Feb 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks the ball during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Spurs outlasted another short-handed opponent for their second win in a row. Victor Wembanyama led the team with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Harrison Barnes contributed 19 points, and De’Aaron Fox scored 17, while Stephon Castle chipped in 18 off the bench.
Congratulations to De’Aaron Fox on his 900th career 3. Here’s to 900 more and all hopefully with the Silver and Black.
OK Carter Bryant, I was not familiar with your game. Apparently the rookie has been grinding tape of Chris Paul lobs. Speaking of which, CP3 is going to be a Spur right? I mean the good guys are the second seed in a stacked West, and maybe they could use the depth, basketball wisdom, and veteran presence—he’ll bring the same tenacity and accountability that the Clippers wanted no part of?
Discuss amongst yourselves. I’ll throw in a second subject to discuss: For the sake of random chaos, let’s bring back those synthetic basketballs the NBA tried to use 10 years ago and then subsequently ditched to go back to the old leather balls because the players complained (reasonably so) that it tore up their hands like paper cuts.
On Thursday night, you cannot stop Cooper Flagg, you can only hope to contain him. Dylan Harper did his best with this fresh and so clean block on the rookie big man. While Flagg has the unenviable task of shouldering the Mavericks franchise in the aftermath of Luka Doncic’s trade to L.A. and Anthony Davis’s trade to Washington, Dylan Harper has been afforded every opportunity to grow and develop his game with the Spurs.
The participants for the 2026 3-Point Contest have not been finalized with only Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel being the first confirmed player. To that point, I think we’re all waiting for Wembanyama’s invite. He could just casually step over each cart after coolly draining threes from each area behind the arc. I’m rather interested in him creatively finding a way to gain an advantage only for officials to step in and declare it “illegal,” similar to last year’s skills contest with Chris Paul.
You cannot spell so efficient planchettes without Stephon Castle. But you don’t need a Ouija board to have the clairvoyance to know that Castle made the most of his 21 minutes off the bench, scoring 18 points, pulling down 7 boards, dishing out 6 assists, and swiping 3 steals.
A quietly dominant performance from Stephon Castle who came in off the bench for San Antonio (something Mitch Johnson was likely a one-off thing as teammates get healthy).
• Game-high +27 in 22 minutes • 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists • 61.5% shooting from the field
If you wonder how Castle could be so efficient in so little minutes, it’s due to plays like this where he has a steal and an assist in under 10 seconds flat.
Castle smartly turned down the invitation to reappear in the Slam Dunk Contest because you know they’re just going to unearth Mac McClung from the depths of space to come rumbling in at the last minute in front of a panel of biased and misguided judges? Yeah, I said it and am still salty over last year’s snub for Castle.
Which bears a legitimate thought exercise: The NBA should not announce who is participating in the dunk contest. What if we turned the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest into an unhinged, chock full of surprise, pro wrestling-style extravaganza? Imagine an over exuberant Kevin Harlan on his 5th cup of espresso losing his mind when he sees a mystery player come down the ramp, “OH MY GOODNESS I CANNOT BELIEVE IT . . . IT’S . . . ANTHONY EDWARDS!! AND HE’S WEARING A CAPE!! WHY DID HE JUST HIT RUDY GOBERT HIS OWN TEAMMATE IN THE BACK WITH A METAL CHAIR? WHO CARES?! HE’S ABOUT TO THROW DOWN A REVERSE, INVERTED, 360 BACK FLIP ONOMATOPOEIA BOOMSHAKALAKA DUNK OVER A WALL OF FLAMESSS! I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN MY LIFE!!”
Now that the dust has settled after an eventful NBA trade deadline, all the attention goes to the playoff race. As of now, the Phoenix Suns’ record is 31-21, sitting in seventh in the Western Conference and able to climb even higher. The Suns are only one game behind the Timberwolves, Lakers, and Rockets, and are two games behind Denver for third in the conference.
The good news for the Suns is that no team ahead of them made a big move to improve significantly. Nor did any teams following closely behind them.
Let’s start with the top-tier title contenders. The Thunder added Jared McCain, who could play backup guard minutes, but is not a game-changer for them this season. The San Antonio Spurs did not make a move at the deadline and have a roster that is ready to compete for an NBA title. The Denver Nuggets traded Hunter Tyson and a second-round pick to Brooklyn for tax purposes and to open up a buyout spot on the roster. No needle movers so far.
The Houston Rockets stood still as well. Maybe a point guard worth adding will appear on the buyout market, but the Rockets will likely head into the playoffs as currently constituted. As for the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James is still on the team despite the rumors that he and the Lakers are potentially ready to part ways. The Lakers did trade Gabe Vincent for Luke Kennard to add more perimeter shooting and another traffic cone on defense. The Lakers need shooting and found a reliable shooting option in Kennard, but he will only make an already flawed defensive roster even worse.
Perhaps the best news of all for the Suns, and all Western Conference teams, is that Giannis Antetokounmpo did not get traded to any team in the West. The Timberwolves were wheeling and dealing at the deadline and were reportedly one of the teams interested in Antetokounmpo. The Timberwolves traded Mike Conley, Rob Dillingham, and second-round picks in separate trades. The return? Ayo Dosunmo from Chicago: he is an upgrade at the guard spot and will help Minnesota fill the biggest hole it has on its roster. Is he a good fit for what they needed? Mayyyyyyybeeeeeee…? As far as needle-moving trades go, this one was the only trade by a team ahead of the Suns that made them better.
Now we are to the Suns, who traded Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis to Milwaukee for Amir Coffey and Cole Anthony. The move was made primarily to get Phoenix below the luxury tax, so neither player will crack into the Suns’ rotation immediately (Anthony might get cut before ever showing up), but if Phoenix continues to suffer injuries, they could find their way into some playing time.
Now this is where things get a little more interesting. The eighth-place Golden State Warriors finally traded Jonathan Kuminga, who finally got his wish after making his 17th trade request in the last two seasons. The full trade included Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzing in return. The Warriors add much-needed size, but injury concerns for Porzingis are real. If Porzingis plays, he makes the Warriors much better, but after losing Jimmy Butler for the season, Golden State needed a bigger move to have a shot at making a playoff run.
Despite being one of the best teams in the NBA over the past month or so, the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers were sellers at the trade deadline. They were 17-4 in their last 21 games, but still decided to trade James Harden and Ivica Zubac. Harden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for guard Darius Garland, who, while talented, has spent more time on the bench this year due to foot injuries. Long term, the Clippers made a shrewd, smart move to get younger and take a chance on hitting big with Garland, but it makes the Clippers worse right now.
The other move they made was trading Zubac for Bennedict Mathurin and two first-round picks. Another long-term move from the Clippers that could work out, but it does not improve the Clippers pursuit of a playoff spot. Regardless of the Clippers getting worse at the deadline, they are not a team you want to see in the play-in with a healthy Kawhi Leonard.
The tenth-place Blazers added Vit Krejci for Duop Reath a few days before the deadline, and other than that, were as quiet as a mouse.
As for the rest of the conference, unless the Suns spiral to end the season, they will not get caught by any teams below the Blazers. And even that is being extreme. However, the race for the two play in spots behind the Suns and Warriors is wide open. The Memphis Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah and appear to be blowing things up. The Utah Jazz have a lot of good players on the roster, but owe the Thunder a first round pick if it falls outside the top eight. Will they continue to rest and tank to keep their pick? Or will they make a run at the play-in?
Overall, things could not have worked out better for the Suns at the deadline. No team behind them made a move that puts them in jeopardy of not hosting a play-in game at worst. At best, if the Suns continue to play well and any team falls in front of them, they could finish in the top six in the West this season and a real chance to potentially win a series depending on the matchup.
Following the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday, co-general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi were able to speak with the media about the deadline. Unlike last year, when Nico Harrison spewed “defense wins championships” at the media for 15 minutes, the duo was able to provide an interesting perspective on where they see the organization as being after the Anthony Davis trade. Beyond that, I think there’s an interesting tidbit about how the Mavericks will approach this upcoming draft. To the quotes!
Opening statement
Michael Finley: Well first, I want to thank Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum and D’Angelo Russell for their professionalism while they were with the Mavericks. Both on and off the court, in the community, those guys were great. So, kudos to those guys and good luck to them in their future endeavors.
We decided as an organization, front office and management, that we needed to something to bring back the winning culture here in Dallas. We thought doing the move that we did puts us back in that conversation, and gives the fans something to be excited about. And I think we’re moving in the right direction by doing the move we did, it puts us in the mindset of having a championship atmosphere around here. That’s what it’s all about, and I think we’ve achieved that with the move we just did. And we will continue to do that, and do what we think is best for the organization this day, and going forward as well.
Matt Riccardi: I echo a lot of Fin’s thoughts. But most importantly, thank you to the players, and we’re excited for the new guys coming in. Just to expand on one of Fin’s points, I think we had to take an honest look at ourselves in the mirror and realize where we were and where we wanted to be. Sometimes, the path is not straightforward, and you’ve got to go a roundabout way to get where we want to go. But our goal here remains the same. We want to win championships, we want to build a championship roster, and we want to do everything we can to provide the players with the proper resources and the staff to make that happen.
Not a ton here to digest, although I think Riccardi’s quotes are telling about how the organization looked in the mirror and didn’t like what they saw. Admitting that they’re going in a “roundabout way” to get where they want to go is as close as anyone will get to saying they’re eyeing a higher draft pick. That’s a good thing! This is the most hopeful statement they could’ve given after this deadline.
On the Mavericks offense (27th in the NBA) and how it correlates with the lack of guard play
Finley: If you look around the league, the teams that are most successful have great guard play. Someone who can lead the offense, get the guys in the right position to make easier shots. And for us, I think guard play is as important, because it’s less pressure and stress that we can put on Cooper offensively. So, if we can get him with a guy that makes his job just a little bit easier, I think it does wonders for him, hopefully for his whole career.
(Photo by Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If you’re looking for potential easter eggs about how this front office would build the roster out if they were given the keys full time, this statement is very telling. Finley talking about pairing Cooper Flagg with a guard “for his whole career” is something that I’m going to file away when June comes around. It’s clear this front office understands the NBA in ways that Nico Harrison didn’t, which was ultimately his demise. You must have great guard play to be a contender in today’s NBA. It’s a non-starter when building a team out, and this front office gets that.
These two quotes should inspire confidence that the Mavericks would be just fine with these two at the helm. Finley and Riccardi are widely respected around the NBA, and their understanding of doing what is best for the long-term future of the team should make you feel hopeful for the future.
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and the Boston Celtics surprised most fans with their level of activity. Over a three-day span, Boston completed four trades, parting ways with Anfernee Simons, Xavier Tillman, Josh Minott, and Chris Boucher.
Each move carried meaningful financial implications, as the Celtics emerged from Thursday’s deadline below both the first and second aprons, and under the luxury tax. From an on-court perspective, however, their most notable player acquisition was former Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic comes to Boston as one of the most consistent double-double machines as a 35-year-old in his 15th season. In his last 10 campaigns, Vucevic has averaged 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, officially notching double-double status in eight of them.
This season, Vučević has continued to post strong offensive production, averaging 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists per game while shooting an efficient 50/38/83 in 30 minutes a night. While it’s unlikely he sees that level of playing time in Boston, his skill set offers a different, but effective way to replace the microwave scoring fans enjoyed from Simons.
Speaking of Simons, it’s striking how similar he and Vucevic are aside from age and measurements. They both enter their Boston tenure on expiring contracts coming from subpar teams and viewed as very good offensive talents who struggle on defense.
And yes, later in this piece I will give you the speech about how if a defender as porous as Simons was in Portland can steadily improve on that end in Boston, there’s reason to believe Vučević can do the same. Before you yell at me, yes defense from the point guard position is a lot different than defense from the center position. But I then raise you one Luka Garza.
Garza has completely shattered most expectations he had coming into this season but please try to think back and remember what most thought of him defensively when he was signed. Garza still isn’t this great defender, but some hope should be gained seeing how he’s improved on that end and how he has continued to be successful despite those shortcomings.
If you think age and the drive to prove oneself are the key factors behind Simons and Garza improving defensively, fair enough. Vucevic definitely isn’t young, but I do believe the motivation overall is there.
With that being said, let’s get into what we may see from Vucevic ahead of his Celtics debut.
Strengths
Scoring
Vucevic brings a distinctly different offensive look to Boston’s center rotation. His shot making ability and shot variety have been one of the more unique profiles among big men for a while. He truly has a shot for every spot on the floor. Here’s a look at his shot profile in full.
Vucevic occupies rare air among NBA centers this season. He’s one of only four big men attempting four or more above-the-break threes while also taking three or more shots at the rim per game. That list reads Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Karl Anthony Towns, and Nikola Vucevic.
When you factor in Vucevic’s most frequent scoring area, the paint (outside the restricted area), he and Nikola Jokic are the only two centers in the league attempting four or more above-the-break threes, three or more shots at the rim, and four or more shots in the paint per game. Just shows how rare his skillset is for a big.
Vucevic’s two-point shot variety is particularly valuable, especially alongside higher-caliber teammates in Boston. According to Bball-Index, he is the league’s best when it comes to scoring off the pick-and-roll as a screener, showcasing his ability to convert in multiple ways and keep defenses guessing.
This is mainly because again he has a shot for every part of the floor with good reliable touch. He uses floaters and hook shots frequently to put the ball in the basket.
Vucevic attempts 2.6 hook shots a game (99th percentile) and shoots them at a 56% clip.
When it comes to floaters, he takes 2.2 a game (94th percentile) and hits 58% of those.
What’s so good about these is you see him making them against every defensive coverage. If a big is in drop, that pocket is open and he will make money. If the big is up to the level, you can give him the ball and let him attack off the bounce. If Jaylen Brown is scorching hot and teams trap him as the pick-and-roll handler, he can get it off in the short roll. It makes an already great offense more unpredictable.
Stepping a few feet back, Vucevic’s mid-range should translate seamlessly in Boston, a team that already takes the third-most mid-range attempts per game in the league. Among Celtics players who attempt more than one mid-range shot per game, Vucevic would rank second on the roster in mid-range field-goal percentage.
Rounding out his scoring arsenal is Vucevic three-point shooting. Vučević is one of just four centers in the league shooting 38 percent or better on 4.5 or more three-point attempts per game. 91% of his threes are taken above the break, which definitely fits his new squad. Celtics rank first in above the break three-point attempts per game with 35.7.
When you watch him shoot, it becomes clear why he’s been the league’s best screener shot maker this season. We saw him roll and have great touch hitting floaters and hooks, but he can also pop and be lethal from deep. Rejecting screens with him popping can be lethal given the opposing big will either stick to his body or take steps towards the handler. Either decision creates an advantage, and the Celtics are well equipped to exploit it.
One thing I believe will be an evident difference between Vucevic and our other bigs, is the movement speed after defensive rebounds and in the half court. We see Garza and Neemias Queta fly up the court to set early offense screens every game for our scorers. In Chicago, Vucevic gets a good chunk of his threes trailing the play.
This doesn’t mean he won’t do what Queta and Garza do if asked by the Celtics, but I just see a difference in mindset due to skillset. Also, the Bulls have the fifth fastest pace in the league so it could look different here.
Lastly, I’m not sure how much the Celtics will dip into this, but Vucevic ranks in the 100th percentile in points per possession when coming off screens.
This play type is only 3.5% of his possessions, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw some “Korver” screens for Vucevic like.
Boston has grown markedly better at closing possessions with defensive rebounds as the season has gone on, but it never hurts to add a few more. It just so happens that Vucevic has been one of the best glass cleaners on that end for the past decade.
Over the past eight seasons, the Montenegrin big man has finished outside the top 10 in defensive rebounds per game just once, ranking 11th last year. This season, he sits 10th, and there’s little doubt he’ll help sustain, if not elevate, the team’s upward trend in defensive rebounding percentage.
He gets busy on the offensive glass as well. He’s no Garza, but he does grab just over two a game. He has a feel for positioning and great hands that allow for immediate putback attempts when he’s in close. He’s had monster rebounding outings vs the Pistons (16) and the Celtics (15) this season.
Passing
Vucevic ranks eighth among centers in assists, averaging 3.8 per game. His 3.8 potential assists per minute place him in the 96th percentile, while his 2.4 rim assists per game rank in the 94th percentile, justifying his value as a connective playmaker and cut hitter.
Wherever you want him to pass from, he can do it. He makes great reads out of the post, as a handoff passer, and in the short roll. He’s a player who can naturally command double teams in the post against mismatches, even with Brown on the floor. And if opponents choose not to send help, Vucevic has more than enough skill to make them pay.
Screening
My takeaway on Vucevic as a screener is fairly straightforward: he’s just good. Which is a good thing, but it’s not Garza or Queta. He may not rank among the very best in the league in that area, but his screen-assist numbers are more likely a reflection of his broader offensive skill set, popping, slipping, and drawing defensive attention, than any real deficiency as a screener.
When he set quality screens in Chicago, the ball often found its way back to him as the second scoring option on most nights. Additionally, the Bulls’ pace, and their 17.6 fast-break points per game (sixth in the league), naturally limited his opportunities to operate as a traditional half-court screener. His 2.3 screen assists aren’t bad at all but depending on what the Celtics ask of him, I can see that increasing some.
WEAKNESS
Defense
As most know by now, the biggest weakness in Vucevic’s game is his defense. While I do agree that he’s not a great or even good defender, I struggled to find the horrible defender most paint him as.
I’ve gone back and watched eight games of Vucevic this year and I want it to be known that eight games does not define a player’s body of work. These very well could’ve been the best defensive games Vucevic has ever played, but my goal was to watch him against great teams this season and see how he faired. Also, these games don’t take away the reputation he has built as a defender, which I assume is for a reason.
I primarily focused on the Bulls three meetings with the Pistons and the two they’ve had with the Celtics. In watching those games, I do not think this is a player that is incapable of being just solid defensively. He is not a stopper and will get scored on, but I believe he can be similar to or even slightly better than what Garza is defensively.
Some nights will look worse than others but in the grand scheme I don’t anticipate this being a player fans are screaming to get off the floor because of his defense.
Showing why matters so let’s get into the good and the bad.
The worst of the worst in the games I watched was Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons, giving Vucevic about 16 of his career high 31 points. He was definitely having “one of those nights,” but he was able to get into the chest of Vucevic and finish over him regularly. That was the first game I watched so I felt horribly about him, but things got better.
One thing that will not get better is his athleticism. In the second Pistons game I watched even though he defended much better overall, the lob throwing going against more athletic bigs like Jalen Duren was a problem.
While this is true, I think the Celtics can help with this. For one, the Celtics are going to put Vucevic in positions they think he can succeed more often than the Bulls will. Chicago’s primary pick and roll coverage defensively in these game with Vucevic was to be at the level of the screen and show on the handler for as long as possible.
I’m here saying that Vucevic can be solid, but I know for a fact that sliding his feet on the perimeter isn’t the best way to use him. Secondly, Chiago has guards who aren’t good taggers of the roll. They put Vucevic in a position where he must show high and get back most times, knowing he doesn’t have the best foot speed and run this coverage with Tre Jones and Josh Giddey as the only hopes to stop Duren rolling.
I am much more confident that any of Derrick White, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, or Baylor Scheierman can do a better job at sticking their nose in there.
When it’s bad for Vucevic, it’s bad but once again I just saw much more solid defense than the opposite.
He has surprisingly good hands and will elect to strip down on intruders driving to the paint. Against the Celtics he was able to hold his own and move well to avoid Spain action back screens with moments of decent switching.
All Vucevic has wanted to do for a while now is win.
When you put it all together, Nikola Vucevic brings a level of offensive versatility and reliability that few centers in the league can match. His shot variety, playmaking, and ability to function as both a scorer and connective piece fit naturally within Boston’s offensive ecosystem.
While his defense is far from where we would like, I have seen evidence of him being able to do the things that will be required of him. Consistency will be the key.
You don’t have to trust me, but I’m asking that you trust Joe Mazzulla.
With the
NHL activities being on a hiatus during the Olympics, Montreal Canadiens
players who were not lucky enough to be selected to represent their country in
Milano-Cortina, or whose country cannot participate, have some much-deserved time
off. Even hockey-obsessed players like Ivan Demidov can enjoy a bit of a break.
The Russian
rookie who delighted Habs fans over the Christmas break by taking to a Bleu,
Blanc, Bouge outdoor rink with teammate Lane Hutson was spotted on a flight to
Florida yesterday. Where is he headed? Well, according to his significant other’s
Instagram account, Demidov is headed to Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
While the
winger was playing in the Canadiens’ last game before the break, Katya
Yakovleva was posting pictures in front of the iconic Magic Kingdom’s Castle
and of all the wonders she spotted in Disney.
Katya Yakovleva Instagram account
Demidov’s
rookie season is going just as planned, with the 20-year-old leading the rookie
scoring race at the break with 46 points in 57 games, on pace for a 66-point
season. Which is the same amount of points Hutson put up in his Calder Trophy-winning
rookie season last year. Before Hutson, the last Calder winner to put up 66
points was Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson.
That doesn’t
necessarily mean that Demidov’s name should be pencilled in as the Calder
Trophy winner just yet; he does have some great competition in Anaheim Ducks
Beckett Sennecke, who only trails him by two points, and New York Islanders
stand-out defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
The
18-year-old has taken the league by storm and is the odds-on favourite. Graduating
to the NHL straight out of junior and taking over the Isles’ number one
defenseman spot left vacant by Noah Dobson’s departure. The youngster has 39
points in 56 games, a plus-nine rating and averages over 24 minutes of ice time
per game and has scored four game-winning goals, including two in overtime. He
skates on Patrick Roy’s first pairing and quarterbacks the first power play
unit.
While
Demidov also plays a big role for the Canadiens and leads the rookie scoring
race, he faces an uphill battle for the Calder Trophy. With 25 games left on
the Habs’ calendar, the youngster still has time to make up some ground, but it
won’t be easy to overtake the young defenseman. When NHL action resumes, Canadiens and Islanders' fans will be treated to a first duel between the two young players as the Habs will take on the Isles on February 26 at the Bell Centre.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 27: Danny Ainge the CEO of the Utah Jazz laughs as he watches warmups before their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Delta Center on October 27 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA trade deadline went off the rails Tuesday, and it still hasn’t recovered.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is now on the Jazz. Anthony Davis is now on the Wizards?! Darius Garland is on the Clippers? James Harden is a Cavalier? And the Sixers gifted the defending champions Jared McCain so they could duck the luxury tax? (Well, that last one isn’t that surprising.)
The Lakers even jumped into the fray Thursday, sending Gabe Vincent and their 2032 second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Luke Kennard. Both Kennard and Vincent are on expiring contracts, so this move didn’t cut into the Lakers’ precious cap space this offseason.
In the meantime, the Lakers should be thankful that other teams have been aggressive at the trade deadline. Their wheeling and dealing has drastically reshaped the 2026 free-agency landscape.
That’s good news for the Lakers’ (already strong) chances of re-signing Austin Reaves this offseason.
The trade deadline shakeup
In early November, Spotrac’s Keith Smith posted some initial cap-space projections for the 2026 offseason. Six teams made the cut: The Wizards ($80.9 million), Clippers ($67.6 million), Lakers ($55.6 million), Jazz ($48.4 million), Nets ($44.4 million) and Bulls ($35.0 million).
The Wizards have since burned all of that projected cap space on their acquisitions of Davis and Trae Young. Unless Young leaves in free agency this offseason, the Wizards are no longer even a remote threat to throw a bag at Reaves.
The same goes for the Jazz, who just burned their cap space on JJJ. If anything, that deal may work the other way on them. Not only can they no longer offer Reaves a huge contract, but the Lakers may now be able to pry Walker Kessler away in free agency by throwing a massive offer sheet at him in restricted free agency.
The Clippers still have John Collins’ $26.6 million contract coming off their books and $31.1 million in team options between Bogdan Bogdanović, Brook Lopez and Nic Batum. However, they now have Garland’s $42.2 million in guaranteed salary on their books for 2026-27. Harden only has $13.3 million of his $42.3 million salary guaranteed, which appears to have been the beginning of the end for his time in L.A.
Once the dust settles on the Bulls’ whirlwind of activity, they figure to still have a sizable amount of cap space as long as they let all of their players on expiring contracts go. However, they’ve acquired a number of guards ahead of the trade deadline, including Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey and Rob Dillingham. Will they still have interest or the roster makeup to make a big run at Reaves?
The Hawks also still project to have some cap space, although they wiped out a fair bit of it Wednesday night by acquiring Buddy Hield ($9.7 million next year) and Jonathan Kuminga for Kristaps Porziņģis’ expiring contract. If the Hawks plan to re-sign Kuminga — or just pick up their $24.3 million team option on him—that will likely slam the door on any chances they had of signing Reaves.
The Nets haven’t cut into their offseason spending power yet, but they’re in the early stages of a rebuild and just spent approximately 17 first-round picks on guards this past June. Reaves might not prefer to join a team that far away from contention unless its offer was far better than any other.
The Lakers’ outlook
There have been zero indications to date that Reaves is seriously entertaining the prospect of leaving the Lakers this summer in free agency. In fact, he’s said quite the opposite, and all indications have been that he wants to remain with the Lakers.
Reaves will be an unrestricted free agent once his declines his $14.9 million player option, so he could leave them empty-handed if he does sign elsewhere this offseason. The lack of rumors about his future can only mean good things for the Lakers, though. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Reaves and the Lakers already had a basic understanding of what his next contract will look like.
If teams thought Reaves was a real flight risk, more of them might have lined up their books for a run at him in free agency. Instead, with the high-end soon-to-be free agents already flying off the board, most cap-space teams just went with the “pre-agency” approach at the trade deadline.
That doesn’t mean the Lakers are free to lowball Reaves, though. If the Lakers try to take advantage of his dwindling number of potential suitors, his agent could start sniffing around other teams and encouraging them to free up more cap space. As the Milwaukee Bucks proved last year when they waive-and-stretched Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner, it only takes one wild card for a team’s best-laid plans to go awry.
Reaves is critical to the Lakers’ offseason plans, specifically from an order-of-operations standpoint. His $20.9 million salary-cap hold is far lower than what his next contract figures to begin at. The Lakers can spend their cap space first and then re-sign Reaves once they’re over the cap.
If Reaves wasn’t on board with that plan, he could blow up their entire strategy. Much like Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers a few years ago, there’s likely a mutual understanding of how much Reaves will cost on his next contract.
Even if negotiations do take a hard left turn at some point, the Lakers can rest easy in knowing that the pool of potential threats for Reaves is already thinning out.
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone with neither the Miami Heat nor the Boston Celtics making seismic moves.
Miami, in particular, stands out as one of only three teams to have not made a trade this season.
My Heat vs. Celtics predictions expect Miami to be a bit let down by that inaction, the effects of the trade deadline impacting plenty of NBA picks on Friday, February 6.
Heat vs Celtics prediction
Heat vs Celtics best bet: Under 228 (-110)
The Miami Heat were supposedly in the mix for two of the biggest names on the trade market. And they walked away with exactly nothing.
We have all heard that story before, but it has to be deflating for that locker room to hear it was considering title contention only to putter forward with this middling roster.
That deflated vibe should play right into the Boston Celtics’ preferences.Miami plays at the fastest pace in the league, while Boston plays at the slowest.
Trust the Celtics to set the terms tonight.
Heat vs Celtics same-game parlay
This exact same-game parlay has cashed in two of Boston’s last four games.
In fact, the Celtics have won against the spread in their last four games.
Heat vs Celtics SGP
Under 228
Celtics -6
Payton Pritchard Over 2.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Preaching Pritchard
This is simply overpriced. Payton Pritchard has hit at least three 3-pointers but fallen short of 17 points in six games this season.
A slower game should set him up for that exact dichotomy.
Heat vs Celtics SGP
Under 228
Celtics -6
Payton Pritchard Over 2.5 threes
Payton Pritchard Under 16.5 points
Heat vs Celtics odds
Spread: Heat +6 (-110) | Celtics -6 (-110)
Moneyline: Heat +195 | Celtics -240
Over/Under: Over 228 (-110) | Under 228 (-110)
Heat vs Celtics betting trend to know
Boston’s last seven games have all gone Under their totals, and by an average of 14.8 points. Find more NBA betting trends for Heat vs. Celtics.
How to watch Heat vs Celtics
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Friday, February 6, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Sun, NBC Sports Boston
Heat vs Celtics latest injuries
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Patrick Reed birdied two of his last three holes Friday for a 5-under 67, giving him a one-shot lead in the Qatar Masters as the American tries to wrap up a career-changing month in the Middle East with another victory.
Reed took advantage of late scoring opportunities at Doha Golf Club. He drove just short of the reachable par-4 16th to set up a pitch-and-putt birdie, then chose to lay up from 272 yards on the par-5 18th with water down the left side. Reed hit wedge to 7 feet for birdie.
That put him at 12-under 132, one shot ahead of Joakim Lagergren of Sweden, who had a 66. Daniel Hillier of New Zealand (69) and Richard Sterne of South Africa (66) were another shot back.
Reed came over to the Middle East a month ago while preparing for his fifth season on LIV Golf. But he won the Dubai Desert Classic, revealed he still had not signed a contract with LIV and then couldn't agree on a new deal with the Saudi-funded league.
DALLAS, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 5: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against Victor Wembanyama #1 and Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at American Airlines Center on February 5, 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
The NBA’s official definition of “clutch time” refers to when a game is within five points or less in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. It can be exciting for fans who want a thrilling game, but it can also be stressful and may not be for everyone on every night, especially if you’re already tired or stressed and just want a relaxing viewing experience.
The Spurs have not been relaxing to watch lately, and frankly, I’m starting to think they like it that way. I think they like playing in the clutch. They enjoy the thrill and experience that comes with closing out tight games, and as fans may have deduced at this point, they’re good at it. The have the fifth best record in the league in “clutch” games, sitting at 19-10 (65.5%, just slightly under their overall win percentage), and it’s almost like they’re out to increase that number, which they did last night.
Their opponent was an improving Mavericks team that is no longer the deer-in-the-headlights group they encountered in their season opener — led by the then doe-eyed but now scintillating Cooper Flagg — but they have also committed to starting over from the mess former GM Nico Harrison created. They traded away the cornerstone of his shocking and terrible deal that sent Luka Doncic to LA, sending the oft-injured Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, and I sensed a bit of relief in the air of their arena last night, even from my own couch. That painful page in franchise history is officially turned for good, and now they can move on (even if it will always linger, like the page that a book always opens to first because it’s been open so much lately that the spine has been shaped around it).
Despite being likely destined for the lottery again, the Mavs showed that with the right future moves, they and Flagg could be a force to reconned with again soon, and the Spurs learned that last night. With their propensity to play down to opponents, they failed to build any kind of sizable lead all night but remained ahead and just enough in control to stop any threating Mavs runs. With 5:15 left in the game, Devin Vassell hit one of his reliable midrange jumpers to put them ahead by seven, but wait! We can’t have the Spurs not having any clutch time when they enjoy it so much, so of course they allowed a quick 6-0 Mavs run to get within a point a minute later, and perhaps for the first time all game, there may have been a tad bit of doubt about the outcome.
But then, the Spurs proceeded with what I’ve decided has been their mischievous plan all along considering the repeating pattern: dominate the rest of clutch time by closing on a 15-4 run so they could continue to pad those clutch time stats. Stephon Castle hit a big three to start it off and put back a Victor Webmanyama miss with an emphatic dunk to close things out, and everyone did everything right on both ends in between.
As fun as it may be, I need a break from tight games. Whether that relief will come in the form of a blowout win in the next three games or simply as a part of the All-Star break after that is the ultimate question. Don’t get me wrong: I love a team that knows how to tighten the strings and put things together on both ends when the game is on the line, which will be very important in the playoffs, but I would also happily accept a blowout win here or there, just for my own sanity.
Takeaways
Lately, the Spurs path to victory has been more akin to defensive slugfests because of their inconsistency on offense and from their three-point shooters. In this game, the defense was lazy at times, but they made up for it with a balanced offensive attack. Seven players scored in double figures, including all five starters, and overall, they hit 17-41 threes to keep the defense honest. That included Wemby and Harrison Barnes finding their strokes from outside, combining to hit 10-18 with the former hitting his first five (all in the first half) and the latter spreading them out across the game. It was especially noteworthy for Barnes, who has been in an extended shooting slump dating back months, and this was the first time he hit five threes since December 2. His stroke has slowly been returning to form in recent games, and hopefully this is finally the breakthrough performance that returns him to his Uncle Harrison form from earlier in the season. When he’s on, his spacing does wonders for the starting lineup (especially if Julian Champagnie is off, which he was last night with a 2-8 performance from three).
The Stephon Castle Viewing Experience continues to be a wild ride. Whether it’s game-to-game, quarter-to-quarter or even play-to-play, you never know whether you’re going to get his frustrating or game-changing version. Last night, he was mostly the latter. He came off the bench for the first time in 11 months after missing the night before to nurse his sore adductor, with the reason reportedly being he’s on a minutes restriction. He was his usual self regardless of role, with 18 points on 8-13 shooting, 7 rebounds 6 assists and 2 steals, plus the aforementioned huge clutch shots, but there was also the frustrating moments, like him driving into traffic and getting stripped on his way to three turnovers.
Don’t look now, but despite an up-and-down January when the Spurs barely crossed over the .500 mark with an 8-7 record, they have won three straight to start the month of February (even if they haven’t been pretty). As a result, they are in firm control of the second seed once again as the teams behind them continue to struggle, with a three-game cushion in the loss column on the Nuggets and Rockets. In fact, along with the Lakers, they are the only team in the West with a better record than 6-4 across their last ten games. That doesn’t mean they can relax — the schedule continues to be brutal, and the Rodeo Road Trip begins next week — but even if the Spurs want to give us a heart attack in the process of winning, it’s nice to be able to enjoy standings watching again.
Speaking of the Rockets, my Alperen Sengun sports hate has been justified. Thank you. (Not going to embed everything here, but for proof, click here, here and here. Rough 24 hours for the big fella.)
Along with “Thrill of Defeat” host and Pittsburgh guy Dan Hopper, we remember Dick Tarnstrom, who turned getting waived by the Islanders into a starring role on some bad transitional Penguins teams.
While the Penguins have had some all time great players in their history, the periods between those players were pretty dire. Bankruptcies, empty buildings and lots of losses were not uncommon for one of the NHL’s now-marquee teams. Into one of these eras stepped Dick Tarnstrom, a very late round pick of the Islanders who found himself squeezed out of Long Island during one of their rare fertile periods of the early 2000’s and onto a Penguins team desperate for anyone who could put the puck into a net. Tarnstrom was competent on a bereft squad, which means he got comparisons to Hall of Famers, and Hart and Norris Trophy votes from the win-starved writers covering it. The Penguins’ “X-Generation” might have featured a lot of weird players, but thanks to cheap tickets and EXTREME marketing, it actually succeeded in creating a new wave of fans. To those kids, guys like Dick Tarnstrom felt like superstars of tomorrow.
Dan takes us through the Full Tarnstrom Experience and tells us what it was like watching the Penguins between the Lemieux/Jagr and Crosby/Malkin eras. We learn about the “Ric and Dick Show,” attending Ryan Malone’s hockey camp as a kid, the Woodstock 99 flavor of the “X-Generation” ads and how Tarnstrom was able to capture hearts in the Steel City. We also wonder how we forgot he played for the Oilers during their 2006 Cup final run and why he was put on waivers in the first place (it probably had something to do with being Swedish and having Mike Milbury as a general manager). It’s the deepest dive you’ll find on the man who is surely the last “Dick” in NHL history.
Thanks again to Dan for coming on. His podcast, “Thrill of Defeat” is outstanding and if you’re a fan of Weird Islanders, it will be right up your alley. He’s on a bit of a hiatus now, but there are plenty of episodes to get started on.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL
Tarnstrom didn’t score a ton of goals for the Islanders but one of them helped them forge a 6-6 tie (!) with the Panthers in February of 2002.
Most people probably didn’t notice Tarnstrom getting picked up off waivers by the Penguins in August of 2002. But he started turning heads early that season (playing with Mario Lemieux might have helped). After a 41-point campaign, he would re-up with them in the summer of 2003 because, basically, they had to sign someone on defense. That investment would pay off in spades for them.
Here’s Tarnstrom scoring for the Penguins (includes a couple of classic Mike Lange calls)
This incredible article detailed the impact Tarnstrom had on the Penguins in the early rebuild stages. It would read like a satire if it didn’t really happen. Includes a cheap shot at the Islanders for good measure.
After playing for the Oilers, on their 2006 Stanley Cup final team, and the Blue Jackets to disappointing results, Tarnstrom returned to his native Sweden and his original club, the Stockholm-based AIK in 2008. The team had been relegated to the SEL’s second division. But with Tarnstrom as captain, they made it back to the top tier in 2010 and went on a couple of long playoff runs.
We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:
Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.
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Iowa’s Cade Obermueller (33) gets ready to pitch against Oregon during a Big Ten conference baseball game May 15, 2025 at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It was quite interesting watching the Phillies’ 2025 draft unfold. Once Gage Wood was secured in the first round, the team could have gone any different direction since their player development system was somewhat devoid of top notch prospects. What we saw instead was a refilling of the pitching stockpile the team desperately needed to refill.
Obermueller is one of them. He might reach the majors quickly if the team focused on his becoming a reliever, but there is some time still. They can see what he can do as a starter first, then go from there. His only really throwing two pitches will probably dictate a lot of his path, but this is something the Phillies need to develop: starters and/or relievers that they can promote from within as opposed to having to trade for them all the time.
Obermueller has relief risk because he’s smaller, he throws just two pitches, and he doesn’t have great command of either of them. But he’s a special athlete with a beautiful delivery, which arguably allows for mold-breaking command and changeup projection. Obermueller is an incredibly loose, explosive athlete with bendy, whippy limbs and a powerful lower body. His delivery adds deception to his stuff in basically every way. He’s able to hide the ball for a long time because of how far back his arm lays before release. He takes a cross-bodied stride and has a lower arm slot, but he still manages to power down the mound and generate plus extension despite an indirect line to the plate. Plus, Obermueller gets to a more vertical hand position on release than is typical of someone with his arm slot. All of this creates huge uphill angle on his fastball, which averages 91-95 mph. That’s up a tick from his sophomore year, and he’ll peak in the 97-98 mph range.
With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.
Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!
In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jeremy “Hokius” Greco is joined by Royals Review Managing Editor Max Rieper to discuss how worried Royals fans should be about Framber Valdez joining the Tigers, John Wathan entering the Royals Hall of Fame, how fans can watch the team this year, and more!
Will the Brandon Drury signing mean anything for the team? Which historical trades have hurt us the most? And who are the Royals counting on the most to improve in 2026?
On January 21, 2026, Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat were traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. This list, and their place on it, was compiled back in late-November. For continuity’s sake, I decided upon including Williams and Sproat’s profile, but for all intents and purposes, every player on our list below the pair can be considered to have moved up, with the addition of prospects 26 and 27 effectively becoming 24 and 25.
Hartland, Wisconsin native Peter Kussow attended Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin, a school that up until this point has never produced a major leaguer; infielder Scott Doffek, who was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the late-80s and made it as high as Double-A is the closest the school has to offer. Initially a two-sport baseball and football player, he gave up the gridiron to focus on baseball, and in doing so, changed the trajectory of his life for the better. In 2025, his senior year, the 20-6 Arrowhead Warhawks were rated 10 among Division 1 schools by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association, and Peter Kussow was a big reason why. After growing, putting on some weight, and experiencing a fastball velocity boost, the right-hander posted a 2.03 ERA in 33.1 innings, allowing 22 hits, walking 14, and striking out a team-leading 75 batters, nearly 33% of the entire team’s total. Unsurprisingly as a result, scouts and evaluators considered the big right-hander one of the best draft-eligible high school players in Wisconsin in 2025, and arguably the best pitcher.
Overview
Name: Peter Kussow Position: RHP Born: 12/08/2006 (Age 19 season in 2026) Height: 6’5” Weight: 205 lbs. Bats/Throws: R/R Acquired: 2025 MLB Draft, 4th Round (Arrowhead Union High School, Wisconsin) 2025 Stats: DNP
The Mets selected Kussow with their 4th round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the only prep player in the entire state to be selected in 2025. The right-hander had a commitment to play baseball for the University of Louisville but ended up forging it as he signed professionally to play for the Mets. With an MLB-assigned slot value for the 133rd overall pick of $555,800, Kussow and the Mets agreed to an $897,500 signing bonus, $341,700 above slot value. He did not pitch in 2025.
Kussow, who stands 6’5” and is listed at 205-pounds, throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back and wrist hyperflexion. His whippy arm is capable of reaching 97 MPH, though the pitch generally lives in the low-90s. The pitch generally sits around 2400 RPM, generating as much as 18 inches of induced vertical break. In addition to the ride, thanks to his arm slot and his crossfire delivery, the pitch has plenty of arm-side run, and when thrown down in the zone, has steep angle thanks to his height and extension.
His slider is his go-to strikeout pitch, though he also likes to throw it for strikes early in the count as well. The pitch sits in the high-80s and features gyroscopic movement, averaging roughly 2500 RPM of spin, topping out almost 2700 RPM. The pitch possesses late vertical slice without much horizontal movement and the right-hander has consistently been able to command the pitch all throughout his high school career. Kussow rounds out his pitching repertoire with a changeup, which sits in the high-80s and at present is still developing as a pitch but shows promise thanks to the tumble and fade it gets.
The right-hander has displayed inconsistent command of his pitches, partially because of his mechanics and partially because, as a pitcher from a cold weather state, he does not have as much mound experience as many of his peers. Additionally, while he has not displayed them over the course of his high school career, he may eventually develop platoon splits against better competition because of his mechanics. Because of the extremely long arm circle through the back that he utilizes, left-handed hitters have plenty of time to pick up the ball in his hand.
2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List
1) Nolan McLean 2) Carson Benge 3) Jonah Tong 4) Jett Williams* 5) Brandon Sproat* 6) A.J. Ewing 7) Jacob Reimer 8) Ryan Clifford 9) Will Watson 10) Jack Wenninger 11) Mitch Voit 12) Jonathan Santucci 13) Elian Peña 14) Zach Thornton 15) Nick Morabito 16) R.J. Gordon 17) Chris Suero 18) Dylan Ross 19) Ryan Lambert 20) Antonio Jimenez 21) Edward Lantigua 22) Eli Serrano III 23) Randy Guzman 24) Daiverson Gutierrez 25) Boston Baro 26) Marco Vargas 27) Peter Kussow
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 01: Billy McKinney #23 of the Texas Rangers swings his bat during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Field on July 01, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at outfielder Billy McKinney.
Ah, Billy McKinney…Texas native, product of Plano West, first round pick of the Oakland A’s in 2013.
The funny thing about McKinney coming out of high school is that he’s the type of player the 2013 Texas Rangers steered clear of, but that the 2026 Texas Rangers would have high on their draft board. From BA’s writeup of him at the time:
McKinney has one of the sweetest swings in the 2013 draft, and he has hit his way into the first round with a strong spring. He generates excellent bat speed from the left side of the plate, and he barrels balls with ease thanks to his hand-eye coordination and disciplined approach. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has strength and should grow into solid power. The rest of McKinney’s tools are fringy to average, but his arm and speed play up because he goes all-out all the time. Scouts love his makeup and are confident that he’ll provide the offense required on an outfield corner
Great swing and hit tool, not a lot of current power but projects to power, everything else fringy, great makeup…I expect the Rangers to take a high school hitter in the first few rounds of this year’s draft whose scouting report could be boiled down to that.
Unfortunately, the power never really developed past average, and the hit tool ended up being more okay than great, and when you’ve got nothing else in your box to fall back on, you end up dropping in the prospect rankings and eventually landing in perpetual NRI land.
You can track McKinney’s prospect arc in the myriad of trades he was involved in. A year and a month after being drafted by the A’s, he went to the Cubs as the second prospect (behind Addison Russell) in a deal where the A’s acquired Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, with Dan Straily also going to Chicago. Two years and 20 days after that, he was again sent out as the second prospect in a deadline deal, this time to the Yankees for rental closer Aroldis Chapman, with Gleyber Torres as the headliner, and Adam Warren and Rashad Crawford also going to New York.
Samardzija, incidentally, was traded by Oakland that winter to the White Sox for a package that included Marcus Semien.
Anyway, two years and one day after he was traded to the Yankees, he was once again in a deadline trade, this time wo the Toronto Blue Jays, along with Brandon Drury, in exchange for J.A. Happ, a deal that would indicate that his star had fallen significantly from where it was before. After that, he was claimed on waivers from the Jays by the Brewers in September, 2020, traded by the Brewers to the Mets in May, 2021, for Pedro Quintana, and then traded by the Mets to the Dodgers in July, 2021, for Carlos Rincon. The Rangers purchased him from the Dodgers that November, then non-tendered him a week later.
The transactions log for McKinney in that time paints a picture.
McKinney has spent at least part of every major league season since 2018 in the big leagues, accumulating a whopping 327 games and 964 plate appearances in that time for nine different clubs, one of which is Your Texas Rangers.
You are forgiven if you don’t remember this, but McKinney had two different stints in the bigs with Texas in 2025. Released by the Mets, for whom he was toiling in AAA, in May, he signed at the end of the month with Texas and joined the Express. He was up briefly in July when Evan Carter went on the bereavement list, going 1 for 7 in two games before being DFA’d upon Carter’s return, clearing waivers, opting for free agency, and then re-signing with Texas.
Then, at the end of September, when everyone was hurt, Texas added him to the 40 man and active roster once again, replacing Wyatt Langford, who went on the i.l. He went 3 for 13 in four starts.
McKinney ended the season with a .200/.238/.250 slash line for Texas. Not great, but then, his role was to be a warm body for a handful of games when Texas needed a warm body. The veteran depth in AAA, who can be called up when injuries or other events necessitate a short term plug.
McKinney does not appear to have signed with anyone yet this offseason, but I imagine he will. He’ll get a minor league deal with an NRI, get some plate appearances in camp, probably won’t make the major league roster, will spend the 2026 season at one or more team’s AAA affiliate, and wait to see if he’s needed for a dozen or so plate appearances in the majors for some club needing a short-term patch.
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 28, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The fuel on the “LeBron James is coming back to Cleveland” fire is seemingly getting gasoline poured on it from every corner. Noted The Athletic columnist Jason Lloyd spoke on 92.3 The Fan and dumped even more lighter fluid on the rumor (or at this point, league-wide assumption) that James will end his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers and rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers for one last ride.
"If (LeBron) plays anywhere next year it's gonna be here. He's not going back to LA… I also don't think he's gonna take the league minimum deal so they're gonna have to work through that."
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“If (LeBron) plays anywhere next year, it’s going to be here,” Lloyd said. “He’s not going back to LA.” Lloyd also went on to give his experience as someone who saw the writing on the wall in Cleveland in 2018 when it became apparent that James was leaving the Cavaliers for the second time. “I’ve seen this movie before.”
James and the Lakers have been at odds seemingly for quite some time, whether that be due to the roster or the head coach. With the acquisition of Luka Doncic, who immediately became the face of the franchise in Los Angeles, it further alienated James — who rarely plays second fiddle to anyone. Even to a top-five player in the league like Doncic.
There are two questions that remain in this fairytale. The first one is if James decides to play again, which is not a given. The 41-year-old is still throwing down reverse dunks and nabbing alley-oops, but there is no guarantee that he will take the court after this season. The second question is how much money he will ask for as an unrestricted free agent playing likely his last year in the NBA.
James is an anomaly, an alien of basketball with a physical fitness level unseen in the league before. This isn’t Paul Pierce signing a deal to retire in a Boston Celtics jersey. The Cavs would be leveled up with James on the roster. But that comes at a price, and it won’t be the league minimum value.
“I don’t think he is going to take a league-minimum from Dan [Gilbert],” Lloyd continued. “Find a way to get to the mid-level [exception], have to get under the [second] apron, there’s other conversations that have to be had.”
The Cavs did good work this past week or so to put themselves in a position to get under the dreaded second apron with the trades of De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball, and they have some expiring salary they can shed. It’s worth noting that they would need to get out of more than just the second apron to get full access to the mid-level exception.
That said, if there is a willingness from both sides to make it work out from a salary perspective, there’s a good chance it will in the end.
