CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals throws the ball to first base against the Chicago White Sox at Nationals Park on September 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Trade talks centered around CJ Abrams between the Giants and Nationals recently stalled out.
The Giants had reportedly “signaled their openness to include” top prospect Josuar Gonzalez.
Fellow Giants prospects, including left-handers Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan, outfielder Bo Davidson and shortstop Jhonny Level were also discussed as part of talks, per Baggarly.
Abrams, 25, hit 19 home runs with 31 stolen bases last season for Washington.
CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals throws the ball to first base against the Chicago White Sox at Nationals Park on September 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images
With Willy Adames holding down shortstop in San Francisco, Abrams would have shifted over to second base if a deal with the Giants had gone through.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Giants were “aggressively pursuing” a second baseman, with the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan and Cubs’ Nico Hoerner as possible fits.
Baggarly added that the franchise might shift their focus to the open market, citing free agents like outfielder Harrison Bader and infielder Luis Arraez as potential targets.
Washington is apparently undergoing another fire sale despite finishing with a losing record in each of the past six seasons.
The Giants, on the other hand, are looking to get over the hump, having finished at or just below .500 in each of the past four seasons.
San Francisco’s offseason has been relatively quiet after finishing 80-82 last season, with the signings of Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle to add to the back of their rotation as their biggest moves thus far.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t found their usual consistency on the defensive end this season. When asked about why that’s been the case before Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, head coach Kenny Atkinson pointed to one thing: Three-point defense.
“We’re number one in taking away [shots at] the rim in the last 15 [games]… we got two elite shot blockers,” Atkinson said. “[We have to] somehow bring their (three-point) percentages down.
“I’m taking suggestions.”
Three-point defense has been one of the main problems for the Cavs. They rank last in opponent three-point percentage this season, as teams are converting 38.2% of their outside shots against them. Atkinson is trying to figure out what has led to this.
“We’re looking at all things,” Atkinson said. “What’s their shot quality? How can you get their shot quality down? How can we contest better? How can our jump height be better at the contest? What hand are we putting up?”
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Opponent three-point shooting is complicated. Good defense doesn’t always get rewarded, while bad defensive possessions can be bailed out by a lucky miss. Atkinson alluded to their recent win against the Charlotte Hornets as a situation where their opponent just missed shots. The numbers would seem to suggest this.
Charlotte went just 8-47 from three (17%). Of those 47 outside attempts, 30 of them came with no defender within six feet at the time of the shot, and they only hit five of them (16.7%), according to the NBA’s tracking data. On the season, the Hornets are connecting on 40.1% of their wide-open three-point shots, which is good for the sixth-best percentage in the league. Wednesday’s game was an outlier.
“There’s a lot of pieces to that,” Kings head coach Doug Christie said when asked about what leads to a team being good at defending the three-ball. He then listed three things that could make this an issue. All are things that apply to the Cavs’ current situation.
First, it can be a reflection on point-of-attack defense.
“It could be from getting beat off the dribble, and now you can get the ball out [for an open three],” Christie said. “Basketball is about creating advantages. Once the advantage is created, you want to keep that advantage, so now you swing the ball out.”
Cleveland has struggled in this area.
Isaac Okoro spent much of the last few seasons defending their opponent’s best scoring guard. No one has been able to step up and take that assignment in his absence. Additionally, Darius Garland has struggled with mobility, and the effort from the remaining guards just hasn’t been what it needs to be to have a good perimeter defense.
Then, there’s running opponents off the line.
“It could also be the ability to close out in space,” Christie said. “Are you running them off the line? Are you arriving late? Do they feel you? A lot of times, if you just run out at this level, guys just don’t see. They’re programmed to rise up, see their target, and shoot the basketball. So you have to arrive early, and that means multiple efforts.”
The Cavs are struggling to do this as well. Opponents are attempting more threes against them this season than they ever have in the core four era. Cleveland is giving up the 15th most three-point attempts. Each of the last four seasons, the Cavs were allowing the eighth fewest three-point attempts or better. Part of that is from failing to run opponents off the line and then rotating to the open man.
“I know we can do a better job of bringing three-point attempts down,” Atkinson said. “That’s what you control more than the makes and misses, believe it or not. I know everybody freaks out when people say that, but that has been established.”
Lastly, it could be from prioritizing protecting the rim.
“If you’re trying to protect the paint, you see a downhill drive, and all of a sudden you get in the gap, and you protect the paint,” Christie said. “That means you left your man. He’s standing there, so someone has to stunt, and that stunt has to be hard enough that they feel you not want to shoot the basketball that allows you to get back to your man. And that’s called second and third, multiple efforts. On a night-to-night basis, in our league, the really elite teams that are down about that, they give that effort up.”
Cleveland has done an excellent job of protecting the rim this season. That, more than anything, is the most important part of having a good defense. They have the second-best opponent field-goal percentage at the rim, but the defensive effort shouldn’t stop at just preventing shots at the basket.
“The rim is, in our philosophy, the number one priority,” Atkinson said, “In an ideal world, you’re taking away the rim, and you’re limiting threes. That’s the perfect defense.”
The Cavs are still looking for the perfect defense. They’re doing some things right, but until the perimeter defense consistently does better at the point of attack, shows more effort rotating, and is clear on how the rotations should happen, they’ll continue to struggle with this. Fortunately, they still have time to get these issues ironed out.
“We’re on the details, but the fact of the matter is, we’re going to try and bring the percentages down,” Atkinson said. “Our defense will get better.”
Some rumors and some ideas will simply never end. In 15 years, Canon Curry will be shooting 55% from deep for the Golden State Warriors, and various reporters will be mentioning the team’s desire to trade for LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo to pair with the third generation shooter.
But that’s a story for another year, to be written by the replacement to my replacement’s replacement. For now, we focus on 2026 when, wouldn’t you know it … the Warriors are reportedly trying to add two of the seminal stars of this era.
With the current season all but over following Jimmy Butler III’s season-ending ACL tear, the Warriors are, justifiably, turning their attention to the offseason. And they are, justifiably, doing it with their vintage “light years” approach of audacious planning.
Yes, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Warriors have their eyes set towards a summer of LeBron and Giannis. Here’s what Fischer wrote on Thursday:
Sources say that the Warriors naturally do plan to feature prominently in the trade mix for Milwaukee’s Antetokounmpo if he truly becomes available via trade this offseason while also exploring the prospect of teaming James with Stephen Curry at last once LeBron becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30.
This audacious plan, while unlikely to come to fruition, has become more plausible over the last 48 hours. The situation with Antetokounmpo and the Bucks is seemingly growing worse daily, with ESPN’s Shams Charania saying, “the writing is on the wall.” As for James, the curtain is being pulled back on the Lakers’ dysfunction, and signs are increasingly pointing towards this being his final season in the purple and gold. An ESPN exposé by Baxter Holmes on Wednesday painted the picture of a tense and uncomfortable relationship between LeBron and Jeanie Buss … and, just as importantly, implied that Buss might be ready to move on from James when he enters free agency later this year.
The Warriors have a path to acquiring each — and even both — this offseason, but it’s not the path that’s likely to be taken. Butler’s expiring contract matches Antetokounmpo’s, and Golden State could build a decently compelling package based around a bevy of first-round picks. That package becomes more interesting if they hang onto Jonathan Kuminga past the deadline, opt into his deal for next season, and can include his expiring contract to take some more long-term money off of Milwaukee’s books. Even so, the Warriors probably can’t put together the best package for Antetokounmpo, and may have to rely on the two-time MVP desiring a pairing with Curry … and Milwaukee doing what they can to facilitate that desire.
Signing James is even less likely. Despite Golden State’s interest, I’m not convinced they would swap Butler for LeBron in a sign-and-trade and, if not, any move would be contingent on James taking a non-max contract to team up with Curry. If he were willing to sacrifice half of his salary, the Warriors could work a sign-and-trade around a Kuminga package … and if he were willing to sacrifice a few more tens of millions, he could sign outright as a mid-level exception. We know LeBron would love to play alongside Curry and Draymond Green, and he has not been shy in his adoration for Steve Kerr. Would all of that, plus a chance to compete for another ring, compel him to take a massive discount for the first time in his storied career? Seems unlikely, but one never knows what a player desires in the twilight of their career.
Of course, since this is Joe Lacob we’re talking about, it’s safe to assume the Warriors are not just hoping for one of these far-fetched outcomes, but both of them. In the interim, don’t expect the Warriors to take a “shoot for the stars, land on the clouds” approach with Butler’s contract. According to Fischer, the Dubs “don’t plan to entertain any move involving Butler unless a truly top-tier trade target tries to push their way toward teaming up with Curry.” Fischer specifically said that Golden State has not shown interest in Anthony Davis, and I would assume it is only an Antetokounmpo-level talent that would get their attention.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Golden State Warriors Date: January 24th, 2026 Time: 4:30 PM CST Location: Target Center Television Coverage: ABC Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio
It’s one thing to break your New Year’s resolution when the calendar creeps into late January. That’s normal. That’s human. That’s “I’ll start dieting again Monday” culture. It’s another thing to look that resolution dead in the eyes, and decide to binge eat your way through the Pizza Hut buffet like breadsticks are going out of style.
That’s where the Minnesota Timberwolves are right now.
Because whatever that early-January version of the Wolves was, the one that came out of the Nets/Hawks embarrassment like a team that finally got tired of hearing its own excuses, it has vanished. Those Wolves played like they had a shared password to the same brain: intensity, ball pressure, rotating on a string, moving the ball, making the extra pass, making the extra effort, turning games into suffocation chambers. They were stacking wins and building actual credibility. It felt like a pivot point.
And then the last week happened.
Four straight losses. It has been a self-inflicted wound festival, the kind where you watch the tape afterward and it’s just a highlight reel of bad decisions, like you’re watching a horror movie and the teenager is walking into the basement again.
You can almost memory-hole Houston and San Antonio if you’re feeling generous. Houston was without Ant, San Antonio was without Rudy, and those are the exact two players who give the Wolves their identity on both ends. Missing your best offensive player and then your best defensive player in back-to-back games against elite West competition is a legitimate obstacle. Fine. The problem is those games were still there. Minnesota could’ve stolen the Houston one if they had simply treated the free throw line like something that matters in professional basketball. And the Spurs game became a case study in “how do you give up 48 points in a quarter and still convince yourself you’re a serious team?”
But the real slide started when the injuries stopped being the headline and the effort became the story.
Utah was the line in the sand game, the “get right, handle business, be a pro” game, and Minnesota treated it like a casual open run. Double-digit lead, rested legs, opponent on a back-to-back… and then they got outscored by 17 in the fourth and folded like they had somewhere better to be. You want to know how teams end up in the play-in even though they have top-four talent? It’s nights like that. You want to know how fans start making April bracket scenarios with dread instead of excitement? It’s nights like that.
Then came Chicago at Target Center, and they somehow topped Utah in the most Wolves-possible way: by blowing multiple double-digit leads, turning the intensity switch on and off like a teenager flicking the light in the hallway just to be annoying, and losing the game in the exact moments that separate grown-up teams from teams that are still trying to figure out who they are.
They had it. They had it. That corner three by Jaden to go up four in the final minutes is the kind of shot that’s supposed to be the turning point. That’s the moment you’re supposed to feel the opponent’s shoulders slump. And then… a weak closeout gifts Kobe White a three to cut it to one. In that situation, you absolutely cannot allow the three. If they score a two, you’re still up two and you can live with it. A three changes the entire math problem. And Minnesota just… let it happen.
Then the turnover came. Then the interior breakdown. Then Ant went into hero mode, clanging threes while the rest of the offense stood around watching. I don’t even want to bury him for it because he’s bailed them out so many times this season it’s basically become a personality trait. But this wasn’t one of those nights where the “Ant saves everyone” script made sense. There were multiple instances where ball movement, actual basketball, could’ve gotten them a better look and a better chance to win.
So now the Wolves are where they swore they wouldn’t be: entrenched in the play-in neighborhood, staring at the West standings like they’re watching their phone battery hit 3% with no charger in sight. And the worst part is that a week ago, we were talking about the two seed chase like it was a real thing. Not a fantasy. A real thing.
Now they get a two-game home stand against Golden State, a team they’re suddenly jockeying with, a team that’s wobbling a bit itself, especially with Jimmy Butler’s injury hanging over everything. But here’s the thing about the Warriors: even in their messy eras, they still have Steph Curry and Steve Kerr. They still have a built-in competence level that punishes teams who show up half-awake. And if Minnesota brings the same sleepy, lazy, “we’ll turn it on later” energy we’ve seen the last two games, Golden State will absolutely take their lunch money.
This is not optional anymore. They cannot let the losing streak hit five. Not with the West this tight. Not with April consequences looming.
So yeah, maybe a familiar rival, a team with postseason history, a team that tends to pull emotion and feistiness out of Minnesota… maybe that’s the kick in the ass they need.
Keys to the Game
1. Play defense. No, really — play defense. Not “run back and point at someone.” Not “funnel everything into Rudy and hope he cleans it up.” Not “let’s gamble for steals because rotating is hard.” Actual defense. Ball pressure. Staying attached. Getting through screens like they’re being paid to do it (news flash: they are). The Wolves have become this bizarre team where the defense sometimes looks like a top-two unit and sometimes looks like a preseason scrimmage where everyone’s trying not to get sweaty. That can’t happen against Steph Curry, because Curry doesn’t need you to make five mistakes. He only needs one. And if the Wolves are going to win this, it has to start with their wings deciding that resistance isn’t optional. Rudy can anchor the back line, but he cannot be a security blanket for lazy perimeter effort. If you’re getting beat off the dribble and then shrugging because “Rudy’s there,” you’re not playing defense. You’re outsourcing it.
2. Make Steph uncomfortable. Every team says “we have to locate Steph” like it’s a cute little checklist item, but it’s not a checklist item. It’s a lifestyle. It’s 48 minutes of paranoia. It’s knowing where he is in transition, knowing where he is when the ball swings, knowing that he’ll relocate after he gives it up, knowing that the shot can come from anywhere if you relax for a second. With Butler out, the Warriors’ margin for error shrinks. If the Wolves can keep Steph from going full nuclear, then suddenly Golden State is asking a lot from their secondary guys. But that only matters if Minnesota also stops gifting layups and back cuts like they’re handing out party favors. You can’t be locked in on Curry and asleep everywhere else.
3. Use the size advantage. This is the simplest advantage in the world: Minnesota can put Rudy, Naz, and Julius on the floor and still have Beringer waiting in the wings like a change-up pitch. Golden State, especially without Butler, is not built to deal with that kind of bulk for 48 minutes. So make them deal with it. Swarm the glass. Own the paint. Turn missed shots into second chances and turn defensive rebounds into control. If Minnesota gets punked on the boards in this matchup, that’s not “bad luck,” that’s malpractice. The Wolves have to impose themselves physically and make Golden State feel it over time, not with dirty stuff, not with nonsense, just with relentless possession-winning basketball. The Warriors want flow. They want pace. They want you scrambling. Rebounding and interior scoring are how you put sand in those gears.
4. Run a real offense — not the “my turn, your turn” show. This is the big one because it’s the one that’s been quietly killing them. When the Wolves are good, they move the ball and the defense has to react. When they’re bad, it turns into Ant dribbling into a contested step-back while everyone watches, and Julius turning into a black hole on the left block where the ball goes in and sometimes never comes out. They’re both talented enough to score that way in bursts, but building an offense around it is how you end up with those dead fourth quarters where every shot feels hard, every miss feels heavier, and then your defense starts sulking. Ant and Julius need to get theirs within the flow: downhill pressure, quick decisions, kick-outs, cutting, the extra pass. Make Golden State guard multiple actions. Make them rotate. Make them communicate. Because if Minnesota’s offense turns into iso sludge again, the Warriors will happily defend it, run off your misses, and suddenly you’re in that familiar spot where you’re trying to “flip the switch” with five minutes left.
5. Ant has to win the headline matchup — but he has to do it the right way. We all know the resume gap between Curry and Ant historically. Curry’s a living artifact of the modern NBA. But time comes for everyone, and Ant is barreling toward his prime like he’s late for a flight. This is one of those statement spots where Edwards can remind everyone: “Yeah, that era isn’t over yet, but mine is here.” If Ant outplays Steph, Minnesota probably wins. It’s not complicated. But “outplays Steph” can’t mean “takes 12 threes because he’s feeling it.” It has to be smart aggression: attacking the rim, bending the defense, making the right pass when the trap comes, picking his moments from deep instead of settling. If Ant plays connected basketball, scoring and creating, it pulls everyone else into the game. And when everyone else is engaged offensively, they tend to actually defend, too. That’s the whole chain reaction Minnesota has been missing lately.
The Finish
There’s no more room for the Wolves to treat games like optional experiences. They’ve given away too much ground, and the West is too unforgiving to let you casually bleed losses and then “make it up later.” Later becomes April, and April becomes “why are we the seven seed again?” and suddenly you’re sweating a play-in game because you couldn’t close out Utah on a Tuesday or defend a three against Chicago on your home floor.
This Warriors mini-series is exactly the kind of moment that can either snap a team back into seriousness or push them deeper into the fog. Golden State is wounded, but they’re still dangerous. They still have the structure and the championship DNA that punishes teams who play cute. If Minnesota shows up with that tired, complacent energy again, the losing streak is going to hit five. At that point, you’re not “slumping,” you’re spiraling.
So this has to be it. This has to be the point where they stop bleeding themselves out. Defend. Rebound. Move the ball. Play with purpose. The Wolves don’t need a miracle. They need professionalism. They need urgency. They need the version of themselves that showed up in early January, the one that looked like it actually cared about what it could become.
Because the Wolves are still good enough to climb. They’re still talented enough to scare anybody. But talent without effort is just a fancy way to lose games you should win.
And if they can’t figure that out at home, against a banged-up Warriors team, with their season starting to wobble? Then we’re going to have to start having the conversation nobody wants to have, not about the two seed, not about a deep run… but about whether this team is sleepwalking its way into the play-in on purpose.
TORONTO (AP) — Mitch Marner stepped on the ice for warmups and heard some boos during an initial lap around a rink he knows well.
The Vegas Golden Knights winger experienced more jeers on his first shift. That noise only got louder when Marner finally touched the puck, followed by an unexpected ovation after heading to the bench.
In his first game back at Scotiabank Arena since a drawn-out divorce with the Toronto Maple Leafs was finalized last summer, Marner felt a range of emotions Friday night.
And left with a 6-3 victory.
“Passionate fan base,” Marner said. “They love their team. It was interesting the whole night. When warmups hit, it really just felt odd and weird.”
The Maple Leafs honored Marner, who spent nine seasons in Toronto playing for the team he cheered for as a kid, during the first television timeout. There was a mixture of boos and cheers throughout the 40-second video tribute as many fans rose to their feet. Marner raised his right arm and tapped his chest in acknowledgment with Vegas already up 2-0.
“I was trying to just take it in and not get emotional,” he said. “Still got a lot of love for these fans.”
Asked if there was a sense of relief the homecoming was finally over, Marner replied with a smile: “Completely, definitely, honestly.”
Vegas captain Mark Stone thought the atmosphere hit the right notes all night.
“You’re expecting boos, right?” Stone said. ”(Marner) doesn’t play for the Maple Leafs anymore, but they tip their cap to what he did for this organization.”
Drafted fourth overall in 2015, Marner enjoyed plenty of regular-season success with the Maple Leafs, but was a lightning rod of criticism in hockey’s biggest media market for Toronto’s inability to break through in the playoffs.
A slow march out the door from his de facto hometown last season as unrestricted free agency loomed finally ended when he was shipped to Vegas in a sign-and-trade deal that netted Marner an eight-year, $96 million extension.
“That (booing) was fine,” he said. “I knew was it going to come … the cheering when I was going off was pretty funny. I didn’t see that one coming.”
Marner, who picked up two assists in a 6-5 overtime victory against his old team on the Las Vegas Strip last week, has 12 goals and 40 assists in 50 games this season.
“Our guys were going to try to bring their best for Mitch,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “And they did.’
Marner’s new club sits comfortably in a playoff position atop the Pacific Division standings, while Toronto is on the outside in the Eastern Conference post-season race.
“The booing I had, it was what I expected,” he said. “Tried to play through it, play with the puck, play my game. And do my thing.”
The Flyers sure delivered one Friday night with a 7-3 stunner over the juggernaut Avalanche at Ball Arena.
Owen Tippett led the Flyers’ charge with a hat trick. His second goal snapped a 3-3 tie just 56 seconds into the third period before Matvei Michkov added insurance only 1:04 minutes later.
Tippett then punctuated his night on a shorthanded breakaway. Michkov sealed the game with an empty-netter.
The Flyers took the final stanza, 4-0, from a Colorado team that entered with an NHL-best plus-37 goal differential in the third period.
Denver Barkey and Bobby Brink also found the back of the net for the Flyers.
Samuel Ersson had a commendable effort in net.
The Flyers (24-17-9) went 2-0-1 on their road trip against teams all in Western Conference playoff position. If they didn’t have a collapse against the Mammoth two nights ago, they would have swept the trip.
Rick Tocchet’s club handed the league-leading Avalanche (34-6-9) just their second regulation loss on home ice. Colorado dropped to 20-2-4 at Ball Arena.
Before this loss, the Avalanche were 19-2 in games decided by three or more goals.
• Ersson denied 32 of 35 shots.
The 26-year-old was making his third consecutive start and sixth straight appearance. The Flyers didn’t help him early with a couple of penalties in the game’s opening five minutes. Ersson was outstanding, though, converting 17 first-period saves.
The Flyers took a surprising 2-0 lead into first intermission. But Colorado turned it on like it typically does, making it a 3-3 game 12:12 minutes into the second period.
Parker Kelly put the Avalanche on the board after Christian Dvorak committed a turnover that kept Colorado in the offensive zone. Victor Olofsson tied it up at 2-2 off a great pass from Nathan MacKinnon.
Brink responded 32 seconds later to regain the Flyers’ lead, but Cale Makar quickly countered for the Avalanche.
Colorado netminder Mackenzie Blackwood stopped just 13 of the Flyers’ 19 shots.
• Tippett now has a team-leading two shorthanded goals after coming into the season with none in his career.
Last season, it was really intriguing early on when the Flyers tried Tippett on the penalty kill. They didn’t continue with it, but he’s starting to show why he can be a threat at shorthanded.
His power and speed can put pressure on the opposing power play. Tippett played 2:24 minutes on the penalty kill against the Avalanche. We’ll see if the Flyers keep giving him the opportunities.
• For a fourth straight game, the Flyers scored first. Tippett promptly regathered the puck and fired again after having his initial shot blocked, putting the Flyers ahead with a little under five minutes left in the opening frame.
Not even four minutes later, Barkey made it 2-0 with a power play goal off a feed from Michkov.
Michkov was very good, finishing with his first three-point game of the season.
• Dan Vladar missed a fifth straight game. He has been considered day to day with a lower-body injury. The Flyers’ next game against the Islanders feels like a possibility for his return.
• The Flyers come home for a matchup Monday against New York (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Lamar Wilkerson scored 27 points, Nick Dorn added 23, Tucker DeVries had 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Indiana routed Rutgers 82-59 on Friday night to end a four-game losing streak.
It was Indiana's first win at Rutgers since Feb. 5, 2018.
DeVries scored 16 points in the first half, Dorn added 14 and Wilkerson had 13 as Indiana led Rutgers 47-32 at halftime. The Hoosiers made 50% of their field goals in the half, including 8 of 20 from 3-point range.
The Rutgers starters did not make a field goal for the opening 12 1/2 minutes of the game. Tariq Francis came off the bench to score 21 of Rutgers’ 32 first-half points. Francis was 8 of 14 from the field while the rest of his teammates combined to go 4 of 17.
Indiana led by double figures the entire second half and finished with 15 3-pointers on 35 attempts. Dorn made six 3-ponters, Wilkerson added five and DeVries four.
The only other players to score for Indiana (13-7, 4-5 Big Ten) were Tayton Conerway with six points and Sam Alexis with four to go with 10 rebounds. DeVries recorded his third double-double of the season.
Francis was the only double-digit scorer for Rutgers (9-11, 2-7) with 28 points.
Up next
Indiana: Returns home to play No. 4 Purdue on Tuesday.
Rutgers: Continues its homestand against No. 10 Michigan State on Tuesday.
Keys, Pegula, and Anisimova all cruise into fourth round Defending champion overcomes cramp amid extreme heat
Pliskova 0-1 Keys (9)* The 186cm Czech intersperses a trademark ace between a series of unforced errors to hand Keys a couple of break points. She saves the first but Keys secures the early advantage with a lovely in-to-out forehand winner. The champion has started strongly, striking the ball cleanly from the baseline. Pliskova, by contrast, looks a bit flat-footed and lacking timing.
The players are out on RLA. Key’s’s neon green Nike outfit is irridescent in the bright sunshine. Pliskova is serving in orange Adidas.
A potentially catastrophic winter storm has caused commotion throughout parts of the country and could affect the NBA regular-season schedule as Southern states prepare for ice conditions, while Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states expect heavy snow.
The NBA announced Thursday that the Jan. 24 regular-season matchup between the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, North Carolina was moved to the early afternoon due to severe winter storm warnings in the area.
Their game was originally supposed to tip-off at 6 p.m. ET Saturday, however the game was moved up six hours and will now tip-off time at noon ET because of the impending weather.
SCHEDULE UPDATE: The Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets game on Saturday, Jan. 24 will now tip off at noon ET due to impending weather. pic.twitter.com/kwmXcxC2dM
Mike Brown and Karl-Anthony Towns have repeatedly been adamant that Towns has a bigger adjustment than anyone to Brown’s system.
But Brown has begun adjusting the system to Towns.
“He’s getting more comfortable,” Brown said after practice Friday. “But also, too, I’ve had to make some adjustments to help him out, make it a little easier for him, which I’ve done.
“It’s in the different play calls and actions that we do. We’ve made the adjustments to try and make it a little easier for him and to try and put him in positions that will help him get into stuff quicker.”
Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks speaks with head coach Mike Brown during the second half against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on October 26, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images
Towns’ production is down across the board this year under Brown compared to last year under Tom Thibodeau.
Josh Hart, who plays an important role as the Knicks’ facilitator in getting Towns involved, thinks it works both ways.
“It’s a little different,” Hart said Friday. “But we’re basketball players, we’ve got to be able to adapt to different situations. I think coaches have to adapt to their players and we have to adapt to coaches. I think there’s a good middle ground. Sometimes, we’re still trying to figure that out.
“At the end of the day, he’s a good offensive player, he’s going to figure that out. We’ve got to make sure we focus on defense. I don’t want to hear too much about his touches, I want to hear about him blocking shots.”
Guerschon Yabusele, whom The Post reported Wednesday the Knicks are in active talks to trade, seems to be hinting at a departure on X.
“Whatever happens tomorrow, I’m extremely blessed to be in the position that I am today,” Yabusele wrote in a since-deleted post Thursday night. “Minor setback for major comeback that’s my favorite. Love y’all.”
New York Knicks forward Guerschon Yabusele reacts after he hits a 3-point shot over LA Clippers forward John Collins. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
On Friday, he reposted a post from a French basketball account that said, “A trade and a good situation for the captain [of the French national team], that’s all we’re asking.”
Yabusele, whom the Knicks signed in free agency this past offseason, has struggled and largely fallen out of Brown’s rotation.
Towns (thoracic back spasms) is questionable for Saturday’s game against the 76ers in Philadelphia.
As spring training draws ever nearer, the Mariners have again fortified the group of arms they’ll bring to camp (known around here as The Pitching Pile), acquiring RHP Cooper Criswell from the Mets for cash. Long-tenured sixth (or seventh or eighth) starter Jhonthan Díaz was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Criswell, 29, was originally drafted in the 13th round by the Angels in 2018 (obligatory Mariners tie-in: the Angels’ last pick of that draft was Isaiah Campbell from Arkansas, who would return to school and be drafted by the Mariners in the second round the following year). He then spent two years with the Rays and two years with the Red Sox. The Angels brought Criswell up as a starter, but he spent most of his first year with the Rays relieving. The Red Sox moved Criswell back into a starter role, slotting him into the fifth starter role.
Criswell is in an unusual situation: he’s out of options but pre-arbitration, meaning he makes the league minimum. Boston, facing a roster crunch this off-season but not wanting to lose the versatile Criswell, hatched a plan to try to sneak him through waivers: they signed him to a 2026 deal for slightly above league minimum, at $800K, meaning any team that tried to pick him up off waivers would have to pay above the minimum. That plan was foiled, however, first by the Mets, and then by the Mariners, who picked up Criswell when the Mets DFA’d him to make room for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Meyers.
It’s unclear how the Mariners plan to use Criswell, who isn’t exactly the minor-league castoff who usually shows up on the pitching pile. As a starter, Criswell fits the mold of a typical back-end starter. He has four solid pitches: a changeup, cutter, sinker, and a sweeper. He throws the first three pitches about equally, around 30% of the time each. Criswell has an extremely low arm slot, and his changeup has plus drop, as does the sinker; the two, along with the cutter, combine for a wealth of ground-ball outs rather than strikeouts. It’s a familiar profile: the groundball-getting contact manager back-end starter.
The real interest with Criswell is his sweeper, which he doesn’t throw often: only about 10% of the time. That’s curious, because on paper it looks like it should be his best pitch, with a hellacious 20” of glove-side break. FanGraphs’s Stuff+ model has the pitch well into “elite” territory. However, the few times he threw it last season, batters didn’t miss it. In a small sample size, hitters slugged a gaudy .875 on the pitch.
But why not knockout pitch if knockout pitch-shaped?
Criswell offers a host of possible avenues, but “wipeout sweeper reliever” sounds a bit more interesting than “depth starter contact manager.” We will see how the Mariners choose to deploy him this spring.
In a corresponding move, lefty Jhonathan Díaz, spot starter/stalwart of Tacoma’s rotation and winner of the Casey Lawrence Memorial Bacon-Saver Award, was designated for assignment. It’s not a glamorous role, but Díaz filled it capably for the Mariners for several years. We wish him well.
LeBron James' jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals was among the items stolen from the Heat facility. (Credit: Getty Images)
A former Miami Heat security officer has been sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1.9 million in restitution after pleading guilty to transporting and transferring stolen goods across state lines, the Associated Press reported Friday.
Marcos Tomas Perez, 62, pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Florida in August after being accused by federal officials of stealing more than 400 game-used jerseys from the Heat facilities.
Perez had previously worked as a police officer for the city of Miami for 25 years before his employment with the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and then as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025.
“This defendant was a former police officer who betrayed the public trust and exploited his access to our beloved hometown team for personal gain,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement, per the AP. “The Miami Heat represent excellence built through hard work and discipline in South Florida — and this conduct was the opposite.”
According to allegations from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Perez stole jerseys and other items from a secured equipment room and sold them to online brokers, including more than 100 stolen items over a period of three-plus years for which he garnered $1.9 million, often selling items below market value.
Perez, who was sentenced earlier this month, allegedly had access to the equipment room because he worked game-day security at the Kaseya Center. The equipment room had memorabilia set aside for a future Heat museum.
A court filing related to the plea agreement alleged Perez would tell a co-worker he had to use the bathroom (or offer another excuse) and take the key, open the equipment room and leave the door propped open before returning the key. Later, he would return to steal items from the room.
According to the same document, Perez utilized a third-party liaison to broker the deals, splitting the profits. Then he used his corporate entity, South Florida Signature Authenticators Incorporated, to sell the items. Platforms identified in the document as venues for him advertising and negotiating deals include OfferUp, eBay and Instagram.
The most notable example cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office was LeBron James’ jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, which he sold for $100,000. That jersey would go on to fetch $3.7 million in an auction at Sotheby’s.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s home April 3, recovering nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, which the Heat confirmed had been stolen from its facility, according to the statement.
Believe it or not, it still hasn’t been a year since Luka Dončić joined the Lakers.
He’s already played in LA for parts of two seasons and has signed a contract extension, securing the Lakers as his new home for years to come.
Still, Luka has a lot more memories in a Dallas Mavericks jersey, and that place will always be special to him.
After the Lakers’ loss to the Clippers, Luka spoke about heading back to Dallas this weekend as he prepares to play against the Mavericks.
“Obviously, always going to feel like home there,” Luka said. “Like I said, I needed that game [last year] to move on a little bit. But obviously, I’ll always appreciate those fans. They were really tight. I think we had a special bond. I really appreciate it all the time.”
Last season, when he returned to Dallas for the first time, Luka was very emotional. He was brought to tears seeing the tribute the team made for him and it was obvious how much the Mavericks meant to him.
Once the game began, though, Luka was his dominant self. He was on a mission and ended the game with 45 points, eight rebounds and six assists, as the Lakers beat the Mavericks 112-97.
Given the shock of the trade, time is the only thing that will ever make the Mavericks feel like just another opponent to Luka.
And maybe, no matter what, he’ll always feel a certain way about the first NBA team he ever played for. He was the franchise player in Dallas, and he had no intention of ever leaving, much less walking away after just seven seasons.
Everyone will be watching how Luka reacts on Saturday as LA takes on Dallas. The Mavs fans will most likely give him a standing ovation, and now that the former general manager, Nico Harrison, is gone, there should be nothing but love for Luka and no other distractions in the arena.
Hopefully, another contest against his former team can further cement closure for Luka as he continues his career with the purple and gold.
Regardless of his emotions, just like last year, expect Luka to be ready to torch Dallas and use this trade as added motivation to be the best version of himself in this contest.
Two teams have repeatedly emerged as favourites to land Vancouver Canucks winger Evander Kane in a trade this year. According to Kevin Weekes, there are two teams from the Central Division to keep an eye on. On Friday, Weekes wrote via "X", "Per multiple sources, I’m told the @DallasStars and @Avalanche are among the likely destinations for @Canucks F Kane via potential trade."
Both the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are preparing for long playoff runs. While Colorado currently is the best team in the NHL with 77 points in 48 games, Dallas ranks sixth with 65 points in 51 games. As of writing, the Stars would take on the Minnesota Wild in the first round, while the Avalanche would face the second Wild Card team.
While Kane's season with Vancouver has not gone as planned, he still has tools that contenders would like to add to their roster. He went to the Stanley Cup Final each of the last two years and has 84 hits in 49 games. Kane is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and will be looking to show teams that he can be an impactful player moving forward.
Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) shoots against the Washington Capitals in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
On top of the trade deadline, which is scheduled for March 6, there is a trade freeze that kicks in on February 4. This freeze will last until the end of the 2026 Winter Olympics, with teams able to start making moves on February 22. The Canucks have already made two significant moves this year, as they traded both Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Welcome to the second installment of “Wizards and Whatnot,” where I take you through the happenings around the NBA and check in on the Wizards when necessary. We’re officially in the midseason pre-All Star lull, where games and results start to blend together, so I’m here to guide you through what’s going on.
Who want me?
The trade deadline is looming, and the names being floated on the trade market would make casual NBA fans who get their fix on Instagram Reels squeal. We real game watchers, though… we know some of these names carry more weight than the players themselves do.
The Memphis Grizzlies are open for business, and expect the return they get back for Ja Morant to be pitiful. The one-time “face of the league” candidate is so averse to playing in NBA basketball games and so disinterested when he finally suits up that his value has crashed to an all-time low and the Grizzlies just sound happy to move on.
Anthony Davis is out for at least six weeks, meaning there is a real shot he has played his last game as a Dallas Maverick. Every time I look at the Mavs roster I have no choice but to cross my arms, hit a scowl, lightly shake my head and softly scoff. The strategy of stockpiling pretty good frontcourt players and punting on both guard spots has burned the Mavs, and they’re probably going to pitifully flip Davis (and, by the transitive property, LUKA DONCIC) for a collection of spare parts and a draft pick.
I predict LaMelo Ball and Zach Lavine, the co-chairmen of the “no impact on the outcome of the game” committee, will stay put, Lavine because I can’t fathom another team is willing to pay $50 million for his services and Ball because those jerseys just keep flying off the shelves with the 16-and-under demographic
Paid vaTraetion
The Wizards made the first big splash of trade season by dealing for Trae Young, who has yet to suit up in a Wizards jersey. Young is due to be re-evaluated following the All-Star break in a little under a month, though I’m not totally convinced he will make his Wizards debut until the start of the 2026-27 season.
The 10-33 Wizards are embroiled in a fresh 8-game free-fall, so there is really no rush to get Young back on the court.
The mother of all pretenders
I grew up in Los Angeles as a major Clippers fan. All of my friends were, of course, arrogant Lakers fans, so this part of the column is going to feel really great to write.
This year’s Lakers are a mess. They’re 26-17 but sport a negative net rating, meaning end-of-game execution (or luck) is the only thing buoying their record above .500. Their three best players are Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and 41-year-old LeBron James, three individuals who would prefer not to play defense.
DeAndre Ayton and Rui Hachimura, who both famously are not particularly interested in getting better at the sport of basketball, round out the starting five. The Lakers have the 25th-ranked defense in the NBA, the worst of any team even in contention for the play-in tournament.
This team is staring down a dismantling in the first round of the playoffs, and I honestly doubt that they are going to make a major in-season splash. My group chat of my high school friends remains abuzz with delusions of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the purple and gold, but they’re going to have to be content with a player like Josh Okogie instead.
That being said, they traded for Luka Doncic last year, so what do I know?
