Coming up on Locked-on NBA Daily. All signs point to Jason Tatum making his comeback this season, but who are the biggest winners and losers of a potential Tatum return? Meanwhile, we'll take a look at the biggest X-factors over the final stretch of the season, plus are the Lakers pushing for LeBron James to take less on a new contract? Locked-on NBA Daily starts now.

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All right, welcome back to Locked-on NBA Daily, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network. However, you're tuning in on YouTube or on your podcast app, thanks for making us your first listen every day. Today's episode is brought to you by Fandual. Use your profit boost on any NBA future and get entered for your chance to win a trip to the NBA finals. Play your game with Fandul, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. I'm Wes Goldberg. Today we're talking about the biggest X factors over the final stretch of the season and the Lakers opening the door to another season with LeBron James. We're doing it. With the help of lockdown's local experts, I have two of the best with me as always from the Lockdown Nuggets podcast. He's a senior NBA writer for the action network. It's Matt more Matt. Look at West Goldberg with the pre-production Hayes. He actually did some work into a show for once. From the Lockedad Bulls podcast, Bears and Bulls creator for Bleach report, it's Hayes. What's going on people look? Shout out to West Goldberg stepping it up. All-Star game got him reviving things. Look at what's happening here. I'm following Wembe and Ann's lead here. Stepping it up. Let's talk about this post All-Star Game Stretch. There are a lot of signs that Jason Tatum is planning to come back during the season. Here's more from Lockdown Celtics. I think it's pretty clear. Jason Tatum is ramping up. He is going to come back. You don't drop a trailer for your behind the scenes look at your rehab without planning to come back,

right? There's the, all of a sudden, March 1st, the game against Philly

gets flexed from 6 p.m. local coverage to NBC coverage at 8 p.m. It's happening. There are

going to be winners and losers. So in the grand scheme of things, Tom, who's the winner? We all are. Yeah, we all. The Boston Celtics are the winner from Jason Tatum coming back.

So again, guys, a lot of science pointed to Jason Tatum making his comeback next month. Over at Lockdown Celtics, they do ask an interesting question there. Who wins and who loses in a Tatum comeback? Man, I want to start with you. Take it in either direction in terms of winners or losers.

Yeah, so I think the loser, I think, is going to be their short-term seating.

Like, I think they're going to struggle a lot when he comes back.

Like, I just think it's going to be really clunky and ugly.

Whenever you add in a high usage player back after any duration, it's rough. When you do it after having rebuilt the team and built an entirely new chemistry,

it's even tougher.

So, like, they're not going to be good.

That for those first, like, couple of, I would imagine, like, even if they win that first game, don't overreact to it because the Nuggets won their first one with Yokic and then went one and four after that. Same kind of deal. Like, they're going to, they're going to struggle when Tatum comes back. trying to identify the loser, I think, is really difficult here because I think the obvious

answer is like Jalen Brown.

I don't know how this is going to kind of translate.

Like, there's a lot of people, I think, around the league that are going to be keeping

a little bit of a side eye at what's going on in Boston, not just from keeping on on the

contenders, but also from,

how's this going to go with Jalen seems real happy to be the guy, Hayes? Like, he feels like he's

finally getting the recognition that he feels he deserves. And I am very curious to see what's

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