer to Paul George. We might get flatly rejected, but we're gonna make the offer anyway. We're gonna check on the Chuckster. We're gonna work on these things, and we will update you as soon as we can. That does it for this edition of This
League Uncut. Please remember to rate, review and subscribe to the pod. And let's depart by wishing a happy twenty ninth birthday to Chris Hanes.
Faithfully, let's look back.
I'll take you, and that'll do it for us.
See you next time.
This League Uncut is an iHeartRadio production Chris Hanes and Mark steinme