Trae Young to the Wizards?! Why the Hawks “Supermax No” Says Everything About Today’s NBA + Kerr, LeBron, and the Next Face of the League

In this episode of On The Ball , Ric Bucher unloads on the NBA’s most uncomfortable truths: why “tanking” is getting harder to justify, why a rumored Trae Young-to-Washington deal would be less about basketball and more about money + leverage , and why the supermax era is changing (maybe forever). Ric also tackles the loudest Warriors debate— why fans coming for Steve Kerr are missing the point —and explains what Steph’s late-career reality actually means in the new salary-cap NBA. Then Ric turns his attention to LeBron’s podcast positioning , the optics of “the league is moving away from ISO” while playing next to Luka, and the awkward self-mythmaking that comes with the exit ramp of a legend. Finally, a fascinating tell from All-Star voting: the NBA’s next “face” may be foreign , and Ric names the frontrunner. Time stamps 00:00 — Intro: “Cooking with gas” + where to find Ric 01:32 — Mission statement: angles you won’t hear anywhere else 01:39 — Making every NBA game matter + the tanking problem 02:43 — Trae Young traded to the Wizards?! Why this is a financial play 04:20 — The $229M supermax that Atlanta wouldn’t offer (and why) 05:33 — Why the league can’t hand out max deals “like candy” anymore 06:50 — Trae’s real issue: stats vs impact, defense, and locker-room gravity 08:10 — What the Hawks actually need (and why bigs are the problem) 09:45 — Anthony Davis to Atlanta? Buyer beware + the Luka trade hangover 12:58 — Why Ric is bullish on Cooper Flagg as a culture-setter 17:25 — Warriors corner: the anti–Steve Kerr crusade (and why it’s galling) 21:12 — Lacob pressure, Kerr extension talk, and Steph’s real decline curve 23:03 — The Jimmy Butler move: what it fixed—and what it didn’t 24:13 — Why small-ball “wrinkles” are necessity, not stubbornness 27:17 — Kuminga: effort, role acceptance, and why it may be over 29:32 — Jordan Poole reality check (and what his market might be) 31:18 — LeBron’s “ISO is dying” take: why now, and why it reads self-serving 36:39 — All-Star voting clue: the NBA’s next “face” may be a foreign star 37:26 — Ric’s bet: Wembanyama as the future consensus face of the league 37:52 — Wrap-up + trade season ahead Support this show . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Trae Young to the Wizards?! Why the Hawks “Supermax No” Says Everything About Today’s NBA + Kerr, LeBron, and the Next Face of the League is an episode from On The Ball with Ric Bucher by Ric Bucher.

This episode is 38:37 long.

This episode was published on Jan 9, 2026.

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