The first significant domino has fallen in advance of the NBA Trade Deadline.  Days after requesting a trade, Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks. In exchange, Brooklyn landed Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and multiple draft picks, including a first-rounder.  BREAKING: The Brooklyn Nets are trading Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round and multiple second-round picks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2023 Irving’s relationship with ..read more

De’Aaron Fox will miss his second consecutive game when his Sacramento Kings travel to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. Fox will miss the Western Conference tilt due to personal reasons.  JV listed as doubtful for tonight's game vs Sacramento. De'Aaron Fox (personal reasons) listed as out for the Kings. https://t.co/zdpKmqZiYv — Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) February 5, 2023 Although he was snubbed from the All-Star game, Fox is having an outstanding campaign. The former fifth-overall selection is shooting a career-best 50.6% from the field, with his 24.3 points per game fall ..read more

For the first time this season, the New Orleans Pelicans will take to the court without Jonas Valanciunas. The Pels’ big man was forced to leave early in last night’s contest against the Los Angeles Lakers and is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings.  #Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas listed as doubtful to play Sunday vs. Sacramento. A key Kings guard is listed as out. @MorrisBartLLC injury report: https://t.co/qX5paDoN9v pic.twitter.com/ui14fVErMk — Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) February 5, 2023 Valanciunas has been one of the most reliable players ..read more

Even for NBA players, time is unforgiving.  In the autumn years of their dynasty, the Golden State Warriors need to make certain concessions for their aging roster. Specifically, Steve Kerr noted that Draymond Green and Stephen Curry would continue to see decreased usage as they look to preserve their aging core’s shelf life over an 82-game season. Asked Kerr about taking Curry out earlier than normal last night–he confirmed he's trying to cut down Curry + Draymond's minutes for now. Draymond played 32 last night, down about 3-4 from usual in a tight game. Curry was trending the same bef ..read more

Two of the NFL’s best signal callers are set to go face to face in Super Bowl LVII, with Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs taking on Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles. The importance of quarterbacks will never be understated in the NFL, and both of these players have played integral roles in getting their respective teams to the big game.  In saying that, does one side have the edge over the over? Let’s discuss the two signal callers’ strengths and weaknesses. Patrick Mahomes, QB – Kansas City Chiefs If you wanted to call Patrick Mahomes the best quarterback in the NFL, no on ..read more

The next time the Golden State Warriors take to the court, they’ll do so without Stephen Curry. The two-time MVP and Dubs’ starting point guard has been ruled out of Monday’s contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a leg injury.  Curry suffered the injury in Saturday’s win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks. As noted by Anthony Slater, there’s no timetable for his return to action, as the team will continue evaluating Curry’s status. Steph Curry will miss tomorrow’s game against the Thunder as the Warriors continue to test and determine the extent of his leg injury suffered last ..read more

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles know the importance of a strong run game, which will be highlighted in Super Bowl LVII. Philadelphia was much more effective running the football than Kansas City this season, which had the Eagles tally the fourth most yards per game on the ground with 153.9, while the Chiefs were all the way down in 21st at 113.5.  Below, we’ll rank the running backs that should have a role in the Super Bowl between the Eagles and Chiefs.  1. Miles Sanders (Eagles)  The run game for the Eagles has more importance to their overall game plan than the ..read more

If there’s a Dog Days equivalent of winter, we’re almost through them.  Pitchers and catchers will soon report to Spring Training facilities before Opening Day 2023.  Among those is San Francisco Giants’ ace Logan Webb, who is working on a long-term extension to stay in the Bay Area. Reading between the lines after a group interview with Logan Webb: sounds like there have been at least talks about a longterm deal. — Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) February 4, 2023 Webb flourished last year, posting a career-best 2.90 earned run average in 32 starts. Moreover, the 26-year-old set new ..read more

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to play for Super Bowl LVII and have a roster loaded with talent that can impact the biggest stage. There’s certainly a narrative surrounding the Chiefs that they’ll only go as far as Patrick Mahomes takes them, but there are a lot of other talented pieces on this roster that will play integral roles in the team’s game plan.  Below, we’ll outline the top five most important players on the Kansas City Chiefs.  1. Patrick Mahomes  There’s no question that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the most important piece of their team. Mahomes can change ..read more

Mercurial point guard Kyrie Irving has played his final game for the Brooklyn Nets.  Earlier this week, Irving requested a trade after an extension failed to materialize between him and the Nets.  As noted by Chris Haynes, the Nets intend to hold Irving out of the lineup until they find a trade partner ahead of this year’s trade deadline on Thursday. Brooklyn Nets intend to keep Kyrie Irving sidelined until a trade is finalized ahead of the Feb. 9 deadline, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport. — Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 5, 2023 Irving has had a resurgent yea ..read more