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00:00Anthony Slater. Slates, how are we doing today?
00:03What's up, fellas? How are y'all?
00:05You know, just hanging out talking football all week, Anthony.
00:11Yeah, it sounds fun there.
00:14Y'all just been talking hoops all day today?
00:17All week.
00:18Do you think?
00:19So, yeah, saw your report that, like, maybe even as soon as Saturday for Kristaps Porzingis.
00:27Let the fans know what the plan is here.
00:29Yeah, they got to get him in.
00:30They got to get him through the, you know, Rick Celebrini car wash, which, you know, like that's with any player in the league.
00:37But obviously, you know, have to go through the physical.
00:39But particularly with Porzingis, you want to kind of get your hands on him and see.
00:42But, you know, from my understanding, Porzingis was basically ready to be cleared to return in Atlanta.
00:47Now, he hasn't played since January 7th.
00:49This is going to be a tricky guy to keep healthy.
00:52But the calf, from my understanding, is healed.
00:55And, you know, we'll see with the illness he's been dealing with.
00:58But, you know, unless something changes, the expectation is that you'll see Kristaps Porzingis on the floor soon.
01:04Is that where the clearance really lies?
01:06Is it the calf?
01:07Because the ongoing illness and, you know, the syndrome that he has that's caused him to miss games, those are realities.
01:13Is it just down to whether or not the calf is good enough for him to play?
01:16That was what had been keeping him out recently.
01:20And, like I said, from my understanding is the calf was, you know, basically to the point where it was ready to be cleared to be on the floor.
01:26The illness, like, I kind of got to get a grip on it.
01:29Like, I'm sure the Warriors have to.
01:31Like, I'm sure everybody has to because it sounded very mysterious.
01:36But, you know, I don't know.
01:37Is it something he's just going to be dealing with forever?
01:39Is there some kind of treatment?
01:41You know, like, I can't give you those answers right now, but the Warriors are going to have to try to figure that out.
01:46And this is certainly, I will say, like, it's another Rick Celebrini project here for sure.
01:50Slates, look, I think we all watched Jonathan Kaminga play a couple of games before he got hurt.
01:57And there had been certainly all of the promises that once ready, he would play again.
02:03And Steve Kerr even told us on Monday, yes, his role will expand most likely if he's still on the team.
02:11But behind the scenes, what's actually going on?
02:14Had the two sides arrived at a spot where coexistence was just no longer possible?
02:20I mean, look, if he was kept past the deadline and felt the knee was ready, which would have probably happened in the next several days.
02:28I expect him to debut pretty early in Atlanta.
02:31He would have played.
02:32But his feelings and his desires have been made clear, were made clear.
02:37So, like, you know, was this a healthy relationship that should have just continued for years and years?
02:44No, but I probably would tell you, and I think you all would agree, it should have ended a couple of years ago.
02:48And it was, I thought, driven to a much worse place this past summer.
02:53So, again, could he and would he have been on the floor over the last month and a half?
02:59Sure.
03:00If that was required of him, and it would have helped his value probably, and maybe would have helped him go to a new home this summer.
03:06But he's in a new home now.
03:07He's in Atlanta.
03:08And when you look at this trade, it seemed like they were all in on Giannis until that wasn't going to happen.
03:14Was Porzingis a pivot at the last minute, or had he always kind of been next up on their radar trade-wise?
03:21Yeah.
03:21I mean, we reported going back to prior to the Butler injury, like, expiring contracts were of more appeal to them.
03:28Like, you know, that was such a holdup in the Sacramento talks.
03:30They didn't want Monk's contract.
03:31They didn't want DeRozan's contract.
03:32There was other, you know, bad contracts across the league that they didn't want for Kaminga.
03:37And when you looked at some of the expiring contracts across the league, Porzingis was one of the most appealing to them because there's a belief if they can get him right, he can help now.
03:49It made more sense as a complimentary piece when Jimmy Butler was still here.
03:54Like, if Jimmy Butler was still healthy and they made this trade, and you're talking about a starting lineup, you know, Saturday night or whenever Porzingis debuts that include, you know, Butler, Draymond, and Porzingis as your frontcourt with Steph as the point guard.
04:06I mean, might have something there, but obviously, you know, that has changed, but still they're going to make, you know, I get a little smaller run, I guess they're going to attempt to make down the stretch here.
04:16And then if Porzingis, if they get Porzingis to a decent place, they control his bird rights.
04:21Like, they could maybe have a future with him, or, you know, if it doesn't work out, he walks this summer and they wipe themselves of this money.
04:29And, I mean, if we're being really two steps back on it, I mean, part of their plotting over the last couple years is to set themselves up to be really free cap-wise a couple summers from now.
04:40And this is part of that.
04:41This is why, by the way, like, when Anthony Davis was a guy that was being talked about, well, Anthony Davis is making big money, you know, three years from now, like $62 million.
04:51That's why a Porzingis is of more appeal to them.
04:54Anthony Slater is with us here on Withered and Dibs, 95-7, the game.
04:58So, Slates, I think that's something that fans could really use right now is the vision.
05:03So, okay.
05:05And I like it.
05:06Yeah.
05:07Well, but I get that.
05:09But, like, what is it?
05:11You know, like, okay, they've got Porzingis' bird rights, but depending on how he plays and where the health is and everything,
05:18what is on the table for the Warriors this summer that gets them into an interesting competitive spot for next year, even just possibly?
05:30Their draft ammo, which they didn't use.
05:32And people will say, well, you know, when are you going to use it?
05:35Steph Curry's about to turn 38 next month.
05:37By the time you do use it, maybe it'll be too late.
05:40And, you know, again, maybe they don't end up using it.
05:43Maybe the 2030 and 2032 picks that, you know, were supposed to be of such appeal to Milwaukee,
05:49maybe the Warriors end up using that in 2030 and 32 because they never traded.
05:53But if, you know, what is available to them this summer, I mean, it is still utilizing those picks,
05:58still trying to utilize, you know, the various contracts that they have.
06:02To go get a big name.
06:04Sure, like, I would remain skeptical going into the summer that they can get deep into the Giannis sweepstakes
06:11because I think they were turned down pretty clearly this past week.
06:15He's not the only star, theoretically, that could become available this summer.
06:18But, again, I'm probably on just, like, the more skeptical side in general.
06:22I just think this era is petering out.
06:26And this is just, like, kind of the latest chapter of that.
06:28Yeah, and it's kind of a little bit of a buzzkill because we all were starting to think, you know,
06:32Giannis this actually may happen.
06:34But before that and beyond that, was there any thought about Anthony Davis and even Jaron Jackson Jr.?
06:40Or were their sights solely set on Giannis until that got expired?
06:45Yeah, they sniffed around on Davis a while ago.
06:48Like, gosh, this must have been, like, early January.
06:51And from what I gathered, his contract, particularly the player option he has a few years from now,
06:59and, you know, the desire from Davis' side to get an extension, turn them off, number one.
07:03And then, remember, he has the hand injury.
07:06And that completely, you know, made them uninterested in going down that avenue.
07:10Jaron Jackson, I mean, Ramona reported it today.
07:12But, you know, they kicked the tires on that the last few weeks.
07:15They poked around.
07:16I think the price tag was a little too high.
07:18Jaron Jackson's stepping into a, gosh, I think it's like four years, 200-ish million.
07:22I mean, I think he's starting next season around 50.
07:25And he's, you know, he is a good player.
07:28He certainly would have elevated this team and could have been a nice piece of the core.
07:32But, you know, if you're paying him four for 200 over the next several years
07:35and you're sending, you know, two to three first-round picks out for it,
07:39like, that's a risky move.
07:40It carries risk, and clearly they weren't ready to go down that road.
07:44Slates, is the maneuvering over the last 24 to 48 hours an admission of something
07:50by this Warriors front office?
07:52And if it is, what?
07:56They're not going for it this year.
07:58I would say it's probably the clearest thing, right?
08:00I think it's an admission that the Butler ACL tear ended their outside chance
08:05at contention this year.
08:06And I think they're going to attempt to put up, like, a puncher's fight of, you know,
08:11trying to get through the play-in and being a threat in the first round.
08:16But they kind of, you know, reset their own internal expectations,
08:22went after their White Whale and Giannis.
08:24I think, you know, it was made pretty clear that that wasn't going to happen.
08:28And then they just kind of, you know, I think they're taking the L in a sense
08:32a little bit this year.
08:33It seemed like over the last couple of days the idea of Draymond being traded
08:37became a reality.
08:39Was that just a trial balloon, or is that something that is worth revisiting
08:43this summer if he, in fact, opts in?
08:46Well, I mean, look, if Milwaukee pulls the trigger, Draymond Green is very likely
08:51out the door, right?
08:51You know, Milwaukee kind of had their choice in a lot of ways of which package,
08:55but I feel comfortable saying that.
08:57Draymond Green will be an expiring contract this summer.
09:00I expect him to pick up his player option just because of market dynamics there.
09:04And this isn't just a Draymond Green commentary.
09:07This is, you know, veterans across the league.
09:09Clay Thompson, I would throw in this category.
09:11They're a lot easier to move when they're expiring money.
09:14Zach Levine in Sacramento will have one year and 40-something million left.
09:18He'll be a lot easier for the Kings to move.
09:20And you can be a lot more creative come summertime with those type of contracts.
09:24So, again, I would put Draymond in that bucket.
09:26We'll see how this year ends.
09:27We'll see what's on the table to them this summer.
09:30But certainly, you know, to a degree that box has at least publicly been opened a little bit.
09:36Slates, you're one of the few who can answer this, and I think it's on the fans' minds a lot,
09:40even though there's no, like, credible worry.
09:43Where does this all leave Steph Curry and his future desires?
09:47I mean, look, every conversation I've had with Steph Curry, he has, you know, maintained a very, you know,
09:56straight and arrow, like, wants to finish his career with the Warriors.
10:00Obviously, he wants to compete, you know, to the finish line.
10:03He calls it meaningful basketball.
10:05He's not just talking about, you know, five rings or bust.
10:08He's talking about good, you know, big second-round series, like kind of the run they went on last year.
10:12So, sure, he would love that, but, you know, he was there the night Jimmy Butler tore his ACL.
10:16He understands, like, you know, some of the dynamics at play.
10:19He's been very reasonable in his commentary on, you know, should the Warriors, you know,
10:24push every single chip in no matter what.
10:26And, you know, I am curious to hear exactly his messaging maybe the next time he talks.
10:31But I have been given no indication that, you know, he sees anything else except what he's always said,
10:38which is, you know, his career, being a one-team career with the Warriors.
10:43And that being said, I mean, Chris Stapps hopefully can come back and be healthy and stay healthy.
10:48But short of that, the Steph Curry knee issue, is that something to be concerned about the rest of this year?
10:54And might they make a decision to just kind of shut him down to an extent?
10:59We'll see.
10:59I mean, like, that's not a decision that is made today or will be made today.
11:05I saw him at shoot-around this morning.
11:08He was kind of joking with me because I had my little TV set up for our trade deadline special.
11:13And he came by and was, like, almost, like, you know, looking at the setup.
11:17But he was in a good mood.
11:18You know, he's laughing.
11:19He's joking.
11:19He's going to do his individual workout and kind of test the knee a little bit.
11:24I've never been careful.
11:25I would say there is more of an appetite to, like, really kind of manage him down the stretch without this belief that they're making some, you know, sprint to the championship here.
11:35But I don't expect, like, you know, you're going to hear something in the next day or two that they're, like, you know, going to shut him down.
11:41Anthony Slater, ESPN, with us, Willie and Dibby right here on 95.7 The Game.
11:48Slates, I want to know, what do you think the Warrior front office has learned from all of this?
11:54If you go back to, you know, we're drafting projects, but we're also winning, and that's how we're going to do it.
12:02The two timelines thing, to me, that officially comes to a final chapter today.
12:09What do you think the whole group has learned from this experience?
12:14You know, they went after kind of toolsy prospects that didn't fit their coach's style.
12:22I think that, you know, you go back to not just the draft picks, like the Kelly Oubre of that era, like, you know, they kind of got away from what had been successful.
12:33And I think, you know, in some ways you've seen as Mike Dunley's taken over, they've kind of recorrected some of their, you know, fit versus, you know, talent type choices because they've kept Steve Kerr around.
12:46And you've seen some of the draft picks over the last several years, they kind of fit the system or even some of the fringe type guys.
12:51But, you know, what did they learn?
12:54I don't, you know, I think they just learned that they missed on those lottery picks.
12:58And that's when you miss on two, seven, and, you know, I mean, like Moses Moody, I think at 14, certainly there was guys there that could have helped more.
13:07But when you miss to that degree and you don't have an alignment with, you know, kind of your coach's style, then you get burned and eventually you pay the price.
13:15And, you know, I think a potential rebuild in the years to come post Steph Curry will be just, you know, their failures in those drafts.
13:24Well, Anthony, I mean, I guess here's kind of what I mean by that.
13:26Like, if we keep hearing that, oh, well, Steve Kerr wanted Franz Wagner.
13:30Steve Kerr wanted Tyrese Halliburton.
13:33Are Joe Lacob's fingerprints all over these picks?
13:36Is he making picks, Anthony?
13:37Joe Lacob was very influential in those two seasons, like those picks.
13:45I will say, Steve Kerr will say this, too.
13:47He said it on the record.
13:48He was all in on Wiseman.
13:49The whole organization was all in on Wiseman.
13:51I thought it was a good pick, to be honest.
13:53That one was a consensus.
13:56Lacob, obviously, I think it's well known.
13:58It's well reported, was very much, you know, a Kaminga backer.
14:03And to this day, still, like, I believe in the talent.
14:05I mean, I, to a degree, believe in the talent, the fit.
14:09I think we all would agree, you know, hasn't necessarily been there.
14:12But you'd say in the past few seasons, like,
14:15these have been Mike Dunleavy front office picks.
14:17Like, he's not, you know, Joe Lacob is not finding Will Richard highlights
14:22and deciding that's the guy or, you know, looking at Boston College
14:26and picking Quentin Post.
14:28But if you go back to what felt like franchise-changing picks,
14:31two and seven, consensus on two with Wiseman, miss.
14:36More of a Joe Lacob-fueled pick at seven, Kaminga.
14:39You know, again, I don't think he's a miss like Wiseman necessarily was,
14:42but he's, you know, it has led to this moment.
14:45And they probably held on to him too long.
14:47Like, that's, I guess that's part of it.
14:49I don't know.
14:49There's so many layers to all of it.
14:51Yeah, no doubt about it.
14:52Hey, man, I know it's such a busy time.
14:55We really appreciate you jumping on.
14:57Yep, no problem.
14:57I don't know.
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