Hour 2: Kurt Helin, Lead NBA Writer/Managing Editor for NBC Sports

0:00Kurt Helin:And we're live from the living room as Doug eyes up the matchday spread. He's reaching for the Buffalo wing. Perfect. Hang on, what's this? Oh, he's going for a can of Pepsi too. Incredible. What a finish. Sensational combination. Look at the delight on his face. There's no doubt about it. It just tastes better. Matchdays deserve Pepsi. Food deserves Pepsi. Grab a pack of Pepsi Zero Sugar for today's match. It's poetry in motion. mornings have a rhythm you can hear it feel it and at quaker we fuel it with 100 percent whole grain oats and a good source of fiber in every bowl helping you turn that rhythm into your soundtrack for a great day fuel to start whatever's next quaker official sponsor of fifa world cup 26 I-O, let's go!

0:57I-O, let's go!

1:23Rich Eisen Show, and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show.

1:29Kurt Helin:Oh, my God, you guys are my favorites. This is the Rich Eisen Show. The one and only. Rich Eisen. I know what I'm talking about. That's the headline. The Rich Eisen Show. With guest host, Brian Weber. I mean, honestly, he's brilliant. Brian Weber. I've got a long resume. Google me, it saves time. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. And now, sitting in for Rich. It's Brian Weber.

2:22Kurt Helin:Keep that going. My handle is BWWeber. Weber with two Bs. Coming up, 20 minutes. We'll incorporate our first of two guests today, Talking Hoops, with Curt Heal and Lead NBA Writer for NBCSports.com. Next hour, the final hour of the show, we'll talk some baseball game lacks of USA Today. What has happened to the Yankees in addition to missing Aaron Judge with the rib injury. The Bronx Bombers are free fall, having lost seven in a row. Let's jump right in. Talking more NBA. If you missed the first hour, I will give you a little bit of latitude because it's a holiday. But in general, where you been?

3:04Kurt Helin:I'm only asking for three hours a day. Now, yes, I am needy, as I self-report. But that's not a huge request. Just three of the 24 hours. But if you have been busy easing into the long holiday weekend, you missed conversation of the red card that will live in infamy. What's going to happen with Balogun? 99 % chance FIFA will not do the right thing. He is going to have to sit out after getting the red card in the impressive 2-0 win over Bosnia Herzegovina. As we get set now for the next biggest game in the history of American soccer. on Monday in Seattle against Belgium. And I'm back with you on Monday, so we're going to go in-depth on that match coming up in the next program.

3:52Kurt Helin:We also spent a large portion of the first hour talking Jalen Brown. A reminder, if you miss any part of any program, you can listen anytime on demand. The Outstanding Podcast will be dropped shortly after the conclusion of the program. And because I'm working with a new team in Bristol, Connecticut, always great to have professionals down the line. they may want to grab a hold of something or sit down because I say this just to reintroduce myself to the audience as a fill-in guy I'm Brian Weber in for Rich Eisen if you know me at all and that's real presumptuous that's a fill-in guy on a holiday it would be because of my time at NFL Network when I worked with Rich that's how I wound up here in addition to believing the philosophy Your best ability is availability, but the goal on radio, because it's the most personal of the media, mediums, media, is to be transparent.

4:48Kurt Helin:Maybe I should whisper this. I love basketball more than football. Basketball is a better sport, aesthetically, even with all the three-point nonsense changing the game. It's a quicker watch. I'll extrapolate and connect it to soccer. Why do you think so many people are connecting with soccer now for the first time? beyond the nationalism of Team USA and the games being hosted across North America. It moves, even with the nonsense of the hydration breaks, just to give the broadcasters more of an opportunity to squeeze in commercials. Although, I'm watching the Spanish language broadcast because they're purists and they keep the coverage where it is.

5:29Kurt Helin:But my whole point of my basketball dissertation is, I'm the type of guy when we get to the summer who loves to go through extravagant trade scenarios. And this year, I didn't have to. Because think about the sequence over the last two weeks or so. Giannis gets dealt finally going to Miami. John Morant, people overlook that deal going to Portland. Once the face of the franchise in Memphis. Now because of injuries and his legal issues deemed expendable. ball in Minnesota gonna run with the Ant-Man it's combustible but it's interesting and the Jalen Brown deal that we broke down probably in too granular detail but I just love going through different permutations and the fallout and the implications which gets us to the man who knows how to conjure up different ways of captivating our attention.

6:31Kurt Helin:Not only is monetarily LeBron James a billionaire, if attention were a currency, he'd be Elon Musk. He'd be a trillionaire in the sports world because he understands how to put himself front and center in every conversation. That's why I don't anticipate his quote-unquote decision this time to come anytime soon for a couple reasons. He's going to enjoy the process. And secondarily, he likes the fact that guys like me are talking about him. So with that as the overview, I mentioned in passing, but I understand the audience is always changing. Conventional wisdom has said once LeBron made it official, he would not be returning to L.A., even though the Lakers had to go through the motions of being interested in having him finish his career here in Southern California.

7:20Kurt Helin:The short list of teams that emerged as potential destinations were the Warriors, the Cavaliers, the Heat, and now the 76ers have emerged in the wake of their blockbuster deal picking up Jalen Brown. So let's get perspective from ESPN senior NBA insider Shamsarania on where the Sixers fit in among the teams vying for LeBron. The Sixers are pitching LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul at Clutch Sports in the wake of getting Jalen Brown aboard. We know the face of this team, Tyrese Maxey, he has a relationship with LeBron James. But listen, the Sixers are a late inclusion in this process. Over the last 24, 48 hours, teams around the league that I speak to, this has been Cleveland, Golden State, Miami, as far as the teams that make the most logical sense for LeBron James.

8:14There's always going to be one or two others, right? A team like the Sixers.

8:18Kurt Helin:And that's Shams on SportsCenter. And we talk about sourcing and we talk about being plugged in. Who better than Mr. Sharania to give you the information you need? Now, I don't have that kind of network, but I do have a lot of years of barking behind a microphone. In fact, if you care at all about the particulars of my background in broadcasting, I got very lucky to get a job at a very young age in the San Francisco Bay Area, a Doogie Hauser-esque run. Another contemporary reference. Sometimes you got to have a search engine as I'm moving along on the program. And one of my gigs was to be the sideline reporter of the Golden State Warriors.

8:59Kurt Helin:Why is that relevant to this conversation? Well, I've kept in touch with people who remained employed in the San Francisco Bay Area. Maybe I was exiled to Los Angeles or no. I wanted to go to a bigger market so I could fill in for Rich. Point being, the people I have kept in touch with who are connected to the Warriors in a general sense say they're ready to do whatever it takes. And this is not a new vantage point, but I'm amplifying what's out there to get LeBron. And does that mean to placate Rich Paul and to make sure LeBron is happy to go all in, quote unquote to get Anthony Davis? The answer I'm hearing is yes.

9:38Kurt Helin:Now that is going to be cumbersome because and talking salary cap is dreadfully boring audio. So I never try to get too deep in the weeds. But you've presumably, if you're listening to this on a holiday, heard enough about how it works in the NBA. You got to match contracts for contracts and salary slots. So conventional wisdom says the easiest path to get AD from Washington where he's never play the game. He goes to Dallas, gets hurt. Then he gets flipped to Washington, but LeBron respects him. Feels like they have continuity on the court to get Davis to the San Francisco Bay Area means Jimmy Butler's got to head to the Wizards or at least his contract.

10:22Kurt Helin:And then they could come to some buyout settlement and Jimmy can figure out where he's going to go. And remember, he's still rehabbing the torn ACL, and all signs point to the veteran not being available for opening night in October. So you have the Warriors, and from a LeBron standpoint, and one other thing to think about this time for LeBron, it is certainly not about the money, but money is an issue. You don't get to become a billionaire without looking for other ways to keep score, in addition to what you already have in the banking account. Remember last year, LeBron made$52 million with the Lakers.

10:59Kurt Helin:Does that mean he's going to try to squeeze out a few more bucks from his preferred destination? Not necessarily, but just be mindful that the bottom line is the bottom line, and he's going to want to get at least the mid-level exception, depending on where he goes and depending on his priorities, because Rich Paul, who understands how to play the political game better than most, has said that LeBron's motivation in this chapter of his career is to pursue happiness. Now, that's a great goal. In fact, if I was happier, I'd probably be less interesting on the radio. I'm Brian Weber, Bearing My Soul, in for Rich, coming up in less than 15 minutes.

11:44Kurt Helin:We will continue the NBA conversation when we're joined by Curt Heelan, lead NBA writer for NBCSports.com. But how do you put that nebulous on a big word Friday? How do you put that vague concept, chasing happiness, into practical terms? For LeBron, I think some of it is a result of how he sees himself on the court. And you can't tell me that one of his motivations to leave the Lakers wasn't the fact that he knew he's the third option. as he was this year when the Lakers had that nice run before Luka and Austin Reeves went down and when the Lakers not only internally communicated to LeBron that Austin Reeves was their priority in terms of the offseason maneuvering, when they gave him the max as an undrafted player, that told LeBron, if you're going to hang with us, there's not a lot left for you.

12:40Kurt Helin:And incidentally, I think the Lakers did well in their attempt to get younger also to change the culture. Because while LeBron was the marquee name the Lakers needed prior to getting Luka handed to them by Nico Harrison, he's got a large personality and he's got desires that need to be fulfilled. So the dynamic, the vibe within the organization will change. and to appease Luka because he's now the face that runs the place. They went out and got the premier big man he was looking for and seventh-footer Walker Kessler. Now the issue with Walker is coming off a big injury last year, 24, unrefined.

13:22Kurt Helin:But if the goal was to get a rim protector, mission accomplished there. You throw in Grimes as a 3 and D guy. The Lakers got younger. They got more roster flexibility, and they closed the door on the LeBron era. Now, where is LeBron going to walk through the next threshold? Golden State makes sense from the personality standpoint. Teaming with Steph Curry, Olympic teammates, they have a good friendship. And if LeBron didn't want to be the third option for the Lakers, he could be the running mate with Steph. Yes, Steph is number one, but they could see themselves as equals, especially peers in terms of Hall of Fame careers.

14:06Kurt Helin:All right, shift that to Philadelphia. I just don't see it. Let's presume for once Embiid is healthy. You have a former MVP. Now you have Jalen Brown coming off the best season of his career. And Maxie, you can fill it up. And Edgecombe, who had a solid rookie year. They're all going to defer to LeBron in some way because he's the king. But is he option three, two and a half? It just does not make a lot of sense to me from a cohesion standpoint. You can say the same thing about Cleveland, but James Harden is a facilitator. Now, he also completely disappears in the postseason. But if you had LeBron coming home again, maybe Harden wouldn't feel the need to jack up 10 to 15 threes.

14:50Kurt Helin:So he's only going to make one or two of them. So from that chemistry standpoint, the X factor, LeBron and Cleveland makes more sense to me. Miami. I don't get it unless he wants to hang out in South Beach or they have so many needs. They would have room for Bronny because what happens to the kid who's gravy trained his old man now that pops is taking his talents elsewhere. When will this be resolved? I think it goes through at least the first week of summer league because LeBron will be seeing courtside kicking in Vegas. Those of us with a microphone and everybody has a show now because we all have phones.

15:26Kurt Helin:will be running our gums about the future of LeBron, and that's exactly how he likes it. And I'll pose this question to Curt Hielen. I think it's fair to get out the Sharpie and cross off the Knicks. He is not going to the Knicks. It just does not work at all from a financial standpoint, nor would they mess with their chemistry even more than they have by allowing Robinson to go to Boston. You finally win the championship for the first time in 53 years. You do not need the LeBron effect in New York City. I'm Brian Weber in for Rich. I will check the interaction on the X platform coming up. Hit me up there.

16:06Kurt Helin:B.W. Weber. Weber with two B's. 35 minutes from now, because tomorrow is all about scarfing down hot dogs with the competition coming up in Coney Island. You can see on ESPN2 and simulcast for the first time at ABC. I'm going to take you inside the world of competitive eating. Could be a little bit grotesque, but I'll try my best not to get to the most gory of the foods. But straight ahead, we'll maintain our basketball momentum. How did the Clippers get more in return for Kawhi Leonard than the Celtics got in their trade for Jalen Brown with the Sixers? We'll find out when we bring in Curt Heelan, lead NBA writer for NBCSports.com.

16:46Kurt Helin:As we continue on this Friday edition of the program, I'm Brian Weber. In for Rich, this is the Rich Eisen Show. The Rich Eisen Show podcast.

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18:38Kurt Helin:Rich Eisen Show on this Friday, heading into the long holiday weekend. I'm Brian Weber. I appreciate you spending time with us. 844-204-RICH is the phone number. 844-204-7424. Or hit me up on the X platform, BWWeber. Weber with two Bs in 30 minutes. We take you inside the world of competitive eating in advance of a tradition unlike any other. Joey Chestnut doing his thing tomorrow in Coney Island. Full coverage on ESPN2 and simulcast on ABC. But it's always a pleasure to talk basketball with an old friend. Let's say hello to Curt Hedland, lead NBA writer for NBCSports.com. Curt, I appreciate you taking the time on a holiday.

19:23Kurt Helin:How are you? I'm doing well. And for the record, if I were in the Nathan's hot dog eating contest, I think I could get two to three down easily. And how much of a time duration? Are we talking 30 seconds, 10 minutes? What's the length? I don't know. How much time do they have? I get to about three and I'm going to be done. Okay, remember you have to eat the buns as well. Can you tell I've been on the air around July 4th many years? And I know all of the particulars of what Joey Chestnut does. And you and I have been having conversations like this for many years. So since we're both based in Southern California, let me connect the Clippers to all of the consternation on the East Coast about how little the Celtics got in return for Jalen Brown.

20:09Kurt Helin:Kurt, how did the Clippers get a better package of assets sending Kawhi Leonard to Toronto in return than the Celtics got for Jalen Brown? I think that that's a failure on the Celtics front offices part, right? Like, that return is stunning. And I think when you talk to people around the league, there's people who can start to try to make the argument, hey, maybe you move off of Jalen Brown and you change how you're going to play a little bit and you do some other things. And look, if they'd gotten Giannis, there was some real logic to that. But it's the return everybody keeps coming back to. Like, that's not near enough.

20:51Where Kawhi, that was, considering he's 35 and has a, we'll politely just call it an injury history, that was a pretty good return for the Clippers.

21:03Kurt Helin:fascinating and a lot of it comes down to the fact that we know jalen brown at this point was a this dressed asset because he'd been publicly shopped most recently in connection with yannis hey kurt i wasn't going to ask you about this but since i'm discussing the clippers are we ever going to get a resolution to the no-show job kawaii gate scandal that the league's been investigating now for months oh i think so but they're going to wait till i'm on vacation and make me come back um right no i everybody's anticipating this to come down and by the way come down pretty hard on the clippers is kind of the buzz around the league but even adam silver at the finals at his press conference was basically saying i'd like this thing to wrap up and this is being done by an outside firm it's not within his direct control that way but if the guy paying the bill says let's wrap this up i got a feeling they're going to wrap this up at some point pretty soon okay i was just thinking about the news dump although that would be so obvious to drop it today right i i can't see that kind of no no choreography hey i don't think don't look here it's july 4th and joey joey chess now forget about this scandal yeah exactly yeah that the friday night news dump kind of thing is uh it would be very nba but i that's only if they're gonna cover things up my like i said my impression is you're gonna see possible owner suspension massive fines picks taken away.

22:27A lot of punishment to the Clippers and probably not much, if any, to Kawhi.

22:31Kurt Helin:Funny how that works. And as you know, we'll pivot to a different topic in a moment. The owner of the Raptors runs the board of governors. A coincidence, perhaps? Dot, dot, dot. We'll lay that out as I go conspiracy with my friend Kurt Heelan, lead NBA writer for NBCSports.com. I'm Brian Weber. And for Rich, this is a Rich Eisen show. So back to the Jalen Brown deal. How do you view both the Celtics and the Sixers now? The 76ers are legit contenders. To me, they are now... I mean, let's be honest. You're banking on Joel Embiid's needs to make it through the playoffs, but that is a legitimately very good team now with an elite backcourt.

23:11Now you've got Jalen Brown on the wing and Embiid in the paint and some depth around them. That is a team that's going to be knocking on the door with the Knicks and should be near the top of the East. Boston takes a step back right now. I don't know what other moves they've got, although they say they are not just flipping Paul George. And Paul George, when he's healthy, is still a good player. Not a great player, but like a good player. And overpaid for where he is. But that's going to be a good team in Boston, but I don't know. I've kind of knocked them back. I was just putting together a list this morning, and I've knocked them back to a second tier in the East.

23:54Like, I don't think they're threatening Philadelphia or Boston and maybe Indiana if everything comes together for them again at the top of the East. And Detroit, I guess, is in there too. Yeah.

24:03Kurt Helin:Yeah, they had the best record in the East last year and certainly a young nucleus with Cade Cunningham. It looks like they're going to keep Jalen Durant, although he disappeared in the postseason. I'm Brian Weber taking you across the NBA with Kurt Heelan of NBCSports.com. Kurt, allow me to go through this exercise involving LeBron's decision-making and his future. I will name a team and you say how likely or unlikely it is you think LBJ could wind up there. So let's start with the Golden State Warriors. Likely, unlikely, in between, what do you think? I still think likely. I still think they are one of the couple of favorites, or maybe three, like at the top of my list.

24:44They check a lot of boxes. They are close to home where his family's not moving out of Los Angeles. It is a nostalgic trip and a lot of fun to play with Steph Curry and Draymond Green. There's a real attraction there. So it checks a lot of boxes. It does not check the we're going to contend for a title box, and it really depends on how much LeBron wants that.

25:06Kurt Helin:And then what do you make of the Anthony Davis connection to all of this? I don't think Washington's trading him at all. to anyone, at least not now. That might change around the trade deadline, but I think they're looking at the market right now, and people are going to want to see him play. He hasn't played a ton in a while. So I don't think that's happening with Golden State. I think if LeBron goes, it's without AD. We open this hour of the program getting the insights from ESPN's lead NBA insider, Shams Arania, on the 76ers. What do you make of that situation? That's the hot, sexy name. it's not impossible he doesn't have the direct connections to Philadelphia the same way he does some of the other teams in here and it comes back to the question I just asked earlier about them contending which is if LeBron is going to Philly to contend is he willing to bank on Joel Embiid's knees being there because again LeBron at this point is a top 30 player in the league, probably an all-star, but they need Embiid to be that guy.