The NFL expressed Tuesday that it’s “confident” that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents won’t be at the Super Bowl on Sunday, in conflict with previous statements from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials.
Cathy Lanier, the NFL’s chief security officer, addressed the topic during a security briefing with reporters ahead of Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
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“There’s no planned ICE enforcement activities,” Lanier said. “We are confident of that.”
Lanier’s claim stands in conflict with repeated statements from DHS officials that ICE will have a presence at the Super Bowl amid a nationwide campaign targeting immigrants for deportation under President Donald Trump. The NFL has no control over what decision DHS or the Trump administration make regarding ICE at the Super Bowl.
DHS: Super Bowl not a ‘safe haven’
DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski said on a podcast in October that the Super Bowl would not be a “safe haven” for targets of ICE activities.
“There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski said. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you. We will apprehend you. We will put you in a detention facility, and we will deport you.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem echoed Lewandowski’s statement, saying on the same podcast that ICE will be “all over” the Super Bowl.
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Lewandowski and Noem made their statements shortly after the NFL announced that Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny would headline the Super Bowl halftime show. Noem said this of the NFL when asked what message she wanted to send the league in response to its decision to feature Bad Bunny:
“They suck, and we’ll win,” Noem said. “They won’t be able to sleep at night because they don’t know what they believe. And they’re so weak, we’ll fix it.”
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” he said. “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans … The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.
“So please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love.”
DHS has not confirmed in recent days whether or not it has plans for ICE enforcement at and around the Super Bowl. Per the Associated Press, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin refused to say whether federal immigration agents will be present around the game.
The AP reports that DHS official Jeff Brannigan indicated in private calls with local law enforcement and the NFL that ICE does not plan to conduct enforcement activities around the Super Bowl. DHS has not publicly confirmed that stance, and concerns remain among critics that a Trump administration prone to changing its mind could do so if that is the plan.
Below, Yahoo fantasy basketball analyst Dan Titus will provide his reaction to the trade with analysis for key players.
Fantasy basketball impact
Nikola Vučević – PF/C, Boston Celtics
Celtics shoring up their frontcourt with Vuče is a good real-life basketball move that will likely still translate well to fantasy. I don’t expect Vuče to play 30 minutes a night with a capable backup big like Neemias Queta present, but he’ll still be the preferred fantasy option of the two going forward. The Celtics land an efficient and consistent big man who can stretch the floor and still be a capable rebounder. I don’t anticipate too much of a drop off when it comes to his fantasy output in points or 9-cat leagues. Queta, on the other hand, becomes droppable in 10s, and a hold, wait-and-see in 12s.
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Jalen Smith – PF/C, Chicago Bulls
One of the early winners at the trade deadline, those who stashed Smith are elated to hear Vuče is on his way to Beantown. Smith was already operating in a larger capacity, starting alongside Vuče in six of his last seven games before suffering a calf injury. With Zach Collins out, Smith now has a stronghold over the center minutes in Chicago. He’s been providing nearly top-100 value over the past couple of weeks, but if the Bulls don’t add any additional pieces to the frontcourt, I’d project he’d be at least a top-60 type of player across formats.
The 2025 NFL Playoffs have finally come down to one game: Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks
There have been plenty of futures wagers on teams to win the Super Bowl, beginning last February and going throughout the season, and we’ve been keeping track of all the biggest reported Super Bowl wagers bettors here. But with only a few teams remaining, plenty of those futures wagers (we’re looking at you, Lions, Ravens and Chiefs), have gone by the wayside.
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These are the biggest bets (by liability) that bettors are sweating as the Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, approaches on Feb. 8, 2026.
Top 10 biggest Super Bowl LX bets (by liability)
1. $2 million on New England Patriots to win Super Bowl 60 at +200 odds (Caesars)
Bet wins $4 million
2. $50,000 on Seattle Seahawks to win Super Bowl 60 at 60-1 odds (BetMGM)
Bet wins $3 million
3. $1.1 million on Patriots to win Super Bowl 60 at +188 odds (Circa Sports)
Bet wins ~$2.1 million
4. $50,000 on Patriots to win Super Bowl 60 at 35-1 odds (DraftKings)
Bet wins $1.75 million
5. $725,000 on Patriots to win Super Bowl 60 at +195 odds (BetMGM)
Bet wins $1.41 million
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6. $10,000 on Patriots to win Super Bowl 60 at 80-1 odds (DK)
Bet wins: $800,000
7. $30,000 on Patriots to win Super Bowl 60 at 22-1 odds (BetMGM)
Look at Harden — still producing like an All-Star in Year 17, but about to reach age 37 with only a partially guaranteed player option for next season to bank on — and you see a man seeking longer-term security. Look at L.A.’s books, which feature just one player (Ivica Zubac) with a non-rookie-scale salary guaranteed past the end of next season, and you see a team likely unwilling to grant that kind of multi-year re-up as it prepares to clear the decks in search of a fresh start come the summer of 2027. When the parties involved want to move in different directions, well, then, the party’s over; that’s not too hard to understand.
It’s the other side of the reported potential transaction, though, that feels a bit more curious. Why would the Cleveland Cavaliers — who, ICYMI, have won eight of 10 and 13 of their last 18 to move into a tie for fourth place in the East, just two games behind the Knicks and Celtics for the No. 2 spot behind Detroit — suddenly be so keen to take a massive swing for Harden, one of the league’s highest-usage and most ball-dominant players … to put next to their own high-usage, ball-dominant offensive supernova, Donovan Mitchell … while reportedly sacrificing Darius Garland, a two-time All-Star who’s more than a decade Harden’s junior, in the process?
You can make a reasonable player-for-player case. While Garland’s a more accurate shooter, Harden’s been a more valuable player overall over the last five seasons — a more efficient scorer, thanks to a higher volume of both 3-point attempts and trips to the free-throw line, who’s also posted a better assist-to-turnover ratio and a rebound rate twice as high as Garland’s.
The gap has widened considerably this season. Harden’s averaging more than 25 points and eight assists per game at the helm of a near-top-10 Clippers offense, stirring the drink as the Clips have set about pulling off the dramatic in-season turnaround that’s gotten them back in play-in position. Garland, on the other hand, has seen his shooting efficiency dip, his turnover rate rise, and his overall impact wane from last season’s All-Star bounce-back due in large part to persistent issues with the big toes on both of hisfeet that have cost him 25 games this season — and counting.
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The counter to that case: OK, maybe Harden, even at 36, is a better player right now. But Garland’s 10 years younger, under contract for two more seasons, and more neatly fits the multi-year timetable the Cavs have been operating under since putting together the “core four” of Mitchell, Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Why unnecessarily accelerate that timetable by trading up in age by a decade for a player who might not even be on your team two years from now?
One potential answer: Maybe the Cavs feel like it’s actually very necessary to accelerate that timetable …
… and, in fact, have already started operating that way.
Maybe you’re willing to trade up 10 years in age in a Garland-for-Harden deal — one in which Cleveland is also reportedly sending out a second-round pick — and you’re checking around on the possibility of offloading Allen’s three-year, $90.7 million contract extension (which hasn’t even kicked in yet), and you’re in on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis and now Harden because you’ve decided your runway isn’t as long as you thought it was. Maybe you’ve decided you can’t wait around for your “core four” to get healthy and coalesce.
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And maybe you’ve made those decisions because you feel like you need to maximize the window you have with Mitchell — which, with him holding a $53.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season, might only be open for two more years if you don’t take concerted action to make sure he wants to stick around.
Step No. 1 in that process? Do everything in your power to put together a roster that can get out of the second round of the playoffs — something Mitchell, for all the individual success he’s experienced on the way to six All-Star selections and two All-NBA nods, has yet to do in eight pro seasons. (And while you’re certainly within your rights to wonder whether James Harden is the man for that particular job, it seems notable that, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, it’s “believed that [Mitchell] would welcome the addition of an experienced ball-handler like Harden to ease some of the playmaking burden he has shouldered this season.”)
As generally successful as the Cavs have been of late — three straight playoff trips, the league’s fourth-highest winning percentage since the start of the 2022-23 season, the first postseason series wins the franchise had managed without LeBron James since 1993 — this era still bears the stain of disappointment, and the weight of unmet expectations. The Round 1 bullying by the Knicks in 2023; the summary second-round dismissal by the Celtics in 2024; buckling before the team-of-destiny Pacers last spring; now, going from preseason favorites to make the NBA Finals to scraping just to get out of the play-in mix: it’s all left a thick, acrid aftertaste.
There were, if not excuses, then at least explanations for those disappointments — chiefly that the Cavs have routinely not had a full complement of healthy bodies available. (This year’s model has lost more player games to injury than all but five teams, according to Spotrac, with expected starting small forward Max Strus still yet to suit up after offseason foot surgery.)
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That’s the rub, though: The “core four” have played just 161 minutes together over 13 games this season, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Tuesday that, while Garland “is making progress” and could return soon from his latest toe sprain, there is also “some concern about whether [his foot] injuries could be a longer-term issue.” Maybe those concerns informed Cleveland’s first move of this transaction cycle: this past weekend’s deal shipping out small forward De’Andre Hunter for a pair of guards, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder. And maybe that’s not all they’ve informed.
Since trading for Mitchell before the 2022-23 season, the Cavs have angled themselves toward an aspirational future — one in which Garland firmly establishes himself as a perennial All-Star, Mobley’s offensive game catches up to his Defensive Player of the Year work, Allen connects the dots on both ends, and Mitchell shines as the kind of star capable of being the preeminent offensive force in whatever seven-game series he enters. After years of that bitter aftertaste, though, and sitting at 30-21, you can understand why the Cavs might feel pressure to make decisions based not on what they might be, but on what they are: a team with one bona fide All-NBA-caliber offensive player — one who’s eligible for a contract extension this summer, and who could become the belle of the 2027 free agency ball if he doesn’t sign it — and a whole lot of questions to answer beyond that.
Garland may have struggled to stay healthy this season, but he’s 10 years younger than Harden and provides the Clippers with some long-term upside that Harden does not.
This could be the first step for the Clippers to get younger and focus more on the next decade.
The 6-foot-2 Garland is a formidable passer and pull-up scorer, and could easily find himself back in the All-Star conversation in the coming years when his health returns.
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Of course, it’s concerning the Clippers are seemingly wasting possibly the best season of Kawhi Leonard’s career with this new path forward.
Cleveland Cavaliers: B- (but with potential for more)
There’s a caveat to this grade.
First off, the Cavs need to go for the whole thing immediately. Not next year. Not in 2028. Now. Right now. Harden, technically, helps with that, and if the Cavs make a strong Finals push with Harden as their lead guard, then this grade improves.
If not, the team is looking at a situation in which Harden can leave this summer, and he turns 37 before the start of next season.
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Make no mistake: This is a HUGE gamble for the Cavaliers, as relinquishing Garland and potentially losing Harden means the clock will likely start to tick on a possible Donovan Mitchell trade request.
It cannot be overstated how much rides on this season’s success, so while I respect them for the gamble, this could go south — and quite dramatically.
The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t expected to trade James ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports. The news broke as James and the Lakers faced the Nets in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, a game they won 125-109.
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It’s unclear from the report if it’s the Lakers or James or both who have decided to move forward together. James has a no-trade clause and could veto a trade to any team.
Asked in January if he wanted to finish the season with the Lakers, James responded: “I’m good. … Everybody’s crazy.”
Teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors all reportedly had interest in pursuing James. The Cavaliers reportedly acquired James Harden from the Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland earlier Tuesday.
But the Cavaliers and others will apparently have to look elsewhere than James in an effort to upgrade their rosters.
LeBron James will reportedly finish the season with the Lakers.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
News that James is expected to remain a Laker arrived as Austin Reaves returned to the lineup against Brooklyn from a calf injury that sidelined him for 19 games. He scored 15 points on 3 of 9 shooting in just over 20 minutes of action. Reaves is having a breakout season and was integral in a 15-4 start that had the Lakers near the top of the Western Conference.
With Reaves back, the Lakers now have their Big 3 of James, Reaves and Luka Dončić healthy amid a season in which each has faced extended injury absences. The Lakers have remained competitive in the West despite those injuries with a 29-19 record prior to Tuesday’s win. It makes sense that they’d like to play this season out with their current core intact.
But the roster as constructed has glaring defensive deficiencies that project to thwart any realistic hopes of the Lakers competing for an NBA championship. Dončić, Reaves and James at 41 years old are all below-average defenders, and the Lakers entered Tuesday night ranked 25th in the league in defensive rating.
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They’re not likely to get past Western Conference contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs playing that kind of defense. It also appears unlikely that they’d be able to acquire a difference-making defender ahead of Thursday’s deadline if they’re not willing to part with James or another significant roster piece.
The Clippers and Cavaliers just pulled off a blockbuster, near straight-up trade: James Harden is heading to Cleveland while Darius Garland lands in Los Angeles. The move is a massive shake-up for fantasy basketball managers with either guard rostered, and the implications ripple through both rotations.
Let’s break down who wins, who loses and who (if anyone) should be grabbed off waivers right now.
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James Harden to Cleveland — Say what?!
Harden joins forces with Donovan Mitchell in the Eastern Conference, hoping to make one last quest for a championship and a big payday. Harden probably cares about the bag more than a trophy, but that’s a debate for another day.
Harden’s role as a primary facilitator won’t change with the Cavs. However, we could see him relinquish some ball-handling responsibilities to Mitchell, as the latter is more than capable of initiating offense. Still, with a healthy Evan Mobley (potentially), Jarrett Allen and a far deeper roster, I don’t think Harden’s assist rate will dip much from what we’ve seen this year. Harden should remain a top-15 asset in fantasy across formats, even though the usage may not be in abundance as it was in L.A. The scoring, however, is likely to drop off from 25 per game because he won’t have to take as many shots when the roster is at full strength. Short term, though, he’s getting buckets. Fantasy managers should hold.
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Darius Garland to L.A. — Buy-low window still cracked?
Garland’s nagging toe injury isn’t a great look at the moment, but the silver lining is that when he’s ready to return, he’ll command a higher usage rate than in Cleveland. It’s literally Kawhi Leonard, Garland and Ivica Zubac, so that’s a better situation for his scoring prospects, with some expected decline in his assist rate. Garland is a winner here, landing on a Clippers team that desperately needs a primary ball handler and scorer to help them stay in the hunt for the postseason.
When healthy, he’s a 20-4-6 guy who can get hot from 3 and is a top-50 player. Now he’s getting out of Cleveland, where he shared a backcourt with Mitchell, and into a situation where he has more runway.
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Who Else Benefits?
There’s no clear waiver wire pickup, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t fallout. Let’s look at Cleveland first.
Fantasy impact for Cavs
Donovan Mitchell: Already Cleveland’s leading scorer, and that won’t change with Harden in the building. Although his 5.8 assists could trickle down, now he’s getting even more usage with Garland gone. Mitchell’s usage rate was already elite, but removing another ball-dominant guard from the equation means more shots, more assists, more everything. If you’ve got him, you’re eating well. If you don’t, he’s untradeable at this point.
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Jarrett Allen: I love this for Allen because he has the potential to be a great pick-and-roll counterpart with Harden. Harden makes bigs better — look at Zu, Embiid, Capela — the list goes on. I’d be buying shares of Allen after this deal.
Evan Mobley: Unchanged. His fantasy value is secure as Harden will likely get him easier looks around the rim and put him in the optimal spots to maximize his efficiency. The stocks and rebounds are where Mobley helps fantasy managers most outside of his scoring.
Fantasy impact for Clippers
Kawhi Leonard: Kawhi’s usage is about to skyrocket. With Harden gone and Garland not the volume scorer Harden was, Kawhi becomes the clear-cut No. 1 option for LAC again. He’s been great all year, and now he’ll be shouldering a lot more since Garland isn’t ready to play as of Wednesday.
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Ivica Zubac: I’m a bit concerned that Garland, while an effective point guard, might take some time to get acclimated. Fortunately, there are a ton of opportunities and shots to go around. Zu’s been having a down year, but some new energy could ignite more production offensively from Zu.
LeBron James and his son Bronny, in Cavs uniforms, capping off a historic farewell tour with another championship in Cleveland. As they tackle each other in euphoria, James Harden peers over at Giannis Antetokounmpo, both also wearing wine-and-gold, and laughs maniacally at the craziness of it all. Harden finally earns his championship — and ruins the chances of his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, at a three-peat in the process. (Yes, I’m projecting the Thunder win it all this year.)
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That’s the storybook ending for LeBron’s 24-year career. Walking off as a champion — something Michael Jordan once had, but gave it up with a last-ditch run with the Washington Wizards.
And believe it or not, it can be done. Especially since the Eastern Conference is wide open.
On Monday night, kicking off trade deadline week, Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko broke the news that the LA Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers were engaged in James Harden trade talks. According to Iko, the Cavs were leading the chase for Harden’s services at the deadline.
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The Harden news may have blindsided some considering the Clippers have pulled off one of the greatest in-season turnarounds in NBA history, going 16-3 at one point after starting the season 6-21. But for anyone who has been paying attention to Harden’s career-long pattern of asking out, it was only a matter of time before Harden and the Clippers headed for a divorce.
When Harden arrived in ClipperLand in 2023, my first reaction was: Great, so where’s he going next? Sure enough, less than three years later, amid a team resurgence for the ages, the NBA’s most mercurial star was suddenly sitting out games for “personal reasons” and, voila, trade talks emerged.
On Tuesday night, the trade happened. There didn’t appear to be a formal trade request, but we can read the tea leaves here. Harden sought long-term assurances and wasn’t getting that from the Clippers. His co-star, Kawhi Leonard, is at the heart of an NBA investigation into Steve Ballmer and the Clippers front office for cap circumvention allegations regarding an apparent no-show contract for Leonard. Recently, Leonard and Harden were noticeably left off the All-Star team despite more-than-worthy campaigns and the Clippers hosting the All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome. (Leonard was named as a replacement.) That’s a lot of bad vibes.
(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
The Cavs reportedly held interest because of Darius Garland’s injury woes and the need to keep Donovan Mitchell happy amid a pressure-packed, underwhelming season. Harden has been playing brilliantly this season and, perhaps more importantly, his contract almost perfectly aligned with Garland’s salary of $39 million this season, making a one-for-one swap possible under the CBA rules. Key to all of this is the Cavs are a second-apron team and therefore cannot aggregate contracts to make a deal work.
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So that’s the first deal: Harden for Garland straight up. As I suspected, the Clippers are also receiving Cleveland’s 2026 second-round pick for taking on another year of Garland’s contract, even if he is just 26 years old. The Clippers get a much younger two-time All-Star guard who is entering his prime, but they’ve notably kept their 2027-28 books completely clean for a potential massive free agency pursuit. Acquiring Garland would be a minor departure from that strategy.
Trade 2: Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo for Evan Mobley and picks
I mentioned earlier the Cavs are operating as a second-apron team, which complicates any Giannis trade talks for Cleveland. They can’t aggregate salaries unless they dump about $14 million worth of salary to a third party. Enter the Brooklyn Nets who, according to Spotrac salary data, have juuuuuust enough space to grease the wheels for Milwaukee and Cleveland to consummate a deal. Assist point to my pal Kevin Pelton, who proposed the general framework.
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So the trade: Cleveland receives Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo; Milwaukee nets Evan Mobley, Lonzo Ball and a 2031 first-round pick from Cleveland, and Tyrese Martin from Brooklyn; Brooklyn absorbs Max Strus’ contract and earns the right to swap first-round picks with Cleveland in 2028, 2030 and 2032.
The Cavs need Harden to make Giannis feel comfortable that they’re championship-ready enough for him to commit to a long-term extension when he’s eligible for a four-year, $275 million pact this upcoming October. With Garland sidelined, I’m not sure the Cavs had enough to get that critical sign-off from Antetokounmpo. Last thing the Cavs want is to give up Mobley only for Antetokounmpo to walk in the summer of 2027.
Would a starting five of Harden, Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Antetokounmpo and Jarrett Allen win a title? Maybe. But they could use a star small forward to complete the set.
What’s that? Is that The King’s music!?
Move 3: LeBron James signs in free agency with Cavs
LeBron James is a $52.6 million expiring contract this season and has veto power on any trade. It’s possible he engineers a deal (again, he has to sign off on a trade for it to go through) to Cleveland to set up his last hurrah next season back home, but doing so would probably gut the Cavs’ depth ahead of a championship pursuit.
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Instead, James could slow his roll and wait until this summer to head back to Cleveland when he could sign a Dirk-esque contract with the Cavs. Why would he take a discount if he’s still playing at an All-Star level? It would serve as something of a compromise so the Cavs would trade for son Bronny, who is due a guaranteed $2.3 million next season.
The Cavs could head into next season with a starting lineup of Mitchell, Harden, James, Antetokounmpo and Allen with Tyson, Dennis Schröder, Keon Ellis (eligible for extension), Bronny James and Sam Merrill anchoring the second unit. Maybe bring back Kevin Love for the double farewell tour? Can we get J.R. Smith off the golf course and in Cleveland again?
The backdrop of all of these Cavs blockbuster deals is fortifying a long-term commitment from Mitchell, who can walk as a free agent in the summer of 2027. He holds a player option for $53.8 million during a summer in which the Knicks, Lakers and Clippers could carve out the requisite cap space to hit the Donovan dance floor.
Moving past the current star-studded core that has underwhelmed in the playoffs would certainly be a risk, but bringing three former MVPs into the fold would represent the kind of massive swing that might inspire Mitchell’s confidence that Cleveland is his home. Sure, the Cavs would be banking on three players on the wrong side of 30 (and the wrong side of 40 in LeBron’s case), but it’s not like the youthful core in Cleveland has been cutting it in the playoffs.
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If the Harden-Giannis-LeBron Plan is truly the goal, it would make a lot of sense why Klutch Sports has been attempting to represent Giannis, according to TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott last week. Having Giannis as a client wouldn’t just be a boon for Rich Paul when Antetokounmpo comes up for a massive extension, but it would also serve as an information pipeline to assure everyone is on the same page in Cleveland.
Would the blockbuster deals be enough to win James a fifth championship and ride into the sunset as a champion? Perhaps. If you thought the 2016 championship in Cleveland couldn’t be topped, I present to you the James retirement plan with Harden finally earning his ring and Giannis winning his second.
Welcome back to the world’s most accurate power rankings, where every two weeks we set all 30 NBA teams into so perfect an order that you could not possibly quibble with one’s placement.
In this edition, we vibe-check the league in the days before its trade deadline.
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We have already seen a handful of moves, including a blockbuster James Harden-for-Darius Garland trade from the steadily rising Cleveland Cavaliers, who potentially repositioned themselves for additional deals. Why the Sacramento Kings swapped Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder for De’Andre Hunter nobody may ever know, except for the fact that they are the Kings, who fell into last place in our rankings.
In first place, as they have been all season, remain the Oklahoma City Thunder, who — despite a mortal 15-10 record across their last 25 games — are still heavy title favorites, according to both me and the oddsmakers. Not one deadline move made so far has closed the gap on OKC. That became clearer when the Thunder worked the hobbled Denver Nuggets on Sunday night.
Although, the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes appear to be unfolding in real time, as both the Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves — contenders from both conferences — made deals this week that better positioned them for bigger swings. Stay tuned. In the meantime, and before we spoil the whole list, enjoy power rankings that most accurately reflect our current title picture.
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
“One of our key tenants is toughness,” said Kings coach Doug Christie, who was not laughing when he said it. “It’s not just physical toughness. It’s mental toughness as well. We got to lock in and make sure we are on point moving forward regardless of what happens.” What happened: Everyone is for sale, and they are a mess. Which came first, the mess or the firesale, is a riddle.
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If you ever want to see Trae Young in a Wizards uniform this season, try not to read too far into executive Michael Winger’s recent comments: “We are going to be better next season than we are this season. How much better remains to be seen, but I think we all would expect us to be better next season, and Trae by himself will put us in more competitive basketball games.”
“I like where our defense is at,” said Pelicans coach James Borrego, whose team ranks 27th on defense and 25th on offense. “I think the defense is giving us a shot. We said that’s where we’re going to hang our hat the rest of the year. Now we’ve got to find some more offense.” All I see: A cartoon captain running about, plugging every hole in a sinking ship, only for a next one to arise.
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We have reached the point of the NBA season where the Nets are setting more realistic goals for themselves: just try not to get blown out. “Man, we just got to learn from it. We just can’t keep getting beat by 50 though,” Nicolas Claxton said after a recent loss. “It’s really demoralizing as a group for us. We got to come together and figure out ways to, at least, keep the games closer.”
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo misses the injured Zach Edey and is running out of frontcourt options in Memphis, where Jaren Jackson Jr. is now no longer present, either: “When you’re losing the possession game time after time, I would love to put some bigger guys in there and some guys that can rebound, but we have all our biggest guys on the floor and there is no help coming.”
What precipitated the trade for Jackson? A clue, courtesy of Jazz coach Will Hardy, after a recent loss: “We were steps behind on every action tonight defensively. Their cutting had us spinning like a top the entire game and it resulted in a lot of catch-and-shoot 3s. Credit to Golden State. They played with a ton of energy and force. We looked slow, sloppy, run-down.”
Trae Young is no longer a scapegoat in Atlanta, where coach Quin Snyder is seeking answers: “We weren’t committed to taking good shots. We weren’t committed to passing the ball. … When we play well, we’re getting in the lane and we’re kicking the ball out. When we play well, we’re running and we’re spacing offensively, and then on the defensive end, you know, we lose focus.”
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Bulls coach Billy Donovan lays out a plan in plain English for Chicago’s executive suite: “We have to keep building out with younger people. I don’t think there’s any question about that from a roster standpoint. … However those conversations take place, whether it’s in July or whether it’s at the trade deadline, I think the front office is looking to try to build it out as best they can.”
“In Brazil, we have a saying, ‘You don’t sharpen the knife of your enemy,’” said Blazers coach Tiago Splitter, before paying a backhanded compliment to Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen and a forehanded slap to his own team. “We didn’t expect that game from him. … [It was] probably one of the best games of his career. So, again, poor job by our bigs, by our team, guarding him.”
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“We’re coming,” said Collin Sexton, and you get the sense he’s right about these young Hornets, who have won seven straight. “It’s going to take an everyday process. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s not going to be something that just is a drastic change. You have to take baby steps.” Preach, Collin. “When we’re just playing, I feel like that’s when we’re at our best.”
We are not supposed to worry about 38-year-old Stephen Curry’s “runner’s knee,” but consider me worried as I listen to Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s most recent diagnosis: “I would imagine it’s something that we have to really monitor here, especially before the All-Star break. … Does he need to miss a game here or there? That’s something we all have to figure out.”
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“I’ve said it time and time again: We weren’t ready to play,” said Desmond Bane. “We were a step slow, especially on the defensive end. They were getting whatever they wanted. … You’re playing the second-best team in the league so you can’t afford to have moments like that. I talk about our growth and stuff like that, but we’ve got to start putting it into action and being better.”
This, from Bam Adebayo, explains a lot about both the Heat’s mentality and what’s wrong with them, all at the same time: “It’s not about talent. It’s about who wants to do the little things. You know, 50-50 balls, crashing the glass, getting the extra possessions, and then obviously live with that type of result. And I feel like they did the little things that got them the W tonight.”
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James Harden is out in L.A., where Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had some thoughts ahead of the trade deadline: “If a team’s trying to trade for you, somebody wants you. You could be in other guys’ shoes, where nobody wants you, nobody wants to trade for you, and then you’re out of the league. I mean, it’s part of the business. You never want to see your guys go.”
“While we’re talking about Scottie [Barnes], I feel disappointed that [Brandon Ingram] did not make it to All-Star as well,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajaković. “I think he definitely deserved it.” Coach, as always, Rule No. 1 about discussing All-Star snubs: You have to name who needs to be removed to make room for Ingram. Does Toronto think Pascal Siakam doesn’t deserve it?
Philadelphia fan Robert Phillip pegs the Paul George suspension perfectly: “That’s the Sixers for you. We pick up a little traction and we’re doing our thing and something always bad happens. We have some sort of bad luck. But, we’re going to push through it. That’s how we is. [Tyrese] Maxey’s hooping. [Joel] Embiid’s hooping. The whole team is hooping. So, we should be good.”
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The Lakers are surviving a negative net rating and the absence of Austin Reaves for one reason and one reason only: Luka Dončić. As Lakers coach JJ Redick said, “It’s hard to describe because most of us can’t fathom being that good.” Added LeBron James: “He’s beyond special.” Reminder in case anyone forgot: Nico Harrison traded the 26-year-old they are talking about.
You know the list of All-Star snubs has gotten too long when Suns center Mark Williams is arguing, “Dillon [Brooks] got robbed.” Still, Brooks has set a tone in Phoenix, one that had left the Suns with 30 wins before the calendar turned to February. As Phoenix coach Jordan Ott said, “That’s growth, that’s leadership, and that’s who we want to be.” And that’s who they are.
It is good to have defensive principles, to know them, and to understand them, and it appears — finally, with a slight adjustment, funneling ball-handlers to the baseline, rather than the middle — the Knicks are on the same page. “Our defense has been so much better,” said Mikal Bridges. “Everybody’s been on a string, knowing what we’re doing.” Knowing is, of course, half the battle.
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The Celtics own the league’s best record — by more than 25 games — in the four years since Jaylen Brown tweeted on the last day of January 2022, “The energy is about to shift.” As he said after Sunday’s inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic, “As you continue to progress throughout the journey, legacy is something you think about. … And the best legacy you can leave is winning.”
How are the Rockets managing without the injured Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams? They are rallying around their depth, at least according to Jabari Smith Jr.: “Everybody is ready to play, no matter if you’re in the rotation, out of the rotation. Everybody is cheering guys on. You don’t see it often. You see guys pouting and waiting for their turn. … That just doesn’t go on around here.”
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If it seems like the Timberwolves have been playing to the level of their competition, it is because they have, according to Donte Divincenzo: “We just have to respect our opponent for a full 48 and stop getting up for the big games and not getting up for the teams we have to respect night in and night out. … We’re supposed to be sitting second or third [in the West] right now.”
The Pistons are hardly satisfied with a 5.5-game lead on the Eastern Conference, according to Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff: “We never expect to start the season as good as we expect to finish it. And for us, it’s always about taking steps to continue improving. You find different ways and different areas where you need to improve, and I think our guys have continued to do that.”
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What is it like to have Nikola Jokić back from injury? “He was very impactful. He’s incredible,” said Denver coach David Adelman. “It’s special to have Jokić back in all the ways that he is — the best basketball player in the world.” Now, if only Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cam Johnson were not also injured for the Nuggets, they might have a shot at the No. 1 spot here.
“I think the good thing is that nothing makes you learn and makes you mature like failure or losses,” said Victor Wembanyama, who has not had a lot of either this season, before adding something that should terrify the rest of the league: “We need to mature a little bit, I think.” The Spurs are not your average young team. They know who they are, and who they need to be.
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Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, as with all things, put Chet Holmgren’s first All-Star selection into proper context: Of course the Thunder deserve two All-Stars. “It’s a team accomplishment,” he said. “In our case, our success on the defensive end of the floor highlights a player like him. So, it’s a point of pride for all of us when we have multiple guys go to the All-Star Game.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the Memphis Grizzlies traded forward Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz in a blockbuster move involving eight total players and three future first-round picks. Following Jackson’s departure — a transaction that now gives general manager Zach Kleiman 13 future first-round picks over the next seven years (in addition to a $29 million trade exception) — rival executives anticipate a reduction in Ja Morant’s asking price, potentially accelerating a departure by Thursday’s trade deadline, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Despite publicly and privately professing his profound love for the organization, Morant must now come to terms with the fact the Grizzlies are pivoting toward a full rebuild, with his future away from the franchise that drafted him.
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Despite Memphis’ claims that Jackson was an overwhelmingly positive locker room presence and a part of the Grizzlies’ core — which surfaced once news of Morant’s availability emerged — the overwhelming belief was Jackson was operating on borrowed time. Following Morant being put on the block, a slew of interested teams aggressively approached Memphis, gauging the temperature on a potential trade, but Utah’s package — with a trio of coveted future firsts — was enough to push Kleiman to pull the trigger, sources said.
Because of Jackson’s production and positive influence, his market was naturally more robust than that of Morant, who has dealt with a litany of injuries and off-court issues and a decline in production. Sources said Morant has a diminished market — with interested teams wary of meeting Memphis’ previous demands. The Grizzlies are becoming increasingly aware they won’t recoup a similar haul compared to what Jackson or Desmond Bane procured in a Morant deal, sources said.
A curtailing of Morant’s price should appeal to Miami and Minnesota, two of the interested teams that have been monitoring the situation — while keeping the bulk of their assets focused on Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. (There is a growing thought the Heat would grant Morant the extension he’s been seeking, sources said.)
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The Grizzlies are now also interested in being a facilitator in any Antetokounmpo deal elsewhere and are monitoring that situation closely, sources said. Prior to Tuesday’s trade activity, Memphis was exploring the possibility of being part of a multi-team deal involving Minnesota and Milwaukee for Antetokounmpo that would have sent beloved Grizzlies guard Mike Conley back to Memphis, sources said. Minnesota instead moved Conley in a deal with the Bulls.
