This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to TMW. Thanks so much for reading this morning. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.
Especially on a day like today. It’s so crucial. Things can change for the better in your life — or maybe they get worse. That’s the thing, right? We have very little control over the end result. We just have to live with it.
Whether your team makes a trade at the NFL trade deadline or not, you kind of just have to go with the flow.
LET THE TRADES FLY: Here’s our NFL trade deadline tracker with every major deal included.
And, look. I get it. This is the NFL trade deadline — not the NBA. Though we’ve seen more deals in recent years, we’re not talking about the most transaction-heavy league. Plus, as Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said, most deadline trades have middling results unless you’re dealing for absolute stars. Usually, those stars aren’t actually on the market. So maybe a move helps your team make a playoff push. It still probably won’t go to the Super Bowl.
But, hey! Maybe your team lands the big one. Maybe the trade your squad makes actually does make it that much better than everyone else. Or maybe your team just dealt your favorite player to save a buck or two this offseason (that’s the trade that hurts the most, btw).
Regardless of whether your team makes a move or stands pat, you will make it through today. You’re tough. You can handle what’s coming around the corner, no matter the result.
That goes for the trade deadline and, yes, that other thing happening today, too.
The stars are out
Monday was a huge day of basketball. All 30 NBA teams played because the league took off for election day on Tuesday.
On top of that, both men’s and women’s college basketball returned. We had huge season debuts for stars on both sides.
— Juju Watkins dominated in USC’s opening game against Ole Miss with 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, five blocks and three steals. Oh, and a bloody nose. She’s really like that.
— Olivia Miles played her first game in over a year since tearing her ACL in 2023. She came back in a big way with a 20-point-10 assist-10 rebound triple-double and a Notre Dame win.
— Cooper Flagg made his debut for Duke in the Blue Devils’ season opener against Maine. He finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a monster jam. It feels like the Zion Williamson era at Duke all over again.
— Derik Queen is a name you’re probably not familiar with at this point, but you should get familiar with him. The Maryland freshman had a 22 point, 20 rebound season-opening performance in 26 minutes against Manhattan. That dude is nice.
We are so back, folks. College hoops are going to be so fun this year.
Speaking of fun … the most pointless, yet incredible, dunk ever
I don’t care that it was only the first game of the year. I don’t care that Baylor was down by 500 points to Gonzaga. I don’t care that, ultimately, this play won’t matter at all in the grand scheme of the season.
V.J. Edgecombe just gave us one of the most beautiful dunks over someone that we’ll ever see.
This is a legitimate poster, folks. It’s somebody’s home screen on their phone now. Edgecome absolutely destroyed this poor dude.
THIS V.J. Edgecombe DUNK😱#BaylorMBB | #Big12MBB pic.twitter.com/PpTx9zrGLK
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) November 5, 2024
Baylor might’ve lost the game. But, to me, you’ve gotta put this in the W column now. Sorry. You can’t get dunked on like that and be rewarded for it. It just feels off.
Quick hits: Dak Prescott replacements … NFL Power Rankings … and more
— Dak Prescott is headed to the IR for the Cowboys. Christian D’Andrea gives us the next best options for Dallas here.
— Here’s Christian and Robert Zeglinski’s latest NFL power rankings, where they still have a strong belief in Joe Burrow to carry the Bengals.
— Prince Grimes has your betting lines ready for Week 10 in the NFL.
— College basketball is back. That means so is Kim Mulkey, who already has her first technical foul of the year. Meg Hall has more on that.
— Speaking of NFL trades, here’s Christian with trade grades for the Lions’ and Browns’ Za’Darius Smith deal.
— Here’s Tyler Netunno with the winners and losers for Week 10 in college football, headlined by another letdown for Penn State.
That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate you! In all seriousness, today might be a stressful day for you. But try to find the time to do something you love for a bit and relieve some of that stress. Hopefully, this newsletter itself gives you a bit of an escape!
Peace. Talk to you soon.
-Sykes ✌️