The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 2: NBA Tanking Management & Tua Swaps

Date: February 20, 2026
Hosts (Guest Hosts): Jonas Knox, Brady Quinn, LaVar Arrington ("Two Pros and a Cup of Joe", filling in for Dan Patrick)
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the challenges and controversies surrounding NBA tanking vs. load management, the state of the regular season and fan experience, and transitions into an NFL conversation focusing on prospective quarterback swaps—Tua Tagovailoa with Kyler Murray. The hosts deliver their characteristic mix of direct sports analysis, wit, and banter, highlighting both the macroeconomic realities facing leagues and the more personal perspectives of athletes and fans.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. NBA Regular Season: Meaninglessness and Management

Timestamps: [03:45]–[05:18]

• Brady Quinn sets the tone describing how the NBA's regular season feels irrelevant compared to the intensity of the playoffs:
  • "I just watch it and go, none of it matters in the regular season. So what's the point? ... There’s about four teams that can win a title and it’s most likely going to be OKC. That’s what it feels like to me." [05:10]
• The "second half" of the NBA season is discussed, with skepticism over efforts to incentivize players to participate more consistently in regular season games.

2. Tanking vs. Load Management in the NBA

Timestamps: [05:18]–[09:31]

• LaVar Arrington distinguishes tanking from load management:
  • "You’re still trying to win if it’s load management. If you’re tanking, you’re purposely... you’re purposely trying to lose." [05:26]
• The hosts debate the intention behind pulling star players—whether it’s to preserve health (load management) or to lose games and secure better draft picks (tanking).
• Jonas Knox prompts: "Does load management start at the beginning of the season?" [06:29]
  • The consensus: For aging or injury-prone players, yes, it’s a season-long consideration.

Notable Exchange:

• LaVar Arrington jokes about the thin line:
  "That’s a new term." [07:45] (referring to “game management”)

3. Systemic NBA Issues: Tanking, Superteams, Officiating, and Fan Experience

Timestamps: [07:47]–[14:32]

• Brady Quinn argues the real NBA issues extend beyond tanking to include officiating standards and superteams reducing league parity:
  • "You have officiating issues... super teams... all the stars aren't spread out, they're together. That's what's really taken place over the past couple of decades." [08:46]
• The conversation pivots to Mark Cuban’s defense of tanking and broader league regulation, compared to "overregulation" in real estate:
  • "What Adam Silver is doing... he’s making it harder for these teams that need to rebuild and want to try to do a quick flip. He’s making it harder by creating more regulation around it." [10:53]
• Discussion of fan costs and market experience—sports’ increasing inaccessibility for families, with the example of the Atlanta Falcons fan-friendly concessions and contrast with NBA/WC ticket costs.

Quote Spotlight:

• Brady Quinn:
  "That’s the part of Cuban’s Twitter rant, if you want to call it that, that I totally agree with, is the cost for these families to try and go to games, to buy merchandise. All that's... it’s ridiculous." [11:39]
• LaVar Arrington:
  "I’mma stay true to that. I think the fans suffer when a team tanks. That’s who suffers. Because it is about the fan experience." [13:37]

4. Business Realities: Who’s the Priority—Fans or TV/Gambling?

Timestamps: [15:54]–[19:29]

• The hosts critically analyze whether Adam Silver (and the NBA) truly prioritize in-person fans or actually serve TV partners and gambling interests first.
  • Brady Quinn: "Adam Silver and the NBA care more about the TV partners and the gambling partners than they do the fans. Because if you cared about the fans the way that you did... A lot of this was pushed because they are paranoid about gambling..." [15:54]
• Debate over live attendance vs. at-home TV viewership, with acknowledgment that TV deals now drive league revenues far more.

5. Player Load Management and Team Control

Timestamps: [19:29]–[23:47]

• Discussion extends to whether "load management" is always a health matter or a business move to preserve assets for trade.
  • Brady Quinn: "How many NBA players have we heard about who want to be traded or go to another team because their team held them out of games for load management..." [19:29]
• LaVar Arrington pushes back: "That is not true what you’re saying. I mean, yeah, sure they can file a grievance, but they do not have to play a player..." [22:45]
  • The often blurred and “normalized” practice of sitting players to facilitate trades is discussed as a league-wide open secret.

6. NFL Crossover: Tua Tagovailoa–Kyler Murray Trade Rumor

Timestamps: [28:48]–[41:43]

• Jonas Knox introduces a rumor: Tua is “intrigued by the Arizona Cardinals,” leading to a lighthearted debate on swapping Tua and Kyler Murray.
  • "Why don’t the Dolphins and Cardinals just swap quarterbacks? Like, let’s just save everybody the trouble..." [28:48]
• LaVar Arrington and Brady Quinn both agree it solves nothing, primarily due to contract situation and neither QB being a sure bet:
  • "It doesn’t." [LaVar, 31:24]
  • "Nothing. Doesn’t change." [Brady, 34:05]
• The realities of salary cap hits (e.g., $99 million in dead cap for Miami) and limited trade markets are discussed in detail.
• Long-term strategy vs. short-term tanking: Sometimes moving on (or not) from expensive QBs is more about future drafting and cap flexibility.
  • "Unless this is the NFL’s version of tanking... and the Dolphins and Cardinals are like, 'We want one of those guys in the draft.'" [35:05]

7. Tanking Parallels: NFL vs. NBA

Timestamps: [36:54]–[40:15]

• Hosts reflect on how NFL teams can “tank” by swallowing short-term losses for future cap and draft advantages.
• The wisdom (or lack thereof) in resetting entire quarterback rooms, especially given few teams actually need a starter.

8. Feel-Good Story: Teddy Bridgewater Act

Timestamps: [47:00]–[48:49]

• Florida legislature passes the "Teddy Bridgewater Act," allowing high school coaches to spend up to $15k of their own money to help student-athletes (transportation, meals, recovery).
• The hosts praise the measure and reflect on the importance of coaches’ ability to support their athletes.
  • "Good. God bless whoever decided to do that and put that in legislation. Good for you. That should be in every state." [LaVar, 48:21]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "There’s about four teams that can win a title and it’s most likely going to be OKC. That’s what it feels like to me."
  — Brady Quinn [05:10]

• "You’re still trying to win if it’s load management. If you’re tanking, you’re purposely... you’re purposely trying to lose."
  — LaVar Arrington [05:26]

• "All the stars aren't spread out, they're together. That's been what’s really taken place over the past couple of decades. That’s changed the parity and competitiveness."
  — Brady Quinn [08:46]

• "That’s the part of Cuban’s Twitter rant... I totally agree with, is the cost for these families to try and go to games, to buy merchandise. All that's... it’s ridiculous."
  — Brady Quinn [11:39]

• "If a team is trying to be competitive, as a fan, you could still get behind that... but you can still say they came out and they tried. When you're talking about... your best players are available, and they're not playing -- that's tanking."
  — LaVar Arrington [14:32]

• "I think this is a clear sign that Adam Silver and the NBA care more about the TV partners and the gambling partners than they do the fans."
  — Brady Quinn [15:54]

• "Why don't the Dolphins and Cardinals just swap quarterbacks? Like, let's just save everybody the trouble... It's basically the same guy."
  — Jonas Knox [28:48]

Segment Timestamps

• [03:45] Start of NBA regular season/post-All Star discussion
• [05:26] Tanking vs. load management breakdown
• [08:46] Larger NBA issues beyond tanking
• [10:53] NBA's overregulation analogy and Mark Cuban’s points
• [13:37] Who actually suffers from tanking: fans or teams?
• [15:54] TV/gambling vs. fan experience priority
• [19:29] Load management and player-team power struggle
• [28:48] NFL — Tua/Kyler QB swap rumor and analysis
• [35:05] Parallels between NFL/NBA tanking and long-term strategy
• [47:00] Teddy Bridgewater Act recognition

Tone and Style

The episode was candid and lively, with the trio maintaining a conversational, locker room vibe. Analysis was balanced by wit (“Go put your face in a hole!”—LaVar riffing on social media critics [03:34]), with humor interwoven into serious discussion of league economics, player empowerment, and the evolving fan experience.

Conclusion

The guest hosts used NBA tanking as a lens to explore the deeper business dynamics facing major sports leagues, questioning leadership decisions, player power, and the evolving role of fans. Their detour into NFL "problem swaps" and the Teddy Bridgewater story rounded out a wide-ranging, energetic hour that will engage anyone interested in the collision of sports, culture, business, and fandom.