The Los Angeles Lakers have come to a decision on their roster to open the season.
Dalton Knecht has been waived, the team announced Monday afternoon. The move puts the Lakers roster at 15 players, the limit under NBA rules.
The Lakers, who carried 16 players through the preseason, had a choice to make between Knecht and Bronny James. Both players were held out of practice ahead of Monday's 2 p.m. cut deadline, with head coach JJ Redick saying the two cut candidates were "under the weather." And despite rumors over the weekend of trade talks centered around Knecht, it appears president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka ultimately decided to make a clean break.
Lakers waive Dalton Knecht
The problem that comes with trading a player who won't make the roster comes down to value. Teams have no reason to give up any assets for a guy they know they can get for nothing a few days later. Pelinka has shown over the years that he's particular about return packages; he's more than willing to pass on a trade if he's not 100% sure it would improve the roster.
For Knecht, it became painfully clear over the last couple of weeks that he was the odd man out. His shooting -- the reason the Lakers drafted him with the 17th overall pick in 2024 in the first place -- was too streaky to be relied upon, and his subpar defense made him a liability most times he stepped on the court. That, and the addition of several wings with size who could shoot -- Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili when he's not playing the five -- during their roster overhaul this summer, suddenly made Knecht's skillset redundant.
Redick admitted as much to reporters ahead of Friday's preseason finale.
"I think the biggest thing is the team changed. The team changed. Needs changed, the fit changed. I think he’s gotten better as a player the last two years. I think, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the injuries we had. I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings," Redick said at the time. "And he’s in a tough spot right now."
Knecht didn't check in until halfway through the fourth quarter of the Lakers' loss to the Denver Nuggets, the 12th man off the bench that night, and finished scoreless for the second game in a row. In his 7:30 minutes of playing time, he added one rebound and an assist.
The writing had been on the wall at UCLA Health Training Center for quite some time. Now, it's official.
After missing all of training camp and the preseason because of an offseason training injury, as well as the first two games of the 2026-27 season, Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin now has six games under his belt.
Larkin scored a goal and added an assist in his season debut during Detroit's 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 6. He has since added another assist, coming in the Red Wings' 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 15.
However, he hasn't quite looked like himself yet, going without a goal in his last five games while also committing a handful of uncharacteristic turnovers.
Is Larkin still feeling the effects of his original injury, or is he simply playing catch-up after missing so much time during training camp and the preseason? According to head coach Todd McLellan, it's the latter.
"I don't know about it if he is; I haven't been told anything from him or the trainers," he responded when asked if Larkin is still dealing with an injury. "But his injury prevented him from doing what everybody does right before camp, a month before you really ramp it up. The skates become more intense; body contact begins.
You play in tighter areas, you stop and start more than when you skate in late July, because you're taking it up."
The NHL regular season is even more of a grind now with 84 games being played. Because of the shortened Training Camp and preseason schedule, all players had quicker acclimations to the new season.
Unfortunately for Larkin, who wasn't able to participate in Camp or any of Detroit's four preseason games, it's been baptism by fire.
"Everybody knew that camp was short this year, so I think the summer skates became a little more important," McLellan said. "He had none of that, so he's playing catch-up. He simply is."
Regardless, the Red Wings are going to hope for Larkin to contribute more regularly on offense as they embark on a four-game road swing that begins on Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
During Monday's episode of his 32 Thoughts podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman gave a lengthy update on the situation between the Winnipeg Jets and superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, revealing new details about how the standoff has unfolded.
According to Friedman, the 33-year-old was not simply sitting out of the Jets lineup. He was suspended by the team, even though he had informed the club around the season opener that he was ready to return with the suspension running through this Friday, October 23rd.
"Because he had left them and not shown up without permission, the Jets had some added power under the CBA, where they could give him a suspension of reasonable length," Friedman explained. He said the league and the Players Association settled on a window of roughly two and a half to three weeks for what counts as reasonable.
That leaves the Jets with a new deadline and three options. They can trade Hellebuyck before Friday. They can keep him out of the lineup while paying him, since a team cannot bar a player under contract from playing and also withhold his pay. Or, most intriguingly, they can welcome him back in the Jets lineup.
Friedman does not expect Hellebuyck to play anytime soon as days after the suspension expires on Saturday, October 25th, Winnipeg hosts the Montreal Canadiens in the Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium. Friedman said the organization does not want the Hellebuyck storyline to overshadow the outdoor game.
The following Tuesday, the Jets host the Florida Panthers, a date that will likely carry the storyline into the next week and could mark a Hellebuyck return if Winnipeg's leadership decides it is the right call.
How the Jets proceed is still up for debate as Friedman again said he believes general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will not accept a bad trade for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner. If no deal materializes, the question becomes whether the team and its leadership would welcome Hellebuyck back or have him sit out with pay.
Friedman and former NHLers Kevin Bieksa and Luke Gazdic, his colleagues on the Sportsnet panel, disagreed on the point with Friedman saying he does not believe the players would want Hellebuyck back, while Gazdic argued that the goaltender would be welcomed back given his experience and that it would benefit the team.
The Jets are currently 4-2-2 with a 3.00 goals-against average, a mark that sits in the middle of the pack in the NHL. Combining Hellebuyck with Stuart Skinner, who has been Winnipeg's starter this season, could give the Jets their best goaltending tandem in years.
A return would not be unprecedented as elsewhere in the NHL this season, Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, was not granted one and returned to the team with his captaincy removed. Friedman likened Larkin's situation to a "weird limbo," in which a player waits for a trade while playing out the season, and said Hellebuyck could do the same.
When Larkin came back, he played as well as he could and won back some favor in Hockeytown. If Hellebuyck follows that path in Winnipeg, it raises the question of whether Jets fans would soften their stance on the Olympic gold medalist.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
After practice Monday, Knicks coach Mike Brown, as well as guards Jalen Brunsonand Landry Shamet, spoke about what it means to turn the page on their championship berth and enter a new campaign with largely the same group.
Turning the page on a title
The Knicks will kick off their 2026-27 campaign with one last celebration of their historic NBA title: a ring presentation and banner raising ceremony hosted at MSG ahead of their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night.
As fun as it's been to revel in their success the last few months, much of the team is already trying to move forward.
"Every year, it's a new year to attack something,"Brunsonsaid. "When people say we're defending the title — I mean, that's one way to look at it, but it's something we won. We've put in our past, and now we're just trying to attack another."
Shamet added that although fans across New York City are still riding the high of the championship, once the new season starts, everyone will be more focused what lies ahead.
"I think the fascinating part about sports is that starting tomorrow, no one cares [about the championship],"Shametadded. "After the ceremony's over, it's 0-0. We're a competitive bunch, and by no means is anybody expecting to just coast or anything like that. That's definitely not the tone of our group."
Between the ring presentation, the roar of the home crowd, and the excitement of a new season, having a ceremony immediately before the opener against Philly could be distracting. But Brown said he trusts his players to compartmentalize.
"It's hard, because they're human, and there's a part of you that wants to keep celebrating, but we've got to turn it off," he said. "The challenge is to try to get them enjoy the moment, but not fully. You have to try to supress all that early, before the ceremony, so that you can quickly get not just your body, but your mind and your emotions into the task in front of you."
The hard part, Shamet said, is to not get so wrapped up in what they've already accomplished that they become cocky or complacent.
"I think that's maybe some of the challenge that I've read about and seen in the past that championship teams have," Shamet added. "How do you take the high in the celebration at the beginning of the game, and still go out and perform, play the brand of basketball that you'd want to play?"
Jalen Brunson on Knicks fans seeing a new banner raised tomorrow night: "They deserve it. This is something that's been brewing for a long time...to share this moment with them is definitely going to be special." https://t.co/IlRiUGpGil
For the first time in his eight-year career, Shamet is spending a third-straight season with the same team.
After splitting his freshman season between the 76ers and the Clippers, he floated from the Nets, to the Suns, to the Wizards, until finally landing in the Knicks organization in 2024. He then dislocated his shoulder, got waived by the Knicks, spent a few months recovering, and worked his way from New York's' G-League affiliate back onto the major league bench.
Shamet ended up a crucial piece of the Knicks bench late in the playoffs, shooting 55.6 percent and 41.7 percent from the field in Games 1 and 2 of the Finals, respectively. In June, he inked a four-year deal with the team worth $24 million, marking Shamet's first long-term commitment with a team.
"It's not lost on me. I feel like I try and do a good job of not taking much for granted," Shamet said of his tenure with the Knicks. "[I've] never spent three consecutive training camps with the same organization, so feels really good ... to be here and have a familiar group and feel comfortable and confident with the people I'm around. I feel like they feel the same way about me, so I don't take that for granted at all."
He's one of several key players the Knicks were able to retain in the offseason — a fact that should give them a boost against many of their Eastern Conference rivals, whose rosters saw major shakeups over the summer: Boston got Paul George and former Knick Mitchell Robinson, Philadelphia added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, Toronto welcomed Kawhi Leonard back after seven years away from the team, and Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo after a lengthy trade battle with Boston.
While those teams spend the early months of the season working out the kinks that come with a roster rebrand, the Knicks are hoping to lean on their well-established system to get ahead early.
"[It's] very valuable," Brunson said of returning so many key players. "For us to come back, it's good to have our chemistry continue to grow, understanding that we've done it, but are we still hungry, are we still satisfied? Do we continue to get better every single day, or are we just content? That's our big question that's going to be answered within the first couple weeks of the season. However we answer it, we're going to attack it and get better every single day after that."
With direct access to Lakers memorabilia, the franchise’s global fan base and eBay’s live-commerce infrastructure, Goldin is drawing on decades of auction expertise to bring sports history to mainstream fans and established collectors alike.
Magic Johnson signed his name three times across a purple Los Angeles Lakers jersey before Ken Goldin brought it to auction.
The five-time NBA champion was among the Lakers legends participating in an invitation-only gathering at a private residence in West Hollywood on October 13. Public figures, private collectors, athletes, and industry figures, including Rob Veres of Burbank Sports Cards and members of the Trove Media team, gathered for an evening of live signings, historical memorabilia and auctions streamed through eBay Live.
Johnson’s signed jersey was auctioned, with proceeds benefiting the Magic Johnson Foundation. Lakers legends Kurt Rambis and Derek Fisher also participated in the evening, while Goldin presented an assortment of collectibles spanning generations of Lakers history.
Elsewhere in the residence, a Wilt Chamberlain jersey photo-matched to Game 3 of the 1972 NBA Finals stood alongside a Magic Johnson jersey worn during his 1989–90 MVP season. Kobe Bryant’s twice-signed Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 sneakers, worn during his 42-point playoff performance against the San Antonio Spurs in 2004, were also on display. Five championship rings belonging to longtime Lakers public-address announcer Lawrence Tanter represented the franchise’s championship runs from 2000 to 2002 and 2009 to 2010.
The evening marked the first major activation of Goldin’s multiyear partnership with the Lakers, announced in July, which named the eBay-owned company the franchise’s official auction house sponsor. Beginning October 28, Goldin will introduce weekly Wednesday auctions on eBay Live, bringing together historical memorabilia and equipment used during the current NBA season.
For Ken Goldin, the choice of partner was deliberate.
“Look, for me, I wanted to start at the top,” Goldin told Sam Goodman, Mantel contributor and founder of SOMOS Index, pointing to the Lakers’ championship history, international recognition and generations of culturally significant players.
The agreement represents more than an opportunity to sell memorabilia associated with one of basketball’s most recognizable franchises. It connects Goldin directly with the organization producing and preserving those objects, while opening access to the global audience that gives them cultural and commercial significance.
The Goldin Advantage
Auction houses have traditionally relied on private collectors, dealers and consignors to bring valuable memorabilia to market. A historically significant jersey might remain in a personal collection for decades before its owner decides to sell.
Goldin’s Lakers partnership introduces a different approach, establishing a direct relationship with the franchise rather than depending exclusively on owners bringing memorabilia to auction.
“How does working with professional sports organizations change your approach to sourcing inventory?” Goodman asked.
“For us, it gives us a guaranteed supply without competition,” Goldin responded.
The agreement gives Goldin access to selected memorabilia from the Lakers’ historical archives alongside contemporary game-used equipment, including jerseys, basketballs and nets. Rather than competing for those objects once they enter private collections, the auction house can source them through the organization itself.
That relationship is particularly important in a market where an object’s value depends not only on who used it, but also on the ability to establish its history.
“To us, provenance and authenticity is the number one thing,” Goldin explained. “Is it real? Is it authentic? We are getting it from the source.”
Acquiring memorabilia directly from the franchise provides a clearer chain of custody, connecting an item’s documented use to its eventual sale. For collectors, that provenance can be as important as the athlete or performance associated with it.
Direct sourcing also changes how quickly memorabilia can reach the market.
Goldin described how equipment associated with a significant performance could potentially reach auction as soon as the following day, rather than spending years circulating through private collections. The same relationship could allow collectors to pursue objects before their significance has even been established.
He outlined plans for a service allowing fans to arrange the purchase of game-worn memorabilia before an upcoming matchup. A collector, for example, could request an Austin Reaves jersey without knowing whether the player will deliver an ordinary performance or a career-defining night.
The distinction is significant. Historically, collectors have often pursued memorabilia after an athlete or moment has become important. Goldin’s approach could allow them to acquire objects tied to moments whose place in sports history has yet to be determined.
For an auction house built around bringing desirable collectibles to market, the Lakers relationship provides a closer connection to the athletes, games and organizations responsible for creating them.
The Power of the Purple and Gold
The Lakers offer Goldin something beyond a collection of historic jerseys and game-used equipment.
Few professional sports franchises have a cultural identity as recognizable as the Lakers. From Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant to LeBron James and Luka Dončić, the team’s history extends across generations of basketball, entertainment and popular culture.
That recognition also gives Goldin access to an audience far larger than the established sports memorabilia market.
“Part of our deal is that this is going to be promoted to the millions of fans that are in the Lakers database and maybe not in my auction database,” Goldin explained.
For an auction house accustomed to reaching customers through collectors, dealers and existing marketplace participants, the franchise relationship creates another path to potential buyers.
A lifelong Lakers fan may have attended games, purchased jerseys and followed the team’s biggest moments without ever participating in a memorabilia auction. Through the partnership, that same fan could encounter an opportunity to own an object directly connected to a favorite player or memorable performance.
Goldin has previously used entertainment to introduce collecting to audiences outside the traditional hobby.
Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, which premiered in 2023, brought viewers inside the auction house, following the personalities, historic objects and competitive transactions that define its business.
The Lakers partnership approaches audience development from another direction.
Where Netflix introduced collecting through entertainment, the franchise relationship allows Goldin to reach potential customers through their existing attachment to a team and its players. Rather than asking viewers to become interested in collectibles generally, Goldin can introduce memorabilia connected to athletes and moments they already care about.
The inventory itself is intended to serve a broader range of buyers.
“We’re going to have something for everybody and we’re going to have something from every player,” Goldin said.
Alongside premium game-worn jerseys and historically significant artifacts, Goldin plans to offer more accessible collectibles and unusual objects connected to players throughout the roster. Potential offerings include media-day jerseys, game-used basketballs, locker-room nameplates and equipment associated with the franchise.
For established collectors, that creates another source of rare and historically significant memorabilia. For Lakers fans unfamiliar with auctions, it introduces collecting through a relationship they already have with the team.
Exposure to the Lakers’ global audience does not guarantee that those fans will become collectors. But it gives Goldin a direct channel to potential customers beyond the people who already participate in its auctions, expanding the audience for the memorabilia the partnership brings to market.
Beyond the Auction Block
Ken Goldin’s experience with live selling dates back decades. Long before the rise of livestream shopping, he sold sports memorabilia to television audiences through QVC and the Home Shopping Network.
In 2024, eBay acquired Goldin, connecting its established auction business with a global marketplace and digital commerce infrastructure.
The Lakers partnership brings those capabilities together with something traditional auction houses cannot always count on: a continuing source of memorabilia tied to a franchise whose history is still being written.
Beginning October 28, Goldin will introduce weekly Wednesday Lakers auctions through Goldin on eBay Live, offering historical collectibles alongside contemporary game-used equipment throughout the NBA season.
“We’re doing so much more than an auction; we’re creating a real show each week that is entertaining, fast-paced, and interactive,” Goldin said in the company’s October announcement.
For an auction business historically organized around consignments and scheduled sales, recurring programming introduces a different rhythm.
Rather than waiting for individual collections to become available, Goldin can organize regular auctions around memorabilia sourced through the franchise. The NBA season provides a natural calendar, with each game creating the possibility of another significant performance, while the Lakers’ archives offer decades of material beyond the current roster.
The October 13 activation offered an early example of how those elements could work together.
Magic Johnson’s live jersey signing placed one of basketball’s most recognizable figures directly into the presentation of an object associated with his career. Ken Goldin brought the jersey to auction, while eBay Live extended participation beyond the collectors and guests gathered in West Hollywood.
The athlete, the memorabilia and the transaction became part of the same event.
Goldin’s traditional auction platform will continue offering Lakers memorabilia alongside its eBay Live programming, allowing the partnership to serve established collectors while developing a recurring format for new audiences.
For Ken Goldin, whose career has spanned televised selling, high-end auctions and digital marketplaces, live commerce represents another way to connect collectors with the objects and stories that have long defined his business.
The difference now is that Goldin has a direct relationship with the franchise supplying those stories.
A League of Opportunities
The Lakers are not the only professional sports organization Goldin is pursuing.
The company has also announced a partnership with the Detroit Pistons, reflecting a broader effort to establish direct relationships with teams rather than relying solely on traditional consignment channels.
During his conversation with Mantel, Goldin discussed the possibility of expanding the model across major professional sports leagues. But he made clear that the company is not interested in accumulating partnerships simply for the sake of increasing their number.
Instead, Goldin described a selective approach focused on franchises with established histories, strong fan communities, recognizable identities and championship potential.
The Lakers provide a particularly compelling starting point. Their decades of championships, internationally recognized players and extensive historical archives offer valuable inventory, while the team’s global audience creates opportunities to reach collectors and fans well beyond the existing auction market.
Whether other franchise relationships can deliver similar results remains an open question.
For Goldin, the success of the Lakers partnership will depend on more than the number of objects brought to auction.
“I think success is going to not only be determined by sales,” he explained. “Success is going to be determined by selling prices. Are we getting good prices?”
The company is also looking at whether the partnership attracts new bidders, increases Goldin’s visibility and generates interest from other professional sports organizations.
“How much do we raise our profile? Did we gain X number of tens of thousands new bidders?”
Those measures offer a clearer picture of the company’s ambitions. Strong auction results would demonstrate demand for the memorabilia itself. New bidders would suggest that access to the Lakers’ fan base is translating into customers. Additional franchise relationships could indicate that the model has applications beyond one of basketball’s most recognizable teams.
None of those outcomes is guaranteed. But the partnership gives Goldin an opportunity to test how direct access to professional sports organizations can change both the supply of memorabilia and the audience participating in its sale.
Goldin has spent decades building a business around bringing pieces of sports history to auction. Its partnership with the Lakers creates an opportunity to connect that business more directly with history as it unfolds.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 28: CJHuntley #21 of the Phoenix Suns poses for a portrait during NBA media day on September 28, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Huntley originally joined Phoenix on a two-way contract after going undrafted out of Appalachian State in 2025. In November of last year, the Suns terminated that contract, making him a free agent. He continued playing with the Valley Suns, however, and following the conversion of Jamaree Bouyea’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal in March, Huntley was brought back on another two-way contract.
Hamstring issues prevented Huntley from participating in the Summer League, but he put together a productive season with the Valley Suns last year. In 42 appearances, the 6’11” big man averaged 15.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in 27 minutes per game, shooting 63% from the field, 34% from beyond the arc, and 67% from the free throw line.
Despite that production, Phoenix has decided to move on from Huntley as it continues adjusting its roster ahead of the regular season. His departure, along with Brea’s, leaves the Suns with one open two-way contract spot and one standard roster spot.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 05: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics argues with referee Ben Taylor #46 against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter in game three of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on May 05, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ladies and gentlemen, Adam Silver has done it again. The commissioner and the rest of his coroporate teammates at the NBA office continue to ensure the league’s viewers have the maximum amount of fun, thanks to the endless amount of jerseys each franchise wears.
That, of course, includes your Boston Celtics. Boston is one of eight franchises to have a “Specter” edition uniform bestowed upon them this season.
When I saw this, I almost spiked my phone. What a disgusting piece of moneygrabbing slop.
Now, I’m the defininition of a traditionalist, so there’s definitely some bias here. I think the home team should always wear white, and road teams can wear any of their more colorful uniforms.
With that being said, there’s simply no way that these should’ve seen the light of day. The Northern Lights-esque design doesn’t work. The small font that reads “Boston” (you might not even have noticed it on the chest of the jersey) looks ridiculous.
Who is this even for?
There are seven other fanbases who are likely asking themselves the same question.
The New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, and Golden State Warriors will all feature a similar looking monstrosity in their respective wardrobes this season.
Ironically, the league picked its eight oldest franchises to force these disguting unis on as part of this Specter series.
“The new Specter Edition uniforms open a new chapter in how team identity for the Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics — the teams tracing their history back to the earliest chapters of the NBA — appears on court,” the league wrote in an official release last month. “Bringing forward the same obsession with the game that defines the NBA Standard Issue collection, each uniform features details inspired by the franchises’ history, city heritage and fan culture.“
You know what would’ve been a great way to honor history?
Maybe whip up some cool throwback jerseys.
It’s possible. We’ve seen the Celtics run with throwbacks in the past, despite not having changed much about their uniforms over the course of 80 years.
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 10: Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics celebrates after breaking the NBA All-time three point record against the Los Angeles Lakers during the game on February 10, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2011 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty ImagesLOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 30: Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics blocks the shot of Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers during their game at Staples Center December 30, 2007 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 2007 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Thankfully, every single post I’ve seen related to these jerseys has been a negative one. Having read through the full press release, it seems like the NBA is trying to capitalize on the hypebeast culture of wearing silly looking things just because they’re rare.
Featured several times throughout is the “1:1” tag.
More or less, the goal of the entire charade is to break into the fashion world by having players serve as models for this new line.
Does the league know that they can just release obscure merch without making the teams wear it?
There is some “good” news woven into this story, though. The Celtics will only put these things on three times this season. Three, by the way, is the bare minimum amount of games that teams are required to wear any special edition uniform.
In other words, the Celtics themselves know that these stink just as much as the rest of us do.
It’s tough because I was actually felling good about Nike heading into the season. They allowed teams to bring back their preferred City Edition uniform from the past decade, and Boston nailed their choice with the green and yellow unis from the 2018-19 season.
Jayson’s reaction is actually the opposite of mine when I heard this news.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 25: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the third quarter of the game to an officials call during the third quarter of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden on December 25, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Besides the St. Patrick’s Day uniforms off the 2000’s, these are probably my favorite non-traditional Celtics uni. So, good job, Celtics.
Boston won’t actually wear these beauties until Jan. 20, 2027, though. They do, however, understand how fire they actually are since they’ll be wearing them 11 total times throughout the back half of the season.
After the San Jose Sharks' loss to the Boston Bruins, a dejected Luca Cagnoni spoke to the media following a disappointing performance on both a team and individual level. He was then going to be a healthy scratch against the Nashville Predators in the Sharks' next game, but Darnell Nurse wasn't ready to go and he drew into the lineup, recording the second-lowest ice time amongst Sharks defensemen. Then, when the Sharks went to Detroit to face the Red Wings, he was out of the lineup.
Tonight, the Sharks are set to face the Toronto Maple Leafs and he's back in the mix.
Cagnoni's performance against Boston was certainly one he'll want to forget. "[It was] not very good," he said." A couple bad bounces, but gotta be better."
Analytically, the data backed up Cagnoni's assessment of the game as HockeyStatCards' Game Score Breakdown had him listed as by far the worst performing player on the ice:
With that being said, Cagnoni is a 21-year-old, 5-foot-9 defenseman playing in the NHL. Outside of rare exceptions like Lane Hutson with the Montreal Canadiens, there are going to be growing pains. "It's frustrating, but [it's a] long season, I guess," Cagnoni added.
So far, Cagnoni's rookie season has had exorbitant highs and very low lows. His first career NHL goal was an overtime winner, the type of goal that kids dream of scoring in their driveways. Just a few weeks later, he had the worst showing of his young career. With that being said, Cagnoni has overcome significant odds to even reach this point, so it wouldn't be wise to bet against him moving forward. He's shown glimpses of how valuable he can be in the long-run, he just needs to find consistency and he'll get there.
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 14: The sneakers worn by Paul George #13 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on October 14, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ten years to the day that the first two picks in the 2016 NHL Draft, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, faced one another for the first time in the NHL, the first picks in the 2026 NHL Draft will do the same. Tonight, we'll see San Jose Sharks forward Ivar Stenberg face off against the only player picked ahead of him at the draft: Gavin McKenna.
Stenberg and McKenna are two of the favorites to win the Calder Trophy this season, alongside Anton Frondell and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard:
With that being said, Stenberg and McKenna are the youngest players in the race as well. They're the only players from the 2026 draft class to record a point in the NHL at this point and only five players were able to crack an NHL roster right after the draft in general. Points wise, Stenberg and McKenna are on a similar pace. Both have scored two goals so far, but Stenberg has six points compared to McKenna's five, despite the Maple Leafs forward having an extra game played.
Despite being the most effective part of their game to this point in the season, the Sharks won't be able to rely on special teams to help them in Toronto. The Maple Leafs have a nearly perfect penalty kill through nine games, as they lead the league with a 96.4% success rate. Their power play isn't anything to disregard either, as they've converted on 26.7% of man advantages, the seventh best rate in the NHL.
The Maple Leafs do have a few major injuries though. Chris Tanev and John Tavares are amongst those on the injured reserve and William Nylander is set to be a game-time decision due to an illness that kept him out of the morning skate.
Toronto's Matthews has scored at nearly a goal-per-game pace against the Sharks in his career, lighting the lamp 14 times in 16 games. If Nylander is out due to his illness, that'll be huge for the Sharks as well considering he has 21 points in 16 games against the team in teal. Surprisingly, defenseman Nick Blankenburg also scores against the Sharks at a high rate, with five points in six games.
As for the Sharks, captain Macklin Celebrini has just two points in four games against the Maple Leafs and has yet to score a goal. Mason Marchment and Alex Wennberg have had considerable success against Toronto throughout their careers. Michael Misa, who had one point against the Maple Leafs in his only appearance against his hometown team, is the only player on the Sharks who has scored at a point-per-game pace against the Leafs.
Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to be in net for the Maple Leafs, and he's been dominant against San Jose. In 23 games, he has a 15-6-2 record with a .932 save percentage and a 2.25 goals against average. Yaroslav Askarov, who will be starting for the Sharks, has yet to play the Maple Leafs in his short career.
The Buffalo Sabres returned to home after a mildly successful road trip involving Atlantic Division foes, earning four of a possible six points in an overtime and shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens and a 5-4 overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The club practiced at KeyBank Center on Monday morning and had defenseman Rasmus Dahlin back.
The Sabres team captain was injured one week ago against Florida on an offensive zone faceoff early in the second period while winding up for a slapshot on Panthers goalie Akira Schmid. After a week of treatment on the unspecified injury, Dahlin feels ready to go.
"I knew it wasn't gonna be long. Let's just say that. I didn't think it was gonna take a full week," Dahlin said after practice. ready. "I think I'll be ready, and we'll see here (on Tuesday) and go from there."
Owen Power leads Sabres defensemen in scoring and has a pair of overtime winners.
Buffalo without Dahlin fell behind in all three games against the Canadiens and Leafs, but came back in each contest, something Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff says shows how resilient his club is.
"We we're able to handle some of the adversity we've been in, whether it's getting behind in games, whether it's maybe some key personnel being out. Giving the other team the lead is not easy to always play from (behind) ." Ruff said. " I think we've learned that , if we stick to our game, we can get back in it……We've done the right thing. We've been rewarded, and we've found ways to win games."
Ruff also provided an update on some of the other players who are dinged up.
On Justin Danforth
"He's just got a little bit of an upper body. We kept him off the ice with just did some work with him and (we'll) see how he is."
On Tyson Kozak
"Kozak (was) his first time back at practice (after suffering an upper body injury). Just got a look at him today again, too. I thought he did well ."
The Sabres take on Philadelphia on Wednesday before heading on the road to play Washington and the three California clubs.
The Mesa Solar Sox, the Cubs affiliate in the AFL along with the A’s, Blue Jays, Angels and Red Sox, had an abbreviated week with only four games. Monday’s home game was rained out and made up on Wednesday, but Tuesday’s game at Surprise was postponed because of a power failure. I’m not sure if that game will be made up. In any case, the Solar Sox didn’t take the field until Wednesday.
The Solar Sox went 2-2 over the week, putting their overall record at 4-6. Here’s how they did in those four games. The home team is listed second.
Here’s how the eight Cubs prospects on the Solar Sox did.
Infielder Juan Cabada: The second-youngest player in the AFL this year played two games this past week. He was the third baseman for Mesa on Thursday and the second baseman on Friday.
Cabada went 2 for 6 on Thursday with an RBI single in the first inning and an RBI single in Mesa’s five-run top of the tenth. In Friday’s loss, Cabada went 0 for 3 with a walk.
For the season, Cabada has played seven games and is hitting .167/.286/.167 with one stolen base. He has scored twice and has driven in three.
Outfielder Harrison Feinberg: Feinberg only played in Thursday’s extra-inning win over Salt River. He was the left fielder in that game and went 2 for 4 wth a walk.
In four games for the Solar Sox, Feinberg is hitting .385/.529/.385 with two steals. He has scored twice and has one run batted in.
Outfielder Kade Snell: There were some high hopes for Snell coming into the AFL and this past week, he played like the sleeper prospect he is. Snell played left field on Wednesday and went 2 for 3 with a walk. On Thursday Snell played right field and he was 1 for 3 with three walks and a stolen base. After an off-day on Friday, Snell returned to DH on Saturday and was 1 for 3 as the Solar Sox were shut out. That’s 4 for 9 with four walks and a steal on the week.
For the AFL campaign, Snell is hitting .286/.459/.321 wth two steals over eight games. He has four runs batted in and has scored six times.
Right-hander Jhon Cabral: Cabral pitched the ninth inning on Wednesday in a non-save situation. He walked the first batter he faced, but then retired the next three in order. Cabral struck out one.
Over 2.1 innings and three appearances, Cabral has yet to allow a run or a hit in the AFL. He has walked three while striking out two.
Right-hander Anhuar Garcia: Garcia has had a rough AFL campaign because he’s had trouble throwing strikes. That continued this week after he threw 1.2 innings of relief on Friday. Garcia allowed three runs on one it and four walks. He also balked twice. In his defense only one of the three runs was earned. Garcia struck out two.
In three appearances, Garcia has an ERA of 6.75 over 6.2 innings. However, he’s allowed five unearned runs on top of the five he’s given up that were earned. Garcia has walked eight and has struck out four.
Right-hander Yohendris Gonzalez: Gonzalez did not pitch this past week. He has a 40.50 ERA after allowing six runs over just 1.1 innings in two appearances so far.
Right-hander Dominick Reid: With the shortened week and Reid having pitched on Saturday the previous week, Reid did not get a start this week. Reid is still 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA over two starts.
Right-hander Luis Rujano: Rujano threw 1.1 innings in Saturday’s shutout loss. He allowed one run on one hit, but the run was unearned. Rujano walked two and struck out one.
For the season, Rujano has pitched four innings in three relief appearances. He has an ERA of 2.25 with four walks and four strikeouts.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies examines a baseball while pitching against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 40, Tanner Gordon (-0.2 rWAR)
Tanner Gordon appeared in 24 games for the Colorado Rockies in 2026, making 12 starts and finishing with a 1-6 record, 6.68 ERA, and 1.66 WHIP across 103.2 innings. His season was worth -0.2 rWAR.
For the second consecutive season, Gordon struggled to find consistent success at the major-league level. In fact, his 2026 numbers looked remarkably similar to those from 2025.
Statistic
2025
2026
G/GS
15/15
24/12
IP
75.1
103.2
ERA
6.33
6.68
WHIP
1.50
1.66
xERA
5.88
5.16
K%
18.4%
18.0%
BB%
5.0%
5.1%
Barrel%
11.5%
11.0%
Hard-hit%
41.2%
43.1%
Groundball%
35.3%
33.1%
Despite the similar results, Gordon did make some adjustments.
Gordon reduced his four-seam usage from 52.8% to 43.1%, incorporated his curveball more frequently, and added 2.6 mph to his slider. His chase rate climbed from 27.1% to 31.3%, while his whiff rate improved from 18.0% to 21.7%. His expected ERA also dropped from 5.88 to 5.16.
Those numbers moved in the right direction, but the improvements weren’t enough to substantially change Gordon’s overall effectiveness. Gordon continued to struggle with strikeouts, hard contact, and keeping the ball on the ground. Despite the adjustments, his actual ERA increased.
One thing that hadn’t changed was Gordon’s ability to avoid walks. Unfortunately, getting the baseball into the strike zone and keeping hitters from doing damage against it proved to be two very different things.
A season of changing roles
Gordon opened the season in long relief.
His April 15 debut against Houston was encouraging: four scoreless innings, two hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.
Five days later, against the Dodgers, Gordon surrendered six earned runs over four innings, including three home runs. He also committed a fielding error, threw a wild pitch, and walked three hitters in a 12-3 loss.
On May 19 against Texas, Gordon replaced starter Sammy Peralta with two outs and the bases loaded in the first inning. With help from Willi Castro’s defense, he escaped the jam without allowing another run.
That reprieve didn’t last long. Texas scored three runs against Gordon in the second inning, all with two outs, as Brandon Nimmo, Ezequiel Duran, and Jake Burger delivered RBI singles. Nimmo added a two-run homer in the fourth, and Gordon eventually worked 6.1 innings, allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits while walking just one batter.
Six days later, Gordon joined the rotation, making his first start of the year against the Dodgers. He allowed just one run over five innings, although it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.
The Dodgers put their leadoff hitter aboard in four of Gordon’s five innings. In the third, he allowed the first three hitters to reach, including an RBI double by Kiké Hernández and a walk to Shohei Ohtani.
With runners at first and second, nobody out, and Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman coming to the plate, Gordon was in serious trouble.
Instead, he retired Betts on a flyout and induced an inning-ending double play from Freeman.
Gordon escaped another jam in the fourth and retired the final five hitters he faced. The Rockies eventually lost 5-3, but Gordon had given them a chance to win.
He remained in the rotation until a right hip impingement interrupted his season in early June. Gordon returned June 30 and continued starting through July 10.
His July 5 outing against San Francisco was particularly ugly. Gordon allowed four home runs and five earned runs in five innings despite striking out seven hitters. Rafael Devers accounted for two of those home runs, both against Gordon’s four-seamer, including a 463-foot blast.
Five days later, Gordon faced the Giants again, this time in San Francisco. Devers homered off him for the third time in less than a week, but Gordon escaped with just one run allowed over five innings despite surrendering eight hits.
Gordon then returned to long relief, providing 5.2 innings of one-run baseball against Cincinnati on July 19. After a rougher appearance against Tampa Bay on August 3, he tossed four scoreless innings against San Francisco on August 15.
The Rockies returned him to the rotation on August 21, but his first outing back wasn’t encouraging. Cleveland collected nine hits and five earned runs over 5.1 innings, with Gordon issuing two walks.
Five days later, Gordon delivered his best start of the season against Washington. Dylan Crews tripled with two outs in the first, but Gordon retired Daylen Lile to strand him. Andrés Chaparro led off the second with a solo homer, and the Nationals threatened again in the fourth.
With runners at second and third and two outs, Gordon got Harry Ford to ground out, escaping without another run.
He settled in from there, retiring 10 of his final 12 hitters and completing seven innings with six hits, one earned run, five strikeouts, and no walks.
Gordon followed that performance with another strong outing, holding Baltimore to one run over five innings on August 31.
He finished August with a 3.82 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 30.2 innings, walking just three batters. It was his most productive month, although his struggles against Tampa Bay and Cleveland showed that the improvement wasn’t entirely consistent.
September was a different story. Gordon allowed 26 earned runs on 40 hits in just 15.0 innings, producing a 15.60 ERA and 3.20 WHIP. His final two starts were particularly brutal, beginning with seven earned runs on 10 hits over three innings against San Diego on September 17.
A week later, Arizona opened the game with seven consecutive baserunners, scoring six runs before Gordon recorded an out. Gabriel Moreno launched a three-run homer, Geraldo Perdomo tripled, and Nolan Arenado capped the barrage with a two-run shot.
Arizona added two runs in the second and two more charged to Gordon in the fourth. He finished with 10 earned runs on 12 hits and four walks in just 3.1 innings.
After allowing two earned runs over 12 innings in his final two August starts, Gordon surrendered 17 in 6.1 innings to close the season.
Command is more than avoiding walks
Gordon was exceptionally good at one thing in 2026: avoiding walks. His 5.1% walk rate ranked in the 96th percentile among MLB pitchers.
When the walks did come, however, so did the damage.
He issued multiple walks in just five of his 24 appearances. Every one of those outings resulted in at least five earned runs, and together they accounted for 33 of his 77 earned runs, nearly 43% of his season total.
Limiting walks didn’t guarantee a good outing. Gordon was knocked around several times while issuing one or fewer free passes, including May 19 against Texas.
Of course, command involves more than avoiding walks. Getting the baseball into the strike zone is one thing. Consistently locating pitches where hitters have difficulty doing damage is another.
Gordon’s results illustrate that distinction. His 18.0% strikeout rate ranked in the 18th percentile, while his 21.7% whiff rate placed him in the 22nd. His 43.1% hard-hit rate ranked in the 14th percentile, and his 11.0% barrel rate fell in the fourth.
Opponents hit .368 and slugged .637 against his four-seamer, which accounted for 10 of the 21 home runs he allowed. His Baseball Savant zone chart shows where hitters were particularly productive.
Opponents produced a .600 wOBA against pitches in the middle-middle portion of the strike zone and .546 against those in the upper-middle portion.
Gordon’s September 24 start against Arizona showed just how quickly poor fastball location could become a problem.
Facing Arenado in the first inning, Gordon opened with a 90.2 mph four-seamer that missed above the strike zone.
Now behind in the count, Gordon threw a third consecutive four-seamer, this one at 93.7 mph in the upper half of the zone. Arenado turned on it for a 419-foot, two-run home run.
Compare that sequence with Gordon’s August 26 start against Washington, when he faced Jacob Young in the third inning. Once again, Gordon threw three consecutive four-seam fastballs. This time, however, he consistently located them down and toward the edges of the strike zone.
His first fastball, at 90.9 mph, caught the lower portion of the zone for strike one.
Gordon finished with a 93.4 mph four-seamer toward the outer edge. Initially called a ball, the pitch became strike three after catcher Hunter Goodman successfully challenged the ruling.
All three fastballs against Young featured greater induced vertical break and horizontal movement than Gordon’s season averages. But the most noticeable difference between the two sequences was location.
Against Arenado, Gordon missed the zone with his first two fastballs, fell behind, and watched his third leave the ballpark. Against Young, he established the strike zone immediately, stayed around its edges, and recorded a three-pitch strikeout without the batter taking a swing.
These are just two plate appearances, but they highlight a larger issue that followed Gordon throughout the season.
Gordon could throw strikes. Too often, he threw strikes hitters could punish.
A better fit in the bullpen?
Gordon’s results varied considerably depending on his role.
Statistic
Starter
Reliever
Appearances
12
12
IP
55.1
48.1
ERA
7.97
5.21
WHIP
1.97
1.30
He was more effective in relief, although his 5.21 ERA was hardly outstanding.
Gordon also wasn’t working as a conventional one-inning reliever. He averaged roughly four innings per relief appearance, and his average start wasn’t much longer.
The relief appearances came under different circumstances, often with Colorado already trailing, so the split doesn’t establish that he would succeed in a permanent bullpen role. It does, however, suggest that bulk relief may be a more practical role than a regular rotation assignment.
His performance also differed dramatically by ballpark.
Gordon posted a 9.25 ERA at Coors Field, allowing 17 home runs in 59.1 innings. On the road, his ERA fell to 3.25, with four home runs allowed in 44.1 innings.
Even away from Colorado, however, opponents hit .302 against him.
Final thoughts
Gordon enters his age-29 season in 2027 with three years of major-league experience and many of the same limitations that have defined his career.
His ability to limit walks and cover multiple innings provides some utility, but his results have remained largely unchanged despite adjustments to his repertoire. His performance in relief was better than as a starter, although neither role produced particularly encouraging results.
At No. 40 in our rankings, Gordon sits on the fringes of two areas the Rockies desperately need to improve: their starting rotation and bullpen.
How many innings Gordon pitches in 2027, and in which role, might ultimately say as much about Colorado’s progress in addressing those weaknesses as it does about Gordon himself.
This week, Jake and Scott are joined by MLB.com writer and host of the Dealin’ The Cards Podcast, Josh Jacobs! In this episode, we talk about several topics, including how Josh was able to grind his way to a writing role with MLB.com, and how he, along with Sandy and Andrew, built the Dealin’ The Cards podcast up into the juggernaut competitor that it is today. We also hit on everyone’s favorite areas of the roster to debate this offseason: third base, center field, and the pitching staff.
Tomorrow, I will be posting my conversation with Cardinals Assistant General Manager and Head of International Scouting Moises Rodriguez and special guest host Tyler Gettinger, AKA Redbird Farmhands, to discuss all the exciting things that are happening from an international scouting perspective in the organization! We will also be joined by Cardinals Pitching Prospect Jacob Odle and Kyle Reis, Bernie Miklasz the following week, and then we’re kicking off the offseason in November with Cardinals beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Derrick Goold! It may be the offseason, but I’m committed to bringing you guys mid-season form content!
Chapters List: 00:23 Introduction and Guest Introduction 01:41 Josh’s Journey to MLB.com 04:15 Building a Successful Podcast 10:11 Cardinals Offseason Strategies 10:48 Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals 15:26 Fan Expectations and Team Performance 20:07 Addressing the Bullpen Concerns 26:18 Exploring Center Field Options 37:19 Trade Talks: Evaluating Jimmy Crooks’ Value 39:50 Prospects vs. Rentals: The Case for Brandon Marsh 43:07 Long-Term Planning: The Future of the Cardinals’ Roster 46:58 Pitching Depth: Exploring Trade Opportunities 52:19 Building a Competitive Bullpen: Free Agent Strategies
YouTube:
Spotify:
No Transcript today; there will be one tomorrow for Moises Rodriguez to serve as my “Tuesday Article.”
