Just before Zach Wilson took the field to throw at BYU’s Pro Day, word broke of a trade between the 49ers and Dolphins involving the third overall pick in the draft.
The 49ers traded the 12th pick and two more first rounders to move up for what most people believe will be a quarterback. Given the fact that the Jets have the No. 2 pick and getting to that spot would guarantee the 49ers their choice on non-Trevor Lawrence quarterbacks, it’s reasonable to think they called the Jets before agreeing to the Dolphins deal.
It is also reasonable to think that the Jets would have taken that deal if they were going to pass on a quarterback at No. 2, so the way things played out certainly point to the Jets taking a quarterback. Wilson is generally thought to be the second best one in this draft class and Jets General Manager Joe Douglas was in Provo to check him out on Friday.
After the workout, Wilson said he’ll be happy to go anywhere in the NFL and had some positive things to say about the Jets and Douglas.
“Great staff. Love those guys. Joe Douglas is a great guy. It was good to see him out here. They’ve got a good thing going,” Wilson said, via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.
The Jets didn’t have too much going well when they went 2-14 in 2020, but they’ve hired a new head coach in Robert Saleh and made some moves to address weaknesses in free agency. We’ll know in about a month if Wilson is the next part of the plan to bring better results in the future.
A week ago today, NFL Network reported that a Zach Ertz trade “could happen in the coming days.”
Alas, it did not. It’s almost like the Eagles leaked that out in an attempt to create a (false) sense of urgency and teams (predictably) didn’t fall for it!
All the while, Ertz has “grown increasingly impatient” with the Eagles for not either trading or releasing him. The following comes from NFL insider Tom Pelissero:
“The Eagles insist they will not release their three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz. And with multiple teams having shown interest in a trade, I’m told Ertz has grown increasingly impatient with the team to get something done. To this point, the price has just been too high for other teams. The Eagles have been looking for a draft pick — something in the third, maybe fourth-round range. Ertz is due $8.5 million in the last year of his contract in 2021. It’s not an astronomical number, but, remember, he’s 31 years old, he’s coming off an injury, it’s hard to get that kind of draft pick compensation. So, while the Eagles are insistent they’d be happy to have Ertz on the roster in 2021 — remember, his good friend Carson Wentz already traded to the Colts — it certainly sounds like Ertz is eager for a fresh start here.”
There’s nothing wrong with aiming high in negotiations. But the Eagles just aren’t going to get a third-round pick or a fourth-round pick in return for Ertz when teams suspect Philly will cut him. Ertz clearly wants to move on and the Eagles stand to benefit from clearing $4.95 million in cap space with his departure. It’s pretty hard to imagine a scenario where Ertz plays for the Eagles in 2021. That ship has seemingly sailed.
And so it feels like it’s just a matter of time before the Eagles come to terms with as much and release him. Maybe they manage to surprise and trade him for, say, a fifth-round pick … but that feels pretty optimistic at this point. Best case scenario outcome.
As president/coach of Minnesota, Tom Thibodeau once dispatched Zach LaVine to Chicago in a 2017 trade for Jimmy Butler.
But the Knicks coach sounded like he wouldn’t mind reuniting with the current Bulls shooting guard, noting his improvement. There’s speculation the Bulls would put LaVine on the trading block before he becomes a 2022 free agent. That could be before March’s trade deadline, this summer or at the next trading deadline.
The Knicks need more scoring and LaVine is a sniper — one of the best dunkers in the NBA. He’s averaging 26.8 points and 5.3 assists. SNY reported over the summer LaVine would be on the Knicks’ radar.
The biggest edge the Knicks would have over many teams interested is they have $18 million in cap space to absorb a big contract without giving away much salary. He’s one of many players on the Knicks’ radar, sources contend. Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf could be hesitant to deal LaVine to Thibodeau considering his Bulls’ breakup was ugly.
Before Monday night’s 110-102 loss to the Bulls, in which LaVine scored 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting with five rebounsd, Thibodeau was asked about LaVine’s progression since he dealt him out of Minnesota. Ironically, Butler’s addition to Minnesota created friction with the young players and led to Thibodeau’s dismissal two years ago.
Zach LavineNBAE via Getty Images
“He’s continued to grow I think each year,’’ Thibodeau said. “I think sometimes we tend to forget the steps that players take to get to the point to where they are today. and for Zach, he started off, I think he scored around 13 or 14 points a game his first year. Then there was another four-point jump. Now he’s up to 26, 27. He’s shooting 50, 40, 90. He’s an elite shooter. He’s a great athlete. … But he’s a great guy, a hard worker. So you knew he would continue to improve. He’s playing at a very high level.’’
The Knicks also have a trove of draft picks to deal, including two first-round picks this year.
Bulls first-year coach Billy Donovan recruited Julius Randle when Donovan was at Florida. Randle chose Kentucky. Now, Randle is having a career year and shooting well from the 3-point line (37.5 percent) and may be on the verge of making his first All-Star team.
“Thibs is putting him in situations playing to Julius’ strengths,’’ Donovan said. “He’s a handful in the low post. He’s got great feet and ball-handling ability. He’s worked hard on his shooting. He’s shooting the ball much better. Earlier in his career he’s a guy you left alone and try to jam the paint. Now he’s making midrange, 3s, puts it on the floor. He’s a heckuva driver…. He continues to evolve and grow as a player.’’
Donovan coached Knicks backup center Nerlens Noel the last two seasons at OKC. Like Randle, he also recruited Noel but lost him to Kentucky. Noel, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Knicks in November, missed his second straight game with knee soreness.
“I loved him,’’ Donovan said. “I recruited him coming out of high school. A lot of these NBA guys I never got. He’s a terrific teammate and love the way he plays the game with great shot-blocking ability. He sees the floor well for a big guy. He was great for us at OKC. He gave us an incredible two years there — all about the team.’’