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Imagine this scene:

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 Tuesday night, Harden was reportedly traded to the Cavaliers. And it’s possible Antetokounmpo (and, in time, LeBron and Bronny, too) could join him in Ohio soon.

Here’s how it all would go down.

Trade 1: James Harden for Darius Garland

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.

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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.

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.

[NBA trade deadline: The latest updates]

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.

“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.”

“I didn’t like anything about the first half,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “It was just a shot trade. It was brother-in-law basketball, is what it was. That’s not sustainable. We found that out three years ago, two years ago, whatever it was. The second half was more like it. That’s how it’s gotta be.” I looked up what he meant by “brother-in-law basketball,” and I’m still confused!

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In what may be one of his final messages to the fans of Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo said of their boo-off, “I’m not gonna tell them what to do or how to act when we don’t play hard, or when we lose games, or maybe not where we’re supposed to be. And I don’t think anybody has the right to tell me how I should act on a basketball court after I have been here 13 years.”

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.”

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You’ve heard of coachspeak. This is GMspeak (cue “The Office” music): “We’re all in constant communication to make sure that we’re doing the best that we can to put the team in the best position to be successful. If the communication we’re having is consistent, when we talk to other teams and agents, then I think that puts us in a good position to make a deal if you have to.”

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.

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“After careful evaluation and a clearer view of the East landscape, we believe adding Dennis [Schroder] and Keon [Ellis] strengthens our depth, expands our flexibility, and positions us to keep building a championship-caliber team now and into the future,” argued Cavs GM Koby Altman. And then he traded Darius Garland for James Harden. Are even more moves coming?

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.

Austin Reaves returned to the Los Angeles Lakers in Tuesday’s 125-109 rout of the Brooklyn Nets after missing the team’s past 19 games with a calf injury. Head coach JJ Redick announced his availability shortly before tip-off.

Reaves, sidelined with a Grade 2 left calf strain, hadn’t played for the Lakers since Christmas Day. The fifth-year guard came off the bench and Redick told reporters he would play under a minutes restriction. He finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals on 3-of-9 shooting (including 1-for-5 on 3-pointers) from the floor and made 8 of his 10 free throws in 21 minutes.

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“We’ve missed him in every facet,” said Redick, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Both as an on-ball player, off-ball player, a connector, leadership on the court, competitive spirit — competitive spirit, defensively.”

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Reaves entered the game with 1:30 left in the first quarter following a timeout and the Lakers holding a 38-21 lead. His first points came at the end of the frame, making two free throws after drawing a foul on Nic Claxton.

Early in the second quarter, Reaves looked comfortable on the court, lobbing a pass off the backboard to LeBron James for a dunk.

James scored a game-high 25 points with 7 assists, followed by Luka Dončić with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Jake LaRivia added 18 points and 5 boards as the Lakers went 5-3 on their eight-game road trip and improved their record to 30-19.

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The Nets dropped to 13-36, tied for the second-worst record in the East. Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 21 points, in addition to 10 rebounds. Day’Ron Sharpe contributed 19 points and 14 boards, while Ziaire Williams tallied 17 points.

Austin Reaves having career season before injury

Reaves had been listed as questionable on the NBA injury report before each of the Lakers’ past three games. After going through pregame warmups, he said he wanted to play against the Nets, according to The Athletic’s Dan Woike. Brooklyn proved to be an ideal opponent for Reaves to work himself back in, allowing 40 points in the first quarter and trailing 69-40 at halftime.

Before his injury, Reaves had been averaging a career-high 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 23 games. He was shooting 37% on 170 3-point attempts.

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Reaves, 27, sustained the injury during the second quarter of the Lakers’ Christmas Day 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets. He did not return after halftime. A MRI revealed the Grade 2 strain and team officials said Reaves would be out for at least four weeks. Reaves eventually missed five weeks.

[Get more Lakers news: Los Angeles team feed]

Prior to the injury versus Houston, the fifth-year guard missed three games with a Grade 1 strain in a different part of his left calf. Before facing the Rockets, Reaves returned to play against the Phoenix Suns and was under a minutes restriction for those two games.

With less than 48 hours before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, here’s what we’re hearing around Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future and more.

Bucks aren’t feeling pressured to trade Giannis at deadline

As it pertains to the Greek Freak, sources said Milwaukee is not feeling pressured to find a suitable deal before Thursday. The Bucks are comfortable collecting aggressive offers from the likes of Miami, Minnesota, Golden State and others, and reassessing things after the season.

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The Bucks’ due diligence on the market — and their long-term partnership with Giannis — likely won’t affect his decision to move on from the franchise, but it shows a proactive approach to finding a solution that works for both parties. There is still a possibility of Antetokounmpo being moved at the deadline, with teams like Minnesota making strategic moves to free up finances, and Golden State reportedly willing to include franchise bedrock Draymond Green in trade talks, but Milwaukee will make the best deal possible at the most opportune time for the franchise.

Wolves eyeing Bulls guards?

There is a bit of confusion among league executives concerning Chicago’s series of transactions. Over the past 24 hours, the Bulls have acquired Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley, with five other guards on the roster and no rotational-level center. However, league sources identified Minnesota as a team to watch as it pertains to the availability of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.

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Despite their public interest in Antetokounmpo, the Wolves still have a pressing need at guard after the departure of Conley. But, again, the Bulls’ array of recent moves has left rival executives puzzled.

Raptors still interested in Sabonis

Mutual interest still remains between the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors in a deal surrounding big man Domantas Sabonis and the $135 million remaining on his contract, but the lack of interest in Raptors big Jakob Poeltl is a roadblock, sources said.

Poeltl, who signed a three-year, $84 million deal with Toronto, hasn’t played since Dec. 21 due to back issues. There is growing concern around the league about the severity of Poeltl’s back ailments, which have diminished the veteran’s value. Sacramento is also interested in wing RJ Barrett, sources said.

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Cavs committed to Harden?

During the course of negotiations between Cleveland and the LA Clippers over the past few days, the Cavaliers have signaled a willingness to give veteran guard James Harden the longer-term deal he was unable to secure with the Clippers, sources said.

Harden’s camp recently approached the organization prior to the Clippers’ late January road trip about a possible extension, but upon being rebuffed, quickly realized that a mutual split was best for both parties, sources said.

Rockets seeking low-cost moves

The Rockets’ volume of incoming and outgoing calls has increased as Thursday’s deadline approaches, with Houston seeking low-cost moves involving second-round draft capital — and gathering intel on possible buyout candidates, sources said.

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Houston is also open to being a facilitator as a third team in larger deals involving other teams. In the wake of reserve big Steven Adams’ season-ending ankle surgery, the Rockets’ need for additional center depth likely outweighs anything else, but all avenues are being considered.

Rookie Charlotte Hornets sharpshooter Kon Knueppel is reportedly headed to the NBA’s All-Star weekend.

Per NBA insider Chris Haynes, Knueppel has accepted an invitation to participate in the 3-point contest.

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Knueppel is the first player known to accept an invitation to the eight-man field. Whoever else joins him, Knueppel projects as a threat to win the contest.

Knueppel has burst on to the NBA scene since the Hornets selected him with the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft out of Duke. He’s become an instant-impact player for Charlotte while averaging 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He’s shooting 42.5% on 7.8 3-point attempts per game.

His 3.3 made 3s per game are tied for seventh in the NBA. His 42.5% success rate ranks 14th among players with 150 or more attempts. A Hornets team that finished 19-63 last season has already surpassed that win total with a 23-28 record through Tuesday and has a shot at competing for its first playoff berth since 2016.

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The 3-point contest will take place as part of the NBA’s All-Star Saturday showcase alongside the Skills Challenge and the Slam Dunk Contest. All-Star Saturday is scheduled for Feb. 14 and will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. The All-Star game will be played the following day.

NBC will broadcast the NBA’s All-Star weekend for the first time since 2002 in its first season back as a broadcast partner in 24 years.

The 2026 Pro Bowl moved off its normal Sunday slot and fit in on Tuesday night in San Francisco leading up to Super Bowl LX.

It delivered plenty of prime-time fun, all of which Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons basked in. His ACL recovery didn’t stop him from joyfully rolling around on his motorized scooter throughout the night.

AFC head coach Steve Young gave his team an inspired pregame speech about how his players are now participating in a sport that will be part of the 2028 L.A. Olympics.

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While not all the players had a handle on the rules, they did give effort, which hasn’t always been guaranteed in the Pro Bowl.

The AFC climbed out of an early hole to establish an 18-point lead. But Jerry Rice’s NFC came all the way back to win 66-52.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. earned the game’s Defensive MVP honors after recording an interception that helped his conference seal the deal.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens collected Offensive MVP honors following an impressive display of body control and end-zone footwork, including on his game-winning touchdown catch.

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Confused how this all went down? Here’s a rundown of the game’s key rules and top highlights.

Key Rules

• 7 players on field for each team

  • Center was eligible to receive passes

• Drives began at teams’ own 5-yard line

• Teams had to cross midfield for first downs

• Touchdowns gained 6 points

  • 1-point conversions were scored from 5 yards out

  • 2-point conversions were scored from 10 yards out

First-half highlights

• Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders’ pass ricocheted off Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase’s hands, and Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard was there to corral the deflection for an interception. Byard would have had a pick 6 had Philadelphia Eagles CB Cooper DeJean not committed a “screen block.” Sanders shook off that pick.

• Bengals QB Joe Burrow has underrated speed. He showcased it while receiving a double pass from Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane and then making Dallas Cowboys return specialist KaVontae Turpin miss en route to the end zone. That was the start of the AFC scoring 32 unanswered points after going down 14-0 early.

• Chase made up for the interception he caused — on defense. Playing some DB, the all-world receiver went low to vacuum a pick with his left hand. He had reservations for six, too. He arrived via backflip.

• Sanders capped a rhythmic AFC drive with a touchdown toss to Denver Broncos LT Garett Bolles, who made a convincing case for a big man to win the game’s Offensive MVP award.

• Speaking of reliable blockers, Baltimore Ravens FB Patrick Ricard also reeled in a scoring grab, and then Burrow located Bolles — a Protector of the Year finalist — for a one-point conversion to keep the jumbo theme going and hand the AFC a 32-14 advantage.

• Eagles QB Jalen Hurts hooked up with Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson for a pair of touchdowns, including one to end the NFC’s scoring drought.

• Sanders established a rapport with Houston Texans WR Nico Collins, who scored a catch-and-run touchdown on a pass from the rookie signal-caller that improved his stat line to 10-of-11, 118 passing yards, 2 scores and 1 interception.

• The Cowboys helped the NFC chip away at its deficit, thanks to QB Dak Prescott pushing the ball downfield to his everyday teammate, WR CeeDee Lamb. The duo connected for six after Lamb gobbled up YAC and dodged a flag-guarding penalty. At this point, the AFC was up 44-36.

• DeJean came up with a critical stop before the half. He appeared to pull the flag off Broncos WR Courtland Sutton just before the diving Sutton touched the pylon with the nose of the ball.

Second-half highlights

• Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco dialed up a touchdown pass to Chase at the start of the second half. Chase followed it up with a Griddy celebration.

• After Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff found Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua for six, Pickens climbed the ladder in the back of the end zone for a toe-tapping, two-point conversion. That made it a one-score game.

• In the wake of Sanders being picked off again — this time by Bears CB Nahshon Wright — Hurts linked up with an unlikely partner-in-crime. He pitched the ball back to Prescott, who flung a touchdown pass to Turpin. Cue a two-point conversion from Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson that knotted things up at 52-52.

• Chase shockingly dropped a would-be go-ahead touchdown, setting the stage for the NFC to reclaim the lead. Prescott fired a missile to Pickens. His sideline scoring grab and subsequent two-point conversion got the NFC amped, namely Parsons.

• Chase dropped another pass … and that deflection resulted in an interception from Winfield. The NFC capitalized on the takeaway. On fourth-and-goal, Goff beat the blitz with a pitch to Hurts, who then whipped a game-clinching touchdown pass to Lamb. Then Hurts lined up for a tush push that he ran in slow motion before the clock hit triple zeroes.

SAN FRANCISCO — The ticket resale market is finally giving up some secrets about Super Bowl LX.

The early trend of buyers is shaping the crowd into a Seattle Seahawks home game. The New England area buyers have been slower to the table than their counterparts. And thus far, fans in general appear to be adhering to last season’s doctrine of patience when it comes to buying — which could send prices for the cheapest tickets even lower as we approach the weekend.

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That’s according to broader data across multiple platforms in the ticket resale market, which have seen “get-in” prices (the cheapest available seats to get into Super Bowl LX) dip considerably since the conclusion of the conference title games on Jan. 25. Get-in ticket pricing was as high as $6,200 near the end of last week, before sinking nearly 30 percent early this week into the $4,300 range — largely due to the market absorbing ticket inventory that bloated to nearly 4,200 seats just two days after the conference title games.

Those prices have now stabilized and rebounded slightly, fluctuating in the $4,900 to $5,000 range depending on the buying platform.

But an interesting trend from last year appears to be lingering: Showing patience in purchasing. Last season, several platforms saw more than 50 percent of their Super Bowl ticket inventory sell between Friday evening and Sunday’s kickoff between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Some of those same platforms are now anticipating that it could be a similar trend this season, with Seahawks fans being patient due to their relatively close geographical proximity to San Francisco (thus allowing them to buy later and travel later), and Patriots fans potentially sitting the game out because of the significant travel expense from the New England area to Northern California.

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Whatever the factors, ticket marketplaces are watching inventory and buying trends closely as the midweek arrives — with some expecting that prices could duplicate last season’s Super Bowl and become more reasonable as available seats increase as Sunday approaches.

“We expect prices to continue to decline as the game approaches, while we anticipate demand to increase as well — mirroring trends seen in prior years,” said Michael Stock, the director of pricing and business strategy for ticket marketplace Gametime. “…We do not expect this year’s game to approach the record [average] prices of 2024 in Las Vegas. While this year’s game has increased to be more expensive than last year, we do not expect prices to continue to rise, and expect them to settle in-line with [the games in] 2022, 2023 [and] 2025.”

Heading into Wednesday morning, Gametime’s cheapest get-in ticket was $4,892 (including fees), while its most expensive ticket was a 10th row lower bowl seat behind the Seahawks’ bench for $39,041. Average ticket prices across multiple platforms have ranged in the $9,000 range (including fees) heading into Wednesday morning — which is nearly double the average price the last time the Seahawks and Patriots met in Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. Overall inventory on the market also continued to hover in the 4,000 range.

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When contrasting sales from the Portland/Seattle area to the Boston/New England areas, Gametime reported an early Seahawks sales lean of 5.5 to 1. Ultimately, the trend line is forecasting a game that will likely land in the top five in average historical Super Bowl ticket prices, but not quite reach the potential of what might have been achieved had the Buffalo Bills or San Francisco 49ers landed in the game.

“This year’s matchup, featuring two teams with recent Super Bowl success in the last decade or so, has seen fairly stable pricing trends,” Stock said. “In contrast, if teams like the Buffalo Bills or hometown San Francisco 49ers had made the game, we would have expected never-before-seen prices. When New England won the AFC, prices barely changed, and when Seattle won the NFC, we only saw modest price increases.”

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With get-in prices sinking to as low as $2,600 to $2,700 (before fees) late in the week for last year’s Super Bowl buyers, that stable trend and some patience could be good news for fans who appear to be once again willing to wait. For now, brokers are watching closely.

The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly dealt James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland Tuesday in the biggest trade so far of what’s already been an active NBA trade-deadline week.

Not long after the deal, Harden spoke about it with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. He denied requesting a trade, per Shelburne. But he’s “excited” to make the move to Cleveland.

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Harden, who’s one of two top-10 all-time NBA scorers without a championship alongside Karl Malone, believes he’ll have a better chance to secure that elusive NBA title with the Cavaliers than with the Clippers.

“In Cleveland I see an opportunity to win in the East,” Harden told Shelburne. “They got a very good team, coaching staff, all of the above.

“So as much as I wanted to stay in LA and give it a go, I’ve never won one before. As a basketball mind I think we have a bit better chance.”

Will Harden make the Cavaliers contenders?

Harden’s right. He joins a Cavaliers team that finished 68-14 last season for the best record in the Eastern Conference. They’ve already exceeded that loss total this season in a campaign in which Garland missed nearly half of Cleveland’s games with injury before being traded.

But they’ve still been competitive at 30-21, which was good for fifth place in the East as of Tuesday night. And the East is wide open. Swapping in a healthy Harden for a hobbled Garland has the potential to propel the Cavaliers toward the top of conference.

Is there a better backcourt in basketball?

In pairing 10-time All-Star Harden with six-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers have assembled arguably the best backcourt in the NBA. Both players are capable of dropping 50-plus points on any night. Mitchell’s an elite scorer in his prime. Harden’s a three-time scoring champ and and a high-level playmaker who’s twice led the league in assists.

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Good luck to opposing teams in deciding who to double in crunch time.

The Clippers, meanwhile, have returned to competitiveness at 23-26 following a brutal 6-21 start. But even if they’d retained Harden, this was not a team that was going to compete with the Thunder, Nuggets, Spurs or Rockets to get out of the Western Conference. The addition of Garland doesn’t change that equation.

The Cavaliers are going all in to compete for a title in Mitchell’s prime, and they might not be done making moves with nearly two full days remaining before Thursday’s trade deadline. The Clippers, meanwhile, remain in limbo.

“We had a hell of a two and a half years,” Harden said of his time with the Clippers. “We didn’t reach the goals that we all wanted to reach, but I think we built some great memories, had some great wins and fun moments for all of us.

“At the end of the day, it is a business, and I think both sides got what they wanted, are in a great place and are very happy.”

MILAN — The rink at Enterprise Center in St. Louis glowed a deep indigo. A spotlight found Tenley Albright, the gold medal-winning skater at the 1956 Olympics in Cortina, sporting the same crimson jacket she’d worn at those games. This day, the official announcement of Team USA’s Milan-Cortina skaters, marked a ceremonial torch-passing, a union of generations, and Albright drew the honor of welcoming America’s newest Olympian to the ice.

“Innovative, creative, a fiery spirit on the ice,” Albright began. Even though the entire arena already knew who she was talking about, the cheers rolled as Albright continued, “she has just won her third national championship…”

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Then 26-year-old Amber Glenn stepped from behind a curtain, embraced Albright, stepped onto the ice … and skated into her future.

Once they stop falling, children smile when they skate. Why wouldn’t you? Gliding at high speed across the ice is a joyful feeling. Why not let the world know how you feel, the way Amber Glenn did when she was learning to skate in the Stonebriar Centre Mall in suburban Dallas?

“I was lucky enough to be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” Glenn said recently, crediting the Dallas Stars with a role in her origin. “We were able to have many ice rinks built after they won [the Stanley Cup] in ‘99 and that really helped fortify a large skating community in Texas.”

Smiling is fine for the mall, but for competition, well … judges can frown on skaters’ smiles. The sport is undergoing a slow metamorphosis, but some of the old ways still persist: too much joy, too much exuberance unbalances the performance in the eyes of some judges.

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“Even as a kid, I think I was 10 years old, I was told to tone it down, because it wasn’t graceful,” she told NBC’s “My New Favorite Olympian” podcast recently. “I was skating to ‘Live and Let Die’ and classic old rock-and-roll songs that I love. Like, I’m not trying to be lady-like, I’m trying to enjoy my sport.”

Glenn’s mother Cathlene recalled judges suggesting ways for Glenn to fit the “Ice Princess” mold: cut carbs, be more graceful and, in the words of one judge, “don’t do that big smile anymore.” For a young skater who had already devoted her entire childhood to skating, home-schooling in order to focus more on the ice, the pressure and the walls around her were growing.

But Glenn kept skating, and more importantly for her career, kept winning. As her father, a policeman, took on overtime shifts and her parents scoured eBay for secondhand skates, she piled up victory after victory, locally, nationally and internationally. She claimed bronze in the 2013 ISU Junior Grand Prix in the Czech Republic, then won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships’ junior title the next year.

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Still, despite the victories, Glenn struggled with a range of mental-health challenges throughout the 2010s, culminating in her most challenging battle at age 15.

“I had a mental-health crisis, and I had to stop absolutely everything,” she says. “I left skating for a while not knowing if I’d return or not, and had to prioritize surviving and making it to the next day for quite a while there. And it took many years to get to a place where I could healthily skate again.”

As she did, she began claiming parts of herself she’d given away. In 2019, she began skating to Madilyn’s cover of Papa Roach’s “Scars,” a song that’s a long way lyrically from the saccharine orchestral music that generally accompanies skating routines.

Our scars remind us that the past is real
I tear my heart open just to feel

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Later that year, she publicly came out as pansexual in an interview with the Dallas Voice. “The fear of not being accepted is a huge struggle for me,” she told the Voice. “Being perceived as [going through] ‘just a phase’ or ‘indecisive’ is a common thing for bisexual/pansexual women. I don’t want to shove my sexuality in people’s faces, but I also don’t want to hide who I am.”

“I thought, Oh, I’m just gonna kind of mention it in an article that was about someone else,” Glenn recalled recently. “It was about my training mates. And I thought, Okay, this is my little baby step, and barely anyone’s going to see it. It was a local newspaper. Yeah … it did not stay local.”

Glenn’s announcement sent shockwaves through the skating community, but from her very first event following the interview, she began seeing Pride flags in the stands. Supporters bring flags to every competition, every exhibition, right up to the U.S. Championships in St. Louis last month.

“It wasn’t something I was necessarily prepared for, but I was comfortable enough with my friends and family, and that’s all I really cared about,” she says. “And if people had an issue with it, then they had an issue with me, and I don’t need them in my life. So it was just, if you don’t like me for me, then that’s your problem, not mine.”

“She is so special and, I think, important for our sport, the way that she’s so open and vulnerable about her mental-health issues and struggles,” says Olympic gold medalist and NBC commentator Tara Lipinski, “and how she overcomes the doubts and the pressure that she faces.”

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Out and honest about her struggles, Glenn appeared on a direct trajectory toward the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. But she tested positive for Covid just before the 2022 U.S. championships, costing her a spot on the team. The next year, she suffered her second concussion and broken orbital bones … and still refused to give up and give in.

Glenn won the 2024 U.S. championships, then repeated the feat again in 2025 and this year in 2026, the first three-time winner since Michelle Kwan won eight in a row from 1998 to 2005. She’s the eldest of the new “Big Three,” along with Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito, both of whom won national championships at a much younger age than Glenn.

Ranked third overall in the world, Glenn stands as one of the best bets to end American women’s long Olympic skating medal drought. No American woman has medaled in the Olympics’ figure skating singles since Sasha Cohen’s silver in 2006, and no American woman has won gold in figure skating since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

“Amber Glenn is an emotional favorite because of how much she’s been through,” says Olympian and NBC commentator Johnny Weir. “She really wears her heart on her sleeve when she performs, which makes it very welcoming to watch her.”

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Her openness about her mental struggles has, ironically enough, allowed her to redirect her attention to her performances. “Honestly, when I’m out there competing, I’m thinking about what I’m doing in that moment, because if I don’t, then I’m going to trip and fall on my face,” she says. “So I’ve got to think about what I’m doing in that moment, remembering to breathe, and just trying to enjoy the moment, because it is over fast.”

At that official Olympic announcement in January, after embracing Albright, Glenn skated an exhibition program to Lady Gaga’s version of “That’s Life,” a selection that surely was no coincidence. Glenn skated, long blond hair flowing free, as lines like “Each time I find myself flat on my face / I pick myself up and get back in the race” echoed through the arena.

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“I definitely peaked later in my career than most. I never thought that I’d still be skating at 26. I thought I’d be long done by now,” Glenn says. “I just keep doing it because I love it, and I’m getting better and better each passing day.”

It’s a long way from a suburban Dallas mall rink to the center of the skating universe, but Glenn is, at long last, about to finish the journey.