The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - One move the Lakers need to make

Episode Date: July 10, 2025

Jason McIntyre fills in for Colin examining the state of the Lakers and why there's one move they can make to vault up to the top of the Western Conference He believes college football is on the verge of major changes after recent comments made by Colorado head coach Deion Sanders   Guest: Jovan BuhaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Welcome back to the herd. It's me, Jason McIntyre, Philly in for Colin Cowherd, who is jet-setting as usual. I can't say where he is, but trust he is in a good spot, enjoying his two weeks off. We've been off for a little while due to the Women's Feefa World Cup. But we're back today. It's me, Jason, joined by Alex Curry. I know you guys are waiting. Alex is close.

It's getting. No, no, no, no, no. Don't put that out there. We're definitely in the red zone, but we're doing great. We're feeling great. We're excited to be here today. Fantastic show. Listen, when you're off for a few days, you got a lot of news.

We got Albert Breer coming up next hour. Yovon Booha with our big Lakers update here in about 20 minutes. Eric Mangini, final hour. Boy, shout out to my guy, Eric Mangini. He's sick of Aaron Rogers. Yes, I knew I could get other people to the place where I've been for a while. Well, anyways, I want to start the show with text messaging. Well, not totally, but kind of sort of.

The Lakers made a big splash here in the last week, picking up DeAndre Aiton, the disgruntled center who was cut loose by the Portland Trailblazers. And I know a lot of people instantly poo-poohed this D.L.S. out. This is no big deal. Aiton's a malcontent. Jay, did you see the story in the athletic about DeAndre Aten? A guy was a jerk last year. He would come out of games and slam chairs down. He'd be late to rehab.

He would be late for team flights. I say, guys, guys, guys, this is how much DeAndre Aiton hated it in Portland. He forfeited $10 million to get out of town on a bad team. He saw that they drafted his replacement. He wasn't feeling it. And DeAndre Aiton leaves Portland for the Lakers. Now, I know you guys, even if you want to say Aiton's not that good of a player, I, you know, we have a great staff who comes up with some amazing stats.

And let's just say DeAndre Aiton through his first seven seasons is kind of sort of a top eight center in the league. I mean, listen, look at these stats right here, 15 and 10 and 50% shooting in the last seven seasons. Yokic is a MVP, Yonis is an MVP, AD is all NBA, Juel Ambide as an MVP, Cat and Sabonis. These are all great players. DeAndre Aten's in that class with them. he just obviously was in Portland so nobody paid attention. I wanted to start with Aiton because it gets me into where I'm about to go. Folks, so it's understandable that Aiton hated life in Portland and at 32 million,

Portland probably hated him too. However, DeAndre Aitin's making $8 million with the Lakers. I look this up. Rudy Gobert's at like $36 million. On any planet in the solar system is Rudy Gobert four times? the player DeAndre Aiton is? Hell no. He's not even two times the player. Aiton is a great defender, obviously. But Aiton's a better offensive player. But it was telling this week when Aiton had a interview about arriving to the Lakers and they asked if he's heard from LeBron and he said,

no, not really. You either hear from someone or you don't. He probably realized he stepped in it by saying no. And then he quickly followed up with, but I heard from Luca. Luca texted me. And that kind of put the antenna up. Okay, okay, okay. When we last left this show, LeBron was sending cryptic messages to the Lakers. Remember the welcome home hat in Cleveland? Alex and I got a good chuckle out of that playing golf in Ohio as free agency started. He's kind of gone radio silent, otherwise on social media.

And it's like, well, what's going on with LeBron? Does he want to be traded? Does he want out? Nothing's making sense. I was able to put it all together last night. He's waiting for one piece, guys. There is one missing piece on the Lakers before LeBron is fully bought in.

Is he probably a little perturbed that the Lakers are catering to Luca and not him? Well, yeah, that's natural. Right? LeBron's been the alpha on every team he's been in since he joined the league. He goes to Miami. Even though Wade was a legend, that was LeBron's Beatles.

He goes back to Cleveland. I know Kyrie was the number one pick there. Uh-uh. It's about LeBron. Those are the Lakers. Even when they brought on AD, it was still LeBron's show. It's pretty clearly going to be Lucas show going forward. And LeBron's feelings are probably heard.

He's in his feelings a little. That happens. But I have the answer, and it came to me last night. Now I will warn you when I presented this missing piece to the Lakers in the morning meeting, I got a couple groans and a side eye and I'll just say not everybody was feeling it. But if you've been following what's going on in Phoenix right now, the sons cannot find a taker for Bradley Beal. And by all accounts, they're going to have to wave and stretch him the same way Milwaukee dumped Damian Lillard. Well, listen, Bradley Beal making $50 million a year is not a

great part of your team. He's overpaid at 50 mil. Now, Bradley Bill gets bought out and waved and stretch, and suddenly he looks like Russell Wilson. You guys remember Russell Wilson, right? He signs this lucrative deal in Denver. Sean Payton quickly realizes this ain't going to work, not at 37 mil. Ask him to take a pay cut. Russ says not happening, and they dump him. Russell Wilson, 37 million? No.

Russell Wilson at one million a year with the Pittsburgh Steelers? Sign me up. And the Steelers got to the playoffs. They lost to the Ravens, but they still made the playoffs, and you had a quarterback at $1 million. Which brings me to Bradley Beal. Folks, I get it.

You think Beals washed. I disagree. He's only 32. His numbers last year. 38% on threes, 49% from the field. Those are good numbers on a bad team. At 50 million, they're not great numbers.

Now, if Bradley Beale hits the market and the Lakers can grab him at $4 or $5 million a year, well, who's better than the Lakers? And don't say OKC. You give me closing games, starting whatever. Closing games. Aiton, LeBron, Luca, Beal, and Reeves? Who's stopping that offense?

The Lakers need catch-and-shoot guys. Hey, Austin Reed, go spot up. Hey, Bradley Bill, go spot up. Catch-and-shoot threes. Bang, bang. Now, the defense is obviously going to be a question, but you look at that Minnesota series, they could not hang offensively.

Couldn't get to 100 in three of the games. Now, LeBron was banged up. He's old. I think Bradley Beale is the missing piece for the Lakers to win the West. Obviously, Houston is elite. We know that. Obviously, Denver, very, very good.

much improved. And OKC should be very good again, although you know the history of teams trying to get back to the finals the year after winning it hasn't happened in, I believe, since the 2019 Warriors. So the Lakers are missing one piece, and I think at that point, LeBrono buy in. That piece is Bradley Beale. Now, the Celtics kind of want him. The clippers are going to make a hard push, and they've got a starting spot to offer him. And the Milwaukee Bucks, hey, Beal, come and take all the shots you want with Yannis. We have no back court. But do you have a better chance to get out of the east, sure, but it's the Lakers. Beagle, do you know what you can make off the court? Do you know what LeBron and Luca are going to do to your numbers? I think it's a no-brainer.

The Lakers get Beale. To me, they become right there one of the favorites in the Western Conference. I want to shift to college football because the Big 12 media days are happening this week. And something interesting was said by Dion Sanders about the state of college football. Now let me give you a quick little back story. Obviously, we know Dion hits Colorado and, oh my gosh, what an impact on college football. Obviously having Shadur Sanders and Travis Hunter, two elite players, that helped. Dion was getting everybody he wanted. Colorado was on the rise.

The program was back. How about them Buffaloes? And then NIL has really changed the equation. And I mean, at a pace that nobody foresaw. And some of these numbers that we're seeing now, are becoming astronomical, and it's becoming pretty clear college football is, if you didn't believe it before, it's now pay to play. If you spend the money, your chances of getting to the playoff and winning a natty increased greatly. Oregon last year, look how much money they spent. Look at the

result. Ohio State, Texas, I mean, Texas is budget for this year? I mean, it's crazy. They're looking to spend in excess of 35 million. So Dion Sanders was asked about it. at media days and here's what he had to say. I wish you was a cap. You know, like the top of the line player makes this. And if you're not that type of guy, you know you're not going to make that. This is what the NFL does. So

the problem is you got a guy that's not that darn good, but he could go to another school and they give him a half a million dollars and you can't compete with that. It don't make sense. All you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent. And you understand darn their wider end playoffs. It's kind of

hard to compete with somebody who's giving 25, 30 million dollars to during freshman class. Right. It's crazy. The team that pays the most is going to be that in it. Yeah.

I'm sure a lot of baseball owners and general managers seeing this right now are like, hey, we could use a salary cap. Not going to happen. But, I mean, what's next? Are we going to get a union for college football players?

Is that on the horizon? Listen, I'm not going to lie. I saw this idea from Dion. I was like, that's not terrible. I don't hate it. However, I think the real reason Dion is going off like this is because of something small that happened on the 4th of July. You guys probably missed us celebrating with hot dogs and fireworks. But there's a young man named Felix Ojo, who is one of the best offensive tackles in the country.

And he was ticketed to go to the Texas Longhorns. Everybody thought, oh, that's a lock for Texas. And then out of nowhere comes big spending Texas Tech, the Red Raiders, And all of a sudden, they steal this elite offensive linemen. Now, Texas fans, I wasn't on the message board, but we got a staffer who's a diehard Orange Bloods guy. And Texas fans are melting down. Hey, man, our offensive line is a huge reason. We got to the playoff in back-to-back years.

Obviously, we need skill position guys and a quarterback and defense. But offensive line sets the tone. You win in the trenches. And Texas Tech stealing this offensive tackle is a huge sign to college football. Wait, how did Texas Tech do that? Well, there was a great story written back in December. Now, December's a tough time, guys. I'm not going to lie.

When the transfer portal opens up, it's like, oh, who's in the portal? Who's leaving? It's all like rumors and, you know, buy the rumor, sell the news. So you may have missed this article. December also, NFL's starting to heat up. You got the NBA starting to get to Christmas games, which matters a lot. You've got the holidays, life, a lot of stuff. So you may have missed this article.

But the Texas Tech Red Raiders have a billionaire donor who seems to not care about how much he's spending on players. And they have an infrastructure at Texas Tech right now where they've been doing incredible research and wouldn't you know it. But of the top eight teams in the transfer portal, the rankings that came out for getting the best players in the portal, guess who was the only non-SCC team in there? The Texas Tech Red Raiders. Take a guess who's going to lap Dion and Colorado in the Big 12 this year, the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Dion can see the writing on the wall. Damn, Texas, where are they getting this money from?

They got a billionaire. They're getting all the players. They've got an amazing general manager who's crushing it to the point that Notre Dame made a run at him because he absolutely destroyed the transfer portal. Texas Tech, ladies and gentlemen, when was the last time you heard them relevant? Mike, you've got to go back 15 years to those Mike Leach teams. Texas Tech has not finished in the top 25 in 15 years, but now, because, there's no salary cap, they are spending and spending wisely.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now chimed in. Here he is on Dion's salary cap idea. College needs to instigate and to build that type of system so we don't have the same four or five or six schools that pay the most money at the end of the season. You've got to restructure the system and you've got to admit that the players are employees. Then you can build a collective bargaining. We've all talked about it. But you have to admit their employees.

And then you need an entry salary cap. Like you need an entry level for a high school player coming in because it's not sustainable. He's not wrong. And Dion's not wrong. I just, I have a hard time believing the phrase is collective bargaining agreement, you know, and salary cap are going to really be into college football anytime in the next two years. Basically, if you haven't hit up the billionaire graduates from your college already, and set up an NIL infrastructure, you're way behind.

And I have this feeling, folks, obviously losing Shador and Travis Hunter hurt, but I have a feeling that Dion sees the writing on the wall. Damn, we're like maybe a five-win team. And Texas Tech's going to spend the money and make all the money. I'm not saying they're going to the playoff, but college football right now is in an awesome moment, if you like disruption like I do. All right, we got a great show ahead.

And coming up next, we got a Lakers insider. Are the Lakers going to get Beal? Is it going to be the paper clips? And is DeAndre Aiton going to clean up his act? That's next year on The Hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of the HARD Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app.

Hey, what's up everybody? It's me, three-time Pro Bowl of LaVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game, you ask? along with my fellow pro-bowler, T.J. Hushmanzada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right. Plexico Burris. You can only name a show with that type of talent on it. Up on Game.

We're going to be sharing our real-life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game with me, LaVar Arrington, T.J. Hushmanzada, and Plexico Burris on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast from. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news? Huge news.

We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys?

I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. And we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes.

I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast where people could call in and say, Hey Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title

for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy,

not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smygle and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get. your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tript Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

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And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app.

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You know, there was a WNBA game yesterday. I'm not even kidding, at like one in the afternoon. I didn't know that was a thing, but Caitlin Clark was playing in it, so I got all these alerts from people who follow the league. Caitlin Clark returned from injury. They got smoked. No big deal. There was a bigger story in the WNBA yesterday that had to do with a video game.

Now, listen, I got to be honest with you guys. WNBA's been around 20 some odd years. I had never voted for a WNBA All-Star game before Caitlin Clark joined the league. I did that last year, I did that this year, okay? Paying closer attention, obviously. I did not know WNBA players were on the cover of the 2K video game.

You know, I don't play as much video games as I used to. Side story, once we became owners of this soccer team in Mexico, I started to play a lot of FIFA. And then the wife got on my case. Why are you playing so much video games? Had to shut it down. I'm just keeping it real with you guys. So I don't really play a lot of video games anymore.

Trust me, in college, I would destroy anyone who wanted to smoke in whatever basketball game you wanted to play. Soccer, basketball, college football, I'm doing it all. I did not know WNBA players grace the cover of NBA 2K. So now, yesterday there is, 2K announces the cover girl. of their new video game and it is. Angel Reese. And of course, instantly, there was foe outrage online. How could they pick Angel Reese over Caitlin Clark?

I mean, what? Just take a deep breath, guys, okay? Let's just, everybody calm down. The league is trying to make this rivalry happen. Everybody sees right now that we are in an attention. economy. Okay? How do you get people's attention? You polarize things. You make it one side versus the other. That's what all of the social media apps are doing. Go to Instagram. You're just doom scrolling. Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, all of them want your attention

all the time. How do you get that attention? Polarizing stuff. So if you have a video game and you put Caitlin Clark on the cover, okay, she runs the league. yay, Caitlin Clark, makes sense. You really want to get people stirred up? You want to stir up a hornet's nest, like they say? Put Angel Reese on the cover. Then you've got half of, you know, the Caitlin Clark fans out there are,

how could she not be on that? That's wrong. At worst, you put both of them on the cover. There's really no outrage if you put Clark on the cover. I mean, the Angel Reese fans don't have a leg to stand on. Well, Angel Reese is better. No, she's not. Although she's playing great right now,

I saw seven straight double doubles. She's really, you know, putting her imprint on the sky, although they stink terribly. But this idea that Angel Reese doesn't deserve the cover is nonsense. She is a, she's a bankable star when it comes to Instagram followers, five million. People like Angel Reese a lot. And I think it was a pretty savvy move by the video game to put Reese on the cover

and get people talking about it. I'll be honest, are we doing this segment if it's anyone other than Angel Reese on the cover? Probably not. Hey, Caitlin Clark's on the cover of a video game. Where do you go with that? But with Angel Reese, it becomes a wait a minute, does she deserve it? Answer, who cares? It's not really what it's about.

And by the way, do you know which WNBA player was featured on the cover last year or the year before? That's what I thought. Let's go to Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, J-Mack, let's start with your Knicks, who introduced Mike Brown as a team's 30-second head coach earlier this week.

The move comes after Tom Tibido was fired just three days after losing in the Eastern Conference semis against the Pacers. Here's Brown on joining New York. You talk about the historic franchise. Madison Square Garden It's iconic Our fans They're the most knowledgeable

And passionate Probably in all of sports There's a lot of work To be done We have an outstanding roster What they did in the playoffs Shows their potential Nobody has any bigger expectations

First of all than I do. I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it. So I'm looking forward to it. Let me just say he knows how to command a room. Yeah. I got speech. I was like, okay, sir, let's go.

But yeah, expectations are going to be sky high as they should be, not only for the Knicks, but for Mike Brown. This is a Knicks team that was in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. Like, it was a exceeding expectation season. You knocked out the defending champs. You had insane comebacks to beat Boston, and then you fire your head coach. So the question is, is this going to be the right fit?

Because that was kind of the rumors that were coming out, was the chemistry right between the players and Tibido. Obviously, we know a couple of our players loved him. So it's, you're a diehard Knicks fans. Yeah. Are you, are your expectations as high as everybody else? And do you think this is going to work? Yeah.

I certainly do. I like Brown. By the way, Brown has to be on a short list of guys who have coached the Lakers and Knicks, right? And he coached the Cavs. Caves, Warriors, Kings, Caves, Warriors, Warriors, like, Kings, like everybody. He's been everywhere. I wonder, though, Alex. So what's going to happen with Jalen Brunson's dad on the staff? That's going to be interesting because remember, there was reports he had too much power. He obviously was super close to Tibido. Does Brown marginalize him? Do you risk losing your star? There's a lot of stuff at play with Bruns. There's a lot of emotional question marks that are going to come.

Because again, when you're saying that there was a chemistry issue or anything going on with the players and the former head coach, if that's the reason, if that's your main reason that you made the move because he got the job done, as well as anyone has. has in the last over two decades. Yeah. So it's a chemistry thing and a fit. So you're already mixing that up.

And my guess is it wasn't with everybody on the team. It was just like a handful of guys that didn't like it. So you're already going to be torn of, okay, we miss our old guy. Now you're bringing in a new guy. But again, like, as you hear him talk, like Mike Brown is the real deal. He's a two-time coach of the year. Like, this is a guy that knows what it takes. to win and you believe him.

And it feels like just listening to him, you're like, okay, yeah, you're, you can walk into a room and immediately be a leader. So obviously he's good in the press conference. There are some stories about how he wants to practice too much and he's kind of a hard-charging practice guy. That's a style. But Alex, is that work in the NBA? I don't know.

Again, it depends on who your players are. Yeah. And if they're willing to put in that work. How about this? I'll give it a two-month window. at the beginning of the season where, like last year, things struggled out of the gate with Carlinthianthetowns and Bridges. They did.

Now you got your same core, better bench, how Brown works with the guys. I'll give them a two month before I totally judge this. I'm like, if they're like five and nine. I usually like to say All-Star breaks. Okay. Because like that's a good like chunk of the season, half of the season. That's probably better.

Because again, like, it's going to take some, it can take some time to get your chemistry and the groove going. And that gives you a little, a little added. Like, okay, it's been. half the season what's going on. Yeah, yeah. So, but yeah, it, we'll see if it's going to work.

But let's stick in the NBA because Nicola Yokic has three years left on the five-year deal he signed back in 2022, but he's currently eligible for a three-year, $200 million extension. Reports indicate that Yokic will wait until next summer for extension talks, and by doing so, he can add an additional year

and $77 million to the extension that he could earn this off-season. Now, I don't think there is any need to rush for Yokic. Like, there was a lot of change that happened last year. The biggest one firing your head coach and your GM. Yeah. What, like three games, three weeks? It was something insane before the playoffs when they were in a playoff spot, a high playoff spot.

So the way the season ended, I mean, there's a lot of new, because now you have the new head coach, you have the new GM. They've made some decent tricks. some decent trades, this off season. See what happens in Denver next season and see if this is the place that he wants to be and if it's the right fit. So I think obviously he can make more money delaying it, right? I don't think it's for him. It's not about the money.

You've seen him. Like, he's even talked about it. Like, he doesn't care about all the accolades. He doesn't care about like his off season. He's going. He's being like a normal guy in his home country. Like, that's what he likes to do. he comes here, he plays the game, one of the greatest to do it right now.

But I don't see it being necessarily about the money. I see it being more about what are we going to be this year. So let me ask, the Euros historically or international players have been like, they're not jumping around like KD and LeBron. They're just going to their team and staying. Yeah. Luca was traded out of Dallas. But he didn't want to be.

Did not want to be. did not want to be. They shipped him. Janice Chatter is out there, and now Yokic delaying an extension. Are the European guys suddenly way to maybe they're not as committed to their teams? And again, Luca did not want to leave. They shouldn't be. They shouldn't be.

Now you're on to something. They shouldn't be loyal to their teams. They've all done something great for their original teams. Luca brought them abs to a champion. Yeah, and then they traded him. Brought him a championship. But now they've been, what, knocked out? Like, last three years in the first round.

And in Denver, they got a lot of, they have a lot of new and a lot of dysfunction we did not know about last season. Yeah. This leads me to believe that if the nuggets don't live up through expectations. Yeah. That's why wait a year. There's no need to rush right now. Let's say they get bounced in the first round. Oh.

I mean, is Yokic going to hit the market? I don't not. Good. You said a good thing that, um, that. The teams shouldn't, teams aren't committed to the players. No. So why should you? Yeah, we have an NFL story coming later.

Yeah. About how you think you're the guy and the team's like, they're willing to move off anybody. You forget it's a business. It is. Yeah. You are just a pawn in this business. Everybody. Yeah.

Like, you can be with someplace for decades. And then all of a sudden one day you're gone. It's like, oh, wow. Yeah. No, you forget very easily. Everything is a business in sports. It's entertainment, but it's also a business. Yeah.

Just wild. Okay, let's end things with the Gold Cup, because we are in the summer of soccer, where the U.S. men weren't able to capitalize on an early one-nothing lead falling to Mexico 2-1 in the final. Now, despite the loss, friend of the show, Lexi Lawless, gave a ton of credit to the team creating a new identity. When Mauricio Pochitino and his staff look at what they accomplished with this tournament, I think that they're going to find a whole lot of value in establishing almost a new identity. and finding out what they are, but more importantly,

what they want to become next summer. They need them to be the best individually and collectively as a team, but they're going to have to conform, they're going to have to adapt to this new identity. There's a lot of things to unpack about this U.S. group right now, right? There was a lot of chatter heading into the Gold Cup with their stars choosing,

Pulisic being like one of the biggest ones, not to play, choosing not to represent your country in a home tournament, a year out of a World Cup. All right. Doesn't sit well with me. It does not sit well. It's not happy.

But there's also a lot of positives to take out of this, right? Because you got your B and C level guys that are just fighting to prove that they deserve to be here. And I think a lot of them did. A lot of them showed that this U.S. group might be a little deeper than we all thought and expected, which is needed because we are hosting. the World Cup next summer. Now, I don't know if we got any necessary, like starters. They're going to kick off any starters on the team,

but it kind of maybe lights a fire under the guys that chose not to be here. Like, hey, your spot might not be as safe as you think it is because we can figure it out and we can find ways to win, especially when you have a brand new coach of Pocino. Like, this is a big deal. This is a first big tournament with your new coach. and your stars aren't there. Yeah, I can't get too worked up about that,

but listening to what Lala said about the whole identity, okay, what is that identity? He says we have one. He's finding a way to win, being scrappy. Like, when he was on the show here, he said even when you watch some of the top, the top teams play each other, it's not beautiful soccer.

You're going to war. It is choppy. You are doing whatever you can just to get that ball on the back of the net. You're not necessarily playing the most beautiful style. a game, it's, I'm going to do whatever it takes to win. And that's, I think, what we saw with a lot of these guys.

My issue with that is, in the Mexico game, you take the 1-0-0 leading like the fourth minute. Yeah. And then they sat on their hands. It was a spicy game, though. It was physical. It was spicy. But you knew there was a lot more than just the soccer game going on.

There was a lot of pride. And obviously what's going on in our world right now between these two teams. The scrappiness, I didn't see it. When they led 1-0, I saw like a complacent team that sat back to. defensively and kind of got run over by Mexico. And I get it. Mexico had the better team. Mexico had their handball. They had their A player.

And they got the teenager who looked amazing. Handball in the box should have been called. I can't go overboard. But yes, overall, I would say huge win for the U.S. Big win. Just it was great. Yeah. Find the silver lining in this situation with your B&C level guys.

100%. Alex with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurdline News. All right. Next, this Bradley Beale chatter, is it Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, Celtics?

Boy, he would be huge at the Lakers. We'll talk to an insider. Next, you're on the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd. Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, huge news?

We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a podcast. A pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys?

I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast,

where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. and then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy,

not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and Head, writer Street or Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-heart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending,

opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real.

From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicalife 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness.

So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, meeting the president. of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee, and this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levin this went to a billion dollar fraud. But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know.

Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Lakers have been in the news all the time. Yovon Buha, formerly of the athletic. He's got a new job coming up. He's got his Booha's Block podcast. Hasn't invited me on, but whatever.

He's going to... Open invite whenever you want. He's going to the Summer League tonight to watch Brani. Within like an hour, I'm going straight to the airport, yeah. Brony versus Cooper Flagg, huh? Yeah. Is that how it's being built? Cooper Flagg versus a 58-figure.

55th, 55th. 50th, sorry, apologies. We'll get to that soon. But we've got to start, obviously, with DeAndre Aiton, giving his first interview since going to Lakers. And I think people are already past his failures in Portland and forfeiting $10 million to get out of town. He said LeBron has not texted him, but Luca has. Now, you had a great nugget last time that Austin Reeves and Jake Laravia share an agent doesn't Luca share an agent with DeAndre Jordan?

So maybe that's like agent, or is there something? Should we read something into this? No, so I've heard they have a good rapport, but like by MBA standards, a good rapport between Luca and DeAndre Aiton. So they share an agent. They were the top, you know, two top three picks in the same draft, 2018 draft. Aiton went first, Luca went third. Their families have met each other.

Like, they have a rapport. So Luca, I've been told, was on board with Aiton coming on. and like he got the stamp of approval. So Luca's excited to have a pick and roll partner. And like, Yondry Aten for all of the discourse around him, we'll say, has been statistically one of the most efficient pick and roll threats, pick and roll finishers, lob threats, like over the last few years. So I think Luca's excited.

Like, certainly an upgrade over Jackson Hayes, we'll say. So like, I think like this is a guy who's been double double every year of his career. Obviously there's been some questions with the motor and whatnot. But like, I think the, like, he's effectively in a contract year. So he's got a lot to prove. And he talked about like this situation fueling him. And like, yeah, I thought the best line of his whole press conference was I can't run from this. Like, I pick this platform.

I can't hide from this now. So this is going to be the most scrutiny in spotlight he's dealt with in his career playing for the Lakers as their starting center. So we'll see what he's made of. And it feels like maybe, you know, he had always been saying I just got to get that second contract, the big one. He got that. So he's been paid, and now they lost in the finals when he was like 22 in Phoenix. Does he marginally change the Lakers or significantly change them? Because, I mean, again, they had nothing at center last year.

I think it's probably somewhere in between. Just because, again, like, if you go back to the playoffs a couple months ago, they literally could not play a center. Like, JJ Reddick lost all trust in Jackson Hayes, and it got to the point where they were through Maxie Kleba in a game five after he missed, like three months with a foot injury and foot surgery. So it's like that showed you the level of, it's interesting Jackson Hayes is back. And I think as a backup, he's fine. He also does share an agent with Luca and DeAndre Aiton. So they're, yeah, I mean, but I think these are all

positive signs for Luca's upcoming extension on August 2nd. Okay. So a lot of Luca talk, Yovan. You're not talking about LeBron a lot. What's going on? It's been quiet. And, you know, I came on here and we We talked about it. I don't think he's going to get traded. I think this has been just him putting some pressure on the organization because he sees the finish line and he's trying to get them to move that first round pick to invest in this year's roster and not look ahead to 2026 or 2027 because there's the report by ESPN that they're trying to keep the cap sheet clean for the summer of 2027 when Janus could potentially be available or is a Yokic available either for trade or to sign one of those guys. Yokic would still be under contract.

But like, does someone want out at that point? And then the Lakers have the flexibility with multiple picks, some expiring contracts, and maybe some young players at that point that, like, you could flip that for the next star post-Lebron. So I think he's been trying to put some pressure on them to do something. And we'll see, I guess, the rest of this month if they do it. Let's ask, is there a deal to be had right now with their 2026 first? By the way, the 2006 draft class is pretty damn good. A lot of good players.

but like Dalton Connect in the first, that's not getting you much. So they can't trade the 2026. It has to be the 2031 or 32. So I guess the upside there is like you are betting on what are the Lakers going to look like in six or seven years, which, I mean, Luca will be, I guess, what, 32, 33? Should still be in like maybe the tail end of his prime, but still probably in his prime. I think that pick has value. I think the issue has been like we've seen teams start to value first round picks again in a way that they hadn't for the last few years.

So if you look at it, like some of these trades that have happened, like the prices for guys have dropped, with the exception of like the Michael Porter Jr. trade, but with Cam Johnson, like first round picks aren't flying around anymore. So I do think if they put Dalton Connect and the first on the table, they could get in some conversations that like on paper, maybe you wouldn't expect them to. But it doesn't seem like they want to do that. It seems like they like having a first going into the season and having that flexibility to maybe make a move or make a move down the road. So I'm a little skeptical right now, but it's fluid. So you reported LeBron and the Lakers management not getting along great. Is this because maybe LeBron, he's just upset that he's no longer the guy to build around and it's Luca?

Is this impouting? Does he have a player in mind? I think it's a little bit of all that, right? Like this is the first time you could say in LeBron's career he hasn't been the sole focus or the primary focus of his franchise that he's been on, like even with AD. It was always LeBron trying to pass the baton to 80. Luca just came in and it got the baton, right? He was handed it on a golden pillow.

And understandably so, because he's a top, at worst, top five player in the league, if not top three with the upside to be the best player, in my opinion, and winning a VP. So, like, I get it. He's a guy who's about to enter his prime. He's already led a team to the finals. But LeBron's just, I think the big thing is, like, he sees the finish line, whether it's another year, two years, and he wants to win that fifth ring. and it doesn't feel like the Lakers are going all in on this year's roster.

They're trying to kind of split the baby. Not yet, but even if, I mean, I guess if they trade the first, I'll say that's going all in. But anything short of that, it is kind of like a half measure in terms of like trying to make this year's roster better, but also keeping that flexibility. Those two things are kind of at odds. But it seems like they're prioritizing the future. Remember with like the James Wiseman two times lines? But they won't a title.

Like they kind of did the best version of it. Obviously, the Weissman picked didn't work out. But they were able to rebuild quickly, get back to the finals, win a championship, and then now, obviously, we'll see with them. So that brings me to Bradley Beale. So the sons cannot seem to find a taker for him with that contract. So they'll have to wave and stretch. Yeah.

And I was saying at the outset, Beal at 50 mil, not really good. Beal at 5 mil? Amazing. Do you anticipate that to happen to Beal? And then who are the main contenders for him? Sounds like the clippers are the main... Above the Lakers? Yeah.

Because they could offer him a starting spot with the Lakers. It gets a little dicey if you look at, like, Luca, Austin, Beal, LeBron, a lot of firepower. But defensively, that's going to be. But their closing lineup would 100% have Beal. But again, but then I just think that defense isn't good enough if you just look at, right? But wouldn't the offense overcompensate for it with Beale and Reeves on the perimeter? Maybe. But I think we kind of saw Phoenix try to do that approach with Katie, Booker, and Beal.

and be like, you know, like they tried to go the all-wing offensive approach and it just didn't really work. So I'm personally skeptical. Like, I'm of two minds. Beal at $5 million, great value. And the Lakers, I think, need a talent upgrade. So like, from that perspective, you could talk me into it. I just think he would have to buy into probably a six-man role. Yeah. And selectively close. Like, there might be some matchups where it's like, we need more defense. So you're not closing tonight. And is he okay with that? I think he's still trying to get back to being a starter. Because you also got to think about his next contract, right? So in the MBA, once you accept the bench roll, once you get bought out,

like there is like a stamp on you that I think affects like your perception and like your next deal. Like very few guys are able to get bought out and like rehab their values. So I think once you, you know, now you're making $5 million, now you're coming off the bench. Maybe next contract's like a mid-level contract. So I think for him maybe going to the Clippers or going to like Milwaukee, I think would be the- Oh, come on. Not from like a competition perspective, but like he could be the number two guys. in Milwaukee and really show what he still has.

What does Bradley Biel want? He's made a, I can't say that word. He's made a lot of money. He's made a lot of money. What does he want? Has he been to a conference finals? No. Second round with the Wizards.

Does he want to win or make more money on top of the, you know, he's probably made $200 million in his career? I'm just guessing. Probably more than that. Yeah. Do you want to win? Like, also going to the Lakers versus going to the Clippers. Like the Lakers are going to be on more TV games.

They're the most. High profile team in the league? Yeah. I mean, the money he could make off the court with the Lakers? I don't know. Is his wife from L.A.? I agree with you. Like, I understand the arguments for the Lakers.

I just think if the Clippers are offering a starting role in like 30 minutes a night and the Lakers can't quite match that, I think at that point, you know, that's a potential differentiate. What is the, who is the Beal-hardened back court stopping? I mean, come on. I think we could run some pick and roll against them. I would like to think so. I just listen.

I think Beal at 5 mil might be the best contract in the league given what he I mean if he could put up 17 I mean he's still better than people like people have given him like I think he's gotten a little too much flack because of the contract and because of how much a failure if that Phoenix situation was

where he's still average like 17 4 and 4 last year 39% 3 point shooter like he's still he's still good it's just not $50 million good so basically in a perfect world the Lakers get 8 net 8 and Beal at 5 two, you know, awesome rotational players for 13 mil,

that would be a home run they'd get an A. Would that get LeBron, do you think, to buy in and get out of this funk or whatever he's dealing with right now? I think he's going to buy in. I think it's going to work out. I don't know if that's enough. LeBron's always trade the picks. Like, that is, like, LeBron's motto is trade the picks.

So if you don't trade the picks, and you're not, you know, exhausting, all resources to improve the roster. Because you could still sign Beal and trade the picks and improve the, like, you know what I mean? Or trade the pick and then they got a few pick swaps. So I think for LeBron, you know, there's a lot of things going on with the situation. But I think he will be a Lakers starting whenever late September. All right.

Let's get to tonight's game. Cooper Flag making his debut. It's against Brony. Brony has been up and down, fair to say, in the summer league? You know, these guys online just put together. of all the bad moments. I mean, that dunk was incredible. The dunk was incredible.

Like, I didn't see that bounce from him. Wasn't great. Just your thoughts on what flag? What are reasonable expectations tonight? 20? Yeah. Like, I want to see the, the versatile skill set from him. Because I think he's someone, I've, the more I've, like, studied his game and

try to come up with, like, an NBA comp. I think he's more like an alpha Sean Marion, which is, like, Sean Marion. He was good. Really good player, multi-time All-Star and Olympian. And, but I said out, like, I think he's got more of that like number one or number two type score gene that Marion is more of like a number three. But he's got that Marion skill set of like, I think he's going to be a guy at his peak. Can play three through five. Can do just defend multiple positions, can bring the ball up, run, pick and roll, but also attack and come off screens and stuff.

So, like, he can do a lot of different things. In terms of tonight, I mean, this is arguably the most exciting debut since. No, Ronnie, hey, tonight. It's a big one. It's Zion, right? I would say Zion 2019. There was an earthquake that night, so we'll see. But yeah, 20 points, we'll say.

Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

Another podcast from some SNL, late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends

on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Joey Dardano. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me.

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We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.