Burke Sports Talk

NBA 76ers receive: SG Jared Butler and four second-round picks Wizards receive: PG Reggie Jackson and 2026 first-round pick The Wizards are the winners of this trade from a pure asset perspective, but I understand the goal of each franchise. The 2026 first rounder, projected to fall in the back half of the round, is,…

NBA Bucks receive: Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin and second-round pick Wizards receive: Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and 2028 first-round pick swap After years as a vital contributor, the clock ran out for Khris Middleton in Milwaukee. Injuries surely played a role in the 33-year-old’s regression, and as a result, the Bucks went looking for an…

NBA 76ers receive: SG Quentin Grimes and 2025 second-round pick Mavericks receive: SF Caleb Martin Following the beyond-puzzling Luka Doncic trade, Dallas is at again. This time, however, the Mavericks made out well. For starters, Grimes’ restricted free agency looms, and moving him for Martin, under team control for at least the next three seasons,…

MLB Rays receive: RP Alex Faedo Tigers receive: C Enderson Delgado and cash Faedo was recently designated for assignment, a roster move correspondent with the Tigers signing fellow reliever Tommy Kahnle. In the event of a club designating a player for assignment, it’s always smart — if possible — to trade the player, as opposed…

NFL Jets hire Tanner Engstrand as offensive coordinator Can Engstrand finally be the offensive mind to jumpstart the Jets’ offense? That’s a big ask, but the 42-year-old surely has the requisite background. Serving as the Lions’ passing game coordinator the past two seasons, Engstrand helped guide a strong Detroit attack. It’ll be a tougher assignment…

NCAAB 2025 five-star SG Alijah Arenas commits to USC First-year head coach Eric Musselman needed a jolt to get his newest program up and running, so why not turn to a familiar source? Arenas, of course, is the son of Gilbert Arenas, who played briefly for Musselman with the Golden State Warriors. It’s no certainty…

NFL Lions hire John Morton as offensive coordinator Given their recent success, I expected the Lions to target an in-house replacement for Ben Johnson. Morton doesn’t quite fit that description, although he did serve as a senior offensive assistant with Detroit in 2022. Regardless, Morton has big shoes to fill in his new role. Grade:…

NFL Raiders hire Pete Carroll as head coach After missing on Ben Johnson, the Raiders are pivoting to a short-term play. Carroll, 73, brings credibility and a winning mindset to Las Vegas, even if he probably won’t coach much longer. It’s an interesting choice, as adding veteran starting quarterback is now on the table for…

MLB Braves sign LF Jurickson Profar to three-year, $42 million contract This time last offseason, Profar signed for just $1 million with the Padres, an admission — by team and player — that the end could be near for the veteran. What a difference a year makes. The 31-year-old had a career season in 2024,…

NFL Patriots hire Terrell Williams as defensive coordinator This is a solid move. Williams and Mike Vrabel have a prior working relationship with the Titans, so that familiarity should help the first-time defensive coordinator. Williams also comes from a recently successful Lions organization, where he coached a strong defensive front. This is an upgrade over…

NFL Patriots hire Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator Once the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel as head coach, McDaniels became the heavy favorite to land this position. And why wouldn’t he be? This will mark McDaniels’ third stint as New England’s offensive coordinator, so he has experience on his side. He also benefits from familiarity, as…

MLB Dodgers sign RP Tanner Scott to four-year, $72 million contract Can we go ahead and pencil the Dodgers in for 110 wins this season? Advanced metrics will likely be on the more conservative side and go under that total, but this team is loaded. Los Angeles doesn’t have a weakness, and even if it…

NFL Chiefs 23, Texans 14 Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are unflappable. Despite being outgained in yardage 336-212 and forcing zero turnovers, Kansas City is heading to its seventh consecutive AFC Championship Game. The NFL’s other 31 teams would surely love to have the Chiefs’ voodoo magic. Back to Mahomes, the quarterback didn’t light up…

MLB Mets sign LF Jesse Winker to one-year, $7.5 million contract After making the All-Star team with the Reds in 2021, Winker’s career seemingly crashed and burned. The corner outfielder struggled in extended action with the Mariners in 2022 and then in limited action in 2023 with the Brewers. Winker’s career was inching toward the…

NBA Hornets receive: SF Josh Okogie and three second-round picks Suns receive: C Nick Richards and second-round pick After canvassing the market regarding Richards, this is the offer the Hornets settled on? Yes, netting two second-round picks is decent business, but not while swapping Richards for Okogie. Richards, while far from elite, should assume the…

NFL Browns promote Tommy Rees to offensive coordinator Rees, 32, has been a fast riser through the coaching ranks, and he’s now landed his biggest job yet. Previously serving as the offensive coordinator at both Notre Dame and Alabama, Rees is used to having the talent advantage on his side. That won’t be the case…

NFL Cowboys part ways with head coach Mike McCarthy This isn’t a firing, as McCarthy’s contract is expiring, but obviously both sides are going separate ways. That seems to be more of McCarthy’s doing, though. The Cowboys likely engaged with him on staying around, but on a short-term deal. That’s a nonstarter, especially for a…

NFL Bills 31, Broncos 7 I predicted the Bills to win this game, 27-10, so it’s no surprise Buffalo rolled to victory. The Broncos struck first with a quick Troy Franklin touchdown — maybe an indicator of a small breakout next season — but it was all Bills after that. All Bills is no exaggeration,…

MLB Cubs sign SP Colin Rea to one-year, $5 million contract Chicago inking Rea marks a reunion of sorts. The 34-year-old pitched for the club in 2020 and also has experience playing for current Cubs manager Craig Counsell in Milwaukee in 2021 and 2023. Neither of those campaigns featured Rea’s best work — that came…

NFL Raiders fire general manager Tom Telesco Las Vegas hired Telesco last year, so I figured he was in the clear after the franchise fired Antonio Pierce. Apparently not. Starting over with a brand-new regime is sensible under the right circumstances, but Telesco was saddled with a roster bereft of talent. In this situation, the…