Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1462941
6 2 A P R I L 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M N ewly appointed New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen de- scribed himself as "open to every- thing" as he looks to reshape the floun- dering NFL franchise. That includes trading former Penn State superstar Saquon Barkley, whom the Giants selected in 2018 with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. "Whether it's trading player for player, I'll listen to anybody," Schoen told reporters when asked if Barkley could be dealt. "If it's trading a couple players — I'm not going to say the entire roster, [that] we're open for business on the entire roster. But if anyone is go- ing to call and they're interested in any of our players. I'm certainly going to listen." Barkley's time in New York has not gone according to plan. The dynamic running back suffered a torn ACL during the second game of his third season in the NFL. In 2021, he dealt with ankle problems that limited his availability and effectiveness. He appeared in 13 games last year, rushing for just 593 yards and two touchdowns. Still, Barkley has proven he can suc- ceed at the NFL level when healthy. He surpassed 2,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and catching 91 passes. The Giants are feeling a salary cap crunch, needing to shed about $12 mil- lion to comply with the NFL's spending limits. Barkley is due $7.2 million this coming season before becoming an un- restricted free agent next offseason. Those concerns will have a big im- pact on how the Giants approach the offseason. "We're in a situation where unfortu- nately we have to get under the salary cap," Schoen said. "We're not in very good salary-cap health. Again, I'm not going to say yes to every deal, but I'm definitely going to listen and be open to the situations that are best for the New York Giants." ■ Barkley is set to make $7.2 million next season with the Giants, who are $12 million over the salary cap. PHOTO BY JOE FARAONI/ESPN IMAGES Amid Cap Woes, Giants Open To Trading Saquon Barkley DAV I D E C K E RT | DAV I D E C K E R T 9 8 @ G M A I L . C O M PSU IN THE PROS Taking up a position on the left wing, Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon got the angle he was looking for. Brogdon beat his man off the dribble, open- ing up a free lane to the rim with 19 seconds remaining in a game tied, 124- 124. The go-ahead bucket looked like a foregone conclusion. Lamar Stevens had other ideas. Sliding off his man on the right side of the paint to help, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound forward swatted Brogdon's attempt back into the left corner. One of his Cavaliers teammates retrieved the ball, and Cleveland went to secure a 127-124 victory. "Lamar came out here and was a dog," his teammate, Evan Mobley, said afterward. To anyone who watched him at Penn State, that comes as little surprise. One of the greatest players in Nittany Lions history, Stevens has adjusted well to playing a supporting role in the NBA. After going undrafted in 2020, he caught on with the Cavaliers as an undrafted free agent. He signed a three-year deal worth just shy of $4 million after his rookie season. As of late March, Stevens had appeared in 50 of Cleveland's 59 games during the 2021-22 season, averaging 4.9 points on 46.8 percent shooting. Playing 14.2 minutes a night, Stevens was pulling down 2.2 rebounds on aver- age, and had 22 steals and 13 blocks to show for the season, too. He's an asset to the Cavaliers defensively, as he showcased in crunch time against the Pacers. Considered by most analysts to be an afterthought in the Eastern Conference, the Cavs occupied the sixth seed as of mid-March. Cleveland coach JB Bickerstaff has come to appreciate the grit Stevens can provide. "He is the originator of the junkyard dog [mentality]," Bickerstaff said. "We need that from him. We need that, in moments, from a guy who can spark us." — David Eckert Lamar Stevens Shines In Reserve Role With NBA's Cavaliers