Best of The Herd

Tuesday on The Herd with me sitting in for Colin, and the sports world is buzzing: Lakers rolling, Kevin Durant face‑planted, the World Baseball Classic hits its finale, and a big NFL trade landed right before we cracked the mics.

Denver just pried Jalen Waddle from Miami for a first, a third, and a fourth, and to me the Dolphins just told you their plan with actions, not quotes: clear the books, move veterans, and angle for a future quarterback class while bracing for pain now.

Flip side, the Broncos get a tailor‑made weapon for Sean Payton, stack talent around a cheap quarterback, and take a real swing in an AFC that suddenly looks shaky at the top.

Waddle brings the burst Denver lacked and gives their young quarterback a friendly target tree; Miami held out for a premium package and finally got it, which tells you Denver decided it was time to push.

On the hardwood, the Lakers stayed hot and JJ Redick pushed all the right buttons: LeBron picked his spots, defended, and facilitated, while late traps on Durant turned him jittery with violations and a flagrant as L.A. stacked another win over a quality opponent.

Redick’s trust moves matter too—he went back to Deandre Ayton late for boards, and this run has that A‑Team feeling where the plan snaps into place.

We’ll circle back to KD’s rough second half and the burner‑account fallout, but first, college hoops with Aaron Torres.

Aaron, where do you land on Duke’s star big and their injury cloud heading into the tournament?

Right now he’s the best player in the field and Duke’s roster is built to accent what he does, but their ceiling hinges on health—especially getting their seven‑footer back to lighten his defensive load.

Do you expect the big man to return for the opener, or is that more likely in round two?

I’d bet he’s active by the second game, while the guard’s timeline looks longer, and weirdly the center may matter more to how Duke functions.

I’ve got Arizona cutting the nets; too chalky, or the right call?

Arizona’s been the steadiest, their backcourt is better than most contenders’ front‑led builds, and their path lines up nicely—health permitting, they’re a deserving favorite.

My Final Four is Arizona, Michigan, Duke, and Illinois; what trips your wire there?

Illinois worries me given how they closed and the conference‑tourney one‑and‑done, though that region is looser than usual so chaos is in play.

People are already slotting A‑Cuff above Rose, Wall, and Booker as a college guard—fair or fast?

He’s had the best regular season of that group with elite shooting and almost no turnovers, but the tournament will decide how those comparisons age.

What’s the latest on UCLA’s banged‑up stars, and does UConn have a free runway if they’re out?

Cronin says both will be back, and if they are, UCLA’s guards can bother UConn’s perimeter; if not, the Huskies should stroll to the second weekend.

Can a one‑man heater carry an injury‑riddled team like BYU deep, or is that a bridge too far?

It’s doable—he’s been relentless, logging huge minutes and dropping big numbers against Big 12 defenses, which translates to March.

Hot take from our meeting: I would not want the top pick this year; and with Caleb Wilson sidelined, how much does that clip North Carolina’s upside?

It’s a shame he’s out because he already proved it against blue‑bloods, and without him Carolina’s ceiling drops a tier.

Can Kansas, with Peterson back in the mix, really press Duke?

Reintegrating him has been clunky, and unless that clicks fast I do not see them getting past an early test, let alone Duke.

Which coach is carrying the heaviest pressure tag?

Tommy Lloyd, because this roster and draw should end Arizona’s Final Four drought, and if they stumble again that heat gets real—Wisconsin history and all.

Quick one: did Miami of Ohio’s at‑large invite open a floodgate for undefeated mid‑majors?

No—staying unbeaten is brutally hard and you cannot game the schedule into 31 wins, so fears of a wave are overblown.

Last one—Yaxel Lendor says Kentucky dangled seven to nine million to flip him from Michigan; buy it?

That figure sounds high, but the intent tracks because he was the portal prize and top programs were signaling they would meet a massive number.

Great stuff, Aaron—have a blast wall‑to‑wall on Thursday and Friday, and yes, I’ll devour that way‑too‑early Top 25 when you drop it.