Wyndham Clark wins the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after three rounds of play; tournament cut short due to weather. Clark earns $3.6 million bringing his career on-course earnings to $19.55 million. 

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Top 10 Payouts

Full Results

2024 Earnings Leaders Update

Full List

Joaquin Niemann wins the first LIV Golf event of 2024 at Mayakoba earning himself $4 million, plus $125k for the team bonus. Niemann's career LIV Golf earnings (individual + team) is now at $12.76 million.

Mayakoba Top 10

Full Results

2024 Earnings Leaders Update

Full Results

The Kansas City Royals made a major statement heading toward Spring Training, locking in their franchise cornerstone shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to an historic 11 year, $288.7M contract extension. The deal far outweighs any contract the Royals have ever handed out, ranking up there with some of the most impactful extensions the sport has ever seen.

The Salary Breakdown

Before we get too deep down the rabbit hole here, let’s make note of the financial structure of the deal, starting with a $7,777,777 signing bonus, & a $2M salary for the upcoming 2024 season. Witt was likely in line for a $1M salary in 2024 before this contract was signed. VIEW THE FULL DEAL

2024: $2M base salary, $7,777,777 signing bonus
2025: $7M base salary
2026: $13M base salary
2027: $19M base salary
2028: $30M base salary
2029: $35M base salary
2030: $35M base salary
2031: $35M base salary (player can opt-out)
2032: $35M base salary (player can opt-out)
2033: $35M base salary (player can opt-out)
2034: $35M base salary (player can opt-out)

3 year, $89M club option
2035: $33M
2036: $28M
2037: $28M

The Conditions

In exchange for a slightly light payout through his arbitration eligible years (2025-2027), Witt Jr. afforded himself the ability to opt out of this contract four consecutive times (after 2030, 2031, 2032, & 2033).

If we assume that he opts out when first able to, the contract would have truncated down to a 7 year, $148.7M deal, and a 30-year-old Bobby Witt Jr. would be hitting the open market for the first time.

If this thing were to get to the finish line (all 11 years are exercised), the team would have an option to extend the contract another 3 years, $89M through the 2037 season, when Witt will be 37-years-old.

The Rankings

The Royals just handed out the largest contract in their franchise history by a whopping $206.7M.

1. Bobby Witt Jr.: 11 years, $288,777,777
2. Salvador Perez: 4 years, $82,000,000
3. Alex Gordon: 4 years, $72,000,000

This is the 16th largest total value contract in MLB history, slightly behind Manny Machado’s 10 year, $300M contract in San Diego, & slightly ahead of Xander Bogaerts’s 11 year, $280M deal with the Padres.

This becomes the 2nd largest Pre-Arbitration extension in MLB history, behind only Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 14 year, $340M deal in San Diego. If all options are exercised however, Bobby Witt Jr.’s contract will max out at 14 years, $377.7M, far surpassing FTJ. In terms of average salary, Witt Jr.s $26.2M is easily the highest for a contract signed during the pre-arbitration process.

When zooming out to the entire league for the 2024 season, Bobby Witt Jr.’s $26,245,455 average salary currently ranks 24th in MLB, just behind Christian Yelich in Milwaukee ($26.9M)

Concluding Thoughts

The Royals may not be “ready to win” with this contract, but locking in a cornerstone player (at a cornerstone position) has a way of jumpstarting success, even if it may be a few years early. KC has bolstered their starting rotation this winter with a few timely signings (Michael Wacha & Seth Lugo), and there may be enough young talent ready to blossom on this roster to take them into a 70+ win campaign for 2024 (after winning just 56 last season).

From Witt’s standpoint, this is generational money out of the gate, with loads of control to manipulate his career at very important points. With many players struggling to secure one early opt-out condition in their long-term deals, Witt garnering four is absolutely unprecedented.

He has the ability to let the Royals make a push into Division/League contention over the next 7 seasons ($148.7M), then decide his own way forward from there. It’s a best of both worlds scenario that will put pressure on Kansas City’s front office to escalate their spending & aggressiveness - an easier said than done proposition for a team that struggles to attract top talent each winter.

The Royals should be expected to aggressively work the international signing periods and become active at trade deadlines, where the playing fields become a little more even.

Either way, an historic contract for a young, 5-tool shortstop can only send the Royals’ community into the 2024 season with a positive outlook.

VIEW THE FULL DEAL

With the Super Bowl now upon us, we'll take our annual look at how this year's starting QBs align with those who have started the big game since the year 2000. The following breakdown shows each starting quarterback's salary cap figure for their Super Bowl season, and the percent of the NFL league salary cap it represented in that year.

Notable Notes

• Patrick Mahomes 16.52% league cap allocation is the 3rd largest since 2000, behind only Peyton Manning (18.88%, 2009), & Mahomes himself last season (17.19%)
• Brock Purdy's 0.40% cap hit allocation is the lowest for a starting QB since 2000. Tom Brady (0.46%, 2001) was the low mark for 22 years.
• 7 of the 48 Super Bowl Starting QBs over the past 24 years carried a less than 1% cap allocation. Brock Purdy becomes the 2nd consectutive NFC QB to carry this designation (Hurts, 2022, 0.79%)
• The last <1% cap QB to win the Super Bowl? Nick Foles (0.96%, 2017).
• The average cap % for the last 5 Super Bowl winning QBs: 7.8%
• The average cap % for the last 5 Super Bowl losing QBs: 6.1%
• This Super Bowl projects to be the first since 2016 (Brady/Ryan) where at least one of the starting QBs does not sign a contract extension in the following offseason. Patrick Mahomes agreed to a cash restructure this past summer, & Brock Purdy is ineligible for a new contract.

The Baltimore Orioles made their first big splash of the offseason (fresh off an ownership sale announcement), in acquiring starting pitcher Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers. We’ll spend a few minutes detailing the full terms of the trade, the immediate financial impact, & where things may be headed going forward.

The Complete Trade

Baltimore Orioles Acquire
SP Corbin Burnes

Milwaukee Brewers Acquire
INF Joey Ortiz
P D.L. Hall
#34 Competitive Balance Round A in 2024

Burnes brings a career 3.26 ERA, 129 ERA+, 11 strikeouts per 9 inning, 1.055 WHIP resume in 106 starts to the Orioles. He instantly becomes their ace (and arguably the best pitcher they’ve boasted in a decade). He’s struck out 677 batters over the past 3 seasons, carrying a near 13 WAR in that timeframe. It should be noted however that the overpowering portion of his game has declined over the past three seasons, & many of the advanced metrics portray Burnes as a much more “hittable” player than he was in 2021 (his peak production season thus far).

For Milwaukee, Joey Ortiz ranked 91st on the recent list of Top 100 prospects in MLB. He was called up in 2023 for a few games after carrying strong numbers in AAA and projects to be a big league ready shortstop (which could lead to even more trade movement for the Brewers in the coming weeks).

Hall came into the league projecting as a starting pitcher, but hasn’t been able to stick in that role as of yet. Milwaukee likely gives him a chance to make their rotation, but could eventually utilize him as a role pitcher in their bullpen.

The #34 overall pick gives the Brewers a chance to bolster their farm system a bit this July (competitive balance draft picks are eligible to be traded). Obviously there’s a bit of an unknown here, but this portion of the deal probably offers the biggest upside for Milwaukee when it’s all said and done.

2024 Financial Impact

Corbin Burnes has already locked in a $15.637M salary for the upcoming 2024 season by avoiding arbitration with Milwaukee back on January 11th. He immediately steps in as Balimore’s highest paid player & tax salary for the upcoming season. This was Burnes’ third and final run through arbitration, meaning he’s eligible for free agency next winter for the first time in his career.

Will Baltimore push for an immediate extension? It’s certainly possible, but Burnes and his agency may not be very motivated to lock anything in with the open market so close at this point. The 29-year-old currently projects to a 7 year, $166M contract in our system.

With Burnes in tow, the Orioles projected 40-man tax payroll now pushes over the $115M mark, well below the initial $234M threshold, but $25M more than they posted in 2023, and $32M more than they finished out in 2022.

On the other hand, the Brewers swap a $15M+ player for two pre-arbitration salaried players, and now project toward a $130M tax payroll for the upcoming season. This ranks 20th in MLB, behind teams like Kansas City, Colorado, Arizona, & Minnesota. Are the Brewers fully mailing this current iteration of division contention in? If so, look for players such as RP Devin Williams, & SS Willy Adames to be floated in trades sooner rather than later.

Future Thoughts

This is the very beginning of what could be an extremely successful (and subsequently very expensive) window for the Baltimore Orioles. When flipping ahead to post-2024 free agency, Burnes will be joined by Anthony Santander & John Means, both whom should carry large roles for the team this upcoming season.

As the new ownership takes a hold of things, the front office will soon (if not already now) be pressured into locking in long-term extensions for young stars Gunnar Henderson & Adley Rutschman, who are likely to further advance their value in the next few months.

And then there’s the looming contract purchase for 2022 #1 overall pick Jackson Holliday, who will make a case to break camp with the Orioles in the coming weeks, but should certainly become an impact player in the 2025 campaign.

The balancing act between keeping the tax payroll leveled, signing enough outside talent to remain legitimate contenders, & stagger internal contracts while keeping the core unit happy is a tough ask, but if it’s done correctly (Houston, Arizona recently), it can lead to plenty of October baseball.

The Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies hooked up on a deal that will have no impact on the current season, but could have a major impact down the line.

Here are the particulars:

Houston Rockets acquire: Steven Adams

Memphis Grizzlies acquire: Victor Oladipo, three future second-round picks.

Fun little trade between two division rivals. Let’s dive in!

Houston Rockets

Incoming salary: $12.6 million in 2023-24

• Steven Adams (C, two years, $25.2 million, $12.6 million in 2023-24)

Outgoing salary: $9.5 million in 2023-24

• Victor Oladipo (SG, one year, $9.5 million)

It’s important to note from the jump that Steven Adams is injured and will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season. So, the on-court impact for this trade won’t be felt until next season. But when it is, it should be a big one for the Rockets.

When we last saw Adams, he was in the midst of the best rebounding season of his career at 11.5 rebounds per game. In fact, Adams run with the Grizzlies saw him average double-digit rebounds for the first two times in his career.

When we next see Adams, he’ll be a 31-year-old coming off having missed an entire season. Will he still be a rebounding, defending, screen-setting force? Or will Adams be unable to stay healthy and slowed enough that his impact is negligible.

Clearly, the Rockets are betting on the former.

Even if he is healthy, Adams probably isn’t a starting center anymore. His offensive impact is setting screens, keeping the ball moving and cleaning up on the offensive glass. Those are all great skills, but Adams isn’t someone teams gameplan around on offense.

On defense, Adams is still pretty rugged. He gets on the defensive glass and he’ll block the occasional shot. He’s also a good backline defender, because he can set and call out coverages for his teammates.

Coming off a right knee injury, and subsequent surgery, that cost him the latter half of last season and all of this season, the veteran center is probably going to see his minutes limited. He’d already dipped under 30 minutes per game the last few years, but that number may now fall below 20 minutes per game.

For Houston, that’s actually fine. The Rockets starting center is burgeoning star Alperen Sengun. Houston had been looking for weeks to find a physical veteran to pair with Sengun. That’s now Adams.

Ime Udoka can now go into next season knowing he has 48 minutes of center play covered most nights between Sengun, Adams and various small-ball options. And Adams’ $12.6 million for 2024-25 is of minimal concern, since Houston should still be well below the luxury tax. The Rockets can also create even more distance under the tax line if they waive Jock Landale or, less likely, Jeff Green.

The three second-round picks are a steep cost for the Rockets. However, there needs to be a bit of context factored in. Two picks are reportedly coming in 2024 and one in 2025. In 2024, the Rockets have picks from the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder. None of those are projected to be particularly juicy, meaning near the top of the second-round. In 2025, the Rockets only have the Thunder’s pick. Again, that’s likely to be in the back half of the round, if not deep into the 50s.

In addition to the picks being potentially less-then-stellar, Houston is kind of running out of roster spots, especially ones for developmental prospects. The Rockets seem committed to making a run at the playoffs in 2025. They’d rather use their end-of-the-bench spots on veterans who could play a real role in a playoff run.

Memphis Grizzlies

Incoming salary: $9.5 million in 2023-24

• Victor Oladipo (SG, one year, $9.5 million)

Outgoing salary: $12.6 million in 2023-24

• Steven Adams (C, two years, $25.2 million, $12.6 million in 2023-24)
• The Grizzlies will likely create a $12.6 million Traded Player Exception (TPE) for Steven Adams in this deal. They’ll do this by bringing Victor Oladipo into the Disabled Player Exception (DPE) that they have for Ja Morant. Memphis will also forfeit the DPE they currently have for Adams, once the deal is completed.

This trade is all about flexibility for Memphis. With Adams on the books for next season, the Grizzlies were facing being a potential second apron team. With Adams off the books, and Oladipo on an expiring contract, Memphis projects to be only $2 million over the tax line. That’s close enough that another move or two could see the Grizzlies get out of the tax entirely.

And that’s what this trade is all about: Flexibility.

Memphis was previously in a tough spot, as second apron teams will have the full boat of restrictions placed upon them next season. Making trades is more difficult, as the second apron teams can’t aggregate salaries and they have to match salary dollar for dollar. They also don’t have any of the better signing exceptions. Essentially, second apron teams are limited to signing their own draft picks and signing players to minimum contracts.

Before making this deal, Memphis would likely have been making a difficult decision on picking up their $14.8 million team option for Luke Kennard for 2024-25. Now, the Grizzlies can pick up Kennard’s option and make only a smaller move or two to dip under the tax line next season.

That’s big for a team that is hoping to bounce back in a major way next season, when Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and others will hopefully return to full health.

One of those “others” is Brandon Clarke. He’ll now take on a bigger role than ever with Adams out of the mix. Memphis should be in a position where they have enough to get by at the center position, even without the veteran center. Jaren Jackson Jr. has held down that spot for long stretches this season, and Clarke can also play the five. Santi Aldama has shown he’s ready for a bigger role too.

The increased flexibility around the tax should also give Memphis greater leeway to re-sign Xavier Tillman Sr. The Grizzlies love Tillman’s game and would be happy to keep him, especially with an increased role lined up in place of Adams.

Acquiring Oladipo won’t have any sort of on-court impact, even if the Grizzlies continue to be banged up and undermanned. It’s unlikely Oladipo will even play in a game for Memphis. The Grizzlies may retain Oladipo through the trade deadline, while they see if another deal emerges. If no other deal develops, Memphis may either work a buyout with Oladipo or could simply waive him.

Waiving Oladipo would free up a roster spot for the Grizzlies. That’s crucial because two-way player G.G. Jackson is looking increasingly like someone Memphis should get signed to a long-term deal.

Getting three second-round picks is also good the Grizzlies. They have been one of the league’s better draft-and-develop teams in the league. Even if none of the picks come in at the top part of the second-round, Memphis can use these picks to fill two-way spots, or to select draft-and-stash players.

Related:

NBA Trade Machine

NBA Trade Tracker

NEW FACES & NEW CONTRACTS

JOSH BERRY (#4, STEWART-HAAS RACING)

Josh Berry signed with Stewart-Haas Racing to drive the  No. 4 car recently vacated by Kevin Harvick. By all indications and reports this is a one year contract for the 2024 season. Berry was a full-time driver in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports for the last two seasons and has been a fill-in driver at the Cup level for the last three seasons. 

NOAH GRAGSON (#10, STEWART-HAAS RACING)

Noah Gragson signed a multi-year contract with Stewart-Haas Racing in December 2023 replacing Aric Almirola in the No. 10 car. Gragson was previously with Legacy Motor Club during the 2023 season but was suspended for an off-track incident. 

DANIEL HEMRIC (#31, KAULIG RACING)

Daniel Hemric signed a contract with Kaulig Racing in September 2023 to drive the No. 31 car. By all indications and reports this is a one year contract for the 2024 season. Hemric was a full-time driver in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK (#42, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB)

John Hunter Nemechek signed a contract with Legacy Motor Club in September 2023 to drive the No. 42 car. By all indications and reports this is a one year contract contract for the 2024 season. Nemechek was a full-time driver in the Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2023 season.

JUSTIN HALEY (#51, RICK WARE RACING)

Justin Haley signed a multi-year contract with Rick Ware Racing in July 2023 to drive the No. 51 car. Haley was a full-time driver in the Cup Series with Kaulig Racing for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

ZANE SMITH (#71, SPIRE MOTORSPORTS via TRACKHOUSE RACING)

Zane Smith signed a multi-year contract with Trackhouse Racing in September 2023.  As a part of the deal, Smith will be loaned to Spire Motorsports to drive the No. 71 car for the 2024 season and is expected to drive full-time for Trackhouse Racing in 2025. Smith was a full-time driver in the Trucks Series for the last four seasons, most recently with Front Row Motorsports, and was the Truck Series champion for the 2022 season.

CARSON HOCEVAR (#77, SPIRE MOTORSPORTS)

Carson Hocevar signed a multi-year deal with Spire Motorsports in October 2023 to drive the No. 77 car replacing Ty Dillon. Hocevar was a full-time driver in the Trucks Series for the last three seasons with Niece Motorsports and recently finished 3rd in the 2023 season. Hocevar filled in for four races with Spire Motorsports at the Cup level during the 2023 season.

SHANE van GISBERGEN (#91, TRACKHOUSE RACING)

Shane van Gisbergen signed a developmental contract with Trackhouse Racing in September 2023. In December 2023, Kaulig Racing announced that van Gisbergen will drive on loan from Trackhouse Racing full-time in the Xfinity Series for the No. 97 car. van Gisbergen will drive select races at the Cup level for the No. 91 car during the 2024 season: COTA, Talladega (Apr), Charlotte (May), Chicago, Watkins Glen, Las Vegas (Oct), and Talladega (Oct).

Related: Breakdown of team/driver contract status | Recent Transactions

2024 SCHEDULE & PAYOUTS

While NASCAR does not directly disclose race payouts, Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports disclosed the purses for each race week for the 2023 season, so we are able to gain an estimate of what each race’s purse is likely to be in 2024. Pockrass starts every post with a disclaimer that results in the following: “Includes all payouts, all positions, including charter per-race payout and payouts based on previous three year history of charter, contribution to season-ending points fund, etc.”

While it’s no surprise that the Dayton 500 tips the scales as far as payouts are concerned, you can quickly see where the emphasis is on highest purse payouts during a season: COTA, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Phoenix (Championship).

Side note: The All-Star race winner receives $1 million. 

Related: 2023 NASCAR Cup Results

2024 NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS

Ryan Blaney’s odds to win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Championship were +1000. The remaining final four drivers had odds of William Byron (+1600), Christopher Bell (+1400), Kyle Larson (+650).

The following are the 2024 NASCAR Championship odds courtesy of FanDuel.

My Best Value Pick

There are no surprises at the top of the odds list for the 2024 Championship, and there would be no surprises if we were to see four of the seven in the final four when the playoff dust settles. However, as mentioned two drivers in last year’s final four had +1000 or better odds (Blaney and Larson). Drivers to keep an eye on that are outside of the +1000 threshold: Kyle Busch or Tyler Reddick, who are going into their second year with RCR and 23XI respectively; Ross Chastain, who had a weird 2023 season and might expect him to take a step forward.

However, my focus is going to be either driver from RFK Racing: Brad Keselowski (+1800) and Chris Buescher (+2000). Keselowski finished the 2023 season with zero wins, seven top-5 finishes, 16 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 14.4, while Buescher finished the 2023 season with three wins, nine top-5 finishes, 17 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 12.1 (3rd best).

While the Fords seem to have had a slow start the last few seasons, they seem to somehow find their groove over the summer, and RFK racing is no different. RFK racing seemed to have found something in the latter half of the season and Keselowski/Buescher continued to make strides forward. Ford is also switching to the Mustang Dark Horse, which could help in their performance out of the gate this season (Note: Toyota has also made a change as well). 

Brad Keselowski is due for a win, and I would not doubt that this season is his year to get the checkered flag breaking his 98-winless streak. 

Chris Buesher had three wins last season, so I would expect him to add another win or two to his belt again this season. 

While Keselowski has the experience and pedigree behind him, my best value pick nod goes to Chris Buescher (+2000).

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

There are three Rookie of the Year candidates for the 2024 season: Josh Berry, Carson Hocevar, and Zane Smith

JOSH BERRY (#4, STEWART-HAAS RACING)

Josh Berry was a full-time driver in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports for the last two seasons and has been a fill-in driver at the Cup level during the 2021 and 2023 seasons. Berry struggled in 2023 at the Xfinity level finishing 11th overall after coming off a solid 4th place finish in 2022. The majority of his fill-in races at the Cup level came from Chase Elliott missing multiple races due to an off-track injury. He averaged P21 over his ten fill-in races in 2023.

CARSON HOCEVAR (#77, SPIRE MOTORSPORTS)

Carson Hocevar was a full-time driver in the Craftsman Truck Series for the last three seasons with Niece Motorsports, and had an excellent 3rd place finish after back-to-back 10th place finishes in 2021 and 2022. He was a fill-in driver nine times last season at the Cup level (eight with Legacy Motor Club, one with Spire Motorsports) and four times at the Xfinity level with Spire Motorsports. His finishes during his Cup full-in races averaged P25. 

ZANE SMITH (#71, SPIRE MOTORSPORTS)

Zane Smith was a full-time driver in the Craftsman Truck Series for the last four seasons with finishes of 2nd, 2nd, 1st and 7th. Smith was a fill-in driver at the Cup level eight times during the 2023 season with only one top-10 finish and averaged P27 over eight races.

My Rookie of the Year

It has been said that the Truck Series is more closely related to the Cup Series than the Xfinity Series. With that being said, my pick comes down to Carson Hocevar or Zane Smith to compete for the ROY which they just happen to be teammates for the 2024 season. Nothing against Josh Berry, but he goes into a situation where Stewart-Haas Racing has mightily struggled and has to transition from Chevy to Ford. 

Carson Hocevar finished the 2023 Truck Series with 4 wins, 13 top-10 finishes and an average 11.6 finish while Smith finished with 2 wins, 10 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 14.8. As mentioned above, Zane Smith had finished 2nd, 2nd, 1st and 7th over the last four seasons in Trucks; however, Hocevar seems to be catching fire at the right time, which is why he rightfully so got the nod to fill the No. 77 car with Spire Motorsports to replace Ty Dillon.

My Rookie of the Year pick is going to Carson Hocevar with the notion that he has learned from his past and will continue to grow, mature and not make stupid mistakes on the track. If he does not overdrive the car…if he does not put the car into the wall…if he does not run into other drivers for stupid mistakes, Hocevar has the right opportunity to continue his upward trajectory and continue to improve and show why he was selected to a Cup team.

Hocevar will have Corey LaJoie as a teammate for an entire season, who rightfully had no DNFs in the 2023 season, so if Hocevar can learn from LaJoie on not wrecking his car, on keeping his car on the track and finishing races this will be a win-win for Hocevar and Spire Motorsports. LaJoie has continued to make a lot of progress each season, learning from the previous, and has made a better average finish each season since 2018. While it would be great to learn from any of the top tier drivers in the Cup series, LaJoie seems to have an open attitude to having Hocevar as a teammate and seems willing to help him learn and grow (h/t Stacking Pennies Podcast), which may just be what Hocevar needs as he starts his full-time Cup journey. 

DARK HORSE OF THE YEAR

TY GIBBS (#54, Joe Gibbs Racing)

A driver to keep an eye on for the 2024 season who I think is in a place to have a successful sophomore season is Ty Gibbs. His odds are +2800 to win the championship, which is the 15th best odds; so even the odds makers think there is a chance he’ll compete for a championship. I do not necessarily expect him to win the championship this season (possibly a future championship if he continues down the path that he has started), but I do think he’ll be vying and could be in the mix once the playoffs begin. 

Gibbs had a solid rookie season, and while he did not win a race in his rookie season I do believe he’ll be in the mix to (and I’m guessing will) win at least one race during the 2024 season.  He was consistently competitive, finishing with four top-5 finishes and ten top-10 finishes; four of his top-10s came in the first eight races of the 2023 season. Gibbs had an average finish of 18.4 which was the 19th best driver of the 2023 season where he had a better average finish than drivers such as Daniel Suarez, Michael MicDowell, Aric Almirola, and Chase Briscoe.

We’re about a week-and-a-half out from the NBA trade deadline on February 8. Unlike the past couple of seasons, NBA teams are in more defined tiers this year. However, those tiers are a little different from the traditional ones of title contender, playoff team and tanking team.

What the Play-In Tournament has done is create a handful of different races. There are a handful of teams in each conference that are still competing for the top seed. But from there, we have a couple of other races to watch. Teams compete for homecourt advantage, but are also competing to simply be in the top-six in their conference to snag one of the assured playoff spots.

From there, several teams are fighting for positioning, or even just spots, in the Play-In Tournament in each conference. And then, of course, you have teams that are prioritizing ping-pong balls, if we put it kindly.

That makes each team’s approach to the trade deadline endlessly more fascinating. Today, we’ll cover where each Western Conference team seems to stand as far as being a buyer or seller, or either or neither, at the deadline. We’ll also give some thoughts on where we think each team should be at.

(You can find the Eastern Conference teams here.)

Dallas Mavericks

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

Dallas has slipped over the past couple of weeks into Play-In Tournament range. But the Mavs aren’t packing it in. A top-six spot is still very in play. Expect Dallas to continue to look for upgrades.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

A team led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shouldn’t be satisfied with just making the playoffs. The Mavs have the ability to go make a deal. If they can find another wing, or another playable big, Dallas should be on it.

Denver Nuggets

Approach at the deadline: Neither

Denver doesn’t really have the ability to do a lot. All of their tradable salary is attached to key rotation players. Maybe the Nuggets decide to move a couple of their kids, but that seems unlikely.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Neither

The Nuggets are fine. They have what they need. If a big shakes free on the buyout market, it could be worth looking in to. Beyond that, Denver should just defend their title with what they have.

Golden State Warriors

Approach at the deadline: Either

It feels weird to even suggest the Warriors could be sellers. Yet, here we are. Golden State is looking at a lot of options. None of the long-time core is going anywhere, but they’re open to a conversation on everyone else.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Warriors are three games behind the Lakers and Jazz for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. And they’d have to climb the Rockets to get there too. They shouldn’t trade Stephen Curry, Draymond Green or Klay Thompson, unless the former asks for one or they get blown away with an offer for the latter two. They should also hang onto Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski. If a deal is there to rebalance the cap sheet or the rotation, Golden State should jump on it.

Houston Rockets

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Rockets are still looking to add to their roster. They have some draft capital that they can move, courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets. But Houston isn’t making short-term moves. They want players who can help now and moving forward.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Let’s call the Rockets long-term investors. They’re rumored to be interested in Robert Williams III of the Trail Blazers. That’s the kind of move that makes sense, because he won’t cost too much, and he can help next year and beyond. As long as they are careful, Houston is in great shape to keep moving this rebuild forward.

LA Clippers

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

This one is somewhere between buying and doing nothing. The Clippers already made their big trade when they got James Harden. Adding Daniel Theis after his buyout shored up the frontcourt. They’re look at moving P.J. Tucker, especially if they can add a true power forward, but LA may just sit this one out.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

If there is a deal to send Tucker somewhere and bring back a ready-to-play 4/5, the Clippers should do it. That’s really all this roster needs. They’ve got everything else.

Los Angeles Lakers

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Lakers are kind of in the same spot as last season, only not nearly as desperate. Last year, Los Angeles had to make a deal to save their season. This time around, the Lakers are looking for players who can aid in a playoff push, while also being long-term pieces.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

When you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing this well, you owe it to them and yourselves to make your roster better. But the Lakers have to be smart about how they do this. They aren’t close enough to a title to make an all-in move for just the rest of this season. If something comes along that can have an impact for a few seasons, Los Angeles should pursue it.

Memphis Grizzlies

Approach at the deadline: Neither

Memphis knows this is a lost season. They aren’t chasing any more upgrades. And the Grizzlies don’t like to trade players they’ve invested time in. It looks like a quiet deadline in Memphis.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

No, the Grizzlies shouldn’t be moving any of their big-name guys. Let them recover and get back at making a run next season. But Memphis has a logjam on the roster. It’s probably time to cut bait on a few of the guys they’ve drafted. If nothing else, the Grizzlies should clear a roster spot to sign G.G. Jackson to a long-term deal off his two-way contract.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Approach at the deadline: Neither

Minnesota doesn’t have a lot to trade. Their draft picks are tied up from the Rudy Gobert trade. The bigger salaries all belong to rotation players. And the team is looking like it will be wildly expensive next season, when extensions kick in for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. That impacts taking on salary beyond this season.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

This might be Minnesota’s last window to add talent. And they are contenders to come out of the West. Adding a veteran guard that can keep things moving when Mike Conley is off the floor should be a priority. And it shouldn’t be cost prohibitive to get that done, either.

New Orleans Pelicans

Approach at the deadline: Neither

The Pelicans goal was to get out of the luxury tax before the deadline, and they did that by sending Kira Lewis Jr. out in the Pascal Siakam series of deals. Maybe New Orleans could look for a long-term answer at center, but it doesn’t seem likely they’ll find an upgrade on Jonas Valanciunas in-season.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Neither

The thing the Pels need most is health, and they can’t trade for that. If a smaller deal comes up to add some extra draft capital for Naji Marshall or Jose Alvarado, it’s worth pursuing. Beyond that, let’s see how a playoff run goes before deciding the fate of this roster over the summer.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Approach at the deadline: Neither

The Thunder aren’t out on making deals, but they don’t seem overly active either. This isn’t a “Dump your bad contracts here!” situation anymore. The Thunder are good, and they are deep. They don’t seem quite ready to make that big move quite yet, though.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

OKC could win the West. They’re that good. They could use another big. One that could play with and behind Chet Holmgren would be ideal. Windows feel like they’ll be open forever for young teams, but things happen to cause them to close quicker than you expect. When you are this close, and you have all the assets the Thunder do, why not go for it?

Phoenix Suns

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

Phoenix is still looking to add to their roster, but they are about out of tradable assets. Any player, aside from Nassir Little, that is on a non-minimum deal, is starting. The Suns are dangling Little and the handful of second-round picks they’ve acquired, but it’s unclear if that will get them anything.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

It’s worth trying to make another deal for Phoenix, because this team still has some holes, especially in the frontcourt. But the lack of assets is going to be a problem.

Portland Trail Blazers

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Blazers are listening on Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III. They don’t seem inclined to move Jerami Grant at this point. Moving Brogdon would have the double benefit of adding back some draft capital and/or young players, and freeing up minutes in a crowded backcourt.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

Portland should move at least Brogdon at the deadline. He’s played well for them, but the team isn’t going anywhere, and they’ve got younger guards who need to play. If they can trade Williams for a decent return, that’s worth exploring too. He’s not a good fit with Deandre Ayton, and Ayton seems entrenched up front for now. If a team called with a huge offer for Anfernee Simons, that’s worth listening to too.

Sacramento Kings

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Kings know they are a good team, and they want to stay out of the Play-In Tournament. They’ve also got some tradable assets. But don’t expect Sacramento to get silly. The all-in move might not be there yet.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Adding another wing, ideally one who can really defend, would be huge for Sacramento. Beyond that, the Kings can afford to be patient and look for bigger moves this summer.

San Antonio Spurs

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

This Spurs section used to be the easiest to write. They never did in-season trades. That’s changed over the last few seasons. San Antonio is open to moving several of their vets, including Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman and Devonte’ Graham.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

If the Spurs can add young talent or draft picks by trading any of the vets mentioned above, they should do it. Also, keep an eye on Keldon Johnson. He’s been in primarily a bench role this season, and some have suggested he’s available via trade too.

Utah Jazz

Approach at the deadline: Either

This one might actually go both ways for Utah. Danny Ainge has run deadlines in the past where he’s moved off some players, while bringing in others to strengthen the team. The Jazz are looking for upgrades, but are open to moving some veterans too.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Either

Expect Utah to be increasingly involved in trade talks over the next week or so. They could move Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, Kelly Olynyk or Talen Horton-Tucker in deals. Those deals won’t be giveaways though. Look for the Jazz to try to upgrade in terms of players who could help push them forward. But if Ainge has deals that are more future focused, he won’t let the allure of Play-In Tournament move him off his long-term plan.

Matthieu Pavon wins the Farmers Insurance Open. This is his first PGA Tour win and earns $1.62 million bringing his career on-course earnings to $1.98 million. 

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