NEXT UP: CLEVELAND. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AUSTIN REAVES' POTENTIAL COMEBACK GAME
Austin Reaves is nearing a Lakers return after a calf injury, but DeMarcus Cousins doubts it will solve their defensive woes.
Austin Reaves has been putting up big numbers this season—26.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds a game. But he’s been out for a month with a calf injury, and the Lakers have felt it. They’ve gone 8-7 without him, so not terrible, but not exactly inspiring either. Before he got hurt, Reaves looked like he belonged in the All-Star Game.
Now, head coach JJ Redick says Reaves might be back as soon as Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. That’s huge. The Lakers need another playmaker out there. Still, not everyone thinks his return will magically solve everything. DeMarcus Cousins, who knows a thing or two about the league, didn’t hold back on the “Run it Back” show. “I don’t think it fixes it at all,” he said. “It’s the same issues moving forward. The same conversations will happen with Reaves back.” Cousins isn’t saying the Lakers won’t improve with one of their stars returning, but he doubts it’ll fix the team’s bigger problems.
Cousins pointed to defence as the real issue. Sure, the Lakers beat Dallas 116-110 in their last game, and they’re scoring plenty—116.2 points per game over 44 games. Still, something’s off.
Even with a 27-17 record, the Lakers have had their struggles. Take that ugly loss to Charlotte on January 15—they gave up 135 points. Afterwards, Redick talked about how the team gets too cautious on defence against teams with strong drivers, like the Hornets. It didn’t get better right away, either. In the next game, they let Portland put up 132. The team’s defensive rating is 117.0, which is the sixth-worst in the league. If they want to survive in the loaded Western Conference, they need to tighten things up.
So, will Reaves coming back actually fix any of this? He’s been a force—scoring, passing, rebounding. If he hadn’t gotten hurt, he’d probably be an All-Star. No question, having him back helps. Maybe he brings some energy, lifts the team’s chemistry, and sparks a turnaround. On paper, the Lakers have the talent to make a playoff run. But when the chemistry isn’t there, things fall apart fast—even with a winning record.
They’ll be happy to have Reaves back. He gives them a boost. Is that enough? We’ll see.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER
The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.
The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.
And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.
All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.
There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.
Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.
KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY
The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.
Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.
This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.
Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.
“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”
Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.
Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.
“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”
Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.
Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.
“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”
Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.
“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”