NBA Prospects You Must Watch & Trade Rumor Reality Check – Southwest Edition

[00:00:21] It's Wednesday, you know what time it is. Front Runner Podcast Collective is back on the air. I am your humble host, Vince, and on today's podcast. We have a lot to get to. We're going to be breaking down the Southwest Division. We're also going to be talking about a couple of prospects that need to be on your radar.

[00:00:43] And also, we are going to get into the fraudulent meter of some of the rumors that are going around in the NBA. But before we do that, there's a couple things that we need to get to. One, I want to continue to tell you that myself and Soria are fine. Soria, if you'd like to hop on for one second and just talk about your experience, powerful stuff.

[00:01:11] We have numbers for you when it comes to the wildfires and what have you as far as just the damage and things of that nature. We'll go ahead and talk about that. And we'll go ahead and talk about that right now. So we're looking at so far about over a billion dollars in damage as far as property is concerned, as far as what it's going to cost. Because there are so many structures that have just been absolutely destroyed.

[00:01:42] And then the thing that I'm upset about is something that Van Lathan had talked about on his podcast, and it was something that actually hit home with us a little bit. There was a person that has been displaced that we know of. And, you know, basically what had transpired is that this person thought, oh, I'm gonna go stay at an Airbnb.

[00:02:11] And this Airbnb was priced at a certain rate, what have you. And this was her contingency plan, mind you. So I'm not going through this as correctly as I need to be. So let me start all over. So we have somebody who's close to us who has been displaced. This person has as the situation was spiraling and you're starting to figure out what's going on. And then you're told to evacuate.

[00:02:40] She had contingency plans set up. And with these contingency plans, as you get closer, she was there's an Airbnb. The price is moderate. I, my company will help pay for half of it. We'll have you in this situation. She looked at it like 24 hours after. And the price had jumped up by $200. It was just crazy.

[00:03:08] And we understand like when things happen, hopefully we come together as people. We also do understand that this world is broken. We also try to help out and put ourselves into situations that, that show the best of us. And to hear that there are people out there trying to monetize off this tragedy is, it's gross, man.

[00:03:37] It's not gross. It's gross. And I understand, hey, it's tough out here for people, but not at this time, man. Not at this time. So I hope for all those who are continually to be affected, our prayers and our thoughts here at Front Runner Podcast Collective are with you. We are continuing to have you in our thoughts and trying to see in other ways that we can help.

[00:04:07] We sent aid to the folks in, I think, Altadena and then Pacific Calisades or what have you. And so we're trying to do our part in this thing, trying to create community, trying to help though our fellow Angelenos, basically. Because here's the thing, the devastation, it looks like a movie. It looks like a war zone.

[00:04:35] All those cliches that people are using. It's just a gut punch as soon as you see it. Especially when you knew of the area or you've been to the area or you have maybe a core memory in that specific area. And to know that the buildings that you used to walk by or go in or patron or whatever the case may be, they're gone. They're gone.

[00:05:02] And yeah, we have the chance of rebuilding, but you understand sometimes it's just not the same. And sometimes people, the same people aren't able to rebuild. And then somebody else comes in and our people in New Orleans knows all about what we're talking about. But that's neither here nor there. Everybody in Southern California, stay safe. We're still up against it. We're still going through high winds and things of that nature. So hopefully we can get through this.

[00:05:30] And a shout out to our firefighters. Shout out to our our prisoners that are. I think there's nine hundred and thirty eight. Prisoners that are working on these wildfires as of right now. So shout out to those guys who are trying to rehabilitate their lives and putting their lives on the line for us. For sure.

[00:05:58] So with that being said, let's get to our socials and then we can get to the podcast because we have a lot to get to. Blue Sky. So my Blue Sky account is frontrunnerpc.bsky.social and Soraya is at frpc-raya.bsky.social. And our X accounts are at frontrunnerpc.

[00:06:25] And Soraya is at rea underscore punch frpc. Now, do not forget about the YouTube page. We have been telling you we're going to be putting stuff up, blah, blah, blah, blah. We're going through a technology change. I am switching completely over to Apple.

[00:06:49] So I will have I have a I have a MacBook that's sitting to the side of me right now, actually, because it's so light. So MacBook Air, you know what I'm saying? I can take it off the thing. You know what I'm saying? Show it to the folks. You know what I'm saying? This is how we doing it. This is how we doing it over here. All right. That has come. Shouts out to our folks at Apple. They didn't give it to me for free. No, no plug for you. And also we're getting an iMac.

[00:07:19] So we're changing over some things. So YouTube videos are coming. I am not afraid to say that I am a kind of a virgin Mac user. Give us a second. We will get the videos up and going, but we will have content on the YouTube page. We're going to put polls up.

[00:07:39] We're going to dedicate that to that site as well as this, because we want to make sure that you guys can get to us all in one section. So we created something for you guys to be able to do. And I'm proud to tell you guys about it now. And I'm so excited about the website.

[00:08:00] We talked to, we talked about it on Monday and I want to talk about it now a little bit because it means a lot to us because there's a lot of hard work that has gone into it. So the website is frpc.podcastpage.io. So that'll get you FRPC. It'll get you our podcast. They go up immediately.

[00:08:30] If you go to the blog section right now, you're going to see two blogs. There will be more as we go along. We're going to have more and it's crazy what we're going to be able to do. But there is a 2025 NBA draft prospect rankings there. And we have 45 guys up on there right now.

[00:08:55] And we have pretty extensive evaluations on all of these gentlemen. And it's some of our best work. I'm proud of it. Please go and support the website. We'll also that get you us completely. That gets you links to the Twitter, get you links to the blue sky. It gets your links to the YouTube page. And what we're trying to build is a community.

[00:09:24] And also the website has a way to even build out further where then we can allow you guys on. And as we grow, we can turn on Patreon and things of that nature and then have like exclusive content. We are trying to grow this podcast network. And again, I will put it out to the listeners one more time. If you are passionate about football, you're passionate about college football.

[00:09:53] If you're passionate about comic books, music, art, food, what have you. Send me a email. Hit me up at frpcvents at gmail.com. And you and I can talk because I want more content. It's supposed to be a podcast network. And right now it's just mine. So the dream is to extend this out.

[00:10:20] Give people opportunities where you don't have to worry about the platform. You don't have to worry about getting the website up or getting the podcast up or whatever. You have to worry about basically coming up with your content and then promoting your podcast on social media. Which will help you do that, too. Those are the type of things that I want to do. But the exciting thing is this draft rankings is crazy. It's so extensive.

[00:10:48] A lot of hours, a lot of notes and a lot of talking to people. So thank you to everyone who has gone. Please get the word out to people. And let's do this. Be a friend and tell a friend. We are now fully functional. The website was the culminating piece of what we were looking to do. And there are going to be more blogs up there. There are going to be more think pieces up there.

[00:11:17] There will be polls and things of that nature. We have that capability. And we're going to all tied in all to one centralized location. Again, it's FRPC.podcastpage.io. So make sure you lock that in and it gets you up to date as much as you possibly can with the podcast.

[00:11:45] So, with that being said, we have wasted enough time so we can go ahead and get into some of this baseline buzz. Now, in the baseline buzz today, what we're going to be talking about is we're going to be diving into two intriguing prospects that I've come across in the 2025 NBA draft. One is by the name of LeBaron Phelan and the other one is by the name of Rashear Fleming.

[00:12:14] These guys are looking excellent and they're making moves up draft boards and we will go ahead and give them a proper ado here. Alright, so LeBaron Phelan is playing Alabama right now. He is a point guard. He's 6'4". He's wiry. He's 177 pounds. People are comparing him to Kobe Buck. Kobe Buck in Michigan.

[00:12:44] He has craftiness in his scoring. And he's underrated as a defender because of the fact that the length is there. Now people underestimate him because of the fact that he is slight. He's very thin. So obviously he's going to have to put on weight. So let's talk about him a little bit. LeBaron Phelan is an advanced offensive guard. Combines craft, poise and high basketball IQ to consistently find success on the court.

[00:13:12] Known for his ability to score efficiently inside the arc using elite footwork, touch and historically accurate floater. Phelan has become a key contributor for Alabama while questions about his three point shooting and his physical limitations remain.

[00:13:32] His ability to impact games with intelligence, decision making, passing vision and defensive effort make him one of the most intriguing guards in the 2025 NBA draft. So let's get into what makes him so special.

[00:13:50] Now Phelan is right now shooting 67.9% on two point attempts, leveraging his handle, his counter moves and his ability to finish effectively for his size at the ring. So you have that. And then his floater is exceptional. He's converting 16 and 19 making nearly, they're just automatic at this point.

[00:14:18] So if he gets to like a 12 to eight, 12 to nine foot range, he can go up with a floater. He can teardrop it. He can put a little more arc on it. The touch is phenomenal. Now, the three point shooting is a problem. His jumper is inconsistent. He's shown flashes of the mid range and a pull up, but occasionally the three point shot has been.

[00:14:46] He can become really streaky, but it's not like flamethrower streaky. What I mean by that is that when you get like a Karis Levert, like Karis Levert can hit eight threes in a game. Phelan, he like his Zenith right now is if he's hot or he's feeling good from that range, you're looking at four, maybe six attempts. And that's his Zenith.

[00:15:15] But Karis Levert is going to shoot until his arm falls off. And that's the difference between a Phelan and a Karis Levert right now. Obviously, we've talked about multiple years in the league too. Now, his basketball IQ and his vision are crazy. His he averages 3.9 assists game, which is not great. But there's a lot of passes that lead to baskets that he's not necessarily getting assists on.

[00:15:44] But they were on the money passes that led the dude right to the basket and he scored. Now, maybe because of physical limitations or just the athleticism in the Southeastern Conference, maybe they weren't able to put it up right away. There was a couple of pump fakes here and there. But he gets people good shots and he can create good looks for himself.

[00:16:11] He adjusts well to defensive schemes, finding open spaces and making quick decisions in the half court sets. He's also calm under pressure. He plays with a controlled pace using change of speed and quick counters to elude defenders and maintain offensive rhythm. Now, you would say, Okay, Vince, he's 6'4", he's 177 pounds. Tell me about his defense. Okay, I can hook you up there.

[00:16:40] He's a pesky on-ball defender. Is he a great, like, he's gonna put you in a lot of 8-second violation type situations? No, but he can make it difficult for you. He's long, gangly, and he disrupts opposing guards with his effort and his quickness in his anticipation. Locke's consistent steals and deflections showcasing strong defensive awareness. He does rebound.

[00:17:09] He does stick his nose in there for somebody as slight as he is. So, there's a compete level with him when he's on the boards. He doesn't allow his size or his limitation of strength to, Oh, I'm not gonna go in there. There's too much physicality. No, I'm going in there and I'm gonna get this rebound. So, he does do that. Now, it works in college. Does it work in the pros?

[00:17:36] These are the questions that we put to the test with him is this, is that his physical limitations at 177 pounds, he will need to add strength to withstand the NBA physicality and handle the contact when finishing at the rim. It's all well and good right now. But there's a little more physicality when it comes to the NBA. Okay.

[00:18:00] Now, he doesn't, now, his vertical explosion, he lacks elite bounce, which may limit his ability to finish over larger defenders and compete against NBA level rim protectors. Now, the equalizer to all that is that floater. Shooting consistency. Inconsistent three-point shooting.

[00:18:22] While capable, his perimeter shooting needs to improve significantly to expand his scoring repertoire and enhance his floor spacing. Shot selection. Occasionally settles for contested looks or forces shots in tight spaces impacting efficiency. Now, I will tell you that some of this is, this is spot on. And some of this is an anomaly.

[00:18:50] And what I mean by that is I've seen a lot of shots where he's taking it within like the last three seconds of the shot clock. So, obviously putting an 18-year-old kid in a bind like that, some kids thrive in that situation, some takes time to develop. I like that he has the confidence and he has a no-fear factor on taking those shots.

[00:19:14] He, that's where some of the field goal percentages aren't as robust as we would like to see them. But he's willing to take those shots where his, it could affect his field goal percentage. Hey, he's looking to win. He's looking to win. Now, turnovers and decision-making. Can be turned over, can be turnover prone when pressured, particularly when attempted high-risk passes in crowded areas. He has an imagination.

[00:19:44] You have to be on the same page with him as far as that's concerned. This is where continuity comes into play. Obviously, when you are playing in college, you're getting all the transfer portals in. And then we know it's a young man's game. And usually, especially in the SEC conference, it's a lot of one and done or whatever case it be. Usually, you're not playing like the second, third year for that particular team or super rare.

[00:20:13] So some of his turnovers, I would account to just, okay, do they know that he has this in his back? And then some of it has been like, hey, he's a risk taker. If he sees something, he will try to, he'll redline it, man. He will absolutely redline it to make an incredible pass. So I like some of the imagination. I like some of the creativity.

[00:20:38] But obviously, you'd have to dial it back as far as just making efficient decisions. Like, okay, this is not the time or place to make this particular play. Now, scoring efficiency. We talked about him shooting 67.9% on two-point attempts, which is elite conversion rates on floaters, underscores his interior scoring prowess.

[00:21:07] He has a strong assist numbers reflect his ability to create for teammates, though turnover rates highlight areas of improvement, obviously, for sure. He has a solid steal rate, points to his active hands, defense awareness, and even if his frame limits his impact against larger opponents. Basically, highlights of him. We talked about his IQ. We talked about the flow to mastery. Let's talk about his draft projection as of right now.

[00:21:36] So up to date. LeBaron Phelan projects as a mid to late first rounder in the 2025 NBA draft. Scouts are enamored with his craftiness and his basketball IQ. They are concerned about the three-point shooting in his frail frame. They know that he is not an automatic. He's going to start impacting you when he steps right into the league.

[00:22:03] Now, this is his role as of right now is a backup guard who contributes as a crafty scorer, playmaker, and defensive disruptor in a limited role. Long-term ceiling. He could be a spot starting point guard in the league, but he could be a high-level backup and running that second unit for years if this goes all the way.

[00:22:33] That's our scouting report on LeBaron Phelan. And again, the reason why I wanted to do that and the reason why I'm going to do another one is because we want to alert you to going to the website, going to FRPC.podcastpage.io And making sure you're getting locked in with some of these player comps and things of that nature.

[00:23:03] So the next guy on the list is Rashear Fleming. Rashear Fleming is quickly becoming one of my favorite players in the draft. I usually gravitate towards two or three guys. I try to not pick like the top guys. If you're a really special top guy, I just feel like you're going to get that love. I'm going to give you that love myself. I'm going to pay you all the respect. You're going to get your flowers. My man, trust me, Cooper Flagg.

[00:23:32] Our guy Dylan Harper. Well, Dylan Harper came back and had an excellent game against UCLA. And yes, I will talk about it. Dylan Harper put it on us. He put it on UCLA. He, I could not eight clap. I could not eight clap. No, because we lost. Because Dylan Harper was magical that night. But those guys are going to get the love. But the guys that we're talking about today.

[00:24:02] Yeah, you'll start hearing about them come really close to draft time. But we want to give you some background information. Now, we want to make sure that you're up to date with what's ever going on. And again, I continue to hammer home the prospects ranking list on our web page on our website. But we're really proud of it is very comprehensive as you're about to find out with Rashear Flynn.

[00:24:30] So, he plays for St. Joe's. And a lot of people get scared off because he's a junior. But he's a real young junior. He is only 20 years old. So, keep that in mind. Player comp is Taylor Hendricks. Two-way versatility shooting athleticism. He actually might be a little bit stronger than Taylor Hendricks. He's a dynamic two-way forward.

[00:24:57] He can buy size, athleticism, and skill to make an impact on both ends of the floor. He's known for his ability to space the floor with consistent shooting, finishing above the rim. And he creates defensive disruptions as well. Now, Fleming has emerged as a legitimate NBA prospect. His 20 plus threes and dunks early in the season highlight his versatility.

[00:25:26] Now, while his defensive playmaking metrics are just excellent, listen to this. So, per 100 possessions, right? 3.5 steals and 5.5 blocks per 100 procession. Now, you want to talk about scoring versatility? He looks like a three-level scorer. He's shooting 40.9% from three. Now, I will tell you. Hold on. Wait.

[00:25:55] It's 49 point... It's 40.9% from three. He has real clean mechanics. He excels as a catch and shoot option. Here's the one thing I will say. It's been this year. It wasn't last year. And it wasn't the year prior. But... We can tell you that his opportunities weren't as robust as they've been this year.

[00:26:22] This year, it seems like he's been given the keys to the card. There's a lot more ownership of the offense and you're starting to see the fruits of all the summer workouts with Rashear Fleming. Now, he's capable of finishing through contact around the rim using his length to convert challenging shots. The other thing is he's also 240 pounds. And he's rock solid.

[00:26:50] So, people are bouncing off of him. He going to the rim. People are like trying to foul him. He's like, get off me, son. You don't want none of this. Do not bring no Kool-Aid to a gym party. The other thing is that he does in transition. He runs the floor exceptionally well. He understands his lane assignments in those situations. He does finish in transition very well. And...

[00:27:18] When he has the chance to use his athleticism in scoring opportunities that make sense, he will do. Now, as a defender, he has exceptional instincts. He allows... He has 1.8 steals and he also averages 1.3 blocks a game. Complete disruptor on that side of the wall. And... He also has not just an innate ability to do it. He seems to really enjoy it.

[00:27:48] He seems to really enjoy the process of locking somebody up. Which is great. Now, his ability to switch on to perimeter players and contest shots at the rim make him such a... Just... This is exactly what you want in a wing. The physicality to be able to play up to the forward position. The... The versatility and the quickness. The lateral quickness to be able to handle the shiftier smaller people.

[00:28:16] And the ability to actually protect the rim. Because you're averaging 1.3 blocks a game. This is fantastic. He moves his feet and it's all over the video. I mean, watch the tape. Go get you some cut-ups of Rashear Fleming and it's... It's just gonna do your heart some good. He moves his feet. He stays in front of the guards while using his length and his explosiveness to challenge bigs.

[00:28:45] The other thing is that he will dominate the glass if you let him. He's averaging 9.7 rebounds per game. Including frequent offensive rebounds. Like... The clutch... Gotta have the second shot opportunity. He will give you that. Now, let's break down some of the things that we are looking for with him. Let's get into his jab projections.

[00:29:13] He looks to be a mid to late first rounder. His combination of shooting and his defensive versatility and athleticism make him an ideal fit for the modern NBA. Where two way forwards are in high... You're gonna make a lot of money for a long time. Which is great. His immediate role is a stretch forward or energy forward who provides floor spacing,

[00:29:43] defensive game planning, and rebounding off the bench. His long term ceiling. Now... Call me a optimist if you want. I think that... I think that... Rashear Fleming can be a starter in the NBA. I think he can be a starter for a contending team. I think... Because the two way impact he can play offense and defense. He can be a reliable, useful scorer for a long period of time.

[00:30:12] But the defense always travels. It goes with him wherever he goes. He is capable of defending elite wings. Because of his size, his strength, his physicality, and also... His ability to mirror the offensive player. He's knocking down threes this year at a high clip. Which is great. Because this is what the scouts wanted to see from him. And he's... Serving as a reliable secondary scorer. On St. Joe's.

[00:30:41] This is all the things you want. I think this guy has a good chance to be one of those guys that... In about four or five years was sitting and going... Man, I would do anything to trade for him. So... Just a quick aside on... A couple guys that are going into this draft. And again... We're gonna continue to update that page.

[00:31:10] Any new information that we get... We're going to update. Put like a little note section and what have you. And also we're going to expand out within probably the next month or so. So... I would hope to have... A complete list of 60. So... I'm not giving you an actual date. But... The closer I get to it... The more you'll know. And then I'll tell you to go back to our webpage. Yeah, our webpage. I'll say it again.

[00:31:40] And look at... The new updated... NBA Draft Ranking. Keep that locked... For... On your iPhone or your Android. Lock that up. Get that website. Alright... We're gonna move along to our... Segment that we like to call Around the Arc. And this time we're gonna be taking into consideration... The Southwest Division.

[00:32:07] And there's so many storylines to go in here. But there's a couple things that I wanna get to. We're gonna be talking about Houston. We're gonna be talking about... Who else are we gonna talk about? Memphis. We're gonna be talking about the Dallas Mavericks. We're gonna be talking about Wimby. And then... We need to talk about the New Orleans Pelicans. Alright... Let's start with the Houston Rockets. And the reason why I wanted to start with them. Not because... They are doing excellent.

[00:32:36] They're one of my favorite teams to watch. And it's not because... It's beautiful basketball all the time. Because it's not. They play hard. One... They're all trying to figure out... Who and what they are in the NBA. And I like to see that process... Within every individual young player. Or a player on a rookie contract. And then... There's so much hope. Because... Reed Shepard...

[00:33:06] Who was their... Very high lottery pick this year... Really can't even get any time. With the Rockets... He has to play down in the G League... To get any burn. So our guy... Is going through it this year. But... The Rockets have so much talent. But I want to give... Some credit. And I want to talk about... Their team... In a couple facets today. And the first thing that I want to say... Is that the Rockets...

[00:33:35] Ime Adelka... Their head coach... He's redefining toughness... And accountability in Houston. This team is... 26-12. With the league's... Third best defensive rating... At 107.3. About him... Is this... Is that... I honestly thought... When Ime Adelka got there... I thought this would be... The demise... Of Jim Green. And... I should have thought...

[00:34:04] Because this is the same guy... Who walked into Boston... Became the head coach there. Jalen Brown... Can be prickly. Jason Tatum... Can be aloof. He got those guys... To buy in. He got those guys... To get their mentality... And their mindset... By the time... They hit the second part... Of the season... They were off and running... And playing really good ball... And then all the... Unfortunate stuff happened. But...

[00:34:34] Jalen Green has taken a step. He's averaging 30 points... Per game... In January... Shooting... 45.6%... Three... While maintaining... Just... 1.4... Turnovers... Per game... That is a... Huge... Difference... There was a lot of... Bad shot taking... By Jalen Green... In the first couple years... His... Erratic... Passing... Like he would get up in... Air...

[00:35:04] And not have a plan... And then... Throw errant passes... To people... Like wishing... People to be there... And now you see a guy... Who's playing with... A lot more control... You're seeing a guy... Who is... Actually... Understanding... And hearing to... What the mechanisms... Of the offense are... He's picking his spots... Where he can be aggressive... There's a lot of growth... There... And Udoka... Praised his growth... Saying...

[00:35:33] I love his defensive effort... Taking the challenge... Of Desmgain... And John Morant... And with Alkren Shingun... Emerging... As also a two-way star... And... Let me tell you something... It seems like... Amin Thompson... Unlocked this whole deal... Who knew... That Amin Thompson... Was the... Linchpin... To this situation... But... Here we are... And the Rockets... Look excellent... And I am...

[00:36:02] Enjoying... Just watching them... It's so great... Now we're gonna move along... To Memphis... And I wanna give some credit to... A couple things here... We always talk... We wanna be a podcast... That has a... Panoramic POV... Of the NBA... And here's a good... Case of that... I wanna give... Credit... To... The Memphis Grizzlies... Front office... Zach Kleinman...

[00:36:31] All the player development people... The scouts... The scouts... College scouts... And things of that nature... The international scouts... And what have you... Cause one thing that we do know... About the Memphis Grizzlies... Is these dudes... Know how to draft... And they know... When they see... A distressed asset... Case in point... The Grizzlies... Continue to shine... Under the radar... Their secret weapon... This year... Jalen Wells...

[00:37:00] Who was the... 39th... Overall pick... In this last year's... Draft... He's averaging... 11.7 points... And he leads... All rookies... With 76... Three-pointers... Made... Memphis depth... Has been pivotal... Especially in... John Morant's... Absence... Their 5th ranked... Offensive rating... Shows... The continuity... Of the team... It also shows... Just like... Scotty Pippen Jr...

[00:37:29] We talked about this... In a previous slide... But... The pick up... Of Scotty Pippen Jr... Was big... Jay Huff... Has given them minutes... Jake... Jake LaRavia... Has like... Actual trade value... But... Because Memphis... Declined his... Fourth year option... He's not gonna... Probably be able... To get traded... And I... I have no idea... What Jake LaRavia... Is going to make... On the open market... Next year... I don't think it's gonna be like this... 30... 40 million dollars...

[00:37:58] I can think that... But he's about to make... A significant... Pay... Upgrade... In his pay... Just... Little pieces of information... For you... If you wonder why... When... Memphis... Is being... Discussed in trade... Rumors... Why Jake LaRavia's name... Is not in there... Is because... The team that gets him... They're not gonna be able to afford him... Because they're gonna... Only be able to go up to a certain amount... Which is like...

[00:38:27] 4 or 5 million dollars... But... As an unrestricted free agent... He's gonna be able to walk into... If somebody wanted to pay him like... 18-19 million dollars a year... Not saying they will... But if somebody wanted to do that... They would have that capability... But the team that he is... With now... Or the team he would be traded to... Would not have that same capability... They will be stuck under this... Because they've already... Declined the...

[00:38:56] The last year of the option... So just little things like that... That you can be aware of... But getting back to Jalen Wells... I wanna talk about just... How... Gifted... Or how... Open-minded... The... Brass is... In Memphis... A couple years ago... They went out and got like... David Roddy... Who was like an odd-shaped dude... And they've done it in the past... Before... But he had long arms... Didn't work out... But... They didn't stop...

[00:39:25] They kept going to the well... To find these dudes... There's certain... There's certain specific things... That they're either... A. Looking for... Or there's a certain... Player archetype... That they're trying to find... And it looks like they found it... In Jalen Wells... Because... He's shooting the lights out... Like we just said... He's made more three-pointers... Than any other rookie... This year... And... I am always amazed... That Memphis...

[00:39:55] We talk about Orlando... We talk about OKC... We talk about... Some of these other teams... That have... Put together... Impressive rosters... Via draft... And true trades... Memphis also... Deserves their flowers as well... They do an incredible job... And again... Zach Kleinman... I know Tayshaun Prince... Is in that organization as well... So... My tip with a cat... To TP... Former Detroit Piston... You know what I'm saying... I just wanted to give them love... But Jalen Wells...

[00:40:24] Has been holding it down... And Ja is now healthy... And let's see... What Memphis can do... Now we move along... To the Dallas Mavericks... And I'm gonna tell you right now... The Mavericks... Thank God... Kyrie is back... Did anybody see... That game... Against Denver... The other night... They're 3-8... Since Christmas... And with Luka out... For the rest of January...

[00:40:54] They're clinging to the 6th seed... In the West... Irving acknowledged that... The struggle saying... We have just got to stay together... And enjoy the craft of basketball... Let's hope... Dallas... That they can find their rhythm... Let's hope... But I will say this... Is that... It's good that they got... A veteran stabilizer... In Kyrie back... I think he will... Improve the offense... You will have a little more diversity...

[00:41:23] And anybody with the... Package that Kyrie has... Pause... Dribble package that Kyrie has... Is always... A added addition... Because he can... Attack to paint... And then kick it out... To 3-point shooters... This should help... The PJ Washingtons of the world... It should be able to help... The other guys who are... Just basically... Knocked down shooters... That they have on it... But I'm looking forward to... Oh... Clay Thompson... Definitely... This helps Clay Thompson...

[00:41:53] Immensely... Knocked down shooter... Sitting in the corner... Chilling... But... My question is this... We are looking at... Well we're on the 15th of January... We still have... 16 more days to go... In January... Dallas is in trouble... And... It's not like they're... In trouble in like... This... Multi-year... It's just this year... It's just... It's tough when you have an injury... Especially to Luka... And then you get... Kyrie...

[00:42:22] And listen... Kyrie's a little bit older... He's a smaller guard... He's going to miss time... Every once in a while... It's the rigors... And the pounding that these guys take... Pause again... Gotta start... Coming up with other words... Diversify... My verbiage... But anyway... Dallas is going through... A tough spell... But getting... Kyrie Irving back... Is a welcome... Welcome... Addition... And I hope... That he can... Stem the tide... A little bit...

[00:42:52] Until Luke... Returns... In February... Now... Speaking to... A team that has a... Absolute... Dynamic... Megastar... That we don't know what to do with... Let's move ourselves... To the San Antonio Spurs... Shall we? And anytime... That we get a chance to talk about... Victor Wendbayama... On this podcast... Our ratings go up... We love it... Victor is our guy... But... Today... We have a reason...

[00:43:21] It's around the arc... And it's Southwest Division... So... We're gonna talk about Victor... When Wendbayama... Continues to dazzle... He's leading the league... With 4 blocks... Per game... He's holding... Opponents... To... 50.2%... Shooting... Inside... 6 feet... Okay... So... Think about that... You're in a restricted area... That they have that... Half... Semi-circle...

[00:43:51] So... People can't... Get called... For... Charging... If somebody is on that line... Or... Inside that circle... Any shot within there... Is a... 50-50 proposition... With Victor Wendbayama... On the court... So... I want you to... Understand that... Centers... Shoot... In the high 60s... Because... They're just... Rim running centers... And they get dunks... Or... They're... Pretty... Creative around the rim...

[00:44:21] If they don't have the hops... That you need... Or whatever... They'll figure out a way... To get the bucket... They'll get the bucket... But... Victor... Is telling you... That is a... Basically a 50-50 shot... Of you getting that shot... In the... In the basket... Successfully... That's such an amazing... Man... He's everything that we thought he was going to... And... Even more... I don't even know what's possible at this point...

[00:44:49] I have no idea what kind of numbers we're going to see... Like in three years... Is it possible for this dude to... Like... Nearly average 40 points... Like 15 rebounds... And 5 blocks... And 5 steals... Oh... 5 assists... I'm sorry... 5 assists... Is that off the table? Is that completely off the table? I don't know... But I will say this... Can't wait to find out... And then he's also getting healthy... John Hollinger...

[00:45:18] Of The Athletic... Summed it up best... When we's greatest power... Isn't... The shots that he blocks... It's the ones... Opponents... Don't even dare to attempt... With when we on the court... The Spurs... Allow 7.2 points... Fewer... Per 100 possessions... Dude... Is there any question about... Who the defensive player of the year is... In the NBA? I hope not... Because we...

[00:45:47] We gave it to him last year... Because of this thing... That Hollinger... Is talking about... In this piece... There are times... Where I have seen... Real... Legitimate... Superstars... In the NBA... Pass on the point... Of taking an attempt... Against... And Victor is just... In the vicinity... He's not even the main... Defender... On the guard... Or the wing... They're just like... They'll dribble in the lane...

[00:46:16] And you'll see them... They'll be really aggressive... Goin towards lane... And... They'll see his shadow... And it... They'll... You turn... Out of the lane... Say okay... We need to reset this up... Gotta reset... Gotta reset... The thing... The also thing that Victor is doing... That a lot of people have had issues with... Is that he continues to... To take a high volume of threes... I... I... Still... Don't necessarily think that's a bad...

[00:46:45] And the reason why that is... Is that... Anything they do this year... Is foul money... Like... You can talk about... Playoff positioning... Or play-in positioning... Or whatever it is... If they make the playoffs... Great... If they don't make the playoffs... Whatever... Whatever... Whatever... Allow this dude to continue to experiment... Next year... He'll be... He'll... When Bayama will be... Beholding to a certain shot diet...

[00:47:15] Or... They'll start to manicure... Shot diet for him... That would be more efficient... I think you'll start to see that next year... This year... Still another experiment year... And... Here's the thing... They're competitive... With it being... They're competitive... Competitive... With not being as talented... As some of the other teams... And... With... When Bayama... Doing experimental shit... Is that amazing? Absolutely... We love it...

[00:47:47] Okay... So I guess... We can get to the Pelicans... And then we have one other thing... That we need to... Get to... Which is... The coolest thing... On the face of the planet... The trade... Rodulent... Me... Can't wait... But... Before we get to that... We need to talk about... The Pelicans... And right now... They are 8-32... Obviously... Injuries continue... To derail... Herb Jones is out... For the year... And it just seems like... A fire sale...

[00:48:17] Is inevitable... At this point... We've been talking about it... For weeks... On end... When is Brandon Ingram... Going to get traded? When is CJ McCollum... Going to get traded? We might have answers for you... Later on in the podcast... In the business... That's what we call... A tease folks... I am good at it... And I continue... To get better... There is a couple... Bright spots... That I do want to talk about... Eve Mesey... Has been a bright spot... He's leading rookies... In rebounds...

[00:48:47] Blocks... And field goal percentage... Expect David Griffin... To make significant moves... Before the deadline... I think... That there will be one... I would love to see two... And we'll get into it... In this next segment... But I want to keep... On New Orleans... For this... Reason... And this reason only... We talked about it... In the... One of the...

[00:49:16] Two-parters that we did... When we said... It's bigger than basketball... By the way... If you're new to the podcast... Welcome... Thank you for... Joining us... Joining the... The NBA discussion... That we like to have here... On Frontrunner Podcast Collective... Thank you for joining us... If you are new... We... Invite you to go back... It's not far back... It really is the last two podcasts...

[00:49:45] And there's a part one... And a part two... In those... We also talk about... The LA Wildfires... Some of our experiences... Just like we did today... And... We also put... In our... Description... And we have... On our website... Which is... At... It's a... FRPC... Dot... Podcast... Page... Dot... I... O... In the blog section... There is a...

[00:50:13] Piece by Soraya... And she's calling it... Producing Corner Threes... I like it... I love the title... And... She talks about her... Talks about some of the things... That are going on... With... The Flyers... As well as... Where you can donate... We put up some links... There... So... Please... Go check it out... If you have the heart... Or... God is... Just moving you... In a way... Where it's... Hey...

[00:50:43] I've been blessed... Financially... I've been blessed... In this last year... Or whatever the case may be... Let me give back... To those who are suffering... There's a bunch of links... On our website... In the blog... And... I would suggest... Everybody to go there... Everyone to go there... But again... We were talking about... Zion... In one of those pods... And... My whole comment...

[00:51:12] Or our whole thought process... In that... Particular podcast... Was this... With Zion... Because of his absence... Because of his... Immaturity... Or... Just... Can... Just discontent... About... Having great habits... Conditioning wise... Or whatever... You really never saw... A fully... Like... Fleshed out... New Orleans Pelicans team... You never got to a point... Where... Oh...

[00:51:41] They obviously need this... And they... You know what they could do... To get... Oh... Get more space in here... Or whatever it is... But you could never come up... With a definitive plan... Because... One of the biggest... Parts of the puzzle piece... Was always missing... And that was Zion... And... Now we're sitting here... At 8-32... Does David Griffin... Lose his job? If you look at... The drafts that he...

[00:52:10] Has had... Yeah... Dyson Daniels... Is on another team... It doesn't mean that... He missed on him... Doesn't mean that at all... They are doing... Great with the draft picks... They're doing... Their scouting department... Is... Getting some guys... And they're hitting on... Late draft picks... And undrafter free agents... Jose Alvarado as well... So... They've done... Very well in the draft... It's just... Sad... And just...

[00:52:40] Depressing... That they have not been able... To really see this... Team... Fully... Realized... And... Now we gotta start talking about trades... And... Tearing some of it down... So let's get to it... And this segment is called... Our front runner focus... We tried to say... Collective focus... Or whatever case may be... We just thought... We would go ahead... And... Throw our name on it... And call it...

[00:53:10] Front runner focus... In this segment... We're gonna be talking about... Basically... All the trade rumors... And what have you... So... Let's get to it... The rumors are flying... The conversations are being had... The misinformation... From... From teams... To us... The humble podcasters... And the people trying to get this information to you... The misinformation... Is abundant... And the absolute bullshit... Is here...

[00:53:40] Welcome... To the 2025... NBA trade season... And I am your host... Vince Carter... And I'm looking forward... To helping you... Figure out... What's real... And what's not real... So let's talk about... The Pacific division... Shall we? Or actually... Let's just talk about... Trades in general... Here is one that... Has... People have been talking about... Levine... To Denver...

[00:54:10] Levine so far... Has been averaging... 24 points a game... He's shooting... 51.5%... From the field... Obviously... Somebody like this... Would be a prime... Trade target... Now... Would... Zach Levine... Fit... The Denver Nuggets? Funny you should ask... We think... Zach... We think that... Zach would... Thrive... In a secondary... Score... Along... Nikola Jogic... And then this would also...

[00:54:40] Allow... Jamal Murray... To go down to a third role... Now... Here's the thing... Does that set well... With Jamal Murray? Gotta think about these things... The cost... It'll cost the Nuggets... Probably Michael Porter Jr. And some draft picks... And I don't know... If you're... Cause what... The age difference... Between Porter Jr. And Levine... Is what... Three years...

[00:55:09] Then you have to get... Draft capital... So you're getting... Three years older... Now... You're more... Offensively... Explosive... With Levine... You lose size... Most definitely... Who's gonna replace that? Honestly... To tell you the truth... I don't like this deal... I don't like this deal... For... Denver... At all... Now... The deal that everybody... Has heard... And the deal that is out there... And the deal that...

[00:55:39] Jimmy Butler wants... Is the Phoenix deal... So let's break this down... Butler... Has been just... Intimating... This is what he wants... Now there are some complications to it... Bill... Bradley Bill... Has a... No trade clause... In his contract... So the Phoenix Suns guard... Who they got from the Washington Wizards... For... Basically nothing... Bag of Skittles... And maybe...

[00:56:09] Like a Jiffy Pop... Popcorn... Bag... That you throw in the microwave... But it's not popped yet... But it's not popped yet... But they got Bill for that... And then... Now... He... He comes along... With a no trade clause... In his contract... So... Bill wanted to... Or if... The Suns were inclined... To trade Bill... They would have to go to him... And ask him... Would he... Be... Okay... Being moved... To... Miami...

[00:56:38] So that's the first... That's the first problem... Some other things... Adding Butler to... To... The Phoenix Suns... Would make them formidable... In the sense of that... If... Butler's locked in... Mentally... He's gonna make them a tougher team... He's gonna make them a... A... Grittier defensive team... No doubt... But the hierarchy... Between... Kevin Durant... Jimmy Butler... And Devin Booker... Would be...

[00:57:07] Must see TV... Because Jimmy Butler... Is a personality... He is a... Huge... Personality... And what we see... Between... To Kevin Durant... And also Devin Booker... Kind of differential... Booker shows some fire... KD shows some fire... They're pretty soft-spoken dudes... For the most part... I don't know how... In your face... Devin Booker is... When it comes to teammates... Like you missed...

[00:57:36] The defensive assignment there... Don't let that shit... Happen again... You don't see a lot of that... With Butler... You do... I don't know... If... Attitudinal... Will just... Tonality... Would make... This season... Different... By getting Butler to Phoenix... But if you told me... Hey... Defensively... You need a spark... You need somebody... Who's gonna give a shit... Somebody who's going to... Lay it out on the line... Jimmy has shown that... In the past... Can he do that now?

[00:58:05] Do you trust him... At 35... To do that? And how long... Can you trust him? Because... Jimmy is gonna want to get paid... Wherever he goes... So... Keep that in mind... Now... Here's the other thing... What's the cost? The last remaining... Pick that... The Suns have... Which is their... 2031... First round pick... They don't have a lot of... Flexibility... Now... Here's the other thing... Late... Late... Breaking news... The Phoenix Suns... Have made a trade...

[00:58:34] Today... They have gotten... The services of Nick Richards... From the Charlotte Hornets... So... Nick Richards... Is going... To... The Phoenix Suns... And let's talk about this... Give you all the information... That we're talking about... Because I want to talk about this... On so many levels... About this whole situation... Okay... So... Here's the deal... Charlotte is acquiring... Josh Okogie...

[00:59:04] And... They get a trade... A trade exception of... 200%... For Richards... As far as that's concerned... And then Nick Richards... Goes... To... The Phoenix Suns... Giving them another... Seven footer... Which they've been... Unhappy with... Nerkage... So this gives them... A viable... Big... Next to Plumlee... If they want to go ahead... And utilize that... So... I like the trade for Phoenix... Gives them a young center... Gives them somebody...

[00:59:34] Who can put the ball in the basket... He has some defensive chops... As far as that's concerned... It doesn't look like... The Lakers had... Enough to trade for... Nick Richards... And that's the reason... Why they... Weren't able to... Because... If you're telling me... A couple seconds... Would have gotten Nick Richards... I would have said... Hey... What are the Lakers doing? Let's get this big... And let's go... But...

[01:00:02] They still have two... First round picks to deal with... The Suns did get better... By adding Nick Richards... And it was a relatively low cost... So I don't really have a problem with it... So that still gives them... The flexibility of going out... And making another deal... If they want to use... This 20-31 first round pick... Now... I think they're going to be... Really judicious with that... I think this move... That they made... Is the type of move... That you can...

[01:00:32] If they are looking to make... Another move... This is the type of move... I envision them making... Now... Let's move along... To another big man... Whose name is in the news... Nikola Vucevic... To the Golden State Warriors... Now... Golden State Warriors... Interest in Vucevic... Highlights their need... For size and floor spacing... No doubt... No doubt... Vucevic would compliment... The Warriors...

[01:01:02] Core... Adding rebounding... And scoring points... Now... You get both of those... Here's the problem... Here's the rub... The cost is... Jonathan Kaminga... And probably... Moses Moody... And their 2025... First round pick... Yes... 100%... Is he big enough... Upgrade... To give up a first round pick... And Jonathan Kaminga... And Moses Moody... I think not... I think if you're moving... Jonathan Kaminga... You gotta get a...

[01:01:31] A young asset back... Or... A established asset back... That yo... This dude is gonna help me... For two or three years... We're really trying to make this... Supposed championship push... Or whatever... I need this dude... To be... Around... Productive... And start in his role... For two or three years... If not... I need some young players back... Or I need some assets back... Where I could... Get something going... And...

[01:02:01] I think Vucevic can help teams... I think that... If we were talking of... Of a lesser player... Other than... Jonathan Kaminga... If there was a way to get there... With Buddy Hill... And somebody else or something... I would... Think about that... I only wanna use... Jonathan Kaminga... In a deal that is going to... Get me something closer to... A... Pretty consistent... 14 to 17 point... A game deal...

[01:02:29] Now you're telling me... Jonathan Kaminga... Is going to Charlotte... For... Mikkel Bridges... Not Mikkel Bridges... For Miles Bridges... Or... If you're telling me... That Jonathan Kaminga... Is going to... Brooklyn... For Cam Johnson... Okay... If you're telling me... That Jonathan Kaminga... Is going to... Brooklyn for... Cam Johnson... And... Duran... Sharp... Even better...

[01:02:58] Those are the type of things... I will do... With that... I am not necessarily... Looking... To... Trade... Jonathan Kaminga... For... Nikola Vucevic... No disrespect to our guy... But... I'm not willing to do that at all... Capital is gonna give us a lot of problems... But we're gonna get some trades through... We got one today... Nick Richards is gone... He is with Phoenix... And Josh Akogi... Has gone to... Charlotte...

[01:03:28] Which is a low-key... Winton... Defensive depth piece that... If... Tajani... If... Tajani... Saloon is not going to be able to... Give them what they need... Right now... Because he's so young... A Josh Akogi... Who has found... Somewhat of a three-point shot... Could be useful... So I am good with that... As well... That's gonna do it for the podcast today... Again... I want to reiterate... Hit us up on our social media...

[01:03:57] You can get us at... FrontrunnerPC... Dot... BSky... Dot... Social... You can hit... Soraya up at... FRPC... Hyphen... Raya... Dot... BSky... Dot... Social... You can also hit us up on Twitter... Or if you like to call it... X... FrontrunnerPC for me... And for Soraya... It is... Raya... Underscore... Funch...

[01:04:25] F-R-P-C... Mate... Oh... And again... Hit the webpage... Hit... I mean... I sound so old doing that... Hit the website... And that website is... FRPC... Dot... Podcast... Page... Dot... I... O... And make sure you go to the blog section... For... L.A. Wildfire... Places to donate... There's links in... There's even a link at the bottom... That has a whole spreadsheet deal... So...

[01:04:54] Make sure you go and look at that... And then also... Our... Prospect rankings for... The upcoming... NBA draft... So with that being said... Remember... The best part of you is you... Surround yourself with people who are going to... Brighten your light... Who are going to provide support... And words of encouragement to you... And I hope that... When your light is brightened by those people...

[01:05:23] That you go out and do some good... In the world... And we will see you back on this feed... On Friday... Where we will be talking about... The Pacific Division... Lakers... Clippers... Golden State Warriors... Oh my... Y'all be cool... We'll see you back on this pod... On Friday... Deuce... See you back... Stay tuned...