CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 31: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers smiles against the Charlotte Hornets on October 31, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Happy Birthday to Tyrese Maxey, who turns 26 years old today.
Between the Jaylen Brown trade and LeBron James signing for a minimum deal this offseason, it became easy to overlook just how important Maxey is to the Philadelphia 76ers franchise. The first eight games of the regular season have fixed that issue, with Tyrese exploding for 29.1 points per game on 50.3 percent shooting from the field, while also averaging 4.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks. Maxey is even shooting well below career numbers from behind the arc over this small sample, so we could very well be looking at him averaging over 30 points per game this season. With the Sixers currently sitting with a 7-1 record, Tyrese is rightfully getting some early MVP conversation buzz. As Jaylen Brown said yesterday, this is Maxey’s team.
Jaylen Brown: "Maxey's been leading the way, 100 percent. He's been here, this is his team." pic.twitter.com/42uACLCWks
We often neglect to account for how improbable Maxey reaching this point truly is within the bigger picture. He slipped to 21st overall in the 2020 NBA draft; players taken outside the lottery rarely reach All-NBA levels. Shooting was regarded as a weakness in his game and Tyrese has worked to become one of the absolute best shooters in the world. Maxey is a 6-foot-2 guard who was viewed as a defensive liability, and has now progressed to being a genuinely positively impactful player on that end of the court. The one percent better every day mantra could just be cute slogan for 99.9 percent of the population; for Maxey, he actually goes out and achieves it.
Maxey is already the career three-point field goals leader in Sixer franchise history (936 and counting). He currently sits 12th in franchise history on the scoring list, and barring injury, he’ll be at least 10th at the end of the season. At his current trajectory, it would only take about six more seasons of similar play following this one for Tyrese to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. We could very well be in the middle of watching the most prolific Sixers career ever.
Looking back, it’s fair to argue Maxey saved this franchise from bottoming out for at least the next half decade. Without him around, the locker room may very well have imploded during the rough patch of recent years. Maybe the front office decides to do the full reset and strip things down to the studs. Mike Gansey likely doesn’t think it’s worth giving up future draft capital to acquire Jaylen Brown. LeBron James certainly doesn’t sign here without Maxey’s presence. It’s a dark sliding doors world where Mike Muscala doesn’t hit that shot and Tyrese Maxey doesn’t end up a Sixer. Happy Birthday, Tyrese! We are very, very glad to have you.
After missing the first two weeks of the season with a hamstring injury, Kon Knueppel has been upgraded to probable ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Nets. Hamstring injuries can be weird, so continue to keep tabs on Knueppel over the next few weeks, but his return should help Charlotte get on track.
So far this season, the Hornets are first in the league in three-point attempts per game (44.4), second to last in three-point percentage (29.6%) and last in points per game (97.4). The Nets are second to last in points per game at 105.4, so 8.2 points more than the Hornets. The Grizzlies are first in scoring at 123.0 points per game.
Basically, the Hornets are shooting a ton of threes, they’re not going in, and they’re not scoring much. Knueppel’s return should help them right the ship. That should push Sion James back to the bench, and it will likely result in Grayson Allen playing a smaller role. Allen has been one of the best reserves in the league early on, so he isn’t worth dropping yet. Keep an eye on how the rotation plays out over the next few games, especially as they get Knueppel up to speed. Coby White made his season debut on Monday and only played 16 minutes, so they may ease Knueppel into the rotation.
Here are 10 more injury updates that could impact your fantasy league:
Chet Holmgren, C, Oklahoma City Thunder
This is the big one. The news has been out for a while, but we still need to talk about it. Holmgren is set to be out until 2027 due to a knee issue. With Jalen Williams (leg) and Cason Wallace (shoulder) both set to be out for a long time, having Holmgren sidelined as well will leave them incredibly shorthanded. Not many teams have enough depth to make up for those absences, but the Thunder do. Not enough to remain high-level contenders, but they should still be competitive.
Isaiah Hartenstein is more important than ever, though Aday Mara and Jaylin Williams should see boosts as well. Williams started in OKC’s last game, though Mara is the better option for fantasy managers and should be seen as the priority pickup. The rookie has been strong on the glass and as a shot blocker as of late.
Dejounte Murray, G, New Orleans Pelicans
Murray missed the Pelicans’ last three games due to personal reasons, which led many to speculate about a possible trade. The first was due to the birth of his son, but he was in the building for the second absence, which was strange. He returned home for the third absence to help care for his son, and he is off the injury report ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with the Jazz.
At least for now, we can put the trade machines down. Jeremiah Fears struggled with his shot on Monday, but the three games without Dejounte were his three best outings of the season. It could be seen as a sort of tryout to see if Fears could run the show, which also fueled trade speculation for Murray. For now, Murray will be back in the lineup, which will likely hinder Fears' value. However, there is a path to strong production in the future for Fears.
The strong drives from Jeremiah Fears continue. Has improved at reading the defense in pick and roll. Brings the ball up slow, sees the high screen. Defense goes under and *then* he changes speeds to turn the corner and finish. pic.twitter.com/v5XTmz3RBq
It was announced last week that Morant would miss four weeks with a hamstring injury, putting his return around the end of November. It’s unfortunate news, given how well Morant had been playing for a Portland team that is now 5-1.
In his absence, Scoot Henderson has slid into the starting lineup, with Jrue Holiday playing a more significant role off the bench. Scoot has struggled despite the larger role, and while it’s still a good opportunity for him to improve his long-term outlook, Holiday is the better option for fantasy managers. He had 17 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, one block and three triples in Monday’s win over Denver.
Cameron Johnson, F, Denver Nuggets
We have some good news here. Johnson exited early from Monday’s game against the Trail Blazers, and it looked like it could be a hamstring injury. However, they have him listed as probable to play on Wednesday due to “lower body injury management.” It’s a strange designation that doesn’t tell us much, but the positive part is the probable tag. Keep an eye on this situation, but he isn’t expected to miss any time.
Kawhi Leonard, F, Toronto Raptors
Toronto announced on Tuesday that Leonard underwent treatment to address the swelling in his left knee, and that he would return to Toronto to begin ramping back up. He is set to be re-evaluated next week. That doesn’t provide much clarity, but it is a positive update.
Hopefully, Leonard will return soon, but until then, Ja’Kobe Walter will continue to start. Walter’s tenure as a starter began well, though he has cooled off recently. He should be rostered until Leonard returns, and he still may hold value beyond that. Walter has been effective on both ends of the ball and continues to be one of the team’s best shooters.
Egor Dëmin, G, Brooklyn Nets
The Nets announced last Friday that Dëmin has a bone bruise in his left knee and is set to be re-evaluated later this week. Chaney Johnson has filled in as a starter, and while he has been solid, he hasn’t done much for fantasy managers. Nolan Traore has been the one to step up with Dëmin sidelined, and the second-year guard has taken advantage of the opportunity. Traore is an intriguing add, and he should continue to start even after Dëmin returns.
Watson missed Monday’s game against the Thunder with a hamstring injury and is set to remain out in Wednesday’s rematch. Meleek Thomas got the starting nod in place of Watson, with Mario Hezonja and Sam Merrill joining Thomas in playing 26 minutes. All three should continue to see a boost until Watson or Jaylon Tyson returns. However, Thomas should be the priority waiver wire add, assuming he continues to start. He has been impressive this season, especially for a second-round pick on a playoff team.
Jaylon Tyson, F, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tyson is set to miss a third straight game with an ankle injury on Wednesday. He would have had the opportunity to start with Watson sidelined, but that role has been passed to Thomas. There isn’t much clarity as to when Watson or Tyson will return to the lineup, but they will both remain out against OKC on Wednesday. They play the 76ers on Friday, which would be the next time either Watson or Tyson can play.
Brandon Ingram, F, LA Clippers
The Clippers assigned Ingram (heel), Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (foot) and Max Strus (foot) to the G League on Sunday to continue their recovery processes and recalled all three on Monday. Strus ended up making his season debut on Monday, while BI and YKN remained out. There isn’t a specific timeline as to when Ingram could play again, but this is a positive step for him. Hopefully it won’t be much longer.
Adou Thiero, F, Los Angeles Lakers
On Monday, head coach JJ Redick said Thiero is “ramping up” and could make his season debut before the end of the week. Thiero didn’t play much during his rookie year, but he was productive during summer league and played a decent role during the preseason. Keep an eye on how he fits into the rotation when he’s healthy. He can be a source of steals.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 13: Manager A.J. Ellis of the San Diego Padres during the Spring Breakout Game against the Athletics prospects at Peoria Sports Complex on March 13, 2025 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
According to Will Sammon at The Athletic, sources are reporting that the Mets are hiring A.J. Ellis as their major-league strategy coordinator. Ellis is coming from the San Diego Padres, where he had been a special assistant in the front office since 2019.
Ellis was a big-league catcher for eleven years, starting in 2008 with the Dodgers. He was Clayton Kershaw’s batterymate of choice for many years. He was traded to the Phillies in 2016, and played for the Marlins and Padres before retiring after the 2018 season. He was a part of the Padres team in 2018, while current Mets manager Andy Green was their manager. Even before retiring, Ellis was known for mentoring younger players, earning the moniker “Dad.”
In hiring Ellis and promoting Mariano Duncan, the Mets will have filled two coaching positions on the major-league team. They have yet to make an announcement about a replacement for director of hitting Jeff Albert.
The Boston Red Sox are stuck. If you’re the type of person who is content finishing third within the division and being bounced by your arch rivals in just a handful of games in back-to-back seasons, you might disagree. If you’re not an idiot, you know difficult decisions need to be made and that things need to change.
I’ve decided to task myself with analyzing which players can be part of the turnaround and which should be shown the door, all as a way to take the heat off chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. If you’re not down with that, I’ve got two words for ya: Problem or Solution?
The Red Sox undoubtedly went the cheap route by choosing not to extend themselves with Alex Bregman last offseason, which in turn forced them to get creative by shipping out Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan for three infield options: wildly inconsistent utility man Andruw Monasterio, good-for-the-clubhouse-but-not-the-lineup utility man Anthony Seigler, and Gold Glove third baseman Caleb Durbin.
It’s not quite as simple as we’re making it sound, though.
Durbin was genuinely horrific early on in 2026. And while the numbers certainly swung back in his direction, the monthly breakdown raises questions of whether he should be the full-time third baseman moving forward or just another stop-gap in the sudden revolving door at the position:
I’ve been on rollercoasters with less peaks and valleys than that, so what is real and what still needs to be learned?
WHAT WE KNOW Boston doesn’t really have any options if it does want to move on…
Durbin is under contract through 2031, having just wrapped up his second season while being scheduled to make extremely short money for the next few seasons — making him one of the better values on the roster considering money is still owed to the likes of Trevor Story (through 2027), Masataka Yoshida (through 2027), Kristian Campbell (through 2032).
Durbin has also produced back-to-back seasons with an OPS+ of 101 — technically making him a top-12 third basemen in Major League Baseball. Eugenio Suárez, Alec Bohm, and Yoán Moncada are the biggest names on the free agent market but didn’t come close to having the same level of two-way production (at that price) last season. Si-Hwan Roh and Teruaki Sato are international free agents, but adding them to the roster would come with the risk of getting more expensive without any proven production.
It’s probably easier to stick to what you know, you know?
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW Roh, 26, comes over with a similar power-first, high-strikeout, poor-defense approach to that of last season’s prized international free agent — Chicago White Sox third baseman Munetaka Murakami.
Sato, 28, is extremely interesting as he’s coming off an MVP season for the NPB’s Hanshin Tigers.
If those are the best bats available prior to the lockout, perhaps they could be added and some roster shuffling could take place. If those are risks that the organization is unwilling to take, perhaps they address other needs while kicking the can down the road.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO
The Red Sox are going to stick with our guy here, so the best-case scenario is that he continues to develop and finds some consistency in a season where he’s fully healthy.
WORST-CASE SCENARIO Durbin’s pinky explodes four more times and he’s just a warm body at the plate.
CONCLUSION I find myself genuinely excited about a fully healthy season out of Durbin.
BC Partners reportedly walk away after player exodus
LIV expected to appear at bankruptcy hearing on Thursday
The rebel LIV Golf tour’s attempt to relaunch itself after filing for bankruptcy has collapsed following the withdrawal of new lead investor BC Partners, according to reports on Wednesday.
The private capital firm made the decision to walk away after struggling to convince several star players to fully commit to the league going forward, the Financial Times and the Athletic reported, citing anonymous sources.
The Phillies did not extend the one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer to Alec Bohm, allowing their longtime third baseman to enter the open market without draft-pick compensation attached.
Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline passed without Philadelphia making the offer. The free-agent market officially opened at the same time, allowing Bohm and the rest of the class to negotiate and sign with any club.
Had Bohm accepted the offer, he would have returned for 2027 at more than twice the $10.2 million salary he earned this season. Had he declined and signed elsewhere, the Phillies would have received a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round because they exceeded the competitive-balance tax threshold.
Now, Bohm can sign elsewhere without draft-pick compensation returning to Philadelphia or a penalty being assessed to his new team.
As outlined in our free-agent focus on Bohm, the former third overall pick entered the offseason as one of the Phillies’ most complicated decisions.
Bohm finished 2026 batting .249 with 15 home runs, 29 doubles, 88 RBIs and a .698 OPS over 155 games. Those totals followed the worst start of his career. He was hitting .159 with a .433 OPS when Don Mattingly gave him two days out of the lineup in early May.
From May 9 through the end of the regular season, Bohm hit .274 with 14 homers, 73 RBIs and a .773 OPS. Extended across 162 games, that production translates to approximately 19 home runs and 99 RBIs.
He remained one of baseball’s most effective hitters with runners in scoring position, batting .347 in those situations. He is also one of seven right-handed hitters to drive in at least 85 runs during three of the last four seasons.
“If Alec is not back with us, those 90 runs he drives in every year will be missed,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said at the Phillies’ end-of-season press conference. “You’ll have to pick it up in other ways.”
The Phillies must weigh that production against Bohm’s limited power and defensive value at third base. Bryce Harper will return as their primary first baseman, while Bryson Stott and top prospect Aidan Miller give the organization other possibilities at third.
The decision does not rule out Bohm’s return. The Phillies can continue negotiating with him on a multiyear contract or at a lower annual salary.
Bohm made his preference clear after the Wild Card Series.
“I have no idea what to expect, but I’d love to be back,” he said.
Elsewhere, the Phillies announced several moves affecting their 40-man roster Monday. The Giants claimed infielders Brett Harris and Shay Whitcomb off waivers, while catcher Garrett Stubbs elected free agency. Right-handers Brad Keller and Caleb Kilian, infielder/outfielder Felix Reyes and outfielder Johan Rojas were reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
For now, Bohm will test the market for the first time without a qualifying offer affecting it. The Phillies were unwilling to risk bringing him back at $23.15 million. Whether they are willing to retain him at a different price remains unanswered.
The Baseball Writers Association of America will begin handing out its annual awards next week and the Phillies have several finalists.
Manager Don Mattingly, starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez and closer Jhoan Duran are all in the final three in their respective categories.
Mattingly is a finalist for the National League Manager of the Year award. He took over the Phillies as interim manager when the team was 9-19 on April 28. Under Mattingly, the Phillies had the fourth-best record (79-55) in the majors the rest of the season and earned the third NL wild-card playoff spot. Mattingly was awarded a two-year contract in October.
Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy, who won the award the last two years, and Atlanta’s Walt Weiss are the other finalists for the award. Murphy is considered the favorite after his small-market Brewers led the majors with 103 wins during the regular season and won the franchise’s first World Series title. Voting for all BBWAA awards is done before the postseason begins.
After missing the playoffs for the first time in seven years in 2025, the Braves won the NL East in 2026, Weiss’ first year at the helm.
Mattingly previously won the NL Manager of the Year Award with Miami in 2020. He finished second while leading the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013.
The Manager of the Year Award will be announced next Tuesday.
The NL Cy Young Award will be announced next Wednesday and Sanchez is a finalist for the second year in a row. Last year, he finished second in the voting to Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes. This year, Sanchez is a finalist along with Milwaukee flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski and Atlanta lefty Chris Sale.
Misiorowski is considered the favorite. The right-hander led the majors with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 30 starts. Sale finished second in the NL with a 2.16 ERA.
Sanchez tied for the major-league lead with 18 wins. He was sixth in the NL with a 2.91 ERA and second with 207 innings pitched. His season was highlighted by a franchise-record 50 2/3 innings scoreless streak from April 30 to June 3. The streak was the fifth-longest in major-league history and longest ever by a left-hander.
The NL Reliever of the Year Award will also be announced on Wednesday. Duran is a finalist along with San Diego’s Mason Miller and Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill.
Miller led all NL relievers with a 1.67 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 70 innings. He tied for the league lead with 38 saves, blowing only three. Duran was second among qualifying NL relievers with a 1.82 ERA. He converted 33 of 35 saves chances. Megill converted 30 of 33 save chances and also had seven holds.
Award announcements start Monday with the Rookie of Year Awards and conclude next Thursday with the Most Valuable Player Awards.
In just a few more weeks, teams around the NHL will open for trade business as they find out who and what their rosters really are, and the Philadelphia Flyers, who will have to make an important decision in that regard themselves, have been busy scouting around the league.
Typically, around Thanksgiving, NHL teams tend to assess if they are playoff-caliber or not, and plan their future business accordingly.
The Flyers, who have won just four of their first 17 games this season, are obvious candidates to become sellers up to and through the NHL trade deadline in March. All signs indicate that general manager Danny Briere and Co. will remain patient with the current Flyers roster until the end of the month before making any big decisions.
In preparation of having to make a tough call on some players, the Flyers have been out and about around the NHL, taking in all kinds of different games.
Previously, we noted that Flyers president Keith Jones had traveled to watch recent games, including Devils-Senators, Rangers-Kings, and Blackhawks-Canadiens.
The latter is especially interesting, given that, on Tuesday night, the Flyers had a heavy contingent in attendance for another Montreal Canadiens game.
According to The Hockey News's own Karine Hains in Montreal, Flyers assistant general manager Alyn McCauley, as well as Lehigh Valley Phantoms coaches John Snowden, Nick Schultz, Terrence Wallin, and Patrick McDonough, were all on-site to watch the Canadiens take on the Winnipeg Jets.
Now, the Phantoms crew isn't terribly unusual, given that the Phantoms will be playing against the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, on Wednesday night.
In McCauley's case, though, this is the second time in recent weeks the Flyers have had an executive - McCauley and Jones - at a Canadiens game.
Despite the Canadiens' epic choke in an eventual 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets, they're still sixth in the NHL with a 9-3-3 record, and second in the Atlantic Division behind the 11-4-1 Boston Bruins.
So, if anything, that loss to the Jets reinforces the fact that the Canadiens are in prime position to be buyers on the trade market throughout the year, something the Flyers could help them with.
Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has long been linked to the Flyers in trade rumors; that seems to be the most obvious connection between the two teams.
The Flyers, in need of centers themselves, aren't in a position to offer the Canadiens an important piece behind Nick Suzuki, though Montreal would surely appreciate Philadelphia's breadth of wingers for depth purposes.
Again, we're still at least 2-3 weeks away from trade season officially getting underway around the NHL, but it's notable that, as they continue to flounder, the Flyers are obviously taking notes around the NHL, doing their due dilligence.
And the longer these struggles continue, the more likely the Flyers are to aim for a big change somewhere along the food chain.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: Gage Jump #79 of the Athletics throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of a spring training game at Las Vegas Ballpark on March 07, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Angels defeated the Athletics 3-0. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New A’s President of Baseball Ops Taylor Smith has made his first major hire to his front office. The team announced on Wednesday morning the addition of Brewers executive Cam Castro to be the Athletics’ newest General Manager, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
The Athletics are hiring Cam Castro away from the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers as their general manager under new president of baseball operations Taylor Smith, league sources tell The Athletic.
The addition installs Castro as Smith’s #2 in the new-look A’s front office. Bringing in Smith last week to be the new president showed that the A’s are going to prioritize pitching development over the next few years, and Castro’s addition underscores that upcoming emphasis.
Castro joins the A’s after spending the past seven years within the Brewers’ organization. Originally joining as a minor league pitching coach, Castro rose to become their minor league coordinator, then director of pitching development, then finally vice president of player development. That’s quite the rise for Castro, who began his coaching career before finishing college.
If there’s a model to copy in the league right now, it’s the Brewers. Fresh off their first World Series in franchise history, the Brew Crew have been a consistent playoff contender over the past decade. It’s all the more impressive considering they’re a lower-budget team, but that should make Castro’s transition to the A’s much smoother.
One notable way the Brewers have operated and been able to maintain consistent success has been their openness to trading star players before they hit free agency. That’s a strategy that A’s fans have come to know quite well over the years. The Brewers’ model may end up becoming the one the A’s try to emulate the most: develop good pitching, and trade players when they’re a year or two away from free agency, regardless of their importance to winning today.
We’ll have to wait and see how it all unfolds but the A’s are adding another pitching guru to the staff, one that comes with more experience than Smith. These two are going to be joined at the hip and their main goal over the next few years is to finally fix the Athletics’ inability to develop pitching. Once we figure that out and add some arms to a strong position player core, we should be on our way to October baseball before we know it.
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 05: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after hitting a home run during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field on September 05, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026-27 MLB free agent class has hit the market, and so we have the various rankings of the free agents and predictions as to what they will get in the market.
This is a particularly weak free agent class. There’s one guy, Tarik Skubal, who is far and away the top guy in the class. After that, there’s not anyone in his tier, or really, in the tier below him, or even really a clear consensus as to the top player, or players, after him.
Fangraphs has their top 50 free agent list up, with Ben Clemens’ contract predictions, as well as the crowdsourced predictions. Seiya Suzuki, who appears to be the consensus top position player on the free agent market, is #2 on their list, followed by starting pitchers Trevor Rogers and Michael King and NPB third baseman Teruaki Sato. No one outside of the top five is projected to get more than $100M, and the non-Skubal guys barely hit that mark.
Baseball America also has a list of their top 50 free agents, which looks markedly different from Fangraphs’ list. Jazz Chisholm, Suzuki, Randy Arozarena and Freddy Peralta round out their top 5 by Skubal. They have their top 6 free agents — which includes Rogers at #6 — hitting the $100M mark.
Kiley McDaniel’s free agent predictions have Sato, Peralta, Arozarena and Suzuki behind Skubal in the top 5, with only Skubal and Sato reaching nine figures.
MLB Trade Rumors slots Rogers, Peralta, Suzuki and Arozarena behind Skubal, with only the top five reaching the $100M mark.
TJStats offers up rankings without contract predictions. Suzuki and Rogers are #2 and #3 behind Skubal, followed by Adrian Morejon and Chisholm at #4 and #5.
Keith Law also has rankings without definitive predictions, though he does reference in some instances the range where he thinks players should land, contract-wise. He is position-player heavy behind Skubal, with Sato, Brandon Lowe, Suzuki and Arraez going 2 through 5.
The variety in the lists is a reflection, I think, of the class not being strong — the free agents behind Skubal are more above-average than star caliber players, which results in there being more ordinal variation than normal. The lack of nine-figure projections is also an indicator of the weakness of the class — last year, nine players received nine figure contracts, with Kyle Tucker and Dylan Cease both cracking the $200 million mark. Framber Valdez received the ninth-largest contract, at $115 million — if the projections are accurate, no one other than Skubal might get that much this year.
And as a side note, I used the top Rangers’ free agent, Joc Pederson, in the header picture as a nod to Chuck, because I know he enjoys the Joc photos.
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 2: Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers high five during the game during the game against the Miami Heat on November 2, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s a fun time to be a Lakers fan, evidenced by Bill Simmons’ anger about the Lakers. Anything to take his focus off Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown feuding, I guess.
We asked again for questions from you guys and, once again, you answered…or asked? Either way, there’s plenty to talk about in this week’s mailbag!
It might feel like the Lakers have an unsustainable offense, but I think some pretty encouraging numbers push back against that. So, let’s dive into this because there is a lot to this.
First, let’s look at the threes. Sure, many of Luka threes don’t seem sustainable except that it’s Luka taking those threes. But outside of that, the team is getting quality looks from beyond the arc.
The team is ninth in 3-point rate with 46% of their shots coming from beyond the arc. That’s a drastic change from last year when they ranked 22nd at 39.4%.
More notably, the team was dead last in catch-and-shoot 3-pointers attempted and made last year and 24th in 3-pointers attempted overall. This season, it hasn’t even been that drastic of an increase in volume, but it has improved. They’re 16th in 3-pointers attempted, 25th in catch-and-shoot 3-pointers attempted and 19th in makes.
The biggest changes are that they rank second in 3-point percentage, first in catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage and eighth in wide-open 3-point percentage. And yet, they still rank just 15th in the percentage of their points coming from threes.
That’s because they’re still getting to the rim, too. Last season, they were basically, across the board, the best team at scoring once they got to the paint. It’s the benefit of having LeBron James with Luka and Austin Reaves, two great finishers at the rim.
LeBron is, obviously, gone now. But for this specific stat, they replaced him with Walker Kessler, who has feasted at the rim as a roll man. Add in Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes, two players north of the 85th percentile in field goal percentage at the rim, and you see why the Lakers rank second in the league in field goal percentage at the rim and first in field goal percentage in the paint.
To perhaps lay this out a little differently, the Lakers opened the season with Walker Kessler flourishing in the pick and roll. Teams rightly decided that wasn’t sustainable, so they started blitzing ballhandlers on ball screens and working to take away Kessler as a roll option.
The result is open 3-point shooters and the Lakers now have a team capable of punishing teams who leave them open. Certainly, they won’t keep shooting this well, but this is also the type of offense head coach JJ Redick wants to run. He wants a modern offense that puts up lots of threes.
So, don’t expect a change, but also don’t be quite so worried about it being unsustainable.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 1: Walker Kessler #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers blocks the shot of Collin Murray-Boyles #30 of the Toronto Raptors during the game between the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers on November 1, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Let’s jump to the other side of the floor now and look at the defense.
The good news is that when you have an offense as good as the Lakers have had, you don’t need to be great defensively to win. The bad news is, notably, bad defenses don’t typically win at the highest levels.
As commenters pointed out, two areas are at least partly responsible for the poor defensive rating: turnovers and rebounding.
The Lakers currently rank 27th in the league in turnovers and 27th in opponent points off turnovers. Teams are taking advantage of the Lakers being sloppy.
They also rank 26th in offensive rebounds allowed. Not surprisingly, they rank 29th in opponent second chance points.
Defensively, they’re great in lots of areas. They’re fifth in steals, fourth in blocks and second in points off turnovers. They’re mostly middle of the road or slightly below average in opponent field goal percentage (17th) and opponent 3-point percentage (23rd). And that’s not based on shooting luck, as teams are hitting 38.8% of their open threes.
The more this group gains chemistry and familiarity, the better they’ll look defensively as well. It’s not as simple as fixing those two aspects and being a good defense, but those are the two glaring outliers right now.
The rotations have been pretty ironclad with Luka and Ausint since last year. Luka is going to play the entire first and third quarters and half of the second and fourth quarters to come in at around 36 minutes.
Austin will have his minutes broken up a bit more as he’ll leave late in the first quarter, return to open the second, then take another break in the middle of the period before returning to close the frame. Then, he repeats that in the second half.
That has been the rotation for the last two seasons for those two. It ensures that one of them is always on the floor, which is the right approach, and keeps both of them around 36 minutes per game.
When you have two elite on-ball players, you want to give both chances to maximize that skill. Austin is a great off-ball player as well, but giving him his own lineups and time on the floor without Luka, and vice versa, means the Lakers will have a full 48 minutes of an All-Star-level player on the floor.
There will be concerns about both of them after the injuries last season. But the Lakers also need them on the floor as well and 36 minutes per game isn’t an unreasonable expectation for a star.
The more likely route for them to get rest is nights off throughout the year. The team already rested Luka once and I imagine that’ll happen with some regularity this season.
It’s definitely fair to be put off by Quentin Grimes’ slow start. Like many, I thought he would get a starting nod to open the season. But perhaps Redick and his staff saw what fans eventually saw when the season started, which was a fair amount of indecisiveness and uncertainty.
The good news is that we are only three weeks into the season and Grimes looked better in the most recent game. It’s a matter of him eventually playing more on instinct rather than thinking through the game, which you can tell he’s doing right now.
I actually think it’d be better for him, and the team long-term, to be in the starting lineup. It gives that group another creator and dynamic player who can drive or shoot. But it’s hard to make the argument to start him based on how he’s currently playing.
We’re still quite a bit away from being too worried about Grimes. Instead, I’d rather celebrate finding two big wins in Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle so far.
I have two reactions to this.
First, I think in this specific play, their judgement was that Thybulle was in an illegal guarding position and committed a foul before any push off occurred. Because there’s simply no way to argue there wasn’t a push off.
Secondly, as will most things that are a point of emphasis to start the year, I don’t suspect it will carry on into the season much. Stars aren’t changing how they play to accommodate the rule change. It’ll just continue business as usual.
Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia (51) reacts during the eighth inning of game one of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Alex Vesia was a fixture in the Dodgers bullpen for the last six seasons, after getting acquired from the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2021 season. So much so that his 367 games pitched are 13th-most in Dodgers history, and seventh-most among relievers in franchise history.
Now, Vesia is one of nine Dodgers free agents, out on the open market for the first time in his career, heading into his age-31 season.
Vesia during this three years eligible for salary arbitration made a totalof $6.9 million, including $3.65 million in 2026. He’s bound to top that three-year total annually with whatever new deal he signs in free agency. Here are some projections for Vesia from various outlets:
But Vesia is arguably the second-best left-handed relief pitcher on the market, behind only Adrián Morejón, who received a qualifying offer from the San Diego Padres. There will definitely be a market for Vesia.
“Vesia peppers the top of the zone with his 90-94 mph fastball that has huge ride, created by his high arm slot, the most vertical arm slot in baseball,” Kiley McDaniel wrote at ESPN. “That unique combination of traits leads to odd angles and more whiffs than you’d expect, as well as pop-ups, but also a number of fly balls and walks. It all adds up to a setup-type reliever who should land a two- or even three-year deal.”
In 2026, Vesia led the Dodgers with 72 appearances and posted a 2.64 ERA, 2.68 xERA, and 31.2-percent strikeout rate, the fifth time his strikeout rate has exceeded 31 percent in six years with the Dodgers. His 13.5-percent walk rate was his highest since 2021.
“The concern here is that Vesia’s fastball velocity has dropped slightly each season, going from a peak of 94.4 mph in 2023 to 92.1 mph in 2026,” Matthew Pouliot wrote at NBC Sports. “It hasn’t been a problem yet, but it eventually will become one if it continues. Still, he’d be a nice fit everywhere.”
Today’s question is twofold: What contract (years and guaranteed money) will Alex Vesia sign this offseason, and with what team will he sign?
RFU chief Bill Sweeney offers full support to Borthwick
England boosted by fly-half Fin Smith returning to training
Steve Borthwick has been given the Rugby Football Union’s unequivocal backing to lead England into next year’s World Cup even if the side flop this autumn.
In September Borthwick’s contract was extended to after the 2028 Six Nations, despite England’s worst ever Six Nations performance this year, to avoid speculation in the buildup to next year’s tournament. But the head coach remains under pressure on the back of five defeats in the last seven matches.
If you blinked, you may have missed Ian Hamilton pitching for the Atlanta Braves in 2026. To the extent anyone remembers him, it’s probably for his three seasons with the Yankees (one of which was very good), but he did have a few cups of coffee with the Braves this season.
How Acquired
In the 2025-2026 offseason, the Yankees non-tendered Hamilton, leading to the Braves scooping him up on a non-guaranteed MLB contract in mid-December.
What were the expectations?
Considering the Yankees non-tendered him, there had to be a reason why. That reason wasn’t very complicated: Hamilton was a replacement level relief arm in 2025, with a 104 ERA-, 103 FIP-, and 105 xFIP-.
Hamilton made just 15 MLB appearances from 2018-2022, but busted out with a 1.1 fWAR season in his first year with the Yankees in 2023. Unfortunately, he took a step back in 2024, and by 2025, wasn’t particularly helpful to a big league team’s cause. Stuff like his xERA also trended downward.
The Braves likely gambled on the idea that even if Hamilton couldn’t get back to 2023 form, even his 2024 form (95 ERA-, 72 FIP-, 90 xFIP-) would suit them quite well, perhaps as a lower-leverage bullpen piece.
2026 Results
Hamilton ended up functioning as a yo-yo piece as the Braves got through the 2026 season. He was cut part of the way through Spring Training and outrighted to the minors, recalled in mid-April, designated for assignment (and eventually outrighted again) six days later, then recalled-DFAed-outrighted again in a two-week stretch in late June and early July.
He threw just an inning in his first stint with the club, and stuck around for three appearances in his second stint. He didn’t really give the team much of a reason to keep him around: he was awful in his one-inning appearance in his first stint (1/2 K/BB ratio in a blowout) and then a mixed bag in his second stint (one great outing, one poor outing, one so-so outing).
All in all, Hamilton completed 4 2/3 big league innings in 2026, his lowest total since 2022. He put up a 184 ERA-, 80 FIP-, and 94 xFIP-, “earning” 0.0 fWAR in the process. He pitched okay, got charged with a bunch of runs, and spent most of his season toiling in Gwinnett.
What went right?
His second stint went pretty well, with a 58 ERA-, 55 FIP-, and 64 xFIP-. You’d think the Braves would have been interested in keeping him around a bit longer after some success against the Padres and Cardinals, but nope. Nor did they see much of a reason to call him back up down the stretch.
His best outing by WPA was a scoreless frame while the Braves were down three runs to the Cardinals. His best outing in terms of pitching was a 14-pitch, strikeout-strikeout-groundout frame against the Padres, also with the Braves down three runs.
What went wrong?
Beyond the above, there isn’t too much to say. His command was terrible (tiny sample). His pitch shapes were bad (tiny sample). His xERA was awful (tiny sample), though that’s not necessarily reflective of pitching performance. His slider had spin deflection marks so insane that it almost feels like a small-sample data error, but those didn’t help him succeed in any fashion. He actually got a fair bit of chase and whiffs when batters chased, but he also struggled to hit the zone or miss bats within it.
And, his first outing of the season, where he came in with a two-run deficit and left with a five-run deficit, didn’t help anything and possibly soured the Braves on him before he could even manage to get going.
On top of that, he didn’t really distinguish himself while waiting for another callup at Gwinnett — the 3.25 FIP is nice-ish, but the above-4.00 xFIP for a 31-year-old in his seventh stint at the Triple-A level, not so much.
2027 Outlook
Hamilton finished out the year at Gwinnett and is now a free agent. Given that he’s been trending down since 2023, and now projects somewhere between straight-up replacement level and below average reliever (if one figures the ghost of 2024 can be evoked once more), he’s squarely in minor league deal territory at this point.
If you are to believe preseason predictions, this game being a showdown between the East’s top two teams could come as a bit of a surprise. Pistons fans knew this team would be good, but many talking heads predicted a falloff this season while everybody was on board with the 76ers being one of the best teams in the league.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the team that was 1st in the East last season is once again competing for the top seed in the East, but talking heads have to make their money somehow. ESPN at least had the foresight to pickup this game and you get what should be a very fun early-season showdown between two teams that have only lost one game each.
The 76ers and Pistons have played once this season and the Pistons won, but it is tough to draw any conclusions since both teams were missing a couple of starters.
Game Vitals
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI When: Wednesday, November 4 at 7 pm EST Watch: ESPN Odds: Detroit (-2.5)
Analysis
The Pistons will be without Jalen Duren and Isaiah Joe, who was already ruled out for this game last night. The Pistons were missing Jalen Duren in the last matchup between these teams and also Ausar Thompson, who they will have back. But, Isaiah Joe did suffer the hip injury that is still keeping him out during the 1st quarter of the last matchup, so the Pistons are trading one injured player for another.
With this being a National TV game and the 76ers getting a day of rest, I would suspect that everybody plays for them tonight. In the last matchup, the 76ers did not have Joel Embiid or VJ Edgecombe, which really put their lack of depth to the test.
Joel Embiid’s size and ability on the glass could become a problem for the Pistons, who will continue to start the undersized Paul Reed and likely use John Collins to back him up. Without Jalen Duren, rebounding was already going to be a problem, but the Pistons have been able to overcome it during his absence.
In the last matchup, the Pistons were able to contain Tyrese Maxey through 3 quarters before he started hitting shots in the 4th. It was a bit of shocking development since the Pistons were without Ausar Thompson, but without some of the other stars for the 76ers, they could focus their defense more on stopping Maxey. The 76ers have a lot of star power, but their biggest offensive threat is arguably Maxey, who can hit shots from anywhere on the court and can use his quickness with the ball to get to where he wants. I would expect Ausar Thompson to draw the Tyrese Maxey matchup which will allow Cade Cunningham to guard Jaylen Brown since he has the size to keep up with him.
I am not really sure what the Pistons are going to do about the Joel Embiid matchup. Paul Reed is outsized by him and also can have some issues with fouling and Joel Embiid has made a living off of bating fouls throughout his career. Paul Reed is going to have to stay disciplined, as I don’t think the Pistons can afford to have heavy minutes of John Collins at center or Tolu Smith. I have full confidence in the Pistons’ ability to matchup with the rest of the 76ers starting lineup, but the most concern I have is this matchup and it very well could swing the game.
If there is one certainty for the Pistons, it is that Cade Cunningham is difficult to slow down, especially with how he is playing now. He is coming off a 33 points masterclass against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday in only 27 minutes where he absolutely took over the game and turned a single-digit lead into a 20-plus point blowout. Cade Cunningham always starts off the season slow, but he seems to be hitting his stride now. His 3-ball is consistently falling as he is shooting 37% from beyond the arc, which is a significant development for his offensive creation abilities and efficiency.
He is going to have to put together another masterclass if the Pistons want any hope to win this game. During Jalen Duren’s absence, the Pistons have been able to win games through their high-level defense, but their offense has left a lot to be desired. With Isaiah Joe out and Duncan Robinson going through a bit of a cold stretch, the Pistons shooting fell off a bit and they went four games in a row scoring 110 points or less.
However, everything seemed to get back on track on Monday against the Hornets, so hopefully that continues.
One player the Pistons are hoping gets back on track is John Collins. He had his best game as a Piston in the last game against the 76ers and has proceeded to score single-digit points in every game since then. With Jalen Duren out, he has had to play a lot more center than he was probably planning on playing, but he has also had difficulties finding a consistent offensive role. Another big John Collins game would be a huge help in this matchup
The Joel Embiid matchup concerns me with the Pistons lack of frontcourt size, but if they can defend Tyrese Maxey like they did in the last matchup, they have a shot to takedown the 76ers and claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Lineups
Detroit Pistons (6-1): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Paul Reed
Philadelphia 76ers (7-1): Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid
Question of the Day
Which of these teams will finish higher in the Eastern Conference at the end of the season?
