DETROIT, MI - APRIL 04: Riley Greene #31 (L) and Kerry Carpenter #30 of the Detroit Tigers stand together on the field and talk during player introductions prior to the start of the Opening Day game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park on April 4, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the White Sox 7-4. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On Friday, the Athletics of Sacramento and eventually Las Vegas, inked their young shortstop, Jacob Wilson, to a seven-year, $70 million deal that buys the club Wilson’s first two years of free agency and all of his 20’s.
The Detroit Tigers already did something like this with Colt Keith prior to promoting him to the major leagues before the 2024 season. There’s a fair chance that signing that deal was Keith’s ticket to an Opening Day major league debut rather than the Tigers potentially waiting until sometime in May to save a year of service time and give Keith more Triple-A plate appearances to get ready.
Of course, Keith signed his deal through 2029 for a very reasonable price, with the Tigers getting club options from 2030-2032. This wasn’t Scott Boras making a deal. Keith’s mother acted as his respresentative, and he was willing to take more guaranteed money over his years of team control rather than expecting to make bank in his arbitration years and then in free agency. From his perspective perhaps, he already has all the money he’s ever going to need if managed well, and now he doesn’t have to deal with the business side at all for years, potentially not until he’s 31 years old.
That’s a decent deal for Keith, and hopefully a nice bargain for the Tigers over the long haul.
It also brings up the question of which Tigers player you’d currently like to see extended the most? Tarik Skubal ain’t happening so let’s not pain ourselves any longer on that front. Should the Tigers extend Riley Greene? Or would you prefer they try to work out a bigger, but similar deal to Colt Keith’s with Kevin McGonigle or Max Clark?
Or, perhaps you don’t think extensions for either prospective 2026 rookie are a good idea just yet. Obviously the price matters a lot.
Eli Morgan is a Royal. Or an Omaha Storm Chaser, on a minor-league deal, according to sources. David Robertson has retired.
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Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): How Cubs’ bullpen is shaping up as camp nears. “The bullpen is where the team has turned over the most and looks different the most,” Counsell said during Cubs Convention in mid-January.
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Miguel Rojas announced last week that he would be unable to participate in the World Baseball Classic because of issues obtaining insurance on his MLB contract.
And during the Dodgers’ annual Fanfest event on Saturday, the Venezuelan infielder didn’t hide his frustration with the situation.
“Definitely disappointed,” said Rojas, who has never before played in the WBC and is set to retire after this season. “I didn’t know that my chance to go represent my country for the first and only time, probably as a player, was gonna get blocked because of an insurance problem. Even though we know we have to be ready for the season and we have to play and be healthy for our contract, at the end of the day, we didn’t know all those restrictions were gonna be in place the way they are right now.”
FILE – Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas celebrates their win against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6 of baseball’s World Series, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) AP
Indeed, Rojas is far from the only player to encounter insurance problems related to this spring’s WBC.
Team Puerto Rico has had several key players who were forced to withdraw –– including Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, José Berrios and Emilio Pagan –– leading the president of its baseball federation to publicly float the idea that the country might withdraw from the triannual tournament entirely.
Venezuela has also been significantly impacted, with José Altuve and Carlos Narvaez unable to participate due to their own insurance issues.
There are several other MLB players believed to be awaiting insurance clearance, too.
“There’s a lot of things I can say about the process, and I’ve been really vocal on social media, especially the last couple days,” Rojas said. “I don’t think people understand.”
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 30: Miguel Rojas #11 and Brusdar Graterol #48 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 to clinch the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
Insurance requirements have long been a complication for players interested in playing in the WBC. The policies are generally necessary for MLB participants, in order to protect their big-league teams against potential injuries incurred during the event (with insurance, teams are reimbursed for any regular-season time their players miss with WBC-related injuries).
Typically, players with chronic injury histories or recent surgeries are denied coverage. Clayton Kershaw, for example, had to withdraw from the 2023 WBC for insurance reasons.
This year, however, the growing number of players who have encountered such issues has become a source of frustration –– especially, as Rojas noted, since Latin American countries have been the ones most affected.
“I don’t see that happening with the United States, or happening with Japan,” Rojas said. “And I’m not trying to attack anybody, or attack what’s going on, or seeing what’s happening behind the scenes. But at the end of the day, it feels like it’s just happening with the players that want to represent their country from Latin America. So there’s a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in control, with someone from MLB.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 31: Miguel Rojas #72 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gives an interview at Dodger Stadium on January 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) Getty Images
Rojas, who has dealt with several injuries over the past couple of years (including a hernia surgery last offseason) but didn’t spend any time on the injured list in 2025, was also caught off guard by what ESPN reported is a new provision for insurance coverage in this year’s event.
Because he will turn 37 before the start of the tournament, he said he was denied coverage based on his age alone.
“It’s really hard to not have the opportunity to put my country on my chest and to represent them and help win a World Baseball Classic –– and not have the opportunity to do it because I’m 37 years old,” he said. “That’s not right. I don’t feel it’s right. Because if I can still play in the big leagues with the Dodgers, why (can I) not go play for my team in Venezuela and represent my country?”
Sunday’s slate features a full lineup of NBA player props, highlighted by a showdown between the top two teams in the Western Conference as the Denver Nuggets host the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here are my favorite NBA picks for February 1, led by Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Julian Champagnie.
Nikola Jokic returned to the Denver Nuggets lineup on Friday after missing a month with a knee injury, and he didn’t miss a beat. "The Joker" dropped 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while shooting nearly 73% from the field in just 25 minutes of action.
Jokic’s points O/U is set at 25.5 tonight, likely assuming the three-time MVP will play limited minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, that didn’t stop him from piling up points against the Clippers, one of the toughest defensive teams in the league.
Denver's superstar center is averaging 29.7 points per game this season, and he has surpassed 25.5 points in four of his last five outings. Jokic's only miss came on December 29, when he exited early due to injury.
L.A.'s point guard has carried the team, racking up 24 double-doubles this season — fifth-most in the NBA. Doncic comes in fresh off a triple-double on Friday and has posted a double-double in five of his last six games.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks rank eighth in the NBA in field goal attempts per game, meaning more opportunities for Doncic to crash the boards.
The San Antonio Spurs have risen towards the top of the Western Conference this season not just because of Victor Wembanyama, but also due to their offensive depth.
Julian Champagnie has emerged as one of those key offensive contributors for the Spurs, and he’s only gotten better as the season has worn on.
The forward is averaging 11.5 ppg this season, hitting 10+ points in 12 of his last 14 contests.
This line is low for Champagnie tonight, especially against an Orlando Magic team that has allowed 120+ points in each of its last two games.
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The 20-year-old was a healthy scratch for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks, with William Nylander returning to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 15.
It was the 12th time this season that Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has benched Cowan.
The rookie's game has dipped since having five points in eight games, from Jan. 6 to 19. In his last five games since Jan. 21, Cowan has registered only one assist and is sporting a minus-four rating.
"To me, I think he's lost a little bit of his swagger. That's a big part of his game, and I'm not seeing that right now from his game," Berube continued.
"He may be worried about making mistakes and just little things like that that probably are affecting him and getting in the way of him being successful right now."
It's not just the points and plus-minus that you notice about Cowan, though.
The young forward hasn't stood out much compared to the first half of the year, when he scored seven goals, with the last coming on Jan. 12 in a huge overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche.
At the time, he was showing glimpses of being the "big time" player, like he was with the OHL's London Knights. But his game has tapered off, likely in part due to the difficult schedule and Toronto's overall play.
Entering Saturday's game against the Canucks, the Maple Leafs had lost six consecutive games. (The last time Cowan was a healthy scratch was Dec. 27 against the Ottawa Senators.) Cowan has 17 points in 43 games this season.
"I think a young player like that, when a team is not at its best and winning and playing good hockey, it's going to affect those guys a little more," said Berube.
Whenever Cowan returns to the lineup, he should play more than 10 minutes per game.
The forward has gotten time on every line for Toronto throughout his first season in the NHL, which is a positive. However, in the same breath, Cowan hasn't played more than 13 minutes since Jan. 10 against the Canucks — 11 games ago.
If Toronto ends up becoming a seller at the trade deadline — which it sounds like they will be — Cowan should take on a larger role whenever Toronto ships out its players.
Playing in the NHL, of course, is an incredible experience for a young forward like him. He needs to play more than the ice time he's gotten recently, though.
And maybe Cowan gets a brief stint with the AHL's Toronto Marlies during the Olympic break. But whenever he's playing at the NHL level, he should be playing more than bottom-six minutes.
This will be the Blazers’ first game back from a three-game Eastern Conference road trip. They dropped each of the games on their trip, and have an extensive injury report.
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App, NBA League Pass
Point spread: Cavs -3
Cavs injury report: Evan Mobley – OUT (calf), Darius Garland – OUT (toe), Craig Porter Jr. – QUESTIONABLE (knee), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Tristan Enaruna – QUESTIONABLE (G League),
Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis aren’t on the injury report, but they wouldn’t be expected to play in this one.
Trail Blazers injury report: Deni Avdija – QUESTIONABLE (back), Scoot Henderson – OUT (hamstring), Jrue Holiday – OUT (personal), Damian Lillard – OUT (Achilles), Kris Murray – OUT (back), Duop Reath – OUT (foot), Matisse Thybulle – OUT (knee), Blake Wesley – QUESTIONABLE (foot), Robert Williams – QUESTIONABLE (knee)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, Jarrett Allen
Two of the NBA's best teams clash tonight when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.
Our Thunder vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks for this prime-time matchup on Sunday, February 1, expect big performances from both of these high-octane offenses.
Jokic’s offensive impact can’t be overstated. The Nuggets average a scorching 125.6 points per game with the reigning MVP on the floor, compared to just 108.8 when he’s out of the lineup.
Entering tonight, Denver has cashed the Over in three straight, and the Thunder have gone Over in four of their last five road contests.
Oklahoma City leads the league in scoring at 120.3 ppg, with Denver close behind at 120.1. In a showdown featuring the NBA’s top two offenses, expect no shortage of points at Ball Arena.
Thunder vs Nuggets same-game parlay
Oklahoma City has covered the spread in just four of its last 10 games and has failed to cover in four straight. Meanwhile, Denver has covered in four of its last five contests and owns a strong 29–20 ATS record on the season.
Jokic is expected to log roughly 25–30 minutes on Sunday as Denver continues to manage his workload, but his assist prop is still too low to ignore. He’s recorded at least nine assists in 25 of 33 games this season, including 13 of 16 at home, where he’s averaging 11.4 dimes per game.
Thunder vs Nuggets SGP
Over 228.5 (-110)
Nuggets +4.5
Nikola Jokic Over 8.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: Shai Day!
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains one of the NBA’s elite scorers, averaging 32.0 ppg and reaching the 33-point mark 19 times this season.
After posting back-to-back 40-point performances, Gilgeous-Alexander has been held to 27.7 ppg over his last three starts. He’s due for a bounce-back, and tonight's showdown sets up as an ideal spot for SGA to reassert himself.
Thunder vs Nuggets SGP
Over 228.5 (-110)
Nuggets +4.5
Nikola Jokic Over 8.5 assists
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 32.5 points
Thunder vs Nuggets odds
Spread: Thunder -4.5 (-110) | Nuggets +4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Thunder -185 | Nuggets +155
Over/Under: Over 228.5 (-110) | Under 228.5 (-110)
Thunder vs Nuggets betting trend to know
Denver has hit the game total Over in 31 of its last 50 games (+10.13 Units / 18% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Nuggets.
How to watch Thunder vs Nuggets
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Tip-off
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Thunder vs Nuggets latest injuries
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Baseball: Scenic view of Baltimore Orioles players warming up before spring training workout at City of Sarasota Sports Complex. Sarasota, FL 2/16/2013 CREDIT: Gary Bogdon (Photo by Gary Bogdon /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X156157 TK1 R1 F25 )
Hello, friends.
There are now 53 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. We’re getting there! WBC-participating pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota in just eight days, while the first Grapefruit League game for the Orioles is 19 days away. We’re in the month where fake games will be happening! That’s more fun for me than it typically is since, you know, I’m sick of all of this snow/ice lingering around.
I’m also kind of sick of all the speculating about Framber Valdez. Just sign a contract already, man! Get the best deal that’s out there right now. I don’t think anybody’s going to blink and give you more. Maybe the market has gotten really weird for him and there’s nothing even worth signing right now, I don’t know. If nobody’s even offering like 3/100, then sure, wait it out.
My suspicion is that Valdez could get that from the Orioles today, maybe he wants a few million more in AAV or maybe he wants an extra year. But it’s February 1 now, and again, some people will be in camp in eight days! It’s time to get some certainty here. I’ve been on “Valdez or bust” train for a while, so I don’t think there are even any alternatives worth considering for the O’s at this point. Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito, Chris Bassitt, whatever, I don’t care. Unless there’s a surprise injury to a starting pitcher that we don’t know about beyond “maybe Zach Eflin isn’t going to pitch before May” then they don’t need any more back end guys.
Perhaps for the sake of negotiating, Mike Elias needs to pretend he might sign one of those other guys. He has some credibility in making that claim. We know he’ll sign a mediocre-at-best starting pitcher who nobody really wants. He’s got a real track record of that and he might still do it even in this winter where he’s otherwise been fairly aggressive in getting things done. I don’t know. I’m surprised it hasn’t gotten figured out yet.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
Mailbag: Is it Framber Valdez or bust for the rotation? (The Baltimore Sun) People are wondering whether the Orioles really have any interest in non-Valdez pitchers left out there. I’m skeptical, but there’s no way to know for sure until we see who’s left after Valdez signs.
The Orioles have had a busy winter, and say it’s boosted ticket sales (The Baltimore Banner) They can say all that they want. The final ticket numbers for 2026 will tell the tale, and that tale will probably be told more by how the team plays than by anything that has happened since October.
Rogers reflects on magical 2025 season (School of Roch) This was also in yesterday’s Bird Droppings and I’m including it here mostly to note that there’s enough in here to indicate that you probably don’t need to worry about Trevor Rogers being in the “day 1 of spring training secret offseason injuries” news dump.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 2010, former Orioles broadcaster Jon Miller was named the year’s winner of the Ford Frick Award, an honor given out annually by the Hall of Fame since 1978 for “meritorious service by baseball broadcasters.”
In 2024, the Orioles traded Joey Ortiz and DL Hall, plus a competitive balance draft pick, to the Brewers for Corbin Burnes. What an exciting couple of days that was with news of the sale of the team one day and the Burnes trade the next.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2012 two-gamer Joe Mahoney, 1998 outfielder Rich Becker, 1996 pitcher Kent Mercker, and 1964-76 outfielder Paul Blair.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include:
On this day in history…
In 1884, the first volume of the Oxford English Dictionary was published. Volume 1 covered A to Ant.
In 1896, Puccini’s opera La bohème had its premiere performance. This show’s story was later adapted into the long-running musical, Rent.
In 1964, the Beatles single “I Want To Hold Your Hand” reached #1 in the United States, the band’s first #1 hit here.
A random Orioles trivia question
I received a book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask a question each time it’s my turn to do Bird Droppings until I run out of questions or forget. If you are answering the question early in the day, please be considerate of others arriving later and place your response behind spoiler text in the comments. Thank you!
Which Orioles player was the first to record a 50+ home run season? As a bonus, in what year did he do it?
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on February 1. Have a safe Sunday.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 21: Ranger Suárez #55 of the Boston Red Sox speaks during a press conference announcing his contract agreement with the Boston Red Sox on January 21, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day, another cold snap that reminds us that the hot stove is probably turned off. Talk to me again when the warm sunshine of Florida is on my screen and I’m whining about how long spring training is.
At least there is the World Baseball Classic this year.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts greets Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Max Muncy during DodgerFest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
In 1970, two years before he died, Jackie Robinson spoke at his son’s high school graduation.
“In a land where we declare that we have liberty and justice for all,” Robinson said, “it seems that slogan really means liberty and justice for all as long as you do and say what some people want you to do and say.”
Those words ring uncomfortably true today.
Robinson often spoke out on civil rights, challenging both political parties. If you visit the Jackie Robinson Museum, as the Dodgers did when the museum opened in 2022, you see displays on civil rights and economic opportunity and social justice before you get to the baseball showcases.
“Jackie’s passion was civil rights and equality, and more so than baseball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said then. “It was more of, baseball was just a vehicle for him to use his voice, which is pretty cool to see and actually pretty inspiring.”
In these perilous times, in which “indivisible” has been replaced by “you’re with us, or you’re the enemy within,” Robinson’s team will have the opportunity to celebrate its latest World Series championship at the White House.
Last month in Minneapolis, two American citizens were shot to death on American streets by agents of the American government. In this fragile moment, I asked Roberts if he would feel comfortable visiting the White House as the manager of Jackie Robinson’s team.
“For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager,” Roberts told me Saturday at the Dodgers’ fan festival. “That’s my job.
“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country. For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. ... For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sits on stage during DodgerFest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Neither was Robinson. In 1944 — three years before he broke baseball’s color barrier and 11 years before Rosa Parks — Robinson refused an order to move to the back of a bus. He was an Army lieutenant, prosecuted by a military court for insubordination and then acquitted.
In the wake of the killings of Renee Good and then Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, federal officials hurried to television cameras and social media accounts. None of the usual admonitions against leveraging tragedy for political purposes. No thoughts and prayers, even, just a rush to dehumanize the dead with labels such as “domestic terrorist” before any investigation.
The last words of Good, to one of those federal agents: “I’m not mad at you.” The last words of Pretti, to someone needing assistance: “Are you OK?”
Jackie Robinson: “The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time.”
After the killing of Pretti last week, the BBC exhaustively checked the claims of federal authorities against video evidence from a variety of sources: “None of the videos we have analyzed show Alex Pretti holding a gun. There is no available evidence that he was an assassin who tried to murder federal agents, no available evidence he intended to massacre law enforcement, nor that it was a violent riot, no available evidence that this was an individual who arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”
In Minnesota, the immigration sweeps proceed unabated. The Star Tribune reported Saturday of a local detention facility so overcrowded that a woman had been locked inside a bathroom with three men.
In a suburban Minneapolis incident captured on video, an agent tells a man he must produce citizenship documentation “because of your accent.”
The Huffington Post reported that four children from an elementary school in a heavily Latino suburb of Minneapolis had been shipped to a detention facility in Texas.
Yet a judge ordered one of those children released Saturday, blasting what he called the “ill-conceived and incompetently implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”
Jackie Robinson: “The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity.”
This is not something the Dodgers can dismiss as an out-of-town issue. Federal immigration agents operate in Los Angeles too.
Jackie Robinson: “To build for leadership, one must base his standing on what is right, not what is expedient.”
President Trump greets Dodgers manager Dave Roberts last April during a ceremony to honor the team's 2024 World Series championship. (Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press)
“I don’t have any news for you on that,” he said Saturday.
To skip the trip could be uncomfortable, but the Dodgers would not have to stand on a Washington street in protest, or issue a blistering statement. All they would need to do is decline a photo opportunity.
The Dodgers are free to make their own decision, of course. They’ll be in Washington for their first road series of the season, in the first week of April. Then they’ll return to Dodger Stadium, for the annual Jackie Robinson Day festivities.
For me, going to the White House would feel more expedient than right. If the Dodgers do go, they ought to skip the tributes to Robinson’s grand courage, since they would not have been able to muster up a fraction of their own.
It’s NBA trade deadline season, and the rumors are swirling faster than a dust devil in the Sonoran Desert. Where is Giannis going to land? What do the Dallas Mavericks do with Anthony Davis? And what, if anything, should the Suns be doing? There are plenty of questions, and they will all be answered soon enough, with the trade deadline set for February 5 at 1:00pm Arizona time.
This is the part of the calendar when whispers start to surface. Little things here and there. For a team like the Suns, one that is competing for a top-four seed in the Western Conference, it would be irresponsible not to listen. Listening does not mean acting. It means being informed.
And here we are again, back in familiar territory. The annual idea that Miles Bridges to the Suns could someday become a thing. The reasoning is always the same. Michigan State. A tidy narrative that never seems to die.
Hornets' Miles Bridges drawing interest from Bucks, Warriors, Suns, others https://t.co/Vcer5jMjLU
For those curious about where I stand on Miles Bridges, I have laid those thoughts out before.
So will the Suns make a run at Miles Bridges? I think there is something to take from a recent interview Mat Ishbia did with Zach Lowe on The Zach Low Show. Quick side note, there are only a few podcasts I listen to religiously, and Zach Lowe is one of them. If you want a real sense of what is happening around the NBA, that is the one I keep coming back to.
During the interview, Zach asked Ishbia about Bridges, not directly, not cleanly, but in a way that clearly invited a response. And Ishbia answered.
“I’ll tell you that I know that guy that you’re referencing, and he’s a great player and a winner on the court,” Ishbia responded. But he added, “There’s nothing to it right now.”
My takeaway from that is this. The Suns are going to stand pat when it comes to Miles Bridges. There is no reason to chase something that could disrupt the energy and chemistry this team has built. That is not what this team is about. That is not what this season is about.
This season is about toughness, about growth, about patience. And based on his comments on the Zach Lowe Show, it sounds like Mat Ishbia sees it the same way.
What will the Suns do? We’ll find out as the week progresses, but I am firmly on #TeamNoTrade Island.
Throughout his first two seasons, there were often statistics showing that he had more blocks that entire teams.
Last Wednesday, Wembanyama played in his 150th NBA game. At the end, his totals evoked the first 150 games of another Spurs center, the legendary David Robinson.
Victor Wembanyama has totaled 3,440 PTS, 1,631 REB and 520 BLK in his first 150 games 📊
In his first 150 games, Victor Wembanyama racked up more points than Kevin Durant. Like Wemby, Durant was Rookie of the Year. KD averaged 20.3 points in his first season and 25.3 in his second. Durant recently surpasses Dirk Nowitzki in all-time scoring. He’s fifth and sure to move beyond Michael Jordan in the weeks to come.
Additionally, Wemby has more rebounds than Charles Barkley over his first 150 games. Barkley averaged 8.6 boards in his rookie campaign and 12.8 in his second season. He is the 20th all-time in NBA/ABA rankings with 12, 546 over his sixteen seasons.
Wemby also bested Nikola Jokic in assists. The Joker had one less, 533, compared to Victor’s 534. Jokic is currently 47th all-time. He’s currently in his second consecutive season averaging double-digit dimes. As far as big men go, Jokic is one of the best when it comes to dishing out assists.
Wemby has more steals than the great Kobe Bryant over their respective sesquicentenary starts. Kobe retired with 1,944 career steals, ranking him 19th on the all-time list.
What about blocks? Well, we know that rejecting shots is Wemby’s specialty. After 150 games, he’s tallied over 70 blocks more than Hakeem Olajuwon did in his first 150 games. “The Dream” is the all-time NBA/ABA blocks leader with 3,830. For measure, basketball-refernce.com lists Nikola Jokic as the 250th ranked NBA all-time with 561 blocks. Wemby is 42 blocks from cracking the top 250. That’s all-time NBA blocking leaders. Let that soak in.
Finally, our dear Victor Wembanyama has more three-pointers made in his inaugural campaign than Steph Curry, the greatest shooter of all time. Granted, in his first couple of seasons Curry didn’t shoot with the volume he hasover the latter half of his career, but he had the accuracy. Curry is the NBA’s all-time three-point shooter with 4,233 (as of this writing) and counting. He’s almost a thousand more than James Harden, the second highest all-time.
Any one of those on its own is impressive, but Wemby is a great player all around. And he’s still developing.
What’s next for Wemby? What will his 200th game stats look like? Will he ever get that coveted quadruple-double? It certainly seems to be within his reach.
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The regular season is already more than halfway complete, and the chase for Larry O’Brien trophy is beginning to heat up. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets lead the way with the Los Angeles Lakers lurking behind. On the other side of the country, the New York Knicks are among the East contenders again. All four teams will be featured in the star-studded doubleheader on NBC and Peacock.
Here’s everything to know for Sunday Night Basketball this week:
When is Sunday Night Basketball on NBC?
Sunday Night Basketball will debut on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
What games are on Sunday Night Basketball tonight?
The evening will begin at Madison Square Garden, as the Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks host Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the Lakers at 7 p.m. ET.
For the second game, it’ll be a playoff rematch in Colorado between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets at 9:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Sunday Night Basketball on NBC and Peacock
Who are the announcers for Sunday Night Basketball?
NBC’s coverage on Sunday will feature a variety of Hall of Famers and award-winners.
BNIA will be hosted by Maria Taylor alongside Hall of Fame analysts Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. WNBA star Caitlin Clark will also join BNIA as a special contributor at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. She’ll return to the crew on March 29, too.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Hall of Famer Reggie Miller (analyst), three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (analyst) and Zora Stephenson (courtside reporter) will call Lakers-Knicks at MSG.
Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Hall of Famer Grant Hill (analyst) and Ashley ShahAhmadi (courtside reporter) will be in Denver for Thunder-Nuggets.
Sunday Night Basketball theme song by Lenny Kravitz
Sunday Night Basketball, like Sunday Night Footballwill begin with an opening song from a Grammy-winning artist.
Lenny Kravitz will provide the tune for the basketball edition, which begins a new era for the NBA on NBC. Here’s a teaser of what to expect:
Sunday Night Basketball full schedule for 2026 NBA season
After this week’s doubleheader, Sunday Night Basketball will return on Feb. 22 through the end of the regular season. Here are all the games to come:
The regular season is already more than halfway complete, and the chase for Larry O’Brien trophy is beginning to heat up. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets lead the way with the Los Angeles Lakers lurking behind. On the other side of the country, the New York Knicks are among the East contenders again. All four teams will be featured in the star-studded doubleheader on NBC and Peacock.
Here’s everything to know for Sunday Night Basketball this week:
When is Sunday Night Basketball on NBC?
Sunday Night Basketball will debut on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
What games are on Sunday Night Basketball tonight?
The evening will begin at Madison Square Garden, as the Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks host Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the Lakers at 7 p.m. ET.
For the second game, it’ll be a playoff rematch in Colorado between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets at 9:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Sunday Night Basketball on NBC and Peacock
Who are the announcers for Sunday Night Basketball?
NBC’s coverage on Sunday will feature a variety of Hall of Famers and award-winners.
BNIA will be hosted by Maria Taylor alongside Hall of Fame analysts Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. WNBA star Caitlin Clark will also join BNIA as a special contributor at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. She’ll return to the crew on March 29, too.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Hall of Famer Reggie Miller (analyst), three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (analyst) and Zora Stephenson (courtside reporter) will call Lakers-Knicks at MSG.
Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Hall of Famer Grant Hill (analyst) and Ashley ShahAhmadi (courtside reporter) will be in Denver for Thunder-Nuggets.
Sunday Night Basketball theme song by Lenny Kravitz
Sunday Night Basketball, like Sunday Night Footballwill begin with an opening song from a Grammy-winning artist.
Lenny Kravitz will provide the tune for the basketball edition, which begins a new era for the NBA on NBC. Here’s a teaser of what to expect:
Sunday Night Basketball full schedule for 2026 NBA season
After this week’s doubleheader, Sunday Night Basketball will return on Feb. 22 through the end of the regular season. Here are all the games to come:
Nikola Jokic
Luka Doncic
Julian Champagnie
