First Things First - Giannis Antetokounmpo traded to Heat, Messi breaks all-time World Cup scoring record

Episode Date: June 23, 2026

(0:00) Giannis traded to Heat (29:20) What do the Celtics do with Jaylen Brown? (43:02) Nets acquire Julius Randle (48:22) Can Giannis win a title with the Heat?  (01:07:25) What does Messi breaking the WC gaol-scoring record mean for his legacy? (01:20:58) LeBron to Miami? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2026 Chevrolet Tracks is the stylish SUV for those on the move. And with the standard Chevy safety assist package, you have the backup to handle every turn with confidence. The 26 tracks. Start your build at Chevrolet.ca. Now, Medina, pulled back here, let's in run. Messia! Oliver Slipper's on the little fella. Here come Argentina.

Brilliant ball by Messi. Brilliant Alvarez, good trade. Here's the chance for Parades. He tees up Messi. Is this another one? Leonel Messi, there's the plot. And Mbapin coming out to get space. You've got players running everywhere.

Embaping! Coming for you. A little bit more encouraging signs of more threat. Bad giveaway, Ched. He's a order down again, much better night for him, and he's got a few options. Welland's here. Harland, and he's pretty.

Cuts it back, and Newson. Harland got in each other's way. Plays back to Holland again. Gem in peace. Thank you. Live from New York, it's the show that's wishing Russell Wilds, a very happy and successful eighth grade graduation. Absolutely.

Absolutely. It is. Congrats. Thanks. First thing first. Well done. Wilds and the Wilds family. On today's show, Wilds is off.

Sor is Celtics. If it's true that Baylor Shireman. Shireman, baby. Gonzalez were untouchable. I just don't know what to say. We'll get to it. Also, Messi is now the all-time World Cup goal scoring leader is an Argentina repeat in evidence. I mean, Messi's got five goals and they have two clean sheets. It's a pretty solid start. And finally, with Janus heading to Miami, could LeBron Fibon, I'll be honest. I don't know how much I believe this story, but he's done it before.

He's returned before. It's something. It's in a newspaper. Yeah, why this is out today? I'm Nick Wright, alongside Chris Bruce Sard and Danny Parkins. Brew. At some point in the next two hours, should we face time wild to try to get his reaction to the Celtics not getting done? I would love to. Pubs, check our tech on that. I think I asked him, the graduation's supposed to be wrapping up around 1130. The graduation party around noon. I think he'll be carrying like picnic tables and bags of ice. Perfect timing.

It could be a fun winners and losers right before noon. But we start today with the Blockbuster Trade. The Bucks sending Janus to the heat. Miami also getting Bobby Portis. And you know what? I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to be the first report. The Nassas might be on his way as well. Well, especially they need the nassies.

They need to pull out the roster. Milwaukee Gitz, Tyler Hero, Kelle Ware, Jaime Hakez Jr. Kasparis Yakunshonis, pardon me. Three first round picks, a pick swap and a second round pick. The heat's title odds jump from 30 to 1 to 18 to 1 after the Brue, how much closer is Janus now to winning that elusive second championship? He's closer, all right? But still, he's looking like the Spurs and the Thunder and the Knicks are way out there.

And he's like, I still don't think he can see him. All right. Now, he is closer than he was in Milwaukee. He has joined a great organization, has a great coach of Eric Spolstra. And that's about it. I mean, look, Bam out of Bayou is a very good player. He's there, okay?

Starting point guards, Davian Mitchell, who I think is ideally a backup. And you hope Andrew Wiggins is still there. I imagine they've talked to him. He has a player option. And look, Norman Powell might be there or not. I'm going to talk about Norman Powell today like he is Kawhi Liddick.

Let me say, if they can't keep. Norman Powell, they, I mean, they are, they, it is huge, it is essential that they they bring back Norman Powell. Oh, well, I think he's gone, but go ahead. I mean, again, I, I'm sure they've done all the scenarios and they realize to get Janus, we're going to, not going to have this guy that. They have to have Norman Powell. And I'm not trying, again, I'm going to sound like I'm, he's a Hall of Famer right now. But last, He's their third best player.

Last year is their leading score. And it's more of the fit. 22 points a game. He is a great three-point shooter. 40% for his career. Janus obviously doesn't shoot the three. Bam, shot the three last year badly, except in that 190, he scored 83.

He had shot 31% from three on five attempts per game last year. So neither of your two best players shoots the three. Wiggins can shoot it. Again, if he's there. Mitchell's okay. at it. They have to have Norman Powell because they need a perimeter guy that can get

a bucket. And so if they have, let's say ideally they bring back all, they do have Powell, they do have Wiggins. That's not a bad starting five. But they have no depth. Portis is good depth, but basically no

depth. They're going to be great defensively. I think they're going to try to beat team 6560. I covered the NBA when they had games like that in the 90s. but I look, they're, I don't even think they're a home, necessarily a home court advantage team. I think they make the playoff.

Not necessarily a top four team. Yeah, yeah, I mean, but, you know, he's, yeah, it's, he's not much closer. So I, well, listen, he is much closer than he was in Miami. He is not at, Milwaukee, sorry. Janice in Miami is much closer to a title than he was in Milwaukee, but he is not nearly as close to a title as he would have been

if he would have went to Boston. Oh, right? He made a huge mistake. That is the, I think, facts on the ground here. I do think that, listen, it's Eric Spolstra, it's Pat Riley, it's Bam, it's Janus, and it's South Beach. People are going to want to go there. Now, this year, because they took on more money in this trade, they are hard-capped in the first apron. So they have basically no flexibility for this year.

They might do Wiggins decline his player options, sign a contract. extension to lower his number a little bit. So maybe they can keep Powell. So maybe they'll try to keep Powell. My guess is Powell's gone as an unrestricted free agent, so I'm operating as if he is gone. So my guess is the best Miami Heat team for Janus is 27, 28th. That's risky, man. Right, because he's 31 and injury prone.

I agree. I agree it's risky, but Miami always gets pieces. They always get pieces. Alonzo Morning, Shaq, Bach. LeBron, Janice. They all, people, but those are pieces. Those were the stars. I know, but so people are going to want to go to

Miami when they next have flexibility to play with these guys. But this year, to your point, they are behind Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, and New York in the east. They are in that Orlando, Indiana tier for me

for this upcoming season. So, I agree, Yonis is closer than, he would have been if he'd stayed in Milwaukee. I'm not sure that Miami is much closer than they were last year, which it sounds like what we're saying. Like they have been living in the play in. To me, I think they should.

No, I think they should have done. I understand why they did it because there's only five or six people in the world like him. It's the hardest thing to get. So you go get it and fill it out from that. But as far as the Miami Heat projections where they were last year versus where they are this year, I think they are only marginally better. You just listed four teams you have definitively ahead of them. As of today, right now. Right.

As of right now, not mentioned there, an Atlanta team that came on strong once they moved on from Trey Young. You did say Indiana, I'm going to – Orlando. So now we're at... I think you said five. Do you say five? So to me it is Cleveland, Detroit, the Knicks and the Celtics that are clear. And to me, they are in the Indiana, Orlando, Miami, you know, five through seven seats. Five through seven.

But then you add Toronto who had a nice year. Atlanta, who believes that they're building something. If KW was here, he'd say, what about Charlotte finished strong? And what they were doing? You know, Philadelphia, whatever their two young guards are. Like, I just, I disagree with these Vegas odds. I think to Brue's point that right now Miami has, if they keep Norman Powell, one top six player in Janus, one other top 30 player in Bam on that, the king of the hill I did, I looked at we had him in the 20s. And I think that's about fair.

And with Norman Powell, one other top 75 player. Well, maybe Wiggins. I mean, I think if we, I don't think Wiggins is, the way he's played, you know, the last couple of years is of that caliber. But so that is not a championship caliber team by any stretch. And this is what makes me, sad is maybe too strong of a word, but I'm going to use sad about this because I really value deep long playoff runs, even if they don't end in championships.

You value championships the most, but in college basketball, we do a great job celebrating final fours, and then we don't care about them at all in any other sport. But like, I do think there is something to, oh, this guy made round three, he made round two, then he made round three again.

And Janice, and I've talked about this with Durant, about there being a line of demarcation in his career, of always being in deep playoff runs to never being in deep playoff runs. Yanis's last five years against the previous five years, his points per game in the playoffs have actually gone up. He's won one series in the last five years, eight games, and that is a hard thing for me to see changing dramatically with this decision.

Well, one of the problems for him has been he's been hurt. He's missed eight of the buck's last 16. playoff games. So he's always injured. And Miami was one of the teams that beat him up off the game. I was at the game. He got hurt in game one of that series. They were the heavy favorite. They were the one seat. He fell on his

back and was never the same. But so this is like, can we show the series wins thing? This is a Bill Simmons thing. But I and all these are to me 10 active guys. It's not the 10 best all time active guys, but who have championships. So like

Ross and Harden aren't on there. Okay? So throw LeBron's 42 series wins out. That's a lot. Steph has 24. KD is 22. Kauai is 19. Jason Tatum, considerably younger than Yonis with 15. Brunson just started winning. Has 10.

Joker, who this also could apply to Joker to a degree, has 10. Shea just started winning. Seven. Yannis with eight career series victories and Anthony Davis, who's like injuries and New Orleans didn't have it. Like we look at Anthony Davis is really

being a part of a contender for a very brief period of his career. After this trade, Brew, what do we think is the likely number this ends at for Janus? 12? Like the one's four more series? It's just a bummer to me. Like, I do think he's an all-time great player, and I don't think the next few years are going to be much different than the last few years. He made a colossal mistake, colossal, in that.

He could have forced his way to Boston. He could have said, look, it's down to these two teams. I will only resign with the Celtics. And he would have been there. And to your point, he would have been able to maybe win a championship this year upcoming. And then going forward, they would have been contenders for the next four or five years. And now he, you know, I hear you. I don't think everybody's going to run the South Beach to play.

with Janice. I mean, if they have cap room, sure, guys will go there, but I mean, I just, the history of the NBA says it's one of the most attractive, if not the most attractive destination. When did guys run there? Like they,

Brown and Bosch decided to go there. Wade was already there. They went there to play with Wade and then they got some veterans on the vetment, but those are veteran role players. This team still needs better players. Like, they aren't just role players. Listen, I, I,

Right. If Chris Middleton signs for the minimum for this team, that's not moving the needle for anyone, even though Yonis would love it. I understand the realities of them for this year. But I will be very surprised if we do not at some point see a bam, Janus, fill in the blank player. And we say, wow, Miami has some version of a big three. Oh, I will be surprised. Again, not for this season, but a year from that. And if they sign Norman Powell, and then, I mean, Norman Powell was an all. All star this year, right? So they think Norman, again, I don't think it'll be Norman.

I think Norman Powell, like I said, I like him there. They need him there this season. Right. But they don't have, they just traded everything they had other than BAM to get Yannis. I don't see a mechanism for them adding a third piece. And it's why I don't understand. I agree with Brew on this and I've been saying it. It's kind of weird.

We've been talking about this trade for two and a half years. And then it happens and it feels almost anti-exam. climactic. I don't understand why Janus was okay with this. And we'll talk about it throughout the day. We'll talk about the buck side of it now, or the Boston side of it, pardon me. They reportedly offered Jalen Brown and two first round picks in exchange for Yannis. The bucks decided to go with the heats offer. Danny, I'm supposed to ask you, did Milwaukee make the right trade? But we'll get to that in a moment. first I would like to ask you this

how are you doing and as the only person in the world I think who was adamant I still think Janus might stay with Milwaukee I want Janice stay with Milwaukee are we adding this to what is maybe the worst run

of a month long it's been a tough NBA related takes and I did okay I apologize Just how are you as, you know, this is your version of Mike Evans with the bucks. Like with wild. Like you have real emotional attachment. Okay.

Janus is arguably my favorite non-bull ever. I love everything about the kid's story. Like 15th overall pick, skinny guy out of Greece, goes to the small market team, signs not one, not two, but three contract extradict. to build there, to recruit there. I've mentioned this before, but I do think it is worth noting and remembering today that other than Steph Curry, Yonis to Milwaukee was the single most significant player to an organization in the NBA, given that LeBron is no longer in Cleveland.

In 2014-15, there was a provision in the sale of the team that said, if they could not get financing for a new stadium, the league could buy the bucks, and they were going to move the Milwaukee Bucks out of Milwaukee. And Janice saved professional basketball in the city of Milwaukee. Every Bucks fan will refer to the FISA Forum as the house that Janice built. He's a two-time MVP. He's one of three guys ever to win MVP and defensive player of the year in the same year. He scores 50 in a close-out game in the building that he helped finance.

He is the most important player in the history of that franchise and that city. So I do think it is sad that he is leaving Milwaukee. I was hoping that he was going to be Duncan or Dirk or Kobe and play for one team for forever. And on an emotional level, I do think Yanis is going to regret this. Because he probably will not win in Miami. Most teams do not win. And he will just be looked at as the next guy who went to Miami. And he will not matter as much in South Beach as he did in Milwaukee.

So I do think Janus ultimately will regret this. And I do mourn is way overstating. It is sports sadness. But I do have sports sadness for one of the great small market success stories in the history of the NBA. Just leaving and going to South. Can I add this to that? You mentioned, I agree. He probably will not win a championship in mind.

That's the odds, of course. The expectations, though, are that he will. And he's going to be compared. When LeBron came here, even though it was with Wade and Bosch, he won. You already hear it. Every time they get a big name. You know, Wade and Sha. We haven't mentioned, went to two finals.

They didn't win, but it went to two finals. And those teams were mediocre teams. They got hot in the playoffs. But Shaq and Wade, you know, they want. So people are already looking at rightly putting him in that class and saying they got championships with Pat Riley and Spolstra. That Janis can get a championship. And he won't. And then the one thing that will at some point make Bucks fans feel.

butters if this trade works out. And so to this point, I do want to say this. If I were John Horstyn running the bucks, and I've got Brad Stevens truly telling me, I'm sorry, Hugo Gonzalez is a deal breaker. I think out of spite I might not trade with you. Like, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not like that is. Yeah, Brad Stevens should have got this.

And so we'll talk about the Celtics side in a moment. I am curious, and I'll go to you and then, Do you think we now know what the heat traded? If you were Milwaukee, would you have rather had Jalen Brown in two first? Because my only, I think the Bucks did okay in what they got back for Janus. My only anxiety is they don't own their own picks for the next four years. So would you have been better off either getting Jalen Brown or funneling Jalen Brown to Portland to get your own picks back? Like, do you think this was the better of the two options?

Well, look, I'm going to take out the funneling Jalen somewhere else. I'm just going to act like Jalen would have been a buck. And while obviously he would have been by far the best, better player than anybody they got from Miami, when you really look at the buck situation, I do think they made the right call. Because if they get Jalen Brown, they are essentially in the same spot they were with Yannis. You got one great player who's not as good as Janice, but still a superstar and a great player. And a bunch of pieces around him,

you don't control your own pick until 2031. So it would have been hard for them to build around Jalen Brown. And so he would have been, you know, a guy you can sell to the public as we got another star. He's writing his prime. But I don't think the team would have been much better. Now with Miami, again, none of these people, players are fantastic.

Kalelel Ware has some potential. We'll see what he can do. He's a seven-footer who can protect the rim, shoot threes. Jaime Hakez, obviously a good six-man. And the key is those two guys on their rookie scale deals. I like the kid, Jocanovis, like I mispronounce his name. But I remember talking about him last year as a big kind of point guard type. So maybe he's got some potential.

But importantly, they now have created a situation. they can do a full rebuild. And maybe some of these guys are keepers. Maybe not. But they'll have space, cap room, picks. I know the picks they got until the 2030. For a long time. But they got to this draft, one their own.

So I just think it's easier to rebuild this way. Obviously, if there was a time machine and sentimentality did not exist, you trade Janus a year ago, give them to a team for two runs, and you get double this offer, if not more. But I just mentioned the sentimentality. piece of what Janus meant, that wasn't possible. Given the fact that Janus did not demand Boston, and these were the two offers, this is a no-brainer for Milwaukee.

Would Jalen Brown be happy in Milwaukee, or would he just demands to get out? There's no guarantees there whatsoever, and yeah, you are just a different version of the same team, except not the most beloved player in the history of your franchise. These assets, it starts with tonight. You get the 13th pick, in addition to having the 10th pick, in one of the most deep, the deepest drafts in 25 years. The guy whose name, neither of us can pronounce, was their first round. Yakuchonis, thank you, was their first round pick last year.

Kelo wears a seven-footer who can shoot, who was the first round pick from two years ago. Jakesh Jr. was the runner-up for sixth man of the year. And Tyler Hero, who everyone thinks they're going to reroute, he is a former all-star who's 26-year-old, who is from Milwaukee. Would you not, because I would reroute him, reroute him if I can. I probably would, too, but they got to, because they don't own their picks, they probably we don't want to be awful. And in this new lottery world, when the pick swap is when Janus is 35 and the first rounders are when he's 36 and 38, and there's no protections on those picks,

those are very valuable future picks, even if they are a long way into the future. I'm very curious if Jalen Brown does get traded, how we look at what his return is compared to the Yannis return and determine whether or not Milwaukee would have been better off trading for Jalen Brown than doing that trade themselves. It's all about Jalen Brown in a moment. But we need to talk about Messi. Yeah, we do. Leo scored in the 38th minute yesterday to pass Miroslav Klosa to become the men's all-time leading World Cup goal score.

He notched another in the 95th to pass Marta, Brazilian legend, as the all-time leading goal score in men's and women's World Cup history. Argentina, another clean sheet, another game where Messi scores all the goals. Here's Tierra Henri on the historic moment. Take a listen. First and foremost, this guy doesn't chase records. Records chase in. I don't know how he does that.

I don't know. It may happen. And something I was in charge of putting words in the dictionary. But they should put his name as out of the norm. Then you have Messi. So here is now the list. Messi at 18. And Boppy hot on his heels as he had two yesterday as well.

for the all-time leaders in World Cup goals. Before I go to you, Danny, I just, I want the audience to understand how remarkable this is because this was the only, yeah, but on Leo Messi's resume was, even though he had won the golden boot prior to them winning the golden ball, pardon me, prior to them winning the World Cup in 2022, what people thought was underachieving either with, with the Argentinian national team

with the World Cup in particular. And if you look at it, his first 20 games in the World Cup, they won 12, he scored seven goals. The last eight games, they haven't lost once, he has 11 goals. He now has these records in World Cup history. The most tournaments, the most games, the most goals, the most goals plus assists,

one more assists, you'll have the most assists. It is ending the messy versus Ronaldo debate in real time afternoon by afternoon. And I've just, it is a chills moment every time Argentina has taken the field this tournament, which is a continuation of the last World Cup. It's insane. I said yesterday that it feels a little Wayne Gretzky-ish, where it's like every goat debate in sports, there's a debate to be had. But in hockey, it's like, well, obviously it's Wayne Gradsky.

That's what it has become in soccer. It's like, it's obviously messy. But one of the things that goats do is they have new things to shoot for that we never would have otherwise even imagined was possible. So he gets the World Cup, the last thing that was left off of his resume four years ago. And they're like, well, now everything else is just icing on the cake. And then it's, you said it. He's like, well, he actually doesn't have a golden boot in the World Cup. Right. That's actually, he's done it a ton of times in La Liga. He's done it in MLS.

But no way at 38 tomorrow's his birthday, 39 years old, no way he could win the golden boot at this World Cup. What if he does? I mean, right now I think, I mean, he's, I don't know the Vegas odds are, but he was probably the slight favorite to win it. Which unfathable, given imbapé being 27 and in his prime in a previous golden boot winner. So just he is making it. everybody reimagined what is possible in real time. Yeah, what it seems like, and Nick, you showed the graphic earlier, it doesn't even feel right to say it.

Is he getting better? And obviously he's different. He, he, it does it more, you know, with his skills and his brain and, you know, his pacing and, you know, he's doing it differently than when he was younger. but he is still doing it as effectively, if not more effectively, certainly more effectively in the World Cup than he did when he was younger. And I do think winning that championship four years ago took kind of the monkey off his back. And now he's playing, I feel like he's playing more free than he did four years ago when he was great.

He's now scored in six straight World Cup games. That's off his back. I've won a World Cup. And now he's just out there doing this thing carefree. And he's got somebody to push him in Mbapé. So who knows how high he's going to put this goals record. And coming into this tournament, even though Argentina was one of the favorites, so you expected Messi to play and maybe the maximum games are close to it.

He was 16 to 1 to win the golden boot. He's now 1.5 to 1 and the favorite. That is insane. And it should be an impossibility. All right, coming up next. What do the Celtics do now? Hey, Danny, we've been considering trading you repeatedly for Adam Lefcoe. He fell through, so we'll just come back and don't feel bad about it.

Let's gore. How would that work? Speaking of a goat conversation, or what once was, Christiana Ronaldo, he is worse than 16 to 1 for the Golden Boot. I'm very confident that as Portugal tries to get its first victory of the World Cup against Uzbekistan. And today in two and a half hours, live on Fox from Houston. The excitement of the FIFA World Cup is now streaming live on Fox One, the official English streaming platform to catch every unforgettable moment. Fox One brings the action straight to your screen so you never miss a goal.

Download Fox One and experience the FIFA World Cup live. Back here on first things first, Dax's guy, Harry Kane. He's going to try to stay in the Golden Bootcom. working off his two-goal performance in game one, counting down to England, Ghana today at Four Eastern on Fox, live from Boston. Why? So here's the thing.

That game's just far enough out that all KW could go to his kids' graduation and still be like, hey, guess what? Making the drive up the turnpike to go see the game. Moving to the Blockbuster trade of the day. Yannis headed to South Beach, not our Yannis, she's staying. She actually does go to South Beach quite often. She's family there, but she's staying here most of the time. Yonis and Giannis.

Celtics coming up short in acquiring the two-time NBA MVP. Boston, though, reportedly offered two first-round picks and Jalen Brown for Yannis. For the Bucs sided with the heats package instead. Brew, what do the Celtics do now with Jail and Brown? Well, first, let me say this. I think why the Celtics were willing to move on from Jalen. We know they're heavy analytics team. Obviously, Missoula, Brad Stevens.

And I don't look, I voted Jalen Brown first team all NBA. All right. I think he was fifth on my MVP ballot. So I think he had a phenomenal year. But he is not an analytical darling. No. And these numbers are stunning. And people have recited them throughout the year.

but in the regular season, the Celtics with Jalen Brown on the court were a plus six and a half points. And when he was off the court, they were plus 10 and a half. All right? In the playoffs, with him on the court,

they were minus 4.9, so minus 5 points against their opposition. With him off the court, they were plus 23.9. So again, I think these numbers don't tell the story, but people that really put everything in the analytics do, and I think that played a large role in them offering Jalen,

who I think we all agree is not as good as Jason Tatum. Now, I honestly feel like it really depends on what Jalen's going to do. I do think they need to try to upgrade, and I do think they have to use Jalen Brown as the piece to make a huge move. The problem is, Janice was one of the few players that would be available that I would trade Jalen Brown for us. Like I was looking through the, I don't,

a realistic, like, there's really no other realistic one-to-one trade that I would say I would do, right? Like, you could have, now again, these are two teams that compete in the Eastern Conference, so maybe they wouldn't deal anyway. But let's say Jalen Duren hadn't falling off the cliff in the playoffs. Maybe you say, okay, we need size, we can get Duren. they need scoring, they got brown. But the way Dura looked in the playoffs,

there's no way I'm doing that if I'm Boston. So I think you might just have to be honest to have a heart-to-heart with him and be like, hey, it's true. That is a tough heart-to-heart. And it's the second time. If he's able to let it just go off his back, fine. But if he's going to have a problem with it,

you might have to talk with it. So listen, I think, and Danny, I'll give it to you in a second. I do not think Jalen Brown's going to start the season on Boston. I think that he was officially offered in a trade for Kevin Durant four years ago. He was officially offered now again. This is on the heels of, I think, already it's fair to say he and Jason Tatum, maybe through no fault of any one person, don't have the tightest relationship. And again, you don't have to.

You don't have to. They've obviously worked well to. Right, 100%. But it's not as if I. again, I'm speculating here. I don't think that Jason Tatum is going to, like, throw his body in front of a potential trade. And I think Jalen Brown, with all of his comments about how much fun last year was

and all of that, it's like, okay, I loved being the lead guy on a team. And now you guys were offering me up to send me to basketball, sorry, Danny, Siberia for the time being, the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks. why do I want to be here rather than one of those places that we were talking about being in the three-team trade, Atlanta, Portland, wherever, where maybe we can compete and I can be the lead guy. So I think they will trade him, Danny. I think they will trade him to all of the reasons you said about the relationship. It would be one hell of a heart to heart to come back from. But, Brew, I wanted to put this together for you, for the audience.

Jalen Brown is not a tough player to trade. He finished sixth in MVP, second team all NBA, and he has three years, and I believe, $178 million left on his contract. So you can make anything work. So, like, I did not include a Palo Bancaro-Bankaro-centered trade. I did not include a Portland, Scoot-Henertsen, Shaden Sharp, Jeremy Green. Scoot-Henderson? Well, he was saying a bunch of guys. And Shaden Sharp and Jeremy Grant.

So I did not include it, but I got four for you here. You ready? Thank you for not including that. Okay, but Portland, Portland was okay, but I don't want that. Number one, let's say Boston just like, we want size. We want size, we want to score in the paint, we want to change our team. Philadelphia. You want to, you interested in Joel Embed in a 22ndt?

That's one of that, that's a, that's a, that's a outrageous threat. Okay. I can't count on it. Wait a minute. Celtics fans are going to. Again, revolt. I'm not saying, I'm not saying they do it. The contract.

Okay, fine. We don't like that. So that one. That one is a no. Okay, fine. They tried once before for Kevin Durant. What about Houston? You get Kevin Durant and you get Jabari Smith.

So you get older with Durant. You keep the shooting. You get Jabari Smith. You get the power forward. You get some inside from the president. You get young and old. You get the shooting. That trait.

Hold on. Can we stay on this for a second? By all means. I did not include every draft pick permutation that might be thrown into these. So I, but I want to dig in on that just for a second. That is to me 60 cents on the dollar for Jailen Brown. So I need a lot of draft pick compensation if I am Boston on that. Like Jalen Brown, Kevin Durant is defying all the aging odds already.

And Jabari Smith has been a given where his top four pick, disappointing. He's a nice player, but nobody thinks he's a future star. And so that one, I certainly like that more than the MB, but if I'm Boston and need more. I want to be clear for inevitably when these get clipped for social media. I am not including all of the draft picks that would need to go into these. Super smart to make that clear verbally on something that's just going to be a screenshot and sent to you for you. So just so, you know, like, there's a million different trades.

Listen to the clip. There's a million different. There's a million different picks that could go in. All right, fine. I'm just letting you know. TV veteran over here. All right, number three, you guys might not like this because it also doesn't have all the picks.

Kawhi Leonard is multiple future first. Kauai Leonard just came off a year where he scored 28 points on 50, 39, 90 splits. Look, Kauai is awesome. He's hurt too much. Last year was an aberration that he was healthy. Yeah, I mean, you're not getting the fifth pick in the draft, which the Cliffers also have. So that, that's what I was going to say. It would, that would have to be, instead of multiple future first, the fifth pick,

and then Celtics add some picks on their own on the back end. Like, but I, Kauai, all, the, my biggest issue with these three so far, Danny is, if I'm Boston, I'm like, wait a minute, I'm getting older and these guys aren't as good as Jalen Brown. Like, so the, the, but go ahead. Like, so maybe you would like a Bancaro centered trade, which he's, he's, He's younger. He's almost as good. Like Orlando maybe wants to move up there.

And then this one, if Boston just wants to get younger and more athletic, do you call Atlanta and say Risa Shea, Nikila Alexander Walker, and Kaminga? And we are now bigger, more athletic, more versatile. And that fundamentally changes the framework of our team around. I still think they're going to want to shoot. Even if they were going to, they were going to bring in Yonis, but they have shooters all around him. They're going to want to shoot the basketball.

I'm not saying you don't, listen, you're going to have Derek White, you're going to have Pritchard, you're still going to know that three is more than two. But Boston was just, they had one card to play, and they kept playing it. They need depth, they need versatility, they need to have different answers to the test. And I do think this trade, it's no one player is close to Jalen Brown, but that makes you a much more variable team. You think that makes you better? I think it makes you very different.

I think it makes you very different. Does it make you better? No. They are still, look, if they run it back, are they not a contender? No, they're definitely a contender. They are a legit contender. And you totally, just because you want to needle me about Scoot, as soon as you heard Scoot Henderson's name.

You want school? No, it was what Danny's point on the Portland was, you are trading, you know, $1. for four quarters and you are getting a bunch of role players to, you know, fill in that void. Right. So for the record, that's the type of trade I think Boston is going to do. Jeremy Grant. I think, again, I'm not.

Their problem last year wasn't depth. They do need some athleticism. Yeah. But they were still a good defensive team, even without Jason Tatum. They shot, they relied too much on the three. I just don't think bringing in role players that can't really shoot is what they want to do. So I think what I do think is to your point about the only one for one where you were going to get similar value as Janice, if that's now gone and they don't want to get way older, which I don't think they want to do. So that removes like the Durant type of option or in Kauai type of option.

and they want to, it's not like they're trying to reset right now. They just, you know, had the number, were the number two seed in a year, Tatum missed most of the year. I do think that what they are going to try to do is remake, again, I don't necessarily love the exact details of the Hawks trade, but that type of trade.

A trade where you are bringing in three quality rotation pieces to remove, because, Bruce, what you were saying about them all year, They had depth, but it was a lot of guys playing a similar role. A bunch of shooters and to add some athleticism. They've always been a good defensive team, but that probably takes a hit without Brown. But I just, my big takeaway is this. I do not think Jalen Brown's on the Celtics.

And I am, if I'm the Celtics, I am very anxious about his next Twitch stream. Like this is now credibly reported by everyone. he was offered that the Celtics said it's one thing to be mentioned in trade combos it's it's another thing like nope hey will you take this we the Celtics are saying we would rather have the older more injured Janus than you and two first round picks like that's where that's where we see you like does Jalen Brown whether he should or shouldn't I'm sure it's like I'm better than Yonit shouldn't trade me for Janus straight up what did Yonis do last year why couldn't Janice too for his team what I did for mine.

Maybe. Or maybe he understands who Janice is. I mean, look, I do, I hear you. And Jalen probably is upset and you're right. Who knows what he's going to say on Twitch? This is where it gets tough running a team, but I think you might need to just have a heart to heart. Look, Jay, we love you.

We got 178 million pieces of proof that we love you. We need to get bigger. Joel NB bullied us in the playoffs and we got upset. We were looking at getting bigger. And Janus obviously is great. And we had to give up a great player for him. But that doesn't mean we don't want you on our team. The trade that you didn't mention that I thought might be interesting is one involving Evan

Mobley. I thought about that. Cleveland wasn't willing to do it for Janus. So I don't think that they're going to do it jail in a round. I think there are some teams that would value. jail and more than Yannis because of his age and durability, depending on what your timeline is. Bobli would be perfect in Boston. Counting down to Portugal, Uzbekistan on Fox, two hours and 13 minutes see if Cristiano

Ronaldo can join the other legends who are just not having one goal games, having two and three goal games. Yonis trades still most of the headlines. The T-wolves, though, traded three-time All-Star Julius Randall to the Nets and a pure salary dump. They gave up Randall and the 28th pick and got back the 33rd pick. The Bulls somehow pick up Nick Claxton in the deal. I don't totally understand it. That's what we're talking about, right? Randall averaged 21, 7 and 5 this season. He now, after being part of the reason the Knicks came up from the depths, has to go play in Brooklyn

across the bridge while the Knicks are the defending champs. Brew, what did you make of this trade? Well, look, first of all, Brooklyn putting together a nice big, to Julius Randall and Michael Porter Jr. No, look, the Nets, I think they, I don't know what they're doing. All right. The T-Wolves, I like this. You like it? Wow.

Yes. For the T-Wil. Julius Randall, you said it 21, 7 and I think four assists, five, five assists during the regular season. What do you do against the Spurs? What do you do when it's a great playoff play? Well, well, I'm about winning. I understand. I'm not about putting up big numbers in the regular season.

They got nothing. Well, they cleared the money to sign I.O. DeSumo. So, and he, look, we'll see what he can become. I mean, he was averaging 15 in Chicago. I love it. He scored 21 a game against Denver to help them win that series. I think they feel like, they feel like I.

Oh, Jaden McDaniels, and obviously, and that's a nice perimeter tree. You still got Gobert to guard the big boys. And Nassery gets the start now. Yeah. And so they still need to add some things. I don't think they're where San Antonio and OKC are. They need to do some other stuff. But this, look, Randall, they're like he's not going to help me in a playoffs.

This is how bad it was. 12 points, one assist, 34% shooting 19 from 3. But it means they traded Kat for Dante. I can't worry about that. That's right under the bridge. And so I just think this was a good move because it allowed him to keep I.O. Keeping Iowa is great, thrilled for him, and where he's gotten to in his career as a former second round pick. Love that for I.O. But if I am Minnesota and there's new ownership there,

and they had been a luxury tax team for the last few years for the first time ever, and now they are just dumping 21, 7, and 5 for pure salary dump. And I am Anthony Edwards, who just watched Carl Anthony Towns win a title. When does Anthony Edwards demand a trade? Well, we got me locked up for a few years. Okay. But I- Star players have been under contract and have been disgruntilled

and have demanded trades before. I am not, I would be terrified. Does he seem like that type? I would be terrified. I think he could in the future. I mean, here's my- Right now, I don't think he's testing. thing, Brew, because they had IOS bird rights, they could have kept Randall and signed IOT.

It just cost the owner of money. And so that is the part that is disconcerting to me because even given his playoff struggles, do you agree, Brew, if they were willing to take on the money, he, Julius Randall has value in the league. They could have traded him for something. Like, he is not, it's not a contract that is. It was a straight up salary. And so that to me always is disappointing if you're a fan base thinking we are contending. He was a, he has value in the league even given his contract and they got negative value for him.

They went from the 28th pick to the 33rd pick. The guy that the Bulls traded for him was on a non-guaranteed contract. Yeah. And so that part I don't love. I will tell you, however, who the biggest winner of this trade is and the biggest, the biggest loser of this trade is Austin Reeves. because there were two teams that had more capspace than the Lakers, the Nets and the Bulls. They both used it in this deal.

And now Austin Reeves has no negotiating leverage anymore. They still have room, but they still, right, but they no longer can offer him a max. They can't threaten the Lakers. So now the Lakers can probably, so the Lakers are a winner in this. Austin Reeves, again, he's going to be fine. But the team with the most cap space in the league by a lot is the Lakers.

at this point, it's like $52 million. These teams are down to around $38 and $34 million. And his agent can't threaten him with, hey, we're going to go to Brooklyn because the Lakers can trump whatever that offers. So in a weird way, this is actually really good for the Lakers who have three first round picks that can trade and more caps face than anyone. I trust Rob Polinka is going to nail this. Coming up next.

Is Yonis going to win a title in Miami? No. Gianna wrote that question. And we are counting down to England. Ghana today at 4 Eastern live from Boston. The question being, will Harry Kane stay in the golden boot combo? And is Kevin Wilde's actually taking the day off to see it when he claims he's at his kids eighth grade graduation?

We investigate. It's all next first thing. Live from New York, it's the show that just got a text from old KW that he was listening to the last segment, his graduation is over. I don't know if he appreciates the jokes we were making. But if he is in the car, two things. One is we know he's not driving because he doesn't drive. His lovely wife, Libby does.

So FaceTime us in to give us your Celtics take. And if you're in the car with your son, Russ, congrats. Graduate in eighth grade. Ask your pops about how hard it was for him to graduate eighth grade. It was way harder back in the day for him. Coming up, it's the second hour first thing, first. Yon is headed to Miami. Does that mean LeBron will soon follow?

Probably not, but maybe. Can't be dismissed as a possibility. Okay. And can soon to be 39-year-old Leo Messi carry Argentina to another World Cup title. I mean, the answer to that is definitively yes. He definitely can't. He's been maybe the best player in the tournament and their defense might be the best in the tournament. But we start with the Blockbuster trade.

The box, I'm going to go ahead and call him the greatest player in franchise history. Yes. He's not the greatest player everywhere uniform. for him of the bucks, but he is the greatest player in franchise history to the Miami Heat. Miami's title odds jumped from ninth to fifth after the news. The Heat now have the third best odds to win the East, behind the Celtics who didn't land, Yonnes, and the Knicks who literally just had a parade. And by the way, the Celtics still have better odds in the Knicks,

which means the disrespect to the Knicks just continues. Here are the notable players currently on the Heat roster. Now, keep in mind, Norm Powell is a free agent. Wiggins has an option. So the only of these guys that they have locked under contract are Janus Bam, Portis Jovich and Davion Mitchell. We expect that Wiggins will be back. Norm Powell, I thought, was going to be back.

But Wendy this morning was like, don't expect him back unless he takes a big discount. Well, to your point, what teams have the cap room? I mean, if you're just take them, well, that he'd be nice there. He'd be nice in a lot of places. And he might still have a house in Los Angeles. He used to play for the Clippers. They might be able to do a sign and trade, though. Get some in the back for Powell.

It's possible. And it should be noted that this trade is not going to be finalized until July 6, so there could be other small permutations on it for whatever it's worth. Brew. But that's the roster as it presently stands, essentially. Can Yannis contend in Miami? That group could... contend in the Eastern Conference.

But they don't have the depth. All right. And to your point, I think they'll have Andrew Wiggins, but if they don't have Norman Powell, and I said last hour, I'm going to be talking about him like he's Kauai Lennar. He, I can't over-emphasize how important he is to this roster this year, right? He was a first time all-star this year, average 22 points a game.

Now, he's 33 years old. He's no spring chicken. they need a perimeter player who can shoot the three. I know Wiggins can shoot it, but Powell also can create offense for others and himself. Right now, outside of him, there's nobody on that roster that does that. Yannis is a straight line driver and a great passer,

but they need a perimeter guy that can do some stuff. And that's why if they lose Doran Powell, I really think it's going to be tough for them this year. So look, I don't think they are one of the top teams in the East. They have a great organization. They've got great leadership. Eric Spolster is a very good coach. But this group, it's the fit, too.

And when you were talking about like top 75 player, top 30 player, top 10 player and all that, to me it's more the fit. Like your two best players don't shoot the three. Bam shoots it, but poorly. Poorly. 32% last year. Yonis doesn't shoot it. And then your point guard, Davian Mitchell, is ideally a backup.

Like, this is not a well put together roster as it is right now. And so they have a lot of work to do. And the problem, Danny, is that while they've got work to do, and you said, okay, it won't be this season. It'll be next season. Yonis is 31. and 14th year in the league and been injury prone for the last few seasons, they need to try to win now. Well, obviously you cannot win if Janus is hurt.

We just saw that in Milwaukee. So, like, yes, no question. This is a gamble. Like, trading for Janus with his injury history. Let's say Janus has a fully healthy season for the sake of this discussion. Right, exactly. So this team this year, I do not think is realistic to say that they are. are a contender, as presently constituted. And because of taking on more money in this deal than

went out, they are capped at the first apron, so they have very limited flexibility for this year. But I also, and you guys seem to disagree with this, I do not want to underestimate the appeal and attraction for a player or players in the future to try to maneuver their way to Miami, to play with Bam, who was very popular in the league, to play with Janus, who is very popular in the league, to play with Janice, who is beloved in the league. I mean, they might be the best defense in the Eastern Conference this year. I think their defense is going to be great. Defensively, they're going to be a great team.

Because Mitchell is a very good defense player. Wiggins is a loss athlete. Hero was one of their worst defenders and he's gone. I don't think they're going to be a better defensive team than Oklahoma City or San Antonio, but I do think that they should be the best defensive team in the east. And you have two all-star to all-NBA caliber players. in Bam and Janus, arguably the best coach in the league in Spolster, who always gets guys to overperform, and a great general manager and the appeal of Pat Riley, who generally speaking gets his man.

And again, this year, I'm aware of the ramifications and the difficulties of maneuvering there for this year. But as things open up and they get more flexibility and the cap goes up, I am not going to rule out the possibility that two and three years from now, there is another major piece that ends up in Miami. years. I mean, I, yeah. But that's what they're doing. Janus is going to sign a three-year contract. Well, Yonis is 34. 33-34. Yeah, he's going to sign a three-year 200 and something million-dollar contract extension soon. He is going, the only reason he wanted to go to Miami or Boston was like those were places he was willing to extend. This isn't a one-year proposition for Miami and Yonis. Listen, it has been a couple years since Yonis was just as far as how the season went. a legitimate MVP candidate. And now, last year we can say it's just because he was hurt.

He hasn't made an all defensive team in four years. No, he's not the same defender he once was, but he's still, last year when he played, his numbers are unbelievable. He's an offensive engine. He's a unique offensive engine

because he doesn't shoot at all, but that's fine. How many more years do you guys think Janice has as a top five player in the league? I called him top six earlier because I don't want to argue with people, but in that, I would say your best case scenario on that is three more years.

I think that's your best case scenario. But you're saying that's when they're going to get there. Right. That's my two year and three years from now. As a top five guy, Janice is going to be a great player for a while. Free agency isn't what it used to be. Yeah. No, I know that.

As evidenced by the Minnesota, Brooklyn, Chicago deal today. So I, my answer to this is just. flatly no. But I mean, more people can contend in the NBA than ever. We've seen that. Like the Knicks kind of 52 wins and end up winning the title. The Knicks have pieces

that fit together. The Jimmy Butler teams that went to the finals, the Pacers team last year. I don't believe that we're in an era of basketball where only two to four teams can win at tight. Okay, hold on. I don't want to be argumentative. You definitely do believe that. You definitely think that like

you definitely think He is argumentative as one. That everyone is chasing one or two super teams, and the Knicks maybe just got hot and won. But your standard is can you beat the Thunder or can you beat the Spurs? And I think you should add the Knicks to that group. And I think if there's any team in the East that has earned a benefit of the doubt organizationally over the last decade, it is not Miami, it is Boston.

And what I am saying is those four teams I just listed, all four of them, would not be like, oh my God, what if we can't retain Norman Powell? And that's what we're saying Miami is. Like, I don't know that Norman Powell would start for the Knicks. Now, is he better than Josh Hart? Sure. But as far as like the fit of what they're trying to do. And so I am. I probably don't have the emotional attachment to Janus that you do from your family's fandom

and from you going to games to see him play Milwaukee being close Chicago. But I've gotten in years ago big arguments with Brew, not big arguments, but like I've been a big Janice advocate. Like I didn't care he can't shoot. He can average 30 and scored 50 in the finals. Who cares where it comes from? All of that. I think a couple of things are at play here.

One, I think we are on the debt. down slope of Janus's career. I'm not saying it is a steep down slope, but I think that the peak Janus was pretty clearly a few years ago, and it's gotten either through availability or whatever other reason, just erosion of skill, he's not quite as good. So there's one thing. The other thing is, I am not as certain that Pat Riley is going to wave his magic wand and make a contender. Pat Riley getting Alonzo Morning was great. It was 30 years ago. Getting Shaquille O'Neal was awesome.

It was 25 years ago. He did not get LeBron. Like LeBron, you give him credit, that's fine. He made a good pitch. He made a good pitch, but like LeBron and Bosch and Wade got together and wanted to go there. Since then, it has not been a litany of massive successes. His big coup was getting Jimmy Butler, which then soured at the end. those teams overachieved thanks to, I think, they have great player development,

their undrafted guys, all those things around the edges and expose a great coach. But I do not look at the heat as anywhere close. Like I think there are four teams in the West, I'd rather be, and four teams in the East, I'd rather be flatly. That's more than a quarter of the league. So I just don't know, and they have now traded away their draft picks and their future flexibility. I don't know how they get from here to there. And the answer can't be, as I've seen, bandied about somewhere, I bet you can get John Morant.

Like, that's not, that doesn't, they're going to be a great defensive team that makes very little sense on offense. It's why as a basketball fan, I'm disappointed he's there instead of Boston. Because I think in Boston, and I'm no Celtics fan, I think in Boston he could contend for championships. This upcoming season and going forward. You don't think that he wanted to go to the East, the East with all seriously, all due respect to the Knicks. The East is still the easier path to the finals, right? Everybody here agrees with that? Sure.

Okay. And the best player in the Eastern Conference? It's been Yonnes for since LeBron left. What is that, so what? But I mean, hold on, the supporting cast that he has in Miami is now better than the supporting cast that he had in Milwaukee. The supporting cast he has in Miami is Bam out of bio and a great coach. Like I, no, it's better than it was. And a great defensive point guard and Andrew Wiggins who shot 40-something percent from three last year.

So I, so let me. They need more shooting than Andrew Wiggins. No question. This team as presently constituted today on, what day is it? The 23rd. On June 23rd is not winning a title. We are all in agreement on that. But let me just, before.

You just seem so confident they're going to be able to build. Before we move on, let me just ask this to the group. And I know you're, pretend you're a gambler for a moment. You can pick either of these things and you win money if you're right. Option one, Janus with the Heat win a championship. Option two, Janus with the Heat never make a conference finals. I think it is, I think option two is four. more likely.

And that's why I'm bummed out. Because if you gave me that same option, had they done, had he kind of nudged his way more towards Boston, it would have been like, of course they're making conference finals. Like it's an impossibility that Janice and Tatum are not deep into the playoffs and then we'll see. Maybe the most likely option is C, you know, don't win a title but make conference finals. But with the heat, I would be stunned if they win a title. And I would not be stunned if next year they are the seven seed.

I would not be stunned by that. Yeah, I want to see what kind of to your point, what their roster ends up looking like. But as it's currently constructed, again, they will be phenomenal defensively. Offensively, they're going to be an experiment. All right, quickly, let's go to the team that didn't get Janus. The Celtics.

They were going to send Jalen Brown and two first round picks, but don't you dare ask for Baylor Shireman. Hugo Gonzalez, This four points a game, untouchable. Didn't come to fruition. Jalen's future is now up in the air. Brew. Can the Celtics just run it back?

Yes. And look, if I'm running the Celtics, I am looking at what I can get for Jalen Brown. Because I do think in the ideal world, they can make a great trade for him and improve their team. But I am not giving him away. I am not, man, it's out there. We were shopping him.

We were about to trade him. He's going to be mad. We can't bring him back in the building. No way I'm thinking that. If I don't get the trade I like, I am bringing Jalen Brown back. If it takes a heart to heart man to man, let's put it all on the table, then we'll do so. We're all adults in here. But they are contenders.

No question they are contenders next year. as currently constructed. And so I'm not going to mess that up just because I'm worried about his hurt feelings. So I would, like I said, I'm looking. If I can get a good deal, I'll do it. But I am not like, there's no way I can bring him and Jason Tatum back together and all that.

No. Jalen Brown will be on Twitch at some point in the next 36 hours, and I'm wondering if you'll change your tune on that. I hear you on the man-to-man heart-to-heart conversation, and it sounds good. but I have a very hard time seeing him put that uniform on again. And I don't know what the trade will be. I just know that a dozen teams are going to make offers.

So why do you see, have a, well, that's good. The teams come after him and all that, and I do think they will. But look, we talked about it with Lamar, with the Ravens, when he said he wanted out. And some thought, there's no way he could go back there. He's back there. LeBron and Dan Gilbert. LeBron went back to play for Dan Gilbert.

Sure. These are adults and your feelings get hurt, but sometimes you move on as a professional. But do you think they should? No, I think if they can get a deal, a better, a deal that they think makes them better, I'm doing it. I'm with you on that. I'm just saying I'm not like, I can't bring Jalen back. And that's why it'll be different than the young. Three years of contractual control.

He's younger. He's healthier. He's a two-way player. And I do think you could honestly open up a bidding war and say, here's our. deadline, whether it's opening day or whatever you wanted it to be, and say, make us your best offer. And I honestly think a third of the league would make offers on Jayland Brown. I think it's on the board that we do a segment this summer of showing what the bucks got for Janus and what the Celtics got for Jalen Brown, and we debate who got the better return. I think that's on the board.

Now, the fact that the Celtics offered Jalen plus two firsts, and Milwaukee turned it down, That implies that, you know, the belief there is that Janus has more value. He also has more leverage, man. Yonnis. Agreed. So I just, I think that because of the age, durability, I think easier fit on roster, contractual control, all of that, I think that if Jalen Brown is available and he clearly is available, then I think the Celtics could get a massive return for him.

question because I just keep going back to Brad Stevens end of your press conference when he was like, and I wish you would have told me this before I picked them to win the championship. He was like, when you really looked at it, we weren't that close. Like that we, you know, we struggled against the best teams. We weren't where we needed to be. And he does not feel like they can run it back. So even if Brew is right, that it's less about Jalen Brown's emotional, you know, hurt

feelings or whatever and more about just the actual. his nose of contention. I think the Celtics are going to look massively different next year, and I think Jalen Brown will be somewhere else. Coming up next, Leonel Messi, the best show on TV.

We talk about, is the goat conversation's over, the expectations for him, this World Cup, all of it. Speaking of the goat conversation. Yeah, he's looking at you like he's not only too happy. That's right. Hour, 37 minutes, 55.

seconds from now, Portugal takes on Uzbekistan as Portugal tries to get its first win of the World Cup. Uzbekistan tries to, I'll just tell you, bankrupt me. I've done it again. All in on a huge money line favor. Let's go Portugal. I'll come up later today on Fox. Back here on first things first, there's Dax's guy, Harry Kane. Come on, Harry. You know, he's plus 265 to score two goals. I've been telling folks, I, you know, I'm not making these multi-gold bets, which is why I'm the only person who's lost money on this World Cup. Everyone else is just like, hey, the stars are going to score.

Easey's bet that. England, Ghana, today at Four Eastern. England, in the discussion for best performance from their first game of the World Cup. Germany did score seven goals, but against lesser competition. That's at Four Eastern today, live on Fox. to yesterday. Messi continues his dominant. Scores two more goals against Austria. Messi now the all-time World Cup leader in goals. Zlatan after the game. You know, second language, I'll give him, you know, a little bit of margin barrier. He might have stolen my

kickstres. Take a listen. It was never in doubt. I mean, you have moments where he looks human by missing the penalty then you have the moments when he doesn't look human that's messy messy is so far it's his World Cup and he didn't play against your Jordan yet so I don't know where it will finish five goals in two games I have zero goals in two World Cup I'm happy I'm happy for him and I hope he continues his birthday is in a couple of days so let him enjoy because we are all enjoying him seeing him play. So amazing. Just amazing. No words. So here's Messi now at the World Cup.

That's pretty good. First in tournaments, games, goals, goals plus assists, and one more assist. He will be first in assists as well. Dax, I know Messi was already your goat coming into the World Cup. But what has this tournament thus far meant for his legacy? Well, he's always been in my opinion the last couple of years, the greatest player of all time. He put that debate to bed when he won the 2022 World Cup. As far as his legacy now, he's playing with House money. I've never seen a UFO, but now I have seen an alien. Because what he is doing at this age, on this stage is unprecedented. A lot of people talked about when he came to MLS. That was an acknowledgement of, okay, I'm going to ride off into the sunset, enjoy the rest of my life and career in South Beach, drinking pinia coladas,

and playing in a lesser league. He's actually gotten better since he got to major league soccer. And of course, his heyday with Barcelona, no one will ever be able to hit the heights that he hit in terms of his production. But as far as the way that he is able to differentiate his game now that he's a little bit older, he's got the highest soccer IQ of any player that's ever lived. And this Argentina national team, until they won the 2022 World Cup, littered with world class players.

all over the field. And Messi was just another world-class player, maybe the best one of the bunch, where he just had to play his role. Since 2022, they have essentially said, you are going to carry us, and all other 10 players on the field, coaching staff and the subs, we are going to defer to you. It's almost a respectful deference. And we saw it in the first goal that he scored against Austria. Tiago Almata, a former teammate of mine at Atlanta United, one of the best players I've ever played. played with, hasn't scored a World Cup goal. Is in a great position here on the top of the box. Any player in that same position would take a touch, try to score.

He had time, he had space. He knows exactly where Messi is going to show up. That little space on the top of the box is where Messi does his most devastating work. It's almost an unspoken bond. It's like Stockton and Malone. When they would do a pick and roll, you'd know exactly where it was going to turn out. That spot for Lionel Messi. That respectful deference to his quality and his leadership to be able to score goals is exactly why Argentina has won the last two Copa Americas.

It's why they've won the 2020 World Cup. And it's why I made a grievous error in saying that Messi before the tournament would probably be more of a creator than a goal scorer. Because the only thing he's done since he got to Major League soccer is score goals for fun at will. This is truly unprecedented territory. What we are seeing right now at his age will not be replicated. You've been saying that he is better now than he was before. And Nick showed a graphic earlier about his goal scoring in the World Cup. This is six straight World Cup game where he scored a goal.

How has he gotten better? Yeah. Though, you know, obviously you're not as athletic. You're not as strong as you used to be. But how has he gotten better? In his heyday at FC Barcelona, there will never be another player. can touch the talent, quality, devastating effectiveness that he hit in terms of goal scoring, in terms of essentially being unstoppable.

His ability to dribble, technically manipulate the ball, dribble pass four or five players. He's not the same player he was then, but in terms of his soccer eye brain, his soccer IQ, where he picks up spaces on the field, the way that he conserves energy, and the way that he's efficient. I do believe his efficiency in and around the goal. goal is at the highest level that it has ever been because he doesn't need to go and chase shadows defensively. He can rest.

He can reserve his energy. And you see him. There's something in soccer called scanning. The best central midfielers, you'll see them. If you just had a camera on a central midfielder, they're constantly looking over their shoulders. Where does the next pass need to go? Messi is constantly doing that when he doesn't have the ball, but his team is in possession,

trying to find the weakness of the opponent. Where are they playing? Are they overloading the middle with? too many defenders, I'm going to go find space out wide. Where, if there's not space out wide, I'm going to go in the middle of the field. If he's being manmarked by his centerback, how do I get the ball to then play one and two touch? His movement off the ball is at the highest level it can possibly be.

So different era of him as a player, but his efficiency is at the highest level it's ever been. I think you just have to marvel at, okay, so the goat debate is over. Well, that's a pretty amazing accomplishment. And this whole World Cup was supposed to just be. icing on the cake, victory lap, almost celebratory for the perfect capping to the career at the last World Cup where he finally wins it and gets carried off the pitch by his teammates. And now they're one of the favorites to maybe go back to back,

which would be the first time since Brazil in the early 60s. And goats have a funny way of making us reimagined. Well, maybe now this is possible. And you look through his resume and he's like, well, he's done this. He does this. He has this record, this record. Oh, he actually never has won a golden boot at a World Cup, but that's obviously impossible.

He's 38 years old. He's going to be 39 tomorrow. Happy birthday to Messi. And it's like, well, now he's the favorite to win that award. So I just think maybe he goes back to back. Maybe he gets the golden goat. It's the reimagining of what's possible. And we also very rarely see a debate ended.

Now, I'm going to say a somewhat unpopular opinion. I do not agree the goat debate is, a Gretzky situation. I think Pele has always been, for me, it is, I have been a Messi versus Ronaldo, a messy guy, but Messi versus Pele historically, I'd been like, ah, maybe it is. I do have a little bit of a deference to history.

Like I, you know, I hold, like, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a higher esteem than a lot of people who literally watched Karim's Holger. I'm like, I don't know. It seems pretty great. But he has ended the Messy versus Ronaldo debate. That's dead now. And I understand I show Speed's upset about it.

Our guy Ramsey's upset about it. Like there are a lot of Ronaldo fans. But that is, as we like to say, sometimes Brut, at this point, an unacceptable opinion. But the reason it was, you know, an acceptable opinion was because Messi did not have a great World Cup or really representing Argentina as a whole history. Can we just show it real quick to us before we get to the Ronaldo stuff? Messy versus Ronaldo at the World Cup was like a real debate one could have and where you could argue, man, Ronaldo's had such worst teammates as had goals and assist, their first four World Cups. Yeah, Messi's up 11 and 9, but he's doing it with great teams and Ronaldo's not.

Last two World Cups, 15 to 1. Career World Cup record, obviously, again. Sure. But this World Cup will see Portugal's team, you remove Messi from Argentina and Ronaldo from Portugal. I think most of me would like, well, Portugal is better. Yeah. And so there's that. There's then also the fact that Messi the yeah, but with him was FC Barcelona, amazing. Playing for his club, amazing. Playing for his country, not so much. This decade, since 2020 to now, can we show his international record with Barcelona, it's

remarkable what he's done. I think we have it. After never winning any major tournament for Barcelona, they've now won back-to-back copas. We don't have it, that's okay. Back-to-back copas, there it is. Before 2021, that's a fine record, but zero titles. Correct. Since then, they've won both Copas. They've won the World Cup. And they're the co-favorites or second favorites now to win this one. And so that is what is so remarkable about what he's doing at this which does bring us to one of the only guys in the tournament, older than him, Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal's taking on Uzbekistan today

in an hour and 24 minutes on Fox. Ronaldo went scoreless in match one, and a lot of people think one of the reasons Portugal didn't win that game outright was because Ronaldo was hunting goals after seeing Messi's hat trick. Well, now he's seen Messi's hat trick, Mbapé had a couple more,

Erling Holland had a couple more. Dex, do you expect the great players' performances, but most notably Messies, to impact how Ronaldo approaches today's game. I think that great player performances have always impacted Ronaldo, because he has always seen himself in that upper stratosphere of great players, which he has been. This whole messy Ronaldo debate is getting into the territory of almost degrading Ronaldo's legacy, which I think is completely ridiculous, because Ronaldo Cristiano's legacy is one of the great. greatest players of all time. Now, I don't personally believe that he is in the same category as

Lino Messi, because he is the greatest player that's ever lived. But Ronaldo up to this point has certainly been in the conversation. And the first game performance that they had against D.R. Congo, that isn't all on Ronaldo. Yes, he is a big part of it. And I said, and I stand by the fact that when you are a superstar and when you are relied on to score goals, when your team wins or doesn't play well, or when your team loses and doesn't play well, then you have to take the criticism. And when you win, you are going to get the praise. So there is some criticism that Ronaldo deserves levied his way. But there's also criticism that should be levied at that midfield, who I described as the best in the tournament. They actually had after match day one,

because now every team has played two games except for, I think, the eight that are going to play today, including Portugal. After match day one, they had three players, the top three players in the tournament with back passes that we're playing the ball backwards. So you're not creating the amount of chances that Cristiano normally gets. The midfield has to be better. Roberto Martinez has to be better. Cristiano Ronaldo will get a chance today. I do believe he'll score. Dex, Portugal is definitely going to win, right? Yes, they will win the game today. I'm not going to be an easy game against Duesbeckistan. But they're definitely going to win. They will win. I don't want to say definitely, but he's going to say, I just want to tell you something,

you know why. Yesterday. I, you know, I've been all in on Holland, and by Holland, I mean, Norway, but early Holland, Holland, who doesn't play for Holland. Holland. And I was ready to try to get back some of my losses. And then you were like, ah, Senegal can win. So I'm like, you know what, Tax is the expert. Senegal. I'm not going to bet.

Highly disappointed in Senegal. And then I walked to win. And so now, the only way to get that money back is to lay even more on a minus 700 favorite. So, okay, you've guaranteed it. So you basically, you're about to. We'll win today. We'll all that will score. Coming up next, Messi plays in Miami.

Could LeBron play in Miami again? Why not? Does Pat Riley get credit for bringing Messi to Miami? Just made the whole sports scene better? Gordon Dandy, absolutely. And we're counting down to England, Ghana. England's definitely going to win too, right? Yeah, they will.

All right, we're good. We're back. Today, 4 Eastern on Fox live from Boston. England takes on Ghana. England looked like one of the best teams in the tournament match day one. of Harry Kane can keep up his top scoring streak to keep up with Holland and Bobby and Messy. Messy, all that later today on Fox.

England, Ghana, in about four hours and 15 minutes on Fox, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford. And you know what? I'm going the other way. No Harry Kane goals. Those two fellas score. All the best players can't score two goals in every game.

All been doing a world cup of stars. It's been unbelievable. It has been a world cup of stars. It's been unbelievable. One o'clock on Fox. You've got Portugal, three o'clock on Fox, or four o'clock on Fox, pardon me, England, Ghana. Time now for Prime Performance. Sponsored by Capital One. Capital One, what's in your wallet? Miami Heat are trading for former two-time NBA MVP and finals MVP. Yonis on Campo. next question is, who will they pair alongside him? Miami Herald writer, Barry Jackson, old print newspaper writer, which means we take this seriously. The heat could try to lure impending free agent LeBron James,

with its full mid-level exception. James returns considered a long shot. Really? I would say so. Drew. Should LeBron consider this? Well, look, I think, let's take the Lakers out of it, right?

Which is probably where he'll end up or a good chance he'll end up. If you look at the rest of the teams and it's like monies that kind of out, he's just looking for a good basketball situation. If all the teams offer him the same mid-level exception, taxpayer money. Look, one of the things, obviously LeBron is older

so his defense isn't what it was. That team, that wouldn't be a problem there. My thing with them is they would still lack the shoe and the depth that you would want. And those are the things that kind of, some of the things that hurt him with the Lakers. He's already playing with a top five-ish player. And they're good, but they're not the championship level.

But this would be the east. I mean, it's interesting. Like, it's interesting. Like, Cleveland's interesting. Like, I mean, Golden State, I don't think we'll win. But like Denver's interesting. Like Minnesota's interesting. Or even Houston, if he wanted to open it up.

up and say, hey, I'll go here and I'll be a good fit and all that. But if I were Miami, I would definitely go after him. I would definitely try to pitch him just like, hey, you went back to Cleveland, got your ring there, come back here, get us a ring. It would have a lot of value, even though Janus would be the best player on the team, LeBron going back there and kind of being the quarterback, which is what they need, would be fun. I mean, I don't think it's going to happen. I don't think there's really any chance of it happening.

but it is intriguing like a lot of these other scenarios. Yeah, I mean, I love print journalism. LeBron would make every team in the NBA better for the mid-level exception. What team would be like, that's not a good idea? Yeah, but this is, but everyone team. It just fits. And there's not every team that he has a history with and that we think, and it has like a major need.

Right. I understand. I think the idea, I personally think Cleveland makes more sense than this if he's going to leave. I fully expect him to be back with the Lakers. I don't think he's tired of the idea of playing with Brani. His family's out there, his business is out there. He gets to play with his son. I fully expect him to be a Laker. But if he wants to move 5,000 miles away from his family and go back to where he played before, I do think that this would be, you know, they'd be pretty good. I'm also happy that the United States just doubled in size in this

A 5,000 feels strong. Miami to L.A. 3,000. So hold on. Let me, because you're like dismissing this out of hand. And, okay. And so here's the question I would ask you. If when Rich Paul and LeBron talk to the Lakers, if the Lakers are like, yeah, the most you can get anywhere else is the mid-level.

So we will offer you $1 million more than the mid-level. If they get insulted and angry about it. Again, like if they say screw you, right, I'm not, I brought, I, you're, I am not resigning here and then opens it up. Where would the heat rank for you on best, if LeBron is definitively leaving, where would they rank on best realistic options? Strictly basketball. Yes, right?

I think they would be. Cleveland's your hometown, all that. Correct. Basketball wise. Strictly, strictly basketball wise of realistic options. Like, I don't think the Knicks are a realistic. option. You mentioned Brew Houston. I think Houston's a realistic option. I do think

Cleveland is a realistic option for basketball. Yes. Cleveland would be. No, I think. They'd be behind Cleveland and Golden State. I would go east. Here's the thing. If I go to Golden, there's very little chance they could win, get to the finals in

Golden State. So I'm looking at the East, and I agree with you. I think Cleveland and Miami would be the top two options. So I would I think Cleveland just has more of a fit. Because like I said, Cleveland does have shooting.

They weren't great defensively this year, but they do have two bigs that can protect the rim. They have no one nearly as good as Janus. No. And here is, again, I think if he doesn't resign with the Lakers, he'll resign with gold. Or not resigned.

I think he'll go to Golden State. I think the Cleveland James Hardin thing got complicated. I also think there is a level of proximity of golden state to Los Angeles versus Cleveland to Los Angeles. With that said, if Golden States off the board and the Lakers were off the board, if it were to come down to between Cleveland and Miami, I think there is an argument to be made that Miami's a better fit than Cleveland, because Cleveland, he runs into a similar problem he ran into, I think he ran into in Los Angeles, which is your best.

Hard and having to ball. Harden and Donovan Mitchell, need the ball to a degree. Your best guys need to play a certain way that demands I play a different role than I am best at. And Miami would have none of that problem at all. Yonis, of course, has the ball somewhat. But LeBron could run kind of the old school LeBron run the show and not have any of the workload on defense and not have to be the number one option. That's why I don't think it is as ludicrous as you seem to think it is.

Yeah, if he wants to move and have the ball in his hands and play for a team he used to play for, but we've now said that the Lakers are disrespecting him, Golden State wouldn't work, and Cleveland. It's just thinking there's a million things that have to happen before he would consider that. That's why I was saying should he consider it. Barry Jackson said it's unlikely. Yeah, I think very. And a long shot.

Very long shot. The heat getting Janus for Tyler Hero was a long shot a year ago. It just happened.