The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 3 - Kyrie, Lakers

Episode Date: June 28, 2022

More on Kyrie Irving going back to the Nets. The state of the Lakers at this point.   Guest: Frank Isola   #douggottliebshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians,

and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to The Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What up?

Welcome in. This is The Herd, wherever you may be, and however you may be making it as part of your day. Thanks so much. I'm Doug Gottlieb in for Colin Cowherd. It's a beautiful day in Southern California. But hey, when's it not a beautiful day? It wasn't really gloomy for most of June. guys noticed that? This is a very Southern California conversation. It's May

gray in June gloom, which simply means you wake up in the morning and you're like, man, I thought this is supposed to be sunny Southern California and it's like overcast and chilly and we got a hoodie on. Going to get your coffee. May gray June gloom. And then, you know, like 10, 30, 11 o'clock, it's beautiful and sunny. And you're like, wait, how did that happen? It's like two different weather patterns. No, that's the same weather. Hadn't really had much June gloom. Have you noticed that rhyme music? I mean, I mean, just not a gloomy June. It's been a beautiful June.

It's been a very hot, very dry June. The only gloom we had was like last week randomly on Tuesday. We got some rain, which is very uncommon for Southern California in the past couple years. But, yeah, for the most part, no June gloom. Yeah, no, you get usually in late July or in August you get what's called a monsoonal flow. monsoonal flow which basically means like it's a little bit more humid

and they'll get like a kind of pop up thunderstorm and we had that last week so I don't know day is night black as white I have no no clue um did you guys see this where like Phil Nevin has got a 10 game

suspension from Major League baseball like that one is nuts this one's it's actually a really fun story we'll get to a little later on the hour but Phil Nevin's the interim manager for the Angels. They fired Joe Madden at part in their big losing streak when they went from first to worst in like two weeks. But what he did to prepare for a beanball war

and then the brawl that ensued, I don't know, 10 games, a lot of games. Especially like the inner manager. Like, look, I might only be manager here for like 100 games and I'll lose 10% just because we start a beanball war. It's a lot. It's a lot. I like to take things that happen and try and learn from them.

Like, what do we learn? You know, I coach an AU program and we get done with the game and it's like, what do we learn? What's our takeaway? Because every show, every day, every game, every event, you can learn from these things. You can have a takeaway, you know, just one. quick kind of takeaway. If it's too many, like if you hit a kid with too many takeaways, my nephew, my nephew, my nephew gauge, I've been going to his summer league games.

He's a rising sophomore. Didn't have a great freshman season. He was frustrated with how he's playing time, how he's being used. And now he's playing for a coach he really likes. It's in a system that really fits him. And he's worked really hard. And he's starting to see a bunch of success. So now he's got his confidence

You're like a different person I pulled him aside after his summer league game And I just I gave him like two things Like hey dude Like you're taking a break at the wrong time during the game Right You're taking a break at times on defense Catching your breath

When it's got to be offense When you don't have the ball And you're the furthest one like that's when you Just get the ball going and catch your breath for a second Let other people play with it And then he's doing things that wear him out to make them more tired, they doesn't have to.

You don't have to bring the ball up every time. But you just try and give somebody a couple of takeaways. It's a lot easier to consume, right? I mean, that's really the secret in food. You know, it's not that we don't like chewing. It's just, I just don't like the chewing 15 times. Like my jaw, I'm just, I get chewing ADD, if you will. So let me give you the two things.

My takeaways from Kyrie. opting in with the nets, which is with a harsh reality that nobody wanted to sign and trade for you outside of the Lakers. You know? And Kyrie can act as a guy who, I'm not about accolades. Act as a guy, I'm not about money.

You know? I'm about, you know, greater thought and spirituality and feeling. Like, all that's great. but everybody wants to feel loved by your employer. Everybody wants to feel marvel at your talent. Like, look, we can question all we want, and it's fair. Kyrie Irving's love for the actual game of basketball in terms of competing and showing up every day. And, you know, would you, anyone who's fair would say, like, it was pretty harsh what New York City decided to do.

to the unvaccinated hometown athlete, right? They made it actually harder for a hometown guy to not be vaccinated. There was a reason which they did it. But they made it harder on him than they needed to. It wasn't in anybody's, no one would say it was fair. Now, there was an easy out for him just get vaccinated and be done with it. But look, he's still, when he came back, incredibly talented. and he wasn't sitting on his couch eating bonbons.

Like he posts things of going to, like now I think he's in North Dakota. But let's not get it twisted. Kyrie Irving is not as good as he is without a ton of work on his craft. Right? But, man, that was a wake-up call yesterday, if nothing else. You asked for the ability to have a sign and trade. You call around to the league. You got all these teams like, man, Kyrie Irving, NBA champion.

you know, Hall of Fame talent, like really a Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame basketball player. And the only team that was interested was the L.A. Lakers. And their level of interest was, we'll take him,

but you've got to take Russell West Pick and return. Hoo! That's how the league views Kyrie Irving. Love the talent. Don't want them on my team. I will take him. I ain't given him big money. This is not me saying it.

My opinion, Colin's opinion, Dan Patrick's opinion. Like, those opinions, they don't really matter. The opinion of the NBA matters. That's the missing part of the whole Kaepernick deal that not enough people pay attention to. Like, we can say it's about whatever it's about. But there wasn't a lusting for Colin Kaepernick back when he was on the bench for the San Francisco 49ers. the Broncos said they would take him at $7 million. That's the, hey, we'll take you, but we're going to cut your salary in half.

No, thanks. Okay. That's how, and when the league has an opinion, that's the opinion. And it's a little bit like they tell you in baseball, all it takes is one, all it takes is one guy to fall in love with you. But when you have a guy who's proven himself time and again the way Kyrie Irving has as a player, but he's also proven himself time and again as a royal. pain in the ass as a member of a team.

28 teams said, we're good. The 29 team is the Lakers. And they said, we'd love to have you. But you got to take Russell Westbrook. Kyrie Irving understood, now knows how he's viewed by the league. That's my one takeaway. The other one is, yikes the stake of the Lakers. because there was a deal to be had,

but they couldn't find it. They can't find anybody to take Russell Westbrook and they don't have any other assets of value outside of, you know, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, you're not trading those guys. You're not, we can all talk-ish about Anthony Davis and his lack of work ethic and how he hadn't touched the ball for two and a half months.

You're like, excuse me? You know? The story, if you ask people with the Lakers, is when LeBron James gets hurt and you say, hey, LeBron, you're going to be out four weeks. I'll be back in two. You tell Anthony Davis, hey, man, you're out four weeks. All right. See in four weeks. That's the difference to seeing the two guys.

But the Lakers, a deal was out there to be had. They have an immovable asset and no other real assets of value outside of Anthony Davis, who they ain't going to move. And why should they? You trade Anthony Davis. you have zero chance of competing for an NBA championship. You're not even a playoff team with Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and LeBron. Like, that's a bad team that got awful.

So my two takeaways are really simple. You now know how the league views Kyrie Irving and what his value is. If Kyrie thought I can opt out and get a really good free agent deal with one of these teams, he would have done it. he wanted to sign and trade because it would have allowed him to pre-negotiate a guaranteed max contract. He ain't doing it.

No one, 28 teams. The Nets already said we're not giving you a max guarantee. And the Lakers like, well, you know, we'll do whatever, but you got to take Russell Westford. And then, yikes the Lakers. Literally the best thing they can offer is we'll give you a tail and Horton Tucker. and who's a rotation player, Russell Westbrook, and a first round pick in 2027.

Yikes. That's what I've learned. Those are my takeaways. What are yours? At Gottlieb Show is the Twitter handle. At Gottlieb Show on Instagram or Doug Gottlieb show fan page on Facebook. We'll catch up with Frank Isola. Few people know the Nets like Frank Isola.

Are they calling off the dogs? Are they going to try and make this work for a year? Or is this just delay in the inevitable? I'll tell you, we'll find out next in the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human behavior. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from. from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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. Tripp 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 because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

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 iHeartRadio app. Search, learn the hard way, and listen now. Doug Allieman for Colin is to heard on Fox Sports Radio app.

Frank Isola in a minute. Plus, we got some herd line news for you. And I think I'm the guy who's going to complain about Christmas. Not actually about Christmas, but I'm going to complain about summer. Part of our best for last. That's upcoming. Frank Isola joins us. Few guys know New York hoops, let alone NBA hoops, like the guy who worked for SNY.

You also see him contribute on ESPN. And, of course, he hosts a show on Sirius XM NBA radio. So Frank, what really happened that led to Kyrie Irving opting in and remaining with the nets? All right. Well, I mean, listen, that question was so good. He dropped the receiver. That's how good it was.

That was a really, really good question. Really good question. I mean, look, by my estimation, it's just the harsh reality of it. We'll ask Frank in a second when we get him. But just the reality of, hey, let's do a sign. I want to do a sign and trade. Fine. Find a sign and trade partner. The Lakers are all they come up with. And they were not taking Westbrook back. No one wanted to give him a max extension. If he opted out, it would have been a $30 million haircut. No thanks. You know, so Kyrie can say or make people feel he's not motivated by money, but he's definitely motivated by not wanting to lose $30 million. Right. I mean, Look, life at some point becomes the expense. Do I think you can spend all this money that makes?

No, but like, if you're making 36 to stay and play with Kevin Durant and try and figure it out for a year or leave in $6 million? Meanwhile, the Nets, it feels like, it feels like they drew a hard and fast, a hard line. And, you know, he back. off. He blaved, if you will. Kyrie Irving for his career, I love this. I love it because I love this site. Spotrack.com. He's made $193 million.

That's interesting, right? That here's the guy who, I think we would all agree, he's been better than John Wall. He's played one year less than John Wall. And at the end of this year, he will have made $230 million, John Wall, $270 million? Like, ooh. that's a wow and like who can actually blame him you know he made 34 last year although only did not make most of it because he missed half the season and then of course he was all NBA third team the year before he made 33.3 million.

All right. Frank Isola joins us from Sirius XM NBA Radio. Frank, what really happened that led to Kyrie Irving opting in? I think it was that he didn't have many options out there. You know, he's used. I guess it's his stepmom as his agent, and I don't know how many deals she's negotiated with NBA players, but she was smart to tell him to take the money as opposed to taking 6.5 from the Lakers. That was the only deal that he had. So now he's in a situation where, you know, if he's being honest with himself and who knows how honest he's ever going to be with himself, that now if he really wants to play beyond this year and make big money, he's going to have to perform. Whether that's with the Brooklyn Nets or somewhere else, he's going to really have to perform this year and playing games,

which is something he really hasn't done the last three years. So what now for the Nets? Do they proceed as if none of this happened? It's interesting, Doug. I keep hearing that it's not necessarily a lot that they're going to keep both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. I still think that's the best option. You've got Ben Simmons coming in.

Joe Harris is going to be coming back off of the injuries that he had. I get it at Eastern Conference is still good. I would run with that, but it's weird. You still keep hearing whispers. I don't know, Kevin Durant's 33. Oh, but then that's thinking, let's try to, you know, strike while they aren't is hot now with him. Kairi's on an expiring contract and kind of just start all over again. I know there are some people that believe they should do that, whether or not they're going to be, you know, that gutsy about it.

I don't know. It is interesting, Doug, as you know, Kevin Durant kind of weighs on everything, right? You know, he responds to people on Twitter. he responds to what people say on talk shows on a radio shows. Yet now he and Kyrie Irving have really been in the news, you know, the last week or so, and now he's gone silent on Twitter about himself and Kyrie Irving. It is interesting, right? A lot of talking.

He was on a pod last week and he just said, hey, you know, I'm not going to, whenever Kyrie does, that's up to him sort of thing. But you're right. But let me, can I just say, Dave you for a second? So if Doug Gottlie was running that podcast, you would have said, okay, if Kyrie would to leave, do you still want to be with the next? No, that's the problem with these, like, so many of these guys now, they're like, hey, we're new media.

We get to control the narrative. But what's missing is nobody actually asked them hard questions. None of them. Exactly. Like, at least Draymond, when Draymond had his podcast after game two of the NBA files, he specifically addressed the idea that he nearly picked up a second technical file and would have been kicked out of the game. He addressed kind of his relationships with the reps.

In regards of, like, how you feel about what he said, at least he addressed it. Kevin Durant has an entire podcast. We addressed in the current situation. But knowing that does he say, by then there were reports out there already that you might be on the move as well. Don't you have to address that?

So you're 100% right. New media, that's not good media. You know, you're not really getting to the story. Yes. No, it's interesting that for years, I think the idea of it was, hey, let's cut away the layer of a PR group, right? Let's just get the real organic.

The problem with it is like there's just, there's a reason that PR groups protect guys from, protect people from asking hard questions. They don't want to do it. They don't want to do it. Okay. Here's the other thing I said. And again, Frank Isola and Sirius XM NBA radio,

you see him on ESPN, SNY. He's covered a league for years as a writer as well. okay, so that is a, it's a sad day for the Lakers, right? Cowrie wanted to be a Laker, and the best that they could legitimately offer was, hey, you got to take Russell Westbrook back in return. To me, that's a statement of this,

the list of the Lakers assets are, really Russell Westbrook, an expiring contract, I guess Taylor Horton Tucker, who's a rotation player and a 2027, first round traffic. Like, that's it. Because you can't trade Anthony Davis.

You've got no shot. You're not trading LeBron James, at least to this point. That's what I thought. What do you think? I think you're 100% right. And I heard last year that when they, you know, they were talking to the Houston Rockets about a deal that would have involved John Wall.

But the only way the rockets were going to do that deal was they wanted the first round pick. And I heard that they were going to buy Russell Westbrook out. So, you know, Westbrook's value is as low as it's been since the league. the one thing I'll say about Russell Westbrook, however, he does play all the time. Now, the performance needs to be better. The production needs to be better,

but at least you know you can count on the kind of at least be out there. Now, playing well, that's another story. You know, you knew that he wasn't going to work with him in L.A. You need the ball in the Bronx hands. The Lakers are in a bad spot right now because look at what the Clippers doing. The Clippers going to get back. Kaui Leonard. Paul George is going to be healthy.

And out of bringing in John. A lot of people think that they should be the favorite in the West. You got the Golden State Warriors. You got Memphis. you got Dallas, you got Denver adding, Jamal Murray. There's going to be a lot of good teams in the Western Conference. So LeBron, I'm sure he's looking at, he's looking at the handwriting on the wall, and he was probably begging Kyrie to opt out of the deal and signed for $6.5 million.

Maybe he would have made a movie and could have made up some of the money that way, but they were desperate to add a guy like Kyrie on the cheap and they couldn't do it. Look, I mean, I've said the only way out of this is the trade LeBron. They're not going to do it, but they should do it. that's that's the that's the only way to remedy this thing is trade him now why he's still a year under contract let somebody else negotiate the back end of that deal but they they they won't do it um okay so were you among those uh new yorkers that when the nicks chose not to trade up and chose to trade out of the first round thought the end is near like you know i watched it and thought something else what did you think when the Knicks decided to trade out of the first round of the draft? Well, you know, I would say this. I think they tried to get Jay and Ivy.

That didn't work out. And it does look like they're putting all their eggs in the basket to try to get Jalen Brunson, who we obviously know the relationship. His dad, Rick's now working for the team. Leon Rose's agent, Leon's son. Sam is now Jalen's agent. And I get it. You know, Jailen, it's not like signing Kevin Durant or Kauai Leonard,

but the guy can run an offense. You know, he's a leader. He's been a winner everywhere that he's been. And it would be an upgrade there. And listen, other teams collect first-round picks, and everyone seems to fall over praising them. You know, I get it. Sometimes you keep kicking the can down the road.

It almost comes across a self-preservation or job preservation for a front office. But I actually don't think it's the worst thing that they did. I don't think so either. I mean, acquiring assets that you can later move. That's right. Or maybe, you know, 11 was a nothing spot. And, like, we all act like the J.D. like, oh, like the Detroit Pistons.

Here, take a guy that we want, we, you know, and give us something we don't want in return. Like, no, not actually the way it works. By the way, with his, with his son being Jalen Brunson's agent, why do they have to move all these mountains to get him? If you really have a relationship with the guy and you, like, you, you don't have to move up. You should, you should be paying less than paying more. I love Brunson. Okay, it's stunning how good he is in the NBA. But does that how much closer?

It helps them with their culture and it helps make everybody better. But to the point of being a competitive playoff team, they're going to have to make some more additions. What about? You're 100% right. To me, it's just about adding somebody that you know is going to help make you become a better team. It's going to add to your culture. And players are going to want to play for a guy like, you know, with Jalen,

who is, you know, all about the team, knows how to run an offense, will get other guys involved. But it's funny. I think the Knicks know the Knicks are going to be in competition with Dallas because he's in a really good situation right now. You are playing with Luca Dantz, which looks like he's going to be a generational talent. You just came off of making it to the conference finals. And even though your dad is working for the Knicks, you know,

the Knicks have a tendency every three, four years, they blow everything up. They get a new front office and they have a new coaching staff, and the players that were brought in originally, they're all on the move. So that has to be a fact. I think that Jalen is a smart kid. I think that's everything that he's going to factor. And I don't think he's just going to go into it blindly,

even though he knows everyone there. He's obviously close to Tom Tipido as well. But I think he also knows he's in a really good situation in Dallas. Frank Isola joining us here in the herd. Of course, you can hear him on Sirius XM NBA radio, see him all across the TV landscape. He's covered and knows the NBA for years. you mentioned Dallas.

They have a generational talent. Many people regard Luca as the best player in the league or going to be the best player in the league, especially now suddenly out of season, Luca playing with Slovenia looks like in shape, Luca. Let's say they lose Brunson. What now? They've already needed to add pieces.

What can they add? No, that's a fair point. I mean, I think there will always be an organization that'll be in play to make trades. And they're always willing to take. to make some big moves, like the move that they made to get Prozingis. Remember, though, they are going to get harder way back next year. The problem with them is they don't really have that, you know, that second start.

Didn't what he was terrific against Phoenix in game seven? Brunson obviously had his moment. They don't really have that clear second star, which is going to be something that they're going to have to do with Luca there. That's why I think losing him would be a devastating blow. That's why if you're Jalen Brunson, like timing is everything. and he picked a good year to have a really good playoff because there's not a lot of free agents out there and he had a really good playoff run

and now here he is as a free agent without really a lot of competition out there and he's got teams that want him including his own chair. It's a great point you make, Frank. It's an absolutely great point. Okay, what about the Warriors? If you look at their tax bill, oh, wow.

That's crazy. It's insane. I mean, is it, is it? as simple as thanks, but no thanks. You've got to part ways with Otto Porter, but like, it's still huge money. What do the Warriors look like when they start the season next year? And I think, you know,

it does look like they want to try to bring back Kavanaugh-Luny, and it does look like they want to bring back Gary Payton. The second, I thought it was really good. I mean, he's tough, he plays hard. But you mentioned the tax bill, and I think they're okay paying it. You know, so they make a lot of money. The tickets there are expensive. They have that beautiful arena.

and I also think from their standpoint, and this is why you've got to give ownership there, a lot of credit. This is like a once-in-a-lifetime thing. When you were this good in the draft, where you drafted staff and you drafted Clay, you got Draymond Green and the second round of that you have done a really good job in player development.

Obviously, Andrew Wiggins has turned out to be really good. The big thing for the wars will be the development of their younger players, starting with James Wiseman, who I wouldn't know James Wiseman if I tripped over. He never really played in high school. He didn't really play in college. But, you know, everyone keeps telling you how great of a player is going to be. At some point he's going to have to go out there and prove it.

I think that'll be a big thing because, you know, for these guys, and having a longer off-season will help. I think Clay will be better next year. But, come on, during the regular season, they're going to need these younger guys to carry them a little bit. You can't expect, you know, Steph, Clay, and Graham are going to be playing big minutes in a lot of games. They're going to need that younger roster to pay some dividends at some point, particularly in the regular season.

Oh, I think you're totally – I look, this is really – similar to the Celtics when you had Bird and Mikhail and DJ and those guys, right? Remember they who knows how much longer that dynasty would have gone had Land Bias not died?

Then it was Reggie Lewis, right? Then it was Reggie Lewis where you have Jonathan Kaminga, you got Wiseman, you got Moses Moody, right? You continue to kind of fill out your roster. They got Patrick Baldwin Jr., who I think it's going to be great to be in their culture, very talented kid who had a bad year playing for his dad. You'd have been walking.

And those are all bigger bodies, you know, bigger buys. And then Jordan Poole is going to have to continue to improve. So the plan is there in place, but you're right. Those guys are going to have to see the floor and play a ton in the regular season so that once the postseason comes around, you have the veterans and they can mix together. And you're right, Doug. And I think, Draymond, remember, early in the season mentioned exactly what you were saying how, all right, teams don't really do it like this.

where you have this ready-made championship team with veteran players, but now we're trying to fill out the rest of our odds with mostly young guys. And to be fair, when you got to the finals, Wiseman didn't even play. But Kaminga, Moses Moody, they didn't do anything. But really the youngest guy that helped well, too, guys. It was really pool and Kavanaugh-Lunie were the ones that helped him. But they're going to need those guys next season to really come through. And to me, the biggest one is Wiseman.

He was the high pick. He's a guy that's been highly touted. I'm sure there were talks last year about involving him with the trade wasn't going to be him and somebody else maybe him and maybe Wiggins to try to get Bradley Beal. So Wiseman is going to be a big part of it because if the one thing that they were missing during the playoffs, I kept thinking

they could use a guy like Javille McGee coming off their bench, like a long guy that could rebound of block shots and come in there. They're going to need that size, you know, athletic big on their team. No, they'll both fit the bill if they evolve properly. Frank, great stuff as always. Really appreciate to join us. Of course, we know

the offseason in many ways the NBA is more interesting than the regular season. I can't wait to see what happens next. Thanks for being our guest. Keep up the good work, Doug. You too, my friend. Let's get to Ryan Music with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Heard Line News. Hello, Ryan.

Oh, Doug, it is so good to be with you. It's been a wonderful afternoon. And you know what? Let's add a little bit of just some small breaking news out of Major League Baseball, but some very interesting breaking news out of Major League Baseball. Buster only is reporting that Freddie Freeman, who has told friends he's angry with how his free agent negotiations played out, is changing representation away from Excel. He is currently

listed as being self-represented. Now, why is this interesting? Well, we had mentioned yesterday some interesting comments from Clayton Kershaw about Freddie Freeman's time in Atlanta, how emotional he was, and the entire pompous. and circumstance that went with Freeman's return to Atlanta after leaving for the Dodgers and free agency signing a six-year $162 million contract. And, you know, Kershaw being somewhat critical saying, hey, I hope we're not playing second fiddle. I think once he gets comfortable, he'll realize that we're a pretty good team over here.

So maybe a little bit more to the story here in terms of Freddie Freeman, the way things ended with the Braves. Did he actually want to be there? Yeah, he wanted to stay. That's what's saying, right? And the story is they offered him five for 135 and the Dodgers offered him a six-year six-one-sixth, six-for-one-six-for-162. Right? That's the story.

And, you know, look, here's the deal, though. A couple things. One, the comical part is, you know, Excel gets every penny, every penny from the six-year contract, right? The commission already. They get the commission for the next six years. It doesn't matter. Contract is signed. They negotiated.

they get the deal, rightfully so. So, I mean, really, it's, it is crying over spilled milk. And at some point, you have to realize that agents work for you, you don't work for them. It's a certain level of accountability. I understand, like, he's probably thinking, you know, man, I just, why don't I need an agent? If I just went in there myself, I could just said like, hey, you know, they're at 162, you're at 135, there's a year difference. Can we meet in the middle and figure out I don't really want to move?

I don't really want to move on. This signifies, all of this signifies he never really wanted to play for the Dodgers. He was very happy where he was. I'm sure his family was happy. And, look, transition is hard. Change is good. Transition is hard. Like, he's in halfway through his first season with the Dodgers.

Transition is hard. He's earned all that equity with, so I have nothing bad to say about Freddie Freeman because he's in El Medina high school graduate. it. You guys don't know this. My brother and sister graduated from Elvedina High School in the heart of Orange, California. I was a ball boy for football and for basketball, my entire childhood. So I know more about the vanguards than anybody should ever know. But there is a lack of accountability from Freddie. I understand how sometimes you can, look, we've all, if you've signed contracts and left places, that first six months is really hard. Because you're like, I don't know. I used to

knew everybody. I knew how everything worked. I had equity there and now I'm in a completely different place. And it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the Dodgers is that was my home. But like, look, dude, you're you're grown up. You're 32 years old. You signed the paper. You agreed to terms. You didn't have to do any of this. And you did. It's a lack of accountability in his part. Should be interesting to see how this all plays out between two NL rivals. I don't say rivals, but two teams in the NL that are certainly going to attend for serious playoff spots and potential World Series births. Sticking with Major League Baseball, Doug, 12 players and Angels interim manager,

Phil Nevin, were suspended for that brawl that broke out between the Angels and the Mariners. Nevin actually gets 10 games, 10. Now you might be wondering, why did the interim manager get the worst punishment? Well, he received a significant punishment because of the fact that he changed the starting pitcher at the last minute decision. to a reliever, signaling that he was likely taking a more aggressive approach to what had been a bit of a standoffish relationship with the Mariners after the Mariners had thrown out a couple of the Angel Star players in the games prior. Yeah, I love that.

They did the opener instead of the starter because they knew they could have the opener. I'm like, here comes the first pitch. Oh, and it's hit by pitch. but it is weird though that he got 10 games like wait the the Mariners were throwing it they threw it Otani and Otani he did the O'Tani was perfect the night before right He just kind of backed away

And the next next ball he hits a home run And then Trout wasn't happy He felt like he got thrown out late in that game Definitely I don't know It's honestly this is probably the best The most interesting thing to happen Since the Angels were good for the first month of the season

Remember that time? The Angels were good Yeah, man, good times. Remember that four-week stretch? It was a beautiful four-week stretch. It was a great four weeks. Yeah, it was a great four weeks. Remember it fondly. We'll wrap it up with this out of the NFL, Doug.

Mack Jones, by most standards, had a successful rookie season with the Patriots. They made the playoffs. They threw for over 3,800 yards, 22 touchdowns. But they were sort of embarrassed by the bills in that playoff game. And we know that the expectations in New England, well, they're sky high. So what are we supposed to make of a second season? His tight end, John Hsu Smith, had this to say about Max's mental approach. He's definitely one of the most goofiest guys in the locker room.

But when he steps onto the field, he's a different character. He's got so much ability, so much dog in him. Once he flips the switch, he's a totally different character. Some guys just don't know how to cut that on or cut that off when it's time to do it. He's young, he's poised. He's got a little swagger to him. I'm glad he's throwing us passes. That's my guy.

He's got some swag to him. I don't know if I've ever looked at Mack Jones and thought swag. But hey, you know what? If John News says it, I think we can take his word for it. Fair enough. I mean, the big thing is, like, who's calling plays for this team? Yeah. What's interesting, though, is, and I know Collins down, he wants to decry the end of the New England Patriots.

The evil empire has fallen, Doug. Yeah. How many games they win last year? I believe it was 10? Yeah. 10 and 7th? Make playoffs? Make playoffs?

Sure did. They sure did, right? With a rookie quarterback and they trade away their best cover corner early in the season. Again, like, we can sit here and act like they are awful. but they were 10 and 7 a highly competitive vision and a team that everyone thought was loaded up to be better than them.

The Miami Dolphins went 9 and 8, fired their head coach and trying to start all over. So do I think they're going to contend for a Super Bowl? No. Do I think they're a playoff team? I do. I do.

That's my music with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The herd line news. Oh, I can't wait for summer. right? Can't wait for summer. Remember the school bell would ring on the final day of school and you'd be like summer. Well, here we are a couple weeks in or a month in depending on where you live in the country and we need some real talk on summer. It's part of our best for last is next

in the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast. Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,

accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep. That's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we picket here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because. of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

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. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. 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. Search learn the hard way and listen now. Doug Gottlieman for Collins is the Hurd, Fox Sports Radio, IHeart Radio app. Thanks so much for listening. Hope you having a great day.

If you're in L.A., I'm in L.A. I get friends who are in town. Like, okay, I get it. I get it. And one of the reasons they get it is because, like, today it's a little warm in the Southland. It just is. You know, that means warm in the Southland means you know, if you're by the beach, it's like low to mid-70s, 72-75.

You know, if you're around L.A., it's in the low 80s. You know, you're in the valleys, it's high 80s, low 90s, right? But the idea you get off a plane, you're like, wait, there's no humidity. It's actually nice and cool at night. Like, this is, wow. And this is a trip, in it? So I bring it up because of the things in life that are underrated, pepper wildly unrated.

Like I like an uncomfortable amount of pepper on my soup and on my Caesar salad. In the overrated things, I kind of think summer's one of them. It leads us to our best for last. It's almost the end of the show, but that doesn't mean we're phoning it in. Nope, we grind to the very last segment.

It's time for best for last. Okay, so our best for last is the five most overrated things. about summer. Number five. Right. The weather. And now I just told you how great it is in Southern California, but it's always nice in

Southern California, right? I mean, look, the summer you don't have humidity where you have it everywhere else, but I mean, September, October, November, pretty amazing. So is, you know, February, March, April, April. May, you get a little rain sometimes in January. Like, so outside of Southern California, like, falls better where in the northeast than the summer falls better all around in the south. Like, you're talking about half the country below the Mason Dixon that's so hot,

falls better. The whole weather is odd. I love it when it's hot. Like, yeah, okay. sure. The weather overrated in the summer. Give me a little cool nights. Give me that cut of humidity. Give me that smell of fall. Um, what do you do in the summer? Here's number four. Number four. Travel is overrated in the summer. Yes, you're traveling. So is everybody else. Last week I was on the East Coast. I came back. Now look, I'm a super patient dude. I've raised three, I have three children.

So I've done the baby on a plane thing And there was a really nice woman Next to me and she had a cute little bit Like this one's cute Looked like a doll And kind of like a puppy Kept falling asleep like with just arms And limbs everywhere

It's only year old But I mean there was a wake up There was some crying and the And this was a really good baby There was one about five rows back That was not You know You have tourists that

Don't understand the language And you have the lines at airports the lines to get ubers, the cost of travel, the weather elsewhere. Like travel in the summer, great. You get to do it. You're not a student. You're not in school. It doesn't affect you.

Overrated. Number three. Lack of sports. Easy hockey guy. Congrats to the abs. Most of us don't care. Baseball guy. Come on, dude.

Everybody loves October baseball. Right now, the most interesting thing in baseball is, two bad teams got in a fight at the Big A the other day. That's really it. And Aaron Judge is going to get paid in the off season, right? It's not that the regular season doesn't matter. It's just any individual game doesn't matter. Number two. Kids being home from school.

I can't wait to get them back, right? Can't wait to get them back. How many of you parents out there want your kids? kids to be in school tomorrow. They eat up all my food. All they do is sit around and play video games. I just, I got to, I mean, summer camps don't exist because you want your kid to get better. You just want them out of your house.

And for summer camp, you got to write a check. You got to write a check. You got to write a check. So, yeah. Number one. And this is the most overrated thing. about summer is the cookout. Yeah, I said it.

It's the cookout. One, like, every dude thinks they're like the master of the grill and most are not. You have somebody else's cookout. Like, you're going to have to eat their food if they don't know what they're really doing. It's all kind of the same stuff. People don't really get that creative. You know? And there's always somebody who's bragging about something that's not true,

somebody who's creepy around the kids. And there's usually a fight or an argument. Sorry. Time was a little bit overrated. That's your best for last. All right. My thanks to Ryan Music, good to be reunited, and it did feel so good. Jason Stewart, you can listen to the Doug Gottlieb show daily, 3-6 Eastern, 12-3-Pacific.

It's not that I don't like summer. It's just like we freak out like summer's amazing. And, you know, traffic, weather, lack of sports, I have falls the best. I can't wait. September 1st, I'm just the happiest person on earth. Plus your kids go back to school. Kids go back to school. All right.

So it appears that Kyrie is staying. I told you the two takeaways are Kyrie just figured out what the league thinks of him. And the Lakers, yikes. Their best assets to move for a future Hall of Fame were Russell Westbrook in a 2027 pick? Yikes. Yikes.

I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is the hurt. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comment. comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. on the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clivert Show on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcast, podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.