Kawhi in Flux, Embiid’s Next Team, Jaylen vs. Advanced Numbers, and a Mini-Mailbag With Joe House
July 9, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readThe Kawhi Trade Freeze, Jalen Brown's Analytics Paradox, and the Embiid Dilemma
The Toronto Raptors announced they were putting their trade for Kawhi Leonard on hold, citing the NBA's ongoing investigation into the Clippers. Bill Simmons and Joe House reacted in real time, with House calling the league's timing "asinine" and Simmons wondering why the investigation wasn't completed before free agency opened. The league office informed Toronto that they would "assume the risk of any potential outcome" — language that suggested Kawhi himself could face suspension. House was incredulous: "What is the scenario under which Kawhi is individually culpable for something outside the bounds of the league's rules?" The implication, Simmons noted, was that the league might penalize Kawhi for arrangements with sponsors or his uncle's involvement in negotiations. The Raptors, who thought they had their man, were now stuck waiting while the league finished an eight-month investigation that somehow wasn't complete until the trade was announced.
The Jalen Brown Analytics Paradox
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (03:36) **Kawhi Trade on Hold, League Investigation** - Breaking news: Raptors pause the Kawhi trade after the league office warns them they would "assume the risk" of any potential outcome from the Clippers investigation.
- 2 (11:17) **Summer League Hype Check** - Bill and House set expectations for the big Bonza Peterson vs. De Bonsa Summer League matchup, warning against overreaction.
- 3 (12:50) **Jalen Brown vs. Advanced Metrics: The Core Debate** - Bill and House dive into the Jalen Brown trade fallout, with Bill wrestling with terrible advanced metrics and House rejecting the framing entirely.
- 4 (17:07) **Why Did the Celtics Punt?** - House questions why Boston gave up on a team that was a potential Eastern Conference finalist after adding Mitchell Robinson, calling it a failure of personality management.
- 5 (33:18) **Jalen Brown's Fit in Philly** - Bill and House discuss whether Jalen will thrive as the third option alongside Embiid and Maxey, with Bill warning against assuming it will work.
- 6 (35:39) **Advanced Metrics Deep Dive: Steve Nash and Iverson** - Bill uses the Jalen debate to explore how advanced stats can mislead, using Steve Nash's on-off numbers and Allen Iverson's 2001 season as case studies.
- 7 (41:58) **Celtics 2025 Forecast and the Brooklyn Mystery** - Bill and House predict the Celtics will still win 50+ games, and House is baffled that Brooklyn didn't trade for Jalen Brown.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Joe House react to the news of the Raptors putting the Kawhi trade on hold until after the Aspiration investigation finishes. Then, they take a deeper look at the Jaylen Brown trade and why the Celtics decided to let him go. Finally, they discuss Joel Embiid’s availability in trade talks before answering some mailbag questions.
(0:00) Intro
(2:49) Kawhi trade to the Raptors on hold
(8:44) Jaylen Brown’s advanced analytics
(45:59) Are the 76ers looking to trade Embiid?
(01:02:20) Mailbag
Host: Bill Simmons
Guest: Joe House
Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo
Brought to you by PayPal. Learn more at paypal.com
The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit https://fanduel.com/playwithaplan to learn more about the resources and helplines
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from this podcast
The Bill Simmons Podcast →