Brou grades the Knicks, Nuggets, Pelicans, and Bucks 2025/26 NBA Offseason | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Brou grades the Knicks, Nuggets, Pelicans, and Bucks 2025/26 NBA Offseason | FIRST THINGS FIRST

would have been in the outfield. Oh, Brew is back. Uh, and we’re he’s ready to break down the offseason moves of every single team in the league. We’re going to see how many we can get to. We’re going to start right here in New York where the Knicks biggest move obviously was hiring coach uh Mike Brown and getting rid of Tibs. Also, Jordan Clarkson. So, Brew I like solid, but I would say Mike Brown is a bigger move. You don’t look thrilled with this, so don’t give away the grade. So, what is your grade for the New York Knicks? Two words. Oh my. Oh, okay. I got tricks. I love what the Knicks have done. Oh, and we’re going to talk, I think, a little more about Mike Brown with Antibido later. Yeah. But I I’ll just I won’t say everything, but I think this was a good hire. I think Mike Brown, remember all year or second half of the season, I was saying or really late in the season in the playoffs, I would try to convince Tibido if I’m the Knicks to play our bench more and make the offense a little more innovative and sophisticated. So, it’s not just Jaylen Brunson left, Jaylen Brunson right. Mike Brown brings the intensity, the focus on defense that Tibido has brought, but he adds those other two elements. He’s going to play the bench deep and offensively he is more innovate. Early in his career was a defensive guy. Give it to LeBron and let LeBron do everything. But he went to Golden State, learned about that offense. Then he goes to Sacramento. his first year in Sacramento, they had the best offensive rating in history to that point. Yeah. Now we’re lighting the beam. Yeah. Well, right. So, you know, and they had a point guard who you could have just put it in his hands and said, “Dear Fox, go do your thing.” But he got everybody involved. So, I think it’s a good hire. And then, look, I I don’t know how y’all feel about it. I love Jordan Clarkson. Yeah. Off the bench, he’s he’s been a 20 point scorer in this league. He’s 16 for his career. and Yabiselli like you said like him like they’re g and we know the bench guys last year that played well that we saw in the play Don Wright and McBride you know guys that actually played pretty well Shamut. So I I think this has been a great off season for the Knicks. I do think they should be the favorites in the East cuz that’s let’s face it Mike Brown’s got to get him to the finals. A minus. A minus. What? So, I like I I like the player moves they made even though I don’t like Clarkson as much as you because I like Clarkson more than campaign and Shamut and I think that’s going to in games that matter that’s going to be his role off the bench give us some offense. You know what I mean? A and can we when Brunson goes to the bench, you know, if Towns is off as well, can we run four minutes of offense where you take it’s Jordan Clarkson time, which he wants it always to be, and take some shots. I like Yabiselli as the idea of what he can become. And I now look at him as like, oh, okay, as presently constituted, they have nine guys. Yeah. You know what I mean? You have your starting five plus Mitch, Miles McBride, these two. There’s your nine guys. And so like I I like that. Uh like you said, we’re gonna talk about Mike Brown in about 10 minutes. Um but I I think they are deserved co-favorites along with the Cavs in the East right now. We’re trying to get to every team here. So let’s head out all 30. We’re trying, but we got to All right. The Nuggets. I got to do it first. Oh, go ahead. You want to go? No, go ahead, dude. Michael Porter Jr. gone. Cam Johnson’s here. Bruce Brown is back with a hat. Uh also Tim Hardaway Jr. and Valenunis if he decides to play on his contract. The Nuggets said, “You know what? You sign a contract. We expect you to honor it.” He’s like, “Well, TVD bro for Denver.” That’s pretty good. I know. That’s why I was heard with an A minus. You moved from the Rockets to the Nuggets. I heard that I moved back to back to the Nuggets. You You just disbanded. Okay. Look, obviously they got to get things settled out with Valenunis. All right. He He doesn’t I He doesn’t want to be a backup. I think he will play a lot with Jokic because bigs, bro. I get it. I don’t think it’s about egoic willing to play. If you look at it like that, it’s not like I’m too good to be a backup. It’s more I love playing basketball and I have a place that’ll wants me to play 30 minutes a game, right? In Europe, you know what I mean? I think you’ll get good minutes cuz I think they’ll play together at times and obviously Y uh Jokic will take breaks. So, but then I mean we all know what Bruce Brown meant to this team coming off the bench when they won the championship. Cam Johnson, it’s weird. Do I I probably don’t think he’s quite as good individually as Michael Porter Jun. So, that’s what I was saying yesterday. Yeah, but he might be a better fit. Yeah, I think he’ll be a good fit. I think he’s a slightly better defender. I think he he shoots it well. Not the three as well as Porter Jr., but he can shoot and he doesn’t shoot it off the move as well. Like the thing that makes Porter special when he’s healthy is his ability at 610 to be on the move and and just rise and shoot, which is a very unique skill set. So, he’s a different player than Porter Junior’s more talented, but the depth has been what’s hurt them over these past few years, and now they just added a bunch of depth. And who I’m I’m forgetting uh Tim Hardway. Tim Hardway Jr. Yeah. I mean, shooting like that’s going to be great. I think he’s going to play well over Yogic. A minus a minus A minus. No need to switch that one. So I would I am now legit nervous about if I’m the Nuggets about Valenunis coming over again. Translated interviews are always tough. But just reading a quote that he reportedly gave earlier today like well we’ll see what happens. I know they want me but it he seems like he really wants to play. Is it for the Greek team? I you should have reporting on the ground. You were just there. Yeah. Um but uh I think he’s very important for this off seasonason to make sense for them. You know what I mean? And for them to they one of the reasons I believe they traded Michael Porter Jr. was because campaign maybe gives you Cam Johnson. Cam Johnson, sorry. 85% of the production at 55% of the salary, use some of that savings to add a guy like Valenunis. You know what I mean? If you don’t, if he ends up being like non-extradition, come get you know, what are you going to do? Uh, and I’m not sure that I think, you know, some leagues have deals with the NBA where it’s like, well, if he’s, you know, then we we won’t play him if he has if he doesn’t reach an agreement with you guys. I understand that. But they need if they if this actually is their off seasonason, I think it was great. If they if Valenunis doesn’t come over, I think it is goes from an A minus to a B minus. Still still good, but not not great because what they need is in my opinion in the regular season to be able to function with Joic on the bench. And right now I don’t know that they could do that. Okay. Uh 28 more teams to go. We’re going to move to Milwaukee. She made a surprising move here, grabbing Miles Turner, uh, waving Dame and stretching out his contract. Brook Lopez going to the Clippers. We’ll talk about them in a second. Well, we’re going to talk about all the teams, obviously. So, obviously about Brook Lopez in a second. Uh, Portoris Prince and Trent Jr. uh, resigned. Brew, what is your offseason grade for them? Look, they had to do something. This was obviously it it looked like a panic move to me and I don’t think it’s enough. Like basically by stretching Damen Lillard’s contract over the next 5 years they’re going to pay him like 22 million a year. So that’s kind of like NFL dead money or something like that. Exactly. Dead cap cap money, right? Um Turner, I like Turner. Yeah. And I like him with uh Giannis. He’s kind of like Lopez used to be, but I he’s not as good as Lopez used to be. Like he doesn’t shoot it as well the three and he didn’t shoot well in the finals. 37% overall, 21% from three. Doesn’t rebound. I mean, Lopez didn’t rebound that well either. But I I don’t think defensively at this point Turner’s as good as Lopez was in his prime like when they won the championship. And so I I don’t And the bottom line is they have no like I won’t even say elite level, close to elite level, no above average guard play at all. So are they going to put the ball in Giannis’s hands and just spread it out? Again, Turner’s not the great shooter. They got Kevin Porter, Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., these guys are pretty good for role players primarily off the bench ideally, but unless they get some type of guard, so you got Giannis, Koozma, and Turner is your starting line. Like I said last week, all or two weeks ago, all they done is push the ball down. Like I if you want to say they had to do something to make Giannis feel good and this made him feel good, fine. But how long is that going to last? I’m starting to think the best move for them when they midway through the season when they’re sixth in the East or fifth or sixth fifth or sixth in the East and Giannis is antsy. They may end up trading him and I just I’m starting to think they may have to there’s three ahead of them. Wilds that I know you think Philly if they’re healthy would be four. That that would put them at fifth. We’re not even I’m not I’m not We didn’t mention Detroit. Miami like Yeah. I mean I just Atlanta Atlanta could Yeah. I mean I I think it’s I think I Yeah, I think fifth or sixth is probably about where This is what I Here’s What’s their grade, bro? Sorry I interrupted it. Well, they’re not going to like it, but a D. Wow. Yeah. Wow. Jeez. You’re postponing the inevitable the DC. So I what if they did nothing? Is that that much of a different? No, you you can get Look, they may need to trade Giannis. It may not just be best for Giannis at this point. It might be best for They don’t view it that way. And so here’s here’s what I said yesterday and know I know we have another 27 team to go. um their only hope and I don’t think this is out of his realm of possibilities. Giannis needs to do his version of 2018 LeBron where LeBron had an aging a little not the same Kevin Love and then a bunch of like huh pieces post Kyrie. Remember they remade the team mid year because the Isaiah and it was just like all right here’s the deal. ball’s going to be in my hands the whole game. I’m going to figure stuff out. We’re going to have a mediocre regular season and then in the playoffs this in this because the East in 2018 was a little uneasy like it is now. You’re going to have to beat me four out of seven. I think Giannis can play like that. Not to the level LeBron. LeBron has a was a point guard mentality. Le Giannis can run the point. He’s a solid passer. He’s nowhere near the pass LeBron is. Doesn’t have the basketball IQ LeBron had. Like I I I don’t see Giannis being I don’t I don’t I don’t It’s a big ask cuz some people think that’s the best version of LeBron ever. So asking Giannis to be the best version like but that’s their only path to me. Okay, 27 more. We’re going to go back out to LA now. Talk about your Clippers. Oh, there’s Brook Lopez coming over. Also, you know what? Norm Powell on the move. They did resign uh Harden and John Collins. Uh yeah, Norman Pal trade. Nice off season for the Clipper. Look, I like Norman Pal. Hate to lose him, but I think John Collins is a nice addition. You could play him at that four. I think he these last few years people have forgotten about how good he’s pretty good player. That’s what happens when you play in Utah. Absolutely. Brook Lopez to be the backup center to Zubach. The problem with the Clippers and is this Kawawaii, you just can’t count on him because of his health and then Harden and it’s more of Yeah, he’s going to disappear in a big game. It’s It’s more evident than ever game seven, what he do against Denver? Seven points, two for eight shooting. Come on, you can’t do it. So, I’m giving him a B. These grades are I’m giving him a B. Okay. What do you What do you think it should be? I don’t know. No, I mean it’s a B because ultimately we know that I there is not a fiber in my being that believes they’re going to win the West. Yeah, of course. And last year I actually felt who knows with how these playoffs going. But then Harden here’s my only I like the Brook Lopez edition. I like Nor. Everybody seemed to love Norman Powell when they were playing their tiny violins for him not getting an all-star spot that LeBron got because LeBron didn’t play. And now everybody thinks that they did better in this trade. I don’t I I like Norm Powell a touch more than I like John Collins. So I thought Miami did really well and Miami gave up almost nothing like you. So that Miami definitely did great in the trade. I but I agree with Brew. I just don’t look at the Clippers as viable contenders. All right, 26 more. We’re going to New Orleans now. This was an odd one. Well, you said in the morning meeting, Brew, you got to get some you don’t like. Well, they added I could have added Miami. I could have picked Miami gone Bruce Brown. And I like what Miami did. I actually think Miami might make a little noise in the East, but but I went with one I didn’t like. I hate to do this because, you know, I I like them adding Joe Dumar to the front office and Troy Weaver, but um if you like Joe Dumar, you this doesn’t I I I got to be objective. Yeah, he’s objective. He’s a journalist. The the first of all, CJ McCollum was your lone voice of reason in that locker room. All right, he’s gone. You just got a bunch of young boys. Zion isn’t going to be your leader. All right, you got a bunch of young guys. And I don’t I’m not mad at the young guys for this. They brought you know what you do when you’re young and you get in the NBA like you want to establish yourself. True. You you now if you think your star potential then you can you you do that individually. If you know man my path is just to try to be a role player my whole career. Then I’m doing the stuff to try to win as an individual. I’m not saying the young boys don’t want to win but they want to put up numbers so I can get that max that second contract. Pool is going to be a steady. Well, there you That’s what I’m saying. Like you got Jordan Pool who we know what he’s about on the court. And then Derek Queen. I like the the the trade and you you broke it down two weeks ago at the draft. The trade to move up to get Derek Queen next year. You give up an unprotected your first round unprotected pick to Atlanta. They’re going to that pick by New Orleans going to be a great pick. Might be number one. That’s the problem cuz they’re not making the playoffs in the West. That’s why it was insane. And so that was insane. But here’s the other thing, Nick. I like Derek Quinn. I do too. All right. From Maryland. But he’s a he shot 20% from three. How’s he going to play with Zion who doesn’t shoot three? Like it just doesn’t none of this makes sense. They just shifted around a lot of stuff. So tough one. I hate to do that. [Music] Hey, hey, hey. [Music]

The NBA Offseason is in full swing, and Chris Broussard hands out grades to the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Denver Nuggets based on their transactions so far. Plus, Nick Wright and Kevin Wildes add their input.

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Brou grades the Knicks, Nuggets, Pelicans, and Bucks 2025/26 NBA Offseason | FIRST THINGS FIRST
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