Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Kristaps Porzingis to Hawks: Does This Make Clint Capela More Available for Lakers?

Episode Date: June 25, 2025

On Monday, the NBA's offseason center market got an interesting piece of news, when Dallas center Daniel Gafford signed a three-year extension that didn't make him trade-ineligible this offseason. Goo...d news for the Lakers! More good news, potentially, on Tuesday when the Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks. What does that have to do with the Lakers? Well, it makes it a lot less likely that Atlanta will bring back free agent center Clint Capela, who is without a doubt the most appealing option for the Lakers who could be had—maybe—for the taxpayer mid-level exception of about $6 million a year. That's the most the Lakers can offer any free agent. Will it be enough to get Capela? It might not be. The market still has some speaking to do. The trade has smaller ripple effects, too, as now it seems more likely that the Celtics bring back one or both of Al Horford and Luke Kornet, two centers with different skill sets that would have some appeal on the open market. In a supply-and-demand type environment, the Lakers benefit from more guys in the market. It would help, too, if there were fewer teams with real demand. Unfortunately, centers are coming back into vogue. Finally, Luka's gettin' skinny. This isn't just internet tea leaf reading, but actual reporting from real live reporters.  HOSTS: Andy and Brian KamenetzkySEGMENT 1: Capela more available now? SEGMENT 2: Is Capela good enough? SEGMENT 3: Skinny Luka!  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!OLIPOPGet a free can of OLIPOP! Just buy any two cans in store and they’ll reimburse you for one. Head to drinkolipop.com/LOCKEDONNBA to claim your free can and find OLIPOP near you. SKIMSShop SKIMS Mens at SKIMS.com/lockedonnba. Let them know we sent you! After you place your order, select "podcast" in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. OpenPhoneStreamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/lockedonnbaWayFairGive your home the refresh it needs with Wayfair. Head to Wayfair.com right now. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first yearGametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, everyone, welcome to Lockdown Lakers for Wednesday. Brian Kaminetsky, Andy Kemenetsky, Chris Stapps-Poor-Zingis, is on his way to Atlanta. Does that make Clint Capella that much more getable for the Lakers? That's next. You are Locked-on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks to everybody for making Locked on Lakers first listen to every day, Monday through Friday, no matter how you get your podcast. This one's always free. never behind paywall and of course locked on Lakers on YouTube is where you can go hang out with over 35,000 subscribers to the channel, Andy,
Starting point is 00:00:42 all of whom are watching very carefully as the NBA offseason, which is officially like two days old, basically, is really going strong. The draft is a day and trades are already happening. We talked about signings that are already happening. Daniel Gafford, we led Monday's show with that. I'm sorry, Tuesday's show with that. And today, Andy, on Wednesday for Wednesday's show, Chris Staps Porzingis, as the Celtics continue to trim payroll in what I think a lot of people are calling their gap year while Jason Tatum is hurt, resetting their clock, resetting their payroll.
Starting point is 00:01:26 And they sent Chris Staps Porzingis on Tuesday to Atlanta. and of course, this is relevant to Lakers fans because if it wasn't, you know, likely, mostly likely that Klingekepella, long time Atlanta Hawk, who lost his starting job last season to Ike Ongu, if it wasn't pretty likely that he was going to go, it seems like a pretty much done deal now that Capella will be leaving Atlanta, which at the very least makes them a little bit more available to the Lakers, because if you're not leaving, you can't go somewhere else. Even if Porzingis, Atlanta pictured him and Yenka-on-Kongwu playing together with Porzengis as more of a four, a Kongwu is a five, like just the front-court minutes
Starting point is 00:02:28 that those two are going to sop up together as it's also very clear that Atlanta is looking to win. They're going to be trying to win more games. So by definition... A lot of teams in the East are kind of making these sort of, hey,
Starting point is 00:02:45 you know, the Celtics down here. Maybe we should take a crack at this time. Well, the Celtics are down. Tyrese Halliburton, unfortunately, with the Achilles tear is going to be out indefinitely. Cleveland has had their share of injuries and Darius Garland.
Starting point is 00:02:59 We don't know exactly when he's going to be back from Toe Surgery. Like there, there's a lot. And they didn't prove it this year. Like Cleveland was the best team in the East all season long, but didn't prove it in the playoffs. And so I think people see an opening there. Yeah. There's a lot that feels fluid in the East.
Starting point is 00:03:16 And you and I had talked about, you know, well before this deal with Prozingis. And I know there had been some Laker fans that hope that maybe as Boston was looking to shed some payroll that Porzingis. could be getable for the Lakers. You know, I'd seen those rumors come up. I'd seen that get talked about. Porzingis isn't expiring. You know, that sort of thing.
Starting point is 00:03:37 But I never thought it was something that was terribly realistic. If for no other reason, then you know it's going to take a pretty good offer for the Celtics to give the Lakers a player in a trade that could conceivably help the Lakers get closer to a championship and tie them in the standings. So I never pictured Porzingis being particularly much of an option for the Lakers. But before this even happened, we had talked about Capella as potentially getable because both Atlanta might not want to retain him, but also because Capella might want a setting where he has more opportunity, it feels now extremely likely that he's going to be out on the market.
Starting point is 00:04:24 And that is only good news for the Lakers, especially, and we'll get into this in a second. I started taking a look at some of the teams around the league that I think would realistically even be in this sweepstakes for Capella, if you want to call it that, there ain't that many. And that's critical because on the one hand, it is good when players become the, you know, when Gafford briefly, when that news broke, that Gafford, you know, had signed that what we thought at the time was a contract that would keep him from being traded. That was, even if Dean Gafford isn't exactly the center that you want, it's still bad for the Lakers because more centers means, you know, fewer teams fighting over the same guy.
Starting point is 00:05:14 Like you can spread it out a little bit. There's more supply to meet demand. And so, you know, adding Capella to that mix, you know, it is, good that Capella is going to be out there. Again, more supply to meet demand. And you're talking now about the demand portion of it. Everybody knows the Lakers are desperate for a center, but how many other teams are going to be willing to spend their money on a center? The demand side really matters.
Starting point is 00:05:45 Yeah, and I took a look around the league, like some of their rosters. And I will admit, I do not know all the cap situation, the apron situations. I should have gotten not down, didn't, my bad, whatever. But in looking around, the only teams that I could conceive going after Capella and could really have that need, but also, and this is something you brought up in a past show we were talking about Capella, teams that will be, if nothing else, presenting themselves as trying to win, trying to be a relevant team because as Capella, I imagine,
Starting point is 00:06:20 is looking to get himself another, if not this free agency, certainly down the road, one last reasonably big deal. He's 31 right now. He's going to showcase himself. And he's out there looking for one last score. One last big score before he heads out on retirement.
Starting point is 00:06:40 But we all know that it's... He shouldn't do this job, but he just needs one more before he hangs it up. Right. He's going to get together with De Niro and Kilmer, RIP and Seismore RIP. Wow. It's a dark turn.
Starting point is 00:06:56 I wasn't going to make it that specific. I just, the first thing it always comes to mind to me is. You found all the dead guys from heat. Well, the first thing, whenever you think about a big job and one last big score, you think of heat. I mean, it did go wrong. It went wrong forever.
Starting point is 00:07:11 Went very wrong. Or you might think about the movie. Walk away, Clint. It's not worth it. But then you could also, you could think about the movie thief, with James Kahn, which is also RIP. But anyway, the Milwaukee bucks, depending on what they decide to do with Brooke Lopez, they do not have any centers at all.
Starting point is 00:07:32 And they are a relevant team. I am guessing that they do not have much in the way of spending flexibility, given that they've got like 50-ish million just tied up in Dane Lillard, recovering from an Achilles tear. Maybe they're a full mid-level team. I honestly don't know. but they would need a center if they don't retain Brooke Lopez because they really don't have anybody else. The sons who are clearly, they're like a fifth apron team, but they have Nick Richards and 11 shooting guards are small forwards.
Starting point is 00:08:06 So they could clearly use a center. And then technically Golden State doesn't really have much in the way of centers. They've got a lot of undersized guys between, you know, Dremont-Gre. Kavana Luni, if they keep him, trace Jackson Davis, Quentin Post, who's really like a stretch vibe. They don't, but Capella doesn't strike me as somebody who really plays Golden State's way. He seems like an odd fit for them. I guess you could sort of call him Looney-like.
Starting point is 00:08:42 It's not like Kavanaughan Looney stretches the floor. No, no, I'm just saying. I understand. No, but I understand the point that you're making here is a good one. Like, the good part for the Lakers is maybe there aren't tons of teams that need centers. The bad things, and there are a few, just demand generally is just going up for centers. Size is back in. Size does matter in the modern NBA.
Starting point is 00:09:12 And there are going to just more teams that are trying to. get that back, you know, just add more players, add more size, add more length, add more rim protection, whatever it might be. And so that works against the Lakers, even if it's like, okay, it's not our most gigantic need, but he's pretty good player. And then the other thing is just the Lakers just can't out really outbid a lot of teams. Like I realize there are a lot of people, Andy, who think they can't outbid any team. I mean, the only, the only teams that they can outbid are teams that are teams that are, unwilling to use what the amount of a taxpayer mid-level and I just you know we'll talk about it next like
Starting point is 00:09:54 whether or not you know what you think of Capella as a potential starting center or if he would end up being the starting center but any team that I think really wanted Capella does so with the understanding he's going to cost at least six million dollars so I will talk a little bit more about that what Capella might potentially look like and Andy more updates on Fit Luca. That's next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Open Phone. If you are running a business, you know that every miss call, that is money left on the table. Like, think about it.
Starting point is 00:10:31 The last time you had a service emergency and the first person that you reached out to, first company you reached out to, they didn't answer it. You didn't wait around. You called somebody else, and that's why you need Open Phone. Open Phone is the number one business phone system designed to streamline and scale your customer communications all through an app on your phone or computer. you don't have to carry two phones. With Open Phone, you can manage business calls and text from one app, whether you're on the go or at your desk.
Starting point is 00:10:56 And there's a shared inbox so your team can jump into any conversation without missing a beat. The AI agent over at Open Phone handles after hours calls, answers common questions, captures leads. So you never miss a customer. Open Phone is offering our listeners at Locked on Lakers 20% off your first six months at openphone.com slash lockdown MBA. That's O-P-E-N-P-H-O-N-E.com slash locked-on NBA. And if you are switching from another service, open phone, even ports your existing numbers at no extra charge. Open phone, no missed calls, no missed customers.
Starting point is 00:11:36 One of the interesting things about this, Andy, I think is the opinion of people have of Capella. Like, you know, we are making a big deal about the possibilities of Clint Capella being available. And I do this not because I think Clint Capella is, you know, the Capella of a few years ago. Did he make an All-Star team at any point? I thought he made- I want to say he has not, but I will look at it. I could be wrong. But he's sort of in that neighborhood of like that group just below, like, oh, he could make an All-Star team one day, like that kind of thing. He's not that guy anymore at this point in his career. But he's probably
Starting point is 00:12:16 a low level starter, certainly an excellent backup. But more than that, he's available. The Lakers can't, this isn't Hogwarts. Like you can't just conjure up the center of your choice because you want one. Like you have to be able to get someone that is available. And so while, you know, Capella isn't perfect, he does the skill set that he has. least in theory, does align pretty well with what the Lakers would need. He still can block some shots.
Starting point is 00:12:51 He can still get up to finish a lob. And he is still a good rebounder. And those are three areas, particularly offensively, the Lakers really need help. And would I love a better center than Capella? Yes, if the Lakers... As your starter, as your backup, he'd be a luxury. Sure. But just generally, like, you know, as we start to fill out the position on the team,
Starting point is 00:13:15 would I prefer Capella and a better center additionally? Yes, but there aren't very many of those. We've done a few shows about which centers are legitimately available. And if you can't say swing a trade for Nick Claxton, who I think is probably better than Capella at this point? I mean, not crazy better, but like better. But if you can't swing that, if you sign Capella, there's a very solid,
Starting point is 00:13:45 chance that he ends up the best center on your roster. And that may not be ideal, but it's also among, it's a top 30% outcome for the Lakers this summer. Clint Capella is an NBA player. And the Lakers did not have consistent NBA players, guys that were proven in terms of just you can have this guy in an NBA rotation last year at the center position. Like even Jackson Hayes, who had a few months period where he played very well. Jackson Hayes' career, though, in the NBA has been very up and down, very spotty. He has not always been a proven rotation player. I think he's an NBA player, but he's not necessarily a proven rotation guy.
Starting point is 00:14:28 Clint Capella is at minimum at that level. If he is your starting center, it's not ideal. But I also don't think he is somebody ridiculous to have as your starting center. And in theory, if let's just say the Lakers can't swing a deal for the Nick Clackson or Daniel Gaffert or any other center that you think is better than Capella and that actually may be on the market, you could do worse than Capella as your starter, particularly if you can manage to find with a veteran's minimum a decent playable backup. But then from there, you have the opportunity through trades to show up in other areas. So if nothing else, you've got the center position reasonably well-maned or as well-maned as was realistically possible. That's the thing. It's like you can only get who, not to sound like Rob Polenka here, but you can only acquire who is available.
Starting point is 00:15:30 And you can only acquire who is available who is also willing to take assets that you have. So in a trade, you know, it cannot be overstated. The Lakers don't have a lot of really appealing assets to go get really appealing players. Right. And then in the meantime, too, Clint Capella, you could do worse as a stopgap solution. And I think he would end up a stopgap because my guess is he's 31 and would likely want to reenter free agency in his early 30s. Like we said before, try to get that one last reasonably. lucrative, reasonably long-term deal. And with that in mind, he's not going to be looking for a long
Starting point is 00:16:14 commitment. So you can do this thing. I mean, look, if Clint Capella wanted to sign a four-year, $24 million deal, you do that in a second. Like, because that's actually pretty good for the Lakers. You end up at worst with a $6 million backup for the next three years that you know can play. I mean, but I don't expect that to happen anyway. So you end up with a stopgap solution who is at least a credible, if not ideal starter. You look to shore up other areas and that becomes the best you can do. It's not letting Rob Polink off the hook because I'll just say this right now. If Rob Polinka's big move is bringing in Clint Capella and that's the biggest thing he does,
Starting point is 00:17:03 I'll just say right now, I would avoid Mark Walter in the hallways for a while because that means you are not doing, I am saying right now, you're not doing your job as well as I would think somebody trying to impress my future top boss would want to do. So if that's, if you're like, that's the, it's one, again, it's like it's, if that's your primary ambition, it's, you know, you try and fail, it's going to happen. again, you know, Walter's not stupid. He understands, you know, you have. I'm saying a lot would need to happen, I think, for Clint Capella to be the biggest acquisition this offseason and everybody be cool with it. Well, especially if that was the plan. Right.
Starting point is 00:17:47 I'm just saying there, you could do worse than him, particularly for that money. And what I'm guessing will be the commitment. And then in the meantime, you have flexibility to try to shore up in other areas because there are other areas. The center is just the one that gets talked about the most because the Lakers literally have none. Jackson Hage erasure there. He's a free agent. They don't have him on the roster.
Starting point is 00:18:13 They could bring him back, Andy. They could, but for the time being, the man's not an employee of this team. The other thing that's sort of interesting about these trades and like how it is the butterfly effect of all this stuff is always interesting to me because like you know the Celtics are obviously trying to jettison some money taking players like drew holiday and we'll talk maybe a little bit about this trade you know the the trade that happened on Monday that sent him back to Portland and and what that does just in the Western Conference generally they're taking some of their older players who you might
Starting point is 00:18:52 want to kind of turn over over the next couple of years and moving them now while it appears they are set for a down year without Tatum next year. I don't think the Celtics are dismantling the whole thing. I think they are planning on coming right back after next season and trying to keep going. But one of the things now at the bottom sort of end of the spectrum, a player like Luke Cornyett or Al Horford, both players that there was at least some question while those Celtics needed to save money as to whether or not those players would be back. At the very least, one of them probably is more likely. There's a good chance, I think, that a player like Cornett just stays in Boston because they need players.
Starting point is 00:19:43 He's not terribly expensive. They already know him. And, you know, you are still trying to feel the competitive team. So, you know, while the more prominent player, is Capella and seems like he's going to be that much more available, quietly a couple other potential options may disappear. Yeah. This is the way the league works.
Starting point is 00:20:09 I mean, there's always a ripple effect to everything that happens, and that's why GMs have to always remain fluid and creative and always thinking about, I mean, the first thing that popped in mind, when I saw this news about Porzingis going to Atlanta, wasn't about Boston, it wasn't about Atlanta. It was oblipe, Clint Capella might be more available. And that is how I'm sure every single GM around the league thinks when it was the same thing when Daniel Gaffer, we saw the structure of his contract.
Starting point is 00:20:45 It was, oh, what does this do for his chances of even potentially ending up with the Lakers? This is just how the world works. we all become very narcissistic with our own teams and our, you know, the area that we're in for us, that is the Lakers. Yeah, I mean, I'm not that interested in how these trades impact the Hornets. I'm just not not on my list. You know, who is on my list, Andy? Luke Adonchich, I just want less of him on my list.
Starting point is 00:21:17 And he appears to be like less of him. He appears to be doing just that. Wiki reports now for the athletic. We'll break it down next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Wayfar. There's nothing like stepping into your own outdoor space and feeling like you have escaped to a personal oasis. If you are wanting to update your patio this season,
Starting point is 00:21:42 Wayfair has made it really easy to turn into a space that feels like your own, comfortable, stylish, and ready for summer. Wayfair has everything you need to level up your outdoor space, conversation sets, outdoor bars, hot tubs, gazebos, even the perfect string of lights to just to set a vibe. It's going to give your backyard or resort feel, but without the resort price tag. And whether your style is clean or modern or eclectic or just very super specific,
Starting point is 00:22:12 Wayfair is going to help you tailor exactly your vision to your backyard. And again, it's going to feel like your own private retreat or the perfect place to have everybody over to hang out. Don't wait, make your outdoor space, your dream oasis today with Wayfair, enjoy it all summer long. Head to Wayfair.com right now. Shop a huge outdoor selection. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com. Wayfair, every style, every home. I do. Do you have the picture of Caruso's T-shirt? Yes, I do. Yes, I do. So one of the highlights of the parade in Oklahoma City was Alex Caruso. We mentioned
Starting point is 00:23:00 on Tuesday's show for his comments after the series was over talking about the 2020 bubble title. This might be the single greatest t-shirt. If you haven't seen it, it's Alex Caruso as all four faces on Mount Rushmore. All of them. It is so incredible. This is just 10 out of 10, no notes, chef's kiss. It's Alex Caruso with a headband, Alex Caruso in goggles.
Starting point is 00:23:34 One Alex Caruso that frankly looks more like Robert Sokre, old friend than Alex Caruso. And then a fourth crusoe plus two, you should know he is wearing his Lakers ring on a chain around his neck, repping that first championship, putting to bed. Any doubt anybody might have had that he wasn't completely being sarcastic and giving double middle fingers
Starting point is 00:23:58 when he made the offhanded joke about now he finally has a real one. He was mocking anybody who ever put down the bubble championship as an achievement. He was, again, giving double middle fingers. This should put it to rest. This was just a glorious look for a guy who's really carved out an awesome career. And like we talked about on Monday show, Brian and I covered Caruso for a couple of years. It's just a really good dude. It's awesome to see a guy who bust, I mean, really truly had to bust his ass to even have a semblance of an NBA career, much less what he's become now.
Starting point is 00:24:40 It's really great. Yep. And we, you know, got to stick up for our bald friends here, our compatriots. So I was there. I was there in the scrum when Javelle McGee explained how he convinced Alex Caruso one day to finally, come home to shave that just that those really ugly remnants of hair that just come on bro it's time and then to put on the headband and then he he deemed him the eagle he said that he would soar like the eagle that he is and javel was a prophet man um it is excellent andy to see we're going
Starting point is 00:25:24 from internet anecdotal Zapruder film parsing of the tea leaves and the signals and what is Luca's wife making for dinner? Is he posting this on his Instagram? Is it a slimming shirt or is it all of this stuff? And we have hard reporting now. Now, Luca Donch is getting himself into shape.
Starting point is 00:25:52 This comes from Dan Wojke, now at the athletic. It's a thing, and Luke is taking it seriously. Yeah, from Dan Wojke over at the athletic. Now, by the way, Dan Wojke, he left the athletic for those who are unaware, excuse me, left the LA Times, and he is now covering the beat that was vacated by Yovan Buha, who is going to be focusing now on his podcast, Buhas block. Both those guys, obviously friends of the show.
Starting point is 00:26:25 show. I heard, I heard Andy that Yovan is just setting up for one last score before he walks away forever. Well, like all of us, we can never walk away from this team permanently. From Dan Wojke's most recent, maybe first piece for the athletic, quote, Donchich has been incredibly committed to his conditioning this offseason. He's dropped significant weight and is working on a strict diet and cardio training, according to a source with knowledge of the plan in a shift from his normal office.
Starting point is 00:26:55 season. He spent a month away from on-court work to focus more on his body. Donchich has looked visibly slimmer in photos and is now back working out with Slovenia, ready for Eurobasket competition later this summer. Let's effing go. Yep. It's either he's either getting ready for Eurobasket, Andy, or he's getting in shape for one last score before he moves. I know. He's going to get a contract extension from the Lakers. A couple more before his final score. Look, I know we make a big thing out of Luca and fitness and all that kind of stuff. Like, it really is a big deal.
Starting point is 00:27:35 And, you know, it's, we've seen what happens and look, like the, the, the, the, the, the Mavericks and Luca apparently tussled a little bit last year over how long he should be out with that cap strain and all this other stuff. and clearly team Luca, which was saying he needs more time, as we've seen with Lillard, as we've seen with Halliburd, you do not mess with Casson-Tatem.
Starting point is 00:28:02 Jason Tatum. Did you have a calf strain? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Those two guys had that that calf strain. I'm just saying,
Starting point is 00:28:11 unfortunately, Achilles tares are in vogue in the NBA, which is something the league is going to need to look into. I have my theories about why, which I've talked about a lot. I think the modern game now is too fast, too athletic, too spread out and just puts too much stress
Starting point is 00:28:28 on an athlete's body now. I don't know exactly how you go about solving this. The amount of Achilles tears in the last few years has... I think a lot of those is true, but we've also seen like there is a, appears to be a really direct line here now between calf injuries and susceptibility to, kill these injuries.
Starting point is 00:28:53 And so, you know, the Lakers, you know, he was right to be careful. But one of the better ways to avoid these kinds of soft tissue injuries and these sorts of things that can be nagging and limit is just to try to avoid getting hurt. And being in good shape does not completely prevent you from being hurt. But it helps, you know, being, you know, more flexible, having, you know, all, you know, all this other cell. Taking care of your body makes a difference. It may not keep you from getting hurt.
Starting point is 00:29:29 There are plenty of guys who take fantastic care of their body. And they nonetheless get hurt. And then you add LeBron, who took fantastic care of his body and basically didn't get hurt for like 17 years. There's space in between those things. Unfortunately, all the injuries were basically limited to the Lakers. It took it until it got to be like, I understand your point.
Starting point is 00:29:53 But like somewhere in there is where you want Luca to be. You know, you want to increase your odds both of, you know, playing better, being able to get through fourth quarters better, closing better, being better prepared for the playoffs and, you know, what will be a monumental workload that he's going to have. But you just, you want to improve every bit of odds that you have for a guy who has played a ton of basketball even at age 26. He's older than that in basketball years.
Starting point is 00:30:27 And he can't wait until he's 29, 30, 31 to really take this stuff seriously. Because it'll catch up to him faster than that. So to see the commitment, it's great for the Lakers. I mean, they're going to give them the money anyway, but I'm sure they're excited to see it. And, you know, let's watch some Eurobasket. We are definitely going to be watching more Eurobasket than ever before, and by more, I mean any. I don't even, to be honest, know what it is, but I'm going to learn all about it and watch Luca during the summer. And we've mentioned before, man, if the impetus for this is spite and revenge and humiliation for the way Dallas messaged his jettisoning and, you know, basically old tubby can't be.
Starting point is 00:31:17 count it on for a max deal. His body is a ticking time bomb. He's too irresponsible. He enjoys the lifestyle too much. Like eventually, I think I think eventually Luca will appreciate if this becomes a real thing for him and like really a different stage for him as an athlete like physically and a different body. Like I think he will eventually come to appreciate it and maintain it for the benefits.
Starting point is 00:31:45 but if the impetus in the beginning is double middle fingers revenge body Nico Harrison, fine. I don't care why it happens. Yeah, it's fine. Totally cool. The why is immaterial to me. I just want to see it because it's not just the best thing for the Lakers. I think it's going to be the best thing for Luca.
Starting point is 00:32:01 Yeah, I think he gets it. And I don't think last year was fair for the people because like you have to take these things in totality. And, you know, yeah, he was definitely heavier. There's no question. but he was also coming off a playoff run where he played more minutes than anybody. I mean that in the most literal sense.
Starting point is 00:32:20 Nobody played more minutes in the playoffs when the Mavs made their run to the finals. Nobody played more minutes than Luka. And it's fair to say those were pretty high leverage, high responsibility minutes. So you go from that to where you have that incredibly long run. You don't really get an off season. You go straight basically in an international play.
Starting point is 00:32:42 So you're not getting your time off to both recuperate, but also to get yourself back in shape. You finish European play and you basically get hurt right away. Like it never got going. And so I don't think last year was a perfect sample of Luca's overall overarching attitude for all the talk that's been around for the last few years. But, you know, look, he was embarrassed by. by what they did in Dallas and how they did it. And they cost him a bleep ton of money on top of a million dollars. They cost him a lot of money.
Starting point is 00:33:22 Yep. That's, you know, is there, Nico Harrison can sit there and say he never would have done this stuff in Dallas. I have no idea. Maybe he's right, but it also, it's, that's their problem. But it's totally irrelevant because
Starting point is 00:33:42 what he would have done in Dallas has nothing to do with what he is doing in L.A. And this is already a very good sign looking forward to watching and play in Eurobasket with both hands kind of over my eyes the whole time peering through just to make sure because I'll be worried he gets hurt. Anyway, lock and on YouTube is where you know hang out. Over 35,000 subscribers to the channel will be back. I'll be back. Tomorrow with an old friend of the space, Anthony Irwin.
Starting point is 00:34:17 Claire DeLoon is going to join the show on 4 Friday and working on Monday. So we'll see. But then Andy will be back on Tuesday. Enjoy the draft. We'll see everyone after.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.