Hello once again, friends and fans! Wow. Okay, I’m just going to jump right in this one, folks. A member of the Oklahoma Sooners family is the subject of the latest blockbuster trade in the NBA, as the Los Angeles Clippers traded Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons last evening. Griffin has been a mainstay in L.A. since he was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2009, but the Clippers have decided to start on a new direction despite giving him an incredibly creepy free agency pitch over the summer. Griffin remains one of the top players in the association, so the Pistons are receiving an incredible piece to potentially build around. Check this out for more details on the rest of the moving parts involved in the trade.

Here was Blake Griffin’s initial reaction to the news on Twitter:

Once the dust settled a bit on the breaking news, Griffin posted this statement in which he expressed appreciation his time in L.A. and thanked his fans. Griffin is a good dude who is not only great at playing basketball — he also loves what he does. Whether his long-term future is in Detroit or someplace else, I wish him nothing but the best of luck. At the same time, a trade from LA to Detroit (of all places) merely six months after the leadership sold you on being the face of the franchise has to be upsetting.

As for the rest of today’s Hot Links, we’ve got a full slate up for you all to peruse. Below, you’ll read about whether Trae Young has enough help around him, how Lon Kruger is looking to change the team’s defense, what Barry Switzer has to say about the Super Bowl and more!

OU Links

• So Blake Griffin was traded to Detroit, but now what? Check out these eight takeaways from the fallout of this mid-season mega deal.
• Don’t forget that tonight the Oklahoma Sooners host the Baylor Bears on the hardwood. The Bears haven’t had a particularly great season up to this point, but as well all know there are no off-nights in the Big 12.

• In a fantastic interview piece by Bleacher Report’s Jason King, Trae Young discusses how his stardom on both a local and national level has affected him, and what it all means to him as he anticipates his career at the next level.
• Trae Young is undeniably the best offensive player in the country, but no single player can lead a team through a gauntlet like the Big 12 or the NCAA tournament without help. The question is, looking at the rest of the roster, does Trae Young have enough help?
• Lon Kruger and the guys have got to find a way to play on both ends of the court more consistently. While the offense is not perfect, the team typically scores enough to win if not for the porous defense. Now the Sooners are looking for other options as far as defensive arrangements go.
• Make sure to mark your calendars or set your DVR’s for this Friday’s State Farm All-Star Challenge. The three Sooners who will be participating in the challenge are Mark Andrews, Orlando Brown and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. Congratulations guys, and good luck!

• At this point of the offseason heading into 2018, most fans expect Kyler Murray to replace Baker Mayfield and win the starting QB job. But how much of a chance do Austin Kendall or incoming freshman Tanner Mordecai have at challenging Murray?
• This cannot be stressed enough. As a recruit, sure, there are tons of factors that go into choosing a school, but how many of them come with an almost guarantee of winning a championship, if not multiple? I wish my hand looked like Dimitri Flowers’ in this photo. You can never have too much jewelry.

• How does losing RB commit Tavion Thomas affect Oklahoma’s running back position in the present and going forward?
• Offensive tackle signee Brey Walker is listed among Bleacher Report’s top 25 offensive prospects out of the 2018 recruiting class.
• The dates for Big 12 Media Days have been announced for July 16th and 17th. Just thinking about media days makes it feel so much closer. I miss college football.
• If there were super advanced stats in college football like there are in baseball and basketball, something like that could reveal how some players perform compared to their competition. Check out some super advanced metrics that do just that, featuring an example of the Sooners’ defensive line in 2017.
• Check out the Cube Show podcast, where football analyst Cole Cubelic talks with the King, Barry Switzer, about the upcoming Super Bowl and past NFL musings. Good stuff.

Around the Sports World

• A proposal that would allow a student-athlete to transfer and have immediate eligibility if their previous coach was either fired or left for another job is gaining some serious traction. I think it would be an empowering rule change for the student-athletes who are often caught up in dilemmas such as this.
• The New England Patriots currently own 61 official Super Bowl records, and are primed to add more this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. That’s just mind-boggling.
• Have you ever wondered why the Super Bowl uses Roman numerals instead of numerical digits? The answer isn’t as complicated as you might think.
• Even though all the All-Stars are making a bunch of money already, I think this monetary bonus increase combined with the draft format have upped the incentive. Perhaps the game will be a little more competitive now, although I think they should make the bonus an even higher number.

• Washington Wizards point guard John Wall has had knee surgery and will miss the next six weeks of the season, including the All-Star game.
• New York Knicks center Joakim Noah is reportedly on the trading block, but with his lofty contract and his minimal playing time as of late, chances are bleak that the Knicks will find a team willing to bring Noah in.

Stick to Sports!

• So legendary actor Tom Hanks is set to portray the legendary neighbor Mr. Fred Rogers. I remember watching Mr. Rogers’ television show back in the day. I never bought into the puppets, but the rest of it was pretty dope. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for when this film drops. Awesome stuff.

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