The Spurs traded for forward Richard Jefferson earlier this month. AP

Richard Jefferson, the newest member of the Spurs, joined Dan to discuss the trade that sent him to San Antonio last week.

-When RJ first found out about the trade, he was very surprised.

"I was shocked, to tell you the truth," Jefferson said. "The fact that San Antonio was able to keep their three main players was even more of a shock.  It immediately got a buzz going on my phone and in my head."

-Dan asked Jefferson the first Spur he spoke to afte rthe deal.

"The first one I spoke to was Tim Duncan," Jefferson said. "He texted me a couple times.  We had a pretty good relationship on that stellar U.S.A. team back in 2004.  I think we bonded through stress over that experience.  And so, we always would joke, and would talk to each other and kept in touch.  He was excited.  I tell you what, to have the opportunity to play with him and Popovich – it’s one of the biggest thrills I’ve ever had in my career. 

-RJ thinks Shaquille O'Neal going to the Cavs means that LeBron will finally have some help and someone to take the pressure off. All in all, it means less stress for LeBron and that can only help the Cavs. Guarding LeBron is difficult because he has so many tools -- strenth, athleticism, speed -- and no other players have that combination of skills.

-Between LeBron, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, Dan asks who he'd least like to see leading a fast break against him. Jefferson hedges, but admits that it is LeBron because he can make him shoot a three-pointer. But RJ points out that LeBron torched the Bucks for 50 points last year, so he knows it's still not an easy task. He then admits that he'd just foul.

-Dan asks Jefferson who the team to beat is in the West.

"The Lakers," Jefferson said. "They’re the defending champions. The one thing I will never disrespect is the defending champions.

-Jefferson thinks the acquisistion of Shaq by the Cavs will be more impactful than Vince Carter going to the Magic. He loves Vince, a former teammate, but thinks that Shaq is a better fit for his new team.

-Dan asks RJ about today's Poll Question about a 13-year-old being recruited at Tennessee. Jefferson, who grew up in Arizona, admits that if he was 13 and Lute Olson came up to him about playing, he'd be excited. He also points out that the NCAA is very much about money, and that it's positive for a school like Tennessee to get publicity for trying to recruit a 13-year-old.

Jeremy Mayfield will be able to return to the race track. AP

NASCAR spokesperson Ramsey Poston joined the show to discuss Jeremy Mayfield's reinstatement.

-- Poston confirmed that Mayfield tested positive for methaamphetamines.

-- Poston said that a judge ruled Mayfield should be able to race and make a living. Poston wonders what implications this will have.

"That is perhaps the biggest question in this entire decision," Poston said. "What does this mean to the rest of the sports world? A federal judge has just allowed him back on the track. What does this mean to the NFL, Major League baseball, NBA, running, the Olympics ... anywhere. Does this now open the door for anyone who's found with a positive test to go to court go to judge and get put back on a playing surface. Perhaps it does."

-- Poston explained NASCAR's wide-ranging drug policy. He said since there's no collective bargaining agreement, NASCAR has a lot of latitude. And they do have a hotline, and they do send out a list of what drugs are prohibited.

-- Poston said drug tests are complicated and take a few days to get right. So they plan to test Mayfield often.

"That's the issue. There is no credible instantaneous test. ... You have a very high degree of false positives. It takes about four days to do both and A and B sample test. The best we could do given the judge's order is test him every opportunity that we have," Poston said.

Kurt and Brenda Warner have a new book out called 'First Things First.' AP

Kurt and Brenda Warner joined the show to discuss their new book, First Things First, and the upcoming football season.

-Dan immediately complimented Brenda on her looks and compared her to Erin Andrews. Kurt agrees with this assessment but Brenda has no idea who Erin Andrews is.

-It was neither Kurt nor Brenda's idea to write their book about raising seven kids, but from people who admired the way they are raising their children. It's mostly taken from real-life situations that don't exactly show the glamourous side of parenting.

- Despite Kurt being an NFL quarterback, the family is very normal as he sets the table, changes diapers and other fatherly tasks.

-Brenda admits that she doesn't like football, or sports for that matter. But she supports her husband and doesn't mind the attention that comes with being the wife of a star quarterback.

-Kurt admits to losing his Super Bowl ring a couple times, and blames it on his children.

-Kurt thinks more athletes should undertake more charitable endeavors. At the same time, he thinks it may be best to do so anonymously so it doesn't look like a PR stunt.

Mike Scioscia's Angels sit atop the AL West. AP

Angles manager Mike Scioscia joined the show to discuss the season and the performance of his squad.

-Scioscia will not let last night's loss to Texas depress him. The team has been playing well and you can't let one loss drag you down too much, though he admits to replaying every decision in his head during his 75-minute commute home from the ballpark each night.

-Scioscia doesn't mind that his Angels play under the radar and thinks his players deserve an all-star spot without him overly campaign for a player.

-Dan wonders if Scioscia smiled after K-Rod walked Mariano Rivera with the bases loaded on Monday. Scioscia said no way and he is a K-Rod fan.

-Dan asks Scioscia about all-time top closers and without hesitation, he says Mariano Rivera. He gives credit to Trevor Hoffman, Dennis Eckersley and other top closers, but Rivera has been consistent for so long and nobody has been able to solve him. Despite only throwing cutters and the occasional two-seamer, he has amazing control and can throw the cutter three different ways, which makes him so valuable.

-Scioscia wishes he could have caught Nolan Ryan because of his competitiveness. Dan asks Scioscia if his hands would swell catching Ryan, but Scioscia says his hands swelled no matter who he caught, not just a guy with the velocity of Ryan.

-Scioscia thinks the Giants may ultimately be the best of the California team. He also thinks his Angels should make a push after a somewhat disappointing start. Dan presses Scioscia about whether the team tried to acquire Dan Haren, but the Angels manager wouldn't take the bait and get fined.

Manny Ramirez will return to the Dodgers on Friday. AP

The Los Angeles Times Dodgers writer Dylan Hernandez joined the show to discuss Manny's return in San Diego on Friday.

-- Hernandez says that Dodgers fans have no reservations about Manny coming back. If there's anything that bothers them, it's Juan Pierre losing playing time.

Hernandez thinks that when Manny comes back to L.A., he'll get a very warm perception. Fans love the Manny character and the fact you never know what he'll do.

-- Hernandez said that the Dodgers have become more of a small ball team, but they won't have any real problem adjusting to having a big bat in there. In fact, hitters in the middle of the lineup around Manny will see better pitches.

-- Hernandez said that Manny will not publicly comment on the suspension very much. He won't address it unless more revelations come out. Hernandez said that Manny has nothing to gain from speaking.

Hernandez said that the federal investigation of Manny's suppliers is the perfect excuse for Manny to avoid questions from the media.

The NFL Network's Rich Eisen joined the show to discuss Jim Brown's comments on Tiger Woods.

Eisen understands why Brown ripped Woods for not taking a stand on social issues. But Eisen says it's a "completely different time" and guys like Woods have more at stake financially.

Eisen also thinks that a lot of people don't want to hear politics from sports stars. Sports is supposed to be an escape.

"They just want their sports. They don't want to hear about it. They don't want to know about it. They get that stuff from other channels," Eisen said of athletes' politics.

Eisen and Dan agreed the era of the Muhammad Ali's, Billy Jean King's and Jim Brown's are over in a sense. Eisen can't see an athlete making that kind of stand.

Here is the clip of Tim McCarver dropping "Passion Bucket" during a FOX game. Pretty impressive. The phrase continues to spread like wildfire around the country.

Here is the link to SI.com's Fortunate 50. As Paul Pabst points out, it's incredible what some washed-up guys like Steve Francis get paid. And also, the difference between what guys make in their sports and what they make in endorsements.

Ron Artest is rumored to be interested in joining LeBron James in Cleveland. AP

SI.com's Chris Mannix joined the show to discuss the NBA free agency market.

-- Mannix doesn't take the Ron Artest to Cleveland talk seriosly. He says that after the Shaq trade, the Cavs don't have the assetts to do a sign-and-trade with Houston. And Artest isn't likely to go on the cheap.

-- Mannix says that he expects Trevor Ariza to eventually go back to the Lakers. Ariza is flirting with teams like Cleveland to gain leverage.

-- Mannix said Hedo Turkoglu would be a great fit for Portland.

-- Mannix ranked his top five teams in the NBA:

1. San Antonio
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Boston
4. Cleveland
5. Denver

(Mannix said Orlando was No. 6)

Good morning DanNation. The July 4th weekend is approaching qucikly. That means one thing -- it's almost Manny time.

The Dodgers slugger returns on Friday. Expect fans in San Diego to give Manny a hard time. But do the Dodger faithful still love Ramirez? We'll discuss that and several other aspects of his imminent return.

Also, the NBA free agency market is buzzing. The Pistons with two big signings as they try to get back into contention. Should be a jam-packed show on Thursday.

Here is a rundown of the guests:

Dylan Hernandez -- The Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer joins the show to discuss Manny and his impact on the team.

Chris Mannix -- The SI reporter has the latest on NBA free agency. Does he still like the Spurs to win it all?

Rich Eisen -- The NFL Network host discusses Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress and more headlines from around the league.

Ramsey Poston -- The NASCAR spokesman will comment on the ruling that will allow Jeremy Mayfield back on the track.