NBA Trades Podcast

Once the dust settled from the week of the 2017 NBA Draft, there were several moves made. Jimmy Butler departed from Chicago, D’Angelo Russell went from LA to Brooklyn and Dwight Howard became a Charlotte Hornet. I had Anthony on the podcast to talk about these trades as well as the rumors surrounding Kristaps Porzingis, Paul George and more during this highly dramatic and eye-popping week of rumors, trades and transactions. Download Episode 37

Phil Jackson has seen success at every stop. With championships as a player in New York and as a coach in the CBA and the NBA with Chicago and the Lakers, Jackson had established a winning pedigree. The New York Knicks hired Jackson as president of basketball operations thinking that Jackson’s golden touch would work despite his relative inexperience in the front office. With the Knicks going 80-166 in Jackson’s first three seasons, I had author Roland Lazenby on the podcast to chat about Phil’s transition to executive. Topics that came up included the strong connection between Phil and the triangle, does the triangle fit in today’s NBA, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis and more. Download Episode 36

The NBA Finals have finally arrived and the NBA Trades Podcast has you covered. I had my bro Anthony on to talk predictions for the Finals, the tale of the tape of the Warriors and Cavaliers, and what we can expect to see from both squads matchups-wise. We also talked about whether the playoffs are boring, X-Factors, pick-and-roll, Tristan Thompson and who’s going to guard Kevin Durant. Download Episode 35

The 1970s was a defining decade of NBA history. From Julius Erving to Pete Maravich their were tons of interesting characters and teams. In this edition of the NBA Trades podcast, I spoke with Adam Criblez, author of Tall Tales and Short Shorts: Dr. J, Pistol Pete, and the Birth of the Modern NBA.  Adam and I had an in depth conversation about the most transcendent trades of the 1970s. The trades we talked about included two involving “Pistol” Pete Maravich, the Knicks forming the Rolls-Royce backcourt with Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier, New York acquiring Spencer Haywood and Bob McAdoo and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar deal between the Bucks and Lakers. Also talked about was the Elvin Hayes trade, the franchise swap between Boston and Buffalo and the Dr. J deal. We also chatted about the process of researching and writing the book.  Download Episode 34

It’s all come down to four teams. With the NBA Playoffs reaching its latter stages, the Conference Finals have brought up some interesting questions. Can the Celtics overcome the Cavaliers, and did San Antonio miss their chance in Game One against the Warriors. I had my bro Anthony on to preview the Eastern Conference Finals, go through Game One of the Western Conference Finals, and briefly analyze the draft lottery. Also talked about was the Game Seven between Boston and Washington and Zaza Pachulia. Download Episode 33

While Paul Pierce’s career reached its end, the NBA Trades Podcast opted to look at the early stages of his career. Before the NBA Finals MVP, the clutch game-winners in Brooklyn and Washington, and the Wheelchair, Pierce was a young rookie joining the Rick Pitino-led Boston Celtics. I had former Boston Globe Celtics beat writer Peter May on to take a look at Paul’s run. Peter and I took a deep dive into Paul Pierce’s first few years in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. We touched on Pierce falling to the Celtics at number 10, the young Celtics roster he joined, Pierce being stabbed before his third season, and the rise of the 01-02 Celtics. Noticeable characters that we talked about included Antoine Walker, Rick Pitino, Jim O’Brien and more. Download Episode 32

After a relatively predictable first round, the NBA playoffs have reached the Semifinals. For a preview of the next round, I had my bro Anthony on to talk about the new matchups. Can the Spurs survive when Kawhi sits? Will the Raptors defense bend against Cleveland? Who will Isaiah Thomas guard on Washington? Can anyone beat Golden State? These and more are all questions that AC and I dive into on this new episode of the NBA Trades podcast. Download Episode 31

The NBA postseason is upon us. This new edition of the podcast features a preview of the first round of the playoffs. My bro Anthony and I discuss the playoff matchups and some of the most important in-season transactions that are playing a big role in the postseason. Download Episode 30

If anything, the 2016-17 Miami Heat have reminded us that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! After an 11-30 start, the team has won 22 of its last 27 games to wind up 33-35 and in the postseason chase. Seeing the Heat make a miraculous in-season comeback takes us back to the 1996-97 Phoenix Suns. I had former Phoenix Suns beat writer for the Arizona Republic, Bob Young on the podcast to talk about the trade and what happened that year. We spoke about the Jason Kidd trade with Dallas, Robert Horry’s trade to Los Angeles and the coaching change early in the year. Download Episode 29

The Los Angeles Clippers have had a pretty sad NBA history. Though times have been pretty good recently, this franchise went through devastating circumstances that have kept them as a cellar dweller for many years since their move to San Diego and later Los Angeles. In this episode of the NBA Trades podcast, I spoke with author of The Curse: The Colorful & Chaotic History of the LA Clippers Mick Minas.  Mick and I went through five of the most important trades in Clippers franchise history including the trade that allowed Buffalo to move to San Diego, the deal that brought the Clippers Bill Walton, the Dominique Wilkins-Danny Manning trade and more. Download Episode 28