Tag: trade request

OPINION: Why the Bucs should trade Devin White

Do you think Devin White is worth $100 million?

It may have come as a surprise when reports emerged that Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White has requested a trade. What may not be surprising is that it is exactly what the Bucs should do with their former first-round pick.

By many accounts, Devin White is a star. His rookie year was filled with promise, forcing three fumbles and recovering four, including two returned for touchdowns. This led to him making the 2019 NFL All-Rookie Team.

White was instrumental during Tampa’s 2020 Super Bowl run, posting eye-popping stats. He recorded nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss during the regular season before collecting two interceptions and two fumble recoveries during the playoffs.

In 2020, White was one of the most effective pass-rushers in the NFL, earning a 17.4 pass-rush productivity (PRP) score from Pro Football Focus which measures pressures against pass-rush snaps. White’s 2020 PRP score was the best among all off-ball linebackers and was even better than most defensive linemen.

White has finished top-10 in solo tackles each of the last two years. He is one of the NFL’s best blitzers and has career 20.5 sacks.  He has also been highly durable, playing no less than 91% of defensive snaps in any year since joining the Bucs. He was a Pro Bowler in 2021 and has been named Player of the Week three times and was the Defensive Player of the Month in September 2022.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles clearly loves him. He was extolling his virtues as recently as this year’s combine (via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman):

Despite his request, the Bucs “have no plans” to trade White, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. This could be a negotiating tactic, but the Bucs have also spent years talking up Devin White and pushing him as leader of the defense.

So, what could possibly lead to Devin White demanding a trade from an organization that clearly values him? It may be that they don’t value him enough, at least according to White. Back when White was still a draft prospect, he made very clear what he was looking for in five years when he would hit free agency: $100 million.

The Bucs appear to be balking at this premise. They should.

$100 million for an off-ball linebacker is top-of-the-market money. Only three linebackers in the NFL currently make this kind of money: Roquan Smith, Shaquille Leonard and Fred Warner.

Devin White is not as good as any of these three linebackers. He may not be as good as the linebackers a tier below them, even.

Despite his flashy numbers, White is frequently a liability in run defense and pass coverage. He missed 14% of his tackles in 2022 per PFF, putting him among the bottom-10 linebackers who played at least 50% of their team’s defensive snaps. When in coverage last year, he allowed a passer rating of 121.8, second-worst among linebackers.

These are not aberrations. Over his NFL career, he has missed 13.1% of his tackles and has allowed a 106.9 passer rating in coverage.

This may be forgivable if Devin White were more of a playmaker, but he simply isn’t the sort that gets paid $100 million. Since 2020, White has just two forced fumbles, three recoveries, 16 tackles for a loss and no interceptions.

Even his PRP score has declined every year since 2020. He has as many sacks over the last two years as he recorded in 2020.

To be clear, Devin White has the talent and production to be a starting NFL linebacker, but that’s not really the issue behind his trade request. The problem is he thinks he is a $100 million linebacker, and he isn’t.

That is why the Bucs should make every effort to trade Devin White. He will never be happy unless he is making top dollar. Given his liabilities in several aspects as a defender, the Bucs would be better off letting some other team pay that bill.

Because White is still a valuable pass rusher, the Bucs could get a decent return for him in draft capital, possibly a pick in round two or three. A Day 2 pick would be just enough to replace White. After all, Shaquille Leonard and Fred Warner were both Day 2 picks.

The Bucs may resist the notion of trading Devin White, but it would be for the best. He has ambitions that exceed their means to accommodate them, and they could be the better for it.

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Lamar Jackson requested trade from Ravens, says team isn’t ‘interested in meeting my value’

Jackson took to Twitter to set the record straight about his negotiations with the #Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are at an impasse in their negotiations with MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. After months of speculation and reports of stalled talks between the two parties, Jackson took to Twitter to set the record straight, though his statement raises more questions than answers for the Ravens and their fans.

In his explanation of the current situation, Jackson says he requested a trade on March 2, which was before the Ravens tagged him. He’s left no doubt about his desire to leave Baltimore to play for another team next season. Though the Ravens seem to have the leverage to bring him back, these latest developments paint a grim picture for the team, which is looking to cement itself as a serious Super Bowl contender in 2023.

While this was not the news fans in the Charm City hoped to see on Monday morning, Jackson’s posts should clarify the ongoing circumstances surrounding his extended free agency saga. The Ravens will be sure to use every tool they have to ensure that the quarterback remains a keystone in their offensive attack next year, though Jackson’s status as an invested member of the organization is growing more questionable by the hour.

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Kyrie Irving’s trade request is incredible news for Cleveland Cavaliers bettors

Everything is coming up Cleveland in the Eastern Conference

It’s been a little while since Kyrie Irving was in the news for basketball reasons and oh boy did he fix that in a big way on Friday.

Less than a week before the NBA trade deadline, Irving threw himself onto the market by demanding out of Brooklyn. The most recent plot twist comes as Irving tried, and seemingly failed, to negotiate an extension with the Nets and pretty much brings an end to New York City’s latest attempt to secure a title via Super Team.

While that’s good news for pretty much every team in the Eastern Conference, there’s one group in particular who should be celebrating a bit harder right now: Cleveland Cavaliers bettors.

As of January 31, the Cavs were the biggest liability to win the East at BetMGM and their odds to do so are only getting better after Irving’s request.

That the Cavs were a popular pick to win the East after trading for Donovan Mitchell isn’t surprising. But the Nets potentially losing one of their more dominant stars at this point in the year changes the equation quite a bit.

Not only does it weaken a supposed powerhouse team in the East, it might just help Cleveland secure homecourt advantage in the postseason.

Entering Friday the Cavs were a half-game back of the Nets for the No. 4 seed in the East. The latest turmoil in Brooklyn is the perfect opportunity for Cleveland to overtake the Nets in the standings.

The Cavs already have the easiest schedule remaining in the NBA, per Tankathon, while Brooklyn has the sixth-toughest slate left. A downgrade from Irving in the lineup will certainly make things harder.

Now Cleveland just has to find a way past the Celtics, Sixers and Bucks to cash those tickets.

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This ominous tweet from Kyrie Irving might have been a sign he was about to request a trade from the Nets

Kyrie Irving is done with Brooklyn — again

Whew boy. Here the Brooklyn Nets are, again, with yet another star player who seems to want to separate himself from the team.

This time, it’s Kyrie Irving — er, well, again — after the two sides reportedly failed to negotiate a contract extension over the last week, per Bleacher Reports’ Chris Haynes.

News of Irving’s trade request surfaced on Friday afternoon and it seemed to come out of nowhere. NBA fans everywhere seemed sort of surprised by it. But, when you dig through Irving’s Twitter account, you see that we actually may have gotten a hint that this was coming.

Around 1 p.m. on Friday, before the news broke an hour later, Irving tweeted this:

“To my peers: Just be Yourself and grow! Keep people around who celebrate you unconditionally and appreciates all of the hard work that gets put in. 

Distance yourself from the folks who manipulate, hate, and hurt.” 

That could totally be unrelated, but it also sounds exactly how you’d think someone would feel when contract extension negotiations go awry.

Certainly, we’ll find out more in the coming days. But the Nets are right back at square 1 here and that has to be frustrating.

NBA Executives believe Trae Young might be the next star to request a trade, but it’s way too early for that

Trae Young isn’t going anywhere. Let’s stop the madness.

The NBA is a strange place. One day, you can be first in the Eastern Conference. The next day your team can be splintering with one of your three superstars requesting a trade.

That’s just the way the league works — at least over the last decade or so. Star player movement is the norm in the NBA.

But it’s still a bit shocking to hear that rival NBA executives think Trae Young might be the next star player to request a trade out of Atlanta. But that’s apparently a thing, according to reporting from Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.

This is coming from pure speculation by rival executives at the G League Winter Showcase.

“Rival executives in attendance at the NBA’s annual G League Winter Showcase are of the belief that Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young could be the next player on a rookie max extension to request a trade if the team doesn’t make inroads come postseason time.”

To be completely honest, this just feels like unsubstantiated speculation here. There doesn’t really seem to be much to it.

It’s another rival executive anonymously cited here saying “watch that Trae Young situation in Atlanta” with nothing really backing it up aside from a reported rift between Nate McMillan and Trae Young.

There’s almost no chance that this actually happens. There are a few reasons why. Let’s dive into them.

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Roquan Smith’s trade request is another reminder to fade the Chicago Bears while you still can

Last place in the NFC North? Worst record in football? It’s all very much in play for Chicago now.

It seems like the Chicago Bears can’t go a day or two without creating headlines for the wrong reasons.

If it’s not Teven Jenkins absence from practice, it’s N’Keal Harry’s ankle injury. On Tuesday, the Monsters of the Midway were dealt their biggest blow yet: a trade request from defensive cornerstone Roquan Smith.

There’s no understating how much this sets back the Bears in their rebuild. Smith has been as productive a linebacker as Chicago could’ve hoped for when it drafted him No. 8 overall in 2018. Through the first 61 games of what’s turning into a brilliant career, the Georgia product has recorded 524 tackles, 14 sacks, 17 deflections, five interceptions and scored one touchdown with a forced fumble and fumble recovery on his resume.

He was on his way to joining a list of Bears linebacker legends like Brian Urlacher, Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary. Now he can’t get out of town fast enough.

The Bears apparently didn’t see the value in keeping a player like that well-payed and satisfied. That’s their loss. The rest of us can capitalize and what should be an absolutely abysmal football season in Chicago and at least turn misery into profits.

With Smith likely out of the picture, here are the best bets you can make as the Bears prepare to fight for the top pick in 2023.

All odds via Tipico

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Bettors hammered Lakers title odds after reports of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving’s trade wishes

Bettors are hammering the Lakers.

In the wake of the opening of free agency and reports that Kevin Durant wants out of Brooklyn, bettors are apparently hammering Los Angeles Lakers title odds.

At least three sportsbooks, and likely more, have seen dramatic movement on LA’s odds, which have gone from 15-1 to 13-1 in the last day at Tipico Sportsbook and 22-1 to 10-1 at Caesars. Since yesterday, LA has been the most bet on team by handle to win the 2022-23 NBA title at DraftKings, which now has the Lakers at +1200.

The movement obviously isn’t due to anything the Lakers have shown on the court in the past year. Rather it’s something people are expecting to happen.

That 3 p.m. time noted above is just after news of Durant’s trade request broke. And ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Kyrie Irving wants to force his way to the Lakers and league executives believe there’s a way LA can grab both Irving and Durant. Something like that would certainly move the needle.

I’m not ready to hammer LA’s title odds just yet because I’m having a hard time seeing the package for Irving that the Nets would find attractive. If Durant is included, that obviously changes my mind — even with Anthony Davis likely headed to Brooklyn — but that just feels a little farfetched at this point.

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Layup Lines: Kevin Durant should just embrace the hate and go back to the Warriors

Durant reportedly wants out of Brooklyn. So go get that old thing back.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

What’s good y’all. It’s Prince here for another Layup Lines, and boy did free agency day get started with a bang. Kevin Durant reportedly requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, and I can’t say I saw that coming.

But now that it’s out there, the question obviously becomes where does he go? There are reports out there that the Suns and Heat are two of the preferred destinations for Durant, but can I interest you in a Golden State Warriors reunion?

Draymond Green has been taking heat the last couple days for saying the Warriors wouldn’t have won another championship after 2015 if Durant didn’t join the team two years later. And it’s understandable why, considering he framed it in a way to minimize Stephen Curry’s greatness. And they literally came within a game of repeating in 2016.

Regardless, I understood what he was trying to say and didn’t think it was so outlandish. Before they even had a chance to blow that 3-1 lead against the Cavs, they had to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the previous round against Durant’s Thunder. They were clearly beatable.

But now, after winning their third title since, I think they’re especially vulnerable. Don’t get me wrong, the Warriors are good, they’re the champs. But they aren’t infallible. Green and Klay Thompson aren’t the same players they once were. Curry had to play out of his mind for them to beat the Celtics. Andrew Wiggins exceeded expectations, but he’ll need to take it up another level if they want to repeat. They’re also relying on a lot of young guys to develop. But why hope when you could just package a few of those assets to Brooklyn for the man Wiggins replaced?

Wiggins is coming up on a contract year, and the Warriors will have an interesting decision to make for someone who’s paid like a top option but isn’t one. They could get ahead of that now, and bring back someone who is — assuming KD is interested. Pretending to know what KD wants is where this whole thing gets tricky. But he can keep chasing something that replicates the success he had in Golden State, to no avail, or he can just go get the real thing back and flip a bird to the haters.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

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Since Durant news is the news of the day, let’s stay there for a moment. Brooklyn is sure to get a nice haul in whatever trade package they accept for the all-world talent. And more than likely, that’s going to include a big name coming back to the Nets. But who could they realistically land in such a deal?

My colleague Bryan Kalbrosky scoured through a few rosters to answer that question, starting with one of KD’s reported preferred destinations, the Phoenix Suns, and what he had to say might surprise you.

“Might we see a sign-and-trade involving former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton? Do we even know if Ayton wants to play for the Nets? He would need to agree to a sign and trade. If he signs an offer sheet elsewhere, he is no longer eligible to be traded.

Additionally, would the organization even be willing to include Defensive Player of the Year candidate Mikal Bridges or lengthy sharpshooter Cam Johnson? There are a lot of factors at play with this one and it could get a bit chaotic.

The biggest question people aren’t asking, though: Are the Suns bold enough to potentially even trade Devin Booker if they could get KD? As good as he is, I’m not so sure I’d consider Booker untouchable. KD is so, so much better.”

Trading Booker would be a bold move by the Suns but one that would require them to sacrifice fewer assets and depth pieces. It’s really interesting to consider.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Sean D. Eliot/The Day via AP

Atlanta Dream (+200) at New York Liberty (-5.5, -250), O/U 158.5, 7 PM ET

Playing one another for the second time in the last week, the Dream and Liberty are teams going in completely opposite directions. Atlanta has lost seven of its last eight games while New York has won seven of its last 10, including the 12-point victory over the Dream in its last game. Well-rested since then, I expect a similar result for New York, so I’m picking the Liberty to cover 5.5 points.

Shootaround

— While Kevin Durant news broke the internet, the Nets traded for the Jazz’s Royce O’Neale.

— A time like this calls for the Trade Machine. And some of these fan trades are just ridiculous.

— With free agency upon us, here’s a look at the 15 highest paid players for next season.

— Anthony Edwards is good at everything, including football. His skills left Tom Brady impressed.

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Top 5 teams that should trade for Kevin Durant (including the Warriors), and 5 teams that shouldn’t

Everyone should want KD. But especially these five teams.

First, let me start by saying, if you have a chance to acquire Kevin Durant, you do it. The end.

Durant, who requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, as reported Thursday by The Athletic’s Sham Charania, is an all-world talent who automatically makes the team he’s on a title contender.

However, Durant’s mere presence doesn’t guarantee a championship — just look at the Nets. And just because he’s out of Brooklyn doesn’t mean he’d be happy anywhere. As of now, there are only a couple teams reportedly on his list of destinations, so anyone else taking a swing could be risking trading for a disgruntled star. For some places, that’s a risk worth taking.

Here, I’m taking a look at the top five teams that should take that risk, along with their current 2023 title odds via Tipico Sportsbook. And I also give you five teams that shouldn’t.

Report: Former Sooner Orlando Brown Jr. wants to be traded

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, former Oklahoma Sooners OT Orlando Brown Jr has requested a trade.

An NFL offseason often comes with twists and turns. Former Oklahoma Sooner Orlando Brown Jr. desires to be traded from the Baltimore Ravens to play at his preferred position- left tackle, NFL  Network’s Ian Rapoport announced on Tuesday via Twitter.

The truth comes out as the 2021 new league year draws closer and closer. Brown is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and has permission by the Ravens to seek a trade. The 24-year-old made it abundantly clear that he would like to part ways with Baltimore.

Brown was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. During his first three seasons, he played both left and right tackle. He was named to the Pro Bowl in consecutive seasons (2019-20).

This comes off the heels of Brown stated that he wanted to play left tackle, not for the money aspect but to honor his father. Brown Sr played for the Ravens from 1996-98 and returned in 2003 until the 2005 season completed. He passed away in 2011.

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