Kevin Durant still wants out. The Brooklyn Nets are not getting the offers they want for him, and there are increasing signs that they're willing to go into the fall, play some games and see if Durant can't be made happy with winning. The outcome of this saga could play out slowly, and ultimately influences multiple franchises across the NBA, including the Los Angeles Lakers. Kyrie Irving is highly unlikely to be traded as long as the Nets are trying to please Durant, and if he is traded before KD, he sure ain't gonna be traded for Russell Westbrook.
So could Kyrie end up a Laker? For sure. But there's zero guarantee it happens before the start of the season, meaning all the weird dynamics developing between LeBron James and Westbrook are extremely relevant, even as the franchise says all the right stuff about Russ.
Meanwhile, the odds are out on NBA player futures - like who is gonna win the big awards at the end of the year - and these are numbers that provide an interesting view of what people think about the team. Anthony Davis is 20-1 to win Defensive Player of the Year, outside the Top 10 (via Betonline). Is that because people don't have faith in Davis, following a disappointing 2021-22 campaign? Is it because they don't believe in the supporting cast, and the team more broadly? DPOY, like most awards, tends to go to successful players on successful teams, after all.
And what about Darvin Ham for Coach of the Year? At 20-1, he might be worth a couple bucks on a wager, because if the Lakers, entering the season with very diminished expectations, happen to thrive? Darvin is going to get a ton of shine. Both because he'll almost certainly deserve it, but also because of the tremendous goodwill he's built up around the league over the years.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: Brooklyn isn't going to rush the Durant deal, which means the Lakers are just passengers on this journey.
SEGMENT 2: Anthony Davis is 20-1 to win DPOY this year. Why? What does it say about the him? About the roster?
SEGMENT 3: Darvin Ham might be worth a couple bucks for COY, if you're wagering in July.
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