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The Ringer NBA Show

The NBA’s Tanking Problem Hits Rock Bottom and More Trade Deadline Ripple Effects | Group Chat

The Ringer NBA Show

The Ringer

Sports

4.29.4K Ratings

🗓️ 9 February 2026

⏱️ 73 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Justin, Rob, and J. Kyle Mann attempt to tackle the tanking problem around the league. Then they provide their initial thoughts on a handful of teams after the trade deadline.(00:00) Intro(0:58) Solving the tanking problem(31:39) First impressions after the trade deadline(41:15) Trade deadline ripple effectsHosts: Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle MannProducers: Victoria Valencia and Isaiah BlakelyProduction Supervision: Ben Cruz and Conor NevinsAdditional Production Support: John Richter and Chris WohlersSocial: Isaiah Blakely and Keith FujimotoThe Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:47.2

I am Justin Verrier and joining me, Rob Mahoney, Jay Kyle, man.

0:52.4

Just want to let the listeners know up front that we're only going to be

0:55.6

recording three quarters of this podcast. There are a couple interns that had a couple sharp

1:01.5

barbs in the office the other day. I want to get them a little bit of run, you know? So just a heads

1:06.4

up. We're only playing three quarters here. You're already grinding axes. We're just starting the

1:10.7

podcast. Like what is stuck in your craw, Justin? I think it's pretty obvious. I don't know if you guys were watching the Utah Jazz last night. Should we just jump into it? First of all, I don't know if you guys were watching the Utah Jazz last night is the most group chat statement imaginable. So we can only be ourselves. I was just like kind

1:29.1

of spinning around the NBA, as I often do on a Saturday night alone in my house. And I saw a photo

1:35.3

that Jaron Jackson Jr. was playing. And I was like, oh, I didn't realize he would be playing at all,

1:40.2

let alone playing this early. And I was like, let's check this out. And for that quarter, I think it was the third quarter, pretty interesting, right? Lowry's in there. Jackson's in there. Nurkich looking reborn as just like a playmaking hub for this team. And then the fourth quarter hit, despite the fact that they were up seven, those guys just disappear. And now there's another layer to this that the magic actually struggled to win this game at the end. And so that's another question we need to get to at some point. But the jazz's tanking has hidden. I want to say hidden another level, but they've been doing this because they did this the game before with Mark and I think it's kind of incumbent on us to be like pointing this out because

2:18.9

the tanking has gotten worse and I think it's going to keep getting worse until people get

2:23.3

mad enough about it. Yeah, I'm okay with pointing it out. I mean, we can be the ombudsman of

2:28.3

NBA tanking and competitive equity, but to what end? Like what are we hoping to solve or fix here?

2:34.4

Because the NBA has kind of been gesturing at trying to fix this stuff for years.

2:39.2

Justin, you said the Jazz had been doing this for a while now.

2:41.6

They've been doing it for a while in seasons lengths.

2:44.3

Like year over, year over year have been doing this now.

...

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