Offensive lineman Jax Tanner (Meridian, ID/ Rocky Mountain High School), the three-star prosect has officially accepted his invitation to the 2026 Navy All-American Bowl.
REPORT: Oilers Calvin Pickard Now Out Longer
EDMONTON – Ruh-oh.
The injury surrounding the Edmonton Oilers and Calvin Pickard may have gone from bad to worse.
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According to an NHL insider, the original diagnosis suggested that the veteran goalie was day-to-day with his injury, which may extend longer than expected.
While appearing on Edmonton Sports Talk, Darren Dreger reported that, "I'm told it’ll probably be at least a week.”
"I'm told it`ll probably be at least a week..."@DarrenDreger on Calvin Pickard
— Lieutenant Eric (@Lieutenant_Eric) May 12, 2025
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Bad News For The Oilers
This is (obviously) less than ideal for the Oilers. Pickard recorded six straight wins, leading the team past the Los Angeles Kings in round one, and giving them a 2-0 head start on the Vegas Golden Knights before going down with an injury.
In the six games that he started, Pickard made big saves at key moments. The Oilers have played steadily all year with Pickard in the net.
Stuart Skinner's Time To Shine
It's now or never for Stuart Skinner. The Edmonton-born native returned to the net for Game 3. He performed admirably despite allowing four goals on 24 shots.
When speaking about Skinner’s performance after the game, head coach Kris Knoblauch offered his thoughts.
“It’s a tough situation,” Knoblauch said to reporters after Game 3. “I think he made some really big saves, especially early in the game (and) On the penalty kill.”
“I don’t think there’s any bad goals. We put him out in difficult situations to defend.”
The Oilers will need to batten down the hatches and attack the Golden Knights with full force to win their second-round series. With this new injury news, they need to band together and not default to their goaltender's play—no matter who is in the net.
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Celtics taking ‘us against the world' mindset into pivotal road Game 4
Celtics taking ‘us against the world' mindset into pivotal road Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics need to win Game 4 on the road in front of a rabid Madison Square Garden crowd to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole against the New York Knicks in their second-round playoff series.
On paper, that seems like a tough spot. But recent history suggests this is exactly where the Celtics want to be.
Boston won 80.5 percent of its road games during the regular seasons (33-8), good for a new franchise record and a better win percentage than it had at TD Garden (23-18 record, 68.3 percent). After blowing 20-point leads at home in Games 1 and 2 of this series, the Celtics turned into a juggernaut at MSG in Game 3, rolling to a 115-93 win over the Knicks to bring the series to 2-1.
So, what makes the C’s so effective on the road? Veteran guard Jrue Holiday was asked about his team’s mindset Monday ahead of Game 4 in New York.
“It’s us against the world,” Holiday told reporters. “We kind of embrace that mentality, just knowing that in the arena, it’s going to be (hostile). We know in a lot of places, we do have fans that travel with us, and we also try to respect that, knowing that and going into somebody else’s house. We want to represent our city as well.”
The Celtics have had a target on their backs all season as the reigning NBA champions and certainly don’t have many fans outside Boston in their corner against an underdog Knicks team that hasn’t reached the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.
But it shouldn’t be surprising that a group coached by Joe Mazzulla — who actively seeks out adversity and said his team needs to “tap into (its) darkness” after Game 3 — is embracing an “us versus them” mindset.
“You wouldn’t want to be in any other position as a competitor,” guard Payton Pritchard said after Game 3. “This is the best moment you can be in, down 2-0, backs against the wall. You just bring it.”
While the Celtics brought it Saturday, they should be prepared for a counterpunch from the Knicks, who shot just 5 for 25 from 3-point range in Game 3 and likely will be better in Game 4 in front of their home crowd.
But Holiday and C’s plan on playing with the same sense of urgency on the road that they have all season.
“I think that everybody on this team felt the same way about the first two games,” he added. “So I don’t think that was needed to be said. I think we all had the same type of energy. We all knew what was at stake.”
Tip-off for Game 4 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, and NBC Sports Boston’s coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.
Former Canadiens Player Makes The Headlines For The Wrong Reason
Less than a week ago, I wrote that two former Montreal Canadiens players had led the Toronto Maple Leafs in a big win against the Florida Panthers. Max Pacioretty and Max Domi played essential roles that night, notching a goal and an assist each.
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On Sunday night, however, as the Leafs were blanked 2-0 by the Cats, Toronto’s players were frustrated, which is normal. Nobody wants to be shut out, even less so when only managing 23 shots on goal.
Tempers can run high in the playoffs, but that’s no justification for Domi's hit on Florida captain Aleksander Barkov. The pivot faced the boards with the seconds trickling down on game four. There was nothing left to play for when the Leafs’ second-generation pest spotted him from far away and ran him from behind.
Barkov was propelled into the boards, head first, and understandably stayed down. Domi was assessed a five-minute major for boarding, but the game had already ended. There was no rhyme or reason to that hit at that stage of the game.
To those who will use the tried-and-tested line of “he was sending them a message for the next game,” I will reply that the only thing he did with this dangerous hit was to give the Panthers a big injection of motivation, as if they needed it.
On Florida’s bench, Matthew Tkachuk was talking with the Toronto bench, and with the wink he made, you know he’s put them on notice that there will be payback in game five.
Another look at the absolutely DIRTY hit from Max Domi on Sasha Barkov as time expires
— Adam (@AGBRSports) May 12, 2025
Absolutely dirty. No respect for the Florida Panthers captain.
How many games suspension will Domi get for this hit? pic.twitter.com/AhFa5xzy55
The Leafs are a very talented team, but their big guns will always come second when it’s time to play a physical game. Targeting the Panthers' captain that way was a dangerous hit and a grave tactical error by the former Hab.
Regardless of whether the Department of Player Safety decides to examine the play and issue further discipline on Domi, he has put his team in a precarious position. He’s not the one who will be headhunted; Toronto’s top players will be. While the Leafs have a few big guns, one being injured wouldn’t do them any good as they finally try to win a second-round series.
It's a shame that Domi needs to make that kind of play; he’s a very good hockey player when he puts his mind to it. In the 153 games he played with the Canadiens, he scored 116 points, including a fantastic first season that yielded 72 points and 24 even-strength goals. That season wasn’t a fluke. The talent is there, but he needs to stop getting in his way.
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The White Sox lost 121 games last season. This year’s Rockies have been worse so far
It took 62 years for a team to surpass the modern record of 120 losses.
The new mark of 121 might fall a little quicker.
When Colorado routed San Diego 9-3 — a “that’s baseball” moment if there ever was one — the Rockies improved their record to 7-33. That’s still just one game better than the worst 40-game start in modern history, set by the 1988 Baltimore Orioles.
Those Orioles famously started the season 0-21, and this year’s Rockies just experienced those two numbers in reverse — in the 21-0 loss they took against the Padres. Even after rebounding with a win, the Rockies fired manager Bud Black.
When the Chicago White Sox went 41-121 last year, they were outscored by 306 runs over the whole season. Colorado has played less than a fourth of it and is already at minus-128.
Last year’s White Sox were 12-28 after 40 games, but they had losing streaks of 14, 21 and 12 still to come. Even then, they only broke the record for losses (set by the 1962 Mets) and not the one for the lowest winning percentage.
So it takes a lot to approach that many losses, but right now baseball is in an era when terrible teams are common. Since the 162-game schedule was introduced in 1961, there have been 14 teams that finished with at least 110 defeats. Half of them played in the past dozen years: the 2013 Astros (51-111), the 2018 and 2021 Orioles (47-115 and 52-110), the 2019 Tigers (47-114), the 2021 Diamondbacks (52-110), the 2023 Athletics (50-112) and the 2024 White Sox.
So in that sense, this year’s Rockies fit right in.
Trivia time
Of the other seven teams since 1961 that lost at least 110 games, five were expansion teams that hadn’t yet been around long: the 1962, 1963 and 1965 Mets (40-120, 51-111 and 50-112), the 1969 Expos (52-110) and the 1969 Padres (52-110).
Who were the only two teams to lose at least 110 games between 1970 and 2012?
Another ouster
Three days before Black was fired, Pittsburgh replaced manager Derek Shelton with Don Kelly. The Pirates are 14-27. They even have a losing record (3-5) in the eight games Paul Skenes has pitched.
Now that Black and Shelton are out, it’s hard to think of another manager on an immediate hot seat unless Baltimore decides to move on from Brandon Hyde. The Orioles have been a colossal disappointment at 15-24, although they’ve at least made the postseason the last two years under Hyde, whereas the Pirates and Rockies were faced with failure over multiple seasons.
Otherwise, most of the teams under .500 were either expected to be there (Angels, White Sox, Nationals, Marlins), have new managers (White Sox, Reds, Marlins) or have skippers who have long since proven themselves as some of the game’s most respected managers (Rangers, Rays, Reds).
The Brewers (20-21) have slipped after winning the division last year, but manager Pat Murphy is in only his second season. Atlanta stumbled at the start this year but has now won 14 of its last 22.
Line of the week
Jasson Dominguez of the New York Yankees hit three home runs and drove in seven runs against the Athletics. The 22-year-old Dominguez became the youngest player in franchise history with a three-homer game, beating Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio’s record by 109 days.
Comeback of the week
Down 5-1 with two outs in the eighth, Philadelphia began its rally with a three-run homer by Bryson Stott. Then in the ninth, the Phillies tied it against Tampa Bay reliever Pete Fairbanks.
Philadelphia went on to win 7-6 in 10 innings. The Phillies’ win probability was down to 1.9% in the eighth inning according to Baseball Savant.
Trivia answer
The 2003 Tigers (43-119) and 2004 Diamondbacks (51-111).
NBC Sports’ 2025 Notre Dame football schedule headlined by matchups vs. Texas A&M, Boise State
The Fighting Irish will face some of the top teams in college football throughout NBC Sports' seven-game slate.
What Celtics fans should watch for in NBA Draft Lottery
What Celtics fans should watch for in NBA Draft Lottery originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery will take place Monday night, and even though the Boston Celtics will not be participating, there are still a few storylines surrounding the event that should be interesting to C’s fans.
Unlike last year, the 2025 draft class is considered pretty strong. The top prize — Duke’s Cooper Flagg — is considered by many experts as a future superstar.
Flagg has the potential to instantly change the trajectory of an entire franchise. The Maine-born star won the 2025 Naismith Award, becoming just the fourth freshman ever to win the player of the year honor.
The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets have the best odds to win the lottery at 14 percent apiece. The Jazz have never won the lottery. The Wizards last won in 2010 (John Wall) and the Hornets last won in 1991 (Larry Johnson).
Let’s take a look at a few storylines that Celtics fans should keep tabs on ahead of the lottery.
Will the Sixers keep their pick or send it to OKC?
One of the most interesting storylines in the lottery involves one of the Celtics’ biggest rivals. The Philadelphia 76ers had a disastrous season headlined by injuries and players underperforming. Philly started out 2-12 and never recovered. Former league MVP Joel Embiid played just 19 games due to injury.
The Sixers finished with the fifth-worst record at 24-58 and have a 10.5 percent chance to win the lottery. But there’s a chance they don’t keep their pick and get nothing from this awful season.
When the Sixers traded Al Horford to the Oklahoma City Thunder after the 2019-20 season, they also sent OKC a 2025 first-round pick as part of the deal. This is an example of how dangerous it can be to trade draft picks so far into the future.
Here are the pick odds for Philly going into the lottery, via Tankathon. The furthest the Sixers can drop is to No. 9.
- First: 10.5 percent
- Second: 10.5 percent
- Third: 10.6 percent
- Fourth: 10.5 percent
- Fifth: 2.2 percent
- Sixth: 19.6 percent
- Seventh: 26.7 percent (would convey to OKC)
- Eighth: 8.6 percent (would convey to OKC)
- Ninth: 0.6 percent (would convey to OKC)
The Sixers keeping their pick would give them a chance to improve their roster, either by taking a top-rated prospect or trading it for an established player. That scenario would not be ideal for the Celtics and the other contenders in the Eastern Conference. If the Sixers won the lottery and selected Flagg, the Celtics would play against him several times each season because Boston and Philly are in the same division.
The opposite scenario isn’t great for the league’s elite teams, either. The Thunder already have a stacked roster, and giving them another chance to draft a young star with this Sixers pick would help them remain a top contender for even longer.
Wizards’ lottery result doesn’t impact Celtics
The Wizards are tied with the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets for the best lottery odds, but no matter where Washington ends up in the lottery, their second-round pick will go to the Celtics. It’s the second pick in Round 2 and No. 32 overall.
The Celtics acquired this second-round pick from the Wizards as part of a previous trade.
Second-round picks were finalized when the regular season ended last month because these picks are determined by reverse order of regular season record, and the Wizards had the second-worst record in the league.
The Celtics also have their own first-round pick (No. 28 overall). Boston’s second-round pick (No. 57 overall) will go to the Orlando Magic as part of a previous trade.
Decent chance Flagg ends up in the East
Five of the seven teams with the best odds to win the lottery and draft Flagg are in the Eastern Conference.
If the Duke star does end up with an East team, the Celtics would obviously play against him more often than if he were to go to a Western Conference franchise.
Rockets have a (small) chance to land No. 1 pick
The Houston Rockets showed massive improvement this season under head coach Ime Udoka. They won 52 games and lost in Game 7 of the first round to the Golden State Warriors. The Rockets have a roster full of exciting young players, including former lottery picks Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith and Jalen Green.
They also own a bunch of future draft picks, including the Phoenix Suns’ unprotected 2025 first-round selection. The Suns have a 3.8 percent chance to win the lottery, a 4.1 percent chance to finish land at No. 2, a 4.5 percent chance to land at No. 3 and a 4.9 percent chance to land at No. 4.
If the Rockets get a top-four pick, it would give them even more high-quality assets to use to upgrade their roster in the offseason.
'Next Game's Going To Be A Fun One': Tension Grows Between Maple Leafs And Panthers
Tempers flared at the end of Game 4 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers.
In the dying seconds of the contest, Leafs center Max Domi hit Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov into the boards, which sparked a violent scrum. Domi received a major penalty for boarding.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported the NHL’s Department of Player Safety is looking into Domi’s hit, especially because it was delivered very late in the game. He added these “message sending plays” are an area of focus in the collective bargaining agreement.
LeBrun’s predicts Domi won’t receive a suspension, but a fine isn’t out of the question.
Panthers center Sam Bennett and coach Paul Maurice reacted to the hit.
“Trying to take a run at ‘Barky’ at the end there,” Bennett told reporters. “It’s been a physical series, so I expect more of that.”
Added Maurice: “The league looks at those things very closely, especially at that point in the game.”
During the aftermath of the Domi hit, Panthers right winger Matthew Tkachuk appeared to mouth off to the Leafs bench, specifically at Toronto’s leading scorer, William Nylander.
Reporters asked Nylander about this post-game.
“He’ll probably do whatever he can do to get a player off their game,” Nylander said. “Next game’s going to be a fun one.”
The Domi hit was just a snippet of what transpired throughout Game 4. There were plenty of hard hits and penalties during the contest.
Can Someone Please Tell Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews There's A Playoff Series Going On?Can someone please let the Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews know that there’s a playoff series going on that desperately needs his help.
It started early in the game when the Maple Leafs handed the Panthers four power-play opportunities in the first period. Florida eventually capitalized on one of them, which was the only goal of the game until the third period.
“We don’t need to take those (penalties),” Leafs coach Craig Berube told reporters post-game. “Hookings and interference, we got to be better – we’ll be smarter than that.”
Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson took two minor penalties, including an interference penalty that sent Florida left winger Evan Rodrigues to the dressing room. Maurice said Rodrigues will need further evaluation before determining his status for the next game.
Panthers D-man Dmitry Kulikov also appeared to elbow Maple Leafs right winger Mitch Marner in the back of the head. There was no penalty on the play.
"To me, the Kulikov hit on Marner was 10 times worse," Berube said Monday morning.
Despite this being Toronto’s second straight loss of the series, its mindset is the same as it’s been all playoffs.
“(At) 2-2, it’s going to be a long series – that’s our mindset,” Nylander said.
Added Leafs captain Auston Matthews: “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We’re playing the defending Cup champs. They’re a good team. Both teams took care of home ice, so here we are.”
Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.
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Arsenal’s statistical victories only hide some very obvious flaws | Jonathan Wilson
Mikel Arteta has explanations for his team’s shortcomings that may hold water, but ultimately the Gunners simply couldn’t get it done when needed
The problem is that when the game doesn’t matter, other elements begin to take over. In other circumstances, Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool on Sunday would have been an intriguing minor classic; but then, in other circumstances, it might not have gone like that. As it was, with the title won and Arsenal secure in the Champions League qualification slots, a clash between the top two became the stage for discussion of the booing of Trent Alexander-Arnold and a weird confected online fury about whether Myles Lewis-Skelly had applauded Liverpool with sufficient gusto in the guard of honour.
At least, from Arsenal’s point of view, the game followed the opposite pattern to the one with which we’ve become familiar. Arsenal have dropped 21 points from winning positions this season (Liverpool just 13), while Liverpool have gained 22 (Arsenal just 13). If they’d matched each other in those respects, Arsenal would be two points clear at the top of the league; that essentially is the difference between them.
Continue reading...Memphis Grizzlies 2024-2025 fantasy basketball season recap: Two ROY candidates offer hope for the future
While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.
In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.
Today, we’re doing a deep dive on a team that overachieved to start the season and finished on a sour note to close it out.
Memphis Grizzlies 2024-2025 Season Recap
Record: 48-34 (8th, West)
Offensive Rating: 117.2 (6th)
Defensive Rating: 112.6 (11th)
Net Rating: 4.7 (6th)
Pace: 103.69 (1st)
2025 NBA Draft Picks: 48th pick, 56th pick
After limping to a 27-55 finish in 2023-24 due to numerous injuries across the board, the Grizzlies roared back with a mostly healthy roster and hung around behind OKC as the second seed in the West for quite a while.
Eventually Memphis was overtaken in the standings and fell into the Play-In tournament in a crowded and competitive Western Conference. The Grizz made it to the postseason as the No. 8 seed and ran into a buzzsaw in the 68-win Thunder who promptly swept them.
Memphis fired head coach Taylor Jenkins shortly before the playoffs and hired Tuomas Iisalo as the new head coach after a brief stint as the interim coach.
Heading into the 2025-26 campaign, Memphis’ biggest question is how far can Ja Morant take this team? The Grizzlies have a promising young core of Desmond Bane, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaren Jackson Jr., but is Morant the superstar and leader who can take them over the top, or is his - and the team’s - ceiling limited?
Let’s recap last season’s fantasy performances and look ahead to 2025-26.
Fantasy Standout: Desmond Bane
Bane was Memphis’ top-ranked fantasy option on a per-game basis, finishing 34th behind averages of 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.4 blocks and 2.4 triples. The sharpshooting wing shot 48.4% from the field, 89.4% from the charity stripe and 39.2% from beyond the arc, pushing for a 50/40/90 campaign.
Though Bane’s points were his fewest in three seasons, his FG% was the most efficient mark of his career, and he still pushed for 20 points despite attempting only 14.8 shots. Of those shot attempts, only 6.1 were triples, marking Bane’s lowest mark since his rookie season.
Though his scoring and triples were down, Bane set new career highs in rebounds and steals and nearly averaged 20/5/5 thanks to his strong contributions as a rebounder and facilitator. Those skills were on full display in a game against the Hawks on March 3 in which he racked up his first triple-double - a 35/10/10 masterclass.
Heading into his sixth season, there are plenty of reasons to be excited for Bane’s fantasy outlook. He appeared in 69 games in 2024-25 after logging just 100 combined across the last two. He’s taking steps forward as a do-it-all contributor and not just a three-point specialist, keeping him in the mid-round conversation for the foreseeable future.
Fantasy Revelation: Scotty Pippen Jr.
SPJ finished outside the top 150 in per-game fantasy value, but that was in large part due to his limited playing time throughout the season. Pippen Jr. averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 triples across just 21.3 minutes per game. He logged 79 appearances after playing 27 games combined across his first two campaigns, joining in as a regular part of Memphis’ rotation.
In 23 regular season starts, SPJ averaged 13.9 points, 4.4 boards, 5.5 dimes, 1.6 steals and 1.7 triples, showing off his versatility and productivity when given extra opportunities.
Pippen Jr. started each of Memphis’ four playoff games, and he came through with two stellar performances to cap off the season. Ja Morant suffered a hip contusion in Game 3 and sat out Game 4, opening the door to SPJ for a pair of monster performances.
Pippen Jr. went for 28/5/5 in Game 3, matching his career high in the scoring department, before dropping a 30/11/4 line in Game 4 to set a new career best in scoring while recording his first playoff double-double.
SPJ recorded his first career triple-double on November 8 when he posted an 11/10/11 line against the Wizards. Heading into Year 4, the future is bright for Pippen Jr., particularly if he can earn some additional playing time. He can stuff the stat sheet with the best of them.
Fantasy Disappointment: Ja Morant
Morant logged only nine games a season ago due to a combination of suspension and injury. Injuries hampered him again in 2024-25, and he was limited to just 50 games.
Memphis’ superstar point guard averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.8 triples and 3.7 turnovers while shooting 45.4% from the field, 82.4% from the charity stripe and 30.9% from beyond the arc.
His points, rebounds and FGA marked four-year lows, and the assists were his lowest in three years and second-lowest mark of his career.
Morant racked up 13 double-doubles and posted a 26/10/14 triple-double on Halloween against the Bucks. His best scoring performance came on March 14 when he tallied 44 points against the Cavs.
Morant had some memorable moments, but most weren’t related to his on-court play. Instead, Morant made headlines for his unorthodox in-game celebrations and 32 missed games.
He finished 94th in per-game fantasy value, despite an ADP of 27.1 (per Hashtag Basketball), and Morant’s season can be considered a disappointment for his low finish and his limited playing time.
After multiple seasons of significant missed time due to injury and a decline in production, it’s fair to wonder if Morant’s best days are behind him. His ADP surely won’t carry a third-round price tag in 2025-26 drafts with those concerns in mind.
Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads
Jaren Jackson Jr.:
JJJ was excellent yet again, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 boards, 2.0 dimes, 1.2 steals, 1.5 blocks and 2.0 triples across 74 appearances. Jackson Jr. battled availability concerns with just 126 games played across his first three seasons, but he’s played in 78, 63, 66 and 74 games across his last four, respectively.
Jackson Jr. has now scored at least 22 points per game in consecutive seasons, and he continues to impress with his ability to stuff the stat sheet across nearly every category.
He compiled six double-doubles in 2024-25, grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds on March 31 against Boston to go with 20 points. He erupted for 42 points against the Spurs on March 1, finishing with a 42/4/2/2/2 line with five triples, truly showcasing his multi-category excellence.
A big who can score, block shots and hit triples is a cheat code in the world of fantasy hoops, and JJJ is surely that. With availability concerns behind him, he’s an easy early-round selection in 2025-26 fantasy drafts.
Santi Aldama:
Aldama enjoyed a number of career highs as he averaged 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.8 triples. He shot 48.3% from the floor, 69.1% from the charity stripe and 36.8% from beyond the arc while committing just 1.1 turnovers across 25.5 minutes.
The big man logged 65 games, including 17 starts. He finished with a career-best 29 points on January 17 against San Antonio, a career-high 17 boards against Portland on November 25 and a career-best 11 dimes on March 1 against San Antonio.
Aldama finished just inside the top 120 in per-game fantasy hoops value, but this was in large part due to his low turnovers, relatively-high FG% and respectable three-pointers. He wasn’t overly helpful in any one category.
With Zach Edey ready to take the next step and a number of other promising young players in need of minutes, Aldama is best viewed as an option in deeper fantasy leagues in 2025-26 or a late-round dart throw in standard leagues.
Zach Edey:
As expected, Edey finished as fantasy’s top rookie behind averages of 9.2 points, 8.3 boards, 1.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.3 swats and 1.3 turnovers. The big man out of Purdue shot 58% from the floor and 34.6% from beyond the arc (0.3 made triples per game), knocking down a respectable 70.9% of his shots from the free throw line.
Edey appeared in 66 games and started 61 of them, averaging 21.5 minutes per game. On a per-minute basis, he put up big numbers, and he finished with multiple Grizzlies records.
Edey grabbed 21 rebounds on April 5 against the Pistons and 19 on April 8 against the Hornets, good for the most and second-most single-game totals by a Grizzlies rookie all time. Edey’s seven blocks against the Thunder in Game 4 of the first round are the most by a Memphis rookie in a playoff game.
Heading into next season, Edey has a ton of room to grow, especially if he can make strides on offense. If he’s allotted more playing time, he could be a 10/10 guy with two blocks a night, which would put him in the top 100 conversation. After finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting, the sky’s the limit for Edey.
Brandon Clarke:
Clarke suffered an Achilles injury at the end of the 2022-23 season and logged just six games last season. He returned to play 64 games in 2024-25, but he was limited to just 18.9 minutes per tilt and just 20.6 minutes across 18 starts.
Clarke’s production was muted, as he averaged just 8.3 points and 5.1 boards. Heading into his sixth season, Clarke can be viewed as a frontcourt depth option with limited upside due to the players ahead of him on the depth chart and his recent injury history.
Luke Kennard:
The veteran finished outside the top 200 in per-game fantasy value with averages of 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 triples. Kennard’s 47.8/89.5/43.3 shooting splits were efficient, but his counting stats weren’t plentiful enough to make him fantasy relevant.
The veteran sharpshooter appeared in 65 games and started 11 of them, offering floor-spacing and microwave scoring off the bench. Kennard is set to hit the open market this offseason, and the career 43.3% shooter from long range is sure to attract attention from contenders. He’ll most likely be a better on-court than fantasy option for whatever team signs him.
Jaylen Wells:
The second-round pick out of Washington State didn’t come into the NBA with much fanfare, but he certainly made a name for himself by finishing third in ROY voting.
Wells wasn’t an impactful fantasy option (262nd on a per-game basis), but he was an integral part of Memphis’ rotation throughout the season. Wells averaged 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.1 blocks, 1.7 triples and 0.9 turnovers. He shot 42.5% from the field, 82.2% from the charity stripe and 35.2% from beyond the arc.
The rookie appeared in 79 games and started 74 of them, averaging 25.9 minutes. He missed the final three games of the regular season and all four games of the playoffs due to a fractured right wrist and concussion, but he’s expected to be fully healthy to start his second season.
If Wells can take a step forward in Year 2, he can become a productive fantasy option in deeper leagues. For now, he’s best left undrafted in standard leagues and drafted as a late-round option in deeper formats.
Restricted Free Agents: Yuki Kawamura, Cam Spencer, Santi Aldama
Unrestricted Free Agents: Lamar Stevens, Marvin Bagley III, Luke Kennard
Club Option: None
Player Option: None
Sources: Don't count the Knicks out on a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo could be looking for a new city to call home this offseason – could that mean we see the Greek Freak in New York?
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo, for the first time, is "open-minded about whether his best fit is remaining in Milwaukee – or playing elsewhere."
After trading for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby, the Knicks - on paper - don’t look like a team that could trade for Antetokounmpo.
But league sources familiar with the dynamic say it would be foolish to count the Knicks out because of their roster construction, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
If the 2024-25 season had gone poorly, the Knicks would have had strong interest in dealing for Antetokounmpo, Begley notes.
The Knick focus at the moment is far from Antetokounmpo; they host Boston in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series and hold a 2-1 series lead.
While Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to an NBA title in 2020-21, the Bucks have been bounced in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last three years.
Per Charania, Antetokounmpo and his representatives will meet with the Bucks front office at some point this offseason to discuss his future with the club.
He is currently on his second super-max contract with Milwaukee, and is under contract through the 2026-27 season, with a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.
"The Nets, it should be noted, have a bevy of assets to offer in a trade for Antetokounmpo – or another star," Begley wrote in April. "Brooklyn owns four first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft and has 13 tradeable first-round picks in the next seven drafts."
Antetokounmpo was named to his ninth-straight All-Star team this season, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.
The Next Big Thing? A Glance At How Top Senators Prospect Carter Yakemchuk Fared This Season
For Ottawa Senators fans, the sting of their team’s first-round elimination is starting to fade. Soon, that disappointment will give way to excitement for the future, and much of that excitement centers around young NHL prospects.
Exhibit A is defenceman Carter Yakemchuk, probably the number one prospect in the organization. According to The Athletic in their January ranking, the Sens have the league’s 27th-best prospect pool. That makes it all the more important that a blue-chipper like Yakemchuk pans out.
And based on the state of things on the right side of Ottawa's blue line, if he does pan out, he'd be exactly what the doctor ordered.
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The 19-year-old, who turns 20 in September, will probably start next season with the Belleville Senators. He recently concluded his WHL career with the Calgary Hitmen after a Game 7 loss to Lethbridge in Round 2 of the playoffs.
Had we known at last year’s NHL Draft that the Senators were targeting an offensive defenceman at seventh overall, most fans might have assumed they’d take Zeev Buium or Zayne Parekh. Those two were ranked seventh and eighth in TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s rankings and were both still available when Steve Staios, Michael Andlauer, and head amateur scout Don Boyd hit the stage in Vegas to make their pick.
But this group values (and needs) size on the back end and couldn’t resist Yakemchuk, ranked 13th by McKenzie.
The Sens believe Yakemchuk is that rare blend of size (6'3") and skill who will someday thrive in the NHL. In 2023–24, he topped 30 goals and 70 points in the WHL, huge numbers for a draft-eligible blueliner. His offensive instincts, puck protection, and heavy shot make him a dangerous threat from the back end.
His first NHL training camp last fall was outstanding, to the point where he almost made the team. He led the Senators in preseason scoring, and his coast-to-coast OT winner against the Leafs was a highlight. Yakemchuk was the Senators’ final cut and headed back to junior to work on his defensive details and, most importantly, improve his skating.
The silver lining, or so everyone thought, was the chance to go back and dominate the WHL and also play for Team Canada at the World Junior tournament in Ottawa.
But neither of those things happened. Yakemchuk didn’t make Team Canada. In fact, he wasn’t even invited to camp. And his offensive numbers in Calgary took a sizeable dip from the season before.
Carter Yakemchuk – WHL Regular Season Stats
2023–24: GP 66, Goals 30, Assists 41, Points 71, PIM 120, -6
2024–25: GP 56, Goals 17, Assists 32, Points 49, PIM 82, +6
The drop-off isn’t entirely negative. As instructed by the Senators, Yakemchuk focused on becoming a more complete two-way player. He was also more physical, using his size advantage to finish body checks as a matter of policy.
And with the Hitmen transitioning from a struggling 65-point team to a 96-point Memorial Cup contender, the expectations were higher and the systems were more detailed.
But even with all that adjustment, you'd think some of that might have been offset by the fact that he was now a year older with some new, NHL-influenced swagger.
Take Parekh and Buium, for example. They were also drafted for their skill and were sent back to their amateur teams with instructions to work on becoming more complete players.
Neither of them had a dip in production.
Parekh didn’t make Team Canada, but they brought him to evaluation camp ahead of Yakemchuk. In his draft year, Parekh had 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games for the Saginaw Spirit. This year, he had 33 goals again and 107 points in five fewer games. The Calgary Flames even brought him in to make his NHL debut at the end of the season.
Buium played for a second year in a row at the World Juniors for Team USA. His numbers at the University of Denver stayed virtually the same, going from 50 points in his draft year to 48 this year. But the Minnesota Wild were so impressed with his development, they threw him right into the fire of a first-round playoff series, where he played four games.
Summer Breakups: Senators GM Steve Staios Prepares For Another Rebalancing ActThe Ottawa Senators held their seasonal exit meetings last Saturday, the final assignment for a fine young NHL club that took a huge step forward this season, forcing their way into the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
We're not suggesting at this point that the Senators should have taken these two players instead. I cannot stress that enough. As good as they are, adding more offensive skill with limited physicality isn't what's needed on Ottawa's blue line.
But why did those players thrive this season in similar circumstances while Yakemchuk's numbers dipped?
It could be several things. Every young player has a different body and brain and develops at their own pace. It's hard enough to reliably figure out what's happening in the brain of a teenage male at any given moment, let alone predict what sort of player or person he'll be in five years when his frontal lobe is fully formed.
What matters is that the Sens remain very pleased with where Yakemchuk is in his development, and perhaps, as he did last fall, he’ll be able to elevate again at the pro level. This was his fourth season with the Hitmen, and while we’re not saying this is necessarily the case here, he wouldn’t be the first teenager to return to junior hockey feeling some complacency, like he’s already proven himself at that level.
But make no mistake: while this season didn’t deliver the dominant numbers many expected, Yakemchuk’s future remains bright — and the Senators are counting on it.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa
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Leicester turn to Geoff Parling as head coach after hunt for Cheika’s successor
- Former lock will remain with Australia for Lions series
- Leinster confirm Caelan Doris out for four to six months
Geoff Parling has been appointed as Leicester’s new head coach, bringing an end to a drawn out recruitment process to find Michael Cheika’s successor. Parling is currently employed as the Australia assistant coach but will return to Welford Road after this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour.
The former second-row Parling, 41, spent six years at Leicester and will be a popular appointment among the Tigers faithful. Paul Gustard, Graham Rowntree, Leon MacDonald and Stuart Lancaster were heavily linked with the role but Leicester finally landed on Parling, who has agreed a long-term contract.
Continue reading...Pat Verbeek to Face New Pressures in 2025-26
On May 8, the Anaheim Ducks announced that the 12th head coach in franchise history was to be Joel Quenneville. This was the boldest move in Pat Verbeek’s tenure as general manager of the organization and potentially in the Ducks' 31 years as an NHL franchise.
Verbeek was hired on Feb. 4, 2022, in the middle of the 2021-22 season and roughly six and a half weeks before the 2022 NHL trade deadline. To that point, the Ducks had missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons (soon to be four) and had drafted in the top ten in each of those years.
Ducks Name Joel Quenneville Head Coach
Joel Quenneville's On-Ice Impact with the Ducks
Ducks Part Ways with Thompson, Clune
The Ducks were a rebuilding team, but hadn’t quite realized or operated as such. Verbeek changed that, sending out previous core members of the roster at the 2022 trade deadline like Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, and Rickard Rakell.
As perhaps expected, the Ducks missed the playoffs in all three (full) seasons of Verbeek’s tenure, continuing to finish near the bottom of the standings and accumulate top ten picks.
Heading into 2025-26, Verbeek’s fourth full season in the big chair, the Ducks have the third-longest playoff drought in the NHL, and he’ll face a new set of pressures, mandated by himself as well as ownership.
“I expect us to be very active and aggressive. I think I see this team at a point to where my expectation of this team is to make the playoffs next year,” Verbeek said on April 19, following the firing of Greg Cronin as head coach. “I expect our group to take a step, and so I'm going to be active and aggressive in making our team better.”
It’s been a tough sell to ask fans and ownership to buy into a long-term rebuild, especially in one of the league’s smaller markets, and having recently witnessed a sustained period of success between 2013-2018, where they qualified for the playoffs every season, won five consecutive Pacific Division titles, and reached the Western Conference Final twice.
“It has been a long, painful process, but we felt that we’ve reached a point where the rebuild is coming to an end,” Ducks co-owner Henry Samueli said following Thursday’s introductory press conference announcing Quenneville. “It really is, and it’s time to take the step to becoming a perennial playoff contender and eventually (a) Stanley Cup contender.”
The organization-wide mandate is to truly turn the corner and make the playoffs immediately. Speculation would suggest, this could have been a consequential contributing factor in Verbeek’s decision to appoint Quenneville as head coach.
There were several qualified and accomplished head coaching candidates on the market when the Ducks hired Quenneville, including reported finalists Rick Tocchet and Jay Woodcroft. Verbeek went with the most-qualified of the bunch, but also the one with the most baggage that could potentially alienate a significant portion of the fanbase.
“Oh, 100%. That is the pressure we’re putting on both Pat and Joel,” Samueli continued when asked if playoffs were the goal for 2025-26. “They know that the fans and the ownership expect to make the playoffs this season. It’s a lot of pressure to put on a coach and GM, but you’ve got to do it.”
The Samuelis (Henry and his wife, Susan) have been notoriously as “behind-the-scenes” as any owners in professional sports, delegating the spotlight to those they appoint in hockey-based roles.
However, with construction underway to improve Honda Center and create a surrounding sports and entertainment district (OCVIBE), the goal is to have a competitive team by the time ribbons are cut.
That also comes with the cutting of very large checks.
OCVIBE and Honda Center construction is setting the Samuelis back billions of dollars. They intend to now direct some of that spending toward the team and team staff, it would seem.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, one of the NHL’s premier insiders, reported on his “32 Thoughts” podcast that the Ducks will be paying Quenneville more to coach the team than they had previously paid at the position.
“The Ducks have not historically paid a ton to their coaches,” Friedman said. “They did do that here on some level for Quenneville.”
Friedman noted the length of Quenneville’s contract was either two years, two years plus an option for the third, or three years.
“We know what it’s like (to be a contender), and I miss it personally, going to playoff games,” Samueli said. “That’s one reason we were willing to write a much bigger check this time around. That’s because bringing in someone of Joel’s stature that’s going to cost more money, but we’re willing to make that investment into the team.
“We’ve told the same thing to Pat. Going out looking for players, you will have the budget you need to make this a serious playoff team. You don’t have to pinch pennies anymore. Do what it takes to make us a contender.”
As of now, the Ducks will have over $38.6 million in projected cap space heading into the 2025 offseason, and Verbeek has been given the green light and directive to spend as much as necessary to improve the team to the point of contention.
“Potentially, if necessary. He’s going to spend wisely,” Samueli said when asked if spending to the cap was in the cards. “We’re not going to write stupid checks, but I told him, do what it takes to make this a really steady, perennial playoff contender and Stanley Cup contender down the road. And if that means signing big-name free agents, go for it. We told him, going forward, you will not be constrained by the budget.”
There may be yet another factor to consider when analyzing why Verbeek was bold enough to hire as controversial a figure as Quenneville. Friedman reported that the conclusion of Verbeek’s contract was on the nearing horizon, a previously unknown tidbit.
“Verbeek, by the way, is heading towards the end of his contract,” Friedman said. “So, he knows the pressure’s on him, too, to show some results in Anaheim.”
As stated by Samueli and Verbeek, they felt the potential rewards outweighed the risks of hiring Quenneville as the next head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. Verbeek hasn’t been one to shy away from bold choices in his time as GM, but a new directive to put the finishing touches on a prolonged rebuild and get to the playoffs may have been a deciding factor.
Mets vs. Pirates: How to watch on SNY on May 12, 2025
The Mets open a three-game series with the Pirates at Citi Field on Monday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
- Francisco Lindor is hitting .360/.429/.800 with three homers and two doubles over his last six games. His triple slash for the season is up to .301/.368/.509
- Brett Batyhas smacked three home runs in 12 at-bats since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse
- Edwin Diazhas allowed just one earned run since his appearance on April 11 -- a span of 10.1 innings over 10 appearances
- David Petersonallowed four runs (two earned) in 6.0 innings against the Diamondbacks during his last start -- throwing a season-high 104 pitches
PIRATES | METS |
|---|---|
- | Francisco Lindor, SS |
- | Juan Soto, RF |
- | Pete Alonso, 1B |
- | Brandon Nimmo, LF |
- | Mark Vientos, DH |
- | Jeff McNeil, CF |
- | Francisco Alvarez, C |
- | Brett Baty, 3B |
- | Luisangel Acuña, 2B |
What channel is SNY?
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
How can I stream the game?
The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.
In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone.
How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB?
To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps:
- Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider.
- Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account.
- Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY.
- Select the SNY Mets game you wish to view from the Multimedia Center.
How can I watch the game on the MLB App?
MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.
- Download the free MLB App.
- Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
- Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”
- To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.