The Utah Jazz finally make their big move, acquiring Jaren Jackson, Jr. How good will the Jazz be next year? Will they be too good now to keep their top-8 protected pick? What else do they need to contend in the West? For Memphis, we look back on the conclusion of the Jaren era. What’s the plan now in Memphis? Was this the right time to move him? Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseason2026 ! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with...
Feb 03, 2026•13 min•Ep. 1228
Cleveland gets better, saves money, and gives up…a Denver 2nd? Meanwhile, there are serious questions about Scott Perry’s ability to undertake a rebuild. Portland makes a nice value trade for a shooter they desperately need. 20:34 We catch up on news around the league, (28:15) then break down 3 key games over the weekend: CHA vs DAL (47:14), OKC vs DEN (1:13:23), and DET vs GSW. 1:25:17. Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseason2026 ! It's the only place to get every episode ...
Feb 02, 2026•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 1227
Kevin Pelton of ESPN joins Danny, Dan, and Nate for their semi-annual cap nerdathon in which they take the reins of the league’s teams to simulate the trade deadline. In Part 2, we go through the rest of the league’s trade candidates and find no less than 11 trades in the end. Full Daily Duncs with links Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks Suitors Spurs, Rockets Karl-Anthony Towns Jayson Tatum Steven Adams Dunk contest Mock Trade Deadline Full Daily Duncs with links Join Dunc’d On Pri...
Jan 30, 2026•15 min•Ep. 1226
Kevin Pelton of ESPN joins Danny, Dan, and Nate for their semi-annual cap nerdathon in which they take the reins of the league’s teams to simulate the trade deadline. It’s a weird year with many high-priced players and lots of expensive, constrained teams. In Part 1, the quartet engages in trade discussions for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaren Jackson, Jr., Anthony Davis, Lauri Markkanen, Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, LeBron James, Trey Murphy III, Michael Porter, Jr., Karl-Anthony Towns, Anfernee Sim...
Jan 28, 2026•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 1225
Nate and Danny begin their bi-weekly look at the Eastern Conference with intense film and stat breakdowns of eight teams. TOR: Is Collin Murray-Boyles the next Draymond? BRK: What would a team get in trading for Michael Porter, Jr? 11:45 WAS: Is Tre Johnson one of the next great shooters in the league? 22:21 CHA: The numbers with their Big 3 on the court are intriguing 32:36 CHI: Looking back on the Derrick Rose era, plus the Bulls generate great shots 42:20 CLE: Jaylon Tyson’s emergence as a ro...
Jan 26, 2026•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 1224
HOU: The Rockets have a ton of ammo. Would it make sense to get Giannis? What about another starter-level upgrade? SAS: Would it make sense for THEM to get Giannis? What about MPJ? 15:27 OKC: Does one of the most stacked teams in NBA history have any moves to make right now? 27:00 MIN: The Wolves need another rotation piece, how can they get one? 33:04 UTA: The Jazz have cap space and/or a trade exception to take on money. Plus, why we don’t think they should move Markkanen or Kessler. 41:16 DEN...
Jan 23, 2026•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 1223
Nate and Danny react to the catastrophic Jimmy Butler torn ACL and where the Warriors can go from here trade-wise. Full Daily Duncs with links Dennis Schroder-Luka Doncic All-Star starters LeBron James All-Star starters Deni Avdija Anthony Edwards-Victor Wembanyama Ja Morant Ryan Nembhard Dillon Brooks Trade deadline Full Daily Duncs with links Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseason2026 ! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every p...
Jan 21, 2026•20 min•Ep. 1222
Boston is afforded a unique opportunity to get better, rather than cut costs, with Anfernee Simons’ expiring contract. What realistic trades are out there for Jonathan Kuminga? 19:12 Should the Raps be in on the likes of AD, Ja, and Sabonis? 31:48 What are the Lakers’ options to improve without sacrificing their long-term plans? 41:52 What is the least Brooklyn should be willing to accept for MPJ? 51:45 Can the Knicks move Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet for another rotation player? 1:04:22...
Jan 19, 2026•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 1221
Nate and Danny break down how the Thunder have righted themselves with two huge wins against some of their chief competition in the West, Houston and San Antonio. Plus, we give our thoughts on Jonathan Kuminga’s trade demand from Golden State and the dreaded Memphis Grizzlies medical updates. Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseason2026 ! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well! Subscribe on YouTub...
Jan 16, 2026•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 1220
Denver Nuggets — 0:23 How have they played without Jokic, plus a breakdown of the best passing stretch of Jamal Murray’s career. Portland Trail Blazers / Houston Rockets — 12:12 A set between these teams saw the Rockets change their approach against Deni Avdija, but he dominated crunchtime on Friday nonetheless. Sacramento Kings / Golden State Warriors — 35:27 Sacramento has a discordant present, while the Warriors are in a mini-surge Dallas Mavericks — 54:00 We take stock of what AD was able to...
Jan 11, 2026•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 1219
John Hollinger joins Nate Duncan and Danny Leroux to discuss the top prospects in the NBA 23 and under. Which players would we most want for the rest of their careers? Where do young stars like Victor Wembanyama, Cooper Flagg, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Alperen Sengun, Dylan Harper, Alex Sarr, Amen Thompson, Jalen Duren, Reed Sheppard, VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Kon Knueppel, Stephon Castle, Matas Buzelis, Keyonte George, Zach Edey, Kel'el Ware, Collin Murray-Boyles, Derik Queen, and Cedric C...
Jan 10, 2026•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 1218
It’s time to look ahead to 2026. What do Nate and Danny think will be the biggest stories of this year, and what storylines are they most interested to see resolve? Full Daily Duncs with links Trae Young-Hawks Wizards-Trae Young Trae Young Kristaps Porzingis Russell Westbrook Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Awards Jalen Brunson Kon Knueppel Kon Knueppel Jaylen Brown Nikola Vucevic Rockets-Suns Peyton Watson Full Daily Duncs with links Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseaso...
Jan 06, 2026•13 min•Ep. 1217
It’s time to hand out some hardware! Nate and Danny eschew the narratives and give their picks for MVP, All-NBA, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, 6th Man of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. Most Valuable Player — 1:40 All-NBA Teams — 20:47 Coach of the Year — 51:15 Defensive Player of the Year — 1:00:04 Sixth Man of the Year — 1:05:55 Rookie of the Year — 1:14:00 Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseason2026 ! It's the only place to get every episode with Nat...
Jan 05, 2026•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 1216
With the benefit of hindsight, Nate and Danny pick out their most interesting games of the last week and do full breakdowns. Kawhi Leonard’s 55 points against the Pistons was one of the most dominant games of the year. Ja Morant showed flashes of a return to form against Joel Embiid and the Sixers, but VJ Edgecombe had the game-winner for Philly. 12:02 Keyonte George is the biggest reason the Jazz have exceeded expectations. He hit the game winner against a Pistons team that troublingly struggle...
Jan 02, 2026•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 1215
Looking back on it, 2025 was one of the craziest years in NBA history. Nate and Danny look back on all of the biggest stories of the season, compare those to what we thought the biggest stories would be at the start of the year, and then pick their top-3 stories of 2025. Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseason2026 ! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well! Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clu...
Dec 31, 2025•12 min•Ep. 1214
The Thunder definitely have a huge problem with the Spurs. What can OKC do to counter them? And could San Antonio win the championship THIS year? Nikola Jokic authored one of the best games ever on Christmas with his dizzying array of skills. But Denver needed overtime to prevail in a classic. For awhile, it looked like salad days for Cleveland, until the Knicks exposed some of the same old flaws. Speaking of same old flaws, the Lakers have had big-time trouble in every aspect of the game that d...
Dec 26, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 1213
Nate and Danny are back for their bi-weekly look around the Eastern Conference with segments on each of the 15 teams. Knicks / Heat–Jalen Brunson’s offensive takeover, Kel’el Ware’s breakout game Nets/Raptors–The Nets…..defense was too much for Toronto to handle. Bulls — 25:17 — Coby White is driving the basketball Cavaliers — 35:01 —Can Cleveland break out of its tailspin? Magic — 44:52 — Anthony Black’s ceiling as a playoff guard 76ers — 55:33 — Paul George’s shooting resurgence Wizards — 1:01...
Dec 22, 2025•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 1212
Jared Dubin of Last Night in Basketball and the Double Dribble Podcast makes his annual appearance to discuss the key trends he and Nate have been seeing around the league this year. No more spoilers here, just dive in! And you can visit lastnightinbasketball.com/twentyfive for 25% off a year’s subscription to Jared’s work. Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseason2026 ! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & N...
Dec 19, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 1211
Sacramento Kings — 0:00:38 Will Sacramento’s ownership accept an intentional rebuild rather than one through ineptitude? Where does Doug Christie rank among the worst coaches of the last 10 years? Who pulls the plug first: Dallas, Sacramento, or Portland? San Antonio Spurs — 11:08 Has Stephon Castle’s improved play this season (outside of shooting) altered your stance on whether the Spurs should move him? Do the Spurs ultimately need to move on from Castle to reach their ceiling? Would trading C...
Dec 19, 2025•41 min•Ep. 1210
Nate and Danny dig into a Western Conference mailbag for the Grizzlies, Wolves, Pelicans, Thunder, Suns, and Blazers, focusing on young bigs, long-term team-building, and how to survive in an OKC/Wemby/Jokic world. Memphis Grizzlies — 0:15 What has Zach Edey’s overall impact been so far, and why hasn’t his strong play gotten more discussion? Given that most of Memphis’ wins with Edey back came against sub-.500 teams, what’s actually real and what projects beyond this season? Why are Ja Morant an...
Dec 18, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 1209
Nate and Danny tackle Western Conference mailbag questions from the Dallas Mavericks through the LA Lakers, digging into star-trade calculus, emerging young players, and which contenders really scare OKC and Denver. Dallas Mavericks — 0:55 Is Max Christie’s 65% true shooting for real, and if/when his shooting regresses, can he still be a starter on a championship team? How should Dallas value and time a potential Anthony Davis trade—what kind of package is “enough,” how much does the extension/p...
Dec 16, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 1208
Victor Wembanyama returns in heroic fashion to power San Antonio past Oklahoma City and give them only their second loss of the season. Plus, the NBA rule that MUST be changed for next year. Jalen Brunson becomes only the 3rd player to drop 40 in Cup play as Orlando had no answers for the new-look Knicks. Then, we look ahead to a fascinating San Antonio vs New York Cup Final. Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseason2026 ! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate &a...
Dec 14, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 1207
Nate and Danny take questions on Indiana through Washington in the Eastern Conference. Pacers — 0:13 What explains the divergence between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers despite their seemingly comparable losses in talent? Did the Pacers truly “miss” on Ryan Nembhard given their existing guard depth with Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and T.J. McConnell? Do the Pacers have a starting-caliber center on the roster (Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson, Tony Bradley), or will they ultimately nee...
Dec 09, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 1206
Hawks — 3:36 Should the Hawks trade Trae Young plus two juicy Bucks/Pels picks for Giannis, and how would that look from both teams’ perspectives? If the Hawks keep Trae, re-sign him reasonably, and just add this incoming Pelicans pick, can that path ever realistically lead to a championship? Do you buy Onyeka Okongwu’s three-point shooting, and if you do, is he a top-15 center in the league? Celtics — 13:20 If you’re the Celtics, how should you play out the rest of the season—go all out because...
Dec 08, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 1205
With the East so open, should the Pistons push their chips in now for a star forward like Jaren Jackson Jr. (or Markkanen/AD), and what would that kind of trade cost? Is an Austin Reaves–Luka Dončić backcourt too weak defensively for the Lakers to be a true championship contender? Full Daily Duncs with links Lawrence Frank Chris Paul-Clippers Chris Paul L.A. Clippers Cleveland Cavaliers Giannis Antetokounmpo Spurs-Magic Pistons-Bucks Dunc'd On Live Pat Spencer Denver Nuggets Denver Nuggets ...
Dec 05, 2025•18 min•Ep. 1204
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential trade request leads off the show, as Nate and Danny retrace how Milwaukee got here and debate where he could go next. They then break down Bucks/Pistons, highlighted by Giannis’ calf injury, Doc Rivers’ clever 2–3 zone, and Jericho Sims’ decisive and-one. San Antonio/Orlando follows, with Dylan Harper’s electric playmaking, De’Aaron Fox’s tough shotmaking, and Luke Kornet’s game-saving block on Franz Wagner. Jamal Murray’s 52-point explosion against Indiana rank...
Dec 04, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 1203
Nate and Danny take their first crack at the NBA awards. Jokic, Shai, Luka, or Giannis for MVP? 00:01:38 We break down a ridiculously deep field for the All-NBA teams, with over 25 legitimate candidates. 00:28:59 Then, Defensive Player of the Year, with some surprising and some familiar candidates. 00:57:59 Coach of the Year is another great one with coaches who have totally overhauled their systems, and others who have continued consistent excellence. 01:05:42 Sixth Man of the Year also has som...
Dec 02, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 1202
Nate and Danny break down all the action on point differential night! Orlando and Detroit was a fascinating matchup of two hungry, athletic, physical teams. Cleveland had a chance to advance as the wild card, but the Hawks defense stifled them late. 29:00 Jalen Brunson out-dueled Giannis down the stretch in a win or go home game to reach the quarterfinals. 42:53 Denver disappointingly blew an 18 point lead to San Antonio at home to again bow out of the NBA Cup, as the Spurs make the quarterfinal...
Nov 29, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 1201
Our bi-weekly look at the Western Conference! LAL @ UTA: The Lakers hold on against the Jazz in LeBron James’ second game of the season. NOP @ DAL: Two young teams go at each other in a fun matchup over the weekend. POR: What makes Deni Avdija so hard to stop? MIN: Rob Dillingham just isn’t a rotation player right now for a team with the Wolves’ aspirations DEN: How could they use Cam Johnson more? HOU: How real is their 3-point shooting? PHX: Collin Gillespie has been a big part of the Suns’ re...
Nov 24, 2025•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 1200
Denver and Houston was a fascinating tactical matchup between two of the three-best teams in the league with a lot of different pitches to throw. Phoenix’s new identity helped them steal a game they had no business winning against the Wolves. 33:43 Portland took control of their own destiny in the West Group of Death with an upset over Golden State. 46:24 We look at the rest of the NBA Cup standings and scenarios, then discuss the latest news including LaMelo Ball and Anthony Davis potentially b...
Nov 22, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 1199
