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🏀 Good morning to all, but especially to …
THE NO. 2 DUKE BLUE DEVILS … AND COLLEGE BASKETBALL FANS
He’s back, baby! Dick Vitale will return to college basketball broadcasting Saturday for No. 2 Duke at Clemson. It’s Vitale’s first broadcast since 2023. He has battled four different cancers in the last four years. He announced he was cancer-free Jan. 8, but his originally scheduled return last month was delayed by an accident at home.
I get that Vitale isn’t everyone’s favorite announcer. But everyone should appreciate his verve, his love for the game and his determination to return to it. It’s early February. Maybe the season feels like a drag as March Madness is still several weeks and a half away. But Vitale is an Energizer Bunny. He exemplifies the joy the sport can bring.
And what a team he’ll return to. Duke has won 15 straight, its latest a runaway victory over North Carolina. Trey Scott writes that the Blue Devils are much more than Cooper Flagg.
- Scott: “Up 47-25 to start the second half, Kon Knueppel did a vibes check with the Cameron Crazies at half court. ‘Ready, let’s go,’ he said to them. Knueppel’s ensuing barrage — a dunk, a 3-pointer, free throws, a jumper and a layup, all within the next four-ish minutes — stretched the lead to 62-34. … Jon Scheyer clearly accomplished what he set out to do last spring in stripping Duke of any and every part that might not fit perfectly around Flagg, prioritizing size, length and defensive aptitude.”
😊 Honorable mentions
- The Raiders made Chip Kelly the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL.
- The Ravens extended Todd Monken.
- The Texans hired Nick Caley as offensive coordinator.
- The “Commanders” team name is here to stay.
- The SEC has nine teams in the men’s basketball AP Top 25, and here’s the Coaches Poll. Meanwhile, UCLA is the unanimous No. 1 in the women’s AP Top 25.
- Here’s Jerry Palm’s updated Bracketology.
- No. 16 Kansas got a much-needed win over No. 8 Iowa State.
- Happy trails, Leonard Hamilton! Florida State‘s all-time wins leader will resign at the end of the season.
- Brandon Marcello and Richard Johnson have the inside story on how Jim Knowles landed at Penn State.
- Brent Venables will take over defensive play calling at Oklahoma.
- Washington elevated Jimmie Dougherty to defensive coordinator.
- Scott Cochran is back in college football as West Alabama‘s coach.
- Could we finally get Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford?
- Rory McIlroy‘s mentality led him to his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am win, Patrick McDonald writes.
- It was a busy transfer deadline day in soccer. Pardeep Cattry graded the biggest deals, and Chuck Booth graded USMNT players’ transfers and explained why the MLS losing a big star is actually a good sign. AC Milan had the craziest day of all.
- Kendrick Lamar won five Grammys. Next up? The Super Bowl halftime show. And here’s our prediction on his setlist.
- Here’s Chris Traspasso’s latest NFL Draft big board.
🏈 And not such a good morning for …
THE CLEVELAND BROWNS
Last week, Browns GM Andrew Berry said he wouldn’t trade Myles Garrett no matter what. Garrett, apparently, is willing to test that. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year and four-time first-team All-Pro requested a trade Monday. The Browns have no plans to acquiesce.
Garrett, 29, is phenomenal. The accolades speak for themselves, and he’s on a Hall of Fame path. This season, he became the fourth-fastest player in NFL history to hit 100 career sacks. He plays a premier position, and all 31 other teams should be interested. Tyler Sullivan has potential landing spots if a trade were to occur.
But trading him will not be easy.
- Trading him before June 1 would leave Cleveland with a $36 million dead cap charge.
- Trading him after June 1 would leave a $14.8 million dead cap charge and save nearly $5 million. But that, obviously, would be after the NFL Draft, meaning Cleveland couldn’t get picks until the 2026 draft.
- Cleveland is about $60 million over the 2025 cap, largely a product of the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade/contract. Watson re-tore his Achilles last month, putting his 2025 season in doubt.
This could be a push for a new contract — he’s the seventh-highest paid defender in the league on an annual basis — but regardless, Cleveland is somehow in an even tougher spot than before.
😔 Not so honorable mentions
- Brad Botkin says the Luka Doncic and De’Aaron Fox trades, which happened within 24 hours of each other, are two of the saddest trades in NBA history.
- The gambling ring involved in the Jontay Porter betting scandal and the Terry Rozier investigation has been tied to “unusual wagering activity,” betting against North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State and Eastern Michigan.
- MLB fired umpire Pat Hoberg for violating the sport’s gambling policy. Hoberg allegedly shared a betting account with someone who bet on baseball, though Hoberg did not compromise any games.
- The Packers want the “Tush Push” banned.
- Today is National Signing Day. Where did the excitement go?
🏈 Rams to trade Cooper Kupp: Where could he land?
The Rams plan to trade Cooper Kupp, the wide receiver announced on X on Monday night. It’s a move he does not agree with, he said, but he understands “there are so many things that are out of your control.”
- Kupp, 31, won the receiving triple crown in 2021 with 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl LVI MVP.
- In three seasons since, though, he has averaged 67 catches for 753 yards and under six touchdowns.He has also only played in 33 of 51 potential regular-season games over the past three seasons, with significant knee and ankle injuries.
- Kupp said he is currently “highly motivated, as healthy as ever, and looking forward to playing elite football for years to come.”
Even putting aside the performance drop off and the injuries, money is an issue. Kupp is due $20 million next year — a $7.5 million roster bonus and a $12.5 million base salary — and former player agent Joel Corry believes a trade might have to wait until after the fifth day of the 2025 league year, when that $7.5 million is due.
Bryan DeArdo broke down potential landing spots.
🏀 NBA trade deadline: Should Warriors be in on Kevin Durant?
We’ve already seen several All-Stars on the move over the last few days, and now, a new big name is on the market. The Suns — expected to be a buyer at the trade deadline, potentially a Jimmy Butler buyer — are actually listening to calls regarding Kevin Durant. That includes ones from the Warriors, who are reportedly in on every star.
Brad says it’s a desperate move coming shortly after Stephen Curry said the team shouldn’t make a “desperate” trade.
But there is a way a Durant-Curry reunion would be in the offing. Sam has mock trades for Durant, including …
- Suns receive: Andrew Wiggins, Jonas Valanciunas, Jonathan Kuminga, 2026 first-round pick (via Warriors), 2028 first-round pick (via Warriors)
- Warriors receive: Kevin Durant, Patrick Baldwin Jr.
- Wizards receive: Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, amended protections on the existing 2030 first-round pick the Warriors owe them (from top-20 to top-6).
“Phoenix turns one star into three useful players here. Wiggins can immediately slide in as the sort of versatile wing they’ve lacked. Valanciunas is at least a usable center in small doses. The Suns reportedly have some level of interest in Kuminga. He’s the upside play for them here.”
Meanwhile, the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade reverberations are still being felt around the league.
- Doncic plans to return next week.
- Mark Cuban no longer runs the Mavericks, that much is clear. Does LeBron James still run the Lakers? And if he doesn’t, what does that mean?
- The Lakers couldn’t even talk to Doncic’s agent, and the Jazz had no clue this was the other part of a three-team deal.
- Davis had a heartfelt message for L.A.
- Anthony Edwards said what we’re all thinking.
- Lingering questions
🏈 Ranking every Super Bowl starter, plus Opening Night highlights
The Super Bowl produces unlikely heroes. Last year, Mecole Hardman caught the game-winning touchdown. The year before, Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney played huge roles. Who could it be this year? Pete Prisco ranked all 44 starters, and here are two underrated guys I think could outperform their ranking:
- “28. Milton Williams — This pending free agent is one of the under-the-radar guys on the Philadelphia defense. He is smallish for a down lineman, but he has big-time quickness that makes him a pass-rush threat.”
- “39. Marquise Brown — Since he’s come back from a shoulder injury in late December that limited him to two regular-season games, Brown has added some speed to an offense that needed it.”
Only Chris Jones had a higher pressure rate at defensive tackle than Williams did this season. He’s gonna get PAID this offseason.
Here’s more preview content:
- Want to sound like an expert at your Super Bowl party? Here’s your cheat sheet.
- Is Taylor Swift the Chiefs‘ secret weapon? And will she be at the game?
- Tyler ranked every Chiefs team of this run.
- Andy Reid vs. Nick Sirianni is a rematch for the ages.
- This Chiefs player — no, not Patrick Mahomes — could join very exclusive company.
- These rookies will have a huge impact.
Meanwhile, festivities kicked off in New Orleans with “Opening Night” Monday. Here are some highlights:
- Roger Goodell called the idea the Chiefs get preferential treatment from the officials “ridiculous.” He also addressed several other topics, including Tom Brady, Justin Tucker and more.
- Clark Hunt says Reid will return next season.
- DeAndre Hopkins says the trade rejuvenated him.
- One Eagles player couldn’t name a single Swift song.
- The food options will be outrageous.
📺 What we’re watching Tuesday
🏀 No. 11 Marquette at No. 12 St. John’s (M), 6:30 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Vanderbilt at No. 6 Florida (M), 7 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 No. 14 Kentucky at No. 25 Ole Miss (M), 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Celtics at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 Oklahoma at No. 1 Auburn (M), 9 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 Baylor at No. 13 Texas Tech (M), 9 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Lakers at Clippers, 10 p.m. on TNT/truTV
