Former Cy Young winner already being mentioned in trade talks
The MLB regular season has not even begun, and there is already talk about a former Cy Young pitcher potentially being traded.
MLB Network reporter Jon Morosi was talking on “MLB Central” Thursday about how good Sandy Alcantara has looked during spring training. He pointed out that the Miami Marlins are in rebuilding mode and said that it would make sense for the NL East team to trade him. Morosi said he thinks a trade could happen in July. Harold Reynolds said he thinks Alcantara could be dealt before Opening Day.
“I would say that Sandy Alcantara, in so many ways, is now on the radar of 29 other teams who might be in the market for a starting pitcher at some point this year,” Morosi said. “[The Marlins] will likely listen on Alcantara at some point in time this season.”
Reynolds said he thinks a trade will happen sooner than that.
“He doesn’t get out of spring training. You gotta make that move early,” Reynolds said. “You know how many teams are going to want him at that price tag knowing he’s healthy?”
Alcantara is set to earn $17.3 million this season and next, which makes him a bargain if he’s able to return to his Cy Young levels. The 29-year-old went 14-9 with a 2.28 ERA during his Cy Young season in 2022. He struck out 207 batters in 228.2 innings. But he wasn’t the same pitcher in 2023 and ended up needing Tommy John surgery, which kept him out for last season.
Now back and healthy, Alcantara is looking good. He’s been hitting 99 mph on his fastball in spring training.
Good afternoon, Sandy!! pic.twitter.com/xV4QJqVp5E
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 5, 2025
Alcantara could be kept on pitch count limits early in the season as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. But if he pitches well in the first months of the season, expect trade rumors surrounding him to heat up.
Sandy Alcantara has been looking sharp through his first three Spring Training outings 🐟@jonmorosi | #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/RRuQohfzWQ
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 6, 2025
Mark Cuban speaks critically about Luka Doncic trade in new interview
After quietly simmering for over a month about the Luka Doncic trade, Mark Cuban is finally speaking out.
The former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Cuban spoke on Thursday in an interview with Jonah Javad of WFAA. Cuban addressed last month’s blockbuster trade of Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, saying that “of course” he was mad about it and going on to criticize the return that the Mavs got.
“If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing, just get a better deal,” said Cuban. “No disrespect to Anthony Davis. But I still firmly believe that if we had gotten four unprotected [first-round draft picks] and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.”
You can watch the full interview clip below.
Cuban brings up several good points here. It was already bad enough that the Mavs did not open up a bidding war to the entire NBA and instead chose only to negotiate with the Lakers for Doncic. But making matters even worse was that they only got one future first-rounder along with Davis and Christie for Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris. While the Lakers only had one additional pick to trade beyond that (not the four that Cuban had mentioned in his hypothetical), they somehow managed to land a player of Doncic’s caliber while also holding onto both that pick as well as other valuable assets such as Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht.
The 66-year-old Cuban was the majority owner of the Mavs from 2000-23 before selling his controlling share to Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law Patrick Dumont (who is now the governor of the team). In an interview last year, Cuban detailed the reasons why he chose to sell.
Cuban still holds a minority stake in the team but no longer has control over the Mavs’ day-to-day basketball operations (which he was originally expected to retain). As such, Cuban did not have any clue that Doncic was about to be traded until it was too late to do anything about it.
Ever since the trade happened, Cuban has dropped some subtle hints that he was not at all pleased about it. Now in this latest interview, Cuban is finally sounding off on what he feels that the team did wrong in trading away their generational All-Star Doncic.
Athletics surprisingly give 7-year extension to core player
One Athletics player can now feel comfortable about scoping out some property in Las Vegas.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported on Thursday that the A’s have agreed to a contract extension with outfielder Lawrence Butler. The 24-year-old Butler will be getting a seven-year, $65.5 million extension from the team. Butler’s deal also comes with one team option, Passan adds.
A lefty hitter, Butler was very impressive for the A’s as a rookie last season. As the team’s regular right fielder, he produced 22 home runs, 57 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and an overall slash line of .262/.317/.490 in 125 total games. Butler also flashed some chops on defense, including a superb throwing arm.
Butler still had two years of pre-arbitration control left on his contract and was initially due to make a base salary of just $800,000 in 2025. But Butler will now be making a shade over $9 million per year with his new extension, which also buys out one or two of his free agency years (depending on the team option).
That constitutes pretty good value for the A’s, especially since Butler has five-tool upside. With the team set to play in Sacramento for the 2025-27 MLB seasons before officially moving to Las Vegas in 2028, it looks like Butler is now locked in for their Sin City era.
Nevertheless, the extension for Butler comes as a bit of a surprise, especially given the unwillingness to spend by the A’s over the last several seasons (having ranked dead last in payroll in both 2023 and 2024). But they recently signed a veteran pitcher to the biggest free agent contract in franchise history, and it was later revealed that the A’s were intentionally increasing their spending so as to avoid a potential grievance from the MLB Players Association. The sizable but still-very-affordable extension for Butler may continue on that theme for the team.
Mavericks assistant leaving to take college head coach job
The Dallas Mavericks continue to sink, and a notable assistant coach is now set to jump ship.
Pete Thamel of ESPN reported on Thursday that Mavs assistant Alex Jensen has accepted the head coaching job at the University of Utah. Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein adds that Jensen will still likely have the chance to finish out the season with Dallas if he so desires.
The 48-year-old Jensen is in his second season as an assistant for the Mavs under head coach Jason Kidd, including last year when they made it to the NBA Finals. Prior to that, Jensen spent a decade as an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz.
A native of Centerville, Utah, Jensen has some deep ties to the area. He was Utah’s 1994 Mr. Basketball and then went on to play four total seasons for the Utes (including being named MWC Player of the Year in 2000 after leaving the university for two years to complete a Latter-day Saints mission). Jensen later had a seven-year professional career overseas (in Spain, Japan, and Turkey).
Utah just made the stunning decision last month to fire head coach Craig Smith in the middle of their first season in the Big 12. Assistant coach Josh Eilert was named the team’s interim coach and will likely be leading them for the remainder of this season (in which the Utes are currently 16-14 overall).
As for the Mavs, their situation has gotten worse and worse ever since last month’s history-altering Luka Doncic trade. A few weeks ago, another one of their assistant coaches was arrested for assault, and the team has since been hit with an absurd deluge of injuries. Now Jensen’s impending departure is the latest blow for the Dallas franchise.
Charles Barkley, Kendrick Perkins trade public insults at each other
Charles Barkley and Kendrick Perkins will be colleagues at ESPN next season, but it looks like they will have a lot to smooth over between now and then.
The ESPN analyst Perkins made some controversial comments earlier this week about the Los Angeles Lakers. Perkins gave the Lakers credit for supposedly “saving the NBA” right now.
During TNT’s “Inside the NBA” on Thursday, Barkley fired back at that notion.
“I saw a fool-idiot on TV talking about [how] the Lakers saved the NBA,” said Barkley. “He’s an idiot and a fool … He said the Lakers saved the NBA season. That’s because them fools on the other network, which we gonna be working for next year, that’s all they talk about.”
Barkley also said that “I want all the smoke” and slammed both Perkins and ESPN for always talking about the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors while largely ignoring teams that are higher up in the standings like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers. You can watch Barkley’s full rant below.
Shortly afterwards, Perkins responded to Barkley in a post to X.
“Hey @NBAonTNT might wanna tell that senior citizen Charles Barkley that I’ll be around,” Perkins wrote. “When he see an idiot or fool in person make sure he keep that same energy. He can come playing with me if he want to and imma Address his a– like the numbers on a house. Straight from the 409 homeboy and we bar none and fade all #TexasBoy” (profanity edited by LBS).
Barkley, 62, has had an issue with Perkins, 40, for years now. In 2023, he slammed Perkins for having “ESPN disease.” Barkley also feuded with Perkins in 2024 after Perkins called out some comments that Barkley had made about Team USA Basketball during the Olympics. With the two former NBA big men now going at it again in 2025, one can only imagine what things will look like once they are working for the same network in 2026.
Zion Williamson sends profane message to ref after missed foul call
The frustrations of a 17-45 season may be starting to boil over for Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.
During the first quarter of Thursday’s game against the Houston Rockets, the Pelicans star Williamson was driving to the basket when he appeared to get hit on the arm by Houston forward Tari Eason. No foul was called though, and the loose ball ended up with the Rockets, who were quickly able to score on the other end.
At the next stoppage in play, Williamson could be heard giving the referee a mouthful. “So you didn’t see it huh?” he said. “Sick of that s–t, bro.”
Here is the video (but obviously watch out for the bad language).
The two-time All-Star Williamson is one of the most physical players in the league, so referees will inevitably miss some contact (either by him or by the defender) whenever he drives to the rim. But that particular play seemed like the Rockets were able to get away with multiple fouls on just the one drive by Williamson.
After missing roughly two months earlier in the season due to a hamstring injury, Williamson has been back in the New Orleans lineup since early January. Overall on the year, he is averaging 24.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
But the Pelicans are 14th in the West right now, and Williamson has also been frustrated with the way that he is being handled by the team. During Thursday’s game however, it was the officiating that was the source of Williamson’s frustration.
Dave Roberts close to historic extension from Dodgers
After a gluttonous amount of spending on free agents in the last couple of offseasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers are making sure that manager Dave Roberts gets a generous piece of the pie as well.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported on Thursday that the Dodgers are nearing a historic extension with Roberts. While the extension has not been finalized just yet, “strong progress” has been made on a deal that would break the average annual value record for an MLB manager.
The extension is expected to be finalized by next Wednesday before the Dodgers leave for Tokyo, Japan to kick off the 2025 MLB season, Sherman adds.
Roberts, 52, has been the manager of the Dodgers since 2016. With a record of 851-506 (.627), he owns by far the best winning percentage of any active MLB manager and has now led the Dodgers to multiple World Series victories as well (in 2020 and 2024).
Sherman notes that the current record for a managerial contract belongs to Craig Counsell of the Chicago Cubs, who is making $8 million per year as part of a five-year, $40 million agreement with the team. Yankees manager Aaron Boone, whom Roberts and the Dodgers just defeated in the 2024 World Series, also recently received an extension for a good amount less than that.
Roberts, the NL Manager of the Year in 2016, is often criticized for his perceived overmanagement and is also sometimes prone to making embarrassing mistakes. But he is clearly the right man for the job in Los Angeles and will soon be getting rewarded handsomely to continue in his post.
10-time NFL Pro Bowler lands new contract
One of the NFL’s most decorated defenders will be staying put for the 2025 season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Thursday that 10-time Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner has agreed to a new contract with the Washington Commanders. Wagner will be returning to Washington on a one-year deal worth up to $9.5 million (with $8 million guaranteed).
Though he turns 35 years old later this year, Wagner continues to have a strong impact and started all 17 games in his 2024 debut season for Washington. Wagner logged 135 combined tackles (tops on the team) and also chipped in 2.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries, four passes defended, and eight tackles-for-loss.
The former second-round draft pick Wagner also has plenty of history with Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, who was his old defensive coordinator on the Seattle Seahawks. The two won Super Bowl XLVIII together, and Wagner overall made nine All-Pro teams and led the NFL in combined tackles three times during his 11 total seasons in Seattle.
Coming off a surprise NFC title game berth, the Commanders have one of the best situations in all of football right now. 24-year-old star QB Jayden Daniels is leading the way for Washington, and they just landed a major offensive weapon in a trade several days ago as well.
As for the defensive side of the ball, the Commanders were a top-3 unit against the pass last season with just 189.5 aerial yards allowed per game. Wagner, who emerged as a leader for Washington and also provided some laughs during the year, was a big part of that and will now be running it back for another season with the Commanders.
Terry Rozier made a few plays that left fans saying he was point shaving
Terry Rozier played poorly in his Miami Heat’s 112-107 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. He played so poorly that a few plays he made had some wondering whether he was point shaving.
Rozier scored 12 points in 40 minutes and went 3/14 shooting with four turnovers in the defeat. He had some passes that were so careless they almost seemed inexplicable. A video of his lowlights went viral. In the video, you can see some of his poor passes and shots.
I know Terry Rozier is currently under investigation by the FBI for fixing games but I mean damn it seems like he really wants to go to prison. How can he possibly defend this lol? pic.twitter.com/Ay80RB93CD
— BeatinTheBookie.com®️ (@BeatinTheBookie) March 6, 2025
One of those passes was so bad it looked like he wasn’t even trying. That’s the same lazy pass that got Tony busted in “Blue Chips”!
The wild thing is Rozier is already under investigation for a potential link to a gambling ring that got Jontay Porter busted. Some fans had pinpointed a March 2023 game involving Rozier as being suspicious.
Rozier is in his second season with the Miami Heat. He is averaging 11.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in 53 games this season on 39.9 percent shooting from the field.
Rozier is in the third year of a 4-year, $96 million contract. His career earning amount to over $133 million.
Fans were pretty frustrated watching him.
Bam is having the game of his life. Rozier is shooting brick after brick. Tight game. Need smart shots.
— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) March 6, 2025
What does Terry do? Take two HIDEOUS attempts. One of them was an airball.
0. ZERO basketball intelligence. Damn it. pic.twitter.com/uS1azRfGYs
I need the FBI to find something on Terry Rozier
— HEAT NATION (@Zachppp) March 6, 2025
Genuinely one of the worse NBA players in the league right now
Terry Rozier if being terrible at basketball made you the goat pic.twitter.com/Sq5scOvUZM
— 💫 (@chalmersburner) March 6, 2025
Stephen A. Smith gets $100 million deal from ESPN
Stephen A. Smith appears to have gotten what he wanted from ESPN on his next contract: lots of money.
Smith has agreed to a new five-year, $100 million contract with ESPN, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported on Thursday. The deal calls for Smith to continue hosting his daily sports talk show “First Take.” However, Smith is set to have fewer appearances across the network and will not regularly appear on ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” pregame show. With more free time, Smith is expected to do more political commentary.
Smith had been earning $12 million per year on his previous deal. His annual salary will now increase by 66.67 percent as he’s getting a raise to $20 million per year. That’s the exact amount Marchand previously reported Smith was expected to receive. Smith was hoping to surpass his ESPN colleagues on his new deal, and he has done that.
When it comes to those in sports broadcasting, Smith trails just Tom Brady and Charles Barkley in terms of annual reported salary.
Stephen A. Smith's new contract places him among the top three highest-paid sports broadcasters 💰 pic.twitter.com/vXFfB2FBMr
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 6, 2025
Fellow ESPN personalities Troy Aikman ($18 million), Pat McAfee ($17 million) and Joe Buck ($15 million) are highly paid, but now will trail Smith.
Smith making that kind of money shows just how far he has come. The 57-year-old began as a journalist and rose to fame locally as a columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He began to dabble more in multimedia in the early 2000s when he started to appear on “The Best Damn Sports Show Period” and host weekend shows for FOX Sports Radio. A certain author of this story produced Smith’s first ever solo radio show around the 2003 time period. Smith began his TV and radio career with ESPN in 2005. 20 years later, he is a $100 million man.
Draymond Green accuses Karl-Anthony Towns of ducking Warriors
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green made a bold assertion about Karl-Anthony Towns after the New York Knicks center missed the team’s recent game against the Golden State Warriors.
In the latest edition of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” Green suggested that Towns had sat out the Knicks’ March 4 game against Golden State because he was avoiding facing Golden State’s Jimmy Butler. Butler and Towns are former teammates, and were both involved in a now-infamous 2018 practice that saw Butler call out numerous Minnesota Timberwolves players, Towns included.
Green suggested that the situation and Towns’ unexplained absence on Tuesday were connected.
“Some would say (Towns) didn’t play because Jimmy was in the building. I don’t know,” Green said. “They said KAT ain’t playing because Jimmy came into town, and him and Jimmy had the infamous practice in Minnesota. I don’t know. I don’t know what was hurt. I didn’t look that deep into it to figure out what his injury was.”
This is just a reckless and inappropriate conversation from Draymond and Baron Davis. Wouldn’t have been hard to do a little research or make a phone call before posting pic.twitter.com/GWyxXVYRQO
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) March 6, 2025
Green is correct that he did not do his homework, because there was no injury to speak of. Towns was officially away from the team for personal reasons. Towns’ longtime girlfriend Jordyn Woods revealed that she had attended a funeral service on Wednesday for one of her closest friends, and while it has not been confirmed, many fans assumed that Towns’ absence was related to that.
Prayers to @jordynwoods & @KarlTowns
— Big Knick Energy (@BigKnickEnergy_) March 6, 2025
Our condolences are with you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/uFIsn3Texc
Towns had already returned to the Knicks ahead of Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s not clear if Green was joking around, trying to stir things up, or simply repeating something he had heard elsewhere. No matter what, it is not a great look for him to be spreading such a rumor given the personal nature of Towns’ absence, and he was sharply criticized for it on social media, including by several Knicks media members.
Draymond Green suggests on his podcast that Karl-Anthony Towns missed Tuesday’s game vs GSW because he wanted to avoid Jimmy Butler. Green casually throwing this out there on his platform without researching the situation is extremely irresponsible: pic.twitter.com/UkUpMp2111
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 6, 2025
Butler and Towns have played against each other six times since the practice incident. That includes a matchup from earlier this season, when Towns put up 44 points and collected 13 rebounds in an Oct. 30 victory over Butler’s Miami Heat. It would make very little sense for Towns to suddenly start avoiding Butler now after over six years of playing against him without any issues.
Green is no stranger to sharing bold and controversial takes, but he appears to have overstepped with this one. He might be better off doing a bit of homework next time he considers discussing something like this.
Former Rookie of the Year finalist making MLB comeback as a pitcher
A former AL Rookie of the Year finalist is attempting an MLB comeback at a new position.
The Cleveland Guardians announced Thursday that they have signed former outfielder Tyler Naquin to a minor league contract. Notably, Naquin is now being listed as a right-handed pitcher.
Here is a fun one: We've signed RHP Tyler Naquin to a Minor League contract. He has reported to the club's Goodyear facility, converting to a right-handed pitcher. pic.twitter.com/LwGzHLf147
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) March 6, 2025
Naquin’s last MLB action came in 2023, when he appeared in five games for the Chicago White Sox. He played for the Guardians from 2016 to 2020 and was known as a defensive-minded outfielder with excellent speed and a great arm. He hit .296 with 14 home runs as a rookie in 2016 and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, but struggled to hit enough to lock down a regular starting job.
Naquin’s best season came in 2021, when he hit .270 with 19 home runs and 70 RBI. He never hit those heights again and was out of the league completely in 2024.
According to Statcast data, Naquin consistently had one of the best outfield arms in baseball, and his throws averaged just shy of 93 MPH. If he can add a bit to that velocity and come up with some offspeed stuff, he might have a chance of making this work, though these sorts of moves are always an uphill climb.
Stephen A. Smith’s new ESPN contract includes notable change
Stephen A. Smith has agreed to a new contract to remain at ESPN, but with a noteworthy change to his role on the network.
Smith agreed to a new five-year contract worth at least $100 million to remain with ESPN, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. The deal will ensure that Smith continues to be a regular presence on “First Take,” which has become one of the network’s signature programs, and the $20 million annual salary is right in line with what rumors suggested during negotiations.
However, the deal allows Smith to scale back some of his other responsibilities at ESPN. He will no longer be a regular part of “NBA Countdown,” the network’s NBA pregame show, and will instead make more occasional appearances on various ESPN shows.
Part of the reason for Smith’s reduced NBA workload might be that ESPN simply will not need him as much anymore. Starting next season, TNT’s “Inside the NBA” will move to ESPN and ABC, and it has been made clear already that Smith will not be a regular part of that show.
The expectation is that the reduced workload at ESPN will allow Smith to appear more on other platforms and talk about topics unrelated to sports. He has been increasingly outspoken about politics and made occasional appearances on FOX News, and his name has even been floated as a possible presidential candidate in some circles.
The 57-year-old Smith is arguably the face of ESPN and has been a regular on the network for over two decades. For better or worse, he generates discussion with his provocative hot takes better than just about anyone, and brings attention and viewers to the network in a way that few others can.
Report: Aaron Rodgers, Giants ‘down a road’ in contract talks
Aaron Rodgers may not have to look very far for his next NFL team.
Rodgers and the New York Giants have gone pretty far “down a road” in their contract talks, according to one reporter.NorthJersey.com Giants reporter Art Stapleton joined “The Pat McAfee Show” for an interview on Thursday and indicated that contract talks between the Giants and Rodgers have been serious.
“From my understanding right now, they are pretty significantly down a road where they’re negotiating to the point where if Aaron Rodgers ends up as a Giant before the start of the league year next year, it would not be a shock to people in this area,” Stapleton said.
Stapleton believes the Giants are seriously considering signing Rodgers for next season.
“My understanding is yes, they have talked about what it would take to get Aaron here with the Giants, to not leave New Jersey. And my understanding is that at every turn, the Giants have yet to be scared off of the idea of Aaron Rodgers coming on some show every Tuesday. … But I think from a football fit, this is something they are considering,” said Stapleton.
Stapleton alluded to Rodgers’ weekly appearances on McAfee’s show. The Jets reportedly no longer wanted Rodgers to continue appearing on McAfee’s show during the season, feeling it was an unnecessary distraction.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter weighed in on the matter on Thursday as well. He said he does not view it as a lock that Rodgers ends up with the Giants, although he acknowledged it was possible. Schefter felt the Rams made the most sense for Rodgers, but that possibility evaporated when the NFC West team worked things out with Matthew Stafford.
Rodgers, 41, played fairly well down the stretch last season and finished with 3,897, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. However, the Jets still finished 5-12.
"My understanding is that the Giants are significantly interested in Aaron Rodgers..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 6, 2025
I don't think it would be a shock to people if he was the Giants Quarterback next season"@art_stapleton #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/VTLCpavy4d
Texans trade for former 1,000-yard receiver
The Houston Texans need help at wide receiver, and moved quickly to acquire a notable name at a low cost.
The Texans acquired Christian Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Houston made the move after the Jaguars had decided to release Kirk in a cost-cutting move.
While the Jaguars were planning on cutting Christian Kirk, they now will get back a 2026 seventh round pick from the Texans, per source.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 6, 2025
Kirk had signed a four-year, $72 million deal with Jacksonville in 2022. He has one year remaining on that deal, and the Texans will owe him roughly $16.5 million by acquiring him via trade. That is a pretty significant cap hit, but Houston clearly wanted to bring him in without having to compete with other teams trying to sign him.
Kirk has a reputation for being a strong slot receiver and has had success in his career. His best season came in his first year with Jacksonville in 2022, when he made 84 catches for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns. He was significantly hobbled by injuries in 2024 and played in just eight games.
The Texans have to sort out Stefon Diggs’ status as he hits free agency, and might not have Tank Dell at all in 2025 due to injury. Adding Kirk gives them some certainty next to Nico Collins, and provides another weapon for quarterback CJ Stroud.
49ers reportedly have buyer’s remorse with star player
The San Francisco 49ers signed Brandon Aiyuk to a huge extension following a lengthy negotiation last offseason, and the team apparently now has buyer’s remorse.
Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard discussed the current state of the 49ers during a Thursday appearance on KNBR’s “Papa & Silver Show.” The longtime reporter said he doubts the 49ers will trade Aiyuk in the coming weeks, but he has been told the team regrets signing the wide receiver to a 4-year, $120 million extension prior to last season.
“I think the negotiators never felt good about that number, ever, $30 million a year,” Kawakami said. “I think they were ready to trade him multiple times last year, maybe even the year before. … I’ll just say the general theme here is 49ers’ top not being happy with those deals, not being happy with a lot of deals, not being happy with the money that they’ve paid, as John Lynch talked about in Indianapolis.”
The 49ers recently traded Deebo Samuel to an NFC contender. Kawakami thinks that move makes it even less likely that San Francisco will move Aiyuk, especially with the 26-year-old recovering from a torn ACL.
Aiyuk had his best season in 2023 with 75 catches for 1,342 yards and 7 touchdowns. That was his second straight 1,000-yard season and gave him leverage in contract talks. It always seemed like the 49ers were hesitant to make Aiyuk one of the highest-paid receivers in the league, but the market was set and they did not want to lose him.
For now, the 49ers are probably stuck with Aiyuk. Teams will likely want to see how he recovers before even considering a trade.
Kurt Warner has huge praise for surprising NFL Draft QB
Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner is particularly excited about a surprising NFL Draft prospect.
Warner singled out Ohio State’s Will Howard as the best NFL Draft quarterback he has seen on tape. According to Warner, Howard posted the best four-game stretch” he has seen from anyone in the draft, demonstrated a number of NFL-worthy skills.
“Been watching the last 4 games for top NFL Draft QBs & Will Howard had the BEST 4 game stretch of any QB I’ve watched so far – and it really wasn’t even that close!!” Warner wrote on X Thursday. “Great throws, consistent accuracy, downfield throws, good reads, multiple concepts, etc…”
Been watching the last 4 games for top NFLDraft QBs & Will Howard had the BEST 4 game stretch of any QB I’ve watched so far – and it really wasn’t even that close!! Great throws, consistent accuracy, downfield throws, good reads, multiple concepts, etc…
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) March 6, 2025
Warner’s praise is interesting, as Howard has not received a significant amount of positive pre-draft buzz. If anything, the process has hurt him, as his NFL Combine video was not encouraging, to say the least.
It’s not the NFL Combine film that Warner is paying attention to, though. Whatever his shortcomings, Howard threw for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns while leading Ohio State to a national title. Some of that certainly may have been down to the talent around him, but those accomplishments cannot be easily dismissed.
There is no doubt that Howard made some regrettable errors this season, and those will not fly at the NFL level. However, it is pretty telling that one of the top quarterbacks in the draft stuck up for Howard recently.
Howard is expected to be a mid-round pick in April’s draft. His combine film will not help him, but if teams feel the same way Warner does about his game tape, someone will gladly take a chance on him.
6 teams mentioned as possibilities for Kevin Durant
The Phoenix Suns attempted to trade Kevin Durant prior to this year’s deadline, but he declined to be dealt. Things may change this offseason though.
The Suns are expected to make big changes this offseason if they do not make a playoff run. The Suns entered play on Thursday 29-33, which had them ranked 11th in the Western Conference standings. Durant is said to be ready to cooperate with the Suns on a potential offseason trade. There are now some teams emerging as possibilities for him.
Sam Amico’s Hoops Wire on Thursday named six teams that are expected to pursue a trade for Durant. Those teams include: the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs.
Interestingly, on Thursday, ESPN NBA reporter Brian Windhorst appeared on “Get Up” and also mentioned the Timberwolves as a team that would pursue a KD trade.
.@WindhorstESPN says the Timberwolves may try to pair Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards together this offseason 😯 pic.twitter.com/4YHvakFCil
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 6, 2025
Durant is set to make $54.7 million next season, so a team trading for him would have to send back some large financial obligations to Phoenix to make things match. Teams would still want to make it happen though so they could add KD, who remains a strong player.
Even at 36, Durant is putting up good numbers. The 15-time All-Star is averaging 26.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 49 contests this season. He has missed time due to a calf strain.
The Suns’ trio of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal has not panned out the way they would have hoped, which has them looking into big moves. Trading Beal seems like it will be the most difficult challenge for Phoenix.
Bengals give star player permission to seek trade
The Cincinnati Bengals have given one of their best players permission to seek a trade.
Veteran defensive end Trey Hendrickson revealed in a statement on Thursday that the Bengals have granted him permission to speak with other teams about a possible trade.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to represent Cincinnati over the last four years,” Hendrickson said, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “I love this city and organization. I appreciate the privilege of now being allowed to explore my options.”
Hendrickson had 35 sacks over the past two seasons, which was the most in the NFL during that span. He had 17.5 sacks each season and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting this year.
Hendrickson spent the first four seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints, who drafted him in the third round out of FAU in 2017. He broke out with 13.5 sacks in 2020 and then became one of the best pass-rushers in football after signing with the Bengals in 2021.
The 30-year-old Hendrickson has made the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons with Cincinnati. He has 57 sacks since he joined the team.
Hendrickson is set to make $16 million in the final season of his deal in 2025. He is likely seeking a massive extension, which the Bengals may not be able to give him while also signing some of their other big-name stars.
Report: Bruins open to trading Brad Marchand
The Boston Bruins are open to trading their captain, according to a report.
The Athletic NHL reporter Chris Johnston reported on X Thursday about Brad Marchand’s situation with Boston. He says the two sides continue to go back-and-forth on a possible contract extension. The team reportedly is open to a trade of Marchand if the sides are not able to reach a deal. For now, interested teams are being told no when they ask the Bruins about a trade for Marchand.
While the #bruins continue to go back and forth with Brad Marchand on a possible contract extension, word is they're still open to potentially trading their captain: Teams calling with interest aren't being told "no" right now.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 6, 2025
Marchand will turn 37 in May and is in his 16th NHL season — all spent with the Bruins. He is a two-time All-Star and a physical player who is a team leader for the Bruins. He had 67 points each of the last two seasons, and he didn’t miss a game last season. This season, Marchand has 47 points in 61 games.
Marchand is in the final season of an 8-year, $49 million contract extension he signed with Boston in Sept. 2016. He is making $4 million this year and has a $6.125 million cap hit.
The Bruins have made the playoffs eight years in a row but haven’t made it past the second round since their Stanley Cup trip in 2019. They entered play on Thursday 12th in the East in points.
