LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 20: Austin Reeves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring during the first half of their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 20, 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 Luiza Moraes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The time has come to reward Austin Reaves for going from being an undrafted player to a starting guard for the Lakers.
However, some people might still be shocked by the cost. While Reaves has mentioned before that his goal is not to earn as much as possible, that doesn’t mean he won’t be paid.
For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we asked fans how much the Lakers should pay Reaves and they definitely don’t want to give a max deal.
Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last year and considering he has improved every season, he would likely still be underpaid if he earns less than $40 million a year.
If Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka can get Reaves to sign for less than $40 million and all parties involved are happy with it, that would be a colossal win. Considering Reaves’ growth and an unimpressive free agency market, this seems like wishful thinking from Lakers fans.
Reaves earning between $40-45 million, which finished second in voting, seems more logical. This would give him his big payday without the Lakers overpaying, making it a win-win scenario.
Keep or trade draft pick
In our other poll question, we asked fans if the Lakers should keep their draft pick or trade it. It was a close one, but most fans want LA to make a selection.
Both sides on this one can make a compelling case.
It’s hard to hit on your draft prospects, and even rarer for those players to be immediate contributors on winning teams. With the Lakers picking at No. 25, who will even be available that can help a playoff team in a brutal Western Conference?
However, other teams have found success in the draft. Carter Bryant was taken at No. 14 by the Spurs in the 2025 NBA Draft, played 71 games for San Antonio and was a postseason player.
The Lakers should explore all options, but if they can find talent in the draft, they should focus on developing it. This is how the franchise can acquire top talent without breaking the bank.
Jalen Brunson vs. Luka Dončić
Last, but certainly not least, we asked NBA fans about the Mavericks’ failures. Jalen Brunson winning it all was a reminder that short kings can rule, but it was also another reminder for Dallas fans that they let another elite guard leave who was once a huge part of their organization.
Which Mavs decision looks worse, then: letting Brunson walk or trading Luka Dončić? In what has to be recency bias, the majority thought letting Brunson walk was worse.
Both look bad now, but the Luka decision was considered one of the most lopsided trades in history and led to the general manager, Nico Harrison, being fired within a year. The Luka trade took the Mavericks from a team that had just reached the NBA Finals into a full rebuild.
Props to Brunson for winning it all, but his leaving wasn’t disastrous for the Mavericks. Luka’s departure was far more damaging to Dallas, and while they will move on, they might never fully recover from the pain that came from that trade.
The Yankees dropped Sunday's rubber match against the Reds by a score of 4-1 at Yankee Stadium.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Elmer Rodriguez, called up to make the start with Gerrit Cole pushed back a day, had a 21-pitch first inning, but got out of runners on corners jam by striking out Spencer Steer.
Rodriguez got into another jam in the top of the fourth, and he wasn’t able to get out of this one, surrendering a two-out, three-run homer to Tyler Stephenson on a sinker that was right down the heart of the plate.
The young righty went 4.0 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits while striking out four and walking two. He threw 80 pitches, 46 of which were strikes
-- The game stayed scoreless until the bottom of the third, when Ben Rice launched a solo home run to right field. Rice somehow got on top of a Chase Burns high heater, and he demolished it to give the Yankees the lead with his 22nd home run of the season.
But that was all the Yankees could must off of Burns, who went 5.0 innings while allowing just the one earned run on five hits. He struck out seven and walked three.
-- Austin Wells made his return to the lineup after a stint on the IL due to cervical headaches. H went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before being replaced by a pinch-hitter.
-- Hitting with runners in scoring position has been a real bugaboo for the Yankees over the last two games. On Sunday, the Yankees went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
-- The Yankees played some very sloppy defense in the ninth to allow the Reds to tack on. First, a grounder up the middle was ruled a double, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. really should have at least knocked it down. Jose Caballero, playing center field for the first time, threw the ball away at second, allowing Steer to go all the way around to third. Steer would score on a Noelvi Marte double to right that Jasson Dominguez couldn't get to, pushing the lead to 4-1.
Game MVP
Stephenson, whose three-run homer put the Reds up for good.
HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 21: Houston Astros starting pitcher Kai-Wei Teng (17) throws a pitch in the top of the first inning during the MLB game between the Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros on June 21, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Kai-Wei Teng (W, 4-6) had struggled in his most recent 4 starts, and very much looked like a candidate to be replaced in the rotation. Teng put at least a temporary hold on all of that today.
Teng pitched 6 strong innings against the Guardians this afternoon, allowing just one run on 4 hits with a walk and 4 strikeouts in earning his 4th win of the season. Steven Okert, Bryan King, and Josh Hader (S, 5) followed with scoreless innings of relief as the Houston Astros (37-42) defeated the Cleveland Guardians (41-37) 2-1 at Daikin Park on Father’s Day.
The victory clinched the series victory for the Astros, who have won three consecutive series for the first time this season. The Astros are now 17-11 since May 21.
Yordan Alvarez got the Astros on the board first with his league-leading 25th HR of the season in the bottom of the first, a solo shot off Guardians’ starter Slade Cecconi (L, 3-6).
Alvarez would later off the bottom of the 4th with a walk, advance to 2nd on a single by Christian Walker, and the score on a single by Isaac Paredes to make it a 2-0 lead. However that was all the Astros could muster in both that inning and the rest of the game.
In the bottom of the 5th, a one-out triple by Petey Halpin followed by a groundout by Travis Bazzana accounted for the Guardians only run off Teng.
The Guardians did not get another hit the rest of the way.
The Astros are currently 2.5 GB of the Seattle Mariners pending the results of their game today, and 2GB the Blue Jays and Athletics for the final Wild Card spot.
Following today’s game, the Astros travel to Toronto for a 3 game series with the Blue Jays.
Apr 22, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter (22) throws during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter has been placed on the injured list with a left ankle injury, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled pitcher Jose Corniell.
Leiter had been dealing with the ankle issue for most of the season, but reportedly made it worse slipping on the on deck circle in the Rangers’ April contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates. You remember the play, I’m sure, but in case you need a reminder, here it is:
The general reaction to the play at the time was, oh shit, now Jack Leiter is hurt. I think most of us of were surprised he even stayed in the game. Per Chris Young, Leiter felt he could pitch through the issue, but scans after his last outing showed it had gotten worse, so he’s being shut down so the ankle can heal.
One might wonder whether the Rangers would have made this move sooner if they had a viable option to replace Leiter in the rotation. Jacob Latz, who was the de facto sixth starter early on, has taken on the closer role, and given the injuries the bullpen is dealing with currently, along with ineffectiveness by a lot of the non-Latz relievers, trying to stretch him out and have him starting again isn’t realistic.
It is worth noting, though, that Jordan Montgomery is beginning a rehab assignment with Frisco. He’s recuperating from Tommy John surgery, and so probably isn’t a realistic option in the rotation until after the All Star Break, but there is some help on the way.
Corniell returned in the second half of the 2025 season from Tommy John surgery and pitched extremely well in the minors, earning a late season callup, and ultimately being the last Rangers pitcher to pitch in 2025, as his major league debut ended in a walkoff homer in his second inning of work in extra innings in Cleveland. He got off to a bit of a rocky start to the season, but in his last two appearances has allowed two runs in nine innings while striking out six and not walking anyone. He presumably will be used out of the pen for the time being.
In case you’re curious, here’s the Rangers’ current nine man major league bullpen:
Jacob Latz
Jakob Junis
Tyler Alexander
Cole Winn
Cal Quantrill
Peyton Gray
Robb Ahlstrom
Joe Ross
Jose Corniell
Yeah, probably need to leave Latz in the pen for now…
Jun 21, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23) reacts after being called out on strikes against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves took the series win, but couldn’t complete the sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers after falling 9-4 at Truist Park.
Atlanta got on the board early on with Ozzie Albies picking up where he left off from last night’s game with a sacrifice fly to bring Mauricio Dubón in for the first run.
It was after that, however, when the Brewers answered back, going on a tear against Bryce Elder (6 IP/ 12 H/ 8 ER/ 6 K/ 1 HR) to make their presence known in the second inning. Brewers’ Sal Frelick hit a two-run double, and from there, Milwaukee caught the wave to end with a three-run homer from William Contreras (8-1).
It wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth that Atlanta would see another run from a Joey Bart ground ball to bring in Michael Harris II. The Brewers scored their last run on a wild pitch in the seventh (9-2).
And the Braves attempted to come alive again late in the ninth with a two-run homer from Rowdy Tellez to drive in Albies (9-4), giving the Braves a little action with no outs.
The efforts to get back in the game fell short after an out from Joey Bart’s ground ball.
Though Elder gave up eight runs in the second, he did improve, staying out longer than his previous appearance last week. His confidence in targeting the strike zone, however, hasn’t looked like what he’s displayed earlier in the season, yet, instead looking as he did when he struggled last season.
The Braves will have to put together a new game plan to get back to executing basic fundamentals if they want to look like the promising team they’ve shown Braves country just a few weeks ago.
Finding ways to win has its perks, but it isn’t sustainable against teams that are targeting them to put a stop to their run.
Grant Holmes is set to take the mound tomorrow to face off against the San Diego Padres. The Braves will need the offense to be on their side as they look to be the dominant team once again.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 16: Jack Perkins #50 of the Athletics pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the top of the first inning of a major league baseball game at Sutter Health Park on June 16, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Father’s Day! The A’s have their fourth and final game of the series this afternoon, taking on the Angels for the fourth and final time this afternoon.
If there is any silver lining for the Colorado Avalanche following a disappointing end to their season, it’s the strength of the message coming from inside the room: this group still wants another run at it.
A season that concluded with a Presidents’ Trophy, 121 points, and a Western Conference Final sweep that left more questions than answers nonetheless produced a clear organizational throughline — belief in Jared Bednar remains intact. That confidence isn’t limited to the front office, either, with Joe Sakic, the club’s president of hockey operations, standing firmly behind his head coach.
That stance comes with context that extends beyond public opinion. While segments of the fan base and portions of the media called for a coaching change in the wake of the playoff exit, Sakic ultimately leaned on the group that carries the most weight inside the building: the players. In a locker room built around a championship core and still viewed internally as being within its contention window, that voice carries significant influence. Moving against it would risk introducing the kind of internal fracture that can derail even the most talented roster.
But perhaps the strongest endorsement came from within the dressing room itself.
Superstar defenseman Cale Makar, who appeared in just two games during the series while managing a shoulder injury, was among the most vocal in support of Bednar. As outside observers questioned whether a decade behind the bench had dulled the coach’s message, Makar offered a firm rebuttal in the immediate aftermath of the Avalanche’s sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.
“Coaches are coaches. He means so much to this team and he’s allowed us to play our games,” Makar said via The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. “He deserves a lot of credit for getting us to this point. He’s not playing the game, he’s not out on the ice. He’s giving us everything he possibly can, information-wise, to go out there and be the best we can be.”
For Makar, the relationship with the coaching staff extends beyond tactical decisions or in-game adjustments. It is rooted in accountability — a shared responsibility that carries through both success and failure, particularly in a postseason where injuries limited his own ability to contribute.
“You feel like you let people down, and he’s one of those guys,” Makar added. “You feel like he works so hard, the whole coaching staff, everybody, you just feel like you let them down a little bit.”
That sentiment reflects what Sakic ultimately gathered from within the locker room: a group that still favors continuity despite a playoff finish that fell short of expectations.
That context carries weight in Colorado.
Bednar has now spent a decade behind the Avalanche bench, guiding the franchise through multiple division titles, a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, and sustained regular-season success that has kept Colorado among the league’s elite. However, the postseason trajectory since that title — first-round exits, a second-round loss, and now a sweep in the Western Conference Final — has naturally prompted external questions about whether the message has begun to lose its edge.
Internally, however, the conclusion remains unchanged — at least for now.
The Avalanche enter the offseason with the sting of an abrupt playoff exit, but also with recent organizational history serving as a reminder of how quickly trajectories can shift. The last time Colorado captured the Presidents’ Trophy, in 2021, they were eliminated in six games by the Vegas Golden Knights despite taking a 2–0 series lead. The following season, they responded by winning the Stanley Cup.
Whether this group can replicate that response will ultimately define how this core is judged when the stakes rise again.
One change from last year’s roster is already confirmed. Ross Colton will not return after being traded to the Nashville Predators alongside goaltender Isak Posch in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a third-round selection in 2027 — the latter originally owned by Colorado.
Nearly three weeks ago, news broke from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, whom the club selected in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft, had requested a trade.
Larkin's reported trade request is a change in tune from what he had to say in April following the conclusion of Detroit's season, which unfortunately resulted in falling short of earning a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 10th straight season.
Further complicating things was Larkin's reported initial trade list that included only the Vegas Golden Knights, the Minnesota Wild, and Florida Panthers - all teams who have one or more teammate of his from Team USA in last year's Four Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics earlier this spring.
While reports have emerged that Larkin and his representatives are willing to expand his limited trade list, did one of those teams just reveal its hand in what could be the first step toward pursuing the Red Wings captain?
Earlier on Sunday, the Panthers dealt forward Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for the No. 25 pick in the NHL Draft, and a second-round pick in next year's Draft.
We have acquired Tampa Bay’s 2026 first-round selection (previously acquired by Seattle) and a 2027 second-round selection (conditional) from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for forward Mackie Samoskevich.
A pending restricted free agent, Samoskevich counted $775,000 against the salary cap and also played college hockey at the University of Michigan.
To date, there have been no official statements from Larkin, his agent Pat Brisson, or Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman regarding the reported trade request.
The Panthers, who are in the Atlantic Division with the Red Wings, advanced to the Stanley Cup Final three straight seasons from 2023 through 2025, and won consecutive titles.
They weren't able to defend the Stanley Cup this season, as their roster was decimated by injuries. But by most projections, they should be right back in the mix of things in 2025-26.
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MIAMI — In a series in which hardly anything had gone right, the Giants still had to feel good about their chances Sunday with their ace, Logan Webb, on the mound.
The odds were even more in their favor given the Marlins countered with Ryan Gusto, a 27-year-old from Santa Rosa with a 5.85 ERA in 32 career big-league games.
Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb tossed a gem Sunday, allowing two runs on five hits over eight innings. AP Photo/Jim Rassol
Webb held up his end of the bargain.
But the Giants’ hitters showed no gusto against Gusto.
They struck out six times in 4 ⅓ innings against the Marlins’ meager starter, cracked him for just one run and fared no better once Miami went to the bullpen in a 2-1 loss.
“Obviously you want more runs and you want to win,” manager Tony Vitello said. “But if you pull the two [or] three innings of bad baseball yesterday, the guys played well. We just unfortunately don’t have a lot to show for it.”
The defeat completed a sweep at the hands of the Marlins and sent San Francisco 15 games below .500, matching their low point of the season previously set last weekend, when they fell to 28-43. They responded by reeling off three consecutive wins against the Cubs and Braves.
But, just like that, another three losses followed.
“It’s frustrating,” said third baseman Matt Chapman, who went 0-for-19 with eight strikeouts on the road trip. “Because it seems as soon as we have some momentum, it’s a couple steps forward and a couple steps back.”
No fault of Webb, who only made a couple of mistakes in an otherwise flawless outing. Webb limited Miami to two runs on five hits, completing eight innings for his third consecutive start.
There were probably only two at-bats he wished he could have back, and they both came against Kyle Stowers. The Marlins’ cleanup hitter punished a first-pitch sinker that didn’t quite get low enough for a home run that put Miami ahead 1-0 in the second inning and, in his next time up, worked a two-out walk that allowed Otto Lopez to double him in to make it 2-1.
“Bad pitch to Stowers,” Webb said. “And a two-out walk just can’t happen.”
The Giants’ Matt Chapman argues a call with the plate umpire Sunday. Chapman went 0-for-2 in the loss. AP Photo/Jim Rassol
The Giants advanced just two runners into scoring position, both in the third inning, when Luis Arraez sliced a two-out double into the left field corner and Casey Schmitt singled him home.
Bryce Eldridge, who reached on a walk, made it to third but was stranded there.
From the fourth inning on, the Giants mustered only four baserunners and failed to advance any of them beyond first base. With closer Pete Fairbanks unavailable having saved the last two games, the Marlins brought in Lake Bachar, who faced zero resistance in the ninth.
“Their bullpen guys did a good job all three days,” Vitello said. “You use that many guys, you’d like to think you’ve got a window that opens up when a guy’s not on that guy or doesn’t execute, but the way they lined them up was pretty good. We did have decent matchups on paper, but the bottom line is those guys got the job done for them.”
The most resistance shown by any of the Giants in the ninth, in fact, was friendly fire from Rafael Devers when Jonah Cox was called on to pinch-run after he drew a leadoff walk.
Devers unsuccessfully appeared to try to wave off Cox and stormed back to the dugout in a huff, twisting his body to avoid a pat on the back from Jayce Tingler and beelining to the clubhouse.
“You know how competitive he is,” Vitello said, downplaying the incident. “He wanted to stay in the game.”
What it means
Webb allowed more than one run for the first time in five starts since returning from a bout of bursitis in his right knee. Still, only the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski, the MLB ERA leader, has posted a lower ERA than Webb’s 1.02 mark since he made his return May 29.
“The first outing [back from the IL] against the Rockies was good; it wasn’t phenomenal by any stretch of the imagination,” Vitello said. “But since then, he’s climbed every time he’s gone out there.”
The Marlins’ Kyle Stowers celebrates after hitting a home run Sunday against the Giants. Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Who’s hot
Vitello moved Schmitt down in the order in the last game of their homestand, and he responded with his first of five straight multi-hit games from the bottom half.
That got him back in the No. 3 hole Sunday, and all Schmitt did was continue to hit.
He raked two more singles, including one that produced the Giants’ lone run for his team-leading 42nd RBI, in his sixth consecutive multi-hit effort.
It’s only the sixth time since 2000 that a Giants player has recorded multiple hits in at least six straight games, last done when Marco Scutaro strung together seven in a row in 2013.
“I think he’s back into the rhythm that he was [in],” Vitello said. “There was a little bit of a lull there. It was a matter of time before he got back going.”
Who’s not
Chapman, on the other hand, couldn’t buy a hit on this road trip.
Just as the third baseman seemed to have put it all together at the plate this month, Chapman has been out of whack seemingly every time he stepped to the plate the past five games.
Chapman looked increasingly lost as the trip went on, striking out eight times over the final four contests — caught looking in four of those instances.
“I got pitched well on this road trip,” Chapman said. “I still hit some balls hard but right at guys. That’s the ebbs and flows of the game. Just unfortunate when we’re not winning baseball games. It sucks.”
In his prior 26 games, dating back to May 17, Chapman was batting .344 with a 1.079 OPS, recording six of his seven home runs and 24 of his 41 RBIs over the stretch to raise his OPS to .762, the highest it had been since the second week of the season.
His latest cold snap sent his OPS back down to .716.
Up next
The Giants fly back to San Francisco, where they begin a six-game homestand Tuesday against the Athletics. It remains to be seen how warm of a welcome home they’ll receive with some fans organizing protests against the players who objected to the team’s LGBTQ Pride Night.
Tyler Mahle will make his first start since May 26 on Wednesday in his return from a hamstring strain, following Robbie Ray — who opens the series Tuesday.
Dustin Wolf is one of the pillars of the Calgary Flames rebuild. As a former two-time AHL Goalie of the Year and one-time MVP, he's yet to duplicate that level of success in the NHL. In the minors, his record was 97-32-10, and through 128 games with the Flames, he's 60-52-12.
According to Wolf's career splits at Hockey Reference, he's already secured a victory against 24 NHL teams. Still, he has yet to pick one up against some of the league's heavyweights, including several Western Conference powerhouses.
For the Flames to take the next step in their rebuild and become serious contenders, Wolf is going to need to slay some past demons and start piling up victories against these clubs.
Which NHL teams has Wolf not beaten yet?
Detroit Red Wings (0-2-0)
The Detroit Red Wings haven't been to the playoffs since 2016-17, when Wolf was still playing U16 AAA hockey. During their meeting on Feb. 1, 2025, he allowed two goals in a 2-1 loss, and last year, Wolf allowed four goals in a 5-1 loss on Mar. 16, 2026. Heading into next season, the Red Wings remain one of two Original Six franchises he has yet to beat.
Ottawa Senators (0-2-0)
Since becoming the Flames' number one goalie in 2024-25, the Ottawa Senators have been a playoff team, losing in the first round in each of the past two seasons. Interestingly, Wolf's first NHL loss (4-1) came against the Senators on Nov. 11, 2023, and then Ottawa defeated him a year later on Nov. 25, 2024. They didn't play against one another in 2025-26.
Tampa Bay Lightning (0-2-0)
In the past two seasons, the Tampa Bay Lightning have had the NHL's fourth-best record at 97-53-14, including two wins over Wolf in his only appearances against the club. The Lightning shut out the Flames, 3-0, on Feb. 27, 2025, before defeating them 5-1 on Nov. 26, 2025. Surprisingly, in their last meeting, Wolf played a career-low 5:52, allowing three goals on just four shots.
Washington Capitals (0-2-0)
Against the NHL's all-time leading scorer, Wolf has given up two goals to Alex Ovechkin, while the Washington Capitals remain a perfect 2-0-0 against the young netminder. He lost a 5-2 decision on Mar. 18, 2024, the night Ovechkin had two, and they followed that up with a 3-1 victory at the Saddledome on Jan. 28, 2025.
Dallas Stars (0-3-0)
The Dallas Stars are one of the top teams in the Central Division and in the Western Conference. Since Wolf's debut on Apr. 12, 2023, the Stars are 6-1-2 against the Flames, while their star has remained winless in three games. During their first meetings in 2024-25, Wolf gave up ten goals in 6-2 (Dec. 8) and 5-2 (Mar. 27) losses. In their only meeting last season, the Stars walked away with a 6-1 win, chasing Wolf after four goals and 26:02 of ice time.
St. Louis Blues (0-4-0)
Over the past three seasons, the St. Louis Blues are 124-96-26, good enough for the 16th-best record in the NHL. However, they are 4-0-0 against Wolf and are 8-0-1 overall against the Flames. In their meeting, St. Louis picked up a 5-3 victory on Mar. 28, 2024, and followed that up with a 4-1 win on Jan. 16, 2025. Last season, Wolf gave up seven goals over two meetings, losing 4-2 on Oct. 11 and 3-2 on Nov. 11.
Toronto Maple Leafs (0-4-0)
The Toronto Maple Leafs, along with the Red Wings, remain the only Original Six franchises Wolf has yet to beat, with a 0-4-0 record against them. In their first two meetings, on Feb. 4, 2024, and Mar. 17, 2024, Wolf surrendered five goals in each contest on the way to 6-3 and 6-2 losses. Despite being the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference last season, Toronto put eight goals past Wolf, picking up a 4-3 victory on Oct. 28 and a 4-2 win on Feb. 2.
Colorado Avalanche (0-5-0)
Over the past two seasons, no other team has won more games than the Colorado Avalanche, who are 104-45-15 and won the Presidents' Trophy in 2025-26. Meanwhile, the Avalanche are just one of two teams to collect 17 points against the Flames since 2023-24, with an 8-0-1 record dating back to the year Wolf first faced them.
His first appearance against the club was a no-decision, on Mar. 12, 2024, a 6-2 loss. In 2024-25, Wolf went 0-2-0 with seven goals against, losing 4-2 contests on both Feb. 6 and Mar. 14. Meanwhile, last season, he was 0-3-0, losing 9-2 on Mar. 30, finishing the night with a .750 SV%, his fourth-worst total of the campaign. He then lost two games 3-1 within seven days of one another on Apr. 9 and Apr. 14.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 13: Jordan Clarkson #00 of the New York Knicks celebrates after winning the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 2026 NBAE(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
12 years is a long time in the NBA.
You have to be doing something right to stay in the league this long, especially with career earnings of over $150 million.
But when you’re 11 years in with only four seasons in the playoffs, four total series victories, and just one run past the second round without a championship, all of the regular success you’ve had as a player starts to feel repetitive. You sink into a playstyle that works well for teams that aren’t competing, but kills your value for good teams.
As Jordan Clarkson entered Year 12 and joined the Knicks, the playstyle that he sank into for the last half-decade followed him. It played him off the court midway through the season. He looked like a square peg in a round hole as he neared his 34th birthday.
Then, he bought in, and his revelation resulted in him finally completing the championship run he had waited his whole career to be a part of.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Jordan Clarkson #00 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 2026 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Clarkson was born in Tampa, Florida, on June 7, 1992, but moved to San Antonio at age 6 after his parents divorced. He attended Karen J. Wagner High School and parlayed his high school success into a scholarship at the University of Tulsa. After making the All-CUSA Freshman Team in 2011, he took his game to another gear as a sophomore, averaging 16.5 points per game and making the All-CUSA First Team.
He transferred to Missouri to get on NBA radars, but had to sit out the 2012-13 season due to old NCAA transfer rules. As a senior, he finished third in the SEC in scoring and was named to Second-Team All-SEC, but despite he and Jabari Brown being two of the most prolific scorers in the conference, the Tigers were reduced to an NIT bid.
Clarkson declared for the 2014 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 46th pick before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for cash considerations. He started his career with their D-League affiliate, where he averaged 22.6/7.8/5.0 in five games. With the late Kobe-era Lakers in tank mode, he earned an everyday role towards the back end of the season, starting 38 games and making All-Rookie First Team, just the fifth second-round pick to ever do so.
He was a mainstay in the starting lineup over Kobe’s final season in 2015-16 before moving into a sixth man role as the Lakers added pieces like Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and D’Angelo Russell to their rebuild. He became one of the league’s top bench scorers and was rewarded handsomely with a four-year, $50 million extension, but he’d soon leave the bright lights of Hollywood for Cleveland, as the desperate Cavaliers acquired him and Larry Nance Jr. at the 2018 trade deadline to try and make one more run with LeBron James.
Down the stretch with the Cavs, he averaged 13 points a night on the best three-point shooting of his career, but he fell flat in the first playoff run of his career, and was soon doomed to more bad basketball after LeBron departed for the same Lakers team that just traded him.
Over the next 110 games over 1.5 seasons, Clarkson averaged 16 points a night as the Cavs’ sixth man, including a career-high 42 in January 2019. He was finally able to get another opportunity on a playoff team in December 2019, when the contending Utah Jazz acquired him for Dante Exum and two seconds. His scoring ticked up further, and he was able to produce two tremendous performances in Games 2 and 4 against Denver in the bubble before the Jazz lost in seven games.
2020-21 was his best season. He averaged 18.4 points and 4.0 rebounds on the most shots of his career, running away with Sixth Man of the Year over Joe Ingles and Derrick Rose (fun fact: Jalen Brunson came fourth!). He would be Donovan Mitchell’s top-producing teammate around him as they got to the second round, but the No. 1 seed fell on their faces.
After one more season of disappointment, Danny Ainge blew it up. Rudy Gobert and Spida were sold off, but Clarkson remained with the rubble of what was left. He averaged a career-high 20.8 points a night in 2022-23 as a full-time starter for the first time in seven years, but he was now a high-usage, low-value veteran on a team trying to lose games.
Sure, he was still making $15 million a year as he entered his 30s, but things were steadily declining to the point where he was withering away on a 65-loss team in 2024-25. He was mercifully waived before the final year of his contract, allowing him to search for a new home.
It just so happened that the years and years he spent on losing teams didn’t scare good teams away, as the Knicks jumped on him as soon as he cleared waivers in early July, signing him to a minimum contract to fill the role of a microwave scorer off the bench that the team had lacked since trading Immanuel Quickley in December 2023.
The fit was odd, though. You figured he probably wasn’t a fit next to Jalen Brunson, and he’s not the type to run a backup point guard role. His defensive limitations and permanent green light also didn’t fit a roster centered around its starters, and the weakness the team seemingly had with two of its stars on the defensive end. Still, they gave it a shot.
The early returns were mixed. He was playing as you’d expect offensively, averaging nine shots a game through 19 games on decent enough efficiency, mediocre three-point shooting, and rough defense. He at least showed a willingness to be more physical on that end, but often would get into foul trouble rather than get stops.
The first half of his season was defined by two performances a week apart. In the NBA Cup Final against San Antonio, he put up 15 points off the bench as he and Tyler Kolek stole the game from Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. On Christmas, he revived a team that played like zombies in the first quarter with an electric 2Q, en route to a season-high 25 points.
20 more points in the New Year’s Eve loss to the Spurs would be the final game before the descent, for both he and the team. Over the next 10 games, he shot just 36.5% from the field, averaged more turnovers than assists, and was a minus-72 as the Knicks dealt with their three weeks from hell. I pondered after the disgusting MLK Day blowout against Dallas if Mike Brown would do what Tom Thibodeau did 4 years prior in a similar circumstance to spark the team.
He did. Clarkson was benched for the team’s blowout win over the Nets, reduced to garbage time. Over the next seven games, he didn’t play a spec of leveraged basketball. He had been turned into Evan Fournier, an offensively focused veteran who had played his way out of the rotation with ineffective basketball and a bad motor. Things felt bleak.
Then injuries allowed him to get his foot back in the door. Injuries to Josh Hart and Deuce McBride got Clarkson an impromptu start against the Nuggets on February 4, where he was mostly effective in 24 minutes. When Hart returned, Clarkson returned to the doghouse most games, only sparingly playing meaningful bench minutes for the next month.
Then the Knicks went on their biannual West Coast trip. In the third quarter of a lopsided loss to the Lakers, Brown inserted Clarkson, looking for an offensive spark that never came. Three days later, he was given the rope he needed to have a vintage Clarkson performance against his old team in Salt Lake City.
Jordan Clarkson
3/11/2026
27 PTS | 5 OREB | 3 AST | 80.5 TS%
Season high in his return to Utah and essentially earned him back his rotation spot with a new found rebounding presence and defensive effort pic.twitter.com/oS0wOfbaAo
From there, he was back in the rotation. Suddenly, he had found the hunger of a young player on a rookie contract. His shot selection improved. His defensive intensity amped up. He started becoming a menace on the offensive glass. The player that we have known for the last half-decade was suddenly something completely different.
He was a team player now. He understood that the way he was playing before would not only result in his benching but could lead to him being out of the league. He was being given a second chance, and he wouldn’t let it pass.
His role in the postseason depended on the game. To start the postseason, he was firmly in the rotation, but he, Jose Alvarado, and Landry Shamet all traded places around the bench totem pole as the Knicks proceeded on their run to the NBA Finals. His best minutes came in Game 1 against Atlanta, Game 3 against Philly, and Game 3 against his hometown Spurs.
The rebound on a Mitch Rob FT vs ATL I was referencing is in the QT.
It probably wasn’t how Clarkson envisioned himself being a bench piece to a championship roster a few years ago, but he was finally able to lift a Larry O’Brien Trophy after 12 long years.
The oldest player on the 2025-26 Knicks. The most experienced player on the roster. Someone who sacrificed and changed his entire playstyle to fit into the mold that a contender needed.
And now, Jordan Clarkson will forever be known as an NBA champion.
–
(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 15: Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s enjoy the final game at Dodger Stadium this June.
(050122 Boston, MA): Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum double team Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo during the 1st quarter of Game 1 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the TD Garden on Sunday,May 1, 2022 in Boston, MA. (Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
So much about a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo addition for the Celtics feels like a slam dunk.
Antetokounmpo embodies Boston’s need for not only a center, but Brad Stevens’ offseason mission statement of finding more impact at the rim and more dunks.
The Celtics need help at center, so why not acquire arguably the most impactful one at both ends in the entire league? There’s risk, but if there wasn’t, Boston would not be able to acquire one of the league’s best players. Period. At least not without gutting their roster. Yet the decision will still weigh heavily on the front office, and the entire fan base, as decision day nears on whether the Celtics will — or can — pull off their biggest trade ever.
That’s not an understatement. Despite a down and turbulent season where he only appeared in 36 games, Antetokounmpo just concluded a run of seven straight years where he finished top-four in MVP voting, including two wins, along with top-10 Defensive Player of the Year status. He scores close to 30 points just by showing up, reaches the free throw line 10 times every night and pressures the rim on basically ever possession. Antetokounmpo, like Kevin Garnett before him, would arrive in Boston squarely in his prime.
He’s the presence the Celtics need, and missed dearly, last season. It’s the kind of trade that could thrust them back into championship contention. And it’s an opportunity that almost never presents itself. The last former MVP to change teams was James Harden in 2021.
The last former MVP and Defensive Player of the Year to do so? Garnett.
In 2007, the Celtics had finished one of their worst seasons ever. Garnett formed a Big Three with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, allowed for by a different salary cap and Boston’s draft standing. This time, trades effectively happen dollar-for-dollar, many of them star-for-star, and despite reports of the Celtics exploring how to execute a trade without him, they’re faced with parting ways with Finals MVP Jaylen Brown coming off a career season where he saved the team with Jayson Tatum injured.
That’s a completely different prospect than trading Al Jefferson and other rotation players. For whatever resistance some fans offered at that idea nearly two decades ago, there’s much more tied to Brown, a player who’s on track to get his jersey retired and go down as one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
There’s also the case that the known commodity, the Brown-Tatum combination that could statistically go down as one of the league’s greatest winning combinations, serves as team’s best path forward. Tatum acknowledged only reaching roughly 80% of his prior form in his return from an Achilles tear. Brown plays as both his complement and a buffer against any health uncertainty for the other Celtics star.
There has also been clunkiness with two scorers turned facilitators who overlap in ball time and position. While wide speculation always assesses their personality fit, they’ve made an awkward on-court combination thrive at times to the point of a championship in 2024. The strong, veteran cast surrounding them disappeared after the 2025 repeat bid though. Unsung players following Brown and Derrick White’s lead, and later Tatum’s, won 56 games and built a 3-1 lead in the first round against Philadelphia. The meltdown that followed remains as hard to parse as the worthiness of an Antetokounmpo deal.
BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 6: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks look on during the game on December 6, 2024 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2024 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Yet a return to form for Giannis in Boston could leave everyone wondering why we ever debated it. It’s no knock to Brown that Antetokounmpo, on many nights, plays the best two-way basketball in the league. He mans the front court position that faltered for the Celtics in the first round, a potential counter against Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama, Karl-Anthony Towns and other star centers Boston currently doesn’t have an answer for. If committed, Tatum and Giannis could combine for one of the league’s most compelling pick-and-roll duos.
Antetokounmpo’s noted admiration for Joe Mazzulla and reported willingness to extend with the team add to the intrigue of a trade. The Celtics, according to Sam Amick, would embrace a one-for-one swap. Milwaukee understandably would want draft pick compensation. Boston only has access to one of the No. 27 pick in this draft or their first-rounder next summer, and two additional ones in 2031 and 2033. By then, it’s completely unclear what lottery rules will exist. Giannis will turn 36, Tatum, 33. A multi-team deal could allow another team, most intriguingly Portland with its future Bucks picks, to compensate Milwaukee in exchange for acquiring Brown. Nothing has clicked, whether due to increased protectiveness over picks or less value being available for Brown than anticipated.
Yet despite all that, and the obvious sensitivity over another summer that Brown spends hearing his name in trade rumors, the Celtics haven’t said or floated that they’ve moved on from talks or that Jaylen is definitely staying. Perhaps that’s due to the limited market that emerged for Antetokounmpo, namely a Herro-led Heat trade that hasn’t successfully secured the star for Miami with two days left until the draft. The Heat continue to act with the desperation that leads most analysts and reporters to predict that he’ll land there, but an increasing price for the Heat will limit their ability to contend for a championship following a trade. That’s still the Celtics’ advantage in a Brown-for-Giannis swap. Tatum, White and the rest of the team’s depth would remain.
Naturally, play style questions would persist beyond a trade. Antetokounmpo, despite his center-like role on offense, dominated the ball in Milwaukee, facing-up, driving and drawing defenders to initiate the Bucks’ offense. Tatum and Antetokounmpo would both need to sacrifice on offense. The potential of a Damian Lillard-Antetokounmpo tandem in Milwaukee never panned out, and they rarely executed screen-and-rolls. It devolved, instead, into my-turn, your-turn. Jim Owczarski, a Bucks beat reporter, compared Tatum-Antetokounmpo to Khris Middleton-Antetokounmpo, rather than the Lillard letdown and Tatum is a far superior player to even prime Middleton.
The potential advantages for both are obvious. More pressure on the rim for Tatum to score from the perimeter. And fewer bodies and wall-building in front of Giannis with so many threats on the perimeter. Defensively, Antetokounmpo doesn’t reach the Defensive Player of the Year form from earlier in his career as often, and he sparingly played center on that end with the Bucks, so the Celtics still have some front court questions to solve there. Neemias Queta, for all his success in 2025-26, doesn’t space the floor like Brook Lopez and Myles Turner did in Milwaukee next to Antetokounmpo. Luka Garza showed some success in that role, but not at high volume.
Then, there’s the money — four-years, $275 million for Antetokounmpo due on Oct. 1. If the Celtics have interest in acquiring him, they’re inevitably prepared to pay that, albeit with gritted teeth after an injury-plagued season for the star and terrifying calf injuries to finish two of his past three seasons. While the bigger picture concerns over his availability probably became overblown, a freak fall doomed him to end 2023 and debate existed over his late-season availability this year, it’s a consideration given the physical nature of his game. Trading Brown for Antetokounmpo, just for Giannis to decline physically, would become an all-time blunder for the franchise.
To again compare to Garnett, the trade thrived in year one, continued into 2009, then a knee injury left Garnett diminished from his previous form, albeit still flashing effectiveness late into his Celtics tenure. Nobody lamented that deal despite it only leading to one championship. In this parity era, another banner would suffice here, too. And that’s the question, for all the sanctimony surrounding Brown and Tatum, that the Celtics need to ask themselves as a decision looms over whether to make this deal.
Neither the Heat nor Milwaukee should serve as considerations in it. Both will prove too diminished, even with Antetokounmpo, to threaten even the current version of the Celtics in the East. That’s no reason to veer from what they’re doing, and despite the agonizing finish to 2025-26, many successes happened along the way developmentally, for Brown on the way to his best season and for Tatum, who got back on his feet and resembled himself quicker than maybe anyone who’s ever torn their Achilles in the NBA.
All that matters and proves worthy of another look in full after an awkward re-integration for Tatum into a team and style that Boston played all year. The emergence of young and unsung Celtics still matters too, both for them and new ones who will join the picture this summer. Boston quietly became draft-and-develop stars in recent years, even if some of those players didn’t immediately translate to playoff success against Philadelphia.
But that loss matters, too. The playoffs are a different game, and for whatever reason the Celtics didn’t trust or utilize their depth attack effectively enough in the Philadelphia series — their strength all year. Tatum and Brown devolved into their worst tendencies, and despite having relatively full health outside of Tatum all year and entering the playoffs as the second seed, then building a 3-1 series lead, the 2026 group ultimately faltered.
Brown’s continued commitment to Boston matters too, and fittingly, he and the team can both assess their intentions ahead of his extension-eligibility in July. Brown should rightfully expect to receive his two-year max like any franchise cornerstone would. It’s unclear how the Celtics feel about extending him beyond the three years, $183 million he’s already committed to, when Brown is eligible for two more years at roughly $140 million. Inevitably, it’s not a massive cap difference between extending Brown and Antetokounmpo, with a two-year age difference. Despite obvious frustrations he expressed following the season, I’m not going to read into what Brown wants long-term for his career. He said on his stream that he’d like to spend the next ten years in Boston if he had his way. The Celtics and he need to determine if they can make that happen.
There’s no wrong answer here, until hindsight tells us later. With Antetokounmpo and Tatum, the Celtics would have two top-10 players who on many nights and even weeks at a time can perform like the best player in the league. Antetokounmpo is an MVP, a status that Tatum and Brown have bordered on, but have been unable to reach. Then again, Brown and Tatum have kept the Celtics in the mix for a championship every year, aside from 2021, since early in their careers. Brad Stevens has long held onto that fact as GM, that if they have those two, they have a chance. Will that remain the case this summer? We’re about to find out.
“He has not expressed those frustrations to me,” Stevens said after the season. “We’ve been here 10 years together and I do think, obviously, I love JB, and everybody around here loves JB.”
Apr 22, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert (36) juggles the ball after hitting an Athletics batter during the third inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Mariners will try to avoid a sweep today at the hands of the Red Sox, who have stacked three lefty starters to force the Mariners into using their weaker right-handed lineup.
It’s also Father’s Day. Pregame the Mariners were wearing these Taylor Swift Eras tour-inspired shirts. Most featured the Moose as the central image but some of the pitchers had ones with Bryce Miller (Bryce, for his part, opted for just the regular Steelheads compression shirt).
Lineups:
It’s a scheduled day off for Colt Emerson, who doesn’t have a hit in this series and looked visibly frustrated after some of his at-bats last night after going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts – uncharacteristic for the young infielder both at the plate and as a player who tries to stay even-keeled.
News:
It looks like Randy Arozarena is tracking towards an on-time return from the IL. He’s eligible to come off it on Tuesday.
Jun 16, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle (70) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Happy Sunday, folks! The Red Sox are playing at a reasonable hour tonight after two straight wins that started after 10 pm EST. If they win, it will be their third series sweep of the season, and first of a non-AL Central team. Of course, they were immediately swept following each of the sweeps. At the same time, they head to Colorado to face the hapless Rockies next, before going back to Fenway to face the Yankees. If there ever were a time to build some momentum and turn this ship around, this would be the road trip to do it. Win six straight and have some energy on a Friday night against the Yankees — why not? Payton Tolle gets the ball against Logan Gilbert today — a top-tier pitching matchup.
