Category Archives: Beyond Believeland

Jordan Howard clears waivers, now a free agent

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The running back has cleared waivers after going unclaimed and is now a free agent.

Jordan Howard is now eligible to sign with any team he pleases after going unclaimed on waivers. Howard was let go by the Miami Dolphins on Monday.

While Jordan Howard did score 4 rushing touchdowns with the Dolphins, just about everything else during his time in Miami was a disappointment. Howard finished with 28 rushes for 33 yards and 1 reception for -3 yards. The Dolphins are getting rushing production out of their other running backs so keeping Howard was not needed. Perhaps a change of scenery will provide Howard with an opportunity to prove he is still a productive NFL running back.

Jrue Holiday, Bogdan Bogdanovic traded to Bucks

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The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to deals with the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings.

The Milwaukee Bucks are doing everything they can to provide Giannis Antetokounmpo with as much help as possible, that includes trading for Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Milwaukee is sending three first-round picks to the Pelicans to acquire the 30-year old guard.

In addition to the three first rounders, New Orleans is also receives two future draft pick swaps,

In the deal for Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Bucks are sending Donte Divincezneo, Ersan Ilyasova, and DJ Wilson to Sacramento.

With Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic in the mix, Milwaukee is banking on taking the next step this season. The Bucks fell short of the NBA Finals this past season and are looking to change their fortunes. Additionally Milwaukee is trying to improve the roster enough to ensure that Giannnis remains with the Bucks. Acquiring Holiday and Bogdanovic are definitely steps in the right direction for Milwaukee.

Drew Brees has rib fractures and collapsed lung

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The New Orleans Saints quarterback suffered multiple injuries in Sunday’s win over San Franscico.

While the New Orleans Saints were able to win the game, they lost their starting quarterback. Drew Brees has multiple fractured ribs and a collapsed lung following a hit in Sunday’s game.

Drew Brees was obviously unable to finish the game and the Saints turned to Jameis Winston to fill in. Winston would go 6 of 10 for 63 yards while being sacked twice.

This is not new territory for the Drew Brees and the Saints. Brees dealt with an injury last season that kept him out for a few games which led to Teddy Bridgewater getting the nod as their starting quarterback. Add in the fact that Saints coach Sean Payton is no stranger to mixing it up at the quarterback position and they seem more than prepared to handle this situation. Jameis Winston is not Drew Brees by any means, but a combination of Winston and Taysom Hill should be able to manufacture enough offense to continue winning games in his absence.

Chris Paul traded to Phoenix Suns

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded the veteran point guard to the Phoenix Suns.

Chris Paul will be playing for his fourth team in five seasons the next time he takes the court, Oklahoma City and Phoenix agreed to a deal that will send the veteran guard to the Suns. In addition to Paul, the Suns will also receive 27-year old forward Abdel Nader while Oklahoma City will receive four players and a 2022 first round draft pick. Those players include Kelly Oubre, Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, and Jalen Lecque.

This deal is for two teams heading in different directions. The Phoenix Suns clearly believe they are in contention mode and acquiring Chris Paul only helps their cause. Paul can be the veteran presence that the Suns need in order to potentially make a run in the Western Conference. For the Thunder, they area team that is focused on the future. Oklahoma City just continues to add to their draft pick arsenal (17 first round picks in the next six drafts) and will look to utilize them to rebuild their team. The Thunder will be in a transition period as they are finally able to transition from their post-contention era. There is a lot of work to do for Sam Presti and the Thunder, but they are making sure they are getting as many chances as possible to make it work.

Mike Clevinger to undergo Tommy John surgery

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The San Diego Padres starting pitcher will need Tommy John surgery and will miss all of the 2021 season.

The next time that Mike Clevinger will pitch for the San Diego Padres will be in 2022. Clevinger will need to have Tommy John surgery and will miss all of the 2021 season.

This is the second time that Mike Clevinger will be having Tommy John Surgery, the first time was prior to arriving in Cleveland. Injuries seem to piling up for Clevinger over the past few seasons. Clevinger dealt with a teres major muscle injury in 2018 and a meniscus injury in 2019. At this point there has to be some concern with Clevinger and whether or not the injuries will catch up to him. It’s not about ability or effectiveness, he is talented and effective. It is about availability, something that has not been his calling card as of late.

In addition to announcing that Clevinger will miss next season, the Padres announced that they have agreed to a two-year contract with the soon to be 30-year old pitcher.

This deal is a win-win for both sides. Mike Clevinger gets some financial security and San Diego is able to have a better idea of how their finances will look moving forward. It was reported prior to this deal being made that a contract was being discussed by the two sides. It was only a matter of time before it became official. By not having be a long term commitment it proves San Diego with an out in case Clevinger does not return to his previous form prior to Tommy John. Finally, it allows the Padres the ability to address their rotation and other team needs accordingly while he is on the shelf.

NFL Week 10 thoughts and observations

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Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, and incredible last second win

With only 34 seconds left in the game it seemed like it was a near lock for Buffalo to win. Josh Allen led an incredible touchdown drive to give the Bills a 30-26 lead, then Kyler Murray channeled some magic.

Murray dropped back, scrambled to his left, avoids a sack, and heaved a Hail Mary to the end zone. It just so happened that DeAndre Hopkins was right there to make an incredible catch and steal the win for the Cardinals.

This is the type of play that is looked back on at the end of the year and is deemed to be a season defining moment. The Cardinals are 6-3 and on top of the NFC West at the moment and Sunday’s win over Buffalo could propel them to the playoffs.

Tua, the Dolphins, and Brian Flores

Tua Tagovailoa looks like the real deal and he could very easily lead the Miami Dolphins to the playoffs. Miami improved to 6-3 and they look to be a legitimate contender for the playoffs and possibly the AFC East. A lot of credit must go to head coach Brian Flores as he took the dumpster fire left by Adam Gase and turned them into a good team. Flores has only been there just over a year and the team appears to have changed the culture and appears to be on the right track for the first time in a long time. Flores should definitely get some consideration for NFL Coach of the Year. He may not win, but recognition is more than deserved.

Patriots stop Ravens, questions about Baltimore’s offense continue

Sunday Night Football provided one of the more surprising results. The New England Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens 23-17 and they look broken. Lamar Jackson does not quite look like himself from last season. There was a report that opposing defenses were calling out Baltimore’s plays before the ball was snapped. This seems to be a problem and not a new one for a Greg Roman offense. Roman ran into a similar issue with Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco a few years back. There is still time for the Ravens to fix things, but it is running out.

James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets?

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If the Rockets guard decides that he wants to be traded by Houston, the Brooklyn Nets are emerging as a preferred trade destination.

It was only a few days ago that James Harden was “locked in” and committed to the Rockets. Things have apparently changed as trade rumors are now surrounding Harden and a possible trade. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted early Sunday evening about this development.

Woj was quick to follow up and note that no trade discussions involving James Harden have taken place as of yet.

If James Harden were to end up in Brooklyn it would reunite him wither former Thunder teammate Kevin Durant. It would also create an interesting dynamic on the Nets roster. Harden, Durant, and Kyrie Irving are all capable of being primary options on any team. They would have to work together and sort out exactly they would all operate with each other. There is also the fact that Durant is yet to play a game in a Nets uniform. If a trade were to happen Brooklyn would be integrating two superstar players into their roster, not exactly an easy task. This would be a dominant trio forming in Brooklyn that could give the Nets their first NBA Championship. Of course a trade that sees James Harden land in Brooklyn would have to take place before going in depth about roster construction or any championship aspirations.

James Harden committed to Rockets

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The Rockets superstar is firmly committed to staying in Houston.

Fans of the Houston Rockets can breathe a sigh of relief as James Harden wants to remain with the team. There was some concern about an all out tear down following the departures of Mike D’Antoni, Daryl Morey, and the news regarding Russell Westbrook. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Wednesday that Harden is “locked in”.

This is a good sign as Houston is able to avoid a total nightmare scenario. If both Russell Westbrook and James Harden wanted out that would mean dark days are ahead for the Rockets. While there seems to be compatibly issues in regards to Harden and other star players, they are able to retain him for the time being.

With being able to keep James Harden in the fold the Rockets are still able to be competitive in the Western Conference. That being said, there are still a few things that need to be sorted out. Houston still has to figure out how to handle the situation with Russell Westbrook and how they can build a winning team after a potential trade. That is assuming the Rockets do end up trading Westbrook.

As long as James Harden is in Houston the success or failure of the Rockets will be entirely dependent on him. It has to do with his playing style and how they can get the most out of their best player. Harden is ready to go for next season and the Rockets front office will need to surround him with the right pieces in order to compete.

Russell Westbrook wants out of Houston

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The Rockets guard is looking to play elsewhere as he wants to leave Houston after just one season.

At this moment in time the state of the Houston Rockets is up in the air. The team has parted ways with coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey, both have since found homes in Brooklyn and Philadelphia respectively. It appears that Russell Westbrook is also looking for a new home as he reportedly wants out of Houston per Shams Charania.

There were concerns about whether or not the Russell Westbrook and James Harden pairing would work. While the team performed well during the regular season, they still failed to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship. This is the second consecutive season which Houston acquired a player to pair with Harden in their search for a title and it appears it will also be the second straight season in which that player is traded after the year is up. Houston is trying anything and everything to win their first title since the mid-90’s.

Teams are going to explore options in order to trade for Russell Westbrook, the only obstacle is his contract. Westbrook will make over $41 million next season and $44.2 ,millon in 2021-22. There is also a player-option in 2022-23 which will pay Westbrook just over $47 million. The key to facilitating a trade will be finding a team that can provide a quality return while being able to make Westbrook’s contract work. It is not going to be easy, but it is not out of the question for a trade to take place before next season.

NBA season set to begin on December 22

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There were questions about when the upcoming NBA season would start and when it would begin. Those questions were answered as the NBA and the NBPA announced that they reached an agreement in regards to the season start and length. A 72-game regular season will begin on December 22, 2020.

The shortened season will allow the NBA to try and get back to a normal schedule. The NBA season was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed later in the year. With the NBA Finals finishing in October, it had a domino effect in regards to the start of next season. Normally an NBA season begins in October rather than finishes. By starting at the end of December, they can set themselves up to possibly return to a normal 82-game regular season schedule for the 2021-22 season.