EA Sports has revealed its 10 highest-rated players in NHL 27, and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes made the cut.
Hughes received a 95 overall rating and was ranked as the No. 10 player in the game. He is tied at 95 overall with Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar, Macklin Celebrini, David Pastrnak, Zach Werenski and Sidney Crosby.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid once again sits atop the ratings with a 99 overall. Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov follow at 97, while Leon Draisaitl received a 96.
Hughes' inclusion gives the Wild one of the game's elite players and one of just three defensemen to crack the overall top 10, joining Makar and Werenski.
The 95 rating also puts Hughes in a tie for the second-highest-rated defenseman in NHL 27, behind only Makar.
Minnesota acquired Hughes to give the organization an elite puck-moving defenseman capable of driving offense from the blue line, and EA Sports clearly views him among the very best players in hockey.
The Wild now boasts one of NHL 27's top-rated players at the top of their defense corps, with Hughes earning the same overall rating as some of the biggest stars in the league.
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The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
We are continuing to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
Kekalainen ideally is looking for someone who could make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six, with the trade of Jordan Greenway to Chicago.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
Normally, a player of Boeser’s talent and consistency would not be readily available, but the Vancouver Canucks are on a rebuild path, and their timeline may not be a match with the veteran sniper. The 29-year-old was a 2015 first-rounder of the Canucks and has scored 20 or more goals seven times in his nine-year career, including a career-high 40 goals in 2023-24.
It was expected that Boeser would be heading elsewhere last summer as an unrestricted free agent, but he instead re-upped with the Canucks on a seven-year, $50.75 million deal ($7.25 million AAV), with a no-movement clause in the first four years of the deal. The departure of Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland, and Vancouver finishing at the bottom of the NHL standings has led to the firing of GM Patrik Allvin, head coach Adam Foote, and a complete revamping of the organization.
Boeser has complete control of where he wants to play for another three seasons, but with Vancouver rebuilding, playing for an up-and-coming club like Buffalo would be an interesting proposition. The Sabres would likely be interested in a player younger than Tuch, with six more years of cost certainty at a cap hit very close to what Tage Thompson is making. Kekalainen also possesses the assets that Vancouver is likely looking for, in young prospects like Helenius/Ostlund and Mrtka/Rudolph.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
The Sabres have drafted predominantly right-handed defensemen (Radim Mrtka, Daxon Rudolph, Adam Kleber, Simon-Pier Brunet, Maxim Strbak, Gavin McCarthy, and Vsevolod Komarov) in the last five drafts, with the top half of their NHL blueline all left-handers.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
The club continued that practice at the 2025 NHL Draft, selecting Mrtka ninth overall, and after trading their second-round pick to clear Connor Clifton’s contract and acquire righty Conor Timmins, Buffalo selected another righty in David Bedkowski in the third round.
The 19-year-old played his first two OHL seasons with Oshawa and was traded in his draft year early in the season to the Owen Sound Attack. The 6’5”, 215 lb. defenseman’s skill set is purely physical, as he had only seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in 35 games, but compiled 73 penalty minutes. Last season, Bedkowski played the first half as team captain of the Attack, but was traded to the Ottawa 67’s. In 68 games between the two clubs, he posted 29 points (5 goals, 24 assists) and 118 penalty minutes.
Elite Prospects Draft Guide said that it would be an understatement to say Bedkowski has a mean streak. “He punishes. He hurts, retaliates, beats down, knocks, and crushes opponents with open-ice hits and bone-rattling contact along the boards.”
That mean streak is something that most of Buffalo’s blueline have been missing for years, but it will be at least a few years before the Toronto native can bring that physicality to the NHL roster. He has one more year before the Sabres have to make a decision on whether to sign him or not, unless he decides like many CHL products to go the NCAA route.
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 26: Reverse Retro jerseys of the Colorado Avalanche hang in the locker room prior to the game against the Dallas Stars. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
In the biggest Colorado Avalanche news of the summer, our beloved LG Red is back at Altitude for the upcoming season! Lauren Gardner won’t be exclusive to just Avalanche broadcasts but she is back in Colorado and will be on our TV screens. Welcome home, LG!
The NHL announced they are committing to regular season games in Germany for three years starting with the 2026-27 season as the league continues to increase their global reach.
NHL fans in Germany will be treated to regular-season games in their country for at least the next three seasons following the announcement of the @NHL and @FCBayern's strategic partnership.
There will be a new specialty jersey coming this fall for every team, dubbed the Hometown Remix. Word on the street is that just like their two versions of the Reverse Retro, the Avalanche will have a white sweater in this upcoming collection as well.
Something new is coming to all 32 NHL cities this season. 👀
The countdown is on for the first-of-its-kind Hometown Remix program by the @NHL and @Fanatics. More details to come after the puck drops on the 2026-27 season next month. pic.twitter.com/zX1uBNLNZn
Preseason isn’t just for the Avalanche as the Colorado Eagles are expected to participate in what’s been dubbed the Southwest Showdown. The Tucson Roadrunners will serve as host while the Eagles will play the Texas Stars on September 26th and the Henderson Silver Knights on September 27th. Giddy up!
Zach L’Heureux could either become exactly what the Colorado Avalanche have been missing or give Jared Bednar one more headache to solve.
That is what makes bringing the 23-year-old forward to Colorado so intriguing. L’Heureux may not be the most naturally gifted player on the roster, but he brings something the Avalanche badly lacked when their season ended: physicality, nastiness and an unmistakable edge.
Colorado was swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final last season, and Vegas repeatedly imposed its more punishing, hard-nosed style on the Avalanche. L’Heureux gives Colorado another player capable of pushing back.
But there is a fine line between providing an edge and becoming a liability, and L’Heureux has spent much of his career walking it. He has been suspended at every level of hockey he has played, including nine times in the QMJHL — one resulting in a 10-game ban after he jabbed a fan with his stick. He was also suspended three times during his AHL career before receiving a three-game NHL suspension for slew-footing Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon.
For Colorado, the challenge will be harnessing L’Heureux’s aggression without allowing it to become more trouble than it is worth.
Colton Dach has been placed in Concussion Protocol by the #IceHogs
His NHL numbers tell an equally interesting story.
L’Heureux’s 63 penalty minutes in 62 games during his first full NHL season with the Nashville Predators in 2024-25 further illustrate the double-edged nature of his game. He averaged just 12:03 of ice time per night, meaning he was racking up more than a penalty minute per game despite playing limited minutes. That physical edge can be valuable for an Avalanche team that needs more pushback, but it also comes with a caveat: Colorado needs L’Heureux making an impact on the ice, not watching from the penalty box.
We got fight night in San Jose! 3 fights in 4 seconds
Luke Kunin vs Cole Smith Barclay Goodrow vs Michael McCarron Ty Dellandrea vs Zach L’Heureux pic.twitter.com/ybFFMS1SEz
That is the balancing act Bednar will have to solve.
The Avalanche have lacked some bite in their lineup at times, particularly when games become nasty and opponents try to drag them into the kind of physical battle that can disrupt Colorado’s speed game. L’Heureux has never needed an invitation to make things uncomfortable.
The question is whether Bednar will trust him to do it.
There is a significant difference between playing with an edge and becoming a nuisance, and L’Heureux’s career suggests he has occasionally crossed that line. Colorado’s coaching staff will have to find a way to preserve the aggression that makes him valuable without allowing it to become the very thing that keeps him out of the lineup.
It is an interesting problem to have.
As the old hockey saying goes, it is easier to rein in a player with too much passion than it is to manufacture passion in a player who does not have it.
L’Heureux certainly does not need anyone to teach him how to play with emotion.
What remains to be determined is whether he can turn that emotion into consistent NHL production.
The pedigree is there.
L’Heureux was a first-round pick for a reason, and his production in the AHL has only reinforced the offensive potential that made him a coveted prospect. He erupted for 19 goals and 48 points in 66 games with the Milwaukee Admirals during the 2023-24 season before taking another step forward last year, recording 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in just 30 games.
That is a jump from 0.73 points per game to 0.93, an indication that L’Heureux was becoming increasingly productive at the AHL level. The question now is whether he can finally translate that offensive consistency to the NHL.
And perhaps just as intriguing for Colorado is the cost of finding out. L’Heureux is signed for the next two seasons at just a $875,000 annual cap hit, giving the Avalanche a former first-round pick with legitimate offensive upside and a physical edge without requiring a significant financial commitment. If he breaks out, the value of that contract could become enormous.
If he can put everything together, Colorado may have landed one of the sneakiest steals of the offseason.
Two decades after he played his final game for the Senators, Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara took his final shift on Friday.
Chara was the star of “Zee’s Final Shift," a final exhibition game to honour Chara's career. The game featured several former Senators and a lot of ex-Boston Bruins, the team he truly made his name with.
While he spent four good years with the Sens, it was 20 years ago this summer that he left Ottawa to sign with Boston, where he'd spend the next 14 years.
Friday's game was held at a rink named after former Senator Pavol Demitra in Chara’s hometown of Trencin, Slovakia. The evening closed with a lovely moment as Chara removed his skates at centre ice, left them on the faceoff dot, and walked off with his two twin sons, Zack and Ben.
The act was special for two reasons.
The biggest was the nod to his father, Zdenek, a Greco-Roman wrestler who competed for Czechoslovakia in the Olympics. When a wrestler removes their shoes and leaves them in the center of the mat or ring, it's a powerful symbol that their time in competitive wrestling is at an end.
Also, as every hockey fan knows, Chara literally leaves the game with some very big skates to fill.
His former Bruins teammates know that better than most. They lined up in tribute with an ad hoc tunnel for the Charas to walk through as they left the ice. Even without skates on, as he walked off in his socks, he was still taller than most of his friends.
The former Senators' content included Marian Hossa, Chris Kelly, Peter Bondra, and Radek Hamr.
Former and current Bruins taking part in the game included Patrice Bergeron, Ray Bourque, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference, Jaroslav Halak, Chris Kelly, Milan Lucic, Adam McQuaid, David Pastrnak, Mark Recchi, Michael Ryder, Dennis Seidenberg, Josef Stumpel, and Marco Sturm.
Other players involved the game were Peter Bondra, Petr Cech, Marian Gaborik, Radek Hamr, Michal Handzus, Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr, Tomas Kaberle, Anze Kopitar, Ziggy Palffy, Robert Reichel, Miroslav Satan, Andrej Sekera, Tomas Vanek, Jakub Voracek, and Aaron Ward.
The evening even included a hardest shot contest where Chara exactly matched his 2012 NHL All-Star record with a 108.8 mph slap shot, a super specific radar reading that would usually raise an eyebrow or two, but not on a night like this.
The building was filled with too much love to do anything but cheer.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 40 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #40. No active players currently wear the #40.
Let's take a look.
Bill Bowler - 2000-01 - Bowler was undrafted out of Toronto, CA.
Bowler played a total of 9 games for the Jackets during their inaugural season and had two points. He spent most of that year with the Syracuse Crunch and totaled 79 points in 72 games. In 2002, he spent one season in Germany before retiring.
Bowler has worked for the Windsor Spitfires as the VP of Hockey Operations and General Manager since 2019.
Brad Moran - 2001-04 - Moran was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 7th round of the 1998 NHL Draft.
The Jackets signed Moran as a free agent in 2000. He only played in 5 games as a Blue Jacket and had 2 points. He spent most of his time playing for the AHL Syracuse Crunch. In his final year with the Crunch in 2004-05, he played in 80 games and had 72 points.
Moran left for a second stint in Europe in 2011 and played the last six years of his career there. He would retire after playing two seasons in the EIHL in 2017.
Moran would be the GM and HC of the Calgary Canucks in the Alberta Junior Hockey League from 2018 to 2025. For the 25-26 season, Moran is signed on to be the Asst. Coach of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen.
Duvie Westcott - 2001-08 - Westcott was undrafted and signed by the CBJ in 2001.
Wescott played in 201 games for the Blue Jackets from 2001 to 2008. He scored 11 goals and totaled 56 points. Wescott was described as "a gritty defenseman with a solid all-around game. Has good passing ability and power play skills."
After playing for Columbus, Wescott went to Europe and played the next seven seasons in the KHL, DEL, and Swiss National League. He retired in 2015.
Fred Brathwaite - 2003-04 - Brathwaite was undrafted out of Ottawa, Canada.
Brathwaite played in 21 games for the Jackets in the 2003-04 season. He went 4-11-1 with an .897 SV %. After his year in Columbus, he bounced back and forth between North America and Europe. He didn't play from 2012 to 2020. He was hired by the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights as their goaltending coach in 2020, where he remains. At age 48, he dressed as a backup for Henderson when Logan Thompson was unavailable.
Jaroslav Balaštík - 2005-07 - Balaštík was drafted in the 6th round of the 2002 NHL Draft by Columbus.
Jaroslav Balaštík played in 74 career games for the CBJ. He scored 13 goals and totaled 24 points during his tenure. After his time with Columbus, he returned to his home country of Czechia, where he would play until 2015.
Jared Boll - 2007-16 - Boll was drafted in the 4th round of the 2005 NHL Draft.
Boll played in 518 games for the CBJ and totaled 62 points. He is #1 all-time in CBJ history with 1,195 PIMs and has 154 fights to his name.
Jared Boll was a big man in his playing days. Standing 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, there weren’t too many who would willingly step up to Boll. He was an old-school enforcer who would not hesitate to stand up for his teammates and take one on the chin if necessary. In his career, he fought the St Louis Blues more than any other team. He had four seasons where he had fight totals over 20, and there were a few seasons that were 15+. His most common opponent was Krys Bach (5), and he fought the likes of Paul Bissonnette (4), George Parros (4), and Clayton Stoner. Boll is the best enforcer the CBJ has ever had.
After retiring from the Anaheim Ducks, Boll returned to Columbus, where he is now an assistant coach.
Daniil Tarasov - 2021-25 - Tarasov was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
Tarasov started 61 games for Columbus during his tenure, going 19-34-6 with a SV% of .898. Used primarily as a backup, Tarasov's time in Columbus was generally looked at as a failure, but it was mainly due to injuries.
Unfortunately for Tarasov, he was stuck behind Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzļikins for a few years. While Merzļikins was struggling, he had every opportunity to grab the bull by the horns and take off, but he did not do that.
Last season, everything kind of came unglued for the young Russian. He was benched in favor of Jet Greaves on several occasions and even had to be sent to Cleveland on a conditioning assignment. Things were not going well. He ended last season with a SV% of .881.
On 26 June 2025, Tarasov was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft. The book on Daniil Tarasov in Columbus was finally over.
In 2026, Tarasov signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings.
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Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber has landed among the best right-shot defensemen in NHL 27.
EA Sports gave Faber an 88 overall rating, placing him seventh on its list of the game's 10 highest-rated right defensemen.
Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar leads the group with a 95 overall rating. Edmonton's Evan Bouchard follows at 91, while Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, Moritz Seider and Noah Dobson were each given an 89.
Faber comes in directly behind that group at 88 overall and is tied with Erik Karlsson and Ryan Pulock. New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce rounds out the top 10 at 87.
The rating continues Faber's rapid rise into the upper echelon of NHL defensemen.
Since entering the league with Minnesota, Faber has established himself as a major piece of the Wild's blue line and has been trusted with significant minutes and difficult matchups.
Now, Minnesota's defense features two players EA Sports considers among the best at their respective positions. Faber is seventh among right defensemen, while Quinn Hughes received a 95 overall rating and ranks second among left defensemen.
That gives the Wild one of the more impressive top-end defensive combinations in NHL 27.
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 21: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Fenway Park on August 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees had a tense affair to open their homestand against the Blue Jays, as Cam Schlittler wasn’t on his A-game and the offense got a couple across early before shutting down. Despite this, their Cy Young candidate managed to fight through and give them six innings of one-run ball and the crooked number they put up in the second would be enough to survive as they won their fifth straight game and continued to put pressure on their AL rivals to match them.
Tampa Bay Rays (76-52) 3, Baltimore Orioles (62-67) 5
After getting swept by the Yankees, the Orioles turned around and scrapped with the top team in the AL. Though the O’s were up 1-0 in the second inning, it looked like the Rays were going to keep them at bay with a three-run frame started by a Junior Caminero double and capped off by a Kenny piper two-run shot. However, that was all the offense the Rays would muster, and the Orioles were far from out of it.
Baltimore’s comeback started right away in the bottom of the second with a Dylan Beavers solo shot, but a couple of one-two-three innings afterwards kept the score in Tampa’s favor. Freddy Peralta started off the fifth by plunking Coby Mayo though, and from there the wheels fell off. Colton Cowser singled and a throwing error brought the runners both into scoring position. After a strikeout brought in the first out, Jackson Holliday lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game at three. Now an out away from escaping, Peralta faced Pete Alonso and gave him a 2-2 fastball low but down the middle. The Polar Bear punished it, driving the ball 443 feet to left.
Trevor Rogers held things down once his team got him the lead back, lasting seven innings without any more incidents, and Andrew Kittredge and Rico Garcia pitched through the eighth and ninth without incident. Tampa’s loss coupled with the Yankees’ win cuts the deficit in the AL East to just three games after the little hot streak that New York has built, and getting help from the team you just beat has got to feel great.
Other Games
Boston Red Sox (69-59) 6, San Francisco Giants (52-76) 4: Rafael Devers was traded away in an early midseason move last year, and though he played against his former team quite quickly afterwards that was out in San Fran. This was his trip back to Fenway since the deal, and there was a decent mix of cheering and boos for the former star of the team. Unfortunately for him, the Giants lost his potential revenge homecoming as Logan Webb fell apart in the third inning. Willson Contreras launched a three-run homer with two outs to give Boston the lead, Webb gave up a couple of singles to continue the rally, and then he completely lost the zone sandwiching a walk to Andruw Monasterio around a pair of hit by pitches to push across two more runs. The five spot was enough to survive the Giants’ comeback attempt, though Devers managed to get something for himself as he ripped a solo homer in the fourth inning.
Chicago White Sox (67-61) 6, New York Mets (58-71) 4: The Mets were cruising in this game, up 4-0 after five thanks to a Brett Baty two-run shot and a Bo Bichette solo homer, but the White Sox woke up in the sixth facing Sean Manaea. A trio of homers from Miguel Vargas, Randal Grichuk, and Colson Montgomery tied the game up at four, and that score held until the ninth when Jefry Yan entered to try and bring it to extras. Yan walked Montgomery on six pitches, though he thought he’d gotten him to strikeout twice and did his signature hop off the mound each time. Montgomery got bunted over to second and advanced to third on a groundout bringing Jake Rogers up down to their last out. Rogers got a hold of an 0-1 fastball and drove it just over the reach of center fielder A.J. Ewing for the walk-off two-run blast.
Those of you who have been around the site for a number of years may remember when our own Jake Devin coined the AL Central Rock Fight title for when we had to cover the division’s many inept but still contending teams. With the way that the third Wild Card has developed this year with multiple teams under .500 competing for it, perhaps its time for a reprisal. We’ll give each of these teams a short summary while they try to scramble out of the muck, and if anyone out West wants to pull away with their division a bit they would be welcomed out of the fracas as well.
Houston Astros (65-64) 4, Athletics (49-80) 0: Let’s start with the Astros, who have been flirting with .500 for a while but have pulled their head above water with this win. Hayden Wesneski gave the ‘Stros five one-hit innings and the bullpen carried his work over, four relievers combining to allow two base hits the rest of the way. A pair of RBI doubles from Yordan Alvarez as well as an Isaac Paredes RBI double and a Christian Walker sac fly were more than enough to give Houston the lead, handing the A’s their league-worst 80th loss.
Texas Rangers (64-65) 2, Los Angeles Angels (51-78) 1 (10 innings): A scoreless game through nine was finally broken up by the Manfred runner, Denzer Guzman leading off the top of the 10th with an RBI double (just the third hit all game for the Angels). The Rangers’ similarly inept offense responded in the bottom half with an RBI double from Wyatt Langford, and then after an intentional walk Ezequiel Duran singled through the left side to walk it off for Texas.
Minnesota Twins (63-66) 2, San Diego Padres (69-60) 6: The Padres jumped ahead 2-0 after a Ty France two-run blast in the first, but coughed that up in the fourth when Kody Clemens tripled in a pair. The home run was the last hit Minnesota would get all game, as Randy Vasquez buckled down for seven strong innings and the Padres rallied for four runs in the fifth on a procession of four singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly.
Cleveland Guardians (63-66) 9, Colorado Rockies (50-78) 1: The Rockies briefly held a 1-0 lead after Willi Castro knocked a run across in the first, but it was all Cleveland from there. Petey Halpin tied it up with a solo shot in the third, Travis Bazzana gave them the lead with a two-run single in the fourth, and Patrick Bailey put it out of reach with his three-run homer in the seventh inning.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 26: Reynaldo López #40 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo López is ramping back up and is set to make a rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. López landed on the injured list on July 30 with inflammation in his left knee; fortunately, his MRI did not reveal any structural damage.
The hurler has had a subpar year for Atlanta. Through 24 games, he’s recorded four wins and posted a 3.64 ERA. He’s fanned 66 through 71.2 innings.
If all goes well, López could soon rejoin Atlanta’s pitching staff and provide a boost down the stretch. Sunday’s outing should give the Braves a better idea of how close he is to returning.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Franklin Arias #19 of the Boston Red Sox bats during the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The WooSox didn’t get much offense in Syracuse (Mets AAA) and, as a result, got walked off with two outs. But it shouldn’t have even gotten to that point since they were getting outhit 11-3, so there’s some people on the squad we need to tip our caps to. Blake Wehunt didnt’ quite make it five innings but kept all but one run off the board despite allowing seven total baserunners. Allen Castro drove a late run in to make this a tie game in the 9th, and Franklin Arias and Romy Gonzalez hit doubles; Arias’ scored a pair of runs.
Don’t look now, but Arias already has 22 RBIs since his call up to Triple-A a month ago, and his total in 2026 sits at 74. That’s a good season by any account, but keep in mind that Arias batted first for a lot of his time in Double-A so that total might be even higher if he wasn’t hitting so many solo shots to start the game. That he’s consistently been the youngest at his level and hasn’t gone more than three days before finding a groove are very, very good signs going forward (as in, after the lockout, in this writer’s humble opinion.) Still, Arias is slashing .291/.357/.488(!) in a sample size that is growing bigger and bigger against guys who are getting better and better. And maybe, just maybe, it was all part of Breslow’s plan to waltz straight from the Trevor Story (0-4, 2 K’s on Friday) contract into Franklin Arias mowing down big league pitching. (And it was just how he drew it up, even down to Andruw Monasterio playing so well this year, right?)
Yes, it was Roman Anthony rehab night against the Fightin Phils (Phillies AA.) Yes, he drove in a run, his third in as many games. Devin Futrell also had a good night on the mound and shoved through six innings even after allowing a first-run home run, displaying a line that could have been plenty enough to take a decision win with a bit more pop at the plate: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
But the real story of the night – aside from Anthony getting closer to beign back with the big league club just in time to be one of the team’s “September call-ups” – has got to be how good Justin Gonzales has looked in general this year, but especially since his promotion to Double-A. He hit a triple and his OPS stands at over 1. These are numbers that folks made a big deal out of when Arias started the season hot this year, and there’s reason to believe that it’s time to pay attention to the outfielder, who won’t turn 20 until New Years Eve.
Greenville: PPD in 3rd, Make-Up Today
I will not jinx the Drive into saying they might be able to sleepwalk into a win Saturday following a rain delay in which they had a lead. The last time I did that, they sweated out a 7-run performance in the remaining innings and gutted a win out by the skin of their teeth. What I will say is that it’s looking good in the third against Winston-Salem (White Sox High-A.) “First” pitch of the double-header is today at 4:30.
I think it may be time to have a look at Franklin Primera at the High-A level until the season ends. The 19-year-old catcher is hitting .344/.484/.536 in 35 games, which is a decisively small sample size, but he’s got it at the plate. He added two more hits off the Warbirds (Brewers A) staff Friday in the DH slot as the other guy on the club catching, Adonys Guzman, also went 2-for-4 with a home run. The RidgeYaks were fighting an uphill battle all night, though, as they found themselves down 7-0 after two. They were able to make the deficit two, but that’s as close as it got.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 22: (L-R) Kyle Tucker #23, Andy Pages #44, and Teoscar Hernandez #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers stand in the outfield during a pitching change in the sixth inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Among the 122 major league outfielders with at least 200 plate appearances entering Friday, Teoscar Hernández (.250/.313/.401, 97 wRC+, 0.4 fWAR) and Kyle Tucker (.232/.327/.368, 95 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR) ranked 87thand 94th, respectively in FanGraphs WAR.
With the Dodgers getting such little production offensively and defensively from the corner outfield this season, calling up one of their many productive minor league outfielders seems more and more appealing by the day.
The fine folks at FanGraphs introduced a new feature this week: the count progression tool. “This tool isn’t meant to completely explain shifts in walk and strikeout rates,” wrote Ben Clemens, “but I think it’s a great way to help investigate the ways the game is changing.”
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 21: Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers during the game at American Airlines Center on March 21, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Klay Thompson was ultimately reduced to a status ill-fitting with his Hall of Fame career. At the end, Thompson became an asset that the Mavericks couldn’t get anything for.
But the primary reason the Mavericks found it so difficult to find a trade partner in a deal for Thompson, which would have reportedly been the team’s preference, is, you guessed it. The NBA salary cap. To those familiar with cap-related intricacies, that’s obvious, but let’s go over the confluence of salary cap factors that contributed to the Mavs finally throwing their hands in the air and letting Thompson get away and go to Miami in return for a big wad of nothing.
Why would the Mavericks buy Thompson out?
On an expiring deal and with still with at least a little something still in the tank, you’d think Thompson would still hold at least some minute shard of value on the trade market. But going into his 14th season, he was never going to be a piece of any team’s long-term build. He was only ever going to attract attention from teams who felt like they were one player away from contending or competing for something meaningful.
The final year of his deal with the Mavericks was worth $17.5 million. Just two months before the start of the season, the number of teams that fit that bill is relatively small. The number of teams that fit that bill and also have enough cap space to absorb $17.5 million in exchange for what they view as Thompson’s worth is even smaller. The kinds of teams that would have an interest in Thompson would also, by definition, already be approaching the cap or the first apron hard cap.
Enter the Miami Heat. Murmurs centered on the idea of forward Nikola Jovic being packaged in a creative way and coming back to Dallas were just that. Even though the youngster makes similar money to Thompson, the Heat would never have done a deal sending Jovic to Dallas, especially after emptying the cupboard of most of their young talent in trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.
But wishcasting creative trade scenarios misses the most obvious point here. With Thompson on the roster, the Mavericks were at 16 players with guaranteed contracts. You can’t ride into the season with 16 on the roster. Sending Thompson out and getting one player back was never really an option for Dallas.
An NBA team usually only buys a player out if it’s the last available option. We had reached that point here.
You mean they couldn’t get anything for him?
Not in terms of players coming back, no. So, ok. What about the ever-popular four-team Stretch Armstrong trade machine idea you just cooked up in your NBA Galaxy Brain? That would require finding that many teams interested in participating, each with something to gain and each with the cap room to make the Galaxy Brain deal work.
We’ve already established that the number of teams with wiggle room in late August under the highly restrictive cap system the NBA employs is a very small one.
Not even like a second-round draft pick?
Count me among the many who would have taken even one solitary future second-round draft pick to get off of Thompson’s contract, but doing one player for one draft pick is just as impossible, as it would require the team taking Thompson to have $17.5 million to work with under whatever rung of salary cap hell it was willing to exist in.
Again, a team looking to contend in 2026-27 by definition probably does not have $17.5 million of loose change to spare in late August. They have spent it all to field a team that the front office thinks is a winner. And, again, bringing more teams into the equation makes it less possible, not more, at this point.
Mavericks’ salary cap implications for 2026-27
Before buying Thompson out of the last year of his deal, the Mavericks sat roughly $2.2 million under the luxury tax line, which is set at $200 million and change. If Thompson signs the two-year, $13-million deal reported by multiple outlets, Dallas’ salary on the books for the 2026-27 season would decrease further between $3.9 million and $6.5 million. Thompson cannot be officially signed until Sunday, 48 hours after the buyout is completed.
They would still be operating over the soft cap of $164.961 million, but under both aprons and under the luxury tax, just as they were before the buyout. It’s a convoluted way of saying that the move really doesn’t do a whole lot other than put at least $3.9 million back into the pockets of the Adelson-Dumont Regime. Which, when you think about it, isn’t that what basketball is all about? It couldn’t have happened to a better bunch of folks, am I right?
The Mavericks put themselves in this position by assembling all sorts of questionable assets during Nico Harrison’s tenure as general manager and by being unable to dump all of what needed to be dumped. Getting nothing of value and liking it in exchange for a player like Thompson is one of the remnants of that calculus.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 24: General manager Jon Horst of the Milwaukee Bucks speaks to the media about the dismissal of head coach Adrian Griffin prior to a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum on January 24, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello Brew Hoopers. Today we have a fan post from Rick Berry. Rick sent us this really interesting article, and we wanted to spotlight it on the site because he clearly put a lot of effort into it. Fan posts are somewhat a thing of the past on BH due to logistical issues—The Feed is really the only spot to present any takes you may have—but due to this article’s size and the fact that it includes tables, it could really only be published in an “official post” (along with the fact that, as I alluded to, it’s a great read). And again, not to be a negative Nancy, but we do need to reiterate that—purely for logistical reasons—this can’t become a trend.
Take it away, Rick!
In response to Jack Trehearne’s post in The Feed that MarJon Beauchamp would be playing overseas, R984 wrote “Horst must have a record for high picks to out-of-the-nba pipeline… it’s like every player is bad, but I would be shocked if many other long-tenured GMs have so many guys who are so bad they’re out of the league in 6 years as top-35 type picks.” To quote Bucks insider Eric Nehm, “I found this question fascinating”: who are the biggest losers when it comes to first-round drafting? So fascinating that I literally got out of bed and fired up my computer. Humans are weird.
Thankfully for us, Mitchell Maurer (who I thought was long retired) provided a comprehensive response detailing the Bucks’ recent first-round pick history, which I will rip off here.
2014 – Jabari Parker (8 NBA seasons)
2015 – Rashad Vaughn (3 NBA seasons before going overseas)
2016 – Thon Maker (5 NBA seasons before going overseas)
2017 – DJ Wilson (5 NBA seasons before going overseas, then he came back for two games so technically he’s got six logged)
2018 – Donte DiVincenzo (8 NBA seasons, obviously not a bust at all)
2019 – n/a (technically Kevin Porter Jr., but he was traded)
2020 – n/a (technically RJ Hampton, but he was traded)
2021 – n/a (no first round pick)
2022 – MarJon Beauchamp (4 NBA seasons, clearly an overseas guy now)
2023 – n/a (no first round pick)
2024 – AJ Johnson (obviously still young but he’s barely hanging on in the league… after getting drafted as an overseas player!)
2025 – n/a (no first round pick)
2026 – Brayden Burries is obviously a future All-Star so I think we’re good.
To assess which teams and GMs have been the worst first-round drafters, I created a population of players who have played ≤ 4 years in the league since their draft, spanning the draft years from 2014 to 2022. For lottery picks, I extended the years played to 6 years with the assumption that they may get a second deal based primarily on draft position (or perceived potential).
Team
Player
NBA years
Pick
Draft
Notes
ATL
Adreian Payne
4
15
2014
Murdered in 2022
BOS
James Young
4
17
2014
Herd alum, last played for the Ipswich Force of the NBL1 North
LAC
CJ Wilcox
3
28
2014
Retired in 2020, from what I can tell.
MEM
Jordan Adams
2
22
2014
Last played with Dewa United Banten of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL)
CHA
PJ Hairston
2
26
2014
May have played in Spain
OKC
Mitch McGary
2
21
2014
Retired after two years to try being a pro bowler
OKC
Josh Huestis
3
29
2014
Retired?
PHO
Tyler Ennis
4
18
2014
Playing with Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Ligat HaAl and the EuroLeague
SAC
Nik Stauskas
5
8
2014
Came back for a year with MIA
BOS
RJ Hunter
4
28
2015
Coaching at Tulane, only 45 GP in NBA
BRK
Chris McCullough
3
29
2015
Playing with Vaqueros de Bayamón of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN)
DEN
Emmanuel Mudiay
6
7
2015
Playing with Piratas de Quebradillas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN)
HOU
Sam Dekker
5
18
2015
Coaching at South Carolina
MEM
Jarell Martin
4
25
2015
Playing with Koshigaya Alphas of the Japanese B.League
MIL
Rashad Vaughn
3
17
2015
Playing with Kesatria Bengawan Solo of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL)
ORL
Mario Hezonja
5
5
2015
Back with the Cavs
SAS
Nikola Milutinov
0
26
2015
Playing with Olympiacos of the Greek Basketball League (GBL)
NYK
Jerian Grant
5
19
2015
Playing with Panathinaikos of the Greek Basketball League (GBL)
BOS
Guerschon Yabusele
4
16
2016
Back with Panathinaikos
BOS
Ante Zizic
3
23
2016
Playing for Beşiktaş of the Basketbol Süper Ligi
CHA
Malachi Richardson
3
22
2016
Last played for the Astros de Jalisco of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP)
LAC
Brice Johnson
2
25
2016
Last played with the Nelson Giants of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL)
MEM
Wade Baldwin
3
17
2016
Playing with Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroLeague
MIL
Thon Maker
5
10
2016
Playing with Al-Ula of the Saudi Basketball League
PHO
Dragan Bender
4
4
2016
Retired
SAC
Georgios Papagiannis
2
13
2016
Playing with Anadolu Efes of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL)
PHO
Marquese Chriss
6
8
2016
Playing with Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)
MIN
Justin Patton
4
16
2017
Last played for the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
IND
TJ Leaf
4
18
2017
Playing with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague
OKC
Terrance Ferguson
4
21
2017
Last played for Bashkimi Prizren
PHI
Anzejs Pasecniks
2
25
2017
Playing with Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL)
PHO
Josh Jackson
5
4
2017
Retired?
SAC
Harry Giles
4
20
2017
Playing with Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)
POR
Caleb Swanigan
3
26
2017
Editor’s note: Swanigan passed away in 2022.
DEN
Tyler Lyson
2
24
2017
Retired?
ATL
Omari Spellman
2
30
2018
Last played for Beijing Ducks
BRK
Dzanan Musa
2
29
2018
Playing with Dubai Basketball of the ABA League and the EuroLeague.
CHI
Chandler Hutchison
4
22
2018
Retired in ’22, then unretired to be in G League.
GSW
Jacob Evans
2
28
2018
Last played for Pardubice of the Slovak Basketball League
LAC
Jerome Robinson
4
13
2018
Playing with Galatasaray of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL)
PHI
Zhaire Smith
2
16
2018
Allergic to sesame, in G League
BOS
Romeo Langford
4
14
2019
Last played for BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque of the French LNB Élite
LAC
Mfiondu Kabengele
3
27
2019
Playing with Dubai Basketball of the ABA League and EuroLeague
CLE
Dylan Windler
4
26
2019
Playing with Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL)
DET
Sekou Doumbouya
3
15
2019
Playing with Koshigaya Alphas of the B.League
MIN
Jarrett Culver
4
6
2019
Last played with Sendai 89ers of the B.League
SAS
Luka Samanic
4
19
2019
Playing with UNICS Kazan of the VTB United League
GSW
James Wiseman
5
2
2020
Close enough
DEN
RJ Hampton
4
24
2020
Playing with Changsha Yongsheng of the National Basketball League in China
NOP
Kira Lewis Jr.
4
13
2020
With Herd (same thing)
MIN
Leandro Bolmaro
2
23
2020
Playing with Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA)
OKC
Aleksej Pokusevski
4
17
2020
Playing with Lokomotiv Kuban of the VTB United League
UTA
Udoka Azubuike
4
27
2020
Playing with Ironi Ness Ziona of the Israeli Ligat HaAl
CHA
James Bouknight
3
11
2021
Mexico City Capitanes of the NBA G League; day drinker
HOU
Usman Garuba
3
23
2021
Playing with Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague
HOU
Josh Christopher
3
24
2021
Playing with Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)
IND
Chris Duarte
4
13
2021
Playing with Saski Baskonia of the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague
CHA
Kai Jones
3
19
2021
Playing with Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL)
LAC
Keon Johnson
4
21
2021
G Leaguer for life
PHI
Jaden Springer
4
28
2021
G Leaguer for life
SAS
Josh Primo
3
12
2021
Still trying to get more exposure
ATL
AJ Griffin
2
16
2022
Playing for Jesus now
GSW
Patrick Baldwin Jr.
4
28
2022
Playing with Crvena zvezda of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), the ABA League, and the EuroLeague
MEM
TyTy Washington
4
29
2022
G Leaguer for life, probably headed to France
MIL
MarJon Beauchamp
4
24
2022
Playing with Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL)
WAS
Johnny Davis
3
10
2022
Playing with Körfez Basket of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL)
There are 66 total players meeting this criteria. The teams that appear most on this list have five players (BOS, LAC). Unfortunately, with something like draft pick ‘bustiness’ it’s hard to assess something like “which pick is worse.” To aid in this analysis, I’ve developed what I call the D.O.P.E. (Doesn’t Offer Pick Excellence) Index.
The index is constructed of a mathematically balanced, statistically significant, calorie-neutral scoring system consisting of the following:
Years in NBA before leaving: 5 pts (≤ 1 yr), 3 pts (2-3 yrs), 2 pts (4 yrs), 1 pt (> 4yrs)
Narrative Adjustment: Zhaire Smith: -8 pts for sesame allergy, and James Wiseman: +3 for screwing up GSW’s “2 timelines”
After hours of computation, the DOPE Index shows that Jon Horst and the Bucks are at least 13th best at launching first-round picks into the sun. This is underestimating Horst since it doesn’t include AJ Johnson, who I consider his worst first-round pick, and projects to be a ~12 DOPE.
Rank
Team
DOPE
1
PHO
40
2
LAC
37
3
BOS
35
4
SAS
31
5
CHA
31
6
MEM
30
7
MIN
28
8
SAC
27
9
OKC
26
10
GSW
26
11
ATL
25
12
DEN
21
13
MIL
19
This result is a bit surprising. Phoenix’s draft record from 2014-2017 is powerfully bad, despite getting Devin Booker in 2015. Here’s a dog’s breakfast of early first-round misses:
Tyler Ennis (2014; 18th overall)
Dragan Bender (2016; 4th)
Marquese Chriss (2016; 8th)
Josh Jackson (2017; 4th)
But what about Devin Booker? The DOPE Index is more a measure of a GM’s lowlight reel and isn’t sufficient to gauge overall draft prowess. Acknowledging the hits is a necessary part of this exercise. Enter SPLORT (Superior Picking by Luck OR Talent). SPLORT is another point-based index with 15 pts for a future HoFer/franchise cornerstone, 8 pts for an All-Star/award winner, 4 pts for a starter, and 2 pts for a rotational guy.
I pulled the SPLORT for each of the 13 teams listed above.
Team
SPLORT
BOS
58
MIN
46
PHO
39
SAS
36
ATL
34
OKC
34
SAC
29
MEM
26
DEN
24
CHA
24
LAC
15
GSW
14
MIL
8
Unfortunately, this is where the Bucks distinguish themselves, getting SPLORT contributions from only Jabari and Donte in the Giannis era. Other notables from the SPLORT review include
Boston dominates with their picks of the Jays and Smart, but also gets a bunch of rotational pieces: Pritchard, Time Lord, Grant Williams, Nesmith, and Rozier.
The run of late first success that SAS is truly inspiring: Kyle Anderson (2014; 30th), Dejounte Murray (2016; 29th), Derrick White (2017; 29th), and Keldon Johnson (2019; 29th).
To get a more complete picture of draft performance, I combined the DOPE Index with SPLORT to create the Effective DOPE Index (eDOPE). This is where a more familiar narrative appears.
Team
eDOPE
LAC
22
GSW
12
MIL
11
CHA
7
MEM
4
PHO
1
SAC
-2
DEN
-3
SAS
-5
OKC
-8
ATL
-9
MIN
-18
BOS
-23
Personally, I expected MIL to rank higher, but some of that is due to the time range (2014-2022) and excluding AJ Johnson. Additionally, GSW may be unfairly punished by the Narrative Adjustment I made for their Wiseman pick. While Wiseman did fold the “two Timelines,” that draft was rough on top-end talent. In hindsight, the best non-Ant picks were at 12 (Haliburton) and 21 (Maxey), though just having LaMelo would’ve probably produced a far better outcome than Wiseman.
In conclusion, R984 is likely correct that Jon Horst is the longest-tenured first-round draft disaster, with hopes that Brayden Burries will drag his moribund track record out of the bottom five. Some teams have been comparable, but they’ve also either let their GM go or succeeded in other ways. Outside of Horst, nobody has been this bad in the first round and lived to tell the tale.
Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week, the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — gives their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: Dillon Brooks recently said that he’s working on his passing this summer (at the request of Brian Gregory). What are your thoughts on this?
zenzino: Hallelujah!
I’ve been pretty upfront about criticizing Brooks’ passing (or lack thereof) during game threads last season and other discussions. During the press conference, Brooks chuckled when he said that BG wanted him to work on his passing (as well as getting back to spot-up threes). He knows. That’s definitely a part of his game he needs to get better at.
On a side note (aka, ‘I told you!’), this came from Brian Gregory, not Jordan Ott (though I’m sure he agrees). During the playoffs, I maintained that JO’s decision not to play the rookies was not just a JO decision. If it was happening, that means BG and MI were on board with it, too. BG is super involved in all these aspects, and BG telling Brooks what he wants him to work on is proof of that, in my mind.
Ashton: I read this question and immediately reached for the rolling eye emoji. How was BG involved in this discussion outside of nice-to-have skills when discussing his contract extension? This is a coach’s strategy that usually involves free-flowing basketball movement. I am down with that! I like that offensive style.
But Brooks has never shown the propensity to pass the ball. His style is typically downhill, and I seriously doubt that he can improve in that area over the summer, when it was never his area to begin with. I doubt “Dillion the Villon” is going to become “Dillion the Saint” that passes the ball out to his open playmakers (Book and Green) at the expense of passing lip to the opposing defender. Nah, I will believe it when I see it, but for me, this is exactly that – lip service.
OldAz: There was a story a couple years ago about a player, let’s call him “Schmadley Schmeal”, that was approached by the coach and asked to take a more defensive minded approach to the game as it might benefit the team. Schmadley did not like this, and things spiraled downward from there. This story is the exact opposite of that.
I love that the player is not only acknowledging the constructive feedback they received from the general manager, but acknowledging they are working on that area of their game, presumably for the betterment of the team. That being said, working on being a better passer and being willing or actually doing it during game situations are entirely different things. Hopefully, we see growth from Brooks in this area as the Suns are always better when the team on the floor plays unselfishly and passes around for the best shot.
Rod: I’m all for Brooks improving in this area and, especially, admitting that he needs to improve there. His assist numbers last season ranked him at 8th on the team per game and 14th per 36 and per 100 possessions (behind Isaiah Livers!). There were times that he needed to concentrate on scoring first, but I think it’s best for the team if that’s not his mindset and he focuses more on moving the ball around this season. For the Suns’ offense to work at its best, ball movement is a necessity, and he must be a part of that.
Q: As Khaman Maluach has proven that he can hit three-point shots at a reasonable percentage in Summer League (40% on 5 3PAs per game), should Jordan Ott experiment with him playing at PF with Williams or Ighodaro at center this year?
zenzino: Hells yeah!
Why not? Try everything. Experiment like crazy. Be a mad scientist.
It’s a small sample size, but very encouraging. Unlike most of SL play, I don’t think 3-point shooting is as affected by the level of competition. Meaning, that’s one thing from SL that can more easily translate.
I also don’t think Man Man needs to be at the 4 to put them up. If the opposing team has a rim protector (Wemby, Holmgren) and our 7-footer starts raining 3s, he’ll have to come out and guard Man Man and open up the lane.
Even without the 3s, I’d love to see some lineups with Oso & MW and Oso & Man Man. I’m not sure MW & Man Man would be the right duo.
Ashton: I would never say no to anyone who can shoot 40 percent of their 3-point shots against inferior defenses. Heck, try KM at SF or SG off the bench to give him some minutes. It will have opposing defenses scratching their heads.
My only concern is that I see KM as a center, and I would rather not take him out of the flow of that role. Also, keep in mind that KM shoots 25% at Duke from downtown. Yes, players can improve year over year, but he was never recognized as a three-point shooter in his early career. If Coach Ott wants to employ a two-headed monster on offense specifically designed for rebounding and paint points, then no problem pairing him as a PF with Williams or Oso. On the defensive end, more rim protection is always good, but can he switch or defend the three?
His three-point shooting percentages or attempts are probably the last thing I am concerned with.
OldAz: I absolutely think this would be a great idea, especially when paired with Oso. KM’s shooting and developing rim protection make him a great candidate to play cross-positionally, allowing Oso to facilitate on offense from the center position while not having to guard the center on defense. Well, I don’t know if it would truly work. It is an intriguing combination to play with and see how it forces the other team to match up. KMs shooting from outside certainly seems to make his overall game very complementary to what Oso can bring. If this works, it also opens up minutes for Oso that would not otherwise be available given his limited shooting ability.
Rod: I’d love to see it tried, at least for small stretches. And Khaman’s ability to make threes isn’t really the reason why; that just gives him more credibility playing PF. The defensive end of the court is where I’d be most interested in seeing how it works. Mostly, it might just be an answer to improving the Suns’ defensive rebounding (which was a pitiful 29th last season).
As Khaman is still learning, I would be a little concerned that playing him at PF this early might be a little confusing for him at times, as he has to remember how to execute plays for two different positions rather than just one. Even a split second of indecision can make the difference between a great play and a blown possession.
Q3: The Suns’ preseason games begin on October 5, just a little over 6 weeks from now. Which players are you most interested in watching during those games?
zenzino: Six weeks?! How can the off-season seem so short and so long at the same time?
What I really want to see this preseason is the Suns playing the ‘regular’ lineups for most of the games. Even more than last season, every game counts, and I’d like to see them hit the ground running when the season starts.
Even though the team is mostly the same, Bridges in place of Royce and GA is a huge difference in the style of play. There are definitely things that will need to be worked out and adjustments made.
But alas, preseason is usually a step up from Summer League, with starters getting a few reps but mostly kept in reserve. However, full NBA at 50% is definitely a step up from SL, so getting the young guys out there to see what they can do against other veteran role players will be interesting.
We know what most of these guys can do. I guess I’m most interested in seeing how the starters can gel and whether Man Man, Sheer, and Koa can continue what they started in SL.
Ashton: Um…all of them? I am really more of a scheme guy and want to see what Ott cooks up. How do the starters mesh with Miles Bridges would be at the top of my list. Which players are first off the bench? Which players show the most understanding in a defensive line-up? And this whole line-up depth thing I keep reading about? Seems to me a lot of players will be getting some run. But Rod is usually oddly specific about these questions, and I will have to list some players. Let’s give it to the new guys, recent transactions, two-ways, and rookies.
Miles Bridges Luke Kennard Pat Spencer Koa Peat I guess Haywood Highsmith fits in this category
I think this question will receive many different answers, but I am always looking for the next diamond in the rough.
OldAz: I am still most interested in watching Fleming and KM. The second-year players appear ready to make a jump and contribute significantly, and bring the length and athleticism I have been looking for for many years as a Suns fan. Beyond that, it’s just preseason, so it will be good to see basketball again, but it will quickly fade into impatience, waiting for the real season to start.
Rod: The number one thing for me is seeing how well Miles Bridges fits into the starting lineup. Secondary to that is seeing how well Luke Kennard fits into things. I think he’s a great addition to the team, but I’m curious to see just how Ott will fit him into the Suns’ rotation. And Ott’s player rotation is what I’m actually more interested in seeing than individual players. This team is deep enough that a 12-man rotation wouldn’t be out of the question, although coaches generally stick to 9/10 man rotations while the game is still in question.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Suns Trivia/History
On August 25, 1976, the Suns acquired Tom Van Arsdale, the twin brother of “The Original Sun” Dick Van Arsdale, from the Buffalo Braves for a 1977 second-round pick and cash. It was the first time an NBA team had a set of twins on the same roster.
On August 25, 2005, on the same day the Suns extended head coach Mike D’Antoni through 2009 following a trip to the Western Conference Finals, they acquired small forward (and future Suns GM) James Jones in a sign-and-trade with the Indiana Pacers. Jones signed a four-year, $11.1 million deal, with the fourth year a player option.
On August 26, 1976, after playing only 39 minutes in 1975-76, 31-year-old guard John Wetzel retired from the NBA and returned to school at Virginia Tech. He was the first player in franchise history to retire as a member of the Suns. Wetzel would eventually return to Phoenix as an assistant coach in 1979 and become the team’s 7th head coach in 1987. His time as HC with the Suns would be limited to just one season as the team went 28-54 under him and missed the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year. At the time, the team’s 28-54 (.341) record was the second-worst in team history and would retain that dubious distinction until the 2012-13 season, when the Suns went 25-57 (.305).
On August 27, 1968, in the franchise’s first-ever trade, the Suns acquired a 1969 2nd-round draft pick from the Boston Celtics for expansion-draft pick Emmette Bryant. “Em” had previously been with the Knicks, desired to stay in the East and refused to play for the expansion Suns.
On August 28, 1984, the Suns played their first-ever overseas exhibition game (part of a tournament that included Maccabi Tel Aviv and the New Jersey Nets) and defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv 111-91 in game one at Yad Eliyahu Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel. The following day, they would lose to Macabi Tel Aviv 113-98. The Suns would also later play in a tournament in Italy (in early September) and wind up playing a total of 5 overseas exhibition games in 1984, going 4-1 overall.
Important Future Dates
Sept. 28 – Media Day Sept. 29 – Training Camp opens Oct. 5 – Suns @ Pistons (preseason) 4:00 PM Oct. 7 – Suns @ Bulls (preseason) 5:00 PM Oct. 10 – Suns vs. Spurs (preseason) 7:00 PM Oct. 14 – Suns @ Spurs (preseason) 5:00 PM Oct. 16 – Suns vs. Jazz (preseason) 7:00 PM Oct. 20 – 2026-27 NBA Season Begins Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star 2027
Wild's Brock Faber Gets Huge Recognition In NHL 27 RankingsEA Sports rewards the Minnesota standout’s rapid ascent, slotting the young blueliner alongside elite company like Cale Makar in a star-studded countdown of the game's premier defenders.
