Thom Brennaman gets notable new media gig
Thon Brennaman is officially headed back to the Cincinnati market.
700WLW in Cincinnati announced on Thursday that the former Reds broadcaster Brennaman is set to take over their daily morning radio show. Brennaman will be succeeding the station’s longtime host Mike McConnell, who announced his retirement last month and is doing his final show on Apr. 4.
The 61-year-old Brennaman, son of legendary Reds sportscaster Marty Brennaman, has nearly four decades of broadcasting experience himself across multiple sports. That included serving as the television play-by-play man for the Reds from 1988-89 and again from 2007-20.
Brennaman’s career experienced a major setback though in 2020 when he was caught on a hot mic using a homophobic slur during a game. As a result of the incident, Brennaman was let go from his role as the Reds broadcaster for FOX Sports Ohio and from his national TV duties for FOX Sports as well.
But Brennaman has gotten his second chance in more recent years. He did play-by-play work for the Roberto Clemente League in Puerto Rico and then served as the play-by-play man on high school games for Chatterbox Sports. The news then broke last year that Brennaman had secured a big gig with The CW as their lead voice for college football games (a role that Brennaman still holds).
Now after almost five years away from the Cincinnati airwaves, Brennaman is officially back there as well. Local listeners can look forward to hearing him again every Monday through Friday on 700WLW.
Ja Morant appears to get away with travel on game-winning shot
Ja Morant won the game at the buzzer on Thursday night, but he may not have done so cleanly.
The Memphis Grizzlies star Morant was the hero against the Miami Heat, winning the game with triple zeroes on the clock. With the score tied 108-108 and time winding down in the fourth quarter, Morant got Heat rookie center Kel’el Ware switched onto him. He drove on Ware and created just enough space to shoot a midrange jumper that hit the front of the rim and bounced in as time expired.
Take a look at the clip.
But a closer look at Morant’s shot seemingly revealed multiple violations. Most glaringly, Morant appeared to travel on his stepback, doing a double shuffle of his feet to create the space necessary in order to get the shot off over the seven-footer Ware. Plenty of users on social media pointed out that it looked like Morant had traveled.
Additionally, some made the argument that Morant also committed an offensive foul by pushing off on Ware to get separation. While NBA very rarely calls offensive fouls for arm extensions like that, the apparent push-off only amplified the conversation over Morant’s game-winning shot.
On top of that, the two-time All-Star Morant sparked controversy during the game against the Heat for doing a gun gesture after the NBA had just warned him not to (video here). But regardless of any of the backlash, Morant walked away as a winner on Thursday, finishing with 30 points and the game-winning buzzer-beater to give Memphis their 45th victory of the season.
Reason for Doc Rivers’ early exit from game revealed
Doc Rivers had to call in the bullpen to finish out Thursday’s game, and now we know why.
The Milwaukee Bucks head coach Rivers left his team’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers early. As a result, assistant coach Darvin Ham stepped up to coach the Bucks for the remainder of the contest.
Bucks PR noted that Rivers was “not feeling well” and was back in the locker room watching the rest of the game.
Speaking with reporters after the contest, which Milwaukee won 126-113, Ham revealed the reason behind Rivers’ early exit. He said that Rivers was having stomach issues, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Rivers, 63, is in his second season coaching the Bucks and his 26th season as an NBA head coach overall. While Milwaukee isn’t exactly elite this year at 42-34, they are closing in on clinching a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference regardless.
This season has definitely come with its challenges for Rivers and the Bucks. They made the difficult decision to trade Khris Middleton away at the deadline (effectively swapping him with Kyle Kuzma), and they also recently lost star guard Damian Lillard to a blood-clotting issue (though some good news did recently emerge on that front).
Milwaukee now has six games left in the regular season, and their ultimate playoff seed in the East (either No. 5 or No. 6) will likely be determined by their home-and-away set to close out the schedule against the Detroit Pistons, who have an identical record at 42-34 as well.
Ja Morant shamelessly does another gun gesture during game
Ja Morant truly doesn’t give a hoot.
The Memphis Grizzlies star Morant had yet another moment of questionable judgment during Thursday’s road game against the Miami Heat. Morant hit a three-pointer in the first quarter and promptly flashed a shotgun gesture, apparently in the direction of his own bench.
Here is the video.
That was Morant’s very first basket of the game, so apparently he had that one ready and waiting.
The timing here is obviously no coincidence. The two-time All-Star Morant just drew scrutiny from the NBA for doing a gun gesture during the Grizzlies’ last game (a 134-125 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday). Morant and Warriors guard Buddy Hield traded the gestures with one another (video here), and the league even considered disciplinary action for the incident.
Ultimately though, the NBA decided to only issue warnings to Morant and Hield, holding that the gestures were “not intended to be violent in nature” but were still “inappropriate.” As a result, Morant felt free to do a gun gesture again during Memphis’ very next game.
Morant, 25, draws extra scrutiny for these kinds of antics because he has been suspended multiple times now by the league for flashing real guns on social media. But it looks like Morant still has not learned much as he was already doing post-suspension gun celebrations as early as last season. At this point, he may be trying to challenge the league to see just how much he can get away with.
Dodgers announce bad news about Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman’s recent tumble is going to end up costing him some more time.
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the bad news on Thursday that their star first baseman Freeman has been placed on the injured list due to his right ankle issue. Freeman is going on the 10-day IL, retroactive to March 31.
Freeman, 35, has already missed the last three games and counting for the Dodgers. The circumstances surrounding the injury were pretty embarrassing too as Freeman slipped while trying to enter the shower and ended up tweaking his surgically-repaired ankle. Earlier this week, Freeman explained to reporters exactly how the injury happened.
The reigning World Series MVP Freeman played through a bad sprain to the same ankle throughout the Dodgers’ entire championship run last season. Then in December, after the Dodgers had won it all, Freeman had a procedure to get the ankle fixed (full details here).
Freeman is still less than four months removed from that surgery though, and his shower mishap was apparently enough of a setback that he will now have to spend time on IL. Initially, the eight-time MLB All-Star Freeman was hoping to return to the lineup for the Dodgers on Wednesday. That did not happen though, and now it will be at least another week before Freeman is eligible to come back.
The Dodgers haven’t been hurting too bad though in Freeman’s absence as they have won every single game with Freeman out of the lineup and remain a perfect 8-0 on the year overall. But with Freeman’s age and the significant wear-and-tear to his ankle over the last six months or so, it could end up being an issue that he needs to manage throughout the 2025 season.
Bears sign notable veteran QB to mentor Caleb Williams
23-year-old Caleb Williams is getting a new 37-year-old mentor.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Thursday that the Chicago Bears are signing veteran quarterback Case Keenum to a one-year deal. Keenum’s deal will be worth up to $3 million, Schefter adds.
The 11-year NFL veteran Keenum now heads to his eighth career team. He has 66 total starts under his belt and had a memorable moment in the spotlight during the 2017 season with the Minnesota Vikings. With Teddy Bridgewater still sidelined thanks to a severe leg injury, Keenum won the starting job from Sam Bradford and led Minnesota to a 13-3 record that year. He was also responsible for throwing the “Minneapolis Miracle” to Stefon Diggs, giving the Vikings a berth in the NFC Championship Game (which they have not been back to since).
These days though, Keenum is much more of an elder statesman. He has been a backup since the 2020 campaign and spent the last two seasons on the roster of the Houston Texans.
In Houston, Keenum served as a mentor to another young quarterback, Texans star CJ Stroud. But Keenum had to spend all of 2024 on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury during a preseason game last August.
As for Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, he spent his rookie year in Chicago with Tyson Bagent, 24, serving as his primary backup. Bagent is still on the roster, but Williams should benefit from having a much more seasoned understudy around as well in Keenum, who always has good nuggets of wisdom to share.
Former 5-star QB Jaden Rashada has official visit lined up
Former 5-star quarterback prospect Jaden Rashada is looking to transfer to a new school, and he has an official visit lined up.
Rashada is set to take an official visit to Western Kentucky this weekend, according to ESPN reporter Pete Thamel. Rashada spent last season with Georgia but fell to fourth on the Bulldogs’ depth chart, which led him to enter the transfer portal in January.
Rashada is looking for what would be his fourth school, which is a lot for someone who has only appeared in three college football games.
You may recall that Rashada infamously began his college football career as a Florida commit. He left the Gators’ program due to a dispute over his NIL deal. Rashada was released from his Letter of Intent with Florida and then headed to Arizona State. Rashada played in three games for ASU during the 2023 season and passed for 485 yards, 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He missed time that season due to a knee injury. Rashada also missed time during the 2024 spring due to a thumb injury before transferring to Georgia.
Western Kentucky is coached by Tyson Helton, who has been there for six seasons. He’s had a winning year in five of his six seasons, and has won either 8 or 9 games in each of those winning campaigns. The Hilltoppers went 8-6 last season, but quarterback Caden Veltkamp transferred to FAU, creating a hole the team needs to fill.
NBA rescinds Jayson Tatum’s technical foul for clapping
The NBA has rescinded a technical foul Jayson Tatum received on Wednesday.
Tatum was handling the ball for his Boston Celtics as his team trailed the Miami Heat 83-77 late in the third quarter. Davion Mitchell was playing tough defense on Tatum, who then threw a pass toward teammate Jaylen Brown across the court. The ball was tipped and went out of bounds off Brown, giving the ball to the Heat.
Tatum protested the call by clapping his hands to get official Tyler Ford’s attention and then tried to signal that he thought the ball had gone off Miami. Tatum was immediately called for a technical foul after clapping at Ford.
Jayson Tatum’s technical foul from the 3rd quarter last night has been rescinded upon league office review. pic.twitter.com/5OWonNK7s8
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) April 3, 2025
The technical foul call gave the Heat a free throw, which Tyler Herro made to extend Miami’s lead to 84-77.
The league announcing that they are rescinding the technical foul helps out Tatum but doesn’t take away the point the Heat received. Miami won the game 124-103 to end Boston’s 9-game winning streak.
The technical foul call Tatum received on Wednesday brought him to 14, so having it rescinded drops him back to 13. He is now three technical fouls away from the magic number where he would receive an automatic suspension.
Tatum recently expressed some frustration over his struggles with the officials. He admitted after Monday’s game that it’s challenging to navigate matters with the officials.
“Depending on the night, some things that you say on a Tuesday it’s cool. You say them on a Saturday, they give you a tech. I ain’t got that s–t figured out yet. I’ll let you know when I do,” Tatum said.
Tatum scored 16 points on 4/17 shooting in the game.
Steph Curry had great response after getting booed at soccer game
Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry had a great response after being booed at Wednesday’s CONCACAF Champions Cup game.
Curry was on hand to see Inter Miami play LAFC in Los Angeles on Wednesday. He was shown on the BMO Stadium jumbotron during the game. The crowd, presumably made up mostly of Lakers and Clippers fans, responded by booing.
The Warriors star was not sweating it. His response was to boo back.
They just showed Steph Curry on video board. The Los Angeles crowd boo’d, Steph boo’d back. All is well. @LAFC pic.twitter.com/Q0o4rNsYBY
— Maximiliano Bretos (@MaxBretosSports) April 3, 2025
Curry’s response, naturally, led to the crowd booing him louder, though he obviously did not care one bit.
Curry has broken plenty of hearts over the course of his NBA career, and some fan bases definitely resent him. At this point, he is unquestionably used to it. It’s safe to say there are no hard feelings, and Curry definitely wasn’t as fired up as he was during the Warriors’ game against Memphis on Tuesday evening.
Presumably, Curry was on hand to see Lionel Messi suit up for Inter Miami. However, LAFC wound up winning the game 1-0.
Kyler Murray reacts to Trey McBride’s new contract
Kyler Murray shared his reaction on Thursday to the news of his teammate, Trey McBride, signing a big new contract.
The Arizona Cardinals on Thursday gave tight end McBride a 4-year, $76 million contract with $43 million guaranteed. McBride’s contract makes him the highest-paid tight end in terms of total money and average annual value.
Murray expressed happiness for McBride on signing the deal.
“Maaaaan! So happy for my dawg, worth every penny! More work to be done but a great day,” Murray wrote on X.
Maaaaan! So happy for my dawg, worth every penny! More work to be done but a great day.🙏🏽 @mcbtrey pic.twitter.com/Iwd0tYdhdx
— Kyler Murray (@K1) April 3, 2025
Murray has some great reasons to be happy — McBride was his favorite option last season. Murray targeted McBride a team-high 147 times, and McBride led the Cardinals with 111 catches for 1,146 yards. The only area where McBride did not lead the team was in receiving touchdowns as he only had 2 last year.
The 25-year-old McBride was a second-round pick by the Cardinals in 2022 out of Colorado State. He has averaged 77 catches for 776 yards and 2 touchdowns per 17 games during his NFL career.
Lamar Jackson launches trademark dispute against Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is taking Dale Earnhardt Jr. to court over an attempt to trademark the No. 8.
Jackson has filed a notice of opposition against Earnhardt Jr.’s efforts to trademark a stylized version of the No. 8, according to Josh Gerben, Esq. Earnhardt Jr. drove the No. 8 and No. 88 cars during his NASCAR career.
Jackson has his own “ERA 8” trademark, and argued in a court filing that Earnhardt Jr.’s filing could lead to confusion and a mistaken belief that the two have some sort of business connection. He also pointed out that he is also closely associated with the number, having worn it for his entire career dating back to his time at Louisville.
Gerben notes that Jackson has previously tried to protect his brand by taking similar action against Troy Aikman, who made his own attempt to trademark the word “EIGHT.” That dispute is still outstanding.
Gerben expects all three figures to eventually be granted slightly different trademarks, as it is impossible for any of them to gain control of the rights to use the number exclusively.
It is certainly unusual for two unrelated high-profile athletes to get locked in a trademark dispute, but it is not unprecedented. The situation actually came up recently between Pat Riley and the Kansas City Chiefs, though the outcome of the Super Bowl wound up rendering that irrelevant.
Joel Embiid reportedly had ‘tension’ with 76ers
Injuries more or less wiped out Joel Embiid’s 2024-25 season, but the bad news does not stop there for the Philadelphia 76ers.
In an appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” Shams Charania reported that there has been “tension” between Embiid and the 76ers this season regarding the handling of his injury. According to Charania, Embiid has insisted that he needs surgery to correct his knee issue, while the Sixers pushed him to play through the injury.
“There was some tension there between Joel Embiid and that front office, from my understanding,” Charania said. “The team believed he needed to play at some points of the season, that he needed to get his conditioning right through playing and getting better that way. He felt like he needed surgery. He ends up getting the surgery.”
Video👇 pic.twitter.com/zLJL2SEAYQ
— Philly Sixers Galaxy (@sixers_galaxy) April 3, 2025
As Charania noted, Embiid wound up undergoing surgery. The 76ers had resisted taking that step even when they shut him down for the season, but it ultimately became inevitable.
There is no suggestion that there is a serious disconnect here, but it does bear watching. The 76ers are said to be somewhat frustrated with Embiid’s lack of consistent availability at this point, but there is no indication that Embiid is out of shape. If anything, some thing the Sixers’ handling of Embiid has exacerbated his issues.
On the other hand, this has been a very unhappy season for Embiid in general, and there have definitely been some internal issues that have surfaced publicly. Add in that injuries limited him to 19 games and it would be a surprise if there weren’t some frustrations behind the scenes.
Grant Hill makes decision on his future with TNT
TNT may be losing the rights to the NBA starting next season, but they will not be losing Grant Hill along with that.
TNT announced Thursday that Hill has agreed to a long-term extension to remain with the network, despite the loss of NBA rights. Hill will instead take on the role of lead college basketball analyst, with the network gaining the rights to Big 12 and Big East games.
The agreement will also see Hill remain part of the No. 1 broadcast team calling NCAA Tournament games for CBS and TNT alongside Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery.
Most of TNT’s top broadcasters have other NBA work lined up with the league’s rights headed elsewhere, but Hill is an exception. Part of that is because he already does regular college basketball work in addition to his NBA duties. Hill probably would not want to give up his coveted gig of calling top college games, including the Final Four. This agreement will allow him to continue doing that.
Still, Hill would have had interest elsewhere had he sought to continue working NBA games. He was one of the names ESPN was rumored to be looking at as a replacement for Doc Rivers last year.
Hill launched his broadcasting career after retiring from his Hall of Fame playing career in 2013. He has been part of CBS’ college basketball coverage since 2015 while also doing work for TNT and NBATV. He has also served as managing director of Team USA men’s basketball.
Trey McBride gets huge new contract from Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has reset the market at his position with a huge new contract.
The Cardinals confirmed Thursday that McBride has signed a new contract through 2029. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the four-year deal is worth $76 million with $43 million guaranteed, a new record for an NFL tight end.
Arizona Cardinals are making Pro-Bowl TE Trey McBride the highest-paid tight end in NFL history with a four-year, $76 million extension, per agents @MSWENSON78 @CJLaBoy @dhendrickson41 of @wassermannfl.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2025
The deal includes $43 million guaranteed and a $19 million average per year,… pic.twitter.com/Gil0BQKxhq
George Kittle’s $75 million deal had previously topped all NFL tight ends in terms of overall value. Travis Kelce had the highest average annual value, but McBride’s deal tops both of them.
On the surface, McBride is a surprising name to be the one to reset the market. However, the 25-year-old is coming off a breakout campaign that saw him catch 111 passes for 1,146 yards, making him Arizona’s leading receiver.
The McBride deal may start a run on new contracts for tight ends, so in a certain sense, the Cardinals are getting ahead of the rest of the league here. He clearly believes in the team’s future, despite what he had to say after one late-season loss in 2024.
Ex-Auburn QB arrested for allegedly possessing stolen vehicle
Former LSU and Auburn quarterback TJ Finley was arrested Wednesday for allegedly possessing a stolen vehicle.
Finley, who is now with the Tulane Green Wave, was arrested in New Orleans and booked for possession of stolen property over $25,000, according to Marco Cartolano of NOLA.com. Police investigating a complaint about a truck blocking a driveway ran the truck’s license plate number and found that it was registered to a different vehicle belonging to Finley. The vehicle identification number matched that of a Dodge Ram that had been reported as stolen in Atlanta.
Court records indicated that Finley told police he had recently purchased the truck in Atlanta. Tulane campus police arrested him, and he was booked and later released. A hearing is scheduled for June 1.
Tulane said in a statement that they were aware of the situation, and that Finley had been “suspended from the football program pending the outcome of the case.”
Finley started his career at LSU in 2020, where he started five games and threw for 941 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions. He then transferred to Auburn but failed to lock down the starting job there in two seasons. He played at Texas State in 2023 and Western Kentucky in 2024 before transferring to Tulane in December.
Finley does have some previous history with police dating back to his time at Auburn.
Family member reveals what led to high schooler being stabbed at track meet
A 17-year-old was fatally stabbed during a high school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday, and one of the victim’s family members has shared some information about what preceded the tragic incident.
Austin Metcalf, a junior Memorial High School in Frisco, was stabbed after he allegedly got into a fight with 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, who is a student at Centennial High School in Frisco. Reports indicated that the dispute began after Metcalf told Anthony he was sitting in the wrong spot. Metcalf was stabbed in the heart.
Metcalf’s twin brother Hunter Metcalf tried to save Austin but was unsuccessful. Hunter shared more details about the incident in an interview with WFAA on Wednesday.
“We asked (Anthony) to move. He started getting aggressive and talking reckless,” Hunter explained, via TMZ. “And my brother stepped in and said, ‘You need to move.’ And he’s like, ‘Make me move.’ All the sudden, he grabbed his backpack.”
Immediately after that, Hunter said he realized his brother had been stabbed. Hunter estimated that the entire altercation lasted less than 30 seconds and said neither he nor Austin had any history with Anthony.
Anthony was taken into custody and is being charged with first-degree murder.
Metcalf was a member of Memorial High School’s track and field team, a team MVP as a linebacker on the varsity football team, and a member of the National Honor Society.
There were over 100 athletes from eight schools at Kuykendall Stadium for the District 11-5A Championship track meet. The meet was canceled following the fatal stabbing.
Bills star lists house for sale amid contract speculation
A Buffalo Bills standout sparked speculation about his future by listing his home for sale shortly after GM Brandon Beane cast doubt about giving him a new contract.
Bills running back James Cook listed his Orchard Park, N.Y. residence for sale this week, according to Nick Veronica of WIVB. Photos from the listing show framed jerseys and even game balls on display inside the home.
The timing of the listing will certainly raise eyebrows. Cook is entering the final season of his rookie deal, and Beane had said Sunday that the team does not anticipate getting a new deal done with the running back. Beane also hinted at some frustration with Cook publicly agitating for a new deal, saying the team would “prefer we don’t take the business outside.”
Brandon Beane called RB James Cook "a beautiful man."
— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) February 25, 2025
💰: "The business is the business. Would I prefer we don't take the business outside? Yes, I think that's always the best way to handle it…Just because we're not on the same page today doesn't mean we wouldn't be tomorrow." pic.twitter.com/3KXXuOGPMr
Cook has not shied away from voicing his desire for a new deal on social media. When Saquon Barkley received a new contract from the Philadelphia Eagles last month, Cook was quick to draw attention to it, and called it “good business.”
Good business ! https://t.co/nwfFJNbbt1
— James Cook (@thegreat__4) March 4, 2025
Cook listing his house for sale is not necessarily an indication that he plans to leave Buffalo. Still, it feels like a bit of a statement given where he and the organization stand with each other right now. The Bills have signed a number of key contributors to new contracts this offseason, including wide receiver Khalil Shakir, pass rusher Greg Rousseau, and cornerback Christian Benford. Cook, however, is being left on his rookie deal for now.
Cook has become a valuable cog in Buffalo’s offense. Last season, he rushed for 1,009 yards and a league-high 16 touchdowns. He has been selected for the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons.
Raiders make big commitment to Geno Smith
The Las Vegas Raiders acquired Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks in early March, and now they are committing to him for a longer term.
The Raiders and Smith have agreed to a two-year contract extension that will pay the quarterback $85.5 million. $66.5 million of the extension is guaranteed.
Smith had signed a 3-year, $75 million contract with Seattle in March 2023, so this is his final season of that extension. He has a $38.5 million cap hit for 2025.
At the time the Raiders acquired Smith, they did so without having a contract extension in place for him. Trading a third-round pick to Seattle for him, as they did, really only made sense if they were planning to keep Smith for more than one season.
The contract extension for Smith does not necessarily preclude the Raiders from drafting a quarterback, but it lessens the urgency they would need to find a franchise QB. They seem to be intent on improving rapidly, which is why they’re bringing in the package of Pete Carroll and Smith, who worked together in Seattle from 2020-2023. Smith went 28-24 in games he started with the Seahawks.
The Raiders have had three straight losing seasons and went 4-13 last season, which seems to have been an unacceptable outcome for their leadership group, which now includes Tom Brady. They want to show marked improvement in 2025.
Kevin Durant favored to land with top Western Conference team if traded
Kevin Durant is once again expected to be the subject of trade rumors this upcoming offseason, and one Western Conference contender that had interest in him in the past could enter the mix again.
The Suns entered Thursday in 11th place in the Western Conference with a record of 35-41. Even if they manage to make the play-in tournament in the West, their “Big Three” of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal has not returned anywhere near the kind of results they had hoped for.
That has led to another wave of speculation that Durant might be traded. On Thursday, SportsBetting.ag released odds on Durant’s future. In the event that the Suns do trade the 15-time All-Star, the Houston Rockets are favored to land him.
The Rockets are listed as 2/1 favorites, with the San Antonio Spurs close behind at 3/1. Here are the odds for teams that are listed at 12/1 or better:
Phoenix Suns 2/1
San Antonio Spurs 3/1
Philadelphia 76ers 4/1
New York Knicks 5/1
Miami Heat 7/1
Minnesota Timberwolves 10/1
Denver Nuggets 10/1
Memphis Grizzlies 12/1
The Rockets have committed to their young core of players and been rewarded for it. They are second in the West behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and have clinched a postseason spot. Head coach Ime Udoka has turned things around quickly in Houston after the team went 41-41 and missed the playoffs last year.
That raises the valid question of whether the Rockets would want to mess with what they have by adding a 37-year-old Durant to the mix. There was talk last summer that they were positioning themselves to be able to acquire Durant, so it is possible that is still the plan.
Durant has not said he wants out of Phoenix, but he reportedly has mutual interest with at least one notable team. The Suns will likely receive — and possibly place — plenty of calls about Durant once the season ends.
Falcons owner makes clear statement about a Kirk Cousins trade
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank made a firm statement about Kirk Cousins’ future with the organization, and made it very clear that a trade is, at least for now, not in the offing.
Blank said the Falcons are perfectly happy to let Cousins sit on the bench behind Michael Penix Jr. instead of trading him. In Blank’s mind, the Falcons are paying for the luxury of having a reliable backup quarterback in the event something happens to Penix.
“We’ve got $275 million in the salary cap, plus benefits,” Blank said, via Jarrett Bell of USA Today. “We owe it to the franchise to make sure that we have the backup quarterback who can step in and play. Obviously, if we thought that person was better than the starting quarterback, that person would play. But you want a backup quarterback who, maybe with some modification and game plan, can give you a chance to win.”
Blank added that he is not concerned that Cousins will cause problems while sitting on the bench. He also argued that there was no real need to trade the quarterback, as the team “already paid him.”
The Falcons owner is correct on that last point. If they were going to move Cousins, it would have made more sense to do so before the quarterback’s roster bonus kicked in. Not moving on from him before then was its own clear statement.
This may be strategic on Blank’s part to keep some trade leverage intact. The rumors certainly have not quieted down, and it is no secret that Cousins wants to be traded to a team where he might have a chance to start. If the Falcons continue to state they will not trade Cousins, other teams might feel compelled to make more competitive offers if they really want him.
Cousins is entering the second year of a 4-year, $180 million contract he signed with Atlanta a year ago. The reality is that teams are not going to be eager to take on that deal, which leaves the Falcons in a spot where they might simply have to keep him whether they like it or not.
