SUNS HOT: Will Devin Booker LEAD the Phoenix Suns to a STUNNING Playoff PUSH? | Will Pacers TANK?

SUNS HOT: Will Devin Booker LEAD the Phoenix Suns to a STUNNING Playoff PUSH? | Will Pacers TANK?

Good afternoon and welcome to Locked on NBA Daily. On today’s show, with Devin Booker playing at an MVP level, are the Suns better than they were last season? Plus, why another Pacers injury should have them thinking about the nuclear option? And we talk about big games tonight in the NBA Cup. Let’s jump in. You are Locked on NBA, your daily NBA podcast, part of the Locked On Network. your team every day. Welcome to Locked on NBA Daily, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network, however you’re tuning in on YouTube or on your podcast app. Thanks so much for making us your first listen every day. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5, and if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Head to fanduel.com today to get started. I’m Wes Goldberg. Today we’re talking about what’s at stake for teams in tonight’s NBA Cup games and the most interesting players mentioned in trade rumors this season so far and we’re doing it with the help of Lockdown’s local experts. I have two of the best with me as always from the Lockdown Nuggets podcast. He’s a senior NBA writer for the Action Network. It’s Matt Moore. Matt quietly games last night but not bad. Still enjoyed it. Still like the I like watching the Suns. We’re going to talk about in a little bit and those Hawks keep doing the thing without Trey Young. uh from the Lockdown Bulls podcast, also a Bears and Bulls creator for Bleacher Report. It’s Hayes. I’m just ready to embrace more chaos. This season has been not as cha great basketball, but not as chaotic as I need it to be. I think I think the Clippers, Demon Sabonis, and some other people are going to change that here soon. We got what is that? The Joker that you’re channeling there. Just you you’re just rooting for chaos here. Absolutely. Yeah. Uh well, let’s start with uh last night’s game between the Suns and the Pacers like Matt was talking about. The Suns end up winning that game. They blow him out. Uh, and now the Suns have won five games in a row. They’re in seventh place in the Western Conference. If you look at the standings, Devin Booker had 33 points in that win. Here’s more from Ben Garcia of Lockdown Suns. The thing that was so nostalgic and late in the third quarter when the Suns are going on this massive run, Devin Booker comes up, hits a pull up three in transition, and I’m saying to myself, “Holy cow, am I in 2021?” big bucket after big bucket when other players who also are good shot creators aren’t there because of injuries. That’s what your superstar player does. They’re staying within striking distance. Booker said, “This one’s on me. This one’s on me. Get on my back.” And guys, that brings us to one of our favorite segments around here. What is real? How do you define real? Is it possible? I didn’t say it would be easy. It’s time for the real question. And the real question here with how Devin Booker is playing, can the Spurs or can the Spurs can the Suns push for a playoff spot this season. Matt, they called me mad when I said the Suns would be pretty good this season. They said I was crazy. Who’s crazy now? And the answer is anyone that thinks the Suns are making the playoffs. Um they are 30th in defensive strength of schedule, 29th in offensive strength of schedule for dunks and threes. They haven’t played anybody. Like they beat the Pacers who are the most injured thing ever. Like they are just this injured mass like limping along through the forest hoping a Predator picks them off and ends their misery. But like the Suns are pretty good. Like the Suns are tough. They play good defense. Dylan Brooks has been really good for them. He’s been like genuinely helpful for them. 32 points last night. Uh, how about this? Oso Igodaro plus 52 last night. Plus 52 for my guy Oso. Uh, I like the Suns team a lot, Hayes. But I’m I’m not going to sit here and say that they’re a playoff team. It But it’s a good starting position to start with. We can beat teams that are worse than us. Yeah. I mean, if you beat the bottom feeders, like that’s the key. And then you ask yourself, how many of the good teams can we can we beat on any given night? Like how many how many wins do we luck into? I don’t have the the Suns as a playoff team. They’d have to show me a lot more more consistently. And that’s not a knock on anybody. This team just or maybe it is. This team just isn’t I just don’t see them being a good team for the majority of the season. It’s great that they’re having this run. Deon Booker’s playing at a at an amazing level right now. I just don’t think that this is sustainable from what I’ve seen yet. I hold out the right to change that if they do show a little bit more as the season goes on. But right now, this just feels like a team that’s hot at the right time. And Devin Booker’s playing at a great level. I just don’t think that they’ll do this for a 482. The schedule coming up for Phoenix. This is the test, Haze. This is what you’re looking for. They play Atlanta on Sunday after getting a couple of days of a break here at home. Uh and then they go on the road for Portland. That’s a tough defense, right? If Deon Booker and this and they can score against that defense, that’ll be something. And then it’s Minnesota. It’s San Antonio. And then it’s Houston. So this next fivegame stretch, this should tell us something about this Phoenix Suns team. I do think that there’s something to be said about knowing who you are and having an identity and having a pecking order and with Devin Booker just doing it at the top and maybe it’s been a little helpful that Jaylen Green has mostly been out but everybody just kind of knows played. He looked good but everybody kind of knows their spots. Everybody just knows what they got to do. It also helps when um Dylan Brooks is hitting like shoulder into the chest turnaround fadeaway jumpers against the Indiana Pacers. But, uh, I do think that there’s something to be said about what this Suns team has going as long as Deon Booker is playing this way, Matt. Yeah. I mean, my Here’s what I like about the formula. The formula is we have Book who is not only shooting great, but he’s also assisting and setting up teammates and punishing the the gravity. Like, when he pulls defenders, he makes the pass that he needs to. Book’s playing amazing right now. Like I And more than that, Book’s playing with joy. And that’s evident when you watch him. And for a guy that basically had to like go through all the last couple years and the failures and all of that and then this season where it’s like we’re not really competing for him to play like he is. I have a lot of respect for him. But like their defense is legitimately good. You listed off that that schedule Hawks at the end of a West Coast road trip. I think that’s a win. The Blazers are not good. That’s a win. I think they split Wolves Spurs and they lo the Rockets. That’s three and two. I I think this team is I think this team is tough and they play the right way. And maybe more than anything, Hayes, our takeaway might be Jordan Knight might be a really good head coach. Jordan, I do like the way Jordan odds coaching. That’s a great point. I mean, like there are interesting pieces in this, but like to Wes’s point, like everybody’s picking their spots. They know what they’re doing. Does that sound like Jaylen Green to you? Picking your spots. Does that sound like Jaylen Green? I know. Well, I just look, we need to at least give him an opportunity here in a new situation with a new like a lot of times after a guy gets traded, after the franchise that drafted him and that was going to build around him bails on him, guys have a little bit of a look in the mirror moment. I want to give Jaylen Green not the benefit of the doubt, but the opportunity to make those choices and to be like, I am going to be a better player. Like, I’m going to be more efficient. I’m going to play smarter. I think if he could do all those things, they’ve got enough defensive help on this team to balance out his weaknesses there. I don’t know that this is like I I can’t sit here and say that Jaylen Green is going to hurt them a ton. When Jaylen Green looks in the mirror, he decides that he wants to dress up like Jimmyi Hendricks. That’s that’s Jaylen Green’s that’s when Jaylen Green looks in the mirror. On the other side in this game, we had another injury to another Pacers player. This time, Erin Smith takes an awkward fall, kind of doing a slide on defense, trying to stay in front of Devin Booker, has to be helped off the court. Uh, he’s helped off the court uh by two different Indiana Pacers staffers. Here’s locked on Pacers host Tony East with more. It just never ends for the Pacers. Scary play. Good news that it’s not horrible, but I mean, this is just ridiculous. Like, this is just ridiculous what has happened to the Pacers this year. Go back to the off seasonason and all this talk about Gapier and how I was like, “No, no, I hate that term because it’s like everybody shut your eyes and skip the season. They’re losing development, too. It’s just horrible. You can’t not only can they not win the stuff they would want to learn in this context, who can thrive playing a different style, how can they play without Hallebertton and still do well? You need your best players on the floor to learn that stuff. You’re not even getting that.” So, So remember, the Pacers have their pick for 2026. The real question is, what is real? Should the Pacers simply pack it in, start finding guys like Pascal Seakum some rest, slow play the injuries that they already have, and just tank so that they can add somebody in what is supposed to be a loaded NBA draft next summer? Here’s the thing. I’m going to say no because I don’t think they were going to be that good even if they didn’t pack if even if they don’t pack it in. Like I I like a lot of the pieces on this Pacers team. We talked about how Ben Matan and N Smith and these guys have an opportunity to really show and and and grow their game uh this off seasonason. I mean this season without Tyrese Hallebertton, but I don’t think that they have to pack it in early. Like we’re 11 games into the seasonish for all teams. Like it’s too early to do that. I don’t think they’re going to win a lot of games regardless. I think they’re going to have a really good draft position one way or another. You still play play towards development when you have your guys in there and still try to identify who’s best for long-term fit. I don’t think they have to pack it in yet. Let’s get to at least at least the end of December, January before we worry about that. Pack it in. Pack it in right now. Be done. You nis injury last night and Carlos said it looks like they avoided the worst case scenario which is, you know, good. Hopefully that’s what the MRI reveals. What if you get to December and you in these games where it’s you’re like it’s already over and see Yakam winds up suffering a major injury with what your luck has been or Nith or Nhard and they’re out for a full year and now you’re trying to bring Hallebertton back from major injury and one of these guys back at mid-season like this can derail your next year too. Uh, I thought the Pacers might be competitive this year because Rick Carlile is a hell of a coach and this team actually has some talent on it. And if you like if you look under the hood, there’s they’re probably better than their record. Yeah, for sure. But it’s it’s already too late. There’s no And there’s no real purpose in this. You know, Tony talked about like you’re losing this development time. You don’t need to learn like you don’t need to learn what Aaron Nmith can do with the other guy. Like you know, you know what this team looks like when you have a full roster. You know they’re a contender. They made the finals. They went to a game seven versus the Thunder. They probably win that game if Hallebertton doesn’t get hurt. Pack it in. Save it. This is a great opportunity to use your G-League team. Okay. Go to Fort Wayne, which should be still the Mad Ants, by the way, and not what they’ve changed it to, and just start cycling through guys to get a look at them. Find diamonds in the rough. If you don’t want to pay Ben McMatherin, if you’ve not decided whether you want to do that yet or if you’re like that’s a good trade target, bring in some assets for you to help build over the summer so you can maybe get a center. But like use this year to some sort of substantive advantage instead of trying to win games when that can’t happen and you’re just risking major. But here’s the thing, Matt. They’re not going to shut everybody down. So I get what you’re saying as far as like like like packing it in, but like you’re not going to shut everybody down this early into the season. And as we’ve seen, and I think we’ve talked about before, like, okay, what what instead of playing Pascal 30 minutes, you can play him 25. That’s not going to stop him from getting hurt. If if he’s going to get hurt, he’s going to get hurt. Oh, I didn’t say like shut him. Like, I mean, oh, no. Yeah, you know, the knee soreness. The shame. He’s just got that knee soreness. Still bothering him. One fact check for Matt. Uh, they’re not in Fort Wayne and they’re not in the Matt they’re not the Mad Ants. To your point, they’re now the Nobles Noblesville Boom, which sounds like a fake team from like a high school in a Disney movie. That’s terrible. The Mad Such a good name. Such a good name. Did you see their logo? Really good. Go look up the Fort Wayne Mad Ants logo. It was insane. It was so beautiful. Yeah. Let’s go find some like vintage Mad Ants stuff and wear it on an episode this this year when uh when the Pacers are playing all the former Mad Ants guys. I wore one yesterday, by the way. I wore I wore a Banance hoodie yesterday. That’s the kind of sicko I am. I made you guys talk about the NBA All-Star game format earlier this week. That’s the kind of sicko I am. Now you guys are trying to make me talk about the NBA Cup. I don’t want to do it. You guys do. Two versus one. You guys win. We’ll do it next. Today’s episode is brought to you by Drip Drop. Look, I’m a big electrolytes guy. When I’m hydrated, everything just works better. my focus, energy, mood, even my skin. That’s why I’ve been using Drip Drop. It’s doctor-developed hydration that keeps me running at full power no matter what my day looks like. Drip Drop isn’t your average sports drink. It delivers three times the electrolytes and half the sugar of leading brands using a science-backed formula trusted by medical professionals, firefighters, and over 90% of top college and pro teams. I use Drip Drop as part of my daily routine. First thing in the morning, I mix a packet with some water, and it gives me the energy that I need for the gym, those first few hours of work. I’ve also found that it helps prevent that midday slump. Hydration has became a has become a non-negotiable for me. Drip Drop helps me feel sharper, calmer, and honestly just better overall. And right now, DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to dripdrop.com and use the promo code locked on NBA. That’s dripdrop.com, promo code locked on NBA for 20% off. Stock up now before the heat hits hard and keep your body and mind performing at their best with Drip Drop. Today’s episode is also brought to you by Wayfair. The holiday season is right around the corner and that means it’s time to get your home ready. Whether you need more seating for guests, cozy new linens, or fun serveware for holiday hosting, Wayfair’s Black Friday sale is here to help you make your space shine. And the best part, you don’t have to wait. Wayfair’s Black Friday deals are happening all month long with up to 70% off everything from sofas to spatulas. Wayfair was great for me and my wife as we set up our baby’s room. They had everything that we needed and I couldn’t believe how everything how fast everything shipped. Browsing through their site. It was easy to find pieces that actually fit my style or if I’m being honest, my wife’s style. Uh, and we found it and we ordered it and now it’s here. And with the holidays coming up now, we’re looking at new pieces for the dining room. If you’ve ever hosted family for holidays, you know how much a difference how much difference a few new touches can make. Wayfair makes doing that easy. So don’t miss out on early Black Friday deals. Head to wayfair.com now to shop Wayfair’s Black Friday sale for up to 70% off. That’s wayfair w afir.com. Sale ends December 7th. Welcome back to Locked on NBA Daily. The best way to support the show is to hit that subscribe button on YouTube. Follow us on your podcast at Monday to Friday around 100 pm Eastern time every day. Uh, well guys, it’s time to talk about something even more pointless, I suppose, than the All-Star game. It’s the NBA Cup. They are the worst. You guys are into this. I’m not. I don’t like being told what to care about. Uh, and Adam Silver and the NBA made up this NBA Cup thing. I’m supposed to now care about it in the middle of the season. You guys are all in, though. Yes. It’s awesome. It’s awesome. Okay. You choose to care about the NBA championship. You choose to care about that. You choose to care about the Eastern Conference Championship, which of all things, let’s be honest, the Eastern Conference Championship may be less actually valuable than the NBA Conference. Don’t do that. Don’t do that. Um especially for the 2023 Heat, which had no business being there. Um it’s the the courts are different, the players play a little bit different. Hayes, you’re a convert. Yeah. I mean, when the when the cup was first announced, I thought this was the worst idea. I was like, who cares about any of this? But the players play hard during these games. At minimum, the I don’t get why West is so out on this. Like the championship, if you wanted to make a deal about teams hanging a a Emirates Cup banner in there. Okay, we can have that conversation. But the games themselves, like these are regular season games that teams are very competitive in. And I think because point differential matters in the NBA Cup, you’re seeing teams compete even down the stretches of games that may have may already be technically decided. Like these are really good games and the players are competing in this. I love the NBA Cup. I like when players compete. I’m not saying I don’t. I just don’t really care about when these teams go to Vegas for this uh championship game and there’s nobody in the stands because nobody cares about this thing. Uh nobody knows what it means. It doesn’t matter. Not true. It’s more a matter of because of the format of it, you don’t have time to get there. Like if you told Bucks fans you got two months to get there, you don’t think Bucks fans would get excited for being there? No. Milwaukee fans get excited for sports because like the middle of the country doesn’t have anything else. They don’t have overpriced restaurants and beaches to go to. Are you talking about Miami right now? I’m talking about every coastal city. Um well, tonight in these NBA Cup games, Clippers versus Mavericks. Uh this is the Desperation Bowl. Matt, what are you watching for here? I I actually think this is a good spot for the Clippers to get right. uh get a win, Harden, Zubot, etc. Like this team just shouldn’t be this bad, right? And if you go like, well, the Mavericks shouldn’t be this bad. Well, not Anthony Davis. I think actually if you look at their roster, they probably should be. They’re starting like their best point guard is Brandon Williams for God’s sake. Uh the Clippers have way more talent. I would like to see the Clippers really like lean in on their defense. They’ve gotten completely away from that. That’s why they were good last year was how good their defense was. So, I actually think this is a good opportunity for them for the Clippers to be able to get a win here. It is like the down bad bowl I think is a great explanation here though. Hayes, whichever team loses this is just it’s depressing. Yeah, down bad bowl is the perfect name for this game because this is this is the struggle bowl of the NBA uh cup games today. So I I’m not excited about that game. Like but I still wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still a competitive game because it is a cup game. There you go on that one. Like this is this is two franchises that are in dire straits as things stand right now. The Mavericks are going to figure it out. The Clippers, you guys know how I feel about LA. the Clippers fans deserve less. So there you go. I will say for the for cup standing purposes, if the Clippers do get a win here, it could be huge because they play at Lakers next week. So they’re able to actually build up point differential here. That’s going to help them out. Like they’re 1 and0. The Clippers have started off so terribly. What if they actually make it out of the group stage and they make the cup round? You sound so ridiculous talking about point differential and NBA cup standings that are just there and these different groups are separate. All you want to hear is like the excite get feel the excitement. NBA fans, get excited for the game. What else? Uh you’re talking about cup scenarios. What else uh pops out from the schedule, Matt? Uh group B is really interesting. So it we’ve got Pistons, Magic, Celtics, Sixers, Nets. Celtics are lost by 12 or their net is minus 12. They’re almost out of it at one and one. They got to sweep the board here. Magic are playing the Nets tonight. So they’re going to kill them and they’re going to rack up a big point differential. But then the the Magic have to go to the Sixers. And I actually am gonna like the Sixers a lot in that game. I know the Magic are playing better right now. I am still kind of resistant to the idea that Desmond Bane hits a desperation three and Paliban Caro gets hurt and all of a sudden they’re fixed. Uh so I think there’s a good chance the Pistons actually come out of this. They’re up in in point differential. They got a tough one tonight versus the Sixers though. But the Pistons are at home. Kate Cunningham, Jaylen Durren, questionable but expected to play. No Tobias Harris, no Sar Thompson. That’s a huge game tonight for this group honestly because the Sixers are 0 and one with only a minus one. They win tonight and they’re right back in the thick of it. This Piston Sixers game has a lot for who’s going to come out of the group stage. And that’s the thing about the about the group stage is that like two losses, you’re done, right? And so like you can get right back in it by by getting one and one. I have the Pistons in this game too. Um I think the Pistons are just especially if Kad Kaden during play is going to be a win. I I think for sure 76ers definitely cooled off. This could be opportunity to heat back up, but I’ll bet on the Pistons to win this game. You only You lose two games and you’re out of it. It’s not like it’s the East Playin tournament. Um rematch of Warriors Spurs tonight, Hayes. Uh we got a good one earlier the week between these two teams. Uh we get it again here and it looks like uh both of these teams will be mostly healthy. Jonathan Kaminga questionable for this one. Uh Dylan Harper still out for San Antonio, but other than that, we got the Stars playing in this one. What are you looking at? Spurs won in this game. I think that they that they’re going to learn from the last game. I don’t know if Steph is going to have another go go go off like he did again. Inefficient Jimmy Butler nights coming soon. I got the Spurs one in this one. I think Wim is not going to let him lose this game. Surprisingly, the history of these duplex spots where you play twice in one building. It doesn’t favor the revenge spot. It’s a weird thing that I was surprised at. It’s actually like less common for the home favorite to win in that second game if they lose the first one than it is if they win the first one. And you go like, well, yeah, they won the first one, so they know that they’re better. But I would think that the extra motivation would kind of make it on both sides would make this revenge fight. It’d be more likely to get you to go one and one. But that’s not actually true here. This is a big test, I think, for San Antonio, who started off the season so hot, but have kind of like it’s, you know what’s crazy? They started the tail off when Dylan Harper got hurt of all guys. like the rookie point guard went out and they’ve haven’t really been the same in part I think because Stefan Castle doesn’t know how to set the offense. He’s rushing a little bit. They need to really kind of get things calmed down and set the table. This has got to be a De’Arren Fox game if they’re going to beat the Golden State Warriors. Um there’s one team that we haven’t talked about that I do think is a sneaky candidate to maybe win this NBA Cup. I want to talk about that in a second. Plus the most interesting players being talked about in trade rumors so far this season. And we’ll do all of that, plus our faves of the week after this. Today’s episode of Locked on NBA Daily is brought to you by Door Dash. The NBA season is heating up and Door Dash has found the perfect way for fans to keep in their bag all season long. Whether you’re watching for highlights, your fantasy team, or just your favorite player, Door Dash makes every night a even more exciting. Door Dash is the official ondemand delivery platform of the NBA. And they’re celebrating with something called the Bagdrop. Every time an NBA player scores 50 points in a game, Door Dash drops 50% off your order with Dash Pass the next day and you’re automatically entered for a chance to win the ultimate fan bag. We’re talking about player inspired drip, exclusive gear, and stuff that you’re actually going to want. I love that it’s not just food on Door Dash. You can get everything from snacks to drinks to headphones, ice, even socks, all delivered when you need it. Door Dash has you covered for late night highlights, last minute watch parties, and double overtime fuel ups. So, next time somebody goes off for 50, use the promo code NBA50 the next day to get 50% off on Door Dash with Dashpass. Plus, your shot at the Bagdrop. Dash Pass members only. 50% off up to $10 the day after a 50 point game with the promo code. Terms apply. No purchase necessary. Ends April 13th. Open to US residents 21 or older. Visit door dashinyourbag.com for full details. Door Dash in your bag all season long. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA is back and there’s no better place to get in on the action than on FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you miss the start of the game or want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything who’s from who’s going to score next to fourth quarter comebacks. Plus, you can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. It keeps every game more exciting, especially when your team’s making that late push. We were just talking about the NBA Cup. There’s only one team right now that is 2-0 in the NBA Cup standings, and that is the Toronto Raptors. They already beat Cleveland and Atlanta in their group. They only have games against the Wizards and the Pacers coming up in group play. Those should be wins. And they’re only listed at plus,600. They are not considered one of the favorites to win this thing. And right now, you could argue that they have pole position in this NBA Cup. They’re also playing really well just in general outside of these NBA Cup games. So, now might be the time to get in on them. FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. So head to fanduel.com to sign up and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. I talked about the NBA Cup for the ads. There you go. We did it. Thanks for making LockNBA your first listen every day. The Lockdown Podcast Network is a show for every team. Check out Locked On Suns and Locked On Pacers for more on today’s top stories. Guys, when I used to host uh game nights on Thursday nights with Adam Mades, we used to do a fun version of power rankings where we ranked something just sort of random or esoteric. It wasn’t like power rankings in terms of the best names in the league. Um and we did that for every Friday morning. So, I thought I could bring that back here. Nick Instat made us this uh cool little sound bed for it. System player. I am a systemank. I haven’t heard that in forever. Nick has too much time on his hands because he’s not counting very many wins, so he has nothing better to do. Has the time on his hands. Uh I wanted to start our power rankings by talking about the top five trade rumor guys so far this season. Top five in terms of just interesting. These are guys who are interesting to talk about, interesting to throw into the trade machine and kind of figure things out. I have three honorable mentions for you. Klay Thompson just sort of interesting definitely in a different phase of his career but it’s Klay Thompson he’s a big name it is sort of interesting to think about where he might be able to make an impact on a contender potentially Keon Ellis which we are who we are all a fan of on this show just feels like he’s a guy wasting away in Sacramento and can be a real impact guy somewhere else and then Zion Williamson is an honorable mention doesn’t make my top five because it feels like we’ve been talking about Zion forever and it’s just not that interesting anymore on my list it’s Kobe This guy keeps getting thrown into trade rumors and I can’t figure out why. Because it’s easy to throw him in trade rumors and I think the Bulls have have already signaled they’re not trading Kobe White. Um they got they turned away calls on him this off season. They turned away calls on him last year, the trade deadline. Uh while it is conventional thought that you keep either him or IO, I definitely think the Bulls are keeping both Kobe White and IO Dum. And I’m not necessarily mad at that at all. We either need to like can we I’m begging them either trade Kobe and make more room for IO or keep Kobe and trade IO so he can go do his thing elsewhere. Like keeping both of them is just really obnoxious. Like this is just annoying. Um this is an interesting one in the case of um and this happens quite often. Everyone else around the league thinks that they’re going to trade Kobe White and everyone in Chicago is like no that’s not happening. And that’s usually like that’s honestly it’s a 50-50 proposition because there are cases where like everybody in Utah who has great beat writers was like oh they’re not trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy go that has not h up they traded both of them like that stuff happens but like Hayes has commented that like AK just doesn’t make deals. He just doesn’t. And that was a pretty compelling argument for me to be like yeah okay fair enough. They should trade him because I don’t think Kobe White’s a winning player. I think they can they could they would be a lot better off without him. But I get it. I get it. They’re going to keep him and pay him a lot of money and then be stuck in mediocrity forever. Number four, Damont Sabonis. Interesting because it’s he’s not an ideal fit in a lot of places. He’s kind of a wonky fit and you kind of have to build a certain kind of team around him, but it’s interesting to think about where those fits might be. Matt, it sucks that the Celtics don’t want any more money that they’re trying to get out of the tax because like wouldn’t he be like an interesting Celtics guy? Yeah. Right. He’s like the white kind of guy for them. Yeah. And and you’re like you you add spacing, a playmaker, a roll threat, and a rebounder. So like even if he’s not if he’s bad defensively, they’re good enough to be able to compensate for it. So like I think that that’s like Ashley is a pretty good option there. The one I’ve been kind of hammering for a while is for him to go to the Cavs. And I don’t necessarily love it because the Cavs have had so much success, but if things go sideways, the other thing I would genuinely start asking is look, Darius just can’t stay healthy. If you’re the Kings, Darius Garland is the best player you can get for for Deon Sabonis. There’s nobody better get for Sabonis. Doesn’t Sabonis for Garland make a little bit of sense where the Cavs are like, “Look, we got to win now.” Darius can’t stay healthy. Kings are like, “Oh, hey, we have like a new All-Star point guard to build around.” they move Jared Allen in some sort of other separate deal. That to me makes a lot of sense. And I love the Sabonis trade because I think Sabonis when you look especially like the bigs, even like Anthony Davis being out there, Walker Kesler is now hurt like Sabonis isn’t injured. He’s still a very productive player and I think if he gets in the right environment with the right coach, Sabonis is is going to be a perennial all-star. Like Sabonis is really really good. He’s probably the best player that’s probably realistically available out there. Number three, John Morant. less in the trade rumors now than he was when he was talking about not having joy in Memphis, Hayes, but still kind of boopping around out there. We’re we got our eye on John and what’s happening in Memphis. Yeah, I mean I get it. I get it. Like you have to make sure that if you try to trade for John Morant, you’re a city with or a state with very strict gun laws which may limit uh how many teams are actually interested in John Morant. Um, I I get it why he’s an interesting piece to to talk about trades and and all those put in the trade machine and because, you know, he’s he could be really really good, but I think the luster has worn off a job just a little bit myself and I don’t know how many teams are going to be willing to give up what Memphis is probably going to want for John Mor. Number two, I I actually think if you want Sorry, just real quick. I think if you want to trade him somewhere, it needs to be somewhere with really lax gun laws because it’s like Kyrie Irving getting traded to Dallas where just no one asked him about his political views ever again. just like all of a sudden Kyrie Irving is just like an upstanding citizen. It’s weird. So maybe the Florida teams do make sense for John. People just realize just don’t ask Kyrie questions. I think that’s the thing that people realize. If you don’t want to know, don’t ask. Number two, Larry Markin. Sort of the opposite of Sabonis in that you could just kind of you could fit him anywhere it feels like. Um and to your point Matt from earlier, the Jazz like to say that they’re not trading anybody. And as soon as they start saying, “We’re not gonna trade this guy.” I’m thinking, “Ah, they’re probably gonna trade this guy.” Yeah, a little bit. Yeah. Um, a lot of good options. Phoenix is not a bad bad choice. If you want like more of the the sexier teams, how about San Antonio? Put Marginan next to Webmanyama and all of a sudden your offense, you got all those point guards and Markin and WBY. No. Hayes. No. You know my thoughts on on uh on Markin. Markin is a is a player that’s going to put up very good stats on bad teams for the rest of his career. I just don’t. And no knock on him. Like what he’s fifth in the league in scoring. Like he he he he he can block shots. Like he does a little bit of everything when he gets in that rhythm. I just don’t know if I believe Li as a winning player yet. Personally, that’s just me. Last one. Number one, it’s Anthony Davis. Talking about it all week. How about this for a Spurs trade target? Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis and Victor Wignyama in that front court together. Here’s the thing. He’s averaged playing 60 games in the last six years per season. He’s making almost six. You’re going to play pay him $1 million per game. No, like Anthony Davis is a is a very good player when he’s on the basketball court, but the combination of contract, health, and what the Mavericks are probably looking back to get for Anthony Davis. I I get it that he can help teams theoretically. It’s just going to be a very difficult trade to to maneuver with that contract. Windhor and Bonds had a thing on their scouts thing that was talking about how an executive said like the problem is that he’s going to be looking for an extension this year that’s going to pay him $70 million per year. So to me like the only team that makes sense for him is the Chicago Bulls. It’s time to end our show the same way we do every Friday with our favorites of the week. Hayes, go ahead. My favorite thing of the week is is Matt Moore keep bringing up Io Dumu needs more opportunity where he’s like Billy Donovan’s what one of his favorite players and he always has a big role on the Chicago Bulls team. But other than that outside of basketball my favorite thing of the week would be um I had the the the I was getting something delivered. I have 160 pound Aikita and the guy the delivery guy I looked at him when I was opening the door I said don’t run cuz he saw my dog took off running. My dog took off after the door after him. Most hilarious moment I’ve seen in a while. Classic dog after mailman thing. I didn’t know that happened outside of cartoons. Don’t run. Don’t run. The first impulse. He’s60bound killing weapon. I can’t just don’t run. He will literally will not chase anything if it doesn’t work. If I open the door and there is a giant horse dog with giant teeth staring at me and someone says, “Don’t run.” You know what? I thought it. didn’t say anything. I just I could tell by looking at him when he looked at the dog and then it was like he’s about to run. He was like a he was like a 19 20 year old kid too. I was like he’s about to run. He’s thinking don’t run is my favorite thing here. Um I got two. One John Krosinski at the Ringer live show was gave a story that says during the 2020 pre-draft workouts they asked LaMelo Ball what do you see yourself doing after your playing career? What are your what do you aspire to? And LaMelo said I want to be president of the United States. Um, so that was my fave of the week, Matt. I’m glad you brought it up. That is insane. And I’m sure you’ve also heard stories about LaMelo Ball’s pre-draft interviews. Yeah, it’s almost a miracle he was taken as high as he was taken based on some of the things you hear with these interviews. Yeah. My last one is uh go watch any of the videos of Devin Booker and just like there was actually like a highlight reel of this on the Suns last night. I kind of mentioned this how much Joe he’s playing with. He’s like he’s falling down for a loose ball and there’s like a baby there and he fistbumps the baby and then just gets up and keeps running. Like he makes a a really great play on a loose ball and is like running through the or I am one and finishes through the crowd and this kid’s like so excited and he hugs him. Like there’s just like these cool moments like you start to get why the Suns didn’t trade Deon Booker. Like this guy really does have a connection to the community and like I love this. I love this second or third arc of Deon Booker’s career. It’s good vibes. We’re all about vibes here on Locked on NBA Daily. If you like what you heard today, subscribe to Locked on NBA wherever you get your podcast, including on YouTube. Thank you to Matt and Hayes for their expertise every day. Thank you for making Locked on NBA Daily your first listen. We’ll see you right back here next week on Locked on NBA Daily.

Phoenix Suns surge with Devin Booker’s MVP-level play, but can this hot streak last and propel them into playoff contention?

Wes Goldberg, Matt Moore, and Haize debate if the Suns’ identity behind Booker’s scoring and Dylan Brooks’ surprising contributions signal a turnaround, breaking down defensive stats, upcoming matchups, and what lies ahead for Phoenix in a tough Western Conference.

Indiana Pacers face a critical crossroads after another key injury—should they embrace the tank for a shot at a loaded NBA Draft? The crew weighs the pros and cons of shutting down stars like Pascal Siakam and focusing on long-term development. Plus, catch their lively takes on NBA Cup scenarios, the most intriguing trade rumor targets including Anthony Davis and John Morant, and favorite moments from around the league. Don’t miss this fast-paced, insight-packed look at what’s real in the NBA right now.

00:00 Are the Phoenix Suns For Real?
09:45 Pacers Should Tank
17:27 Down Bad Bowl: Mavs vs Clippers
26:00 Most Interesting Players in Trade Rumors

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nba

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/nba

Follow the Locked On Podcast Network
Twitter 📲 https://twitter.com/LockedOnNetwork
TikTok 📲 https://www.tiktok.com/@lockedonsports

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! | Offers: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/offers/

#NBA #Basketball #Podcast #NBAPodcast #Sports #SportsPodcast