One interesting part of that story: It wasn't just Lakers fans who were frustrated with LeBron James in the wake of the team trading for Russell Westbrook, it was team governor Jeanie Buss as well — and she even floated the idea of trading him.
Jeanie privately grumbled, people close to the team say, about what she felt was James' outsized ego and the overt control that he and Klutch Sports, which represents both James and Anthony Davis, exerted over the organization at times. She didn't like that James was considered a savior for a floundering franchise when he arrived in 2018 and that it was he who chose the Lakers rather than the team's leadership receiving praise for landing him....
The distance between Jeanie and James widened after the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook in July 2021, people close to the team said. The team had made the trade in an effort to appease James, but the acquisition backfired in catastrophic fashion. L.A. went 33-49 and missed the playoffs, and James seemed to wash his hands of his role in the acquisition...
In 2022, in the aftermath of the Westbrook trade, multiple people said Jeanie privately mused about not giving James a contract extension and, later that year, even about trading James, with the LA Clippers floated as a possibility. (This was before James received a no-trade clause in July 2024 after signing a new two-year, $104 million contract.)
Just as a background refresher, the Lakers were very close to a trade that would have sent Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell to Sacramento for Buddy Hield, allowing them to keep Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and put that shooting around LeBron and Anthony Davis. Instead, reportedly at LeBron's urging, the Lakers pivoted to a trade for Westbrook, a deal that proved a legendarily bad fit.
Buss also reportedly was frustrated that LeBron didn't seem grateful — or at least grateful enough — that the team drafted LeBron's son, Bronny James, in the second round in 2024.
Buss would be far from the first owner to be frustrated with a star player and float the idea of trading him, only to have calmer, wiser heads in the front office talk them out of that notion. It's a long and storied list.
It's also Buss chaffing against the reality of the modern NBA — truly elite players have the power. They drive winning on the court (LeBron did win a title with the Lakers), but more importantly they drive the business of basketball — they fill the buildings with fans who come to see them, they drive television ratings, team sponsors want to be associated with them, the stars sell jerseys, and more. As big as modern NBA max contracts get (16 players have $50+ million contracts this season) for a star who plays and contributes to winning, that is a good deal for the team in terms of revenue those stars generate.
Few players have flexed that power like LeBron (while trying to spin "I'm just an employee" and distance himself from deals), but Giannis Antetokounmpo and others have used that leverage as well. Those stars have the power. That is the reality of the NBA. And LeBron retains that power both because he has built his international brand and because, at 41, he is still producing on the court.
Buss, still the Lakers' governor (if not the owner calling the shots), likely gets her wish this summer when the Lakers and LeBron are expected to part ways, something league sources have told NBC Sports and is widely expected in league circles.
We are inching closer and closer to the NBA trade deadline, now just over two weeks away from February 5. The Bucks haven’t pulled the trigger on anything yet, but with all the rumors swirling, it’s definitely possible we see some action before then. In the meantime, we here at Brew Hoop have been presenting our candidates for the Bucks and GM Jon Horst to target. We’ve already identified five players for consideration, but now I’m throwing in a sixth, as we take a look at Andrew Wiggins.
This is now the third player from the 2014 NBA draft we’ve presented, as Wiggins was the no. 1 pick that year to the Timberwolves. The Bucks just missed on acquiring Wiggins’ services in that draft, instead selecting Jabari Parker at two. After five and a half seasons in Minnesota with just one playoff appearance, the T-Wolves traded Wiggins to the Warriors. There, he fit in perfectly next to Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson as a do-it-all small forward. In his second full season with Golden State, he earned his first and only All-Star appearance and helped them win the 2022 title. After their time together in Minneapolis, Wiggins and Jimmy Butler crossed paths again, but this time they were traded for each other, with Wiggins heading to Miami and Butler to the Bay.
With Miami, Wiggins has firmly cemented himself as the same do-it-all player he became in Golden State: a good secondary scorer and perimeter defender. He’s shooting a career best 39.8% from beyond the arc on decent volume (4.8 attempts per game), and is capable of creating a shot in the midrange, shooting 36% from 10 feet to the three-point line. When asked to handle the rock this season, he’s been a decent playmaker, averaging the second-most assists per game of his career (2.8). Per Cleaning The Glass, the Heat’s offense is scoring 1.4 more points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor.
Wiggins is a strong perimeter defender and could take on opponents’ best wing or bigger guards. He gets into the passing lane and affects shots, averaging 2.2 steals plus blocks per game, also a career high. His advanced numbers don’t look great, though: opposing teams score 4.6 more points per 100 with Wiggins on the court. That number could be inflated by the Heat’s lagging offense, which ranks 20th (113.5 offensive rating). Overall, they sit 10th in the league in defensive rating at 112.8.
Regardless, Wiggins would undoubtedly be a solid improvement for the Bucks, bringing more consistent offense and defense alongside Giannis. So it’s no surprise that the Bucks were linked to Wiggins last year before he was traded to Miami, and in several reports this season. This one was courtesy of ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel:
“Wiggins, who was drawing interest from the Bucks over the summer, continues to be a name associated with Milwaukee’s trade deadline plans. From the Heat’s perspective, though, they seem to be working on their own plans to upgrade their roster, and it’s unknown whether Miami would surrender Wiggins in a trade that doesn’t land them an All-Star-level player like Giannis or someone else.“
The Trade
To even get this trade off the ground, the Bucks likely have to invite a third party. Outside of Giannis, the Bucks don’t have the type of player Miami wants. To facilitate the deal, the Nets are added to the equation. The Bucks’ part in this would actually be the second of two separate deals that essentially turn into one big deal, much like how Jericho Sims was attached to last year’s Kyle Kuzma-Khris Middleton swap.
In the first half of the trade, Miami snags the hottest commodity on the trade market in Michael Porter Jr. in exchange for Wiggins, Terry Rozier’s expiring contract, and their unprotected 2029 first-round pick, also getting Tyrese Martin as a salary filler. Then the Nets re-route Wiggins to the Bucks for Kyle Kuzma and Andre Jackson Jr. This puts the Nets over the 15-man roster limit, so they’d have to cut someone—likely the injured Haywood Highsmith—to stay in compliance.
Now, I know some will question why the Bucks are seemingly helping a team above them in the standings (Miami leads Milwaukee by 3.5 games for the 8th seed). But this isn’t the Bucks coming to Miami and Brooklyn with this trade offer. They swoop in after Miami acquires Porter, offer Kuzma and AJax to Brooklyn, and re-route Wiggins, who has a player option decision this summer, to Milwaukee. The Nets get an easier contract to move off of, and Wiggins gets to finish this season on a team that is gunning for the playoffs. Miami offers Brooklyn a future first and an expiring contract. Every team gets something they want.
But the Bucks themselves have been linked to Porter, so why wouldn’t they get the better player? They have only their 2031 or 2032 first-round picks to offer. The Nets, should they choose to trade Porter, appear to want a first-round pick (or more) in return. That’s the market for a 27-year-old wing who’s averaging 25+ points per game. As good as Porter is, the Bucks don’t have the right kind of pick to deal. If they owned any of their draft picks from 2027–2030, that would make more sense for Porter. Giannis will be 36 going on 37 in 2031; I see it as unlikely that the Bucks even trade that pick anyway, considering they’ve been unwilling to move it dating back to last season.
Wiggins, while a good player, wouldn’t command giving up 2031, even if the trade was strictly between Miami and Milwaukee. But the Bucks have to make some moves to improve this roster. If they’re eyeing the more distant future without Giannis and don’t want to give up that pick, then this is the type of deal to make. I’m not the only one who feels this way, as according to Jamal Collier of ESPN, that’s where much of the league sees how the Bucks are going to improve:
“It’s where rival executives see the biggest chance for opportunity in Milwaukee. The Bucks can accept a larger contract with multiple years beyond this season that an opposing team might be trying to get out from under, such as Miami‘s Andrew Wiggins, who owns a $30 million player option for next season, or Charlotte‘s Miles Bridges, who will make $22.8 million in the 2026-27 season, team and league sources told ESPN.“
This may not be the best offer the Nets get for Porter, but there are things to like about it. Adding a future first-round pick in 2029 would bring their total to four that season: the Nets would have their own first, the Knicks’, and the least favorable of the Rockets, Mavericks, and Suns. Provided that the Nets are a contending team around that time, they could use those picks as ammunition to trade for a star. As for the players, Rozier is an expiring deal that they can wash their hands of this summer. Kuzma can be a decent contributor in the short term, and he will be on an expiring contract next season, which the Nets could flip for more assets. AJax is a young defender that they could take a flyer on.
The Fit
Wiggins could realistically fit with every team in the league. With his experience and production, he would be a particularly welcome sight in Milwaukee. He’s an above-average three-point shooter and doesn’t need the ball in his hands all the time to create offense. In some ways, he reminds me of a lesser Khris Middleton: a good player who makes winning plays. I’m not trying to say Wiggins is as good on offense as Middleton was, but his qualities make him a good fit for a championship-contending roster.
Teams wouldn’t be able to sag off Wiggins in the half-court like they could with someone like Miles Bridges. As I mentioned earlier, Wiggins is having his most efficient season from distance in his career, and not just on-ball: 3.7 of Wiggins’ 4.8 three-point attempts per game are off the catch, and he’s converting those at 42%. Wiggins is also consistent, which would be a welcome change for the Bucks. Too many players are volatile from game to game to be relied on in big spots. Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. have been scuffling in January, and you can’t rely on your backup center to be the second leading scorer.
Wiggins may also help the Bucks’ rebounding, averaging nearly five per game. Compared to some of the other wings we’ve discussed (LaVine, Bridges, Jerami Grant), Wiggins slots in much better as the starting small forward next to Giannis. Finally, he’s a pretty durable player who has played at least 73% of games every year of his career except for one. That was 2022–23, when he missed 22 straight games because his father, former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins, was going through a serious medical issue, and the younger Wiggins stepped away from the team.
Are you okay with jumping into a deal that makes the Heat better if it means the Bucks can still get Wiggins and keep the 2031 first-round pick? Or would you rather the Bucks go for it and outbid the Heat? Let me know in the comments below.
The Rangers visited Los Angeles supposedly "breathing easier" – s a couple of MSG Networks analysts noted – following the now infamous Chris Drury retread letter of surrender and false hope.
But the "easy-breathing" has ended. The 4-3 loss to the occasionally competitive Kings last night in Tinseltown hurt more than any previous defeat.
In no uncertain terms, it doomed fans to a second straight non-playoff season. (Not that it matters, but at the highest ticket prices in the NHL.)
Now it's back to the normal, "Close But No Cigar" saga for the skating YO-YOs of Seventh Avenue.
You have to understand that when the Blueshirts embarked on their four-game road trip, life in Rangerville was far different than it is now. Faint as it was, at least there was some hope.
After that dastardly 8-4 home defeat at the hands of the feeble Ottawa Senators, one totally dismaying era ended.
We entered the new world of Letters From Lord Drury. This is the very same Drury who "earned" a new contract from MSG despite managerial mistake after mistake.
The pizza man, who doubles as not only Blueshirts' President" but Lord High Executioner, decided that his 2025-26 model Rangers, which looked good in the showroom, was obsolete.
Customer warranty is about as valuable as last night's performance.
Amazingly, the Blueshirt sedan broke down so far from the NHL Finish Line, Sir Drury drew up a proclamation for all to read (and if you didn't, you may fail the upcoming test.)
In this New Drury world, leading scorer Breadman Panarin will disappear and maybe even – perish the thought – Mika Zibanejad or Vin (The Bin) Trocheck being traded as well.
What the MSG Networks' analysts are now telling us is that Lord Drury is being a benevolent despot. Meaning that his proclamation has allowed the poor, overpaid players to "breathe easy."
Beating the sinking Flyers in Philly supposedly provided that "breath of fresh air."
We have to believe it was only a one-game "easy breather" because look what happened first in Anaheim and then L.A. last night. The "fresh air" was polluted by two more ersatz performances.
In Tinseltown, the Beloved Blueshirts coughed up a game to a team that was mired in a four-game skid.straight. As for any more "easy breaths," Mike Sullivan's troupe may find them in San Jose where the Sharks are inhaling some fresh NHL oxygen.
In honor of the Philadelphia Phillies playing host to the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, we here at The Good Phight are launching a yearlong series that focuses on the history of the Phillies and the All-Star Game.Check back regularly for posts about the Phillies participation in (or lack thereof) in the Midsummer Classic over its history.
Being named to the All-Star team is one of the highest honors in baseball. It means that you were good enough to be chosen to represent your team in a showcase of some of the best players in the sport. But for some, they were only good enough once to get that honor. The Phillies have 36 such one and dones in their history, meaning players who made one All-Star team in their career and did it with the Phillies, excluding active players. In order to make reading this close to palatable, we’re going to break them down by decades in a series of articles. First up, the 1930s.
Arthur “Pinky” Whitney, 1936
There wasn’t much good baseball in Philadelphia in 1936, as both the Phillies and the Athletics lost 100 games and finished in dead last in their respective leagues. But Arthur “Pinky” Whitney of the Phillies nevertheless was named the starting third baseman for the National League. Whitney’s numbers were pedestrian, as he was hitting .280 with 16 extra-base hits including five home runs in the 66 games before the All-Star game. The 31-year-old San Antonio native started his career with the Phillies in 1928 before being traded to the Boston Braves in the middle of 1933.
But Whitney found his way back to Philadelphia after ten games of the 1936 season, where he garnered the most votes of any Phillies player and was named to the All-Star team because the fan vote had failed to assure that every team had a representative. Whitney displaced Bill Brubaker of the Pirates despite the latter receiving the fifth most votes of any infielder. Ironically enough, the other Philadelphia 100 loss team also sent a third baseman nicknamed “Pinky” who had to be named to the team due to the representative rule, as Mike Higgins of the Athletics replaced the White Sox player/manager Jimmy Dykes on the roster.
The Phillies’ Pinky directly contributed to the NL’s 4-3 win over the AL, its first since the game began in 1933, with a sacrifice fly in the second off of future Hall of Famer Lefty Grove that put the NL up 2-0. However, Whitney would not finish the game, as he suffered an injury in the eighth inning when fielding a groundout from future Phillies manager and eternal source of shame Ben Chapman grounded out. Whitney finished the top of the eighth but was pinch hit for by the Reds Lew Riggs in the bottom half of the inning. His cross-town counterpart “Pinky” Higgins didn’t have the same impact as the Phillies Pinky did, as Higgins went 0-2 with two strikeouts and was subbed out after six innings. The Philadelphia Pinkys reunited on the train ride out of Boston back to Philadelphia after the game. Whitney went on to play three more seasons in his career with the Phillies before leaving baseball, while Higgins played nine more years in the Majors, interrupted in 1945 after being drafted into the Army, and made one more All-Star team in 1944.
Hersh Martin, 1938
Center fielder Hersh Martin was only in his second year in the Majors when he was named to the 1938 All-Star game to represent the Phillies. Martin was in the midst of a strong first half of the season, hitting .336 with 30 extra-base hits and two home runs in the season’s first 64 games. Unfortunately, his efforts were going to waste on the Phillies, as they were on their way to yet another 100+ loss season and last place finish.
Luckily for Martin, he was chosen to be the Phillies representative at the All-Star game that season to take place at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Unluckily for the Birmingham, Alabama native, he was not chosen to start in the game and never even got to appear. His luck didn’t much improve after he went back to the Phillies, as Martin suffered an ankle injury before a game on September 10th. Martin was demonstrating the proper way to slide into a base for a movie recording arranged by his manager Jimmie Wilson when he caught his spikes in the dirt and suffered the injury, Martin was taken from the field to the hospital and did not appear in another game that season.
It wasn’t the first time Martin suffered a freak injury on the field and had to be hospitalized in 1938 either. In a May 10th game against the Reds, Martin was attempting to steal second after a single when the throw from Reds catcher Willard Hershberger hit him in the left temple, knocking Martin out immediately. However, his feet remained on second base while he was unconscious and being attended to by trainers. Martin was then carried off the field by four teammates and came to in the clubhouse where he complained of a headache and nausea. He then spent the night in the hospital where an x-ray confirmed he did not have a fracture and then returned to the Phillies lineup six days later.
Martin would go on to play two more years for the Phillies before heading to Double-A for three and a half seasons. He finally got the call to the Majors again in 1944 with the Yankees but only played in New York for two seasons before once again finding himself in the minors. Martin would continue to play professional ball consistently until 1953, but never again appeared in the Majors.
Morrie Arnovich, 1939
Five-foot-ten, 168-pound Morrie Arnovich may have not been much to look at, but he was once a promising centerfielder for the Phillies in the late thirties. The son of Orthodox Jewish parents, Arnovich went against his parents’ wishes to become a rabbi and instead pursued a baseball career, starting out playing for his hometown of Superior, Wisconsin in the Northern League. After two seasons where Arnovich hit a combined .354, the Phillies signed him to a deal in 1935 and sent him to Class-A Hazelton. His always-hustling nature caught eyes, and the 25-year-old Arnovich earned a call to the Majors in 1936.
The little centerfielder had a solid first two and a half seasons with the Phillies before breaking out in 1939. By the time of the All-Star game, Arnovich was hitting a staggering .383 with 21 extra-base hits including four home runs in 68 games. But of course, the Phillies as a team were terrible, sitting at 21-46 and in dead last in the National League so Arnovich was originally left off of the All-Star roster despite leading the Majors in hitting. He had to be added later to fulfill the requirement for every team to have one player. Arnovich was one of three Jewish players at the 1939 All-Star Game, joining Detroit’s Hank Greenburg and the Giants’ Harry Denning. Unfortunately for Arnovich and Denning, neither appeared in the actual game. Greenburg meanwhile started and went 1-3 with a walk to help his American League win 4-1 at Yankee Stadium.
Arnovich was beloved in his hometown of Superior, and the local media and fans joined the rest of the Phillies in demanding to know why NL manager Gabby Hartnett from the Chicago Cubs decided not to use Arnovich despite his leading the league in hitting. Hartnett’s given reason was that he wanted to use left-handed hitters against the AL’s pitchers Red Ruffing, Tommy Brudges, and Bob Feller, all of whom were right-handed. But that explanation wasn’t good enough for writer Bill Stewart in the local Evening Telegram in Superior, who noted that Hartnett still used right-hander Joe Medwick from the Cardinals in the outfield, with Hartnett’s reasoning being that Medwick is “more dangerous.” But as Stewart so eloquently put it, Hartnett “failed to denote what he meant by dangerous” and that “it must be that the St. Louis outfielder beats his grandmother to earn that ‘dangerous’ rating, because he didn’t cause American League pitching an iota of grief” in his 0-4 performance.
Superior’s favorite son returned to the Phillies and couldn’t keep up his torrid pace, as Arnovich hit .257 in the second half and ultimately finished with a .324 BA, good for 13th in the Majors and six places behind Medwick who finished hitting .332. It was a recurring theme in Arnovich’s career, as he usually started the season strong but faded as the summer wore on. He hit .308 for his career in the first half but only to hit .268 in the second half.
1939 turned out to be Arnovich’s last full season with the Phillies, as he was traded to the Reds in June of 1940. He was hitting just .199 at the time of the trade to Cincinnati and ended the year with a career-low .250 BA. However, Arnovich was a part of a Reds team that won the World Series in 1940, even if he only appeared in one game during the series. 1941 brought some controversy, as Arnovich’s draft status was a topic of debate after it was revealed that he obtained a deferment due to having dental plates after losing many teeth playing basketball. Nevertheless, he eventually enlisted in the Army in 1942 where he played and managed for the Fort Lewis team located in Tacoma, Washington as well as serving as a poster clerk in New Guinea. Arnovich’s military service cost him four years of his baseball career, and he would only play in one more MLB game in 1946 with the New York Giants despite playing in the minor leagues until 1948.
With the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly not that interested in pursuing free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, it’s looking more and more likely that the only true threat to ‘steal’ the player away from the New York Yankees is, well, the Mets. With their trendy contract structure of short deals with a high average annual value, they remain candidates to get whoever they put their eyes on.
But late last night, the Mets swung a deal for Luis Robert Jr., perhaps leaving them less likely to pursue Bellinger aggressively. The Yankees are the favorites to land Bellinger, who put up a 125 wRC+ with 29 home runs and 4.9 fWAR in his lone campaign in the Bronx last year. Still, there is a world in which they lose him to the Mets or another team, with Jon Heyman noting yesterday that Bellinger was weighing offers from two non-New York teams.
If that’s the case, the Yanks will need to make a decision. Do they pursue a mid-level free agent, knowing that there are no players of Bellinger or Kyle Tucker’s level in the open market? Do they try to bring in someone via trade? Or do they trust Jasson Domínguez to be the man in left field?
Maybe the ‘Martian’ needs a platoon partner, since he had a 116 wRC+ vs. righties and a meager 63 mark vs. lefties in 2025. Perhaps he can do a much better job with a glove on his hand, as the -7 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -10 Outs Above Average (OAA) he had in 793 innings in 2025 suggest. But there is a case to be made that, if Bellinger signs elsewhere, Domínguez is their best choice for left field at this point.
The young outfielder has had another offseason to work on his routes, reactions, and overall fluidity back there, and even though that doesn’t guarantee improvement, remember he is still just 22 and maturing as a player, and that includes defense.
He is athletic enough to think there could be at least modest improvement on that front with good coaching and a lot of work. Of course, he would need in-game reps. A lot of them. Will he get them on a regular basis? That will depend entirely on what the Yankees do in the rest of the offseason.
Offensively, Domínguez managed to hold his own even without getting regular playing time last year, with a .257/.331/.388 line in 429 plate appearances; 10 home runs, and 23 stolen bases. His 103 wRC+ suggests he is playable right now, but the minor league track record (.817 career OPS down in the farm with a .373 OBP) and set of tools lead us all to believe his ceiling is higher than that.
Domínguez was fine against righties, but he is capable of more. He was a liability facing lefties, though, but there is also potential for improvement there as he gets more at-bats against top competition. Even if he can post an 85-90 wRC+ as a righty, that would be seen as a major step forward, but it’s much easier said than done.
His performance hitting right-handed and how much he improves on defense will likely dictate his overall ceiling as a player. He’ll also need to walk a bit more (9.6 percent BB% last year) and cut down on his strikeouts some (26.8 percent K%), but Domínguez’s ceiling, even if not quite as high as we all thought it was when he was a minor leaguer, is still exciting under the right circumstances.
If Domínguez is anointed the everyday left fielder, which is possible but unlikely since the Yankees will probably want someone to play in his stead when there is a southpaw on the mound, the potential to hit 20 home runs and steal 30 bases with a 110 wRC+ is there. It might not be pretty at times, but we are talking about a soon-to-be 23-year-old player with top prospect pedigree who has held his own as a major leaguer.
Domínguez’s performance vs. lefties and how much progress he makes with the glove will likely dictate if he is a close to replacement-level or a legitimate three-win-type contributor. The pressure will be on, but the solace for him is that he honestly might well be accustomed to it at this point.
NAGPUR, India (AP) — Abhishek Sharma scored 84 off 35 balls as India beat New Zealand by 48 runs Wednesday in the opener of a five-match T20 series.
Sharma, the world’s number one T20 batter, hit eight sixes and five fours as India notched up 238-7 in 20 overs. It was the third highest T20 score against New Zealand.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav scored 32 off 22 balls, while Rinku Singh provided a late flourish with 44 not out off 20 balls.
Singh hit three sixes and four fours as India reached only the second-ever 200-plus total in T20s at the VCA Stadium — a first since 2009.
New Zealand fell short despite Glenn Phillips’ 78 off 40 balls. Mark Chapman also scored 39 off 24 balls as the Black Caps finished with 190-7 in 20 overs.
Put into bat, India lost Sanju Samson (10) and Ishan Kishan (8).
Sharma powered his way to 50 off 22 balls and put on 99 off 47 balls with Yadav. India crossed 100 in the ninth over, and the skipper was out caught in the 11th over as Mitchell Santner (1-37) got the breakthrough.
Ish Sodhi struck in the next over too — removing Sharma — and India seemed to lose its way at 185-6 in 15.4 overs.
Hardik Pandya scored 25 off 16 balls, while Shivam Dube managed only 9 runs. Axar Patel was out for only 5.
Singh held one end together and used the time-penalty to good effect in the end to propel India to an improbable target.
Pacers Kyle Jamieson (2-54) and Jacob Duffy (2-27) picked up a brace each.
In reply, New Zealand started poorly. Devon Conway was caught behind for a two-ball duck. Rachin Ravindra fell for 1.
Opener Tim Robinson scored 21 runs and put on 51 off 30 balls with Phillips, before Varun Chakravarthy (2-37) dismissed the former in the seventh over.
From 52-3, Phillips and Chapman added 79 off 42 balls for the fourth wicket. It set up New Zealand’s chase.
Both batters survived owing to India’s lapses in the field, and Phillips powered his way to 50 off 29 balls.
The breakthrough finally came in the 14th over — Phillips was out caught off Axar Patel.
Thereafter, the Black Caps didn’t have enough time left in the game despite sufficient firepower.
Daryl Mitchell scored 28 off 18 balls, while Santner was unbeaten on 20 off 13 balls, but the target proved to be too tall.
Montreal scored with 15 seconds left to take a 4-3 lead in the third period.
That lead held up.
Wild General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin is also Team USA's General Manager for the 2026 Olympics coming up next month.
The Canadiens have two players on their team that were left off the USA roster. Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson. Both are on the smaller side and aren't physical.
Caufield, 25, is tenth in the NHL in goals with 25 and has 49 points in 50 games. He is first in the NHL in game-winning goals with seven. All he does is score and it always is big goals at crucial times.
But he is 5-foot-8.
Hutson, 21, recorded 60 assists and 66 points during his rookie season last year and won the Calder Trophy. He has nine goals, 43 assists and 55 points in 50 games this season.
Not only does he lead all defensemen in the NHL in points, but Hutson ranks sixth in the NHL in assists. Only Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, Mikko Ranatanen, Nathan McKinnon and Nikita Kucherov have more assists.
So in their first game against the Wild since being left off the Olympic roster, Hutson and Caufield came up huge.
Hutson scored the go-ahead goal in the second period to give the Canadiens a 3-2 lead. Vladimir Tarasenko scored his second of the night on the power play to tie the game in the third.
That was until the Canadians scored with 15 seconds left.
That goal was Caufield's 21st game-winning goal in the third period or in overtime since making his debut in 2020-21.
The only players with more tallies over that span areLeon Draisaitl (28), Sebastian Aho(28),Sidney Crosby (23) andSteven Stamkos (23).
The win for the Canadiens snapped a nine-game losing streak against Minnesota.
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The Toronto Raptors are fresh off one of their best performances of the season, a 145-127 win against the Golden State Warriors – despite being down four rotation players – in which Immanuel Quickley dropped a career-high 40 points and 10 assists.
Now, they’ll be shorthanded and on short rest as they take on the Sacramento Kings, who are 14th in the Western Conference and, like the Raptors, on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Kings, led by a 2018 All-Star team of Zach LaVine, Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan, had shown some signs of life earlier in January despite an injury to Domantas Sabonis, winning four consecutive games – the first three of which came against the Rockets, Lakers and Knicks. But the 12-32 Kings have come back down to earth with consecutive losses.
The game is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET on TSN.
Here are some storylines to follow.
A new start(ing lineup)
Thanks to a flurry of injuries, and aided by the team’s deep roster, head coach Darko Rajakovic has started a different five-man lineup in eight consecutive games. Last night’s new unit included Gradey Dick, who was making his first start of the season. Unlike the Warriors, Sacramento has a fair bit of size; All-Star center Sabonis is back, though he’s played on a minutes restriction off the bench since returning. 7-foot-1 rookie Maxime Raynaud has started in his place. The Raptors went super small against Golden State, starting Quickley, Jamal Shead and Dick together, alongside Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes. They may opt for a bigger lineup tonight – but with Jakob Poeltl still out, and Collin Murray-Boyles likely out with his thumb injury, it’s slim pickings.
Former Raptor report
The Sacramento Kings are bad in many respects. But there’s one advanced statistic according to which they are a top team in the NBA: Rate of Any Player That were Openly Raptors (RAPTOR). The main driver of their high RAPTOR rating is DeMar DeRozan, the 36-year-old who is Toronto’s all-time leading scorer and co-built the We the North era with Kyle Lowry. DeRozan’s numbers are down a bit this year, though his efficiency is up: He’s average 19 points, 3.3 rebounds and four assists on 50.8% shooting and a 35.9% clip from three. Meanwhile, former Raptor Precious Achiuwa has been starting for the Kings, and is averaging 7.6 points and 5.5 boards, while Dennis Schröder is averaging 12.7 points and 5.6 assists off the bench. The Raptors’ “Former Kings report” includes Garrett Temple, who played in Sacramento on a 10-day contract in 2010.
Worth a shot?
Thanks to some paltry shooting efforts, the Raptors have found themselves stymied by zone defenses as of late, leading to somewhat of a roster construction crisis (though things would certainly look a bit different with Walter and Barrett healthy). That crisis seemed like a distant memory last night, when the Raptors shot 21/34 from behind the arc. Will their shooting juice continue on the second night of a back-to-back? Will tired legs prevail? And, importantly, will Kings coach Doug Christie dare the Raptors to find out by running a zone defense?
If there was a night to test the Kings' depth, this would be it, playing very shorthanded tonight.
Darcy Kuemper left the game with 38 seconds left in the first period after contact in the crease. Instead of unraveling and losing its fifth consecutive game, the Kings responded with grit and a clutch performance from Anton Forsberg, snapping their four-game losing streak in the process.
Anton Forsberg
2 + periods, 27 saves on 28 shots, 1 GA
Thrown into the ice after Kuemper goes down, Forsberg was everything the Kings needed to win this game tonight. Staying calm, composed, and clutch, he erased several scoring chances from the Rangers and won this game for Los Angeles.
Grade: A +
Darcy Kuemper
1 period, 6 saves on 8 shots, 2 GA
Kuemper was ruled out for the rest of the game after the first period, so grading him feels unfair because he was barely on the ice. But, overall, he wasn't off to a great start in the first period, already giving up two goals, and who knows where the game would've gone. Hopefully, the injury isn't too serious, and he returns soon.
Grade: C
Kevin Fiala
17:43 TOI, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points, + 1
When the Kings needed offense after the Rangers tied the game 1-1, he delivered to give Los Angeles some breathing room in his 700th career game. Fiala has been impressive in his last few games and was solid tonight, helping the Kings snap their losing streak.
Adrian Kempe was great tonight, setting the tone early for Los Angeles, scoring the first goal in just 18 seconds of tipoff, which gave the Kings early momentum. Kempe was a constant threat and finished when it mattered.
Grade: A -
Taylor Ward
9:00 TOI, 1 goal, 1 point, 2 shots
With limited minutes, give credit to Taylor Ward, who played his 8th game of the season for the Kings after getting recalled from the AHL, and tonight scored his career's first NHL goal. While he didn't dominate the statsheet, Ward helped play a reliable role on a shorthanded team, giving the Kings a 3-2 lead early in the second period.
Andrei Kuzmenko helped put the game away when he gave the Kings a two-goal cushion lead late in the second period. His scoring touch and attack in the net all night were key in Los Angeles, generating offense when they needed it the most. Kuzmenko’s goal came at a momentum-turning point and helped the Kings regain control after an early back-and-forth match.
Grade: A
Alex Turcotte
14:28 TOI, 1 assist, 1 point, + 2
Alex Turcotte made a great pass to Fiala, showing his excellent vision in the offensive zone. While the scoresheet doesn't show him doing much, Turcotte was solid defensively and contributed when it mattered, but didn't generate a high-impact night offensively like some of the other guys.
Grade: C +
Coach Jim Hiller
Once Kuemper exited, the game became about control and adjustments. Give credit to Hiller for having Forsberg ready to start in the second period and trusting him to deliver down the stretch of this game.
Grade: B
Saturday's inactives: Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar
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During the most recent episode of TSN Insider Trading, Darren Dreger reported that the Montreal Canadiens are among the teams that have expressed interest in Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri.
"I would say there's some developing interest. There is some tire-kicking from Toronto, Montreal, Colorado, LA, maybe the Dallas Stars," Dreger said about Kadri. "But there's still a lot of work to get done, and there's no rush as far as Calgary's concerned."
Hearing that the Canadiens are among the teams interested in Kadri is not surprising in the slightest. They could use another proven top-six center ahead of the playoffs, and bringing in a veteran like Kadri would give them just that.
If the Canadiens acquired Kadri, he could slot nicely at their second-line center spot. Furthermore, he would be an obvious choice for the Canadiens' power play because of his offensive skill.
Kadri's playoff experience could also make him a great addition to a Canadiens club looking to cement themselves as legitimate contenders. The 35-year-old has a Stanley Cup on his resume and has recorded 44 points in 52 career post-season games.
Kadri would be more than a rental for the Canadiens if they acquired him, too. This is because he signed until the end of the 2028-29 season, where he carries a $7 million cap hit.
In 45 games so far this season with the Flames, Kadri has posted nine goals, 25 assists, and 34 points.
The New York Knicks will try to break out of their four-game slide tonight as they host the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden.
New York may well finally get a win tonight, but my Nets vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks still like Brooklyn to cover the spread.
Nets vs Knicks prediction
Nets vs Knicks best bet: Nets +11.5 (-110)
The New York Knicks are currently in freefall, having lost four straight and nine of their last 11. Despite comments made earlier this month by owner James Dolan, this has looked more like a team that has to fight to stay out of the play-in tournament than one that’s on its way to the NBA Finals.
Coming off an embarrassing loss to the Dallas Mavericks in which they trailed by as many as 30 points, the Knicks have one of their best chances to snap out of their funk against the 12-29 Nets. New York has beaten the Brooklyn Nets in each of their last 12 meetings, and the Nets have lost seven of their last eight.
But even if the Knicks can manage to get back in the win column tonight, covering a large spread may be another story.
New York hasn’t covered as a double-digit favorite since December 5, and the Knicks have managed to lose outright in their last two games as a 10+ point favorite.
It’s hard to blow teams out when you’re playing as poorly on the defensive end as the Knicks, who are giving up 114.9 ppg on the year. With this many points on the board, I’m taking the Nets to cover.
Nets vs Knicks same-game parlay
The Knicks have also been struggling on the offensive end, scoring 101 points or less in three of their last four games. Combined with Brooklyn’s own offensive struggles, the Under looks like a good play tonight.
Still, I’ll take center Nic Claxton to hit his personal Over at 10.5 points, as he is averaging 12.8 ppg and has hit this total in each of his last two games.
Nets vs Knicks SGP
Nets +11.5
Under 220.5
Nic Claxton Over 10.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Eager about Egor
The Knicks are allowing opponents to shoot 37.5% from 3-point range, and Egor Demin has hit at least three shots from deep in five of his last seven games.
Nets vs Knicks SGP
Nets +11.5
Under 220.5
Nic Claxton Over 10.5 points
Egor Demin Over 2.5 threes
Nets vs Knicks odds
Spread: Nets +11.5 | Knicks -11.5
Moneyline: Nets +460 | Knicks -620
Over/Under: Over 220.5 | Under 220.5
Nets vs Knicks betting trend to know
The Knicks are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Knicks.
How to watch Nets vs Knicks
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
YES, MSG
Nets vs Knicks latest injuries
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The U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team has made a change to its roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics that impacts a member of the Florida Panthers.
On Wednesday, Team USA announced that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe had been named to the Olympic roster as a replacement for Panthers blueliner Seth Jones.
Jackson LaCombe has been named to the 2026 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, replacing Seth Jones.#MilanoCortina2026
Jones, who suffered an upper-body injury during the 2026 NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2 when he was hit in the shoulder/collarbone area by a deflected puck, has been out of the Panthers lineup since.
Initially, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice indicated that Jones could be back in Florida’s lineup before the Olympic break, but that appears not to be the case anymore.
According to a release by Team USA, Jones “is injured and unable to participate” in the Olympics.
The 31-year-old native of Arlington, Texas is playing in his first full season with the Panthers after being acquired at last year’s Trade Deadline.
Through 40 games, Jones has racked up 2 goals and 24 points, 13 of which coming on the power play, while earning 16 penalty minutes and skating to a minus-two on-ice rating.
The Panthers have nine games remaining until the NHL pauses for the Olympics, starting on Thursday when they begin a three-game road trip against the Winnipeg Jets.
Photo caption: Dec 11, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (3) in the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. (Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)
Three years and nearly 1,700 minutes of professional basketball since playing his last game for the Alabama men’s basketball team, Charles Bediako will once be a part of the Crimson Tide program — not as a coach, a graduate assistant or a student manager, but as a player.
Bediako, a 6-foot-11 center who played at Alabama from 2021-23 before moving on to the G League, has been granted a temporary restraining order by a Tuscaloosa County (Alabama) Circuit Court judge that makes him immediately eligible to compete for the Crimson Tide.
The order will remain in effect for 10 days or until a hearing takes place. A hearing on the preliminary injunction is currently scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The decision, which was first reported by AL.com, comes one day after Bediako filed a request to Tuscaloosa Circuit Court for a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction.
Bediako has already enrolled at Alabama and could return to action for the Crimson Tide as soon as Saturday, Jan. 24, when it hosts Tennessee. He is not listed on the team's official roster.
"The University of Alabama supports Charles and his ongoing efforts to be reinstated for competition while he works to complete his degree," the school said in a statement released on Wednesday.
The NCAA had previously denied Bediako's request for additional eligibility and expressed disappointment with the judge's ruling in a statement Wednesday.
"These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students," the statement read. "A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules."
As a sophomore in 2022-23, the Brampton, Ontario native averaged 6.4 points, six rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game for an Alabama team that earned the No. 1 overall seed to the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where it lost to eventual national runner-up San Diego State in the Sweet 16. That season, Bediako was named to the SEC all-defensive team.
Following the season, he declared for the NBA Draft, but was not selected. He instead joined the San Antonio Spurs on a two-way deal and over the next three seasons played in 82 games in the G League for three different teams. He has averaged 4.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in 16 games this season for the Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons’ G League affiliate. He played for the Cruise as recently as Jan. 17, when he had four points and three rebounds in a 127-103 win against the Birmingham Squadron.
To this point, he has never played in an NBA game.
He becomes the latest G League player to join the college ranks, a group that also includes London Johnson at Louisville, Thierry Darlan at Santa Clara and Abdullah Ahmed at BYU. The trend that has drawn public criticism from coaches across the sport, most notably Michigan State’s Tom Izzo.
Since leaving Alabama, Bediako appeared in 82 G League games across three seasons with the Austin Spurs, Grand Rapids Gold and Motor City Cruise.
Here’s a look at his stats from his professional career:
2023-24 (Austin): 5.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 14.6 minutes per game
2024-25 (Grand Rapids): 9.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 24.5 minutes per game
2025-26 (Motor City): 4.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 15.1 minutes per game
Charles Bediako college stats
In two seasons at Alabama, from 2021-23, Bediako averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game while shooting 67.3% from the field and 48.8% from the free-throw line.
Charles Bediako age
Born on March 10, 2002, Bediako is 23 years old.
Charles Bediako draft
After his sophomore season, Bediako entered the 2023 NBA Draft, but was not picked. He signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and joined their G League affiliate in Austin, Texas.
It burns a little, this one. Yeah. To blow that lead. Against this opponent, in their building. It burns. No two ways about it. I’d love to breeze through this and move on to the next, but goodness. We’re probably going to have to sit with it for a minute. Because that was about as bad as it gets.
At some point, you can’t keep waving this stuff away. We’re far enough into the season now that a team’s identity starts to take shape, and the uncomfortable truth with this group is that inconsistency is still the defining trait. It’s not a simple problem, and there are plenty of reasons to stay encouraged. But it’s hard to ignore how often effort, focus, and execution fail to show up together for long stretches.
The Spurs have now lost twelve games this season in which they held a double digit lead. Twelve. That’s 80% of their losses (including the NBA Cup Finals that doesn’t actually count). I know the modern NBA has warped our sense of what actually constitutes a “safe lead,” and that a ten-point cushion can disappear in the blink of an eye, but twelve losses like that starts to feel endemic of a bigger problem. It feels like a team that lacks discipline. One that relies on raw talent to bludgeon its way through games instead of smart players executing a plan to efficiently put opponents away. It’s not sustainable. It might allow them to stumble their way through to a perfectly fine regular season and a fun playoff berth for the first time in a while, but it’s a recipe for a quick and likely embarrassing exit.
I think that’s why it scares me.
(Well, scared is the wrong word. The Spurs are fine. They’re ahead of schedule by almost every metric, and I don’t want to minimize that. We’re all having a blast watching this team exceed expectations and punch above their weight. It’s fun. We’re having fun, I swear. We shouldn’t lose sight of that. Anyway, back to losing sight of it.)
I’m scared of what’s going to happen to this team in the playoffs. We can all feel that coming, right? The Spurs will likely continue to have their ups and downs, but as the season draws to a close and the cream rises to the top, the schedule will be full of way more games like the one Monday night against the Jazz. They’ll play hard against inferior opponents, stumble over their feet, and ultimately pull out more wins than losses. We’ll have fun. We’ll watch the boys bang that silly drum in the middle of the court, and we’ll cheer and dream about what’s to come.
They’ll be a high seed, probably two, three, or four. There will be expectations. Words like “dark horse” and “contender” are going to get thrown around. The noise is going to get loud and the lights are going to get bright. That first round is going to be here before we know it, and it’s going to be a team like Houston or Minnesota or maybe even Denver with a fresh and rested Nikola Jokic. It’s going to be a team that’s hungry. One that’s been living in the playoffs recently and knows exactly what those battles feel like and what they require. They’re going to see a team like the Spurs swanning into the playoffs riding a wave of goodwill after their first decent season in forever, and they are going to be ready to hunt.
The little things the Spurs keep getting wrong in these games, the inefficient scoring from their star players, the three point volatility, and the deer in the headlights fourth quarters are all going to get exposed on the biggest stages. The tendency they have to get physically pushed around is going to be a problem. That thing where they just stop trying to secure defensive rebounds for long stretches? That’s going to rear its head every single night. This team is not going to be able to press the “talent” button and just hope it works out.
I’m not saying this is a problem that can’t be fixed. It can. That’s actually the whole point. This roster is young, the core is absurdly talented, and there’s still time for some of these hard lessons to turn into habits. But what I am saying is that it’s a problem that needs to be fixed soon. Because inconsistency has been the defining trait of this season so far, and it’s a label that’s about to become permanent.
This loss is whatever. It stings, and it’s a bummer, but we’ll get over it. The loss isn’t the thing. The “how” is. The Spurs are riding a very thin line between having a fun, feel good season and crashing headfirst into a very abrupt ending. Talent will only carry you so far, and frankly, it already has. At some point though, talent stops being enough.
The Spurs are getting close to that point now.
More thoughts on the Houston loss
Genuinely, what happened to the well balanced offense we saw Monday night? Against the Jazz, everything felt intentional. The Spurs played inside out, put pressure on the rim, and let the three point shooting be a complement rather than the whole meal. Victor Wembanyama was the hub, not the bailout. The ball moved with purpose, cutters were rewarded, and the offense felt balanced and sustainable. Then last night, the structure was still there on paper, but the balance was gone. The Spurs leaned hard into “chuck it from three” mode early and never really adjusted once that stopped working. Watching them brick three after three down the stretch in the fourth felt like watching my three year old struggle to pull open a door that was very clearly marked Push.
I understand that part of the problem is simply that the Rockets are a better team than the Jazz. Houston can physically defend Victor Wembanyama in a way that disrupts the easy flow of the offense, force jumpers, keep guys away from the rim, and do stuff like deciding, very consciously, that Julian Freakin’ Champagnie is not going to beat them. And then they actually execute that plan. Inherently, I know all of this. That doesn’t make it any less frustrating. Teams keep doing this to the Spurs, and at some point they need to have a plan for when it happens. That’s how sports works. Teams adjust and then you adjust. Adjust and adjust. Attack and counterattack. What am I missing here?
Just putting it out there that watching Reed Sheppard come alive down the stretch while all of our dudes were wilting on the vine was an extra special cherry on this particular Sundae of Sadness. I don’t know anything about this kid on a personal level, so take this with a grain of salt, but at least in a basketball sense, I do not like him. Not one bit. If I were to theoretically be sitting alone in a dark room writing the names of my enemies down in a notebook, then he would be getting a prime spot. Theoretically.
You ever think about the alternate universe where the Spurs traded for Kevin Durant last summer? I don’t. I mean, sometimes I do. Like, what if Kevin Durant were sitting there in the Harrison Barnes spot instead of Harrison Barnes? Naw. That…No. Crazy. What’s done is done.
Post Game Press Conference
– Yesterday, you implored Victor Wembanyama to not get hurt during the All-Star Game. He then went on to say that he wants “to push the great players of this sport to play in the All-Star Game just as hard as I will. We’ll see how it goes, but if they don’t play hard, I’ll do it without them.” Any response?
– He’s such a good kid. Truly. We should applaud this spirit and commend him for, you know, holding himself to this kind of standard.
– But…..
– But this is stupid. Vic, don’t do this. Don’t. No one cares. You can’t make them care by playing just a little bit harder. Not to be overly cynical, but that’s simply not how the world works anymore. I cannot stress to you enough how little I care about the All-Star Game mattering. It’s a relic from a time when there was less stuff going on. People were locked into the 1992 All-Star Game because they didn’t have any episodes of Heated Rivalry to watch.
– You don’t think this is a good sign of his competitive mindset? Of his desire to raise the overall effort level of the sport?
– Unfortunately, I think this might actually be a sign that he’s a huge nerd. Respectfully.
– A huge nerd?
– Yeah. One of the hugest, tallest nerds we’ve ever seen. Breathtaking, really.
– Well I think most fans seem to like that he feels this way.
– If Victor Wembanyama strains his calf trying to block a Scottie Barnes layup during a game that does not matter, in front of a television audience of five people, I am going to sell all my belongings and go live with chimpanzees in the forest like Jane Goodall.
Sure, they’ve had some frustrating losses get away from them, but halfway through the season, the Sixers are in as good a spot as any optimist could have hoped for before the season. At 23-19, they have set themselves up to not just make the playoffs, but potentially nab a top-six spot to avoid the Play-In tournament.
Not only has No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe flashed more star potential, but their two star veterans, Joel Embiid and Paul George, have been relatively healthy and available relative to last season — the former has already appeared in more games this season than the 2024-25 campaign.
A franchise cornerstone plus two massive contracts the majority of the league still likely views as albatrosses are already good enough reason to stand pat, but the Sixers also still have some roster shuffling to sure up their front court rotation, and they’ll have to do so before the Feb. 5 deadline.
One of the best Sixers’ stories this year has been not just two-way forward Dominick Barlow looking like an NBA player, but earning a spot in the starting lineup. Jabari Walker, also on a two-way, has also been integral, appearing in 40 of their 42 games so far this season. Barlow has missed a little more time due to injury, but has started in 29 of the 32 games he’s been available for this year.
Anyone who followed last year’s team — or SixersAdam on Twitter — knows that two-way appearances are limited to just 50 games. Jeff Dowtin Jr. actually ran out of available dates before the last game of last season. Those appearances are even more limited when a team is rostering less than 15 players, which the Sixers currently are.
Teams like the Sixers are limited to just 90 two-way games as long as they have under 15 players on the roster. Those 90 count for all two-ways — in other words, every time Barlow and Walker play in the same game, that counts as two towards the 90.
Tallying up their appearances, plus the 12 games Hunter Sallis was active for, the Sixers are down to just four days remaining. Assuming they both play, that covers the Sixers through the end of their homestand to Jan. 24 against the Knicks. After that Knicks games, the shuffling will have to begin.
The first, most likely move was posited by national reporter Keith Smith, who said that the Sixers could sign someone to a 10-day contract, which would put the 90-game rule on pause for at least a week and a half.
Keep an eye on the Philadelphia 76ers doing something similar with filling their 15th spot with a 10 Day signing.
The Sixers are down to just eight under-15 games remaining after last night. Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker continue to play every game, so that's just four more… https://t.co/NTyp72kORL
That doesn’t reset the individual days for Barlow and Walker, both of which are also quickly waning. Heading into these last two games of the homestand Walker only has eight games left while Barlow has 18.
It feels likely Daryl Morey will sign a 10-day to keep Walker and Barlow on two-way salaries as long as possible. At some point though, that 15th roster spot will have to be used to convert one of those two to a full-time deal.
For the Sixers to keep both they’ll have to free up another roster spot somehow. They have plenty of expiring contracts to dump, some of which are hardly in the rotation as it is. Eric Gordon is not really at all, but he only makes the veteran’s minimum. Andre Drummond tends to only play on nights Embiid does not these days, and has a slightly higher salary at $5 million.
Each making over $8 million dollars, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes are both technically options as well, but it’s hard to see any possible return for Oubre being better the production he’s given them when healthy this season. Grimes may be the trickiest to trade. Given that he’s on the qualifying offer, teams potentially acquiring him wouldn’t acquire his Bird rights, making it tricky to re-sign him in the offseason.
There are a number of ways Morey can get creative to solve this, but he’ll have to make this choice soon as the days dwindle. Rearranging things for two players already in the organization won’t headline any “Who won the trade deadline?” articles. Converting Walker and Barlow to full-time roster spots without shuffling up the rotation in any major way is a perfectly fine deadline for the Sixers this year.
