Hollinger & Duncan NBA Show - NBA Basketball Podcast

In part 3 of their organization rankings, John and Nate make their picks for the bottom 10 teams in the league. Which will take the coveted #29 spot and avoid the bottom?! Plus, we discuss our biggest risers and fallers since last year, overrated and underrated teams, and which organizations we found the hardest to rank.

A former executive and someone who will never be one are definitely the most qualified people to evaluate NBA organizations! But if we don’t do it, who will? We examine each team’s organizational resume and determine which we’d most want running our team if we were fans, evaluating each team based on key criteria like their drafting, trade, and free agency record.

After looking at the latest controversy in Memphis, John and Nate look at which of their season predictions they'd like mulligans on, whether it's awards, season wins, or anything else.

Hollinger & Duncan sift the rookie-scale extension rush—what looks smart vs. risky—and then dive into 2025’s biggest questions: true title equity, matchup landmines, awards races, hot-seat candidates, and which front offices set themselves up best. 0:30 — The extension wave under a rising cap: what looks smart vs. risky 1:00 — Keegan Murray pricing: two-way wing scarcity vs. limited upside 5:54 — Christian Braun and Denver’s apron math: role value vs. replaceability 12:00 — Dyson Daniels: age/size/defense bet and why a flat $25M structure matters 13:45 — Shaedon Sharpe: lock in upside now or gamble on RFA? 16:19 — Toumani Camara: converting a team option now vs. preserving flexibility later 23:18 — Aaron Nesmith: playoff proof-of-concept and Indy’s shorter 2/40 approach 24:39 — Why some wings/guards didn’t extend: the “wait-and-see” tier (Mathurin, Ivey, Eason) 27:26 — Jalen Duren: cap-hold strategy, center comps, and Detroit’s options 28:34 — Next summer’s center market: Kessler/Williams and the post-incentive era 29:12 — Framing the 2025 race: contenders, matchups, ceilings (no picks) 29:28 — East storylines: regular-season juggernauts vs. playoff-built teams; health variables 33:28 — West storylines: OKC’s rise, the Warriors’ matchup swing, and who actually has a ceiling 35:03 — The true title-equity bucket—and who’s one in-season move away 39:18 — MVP shape: the eligibility gauntlet, top tier, and the U.S. vs. international tilt 43:44 — Hot-seat watch: contexts around Doug Christie, Willie Green, Darko Rajaković, others 46:17 — Sixth Man: role volatility, eligibility traps, and what voters really reward 47:17 — Most Improved: high-ceiling leaps vs. low-baseline pop candidates 51:17 — Defensive Player of the Year: the unicorn case vs. voter fragmentation 51:42 — Executive of the Year narratives: asset plays, cap gymnastics, timing 53:29 — Why 2024–25 on-court styles will be especially diverse and fun

Now that Jonathan Kuminga is in the fold, how did the Warriors do on the deal and what can they be on the floor this year with Al Horford et al? The hole keeps getting deeper for the LA Clippers as the circumvention allegations grow. What do we make of the Quentin Grimes situation in Philly, and is there actual reason for optimism there? Why did the Jazz agree not to extend Walker Kessler? And how should Houston handle the Tari Eason negotiations? Finally, we discuss which teams do the best and worst jobs of negotiating with their own players.