Takes

The Celtics will play the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs

It right now it would be Knicks Celtics second round, right. You know who's gonna be first round Celtics? Possibly Sixers. It will be Celtics Sixers.

Alex Karaban will play in the NBA for 15 years

You know, the guy [Alex Karaban] just had such a magical career... you know, the guy's a two-time national champion... guy's gonna play in the NBA for 15 years, you know, he was the guy to go to at the moment.

The Lakers will lose 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs regardless of their current hot streak

What's gonna happen is they're like, they're good, but the other two teams above them are better and have been better all year and younger. Right? But again, what's gonna happen is they're like, 'They're good, but the other two teams above them are better.' ... When everyone tries to tell us the Lakers are gonna win the title, I'll just be like, 'Okay, cool.' They'll lose 4 to 1.

South Carolina and Texas are safe bets to reach the Women's Final Four

If you want an easy parlay, South Carolina and Texas to go to the Final Four. It's like minus one 15. But those two teams got easy tracks.

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].

The top NBA MVP candidates might be ineligible due to the 65-game rule

There's a good chance that like the top two guys or the top three guys aren't eligible. Yeah, we're on games missed watch. For like what Shai, Wemby and Jokic, right?

I guarantee a Thunder NBA Cup win next season specifically because I don't think it will happen

I hope we're gonna win the NBA Cup next year... I'm much more comfortable saying, I'll guarantee you. 'Cause I don't think it'll happen.

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?

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 Washington Wizards are 100% guaranteed to make the playoffs next season.

I am now a Wizards fan... I'm thinking the [playoffs] for sure next year... A hundred percent guaranteed. We're gonna be better than the [6% of the league]... You can't get to the [playoffs] unless you get in the [play-in].

The Indiana Pacers are going to be a problem in the NBA next season.

The Pacers are going to be a problem next year... They're most likely gonna have a top three pick... They're gonna be a problem next year.

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 Timberwolves are clearing cap space to make a massive run at Giannis Antetokounmpo.

This feels like the Timberwolves are moving money around to maybe go for Giannis.

The Celtics' trade for Nikola Vucevic is a clear sign that Jayson Tatum will be returning to the lineup soon.

I like this trade... Well V[ucevic]—it also means Jayson Tatum's coming back... because if Tatum comes back, those are minutes like Simmons has been playing, but if T comes back, those minutes are gone.

Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White will both be traded by the Bulls by the end of the deadline.

Also a sign that probably IO and Kobe White are going to be moved and they might, when you're listening to this, they might have already been traded.

The Seahawks will move Giannis Antetokounmpo to Golden State

Do I? I think he might go actually to Golden State... Giannis would be open to finding other teams that are interested in collaborative effort on a basketball championship.

Giannis Antetokounmpo might be traded to the Chicago Bulls this week

Second [favorite to land Giannis] is Chicago Bulls at plus three ten... the rumors of him to the Bulls have always kind of been there being like, he loves Milwaukee so much that he's not gonna leave living in Milwaukee and commute. Which he could do, but it would be the most ridiculous thing ever.

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.

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.

The Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis trade will be seen as a win-win in ten years.

Rob Pelinka texted Nico Harrison and said something like, man, I I I would do it again because I I really think we both won... It was a good trade. In 10 years they will be singing your praises.

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... [Chet Holmgren] will be better... they're just going to be better... I just wanted—I picked him last year, I wanted to do something a little different this year. So I'm picking the Denver Nuggets.

The 76ers will be a massive disappointment if they don't reach the NBA Finals

I just believe in the Sixers a little bit more than you, I guess. I'm gonna pick 'em... I think Sixers in the east, easily... This to me is as open as it's ever gonna be for the Sixers.

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.

Paige Bueckers will break all of Caitlin Clark's WNBA rookie records

She's gonna break all of Caitlin Clark's rookie records and I think she's a better team player than Caitlin Clark.

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.

The Philadelphia 76ers will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals

I have a new preemptive take. This is a hot take. All right. The Philadelphia 76ers will make it to the Eastern Conference finals. Whoa. Now that is that not crazy? That's, I mean we just, here it is. That Joel and the opposite of chalk.

Nikola Jokic will force a trade from Denver to the Chicago Bulls because of the large Serbian population in Chicago

I think Nikola Jokic is gonna force a trade out of Denver at the end of the season to the Chicago Bulls. Whoa. Number one Serbia population in America. Wow. That's just a wild one.

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 will not be playing for the Lakers next season

I don't think LeBron's playing for the Lakers next year... It also makes sense because they have [Anthony Davis], they have to start building the team around [Davis].

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 basically be 'Lob City'

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

The Philadelphia 76ers will win the 2026 NBA Finals

I'm gonna match and double. I'm gonna say they're gonna win the finals. They're gonna win a chip. Love it.

LeBron James is actively trying to work his way back to the Cleveland Cavaliers

I don't know, is LeBron, is he trying to work his way back to Cleveland? I think that would be good. Yeah. I would like to see it... he's doing this on purpose to get everyone talking about it and then he's gonna do it. I think he's gonna do it.

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.

Kevin Durant will win the title and secure a legacy year with the Rockets

I think KD's got a little fuck you going tour coming. I think he's got one more of those in him. And I think this might be the year... I think this might be a KD legacy year. I think he might win it all and then be like, now this one counts.

The Mavericks should be favored as the primary threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West next season

Should the Mavericks be favored to be the team that gives Oklahoma City a run for its money out of the West next season? Think about it. It seems like they're the next one up.

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 Duke trio of Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach are all special NBA prospects

I like all three guys a lot. [Cooper] Flagg... anticipation, the defense, I mean it just, his passing all this stuff is that he's a, he's a real competitor... [Kon] Knueppel iss like he's, he's gonna be very good pro... [Khaman] Maluach... he stays in front of [guards] by moving his feet... Those three guys are really special prospects.

This 2025 Thunder team is the worst version we will see during their upcoming dynasty

This is the worst Oklahoma City Thunder team that will win a championship during this dynasty run. They had to go to seven against the Nuggets. They had to go to seven against the Pacers. I don't expect that to happen ever again for them.

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 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.

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.

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.

The Pacers will win the title because the moment is never too big for them and they aren't scared

I believe in the Pacers throughout the Eastern conference playoffs... they just, there's something about 'em, like they just have more guys and they just, I think it's also they don't, the moment is never too big for them. They're not scared. Yeah. Like they're not worried, they're not scared and it just, it, something about this team is special.

The Knicks are going to hire Rick Brunson as their head coach

There's a theory that they're crossing all these names off. They're gonna ask everybody get denied and then they're gonna go back with a Rick Brunson being the coach. That's a theory I saw out there.

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.