Draymond Green, CP3, and restructuring of NBA teams for next season.

When I saw the news that Bradley Beal was essentially traded, the deal was agreed to yesterday, though it is on hold. Washington and Phoenix have swung a deal, and that Chris Paul was headed the other way, part of the package going the other way, including Landry, Shammet, I don't know, 17 second round picks, and then pick swaps until the NBA folds. I thought, well, there's no bigger Chris Paul fan than my friend Brian Geisinger. Buzzbeat podcast, Pac Pride, Devil's Den, points three, five, seven, eight other spots that you can read his work online.

He joins us on the Adam Gold show at BGeist underscore bird. What is Chris Paul at this stage of the game? I mean, he's still a good player. Like, I don't think he's washed necessarily, but he, while still being a pretty good player, is someone that has proven now over multiple seasons, it's hard for him to stay healthy in the postseason. He's sort of broken down in over three straight playoffs now.

Yeah. And then that was sort of one of the main reasons why the Suns were looking to sort of move on from him. But this is a guy who had multiple times, I think in both, maybe 2019 and other points of his career, it's sort of like looked over for him. And then he goes to Oklahoma City and he gets in better shape and rebuilds, you know, he sort of like sets the builds culture for the Thunder and look, I mean, the Thunder look ready to make a jump. And I mean, a lot of that has to do with Shane Gilders Alexander and all the other good players they drafted.

But that kind of did start with Chris Paul and Sam Presti together. So and then ultimately that gets him in Phoenix. So I think he can still be a guy that that helps you win. I can still think he can be a guy that contributes to a title type team. And I still think he can be on the court in the postseason and various late game scenarios.

It's just you would need probably if it's going to be a team that's trying to win now. I think you can still help there, but it's probably going to be at a diminished capacity in terms of pick and roll touches in terms of usage, in terms of, you know, clutch minutes, all that sort of stuff. Like he's still a very good offensive player, even without his ability to turn the corner.

It's the it's the health, the size, the defensive concerns, but he's still an okay player. Like, we'll see what happens. Like, I don't think he's going to play all next season in Washington for the Wizards.

So no next steps remain to be seen. And my guess is he'll end up on a on a contending team at some point. Between now and like the trade deadline or the buyout deadline. Yeah, why Washington is a Brian Geisinger is joining us. Washington is a complete rebuild again. I don't know how many times they how long they've been in a complete rebuild, but you get there's no use for a Chris Paul on a rebuild. He has to be part of an established team that is ready to win. My ultimate question for him or about him is if he goes to a team like the Lakers or I don't know the Heat or kind of have a version of him in Kyle Lowry, although a maybe a calmer version of Chris Paul. I don't know man. Those two guys are like two peas in a pod.

They are similar. I thought Lowry's a little bit more easygoing than Chris Paul. But if if he goes to a team that is established, does he go there in such a diminished role that it's mostly about his leadership and maybe giving them 15 to 20 minutes in a night that, you know, more so than being somebody who can play 30.

I think there's that's definitely a chance thing. A lot of that is sort of like situational, you know, Chris Paul still averaged 14 points nine assists per game last season. He shot 38% on three, right? Like he was still pretty good for a team that won a bunch of games last season.

So and he was a big part of that. But yeah, I think it would depend on, you know, if he ends up with the Clippers or the Lakers or the Celtics or whatever like on all those teams, like the offense and the crunch time is probably going to run through their power wings, you know, if it's the Lakers, it's LeBron or Austin Reeves or the Clippers. It's it's Kawhi Leonard. It's Paul George. If it's the Celtics, it's Tatum and Jalen Brown if he's still there, etc.

But I think so. I think Chris would probably have to, unless he's willing to like dial it back to what he to dial it up to what he was, like two seasons ago or three seasons ago. I think he's going to have to be ready to take on a little bit more diminished role.

My guess is that he'd be okay with that. Yeah, by the way, Celtics is very interesting because they absolutely need somebody like that. The only thing is like, do they need also someone that can get to the rim? Because that's something that like left Chris's game, you know, he's still been an elite point guard without the ability to get to the rim, but his ability to sort of like organize and also, I mean, you know, be a guy that's been a playoff performer and give them some toughness.

Yeah, it would certainly be interesting. By the way, Gold Chris Paul was we should have, we could have asked him any of these questions in person a couple weeks ago, when he was out at the the TST. He was in Cary, North Carolina. He was there every day. Yeah, pretty cool. Yes. Here's the reason he was out there is what I was told is that he owns a piece of the basketball tournament. So there was a business they were trying to for Chris to maybe drum up some interest.

Don't know if it worked or not. Also don't know if he had a great time, but I did let me at first of all, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant as a big three, and I'll leave DeAndre eight now to this because I think that Phoenix is going to have to move eight and just to recoup something. Otherwise, you can't play with four. You must have more than you might got to have at least five on the court. So how does that big three stack up for you? It does seem like they'll break eaten into multiple rotation players, right? Because you've got the three stars. You just need to sort of like build out the roster four through eight, four through nine.

It's a really impressive bunch. I mean, Booker is a stud like Devin Booker is, I mean, is he the best shooting guard in the world? He might be. He's a point guard now. And he can play point guard.

He's very good at it. He's in the prime of his career. And Beal can vacillate and play on the ball some too. So, you know, I think they'll have to work out something maybe from a playmaking standpoint, but the pull-up shooting, the overall talent, the skill is so, so, so good. I mean, I still think Phoenix is going to be lacking like dynamic rim pressure. We'll see what they break eight and into if they end up trading him because I don't think Beal is like, you know, just a maniac downhill driver, but he's an incredible pull-up shooter.

He's an incredible, you know, multi-level score. He and Booker or pardon me, he and Booker and Durant, all those guys can also play without the ball and they're also all incredible shooters. So like when you're talking about can this work, can this fit having shooting and having stars that can be threats both without the ball and with the ball. It's like, you know, Bradley Beal doesn't play like Trae Young when he doesn't have the basketball, right? He's constantly relocating.

He's cutting. You can run him off screens. You can do that with Durant and Booker too. So like I think Frank Vogel will get in the lab and find some way to blend those three guys together. And I think their shooting and their willingness to play off the ball is going to allow that to function.

The main thing will just be like, I think how healthy are those guys and what do they have in the tank come postseason time? But I'll tell you what, Cole, it is a heck of a lot to have, you know, roster construction from Phoenix to try to go at, you know, Nikolai Jokic in the land for Nuggets, like all that to go up this one guy, it's it's it is it is it's pretty amazing. But I thought the deal for both teams, Washington and Phoenix, worked out. The Suns really didn't have to give up that much to get an all star college player in Bradfield because of the no trade clause, which ultimately killed any sort of leverage that Washington had. But they get off that deal, they get off the money, and now they can start the rebuild finally, start the rebuild. They've been in a constant state of rebuild.

Brian Geissiger at big guys underscore bird on Twitter. So Draymond Green opted out of twenty seven point six million dollars for the final year of his contract. Does he have a value in the marketplace that would get him a long term contract?

Oh, for sure. I mean, I'm not sure if Draymond is still a max player, especially as the league is heading towards, you know, even even as the league is heading towards a new media deal, you know, you're going to have all these new cap restrictions coming into play in 2024. But is he still like he was still like on win healthy. He was still probably like the best defensive player in the league last season or certainly like a top three or four defensive player. You know what he does passing. Certainly he and Steph are like, you know, a match made in heaven with Steph's gravity and movement and Draymond's passing and dribble handoff skills. So, yeah, he absolutely does.

I would say at least from like a defensive standpoint, team defender, one on one guy that can guard a bunch of different positions and just because of his passing and his like basketball instincts and intellect. Yes, I think he does have the ability to still command a multi year deal that's worth, you know, nine figures in total, but I'm not sure he's like a max player. But yeah, I could see him absolutely. I mean, like the kind of like, could you see him signing a 40 year deal for one hundred and five million? You can kind of like cop out, you know what I mean? It was stuff like that. But yes, I think he could still command a figure in in that neighborhood despite his age, his regression and offensive limits.

So here's my question. If if if he is that. Then why hasn't Golden State already re-upped with him? Um, because I think he has more, I think he has more value to Golden State. Then he does to any other team in the league.

Yeah, I would agree with that. I would definitely, I mean, like he sets this, he is the system for them defensively. He's a huge part of their offense with how he and Curry play together and play off of one another. You know, Golden State's in a little bit of weird spot. They let their GM go. Right, you know, Bob Myers. They let him walk out the door and they're going to, you know, Mike Dunleavy is taking over and the owner's super qualified son is also going to, you know, help out run basketball operations out there in the Bay Area.

So, you know, like, I mean, my guess is stuff like that probably does make this thing a little bit more challenging. I still think he'll like end up back there. He just probably wants to do it at a number that was above what he was going to be paid next season on the option or like whatever Golden State could have offered him in terms of an extension. So by this, by doing this, he thinks he can get more money on an annual basis and we'll see if he's correct or not. I think the last three years of, well, maybe not three years. I think the last half of whatever contract he signs is going to be Eudonis Haslam glorified assistant coach area.

All right, final thing. And this came from a question from somebody who's listener on Twitter who wants to know if there is any truth to a deal that would have the Hornets land Zion Williamson for the second pick in the draft. How much would Charlotte have to throw in to land Zion Williamson for the number two overall pick?

I'm going to be honest with you, like it's sort of tough to like parse through like what smoke and what isn't smoke. It probably says something about Zion's trade value though, that one, he's even available for a trade. This is a guy that like if his career was going according to plan, he would be absolutely untradeable.

Right. B, that the Hornets reportedly, according to Shams, and again, like who knows what's real, who knows what's not, are more interested in Brandon Ingram as a trade component than they are in Zion Williamson, if you subscribe to what Shams is reporting there. And that in theory, you could also say the Hornets could trade for Zion Williamson, but you would need New Orleans to throw more stuff into the pot to make it more appealing. How does that work in the NBA, but it's the exact opposite. The NFL is the ultimate automobile sales, right? As soon as you drive it off the lot, there's like 25% reduction in value. So it doesn't make a difference if you're a good player, like wait a second. We just got a third round pick.

That's all for that? Meanwhile, the NBA stars that have been around for 10 years, you know, are traded for five first round picks. It's all silly. Yeah, it's nuts. And I mean, like I do think the Utah, Minnesota, Rudy Gobert deal from a year ago, it's just sort of like broke the brains of like what like, you know, essentially six first round picks plus a bunch of good young players. Like it was a bit of a miscalculation.

A bit by Minnesota's ownership group, including Alex Rodriguez and the front office there. But yeah, like it is look, it is possible. I don't think it's I don't think it's super likely to happen. I don't think Charlotte should or will move the pick. I mean, maybe there's a chance if it's Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy and the 14th pick in 2024, like, you know, maybe if if that's what the deal looks like, then they ultimately do it. But the Hornets should just do that. Look, I just just push the Scoot Henderson button, man. Like I would do that.

If you could get way today, if you could get Brandon, Brandon Ingram and another good player in Trey Murphy. Yeah. And flop and flip picks. I would do that 100 times in a row. I mean, you could.

Yeah, you could do that. Like, I mean, I think that like if New Orleans is actually offering that, which, like, you know, I don't think like at this point, I don't think Trey Murphy has been mentioned like in any sort of, you know, actual like reported on trade action packages or trade options. It's just sort of like if this deal was going to happen in the Hornets, we're going to ask for a good young player.

That's absolutely where they would start. He could also very well just like be untouchable for New Orleans. And like just wildly so, like he's a really awesome young wing. And on some nights is like the best shooter in the world. So, yeah, I like he's one of those guys I would covet, you know, if I was sharp, if I were Charlotte or if I were, you know, want to keep him, if I were New Orleans.

That'd be guys underscore bird, Brian Geisinger. I appreciate your time, my friend. We'll talk again very soon. I know you're excited for the draft on Thursday. Talk to you before then. I know. Yeah, take care, guys. You got it. Brian Geisinger here on The Adam Gold Show.