Link: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7485265/2026/08/04/basketball-nba-players-court-trades-draft/?unlocked_article_code=1.21A.InAn.-4N6BzobJjjv&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta

Now that LeBron has signed with the Sixers, we can finally go back to normal hoops talk.

But before we do, something has been on my mind for a while.

From conversations I’ve heard or been a part of in bars or with my friends to things I’m seeing on various social media platforms, today’s NBA fans think about transactions way more than I remember in the past as everyone has a “great” idea for how to fix their team.

supacatkid | Thunder

37 | 6 hours ago

In the offseason it’s only about trades and draft picks because there is nothing happening on the court magical or otherwise….

Kvsav57

11 | 6 hours ago

It’s also about caps and aprons!

burned_bengal

8 | 6 hours ago

YEAH, WE’RE ALL TRYING TO FIND THE GUY WHO DID THIS!

HokageEzio | Knicks

7 | 6 hours ago

I don’t inherently disagree with the premise that some fans genuinely think they’re smarter than the people who get paid to do those jobs. But if fans didn’t care about that stuff there wouldn’t really be anything to discuss in August.

burned_bengal

1 | 4 hours ago

Also, it is 100% media driven. How many segments does ESPN dedicate to potential trades, free agent signings, etc? As for the Miles Turner rumours, they originated and were fueled by the media; either the team or agent is giving out information that the TV personalities run with. No one is going to take a rumour seriously if it’s said by some random fan on Reddit, but if Stephen A Smith repeats it, suddenly there is a conversation to be had.

Enough-Answer-557

9 | 5 hours ago

The entirety of last season was Giannis trade speculation and LeBron legacy talk. I don’t reacall any of the pundits ever discussing a regular season game in deatail. I am not an NFL fan but you can find a ton of content that focus on breaking down games and analyzing strategy. Not so much in the NBA.

MysteriousSeat5245 | Knicks

1 | 3 hours ago

The problem is that strategy doesn’t sell. Highlight videos of players in any sport will always trump detailed breakdowns of offensive and defensive schemes, and news about trades and drama will always be the focal point of discussion in online forums.

And when you try and discuss the Xs and Os of the game in detail there’s always a contingent of people shitting on you for supporting a “corporate” or “soft” version of the game and claiming that the game is worse now because the so-called “beauty” has been taken away in favor of analytics.

ShawshankException | Knicks

4 | 5 hours ago

It’s July bro, what else are we supposed to talk about

mrb4 | Suns

3 | 4 hours ago

I mean I see what she’s trying to say but it’s August 4, not shit else to talk about.

onlyjapanese

2 | 5 hours ago

The offseason convinced everyone they’re a GM. I miss arguing about actual basketball

IllMidnight1355

1 | 5 hours ago

The best basketball conversations start with ‘did you see that play?’ not ‘here’s my 14-team trade machine’

Specialist_Boat_8479 | Bulls

1 | 4 hours ago

Some ‘fans’ care more about the offseason than the regular season, even during the season, and it’s disgusting tbh.

vonkillbot | Warriors

1 | 3 hours ago

Dude it’s the offseason.

FanaticsLiveRick

1 | 2 hours ago

Problem is most people just wanna talk about trades, beef, drama and who wore what. They’d rather be watching/talking the Kardashians than hoops but won’t admit it

Ok-Effort1192 | Pistons

0 | 5 hours ago

Hilarious platform of choice for this commentary piece when TheAthletic is the PR mouthpiece for the league/teams/players. Something explicitly in place to make about anything but what happens on the court. Something that, as the other commenter mentioned, is not possible when decided to pull out this dumb ass take as…is the offseason. It’s all there is to watch and talk about.

thy_armageddon | Knicks

0 | 5 hours ago

It’s actually about putting a ball into a hoop.

CountFew6186 | Knicks

0 | 4 hours ago

Things like 29 point comebacks in the finals despite not having a sophisticated offense?

[TAYLOR] Basketball is about magical things that happen on the court, not just trades and draft picks