The New Jersey Devils have made a roster move in preparation for their 2025-26 regular season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 9.
The Devils have recalled forward Zack MacEwen from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets.
MacEwen was acquired by the Devils from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Kurtis MacDermid last week and was then placed on waivers. Now, with this call-up, the gritty forward is set to start the 2025-26 season on the Devils' NHL roster.
MacEwen appeared in 21 games last season for the Senators, where he recorded two goals, one assist, 21 penalty minutes, and 49 hits. He also recorded seven goals, nine assists, 16 points, and 29 penalty minutes in 23 games last season with Ottawa's AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
In 237 career NHL games split between the Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and Senators, MacEwen has recorded 17 goals, 17 assists, 34 points, 323 penalty minutes, and 523 hits. It will be interesting to see how he improves upon these career stats with the Devils this season from here.
Part of the draft process for fantasy managers is to identify their "guys," players they may be higher on than the consensus.
With that in mind, Rotoworld basketball staffers Cole Huff, Noah Rubin, Raphielle Johnson and Zak Hanshew have decided to identify their guys, picking two players each that they're high on for the 2025-26 season.
We'll be doing a similar exercise with players we're fading this season, so stay tuned.
Cole Huff’s picks: C Myles Turner (Milwaukee Bucks) and F Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
In his 11th NBA season, Turner will be playing for an organization that isn't the Indiana Pacers for the first time in his career. While he thrived as a floor-spacing center alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam in the Pacers' recent deep postseason run, those same opportunities to flourish should present themselves with Giannis Antetokounmpo consistently attracting multiple defenders and finding open shooters. He'll essentially play the Brook Lopez role for the Bucks this year. With his sustained abilities to shoot near 50.0 percent from the field, make threes on high volume, and consistently erase shots at the rim, I think Turner will perform even better than where he's being projected as a top 45-50 fantasy player in nine-category leagues.
As for Zion, this isn't so much about me buying into his physical transformation during training camp as it is about me understanding that he's an elite talent when he's on the court, regardless. The former first-overall pick saw his points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals per game all increase from the 2023-24 season to the 2024-25 campaign, despite averaging fewer than 30.0 minutes for the first time since his rookie season. I'd expect the numbers to climb once again as Williamson presumably logs more minutes per game than he did a season ago, which leaves me incredibly optimistic on how high he could rank come season's end, if healthy. There has to be some good injury luck at some point, right?
Noah Rubin’s picks: F Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons) and G Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors)
I'm all aboard the hype train for an Ausar breakout season. Last year, we enjoyed his brother Amen Thompson's breakout, and when comparing the twins' per-possession stats, Amen got the slight edge in most categories, but Ausar was a much better source of steals. The difference is that Ausar only played 22.5 minutes per game, while Amen got 32.3. Ausar is now locked in as a starter and should see a bump in minutes. Foul trouble was an issue for him last season, which could be a frustrating factor at times, but I think his production when he is on the floor will outweigh that. The shot will likely continue to be an issue, but he does more than enough as a defender, passer and cutter to compensate for it.
Podziemski was in and out of the starting lineup early last season and struggled to find his footing while battling injuries. However, he became a fixture of the starting unit in February and averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.7 three-pointers per game over the rest of the season. Golden State took a while to fill out the rest of the roster, but they didn't add anyone who should impact Podz's place in the rotation. The Warriors have a ton of old guys on their roster, so the spry 22-year-old should be relied on often to help keep the veterans fresh.
Nikola Jokić headlines Rotoworld’s Preseason Top 200, but key injuries across the league make this one of the most unpredictable fantasy seasons in years.
Raphielle Johnson’s picks: F Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic) and F OG Anunoby (New York Knicks)
While Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been tabbed by many as a breakout candidate this season, I think there's a better fantasy option on his team's roster. That would be Wagner, who offered top-40 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats last season. In 60 games, he averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 three-pointers, posting career-high marks in each category. If there's a concern regarding Wagner, who shot 46.3 percent from the field and 87.1 percent from the foul line, it's the three-point shooting. He only made 29.5 percent of his attempts last season and has shot below 30 percent each of the last two years. However, three-point percentage isn't a scoring category in default fantasy leagues, so there's no need to lose sleep over this.
Anunoby is my other choice, due mainly to the change that brought in Mike Brown to serve as the Knicks' new head coach. In Brown's two full seasons in Sacramento, the Kings were ranked in the top half of the NBA in offensive rating and pace, leading the league in the former category in 2022-23. While the Knicks were fifth in offensive rating last season, they were 26th in pace. Brown has vowed to speed things up, which may benefit a wing like Anunoby. A top-40 fantasy player last season, he averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.3 three-pointers in 74 appearances. If Brown successfully combined a faster pace with allowing his wings to make more plays on the ball, Anunoby should exceed his Yahoo! ADP (66.1) easily.
Zak Hanshew’s picks: G Cam Thomas (Brooklyn Nets) and G/F Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)
Come on, what's not to like about Cam Thomas? Over the final 18 games of the 2023-24 season, he broke out with averages of 26.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 triples on 45/37/89 shooting splits. He got off to a blistering start in 2024-25 before injuries derailed a promising season. Coming off a shortened campaign in which he averaged 24 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 triples, Thomas will look to continue his ascension. After lengthy contract negotiations, he ultimately took a qualifying offer from Brooklyn, so he'll be playing for pride and a new contract. Expect a monster season from a guy still looking to prove that he's more than just "empty stats." He's my favorite fantasy player for the 2025-26 campaign, and I'll be looking to roster him wherever I can.
As for George, he played solid rotation minutes for Washington as a rookie, logging 26.5 per night and starting 38 of 68 appearances. He took only eight shots a night, but 5.2 came from beyond the arc, highlighting his love of the deep ball. At 6-foot-9, George can play on the wing and at either forward position, and he's equally versatile on the defensive end. His stats got a noticeable bump in games where he played at least 30 minutes, and he could see plenty of those this season. The former Miami Hurricane could open the season as a starter due to Bilal Coulibaly's thumb injury, but even as a reserve, George should be one of the first guys off the bench. He can provide meaningful stats in several categories, and improvements in shooting percentages would be huge for his fantasy value.
The NHL world is
still buzzing over center Connor McDavid's two-year contract
extension with the Edmonton Oilers. His two-year, $25-million deal
stunned most observers.
Despite Kirill
Kaprizov signing an eight-year, $136-million extension with the
Minnesota Wild last week, most observers agreed it wouldn't affect
McDavid's negotiations with the Oilers. They were right, but not
completely in the way they expected.
It was believed
that McDavid, 28, sought a salary worthy of a player of his caliber,
while leaving some money on the table to give the Oilers some
salary-cap flexibility to maintain a Stanley Cup contender.
Most observers
anticipated the next contract for the Oilers' captain would come in
between two and four years, but the average annual value was assumed to be between $16
million and $18 million. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was among the
few who predicted it would be lower, but not even he guessed that it
would be the same $12.5 million as his current contract.
It's no
coincidence that the Oilers announced that defenseman Jake Walman
agreed to a seven-year extension worth $7 million annually soon after
McDavid's deal was reported. Without the latter's extension, the
Oilers might've had difficulty getting the 29-year-old Walman under
contract. Mattias Ekholm also signed a three-year contract extension on Wednesday with a cap hit of $4 million, a drop from his current $6.25-million cap hit.
Soon after
Kaprizov re-signed with the Wild, pundits predicted his new contract
would affect other stars eligible for UFA status next summer.
Pierre LeBrun of
The Athletic believes some NHL teams could use McDavid's new contract
to make the argument that their stars should follow the Oilers
captain's example and accept less money to help the team win.
However, he believes most player agents will argue that McDavid's
situation was unique, involving a player in a class by himself.
Look no further
than Sidney Crosby for a good example. The Pittsburgh Penguins'
captain has been underpaid for years, partly because of his
superstition over his No. 87 resulting in him accepting an average annual value of
$8.7 million since 2008-09, and partly because he was on an unusually
long contract (12 years), the kind that are no longer available due
to contract term limits imposed since 2013-14.
During those 12
years of Crosby's previous contract, player salaries have steadily
climbed. Today, Cap Wages indicates that there are 45 active NHL
players with higher AAVs than the Penguins' longtime superstar.
For
action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue,
subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by
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THN.com.
Wednesday afternoon the Seattle Mariners will look to advance to the American League Championship series when they take the field in Motown against the Detroit Tigers. Bryce Miller is slated to take the mound for Seattle against Casey Mize for Detroit.
Last night, Eugenio Suarez went yard against Jack Flaherty for the fourth time in just 28 career plate appearances and the Seattle Mariners doubled up the Tigers, 8-4, to take a two games to one lead in the series.
The home run by Suarez was one of three smacked by the Mariners in the game. Cal Raleigh and J.P. Crawford also went deep. Logan Gilbert allowed just one run over six innings to earn the win for Seattle.
Lets dive into Game 4 and see what the numbers tell us.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Mariners at Tigers - ALDS Game 3
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Time: 3:08PM EST
Site: Comerica Park
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming: FS1
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Mariners at the Tigers
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Seattle Mariners (-106), Detroit Tigers (-115)
Spread: Mariners -1.5 (+154)
Total: 8.5 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Mariners at Tigers - ALDS Game 4
Pitching matchup for October 8, 2025: Bryce Miller vs. Casey Mize
Mariners: Bryce Miller (Regular Season: 4-6, 5.68 ERA) Last outing: 9/28 vs. Dodgers - 4IP, 4 ER, 5H, 2BBs, and 2 Ks
Tigers: Casey Mize (Regular Season: 14-6, 3.87 ERA) Last outing: 10/1 at Cleveland - 3IP, 1ER, 1H, 2 BB, and 1K
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mariners at Tigers - Game 4 ALDS
Jorge Polanco is 6-16 (.375) with 2 HRs in his career against Casey Mize
Cal Raleigh has struck out in his 2 ABs in his career against Mize
Riley Greene is 2-6 (.333) in his career against Bryce Miller
Javier Baez is 2-7 (.286) in his career against Miller
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for today’s Game 4 between the Mariners and the Tigers
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s game between the Mariners and the Tigers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Seattle Mariners at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.5.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page fromNBC
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Thanks to wins in the first two games of their series in Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Dodgers are on the brink of sweeping the Phillies as the National League Division series moves to Chavez Ravine for Game 3. Aaron Nola is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Los Angeles.
Through two games, each team has 13 hits - six each in Game 1 and seven each in Game 2. The Dodgers have hit in the clutch, and the Phillies have not. It is not that simple but maybe it is. The top four hitters in Philadelphia's lineup are a combined 3-27 through two games. LA's top four in the lineup are a combined 7-32. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper have one hit between them. That needs to change if Philly is going to climb back in this series.
Finding offense will not be easy tonight as the Phillies face one of the stingiest pitchers of late. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has not allowed an earned run in his last three starts spanning 17 innings. Aaron Nola was excellent in his last start (one earned run over eight innings with nine strikeouts) but that was back on September 26. How will he respond to nearly two weeks removed from that outing?
Lets dive into the numbers of Game 3 and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Phillies at Dodgers - NLDS Game 3
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Time: 9:08PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: TBS
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Phillies at the Dodgers - NLDS Game 3
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies (+152), Los Angeles Dodgers (-187)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (+113)
Total: 7.5 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Dodgers - NLDS Game 3
Pitching matchup for October 8, 2025: Aaron Nola vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Phillies: Aaron Nola (Regular Season: 5-10, 6.01 ERA) Last outing: 9/26 vs. Minnesota - 8.0 IP 1 ER, 2H, 0 BB, 9 Ks
Dodgers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Regular Season: 12-8, 2.49 ERA) Last outing: 10/1 vs. Cincinnati - 6.2IP, 0 ER, 4H, 2 BBs, and 9 Ks
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Dodgers - NLDS Game 3
Philadelphia is a combined 7-26 (.269) against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his career
Harrison Bader is 4-7 in his career against Yamamoto
Mookie Betts is 9-23 including 2 HRs against Aaron Nola in his career
Enrique Hernandez is 4-11 including 3 HRs in his career against Nola
The Dodgers are a combined 54-246 (.220) against Nola in his career
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s Game 3 between the Phillies and the Dodgers
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s game between the Phillies and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Philadelphia Phillies at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Well, it's here. The 2025-26 season has officially kicked off. This year's version of the Metropolitan Division has people all over wondering how it will shake out. Some people think the Metro is the weakest it's ever been, while some people think it'll be ultra-competitive despite the apparent weaknesses.
Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are predicted to finish last in the Metro by most people, shut out the New York Rangers at MSG by a score of 3-0. This could be one of "those" seasons. So, stay tuned and buckle up.
Spencer and I are going to take a crack at how we think the Metro Division will shake out.
Jason's Metro Predictions
Carolina Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils
Washington Capitals
Columbus Blue Jackets
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
New York Islanders
Pittsburgh Penguins
Spencer's Metro Predictions
Carolina Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils
Columbus Blue Jackets
New York Islanders
Washington Capitals
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
So how do you think we did?
Personally, I think the Hurricanes do what Washington did last year and run away and hide in the Metro. The Capitals rode the Ovechkin wave last year, but this year, I feel like they will take a slight step back. As long as they have Ovi, he will push that team to be as good as they can.
Some national NHL guys have Columbus as high as third in the Metro, just as Spencer does. Now, while I feel like the Jackets will be improved again this year, I think the Devils will perform much better than last year and will put some space between them and the next two teams.
Can the Blue Jackets push through and make the playoffs? The answer to that question relies on two players - Elvis Merzļikins and Jet Greaves.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Of all the storylines lingering over the 2025-26 season, perhaps none carries more intrigue than what lies in front of the Milwaukee Bucks: Do they trade Giannis Antetokounmpo or not?
By almost all accounts, Antetokounmpo represents one of the three-best players in the NBA. He ranks third best in the Estimated Plus-Minus prediction metric, behind only reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
SGA plays for the defending champion and title favorite Thunder. Jokić’s Nuggets are close behind them. Antetokounmpo’s team, on the other hand, is … closer to the bottom. His supporting cast is among the worst in the sport. According to BetMGM, the Bucks’ win total sits at 42.5 for the 2025-26 season, a pitiful mark for an Eastern Conference team with an MVP candidate in his prime. It’s the least-confident betting forecast for a Giannis-manned squad since 2016-17, when the Bucks, coached by Jason Kidd, were expected to win just 36.5 games.
The Bucks are understandably reluctant to part with the all-time great whom they drafted in 2013. According to ESPN reports on Tuesday, the Knicks weren’t able to get traction in Giannis talks this summer. But it’s time for Milwaukee to pull the plug and seek a trade package in which a team throws the kitchen sink at it: multiple first-round picks and players who can step in right away.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, kitchen-sink deals work out more often for the seller than the buyer. The past three NBA champions (OKC, Boston and Denver) were built in large part due to unloading superstars at the right time.
In order to get back to title contention, it’s time for the Bucks to trade Giannis to the highest bidder.
(Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
OKC is the model
In the summer of 2019, Thunder president of basketball operations Sam Presti faced a similar situation as the one in front of Bucks general manager Jon Horst. Then, when the Los Angeles Clippers came calling about Paul George, Presti took a pragmatic look at the franchise. Like Antetokounmpo, George finished third in the MVP race that season. But Presti saw an opportunity to build through the draft and traded him for a king’s ransom, the package including a boatload of picks and Gilgeous-Alexander, the future MVP and Finals MVP.
And Presti didn’t stop there. Less than a week later, he traded the team’s other version of Antetokounmpo, OKC’s face of the franchise, Russell Westbrook, whom it also drafted and developed into an MVP. It would be easy to think the Thunder could have tried to convince Westbrook they could still contend for a title, but the franchise did right by Westbrook, emotional ties and all. The Thunder moved him to Houston for Chris Paul, two first-round picks and two first-round swaps.
“We recently had conversations with Russell about the team, his career, and how he sees the future,” Presti said in a statement after the trade. “Through those conversations we came to the understanding that looking at some alternative situations would be something that made sense for him. As a result, and due to his history with the Thunder, we worked together to accommodate this.”
Six years later, it’s the Thunder who are the reigning champs — not George’s Clippers or Westbrook’s Rockets. In fact, neither George nor Westbrook — the stars in the OKC trades — is still with his respective team. Meanwhile, OKC is the envy of the league, landing at No. 1 in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings and the heavy favorite to win the 2025-26 championship.
The team currently with the next-rosiest future, the Rockets, finds itself there because it followed Presti’s playbook and also decided to pivot and sell its superstars to the highest bidders. Westbrook lasted just one season in Houston before he was traded to Washington for John Wall and a protected first-round pick. A few months later, the Rockets unloaded their franchise cornerstone, James Harden, and sent him to Brooklyn for another kitchen-sink deal. Now, with a young core of Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr., they’ve built a growing powerhouse in the Western Conference.
Not every superstar seller can climb to title contention so quickly. Utah and Brooklyn are still pulling themselves out of the league cellar after each hit the reset button in 2022 and 2023, respectively. But the team with the darkest timeline of them all, the Suns, is the cautionary tale of being on the other side of a kitchen-sink deal.
The Gut Tax
It was a little over two years ago when then-new Suns owner Mat Ishbia traded for Kevin Durant in February 2023. The KD trade wasn’t a cannonball leap into a pool; this was a meteor hitting an ocean.
Ishbia and his front office decided to go all-in for Durant, giving up not one but four unprotected first-round picks, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and a 2028 first-round pick swap in order to add the 34-year-old who was sidelined with a knee injury at the time.
How risky was the deal? In the wake of the trade, Ishbia told Sports Illustrated, “I think there is no risk. I don’t look at it as a risk at all.”
Gulp. In ESPN’s annual Future Power Rankings, the Suns now rank dead-last among all 30 teams. After paying a league-high $152 million in luxury tax payments and missing the playoffs in Durant’s third season with the club, the Suns pulled the plug and traded Durant to Houston in July. The Suns now have a middling, mishmash roster and still almost no draft assets. They have the worst of both worlds, with little hope now or down the line.
There’s no such thing as a risk-free trade no matter what your exuberant new owner might claim. Kitchen-sink deals have the potential to doom the star-chasing franchise for a cocktail of reasons, but primarily because of a very obvious, yet overlooked reason:
You have to give up a lot to get said star. Call it the Gut Tax.
The nice thing about free agency is that teams don’t have to pay the Gut Tax to get their star. The Warriors didn’t have to trade Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in order to land Durant in the summer of 2016. They took advantage of a cap spike that summer and added him to an existing championship core.
What would the Knicks have looked like if they had waited for Carmelo Anthony in free agency instead of trading the farm for him? In 2011, the Knicks gutted their team by sending Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov to Denver along with two first-round picks. As luck would have it, Denver posted a better record than the Knicks during their Melo era. Making matters worse, in 2016, Denver used one of those Knicks first-round picks to select Jamal Murray, the team’s second-best player on the 2023 title team. With Anthony, the Knicks never got past the second round.
Looking at recent champions is a study in how teams benefited by selling their stars at the right time. OKC moved off Westbrook and George in 2019 and won a title in six years. The Boston Celtics drafted their championship-winning duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, thanks to the infamous 2013 Nets trade that netted the Celtics four future first-round picks for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Another big reason why the blockbuster deal doesn’t always pan out for the higher-profile star: star veterans are injury-riddled more than ever. In win-now situations, Durant’s recent superteams struggled to stay healthy. It was the same for the Antetokounmpo/Damian Lillard/Khris Middleton Bucks.
Khris Middleton, Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't win a playoff series together. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
Cole Burston via Getty Images
This is not to say that teams haven’t won it all after trading for a big fish. The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 championship in the first season following the Anthony Davis trade with New Orleans. Other teams seemed to follow their lead, with mixed results.
In a span beginning with the summer of 2019, when Davis and George were traded from their small-market clubs, to 2023, we’ve seen 11 kitchen-sink deals, which I’m defining as trades involving multiple first-round picks and at least one player.
The 11 Superstar “Kitchen Sink” Trades, 2019-23
2023 POR trades Damian Lillard to MIL
2023 BRK trades Kevin Durant to PHX
2022 BRK trades James Harden to PHI
2022 UTA trades Donovan Mitchell to CLE
2022 UTA trades Rudy Gobert to MIN
2022 SAS trades Dejounte Murray to ATL
2021 HOU trades James Harden to BRK
2020 NOP trades Jrue Holiday to MIL
2019 OKC trades Russell Westbrook to HOU
2019 OKC trades Paul George to LAC
2019 NOP trades Anthony Davis to LAL
While the superstar-acquiring teams have had dynastic dreams, none of those 11 blockbuster deals has resulted in more than one championship. Only two — Milwaukee trading for Jrue Holiday and the Lakers getting Davis — resulted in even one title banner. The nine other deals haven’t even resulted in a Finals appearance at any point for the teams that acquired new superstars. Cleveland with Donovan Mitchell and Minnesota with Rudy Gobert would like to change that.
Perhaps even more troubling is that many of these star acquisitions have ended up being little more than a rental. The Durant era in Phoenix didn’t even last three full seasons. Was there even a Harden era in Brooklyn? Or Philly? You’d be forgiven if you didn’t remember Dejounte Murray making the playoffs in Atlanta during any of his two seasons. All in all, six of the 11 star tenures lasted fewer than three seasons with the acquiring team. The majority of them had little staying power.
On the other side of the ledger, the rebuilding teams may have to wait longer to win their titles, but it’s hard to say they’re definitively worse off. Both of Presti’s kitchen-sink deals in moving off of Westbrook and George helped them build the 2025 Finals team; Gilgeous-Alexander, 2025 All-NBA member Jalen Williams and Aaron Wiggins were directly or indirectly acquired in those trades.
Houston learned the hard way that superteams aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, and its homegrown talent was essential to demonstrate leverage in this summer’s Durant trade talks with Phoenix. The Rockets gave up just one first-round pick, locked at No. 10 in a down draft, to get KD. Sure, Houston may end up trading for Giannis this season, but there’s no indication the Rockets have chased him at all up to this point. As is, they project to be title contenders for years to come.
What will Milwaukee do? First, it has to look in the mirror.
Where Milwaukee goes from here
The Bucks should heed the lesson of the Suns and how doubling down can doom their franchise. But one thing Phoenix did manage to do was trade Durant while he was still healthy. Antetokounmpo, who is turning 31 in December, has missed 14 games on average over the last five seasons and battled injuries in postseasons’ past. Moving a healthy Antetokounmpo sooner than later could help them extract maximum value.
Injuries are a variable that Milwaukee has struggled to control. Part of the overall cynicism around the Bucks is a result of the blockbuster trade for Lillard that went awry. In the summer of 2023, the Bucks traded Holiday, a 2029 unprotected first-round pick and two swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Trail Blazers only to waive him less than two years later following a devastating Achilles tear.
The irony of the Blazers-Bucks deal is that a player of Lillard’s offensively tilted skill set would be perfectly paired with a defensive-minded guard like Holiday. As it happens, Holiday and Lillard are now on Portland’s roster, not Milwaukee’s, this upcoming season.
Not only did the Bucks give up a key player from their 2021 championship squad, they also gave up their opportunity to pivot. By giving up tons of draft capital, the Bucks pushed themselves into a corner with almost nowhere to go.
Like Durant and the Suns, the Bucks never reached the heights they envisioned when they gave up the farm for the superstar. Lillard was supposed to be the missing piece, but the Bucks failed to get out of the first round in each of Lillard’s two seasons due to injuries to both Lillard and Antetokounmpo (and Middleton).
Unlike Durant and the Suns, the Bucks had little recourse but to waive-and-stretch Lillard’s deal once he suffered a career-altering injury and eat the dead money left on his contract for the next five seasons. If Lillard were healthy, they could have pivoted more easily if Antetokounmpo asked out. Instructively, the Suns traded Durant for much less than they got him for, but they did net Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 pick (Khaman Maluach) in this year’s draft.
The Bucks don’t have a proper co-pilot for Antetokounmpo. The team wants Myles Turner to be that guy after he played in the NBA Finals, but the former Pacers center averaged a measly 13.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in the team’s Cinderella run to the Finals. Without Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam’s heroics in late-game situations, would we think of Turner the same way?
Because of the weak supporting cast, Antetokounmpo may have been wise to wait for any sort of trade demand. If the Bucks do sputter out of the gate, he’ll have more justification for asking out. In addition, as ESPN reported Tuesday, his monster $200-million-plus extension can be signed up until October 1, 2026, only if his team has employed him for at least six months. Teams will be motivated to acquire him ahead of the trade deadline rather than wait for this summer.
Though the Knicks undoubtedly would love to have a player like Antetokounmpo, they don’t have an unprotected first-round pick to offer until this summer when their 2033 pick is unlocked. Like the Anthony deal in 2011, the Knicks would have to cannibalize their own team in order to meet Milwaukee’s asking price. Barring the Knicks trading Karl-Anthony Towns or OG Anunoby for longer-term assets, it’s hard to see how the Knicks and Bucks check off each other’s boxes.
The Warriors could get in the mix with three unprotected first-round picks (2026, 2028 and 2032) at their disposal, but a third team would likely have to be involved in order to make the money work. After Phoenix chased Jimmy Butler last season, could a three-way deal involving Giannis to Golden State and Butler finally going to Phoenix work? In this scenario, Phoenix would reroute the bulk of the KD haul — Green and Brooks — to Milwaukee along with Golden State’s picks.
The Cavaliers may be another team to watch. After another disappointing finish to the season, would Cleveland put Evan Mobley in a deal for Antetokounmpo if it got off to a slow start? The Bucks undoubtedly would covet the 24-year-old Defensive Player of the Year as the future of their franchise. The Cavs would also have two unprotected first-round picks in 2030 and 2032 at the ready if the Bucks were at all uneasy about Mobley’s five-year, $224 million contract.
If suitors are willing to commit multiple unprotected first-round picks and a young player, the Bucks have to listen. Milwaukee might think it’s unthinkable for a small-market team to trade the face of its franchise in his prime. But the other side can bring a much brighter horizon. Just ask Sam Presti.
Rio Ferdinand has tipped his former England teammate Steven Gerrard to return to Rangers for a second spell as manager.
Gerrard left Ibrox for Aston Villa in 2021 after delivering the Scottish Premiership title in 2020-21.
The former Liverpool captain spent 11 months with Villa before a spell at Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq.
Rangers are in the market for a new manager after Russell Martin was sacked on Sunday after just 123 days in charge.
Gerrard has been out of work since leaving Al-Ettifaq in January, and speaking on the 'Rio Ferdinand Presents' podcast, he revealed he had "a bit of unfinished business" in management.
The interview was conducted before Martin's dismissal, but Ferdinand believes Gerrard would be open to re-joining the Glasgow club, four years on from his departure.
"I have to say when I interviewed him, he left me in no uncertain terms that he wants to be a manager and he's got full confidence in doing that," Ferdinand told talkSPORT.
"He's itching to get back in now. He never said this to me, but I personally think just the energy that I felt in that room, that if Rangers came calling he'd go or at least have that conversation.
"What I felt, if I was an owner of a football club and Steven Gerrard was sat in front of me and I felt that energy in the room when I was interviewing him, he's getting the job.
"Forget what's gone on before, but also his time before at Rangers, he did great there. I've never had so many Rangers fans flood the comments of my social media or the podcast.
"They're all desperate for him to go up and at least have the conversation, so I wouldn't be surprised if Steven Gerrard is managing again very soon and Rangers would be probably one of my big bets."
After what felt like a never-ending offseason, the 2025-26 NHL regular season is upon us. The Anaheim Ducks’ front office had a busy offseason, overhauling much of the roster and coaching staff, while extending three core pieces to multi-year contract extensions (Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Lukas Dostal).
The team has big plans for the upcoming season, but how do we at THN.com/Anaheim think the season will go for the 2025-25 iteration of the Anaheim Ducks?
Points Leader (Forward)
Patrick: Leo Carlsson-This will be the second year in a row that I predict Carlsson to finish the season atop the Ducks’ scoring leaders list. We’re all anticipating a Carlsson breakout to come eventually (it simply has to if the Ducks are ever going to realize their potential and compete for Stanley Cups), and glancing at some of the NHL’s current European superstars (Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak, Nikita Kucherov, Aleksander Barkov), it’s not uncommon for a 100-150 game adjustment period to the NHL, followed by a significant breakout in year three.
If he can continue his play from the games leading up to and following last year’s “4 Nations Faceoff,” he’ll be on the path to becoming the star he’s projected to become. I’m predicting 65 points from Leo Carlsson.
Derek: Leo Carlsson-Pretty easy choice for me with Carlsson having his second half breakout last season and showing during preseason that he can turn things on in an instant.
As Anaheim’s No. 1 center, he’ll get plenty of ice time and it looks like he’ll be a regular part of the penalty kill, too, which could lead to some shorthanded points.
I was quite ambitious in predicting 80 points for Carlsson during one of our summer recordings, I’m not going to back down from that now.
Points Leader (Defenseman)
Patrick: Jackson LaCombe-This is the biggest layup in this entire exercise. LaCombe just inked a big-money contract extension, and teams typically don’t sign deals like that to not play said player as much as they can. As enticing and exciting as Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger are, LaCombe is the Ducks’ all-situations #1 defenseman. One of those situations will be top-of-the-umbrella point-man on the team's top power play unit, where he’ll likely have the longest leash imaginable and the unit’s success rate has nowhere to go but up from a league-worst 11.8% clip in 2024-25.
Derek: Jackson LaCombe-Another fairly easy choice here with LaCombe coming off a 40+ point season in his sophomore year. Like Carlsson, he’s going to get ample ice time and will be at the head of the Ducks’ no. 1 power play unit. If he can build off of last season’s strong performance, there’s no reason why he can’t hit 50–or even 60–points this season.
Goals Leader
Patrick: Chris Kreider-Kreider had the worst statistical season of his 13-year NHL career in 2024-25, a season riddled with injuries, including back spasms, a broken hand, and a spell of vertigo. He still managed to pot 22 goals, a number that would have co-led the Ducks last season. If one were to buy any semblance of a bounce-back, as I clearly am, he could easily net 30 goals in a new environment, under a quality coaching staff, and surrounded by some of the most talented young players in the NHL.
Derek: Cutter Gauthier-With his wicked release, Gauthier had a strong second half during the 2024-25 season while playing alongside Carlsson and followed that up with a terrific showing at the IIHF World Championship.
While he is projected to start on the second line and second power play unit, I think that the way he will be utilized offensively will still allow him to pick his spots, even if he isn’t on the top line or top PP unit. After reaching the 20-goal mark last season without regular power play time, there’s no reason he can’t hit the 30-goal mark this season while having that added benefit.
Breakout Player
Patrick: Leo Carlsson-For all the reasons I stated above, this will be Carlsson’s category to lose until further notice. However, I’d like to take this time to highlight Mason McTavish, who is my runner-up. McTavish’s defensive metrics have been poor for the duration of his three-year NHL career. Still, toward the end of last season, when his offense picked up to the tune of 33 points (16-17=33) in his final 36 games, his defense improved as well, particularly in defensive zone coverage.
The Ducks will be deploying an overhauled D-zone coverage scheme, but it’s built more on instinctual reads and quick support along the walls, areas where McTavish thrives most. He’s projected to start the season on a line with Cutter Gauthier on one wing (another candidate for this category), with whom he’d shown instant chemistry a year ago, and newly acquired, detailed veteran Mikael Granlund, who can create on the cycle and rush. Unlikely to draw opposing checking assignments, look for this line to turn some heads with their production.
Derek: If not for Carlsson, this category could have been occupied by a few different players. Gauthier, McTavish and Olen Zellweger are players who come to mind for me. But Carlsson has the biggest opportunity share and will likely grab hold of it. With better finishing from his teammates and himself, Carlsson’s stellar play will be validated by tangible evidence on the stat sheet.
Standings Prediction
Patrick: Since the COVID-shortened seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21, the threshold to make the playoffs in the Western Conference has been no less than 95 points. That would equate to a 15-point increase in the standings for the Ducks, following a year in which they made a 21-point increase. Though it’s the Ducks’ stated goal to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and it’s not an impossible feat, it’s a bit too lofty for my taste.
However, I will predict a still-significant step forward in the standings. I have the Ducks finishing with 90 points and placing fifth in the Pacific Division, tenth in the Western Conference, and 18th in the overall NHL standings.
Derek: I’m in the same boat as Patrick. While the Ducks, staff and players alike, have set making the playoffs as their goal for this season, I think they will just miss out and end up somewhere in the ballpark that the Blue Jackets did last season.
Boldest Prediction
Patrick: Lukas Dostal will be a Vezina finalist
The torch has been passed, the keys to the crease at Honda Center have been handed over, and fresh off a contract extension, Dostal will be the tenth-highest-paid goaltender in the NHL for the 2025-26 season. He’s stated his fondness for the Ducks’ new defensive zone coverage scheme, and an offseason focus of his was to work on his rebound control.
Predictability of where shots are to come from and trust that, in theory, he will always have a defending teammate in the net front vicinity, catering to his strengths as a goaltender: angles, anticipation, tracking. If the Ducks are anywhere near the playoff bubble, Dostal likely will have had a terrific season and improved traditional statistics to match his already above-average underlying numbers.
Derek: Beckett Sennecke will spend the entire season with the Ducks and play in 40+ games
There’s bold predictions and then there’s air-head predictions. This might be an air-head prediction. While it’s unknown just how long Sennecke’s leash with the Ducks will be, it’s clear that they believe he has earned the opportunity to be on the NHL roster. It’s difficult to see how he can work his way up from a fourth line role unless he truly outplays several of his teammates, but head coach Joel Quenneville described him as a “wildcard” who can be used in all situations and play with anybody.
Much has been made of the Warriors core’s age heading into the 2025-26 NBA season, but 39-year-old center Al Horford is not concerned.
The four featured Golden State players, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Horford, all are age 35 or older. Maintaining health throughout an 82-game regular season is a key concern this season, just as it has been in the recent past.
“The way that I see our group, we have a lot of depth. I see a lot of guys that are working really hard and guys who are very capable in our group,” Horford told reporters Tuesday. “So, I’m not worried about it just because of our depth.”
But key role players such as Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and Quinten Post are all under 25.
Both Podziemski and Moody played in at least 64 games last season. Post saw a significant increase in playing time in the second half of last season. Kuminga, despite fluctuations in playing time due to injury and rotation changes, has solidified himself as perhaps the Warriors’ most explosive athlete.
“I feel like we have guys here that can step in and contribute and have big nights,” Horford said. “It’s a very long season, and as you know in the NBA, the teams that usually have more depth are the teams that are going to be more successful.”
The depth in youth, whose experience will only continue to grow, will be key for Golden State’s regular-season success as older players will inevitably need more rest.
“I feel like we don’t have to hold back with any of them. We can just go, and they’re going to get a lot of opportunities and a lot of chances. And for them, they have to be ready for that,” Horford said.
The Warriors’ new stretch-big has been a steady presence in recent years. Horford has played at least 60 games in each of his last four seasons with the Boston Celtics.
“The priority for me is to make sure that I stay healthy throughout the regular season and that’s my focus right now. And when we get to the postseason, that’s a whole other level,” Horford said.
Curry and Green played in 70 and 68 games, respectively, last season. The two stars being available in the regular season helped the Warriors reach the playoffs for the 10th time in the last 13 seasons.
But Curry’s hamstring injury in the Western Conference Semifinals doomed Golden State to a second-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Maintaining tip-top health heading into the postseason is not just a priority for Horford, but for the Warriors’ old guard at large.
The Vegas Golden Knights will be your 2026 Stanley Cup champions, according to the official season simulation done by EA SPORTS in NHL 26.
The Golden Knights defeated the Canucks and Oilers in seven games before defeating the Avalanche in six to advance to the Finals. They took down the Rangers in seven games with Mitch Marner taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy. Marner led the playoffs in scoring followed by Jack Eichel and Artemi Panarin.
The San Jose Sharks earned a surprise playoff berth on the back of 95 points from Macklin Celebrini while the Avalanche won the Presidents Trophy.
Connor McDavid took home the Art Ross and Hart Trophy after posting 134 points during the regular season.
Auston Matthew won the Rocket Richard with 61 goals, Cale Makar won the Norris, while Connor Hellebuyck repeated as the Vezina winner.
Anthony Cirelli won his first career Selke Trophy, Ivan Demidov won the Calder after notching 75 points while Bruce Cassidy won the Jack Adams.
If the Milwaukee Bucks stumble out of the gate, or just don't look like contenders, the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors are going to heat up. It will not matter that it's unlikely he gets traded mid-season for a couple of reasons, logic has never slowed the NBA rumor mill down.
Antetokounmpo and his agent are preparing for the mid-season option, ESPN's Shams Charania said on NBA Today (hat tip MrBuckBuck on X).
"Giannis Antetokounmpo, his agent Alex Saratsis, have been figuring out which teams, if this does get to a point of a trade request, which team could find its way — which multiple teams find their way. And I think that process will continue into the season."
Antetokounmpo and his agent will find that several factors make it highly unlikely he will be traded mid-season. First is the fact that he is making $54.1 million this season, a lot of money for a team to take on, which ties into the next issue. Second, the luxury tax apron era has tied the hands of teams and limited the trade offers they can make because of the apron restrictions. The final issue is the fact that because Antetokounmpo makes so much, and the fact that the Bucks will want multiple young players (along with a boatload of picks) in return for any trade, it becomes a roster numbers game. Milwaukee would have to waive players currently under guaranteed contract to take back multiple players and stay below the 15-player limit during the season (that number jumps to 20 in the offseason, making this trade easier).
There are teams with the combination of young players and picks that would interest the Bucks. San Antonio has that and could pair Antetokounmpo with Victor Wembanyama. Houston, even after signing Kevin Durant, has that. However, both Rockets and Spurs are hard-capped at the first apron this season, making in-season trade construction challenging.
Oklahoma City has the picks and players to make an offer, although the defending champions aren't really interested, reports Chris Mannix at Sports Illustrated. There would be other teams interested, including the Knicks and Heat (although whether their offers would interest the Bucks is up for debate), with Mannix also mentioning Orlando and Detroit as young teams on the rise who might jump into the mix.
No doubt the rumors will fly, especially if the Bucks get off to a slow start, but that doesn't change the fact that an in-season Antetokounmpo trade is unlikely. Next offseason, however, feels like a very different story.
Every year players are pushed to their limits in a sport that chases the sun. But the number of retirements, withdrawals and injuries this season has been shocking
Jannik Sinner had tried everything but after baking for two and a half hours inside the suffocating sauna of Shanghai’s stadium court, he was finished. Even around midnight, the humidity was still so oppressive that Sinner had spent the final 20 minutes of his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor cramping, panting and in considerable pain. Eventually, he could not even walk properly. Midway through the final set, the 24-year-old hobbled slowly to his chair using his racket as a crutch and terminated the match.
Those scenes were representative of the Shanghai Masters so far as, throughout the past week, so many players have wilted in brutal conditions. Terence Atmane and Hamad Medjedovic both retired after struggling with the heat. Francisco Comesaña appeared close to collapsing and he had to be helped mid-match by his opponent Lorenzo Musetti. Despite the benefit of competing at night, Novak Djokovic repeatedly vomited in two consecutive matches and there were times in his fourth round win over Jaume Munar where he too looked as if he had reached his limit.
Raphielle Johnson
