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The New York Rangers have been mired in a horrible season. This resulted in Chris Drury sending a letter to fans, preparing them for a re-tool. Part of that retool may be the future of Artemi Panarin. It had been previously rumored that the Rangers would not be extending Panarin. Now, head coach Mike Sullivan has explained why. “It boils down to, I think, big picture decision making. I think this is obviously a discussion that probably predated me…As far as looking at the core group and where they’re at and where potentially they’re going to go moving forward, every organization goes through those decisions. I don’t think you make those decisions on a whim. There’s a lot of smart people in this league and so those conversations are had, they’re ongoing conversations. Big picture… There’s always a big picture that has to be kept in mind when making organizational-type decisions, and I think that this was one of them,” Sullivan said to the media, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post. It was a bombshell when it came out that the Rangers would be letting Panarin walk. He has found the back of the net 18 times, while having a team-leading 36 assists. That is good for a team-high 54 points. The Breadman joined the NHL out of the KHL in 2015-16 with the Chicago Blackhawks. He spent two seasons there before two years with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Panarin is now in his seventh season with the Rangers, placing him in the final year of his seven-year contract. With the realization that the Rangers have been public about the fact that they will not be bringing back Panarin, he will be a hot commodity at the trade deadline. His value could be determined by whether the star forward can have a contract extension in place. Bringing him in for a rental will be expensive, but the price will go up if the future of Panarin is secured with his new team. The Rangers are now 21-22-6 on the season, which places them in last place in the Eastern Conference. They return to the ice, currently with Panarin, on Monday night, visiting the Anaheim Ducks. The post Rangers’ Mike Sullivan gives ‘big picture’ answer to Artemi Panarin contract question appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Buffalo Bills seek a new head coach for the first time since 2017 after firing Sean McDermott. Buffalo canned McDermott Monday morning following their NFL Playoffs loss to the Denver Broncos. This decision sent shockwaves across the league and football world in general. McDermott, though, dropped a heartfelt letter after the stunning move. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero took a snapshot of the lengthy “thank you” McDemott posted — including thanking “Bills Mafia.” “We Love You! We will miss Buffalo. Bills Mafia, you are one of one!” was some of the excerpts McDermott shared. Bills opening likely to draw big intrigue after Sean McDermott firing © Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Buffalo just opened the newest most coveted NFL head coaching job. One that features past league Most Valuable Player winner Josh Allen and young talent surrounding him like Keon Coleman and James Cook. However, some believe McDermott deserved to go following this new postseason nightmare. The Bills appeared to have the stars aligned for a Super Bowl run. They entered an AFC bracket that didn’t have Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow and their teams. Even Aaron Rodgers with the Pittsburgh Steelers endured an early exit. The franchise added a brand new heartbreaking moment among a litany of heartbreakers — from the 0-4 Super Bowl run of the 1990s to the Mahomes/Chiefs 13-seconds game of the 2021 playoffs. Mike Tomlin is immediately one name to monitor for Buffalo. Other candidates include current offensive coordinator Joe Brady and even former Bills OC/ex-Giants HC Brian Daboll. McDermott, meanwhile, will more than likely hear head coaching suitors thanks to his 106-58 overall record. The post Sean McDermott writes classy farewell to Buffalo after firing appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Zion Williamson’s injury-plagued New Orleans Pelicans are staggering through the season, firmly entrenched at the bottom of the Western Conference. James Borrego, elevated from assistant on November 15 after Willie Green’s firing amid a 2-10 start, has gone 8-25, hardly a righting of the ship record-wise. Tasked with staying NBA Play-In competitive, the interim head coach also faces immense pressure to prioritize the development of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. This mandate has locked Borrego into starting the rookies and granting them 25-30 minutes per game in many outings, despite data screaming that they are among the league’s worst starters. On/off stats, defensive ratings, shooting efficiencies, and turnover rates all underscore a brutal truth that Queen and Fears are not ready to win at a high level. Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen fall off Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Borrego’s hands are tied, but it is paying some dividends. Fears has nine 20+ point games before Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Queen leads all rookies in rebounds (329) and assists (190) with two triple-doubles. Unfortunately, New Orleans ranks dead last in defensive rating (DRtg) at 120.6 points allowed per 100 possessions, but the on/off splits for Fears and Queen expose them as primary culprits. Both have started the majority of their games (Fears in 43 of 45, Queen in 32 of 44), and their combined presence torpedoes the team’s efficiency. Defensively, the rookies’ inexperience is glaring. The team’s DRtg balloons to 123.7 with both on (worse than the 30th-ranked Jazz at 122.3), versus 111.4 off, which would rank third league-wide. In recent games (last 11 post-Christmas), it’s 122.4 with Fears on (114.0 off) and 123.5 with Queen on. Offensively, their shooting and ball security exacerbate the bind. Fears shoots 43.4% from the field (121st among qualifiers) and 32% from three, with 2.4 turnovers per game, ranking him among the league’s sloppiest starters. Their combined 4.8 turnovers per game fuel opponent transitions, where New Orleans ranks poorly (bottom 10 in opponent turnover rate conversion). Queen’s honeymoon period appears to be over. After early-season buzz suggested the Maryland product might validate the controversial trade that cost New Orleans an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, recent performance has swung dramatically in the opposite direction. He fares better at 49.2% overall from the field but dips to 19% on threes (among the NBA’s worst for bigs) and leads rookies with 107 turnovers (19th league-wide) and 126 personal fouls (9th overall). The Pelicans have been outscored by 15.8 points per 100 possessions with Queen on the floor, the worst mark on the entire team. This represents a stunning reversal from earlier in the season when Queen posted the best on/off rating among all rookies at plus-18 points per 100 possessions. Something has to give if the front office wants to battle out of the Western Conference basement. Pelicans cannot budge Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Borrego finds himself in an impossible position. It’s hard to steer a ship with two gaping defensive holes in the hull after all. Fears was reportedly deemed “untouchable” in trade discussions, while Queen cost the team its unprotected 2026 first-rounder. Development must remain a priority. Yet the interim coach also has a responsibility to win. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones deserve better than being dragged down by ineffective supporting casts. Watching rotation spots and minutes go to players whose current contributions are demonstrably costing games is the fastest recipe for locker room discontent. Borrego’s challenge isn’t just X’s and O’s; it’s managing morale and keeping a veteran group bought in while executing a plan they can see isn’t working. Bench the rookie, start a front office riot. Keep playing them heavy minutes, risk losing the locker room. The compromise? Start Jose Alvarado or Dejounte Murray upon return from injury. Fears could benefit…

In the modern NBA, the trade deadline and the weeks leading up to it are filled with tons of moves, both big and small. If a player hears his name pop up in trade rumors, it is incredibly likely that he will, in fact, be dealt. Take Trae Young, for example. The point guard was already dealt to the Washington Wizards, even though deadline day is still weeks away. Many of the other big-name players on the trading block will be moved before February 5 at 3 p.m. ET, too. These days, the biggest question surrounding the best trade candidates is not whether they will or won’t be traded, but where they will be traded to. The hope is to answer that question below. Here are the best landing spots for the best NBA trade candidates who already have one foot out the door. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies Best landing spot: Miami Heat Ja Morant’s days with the Memphis Grizzlies are numbered, and a trade is likely right around the corner. Memphis has been growing tired of the point guard’s antics for years now. He has been suspended on multiple occasions, and the last straw may have been his recent argument with Vince Williams, in which he clearly stated his displeasure with the Grizzlies. The Miami Heat seem like a logical home for Morant to turn his career back around. Not long ago, Morant was a two-time All-Star who was viewed as one of the future faces of the league. He was regularly leading the Grizzlies to high seeds in the Western Conference because of his incredible aerial ability. It is obvious that Morant is still a superstar talent, even if he is having a down year and has disappointed in recent seasons. Perhaps the Heat culture can shape him up and allow him to reach the potential he showed earlier in his career. The Heat have desired another star since Jimmy Butler requested a trade out of town. Point guard happens to be Miami’s biggest need, too. With Terry Rozier on indefinite leave, Davion Mitchell has taken on most of the point guard minutes. Mitchell is a pesky defender, but the Heat need more creation ability from their lead guard. The one thing preventing a Morant-to-Miami deal is the Heat’s hesitancy to ruin a potential trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Best landing spot: Sacramento Kings Jonathan Kuminga officially requested a trade on the first day he became trade-eligible on January 15. That doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as he has had a rocky relationship with the Golden State Warriors for quite some time now. Kuminga didn’t return to the Warriors until late in the offseason. When he was searching for new homes in free agency, the G-League Ignite product was commonly linked to the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento still seems like the best fit for Kuminga. With the team poised to rebuild and trade veteran players such as Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, adding a young and athletic building block for the future would make sense. Kuminga still has the talent to give so much more than he was ever able to show with the Warriors. If he were traded to the Kings, and if the team did blow the rest of the roster up, he’d have a chance to prove himself as a featured player. Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets Best landing spot: Detroit Pistons Opinions are mixed on whether the Brooklyn Nets should or shouldn’t trade Michael Porter Jr. The team added him and a future first-round pick in a trade with the Denver Nuggets in the offseason. In his first year with the Nets, Porter has been given a bigger role than he ever had in Denver. The sharpshooter from Missouri has capitalized by becoming a 25.8 points per game scorer, proving that he can be a legitimate first or second scoring option. Despite this star leap, reports suggest the Nets may still flip him for even more draft capital. After all, they are rebuilding and a ways away from contention. The Nets are playing five rookie first-round picks this year. While Porter could fit the Nets timeline, the…

Just four teams remain in the NFL playoffs as conference championship week is upon us. Divisional Round weekend is one of the best weeks of the year, and it delivered once again on Saturday and Sunday with four games that had just about everything. To start the weekend off, the Broncos escaped the Bills at Mile High 33-30 in overtime thanks to five Buffalo turnovers. The game had plenty of lasting ramifications, as Bo Nix was knocked out for the rest of the playoffs due to an ankle injury and the Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott after missing another opportunity to get to the Super Bowl. Late on Saturday night, Rashid Shaheed started Seahawks-49ers with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the way to a 41-6 Seattle victory before the Patriots and Rams punched their tickets to championship weekend with wins on Sunday. Who were the big winners and losers from Divisional weekend? Let’s get into the list. Winner: The Seahawks are the team to beat Steven Bisig-Imagn Images The Seahawks came into the weekend as the biggest favorite on the board, in part because they are a rested and ready No. 1 seed and in part because the 49ers came into the game with a historically long list of injuries. In Week 18, with the top seed and the NFC West on the line, Seattle stifled this same Niners team 13-3 in Santa Clara. On Saturday night, it quickly became clear that things were going to get worse before they got better for Kyle Shanahan and company. Shaheed’s kickoff return got the Seahawks in front right off the bat, and the 49ers’ first two series ended with a turnover on downs and a fumble. Kenneth Walker went over 100 yards and scored three touchdowns, Sam Darnold appeared no worse for wear despite his mysterious oblique injury, and Seattle’s defense ran it up to eight consecutive quarters keeping this explosive San Francisco offense out of the end zone in a 41-6 win. Seattle will get to stay home again in the NFC Championship Game, and it’s going to take a heck of an effort to take Mike Macdonald and company down. Loser: The Bears run out of miracles © David Banks-Imagn Images The Bears have made magic all season to capture the NFC North title and the No. 2 seed in Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach, and they pulled off their best Houdini act yet in the Wild Card Round to beat the Packers after trailing 21-3. On Sunday, after a surprisingly low-scoring game against the Rams in the cold at Soldier Field, the Bears needed one more miracle to keep their season alive on fourth-and-4 with less than a minute to go. Caleb Williams, as he has done all season, came up with the goods and tossed one of the best touchdown passes you’ll ever see to Cole Kmet to tie the game. OH MY, CALEB WILLIAMS LAUNCHES IT ON FOURTH DOWN pic.twitter.com/J8FWTHegHh — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 19, 2026 Ben Johnson chose to kick the extra point and head to overtime instead of going for two and the win, and the Bears unfortunately ran out of miracles in overtime. After the defense got one more stop, a miscommunication between Williams and DJ Moore resulted in an interception, and the Rams drove down and won on a Harrison Mevis field goal late in overtime. Chicago still has plenty to feel good about coming out of this season heading into year two of Johnson and year three of Williams, but this is a tough loss to take in the moment considering the opportunities they created to advance. Winner: The Broncos find a way again Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The Broncos, in similar fashion to the Bears, have also squeaked out win after win at the end of games all season, finishing as the No. 1 seed in the AFC and earning a home game in the Divisional Round. Still, Denver came into the day as an underdog against the No. 6-seeded Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen. Allen had plenty of moments, both good and bad, in this game, and the Bills ran the ball well throughout the day. However, Sean Payton put together some good drives early on, Bo Nix put together…