上海龙凤交友论坛—shlf 1314—夜上海论坛

Sergio Garcia (+2000) captured his second LIV Golf title with a three shot victory over Dean Burmester at LIV Hong Kong last weekend. But the biggest story for LIV Golf was the podium finish by 54-year old Phil Mickelson, who at -14, finished in third place and four shots behind Garcia. Now the circuit moves to Singapore this week for its event played for the third consecutive year at Sentosa Golf Club. The Serapong Course plays as a par-71 at 7,406 yards and was previously triumphed by Americans Talor Gooch (2023) and Brooks Koepka (2024). Play begins Thursday evening at 9:15 p.m. ET.

Jon Rahm, who has never finished outside the top-10 in a LIV Golf event that he has completed, is the favorite at +600 odds, followed by Joaquin Niemann (+850), Tyrrell Hatton (+850), Bryson DeChambeau (+1000), and Garcia (+1200). Rahm is -200 (risk $200 to win $100) to finish inside the top 10 and +120 (risk $100 to win $120) to crack the top five. Koepka is +1800 (risk $100 to win $1,800) to repeat as champion. Before locking in your 2025 LIV Golf Singapore picks, be sure to see the predictions and best bets from golf insider Eric Cohen.

betmgm logo rectangle
Up to $1500 in bonus bets
if your first bet loses
CLAIM BONUS
21+ only. First Bet Offer for new customers only. Min. first deposit of $10. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. Bonus bets amount equals lost stake up to $1500. Must be physically located in AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, NJ, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, DC, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. See BetMGM.com for Terms. US promotional offers not available in Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). Data & text rates may apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA).21+ only. First Bet Offer for new customers only. Min. first deposit of $10. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. Bonus bets amount equals lost stake up to $1500. Must be physically located in AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, NJ, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, DC, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. See BetMGM.com for Terms. US promotional offers not available in Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). Data & text rates may apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA).21+ only. First Bet Offer for new customers only. Min. first deposit of $10. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. Bonus bets amount equals lost stake up to $1500. Must be physically located in AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, NJ, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, DC, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. See BetMGM.com for Terms. US promotional offers not available in Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). Data & text rates may apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA).
Cohen is an avid golf bettor who correctly predicted the pre-tournament outright winners of the first two LIV Golf events in 2024, Joaquin Niemann at Mayakoba and Dustin Johnson in Las Vegas, as well as Sergio Garcia at Andalucia last July. He also accurately predicted Bryson DeChambeau’s victory at the 2024 U.S. Open at +2000 odds. Eric is a contributor to SportsLine’s YouTube shows including “Early Edge” and is the host of “The Early Wedge Best Bets” golf show on Tuesday nights.

Now, Cohen has set his sights on the 2025 LIV Golf Singapore field and just revealed his top prop bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see Cohen’s 2025 LIV Golf Singapore picks, sleepers, and favorite to avoid.

Top 2025 LIV Golf Singapore picks
One surprise: Cohen is fading Bryson DeChambeau, who’s one of the top players on the board at +1000 odds. The reigning U.S. Open winner has gotten progressively worse with his LIV finishes this season after a T-6 in Riyadh, T-18 in Adelaide, and T-20 in Hong Kong last week. Over the last two events, the American has lost nearly five strokes on approach to the field, which is a bad sign heading into this week’s event.

Course history is also not on DeChambeau’s side as he hasn’t been too successful at Sentosa Golf Club. In 2023, he finished T-19 followed by a T-27 last year. While DeChambeau will be a threat to win many weeks, Cohen doesn’t feel this is one considering his recent form and lack of prior success in Singapore. See who to back at SportsLine.

draftkings logo rectangle
Bet $5, Get $150
in Bonus Bets instantly!
CLAIM BONUS
21+ (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WY, and WV. Void in ONT/OR/NH and where prohibited. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $150 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 3/16/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK. Data & text rates may apply. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).21+ (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WY, and WV. Void in ONT/OR/NH and where prohibited. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $150 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 3/16/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK. Data & text rates may apply. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).21+ (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WY, and WV. Void in ONT/OR/NH and where prohibited. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $150 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 3/16/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK. Data & text rates may apply. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).
Get more 2025 LIV Golf Singapore picks, sleepers
Cohen has also locked in a slew of other bets for LIV Golf Singapore 2025 and also identified two golfers who you should play in top 10 markets. You can only see his LIV Golf Singapore best bets at SportsLine.

So what 2025 LIV Golf Singapore prop picks should you target, and which longshots have a chance to finish near the top of the leaderboard? Visit SportsLine to see Cohen’s 2025 LIV Golf Singapore best bets, all from the expert who called three LIV golfer victories last season, and find out.

LIV Golf Singapore 2025 odds, field
See full LIV Golf Singapore picks, best bets and predictions here.

Jon Rahm +600
Joaquin Niemann +850
Tyrrell Hatton +850
Bryson DeChambeau +1000
Sergio Garcia +1200
Brooks Koepka +1800
Marc Leishman +2000
Cameron Smith +2000
Abraham Ancer +2200
Dean Burmester +2200
David Puig +2200
Tom McKibbin +2500
Paul Casey +2500
Sebastian Munoz +2800
Patrick Reed +2800
Lucas Herbert +2800
Louis Oosthuizen +4000
Carlos Ortiz +4000
Cameron Tringale +4000
Anirban Lahiri +5000
Adrian Meronk +5000
Talor Gooch +5000
Richard Bland +5000
Peter Uihlein +5000
Thomas Pieters +7000
Kevin Na +7000
Harold Varner III +7000
Dustin Johnson +8000
Ben Campbell +8000
Charl Schwartzel +10000
Caleb Surratt +10000
Sam Horsfield +12000
Phil Mickelson +12000
Matthew Wolff +12000
Jason Kokrak +12000
Graeme McDowell +12000
Charles Howell III +12000
Brendan Steele +12000
Branden Grace +12000
Yubin Jang +15000
Max Lee +15000
Henrik Stenson +15000
Bubba Watson +15000
John Catlin +20000
Mito Pereira +20000
Matt Jones +20000
Martin Kaymer +20000
Ian Poulter +20000
Luis Masaveu +25000
Andy Ogletree +30000
Lee Westwood +30000
Frederik Kjettrup +30000
Danny Lee +30000
Anthony Kim +100000

The 2025 Players Championship field features 144 of the world’s best golfers vying for a $25 million purse, making it one of the most lucrative tournaments on the PGA Tour. The champion will collect $4.5 million and 750 FedEx Cup points. The Players Championship 2025 gets underway from TPC Sawgrass on Thursday, March 13. The 2025 Players Championship first-round tee times begin at 7:40 a.m. ET. Two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler is the +360 favorite (risk $100 to win $360), according to the latest 2025 Players Championship odds.

He’s followed by Rory McIlroy (+800), Collin Morikawa (+1600), Xander Schauffele (+1600), Ludvig Aberg (+2000), and Justin Thomas (+2000) on the PGA odds board. Wyndham Clark secured a T-2 finish at this event in 2024 and is +550 (risk $100 to win $550) to crack the top 10 this week. Jason Day, who won this event in 2016 and is coming T-8 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, is going off as a +6500 longshot. Before locking in your 2025 Players Championship picks, be sure to see the golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June 2020. In fact, the model is up nearly $9,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

This same model has also nailed a whopping 13 majors entering the weekend, including the 2024 Masters — its third Masters in a row — and last year’s PGA Championship and U.S. Open. Anyone who has followed its sports betting picks could have seen massive returns on betting apps like FanDuel, DraftKings and Fanatics.

Now that the 2025 Players Championship field is locked in, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.

2025 Players Championship predictions
One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2025 Players Championship: Xander Schauffele, a nine-time PGA Tour champion and one of the top favorites, stumbles this week and barely cracks the top 10. Schauffele secured a T-2 finish at the Players Championship in 2024 but has dealt with injuries and inconsistent play early in 2025.

Schauffele is coming off a T-40 showing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, his first start back from a rib injury that kept him sidelined since The Sentry, where he finished T-30 in January. Schauffele’s rusty return from injury was magnified with his short game at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He lost 2.84 strokes putting in Round 1 and lost 1.79 shots around the greens. He’s not a strong pick to win it all and there are far better values in the 2025 Players Championship field. See who else to fade here.

Another surprise: Hideki Matsuyama, a 30-1 longshot, makes a strong run at the title. He has a much better chance to win it all than his odds imply, so he’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday.

Matsuyama has had tremendous success at TPC Sawgrass in recent years. The 2021 Masters champion has finished T-6 or better in his last two starts at the Players Championship. He’s an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour, which includes finishing on top of the leaderboard at The Sentry in January. Matsuyama enters this week’s event ranked sixth in strokes gained: total (1.641), 12th in strokes gained: tee-to-green (1.167) and 13th in one-putt percentage (44.21%). Those impressive stats, plus his long odds, make him a strong value pick for your 2025 Players Championship bets. See who else to pick here.

fanduel logo rectangle
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets
if Your Bet Wins
CLAIM BONUS
21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (excluding certain perishes), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Data & text rates may apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit RG-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (excluding certain perishes), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Data & text rates may apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit RG-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (excluding certain perishes), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Void where prohibited. First online real money wager only. $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Data & text rates may apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit RG-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
How to make 2025 Players Championship picks
The model is also targeting three other golfers with odds of 30-1 or longer who will make a strong run at the title. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model’s picks here.

Who will win the 2025 Players Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the 2025 Players Championship odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 13 golf majors, including the last three Masters and three majors in 2024.

2025 Players Championship odds, favorites
Get full 2025 Players Championship picks, best bets and predictions here.

Scottie Scheffler +360
Rory McIlroy +800
Collin Morikawa +1600
Xander Schauffele +1600
Ludvig Aberg +2000
Justin Thomas +2000
Hideki Matsuyama +3000
Patrick Cantlay +3500
Tommy Fleetwood +3500
Shane Lowry +4000
Russell Henley +4500
Sungjae Im +5500
Sepp Straka +5500
Keegan Bradley +5500
Sam Burns +6000
Wyndham Clark +6000
Corey Conners +6500
Jason Day +6500
Maverick McNealy +6500
Tony Finau +7000
Viktor Hovland +7000
Si Woo Kim +7000
Daniel Berger +7000
Min Woo Lee +7500
Robert MacIntyre +7500
Jordan Spieth +8000
Tom Kim +8000
Will Zalatoris +8000
Brian Harman +9000
Taylor Pendrith +9000
Adam Scott +9000
J.T. Poston +10000
Sahith Theegala +10000
Denny Mccarthy +10000
Aaron Rai +10000
Kurt Kitayama +11000
Davis Thompson +11000
Doug Ghim +11000
Rickie Fowler +11000
J.J. Spaun +11000
Michael Kim +11000
Matt Fitzpatrick +11000
Akshay Bhatia +11000
Ben Griffin +11000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +11000
Keith Mitchell +11000
Rasmus Hojgaard +12000
Max Greyserman +12000
Thomas Detry +12000
Byeong Hun An +12000
Samuel Stevens +15000
Stephan Jaeger +15000
Cameron Young +15000
Justin Rose +15000
Joe Highsmith +15000
Alex Smalley +15000
Seamus Power +15000
Billy Horschel +15000

Where to bet on PGA Tour tournaments
Here are some of the sportsbooks to bet on the PGA, along with the various PGA Tour sportsbook promos they currently offer.

Rory McIlroy’s heckler from Tuesday’s practice round at the 2025 Players Championship has apologized. The heckler, which turned out to be University of Texas golfer Luke Potter, has written apologies not only to McIlroy, but also to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, among others.

“Look, I just made a mistake, and I take ownership for it,” Potter told Golf Channel. “I apologize for it. That’s about all that needs to be said. … It’s just a good learning experience. Yeah, I apologize.”

Video surfaced Tuesday afternoon of McIlroy walking up to a spectator, asking for his phone and walking away with it. McIlroy had just hit his tee shot into the water on the par-4 18th and it was reported that Potter made a reference to the 2011 Masters which the four-time major champion memorably squandered with a final-round 80.

Potter was escorted off the golf course and his phone was later returned.

Texas golfer shouted “just like 2011 at Augusta” after Rory hit it in the water on his first ball and after his second shot Rory did this. What a crash out 😂 @stoolpresidente @ziregolf pic.twitter.com/UtHdO4UNOg

— Ganix Gabinus (@gabinus_ganix) March 12, 2025
The Texas Longhorn golf team was in town for the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational at Sawgrass Country Club, which took place earlier in the week. Not only did Potter claim the first individual title of his collegiate career, but the Longhorns secured the team title as well.

When asked about the situation after his first-round 67, McIlroy refused to answer the question. In a follow-up question, McIlroy said he was happy with his opening-round effort.

“No, you can’t,” McIlroy said. “Because I don’t want you to.”

Embiid has given the Sixers the most success they’ve seen as a team since Allen Iverson’s days, but this has only led to second-round exits at best.

If they decide it’s not worth it, Hoops Habit floated the Golden State Warriors as a potential trade destination for Embiid.

The Warriors fit the description of a team that will be more desperate to maintain their relevance because they are a fallen dynasty flailing to remain among the best in the Western Conference. Trading for Embiid would be swinging for the fences.

How a Warriors trade for Embiid would work
Assuming any move for Embiid would not involve Stephen Curry or Draymond Green, the Warriors would have to move Andrew Wiggins simply because of the amount of money he makes in his contract.

Besides that, the Warriors must include De’Anthony Melton’s expiring contract, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and all the draft capital they can muster for the Sixers to consider this.

The Warriors would have to shell out a significant portion of their roster to make a trade for Embiid work. His injury history might make this too problematic. At the same time, there may not be a better option if they want to keep their status as contenders while they still have Curry and Green.

For the Sixers, though, if they wanted to trade Embiid, trading with the Warriors would be a deal where they could benefit aplenty. However, it wouldn’t be right away, which might not be enough to justify such a deal.

That’s where Paul George would come in. Because he makes $49.2 million, a straight-up swap involving George and Butler works.

Such a hypothetical has been brought up before, but Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor explained why it’s hard to envision a trade between the two sides. He explained why Butler wouldn’t fit well with the Sixers.

“Butler would add more downhill attacking to Philly in place of George’s smoother style, though is it worth sacrificing George’s knockdown shooting upside? Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jared McCain already handle the ball so much,” O’Connor wrote.

He then explained why Miami might not have much interest in George.

“If the Heat don’t want to re-sign Butler, would they actually want George? George was just signed to a four-year, $211 million deal, and he’s only eight months younger than Butler. The Sixers are intriguing but might be better in theory than in practice.”

The Sixers would have another problem if they acquired Butler
Even if the Sixers completed a trade like this, they would have to deal with Butler’s extension, which is why he’s available in the first place.

At 35 years old, Butler is still an excellent player, but for how much longer remains in question. He impressively guided the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances, but it’s not guaranteed that he would do it again in Philadelphia.

The Sixers already took a big gamble giving George a max contract. Giving one to Butler may very well be an even bigger one.

One player they could acquire straight-up for Martin is Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio. Fontecchio is regarded as a stretch forward, so he fits well on a team that needs more help at power forward, like the Sixers.

He hasn’t had the best season with the Pistons, as they’ve made his role smaller thanks to the additions of Tobias Harris and Ron Holland. He’s currently shooting 34.5% from three, but he is a career 37.1% shooter from three. With his current low value, he’s an ideal buy-low trade candidate.

How a trade could work between the Sixers and Pistons
FanSided proposed the following trade between the Sixers and Detroit Pistons.

Sixers receive: Fontecchio

Pistons receive: KJ Martin, draft capital

Fontecchio has been brought up as a Sixers target before, and it makes sense. He’s a shooter with size, and that’s something they need.

His low shooting might be due to playing for a team with little spacing. Fontecchio might thrive playing next to scorers who can find open shooters. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Jared McCain provide enough prowess that Fontecchio might get open more often than ever.

Better players than Fontecchio might be available, but they might cost draft assets. The Sixers will be hesitant to part with draft assets because they’ve already traded quite a few in the past. Fontecchio works so well as a potential trade target because it’s likely that he wouldn’t cost that much.

Chicago has been trying to trade Vučević since the summer, and Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey has arrived at an interesting proposal involving the Grizz: Vooch to Memphis for Brandon Clarke, John Konchar, and a top-10 protected first-rounder (2027).

“There’s reason for the Memphis Grizzlies to be optimistic about Zach Edey,” Bailey said. “Jay Huff has turned out to be one of this past summer’s best bargain acquisitions. And even after an Achilles repair, Brandon Clarke is still one of the league’s better reserve hustle bigs.”

“But none of the above are quite as well-suited to start as 34-year-old Nikola Vučević, who’s playing as well as he has in half a decade.”

“Lineups with him and JJJ could force opponents to keep all their big bodies outside the paint, making easily exploitable driving lanes for Ja Morant.”

“Vučević’s passing would also open up possibilities for everyone that Edey, Huff and Clarke simply won’t.”

“The Grizzlies are closer to title contention than some realize, and Vučević is the kind of player who could put them over the top.”

“For the Bulls, this is another deal that speeds up the rebuild. It gives them some draft capital (the trade could also include some second-round picks, in the event that the first doesn’t convey) and the movable contracts of Clarke and John Konchar.”

“Perhaps most importantly, it would make Chicago worse in the short term (thus, improving its 2025 lottery odds) and open up more playing time for rookie Matas Buzelis.”

Do you think the Grizzlies should call the Bulls and put this deal in motion?

Fadeaway World’s Ishaan Bhattacharya came up with an interesting idea this week for Chicago. What if the Bulls took a chance on a former No. 1 overall pick?

“The Chicago Bulls front office has made it abundantly clear that they do not want to be a tanking franchise, so instead of accepting things the way they are, it might be time to take a big risk to facilitate winning,” Bhattacharya said.

Bhattacharya proposed the Bulls send the New Orleans Pelicans a package of Vučević, Patrick Williams and two first-rounders (2025 via Portland and 2027) for Zion Williamson and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

“Acquiring a power forward like Zion could transform the team and especially unlock Josh Giddey’s playmaking even further while giving shooters like Zach LaVine and Coby White more space on the perimeter as Zion tends to draw defenders to him. Williamson was averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists before injuring his hamstring this season.”

“His return date is unclear, but the Bulls could make a move to acquire Zion and then justify a season’s worth of tanking by claiming the team would be competitive next season with the young players taking a step up and Zion being available.”

“It’s been a rough six years for the Pelicans and Zion, as he was drafted into the franchise with high hopes that he’ll take them back to contention as Anthony Davis left the same summer Zion joined. Despite that, through three Playoff appearances the team has made with Zion on the squad, the powerful forward has yet to play a postseason game, because he can never stay healthy.”

“New Orleans can land a proper center like Vucevic alongside multi-positional wing defender Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The Pelicans could still be competitive with this roster, but it’s better off they wait until next season when they get their entire roster healthy.”

“The Bulls aren’t under pressure to make the Playoffs this season, so letting Zion heal up from another set of injuries could be something they prioritize this season before setting him up to fail at the start of 25-26. Williamson will make $133 million over the remaining four years of his contract, so the Bulls will expect a star player to emerge as the years go on.”

Is this a viable idea for Chicago, or is Zion someone they should steer clear of due to his scary injury history?

“The rebuilding Trail Blazers have an interesting trade chip in Jerami Grant that could net them valuable assets from a Lakers team that’s desperately searching for another forward,” Wright said.

“While LA sits at 13-11 and struggles to build around LeBron James, Portland could capitalize on their win-now mentality.”

“The proposed deal would bring Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and a coveted 2025 first-round pick to Portland. For a Blazers team focused on the future, acquiring another first-rounder could be crucial for their rebuilding timeline.”

“Hachimura … would give Portland a young forward with upside. Though he hasn’t matched his playoff performance from last year, the 25-year-old could benefit from increased opportunity in Portland’s development-focused system.”

“While Grant’s defensive versatility and shot creation would certainly help the Lakers contend, his declining numbers this season (15.3 points on 38% shooting) might actually make this the perfect time for Portland to maximize his trade value. The Blazers could sell high on Grant while adding both immediate assets and future draft capital.”

“Getting a first-rounder that far out (2029) from a Lakers team that might look very different by then could prove extremely valuable. The Blazers would be wise to seriously consider this offer while Grant’s value remains high and before the Lakers potentially look elsewhere for wing help.”

Grant is in year two of a five-year, $160 million contract. Beyond Portland, the 30-year-old wing has played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Detroit Pistons in his career.