The Ringer NBA Show – Group Chat

Episode: The Most Intriguing Players at the Trade Deadline
Date: January 29, 2026
Hosts: Justin Verrier (A), Rob Mahoney (B), J. Kyle Mann (C)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the most intriguing players ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. Rather than focus on blockbuster names, the hosts analyze under-the-radar moves, shifting trade value, organizational philosophies, and the progression of player situations. The conversation weaves through Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential exit, the evolving trade markets for Michael Porter Jr., Nick Claxton, Joel Embiid, and a lively debate on role players who could become difference-makers. The discussion is candid, strategic, and delivered with The Ringer’s signature blend of wit and basketball nerdery.

Key Discussions and Insights

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Inevitable Departure?

(03:24–15:38)

• The episode launches with reaction to a new report (via Shams) that "Milwaukee is now ‘ready to listen’ to trade offers for Giannis."
  • Justin Verrier: Frames this as the first true step towards Giannis’ inevitable departure:
    "I actually think that this is important… this seems like the first step of what is an inevitability but is actually just a PR framing." (04:56)
  • The hosts dissect the careful PR manipulation, paralleling it with past free-agency sagas (Woj, Windhorst, etc.).
  • Discussion on how Giannis’ “brand” as a loyal, hard-working superstar complicates a clear exit; there's both respect and frustration in how this might differ from the "decision era" star movement. (07:00–08:00)
  • They debate trade windows—deadline (impractical) vs. offseason (more likely for a bidding war).
    • Rob Mahoney: "I don't love any of the deadline options… I want to open the derby to everybody." (09:04)
  • Speculation on top suitors and the assets it would take, leaning toward the Knicks as the likeliest choice due to urgency, ownership pressure, and expendable assets. (11:49)
  • The Portland Trail Blazers appear as a possible third-team facilitator due to their stockpile of Milwaukee’s future picks. (12:45)
  • Discussion about what the Bucks SHOULD want ("a hard reset," future assets) vs. what they’ll probably pursue (win-now veterans).
    • Rob Mahoney: "They might go for near–All-Star level return, keeping Milwaukee pretty good in the east… Not what I would do, but I could see it." (13:29–14:19)

2. Intriguing Trade Deadline Players: High-Profile Tier

a. Michael Porter Jr. (Nets)

(16:10–27:32)

• Rob’s pick for the “most intriguing high-profile player.”
• Delivers All-Star production on a Nets team strategically tanking.
  • The Nets have top-5 lottery odds in a strong draft but lack their own pick in 2027.
    • Rob Mahoney: "With that, there’s a real urgency for the Nets to get—and capitalize on—THIS pick."
• Kyle evaluates the 2026 draft’s top tier—potential “franchise roadmap” setters, making asset management critical.
• Discussion of MPJ’s strange situation: not quite a team’s “North Star,” more a premium “No. 2 or 3,” appealing to teams like the Pistons, Spurs, and maybe Warriors or Blazers.
  • Justin Verrier: "You don't want to step on who you can get in the draft... for the Nets, I'd try to clear the decks." (23:23)
  • Blazers are floated as a trade partner: Shaden Sharpe for MPJ, with Jeremy Grant involved as salary ballast.
  • General consensus: MPJ's role is evolving, and trade value is uniquely high given his unusual scoring skill set and positional scarcity.

b. Nick Claxton (Nets)

(28:17–35:12)

• Kyle’s high-profile pick.
• Praised as a “big who checks every box”—vertical lob threat, defensive versatility, short-roll passing.
  • "There aren't many guys… who provide vertical spacing, defensive versatility, and passing. Claxton does all of that." (Kyle, 28:30)
• Fit scenarios include Lakers (“perfect with Luka”—C, 30:16), but lingering questions about his slight frame and suitability against Western Conference size.
• Claxton is perennially rumored in trades but always remains with the Nets; compared to Miles Turner’s years of rumored movement with the Pacers.
  • Rob Mahoney: "There has to be some offer that has come through Brooklyn that's enticing… Nick Claxton simply cannot be moved." (34:29)

c. Joel Embiid (76ers) – The Nuclear Option

(35:21–42:21)

• Justin’s wild-card pick: “I think it’s time to trade Joel Embiid.”
• Tangible risk in Embiid’s health and ballooning contract ($67.4M player option in 2029).
• Hosts examine possible trade packages:
  • Raptors: Poeltl, RJ Barrett, “sweetener”
  • Knicks: Karl-Anthony Towns
  • Clippers: Zubac, CP3, expirings
  • Heat: Wiggins and Rozier for salary clearing
• Realistic return deemed limited; most teams balk at Embiid’s risk profile.
  • Rob Mahoney: "Even with everything with Embiid… he's still more hypothetically useful to [the Sixers] than the risk would justify on the other side." (37:45)
  • Embiid as a “ticking time bomb”—for both Sixers and potential suitors. “It just drags your entire organization down.” (41:45)

3. Intriguing Trade Deadline Players: Lower-Profile Tier

(44:20–67:28)

a. Simone Fontecchio (Heat) & Jeremy Sochan (Spurs): The Swap Theory

(44:30–48:59)

• Kyle proposes: Fontecchio to Spurs (desperate for spot-up shooting), Sohan to the Heat for his hustle and defensive versatility—“lower-level Draymond.”
  • "Simone Fontecchio could give them a shooting wing to up their conversion, while Miami gets a high-motor, high-feel guy." (C, 45:03)
  • Rob Mahoney: Appreciates the trade’s fit but notes: "He [Sohan] might be a record scratch in Miami’s offense, but Spoelstra will figure it out."
  • Sohan’s value is high yet difficult to gauge; Spurs may want more, but Miami should “call it in today.”

b. Kobe White (Bulls): Underappreciated Creator

(49:01–55:48)

• Bulls don’t seem eager to pay White, despite his steady growth.
  • “A very good NBA player… if you’re not going to pay Kobe, will this be the one time the Bulls get out in front of a problem?” (B, 49:05)
• Best fits: Wolves (as Ant’s partner), Rockets (stopgap creator/scorer).
  • Rob Mahoney: "For Minnesota, Kobe White would be awesome if they could possibly get that done."
  • Reluctance about what the Bulls would want; speculative “middle” future first for Kobe as a rental.
  • Kyle: Warns that White “can consume a lot of oxygen”—may suit Rockets better than Timberwolves.

c. Robert Williams (Blazers/Celtics): The Perennial What-If

(57:26–62:12)

• Classic trade rumor mainstay: great when available, but “when available” is always the question.
  • Justin Verrier: Pitches Rob Williams returning to Boston for Sam Hauser to bolster the Celtics’ big-man rotation.
    • “Williams could level-up most situations, but you’re leaving it up to risk that he’ll play.” (58:15)
  • Rob Mahoney: Cautions that Boston needs rebounders more than shot blockers; Hauser’s steadiness may be preferred.
• Williams compared to Miles Turner as a “forever trade candidate but rarely moved.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Giannis trade PR games:
  "This seems like the first step of what is an inevitability but is actually just a PR framing in order to make it seem like both parties are on the same page."
  — Justin Verrier, (04:56)

• On Giannis’s dilemmas:
  “...everything about this that would be required of him to nudge his way out the door would require him to sort of contradict everything that his brand as a player has been built on…”
  — J. Kyle Mann, (07:03)

• On Nets draft urgency:
  “The Nets need a Bobs and Dugnut type. Just a real blue chipper.”
  — Rob Mahoney, (18:10)
  (Joking about prospect names, but reflecting real urgency in Brooklyn’s asset accumulation.)

• On Nick Claxton’s fit:
  “I think Claxton is a really good player, man… gives you playmaking in the short roll, 1.4 blocks, 7.5 rebounds…an efficient dude who knows who he is.”
  — J. Kyle Mann, (28:30)

• On Embiid’s trade value:
  “Even with everything going on with Embiid…he’s still more hypothetically useful to them than the risk would justify on the other side of a deal.”
  — Rob Mahoney, (37:45)

• On Kobe White's situation:
  “If you’re not going to pay Kobe White, will this be the one time, and I mean the one time, that this Bulls front office gets out in front of a problem before it manifests?”
  — Rob Mahoney, (49:05)

• On Blazers/Celtics trade rumor recycling:
  “I think [Rob Williams] is going to end up as their Miles Turner. We’re going to put him in rumors for a decade…”
  — Justin Verrier, (35:04)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Giannis trade discussion, PR spin, and top suitors:
  03:24 – 15:38
• MPJ’s trade value, Nets’ tank, Portland proposal:
  16:10 – 27:32
• Nick Claxton on the move – potential fits and value limits:
  28:17 – 35:12
• Joel Embiid’s impossible trade market:
  35:21 – 42:21
• Lower-profile player swaps, especially Fontecchio–Sohan:
  44:30 – 48:59
• Kobe White’s value and fit for Wolves, Rockets:
  49:01 – 55:48
• Blazers/Celtics, Robert Williams loop (Hauser swap):
  57:26 – 62:12

Tone and Style

The episode is rich in basketball analysis, laced with The Ringer’s usual sharp banter, deep knowledge of league dynamics, and irreverent asides. The hosts don’t just break down contracts and statistics—they paint stories of how personalities, organizational incentives, and league history shape the market. There are jokes and side-tangents, but the core is always strategic: “What does this mean for the league’s balance of power?”

Summary Takeaway

This is a must-listen for anyone invested in the NBA trade deadline—not for the splashy rumor-mongering, but for the razor-sharp insight into how teams weigh risk, personality, fit, timing, and the ever-moving mosaic of the league. The discussion makes clear that deadline moves aren’t just about talent; they’re about identity, window, and avoiding the mistakes of yesterday.