Pro Basketball Talk on NBC Sports podcast

The NBA is still reverberating from the shockwaves of the NBA trade deadline, and specifically the blockbuster that sent Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns. Does this make the Suns contenders? Favorites to come out of the West? What do they need to do to prove they belong on that level? Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports dive into all of that, plus where the Nets go f...

It's one of the craziest weeks in the NBA — the week before the trade deadline is always insane — yet that is maybe the third biggest story in the league right now. First, we dive into LeBron James chasing history and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record — what does that say about LeBron and his legacy? And his conditioning to be doing this 20 years into his NBA career. From there, Corey...

Rui Hachimura is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, which is a win for the Lakers front office — "Look! We're doing something!" — but how much of a win was that for the Lakers? Does it change much of anything for them on the court? Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports discuss that, then talk about the Orlando Magic and the return of Jonathan Isaac to the floor. Corey's Jukebox ties togethe...

Are the Raptors going to trade Fred VanVleet? What about the Spurs with Jakob Poeltl? The best player likely to be moved is John Collins from the Hawks, or Bojan Bogdanovic from the Pistons, but will they actually be traded? It's three weeks from the trade deadline in the NBA and rumors are popping up everywhere, which is part of what Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports break down in the l...

We've reached the midway point of the NBA season, it's time to talk award frontrunners: MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and more. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports gives out his mid-season picks with Corey Robinson of NBC adding his perspective and thoughts. First, however, the two discuss Corry's time in London, then the Kevin Durant injury and what that portends f...

December and early January NBA ball has been fun to watch — seemingly every night some player is putting up historic scoring numbers, from Donovan Mitchell's 71 to Giannis Antetokounmpo's personal best 55. But it's not just individuals, team scoring is up as well. Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin from NBC Sports talk about the phenomenon and what is behind it — and why it's fun in the middle of a lon...

The NBA's traditional slate of five Christmas Day games goes up against the NFL a triple-header of NFL games year, which could lead to some channel flipping in some households (or the kids streaming the NBA game on their phones while their grandfathers and uncles watch the NFL. But which of the NBA games are worth flipping away from the NFL to see? Bucks at Celtics for sure, but what about the 76e...

Cade Cunningham is out for the season with a shin injury, setting back the rebuilding process in Detroit a little, but as they focus on the lottery should they trade Bojan Bogdanovic? Or is having a veteran in the locker room who shows the young players how to be professional worth $20 million a season? Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports debate that, then talk about the new-look NBA award...

Anthony Davis has played at an MVP-level for weeks now, outdueling even Giannis Antetokounmpo recently in a Lakers' win. LeBron James is still a force at age 37, Russell Westbrook has accepted the role and been a game-changer as a sixth man, and the Lakers' role players are hitting their 3-pointers. It's been an impressive run, but can the Lakers keep it up and be a threat in the West? Corey Robin...

Minnesota had already stumbled out of the gate this season, and now they will be without Karl-Anthony Towns for around a month with a calf strain. Just how much trouble are the Timberwolves in? Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin from NBC Sports discuss that then get into Giannis Antetokounmpo's Team USA vs. Team World matchup — does Evan Fournier get the world team in trouble? Who guards whom? From the...

Ben Simmons handled his return to Philadelphia about as well as could be hoped, but his Nets team dropped the game to an extremely shorthanded 76ers team — what does that say about the Brooklyn Nets? is Kevin Durant frustrated? Then there is Ja Morant, who missed just one game with a Grade 1 sprained ankle and returned to drop 34 on the Kings — should we be worried about the long-term health of Mo...

The New York Knicks sit at .500 and are the eighth seed in the East at the time of this podcast recording, yet things feel worse than that. Maybe it's the 25th ranked defense, maybe its the clunky fit of Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, maybe it's coach Tom Thibodeau's system, but things don't feel right. Tommy Beer - author of the “What’s on Tap” newsletter about the Knicks - joins Kurt Helin of NBC...

The Brooklyn Nets chose stability and gave interim coach Jacque Vaughn the job permanently on Wednesday, choosing not to hire suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka (and avoiding the massive backlash that would have come with that deal).  Hiring Vaughn calms things down, but will it get the Nets more wins? Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports break down where the Nets go from here, including sho...

This is not the start the Wizards envisioned, but is it who they really are? Washington raced out to a 3-1 start against a soft spot in the schedule, but since the  Wizards have stumbled going 1-5 (heading into Monday). More concerning, they are bottom 10 in the NBA in offense and defense — how does a team with Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and solid role players such as Kyle Kuzma struggle to...

When is it time to start playing Christmas music? After Thanksgiving? Is there ever a time not to play Christmas music? Sure, there is a lot of NBA news that Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports get into, including Steve Nash being out and Kyrie Irving Tweeting out another distraction in Brooklyn, but music draws some focus in this episode of the PBT Podcast. Coryey's Juke Box is back with...

We're a little over one week into the season and there's a lot to talk about. There are the fast starts for the Trail Blazers and Spurs — can they keep it up, or are those starts a mirage? What about the slow starts, are the Lakers in trouble? (Hint: yes.) What about the 76ers? The Heat? Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports get into all of that in their weekly conversation, plus they break...

The NBA season tipped off this week but it's not too late to look ahead at the big awards — MVP, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, etc. — and not just make a prediction on who will win, but talk about how to bet them. And bet those NBA futures wisely. When thinking MVP, it's not just the player but is the team winning enough? With Rookie of the Year, it's about volume. Can another guard get t...

Draymond Green will return to the Warriors in time for the season opener, having gotten a fine and no suspension, something that the players reportedly not only were good with but pushed for. Can Golden State move past this and win another ring this year? What does it mean long-term for the Warriors? Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports break all of that down, plus talk about Victor Wembany...

It's going to be a wild season in the Western Conference. There are sure-fire contenders at the top with the Warriors and Clippers, teams that could be contenders if things break right like the Nuggets and Suns, and finally just really good teams like the Mavericks and Grizzlies. There will be little margin for error. Mark Medina of NBA.com joins Kurt Helin of NBC Sports to talk all things Western...

The Philadelphia 76ers are title contenders — if James Harden and Joel Embiid can up their performances on the biggest of stages. Philadelphia learned its lessons from the playoff loss to Miami last season and filled out the roster with more toughness and two-way players in the form of P.J. Tucker, Danuel House and DeAnthony Melton. Add in the development of Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle and y...

NBA training camps just opened and teams have yet to play a preseason game, but already two contenders are dealing with problems. The Celtics have the suspension of coach Ime Udoka as a distraction, plus defensive anchor center Robert Williams will miss at least the start of the season. The Suns have the distraction of a suspended owner who is selling the team, plus Jae Crowder is out and demandin...

The Golden State Warriors will enter the season hanging banner number four from this era and passing out their championship rings, but this is a team with more questions than most returning champs. Otto Porter and Gary Payton II are gone and their minutes are going to go to a young core — Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman — who are going to be asked to carry a larger load....

Big, dramatic storylines follow the NBA into what is supposed to be the quiet, slow part of the offseason, and Cory Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports get into all of it in this podcast. It starts with a discussion of the NBA's one-year suspension and $10 million fine of Suns' owner Robert Sarver for his racist and misogynistic actions in the Suns' offices and what comes next (this was recorded...

For the first time since the 1990s and Charlie Ward, the Knicks have signed their first-round pick to a multi-year extension, keeping RJ Barrett and not putting him in a trade for Donovan Mitchell. Was that the right move for the Knicks? Now what happens with the Mitchell trade? Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin of NBC Sports get into all of that, plus they discuss the WNBA playoffs and the challenges...

Kevin Durant has decided to return to the Brooklyn Nets, a decision that is both surprising and inevitable. Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin from NBC Sports delve into how Durant didn't have the leverage he thought he had, the Nets never lowered their sky-high asking price but the team and KD also could not create a bidding war. The pair discuss what this means for the Nets long-term, and if this rea...