This NBA off-season is going to be one of the most explosive to date. There will be big-name free agents on the market along with some enticing trade targets lurking. Gargantuan names like Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant (potentially) will be on the market. I don't have a crystal ball to determine where these stars will go and I doubt I will get one pick right. But here it goes, anyways: Where will the big names land?

• Kevin Durant: The thought of KD, Kyrie, and Zion on the New York Knicks sounds really enticing. After all, there are rumors that Durant wants out of the Bay Area. However, I'm cautious about KD going to a franchise that is hot garbage right now. I mean, their owner plays a goddamn kazoo. Why would KD want to go to that mess? Keep an eye on the Clippers, where Jerry West is making moves and has a good core of players right now. He just needs a superstar or two (KD and/or Kawhi) to come in. Honestly, this is a tough decision. However, Durant may make the most regrettable decision of his life and play for the kazoo 'maestro' and Knicks owner James Dolan. Either that or he stays with the Warriors.
  
• Kyrie Irving: Kyrie will probably follow suit and go to the Knicks as well. Either that or he'll stick with his commitment to the Celtics. But why not the Nets? Right now, the Nets are the sexier option in terms of New York teams. Their future looks promising, DeAngelo Russell has seen a career renaissance, and their group is actually pretty good. Don't sleep on Brooklyn as a potential Kyrie suitor.
• Kawhi Leonard: The Lakers are a potential destination, especially since he just bought a $13.3 million home in San Diego. But as I mentioned before, Jerry West is making moves in Los Angeles. As mentioned earlier, the Clippers have a good young nucleus going for them. Throw in an eccentric owner who wants to win in Steve Ballmer and the Clippers seem like a perfect fit for Kawhi. The Clippers look like a team that can be a threat with only one superstar (even though getting a second star to join Kawhi, i.e. Durant, would be nice for the Clippers).
• Klay Thompson: Thompson is open to a max deal with Golden State, which makes a reunion with the Warriors a good possibility. But there is a good possibility that the Lakers could bring him in. However, that is with the stipulation that Anthony Davis goes there with him. Again, this is becoming less likely considering the trade deadline fiasco involving the Pelicans and AD.
• Kemba Walker: Walker could be an excellent fit for the Pacers. The Pacers are a team that didn't miss Paul George one bit, getting Victor Oladipo in exchange. Imagine those two wreaking havoc in the Eastern Conference along with the stingy defense headed by Myles Turner. Indiana would be a NBA Finals dark horse.
  
• Jimmy Butler: Despite the early dysfunction with the Sixers, it seems that Philadelphia and Butler are doing better for themselves. If Butler does decide to leave Philadelphia, keep an eye out for the Mavericks. Mark Cuban and company have set up a nice situation where they can lure in a potential superstar to pair up with Luka Doncic. They even got Kristaps Porzingis to go with Doncic, but having a free agent superstar like Butler accompany Doncic would be ideal for Cuban and his crew.
• Where Will AD Go? There were intense rumors about Anthony Davis and the Lakers throughout the trade deadline, but the Pelicans made sure that Magic Johnson was going to get royally screwed in a potential deal. The Celtics have more in terms of what they could offer the Pelicans and need just one more piece to put them over the top. Davis would be an ideal fit in Boston.

Guess who won the Super Bowl again? The New England Patriots did it again as Tom Brady collected yet another Infinity Stone. What do the Patriots need to do to make half the NFL disappear en route to another Super Bowl?

• Replace Rob Gronkowski: One of the most iconic tight ends in NFL history hung up his cleats after the Super Bowl, leaving a void in the Patriots offense. In order for Brady to continue having success in the quick pass offense of New England, he'll need a good replacement for Gronk. Interestingly, New England didn't pick up a tight end in the NFL Draft and just traded backup tight end Jacob Hollister to Seattle. They picked up Austin Serafin-Jenkins, who'll compete for a starting spot on the offense.
• Get Brady Another Target (done): The Patriots picked up N'Keal Harry in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Patriots were thin at receiver and needed an upgrade. The Arizona State receiver is big and has terrific ball skills. The Patriots also added Demaryius Thomas to the mix, giving Brady another option in the Patriots offense, barring that Thomas doesn't get injured again.
• Find Tom Brady's Heir? (done?): Jarrett Stidham was the star quarterback at Auburn and also spent a year at Baylor. In his collegiate career, he threw for 48 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and completed 64.3% of his passes. He also averaged nine adjusted yards a game and had a pass efficiency rating of 151.4 in his three years in college. Stidham was drafted to be the understudy for Tom Brady, who's 41 years old. Even with the TB12/dog food diet, it remains to be seen how much longer Brady will play. Stidham might not be the best quarterback taken in the draft; Stidham was taken in the fourth round. But there is a certain No. 12 that wasn't taken until much later in the 2000 NFL Draft...
  

Behind their high flying offense, the Rams made it all the way to the Super Bowl. That same offense didn't show up for Super Bowl 53, but the Rams still have a bright future ahead of them. What do the Rams need to do to hoist the Lombardi trophy?

• Replace Outgoing Pieces (done): Out went Lamarcus Joyner and Ndamukong Suh and in comes Eric Weddle. The Rams also drafted safety Taylor Rapp and defensive tackle Greg Gaines, both out of Washington, to bolster their defensive depth. With the NFC West improving, the Rams will need these moves to work to keep a stranglehold on the division.
• Replace C.J. Anderson (done): The Rams made it to the Super Bowl behind their two-back tandem in the backfield. C.J. Anderson was instrumental to the success of the running game, but he went to Detroit. The Rams drafted Darrell Henderson out of Memphis to replace him.
• Get a Long-Term Deal Worked Out With Jared Goff (in progress): Jared Goff's near the end of his rookie deal, so it'll be imperative to get Goff locked up for the long term. The Rams exercised his fifth-year option, so it'll give them time to negotiate a deal before it's too late.
  

Let's just cut to the chase. These are the teams that won the draft and the teams that blew it.

• Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers made a gutsy move to trade up in the first round to get Devin Bush from Michigan. Bush is a three-down linebacker who's powerful and quick, providing a boost to Pittsburgh's linebacker group. The Steelers also added Zach Gentry, Benny Snell Jr., and Diontae Johnson to give Ben Roethlisberger more possible options on offense.
• Winner: Trades: Trades galore! As mentioned in the previous post, there were six trades in the first round as teams moved up and down the board to get their guys. Is this the new norm we should expect to see in the NFL?
• Winner: Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan was sacked 42 times last season, which was a testament to the problems Atlanta had last season. So what do the Falcons do? Trade up to get two offensive linemen (offensive guard Chris Lindstrom and offensive tackle Kaleb McGary). Maybe the Falcons won't have to use six different guards in a season with the new blood.
• Winner: San Francisco 49ers: In addition to adding Nick Bosa as an edge rusher, the Niners fueled up on receivers. They added speedy Deebo Samuel from South Carolina in the second round and Jalen Hurd from Baylor in the third round. Jimmy Garoppolo needed weapons on the 49er offense and Jordan Matthews isn't going to cut it.
• Loser: New York Giants: "Really, David Gettleman? DANIEL JONES AT NUMBER SIX?? REALLY?!?!" -Giants fans right now.
  
• Loser: Detroit Lions: I don't mind the T.J. Hockenson pick as much as Lions fans do (they were burned by the Eric Ebron pick, so it's understandable that they're outraged). However, Jahlani Tavai may be a bit of a reach with slightly subpar length. It was mostly a listless draft for the Lions.
  
• Loser: Oakland With the No. 4 Pick: It is understandable that Clelin Ferrell fits in better with Oakland's scheme than Josh Allen did. However, Ferrell wasn't projected to go as high as No. 4 in the draft. Granted, Ferrell's quick as a linebacker. But Raider fans were scratching their heads at the Raiders' No. 4 pick.
  
• Loser: Titan Fans Getting Roasted by Colts Legends: First, Reggie Wayne dishes out some burns onto the Nashville crown. Then, Pat McAfee gives one of the funniest speeches at the chagrin of Titans fans. In short, Titan fans got trolled HARD this weekend.
  

The NFL Draft went down yesterday with plenty of noteworthy headlines. What went down as the first round of the NFL Draft happened in Music City?

• Josh Rosen May Be Out the Door: With Kyler Murray being drafted by Arizona with the No. 1 draft pick, speculation has risen about Josh Rosen's future whereabouts. There's a possibility Rosen will be traded, possibly for a draft pick or two. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Rosen in the upcoming season.
  
• A Lot of Trades Went Down: There were many teams moving up and down the draft board on day one. In fact, there were six that went down on the first day. Teams were either moving up/down to get their guy or moving around to get more picks.
  
• The New York Giants' Interesting Quarterback Choice: Instead of picking the dominant Dwayne Haskins (Haskins went to Washington), the New York Giants picked Daniel Jones from Duke. Jones does have a good presence in the pocket and the Giants are banking on his Independence Bowl performance. What's interesting is that the Giants had a mid-round pick (they even got a late-round pick from Seattle) that they could've used on Jones.
  
• The Raiders Had a Interesting Draft of Their Own: Jon Gruden's crew picked Clelin Ferrell, who many believe to be a reach at No. 4. Ferrell does fit into the scheme Oakland's doing, so it technically does make sense. The Raiders also got a running back in Alabama's Josh Jacobs and a safety in Mississippi State's Johnathan Abram.
  
• Having More Than One Draft Pick is the Trend: Oakland and the New York Giants weren't the only teams with more than one draft pick in the first round. Washington, Green Bay, and Atlanta got two first round draft picks each. Seattle even got in on the act for a little bit before trading theirs to Atlanta.
  

Everybody, myself included, was expecting the Golden State Warriors to waltz through the league en route to their fourth NBA title in five years. However, the Los Angeles Clippers have shown us a few things on how to take down the Warriors. Granted, Golden State will probably go on to win the series. However, those pesky Clippers have provided a bit of a blueprint on taking down the juggernaut. Here's how the Clippers pulled off two wins against the Warriors so far.

• Patrick Beverley Being A Pest: Beverley has been a thorn in Golden State's side, ranging from limiting Kevin Durant to 21 points in Game 2 to scoring 17 points and pulling down 14 rebounds in Game 5. Any team that hopes to beat Golden State needs someone like Beverley who's active on the floor and can be a defensive asset. This is especially true when it comes to attacking the boards.
• A Solid Bench Helps: Lou Williams has had a good postseason so far, averaging 24.4 PPG in five games. Montrezl Harrell has also contributed nicely for the Clippers, averaging 20 PPG and 5.4 RPG in five games this postseason. Getting bench players who can score in garbage time will go a long way in keeping up with the Warriors. Speaking of Harrell and Williams...
• Set Up a Good Pick-And-Roll: Both players combined for 57 points in Game 5, pick-and-rolling the Warriors to death. Getting good looks and setting up such shots is also key to taking down Golden State, which was shown in Games 2 and 5.
• Play With More Energy Than Them: The talk about Golden State in this series has been the uninspired play from the Warriors. Even Durant picked up on the Warriors' lack of intensity in Game 5. If opposing teams set up successful double-teams, attack the boards, and get Golden State's stars in foul trouble, any team will have a shot at the Warriors in a seven-game series.
  

This edition of Nostalgia Game Review takes a look at the Konami game, Contra, for the NES. As you can see (especially by my past few reviews), Konami made a good amount of well-known NES games. This game was released in 1987 and was one of the hardest games to ever come out for the NES. After all, you get only one shot until you lose a life.

Difficulty aside, this game is well-versed in interactive maps and weaponry. The power-ups you get in this game are diverse, ranging from a flamethrower to a spread shoot (perhaps the most useful power-up in the game). You go through eight stages, trying to eradicate an alien race threatening humanity.

This game had an arcade version, which featured more animated sprites of Bill and Lance, the two playable heroes in the game. This was due to the NES's graphical limitations. The game also features "3D view" stages, where the player infiltrates a base to progress. The bosses aren't complex to take down, but offer different ways of fighting.

The gameplay is nice and easy to pick up despite the game's difficulty. There's even a "Konami code" for players who've never played Contra before. You can get more lives or even an infinite amount of lives if you're struggling with the game. The game is a test for the most hardcore gamer, but is a crash back into reality for the casual gamer. If you like a good challenge and aren't afraid of taking a risk or two (or three or four), Contra is the game for you.

Damian Lillard single handily eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder last night, dropping 50 points, including this 37-foot dime at the buzzer.

Considering that Dame wants to be a Trail Blazer for life, this makes this story even better. One of the most underrated NBA superstars, Lillard deserves much more praise for putting Portland on the map. This is true since he's also one of the most clutch NBA stars today. I hope that Portland makes one NBA Finals appearance with Lillard around. This franchise deserves it.

I know, the first full month of the MLB season isn't even in the books. However, that doesn't mean we can look at the potential trade targets for teams that are surprisingly lagging behind. Who should be dealt if their teams can't pick up the pace?

• J.D. Martinez: Martinez has an option for after the 2019 season, even though his base salary will lighten up a little after 2020. If Boston wanted to get out of luxury tax purgatory, Dave Dombrowski could deal Martinez and seek a good deal for him. Who Makes Sense? The Atlanta Braves could use another outfielder to boost their lineup a bit. The Dodgers could also come calling if the price is right.
• Rick Porcello: After 2019, Porcello will be a free agent, so Dombrowski will want to deal Porcello as well. Porcello's shaky start (2.41 WHIP, 8.47 ERA, 7.9 K/9) may not garner much attention. But the law of averages should kick in and Porcello (1.31 career WHIP, 4.29 career ERA) should come back down to earth. Who Makes Sense? If the Seattle Mariners are still contenders by July, it would make sense for Seattle to trade for Porcello. After all, Jerry Dipoto is known to swing a trade or two. The Brewers could also come calling.
• Kris Bryant: The Cubs have won four of their last five, but they're behind in a stacked NL Central. Bryant does have a decent glove (WAR greater than 0.3 in three of four seasons) and a power bat to boot and the Cubs' farm system is barren right now. Maybe the Cubs can reload on the fly and deal Bryant. Who Makes Sense? There isn't much in the line for third baseman needs. An outsider for Bryant could be Philadelphia. Bryant would join his Las Vegas buddy Bryce Harper and give the Phillies even more power. But the Yankees look like a good target, especially with all the injuries they've had to start the season.
  
• Trevor Story: The Rockies are off to a sluggish start, so they might start shedding pieces. Nolan Arenado would've made a ton of sense here, but his new contract has a strict no-trade clause. Story has a couple arbitration seasons ahead of him, so there is a decent price on Story for a trade. Who Makes Sense? Tampa Bay could be a great fit for Story and could use a boost at shortstop. Milwaukee also makes some sense here along with Pittsburgh.
  
• Adam Eaton: Eaton will become a free agent after the 2020 season and with the Nationals battling in a stacked National League, it may be tough to come out on top for Washington. Eaton is the guy who can get on base and produce runs, i.e. Ben Zobrist. Who Makes Sense? The Dodgers could come calling along with Cleveland and possibly Houston.
  

The Kansas City Chiefs were a score away from heading to the Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots in overtime of the AFC Championship game. What can the Chiefs do to win it all and hop over the competition?

• Shed Some Salary (done): The Chiefs had some contracts that carried some dead weight (Justin Houston's $7.1 million dead cap space and Eric Berry's $14 million cap hit come to mind). So they shed some contracts and traded Dee Ford. Granted, the Chiefs' defense takes even more of a hit. However, the Chiefs are looking to get younger and the goal of having financial flexibility is being achieved.
  
• Get Rid of the Defensive Issue (done): On that note, the Chiefs fired Bob Sutton as their defensive coordinator. This was after the Chiefs allowed the second-most total yards per game in the 2018 season (405.5). Again, this coincides with the Chiefs purging their defense to try and get younger as Kansas City renovates their defense. Replacing Sutton is Steve Spagnuolo, who focuses more on zone coverage.