Yesterday, I released my first college plus high school big board of the 2026 MLB Draft cycle, which you can find here. My college rankings were what shook up the most in the process of updating my board, as through 6 weeks of NCAA play, we’ve seen some players rise to the occasion and break out, and some have taken a step backwards. With about 3 1/2 months remaining until the draft in July, let’s take a look at some hitters who shot up my rankings and could be in play for the Nats with the 11th overall pick.
Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech
Lackey is my 6th-ranked prospect in the 2026 draft class after being ranked in the teens on my first college big board. Entering 2026, Lackey was a tooled-up backstop who I recognised the potential to have a big 2026 in, but needed to see a more consistent plate approach in, as well as more in-game power. So far through 24 games, he’s done both, more than doubling his BB/K ratio from 0.66 in 2025 to 1.50 in 2026 and surpassing his 2025 home run total of 6 with 9 already. His 85th percentile whiff rate and 77th percentile average exit velocity amongst all college hitters in 2025 demonstrated his ability to put it all together, and that’s exactly what he’s done this season for the Yellow Jackets.
Behind the plate, Lackey’s elite athleticism shines through, as he excels at blocking balls in the dirt and gunning down basestealers. He also has some great wheels, not only for a catcher, but for anyone, stealing 18 bags in 2025 and up to 7 already in 2026. Lackey has drawn comparisons to current Nationals catcher Harry Ford as a prospect, who was committed to play at Georgia Tech before being drafted by the Mariners, but Lackey’s success has been against ACC pitching, making it easier to project his success translating to pro ball.
Chris Hacopian INF Texas A&M
Hacopian moved up my college hitter rankings slightly from 6th to 5th, making him my 12th-ranked prospect in the 2026 draft class overall. After missing some games with a back injury to start this season, Hacopian has excelled for the Aggies, with a 134 wRC+ and 2.00 BB/K ratio in 10 games. He has one of the best eyes in all of college baseball, with an 87th percentile chase rate in 2025 and walking over twice as much as he’s struck out in both 2025 and 2026. There’s thunder in Hacopian’s bat as well, as he smacked 14 home runs in 52 games last season, with an impressive 97th percentile average exit velocity on the year, and he’s hit 3 in his 10 games in 2026.
Defensively, Hacopian’s most likely defensive home in pro ball would seemingly be third base, as he likely lacks the range necessary for shortstop at the big league level, but he’s gotten plenty of reps at second base as well for the Aggies. Hacopian has the potential to move quickly through a minor league system due to his excellent plate approach and raw power, and could be manning the 4 or 5 spot on the diamond for the Nats before the likes of Eli Willits and Gavin Fien arrive.
Sawyer Strosnider OF TCU
Like Lackey, I recognised the potential for a breakout 2026 for Strosnider due to his excellent raw power, but needed to see more consistency in his plate approach before I could fully buy in, as he struck out 18.7% of the time and posted a 0.43 BB/K ratio in 2025. He’s silenced all concerns of mine to begin 2025, nearly tripling his BB/K ratio from 0.43 to 1.29, as well as tapping more into his power in-game, with 8 home runs in 23 games, well above his 2025 pace of 11 bombs in 56 games. A draft-eligible sophomore this season, Strosnider is putting it all together offensively at the right time, with strong exit velocities and an improved chase rate resulting in a 139 wRC+ so far in 2026.
Defensively, Strosnider is athletic enough to handle center field, but he currently resides in right field for the Horned Frogs due to another draft-eligible outfielder, Chase Brunson, being out there. He’s shown plus run times before, and he’s gotten even better at swiping bags in 2026, with 8 steals so far in 23 games. Overall, if Strosnider continues to outwalk his strikeouts the way he has to start this year, he might outplay himself from Nationals territory in the draft. If the Nats did get their hands on him, he could immediately become the best current outfield prospect in the Nationals farm system, with the potential to be up in DC patrolling the grass by 2028.
With the Chicago Blackhawks passing the torch to the younger players, it's easy to get lost in the superstars already lighting up the United Center. In this weekly series, I break down the best performances from the next wave of Chicago Blackhawks. Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Newest #Blackhawks goalie, Ilya Kanarsky was outstanding in the MHL (Russia’s version of the CHL) this year. He posted a .938 Save%, 2.24 GAA, 4 SOs and a 22-8-1 record. Additionally, Kanarsky saved 67/68 in one playoff game last season. Here are his best saves from that game. pic.twitter.com/1Yr0ydqCsw
Kanarsky is an under the radar prospect quietly producing in the VHL, Russia's second tier league. Despite playing on a 13-28 AKM Tula Region team, Kanarsky won over half the team's games while putting up a .922 save percentage, a 2.67 goals allowed average and 1 shutout. He signed an extension of unknown length on May 20, 2023. If Kanarsky's deal is up, it wouldn't shock me if he goes to Rockford based on his Russian numbers. Especially given AKM Tula Region's lackluster performance on the whole and Kanarsky's numbers in spite of it, Rockford seems like a reasonable destination.
Forward A.J. Spellacy had a big, productive weekend for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, and some of his highlights were so ridiculous that I had to pull the clips
I don't envy any opposing players who are tasked with defending him on the rush pic.twitter.com/UyWaWO4RUi
The NHL is getting faster every year. That being the case, it makes sense that the Blackhawks selected A.J. Spellacy. His quickness and physicality makes him an asset to Windsor. The 6'foot 3, 205 pound defenseman has good puck control, running through opponents on his way to the net. Spellacy's maturity is a plus, exhibited in an interview with the Windsor Star. Despite playing the sub .500 Guelph Storm for their first playoff round, Spellacy remains focused on the task at hand.
“I don’t think we’ll take them lightly,” Spellacy said to Jim Parker of the Windsor Star. “Start with Game 1, think of it as it’s the biggest game of the season. I think we really have that playoff mentality. Take it game-by-game and obviously every game matters.”
That sort of mindfulness will serves Spellacy well in the professional game.
It's an exceptionally good thing when two of your top prospects in the same league are battling for the goal scoring title. Chicago had that great fortune with Marek Vanacker edging out fellow Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham for the OHL goals lead 47-46. Vanacker accomplished this through his five points (3 goals + 2 assists) during a pair of home games. The OHL's top team starts their playoff journey March 27 against the Sudbury Wolves, with Vanacker leading the charge.
Holmes has done well in his fourth line position this season with Brantford. He played a gritty, checking role while producing a respectable 17 points (6 goals + 11 assists) in 49 games plus 37 penalty minutes. With eight Bulldogs over 18, I think we will get a better sense of what his ceiling is in 2026-27.
Here are the 26 men who will line up on the third-base line at Wrigley Field Thursday afternoon before the Cubs’ season opener against the Nationals.
Most of these were well-known before; a few were added over the last couple of days. All groups are listed in alphabetical order, except for the starting pitchers, who I have listed in the rotation order where I believe they will begin the season.
Catchers (2)
Miguel Amaya, Carson Kelly
Infielders (5)
Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Scott Kingery, Dansby Swanson
Outfielders (5)
Dylan Carlson, Michael Conforto, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Matt Shaw
Designated hitter (1)
Moisés Ballesteros
Starting pitchers (5)
Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon
Relief pitchers (8)
Ben Brown, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Daniel Palencia, Colin Rea, Caleb Thielbar, Jacob Webb
Of these 26 men, nine (Bregman, Cabrera, Carlson, Conforto, Harvey, Kingery, Maton, Milner and Webb) were not in the Cubs organization last year. Three others (Ballesteros, Horton, Palencia) were not on last year’s Opening Day roster.
Three of these players (Carlson, Conforto and Kingery) were non-roster invitees to Spring Training. As such, three players had to be removed from the 40-man roster to make room for them. Those moves began late Tuesday when Tyler Austin was placed on the 60-day injured list and Carlson was added. It’s entirely possible Austin will never play for the Cubs.
Here are the other two 40-man roster moves to add Conforto and Kingery:
Justin Steele was placed on the 60-day injured list. That would target a late May or early June return.
Right-handed reliever Jack Neely was designated for assignment. Neely, who was acquired along with Ben Cowles from the Yankees in the Mark Leiter Jr. deal in 2024, pitched in six games for the Cubs that year with a 9.00 ERA, but did not appear for the team in 2025.
Three other roster moves were announced Wednesday. Seiya Suzuki was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain (retroactive to March 22), right-handed pitcher Porter Hodge was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain (retroactive to March 22), and left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks was placed on the 15-day injured list with left forearm inflammation (retroactive to March 22).
There are your Opening Day Cubs. Looking forward to a big year for the North Siders!
Feb 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Doing the A’s and the Astros’ prospect previews was, to be honest, an exercise in schadenfreude. I had a great time doing it! But it’s time now for just freude, no schaden.
Evaluators Overview
Baseball America: 10th in organizational rankings, 4 prospects in Top 100 (SS Colt Emerson (#7), LHP Kade Anderson (#25), OF Lazaro Montes (#58), RHP Ryan Sloan (#60).
Baseball Prospectus: 11th in organizational rankings, 5 Top-101 prospects (SS Colt Emerson (#14), LHP Kade Anderson (#28), RHP Ryan Sloan (#32), 2B Michael Arroyo (#35) OF Lazaro Montes (#97) .
FanGraphs: Org rank not updated, but ended 2025 ~6th, 7 Top-100 prospects: SS Colt Emerson (#11), RHP Ryan Sloan (#20), LHP Kade Anderson (#50), OF Jonny Farmelo (#51), OF Lazaro Montes (#66) 2B Michael Arroyo (#78), SS Felnin Celesten (#86).
MLB Pipeline: 8th in organizational rankings, 6 Top-100 prospects: SS Colt Emerson (#9), LHP Kade Anderson (#21), RHP Ryan Sloan (#33), OF Lazaro Montes (#43), 2B Michael Arroyo (#67), OF Jonny Farmelo (#78)
In summary, there are 4 consensus Top-100 prospects from across the organization: Colt Emerson (averaging 10th in the rankings), Kade Anderson (avg 31st), Ryan Sloan (avg 36th), and Laz Montes (avg 66th). There’s another three who are consensus top-100 or adjacents in Michael Arroyo, Jonny Farmelo and Felnin Celesten.
The Mariners’ current farm system represents the restocking of the cupboards, another wave that’s beginning to grow after the last washed George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh, Bryce Miller and Matt Brash ashore. Will this wave of prospects match the group that’s produced, combined, a Rookie of the Year, 7 All-Star selections, 2 Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove, a Home Run Derby Championship, and 5 top-15 MVP finishes in four seasons?
No, probably not. The drop-off is steep after the top 12 or 13 prospects. There’s no longer a seemingly-endless supply of at least replacement level talent keeping Seattle’s farm in the second tier of organizations, and you can’t count only on your top-end guys to succeed – you have to hit on some breakouts from the depths.
That being said, the Mariners have put together a farm system that’s particularly rich at the top, even as they have traded away top-end talent; Harry Ford and Jurrangelo Cijntje (traded this offseason for José Ferrer and Brendan Donovan respectively) both make the back-half of most publications’ top-100 lists, and Tai Peete was also a top-10 prospect in the system. After those trades, MLB Pipeline still has the Mariners tied for the most top-100 prospects.
We are lucky enough to have Max Ellingsen, professional Ball Knower, writing prospect evals and content for Lookout Landing, which means you are all lucky enough to get to read his work, including the prospect rankings series that is currently underway. With that being said, it would be redundant and silly for me to give you prospect by prospect breakdowns for our top players. Instead, I’ll break this out by approximate ETA and give a high-level overview of who and what is to come, focusing on players in our informal top 4 tiers of prospects and when you might see them.
2026/2027:
Tier 1: Despite speculation that Colt Emerson might start the season at SS while J.P. Crawford recovers from his shoulder woes, the Mariners shut that down by assigning him to the Minors just this last weekend. It’s the right decision – 20-year-old Emerson should be given the time he needs to develop and be Ready, rather than be rushed up as an injury stop-gap and then sent back down. Emerson didn’t look as overwhelmed as he did last spring, but he still struck out twice as much as he walked, looking overmatched against the top pitching talent he faced. There’s no need to disrupt his development at this point, especially because he doesn’t need that much more time to cook – you’ll probably see Emerson up this summer, where he has a chance to be crucial to the Mariners’ playoff run.
Kade Anderson is a lefty starter with two plus breaking balls and a fastball that plays up in the zone. Are you sold yet? You should be. That’s basically all we need to say. He’s an incredibly polished 21-year-old who probably would be in the starting rotation for some teams with a weak staff. The Mariners do not, probably to his benefit – again, no need to rush a prospect who could be good now if he could be great in a year or so. He’ll be up next summer at the latest.
Tier 2: Michael Arroyo has been championed by our own John Trupin for long enough that we’ve all grown used to believing in him, but the national landscape has finally caught up to John. He’s well-regarded as a hitter at this point, shaking off the concerns about his 5’9” frame, showing a little bit of power as well. He’s been moved from shortstop to second, mostly for Seattle’s embarrassment of riches at the position, and will see time in the outfield. I expect to see him playing significant time this year if Refsnyder/Canzone and co. don’t get it done in right field.
Laz, Laz, Laz. You dirty bastards (and our own staff! shame!) predicted him as the biggest prospect faller for the Mariners in our annual predictions survey. You leave my large barely-adult son alone. Hating on Lazaro Montes is a symptom of 70-power and 6’5” jealousy. His pop is undeniable. His bat? Well. Put it down as potentially deniable. He has a tough road to staying in the outfield, even in the corners, but see him as a potential late 2027 DH fill-in to start.
Tier 4:Teddy McGraw is the best name in the system by far. Bryce Miller wishes he was named Teddy McGraw. If he can stay healthy, the starter-turned-reliever could see a debut as early as this season. His hot-and-heavy sinker and slider play off each other, and while two plus pitches does not a starter make, a reliever it just may, especially if it plays up in the pen. Call it late 2026 or early 2027.
2028/2029:
Tier 1: I’m not going to spoil too much for the aforementioned series, but Max messaged me today that he doesn’t recall a pitching prospect that he likes more than Ryan Sloan. There’s everything to love and nothing to hate about Sloan. There’s some minor disagreement about his ETA, and putting him as a 2028 debut might be conservative, but I am having a tough time seeing where he fits in the picture over the next two seasons given the currently-elite five starters the Mariners have.
Tier 2:Jonny Farmelo is a prospect I will be happy to be wrong about. I’ve never really understood the hype, but that is probably just a me thing. It might be that we’ve just yet to really see him play. He’s seen nothing but injuries over the last two seasons since being drafted in 2023. His talent has been displayed before, but only in short bursts, and I’m not sold enough yet on the bat to feel like it’s only a matter of time. He needs two full, healthy seasons to develop at the plate before sneaking his way onto the 2028 or 2029 lineup.
Tier 3:Felnin Celesten, the phoenix. A prospect that people loved to love from 2021-2023, and loved to hate the last couple of years. Chalk him up similar to Farmelo – he’s in a real prove-it moment this season. He doesn’t need to hit more than 15 homers if the bat can be plus with great placement into the gaps, and the glovework at shortstop can carry him. I have him as a better defender than Emerson, so perhaps Celesten will be what eventually moves Emerson to the hot corner in 2029.
Luke Stevenson is allegedly good, according to folks smarter than me. He’s in the same boat as Farmelo – I see him as having a decent floor but I think he’s got a real back-loaded bell curve of outcomes, unlikely to hit his top-end. I’d love to be wrong! He might be ready to backing up Cal by the end of 2028, giving the M’s a reliable backup catcher who can get Cal some more days at DH.
Tier 4: Korbyn Dickerson profiles, on the pessimistic end, as a dynamic center-fielder who can be a dependable 4th outfielder with plus defense at each spot. He’s a fun power-speed guy with a lot of upside but also a decent amount of downside. Planning on 2029 would give him a fantastic amount of runway to iron out some flaws on the hit tool.
2030 and Beyond:
Tier 3: Nick Becker won’t be in this tier for much longer. Max wrote in his prospect ranking write-up that Becker might have the highest upside in the system. Given that this is a farm heavy on the upside, that’s incredibly high praise. I’m worried about the janky swing, but he’s 18! This is stuff that can all be worked out. The middle-infield pipeline is thick and rich, so he’s got lots of time to develop. Tools galore – let’s check back in in 2030 and see where he’ll fit in.
What if Lazaro Montes had plus speed and a cannon for an arm? That might be Yorger Bautista. He’s just 18, signing during the 2025 J15 window, but the young outfielder has ridiculous potential. 70-grade pop in a 6’1” frame with the maturity of a player several years ahead of him should have you drooling. 2026 will be his first time stateside, so give him 4 years or so to develop.
Griffin Hugus, the funniest name in the system! The most nicknameable, for sure. The most currently Tommy-Johned. So, put the expectations back quite a bit. 2029 will be the first year we’ll be able to get him a real evaluation.
Tier 4: You’ve heard it first – Juan Rijo could be the real deal. I think that he has upside that rivals some of the prospects in the top tier of the system. I love, love, LOVE the swing – I love the bat path, I love the swing, and I think that as he grows into his frame, we can see true plus power and a plus bat. You don’t see 18-year-olds with this level of polish on the swing. No jank here! Like Bautista, let’s see him with 4 years to play stateside.
The Mariners are in a rare, blessed spot right now. The major-league club is ultra-competitive and has a wealth of cheap, controllable talent, while the farm is well-stocked with a dozen prospects that gives them the flexibility that every front office prizes. The Mariners can build a sustainable engine of consistent playoff appearances, extending their most key players now and letting this next wave fill in some gaps. Or, they can read the table, push in their chips, and go all in, now, and add great or elite talent for a shot at a title or two. Not a bad place to be.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - FEBRUARY 19: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses for a photo during the Tampa Bay Rays photo day at Charlotte Sports Park on Thursday, February 19, 2026 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Opening Day is here tomorrow and the bold predictions are flying in the Slack chat, so I’ve pulled together the hottest takes from masthead. Some are reasonable. Some are absolutely nuclear. All of them are compelling.
Let’s get into it with Daniel, who set things off:
Daniel Vonderwalde
Jake Fraley hits 20+ home runs
The Rays make the playoffs, with Brody Hopkins starting one of those postseason games
Ian Malinowski
Griffin Jax ends the season as a starter with a combined ERA under 3.00 across all roles
Drew Rasmussen finishes top-5 in Cy Young voting
Ben Williamson puts up more fWAR than Giancarlo Stanton
Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Junior Caminero all outproduce their projections thanks to the new pitching machines (nobody else has the old setup baked into the projections anymore)
Danny Russell
The Rays finally have a closer, and his name is Bryan Baker — he picks up 37 saves
But the Rays lose 80 games
Jason Collette
Bryan Baker records 20 saves
Ian Seymour picks up 10 wins
Chandler Simpson steals 100 bases and adds a bunch of infield hits (he had 58 steals last season) — he’s going to love playing on the turf instead of weather-hardened infields
Darby Robinson
Shane McClanahan wins Comeback Player of the Year
Carson Williams has a 20-20-20 season (20 HR / 20 2B / 20 SB)
My biggest hot take: the 2026 season will remind us a lot of 2018 Rays
Cole Mitchem
Jacob Melton posts the highest WAR/PA ratio of any Rays position player
Rays total catcher WAR ranks in the top half of baseball
Chandler Simpson has a strong first half, then gets surprisingly traded at the deadline for a controllable big-league pitcher
Brett Rutherford
Ryan Pepiot leads all Rays pitchers in fWAR, even after an early-season IL trip
The Rays trade Drew Rasmussen at the deadline but remain in contention, with Brody Hopkins seamlessly replacing him in the rotation
The Rays finish the season with two catchers who are not currently in the organization
Homin Lee
Nick Fortes has the highest fWAR by a Rays catcher since Mike Zunino in 2021
Three Rays pitchers will throw over 162 innings (I called this last year too… and it actually happened)
Adam Sanford
Kevin Cash is fired at the end of the season (Editor’s note: !!!)
Bradley Woodrum
Drew Rasmussen finishes 4th or better in Cy Young voting (much to the delight of whichever team employs him)
Xavier Isaac is traded mid-season (internal projections have soured on his contact rate, and the front office looks to cash out on his prospect value)
There you go — every hot take ready for print. Please now feel empowered to argue with (or defend) specific site contributors all season long.
Which hot takes are you buying? Which ones are you laughing at the most? Let us know in the comments.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 06, 2025: Jerar Encarnacion #59 and Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants celebrate a solo home run hit by Encarnacion during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 06, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Congratulations, everyone: you did it. You made it through the long, cold, winter months, and emerged onto the glorious other side, where baseball awaits you. The offseason is over. The preseason is over. San Francisco Giants baseball is here, in all her glory and looming disappointment.
After Tuesday’s camp cuts, the Giants Opening Day roster really started to come into focus. And now we have the full 26-player roster, as announced by the team.
There’s nothing surprising, based on what we knew going into the day, though plenty is surprising relative to what we knew when Spring Training started six weeks ago. The biggest news is something the team had been trending towards all offseason and preseason: outfielder Luis Matos was designated for assignment. San Francisco has been pessimistic about their chances of sneaking Matos through waivers, but they waited until the last possible moment to increase their odds. It probably won’t work, but we’ll see.
As had become increasingly clear in recent weeks, speedster Jared Oliva made the Opening Day roster, a remarkable achievement for a 30-year old NRI with just 26 MLB games to his name, and none since 2021. The Giants were enamored with his ability to come off the bench and steal a base, and didn’t feel the need for a stronger hitter given their everyday players in the grass.
Daniel Susac, a Rule 5 pick and little brother of Andrew, did as was expected and made the team as the backup catcher. Critically, his main competitor in camp, veteran Eric Haase, was released, not reassigned, which means Jesús Rodríguez is now the next man up behind the dish.
There seemed to be two spots in the bullpen for three righties: Keaton Winn, and NRIs Caleb Kilian and Michael Fulmer. The Giants thankfully went with stuff over veteran experience, opting to keep Winn and Kilian, while reassigning Fulmer to AAA Sacramento. To make a space on the roster for Kilian, lefty Reiver Sanmartín was placed on the 60-Day Injured List.
And finally, as we knew was going to happen but couldn’t officially be done until today, the Giants placed righty reliever Joel Peguero and southpaw reliever Sam Hentges on the 15-Day IL.
Here’s the full roster that will take the field tonight at 5:05 p.m. PT against the New York Yankees. It’s a balanced bullpen, but a bench that doesn’t have a left-handed bat.
Catchers (2) Patrick Bailey Daniel Susac
Infielders (6) Willy Adames Luis Arráez Matt Chapman Rafael Devers Christian Koss Casey Schmitt
Outfielders (5) Harrison Bader Jerar Encarnación Jung Hoo Lee Jared Oliva Heliot Ramos
Starting pitchers (5) Adrian Houser Tyler Mahle Robbie Ray Landen Roupp Logan Webb
Right-handed relievers (5) JT Brubaker José Buttó Caleb Kilian Ryan Walker Keaton Winn
Left-handed relievers (3) Ryan Borucki Matt Gage Erik Miller
It's been a memorable 24 hours for the crown jewels of the Ottawa Senators' 2024 NHL Draft.
On Tuesday, Carter Yakemchuk hustled to Detroit to play in his first NHL game and had a dream debut. Yakemchuk scored a goal and added an assist in an important 3-2 Ottawa victory over the Red Wings. Between that performance and the state of the Sens' banged-up blue line, he may be in Ottawa to stay.
Yakemchuk was the seventh overall draft pick in 2024, the rare right-shot defenseman with size (6'3", 220 lbs) and skill. After that, with the second pick in the draft, the Senators' scouting staff showed they have a type.
They went with a defenseman again... an even bigger one.
They selected 6-foot-7 Gabriel Elliason. Elliason doesn't have Yakemchuk's skill, but what he lacks in point production, he makes up for with physicality and unkind intentions.
On Draft Day, it was easy to imagine the two of them paired together someday, yin and yang, each bringing elements the other lacks.
On Wednesday morning, less than a day after Yakemchuk's big night, Elliason got his flowers, signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Senators, set to start in the 2026-27 season.
Image credit: Senators.com
Eliasson has spent the past two seasons with the Barrie Colts, who just won the OHL East's Central Division regular season title. With eight points in 61 games, he's clearly more of a shut down defenseman who uses his incredible reach and physical play to make life miserable for opponents.
And he plays with such a chip on his shoulder that part of his focus this season was dialling it back and picking his spots a little better. But fear not, fans of mayhem, Elliason still led the OHL in penalty minutes (122) and will now help ride the Colts into the playoffs starting Thursday against Niagara.
“Gabriel’s game has matured since we drafted him,” GM Steve Staios said in a club press release. “We’ve been pleased with his development, and his character and work ethic fit in perfectly with the team we’re building.”
Elliason will compete for an NHL job this fall, but will almost certainly spend a season or two in Belleville before he can truly be on Ottawa's radar. But just as we saw with Yakemchuk, thanks to all the injuries this month, you never say never.
And you can't teach big... or mean.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has reached another significant milestone.
Tuesday night, Bobrovsky and the Panthers defeated the Seattle Kraken 5-4 in a shootout at Amerant Bank Arena.
The game was a bit dicey toward the end, when Florida surrendered a 4-1 third period lead by allowing the Kraken to score three goals in the span of 2:21, but Bob stood tall after that, stopping all three Seattle shootout attempts en route to picking up his 26th victory of the season.
While not particularly significant in terms of Florida’s current campaign, the victory did carry some weight in the grand scheme of things for Sergei.
That’s because it was the 455th win of Bobrovsky’s NHL career, moving him into sole possession of seventh place on the league’s all-time wins list.
He’d previously been in a tie with Curtis Joseph, and now Bob trails Henrik Lundqvist by just four wins for sixth-most in league history.
Bob building records 🧱
Congratulations to Sergei Bobrovsky, who has moved into 7th in all-time NHL career wins with 455 under his belt to officially pass Curtis Joseph! pic.twitter.com/TyCQ1EZ2RX
What’s interesting to note is that Bobrovsky reached his win total in fewer games played than every goaltender around him on that all-time list.
Tuesday’s game was Bob’s 802nd in the NHL. Joseph, now in eighth place, finished with 454 wins in 943 games played, and Lundqvist’s 459 wins came during his 887 NHL games.
The next goalies on either side of those three include the legendary Terry Sawchuk, who earned 445 wins (now ninth-most) in 971 games played, and former Panther Ed Belfour in fifth place with 484 wins in 963 games.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility to think if Bobrovsky can catch up to Belfour, who is 29 wins ahead, that Bob will do it in less than the additional 161 games played it took Eddie the Eagle.
Beyond Belfour is another former Florida netminder. Roberto Luongo has won the fourth-most games in league history, earning 489 victories (five more than Belfour and 34 more than Bob) in 1,044 games played.
We’ll see how many games Bobrovsky, who will be 38 years old on Opening Night next season, has left in the tank, but if he comes anywhere close to Luongo or Belfour’s totals, it’s more than likely that he will fly past both in the wins department.
For those who may be wondering, Bobrovsky has won exactly 200 of his 455 victories since joining the Panthers, Luongo picked up 230 of his 489 victories during his time in Florida and Belfour earned 27 of his 484 wins while wearing a Panthers sweater.
That was also Belfour’s final season in the NHL, and he was 41 years old at the time. Luongo, meanwhile, was 39 when he played his final game, also with the Panthers.
It will be interesting, and kind of neat, if Bobrovsky also finishes his career with Florida, and the trio end up 4-5-6 on the all-time wins list (Patrick Roy, who sits in third place with 551 wins, will be difficult, but not impossible, for Bob to catch).
Bob’s future with the Panthers remains to be seen, as the veteran is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Both sides reportedly want to see Bobrovsky sign an extension, so we’ll see how things play out in the coming weeks and months.
For now, take a moment to celebrate the latest incredible accomplishment for Bobrovsky as he continues to write his Hockey Hall of Fame resume.
And while you probably could’ve guessed this, all the aforementioned goaltenders ahead of Bob on the all-time wins list that he’s chasing down, - four wins behind Lundqvist, 29 wins behind Belfour, 34 wins behind Luongo, 96 wins behind Roy – they’re all in the Hall of Fame.
On that note, a congratulatory tip of the cap to Mr. Sergei Bobrovsky on his 455th NHL victory.
It’s going to be fun to see how the rest of his story plays out.
Photo caption: Mar 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) reacts after being scored on by Vancouver Canucks forward Aatu Raty (54) in the second period at Rogers Arena. (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)
NBA owners approved a plan to explore expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle at their board of governors meeting Wednesday in New York. The NBA, in a statement, said it hired investment bank PJT Partners to “evaluate prospective markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure and the broader economic implications of expansion.”
The league is also moving aggressively on its plans for NBA Europe to launch in the fall of 2027 with 10 to 12 teams; the entry prices for domestic and international expansion are still TBD.
These two developments could conservatively mean a $20 billion pot for the current NBA owners—roughly $15 billion in expansion fees for two U.S. clubs and $5 billion in fees from Europe.
The expansion money is not shared with players, as it sits outside of basketball-related income (BRI), which is used is used to set the salary cap and ensure players receive 51% of BRI annually. Each current team owner is looking at a check of at least $650 million, or even more if the NBA can trigger a bidding war in Vegas and Seattle that pushed the price to $8 billion or higher.
For context, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers sold last year in transactions with enterprise values of $6.1 billion and $10 billion. In October, Sportico’s NBA valuations had the average team at $5.51 billion, with only the Golden State Warriors ($11.33 billion), Lakers ($10 billion) and New York Knicks ($9.85 billion) valued higher than $7 billion.
The NBA last expanded in 2004 when the then-Charlotte Bobcats became the league’s 30th franchise after Bob Johnson paid a $300 million expansion fee. The city was awarded a team to replace the one that moved to New Orleans.
Seattle, which lost its team to Oklahoma City in 2008, and Las Vegas, where the NBA holds its summer league, have long been the front-runners for NBA expansion. The expansion process was expected to launch after the league completed its most 2023 CBA and 2024 media deals, but commissioner Adam Silver put the brakes on those talks publicly and privately.
The latest macro issue for the NBA is the collapse of the RSN market which has left a hole in the income statements of many teams; the league just lowered its projected salary cap for the 2026-27 season on RSN weakness. There has also been a group of anti-expansion owners, who don’t want to see their equity in the league diluted from 1/30 to 1/32.
The NHL’s most recent expansion additions were in Seattle and Las Vegas with the Kraken and Golden Knights. Vegas added the WNBA’s Aces in 2018 and NFL’s Raiders in 2020, with MLB’s Athletics moving in time for the 2028 season.
Multiple groups are expected to compete for the franchise in Las Vegas, while Kraken owner Samantha Holloway has made clear her interest in bringing the NBA back to Seattle. This week, Holloway created an umbrella company for the Kraken and their home, Climate Pledge Arena, and increased her ownership stake in the venue. Climate Pledge was built with basketball in mind.
NBA owners also discussed the league’s plans for the creation of NBA Europe. The league is looking to sell franchise licenses in a dozen cities, including London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Berlin, Madrid and Barcelona.
NBA executives have spent time overseas meeting with potential buyers, and interest has come from a variety of investors, including the owners of the Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and AC Milan soccer teams, and sovereign wealth funds like Saudi Arabia’s PIF. Silver has previously said he did not want ownership overlaps between the NBA and its European offshoot, which is being launched in partnership with FIBA.
First-round bids are due March 31, according to people familiar with the details, and while prices are yet to be set, those inside the industry expect most licenses to sell in the $300 million to $500 million range. Using a blended average, that means the 12 teams could net roughly $5 billion in expansion fees.
Some potential buyers, like Real Madrid, would come to the league with an existing basketball team while others, like PSG, would be starting from scratch. Others may take a middle ground, with investors looking at existing club teams like Alba Berlin or ASVEL Basket in Lyon as acquisition targets.
The NBA would own 50% of the new league, with team owners holding the other 50%, a setup identical to the equity structure of the WNBA until 2022, when the league raised outside capital. Raine Group and JPMorgan Chase are advising the league on the matter.
As was expected, on Wednesday the NBA's Board of Governors — made up of the 30 league owners — voted to explore expansion, specifically in Seattle and Las Vegas.
This means the league will take the next step of surveying interested bidding groups for two cities. Those discussions will include the franchise fee to buy the team — expected to be at least $7 million per team — and details such as where the team would play in the city. There would be other votes needed down the line to formally expand the NBA to 32 teams, but the fact that at least 23 of the current 30 owners voted for this step means expansion is very likely coming to the league before the end of the decade.
"Today's vote reflects our Board's interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle — two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement announcing the vote. "We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties."
The hope is that both franchises could start playing in the 2028-29 season, a fairly tight timetable.
While expansion talk has been floating around league circles for at least a decade, Silver wanted a new CBA with the players and a new television deal in place before seriously exploring the matter. Those things done, and with the rapidly rising value of franchises driving up the expansion fee, it has finally reached the point where the majority of owners think it is time for expansion.
Seattle and Las Vegas have been the frontrunners for NBA expansion for a while now.
Putting a team in Seattle rights an old wrong. Seattle had a thriving franchise and fan base in the Sonics, but a fight over arena renovations led to the team's sale to an ownership group looking to move the team to Oklahoma City, which led to the team's relocation and the formation of the Thunder. It was unfair to the loyal fans of Seattle — who didn't want their tax dollars to fund an arena for a billionaire owner — and that remains a massive television market the league has not touched.
"Seattle is ready to welcome the Sonics home," Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said in a statement released this week in advance of the vote. "We never stopped being a basketball city, and the fans have never given up. You see it in our parks, in our schools, in packed gyms in every neighborhood, and in our Seattle Storm championships. We built a world-class arena. We have a strong economy and a dedicated workforce. We are prepared, we are united, and we are ready for the next chapter of our Sonics."
While there will be multiple bidders in Seattle, Samantha Holloway — owner of the NHL's Kraken — has let it be known she is interested. Whoever the new owners are, they will take over the old SuperSonics name, logo and image.
Las Vegas and the NBA have a strong relationship, it's where the NBA Summer League goes every year, and where the NBA Cup semi-finals and finals are conducted. Las Vegas also has become a pro sports city with a championship and well-backed team in the WNBA's Aces, a thriving NHL team in the Golden Knights, the NFL's Raiders, and construction of a baseball stadium for the Athletics is underway.
"I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities," Silver said last December. "Obviously, we had a team in Seattle that had great success. We have a WNBA team here in Las Vegas, the Aces. We've been playing the summer league here for 20 years. We're playing our Cup games here, so we're very familiar with this market. I don't have any doubt that Las Vegas, despite all of the other major league teams that are here now, the other entertainment properties, that this city could support an NBA team."
Both cities also have arenas that an NBA team could step into now. In Seattle, the team will play at the renovated Climate Pledge Arena (formerly the Key Arena), home to the NHL's Kraken. In Las Vegas, the team very likely will play at the T-Mobile Arena, already home to the Aces and Golden Knights. While there has been talk of the new owners (whoever it ends up being) building a new arena further down the Las Vegas strip, an arena that would anchor a new resort and casino, the current economics of visitors to Las Vegas may mean that project is off the table, at least in the short term.
The last time the NBA expanded was 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league.
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 24: OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks is introduced before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 24, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It looked like a game against the Pels…
…until Knicks captain Jalen Brunson took over.
Here’s what was said before and after New York won its seventh consecutive game.
Mike Brown picked up a reporter's recorder to start his press conference
On Brunson’s clutch performance against New Orleans:
“That’s what great players do. Great players, when it matters the most, when the pressure’s the highest, sometimes that means drawing two and kicking it out to OG for a wide-open three or someone else. He was great at that tonight. For who he is and for me as a coach, I never put a cap on those guys. You don’t put a cap on Steph Curry in Golden State. Jalen Brunson here, and Jaylen Brown in Boston. You let those guys be who they are.
“Great players, when it counts the most, when the pressure is the highest, they make the game easier for everyone else.”
On a high-scoring back-and-forth game against the Pelicans:
“It was a funky game. Both teams offensively were really good, nobody could really get a stop.”
On the Pelicans’ physical challenge:
“Zion is on another level, in terms of his drives to the rim. Physically, athletically, extremely powerful. It takes all five guys being in the right position to try and make it tough on him. And they might not even be able to make it tough on him, he’s that powerful, athletic, strong. They’ve been playing fast, you know, as of late. Getting out in transition and been doing a good job overall, defensively. And even offensively since the All-Star Break, Dejounte Murray just takes them to another level, with his ability to run their team and to score. Think since the All-Star Break, they’re like 10-5. So they’ve been playing some really good basketball.”
On OG Anunoby’s defense on Zion:
“Our defensive player of the game was OG. He guarded a lot of different players throughout the game, but to close the game the way he did against Zion, he’s a monster. He’s a handful for anybody but for OG to be able to do the job that he did on him down the stretch was huge.”
On adjusting the offense for Karl-Anthony Towns:
“I had to adjust to him…and that’s what a season’s about. We’re not playing the same way offensively as we did to start the year. So I had to make some adjustments to try to figure out how I can get him involved a little bit better, get him to feel a little more comfortable and it’s showing a little bit. He’s obviously put in the work but … it’s a two-way street and it’s good to see him playing at the level he’s playing at right now.”
On simplifying Towns’ role at the four:
“When he is at the four spot, we’ve really simplified it so that he doesn’t have to think as much. And when he doesn’t have to think as much, he can just react.”
On spacing and preferred spots for Towns:
“He loves being at the top of the floor; he’s not always there, but we’ve added a couple more things that put him there with appropriate space. And then we found a post-up and an iso situation for him that is pretty good from a spacing standpoint in how he likes to operate. Those things, we didn’t have at the beginning of the year for him. So again, he’s made adjustments, he’s kept working, he continues to work, but as the head coach, I have to make adjustments, too. Especially with him being one of our two best players.”
On Jordan Clarkson’s two-way impact:
“Jordan has been playing well on both ends of the floor. He’s giving it to us defensively and he’s giving it to us offensively. I tell ya, his ability to read the defense and make timely cuts and finish in that painted area is a lot of fun to watch. It just adds another dimension to what we’re trying to do.”
On Clarkson’s defensive play:
“You can see the level of awareness and sense of urgency that he plays with now, especially on that end of the floor. What I like more than anything else is his physicality on the ball. You feel him. He’s relentless with it.”
On letting his assistants lead in huddles:
“It’s great for the guys to hear different voices. It’s like with your kids, if you’re the one talking all the time, sooner or later they tune you out. I have the utmost confidence in all of my assistants. So, for them to have a voice or a presence in what we’re doing, I’m all for it because they handle their business the right way. It also gives me an opportunity to save my voice. Maybe when I’m speaking, it can be magnified a little louder if you have that around you. All of my guys on the front of the bench, all of my guys on the back of the bench, I’ll close my eyes and let them coach and be OK with it.”
“Just focus on playing as best we can, control what we can control. That’s what’s most important to us right now.”
On sticking to his habits late in games:
“Just trying to be myself. I stick to my habits, focus on my work ethic and what got me here, and keep it that way.”
On Brown’s assistants gaining experience by leading huddles:
“I feel like it helps us but also helps the coaches. They get more experience and put in positions where they’re leading. I think it’s all-around good for everybody.”
Josh Hart on the Knicks getting through the soft part of their schedule with a 7-game winning streak
"Good teams win games that they're supposed to. Obviously anyone in the league can beat you on any given day" pic.twitter.com/7D0AqeVJ8B
“That’s a position he wants to be in. We want him in that position. You learn when you watch his game and play this game that the last 3-4 minutes of a game are winning time. That’s where your superstars show why they are at that level. That’s what he did.”
On hearing different voices in huddles:
“Sometimes it’s good to hear different voices. I think there is a sweet spot because you don’t want to hear too many different voices, but I think he does a good job of holding guys accountable but letting other coaches have our attention and mixing in other voices.”
Ogugua Anunoby Junior just became the first New York Knickerbocker in known history with double-digit DPOGs:
“I was just trying to make it difficult for him. Trying to make the catches difficult, push them out further and then just play one-on-one defense. I have great teammates who help me out, communicating what’s behind me. Just executing.”
On the team’s defensive execution on Tuesday:
“We have great defensive pieces all over the floor, so we’ve just been executing, communicating better and it’s been showing on the court.”
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 23: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors is defended by Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at American Airlines Center on March 23, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 23: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors is defended by Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at American Airlines Center on March 23, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The days all blend in to each other. The Brooklyn Nets continued their western road trip with a visit to Oregon to face the Portland Trailblazers. The Nets didn’t have much of anything for the play-in bound Blazers and lost by 35 points. The team’s current losing streak is at eight. And if you’re keeping track at home, that was the team’s seventh loss by at least 30 points this season.
Tonight’s opponent is firmly locked in to the tenth seed and the final play-in position. The Golden State Warriors are making through the end of a frustrating and disappointing season as they look ahead to the future. They beat the Dallas Mavericks in overtime on Monday night, but that was the last thing on anyone’s minds following the game. More on that shortly.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Tip after 10 PM.
🤕 Injuries
The following are out:
Noah Clowney
Michael Porter Jr
Day’ron Sharpe
Nolan Traore
Egor Demin
Danny Wolf
As expected, Malachi Smith has been extended another 10 days.
In overtime, Moses Moody went up for a layup and suffered a horrifying leg injury. Moses was diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon and will be out for indefinitely. All the best to him on his road to recovery.
One game away from the top of the standings Nets fans care about. The journey continues.
Ben Saraf, this is your moment. With Traore out, Ben will get the start and get all the minutes he can handle at the one. This matchup in particular will be a great challenge for his decision making skills as the Warriors are fifth in the NBA in opponent’s turnover rate this season. Ben has had turnover trouble for much of the season and tonight will be a great opportunity for him to work on it.
What do you do without Stephen Curry? For the Warriors, it’s relying on a whole lot of Brandin Podziemski. It’s been a learning lesson for him, and when Curry does return, we’ll see how Podz gets reacclimated to a familiar role. In the meantime, he’s got to navigate this rocky road.
“So in my mind right now, where he is: if he’s playing off of Steph, off of the ball, if he’s playing more of a secondary ball-handler role, he’s really good,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “He does a lot of things that a lot of players don’t do. He’s got a knack. When he tries to be too on-ball, you see him get into some trouble. You see the warts.”
No time better than the present to figure this stuff out.
👀 Player to watch: Kristaps Porzingis
KP came over from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, and it’s been a rocky start to his new adventure. Porzingis missed time due to illness and it led to more questions about the Warriors’ future. When this group is healthy, they have the potential to be championship contenders. However, they’re not healthy, they’re older, and the clock is getting closer and closer to midnight. It’s a lot to navigate for this proud franchise and the hope is Porzingis can remain healthy long enough so this group can make one more attempt to reach the top of the mountain.
Nic Claxton will be the vet tasked with keeping the young Nets within range tonight. It’s been difficult, but that’s why you play the games. For Clax, he’ll look to see if his guards can find him some good looks near the basket tonight. The Warriors allow teams to shoot 68.9 percent inside the restricted area, seventh highest mark in the NBA this year. Against a shorthanded frontcourt, tonight could be the night for Nic Claxton to have a big scoring game.
📺 From the Vault
What you about to witness is my thoughts Right or wrong Just what I was feelin’ at the time
Also, we are one day away from the best baseball team returning to our lives. HIT THE MUSIC!
Since becoming commissioner in 2014, Adam Silver has floated Seattle and Las Vegas as targets for the NBA’s next franchises.Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
The NBA has moved a step closer to adding teams in Seattle and Las Vegas.
The league’s board of governors met this week and voted to explore bids and applicants for teams exclusively in those two cities, beginning the process for its first expansion in more than two decades. Bids are expected to be in the $7bn to $10bn range per franchise.
Commissioner Adam Silver had previously described this year as a target for a decision on expanding the 30-team league, which last added a new franchise in 2004. The league will now evaluate bids over the next several months.
“Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle – two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball,” Silver said in a statement Wednesday. “We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”
Here’s a breakdown of what this expansion would mean for the NBA.
Wait, the NBA has new teams?
It soon may. The NBA’s board of governors voted this week to approve a formal exploration of adding teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. The league is reportedly targeting the 2028-29 season for debuts.
Why?
These markets look ripe – sports-mad large urban areas with viable arenas. But mainly because for billionaires, too much is never enough. The NBA has been at 30 teams since the Charlotte Bobcats arrived in 2004. The value of franchises and media rights have since skyrocketed and the Los Angeles Lakers were sold last year for a record $10bn, giving fresh momentum to a process the league has been considering for a few years. According to ESPN, the NBA could demand an expansion fee of $7bn to 10bn per team – delivering about $500m into the pockets of the owners of each current franchise.
Isn’t that outrageously expensive?
Yes! But it could still be a good deal.
The NBA has a history of failed and relocated franchises – including in Seattle and nearby Vancouver. However, these days team valuations are only going up, driven by the league’s 11-year, $77bn media deals that began this season. In 2025 the average team was valued at $5.5bn – more than double the estimate from three years prior, according to Sportico. The least valuable team, the Memphis Grizzlies, was put at $4bn. So it’s a solid bet even at such an eye-watering price. Back in 1966 the Seattle SuperSonics’ original ownership group paid a $1.75m expansion fee – the equivalent of $17m in today’s money.
How did Vegas go from zero major league men’s teams to four?
In the past, Vegas’ reputation as a seedy tourist-oriented city and the leagues’ previous anti-gambling stances counted against it. It was seen as a place for boxing, wrestling and other exhibition-type one-off events designed to fill hotel rooms, rather than a location for numerous regular-season games that rely on a committed local fanbase.
But now sports are all-in on legal betting, the metro area’s population has soared to about 2.5 million, and the city has modern venues. The first major pro team, the Golden Knights, were an instant success when they joined the NHL in 2017. The NFL’s Raiders relocated from Oakland in 2020 and MLB’s Athletics plan to take the same road in 2028. The NBA has staged its summer league in Vegas since 2004, as well as Cup games, so it’s familiar with the city.
Who would own the teams?
Not LeBron James. Though the Lakers megastar has previously expressed a desire to own a team in Vegas, he firmly ruled that out when speaking to reporters earlier this month. The Athletic reported that James’s partner, the Fenway Sports Group – which owns Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox – balked at the potential price tag.
Some reports have surmised that the owners of the NHL’s Kraken would be in pole position in Seattle, which would be logical. There has also been speculation that Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos might be interested. (Buying a major league basketball team after eliminating the Post’s sports desk would seem a tad weird, but these are strange days.)
What happened to Seattle’s first NBA team?
The Seattle SuperSonics boomed and busted and were reborn in 2008 as the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Sonics won their lone NBA title in 1979 but then went mostly quiet. The team signed Kevin Durant in the 2007 draft for what proved their final season in Washington state. Amid failing to strike a deal with local and state officials over renovating their arena or building a new one, majority owner Howard Schultz – the former Starbucks boss – sold the team for $350m in 2006 to an Oklahoma-based investment group that controversially but predictably dispatched it to Oklahoma.
The Thunder flourished and are the reigning NBA champions. Schultz called the sale the “biggest regret of my professional life”.
Is there room for two more teams?
In an enormous country of more than 340 million people? Of course. That said, the bigger the league, the more diluted the talent pool, and the NBA depends heavily on star power.
Prosperous Seattle is the 15th-biggest urban area in the US and can easily support a franchise in a modern arena. Vegas is smaller but has enough rich people to fill luxury boxes. The NBA’s global appeal makes it an attractive night out to many international visitors (though that’s a dwindling cohort). That said, Vegas isn’t a huge TV market – only the 40th biggest in the country, per Nielsen – and its tourism-dependent economy is slumping.
What would the teams be called?
Seattle has surely maxed out its climate and location-related team names – it’s already got the Mariners, Seahawks, Kraken, Sounders, Storm, Reign, Orcas, Torrent and Seawolves. We get it: it’s rainy and coastal. The city has a proud coffee tradition but we can expect the team to forgo anointing itself the Grinders or the Roast in favour of the obvious: resurrecting the SuperSonics brand, tapping into a rich seam of history and nostalgia and righting a perceived wrong as it drops anchor. (Sorry.)
Considering the NBA’s recent betting scandals, it’s debatable whether the Vegas team would follow the WNBA’s Aces and go for a gambling-related moniker. The hostile desert environment has no shortage of vicious critters that could offer inspiration in addition to the glitz of the city itself, though US sports are already rife with snakes, scorpions and wildcats, Miami brings the Heat and Phoenix shines its Suns.
Where would they play?
There’s plenty of talk about constructing a new arena, as you’d expect in a dynamic city that loves to build spectacular edifices. It’d be cheaper and more logical, at least in the short term, to share T-Mobile Arena, the Strip-situated home of the Golden Knights. It has hosted the NBA Cup semi-finals and final since 2023. But a sensible and restrained choice wouldn’t feel very Vegas, would it?
A decade too late to save the Sonics, the KeyArena near downtown Seattle was renovated with private money for $1.15bn and rebranded as Climate Pledge Arena in 2020 by locally headquartered Amazon, who acquired the naming rights to highlight their avowed commitment to sustainability. How that squares with the company reportedly donating $1m in 2024 to the second inauguration fund of a coal-loving and regulation-repealing US president is one question. Another is: could an NBA team share it with tenants including the WNBA’s Storm and NHL’s Kraken? Certainly.
How would they fill their rosters?
In addition to the usual draft, there would be an expansion draft. Typically these require existing teams to produce lists of unprotected and protected players. The new franchises form their squads by picking no more than one unprotected player from each team. Sounds simple … too simple.
There’s ample scope to complicate proceedings by making trades and deals with salaries, roster balance and other conditions imposed by the league in mind. There could be some shock names on unprotected lists if existing teams see the draft as a chance to offload overpaid and underperforming stars.
Would there be conference realignment?
Those who paid attention in geography class don’t need telling that Seattle and Las Vegas are firmly in the western US. So they’ll go in the Western Conference. To balance the two conferences at 16 teams each, one club would need to join the Eastern: probably Minnesota or Memphis. Maybe New Orleans, but they’re conveniently close to the Texas teams.
Minnesota makes the most sense because they’re distant from the other Western teams but relatively near to a cluster of Eastern teams in the midwest. That may also help competitive balance by moving a reliably-strong team to a usually-weaker conference.
Would this be it for expansion?
For the foreseeable future. Exclusivity helps keep franchise values high and sustains more power in the hands of individual owners. Still, there are plenty of mid-sized American cities that could make a case: Nashville, Baltimore, Austin, San Diego, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Kansas City, St Louis.
Success in Seattle could revive chatter about Vancouver regaining a team, while NBA commissioner Adam Silver has referenced Montreal and Mexico City as contenders. But economic uncertainty – such as currency fluctuations – and burgeoning international political tensions make it unlikely that the league would look outside the US for another franchise in the short or medium term. It’ll focus on continuing to bring teams to Europe for regular-season games and forming a new European league.
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 23: Scoot Henderson #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers goes up for a layup as Malachi Smith #18 and E.J. Liddell #9 of the Brooklyn Nets look on during the first half at Moda Center on March 23, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets are giving Malachi Smith an extended look.
After inking him to a 10-day contract on March 13, the Nets are renewing the combo guard’s 10-day deal, per Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.
The Brooklyn Nets are signing Malachi Smith to a second 10-day contract, league sources told @hoopshype. Smith has averaged 6.2 points on 50% shooting from the field and 3-point range, 2.7 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes during six games played for the Nets. pic.twitter.com/wY42VJo1ir
After going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2023, Smith bounced around the G League, spending time with the Trailblazers, Bucks, and Grizzlies affiliates before being dealt to Long Island last September.
While playing in 39 total games for Brooklyn’s affiliate this season, production took off January 6, when Long Island head coach Mfon Udofia handed him the keys at point guard following Nolan Traore’s call-up to Brooklyn.
Since the move, Smith dominated. Over his last 24 games in the G League, he averaged 17.7 points, 7.3 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per night, all while shooting an efficient 51.9% from the field and 42.9% from three.
Throughout six games with Brooklyn on his initial 10-day contract, Smith averaged 6.2 points, 2.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and a steal in 19.5 minutes while shooting 50% from the field and beyond the arc.
Against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, he notched a career high of 18 points along with three steals, four assists, and two rebounds.
All together, he compiled 37 points, 16 assists, 13 rebounds, six steals, and three blocks in 117 minutes while hitting 15 of his 30 field goal attempts and five of his ten tries from 3-point range. He also committed nine turnovers.
By signing him to a second 10-day contract, Smith is expected to remain with Brooklyn through April 4.
From there, the Nets face a decision.
Because this is his second 10-day stint, Brooklyn can either convert Smith to a standard NBA deal for the final five games of the season or have him to return to Long Island, where he remains under a standard G League contract.
While it’s an excellent opportunity for Smith to continue to build up his stock in the NBA, it’s a tough break for Long Island at the worst possible time.
The team clinched a playoff spot, but momentum is not in their favor. They’ve dropped five straight and have been shorthanded, missing all three two-way players, Chaney Johnson, Tyson Etienne, and E.J. Liddell, while also dealing with Grant Nelson’s season-ending injury and now losing Smith.
And there’s not much time left to figure it out, as the G League playoffs begin March 31 and are single elimination, meaning one night ends the season.
At the same time, Smith’s rise is another example of Long Island’s player development paying off.
Head coach Mfon Udofia, associate head coach Sean Swords, and their staff have consistently put players with all different types of backstories in position to reveal their value, and Smith is the latest to benefit. He is the third player from Long Island to earn an NBA opportunity this season, joining Nelson, who signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn, and Nate Williams, who landed with the Golden State Warriors on a two-way deal.
Overall, Smith gets a longer look in Brooklyn, while Long Island heads into their final regular-season game hoping to get in the win column before postseason play kicks off.
