Dukes & Bell

Carl and Mike are joined by Grant McAuley as they react to the Braves win on Tuesday and preview Wednesday's matchup.

Carl and Mike kick off the hour with breaking news of the Lakers reportedly in agreement to be sold which marks the first time majority ownership will be the Buss families. They then get into some Falcons talk and share thoughts on how the team could be impacted in the future if they do not make the playoffs this season with notable players like Drake London nearing the end of current deals and could mull their future to remain with the franchise beyond contract's end.

Carl and Mike are joined by former NBA player and coach Sam Mitchell as they discuss the NBA Finals and whether or not the Pacers stand a chance to even the series if Tyrese Haliburton cannot give 100 percent.

Carl and Mike briefly preview Game 2 of the Braves' series with the Mets as they look to take a 2-0 series lead, which Carl believes the Braves have an opportunity to "get right".

Carl and Mike come back with more brief Braves talk and respond to a question by a listener who asked when will Ronald Acuna Jr. demand a Juan Soto type of contract to which both agree Acuna Jr.'s injuries have likely caused the All-Star outfielder to delay requesting a big payday.

Carl and Mike get back into some more Braves talk and add more thoughts on their conversation in regards to Alex Anthopoulos not being under pressure to make a trade by the trade deadline despite the fact the team is under performing expectations. As they discuss, they agree that while some may believe AA should not be under pressure to make a trade due to the talent on the team and what they deem financial constraints, the team cannot move forward believing they have done enough.

Carl and Mike get into a conversation on a recent article by Buster Onley in which he discusses which MLB front office executives are under the most pressure to make a move by the trade deadline. As they discuss the list, they note Alex Anthopoulos is not on the list which Carl believes is surprising due to the fact the team is built to win a championship now and is under performing expectations, while Mike believes due to the fact Braves' ownership does not equip Anthopoulos with the financial backing to acquire top talent therefore he should not be under pressure to make a trade before the deadline.

Carl and Mike come back with brief thoughts on the WNBA scuffle with Caitlin Clark which Carl believes is not necessarily bad for the league. They then briefly discuss the NBA Finals, agreeing the Thunder are likely going to win due to the fact Tyrese Halliburton is dealing with an injury which may limit him in Game 6 and even possibly keep him out all together. They then share thoughts on how much the Hawks should be willing to give up in order to bring in the type of talent which could make the team an instant upgrade and turn them into a title contender.

Carl and Mike open up the show with some Braves talk as they react to their 5-4 win over the Mets and agree it was great to see them pick up the win with guys stepping up in the clutch, in particular Ronald Acuna Jr., who they both believe has carried the Braves this season. As their conversation continues, Carl notes he believes the Braves have 'owned the Mets' as he points to several of their last series in which the Braves have had a lot of success and believes history is on their side when it comes to the Mets.

The full show of "Dukes and Bell" from 6-17-25.