In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss how the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets should be approaching the trade deadline. Should the Blazers be open to trading CJ McCollum? How much should the Kings want in exchange for Harrison Barnes? Which teams would be the best fits for Trevor Ariza and George Hill? Should any team be willing to give up a first-round pick for P.J. Tucker? Check out ...
Feb 13, 2021•1 hr 19 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Derrick Rose trade and discuss who else might be on the trade market. Was the Rose trade a good idea for the Knicks? Did the Detroit Pistons get enough for him? Which teams can assemble an attractive trade package for Nikola Vucevic? Where would Andre Drummond make the most sense? Should the Toronto Raptors listen to offers for Kyle Lowry? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss a...
Feb 09, 2021•1 hr 17 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their early All-Star picks for both conferences. Do the Brooklyn Nets deserve three All-Stars? Should Bradley Beal get in despite how bad the Washington Wizards are? Who should be the final few reserves in the East? Will any New Orleans Pelicans or Phoenix Suns players make the Western Conference All-Star team? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Tw...
Feb 06, 2021•1 hr 19 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their award picks for the first quarter of the 2020-21 NBA season. If the season ended today, who should be the MVP? Can anyone challenge Rudy Gobert for Defensive Player of the Year? Is LaMelo Ball the runaway Rookie of the Year? Who should be in contention for Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player? Who's the favorite in the wide-open Coach of the Year race? Check out the episode to hear Mort...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 13 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Mason Ginsberg (@masonginsberg) and Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) of the In the N.O. podcast (@InTheNOPod) to discuss Lonzo Ball, JJ Redick and Eric Bledsoe trade ideas. What types of players/assets should the New Orleans Pelicans be seeking in return for Ball, Redick and Bledsoe? Which teams would make sense for Ball? Do any contenders have the right salary-matching pieces for Redick? Could a Bl...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 3 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the rookies that have made the biggest early impact in the 2020-21 NBA season. Which rookies have been the biggest surprise so far? Did the Minnesota Timberwolves make a mistake by taking Anthony Edwards at No. 1? Are the Golden State Warriors being too hard on James Wiseman? Which rookies are looking like the biggest draft-day steals? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of th...
Jan 26, 2021•1 hr 7 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) try to make sense of the Western Conference's middle class of teams. Can the Portland Trail Blazers stay afloat without CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic? How should the San Antonio Spurs approach the trade deadline? Are the Utah Jazz the third-best team in the West? Could the Memphis Grizzlies finish as a top-six seed in the West? Are the Golden State Warriors a threat to win a playoff series? Check out the epi...
Jan 21, 2021•1 hr 19 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by special guest Jason Patt (@Bulls_Jay) of the Cash Considerations podcast to discuss the Bulls' future and first impressions of James Harden on the Nets. Why have the Bulls struggled to start the year? Does Lauri Markkanen have a future in Chicago? Should the Bulls be shopping Zach LaVine? What should they expect in return? How did Harden fare in his debut with the Nets? Should Brooklyn fans ha...
Jan 17, 2021•1 hr 16 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) break down the winners and losers from the four-team James Harden megatrade. How will Harden fit in Brooklyn next to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving? Did the Rockets get enough in exchange for him? Will they try to flip Victor Oladipo? Are the Cavaliers the low-key winners of this trade? How will Caris LeVert fit in Indiana? Did the Philadelphia 76ers screw up by not trading for Harden? Check out the episode ...
Jan 14, 2021•1 hr 25 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the NBA's ongoing COVID-19 struggles, Bradley Beal trade chatter and slow starts from the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans. Does the NBA need to take a short hiatus to refine its COVID-19 protocol? Should the league "skip the line" for vaccines? Should the Wizards start quietly shopping Bradley Beal? Should teams prioritize him over James Harden in the trade market? Were we too high on the Atl...
Jan 12, 2021•1 hr 23 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss whether to buy or sell hot starts from the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns. How does Markelle Fultz's ACL tear affect the Magic's outlook? Are the Knicks a legitimate playoff threat? Is it too early to call the Sixers a legitimate title contender? Can the Pacers make real noise in the playoffs? Are the Suns a top-four team in the West? Check out th...
Jan 08, 2021•1 hr 26 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss teams and players that have gotten off to a slow start in the 2020-21 season. Will the Golden State Warriors struggle to make the playoffs? What's going on with Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors? Should the Miami Heat be worried about their slow start? Are the Denver Nuggets still among the top teams in the Western Conference? Can the Washington Wizards overcome their 0-5 start? Check out the ep...
Jan 04, 2021•1 hr 19 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the impact of some notable early-season injuries. How should the Brooklyn Nets replace Spencer Dinwiddie? Does his injury take them out of the running for James Harden? Are the injury-ravaged Memphis Grizzlies heading toward the lottery? How can the Minnesota Timberwolves stay afloat without Karl-Anthony Towns? What does Kevin Love's calf injury mean for the Cleveland Cavaliers? Check out the episod...
Jan 01, 2021•1 hr 12 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) are joined by Adam Fromal (@fromal09) and Dan Favale (@danfavale) of the Hardwood Knocks podcast (@HardwoodKnocks) for their annual League Pass rankings. Which teams are must-watch this season? Which should you largely avoid? Which team sits atop our rankings? Check out the episode to hear Morten, Bryan, Dan and Adam discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Twitter: @TheNBAPod...
Dec 28, 2020•1 hr 32 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest surprises and disappointments from the first few days of the 2020-21 NBA season. Are the Brooklyn Nets now the team to beat in the East? Is the Golden State Warriors dynasty officially over? Is it too early to panic about the Chicago Bulls or Portland Trail Blazers? Were we too high on the Dallas Mavericks? Should LaMelo Ball be starting for the Charlotte Hornets? Check out the episode t...
Dec 26, 2020•1 hr 16 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the top takeaways from an unexpectedly busy rookie-scale extension deadline. Was Kyle Kuzma's deal a good value for the Los Angeles Lakers? Did the Clippers overpay for Luke Kennard? Were the Magic right to gamble on Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac? Was OG Anunoby's extension an overpay or a steal? What's next for the fourth-year players who didn't sign extensions, such as Lonzo Ball, Lauri Markka...
Dec 22, 2020•1 hr 20 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) make their picks for all of the NBA's major awards ahead of the 2020-21 season. Can anyone stop Giannis Antetokounmpo from an MVP three-peat? Who should be favored for Defensive Player of the Year? Who will win the wide-open Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player races? What about Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss ...
Dec 18, 2020•1 hr 9 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the leaguewide ramifications of Giannis Antetokounmpo signing his supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. Are the Bucks now the biggest winners of the offseason? Is the 2020-21 season no longer championship-or-bust for Milwaukee? With Giannis off the board, where do the Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat turn next? Could this loosen up the NBA's trade market? Check out the episode...
Dec 15, 2020•1 hr 9 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) finish their 2020-21 NBA season preview with last year's Eastern Conference playoff teams. Who should replace Jonathan Isaac in Orlando? What are realistic expectations for Kevin Durant and the Nets this year? Will the Sixers' added shooting help fix the Ben Simmons-Joel Embiid pairing? What's the next step in Bam Adebayo's development? Should Tristan Thompson start in Boston? How much of a difference will ...
Dec 15, 2020•1 hr 33 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss possible landing spots and trade packages for James Harden. Do the Brooklyn Nets have enough to land Harden? How much more should the Philadelphia 76ers be willing to give up beyond Ben Simmons? Can the Milwaukee Bucks cobble together a package that doesn't include Giannis Antetokounmpo? Which other teams should be interested? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and mo...
Dec 12, 2020•1 hr 21 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) continue with their 2020-21 NBA season preview by discussing last year's Eastern Conference lottery teams. Are Collin Sexton and Darius Garland compatible long term? What is John Collins' future in Atlanta? Do the Pistons and Knicks have a long-term plan? How will Patrick Williams fit into the Bulls' frontcourt? Who should start at forward for the Wizards? How will Charlotte divvy up backcourt minutes after...
Dec 09, 2020•1 hr 22 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) continue their 2020-21 NBA season preview with the Western Conference playoff teams from last year. Can the Trail Blazers contend for a top-four seed this year? How will the Mavericks replace Kristaps Porzingis until he returns from surgery? How will John Wall fit next to Russell Westbrook? Can Michael Porter Jr. cement himself as a star this year? Is Serge Ibaka an upgrade over Montrezl Harrell for the Cli...
Dec 06, 2020•1 hr 28 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Russell Westbrook/John Wall trade and LeBron James and Anthony Davis signing extensions with the Los Angeles Lakers. What are reasonable expectations for Wall this season? Does he fit better with Harden than Westbrook did? Will Westbrook increase the Wizards' chances of keeping Bradley Beal long term? What do the AD and LeBron extensions mean for the Lakers' chances of landing Giannis Antetokoun...
Dec 03, 2020•49 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) begin their preview of the 2020-21 NBA season with last year's Western Conference lottery teams. How will the Warriors bounce back from Klay Thompson's Achilles injury? What should Timberwolves fans expect from Anthony Edwards? Who will start in the Pelicans backcourt? Are the Suns now a playoff team after acquiring Chris Paul? What's next for Jaren Jackson Jr.? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Brya...
Dec 01, 2020•1 hr 16 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest winers and losers of 2020 NBA free agency. Were the Los Angeles Lakers the runaway winner? Did the Atlanta Hawks hit fast-forward on their rebuild too quickly? Are the Phoenix Suns getting too much credit? Did the Boston Celtics screw up with Gordon Hayward? What are the Detroit Pistons doing? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Twitt...
Nov 28, 2020•1 hr 22 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest free-agent news from the past few days. What does Bam Adebayo's impending extension mean for the Miami Heat's chances of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021? Does Marc Gasol joining the Los Angeles Lakers make them overwhelming title favorites? Is Serge Ibaka an upgrade over Montrezl Harrell for the Los Angeles Clippers? Will Aron Baynes help lessen the blow of losing Gasol and Ibaka f...
Nov 24, 2020•1 hr 10 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) break down the biggest deals from a wild first 24 hours of 2020 NBA free agency. Why did the Charlotte Hornets sign Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $120 million deal? Did the Toronto Raptors get good value on Fred VanVleet? Will Jerami Grant regret signing with the Detroit Pistons? Did the Los Angeles Clippers spend too much on Marcus Morris? Are the Los Angeles Lakers even bigger title favorites after landi...
Nov 22, 2020•1 hr 17 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) give their live reactions to the first hour of 2020 NBA free agency. Did the Miami Heat overpay for Goran Dragic and Meyers Leonard? Did the Los Angeles Lakers get a steal with Wesley Matthews? Where should the Milwaukee Bucks turn after the Bogdan Bogdanovic debacle? And what on earth are the Detroit Pistons doing? Check out the episode to hear Morten and Bryan discuss all of that and more. Follow us on Tw...
Nov 21, 2020•1 hr 7 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the biggest winners and losers of the 2020 NBA draft. How did Daryl Morey fare during his first draft with the Philadelphia 76ers. Did the Charlotte Hornets get their franchise cornerstone in LaMelo Ball? Which teams snagged draft-day steals? Did the Phoenix Suns reach on Jalen Smith at No. 10? Will the Minnesota Timberwolves grow to regret taking Anthony Edwards at No. 1? And what are the Houston R...
Nov 19, 2020•1 hr 28 min
In this episode of The NBA Podcast, Morten Jensen (@msjnba) and Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) discuss the Milwaukee Bucks' trades for Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic, Chris Paul going to the Suns and where James Harden should head next. Did the Bucks overpay for Jrue? Would they have made that move without knowing Giannis will sign a supermax? How did the Kings make out in the Bogdanovic sign-and-trade? Are the Suns now a playoff team? Should the Nets or Sixers trade for Harden? How much will Rob...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 11 min
