Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective

Episode: Best Spot For Trae Young + Knicks & Thunder Struggles
Date: January 7, 2026

Main Theme

This episode centers on the intensifying trade market ahead of the NBA deadline, particularly focusing on Trae Young’s likely exit from Atlanta, the prospect of a trade to Washington, and the complex market forces affecting point guards with large contracts. The hosts also dive into recent struggles of the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder, and conclude with takes on changing All-Star voting trends, Western Conference narratives, and player-and-team dynamics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trae Young Trade Situation (00:35–23:23)

Backdrop & Reporting

• Shams Charania reported that Trae Young’s agents (CAA) are working with the Atlanta Hawks to facilitate a trade.
• Windhorst clarifies, “This isn't any different than the Anthony Davis situation... representation is going to be involved.” (03:17)
• Injury listing (quad contusion): Windhorst said he saw Young working out at MSG and doesn’t believe the injury is severe, implying it’s a typical “wait it out” before a trade (03:06–04:23).

Nature of the Split

• McMahon: “I don't get the sense this... is acrimonious. This isn’t a nasty divorce, but it’s mutual at this point... we’ve known this was coming since they didn’t attempt to give him an extension this summer.” (04:23)
• Hawks were signposting their intentions all season by not offering Young a contract extension.

Market Dynamics

• Atlanta is struggling on the court with Young (1–8 in completed games he played; 16–13 without him), and their defense is much worse with him (14 points/100 worse). (05:24)
• Windhorst: “There’s not a lot of teams that need point guards, and it’s hard to make a deal for a player making in the mid-40s [million] or higher.” (05:17–06:53)
• Trae’s salary and declining market demand at the point guard position make a “fair value” deal challenging.

Potential Wizards Trade

• Mark Stein reports the Wizards are involved.
• Comp details: Wizards have big expiring contracts (CJ McCollum, Chris Middleton). Prior examples: Wizards took on Jordan Poole for picks; may do similar here if incentivized. (06:53–09:01)
• Windhorst: “They have not yet gotten a surefire guy to build around... What they don’t have is a guy to get them the ball. If you bring in Trae Young... they’re going to have a good offense and you can at least start to build some foundation..." (10:05)

Asset Calculus

• Windhorst: “If you walk out of the deadline with a $49M expiring contract going into next summer in Trae Young... that’s not the worst thing for Washington.” (11:38)
• Because Young’s contract is seen as onerous under the new CBA’s “apron” system, Atlanta may have to attach assets just to move off his deal—making the trade akin to the Jordan Poole precedent, rather than a historic star-for-value swap. (11:40–14:22)
• McMahon: “If the Hawks could have traded Trae for value, they would have done it a while back.” (14:41)

Wizards’ Angle

• Wizards need buzz and ticket sales ("butts in the seats"); Trae Young is at least an entertaining name and would generate interest.
• Windhorst: "Having $50M parked in one player is a pretty efficient way to get to the salary floor." (17:59)
• Wizards can use their leverage, since few other teams are realistic Young destinations.

Trae Young's Future Options

• McMahon: “CAA are good at their job... probably not a max [deal], but at a healthy number.” (18:48)
• Windhorst: “If you look around and there’s not a ton of homes for Trae Young... Are you going to go to a team with a bunch of young players that... you could put up a bunch of numbers and at least... give yourself the best opportunity coming off that deal to get a big contract?” (19:19)

Comparison to Chris Paul’s Thunder Year

• Thunder rebuilt Paul’s value and communicated clearly; Wizards GM Will Dawkins was in OKC at that time. (21:09–21:33)
• Both sides advised to keep communication open and set expectations: “At a minimum, give me a chance to prove that I can get these young guys going.” (21:33)

Summary & Timing

• It makes sense for both teams, but neither is likely to change their stance quickly given it’s still a month ahead of deadline. (23:11)

Notable Quotes

• Windhorst: “Actions over words is what we say on the pod for a reason. And the action this summer of not giving the extension signaled where the Hawks were with Trae Young.” (05:24)
• McMahon: “If the Hawks could have traded Trae for value, they would have... They traded Dejounte Murray and not Trae because the offers were for Dejounte.” (14:41)
• Windhorst: “Trey is the epitome of this new class of guys who are max players that, going forward, I don’t think will be getting max contracts... Zach LaVine, Anthony Davis, Trae, Zion, Ja, LaMelo…” (16:00)

2. Knicks Recent Struggles & Dolan’s Interview (24:32–37:33)

Mini-Slump & Defensive Issues

• Knicks lost 4 straight, including a 30-point loss to the Pistons. Defense has collapsed during this skid.
• Windhorst: “Their offense has been really good all year. Their defense in this four-game losing streak has been atrocious...” (28:05)
• Missing Josh Hart is a factor; Mike Brown (new coach) acknowledged it directly.

James Dolan’s Rare Interview

• Dolan gave his first interview in two years, setting “Finals or bust” expectations.
• Windhorst quoting Dolan: “We want to get to the finals, and we should win the Finals. This is sports ... getting to the finals, we absolutely got to do. And winning the Finals, we should win this.” (29:02)
• Commentary: Firing Tom Thibodeau after reaching the conference finals set a clear expectation for Mike Brown: “news flash, you better make the Finals.” (30:07)

Organizational Philosophy

• Dolan remarked that he’s learned from mistakes of going “for the shiny new thing”—referencing Carmelo Anthony trade as an example of impatience hurting the long-term build. (34:41–35:09; quote at 35:01)
• Knicks’ internal desire to develop young talent and play a deeper bench motivated the coaching change; Mike Brown is now following that mandate. (31:30)

Media Strategy Insights

• Critique of Knicks’ lack of transparency: Leon Rose almost never gives interviews, which may harm organizational messaging and public perception. (32:26–33:54)

Notable Quotes

• Windhorst: “If you make the conference finals for the first time in 25 years, we’ll fire the coach. Well, holy cow.” (29:58)
• Windhorst (reading Dolan): “When I get impatient is when we veer off the plan and reach for the shiny new thing... I don’t think that’s how we’re going to win.” (35:01)

3. Thunder’s Slump & Western Conference Power Dynamics (37:45–45:53)

Thunder’s “Reality Check”

• Thunder, after a blistering start, are 6–6 in their last 12; suffered a shocking blowout by the Hornets.
• “Thunder 74 win talk has been retired... After a stunning loss to the Charlotte Hornets, they’re 6-6 in the last 12 games...” (37:45)
• Lately ranked 22nd in offense over this stretch (38:54).
• McMahon: “Shea [Gilgeous-Alexander] right now is fighting through midseason fatigue physically and probably mentally...” (39:36)

Jalen Williams' Return

• Williams, after wrist surgery, still rediscovering his shooting touch—process will take time. (40:51)
• Hosts agree they are not worried long-term about Thunder’s competitiveness.

Perspective on Slumps

• Even great teams have rough stretches; expectations should adjust.
• Windhorst: “Doesn’t mean they’re not still an awesome team... What it does mean is that the door’s open a little bit [in the West].” (40:58)

Upcoming Barometer Games

• Thunder face the Spurs and Rockets in upcoming “barometer” games; that stretch will show if slump is a blip or a genuine concern. (41:54–43:17)
• Stat: Thunder had a 45-game win streak vs sub-500 teams broken by Hornets. (44:12)

Notable Quotes

• McMahon: “They had won 45 straight games against teams with sub-500 records... That’s how you get a 60-win team.” (44:12)
• Windhorst: “Their toughest funks last year were during the playoffs. It wasn’t a smooth ride...” (45:37)

4. Other Notables: Kevin Durant, All-Star Voting, & Player-Fan Dynamics (45:54–56:57)

Kevin Durant Responsive to Phoenix Exit

• KD hits a game-winner vs Phoenix; relishes the moment against the team that traded him.
• Durant (paraphrased): “I don’t want to be dramatic, but I will... Against the team that scapegoated me.” (46:51–46:57)
• McMahon: “This was the first time a team [Suns] decided that franchise wanted to move on from Kevin Durant and that... stuck with him.” (47:40)

Houston Perspective on Durant Trade

• Houston got value primarily via Dylan Brooks, who’s more “culture setter” than star.
• Windhorst: “They didn’t exactly get a haul for Kevin Durant either... The best asset they got was Dylan Brooks.” (48:13–49:15)

NBA All-Star Voting Trends

• KD and LeBron both ranked unusually low; Deni Avdija topping them in votes is noted as quirky.
• Fan voting now requires more engagement (must have NBA.com account), leading to more “accurate” representation of season performance. (52:31, 52:58)
• Windhorst: “If you look at the five guys leading this voting ... those are the five guys that should be starting in the All Star Game.” (53:42)
• Kobe and LeBron’s late-career automatic-berths no longer a factor, reflecting modern shift in fan/player participation.

Notable Quotes

• Windhorst: “Kevin Durant got traded for almost spare parts.” (49:24)
• Tim Bontemps: “I like that Jaylen [Brown] is advocating for himself, but you know, just the complaining about the Player of the Month was a little bit funny.” (53:57)

Memorable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps

• Windhorst (on Trae Young-Hawks):
  “At the end of the day it's not a thigh contusion, it's a quad contusion... He looked like he was moving around pretty good. It seemed like a pretty classic situation of let's find a resolution to this thing...” (03:17)

• McMahon (on player contracts): “Trey is the epitome of this new class of guys who are max players that, going forward, I don't think will be getting max contracts.” (16:00)

• Windhorst (on Knicks expectations):
  “You better make the Finals.” (30:07)

• Dolan’s Self-Reflection:
  “When I get impatient is when we veer off the plan and reach for the shiny new thing and we think we can win a championship or build a championship team in one fell swoop... but I don't think that's how we're going to win.” (35:01)

• McMahon (on Thunder's long sub-.500 streak):
  “They had won 45 straight games against teams with sub-500 records.” (44:12)

• Tim Bontemps (on Jalen Williams’ return):
  “Jalen Williams... is learning how to shoot jump shots again with the surgically repaired wrist. He’s regaining his feel. This is going to be a process.” (40:51)

• Durant’s vibe after Houston game winner vs Suns:
  “I don’t want to be dramatic, but I will... Against the team that basically, you know, kicked him out of town and that scapegoat him.” (46:51)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:35–23:23: Trae Young trade speculation, Wizards’ angle, challenges for big-salary point guards
• 24:32–37:33: Knicks' losing streak, Dolan’s interview, team philosophy, organizational messaging
• 37:45–45:53: Thunder’s slump, Western Conference evaluation, upcoming games
• 45:54–49:39: Kevin Durant’s post-trade resurgence in Houston, Suns fallout
• 51:01–56:57: All-Star voting debate, changing fan-team dynamics, end-of-episode observations

Language and Tone

The pod maintains its trademark blend of insider knowledge, sharp business analysis, and dry, accessible humor. The trio (Windhorst, Bontemps, McMahon) keep the conversation candid and direct, often with statistical backup or formal front-office analogies, while never hesitating to trade banter or call out industry trends.

Final Takeaways

• The Trae Young trade saga highlights how NBA economics, CBA changes, and evolving value for non-superstar “max” point guards are reshaping deadlines.
• Knicks and Thunder both facing “reality check” weeks: New York’s is part crisis, part big-market drama; Oklahoma City’s is a natural slowing after overperformance and injury management.
• Player-pageantry (KD, All-Star voting) reflects broader shifts in fan tastes, media strategy, and franchise-building logic in the new NBA landscape.

This episode is must-listen territory for anyone wanting to understand not just the action on the floor, but the off-court chess moves defining this era of the NBA.