Guys, Ah, lot of folks question Hayward opting out of his $34 million option with the Celtics for next season.

But clearly, it was for a reason it worked out for him.

Zack, What's your assessment of Charlotte's decision to gamble on Hayward here?

All right, let me defend the Charlotte Hornets a little bit.

Do I think this is a good contract?

Not really.

Do I think it will be like a trade asset in a couple of years?

No, But it's not like the Celtics and the Pacers, and a sign and trade were offering $80 million or $90 million.

It was something over $100 million.

So it's not like the difference was that big.

And look, if you want free agents to come to Charlotte, this is what you have to do.

Just like if you want free agents to come to any kind of small market, you have to over pay them, and all you want to say is, well, they should just keep tanking and tanking and tanking.

Well, that's just not a reality for a lot of these teams.

It's not a reality for these small market teams, even in the year when you can't sell tickets.

And also the Hornets, as things stood before, could have had, like 50 $60 million in cap space this coming off season when, like two thirds of the league, is gonna have a lot of cap space.

What are you buying with that cap space?

That's better than Gordon Hayward.

Gordon Hayward, if he stays healthy, is still a really, really good player.

So, no, I don't think it's a great contract.

And, you know, everyone wants to clown the Hornets for going all in for the eighth seed.

Like they always dio.

I just don't think it's his bad of a deal as people are making it out to be.

And I think Gordon Hayward is still a damn good player.

Well, Zack, I have to disagree with you.

Look, I'm all in for players getting their bread and getting their letters, but for the harness, this was a bad deal.

And look, we're coming up on Thanksgiving and Michael Jordan is already thinking about Christmas because if he if he's gonna be this giving, I might have to retire from ESPN to go get back in shape.

Because if he's going to be giving out millions of dollars, I could go out there and go send pics and rebound if he just in a giving mood.

Look, this type of signing is not good, and I understand it's hard to land free agents in a small market.

But when you go out there and give $120 million toe God, that's over 30.

But getting up in age, you know, toe Lana Gordon Haywood, whose to me, not the number one option guy.

It could set your organization back in the future, And I just think with an organization like the Hornets, you did well by the drafting Lemelle lowball.

You continue to draft young guys and develop young guys and have a great player development, not go out there and spend $120 million on the agent Gordon Haywood, who haven't really been healthy.

His health is one of the big flags right, of course, and the injury when he first got to Boston was a freak injury, but he's had many injuries since then.

Mr Chunk of time in the bubble.

I do always want to compare it, though.

If you're spending money on Gordon and people say why you shouldn't be doing that, it's way over paying him well, What else would you be spending that money on and his ax point?

Their options of what else to spend that money on?

Our are not the same as some other teams around the league, so we'll just have to watch and see if he becomes a worthwhile signing for them and especially his health over the coming years.

I do want to switch gears guys quickly, though, because a delegation of MBA players several officials from the Players Association We're at the Vatican today, the Vatican for a private audience with Pope Francis to discuss their work on social justice issues.

The delegation included Kyle Korver and Sterling Brown from the Bucks, Jonathan Isaac of the Orlando Magic.

Anthony Tolliver, the union secretary treasurer Marco Belinelli and Michelle Roberts, executive director of the Players Union.

Zach, this was your story this morning.

What else can you tell us about how this came about and the discussions they had, uh, on intermediary for the pope, The pope.

It feels weird to say the pope not continuous Caldwell Pope.

But they reached out to the union and said, Hey, we really admire what these players have done for social justice and racial inequality.

I'd like to have a visit with them or the pope would.

And look, I don't know what you guys believe.

It doesn't matter what I believe.

When the pope summons you, you apparently go to the pope because he everything he says is important for like, ah, billion people on Planet Earth.

So for the players to get a stage like this in an audience like this, no matter what you believe is kind of objectively a big deal.

Perk?

Absolutely.

I know you agree with me that the pope, when the pope calls you gotta say yes, right?

Perk?

Absolutely.

And when you think about the Rachel, just it tells you how great of a job these n b a guys, the current n b a.

Guys that are playing did for us with what they're doing outside of the court, for us, their leadership and in social justice because this is powerful and they got to keep it going.

And I love with what I'm saying out of these young leaders and a couple of older veteran leader so like Zack said.

And like you said when the pope called, This is a beautiful thing to see and it just shows that we're moving in the right direction.

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