- 02/07/2025
🏀 On **NBA Today**, **Marc Spears** joined the panel to discuss a riveting rumor: **Damian Lillard heading to the Golden State Warriors** and joining forces with **Stephen Curry**. Spears believes pairing Dame with Steph would create an explosive, dynamic backcourt—one of the most potent duos in NBA history.
In this episode:
- Spears breaks down why **Lillard + Curry** makes strategic sense
- Analysis of fit within the Warriors’ system under Steve Kerr
- What this means for both Dame’s career and Golden State’s title hopes
- Salary-cap and trade mechanics to make it happen
- Reactions from the NBA Today crew and fan excitement
đź“Ś Do YOU think Lillard and Curry would dominate together in Golden State?
👇 Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to **LIKE**, **COMMENT**, and **SUBSCRIBE** for all NBA Today rumors & reactions!
#NBA #DamianLillard #StephenCurry #GoldenStateWarriors #MarcSpears #NBAToday #NBAFreeAgency #NBATradeRumors #WarriorsBackcourt
Damian Lillard Warriors rumors, Lillard Curry duo, Marc Spears NBA Today, Warriors backcourt trade, NBA Today Lillard Curry, Damian Lillard trade 2025, Steph Curry team-up, NBA trade scenarios Warriors, Marc Spears Lillard analysis, NBA Today rumors Golden State
In this episode:
- Spears breaks down why **Lillard + Curry** makes strategic sense
- Analysis of fit within the Warriors’ system under Steve Kerr
- What this means for both Dame’s career and Golden State’s title hopes
- Salary-cap and trade mechanics to make it happen
- Reactions from the NBA Today crew and fan excitement
đź“Ś Do YOU think Lillard and Curry would dominate together in Golden State?
👇 Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to **LIKE**, **COMMENT**, and **SUBSCRIBE** for all NBA Today rumors & reactions!
#NBA #DamianLillard #StephenCurry #GoldenStateWarriors #MarcSpears #NBAToday #NBAFreeAgency #NBATradeRumors #WarriorsBackcourt
Damian Lillard Warriors rumors, Lillard Curry duo, Marc Spears NBA Today, Warriors backcourt trade, NBA Today Lillard Curry, Damian Lillard trade 2025, Steph Curry team-up, NBA trade scenarios Warriors, Marc Spears Lillard analysis, NBA Today rumors Golden State
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SportTranscription
00:00Ever since I was a kid, I've been a chick, chick.
00:06I want to continue to define the odds, continue to have this battle with father time that for so long, everybody said it's been undefeated.
00:16Who else but the king?
00:22The legend of LeBron continues to grow.
00:30You're watching the NBA Today Free Agency Special presented by ESPN Bet Sportsbook.
00:35All right, so here's what we know.
00:37We know that LeBron James opted into his $52.6 million player option for next season,
00:42which could make it easier for him to move if there was a sign-in trade that would have been available, maybe?
00:49I don't know about that.
00:50The next order of business is extending Luka Doncic,
00:52who will become eligible to sign a projected four-year $222 million extension on August 2nd.
00:57With no extension, he could become a free agent next offseason.
01:01And then there's Austin Reeves, technically extension eligible,
01:03but he can only extend for up to $89 million over four seasons.
01:07That likely won't get done since next year he could sign for a projected $240 million over five years.
01:15A lot of money can change here.
01:17Rob Palenka certainly has his work cut out for him.
01:20Joining us now is our reporter covering the Los Angeles Lakers, Dave McMenamin.
01:23Dave, I just posted a lot of hypotheticals, could be, might be easier, sign-in trade.
01:28This is what could happen.
01:29This is what won't.
01:30Can you just shed some light on what the Lakers' plan is here?
01:32Because there has not been a whole lot of action.
01:34Well, we came into this segment talking about LeBron, who's a wing.
01:37Luka Doncic, who's a wing.
01:39Austin Reeves, who's a wing.
01:41The Lakers still need a center.
01:42And we're in day two of free agency.
01:44I spoke to a source with familiarity with what the Lakers are thinking today.
01:48And they're weighing several trade scenarios, I'm told, to try to acquire this center.
01:54One of which, and I don't have the name, so we just have to, you know, maybe rely on Bobby and the trade machine here,
02:00that they are talking to a team that they think will be going after another trade.
02:06And that other trade will end up having a surplus center for that team.
02:10And then the Lakers can approach them.
02:13Okay, so now we're playing Tetris with a team that could be making a trade,
02:18and then the Lakers can slot in with this trade.
02:20You called for Bobby Marks.
02:21Let's bring it in now.
02:22Bobby, make this make sense.
02:24I don't know what Dave just said we could do on the trade machine as far as going there and here and here.
02:29But we're going to bring out the free agency.
02:31Let's keep it simple.
02:32Free agency touchscreen here.
02:33This is where the Lakers are.
02:35This 182 number, because they signed Jake LaRavia to that exception yesterday,
02:40they cannot exceed 195, so we're playing with $13 million in salary.
02:45Here are your free agents that are left on the board.
02:48It has shrunk considerably.
02:50Mo Wagner, DeAndre, and Al Horford we think is spoken for already.
02:54Larry Nance Jr. has signed in Cleveland.
02:56He is off the board.
02:57And, of course, Tristan Thompson, who has been there already.
03:01DeAndre Ayton is the name to keep an eye on.
03:03He's the best available, likely in this range here, this $7.5 million,
03:08because when you put Ayton in, that gives you enough flexibility,
03:14about $6 million under that hard cap.
03:16You are restricted, first apron hard cap, to go out and add players to your roster.
03:21From a trade perspective here, Dave, we want to talk about that.
03:25You have all these expiring contracts.
03:28Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vinson, Maxi Kleber, right?
03:33Certainly you have young players like Dalton Connect.
03:35You have your 2031 or 2032 first.
03:38So you have the trade assets if you want to go out and try to get that center
03:42that might be available out there.
03:44Okay, so the simplest answer to this question, it seems like, right now,
03:47is DeAndre Ayton.
03:48UD, does that do it for you?
03:49And does it do it, in your mind, for Luka?
03:52DeAndre Ayton does it for me size-wise, but he doesn't do it for me
03:55when you want to unlock Luka, when you want to give Luka his best chance
03:58to be his best version.
03:59Luka thrives with vertical spacing.
04:01He needs a guy that is going to roll to the basket, make some lobs,
04:04get defenses to overreact, then he can play his game in the pocket
04:07and do what he does best, and also it opens up shooters.
04:10DeAndre Ayton is a guy who wants to get the ball in the post,
04:12he wants to get to the mid-range, he wants to play his game.
04:15He ain't getting the ball, the ball's going to be in Luka's hand,
04:17the ball's going to be in LeBron's hand,
04:19and the ball's going to be in Austin Reeves' hand.
04:20You don't have to roll your ass to the basket,
04:22and that's what he needs to do, and that is not his game.
04:24I like the size, I don't like the fit.
04:26You know who needs a surplus center?
04:28The Lakers, because they don't need just one center,
04:31they probably need two centers,
04:33because if you look at the teams in the Western Conference,
04:36do you see Houston?
04:37Houston's got a bunch of centers.
04:38Do you see the Clippers?
04:40They got a bunch of centers.
04:41Even what Denver just did.
04:41Yeah.
04:42Why do you think they do that?
04:43Because they need to beat the Thunder,
04:46to beat the Nuggets, to beat the Rockets,
04:48you've got to have size, size and depth.
04:50So yeah, they may be able to sign one of these free agents,
04:53maybe they get DeAndre Ayton.
04:54The fact that Milwaukee ended up making this big move today
04:56was potentially helpful to the Lakers,
04:58because the Lakers, the Bucs were a contender for DeAndre Ayton.
05:02But they might need to do a trade and a signing
05:04to build up the roster on this team.
05:06Brian, who ended the season playing the five for the Lakers?
05:10It was like a bunch of guys who were not fives.
05:11Was it like LeBron, Dorian Finney-Smith?
05:13Dorian Finney-Smith, exactly, who's on Houston right now.
05:16Yeah, I mean, look, they were one of the finalists for Brooke Lopez.
05:18We were all surprised that they didn't get Brooke Lopez.
05:21But from what I understand, the uncertainty around LeBron James' situation,
05:25that that quote caused, that everything is,
05:28that we've all been talking about for three days since the quote was issued,
05:31has factored into Brooke Lopez's decision.
05:34I mean, when you're thinking about, look,
05:36Brooke Lopez is a starting center in the NBA.
05:37He chose a backup role with the Los Angeles Clippers.
05:40Yeah, I think it was a little more money.
05:42But they did Jake LaRavia first.
05:45They could have gotten Brooke if they would have prioritized Brooke.
05:48But in the back, the uncertainty in Milwaukee factored into his decision as well.
05:53But the Lakers were thought of as the frontrunner for Brooke Lopez
05:57and didn't get him, and the Los Angeles Clippers did
05:59because there's been a lot of uncertainty around them
06:02after that statement was issued.
06:04I mean, somebody just help me understand this.
06:05Two things can be true.
06:07I understand where LeBron is in his career,
06:09and I understand what his priority is, rightfully so.
06:11I also understand what the L.A. Lakers are and what their priorities are, rightfully so.
06:16How realistic is it that Bron leaves?
06:17Because I don't think there's a chance in hell, Bron going anywhere.
06:20So how realistic is that, people?
06:22Who has the assets and who has the money to actually make that work?
06:24Yeah, and with your Brooke Lopez.
06:25Without getting stripped down to your socks.
06:26If you're Brooke Lopez and you're making that decision,
06:28do you want to take a chance?
06:30That's visceral, right?
06:32So I also think it's important to note here, of course, you're totally right.
06:36The Lakers had very keen interest in Brooke Lopez.
06:39Once he came off the board, they are shifting towards an idea.
06:43I'm told the thesis is youth and athleticism.
06:46And so, obviously, DeAndre Ayton would fit that.
06:49Some of that thinking is look at the two teams that played in the NBA Finals,
06:52the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are in the Western Conference,
06:54the Lakers have to contend with, and the Indiana Pacers.
06:57Switchable young defenders about multiple bodies coming at you in waves,
07:01and they are trying to achieve a center that can play that way.
07:05But I got your back here, UD.
07:07We kind of circled around the question and didn't totally get to the nuts and bolts of it.
07:11I'm kind of in the same boat.
07:13It's hard for me to see LeBron James leaving the Los Angeles Lakers
07:17just because we laid out all of the possible options here.
07:20There just aren't that many.
07:22And so if that's the case, then you're trying to do a path,
07:25building to make LeBron James happy now,
07:27building around Luka Doncic in the future.
07:29A lot of that comes back to a rim-running center that can catch lobs.
07:33There's a whole lot of questions the Lakers have to answer.
07:35Earlier we had Shams and Ramona talk about how Giannis was just chilling
07:40and watching the offseason.
07:42I am told LeBron's just chilling and watching the offseason.
07:45Do I think he's going to get traded?
07:47No, I do not.
07:48But if he wanted to get traded, there are teams who would step up and make offers.
07:53So those two things I think are true.
07:55And if LeBron speaks up for himself and has a different thing to say,
07:59then we could have some action.
08:00But I don't know if that will happen.
08:01What was that graphic on Luka Doncic?
08:03It's August 2nd he has a contract decision to make.
08:06So they should be looking to make Luka happy in the now as well,
08:08not just LeBron happy in the now.
08:10And that is the juggling act of the loss.
08:12Welcome to Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
08:14Every real Hooper wants to be on this stage and be in this moment.
08:17Porter drives between the legs.
08:19Layup is good.
08:20How did he get that to go in?
08:22He just showed what we're capable of on the biggest stage in the world.
08:25Murray, jumper, puts it in.
08:28Jokic drives down a lane.
08:29Layup is good.
08:30Jokic is having his way, feeling it.
08:32It's a good feeling when you know that you did something that nobody believes in.
08:37At last, the long wait is over.
08:39After 47 years, the Denver Nuggets can finally call themselves NBA champions.
08:46I told them I don't want to stay on parade, but I f***ing want to stay on parade.
08:49This is 47 years in the making.
08:51A re-chance for life.
08:52I promise it's not personal, UD, that we keep playing these highlights.
08:58It's just the only highlights we got.
08:59It's just because Denver's been busy lately.
09:01The only highlights we got at ESPN.
09:03Let's talk about Denver currently.
09:05How's that?
09:05They've made some moves.
09:07They brought back Bruce Brown.
09:08They added Jonas Valanciunas.
09:10They added Tim Hardaway Jr.
09:11And then also, in a huge trade yesterday, brought in Cam Johnson in exchange for Michael Porter Jr.
09:17All of these moves have allowed Denver to get out of any apron situations
09:21and have allowed us to use that dun-dun-dun type of music.
09:25So where do you think, UD, that the Nuggets stack up in the West now?
09:28Just a little bit behind Houston, Wendy.
09:30Just a tad bit behind Houston.
09:31Just a little hair.
09:33I mean, we bring in a guy like Valanciunas.
09:35Let's be real.
09:36The Joker averaged 40 minutes per game in the playoff.
09:38There's no way he can sustain that.
09:39You bring in a guy who played 18 minutes a game last year
09:41and averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds in 18 minutes.
09:44You don't need him to play 30 minutes.
09:45You just need him to give Joker a little break.
09:47You also go get a guy like Tim Hardaway Jr.
09:48who was ignitable.
09:49Guy shot 40% from three last year.
09:51He's the guy who you see one go through.
09:52He's liable to hit 5, 6, or 7.
09:54That just opened things up.
09:55Fan favorite, Bruce Brown, who's a guy who's killed us in the finals,
09:59averaged 11 points a game.
10:00I hated him then, but I love him now in that position going back there.
10:03I like what Denver is doing.
10:05This is a team that was one game away from the Western Conference Finals last year.
10:09Well, excuse me, one game away from beating the champions last year.
10:12So I say they're a little bit behind Houston, Wendy.
10:14I don't know why you say they're not that close.
10:17I agree.
10:18Comparable.
10:19I thought you meant for their offseason.
10:20But let me just say that Ben Tenzer and John Wallace, their new front office,
10:23they've done a remarkable job in their first few days running the show here.
10:28Number one, they've gotten Coach David Adelman options.
10:32This is something that Michael Malone just didn't believe he had last year.
10:35They have options.
10:36He can go different ways.
10:37I'm not saying Jonas Valanciunas is going to play 82 games.
10:41There might be times when he doesn't play.
10:42There might be times when we see, you know, Hardaway come in and out of the rotation.
10:46But now he's got options.
10:48The second thing is, with Cam Johnson, they've got a guy who can really help them defensively.
10:52I think he's going to be an upgrade defensively on Michael Porter.
10:54And he saved his owner tons of money.
10:59This maneuver helped save the Nuggets money.
11:01And that will not only make a difference this year, but into next year as they try to keep this window for Jokic open.
11:06This, to me, is like a home renovation.
11:08Like, you put a fresh coat of paint on something, redo the kitchen.
11:12That's what this feels like to me.
11:13What did they lack?
11:14They lacked depth.
11:15Yep.
11:16And they lacked a serviceable big when Jokic is off the floor.
11:20They answered both of those.
11:21And they upgraded a starting position from a championship team.
11:25To me, you're right.
11:27Houston, to me, they clearly won the race of the offseason.
11:31Denver's certainly trying to run them down in the homestretch.
11:33And I think more than the offseason, let's just talk about prospects for next year.
11:37Denver is a contender.
11:39Denver is that team that potentially could give the Thunder all they can handle again and maybe even come out of the West.
11:45That's how much I like what they've done to give them additional depth.
11:49That team looked completely gassed at the end of the year.
11:52This answers a lot of that.
11:53Led the league in starter minutes last season.
11:55And you could just tell that that took a toll on this team by the very end.
11:58Because we put nothing past Nikola Jokic at this point.
12:01And even at the end, he looked tired.
12:02This is not a player that ever shows fatigue.
12:04And he said it after they were eliminated last year.
12:08Clearly, we're not a championship-caliber team.
12:10I've got to say, these moves have me rethinking that, even in a very crowded Western Conference.
12:15In the East, however, there are many more questions, including how...
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