McHale: This is the time of year to make a big trade

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NBA legend, Kevin McHale, caught up with The Usual Suspects and shared his thoughts on the NBA Draft, reports of Phil Jackson falling asleep at player workouts, and if he expects a big move from the Rockets.

I never fell asleep at a player’s workout, but I’ve wanted to leave

Coach McHale said he has never pulled a Phil Jackson and fallen asleep during a player’s workout, but he has sat through a few where he knew the player wouldn’t cut it, and he wanted to leave. Lottery picks in the NBA can be hit or miss, and even the talented ones may take a couple years to develop.

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If the Rockets are going to make a big splash, he expects for it to happen sooner than later. Once you get to the end of the summer, it becomes very hard to make any moves. Typically, teams aren’t willing to take your players just so you can dump salary for a free agent. If a trade doesn’t happen soon, it will be hard for the Rockets to move a player like Patrick Beverley.

Paul George says he’s leaving in free agency

Finally, players don’t always tell you the truth when it comes to free agency. What they tell the organization and what they tell their agent can be two different things entirely. General Managers and coaches have to be prepared no matter what they are told by the player. As far as Paul George’s impact on a team, McHale doesn’t see him as a franchise changing player. He believes that can help get you over the hump if you have a lot of talent around him, but you can’t count on him to change life for your franchise.

You can hear the entire interview below. Make sure you catch Joel Blank and Barry Laminack on The Usual Suspects weekdays from 1-4pm CT on ESPN 97.5 radio. You can listen live or on demand with the ESPN 97.5 radio app.