Luka's Lakers, Toxic Assets, and Three-Dimensional Chess (w/ Rachel Nichols)
Open Floor: SI's NBA Show
SI NBA
4.5 • 2.4K Ratings
🗓️ 9 July 2026
⏱️ 67 minutes
🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS
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Summary
Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols dive headfirst into a wild alternate NBA reality to break down the fallout of a shocking blockbuster trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George and draft capital. They unpack the high-stakes sweepstakes surrounding LeBron James' departure from the Los Angeles Lakers, parsing through Rich Paul's infamous "magical whiteboard" and a potential return to Cleveland. Plus, they examine the Lakers' immediate and costly pivot to surround Luka Dončić with elite size by paying a massive premium for center Walker Kessler, before wrapping up with a look at Donovan Mitchell’s mega-extension with the Cavaliers and Nikola Jokić's subtle leverage play against the Denver Nuggets.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Now playing. |
| 0:01.5 | Open Floor. |
| 0:03.1 | This is Open Floor. |
| 0:05.3 | Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix back at it. |
| 0:07.7 | An NBA podcast with Sports Illustrated senior writer. |
| 0:11.5 | I think it's time that the world get to know. |
| 0:14.1 | My guy Chris Manix. |
| 0:15.4 | I think your opinion is shared by everyone. |
| 0:17.1 | And now it begins. |
| 0:18.3 | Now it begins. |
| 0:19.5 | Bang! |
| 0:22.2 | This is the Open Floor NBA podcast where we talk about the league and all the big stories going on. |
| 0:29.1 | In it, back with me as she is every week. |
| 0:32.2 | And back in Los Angeles after taking her vacation during free agency from Fox Sports One, All the Smoke, |
| 0:40.3 | monumental sports network, and a beach near you, Rachel Nichols. |
| 0:45.2 | In my defense, it has been such a dud free agency for the last like three years. |
| 0:51.2 | And I was just like, yeah, what's really going really gonna happen LeBron's going back to |
| 0:55.5 | LA that was outstanding when I texted you last week I know I'm like right |
| 0:59.7 | which day you're like I'm off I'm away I'm away this week before you did you did you |
| 1:05.1 | did you did tell me the way I prepped you yes but I'm back it just made you want me more |
| 1:08.6 | did you get the did you confuse you like July |
| 1:11.0 | 1st with August 1st? Did you think that was the? No, I just, you know, you'll see this as Miles Manix gets older. Your schedule starts to be dictated by more than just you, Chris, and that sometimes the needs of that's true in the family. Understandable is the reason things happen. Understandably. You missed a few things don't like the way. I figured I figured I'll |
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