I'm going to spend some time with my kids there on a gap year.

But Philadelphia started pushing immediately to try to bring him to, uh, the Sixers.

They got that done.

They're just finalizing language and a deal now.

And, you know, suddenly there's been a pretty, pretty significant transformation in Philly.

Daryl Morey is the president of basketball operations.

Is is the title, I'm told.

And obviously Doc Rivers as head coach.

Whoa.

I mean, that happened so fast.

What a monumental change for this organization.

But at least to the question.

What happens to Elton Brand?

Who was the GM before?

Where is his autonomy in making decisions?

How's this trio going to work?

Well, there is no more autonomy for Elton Brand, and I'm not sure there ever was autonomy.

This is an organization where there are a lot of voices.

I think Elton Brand's gonna be, ah, general manager, very good general manager in the MBA for a long time.

I think he's going to run teams elsewhere.

He's got a decision to make now, and he'll talk with Daryl Morey about whether he wants to stay and be a part of this.

I know the organization values him want they want to keep him.

They've been chasing ah, big name around the league to run their basketball operations back two years.

When they offered the job to Daryl Morey before they promoted Ellen Brand internally.

Uh, essentially, Daryl Morey used it toe leverage for a new deal in Houston.

At that time, they pursued other top executives around league, But I think it remains to be seen in the short term what Elton Brand is going to dio aside, I think he did under very difficult circumstances.

Hey was thrown into the fire in Philadelphia taking over the team.

When he did, I think he's gonna be better for the experience down the road.

And right now, though, this is gonna be Daryl Morey show they're going to give him.

He's getting a big contract, I'm told.

And he's gonna have that, uh, you know, to make the decisions.

I think along with Doc Rivers is input.

Certainly his head coach, about how they're gonna proceed in Philly.

Whoa.

Just talk a little bit more about Dora Maury, former team.

The Houston Rockets.

They obviously hired, uh, Steven Sallee, says their head coach.

What does this mean for Russell Westbrook and James Harden going forward?

Well, listen, I think this is a difficult job to fill right now for Stephen Silas, uh, replacing Mike D'Antoni, who you know, obviously, much more history there with James Harden than he did in the one year with Russell Westbrook's, but with Westbrook.

But I think Harden and D'Antoni together really maxed out, uh, their time together in terms of production.

Uh, I think James Harden went to another level in D'Antoni's system and now a zone organization, and I think Stephen Silas coming in.

You know, you wonder whether this is a group that has maybe gone as far as it can go together.

They went to the small ball last year.

There's a team has been to the conference finals under Mike D'Antoni.

There a very loaded Western conference.

Uh, this is a challenge for Stephen Silas.

He's earned the chance to be a head coach.

Uh, almost 20 years as an assistant grew up in the game.

Obviously, people know his legendary father, Paul Silas, is a Hall of Fame player in a very, very good coach in the n b A.

On I think his time under Rick Carlisle.

You talked to Stephen Silas.

That's really impacted him in Dallas.

But this is a challenging job on.

I think any success you're going tohave with Rockets is gonna be built her on your ability to connect with James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Whoa, how close way toe hiring Jeff Van Gundy.

They were close key.

They were in talks with Van Gundy really over the last couple of weeks, and there were a lot of conversations with ownership, with management with him in the end.

For Jeff Van Gundy, the Fit just didn't feel like it was there.

You know, he continued.

He has continued to live in the city of Houston ever since he left there.

Eyes coach about 13 14 years ago.

It's home for him.

I do think the job was intriguing, but ultimately not a fit for I think, a variety of reasons.

I do think he'll coach again somewhere in the MBA, but Stephen Silas was a candidate that they had been talking with throughout this process.

Daryl Morey interviewed him four years ago when they hired Mike D.

Antoni.

And so listen, he gets, ah, well deserved opportunity here.

Two.

Run the Rockets.

Well, let's get to an integrity.

James Harden.

Russell Westbrook owed 80 million next year, those 2 $80 million next year if they are rebuilding.

If that's angle, they're going.

Does James Harden want to stay in Houston or if they are rebuilding?

Is Russell Westbrook there tradable asset that they can use to entice toe open up to bring other people, too.

Houston for James to win a world championship in a packed West?

I don't think the Rockets believe they are rebuilding, I think.

Certainly again, it's a group that was built in a lot of ways to play small ball for Mike D'Antoni.

Uh, they got a lot out of Robert Covington and P.

J.

Tucker.

That group once they traded Clint Capela Thio use to Atlanta.

You know, this team became certainly really small.

They want to continue forward with these two players right now.

Listen, I think James Harden eyes still at the very, very top of the league at the top of his craft.

You know Russell Westbrook.

You know if you I don't know what the market would be for for us at his contract, Um, in the league.

Right now.

Listen, they got they gave up a great deal to get him from Oklahoma City.

Multiple picks, multiple picks, swaps in the Chris Paul trade.

And so I think right now they're married to that, uh, to the idea of the harden Westbrook, uh, duo.

But, you know, certainly things can change quickly in the league.

And, uh, this is a team, but I think a team and organization with a lot of pressure on it, you know, to continue to try to play the high level Or maybe you maybe you are forced to make decisions.

Maybe players start to make decisions about where they wanna be.

And so you know that when you're kind of walking a tight rope in the league, when you have a player of Hardy's caliber, if the team falls off about what that player wants, But right now you know that they're bringing in Stephen Silas.

They want to continue to contend.

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