Takes

The NBA will expand to Seattle and Las Vegas by the 2028-2029 season

NBA expansion teams. Yes. Seattle and Vegas. I think it's 28, 20 29... Little bit, little bit of a shuffle [moving Minnesota and Memphis to the East].

LeBron James is the face of the NBA until the day he retires

As long as LeBron's in the league, LeBron is not only the face of the league, but definitely has a weighted opinion on basketball... LeBron is the face of the league until he is no longer in the league.

LeBron James will announce his retirement at the All-Star Game

He's gonna announce he's retiring at the All-Star game. They're gonna rig it so that he can win the all-star MVP. It's in LA. And then he's gonna say, I'm retiring.

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.

It is hypocritical for LeBron James to complain about playing on Christmas after doing it for 20 years

LeBron's been playing on Christmas for 20 years. Like, what are you talking about? Now, you're upset? I should [mention] though... Christmas Day [games] are ruined now because they don't play defense in the league.

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.

The future of the NBA is in Victor Wembanyama and Sam Presti's hands

I would say the future of basketball's in [Wembanyama] and Sam Presti's hands. ... The Thunder are also in Dodger land. They are in Dodger land. ... Which is insane 'cause they're doing it with a cat.

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 has lost his joy for basketball and is beefing with his coaches

My Hot Seat is Ja Morant... lost his joy. He's beefing with his coaches. This was like a week or so ago, but he was, you know, getting pushed in a press conference... and then last night he just said he's lost his joy.

The New Orleans Pelicans are 'soft quitting' the season to relocate

The Pelicans are just like soft quitting and gonna probably be in like relocate... they have no promotional calendar for the season... no bobbleheads... they're just soft quitting the Pelicans.

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.

Ben Simmons' career is over now that his agent has dropped him

My Hot Seat is Ben Simmons... He got dropped by his agent... if you're getting dropped, you're, you're, you must be bad, bad. You just not care. Yeah. At all. He just literally doesn't care even enough to like take a contract, bad sign. So he's just not, he's he's not represented currently.

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.

Paul George will be the biggest bust in Philadelphia sports history

Paul George, Playoff P, Pre-season P has injured himself again... he's probably gonna go down as the biggest bust in Philly history. Him and Andrew Bynum... Ben Simmons... Markelle Fultz. Playoff P is in the running right now for biggest bust.

If LeBron James wins a title in Cleveland this year, it doesn't count

If he does go to the Cavs and the Cavs win in an East that is beyond depleted this year, we need to just already say this. That doesn't count. The Pacers are out of it, the Bucks are probably out of it. Coward move if he wins a title with the Cavs.

The evidence of Malik Beasley gambling on his own games is absurdly obvious

The videos that came out after the investigation came out were very bad to say the least. I don't know if it's one of those things where if you could do this for any player... but the videos that came out were absurdly obvious that he was probably gambling on games.

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.

Kevin Durant is going to be traded to the San Antonio Spurs

We also have the, the shams body language experts out being like, did you see what he, the look he gave when they mentioned the Spurs as a landing spot for Kevin Durant. So everyone thinks he's going to the Spurs.

LeBron James will announce that next season is his final year during the NBA Finals

I think there is going to be an announcement... this will be LeBron James last year. And he's gonna make us suffer through an entire year long thing. He might even do it during the NBA finals. I actually wouldn't be shocked if he does it during the NBA finals.

LeBron James is a scumbag for opting into a $52 million contract instead of taking a team-friendly deal

[LeBron] opted in for $52 million. He's a billionaire. He might even be a piece of shit... he does not need, he's not even good enough for 52 million a year. He could have signed for 30... they could use the 20 million to actually make their team better. But he doesn't care about that because he's a selfish piece of shit.

The Phoenix Suns are returning to a state of institutional chaos under new ownership

Matt Ishbia bought the team. And guess what, they're back in it [chaos] because there's a lawsuit now out that sun, CEO Josh Bartelstein might have had an inappropriate relationship with Sophie Cunningham who played on the Phoenix Mercury. ... The suns are just back in it.

Paige Bueckers will be a better WNBA pro than Caitlin Clark because she's more athletic and explosive

I do think that she [Paige Bueckers] might be a better WNBA player than Caitlin Clark. I think she's more athletic. She's more explosive. Caitlin Clark obviously shoots better from the outside... but in terms of, I'm talking about winning.

Paige Bueckers will be a better pro than Caitlin Clark

I still think Paige Bueckers gonna be a better pro. I know, I know, she, I think Paige is gonna be better.

Doc Rivers has won three games in a playoff series many times and doesn't get enough credit for it

When he [Doc Rivers] loses the three-one leads, he's won three games. That should be worth something. Like if you get up 28 to three against the Patriots of the Super Bowl, that should be worth something.

Caitlin Clark is paid what she is worth right now because she hasn't won a championship

I think that she's paid what she's worth right now. She gotta win the big one. ... She's never won a college national championship. Never won a WNBA national championship. ... Talk to me when she's got a chip. When she gets that ring.

Dwight Howard isn't actually good at basketball anymore

Stephen A. Smith was making the case for Dwight Howard today coming back... I'm in support of that just because it would be very funny, but I don't think he's very good at basketball. [He's] one of those guys that looks in shape, but he probably doesn't have any of the skills that he once had.

Dennis Schroeder's comparison of the NBA trade deadline to modern slavery is absurd given guaranteed contracts

Dennis Schroeder from the Warriors said the trade deadline is like 'modern slavery'... I feel like Dennis Schroeder just figured out how sports work. Here's another thing—if you, I mean in the NBA, you have guaranteed contracts. So unlike a regular job where you can be fired and just not paid, the NBA, even if you get traded, you still get paid.

Jimmy Butler is an absolute locker room cancer

I mean he's old and he's proven himself time and time again to just be an absolute locker room cancer can't even win.

The Warriors should have just resigned Klay Thompson and stayed old together

I don't even think like, this is why this revisionist history just fucking should have just resigned Klay and just gotten like, you have to pick a lane. Like just maybe just get old together. And just be like, all right. It was fun, but everyone got to stay together... if you know you're not gonna win again, just go nostalgia.

Karl-Anthony Towns might actually be 'built like that' for the pressure of New York

Also Karl-Anthony Towns. He might be the perfect fit for New York. He had a big shot. He was repping it. Yeah. And the Knicks had been hot. Like Karl-Anthony Towns might be built like that.

I love the NBA Cup courts and the point differential incentive

I am a full NBA cup guy... The courts I love. I like something different. I also love the fact, and this is probably because I like to gamble on overs that teams are playing for point differential. That makes it fun.

Klay Thompson is going to go nuts in his first game back at Golden State — taking every Klay over

I'm just gonna take every single Klay Thompson over. First time back in Golden State. He's gonna go nuts.

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest should be replaced by a Layup Contest

I think they should do a layup contest instead of slam dunk contest. [Ja Morant's 360 layup] was sick... I thought to myself like, with enough practice I could possibly do that. Also not true. But it still made me think.

Doc Rivers is on the Hot Seat because the Bucks have no identity

My Hot Seat is Doc Rivers... They are one in three on the season 18 and 22 in the Doc Rivers era. Mm. And Giannis was talking in the post game and said, right now we don't have an identity... How are we gonna win the game? ... No identity's bad.

I am 100% confident the Washington Wizards will get Cooper Flagg

All I'm saying is I've never been as confident. I've never been as confident in my life of anything as the fact that the wizards are gonna get Cooper Flagg. I'm willing to tell you right now, I will stand on this hill and I will plant my representative banner to say that we're getting Flagg.

Ben Simmons is back to playing at an All-Star level and is set for a massive bounce-back season

Ben Simmons reportedly is in camp and or at least training. He says Ben Simmons is back to playing all star talent level basketball. Get ready for this boys big season loading. This is the year for Ben.

The Celtics are attacking the next title rather than defending the old one

Joe Mazzulla, Celtics coach, was doing an interview and they asked him about how he feels about defending the title and he basically just took down the term forever. He said the phrase 'defending a title' is a very passive-aggressive term. If you look at the animal kingdom, some of the strongest animals don't defend—they're the most aggressive and they attack the most. So we're attacking the title.

The 2024 USA Basketball team would smoke the 1992 Dream Team

Modern game. More shooting. Like if it was if you literally just took them in a time machine and dropped them in 2024. The 2024 team would smoke them.

Lauri Markkanen is not worth $200 million

They just gave Lauri Markkanen a five year, 200 plus million dollar contract... He's not worth that much money. I'd pay him 35 [million].

Kevin Durant is currently unhappy and looking to be traded to France

Maybe he's unhappy. Isn't that what we heard about Kevin Durant? Yeah. He could be. He's unhappy and he is looking to be traded to France.

The WNBA's momentum will be killed by its four-week Olympic break

My Hot Seat, coincidentally... The WNBA. They won't be playing basketball for four weeks. So imagine if, like the 1988 dunk contest. It was incredible. And then the NBA just didn't happen for four weeks. All the momentum they've gained, just nothing's gonna happen.

Bronny James is not currently a professional-level basketball player.

The way that he said, 'I don't think Bronny's a pro' isn't that bad for [Jalen Brown] because it's also not wrong. He's not a pro. Which is probably an accurate [statement].

LeBron James only brought Bronny into the NBA to bolster his GOAT case against Michael Jordan

Some people could argue that LeBron, when he realized that he wasn't going to win six titles and match MJ, he's like, 'what else can I try to get that will, they'll say in my GOAT conversation' and having Bronny—playing with Bronny—will be there. MJ's son never played in the league.

Jayson Tatum has no aura

Jayson Tatum has no aura. I have no aura. Perfect. Exa—great. Find it. That's, I have no aura... If you see it, you can tell, you can use, you don't have to know the definition... [Tatum] has no aura.

JJ Redick's coaching experience is basically limited to being a fourth-grade volunteer

Everyone [is] talking about JJ Redick's coaching experience [being] fourth grade volunteer. That was a bad graphic they showed... fourth grade volunteer head coach.

JJ Redick used his podcast with LeBron James as a 4-month job interview for the Lakers

He used podcasting... it's a stepping stone job... LeBron, you can have conversations with people and be like, I think this guy would be a good coach... just say what it was. Yeah. We decided, we realized that podcasting is the greatest loophole ever. And we did a podcast about the philosophies of basketball... I was essentially interviewing him for the job and then we hired him.

Draymond Green is 'going out sad' and only complaining because his career is ending

I think Draymond Green knows it's over and he's going out really sad, just complaining. He's made $177 million... for him to say that the fines are the big problem... I think there might be a small part of him when he goes to bed at night, he's like, did I call Steph like a couple rings? And it's over. He's grasping at whatever he can to try to keep it going.

Bronny James is in a terrible spot and I feel bad for him

My Hot Seat is Bronny James... I feel bad for him. Like I, I he's he's in a terrible spot. I agree. He's in a terrible spot. He is at the combine this week. People are debating whether he should even be at the combine.

Bronny James would not be drafted or at the combine if his name wasn't Bronny James

I do agree with you because it's just a simple question. Would Bronny James be at the combine and be drafted if his name wasn't Bronny James? The answer's no.