ATLANTA, GA - MAY 22: Washington pitcher Mitchell Parker (70) pitches during the MLB game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves on May 22nd, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Folks, we have a transaction! It’s November 2, which means that 40-man rosters across baseball have to be cleaned up with free agency officially starting at 5:00 p.m. ET today. As such, minor moves like this are going to be expected and the Atlanta Braves have gotten some business done this afternoon.
The Braves are taking a bit of a flier with this particular move, as the team announced today that they’ve claimed left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker off waivers from the Washington Nationals.
The #Braves today claimed LHP Mitchell Parker off waivers from the Washington Nationals.
Mitchell Parker was part of Washington’s rotation in 2025 but the team decided to move him to the bullpen ahead of the 2026 season, which is where he had a bit of a rough season with Washington. Parker finished with an ERA of 6.58 (154 ERA-) and a FIP of 5.47 (128 FIP-) across 39.2 innings and 22 appearances. Unfortunately, he saw his season get cut short once he got diagnosed with a Grade 3 UCL sprain in his throwing elbow in early July.
He went under the knife for an internal brace surgery in late July and as such, it’s reasonable to expect that we won’t see Parker in action until September 2027 — hopefully there will be big league baseball going on by then! If not, then it wouldn’t be particularly shocking to see Mitchell Parker just end up missing the 2027 season entirely.
For now, he’ll be trying to get back right again as a member of the Atlanta Braves. Our friends over at Federal Baseball seemed to believe that he may have found something with his swingman role with the Nationals, so maybe the Braves will tap into that once he returns from injury. We’ll see what happens going forward.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Jacob Webb #71 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the National League Wild Card game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first transaction of the offseason has arrived as the Cubs have come to an agreement on a one-year deal for $2 million with right-handed reliever Jacob Webb. Robert Murray appears to have been first with the story.
Right-handed reliever Jacob Webb and the Chicago Cubs are in agreement on a new one-year, $2 million contract that includes a $4 million club option for 2028 ($500K buyout), according to a source familiar with the deal.
Webb already had a team option for 2027 at $2.5 million. So what this deal does is move $500k of that money to 2028 (in the form of the buyout) or it gives the Cubs a $4 million option for 2028. For Webb, it means that 20 percent of his salary will be deferred for a year but also a smaller amount will be subject to being cut if the lockout cuts out a significant part of the seasons. A lockout that extended one month into the season would only cost Webb 1/6 of $2 million rather than $2.5 million, for example.
The Cubs had a lot of problems with the bullpen this past year, but Jacob Webb was not one of them. After playing for the Rangers in 2025, Webb signed a one-year deal with the Cubs for $1.5 million last winter, plus the option for this year. He went on to make 68 appearances for the Cubs and went 6-5 with a 3.38 ERA. The 33-year-old Webb eventually became the Cubs’ closer for a while, until a few blown saves by Webb in August caused manager Craig Counsell to go with a more mix-and-match approach to the ninth inning rather than relying on just one guy. In any case, Webb did lead the team in saves last year with nine.
The Cubs will likely look to other pitchers to get saves in 2027, but this deal means they clearly expect him to pitch important innings in games. It also means the Cubs have their first piece of rebuilding the bullpen done by brining back one of the better pitchers of 2026.
After a lot of teasing and anticipation, the NHL finally did a league-wide reveal of each team's new Hometown Remix jerseys for the 2026-27 season.
There were a lot of interesting designs. And the Pittsburgh Penguins certainly had one of the more interesting ones.
In a nod to the team's history and to the city of Pittsburgh, the new jerseys are navy blue with powder blue secondary coloring in the form of stripes on the sleeves, shoulder, and pants, and they have gold accents throughout. In addition, they feature the the igloo shoulder patch that has become popularized in recent years, offset detailing on the logo and the numbers, and the different colors of Pittsburgh-area neighborhoods on the bottom in-seam of the jersey — all in the unique style of '60s pop art to represent Pittsburgh native and artist Andy Warhol.
But the most noticeable and controversial element? The polka-dots on the yellow of the Penguins' logo and in the numbers, which is designed to be a comic-style design that brings out the pop art element and general graphic design elements from the '60s.
If you love Pittsburgh, here’s a new way to show it.
And, yes, the polka-dots do a lot to really bring the 60s pop art style to life, and they are quite a bit smaller and jump out in a different way than they did on the two-dimensional leaks that were circulating weeks ago. While the jersey is certainly representative of both the Penguins' history and of Pittsburgh's history, the opinion on the dots as well as the choice to go back to blue were controversial among fans and media.
Here are some of the social media reactions to the jerseys:
they are undeniably nicer in person. I was harshly skeptical, but i’m actually a fan https://t.co/OSWPlW4Nsn
Polka-dots aside, I have to say, the sublimation throughout — on the numbers, the logo, the letter — is all pretty damn cool 👌🏻🐧 https://t.co/zorRLOQ4Mq
i love that the pens went warhol themed considering they were founded in the 60s. which is the height of pop art. and brought back their 60s colors like that’s so awesome. and then you have the patch from the alternates for the 3 rivers + igloo and then you have the US steel
Personally, I love these. It's cool that the Penguins actually did something unique here and successfully incorporated both their team history and the city's history in a coherent design. Perhaps the only thing that's missing is a gold bridge on the socks or something.
If the captain approves, that's good enough for me.
Here is the full Remix jersey schedule for the Penguins:
- Nov. 3 vs. Vegas Golden Knights - Nov. 28 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs - Dec. 6 vs. San Jose Sharks - Dec. 18 vs. Seattle Kraken - Jan. 21 vs. Anaheim Ducks - Feb. 2 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning - Mar. 9 vs. Ottawa Senators - Mar. 25 vs. New Jersey Devils - Mar. 30 at Philadelphia Flyers - April 1 vs. New York Islanders
What do you think of the Remix jerseys? Sound off in the comments!
A quartet of Word Series-winning managers headline the eight Contemporary Era finalists for the 2027 Baseball Hall of Fame.
Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon and Lou Piniella all spent at least 19 years in a major-league dugout with a total of seven World Series rings among them. They are joined on the ballot by former executives Sandy Alderson and Brian Sabean, along with broadcasting pioneer and former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner, and eight-time All-Star and former National League president Bill White.
A 16-member panel selected by the Hall will consider those eight candidates who made their contributions to the game after 1980. The ones who receive at least 75% of the vote will be announced on Dec. 6 before the start of the Winter Meetings in San Diego.
Here's a look at the eight Contemporary Era finalists:
Sandy Alderson, executive
After two years serving as general counsel, Alderson was named general manager of the Oakland Athletics in 1983. He was the architect of an A's team that went to three consecutive World Series from 1988-90. After leaving the club in 1997 (and being succeeded as GM by Billy Beane), Alderson became MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations from 1998-2005. He also served as CEO of the San Diego Padres and general manager of the New York Mets.
Dusty Baker, player/manager
Though Baker is perhaps best known as a beloved manager for five different major league teams, he also had a 19-year career as a player. An outfielder, Baker hit .278 with 242 home runs for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's, earning two All-Star nods, a Gold Glove and two Silver Sluggers. He went on to manage the Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Houston Astros to a total of 2,143 wins (eighth-most all-time) and a .540 winning percentage. The only manager in history to take five different teams to the postseason, Baker finally won a World Series in 2022 with the Astros.
Bruce Bochy, player/manager
After nine years in the majors as a catcher, Bochy began his managerial career with the San Diego Padres in 1995, taking them to the World Series in his fourth season. He then moved to the San Francisco Giants in 2007 and guided them to World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014 before retiring after the 2019 season. However, he came out of retirement in 2023 to manage the Texas Rangers and lead them to a World Series championship that season. Retiring again after the 2025 season, Bochy ranks sixth on the all-time wins list with 2,252 in 28 seasons.
Joe Maddon, manager
A three-time manager of the year with the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs, Maddon became the first skipper in 108 years to lead the Cubs to a World Series title when they accomplished the feat in 2016. He began his coaching career in the Angels organization, serving as interim manager in both 1996 and 1999. He got his first full-time managing job in 2006 with the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a franchise he turned into an AL pennant winner in his third season. After managing the Rays for nine years, he moved to the Cubs in 2015, making the playoffs in four of his five seasons. He left Chicago to return to Anaheim in 2020 for three more seasons, finishing with a career record of 1,382-1,216 (.532).
Lou Piniella, player/manager
A fiery competitor as both a player and coach, Piniella won two World Series rings as an outfielder for the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978. The 1969 AL Rookie of the Year with the Kansas City Royals, Piniella was a .291 career hitter over 18 seasons in the majors. Two years after he retired, he was hired to manage the Yankees, but was fired by owner George Steinbrenner in the middle of Year 3. Hired by the Cincinnati Reds in 1990, Piniella guided them to a World Series championship in his initial season. He went on to manage the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Chicago Cubs − totaling 1,835 wins in 23 seasons.
Brian Sabean, executive
A former scouting director and player development director with the New York Yankees, Sabean was hired by the San Francisco Giants as general manager in 1997. He remained in that role for 29 seasons and became the architect of three World Series championship teams under Bochy from 2010-2014. Sabean was twice named Baseball America's Executive of the Year.
Ted Turner, executive
The founder of Turner Broadcasting and CNN, Turner was a lifelong baseball fan who paired his TV reach with his ownership of the Atlanta Braves to turn the franchise into "America's Team" in the 1980s. With unprecedented live coverage of every regular-season game, the Braves developed a national following as they built a National League dynasty in the early 1990s. Turner, who died earlier this year at the age of 87, finally got a World Series title in 1995 before selling the team the following year.
Bill White, player/broadcater/executive
An eight-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glover as a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York/San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies, White joined the broadcast booth of the New York Yankees once his 13-year playing career came to an end. He teamed with Phil Rizzuto for 18 seasons before being named president of the National League in 1989. The first Black president of any major North American sports league, he served in that post until 1994. He received the Hall of Fame's Buck O'Neil Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2026.
During the past 20 seasons, the last remaining undefeated team in the NBA has failed to qualify for the playoffs just three times. No team since the 1998-99 Seattle Supersonics has started a season with at least six wins in a row and not made it to the NBA's postseason.
So how have the Grizzlies pulled off this early season surprise? Here are three reasons why Memphis is the last remaining undefeated team in the NBA before games played on Monday, Nov. 2:
Yaxel Lendeborg is suddenly the trendy pick to be the NBA's rookie of the year thanks to a batch of big early season performances, but Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer is the only rookie with a game-winner and a triple-double so far. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has quickly become a hub for the Memphis offense, distributing the ball on offense and forming a fearsome pairing inside with Edey.
Though his overall shooting numbers are lagging and he won't wow you with athletic feats, Boozer is still shooting nearly 37% from 3-point range and looks to be a potential cornerstone in the mold of Tim Duncan with his diverse skill set. Perhaps more importantly, his promising production in the first six games have helped shift the narrative after an offseason of uncertainty about the changing roster.
The Grizzlies might not have a star with the commercial crossover potential Morant once had, but the roster was in much better shape than many NBA prognosticators expected after the team traded away Morant, Jackson, Bane and Santi Aldama in various deals. Memphis currently has 13 players averaging at least 12 minutes per game as coach Tuomas Iisalo often uses an 11-man rotation.
Jerome, who missed most of last season after being signed by the Grizzlies, was the league's leading scorer during the first week of the season. Coward and Jaylen Wells have shown growth as 3-point shooters and Edey, despite being on a minutes restriction, has been a dominating rebounder and defensive anchor based on advanced metrics. Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart, acquired in trades this past offseason, have provided a veteran presence off a bench that seems to come in waves.
That approach might not work in the postseason, and it caused issues when Morant clashed with Iisalo last year. But it's proving effective during the first month of an NBA season that's been defined by the number of injuries impact players have already suffered.
Grizzlies' schedule has been soft
Memphis has shown undeniable signs that it was overlooked heading into the 2026-27 season and swept a four-game road trip as part of this hot start. But it also hasn't beaten a team expected to contend for either conference title.
The Grizzlies have beaten the NBA's only winless team twice (Sacramento Kings) and have two wins over a team with a 1-5 record heading into Monday (Utah Jazz). They'll be favored against the struggling Pelicans.
But Memphis also orchestrated a comeback over the Golden State Warriors and handed the Portland Trail Blazers their first loss of the season. Morant played against his former team for the first time in Portland and left with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for at least a month.
Six games don't validate a rebuild, and the schedule toughens in the coming weeks. But as Morant faces another extended absence and the Grizzlies keep piling up wins, the franchise's decision to dismantle the roster built around him looks less like a gamble and more like foresight.
The chance to score 40 points in an NBA game does not come around very often, but Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg earned that opportunity just seven games into his career.
With veterans Steph Curry and Draymond Green resting for the first leg of a back-to-back on Sunday, Lendeborg was the star of the show as the Warriors won their fourth consecutive game, 124-112, against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Chase Center.
The rookie led both teams with 37 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the field, including six made 3-pointers, which tied his output against the Phoenix Suns earlier this season.
Lendeborg returned to the game with 10:12 left in the fourth quarter with 29 points, and proceeded to score his final eight points over the next four minutes. Only three points away from his first 40-point game, Lendeborg told reporters after the game that his teammates urged him to reach that mark.
“I think [Brandin Podziemski] was shooting a free throw, and then [De’Anthony] Melton, it’s all Melton’s fault, guys, by the way,” Lendeborg said. “De’Anthony Melton went up to me and said, ‘Hey, man, you need to get 40. You’re three points away.’ And I’m like, ‘Nah, man, it’s all good.” And then he just peer pressured me into doing it.
“He said he’s going to give me the ball, and he literally was holding it just to give me the ball. And I’m like, ‘Fine, I’ll shoot it,’ and I missed but I try to tell him ‘No, no, no.’ And then now Will [Richard] came over here. ‘You got to do it. You got to do it.’ So everybody was egging me on, and I kind of just fell into it. But I know next time I’m just playing the flow of the game because they came at me like four threes in a row. We almost lost the game because of that. So next time I’m never doing that again.”
Lendeborg took three shots in his final four minutes on the court, missing all of his attempts, but Golden State was able to close out the Clippers before coach Steve Kerr eventually emptied the bench.
When asked if he was aware of how close he was to scoring 40, Lendeborg showcased his team-first mentality.
“I’ve never been a stat chaser in my life,” Lendeborg said. “Falling into peer pressure like I did just now was pretty bad on my part. I’m a guy that loves ethical hoops. I’m a guy that loves efficient basketball, and I didn’t do that for the last two or three minutes. So it’s bad on my part. But I’ll know next time, I definitely won’t do that again. If it comes to me, it does. If I don’t get it, then I wasn’t meant to get it that day.”
The 24-year-old added six assists and four rebounds to his monstrous performance, displaying why he has been one of the most impressive rookies in the NBA this season.
Luka Doncic is creating the offensive advanatges the Lakers want. NBAE via Getty Images
Dončić has reached another level of offensive rhythm to start the season, averaging a league-best 37.7 points on 48.2% shooting (43.2% on 3-pointers) to go with 8.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists in his first six games after the Lakers’ win over the Raptors on Sunday.
With the roll he’s been on, defenses have been aggressive with blitzing, trapping and generally sending two defenders at the Slovenian guard when they can – creating 4-on-3 offensive opportunities.
While Dončić is doing “a really good job of making plays” when two defenders are on, as Redick put it, the team results haven’t been there.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is tired of his team not take advantage of the easier offensive opportunities Luka Dončić creates, NBAE via Getty Images
And Redick sees that as an issue with the decision-making after the superstar guard passes out of the double team, mentioning there were multiple opportunities during Sunday’s win over the Raptors in which the Lakers passed up good shots.
“I know in the second half I can think of four times that we turned down wide open threes, like I’ll take these guys out,” Redick said. “Like you gotta shoot the ball when you’re open.”
While Redick didn’t call out any player by name, he sees the indecision as a result of having so many new players not accustomed to what the Lakers want to do when those advantages are created.
While JJ Redick didn’t call out specific players, Quentin Grimes has been one of the biggest culprits of passing up open shots. NBAE via Getty Images
“And again it’s the new group thing,” Redick said. “These guys gotta understand what the purpose is of what we’re trying to do. And when you get an advantage, you gotta keep the advantage and shoot it.”
There’s also the factor of players not wanting to make mistakes early on with their new team, leading to overthinking.
“Because I lived this as a player, it’s like, ‘Ahhh, I want to shoot well. I want the Lakers fans to like me. I want to score. I want to do this,’” Redick said. “You’re thinking too much. Just go play basketball and do our stuff and I promise you there’s going to be opportunities to score.”
MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 26: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center on October 26, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you’ve been locked in for the Dallas Mavericks’ first six games of the 2026-27 season, you already know. The proof is in the dominance-flavored pudding.
And ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon has been. So he knows.
That’s why MacMahon had no reservations when he declared flatly on Monday’s episode of the Hoop Collective podcast that Cooper Flagg has already arrived. He’s not going to be one of the best in the league. He is one of the best in the league. Right now. Today.
This is no longer something opposing teams can put off until some future point in Flagg’s development. He will wreck your shit tomorrow. The Houston Rockets found out about it in Friday’s first and fourth quarter s of the Mavericks’ 116-111 win at the AAC to improve their record to 4-2.
“This is going to get aggregated, and I’m okay with it,” MacMahon said while discussing the Mavericks with podcast host Brian Windhorst, who himself banged a loud drum for Flagg before the start of the season. “I would not trade Cooper Flagg for Luka [Doncic], just considering age, contract, all that kind of stuff. Cooper Flagg I believe right now is a top-10 player.”
Then he said it once more, with vigor.
“I think he’s a top-10 player. … There’s only one guy in the league I’d trade him for.”
I don’t know why there’s a need to commingle this discussion with who one would or wouldn’t trade for Flagg, because the Mavericks ain’t trading Flagg, just as much as the San Antonio Spurs ain’t trading Victor Wembanyama any time soon. Irrelevant.
What’s relevant is that Flagg’s development has curved toward the exponential in the tail end of what are still his teen years, which should be a horrifying proposition for the rest of the league, and the Mavericks’ roster is showing signs that the same may be true of the team surrounding the young superstar.
Flagg and Kyrie Irving went off for 35 and 33, respectively, in Friday’s upset of the Rockets, who were admittedly playing without Alperen Sengun. MacMahon also stressed on the podcast that it is becoming less and less likely that the team trades Irving this season as the team’s fortunes seem to be turning this year.
“Cooper being this good at bringing the ball up and initiating the offense takes a lot of pressure off him and takes a lot of strain off him. Kyrie, I think, is very, very happy and comfortable with his situation in Dallas,” MacMahon said. “My educated guess is that this is probably a situation that plays out this summer, but we’ll see.”
Irving has a player option for 2027-28 at just north of $42 million before he becomes an unrestricted free agent after next season.
Irving and Flagg work well on the court for the same reason that Irving and Doncic worked, and for the same reason that Irving and LeBron James worked during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ championship season in 2015-16. Having a running partner who can also bring the ball up and initiate offense gives Irving the freedom to play both on and off the ball, maximizing his ability to play-make and get into advantageous matchups for isos.
Flagg comes into Monday’s game against the Sacramento Kings averaging 26.8 points per game, which is seventh in the NBA, through six games. He’s also fifth in steals (2.6 per game) and 21st in blocked shots (1.2), making him perhaps the most dominant force on both sides of the ball this side of Wembanyama.
As for the game itself, there will only be one change in the Panthers lineup from their previous outing, a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.
Florida will welcome starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom back between the pipes after he was forced to miss the past five games.
Markstrom suffered an upper-body injury during practice on Oct. 19 but has been seen back on the ice in recent days, which signaled his imminent return.
So far this season, Markstrom holds a 5-1-1 record to go with a 2.21 goals against average and .897 save percentage.
He’ll be matched up against former Panthers puck-stopper Daniil Tarasov, who is expected to get the nod in net for the Red Wings.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Monday’s meeting with Detroit:
Scrum-half out of game against Australia on Sunday
Wallabies match followed by New Zealand and Japan
The Northampton scrum-half Alex Mitchell has been ruled out of England’s November opener against Australia on Sunday, with Bristol’s Harry Randall and Bath’s Ben Spencer called into the squad named by the head coach, Steve Borthwick.
Mitchell, established as the first‑choice No 9 under Borthwick, damaged a hamstring in Northampton’s Prem win against Gloucester on Saturday and will have a scan on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -OCTOBER 31: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks over Trey Lyles #41 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Frost Bank Center on October 31: 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to Week in Review: a Monday feature that looks back at the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a look at the week ahead, and more. Enjoy!
Week 1: It wasn’t the ideal start to the season for the defending Western Conference Finals champions. With Victor Wembanyama not looking like himself (among other issues), they got throttled at home by a fleetingly healthy Thunder squad and lost a heartbreaker in Austin to the Rockets before finally getting their first win of the season against a depleted Mavs team in Dallas.
There may be no better team to “get right” against than the Kings, and the Spurs made quick work of the annual cellar dwellers (which was a good thing considering it was the first night of a back-to-back). Wemby began his bounce-back by dominating the paint on his way to 29 points, and Julian Champagnie tied his franchise record for three-pointers in a half with 8 in the first.
The Spurs looked lethargic the next night against a shorthanded Jazz team, although they had the excuse of a rest disadvantage and not having time to acclimate to the elevation change. Regardless, after enduring another big game from noted Spurs killer Keyonte George, they woke up and dominated in overtime, with Devin Vassell hitting several key shots down the stretch and Wemby dominating his way to 36 points, including finally hitting some threes.
Not to be outdone, Geralt if Rivia Wemby took it another step further on Halloween night with 43 points and 6 blocks against a Timberwolves squad that was missing Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert (not that the latter has proven to a Wemby stopper). As with all four wins so far, the Spurs left a little something to be desired on the consistency front and weren’t as dominant has they could have been considering the opponents/injuries, but you accept the baby steps (for now).
The Spurs handled their business in three spots where they should have handled their business: a woeful Kings team, a short-handed Utah team and a short-handed Timberwolves team traveling on zero days’ rest. Still, San Antonio got impressive performances from Victor Wembanyama, culminating in a career-high 34 field goal attempts against the Timberwolves. The Spurs will look much deeper whenever Tobias Harris can get back.
San Antonio has found its footing somewhat after a slow start, and now boasts a top-10 offense and defense. And it has done that without the Spurs big off-season acquisition, Tobias Harris, who is nearing a return but there is no official timetable. The Spurs have stretches where they look like the best team in the league: Defending with ferocity, moving the ball, and getting easy buckets around the rim. Then the next quarter they fall in love with isolation basketball and things go cold, which happened too much against Minnesota on Halloween, but they got bailed out by 43 points from Victor “The Witcher” Wembanyama.
Victor Wembanyama was not about to let the San Antonio Spurs be below .500 for too long. Following a 0-2 start to the season, the Spurs have rattled off four straight wins and look like the team they were several months ago en route to the 2025 NBA Finals.
Over their last four games, the Spurs have averaged 122.5 points per game, led by Wembanyama, who has averaged 32.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks per game during this win streak. Wemby says he is aiming for the MVP award, and these are definitely MVP-like numbers.
One of the more underappreciated players on this roster has been Julian Champagnie, who has shot 16-of-31, or 51.6 percent, from 3-point range in this span. He is shooting 47.6 percent from 3-point range on the season and proving to be one of the most impactful forwards off the bench in the entire NBA.
Coming up
Mon. 11/2 vs. Utah Jazz (7:30 PM CT)
Wed. 11/4 vs. Dallas Mavericks (8:30 PM CT)
Fri. 11/6 at Sacramento Kings (Emirates Cup, 9:00 PM CT)
Sat. 11/7 at Portland Trail Blazers (9:00 PM CT)
Prediction: 3-1 — I really want to go 4-0, but we need to see more consistency from the Spurs first. The Mavs with Cooper Flagg and noted Spurs killer Kyrie Irving, who both missed the first match-up, are a different animal, and strange things always happen in Portland, especially on the second night of a back-to-back. I believe the Spurs will ultimately split those games, but I’m more than ready to be proven wrong.
Bonus content
Not really Spurs related, but there has been so much drama in the NBA in the first two weeks alone — from injuries, to current and former teammate arguments, and scuffles — that it makes you appreciate the drama-free Spurs (outside of the first two games, of course). Here is a quick summary of all the craziness, in case you need catching up.
Last year, this defense was the whole identity of the team. We watched a roster nobody believed in become a problem every night because they chased, they swiped, they dove on the floor, and they made you earn every bucket. Four games into this season, that team is gone.
The Suns are 1-3 and have allowed 122 points or more in all four games.
Dillon Brooks stood at the podium and called it what it is: “We’re 30th in defense, so that’s not great. That’s terrible.” Then they spent three days drilling it in practice, came home, and let Denver rain threes in their own building.
The fanbase is past the “small sample size” stage. We are watching the same breakdowns repeat.
This stat from Cody Hunt on X/Twitter blew my mind. How much is it bad luck? How much is it real? I believe it’s a bit of both, personally. And small sample sizes can blow stats like this out of proportion. But it is clear that this is a massive issue that needs correcting, ASAP.
Through 4 games, Suns opponents are shooting 43.9% from 3, which is the highest opponent 3P% in the NBA. 2nd place is at 40.5%, and league average 3P% is 34.6%.
How much of that is bad defense vs. just bad luck?
Murray and Braun combined for 14 threes, and Brooks and others kept rotating or closing out too late on kick-outs to Braun. Ott pointed out that Braun was “a guy that’s made five all year.” Credit to Braun, but when you leave a shooter wide open, he gets hot.
The switching scheme leaves too few defenders on the back side.
About a dozen times, the aggressive switching and double-teams on Jokic left one help defender covering two Nuggets on the perimeter. That scheme only works with perfect timing, and right now nobody is in sync. And we saw it snowball.
Off-ball attention in the corners.
Brooks and Bridges are often stationed in the corner, where they tend to doze off, whether that means losing a backdoor cutter, reacting late, or failing to rebound. Booker’s league-worst 137.2 individual defensive rating gets the headlines, but the leaks are coming from every spot on the floor.
Again, the problem I have with all of this is that they had a full three days to talk about this and work on it. And while they looked much sharper offensively (outside of Jalen Green), the defense stuck out like a sore thumb yet again.
Team huddle.
Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie, Jordan Ott and Suns assistants Brian Randle and John Little talking after Wednesday's practice.
This roster was built to be long and nasty, and the length is not showing up where it matters. At 27.7 defensive rebounds per game, only Golden State has been worse at ending opponent possessions. With Mark Williams out and Oso Ighodaro missing a couple of games, the frontcourt has been thin and young, and Khaman Maluach is taking on a big role early.
Ott explained the trade-off himself: the team is “so concerned on the glass” that players retreat to rebound instead of pressuring the ball, and without stops they end up inbounding after made baskets. Last year the athleticism produced steals and transition buckets. This year it is being spent cleaning up misses that should have been contested in the first place.
The defense was the engine for everything else. The Suns ranked third in steals last season, and that pressure is what made the chaos offense work. Without it, this is a half-court team with spacing problems. The front line defense is vital not only for containing penetration that leads to clean looks, but also for stopping guys like Jamal Murray from going supernova and dropping 39 with ease, which I talked about in my latest episode of Suns Hit.
The lineup questions are already here. Jalen Green’s defensive rating sits at 130.7, while Collin Gillespie’s is 120.3, and Ott went with Gillespie next to Booker down the stretch instead of Green.
They will need the defense to step up against a Warriors team that can shoot the basketball well from deep. They hunt three-point looks. And have some guy named Stephen Curry who is pretty good at shooting the basketball. Golden State drilled 22 threes on 45% shooting in a win over the Clippers on Sunday night, and have won 4 straight games since their loss to the Suns.
That decision (starters) is going to get louder every week the defense stays at the bottom of the league. The lone cure to that is winning, and even that may be a band-aid if they can’t figure out how to make this group work long-term.
Closing Thought
The talk is already done. The film is there.
Close out on shooters. Box out the man in your area. Defense should be the priority. If the Booker-Green-Brooks-Bridges core can’t defend together, Ott has to stop forcing it and play the lineups that get stops.
Last year’s top-10 defense came from effort and execution, and right now this team has neither.
For the 10th time in their first 15 quarters this season, the Phoenix Suns have surrendered 30+ points. That’s 67% of the quarters they’ve played.
At some point, this stops being an occasional defensive breakdown and starts becoming your defensive identity. https://t.co/SIp046iqDu
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 14: Victor Vodnik #38 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after a two RBI single in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking theRockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for theRockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 3o, Victor Vodnik (0.1 rWAR)
RHP Victor Vodnik first arrived in Denver via trade at the deadline in 2023 when the Colorado Rockies traded pitcher Pierce Johnston to the Atlanta Braves.
Colorado receives RHP Victor Vodnik and RHP Tanner Gordon in exchange for Johnson, per source. Vodnik is the Braves' No. 10 prospect and Gordon is No. 26 per @MLBPipeline.
At the time, Vodnik was Atlanta’s #10 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline. As Skyler Timmins wrote,
Vodnik, 23, was originally drafted by the Braves in the 14th round of the 2018 draft out of Rialto High School in California. In five minor league seasons, he has a 3.48 ERA in 99 games and has primarily worked specifically out of the bullpen since 2022. Vodnik is currently having one of his best seasons so far with the Double-A Mississippi Braves, posting a 3.10 ERA across 40 2⁄3 innings in 30 games. He boasts a 12.4 K/9 this season but can struggle with walks at a 5.5 BB/9 rate. He features a primary mix of a fastball and changeup, with his fastball able to occasionally reach triple digits.
In his three years with the Rockies, Vodnik saw plenty of action. After pitching just 8.2 innings in 2023, he had 73.2 IP (4.28 ERA) in 2024, 50.2 IP (3.02 ERA) in 2025, and 36.0 (5.25 ERA) in 2026 before being traded to the Miami Marlins. (He spent more than a month on the Injured List early in the season with right ulnar nerve inflammation and returned to the Rockies on June 15.)
According to Baseball Savant, Vodnik features a six-pitch mix, relying most heavily on his four-seam fastball (45.6%), his slider (27.7%), and his changeup (14.8%). In 2026, he began using his slider more, a pitch with a 33.6% Whiff%. As James Riggenbach explained in July, Vodnik’s slider evolved at the expense of his changeup.
He also finished the season with a 56.5% GB%.
No one doubted the stuff — Vodnik regularly hit 98.5 mph with his four-seamer. However, the control was erratic. A 6.50 K/9 (the worst of his career) could not outweigh his 4.75 BB/9.
Presumably, the Marlins hoped they could fix what altitude and Rockies player development could not.
It helps, too, that Vodnik saw significant improvement over the course of the season. In March-April, he tallied a 7.82 ERA that rose to 8.44 in May. However, June and July saw significant improvement as Vodnik posted a 2.84 and a 2.53 ERA, respectively, in both months. Given that his road ERA was 3.82 compared to 6.31 at Coors, it’s easy to see what the Marlins are hoping for.
After arriving in Miami, Vodnik wracked up 22.2 IP and earned a 4.37 ERA — so better but not amazing.
Put him down as a work in progress.
Why did the Rockies trade him? Probably for two reasons. First, Vodnik’s trade value was high — less high than it was in 2025 but high enough that moving him in August made sense. Second, his inconsistency was never going to play with a team committing to not giving up walks.
Now to see how things go with Miami.
The trade deadline is a strange time in an MLB clubhouse. The players, like everyone else, are on edge, waiting to see if they will be moved and where that place might be. Everything is distraction.
Vodnik’s trade was announced just as the clock was running out. After a player is traded, their things are removed almost immediately from the clubhouse. When media entered the Rockies clubhouse following the Rockies game against the Tampa Bay Rays, no trace remained of Brenton Doyle, Antonio Senzatela, or Victor Vodnik, and their lockers were already occupied by former teammates.
I wondered how it had happened so quickly.
That night as I was leaving Coors Field, I waited at the light to cross 20th Street. The Rockies had lost to the Rays, 13-9, and a thin crowd was long gone. Across the street, I saw someone else waiting to cross. The light changed, and we started across. Then I realized as I was leaving Coors, Victor Vodnik was headed back, presumably to collected this things and officially finish his time as a Rockie.
In the middle of the street, we said, “Hello,” exchanged fist bumps, and I wished him good luck in Miami.
Then it was over — just like Vodnik’s time with the Rockies.
Bernie Miklasz on the Cardinals’ Future: Insights and Speculations
What Randy Flores’ departure means for St. Louis baseball.
As the off-season unfolds, the chatter around the St. Louis Cardinals intensifies, especially following the recent news of Randy Flores leaving for the Houston Astros’ General Manager position. In this episode, Jake Wood is joined by Bernie Miklasz, a seasoned sports writer, to dissect the ripple effects of this significant shift in the Cardinals’ front office.
Randy Flores’ Departure
Bernie expresses his excitement for Flores, stating, > “I’m thrilled for Randy Flores. He certainly earned this and is worthy of it.” His transition from player to front office executive has been impressive, and while Bernie acknowledges Flores’ contributions, he admits uncertainty about the impact of his departure.
“It’s too early to say whether this is a blow to the Cardinals.”
Bernie points out that the Cardinals have a capable team in Zach Mortimer overseeing scouting and drafting, assuring fans that the organization remains in good hands.
The Implications for Talent Pursuit
The discussion shifts to whether Flores’ exit will alter how the Cardinals pursue amateur talent. Bernie believes that the team’s reputation is on the rise, noting, > “It’s a great indication that the Cardinals are back in play as an organization that other organizations kind of look to or look up to.”
Scott Plaza adds to this sentiment, reflecting on how being coveted by other teams signifies the organization’s solid standing in baseball.
Possible Coaching Changes
A captivating topic emerged regarding potential coaching shifts, with Jake Wood probing if Flores might take former Cardinals like Daniel Descalso or Jon Jay with him. Bernie acknowledges the possibility, stating, > “If Randy Flores would be interested in either one of those guys, it makes perfect sense.”
Jake and Scott discuss the intriguing idea of Yadier Molina stepping into a coaching role. Bernie raises valid concerns about the dynamics this could create with current manager Oli Marmol, saying, > “Bringing Yadier Molina as a bench coach could complicate things, especially considering the pressure Marmol is already under.”
Conclusion
As the Cardinals navigate this transitional period, the insights from Bernie and the team illustrate a thoughtful approach to change. With new opportunities on the horizon, the fanbase watches closely, eager to see how these developments will shape the future of their beloved team.
For more detail and to dive deeper into the conversation, check out the full episode of the Viva El Birdos Podcast.
