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Above The Board podcast is a unique blend of NBA opinion, stats, and culture. Host of Above The Board Kebron Hailu covers the NBA from all angles — from stats and game breakdowns to player stories and league culture. Whether it’s the NBA Finals, Draft, or free agency, we’re talking hoops the way fans actually watch and think about the game. Expect honest takes, smart analysis, and a real love for basketball.
0:00:00
(Speaker 3)
What's up y'all?
0:00:05
(Speaker 1)
Welcome back to another episode of A Bud Aboard. I'm your host, Kebron.
0:00:08
(Speaker 4)
Kebron.
0:00:09
(Speaker 1)
Yo, back, episode nine of A Bud Aboard. And I can't believe we've reached this many episodes. I've never thought about podcasting, but it's been a fun little summer journey that I've been on. And I'm hoping to just keep this going. And it's been hard fun little summer journey that I've been on. And hoping to just keep this going.
0:00:26
(Speaker 1)
And it's been hard to keep it going because there's just nothing going on in the league right now. A lot of stuff is slow down because we're at the end of July right now. This is around a time where there's nothing in the NBA
0:00:39
(Speaker 1)
market, free agency, anything like that. It's just nothing. The most interesting thing going on right now is the Jonathan Kimunga situation. And everybody knows I have an opinion on that. I have a very strong opinion on that.
0:00:53
(Speaker 1)
When it comes to that, there's so many things that just makes me mad because all of this was avoidable. I mean, this is results of mistreating a player his whole time out here. He just, Jonathan Kimunga never got a fair shot. And now the fact that he wants the money that he deserves,
0:01:15
(Speaker 1)
and he wants the minutes, the roles that he deserves, and I get it. That's why I'm just, I'm not mad about this. There's nothing in my body right now that blames Jonathan Kamunga for what he's doing to the Warriors right now. Because he's putting them in a tough spot, for sure.
0:01:32
(Speaker 1)
And everybody knows that if he signs that qualifying offer, then they're cooked. They're gonna lose him in the off season for nothing. And then the vibes will be off the whole year. They're just cooked if he signs that qualifying offer and there's a good chance that he does because it gives him leverage.
0:01:51
(Speaker 1)
It's the first time in his career where he kind of gets to decide where he wants to go, what type of role he's gonna play, what type of coach he's gonna play for and I get it, I get it. The only reason why teams have not signed Kimonga right now is because the only way for teams to get him right now is
0:02:08
(Speaker 1)
through a sign and trade and that's not what they want to do why do that when you could just wait for him in one year and right now I think the two teams that that's most suitable for him is the Kings and the Suns I saw the the Kings are really interested in him but the thing is they don't have no real offers Kegan Murray's interesting I would love Kegan Murray in a trade back for for Kumonga because even though I believe Kumonga is better we already kind of lost that relationship with Kumonga so Kegan
0:02:37
(Speaker 1)
Murray is a perfect fit for the Warriors but I just don't believe that they they would even throw him in there all jokes aside I really believe that they would even throw him in there. All jokes aside, I really think that they would throw Damar in there. And I don't know how I feel about that. I don't think that's the route the Warriors want to do. And then the Suns, the Suns have nothing.
0:02:55
(Speaker 1)
The Suns have nothing that could help us this season. I don't think so. And for Kumonga, it's tough. It's tough. I get it, I get it that he wants to get that lead role on a trash team.
0:03:11
(Speaker 1)
And the Warriors are just low-balling him. I mean, I think they're offering him around like 19, 20 mil a year, and he thinks he deserves 30. Even though they already offered him 30 before last summer, and he denied that and now that they're not offering it right now makes them think that makes him think
0:03:31
(Speaker 1)
that yeah they don't they either don't believe that he was as good as they thought he was gonna be and they're basically trying to tell him that the market doesn't think he's as good as he thinks he is and that's just unfair. You benched him in the first round of the playoffs. First round of the playoffs and then when Curry went out in the second round, he damn near became your first option, even over Jimmy. I think he had a game when Curry missed the games, I think Humonga finished with at least
0:04:02
(Speaker 1)
what 18 points, 30, 23, 23 and 26 the four games without Steph he averaged more to Jimmy in that series and for him he feels like He's just more talented than a lot of these guys in the league. That's getting more money to him a man will quickly got 175 million dollars
0:04:21
(Speaker 1)
175 million American cash liquid and And you think Jonathan Kamunga is out here going to settle for what? 20 million? Come on man. Stop playing with the kid. Just give him what they owe him man. Give him what they owe him. And maybe it's not about money. Maybe to him it's about fit and he wants to be in a rotation that won't bench him in the middle of the playoffs, even though they relied on him all year,
0:04:47
(Speaker 1)
come playoffs, now you treating this guy like he's just nobody on the roster. But Brandon Baczewski and Moses Moody got the green light from you. It just doesn't make sense. Even Moses Moody gets mistreated.
0:05:00
(Speaker 1)
And I don't even wanna get too deep on the Moses Moody thing because he really wasn't that good in the playoffs for us, but that was all because of his injury. He had a little wrist injury. And nobody just forgets how to shoot the basketball the way that he forgot it.
0:05:14
(Speaker 1)
I mean, he looked trash in the playoffs. And nobody that can shoot that good all season just goes that bad without something, you know? And a lot of people don't really understand that he was injured, but he was playing through injuries for like two months. And Steve Kerr has this habit where he just, you know,
0:05:33
(Speaker 1)
he's smarter than everybody. Like everybody knows Steve Kerr is smarter than everybody. But the thing is sometimes he's too smart for himself. And you know, he overthinks situations. There's no reason Jonathan Kimonga should be in zero minutes in a playoff game.
0:05:47
(Speaker 1)
Especially when your roster is not even over what? You didn't have over six, seven reliable players on that team. You were playing Gio Santos in the playoffs. The same Gio Santos that didn't even suit up for the Warriors summer league team.
0:06:07
(Speaker 1)
Quentin Post. Quentin Post. He got benched in the playoffs too but why does Quentin Post not feel like he's good enough? Why does he think he's too good for the summer league? I'm trying to understand a lot of these things that's going on on the Warriors and it just
0:06:20
(Speaker 1)
doesn't make sense to me. Because they don't know what they're doing. We're here in July 29, 20- no, July 29, 2025, and they have made zero moves. Zero moves! Not one signing!
0:06:38
(Speaker 1)
Even a vet minimum! Nothing! How does that even happen? That's male practice. That's male practice. And I know that, I know that what's it called? I know that Mike Dunley and the Warriors front office showed him like an external level of motivation
0:06:58
(Speaker 1)
to try to get the conversation going with a Kimonga's agent and all of that. But they're just not delivering a fair offer to Kumonga and it just doesn't make sense to me I've seen some people say it's two million it's it's it's it's 20 million four years it's 80 million no no it's 40 million two years and then I also seen another one that was 80 million four years
0:07:25
(Speaker 1)
but I don't think they want to pay him over 20 million a year and man is this just pay the kid the bread bro or just pay the kid a bread because I think for him in my in my opinion if don't sign don't don't don't go under your value you're you're more valuable than 20 million a year especially what we're seeing these players get paid. Come on, bro. He does not deserve John Collins' money.
0:07:52
(Speaker 1)
And it's just unfair. It's unfair. And a lot of the things that's going on right now, it doesn't make sense. And a lot of it's gonna open up soon. A lot of it.
0:08:02
(Speaker 1)
John Collins got five-year, $125 million. And you're going to tell me that with a straight face that Kumonga doesn't deserve that? And I think John Collins is a decent player. I love that move for the Clippers. He's a great player. Could stretch the floor. Could cut.
0:08:18
(Speaker 1)
Catch lobs. Get off the dribble. Kumonga is better than that player. Straight up.
0:08:30
(Speaker 2)
Straight up. That's why I haven't looked at it in no funny way, in no funny light.
0:08:33
(Speaker 3)
Pay that kid what he deserves, man.
0:08:36
(Speaker 2)
Pay that kid what he deserves. But I don't care if it's a bad contract. Somebody got 175 mil and you could tell me that's a bad contract, but I don't care if it's a bad contract.
0:08:48
(Speaker 1)
Somebody got 175 mil, Kumonga deserves more than what he's, what he's, what they're trying to offer him. Why are you being cheap? You are the most valuable team in the NBA right now. You running off every good young player that comes across your way, but keeping the ones that don't matter. You kept James Wiseman way too long and should have never drafted him. Should have never drafted him second overall in an NBA draft in the middle of a top 10 player prime.
0:09:18
(Speaker 1)
You have Stephen Curry in his prime and you're drafting a project, the biggest project in that draft easily, who only had one game against Oregon. There was one tape of him. He played two games.
0:09:36
(Speaker 1)
But there was actually one real tape because that was a real college team. They played a mid-major. And he looked horrible. And they still went and drafted him. Then they kept him for three years and now he's out the league. Shout out James Wiseman.
0:09:50
(Speaker 1)
I get that he was injured and it was unfair to him because for players like that, they're just put in a situation that they should have never been put in. He should have never been drafted second overall. If anybody else had second overall pick that year, they would have not drafted James Wiseman. He would have been one of those players that gets hyped up the whole year and he would have dropped on draft night.
0:10:14
(Speaker 1)
He would have been one of those players because when you really take a deep dive into James Wiseman, he should have never been a top three pick in an NBA draft. There was all the high school tape of him. And the high school tape told you he had no hands, he couldn't defend without fouling, and he gets injured. Anybody with a brain could have told you that. And then came Jordan Poole,
0:10:42
(Speaker 1)
had a terrible rookie year. Y'all sent him to the G League, developed them. Salute, you developed them. Key contributor to your 2022 championship team. Might've been the second most important player on that run. Because if we remember that run,
0:10:58
(Speaker 1)
Curry was injured before the playoffs. And before the playoffs, I think those last, like, what was it, 15 or 15 to 20 games that they played without Steph. Poole averaged around 26 points as a starter and kept him afloat. Came playoffs, they played Denver,
0:11:16
(Speaker 1)
and he started over Steph. He started over Steph for two games, and there was no problems because he was killing like that. Nobody even questioned it. Had some ups and downs in the playoffs in that finals run, but he was a key contributor.
0:11:33
(Speaker 1)
Yes, Wiggins might have been the second best player on that roster, but Jordan Poole was a key contributor to a championship team. And then I get the whole situation with Draymond, but you chose Draymond over Poole, and I get that. You have longer ties to Draymond.
0:11:49
(Speaker 1)
Draymond is a Warriors legend. I get that, he wasn't wrong. Even though you handled that situation just wrong all in general, if you never went out, to this day I still feel like one person on the front office leaked that tape. who even gives practice tape like that that type of
0:12:10
(Speaker 1)
footage a fight like that broke out between your top three four players and you're telling me somebody got their hands on that no I don't believe that I don't believe that they leaked that they leaked that and you know that ruined the whole vibes of that team but I respect the fact that you paid pool but you salary dumped the kid you only paid him so you didn't get backlash you salary dumped him for Chris Paul got a Chris Paul contract I Think his in his last year his contract was 30 million, and you did nothing with that you did nothing
0:12:51
(Speaker 1)
You did nothing with it. We lost Chris Paul for nothing so in in the end of all of this you lost Jordan pool for literally nothing
0:13:01
(Speaker 2)
And
0:13:02
(Speaker 1)
Now you you know you could try to tell me that Jordan pool value wasn't that good after the Lakers series Because that was when they decided that they wanted to trade him But bro, he was 23 years old You know how many times we've seen Players play great in a regular season and then have a bad playoffs? That don't mean quit on them and salary dump at 23. Come on.
0:13:26
(Speaker 1)
That's like the Lakers salary dumping Austin Reeves right now today. Because Austin Reeves did nothing in the playoffs this year. You come and tell me and tell me what Austin Reeves did in the playoffs. He did nothing. But the Lakers wouldn't go out here and salary dump the kid. And there's just so many situations where the Warriors are just going wrong about their
0:13:50
(Speaker 1)
youth. Like, we got the two timeline thing. You know, I'm already content with that. I was never with that. I never wanted to, I never wanted the Warriors to draft none of these players. We should have never kept none of these picks
0:14:06
(Speaker 1)
because that 2022 championship proved that Steph could have probably got you another ring. And the reason why the Warriors are so content to what they're doing right now is because they feel like if Steph never got injured last year in the playoffs, that they would have won.
0:14:23
(Speaker 1)
They really believe that. And I'm not, I'm not gonna call him crazy, because I really did believe that the Warriors were the best team to, you know, to actually play the Thunders, especially in a regular season. They just have the roster to play against the Thunders. They had the best defense in the playoffs after the Thunders and they have a player on Shea's
0:14:50
(Speaker 1)
caliber to go head-to-head in terms of Shea I mean in terms of Steph but come on man stop that's delusion look at your roster you have nobody on your roster. They're gonna sign DeAnthony Melton and they're gonna sign Seth Curry. And I respect that. We should have been-got Seth a long time ago. I still think he's an NBA level player. And I'm okay with that.
0:15:19
(Speaker 1)
DeAnthony Melton, we're getting you because we can't get nobody else and in the six games that you played last year You look like you could fit in a warrior system But can you stay healthy? I don't know Al Horford is like 45 and we're lying Our biggest move is gonna be a 45 year old Al Horford in all season and I love Al Horford
0:15:41
(Speaker 1)
I've wanted Al Horford on the Warriors When he was on the Thunders, I wanted the Warriors to trade for Al Holford so bad But this guy is is deciding between retirement or coming to the Warriors that can't be your last option or your your your most reliable option and You just went and extended Jimmy Butler for 120 mil. You got Steph on a contract,
0:16:12
(Speaker 1)
you got Draymond on a contract. There's no way that this is what you think contending is. Do you see what these other teams are doing? How many moves have the Lakers made this offseason? They just got Marcus Smart. And Marcus Smart is not a, you know, he's not his DPO wide level type of player anymore.
0:16:36
(Speaker 1)
But Marcus Smart is gonna contribute on that roster. The Lakers are cooking. And I'm not even a Laker, like I'm a Laker hater. Like I will say that out loud. Lakers are cooking. And I'm not even a Laker, I'm a Laker hater. Like I will say that out loud. Lakers are cooking. They have NBA level players on their team now.
0:16:50
(Speaker 1)
They did not have that last year. They had so many players that shouldn't be on an NBA roster last year. They relied on Chris, what was it, Chris Godwin? Was that his name?
0:17:06
(Speaker 2)
What was his name?
0:17:17
(Speaker 1)
What was his name? I don't even remember dude's name. They had to rely on Jackson Hayes last year. Jordan Goodwin. I think Massey Kleber was on a roster. He might be on a roster today but I think he was Their best player off the bench was damn near gave him visit and that was a problem last year but at least they went and They looked at that roster from last year. They realized that that cannot win you anything they went and got a in They got Jack what was it Jake Lareva from Memphis, drafted Adutari, got Marcus Smart, and they're just
0:18:01
(Speaker 1)
much better than last year. I'm not too high on them, as high as people are, but at least they're trying to do stuff. We have made zero moves and it's July 29, 2025. The Clippers are, how many players did the Clippers get? I don't even have to talk about the whole,
0:18:22
(Speaker 1)
I don't even have to talk about the whole, I don't even have to talk about the whole NBA. I could just talk in your conference right now. The Phoenix Suns have had a way better offseason than you. The Clippers went and got Chris Paul, John Collins, Brooke Lopez. Come on on man. No more Rans bro.
0:18:50
(Speaker 1)
Cause when I started doing this, I just like, yeah, I get frustrated alone. You know, like I don't like that. Just sign him. Give him 30 million. Stop being cheap.
0:19:07
(Speaker 1)
I don't want to speak on that too long. I think this is the first pod that I've had since the Summer League finished and Just can't you know talk about it enough. You know I love the Summer League probably one of the funnest things that I've ever done and Yeah, I told y'all boys that the Hornets is gonna win a championship so fun to watch them Every game it felt like they were just dropping a hundred points They were the only team that actually ran NBA offense in the summer league
0:19:36
(Speaker 1)
and and I was so impressed with so many players on that roster and Concan temple can't can't shout him out enough. I think he's gonna have a great rookie year. I'm just all in on him now. You know, like, he's one of those players that like, had to show me.
0:19:54
(Speaker 1)
And yeah, he definitely showed me that. He's one of the best players in the draft. Easily, easily. And he's gonna have a long NBA career. Went crazy, went crazy in the finals game. He didn't shoot good.
0:20:09
(Speaker 1)
I think he shot nine for 23 in the finals game and got to speak to him a little bit and you could just tell he only cares about winning. He only cares about winning. Off the rip, he's telling you yeah I didn't shoot a good tonight he was hitting every shot that mattered he had the
0:20:30
(Speaker 1)
biggest shot of the game when it was a one-point game with 40 seconds left and to go up for just a great player he's one and I just love when players that are drafted in the lottery actually play the The fact that we didn't see Ace Bailey one time was crazy. Come on, man. Come on, bro, don't tease me like that. There's no way he was injured.
0:20:55
(Speaker 1)
There's no way he was injured. We saw what he did in Utah, in the Utah Summer League. I wish we got to see him play, because I know he's gonna have a crazy rookie year and I'm excited to watch him But I'm just tired of these teams playing their their top 10 picks one or two times in in in the summer league All these guys need need rep and that's why I love what the Pelicans and the Hornets did
0:21:19
(Speaker 1)
Jeremiah fears if you saw him from day one of the summer league to day 10 It was night and 10, it was night and day. It was night and day. And for Jeremiah Fierce, right now his only problem is turnovers. Turnovers and turnovers and turnovers.
0:21:35
(Speaker 1)
He turns the ball over way too much. But I can tell you this, he got better through the summer league. The summer league is going be a big big help for him in terms of the NBA because he just got to have the ball the whole game and just go attack attack attack attack and he averaged i think 17 points in the summer league that's impressive bro this kid is 18 years old the second youngest player in the draft. And all these guys need rep.
0:22:12
(Speaker 1)
Cooper Flagg, yes he had a 31 point game. I would have loved to see him more man. And I get it, you just paid the kid what, 60 million dollars? 56? Something like that. So you know, he needs to not get injured in the summer league and I get that, I get that. But I just don't look at basketball like that.
0:22:29
(Speaker 1)
And I don't think the players, a lot of the times it's out of their hand. It's either an agent or the team is the reason why they're sitting out. But I just love watching these players play and what Conconempo and Jeremiah Fierce did
0:22:43
(Speaker 1)
really impressed me. They played five, they were the only lottery picks to play five games in the summer league and I think it's going to show when the season comes. Definitely it's going to show. And I wanted to talk a little bit about some topics that I saw on Twitter. I seen that there was a couple of things about who's gonna be the breakout player of the year and I kinda wanted to have an opinion on that.
0:23:14
(Speaker 1)
And we already know that the players are gonna, we already know who's gonna really turn up in terms of like from the real stars. Like everybody knows that Ant is gonna go crazy next year Luka's gonna have a bounce back year Oh yeah Luka!
0:23:29
(Speaker 1)
Let me take a dive before I do this Let me take a dive on the Luka situation Where Why do people care about his body weight this much? I don't understand I don't know, let that guy breathe bro
0:23:41
(Speaker 1)
He looks pretty slim That's all I'm gonna say. And he looks healthy. He looks like this is the first time, it looks like this is the first time that he's gonna come into the season real healthy.
0:23:54
(Speaker 1)
And all I can ask for is some Luka dunks. You're way too young to not be able to dunk anymore. You were able to dunk early into your career. You're not 35. Go get some dunks you're like 6'7 6'8 go get some dunks and Lucas is gonna have to show me cuz I'm tired of that whole Lucas
0:24:13
(Speaker 1)
gonna win MVP this year Lucas gonna take over this year he's gonna win the chip he's gonna do this and this show me I gotta see it I'm tired of all that Because we didn't see some players lap you bro We seen some players lap Luka And I'm not gonna speak on it too much, but he got to show me I don't care if he's on the cover of Vogue Or anything he has to show me
0:24:41
(Speaker 1)
And I know there's a whole drama with Bron and all of that. Come on man, you got the players around you that are good enough. Go get a top two seed in the West. Cause you're not getting first, I'mma tell you that. You gotta show me man, you gotta show me. But speaking of young stars destined for greatness, we already know the big players that are gonna
0:25:02
(Speaker 1)
do good. I really do believe in Kade taking that next step. And you know, it's a young man game. Like next year, probably the MVP race is gonna be dominated by young players like Cade, Ant, Luka, Shay,
0:25:16
(Speaker 1)
and everybody knows Giannis and Jokic. But that's probably around the type of players that's gonna be in the MVP race and maybe Wimby. Wimby, I don't know if y'all can hear this though, time is ticking buddy. We need a first team All-NBA, we need a DPOY,
0:25:33
(Speaker 1)
simple as that. You're on GOAT trajectory, simple as that, I gotta see it. Young Stars are a desperate greatness. My pick next year is Andrew Nembhard and Benedict Mathurin and maybe Shane Sharp. Especially Andrew Nembhard. I think he's that player that's going to take that next step.
0:25:56
(Speaker 1)
Getting to watch the majority of the playoffs. This guy's special. I can't speak on him enough. This guy is special. He has all speak on him enough. This guy is special. He has all the tools to take that next step. And with no Hadley for a whole calendar year, it's his time.
0:26:11
(Speaker 1)
They're gonna put the ball in his hands, it's his time. And the world gonna see how crazy of a player this guy is. We didn't get to see much of him without Hadley in the playoffs. I think he only has like two games without Hadley in the playoffs, I think he only has like two games without Hadley in the playoffs. And that was against the Celtics where he went stupid. I think he averaged like 28, nine and five in those games without Hadley.
0:26:31
(Speaker 1)
And without Hadley in a regular season, it's around like a 40 game sample. It's around that 14.7 assist type of thing. It's a whole different thing this year. We're going on you know invest now It's like crypto invest now. That's all I'm gonna say
0:26:51
(Speaker 1)
Invest now Benedict Mather, I think he could really take that the Pacers is real interesting to me because I just don't think they're gonna fall off and it's cause of these two players. I think they're gonna take a huge step. And yeah, Shane Sharp, my stock today.
0:27:16
(Speaker 1)
Don't wanna speak too much on this. It was a great pod. It was a great pod. I'm gonna see y'all soon.