Breaking Down How Luka/AD & Fox/LaVine Trades Impact West Playoff Race

Breaking Down How Luka/AD & Fox/LaVine Trades Impact West Playoff Race

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by | Feb 4, 2025 | Featured, NBA

Just past midnight on February 2nd, the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers blew up the entire NBA by executing a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz that landed Luka Doncic on the Los Angeles Lakers and delivered Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavericks sent Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. The. Utah Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Los Angeles Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2025 second-round pick.

Mavericks’ general manager Nico Harrison and Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka changed the next decade of basketball with one single transaction.

No disrespect to future hall-of-famer, nine-time all-star, and 2020 NBA champion Anthony Davis, but the Lakers became a legitimate title contender by adding Doncic for a huge bargain. Davis still dominates when healthy, but he is almost 32, and the Lakers were able to acquire a generational talent for a dominant player whose best days are behind him.

Since joining the league in 2018, Luka, 25, has already been to an NBA final and has averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. These numbers have not been produced by anyone besides Doncic’s new teammate and leader, LeBron James.

In addition to the Luka/AD trade, more disruption has occurred in the Western Conference prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, when the Chicago Bulls, the Sacramento Kings, and the San Antonio Spurs pulled off a three-way trade of their own that sent De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin to the Spurs, Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first-round and three-second round picks to the Sacramento Kings, and Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter and San Antonio’s 2025 first-round pick.

With the Fox era fizzling out in Sacramento, the Kings got a solid return for trading away their young star. LaVine is reunited with his former Bulls teammate, Demar DeRozan.

More importantly, Victor Wembanaya gets a legitimate all-star caliber teammate to help San Antonio make a playoff run. Fox is dominant on both sides of the ball, which will help Wemby improve his game. One of the biggest takeaways for the Spurs in this trade is that they were able to hold onto their 2024 first-round selection, Stephon Castle, who has been an impact player already.

What This Means for the Race in the West

The Sacramento Kings are currently in 9th. Expect them to stay in the play-in seeding range. They could have a chance at six seed if Lavine and DeRozan can reignite their past chemistry that brought the Bulls to the playoffs three times. It is also crucial that Sabonis keeps putting up numbers and facilitating the way he has

San Antonio currently ranks 12th in the West, but the Fox effect should help them to move into the play-in tournament.  Fox and Wemby are going to be fun to watch.  Castle will be a considerable factor if they want to make it to the postseason. The Spurs will also try to get every ounce out of Chris Paul to become a competitive franchise once again.

The Mavericks are currently in 8th place, with Luka only playing 22 of the 50 games this season.  Expect them to remain in the play-in tournament, but seeing what former champions Kyrie, Irving, Klay Thompson, and Anthony Davis have left in the tank will be fun. Is it enough to keep Dallas relevant?

And then there is the Los Angeles Lakers. As of right now, they are the 5th seed. The addition of Doncic raises so many questions. Is it championship or bust now? How will Luka and LeBron flow on and off the court? Will this extend LeBron’s career? Despite that, the Lakers must make one more move before Thursday’s deadline to strengthen their frontcourt—perhaps Nick Claxton on the Brooklyn Nets or Jonas Valanciunas from the Washington Wizards.

The West has been shaken up already, and expect that to continue in the next 36 hours.

 

Feb 4, 2025 No Comments
The Correa Carrousel Continues: Star Switches Again, Sign with Twins

The Correa Carrousel Continues: Star Switches Again, Sign with Twins

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by | Jan 10, 2023 | Featured, MLB

Two time All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins are finalizing a six-year, $200 million contract, pending a physical, after weeks of discussion to finalize a deal with the New York Mets broke down, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.

This free agency has been an absolute whirlwind for Correa. He originally agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on December 13th. The Giants raised concerns about Correa’s surgically repaired right leg, which caused him to reconsider his decision.  He pivoted quickly and signed a 12-year, $315 million contract with the Mets. The Mets had similar concerns and flagged his physical as well. Any efforts to amend the deal fell apart. This lead to Correa reopening talks with other teams and now he is returning to Minnesota, where he signed after a wild offseason last year as well.

The deal includes a vesting option that can add another four years to the deal, making it a 10-year deal. the contract will become official if Correa passes a medical review, which is expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Wednesday, according to sources. The focus will continue to be on his lower right leg, which he broke in 2014 during a minor league game. Correa has not spent time on the injured list for a right-leg ailment in his whole entire big league career, but the Giants and the Mets medical staff had concerns about how the leg would age, thus never finalizing a contract with the star shortstop, who will remain a Minnesota Twin and help them fight for a American League Central title.

Jan 10, 2023 No Comments
Carlos Correa Shocks MLB by Changing Mind to Sign with the Mets

Carlos Correa Shocks MLB by Changing Mind to Sign with the Mets

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by | Dec 21, 2022 | Featured, MLB

Willie Mays. Barry Bonds. Buster Posey. And after agreeing to terms last week with the San Francisco Giants on a historic 13-year, $350 million contract, Carlos Correa. The former Astro and Twin was set to join these superstars as all-time Giants when his career is finished if he continued to play at his elite caliber. This would have been the longest deal for an infielder in free agent history.

However, six days later, Correa will no longer be wearing orange and black in the Bay Area, but will be sporting orange and blue in Queens as he shocked the baseball community by signing a 12-year, $315 contract with the New York Mets late Tuesday evening.

Correa and the Giants had a new conference planned yesterday to announce the deal during the day Tuesday, but it was postponed due to an undisclosed medical concerned that arose during his physical. Even though there was the slight issue, people throughout the industry still believed the deal would be finalized and Correa would be playing for the Giants in 2023 and years to come.

The Mets were aggressively pursing Correa most of free agency before he decided to head to San Francisco. If his deal is finalized, since it is pending the completion of a physical, Correa will join his good friend and fellow Puerto Rican, Francisco Lindor in the infield. Lindor signed a 10-year. $341 million extension in April 2021. He will remain at shortstop and Correa will move to third base.

The main person to thank for this deal is Mets’ owner Steve Cohen. He has committed more than $800 million to free agents this offseason, such as Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, Justin Verlander, and others. As of now, the Mets competitive balance payroll is in the neighborhood of $380 million, which is way over the fourth and final threshold of the luxury tax, meaning the Mets’ tax bill will be around $100 million next year.

Correa is a two-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glove Award winner and won a World Series in 2017 with the Houston Astros. He has battled injuries to his thumb, back and ribs from 2017 to 2019. During this three-year stretch, he only averaged 98 games per season, but was still dominant when he was on the field.

Correa was a free agent last offseason and could not find a suitor for a long-term deal. After he was unable to do so, he made big waves in baseball by signing a three-year, $105.3 million contract with the Twins, which included multiple opt-outs, including the one that he exercised to become a 2022 free agent.

Now Correa will join the New York Mets, who are pursuing a championship once again after losing in the first round of the Wild Card in 2021. The Mets won 101 games last year and the Correa signing definitely makes them one of the favorites to win, not just he National League pennant but, the World Series.

Dec 21, 2022 No Comments
Aaron Judge Signs $360 Million deal with Yankees

Aaron Judge Signs $360 Million deal with Yankees

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by | Dec 7, 2022 | Featured, MLB

The biggest question of baseball’s offseason has been answered. The reigning American League MVP and face of baseball, Aaron Judge, will remain in pinstripes after signing a massive nine-year, $360 million contract. MLB Network first reported that Judge would re-sign with the New York Yankees, while The Athletic first reported the terms of the agreement.

After turning down a shorter extension offer for only $213.5 million prior to the 2022 season, Judge recorded one of the best seasons in baseball history as he headed into free agency. He broke Roger Maris’ American League-record for home runs by bashing 62, leading baseball. Judge’s 121 RBIs led the American League as well while hitting .311/.425/.686. Turning down that extension is arguably going to be one of the best contract decisions in baseball history. A lot of people speculated Judge’s decision to decline the extension and test free agency, but it ended up working out in his favor as his MVP season has made him one of the most lucrative baseball players of all time, only behind Mike Trout and Mookie Betts for largest deal in terms of total dollars.

This is going to keep the irritable Yankees’ fan base, who have been chasing their first World Series ring 2009, content for the time being as Judge is a fan favorite. The team’s owner Hal Steinbrenner said that his goal was to make Aaron Judge a Yankee for life. Yankees’ General Manager Brian Cashman said the team’s priority in free agency was keeping Judge. The front office got it done for the Yanks.

“We’d love to have our player back,” Cashman said Monday. “We would love to continue to call him our player every step of the way as he follows what looks like — as long as nothing happens — a career path that will lead him to Cooperstown. I would like him to be in pinstripes every step of the way.”

Judge was deciding between staying with the New York Yankees or going the San Diego Padres or San Francisco Giants on the West coast.The 30-year-old outfielder, who was born in Linden, California, attended Linden High School and later Fresno State before being drafted by the Yankees with the 32nd overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft. His connection to California prolonged his decision and made it more difficult for him.  In the end, Judge decided to stay in the Bronx and continue pursuing a championship with the Yankees through the 2031 season.

 

Dec 7, 2022 No Comments
2021 MLB Awards Predictions

2021 MLB Awards Predictions

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by | Apr 12, 2021 | Featured, MLB

As we are about a week and a half into the 2021 MLB season, recapping the offseason.

The National League had a lot of movement this offseason. Nolan Arenado getting traded to the St. Louis Cardinals makes them strong contenders to win the division. The San Diego Padres continued their development by trading for two ace-quality pitchers, Blake Snell and  Yu Darvish. the New York Mets finally got a superstar after they traded for Francisco Lindor and extended him to a 10-year, $341 million contract, and acquiring  a solid starting pitcher in Carlos Carrasco as well. The Mets hope to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. We cannot forget about the reigning National League Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer joined Los Angeles Dodgers, the 2020 World Series champion.

In the American League, the Houston Astros lost their long-time outfielder George Springer after he signed a five-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto added shortstop Marcus Semien on a one-year deal The White Sox continued to bolster their pitching by trading for starter Lance Lynn and signing closer Liam Hendriks.

The league has been shaken up and this could have an effect on who wins the awards. Here are the predictions for the big awards in each league for the 2021 MLB Season.

Mookie Betts will join the great Frank Robinson as the only player to win the MVP in both leagues. Betts will lead the Dodgers to their ninth consecutive NL West Division title and win both a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove.

He is going to hit 30+ home runs and steal 30+ bases while contending for a batting title. He is a five-tool player and will put up very impressive numbers for Los Angeles. The reigning World Series champions are looking to repeat as champions and that is only going to happen if Betts performs like the MVP he is.

Mike Trout will win his fourth AL MVP. This year will be different though because the Angels will make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. This could be the year they finally put everything together and are able to be successful and win more games than usual.

Trout could lead the league in home runs and OPS easily. He is an on-base machine and will do much better with a full season of having another All-Star, Anthony Rendon, in the lineup. Trout’s numbers are going to be mind-boggling, and he will continue to add hardware to his collection.

Jacob deGrom might be the safest pick for this award, since he won in 2018 and 2019, finishing third in 2020. deGrom is the best pitcher in baseball and will have an ERA right around 2.00 this season while tossing 200+ innings and striking out over 200 batters.

His velocity is continuing to rise, and his team has continued to build and bring in more talent around him. He will bring home his third Cy Young in the last four seasons and continue his pursuit to Cooperstown.

The Chicago White Sox’s ace Lucas Giolito will win his first Cy Young this season. Giolito will be close to the lead for the most wins by a pitcher in the American League. He is beyond dominant and is capable of carrying a team and being able to go all the way and throw complete games, which is something fairly rare these days.

Giolito, 26,  will strike out 200 batters at minimum without an issue, but he is looking to make 2021 his first 200-inning MLB season. He will help the White Sox win the 2021 AL Central Division. There are other strong candidates throughout the AL, but Giolito is going to put it all together this season and become one of the better pitchers in baseball.

Apr 12, 2021 No Comments