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Latest NBA trade deadline rumors

Let this year be a reminder that no matter how dry a trade deadline may seem, it can flip in a mere instant. Just a week ago, fans were wondering if any deals were going to happen, and if they were, the biggest names being shipped were possibly going to be Zach LaVine or DeAndre Ayton, not legitimate MVP candidates like we ended up seeing with Luka Doncic on the move.

While that move was obviously enormous, it may not even be the biggest deal of the year. Teams like the Golden State Warriors are plotting, scheming, calling every GM they can in order to make a move, with reports indicating that the Warriors are up to something quite devious.

The deadline is only three days away, but there is still tons of time for teams to crack their knuckles, dial away, make some magic happen, then light up a cigar and kick their feet up in their office.

Here are the latest rumors surrounding the upcoming NBA trade deadline.

Warriors are asking for anyone and everyone

The Golden State Warriors are three years removed from their last championship, but still believe Steph Curry and company have at least one more in the tank. All they need is another superstar teammate to push them over the edge.

During the Pat McAfee Show on Monday, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed that the Warriors are making calls, looking to make a deal for any All-Star player they can.

The Warriors aren’t just looking for a fringe star either. They’re looking to add a future Hall of Famer, someone like LeBron James, Paul George, or possibly bringing Kevin Durant back to the Bay Area.

Charania also notes that the Warriors have called about Jimmy Butler, whose name has been thrown around a lot at the deadline, given his unhappiness in Miami. However, if the Warriors are asking for players like Durant, George, and James, Butler seems be a clear step down from the rest of the pack.

LeBron James likely not going anywhere

With the addition of Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers are doing what no team has ever had the guts to do before: look past LeBron James. Although James is still a terrific player, it’s no secret that he could retire any day now, especially since he’s now had the opportunity to play alongside his son.

There are many experts who believe now is the perfect opportunity for the Lakers to trade LeBron. After all, why would they continue building around him when they can get picks and start building around their new star player. That said, The Los Angeles Times‘ Dan Woike reports that LeBron likely won’t be dealt.

LeBron has stated in the past that he hopes to finish his career in Los Angeles, and to leave the Lakers, the same team where his son plays, would be an odd choice for someone in the twilight of his career. With James being one of only two players in the NBA (Bradley Beal) with full no-trade clauses, the Lakers likely won’t have a choice, meaning LeBron is almost certainly not headed anywhere this season.

Suns are hesitant, but ‘listening’ to offers for KD

Insider Jake Fischer reports that the Suns do not plan on moving Kevin Durant at the deadline, but are very aware of the interest that teams have. Fischer notes that the fact that Phoenix is even acknowledging the interest shows that for the right price, Durant could certainly be on the move.

While Phoenix did reportedly attempt to land Jimmy Butler to bolster their championship odds, the Heat were unwilling to take on Bradley Beal’s contract to make that happen, making the trade for Butler all but impossible. That said, given the Suns’ supposed interest in Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors might be the most likely team to get a deal done.

The Bulls are not done dealing

With Zach LaVine in Sacramento now, the Bulls have done their job. They were able to get one of their massive contracts off their books. However, the team likely isn’t done just yet. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Bulls are still looking to deal Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, and Coby White before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Marks makes it clear that the Bulls are in full rebuild mode and looking to accumulate more draft capital, which they started to accrue with the LaVine trade. Unfortunately for Chicago, both Vucevic and Ball are earning over $20 million per year, making a deal more difficult to achieve. They’ll likely have to settle for less than their players are worth to get any teams to take on those contracts. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes that, at the very worst, Ball could wind up being a buyout candidate.

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Trump announces new picks including deputy director of the CIA, chief Pentagon spokesman

President Donald Trump continues appointing new people to his second administration, naming three recent picks in a series of Truth Social posts on Monday.

Just two weeks after taking office, Trump announced that Michael Ellis will serve as deputy director of the CIA. Ellis, who will not need to be approved by the U.S. Senate, will work under CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Trump wrote that the incoming deputy director, who is also a lawyer, will help ‘fix the CIA, and make it, once again, the Greatest Intelligence Agency in the World.’

‘During my First Term, Michael served at the White House National Security Council, and helped expose abuses of the ‘unmasking’ process by the Obama Administration at the beginning of the Russia, Russia, Russia, Hoax,’ the president wrote. ‘Michael was also General Counsel of the House Intelligence Committee under Devin Nunes, and was selected to be General Counsel of the National Security Agency before being corruptly purged by the Biden Administration.’

In another post, Trump named Joe Kent to serve as director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). According to the agency’s website, the NCTC operates within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and helps officials by ‘analyzing, understanding, and responding to the terrorist threat.’

‘As a Soldier, Green Beret, and CIA Officer, Joe has hunted down terrorists and criminals his entire adult life,’ Trump’s Truth Social post read. ‘Above all, Joe knows the terrible cost of terrorism, losing his wonderful wife, Shannon, a Great American Hero, who was killed in the fight against ISIS.’

‘Joe continues to honor her legacy by staying in the fight. Joe will help us keep America safe by eradicating all terrorism, from the jihadists around the World, to the cartels in our backyard,’ the president concluded.

Finally, Trump named Sean Parnell to serve as the chief Pentagon spokesman, and to work as the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs.

‘A Great American Patriot, Sean is a fearless Combat Veteran, who led one of the most decorated units in the Afghanistan War,’ Trump said of Parnell. ‘He earned two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, while his platoon achieved an incredible record of eliminating over 350 enemy fighters.’

‘During my First Term, Sean was also instrumental helping pass the MISSION ACT, the BIGGEST VA Reform in History,’ Trump added. ‘Congratulations to Sean, his wonderful wife, and their five children!’

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Rubio says ‘no choice’ but to bring USAID ‘under control’ after agency takeover: ‘rank insubordination’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is accusing USAID of ‘rank insubordination,’ adding ‘we had no choice but to bring this thing under control.’  The top U.S. diplomat made the comments in an exclusive interview with Fox News in El Salvador, just after announcing he would take over as acting director of the humanitarian agency.  

Rubio blasted USAID for being ‘completely unresponsive’ telling Fox ‘they don’t consider that they work for the U.S., they just think they’re a global entity and that their master is the globe and not the United States, and that’s not what the statute says, and that’s not sustainable.’

Rubio refused to say whether the agency ‘needs to die,’ as DOGE chief Elon Musk is suggesting, instead stressing the goal was always to reform it.  

‘There are things that we do through USAID that we should continue to do, that make sense, and we’ll have to decide, is that better through the State Department or is that better through something, you know, a reformed USAID? That’s the process we’re working through.’

Despite plans for restructuring, Rubio said the United States would remain the ‘most generous nation on Earth,’ but added, in a way that makes sense, that’s in our national interests.

Asked if changes to USAID would open the door for Communist China to increase its influence around the world, Rubio said ‘No, I mean, first of all, they don’t do that now. If they did, they’d be out there competing with us in these places. But my point is this, even if they did that, why would we fund things that are against our national interests or don’t further our national interests, whether China is there or not? If China wants to waste our money on something that’s against their China, their national interests, go ahead and do it. We’re not going to do it.’

Monday evening, the group and labor union that represents U.S. foreign service workers, released a statement opposing the Trump administration’s actions regarding USAID. ‘The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) strongly objects to the administration’s decision to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This will undermine U.S. national security, may subvert Congressional authority, and demonstrates a lack of respect for the dedication of the development professionals who serve America’s interests abroad.’

The wide-ranging interview came after Rubio’s visit to Panama and amidst repeated warnings from President Trump that the United State would ‘take back’ the Panama Canal over concerns the Chinese have de facto operational control over it.

Following his visit with the Panamanian President, Jose Raul Mulino announced the central American nation would leave China’s Belt and Road initiative. Rubio welcomes the move but tells Fox that’s not enough and that he hopes to see ‘additional steps in the days to come.’

President Trump announced 30-day pauses on tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Rubio acknowledge that ‘changes our economic relationship with our closest neighbors,’ adding the State Department is not involved in any negotiations to make Canada the 51st state.

Despite Venezuela’s recent move to release U.S. hostages and accept migrants living illegally in the US, Secretary Rubio said there are still no plans to recognize the Maduro regime as legitimate.  Rubio added ‘Maduro knows the US has many options to inflict serious damage on his regime.’

Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, says he has ‘no intention’ of going to Havana as America’s top diplomat ‘other than to discuss when they’re going to leave.’ Rubio continues his western hemisphere trip Tuesday with stops in Costa Rica and Guatemala.

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Trump agriculture nominee, Brooke Rollins, clears key Senate hurdle ahead of confirmation vote

Members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee voted favorably Monday for President Donald Trump’s nominee, Brooke Rollins, to head up the Department of Agriculture (USDA), a widely expected outcome that clears her for a vote in the full Senate later this week.

Rollins was passed favorably out of committee on a unanimous vote. 

Rollins, who served as a White House aide during Trump’s first administration and then as the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, is widely viewed as an uncontroversial nominee. 

Her nomination earned the backing of a coalition of more than 415 farmers, agricultural, and growers groups earlier this month. Signatories urged the Senate to swiftly confirm Rollins, praising what they described as her foundational knowledge of agriculture, as well as her policy and business bona fides that they said made her uniquely qualified for the role of U.S. agriculture secretary.

The committee vote comes at a crucial time for U.S. growers’ groups and agribusinesses across the country. Lawmakers in Congress have stalled on a new farm bill and on other key priorities for farmers and industry groups.

They also failed to secure the full extent of farm aid and agriculture subsidies considered necessary by many groups in their eleventh-hour government spending bill passed late last month. 

Rollins vowed at her confirmation hearing that, if approved, she would use her post as agriculture secretary to embark on a ‘fast and furious’ effort to distribute those funds to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. She also vowed to combat fast-spreading animal disease in the U.S. and North America, including bird flu, which has hampered the poultry industry and sent egg prices soaring. 

If confirmed, Rollins said last week, she would ‘immediately begin to modernize, realign, rethink the United States Department of Agriculture.’

‘We understand that serving all American agriculture and all the American people means ensuring that our rural communities are equipped and supported to prosper, not just today, but tomorrow and the day after that in the many tomorrows to come,’ she told lawmakers.

Those supporting Rollins’ nomination have also praised her ‘close working relationship’ with the president, which they said will ‘ensure that agriculture and rural America have a prominent and influential voice at the table when critical decisions are made in the White House.’

Rollins was not expected to face staunch opposition to her nomination to head up the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and lawmakers who have spoken out have largely praised both her experience and strong knowledge of the agriculture sector. 

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Trump AG nominee Pam Bondi advances to final Senate vote

President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee, Pam Bondi, will now move on to a final Senate floor vote for confirmation after senators voted to invoke cloture and limit the remaining floor debate.

Bondi, the former Florida attorney general who also spent 18 years as a prosecutor in Hillsborough County, earned praise this month for her composure during her confirmation hearing, which stretched for nearly six hours. She was also praised for her ability to deftly navigate thorny and politically tricky topics and lines of questioning from some would-be detractors. 

By a vote of 52-46, the Senate invoked cloture on the nomination on Monday night, defeating the legislative filibuster.

If confirmed, Bondi stressed, her primary goal would be to enforce federal law without political considerations.

‘Politics has to be taken out of this system,’ Bondi told the Senate Judiciary Committee, a refrain she returned to multiple times during her conversations with lawmakers.  

‘This department has been weaponized for years and years and years, and it has to stop,’ she said. 

 

Bondi’s experience and composure in her meetings with lawmakers, as well as during the confirmation hearing itself, won wide praise from Republicans on the panel, as well as some Democrats, who voted last week to approve her nomination. 

The vote clears Bondi’s nomination to the Senate floor for a full chamber vote.

Bondi’s experience also earned the backing of former senior officials at the Justice Department, who urged lawmakers in a letter this month to swiftly move to confirm her.

In letters previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital, the more than 110 senior Justice Department officials, including former U.S. attorneys general John Ashcroft, Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr and Edwin Meese, expressed their ‘strong and enthusiastic support’ for Bondi, praising both her commitment to the rule of law and her track record as Florida’s former attorney general that they said make her uniquely qualified for the role.

‘It is all too rare for senior Justice Department officials—much less Attorneys General—to have such a wealth of experience in the day-to-day work of keeping our communities safe,’ they wrote.

She was also backed by dozens of former Republican and Democratic state attorneys general, who sent a letter urging her confirmation earlier this month.

‘Many of us have worked directly with Attorney General Bondi and have firsthand knowledge of her fitness for the office,’ the former attorneys general said in the letter, also exclusively previewed to Fox News Digital. ‘We believe that her wealth of prosecutorial experience and commitment to public service make General Bondi a highly qualified nominee for Attorney General of the United States.’ 

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Unrivaled live updates: Time, teams, TV and more for games tonight

MEDLEY, Fla. — Unrivaled’s third week ends Monday night with WNBA stars Sabrina Ionescu, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner and Rhyne Howard in action. 

Ionescu, Griner and the Phantom (2-3) will face Stewart, Jewell Loyd and the Mist (1-4) in the first of two games at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The undefeated Lunar Owls (5-0) — led by Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Grey — will face Howard, Arike Ogunbowale and the Vinyl (2-3) in the second game at 8:30 p.m. 

Here’s everything you need to know and stay tuned for live updates from Monday night’s Unrivaled games: 

How to watch Unrivaled games Monday night on TV

Unrivaled is available on cable television on TNT in the United States, and TSN+ in Canada.

How to live stream Unrivaled games on Monday night

Unrivaled games are also available to live stream on Max, and internationally on YouTube.

Watch: Unrivaled games on Sling TV

Phantom (2-3) vs. Mist (1-4) preview 

Ionescu, a WNBA champion with the New York Liberty, led Phantom to its second win of the season Friday with 32 points, nine rebounds and eight assists over the Rose on Friday night. 

The Mist won its first Unrivaled game of the season Saturday. Stewart, who is a Liberty star and Unrivaled co-founder, led with 23 points and 10 rebounds against the Vinyl. 

The Phantom beat the Mist 74-69 in their first meeting Jan. 24, where Griner and Satou Sabally each scored 29 points in the win.  

Vinyl (2-3) vs. Lunar Owls (5-0) preview

The Lunar Owls outlasted the Laces on Friday night to remain the only unbeaten team in Unrivaled. Collier has been Unrivaled’s best player, averaging 28 points and 11.8 rebounds

The Vinyl will be hungry for a win, losing their last three games after a 2-0 start during opening weekend. Dearica Hamby had 35 points and 15 rebounds in the Vinyl’s loss to the Mist on Friday. 

The Lunar Owls beat the Vinyl 67-57 on Jan. 27, as Collier led with 19 points and 17 rebounds.

Is Angel Reese playing tonight?

No, Reese and the Rose played their Week 3 games Friday and Saturday. 

WNBA free agency, offseason takes flight

The Unrivaled games come during a blockbuster week of news several WNBA players will be on the move next season.

Griner agreed to a free agent deal with the Atlanta Dream after 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury.
The Laces’ Alyssa Thomas was traded from the Connecticut Sun after 11 seasons to the Mercury.
A three-team trade featuring Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum and several 2025 WNBA draft picks started the frenzy.

What is Unrivaled?

Six teams with 36 of the best women’s basketball players in the world, including Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner, will compete in the 3-on-3, full court games.

Where is Unrivaled playing games?

Games will be played at Wayfair Arena in Medley, Florida, which is in the Miami metropolitan area, about 7 miles from Miami International Airport.

Unrivaled team names and rosters

Laces: Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Natisha Hiedeman (relief player contract), Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young.
Lunar Owls: Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (IR).
Mist: DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, NaLyssa Smith (relief player contract), Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot.
Phantom: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson.
Rose: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes.
Vinyl: Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale.

Unrivaled rules to know 

Unrivaled games start with three seven-minute quarters, and games end when the target winning score is reached in the fourth quarter. The target winning score is 11 points higher than the highest team’s score after the third quarter, known as the Elam Ending. 
Players also take just one free throw after being fouled: A free throw equals two or three points depending on the shooting foul. 
How long is the Unrivaled court size? It’s is 72 feet long by 49.2 feet wide. NBA and WNBA courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. 

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

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Auburn, Duke lead but rest of men’s basketball poll gets shuffled

With so many ranked teams taking at least one ‘L’ during the week, it should come as no surprise that the new USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll looks considerably different. The top two teams, however, hold steady.

Auburn will spend another week at No. 1. The Tigers, who ran their overall winning streak to 13 and remain the lone unbeaten squad in SEC play, received 29 of 31 first-place votes. Duke continued its roll through the ACC and solidifies its grip on the No. 2 position, this week claiming a pair of first-place nods.

Alabama moves up a notch to No. 3 and Tennessee vaults back up to fourth, giving the SEC three of the top four teams. Houston hangs on at No. 5 despite Saturday’s loss to Texas Tech, and Florida maintains its No. 6 position after dropping its return game at Tennessee.

TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll

The next few teams are moving in different directions. No. 7 Purdue and No. 10 St. John’s are on the upswing, while No. 8 Iowa State and No. 9 Michigan State head downward this week. Texas Tech makes the week’s biggest jump, climbing seven positions to No. 12 thanks to that aforementioned win at Houston. Connecticut vaults six places to No. 18 after taking down No. 11 Marquette on the road.

No. 20 Arizona heads the group of newcomers to this week’s top 25. No. 22 Michigan, No. 23 Saint Mary’s and No. 24 Maryland also move in. It was a rough week for the state of Mississippi, as both Ole Miss and Mississippi State are among the dropouts along with Oregon and Louisville.

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Oklahoma legend named to coach US Olympic women’s softball team

Oklahoma women’s softball coach Patty Gasso has been chosen to lead the U.S. national team as it prepares for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

USA Softball, the sport’s national governing body, announced Monday that Gasso – who has led the Sooners to eight national championships, including a fourth consecutive title in 2024 – has been selected as the U.S. Olympic team’s head coach for the 2025-28 quadrennial cycle.

‘It is truly a remarkable moment in my career and a dream come true to be asked to coach Team USA,’ Gasso said in a statement. ‘This is the highest honor I could ever receive, and I’m humbled by and thankful for the confidence USA Softball has in me. I have an intense passion to make Team USA the best it can be to help win the gold medal in 2028.’

Gasso has extensive experience with the U.S. women’s national softball team through her participation in coaching various teams, as well as working with training camps and selection trials.

A National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, Gasso begins her 31st season as the head coach of the Oklahoma softball program this week.

Gasso, 62, has a 1,515-352-2 career record at Oklahoma and is the Big 12 Conference’s all-time winningest coach in any sport.

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Popular sports radio host exits in middle of show due to illness

Fox Sports Radio listeners were taken aback Monday when host Colin Cowherd abruptly cut a segment of his show ‘The Herd’ short due to illness.

In the middle of discussing the impact of the recent Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, Cowherd paused to say, ‘Folks, I’m going to have to take a break. I’m getting very very sick very very quickly on this set and we will return.’

Co-host Jason McIntyre took over for Cowherd when the program resumed.

A message was quickly posted on the show’s social media account on X that confirmed ‘Colin is under the weather,’ and thanked listeners for their concerns.

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Crucial moderate GOP senator backs Tulsi Gabbard ahead of committee vote

Moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, revealed her plan to support Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Monday evening. 

‘After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence,’ she said in a statement. 

‘As one of the principal authors of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that established this coordinating position, I understand the critical role the DNI plays in the Intelligence Community. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size. In response to my questions during our discussion in my office and at the open hearing, as well as through her explanation at the closed hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ms. Gabbard addressed my concerns regarding her views on Edward Snowden. I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to strengthen our national security.’

Collins sits on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which will embark on a pivotal vote on Gabbard’s nomination on Tuesday, sources confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

The Maine Republican has developed a reputation for occasionally bucking her party, most recently doing so on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation vote. 

Her support for Gabbard at the committee level was thus far from certain. 

She joins a handful of other committee Republicans who have already said they will vote to advance Gabbard to the Senate floor, including Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and James Lankford, R-Okla. 

However, another GOP senator on the committee is still considered one to watch, as Gabbard is expected to need all of the Republican members’ votes to move forward. 

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., hasn’t said how he plans to vote in committee. Because of this, he’s managed to garner the criticism of Trump-aligned billionaire Elon Musk, who recently claimed on X that Young is a ‘deep state puppet’ in regard to his uncertainty about Gabbard. The post has since been deleted.

A spokesperson for Young told Fox News Digital in a statement, ‘Senator Young and Mr. Musk had a great conversation on a number of subjects and policy areas where they have a shared interest, like DOGE.’

Musk also shared on X over the weekend, explaining, ‘Just had an excellent conversation with [Young]. I stand corrected. Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power to the people from the vast, unelected bureaucracy.’ 

While Collins’ support bodes well for Gabbard’s fate at the committee level, it also forecasts a better outlook among the full Senate, given her vote against Hegseth. If she advances to a floor vote, Gabbard can afford to lose just three Republican votes, assuming she does not get any Democratic backing. 

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