“Nuggets have everything they need to win another championship!” – ESPN on Denver adding Cam Johnson

“Nuggets have everything they need to win another championship!” – ESPN on Denver adding Cam Johnson

significant moves. They traded for Cam Johnson. They brought back Bruce Brown. They’re adding Tim Hardaway Jr. Do you think that this kind of depth can actually help them get back into title contention? Because they did give OKC a run for their money this year.
Yes, they did. I mean, and don’t forget like right before the playoffs, they end up firing Mike Malone and Calvin Booth, their head coach and their general manager. And Katie, I was like, “Oh, no, Nuggets. What are you doing?” And now all of a sudden, I’m like, “All right, Nuggets, I like what you’re doing.” Right? I mean, I think that their off seasonason has been right up there with the Nuggets who added Kevin Durant and Dorian Finny Smith and Clint Capella. And then the Hawks in the East who went from being one of the worst run franchises in the NBA to all of a sudden that new front office with Anie C is really smart and they bring in Nquil Alexander Walker and Chris Sporzingis and and Canard. So for the Nuggets, same deal here. Uh they they did go to seven games against Oklahoma City, but it was mostly just Joker willing them. And I thought if they were going to unplug anybody, Katie, it would be Michael Porter Jr. He’s got all the skills. He’s big. He’s fast. He’s strong. He’s athletic. He can shoot. But he never put it all together and became an all-star. So what what have they done? They get Cam Johnson. Yes, it cost him a first round pick, but it gave them more wiggle room, more financial flexibility. What do they do with that? Okay, in comes Bruce Brown. In comes Tim Hardaway Jr. Also, they flip Daario Sarge, who had basically been a DMPCD all season long, and they get Yonas Valenunis. Yonis Valenunis is instantly one of the best backup centers in the NBA. you can get a solid 15 to 20 minutes out of him and you won’t get killed in the joker minutes. So now with new head coach David Adam who really likes to play the hot hand, they’ve got a really deep bench, you go from a team that didn’t have a bench at all to now all of a sudden you’re pushing Julian Strawther and what Peyton Watson to your ninth and tenth man. So you have a solid first aid. I love it. Oklahoma City and the Rockets I think are solidly one and two in the Western Conference, but in that tier just below them and maybe right with them I got the Nuggets. They look really good. Yeah, and you can never really count out the Joker, especially in a best of seven, as we’ve seen time and time again. Finally, John, let’s talk about the Lakers. I was going to talk to you about how they haven’t really done anything, but right before we went on air, the DeAndre 8 news came out. They are likely to sign him after a buyout with the Trailblazers. What type of move of this move is this, excuse me, for the Lakers? And can he have a meaningful impact, do you think, in LA this next season?
Yeah, this was sort of the worst kept secret. It was either the Lakers or the Pacers. He had to clear waiverss, which is why we had to wait for this to happen. You know, free agency began on Monday. Then we had yesterday was kind of a little bit quieter and then today he clears waiverss and he ends up with the Lakers. I think it’s a good spot for him. Uh he’s obviously got a lot of talent. Former number one overall pick, but the Suns had moved on from him. Portland, it never made much sense for me why he was on Portland for as long as he was. So for them to buy him out and for him to move on, especially to the Lakers, makes a lot of sense. Now, what kind of DeAndre Aton are you getting? Are you going to get the a DeAndre Aton that’s a double double machine and who’s engaged? you’re going to get the DeAndre Aton who, you know, he calls out of work when there’s an ice storm and he can’t take an Uber. Now, luckily, I live in southern Southern California. You’ve been here, you know this, no ice storms to worry about. So, I expect that he’ll be at work when they need him. But this was a big glaring hole for the Lakers. Last year, as you remember, they started Jackson Hayes. He was only nominally Katie their starting center because the games would begin and then JJ Reic would give him the quick hook, especially in the playoffs where you had a lot of small ball five with LeBron and with Dorian Finny Smith. Well, Dorian Finny Smith is now in Houston with the Rockets on that super team. So, they had a big glaring hole there. I think DeAndre Aton fills it to an extent. Uh Luca Donuch likes a lob threat. DeAndre Aton can do a little bit of that. Uh Jake Laravia, they also brought him in. I’m not sure that that’s going to fill the gap uh left by Dorian Finny Smith, but this was sort of a need for the Lakers, right? And also, it’s not really about right now. Yes, they want to try to win and be the three seed again, but ultimately this is all about setting themselves up for the future. or DeAndre Aton comes in on a one and one a one-year deal with a an option after that. They’re looking at next offseason, Katie, where they’re going to have a ton of cap space potentially and then a couple of first round draft picks that they can use all in a in a package maybe to build around Luca moving forward.
Okay, that’s interesting that you say that because I was going to ask you, do they need to continue to build with this roster? Obviously, they’ve got cap space issues with LeBron opting in for this next year. And honestly, I couldn’t tell if it’s really a good thing or a bad thing for the Lakers that he did that. But it seems like you’re looking at this as another rebuild year for them and we’ll deal with everything next year.
Yeah. Once LeBron picked up that option, it’s basically because the Lakers didn’t want to give him a long-term deal, another one. They’re very much looking at this as LeBron, thank you so much. You’re 41 years old. You made the AllNBA second team last year. You’re still really good. But Luca is on a different timeline age-wise than you. He’s just 26 years old. So next off season when LeBron’s deal comes off the books, you’re looking at a huge chunk of cap space and then if they don’t trade their first round pick this year, if they just s sort of keep their powder dry, they’ll have the 2031 first and their 2033 first that they can put together. Now all of a sudden you’ve got some pieces where you’re like, “Okay, what is this team going to look like with with Luca moving forward and with LeBron probably moving on?”
All right, John, appreciate you breaking it all down for us and for your time. Give that pub some extra love for us on Prime Time Pregame. We appreciate you. Let’s take a look at the latest odds to win the NBA finals. Thunder, no surprise here, lead the pack at plus 250, followed by the Nuggets who as John just laid out have gotten stronger. Cavs as well sitting at 8 to1. Rockets right behind them. Then you got the Magic Lakers all coming in about 12-1. Further down the board, you’ve got the Timberwolves, the Clippers, and my Warriors rounding things out uh at 27 to1, which feels disrespect. We’ve got a jam-packed hour lined up for you. First and foremost, happy birthday to our producer, Tito. We all love you so much. We’re going to talk all things buzzy moves in NBA free agency. Who’s making power plays and who’s just trying to keep up? Plus, we’re going to hit the diamond with our top wagers in the majors, peak ahead to some juicy NFL futures in the awards market, and wrap it all up with our favorite Gold Cup picks. Plenty to get to, so let’s kick things off with the NBA because free agency has been pretty crazy. We’ll start here in New York. Uh they’ve locked in their next head coach, hiring Mike Brown to lead leave lead, excuse me, the franchise moving forward. Brown owns one of the best winning percentages in NBA history and most recently revitalized the Kings, guiding their team to their first playoff appearance in nearly two decades. Now he’s got to look to do that same thing, bring that energy and consistency to Madison Square Garden. And I mentioned it, but here’s a look at the best winning percentages by head coaches in NBA history. Of course, minimum of 10 seasons. No big surprise here. Phil Jackson at the top of that list with over 70%. Steve Kerr as well sitting there at nearly 70% about 65 just ahead of Pat Riley. Then you got Greg Pop, Jerry Sloan, and hey, Mike Brown rounding out this elite group of coaching legends. Time now to welcome in our guy, John Gonzalez to help us break down big moves shaking up NBA free agency. John, I’m having trouble speaking today, but hopefully I can get through this with you. Let’s start uh with the Knicks here in New York moving forward with former Kings head coach Mike Brown. We know he’s been great at getting regular season improvement out of teams like Sacramento, but he has struggled in the playoffs. Do you feel like this was the right hire for New York? And can we realistically expect uh the Knicks to improve under his leadership?
Yeah, I like it. I mean, he has been part of a lot of winning teams. Yeah, like postseason maybe a little underwhelming. He had early era, early vintage LeBron and then the Lakers didn’t go great and then the Kings, they were sort of hit or miss. Uh, but he had he has four championships as an assistant under Kerr and Pop Katie. And in 2018 when Kerr had health issues, Brown, I’m sure you remember your Warriors, stepped right in and they didn’t miss a beat and they went on to win another championship. So, you know, he generally emphasizes defense. Uh, but two years ago, the Kings had the best offense in the NBA. I think he can coach both ends. He’s a really smart guy. players generally, you know, the the Aaron Fox thing from last year aside tend to like him. And I think the big thing is it’s a change from Tibs, right? Because yes, they made their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, the Knicks did, but Tibs is awfully, we’ll call him particular, to use the Gentiel euphemism about his rotations. He’s heavy minutes on his starters. He doesn’t really like using his bench. That starting unit of Brunson, Cat, OG, Bridges, uh, and Hart, they were horrible in the postseason. They were the worst fiveman unit of the playoffs. And it took Tibs all the way until the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers to finally switch it up. So with Mike Brown, you’re hoping, okay, this is a guy who’s going to be a little bit more flexible. They bolster that bench with they had already had Deuce McBride and Mitchell Robinson. Now then they bring in Jordan Clarkson and Gershon Yahucelli. That makes them legitimately nine deep and you anticipate that Mike Brown is actually going to use those guys. And it’s a long season, so you want them as healthy as possible for the playoffs. But I would say Knicks top two team in the Eastern Conference along with the Cavs. And Mike Brown, I think it’s a good fit for both sides.
Yeah. And the East just got a lot more interesting uh when you think about the injuries that are happening over there. I like Mike Brown, but as you said, I’m a Warriors gal. I was surprised when the Kings let him go. Let’s switch over to Dame time here. Damen Lillard is in unfamiliar territory. This is the first time that he’s had options as a free agent. He’s weighing whether to sign immediately, rehab with a team, or wait until he’s healthy to pick a spot. What do you think is the best option for him and and which landing spots make the most sense? But I have heard that the Warriors have inquired about him, which again makes me happy.
Yeah. I mean, back to the Bay, right? I mean, he’s an Oakland guy. It would be cool if he did that. I’m not sure it matters here, though, to be honest, because, you know, whether or not he still has to rehab, right? And when he [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]

“Nuggets have everything they need to win another championship” – ESPN on Denver adding Cam Johnson