The AMSE Show

Goran Dragic Confirms He Has No Interest In Playing For Toronto Raptors, Says He Has "Higher Ambitions"

Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/sJkuPjc84to

According to a Sports Illustrated article, Goran Dragic has higher ambitions than the Toronto Raptors.

https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/toronto-raptors-goran-dragic-wants-trade-dallas-mavericks

The news is surprising coming from the former Miami Heat point guard is usually reserved in nature. The comments likely stem from wanting to play alongside his fellow countryman Luka Doncic in Dallas however.

Recently, both Goran Dragic and Luka Doncic represented Slovenia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and won a Bronze Medal for their country.

Last season, Goran Dragic made the NBA Playoffs while playing for the Miami Heat while Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in 7 games this year as well.

Whether absolutely true or not the value of Dragic is decreasing for the Raptors so they would be best to trade him sooner than later.

So, what do you guys think? Did Goran Dragic actually say this or is it lost in translation? If he did say this, is it being blown out of proportion? Will Dragic and Doncic play together in Dallas? What would a Dallas Mavericks Toronto Raptors trade look like for Goran Dragic?

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Arizona Coyotes Acquire Shayne Gostisbehere + 2022 Draft Picks For Nothing From Philadelphia Flyers

Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/XfHTuj20qsU

In one of the weirdest trades in recent memory, the Philadelphia Flyers have traded Shayne Gostisbehere and two draft picks to the Arizona Coyotes for nothing in return.

The official trade is as followed:

Arizona Coyotes Receive:
Shayne Gostisbehere
2022 2nd Round Draft Pick
2022 7th Round Draft Pick

Philadelphia Flyers Receive:
Not even a bag of peanuts

Over the past few seasons, Flyers fans have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of effort and production from Gostisbehere and management has been trying to trade "Ghost" for a while, but nobody expected the Flyers would ​get nothing at all in return.

Ultimately the Flyers did this move to save some cap room, but, a cap hit of under $5million for a top 4 defenseman who regularly plays in the top pairing is not a hefty price, especially when he is only 28 years old with 2 years left on his contract.

The following article from the athletic takes a deep dive into Gostisbehere's 2020-2021 NHL season with the Philadelphia Flyers and shows he was arguably their best overall defenseman last year and should have regularly been playing alongside Ivan Provorov.

So, what do you guys think, was the trade for Shayne Gostisbehere a good move for the Arizona Coyotes? Will the Philadelphia Flyers regret trading Gostisbehere? Did they give up on him too quickly?

Discuss below and don't forget to subscribe and follow!

After Dominating The 2021 NBA Finals Is Giannis Antetokounmpo The Best Player In The NBA Right Now?

Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/e3WhY-QKGj8

Heading into the 2020-2021 NBA Season many critics did not consider Giannis Antetokounmpo to be the best NBA player in the world due to his lack of playoff success.

After the 2020-2021 season, this is simply no longer the case.

Not only did Giannis help the Milwaukee Bucks win the 2021 NBA Championship which was their first since 1974 when the team had Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Bob Dandrige among others.

In 6 games during the NBA Finals, Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He also had a whopping 5 blocks during game 6 and two other multi-block games.

Giannis also added three 40 point games which culminated in an amazing 50 point performance to close out the series.

At this point, we all know the knocks on Giannis but, he was already considered one of the best NBA players with his inability to consistently hit the mid/long-range shots and free throws. So, now with an NBA Championship, he is largely responsible for, is it fair to call him the current best player in the NBA?

With Kevin Durant losing to the Bucks, Steph Curry failing to make it out of the playoff tournament, and both Lebron James and Luka Doncic failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs, we truly think it is time that we can call the Greek Freak the most dominant player in basketball.

So, what do you guys think? Did Giannis do enough to solidify himself as the top NBA player? Should Kevin Durant or Steph Curry hold the title? What about current MVP Nikola Jokic?

Discuss below and don't forget to subscribe or follow!

Daniel Bryan Officially Signs With AEW, Why Did He Choose AEW? Is CM Punk Next?

Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/NKpmSz7xmvE

Daniel Bryan has officially signed with AEW after not appearing in WWE for over 2 months!!

After losing a championship vs career match against Roman Reigns, Bryan left the WWE and took a short hiatus from the wrestling world.

Many fans likely did not think Bryan would actually depart from WWE for good, but, Bryan ultimately sided with AEW as they provided him with fewer work dates, equal compensation as WWE, creative control over his character, and the ability to wrestle in Japan. The last of these is something that few other companies can offer and gave AEW a true advantage.

Now we just wait to see when Bryan's debut will be and who his first match and feud will be against. If anything, the time for a CM Punk debut couldn't be better

So, what do you guys think, did Bryan make the right move? Will he ever return to WWE? Who will his first feud be against?

Discuss below and don't forget to subscribe and follow!

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Sportsnet Suggests 4 Terrible Ways The Toronto Raptors Could Trade For Ben Simmons (They're Bad!!)

Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/iRAfahvkK0g

With Ben Simmons potentially on the move Sportsnet published an article recently titled, "4 Ways The Toronto Raptors Could Trade For Philadelphia 76ers Star Ben Simmons". Why did we do a video on this?

Unfortunately, each of the trades are subpar at best when evaluating them and a couple of them actually can be considered outright bad.

The first trade proposed was Kyle Lowry for Ben Simmons, this is only a partial deal as the Raptors would have to give up far more than only Lowry for Philadelphia to actually consider this deal. For example, we created a three-way trade where the 76ers get Lowry, Collin Sexton, and a future First-Round draft pick.

Second, Sportsnet suggested Pascal Siakam for Ben Simmons. Although this is better for Philadelphia value-wise, we still expect they would want at least 1 future first-round pick, however, Siakam is not a great fit given the sixers' current roster. With Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid already dominating the post, it seems pointless for Philly to consider moving Simmons for Siakam.

Third, and perhaps worst of all. Sportsnet proposes that the Philadelphia 76ers would trade Ben Simmons for Fred VanVleet straight up. Without going into more detail, no. Just no. A player yet to make an all-star game is not being traded for a player who has 3 of the last 4 all-star games and is one of the best defenders in the league.

Lastly, Sportsnet says the Toronto Raptors could use the 4th overall pick to acquire Ben Simmons in a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Like the Lowry trade, this is a partial trade where this piece would likely be included, but the pick alone is not nearly enough to snag Simmons from the Sixers. If Kyle Lowry stays in Toronto, this deal also cannot happen for salary cap purposes.

Unfortunately, each of the trades is subpar at best when evaluating them and a couple of them actually can be considered outright bad. ll

This 3 Way Trade Sees Cleveland Cavaliers Land Ben Simmons, Raptors Kevin Love, 76ers Lowry + Sexton

Check out the full video at: https://youtu.be/SUJmR49Z8u0

The NBA Rumour mill has been focused on Philadelphia 76ers star point guard Ben Simmons as the team explores trade options. Would a 3-way trade involving the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers make sense?

At the start of the 2021 NBA Season, the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets almost made a blockbuster deal swapping Ben Simmons for James Harden.

Although that deal never came about, the Sixers are still shopping Ben Simmons on the trade market after a poor offensive performance throughout the NBA Playoffs including a 34% free throw shooting percentage.

The defensive ability of Simmons cannot be denied nor can his vision with the ball, but, clearly, frustration has set in across the 76ers organization and it seems firm that a major trade will happen this offseason to give the team some new options around Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.

In the trade we proposed, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors each contribute a star player to Philadelphia while the Cavaliers also send over an additional future first-round pick as well.

In summary, the trade would look as follows:

Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Kyle Lowry, Collin Sexton, Future Cleveland Cavaliers 1st Round Pick (2023-2025)

Toronto Raptors Receive: Kevin Love, 2021 1st Round Pick Swap With Cleveland Cavaliers (Toronto moves up from #4 to #3)

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Ben Simmons, 1st Round Pick Swap With Toronto Raptors (Cleveland Moves Down From #3 to #4)

In the video, we explain the benefits of each team in this trade so give it a watch, let us know what you think, and discuss below!

Conor McGregor Breaks Ankle Loses Trilogy Fight Against Dustin Poirier at UFC264 (Fight Reaction)

Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/ZNqyXKJAwdo

Dustin Poirier Defeated Conor McGregor via TKO after McGregor injured his ankle late in the first round and was unable to continue.

The UFC264 main event ended in an anti-climactic fashion when Conor McGregor fall backwards after it looked like Dustin Poirier hit him with a clean cross.

Upon further review, both men missed their punches and McGregor actually
twisted his ankle resulting in a significant ankle injury.

Herb Dean and the doctor told McGregor he was no longer able to continue fighting so Dustin Porier was declared victorious in the trilogy bout with Conor McGregor and will now fight Charles Oliveria for the UFC Lightweight title.

So, what do you guys think, was the fight a fluke? Will we see Conor McGregor back in the UFC? Will there be a 4th fight?

Discuss below and don't forget to subscribe!

Tampa Bay Lightning Win Second Straight Stanley Cup After 1-0 Shutout, Are They The Best 2000s Team?

Check out the full video at: https://youtu.be/GBjzKgo3xPE

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 to win their second straight Stanley Cup.

This makes back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships for the Lightning in the span of nine months.

The only goal of the game came in the third period after Ross Colton scored the biggest goal of his life assisted by Ryan McDonagh and David Savard

Stud Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe and recorded his fifth straight shutout in a series-clinching game. The Lightning also have multiple of the best playoff performers of the 2000s in Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, and Brayden Point.

With the win, the Lightning improved to 15-0 immediately following a loss over the past two postseasons, the longest such streak in NHL history.

"It's a legacy thing," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said earlier in the week. "Multiple Cups, it gives you good street cred for the guys, for the organization."

Defeating Montreal is the 15th series win for the Lightning since 2015. In that span, no other team has won more than nine series.

Now the question is, are the Tampa Bay Lightning the best team of the 2000s? How would they face against teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins of the 2010s?

Discuss below and don't forget to subscribe

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning for their 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Championship

Josh Anderson Scores Overtime Winner As Montreal Canadiens Get First Stanley Cup Final Victory

Check out the full video at: https://youtu.be/uR9djOelju4

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their first Stanley Cup Final win since 1993 with a 3-2 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, do they now a chance to come back from the 3-0 deficit?

The Canadiens now trail the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 in the best of 7 series for the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup after Josh Anderson scored the overtime winner early in game 4.

The goal came shortly after the Canadiens killed off a double minor penalty after Shea Weber high-sticked Tampa Bay Lightning Forward Ondrej Palat.

Many, including us, thought the Lightning would score on the powerplay as they boast a whopping 36% powerplay in the playoffs so far, but, the Canadiens strong 90% penalty kill held strong with the help of Nick Suzuki and Phillip Danault.

The Canadiens were outplayed for most of the game and were outshot by a total of 34-21 in the victory. The habs strong point is clearly their grit and never say die attitude which is largely led by the aforementioned Danault.

Carey Price also played well in the victory which the Habs will need more of if they wish to extend the series any longer

So, what do you guys think? Can the Montreal Canadiens complete the comeback? Is the series already over? How did you feel about tonight's game?

Discuss in the comments and don't forget to follow!

Could The Toronto Raptors Acquire Damian Lilliard If The Portland Trailblazers Actually Trade Him?

Check out the full video at: https://youtu.be/USNisn0Pi0k

Many NBA Rumors have cited that Damian Lillard is unhappy in Portland and wants to be traded from the Trail Blazers. So, if the Blazers do trade Lillard, should the Toronto Raptors make a play for the all-star guard?

Much of the news surrounding Lillard's negative thoughts towards the Portland Trail Blazers at the moment came after the team signed Chauncey Billups as their next head coach.

Although Lillard nor his agent denied or agreed with the claims it may make sense for the two parties to go their separate ways after another early exit from the NBA Playoffs in 2021. It also could help build morale in the locker room after it was reported last month the Jusuf Nurkic was also unhappy with the current roster situation in Portland.

Over his career, Lillard has averaged 24.7ppg, 6.6ast, and 4.2reb and helped solidify the Trail Blazers as consistent Playoff Contenders since he has arrived in Portland. He has also put up an impressive 29.4ppg over the last two seasons combined.

For the Toronto Raptors to trade for Damian Lillard they would likely have to either do a direct sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry and several first-round draft picks or bring the Philadelphia 76ers as a third-team where Ben Simmons is traded to Portland, Kyle Lowry plus picks to Philadelphia, and Lillard ultimately goes to the Raptors.

So, what do you guys think? Should the Raptors try and trade for Damian Lillard? Could any of the trades discussed in the video actually happen? What's next for Damian Lillard?

Discuss below and don't forget to subscribe and follow!

Was The Los Angeles Clippers Signing Luke Kennard The Worst Move Of The Offseason Last Year?

Check out the full video at: https://youtu.be/d4prWWt0taQ

After a poor playoff performance in the 2021 NBA Playoffs is it fair to question if the 4-year/$64M contract the worst move of the 2020 NBA Offseason?

When the Los Angeles Clippers signed Luke Kennard back in December we discussed how the clippers signed a great player who may not fit great in their system.

This was largely the case throughout the year as Kennard saw his points per game nearly cut in half from the year prior to Detroit.

Although Kennard did shoot an impressive 44% from 3 (a career-high) he did take the lowest amount of 3's since his rookie season and averaged a mediocre 0.5 free throw attempts per game, down from 2.7 per game in 2020.

Come playoff time Kennard's efficiency and usage rate on both ends of the floor continued to decline as by the end of the playoffs Kennard's averages were 5.6ppg, 0.5ast, and 0.9reb across 15 games. Kennard had dropped to 0.1 free throw attempts per game during this time as well and shot only 31% from 3 in the Western Conference finals series against the Phoenix Suns.

So, what do you guys think, was Kennard the worst offseason signing of the 2020 offseason? Should the Los Angeles Clippers try and trade Luke Kennard? Has his value completely diminished?

Discuss below and don't forget to follow/subscribe!

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Reggie Jackson Thanks Los Angeles Clippers For Saving His Career, Will He Be A Starter Next Season?

Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/-aQZ_4tysd0

Following the Los Angeles Clippers Game 6 Playoff loss to the Phoenix Suns that eliminated the team from the Western Conference Finals Reggie Jackson thanked the team for saving him, what's next for Jackson?

Over the last two seasons, Reggie Jackson has had a tough go, going from starting point guard of the Detroit Pistons to cut and looking for a new team. He eventually landed with the Clippers but his days as a noteworthy offensive player seemed over for the majority of his time with Los Angeles.

Towards the end of the 2021 NBA season and throughout the 2021 NBA Playoffs however, Jackson improved and began to look like the borderline all-star player he was from 2015-2018.

In the month of March he improved from 7.8ppg the month prior to 13.2ppg and continued to maintain those numbers for the rest of the regular season.

In the playoffs, his production continued to improve as he not only averaged 20.3ppg in the Western Conference finals but also was playing strong defensively compared to some of his past performances.

In his speech following the team's playoff exit he not only thanked the Clippers organization for giving him a chance and "saving" him but also gave special credit to his friend Paul George for making a push to have Jackson sign with the Clippers

“First thing I told those guys was ‘thank you for saving me.’ I appreciate it. I appreciate every guy in that locker room. I appreciate Paul for getting on that phone last year and the end of the season when I was talking about a buyout with Detroit." Explained Jackson.

So, what do you guys think? Has Reggie Jackson rebuilt his career? Will he be a starting point guard again? Where will he play next season? Will he be a starter?

Discuss below and don't forget to subscribe and follow!

Do The Toronto Blue Jays Regret Not Signing Marcus Semien To A Longer Contract In The Offseason?

Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/IJO04wc4gMM

Marcus Semien was recently named to his first career All-Star Game on Friday and was the MLB Player of the Month for May, so, do the Toronto Blue Jays regret only giving him a 1/year contract?

In the 2021 offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays offered Marcus Semien a long-term deal that he declined betting on himself. We can assume that deal did not have the AAV he was expecting and the Blue Jays were not willing to overpay at the time. Do they regret this decision?

In 2019 Marcus Semien missed the All-Star Game despite finishing 3rd in MVP voting, this year, he's on pace to do even better. So far, Semien is batting an impressive .293 with 21 Homeruns and 54 RBI to go along with 10 Stolen Bases.

Each of these numbers is already equal to or on pace to be greater than his 2019 season which is a shock to many after a down year from Semien in 2020.

Perhaps even more impressively, Semien has done all this while maintaining his best fielding % since 2014 with the Chicago White Sox,

So, should the Toronto Blue Jays try and extend Semien immediately or would signing him long-term be a mistake? Should they regret not giving him a 2 or 3-year deal last offseason? Discuss below

Should The Toronto Raptors Trade Pascal Siakam To The Golden State Warriors For Wiseman + 1st?

Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/B_wRLYj8D1o

According to the NBA rumors, the Toronto Raptors are looking to trade one of their best players, Pascal Siakam, and the Golden State Warriors are interested in picking up the forward.

Although Siakam, his agent,t nor anyone from the Toronto Raptors side has confirmed, many major media outlets have begun discussing trades between the two parties centered around Siakam and James Wiseman or Andrew Wiggings.

Personally, we believe the Warriors are looking to keep Wiggins moving forward and would instead look to offload Wiseman plus their 7th overall pick in this years draft to the Raptors for Siakam.

Last season, Siakam averaged 21.4ppg, 7.2rpg, and 4.5ast on 29% 3-point shooting which were all down from his 2019-2020 stats.

Overall, Siakam has struggled a bit to be the all-star player he looked like towards the end of the 2019 NBA season and the start of 2020 season where he averaged over 28ppg in October, but, as a second or third option, he is still a very good player.

Wiseman on the other hand was drafted second overall by the Warriors in the 2020 draft and averaged 11.5ppg and 5.8rpg but had one of the worst in the NBA ranking 499th in the category.

For fans unsure about the trade from the Raptors side it is important to consider that the team has drafted extremely well with later picks in recent years including drafting names like Siakam, OG Anunoby, Terrence Davis, Terrence Ross, Demar Derozan, Delon Wright, and Jakob Poetl with picks 7th or later.

So, what do you guys think of the proposed trade? Which side benefits more, the Toronto Raptors or Golden State Warriors? Is there a trade you believe is better? Discuss below



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Toronto Blue Jays With 3 All-Stars For First Time Since 2016, What Does This Mean Moving Forward?

Check out the full video at: https://youtu.be/Jy_S6qJa5Is

The MLB announced its All-Star Game Starters On Friday with the Toronto Blue Jays having 3 position players occupying the lineup

After voting was finalized it was revealed that Marcus Semien, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, and Teoscar Hernandez were each voted into the 2021 MLB All-Star Game opening lineup.

This is the first appearance for Vlad, Semien, and Hernandez despite Semien finishing 3rd in MVP voting in 2019.

Also making the lineup from the AL was Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Rafel Devers, and Xander Bogarts. Overall, this means 7/9 starters are from the AL east with no Tampa Bay Rays players making it either.

This is the first time since 2016 the Blue Jays will have at least 3 representatives at the All-Star game when Michael Saunders, Josh Donaldson, and Edwin Encarnacion were voted in.

So, what do you guys think? Is the American League lineup as expected? Were there any mistakes? Did the Blue Jays deserve to have 3 players starting? Should Bo Bichette have also made the All-Star starting lineup?

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Los Angeles Dodgers Trevor Bauer Suspended Over Sexual Assault Allegations, Is His 2021 Season Over?

Check out the full video at: https://youtu.be/lHIfxDy8iuY

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball on Friday, three days after an allegation of assault was made by a woman against him

The news couldn't have come at a worse time for Bauer who was likely set to make an All-Star Appearence after putting up impressive numbers so far this year. Instead, he will now deal with Pasadena Police in the coming weeks.

The leave was imposed under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy adopted by MLB and the players’ union in 2015 and can be the initial step leading to a longer suspension. The administrative leave — during which a player is paid but cannot play — has been extended for players under the policy in the past.

A protection order against Bauer was obtained under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act and was the result of an assault by him that left the woman who sought the order with “severe physical and emotional pain,” Marc Garelick, the woman’s attorney, said this week.

Bauer was not with the Dodgers when the team met President Joe Biden at the White House earlier Friday to celebrate the World Series title they won last year. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner had been scheduled to start Sunday against the Washington Nationals.

Bauer also admitted in a recorded phone call that he punched her in the butt while she was unconscious

So, what do you guys think of the situation? Will Trevor Bauer be released? Will he play again in 2021? Discuss below and don't forget to subscribe!

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