Lakers push for Ayton & face doubt over FA appeal; Rockets emerge as serious threat in West | SPEAK

Lakers push for Ayton & face doubt over FA appeal; Rockets emerge as serious threat in West | SPEAK

So, Paul, do the Lakers need to make a big push for DeAndre Aens? If that’s their only option, if there’s no trade out there, I think they should uh I think they should give it a shot because I think you can get him at a a discount at this point because when you’re a young player, he’s only 26 years old. This was the number one pick of the draft uh six years ago, the same draft that featured Luca Donic and I believe Trey Young was in this class 2018. Uh, so if you can say, “Hey, we’ll get him at a deal.” Look it, we’re going to get him in a culture where you have LeBron and Luca, it’s Los Angeles, guys he’s going to probably respect. And usually sometimes a change of scenery can make the light bulb click for a young player. And that’s something that they hope can do because the potential is there. I mean, obviously you look at him, he’s giving you 16 and 10. That’s solid for a young big man. He’s a live threat. he can block shots. So, the potential is there. Now, if they’re saying the only thing he needs to fix, you know, it’s some attitude adjustments. I’m sure a couple vets can work with that. But, if you can come here, young fell, and put the work in, cuz obviously he’s been putting the work in. You don’t just walk into the NBA and average 16 and 10. So, you know, he can play and he’s putting work in. So, I think this will be a good move for the Lakers knowing that this is a different type of culture than he had in Phoenix. Yeah, he had Chris Paul and I’m sure Chris Paul had some what influence, but he’s a young he’s young. him the number one pick. So he trying to he probably just feeling himself and you know and then you got to Portland where it was a little a lot of young guys a little more no vets around.
He felt more seasoned like I’m I’m going to be that guy.
Yeah. But he wasn’t no vets. Real vets. It was like a but like think about you going to have the most respected vet in your locker room with LeBron. So I think this is a move you almost have to make and then if there’s another move you can make via trade, you do it. But you get him for an insurance policy in case you can’t get nobody else.
Yeah. I say absolutely not just because of not because of fit but really because of urgency everything that you listed in terms of obviously last year with AD being gone and then missing out on Capella and Lopez and all the reasons you mentioned as well like he’ll he he’s going to flourish in a structured system with guys like LeBron you know being the leader there also he provides that defense he provides athleticism he provides youth so all the reasons you said I agree you know um they need another swing another big swing man out there So, I think they should just really go after cuz honestly after you look at all the moves that have been made, like who else are they going to go after, you know? And plus two, you can’t have you can’t have again LeBron logging 35 minutes a game this year and then all of a sudden get bounced in the first round again. Like, you need somebody else out there that could be rotational and be a starter.
Well, I mean, we had this conversation yesterday about who should they go after, Clint Capella, Brook Lopez, or DeAndre Aton. Clint Compella is now with Houston. Brook Lopez is now with the Clippers. Miles Turner is with the Bucks. So, very quickly, uh, guys are getting taken off today.
I mean, it happened ASAP. It was like boom, boom, boom.
Within within a day. Um, and they I mean, Rob Blinka said getting a big was something that was a priority. Well, there’s already names being taken off the board.
Listen, if you ain’t done nothing by the fourth of July, free agency, you get scraps. I’m telling you, I didn’t seen the free agency a lot of years. If you ain’t getting somebody before the 4th of July, then the rest ain’t really gonna Whoever you picking up after the fourth, I can’t really help you. They just just you just trying to fill out your roster.
Yeah. I mean, this is a position of need. Like they they need a lot threat. They need rim protection and rebounding. And we had this conversation yesterday. Two of the guys that we were talking about are already employed. So, I I think they should go after Aiden. They should go after him fast. at this point, you know, his injury history, his, you know, reports about him getting along with people or all that doesn’t even really matter at this point. Like there you’re getting to the to the desperate time of the year.
You need to you got to go in with you got to go into the barbecue with the with the deal. If you in the barbecue and your deal ain’t done,
ain’t going to touch.
You look at your phone. Oh, you can’t you can’t even eat your right over here at the barbecue on Fourth of July. Like my am I getting in the car with my agent? I can’t even I can’t even I can’t even operate at the by yourself.
I’m at the function and my head is not even there. I’m over here like family around. I’m over here like I’m looking for that deal. I’m a creation. I’m telling you. I’m tell guys be stressed at the barbecue when they got the deal done.
That’s celebrating fake independence day the same way. The Lakers also were not able to retain Dorian Finny Smith who left for Houston. So Paul, do you think the Lakers are still a marquee free agent destination? I think we’re in the times that, you know, just because Lakers are a big market that that’s that doesn’t matter to guys anymore. they’re like living in LA and Sunshine and the bright lights and Hollywood, it just doesn’t matter anymore because I’m seeing small market teams pick up big time free agents and winning championships. They’re making the right moves. And so, you know, I look at what the Lakers have done since 2002. You know, they they’ve had quite a bit of free they’ve had a number 2022, they picked up like eight, nine different guys. 20. Same thing in 23, but their most notable free agent in the last three years. Dennis Schroeder. I mean, he’s a solid player, a solid uh but then he didn’t even take they offer him a deal. He didn’t even take it. He went to free agency.
Agent.
Yeah. Yeah. That was bad agent. That was bad agent work because he got offered a big deal and then they turned it down and then you know, you know, the rest is history. I don’t want to spill his beans all over the national television. So, but I I’m not sure LA is that place. They’ve done it via trade. LeBron was the last big free agent they got back in 2017 or 18, I believe. 18, uh, I believe around there. Around there, you know, he been in the league 30 years, so I forget. But, you know, and Los Angeles and I’m looking at the Clippers, too. Los Angeles. You know, it’s crazy that I see Brook Lopez go to the Clippers and not the Lakers because this is a a position of need for the Lakers.
Yeah. And he knows that the Clippers don’t need a center. They got Zubac like the Lakers like like he can go there and start and he didn’t want to go there. So that’s telling me like guys really don’t care about going and playing for the Lakers organization anymore. It’s just, you know, it’s all about your owner. It’s a new owner. Uh maybe they’re not offering the deals like they did when new ownership come in, but you know, it hasn’t been a significant place for free agents in quite some time. That’s all I’m saying.
Yeah. The Lakers, they they still obviously have brand power based on who they are, but it it is not that doesn’t really m the destination doesn’t really matter players anymore, especially these younger guys. They want to go somewhere where there’s more structure, there’s more development, there’s more of a vision, you know, and it’s kind of like the Lakers based on what’s going on the league free agency wise, they’re taking a backseat to teams like OKC and Boston, what have you in terms of that. So, yeah, I mean, it is it is cool. It’s a good spot to go like branding wise, but it’s not a guaranteed landing spot like it once was. Like until until I guess the Lakers show they’re into more of building the roster for long term. It doesn’t really seem like that’s a place where guys want to go because the destination doesn’t matter anymore. Uh I’m not totally ready to say that the Lakers are cooked in that regard, but cooked.
It is cooked.
Cooked. The Lakers is over 30. They cooked.
Oh my god. They cooked. Three days. Throw them out. The Lakers, y’all over 30 cooked.
I I knew we were going to head into the show somewhere there. There. Well, to me, LA is always going to be a marquee destination, but they do have the Clippers here. And I mean, the Clippers have been
what? They got a new facility. They got an owner that likes to spend money. like that
if it’s not just about winning right now and some guys are just in a position where like I’m going to go get my money and and try to compete and the Clippers have a good team
even if they haven’t been able to get over the hump. So I don’t there are certain benefits to being a Laker. There’s a lot of money that you can make outside of being a Laker as well. And if you do win with the Lakers that goes a really long way. I seen Dalton connect on a billboard. He a rookie. He was on that billboard with with the lemon the lemon. He got a billboard though.
Yeah, he got on a billboard.
Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. He got a billboard though. He a rookie. That’s what I’m saying. But you know, it ain’t like it used to be.
Well, the Rockets have been busy this off season. They traded for Kevin Durant and also signed Dorian Vinnie Smith and Clint Capella’s deals along with se several other roster moves already. Houston is second to OKC in the odds to win the West next season. And the reigning champs just locked in SGA with a 4-year $285 million super max deal. So will you think the Rockets are the biggest threat to the Thunder in the West?
I mean they might be. You know adding Capella, KD, Finny Smith and Keeping Fred Van Fleet, Jabari, all those guys. I think they could be. I mean obviously OKC did not get worse. But I do like what the Rockets did. They they not only brought in some star power, but they also filled the gaps that they needed with the star power. So, I think if KD is able to blend with the young group and have great chemistry, I mean, I think right now they are the closest. They are the closest. So, I right now I think I would say might be, but I think they’re the closest.
Man, let me tell y’all something. I am completely sold on the sold. So, I might get me an apartment down there this year. I’m sold on the rockets. Sold.
Get me a deal at Papa Do. I’m coming to Houston. I’m in there. Let me tell you what the Rockets is going to do. You got Endoku who has great culture who turned around a team who wasn’t supposed to be the number two seed with a young squad. You had KD. You You had Dorian Finny Smith, Click Capella, you signed your Everybody’s happy over there. Everybody signed. You got you a go-to score. You got vets. You got a good leader in your I am sold on the Rockets. Hey, sign me up. I’m going to Vegas. I’m throwing some cheese down. I got them in the conference finals. I’m telling you, it’s going to be them. I’m mark this down right now. I’m telling you right now. Houston vers OKC the Western Conference Finals. You can book that right now. Get my get my get my uh hotel apartment in Houston. I’m be down there for the conference finals right now. If Houston don’t make the conference finals,
uh
oh,
I’m telling you
what.
I’mma tell you later. But I got them. I’m sold on them. I’m sold on them.
Who wins? I’m glad you’re I’m glad you’re tell. No, I love the moves that that the Rockets have made this off season. As you mentioned, all of them are resigned Stephen Adams. They extended Eay,
traded for KD, resigned Fred Van Bleet, extended Jabari Smith, signed Dorian Finny Smith, signed Clint Capella. They’re going in on what they were building last year. They were ahead of schedule last year and made some really, really smart moves this off season. And I think KD is going into a place that has a strong culture, has good coaching, has, you know, some depth and veteran presence there as well. I I think Houston should be really excited about what they’ve done. I think you have to give the nod to the Thunder obviously, but outside of the Thunder,
the West is much more wide open than we are really giving it credit for. Like you do have the nuggets
from a competitive standpoint.
Yeah. Like I think people are a lot closer. like there there’s no one who’s who’s really out of it or you can just say is going to be Minnesota’s right there in the finals. Minnesota’s right there. Yeah, the Nuggets are right there. Like the the Rockets there’s really a lot of teams that can take need one one piece, one thing that can put them back into contention for the for the finals. So, I love what the Rockets have done. I think they should be really excited about it. [Music] Hey [Music] hey [Music] hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey

Joy Taylor, Paul Pierce, and Will Blackmon debate whether the Los Angeles Lakers should go all-in for Deandre Ayton and if the Lakers still hold weight as a top free agent destination. Plus, the crew breaks down the Rockets’ big offseason moves and whether Houston is emerging as a legit threat to OKC in the West.

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Lakers push for Ayton & face doubt over FA appeal; Rockets emerge as serious threat in West | SPEAK
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