Mar 18, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (91) moves in for a shot as Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York (8) and center Trevor Zegras (46) help goaltender Dan Vladar (80) defend the goal during the overtime period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The Anaheim Ducks have matched the Philadelphia Flyers’ offer sheet for center Leo Carlsson, keeping their rising young star at an extraordinary cost.
The Ducks announced their decision Thursday on the 21-year-old Carlsson, who now is the NHL’s highest-paid player under the five-year, $90 million deal extended by the Flyers one week ago.
Carlsson signed the Flyers’ offer sheet as a restricted free agent after a year of fruitless negotiations with Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek, whose typical hardline approach in contract talks with his restricted free agents backfired tremendously this time.
Carlsson’s new contract is worth much more than the league expected he would get as a restricted free agent, and the $18 million average annual value is significantly more than he had already indicated he would accept. The deal surpasses the salary of Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, who would have been the NHL’s highest-paid player at $17 million.
Harry Brook pyrotechnics take England to a thrilling first T20 series win over India at Bristol
3rd over: India 24-1 (Abhishek 6, Ishan 1) Not quite working for Sooryavanshi yet here in England, he looks to the skies and pulls off his helmet, shaggy teenage hair hanging in disappointment.
A big hit too many, squares up his body and throws the bat at a ball creeping up on him– the ball shimmies at the moon before falling into the hands of Curran at mid on.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 05: Gabriel Arias #13 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates his three-run home run on the base paths during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on July 05, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It is in times like this where I have to intentionally remind myself how much I will miss baseball during the lockout.
I swear, if they can’t hit Bailey Ober AGAIN today…
A slate full of struggling pitchers take the mound this evening, headlined by Merrill Kelly's recent slump on the bump.
Let's take a look at who joins him in my three favorite MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks and MLB picks from Thursday’s slate on July 9.
Player
Pick
Odds
Nathan Eovaldi
Over 7.5 Strikeouts
+125
Merrill Kelly
Under 3.5 Strikeouts
+132
Brady Singer
Over 2.5 Earned Runs
-153
Strikeout prop: Nathan Eovaldi Over 7.5 strikeouts (+125)
With MacKenzie Gore going over for us last night but failing to cash the ladder, the amount of opportunities he had makes me like Nathan Eovaldi to shove this evening.
Does that correlate? Who knows, but the Los Angeles Angels are still one of the highest strikeout teams in baseball.
Over their last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, six Angels hitters own at least a 23.3% strikeout rate, with four of those hitters sitting at 33.3% or higher.
Eovaldi has posted a 29.51% strikeout rate over his last five starts. Across his last 90 batters faced, he owns a 33.1% called strikes plus whiffs rate and a 17.2% swinging strike rate.
This is a great spot for another strikeout pitcher to go over his prop against one of the most swing-happy teams in baseball.
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: RSN, ABTV
Strikeout prop: Merrill Kelly Under 3.5 strikeouts
Coming into today, Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly owns one of the worst pitcher ratings on Batters-Box, including the lowest matchup strikeout rate. His trends in poorly rated spots are also very appealing.
Across 17 poorly rated games, Kelly has stayed under 4 strikeouts 47% of the time. In six games this season with a poorly rated matchup strikeout rate, he has stayed under this prop 66.67% of the time.
Over his last 5 starts, Kelly's strikeout rate has remained below 13%, and on the road this season, that number drops to 10.34%.
Despite the San Diego Padres' 28% strikeout rate over their last 6 games, this lineup has been seeing the ball well over the last 21 games. I expect plenty of contact and fewer whiffs from Kelly in San Diego this evening.
Arizona has also been one of the toughest teams to strike out, owning the highest contact percentage in baseball over their last 21 games.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SDPA, ARID
Earned Runs prop: Brady Singer Over 2.5 Earned Runs (-153)
After the Cincinnati Reds put up nearly two touchdowns last night, I fully expect the Phillies to come back with a chip on their shoulder and return the favor.
Brady Singer draws a fully elite rated Phillies lineup over on Batters-Box, that features three elite rated hitters and two more with strong ratings. The wildest part about those three elite bats? They all own at least 57.6% arsenal coverage against Singer’s pitch mix.
On top of that, the Philadelphia Phillies have been swinging a hot bat as a team, posting a 111 wRC+, .332 wOBA, and .167 ISO over their last 12 games. With me already expecting Philadelphia’s star hitters to bounce back this evening, I think this is a strong spot to fade Singer.
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CINR, NBCSP
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 282-526, -15.5 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Red Sox push for their sixth consecutive win in a season-best hot stretch. Boston eyes a sweep against the surprising American League Central-contending Chicago White Sox. Patrick Sandoval, who signed with Boston before the 2025 season, finally makes his team debut after an extensive rehab process.
Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate behind him Thursday afternoon at Rate Field.
The $18 million average annual value on the offer sheet makes Carlsson, 21, the highest-paid player in the NHL, passing the $17 million for Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov. The Flyers would have owed the Ducks four first-round picks if they had not matched.
With the match and the recent re-signing of defensemen Pavel Mintyukov and Tyson Hinds, the Ducks have about $9 million in remaining cap space according to puckpedia.com
Cutter Gauthier, the team's leading scorer, still has to sign and that cap space might not be enough after a 41-goal season. The Ducks' defense also could use an upgrade. That means general manager Pat Verbeek might have to trade a veteran or two to be cap-compliant.
Here's what to know about the Ducks matching the Flyers' offer sheet:
Leo Carlsson contract details
The Flyers' offer sheet was structured to make Carlsson's payouts mostly signing bonuses. Here are the details:
Carlsson was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft behind Chicago's Connor Bedard. He had a breakthrough 67 points in 70 games last season. He was named to the Swedish Olympic team but wasn't able to play because of a leg injury.
In his first three years, he has 141 points in 201 games.
It was only a matter of time, and the Ducks used every last second they had. On Thursday, the Ducks announced that they had matched the Philadelphia Flyers' five-year, $90 million offer sheet to forward Leo Carlsson. If they had decided not to match, they would have received four first-round picks.
Carlsson, 21, was a pending RFA and coming off a 67-point season in his third NHL season. This move locks down the Ducks' No. 1 center for the next five years. It also adds an $18 million-sized cap hit to their 2026-27 salary cap. Per PuckPedia, the Ducks have a little over $9 million in cap space. Cutter Gauthier, who scored 41 goals last season, is still a pending RFA and will surely be looking for an AAV in that range--or higher.
“Matching the offer sheet was an easy decision, as Pat has intelligently left enough cap space to give us the ability to retain Leo,” Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli said via press release. “We have extremely high expectations for Leo. We firmly believe he will continue his strong growth trajectory and become one of the truly elite centers in the league, while continuing to make a strong impact in our community.”
“We are very happy to have Leo under contract for five years,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in the same release. “We have viewed Leo as a franchise player since the moment we met him prior to the 2023 draft. He’s a character person on and off the ice. Leo is viewed as a top player in this league, and it was always our intention to match any offer sheet.”
How did we get here?
In Nov. 2025, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said during an interview on Victory+ that contract extension discussions had been paused with the likes of Carlsson and Gauthier, stating that they wanted to see how the market settles. "I really don't want to get into too hard of it because I want the players to keep playing well and not think about their contracts."
In late January, during another interview on Victory+, Verbeek reiterated that he had tabled contract extension discussions with the camps of Carlsson and Gauthier, saying that he wanted both players to be focused on making the playoffs. "There's plenty of time to deal with it," Verbeek said at the time. "We'll deal with it when the season's over and beyond."
That's all fine and dandy, but it didn't sound like much progress had been made in the month and a half between the Ducks' season ending on May 14 and June 26, when Verbeek spoke to the media after Day 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft.
"They're ongoing. That's all I can say. We're talking, and we'll see where it goes."
- -Ducks GM Pat Verbeek when asked about the progress of contract extension talks with Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier.
The bombshell dropped on July 3 shortly after noon PT, when the Flyers tendered the offer sheet that rocked the NHL. $85.3 million of Carlsson's $90 million was made up in signing bonuses, a contract element that the Samuelis do not typically include in their players' contracts.
Just a day before the offer sheet was officially tendered, a report came from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman that the Ducks were willing to match any offer sheet for Carlsson. Was it meant to be a scare tactic? Perhaps Verbeek--and cap guru Jeff Solomon--felt they had gauged the market well enough that any offer sheet that came their way would be an easy decision to match.
However, nothing could have prepared them for the amount or the structure of the Flyers' offer sheet. Your offer has to be big enough to give the opposing party pause, which is exactly what the Flyers' offer did. "I don't think (the Ducks) thought it was going to go here," Friedman said on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. "I don't think they thought it was going to go to 18 (million). And that is the lesson that everybody learns now, is that we better take care of our business; we better know our business; we better be sure of our business because we are now more vulnerable than ever. The NHL is changing."
Mar 30, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (91) and Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) battle for the puck during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images
Friedman also said that the morning the offer sheet was tendered, the Ducks reportedly offered a $12-13 million AAV contract extension while Carlsson's representation countered with $15 million. The Ducks said no.
We've seen teams be proactive in locking down their budding stars to long-term extensions before they ever reach restricted free agency. The Montréal Canadiens did it with Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov. The New Jersey Devils did it with Jack Hughes. The Dallas Stars did it with Wyatt Johnston. The only player that Verbeek has gotten ahead of signing prior to hitting restricted free agency is defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who signed an eight-year, $72 million extension last October.
Troy Terry was arbitration eligible in 2023, when he became an RFA. He filed for arbitration and was just moments away from his arbitration hearing when his seven-year extension was finalized. Goaltender Lukáš Dostál also filed for arbitration last summer when he became an RFA, though a five-year extension was agreed to before a hearing date was ever set. Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale and Mason McTavish all had their contract negotiations extend into training camp, with deals eventually agreed to. But all three of those players now no longer play for the Ducks.
Now, there's no doubt that negotiations are a two-way street, and it's a smart play for Ryan and Matt Keator (Carlsson's camp) and Kurt Overhardt (Gauthier's camp) to delay extension talks until season's end. Why sign now when you could have a breakout season and get even more in the offseason? Gauthier is not offer sheet-eligible, but Carlsson forced Verbeek's hand by accepting the Flyers' offer sheet. Would negotiations have dragged on for Carlsson as much as they had for some of his current and former teammates if he hadn't?
What happens now?
The Ducks have retained their No. 1 center. He was always destined for that spot after being selected with the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, but the exoduses of Zegras and now McTavish have all but cemented that. It's true, the $18 million AAV becomes quite troublesome for the 2026-27 season. With Gauthier still needing a contract and the blue line still a bit depleted after the departures of Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba and John Carlson, it's difficult to envision this season's team being much stronger than the one from this past season.
As the last six days passed by, there has been mixed reactions and debates from Ducks fans on social media about Carlsson's approach. Some of them have questioned his level of selflessness and desire to remain a Duck. He will have the opportunity to lay out his reasons when the time comes.
With the current team still needing a few reinforcements, Verbeek will have to perform surgery on his roster, working to free up salary any way he can. The most likely scenario is jettisoning Frank Vatrano and his $4.57 million cap hit to a team that needs to hit the cap floor, attaching a draft pick as compensation for doing so. On the backend, players like Tristan Luneau and Tyson Hinds will be relied on heavily to fill everyday NHL roles. 2025 10th overall pick Roger McQueen could also be in the mix for a top-6 forward role.
It wasn't going to be a pretty situation either way. You lose your budding star and No. 1 center, or you get four first-round picks and essentially have to restart your rebuild (again). Verbeek chose the option that would put him in less hot water.
The Chicago Blackhawks are in trouble. They are not going to have Connor Bedard until the middle of November due to shoulder surgery that he had on Wednesday.
With Bedard out, a potential 30 goal/point per game player is missing from the forward group. A lot of offense coming out of the lineup is less than ideal for a team that has already struggled to score in recent years.
There are a handful of moves that could be made to help while Bedard is out, and be there as support when he comes back. Whether it is a trade or a free agent signing of whoever is left, Kyle Davidson is likely looking to make another move for a forward who can score.
Among the options is Patrick Kane, who is a legendary player already, with most of his damage coming as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks from the time he was the number one overall pick in 2007 to 2023, when he was traded away.
During that stretch, Kane won a Hart Trophy, 3 Stanley Cups, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. Over the course of his entire career, Kane has 508 goals, 892 assists, and 1400 points in 1369 games played. There is no denying that he is one of the greatest American-born players in the history of the sport.
It's not like Kane is a low-end player at 37 years old, either. On an up-and-down Detroit Red Wings team last year, Kane had 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points in 67 games played. If he were put in a strictly offensive role (attacking zone starts, power play, top-six line) on the Blackhawks, his production would be right on par with those numbers.
Would Kane play with Bedard once the young center comes back from injury? It isn't a given at even strength, although they may give it a try here and there, but they would certainly get time together on the power play.
Not only does Kane bring exceptional skill on the ice, but he has a level of experience that very few ever achieve in an NHL career. He has made so many deep playoff runs, including winning the last game of the year, and he has also had so many disappointments.
That level of wisdom would be great for not only Bedard but also Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov, and other young players on the team.
It does not sound like Kane will be making a return to the Detroit Red Wings, no matter what. That leaves the Chicago Blackhawks and his hometown Buffalo Sabres as the top two candidates.
Anything can change with one phone call, as in another team swooping in, but these two teams that he's connected to have a hockey-related need in a market that he's familiar with.
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Clarkson played in 72 games for the Knicks last season, although his minutes fluctuated, and he averaged 8.6 points and 1.3 assists per game. His role shrank in the playoffs, for example he played just 30 minutes across the five NBA Finals games.
Clarkson can still go get a bucket, which is a boost off the Knicks bench, and he was popular with teammates in what was a tight Knicks locker room. He's a good fit to bring back.
The Knicks may also be interested in center Jonas Valanciunas, whom the Denver Nuggets just waived. The Knicks and Valanciunas talked when he was a free agent in 2024 and he is a former client of Knicks president Leon Rose, points out Knicks insider Ian Begley. New York is looking for depth at the five behind Karl-Anthony Towns, and while they have signed Andre Drummond they are eyeing one more center to fill the role Mitchell Robinson did a year ago (he signed with Boston as a free agent).
Jan 7, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; PAC 12 sports broadcaster Jacob Tobey prior to the game between the Oregon State Beavers against the Colorado Buffaloes at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Well, here’s a direction no one saw the Spurs’ summer going. After two seasons, Spurs’ television play-by-play announcer Jacob Tobey has reportedly been fired after allegedly having an affair with Loren Waters, the sister of Spurs player Lindy Waters III. The news was first reported by Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, citing sources.
Glass Break: Jacob Tobey, a talented young broadcaster, is out as Spurs PBP announcer after his girlfriend accused him on social media of cheating on her with a relative of a player on the team https://t.co/1gnBZ2uAzs
Rumors started to swirl Monday night/Tuesday morning when a post appeared on Tobey’s Instagram account, presumably posted by his girlfriend, stating the following:
“This is my girlfriend of six years. But I cheated on her with Loren Waters. @lorenkwatrs So feel free to continue following me if you really think I’m a good guy because I’m not. :)”
Tobey has not posted anything since and has locked or protected all his social media accounts. Neither the Spurs or Tobey have confirmed the report or his dismissal, but it has gained steam and been cited by other credible sites, including MySanAntnio.com (a sister site of the San Antonio Express News, SA’s main newspaper), so it is presumably a creditable report. We will provide updates here when/if the news is confirmed (or proven inaccurate) by a source more closely affiliated with the Spurs.
Tobey joined the Spurs broadcast team ahead of the 2024-25 season after longtime announcer Bill Land retired while dealing with a form of blood cancer. He quickly started building a good partnership with Sean Elliot and the Spurs community and was often a part of community events supporting Native American Heritage. If this is the last we’ve seen of Tobey with the Spurs, his final duty would have been conducting the introduction press conference for the Spurs’ 2026 draft class.
It will be a big position for the Spurs to fill but a highly touted one with them reaching the NBA Finals last season and having a long, promising future ahead of them with a young core led by Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The list of potential destinations for Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has reportedly grown, but the Minnesota Wild remain firmly in the conversation.
According to recent reports, Larkin has expanded the list of teams he would be willing to accept a trade to by adding the Dallas Stars.
Even with Dallas joining the mix, Minnesota remains one of just four reported destinations on Larkin's approved list, alongside the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers.
The Wild's continued inclusion is notable.
Minnesota has long been viewed as a team searching for another top-six center, and Larkin would immediately provide a proven offensive presence down the middle.
The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the NHL's premier two-way centers, combining speed, leadership, faceoff ability and consistent scoring throughout his career.
General manager Bill Guerin has never been afraid to make significant trades when the right player becomes available. His acquisition of Quinn Hughes last season demonstrated the organization's willingness to swing big when an opportunity presents itself.
Whether the Wild have the assets, or the salary cap flexibility, to complete a deal is another question entirely.
Still, as the offseason continues, Minnesota's place on Larkin's reported trade list ensures the Wild will remain connected to one of the NHL's biggest ongoing trade storylines.
For now, the list may have expanded to four teams, but the Wild are still one of the few organizations Larkin is reportedly willing to call home if a trade ever comes together.
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 22: Joan Beringer #19 of the Minnesota Timberwolves listens to instruction from assistant coach Pablo Prigioni in the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Target Center on February 22, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans Date: July 9th, 2026 Time: 2:30 PM CDT Location: Cox Pavilion Television Coverage: Prime Video
The Minnesota Timberwolves kick off their Las Vegas Summer League slate today against the New Orleans Pelicans, which means we have officially reached that strange portion of the NBA calendar where every fan base convinces itself that a 22-year-old who scores 18 points against a group of future EuroLeague rotation players may have just solved the franchise’s biggest problem.
Summer League is ridiculous that way, and yet it always matters just enough to keep us watching. Last year, Wolves fans entered Vegas with their eyes locked on the young trio of Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, and Rob Dillingham. After back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals, Minnesota needed cheap internal development in the worst way. The roster was expensive and the expectations were real. The Wolves needed those young guys to show they could become actual NBA contributors, not just theoretical rotation pieces fans talked themselves into during July.
Shannon did his part, at least in the desert. He put together some of the most dominant performances of the entire summer, attacking the rim with the kind of force that made Wolves fans immediately start penciling him into the rotation like he was the answer to the NAW departure. Unfortunately, that Summer League dominance never fully translated into the major year-two leap many hoped for, with injuries slowing him down and preventing him from carving out the consistent role that seemed possible after his Vegas breakout.
Dillingham’s arc was even more complicated. He entered last summer as the presumed heir apparent to Mike Conley Jr., or at least the young player Minnesota desperately needed to become a viable answer at point guard. The roster had a glaring hole there, and Dillingham’s skill set made him the obvious player fans wanted to dream on. But after a shaky Summer League and an uneven start to his NBA career, his biggest contribution to the Timberwolves ultimately came as the trade chip Tim Connelly used to acquire Ayo Dosunmu at the deadline. That may not have been the romantic version of development anyone envisioned, but it still helped the Wolves make it past Denver in Round 1. Sometimes your young guard becomes the future. Sometimes he becomes the receipt for the guy who helps you survive the present.
Now the calendar has flipped to 2026, and the Summer League spotlight has shifted from the backcourt to the frontcourt. After trading away Julius Randle and Naz Reid, Minnesota suddenly has a crater-sized opening at power forward. For the last several seasons, the Wolves were defined by size. They were the team with too many big bodies, the team that could throw wave after wave of frontcourt strength at opponents. Now, almost overnight, that identity has been flipped on its head. The Wolves have LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards in the backcourt, Jaden McDaniels on the wing, Rudy Gobert anchoring the middle, and a whole lot of uncertainty sitting at the four.
That is what makes this Summer League intriguing. Joan Beringer, last year’s 18th overall pick, is suddenly more than just an interesting developmental prospect. He is now one of the few internal players who could theoretically help patch the frontcourt hole. During his rookie season, the young French big was not ready for prime time, but he showed enough flashes to make Wolves fans raise an eyebrow. What was missing was the polish, the consistency, and the physical readiness required to survive real NBA minutes on a team trying to contend.
That is fine for a rookie. It is less fine when the depth chart starts looking like someone forgot to finish the frontcourt section. Beringer does not need to look like a finished product in Vegas. Nobody should expect that. But he does need to look like someone who has taken a step forward. He needs to be more comfortable defensively, more decisive offensively, and more physically prepared to handle contact. The Wolves do not need him to become a starting-caliber player overnight. They need signs that he can be trusted, even in limited stretches, when the real games begin.
Rocco Zikarsky may be just as interesting. He spent much of last season either in Iowa or buried at the end of the bench, but his combination of size and shooting is exactly the kind of thing Minnesota could use after watching its frontcourt depth get stripped down. Players with legitimate size who can stretch the floor do not grow on trees. For the Wolves, Zikarsky represents a possible internal lottery ticket at a position of sudden need.
The question is whether either big can do enough this summer to give Wolves Nation something resembling comfort. Can Beringer look like a player ready to push for minutes? Can Zikarsky show that his size and shooting are more than a theoretical skill package? Can one of them step forward enough that fans stop refreshing LeBron James rumors every 11 minutes like Minnesota is waiting for the final rose in some deranged NBA version of The Bachelor?
That last part may be asking too much.
Ultimately, Summer League is not about final answers. It is about clues. A year ago, Wolves fans watched Shannon explode and Dillingham wobble, and both developments mattered in ways that carried into the season, even if not exactly as expected. This year, the focus shifts to the bigs because the roster demands it. Minnesota has made its splash. LaMelo Ball is here. The backcourt suddenly looks electric. The power forward position, meanwhile, looks like a blown fuse.
That makes today’s opener against New Orleans more than just a casual summer run. It is the first look at whether Minnesota has any internal answers.
The game will be televised on Prime, and the Canis Hoopus faithful will have the comments section ready, because if there is one thing this fan base knows how to do, it is care deeply about a July game that may or may not matter six months from now.
The Knicks are bringing back Jordan Clarkson on a one-year, $3.9 million deal, SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley confirms.
The shooting guard played in 72 regular season games in his first season with the Knicks after joining them on a veteran minimum contract last offseason. He averaged 8.6 points in the regular season and 4.9 points during the playoffs.
Clarkson came to New York to be a scoring threat off the bench -- he averaged 17.5 points in the previous six seasons with the Utah Jazz, mostly in the same role. The 33-year-old even won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020-21.
His role with the Knicks quickly diminished, though, as he saw the fewest minutes per game (17.8) of his career.
Nevertheless, Clarkson shot 45.1 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from three and enjoyed success on a championship-winning team.
In his career that spans 12 seasons with the Knicks, Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, Clarkson has averaged 15.3 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game and 2.8 assist per game.
Nikita Kucherov is a critical figure in the Florida rivalry between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
But what if he was on the opposite side?
Former Panthers assistant GM Steve Werier appeared on The Overdrive, a TSN radio show, to answer questions about Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet and how the process works.
To better explain his point, he reflected on real-life experiences, noting how the Panthers approached offer sheets in 2016.
Werier mentioned that the Panthers made sure to lock up key RFAs before they became offer-sheet eligible, including Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau, Vincent Trocheck, and Reilly Smith. With their own business handled, the Panthers planned to offer sheet Kucherov.
Werier spent just one season with the Panthers as the assistant GM, during the 2016-17 season, when Kucherov’s entry-level contract expired.
In the 2016 off-season, Kucherov wasn’t the player he is now, but he was beginning to show signs of it. He was coming off consecutive 60-point seasons and scored 29 and 30 goals. In the playoffs, Kucherov notched 10 goals and 22 points in 26 games during the Lightning’s run to the Stanley Cup final in 2015.
He may not have been the two-time Hart Trophy winner and three-time Art Ross Trophy winner, just yet, but the Panthers clearly noticed something in his development, and they were right to think that way.
In the end, the Panthers did not offer sheet Kucherov and he signed a three-year bridge deal with the Lightning. Kucherov is now considered the best winger in the NHL, and when he calls it a career, he’ll go straight to the Hockey Hall of Fame, owning all the records in Tampa Bay.
It’s fun to take a second to imagine how differently the NHL would have looked if the Panthers had successfully offer-sheeted Kucherov.
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Another important contributor to the Knicks’ championship run is back. Jordan Clarkson is re-signing with the team, The Post’s Stefan Bondy reported Thursday, on a one-year deal worth $3.9 million.
Since it is a veteran minimum deal, Clarkson gets the full negotiated salary but it only counts for roughly $2.5 million against the cap for second apron purposes. The move now leaves them $3.3 million under the second apron, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, with just one spot left to fill. Owner James Dolan, at the start of the offseason, stated that he intends to stay under that second apron, and the Knicks have acted accordingly.
Jordan Clarkson was a spark plug off the bench for the Knicks. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Knicks now have 13 players on the roster, one short of the mandated 14 standard contracts. Teams can temporarily dip down to 13, though it is complicated.
The move means just one main rotation player — Mitchell Robinson — from last year’s team is gone. Ariel Hukporti also departed, though he hardly played. The Knicks managed to bring back Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara and Clarkson and replace Robinson with Andre Drummond for a total cost of just $17.5 million against the cap.
Clarkson joined the Knicks last year and, after an up-and-down regular season, emerged as a valuable bench piece by the postseason — he averaged 10.8 minutes per game in the playoffs. A shot-happy scorer and offensive-minded player most of his career, he reinvented himself last year with the Knicks after falling out of the rotation midseason. He became a strong on-ball defender and rebounder, qualities that helped him make an impact off the bench and regain a place in coach Mike Brown’s rotation.
Jordan Clarkson played some critical minutes in the playoffs. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
And at 34 years old and having played 12 years in the league, he was an important leader and voice in the locker room.
“You can have leadership in a lot of different ways,” Brown said at the end of the year. “As of late, the reality of it is, a guy like Jordan Clarkson is starting to separate himself and showing that he’s one of the leaders of the team. Just because you start, just because you score a ton or shoot a ton, or you’re one of the best defenders, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a leader. Because one of the things is, leaders aren’t afraid to tell the truth. They do what they say. Being a leader means you gotta be on point all the time. You can’t be worried about whether your teammate likes you at the time because you’re saying something that’s truthful or you’re holding people accountable or not.
“So when you look at a guy like Jordan, who’s been through a lot, who’s still stayed ready, even when he was out, for him and listening to him speak up in front of the group now, that’s starting to show real leadership.”
For that 14th roster spot, the only remaining hole is a third center to replace Hukporti behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Drummond. The Knicks will have to continue to shop for free agents who would sign a veteran minimum in order to fully complete their goal of staying under the second apron.
Second-round pick Jack Kayil was added to the team’s Summer League roster. He was not originally included on the roster, but will in fact join the team in Las Vegas. A 20-year-old guard from Germany, the Knicks drafted him with the No. 39 pick last month.
The Knicks are set to open their Summer League slate on Friday against the Nets.
Nathan Eovaldi
Merrill Kelly
Brady Singer
