Ryen Russillo and Bill Simmons have long shared a mutual comfort level when dissecting NBA decision-making on The Bill Simmons Podcast, but a recent social media exchange between the New Orleans Pelicans and Simmons, the two shed light on what happens when those takes get noticed—especially by the teams involved.
During a post-draft episode discussing the 2025 NBA Draft, Russillo pivoted the conversation to a moment that made headlines on NBA Twitter: the New Orleans Pelicans’ official social media account publicly calling out Simmons following criticism of their recent trade involving Indiana’s top selection, Derek Queen.
“What was that like for you that day?” Russillo asked, referring to the moment the Pelicans’ X (formerly Twitter) account quote-tweeted a video clip of ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reacting to Simmons’ tweet calling the trade “one of the five dumbest trades of this decade” on The Pat McAfee Show, with the biting caption: “This take won’t get you a podcast on The Ringer.”
Simmons met the moment with his signature mix of sarcasm and self-awareness. “I laughed,” he admitted, acknowledging the humor in the team’s comeback.
Russillo joked that the post sounded like something a younger version of Simmons might have written himself, had he worked in digital media today. “You’d be too clever, but they’d be mean,” Russillo said. Simmons responded to the notion that he would have been fired if he were in the role today.
Russillo took the jab in stride, calling the Pelicans’ move “a pretty clear directed f**k you,” with Simmons adding, “I loved it.”
Despite the exchange, both hosts returned to critical analysis of New Orleans’ roster construction. Simmons observed that the team is built like a 2K fantasy roster—talented parts that make little cohesive sense. “They make zero sense together,” he said, questioning how the front office could look at the Western Conference landscape and still project confidence in the upcoming season.
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