yes
England head coach Brendon McCullum has praised the way Harry Brook has dealt with recent controversy but admits his white-ball captain is a “work in progress” away from the cricket field.
Warrington Wolves have confirmed that captain George Williams will leave when his contract expires at the end of the 2026 season.
Weird incidents have stalked boxing throughout its history. Fan man parachuting into Riddick Bowe versus Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson biting Holyfield, the list does go on. Yet there’s always room for new entrants.
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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.
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Patriots owner Robert Kraft, like his former head coach Bill Belichick, was not selected for entry into this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class, sources told ESPN.
Trade grades for Jazz-Grizzlies mega deal
Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation
Why NBA trade deadline could be no big deal
John Hollinger, The Athletic
Updates on James Harden, Giannis and more as NBA trade deadline nears
Sam Amick, The Athletic
Belated trade grades
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
Grading Every Deal at the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline
Dan Favale, Bleacher Report
It turns out having a trillion guards and minimal wings isn’t a smart way to build an NBA team. Who knew?!
Hunter is having a down year but fills a positional need. He is more expensive than Schröder next season, but lopping off the latter’s partial guarantee in 2027-28 maximizes the Kings’ cap-space potential. Though they’re now a tax team next year, there’s no way that stands.
Forking over assets when you’re arguably giving up the two best players is uninspiring. Then again, the second-round pick doesn’t have much upside.
Losing Ellis is most painful. Sacramento could have probably fetched more if it moved him over the summer or at last year’s deadline. By now, though, he wasn’t going to net more second-round equity, and the Kings certainly weren’t going to re-sign him. Choosing to get off Schröder and decongesting the guard glut over bagging, say, two seconds is a reasonable call to make.
And yet, we can’t let the Kings off the hook. This is the culmination of a series of recently terrible decisions: not declining Ellis’ team option to make him a restricted free agent; flipping Jonas Valančiūnas for Šarić to jimmy up more flexibility; and then using that flexibility on a deal for Schröder that’s aged about as well as last year’s midseason play‑in hopes.
Recapping Monday’s Four-Game Slate
Dustin Brewer, HOOPS
NBA Power Rankings
Law Murray, The Athletic
Power Rankings, Week 16
John Schuhmann, NBA.com
CHA: How the Hornets became the NBA’s hottest team
James Dator, SBNation
CHA: Hornets storm back to avenge one of the inexcusable losses of the season vs. New Orleans
’Nata Edwards, Dispatches From Spectrum
Doug Branson, Every Hornets Boxscore
CLE: the talks are the diagnosis
bang!
cleveland traded for guards. two days later, harden-garland talks emerged. the toe injury is either worse than reported or irrelevant. both answers end the same.
CLE: What Cavs think of Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder after De’Andre Hunter trade with Kings
Spencer Davies, Clutch Points
Ellis is somebody that the Cavs covet, too. Cleveland assistant Jawad Williams spent the last two seasons with the Kings as a player development coach, working with him previously. Atkinson and Cleveland’s front office saw it as a “big advantage” and consulted on that knowledge while discussing the possibilities.
“It always starts with the person,” Atkinson said. “A+ grade right off the bat. Jawad was a big fan. That’s part of the background you do when you make a trade like this.”
“Obviously, a really good steals guy; steals and defensive activity. But probably an underrated offensive player because of the shooting. We’ll just see if we can unlock him because I think there’s more there than just a spot-up shooter from what I see with his athleticism. He reads the game well. Can we use him a little bit more as a cutter and throw the ball ahead to him in transition? But man, what a get. The upside is tremendous. Excited about adding him to the group.”
BI Note: Interesting that former Kings development coach had such high praise for Keon. Just deepens the mystery of why the HCs treated Ellis so badly.
GSW: Steph Curry’s Final Act: “There Are No Perfect Endings”
Howard Beck, The Ringer
NBA stars rarely get fairy-tale endings. But Steph still has his joy, and the hope for one more meaningful run. “There’s still enough of a chance,” he says.
The rest of the team-specific stories as well as draft-related items follow for paid subscribers
FEATURES OF THE DAY
The Long Slow Giannis Milwaukee Breakup, The Blame, And The Best Of Bad Options
Hardwood Paroxysm
Kawhi Leonard, Alperen Şengün among 10 biggest ‘snubs’ for 2026 NBA All-Star Game
Eric Koreen, The Athletic
LeBron James’ uncertain NBA future means he might not play in Madison Square Garden again
Law Murray, The Athletic
How Will We Remember the Luka Trade in 100 Years?
Tyler Parker, The Ringer
‘He deserved it’ – Lakers react to LeBron James All-Star streak continuing
Eric Koreen/Dan Woike, The Athletic
2026 NBA All-Star: Biggest surprises and snubs as full rosters revealed
Zach Kram/Kevin Pelton, ESPN
NBA trade grades: Keon Ellis to Cavs, Vit Krejci to Blazers
Kevin Pelton, ESPN
That’s so Sixers
Tom Ziller, God Morning it’s Basketball
NBA Storylines: February’s strength of schedule rankings
John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Three Things I Noticed on League Pass: On the Move
Jared Dubin, Last Night, In Basketball
We Had Six First-Time All-Stars Named on Sunday | HOOPS, 2/2/26
Dustin Brewer, HOOPS
Evan and Aaron begin the episode by diving into the ever so lightly covered Giannis trade drama. They then wade into the waters of the Robert Pera story, as covered by Sam Koppelman on Pablo Torre Finds Out, and the challenges Adam Silver faces in governing a new group of owners with such immense financial power and influence.
In 3-Up/3-Down, the guys discuss the Orlando Magic and their continued trend of three-point inefficiency; the Charlotte Hornets as the league’s current offensive fun bunch; the Oklahoma City Thunder’s recent swoon; Joel Embiid returning to dominant form; calves plaguing the league this season; and Kawhi Leonard being back to full Terminator Kawhi.
Finally, the guys touch on the trade that went down between the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers.
FEATURE OF THE DAY
Cavaliers score massive win as Kings make yet another puzzling deal
Sam Quinn, CBS Sports
NBA 2026 Trade Deadline Primer
Parker Fleming, Subtsakalidis
Checking in On 2026’s Projected Second-Rounders
Jacob Sutton, JSutt Hoops
Shelton Henderson: High-Energy Forward Bringing Athleticism and Defensive Activity
DraftVision
Who’s NBA Draft’s No. 1 player on your board? Rank Peterson, Dybantsa, Boozer, and more
Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation
Caleb Wilson returns to Atlanta bigger and better in record-setting show
Shelby Swanson, The Herald
Cavaliers score massive win as Kings make yet another puzzling deal
Sam Quinn, CBS Sports
Kings’ trade with Cavaliers shows a lack of foresight and direction
John Hollinger, The Athletic
This coming summer, the Kings will be at or above the first apron (depending on where their first-round pick lands) unless they either waive DeMar DeRozan or make other trades to shed salary. This feels less like an orderly rebuild than an ongoing game of throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it randomly takes the form of a Picasso.
Grading the Cavs-Kings-Bulls three-team trade
Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation
I’ve always liked Ellis as a tough defender with low-volume three-point shooting ability, so that’s a nice addition for Cleveland’s stretch run, too. I have no idea why a hopeless Kings team wouldn’t play him much this season, but it was clear they weren’t going to resign him, so now the Cavs get an extended look at him before he hits free agency. Cleveland won’t miss Hunter: the Cavs have a -0.5 net-rating with Hunter on the floor this season, and a +9.5 net-rating with him off. He just couldn’t hit a shot this season, and his defense has never been that impactful. I like every bit of this deal for Cleveland.
Trade Breakdown
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot
Cavaliers got the steal of the trade deadline days before the final buzzer
Quinn Everts, Fansided
(Keon Ellis) is saved! Now a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers after Saturday’s late-night trade, Ellis is the most obvious future fan favorite I’ve ever seen. His constant hustle and defensive production (combined with timely shot-making) will endear him to Cleveland quickly. To add him for De’Andre Hunter (who became a clear trade candidate after Jaylon Tyson’s breakout) and a second-rounder feels like a coup by this front office.
Ellis had a breakout year in 2024-25, averaging a career-high 8.3 points per game, shooting 43% from 3-point range, and nabbing 1.5 steals per game. He swung multiple games for the Kings with his effort, and I see no reason why that would change in Cleveland. In each of his three full seasons, Kings opponents have been worse on offense when Ellis is on the floor. Often, he cuts off the head of the snake with his defense.
This year, as the Kings conducted their Year of Immense Pain and Suffering, Ellis has seen his role on the team decrease considerably. Their loss!
Cavs address 2 critical weaknesses by acquiring Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis
Chris Fedor/Ethan Sands, cleveland.com
Inside the Cavs’ rapid reversal on De’Andre Hunter
Chris Fedor/Ethan Sands, cleveland.com
“The biggest part of this is that De’Andre just wasn’t playing well,” Fedor explained. “He was underachieving based on what they gave up to get him, based on what they expected coming into this year, and based on what they’re paying him. And they could not afford this, this version of De’Andre.”
What makes this situation particularly intriguing is how thoroughly the Cavaliers tried to make it work.
The organization attempted various strategies to unlock Hunter’s potential — different positions, starter versus bench roles, varied offensive schemes — but nothing produced consistent results. This left the front office in the uncomfortable position of admitting a significant mistake.
The trade represents more than just moving on from Hunter. It signals a pragmatic approach from the Cavaliers’ front office, who recognized their error and refused to let sunk costs dictate their future.
The Cavs addressed several key areas in their three-team deal
Jackson Flickinger, Fear The Sword
Kings make trade to acquire De’Andre Hunter from Cleveland Cavaliers
Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee
Sending Schroder and Ellis to Cleveland in exchange for Hunter alleviates the logjam in the backcourt while adding size, length and another versatile defender to the frontcourt alongside Keegan Murray. The move will free up minutes for rookie first-round draft pick Nique Clifford at shooting guard while opening the door for the Kings to convert undrafted rookie center Dylan Cardwell from a two-way contract to a standard NBA contract.
Who is the Kings’ newest addition? What to know about De’Andre Hunter trade
Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee
BKN: Cam Thomas ignites, Egor Dëmin leads rookies close as Nets beat Jazz to snap skid
CJ Holmes, Daily News
CHA: The Hornets have gotten good, and the playoffs seem very possible
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer
CHA: Hornets Secure 6th Straight Win, Take Down Spurs On A Snowy Afternoon
Sam Perley, Hornets.com
CHI: Short-handed Bulls come away with feel-good win
Will Gottlieb, All CHGO
DAL: The Luka Doncic trade was a watershed moment. With Cooper Flagg, it’s time to look forward
Mike Curtis, Morning News
DAL: A year after losing Luka Dončić, the Mavs have brighter days ahead because of Cooper Flagg
Kelly Iko, Yahoo Sports
DET: Cade Cunningham’s growth has earned him respect from some of the NBA’s best defenders
Hunter Patterson, The Athletic
FEATURES OF THE DAY
NBA Hot Shots: Mid-Season Update
Chris Gunther, Charting Hoops
Big Giannis questions: Is it now or never for Warriors? Why are Bucks better waiting?
Eric Nehm/Sam Amick/John Hollinger, The Athletic
Cade Cunningham’s growth has earned him respect from some of the NBA’s best defenders
Hunter Patterson, The Athletic
Mail Bag! True contenders, Spurs guards, Clippers future, and more
Jared Dubin, Last Night, In Basketball
NBA Trade Deadline 2026: Trae Young deal shows major hiccup in open market
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News
The Tuesday Newsletter Extravaganza … on a Friday night
Marc Stein, The Stein Line
NBA trade deadline: How 8 East threats approach final-week sprint
Tim Bontemps/Brian Windhorst, ESPN
BOS: Payton Pritchard, Celtics keep Kings in check in decisive 112-93 victory
Gary Washburn, The Boston Globe
BOS: How the Celtics, without Tatum, kept their spot among East elite
Tim Bontemps, ESPN
In light of Tatum’s injury and the veteran talent lost from the roster, it would have been easy and understandable for the franchise to buy into the idea of a lost season. Boston has done anything but, surging into the conference’s top tier after finding its footing throughout an 8-8 opening month.
BOS: Anfernee Simons has always strived to play the game the right way, which has made him a good fit with the Celtics
Gary Washburn, The Boston Globe
BOS: Celtics center sends a message to Brad Stevens as trade deadline approaches
Brian Robb, masslive.com
BKN: Nets’ Double Teams Unlocking Opponents’ Triple Threats
Steve Lichtenstein
BOS: Celtics’ need for a big man at the 2026 NBA trade deadline is clear
Jay King, The Athletic
CHA: The Hornets survive a near 50-burger from Cooper Flagg to win their fifth in a row
’Nata Edwards, Dispatches From Spectrum
CHA: Knueppel Goes For Career-High 34 PTS, Hornets Take Thriller In Dallas
Sam Perley, Hornets.com
CLE: How Jaylon Tyson and Nae’Qwan Tomlin made a night meant for LeBron their own
Ethan Sands, cleveland.com
CLE: Cavs’ depth creates difficult rotation decisions as stars return
Chris Fedor/Jimmy Watkins, cleveland.com
DAL: Cooper Flagg’s historic 49-point game makes for perfect night … almost
Mike Curtis, Morning News
DAL: An oral history of the Luka Doncic trade, one year later
Brad Townsend/Mike Curtis, Morning News
The rest of the team-specific stories as well as leaguewide and draft-related stories follow for paid subscribers
These players might not be big names, but they could have a huge impact on who wins at the deadline
Eamon Cassels, Fansided
Keon Ellis is a curious case — it seems like every NBA (follower) loves his game. Yet, under two different coaches now, Ellis has failed to earn a consistent role with the Sacramento Kings. Marc Stein has noted that Ellis is one of the most likely players to be moved ahead of the deadline, and that 14 teams (!!) are interested in his services.
BI Note: The Kings’ continuing refusal to play Keon minutes appropriate for a team’s best defender who also shoots 40+% from three gives new meaning to the word “inexplicable”.
Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel: Friends and former Duke roommates, now ROY favorites
Christian Clark/Brendan Marks, The Athletic
One Thought From Each Game on Wednesday Night
Dustin Brewer, Hoops
Giannis Antetokounmpo trade story exposes worst instincts of NBA media
Brendon Kleen, Awful Announcing
CHA: How the Hornets are on the verge of crashing the playoff party
Above The Break
CHA: It’s Moussa Diabate’s world and we’re all living in it
’Nata Edwards, Dispatches From Spectrum
CHA: GAMENOTES: Regular Season Game #48
Evan Hale, Every Hornets Boxscore
A Moose outworks 15 Grizzlies!
CHI: NBA trade deadline: Is Coby White the Bulls’ highest-value asset?
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune
CLE: Game Night Observations: LeBron’s Reflections and A True Winning Streak
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot
The first quarter wasn’t an overly impressive display of basketball by either team. Both squads seemed to struggle with the heavy emotions of the evening. Once the second quarter arrived, the Cavs composed themselves and outscored the Lakers 105-71 over the final three quarters.
They did it by, once again, doing the little things at a big level. In this recent stretch of basketball the Cavs have consistently won the effort categories. They’ve gone from one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA to one of the best. They’re no longer getting crushed in transition, the defensive rotations have been tighter. After spending the first two months of the season trying to win games played in a style that’s been dictated by the opponent, the Cavs have been the ones to consistently set the tone.
“I thought we imposed our will, physically,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game. “50-50 balls, the rebounds, we kind of got to them first. I think that was a big key, too.”
That’s who the Cavs have been. They’ve become the hungry team again. They force turnovers, the make the right plays consistently. They’re not playing beautiful basketball, at least not right now, but they’re building a foundation that should allow them to reach a much higher peak when they’re fully healthy, if that day ever comes.
DET: Pistons’ center Jalen Duren breaks down plays in his own words: Film study
Hunter Patterson, The Athletic
GSW: The biggest questions for the Warriors ahead of the NBA trade deadline
Anthony Slater, ESPN
LAC: Clippers and NBA trade deadline: Does league-best stretch change outlook?
Law Murray, The Athletic
The rest of the team-specific stories as well as draft-related items follow for paid subscribers
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer joins Ray and Nick to preview the upcoming game between the Sacramento Kings and the Philadelphia 76ers. They discuss the current state of the Sixers, including the forceful debut and rookie season from V.J. Edgecombe and the surprising contributions of Dominick Barlow. Finally, they wrap up by talking about some of the key matchups in the game ahead, including the showdown between two of the premier big men in the NBA in Joel Embiid and Domantas Sabonis.
NBA trade deadline seller’s guide: Which difference-makers could move from non-contenders?
Sam Quinn, CBS Sports
Mapping the West: Mid-Season Update
Chris Gunther, Charting Hoops
NBA cap space, spending power projections for the 2026 offseason
Danny Leroux, The Athletic
NBA News Roundup
Jason Sutton, JSutt Hoops
NBA Power Rankings: A goal for each team in the season’s 2nd half
The Score
BKN: Demin’s Stellar Shooting For Lowly Nets Earning League-Wide Respect
Steve Lichtenstein
BOS: Anfernee Simons is buying in defensively
Nik Land, Yahoo Sports
BOS: Mazzulla’s flexible rotation has turned uncertainty into a competitive advantage for Boston
Nate Moskowitz, Celtics Blog
BOS: Appreciating the best version of Sam Hauser we’ve seen yet
Trevor Hass, Celtics Blog
CHA: Are the surging Hornets capable of a playoff run?
Jason Jones, The Athletic
CLE: Evan Mobley’s re-injured calf puts Cavs’ ascension in jeopardy
Ethan Sands/Jimmy Watkins, cleveland.com
CLE: Cavaliers must make Jalen Tyson untouchable at the trade deadline
Maxwell Ogden, King James Gospel
DEN: Valanciunas back to work for Nuggets
Vinny Benedetto, Denver Gazette
DEN: Jamal Murray takes blame after missing game-tying free throws twice in Nuggets loss
Bennett Durando, Denver Post
DET: Pistons find new altitude in win over Denver Nuggets
Omari Sankofa II, Free Press
DET: Pistons use defensive depth to defeat short-handed Nuggets
Hunter Patterson, The Athletic
IND: Are the Pacers winning at development?
Caitlin Cooper/Samson Folk, Basketball She Wrote
The rest of the team-specific stories as well as draft-related items follow for paid subscribers
NOTE: We are sorry that we were unable to publish over the weekend due (mostly) to travel issues. (The trip to Seattle was obviously worth it, though!). We resume today with a mix of today’s stories and some catch-up items. We’ll continue with the latter in our next few editions.
FEATURES OF THE DAY
Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid, Paul George sorely missed, guards struggle, and more from embarrassing loss to Hornets
Keith Pompey, The Inquirer
A quick look at some of the Celtics screening actions from last night’s win
Adam Taylor, Celtics Chronicle
4 great seasons not enough people are talking about
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
ATL: Jalen Johnson has finally arrived. And for the Hawks, ‘he’s that guy now’
Mirin Fader, The Athletic
BOS: 10 takeaways from a messy but controlled win over Portland
Azad Rosay, Celtics Blog
BOS: Amari Williams unveiled ‘exceptional’ potential against Trail Blazers
Gio Rivera, Celtics Blog
BOS: Celtics victorious after Trail Blazers bury themselves with blizzard of misses
Adam Himmelsbach, Boston Globe
BOS: A quick look at some of the Celtics screening actions from last night’s win
Adam Taylor, Celtics Chronicle
CHA: Hornets Blast 76ers In Early Tipoff For 3rd Straight Victory
Sam Perley, Hornets.com
Miller Has Efficient 30-PT Performance; Charlotte Shoots Season Best, Keeps Maxey in Check
CHI: Bulls begin five-game odyssey in seven nights with a loss to the Lakers
Joe Cowley, Sun*Times
Will it be five games in seven nights that determine the immediate future of the franchise as the Feb. 5 deadline gets closer? Veteran center Nikola Vucevic was not trying to play GM on Monday but made it clear that he wants the front office to stay the course and see how this plays out
CLE: Game Night Observations: Donovan Mitchell’s Huge Night, Identity Building and a Rising Star
Danny Cunningham, The Inside Shot
DAL: Why Anthony Davis could still be on the Mavericks beyond the NBA trade deadline
Mike Curtis, Morning News
DET: Secret to Isaiah Stewart’s shot-blocking prowess? ‘You can’t be scared to get punched’
Hunter Patterson, The Athletic
The rest of the team-specific stories as well as all the leaguewide and draft items follow for paid subscribers
EltasZone reporters are world known and Respected. They know sports from boxing to soccer and Golf. We hire reporters who hae covered their field for a longtime
Peter Attia, CBS News Contributor, ‘Ashamed’ After Epstein Files Made Public The New York Times
Peter Attia, CBS News Contributor, ‘Ashamed’ After Epstein Files Made Public The New York Times
Peter Attia, CBS News Contributor, ‘Ashamed’ After Epstein Files Made Public The New York Times
Peter Attia, CBS News Contributor, ‘Ashamed’ After Epstein Files Made Public The New York Times
‘Today’ Anchor Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Is Missing, Authorities Say The New York Times
‘Today’ Anchor Savannah Guthrie’s Mother Is Missing, Authorities Say The New York Times
Clintons Capitulate on House Epstein Inquiry, Agreeing to Testify The New York Times
Clintons Capitulate on House Epstein Inquiry, Agreeing to Testify The New York Times
Book Review: ‘Football,’ by Chuck Klosterman The New York Times
