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William Nylander’s Injury Looms After Maple Leafs Surrender Third-Period Lead in Loss to Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS — William Nylander had a goal and an assist in the first 5:03 of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, but he departed the game two shifts after his last offensive contribution.

In 38 games this season, Nylander leads the Leafs with 48 points (17 goals and 31 assists). Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, perhaps frustrated by his team’s inability to hold a two-goal lead in the third period, admitted after the game that Nylander sustained an aggravation to a lower-body injury that previously kept the skilled winger out for six games.

“Well, it's hard. He was back playing great and then now he's out again,” Berube said. “We'll see how long”.

It’s unclear exactly how Nylander got hurt, but his leg did appear to buckle a bit while celebrating his lone goal of the game.

“Willy's a very important player for us. So it's not ideal, but, you know, he leaves early and he still impacted the game pretty well,” John Tavares said of Nylander. “Obviously tough to see him leave. But injuries have been part of our group the whole year and the way we've had to kind of come around it and guys step up and the way the lineup unfolds”.

The good news for the Leafs is that they went 4-0-2 in that six-game stretch when Nylander first sustained the injury, so the club has shown an ability to push past injuries to key players this season.

After the game, Nylander was seen walking around, catching up with players on the opposing team and was all smiles. From that standpoint, it could be good news. However, because this could be something that lingers, the Leafs must be mindful since the first six games he missed clearly didn’t eradicate the ailment.

Even though they only had Nylander for 2:17 of ice time on Thursday, the inability to hold onto the third-period lead was the most visible annoyance for Berube.

“It's frustrating to lose this game tonight,” Berube said. “We got off to a great start. I thought we played really well tonight for the most part of the game. You know, we've just got to be smarter in certain situations. That's what it boils down to tonight. I think we played a pretty solid game tonight, but we made some mistakes that we don't need to make in the third period and probably win the game”.

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Bo Bichette agrees to three-year deal with rival Mets

Bo Bichette agrees to three-year deal with rival Mets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Bo Bichette is heading to the Mets.

The free-agent infielder has agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with New York, with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic, with contract details reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The signing comes days after Bichette met with the Phillies, who had emerged as a serious suitor following the hiring of Don Mattingly, his former bench coach in Toronto.

Philadelphia was viewed as a legitimate contender throughout the process, but ultimately came up short as Bichette opted for a shorter-term deal that offers significant flexibility.

Bichette, 27, is coming off another strong offensive season. In 2025, he hit .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs, finishing second in the majors with 44 doubles. He has led the American League in hits twice and has remained one of the more consistent right-handed bats in the game since debuting in 2019.

A left knee injury sidelined Bichette for the final 20 games of the regular season, but he returned in the World Series and showed no lingering effects, hitting .348 with a home run and six RBIs.

Defensive questions and positional fit complicated Bichette’s market at times, but his bat remained the primary draw.

John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia confirmed that the club had offered more years and guaranteed money. Bob Nightengale of USA Today later reported that the Phillies offered Bichette a seven-year, $200 million deal. It’s known that the Phillies’ ownership does not offer opt-outs in their contract negotiations.

He becomes a major addition for the Mets — and a notable miss for a Phillies club that continues to search for right-handed offense heading into this upcoming season.

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The Anferno: Five stats that highlight Simons' impact with Celtics

The Anferno: Five stats that highlight Simons' impact with Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Anfernee Simons erupted for a season-high 39 points on Thursday night in Miami, fueling the Celtics as they erased a 19-point deficit and delivered a gritty 119-114 road triumph over the Heat. 

Simons, who has had a penchant for loud quarters and halves this season, put together maybe his most complete game of the season while shooting 13 of 28 from the field and 7 of 16 beyond the 3-point arc. Add in 10 assist points off four assists and Simons, accounted for nearly 41 percent of Boston’s scoring output in 34 minutes off the bench.

The Celtics are now 9-2 when Simons scores 17-plus points this season, and 14-15 when he doesn’t. On a night when the core trio of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard all struggled with offensive efficiency, Simons reaffirmed his value as a microwave scorer who piled up 18 fourth-quarter points as Boston surged to the finish line for a must-have win after dropping three of its last four. 

All this happened as trade rumors kick into overdrive three weeks before the trade deadline. Simons, operating in the final year of a contract paying him $27.7 million, is one of Boston’s few movable assets, but his recent output certainly has given president of basketball operations Brad Stevens even more to ponder as he charts a path forward.

On one hand, Thursday’s game is a loud reminder of how vital Simons’ offense can be for a Boston team that ranks second in the NBA in offensive rating. On the other, his value might never be higher than at this very moment, and the potential in-season return of Jayson Tatum will soon bite into everyone’s shot totals.

The Celtics could benefit from adding more size and depth at the center position, something Simons might be able to help fetch. His name will continue to float in the rumors, even if the Celtics ultimately decide the most prudent path forward is to simply carry him to the finish line of the season and then ponder future pathways. 

For now, let’s crunch the numbers on Simons’ 2025-26 impact:

Hot from downtown

Simons is now shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc over his last nine games. That’s up 13.2 percent over his first 30 games in green (36.8 percent).

Simons has connected on 37 of 74 3-pointers over those nine games and is a +61 in plus/minus in that span. Maybe most notable is that 88.8 percent of Simons’ 3s this season have come off non-corner attempts, and he’s making 40 percent of those shots (90 of 223).

His ability to generate quality pull-up looks, particularly when he’s in full Anferno mode, is a huge luxury for an offense that is prone to stagnation. 

Simons says: Gravity

The number-crunchers over at BBall-Index note that Simons ranks 8th out of 508 players in “overall gravity,” or the defensive attention a player draws even when they don’t have the basketball.

That’s accentuated by Simons’ assist numbers being way up lately, popping to 3.7 per game over the last nine outings (up from 2.3 over his first 30 games).

When teams send extra bodies to take away his shot, Simons has been good at creating for others. And the attention defenses must afford him has also opened up opportunities for the rest of Boston’s bench players.

Effort on both ends

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has gone out of his way to praise Simons’ defensive engagement since arriving in Boston. Trying hard to improve his reputation, Simons is staying attached to his matchups, and the effort is obvious.

Opponents are shooting 2 percent below expected output when Simons is the primary defender this season. Any negative number is excellent, and consider that All-Defense stalwart Derrick White is holding opponents to 2.2 percent below expected and Jordan Walsh is at 1.3 percent below expected.

To be fair, White and Walsh have far more difficult assignments most nights, and the Celtics have done a good job hiding Simons on lesser offensive players, but the effort is what matters here. And Simons is clearly trying to show he’s invested.

What’s more, Simons remains excellent at avoiding fouls when defending, committing infractions on a mere 2.9 percent of team plays. 

Fourth-quarter punch

When you think of Boston’s fourth-quarter scoring, you probably think of White and Jaylen Brown shouldering that load. But Simons has quietly been a fourth-quarter force.

With Thursday’s 18-point final-frame outburst, Simons is now third in the NBA in fourth-quarter bench points with 162, behind only Jaime Jaquez Jr. (169) and Naz Reid (163). Simons’ 28 fourth-quarter 3-pointers are second to only Cam Spencer (30). 

Sixth Man campaign brewing?

Simons ranks fourth in the NBA while averaging 14.1 points per game off the bench (minimum of 20 games off bench). He’s +169 in 970 bench minutes, which is the fourth-best total in the league (and second-best on the Celtics behind rookie Hugo Gonzalez, who is +190 in 491 minutes).

Simons is the first bench player in the league to reach triple digits in 3-pointers (106 for the season, next closest: Tim Hardaway, 99).

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Fantasy Basketball Week 14 Waiver Wire Pickups: Breakouts & Sleepers

As momentum towards the NBA trade deadline continues to gain steam, injuries have quietly gone about their business, providing others with unexpected opportunities. We are also starting to see certain teams showing their cards when it comes to what the rotations could look like post-All Star break. As always, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the fantasy basketball rankings. And remember, never assume a player is rostered. It always pays to double-check, just in case they have been overlooked.

Identifying players who are benefiting from expanded roles–whether it's an offensive threat delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player boosting your blocks and steals–is vital as you navigate the season.

Let's dive into nine key NBA sleepers whose current stats suggest they are poised for significant value and are currently rostered in fewer than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

It appears as though Toronto is more comfortable with playing Murray-Boyles in a consistent role, having logged at least 31 minutes in five of his past six games. Jakob Poeltl continues to deal with a back injury that has cost him a sizeable chunk of the season, providing Murray-Boyles with a great opportunity. His production remains a little volatile, although we have seen some real positives, especially on the defensive end. In his past six games, the rookie has averaged just over 37 fantasy points per game, more than enough to warrant must-roster status across all leagues, including High Score.

Yet another injury to Anthony Davis has resulted in Marshall being able to hold his spot in the rotation. The fact that Davis is likely to miss at least six weeks, coupled with the fact that the current trajectory in Dallas remains up in the air, means we have a nice situation for someone like Marshall. He has scored double digits in seven straight games, tallying at least 22 points in his past three appearances. During that seven-game span, he has averaged almost 35 fantasy points per game, including a 56-point performance in a win over the Nets. Now that we have some assurance regarding his role, he makes for a relatively safe addition to most fantasy squads.

Coming off two standout games, including the best performance of his career, Sensabaugh has a lot of momentum right now. While his 43-point explosion is obviously not sustainable, he had been trending up, even prior to that. Seen as a potential late-round flier in drafts, Sensabaugh's role was far from ideal to begin the season. In fact, there were games when he wasn't even in the rotation. However, things have shifted for the forward in the past few weeks, having logged at least 30 minutes in eight of the past 12 games, flashing some offensive upside in the process. There are certainly no guarantees when it comes to Utah's nightly rotation, adding an element of risk to anyone playing for the Jazz. With that said, it makes a lot of sense for Sensabaugh to be out there on a nightly basis, making him a viable addition in High Score leagues.

While the absence of Ryan Kalkbrenner allowed Diabate to step back into a starter-level role, he has continued his strong play, even with Kalkbrenner back in the fold. In fact, he has now played at least 30 minutes in four of the past five games, scoring efficiently, albeit on low volume, while also grabbing his usual allotment of boards. He certainly isn't a viable option for everyone, given his limited skill set. However, if you need typical big-man numbers, Diabate seems like a worthwhile risk.

Having been on and off fantasy rosters all season, the time may have come where we need to go and add Tyson once again. Injuries to both Darius Garland and Sam Merrill are likely to open up more playing time, something Tyson was able to make the most of earlier in the season. While his numbers haven't been terrible of late, his overall production has taken a hit. However, assuming he could now step into a 30-minute-per-night role, that production could certainly trend in the right direction. In 37 appearances this season, Tyson has averaged 12.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.9 3-pointers in 26.9 minutes per game, making him a borderline top-100 player in standard leagues.

Although we only have a very small sample size when it comes to Cisse, there have been signs over the past week that he could certainly be a name to watch. With Daniel Gafford continuing to deal with what seems like a chronic ankle injury, Cisse could find himself a major part of the rotation. In Thursday's win over the Jazz, despite coming off the bench behind Dwight Powell, Cisse turned in the best performance of his young career, recording 10 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in 24 minutes. He obviously comes with an element of risk given the uncertainty in Dallas, but for those looking for an upside play, he could be worth taking a flier on.

Love has managed to carve out a somewhat consistent role for himself, having scored double digits in 13 straight games. The bulk of his value comes from points and 3s, which is certainly a benefit for those in points formats. However, he has been able to chip in across other categories, appearing to gain more confidence with every appearance. In four games over the past week, he has averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.3 3-pointers, good enough for more than 30 fantasy points per game. 

Despite the recent acquisition of Trae Young, the narrative out of Washington is that Young is not going to touch the floor until after the All-Star break. This news should alleviate some of the doubt when it comes to Johnson's role, having now started in 10 straight games. His peripheral production does leave a little to be desired, making him a slightly more attractive target in points formats. While there will almost certainly be some ups and downs, he has shown enough to at least be considered rosterable, especially when what we have seen thus far could realistically be considered his floor.

It sure has been a roller-coaster season for Williams, with his role seemingly a variable within a roster full of variables. After assuming the starting point guard tag during the month of November, he was then supplanted by Ryan Nembhard, who flashed some upside for a brief period before regressing to the point where he was no longer rosterable. Although Williams has remained in a bench role, he has clearly moved ahead of Nembhard, scoring at least 14 points in seven of his past eight games, including three 20-point performances. An ankle injury to Cooper Flagg could also work in Williams' favor, making him a sneaky pickup across all formats.

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Real Madrid and Berlin in 'NBA Europe' talks

Desmond Bane of the Orlando Magic handles the ball during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the 2026 NBA Berlin Game
The game between the Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies was played in front of a sell-out crowd in Berlin [Getty Images]

The NBA has discussed its "vision" for a proposed European basketball league with Real Madrid and other Spanish clubs, says commissioner Adam Silver.

Initial plans for 'NBA Europe', starting in 2027, are for 10 to 12 set franchises that would stay in the league on an annual basis.

Silver said the idea would be to mix established European teams with new ones, with the league initially being funded by the selected member clubs.

The 63-year-old was speaking before the NBA's first regular season game in Berlin, Germany on Thursday, which the Orlando Magic won 118-111 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The two sides face each again at The O2 arena in London on Sunday.

A league of potentially 16 teams is also being looked at, combining the regular 10 to 12 franchises with open spots that teams will be able to qualify for.

With the rise in popularity of basketball and the NBA in Europe, the American league is holding six games in four different European cities across the next three seasons, with London, Manchester, Berlin and Paris hosting games between 2026 and 2028.

Silver said talks with Real Madrid, who play in the EuroLeague and are regarded as one of the greatest basketball clubs in Europe, were "more in the category of fact-finding", but he confirmed discussions had taken place with another EuroLeague side, Alba Berlin, whose Uber Arena hosted the NBA game.

"We're trying to find the best combination of the old and the new; the tradition and the innovation," said Silver.

Alba Berlin, he said, was "the model of the type of club that we would like to see in a potential European league".

Reports say the existing EuroLeague has concerns about the new venture, threatening legal action against the NBA should clubs break existing agreements to take part in the new competition.

But Silver said he does not think the two leagues would clash, adding: "There's plenty of room for competition".

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Steph Curry, Warriors stars adamant Jonathan Kuminga saga is ‘not a distraction'

Steph Curry, Warriors stars adamant Jonathan Kuminga saga is ‘not a distraction' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Day 200 of the Jonathan Kuminga Chronicles is upon us, and it likely won’t be much different than the previous 199, except for the expansion of his bank account on Day 92 and the fact that Day 199 dragged him onto the trade market. The polarizing chatter will continue for the Warriors, their fans and anyone following this tediously extended epilogue.

The noise, however, will not have any effect on the Warriors. That’s what they say, emphatically so, and their statements are credible.

“It’s not a distraction at all,” Stephen Curry said Thursday night, after scoring 27 points in a win over the New York Knicks while Kuminga sat idle on the bench for the 13th consecutive game. “It’s a very unique situation, but our job is to just keep playing. Keep winning. It’ll resolve itself one way or the other.”

Curry believes that this will not shake the Warriors because of their history. As the longest-tenured player on the roster, he has seen potential distractions come and fade like waves at the ocean shore.

“(If) you’ve been around for the last three, four years, we’ve done it this whole time,” Curry continued. “We’re sort of very, very well trained in this area to just play basketball.”

Curry’s comments echoed those of coach Steve Kerr, said to be Kuminga’s most fervent antagonist. So much so that some outsiders suspect personal motives.

“There won’t be a distraction,” Kerr said two hours before tipoff against the Knicks. “Jonathan’s a great young guy. His teammates like him. He’s handling himself well. There won’t be a distraction.”

Yet Curry’s words carry more weight. He was a Warrior before Kerr arrived. Curry had early-career obstacles, one being the presence of Monta Ellis and the other being the odd and brief belief among the coaching staff that Acie Law should start at point guard.

Steph has been there, done that, and seen it many times. He is several weeks removed from watching his closest teammate, Draymond Green, walk into the locker room amid a furious quarrel with coach Steve Kerr. There was the up-close deterioration of the relationship between Klay Thompson and the franchise. There were the indefinite absences of Andrew Wiggins, the shock of Draymond punching Jordan Poole during a practice and, oh yes, Kevin Durant’s gloomy final season as a Warrior.

Kuminga is neither Klay nor KD, established All-Stars and essential components in the daily operation of the team.

Kuminga is a young man with a good heart who is making $22.5 million to be a spectator. He is stuck on the Warriors, despite the obvious incompatibility; they drafted him and spent four years resisting thoughts of trading him.

Jimmy Butler III brushed aside any thought that Kuminga’s status – visible but isolated from the games – was a source of turbulence.

“Oh, hell no,” he said Thursday night. “Hell no. That has nothing to do with us. We love JK in this locker room, that’s not going to change. If he happens to not to be here, we still rock with JK. I speak for everybody. I don’t care. I speak for everybody. We love the guy. I wish him the best here. I wish him the best forever. Doesn’t change.

“We don’t listen to the noise. I hope he don’t listen to the noise. He keeps coming in here with a smile, doing what he’s supposed to do, and being the ultimate pro.”

There is enough maturity in this locker room – Curry, Butler, Green and Al Horford – to repel any creeping dissension related to Kuminga’s ongoing disuse. The vets are built to keep the focus on the greater collective goal of lifting the Warriors from mediocrity, which through the first half of the season had a very stubborn grip.

There have been games when it appeared Kuminga could have been helpful on the floor. The last time he was slated to play, Jan. 2 against Oklahoma City, he was a late scratch due to very sudden “back soreness.”

Yet Kuminga, by all accounts, remains popular and has not been a frequent source of irritation – at all. There is a primary reason why Kuminga is not, and will not be, a distraction to the Warriors, according to Green.

“Because he’s not a distraction,” Green said, pointing toward Kuminga’s vacant cubicle. “How he handles it is everything. If he handled it a certain way, it becomes a distraction. But it doesn’t have to be. And the way he’s handled himself, the way he’s dealt with things not going his way, says a lot about his character.

“Everyone around here can confidently say it won’t be a distraction, because he’s not a distraction.”

Green and Butler have done their part to mentor Kuminga on the ways of life in the NBA. Nearly every young player entering the league has “a vet,” someone who assumes a big brotherly role. Kuminga has two.

They both wish Kuminga well, wherever he lands, as does everyone in the locker room. He senses that, which is one more reason, trade “demand” notwithstanding, that he won’t crater this squad.

JK is not built to do that. And, moreover, he hasn’t earned the status.

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Kyle Tucker signs with Dodgers for four years, $240 million: Contract details, fantasy fallout

A shock wave reverberated through the baseball world late Thursday night when star free agent Kyle Tucker signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on an eye-popping four-year, $240 million contract.

The deal includes a $64 million signing bonus, opt-outs after both the second and third seasons and $30 million of deferred money.

Tucker now has the highest present-day average annual average value of any player in major league history at $57.1 million, surpassing Juan Soto’s $51 million mark set last offseason.

Don’t forget: Keep a close eye on the Rotoworld Player News page so you don’t miss any of the action.

Besides the Dodgers, the Mets and Blue Jays were both in hot pursuit of Tucker as well.

The Mets offered a similarly massive four-year, $220 million deal with no deferred money and a whopping $75 million signing bonus. That was both a larger signing bonus and (obviously) less deferred money compared to the Dodgers’ winning offer.

The exact parameters of the Blue Jays’ final offer to Tucker isn’t known, but reporting suggests they were more focused on a longer term deal with less money per year. It’s clear Tucker’s camp couldn’t turn down the record AAV he got with an opportunity to re-test the free agent market in two years.

In the meantime, Tucker will join forces with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith in what is certainly the best lineup in baseball as the Dodgers chase their third consecutive World Series title.

What an embarrassment of riches. Tucker is now the eighth Dodger with at least a $100 million contract. The Phillies, Padres, and Blue Jays have the next most with six while the Yankees and Giants have five each. Seven teams don’t have a single active player who crosses that threshold.

As funny as it may sound, Tucker will fill a huge hole in the Dodgers’ lineup.

Despite scoring the most runs per game in the National League last season, their outfield was not productive at the plate. Cumulatively, they had a .240 batting average, .299 on-base percentage, and .714 OPS. That was eerily similar to Lourdes Gurriel’s slash-line.

They suffered through offensive woes during the playoffs too, scoring just 4.2 runs per game overall and 3.7 in the World Series. Even with a star-studded lineup their defense, pitching, and eventually Miguel Rojas bailed them out.

This will likely be less of an issue after adding Tucker. His .895 OPS over the last two seasons is sneakily the exact same as Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s and higher than Kyle Schwarber’s, just without the same fanfare.

He’s been one of the most productive players in the league since he became a full-time player in 2021 with both the 10th-most fWAR and 10th-highest wRC+ over the last five years.

Few players make as good of swings decisions as Tucker either. He very rarely chases pitches out of the zone, offers at the right ones in the zone, and has walked more than he’s struck out over the last two years.

By all accounts, he is one of the few best hitters in the game.

Yet, two relatively flukey injuries that caused fractures – a foul ball of his shin in 2024 and jamming his right hand on second base last season – seemed to hurt Tucker's value on the open market and standing among certain groups of fans.

Also, he’s never hit many of the key statistical benchmarks we look for when evaluating a star player.

Tucker has never exceeded 30 home runs, a .300 batting average, or five fWAR in a single season. On top of that, his bat speed is just middle of the pack and his batted ball data is pedestrian for someone making the most money in the sport this coming season.

Still, his production speaks for itself and those types of underlying concerns hold much less weight with him signing a four-year deal compared to the 10 or 12 years many expected him to get when this offseason began.

Is this deal a bad value? Probably on a dollar per WAR basis. The Dodgers clearly don’t care though and Tucker will likely be one of the most productive hitters in the game flanked by their All-Star lineup. He also insulates them against Freeman and Betts aging out of being elite players over the next few seasons. The rich really get richer.

Ranger Suarez to the Red Sox?

Now a bit lost in the shuffle, starting pitcher Ranger Suárez signed a five-year, $130 million contract with the Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon.

This deal came as a surprise for a few reasons.

First, the Red Sox had not been linked to Suárez all offseason. Moreover, it felt like no other teams were either. His market was completely silent to public knowledge until Boston swooped in after missing out on Alex Bregman over the weekend.

Next, the Red Sox weren’t exactly starved for rotation help. They traded for Sonny Gray earlier this offseason to support Garrett Crochet at the top and Johan Oviedo a bit later on to provide depth on the back-end.

They still have Bryan Bello as a steady number-four type, veterans Patrick Sandoval and Kutter Crawford on the mend, and super-charged rookies Payton Tolle and Connelly Early chomping at the bit to get their shots. Plus, former top prospect Kyle Harrison ready in the wings. Again, starting pitching was more of a vanity add than a true need.

Lastly, Suárez was an odd free agent to project. He’s been highly effective for his whole career with a 2.91 ERA overall as a starter and is known as one of the best command artisans in the game. He’s regarded as a playoff riser too with a 1.48 ERA across 42 2/3 postseason innings.

On the other hand, he doesn’t do many of the things teams value most on the open market.

His 21.9% strikeout rate over his last four seasons as a full time starter is a hair under league-average. Also, he’s never thrown more than 160 innings in a regular season. Most worrisome, his average fastball velocity has fallen by more than two full miles per hour over the last two seasons. It has fallen from over 93 mph to barely above 91 mph.

Admittedly, velocity is a bit less important to a pitcher like Suárez compared to others.

He has a deep five-pitch mix that forces hitters into uncomfortable decisions as he works them on the edges with remarkable consistency. Suárez also leans on a sinker much more than a four-seam fastball and the former is much less reliant on velocity to be effective.

Yet, he’s drifting dangerously close to breaking point where he could get into a lot more trouble throwing those fastballs.

Suárez was one of just 24 pitchers whose average fastball velocity was at or below 92 mph last season. The list includes some solid names like himself, Shota Imanaga and Jacob Lopez, but was more filled with guys like Jose Quintana, Clayton Kershaw’s corpse, and Tyler Anderson.

Even finding one more tick could do wonders for Suárez as he moves towards the back half of this deal. Check out much more effective fastballs are (relatively) once a left-handed pitcher can stretch back above 92 mph.

Screenshot 2026-01-16 at 2.17.08 AM.png

This likely won’t affect Suárez much in the near term where he still figures to be one of the 40 or so most valuable pitchers in the league. Some fear could set in down the line though if that velocity continues to fall on a deal that makes him the 12th-most expensive pitcher in the league per year at this moment.

▶ More Hot Stove Quick Hits

◆ Logic would tell us that the Blue Jays will turn their attention back to Bo Bichette after missing on Kyle Tucker. The Phillies seem to be winning that race though as Toronto is reportedly content with their current crop of infielders.

◆ Besides Juan Soto, the only outfielders on the Mets’ current 40-man roster are Tyrone Taylor, Jared Young, and Nick Morabito. Yikes. In a perfect world, none of those three will be starting on opening day and the Mets likely wouldn’t want any besides Taylor to break camp with the club.

Cody Bellinger is still on the market and embroiled in a stalemate with the cross-town Yankees. Will a bidding war start? Or could the Mets turn their attention back to the trade market for someone like Lars Nootbaar or Luis Robert whom they’ve both been connected with.

◆ In possibly the least talked about yet moderately interesting MLB transaction in some time, the Angels, Rays, and Reds agreed to a three-team trade that sent Josh Lowe to the Angels and Gavin Lux to Tampa Bay.

This trade was announced literally two minutes after Tucker’s contract and got completely lost in the hoopla, but is a fun swap of major league players nonetheless.

Back in 2023, Lowe hit 20 homers, stole 35 bases and put up an .835 OPS across 135 games. Since then, he’s played 214 games across two seasons with just a .670 OPS over that span.

Regular soft tissue injuries have dramatically slowed him down and the Angels are betting that some better health luck could unlock what was once sky-high potential. I’d feel a lot better about that risk if a team other than the Angels were taking it on.

Lux has settled in as a totally unspectacular producer who will run a high on-base percentage (.339 over the last three seasons) but without any semblance of game power (five home runs in 140 games last season). He might find his way into the lead-off spot down in Tampa Bay though ahead of Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda, and Yandy Díaz.

◆ Cubs’ president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer mentioned that Matt Shaw could find some playing time in the outfield this season after the addition of Alex Bregman. That reaffirms the fact that Shaw will be seen as a super-utility man in Chicago and it’s mildly interesting that they’ll likely try to get him at-bats any way possible.

⚾️ Coming soon: MLB returns toNBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

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Australia legend Lockyer hopes new Broncos can buck London’s rugby league resistance

Former playing great starts new season as an owner in sport’s second tier aiming to rebuild club who would give British game a major lift if they return to Super League

Darren Lockyer has faced some monumental challenges for club and country but this year his trickiest task may be finding the opponents of his new club on a map as he takes on rugby league’s mission impossible.

Throughout his illustrious career, Lockyer faced Melbourne Storm, Sydney Roosters and some of the world’s best international teams. This year, Lockyer’s interests will be centred on places like Goole, Swinton and Batley after taking ownership of London Broncos late last year and attempting to make them a rugby league powerhouse.

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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Jordan Kyrou, J.J. Moser among top adds going into the weekend

Injuries can affect you in fantasy hockey at any time. Your roster may be completely healthy one week before immediately getting hit with a wave of casualties the next week. And then there are those constantly trying to fill multiple absences.

I've been fortunate in the RotoWire Staff Hockey League, having only lost Connor Bedard for a few weeks while recent acquisition Brayden Point is projected to not miss as much time as originally feared. Thanks to that, a couple overachievers, some excellent goaltending and way more luck than anyone should have, I sit in first by two games at 13-1 having won the last 13 matchups.

No matter whether you're a frontrunner or lagging behind the pack, there's plenty of ways to enhance your lineups. Here are a few widely available players who might help you do that.

(Rostered rates as of Jan. 16)

Jordan Kyrou, STL (Yahoo: 44%): Kyrou has only produced 19 points through 37 games after four straight seasons with at least 67. Part of this dropoff can be attributed to him playing on a team ranked last in average goals at 2.49 or the 8.9 shooting percentage that's well below his usual double-digit mark. Kyrou returned from injury three weeks ago and has since posted three assists over nine outings — including two PPAs from each of his last two — with none of the 21 pucks directed on net going in. With that kind of volume while in the top-six and part of a talented top power play, he's bound to start scoring again. 

Matty Beniers, SEA (Yahoo: 32%): It's often been a tough fantasy sell for Beniers, as his contributions have been fairly one-dimensional and not exceptional (unless you count faceoff wins). But when someone goes off for 11 points across 13 appearances — four of those while up a man — more people will notice. Beniers should be able to continue this run as Seattle's lead center in all attacking situations. And if the numbers dip again, you can always cut him.

Beckett Sennecke, ANA (Yahoo: 32%): Kudos to Sennecke for being this season's first repeat forward entry. Since first being featured on Nov. 28 when he already had notched seven goals and 10 assists in 23 contests, he's accumulated another eight and 10 alongside 52 shots on a 17:04 ice time average. Sennecke has worked well with any linemate and in various situations. The sky's the limit for the soon-to-be 20-year-old, so you should pick him up right away.

Connor McMichael, WSH (Yahoo: 23%): I don't know how I had thought I previously discussed McMichael during 2025-26. Anyways, now's a good time to talk about him. Like the nine points over the last nine matchups – highlighted by a four-assist performance versus Anaheim – to go with 22 shots, nine hits and eight blocks, while he's logged 19-plus minutes a night. And that's totally sustainable for McMichael, as he managed 26 goals, 31 assists and 177 shots last year.

Jack McBain, UTA (Yahoo: 12%): McBain is generally overlooked due to a large percentage of his stats coming in the physical department, but every once in a while he'll go on a short scoring streak. That's happened the last week or so, as he's tallied two goals and three assists over five games in addition to 14 shots, 11 PIM and 19 hits, including three points, seven shots, three hits and a plus-4 on Tuesday with Dylan Guenther on his wing. McBain is valuable enough for laying out opponents, so the offense is a nice bonus.

Charlie Coyle, CBJ (Yahoo: 8%): Betcha can't name any forward who's at least 33 with no fewer than 30 points and is available in more than 90% of Yahoo! leagues. I'm guessing by now you've figured out we're talking about Coyle. There's been a few gaps on his scoring log, yet he's still registered seven goals on 41 shots with eight assists and 163 faceoff wins since the start of December while being a regular on the Blue Jackets' lead man-advantage that boasts the likes of Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli. Do your part by adding Coyle.

Ridly Greig, OTT (Yahoo: 4%): Greig was on the right line at the right time Wednesday as he posted three assists while joining forces during five-on-five with Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Cozens. And even with other teammates, he's supplied 10 points from 14 outings while throwing in 29 shots, 26 PIM and 15 hits. Even if Greig slips back down the depth chart, he'll net you enough fantasy output.

James van Riemsdyk, DET (Yahoo: 4%): It's always nice when a low-risk, low-salary offseason move turns out much better than expected, especially when it's a veteran who came into the season with 327 career goals. The veteran forward initially struggled with Detroit before finding the back of the net in six of seven appearances – three of those PPGs. Despite not many minutes, he's recently benefited with an even-strength spot next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond in addition to their existing man-advantage arrangement. JVR may not be an MVP, yet can still provide you a decent ROI.

Brandt Clarke, LA (Yahoo: 50%): Clarke gets a second mention after originally appearing during the opening week. He's taken over for Drew Doughty as L.A.'s top power-play quarterback and has produced five PPAs since Dec. 17 to go with another three helpers, a goal, 32 shots and 36 blocks. This is the type of offense that's been expected of Clarke since he was drafted eighth overall in 2021. He's also on pace to significantly surpass a career-high in points (currently at 23, peaked last season at 33) as he should keep receiving advanced attacking placement.

K'Andre Miller, CAR (Yahoo: 24%): Miller makes it consecutive repeat defenders in this waiver wire piece as he's been on fire the last 10 games, recording eight points, 14 shots, 10 hits and six blocks on 22:28 of ice time per game. He may no longer hold a man-advantage role like earlier in the year, but is heavily involved while shorthanded while retaining a steady five-on-five partnership alongside Sean Walker. Miller's scoring may not be as plentiful the rest of the way, though he'll deliver consistent cross-category production.

J.J. Moser, TB (Yahoo: 13%): Long-term injuries to Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh have allowed others to take on more responsibility. Moser was already getting enough opportunities while Hedman was available, as the two sometimes skated together, yet his minutes have seen a major boost the last month at nearly a 23:00 average consisting of four goals, four assists, 27 shots, 16 hits and 20 blocks. As an added bonus for those in formats that count plus-minus, Moser ranks third in the NHL with a plus-37.

Uvis Balinskis, FLA (Yahoo: 0%): Seth Jones recently suffered an upper-body injury that's set to sideline him for a couple more weeks. Aaron Ekblad was first offered the chance to fill the vacancy on PP1 before Balinskis started appearing there Saturday. And while nothing came from that contest, he earned a PPA on Tuesday when his shot was tipped in by Sam Reinhart. A lot of poolies would be hesitant to add Balinskis due to his overall lack of output and ice time. There's definite value as long as he sticks on the lead man-advantage, so be sure to check the latest line alignments heading into Florida's next matchup Friday at Carolina.

Sam Montembeault, MTL (Yahoo: 41%): The Habs continue to carry three netminders on their roster where Montembeault has made as many starts as Jacob Fowler since Dec. 30 with four compared to two for Jakub Dobes. He significantly struggled before being demoted by posting a 3.65 GAA and .857 save percentage in 15 outings. Fowler should be Montreal's lead as he's already done decently (2.62/.902 across 10 appearances) and needs the volume to prove he can be the No. 1, though Montembeault will earn enough work based on recent results (three wins from four) and to showcase him for a potential trade.

Leevi Merilainen, OTT (Yahoo: 8%): Since Linus Ullmark went on personal leave, Merilainen has started all nine games for the Sens that included two back-to-back sets. The numbers during this stretch haven't been the greatest (3.29 GAA/.859 SV%), but the experience will help and he fared well last season in an abbreviated run (8-3-1, 1.99, .925). James Reimer was signed and will eventually make his Ottawa debut, yet it's been nine months since his last NHL involvement. Even behind a weak defense, Merilainen deserves a chance on a club boasting a solid offense.

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Eichel Scores In OT, Golden Knights Come From Behind To Beat Toronto

LAS VEGAS -- Jack Eichel's goal midway through overtime gave the Golden Knights a 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It was the second time in as many nights Vegas won in overtime, after the Knights earned a 3-2 road win over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.

Tomas Hertl's 19th goal of the season came with seven seconds left to force the game into Vegas' 19th game past regulation.

After losing eight of their first nine games that extended past regulation, the Golden Knights have now won six of their last 10.

The nationally televised audience and a sold-out crowd of 17,975 were treated with what might have been the most exciting game of the season, in what was undoubtedly the most anticipated.

It marked Mitch Marner's first career game against the team that drafted him in the same draft Eichel was chosen second overall by the Buffalo Sabres.

"Obviously, they knew this one meant a little more to me," said Marner, who finished with two assists. "So, grateful to get the win. A lot of guys putting in the effort, and, you know, it's a team game out there.

"Once the puck dropped, it just felt like another hockey game out there. Obviously, I know a lot of those guys very well and trying to read off some of the plays and do some of the things I think they might do. But it's a competitive game, you want to always try to beat your buddies. That was a competitive game, both sides."

To say the least, as the Maple Leafs opened the game by taking a 2-0 lead just five minutes in on goals from Morgan Rielly and William Nylander.

Vegas would cut the lead in half when Pavel Dorofeyev scored his 18th of the season on a power play.

But in a sign of things to come, the back-and-forth affair saw Auston Matthews push Toronto's lead back to two goals to send the Leafs into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead.

The teams exchanged goals in the second - Keegan Kolesar for Vegas and John Tavares for Toronto - as the Leafs brought a 4-2 lead to the ice for the third period.

Dorofeyev scored his second of the game with another power-play goal just two minutes into the third period, but again, Toronto would answer to give Toronto another two-goal lead when Scott Laughton made it 5-3 with a little more than 11 minutes left.

Then things became interesting, as the Knights entered familiar territory, looking to wage another third-period comeback.

Wednesday night's overtime hero Mark Stone cut Toronto's lead to one with 9:46 left, when he was on the doorstep to punch home his 17th goal of the season.

Dorofeyev appeared to tie the game with a little more than four minutes left in the game, but all the hats that flew on the ice became meaningless when it was ruled he was offsides and the goal was called off.

Hertl's game-tying goal and Eichel's game-winner sent the building into a frenzy as the Knights continued their best run of the season.

KEY MOMENT

Pick one. It could have very well been Stone's third-period goal, or Dorofeyev's goal that was called off, as both fueled the Golden Knights differently. But undoubtedly, Hertl's gem with seven seconds left was the key, as it seemingly deflated the Maple Leafs, who were previously trounced by the Utah Mammoth, 6-1, on Tuesday.

"We got a lot of vets on the team, and obviously, guys played in the Stanley Cup, guys played in some big moments. And then we just so strong mentally and we just never quit. ... Every time we've been down, we knew we have chance to come back."

KEY STAT

8 - Thursday's win marked Vegas' eighth comeback win in the third period, most in the NHL.

"I use the word resilient because they have been," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said, when asked to identify his team 46 games into the season. "As the stakes go up, they get more competitive. ... They don't like losing. And you're going to lose some games and tonight it looked like it was going that direction for us, but we kept pushing back. It would have been easy to probably say we're down a few people, it's not our night, especially after the offside goal comes back. ... But they kept pushing because they want to win. The group wants to win."

WHAT A KNIGHT

Eichel finished with four points to extend his point streak to seven games. Eichel registered three assists for the second straight night after having a hand in every goal in Los Angeles. During his seven-game run, Eichel has 14 points (5 goals, 9 assists). Eichel is tied for 11th in the league with 55 points, while his 38 assists rank tied for ninth along with Marner.

It also marked the second straight night the Eichel and Stone connected on the overtime winner, after the roles were reversed against the Kings.

"Just finding a way, I guess," Eichel said. "You know, competing when we don't have the puck in overtime, I think that's a big thing. And then capitalizing our chances. I mean, Stoney hits the post there right before we score, and thought we had a few chances. But yeah, credit to the whole group. It was a come-from-behind, win, find a way to get a goal late there. The resiliency in our group has been great all year, and it was there again tonight."

UP NEXT: The Golden Knights continue their three-game homestand against the Nashville Predators on Saturday.

PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) scores a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an overtime period to give the Golden Knights a 6-5 victory at T-Mobile Arena.

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Lakers' defensive issues once again prove costly in loss to Hornets

Los Angeles , CA - January 15: Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) attempts a behind the back.
Lakers guard Marcus Smart attempts a behind-the-back pass in front of Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball during the Lakers' 135-117 loss Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

In a back-and-forth high-scoring affair Thursday night, the Lakers led by 13 points in the second quarter before the Charlotte Hornets rallied to build a 15-point lead in the third quarter.

In the end, the Hornets kept the momentum they stole from the Lakers, rolling to a 135-117 win at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers’ defense couldn’t slow down LaMelo Ball in the second half and it was unable to stop the Hornets from scoring 20 three-pointers.

As a result, the Lakers (24-15) lost for the fourth time in five games.

Read more:Lakers' JJ Redick defends LeBron James amid 'unfortunate' criticism

“I mean, it doesn't matter who it is. Doesn’t matter the team, doesn't matter the player," Marcus Smart said. “If they were shooting 20% [before], they’re shooting 50%. And it's unfortunate, but that's part of the game. It's tough. We got to figure it out. We got to play with a little bit more urgency on that end, especially, and kind of impose our will.

“It's not easy. Especially when you play for the Lakers, you always are the hunted— no matter what."

The Hornets (15-26) shot 53% from the field 54% percent from three-point range in the second half. Ball had 27 of his 30 points in the second half. After the Lakers closed to within 10 points with 2 minutes and 30 seconds left in the fourth, Ball's back-to-back three-pointers essentially closed out the game.

“He had some crazy shots, but that's what he do," said Luka Doncic, who scored 39 points. “He was shooting a lot of threes off the dribble ... so he got really hot. So it's kind of hard to stop."

Charlotte forward Brandon Miller looks to pass in front of Lakers star LeBron James in the first quarter Thursday.
Charlotte forward Brandon Miller looks to pass in front of Lakers star LeBron James in the first quarter Thursday. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Even with all of the Lakers’ starters scoring in double figures, it wasn't enough. LeBron James, who didn’t speak to reporters after the game, had 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Jake LaRavia had 18 points, Deandre Ayton scored 12 points and Smart had 10.

The start of the game was so different for the Lakers.

Doncic blew a kiss to the crowd and threw his hands in the air after drilling a first-quarter three. Doncic smiled at the Lakers’ bench after shooting another three-pointer a short time later.

During those moments, Doncic epitomized the kind of joy Lakers coach JJ Redick wants to see his team exhibit.

The rest of the Lakers followed Doncic’s lead as the team built a 48-55 lead in the second quarter.

Doncic led the Lakers in the first quarter, scoring 19 points on seven-for-12 shooting, which included a trio of threes. The Lakers had 14 three-pointers in the game, but it wasn’t enough to stop a more consistent Charlotte attack.

The Lakers were outscored 34-16 in the second quarter, 40-38 in the third and 31-24 in the fourth.

“We all knew that they got our full respect and attention pregame and I thought we fought,” Redick said. “Just another team that has a hot shooting night.”

Etc.

Redick said backup center Jaxson Hayes had an MRI scan that revealed hamstring tendinopathy in his left leg. Hayes, who is averaging 6.3 points per game, has missed two games because of the injury. "It's hopefully a short-term thing and hopefully he'll be back at some point this weekend,” Redick said. The Lakers play at Portland on Saturday before facing the Toronto Raptors at home on Sunday.

Read more:Luka Doncic plays and scores 27 points as the Lakers rout the Hawks

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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After losing out on Kyle Tucker, Mets left trying to figure out how to save offseason of own doing

Only a couple of hours after Steve Cohen tweeted that he was looking for signs of smoke, a Vatican-style reference to the Mets waiting for an answer from Kyle Tucker, the Los Angeles Dodgers stunned him and the entire baseball world by signing the slugger to a deal worth $60 million a year on Thursday night.

So it’s almost too easy yet…the question begs to be asked: does Cohen want this smoke? 

Or will he, like most other MLB teams now, hold his cards close to the vest and wait for the inevitable lockout and war over a salary cap that is coming after the 2026 season?

In short, the Mets probably thought they were raising the bar into rarefied air by offering Tucker, a very good hitter but hardly a superstar, $220 million over four years. And in some ways, they were. Only for the Dodgers to swat them aside almost dismissively.

Suffice to say, Cohen did no further tweeting on Thursday night.

And I’m not blaming him or the Mets for drawing a line at $55 million a year (their final offer) for Tucker, as absurd as that sounds. 

Yet, getting outbid must still be embarrassing in a way to Cohen. He’s a man who’s accustomed to getting what he wants, after all, even if it means spending obscene amounts of money for art pieces to add to his renowned collection.

As the richest billionaire owner in baseball, Cohen was supposed to be the death of baseball, remember?

Yes, the irony here is that this is what most other owners in the sport feared when Cohen said at his very first press conference as owner of the Mets that he wanted to model his organization after the Dodgers, that he might use his billions to create a new Evil Empire in Queens.

Remember, at the time, the Dodgers were indeed a model organization that consistently drafted and developed home-grown talent in a way that allowed them to challenge for a championship every year without blowing the roof off the payroll.

Now it’s different, of course. Helped in large part by the Shohei Ohtani connection that has attracted other Japanese stars and his willingness to defer hundreds of millions of dollars on his $700-million contract, the Dodgers are now outspending the rest of baseball in a manner that may have made even the famously impulsive George Steinbrenner look like a piker were he still alive today.

Evil Empire? More like King Kong at this point.

Aug 24, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (30) walks against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium.
Aug 24, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (30) walks against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium. / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Still, Cohen has the money if he wants to compete with the big, bad Dodgers. And none of this is to excuse the Mets for what has been an underwhelming offseason.

As it is, it’s hard to tell if their sudden all-out pursuit of Tucker was part of their plan all along or more of a realization they desperately needed a big-splash move as Mets fans showed their displeasure with their wallets.

Did they suddenly decide they better find someone to hit behind Juan Soto so he wouldn’t walk 150 times next season?

Wouldn’t it just have been easier to give Pete Alonso the $150 million over five years? He had made it clear he was willing to ease into the DH role, so I’ll never understand why the Mets drew such a hard line there.

They were willing to go three years but not five? It just never made sense, considering their need for a right-handed power hitter. And whatever their intentions at that time were regarding Tucker, they left themselves vulnerable one way or another.

And now, even if they change course and throw crazy money at Cody Bellinger, well, sure, he’d make them better in a lot of ways, but he wouldn’t fill the huge hole in the lineup behind Soto.

So it’s hard to see how they’re going to have anything resembling a championship-caliber offense, whether they go after Bellinger or not.

And if they were truly going all-in on run prevention, the David Stearns buzzword from the moment the 2025 season ended, why haven’t they made the expected moves to upgrade their pitching?

Jul 2, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field
Jul 2, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Dominant starting pitching and a lockdown bullpen would always offer hope of beating anyone, even the Dodgers, in a short series in October, yet the Mets haven’t gone that route either.

All along, I’ve said it wasn’t fair to judge Stearns until the offseason was over. And who knows, maybe now he’ll go out and trade for Freddy Peralta and sign Framber Valdez, and suddenly the Mets will have a starting rotation that can indeed beat anybody, especially if Nolan McLean blossoms into the ace everyone is now expecting.

But lest we forget, Edwin Diaz is now a Dodger, too. And while I’m laying some of that on Diaz for seemingly wanting to take the easy route to winning a championship ring, the Mets put themselves in a position to let it happen by not locking up their closer before LA ever got involved.

In truth, the most logical move at this point for Cohen might just be to hold onto his chips, save his money for Tarik Skubal next winter, or whenever the sport is open for business again, while seeing what McLean, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, Carson Benge, Jett Williams and other top prospects look like by mid-summer as the trading deadline approaches.

I’m not saying the Dodgers are unbeatable. The Blue Jays were one hanging slider away from beating them in the World Series.

But it’s hard to see how the Mets, without dramatic pitching upgrades at the very minimum, can realistically compete with LA for a championship in 2026.

And right now that’s on Stearns. You can blame the Dodgers all you want for blowing up the sport and setting up a salary cap fight not only between owners and players, but owners and owners as well.

Yet the Mets shouldn’t be sitting here in mid-January trying to figure out how to save their offseason. If Stearns’ plan was to let the market come to him in search of the best value, which seems to be his M.O., well, it sure looks to be backfiring to the point where desperation is now part of the equation.

Desperation and the LA Dodgers, that is.

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Knicks waste early double-digit lead, can't slow down Warriors in 126-113 loss

The Knicks were defeated by the Golden State Warriors 126-113 on Thursday night at the Chase Center. 

Here are some takeaways...

- The Knicks were without Jalen Brunson due to an ankle injury, but they did receive a nice boost, as Landry Shamet was finally deemed ready to return after missing the last 25 games with a dislocated shoulder. Shamet didn't jump back into the starting lineup, though, as it was Miles McBride who slid in in Brunson's place. 

- New York was able to get off to a much better start coming off one of their worst offensive performances of the season on Wednesday in Sacramento. Every starter recorded a bucket and they knocked down six of their first seven shots from behind the arc to open a quick double-digit advantage (15-5). 

Shamet was the first man off the bench halfway through the first, and he immediately knocked down his first shot. 

- The Knicks pushed the lead out to as many as 17 points, but Karl-Anthony Towns was forced to the bench after picking up a pair of early fouls, and Golden State was able to flip the momentum. The home team used a 13-2 run to cut the deficit all the way back down to five at the end of the opening quarter (35-30). 

- Towns had five points and a game-high six rebounds in the first before being forced to the bench. The big man continued his domination into the second, picking up four more boards and a pair of putback buckets to help keep the slim lead midway through a back-and-forth middle quarter (46-44). 

- The Warriors took their first lead minutes later, and they were able to keep it at three heading into the break (62-59). Jimmy Butler led the way with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, KAT racked up a first-half double-double, and Mikal Bridges led the Knicks with 12 points. 

- Steph Curry didn't make a three during the first half (0-for-5), but it didn't take long for him to snap that skid in the third. The All-Star sharpshooter knocked down his first two coming out of the break as part of a Golden State 13-2 barrage, helping them quickly push the lead out to 11 points (78-67).

Moses Moody added two more triples, giving him seven on the night and a season-high 21 points. 

- Each time it looked like the Knicks were ready to take back some of the momentum, the Warriors responded right back. New York simply could not get consecutive stops when they needed them the most, and they found themselves trailing by 12 points heading into the final frame. 

- Curry's big second half continued into the fourth, but the Knicks refused to go away, and they used a 10-2 run to get the deficit back down to nine points with just over four minutes remaining. Golden State's hot shooting couldn't be slowed down the stretch, though, and they held on for the victory. 

The Warriors shot 54 percent from the field and 44 percent from behind the arc in the game. 

- McBride took advantage of the start with 25 points, Anunoby had 25 as well, Bridges had 21, and Towns had 17 and 20 boards. Shamet knocked down just two of his seven shots in his return and Jordan Clarkson chipped in 11 points, but the rest of the bench combined for just one point. 

Butler led all scorers with 32 points, Curry had 27, Moody finished with 21 and Brandin Podziemski had 17 off the bench. 

Game MVP: Steph Curry

Curry got hot after a slow start, making big shots to put this one away late. 

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks return home to MSG to host the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

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Report: Kyle Tucker agrees to four-year, $240 million contract with Dodgers

Kyle Tucker has agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a person familiar with the deal, bolstering the team’s chance for a third consecutive World Series championship.

Tucker can opt out of the deal after years two and three, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical.

Tucker’s $60 million average annual value would be the second-highest in baseball history, without factoring in deferred money, behind Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million in his 10-year deal with the Dodgers that runs through 2033.

Tucker becomes the latest accomplished veteran scooped up by the deep-pocketed Dodgers, who will have seven of the majors’ 29 biggest contracts by average annual value in 2026. Los Angeles’ previous big move of the offseason was signing former New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz, widely considered to be the best reliever on the free agent market, to bolster their subpar bullpen.

The Dodgers will welcome Tucker’s exceptional bat for the heart of their order, but he also fixes one of their few roster deficiencies as an everyday corner outfielder after Michael Conforto and several others largely struggled last season in left field. Tucker seems likely to play right field for Los Angeles, allowing the club to move Teoscar Hernández back to left.

The Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays, who lost to the Dodgers in last year’s World Series, were believed to be in the mix for Tucker’s services. “Let me know when you see smoke,” Mets owner Steve Cohen posted on X on Thursday, before following with a second post clarifying that he was “waiting for a decision.”

When healthy, Tucker is among the best all-around players in the majors. But he played in just 214 regular-season games over the past two years.

He batted .266 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs with the Chicago Cubs last season. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Houston in December 2024 that moved slugging prospect Cam Smith to the Astros.

Tucker was slowed by a pair of injuries in his lone season with the Cubs. He sustained a small fracture in his right hand on an awkward slide against Cincinnati on June 1. He also strained his left calf against Atlanta on Sept. 2.

After getting off to a fast start with his new team, Tucker hit just .231 with five homers in 41 games after the All-Star break. He served as Chicago’s designated hitter in the playoffs as the Cubs eliminated San Diego in the first round before losing to Milwaukee in a five-game NL Division Series.

Tucker, who turns 29 on Saturday, rejected a $22,025,000 qualifying offer in November, so his new deal means the Cubs will get a compensatory draft pick — likely in the No. 77-80 range.

Tucker was selected by Houston with the No. 5 pick in the 2015 amateur draft. He played in three World Series with the Astros, winning a ring in 2022.

He hit at least 29 homers and drove in at least 92 runs for three straight seasons from 2021-23. He won a Gold Glove in 2022 and led the AL with 112 RBIs in 2023.

He was limited to 78 games in his final season with Houston because of a fractured right shin, but he hit .289 with 23 homers and 49 RBIs.

The Tampa, Florida, native is a .273 hitter with 147 homers, 490 RBIs and an .865 OPS in 769 career games. He also has 119 steals in 135 attempts.