The Ringer NBA Show – "Trae Trading Places. Plus, What’s Going On With the Thunder?" | Real Ones

Date: January 7, 2026
Hosts: Logan Murdock, Howard Beck, Raja Bell
Episode Theme:
The trio discusses the biggest stories currently rocking the NBA: Trae Young’s trade situation, an in-depth look at his fit and reputation, what’s up with the slumping Oklahoma City Thunder, a creative exercise pondering Jalen Brown’s value across the league, and a trip down memory lane with Raja Bell recalling his 2001 NBA Finals moments.

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode dives into two hot-button topics:

• The imminent trade of Trae Young, dissecting potential destinations, his value, impact, and what’s gone wrong in Atlanta.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder’s recent struggles after a hot start, examining how adversity reveals more about the reigning champs.
• Bonus: A fun and thoughtful exercise on how many teams would trade their current #1 for Jalen Brown, plus a nostalgic look back at the 2001 NBA Finals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Trae Young Trade Scenarios and Reputation

[00:30-30:17]

Why Washington for Trae? Is Anyone Winning?

• News broke (via Mark Stein and Shams Charania) that the Atlanta Hawks and Trae Young’s agents are working together on a trade; Wizards are rumored as a lead suitor, presumably sending out CJ McCollum’s expiring.
• Howard Beck: “But why, why, why, why would the Washington Wizards want Trae Young at this stage? …They are still in tank mode… It doesn’t make a lot of sense unless you get to that other line in Mark Stein’s report, which was: It remains to be seen essentially whether the Hawks might have to include draft capital to offload him, which is wild, right?” [03:19]
• Washington’s motivation is unclear—are they seeking to genuinely build around Trae, or just angling for extra draft capital in a salary shuffle?
• Logan Murdock: "It doesn't seem to help anyone involved here… It seems like all this is gonna do is piss Trae Young off and he's gonna make his money, but he's not going to get what he ultimately wants, which is… a chance to win." [05:56]

Trae’s On-Court Fit & Reputation

• Raja Bell: “What do you represent to losing teams that are trying to tank… And with winning teams, can you fit into a winning recipe?... Are you willing to augment your game at this point in your career to be a better fit?” [08:34]
• Trae’s stats look great, but the results—season after season—are disappointing.
• He’s at a crossroads: can he finally change his shot selection, engage defensively, and show self-awareness as he enters his prime (age 27)?
• Howard Beck: “Trae Young's been in the league long enough. Everybody knows who he is. This is why we're talking about… it's not clear if Washington's going to demand draft capital to induce them to acquire Trae Young.” [13:16]
• Around the league, there’s skepticism: not just about Trae’s defense, but his ability/willingness to change or be liked as a teammate and fit in a winning environment.
• Logan: "Trae Young is just such a flawed player that I just don't know an upside to where he is in his career right now. …I just think that's just real where we're at right now." [17:06]
• Raja Bell: “His teams’ good players… don’t like playing with him. …[Fans] are fascinated with the star… but teammates are like, ‘We’re being marginalized in this.’” [21:23]

The “New Apron Era” Dilemma

• The new NBA cap/tax structure is making high-priced, one-dimensional stars much harder to move, further complicating Trae’s future.

Notable Quotes

• Raja Bell, on player self-evaluation and change: “The first part… is self eval, dude, like just coming to grips with, hey, you know, the way this has been working for me so far isn’t the way it’s going to work for me moving forward.” [27:03]
• Howard Beck: “For all of Trae’s talent, his shooting ability, his passing ability, his playmaking often gets lost in the shuffle here. …But… you’re not rating with him on the floor. All the on off numbers look really bad traditionally.” [13:16]

The Oklahoma City Thunder: Is The Sky Falling?

[31:17–49:39]

• OKC, defending champs, are 6–6 over their last 12 and coming off embarrassing losses (including vs. the Hornets).
• Logan: "They won the turnover battle by 14 and still lost by 27 points. That just doesn’t happen." [32:26]
• Injuries (notably Isaiah Hartenstein), fatigue, schedule quirks, and “boredom” after a championship have hit.
• Howard Beck: "I said there were three things that I thought could derail the record win pace… fatigue, injury, boredom.” [37:38]

Jalen Williams (“J-Dub”) and Offense Consistency

• J-Dub hasn’t returned to last season’s form after hand surgery—scoring and efficiency are down, limiting OKC’s secondary creation.
• Logan, on OKC’s struggles: "When they played the San Antonios of the world... he has to assert his will on that game. If that doesn’t happen, you have a lot of weird step backs from Shai down the stretch…" [41:07]

Championship Hangover & Extra Attention

• The star treatment & distractions off-court (Shai winning Sports Illustrated Sports Person of the Year, promotional demands, etc.) and the microscope on every loss is “new territory.”
• “When you get to the level of success that the Oklahoma City Thunder are getting to—every loss is gonna be on this podcast… Every little thing is outsized.” [45:21]

Concerns and Outlook

• No panic, but growth moments: Adversity sharpens winning teams, and OKC’s depth and ability to re-integrate pieces (like Jalen Williams) will be key.

Bonus: The “Jalen Brown for Your #1” Exercise

[49:43–70:03]

• Inspired by a Blue Sky mailbag debate: How many teams would improve their title odds this season by swapping their number one for Jalen Brown?
• Howard Beck did a thorough walk-through of all 30 teams:
  • Straight “Yes” to trade for Jalen Brown: ~19 teams (Pacers, Pelicans, Kings, Wizards, Nets, Hornets, Magic, Blazers, Bulls, Grizzlies, Heat, Hawks, Mavs, Clippers, Cavs, Raptors, Magic, Pistons, Sixers).
  • Absolute “No” (untouchables): Bucks (Giannis), Nuggets (Jokic), Thunder (Shai), Spurs (Wemby), Warriors (Steph)
  • Tough Calls ("Yes"/"No"/“I don’t know!”): Timberwolves (Ant), Suns (Devin Booker), Rockets (KD), Knicks (Brunson), Lakers (Luka)

Notable Segment Highlights

• Howard, on team-building & intangibles: “There are gonna be a few cases where the culture of your team, the identity… it just doesn’t make sense, even if Jalen Brown is technically an upgrade…” [56:42]
• Logan, on the Lakers: “The Lakers require a certain type of player to be the face of the franchise, and I don’t believe that Jalen fits that mold. It’s more than just the player—it’s the star power…” [65:44]
• Raja, on Jalen Brown's new chapter: “Jaylen Brown’s been trying to tell you he’s a star. Now you’re seeing it. There could be a really nice chapter two—but it’s gonna take a little bit of change and some work from him.” [68:06]

Throwback Segment: The 2001 NBA Finals & Ty Lue "Step Over"

[71:04–80:12]

Raja Bell Recalls the Iconic Play

• A listener questions Raja's memory of his pass to Iverson before the infamous step-over on Ty Lue.
• Raja: “Didn’t notice it in game… had no idea it was gonna register on the NBA all-time meter the way it does… I had no idea what was going on in that game, the series in general.” [71:39], [73:12]
• Hilarious self-deprecation re: barely knowing where to stand, ghost-screening, fully in over his head as an NBA rookie.
• Howard and Logan offer detailed play-by-play and context on Ty Lue’s role as an Iverson “stopper,” how the Lakers only put Lue on the playoff roster to defend AI, and the cascading effect on both Lue and Raja’s careers.
• Howard: “Ty Lue did not get crossed over… Ty Lue lunged to contest, turns, and stepped on Iverson’s foot. He was on the playoff roster specifically because … if they were going to meet Iverson.” [77:08]

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “Why would the Wizards, after what looked like a multi-year tank… want to go all in for a high priced star, who has obviously not produced in the way… as a contributor to winning?” —Howard Beck [03:19]
• “It doesn't seem to help anyone involved here… if you're Trae Young, you're getting into your late twenties, you seem to be wanting to go to a championship destination. This seems like another rebuild.” —Logan Murdock [05:56]
• “Trae’s in a weird spot as a player … Are you at the point in your career where we might be willing to make some accommodations in our own game?” —Raja Bell [08:34]
• “Trae Young's been in the league long enough. Everybody knows who he is. This is why we're talking about… it's not clear if Washington's going to demand draft capital to induce them to acquire Trae Young.” —Howard Beck [13:16]
• “The stretch says that they're not invincible… there was an era of invincibility around them for a while. So… they can't conduct themselves like they are.” —Raja on OKC [34:18]
• “J-Dub hasn’t been himself yet. …His three point percentage is at .313. …I think he’s still kind of getting back to who he’s supposed to be—and when he is, that solves a lot of issues.” —Howard Beck [39:30]
• “It's really dope to see this from Jalen [Brown]… he was always really good with being alongside Jayson Tatum and played his role in the way that he needed to. …I'm really happy to see him kind of spread his wings…” —Logan Murdock [70:03]
• “My thought process was really simple. Hey, if he gives it to you and you’re open, shoot it. If you get it and you ain't open, give it back to him… Doesn’t get much easier than that.” —Raja Bell on passing to Iverson, 2001 Finals [73:28]

Section Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | |----------------------------------------|--------------| | Trae Young trade & reputation | 00:30–30:17 | | Oklahoma City Thunder analysis | 31:17–49:39 | | Jalen Brown value exercise/mailbag | 49:43–70:03 | | 2001 NBA Finals nostalgia (Raja/Ty Lue)| 71:04–80:12 |

Tone & Style

The episode is collegial, conversational, often self-deprecating and playful, with authentic debate and some sharp but caring honesty (“Sorry, was that too harsh, Raja?”). The hosts blend deep insider NBA insight with accessible humor and nostalgia.

Summary Takeaways

• Trae Young’s looming trade is a reflection on both player and franchise, revealing the limits of pure statistical talent in the “new apron” NBA and the consequences of a poor reputation.
• OKC’s struggles are a necessary check after high achievement; greatness isn’t revealed by win streaks but by response to adversity.
• Jalen Brown has announced himself as a true lead star, and the league needs to take notice—his name belongs in the MVP and all-league discussions.
• Raja’s retrospective spotlights the surreal experience of being in the Finals as a young player and the tiny margins between NBA lore and anonymity.

For Those Who Missed It

This episode brings you up to speed on the NBA’s most complex star-in-transition, exposes the challenges of staying on top in a parity-driven league, and delivers wisdom—plus a laugh or two—from some of the game’s great storytellers.