The Best and Worst Moves of the Offseason (So Far) | Group Chat

Summary of The Best and Worst Moves of the Offseason (So Far) | Group Chat

by The Ringer

1h 9m•July 9, 2026
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Overview of The Best and Worst Moves of the Offseason (So Far) | Group Chat

The Ringer’s Group Chat crew spends this episode ranking the NBA offseason’s biggest moves, digging into winners, losers, and the league’s new CBA realities. The conversation is equal parts serious cap mechanics and loose, comedic banter, with the hosts repeatedly circling back to how hard it is to build teams under the second apron, how valuable true star power is, and how much the offseason can still shift before Summer League is over.

Best Moves of the Offseason

Miami landing Giannis Antetokounmpo

  • Rob’s pick for best move was the Heat trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
  • His argument: when Giannis is healthy, he’s one of the few true “dollars” in the league — a floor-raising, franchise-changing player.
  • The Heat go from play-in irrelevance to having a top-five player again, which immediately changes their trajectory.
  • Kyle agreed that you move heaven and earth for a player like that, even if the ceiling questions remain.

Philadelphia getting Jaylen Brown

  • Kyle highlighted the Sixers acquiring Jaylen Brown as another major win.
  • The deal was framed as a massive opportunistic swing, especially given the constraints of the Paul George and Joel Embiid contracts.
  • The hosts liked that Philadelphia made a bold move instead of staying stuck.

Charlotte’s “serious” pivot

  • Justin argued the Hornets deserve credit for choosing long-term seriousness over trying to remain merely fun.
  • The team collected future assets, including distant first-round picks, and added useful pieces like Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale in the broader discussion.
  • Even if the move feels risky, the hosts respected the vision of changing the franchise’s direction.

Worst Moves of the Offseason

Not bringing back Mitchell Robinson

  • Rob’s worst move was the Knicks letting Mitchell Robinson slip away.
  • He emphasized Robinson’s unique value as an offensive-rebounding machine and a stylistic game-changer off the bench.
  • The move looked especially bad because the price to keep him did not seem prohibitive.

The Walker Kessler package

  • Kyle called the Walker Kessler acquisition for the Lakers/Jazz framework a huge overpay.
  • His main gripe: too many picks, too much money, and too much risk for a player who has not yet proven himself at that price point.
  • Rob added that even if Kessler hits, the structure of the deal can still hurt the team later because of the player option.

The massive Trae Young extension

  • The hosts ultimately treated the Trae Young max extension as the clearest bad business of the summer.
  • Their issue was less about Young’s talent and more about paying full freight when the market did not seem to justify it.
  • They felt the team boxed itself into a corner with no real leverage and little future flexibility.

Best Under-the-Radar Moves

Tari Eason re-signing with Houston

  • Rob loved Tari Eason’s five-year, $82 million deal with the Rockets.
  • He called it strong value for a high-level perimeter defender with enough shooting to stay playable.
  • The deal was praised as low-risk for Houston if Eason stays healthy.

Kelly Oubre Jr. to Indiana

  • Kyle liked Kelly Oubre Jr. landing with the Pacers.
  • He compared Tyrese Haliburton’s offense to someone discovering a hidden instrument’s full potential.
  • The fit was praised as a strong one for Indiana’s system.

Landry Shamet staying in New York

  • Justin pointed to Landry Shamet’s four-year, $24 million deal as a quiet win.
  • The point: he’s a high-end role player who shoots well and competes defensively, and those guys are hard to find.
  • The hosts viewed the contract as team-friendly for a player who can reliably fit into winning lineups.

Biggest Winners So Far

Trae Young’s agent

  • Rob singled out Trae Young’s representation as a winner for getting the deal done on strong terms.
  • The point was simple: regardless of the basketball debate, the negotiation result was excellent for the player side.

Utah Jazz

  • Kyle and Rob both praised Utah for a strong offseason.
  • They liked the accumulation of assets, the flexibility, and the sense that the Jazz are finally building something coherent.
  • There was also praise for the team’s young core and the possibility of a real step forward.

Memphis Grizzlies

  • Kyle also liked Memphis, especially for turning uncertainty into assets and keeping their roster deep.
  • The Grizzlies were applauded for making practical moves and staying active.

Biggest Losers So Far

The Pelicans

  • Kyle and Justin repeatedly used New Orleans as the example of a franchise stuck in neutral.
  • Their criticism: the Pelicans mostly did nothing, despite having obvious roster questions.
  • The hosts saw them as a team with talent but no clear direction.

Detroit Pistons

  • Kyle was underwhelmed by Detroit’s offseason.
  • He didn’t love the Kevin Huerter re-signing or the broader collection of moves, which felt like treading water rather than taking a real step forward.
  • Rob agreed the Pistons seem to be maintaining rather than advancing.

Brooklyn Nets

  • Rob called out the Nets for a directionless approach.
  • His concern was that they keep making small, safe moves without any clear big-picture plan.
  • He questioned how they ever get back to meaningful relevance.

Jonathan Kuminga

  • The hosts viewed Jonathan Kuminga as a loser in the market because no team seemed willing to fully buy into him.
  • They noted that he’s talented but still searching for the right situation and leverage.

The CBA / second apron system

  • Rob argued the biggest structural loser is the players’ union leadership that helped create a system where owners now hide behind the second apron.
  • The hosts spent a lot of time on how the new rules make teams act more scared, more rigid, and more willing to avoid spending.
  • They also discussed how the supermax has become increasingly hard to justify under current cap dynamics.

Biggest Questions Going Forward

What happens if LeBron doesn’t choose you?

  • Rob’s biggest non-LeBron question centered on the teams chasing LeBron James and what happens if they miss.
  • He specifically mentioned the Warriors, Cavaliers, and Heat as teams whose next moves could shift dramatically depending on the outcome.
  • The key issue: there are very few high-end fallback options left.

Can the Nuggets still solve their roster issues?

  • Kyle flagged Denver as another major question mark.
  • The Nuggets have been active around the edges, but the hosts worried they still haven’t answered the most important questions about depth, bench quality, and long-term direction.
  • The conversation included concern about how much they’ve lost in the margins.

What are the Pelicans and Jazz actually building?

  • The hosts contrasted Utah’s apparent long-term plan with New Orleans’ uncertainty.
  • The Jazz were praised for clarity; the Pelicans were criticized for a lack of it.

Other Notes and Running Bits

  • The episode opens with a long, funny riff about Summer League, Las Vegas, and the hosts’ different levels of enthusiasm for watching prospects and “meaningless basketball.”
  • They joke a lot about production quality, being “ghosts,” and the summer content grind.
  • There’s a recurring side conversation about Justin’s potatoes, which becomes a running gag about gardening, curing potatoes in a dark place, and whether they should be roasted, fried, or air-fried.
  • The episode ends with reminders that the show will shift to a looser summer schedule and that listeners should send in ideas or bits for future episodes.