In short
This episode of The Rich Eisen Show (Hour 3) is hosted by Tom Pelissero and focuses on NBA offseason trade speculation and “what’s more likely” hypotheticals. Topic: Minnesota Timberwolves’ blockbuster trade for LaMelo Ball, how it changes their roster identity, and what it means for matchups in the West.
Guest
Jon Krasinski (The Athletic senior NBA writer; covers the Timberwolves closely).
Key claims
Wolves have been “infatuated” with LaMelo for about two years, repeatedly checking with Charlotte, then striking after the Hornets gauged the market late in the draft. The trade centers the backcourt of LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards. With Julius Randle and Nas Reed gone, Minnesota is less “front-court bully ball” and may start Jaden McDaniels at power forward, while still needing size/shooting help.
Notable examples
Wolves’ past defensive/shot-creation issues versus OKC and San Antonio (they loaded up on Edwards). Krasinski argues LaMelo makes that harder. They also discuss Jalen Brown trade price (likely “sky high”) and other league dominoes (Cleveland, LeBron, Luka). Guests in “What’s more likely”: Brandon Aiyuk’s Commanders claim, plus fantasy/quarterback and NBA playoff questions.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VONBA Draft Insights
0:00 to 0:24
Discussion about NBA draft news, particularly LaMelo Ball's trade.
“Right now, get up to 15 % off select storage solutions.”
NBA Draft Insights
0:34 to 0:51
Discussion about NBA draft news, particularly LaMelo Ball's trade.
“It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks.”
NBA Draft Insights
1:25 to 2:18
Discussion about NBA draft news, particularly LaMelo Ball's trade.
“The Rich Eisen Show With guest host Tom Pelissero Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles Earlier on the show NFLPA Executive Director J.C.”
Analyzing the Timberwolves' Trade
2:22 to 6:20
Detailed analysis of the Timberwolves' trade and team strategy changes.
“Let's bring in a guy who I've known for a very long time, close friend of mine, also covers the Timberwolves as closely as anybody, along with the rest of the NBA, senior writer for The Athletic.”
Timberwolves vs. Western Conference
6:24 to 8:26
Exploration of how the Timberwolves are adapting to compete in the West.
“I can't remember if it was from David Adelman or somebody else with Denver, but essentially it was this Timberwolves team was built to beat us.”
Jalen Brown Trade Possibilities
8:31 to 12:18
Speculation on Jalen Brown's future and potential trade scenarios.
“You also mentioned, John, on social media this morning, Wolves did check in at least on Jalen Brown.”
Upcoming NBA Changes
12:23 to 14:00
Discussion on potential NBA changes and player movements in the offseason.
“I think Denver should be exploring that a lot.”
Math Discussion on Days Until Sunday
14:00 to 15:00
Hosts debate how to calculate the days until an upcoming Sunday event.
“One month away, less than one month away, 30 days.”
Continuing the Days Until Sunday Debate
18:01 to 19:21
Hosts resume their discussion on how to count the days until Sunday.
“But if you're asking me Thursday morning, how many days till the game Sunday night?”
Listener Calls on Days Until Sunday
19:25 to 22:25
Listeners call in to give their opinions on counting days until Sunday.
“about how you count the days until an event has been very hot.”
Show all 20 chapters
Transition to What's More Likely Segment
22:30 to 22:54
Hosts transition to the next segment and discuss what's more likely.
“I thought it was going to be a clean sweep right there, but we had one come in at four.”
What's More Likely Game
22:58 to 28:00
Hosts participate in the What's More Likely game discussing various scenarios.
“So we'll do what's more likely next week in eight days or whatever.”
Tight End University and Fantasy Predictions
28:00 to 29:41
Discussion about tight ends and fantasy football predictions, focusing on Brenton Strange and Kyle Pitts.
“We'll see if Stafford's still playing at a high level.”
Quarterback Battle Insights
29:41 to 31:38
Analysis of the competition among veteran quarterbacks and their chances to start.
“You'd probably say there's only two answers on the screen using your math.”
NBA Playoff Prospects: Giannis vs. Jalen Brown
31:38 to 33:02
Exploration of who is more likely to succeed in the NBA playoffs, comparing Giannis and Jalen Brown.
“You're holding out hope that it's still going to be the Boston Celtics.”
Western Conference Backcourt Comparisons
33:02 to 34:28
Debate on which backcourt will perform better in the Western Conference: Luka and Austin Reeves or the Ant-Man and LaMelo.
“But all things equal right now, I put the heat right there in the favorites in the East.”
Fourth of July Movie Preferences
34:28 to 38:17
Light-hearted discussion about summer movies and their suitability for Fourth of July gatherings.
“And how much does that move the needle at this stage?”
Fourth of July Movie Preferences
39:02 to 39:32
Light-hearted discussion about summer movies and their suitability for Fourth of July gatherings.
“Turns out, it was more of a thinking about Run Club era.”
Listener Call-Ins and Days Until Sunday
39:40 to 42:00
Listener interactions discussing the number of days until Sunday, incorporating various perspectives.
“Back now for our radio audience, Tom Pelissero in for Rich.”
Caitlin Clark's WNBA Challenges
42:00 to 46:35
Exploration of the challenges faced by Caitlin Clark in the WNBA regarding officiating and physicality.
“You can't just skip over it and count it as the next day.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Right now, get up to 15 % off select storage solutions. Put heavy-duty HDX totes to good use, protecting what's important to you. The solid, impact-resistant design prevents cracking, and the clear base and sides make items easy to find even when the totes are stacked. Find select shelving and tote storage up to 15 % off at the Home Depot to organize every room in your home, from your garage to your attic. Visit homedepot.com. How doers get more done. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks.
0:45Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash richeisenshow and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show What was that?
1:29The Rich Eisen Show With guest host Tom Pelissero Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles Earlier on the show NFLPA Executive Director J.C. Tretter U.S. Men's National Team Legend DeMarcus Beasley Coming up Senior writer for The Athletic John Krasinski And now sitting in for Rich It's Tom Pellicero.
1:57Tom Pelissero:Welcome back to the Rich Eisen Show. Tom Pellicero in for Rich with my boys in the studio, Chris Brockman, Jason Feller, TJ Jefferson. Big news. What's up, dude? Big news coming into this show. NBA draft over NBA trade season just ramping up. LaMelo Ball headed to Minnesota. Nas Reed and a whole bunch of pick swaps and a future one. and some second rounders headed to Charlotte. Let's bring in a guy who I've known for a very long time, close friend of mine, also covers the Timberwolves as closely as anybody, along with the rest of the NBA, senior writer for The Athletic. John Krasinski is on the show.
2:36Tom Pelissero:John, I went to bed last night. As you get a nice golf clap here in the studio, I went to bed last night reading your column about the longstanding infatuation of sorts Minnesota had with Lomelo, the swings they've taken on superstar players. Wake up to this trade. Take me through what you know, nuts and bolts, of how one of the blockbusters of the offseason came together. Yeah, thanks, Tom. I appreciate it. Like you said, the Timberwolves have been kind of infatuated with LaMelo Ball for like two years now. They think that his combination of size, shooting, passing, vision, playmaking, all of that would fit perfectly next to Anthony Edwards.
3:17They checked in with Charlotte a few times. over the last couple of years to see if they were open on moving him. Got the stiff arm every other time that they tried. And then, lo and behold, at the end of the second round of the NBA draft last night, word starts to spread that, hey, the Hornets are looking at gauging the market for LaMelo Ball after he had such a great year last season in Charlotte. And Tim Connolly is always one of the most aggressive dealmakers in the league, shoppers in the league. And so they got in heavy with Charlotte, negotiated all through the night. I'm told like probably 4.35 a.m.
3:57this morning is when they finally felt that they were all on board and that the deal was to be done. They pulled the trigger on it. And now it's LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, two of the top three picks in the 2020 NBA draft, are on the same team in the same backcourt.
4:12Tom Pelissero:I think back to a few years ago when the Wolves went all in on bigs. They acquire Rudy Gobert to pair him with at the time. Cat is still on the Timberwolves, and it was you got the two seven-footers. You're not going to be able to get at us after the rim. All of a sudden now, the Wolves have obviously traded Cat away, went and won a ring in New York. They trade away Julius Randle, who they got in the Cat trade. You're now left with a team that's very guard-heavy. What is the big picture plan of where the Timberwolves go from here? And do they continue to make deals to fortify the roster? Yeah, the identity of their team has changed remarkably over the last couple of days.
4:53Yeah, now that Julius Randle is in Brooklyn, now that Nas Reed is in Charlotte, they used to be a team that was heavy in the front court, that was going to overwhelm you with size. They were actually one of the first teams that kind of was on the front end of the bully ball kind of era that we have seen ushered in over the last couple of seasons. And now they still have Rudy Gobert at center, and he's still a defensive stalwart, a lot of size there. But they don't have a lot at power forward. And so I do expect them to continue to be in the market, to look for other options to bring in to start next to Rudy Gobert.
5:31If they don't find a starter, I could see them starting Jaden McDaniels at the four. And then you go with a little smaller lineup of Lomelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, and Io DeSunmu in the three guard and wing spots. And try and do things a little bit differently that way. But they also got Josh Green in that trade from Charlotte, Tom. And so I think they could maybe use him to flip for, you know, for someone that's a little bit bigger, looking for a little bit more size or add a little bit more shooting as well. So while this is the big splash move, obviously, that has really recentered the core around LaMelo, Ant and Jaden McDaniels, I do think that they are still in the market, still looking to add to their roster to round it out.
6:16Because you have to have people everywhere in the Western Conference. You cannot have any holes, and they have a big one at the four right now.
6:23Tom Pelissero:I also had this thought, because I remember a comment. I can't remember if it was from David Adelman or somebody else with Denver, but essentially it was this Timberwolves team was built to beat us. And if you look at the rise of Jokic and that Denver team, and when the Timberwolves started to go, as you said, the bully ball, it coincides there. I now wonder here, okay, it's a few years later, you have effectively vanquished Denver, including knocking them out in the first round, and Jokic played poorly throughout the course of that series. Is this now a Timberwolves team? And is this something we're going to see across the Western Conference of, we've got to build through a different lens, which is how do we beat Oklahoma City and San Antonio?
7:01Yeah, I think that's a big part of it, Tom. I mean, no one is writing off Denver just yet. I think as long as Jokic is there, you have to respect their ability to contend in the West. But they have been quiet this offseason so far. They did take a big step back last season. And so I think that when you're trying to prioritize who you have to beat to climb the mountain in the West, I don't think Denver is at the top of that list anymore. I do think it is San Antonio and it is Oklahoma City. And what the Wolves were really lacking in those matchups, Tom, was another ball handler, another shot creator who could take pressure off of Anthony Edwards.
7:42What we've seen both the Thunder in last year's Western Conference Finals, and then the San Antonio Spurs in the second round, this season's playoffs against the Timberwolves, they just loaded up on Anthony Edwards. They threw two, three bodies at him because they were not worried about getting burned on the back door by Julius Randle, by Jaden McDams, by anyone. Now with LaMelo Ball, it's just going to be a lot harder to double Anthony Edwards as aggressively as the Spurs and the Thunder did. I mean, are the Wolves immediately kind of challengers for their throne right now? Maybe not quite yet.
8:17They have a little more tweaking to do. But I do think that this team now is better suited to handle some of the problems that the Spurs and Thunder created for them.
8:27Tom Pelissero:John Krasinski, senior writer for The Athletic, is our guest, covers the NBA and the Timberwolves very closely. You also mentioned, John, on social media this morning, Wolves did check in at least on Jalen Brown. As you said, Tim Connolly is always superstar hunting out there. What is the price as we know it on Jalen Brown after the Celtics run at Giannis fell through? And who else potentially could you see being in on him? Yeah, that's I mean, the price is sky high as it should be. I think that when you look at what the Wolves gave up for LaMelo Nas Reed, one first round pick, some swaps, it was going to have to be a lot more to get Jalen Brown, who is former finals MVP.
9:06I think he finished sixth in the MVP voting this year. He's an established superstar, and the Boston Celtics would need a lot to part with him. I think it would have taken Rudy Gobert, Nas Reed, another young piece, and all of that pick compensation to even get the Celtics to think about sending Jalen Brown to Minnesota. And so I think other teams that are inquiring about him will have to bring a huge package to try and lure him away. one team that we've already talked about a little bit Tom that intrigues me would Denver try to get in that mix for Jalen Brown I do think that that roster needs some more juice around Nikola Jokic needs a little bit of an upgrade and I don't know if they have the pieces exactly to to get Jalen but that's a team that if you look at what the Spurs and Thunder have done if you look at what the Timberwolves just did and maybe what the Lakers will do.
10:01I would think that the Nuggets should have some urgency and trying to get into the Jalen Brown sweepstakes. Maybe Cleveland does as well. Someone like that to try and break up that big front court and add another wing instead. That would make a lot of sense to me as well.
10:17Tom Pelissero:You know, Brockman made a face in the first segment when I suggested I make clear I'm not an NBA insider yet here, Brockman. We have an NBA insider. first team he says for Jalen Brown watch the Nuggets so if you'd like to retract the face you're welcome to now well if Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are coming back with a slew of picks you know I'm I'm kind of that would lessen the blow a little bit I mean you mentioned Nas Reed and and who else did you Rudy Gobert and picks I kind of told TJ I kind of would have been on board with that as a resident Celtics fan here he's been clinging to the hope of Jalen Brown and still thinks it's more likely.
10:53Tom Pelissero:All right, let's give it to John Krasinski right here. What's more likely, Jalen Brown on the Celtics roster, game one of the 26-27 season, or on a different roster? Oh, I think that if you're a betting man, and I'm not, I'm not a betting man at all, but I would think that Jalen Brown goes elsewhere. It just seems like when you look at the tea leaves, when you look at some of the angst and some of the things that are swirling around there, it looks like Jalen Brown wants to go somewhere else, wants to have his own team, wants to kind of lead an organization. And it's probably not going to happen there with Jason Tatum.
11:28And if the Celtics want to make changes to try and get back into the Eastern Conference elite, upgrade their front court as they need to do, Jalen Brown is the one piece that they have to really kind of bring that to fruition. So sorry about it, Brockman, but I don't think you're going to be seeing Jalen there for a whole lot longer. Where would Jalen Brown and Jokic kind of rank as a duo in the league? Seems pretty tasty to me. Dude, it'd be unbelievable. I mean, you're talking about two top 10, top nine players in the league. I mean, Jalen Brown was terrific for the Celtics last season. And especially if it was a Jamal Murray type going out, leading the way, you would need a lot more shots.
12:11And Jalen Brown would give you so much shot making, so much shot creation. Nikola Jokic would find him for easy buckets. That would be a dynamic duo for sure if that were to happen. I don't know what the likelihood is of it, but to me, if you ask me, I think Denver should be exploring that a lot. Yeah, and a win-win seemingly for both teams, I feel like.
12:30Tom Pelissero:Yeah, we've talked so much about obviously Jalen Brown in recent days in part because of the Giannis talks, but Giannis took up a great deal of oxygen in the NBA universe. John, now LaMelo, of course, entering into that as well. What else are you watching? League-wide, I know you've always got your finger on the pulse list. You talk to a lot of people. But what else should people be paying attention to that could potentially shake things up here over the next couple of weeks? Yeah, I mean, there's a couple of spots that you look at. Does Cleveland do something to make a big change with Evan Mobley, Jared Allen, Donovan Mitchell, all that, James Harden?
13:02What's going to happen in Cleveland and how would the ripple effects there kind of trickle down? What is LeBron James going to do and where is he going to end up? And how does that affect the Lakers and all of their cap space? that I think that is a sort of sleeping giant out there with getting Luka Doncic back healthy they just re-signed Austin Reeves doing enormous deal now they do have to figure out is LeBron James in or is he going to the Warriors or someone else and and so I think there are still quite a few major dominoes that could fall here that really kind of get your head spinning right around the 4th of July.
13:41And, you know, this is the time of year when the NBA tries to take a little bit of shine away from your NFL, Tom. And, you know, while your guys are sleeping and grilling hot dogs and stuff, these guys are going to be making huge trades that blow your mind. And I would imagine it's going to be another busy summer that way.
14:00Tom Pelissero:One month away, less than one month away, 30 days. Hey, John, if something is happening on Sunday and today is Thursday, how many days away is that? That's four days away, right? No, you're on the Brockman math. It's three. Three days. When is it on Sunday? If you're on a Sunday morning, that's a full day to count. If it's Sunday night, maybe you've been Thursday. It's three days away. We've been going back and forth on this math nonstop for two days, and everybody is coming up with different... I mean, we blew Colin Morikawa's mind yesterday. He added a half. If he has a bad round at the Travelers Championship, I'm going to blame that conversation because it seriously seemed like we broke something.
14:40Tom Pelissero:He's one under with three to go today. It's okay. John, thank you very much. We appreciate it, man. Great seeing you, dude. Appreciate you having me, Tom. Thanks. John Krasinski, senior writer. Also, Karl Markkau added a half a day for some reason. He was like, oh, it's four and a half. Yeah. We're learning a lot. This has been a sociological experiment to figure this out. You don't count the day you're on, but you count the day of the event. That's the bottom line. But if you're asking me Thursday morning, I still have to live all of Thursday. That's a whole day. Okay, so December 24th, you wake up.
15:22Tom Pelissero:You thought about it for a second. December 24th, you wake up, or your son wakes up. How many days until Christmas? When are we celebrating Christmas? When are we opening presents? The 25th. Yeah. At night? Then that's basically two days. At night? You mean Christmas Eve then? Just saying. Hey, wait. When do you open presents in your household? In the morning. But I'm saying, like, what if you're going over to family's house in the evening and they have presents to give? If your kid asks you on December 24th, how many days till Christmas, what do you say? While the world watches the stars at the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent.
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16:41I love the culture and the amazing food that I'm still craving. Those memories remind everyone that it's that time of year to plan a little getaway. And that's why summer has a way of turning weekends into big events. One minute, it's a normal week. And then all of a sudden, a huge concert, sporting event, or festival brings people in from all over. And when that happens, visitors start looking for places to stay all across your city. So if you're already planning a summer trip of your own, you could list your space on Airbnb and earn a little extra cash while you're away. Doesn't have to be some big year round commitment.
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17:54Tom Pelissero:Say. one, I guess. Okay. I think we've now reduced it down. Yes, one. But if you're asking me Thursday morning, how many days till the game Sunday night? That's four days. Okay. Here's what we're going to do, because we got what's more likely coming up on the other side of this break. I am going to open up the phone lines in the final segment of the show. We probably should. And I just want to take a poll. 844-204-RICH. If you are describing something that is on Sunday, it is today, Thursday, On Sunday. How many days away is Sunday? 844-204-RICH. We got what's more likely coming up after this.
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19:05Tom Pelissero:What's more likely? We're right on the other side of this break. Likely you guys don't agree. The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Back to the Rich Eisen Show. Tom Pellicero in for Rich. We're going to play what's more likely in a second here. But the conversation now, well into its second day, or maybe Brockman would say its first day, about how you count the days until an event has been very hot. We've got full phone lines after I brought this up. So let's just get a few of these calls. Setting the stage. Today is Thursday. If something is on Sunday, how many days away do you say it is? Newton in Richmond, Virginia.
19:46Tom Pelissero:How many days away is Sunday? Well, Tom, I really appreciate you taking the call. Great to hear you when Rich isn't there. And, you know, here's the thing. Did you hear anybody at the start of the show say there would be no math? Never. Because otherwise math really solves this problem. Today is June the 25th, Thursday, June 25th. And we're looking forward to Sunday, June 28th. Right. And when we subtract 25 from 28, gentlemen, what do we get? We got three days. Not four, Brockman. You have to count the day you're living. Magic number. Newton, thank you. Thank you very much. How about Max in South Carolina?
20:33Tom Pelissero:It's Thursday. How many days away is Sunday? It is three days away. Brockman, you're doing like hours. You could look at it like hours, but there's a reason why we have seconds. We have minutes. We have hours. And we have days. So it's three days away, Joe. So you're just skipping over the day that you're living? Thank you very much. Brian, DePlane, Illinois. Number of days. It's Thursday. How many days until Sunday? I think you just skip the days altogether and you count sleeps. Sunday is three sleeps away. You got to go to sleep Thursday, sleep Friday, sleep Saturday. Sunday is your day. Great.
21:17Tom Pelissero:I love it. You count the transitions to each day, which is exactly how you account days away. Let's grab one more. Rick in San Antonio, it's Thursday. How many days away is Sunday? I'd say four. I wanted that. This reminds me of an argument I have with my friends. And if I call you on today and say, do you want to play golf this Saturday? What does that mean? That means in two days. If I say, do you want to play golf next Saturday? What does that mean? Nine days. But they say, well, this Saturday, the coming Saturday is the next Saturday. But he didn't say the next. It's just next. That implies not this one, the next one.
22:05Tom Pelissero:If I say we're going to my mom's house this Christmas. That means the one coming up in 2026. And if I say we're going to be going to my mom's house next Christmas. That invites a little more ambiguity because we're six months out, but I would still argue 2027 Christmas. Thank you, Rick, for the call. 844-204-RICH, if anybody else wants to weigh in on the debate. I thought it was going to be a clean sweep right there, but we had one come in at four. We've not had anyone come in at two, which has also been guessed during this show. I hope Rich, like, flipped through the channels and was like, what the hell is going on on my show?
22:45Tom Pelissero:If only he knew how many times this has come up and the mass confusion with every guest as they're trying to solve it. No one has said half yet, so that's good. Time for What's More Likely, presented by Pella, Windows, and Doors. Let's go. What? What's more likely? Never say never, but never. Hey, everybody. What's up? So we'll do what's more likely next week in eight days or whatever. Nine? Nine days? Or today's home. Seven. If it's every Thursday, it's seven days. Well, normally it's Friday. But we count. You have to count the day. But that would be not this Friday. Next Friday. You have to count the day you're living.
23:26Tom Pelissero:The next Friday. We're still living this day. You guys are crazy. Yes, but you're on the day. But if we're going. You're on the day. Can we agree to disagree on this one? Thursday morning, and you're going to dinner Sunday night. That's like four full days. What's more likely, we're going to do this segment, or you're going to keep ranting about this? Guys, there's a dude out there. We want to play this first, Mike Hoskins. Yeah, let's play this first. And let's hear from Brandon Iyuk, who keeps going on his social media and doing weird stuff. Here, let's roll this one. And if I'm crazy, or if I'm capping, some boys cut me today.
Read the full transcript
24:01and I'll sign with the commanders tomorrow and we'll see who's gaping. Then there was another one today where he's got a backpack in an empty closet and he's just throwing cash on the ground. Have you seen that? Had not seen that one. Oh yeah, this one right here. Look at this. He is in an empty closet. It's completely white. There's a backpack on a shelf in there, TJ. And he pulls out, I'm guessing they're$100 bills? and he's just throwing cash on the ground.
24:31Tom Pelissero:Now, is he implying that that's all the 49ers cash that they've given him? I hope that this is like an Andy Kaufman style performance art. Sure. And not the sign of a man who is on his last nerve. And I mean that seriously. Like, I hope Brandon Ayuk is just being funny and is not unwell through the course of this. The fact that every video is him alone doing these things. strikes me as odd. Listen, here's what the situation boils down to. Brandon Ayuk, it doesn't matter how many videos you post, how many names you call the 49ers in their front office, how many different times you say you want to be on the Commanders and you've got a Commander's hat and a Commander's football and you love the Commanders and go Commanders, you have to show up.
25:15The only way you get cut is if you show up to the facility,
25:19Tom Pelissero:force the 49ers hand, force them to move you back to the active roster or release you. They can't really move you back to the active roster because all that money that you're owed would suddenly hit the salary cap. That's what you do. No one's doing it right now because teams are off for the next few weeks. But you need to show up to the facility once the 49ers are back. And at that point, you force their hand as opposed to them just being able to go, we don't care. We want to trade you. No one's trading for you. You're still on the team. What's more likely, the team that Brandon Ike plays for this season, the Commanders or the field?
25:54Tom Pelissero:Commanders. I don't know that there is another team right now that, frankly, wants to get involved with it. He's in with the Commanders. He's Adam Peters. He's the GM. He was in San Francisco when they drafted him. And Jaden Daniels, he played with him at Arizona State. I don't know how much he's talked to Jaden, quite frankly. He's not allowed to talk to Adam Peters or anybody else in the Commanders organization. I do believe, as he said himself, if he gets released, he's going to sign in Washington. And that makes sense. There's not going to be a bidding war for Brandon Ayuk. He hasn't played a football game in 20 months.
26:24Tom Pelissero:We don't even know if he's fully healthy if he ever completed his rehab. So, yes, the Commanders is absolutely the team to beat, if not the only team. We heard from Matthew Stafford earlier, guys, about maybe playing into his 40s. Who's more likely to be the Rams' starting quarterback in 2028? Matthew Stafford or Ty Simpson? How many years from now is that? That's two full seasons. Three years. Oh, boy.
26:53Tom Pelissero:I would say what's more likely would be Ty Simpson is the quarterback in 2028. That's not to doubt what Matthew Stafford can do. They're coming into a season where all eyes are on winning the Super Bowl for Stafford. He signed an extension, which we talked about earlier in the show. It's it's it is an extension, but it wasn't a guarantee that he's still the quarterback in 2027. Everybody has options then. And then in 2028, they structured these void years to give everybody the option of what you want to do moving forward. I just know this. Matthew Stafford's 40. He's got a wife who's a college sweetheart.
27:29Tom Pelissero:He's got four young girls. He doesn't strike me as a guy who wants to play until the very last second. Not that he's not competitive. Not that he's not still playing at a really high level because he was the best player in the league a year ago. More so, I could see him choosing at some point to walk away. A lot's going to have to do with health and where he feels like he is in his career. But the idea that we're two years into Ty Simpson's career, a guy who sat for three years in college before playing one season, and now he's going to play one year out of seven. We'll see if Stafford's still playing at a high level.
28:02Tom Pelissero:I don't anticipate Sean McVay unless Snead ever chasing him off. But I would say two years down the line, knowing Stafford's injury history, life, how much money he's made, I'll say Ty Simpson. How about this one? A couple of big tight ends. It's tight end university week going on in Nashville at George Kittle and all them boys having a good time. How about this? More likely newly paid tight end you'd rather have in fantasy this year. Kyle Pitts or Brenton Strange? I would say Brenton Strange because we already know what he is in that system. He's been productive based upon how they're structured.
28:37Tom Pelissero:I would anticipate, and Bucky Brooks, who does color for their games, posted this after I had the extension yesterday. Like, this is a guy whose production is going to explode. I anticipate Bretton Strange takes on a bigger and bigger role in that offense in Jacksonville. With Kyle Pitts, like, we've seen it. It's always tantalizing. He always has moments. We know based on, you know, Stefanski being in Cleveland that they were able to find production, and David Njoku would have really big games at times in Cleveland. It just remains to be seen. We don't even know who the quarterback is in Atlanta.
29:09Tom Pelissero:We know Trevor Lawrence is the quarterback in Jacksonville. He knows how to get the ball to Brenton Strange. I would just have to say, if I'm guessing the upside and also the value in the fantasy draft, in other words, where that guy's going to get taken, in your average fantasy draft, I bet 9 out of 10 Kyle Pitts is going higher. I'll take the value of Brenton Strange a couple rounds later. I'm looking for value. We've been talking a lot about these quarterback battles for the last few months. Probably going to talk about it right up until week one. Veteran QB in a competition more likely to start more games this year.
29:39Kirk Cousins, Kyla Murray, Tua Tungvalu. Now that is a challenging one.
29:48Tom Pelissero:It's certainly not what's more likely. That would be what's most likely. So you got three answers. With the grammar police now? I thought Siciliano coasted on Tuesday. I don't know. You'd probably say there's only two answers on the screen using your math. I will go ahead and say. Highest math score on the SAT in this room. I will say Kirk Cousins. The reason is, at this point, Kirk Cousins, I'd be surprised if he's not the quarterback out of the gate. Fernando Mendoza, as talented as he is, as productive as he is, as big of a winner as he is, he's got a very significant growth process to play a different style of offense, going from shotgun, RPO, throwing into wide open windows to an under center, play action heavy type of a scheme.
30:32Tom Pelissero:and I think that the Raiders want to protect him. Kirk Cousins has played at a high level. He's had injuries that have created circumstances. So have Kyler, so have Tua. But Tua's in a fight with Michael Penix Jr. I would say going into camp, I would think it's Tua just because he's had all the time on task already there with the new coaching staff. There may be a comfort level, and Michael Penix Jr. is still coming off another ACL. It may be a while until he's truly 100 % again. But how long does that last? and how long does it go with Kyler Murray? I'd still say sitting here, I would lean toward it's Kyler Murray as a starting quarterback, but they split it 50-50 the entire time.
31:10Tom Pelissero:Kirk's the one who is pretty clearly the number one quarterback right now, and if the Raiders are playing well and they're still on task, I just don't know that they really want to force Fernando Mendoza out there as a rookie. All right, a couple NBA ones now before we wrap this up and get on with our weekend boys. Who's more likely to go further in next year's NBA playoffs? has been talking about these guys a lot this week. Giannis or Jalen Brown? I mean, we don't know what team Jalen Brown is on at this point. We do. He's on the Celtics. You're holding out hope that it's still going to be the Boston Celtics.
31:42Tom Pelissero:Meanwhile, we just talked in the last segment to John Krasinski, NBA writer, who said fully anticipates Jalen Brown is somewhere else. A lot of the stuff that I've heard and been told, which is Jalen doesn't really want to be there. He wants a fresh start. And you still have the opportunity to extract value here if you're patient to get the right offer, whether that is, you know, Denver, John brought up Cleveland. You know, if it's Jalen Brown and Jokic, I like that over Giannis and Bam in Miami. If it's Jalen Brown in Boston, I still probably like it better, but I just don't know that there's a scenario where that's where Jalen Brown is.
32:20Tom Pelissero:I just think it's a hard question right now. I think Giannis is the Giannis and the Heat are the favorite in the East, in my mind right now. So all things equal. To do what? To win the championship? All things equal. I take Giannis and the Heat. Wow. If he's healthy, if he is the Giannis that we have seen, he is still one of the most efficient players in the NBA. Leaves the NBA every year in two-point field goals. Is a rebounder. Alters the game in terms of defense. He is a game changer. Now, if he gets hurt again, then obviously that upends everything. That would be my concern. He's, what, 31?
32:58Tom Pelissero:He's had a bunch of injuries. That's my concern. But all things equal right now, I put the heat right there in the favorites in the East. West got shaken up with LaMelo going to Minnesota. And we had Austin Reeves, guys, agree to a new contract. See that video of him on the golf course? Oh, yeah. He fell over. Appreciation. It's cool. Who's more likely to be the better Western Conference backcourt this year? Luka and Austin Reeves. Or the Ant-Man and LaMelo? Whew. I mean, again, with Luka, you just got to wonder in terms of the health and what that looks like. You know, the conditioning stuff's well documented, but he's had injuries.
33:37Tom Pelissero:He had another one this year that limited him to whatever it was. He missed like 30 games this season. So I would just say to me, I mean, the more dynamic backcourt to me is the one in Minnesota. Now, is LaMelo able to stay healthy? Does this come together? I know this. Ant is fired up today. Anthony Edwards loves this deal because this creates somebody who can actually create for him as opposed to Ant doing what he's had to do a lot, which is create for others because there's nobody able to draw those double teams away from him. Who goes further in the playoffs? TJ. That's a good one, man. That's fun.
34:19You know, I can't answer this because of my Laker bias. So I'm going to say the Timberwolves.
34:24Tom Pelissero:But also, I mean, are we talking about with LeBron or without LeBron? That's exactly the case. And how much does that move the needle at this stage? I mean, LeBron is still a plus player. He's not what he was, but he is still a difference maker. Yeah, it's kind of early to answer this right now, but I'm going to go with Minnesota because of my hatred. I love being a hater. Guys, big movie. Last one. Big movie anniversary. I assume that Tom hasn't seen any of these. Where were you on this date in 1996? 1996. Pittsburgh. I know that. I would have been summer after the ninth grade. Okay. Probably playing a, you know, Babe Ruth baseball tournament somewhere or something.
35:06Tom Pelissero:And you were probably making plans to go see... Mickey Mantle or whatever it was. Independence Day tonight. Oh, absolutely. 30 years ago today. Great movie. Great anniversary. More likely movie. What? You've seen it? I have seen it. I saw it in the theater. Like, everyone saw it, okay? There was a point in time when I saw movies. and the late 90s would have been that time. I've never thought it was a great movie. Welcome to Earth. Welcome to Earth. Summer movie you'd likely throw on at the end of your July 4th party, Independence Day, Jaws, or The Sandlot. Why Jaws? Well, actually, I've seen all three of those movies.
35:43Tom Pelissero:Jaws is one of the great summer movies ever. Is it with the kids or not? Because that does make a pretty big difference. Because if you have the kids, you have to show them Jaws. I think that's... Also, isn't the end of the 4th July party fireworks? where are you that you're coming home from the fireworks at 11 o 'clock and then starting a movie? Your fireworks go on at 11 o 'clock. They end late. They do at 11, 10, maybe. And then you got to pick up the blankets and crying kids. And somebody wants a piggyback ride. And then somebody forgot their water bottle and you got to go back and everyone's leaving.
36:17Tom Pelissero:And you got the parking situation and somebody can't get their car started. And now there's a traffic jam and you're stuck out there on a side street. It is pitch black. You're in a neighborhood. You don't want to honk the horn because then you're the jerk. Yes. It takes a while. That was very specific. To get back from the fireworks. Very specific. The key, the move with the 4th of July fireworks display is you convince the kids halfway through to start walking. You start the fireworks display. The folding chairs are already folded up. And then you just go, all right, we're going to start moving.
36:52Tom Pelissero:and then you walk out and then you turn around and see, hey, there's those last couple. And then the final boom in the car and you get out before everybody else. There is top five worst spots to be in your car is after the 4th of July fireworks. Everybody's been like, you know, drinking all day. They're at this point like they're exhausted. Everyone around you like everyone just wants to get home and they can't. like that to me that that after the fourth of july is worse than leaving like a baseball game dodger stadium like when you're stuck in the uh well dodger stadium is its own animal because you're up on that hill actually the move at dodger stadium is you take a lift they have their own little parking lot that they you they can get out of i've never i don't think i've ever driven all the way up there and parked but if you do the the dodger stadium is leave after take me out to the ballgame.
37:47Tom Pelissero:But still getting in and out of there. The ingress egress is not ideal. I don't want to glaze over two things. One, you still haven't answered the question. And two, you've seen all these movies? I have seen all these movies. Once again, it's what's most likely. I mean, alright. So let's say end of the 4th July party, it's 11pm. Get him back. 1030. Or you just have it on during the party. The kids are going to bed. So Independence Day, 100%. Great. That's the correct answer. That's what's more likely. We actually agreed to it. What's more likely brought to you by Pella Windows and Doors. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors always have the winning game plan.
38:23Tom Pelissero:That's why your neighbors trust them. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen. More Rich Eisen shit with me, Tom Pellicero, after this. I still say Jaws. Same lot.
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39:06Tom Pelissero:You thought this was your Run Club era. Turns out, it was more of a thinking about Run Club era. The good news? Someone's marathon training is about to start. Sell your workout gear on Depop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. They get their race day fit and you get a payout for trying. Someone on Depop wants what you've got. Start selling now. Depop. Where taste recognizes taste.
39:38The Rich Eisen Show. The podcast.
39:43Tom Pelissero:Back now for our radio audience, Tom Pelissero in for Rich. We're going to go to the phone lines, 844-204-RICH. The question we've been asking has generated a great deal of discussion. We've got votes. You can also go on to the Rich Eisen Show X page and cast your vote now. Today is Thursday. How many days away is Sunday? Mikel in Queens, New York. Mikel, your answer, how many days away is Sunday? Hello, dear. When I listened in, the original question was how many days, I think, until the Sunday night game. If that was the case, then you counted by the Jewish calendar by the sundown, so it begins a new day.
40:23So Thursday sundown, Friday, Saturday, Sunday sundown, it's four days until a Sunday night game. Otherwise, it'd just be three days.
40:30Tom Pelissero:So you're counting based upon sundown as that's your cutoff. I like that. Yes. That's when the new day begins, the sundown. All right, so we're giving that one. That's a split vote. It's a thinker. Thank you, Mikkel. How about Paji in Houston, Texas? It is Thursday. How many days away is Sunday? What's going on, guys? I like to keep it mathematics, but also undisputed would be the Bible. Because biblically, from Friday, Good Friday, to Easter, you know, on the third day he rose. So if you're talking Thursday, then it's four days. All right. Now, that is a great point. Apaji, thank you very much for the call.
41:20Tom Pelissero:I had not considered the biblical element of this. On the third day, he rose again. But that's still not three days later. It's on the third day. The third day would be two days away. Wow, what? on the third day. All right. You go on vacation today. Here we go. What is the third day of your vacation? You took a plane this morning. You went to Honolulu. Okay. What day is the third day of your vacation? Well, today is day one. Tomorrow is day two. And then Saturday would be day three. Correct. So on the third day, he rose again, would be two days away, not three. But you count today. Why? Because it's not even noon yet.
42:09We have to live today. You can't just skip over it and count it as the next day. Okay, guys, one thing that is not up for debate, because this could go on forever, is this afternoon, check your local listings. No contest wrestling will be on ESPN2, ESPN News. It's 3 o 'clock here in the Pacific. Check your local listings. I think it might be on right now.
42:31Tom Pelissero:How many hours away is that? That's three. Three hours away. Not four. You're not counting this hour. And we will have Jade Cargill on ahead of her match at Night of Champions for the United States. I got to get my own thing out there before we leave. All no contest wrestling fans, ESPN2 this afternoon. Thank you. I'm going to make a hard left turn here since we also have women's sports now. Coming up, yeah. 6 p.m. Eastern tonight, 3 o 'clock Pacific across all of the ESPN platforms. what's going on with Caitlin Clark I know I could have asked this at any point in really the past two years but the number of things that currently drop into my timelines on social media the highlights or lowlights that I see on TV even the quotes from her coach who has drawn criticism for not defending her further TJ I'm gonna come to you as our resident WNBA expert here well are we into like a reverse Wemby situation.
43:35Tom Pelissero:Like I can't think of many NBA stars. You say they never get a favorable whistle. Caitlin Clark, who is arguably whatever you want to say in terms of where she stacks up as a player. She's certainly one of the best. Seems to have the worst whistle in the WNBA and not just on things that are straightforward calls, but somebody gets themselves up by putting their fist into your neck and then steps on you, it would seem to me that's something that maybe the officials, based on all the history, would be looking for. Exactly. Look, it's going around she got punched in the neck. She didn't get punched from where I saw it.
44:12But, yes, definitely there was a closed fist. Definitely it was used to place and hold Alyssa Thomas' body up as she arose. So, yeah, there was definitely a fist to the neck. I won't call it a punch. But you're right. There are times where it does seem like the whistle doesn't go her way. Alyssa Thomas also got into it with Angel Reese. And I know these two names, they always kind of are stuck together like, you know, chocolate and peanut butter. But she also kind of banged around Angel Reese a few days ago and that caused an uproar. So I don't know if it's more so on the player, Alyssa Thomas, if she's got beef with these two.
44:47I don't know what it is. But, yeah, Kaitlin Clark's name will just bring out all the positivity and all the negativity when the WNBA is mentioned. right now. You've got people saying that she should leave and go to Europe.
45:03Tom Pelissero:I don't know, man. I don't know. I want to be very clear. The competitiveness and the physicality and frankly the attention that some of these things bring to the WNBA are all good things. Like having a level of physicality, having things be high profile. What you can't do in any sport is allow your most visible players to take cheap shots constantly. And yes, what do you call it? Yeah, exactly. It's not a punch. It's like saying, you know, Albert Hainsworth kicked that guy in the head. No, he just stepped on his face. It's still bad. You still can't do it. Unnecessary and flagrant. And until you start to have suspensions, significant fines, whatever it might be, I don't know how you get those things called.
45:48Tom Pelissero:Like, the message has to be sent. And weirdly, the message that's being sent right now seems to be, it's just like anybody else. Oh, we missed the call. You missed the fist in the neck? Yeah, it's kind of hard to miss that call. It's hard to justify that. And it's one thing if the game just kept going on and Kaitlin kept playing and they won or they lost, right? No, she left the game, a back injury, so now your most high-profile player is going to probably miss more games. And that is a major issue because now that's eyeballs away from your sport. It's not saying, yeah, you have to put her in a glass bubble here and call everything.
46:19Tom Pelissero:She doesn't need to get the full Wemby treatment or Shea or whoever it is at any given moment in the NBA. But what you're not going to see outside of Wemby trying to stuff Jalen Brunson's face into the floor is star players taking those cheap shots and nothing being called. Unnecessary. While the world watches the stars at the FIFA World Cup this summer, Hyundai has its eyes on the next generation of talent. The future stars who are already turning heads at age 14 because next doesn't wait for an invitation. And neither do we. Hyundai has always moved the future within reach. We did it when we made advanced safety standard on every vehicle and engineered EVs with ultra-fast charging capability.
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From the publisher
The Athletic’s Senior NBA Writer Jon Krawczynski tells guest host Tom Pelissero that the Timberwolves trade with the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball has been in the works for a long time and how the addition impacts Minnesota’s on-court identity, breaks down which teams are vying to trade with the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown, discusses LeBron James’ uncertain future with the Los Angeles Lakers, and more. In ‘What’s More Likely’ Tom weighs in on WR Brandon Aiyuk’s contentious relationship with the 49ers, Rams QB Matthew Stafford, the QB competitions for the Raiders, Vikings, and Falcons and more. Tom and Brockman engage in a heated debate on how to tell time and read a calendar, and discuss the latest controversy surrounding the way rough play on Caitlin Clark is officiated (not officiated?) in the WNBA.
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