00:00By the way, on 92.3 The Fan's YouTube channel, in the chat, Ozuna collects saying,
00:05Braun to the land soon.
00:08So not only are the streets talking, not only are a lot of radio people hearing a lot of things,
00:14Ozuna collects in the chat saying, Braun to the land soon.
00:17So we got that going for us.
00:19All right, very nice.
00:19Windhorse, by the way, in case anyone was asking, he's taking the Perkins route and just changing his mind every
00:25single day.
00:25He now seems to think Miami has been slept on in the entire process.
00:30I do think that there is a part of this, and again, guys like Brian, and I don't mean this
00:34in a negative way,
00:35those guys, their currency is information.
00:38And I do think there's a part of this that the lack of information or the only air supply that's
00:45out there
00:45is secondhand or thirdhand information.
00:47I do think we watched a lot of people crack in one way or another.
00:51It's killing them because their whole basis is I know more than you because I talk to more people.
00:56And in this, they have to acknowledge the idea that only LeBron and maybe Rich Paul know the answer,
01:03and neither one of them are talking to anybody.
01:05And so you have nothing to go off of.
01:07You can't even be like, oh, I'm hearing this because the people you're hearing from don't know anything more
01:11than you, me, or anyone listening right now.
01:15216-474-0092.
01:17Do the Cavs check all of LeBron's boxes?
01:19Dustin Miami's been waiting patiently here.
01:21What's up, buddy?
01:23Gentlemen, good afternoon.
01:24Good afternoon.
01:26Good afternoon.
01:26Hey, I'm going to say, like, and JP's right there because, you know, Wendy is flip-flopping.
01:32You know, a couple weeks ago when the Jalen Brown news dropped like a day after Wendy said,
01:37what about the Cavs?
01:38We almost lost Keterlin.
01:39I think Padone had to, like, talk him off the ledge that day because JP was just, like,
01:44he had lost it.
01:45But I do think the Cavs check most of the boxes.
01:48Now, in the event that LeBron goes somewhere else, Nick, I believe you posed that question,
01:54the Cavs are screwed because they have not enhanced their team outside of a second-round pick that,
02:02you know, obviously a little fire smoke there with him.
02:05But, you know, we saw during the playoffs, like, you know, Kenny didn't play Jalen Tyson.
02:11Like, so I don't see, you know, this young man getting any tick when games matter.
02:16So outside of actually enhancing their roster, or not enhancing their roster,
02:21the only alternative we have right now is getting LeBron.
02:24Now, the cool thing about getting LeBron is you just don't get the player.
02:27You do get him enhancing the games of the others around him.
02:31And so I do agree with that part of it.
02:33I think, you know, if you can keep J.A., you obviously keep Evan.
02:37And I think LeBron actually makes them better.
02:40So it's almost kind of one of those situations where it's like, hey, look,
02:43we're getting this player later in the season, so we don't have to make a trade.
02:46Now, you get LeBron here, like, you're actually, everybody else is getting better.
02:50So obviously you get better as a squad.
02:52Dustin, you said screwed.
02:53To what degree?
02:55Like, is screwed just being in the second round of the playoffs and losing again next year?
02:58I don't think that's screwed.
03:00The Cavs have been screwed before.
03:01I don't think that would screw them.
03:04Okay, no, fair question, Nick.
03:05But the thing is, like, we are just looking for – I mean, I am, as a Cavs fan,
03:09just looking for a championship.
03:11So, like, that's it.
03:12I'm just – I'm looking to take that next step.
03:13Yeah, so screwed from the sense that you're not going to win a title.
03:15That's what you're saying.
03:16Yeah, yeah, we're not taking that next step.
03:18Like, so, you know, we lost in the first round, lost in the second round,
03:22lost in the conference finals.
03:23Like, we're just going in the opposite direction.
03:26So maybe screwed's a little too strong of an adjective,
03:28but we're going in the opposite direction.
03:30Dustin, we appreciate you, buddy.
03:31Thank you so much.
03:32All right.
03:32So maybe – listen, I'm not trying to sound pessimistic or whatever.
03:40I just think, like, I think we're four years in.
03:44The Cavs really haven't shown the ability to compete for a championship
03:48as constructed if they're not changing the construction beyond Dean Wade leaving
03:54and Keon Ellis leaving and maybe replacing them with a Kaminga
03:57or replacing them with an old-ass forward who might be able to give you some minutes.
04:01Right.
04:02Or without giving LeBron to this roster, I just think we just have –
04:07there has to be an acceptance that goes in here.
04:09I think there will be.
04:10No, I think there will be.
04:11But you have to at least let people mourn that idea to begin with, though,
04:14because right now you're playing with the thought of if you add LeBron,
04:18this team will be a championship contender.
04:20You'll at least be in the mix to be competitive.
04:23Maybe it doesn't break your way, but you're there.
04:25So we haven't given up on those dreams yet.
04:27Those dreams haven't – they haven't chipped away yet.
04:30But if you don't get LeBron, then, yeah,
04:31I think there will be a resounding amount of acceptance from the fans.
04:35Now, going back to the if-LeBron-comes-here side of things,
04:39Rick Buecher was on with the Morning Boys today
04:42and talked about LeBron's impact or potential impact on James Harden.
04:47The guys that LeBron has a problem with are the guys that don't –
04:51can't think the game, that aren't in the right place,
04:54that can't remember plays, that all of that.
04:57And for whatever foibles that James has, it's not that.
05:02And I do think at this stage it wouldn't hurt to pair James
05:07with somebody who has the work ethic that LeBron has
05:10to maybe scooch him over to one less night on the town,
05:15one more day in the weight room.
05:16So this actually did kind of reassure me about –
05:19because I think James has many things,
05:21and he has moments where he just kind of lets a guy buy him.
05:25I've never thought he's kind of one of those guys who's really athletic
05:28but maybe doesn't know ball to the degree of like a LeBron.
05:31That kind of made me feel better about a LeBron-James Harden fit.
05:34Not to go all Harden on everyone,
05:36but like his basketball intelligence has always been through the roof.
05:39It's like – I mean, it's a real strength.
05:41I think one of the appeals of Golden State, for instance,
05:45is the idea that Steph is close to a basketball equal for LeBron,
05:48and he loves that.
05:49He loved how easy it was when they played on Team USA together
05:52and the basketball IQ being matched.
05:54And James Harden, I mean, that's got to be appealing to LeBron.
05:57You need somebody on this team.
05:59And maybe Donovan is this.
06:00I need to give Donovan more credit for his basketball IQ.
06:02But you need people to be able to match him where he is,
06:05and that's really hard to get to.
06:06I think if LeBron's looking at each spot as an opportunity, right,
06:12I think something that helps his case, helps his – how people view him
06:18is if he took Donovan, a guy who had been out of the Eastern Conference Finals
06:23second round or the Conference Finals – or been to the Conference Finals once
06:27despite being a consistent playoff contender,
06:30and he took James Harden with all the perceived limitations.
06:34Those are multiple guys that he could have a course correction on their narratives,
06:40on their careers, on their legacies.
06:42That's why I called it the heavy ring.
06:43Yeah.
06:44Because he's fixing those two guys.
06:45Now, the downside, I think, is more to those two players.
06:48If LeBron comes here and it's just the good time Charlie expressed for those two years,
06:53I don't think it really hurts LeBron unless he gets hurt
06:56or is just like a 10-point-a-game player.
06:58I do think it's going to hurt Harden and Mitchell.
07:01I think that's where it becomes interesting.
07:03If they play with LeBron for two years and don't win, I think that is going to –
07:06even LeBron couldn't get them over the hump.
07:08But at that point, Harden's going to be 38 years old and probably be retired anyway, right?
07:11So for Harden, it's already done.
07:14And then with Donovan, you'll just be staring at the same thing you're staring at right now,
07:17which is a whole group and a whole bunch of people that think you're never going to get there anyway.
07:22Let's go with Mike in Stowe.
07:24Welcome to the show, Mike in Stowe.
07:26Good afternoon, guys.
07:27How are we doing this afternoon?
07:28Doing all right, buddy.
07:28Good to hear from you.
07:30Hey, I want to throw it out there.
07:31A lot of people are kind of looking at this a little kind of short side, I'm afraid.
07:35You know, like LeBron's got to be the first decision.
07:37You know, Kobe can't be doing a lot of things with the roster until he knows we're not LeBron's coming
07:40here.
07:41You know, making another move right now might keep him from coming here.
07:44So you've got to keep your options open.
07:45That's why he hasn't done anything else yet.
07:47So people can need to chill on that.
07:48Secondly, if he doesn't come here, there still is some adequate work to be done.
07:52But it doesn't have to happen right now.
07:54It can happen before the trade deadline, too.
07:56There's a lot of things that happen in the season after, you know, the first game starts.
08:00And there'll be more moves.
08:02And I do think that Kobe will not sit tight with status quo, with the core four.
08:07If we're still playing that same kind of ball and we're still not getting respect, I really do think he'll
08:11make another move because he's going to kind of have to.
08:14And the other thing, I think LeBron has got to come here, is we are the best fit.
08:19I think it's about ball rate.
08:20As far as, you know, you look at Philadelphia, Jalen Brown needs 60% of the possessions to even self
08:25-create.
08:26He's horrible from a sharing the ball standpoint.
08:29And when you've got Embiid and Matt, too, they're both real high.
08:32There's not enough balls to go around there.
08:34Yeah, the usage rate is really high on the 76ers.
08:36So, like, the question you have to ask yourself, Mike, is LeBron comfortable being the fourth option on a team?
08:41No way.
08:41He had a hard time being the third option with L.A. last year.
08:44I heard that guy you guys got on from Philadelphia saying, oh, LeBron wins a championship.
08:48He's going to be a god forever.
08:49I totally disagree with that.
08:50I mean, no way in heck.
08:52I mean, no matter where he goes, he's going to be thought of well, and it'll be so short-sighted.
08:58Two years later, it'll be all about the next team.
09:00It won't be about what LeBron, it won't have any carrying effect like it does here.
09:04Period.
09:05And this is the best fit for him from a roster standpoint.
09:08Miami can't even move the ball.
09:09They've got no guards left.
09:10So, yeah, I just wanted to get out there, guys.
09:12I think he's coming here.
09:13It won't be on one of these soccer – it won't be on the World Cup final day.
09:16I'm going to tell you that.
09:16I just want to share the headlines.
09:18It could be tomorrow.
09:20But if it doesn't happen tomorrow, I don't think it's happening until Monday.
09:23All right, Mike.
09:24We appreciate you, buddy.
09:25Mike and Stowe, if you want to join in, 216-474-0092.
09:28I mean, you do disagree with his main point that – or not the main point, but the other
09:31point about – he was calling back Fedor saying 43 years, you erase that for Philadelphia,
09:37and you'd be a god.
09:39I mean, I don't know about god status, but, like, you're as high as anything, right?
09:44I think he wins a fifth championship anywhere, and it's going to do –
09:47Like, again, he would just be winning the second title in Cleveland history.
09:50And actually, the second title in Cleveland since 1964.
09:54I just think trying to weight it.
09:56The difference is, if he doesn't win a title in Cleveland, there's no downside.
10:03No one is going to say, what a waste of time, whereas if he does it in Philly, it is
10:09win
10:10a championship or nothing.
10:11In Miami, I think it's win a championship or nothing.
10:14In Minnesota, it is – like, the expectation – even in Golden State, I think anything short
10:19of that – I don't know about Golden State.
10:21I think the fans are going to revolt if it's not that level of basketball with LeBron.
10:26I think those fans are – they're not checked out, but they're not – they don't have
10:29championship aspirations anymore.
10:31But, like, to – I do think what's really interesting about if LeBron comes back is just
10:36what happens when LeBron comes back, do the Cavs immediately have a move to make?
10:40Meaning, like, is there a Jared Allen trade?
10:43Is there, like –
10:44Yeah, but when you get LeBron, it's all of a sudden Kaminga here the next day.
10:46And so I think that's –
10:48I would think so, by the way.
10:49Oh, that's interesting because I –
10:51Not necessarily Kaminga, but I would think something else is coming right after LeBron
10:54if it goes down that way.
10:55So I agree with what Mike said, and I think you and I have both made this point, too.
10:59I think we haven't seen the Cavs made a move yet because they learned from 2014 where I
11:05think they were, like – they had Gordon Hayward in the building.
11:08Yeah.
11:08They were going to offer him a significant offer sheet.
11:13And I think it was LeBron's agent or a friend of LeBron called him and said,
11:16what the hell are you doing?
11:17LeBron's about to come home.
11:20Which caught the Cavs by surprise.
11:21I do think they want to avoid that.
11:23And so there is some patience here.
11:26But then it becomes, all right, do you wait until LeBron's in the building,
11:30you do the upcoming home press conference, and then you trade Jarrett?
11:33Like, when did those moves happen?
11:34I think it works a little bit differently.
11:35I think the – I think – he hasn't talked to any GMs or anything.
11:40But, like, here's how I would think it would happen.
11:42Rich Paul and LeBron have already figured out and put together which trade is realistic
11:46and who they want to go ahead and have join them if it is the Cavs.
11:50And then the moment he gets traded, then he tells Kobe Altman, this is what we're doing,
11:53and then Kobe Altman does it.
11:54And here's the other thing.
11:56For all the people saying LeBron doesn't have leverage or LeBron doesn't,
11:59I think LeBron's holding up all the other moves.
12:03He's holding up any of the free agent moves, but he's also holding up the trade market.
12:07We have not – there's still movement to be made on the NBA front.
12:12Significant moves to be made.
12:14It's not just – Jalen Brown won't be the last significant trade made this offseason.
12:17I think that's another sign of LeBron's power in this,
12:21that nobody's making a move until he makes his move.
12:24You're not expecting anything close to what Jalen Brown is, though.
12:26I mean, that's not –
12:27You mean the most disappointing trade of the year because Boston got fleeced?
12:30It's not disappointing.
12:31It's a massive trade.
12:33Oh, no, no, no.
12:33It's a massive trade.
12:34I just meant a team getting housed by the other team.
12:39Is that what we're talking about?
12:40I meant a player of significance going over and being traded and moved.
12:44I don't – I mean, I –
12:45Danny Ainge would never, by the way, Brad Stevens,
12:48he would never trade Jalen Brown for Paul George in pieces.
12:54Oof.
12:55Has Brad Stevens lost his touch?
12:56Brad Stevens has not lost his touch.
12:58Bill Simmons might agree with me for once.
13:00I don't think so.
13:01I think everyone kind of gave Brad Stevens the benefit of the doubt on this one.
13:04I think they're dumb, though.
13:05I don't understand it.
13:06Well, Brad Stevens went to the podium and just blamed money restrictions
13:10and said the contract for Brown was too fat.
13:13We can't pay – we can't pay two players that amount of money
13:17and expect to be competitive in any sort of way in the NBA.
13:20And then they're paying Paul George a lot of money.
13:22We can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay –
13:22we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay –
13:22we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay –
13:22we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay –
13:22we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay –
13:22we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay –
13:22we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay –
13:22we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay –
13:22we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we can't pay – we
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