If Kansas basketball's win over Baylor on Friday, Jan. 16 proved anything, it was that Darryn Peterson is in fact one of the best players in men's college basketball.
The freshman star guard took over in the Jayhawks' 80-62 win over the Bears at Allen Fieldhouse with 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field with two rebounds and three assists.
His 26-point outing gives him his fourth game of at least 20 points in Kansas' last five games. It's the sixth game this season that Peterson, who has missed some time with a hamstring injury, has reached that mark, as well.
And he could have had more: Peterson made his last basket with 16:41 to go and didn't play at all in the final 8:01.
Here's a deeper look into Peterson's night against the Bears, including a look at his full box score:
Darryn Peterson stats vs Baylor
Here's a look at Paterson's stats from Friday's game against Baylor:
Points: 26
Shooting: 11-for-13
3-point shooting: 2-for-4
Free throw shooting: 2-for-4
Rebounds: 2
Assists: 3
Steals: 1
Turnovers: 0
Minutes: 23
Darryn Peterson highlights
Here's a look at a few highlights from Peterson's night against the Bears:
Yes, led by Peterson's 26 points, Kansas picked up its third Big 12 win of the season with an 80-62 victory over Baylor on Jan. 16. The Jayhawks improved to 13-5 (3-2 in Big 12 play) on the season with the win.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Kendall Coyne Schofield scored in overtime off a nice assist by Taylor Heise and the Minnesota Frost beat the New York Sirens 3-2 on Friday night.
Heise faked a shot and sent it across the goal on a breakaway for Coyne Schofield's redirection. Coyne Schofield increased her point total to 14 this season and Heise recorded her 10th assist, four coming in the last two games.
It was the first of five regular-season meetings between Minnesota (5-2-2-3) and New York (6-0-1-5). Last season, the Sirens went 3-2-1-0 against Minnesota.
Heise's first assist to Britta Curl-Salemme opened the scoring with 11:05 left in the first period after a misplay by the Sirens goaltender. It was Curl-Salemme's fifth goal of the season and league-leading 14th point. Curl-Salemme has points in 10 of 12 games this season.
Kelly Pannek gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead just 35 seconds into the second on a hard shot in close for her fifth goal of the season. Coyne Schofield picked up the assist.
Casey O’Brien, with a jailbreak goal, tied it at 1-all for New York with 2:49 left in the first.
Taylor Girard set a career high in goals with her fifth to tie it at 2-all at 4:04 of the second.
Up next
Minnesota: Returns home to play Montreal on Wednesday.
New York: Plays Montreal in a Takeover Tour game at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a stunner in Philly. This one was equally stressful and rewarding.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
13 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 6 turnovers
Mitchell was quiet for most of this game. He only attempted five shots in the first half as Philly focused most of their defensive attention on him. Mitchell did a great job of countering this by being a playmaker rather than pressing the issue. He eventually found a small rhythym in the second half, giving the Cavs just enough to pull off a win.
I would have given Mitchell an extra letter grade had he taken better care of the ball. Six turnovers are a bit much.
Grade: B
Jaylon Tyson
39 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds
Tyson was phenomenal tonight. A career-high in points on absurd efficiency (13-17 shooting). This is the type of performance that Tyson has replicated multiple times this season, to lesser degrees. The more he proves he can score at this rate, the more valuable Tyson becomes as a prospect. This might be a future All-Star caliber player.
If his red-hot shooting wasn’t enough, Tyson also dished the game-winning assist. A cool, calm, and collected approach from a player who has shown no fear through his sophomore season.
Grade: A+++
Support us and rep Evan Mobley with Homage!
We’ve partnered with Homage to help provide Cavs fans with the best gear. Anything bought from the links below helps support Fear the Sword while also allowing you to rep the Cavs. You can also shop all Homage Cavs gear HERE.
I wish we could have seen more from Mobley, considering the injuries to Darius Garland and Sam Merrill. But Philly did a good job of keeping Mobley away from the paint. That is, until the very final possession, where Mobley caught a pass and dunked it home for the win.
Proctor took advantage of his opportunity today. He was an efficient 5-8 from the floor and arguably should be playing ahead of Lonzo Ball, at this point.
Grade: A+
Craig Porter Jr.
2 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds
Porter might not be a threat to shoot the ball, but he keeps finding ways to be effective anyway. He matched his career-high with 11 assists and grabbed 2 offensive rebounds.
Hunter is starting to trend in the right direction. He’s been more efficient recently (7-13 tonight) and threw down a monster dunk in the fourth quarter. It took him a minute, but this is what we expected to see from Hunter this season.
Allen was fairly timid tonight. At least, compared to how he played in his previous matchup with Philly. He still did a fine job of keeping Embiid away from the glass, but he could have been more assertive on offense.
Grade: B
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
9 points, 5 rebounds
Tomlin is an energizer. You know this by now. He threw down a couple of thunderous dunks tonight and gave Cleveland a surge of momentum when they needed it most.
Grade: A–
Lonzo Ball
0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
I don’t know, man.
It’s hard to see Ball turning his season around at this point. He just doesn’t seem to have any juice as a shot creator anymore. I don’t think he’s played well enough to stay ahead of any other guard on the roster right now.
Jaylon Tyson’s career-high 39 points helped the Cleveland Cavaliers overcome an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-115. Despite the impressive scoring, Tyson won the game by finding Evan Mobley for an easy dunk with five seconds left for the game-winning basket.
Cleveland was once again shorthanded without the services of Darius Garland (toe), Sam Merrill (hand), Dean Wade (knee), and Max Strus (foot). This led to head coach Kenny Atkinson going with his 23rd starting lineup of the season that featured Craig Porter Jr. at point guard in place of Garland.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the new City Edition shirt can be found HERE.
The Cavs played like a team that lacked their starting point guard. They turned it over 12 times in the first half, which directly led to 21 points for Philadelphia. This allowed the Sixers to take a seven-point lead into the break.
Neither team could gain traction in the third quarter, but the Sixers’ strong start to the fourth pushed their lead to 11.
The Cavs fought back then. They played some of their best basketball of the night in a four-minute stretch in the fourth that saw them tie the game after a 10-0 run.
Cleveland had all the momentum with five minutes to play in a time game, but then they threw it all away. They turned it over on three straight possessions in a stretch that felt eerily similar to the start of the game. The Sixers scored on each of the giveaways as what was a tie game quickly turned into a seven-point advantage for Philadelphia.
The Cavs once again battled back with a 10-2 run to take a one-point lead with two minutes left in the fourth. Both teams exchanged baskets for the last two minutes.
A Tyrese Maxey floater tied the game at 115 with eight seconds left.
Atkinson called a timeout and drew a play up for Mitchell. When Lonzo Ball wasn’t able to get it inbounded to Mitchell, he instead turned to the high scorer of the night. Tyson immediately beat his man off the catch, drove baseline, waited until the help defense came, and then made a beautiful drop-off pass to Mobley, who put the game away with a dunk.
Maxey had a chance to win the game with a desperation jumper from just inside halfcourt, but he wasn’t able to get it to go.
Tyson was Cleveland’s best player on Friday. He seemingly couldn’t miss from deep as he went 7-9 from beyond the arc, which opened up the rest of his offensive game. Overall, Tyson connected on 13 of his 17 attempts from the field. This led to a career-high 39 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists.
The Cavs needed that kind of performance with Donovan Mitchell struggling. The Sixers double-teamed him and forced the ball out of his hands anytime they had a chance to do so. This resulted in him finishing with just 13 points on 13 shot attempts with 12 assists and six turnovers.
De’Andre Hunter had another strong performance. He provided 16 points off the bench, with seven of them coming during the fourth-quarter comeback.
Mobley scored 15 points, including three in the final 30 seconds, to secure the victory.
Tyrese Proctor also made a positive contribution as he added 13 points on 5-8 shooting in 11 minutes of action. Porter provided 11 assists and two points in the win.
The Sixers were led by 33 points and five rebounds from Joel Embiid. Maxey had 22 points on 9-23 shooting with nine assists.
This wasn’t the prettiest game, particularly in the first half, but the Cavs found a way to dig deep and secure a hard-fought road victory. They’ve now won three out of their last four and seven of their last 10.
The Cavs will be back in action on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as they host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip-off will be at 2:30 PM.
If Ja Morant does get traded by the Grizzlies, it’s now becoming clearer what Memphis might get in return — or at least want.
The controversial two-time NBA All-Star has seen his game, availability and value plummet over the last couple of seasons. Now, in trade rumors, Morant — who is in the third year of a five-year, $197 million deal — could be in for a Trae Young-like fate and be on the move.
On Sirius XM’s “Deals and Dunks,” longtime NBA insider Marc Stein said Memphis is looking to receive a first-round pick and a younger player in return for Morant.
Ja Morant handles the ball during overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers at FedExForum on December 30, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. Getty Images
“It’s hard to pinpoint clear-cut suitors. Miami, we know, is interested,” he said. “There has been some dialogue between the teams. How far it’s actually gone, I imagine the Heat would just try to steal him for expiring.
“I don’t know how far the Heat would be willing to go as far as draft capital and young players to put into an offer — We do know with Miami, whenever there’s a star player available, they will at the very least investigate it.”
Young, despite his individual accolades, was dealt by the Hawks to the Wizards last week for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Although Travis Schlenk — the Hawks general manager when Young was there — is the current Wizards vice president of player personnel, making Washington an obvious landing spot once Young’s time in Atlanta soured.
Young, unlike Morant, can opt into free agency this summer.
Ja Morant is currently with the Grizzlies for the NBA Berlin Games in Germany. NBAE via Getty Images
Morant is making $39.4 million this season and is set to take $42.1 million and $44.9 million in each of the next two seasons, respectively.
The Heat have contracts that are tradable in the $26-to-$31 million range, like guard Tyler Herro, swingman Andrew Wiggins, and the expiring deal of guard Terry Rozier, who has been on leave all season due to an ongoing betting scandal.
The Heat could use Rozier as a trade chip ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, as ESPN reported this week.
Other teams rumored to be interested in Morant now include the Pelicans, according to a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, adding them to a list that reportedly includes the Kings, Raptors and Bucks.
Morant, who has never played 70 games in a season, has been limited to just 212 games — regular season and playoffs — since the 2021-22 season, missing 178 games and counting in the process due to injuries and suspensions.
This year, he’s averaging 19 points and 7.6 assists, shooting a career-worst 40.1 percent from the floor, and just 20.8 percent on 3-pointers, also a career-low.
The Florida Panthers couldn’t keep their brief winning streak alive as they continued a long road trip Friday night in Raleigh.
Florida ran into a buzzsaw as the Carolina Hurricanes dominated much of the contest, taking down the Panthers 9-1 at Lenovo Center.
Carolina controlled the majority of the opening period and were eventually rewarded for their strong start.
Jordan Staal made a perfect cross-zone pass to a streaking Nicolaj Ehlers, who quickly went to his forehand and wired the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky to send the Hurricanes into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
They outshot Florida 13-3 in the opening frame.
Florida bounced back quickly though, knotting the score less than 90 seconds into the second period.
Rookie Sandis Vilmanis carried the puck into Carolina’s zone, dropping it for Mackie Samoskevich who was quickly checked off the puck by Sean Walker.
The puck kept sliding across the zone, and Uvis Balinskis walked into a one-timer that beat Brandon Bussi to tie the game at one.
For the Panthers, it was all downhill from there.
A pair of goals about three minutes apart by Mark Jankowski and Alexander Nikishin gave Carolina a comfortable two-goal edge heading into the third period.
Early in the final frame, Andrei Svechnikov make it 4-1 Hurricanes on a power play goal that came just after a 5-on-3 advantage came to an end.
That wasn’t an issue for Carolina because a few minutes later they had another two-man advantage, and this time Ehlers picked up his second goal of the game, extending the Canes’ lead to four.
Just 21 seconds later, Taylor Hall scored a fourth straight power play goal for the Hurricanes to give them a 6-1 lead.
Ehlers completed his hat trick less than 90 seconds after Hall’s goal, causing headgear to litter the ice and creating a delay that the Panthers were surely salty about, as it meant they had to wait that much longer before getting the hell out of there.
Eventually, the game did come to an end, but not before Hall scored another one to give the Hurricanes an eighth goal, and Eric Robinson scored moments later to make it 9-1 because why not.
Photo caption: Jan 16, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) is stopped on his breakaway attempt by Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)
A fitting loss to cap off a terrible Philly sports week
The Sixers blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, falling 117-115 at the last second to the Cleveland Cavaliers, completing the sweep of the season series.
Joel Embiid had a classic Joel Embiid performance, leading all Sixers with 33 points shooting 10-of-22 from the floor. Tyrese Maxey at least looked better than he did Wednesday, putting up 22 points on 9-of-23 shooting, hitting a game-tying floater but not a potential half-court heave to win it.
VJ Edgecombe was again derailed by foul trouble, finishing with 10 points going 4-of-5. Paul George quietly steadied the second unit, having 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting along with five assists.
Jaylon Tyson led all scorers with 39.
Somehow Dominick Barlow was not only available, but back in the starting lineup after suffering a nasty looking back contusion Wednesday, leaving every Sixer available. The Cavs were down Darius Garland, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill and Max Strus.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
Yet another game with a fast offensive start as the teams combined to make 11 of their first 14 field goal attempts. Embiid got dunked on by Evan Mobley to open up the game’s scoring, but had comfortably settled in to his midrange by the nail on the other end. The Sixers were the first team to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor. Dominick Barlow didn’t seem too hampered, blocking a shot and ripping the ball away from Donovan Mitchell on two early plays while Maxey snagged an early steal as well.
That aggression, and some miscommunication, got the Sixers in a bit of trouble. Multiple times early two Sixers would follow the same Cavalier, leaving another wide open, but they were meeting even less resistance on the other end. Embiid and Maxey went to their actions frequently and got a good look just about every time, including a beautiful one-handed layup by Maxey after Embiid’s bounce pass led him perfectly to the spot.
Embiid wouldn’t stay as efficient from the field but he continued to control things, getting a couple trips to the line to round out a 13-point quarter. The offense did miss him when he checked out, going scoreless after he buried a three at the 3:13 mark. Cleveland buried a couple threes in the final minute to knot the game at 31 after one.
Second Quarter
Maxey came off the floor but with George and Edgecombe returning it once again gave the offense some structure — the latter got himself a really nice layup cutting around the former. The Sixers also had their best stretch of protecting the basket to this point, thanks in large part to two blocks from Adem Bona.
What a sequence from Adem Bona!
A big-time slam followed by TWO incredible blocks 💥🚫🚫
Thanks to seven steals in the first while only giving it away once themselves, the Sixers were thoroughly dominating the turnover battle. Just after extending their lead to double digits, two turnovers of their own gave that momentum right back to Cleveland. Edgecombe had the ball taken away from him way too easily while Kelly Oubre Jr. threw a pass that was way too easy to pick off. Those were big reasons for the 8-0 run the Cavs ripped off, but Craig Porter Jr. missing a pair of free throws settled things down for the moment.
Maxey was able to spring free for an open three off the catch as well as a steal-and-slam, but this was another half in which he was struggling to create. The length Cleveland was throwing at him might have bothered him, but he just seemed to be having a harder time holding on to the ball. The Cavs were only able to load up on him more when Edgecombe had to sit the end of the half with foul trouble. Quentin Grimes replaced him and looked rough missing his first three shots of the night, but buried two threes to give the Sixers a seven-point lead at the half.
Third Quarter
Both Embiid and Tyson started the second half with the same rhythm they started the game with. While Embiid continued to enjoy open midranges off pick-and-pops, something just seemed slightly off with his two-man game with Maxey. For example, he threw the between-the-legs way drop pass way too early and dumped it into Jarrett Allen’s lap.
A strong take with his left hand was just the type of basket Maxey needed, though that didn’t seem to get him going in any way. Another silly mistake, this time Oubre needlessly fouling Nae’Qwan Tomlin on a dunk again, gave the Cavs momentum to cut into the lead the Sixers threatened to push to double digits.
Oubre did his best to make up for it though — he put back a missed Embiid layup, created a fast break layup for himself by running out after a miss, and knocked down a three. The Cavs took advantage of yet another sloppy turnover, but Maxey answered with a contested three to beat the shot clock and keep the lead at seven as the third expired.
Fourth Quarter
Sitting a good chunk of the game in foul trouble, Edgecombe hadn’t scored since his perfect 3-of-3 start to the night. Naturally, he opened the scoring for the Sixers in the fourth, matching a Mitchell three with one of his own. His second-unit running mate helped him lead the way as George knocked down a couple of baseline jumpers.
The Sixers’ offense went cold enough after that for the Cavs to rip off a 10-0 run to tie the game. It wasn’t due to getting bogged down either. They pushed up a possession to get Maxey a wide open three in the corner that he missed, Grimes beat his man off the dribble for a wide open layup but just smoked it. The Sixers answered with a 7-0 run, for once it was them taking advantage of silly mistakes. Tyson messed up taking the inbound and turned it over after another Maxey fast break layup, and Mobley stepped out of bounds trying to drive from the corner on the following possession.
Once again, the Sixers ran bland offense down the stretch, and it again cost them. The first was a play that took way too long to develop after Maxey got doubled, Embiid couldn’t feel the defenders coming as the slow lob pass came to him and it was stolen. Maxey then went nowhere on a drive and had his runner blocked by Mobley. Embiid tried to post up Allen, got stonewalled and threw up an airball. Cleveland stormed back with another Tyson three giving them a one-point lead with less than two minutes to go.
Maxey had a lot more space on his next drive and got fouled, retaking the lead at the line. They forced a miss on the following possession, but swinging to an open Oubre resulted in a missed three and De’Andre Hunter put Cleveland back in front. George was able to shake his defender but his turnaround jumper in the paint was no good.
George and Oubre both played tough defense on Mobley who missed as well, but Oubre got enough forearm to be whistled for a foul — a challenge couldn’t overturn it. Mobley split his pair, giving the Sixers a chance to tie or go in front with 22.2 to go. Maxey and Embiid spent most of that time exchanging the ball, giving Maxey runway to tie the game with a floater with 8.1 seconds remaining. Cleveland went to their hot hand, Tyson got the ball on the baseline, spun, beat his defender, and drew to the help to get Mobley an open dunk with four seconds to go. Now of timeouts the Sixers could only get up a half court heave that didn’t fall.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Center Jay Huff had a career-best 29 points and nine rebounds and led five players in double figures as the Indiana Pacers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 127-119 on Friday night.
The 7-foot-1 Huff, who entered Friday averaging 8.4 points, shot 13 for 17 from the field and 3 for 6 from 3-point distance. The center's previous high was 22 points, achieved last year while with the Memphis Grizzlies in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. Huff was acquired by Indiana in a trade with Memphis during the offseason.
Pascal Siakam scored 20 of his 27 points in the first half, and Andrew Nembhard added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who won for the fourth time in five games. Aaron Nesmith and Quenton Jackson scored 12 points apiece as Indiana closed out a 3-1 homestand and improved to 8-16 at home.
Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 27 points on 10-for-12 shooting from the field and 7-for-10 shooting from the line. Williamson was 8 for 8 from the field in the first half, when he scored 21 points.
Trey Murphy III scored 22 points, Saddiq Bey added 20, Jeremiah Fears finished with 16, Derik Queen had 14 and Jordan Poole 11 for the Pelicans, who are 3-16 in road games. Queen also had 12 rebounds.
The Pacers trailed by two points after one quarter and raced to a 10-point lead in the second quarter for a 73-66 edge at the break. The 73 points is the Pacers' highest-scoring first half of the season. Indiana led 102-93 after three periods.
Up next
Pelicans: At the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Pacers: At the Detroit Pistons on Saturday in the opener of a five-game trip.
On the latest Kevin O’Connor show, O’Connor mentioned that the Utah Jazz “are going to be a team with big interest” in Austin Reaves.
Reaves will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and will draw significant interest leaguewide. So, regardless of whether this is actual intel on the Jazz or just an assumption from O’Connor, it makes sense. For O’Connor to call out the Utah Jazz specifically is interesting. Perhaps this was why the Utah Jazz unfollowed O’Connor on Twitter recently?
👀 Utah Jazz (utahjazz) is no longer following @KevinOConnor
Regardless, this is definitely interesting. It also makes sense with Utah’s trajectory. Utah has filled its books with expiring contracts this season, so it has room to make deals this upcoming offseason. Austin Reaves would be a great target with that money. Then, if they are able to bring him over, they can also sign Walker Kessler afterwards and go over the cap. It’s a plan that makes a ton of sense and could lead the Jazz to be major players next season.
On top of this is whether Utah wins this upcoming lottery. If Utah can add a top-tier prospect and a high-level prospect like Austin Reaves, it could be a massive run for the team.
Also, would there be anything better than getting a player from the Lakers to join the Utah Jazz? This would become maybe the best offseason in team history if this all played out.
With team president and general manager Chris Drury waving the white flag on the Rangers season with a letter talking of a retooling of the roster, here’s a look at who could be on the move before the Olympic break and March 6 trade deadline:
Access the Rangers beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting withMollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
In a meeting with Drury on Friday, Panarin was informed that the Rangers would not be extending him. As one of the last remaining big names on the impending free agent board, Panarin naturally has been in the middle of trade chatter all season. He is also one of the highest-valued assets the Rangers have in their lineup and should be able to fetch a mini haul. His full no-move clause, however, puts Panarin in the driver’s seat. Drury will have to work closely with Panarin and his camp to arrange a deal that the star Russian wing is on board with.
2. Brennan Othmann
Another player who has been in the rumor mill nearly all season, Othmann has been tabbed as needing a fresh start. The No. 16 overall pick in 2021 has struggled to translate his game to the NHL level over 33 career games. It simply has not been a fit in New York.
Rangers Rookie Brennan Othmann (78) when the New York Rangers held their training camp Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at Madison Square Garden Training Center in Greenburgh, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
3. Carson Soucy
In the final year of his deal, Soucy, and his $3.25 million cap, hit is easily moveable. There are plenty of teams that could use a stay-at-home defenseman who can play on either side.
Compared to last season, Soucy has been much more effective in his role for the Rangers through his 41 games. The Rangers, who gave up the 2025 third-round pick they received from the Golden Knights for Reilly Smith to acquire Soucy, should be able to find a team in need of defensive depth for the playoffs.
4. Alexis Lafrenière
If the Rangers wanted to make a splash and partially change up the team’s DNA, dealing Lafrenière before his modified no-trade clause — with an eight-team no-trade list — kicks in for the 2027-28 season would be a way. Nights like his three-assist effort in the Winter Classic are too few and far between.
The 2020 first overall pick was the consensus top selection at the time the Rangers won the draft lottery, but he never has been able to produce or lead like one. Lafreniere’s track record in the NHL hasn’t done much for his trade value, which means Drury should want to pounce on the first legitimate offer.
Rangers left wing Alexis Lafrenière juggles the puck in the first period at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York, Monday, January 5, 2026. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
5. Vincent Trocheck
The market for centers right now is one the Rangers will want to explore. There is a high demand for quality centers, which makes Trocheck another valuable trade chip for the Rangers. Since J.T. Miller was just named captain and Mika Zibanejad has a no-move clause until it becomes modified in 2029-30, Trocheck’s 12-team no-trade list that kicked in this season makes him one of the Rangers’ easiest centers to trade. The Rangers are already thin down the middle, but Trocheck may be the player who could fetch the kind of deal that Drury is looking for.
6. Braden Schneider
Primarily a third-pair defenseman over his five seasons in New York, Schneider hasn’t had the strongest season as he’s taken on a bigger role in the absence of Adam Fox. The Rangers never quite gave him an extended top-four opportunity unless it came on the heels of an injury, but the 24-year-old also hasn’t seized the role either. The Rangers would likely be willing to move on from Schneider as he heads toward restricted free agency — with arbitration rights — at the end of this season. Schneider would be a beneficial addition to any contender’s defensive depth.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic hangs his head and holds his hands on his hips after getting hit in the stomach during game against the Bucks last week. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers star Luka Doncic will miss Saturday's game in Portland because of left groin soreness, the team announced Friday.
Doncic, the NBA's leading scorer averaging 33.6 points per game, appeared to struggle with a groin injury during a loss against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. But he didn’t miss games on Tuesday and Thursday as the Lakers (24-15) traversed a particularly difficult week of five games in seven days.
Doncic led the Lakers to a win against Atlanta, and he played a team-high 35 minutes and 43 seconds in Thursday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He scored 39 points with four assists in the loss, which was the Lakers’ fourth in the last five games.
The Lakers, who finish a back-to-back set on Sunday at home against the Toronto Raptors, could also be without both centers against Portland. Starter Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) and backup Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring tendinopathy) are both questionable. Ayton is averaging 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds. Hayes has missed the last two games because of the injury but coach JJ Redick said Thursday the 7-foot center could be back this weekend.
Forward Adou Thiero remains out with a right medial collateral ligament sprain and guard Austin Reaves is closing in on the final week of the initial four-week timetable provided for his left calf strain. After aggravating the injury on Christmas Day, Reaves was ruled out for at least a month before he would be reevaluated.
If the Lakers are going to beat the Blazers, it’s going to be without their superstar Luka Dončić.
The Lakers have ruled Luka out for their game against Portland due to left groin soreness. Unfortunately, not only will LA’s backcourt depth be weakened, but their frontcourt options might be in even worse condition.
Starting center Deandre Ayton and backup big Jaxson Hayes are both listed as questionable.
The Lakers will play without Luka Dončić against the Blazers. Also, both Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes are listed as questionable. Winning won’t be easy for LA in Portland. pic.twitter.com/f8PiqOxI2c
Dončić is leading the NBA in scoring, averaging 33.6 points per game, so making up for his absence will be a massive challenge for Los Angeles.
With Luka ruled out, LeBron James better pack his Superman cape for this trip to the Pacific Northwest. The NBA’s leading scorer will have to put up big numbers if the Lakers are going to pull out this road victory shorthanded.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that he hoped Hayes would play this weekend. He’s missed the last two games due to his left hamstring tendinopathy. Hayes getting upgraded to questionable is a positive sign for the backup center, but we’ll have to wait and see if he’ll actually play in Portland.
Hayes has played well for the Lakers and has even closed out games over Ayton in LA’s most recent tightly contested matchups.
While Hayes has been good, Ayton remains the Lakers’ starting center. Ayton has been relatively healthy this season, missing just four games. He missed a November game against the Heat with back spasms and another against the Clippers due to a right knee contusion.
Hopefully, one or both of LA’s bigs are available for this game in Portland. If not, LA will have to rely on either Maxi Kleber, two-way center Drew Timme, or they’ll utilize Jarred Vanderbilt as a small-ball five.
While those options are possible, ideally, they can play their two best bigs instead.
But that might not be an option, so if necessary, the Lakers will be ready to play a bit shorthanded as they try to get back in the win column.
The Philadelphia Flyers went from rebuilder to playoff dark horse... or so they thought, and now the team and its loyal but increasingly impatient fans are paying the price.
The Flyers, in the midst of a five-game losing streak (0-4-1), still very much look like a young, directionless team that has some future pieces, but a far cry from a finished product.
Having now fallen out of a playoff spot in what is shaping up to be yet another midseason collapse, the Flyers have also allowed no fewer than five goals in each of their last four losses, all in regulation.
Backup goalie Sam Ersson, after falling well behind Dan Vladar in the eyes of Rick Tocchet and Co., has descended into unplayable territory and owns an unfathomably bad .853 save percentage on the season.
Continuing to put Ersson in the line of fire when he very clearly has no confidence is harmful to both the player and his teammates, and the Flyers need to move on and move forward for the benefit of both parties.
That puts the Flyers back at what can be considered square one relative to the past few seasons; one goalie who can steal a few games, and another goalie behind him who is a complete enigma.
Time will tell if Aleksei Kolosov's resurgence is legitimate and can be relied upon, or if the Flyers again gravely miscalculated their situation.
Since signing a five-year, $25.75 million ($5.15 million AAV) contract extension with the Flyers on Jan. 5, veteran center Christian Dvorak has been out-shot 75-60 at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick, while being out-scored 5-2.
Linemates Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny, who have gone equally cold, have struggled in lockstep, though Zegras, who earns favorable deployment when the team trails, has out-shot opponents 80-65 in the same timeframe.
By re-signing Dvorak, in addition to retaining other grey hairs like Nick Seeler, Konecny, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Garnet Hathaway, the Flyers have called it quits on a rebuild and have no intentions on racing with other cellar dwellers to the bottom.
But, if the Flyers are all-in on being a competitive team looking to reach the playoffs--they've already lost their playoff spot--they cannot be bad and boring. They are both.
The San Jose Sharks, who are still an objectively bad team hindered most by their island of misfit toys defense core, have given Macklin Celebrini the keys to the car, and it's made them one of the NHL's most entertaining teams.
Celebrini, still just 19, has 24 goals and 71 points in 47 games this season after recording 25 goals and 63 points in 70 games last season.
He also has his Sharks in a playoff spot.
Flyers starlet Matvei Michkov, as you'll recall, finished his rookie campaign with more goals than Celebrini did, more games played notwithstanding.
That same Michkov has seen his average ice time drop two full minutes from 16:41 to 14:41 under Tocchet, who has demanded the Russian sensation adapt his style to the system and not vice versa.
Everyone knew when Michkov was drafted seventh overall in 2023 that he was not a plus skater but was an exceptional proprietor of offense attacking angles from his favored right wing and creating plays out of thin air.
The difference now is that the 21-year-old is playing left wing, right wing, with bit-part bottom-sixers, with top-sixers, on the top power play unit, or on no power play unit at all.
He's being thrown around and utilized with extreme indifference, but for some, it is a big shock and concern that Michkov has just 24 points in 45 games because of that.
But, hey, when you don't score, maybe you can contribute in other ways, right?
How about Michkov dropping the gloves and fighting Blake Lizotte on behalf of Denver Barkey, someone he's known for maybe a few weeks, in that 6-3 blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.
In the last week, Michkov and Nikita Grebenkin, who have a combined 166 NHL games between them, got into fights standing up for and trying to inspire their teammates. But where are the leaders?
Hathaway, Seeler, Konecny, and Sean Couturier have seen this movie--the midseason collapse--before, and it is happening again.
The young guns are showing as much fight as possible in their limited opportunities, while the details, fight, and overall basic fundamentals for much of the rest of the team have completely fallen to the wayside.
Just play a 1-1-3 neutral zone and keep three to four bodies above the puck like the Tampa Bay Lightning did on Monday night and the Flyers have been completely stifled offensively.
The Flyers are not fun to watch, not hard to play against, and not disciplined. They are not committed to making the playoffs or rebuilding, and they are not bad enough to secure a top draft pick as they had last season.
Instead, the Flyers are very much a team adrift, going through the motions until the 2026 Winter Olympics come along.
Only the team can dig itself out of this relentless cycle of greyness and mediocrity, but if they fail to do so, there would be enough sample size to deduce that the heart of the team, the core, as currently constructed, is simply incapable without further changes.
The Flyers' next opponents--the New York Rangers--just openly penned a letter to their fans admitting they have been terrible all season and will make a bunch of trades in order to try and course-correct, and that same Rangers team still has more regulation and overtime wins (18) than the Flyers do (17) this season.
If the Flyers can't take down New York in their own building on Saturday afternoon, the organization will be forced to double back and reconsider their blueprint for success for this season, the offseason, and beyond.
The team also announced it claimed lefty-hitting Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Rays.
The 24-year-old Cheng appeared in three games with the Pirates last season, going 0-for-7 with three strikeouts,
He was selected off waivers by Tampa Bay earlier this month before the Mets snagged him Friday.
The native of Taiwan has primarily been a shortstop in the minors and also spent time at second and third base.
He signed with the Pirates as an international free agent in 2019 and was designated for assignment by the team in December and figures to provide minor league depth at Triple-A Syracuse, since the Mets appear set in the infield after they agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with Bichette, who will shift over from shortstop to third.
Tsung-Che Cheng appeared in three games for the Pirates last season. Getty Images
Bichette will join Francisco Lindor at short and newly-acquired Marcus Semien at second, while Brett Baty may have a utility role and another recent acquisition, Jorge Polanco could see time at first with Mark Vientos.
Chicago Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts announced at Friday night’s Cubs Convention Opening Ceremony that former Cubs catcher Jody Davis and pitcher Jon Lester will be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame this year.
Also, former broadcaster Vince Lloyd will be inducted into the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame and given a “Lifetime Achievement Award,” a new award honoring individuals who made a significant contribution to the Cubs organization over their lifetime. The 2026 Cubs Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Wrigley Field at a date to be announced later.
Ricketts said, “The Cubs Hall of Fame Committee selected three people representing three eras of Cubs baseball—fitting as the team celebrates its 150th anniversary. Jody Davis was a part of the legendary 1984 Cubs team that helped create a generation of fans across the country—legions of whom can still sing Harry Caray’s theme song for this durable catcher who made the All-Star Game that year. He rarely took a day off from catching and was a tough out who hit 129 homers as a Cub.
“Jon Lester was perhaps the greatest free agent signing in team history. He already had two World Series rings and when we announced his signing in December of 2014 as we headed into the 2015 season, it was an inflection point for this team. His leadership helped power our team to the NLCS that seasons. In 20216, in Game 5 of the World Series, with our backs against the wall, he earned the win with a six-inning performance that saved the series for us.
“For over 34 seasons, Vince Lloyd was the ‘Voice of Summer’ for Cubs fans. From the earliest days of Cubs baseball on television in the 50s all the way through the 80s on radio, Lloyd brought Cubs games into people’s homes. The former U.S. Marine brought the ‘Holy Mackerel’ to Jack Brickhouse’s “Hey Hey.’ For 23 years on the radio, he was the play-by-play voice alongside Hall-of-Famer Lou Boudreau, including the great runs of 1969 and 1984. Vince’s dedication to his craft on the radio made him like family to generations of Cubs fans.”
Davis was a Cubs catcher for eight seasons (1981-1988) and a two-time all-star (1984, 1986) during his tenure. He was a key member of the 1984 National League Eastern Division Champions team hitting .256 with 19 home runs and 94 RBI that season.
Lester played six of his 16 major league seasons with the Cubs, including the 2016 World Series championship team. A fierce competitor and big-game pitcher, he was Co-MVP of the 2016 National League Championship series and a two-time All-Star (2016, 2018). He played on four Cubs postseason teams and will go down in history as one of the greatest free agent signings in Chicago sports history.
Lloyd was a beloved and versatile broadcaster of Chicago sports for almost four decades and served 34 seasons (1950, 1954-1986) as a Cubs broadcaster. He called over 6,000 major league games in his career, including 5,000 for the Cubs. He started his Cubs broadcasting career on WGN-TV in 1950, broadcasting home Cubs games with Jack Brickhouse. In 1965, he moved to the radio booth to serve as play-by-play on WGN-AM where he spent the next twenty years. He was especially known for his trademark call, “Holy Mackerel!” and for ringing a bell after every Cubs home run. Lloyd passed away in 2003 and is receiving this honor posthumously.
The Cubs Hall of Fame will now include 68 plaques which represent individuals who dedicated their time to Cubs baseball, both on and off the field. Baseball legends, former players and managers, beloved broadcasters and announcers, team owners and front office executives grace the walls of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame, immortalized at Wrigley Field since 2021 in the bleacher concourse under left field, open to all fans. The plaques included in the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame represent individuals previously enshrined in the original Cubs Hall of Fame (1982-86) and in the Cubs Walk of Fame (1992-98).
