Who Won the Harden-to-Clippers Trade, Weird Court Designs, and Resetting Expectations With Austin Reaves

Austin and Pausha kick off their Halloween by discussing the late-night trade that landed James Harden with the Los Angeles Clippers, and how the Philadelphia 76ers will deal with a Beard-less future (1:36). The guys break down how Harden’s arrival impacts Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, before picking who they thought won the trade.

Then, Austin and Pausha get into the new court designs that will be used for the NBA’s in-season tournament games and decide whether they like them or not (22:12). Austin gives his thoughts on the projected top pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Cooper Flagg, committing to his beloved Duke Blue Devils (24:21).

The guys also talk through the Lakers’ early-season struggles when LeBron James isn’t on the court, why we need to reset our expectations with Austin Reaves (26:32), and whether they enjoyed Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry’s over-the-top celebrations (39:56).

They wrap up the show by dropping their thoughts on the Pistons’ impressive start, the Suns continuing to “load manage” their roster, and the new partnership between the NBA and Kim Kardashian.

Hosts: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi

Producers: Brian H. Waters and Ben Cruz

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