Sports
Trade winners and losers: Cavs deliver, Bulls not so much
Jan 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images As the clock counted down on the NBA trade deadline Thursday, it was the Los Angeles Clippers who drained a shot at the buzzer, while the Chicago Bulls seemed unable to execute the play drawn up in the huddle.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant were supposed to be the biggest names on the move by Thursday afternoon and yet the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies held their ground. And yet the Grizzlies managed to show they had other options.
The Dallas Mavericks were still trying to dig themselves out of the hole they made for themselves in advance of last year’s deadline, while the Golden State Warriors shut down the trade season after inspiring some head scratching.
With the second half of the NBA season already upon us, even if the All-Star break has yet to arrive, there were multiple winners and losers as the trade deadline passed.
WINNERS
Cleveland Cavaliers
At least for the time being, the Cavaliers figured out how to make themselves a better team, all while sitting in a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference. Good-bye Lonzo Ball, De’Andre Hunter and the injured Darius Garland. Hello Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder and James Harden.
Cleveland loses 10 years in the Harden-Garland swap but they suddenly have scoring punch for when star guard Donovan Mitchell goes to the bench. It was a glaring weakness for a top team, and while Harden, 36, is an older player, he has been durable.
The Cavaliers are on a 9-2 run and they have yet to integrate their new pieces, although Ellis and Schroder did make their team debut Wednesday … in an blowout road victory over their trade partner, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Los Angeles Clippers
Considering the Clipper were an old team with no first-round draft pick this year and a 6-21 record to start the season, the path to a brighter future is now paved.
Harden was swapped for a 26-year-old in Darius Garland, who has a two All-Star Game appearances and a tight relationship with Los Angeles head coach Tyronn Lue. What Garland will need moving forward is better health.
The Clippers also addressed their empty vault of draft picks by landing two first-rounders when they moved center Ivica Zubac, whose old-school game lacks the versatility of today’s big men. And yet the Clippers also added Bennedict Mathurin from the Pacers in the deal.
The Clippers now have the fifth overall pick from the 2019 draft (Garland), the No. 6 overall pick from 2022 (Mathurin) and two first-round picks for the future.
Memphis Grizzlies
Trading Morant was supposed to bring Memphis the kind of draft capital, similar to what the Oklahoma City Thunder had acquired to build their current empire and make it formidable for years to come.
With teams seemingly unsure of where Morant sees himself down the road, the Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz for a package that includes three first-round draft picks. Add that the to the four first-round picks they landed this offseason by trading Desmond Bane to Orlando, and Memphis can see a bright future, all in a matter of nine months.
LOSERS
Chicago Bulls
A haul of second-round draft picks would be impressive in baseball and formidable in football. In basketball, the stars that emerge from the second round do exist, but not as much as the Bulls are going to need them to develop.
The Bulls now have 14 second-round draft picks through 2032 and only five of them are their own. And Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic are gone now from a roster that was hovering around the bottom of play-in eligibility.
Guard Jaden Ivey is a nice pickup, assuming injury issues are behind him, but was there not a single first-round pick to be had this week?
Golden State Warriors
The reported pursuit of Antetokounmpo inspired dreams of the Greek Freak playing alongside Steph Curry as the former champions combine their star power to chase at least one more title. Oh well.
Not only that, sending out Jonathan Kuminga seemed like it would bring a decent return. But even while combining Kuminga with Buddy Hield, the Warriors were only able to land Kristaps Porzingis. At least Porzingis is on an expiring contract.
Golden State is currently eighth in the West, but that is merely a spot in the play-in tournament. Can Curry will another deep playoff run with the squad he has around him?
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers won last year’s trade season by ripping away Luka Doncic from the Mavericks, but with merely a handful of expiring contracts to deal, they were going to have to be clever to land the kind of upgrade they needed this time around.
Enter Luke Kennard, who was acquired Thursday. While Kennard coached by JJ Redick offers intrigue, he is not the most aggressive of talented sharpshooters and it is hard to see him being more assertive on a team when Doncic and LeBron James are yearning for the ball.
If only Dalton Knecht turned into the confident shooter Los Angeles envisioned. Maybe a 3-and-D forward would be on his way instead.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LAFC acquire M Stephen Eustaquio on loan from Porto
Nov 23, 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar; Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (red jersey) and Canada midfielder Stephen Eustaquio battle for control during the first half of a group stage match during the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images Los Angeles FC acquired midfielder Stephen Eustaquio on loan from Portuguese club FC Porto, the team announced Friday.
Eustaquio, who is signed through the end of June with an option to buy, will occupy an international spot.
Since joining Porto in January 2022, he notched 12 goals and 11 assists in 156 matches across all competitions. He also played at fellow Portuguese sides Torreense, Leixoes, Chaves and Pacos Ferreira, as well as LIGA MX powerhouse Cruz Azul.
“Stephen is a top-class midfielder with extensive international experience who knows what it takes to win and lead at the highest level,” LAFC general manager John Thorrington said in a statement. “We’re excited to add a player of his quality, and we’re confident he will have an immediate, positive impact on the group both on and off the field.”
The 29-year-old has four goals in 54 caps for his native Canada, playing in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2024 Copa America.
LAFC will begin the upcoming season with a visit from MLS Cup champion Inter Miami on Feb. 21.
–Field Level Media
Sports
How the Patriots Can Upset the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX
Feb 4, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) speaks to the media at the Santa Clara Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images The New England Patriots enter Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks as underdogs, but unlike Super Bowl XX, when the Chicago Bears KO’d New England 46-10, the Patriots do have more than a puncher’s chance against the Seahawks.
Here’s what New England will have to do Sunday to pave a path to victory:
Improve on offense
Quarterback Drake Maye looked like an MVP candidate during the regular season, when he directed a New England offense that was second among NFL teams in points per game (28.8) and third in yards per game (379.2). That offense hasn’t been nearly as effective in the postseason, however.
The Patriots are averaging 18 points per game in the playoffs. That point total includes a defensive TD New England scored during its 28-16 victory over Houston in the AFC’s divisional round.
Many of the offense’s problems in the playoffs have come on third down and in the red zone. The Patriots have converted on 13 of their 43 third-down attempts, and entered the end zone twice in six trips inside their opponents’ 20-yard line. Maye has also been sacked 15 times in the three playoff games.
Some of the issues can be explained by the snowy and windy conditions in Denver during the second half of the AFC championship game, but that still leaves 10 quarters of lackluster offense.
Maye passed for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions during the regular season. Since New England will be facing a Seattle defense that ranked first in points allowed during the regular season (17.2), any chance of an upset on Sunday starts with Maye and the offense’s ability to revert to regular-season form.
“We’ll have to stay balanced,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “Our best games we were able to provide some semblance of run game and were able to kind of marry some of the play-action passes. I don’t think in this league you want to turn things into a drop-back passing game. That makes things really difficult.”
Limit Seattle’s running game
Oct 6, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) returns to the locker room following pregame warmups against the New York Giants at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images If the Patriots can be stingy against the run they can turn Seattle into something close to a one-dimensional offense and force quarterback Sam Darnold to beat them. That might be the best recipe for the defense to have success Sunday.
New England ranked fifth in rush defense during the regular season (101.7 ypg), a number that would have likely been even better if defensive tackle Milton Williams hadn’t missed five games with a high-ankle sprain.
Seattle’s offense averaged 123.3 yards rushing per game this season (tied for 10th), but running back Zach Charbonnet tore an ACL in the divisional round against the 49ers and won’t play Sunday. If the Patriots can bottle up Kenneth Walker they can focus more resources on Seattle’s passing game, meaning more pressure on Darnold and giving extra attention to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the league with 1,793 receiving yards.
“We’ll need our best effort (defensively) on Sunday to help us win the football game,” Vrabel said.
Don’t allow big plays on special teams
The Patriots don’t have to win the special teams battle, but they can’t lose it – at least not by a significant margin.
Seattle’s Rashid Shaheed is an electric returner who is a threat to score on both kickoffs and punts. He set the tone in the divisional round by opening the game with a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD.
Shaheed and punter Michael Dickson were both named to the Pro Bowl, and placekicker Jason Myers led the league in scoring (171 points).
“Everybody treats it as if it’s their own primary position,” Seattle’s Brady Russell said. “Special teams isn’t just a side job, it’s (our) main job.”
By most metrics New England has performed well on special teams this season, and the Patriots will likely need another strong effort from that group to prevail on Sunday.
“We’re just trying to build a program, and first year of the program we ended up here,” Vrabel said. “We’re excited about it and we will be ready to go.”
Sports
NC State looks to keep rolling against Virginia Tech
NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade yells down court Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Clemson Tigers at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina. North Carolina State has been building a solid resume, and the Wolfpack don’t want to see that diminished as they navigate a potentially difficult portion of the schedule.
Virginia Tech will arrive looking to boost its stock when the teams meet Saturday afternoon at Raleigh, N.C.
“I think Virginia Tech is way better than their record in league,” NC State coach Will Wade said. “And so we’ve got to get ready for a really good Tech squad.”
NC State (17-6, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) has dropped a pair of ACC home games since Jan. 3, while Virginia Tech (16-7, 5-5) has won two road games all season.
With a five-game winning streak, NC State is hovering just outside the top 25 in NET rankings. The Wolfpack battled back from a 13-point hole to win 84-83 at SMU on Tuesday night. Quadir Copeland supplied 16 assists without a turnover.
“We’re a different team when he’s not out there,” Wade said, pointing out the importance of Copeland dodging potential foul trouble. “Obviously 16 assists, but he wouldn’t have gotten those assists if he couldn’t have had some discipline defensively and done everything he needed to do not to foul.”
NC State’s Darrion Williams has connected on three or more 3-pointers in three straight games after hitting six of those shots on his way to 25 points in the SMU game. That was his highest point total in 2 1/2 months.
Virginia Tech has been off for a week after last Saturday’s 72-58 home loss to Duke, which leads the ACC.
“We need a break,” Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said. “We need to get healthy and improve some things.”
Virginia Tech had a player with 20 or more points in six consecutive games, with four players — Jailen Bedford, Tobi Lawal, Ben Hammond and Amani Hansberry — on that list.
Guard Tyler Johnson, who hasn’t played since before Christmas because of an injury, was expected to return against the Wolfpack, but Young told Tech Talk Live on Thursday Johnson is “doing very well” but will miss Saturday’s game.
“He’s just not ready. When you consider wearing that boot as long as he did, he’s making progress, but he’s not ready yet,” Young said of Johnson, who averages 9.5 points per game.
With or without Johnson, it’s a matter of the Hokies making more shots. They’ve shot less than 42% from the field in the past three games.
“You got to step to the plate and got to get a big one down,” Young said.
–Field Level Media
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