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This week, Matt dives into the 2025 NBA and NHL Drafts, and for once, he’s giving himself a little credit. The Utah Jazz surprised fans by drafting Ace Bailey at #5, trading up for Walter Clayton Jr., and grabbing John Tonje in Round 2. He breaks down each pick, roasts ESPN’s anti-small-market narratives, and celebrates a rare aggressive move by Utah’s front office.

Then it’s over to the ice, where Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong pulls off a blockbuster trade for JJ Peterka and follows it up with two big draft-day hits in Caleb Desnoyers (Matt called it) and Max Psenicka. Matt hands out grades, praise, and a little friendly sarcasm along the way. (While still mispronouncing hockey players names...)

Finally, Real Salt Lake didn’t lose to Sporting KC, without Diego Luna! Is the team finally stabilizing? Or are we just in the calm before the (transfer window) storm?

Plus: A few Fourth of July jokes, Matt’s Canadian birthday, and a reminder to always read local over national when it comes to sports media.

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This week on The Matt Cave Podcast, host Matt Smith dives into the high-stakes world of draft strategy as the Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth prepare for back-to-back draft nights. With both teams holding top-5 picks, the pressure is on—so Matt’s breaking down what he thinks they’ll do versus what they should do.

🏀 For the Jazz, Matt predicts a predictable pick (hello, Trey Johnson) and calls out the team’s addiction to “upside” and inaction in trade talks.
🏒 For the Mammoth, he sees potential for a bold, franchise-defining move—maybe even a trade for a top-six forward.
📺 And yes, ESPN gets absolutely roasted for its lazy coverage of Utah’s sports scene.

Plus, Matt opens up about losing his day job and how that might impact game reviews going forward.

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review (especially on Spotify), and don’t forget to follow The Matt Cave on Facebook and Instagram.

📬 Email: themattcavepod@gmail.com

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Real Salt Lake finally ends their brutal winless streak — and they did it without Diego Luna.

With the Gold Cup underway, Matt breaks down the USMNT’s roster, their chances (spoiler: not great), and why Luna’s value keeps rising.

On the gaming front, Xbox’s showcase delivered big with Clockwork Revolution, Beast of Reincarnation (yes, from Game Freak!), and news of a Halo Combat Evolved remaster. Plus: Is the Xbox Ally handheld the console killer we didn’t know we needed?

Matt wraps with early impressions of Dune: Awakening, and what it offers for fans tired of traditional MMOs.

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