Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Wednesday, February 5th.

NBA TRADES

We’ll get to the on-court action in a moment, but first we need to talk about all the huge trades that went down yesterday. A reminder, the trade deadline is later this afternoon…

• At one point yesterday, there was a strong buzz that Kevin Durant would be traded back to the Golden State Warriors. That was shut down, but Golden State pivoted and made a deal for another all-star: Jimmy Butler. The disgruntled Miami Heat guard signed a new two-year deal and will join Steph Curry as a result of a five-team trade. In return for Butler, the Heat acquired Andrew Wiggins and a first round pick. A decent return for a player that wasn’t even playing anymore for Miami, so good on them to make the best of a tough situation. For the Warriors? The pressure is on. Can the veteran trio of Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green find a rhythm, stay healthy, and go on a championship run?

• The Milwaukee Bucks also made a big trade, sending beloved veteran Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma. A former champion with LA, Kuzma has to be thrilled to leave the worst team in the league. No one has played well in Washington lately, but the Bucks will be counting on Kuzma to provide defensive length and versatility alongside their superstars, fulfilling that important third option in which a healthy Middleton used to thrive.

• Two centers are on the move- first, Washington dealt Jonas Valanciunas to the Sacramento Kings. More notably, the Los Angeles Lakers made a big swing for Mark Williams. Just 23 years old, the 7’2“ Williams may end up as the perfect complement for Luka Doncic. He didn’t come cheap, though– the Lakers sent rookie Dalton Knecht and multiple picks to Charlotte.

• Last but definitely not least, the New Orleans Pelicans dealt Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors. Things have gone terribly in New Orleans this season, and Ingram was likely to leave this summer as a free agent. A former all-star, Ingram fits the Toronto Raptors nicely. They have a collection of versatile wings, and should Ingram re-sign this summer, the Raptors will have built a very intriguing and dangerous roster.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

We take a quick break from the pros and visit the college ranks:

• (4) Tennessee won a close one 85-81 over (15) Missouri. Likewise, (24) Michigan eked out a victory 80-76 against Oregon.

• (23) Illinois, however, wasn’t so lucky. The Illini were upset on the road 82-73 at Rutgers. The freshman duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey combined for 46 points to lead the Scarlet Knights.

• Two notable scores from the women’s game last night as well: first, (12) Kansas State upset (9) TCU 59-50. The win moved the Wildcats into first place in the Big 12. Later, (1) UCLA remained undefeated, taking down (8) Ohio State 65-52. National Player of the Year candidate Lauren Betts had 19 points and 14 rebounds.

• Finally… well, this video speaks for itself. Is this the pass of the year?

NBA

And back to the pros we go! As promised, the on-court action was quite thrilling:

• De’Aaron Fox began his Spurs tenure with a bang, leading his new team with an electric double-double. Fox’s teammate Victor Wembanyama had a double-double of his own and hit the game-winning free throw with two seconds remaining. San Antonio beat the Atlanta Hawks 126-125.

• Tie game, five seconds remaining. Cavaliers ball. Darius Garland, take it away:

• The NBA is truly in a great place when it comes to young stars. Anthony Edwards dropped 49 points in a 127-108 Timberwolves win against the Bulls. Not to be outdone, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 50 points for the third time in his last seven games! OKC beat the Suns 140-109.

• A strange day for Golden State ended on a sour note. The Warriors blew a late-game lead and lost to the Utah Jazz. Check out this wild end-of-game sequence:

NHL

Only three games last night, so let’s recap ‘em all:

• Chris Krieder scored a short-handed goal in the third period and the New York Rangers beat the Boston Bruins 3-2.

• Kevin Fiala scored twice and led the LA Kings to a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

• For the second night in a row, Connor McDavid assisted on a on overtime winner. Look at this awesome pass by the superstar to give the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks:

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

After a prolonged negotiation that lasted longer than either side would have liked, the New York Mets have re-signed slugger Pete Alonso. The deal is for two years and $54 million.

Elsewhere in Major League Baseball, center fielder Harrison Bader agreed to a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins. Veteran DH J.D. Martinez, on the other hand, announced a deal with the pickleball brand Joola. He’s still looking to play baseball this season, but apparently Martinez’s post-retirement plans are locked in. Lastly, you should check out this awesome article in The Athletic by Eno Sarris. Sarris provides a wonderful and easy to comprehend breakdown of the cutting-edge pitching stats used by big-league clubs. Here’s the link– enjoy!

Former NFL head coach Ron Rivera is joining a growing list of alumni heading back to school in a brand new role. Rivera will become the new football general manager at Cal, where he’ll advise the Bears program.

The NFL has announced plans to host regular-season games in Australia. The Rams will host the first-ever football game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2026. 

Remember Party Rock Anthem? Well, one member of the duo who sings that classic song has decided to go pro… in tennis! Sadly, RedFoo lost his professional debut yesterday. In the process, he also stole an idea I had for a movie (not kidding!) What a crazy world we live in…

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

GOLF: Waste Management Phoenix Open, Golf Channel

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL:

• (5) UConn @ (19) Tennessee, 6:30 PM on ESPN

• Stanford @ (3) Notre Dame, 8:30 PM on ESPN

• (24) Vanderbilt @ (4) Texas, 9 PM on SEC Network

NHL:

• Hurricanes @ Wild, 7:30 PM on ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+

• Maple Leafs @ Kraken, 10 PM on ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+

NBA:

• Mavericks @ Celtics, 7:30 PM on TNT/Max

• Warriors @ Lakers, 10 PM on TNT/Max

“As long as you’re having fun, you’re going to excel at what you’re doing,” –Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander