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This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

Happy Friday, everyone! By the time we talk again, the NBA playoffs and the Stanley Cup playoffs will be underway, and it'll be draft week. Oh boy. Let's get right to it.

🏀🏒 Good morning to all, but especially to ...

NBA FANS ...

It's (nearly) here! After two Play-In Tournament games tonight to determine the No. 8 seeds, the NBA playoffs begin tomorrow. Here's the whole schedule.

We've also broken down every series with a finalized matchup:

All of those present some level of intrigue, but I simply cannot wait for what Luka Dončić has in store in his Lakers playoff debut. His 30.9 points per game in the playoffs is second-highest ever, only behind some guy named Michael Jordan. And of course, there's LeBron James making yet another playoff run.

On the other side, Anthony Edwards relishes being the underdog. I love Edwards' competitiveness, and I can't wait to see what he has in store. Remember, Minnesota made the conference finals last year.

ICYMI yesterday, our experts filled out their playoff brackets.

Here's more:

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... AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO NHL FANS

Not to be outdone, the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tomorrow as well (schedule). Here are the matchups:

  • East: Maple Leafs vs. Senators | Lightning vs. Panthers | Capitals vs. Canadiens | Hurricanes vs. Devils
  • West: Jets vs. Blues | Stars vs. Avalanche | Golden Knights vs. Wild | Kings vs. Oilers

Austin Nivison's season-ending Power Rankings looked back on his preseason Power Rankings, and the Maple Leafs made him look smart.

  1. Maple Leafs (preseason: 6) -- "The Leafs remained one of the league's best teams for most of the season. The Core Four was superb, and Matthew Knies broke out as a young star. Toronto also got consistent goaltending from Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. Now, the Leafs go into the playoffs with high expectations. What could go wrong?"

The playoff-bound Kings, Canadiens and Capitals were among the biggest overachievers, while the Rangers, Bruins and Predators were among the biggest disappointments.

😄 Honorable mentions

🏈 And not such a good morning for ...

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AARON RODGERS AND THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS

If you hoped Aaron Rodgers would reveal much regarding his status for the 2025 season in his latest interview ... maybe next time. Make no mistake: Rodgers had plenty to say, but he remains uncommitted to playing. 

  • Rodgers is seen as the leading option for the Steelers, but he said, "I'm 41 years old. I'm in a serious relationship. ... To make a commitment to a team is a big thing, whether you're a first-year player or a 20-year vet."
  • He added "retirement could still be a possibility." And, according to some reports, that's the more likely option.
  • Rodgers would be willing to play for cheap -- $10 million, he said. That would make him the NFL's cheapest starting quarterback, not including those on a rookie deal.
  • Rodgers was not particularly pleased with how Aaron Glenn handled telling Rodgers the Jets were moving on.

Rodgers has met with several teams this offseason, including Pittsburgh, and he had high praise for Mike Tomlin. But he reiterated there's no timeline for his decision, and he feels no obligation to establish one.

With the NFL Draft less than a week away, the Steelers still have no clue how to factor Rodgers into their quarterback equation. We'll kindly say that's less than ideal.

😠 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 CBS Sports All-NBA team picks

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After making their individual award picks, our NBA experts are back with their All-NBA, All-Defense and All-Rookie teams.

Top MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić take up two spots on the All-NBA first team, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum are clear picks for two more. The fifth spot? In a close vote, Edwards edged out James, Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry, who all made the second team.

Only two teams, the Cavaliers and the Knicks, had multiple all-NBA selections. You can see all of our experts' picks here.

🏈 NFL Draft: Rumors, mock drafts, unpopular opinions

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Thursday can't get here soon enough. The NFL Draft will finally be underway, and the long wait will be over.

But we're not there yet, and our latest mock draft is a doozy. Our "With The First Pick" podcast did a seven-round mock draft, and Chris Trapasso graded every first-round pick.

While things could certainly change, a top three seems to be settling in:

  • Cam Ward is talking like he'll go to the Titans at No. 1.
  • The Browns have the No. 2 pick, and GM Andrew Berry compared Travis Hunter to Shohei Ohtani.
  • Abdul Carter seems to think he's headed to the Giants at No. 3.

Here's the top 10 from our live mock draft.

  1. Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
  2. Browns: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Miami
  3. Giants: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
  4. Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
  5. Jaguars: Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
  6. Raiders: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
  7. Jets: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
  8. Panthers: Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
  9. Steelers (via mock trade with Saints): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
  10. Bears: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Considering the aforementioned Rodgers uncertainty, Pittsburgh nabbing Sanders isn't out of the question, and in our unpopular draft takes, Emory Hunt says Sanders is the most pro-ready quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.

  • Hunt: "That's pro-ready in the sense of how he plays the position from the pocket, how he's weathered beatings, but also in how he's been tutored by former pros (i.e. Tom Brady, Jeff Blake), how he's been in the spotlight from day one ... starting at Jackson State, going to the worst FBS team in Colorado, and succeeding in both, all the while being Deion Sanders' son."

While Sanders' first-round prospects have been heavily discussed, there are murmurs another quarterback could sneak into the first round.

Here's more:

📺 What we're watching this weekend

Friday

⚾ Diamondbacks at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Play-In Tournament: Heat at Hawks, 7 p.m. on TNT/truTV
⚾ Dodgers at Rangers or Athletics at Brewers, 8:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Play-In Tournament: Mavericks at Grizzlies, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Giants at Angels, 9:38 p.m. on MLB Network

Saturday

🏀 First round: Bucks at Pacers, 1 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Marlins at Phillies or Royals at Tigers, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 First round: Clippers at Nuggets, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Cardinals at Mets or Dodgers at Rangers, 4:05 p.m. on Fox
🏀 First round: Pistons at Knicks, 6 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 First round: Blues at Jets, 6 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🤼 WrestleMania 41, 7 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Padres at Astros, 7:10 p.m. on FS1
🏀 First round: Timberwolves at Lakers, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏒 First round: Avalanche at Stars, 8:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV

Sunday

🏀 First round: Mavericks/Grizzlies at Thunder, 1 p.m. on ABC
⚾ Reds at Orioles or Yankees at Rays, 1:35 p.m. on MLB Network
🏒 First round: Devils at Hurricanes, 3 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 First round: Magic at Celtics, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
⚾ Giants at Angels, 4:07 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 First round: Heat/Hawks at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏒 First round: Senators at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ Padres at Astros, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🤼 WrestleMania 41, 7 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 First round: Warriors at Rockets, 9:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV 
🏒 First round: Wild at Golden Knights, 10 p.m. on ESPN