A plethora of chaotic events occurred this past weekend with teams in both the NHL and NBA making big trades, and the big rivalry game between the Duke Blue Devils and the UNC Tar Heels.
The Vancouver Canucks have been trying to ship away forward J.T. Miller for some time now and were able to do that when they found a trading partner in the New York Rangers. Miller, 31, was originally drafted by the Rangers back in 2011 when he was the 15th selection in the first round, but he was then moved to Tampa Bay and spent two seasons there before moving to Vancouver where he made a name for himself and had a breakout year in his first season in Vancouver. The 31-year-old centerman brings a great offensive presence as he put up 30 or more goals in three consecutive seasons including in the 23-24 season where he had 37 goals and 66 assists for 103 points.
The Duke vs UNC rivalry is considered one of the biggest rivalries in sports history with these two teams being the biggest basketball programs in North Carolina. These two teams faced off against each other for the 263rd time in their 125-year rivalry with Duke taking the helm in this matchup in a landslide. Duke came out looking strong early with guys like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel scoring early often. Duke’s defense complimented their offense by forcing turnovers that would lead to fast breaks for Duke. The Blue Devils put their foot on the gas pedal and did not look back as they ended up winning the game 87-70. This is the biggest loss in terms of points this season, the Tar Heels hope to bounce back when these two teams face off again in March.
After the events of the Duke and UNC game, the basketball world received even more shocking news when the Los Angeles Lakers acquired superstar Luka Doncic in a three team deal. The full deal sent Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first round pick. This trade surprised everybody as the Mavericks ended up trading their franchise player for an older player who has less years in the league than Doncic. Davis is still a superstar in the league as this year he is averaging over 25 points per game and averaging over 10 rebounds. Davis’ biggest concern is staying on the court; when he is on the court he is a dominant force and can change a game but he has battled through injuries in his career. The 31 year-old power forward is someone the Mavs hope can bring them a Championship within the next couple of years while Davis is playing at a high level.
Doncic, 25, is always an MVP candidate year in and year out but like Davis, he also has trouble staying on the court. Doncic has yet to play a full 82 game season in his career due to injuries which has him be ineligible to compete for the MVP award due to not hitting the minimum games played. But, when he is on the court he is a force of nature especially in those tight moments where the Mavs needed him most. According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the Mavs were not willing to pay Doncic the mega deal, but he is expected to get one when his current contract expires. The Lakers on the other hand, saw it as an opportunity to set up their future by getting a young superstar to build around.
