It is. The JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast. on the Infinity Sports Network. I'm coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. Much love and many thanks to everybody tuned in and locked in all over North America.
My folks on the East Coast, my people on the West Coast, Down South, Midwest, everything in between. Thank you so much to our producer Holding It Down in New York City, Ryan Botcher, and thank you again for hanging out with us. This is when the show gets started every single weekday. At six PM Eastern three Pacific. You can always tune in on the free Odyssey app.
Your local Infinity Sports Network affiliate. You got SiriusXM, it's channel 375. You got a smart speaker. Ask the speaker. To play the Infinity Sports Network.
We got a day. And we have an important time frame, important time on the clock, okay? It is 6 p.m. Eastern. It is three Pacific.
The legal tampering period in the NBA is underway. We got rumors flying all over the place. Russell Westbrook might be a New York Nick. We got word from LeBron James over the weekend that he might be done. There's a lot to get into.
Ace Bailey showed up to the Utah Jazz on Saturday. The WNBA NBA news aside the WNBA is expanding to other cities. Hey, we had the Steelers make a massive trade earlier today. Or maybe not so massive. I'll explain.
There's so much going on, so much to talk about. We're going to have a chat with Danielle Lerner to talk about the rockets and Handing out money to everybody. Jabari Smith is getting money, Ime Udoko is getting money. Durant is in the building. We got Joe Rudder.
Who's going to join us from the Tribune Review in Pittsburgh? He's going to come by and talk about the Steelers picking up John U. Smith. and Jalen Ramsey. If you want to be a part of the show, you can.
Here's the number. You ready? eight eight eight seven ten four I S N That's eight eight eight seven ten. Four. I S N.
You can find me all over the internet. I exist. I am at. JR Sport Brief. At JR Sport Brief for everybody out there.
Uh who uses the Internet? Maybe to waste your time, maybe for good reasons, maybe for bad reasons. That is where you can find. Find me. We we got a lot to talk about.
It's so much more. Hey, Bacha, how are you? Do you have a good weekend? Weekend was great. The only thing that's been bad was the train ride here.
Some guy came in with his speaker. And had it on like two. 200 volume, and I think I might have tinnitus now.
Okay. You didn't want to move train cars? That's possible. It was too much work. It was through my earbuds, too, so I had earbuds in and I could still hear the guy's music.
Oh, it was too much work to get up?
Well yeah, and then you have to switch cars and then there's the stress of getting in and out with other people. I was just gonna put up with it.
Okay, all right, well, well, welcome to to life in New York City. That's how it goes. Eight it eight seven ten four I S N. That's eight eight eight seven ten four ISS. For ISN.
I mean, over the weekend, it was just a matter of trying to keep up with some of the basketball rumors, some of the basketball news. We'll get into James Harden. He's going to be sticking around in Los Angeles, obviously, not with the Los Angeles Lakers, but with the Clippers. And so we have a lot to get into. Let me just get this on out the way.
Because we're going to have plenty of time. to get into uh football over the next Several weeks as things maybe possibly eventually slow down with the NBA. But the reality is, right now, this minute. As we woke up this morning, We learn that the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Miami Dolphins, after what seems like months of talking about moving Jonu Smith or, you know, where's Jalen Ramsey going to go?
Well, we got two for the price of one, or at least the Steelers did. Minka Fitzpatrick, no longer a member of the Steelers. He goes back to the Dolphins where he started his career. And Jonus Smith. In Jail and Ramsey, they make their way up.
To the Steel City. And so, if you happen to be the Steelers, or if you're a Steelers fan, are you sad that Mick and Fitzpatrick is gone? Probably, maybe. I mean, this is someone who's been a Pro Bowler throughout the course of his career, multiple-time Pro Bowler. But when you can add to the offense and you can go ahead and give Aaron Rodgers another weapon, and then you could put Jalen Ramsey on the team as well, who I don't think the guy is cooked as an NFL player, I like the move.
Is it going to take them clearly over the hump, the Steelers? I think not. But I think when you can get two players who can help the team out. Why the hell not do it? This is the report from CBS Sports HQ earlier today.
We've got breaking news out of the NFL where the Dolphins are trading Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's the latest from our Jonathan Jones. As part of the deal, the all-pro corner will receive a one and a half million dollar raise this upcoming season. Ramsey has spent the past two years in Miami racking up five picks and 82 tackles in 2024. After a contract dispute with the Finns, he and general manager Chris Greer mutually agreed to work on trade options back in April.
Ramsey is the second big addition the Steelers have made at corner this offseason, along with Super Bowl champion Darius Slay. Yeah, you think about Darius Slay, now you have Jalen Ramsey back there. I I I like the move. Jalen Ramsey's not done.
Okay, they may move the guy over to safety given the fact that he is getting a little bit older. And then I really like John U. Smith. The Steelers are still going to go out there and play punch you in the face. Football.
They have Jonu Smith, who just had a career year with the Dolphins, first-time Pro Bowler, almost 900 yards receiving, eight touchdowns on 88 targets. I don't think you'll see the ball all that much when you have DK Metcalf as option number one, but Jonu Smith, Friarmuth, and then Jonu Smith is not too shabby. I think Aaron Rodgers should be happy with this acquisition. And the Steelers, where can we place them? probably still in the same damn spot as last year.
9-10 wins going to the postseason, likely to be eliminated by, I don't know, the Ravens. The Bills. Maybe the Texans throw them out. Uh this is uh This is business as usual. When it comes down to the Pittsburgh Steelers, this is with all the additions: the Metcalfs, the Smiths, the Aaron Rodgers.
The Steelers, nice move. Not a move that I think is gonna Go out there and get them over the hump. A former NFL general manager. And I don't know how much we should trust him. The guy did run the jets into the ground.
Mike Tannenbaum. He was on ESPN earlier today, and this is what an expert had to say about this trade involving Jalen Ramsey. This is another sort of like interesting move by Pittsburgh. This is an all-in move, very atypical of Pittsburgh, very intriguing. Look.
Aaron Rodgers to me is still the third best current quarterback in the AFC North behind Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson. Very interesting move by the Steelers. Maybe they could get a good year or two out of Jalen Ramsey, help to defend those great offenses. Yeah, that's that's all g that's all good and well. Maybe they can get a year or two out of jail in Ramsey.
Listen. When you bring in Aaron Rodgers, and I know the guy was talking about last week how this might be a farewell tour, how he's likely to just call it a wrap at the end of the season, it doesn't matter what the Steelers do. This season or after this season to think about, oh, two more years of Jalen Ramsey. Who cares? They may have to move on from that guy.
If they just have to shut down shop completely, clean house and try to open things back up again. Like when you go in or when you bring in Aaron Rodgers, You're now on his schedule. Your year to year. Your back is up against the wall. And you have to listen and do what that guy says.
And if, quote unquote, you know what hits the fan?
Well There's gonna be some changes in Pittsburgh. Not to Mike Tomlin. I know Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers quite a different organization than what we have with the New York Jets. But please understand. The Steelers are already and everybody knows the Steelers know this.
They're going to be looking for a quarterback.
Okay, it's not even so much about hey, let's let's try our best to develop Will Howard. It's is nobody thinking about this guy like that. The Steelers have to think about now and they better go all in. And if not, well nine ten wins for the Steelers after this season, you can just go ahead and throw that idea out the window. And Mike Tomlin might have his first losing season if things don't work out with mister Rogers.
And even as an aside, uh forgetting about John U. Smith and throwing uh Ramsey out the window. They still haven't come to terms on a contract. With what? TJ Watt, is still looking for a new deal.
We see all the big guys who go ahead and get the quarterbacks as contemporaries. Miles Garrett getting forty plus mil a year. We can look at Max Crosby in Las Vegas. He's getting 35 plus a year. TJ Watt wants to get paid.
And now we're even hearing that their team saying, Oh, well, the the Steelers are active. Maybe we can poach a TJ Watt. Adam Schefter was having a chat with Pat McAfee, and this is what he had to say about the Edge Rushers' contractual situation. Uh everybody just has assumed rightfully That the two sides will figure it out. But I don't think they're very close right now.
And I don't think that he's particularly pleased.
Now, it could change just like that, and they could figure out a way to get it done. But you know what? They just gave Johnny Smith more money. They just gave Jalen Ramsey more money. They haven't given TJ Watt more money.
And you just wonder how that's going to play out here in the coming, again. He's such a part of the team, you cannot imagine him not being there.
So you would think that this situation would be settled by now, and it's not.
Well, listen. The man is thirty years old. He's been one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL since he started playing. This past season, 17 games he went out there and had a slow season, a bad season, normal for him, only 11.5 sacks. The year before that, he had 19.
I mean, the guy goes out there and gets the job done, and he's only getting paid $21 million for this upcoming season. Come on, do the math. I told you Miles Garrett is making forty? Max Crosby is making thirty-five in change. Uh TJ Watt is due.
For a boost, quite a boost into that probably 40 range. And so it is all kind of interesting at the same time. Because the Steelers are acquiring all of this talent, They're handing out deals and contracts and bringing dudes in. to just be a second tier team. in the AFC.
Like the Pittsburgh Steelers are not in the class of the Kansas City Chiefs. They're not in the class of the Buffalo Bills. They're not in the class of the Baltimore Ravens. And I feel by the time we get to the end of this season, The Pittsburgh Steelers, like I said, they will go into the postseason. And it'll probably get eliminated.
in the first or the second round. And I think a lot of Steeler fans know this, and so prepare yourselves. Yeah, maybe they can get lucky and a defense puts the screws on people. I just don't know. if they kin hang.
with the top three teams in the AFC. Second tier, not bad. Wild card, not bad. And this is why Steeler fans are probably ticked off year after year after year because the Steelers are good enough to get to the poll season. but not good enough.
to do. Any thing Else. Nice trade today for Jonah Smith. Nice trade today for Jalen Ramsey. TJ Watt, I'm sure, will get a contract.
But it feels like the Steelers are They're they're throwing a Hail Mary. with Aaron Rodgers. And if he doesn't connect in the end zone, well, they're going to have to start over again. 888-710-4ISN is the number. That's 888-710-4ISSN.
4ISN. Ryan Botcher, what are your thoughts on what the Steelers did today? I honestly think they just went laterally because if you really look at the Steelers' defense. I I trust Darius Slay, just bring him in, even though he is old, injured. I don't really see the benefit of getting rid of Minka Fitzpatrick and just replacing him with Jalen Ramsey if you're removing him to safety.
I think they're almost comparable at this age in time in the NFL.
So I guess you may want to change the salaries. I like the Jonathan Smith pickup, but I don't see how this improves the team in the long term. It's more of like a quick fix. Yep, they're certainly in the position of a quick fix right now because God knows, as I just mentioned, Aaron Rodgers, there is nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Long term about that man and his future. If I'm a Steelers fan, I guess you kind of feel like the New York Jets did. Hey, we got one shot, let's try to go for it. And let's pray to God that when Aaron Rogers runs out of the tunnel That he is not writhing in pain on the ground four plays later. Hey, good luck to the Steelers.
They'll be fun to watch. I'll be paying attention in their first game against the New York Jets little revenge, probably, possibly. uh for Aaron Rogers. Uh but it's going to be business as usual. for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Good. but not good. Enough. And we're going to talk some Steelers. How about this?
Next hour. Joe Rutter is going to join us from the Pittsburgh Tribune, Tribune Review. I'm going to get his thoughts on everything going down in Pittsburgh. Bringing in John U. Smith and Slay and the contract situation with Watt.
Same old Steelers. We'll ask Joe next hour. Later on in the show, and speaking of big moves, the Houston Rockets have been very, very busy. Danielle Lerner is going to join us. She covers the Rockets for the Houston Chronicle.
I told you that the NBA's legal tampering period is officially open right now. Teams and players and their agents can come to agreements on contracts, although they can't be signed for several days.
So we have a lot to get into. If you want to holler at me the number again, 888-710-4ISN. That's 888-710-4ISN. What are your thoughts on the Pittsburgh Steelers? I say business as usual.
I don't see anything massive that's going to change. Just a few more headaches, possibly for Mike Tomlin, especially not knowing how long Aaron Rodgers is going to stick around. But we're going to take a break. And when we come back on the other side, speaking of sticking around, there are two all-star Hall of Fame MVP caliber players in Los Angeles. Both of them will be sticking around.
For a little while longer. I'm talking about LeBron James. And James Hardin. And in the case of LeBron, Is he really going to be sticking around? We're going to talk about these LA basketball players on the other side of the break.
Let's see if any news is breaking when it comes down to NBA free agency. I got you covered here. It's the JR Sport Reef show coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief. It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infiniti Sports Network.
888-710-4ISN is the number. That's 888-710-4ISS. 4ISN. I told you that the legal tampering period is now open in the NBA for free agency. And just while we were here in the break, we have one star who just got himself a new contract.
Jaron Jackson Jr. just agreed to a five-year $240 million extension to stick around. With the Memphis Grizzlies.
Okay, this man was defensive player of the year a couple of seasons ago. He can knock down a three. He doesn't rebound for a guy his size. A guy's like 6'10, 6'11, ain't grabbing no rebounds. But he's gonna be sticking around in Memphis.
Now, what the Grizzlies do long term, I have no idea. I think ultimately they will stick around or keep Jaron Jackson Jr. And I think that. I think the other buddy, John Morant, is sooner to be gone sooner than later. Memphis Grizzlies are a team to me that are just.
Kind of running in place. And the fact that they got rid of Taylor Jenkins, you know, pretty much to pacify John Morant, a guy who's never healthy, is still just. It's beyond me. No idea. Congratulations, Jaron Jackson Jr.
He'll be sticking around with the Memphis Grizzlies. And speaking of sticking around, we learned about two players that are going to be sticking around in Los Angeles. One is LeBron James. He's exercising his $52 million, $53 million option for this upcoming season. We'll get into LeBron in a little while.
And somebody else who's going to be sticking around in Los Angeles, no, he doesn't have a damn thing to do. With the Los Angeles Lakers. I'm talking about James Harden. James Harden got himself. a two-year 81 million dollar extension from the clippers and i guess if you're steve ballmer if you're lawren frank i guess you got no choice but to go for it and keep paying this man listen to the story courtesy of cbs sports hq we've got some breaking news out of the nba where james harden is declining his player option and signing a new two-year 81 and a half million dollar deal with the clippers That's according to ESPN.
He was set to earn just over $36 million next season on his old deal, but opted out for a longer one with a higher salary. Harden entering his third year in LA with the Clippers and was named to his 11th All-Star game last season, averaging a team high 23 points, nine helpers, and six boards per game. Not too shabby. Especially for a guy who's getting ready to turn 36 years old in a couple of months, about a month and a half. JAMES HARDIN I'm not I'm not gonna say he's washed.
He he's not. You just heard the numbers. He's about to be thirty six. He still dropped 23 points, nine assists, six rebounds a game last season. The man is not going out there and saying, Hey, here's 35 a night consistently like he did with the Houston Rockets.
And then he also helped hold down the fort while Kawhi Leonard was basically MIA trying to get his knee together for the beginning part of the season.
So James Harden can still go out there and play. The problem with James Harden. is the postseason. Horrific. Atrocious.
Things haven't changed for James Harden since he's gotten older.
Okay, I mean, it took seven games, seven games, for the Denver Nuggets to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers, who won 50 games. Not bad. Kind of hard to be in the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers. Listen to these numbers. for James Harden in that first round series before he went on vacation.
just from a scoring perspective where they certainly needed the help. Thirty two points, eleven assists. Amazing game. 18 points, 7 assists.
Okay, good game. Twenty and nine 15 and eleven.
Okay, the scoring is going down. Eleven and five. Twenty eight and eight in a game six. That's awesome. And then in a game seven, James Harden, as he's been known to do throughout his career in big games, James Harden.
laid an egg. Seven points. 13 assists. He was two of eight from the field, and I guess at that point he says, I'm tapping out. I am no longer shooting the ball.
It's not on me. It ain't got nothing to do with me. I'm out. And so I think it's just a crazy thing. Still today, when I saw the news yesterday, I'm like, James Harden, they're giving this guy $81 million.
There's a lot of money to go around in the NBA. And for a thirty six. thirty seven year old James Arden, making forty a year? Yeah, he's a great passer. I mean, he's never really overly relied on athleticism.
He he's smart, he's slick, he's shrewd. That's still a lot of money.
Meanwhile, you got Russell Westbrook out here sitting around trying to collect checks on on the veteran's minimum. He certainly can't command an offense the way efficiently that James Harden can. But James Harden will be sticking around. In Los Angeles. And I gotta be honest, this is just another team.
That's not going anywhere. And if you're Steve Ballmer, what else are you going to do? You can't hire anybody else. You have Kawhi Leonard. You have Zubach and then you also have James Arden.
What are you doing with Kawhi? Harden and Zubach. It's the same old song. I know we just talked about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nothing exciting about what they've done.
Bringing in John U. Smith and Jalen Ramsey seems like business as usual. But if you're if you're the Clippers Like Steve Balmer's whole intention is just to fill up the building. With that wall that they have out there in the The Jumbotron that that shoots T-shirts. Bach, are there any other gimmicks that he has in there that I'm missing?
Uh, not so far. I think they're gonna think of some more, like parachute t-shirts, is that one of them too? Yeah, it it comes out of the scoreboard, yeah. Yeah, that that's a classic. Oh, you want to go to LA and catch a t-shirt out the video board?
That's pretty cool.
Okay, we gotta make a trip. We can sit you in the wall, but I forgot. In order to sit on the wall, You have to be a Clippers fan, don't you, right? You have to have a ticket plan, I think it is. You have to have a ticket plan to sit on the Clippers' wall.
And there were times throughout the season. Wasn't that wall? It was kind of empty, wasn't it? I wouldn't be surprised. It's L.A.
What do you think about James Harden? It's. I feel bad. Like the five Clipper fans that exist Like, this is what they have to deal with year after year. Why even show up?
You know the result. Is Kawhi going to be healthy? James Harden will be moderately healthy. He'll go out there and play. And the Clippers will win 40 or 50 games, and then they'll do like the Steelers.
They'll be eliminated. Like, there's nothing fancy about this. But you can't you can't immediately just be like, okay, we're gonna go nowhere, so we're just gonna go down.
So I I like the effort of trying to keep hard in here and trying to maybe get something to work with Kawhi. Maybe they fully stay healthy, which is very unlikely. But you could see that when they all played, there were they weren't a bad team. You see they went seven with the Nuggets. The Nuggets also went seven with the Thunder.
So it's like they're... If you look at it that way in the delusional aspect, where it's like they weren't that far off from competing. You could maybe try to do it one more time. Maybe. Yeah, they'd have to be lucky.
And there's a lot of teams in the NBA. And, of course, everybody needs a little bit of luck. The Clippers are in that space. Like they've they've they've pretty much maxed out. on what they can do and what they can't do.
like you have hitched your wagon to Kawhi Leonard. And James Harden. Paul George is now long gone. He wanted his contract. You didn't pay him.
Norman Powell emerged as a scoring threat, a big time scoring threat last year. But there's there's nothing fancy. About these clippers.
Now, I will tell you this: it's being reported, and it's a rumor right now. that Chris Paul is choosing between playing for the Clippers Or moving on and going back to the Phoenix Suns. We heard all weekend that Chris Paul is interested in playing closer to his family in Los Angeles. He is now on the other side of forty, seven time defensive first team player, and he wants to extend his career.
Now even if he went to the Clippers, Big deal. Big whoop-dee-doo, okay? They they still the Clippers right now feel like a retirement home.
Okay. You got Kawhi Leonard, James Hart making big money. Chris Paul will probably show up on a minimum, but it feels like a retirement home. And there's too much that has to go right. It's like playing bingo.
Right now, the Los Angeles Clippers are. Good luck. Good luck. 888-710-4ISN is the number. That's 888-710-48.
For ISN. We also are getting a report right now from Sham Sharania. that Yannis Ateracumpo, is considering options outside Of the Milwaukee Bucks. We've been high, we've been low. Is he staying?
Is he going? We've heard it all as it relates to Giannis. And just maybe, possibly, he could be on his way out the door. I think he might be, because how the hell are the Bucks gonna improve? They they really can't.
Pretty much stuck. 888-710-4ISN is the number. We're going to get into LeBron and talk Giannis at the top of the hour. When we come back on the other side of the break, I do want to talk with you all. about a guy who hasn't even played a game in the NBA.
and he was he was the talk all from the draft to the weekend. His name is Ace Bailey. He finally showed up to work over the weekend. He got to Utah. He had a Utah Jazz t-shirt on.
He's wearing a t-shirt. You know, he loves it, I guess. And then we have some other rookies who made some interesting statements as well. NFL excuse me NBA draft is done. Free agency is here.
In the span of a week, we've gone from a championship, we've gone to free agency, we've gone to the draft, and right now on the Infinity Sports Network, before we talk about Ace Bailey, it's time for us to get to a news flash. Here he is. It's Rich Ackerman. You're listening to the JR Sport Brief. It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast on the Infinity Sports Network.
Lots of big deals goin' on all day. Steele is making deals, bringing in Jalen Ramsey, John U. Smith, On the NBA side of things, we got Jaron Jackson Junior is sticking around with the Memphis Grizzlies. A big time deal, big contract, five years, two hundred and forty million dollars. Dollars, okay, and then we have some other moves.
This you can consider this to be a minor move. But I think this is a good one. But the Houston Rockets Dorian Finney Smith. No longer a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, He is on his way to the Houston Rockets. Sham says that he has agreed to a four-year, fifty-three million dollar deal.
He's going to be moving on from the Lakers and now joining. The Houston Rockets. The Rockets now add some depth as they've already handed out some contracts. Jabari Smith has himself a new deal. Fred Van Vliet has himself a deal.
Emay Udoka has a new contract extension. Armen Thompson, he's a growing player. Can't wait to see what he does in his second year. And then also, of course, you got Kevin Durant here, who is well, Armen Thompson, moving on, continuing his career. And then you got Kevin Durant Who's supposed to be the chip to help continue moving them forward?
So the Houston Rockets are looking real good. We're going to have a chat in a couple of hours with Danielle Lerner, who she covers the Rockets for the Houston Chronicle. And so we'll definitely ask her about this edition of Dorian Finney Smith and what he means for this Houston Rockets team. We just. continue to get better and better and better.
So we'll keep you up to date on the free agency moves as they continue along. We've also learned via Shams that Giannis Teracumpo is open to moving on from the Milwaukee Bucks. I don't Bacha, is that even news at this point? It just seems like we we've known this for a while. It seems like it's a waiting game.
I think he wants to see. what teams can create space or build up capital before he makes a move. I I'm not gonna believe it till I see it. That's the only thing.
Well, we'll see. I think even if he returns, uh it's the the Milwaukee Bucks are kind of running on empty right now. They just gave Bobby Portis he got a new contract over the weekend that we learned about. And so yeah, you can take your legal tampering period and and pretty much kind of push it to the side. We know that that teams and players and agents, they They negotiate beforehand.
They don't just wait until the legal tampering period to open up.
So Bobby Portis is going to be sticking around with the Milwaukee Bucks. There was a thought that he might be moving on. Brooke Lopez is a free agent. He might be moving on. He could be a Los Angeles Laker.
Who knows what he does? But when you think about the rest of the roster, knowing that Damian Lillard is is out with that Achilles, But what's exciting? About these bucks, the answer is is nothing. You got Kyle Kuzma, who's one of the more uh Inefficient up and down guys in the league who you think can every now and then, you know, get you a bucket. Ah, if I were ye honest, yeah, I'd be sittin' around.
I be waiting. I'd be evaluating my options. Because this upcoming year with the Bucks is a lost one, thinking about what happens whenever Damien Lillard comes back? Is a complete waste of time. He's not gonna necessarily, you know, come back and and get better as he ages.
And Giannis, he's gonna be two years older by the time that that happens anyway.
So if I'm Giannis, I'm I'm pushing the eject button. I'm trying to see what's going on and I want to move forward. I mean, Giannis would be the biggest trade domino to fall. if anything else were to happen. We saw Kevin Durant move last Sunday.
The final day of the NBA season, game seven, before the finals. And if there's going to be another player moved, another big name, there can't be anybody really bigger than Giannis Atedacumpo. And so we'll get more into Giannis, and then, well, we'll talk about LeBron James at the top of the hour. 888-710-4ISN is the number. That's 888-710-4ISSN.
I do want to mention this. This is a guy who hasn't even played a minute in the NBA. He hasn't even played a second. He was selected fifth overall just last week by the Utah Jazz. He didn't work out fourteen.
Didn't meet with a team. Was scheduled to get down and meet with the Philadelphia 76ers and canceled on them. And then there were so many words about whether or not he was going to show up. or whether or not he is being disrespectful to the entire system. Ace Bailey He showed up over the weekend.
and went ahead. Enjoy the Utah Jazz. We can put it all to rest. much to do about Nothing. Nada.
Was he going to come? Was he going to go? Was he going to stay? Was he going to quit? What option did Ace Billy have?
The answer is none. If he got drafted and sat out, he doesn't get paid. The Jazz would have held his rights. The best thing for him to do is show up to work and play basketball, and that's what he did.
Now Ace Bailey not known for a being very vocal. He was asked If he ever considered not showing up and playing for the jazz, listen to his response here. No, no, no, I mean Just blessed to be in this position. I am. Not a lot of people can sit in these chairs and have great teammates as I got on that came on with me.
So I'm just blessed to be here.
Okay. Saying all the right things. Could have said these damn things last week. Maybe they did consider it. I mean, what is he gonna do?
Tell the truth? What is he going to say? Yeah, yeah, I didn't want to go to the Utah Jazz. It it serves him no purpose in saying that. And so he gets off the plane.
has a Utah jazz shirt on. and immediately is is is uh recorded Gettin' shots up at the gym. He's over here getting a little work out and putting some shots up, doing some dunks, getting people excited. And he was asked about his time in Utah and whether or not he went straight to the facility. It looked like he did.
Show I did. I was excited to see what the practice facility was like. It's a great scenery. As soon as I got off the plane, I didn't think the mountains was real. I mean, it was so beautiful.
It was just seeing that scenery, just being in that position, just getting off that plane, just meeting the coaches. It was just all great. The femme He likes the mountains. Mountains are beautiful. Good for him.
Yeah, Ace Bailey from Atlanta, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, played in Rutgers. Botcher, New Jersey has mountains. He didn't see the mountains in New Jersey. It's not the same. It's all like eroded and I don't know.
It's like all stone. Like, because when you get out the tunnel, It's all like carved. It's not real mountains. Like Utah. Yeah, real mount yeah the rocks on Route 23.
Oh yeah, Ace Bailey, I guess.
Well, we got Stone Mountain here in Georgia. Not like the mountains in Utah. Good for Ace Bailey. And when thinking about his teammates, who he said he can't wait to go out there and play with him, I don't know who he's gonna play with. Jordan Clarkson apparently is getting bought out.
From his contract with the Utah Jazz, he can take his scoring elsewhere. We know John Collins just re-upped on his deal. They still have Laurie Markinen, who is there, Isaiah Collier. You would expect him to start putting up some more shots. And so Ace Bailey is going to have to find.
How he fits in. And apparently, that was his biggest issue. And upon being drafted, I need to go somewhere where I just put up every shot imaginable. Like Washington. Didn't happen that way.
This is what Ace Bailey said he can bring to a team. I got great energy. I mean, I can do everything from rebounding, from defense, to scoring, to passing.
So I could say I could bring it a lot in different ways. Great. Terrific. We'll see how it goes. The minute things go bad, the minute things don't work out.
People are going to be yelling and complaining about whether or not He wants out. I hope he's not pouting. I hope what we just got out of him last week is pretty much the most that we hear about Ace Bailey. Because people will be waiting to beat the drum. about how unhappy he is and he needs to get Move.
That's Ace Belly. Anyway, we have some other guys who were introduced to their new teams. How about this?
Derek Queen. Had that big shot in the NCA tournament from Maryland, helped him go on a run. undersized, unathletic, a forward played center in college. Pelican said we want him. had a trade with the Atlanta Hawks to get em.
Joel Dumar is dead. And so Derrick Queen, people looking at the deal, specifically Bill Simmons, thought it was one of the dumbest deals ever. Joe Dumar says, I know what I want. Derrick Queen can play basketball. Not the most athletic guy in the world, but can go out there and get you some buckets.
And Derrick Queen was asked if. If he's uh hearing the criticism. about the trade and he says uh yes i did and i'm looking to prove some people wrong Yes, definitely. Uh Cause I mean I'm I'm gonna stand here. I don't think nobody in that class ever is gonna be better than me.
So I block all the noise out. Um And then He got a lot of faith in me. Most of those guys I I beat on in high school, so it don't it don't really it don't really matter, but Just gotta continue. I know the NBA is a whole different level, so just gotta continue getting better. Don't get too big-headed, don't get too low, and just and just.
just beat on them next year when they when they come when they come in and and and and make Joe look like a genius.
Okay, and make Joe Dumars look like a genius. Joe Dumars did have success, championship success, with the Detroit Pistons about twenty years ago. Joe Dumar is a champion himself. I think he has an idea. Of what he's doing.
So I like Derrick Queen. Anyone who says I beat on half of these guys growing up, beat on them some more.
Now we got to see if you can beat up on guys who are older than you and more athletic. I'm rooting for Derrick Queen to have success in New Orleans. I'm rooting for the Pelicans to have success. This is a team that's been screwed. Because of Zion.
Zion likes to eat? Zion likes to do other things. It seems like Zion likes to do everything except for improve on the basketball court. Good luck to Derrick Queen down in New Orleans.
Meanwhile, how about this? Ace Bailey, his former teammate with Rutgers, Dylan Harper, selected number two overall behind mister Cooper Flag, who went to the Mavs. Dylan Harper is now on the Spurs. They have a track record here, the Spurs. of pushing out Rookies of the Year.
You think about what they've done over the past couple of seasons. Stephon Castle, you think about Victor Wembanyama, obviously.
Now, Dylan Harper joins the mix. And he wasn't shy right out of the gate about talking about his expectations with the Spurs. Listen to this. That's going to change really quick. That's gonna change quick.
I mean We're gonna now we gonna meet the playoffs. But just I think for the Spurs for Spurs fans and everyone else, just I mean I think our group is very exciting. There's a whole lot to look forward to. I mean, just sky's the limit for this group that we got. I don't think I feel no pressure, but I definitely want to keep that going.
That's definitely a goal of mine, but I mean. Probably my biggest goal is just getting better every day and just taking day by day, step by step, and just learning from everyone I can. Everyone's connected from an organization from 20 years to now. Like, yesterday I'm just, I'm working out and I randomly see Tim Duncan, Greg Popovich, and Manuz Noble. Like, that's not something you'll see in any other organization.
So, just the family, just the loyalty, and just how everyone treats each other with such respect. Yet things are about to turn and change For the San Antonio Spurs. It really is. You think about the Spurs, they have been. The cellar dwellers.
For the better part of like the last five years, when they moved on from Tim Duncan and Genobole and Parker, naturally, the thought is: well, what's next? And they what next themselves into Victim Wembenyama, they what next themselves into Stefan Castle. They've been able to go forth and and and put together a solid roster uh surrounding. Victor Wembenyama. They have De'Aaron Fox.
They'll have him for an entire season. You have still Devin Vasalle, who can still go out there and get you some buckets. And so they're a young team. I don't know if they're going to make the postseason. It's going to really depend on how big of a leap.
Victor Wimbanyama is gonna take. This man was knocking down threes and being a super destroyer under Before going down with that blood clot, Victor Wimbañama is an easy guy to root for, and the San Antonio Spurs, I think they have finally hit the mark. They're going to be making a lot of noise for a lot of years, especially as these young players continue to grow. Be on the lookout. For the San Antonio Spurs.
It's the JR Sport Re Show here with you, coast to coast, on the Infinity Sports Network. 888-710-4ISN is the number. That's 888-710-4ISN. We're going to take a break when we come back on the other side. We've talked about some of the free agent moves that have taken place.
Jaron Jackson Jr. returning to the Memphis Grizzlies on a big deal. Dorian Finney Smith leaving the Lakers for the Houston Rockets. We're going to talk about someone who is sticking around. With the Los Angeles Lakers.
For now, his name? LeBron James. I'll explain why it might be for now on the other side. You're locked in, you're listening to the JR Sport Reef show Coast to Coast on the Infinity Sports Network.
