The Chicago Bulls were known to be sellers coming into the 2025 NBA trade deadline and began that work over the weekend by trading Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings as part of the three-team trade that sent De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs.
The question that remained for the Bulls was who else they’d look to move off of in an effort to continue gathering future assets. Nikola Vucevic is their best remaining veteran and figures to be on the move before Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, but they also have some younger players that could command a first rounder in return and also had a decision to make on Lonzo Ball, who can be a free agent this summer.
After listening to offers on the veteran guard, the Bulls chose a different option and signed Ball to a two-year, $20 million extension, per Shams Charania. The second year of the deal is a team option, per K.C. Johnson of CHSN. Ball has had a solid 2024-25 campaign to this point, averaging 7.2 points, 3.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game in 30 appearances for the Bulls. In a vacuum, those numbers don’t stand out, but given Ball missed more than two full seasons with a knee injury that created genuine concern he may never play again, they are fairly remarkable as he knocks off rust.
The extension makes plenty of sense on both sides. Given his injury history, Ball seeking out some financial stability is more than understandable. For the Bulls, they keep a respected veteran on the roster as they shift their attention towards a youth movement, and no matter his play on the court, the Bulls clearly value what Ball brings to their locker room. If Ball continues to work his way back into his previous form, that contract will be quite a value and anything you’d get for him now (and probably more) would be available in a year or two.
Jimmy Butler is now a member of the Golden State Warriors, and he will not just be half-year rental. As part of the 5-team trade that saw the Jazz, Pistons, and Raptors all got involved to make the financials work between the Warriors and Heat, the Warriors got Butler to put pen to paper on a 2-year, $121 million extension, per Shams Charania, that will keep him in San Francisco through the 2026-27 season.
Butler will decline his player option for next year as part of the new agreement, meaning his new money will kick in next season. It’s a substantial amount of money for Butler, who will make just north of $60 million per season, but the Warriors avoid some risk by not extending him for the long-term deal he was initially seeking with the Heat. It is a fascinating contract but certainly signals the Warriors are going to commit their resources to one more run with Stephen Curry.
What will be more interesting is what Golden State does this summer after making this move and committing that much money to Butler. They’ve signaled more of a willingness to move some of their youngsters — particularly in their failed pursuit of Kevin Durant — but the formerly untouchable Jonathan Kuminga is going to be a restricted free agent this summer and the Warriors will have to figure out how, exactly, to navigate negotiations with him. They traded away this year’s draft pick in the Butler deal, so any additions to the roster will need to come via trades and free agency, and they’ll see how Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green work together over the next few months before figuring out exactly what they need to maximize the two years to come.
Jimmy Butler‘s time as a member of the Miami Heat has come to an end. Butler, the veteran wing whose relationship with the team had turned sour over recent months, received the move that he’s coveted ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday afternoon, as the Heat decided to send him to the Golden State Warriors.
According to Shams Charania, Golden State will send Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, and Kyle Anderson to the Heat along with a first round pick — after pivoting from a pursuit of Kevin Durant earlier in the week. The Pistons joined the deal as a third team to take on salary, per Charania, as they entered Wednesday as the only team in the NBA below the salary cap number. They were not alone, though, as the deal got expanded to five teams, including the Utah Jazz, per Charania, Jake Fischer, and Chris Haynes.
The Raptors’ initial inclusion in the deal fell apart and, for the moment, no one is quite sure exactly where Kyle Anderson is going, per Fischer and Charania.
Warriors get: Jimmy Butler Heat get: Andrew Wiggins, PJ Tucker, and a 2025 top-10 protected first round pick via GSW Pistons get: Lindy Waters and Josh Richardson Jazz get: Dennis Schroder Someone gets: Kyle Anderson
Butler joined the Heat via a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019, and has had some of the most productive and successful years of his career in Miami. He led the team to a pair of NBA Finals berths, although the team has not been able to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy with Butler at the helm.
That last thing was brought up by Pat Riley at his end of season press conference last year, which laid the groundwork for the ongoing tension between the franchise and Butler, who is eligible for a contract extension this summer but never seemed like he was going to get one from his current employer. It has led to a prolonged trade saga, one in which Butler has made clear that he wants a change in scenery and the Heat have suspended him on multiple occasion.
Now, he’ll head to the Warriors who have been desperately searching for a second star to pair with Stephen Curry. Butler initially said he would likely to decline his player option this summer and hit the free agent market, but with few teams capable of paying him without it being a sign-and-trade, the Warriors were also able to negotiate a two-year, $121 million extension with Butler, per Charania. That extension will kick in next season as Butler is declining his player option for the new deal.
The Heat wanted to avoid taking on any long-term salary in the trade, which is why the Warriors couldn’t really get involved until Wednesday when Dennis Schroder became eligible to be aggregated with other players in a trade. Wiggins has one more year on his deal before a player option and Tucker is on an expiring (and is familiar with the Heat). They also move off of Richardson’s contract by sending him to Detroit, which negates some of the incoming money as well. The Heat also got a real first round pick, as the Warriors right now are expected to land outside the top 10 of the lottery, for this year to continue injecting some youth into their roster.
Over the past few years, K-pop has emerged as a force in music, with the genre’s artists taking over the Billboard charts and forming timely collaborations with established stars Stateside. The East-meets-West fusion will deepen with the premiere of Apple TV’s new series KPOPPED, a song battle show which pairs stars from both continents to remix their fan-favorite hits.
Executive produced by Lionel Richie and Miky Lee, the show will be hosted by Megan Thee Stallion and “Gangnam Style” rapper Psy. Set in Seoul, each episode will pair a different Western recording artist with a K-pop idol to remix, then perform tracks before a live audience in a competition to see whose “K-popped” song comes out on top.
Megan Thee Stallion is an excellent choice to co-host, as her experience with K-pop is more extensive than most. She was one of the first American rappers to acknowledge the genre, teaming up with BTS in 2021 to remix their hit “Butter.” More recently, she reconnected with BTS rapper RM for “Neva Play” from Megan: Volume 2, and followed up with the TWICE collaboration, “Strategy.”
Meanwhile, Psy also makes for a compelling pick, as his 2012 hit “Gangnam Style” was one of the first-ever K-pop hits to cross over in the US. Its viral success led to the opening of a new market in North America, becoming the most viewed video on YouTube for a time and sparking a number of parodies, remixes, and reaction videos.
The premiere date and performers for KPOPPED will be announced soon.
Melissa Roxburgh’s time with NBC thus far included a controversial cancellation of Manifest, which was a bonkers, nonsensical series but nonetheless wildly appealing, to the point where viewers campaigned for resurrection. That prayer came true at Netflix, ever so briefly, so clearly, there’s an appetite for leaning into objectively not-great shows that qualify as escapism. NBC knows that specific type well in the sci-fi genre, as evidenced also by La Brea, among other shows that could be a discussion for another day.
Roxburgh’s latest show (although not sci-fi but a crime procedural) qualifies in that category, at least after the season premiere. The show currently holds a 0% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and the late Roger Ebert’s website labelled it as “one of the most insulting network shows in years.” Some of the user reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, however, indicate differently, so people are certainly tuning in for more. Or trying to do so.
When Will The Next Episode Of NBC’s The Hunting Party Air?
Monday, February 10. The absence of an episode this week was due to NBC pushing up the series premiere to January 19. As a result, it only feels like the second episode is on a multi-week delay, but The Hunting Party is simply reverting back to its original schedule. If you haven’t yet caught the series and are looking for a The Manifest-level of “wtf,” NBC provided a synopsis:
The Hunting Party is a high-concept crime procedural about a small team of investigators who are assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers our country has ever seen, all of whom have just escaped from a top-secret prison that’s not supposed to exist, only known as “The Pit.”
The Hunting Party also streams new episodes on Peacock.
It’s not often that a trade happens in the NBA that everyone has thoughts on and everyone is talking about. Even when stars get traded, if it’s as part of a request or has a lot of smoke around it, other stars around the league aren’t asked about it constantly and they definitely don’t bring it up on their own.
The Mavericks trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis was one of those rare deals, and we’ve seen stars, coaches, and executives from all over speak on the move that has sent shockwaves across the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Edwards all spoke at length about their reaction to the deal and what it means that a 25-year-old superstar still yet to enter his prime could get traded away suddenly in the middle of the night with no notice.
Edwards, in particular, was stunned and was thinking about it so much that he posted some extended thoughts to his Instagram page on Wednesday. The Wolves’ All-Star guard still is in disbelief, particularly having just lost to Luka and the Mavs in the Western Conference Finals and seeing how he led that team, and also thinks the Mavs just created an even bigger problem for the rest of the league with the spin they’ve put on it talking about his conditioning. The best part is at the end when Edwards says he wants to buy courtside seats to watch Doncic’s first game back in Dallas,
“Man it’s crazy. He just took them to the Finals,” Edwards said. “He beat me and took his team to the Finals. I’d just feel so tried, that like, if they say I couldn’t do this I’d go [do it]. You know what I’m sayin? Whatever they sayin about me, I’ma change the whole storyline. The whole campaign, it’s gonna be my campaign. He just took y’all to the Finals. Hell yeah [the created a monster]. If the respect that I got for him is where I think it is, yeah they created a monster. Hell yeah. And I’m excited to play the Lakers now, cause they created a monster, boy. Man, what? He was gettin 35 like it ain’t nothin. Now like, they finna make him drop to 240 and all type of sh*t. Like he gon’ be in shape. Dunkin sh*t.
“I’m excited to see the first time the Lakers play Dallas the first time they play in Dallas. I’m super excited to see that. Oh my god. It’s in a few weeks? If we not playin I’m buyin front row tickets to that b*tch. Hey, for real.”
Edwards is one of the funniest personalities in the NBA and I really hope he actually makes it to Dallas on April 9 when the Lakers make the trip and is sitting courtside with a bucket of popcorn. The Timberwolves travel schedule makes this a very real possibility, as they’re in Milwaukee on April 8 and Memphis (which is a very short flight from Dallas) on April 10.
The Kings do not seem intent on trying to tear things down and rebuild despite trading their star point guard, and instead seem determined to stay in the Play-In hunt out West. That was the idea behind adding LaVine (along with two real first round picks and a third that will almost assuredly become two seconds) and they continued to bolster their roster with veterans on Wednesday before the deadline, acquiring Jonas Valanciunas, who is averaging 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season, from the Wizards, per Marc Stein, Shams Charania, and Bobby Marks.
Kings get: Jonas Valanciunas Wizards get: Sidy Cissoko and two second round picks (2028 DEN, 2029 SAC)
Cissoko was part of the Fox trade and will now take one of the longest reroutes one possibly could in the NBA, going from San Antonio to Sacramento for a couple days to now going all the way across the country to Washington, D.C. This was the second trade made by the Wizards on Wednesday, as they sent Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin Jr. to Milwaukee for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a 2028 pick swap. Washington made clear coming into the season that they were still in the tearing things down phase, and have now made good on that promise by trading two of their top veterans ahead of the deadline.
For the Kings, they add some center depth and Domantas Sabonis’ teammate on the Lithuanian national team. While it’s not abundantly clear what the plan is defensively in Sacramento, they do continue to add a lot of offensive players ahead of the deadline and seem determined to try and make the Play-In by winning shootouts in the second half of the season.
The most successful years of Kevin Durant’s career from a team perspective were his three seasons in Golden State, where he helped lead the Warriors to two championships where he was Finals MVP both times before losing to the Raptors in their quest for a three-peat after he and Klay Thompson suffered injuries.
However, that last season in the Bay featured a pretty clear rift building between Durant and the Warriors, most famously playing out in a spat on the bench with Draymond Green. That summer, Durant would leave for Brooklyn to team up with Kyrie Irving and has failed to lead another team to the top of the league in his time with the Nets and Suns. With Phoenix in Play-In position and Bradley Beal unwilling to waive his no-trade clause, the Suns have been exploring their options to shake things up, with Jimmy Butler hoping to land in the desert amid his trade request from the Miami Heat.
That has led to rumors this week that the Suns are listening on trade offers for Durant, with the Golden State Warriors being the most aggressive team in pursuit of the future Hall of Famer. The problem for the Warriors is, Durant has no interest in going back to the Bay. On Wednesday, after a couple days of very loud rumblings about a Warriors deal, numerous reports surfaced with one clear message from Durant: He doesn’t want to play for the Warriors again.
Brian Windhorst followed that Charania report by suggesting his best guess is Durant either remains with the Suns or ends up with the Heat, which would be a wild return for Miami to get for Butler. All of this begs the question…why are the Suns suddenly so desperate to trade Durant?
I think at least a part of it — and the reason why the Warriors are trying to get in on every All-Star in the NBA — is that other owners are losing their minds at the Lakers landing Luka Doncic. There’s not really a good basketball reason to trade Kevin Durant, but Mat Ishbia has enjoyed making splashy moves at every possible turn (including bringing Durant to Phoenix). The other reason is also not dissimilar to what Dallas just did (just with very different and more understandable circumstances), which is Phoenix likely anticipates Durant looking to leave soon and potentially asking for a trade this summer. He did not re-sign on an extension this past summer and it seems pretty clear this Suns team as constructed isn’t a real contender, which would make it reasonable for the 36-year-old Durant to want to find a new team that gives him one more run at a title.
If the Suns see that as a possibility, I understand why they’d at least see what’s out there on the market right now. If they were to turn Durant into a few quality players (either young or in their prime) and some draft assets they desperately lack, I could understand trying to reset a touch and try one more build around Devin Booker. That said, if the plan is to turn Durant into Jimmy Butler, I do not see how that solves their problems, but we do know Butler would re-sign longterm when Durant seems to not want to do the same.
On the Warriors side, they have apparently received that message from Durant and have pivoted to their own pursuit of Butler — despite Jimmy stating he didn’t plan on re-signing there if traded. According to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic and Marc Stein, Golden State has “abandoned” talks with the Suns and moved on to Miami to try and work out a deal for Butler. At this point, if the Warriors strike out on Butler, they’ll have to reassess their position and circle back on guys like Nikola Vucevic or perhaps Brandon Ingram. If Thursday’s deadline comes and goes without a legitimate star going to the Warriors, it’ll be hard for them to explain away to their fans after such a public pursuit of so many guys.
The Notorious B.I.G.‘s estate has filed a lawsuit against Target, Home Depot, and more, arguing that canvas prints of a famous photo of the rapper were sold by the companies without authorization.
According to Billboard, the photo at issue — titled “The King Of New York” and taken by Barron Claiborne days before his death — was illegally reproduced by iCanvas and sold a list of retailers including Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Nordstrom, and Target.
“Defendants specifically chose to use Mr. Wallace’s persona, name, image, likeness … in an attempt to capitalize on their fame and extraordinary financial value,” reads the lawsuit, which includes both B.I.G.’s estate and Claiborne as plaintiffs. “Mr. Wallace’s fan base has continued to expand since his passing. Mr. Wallace’s persona, name, image, likeness, and artistic works are so well known that they are almost universally and instantly recognizable, even by those born after he died.”
When contacted about the photo, the estate writes, Target and Home Depot did remove it from their inventory, but Bed Bath & Beyond and iCanvas continued selling it for the past eight years. The instance joins a string of recent incidents of copyright infringement involving deceased rappers such as MF DOOM.
“The King Of New York” is considered one of the most well-known images of the late Christopher Wallace, featuring the rotund rapper adorned with a plastic crown in front of a red backdrop. A mural in his home neighborhood, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, is based on the photo, and the crown from it even sold for over half-a-million dollars at auction in 2020.
Call it the Taylor Swift effect, but music fans are mixing their love of live music with travel more than ever by “gig-tripping” – planning travel around concerts and music festivals. According to Skyscanners Travel Trends 2024 Report, 44% of US travelers would fly short-haul to see their favorite artists live.
This should come as no surprise, as plenty of data in the last several years confirms that young people prefer spending their hard-earned money on experiences rather than things. With live music, travel, and wellness at the top of many Millennial and Gen Z’s priority lists, combining them just makes sense.
Enter Park City Song Summit, a new breed of music festival that blends it all in the beautiful mountain surroundings of Park City, Utah.
Emily Hart
WHAT MAKES PARK CITY SONG SUMMIT DIFFERENT?
Emily Hart
Park City Song Summit is a relatively new music festival but has quickly gained popularity for its unique approach to the live music experience. Beginning in 2022, the Park City Song Summit has aimed to create an immersive and intimate gathering for music enthusiasts and artists.
Unlike traditional music festivals, Park City Song Summit truly prioritizes meaningful connections between artists and audiences by offering intimate performances, daily panel discussions, and workshops where attendees can engage with their favorite musicians and industry professionals.
The festival emphasizes wellness and mental health for attendees and touring musicians with daily schedules packed with wellness activities, yoga sessions, and discussions on topics ranging from mental health awareness to addiction recovery and inclusivity.
SUMMIT LABS:
Emily Hart
The festival (held this year on August 15-17) contained ten unique sessions, or “Summit Labs.” Park City Song Summit describes them as the “heartbeat of the festival,” and after attending several, I’d have to agree. Held in an intimate and inviting space at Pendry Park City, the conversations ranged from navigating creativity in the age of AI to breaking gender norms in the brass section and driving transformative impact in a transactional world.
Some of my favorite labs were artists in conversation, featuring legendary artists like Darryl DMC McDaniels discussing dignity in dialogue and embracing artistic freedom, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket discussing the toll of heavy touring and mental health with iconic rock photographer Danny Clinch.
FOCUS ON WELLNESS, MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY:
Yoga, Meditation and Sound Baths
One of Park City Song Summit’s Core Values is “Where Music Meets Wellness,” and the schedule at the festival fully aligns. Yoga, meditation, and sound baths are offered each morning on the beautiful rooftop of Pendry Park City, with views of the surrounding epic mountains.
Song Summit Village and Artists Lounge
Emily Hart
Festival attendees and artists have plenty of options for wellness activities throughout the day. At the Song Summit Village, attendees could book a chair massage, IV hydration, B12 shot, or cuddle some puppies with Nuzzles and Co. pet rescue. Artists and crew had dedicated space to indulge in mocktails, IVs, oxygen, reiki, and many other wellness activities.
A unique aspect of the festival is the Recovery Hangs, offered multiple times each day as a safe place to connect and support those in any and all types recovery. While the festival isn’t alcohol-free, there is a heavy emphasis on addiction recovery and inclusivity for all that stands out.
AND OF COURSE, THE MUSIC:
Emily Hart
I mean, this is a music festival at the end of the day, and the diversity of artists here is well worth the trip on their own. From Mavis Staples to Cimafunk, Larkin Poe, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, and My Morning Jacket – there is a wide range of music throughout the day on various stages and the gorgeous amphitheater at night.
WHERE TO STAY:
Hyatt Centric Park City
Emily Hart
Park City Song Summit takes place in the Canyons Village area of Park City Mountain, where plenty of options exist for lodging, restaurants, and shopping. I stayed at Hyatt Centric Park City, which was quickly walkable to all the festival offered.
The rooms and suites at the Hyatt Centric Park City range from deluxe guest rooms to spacious four-bedroom residences. Each features comfortable furnishings, modern amenities, and stunning mountain views. The resort also offers a variety of on-site amenities, including a restaurant, bar, fitness center, and year-round outdoor pool.
Pendry Park City
Emily Hart
Pendry Park City is a luxurious, modern mountain resort in the heart of Park City Song Summit, where many of the festival’s events occur on its property and grounds. Uniquely blending contemporary design and alpine charm, the ski-in/ski-out resort provides easy access to the slopes of Park City Mountain in the winter and to Canyons Village and all the other offerings the rest of the year.
Pendry Park City offers a variety of dining options, including a rooftop bar with panoramic views of the mountains, a fitness center, a spa, and an outdoor pool, providing travelers with ample opportunities for relaxation and rejuvenation between festival events.
WHAT TO DO OUTSIDE OF THE FESTIVAL:
Park City Main Street
Emily Hart
A trip to Park City is only complete with a visit to its historic Main Street. If you’re staying in Canyons Village, getting there is easy: riding a Park City Transit bus, using a ride-sharing service, or taking a scenic walk or bike ride the 5 miles to Main Street.
The charming historic district has unique shops, art galleries, bars, and restaurants. My top tip for a genuinely authentic Park City experience is to visit Burns Cowboy Shop. This iconic store has been crafting custom hats for over 50 years, with skilled hat makers helping patrons design one-of-a-kind hats.
Hiking
Emily Hart
Park City, like all of Utah, honestly, is a hiker’s paradise, offering stunning mountain scenery, diverse trails, and fresh mountain air. Surrounded by the majestic Wasatch Range, there are hikes for all levels here, offering breathtaking views of awe-inspiring peaks, alpine lakes, and lush forests. AllTrails has tons of options, including these easy to moderate hikes nearby:
Bloods Lake Trail
Just outside of Park City lies one of the area’s most popular trails: Bloods Lake. The trail is moderate and offers stunning alpine views and Bloods Lake itself, a pristine alpine lake surrounded by towering peaks. Length: 2.8 miles Difficulty: Moderate
Armstrong Trail to Dawns Trail Loop
Another popular trail near Park City is Armstrong Trail to Dawns Trail Loop. At 711 feet of elevation gain in 3.5 miles, it is moderately challenging and offers panoramic views of the Wasatch Range. Length: 3.5 miles Difficulty: Moderate
Alpine Lake Trail
An easy trail closest to the festival itself is Alpine Lake Trail. The just 1.6-mile trail is relatively flat, with stunning views of the surrounding peaks and a serene alpine lake. Length: 1.6 miles Difficulty: Easy
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