Talk to me about the NBA trade deadline.
The NBA trade deadline took center stage on Thursday afternoon, but only one of the local teams made a move. The Brooklyn Nets shook the Richter scale when they traded James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package centering around Ben Simmons.
But more on the NBA in a moment. Who could forget that it’s Super Bowl Weekend? The Rams and Bengals are set to meet on Sunday in the biggest game of the year.
Here’s what we’re watching on Friday night:
- NHL: Islanders @ Oilers — 9 PM ET
What we’re watching on Saturday:
- NBA: Knicks @ Blazers — 5 PM ET
- NBA: Nets @ Heat — 8 PM ET
- NBA: Lakers @ Warriors — 8:30 PM ET
- NHL: Islanders @ Flames — 9 PM ET
- NHL: Canes @ Wild — 8 PM ET
Sunday’s viewing options:
- Um… the Super Bowl
- NHL: Penguins @ Devils — 1:30 PM ET
- NBA: Hawks @ Celtics — 2 PM ET
James Harden for Ben Simmons
A few weeks ago, the Nets trading Harden would seem laughable. Boy, things changed in recent days. Harden was dealt for Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks.
Harden was gone almost as quickly as he came. The Beard was only on the Nets for a little over a calendar year.
With some draft compensation cancelling out, the Nets essentially traded Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and 2 1sts for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond
The Nets would be a better team with a fully motivated Harden, but the above swap seems reasonable
— Danny Small (@dwsmall8) February 10, 2022
All in all, it’s a decent haul for Brooklyn. Although this move hurts their title chances this year, it gives the Nets a different look for the future. Brooklyn might be the perfect place for Ben Simmons.
The Nets are out of the local limelight, for the most part, with the Knicks dominating the back pages. Plus, Simmons won’t have to be the guy down the stretch of games. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant can handle that.
Durant also picked his team for the All-Star Game live on TNT Thursday night. Unsurprisingly, he did not pick Harden.
Knicks Stand Pat, Look Good
The Nets made waves on trade deadline day while the Knicks twiddled their thumbs. OK, that’s not fair, but the Knicks didn’t do anything on deadline day.
President Leon Rose didn’t do anything to break the logjam on the wing or bring in another point guard. With that said, the Knicks are keeping their powder dry for future deals.
In the meantime, the guy they traded for a few weeks ago — Cam Reddish — looked good in New York’s win over the Golden State Warriors late on Thursday night. Reddish had 12 points, three assists, and two steals.
Julius Randle led the way with an inspired performance, dropping 28 points while scooping up 16 boards and dishing out seven assists. If the Knicks play like that, standing pat at the deadline might not have been a bad idea.
Super Bowl 56 is Here
Super Bowl Weekend woo pic.twitter.com/Xk0Y17jl8g
— Danny Small (@dwsmall8) February 11, 2022
Super Bowl Weekend is always bittersweet. The day of the Super Bowl is one of the best days to be a sports fan, but it also means that the NFL season is coming to a close.
Thankfully, we are expecting a good game on Sunday. When all is said and done, one quarterback is going to be lifting the Lombardi Trophy for the very first time. Is it going to be Matthew Stafford after years of toiling away in Detroit or will Joe Burrow continue to be the coolest person on the planet?
The Super Bowl is always tough to handicap, but I’m going with the Rams over the Bengals 27-23.
Rodgers Wins MVP
In case you missed it, Aaron Rodgers was named MVP at the NFL Honors on Thursday night. Although the Packers flamed out in the playoffs, Rodgers won the MVP by a pretty wide margin.
Honestly, award shows for professional sports leagues are dumb, but if you are curious who took home the hardware last night, we have you covered.
