The Detroit Tigers have signed Flaherty to a two-year, $35 million contract with an opt-out clause after the 2025 season, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the agreement. The deal is pending a physical exam.

Flaherty will earn $25 million in 2025.

His salary for 2026 — if he opts in — is worth $10 million, but the 2026 salary can increase to $20 million if Flaherty makes 15 starts. Therefore, the contract can be worth up to $45 million over two seasons.

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Here is the Tigers’ projected five-man starting rotation for 2025 Opening Day: Flaherty, left-hander Tarik Skubal (the reigning American Cy Young Award winner), right-hander Reese Olson, right-hander Alex Cobb and right-hander Jackson Jobe. There are 10 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Lakeland, Florida.

Flaherty is the clear-cut No. 2 starter.

‘I love Jack,’ Skubal said Jan. 25 on the ‘Foul Territory’ show after accepting his Cy Young. ‘He’s a hell of a talent. If there’s a guy I want on the mound that’s not me on our team, I want him on the mound. … He has the respect of the guys in that clubhouse. I’d love to have him back.’

Flaherty, 29, posted a 3.17 ERA with 38 walks and 194 strikeouts across 162 innings in 28 starts in the 2024 season with the Tigers (18 starts) and Los Angeles Dodgers (10 starts). With the Tigers, pitching coach Chris Fetter and assistant pitching coach Robin Lund helped Flaherty make adjustments to his pitch mix and the way his body moves, which led to his best performance since 2019.

The Tigers traded Flaherty to the Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline in exchange for two prospects: catcher Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney.

Within the past 14 months, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris has signed Flaherty to a one-year, $14 million contract (in December 2023), traded Flaherty to the Dodgers for two prospects (in July 2024) and signed Flaherty to a two-year, $35 million contract (in February 2025).

‘We love Jack,’ Harris said Nov. 5. ‘I’ve said it a million times. He’s a freakishly gifted athlete who has an intense work ethic and just demonstrated his adjustability. … Personally, I really enjoyed getting to work with Jack.’

Flaherty expressed interest in a reunion before signing with the Tigers.

‘I wanted to stay in Detroit,’ Flaherty said Jan. 23 on the ‘Foul Territory’ show, discussing his free-agent market. ‘We had conversations. I loved it there. I thought the combo of me and Skub was incredible. … We’ve been talking to them and talking to other teams. It would be fun to go back there.’

Chase Elliott led 171 of 200 laps to claim NASCAR’s season-opening exhibition race, the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, Sunday night in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver was passed by Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota late in the first 100 laps, but Elliott, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet, regained the lead in the second 100 then held off Ryan Blaney by 1.3 seconds on the 1/4-mile track for his first Clash victory .

Elliott’s previous best Clash finish was second at the Daytona International Speedway road course in 2021. He became the race’s 26th winner on the non-points event.

Hamlin, Joey Logano and Bubba Wallace rounded out the top five.

Elliott won the pole for the 200-lap event on the quarter-mile bullring, but the seven-time Most Popular Driver Award winner had to wait out an intense last-chance qualifying race that had Kyle Larson and Josh Berry racing in, while Blaney claimed the provisional to form the 23-car field.

In the 47th running of the Clash and first at the tiny speedway dubbed ‘The Madhouse,’ Elliott stretched his lead out to over a second in the first 20 laps until Kyle Busch was dumped in a chain-reaction wreck for the first caution.

Elliott avoided trouble when William Byron bounced off the outside wall while being lapped by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

Hamlin made the first real run at Elliott on the Lap 80 restart, pulling up beside him on the flat track but being unable to take the lead until Lap 97 when the Joe Gibbs Racing driver slid the Toyota underneath Elliott.

At the 100-lap mark, NASCAR threw the second caution for the halftime break with Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Elliott, Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski comprising the top five.

Meanwhile, 23rd-place starter Blaney moved all the way to 10th in his No. 12 Ford.

Larson, Keselowski, Carson Hocevar, William Byron and Alex Bowman were all caught up in spins over the next 20 laps, and Elliott reassumed the lead with a pass of Hamlin on Lap 127 and raced on to victory.

Cook Out Clash results

Sunday’s finishing order with starting position in parentheses

(1) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
(23) Ryan Blaney, Ford
(3) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
(7) Joey Logano, Ford
(14) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
(17) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
(16) Austin Cindric, Ford
(4) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
(10) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
(2) Chris Buescher, Ford
(12) Ryan Preece, Ford
(8) Christopher Bell, Toyota
(22) Josh Berry, Ford
(20) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(13) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(15) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(21) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
(11) William Byron, Chevrolet
(19) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
(9) Noah Gragson, Ford
(5) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(18) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(6) Chase Briscoe, Toyota

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Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent died Saturday, Feb. 1, at the age of 86, current commissioner Rob Manfred announced in a statement Sunday afternoon.

Vincent presided over the game following the death of his predecessor, Bart Giamatti, in September of 1989. Vincent held the position for nearly three years before resigning in 1992.

‘Fay Vincent played a vital role in ensuring that the 1989 Bay Area World Series resumed responsibly following the earthquake prior to Game Three, and he oversaw the process that resulted in the 1993 National League expansion to Denver and Miami,’ Manfred said. 

‘Mr. Vincent served the game during a time of many challenges, and he remained proud of his association with our National Pastime throughout his life. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Fay’s family and friends.’

An entertainment lawyer from Yale Law School before joining MLB, Francis ‘Fay’ Vincent was asked to join his longtime friend as deputy commissioner when Giamatti was named the seventh commissioner of Major League Baseball on April 1, 1989.

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Vincent played a major role in resolving MLB’s dispute with Pete Rose over Rose’s gambling activities, which resulted in baseball’s all-time hit leader being suspended indefinitely from the sport.

When Giamatti died suddenly of a heart attack later that year, Vincent took over as commissioner, presiding over the game during a 1990 lockout.

His rocky relationship with the owners ultimately came to a head when two-thirds of them gave him a vote of no confidence, leading to his resignation in late 1992.

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We’re still a few days away from Super Bowl 59, when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs, as you probably know by now, are going for history as no team has ever won three consecutive Super Bowls.

Not even Tom Brady and his New England Patriots won three in a row, though they did appear in three straight Super Bowls, the last team before the Chiefs to do that.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have willingly taken the baton from Brady and the Patriots as the NFL’s latest dynasty. Some people might be over K.C. being in the Super Bowl, we’re told. However, the Chiefs might have some serious staying power … Mahomes is 29 years old and already has three Super Bowl wins. Brady won his seventh and final Super Bowl when he was 43.

Ponder this … the Chiefs or Patriots have represented the AFC in the Super Bowl in eight of the last nine seasons, and since 2001 — 25 Super Bowls — the AFC has been represented by either the Chiefs or Patriots 14 times.

Before we take a deep dive into all of the storylines presented by the Chiefs-Eagles matchup in Super Bowl 59, it’s time for a little reflection. With Super Bowl Hype Week almost here (only three more sleeps until Super Bowl Opening Night!), USA TODAY Sports takes a look back at the 58 other Super Bowls that have been played. Nate Davis has done diligent film study work, poured over the highlights from every Super Bowl and has carefully constructed rankings of every ‘Big Game’ and every team to play in the Super Bowl. Which Super Bowl ranks No. 1? Spoiler: It doesn’t involve either of this year’s Super Bowl teams. Which was the greatest Super Bowl team? That’s neither the Chiefs nor Eagles, too.

NFL news, notes and analysis

➤ Justin Tucker accused of sexual misconduct by massage therapists: Several massage therapists have accused the Ravens kicker of inappropriate sexual conduct during appointments from 2012 to 2016. Tucker said in a statement Thursday the allegations are “unequivocally false.”

➤ Chiefs living on edge in Super Bowl run: The Chiefs began their dynasty as a high-scoring, overpowering force. This year has been quite different but the title-winning result could be the same, Jarrett Bell writes.

➤ Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes are living counters to wave of anti-Blackness: The quarterbacks for the Eagles and Chiefs made history in Super Bowl 57, as that Super Bowl was the first to feature two starting Black quarterbacks. They’re back and vital as ever, Mike Freeman writes.

➤ Concussions lowest since tracking began, per NFL: The NFL has made rule changes in recent seasons hoping to minimize head injuries across the sport. Based on the data collected by the league for the 2024 regular season, they are working.

➤ Super Bowl security to be ‘more visible’ after New Orleans attack, NFL says: The NFL has adjusted its security plans and received additional support for Super Bowl 59 after the deadly Jan. 1 vehicle attack in New Orleans.

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Matthew McConaughey goes as Mike Dikta
Hailee Steinfeld set to make Super Bowl commercial debut
Willem Dafoe, Catherine O’Hara are pickleball hustlers in Super Bowl commercial

Sports Weekly’s special Super Bowl 59 preview

USA TODAY Sports Weekly’s 56-page special edition has matchup analysis and predictions and is packed with feature stories and information about Super Bowl 59 between the Chiefs and Eagles on Feb. 9 in New Orleans. Order the Super Bowl 59 preview edition today!

NFL classics: Straight from the YouTube algorithm

This is where we reprise some NFL lore and recall a classic, memorable game from yesteryear.

It was the Kansas City Chiefs’ first Super Bowl win — and the team’s only title for the next 50 years.

Despite the New York Jets’ stunning AFL-validating win a year earlier in Super Bowl III, the Chiefs were huge underdogs going into Super Bowl IV against the NFL representative, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings entered the game as nearly a two-touchdown favorite. Instead, it was the underdog that made sure the AFL matched the NFL’s record in Super Bowls before the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

The Chiefs clobbered the Vikings, 23-7, with running back Mike Garrett scoring a touchdown (65 toss power trap!) and Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson and receiver Otis Taylor connecting for a 46-yard touchdown.

The game might be best remembered for NFL Films’ wiring of Chiefs head coach Hank Stram (this was a Super Bowl first). Stram was very entertaining and highly quotable (‘There’s too much leakage on that play’). It helped tremendously that the Chiefs won.

As an aside, Super Bowl IV had the most bizarre/incredible/chaotic pregame and halftime shows of all-time. This is not hyperbole. There was a hot-air balloon crash in the stands before the game and a halftime reenactment of the Battle of New Orleans from the War of 1812 that tore up the natural grass field at Tulane Stadium. Seriously, watch this, there’s cannons blasting, musket fire and smoke everywhere!

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After five seasons with the Connecticut Sun, six-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner is signing with the Indiana Fever as a free agent, according to multiple reports.

The one-year deal adds another star to a Fever team quietly having a tremendous offseason. The team had already re-signed All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell to a supermax contract, signed free agent forward Natasha Howard, a two-time All-Star and the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, and added guard Sophie Cunningham in a multi-team trade.

Bonner’s decision to join the Fever came as a shock to fans, many of whom expected the veteran forward join the Phoenix Mercury. Not only did Bonner spend the first 10 years of her career in Phoenix, but Bonner’s fiancée, Alyssa Thomas, was just traded to the Mercury from the Sun.

The Fever now boast a remarkable roster. We haven’t even mentioned the team’s biggest stars: Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, the past two winners of the WNBA Rookie of the Year award.

After finishing the 2024 regular season in sixth-place with a 20-20 record, the Fever have set themselves up to be legitimate WNBA title contenders. While teams like the 2024 champion New York Liberty, 2024 runner-up Minnesota Lynx and 2023 champion Las Vegas Aces will likely still be the favorites, the Fever have certainly cemented themselves in the conversation.

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DeWanna Bonner stats

Heading into her age-37 season, Bonner showed that she still has a lot to offer a team like the Fever. In 2024, Bonner averaged 15 points, six rebounds, and two assists per game en route to an All-Star bid and a 14th-place finish in MVP voting.

For her career, Bonner has averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, all while shooting 41.6% from the field and 30.4% from three-point territory.

She is a three-time Sixth Player of the Year award recipient and has finished top-10 in MVP voting three times, with the most recent such honor coming in 2020.

Indiana Fever roster comparison

2024 Fever roster:

*- player is no longer on team

Grace Berger*
Aliyah Boston
Caitlin Clark
Damaris Dantas
Temi Fagbenle*
Lexie Hull
Kelsey Mitchell
Katie Lou Samuelson
Victaria Saxton
NaLyssa Smith*
Kristy Wallace
Erica Wheeler

2025 Fever roster:

*- added this offseason; Wheeler became a free agent after 2024 season and is unsigned

Kelsey Mitchell (two-time All-Star)
Kristy Wallace
Victaria Saxton
Natasha Howard* (two-time All-Star)
Aliyah Boston (two-time All-Star)
Sophie Cunningham*
Lexie Hull
DeWanna Bonner* (Six-time All-Star)
Damiris Dantas
Jaelyn Brown*
Caitlin Clark (All-Star)
Katie Lou Samuelson

Indiana Fever 2025 championship odds

According to BetMGM, the Fever have the fourth-best odds to win the 2025 WNBA championship. Here are the odds for the top-five teams in the WNBA.

New York Liberty: +200
Las Vegas Aces: +240
Minnesota Lynx: +350
Indiana Fever: +550
Phoenix Mercury: +1400

Lionel Messi fueled Inter Miami, creating two goals in the club’s 3-1 preseason win over Panama’s Sporting San Miguelito in Panama City on Sunday afternoon. 

But it was his teammates’ defense of Messi that stood out the most from Inter Miami’s third preseason match of the year. 

Messi was defended recklessly by San Miguelito’s Aymar Cundumí in the second half. Cundumí slid into Messi’s feet on a hard tackle, which Messi’s teammates strongly opposed in a heated argument between both sides. 

Messi and Cundumí found themselves in another challenge, bumping each other several times before a referee issued a second yellow card to Cundumí to remove him from the game. 

Inter Miami players such as Marcelo Weigandt, Toto Aviles, David Ruiz, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Yannick Bright were among several Messi teammates who contested Cundumí’s overzealous defense on Messi’s behalf. 

Messi left the game in the 76th minute as a substitute, leading to a brief talk with Inter Miami coach, and his former teammate, Javier Mascherano when he reached the sideline. 

But the damage was already done. 

Messi sparked Benjamín Cremaschi’s goal just before halftime (45’+1), after a back-and-forth exchange with Weigandt, who got the assist. Then, Messi led David Ruiz into position to find Fafà Picault for a goal in the 64th minute. 

Inter Miami newcomer Tadeo Allende also scored a sliding goal, his first for the club, in the 48th minute just after halftime. 

Messi scored a goal against reigning LIGA MX champions Club América in Inter Miami’s first preseason match in Las Vegas on Jan. 18. He was scoreless against reigning Peruvian champions Universitario last Wednesday. 

Inter Miami won both games by penalty shootout.

Messi continues to play in prime form ahead of the 2025 MLS season, which will also see Inter Miami compete in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. 

Messi and Inter Miami return to action for their fourth of five preseason games against Club Olimpia Deportivo in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. ET.

Inter Miami’s final preseason game will be on Feb. 14 against MLS rival Orlando City at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Messi and Inter Miami will play the first game of the 2025 MLS season, hosting New York City FC on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

However, the club will be in action on the road against Sporting Kansas City in the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup on Feb. 18. They’ll play the second leg at Inter Miami on Feb. 25.

Check out these highlights from the match.

Fafà Picaultgoal: Inter Miami 3, San Miguelito 1

Lionel Messi has two hockey assists on the night, starting another goal opportunity for Inter Miami. Messi found David Ruiz in space, and Ruiz found Fafà Picault, who scored in the 64th minute. 

Inter Miami updated live stream

Tadeo Allende goal: Inter Miami 2, San Miguelito 1 

Tadeo Allende has scored his first goal for Inter Miami in the 48th minute, and the club has bounced back nicely after an early 1-0 deficit in Panama City. 

Benjamín Cremaschi goal: Inter Miami 1, San Miguelito 1

Inter Miami on in the board just before halftime as Benjamín Cremaschi’s right boot from the center of the box found the net on an assist by Marcelo Weigandt. It the first goal this preseason for Cremaschi, an Argentine nation who played for the U.S. men’s national team at the Paris Olympics and two friendlies last month. But the opportunity was created by Messi, who despite being pulled by defenders placed a through ball to Weigandt to spark the goal. 

Adan Hendricks goal: San Miguelito 1, Inter Miami 0

Adan Hendricks scored in the 24th minute, finding the net with an assist by Diego Valanta behind the unbalanced Inter Miami defense. 

How to watch Messi, Inter Miami vs. Sporting San Miguelito live stream?

Live stream in U.S. and Canada on InterMiamiCF.com.
Inter Miami’s YouTube channel will provide a free live stream
Panamá Local Broadcast: SerTV, TV MAX, RPC
Rest of World: OneFootball App

Messi in Inter Miami starting lineup vs. Sporting San Miguelito

Messi is in Inter Miami’s starting lineup for today’s game.

How has Messi, Inter Miami performed during preseason?

Inter Miami won both preseason games in a penalty shootout. They beat Club América 2-2 (3-2 in penalty kicks), then beat Universitario 0-0 (5-4 in penalty kicks).

Mascherano is pleased with Messi’s ramp up during the preseason, and the club’s performance after facing such stiff competition in his first two matches at the helm of the MLS club.

“We have played against two champions – against a three-time champion (in Club América) and against a two-time champion (Universitario) of leagues that are important,’ Mascherano said. ‘That for us has been a very, very good test.’

What is the rest of Inter Miami’s preseason schedule?

Inter Miami will play its fourth preseason game against Club Olimpia Deportivo in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. ET.

Inter Miami’s final preseason game will be on Feb. 14 against MLS rival Orlando City at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

When does Inter Miami begin the 2025 MLS season?

Messi and Inter Miami will play the first game of the 2025 MLS season, hosting New York City FC on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

However, the club will be in action on the road against Sporting Kansas City in the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup on Feb. 18. They’ll play the second leg at Inter Miami on Feb. 25.

Guard Luka Doncic made his first public comments Sunday afternoon following a trade that sent him from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Mavericks did not publicly make the 25-year-old point guard available for trade offers, according to reports, but instead targeted the Lakers specifically to swap for forward Anthony Davis just days before the trade deadline.

Doncic spent the first seven years of his NBA career with Dallas after he was initially drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick in 2018 but was traded for the draft rights to Trae Young.

Doncic played 22 of the Mavericks’ first 49 games this season before he suffered an injury that’s kept him out of action since Christmas.

Here’s what you need to know.

Luka Doncic releases statement after blockbuster trade

Doncic issued a statement that he shared on his official X account to reflect on his time in Dallas.

“Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level,” Doncic said in a statement. “I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship.”

Doncic helped lead the Mavericks back to the NBA Finals last season for the first time since 2011, when Dallas won its first NBA title. The Mavericks fell short to the Boston Celtics after five games.

“The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home. … Dallas is a special place, and Mavs fans are special fans. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

According to a source, USA TODAY has learned that Doncic did not request a trade and did not ask out of Dallas.

Why did the Mavericks trade Luka Doncic?

The Mavericks’ decision to trade Doncic was met with confusion and frustration from the vocal portion of the fan base.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison told reporters that he believed Anthony Davis “fits right along with our timeframe to win now and win in the future.”

Davis will be paired with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. The star forward will also reunite with head coach Jason Kidd, who served as an assistant coach when the Lakers won the 2020 NBA title.

What did Luka Doncic say about Lakers following trade?

Doncic followed up his letter to Dallas with a repost response to the Lakers’ officially welcoming him on X.

‘Grateful for this amazing opportunity,’ Doncic said on his official X account. ‘Basketball means everything to me, and no matter where I play the game, I’ll do so with the same joy, passion and goal – to win championships.’

In the NBA, perhaps more than any other professional sport, one player can make a massive difference in a team’s success. That’s why it can seem that an NBA trade involving a star player (or even more than one star player) can potentially have enormous repercussions.

Sometimes the addition of a key player to the mix can make a good team great. Occasionally, the impact is so great, it leads to an NBA championship. (Or even more than just one.)

But then again, there are other times when going big doesn’t pay off – and the team ends up in a worse spot than it was before.

With the news of the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, let’s take a look at some of the biggest trades in NBA history.

Wilt Chamberlain to the Sixers (1965)

Speaking of big, they don’t come much bigger than the 7-foot-1, 275-pound Chamberlain.

‘The Big Dipper’ led the NBA in scoring in each of his first five seasons with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors. But after the team had moved to the West Coast, Chamberlain returned home in the middle of the 1964-65 season when he was acquired by a mediocre franchise that just two years earlier was known as the Syracuse Nationals in exchange for Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer and cash.

Back in Philly, Chamberlain went from scoring champ to NBA champ in two years as the Sixers defeated his old team, the Warriors, in the 1967 NBA Finals. In his three seasons with the 76ers, Chamberlain won three MVP awards.

He was traded again in 1968 to the Los Angeles Lakers in another blockbuster and won a second NBA title there.

Oscar Robertson to the Bucks (1970)

The man who practically invented the triple-double (even before it was ever a thing) was an NBA All-Star each of his first 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Royals.

But in 1970, at the age of 31, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Charlie Paulk and Flynn Robinson.

In his first year there, Robertson led a group of young Bucks to the league’s best record and a sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA Finals.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers (1975)

Also on that 1970-71 championship Bucks team was a second-year center (Lew Alcindor) who would shortly thereafter change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and was just beginning his dominance in the NBA.

Though the Bucks won their division all four years Kareem and ‘The Big O’ were on the same team, they never made it back to the Finals. So in 1975, Milwaukee sent Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley to the 30-52 Los Angeles Lakers for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith and Brian Winters.

Abdul-Jabbar was named NBA MVP each of his first two seasons in L.A. as the Lakers began to turn things around. After 40-42 in his first year, the Lakers never missed the playoffs again in Kareem’s final 13 seasons, winning five NBA titles.

Charles Barkley to the Suns (1992)

Charles Barkley was a six-time All-Star with six top-six MVP finishes with the Philadelphia 76ers when he was dealt to the Phoenix Suns in 1992 for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang and Tim Perry.

After going on to star for the USA’s gold medal-winning ‘Dream Team’ at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Barkley made his presence felt in Phoenix by leading the Suns to the NBA’s best record and earning league MVP honors.

However, Barkley lost to fellow Dream Teamer Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the Finals. Although he was an All-Star in each of his four seasons in Phoenix, Barkley never did win that elusive ring.

Shaquille O’Neal to the Heat (2004)

Shaquille O’Neal was the NBA’s most dominant big man at the turn of the 21st Century, winning three consecutive NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers (and being named Finals MVP all three times).

But after the Lakers lost in the 2004 Finals to the Detroit Pistons, both O’Neal and coach Phil Jackson departed that offseason. The Lakers traded Shaq to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom, a 2006 first-round draft pick and a 2007 second-round draft pick.

In his first season with Miami, the Heat fell – again to the Pistons – in the Eastern Conference finals, but avenged that loss the following year by advancing to the 2006 NBA Finals and beating the Dallas Mavericks for the title.

Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks (2011)

A native of Brooklyn, Carmelo Anthony returned home after spending his first seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets.

As part of a three-team midseason trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony joined the New York Knicks, along with with Renaldo Balkman, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams and a 2016 first-round draft pick.

Anthony went on to have six consecutive All-Star seasons with the Knicks, leading the NBA in scoring in 2012-13 and finishing third in the MVP balloting. Although most of the other players in the deal had limited impact going forward, one of the draft picks the Nuggets acquired ended up being guard Jamal Murray, who was an important cog in their 2023 championship-winning squad.

Paul George to the Clippers (2019)

The Los Angeles Clippers made a bold move toward bolstering their championship hopes by acquiring six-time All-Star forward Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder. It came at a steep cost – Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, three first-round draft picks and another pair of pick swaps.

But by adding George, the Clippers were also able to sign star free agent Kawhi Leonard, at least somewhat justifying the high price. But with Leonard and George together, the Clippers only made it as far as the conference finals once.

Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander has blossomed into one of the league’s top players, with top-five MVP finishes the past two seasons.

Anthony Davis to the Lakers (2019)

Shortly before the 2019 NBA draft, the New Orleans Pelicans finally worked out a way to trade disgruntled star Anthony Davis. After the Pelicans won the draft lottery to get the No. 1 overall pick, a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers came together quickly.

New Orleans received three players – Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart – plus three first-round draft picks (one a first-round swap). Meanwhile, the Lakers went on to win the NBA title in 2020 in Davis’ first season.

James Harden to the Nets (2021)

A huge four-team trade brought three-time scoring champion and 2018 MVP James Harden to Brooklyn midway through the 2020-21 season. The Nets had picked up Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in free agency a year earlier and felt the addition of Harden would give them the ‘Big Three’ needed to win a championship.

But to pull it off, the Nets had to give up Rodions Kurucs and three first-round picks to the Houston Rockets, plus several draft pick swaps. In addition, they dealt Caris LeVert and a pair of second-round picks to the Indiana Pacers and sent Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The trade was an unmitigated disaster that culminated with a second-round playoff exit and Harden being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers midway through the following season.

Kevin Durant to the Suns (2023)

After the Phoenix Suns lost in the 2021 NBA Finals and then bowed out in the second round the following year despite having the league’s best regular-season record, the midseason acquisition of All-Star forward Kevin Durant was believed to be the missing piece to get them over the top.

In a four-way trade with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers, the 34-year-old Durant made his way to Phoenix in a massive exchange of players and draft picks (some of which still have yet to be exercised).

Even with Durant on board, the Suns still lost in the second round of the playoffs that season. And they exited in the first round last year.

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(This story was updated to add a new video)