GET UP| Windy has latest on best place for LeBron to get his 5th ring: Knicks, Warriors or Cavaliers

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]wrote a deep dive detailing the complicated relationship between LeBron James and the Lakers and what lies ahead. It included this excerpt that I thought was really interesting and I think can be observed or can be taken a lot of different ways. It says, "Your Lakers officials would on occasion partake in a parlor game of sorts during games at Crypto.com Arena. An onlock or an onlooker, excuse me, was asked to observe James play for a stretch, disregard his name and age, and evaluate his play to come up with a salary number that anonymous player in that position would deserve next season. Can Can you help me digest that, Wendy? I'm trying to decide. Our staff and I, I think, view this differently. Tell tell me what when you read that, what was the first reaction that you got from it?

[00:00:48]>> Well, the Lakers have a problem. The Lakers don't want to lose LeBron James.

[00:00:52]They don't want to lose his 21 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists a game, but they don't want to pay $50 million for it because the rest of the league isn't going to come bidding $50 million. But here's the reality. If you have a superstar player, and LeBron James is still an all-star, and he is still a superstar player, still a top 20 25 player in the league, it's very hard to ask that player to take a pay cut, whether he's 21 or 41. And if you want LeBron to take a pay cut, you can't just indeterminately say, "Hey, will you take a pay cut?" You better bring him a reason to take a pay cut and explain that yes, the team was 0 and8 against the Thunder this year, but if we acquire this player or these two players with the money you're going to leave on the table, we can overcome that. I think LeBron would be open to that. But the concept that he's just not as good anymore and that maybe he's only worth 30 million instead of 50, you're not getting that from LeBron James. LeBron James doesn't believe in that. And I don't expect him to accept that. And I'll tell you one thing, if you're the Lakers, if you force LeBron to leave, he'll go somewhere else and play for less money. He won't want to stay for the Lakers and play for less money if he thinks it's an insult.

[00:01:59]>> Yeah, I I think that's that's the way I took it. I actually read that in a positive way, which is to say some people might say you're going to pay this guy that much money at this age.

[00:02:09]And they're looking at it and they're saying if you didn't know how old he was, how good would you say he is? He is still playing at that level. If he played enough games this year to be eligible for the AllNBA teams and all that stuff, I think you would have gotten serious consideration, he's still playing at a level that high. Yes.

[00:02:25]>> Yeah. I don't I don't care how old he is, man. There's no way LeBron James should ever have to consider a pay cut or ever be in this whole situation of sending somebody to look at him and >> right >> like what are we talking about? We talking about a guy that's arguably top three of all time, >> right?

[00:02:43]>> Nobody needs to watch LeBron James. We know what he is. We know what he does.

[00:02:46]He's still playing at a high level. This is just crazy.

[00:02:50]>> Perhaps Monica, why are you making that face?

[00:02:53]>> REALLY, BJ? LIKE I JUST LISTEN. I take nothing away from the body of work that we have been privileged to witness when it comes to LeBron James. But if the goal is to win a championship and we got to make these numbers work, like I think you got to at least like Grinny said, be able to h I mean, like Wendy said, be able to have the conversation and present why. I'm like, I take nothing away from who he is, but right now it's a young man's league. Like you're trying to win. Come on.

[00:03:18]>> I I hear you. I get Let me let me I'm I'm going to put the question a little bit differently. If the object is to try and win next year, and I told you they could either have LeBron James or Austin Reeves, but not both. I'm telling you right now, I would take LeBron James >> 1000%. I >> I know Reeves is whatever he is almost 20 years younger. Not quite that, but you know what I mean. I understand all the other factors that go into that, but I think he gets it closer to winning than anyone else. They do. The bottom line of it though, Wendy, is that's not the eitheror that we're dealing in.

[00:03:48]we're dealing in. Is there someone else out there in the universe that the Lakers could go and get? And I'm not convinced that person exists. Win, man, help me out here.

[00:03:58]>> Exactly. Here's the here's the paradox.

[00:04:00]If I told the Lakers and their fans that they were going to use their cap space to go out and sign two of the top five free agents in the market and be the winners of free agency, they would say, "Oh my god, yes. Who we getting?" And I would say to them, "Austin Reeves and LeBron James." Because they are two of the top five free agents. It's not as simple as just going out and spending the Lakers would have to replace the the uh the production of the players they lose. And so it is I agree it is very difficult which is why I think in the end and I expect the Lakers to make a full evaluation in the end I think they're going to be better off bringing back the core of this team and trying to add a piece and hoping that their improvement is Luca Donuch being healthy at the end.

[00:04:41]>> Yes, absolutely. When when he was there they were very healthy. Okay, we'll when he when he was healthy, they were playing very well. Whether it's ultimately good enough or not remains to be seen. All right, we'll continue much more basketball as we go. But up next, game win streak and his response was fascinating. Listen to this exchange.

[00:05:00]Some stars might push back. They're used to having the ball in their hands.

[00:05:03]They're and and might take it as maybe a slight, but doesn't sound like you did. Why? Why was that something that you were so happily to go along with?

[00:05:15]>> One, I'm not a star. Two, I want to win.

[00:05:18]>> Why don't you think you're a star?

[00:05:20]>> She said one question.

[00:05:24]>> Okay. You were his teammate as recently as last year. PJ, I start with you.

[00:05:28]What's your response to what we just heard?

[00:05:30]>> Oh, man. Classic JB, man. The humble warrior. He just want to play basketball. He don't want to none of that sunlight. He don't want nothing. He just want to play basketball and win.

[00:05:39]But the idea that the ball, look, he was a very ball dominant player. That's not a criticism. He turned himself into a legitimate star. He can say whatever he wants. He obviously is a major NBA star at this point, but he did that with the ball in his hands. Now they've taken it out of his hands a little bit. He's playing off the ball. Carl Towns is initiating a lot of the offense. Do you think he's good with that? I mean, does he, you know, as the kind of player who would be 100% good with that change?

[00:06:04]>> Well, 100%. Uh he he definitely just wants to win. Uh JB definitely is a guy that's going to take over when he needs to, but he knows he needs his team and he know he need everybody in that locker room. So he's going to do whatever he's got to do and say whatever he's got to say for everybody to be together.

[00:06:19]>> Monica, you're there every day. I'll remind everyone Monica does the Nick games on the radio. So you know this team as well as they can be known. What have you observed from this from Brunson in his new role?

[00:06:29]Greeny, this question makes me giggle a bit because it has been an ongoing conversation for the last couple of seasons about Jaylen Brunson being so ball dominant. I would offer to folks that that was the system then and this new system has been incredibly effective, not just for him, but for all of his teammates. He's a guy whose basketball IQ means that he will play however it is the moment demands. Right?

[00:06:52]You had two guys that consistently drew double teams when you look at the Knicks and that was Jaylen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns. And so the opportunity to create one-on-one for other guys, it wasn't always there. But in this system, it's become easier for everybody. Jaylen Brunson wants to play in whichever fashion is going to allow his team to win and put them in the position to be successful. It's that simple.

[00:07:12]>> Wendy, what did you think of the whole thing?

[00:07:15]>> Three things I know about Jaylen Brunson. Number one, he always is politically correct in interviews, never says the wrong thing. Number two, he loves to have the basketball. He led the league in dribbles last year and his usage rate went up this year. The third thing is that he is the ultimate team player. He is a consmate winner at every level. Will do whatever he needs for his team to win. That is unquestioned >> for sure. And and look, I would just say this and he doesn't need to hear this from me, but it has been 53 years since the Knicks won a championship. And to this day, when Walt Frasier walks into the building, everyone can't catch their breath. That's who Jaylen Brunson has a chance to be if they win eight more games. win eight more games and 50 years from now you'll walk into the garden and people will be unable to breathe. That's what Jaylen Brunson has a chance to be.

[00:07:59]Speaking of being unable to breathe, the Knicks have had a long time to catch their breath. They will wait at least a week. Their last game against the Sixers was on Sunday. The earliest that the uh Eastern Conference Finals would start would be this coming Sunday. If Detroit and Cleveland go to a seventh game, it would get pushed forward even more.

[00:08:16]Wendy, we have heard the rest versus Rust conversation. It seems like forever. What do you make of it?

[00:08:24]>> I refuse to have the discussion. I've been around too long. I see. I have no interest in hearing rest versus rust.

[00:08:31]It's an absolute filler. NBA championship contending teams don't get rusty. Any team who's ever gone through a playoff run would always tell you they want rest. I reject the premise.

[00:08:43]>> Okay. So, there's one vote for rejection of the premise. Monica, how about you?

[00:08:48]I have to submit my vote to agree with Wendy. Quite honestly, I am old enough to remember just a season ago, this Knicks team, which looks very similar to the one we're still watching, sort of fall apart late in the season because of injuries, right? Like this opportunity for them not only to add another layer to this offense, so they so if they so desire, but also to rest. Like I don't think and the other part, GREY, YOU GOT TO LOOK AT IT IN CONTEXT of it all. I don't think there's an NBA team alive that would say yes. I don't want to sweep while the other opponents potentially go to seven. Like, no.

[00:09:20]>> Is it Is it You're playing me. Is it silly? Is the whole conversation silly?

[00:09:23]>> Like, the the fact that we're sitting here talking about this is absolutely crazy. Um I don't think any team in NBA history has ever said that, right? Like this. It's just the silliest thing. tell my uh 2021 Milwaukee Bucks going into the Eastern Conference Finals that we get an extra six, seven days of Giannis getting his knee back together and you think somebody's going to get an interview and say, >> "We're resting too long. There's no way."

[00:09:46]>> Right. And obviously they got Anobi that let him rest his hamstring. All of that helps. You know, the more stories you tell, the more I realize you played on every team with everyone, didn't you?

[00:09:55]How many days did you play? There's not one There's not one topic I brought up in two days that you didn't say, "Well, I was on that team and I played with him and he told me that." How many How many years did you actually play?

[00:10:05]>> Too many.

[00:10:06]>> But but that but I'll be the judge of that. How many years was it actually?

[00:10:10]>> It's actually 14 years.

[00:10:11]>> Okay. 14 years. And I mean, you play for every team in the league pretty much.

[00:10:15]>> It it it feels like that sometimes. It really does. It really does. It really does. There's never