In the battle of Florida, once again, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning hashed out their anger towards each other through fights and extracurricular activities.
Ultimately, the Lightning left with the two points, defeating the Panthers 4-2. The Panthers took an early lead with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, but three unanswered goals by the Lightning were enough to secure the victory.
Unsurprisingly, the game was marked by penalties, with two resulting in fines. Anton Lundell was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for high-sticking Tampa Bay’s Jake Guentzel. Coincidentally, Scott Sabourin has been fined $2,018.23, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing Florida’s Niko Mikkola.
The Panthers had 10 power play opportunities, converting just one. The Lightning had six but failed to score. In the end, the Panthers were given 49 penalty minutes. The Lightning were handed 85 penalty minutes.
Prior to the game, the Panthers and Lightning were warned by the NHL to keep the fights and altercations clean. The NHL Department of Player Safety felt that none of the altercations needed supplementary discipline, and no suspensions were handed out.
The Panthers and Lightning have met three times this season, with one more game set for Feb. 5 in Tampa. The Panthers have won just one of three matchups this season.
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To refer to the Mets' offseason to this point as polarizing would be a huge understatement.
With New York trading Brandon Nimmo, letting Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso walk via free agency, and dealing Jeff McNeil, the core has been stripped down to the beams. Never before in the history of the franchise has something this drastic happened in one offseason with core players who were not only still effective, but beloved by the fans.
The Diaz and Alonso departures happening in a 24-hour span resulted in most of the fan base being disoriented, and the slow pace of the offseason since then -- not just for the Mets, but nearly every team -- has left the mystery of what's to come hanging in the air. In other words, it has been uncomfortable.
But that doesn't mean David Stearns doesn't have a plan.
Before exploring what that plan might entail, it's important to dissect each of the above moves separately instead of attempting to lump them all together.
Dealing Nimmo to the Rangers ahead of his age-33 season and with five years left on his contract made baseball sense, especially with his offense and outfield defense declining. That the player coming back (second baseman Marcus Semien) wasn't a Nimmo replacement means the trade is impossible to grade until the next outfield move comes.
Alonso signing with the Orioles on a five-year contract for $155 million was a gut punch for many fans. But it's hard to argue that the Mets extending that far on Alonso would've been a smart move. There is a serious issue without Alonso, though, and it's the tough task of replacing his power.
McNeil departing was something you could see coming since the end of the 2025 season. And once New York added Semien, there was no longer a regular role for him.
I saved the Diaz departure for last because it's the only one that left me flummoxed.
Edwin Diaz posing with Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes (right) and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman (left) / Screenshot/Sportsnet LA
You can say that Diaz leaving to sign with the Dodgers was proof that he simply wanted to go there. But I reject that belief. Most of the time, players go where the most money is, and that's what happened in this case. Anything Diaz said at his introductory news conference in Los Angeles is a waste to analyze, unless you were expecting him to put his new cap and jersey on and say he wished he was still a Met.
The Mets being willing to extend to three years and $66 million for Diaz tells you they wanted to retain him, unless they were playing some weird game of chicken while daring him to leave. So that they lost him for relative pennies suggests that something went haywire communication-wise at the end of the negotiation or that the Mets balked at his ultimate price.
Pair the above with the fact that the signings of Jorge Polanco (who might be asked to play lots of first base)and Luke Weaver are the only big moves New York has made over the last month or so, and the result is this weird, uncomfortable limbo where much more has to be coming -- but with it being fair for people to not totally trust the process until the end product is visible.
So, what should the plan be?
Find a top of the rotation starting pitcher
This was the Mets' biggest need when the offseason started, and the rotation has still not been upgraded with the offseason two months old.
To get this out of the way: The Mets don't need an "ace," which is a label thrown around too lightly. There are only a handful of true aces in the sport, and they are incredibly difficult to procure. If New York somehow lands Tarik Skubal from the Tigers? Great. If not, there are plenty of top of the rotation starters (someone who could slide into the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in a rotation) out there.
Via the trade market, the Mets could target someone like Nick Pivetta of the Padres, Freddy Peralta of the Brewers, or Joe Ryan of the Twins. New York has the prospect capital to get it done, but it takes two to tango.
Sep 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacts after striking out Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (not pictured) with the bases loaded in the fourth inning at American Family Field. / Benny Sieu - Imagn Images
If Valdez can be had on a three- or four-year deal, it will be difficult to make a case against the Mets going out and getting him.
The Mets' 2025 season was torpedoed due in large part to the rotation failing and Stearns not being decisive enough in addressing it (something he admitted after the season). The starting staff must be significantly bolstered this time around.
Add one legitimate starting outfielder
As things currently stand, New York's outfield is Juan Soto in right field and question marks in both center and left.
With top prospect Carson Benge expected to contribute in a serious way this season, it's fair to believe that only one legitimate outfielder should be added -- with the other spot going to either Benge from the jump or to a placeholder until Benge is ready.
Most of the focus has been on free agents Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. Perhaps Tucker becomes a fit if no team is willing to give him the long-term deal he wants. And maybe Bellinger switches boroughs if the Yankees aren't aggressive enough.
But if Tucker and Bellinger get enormous paydays, the trade market should be where the Mets turn to try to fill their outfield need.
It's possible that the Red Sox will trade Jarren Duran, and the White Sox -- barring something truly strange happening -- will finally part with Luis Robert Jr.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) runs out of the dugout before the start of a game against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. / Eric Canha - Imagn Images
Other options could include San Diego's Ramon Laureano and an outside-the-box option like Arizona infielder Ketel Marte, who could theoretically slide to left field.
Find a second serious bat
After the Mets downgraded the offense by dealing Nimmo and letting Alonso go as a free agent, they were left needing three legit bats.
They found one of them by signing Polanco, and will likely get another with whoever they bring in as a starting outfielder.
As far as that third bat?
The Mets could add a first baseman and make Polanco the regular DH.
They could sign someone like Eugenio Suarez and have him be the DH.
They could also get creative and do something like sign Alex Bregman to play third base and shift Brett Baty to first.
Bolster the bullpen
Along with Weaver and Williams, the Mets' bullpen in 2026 is expected to include left-handers A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley -- though the start of Minter's season could be a bit delayed following lat surgery this past May.
Huascar Brazoban also figures to be in the bullpen mix, as do hard-throwing prospects Dylan Ross and Ryan Lambert.
Other relievers who could compete for roles include Jonathan Pintaro (who made his big league debut last season) and Adbert Alzolay (who is on a two-year minor league deal and missed the 2025 season).
But while there are plenty of possible options, the Mets need more certainty -- especially at the back end.
Among the intriguing relievers available are Trevor Megill of the Brewers and Jeremiah Estrada of the Padres.
Head to Peacock tonight for an exciting NBA doubleheader. The action starts at 8:00 PM ET when the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the San Antonio Spurs, followed by the Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trailblazers game at 10:30 PM.
See below for additional information on how to watch both games and follow all of the NBA action on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
The Cavaliers (17-16) are coming off back-to-back losses, most recently falling 117-100 to the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Jaylon Tyson led the team with 23 points off the bench and finished with a career-high 14 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell added 16 points and 6 assists. The Cavaliers have relied heavily on the All-Star guard as they've dealt with injuries this season. Mitchell is on pace to set career highs in scoring (30.2 ppg), shooting percentage (49.7%), 2-point shooting percentage (59.4%), field goal attempts per game (21.3), and 3-point attempts per game (10.2).
San Antonio Spurs:
The Spurs look to bounce back tonight after their eight-game regular season win streak was snapped on Saturday in a 127-114 loss to the Utah Jazz. Victor Wembanyama finished with a game-high 32 points, along with 7 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 assists in his first start since suffering a left calf strain on November 14. He had come off the bench in each of the previous six games, following a 12-game absence.
Despite the loss, the Spurs have been the best team in the league over the last six weeks, going 15-4 in their last 19 games to improve to second in the Western Conference
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
The Argentinian captain has his critics but is the leader and inspiration behind a team finding their feet again
Leave it to a 20-year-old, with three Serie A starts under his belt, to provide a most perceptive analysis of the Italian top flight as we head into a new year. “The most difficult thing to do in this game,” said Francesco Pio Esposito on Sunday night, “is to stick the ball in the net.”
He was speaking in praise of his Inter teammate, Lautaro Martínez, whom he set up for the decisive goal in a 1-0 win away to Atalanta. Pio Esposito had barely entered as a second-half substitute when he was gifted possession by an opponent, Berat Djimsiti. Instead of taking the chance on himself, he froze the last defender and released Lautaro to score with a side-footed through-ball.
Max Rushden is joined by Jacob Steinberg, Sam Dalling and John Brewin as Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa all win at the top of the Premier League
Tyrese Maxey sure seems on track for his second NBA All-Star selection.
The Sixers’ franchise guard ranked second among Eastern Conference players in the first batch of fan voting returns released Monday with 1,072,449 votes. Maxey trailed only Giannis Antetokounmpo in the East and was directly in front of fellow guards Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell. Teammate Joel Embiid was in 17th place.
Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their conferences in the first fan returns in NBA All-Star Voting 2026.
Fans (50% of the vote) join NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) in selecting five players in each conference honored as starters.
“Being here last year, I was blown away with how good he was,” Paul George said on Dec. 10, “how mature he was, how instinctive of a leader he was. And just to watch him grow over this year with how much better he’s gotten, it’s kind of like the sky’s the limit.”
Starters will be determined by a combination of fan voting (weighted at 50 percent), player voting (25 percent) and media panel voting (25 percent). Head coaches will choose seven reserves from each conference.
The 2026 All-Star Game is set for Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and will feature a new USA vs. World format.
Stephen Bunting has revealed his 13-year-old son has been a victim of online abuse. Toby Bunting was in the crowd at Alexandra Palace as his father, the fourth seed, was knocked out in the third round of the PDC World Championship by James Hurrell.
Bunting said in a post on X that his family have been hurt by the social media trolling. “Hi guys, sorry I’ve had a few days away from my socials, but I just needed a small bit of time after my game to recover and rest,” the 40-year-old wrote.
Macklin Celebrini recorded his 20th goal of the season and added an assist as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6–3 on Saturday night at Rogers Arena.
The North Vancouver native continued his strong run of form, extending his point streak to seven games with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) over that span. Celebrini has also been a consistent thorn in Vancouver’s side, registering at least one point in all five games he has played against the Canucks this season.
Igor Chernyshov scored the first NHL goal of his career and added an assist, while Collin Graf found the back of the net for a fourth consecutive game. Yaroslav Askarov turned aside 24 shots as the San Jose Sharks (18-17-3) snapped a three-game losing streak.
For Vancouver, Conor Garland and Filip Hronek each recorded two assists, and Thatcher Demko finished with 32 saves. The Canucks (15-19-3), who entered the game off a strong 4-1-0 road trip prior to the Christmas break, continued to struggle at Rogers Arena, where they have managed just four wins all season (4-11-1).
Ryan Reaves opened the scoring at 6:13 of the first period, snapping a 24-game goal drought by jamming home a loose puck behind Demko as the goaltender lunged to smother it with his blocker, giving the Sharks a 1–0 lead.
John Klingberg doubled the lead at 7:55, firing a point shot through heavy traffic after Celebrini won a clean offensive-zone faceoff back to the blue line.
Vancouver answered on the power play at 10:04, with Linus Karlsson finishing a backdoor tap-in off a crisp feed from Conor Garland to cut the deficit to 2–1.
The Sharks restored their two-goal cushion at 12:38 of the second period. Thatcher Demko denied Celebrini’s one-timer, but the rebound ricocheted off William Eklund at the top of the crease before Canucks center Marco Rossi inadvertently knocked the puck into his own net, resulting in Eklund being credited with the goal.
Rossi made amends early in the third period, scoring just 36 seconds in to cut the deficit to 3–2 by snapping a loose puck from the slot that glanced off Askarov’s blocker and in. It marked his first goal in six games since being acquired from the Minnesota Wild in the Dec. 12 trade that sent defenseman Quinn Hughes the other way.
Vancouver nearly pulled even moments later, successfully killing off a lengthy 5-on-3 for 52 seconds, but San Jose capitalized before the advantage expired. With nine seconds remaining on the second penalty, Chernyshov restored the two-goal cushion at 4:47, quickly snapping a feed from Adam Gaudette past Thatcher Demko after finding open space at the top of the crease. The goal was the first of Chernyshov’s NHL career, coming in just his fifth game.
The Canucks stayed within striking distance when Drew O’Connor scored short-handed on a 2-on-1 at 10:43, wiring a wrist shot to make it 4–3. Any momentum was short-lived, however, as Celebrini answered at 16:20, hammering a one-timer off a Chernyshov feed for his 20th goal of the season and a 5–3 Sharks lead.
While most of the Sharks arrived from San Jose earlier that day, Celebrini enjoyed a familiar setting in Vancouver, skating in the same building where he spent much of his childhood alongside his brother Aiden, now a Canucks defense prospect. With family in attendance following the holidays, the moment carried added significance for the North Vancouver native.
Chernyshov continued his strong start, now totaling five points in five games while spending most of his time alongside Celebrini. His size, puck protection, and instincts around the net have quickly translated to the NHL level, earning him trust in prime offensive situations.
Graf sealed the deal with an empty-net goal at 16:55, his fifth tally in four games, completing a 6–3 victory that featured goals from six different Sharks. The balanced scoring underscored San Jose’s depth, a key ingredient for sustained success.
Celebrini wasn’t the only Shark enjoying a homecoming. Defenseman Vincent Lori, a native of nearby Coquitlam, picked up an assist on Ryan Reaves’ opening goal and heard his name announced in the arena where he once skated as a child. With dozens of family members and friends in attendance, the night marked a fitting full-circle moment in his young NHL career.
Rangers are winless in their last four league meetings with St Mirren (D2 L2); only in November 1904 and August 1984 have they ever gone five without a win over the Buddies.
St Mirren won their last league visit to Rangers 2-0 in February last season, but have never won successive such trips, with this their 126th in league competition.
Rangers have only lost their final league game once in the last eight calendar years (W5 D2), going down 2-1 to Celtic in 2023. When facing a side other than Old Firm rivals Celtic to round off a year, the Gers have only lost their final league game once in the last 31 years (W26 D4), losing 4-0 to Hibernian in the Scottish Championship in 2014.
St Mirren have only won their final league game in one of the last five calendar years (D1 L3), beating Aberdeen 1-0 in 2023.
Only Alexandros Kyziridis (45) has created more chances in the Scottish Premiership this season than both Rangers' James Tavernier (36) and St Mirren's Declan John (30).
Lakers guard Nick Smith Jr. shoots over Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell, left, and guard DeMar DeRozan during the first half of the Lakers' 125-101 win Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers responded to three blowout losses and a spirited team meeting by playing one of their most complete games of the season Sunday to earn a 125-101 win over the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. For the first time this year, the Lakers (20-10) outscored their opponent in every quarter with Luka Doncic (34 points) and LeBron James (24 points) leading the way despite Austin Reaves’ absence.
“Hopefully,” forward Jake LaRavia said, “this is the first of a mini win streak.”
Nick Smith Jr. placed his newest souvenir nonchalantly underneath the news conference table. This game ball will likely go to his mother.
Smith earned it Sunday with a starring performance off the bench while filling in for the injured Reaves. The 21-year-old guard on a two-way contract scored 21 points on eight-for-14 shooting with three rebounds and one assist. He made five three-pointers, including his first four from beyond the arc while starting seven for seven from the field.
With Reaves sidelined for at least a month with a grade two strain in his left calf, Smith will be in line for more consistent minutes, Redick said before the game. Especially with fellow guard Gabe Vincent missing his fourth game because of a back injury Sunday, the Lakers need Smith’s ballhandling and shiftiness alongside James and Doncic.
But to offset the loss of their second-leading scorer, the Lakers are most desperate for Smith’s scoring.
“It's why we wanted him on the Lakers and part of our program, because we knew he could score,” Redick said. “I like when he's aggressive. … If he could just do him within our structure, a lot of times, good things happen.”
Smith has already flashed his scoring potential in big moments. The former first-round draft pick who signed with the Lakers a day before training camp started rescued the team with 25 points in Portland in a game without James, Doncic or Reaves. He had 12 points in 14 minutes off the bench against Toronto when the Lakers survived thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Rui Hachimura.
“We trust him,” Redick said before the game.
After getting waived by the Charlotte Hornets, Smith recognized that he hasn’t had this level of trust from a coaching staff “in a long time.” To have it “means everything,” he added.
“It's a different stage, you know, where I came from, and I understand that,” Smith said. “So I just want to make sure I'm ready. … I'm just blessed to be here, just have the opportunity just to even play with the Lakers and stuff like that, even be in the league. A lot of guys where I'm from would, like, love to be in this situation.”
JJ Redick switches rotation with Austin Reaves sidelined
It’s not just Reaves’ absence that is shaking up the Lakers rotation. Redick experimented with a new substitution pattern that could allow Doncic and James to individually lead the offense more often.
Doncic, who typically plays the entire first quarter, subbed out with 2:31 remaining in the first quarter Sunday. James kept his typical first-quarter pattern of playing roughly the first six minutes, sitting for three, then returning for the final three. Doncic would typically sit for the first five to six minutes of the second quarter, but returned Sunday at the 9:12 mark of the second.
“It just gives more time for those guys to sort of be the quarterback without the other one,” Redick said. “Having said that, we ran a lot of stuff for them to be in two-man action, for them to be part of the play together tonight. So it's not like we're trying to, like, keep them apart. It's just kind of the nature of what we're trying to do, and we're going to do this for the foreseeable future, and just see how it goes.”
Pressed by Redick to set the tone for a better start after the Lakers struggled in first quarters of their three blowout losses, Doncic and James combined for 19 points in the first quarter. Doncic leads the league in scoring and first-quarter scoring, but instead wanted to focus on distributing the ball early. All of the Lakers starters had at least one shot in the first three minutes of the game.
“Just trying to get everybody involved more than I used to,” Doncic said. “Everybody got some shots up today. Just shows when we share the ball, when we move the ball, it’s great for us.”
The Lakers had 25 assists on 47 made shots Sunday. They are 19-4 when they have 23 or more assists and 1-6 with 22 or fewer.
Detroit matchup gives Lakers a chance at a Houston do-over
The Lakers’ win over the struggling Kings (8-24) matters. It prevented the season from inching closer to disaster with a fourth consecutive loss. The defensive energy and effort, especially during a 13-2 run to start the third quarter, showed the team’s character in response to a deflating three-game skid.
But the win also doesn’t make a major statement. The Lakers improved to 13-3 against teams with losing records. They are just 7-7 against teams .500 or better. Those losses were by an average of 19.6 points.
Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons could be the statement game the Lakers are looking for.
The Pistons, who lead the Eastern Conference with a 24-7 record, are the NBA’s second-best rebounding team behind only Houston. The Rockets just dominated the Lakers, outrebounding L.A. by 23 last Thursday.
“They play a good brand of basketball,” James said of the Pistons. “It’s that Detroit feeling again. So we got to be ready for that, and I think we should be.”
Center Jalen Duren is averaging a career high 18.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Former first-overall pick Cade Cunningham is also having a career season with 26.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
While Montreal Canadiens’ fans have long identified Jacob Fowler as the goaltender of the future, most didn’t expect him to get a chance to show what he could do in the NHL this season. The Habs’ woes in net have forced the organization to do something to right the ship, and calling up Fowler from the Laval Rocket before sending Samuel Montembeault down for a conditioning stint was the chosen course of action.
The Habs played the move down, saying it was always the plan to see what Fowler could do this season, but given his performance in net, he has yet to be sent down to the AHL, despite Montembeault being back with the team.
While there’s enough pressure on a young goaltender in the Montreal market as it is, it’s hard not to draw a comparison between the Boston College alums and the winningest goaltender in Canadiens’ history, Carey Price. The way he handles himself on the ice, always calm and collected, in a perfect position to be square to the shot, and making saves look effortless, is very Price-like, but the comparison doesn’t stop there.
Before Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, RDS showed a comparison between the two masked men’s stats in the first five games of their careers, and the numbers are eerily similar. In five games, both had a 3-1-1 record and faced the same number of shots (146) while surrendering the same number of goals (12). Their goals-against average was different because Price spent 308:57 in the net while Fowler spent 300:33, meaning the former had a 2,33 GAA while the latter had a 2.40 GAA, but both had a .918 save percentage.
The most significant difference between their records is that Fowler had a shutout in his fourth game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, while Price notched his first in his 23rd game on February 16, 2007, against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Before graduating to the NHL, Price had only played 12 regular-season games with the Hamilton Bulldogs (the Canadiens’ farm team at the time) and 22 playoff games, leading his team to the Calder Cup. As things stand, Fowler has played eight playoff games with the Rocket and 18 regular-season tilts, for a total of 26 games, while Price has played 34 games in the lower league.
Could the Canadiens decide that Fowler has spent enough time in the AHL? I honestly didn’t think so, but the numbers RDS put forward really make you think. I still believe he could benefit from more seasoning in the AHL, but if Montembeault plays and fails to show he has his game back, the Habs should keep the youngster in the NHL. They want to win and make the playoffs this season, and that won’t happen with shaky goaltending.
Trade rumors are flying as the NBA trade deadline is just a little over a month away (Feb. 5), but it feels like the biggest names are more likely to stay put as teams are asking a lot — or is all this negotiating posturing? Here is the latest. (Note, for the latest on Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors, click this link.)
Anthony Davis
There are so many Anthony Davis reports, we are going to use bullet points to break them down.
• Dallas being patient. Whatever you think of former GM Nico Harrison's vision for this season's Mavericks – a roster built around Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Cooper Flagg — the reality is we have yet to see that trio on the court together (because Irving is recovering from a torn ACL). Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack newsletter that the man who makes the ultimate decision in Dallas — Patrick Dumont, the team governor who signed off on the Luka Doncic trade — doesn't want to rush the team's next big move.
"The Mavericks have yet to see Flagg, Davis and Irving play together for one second and I'm told that new Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont is certainly among those in the organization who would prefer to see how that trio looks before doing something else drastic."
Combine that with the things concerning teams about Davis and keeping bids low — his age (32), his injury history, his $54.1 million contract, and his desire for a contract extension — and it continues to look more like Davis is a trade that happens in the offseason, not at the deadline.
• No Trae Young for Davis. If Davis does get traded before the February trade deadline, Atlanta is the most likely landing spot and the most aggressive suitor, according to multiple reports.
However, that trade would not involve Trae Young, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on the NBA on Prime broadcast recently. Haynes said that if an AD trade happens, "I was told it would not involve Trae Young. Dallas would likely want expiring deals, young assets, and picks — and probably, likely to include last season's number one pick, Zaccharie Risacher." (More on Risacher later.)
Atlanta has plenty of their own and Bucks' picks to entice Dallas, but Kristaps Porzingis would have to return to Dallas as part of the deal just to make the money work. That said, league sources told NBC Sports they were skeptical the Hawks would give up a massive package of picks and young talent for Davis.
• The Warriors and Raptors are the other teams tied to Davis in rumors. Constructing a deal for Golden State that works under the tax aprons and makes sense for both sides is next to impossible (as it is for them trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo).
Trae Young
Atlanta and Young did not reach a contract extension last summer, and there was a sense that this was a make-or-break year for the Hawks and the face of their franchise.
How is that going? Well, "there is a growing belief leaguewide that the Hawks are more open to trading [Young] away than they've ever been,"reported Stein on Sunday. That said, there are conflicting reports that Atlanta would like to see what its team looks like with a healthy Young (and maybe Porzingis, who is close to returning) before making any moves.
The Hawks potentially being open to a deal doesn't change the fact that there isn't much of a trade market for the four-time All-Star at the deadline (the same goes for other expensive point guards such as Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball). He is more likely to be traded during the offseason.
Zaccharie Risacher
The Hawks have been active, and the No. 1 pick from a year ago is the player they are dangling, according to multiple reports. Stein summed it up well, writing, "It is also increasingly believed that Atlanta is willing to surrender Zaccharie Risacher in the proverbial right scenario, since the No. 1 overall pick in the draft just 18 months ago has not developed as the Hawks would have hoped to this point."
Risacher is averaging 10.7 points a game this season, shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc, and has (at best) not taken a step forward from his rookie season.
James Harden
The Clippers have won four in a row, and teams checking in to see if James Harden might be available are being told he is not, reports Jake Fischer at The Stein Line. The Clippers have long believed internally that they were better than they showed earlier in the season, and right now they are showing it. Don't expect a big shake up, this is a patient organization.
The Clippers are talking to teams about a potential landing spot for Chris Paul, but no deal has yet materialized. Teams interested in Paul feel they can wait the Clippers out rather than make a trade, just sign the point guard after he is bought out.
The old rivals have clashed in eight of the 27 Tests to finish inside two days – these are the tales behind the six matches played before the current series
To put in context the surprise that greeted the two-day Boxing Day Test just gone, consider the rarity by arithmetic. The match in Melbourne was Test number 2,615, and was two-day Test number 27. You don’t need a calculator to see that’s roughly 1%. And yet we’ve had two such matches in the current Ashes series, plus another in Australia three years earlier. We’ve had half a dozen two-day Tests worldwide since 2021. What gives?
Nine two-day Tests – fully one-third of the total – happened in the 1800s, when pitches could become swamps or shooting galleries. The next few mostly involved weak teams in their early years of development. Australia and England each dished one out to South Africa in the tri-series of 1912, and the South African team was little stronger when ripped up by Clarrie Grimmett and Bill O’Reilly in 1936. Australia also bashed up a new West Indies team in 1932 and New Zealand in 1946.
Kurt Helin
Raphielle Johnson
