Dec 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) takes his position during a free throw attempt in the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
That didn’t take long. Less than 24 hours after the Spurs waived forward Jeremy Sochan, ESPN’s Shams Charania is reporting he to sign with one of many potential suitors: the New York Knicks. The Knicks were the main team listed as a potential trade partner for Sochan before the trade deadline, but talks reportedly stalled because the Spurs did not want to give up any draft picks or take on Guerschon Yabusele’s player option for next season. Now, with cleared cap space, the Knicks get him without giving up anything, and the Spurs keep all their draft capital and still have clean books for this summer.
Free agent forward Jeremy Sochan plans to sign with the New York Knicks after he clears waivers, his agent Deirunas Visockas of Gersh Sports tells ESPN. Sochan had 10 interested suitors after being released from the Spurs on Wednesday and landed on the Knicks as his new team. pic.twitter.com/F2dVt3ivEx
It was a sad ending to what started as a great relationship between draft pick and city. Sochan immediately became a fan favorite with his funny personality, silly antics, and hardnosed style of play on the court, especially on defense. He stayed consistent through his first three season despite battling injuries and playing out of positions, but he fell out of the rotation this season as other players’ strengths (especially on offense) became bigger assets than his defense while the team improved overall.
The breakup kind of reminds of Malik Rose back in 2005. He was a beloved fan favorite, but the Spurs needed more size at center to compete with bigger teams for a championship, and he was traded for Nazr Mohammed. Fans hated it and even booed Gregg Popovich at the next game, but it was the right move in the long term and was soon forgiven as they went on to win the championship that year. I know fans are similarly upset with Mitch Johnson for how things turned out, but sometimes you just have to make basketball decisions, even if they aren’t the most popular ones.
To this day, Rose is still beloved in San Antonio and frequents the city and team events often, and maybe someday that will be the case with Sochan as well. On his way out, he sent a message to Spurs fans on social media:
To the city of San Antonio… When I was drafted, I didn’t realize how quickly this would feel like home. I’ve moved around a lot throughout my life, and this is the longest I’ve been in the same place since I was 15 years old. Through the ups and downs, I learned a lot, kept… pic.twitter.com/DfToSiSqxn
To the city of San Antonio… When I was drafted, I didn’t realize how quickly this would feel like home. I’ve moved around a lot throughout my life, and this is the longest I’ve been in the same place since I was 15 years old. Through the ups and downs, I learned a lot, kept growing, and always stayed true to myself. This community and the fans embraced me from day one! It’s bigger than basketball and I’m forever grateful. I’ll always have love for San Antonio! Everything happens for a reason & time will tell…
Now I’m sad all over again. Thank you for everything, Jeremy. It took almost no time to endear yourself to the city of San Antonio and Spurs fans. And for one last time, as the old saying goes: Once a Spur, always a Spur. Good luck wherever your career takes you.
Feb 10, 2026; North Port, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (99) works out during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The good news for the Atlanta Braves as we continue to progress through the early portions of spring training is that two days of camp have come and gone and the Braves haven’t had anybody else go on the 60-Day IL. Here’s hoping that this continues long into spring training, the World Baseball Classic and the regular season as well, since the last thing this ballclub needs is a repeat of the injury struggles that this team has gone through for the past couple of seasons now.
That is especially true for the starting rotation, which suffered some astonishing bad luck during last year’s regular season campaign. There’s already been a bad omen of that bad luck lingering into this season after we got wind of the news earlier this week that Spencer Schwellenbach will be starting the season on the 60-Day IL. A fully-healthy rotation would’ve gone a long way towards bringing the Braves back into relevancy as far as the Postseason is concerned and already they could be missing Schwellenbach for who-knows-how-long.
As such, the need for some more starting pitching has come under the magnifying glass once again. Earlier this week, Sam Peebles talked about some outside-of-the-box trade options that the Braves could pursue when it comes to fortifying their rotation. That’s certainly a route the Braves could go down, especially considering that there’s a bit of a murky idea as to just how much the Braves are going to be willing to spend as the season gets closer and closer.
As of right now (according to FanGraphs), the Braves are currently committed to paying $264 million towards their payroll in 2026, which would be good for a Top 10 payroll in all of baseball and sixth place, to be exact. Atlanta was pushing for a Top Five payroll and as of right now, they’re going to come up short as they trail the Blue Jays and Phillies, who are spending $281 million and $284 million, respectively.
While we know that they’re not going to go into Dodgers/Mets territory any time soon (the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers are the only teams currently spending over $300 million, with the Dodgers being closer to $400 million. Phew.), there is a question as to how much the Braves are going to spend over what they’re already planning on spending right now. MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal recently went on Foul Territory TV to discuss the situation for the Braves from a financial standpoint and he didn’t seem to indicate that the Braves were going to be super aggressive in adding to their rotation going forward.
“I don’t know if it changes anything for them financially,” said Rosenthal when he was asked about the Braves potentially hitting up the free agent market for a starter. “They were going to spend what they were going to spend, and the guys out there right now were only going to get a certain amount.” He did mention that one of the options for Atlanta was Zac Gallen but he also made sure to mention that the fact that Gallen comes alongside the potential penalty of the Qualifying Offer as a potential stumbling block to the Braves going after him.
“The one thing that is a little bit different with them, and they’ve been unwilling to deal with this due to the qualifying offer situation, is the loss of a draft pick,” stated Rosenthal. ”The pick they would lose is No. 26 overall, that’s kind of a high pick to lose, and they’ve been reluctant to do that. They would do it for the right pitcher. I don’t know if Zac Gallen on a short-term deal is that pitcher and I still expect him to go back to Arizona.”
Lucas Giolito is also still out there and he was previously linked to the Braves along with Chris Bassitt — though Bassitt is now off of the table after the Orioles snapped him up on a pretty reasonable deal. Whether the Braves decide to pursue Giolito, they actually decide to say [bleep] that pick and go for Gallen or if they potentially trade for a. hurler, the point is that Atlanta’s going to need to take some action here.
I’m not trying to pick on Bryce Elder here but again, things will probably not be going well around here if Elder is among the team leaders in innings pitched. Of course, things could go well for the Braves from a health standpoint but that’s a pretty big “if” for this ballclub right now. Chris Sale has always been an injury risk, Spencer Strider is still trying to figure things out after coming back his most recent elbow surgery, Reynaldo López certainly has questions about his durability and all we can do is hope that Grant Holmes will remain steady as he returns from elbow issues of his own — and it’s not even a guarantee that Holmes will be a starter going forward.
– Grant Holmes is back to 100%. Says rehab went great. Spent it here in Florida. Went to the beach a lot. – Ozzie is 100%. Has something to prove. His fish are doing great. – Drake Baldwin enjoyed rookie of the year off-season. Very locked in.
The starting rotation sure could do with some fortification and maybe we’ll have to see the Braves either dip into the free agency market or swing a trade somehow. Either way, the Schwellenbach injury could serve as a wake-up call to make sure that the front office knows that the job’s not done yet when it comes to making sure this team will be solid going forward.
I’m sure they’re working hard and keeping their eyes peeled for anything that may materialize (and this front office with Alex Anthopoulos at the top still deserves the benefit of the doubt based on past achievements and transactions) but time’s of the essence. Let’s hope that this rotation gets fortified soon and in a way that’s conducive to the club’s success going forward.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 11: Paul Sewald #38 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after the Diamondbacks defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 12-5 at Chase Field on August 11, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, this is certainly something. Former D-backs’ closer Paul Sewald, an integral part of the bullpen which reached the 2023 World Series, is apparently coming back to the team. Steve Gilbert was the first to report the deal, confirming it is a major-league contract, rather than a minor-league one with an invite to spring training. Nick Piecoro subsequently added that it’s a one-year deal at a cost of $1.5 million.
Sewald’s first stint with the Diamondbacks began at the trade deadline in 2023, when he came over from the Seattle Mariners. He picked up thirteen saves with a 3.57 ERA down the stretch in Arizona, but really came into his own during the post-season. On the way to the National League pennant, he pitched eight scoreless innings and notched six saves, with a 11:1 K:BB ratio. Everything went pear-shaped (to put it mildly) in the World Series against Texas, and that was a portent of things to come. For in 2024, his ERA was a mediocre 4.31, and he lost the closer’s job at the beginning of August.
Last year, he split time between Cleveland and Detroit, though the results were not brilliant with either team. Overall he had a 4.58 ERA across 22 games, spending most of the year on the injured list with a strained shoulder. He earned $6 million that year: there was an option for 2026, but at $10 million was an easy decline. He was therefore able to return to Arizona on a considerably cheaper deal. I will make no comment more predictive about his performance than “We’ll see…” But I would be quite surprised if he gets any significant high-leverage situations out of the gate.
Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question to the comments section here or on X/Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @blakesilverman.
Join us live on Saturday afternoon for the show where we’ll recap this week’s games as we head into the All-Star break. Forty whole wins before the break, how are we feeling? What did you make of the suspensions to Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren? Too harsh or just right? What are you looking for from Cade Cunningham and Duren during All-Star festivities?
Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.
The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10: Jake LaRavia #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers gets the loose ball in front of De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on February 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Add it all up, and you get a 2-2 week and a team that needs some rest and time away from the game before the most important stretch of the season.
Luckily, the Lakers have the All-Star break coming up. Hopefully, they use it to reset and get healthy so they can finish the season strong.
5 things I liked and didn’t like
1. Failing the test
The Lakers competed hard against the Thunder, but still lost 119-110. It was a harsh reminder that even when they are playing hard, they don’t measure up to the cream of the crop in the NBA.As mentioned before, LeBron put it bluntly after the game, saying that OKC was a championship team and LA is not.
Lebron on the Thunder:
"You want me to compare us to them? That's a championship team right there we're not. We can't sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes and they can. That's why they won a championship" 👀 pic.twitter.com/j59NF4uAcS
With 53 games played, the Lakers are as good as their record states. At 32-21, the Lakers are not a great team and dreams of a championship this season are just that.
2. Luka’s injury
It may be up for debate how good the Lakers can be this season, but the one thing that’s clear is they need Luka healthy to maximize their chances of success.
Which is why Luka injuring his hamstring against the Sixers was such a bummer. He’s now missed four straight games, and it is very much up in the air whether he plays at the All-Star Game.
If he keeps missing games, it could also make him ineligible for All-NBA and other NBA awards. After being ruled out against the Mavs, Luka can only miss five more games the rest of this season.
It would be a shame if Luka loses his All-NBA spot due to a few injuries, but those are the rules, at least for now.
Kennard ended the game with 10 points, going 4-7 from the field and knocking down a pair of threes. LA went on to beat Golden State and will continue to benefit from Kennard’s ability to make 49% of his 3-point attempts.
The trade to acquire Kennard may not rock the NBA world, but it was an improvement on the margins that in no way jeopardizes their future. So, while the move might be sexy, it sure was sensible and the Lakers are a better team for it.
4. Austin Reaves is back
Reaves missed 19 games due to a calf strain, but he returned this week, and boy was he missed. He’s been on a minutes restriction and has come off the bench, but was marvelous against the Sixers.
It was a vintage Reaves performance featuring jaw-dropping 3-pointers, incredible playmaking near the rim and some gaudy production mixed in with his unmistakable charm.
Reaves scored 35 points in the win and reminded everyone just how good he is.
5. Lakers still need a center
When the Lakers signed Deandre Ayton, the thought was that they got the center they needed, upgrading from Jaxson Hayes. Well, Ayton might be better, but he’s not good enough.
He is averaging 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists, which are all career lows. Recently, it’s become commonplace for him to sit out during the fourth quarter of games, and with injuries keeping him out of contests, it’s not looking like he is the long-term fix for the five spot in LA.
Ayton will have to do for now, but another change will be necessary in the summer.
Stat of the Week
This week’s stat is 30, the number of assists LeBron had across the Lakers’ three games this week.
As the season has progressed, LeBron has gotten better. An aspect of his game that’s been much sharper is his passing. This is also the first time LeBron has been LA’s assist leader for three consecutive games since early April of last year.
Luka, as the team’s primary ballhandler, will often be dominant in this category, but James still has the vision and basketball IQ to put his teammates in advantageous scenarios. And this week, no Lakers were moving the ball better.
Play of the Week
Not all threes are created equal. The one Reaves hit in the fourth against the Sixers was sensational.
The play started with LeBron driving to the paint. As James got near the rim, Joel Embiid helped, and Trendon Watford dropped down to cover Jarred Vanderbilt, freeing up Maxi Kleber.
LeBron saw this and kicked it to Maxi, but so did VJ Edgecombe as he rotated out to the wing, forcing a pass to Austin. The problem was that Reaves had just one second to get his shot off and was closer to the logo than the 3-point line.
Luckily, none of that made a difference, as he knocked down the deep three to give LA the lead.
The Sixers played solid defense, but Reaves was just too good for it to matter.
Once Reaves starts, the Lakers will be able to field the best lineup possible, and his career year can pick up where it left off in December when he was fully healthy.
I prefer the basketball far more than the drama that comes with it, but even I must admit I can’t look away from something as spicy as the Jonathan Kuminga-Warriors saga. Was Kuminga good enough to warrant all this attention? No. But was it entertaining to hear just how bad the breakup in Golden State was? Absolutely.
He knew management wanted to ding him for missing a team-requested event and alert him that someone around him was taking too much food from the family room. The gripes between player and organization, as multiple sources said, had become “petty” in the fifth year of a relationship many believed should’ve ended years before.
Kerr never had much success reaching Kuminga on a deeper level, typically one of his coaching superpowers. He’d given him handwritten notes, sent long text messages, tried to connect. But Kuminga rarely reciprocated. Kuminga normally responded dispassionately and sporadically.
Klay Thompson and Mychal Thompson are one of the great father-son NBA duos in NBA history. In this feature, we learn more about them and how a father who never shot threes raised one who is among the best to ever do it.
In a brief interview, Klay told The Athletic it was his dad who taught him how to shoot. Whether he was young and too small to shoot from over his head, or as he matured into a teenager and young adult, Klay was taught to start his workouts under the basket and gradually step back, keeping his elbows in with each shot.
Mychal, meanwhile, insists his son learned all on his own. Klay came to be such a great shooter, and he is unarguably in the rarest of company when it comes to knocking down 3s.
But Klay’s dad is also in exclusive company among NBA players.
Representing one of the greatest ironies in league history, Mychal Thompson, father of one of the greatest 3-point shooters ever, is one of a handful of players to have played at least one full NBA season and made only one 3 since the league instituted the 3-point line in October 1979.
NEW YORK (AP) — Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game without pay by the NBA after receiving his 16th technical foul of the season in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
The league made the announcement on Thursday.
According to NBA rules, a player or coach is automatically suspended for one game after receiving their 16th technical foul. Brooks will miss another game for every two additional technicals he receives this season.
Brooks will miss the Suns' game against the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 19.
The 30-year-old Brooks is in the midst of a breakout year in his first season with the Suns. The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game and his brash personality has been a driving force for the team's surprising 32-23 record.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 13: Colorado Rockies first baseman Keston Hiura (7) during the MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves on June 13, 2025, at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The 29-year-old who went to Valencia High School in Santa Clarita and played college baseball at UC Irvine has played parts of six seasons in the major leagues. But most of his time in the last three seasons has been in Triple-A for the Brewers, Angels, Tigers, and Rockies, with a total of 18 games in the majors during that time with the Angels in 2024 and Rockies in 2025.
Hiura in the bulk of his time in the majors, mostly with the Brewers from 2019-22, came at second base. But over the last three years in the minors and majors combined, Hiura started 166 games at first base, 28 games at third base, and 24 games at second base.
For Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025, Hiura hit .272/.369/.507 with a 107 wRC+ and 21 home runs in 100 games, and had four hits in 18 at-bats, including a double in eight games with the Rockies.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 19: Amari Bailey #24 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket during the game against the Houston Rockets during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 19, 2025 at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On Christmas Eve, Baylor sent shockwaves around NCAA by signing 7-foot center James Nnaji, the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft who never actually signed an NBA contract. His rights were originally owned by the Detroit Pistons before getting moved to Charlotte. But Nnaji spent time overseas in Spain and, most recently, played with Merkezefendi in Turkey.
However, that opened floodgates for an unprecedented situation: Players who have declared for the NBA Draft … returning back to play college basketball?! Charles Bediako, a 2023 undraftee, soon followed, joining Alabama.
This epidemic even bled into the Mountain West, with former UCLA guard Amari Bailey — who has played 10 NBA games with the Hornets after being a second-round pick in 2023 — scheduled his first recruiting visit to Grand Canyon, even though he will need to receive a waiver granted by the NCAA.
In Bediako’s case, a Tuscaloosa judge recently denied his eligibility. So the NCAA has some guard rails as to who it’s letting in, and evidently shoving out.
But it’s still a big problem, where players are still toeing the line and attempting to revive their careers in an NIL-centric entity.
There are simple solutions to this issue:
For one, the NCAA will have to collectively bargain this eligibility crisis — as well as employ and enforce a modicum of NIL guardrails. When there’s no structure, all direction is lost. And when all direction is lost, all bets are off.
Therein lies the problem: There’s zero leadership. NCAA president Charlie Baker’s just a figurehead. Until there’s real leadership, these problems will persist.
A few of the immediate solutions should be fairly straightforward:
Don’t allow any player back in the NCAA if they declare for the NBA Draft past the college (if they’re in college) or the international deadline
Those dates are two separate dates; Last year’s, for example, the Early Entry deadline for collegiate athletes was May 28, while it was June 15 for international players.
That automatically makes players who were drafted (Nnaji), players who have signed NBA contracts and, thus, who have played NBA games automatically ineligible to return to the NCAA.
If players — like Bailey or Nnaji — are allowed to go through that process while still returning to the NCAA, those Early Entrant deadlines mean absolutely nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. And thus, an incredibly poor precedent is set.
Bailey should not be allowed to return to the NCAA; if you exhaust your eligibility in any way, you shouldn’t be given a second-chance just because your NBA career momentarily flamed out. The same applies to should Nnaji, who literally heard his name called on draft night before playing twice in Summer League.
The NCAA set up some guard rails regarding Bediako. But that’s not enough, and any gray area will likely have to be collectively bargained in the near future. At the end of the day, the NCAA can run, but it can’t hide.
Jeremy Hefner spoke to the media for the first time as the Braves’ pitching coach – and refused to name the Mets, where he spent two years as a player and six years coaching.
“Yeah, a lot of respect for this organization,” Hefner said when asked about what it was like to be with the Braves after leaving the Mets. “Grew up watching the Braves on TBS, watching [John] Smoltz, [Greg] Maddux, and [Tom] Glavine — all those guys do their thing.
“And then obviously been with that other team up north for a number of years, both as a player and as a coach. A lot of admiration and respect for this group. And just super grateful to be here and looking forward to continuing to work with these guys.”
Jeremy Hefner speaks to reporters for the first time with the Braves.
Hefner was one of several coaches let go by the Mets after a highly disappointing 2025 season, where they had a league-best 45-24 record as of June 12, before collapsing and missing the playoffs.
He is not the only Mets coach to hint at bad blood with the organization; hitting coach Eric Chavez has also been very vocal about how he was given his walking papers by Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns.
Hefner was let go by the Mets in favor of new pitching coach Justin Willard, who was previously the director of pitching for the Boston Red Sox.
David Stearns cleaned house for the Mets coaching staff. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Mets also unceremoniously parted ways with first base coach Antoan Richardson, who was integral in helping Juan Soto become a legitimate stolen base threat for the first time in his career.
For Hefner, he will have his work cut out for him in Atlanta.
The Braves are already down one of their top starters, Spencer Schwellenbach, who was immediately put on the 60-day IL after experiencing forearm tightness to begin spring training.
Braves pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said “that other team up north” in reference to his former employer pic.twitter.com/FC5u3twoA6
The ominous sign could point to the Braves needing some fill-in starting pitching help, as Bryce Elder may be forced to take on the fifth starter role.
Elder pitched to a 5.30 ERA last season and a 6.52 ERA the year prior.
The Jazz are giving NBA fans plenty of reason to tank — sorry, we meant think — that perhaps there are ulterior motives for why they shut down the superstar they just acquired.
Jaren Jackson Jr., who played 48 games with the Grizzlies before being traded to Utah earlier this month, has been shut down for the rest of the season due to upcoming surgery to remove a pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) growth in his left knee, the team announced Thursday.
He is expected to make a fully recovery and be cleared far in advance of training camp, per ESPN.
Jaren Jackson Jr.’s season is over. AP
As you can imagine, this caused many folks to roll their eyes since the Jazz have little reason to be competitive for the remainder of the season.
They have a top-eight protected pick for what is considered a deep 2026 NBA Draft, and they own the sixth-worst record entering Thursday.
The Jazz still split the two games, and coach Will Hardy said he had no plans to reinsert them.
Utah is not the only team to be tanking, with the Pacers, Wizards and Kings’ tactics causing some frustration, but Utah isn’t doing much to be beat the allegations.
Jaren Jackson Jr. will be watching games from the bench going forward. NBAE via Getty Images
Jackson played in three games with the team before being shut down, and the Jazz said they discovered the growth during a post-trade MRI exam.
He averaged 24.0 minutes — down from the 30.7 he averaged with the Grizzlies — along with 22.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while guiding the Jazz to a 2-1 record in his two appearances.
Jackson tallied 23 points in 22 minutes in Wednesday’s 121-93 win over the Kings.
“You just have to make an impact when you’re in the game,” Jackson said, according to ESPN. “That’s what you have to focus on. If you focus on when you’re not out there, you’re gonna struggle as a player.”
India tuned up for their blockbuster showdown with Pakistan at the T20 World Cup with a 93-run hammering of Namibia at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says the league's negotiations over MLB players competing at the 2028 Olympics are with "the institution of the Olympics" and not LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
As Major League Baseball closes in on an agreement for its players to participate in the 2028 Olympics, Commissioner Rob Manfred said the controversy surrounding LA28 chief Casey Wasserman would not impact the league’s final decision.
“Our dealings are not with Casey,” Manfred said Thursday at the MLB owners’ meetings. "Our dealings are with the institution of the Olympics.”
In recently released emails, Wasserman was linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. The board retained a law firm to investigate, the statement said, and the review did not uncover any behavior beyond what was already known: a “single interaction with Epstein” on a plane flight for a humanitarian mission and raunchy emails with Maxwell, both two decades ago, before the “deplorable crimes” of both became public.
“Based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games,” the committee statement said.
Epstein died by suicide after his indictment on sex trafficking charges in 2019. Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021.
Manfred declined to say whether he was concerned that an association with Wasserman could be detrimental for baseball.
“I’m going to pass on that one,” Manfred said. “People much closer to that situation are better to opine on that.”
Mark Attanasio, the Los Angeles-based owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, is a member of the LA28 executive committee. Attanasio said he would let the statement speak for itself.
While baseball is not new to the Olympics, the participation of major leaguers would be. In past Olympics, MLB declined to interrupt its season so its players could travel halfway around the world, and Team USA featured minor leaguers and college players.
MLB players already travel to Los Angeles every summer, and Wasserman has pitched Manfred and MLB owners in a variety of meetings on the benefit of using major leaguers at a time the league is focused on broadening its international appeal.
“What an incredible opportunity to elevate the sport in a city where you have one of the great cathedrals of the sport,” Wasserman told The Times last year. “There is no better chance to tell the global story of baseball than from the Olympics in Los Angeles.
“They understand that. We could have another Dream Team, or two, depending on the countries. That is a vehicle to tell the story of baseball around the world, and that is really powerful.”
MLB and LA28 officials have worked out a tentative timeline under which the All-Star Game would be played in its usual mid-July spot in 2028, most likely in San Francisco, followed by a six-day, six-team Olympic baseball tournament at Dodger Stadium.
“I think people have come to appreciate that the Olympics on U.S. soil is a unique marketing opportunity for the game,” Manfred said Thursday. “We’ve got a lot of players interested in doing it, and I feel pretty good about the idea we’ll get there.”
Are the Dodgers good for baseball?
Outfielder Kyle Tucker adjusts his Dodgers cap during his introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 21. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
“I think great teams are always good for baseball,” Manfred said. “I think, with respect to this particular great team, it added to what we have been hearing from fans in a lot of markets for a long time about the competitiveness of the game. But great teams are always good for baseball.”
MLB officials have cited that fan concern repeatedly over the last year, prelude to an expected push for a salary cap. Manfred declined to discuss the owners’ labor strategy but said he expected negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement to begin after opening day and said he would not talk about MLB proposals until they are presented to the players’ union.
The current agreement expires Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected.
Where can you watch the Angels?
Angels star Mike Trout celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros on Sept. 28 in Anaheim. (Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
The Angels already are in spring training, and yet their fans have no idea where to watch their games on television this season.
The Angels have agreed that MLB will provide a streaming option, and a team official confirmed they are still deciding whether to let MLB sell their telecasts to cable and satellite distributors or reinvent what remains of the FanDuel Sports channel already part-owned by the team, with the Kings joining the Angels.
The Angels’ situation is not unique. Three years ago, MLB did not provide broadcast services to any team. Today, amid the collapse of the cable and satellite universe, MLB provides broadcast services to 14 of its 30 teams — 15, if the Angels go that way.
In 2028, Manfred would like to sell national streaming packages, in the hope that more bidders would mean more revenue, a particularly acute need for the teams losing revenue as guaranteed rights fees are cut or eliminated altogether. The challenge: how to convince the Dodgers and other big-market teams to sacrifice their still-lucrative local rights so MLB can sell a 30-team package.
“Ideally, I’d love to get there,” Manfred said. “I don’t need to get all the way there to accomplish most of what I am thinking about.”
On Thursday, Manfred cited one way he could get close enough: have rival owners vote to expand the number of games — for the Dodgers or anyone else — that would be classified as national rather than local.
“We can take as many games as we want from any club in a national package,” Manfred said, “with a majority vote of the clubs.”
Earlier this week, ESPN released its post-trade-deadline updated power rankings. Houston came in at the number seven spot, slipping one spot from their previously held sixth spot. This puts Houston behind the Thunder, Spurs, and Nuggets in the Western Conference and behind the Pistons, Knicks, and Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
NBA.com cited Houston’s very close win versus the Pacers and two consecutive home losses (Feb 4 versus Boston and February 5 versus Charlotte) as a reason for the demotion in the rankings. Additonally, the inactivity at the trade deadline also played a part as fans and media alike were left confused. Despite this, head coach Ime Udoka and General Manager Rafael Stone still feel confident in this team despite the lack of a traditional starting point guard.
Houston likely would have been ranked lower if not for their win Saturday versus the OKC Thunder, a game where Alperen Sengun had his second tripple-double of the season, and Tari Eason had his best performance of the season, scoring 26 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.
Looking at the stats, the ranking does make sense. Houston ranks ninth in offensive rating at 117.1 and fourth in defense rating at 112.0, according to NBA.com. Houston also still ranks first in offensive rebound percentage, but that may change with the absence of center Steven Adams for the remainder of the season.
It is unclear what will happen after the All-Star Break, as Houston will hopefully get some much-deserved rest. If you want to catch your Houston Rockets during All-Star weekend, make sure to tune into Peacock for Friday’s events along with NBA League Pass, and NBC for Saturday and Sunday’s events. Reed Sheppard will be competing Friday in the Rising Stars game, and Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant will be competing Sunday in the All-Star game, with Sengun playing on Team World and Durant on Team USA
Dec 2, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
The Spurs’ reach at All-Star weekend keeps getting wider. With Giannis Antetokounmpo ruled out with a calf strain, Commissioner Adam Silver has selected Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox as his injury replacement. In one of the quirks from this USA vs. World format, Fox will replace Norman Powell on Team Stars, and Norman Powell will be moved to Team World to replace Giannis thanks to his Jamaican roots.
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game (Sunday, 2/15, 5pm/et, NBC & Peacock). Fox will join USA Stripes, while Miami Heat guard Norman… pic.twitter.com/Pn98bB69p5
This will be Fox’s second All-Star appearance and first since 2022-23, when he made it as a Sacramento King. This season, he has averaged 19.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 45 games. After questions about his fit in the offseason, he has done a wonderful job of finding a balance between dominating and deferring, knowing when to feed the hot hand and when to take over himself, especially in the clutch.
Joining Fox in the All-Star game will be Victor Wembanyama as a starter for Team World and Mitch Johnson (who just yesterday spoke out about the Spurs only have one All-Star despite having the third best record in the league) as the coach of Team Stripes. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will be representing the Spurs in the Rising Stars Challenge, and Harper will join his father and brother — Ron Harper, Sr. and Jr., respectively — in the Shooting Stars Challenge. Finally, Carter Bryant will be in the Slam Dunk Contest. The only event the Spurs are not represented in is the Three-Point Contest.
All-Star weekend will take place this weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. You can check out the entire schedule here. Rising Stars will be on Friday, February 13 beginning at 8:00 PM CT on ESPN. Saturday will feature Shooting Stars starting at 4:00 PM CT, followed by the 3-point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest, and finally the All-Star Game on Sunday, beginning at 4:00 PM CT.
Congrats to Fox, and even though it’s as an injury replacement, it’s more than deserved!
The Knicks are completing their roster with an athletic prospect for frontcourt depth.
Jeremy Sochan, a 22-year-old forward, is signing with the team for the remainder of the season, league sources confirm, a move the team believes will provide athletic insurance for their push to the NBA Finals.
At 6-foot-8 and a former ninth-overall pick, Sochan was considered a top prospect while starting as a 2023 All-Rookie selection for the Spurs and carving out an important role during his first three NBA seasons. But Sochan fell out of favor with the team this season, at least partially because of the emergence of rookie forward Carter Bryant, and was waived Wednesday — opening the door for his Knicks arrival.
Jeremy Sochan Getty Images
A league source said Sochan is expected to arrive in New York on Monday and will be available for the first game after the All-Star break, which is Thursday at home against the Pistons. The idea of playing for a contender with veteran leadership was an important factor toward choosing the Knicks, per a league source.
The hope is that he provides two-way depth on the wing and frontcourt.
However, there are questions of why it didn’t work in San Antonio. A league source familiar with the situation explained Sochan was neither good enough as a shooter or defender this season, and expressed skepticism the Baylor product would figure it out.
The Knicks certainly believe he will. They targeted Sochan before the trade deadline last week but couldn’t convince the Spurs to take Guerschon Yabusele in exchange.
And in the end, it worked for team president Leon Rose.
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) drives in against Dallas Mavericks guard AJ Johnson. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Knicks essentially swapped out Yabusele for Jose Alvarado, largely because Yabusele surprisingly agreed to drop his $5.8 million player option for next season. There’s speculation that Yabusele, who is from France, has already secured a lucrative deal overseas, offsetting at least some of the money he gave up to facilitate a trade away from the Knicks.
Shedding Yabusele for Alvarado freed up enough cap space for the Knicks to immediately sign a free agent, which Thursday became Sochan on a minimum contract.
Born in Oklahoma to a Polish mother, Sochan became the youngest member of Poland’s national team during the 2022 EuroBasket qualifiers. He showed early promise with the Spurs — along with colorful hair dye choices — and averaged over 11 points in each of his first three seasons, starting in 149 of his first 184 appearances.
But there wasn’t much growth on his 3-point shot — he’s shooting just 25.7 percent from deep this season — and he reportedly desired an opportunity for more playing time.
When the Knicks are healthy, there aren’t many minutes available — at least not the 25-plus that Sochan averaged his first three seasons in San Antonio. New York has OG Anunoby and Josh Hart eating up the most among the forwards, with Mitchell Robinson and rookie Mo Diawara as the frontcourt backups.
But there is room for another big forward, especially when there are injuries involved. Anunoby, for instance, has missed four consecutive games with a toe injury, which pushed Diawara into a larger role while averaging 21.5 minutes during that stretch before the All-Star break.
Diawara has been tremendous in his 3-and-D role — better than most expected from a second-round rookie — but Sochan does carry more experience with greater ballhandling capabilities. He also further removes disappointing first-round pick Pacôme Dadiet from the possibility of playing.
With that said, it’s hard to imagine Diawara being supplanted in the rotation while he’s stacking up such positive performances. The Frenchman has nailed treys at a 41.3 percent clip this season.
“He’s young, he’s raw, he needs the experience. But he’s someone who’s good defensively. And he’s an even better shooter than I thought,” Hart said Wednesday about Diawara, who had just scored 14 points with five boards in a blowout win over the Sixers. “I always thought it looked good, but now it’s going in. Being able to get him in the pocket, he’s a good decision maker in the pocket, athletic, can finish at the rim, get guys involved. So I love where he’s at. He’s continuing to work. I think he can be really good.”
Sochan also has upside. He’s just two years older than Diawara with three more years of NBA experience. His addition gives the Knicks a full roster of 15 players with standard contracts and a new look in the frontcourt.
