Dec 26, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) warms up before a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is embarking on an uncertain future as he prepares to be traded for the first time in his career. As a result, he is getting some guidance from one quarterback who has dealt with a similar situation.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff said he had given Carr some advice on how to deal with his inevitable exit from Las Vegas. Goff, who was dealt by the Los Angeles Rams prior to the 2021 season, said he made it clear to Carr that as difficult as things look now, there is a good chance that the move will be for the best.
“There’s definitely life on the other side. Often times a really great life,” Goff said Saturday, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We had a really good talk about it earlier this week. I think his head is in a great place about it, whatever ends up happening with him.”
It may be increasingly unlikely for Carr to actually be traded, but he will not be back with the Raiders regardless. He has never played for any other organization, so strong emotions are inevitable, but Goff is a perfect example of the possible upside. After being unwanted by the Rams and swapped for Matthew Stafford, Goff threw for 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns this season and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Nov 28, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) looks to the bench during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL completely revamped the Pro Bowl this year in part to reduce the risk of players suffering injuries, but Myles Garrett unfortunately still got hurt.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Garrett suffered a dislocated toe during an obstacle portion of the Pro Bowl Games on Sunday. The Cleveland Browns star limped off the field and then had X-rays, which game back negative.
You can see a video below of Garrett walking off the field:
Obviously, that is a team’s worst nightmare. Garrett has plenty of time to recover, but hopefully the injury is nothing major.
The Pro Bowl Games are a series of skills competitions and 7-on-7 flag football games. There is nothing the NFL can do to eliminate the risk of injury completely, which is why team executives will likely still cringe while watching their best players take part.
Garrett had 16 sacks with the Browns this season for the second consecutive year. He had a bit of a tumultuous season even with the outstanding success on the field.
Photo Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Ja Morant is speaking out this week (in JPG form).
Troubling details emerged on Sunday about an alleged incident that the Memphis Grizzlies star Morant and his associates were involved in after a game with the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 29. Following the game, which took place in Memphis, Morant’s entourage reportedly confronted members of the Pacers’ traveling party in an aggressive manner. At one point, someone in an SUV (which Morant was riding in) allegedly trained a red laser on the Pacers personnel. There was a belief within the Pacers group that the laser might be attached to a gun. You can read further details about the alleged incident here.
In a post to Instagram shortly after the story broke, Morant shared a picture of himself holding up a cap. The term “cap” is slang for a lie.
The NBA launched an investigation into the incident but couldn’t determine whether anyone had made a threat with a weapon. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins also addressed the investigation in his media session on Sunday.
The Grizzlies defeated the Pacers in the Jan. 29 game by the final of 112-100. Morant had a heated incident in the third quarter of the contest with Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard that may have sparked the hostilities.
The multi-time All-Star Morant has exploded onto the scene as one of the top young phenoms in the NBA today. But with his increased profile has also come increased negative headlines. Just last month, Morant was sued over a different alleged incident involving a minor at his home.
Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich speaks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine in the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Carolina Panthers have swooped in to land one of the most highly sought-after defensive coordinators of the hiring cycle.
Former Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has agreed to join Frank Reich’s staff in Carolina. Evero had interest from elsewhere, but ultimately chose Carolina.
Evero was even singled out as a head coach candidate by a few teams, though a new defensive coordinator job always looked most likely. The Broncos opted to allow him to pursue other opportunities rather than keep him tied to their staff, with new coach Sean Payton choosing to bring in his own defensive coordinator.
This news will be very unwelcome to the Minnesota Vikings, who held up their entire defensive coordinator search for Evero. They will now have to look elsewhere to fill that vacancy on their staff.
Feb 1, 2020; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James will not be reuniting this season, but the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly tried to make it happen.
The Brooklyn Nets on Sunday traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and draft picks. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets had detailed talks with the Lakers about a potential Irving trade. Brooklyn ultimately preferred the package the Mavs offered.
The Mavericks gave up a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks in the Irving deal. L.A. probably would have been willing to do the same, but the Nets were able to bring back Dinwiddie and add a solid wing player in Finney-Smith. That was likely the difference.
For what it’s worth, Irving is said to be thrilled with where he ended up.
It seems obvious that LeBron wanted the Lakers to get Irving, even with the tense history between the two players. James was accused by one former Laker of tampering with the way LeBron reacted to Irving’s trade request.
L.A. will have to explore other ways to improve ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
Jan 26, 2022; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA investigated a frightening postgame incident involving a conflict that members of Ja Morant’s entourage had with members of the Indiana Pacers following a Jan. 29 game in Memphis.
Morant’s associates aggressively confronted members of the Pacers’ traveling party following the game and had a red laser trained on them from an SUV Morant was traveling in, according to Bob Kravitz and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Members of the traveling party said they did not know who pointed the laser or whether it was attached to a gun, but they were left believing it was.
“We felt we were in grave danger,” one member of the Pacers’ group anonymously told The Athletic.
The NBA looked into the incident and said it could not determine whether or not anyone was threatened with a weapon. The league did add that some individuals involved had been banned from games at FedExForum in Memphis.
During the Jan. 29 game, Pacers and Grizzlies players were involved in on-court verbal sparring. At one point, Davonte Pack, a longtime friend of Morant’s, became involved as well.
After the game, Pack and several other associates allegedly began threatening members of the Pacers, and arena security had to become involved. Morant and Pack eventually left in a van, at which point a laser was observed being pointed at Pacers players and coaches from that van.
Morant is known for traveling often with an entourage that also includes his father Tee. They have been involved in some strange sideline altercations in the past as well, but nothing like what is claimed here.
Feb 8, 2020; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) warms up against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Kyrie Irving is the obvious star of the NBA news cycle right now, but Spencer Dinwiddie is proving to be a worthy supporting act.
The Brooklyn Nets guard Irving was officially traded to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in a blockbuster deal. Dinwiddie and multiple other assets will be headed back to Brooklyn as part of the trade.
The veteran guard Dinwiddie went viral for his hilarious tweet about the trade, which was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“When @ShamsCharania says it’s time to go you pack your bags,” he wrote, minutes after the news broke. “Plus Elijah said he wanted to go back home.”
Elijah is Dinwiddie’s four-year-old son whom he shares with his girlfriend Arielle Roberson, a former college basketball player. The trade will indeed mark a homecoming for Dinwiddie, who was already with the Nets for five seasons from 2016 to 2021.
No one knows at this point how Irving will fit in with Luka Doncic and the rest of the Mavericks. But Dinwiddie should fit like a glove on the Nets, especially since his first stint with them was pretty successful.
Jan 15, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) stands for the anthem before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Mavericks made a big move to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, but it remains to be seen how permanent the arrangement will be.
Irving’s contract expires at the end of the season. The Mavericks could sign him to a two-year contract now, but according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the organization is set to wait until the summer to discuss any possible extension.
The Mavericks are in no rush to get something done. They would have a huge amount of cap space this summer if Irving walks, and they may as well see if the partnership with Luka Doncic works before they rush into anything.
Dallas acquired Irving from the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday for a fairly significant package of assets. That would be a steep price to pay for a rental, but that is a risk the Mavericks are comfortable taking.
May 8, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) warms up before game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
The dominoes may officially be starting to fall in Brooklyn.
Word broke on Sunday that Nets guard Kyrie Irving had been traded to a West contender in a blockbuster deal. The move formally ends the Irving-Kevin Durant partnership after four years and just one playoff series win.
In the wake of the Irving news, Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Phoenix Suns are now prepared to pursue Durant should he become available as well.
The 34-year-old Durant is now facing an uncertain future in Brooklyn with no other All-Stars (besides All-Star-in-name-only Ben Simmons) left on the roster. While he is still making max money through 2026, Durant requested a trade from the Nets last summer (before eventually revoking it). The Suns were heavily linked to the former MVP at the time of his trade request.
After their Finals berth in 2021 and their 64-win season in 2021-22, the Suns have had a rougher go of things this year. But they are still currently fifth in the West at 29-26 and will have star player Devin Booker returning from a lengthy injury absence soon. They also have an aggressive new owner in Mat Ishbia as well as a head coach in Monty Williams who once coached Durant as an assistant in Oklahoma City.
On top of that, there is some evidence to suggest that Durant would be really interested in playing with Booker specifically.
Mar 5, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter of the game against the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Stephen Curry left Saturday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after he suffered a left leg injury, and it sounds like he could be sidelined for a significant period of time.
The Warriors on Sunday announced that Curry has partial tears to some ligaments in his leg in addition to a contusion. He will not play in Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Golden State says there will be more clarity on a recovery timeline at some point after that.
Curry got hurt with 2:01 left in the third quarter of Saturday night’s 119-113 loss when he bumped legs with Dallas guard McKinley Wright IV. He hobbled to the bench and did not return to the contest after that.
One report said Curry is expected to be sidelined multiple weeks with the injury.
Curry is averaging 29.4 points, 6.4 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game this season. Injuries have been a big issue for him in recent years, but at least he will be able to begin his recovery during the All-Star break.
The Warriors fell to 27-26 with their loss to the Mavericks. They were in seventh place in the Western Conference entering Sunday.
