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No thread or rain like the last couple of days. Nikola Jokic! One of the greatest big men in the history of basketball. He's done something the last two years which amazes me and it It's not the fact that he's had triple doubles, it's the fact that even though A 6'11 dude has had triple-doubles, and he's the NBA to citizens, he has not won an MVP. It's called Jokic Fatigue.
Nothing against SGA, amazing player, but 6'11, dude. Triple-double impact on his team. Can't wanna be Pigmont. For taking for granted a 6'111 guy is averaging 11 assists a game? Come on, ridiculous.
So he has reaffirmed his desire to be a Denver Nugget for life. They drafted him in the second round. They helped develop him into One of the greatest players in the history of the game, but... He is delaying signing a contract extension. Uh Until next summer.
He wants to wait until next offseason, and if you are a businessman, it does, in fact, make a lot of sense. He's in a deal right now through the next season that will pay him five years, $276 million. That's the super max deal. There is a player option for that final year. Of sixty two or so million dollars.
Now, Jokic, 62.8 million, which she can decline. But if he waits till next offseason, he can sign a historic. Five year. Three hundred and fifty nine and a half million dollar deal. Five years, three hundred.
fifty nine and a half million guaranteed dollars. I may not be good at math, but I understand that is right near $72 million a season. 72 million. That is crazy money, but By the economics of the NBA he is in fact worth it and It would be the largest contract in NBA history. And also, by the way, it could have a no-trade clause.
So here's the dilemma for Jokic. He is the greatest nugget. He has led this team to an NBA championship. The accolades are in. He's going to be a Hall of Famer.
He should have, like, four MVP trophies in his cabinet, but he only has two. But Nikolai Jokic is a man that It would be hard to see him play for another team, right? Like. I I just don't know if I could see him in another jersey. But he's kind of taking a risk, I guess.
Or is he? If Nikolai Jokic goes down after 20 games with, God forbid, a terrible injury. Denver really still has to sign him, right? Could you sell to a Nuggets fan base, yeah, we're going to let our greatest player ever walk? Yeah, we're not going to pay him the five years 300 and let's just call it, let's give him a half a mill extra and call it 360 million.
Yeah, we're not going to pay him that. We're not going to pay the greatest player in our franchise's history this contract he is entitled to because he qualifies for a Super Max deal. You kind of have to give it to him one way or another, right? Like, you don't want fans, you don't want to lose the fans by saying, no, we're being cheap and we're not going to pay Nikola Jokic us money.
So it kind of does make sense for him to wait till next offseason. and then sign that massive contract and max out every single penny he can. And I read that if he does get that deal. His career earnings will be about $720 million. Good for him.
Like, I don't begrudge somebody for making the money that they earn or deserve to make. The way the NBA salary structures are with Supermax deals, it's all tied to league revenue. And if a Supermax deal entitles him to $72 million a year, then go do it. Get that money. I I just think it makes sense.
But this is why, if you're a Denver Nugget fan or you're in the front office of the Denver Nuggets, you do have to have a little concern. Who ever thought that they would see Giannis Antodecumpo in another team's uniform outside of being a Milwaukee Buck? Did you ever in your mind envision That Antonacumpa would not finish his career in Milwaukee. And I don't mean, by the way, going back there in a couple years, okay? Like, if LeBron signs with Cleveland for one more year, it's okay, he goes back for one year.
finish his career his career as a cavalier. It's not what I mean. What I mean is that he will have played his entire career with one team. the way that Kobe did, or the way that Derek Jeter did, or Mariano Rivera did. Even though Tom Brady won a Super Bowl at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it's still strange to have seen Tom Brady in a Buccaneers uniform, right?
It was kind of weird. There's certain players, even Joe Montana with the Chiefs. There was success there. He went to an AFC championship game. Still kind of weird to see him outside of a 49ers uniform.
Jerry Rice wearing a Seahawks helmet at the end of his career just didn't make sense. Like Giannis Anto Decumpo, with what he did in Milwaukee being the face not just of that franchise, but of that city, right? When you thought Milwaukee sports Who came to mind? It wasn't Christian Jelich. It was Yanis Antonacumbo.
Now he's in Miami.
So while I sit here and tell you that there's no way I can ever envision Nikola Jokic ever playing for somebody outside of Denver. It's not unheard of. It's really not unheard of. 'Cause Giannis did it. Orchestrated his way out.
And if the Denver Nuggets, who by the way are kind of in a similar situation. that Milwaukee was a few years back, which is they had the success, they won the championship, and then it's like, how do you sustain this? We're getting older, how do we sustain this? Can we bring in a talent to where we don't have a drop off? Like they're gonna be at a crossroads, right?
They're there. Or if they're not, they're going to be next offseason. And if you're Jokic and you're not getting any younger. And you still want to win because you've already tasted that ring. You may look around and say, Yeah, you know what?
I've already earned like $400 million. I've earned enough money. I do want to win one more time, and I'm looking around this roster and in this locker room, and I'm not sure I see a championship caliber team. I can sign elsewhere and sacrifice a hundred mil or whatever it is, but it's still a boatload of money I'll make. Does he pull one of those deals like Giannis did?
Which is, yeah, I can stay here and sign a massive deal, or do I want to go someplace else and. See if I can win another ring before I call it a career.
So it's not unheard of. I just don't think I can see Jokic. Wearing another jersey at this stage in his career. But you know, the NBA put this salary structure in because of the fact they wanted. Top talent to stay in markets such as Denver.
Denver's not, look, it's a big city. I'm not sure I'd call Denver a big market club, right? Like, I don't think I'm going to say it's New York or LA or Chicago or a place like that. It's kind of that next tier.
So the point is, you know. The reason the NBA did this with Supermax deals and allowing The team that has the player to be able to sign them to a bigger contract than if they go elsewhere. Was to try to make sure talent stayed in smaller markets. And I think for a large part it's worked. But even though they may sign a player for more money.
It's not as if they're going to be in the poorhouse by signing with another team. You still make a lot of money. Sure, you're leaving millions upon millions on the table. But you're not starving. And you wait, do I want to make more money or do I want to win another ring?
So to me, this is kind of like the Denver Nuggets have been put on notice. This is them being put on notice. They're being told by Jokic, I want to be with you guys for the remainder of my career. This is where I want to be. And sure, I'll take your money.
But he's also kind of hinting Make sure you get this roster to a spot. Where it's a no brainer that next off season I'm not shopping myself. or telling my agent privately it's time to find me a new home. The way Yannis did. And Milwaukee understood this, and they went out and made some moves.
And I hate to tell you, the moves didn't exactly work out, right? Like these moves didn't work out that they did. to try to get themselves In a better position to not lose. Yanis. They brought in some players.
They freed up some money. They did some tricky stuff with a salary cap to try to make it work. It didn't work. They were no better. They brought in Miles Turner on a big deal, thinking he could solidify them inside, and maybe that would help Giannis, and it didn't work.
And Giannis looked around when he had an opportunity and said, I don't have faith in this roster. I don't believe this roster is good enough. Why am I going to tie myself to this team for another four or five years when I think we're going in the wrong direction? And Jokic has one year. To where he's going to examine this roster and say, is it good enough moving forward?
Are the pieces in place? Are we in a good situation? Where, if I give you five more years, which is the last five years of my. playing days That I'm going to be confident that we have a team good enough. year in and year out in the Western Conference, to challenge for a title.
Because I want to win again. Or does he go to a place like the Lakers that would gladly take him, or any team really? How many teams need a big man? The Knicks would love to have a big man of that caliber. The Lakers, of course, he's kind of been rumored going there sometimes.
So it's not unheard of to think of the fact that If Denver doesn't shape the roster up. He will say no to five years and $359.5 million, as crazy as that sounds. And next off season will be very similar to this off season. Where a superstar player that seemed to be a lifer in their city ends up leaving. It happened with Giannis and Milwaukee.
Could this be happening next year with Denver? and Jokic. But Crazy. Chris Canty. Love Chris Canty.
Always great stuff from Chris. He was asked the question. About potentially Denver having to get this roster up the way that we're talking about right now. To where Jokic is going to be happy to want to stick around past one more year. And does that include potentially making a move to try to bring in the guy who you can consider to be the best free agent out there?
That, of course, being LeBron James. Here's Chris Cantion on Sportsmanlike talking about this. The Denver Nugget is absolutely intriguing. When you consider the fact that That Nikola Jokic is contract extension eligible and has been for a year and still has not signed said extension. The Nuggets have a clutch client in Peyton Watson.
Who they are at odds with when it comes to a contract extension. And then, of course, championship DNA within the organization. But you've also had upheaval over the last several years in the organization. We're a year removed from the head coach and the general manager both being ousted.
So I do think, in a lot of regards, there has to be a lot of urgency for Josh Cronke and the Denver Nuggets to make a pitch to LeBron James to get him to join their franchise because they're a team that needs to desperately find a way to get back into the mix when it comes to Western Conference supremacy. Is LeBron James the guy that potentially can do that? But here's the thing: we talked about LeBron James, he is a one-year rental. If Lebrun goes to Denver and say they win it all LeBron probably walks off into the sunset, and Denver is once again trying to find. That other piece.
That Jokic can look at for the next five years, him and Murray and somebody else potentially, and say, this is the direction we want to go in, right? This is going to keep me here for five more years. LeBron is a rental for a year. Jokic is there for this year, regardless. Does Denver have a shot?
Steve Ashburner, NBA.com Senior Writer. We're going to talk a little about NBA. Find out what he thinks when it comes to LeBron sweepstakes. You got Philly. Got Miami.
You got Cleveland. Is Denver potentially a landing spot? For LeBron James. We got a lot to get into when it comes to the NBA. That is next.
It is Dan Schwartzman. It is a beautiful Wednesday here, absolutely gorgeous Wednesday. In for Rich Eisen right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Bump. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
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Rich Eisen Show, ESPN Radio, Dan Schwartzmann InfoRich on this Wednesday. I'll be in tomorrow as well. You can also catch it on the ESPN app and SiriusXM Channel 80 of the 80, the Rich Eisen Show presented by Progressive Insurance. Nicola Jokic looks like he's going to put off that extension till next summer. Five years, $360 million, biggest contract in NBA history he would be entitled to.
LeBron James, the decision probably coming at some point where he's going to play potentially his final year of basketball. Jalen Brown goes to the Sixers. Lot to get into. Our buddy Steve Ashburner from NBA dot com, senior writer, joining us. And Steve, let us start off with the Nikolai Jokic situation.
And while he has reaffirmed that he wants to spend his career there, Is there the right to be a little concerned as a Nuggets fan that he's putting off the extension? Meaning, If Denver struggles or the direction of that team seems to be going south, Could Jokic be next year's Yannis Antonikumpo, a legend for a team, getting his way and getting out? While the world watches the stars at the FIFA World Cup this summer, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent, future stars who are already turning heads at age 14. Because Next doesn't wait for an invitation, and neither do we. Hyundai has always moved the future within reach.
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Hi, Dan. Thanks for having me on. No, I understand that. And you'd say, well, the fewer years that you have a guy locked up, The more there is reason to be concerned. Obviously, if he can become an unrestricted free agent, you have no control at all.
And then, if he has a year or two, you know, that's when you see guys start to balk. And if he were locked in for long term, you know, then it's sort of like, well, where are you going? You know, and people can get over being upset with this or that.
So I get that. I just think that. Given the nature of of Jokic, Um It doesn't strike me as a blatant leverage type of move, you know, and a thing to to hold the nuggets' feet to the fire. But if it has that secondary effect, Of course, the primary being that he can make a lot more money by holding off. But if the nuggets feel pressure, that's a good thing for Jokic, you know, because.
He's got limited shelf life in his career, and I think he, you know, he wants more than one championship ring. That's kind of what we saw with Giannis. that one is great and one is a heck of a lot more than none. But two is better than one, and more than two is even better still.
So I think Jokic sort of gets the best of both worlds this way. He can qualify for a fatter deal, a fatter extension next year, and in the meantime, Keeping your You know, your team builders a little nervous. Uh uh the fans, you know, they're they're sort of uh Collateral damage, but keeping your bosses on edge. generally is a good thing if you're a player determined to win. And, you know, you mentioned it, and Milwaukee had that pressure on them, and they tried to make some moves to.
Enhanced that roster to where Giannis could see the vision, right? Miles Turner was brought in. They didn't work, though. The moves didn't work in the sense of making them a better team, and it didn't work because it didn't give him that confidence that they were going in the right direction. And here we are.
He's in Miami. What types of moves do you think Denver has to make over this next year to put them in a position where they're not going to be the Milwaukee Bucks?
Well, I think uh you know, they you can never have too much shooting. You know, Jamal Murray, he was an all star finally this this past year, but I don't think that that he has shown you know that he's capable on a consistent basis of of carrying the load if if uh Jokic is You know, having an off night. You know, they need somebody to emerge. They've got money committed, though, to. You know, Christian Brown and now Peyton Watson, you know.
A lot of their improvement is going to have to come from within. And those guys developing and flourishing.
So, yeah, it's not easy to tweak around the edges. You know, I You know, you mentioned Giannis, as I had mentioned Giannis, and I look at it and say, well, Is Giannis going to be better off if he goes to Miami and he doesn't get another ring? Or would he have been better off had he stayed and become the Dirk Nowitsky of Milwaukee, where you're a one-team guy, you win one championship, but you bust a gut to get there. you know, you had sort of an extended post title segment to your career. You helped usher in Luka Dancic.
And the statue for Dirk went up, I think, before the ink was dry on his sign-off.
So, you know, if Giannis goes and they don't win, is that better? Will a championship with the Heat mean as much as the one in Milwaukee? I mean, these are all his decisions. My personal view on this sort of thing, and it applies to LeBron: that if a guy gives you 10 years or more and he brings a title to your team, He sort of gets to do what he wants at that point. I just I like the one-team guys.
I like the Tim Duncans and Kobe Bryants. And of course, that was easy because. Not that the work was easy, but certainly them staying because they got multiple championships right where they were. They didn't have to change zip code.
So but I just look at somebody like Giannis, and I guess that would apply to Jokic as well. That If you were to need to go somewhere, if you tried to turn the screws on the Nuggets front office, Um would he be a happier guy? He seems to play mostly for the joy of playing and the money. And he likes being in Denver.
So, you know, okay, you're going to start to change that to live up to other people's expectations when you already have your ring, you have your MVPs. It's hard to say. I just, so many of these guys are so different. I think when Giannis's case, there should have been a little more acknowledgment on his part. that he had fingerprints on a lot of those moves.
You know, he wanted changes in that team. He was good with Damian Lillard coming in at the expense. Of the beloved Drew Holiday. And the whole coaching changes from Wittenholzer to Griffin to Rivers. You know, that had Giannis involved certainly signing off on things.
So when you're like, well, they're not keeping the winter going around me. They did things at your behest, or certainly, you know, with your full awareness. And if it doesn't work out, I it feels like to me the player ought to absorb some of that as well. Steve Ashburner, NBA.com, senior writer, joining us here on the Rich Eisen Show. Dan Schwartzmann in for Rich on this Wednesday.
LeBron is probably going to play, well, he's probably one and done, but he still has a lot left in the tank and can help a team. It seems Philly, Miami, Cleveland. We've heard Golden State.
Some believe Denver might be an option if. He can go there and help them win another championship. Ultimately, is there a front runner for where LeBron may end up? It's hard for me to guess him. You know, and don't sell.
My friends in Minnesota short either. You know, the Timberwolves are convinced they're the best fit for him. You know, I think we just start to handicap This thing and look at you know, you have to balance. Um, does he want to be seen as ring chasing? You know, well, maybe not.
I mean, but we haven't heard this from him or not. But I mean, you think, well, maybe he could go and and boost the team. that hasn't hasn't won or doesn't seem like a favorite. If you were to jump on board the San Antonio Spurs, uh for example, or even the Knicks, it's sort of like, well, it's hard to to gain in that situation if they if they won or got to the finals without you, then anything less becomes slippage and and and you know a detriment um I think the East is a better situation for LeBron just because the West is so deep.
So if you were to go to a Denver or a Minnesota, is that going to put them over the top against San Antonio and Oklahoma City? I don't know. That's a heavier lift as I see it. Whereas in the East, You know, my personal, and I guess it's a sentimental favorite: if he could go to Cleveland, he could serve both needs. They are a contending type of team, certainly in the East.
They're the team that he made his bones with and delivered a championship to. And if he could go back there and get them to a finals again, there might be some Cleveland people that say, Well, we want to show we can do it without LeBron. We've never done it without LeBron.
Well, that's fine, but do you want to go to the finals or not? That to me would be where he could he could serve both needs. He would have that sentimental last hurrah. And I'm not convinced that he's not going to play beyond this coming season, but if that were the case, he'd have that farewell tour and he'd be with a a pretty terrific team that that uh he could slip in, I think, pretty easily into their uh Their lineup and um They could have good things. It's just as he does he see the ceiling for the Cavaliers now.
You know, if James Harden and Donovan Mitchell are there as heavy ball usage guys. Steve, while we're on the Cavaliers, they give Donovan Mitchell a big extension. He is the man there. Is he a guy in your mind? Capable, he's a great player, you know.
But Carmelo is a great player, and he never won a championship. Is Donovan Mitchell, in your eyes, capable of being the best player on a championship team? A bandwagon fan. The biggest insult in sports. But this summer, during the FIFA World Cup, it's an invitation, America.
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I mean, we haven't seen it, and we've seen some failings and injuries and absences and kind of. and stuff like that, but I think so. I mean, I I see leadership in him. By and large, I see accountability. In in Bonavan Mitchell.
You know, he's not he's not scapegoating, you know, a lot. Yes, I think he's got that there. And I think this commitment solidifying things, he's still got the value to justify this contract extension. Garen, if he had We just talked about LeBron. I mean, if LeBron came in there and you know, could could boost that group.
I think Donovan Mitchell would would flourish beyond what he has already. I like Donovan Mitchell. I like their bigs. I've not been a huge James Hardin fan, though I do grant him that he has adapted his game to Both different situations and his advancing years. Um On the other hand, at playoff time, It's James Harden, and that seems to be an impediment.
to the teams he's been on in terms of going an extra step or two. The Rich Eisen show, Dan Schwartzman in for Rich, chatting with Steve Ashburner, NBA.com, senior writer. The Sixers also being mentioned as a potential landing spot. They bring in Jalen Brown. You pair him with Joelle Embiid on paper.
It seems to be a pretty good team, although Embiid only plays about half the time right now. There may be chemistry issues to work out between Embiid and Jalen Brown. You bring a Lebrun in there as well. Do they become an instant contender, possibly favorite in the East?
Well, to me, that would all swing on Joelle and Bede. Being available, staying healthy, getting in shape, and those things aren't unrelated. I mean, take them in the other order. Getting in shape keeps you from injuries, that keeps you available. I don't know that we've ever seen Embed in perfect shape, ideal shape, and now he's a little older and that's harder to do.
He's got his habits, his body has changed. To me, the biggest value of LeBron coming in there that he would be a natural for the Power Forward spot in Philadelphia. And when you when you put him with Jalen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Vijay Edgecombe, I mean, that's You got something, but that middle with MB still is going to dictate, I think, what the Sixers do. He's eating up so much of their salary cap, and you just can't sort of nudge that to the side and win in spite of him. He has to be a vital player, and that means he has to be available.
But to me, if Bri LeBron came in It's sort of Could he would he want to? I get this, but Could he inspire MB to take better care of himself? You know, and that would start obviously even before training. That's a great question, Cook. Lend him his trainers and do whatever else it takes to get him a little bit on more of a LeBron James regimen than whatever it is Joel Embiid has been doing in terms of his body.
The Dwell and Bead regiment doesn't seem to be working so well. Steve, prediction market, I'm going to tell you right now, I do think it's Cleveland, the sentimental. Fact, and they're really good team, by the way. Maybe a LeBron James away from winning another championship. Prediction market, Steve.
If push comes to shove and you have to make a decision, where do you think he's playing next year?
Well, I'm going to say Cleveland, although Philadelphia sort of is reared up now because Bob Myers sort of went out there on the record with Rich Paul and gave a real sales pitch. And we could all be wrong. It all could be misdirectioned because he wants to go and hang out with Draymond and Steph Curry in Golden State. But I would I would say Cleveland, Philadelphia, Golden State in that in that order. We're going to see shortly, hopefully, where LeBron James will be playing ball next season.
Steve Ashburner, NBA.com, Senior Writer. Steve, appreciate the time as always. You're welcome, Dan. Awesome stuff. That's the big question.
Where's LeBron going to go? Listen, he's going to help any team he goes to. Cleveland makes the most sense in terms of going home that final time, and by the way, they're a really good team. Philly just might be too much of a problem. You know, and Bead's a great player, but.
He's never available, so that's a problem. If Embiid has, God forbid, another injury and misses significant time. Is LeBron and Jalen Brown good enough to win for you? Mm. E probably not.
But if MB can stay healthy and gets on some sort of LeBron James health regiment and can play 70 games and stay healthy for the playoffs, then yeah, I mean, that's a pretty. Pretty good roster. Potentially could win something. Real quick, the Donovan Mitchell question that I asked Steve: Is he a guy that can be the best player on a championship team? Just big stats and being a great basketball player doesn't do that.
And I'm going to throw out the name Jalen Brunson.
Okay, Brunson is obviously a heck of a scorer, a heck of a basketball player. Very few people get max out of their body the way that Jalen Brunson does. But Brunson also has this instinct, right? Like, he doesn't want to go down without a fight. Like, he's going to give it all and.
Willingly put that team on his back. Like, he wants to do that, he wants to be the guy. And that's a mentality that Kind of enhances who he is as a player. And that's the kind of mentality that I think you have to have to be the best player on a championship team. And you saw it this year at the Knicks.
He had help. Cat was great. Carl Anthony Towns is great. OG was great. You know, bridges showed up when they needed, blah, blah, blah.
But In the end, it's Brunson who came through and put that team on his back. Can Mitchell do that? We haven't seen that yet. It seems he has the ability to do so. and step it up a notch, but we haven't seen it yet.
LeBron James probably would work wonders for Mitchell in terms of his development, not as a player, but the mental aspect of being. The guy on a good team, a championship caliber team, now that he has signed. That massive Supermax contract. Time will tell. But if I'm running a prediction market, which I'm not, I would say Cleveland makes the most sense.
Jalen Brown on paper. What a great move for the Sixers. Paul George draft picks. to get a guy of his stature scoring 29 points a game. But underneath this all are the Sixers a better team and is Boston.
A better team without Jalen Brown. Even though you're taking a bunch of points. Off of Their ledger. We're going to attack that question next. Dan Schwartzmann on a Wednesday in for Rich.
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Wrapping things up, it is a Wednesday afternoon. Dan Schwartzmann in for Rich Eisen, Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio, the SPN App and Series XM Channel 80, the Rich Eisen Show presented by Progressive Insurance. Jalen Brown, this offseason, moving from the Celtics to the Sixers, and by the way, coming off his best year. Finishing, what, sixth in an MVP voting, averaging about 29 points a game. Big numbers.
And. When you think about the Celtics over the last what decade or so, you think Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown, and that, of course, is now over. Tatum has talked about the it's going to be kind of weird.
next season not having Jalen Brown co-starring.
Next to him. The trade became official this week with the Sixers. Paul George, two first-round picks, two second-round selections as well. And You know, it's just They kind of wonder why this was done. Was there some sort of a behind-the-scenes beef between Tatum and Brown, and maybe a power struggle of sorts?
Did they have to trade Brown? Why? You know, they were successful, Tatum and Brown being the. The duo kind of leading that organization. Like, Tatum went down with the injury, he missed significant time.
But it didn't seem that there was anything that would make you think that a divorce had to happen. Or did they just make this move because they wanted to shake things up? Did they make this move because Brad Stevens thinks he's more clever than everybody else, and somehow this move is going to pay out? You know, there's not a lot of Paul George fans out there anymore. I mean, I think people look at Paul George as being near the tail end of his career.
Are two two first round picks on a pretty good team? And two second-round picks going to make that much of a difference? Is that going to put you over the top and kind of rebuilding? I'm not so sure, but I do think there's got to be something. Behind the scenes between Tatum and Brown that kind of facilitated this, and Evan Cohen from Unsportsmanlike kind of talked about.
Jason Tatum in the power that he had, and he In terms of this deal going through or not going through, take a listen. It is more his team now than it has been at any point during his tenure as a Boston Celtic. If you think about some of the players he's played with, right? Jalen Brown. Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Marcus Smart, not an all-time player, but an all-time Celtic fan favorite.
It is more Jason Tatum's team today than it ever has been.
So if they're fed up with Jalen Brown, could Jason Tatum have stopped it? You damn right he could have. Absolutely agree with Evan there. If Jason the NBA players have the most power in terms of dictating demands, then I think any other league.
Now, maybe a quarterback. has more power. because it's the most important position in sports. But very few leagues allow the star player to, in essence, Make decisions, right? A star player will get a head coach fired or hired.
A star player will have some sort of a say in dictating the supporting cast around him. If Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown had kumbaya between them, I don't think this deal happens. Clearly, there was a reason why this happened, and Jason Tatum is the guy that stays, and Jalen Brown's the guy that goes.
Now, Brown kind of rubbed me wrong. When he talked about Despite this being, you know, not a successful season for the Celtics, they didn't win anything. He talked about it being like his best year, right? Like the most fun he's had or something. That's kind of a telling quote in itself.
'Cause he had the spotlight to himself for a while until Tatum came back and came back earlier than people had expected.
So, is there something there? Absolutely, there's something there. And Could they have gotten something better? Then Paul George and draft picks. Or do they know something that the other teams don't know?
Who knows a player better? Than anybody else, the team that he's on. Because they see what he does, work ethic wise off the court. They seem to understand more what a player is made of and not made of, right? Because they see it every day in and out of the facility.
And you don't find guys like Jalen Brown Being a dime a dozen type of NBA player. No, he's a special player. And really, until recently, you never thought that the Celtics would sour on Jason on Jalen Brown. It made really very little sense. And You know, for Brad Stevens, this is going to be a stamp on his legacy, positive or negative.
If this trade backfires, and a lot of times when teams trade a superstar player, It does backfire because it's hard to replace that talent. You don't just go out there and to the supermarket And pick Jalen Brown off the shelf. It doesn't happen. They're not there. Players of that caliber just aren't there.
You don't get lucky in a draft that many times where you get a guy like Jalen Brown. The superstar player, 29 points. And I've seen quotes attributed to NBA team officials that remain unnamed. Let's say he'd be like the sixth option. That's how we view him on a team.
Come on, man. Sixth options aren't scoring 28.7 points a game. Come on, he can impact a game. Maybe he's not a true number one.
Okay, fine. The true number one in the Celtics, of course, has been Jason Tatum, but let's not try to downplay the ability of Jalen Brown. Right, they went to what, uh, you know. NBA Finals twice, they won a championship. with Jalen Brown there.
I just think it's ridiculous to try to downgrade. His impact on a team. Look, I give. The Sixers a lot of credit. Like, you've got to go out there when there's a talented player that's obviously available, and the price is right, and that price to me is really good for Philly.
Paul George in two first and two seconds, you make that move. You don't not make that move, and then try to explain it away later as to why you wouldn't make a trade like that. On paper, it's a fairly lopsided deal, to say the least, right? When you first heard Jalen Brown got traded to the Sixers, and this is what the Sixers shipped back in return, you probably thought, Oh, my goodness, the Sixers ripped off the Celtics These are rivals, by the way. That's all they gave up for Jalen Brown?
That's probably what your first reaction was. He didn't delve deeper into the move to try to figure out why this was done. You just looked at it on paper and said, no question the Sixers got the better of the deal. This was a deal they had to make, and they made it. I give the Sixers a ton of credit.
They're trying to keep this. You know, this time frame of success they've had recently going. They want to kind of keep the party going. They had those really lean years where they were clearly losing on purpose and trusting the process, as they called it. And it was embarrassing.
They got high draft picks. They ended up with Ben Simmons, Joelle and B. because they were tanking games. And they had a season where they won like 10 games. I mean, it was an absolute joke.
I was in Philly at that time, and it was a joke. It was sad. And you go to a game and there'd be nobody in the stands because why are you going to pay to watch a team actively trying to lose, which is what they were doing. And they weren't hiding that. Trust the process.
Well, people trusted the process and they won 50-some-odd games and They were obviously competitive. But they never won a championship. And now you're just like, okay, we went through the years with. You know, they had the Jimmy Butler team. They had a couple other players they brought in that.
They thought would be difference makers and keep them where they are and put them over the top, and it never worked out. They've tried to pair people then beat, it hasn't really worked out. And this is their latest effort to try to pair somebody with Mb. to put him on a footing where in an Eastern conference that I do think is wide open, even though the champion Knicks are from the East. You know, on paper, the the Sixers with Jalen Brown and Joelle Embeden, if they get LeBron, are as good as anybody.
They're as good as the South Dakes, they're as good as the Knicks, the Cavaliers, the Pacers, right? They're right up there. It's wide open, more so than the West. Do you want to compete against the Spurs and teams like that? Probably not, OKC.
Time will tell, but What happened in Boston for Jalen Brown to now be a member of the Sixers? Want to thank James Steele and Nick Carty. Amazing job by those two on the other side of the glass. It's been a lot of fun, obviously, filling in for Rich. I will be back in this seat again tomorrow.
Coming up, Freddie and Harry up next here on ESPN Radio. Dan Schwartzmann in for The Rich Eisen Show. Have a great rest of your afternoon. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Yeah.
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