Matthew Stafford taking extreme steps to deal with forecast cold weather
The Los Angeles Rams could face single-digit temperatures during Sunday’s NFC Divisional game against the Chicago Bears, but quarterback Matthew Stafford seems to be ready for it.
Stafford confirmed that he plans to wear a scuba suit under his uniform in a bid to keep himself warm during Sunday’s contest, a tactic he has employed before.
“It is what it is,” Stafford told Stu Jackson of the team’s official website. “We don’t care what the weather is here or what it is there. We just go play. We have to prepare and have a good week of preparation. We’re going to do that to give ourselves the best chance to go out there and succeed.”
Stafford got the move from Tom Brady, who did the same thing during his days with the New England Patriots. He said it is not skintight and still allows him to move freely.
Stafford is no stranger to cold weather games. Though the Detroit Lions played indoors during his time there, he did regularly have to face Green Bay and Chicago on the road, sometimes in difficult conditions. This may be a bit of a strange move, but it is not a new one for him.
Rams fans will undoubtedly want to see a sharper game from Stafford than what he turned in against Carolina last week, but the cold weather will add a degree of difficulty to that. Don’t expect the potential NFL MVP to make any excuses if he cannot get it done, though.
Miami may have its QB target for next season
The Miami Hurricanes have yet to finish off their 2025 season, but the program appears to have an eye on 2026 already.
The Hurricanes were quickly linked to quarterback Darian Mensah in the transfer portal on Friday after Mensah decided to leave Duke. Matt Zenitz, Brandon Marcello, and Chris Hummer of CBS Sports reported that Miami is viewed as a “team to watch” now that Mensah is available.
From @mzenitz, @bmarcello and me:
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 16, 2026
Sources consider Miami to be an early team to watch as a potential landing spot for Duke star QB Darian Mensah, who just informed the Duke staff he plans to enter the transfer portalhttps://t.co/o0T5TntyVS pic.twitter.com/h2hy8BOBor
Mensah left the Blue Devils hanging on Friday by entering the portal just hours before it closes at the end of the day Friday. It leaves Duke without an obvious replacement for a quarterback they paid $4 million to last season. One would imagine he will get a lot more than that in the portal this time around.
The Hurricanes have been very aggressive in trying to find a quarterback in the portal, as evidenced by a recent eye-popping offer they made to Ty Simpson. They will lose Carson Beck to graduation at the end of this season, and they paid him the same figure Duke gave Mensah last year.
Mensah established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the country this season. He threw for 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns for Duke, and was an All-ACC selection.
Report: Jalen Hurts is subject of ‘internal frustration’ with Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles readily admit there are multiple problems with their offense. One of them, however, may be harder to fix than some of the others.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has been the subject of “much internal frustration” for the Eagles this season, according to Michael Silver of The Athletic. There is a notion that the team catered too much to Hurts’ preferences instead of pushing him outside his comfort zone for much of the season.
Silver notes there is a perception in the organization that coach Nick Sirianni, general manager Howie Roseman, and owner Jeffrey Lurie are reluctant to publicly criticize Hurts. There is some belief, however, that their unhappiness goes deep enough that the team may draft a quarterback this April, though no one thinks Hurts’ job is in any danger.
Hurts went 20/35 for 168 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ Wild Card loss to San Francisco. It was the latest in a string of underwhelming showings from the quarterback, who looked too risk-averse for much of the season. He was the source of frustration for some players, as well.
This is not the first time we have heard that the Eagles might draft a quarterback to push Hurts. The frustration appears to be real, though with three years remaining on the five-year, $255 million extension he signed after the 2022 season, he likely is not going anywhere.
Interesting new details emerge on Bo Bichette’s contract with the Mets
The New York Mets had to get a little bit creative to land their guy.
News broke on Friday that the Mets have signed two-time All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette in free agency. Bichette is getting a contract for over $125 million from the Mets, who pivoted quickly after losing out to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes on Thursday.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post later shared some interesting new details about Bichette’s deal with the Mets. Heyman says that Bichette’s deal comes with no deferred money but two opt-outs. Bichette is also getting a full no-trade clause from the Mets and will have a $5 million buyout on his opt-out as well (potentially taking the value of Bichette’s contract in 2026 to a total of $47 million).
The 27-year-old Bichette had been with the Toronto Blue Jays ever since his MLB career first began in 2019. Last season for Toronto, Bichette hit .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs through 139 games as the Blue Jays won the American League pennant.
Earlier this week, it looked like Bichette would be signing with another NL East team instead. But the Mets moved quickly after being spurned by Tucker and were able to pony up to vulture Bichette away from his other suitors.
Bichette is expected to play third base for the Mets next season with Francisco Lindor and newly-acquired Marcus Semien set to partner in the middle infield. While the Mets had been experiencing a very brutal offseason up to this point, they have saved faced in a very nice way by landing the signature of the two-time AL hits leader Bichette.
Draymond Green under fire for an alleged dirty play on Karl-Anthony Towns
Draymond Green did another very Draymond Green-like thing on Thursday.
Green and the Golden State Warriors battled Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks on Thursday night. In the fourth quarter at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., Green fell down while he was trying to defend Towns.
As Towns attempted to take advantage by driving to the basket, Green first tried in vain to swipe at the ball. Green then grabbed Towns’ left ankle, causing Towns to trip and fall.
The former Defensive Player of the Year Green was ultimately given a flagrant-1 foul for tripping Towns. Here is the video.
Draymond Green gets a Flagrant One for this trip on Karl-Anthony Towns pic.twitter.com/U3INE9mHlC
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 16, 2026
Green and Towns were also seen chirping at each other during another point in the contest, which the Warriors went on to win 126-113.
OG and KAT have some words with Draymond Green who goes skipping away pic.twitter.com/Jtg3aBhZUT
— KNICKS BEAST (@KnicksBeast) January 16, 2026
Flagrant-1 fouls do not necessarily judge intent, but Green is obviously well beyond the point of receiving the benefit of the doubt. He has a very long and very well-documented history of committing dirty plays against opponents (and sometimes even blaming the opponents for his own misdeeds).
It should also be noted that Green has some prior history with Towns. The two feuded just last season after Green made an accusation against Towns during a podcast episode.
Ryan Clark questions whether Sam Darnold is really injured
ESPN analyst Ryan Clark questioned whether the Seattle Seahawks are setting up Sam Darnold for excuses if he does not play well in the NFC Divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers.
In an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take,” Clark raised questions about whether Darnold and the Seahawks are being genuine after the quarterback showed up on the injury report Thursday with an oblique injury. Officially, Darnold was limited in practice, though he said there was virtually no chance he would miss the team’s playoff game.
To Clark, even the suggestion of an injury was cause for concern about Darnold’s mental state.
“My concern level is not high, but there is some concern, because it sounds like the setup for an excuse,” Clark said. “It sounds like the things that you say before a game when you don’t play well, when the throws aren’t where they are supposed to be. Everybody can point back, ‘But you have to remember, he didn’t get those first-team reps in. His oblique was tight on Thursday.’
“This is the biggest game of Sam Darnold’s career. This is another opportunity to exorcise some of those demons that finished the season along with him when Minnesota lost to Detroit or when Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs. If you are the Seattle Seahawks, you have to be extremely concerned about where Sam Darnold is, not only physically, but mentally.”
It is entirely possible, if not likely, that Darnold did have something flare up on him. In that instance, the Seahawks would not be faking anything. Clark’s belief is that the quarterback or the team is anticipating a poor performance and preparing a way to explain it.
Darnold has gained a reputation for being a quarterback who folds in big games. It happened at the end of last season, and the narrative resurfaced in some of the Seahawks’ biggest regular season games as well.
The biggest argument against Clark’s case is that nobody will really buy the excuses if Darnold struggles again. He either has to perform well or risk the reputation sticking to him completely.
Hornets announcer Eric Collins took a ruthless shot at Luka Doncic during game
Eric Collins called a spade a spade with Luka Doncic during this week’s game.
Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers played the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday. Collins, the Hornets’ play-by-play announcer, was on the call for FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.
In the third quarter of the contest, Doncic got a technical foul for complaining to referee Jonathan Sterling about a missed call. That led to a ruthless line from Collins on the broadcast.
“This guy is a whiner!” said Collins emphatically about Doncic as Doncic was pleading his case. Here is the video.
Hornets announcer Eric Collins on Luka Dončić:
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 16, 2026
"This guy is a whiner." pic.twitter.com/oRxyelXWeY
Collins, who also does play-by-play work for Amazon Prime Video, is famous for his animated and borderline-unhinged calls of exciting plays. But he told nothing but the truth there about Doncic, who is objectively a major complainer and has even personally admitted as much in the past.
Doncic finished with 39 points on 15/26 shooting, but it was the Hornets who surprisingly defeated the Lakers by a 135-117 final score. The two teams will not meet again this regular season, so at least Collins was able to get in his digs at Doncic while he could.
Fans had the same reaction to Phillies re-signing JT Realmuto
The Philadelphia Phillies are re-signing catcher J.T. Realmuto on a 3-year, $45 million deal, and the team’s fans are not happy about it.
Realmuto joined the Phillies in 2019 and has played the last seven seasons with them. He was an All-Star in 2019 and 2021, but he’s nearing age 35, and the fans are not excited about the prospect of having him for the next three seasons.
Take a look at some of the reactions:
Genuinely can’t bring myself to be excited for this.
— Alex Carr (@AlexCarrMLB) January 16, 2026
J.T. Realmuto is a boon to the pitching staff and clubhouse, but the Phillies are about to overpay for a likely par-to-sub-par catcher over the next 2 or 3 years. https://t.co/qhVmGfMdaA
"Realmuto, who will be 35 on Opening Day, had one of the worst offensive seasons of his career in 2025." https://t.co/DOMuVchImk pic.twitter.com/HxGLgTPMIc
— Absolutely Hammered (@ah_pod) January 16, 2026
And 3 years for J.T. Realmuto is insane, by the way.
— John Foley (@2008Philz) January 16, 2026
Coming off the worst season of his career and they lock him in through age 37?
The Phillies had virtually no other option but to bring Realmuto back. But $15M a year for his age 35-37 seasons is steep. That roster is getting ancient really quickly.
— Beaneater Buzz (@BeaneaterB) January 16, 2026
JT Realmuto is a 35 year old catcher who just put up a 91 OPS+ with below average defense for the 3rd year in a row
— AT (@YankeeWRLD) January 16, 2026
3 years for $45 million is wild pic.twitter.com/ulu5yXPxKn
Realmuto batted .257 last season with a .700 OPS. He hit 26 doubles and 12 home runs in 134 games, but his OPS was the worst of his career since his rookie season in 2015. He appears to be fading in his career, which is why fans are not excited about the move.
The move also appears worse in context when you consider that the Mets signed Bo Bichette, the Dodgers added Kyle Tucker, and the Red Sox signed Ranger Suarez away from Philly. The Red Sox also were reported to have interest in Realmuto, but he is returning to Philly.
Sean McVay gets help from Matt LaFleur ahead of Bears game
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay may have some added motivation when it comes to facing the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional round.
The Rams will travel to Chicago to face the Bears on Sunday for a spot in the NFC Championship, and McVay essentially confirmed that he sought out some valuable input ahead of the game. McVay is known to be close friends with Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who also happens to be the older brother of Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.
When asked if he had consulted with LaFleur on facing the Bears, McVay did not really try to hide it.
“What would you guess? We watch the tape, we do our work, and Matt is a very close friend of mine,” McVay said.
The one thing Sean McVay has always struggled with? His poker face. I asked McVay this week about talking with his buddy (and OC Mike LaFleur’s big bro) Matt LaFleur about Ben Johnson’s Bears. pic.twitter.com/8I7seCuDFy
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) January 16, 2026
LaFleur probably wants to see the Bears eliminated quite badly. His postgame handshake with Bears coach Ben Johnson was not exactly warm after Chicago’s 31-27 comeback win in the NFC Wild Card round, and it probably did not help that Johnson only doubled down on it the next day.
LaFleur and the Packers saw the Bears three times this season. They only won one of those meetings, but Green Bay presumably picked up some things simply out of familiarity. Perhaps that will make it easier for McVay to get a win and help avenge his friend.
There is a new favorite for the Falcons head coach job
John Harbaugh is expected to become the next head coach of the New York Giants, which means several teams — including the Atlanta Falcons — will be moving on to other candidates. The Falcons may have a favorite candidate for the job.
SNY’s Connor Hughes reported on Friday that former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is the new favorite for the Falcons. The wagering odds have both Stefanski and Klint Kubiak as the two leaders for the gig, though Hughes says Stefanski is the favorite.
The #Giants & John Harbaugh are expected to finalize the deal for him to become their head coach today, per sources. They’re pretty close to getting it done, I’m told. I do not expect anything to change that.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) January 16, 2026
With that, hearing Kevin Stefanski is favorite for #Falcons job.… pic.twitter.com/7DOWvB83YL
Stefanski would make sense for Atlanta if they want a proven coach who has experience. The 43-year-old coached the Cleveland Browns for six seasons from 2020-2025. He led the team to the playoffs twice, and helped them make their first postseason appearance since 2002. That’s no small feat. Even though his overall record of 45-56 doesn’t look great, putting in the context of how bad the Browns had previously been, he did a good job.
Kubiak is the son of former NFL coach Gary Kubiak. Klint, 38, is in his first season as the offensive coordinator for the Seahawks. He has never previously served as a head coach, so hiring him would be more of a gamble compared to Stefanski, who has done the job before.
The Falcons have interviewed Anthony Weaver, Aden Durde, John Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel, Jeff Hafley, Jesse Minter and Antonio Pierce for the job. Harbaugh is moving towards a job with the Giants.
Mike Tomlin may never return to coaching in NFL
Mike Tomlin does not have any plans to coach in 2026 after stepping away from the Pittsburgh Steelers. One former player who knows him well thinks he might never return to the sidelines.
Ronde Barber, a close friend of Tomlin, questioned whether Tomlin will ever coach again after stepping down this week. According to Barber, Tomlin privately said last year that he had already decided 2025 would be his last year. Barber got the impression that Tomlin is just not interested in coaching again.
“There’s a lot of stories out there about Mike coming up and wanting to take one year off and go coach (again),” Barber said, via Tim Benz of Trib Live. “I’m gonna tell you right now, I think he’s done. I think he wants to be done. Last year, I was in Long Island with him, and he told me then. He said, ‘I think this is my last year.’ And didn’t say anything to anyone else for the entirety of the year.”
Barber played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Tomlin received his first coaching job as an assistant there in 2001. The two are close, and Tomlin presented Barber with the gold jacket when Barber was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
Much has been made about Tomlin potentially going into television. That could certainly prove to be a lucrative multi-year career if the former Steelers coach wants it to be. If Tomlin becomes good as a TV analyst, it could be lucrative, while being much less stressful than coaching.
Tomlin is only 53, and logically, he has plenty of time left to return to the NFL. It seems like a foregone conclusion that he will take at least one year off, but it sounds like those who know him well would not be at all surprised if he winds up deciding not to return to a sideline anytime soon.
Browns could hire current assistant as their new head coach
The Cleveland Browns could stick with an internal candidate as they look to hire a new head coach.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will get a second interview with the Browns, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Subsequently, Albert Breer of The MMQB suggested that Schwartz should be regarded as a serious candidate for the team’s head coach job.
I would not sleep on Jim Schwartz in the Browns search. https://t.co/CsZ1idTjR3
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 16, 2026
Schwartz was not necessarily on anyone’s radar to land a head coaching position this offseason, though he usually gets looks. However, the Browns know him better than most and clearly feel he deserves a serious look. He has been the team’s defensive coordinator since 2023 and has consistently produced quality defensive units during his time in Cleveland.
Schwartz previously spent five seasons as head coach of the Detroit Lions, taking over after their 0-16 season in 2008. He had them in the playoffs by 2011, but stagnated after that. He went 29-51 overall with one winning season.
The Browns have actually interviewed Schwartz for this very job before. He is not necessarily seen as the top choice, but he apparently has a real chance at getting a promotion from Cleveland.
Bo Bichette signs $126 million deal with NL contender
Kyle Tucker’s decision to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers appears to have led to major movement on the free agent market in Major League Baseball.
Infielder Bo Bichette has agreed to a 3-year, $126 million contract with the New York Mets, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Infielder Bo Bichette and the New York Mets are in agreement on a three-year, $126 million contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 16, 2026
After losing the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, the Mets pivot quickly and get one of the best players left on the market. @WillSammon was first on the deal.
The Mets felt like they needed to do something impactful, and they have succeeded. They were strongly pursuing Tucker before he spurned them to sign with the Dodgers, but they acted very quickly to ensure they would not be left completely empty-handed.
Bichette was one of the most highly-pursued free agents on the market coming off a strong season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He hit .311 with 18 home runs and was a key part of the Toronto team that came so close to winning a World Series in 2025.
It remains to be seen where the Mets will play Bichette. With Francisco Lindor locked in at shortstop and Marcus Semien the apparent second baseman, it would make a lot of sense to slot Bichette in at third base, which would represent a change for the longtime shortstop.
Mets owner Steve Cohen had suggested the team was trying hard to make a big move on Thursday. Most took that to be referencing Tucker, but perhaps Bichette was the name they were after.
Dave Roberts’ old quote resurfaces after Dodgers sign Kyle Tucker
Dave Roberts’ quote from last month did not age well (and he obviously won’t be one bit upset about it).
The Los Angeles Dodgers stunned the baseball world on Thursday by winning the sweepstakes for prized free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker. The reigning back-to-back World Series champions are giving Tucker a four-year deal for a truly absurd amount of money.
In the wake of the news, an old quote by the Dodgers manager Roberts resurfaced. Speaking with reporters at MLB Winter Meetings in December, Roberts commented on the team’s plans for the offseason.
Roberts said at the time that the Dodgers would be comfortable with running it back with the same roster in 2026. He even went so far as to say that the Dodgers did not need to make a “big splash” in free agency.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says he’s quite comfortable running it back with virtually the same roster: ‘There’s really no big splash that we feel that needs to be made.’
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 8, 2025
Predictably though, that did not end up being one bit true for the Dodgers. Just days after Roberts’ quote, the Dodgers signed three-time All-Star reliever Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million deal. Now Tucker is also headed to L.A. on the single biggest contract of the MLB offseason thus far (thereby constituting a “big splash”).
Roberts is set to enter his 11th season as the manager of the Dodgers in 2026. Instead of running it back with the same roster, Roberts now gets two more elite-level talents with which to go for the “three-peat” next season.
1 surprise new trade suitor has emerged for Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga has another possible permutation to work with as he plots his exit out of Golden State.
The Dallas Mavericks are showing interest in the disgruntled Golden State Warriors forward Kuminga ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Thursday. Charania also notes the Sacramento Kings’ interest in Kuminga, which dates back to last NBA offseason.
This news comes as Kuminga, still just 23 years old, officially became eligible for trade on Thursday. Kuminga wasted no time in demanding a trade from the Warriors as he has had issues with the team for years (including with head coach Steve Kerr). He has also effectively been a healthy scratch from the rotation since mid-December.
The former lottery pick Kuminga, who was averaging 11.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season before getting removed from the rotation, is making $22.5 million this year. He also has a $24.3 million club option for 2026-27.
As for the Mavericks, they are a surprising suitor since they are quickly fading out of the Western Conference playoff picture at 16-26 and are expected to be sellers at the trade deadline. Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, and other players are among Dallas’ possible trade chips at the moment.
But it appears that Dallas may view Kuminga as a possible young foundational piece alongside 19-year-old rookie phenom Cooper Flagg. Kuminga also notably has a former Warriors star teammate present on the Mavericks roster right now.
Fans all said the same thing about the Kyle Tucker contract
The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled a stunner on Thursday night and signed top free agent Kyle Tucker. The amount of money Tucker is receiving is crazy, and it had fans saying the same thing.
The Dodgers are giving Tucker $240 million over four years, which works out to $60 million per season. Tucker will have the ability to terminate the contract after the second and third years of the deal.
Tucker was regarded as the top free agent hitter on the market, and there was talk the New York Mets were offering him $50 million per season. Just when you thought that was a lot of money, the Dodgers blew them out of the water.
Fans all couldn’t believe the crazy annual average value (AAV) of Tucker’s contract and commented on it.
Kyle Tucker is very good by 60M AAV good??? But then again the Dodgers dgaf about money and it’s probably 99% deferred so whats the difference
— Scott Messina (@TheScottyMoose) January 16, 2026
No deferred money & a cap in baseball would be good for the sport
$60,000,000 AAV for Kyle Tucker
— Nati Sports (@Nati_Sports) January 16, 2026
Literally unbelievable
I hope the Dodgers are putrid & half their roster is hurt
$60 million AAV for Kyle Tucker?! #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/Hpb3jI0HRG
— Scott BlueJaysAlways (@BluejaysAlways) January 16, 2026
Tucker getting $60 million AAV is absolutely insane.
— Wyatt Baumeyer (@wyattB2024) January 16, 2026
$60 million AAV for Kyle Tucker is completely insane what is going on
— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) January 16, 2026
The $60 million AAV for Tucker puts him second in MLB, behind only Shohei Ohtani, who is at $70 million (though much of his money is deferred). Even Juan Soto signed for a lower AAV when he got his monster deal with the Mets.
The Dodgers have won two World Series in a row, and signing Tucker will help them make a run at a third straight. Tucker is turning 29 years old, and this contract will be through some of his prime years.
Kyle Tucker is joining the Dodgers in a stunner
The Los Angeles Dodgers have once again pulled the wool over the eyes of Major League Baseball.
Prized free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker is joining the Dodgers in free agency, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported on Thursday. Jesse Rogers of ESPN adds that Tucker is headed to Los Angeles on a four-year, $240 million deal (with an opt-out after the second year).
The four-time All-Star Tucker, 28, was the top remaining hitter on the free agent market this offseason. While the Dodgers were at the forefront of the conversation for Tucker for much of the winter, it appeared in recent days that momentum was building for Tucker to potentially head elsewhere.
Tucker, a former World Series champion with the Houston Astros, reportedly had an offer from the Toronto Blue Jays for a crazy number of years. The New York Mets were also said to have offered Tucker a contract with a $50 million average annual value, and Mets owner Steve Cohen even sounded a bit confident about the team’s chances earlier in the day Thursday.
But instead, it is once again the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers who win the sweepstakes for a top free agent. With Mookie Betts having transitioned into a full-time shortstop, Tucker is set to be the everyday right fielder in Los Angeles as the Dodgers look to go for MLB’s first three-peat since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees.
That said, the Dodgers adding to their embarrassment of riches by signing the multi-time Silver Slugger Award winner Tucker will further fuel the debate over the current state of Major League Baseball. Concerns about competitive balance and a possible lockout in 2027 may only intensify from here as a result of the news.
Report: Lakers have mutual interest with a top defender
The Los Angeles Lakers’ long defensive nightmare may soon be over.
The Lakers share mutual interest with New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones on the trade market, Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin O’Connor reported on Thursday during an appearance on the “Slightly Biased” podcast. O’Connor notes that Jones would ideally like to move to a contending team.
Jones, 27, is known as one of the top defenders in the entire league. A true 3-and-D wing with a 6-foot-7 frame and a 7-foot wingspan, Jones was an All-Defensive First Team selection with the Pelicans in 2024.
This season, Jones is averaging 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest for New Orleans (though he has made just six total appearances since November due to ankle and migraine issues). Jones also remains under contract through 2029, making him a very attractive trade piece.
The Lakers have plenty of offensive firepower to go around with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and the currently-injured Austin Reaves leading the charge. But it is on the defensive side of the ball where the Lakers have been a major catastrophe as they currently ranked 23rd in the NBA in defensive rating (for a total of 116.4 points allowed per game). As they seek roster upgrades via trade, the Lakers do most notably have a first-round draft pick in 2032 to still work with.
New Orleans, meanwhile, sits at a Western Conference-worst 10-33 this season. It remains to be seen if they will actually decide to sell ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline this year. But Jones is just one piece whom rival suitors appear to be eyeing (along with this major name on the Pelicans roster).
Mets owner Steve Cohen sparks Kyle Tucker buzz with his latest post
Steve Cohen sure knows how to build anticipation.
The New York Mets owner Cohen caused a stir on Thursday night with a cryptic post. As the Mets await a decision by top free agent target Kyle Tucker, Cohen posted a seven-word message to X.
“Let me know when you see smoke,” Cohen wrote, an obvious reference to white smoke emerging from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel when a new pope has been elected.
Let me know when you see smoke
— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) January 15, 2026
After sending fans into a frenzy with his post, Cohen then clarified the extent of his knowledge in a subsequent message to X.
“For those who don’t understand the pope election reference , we are waiting for a decision,” Cohen wrote. “That’s all I know.”
For those who don’t understand the pope election reference , we are waiting for a decision. That’s all I know
— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) January 16, 2026
The Mets, who have been extremely spend-happy ever since the billionaire hedge-fund manager Cohen took over in 2020, are one of the top suitors for the four-time All-Star outfielder Tucker this offseason. A report earlier this week suggested that the Mets had offered Tucker a contract with an absurd average annual value.
That said, the Mets have some strong competition from (among other teams) the Toronto Blue Jays, who may have an advantage in their willingness to offer Tucker a crazy number of years. But Cohen, who confirmed that he was indeed referencing the Tucker saga in his X posts, has to be feeling decently confident about the Mets’ chances to even be publicly addressing the situation at all here.
Grizzlies’ asking price for Ja Morant is revealed
The Memphis Grizzlies might be acting a bit unrealistic when it comes to a potential trade of Ja Morant.
Memphis is asking for a first-round draft pick as well as a young player in exchange for their star point guard Morant, veteran NBA writer Marc Stein reported Thursday during the “Deals and Dunks” podcast on SiriusXM. Stein also noted that it is difficult to “pinpoint clear-cut suitors” for Morant at this point.
At first glance, a first-round pick and a young player might not be all that unreasonable of an ask for a player with Morant’s resume. He is still only 26 and has already made multiple All-Star teams as well as an All-NBA team.
But given the context surrounding Morant, the Grizzlies would be hard-pressed to find a team willing to offer even that. Thanks to various injuries, Morant has appeared in just 77 total games over the last three seasons (less than one full season’s worth) and is only averaging 19.0 points per game this season even when healthy, marking his lowest total since his rookie year.
On top of that, Morant has a very big contract — he is in the third year of a five-year, $197.2 million extension with the Grizzlies. Morant is also an extremely questionable locker room presence and has clashed with everyone in Memphis this season from head coach Tuomas Iisalo to teammate Vince Williams Jr.
It is clear at this point that Morant is eyeing one particular trade destination (and recently even made an interesting property purchase in that area). But unless the Grizzlies are willing to come down on their asking price some, there is a good chance that the disgruntled Morant could remain in Memphis through the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline.
