Burke Sports Talk

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,…

NCAAF 2025 five-star LB Riley Pettijohn commits to Ohio State If the current commitments stick — and in today’s day and age, that’s a big if — Ohio State’s linebacker room should be fortified for years to come. In addition to Pettijohn, a fast and rangy sideline-to-sideline linebacker, the Buckeyes also have Tarvos Alford’s pledge.…

NBA Magic sign SF Franz Wagner to five-year, $224 million contract Wagner is an ascending talent, despite an 8 percent drop in three-point percentage last season, so Orlando is doing the right thing by locking him up. One could haggle over whether or not the forward is worth the supermax, but the Magic are clearly…

NFL Rams sign S John Johnson to one-year contract Contract details weren’t released, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnson signed for the minimum. The safety is no longer the player he was during his first stint with the Rams, but he can bring familiarity and depth to Los Angeles. The Rams drafted Kamren Kinchens…

NBA Lakers sign SF LeBron James to two-year, $104 million contract As expected, James returns to the Lakers, and while he’s no longer the league’s best player — he probably still lands in the top 10 — the 39-year-old is still good enough to help drag Los Angeles to the playoffs. James surely had options…

NFL Patriots sign LB Jahlani Tavai to three-year, $15 million contract extension Tavai recorded 105 tackles, one sack and two interceptions in a variety of roles for New England last season, and the organization is smartly keeping the linebacker around. Grade: A- NBA Cavaliers sign SG Donovan Mitchell to three-year, $150.3 million contract extension Cleveland…

NBA 76ers sign SF Paul George to four-year, $212 million contract The 76ers — armed with upwards of $60 million in salary cap space entering free agency — were equipped to upgrade their roster more than any other contender. In an era of first and second aprons hamstringing franchises from adding talent, Philadelphia had a…

NBA Heat sign C Bam Adebayo to three-year, $166 million contract extension This extension ties Adebayo with the Heat through 2029, his age-31 season. Miami’s center is one of the top players at the position — a three-time All-Star and four-time All-Defensive honoree — but this is a ton of money. Obviously, Adebayo needs to…

NBA Cavaliers hire Kenny Atkinson as head coach Predicting the success of coaching hires — even retreads like Atkinson — is a tricky proposition. The 57-year-old is a well-respected assistant and guided an overachieving Nets club for four seasons, but he’s yet to lead a team with expectations similar to those he’ll be facing with…

MLB Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 1 Philadelphia wisely locked the emerging Cristopher Sanchez up with a four-year deal on Friday, and the 27-year-old rewarded the Phillies yesterday. Sanchez is more or less the No. 4 starter in a stacked Phillies rotation, but he’s pitched like a typical No. 2 at worst through 15 starts. In this…

MLB Mets 11, Cubs 1 Shota Imanaga, a fly ball pitcher, has mostly limited the power of opposing lineups this season, but all trends sort themselves out over time. The Mets made sure of that in this contest, tagging Chicago’s lauded rookie for three homers and 10 runs. Imanaga entered the day with a 1.89…

NFL Patriots sign RB Rhamondre Stevenson to four-year, $36 million contract extension New England has prioritized retaining its own talent this offseason by locking up Stevenson, Mike Onwenu, Kyle Duggar, Hunter Henry and Kendrick Bourne to long-term deals. I can’t fault the process — keeping home-grown players around is normally wise — but the Patriots…

NCAAF 2026 five-star QB Dia Bell commits to Texas Bell, the No. 10 recruit in 2026, will have a somewhat clear path to the field early in his Longhorn career. Arch Manning will follow Quinn Ewers after this season, but in the event Manning enters the 2026 NFL Draft, Bell, the son of former NBA…