LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Kennedy Chandler #0 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Choi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With training camp beginning this week, the Phoenix Suns are filling out their roster, which can carry a maximum of 21 players during camp. That number will need to be trimmed to 15 standard roster spots before the regular season, but the expanded roster allows Phoenix to create competition for the remaining spots.
We already knew Duop Reath would be making an appearance, as it was reported earlier this month that he would be joining the team on a training camp invitation. He’ll have an opportunity to compete for a spot on the regular season roster or potentially secure one of the team’s two-way contracts.
Today, the Suns made his signing official while also announcing the addition of Kennedy Chandler.
OFFICIAL: The Phoenix Suns have announced the signings of center Duop Reath and guard Kennedy Chandler.
Chandler (6’-0”, 170 pounds) appeared in 11 games with the Utah Jazz last season, averaging 15.0 points, 6.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals. He scored a career-high 31 points on April 7 at New Orleans and posted his first career double-double with 26 points and 10 assists vs. Memphis on April 10. Holding two years of NBA experience, Chandler also appeared in 36 games with the Grizzlies during the 2022-23 season. Originally the 38th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of the University of Tennessee, Chandler has totaled 153 career appearances over four seasons in the NBA G League, averaging 14.7 points and 6.1 assists.
The signings bring the Suns to 21 players under contract heading into training camp, as Spotrac also lists second-year power forward Philip Wheeler on the roster. That totals 15 guaranteed contracts (although Heywood Highsmith and Jamaree Bouyea are not officially guaranteed until January 2027), three two-way contracts, and 3 Exhibit 10 training camp invites.
Phoenix Suns Media Day is tomorrow, and training camp begins the following day.
Last up: Will this be the season Joel Embiid breaks through in the playoffs?
Embiid is accustomed to being at the center of the Sixers’ universe.
That won’t be the case at media day Monday. The Sixers’ other projected starters are now three All-Stars (James, Brown and Tyrese Maxey) along with last year’s Rising Stars MVP (Edgecombe).
Physical problems continued to plague Embiid in Round 2 and the Sixers were swept by the Knicks. Embiid has 66 playoff games, six second-round eliminations and two first-round exits in his career. The Sixers haven’t reached the conference finals since 2001. There’s a vast list of reasons for that, many of which are strange and unfortunate. The bottom line is Embiid wants better and the 2026-27 Sixers will plan to push for a championship.
What will the Sixers need from Embiid?
Improved health is first and foremost. Embiid has played just 96 regular-season games over the last three years. However, he ended last season believing that he was trending up.
“I came into this year not knowing where I was going to be, how long I was going to play, if I was even going to play based on how the knee was the last two years,” Embiid said at his exit interview in May. “I came in just hoping for the best and I feel like we’re in a position where we’ve figured out the knee. It hasn’t been an issue. If it weren’t for the oblique or some of the other stuff I had, it could’ve been different as far as how many games I would’ve played.
“We came into this season thinking there was not much left based on the last two years. Now I’m sitting here not even worried about my knee even after all the stuff that’s happened, people falling on me. You’re obviously going to have setbacks as you go along, but those setbacks have been so much different than in the past.
“So I hate losing, but … I thought I was done. That’s the best way to put it. And then we found something as a group … to figure out how we’re quite frankly in a better position next year to play a lot of games.”
We’ll see whether Embiid’s body cooperates with those intentions. If he hits some speed bumps throughout the season, the Sixers’ hope would be that none are too serious, he’s able to build chemistry with his new star teammates, and all is relatively well for the playoffs.
“I remember when I got the job, I went over there and he was like, ‘I want to have a great year. I want to play a lot of games. I want to be All-NBA Joel.’ He’s talked the talk and now he’s walking the walk,” Gansey said. “He’s lost some weight; you saw the pictures. He’s been in the gym. He’s doing all the right things and he’s super motivated.”
Though the Sixers are now brimming with offensive talent, it’s hard to imagine Embiid becoming peripheral. He should often be valuable as a post-up force, mid-range shooter, and intelligent partner in a variety of two-man actions with his fellow stars.
A return to his peak beyond the arc also wouldn’t hurt, especially since Embiid may turn to his three-point shot a bit more as he ages and his game becomes less about physical dominance. He shot a career-high 4.2 threes per game last season and hit 33.3 percent. Embiid’s best mark was 38.8 percent back in the 2023-24 season.
The Sixers shouldn’t require Embiid to play brilliant, nimble defense every game, but it would be a massive help if he could do solid work in the pick-and-roll, deter drives all the way to the rim, and grab a good chunk of rebounds in his area.
Across the board, head coach Nick Nurse will ask his stars to commit to all the ways they can contribute outside of scoring.
Embiid will surely be happy with any brand of basketball that leads to the Sixers playing deep in the postseason. Perhaps this will be the year.
Arizona rider first US champion since Lance Armstrong
Pre-race favourite Evenpoel fails to add second gold
Brandon McNulty, a UAE Emirates teammate of Tadej Pogacar, succeeded the Slovene as world champion with an unexpected solo win in the men’s UCI road race in Montreal.
In the biggest triumph of his career, the 28-year-old American took his country’s first win in the UCI’s blue riband event since Lance Armstrong’s lone victory in Oslo in 1993.
For the second consecutive season, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will provide a highly concentrated dosage of their rivalry at Yankee Stadium.
They meet once again in a best-of-three American League wild-card series and this time, New York's Cam Schlittler is starting Game 1 – not Game 3.
It's been exactly a year since Schlittler announced his arrival to the baseball world, striking out 12 Red Sox over eight shutout innings to clinch the series for the Yankees. He's since struck out 239 batters and posted a 1.95 ERA over 193 ⅔ innings, making him the heavy favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award.
And charged with giving the Yankees the upper hand in this very short series.
He'll be followed by left-hander Max Fried and, if necessary, Gerrit Cole in Game 3. The Red Sox will likely counter with left-handers Payton Tolle and postseason veteran Ranger Suarez, with 36-year-old Sonny Gray folded in there.
The Red Sox have been hit with untimely injuries. First baseman Willson Contreras sat out 10 days after getting struck on the hand by a pitch, and then received two at-bats, striking out and grounding out, in the Red Sox's season finale Sunday.
Reliever Tyron Guerrero (shoulder strain) and outfielder Mickey Gasper (biceps strain) are on the IL, as is outfielder Eli White. The Red Sox will have to pivot to run prevention, as was their mantra when they overcame a slow start to roar back and claim the No. 2 wild card spot behind the Yankees.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 02: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been discussed all offseason, but a transformative era for the Los Angeles Lakers finally starts this week with training camp.
Head coach JJ Redick and President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka brought in the Luka Dončić era with a joint press conference on Thursday and answered many of the questions we’ve grappled with all summer. This week, though, we get to hear from the players, ask them questions and see the effects of a transitional offseason bear out on the court.
With that in mind, questions remain before preseason play commences in Sacramento on Oct. 5. Let’s hash a few out.
Just how complementary is this roster to Luka?
Pelinka laid out his plan ahead of the offseason, keying in on three pillars of what success in building a team around Dončić looked like to him and Redick once it became evident that LeBron James was not returning, saying, “Re-signing Austin, putting together a trade to acquire Walker Kessler and then building out our team with young players that could dribble pass, shoot and have brought the average age of our roster to around 26 or 27, which lines up so perfectly with Luka and building a team around Luka Dončić.”
Archetypally, he did it. Pelinka ensured Dončić had a dynamic shot creator in Reaves and a defensive stalwart in Kessler alongside him and surrounded the three with athleticism, defense, (some) shooting and youth. But are they talented enough?
The 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks not only laid out the blueprint of a Luka-led Finals team, but they also formed a roster loaded with talent through to the bench. It was a process that hadn’t been idealized until they traded for Daniel Gafford ahead of the season’s trade deadline.
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 17: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics during Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals on June 17, 2024 at the 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
The Lakers still don’t have a fifth starter. Perhaps a similar midseason trade will jolt the team to the next level. But for now, we have to see if the pieces Dončić has around him are complementary enough to warrant that.
Is Redick’s shift to drop coverage exclusive to Kessler-featured lineups?
Los Angeles has been one of the league’smost switch-dependent teams through Redick’s tenure. In turn, the Lakers have sat around the bottom of the league in rim defense. Though up until now, given his personnel, Redick hasn’t had much of a choice.
Kessler changes that.
“I know that we have switched a lot, one through five, over the last two years,” Redick said. “That has been by necessity. We look at him as someone we want close to the basket, protecting the rim. … You guys watched the playoffs, you probably have a basic idea of how San Antonio used [Victor Wembanyama] and kept him low and kept him by the basket.”
Is this schematic shift exclusive to Kessler? Which other centers on the roster are capable of protecting the rim to his degree?
As it stands, Kevon Looney is slated to back up Kessler, but I’d expect Sandro Mamukelashvili to split time at the four and the five to limit the extent in which the Lakers have to rely on a degraded Looney down low.
Although the 6-foot-9 Mamukelashvili spent over 40% of last season guarding centers with Toronto, according to BBall Index, he was below average in rim protection (43rd percentile) and among the worst in the league in rim disruption (15th percentile) and rim deterrence (21st percentile).
A savvy way Redick could counteract this is by playing Mamukelashvili alongside Jarred Vanderbilt, who has shown a propensity to guard centers at an effective rate, but only if Redick trusts him enough to give him some burn.
Will the off-court chemistry translate on the court?
Dončić blessed fans with an inside look of the team’s five-day trip to Slovenia over the summer in a vlog posted to his YouTube channel — something Lakers fans haven’t really had since Javale McGee’s vlogs throughout the 2019-20 season and in the bubble (those were some good times).
My biggest takeaway from the video: the type of dynamic shown throughout the roster perhaps would not have been the same had there been a subset of players who were much older than the rest of the group. I mean, could you imagine Marcus Smart trying to engage in the type of Gen-Z banter being tossed around the entire trip? What are the odds LeBron ever had an inside joke with Adou Thiero or Dalton Knecht?
What the Slovenia trip really did was set the standard for the kind of connectivity the team will need moving forward. Anything less shines a bigger spotlight on the fact that, on paper, this Lakers roster isn’t as talented as the behemoths that run the West. That’s why chemistry is so important. And that’s why we all need to see if it’ll translate to a more connected team on the court.
Which role player is more inclined to pop?
Redick tossed out a few names that have stood out unprovoked during his presser, namely Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Adou Thiero, each of whom is in contention for the fifth starting spot. He also mentioned in passing that everyone is competing for playing time in training camp.
The Lakers are a deeper team than they were entering the offseason. That Thiero and Cameron Carr have the same opportunity for real rotational minutes as the likes of Collin Sexton, Williams and Thybulle is a testament to that depth. But who has the best chance to pop?
Thiero and Carr come in the prospect of Los Angeles being a significantly better team if even one of them pops. Quentin Grimes, Mamukelasvili and (to an extent) Sexton come in with the comfort of substantial contracts. Williams, Thybulle and Kevon Looney come in trying to prove they’re worth more than a minimum deal. Jake LaRavia, Vanderbilt and Knecht come in with at least a season of experience in Redick’s system.
There are plenty of options, and the Lakers can benefit greatly from a few of their role players outperforming their projections.
How much does the ownership debacle trickle down?
In retrospect, it’s ironic that Pelinka and Redick preached continuity when the franchise is in the middle of one of the messiest sales in recent sports history. Pelinka, acknowledging multiple times that he’s not at liberty to discuss many aspects of the sale, did mention that there have been initial meetings with the group led by Bob Iger and Josh Kushner.
With all the dysfunction at the top of the brand, how does it not trickle down to the roster? Is it even as important to the actual play? We’ve already seen cases where the Buss family infighting found its way to LeBron in the middle of last season. Will it be any different with Jeanie Buss being dragged out as the last link to the family and the franchise?
Redick mentioned that some of the league’s most successful teams are the ones most connected. It’s not delusional as a fan to believe that also includes ownership.
A great deal of the Luka-era Lakers’ future rides both on the outcome of the pending sale and how functional the team can perform during and on the other side of it. Players can save face throughout training camp by saying the situation doesn’t affect them (which isn’t a difficult conclusion to come to). But the Lakers have historically been a franchise with steady ownership. It’s been a core foundation of the exceptionalism.
Soon there will be answers to all these questions. But in the meantime, it’s time to get the season officially started with Monday’s media day.
The New York Rangers have placed goaltender Dylan Garand and forward Taylor Raddysh on waivers.
After Jonathan Quick retired last season, speculation suggested Garand would fill his role as the Rangers’ backup goaltender behind Igor Shesterkin.
However, the Rangers went out during the summer and acquired Joonas Korpisalo in exchange for Kalle Väisänen and a 2028 fourth-round pick.
Despite adding Korpisalo, the Rangers made clear that the backup goaltending position would be a competition between Korpisalo and Garand, and Mike Sullivan did not rule out carrying three goaltenders to kick off the 2025-26 season.
“Is that an option that is on the table for us, yes,” Sullivan said of the Rangers potentially carrying three goalies on the roster. “It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility. I think it's very manageable in the short term. I don't think it's in the best interest of the guys in the long term for obvious reasons.”
According to Mollie Walker of The New York Post, the Rangers organization believes Garand still has some developing to do and needs to be getting No. 1 goalie reps at the American Hockey League Level with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Rangers signed Taylor Raddysh to a two-year, $3 million contract in the 2025 offseason.
The 28-year-old forward recorded nine goals, 10 assists, and 19 points in 68 games for the Blueshirts last season.
With Garand and Raddysh waived, Matt Rempe, Jaroslav Chmelař, Alberts Šmits, and Scott Morrow will likely make the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
Alex Bregman stood in the box at Tropicana Field on Sunday, Sept. 27 with a week-old set of facial fractures and sent a message. He had said he would not miss the playoffs despite the devastating injuries and Sunday, showed he's ready. The Chicago Cubs third baseman hit a Tanner Houck sinker for a 417-foot home run in his first at-bat of the day.
Two innings later, he drove another homer 402 feet. In the fifth, he hit one almost as far that went just foul, and he settled for a single.
On Sept. 20 in Cincinnati, Bregman, 32, was standing near the on-deck circle when Michael Busch checked his swing and fouled a pitch his way. The ball caught Bregman just below the left eye and left multiple fractures in his face.
He insisted he could play and the Cubs never put him on the injured list. He sat three games. By Wednesday, Bregman was tracking pitches off a machine. He came back Friday at Fenway as the designated hitter, with a C-flap on his helmet covering the left-side of his face. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in a 4-3 loss.
Sunday, when he got on base, he switched his batting helmet for one with double C-flaps.
Bregman came into the finale with 26 homers, 32 doubles, 89 RBI and a .799 OPS in 154 games this season.
The Cubs head to San Diego after Sunday's game to face the Padres in the National League wild card game.
Sep 27, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Fans sit in the stands during a rain delay before a scheduled game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Well, that was dumb.
About three hours after the scheduled first pitch, and about an hour after the original time before it was moved up earlier this weekend, the Yankees and Orioles’ season finale in the Bronx was officially cancelled. The nor’easter affecting the East Coast this weekend already caused Saturday’s game to be moved to Friday, and now it has officially led to Sunday’s planned season-ending clash to be cancelled. With this being the final day of the regular season and the playoffs beginning on Tuesday, as you might expect, this game will not be rescheduled, as it didn’t have any impact on possible playoff position.
You could kind of sense that there was not actually going to be any baseball played, as the Yankees never formally released a lineup for the game, other than that Elmer Rodríguez—who was technically never on the active roster today—as the probable starting pitcher. However, the three-hour wait between the “this game will not start on time” and “it’s cancelled” seemed unnecessary, but hey, we don’t get paid the big bucks to make these decision.
With that, the Yankees’ 2026 regular season is officially in the books. They will finish with a 93-68 record in their 161 games, a half-game shy of the 94-68 record with which they ended 2025. Like that year, they will have to settle for second place behind a surprising team, with the Rays being the culprit this time around instead of the Blue Jays.
With there being nothing to play for standings-wise for most of the last week, a lot of the attention has already been on the postseason, but now we can move our full focus to Tuesday and Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, who are now confirmed to face nemesis Cam Schlitter at 8pm ET. See you then.
The Braves won nine of the 13 regular season meetings in 2026. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 2022 and 2023 National League Division Series.
The Phillies last won the World Series in 2008, but have reached the Fall Classic twice since then, losing to the New York Yankees in 2009 and Houston Astros in 2022.
Philadelphia got off to a miserable start to the 2026 season and fired manager Rob Thomson but turned things around over the summer with interim manager Don Mattingly to stake their claim on a wild card spot.
Phillies playoff schedule
*If Philadelphia clinches wild card. Game 3 time subject to change
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The Yankees' 2026 regular season is in the books. Sunday's 1:05 p.m. game at Yankee Stadium between New York and the Baltimore Orioles, which was originally moved up from 3:20 p.m., is canceled due to inclement weather.
"The game will not be rescheduled," the Yankees said in part of a release.
Thirty-three minutes before the game's original start time, the Yankees announced on social media, "Please be advised today’s game will not start on time."
After more than three hours without an update, the game was called.
New York enters the postseason with a 93-68 record, which secured the American League Wild Card's first spot.
The Yankees start a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox this week at Yankee Stadium with starting pitchers and game times set.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 14: Reece Beekman #26 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball during the game against the Chicago Bulls on July 14, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards have signed four players to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced Sunday.
Reece Beekman
Trevor Keels
Chris Livingston
Steve Settle III
The Washington Wizards have signed G Reece Beekman, G Trevor Keels, F Chris Livingston, and F Steve Settle III to Exhibit 10 contracts.
In a related move, the team has waived F KeShawn Murphy.
The team also announced it waived KeShawn Murphy, who recently signed an Exhibit 10 deal. He’s a candidate to sign back with the Capital City Go-Go.
Beekman, 24, spent four seasons at Virginia before going undrafted in 2024. He spent his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors and later the Brooklyn Nets. The 6-foot-3 guard played last season with the Osceola Magic — the Orlando Magic’s G League affiliate. He averaged 8.8 points, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
Beekman and Livingston excelled with Washington’s Summer League team in July. Beekman capped his showing with a 13-point, 15-assist performance against the Atlanta Hawks’ Summer League squad.
Keels, 23, will spend training camp with the Wizards and likely join the Capital City Go-Go following the preseason. It’s a homecoming for the Duke product, who is from Clinton, Maryland, and played high school basketball at Paul VI Catholic.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 15.6 PPG on 40.4% 3PT in the G League last year. His best showing was a 46-point outburst in which he made all 12 of his 3-point attempts with the Sioux Falls Skyforce — the Miami Heat’s G-League affiliate.
Settle played five collegiate seasons, his first three at Howard before transferring to Temple for the final two. He spent last season in the G League with the Skyforce, averaging 8.2 points across 14 games.
Teams can offer an ~$85k bonus to players who sign an Exhibit-10 contract and spend at least 60 days with their G League affiliate. It’s essentially an incentive for the players to sign with the Go-Go, which these players could likely do following training camp and preseason.
Albert Smits had made the Rangers' opening night roster.
In the aftermath of the final Rangers exhibition Friday, Alberts Smits didn’t reveal much about whether he thought he’d done enough to make the roster. He left the final call to the coaches he spent the preseason impressing, though the 18-year-old — and No. 5 overall pick — did hint that “it’d mean a lot” for him to break training camp in the NHL.
The seemingly inevitable ruling on Smits’ future for the start of the 2026-27 season became formal Sunday, with the rookie making the initial 23-man roster, according to The Post’s Mollie Walker.
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The other competitions that defined training camp also came into focus Sunday. Winger Taylor Raddysh and goaltender Dylan Garand were waived. Forwards Matt Rempe and Jaroslav Chmelar, along with defensemen Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow, made the cut. Joonas Korpisalo beat out Garand for the job of backing up Igor Shesterkin.
The Blueshirts still need to either waive injured defenseman Vincent Iorio, who’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury, or put him on injured reserve to officially get to 23. But when that happens, the first iteration of the Rangers’ roster will have some history (Smits), redemption (Rempe), youth (Chmelar and Morrow) and risk (Korpisalo) sprinkled in as they try to avoid reaching the basement of the Eastern Conference again.
Albert Smits had made the Rangers’ opening night roster. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
When the Blueshirts face the Bruins on Tuesday for their season opener, Smits will likely occupy the spot alongside Braden Schneider on the third pairing as he has all preseason. There wouldn’t be a purpose to having Smits on the roster if he didn’t log regular minutes. The left-handed defenseman was drafted as an NHL-ready prospect and then spent the last 10-plus days proving it.
If Smits skates Tuesday, he’ll join Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière in Rangers history as recent 18-year-olds to make their debuts on opening night. Of the defensemen in team history — Dave Maloney (December 1974), Len Wharton (March 1945), Spence Tatchell (February 1943) and Red Garrett (November 1942) — to debut at 18 or younger, Smits would become the first to do so on opening night, according to archived rosters and game logs on Hockey-Reference.
When reflecting on his preseason games Friday, Smits acknowledged ups and downs but said he tried to make an argument that he can jump in. Coach Mike Sullivan, in a telling comment that same night, said Smits tends to perform better alongside the structure of veterans as opposed to the “scrambly” nature of younger players. He collected four hits, two blocked shots and an assist across three preseason games.
New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits (63) controls the puck in the first period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The hype followed Smits throughout the preseason too. Sullivan raved about Smits’ passes, physicality and stick while defending. Schneider told The Post last week that Smits “definitely earned the chance” to skate in the opening night lineup.
“He doesn’t get outmuscled,” Sullivan said Friday, “and he’s not afraid to make a play. He plays the game out there like he belongs.”
While Smits starting the year with the Rangers seemed likely, other spots weren’t decided until the final cuts Sunday. Raddysh skated in 68 games for the Rangers in 2025-26 and collected 19 points, but he served as an extra forward rotating in throughout training camp. In an ominous sign, Raddysh was one of the players left out of the official game group that traveled to UBS Arena for what essentially served as a dress rehearsal in the preseason finale.
Rempe started the first session of training camp as an extra forward before clawing his way back to the first reps with the fourth line. Two procedures limited the 6-foot-9 forward to just 26 games last year, and he entered training camp knowing that he had plenty to prove. Chmelar drew plenty of positive reviews throughout his 28-game cameo last year but is waiver-exempt, meaning he could’ve been an option to be assigned to AHL Hartford. Robertson, who logged his first full NHL season last year after plenty of time with the Wolf Pack, and Morrow — the return in the K’Andre Miller trade who hasn’t stuck at the NHL level yet — were also on the bubble throughout training camp, while Korpisalo competed with Garand despite the Blueshirts trading for him in July.
Any uncertainty about the construction of the final spots faded Sunday. And the presence of Smits ensured Tuesday became a historic opener for the Rangers.
The St. Louis Blues' opening-night roster is becoming clearer, with the organization placing a pair of players on waivers.
Among those placed on waivers are goaltender Georgii Romanov and defenseman Calle Rosen.
Romanov is a 26-year-old netminder who is entering his second season with the Blues organization. He played 28 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds last season, posting an .898 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average.
He'll split starts with Will Cranley, who is expected to be a full-time AHLer this season.
As for Rosen, he's an experienced AHL defenseman entering his fifth year with the Blues organization. He's spent time in the NHL with the Blues, but has mainly been a reliable defenseman for the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The Blues reacquired him from the Washington Capitals, and in his return, the 32-year-old scored eight goals and added 31 points.
In addition to placing Romanov and Rosen on waivers, the Blues have recalled 2024 first-round pick Adam Jiricek and claimed defenseman Justin Barron from the Nashville Predators.
With Barron and Jiricek up in the NHL, the Blues are over the limit, so expect Tyler Tucker to be placed on the injured reserve and one of Barron or Jiricek to be sent to the AHL.
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SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 3 Dylan Harper #2, Victor Wembanyama #1, De'Aaron Fox #4, Stephon Castle #5 and Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 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
Training camp is nearly upon us. Now is the time for Mitch Johnson and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff to see how roster plans will come to life. That means experimenting with lineups in practice and the preseason before the season starts on October 20th.
This season should be a lot of fun from a lineup-combination perspective. San Antonio has a lot of diverse talent, giving them versatility and depth they can lean on. The team will eventually settle into the rotation and lineup that will lead to the most success in a postseason run, but to start the season, there should be some tinkering here and there that will lead to some interesting 5-man groups.
Guessing what those lineups will be is easier for San Antonio than for many other teams. The Spurs have more roster continuity than most of the league. We should expect to see a lot of the same units as last year, but with Tobias Harris and Tarris Reed Jr. sprinkled in. It’s just enough of a change to look forward to the lineups that will define San Antonio’s 2026-27 season.
Starters and finishers?
De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Tobias Harris, Victor Wembanyama
I have banged the drum all offseason that Julian Champagnie should keep his starting spot heading into the regular season, despite the signing of Harris. However, the writing seems to be on the wall for Harris to take the four-man spot for San Antonio this season.
It makes sense; Harris is a veteran with a skill set the Spurs desperately needed last year. He’s a true forward with a big body who can defend decently well, hit threes (shot 36.8% from deep last year), and create his own shot when the offense stalls. He’s not quite the sharpshooter that Champagnie is, but makes up for it with those other skills
The rest of the group is exactly what you’d expect. This group (with Champagnie) had a +17.3 net rating last season and was San Antonio’s most effective lineup. A healthy and motivated De’Aaron Fox and a year-three leap from Stephon Castle could take this group to an even greater level.
We’ll see if this is indeed the closing group. If Champagnie is hot, it will be hard to keep him off the floor. If Dylan Harper takes another leap in year two, he will almost certainly need to be on the floor when the game is on the line.
Wemby-less group
Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, Luke Kornet
Go figure: San Antonio was at its worst last season when Victor Wembanyama was on the bench. That was especially noticeable in the playoffs, where teams picked on Luke Kornet when Wembanyama went to the bench. That is now an established strategy this team will have to deal with. They can make Kornet’s life easier by improving the rest of the defense around him.
Harper and Bryant are two of the Spurs’ best perimeter defenders, and Champagnie has shown the ability to play in passing lanes and hold his own on defense. This bench lineup is much better defensively, which should help them maintain leads when the starters exit.
This group should have some offensive juice, too. Harper is one of the best sixth men in the NBA, Keldon Johnson is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Champagnie was a starter during the finals, and Bryant could make a leap.
Three-guard lineup
De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Tobias Harris, Victor Wembanyama
This is the group the Spurs have to make work. Fox, Harper, and Castle are too good to not find a way to play them all together. Those three only played 25 minutes together in the regular season, with a net rating of -26.9. Not great. San Antonio just never found a way to make the offense click with the three of them together.
Finding a way to make this work had to have been one of the coaching staff’s top priorities this offseason. This unit probably needs two major things to work: continued improvement in shooting from Castle and Harper, and more time on the court together. Harper shot 47.9% from three after the All-Star break last season, while Castle hit 41.7% of his threes in the same time frame. If that improvement carries over into the regular season, this lineup could sing. More than anything, this group just needs time to play together and figure out how to coexist.
Harris is a great add for this group, too. He helps them maintain size on the interior while not sacrificing shooting and playmaking. With Wembanyama on the floor, the team can maintain defensive dominance while maximizing playmaking and perimeter speed. On paper, it’s a lineup that makes a lot of sense; it just needs time to become one of the team’s go-to groups.
