Burke Sports Talk

NFL Steelers sign EDGE T.J. Watt to three-year, $123 million contract extension There were no sports — at least those that I follow — yesterday, so I was kind of hoping for no news, either. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy writing, but a day of nothingness would’ve been tranquil. Oh well. I expected Watt’s…

NBA Clippers to sign SG Bradley Beal to two-year, $11 million contract At last, the uneasy marriage between the Suns and Beal is over — in a physical sense. Financially, Phoenix is far from off the hook, as it still owes the guard $96.1 million over the next two seasons. That lavish amount will likely…

NFL Jets sign CB Sauce Gardner to four-year, $120.4 million contract extension The Jets are being proactive. One day after inking Garrett Wilson to a huge extension, New York locks up Gardner. This agreement makes Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL on a per-year basis. Is this contract deserved? Well, there’s a couple of…

NFL Jets sign WR Garrett Wilson to four-year, $130 million contract extension Investing in great players is great business, and it’s nice to see the Jets — under a new regime — complete this agreement. Even this summer, this pact wasn’t a sure thing to come to fruition. Last season, the partnership between New York…

NCAAF 2026 five-star DT Lamar Brown commits to LSU Shocker. LSU keeps another elite in-state — this one from Baton Rouge — recruit home. The Tigers have rarely missed out on local talent, a pivotal reason for the program’s staying power near the top of the sport. Brown can theoretically play both ways, but he’ll…

NBA Thunder sign C Chet Holmgren to five-year, $250 million contract extension The days of franchises auto-maxing good young players will come to an end soon, but apparently not yet. With a more restrictive collective bargaining agreement than ever before, teams like the Thunder will face harsh penalties for high payrolls. Thus, extensions such as…

NBA Suns sign PF Isaiah Livers to two-way contract Two-way deals are best administered to either provide useful depth or possible upside. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old Livers offers neither. To add injury to insult, the forward missed last season due to a hip resurfacing procedure. The Suns’ motive remains a mystery. Grade: D

NBA Magic sign C Moritz Wagner to one-year, $5 million contract Through 30 games last season, Wagner was on a tear, averaging 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Then came a devastating torn ACL in December, depleting his value and thus causing Orlando to reject his $11 million team option for this year. Fear…

NFL Dolphins receive:TE Darren Waller2027 seventh-round pick Giants receive:2026 sixth-round pick This reeks of desperation. Just one day after mysteriously shipping Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh, the Dolphins fill — I guess? — their need at tight end. Following an up-and-down 2023 campaign, Waller retired. It felt a little early for the tight end to hang…

NFL Dolphins receive:S Minkah Fitzpatrick2027 fifth-round pick Steelers receive:CB Jalen RamseyTE Jonnu Smith2027 seventh-round pick Any Jalen Ramsey — long-rumored to be dealt — deal was bound to bring headlines, but this is an absolute blockbuster. A true player-for-player (plus Jonnu Smith and late-round picks) trade, this transaction changes the makeup of two hopeful AFC…

NBA Bulls receive:SF Isaac Okoro Cavaliers receive:PG Lonzo Ball Just last summer, the Bulls swapped Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey. That transaction, of course, aided the Thunder in winning the championship and gave the Bulls an interesting young player. This trade could be a repeat of that, albeit on a lesser scale. Okoro is a…

NCAAF Texas State to leave Sun Belt and join Pac-12 in 2026 For a conference to operate within the FBS, it needs at least eight programs. Thus, the current seven-team Pac-12 targeted Texas State to join the league. This move has been rumored for a while, and now it’ll come to fruition. Beginning next year,…

NBA Rockets sign PG Fred VanVleet to two-year, $50 million contract The Rockets unsurprisingly declined VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option in exchange for a new deal with the point guard. This fresh agreement contains a player option — also likely to be rejected — after the first year. Houston is having a great start to…

Happy NBA Draft day! Day 2 is tomorrow, and that matters, but most of the relevant action will obviously occur tonight. I can’t wait. NCAAF 2026 five-star QB Ryder Lyons commits to BYU This is great for college football — and, of course, for BYU. After falling way behind the SEC and Big Ten, the…

MLB Rays 8, Tigers 3 In his first full season as a starter, Junior Caminero’s exploits have been nothing short of impressive. Just 21, the third baseman has mashed 18 homers on the year, including one in this victory. The Rays have a tendency to shuffle players in and out, but Caminero is a keeper…

The NBA Finals are still ongoing, but thanks to the league’s wonky schedule, it’s also draft season. Like the NFL, this is also my 23rd year following the NBA Draft. I’m not quite as into the NBA version compared to the NFL, but it’s still one of my favorite sporting events of the year. For…

NBA Pacers 108, Thunder 91 Hand up — I was wrong about the Pacers. Indiana is electric. A whirring attack of relentless intensity, the Pacers — for five-plus months — have frustrated and stymied opponents, many favored to beat Indiana. Credit needs to be handed in myriad directions, and it’s easy to start with Rick…

NFL Ravens sign CB Jaire Alexander to one-year, $4 million contract It’s somewhat normal for players to be available at a discount after being released, but this deal is beyond a discount; it’s highway robbery. Alexander isn’t particularly close to the player he was in 2020 or even 2022, but at 28, he’s still a…

NBA Pacers receive:2026 first-round pick (Pacers) Pelicans receive:2025 No. 23 overall pickRights to SG Mojave King It’s typically an uneasy feeling for a NBA team to not hold the rights to its own first-round pick(s). After all, most franchises are one injury to their best player away from having one of the worst records in…

NBA Grizzlies receive:SG Kentavious Caldwell-PopePG Cole Anthony2025 No. 16 overall pick2026 unprotected first-round pick (Suns)2028 unprotected first-round pick2029 lightly-protected first-round pick swap2030 unprotected first-round pick Magic receive:SG Desmond Bane Trade season is starting early, I see. The top priority for the Magic this offseason was to acquire a shot-making guard that could play alongside Paolo…