NBA Free Agency: Klay Thompson Joins Dallas Mavs in $50M Deal
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00:00Hey guys, the NBA season just ended but the fun never stops in the NBA because we love to talk
00:06ourselves some free agency and a lot of money and a lot of players will change hands over the next
00:11few days and quite frankly already have. It's our duty to bring those indicators to you of why
00:17some of these moves make absolute sense and if we're looking at the Dallas Mavericks,
00:21I told you in the opening stanza here of the early line for this morning show,
00:25I thought Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks was the absolute perfect spot for the Splash
00:30Brother to land and as you see that graphic there, a three-year, 50 million dollar deal
00:35for Klay Thompson to go from the Golden State Warriors over to the Dallas Mavericks. If we
00:40are looking at that anticipated starting lineup now for the Dallas Mavericks entering into the
00:442024 season, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and now you put
00:50into that small forward position, Klay Thompson. Now the question is going to be, we do know Klay
00:55Thompson of right now, it's not the Klay Thompson of 2017, 2018 and on. He's older, he's been
01:02injured and not quite the same player but that doesn't mean that he can't be an efficient part
01:06of a machine that has a legitimate chance to be an NBA champion. You just saw the Dallas Mavericks
01:12go last year into the NBA finals and came up a little bit short. They just didn't have enough
01:17firepower. So Ben, when we talk about the Dallas Mavericks making the move for Klay Thompson,
01:21he doesn't have to be the hero. He doesn't have to be the franchise savior. He just has to come
01:26in and play his part, which means play a little bit of defense, knock down your wide open three
01:30point shots. I love the fit here for the Mavericks and Klay Thompson. Donnie, you could see the
01:35writing on the wall last year in Golden State, Klay Thompson coming off the bench that maybe
01:41this historic 13-year run would be coming to a close. We'll see what his role is in Dallas now
01:48along Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but it does seem to be a natural fit. And you said this
01:53yesterday, do not pay for nostalgia. For what we are seeing in terms of this NBA summer and some of
01:59these off-season acquisitions, three-year deal worth 50 million dollars is not terrible. And it
02:05sounds crazy to say because Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have been such a factor in the NBA over
02:11the last decade plus, decade and a half, that Klay Thompson is 34 years old and yet doesn't feel
02:17like he is 34 years old. But that's where he is in the later stages in his NBA career. When you
02:24look at the odds in terms of how things play out in the Western Conference, we are seeing some new
02:30emerging teams near the top. The Mavericks price a little bit shorter after the acquisition of Klay
02:37yesterday under five bucks. But Donnie, keep an eye on those top four teams. Three teams under a
02:43price to win the Western Conference crown next year. Four teams separated by less than a dollar
02:49and a half. The Thunder, now the favorites in front of the Nuggets after the acquisition yesterday
02:54of Isaiah Hartenstein. The Nuggets, the second best price. The T-Wolves not all that far behind
02:59Denver. And Dallas not all that far behind Minnesota. It is a new look in the Western
03:05Conference because entering last season, despite at the end of the year, the top four seeds being
03:11OKC, Denver, Minnesota, and then Dallas in the five spot entering the season. It was still the
03:16Suns, the Clippers, the Lakers, the Warriors expected to make a run. And some of these teams
03:22deeper down the board, Oklahoma City and Minnesota overperforming on expectation. Now it's almost a
03:29changing of the guard, if you will, out West. Yes, it is. And also, I love the fact that we're
03:34taking a look here in the summer. Now, granted, again, for agency, it isn't over. We're going to
03:38see how some of these teams fill out over the summer before they get the training camps. But
03:41take a look at the OKC Thunder, plus $3.50 price. Denver Nuggets, four to one price. Minnesota
03:46Timberwolves, plus $4.30. The Dallas Mavericks, plus $4.90 before you get that shelf to the Suns
03:51and the Lakers. And you can honestly make an argument for each one of those top four teams
03:56as being the best teams in the Western Conference. If you're asking me right now,
03:59look, we always know what we get out of the Denver Nuggets, but they weren't splashy this
04:03offseason. They're just going to sit back and like, you know, we got Jamal Murray. We got our
04:06center here, who's the MVP, and quite frankly, could win another one this year. We'll be fine.
04:10Team continuity is what's going to make the most sense. But I love what the Oklahoma City Thunder
04:14did this offseason so far. They added those, and what we called yesterday with Coach Jam
04:18Jung was on the grown-ups in the room. And I thought that made a lot of sense where you have
04:23a young team that's learning how to win on the fly, get some of those grit and grime guys that'll
04:27play hard defense and be leaders in that locker room. I think it's fantastic. The Minnesota
04:32Timberwolves, we know what they have. They have enough to get over the hump now. The Dallas
04:35Mavericks adding Klay Thompson. And also, let's not forget, the Phoenix Suns, if they don't make
04:40any changes, that is a hell of a talented squad that's coming back. LeBron James, let's just say,
04:44if they get DeMar DeRozan here as they're waiting to see what LeBron James is going to opt back in
04:49for if they have enough money to spend on another free agent type of player or to make a move,
04:5315-1. I love the Western Conference, loved it last year, and it looks sensational, Ben,
04:58heading in already to 2024. Yeah, it does. Listen, LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain
05:04in Los Angeles. As of this moment, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal remain in Phoenix.
05:11To my knowledge, none of those three of the big three out in the desert are free agents.
05:16Could there be some trades later this NBA offseason and summer ahead of next year?
05:21Certainly so. But as of right now, those are the loaded rosters. And yet we look at Golden State
05:27after 13 seasons with Klay Thompson and, of course, 15 years with Steph Curry. The year
05:34after Klay was drafted, Draymond Green selected in the second round by Golden State. That big three,
05:40the anchor of the franchise that turned things around near San Francisco for this team, four
05:47NBA championships. A five-time All-Star was Klay Thompson after 13 seasons in Golden State. In DRS,
05:54of course, there was the magical run from 2014 through 2019, six consecutive trips to the NBA
06:00finals, winning the Larry O'Brien trophy three of those six times. And then after two down years,
06:06missing the postseason, back into the NBA playoffs, back winning an NBA championship without KD there,
06:13led by that big three once again, the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green. And now the Warriors
06:19are 20-1 to win the Western Conference next year. Expected to make some moves this offseason to fill
06:25out the roster around Steph Curry, but he might walk into training camp come late September,
06:30early October, and not recognize the teammates that he has. You're right about that too. And
06:36also you see that graphic that put up like a four-time world champion. Like our memories
06:40sometimes are so short here to remember how dominant, truly dominant, that Golden State
06:44Warriors franchise was for a few years here when they had Kevin Durant and sort of plundered
06:49the Western Conference, which has always been deep. So now you're finally seeing that flipping
06:54over the page where Klay Thompson leaves town and what's left here of the Golden State Warriors
06:58dynasty if some of those guys get older and aren't able to be replaced. But just to get back to the
07:02original point, Klay Thompson to the Mavericks, that's a big-time win for them and a perfect spot
07:07for Klay Thompson. And the Warriors did have to turn the page here, Ben. The market moves. Dallas
07:13now a plus 490 price to win the Western Conference. That's the fourth shortest number. Now to the
07:18Boston Celtics next. Big money moves yesterday for the reigning NBA champs. That's the Boston
07:25Celtics that look to invest in their title defense entering the 2024-25 NBA season and not only
07:32investing in the roster, investing in the entirety of the organization as we will describe in just a
07:38moment. But first, the richest man now in the history of the NBA. His name is Jason Tatum.
07:44Five-year deal worth $314 million. When the extension kicks in, that's nearly $63 million
07:52per year. 62.8 to be exact. That is the richest contract we have ever seen in the NBA. DRS last
08:00offseason, his teammate in the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals MVP award winner,
08:05Jalen Brown, made headlines despite the struggles in the postseason for the Seas getting a huge
08:11offseason extension. Five years worth $304 million. A little bit of financial maneuvering
08:17there. It never actually hit its peak of $304 million but still one of the richest contracts
08:22in the history of the NBA. Jason Tatum surpasses Brown's number from a year ago. Again, that is the
08:29highest paid player in the history of the association and his name is Jason Tatum.
08:35But again, it's wild, man. You see, we take a look at NFL teams, right? Like a 53-man roster,
08:40you got to pay a lot of guys, including the quarterback here, but they don't make as much
08:43money, obviously, per man as NBA players do. But when you take a look at the Boston Celtics at this
08:48point, and I know it's probably not a correlation like, hey, these sellers are getting out of
08:51control because you've made so much money on your investment for the Celtics. We're talking about
08:54the ownership group since 2002 and that money is going to be so big from the TV contracts,
08:59which is why these salaries are elevated. These salaries just don't go up because we said they go
09:03up despite revenues, right? The revenues have to correlate with the salaries. But when you take a
09:07look at the roster, five or six guys making up like $750 to $850 million worth of contracts over
09:15the life of those players here, it's kind of amazing to look at. But if there was a team that
09:19you should be paying that money to, it's the Boston Celtics. They achieved success last year,
09:23winning that championship. You do know you have great young players. You want to take care of
09:28those because what's going to happen when you say, with Jason Tatum, wow, he makes that much money?
09:32Wait till five years when guys are making $75, $80 and $95 million a year. You'll figure it's
09:38a bargain. It's the same way we take a look at the quarterbacks in the NFL. That guy's not worth
09:43that money. No, he is because he's coming up for a contract at a time when the money is really good
09:47and you just stack chips on top of chips at that point here. But I have no fault here. If you're
09:52hating that Jason, that's way overpay. It's not. It's just what the salary cap is. The Celtics can
09:57afford it. They'll be right back in the mix as favorites next year to win it all. Take care of
10:01your players. Take care of your organization. That's what the Celtics are doing. They're an
10:06incredibly short favorite to win next year's NBA championship, a three to one number. They are
10:12five and a half dollars in front of everybody else in the association. The Sixers, the Thunder,
10:18the Nuggets, five and a half dollars shorter than everybody else. The expectation out east is the
10:24Celtics facing off against whoever earns that second spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
10:30A lot can change. But as of right now, and with the roster retooled and reinvested in,
10:36Boston needs to be back there. That is the level of success. The Celtics will be judged by
10:42much the same story this year in twenty twenty three, twenty four. And they passed that test
10:47with flying colors. When you look at Jason Tatum's deal, Donny is spot on. Before this NBA offseason,
10:54there were six players set to make 50 plus million dollars entering next year. Jason Tatum
11:00now outduels everybody in terms of the monetary figures. But it's just the rising tide lifting
11:07all ships like we see in the NFL. The contracts are inflated because the money is there. Let me
11:14ask you this, DRS. Twenty to one, the number on Jason Tatum to win the NBA regular season MVP
11:20entering next year, tied for the seventh shortest price. Will Jason Tatum ever win an NBA MVP award?
11:28I think he will win one. I just don't know if it's going to be next year. And it's crazy to
11:32say, like, maybe he wins one in a Celtics team that's a little bit down because he has to be
11:36that center focus. Now, we understand he's probably the best overall player in the Celtics,
11:40but they're just too good a team. And sometimes you sort of get that against you because on any
11:43given night, certain players can go off. I don't think he wins one over the next year or two.
11:48But having said that, I think he wins one in his NBA career. Yes, I do.
11:53It is really interesting because the argument that you could make is team success correlating
11:58to individual success. And yet that's already been the case for Boston. And Tatum never really
12:03has become all that close to winning an NBA MVP award. And of course, you'll look at what we saw
12:08this postseason, losing out to his own teammate Jalen Brown in both the Eastern Conference Finals
12:14MVP market, and of course, the NBA Finals MVP market, despite closing as a hefty odds on favorite
12:20midway through game number five against Dallas. Jason Tatum gets paid, so too does Derek White,
12:28signing a four-year extension with the Boston Celtics worth nearly $126 million. The investment
12:36in Tatum, last summer, the investment in Jalen Brown, now the investment in Derek White as well.
12:42They also acquired Kristaps Porzingis and Drew Holiday last offseason. You can see the makings,
12:48DRS, once again, to be in the NBA title race this year, and certainly stacking up for that title
12:54defense. Yes, and look, sometimes you just, like, there's different levels to the league, right?
13:00You take a look at some organizations that are horrendous on a year-to-year basis, and then one
13:05team goes, well, here's my starting lineup. Drew Holiday, Derek White, Jalen Brown, Jason Tatum,
13:09Porzingis, then we can fill in with Al Horford. You look at some of the other league teams around,
13:13like, how does this happen at this point here? That just shows you the health of the organization
13:17for the Celtics, getting all those years of stockpiling draft picks, but making the right
13:22draft picks when they got those, and then you have enough capital to trade away some of those draft
13:26picks to get superstar caliber players, then have an ownership group that says, you know what,
13:30we're not about, like, you know, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who A-Rod's trying to buy the team
13:34behind the scenes, wrote out a manifesto that basically says, hey, look, we're going to
13:38immediately drop payroll here to make as much money as we possibly can, so when you take a look
13:42at the Celtics, good for them. When you're in that market where they expect you to win for the Boston
13:46Celtics, provide that leadership, provide that dollars. They've done that, and in turn, they got
13:51another world championship here, and it doesn't surprise me one bit. It's a well-run organization
13:56that's high paid with its players and taking care of them, and again, the players taking care of the
14:00organization back by winning championships for them. But who is truly going to fund said
14:06organization? Like when you pick up a round of beers for the boys at the bar, who's paying the tab?
14:12Because the Boston Celtics are now up for sale. Majority ownership in Boston, putting the Celtics
14:19up for sale and making them available for purchase, but you would think if you were ever going to buy
14:26the Boston Celtics, this would be the time, despite probably having to pay the premium.
14:32Championship number 18, investment in a large way in your superstars as well. How much cash can
14:40we round up? Do you think it's a worthy investment? I think it might be a worthy investment at that
14:45point, and by the way, it's very rare in sports these days because most of the time, these owners
14:49aren't selling for the money itself. Guys like Daniel Snyder and Donald Sterling, they actually
14:54get kicked out of the sport so somebody's able to buy their franchises per se, so it's kind of
14:58interesting at this point now where he's not like an old guy at this point, right? With Grosbach,
15:03you just saw him hold up the trophy there. He's owned it for quite some time, but usually it's
15:07that status symbol like, I own the Boston Celtics. Like every party you go to, the whispers in the
15:12background, hey man, that's the guy that owns the Celtics right there. And it's usually a status
15:15symbol for these guys, not a money-making venture. So I am sort of interested, and also keep in mind
15:20this, Ben, like I love the NFL, but there's a lot more question marks on the viability of the NFL
15:26game over the next, let's just say, 15 to 20 years than the NBA. The NBA is a global program at this
15:32point, and the fees are skyrocketing to try to buy into this sport, so I am surprised that he's sold
15:38at this point or looking to sell. Now granted, a lot of money is going to come into his pocket and be
15:42fine, but it's interesting, as I said again, most people in order to sell need to be kicked out of
15:46their league, and they're selling willingly, and this isn't a downtrodden franchise at all.
15:50It's just won a championship, 18 total championships in their history, one of the more historic
15:54franchises. So that's interesting to me. They bought the team back in 2002. Whatever the going
16:02rate is about to be, they are going to make a very, very, very large profit. It's probably not going to
16:10surpass what the Commanders were bought for or even the Denver Broncos a few summers ago in the
16:15National Football League, but it would not surprise me as the highest paid franchise in the history
16:21of the NBA or the highest selling price, whatever that looks like. A Philly Focus bright and early
16:27on this Tuesday morning as NBA free agency and this NBA summer now underway. We welcome on Josh
16:34Reynolds joining us here on the early line to talk about all the moves the 76ers have made that now
16:40see Philly. Time for the second best price to win next year's Larry O'Brien trophy. Josh, we appreciate
16:46the time. Thank you for being here on this Tuesday on the early line. Of course, guys. It's an honor
16:52anytime I get to jump on and chat Philly sports with you guys. Donnie's going to have a great time.
16:57I know I am as well. So of course, Josh, the big news late on Sunday night after the first few hours
17:04of NBA free agency was relatively calm. We got our first big blockbuster Paul George leaving Los
17:11Angeles and now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. Four-year deal worth $212 million. What was your
17:19immediate reaction to Paul George heading to Philly? Reaction honestly was I can't believe the plan
17:27that they laid out in front of us for the last year is actually happening. You remember back
17:34Daryl Morey kind of laid out the path before last season started when there weren't any free agency
17:40moves. There weren't any names and everybody kind of started the panic button. They kind of laid it
17:45all out and said, hey, don't worry. We're just bringing on these one-year deal. We're focused
17:52on next offseason. Obviously, Paul George was a pipe dream at that point. I never in a million
17:58years think the entire Philadelphia that hey, this is going to actually happen. So initial thought was
18:04unbelievable. This is really happening because the fit between him, Chris Maxey and Joel Embiid
18:11when healthy, I have to very much express that when healthy is absolutely perfect.
18:17And I do agree Josh because you're taking a look at Paul George coming over and it's really a
18:21two-pronged attack because me as a 76ers fan could say, hey, we got the best player available. It's
18:26going to be awesome. But the odds market also reflects how good a move that was for Paul George
18:31coming over to the Philadelphia 76ers and some other parts. But can you talk to us here on where
18:35Paul George actually fits in with the Sixers in the rotation? What are the expectations for Paul
18:40George and the Sixers next year? Absolutely. I think he fits in perfectly on both ends of the
18:47floor. I think people are forgetting that he is a good defensive player. Now, look, he's not going
18:52to go out there and win the player, but Philadelphia has not had a wing stopper. They traded for one
18:58last year and Robert Covington, who led the league in deflections over several seasons,
19:03injuries took him out. Being able to plug Paul George in there into that spot again alongside
19:09Tyrese Maxey and the anchor of that defense and Joel Embiid is going to change everything.
19:16When you look at what Philadelphia has already done in the first few days of this true off-season,
19:22they add Paul George and they reinvest into one of their budding superstars
19:27in Tyrese Maxey. Five-year, $204 million extension for Tyrese Maxey to keep him in Philadelphia
19:36for the long term. There's some of the other moves we have seen out of Philly. Kelly Oubre brought
19:41back a two-year deal worth more than $16 million. They add Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon, a guy
19:47that Daryl Morey is very familiar with as well. Some of that vet experience across the roster.
19:53Let's focus on Tyrese Maxey because Josh, you said it very well. The idea is P.G., JoJo and
20:00Maxey as good of a big three as you will find around the Eastern Conference and in the NBA.
20:07Is this the trio to lead Philadelphia back to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time
20:13since 2001? I legitimately think it is and I think that all Philly fans have to believe that it is.
20:21This is far and away the best three that Embiid has been a part of and I think now this has kind
20:27of put things into a different ballgame for Embiid where, look, there have been plenty of
20:33things that have happened over Embiid's playoff career. Injuries, whatever. This is it. Like,
20:40it has to happen this season. Tyrese Maxey's biggest leap that I think we could have ever
20:45imagined and hoped for last season and obviously was rewarded for it with that max extension,
20:49which we were all expecting. I have to give the young kid a shout out. He was very patient
20:54through this process. He bought in. They told him, hey, this is our plan. We've got to be
21:00patient in giving you this extension though because we got to go out and get these free
21:03agents. We got to bring in Paul George and he bought in and you got to give him a lot of credit
21:07for that because he just, again, signed it after these deals were done. Also have to give a shout
21:13out to Andre Drummond coming back to Philly because that dude is very underrated and I think
21:18he is far and away the best backup big that Joel Embiid has had in his career. So to be able to
21:23bring him back, obviously the games are won and lost when Joel Embiid is off. That, again, being
21:29able to bring him back in and just plug those minutes, save that time when Embiid is out,
21:34that's going to make a world of difference. I love that you brought up, Josh, too, the,
21:38you know, Tyrese Maxey saying, you know what? I'm young. I'm talented. I'm not worried about
21:42my money now. It will always be there to help the Philadelphia 76ers out because so many times
21:46the agency and the player like, hey, look, I got to protect my guy and rightfully so if he gets
21:51injured to make sure he gets as much money as he can right away. But also give a little credit to
21:56the Sixers. You take a look at Eric Gordon, which is a one-year minimum contract. He fits a need.
21:59He's a shooter. You can never have too many of those. But Andre Drummond, two years, 10 million,
22:03that's $5 million a year. Kelly Oubre being brought back here on less money than he was
22:08making before, I think was a great find. Let me ask you this, Josh, with the Sixers, the way they're
22:12shaped up now, they still have some money left over. Are there any other moves that we might be
22:16looking at for the Philadelphia 76ers that they can still make over the next couple days?
22:21The roster still needs to take shape. We're really in need of a forward and Darryl Morey
22:27obviously is very active. You can crush the guy. You can give him credit. But one thing that
22:33Darryl Morey does is piece together teams like this. He goes out and he gets big names. That's
22:39and I think the forward position obviously still sitting there. We don't have a starting forward.
22:45I think one name to keep an eye on is in Brooklyn, the fire sale going on there. I think that they're
22:52looking to just unload as many contracts as possible. I think Finney's perfect. He still
22:58fits under that salary cap without bumping us to the next apron. I think that that is a name that
23:05we will see. Josh Reynolds, we appreciate the time. Thank you for battling through a couple of
23:11technical issues there. The Philadelphia 76ers second best priced when the NBA's Eastern Conference
23:18crowd had a 4-1 number only behind the Boston Celtics. There should be optimism in Philadelphia.
23:25I know Josh Reynolds and Donny Rightside both feeling it on this Tuesday morning early in the
23:31NBA offseason. Josh, as always, we appreciate the time. Thank you for being here. Some more big news
23:38as of this Tuesday morning around the association. Donovan Mitchell returning to Cleveland. We'll
23:43break it down up next. Spider stays in Cleveland. The big news this summer for the Cleveland
23:49Cavaliers. The hiring of Kenny Atkinson as the head coach with the anticipation that it would
23:55please Donovan Mitchell to keep him in the land and that is what has happened. Donovan Mitchell
24:01is not going anywhere. He remains a Cleveland Cavalier. Yeah that's a big sign in there for
24:07Cleveland because you never want to lose your superstars especially when they're young and in
24:11their prime. You want to keep them in town and also we had to know that when that coach gets relieved
24:16you're asking your superstar player would you like this coach to be your coach? Would you like him to
24:21continue or do you want us to go in another direction? And if we do go in another direction
24:25here Ben, who would you like that coach to be? So seemingly you got the blessing from Donovan
24:30Mitchell on bringing in the new head coach. I like this for Cleveland. They were underwhelming last
24:34year and yes they got injured into the playoffs but this team has the basis here of some really
24:39good young talent that's yet here to see it mold into maybe a championship contender. Maybe we can
24:45get over the hump now because the biggest question in the room was, oh is Donovan Mitchell going to
24:48go to the Los Angeles Lakers just like every other player? Nice to see him stay home. Now you can get
24:53on with your lives in Cleveland and start winning basketball games. So the Cavaliers this off-season
25:00excuse me, get past the Orlando Magic in a low-scoring seven-game series. Then of course
25:05very short-handed into the second round they lose in five against the Boston Celtics that saw
25:11Donovan Mitchell miss the final few games of that set. They fired J.B. Bickerstaff, the rotating
25:16cast and crew around the NBA in the head coaching circle. Bickerstaff now in Detroit. Kenny Atkinson,
25:22former head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, worked under Steve Kerr the past few seasons for the
25:27Warriors. Now the new head man in Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell spent the past two NBA seasons
25:33with the Cavaliers. Each of those two years a young core elevated by Spida got them into the
25:39postseason. This year into the second round. But Donnie what exactly is the ceiling for the Cavs?
25:4520-1 the price on Cleveland to win the Eastern Conference. We just showed you the odds. The
25:51market has not moved since the news of Donovan Mitchell's contract extension. Three years worth
25:57$150.3 million. A little bit north of 50 mil per year on that annual average salary. And I would
26:04still say at least in my estimation despite Spida staying put Cleveland is a playoff team at best.
26:12Maybe second round if that. This does not really make the Cavaliers by any means
26:18in my estimation a true conference contender out east. No it doesn't. It certainly doesn't. And
26:24also take a look at what could have happened last year. You could have stepped into the void where
26:28the Sixers left because basically they were injured and underperforming. The Milwaukee Bucks left
26:32because they were injured and underperforming. You get the drift there. You might be able to
26:36make some way. But then again you got to the playoffs and you got injured with your best
26:40players here. So you had to keep the superstar in town because that does attract other players to
26:45come along with them. But I think you're right here when you're just looking at Boston, Philadelphia,
26:49New York, Milwaukee, Orlando and Miami right now already ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers in that
26:55odds market. Now granted I understand that the Magic Heat and Cavaliers have the same 20 to 1
27:00price. But you just saw hey Mitchell is coming back right now and all of a sudden you're saying
27:04well where's the odds moving here. Why aren't we locking at the FanDue Sportsbook to push them up.
27:08So when you're that far down the list here it doesn't give you a lot of inspiring content here
27:12for 2024 to say you know what now's the year the Cavaliers are going to do this.
27:17And you see the levels of separation. The Boston Celtics on their own tier. Who is the second best
27:22team in the Eastern Conference? It's what we asked you in our Fade to Public poll that we'll take a
27:27look at to start off our number three. Up next our guy in Beantown George Palecci from Nessun
27:33will join us live right here to talk about the Celtics and the aftermath of winning an NBA
27:37Championship. The vibes in Boston around the title parade and all that we have seen already. The
27:44investment into the seas. The team up for sale. All that goes into the rest of this summer in
27:50Boston. But still the Celtics well in front of the Sixers and the Knicks who seemingly are battling
27:55back and forth in the prices for who the NBA's Eastern Conference second best team is in front
28:02of Milwaukee. And we expect the Bucs with Giannis and Dame to make some moves. Then it's a very
28:07large drop off to Orlando, Miami, and Cleveland. And Donnie one thing maybe not overlooked but the
28:14Indiana Pacers who were in the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics and swept despite four
28:20competitive games for the most part a 30 to 1 price. Eighth best in the Eastern Conference at this time.
28:28Yeah you got some pretty good basketball teams on the Eastern Conference that are really getting
28:32disregarded here and you're right by the Pacers. They got a quality base that you can probably say
28:36they should be a top four top five team when it's all said and done. But I think we're just looking
28:41forward to the Celtics are good now. The Sixers have revamped. We're expecting bigger things from
28:45the Knicks and yes the Milwaukee Bucs if they just stay healthy have a formidable opponent as well
28:50to the Boston Celtics. I like where the East is going. No longer are we looking like oh it's a two
28:54team race. That's not the case. You have the Celtics and a lot of teams jockeying for number two.
29:00Speaking of those Celtics we go to Boston up next with George Bileci here on The Early Line.
29:06It's not often during the summer that we get George Bileci's Boston breakdown so when we do
29:11we are greatly appreciative of it here on this Tuesday morning on The Early Line on SportsGrid
29:17live in Beantown from Nesson. George Bileci joins us here. Georgie as always we appreciate the time.
29:24Thank you for being here to recap the NBA championship run for the Seas and the money
29:29going around in Boston to start off this summer. Yeah man great to be on with you guys. As always
29:35you'd think day one a free agency would be wild enough but the news of the Celtics selling.
29:40Interesting time in Boston to say the least but let's get into it Ben and Donnie.
29:45I think it is a fascinating kind of situation to monitor because at the pinnacle of the sport
29:51now the franchise up for sale but we'll talk about that in just a few moments. George overall
29:57though how is the vibe in the greater New England area in Boston, Massachusetts at this moment
30:03after championship number 18. Rumor has it you were on one of the duck boats celebrating that
30:09Boston parade. I gotta say that rumor is false you got to recheck your sources. I was eating
30:15tapas in Barcelona unfortunately but a couple of my buddies soaked in the parade. The vibes
30:20are still high riding high off that 18th banner and the excitement in the city is still palpable.
30:25Jason Tatum signed a super max. Derek White agreeing to a four-year extension for 126 million.
30:31That is huge for the fans in Boston. He's beloved. He's a great contributor and such an important
30:37player for this core. But then the news of the sale of the team coming down yesterday
30:43it makes it all bittersweet because this is the best ownership group in the city of Boston.
30:48They are have local ties whether they were born in Worcester or went to school at Harvard
30:52but they also this was an ownership group backed by saying we're all about banner 18. We're all
30:58about banner 18. They would talk about banner 18 and they backed it up with their checkbook
31:02with their sentiment with their actions with empowering Brad Stevens to go out and do whatever
31:07the hell he wants as a mercenary of a GM doing trades like no one else but then to come down to
31:13that they're selling it personally. I understand you bought the team in 2002 for 360 million
31:18dollars. It's valued around four and a half to five billion right now because of the demand and
31:23want for an NBA franchise. It can sell for six to seven billion. Let's say that is absurd to go for
31:29360 million to over a billion in general. They maxed out the value of the franchise and with
31:35the new CBA coming down the pipe with the second apron being real and hindering teams and creating
31:40parity in the NBA where a team like the Celtics is fine right now to deal with that second apron
31:45but they will get slapped on the wrist where they can't just shell out contracts and players for a
31:50two-for-one trade. They'll lose their first round draft picks but how valuable is that? They can't
31:54do mid-level exceptions which they've done in the past. All of this coming down and by the way
31:59they gave out these super maxes. They don't have to pay Jalen or Jason anymore. It's on someone
32:04else's credit card to pay them. That is what this ownership group did. They went all in but punted
32:09the money down the road. They did the right thing, maxed it out and they're going to get their value.
32:14So I know you're asking about the vibe but you can't talk about the vibe in Boston without
32:18talking about the outlook of this ownership group putting the team up for sale. It does suck that
32:24two weeks after you win an NBA title, two weeks, two weeks, this comes down but you know this was
32:31a decision that is years in the making because it doesn't happen that quick. Now it's a great point
32:37you bring up George and let's keep it on this point too because when you take a look at ownership
32:40groups sometimes they're beloved. Let me just go back to Philadelphia for myself. We had Norman
32:44Brayman who had an unbelievable electric squad in the 1980s but he was more based on the bottom line.
32:49I'm not going to sign free agents. I'm going to let all my star players walk because at the end of the day
32:53I'm actually going to make more money regardless of what we do on the field. The reason I bring this
32:57up is you take a look at Minnesota's about to change hands. They got word in Minnesota that
33:01the first thing that the new ownership group was going to do is they were going to limit the salary
33:04cap on their team to get back to more profitability. If we're taking a look at the Boston Celtics and
33:09one thing they never have to worry about is that bottom line here where they spent a lot of money
33:13because even in Boston, the Boston Red Sox, they should be operating as one of the top three teams
33:18in Major League Baseball with a payroll and they sit back and go we're sold out every game, we have
33:22a wonderful franchise, win or lose we're going to make money hand over fist. Are we worried in Boston
33:27that the new group coming in as that corporate conglomerate maybe goes you know what we're going
33:31to sell out, we're going to make more money. Let's limit the damage here. I think that worry should
33:36definitely be real in Boston. That's what I think of too. I'm trying to think of like who my ideal
33:40owner is. I don't care if it's a local person. I don't care if they're young, if they're old.
33:44They just have to be all in on winning like we saw what the Celtics did and what it paid in dividends.
33:50Two banners this ownership group bought. They doubled down and paid two superstar elite wings.
33:55They drafted those two guys, developed those two guys and then filled out the rest of the core.
34:00That has to be the worry because you see it all across the league what a salary cap is, what a
34:04team is actually paying and for and going into their salary with that as well. That's a tough
34:09part and that has to be the worry in Boston of whoever gets this team to not be as intent on
34:16winning and having that be the priority because now what you could have is it's the NBA. It is the
34:21biggest league in the world and it is the Boston Celtics which isn't just a big deal in the NBA
34:26but one of the biggest franchises in all of pro sports around the world. It's the Celtics. It's
34:32the Lakers. It's the Knicks when you're talking NBA right and then it's everyone else. It's a
34:35Sixers too. I'll give you that Donnie but that's how it goes down. Now you have to come in and this
34:41is a city that has some of the smartest fans in the world and they will see right through the BS.
34:46We don't care about margins. You're a billionaire. We don't care about you lining your pocket anymore.
34:51We are the people that buy those season tickets. We are the people that show up to the games. We
34:56are the people that show up in millions on causeway in the middle of a heat wave to celebrate
35:01you on duck boats with a parade. Bring us titles. That is what the fans want. They don't care about
35:08margins. They don't care about profits but I know billionaires they don't care about us.
35:14Beautifully said George Balecki. Beautifully said. You saw it right there. Nearly 920 million dollars
35:22now invested into Boston's big five that won championship number 18. Nobody richer in the
35:29history of the NBA than Jason Tatum now signing that super max extension. Five years worth 314
35:36million dollars. Nearly 63 mil per year. That is the richest contract in the history of the
35:43association. Somebody else is going to pick up the tag but as we focus on Tatum Georgie. Of course
35:51this season for both Tatum and Jalen Brown defined by this level of success in the hunt for title
35:58number 18. They do that but Brown wins eastern conference finals MVP and NBA finals MVP. It's
36:06only been seven years in the NBA for Jason Tatum. All seven seasons spent with the Celtics and now
36:13an NBA champion. What already is Jason Tatum's legacy in Boston? He's a top five player in
36:20franchise history. I mean statistics says wise but also what he was. Being a guy that has been
36:26ahead of schedule and a reason this team had been to so many eastern conference finals during his
36:31tenure. Sure they've coming up short time and time again but you watch it's the ability. You see him
36:36play and it's a revolution of his game as well because for them to win this title Jason Tatum
36:42went from the score. I'm sure he still chucked up those sidestep threes but he went from the score
36:47to the playmaker. The driver of an offense was always a great defender. Jalen Brown would pick
36:51up the opposition's toughest assignment. Sure he had Drew Holiday but Jason Tatum being an elite
36:56defender as well. His legacy he brought a title to Boston. This franchise went so long by the time
37:03they won in 2008 and yes I know in this city the joke is it's only been five five and a half years
37:08but Boston championship wise has been irrelevant and not even close since Tom Brady left. Jason
37:14Tatum and Jalen Brown brought a ring. They're both top 10 in franchise history in my opinion.
37:18They will easily finish as so and their book is not even finished being written yet. They're not
37:23even 28 years old but Jason Tatum with his ability you see the numbers and he won a ring. He is top
37:30five in franchise history. Jalen Brown where it stands just 27. Jason Tatum only 26 doesn't turn
37:3827 until next March after the all-star break next season. Quickly here Georgie you said it
37:45their story is not finished yet. Boston a three-to-one favorite already to win next year's
37:51NBA title. How far in front are the Celtics from the rest of the association? I still think they're
37:57leaps and bounds the best team. They kept this entire core. I don't know what Christophe Zingas
38:02will look like next season. I don't know how he recovers from that ankle injury. That is rare.
38:05He's always injury prone but they got what they wanted out of him with the ring. What you get with
38:10Brad Stevens is not someone that completes his team in the offseason. He pushes it until the
38:14trade deadline. This team I don't care about Paul George in Philly because Joel Embiid needs to be
38:19humble not play more than 50 games. The Celtics are still the best in the NBA. Take it to break
38:24on a statement there more on the other line next. The NBA summer continues on this Tuesday morning.
38:31Big news out of Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell signs a three-year 150.3 million dollar contract
38:38extension to remain in the land. That's more than 50 million dollars per year. He will be one of the
38:4410 highest paid players entering this next season in the NBA. Donovan we talked about what Donovan
38:51Mitchell means to this Cleveland organization. He has been the land for two years. They have won at
38:57least 50 games each of those two seasons. They have made the postseason each of those two campaigns
39:03as well but never passed the second round despite getting to round number two this past playoff run.
39:10It was shortly lived only a five game set against the Celtics where Spida missed the final few games
39:17of that series. New head coach in Kenny Atkinson. Do you feel any differently about the Cavaliers
39:25outlook entering next season? Oh much better because it could have been much worse if Donovan
39:30Mitchell just decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers right. So just keeping your homegrown
39:34superstar. I don't want to say homegrown is not fair because he technically wasn't drafted there
39:38but just keeping your superstar who actually wanted to be there and let's be honest with ourselves.
39:42You take a look at Cleveland where teams are like oh I'd like to play in Miami or Los Angeles you
39:46know sometimes with some of my friends here where even LeBron James who was from that neck of the
39:51woods was like I love Cleveland. Hey Mr. Bosch and Mr. Wade let's all join forces in Cleveland.
39:57Like hey good luck with that man. We're going to Miami. You're joining us because you know what
40:01I'll leave at that point. So I just think it's a major win for Cleveland keeping that superstar
40:05and also you take a look at what's down the line. Superstar players who are all-stars are able
40:10typically to attract other talent to come play for them. I don't know where the Cleveland Cavaliers
40:15would be if Donovan Mitchell had to move on. Oh what for four or five first round draft picks
40:19and pick swaps down the line they would be in major trouble. Now we take a look at where they
40:23sit in the standings right. It doesn't mean that Donovan Mitchell's back so they should win the East
40:28but at least it keeps them viable as a team you have to watch out for and certainly from a fan
40:32perspective you kept your guy here. You can enjoy basketball in Cleveland. It's hard to poke
40:38poke holes at what Cleveland has done the last two years with Donovan Mitchell. 51-31
40:44two seasons ago fourth best in the Eastern Conference had home floor advantage against
40:49the Knicks were bounced in the opening round. Last year 48-34 fourth in the Eastern Conference
40:56playoff seeds. They had home floor advantage against Orlando. They get past the Magic in
41:02seven games but eliminated in that second round and only five by the Boston Celtics. Hard to get
41:08mad at anybody losing in a short series against the C's as we saw Boston won three of their four
41:14sets in this playoff and championship winning run in five games and the other one in the Eastern
41:20Conference finals in only four over Indiana but it's also hard to argue that Cleveland has a
41:27higher ceiling with Kenny Atkinson or Donovan Mitchell staying put in the land. We have seen
41:34tons of movement though in just the last week or the last few days in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
41:41Last week on draft day that was six days ago when the New York Knicks acquired Mikael Bridges from
41:48Brooklyn. They re-signed OG Ananobi. They had the second shortest number at plus 350 to win the
41:54Eastern Conference but some moves that were anticipated out of Philadelphia. The acquisition
42:00of Paul George. The 76ers now in front of the Knicks. Four to one price on Philly. Plus 450
42:07for the Knickerbockers and Boston remains the short favorite at plus 145. What is your assessment
42:14of the Eastern Conference here in this NBA offseason? So much more fun next year than it was
42:20this past year because again even though like let's just forget about the way it ended in the
42:24Eastern Conference which everybody injured but the Celtics and the Celtics ran over everybody
42:29and then eventually ran over the Mavericks in the NBA finals. But we were talking about last year
42:32Ben was what? It was a tier of two with maybe the Sixers on the outside if James Harden was going
42:38to come back. Now he didn't come back at that point and we figured it was going to be the Celtics
42:42and the Milwaukee Bucks. As long as both of those teams stayed healthy nobody else was really going
42:46to challenge them. That's much different this year. Now granted the Boston Celtics won their
42:50championship re-signing everybody and seem to be they're ready and be poised to go on one of those
42:55runs that maybe we saw from the Golden State Warriors about five to six years ago. But having
42:59said that the Sixers are going to be a player. The Knicks are much better. I expect the Bucks to be
43:04healthy and much better. The Orlando Magic are a rising team here in the East. We know that the
43:08Miami Heat are a well-run organization. They'll make moves to be competitive. So even though Donovan
43:13Mitchell does come back to the Cleveland Cavaliers they're still way back of the process from
43:18everybody else that we anticipate that's going to be ahead of them. So from just a look at the
43:22Eastern Conference we can now start to view the Eastern Conference much like the Western
43:27Conference where it's like wow it's going to be a slug fest all the way through. There are a lot
43:31of teams here in the East that are going to be able to compete with the Boston Celtics. Can they
43:35overcome the Celtics? I don't know but at least you should be getting a run for your money now.
43:41And that was our conversation and slight criticism of the Celtics run through the
43:46Eastern Conference and an NBA championship. How difficult truly was the path? With how quickly
43:52Boston got through it was hard to argue they were not a tier ahead of everybody in the association.
43:58What if they had played the healthy Milwaukee Bucks and Doc Rivers wasn't Doc Rivers? What if
44:04the Denver Nuggets weren't bounced in the second round and had been there at the end of the day?
44:09We'll never know. It didn't happen and Boston took advantage of that scenario. I will just say this
44:15last year in the Western Conference five teams finished with 50 plus wins. Only two in the
44:21Eastern Conference and that included the Knicks at exactly 50. We had three teams out west finished
44:28with 55 plus victories. Only one in the Eastern Conference that was Boston with the NBA's best
44:33record and by far at 64 and 18. I think that is the conversation entering next year. Boston a peg
44:42of its own but who is up next? Who is that second best team? Will it be a cakewalk once again for the
44:49C's come playoff time in the Eastern Conference or will there be a legitimate contender alongside
44:55the Celtics? Will Boston face that tough test extended into a series six or maybe even seven
45:02games to prove their might? That seems to be the offseason conversation. I still remain slightly
45:08skeptical that at the end of the day there will be the team to push Boston to its absolute limit
45:13but at least you would think there's a better chance of that coming out of that second best
45:18team in the Eastern Conference. It's hard to repeat. It really is and also you have to take
45:22a look at the Boston Celtics finally getting over that hump playing more basketball than most teams
45:27in the NBA later into your offseason. A lot more partying in that offseason and then trying to get
45:32refocused to do it again next year when everybody is going to be hungry to win their NBA championship.
45:38The Boston Celtics sit on the top of that hill. Everybody's chasing them now.
45:42Now we'll look at the Western Conference crisis since free agency began next. NBA free agency is
45:49not even technically 48 hours old and we've already seen a ton of market movement. We showed you where
45:55it stands from the Eastern Conference crown title odds. Now we do the same out in the Western
46:01Conference entering free agency 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday evening. The Nuggets were the favorites
46:08and really Donnie when you look at the left side of this column it's still a similar story. Three
46:13teams at the top of the conference tightly compacted separated by just over a dollar. Still
46:20a similar story despite the market movement. The Nuggets no longer the favorites after OKC signs
46:25Isaiah Hartenstein adding a perimeter not a perimeter a down low defender and a guy who can
46:32crash the glass with the best Oklahoma City. Now the favorites in front of the Nuggets plus 350 for
46:38OKC. Denver back by half a buck at 4 to 1. The Timberwolves third best price at plus 4.30. The
46:45Mavericks now have Klay Thompson. Their number really hasn't moved all that much but stays less
46:50than a 5 to 1 price at plus 4.90. Let's start with the top four. What is your assessment on what
46:58turns out to look like a slight changing of the guard in the Western Conference? I agree. I agree
47:05because you can only base on of course what you saw last year which we thought the Oklahoma City
47:09Thunder were a very good team and what you've done for me lately which means in the offseason
47:13with players to be added. I thought the Oklahoma City Thunder added two wonderful pieces to that
47:18franchise that can do some of the dirty work and also have some of those guys with a little
47:22bit more veteran leadership. The Denver Nuggets maybe the best player in the world Nicole Jokic.
47:26We understand that the Timberwolves still a very good team and then again rounding out that top
47:30four the Dallas Mavericks who made the move to get Klay Thompson. So if we're looking at those
47:34first four teams I do think it makes a lot of sense but if we start to extend it down.
47:39You know I talked about this on the radio yesterday with Kevin with the Los Angeles Lakers.
47:42Here's what I don't understand like they sit at a 15 to 1 price just outside of that shelf where
47:47the Dallas Mavericks of that plus 490 are in that top four and I say to myself it's amazing how hard
47:53it is to find another player meaning to go along with Anthony Davis and LeBron James to formulate
47:58that big three and blast everybody in the Western Conference like LeBron James should not be playing
48:03this good a basketball this late in his career and have a player like Anthony Davis one of the top 10
48:08players in the league where why can't you find a third play and also why isn't the third player
48:12willing to come to the Lakers like that's my destination that's where I want to be if we get
48:17the third piece to the puzzle here we'll be right up there with OKC Denver the Timberwolves and the
48:21Mavericks. It's amazing over the past two to three years we can't find that third guy when typically
48:26in the NBA it's always showed us the really good basketball teams with really good players attract
48:30really good talent who want to play there and take less money and we haven't been able to find that
48:35with the Lakers. Are you saying Bronny James isn't that third piece for the Lakers to be a true
48:42contender to the Western Conference crown? That is insane. I will say this LeBron James opted out
48:50of his contract he is technically still a free agent he was expected to opt out to take a budget
48:58friendly deal for the franchise to allow them to make a run at insert a Klay Thompson or one of
49:04the remaining free agents around the NBA as of yesterday we got a report that LeBron is going
49:10to sign a max contract for a two-year deal toward the tail end of his NBA career. I would agree
49:18though even Anthony Davis and LeBron James at a 15 to 1 price should still present some sort of
49:24contention from the odds. Phoenix still has as of this moment Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley
49:32Beal 13 to 1 price but over an eight dollar drop off from Dallas to Phoenix and Donnie what really
49:39stands out to me last year the entirety of the regular season you and I had the conversation
49:45OKC's at the top Minnesota's at the top what are the odds going to reflect these two teams
49:51are going to enter with two of the best records in the Western Conference position to make a run
49:56to a conference championship it didn't really happen until the postseason and of course
50:02Minnesota made the Western Conference finals and was a favorite entering the series against the
50:07Dallas Mavericks but it wasn't really the case from the odds perspective it was still the Clippers
50:12rightfully so the Nuggets the reigning champs at the time the Lakers could they make the run the
50:17Suns still had a short price despite giving us nothing during the regular season to make us
50:22think they were a true conference contender now at least here in the summer those odds have
50:28changed greatly the Suns they moved back the Clippers moved back in a big way after losing
50:34Paul George the Warriors a 20 to 1 price still but not looked at optimistically from the odds
50:40perspective without Klay Thompson entering next year and by the way how many good teams there are
50:45in the Western Conference like you go all the way down the standings or at least the odd standings
50:49on the FanDuel Sportsbook sure you might leave out maybe Portland and Utah the San Antonio Spurs
50:53we expect much much more from this year but you can even leave them out the Houston Rockets almost
50:57made the playoffs last year the Kings the Clippers the Pelicans Grizzlies Warriors and Lakers before
51:01you can get to that top shelf boy that is a talented time