Nate McMillan: "Trae has the skill that these top players have. You have to put him with the top guys in the league..."

Magic Michael Kareem Kobe had killer instincts I love LeBron but at times he doesn't bring it the way we want him to bring it like James Harden -Tim Hardaway Sr talks about the top 5

Dave McMenamin Deandre Ayton I'm about to show the world I can guard 1 through 5 I thought it was going to be a secret weapon but I've been practicing it and having multiple reps guarding the best players in the league on isolations And the confidence is way up there

Masai Ujiri Youve got Wembanyama Luka Shai Anthony Edwards and Nikola Jokic all for the next 7-15 years Okay now you have to convince me that I have to beat all those guys You gotta come with something in your pocket okay and in his pocket he had Cooper Flagg

CJ McCollum on Jonathan Kuminga He has championship DNA coming from the Warriors The athleticism is off the charts Hes got a mid-range He knows how to post up screen and defensively he can guard 1-5 He was in a not so great situation and now he's found a happy home

Charles Barkley Cade Cunningham has more responsibility than any player in the NBA in my opinion They're too dependent on Cade They look for him every single trip up and down the court in the history of basketball you can't depend on one guy to score make every pass against the elite teams

Zach Lowe No one who has watched the Nuggets for the years they haven't won the title can make a case that it's Jokic's fault like at all But if he gets a second one the names he's next to are like the holy pantheon of NBA players Bill Simmons He has to be with Bird and Magic at that point