Takes

The Clippers made a smart pivot trading James Harden for Darius Garland

I like what the Clippers did... I don't think Darius Garland is this bad. He's a two-time all star. He's 26 years old... when he was right, he was terrific. And Harden... fourth trade request in six years. So the Clippers very quickly on the fly... you'll look at the Garland thing and go, man, they were able to land a player like that for Harden.

LeBron James won't retire because he's addicted to the attention of basketball

I don't think he is [retiring]. I think he's gonna have a really, really hard time being away from the attention of basketball... He's still incredibly productive offensively... I still think there's far more positive about him, the player, but it just depends like what are you looking for next year?

Getting mad at the NBA All-Star Game is as boring as the game itself

I hate the All Star game a lot... It's just, I don't get mad at it though. Like, it's for kids, it's kind of fun... Why would you get mad about I wish the Allstar game were competitive... I actually think getting mad at the Allstar game is, is as boring as the game itself.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will never be traded

Giannis is never going to get traded. Everyone's hair's on fire, everyone's panicking and nothing ever happens. Giannis is never going to get traded.

The Bulls mistimed every single trade during their rebuild

The Bulls traded everyone when the players were at their worst value. Like they, they mistimed every single trade. And this is going back to [Alex] Caruso, [Zach] LaVine, [Nikola] Vucevic... They basically were like, Hey, what would be the smartest time to trade 'em? Let's wait a year and then trade 'em.

Scotty Barnes will have more points than Rashid Shaheed has receiving yards

Scotty Barnes will have more points than Rashid Shaheed has receiving yards.

The Celtics trading Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic is a sign that Jayson Tatum is returning

I like this trade. I was happy with this trade. Well V[ucevic]—it also means Jayson Tatum's coming back... because if Tatum comes back, those are minutes like Simons has been playing, but if [Tatum] comes back, those minutes are gone.

LeBron may have played his last game in Cleveland - his body is finally catching up to him

I think he might be coming to the end here. It feels like his body is finally caught up to him. So this might be last time in Cleveland.

The Trae Young trade to the Wizards is the most 'NBA trade' ever because it's only about spreadsheets

It was the most NBA trade of all time. Oh yeah. Because neither team is doing this trade to win a title. No, they're not even really doing it to get better at basketball. They're just shuffling guys... because your spreadsheet could use a guy with that number next to it.

Trey Young will be traded from the Atlanta Hawks in a mutual parting of ways

My Hot Seat is Trey Young. Because it looks like he is asking, demanding to be traded from the Atlanta Hawks and the Hawks are also trying to trade him. So I guess this is like a mutual parting of ways.

Jalen Brown was snubbed from Eastern Conference Player of the Month

My who's back is Jalen Brown. He was snubbed from Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December. He was statistically better than Jalen Brunson. He was vocal about it. He should have been player of the month.

The NBA Cup means nothing to me

I'm excited to watch the game. I just don't care who the NBA cup means nothing to me. ... There's no way you'll be able to be like, oh yeah, 2025. That was the year the Spurs won the NBA cup.

Cooper Flagg is fully activated after his 40-point game

Cooper Flagg may have fully been activated. He has reached full activation. 18 years old. 40 piece in regulation. ... If we're talking just highlight tapes, he's looking good.

LeBron James robbed fans of a hater moment by making the correct basketball play

I feel so robbed by it because [LeBron James] actually made a very selfless play. A game-winning assist for a buzzer beater. I was really hoping that the situation had occurred where he was trying to force it and he cost him the game. He robbed that from us.

Chris Paul being a dickhead in his 20th season is actually a credit to his accountability

In his 20th year in the league at his age, he was still being like, 'Hey guys, we gotta be accountable.' Because I would think that if you're doing a farewell tour... I'm gonna chill with the boys. He was still being dickhead Chris Paul. It's more of a credit to Chris Paul.

LeBron James is officially in his stat-padding era

My Cool Throne is LeBron because congratulations to LeBron. He kept his streak alive of scoring 10 games, which is a totally made up streak... Can we just admit that LeBron's in his stat padding time, like it's fine. It's fine.

Ja Morant needs a trade to find his joy for basketball again

My Hot Seat is Ja Morant... he's lost his joy. He's beefing with his coaches... last night he just said he's lost his joy... it feels like he needs a trade very badly. Just get him out of there, get him a new place.

The NBA gambling scandal is going to get much bigger with more players involved

My big takeaway after the deep dive earlier today and listened to a couple press conferences is that I think this just gets bigger. I think there's gonna be a lot more guys in the coming days announced to be a part of this thing not looking good whatsoever.

The Denver Nuggets will win the NBA title this year

I'm picking the Denver Nuggets. There's no reason to pick against OKC... they're just going to be better... I just wanted—I picked him last year, I wanna do something a little different this year. So I'm picking the Denver Nuggets.

LeBron James will not retire until the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles

I was talking to [Mark] Titus about it... he was saying that he doesn't think LeBron's gonna retire till 2028 when the Olympics are in LA. That's so much more LeBron. ... He will, that will be the last basketball. He plays the Olympics in 2028.

LeBron James isn't focused on basketball because he's golfing too much

My Hot Seat is LeBron James. It's been the off season. You know, he, he's old. He, he probably should be taking more time to get ready and prepared and get his body ready... and he's just spent the whole summer golfing. He's just not locked in. He's not focused on the task at hand.

LeBron winning in the bubble didn't feel the same as a real title

When we won, won in the bubble. I've said this before, but like, I like looked into my heart like 30 seconds later I was like, it doesn't feel the same with him [LeBron]. Yeah. It really doesn't feel the same with him.

The Celtics should give Joe Mazzulla a job for life

Signed a multi-year extension back with the Celtics. They should just give him a job for life.

Luka Doncic's weight loss makes him the epitome of male fitness.

Luca is skinny. He looks great. He looks awesome. Credit to Nico [Harrison]... He is on the cover of Men's Fitness right now. So he went from being traded because he was too fat to play sports to being the epitome of male fitness. Good for him.

Nikola Jokic cares more about his horses winning than winning NBA championships

It was abundantly clear that [Jokic] cares more about his horse winning races than he does about winning NBA championships.

LeBron James and Chris Paul will have a 'retirement off' to ensure they don't retire in the same year

I don't think LeBron wants to retire the same time as Chris Paul. I think they might. I think it might be a retirement off... It's gonna be like, who's gonna retire first? The other person stay an extra year just 'cause they didn't wanna retire the same year as that guy.

There is a better chance of Terry McLaurin playing for the Patriots than Ben Simmons playing for the Celtics

I trust Brad Stevens. I don't think this is gonna happen. I think there's a better chance Terry McLaurin plays for the Patriots than Ben Simmons plays with the Celtics.

Joel Embiid will win the NBA MVP award next season

I will be saying that Joel Embiid will be winning the MVP. I'm going back to my original idea. It's like when you're in school and you're taking a test, you only gotta go with your gut. And my gut said that Joel Embiid is gonna win MVP this year. And I'm sticking with Joel Embiid will win the MVP.

LeBron James desperately wants to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron's getting a little desperate. Did you guys see the latest? Kobe Altman, the president of the Cleveland Cavaliers, got a contract extension and LeBron James quote tweeted it... He wants to be a Cav so bad.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will keep drafting role players and only pay their three stars

I think what [the Thunder's] plan is, and it might work, is that they have so many draft picks. They'll just keep drafting and not paying those guys and then pay their three guys. And hope the role players like, hey, you're gonna, you're gonna play well if you get drafted, get paid very little money. But you get to play with three really good players.

Klay Thompson playing with Luka Doncic will be like Lob City

I will say this about Klay Thompson. It does feel like if it doesn't work with Luca, he's gonna be in a i, I don't know what, where it would work, because that's just Lob City form.

The NBA should rename the 'Second Apron' to 'Prison' to make it easier to understand

They gotta get rid of the apron word. I'm so sick of it. If they just called it jail and prison, I think it would make a lot more sense because that's really what it is. The second apron is prison. They basically, for people who don't understand what they've done with the salary cap... they restrict you. They put you in prison.

The Houston Rockets are going to be awesome this season

The rockets are gonna be really good. I know that you don't win championships July 1st. The rockets are gonna be awesome. I'm a big, I think the Rockets are gonna be awesome. They basically have three centers now and they added Kevin Durant and I'm a Rockets believer.

WNBA players being petty toward Caitlin Clark is actually good for sports

Of course they don't like her. She's better than them and she's more popular. Like of course they're petty about it. I think that's good for sports... Kaylyn Clark will have a longer career, better career, make more money. She's gonna win in the long run. It doesn't have to be like a World War II every single time there's a slight on Kaitlyn Clark.

Cooper Flagg could make close to a billion dollars in the NBA by age 32

If everything goes well for [Cooper Flagg] and he signs all of his extensions and everything... he could make close to a billion dollars in the NBA by age 32. He has a $62 million rookie deal... then he'd get the 30% supermax, which would be $359 million. And then he would get the 35% supermax, which would be $509 million.

The Wizards must change their name back to the Bullets to fix their culture

They need to change their name so bad. They gotta go back to the bullets. I think you go back to the bullets day one, culture change, different mentality. Your shooters again.

Houston is a great fit for Kevin Durant

I think it's a great fit for him. [Kevin Durant]... Stone is on an absolute heater now. I mean every single move this guy makes, it seems like usually you're just gonna get run wrong because of the way sports work... they desperately what they needed on offense. Like go get us those closing playoff moment buckets.

Whoever won the Thunder-Nuggets series was going to be the NBA champion no matter what

I think whoever won that Thunder-Nuggets series, that was going to be the champion no matter what. That was going to be the champion no matter what.

The NBA season is too long and the speed of the game is causing the recent spike in Achilles injuries

There's gonna be a big conversation about the length of the NBA season and are these guys too big, strong, fast? Because we had how many? We had Dame, Tatum, Haliburton all wear the number zero, all tore their Achilles in these playoffs. Season maybe goes too long.

Kevin Durant to the Rockets is a great fit because they finally have a go-to scorer

Great fit. Rockets are gonna be very good. They needed a go-to scorer. Kevin Durant is still a go-to scorer. ... I think that's the team he can go to... it's a young enough team that he can be like, yeah, they needed Kevin Durant.

The Pacers lost Game 5 because Rick Carlisle didn't play TJ McConnell enough down the stretch

I feel like that Rick Carlisle, I don't know, maybe this is just one of those situations where he obviously knows his players better than anyone else. But TJ McConnell was a problem. I think he could not, the thunder did not know what to do with him. And he should have kept with him... they took him out for the last, like six or whatever, the crucial six minutes when they lost the game.

The Pacers will win Game 6 at home to force a Game 7

I think the Pacers are gonna figure out how to win one at home. I don't know how, I think maybe we get a TJ McConnell game. I think we just send him out there and we're like, we're gonna empty TJ's personal tank on this one... I have no reason to believe that they're gonna win game six, but I somehow do.

SGA has officially proven he is the best player in the NBA Finals

[SGA] basically was like, I have to win this series myself. And he did it in that fourth quarter... This is why he won the MVP. This is why he's the best player in this series.

The Pacers-Thunder series is officially over for Indiana

I'm pretty sure... that was their game to lose. And they did. And now I feel like the series is over. Like, yeah, the Pacers have been winning the series and it's tied and... the Thunder know they're the better team and they can just step on their throat.

Kevin Durant's legacy will be dinged if he doesn't win a title with his next team

I'm gonna say it. He needs to win a championship with whatever team he goes to in this trade... because he's cherry-picking the teams. If he doesn't do it, then his legacy in my eyes takes a ding.

I officially believe the Pacers are going to win the NBA Finals

I believe in the Pacers throughout the Eastern conference playoffs and then the finals came and I was like, I think the thunder are gonna win. And I know that it's obviously now that they're up, but I they just, there's something about 'em, like they just have more guys... something about this team is special.

Pat Bev has a more Hall of Fame-worthy career than I do

I actually do not disagree with that at all. I you look at the scope of work... just the way he took players under his wing... I respect his opinion. I actually, I think I agree with him. I think he probably gets the nod over myself.

The Thunder will still win the NBA Finals despite being down 2-1

I'm gonna go Oklahoma City still. I'm gonna stick with my original prediction. I'm not gonna change after a two-one lead. I'm gonna say Oklahoma City. They, they, they, they gotta win game four and it's a three game series and two of 'em are home for them.

The Thunder will beat the Pacers 4-2 in the Finals

I think I'm gonna stay with four, two Thunder.

The Thunder will beat the Pacers in five games

Hank you think it's it's over. Yeah. Five games. You're already calling it over.