Sports
Falcons to interview ex-QB Ryan for new prez role
ATLANTA — The Falcons will interview former franchise quarterback Matt Ryan, among others, for a new role entitled the “president of football,” owner Arthur Blank said Thursday at a news conference.
The president of football position will be hired first, and Blank has interviews with several candidates in the next few days. Whoever gets hired as president of football will lead the interviews for the head coach and general manager candidates, Blank said. The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot on Sunday night.
One of those coaching candidates could be John Harbaugh, who was fired earlier this week by the Baltimore Ravens.
“John has been one of the most successful coaches in the last 20 years in our league,” Blank said. “He has won at every level. And so, he would certainly be a candidate who we’d want to spend some time with. Whether or not [he has] an interest in Atlanta, I don’t know.”
The firm Sportsology is assisting in the general manager search, and the firm ZRG Partners will assist in the coaching search. But the president of football will ultimately be leading those searches, Blank said, and will oversee both the coach and general manager once both are hired.
Blank said the president of football will hold the coach and general manager accountable and report directly to Blank himself. As for who will get the final say on decision-making once the roles are filled, Blank acknowledged that coach and general manager candidates would not be keen on ceding authority to the president of football, so those positions will remain the primary decision-makers in their respective roles.
“Obviously, you’ve still got to hire a great coach, a great general manager, and the president of football will not be doing their jobs for them at all, but will be holding them accountable and giving input with guidance, when necessary,” Blank said.
Ryan, 40, has no front office experience. But he was the best player in franchise history, the quarterback who led the Falcons to Super Bowl LI. Blank said he will be considered for the role — and many believe the role was created for him — because of Ryan’s experience leading a football team, as well as his knowledge of the game and how to work with players and staff.
“His EQ and IQ when it comes to football is extraordinarily high,” Blank said of Ryan. “I’ve known Matt personally since 2008, and his family, and he’s an outstanding individual, great community leader and kind of person we certainly would want to consider in that position.”
Blank made it a point to say there will be other candidates interviewed. The Falcons will announce who they have interviewed once those discussions are completed.
Blank said Thursday that his firings of Morris and Fontenot were based solely on their performances. He said he felt that the Falcons should have achieved more this season, and a four-game winning streak to finish the season did not sway him. Blank said that the decisions to sign quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2024, followed by the drafting of Michael Penix Jr. six weeks later with the No. 8 overall pick did not play a part in his decision.
“There were a lot of peaks and valleys — too many peaks and valleys — [and] too many levels that were not consistent throughout our play,” Blank said. “So, it’s a combination of things over a period of time, but nothing to do with the decisions that we collaboratively made.”
During the news conference, Blank was asked whether or not he felt that Penix was still the team’s franchise quarterback. Penix tore his left ACL in Week 11, missing the rest of the season, and he’ll be out for at least nine months. It was Penix’s third ACL surgery in eight seasons; he tore the ACL in his right knee twice in college. Penix had been inconsistent in 12 career starts before the injury. But Blank affirmed that he remains steadfast in Penix as Atlanta’s franchise QB.
“The injury he sustained was on his other knee,” Blank said. “The surgeon felt 1,000 percent secure in the medical procedure that he went through, and they felt his knee was going to be better than it was before. … He’s committed mentally, physically, and he feels good.”
Sportsology was hired months ago by the Falcons to do an internal evaluation of their football infrastructure. Blank said the thing that most surprised about the firm’s findings was a lack of clarity when it came to the vision of how the team was supposed to play. That is one of the reasons why the president of football role was added. That person will be the one who sets and leads the vision of the product on the field, Blank said.
“In any industry, if you don’t have clarity around vision, but you’re trying to establish and trying to build, you would end up with a lot of disparate parts that are moving in different directions,” Blank said. “And that means you’re not only unsuccessful or partially unsuccessful, but you can be very inefficient. [You must be] as laser focused as you can be in terms of exactly what you want to do. You can make better selections of players, coaches, coaching staff and hold that kind of consistency in place. And then you modify it all the time depending on what’s happening in the game.”
LAHORE: Kamil Khan, the co-owner of the newly awarded Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise from Sialkot, has said the team entered the auction with a clear vision and ambitious plans for the future.
Speaking in Lahore, Khan said the franchise would officially announce its team logo and the name of its president today. He noted that the franchise management is keen to build a competitive squad by attracting some of the world’s best players for the upcoming PSL season.
“Our aim is to bring top international talent to the Sialkot team,” Khan said. “At the same time, we will rely on a strong local coaching staff to develop our players and represent the region with pride.”
The Sialkot co-owner also expressed confidence that PSL matches would continue to draw large crowds, regardless of where the fixtures are held.
“Wherever the PSL is played, the fans will turn up,” he said. “The league has grown into a major attraction for cricket lovers across the country.”
Khan said he was particularly looking forward to Sialkot’s matches against Lahore Qalandars, describing the rivalry as both competitive and friendly.
“The match against Lahore Qalandars will be enjoyable. We are rivals on the field, but we are also friends,” he added.
He praised the PSL platform for helping Pakistani cricket grow, stressing, “The PSL will move forward and become even stronger.”
He also noted that key decisions about the franchise would be finalised in consultations with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“Everything will be finalised in coordination with the PCB,” he said.
Sialkot officially secured a franchise, thanks to OZ Developers and owner Hamza Majeed, who won the team at a star-studded auction with a record Rs1.85 billion bid on Friday.
The Sialkot franchise, the latest addition to the PSL, is expected to bring fresh energy to the tournament.
NFL primer: The wild-card teams must go on the road, but in some cases they project as stronger teams than the division winners they’ll be facing.
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The Memphis Grizzlies are entertaining trade offers for two-time All-Star point guard Ja Morant, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday.
A trade would end Morant’s tumultuous seven-year tenure in Memphis, which has featured Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player awards and plenty of jaw-dropping highlights. But multiple off-court issues and various injuries have dominated headlines across the past three seasons.
Morant, 26, has had various issues with Tuomas Iisalo, the organization’s new coach, and was suspended for one game earlier this season for conduct detrimental to the team. Morant is averaging career lows in minutes, rebounds and 2- and 3-point percentages.
League sources told ESPN’s Michael C. Wright that Morant still hasn’t gotten over the suspension because he felt alienated by teammates, who were told to leave the star guard alone so he could work through the issues that led to the suspension. In the aftermath, Morant told players around the league and some of his former coaches that he isn’t playing for Memphis anymore, according to sources.
Why could Memphis struggle to get full value in return for its dynamic guard? Which deals and suitors make sense? Our NBA insiders examine the market for Morant, including four trade proposals that could impact the race to the postseason.
Jump to a section:
What makes a Morant deal so difficult?
Financial impact of dealing for the star
Morant trades: to MIA | MIL | TOR | MIN
How difficult will it be for Memphis to trade Morant?
“This is a big season for Ja,” general manager Zach Kleiman said at Grizzlies media day in September. “As we continue to build this team, to be able to achieve a high-end outcome, we need Ja to be a consistent, All-NBA-caliber player.”
Instead, an inconsistent Morant has suffered through his worst season as a pro. His scoring has dropped to 19.0 points per game, lowest since his rookie season in 2029-20. He’s shooting a career-low 40% from the field and 21% on 3-pointers. Among 134 players with as many shot attempts as Morant this season, the guard ranks 133rd in effective field goal percentage.
Morant’s greatest strength has been his ability to get to the rim; in the 2021-22 season, he ranked fourth in made field goals in the restricted area on a leaderboard populated almost exclusively by centers.
But now he is taking fewer shots than ever at the basket, and more shots than ever from the midrange. According to Basketball Reference, Morant had 0.96 dunks per game during his two All-Star seasons, but he’s down to 0.39 dunks per game since.
That statistical decline might not be a hindrance in trade talks, as interested teams could envision a change in scenery rejuvenating Morant’s game. After all, he’s not that far removed from making the All-NBA second team and receiving MVP votes. But combined with Morant’s frequent injuries and off-court controversies, the performance drop-off makes for a significant reduction in Morant’s value.
Because point guard is such a deep position around the league, few other teams need a player like Morant — and one of those potential suitors, the Washington Wizards, just added a new point guard. It’s difficult to imagine a serious bidding war for Morant at this stage, or for much of a trade return for Memphis, given that the Wizards’ acquisition of Trae Young came with no draft compensation headed to the Atlanta Hawks. — Zach Kram
What is the financial impact of adding Morant?
Morant has three years left on his contract (he is eligible to sign a three-year, $178 million extension next summer) and has a salary that ranks just 28th in the league, but availability matters. Morant is on pace for his third straight season of fewer than 60 games.
As the Hawks found with Young, fewer teams need point guards. The teams that do have a vacancy, such as the Minnesota Timberwolves, do not have a first-round pick to trade in the next seven years. Because they are over the first apron, the Wolves are not allowed to take back more salary and would need to send out at least three players. The same constraints apply to the Phoenix Suns.
The Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings, meanwhile, have the draft capital, financial flexibility and contracts to get a deal done, but adding Morant would hardly fit their rebuilding timelines.
One thing working in Memphis’ favor in trade talks: Unlike Atlanta with Young, Morant missed out on All-NBA in 2022-23. If Morant had made it, the five-year, $197 million rookie extension he signed in the 2022 offseason would have increased to $237 million.
In the apron era, this detail matters. Instead of an onerous $47.3 million cap hit this season and $50.6 million and $53.9 million the next two years, Morant is owed $39.5 million, $42.2 million and $44.9 million, respectively. –– Bobby Marks
Four offers for Morant
Here are trades our experts propose for Morant to get out of Memphis, including two three-team deals:
Miami Heat get:
Ja Morant
Memphis Grizzlies get:
If any change of scenery can help Morant rediscover his All-Star form, it’s a move to Miami. The “Heat culture” ethos might be cliché, but it delivers results.
Replacing Herro with Morant would increase variance for Miami, as the Grizzlies point guard comes with a lower floor but higher ceiling than Herro. It’s difficult to imagine Herro ever being one of the top 10 players in the league, as Morant was in 2021-22.
But the Heat need the offensive upside that Morant might provide. They haven’t finished in the top 10 in offensive rating since 2019-20, per Cleaning the Glass, and even their new offensive system this season has brought them only to average. The problem is a lack of star power.
Granted, acquiring Morant might be complicated given that Miami’s new offensive game plan borrows a great deal from the system Morant disliked in Memphis last season. But this might still be a risk worth taking because it’s also unclear whether Herro fits as a long-term player in Miami.
Herro is set to reach free agency after the 2026-27 season, and extension talks this summer could prove thorny, as he’s in the exact class of player — talented but not All-NBA level, an excellent offensive player but a defensive liability — that is most at risk of losing money due to teams’ financial restraint under the new collective bargaining agreement.
The combined salaries for Herro and Fontecchio are almost a perfect match for Morant’s, and Morant and Herro are similar enough in present-day value that, much like in Young’s trade to Washington, no draft picks are included in this deal.
Miami could also try to trade for Morant using other players with smaller salaries than Herro, such as Andrew Wiggins or Terry Rozier (if the NBA permits his inclusion in a trade). But those possibilities aren’t as clean a financial fit; Miami is close to the luxury tax line, and Morant, Herro and Norman Powell wouldn’t all fit on the same team. — Kram
Milwaukee Bucks get:
Ja Morant
Memphis Grizzlies get:
Kyle Kuzma
Kevin Porter Jr.
2026 first-round swap
Detroit Pistons get
Gary Harris
Cash considerations
Frankly, Morant has been nowhere near as effective this season as Porter, who is averaging 18.4 points per game on far better efficiency (.595 true shooting percentage) than Morant (.506). Like the Heat, however, the Bucks need an upside play to salvage the tail end of Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s prime. Porter’s play hasn’t been enough to keep Milwaukee in a play-in spot amidst Antetokounmpo’s injuries.
Because the Bucks are saving the Grizzlies so much money — $20-plus million in 2026-27, provided Porter declines his below-market $5.4 million player option, and Morant’s entire $45 million salary in 2027-28 — they’re not willing to offer a first-round pick outright in this construction.
Instead, Memphis would add Milwaukee to a convoluted set of pick swaps. The Grizzlies will likely end up with their own pick and one from either Orlando or Phoenix, whichever team finishes with a worse record. They could swap the worst of those picks for the one the Bucks end up with after a potential swap with New Orleans. At present, that would move Memphis up from the 18th pick to a tie for 10th, although presumably Milwaukee would bet on making the playoffs after this trade.
The Bucks would still retain the ability to offer three first-round picks in a trade on draft night to build around what would now be an Antetokounmpo-Morant core. — Pelton
Toronto Raptors get:
Ja Morant
Memphis Grizzlies get:
Immanuel Quickley
Ochai Agbaji
2026 first-round pick (top-14 protected)
At last year’s trade deadline, the Raptors dealt a first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for Brandon Ingram, a former All-Star without much of a trade market. In this proposal, Toronto pounces on another opportunity to acquire an underpriced former All-Star for one first-round pick.
In so doing, the Raptors would attempt to upgrade at the point guard position, where Quickley has been fine but unspectacular since joining the team in the OG Anunoby trade in December 2023. This season, Quickley has a 15.5 player efficiency rating (15.0 is average), which seems a fair assessment of his current value.
Morant would offer far more upside, albeit with a greater downside, but that’s a reasonable risk for a team that could use a top-tier playmaker to seriously contend in the East. The Raptors rank third in defensive rating this season but only 20th on offense with Quickley running the show.
Memphis might reasonably ask for more draft compensation to take back Quickley’s contract, which is somewhat underwater as it extends for another three years at $32.5 million per season. But if the situation with Morant has become so toxic that the Grizzlies just need a replacement — and that the expected trade return for him has fallen accordingly — getting another first-round pick in a loaded 2026 draft could benefit them regardless. — Kram
Minnesota Timberwolves get:
Ja Morant
Memphis Grizzlies get:
Rob Dillingham
Naz Reid
2027 second-round pick (via Bulls)
Washington Wizards get:
Utah Jazz get:
Mike Conley
Cash considerations
To a degree, the Timberwolves are included to show how difficult it would be for them to acquire Morant without breaking up the core that has led them to consecutive Western Conference finals. As Marks explained, Minnesota would need to include multiple players and at least one of fan favorite Reid, ace defender Jaden McDaniels and All-Star Julius Randle.
Of those options, Reid is the least painful to lose and would be a more natural fit with the Grizzlies’ existing frontcourt than Randle. If I’m running the Timberwolves, I see Reid and two recent first-round picks as more than adequate value in return for Morant. If anything, I’d be asking Memphis to include draft picks to get out of Morant’s remaining salary.
Adding four players from Minnesota is untenable for the full Grizzlies roster, so it would reroute Conley back to the Jazz as a veteran leader with cash to help cover his remaining salary and Shannon to the Wizards in exchange for a second-round pick to fill the roster spot they created in the trade adding Trae Young.
That leaves Memphis with an upgraded frontcourt, a chance to evaluate a recent lottery pick in Dillingham and a decent second-round pick. — Pelton
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