Category: Sport

Some of the NFL’s best players (who are not playing in Super Bowl LX) will still get a chance to play ball in San Francisco this week. That’s because the 2026 Pro Bowl Games will take place on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco as part of the festivities leading up to the Super Bowl. (You read that correctly — unlike in years past when the Pro Bowl was held the Sunday before the Super Bowl, the 2026 game is on a Tuesday.) Both the AFC and NFC are sending in a squad whose players were voted on by fans, fellow players, and coaches, to participate in this year’s event which now includes a skills competition and a 7-on-7 flag football game.

Here’s what you need to know about how to watch the 2026 Pro Bowl when it airs on Feb. 3 including who’s playing, where you can watch, and more.

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How to watch the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl Games

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026

Time: Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with kickoff at 8 p.m. ET

TV channel: ESPN, ESPN Deportes

Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, NFL+ and more

2026 Pro Bowl game time

Coverage of the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on Feb. 3, 2026. Kickoff for the 7-on-7 flag football game is at 8 p.m. ET.

2026 Pro Bowl game channel

The 2026 NFL Pro Bowl will air on ESPN, with Spanish-language coverage airing on ESPN Deportes.

2026 Pro Bowl format:

This year’s Pro Bowl will feature a skills challenge and an AFC versus NFC flag football game.

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2026 Pro Bowl teams and coaches:

The 2026 Pro Bowl consists of a skills challenge followed by a 7-on-7 flag football game between an AFC and an NFC team, with athletes chosen by a three-part voting process. Fan votes account for one-third of the total Pro Bowl vote; one-third comes from NFL players; and head coaches also submit a ballot, accounting for the final one-third of the tally. Any players on the Pro Bowl roster who ended up on one of this year’s Super Bowl teams will not participate. Some players have opted not to participate due to injury or other reasons; you’ll see who was selected and who their replacements are on the rosters below.

AFC 2026 Pro Bowl Roster:

Head Coach

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Quarterback

• Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (replaced by Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns)

• Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (not participating)

• Drake Maye, New England Patriots (replaced by Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals)

Running back

• Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

• De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins

• James Cook, Buffalo Bills

Fullback

• Patrick Ricard, Baltimore Ravens

Wide receiver

• Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

• Nico Collins, Houston Texans

• Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens (replaced by Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals)

• Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

Tight end

• Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders (replaced by Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts)

Offensive tackle

• Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos

• Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills

• Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers (not participating)

Offensive guard

• Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos (not participating)

• Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts (not participating)

• Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Center

• Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs

• Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens

Defensive end

• Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans

• Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns (not participating)

• Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders (not participating)

Defensive tackle

• Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs (not participating)

• Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans*

• Zach Allen, Denver Broncos

Outside linebacker

• Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos

• T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers (replaced by Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville Jaguars)

• Tuli Tuipulotu, Los Angeles Chargers

Inside/middle linebacker

• Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens

• Azeez Al-Shaair, Houston Texans

Cornerback

• Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans

• Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos

• Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots (replaced by Kamari Lassiter, Houston Texans)

• Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns

Free safety

• Jalen Ramsey, Pittsburgh Steelers (replaced by Calen Bullock, Houston Texans)

Strong safety

• Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens

• Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers

Long snapper

• Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville Jaguars

Punter

• Jordan Stout, Baltimore Ravens

Place kicker

• Cameron Dicker, Los Angeles Chargers

Return specialist

• Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans

Special-teamer

• Ben Skowronek, Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC 2026 Pro Bowl Roster:

Head Coach

Quarterback

• Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (replaced by Jared Goff, Detroit Lions)

• Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (replaced by Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles)

• Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Running back

• Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

• Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

• Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Fullback

• Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers

Wide receiver

• Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks (replaced by CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys)

• George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys

• Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

Tight end

• Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

• George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers (replaced by Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys)

Offensive tackle

• Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions

• Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (not participating)

• Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers

Offensive guard

• Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys

• Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears*

• Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons

Center

• Drew Dalman, Chicago Bears

• Cam Jurgens, Philadelphia Eagles

Defensive end

• Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions

• Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers (not participating)

• DeMarcus Lawrence, Seattle Seahawks (not participating)

Defensive tackle

• Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles (not participating)

• Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks* (not participating)

• Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys

Outside linebacker

• Brian Burns, New York Giants

• Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams

• Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams

Inside/middle linebacker

• Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions

• Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles

Cornerback

• Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers

• Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks (replaced by Keisean Nixon, Green Bay Packers)

• Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles

• Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles (replaced by Nahshon Wright, Chicago Bears)

Free safety

• Kevin Byard, Chicago Bears

• Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Strong safety

• Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals

Long snapper

• Jon Weeks, San Francisco 49ers

Punter

• Tress Way, Washington Commanders

Place kicker

• Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys

Return specialist

• Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks (replaced by KaVontae Turpin, Dallas Cowboys)

Special-teamer

• Luke Gifford, San Francisco 49ers

How to watch the 2026 Pro Bowl without cable

You can stream ESPN on platforms like DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV, and the game and events will stream on ESPN Unlimited and on NFL+, though with an NFL+ subscription, you’re limited to watching the game on mobile devices.

It was never the headline item among Memphis Grizzlies trade chatter, not with the ongoing saga surrounding Ja Morant taking up the oxygen and airtime. But it was notable, if you were paying attention, that Jaren Jackson Jr.’s name would keep popping up here and there — that smart teams were “registering interest” in him; that smart analysts were noting that JJJ, rather than Ja, would be the Grizzly most likely to demand a haul that could kick-start a full-tilt rebuild on Beale Street; and that rival executives were curious whether Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman would find a package he liked enough to part ways with his longest-tenured player.

On Tuesday, Kleiman found one.

It’s notable that the list of first-round picks the Grizzlies will receive in exchange for their big man does not include Utah’s own 2026 first-rounder. The Jazz have already dealt the rights to that pick — all the way back in 2021, as part of a deal to dump the salary of Derrick Favors, to the Thunder. The defending NBA champs will get Utah’s first-round selection in this year’s draft … but only if it lands outside the top eight in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.

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The Jazz enter Tuesday’s action at 15-35, the NBA’s sixth-worst record. Adding Jackson — a two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year, a very good player averaging 19.2 points per game — would in theory put Utah in position to win a few more games down the stretch, potentially putting the fate of that draft pick in jeopardy.

Y’know: in theory.

In the short term, it’ll be interesting to see how precisely the Jazz — who, lest we forget, said they were all done with tanking, sir, nothing to see here — navigate the league’s tighter injury reporting guidelines to avoid racking up even more six-figure fines for roster-management chicanery. In the bigger picture, though? The Jazz could wind up being pretty damn interesting, pretty damn soon.

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Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein previously reported Utah was projecting confidence they’d be able to hold onto center Walker Kessler — currently rehabilitating following season-ending shoulder injury — when he hit restricted free agency this summer. According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz still plan to retain him, and by effectively acting in “pre-agency” to use their cap space on Jackson, they put themselves in position to start a supersized front line next season: the 7-foot-2 Kessler at the 5, the 6-foot-10 Jackson at power forward and the 7-foot-1 Lauri Markkanen (reportedly quite pleased by the JJJ deal) at small forward, with the 6-foot-11 Kyle Filipowski checking in off the bench to fit in at any of the three spots.

Dating back to his partnerships with Jonas Valančiūnas, Steven Adams and Zach Edey, Jackson has tended to play his best ball alongside a proper big man, allowing him to kick out and wreak havoc as a weak-side rim protector. The Jazz have been terrible defensively for four years. With Kessler and JJJ roaming the back line, they immediately profile as something significantly better than that, even with young and poor point-of-attack defenders in front of them; the fit of JJJ operating as a stretch-4 attacking from the perimeter and Kessler working as a screen-and-dive lob finisher feels pretty clean, too.

Sliding down the positional spectrum shouldn’t be a problem for Markkanen, either. He has plenty of experience and comfort working as a big wing; there’s a world where this looks like the jumbo outfit that Markkanen briefly lined up with in Cleveland, only with more offensive firepower and shooting touch. (We know head coach Will Hardy digs his big-to-big passing.)

If Jackson returns to form after an occasionally sluggish 2025-26 season, if the bigs stay healthy, and you add in a dynamic downhill creator and pull-up shooter in Most Improved Player candidate Keyonte George alongside gifted offensive swingmen Ace Bailey — a 6-foot-9 starting two-guard seems to make perfect sense in this super-sized lineup structure — and Brice Sensabaugh, prospective growth from the likes of Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier, and a top-half-of-the-lottery pick in what’s profiling as one of the most talent-laden drafts in years … suddenly, the Jazz don’t look like a rebuilding also-ran anymore. They look like a team that could harbor realistic optimism — for the first time since detonating the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert era — about pushing for a return to postseason play … possibly as soon as next season.

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The Grizzlies, on the other hand, have opted to take the scenic route back to meaningful springtime basketball.

Kleiman told us exactly what he thought of his team last spring, after the eventual champion Thunder swept the Grizz in the first round: “There’s a level that I think everyone has to embrace and be willing to get to reach the ultimate goal here … I don’t think we can look back at this series and this season and say, ‘Oh, we’re close.’ No, we’re not. We’re not close. There’s a lot of work to be done. I need to be open-minded in multiple respects.”

On Tuesday, with the once-again-decimated Grizzlies — only Portland has lost more player games due to injury this season, according to Spotrac — sitting at 19-29, three games south of the final play-in spot in the West, that open-mindedness has brought about the end of an era. Just over nine months after that sweep at the hands of OKC, Kleiman has turned Jackson and Desmond Bane into Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (who holds a $21.6 million player option for next season), rookies Cedric Coward and Walter Clayton Jr., third-year forward Taylor Hendricks, five future first-round draft picks (plus a top-two-protected 2029 pick swap with Orlando), about $17.4 million in expiring contracts in the form of old pal Kyle Anderson (who played in Memphis from 2018 through 2022) and Georges Niang — and, through some creative deal-structuring, what is evidently the largest trade exception in NBA history.

All told, the Grizzlies now control 12 first-round picks in the next seven NBA drafts — more than any team outside of Oklahoma City and Brooklyn — including a top-four-protected Lakers pick in 2027, and unprotected firsts from Orlando in 2030 and Phoenix in 2031. With Jackson and Bane now elsewhere, the only guaranteed non-rookie-scale salary remaining on the balance sheet beyond the end of next season belongs to Morant; with Memphis reportedly “continuing to field offers and interest” on him, it’s possible that the books might wind up well and truly cleared by Thursday afternoon.

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From a cold, sober, analytical perspective, this is what you do when you’ve decided you’re not holding a winning hand — especially if you’re a small-market team without much history of success in free agency. You fold it, shuffle up the deck and see what the next deal turns up.

You see what Coward, who’s averaging just under 19 points, 8.5 rebounds and four assists per-36 minutes on league-average shooting efficiency as a rookie, can do with the ball in his hands more often. (Provided the finally healthy and instantly balling Ty Jerome gives it up.) You give a roster now heavily tilted toward 25-and-under players — newcomers Clayton and Hendricks, holdovers Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson and Cam Spencer, and, if and when they can get healthy, Zach Edey and Scotty Pippen Jr. — chances to earn a spot in whatever comes next in Memphis.

You head into the next 48 hours about $34 million under the luxury tax line, with a ton of flexibility to act as a facilitator in other teams’ trades, renting out that cap space in exchange for even more draft picks and/or young players to test drive. You give yourself as many bites at the apple as possible, and you hope that the next pack of picks and prospects proves at least as successful as the dudes you just jettisoned.

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It’s worth remembering that’s a really high bar. Morant, Jackson and Bane were the linchpins of teams that produced two of the six 50-win seasons in franchise history, and one of just five Grizzlies playoff series victories. They never reached the heights for which they seemed destined back in the spring of 2022, and they didn’t get as far as the Z-Bo/Gasol/Conley/Allen Grit ’n’ Grind-era teams whose mantle they took up. But they won a lot of regular-season games, and they were fan favorites with whom the city fell in love — reasons to show up at FedEx Forum and tune in night after night.

That, as much as on-court production, is what Kleiman will have to replace. Overflowing pick coffers don’t put asses in seats or wins on the board. Players do. After the last era’s best-laid plans turned to ash, Kleiman and his front office had better go find some damn good ones if they want to still be presiding over the next competitive iteration of the Grizzlies whenever it’s ready to roll.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Cooper Kupp wanted his Hollywood ending in Los Angeles. It doesn’t happen that way very often in the NFL.

It has been quite a year for Kupp. On Feb. 3, 2025, he announced on social media that the Los Angeles Rams had informed him they’d be seeking to trade him, effectively ending his time there. Kupp was a franchise icon, the Super Bowl LVI MVP at the end of a historic season. He caught the game-winning touchdown to beat the Cincinnati Bengals and bring the Rams their second Super Bowl title. Then, suddenly, he was done there.

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“That was tough. There’s no doubt about it,” Kupp said Tuesday in the Seattle Seahawks’ pre-Super Bowl LX availability, one year to the day after he announced his time with the Rams was done. “You spend so much time together, so much time in one place building so much, and to have that taken away was difficult.

“That just didn’t come to a close how I’d have pictured that coming to a close. That was really tough.”

When the Rams finally cut Kupp after not finding a trade partner, he was 31 and hadn’t stayed healthy or gained more than 1,000 yards in the three seasons since his magical 2021. But he wasn’t ready to be done, even if the Rams were done with him.

Kupp signed with the Seahawks and in the NFC championship game he scored a touchdown to help beat the Rams. That win pushed Kupp and Seattle to Super Bowl LX, and offered a bit of redemption after the Rams had cut him.

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“I wasn’t going to allow someone else to say who I was,” Kupp said.

Cooper Kupp starts over

Kupp was a star with the Rams. His 2021 season, in which he led the NFL in catches, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and won NFL Offensive Player of the Year as well as Super Bowl MVP, is one of the greatest single seasons for a player ever. Not one of the best for a receiver. One of the best for anyone.

Then the Rams decided they didn’t need him anymore.

The NFL can be an unfeeling business. Kupp was practically replaced by Davante Adams, who had a good season for the Rams. Kupp wasn’t prolific with the Seahawks, with 593 yards and two touchdowns in 16 regular-season games, but Seattle is happy to have him.

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Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Kupp was a priority for the team, especially as he tried to establish a culture in his second season as head coach. On Tuesday, Macdonald talked about Kupp’s leadership and how that has impacted the entire locker room.

“Whenever the first time when we were allowed to reach out to Coop, I had him on the line,” Macdonald said. “I said, ‘Look, we don’t get opportunities to acquire a player like you,’ especially early in our program. What better player to bring in early than Cooper Kupp.”

[More on the Seahawks: Seattle team feed]

A year ago, Kupp had a long injury history with the Rams and was at an age in which another productive season was far from promised. But the Rams moving on from him didn’t affect his perspective.

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“I don’t doubt who I am. I believed in myself all the way through that,” Kupp said.

“My belief was that I can still play this game at a high level, and just needed an opportunity to do so.”

Kupp returns to the Super Bowl

Over the 2021 season, counting playoffs, Kupp had 178 catches, 2,425 yards and 22 touchdowns. He capped the season by picking up a crucial fourth-and-1 on an end-around run late in the Super Bowl against the Bengals, and then catching the game-winning touchdown with 1:25 to go.

He might not be the superstar he was four years ago, but it’s still special to be back in a Super Bowl.

“You appreciate being in this place,” Kupp said. “Any chance to play in a Super Bowl, this is what you dream about as a kid. You never dreamed about making a catch and making plays in a preseason game, you always dreamed about the biggest moments. Being able to be at the pinnacle of it … it’s a pretty incredible thing.”

It has been a wild journey for Kupp. He said he grew up wanting to play running back at USC, but USC (and most big schools) didn’t want him so he ended up at Eastern Washington. The Rams made a Super Bowl in his second season, but he was out due to a torn ACL. He became one of the biggest stars in the NFL with an unbelievable season, was a Super Bowl hero, but has also had numerous injuries that kept him from reaching that pinnacle again. Then came the unceremonious end with the Rams and the new beginning with the Seahawks.

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And another Super Bowl.

“I believe fully I’m meant to play this game,” Kupp said. “God created me to be in this place, in this moment, to play this game. I have so much joy when I’m on the field. I’ve had the ball bounce my way a lot of times and I know it wasn’t anything I did, the ball just happened to find me. Coverage was perfect. Quarterbacks made throws that had nothing to do with anything I did, they just put it in the right spot. In those moments I’ve been thankful. Like, man, I’m glad I got to be there and be the benefactor of a lot of things going my way.

“Then, in the same place, I’ve been in places where I’ve had the unfortunate injury and it’s nothing I did, someone just got me the wrong way, I fell the wrong way. Or the ball didn’t bounce my way, the coverage was wrong, things that were out of my control did not go right. In that place I took that same approach. None of this is mine anyway. It’s not about me, it’s not about me and my own self worth being affected by it. It’s just how things go. This is how things go, this is life. Whether it’s the good or the bad, I know who I am. That’s been my biggest lesson through these last few years.”

Kupp already is a big part of Super Bowl history. The way the last year has gone makes his latest trip to the Super Bowl momentous as well.

“In my own story, in my own journey of this last year, being able to be able to be back here right now is really special,” Kupp said.

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Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano and Jori Epstein react to the biggest headlines from Rodger Goodell’s Super Bowl press conference. Plus, it’s a RedZone reunion as Scott Hanson joins the show!

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(3:19) – Breaking down Roger Goodell’s Super Bowl remarks

(18:03) – Robert Kraft misses out on HOF

(24:30) – Breaking down new OC-QB pairings

(28:20) – Scott Hanson joins the show!

(44:02) – Justin Fields declines Pro Bowl invite

(49:48) – Sam Darnold’s redemption arc

(53:03) – One More Thing

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Nate Tice, Matt Harmon & Charles McDonald are LIVE from San Francisco for Super Bowl LX as they break down which teams could pull a Seahawks or Patriots next season and make a deep playoff run after missing the postseason this year.

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The trio start with their reactions to the latest coaching hires, as the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders got their head coaches, while the New York Giants hired OC Matt Nagy.

Next, the three hosts dive into their teams that could take a big leap after missing the playoffs this season. Matt shouts out the New Orleans Saints, Charles dives in on the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans and Nate shouts out the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys.

(3:40) – Coaching hires: Kubiak, LaFleur, Nagy

(21:40) – Teams that could take the leap: Saints, Bengals, Ravens

(41:40) – Teams that could take the leap: Titans & Cowboys

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

The Chicago Bulls are sending two-time All-Star center Nikola Vučević and a second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for guard Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick, according to multiple reports Tuesday afternoon.

The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reported hours later that the trade won’t be officially completed Tuesday night, noting that the Bulls and Celtics are open to potential minor tweaks to the deal.

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With the expected move, Boston will be out of the first apron, as its tax bill drops from $39.5 million to $17 million, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who also pointed out that the Celtics are poised to be eligible to sign a waived player who had a pre-existing salary of at least $14.1 million.

The Celtics (31-18) are tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Vučević, a 35-year-old double-double machine, will give the Celtics a boost in the frontcourt that’s featured Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, whereas Simons will join a Bulls backcourt that will now include 38-year-old Mike Conley Jr. and 2022 No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey after Chicago reportedly agreed to a three-team trade earlier Tuesday with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons.

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Vučević’s five-plus-season stay with the Bulls (24-26) has come to an end.

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The Bulls traded for him midseason during the 2020-21 campaign. At the time, the Orlando Magic were hitting the reset button, and Chicago was trying to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season. The drought continued that season, Vučević’s second as an All-Star, but he helped the Bulls return to the postseason the following year.

They haven’t made another trip since their first-round exit in 2022, though. Once again hovering around .500, they’re changing things up.

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While Vučević is averaging less than a double-double — he’s currently posting 16.9 points and nine rebounds per game — for the first time since 2017-18, he still has 19 double-doubles to his name this season.

Vučević will slot into a Celtics rotation that’s headlined by wing Jaylen Brown, as well as guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, in the absence of star Jayson Tatum.

The 26-year-old Simons was coming off the bench for Boston, which acquired him in a trade last summer that shipped Jrue Holiday off to the Portland Trail Blazers. Simons averaged 14.2 points in his 49 games with the Celtics, shooting 44% from the floor while recording a 39.5% clip from beyond the arc.

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He’s scored 20 or more points nine times this season, even going for 39 last month in a road win over the Miami Heat. Simons has also tallied five or more assists on five different occasions in 2025-26.

Boston approached the deadline about $12.1 million over the luxury tax threshold, according to The Athletic. The Celtics are in line to shed some salary now, considering Simons is on an expiring $27.7 million contract and Vučević is on an expiring $21.5 million deal, per The Athletic.

While Bronny James declared for the NBA Draft close to two years ago, after just one season at USC, his younger brother, Bryce, is now biding his time at Arizona.

Bryce James, the 18-year-old son of four-time NBA MVP LeBron James, has been redshirting the 2025-26 season, and, according to head coach Tommy Lloyd, the first-year guard has made “huge progress.”

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“He’s been with us through the summer and now, and the redshirting decision was just a long play to give Bryce the most options in his career as his career unfolds,” Lloyd said in an interview with reporter Chancellor Johnson that made the rounds Tuesday.

Lloyd added: “I have a real strong belief that Bryce is going to be a contributor at Arizona in the near future. He’s really shown a lot of progress in just kind of not only learning our system but just physically maturing.”

The Wildcats remain undefeated and have been the top team in the AP Poll the past eight weeks. While they’ve piled up six top-25 wins, James has been watching from the bench.

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The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Sierra Canyon product has yet to make his collegiate debut.

Lloyd explained that James is a year behind most players in his class. James turns 19 in June. He was a three-star prospect and the No. 231 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, per the Rivals industry ranking.

“So part of the thinking was let’s slow it down and let Bryce’s physical development catch up with his peers, and it really has,” Lloyd said, via Johnson.

“We love having Bryce around. What I’ll say about Bryce is he’s a normal person, a normal kid. He’s a great teammate. He draws no extra attention to himself. That’s all from the outside. Those people do it. But on a day-to-day basis, he’s a really valued member of our team, and he’s a great young man.”

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James, who notably also held an offer from Ohio State, helped Sierra Canyon win the CIF state Division I championship last year.

The year before that, he played on the Nike EYBL circuit with Strive For Greatness. Across 14 games with them in spring 2024, he averaged 6.9 points and 2.2 rebounds, shooting 36.8% from deep, per ESPN, which reported that James made multiple 3s in seven games during that span.

Bryce James wasn’t nearly as highly touted of a recruit as his older brother, whom the Los Angeles Lakers ultimately selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, setting the stage for father-son NBA history.

Kawhi Leonard is an All-Star after all.

The NBA announced on Tuesday that commissioner Adam Silver had named Leonard an All-Star after he failed to make the cut for starters as voted on by fans, players and media, or for the reserves named by NBA head coaches.

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Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Silver added Leonard to the player pool to bring the number of U.S. All-Stars up to 16 for the new U.S. vs. the World All-Star game format. The format will feature two U.S. teams of eight players and a third international team that compete in a tournament-style format at the Feb. 15 All-Star game. Leonard will be part of the USA Stripes team, with full rosters announced Tuesday.

Leonard’s addition to the roster will also give the host Clippers an All-Star representative, as they did not have one before.

Leonard’s omission from the initial All-Star roster caused an uproar as the six-time All-NBA selection and two-time Finals MVP is in the midst of one of his best seasons.

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[Get more Clippers news: Los Angeles team feed]

Leonard is having the best scoring season of his career with 27.6 points per game. He’s tied for the league lead with 2.1 steals per game and is also averaging 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 0.6 blocks.

The Clippers got off to a 6-21 start, which may have played an impact in neither Leonard nor teammate James Harden making the initial cut. But they’ve gone 17-5 since that start to surge back into playoff contention in the Western Conference.

As usual, availability is an issue for Leonard. But he’s remained relatively healthy by his standards, having played in 36 of the Clippers’ 49 games as of Tuesday.

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.”

Bad Bunny pushes back

Bad Bunny is a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign and reiterated his stance during an acceptance speech at the Grammy awards Sunday night.

“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.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated the league’s support for Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl halftime performer in a news conference Monday.

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ICE, DHS plans for Super Bowl remain murky

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.

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ICE and its tactics are under increased nationwide scrutiny in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by agents.

The Chicago Bulls have been busy this trade season and the latest pre-deadline casualty was big man Nikola Vučević, who was sent to the Boston Celtics in a deal for guard Anfernee Simons on Tuesday afternoon, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The teams also swapped second-round picks in the trade, which was the second deal made by Chicago on Tuesday.

Vučević, 35, was in the final year of a contract worth around $21 million. Simons, 26, is also on an expiring deal worth $27.6 million. Chicago had previously dealt Kevin Huerter and Dario Sǎrić to the Pistons as part of a three-team deal with the Timberwolves earlier in the day. The Bulls picked up guards Mike Conley Jr. and Jaden Ivey in the process.

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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.