Zach LaVine On The Block, NBA Officiating Off The Rails | TAF294

On episode 293 of The Atlantic Files, Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls both have an interest in finding a trade partner for the All-Star guard, NBA Officiating seems to be going off the rails as more techs are handed out and more people are aggravated, James Harden gets obliterated by a Mavs broadcaster, Kelly Oubre Jr. has a scary situation, Zion Williamson doesn’t seem happy in New Orleans, and Jordan Poole is finding out quickly that Washington is not Golden State!

The Chicago Bulls and Zach LaVine are reportedly talking to teams about potential deals to move the All-Star guard to a new team. It’s unclear whether or not this is the start of a full rebuild, but the two sides have a mutual understanding that LaVine is now firmly on the trade block. We take a look at who should make a deal for him.

NBA Officiating has been the topic of many discussions in post-game press conferences, social media, and much more so far this season. There have been game-changing calls, ejections out of nowhere, and even more questionable events that have caused even coaches to say things and get fined for talking about the refs. Is it especially bad this year or just par for the course?

Kelly Oubre Jr. unfortunately experienced a terrifying situation when he was hit by a car as he was just a pedestrian walking around his residence. The good thing is that his injuries are not as severe as originally expected, but after such a hot start, he’ll now be out for a while to heal from broken ribs and other injuries.

Speaking of players that may be on the trade block, Zion Williamson seemed very unhappy with his situation in New Orleans during a post-game press conference. Also, Jordan Poole is finding out very quickly that the Washington Wizards are nothing like the Golden State Warriors and it might be pretty difficult to be the best player on a team.

Finally, we also take a look at the epic rant from a Dallas Mavericks broadcaster that was aimed at James Harden and everything he’s done since leaving Houston.

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Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
07:26 James Harden gets roasted
21:43 Zach LaVine on the trade block
30:33 Zion Williamson unhappy in New Orleans?
38:54 NBA Officiating is off the rails
47:40 Jordan Poole and the Wizards are awful
50:41 Outro

Kelly Oubre Jr. Signs With The Sixers | TAF286

This week, on episode 286 of The Atlantic Files, Kelly Oubre Jr. is signing a one-year deal with the Sixers, James Harden trade talks were ended by the Clippers and not the 76ers, we continue our divisional preview series with the Central Division, the NBA has established new resting rules for star players, and we bring back our fantasy basketball and football corner!

Daryl Morey and the 76ers actually made a roster move that wasn’t trading James Harden. Kelly Oubre Jr. is joining the team on a one-year deal! We’re still not exactly sure why Oubre wasn’t signed by any other teams until now, but it’s a huge pickup for a team that’s in limbo with one of their superstars.

Speaking of James Harden, news came out that the trade talks were actually ended by the Clippers. Brian Windhorst spoke about how the Clippers were the ones moving on after the trade talks hit a stalemate. Originally, the drama began because it was believed that Morey finished the negotiations. Now, the shoe is on the other foot and we haven’t heard from Harden since then.

The NBA also established new rules in regard to resting players throughout the regular season. We’ll, hopefully, begin to see more and more stars playing on national TV and in away games. The issue becomes how the league will actually enforce all of these rules and how they’ll make sure that the injuries listed are real.

Finally, we continue our divisional preview series for the 2023-24 season. The Central Division is the next one on the list before our specialty next week. Will Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks win the division again or will Cleveland take another step up with their young core and Donovan Mitchell?

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Timecodes:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:15 Fantasy Football Corner: Week 2
00:17:37 Kelly Oubre Jr signs with Sixers
00:32:21 Clippers end trade talks for James Harden
00:36:27 New resting rules in effect in the NBA
00:46:50 NBA Central division preview
00:58:48 Outro