Matthew Stafford takes NFL MVP | NBA trade deadline fallout

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Good morning and happy Friday! Carter Bahns here with your morning newsletter as we enter one of the biggest sports weekends of the entire year. Not only do the 2026 Winter Olympics open today, but Super Bowl 60 is also nearly upon us. We will also see the immediate fallout of the NBA trade deadline and witness a handful of massive college basketball games. We'll cover all of that before we get on with our day, but we have to start with the NFL Honors. The league announced its MVP and revealed a five-man Hall of Fame class last night.

Oh, and keep your eyes out for a special Super Bowl edition of newsletter, which will hit your inbox Sunday morning and provide a rundown of everything you could possibly need to know about the big game.

Onward.

🏆 Five things to know Friday

1. Matthew Stafford is the 2025 NFL MVP. The Rams quarterback had been the favorite for much of the season. He beat out young Patriots star Drake Maye in what was widely considered a two-man race. The league also announced the rest of its award winners at the NFL Honors. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the Offensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett is the Defensive Player of the Year, Tetairoa McMillan is the Offensive Rookie of the Year, Carson Schwesinger is the Defensive Rookie of the Year, Mike Vrabel is the Coach of the Year, Christian McCaffrey is the Comeback Player of the Year and Joe Thuney is the inaugural Protector of the Year.
2. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct five members this summer. After a week of discourse surrounding those who did not make the cut, the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is set in stone. Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri, and Luke Kuechly will be enshrined in Canton.
3. The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and Giannis Antetokounmpo remains with the Bucks. The top target on the trade market will stay in Milwaukee, after all. Antetokounmpo's saga defined the trade deadline and kept everyone waiting until the clock hit 3 p.m. yesterday to see whether he would remain with the Bucks. While the Greek Freak will finish the 2026 season with his same team, speculation about his future will pick up again in the summer when he becomes eligible for a contract extension.
4. Tarik Skubal set an MLB record with his landmark arbitration case. The reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner reportedly won his arbitration case and will make $32 million next season instead of the $19 million the Tigers sought to pay him. His salary is the largest ever for a player in his arbitration years, and the $13 million gap between his number and the team's proposal is the largest in arbitration history.
5. Nick Emmanwori said he will be "good to go" for the Super Bowl. The Seahawks appear to have survived an injury scare. Emmanwori, a standout rookie safety, was limited in Wednesday's practice after he suffered a low ankle sprain. But despite the injury, Emmanwori indicated that the Seattle training staff has a plan to get him on the field, and coach Mike Macdonald said he "fully expects" the first-year defender to play.

🏀 Do not miss this: NBA trade deadline winners and losers

With their three moves in three days, the Clippers won the NBA trade deadline, according to James Herbert. Not only did they turn a 36-year-old James Harden into a 26-year-old Darius Garland, but they also added Benedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and up to three picks by shipping Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to the Pacers. Their salary dump with the Chris Paul trade was a plus, too.

• Herbert: "The front office completely reoriented the franchise, prioritizing the future over the remainder of this season. They were the kind of moves you'd expect from the most disappointing team in the league, not the hottest one. They were also two of the best trades that any team made at the deadline."

The Clippers were not the only team to make big splashes at the deadline. The Pacers were winners in their own right in upgrading at center with the Zubac addition. But not every franchise came out ahead. Here are the other winners and losers on the trade market, according to Sam Quinn.

• Winners: Clippers, Pacers, Celtics, Timberwolves
• Losers: Wizards, Kings, Heat

🏅 The 2026 Winter Olympics open today!

Four years of waiting are over. The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games will officially begin today when the participating delegations congregate at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony. Here's where to watch the festivities, including the lighting of the Olympic flame, the Parade of Nations and the artistic portion -- which will include performances from Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli and more legends.

A few events got underway in the days leading up to the opening ceremony. Team USA's mixed doubles curling squad is already in the midst of its round robin tournament, and the women's hockey team defeated Czechia in a 5-1 rout yesterday to open the preliminary round.

Stick with us throughout the Winter Olympics and keep our medal count page bookmarked to stay up to date with the results of every event.

Here are a few last-minute storylines to get you ready for the Winter Games:

• Lindsey Vonn posted an intense workout video, showing off her potential ability to compete despite suffering a ruptured ACL.
• Vonn is certainly one of the biggest household names representing the United States, but the Team USA delegation has dozens of top athletes you should know.
• Here's where to watch the Americans compete this weekend. The women's hockey team highlights Saturday's schedule and Vonn taking part in the downhill figures to be the featured event Sunday.
• Russia and Belarus are banned from the 2026 Winter Olympics, although 20 athletes will participate in a neutral manner. What if Russia was eligible? The hockey tournament would likely look a lot different.
• The World Anti-Doping Agency is investigating claims of male ski jumpers injecting themselves in -- ahem -- private areas to gain an athletic advantage.

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• Despite having played 10 games in the NBA, former UCLA guard Amari Bailey is petitioning the NCAA to have one year of college eligibility reinstated.
• Emmitt Smith thinks the Browns need to name Shedeur Sanders their QB1 now ... like yesterday.
• SEC commissioner Greg Sankey signed an affidavit asking a judge to uphold NCAA rules in the Charles Bediako eligibility case.
• As the dust settles on the NBA trade deadline, these players could be destined for buyouts.
• The Rams and 49ers will play in the NFL's first game in Australia next season, while the Cowboys will help the league make its Rio de Janeiro debut.
• Team USA's roster for the World Baseball Classic is set.
• Court documents show Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase allegedly threw pitches to benefit bettors in 48 games, five times as many as initially believed.
• The Big 12 launched an investigation into "inappropriate chants" during Oklahoma State's win over No. 16 BYU.
• Infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa is reportedly headed to the Red Sox on a one-year, $6 million contract. Also, the Padres and outfielder Miguel Andujar reportedly agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal.
• Chris Gotterup (-8) holds a two-stroke lead after the first round of the WM Phoenix Open. Scottie Scheffler (+2), meanwhile, posted his first over-par round in eight months.
• The Big East is down to three projected NCAA Tournament teams in our latest bracketology.
• Some of Tom Brady's former Patriots teammates ripped his "bullcrap" neutrality in the Super Bowl.
• Joe Flacco wants the NFL to ease up on defenders with roughing the passer penalties.
• Houston coach Kelvin Sampson lamented his program's NIL spending abilities, calling the Cougars "poor."
• The top five teams remain unchanged in this week's women's college basketball power rankings, but nearly every other squad moved either up or down.
• Cristiano Ronaldo feels "betrayed" over recent transfers in the Saudi Pro League and threatened to leave the country as a result.
• Ilia Topuria teased his return to UFC after taking time off to address personal matters.
• Miami remains atop our early ACC power rankings for the 2026 college football season.
• The SEC generated a record $1.03 billion in revenue last year and distributed $72.4 million per school.
• Mac Jones hears the trade buzz and is "definitely motivated" to land a starting job in 2026.
• The LA Bowl will not return to college football's bowl season in 2026 after a five-year run.
• Shakur Stevenson called the WBC "crooks" for stripping him of his lightweight title.
• Trinity Rodman's re-signing with the Washington Spirit headlines the biggest offseason moves in the NWSL.

📺 What we're watching this weekend

Friday

🏅 Figure skating team event: Rhythm dance, 3:55 a.m. on USA Network
🏅 Curling mixed doubles: United States vs. Canada, 4:05 a.m. on Peacock
🏅 Figure skating team event: Women's short program, 7:35 a.m. on USA Network
🏅 Curling mixed doubles: United States vs Czechia, 8:35 a.m. on Peacock
🏅 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, 2 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Nottingham Forest at Leeds United, 3 p.m. on USA Network
⛳ WM Phoenix Open, second round, 3:30 p.m. on Golf Channel
🏀 Loyola Chicago at Davidson, 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏀 Knicks at Pistons, 7:30 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 No. 3 Uconn at No. 22 St. John's (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Clippers at Kings, 10 p.m. on Prime Video

Saturday

⚽ Tottenham Hotspur at Manchester United, 7:30 a.m. on USA Network
🏅 Curling mixed doubles: United States vs. Great Britain, 8:35 a.m. on Peacock
⚽ Sunderland at Arsenal, 10 a.m. on Peacock
🏅 Women's hockey: United States vs. Finland, 10:40 a.m. on USA Network
🏀 No. 9 Nebraska at Rutgers (M), Noon on Big Ten Network
🏀 Butler at No. 1 Uconn (W), Noon on FS1
⚽ Napoli at Genoa, Noon on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
🏀 Oregon at No. 12 Purdue (M), 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏅 Curling mixed doubles: United States vs. Korea, 1:05 p.m. on Peacock
🏅 Men's snowboard: Big air, 1:30 p.m. on USA Network
🏀 Baylor at No. 7 Iowa State (M), 2 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Torino at Fiorentina, 2:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⛳ WM Phoenix Open, third round, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Rockets at Thunder, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Oklahoma State at No. 1 Arizona (M), 4 p.m. on ESPN
🏅 Figure skating team event: Free dance, 4 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Mavericks at Spurs, 6 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 No. 6 Gonzaga at Oregon State (M), 6 p.m. on ESPN+
🏀 No. 4 Duke at No. 14 North Carolina (M), 6:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 5 Illinois at No. 10 Michigan State (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Warriors at Lakers, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 8 Houston at No. 16 BYU (M), 10:30 p.m. on ESPN

Sunday

🏅 Women's alpine skiing: Downhill, 5:30 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Parma at Bologna, 6:30 a.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
🏅 Curling mixed doubles, round robin: United States vs. Estonia, 8:35 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Udinese at Lecce, 9 a.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⚽ Manchester City at Liverpool, 11:30 a.m. on Peacock
🏀 No. 6 Louisville at Syracuse (W), Noon on ACC Network Extra
🏀 Knicks at Celtics, 12:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 2 Michigan at Ohio State (M), 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏅 Curling mixed doubles: United States vs. Sweden, 1:05 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 No. 5 LSU at Auburn (W), 2 p.m. on SEC Network
🏅 Figure skating team event: Women's free skate, 2:45 p.m. on USA Network
⚽ Lazio at Juventus, 2:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
🏀 Clippers at Timberwolves, 3 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 9 Ohio State at Oregon (W), 3 p.m. on Big Ten Plus
🏀 No. 19 Tennessee at No. 3 South Carolina (W), 3 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 2 UCLA at No. 8 Michigan (W), 3 p.m. on Fox
⛳ WM Phoenix Open, final round, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏅 Figure skating team event: Men's free skate, 3:55 p.m. on USA Network
🏀 No. 6 Louisville at Syracuse (W), 6 p.m. on ACC Network
🏈 Super Bowl 60: Patriots vs. Seahawks, 6:30 p.m. on NBC