Feb 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) battles for position on a foul shot with Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) in the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The NBA season has reached its most boring part of the season, the All-Star break. With the falling popularity of the Dunk Contest, All-Star weekend has become more of an opportunity for players to rest than anything else.
However, the actual basketball being played this season has been wildly exciting. Many hate CJ McCollum for changing the CBA, making it harder for teams to retain their full rosters, but it has done its job in making the NBA as competitively balanced as it’s ever been.
Unlike years past when we were just waiting for the Cavs and Warriors to rematch in the Finals, this season has us asking a few questions before we finish the second half. Here are my two biggest questions that still need to be answered.
Are the Pistons the Real Deal?
After losing a tightly contested first-round series with the Knicks last year, many were hoping for a small jump out of the Pistons. Well, they’ve skipped that step entirely and have the best winning percentage in the NBA, and have the third-best odds to win the Eastern Conference.
At the start of the year, I highly doubted that the Pistons were real, but I’m done doubting them. When JB Bickerstaff took over as head coach, I looked at him as more of a floor raiser than a ceiling raiser, but he’s instilled a culture in Detroit that is one of the best in the league.
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Cade Cunningham is playing at a first-team All-NBA level, and everyone around them has upped their game. Outside of that, it’s been the smaller moves that have been huge for Detroit. Daniss Jenkins has gone from an unused two-way player to a sharp-shooting rotation piece.
Duncan Robinson looked like he might be a bit of an overpay for Detroit, but he has become the exact floor spacer Cade needed. Then, of course, Jalen Duren turning into a walking double-double, and a perfect rim-running partner for Cade, can’t go unnoticed.
The Pistons didn’t look afraid of the moment last year, so I’m interested to see how they will look as heavy first-round favorites as we make it to April.
Could the Thunder be Vulnerable this Year?
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Jan 21, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
If Shai Gilgeous Alexander’s injury has any long-term impacts, who’s going to lead the Thunder? Chet Holmgren is having a career year in points, rebounds, and field goal percentage. He’s doing this while also having the second-best odds to win the defensive player of the year.
He’s been great, but he’s not a guy I trust as a number one option, and hopefully he doesn’t have to be. On the other hand, Jalen Williams has had a bit of a down year. Besides Williams having the worst shooting splits of his career, OKC has simply been better when he’s been off the court.
There’s no doubt he’s still incredibly valuable, but I’m not sold on him being used properly. I think he would be better suited in a lower usage role, as he’s been a bit of a ball stopper for the Thunder.
Because of these concerns, I think there are some real threats to the Thunder’s crown—specifically, two threats in the Spurs and Nuggets. I also want to believe in the Rockets, but their lack of a true point guard and spacing concerns feel like too much of an uphill battle.
Victor Wembanyama is obviously great, but more than just that, he’s done a miraculous job at giving the Thunder fits. The Thunder rely on getting downhill, and that’s just not going to happen against Wemby. But they’re more than Wemby at this point.
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De’Aron Fox has returned from injury and is back to playing like an All-Star. Not only that, but getting top three picks in back-to-back drafts and nailing those selections with Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, most certainly helps.
Then with the Nuggets, they have Nikola Jokic, but more than having the best player on the planet, this might be the best team they’ve ever put around him. Jamal Murray is playing the best basketball of his career, and they’ve paired that with role players who work perfectly with Jokic.
Also, the firing of long-term coach Mike Malone was heavily scrutinized, but Adelman might have found the perfect offensive fit for Jokic. They slowed the game down significantly, going from 9th in possessions per game last year to 23rd this season. This change of pace has allowed them to work the ball through Jokic more and have him kick it back out to their perimeter shooters.
Both of these teams are much better suited to compete with the Thunder this year, but if OKC is at full strength, they’re still easily the team to beat this season.
Ordinarily, the former two-weight world champion was never one to swerve a challenge, having tested himself against several of the sport’s fiercest competitors.
His last world title fight, at 154lbs, then saw him lose a unanimous decision to Canelo Alvarez in 2012, with ‘Sugar’ calling time on his Hall of Fame career around four years later.
But despite facing some of the most elite fighters this sport has ever seen, Mosley doubts he would have been equally keen to collide with a certain member of the four kings.
In an interview with The Art Of Dialogue, the American said he would sooner lock horns with Leonard and Duran than agree to face Hearns, a towering puncher at both 147lbs and 154lbs.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to fight him [Hearns]. I’d rather fight Sugar Ray Leonard and Duran than fight Tommy Hearns.
“Tommy Hearns back then – 6ft 1in, 6ft 2in; long arms – no [thanks].”
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Despite losing to Leonard at 147lbs, Hearns went on to score career-defining victories over the likes of Wilfred Benitez and Duran, before losing a thrilling three-round shootout against Hagler up at middleweight.
Sacramento State is joining the MAC as a football-only member for 2026, coughing up $18 million to do so.
Will the Hornets come to regret the move to the FBS?
On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I and ‘Locked On Ole Miss’ host Steven Willis break down the Trinidad Chambliss return for 2026.
Is the move setting a bad precedent in the sport?
North Carolina added a transfer (!!) QB in Western Carolina signal caller Taron Dickens.
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Could he be the next Trinidad Chambliss story, but in Chapel Hill?
00:00 FCS to FBS: Worth the Jump? 04:10 Sacramento State Joins FBS, MAC 07:43 North Dakota State vs Sacramento State 10:59 Judge’s Decision Transforms Ole Miss 14:45 College Football Eligibility Debate 18:39 College Sports’ Lose-Lose Dilemma 31:04 Bobby Petrino’s QB Impact Discussed
The Miami Dolphins have released wide receiver Tyreek Hill with immediate effect.
The 31-year-old has been selected for the Pro Bowl in eight of his first 10 seasons in the NFL but is currently recovering from a serious knee injury.
The Dolphins cited “failed physical” as the reason for Hill’s departure as they also released offensive lineman James Daniels and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on Monday.
Know as ‘the Cheetah’, Hill has been one of the quickest players in the NFL since being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016, helping them win the Super Bowl in 2020.
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The Chiefs traded him to Miami in 2022 to make room under their salary cap and since then he has ranked sixth for most receiving yards in he NFL.
The Dolphins went on to finish the season with their second straight losing record under head coach Mike McDaniel, who has since been replaced by Jeff Hafley.
He has set about rebuilding the Dolphins roster, with Tua Tagovailoa also linked with a move from Miami having failed to establish himself as their franchise quarterback.
Another PGA Signature Event unfolds this week when the 2026 Genesis Invitational tees off on Thursday at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. The purse is $20 million, with Ludvig Aberg returning as the defending champion. Collin Morikawa enters this tournament off of a win at Pebble Beach, and based on course history, he has a great chance to continue his resurgence this week after previously recording just one top-10 since March of 2025. He’s finished T19 or better at The Genesis Invitational the past four years, including a T2 at this event in 2022.
The latest 2026 Genesis Invitational odds via FanDuel Sportsbook list Scottie Scheffler as the +300 favorite (risk $100 to win $300), with Rory McIlroy at +1300. Hideki Matsuyama, who won this event in 2024, is +2000, with Morikawa at +2700 and Aberg at +4500. Before locking in any 2026 Genesis Invitational picks, or making any PGA DFS picks on sites like FanDuel or DraftKings, be sure to see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, simulated every PGA Tour event 10,000 times and reveals golf betting picks that have a history of being extremely profitable.
This same model has also nailed a whopping 16 majors entering the weekend, including the 2025 Masters — its fourth Masters in a row — as well as this year’s PGA Championship and Open Championship. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting sites.
One major surprise the model is calling for at The Genesis Invitational 2026: Matsuyama, who won this event in 2024 and is coming off back-to-back top-10 performances, finishes outside the top 5 this week. Though he has the one win in this event, he’s also missed the cut twice since 2021, and a slow start pushed him out of the top 10 last year at the Genesis. The model is not high on Matsuyama’s value at +2000 in the PGA odds. See who else to fade here.
Another surprise: The model is extremely high on Chris Gotterup at +3000. He is one of the hottest players on the PGA Tour, winning two of the four events he’s appeared in this year. The success dates back to later in 2025 as he had four top-10 finishes between July and the end of the year, including a win at the Scottish Open and a third-place finish at the Open Championship. He’s fifth in driving distance this season and sixth in Strokes Gained: Total, making him a strong value at the Genesis Invitational 2026. See who else to pick here.
Scottie Scheffler +300 Rory McIlroy +1300 Xander Schauffele +1900 Tommy Fleetwood +1900 Hideki Matsuyama +2000 Patrick Cantlay +2500 Russell Henley +2700 Collin Morikawa +2700 Sam Burns +3000 Si Woo Kim +3000 Cameron Young +3000 Chris Gotterup +3000 Viktor Hovland +3500 Robert MacIntyre +3500 Min Woo Lee +3500 Justin Rose +4000 Maverick McNealy +4000 Ben Griffin +4000 Matt Fitzpatrick +4000 Rickie Fowler +4000 Jake Knapp +4000 Harris English +4000 Adam Scott +4500 Ludvig Åberg +4500 Sepp Straka +4500 Akshay Bhatia +5000 Jordan Spieth +5500 Keegan Bradley +5500 Shane Lowry +5500 Ryan Gerard +5500 Jason Day +6000 J.J. Spaun +6000 Kurt Kitayama +7000 Pierceson Coody +7000 Taylor Pendrith +7500 Max Homa +7500 Nick Taylor +7500 Alex Noren +8000 Jacob Bridgeman +8000 J.T. Poston +8000 Harry Hall +8000
Jurgen Klopp has been targeted by both Manchester United and Chelsea to take over as manager following his departure from Liverpool in 2024
Jurgen Klopp rejected an approach from Manchester United following his departure from Liverpool, his agent has said. Klopp stepped down as Liverpool manager in the summer of 2024, after almost nine years in charge, to take a break from management.
During his time in charge of the Anfield club, he won the Champions League in 2019 before leading Liverpool to their first league title in 30 years a year later. He has since made clear he has no plans to return to management and became global head of soccer for the Red Bull group last year.
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However, that didn’t stop United from making an approach for the German. But according to Klopp’s long-time agent, Marc Kosicke, United weren’t the only club to make an approach for the 58-year-old.
He has also claimed Chelsea failed in an approach, while if Klopp wanted to be, he could have become England manager following Gareth Southgate’s departure after Euro 2024.
Although Kosicke didn’t reveal when United made their move, it could have been after the Old Trafford club parted company with Erik ten Hag in October 2024.
Asked about his client returning to the dugout, Kosicke said: “At the moment, I don’t see that happening, because he’s very happy with his new role and in this environment.
“Maybe at some point he’ll say he needs to smell the locker room again. But at the moment he’s very, very happy in his role. Before joining Red Bull, Jurgen could have coached the USA or England national teams. Probably also Germany, if Julian Nagelsmann hadn’t already been there.
“Even Chelsea and Manchester United inquired, although Jurgen had clearly stated that he would not coach any other club in England. These inquiries haven’t stopped.
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“Jurgen has undergone a metamorphosis, moving away from being a coach with a broad perspective towards more management responsibilities.”
Kosicke also revealed that Bayern Munich made an approach for the German just months before he led Liverpool to the Premier League title.
“Bayern came very close to signing us twice,” he revealed in an interview with Transfermarkt. “Once in 2008: Uli Hoeness wanted Jurgen Klopp, but Karl-Heinz Rummenigge wanted Jurgen Klinsmann.
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“And after Niko Kovac (who was sacked in November 2019), when Jurgen was at Liverpool, they approached us again. Nobody thought things would be so successful with (eventual Bayern boss) Hansi Flick. There just wasn’t the right momentum.”
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Former welterweight champion Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) stepped in on short notice to face Chimaev in a middleweight bout at UFC 294. He rallied after a rough first round, but ended up losing a majority decision.
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Usman has since rebounded with a dominant decision win over Joaquin Buckley, and has a two-fight plan to ride out out his career. First stop is reclaiming his welterweight title by challenging Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC), then getting his rematch against middleweight champ Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC).
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“Islam is a phenomenal guy, phenomenal champion, what he’s been able to do,” Usman said in an interview with Eurosport NL. “Styles make fights, and I think I’m the most difficult style for him right now. I think I’m the best test for him. Islam is extremely talented. That last fight, he made it look easy because the former champion, there was a deficit in the game and that happens to be where I am strong, as well. So I think that’s a tremendous matchup. I love Islam, but I think I get that title.
“If I get that title, a lot of people wanted to see that rematch with Khamzat with a full camp. It was too short and I’ve been accustomed to fighting five-round fights. If I was able to get that opportunity again and to actually prepare for a big, strong Khamzat – because Khamzat is extremely talented. He’s done everything that was asked of him to do. He’s a good champion, and I think given that opportunity again, I approach that fight a little different.”
In an ideal world, Usman wants to ride off into the sunset by the end of next year.
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“2026, we want to say ‘Wow, I can’t believe you actually pulled that off and went and not only took one title, but you took two, and you walked away,’” Usman said. “Fingers crossed. Of course, welterweight first because I don’t think the other one happens without the welterweight one. I’m in this division, I’m still there, so why not take that one first?”
Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) runs with the ball against the SHouston Texans in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings have a nearly full arsenal of draft picks to trade for a quarterback this offseason — if they’re in the mood. And this week, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell made no secret about the top trade option for the purple team, suggesting Minnesota should target Mac Jones from the San Francisco 49ers.
The Vikings can explore a Mac Jones trade, but ESPN’s idea hinges on price and the team’s faith in J.J. McCarthy.
Trades can be agreed upon at any time right now on the NFL calendar. If Minnesota plans to fire off a trade, there’s no need to wait.
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ESPN’s Mac Jones Idea for Vikings Comes Down to Cost
Your Mac Jones takes have been vindicated by Barnwell.
Mac Jones loosens up on October 19, 2025, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, taking warmup reps during the fourth quarter as the 49ers host the Falcons, helmet on and arm live while staying ready along the sideline in a late-game NFC matchup. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images.
Barnwell: Jones to MIN Beneifts SF and MIN
Barnwell sized up 11 hypothetical quarterback trades on Monday, and Jones to Minnesota turned heads.
He wrote, “Vikings get: QB Mac Jones, 2027 third-round pick. 49ers get: 2026 second-round pick, 2027 fifth-round pick (conditional), 2028 third-round pick (conditional). In this deal, the 49ers get a second-rounder for a future third-rounder. There are also two conditional picks, which should help protect them if Jones blossoms in Minnesota.”
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“The 2027 conditional pick would trigger based on Jones’ playing time with the Vikings. If he starts four games in 2026, the Vikings send a fifth-round pick out west. If Jones starts 12 games, that gets upped to a third-rounder.”
Jones has recently stated that he loves the 49ers as an organization but also wants to start in the NFL, which probably won’t happen behind Brock Purdy.
“And then, if Jones re-signs with the Vikings after the 2026 season and starts at least one game for the Vikings in 2027, the 49ers would land another third-round pick. If Jones spends just 2025 backing up McCarthy, the 49ers swap only the Day 2 picks,” Barnwell continued.
“If Jones emerges as the long-term starter in Minnesota, though, the Vikings could send a second-rounder and two third-round picks to the 49ers — a price that Kevin O’Connell would surely be happy to pay for an upgrade at quarterback.”
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With a fan base buzzing for answers at quarterback this offseason, Barnwell’s theory lit a match.
Finding the Next Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield
Jones’s popularity will soar through the roof this offseason. Why? Well, Sam Darnold just helped the Seattle Seahawks win a Super Bowl, while Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has shown in three consecutive seasons that he’s a consistent QB1 after being left for dead by the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
General managers and coaches will now scour the NFL for the “next Sam Darnold,” and there’s no better candidate than Jones, though Malik Willis, a free agent to be, may disagree.
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Jones started eight games for the 49ers in 2025 when Purdy battled an injury, and when extrapolating that sample to 17 games, Jones provided 4,570 passing yards, 28 passing TDs, 13 INTs, and 69.6% completion rate. Yes, those are Darnoldian numbers.
NFL decision-makers will convince themselves — if they haven’t already — that Jones needs to be rescued from his QB2 post, empowered by a new offensive staff, and unlocked as a sure-fire starter. Barnwell thinks the Vikings are the best spot for it.
Competition for J.J. McCarthy
McCarthy played great in about four games last season, all down the stretch, when the game apparently made more sense to him. But in his first starts, he battled injury and poor performance.
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Barnwell noted on McCarthy, “The Vikings can’t afford to leave J.J. McCarthy an uncontested path to their starting quarterback job again in 2026. He was a disaster for most of the season, and though he put together a better stretch to end 2025, that four-game run came against the Commanders (who were 30th in EPA per play against pass dropbacks), Cowboys (31st), Giants (17th, in a game where McCarthy threw 14 passes) and Packers (21st, McCarthy was facing second- and third-stringers for most of the game).”
“It’s reasonable to say that McCarthy deserves more time, having started just 10 games during two seasons as a pro. Even if you’re making that argument, though, the Vikings need real competition for him in camp. They also need a backup who can step in to play, given that McCarthy has missed 24 games over his first two years because of knee, concussion, hand and ankle injuries.”
Mac Jones goes through pregame routines on November 2, 2025, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, throwing and stretching before the 49ers face the Giants, working methodically as teammates filter onto the field ahead of the afternoon kickoff. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images.
O’Connell may need an extra quarterback next to McCarthy in 2026 to ensure his team doesn’t succumb to irrelevance if McCarthy gets hurt or plays poorly. Jones would arrive in Minnesota this spring or summer and immediately battle for the QB1 job.
In that scenario, it would be a “may the best man win” situation.
A Rather Expensive Trade
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Under the hood, Barnwell’s trade is quite spendy. If Jones met all the conditions, the Vikings would be on the hook for a 2nd-Rounder, 3rd-Rounder, and another 3rd-Rounder.
And it would make sense for Jones to be that expensive. San Francisco’s general manager, John Lynch, and head coach, Kyle Shanahan, have stated this offseason that they have no plans to trade Jones unless the offer blows them away.
Kevin O’Connell addresses reporters on October 13, 2025, at Vikings headquarters in Eagan, outlining injury updates and post-bye plans while detailing recovery timelines and the preparation focus for Minnesota’s upcoming stretch of games. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
A 2nd-Round pick and two 3rd-Rounders would most defintely blow anyone away, especially for a quarterback who has never sustained long-term success.
One thing to remember about club fitting is that there are no hard and fast rules and choosing the right wedge grind is the perfect example.
On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, co-hosts Johnny Wunder and Jake Morrow talked about why focusing on the bounce number doesn’t really give you a good picture of what a wedge will do for you.
Morrow brought up a great example from his own testing on tight lies with low-bounce wedges.
“I was hitting the Opus T, and I was on the very left side of a two-weeks-without-rain ECPC range, which is the tightest lie they have,” Morrow explained. “And with the T grind, which they say on paper and in the forums and everything, that should be the one that works, right? Because it’s super tight. You’re going to be able to nip it, but whatever.
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“Well, the problem is for me as a steeper player, it just turns into a knife and then it doesn’t come out of the ground. That’s the issue.
“And so I go, and I start hitting these like 20-yard pitches with the 12-degree X grind, which is probably the highest they have and I feel like an absolute god.”
More often than not, the stated bounce on a wedge bounce isn’t actually what the bounce of the sole is.
Titleist Vokey Design’s new SM11 wedges feature a new precise CG position across each grind in a loft, meaning every wedge will now perform the same way with the same strike.
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“I’m almost at the point where I wish the bounce number would just be eliminated from wedges,” Morrow said. “Like I just want to put the shape of the sole, whatever the grind is from each manufacturer on the bottom of them. And the blind test that Vokey does is probably the best way to do it.”
There are so many different grind options from each manufacturer nowadays, and players hit shots in very different ways, so it’s important to find which wedges work for your specific delivery conditions, rather than catering to the course conditions.
The LoLdle answers for February 17, 2026, are now unveiled. As in earlier iterations, deciphering the champions’ names in the title’s 1321st one can be a hassle. Nonetheless, if players have in-depth knowledge of several aspects of these LoL characters, solving the enigmas becomes more efficient.
Here is the Quote puzzle in the 1321st edition of LoLdle:
“Feel the thunder.”
Darius, Jayce, and other League of Legends LoLdle answers for the 1321st edition (February 17, 2026)
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The League of Legends LoLdle answers for February 17 are shown below:
Classic: Darius
Quote: Jayce
Ability: Cho’Gath; Bonus: R (Feast)
Emoji: Millo
SplashArt: Yone; Bonus: High Noon Yone
The Classic answer of February 17 LoLdle is Darius. The clue for Quote points to Jayce, a champion who falls amongst some of the best choices in the top lane role meta in League of Legends.
The Ability puzzle has Cho’Gath’s R ability, “Feast.” The Emojis show Millo, and it is Yone’s High Noon skin in the Splash Art enigma.
Over the past few months, Wilder has been linked to a showdown with Usyk, who along with the WBC title, also holds the WBA and IBF belts.
Wilder was once the long-term WBC champion, making 10 defences of the strap between 2015 and 2020, and had regularly stated his desire to reclaim his crown again.
Usyk is expected to return over the next few months, and has been linked to make that voluntary defence against the likes of Andy Ruiz or Rico Verhoeven, but may have to turn his attention after that to Kabayel rather than Wilder.
Usyk could choose to vacate his WBC belt if he decides a fight against Wilder is more lucrative than a clash against Kabayel, but ‘The Bronze Bomber’ must first beat Chisora, then potentially face the Ukrainian for the WBA and IBF belts, with the chance to become WBC champion again now seemingly gone.
Is the move setting a bad precedent in the sport? 
