Burke Sports Talk

MLB Cubs receive: 3B Isaac Paredes Rays receive: 3B Christopher Morel, RP Hunter Bigge and SP Ty Johnson Jed Hoyer wasn’t kidding when he stated the Cubs would target players that could help in 2025 and beyond. Under team control through 2027, Paredes fits that notion, but he’ll help Chicago this season, too. In 101…

NBA Suns sign PG Tyus Jones to one-year, $3.3 million contract The collective sound you just heard were Western Conference general managers banging their fists against their desks. The Suns, in luxury-tax hell, had no business signing a player of Jones’ caliber, yet here we are. The 28-year-old posted 12.0 points and 7.3 assisters per…

NFL Patriots sign S Jabrill Peppers to three-year, $24 million contract extension The Patriots are going all in on locking up their core, a group that won … four games in 2023. Win-loss record aside, New England was actually fairly stout on the defensive side of the ball last season, and Peppers was a large…

NBA Heat sign SG Josh Christopher to two-way contract Christopher, still only 22, was thrust into action on some messy Rockets teams in 2022 and 2023. Predictably, the guard wasn’t ready, struggling with turnovers and poor outside shooting. Things may be different now, as Christopher had a strong summer with the Heat, earning him this…

NFL Seahawks sign S Julian Love to three-year, $36 million contract extension Love shined in his first season with Seattle, recording 123 tackles and four interceptions, earning him a trip to his first Pro Bowl. Now, the mission for the safety is to captain the back end of new head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense, where…

NFL Vikings sign OT Christian Darrisaw to four-year, $113 million contract extension The left tackle market was lagging compared to other high-value positions; this deal changes that, at least to a degree. In an overdue development, Darrisaw raises the top of the market for the position to over $28 million per year, an appropriate figure…

NBA Mavericks sign PG Spencer Dinwiddie to one-year contract This pact is presumably for the league minimum, the most Dinwiddie should be earning at this stage of his career. The 31-year-old split time between the Nets and Lakers in 2024, averaging 10.5 points and 4.7 assists per game. The point guard can’t be counted on…

NFL Packers sign DT Kenny Clark to three-year, $64 million contract extension Clark, 28, is coming off arguably the best season of his career, where he recorded 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Green Bay is wisely rewarding the three-time Pro Bowler here, especially before the rest of its young, well-rounded roster gets expensive. The…

NBA Cavaliers sign PF Evan Mobley to five-year, $224 million contract extension Mobley is the most promising player from the 2021 draft, so it’s only right that he joins classmates Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner in signing max deals. The next step for the former No. 3 overall pick is a more featured…

NFL Ravens sign S Eddie Jackson to one-year contract The veteran safety market has been slow — I can’t believe Justin Simmons hasn’t signed yet — but the Ravens apparently didn’t want to wait any longer to fill a void. Baltimore is set at starting safety, though Marcus Williams is prone to injury, but there…

NBA Clippers receive: PG Kris Dunn Jazz receive: PG Russell Westbrook, second-round pick and cash There were talks of Los Angeles waiving Westbrook, and it would’ve been better off doing that instead of this trade. Kris Dunn is a fine defensive-minded guard, but a three-year, $17 million contract is too rich for a player of…

This week is the quietest of the year on the sports calendar — a time to refresh and peak ahead to what’s to come. NBA Summer League is ongoing, but there’s not a ton that can be gathered from the event. Most happenings from Las Vegas don’t translate to the real thing. Olympic basketball and…

NCAAF Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford steps down Tedford is stepping down due to health reasons and will be replaced by Tim Skipper. Fresno State enters 2024 with a case for being the Mountain West’s second-best team, so we’ll see if Skipper can guide the expectation-laden Bulldogs. He has a nice starting point with…

NCAAF 2025 five-star OT Ty Haywood commits to Alabama Alabama isn’t resting. At all. One day after landing five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham, the Crimson Tide strike again, adding Haywood, the No. 11 player for 2025. Most of Nick Saban’s best Alabama teams were built through the trenches, and it seems Kalen DeBoer is attempting…

NCAAF 2025 five-star WR Caleb Cunningham commits to Alabama When Nick Saban retired, it was fair to assume that Alabama’s recruiting would drop off. Six or so months later, that hasn’t really happened. The Crimson Tide, under Kalen DeBoer, have the nation’s No. 2 class and are still securing elite talent, including Cunningham, the No.…

NBA Knicks sign PG Jalen Brunson to four-year, $156.5 million contract extension Brunson is doing the Knicks a massive favor. If New York’s star point guard signed next summer instead of now, he would receive $113 million more, but Brunson clearly values flexibility for the Knicks over making as much money possible. And hey, that’s…

NFL Titans sign S Jamal Adams to one-year contract Monetary terms for this deal weren’t released, but I’m assuming it’s an inexpensive one. It’s been a wild ride for Adams, still 28. The safety was arguably the best in the league at his position five years ago, but was then traded from the Jets to…

NBA Hawks sign SG Vit Krejci to four-year, $10 million contract Atlanta might (probably not, but still) have something in Krejci, so securing him for four seasons at a price near the league minimum is a fun and inexpensive gamble. The swingman’s long-range shooting improved a good bit in 2024, up to 41.2 percent. Grade:…

NBA Nets sign PF Trendon Watford to one-year, $2.7 million contract This contract for Watford is the qualifying offer, allowing the forward to enter unrestricted free agency in 2025. Watford, still just 23, flashed for the Nets last season, continuing the decent display he put forth as a Trail Blazer in 2023. The power forward…

NBA Kings sign PG Jordan McLaughlin to one-year contract Contract terms weren’t released, but I’m betting this deal is for the minimum. If so, it’s a good one for Sacramento. McLaughlin is a caretaker at point guard that rarely turns the ball over, and in limited action last season, substantially improved as a three-point shooter,…