The Bill Simmons Podcast

NBA Panic Teams, Best QBs Ever, and Sorry Seattle

Date: January 21, 2026
Guests: Rob Mahoney, Chris Russo, Danny Kelly

Episode Overview

In this loaded episode, Bill Simmons takes listeners through three major sports conversations:

1. NBA Panic Teams & Trade Scenarios with Rob Mahoney: A deep, team-by-team analysis of which NBA franchises should hit the panic button or stand pat at the trade deadline, including the Warriors’ devastating Jimmy Butler injury, the flailing Knicks, and the always-intriguing Celtics, among others.
2. Quarterback Legacies & Josh Allen’s Place in History with The Mad Dog, Chris Russo: An old-school ranking of the best quarterbacks of all time, the “curse” of Buffalo, and the agony of brilliant athletes who seem to come up short in the biggest moments.
3. Clearing Up a Seahawks Gaffe and Playoff/NFL Chatter with Danny Kelly: Bill apologizes for mistakenly erasing the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win and talks NFC playoff picture and Seahawks hopes.

Bill and guests keep the tone lively, conversational, sometimes heated, and never short on sharp, big-picture sports commentary.

I. NBA Panic Teams & Trade Rumor Deep Dive

With Rob Mahoney
Timestamps throughout: [04:50]–[68:45]

Warriors: Losing Jimmy Butler and What Now?

[04:50–12:29]

• Jimmy Butler’s Knee Injury Devastates Season
  • “This season is pretty much cooked...they just didn’t have 20 points to spare, much less everything else Jimmy Butler gives them.” (Rob Mahoney, [05:30])
• Possible Trade Ideas (All Gloomy)
  • Paul George only as a last resort—dark trade scenario.
  • Gambling on Kaminga...again. “Is this...9.0 of the Kaminga era of talking yourself into it?” (Bill, [08:05])
  • Luck Has Run Out: Bill recaps Warriors’ decade of fortune, now reversed by injuries, questionable picks, and mistakes.
  • “You could argue they used up maybe all their luck after the cap spike…” (Bill, [09:37])
• Big Picture: No simple fix; maybe start thinking about a retool with Steph as the only untouchable, possibly even tanking for a high pick if it all falls apart.

Knicks: A Sinking Ship

[12:30–22:54]

• Current State: 2–9 in last 11, 5–10 in last 15
  • Defense faltering, offense lost, Towns getting scapegoated.
  • “Feels awful in ways that transcend just the last, like, three weeks…two years now of the team’s best players not fully understanding how to best play together.” (Rob, [13:47])
• Why Are They Bad?
  • Investing in wing defenders but soft at the point and the interior.
  • “It’s like watching a football team that spent all this money on the two cornerbacks…but the defensive line is just awful.” (Bill, [15:10])
  • Teams have copied Indiana’s style, which hurts Brunson defensively.
• Trade Talk:
  • Davis for Towns trade “gaining traction” until injury.
  • Amusingly, LeBron for Towns floated: “It’s so classic…just the stupid Internet trade somebody would make up. And yet I’m looking at it going, eh, not a bad trade.” (Bill, [19:27])
• Team Identity: Knicks have lost their scrappy, overachiever magic—now just overpaid, underwhelming, and mismatched.

Celtics: The Jason Tatum Variable

[22:54–28:39]

• Tatum’s Imminent Return
  • Treated as a “trade deadline acquisition”; concerns over reintegrating him and disrupting team’s new identity.
• Current Team Chemistry:
  • “Jaylen Brown…the best forward in the league right now… I don’t want him to lose some of the stuff he’s doing.” (Bill, [26:17])
• Statistical Weirdness:
  • Elite in turnovers and rebounding, poor in assists and pace. “Just a fucking weird team.” (Bill, [24:00])
• Potential Playoff Issues:
  • Can Tatum play some small ball 5?
  • Can Brown and Tatum co-exist again without breaking the current chemistry?

Orlando Magic: Tease or Contender?

[28:39–33:59]

• Record: 23–19 with up-and-down results and some bad losses.
• Advanced Stats Love Their Core (Carter, Suggs, Bane, Paolo, Franz)
• Deadline Approach: Stay the course, maybe add a backup guard. Do not trade Simons.
• Concerns About Paolo:
  • “Are you just going to be Shareef Abdur-Rahim from the 2002 season…?” (Bill, [32:33])

Sixers: Treading Water with Two Stars

[33:59–40:25]

• Embiid and Paul George Both Back, Team Still Not Clicking
• “It’s like the TV show where there’s two shows going on at the same time.” (Bill, [35:38])
• Trade Asset Talk:
  • The once-hot Jared McCain now a “G-leaguer”—might be a reclamation project for someone else.
  • What do they need? “Some Paul George swing insurance. If you’re in a playoff series.… Who’s guarding Jaylen Brown?” (Bill, [38:52])
• Fan Mood: “Pleasant surprise” that Embiid’s even playing.

Lakers: The Most Frustrating 25 Win Team?

[42:08–47:48]

• Sneaky Poor Metrics Despite Good Record
  • 29th in defense last 20, 25th net rating.
  • “If you just freeze-frame it…‘what’s wrong?’… Well, you haven’t watched their last 20.” (Bill, [42:08])
• Roster Issues:
  • Aging stars, lack of athleticism, no quick fix. Gambling on hitting a “double,” not a home run.
  • Rui Hachimura: Good piece, wrong team.
• Trade Options: Would you trade Austin Reaves? Team construction questions loom.

Bucks: No Real Escape Plan for Giannis

[48:25–52:22]

• Two tradeable contracts: Kuzma, Portis—neither transformative.
• Gimmicky mega-trades (e.g., for Ja Morant) floated but not ideal.
• “If Jeremy Grant is your big solution, you might already be buried.” (Rob, [51:21])
• The Heat metaphor: Giannis as Al Pacino’s aimless partner—time to cut ties?

Hawks: Aimless in Atlanta

[52:24–55:38]

• No clear identity after Trae Young trade; defense still broken.
• Suggest waiting a year, assessing picks, rebooting as needed—not time to trade for Anthony Davis or swing big.

Mavs: AD Dilemma and Play-In Ceiling

[57:35–61:06]

• AD’s future murky—extension issues, injuries likely to get worse.
• “If you’re not comfortable paying Anthony Davis on his next deal, then why would you keep him beyond this season?...If you wait, I think it’s going to get worse.” (Rob, [58:08])
• Cooper Flag’s development matters more than chasing a play-in spot.

OKC Thunder/Deadline Wildcards

[61:45–68:45]

• Is THIS the moment Sam Presti cashes in some picks for a difference-making shooter like Trey Murphy?
• Trey Murphy Godfather Offer:
  • Only two teams (OKC, San Antonio) have the pick capital.
  • “If I could turn him into four first round picks and then an asset that I could flip for more picks, I’m doing it.” (Bill, [65:38])
  • Thunder have “too many picks”—must eventually consolidate for the right piece.

II. All-Time Quarterback Debate & the Buffalo Agony

With Chris Russo (“Mad Dog” Russo)
Timestamps: [74:03]–[113:41]

Mount Rushmore Debate: Where Does Josh Allen Fit?

• Russo’s Top 4:
  • Brady, Montana, Unitas, Mahomes
  • Next tier: Peyton, Elway, Staubach, Bradshaw, Marino, Rodgers.
• How To Judge?: Championships, playoff wins, big-game heroics.
• Allen’s Resume: Not in the top 10 yet: “You can’t put him in top 10. That you can’t do. Not yet.” (Russo, [74:03])
• Elway and Marino:
  • “You could argue [Elway] might have been the best one and just was in probably the worst situation.” (Bill, [78:55])
• Playoff Performance & Historical Context:
  • Recognizing QB greatness in tougher eras—hard hits, no sliding, etc.
• Buffalo’s Pain:
  • “There is a black cloud over that franchise…It’s incredible that this franchise just can’t get out of its own way when the money and everything is in the middle of the table.” (Russo, [93:36])

Greatest Athletes Who Came Up Short

• Chris Russo’s picks: James Harden (“terrible in a big game”), Karl Malone (“as the game got bigger…he just [faded]”), Wilt Chamberlain (“big games, you get a little nervous, yellow nerves”), Clayton Kershaw (“4.45 ERA in the postseason”).
• “Stats Era” critique—stats inflate legacy, but real fans know who delivered and who didn’t.

III. Seahawks Atonement & NFL Playoff Chatter

With Danny Kelly
Timestamps: [116:13]–[140:49]

Bill’s Seahawks Blunder and Football Talk

• Bill apologizes for mistakenly claiming the Seahawks never won a Super Bowl—in fact, he covered their victory over Peyton Manning.
• “I brain farted and mixed them up with the Mariners. So I’m here to ask for forgiveness.” (Bill, [116:13])

Seahawk Season: What Can Go Wrong?

• Defense is for real; question marks are Sam Darnold, running back depth after Charbonnet’s injury.
• “I think generally speaking, just, I think offensively, making sure there’s a spark, because…some games where the offense just doesn’t really click.” (Danny Kelly, [120:38])
• Shaheed trade lauded as “no drama Percy Harvin.”
• Rams “healthy respect” rivalry, not full-on animosity.
• Rams’ lack of explosive weapons noted as liability; Seahawks’ D can match up with anyone.

Quick Hitters:

• Pats’ playoff path, potential pitfalls (turnovers, Denver’s defense).
• Early look at draft QB Mendoza (“he throws with anticipation… has ability to kind of elevate this entire program… I think it makes a ton of sense for the Raiders to take him.” (Danny Kelly, [134:37])
• Coaching carousel: Josh McDaniels, Saleh, McDaniel speculation.

IV. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

NBA Segment:

• “This isn’t a front office that takes a lot of big swings...I don’t know how much I’m expecting them to do that, even with Jimmy Butler down.” (Rob Mahoney, [05:29])
• “It’s just this, there’s a lot of balance. Can we keep the identity of this year’s team and not be last year’s team?” (Bill on the Celtics, [26:31])
• “If Jeremy Grant is your big solution, you might already be buried. Like, it might just be over.” (Rob, [51:21])
• “[OKC] have too many picks...at some point, it’s just ridiculous.” (Bill, [67:05])

NFL/History Segment:

• “I think for my money, Mahomes is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen.” (Russo, [82:05])
• “There is a black cloud over that [Bills] franchise. Minnesota has not had as many of these chances as Buffalo has had.” (Russo, [93:36])
• “You gotta give Clemens…he had some big moments. Later on he won a championship for the Yankees. Shed it.” (Russo, [101:14])

V. Recommended Listening Highlights & Timestamps

• Warriors Season-Ending Injury & Rebuild? – [04:50–12:29]
• Knicks Meltdown & Trade Scenarios – [12:30–22:54]
• Celtics’ Quirky Success & Tatum’s Return – [22:54–28:39]
• Bucks’ Giannis Future Metaphor – [50:39–52:22]
• All-Time QB Debates & Allen’s Legacy – [74:03–99:01]
• The Curse of Buffalo & Big-Game Chokers – [93:36–104:02]
• Seahawks Super Bowl Correction & Playoff Fears – [116:13–126:19]

Episode Tone & Style

• Conversational, quick-moving, heavy on historical context.
• Mix of data/analytics and old-school “eye test” arguments.
• Cranky humor (“Can we call New Orleans and bring in Eve Mecy?”), running inside jokes, spirited but respectful disagreement.

For anyone who missed this episode:
You’ll get an in-depth state-of-the-league overview as NBA trade season heats up, a classic QBs GOAT debate with a historian’s flourishes, and some catharsis (plus apologies) for Seahawks fans everywhere. The sports talk is as wide-ranging and lively as ever.