00:00But let's talk about the Hawks real quick, because now what is the to-do list, Mike?
00:05Ansi Saleh gets his extension.
00:07He's in place.
00:08He was promoted, by the way, in 2025 to our general manager position.
00:11For those who don't remember, he was the assistant general manager, just behind the scenes.
00:15We really didn't talk about Ansi because Landry Fields was running the show.
00:19And then when they moved on, they promoted Ansi.
00:21And so now he gets this deal where he is going to be president of basketball ops along with
00:25this general manager's position.
00:27We have picks 8-23 in the first round.
00:29But the real question is, guys, and this is where it starts.
00:32I just want Hawks fans to understand this.
00:35Do you keep McCollum, and do you pick up the Kaminga extension?
00:39Right.
00:39Did Kaminga give you enough?
00:40Because, again, we got him here.
00:42He was injured.
00:42I think we then found out, because you were not really feeling him.
00:45You were kind of lukewarm.
00:46He was hot and cold.
00:47He's hot and cold.
00:47You were lukewarm.
00:48And then in the games you won against the Knicks, he gave you the spark.
00:51He was like, wow, this guy could be our Vinny Johnson.
00:54Granted, he can't hit a jump shot to save his life consistently.
00:56But he brought energy.
00:57And he brought that above-the-rim kind of stuff that a lot of Hawks fans are looking for.
01:01But is he worth it?
01:02I mean, if you ask me right now, would I bring Kaminga back?
01:06I'm probably 50-50.
01:07I can't tell you one way or the other.
01:09But he was part of something good in a high-pressure situation when it mattered most.
01:14Yeah, and look, I think if you are Quinn Snyder in the organization, there's two ways to look at this.
01:18One, you get a full offseason with him.
01:21You get him more acclimated to what you want him to try to attempt to do.
01:24And you get control.
01:26Even if you want to move him next season, you have the ability to do that by picking up this
01:32option.
01:32But, Mike, if you do that, you will have – if you bring back McCollum, and I'm not even sure
01:36even what the number is going to be.
01:37I told you, I don't think it will be three years, but if you bring back McCollum and you pick
01:41up the $24.2 million option for Kaminga,
01:44you're not going to have money to go acquire a big free agent.
01:48If Isaiah Hardenstein becomes available, you're not going to be able to go do that.
01:52So that's why it starts there.
01:54But outside of the draft picks, which those are going to happen, guys, I don't think that's not a part
01:59of this equation.
02:00But I think the real question is, can you go address your big issue?
02:04And Mike's brought up Mitchell Robinson, right?
02:06Mike Kessler-Walker, we've talked about some of these guys.
02:09Some of these guys are going to be restricted free agents, which means their teams can match whatever the Hawks
02:14are going to attempt to match them or offer them.
02:17But unrestricted free agents, guys like Robert Williams or Mitchell Robinson, those are the kind of bigs that, Mike, you
02:22want to try to get in on.
02:23I just don't know who the target is going to be.
02:25But think about this.
02:26JJ's under lockdown as far as contract.
02:29Nikhil, you got him under contract.
02:32Dyson, Okungwu, all these guys are under contract.
02:34And the reason, just for guys who missed it, we were talking about it last month, about Mitchell Robinson, is
02:38because he'd probably be a little bit cheaper.
02:39You know, if the Knicks, I don't think the Knicks, if there is, again.
02:42Well, Mikael Bridges' contract kicks in.
02:44Correct.
02:45And it could be a topsy-turvy.
02:46You know, a lot of teams can take multi-teams to get this Giannis thing.
02:49If Giannis is leaving the Bucs, it can take three teams to make it work.
02:52But if the Knicks are ever going to bring him to New York, there's going to be some cap casualties.
02:55But that's why I just mentioned him, because I know he's a butcher on the free-throw line.
02:58But if you drafted a young kid as a center, and you wanted to maybe have Mitchell Robinson as a
03:03stopgap, it's affordable.
03:04Yeah, it is.
03:05For the way our organization looks at things.
03:08Yeah, you know, Walker Kessler, I'd be all over that.
03:11I mean, we talked about, you know, I'm not sure what Hartenstein and how Oklahoma City is going to approach
03:15his contract.
03:16He could step in here.
03:17Whatever you think of him, you know, because he had a slow start in this series, but he's gotten better,
03:20and he's something we don't have.
03:22There's two Williams.
03:23One is Robert.
03:24The other is Mark.
03:25Mark is in Phoenix.
03:26These are big guys.
03:28These are guys that, again, Mark is a restricted free agent.
03:31They can match.
03:32I don't know if they will, but these are the kind of names that you'll hear.
03:35I'm just saying, as we start to say, what are we going to do in this offseason, and what is
03:40the to-do list,
03:41it's really about McCollum at what number, and what are you doing with Kaminga?
03:47And then once that decision is made, Mike, you then have either more flexibility by not picking up the option,
03:52because you're saving $24 million, or you're picking it up, and you're going to have a lot less.
03:57If all these guys are under contract, Corey Crispert, Rishashe, which he is with his rookie deal.
04:02Rishashe is $13 million, by the way.
04:04It's not a lot of money in the NBA, but it's still.
04:06And then Asa Newell, Mike, you're still talking about we're way under the cap.
04:10As far as the amount of, I think the cap's like, we're going to be $165, which is going to
04:14be at like $140.
04:15So there's money to maneuver.
04:16And there's a floor you have to get to.
04:18Correct.
04:19Right.
04:19But there's money to maneuver.
04:20But I just think it's important for Hawks fans to be like, hey, we can go out and get anybody
04:23we want.
04:24Not necessarily.
04:25Well, and the guys are bringing up the Jalen Brown thing.
04:28Rick just hit it up in the text line.
04:30What about the rumors?
04:31Again, it's just fodder.
04:33People are throwing teams out there that might be in play.
04:35You're going to give to get, though.
04:36Yes.
04:37Now, again, you're going to have to get rid of.
04:39I can't imagine a trade involving Jalen Brown where you don't give up Jalen Johnson.
04:43And then that's the other thing.
04:45I think we're still just starting to scratch the surface with Jalen Johnson.
04:48I don't think you want to, you know, I don't read too much.
04:51He wouldn't be the first star in the NBA to get his nose sort of punched in the playoffs
04:56and maybe didn't respond the way fans want him to.
04:59But, you know, I saw it today.
05:00I showed Carl.
05:01I was laughing.
05:01Somebody on a Cleveland website had us taking Donovan Mitchell.
05:04And we gave away all our first-round picks, Okongwu and Risa Shea.
05:08I'm like, what's the value for Risa Shea right now?
05:11You know, it's just – and I even – I hit the guy back from Cleveland.
05:14I said, why would Cleveland even do this?
05:17Makes no sense.
05:18You know?
05:19But, yeah, Nurkic from Utah.
05:22That's the other one.
05:22Did you mention him?
05:23No, I didn't.
05:23Yeah, that's what – if you want to go older and be cheaper, Nikola Vucevic with the Celtics.
05:29Remember, I wanted us to get him at the trade deadline.
05:30And they didn't even play him, by the way.
05:31Nope.
05:32And our old friend that we've talked about for years and never pulled the trigger on DeAndre Ayton,
05:35who's a bit soft, but he's tall.
05:37Yeah.
05:38And I don't know what the Lakers' plans are.
05:40My guess is they'll probably move on if they can do something else there.
05:43And, again, you know, some of this stuff is going to be contingent on what other teams are doing.
05:46Another cheapie, Mo Wagner, but he's coming off an injury from Orlando.
05:50Well, so is the Robert Williams guy that I was talking about.
05:55He's a really good defensive player, but he's coming off of injury.
05:57And so, you know, you've got to weigh that.
05:59But none of these guys are going to cost you $100 million, except for Kessler.
06:04That's a big money investment.
06:06He's the only guy that may be a four-year, $120 million guy.
06:09But all these other guys, Mike, you talk about Mitchell Robertson, this three years, $45 million, three years, $39 million.
06:14And if you really want to do it on the cheap, if he still wants to play another year, it's
06:17Brooke Lopez.
06:17It's not even people roll their eyes, but you know what you're getting from him.
06:21As you presumably draft a big, now, again, we can debate, you know, if you take the kid from Michigan,
06:27we'll talk about it.
06:27We've got plenty of time to talk about the NBA draft.
06:29But all of a sudden now, the point guard thing versus the center.
06:32By the way, would I trade?
06:33Guy hit me up just now.
06:34He goes, would you trade?
06:35Yes, I would trade for Jalen Brown.
06:36I'd take Jalen Brown here in a heartbeat.
06:38I don't think they'd ever do that.
06:39Champion, man.
06:40Champion.
06:40I just don't think they'd do that because you don't have the pieces built around him and we'd just be
06:44spinning our wheels.
06:44We'd be a good team, but we wouldn't be a championship team.
06:46And that's the issue.
06:47I don't want to gut the roster and improve it.
06:51So if you're not doing that, here's the thing.
06:54What if Ansi Saleh says, look, this is more about development and we're going to stay the course.
06:58And guess what?
06:58We're running it back.
07:00We're going to add a piece or two.
07:02But, Mike, everybody you saw last year is coming back.
07:04Another year of Kaminga.
07:05You said it.
07:05Another year of JJ, right?
07:07Nikhil will be better.
07:08That's part of maybe the philosophy here without gutting your roster.
07:12Well, what do you think?
07:13I mean, do you think McCollum can give us two serviceable years?
07:16You know?
07:17With manageable minutes.
07:18Yes.
07:19But you've got to get the right point guard because, again, if you get the right point guard
07:22who can step up, step in, and not just be 18 minutes a game.
07:27Really, when you get a guy who's going to learn on the job quickly, that just doesn't seem to happen.
07:31Now, there are some upperclassmen, but there are some guys in this draft that have more than one year, Carl,
07:35in the college game.
07:36But, you know, it's going to be interesting, man.
07:37Hawks make that move yesterday and give Ansi the extension.
07:40And now I think, again, the real work begins.
07:42Your thoughts are welcome.
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