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Cubs BCB After Dark: Should the Cubs sign Miguel Andujar?

It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Thanks for stopping by. Come on in out of the cold. We’ve got a fire going on inside and the music is hot. We can take your coat for you. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you about the possibility of the Cubs signing free agent right-hander Zac Gallen. You were mostly in favor of the idea, with 46 percent of you thinking the terms I proposed were a solid offer. Another 24 percent of you thought the Cubs should pass on Gallen with the rest of you quibbling with the contract terms I put forth, with most of you thinking that you’d sign Gallen if the price were really low.

On Tuesdays I don’t normally do any movie stuff, but you still have time to vote in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic between Blade Runner and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. But I always have time for that, so you know the drill by now if you don’t care for the tunes.

Tonight we have Steve Turre and Group playing the Miles Davis classic “All Blues” in Brazil back in 2001. The first thing that you’ll notice from this video is that Turre plays a collection of seashells in this performance. It sounds like a gimmick, but it actually works quite well.

Javon Jackson plays tenor sax, George Cables is the pianist, Buster Williams is on bass and Victor Lewis is the drummer.

Welcome back to all of you who skip the seashell music.

The Cubs insist that they’re not done making moves this winter, and Jon Heyman dropped this note yesterday.

Miguel Andujar came up with the Yankees in 2018 and quickly established themselves as their starting third baseman. He hit .297 that year with 27 home runs and finished second to Shohei Ohtani in Rookie of the Year balloting.

Unfortunately for Andujar, he missed almost the entire 2019 season with a torn labrum and struggled to come back in 2020. By the time he was healthy, Gio Urshela had established himself as the Yankees third baseman and Andujar got moved to left field. He didn’t hit much and spent the next few seasons bouncing around the majors as a utility player.

Over the past two seasons, however, Andujar has rediscovered his bat. In 75 games with the Athletics in 2024, Andujar hit .285/.320/.377. The A’s traded him to the Reds at the deadline last year and between the two teams, Andujar hit a strong .318/.352/.470 with ten home runs in 94 games.

So let’s posit that Andujar is a good bench player. At least he has been the past two years. On top of that, he probably won’t cost much. Andujar earned $3 million last season. I’d say the Cubs could get him on a one-year, $5.5 million deal. Yes, that would put the Cubs over the luxury tax threshold, but we’re all assuming they will go over at some point anyways. The tax on Andujar’s contract would amount to petty change for the Cubs.

But is signing Andujar a good idea? In the sense that adding more good players to the team is always a good idea, then yes. But I do have some problems with the concept.

The Cubs current roster is pretty much set, at least on the position player side. There’s some give and take with the pitching staff, but the 13 position players they’d start the season with, should it start today, is pretty clear.

There are nine starters:

Carson Kelly

Michael Busch

Nico Hoerner

Dansby Swanson

Alex Bregman

Ian Happ

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Seiya Suzuki

Moisés Ballesteros

That leaves room for four bench players:

Miguel Amaya

Matt Shaw

Kevin Alcántara

Tyler Austin

So if the Cubs add Andujar, one of those four players is going to get squeezed off the roster. It’s not going to be Amaya, as the Cubs will not go with Ballesteros as their second catcher. It won’t be Austin, as they just signed him from Japan on a major league deal and he doesn’t have any options left from his first stint in the majors. It probably won’t be Alcántara either. There are conflicting reports as to whether Alcántara has an option left, but I believe he does. But Andujar has only played third, first and left field in the majors. (He’s played right field in the minors.) Without Alcántara, the Cubs really don’t have anyone backing up PCA in center. Alcántara may yet start the season in Iowa, but it probably won’t be for Andujar.

So there are only two options (well, maybe two and a half) options to get Andujar on the roster. One is that if they want Mo Baller to get more work in catching, then the Cubs could send him to Iowa and that would open up a spot for Andujar. Andujar could DH or he could take the field to give Bregman or Happ a half a day off as they served as the designated hitter. But Ballesteros looked pretty impressive at the plate in his late-season call-up. Maybe he can’t catch, but it looks like he would be a big asset in the lineup in 2026, even if it does hurt his development as a catcher.

The other option is Matt Shaw. Now Shaw does have options, so the Cubs could send him down to Iowa to play everyday while Andujar serves as a backup in the infield. Andujar has never played second base or shortstop, but Alex Bregman has, so Andujar could move in to third base and Bregman could shift over to a middle infield position to cover all the bases, so to speak, were Shaw in the minors.

The other option with Shaw is to trade him. We’ve been down this road before, but Shaw would probably bring a lot back in trade. He’s a young player with six years of control left. His bat in the second half was very good. The defensive metrics on Shaw at third base were all over the place last year (some very positive, some less so), but people thought enough of him there to make him a Gold Glove finalist. In any case, most teams would play Shaw at second base where he probably would be a pretty good defender.

Of course, the things that make Shaw valuable to other teams also makes him valuable to the Cubs. And if Nico Hoerner leaves as a free agent after this year, the Cubs need Shaw to fill in at second base.

There is another options which is to trade Nico Hoerner, but the Cubs have made it clear that they would have to get the equivalent to what they gave up for Kyle Tucker to deal Hoerner. I don’t see that happening. I guess it’s possible but unlikely.

So with all that in mind, should the Cubs sign Miguel Andjuar?

Thanks for stopping in tonight. We’ve enjoyed seeing your smiling faces. Please get home safely. Call a ride if you need to. Stay warm out there. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.

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Punch has double-double, scores go-ahead basket as TCU comes back to beat Oklahoma State 68-65

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — David Punch had a double-double and scored the go-ahead basket with 6.3 seconds remaining to give TCU a 68-65 comeback win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday and end the Horned Frogs four game losing streak.

Punch had 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, pairing it with 10 rebounds and three blocks.

The Horned Frogs (12-7, 2-4 Big 12) used a 10-0 run starting at the 4:13 mark to turn a seven-point deficit into a three-point advantage, with Punch driving the lane to finish a layup and take the lead with 6.3 seconds remaining.

Xavier Edmonds also had a double-double, with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Liutauras Lelevicius had 10 points and six rebounds, and tied the game with a 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining.

Isaiah Coleman had 14 points to go with six rebounds for the Cowboys (14-5, 2-4), who have now lost eight consecutive games at Schollmaier Arena. Anthony Roy scored 13 and had three steals. Kanye Clary added 11 points, six assists and two steals.

The Cowboys stacked up a 41-37 lead at the half after falling behind 9-0 to open the game. They used a 15-4 run with back-to-back 3s from Roy to flip a seven-point deficit into a four-point lead. Vyctorius Millers' 3 less than two minutes into the second half sparked a 10-3 run to build as much as a nine-point lead.

Up next

Oklahoma State will host a meeting with No. 9 Iowa State on Saturday.

TCU will travel to face Baylor on the road on Saturday.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Sixers Bell Ringer: Philadelphia eclipsed by the Suns

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:

Tyrese Maxey – 18
VJ Edgecombe – 5
Paul George – 5
Joel Embiid – 4
Andre Drummond – 2
Dominick Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Jared McCain – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

Hello, darkness third quarter struggles, my old friend.

On Tuesday night, we got to watch a classic Philadelphia 76ers episode: the team getting their doors blown off in the third quarter. Going into halftime down by four, the Sixers actually had a nice couple minutes to open the second half and take the lead, but were then outscored, 38-18, by the Phoenix Suns to close the third quarter. The Sixers were completely out of sorts defensively, and it was a curious move by Nick Nurse to play a bigger lineup against a Suns group that features a lot of guard/wing types who are very capable outside shooters. Philadelphia went small in the fourth quarter and did make it a two-possession game late, but it was not an especially encouraging performance in the 116-110 loss.

Now losers of four of their last six contest, the Sixers have two games remaining on this homestand, with Houston next up on Thursday night. Tonight, though, let’s talk Bell Ringer.

VJ Edgecombe: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers

The rookie looked to have somewhat fresher legs than most on the second night of the back-to-back. Edgecombe helped the Sixers get off to a good start with 10 points in the first quarter, hitting a handful of tough middies that are a continued evolution to his game. All night long, he was everywhere on the court, tracking down loose balls and corralling offensive rebounds. Edgecombe’s transition block of Jalen Green in the waning seconds of the first half was the ultimate combination of hustle and athleticism. He missed a couple more threes than you’d like, and had a few “learning on the job” turnovers as a primary ball handler, but overall, it was an outstanding 37-minute run from Edgecombe. I missed the headband, however.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers

Facing his former club, Oubre assumed more offensive responsibility with Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined. He generated some points as a driver, and also knocked down open looks when defenses paid extra attention to Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe. Kelly’s five made three-pointers were his most in a game since March 2024. He also was the Sixers’ primary wing defender with George unavailable, and put forth a tough, spirited effort on that end of the court. After this outing and his 18 points on Monday night, it looks like Kelly might now be back in the swing of things following the sprained LCL injury.

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Caufield scores late winner, lifting Canadiens 4-3 over Wild

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored the winner with 15 seconds remaining to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

Caufield took a pass from Nick Suzuki and fired a shot from the top of the right circle for his 25th of the season.

Phillip Danault — with his first of the season — Alexandre Carrier and Lane Hutson also scored for Montreal.

Rookie winger Ivan Demidov provided two assists and Jakub Dobes made 16 saves.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and Brock Faber also scored for Minnesota, which beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Monday. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 29 shots.

Tarasenko opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 10:44 of the first period, beating Dobes on Minnesota’s second shot with a one-timer.

Danault jammed in a rebound to break his goal drought and tie the game at 15:22.

Carrier doubled the lead with 52 seconds remaining in the opening period, redirecting Mike Matheson’s point shot after carrying the puck into Minnesota’s zone.

Faber equalized with a wrist shot from the point that trickled under Dobes’ left pad at 10:16 in the second, but Montreal regained the lead when Hutson hammered home a Demidov pass from a sharp angle at 12:35.

Penalties to Hutson and Matheson put the Wild on a 5-on-3 power play with 8:11 remaining in regulation, and Tarasenko converted his second of the game moments after Hutson exited the box to make it a 5-on-4.

Canadiens forward Kirby Dach returned to the lineup for the first time since breaking his foot from blocking a shot on Nov. 15. Winger Alexandre Texier missed the game with a lower-body injury.

The Wild played without forwards Marcus Johansson, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy, and defensemen Jonas Brodin and Zach Bogosian.

Up next

Wild: Host Detroit on Thursday night.

Canadiens: Host Buffalo on Thursday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Elliot Cadeau shines as Michigan defeats Indiana 86-72

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Elliot Cadeau scored 10 of his 19 points in the opening minutes of the first half and Yaxel Lendeborg had 13 of 15 points in the second half, leading No. 3 Michigan to an 86-72 win over Indiana on Tuesday night.

The Wolverines (17-1, 7-1 Big Ten) led by 17 points midway through the first half and by 25 points in the second half of a game that wasn’t in doubt after a one-sided start.

The Hoosiers (12-7, 3-5) began by missing 14 of 15 shots and finished with a fourth straight loss under first-year coach Darian DeVries.

Indiana’s Tucker DeVries scored 15, Nick Dorn had 14 points, Sam Alexis and Reed Bailey scored 11 points apiece.

UCLA 69, NO. 4 PURDUE 67

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tyler Bilodeau hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining, and UCLA rallied to edge Purdue, snapping the Boilermakers’ nine-game winning streak in their first visit to Pauley Pavilion in 26 years.

C.J. Cox missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and Xavier Booker grabbed the defensive rebound as time expired. Fans stormed the court and jumped up and down in celebration on a night when the Bruins honored John Wooden, the Indiana native and Purdue alumnus who coached them to a record 10 national championships.

Donovan Dent, who assisted on the winning basket, had 23 points and 13 assists to lead the Bruins (13-6, 5-3 Big Ten). Bilodeau finished with 14, and Eric Dailey Jr. added 12 points and seven rebounds.

Cox led the Boilermakers (17-2, 7-1) with 16 points and Braden Smith scored 12. Their first loss in league play kept them from taking sole possession of first place over idle Nebraska.

NO. 9 IOWA STATE 87, UCF 57

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Joshua Jefferson had 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists for his second triple-double of the season as Iowa State defeated UCF.

Milan Momcilovic scored 20 points as the Cyclones (17-2, 4-2 Big 12), coming off their first losses of the season, bounced back in their return home, building a 44-26 halftime lead and pulling away in the second half.

Jefferson became the second NCAA Division I player this season with more than one triple-double. Jefferson’s other triple-double was in an 80-59 win over West Virginia on Jan. 2.

Killyan Toure and Jamarion Batemon each had 12 points and Blake Buchanan added 11 for the Cyclones.

Iowa State forced 19 turnover from the Knights (14-4, 3-3).

Riley Kugel and Jordan Burks each scored 15 points for UCF.

NO. 10 MICHIGAN STATE 68, OREGON 52

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Carson Cooper scored 19 points and Michigan State won its fifth straight game, over struggling Oregon.

Coen Carr added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Spartans (17-2, 7-1 Big Ten), whose lone conference loss this season was to undefeated Nebraska.

Takai Simpkins scored 15 points for the Ducks (8-11, 1-7), who have lost five straight.

NO. 12 TEXAS TECH 92, BAYLOR 73

WACO, Texas (AP) — Christian Anderson had 26 points while making eight of Texas Tech’s program record-tying 17 3-pointers and the Red Raiders beat Baylor for their fourth win in a row.

Donovan Atwell had 21 points on seven 3s, all in the first half, and JT Toppin scored 22 points for the Red Raiders (15-4, 5-1 Big 12). They never trailed while making 17 3s for the third time this season — and 14 before halftime, which was a conference record.

Toppin’s career-best streak of seven consecutive double-doubles ended with only four rebounds.

Cameron Carr had 18 points and nine rebounds to lead Baylor (11-7, 1-5).

NO. 19 KANSAS 75, COLORADO 69

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Melvin Council Jr. scored 10 of his 18 points over the final 5:07 and Kansas held off Colorado with assistant coach Jacque Vaughn leading the Jayhawks as Bill Self recovers from a precautionary trip to the hospital.

The Jayhawks (14-5, 4-2 Big 12) led 60-59 with 5:50 to play, but clamped down on defense. They kept Colorado scoreless for a three-minute stretch to pull away. Council was the offensive catalyst, putting an exclamation point on the game with an emphatic dunk.

Council had back-to-back layups that gave Kansas some separation after Colorado had a chance to take the lead. On one of his layups, Council knocked the ball away from the inbounder while still out of bounds. It wasn’t called, which drew the ire of the crowd after a replay.

Tre White had 17 points 15 rebounds for Kansas for his fifth double-double this season. Darryn Peterson finished with 16 points. He hobbled to the bench in the second half after appearing to turn his left ankle, but returned.

Isaiah Johnson led Colorado with 19, while Barrington Hargress added 17. Colorado has dropped three in a row.

NO. 20 ARKANSAS 93, NO. 15 VANDERBILT 68

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Darius Acuff Jr. scored 17 points and Arkansas routed Vanderbilt 93-68 on Wednesday night to hand the Commodores their third consecutive loss.

The freshman shot 7 of 14 from the field and had five assists as Arkansas (14-5, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) shot 58% from the field and had 25 assists on 37 field goals.

Malique Ewin and Karter Knox each scored 16 points, while Meleek Thomas had 13 and DJ Wagner added 11. Trevon Brazile had 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Tyler Nickel led Vanderbilt with 17 points, all in the first half, and Tyler Tanner added 11.

NO. 16 FLORIDA 79, LSU 61

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Rueben Chinyelu scored 15 points and tied his career high with 21 rebounds, becoming the first Florida player in two decades with four consecutive double-doubles, and the Gators handled LSU for their fifth straight victory.

Chinyelu matched David Lee’s double-double streak from 2005 as Florida (14-5, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) extended its home winning streak to 16.

It was Chinyelu’s second 20-plus-board game of the season, making him the third player in school history to accomplish the feat.

Urban Klavzar hit a career-high five 3-pointers and scored 18 points for Florida. Alex Condon and Boogie Fland added 10 points apiece.

LSU leading scorer Dedan Thomas Jr. returned from a five-game absence and looked rusty. He missed his first six shots after missing nearly three weeks with a leg injury. He finished with two points, two rebounds and three assists.

NC STATE 80, NO. 18 CLEMSON 76 OT

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Ven-Allen Lubin scored 22 points and Derrion Williams’ 3-pointer with 2:40 left in overtime put N.C. State ahead to stay as the Wolfpack ended Clemson’s nine-game win streak.

Williams finished with 17 points and Quadir Copeland 16 for N.C. State.

The Wolfpack (13-6, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) were up 11 points late in the first half and were still ahead 58-51 with 10 minutes to play when the Tigers (16-4, 6-1) closed with an 18-11 run to force the extra period.

But once Williams’ basket went in, the Tigers couldn’t rally again. Lubin followed with a basket after Williams and Clemson got no closer than three the rest of the way.

Both teams had chances to win in regulation. Dillon Hunter missed an open 3-pointer with 33 seconds left for Clemson while Williams came up short on a midrange jumper. Hunter’s long, desperation 3 hit off the backboard as the buzzer sounded.

RJ Godfrey led Clemson with 16 points.

NO. 21 GEORGIA 74, MISSOURI 72

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Marcus “Smurf” Millender scored 18 points and converted a go-ahead three-point play with 5.5 seconds left to lift Georgia to a victory over Missouri.

Jeremiah Wilkinson had 14 points and Kannon Catchings added 12 for the Bulldogs (16-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference), who were held to a season low in scoring. Georgia entered leading the country with an average of 96 points per game.

Mark Mitchell scored 18 points and Jayden Stone had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Missouri (13-6, 3-3), which lost at home for the first time this season.

NO. 24 SAINT LOUIS 81, DUQUESNE 77

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Robbie Avila, Dion Brown and Trey Green each scored 14 points as Saint Louis held off a frantic late rally by Duquesne.

The Billikens (18-1, 6-0 Atlantic 10) extended their winning streak to 12 despite blowing most of a 17-point second-half lead. Saint Louis can tie the best start in the program’s 110-year history set by the 1993-94 squad with a win Friday at St. Bonaventure.

A day after entering the AP Top 25 for the first time in five years, the balanced Billikens fended off the Dukes (10-9, 2-4) behind a deep bench and a relentless pace.

The only team in the country with six players averaging at least 10 points had five players in double figures against the Dukes. Brady Dunlap chipped in 11 points, including a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left after Duquesne had moved within one.

Jimmie Williams, who scored a career-high 28 points for Duquesne, missed a contested 3-pointer on the Dukes’ ensuing possession. Brown grabbed the rebound and made one of two at the line to seal it.

NO. 25 MIAMI (OH) 107, KENT STATE 101, OT

KENT, Ohio, (AP) — Peter Suder scored 27 points, Elan Elmer added 25 and Miami (Ohio) remained unbeaten, rallying past Kent State in overtime before a standing-room-only crowd at Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.

Ranked for the first time since 1999, the RedHawks had to rally in the final minute to force overtime. Miami is off to the best start in Mid-American Conference history at 20-0 overall and 8-0 in conference play.

It was also the 700th MAC win for the RedHawks.

Miami, top-ranked Arizona and No. 7 Nebraska are the lone unbeaten teams in Division I.

Rob Whaley Jr. had season highs of 27 points and 14 rebounds while Cian Medley scored 23 for the Golden Flashes (14-5, 5-2 MAC).

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Jimmy Butler’s ACL tear leaves Warriors with more questions than answers

The Golden State Warriors need to do right by Steph Curry. 

That’s what they did last season when they pulled off a big swing at the Feb. trade deadline, acquiring Jimmy Butler from Miami in an attempt to breathe new life into the league’s flailing modern day dynasty. 

It worked. 

Ayehsa Curry and Steph Curry watch the match of Jannik Sinner of Italy against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Men’s Final of the US Open Tennis Championship. Annie Wermiel/NY Post

The first night that Butler was around the Warriors — during a game in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Feb. 6 — Draymond Green told me that acquiring Butler “1,000 percent” put them in contention to compete for a championship. Butler told me: “We’re going to bring hell to a lot of people.”

Those hopes were dashed Monday when Butler suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during a game against Miami. Butler needs surgery and will miss the rest of the season, a major blow for a team that had won 12 of their last 16 games.

Now, the Warriors’ future remains incredibly fuzzy. 

Do they tank in an attempt to get a high draft pick? Do they keep Jonathan Kuminga, who requested a trade as soon as he became trade eligible Jan. 15? 

Stephen Curry arrives to the arena before the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 20, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images

No and no. 

As long as Curry is on the Warriors, they need to have a win-now mindset.

He’s 37. He’s healthy.

The four-time NBA champion, who’s the oldest All-Star starter by six years, is averaging a stunning 31 points on 47 percent shooting from the field, 4.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists a game. 

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is fouled by San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. AP

The Warriors need to figure out a way to give Curry another fighting chance. 

They’re in eighth place in the Western Conference with a record of 25-19, but they’re only 2 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Minnesota Timberwolves and 1 1/2 games behind the sixth-place Lakers. They’re still very much in the playoff hunt at the midway point in the season. 

The one silver lining of Butler’s awful injury is that it happened just over two weeks ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

The Warriors still have time to prevent this season from swirling the drain. They can get their ducks in a row to give Curry another shot at a fifth title, even though it’s unlikely with young powerhouses like Oklahoma City and San Antonio lying in wait. 

But Curry deserves a shot.

Stephen Curry plays against the LAkers. Brian Prahl / SplashNews.com

And if he’s healthy in the playoffs, the Warriors have one. They can’t wait until he’s a year older, which, at this point in his career, should be calculated with a similar equivalency to dog years.

As for Kuminga, they must trade him. He wants to leave. His relationship with Warriors coach Steve Kerr has long soured, with him not having played since Dec. 18, missing the team’s last 16 games. 

Jonathan Kuminga looks on during the game against the Miami Heat on January 19, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images

Kerr said “sure, absolutely” when asked if Kuminga could re-enter the rotation in Butler’s absence. And in the short-term, Kuminga should absolutely start playing again, which could benefit both him and the Warriors by raising his trade value. But ultimately, he just can’t be on the roster past Feb. 5. The trust between him and Kerr has eroded too much to try to put a bandaid on that wound.

Curry deserves to share the court with a player who really wants to be here. And Kuminga deserves the opportunity to turn into the star he believes he can become elsewhere. The fit wasn’t right. And even though Kuminga shined at times, his inconsistency ultimately became his greatest consistent. 

So, what do the Warriors do now? 

Do they use some combination of their three tradable future first-round picks, gambling with their future? Do they try to bolster their roster with the likes of Trey Murphy III, Michael Porter Jr. or Lauri Markkanen, the latter of whom they were linked to two summers ago before he signed his four-year, $196 million extension with Utah. 

Do they trade Butler, who has a $56.8 million expiring contract next season? Do they attempt to go after another star like Ja Morant?

Jimmy Butler III holds his right knee as he goes down with an injury during the third quarter against the Miami Heat at Chase Center. Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

This much is for sure: They have to do something. 

Franchises always have to weigh whether it’s smarter to gamble on the now or play the long game, an equation which is especially tricky given Curry’s current skills combined with his short runway.

But here’s the thing. Curry is still Curry. He’s still the player who’s capable of erupting with jaw-dropping scoring sprees. Green is still a defensive wiz. De’Anthony Melton is starring in his role. Al Horford is capable of swinging things on any given night. 

Losing Butler was a huge blow, but the Warriors still have a chance to make things right. And they must go all in, trading some combination of their first-round picks alongside Kuminga…or even Butler to give it a shot. 

The Warriors may be a fading dynasty, as Kerr recently called the team. But Kerr knows better than anyone how quickly a gerund can transform into the past tense after witnessing it first-hand with the Chicago Bulls. 

The Warriors aren’t necessarily there yet. 

For Curry’s sake, they need to put one last great effort into tweaking the ship’s direction before it’s forever lost at sea. 

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Johnson, Knox lead balanced South Carolina past Oklahoma 85-76

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Meechie Johnson scored 20 points and Kobe Knox scored 18 points and South Carolina beat Oklahoma 85-76 on Tuesday night and ended its three-game losing streak.

Johnson made 13 of 15 from the foul line and Knox went 7 of 11 from the floor. Elijah Strong scored 17 points, Miles Stute 10 and Mike Sharavjamts 10 for South Carolina (11-8, 2-4), which saw all five starters reach double figures in scoring.

Xzayvier Brown scored 22 points, Tae Davis scored 20 points and Derrion Reed 13 for Oklahoma (11-8, 1-5), which has dropped five straight.

The Gamecocks built an 11-0 lead and never trailed. Stute made a pair of foul shots with 7:26 before halftime and the Gamecocks doubled-up Oklahoma 28-14.

Oklahoma recovered and proceeded to outscore South Carolina 22-11 for the rest of the half to get within 39-36 at intermission. Mohamed Wague made 1 of 2 foul shots 59 seconds in to get Oklahoma within 51-47 but the Sooners never got closer.

Up Next

The Sooners will travel from one Columbia to another when they face Missouri on Saturday.

South Carolina travels to play Texas A&M on Saturday.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame

NEW YORK — Carlos Beltrán fielded a question about the impact of his role in the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal as deftly as he grabbed so many balls hit to him in center field.

“There’s no doubt the Astros situation has been a topic,” he said, “not positive toward my way. ... There’s no doubt that in baseball you’re going to go through ups an downs and you’re going to make good decisions, so-so decisions, right, and also you’re going to make bad decisions.”

Beltrán was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame Tuesday along with Andruw Jones, center fielders who excelled at the plate and with their gloves.

Making his fourth appearance of the ballot, Beltrán received 358 of 425 votes for 84.2% from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, 39 above the 319 needed for the 75% threshold. Jones, in the ninth of 10 possible appearances, was picked on 333 ballots for 78.4%.

Beltrán moved up steadily from 46.5% in 2023 to 57.1% the following year and 70.3% in 2025, when he fell 19 votes short as Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.

Beltrán was hired as the New York Mets’ manager on Nov. 1, 2019, then fired on Jan. 16, 2020, without having managed a game, three days after he was the only Astros player mentioned by name in a report by Major League Baseball regarding the team’s illicit use of electronics to steal signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series championship — his final season.

He was hired by the Mets as a special assistant before the 2023 season.

“When I retired from baseball, I thought everything that I built in baseball, like relationships ... I thought that was going to be lost,” he said. “Being back in baseball, I still receive love from the people, I still receive love from the players. The teammates that I had inside the clubhouse, they know the type of person that I am. But at the same time I understand that that’s also a story that I have to deal with.”

Jones received just 7.3% in his first appearance in 2018 and didn’t get half the total until receiving 58.1% in 2023. He increased to 61.6% and 66.2%, falling 35 votes short last year.

Beltrán and Jones will be inducted at Cooperstown, New York, on July 26 along with second baseman Jeff Kent, voted in last month by the contemporary era committee.

BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years in the organization were eligible to vote.

Chase Utley (59.1%) was the only other candidate to get at least half the vote, improving from 39.8% last year. He was followed by Andy Pettitte at 48.5%, an increase from 27.9% last year, and Félix Hernández at 46.1%, up from 20.6%.

Cole Hamels topped first-time candidates at 23.8%. The other first-time players were all under 5% and will be dropped from future votes.

Steroids-tainted players again were kept from the hall. Alex Rodriguez received 40% in his fifth appearance, up from 7.1%, and Manny Ramirez 38.8% in his 10th and final appearance.

David Wright increased to 14.8% from 8.1%.

There were 11 blank ballots.

A nine-time All-Star, the switch-hitting Beltrán batted .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 20 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, ’17), the Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016). He had 124 homers hitting right-handed and 311 batting left — crediting coach Kevin Long for his left-handed success.

While the hall makes the decision on the cap for his plaque, Beltrán said “there’s no doubt the Mets are a big part of my identity.”

Beltrán was the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year and won three Gold Gloves, also hitting .307 in the postseason with 16 homers and 42 RBIs in 65 games.

Jones batted .254 with 434 homers, 1,289 RBIs and 152 stolen bases in 17 seasons with Atlanta (1996-2007), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2008), Texas (2009), the Chicago White Sox (2010) and the Yankees (2011-12). He finished his career with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League from 2013-14.

His batting average is the second-lowest for a position player voted to the Hall of Fame, just above the .253 of Ray Schalk, a superior defensive catcher, and just below the .256 of Harmon Killebrew, who hit 573 homers.

A five-time All-Star, Jones earned 10 Gold Gloves. He joins Braves teammates Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones and Fred McGriff in the hall along with manager Bobby Cox.

In the 1996 World Series opener at Yankee Stadium, Jones at 19 years, 5 months became the youngest player to homer in a Series game, beating Mickey Mantle’s old mark by 18 months. Going deep against Pettitte in the second inning and Brian Boehringer in the third of a 12-1 rout, Jones became the second player to homer in his first two Series at-bats after Gene Tenace in 1972.

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Sarah Wozniewicz's OT goal helps Charge beat Sirens 4-3

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Sarah Wozniewicz scored a goal in overtime and Ottawa blew a three-goal lead before the Charge beat the New York Sirens 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Gabbie Hughes, Rebecca Leslie and Brianne Jenner each had a goal and an assist for Ottawa (3-5-0-6), which had a six-game win streak snapped last time out by a 2-1 loss at Montreal. Gwyneth Philips had 31 saves.

New York (7-0-2-5), which beat the Charge 4-0 in the season opener for both teams, has a seven-game point streak.

Jaime Bourbonnais, Kristin O’Neill and Anne Cherkowski each scored a goal for the Sirens and Sarah Fillier had two assists. Callie Shanahan stopped 17 shots.

Hughes opened the scoring about 8 1/2 minutes into the game, Leslie added a first-period goal and Jenner scored 6:38 into the second to give the Charge a 3-0 lead.

Bourbonnais got New York on the scoreboard about six minutes later. O'Neill made it a one-goal game with 8:05 left in regulation and Cherowski tied it less than two minutes later.

Up next

Ottawa: The Charge visit Montreal on Saturday.

New York: The Sirens play Sunday at Minnesota.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

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Ottawa 4 Columbus 1: James Reimer Makes 21 Saves In Senators' Rock Solid Road Victory

It was the kind of smothering road victory (and stable goaltending) that makes an NHL coach smile.

Tim Stutzle and Ridly Greig each had a goal and an assist as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4–1 on Tuesday night.

James Reimer wasn’t overly busy, stopping 21 shots, but he came up with several huge saves in the win. None was bigger than his second-period stop on Cole Sillinger’s shorthanded breakaway, one of the few loose moments for Ottawa on the night.

The game featured two underachieving Eastern Conference teams trying to claw their way back into playoff relevance, and it showed. Checking was tight throughout, and scoring chances were at a premium. Despite recent off-ice drama, the Senators have quietly collected eight of a possible 10 points over their last five games.

The Senators opened the scoring just 3:30 into the first period. Tyler Kleven took a slick pass from Claude Giroux, dragged the puck into the slot, and ripped a shot over the glove of starting goaltender Elvis Merzļikins.

Former Ottawa 67 Sean Monahan responded just over four minutes later with a shot from a similar angle at Ottawa's end, marking Reimer’s lone blemish of the night. The goal stemmed from a less-than-robust rim attempt by the veteran netminder.

Two-and-a-half minutes later, Tim Stützle took over a shift, circling the entire offensive zone with the puck. He grabbed it behind the Columbus net, circled high in the zone, and then sprinted in to beat Merzļikins five-hole to restore Ottawa’s lead. Merzļikins left the game late in the first period due to illness and was replaced by backup Jet Greaves.

The low-scoring, low-shot affair carried into the third period, when Ridly Greig gave the Senators some breathing room with his seventh goal of the season. Zach Werenski attempted to hold the puck in at the Ottawa blue line, but it bounced past him, leading to a 3-on-2 rush. Greig carried the puck over the line, dropped it to Dylan Cozens, who fed it back Greig, and he beat Greaves with backhander between the legs.

Ottawa sealed the game with just over three minutes remaining. After Columbus pulled its goaltender, Greig made a diving play along the boards to chip the puck out, springing Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk on a 2-on-0. Stützle passed up the empty net, handing it off to Tkachuk to finish the play.

The win marked Reimer’s first NHL victory in 279 days. For the second straight game, he delivered the timely saves that the Senators and their fan base had been pining for, giving the club a chance to win.

As the horn went, the win temporarily moved Ottawa within four points of the Buffalo Sabres for the second wild-card spot, pending out-of-town results.

The Senators continue their road trip Thursday night in Nashville against the Predators.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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Brandon Hagel scores 2 goals to reach 25 as Lightning continue surge with 4-1 win over Sharks

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored two goals to reach 25 for the season and surpass Nikita Kucherov for the team lead as the Tampa Bay Lightning continued their surge with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.

Anthony Cirelli and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist, and Kucherov had two assists to reach 48. Kucherov has 72 points, tied for third in the league with San Jose's Macklin Celebrini, who was held scoreless.

Tampa Bay has a 14-game point streak and has won two straight since its one loss in that span, a 3-2 shootout defeat at St. Louis last Friday. The Lightning (31-13-4), who haven't lost in regulation since Dec. 18, matched Carolina atop the Eastern Conference with 66 points.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves for Tampa Bay.

Tyler Toffoli scored for the Sharks, who concluded their East Coast trip at 2-2. San Jose returns home for one game on Friday before a five-game trip with the first three in Western Canada.

Toffoli scored with 5:23 left in the first period, but Hagel tied it 37 seconds later with his 24th goal. He converted a precise feed from Cirelli to beat Yaroslav Askarov.

Cirelli scored early in the second period and Guentzel's goal 1:28 later made it 3-1. After a long scoreless stretch, Hagel converted an empty-netter.

Askarov stopped 16 shots.

Up next

Sharks: Host the New York Rangers on Friday night.

Lightning: At Chicago on Friday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Rich Hill, 45, makes 2026 decision after 21 seasons in big leagues

Rich Hill #35 of the Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Kauffman Stadium on July 28, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Rich Hill #35 of the Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Kauffman Stadium on July 28, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri.

It doesn’t appear Rich Hill will pitch in 2026.

But the aging southpaw stopped short of calling it a retirement.

“I don’t have any plans on playing next year,” Hill said during an appearance on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” show earlier this week.

Hill, who turns 46 years old in March and was the oldest pitcher in baseball last season, said he was willing to stay in baseball, although that might not mean he’ll take the mound this season. 

Rich Hill of the Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Kauffman Stadium on July 28, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. Getty Images

“I’m looking for open possibilities to stay in the game of baseball and be a contributory factor … I enjoy the work aspect of whatever it might be that’s next,” Hill said. “I think that’s one thing that might be why athletes get hired in other positions, outside of sports, is that they’re highly driven people that want to succeed. That’s something that I’m looking forward to.”

Last season, Hill appeared in two games for the Royals, allowing five earned runs over nine innings. 

When he debuted for the club, Kansas City became the 14th different franchise Hill played for, tying Edwin Jackson for the most a player has joined in a career.

In the 21 years since he broke into the big leagues with the Cubs in 2005, Hill has been on a roller-coaster ride, but he managed to remain a major leaguer into his mid-40s.

A fourth-round pick by Chicago back in 2002, Hill struggled mightily through the first decade in the majors.  

In the second half of his career, Hill turned things around, posting several particularly strong seasons in the 2010s, including a terrific 2016 campaign, when he held a 2.12 ERA across 110 1/3 innings with the Athletics and Dodgers.

From 2017-19, Hill thrived in LA, posting a sub-4.00 ERA in each of those three seasons.

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Daniel Murphy among the 11 players to fall off Baseball Hall of Fame ballot

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Daniel Murphy #28 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a two run home run in the eighth inning against Fernando Rodney #57 of the Chicago Cubs during game four of the 2015 MLB National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field on October 21, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois
Daniel Murphy

One Mets legend is going into the Hall of Fame.

But a different Amazin’s All-Star is now off the ballot — without receiving a single vote.

Daniel Murphy, in his first year with a chance at Cooperstown, did not receive a single checkmark next to his name and will fall off the ballot because he did not gain the requisite 5 percent to remain eligible to gain entry through the Baseball Writers Association of America voting.

Murphy, a three-time selection to the Midsummer Classic, finished his career with a .296/.341/.455 slash line.

Daniel Murphy of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a two run home run in the eighth inning against Fernando Rodney of the Chicago Cubs during game four of the 2015 MLB National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field on October 21, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images

He was one of 11 players — all of in their first year — to fall off the ballot in 2026.

Only two players made it into the Hall’s 2026 class through the BBWAA voting — center fielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones.

Former National League MVP and six-time All-Star Ryan Braun is among the most notable to become a one-and-done candidate, as he received just 15 votes (3.5 percent). Braun was suspended for the second half of the 2013 season after he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during that MVP campaign.

Edwin Encarnación, Shin-Soo Choo, Matt Kemp, Hunter Pence, Rick Porcello, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis, Gio González and Howie Kendrick all also fell off the ballot after one chance.

González and Kendrick, who had three All-Star appearances between them, failed to garner a vote.

Rick Porcello of the New York Mets pitches against the Washington Nationals during game 2 of a double header at Nationals Park on September 26, 2020 in Washington, DC. Getty Images

Porcello, another ex-Met who surprisingly won the 2016 American League Cy Young Award with the Red Sox over future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, did get two votes.

Chase Utley received the highest voting percentage (59.1) of candidates who did not gain entry.

Among former notable Yankees, Andy Pettitte got 48.5 percent while Alex Rodriguez landed at 40 percent. Ex-Mets David Wright and Francisco Rodriguez received 14.8 and 11.8 percent, respectively.

The players who did not get elected Tuesday could get other cracks at making the Hall through the museum’s Era Committees that look at players no longer eligible in the BBWAA voting. Jeff Kent gained entry this year through the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.

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The surprise change at the center of Anthony Duclair’s red-hot Islanders stretch

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair (11) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period Rogers Arena
Anthony Duclair

SEATTLE — Since junior hockey, Anthony Duclair had never changed anything about his stick. That flex, that curvature — it worked for him, so why touch it?

Except, when the calendar turned to the new year, it was no longer working the same way. Duclair had scored only once in his past 26 games, just four times in the season’s first 39 games and was made a healthy scratch in the Islanders’ first two games of 2026.

This season wasn’t as overtly miserable as last year’s for Duclair — he was healthy, and his relationship with Patrick Roy appeared fine — but he was languishing in the bottom six, showing little sign of recovering his scoring touch.

“At some point, I was tired. I was like, ‘I need to change something,’ ” Duclair said after the Islanders beat the Canucks 4-3 on Monday night. “I just grabbed [Casey Cizikas’] stick after practice.”

And?

New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair (11) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period Rogers Arena. Bob Frid-Imagn Images

“My shot was just unbelievable.

“I was like, ‘Screw it. I’m gonna use it.”

The next game, Duclair scored on his first shot of the night. Then he scored two more times, and assisted two more goals for a five-point performance against the Devils. It was the first five-point hat trick for an Islander in five years, and the best scoring output in a game of Duclair’s career.

So, yeah. He told equipment manager Jason Berger to order him a shipment of sticks to Cizikas’ specifications.

“Totally different model, curve, everything,” Duclair said. “I put my stick in the garbage. I’m using Cizikas’ now.”

Call it a coincidence, call it a placebo, call it whatever you want. But it is working.

In seven games with the new twig, Duclair has seven goals, including two Monday night in Vancouver that served to wake up the Islanders amid a woeful start to the game.

“I feel like he’s shooting with a lot of confidence,” coach Patrick Roy said. “For some reason, he’s positioning [himself] well. He scored two on this trip in the power play in the pocket. I thought that was a really nice shot from the side. Great feed by our guys, he took advantage of it. He deserves credit for that.”

Seven goals, by the way, is as many as he had all of last season.

The Islanders have been challenged for scoring throughout this seven-game trip which ends Wednesday night against the Kraken.

They’re missing Bo Horvat, their leading scorer, and Kyle Palmieri, who potted 24 goals a year ago, and the cracks have started to show.

Kasperi Kapanen of the Edmonton Oilers skates against Anthony Duclair of the New York Islanders during the second period of the game at Rogers Place on January 15, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. NHLI via Getty Images

Even with Horvat set to return from a lower-body injury before the Olympic break (Palmieri is done for the season with an ACL tear), scoring is a need Mathieu Darche may need to address before the trade deadline.

If Duclair can keep up this output and be the top-line player the Islanders thought they were getting a year ago, though, it might change that equation, or at least lessen the urgency a smidge. 

His chemistry with Mat Barzal, long dormant since the Islanders spent the 2024 preseason with the two of them together on the top line, has reignited. He’s clicked with Cal Ritchie too, with the pair combining for two power-play goals on this trip, both in similar fashion (and, yes, if Duclair can help spark the power play, that too would be a game-changer for the Islanders).

For now, it’s still too small a sample size to avoid some caution, though Duclair has certainly earned a lasting stay in the top six even when Horvat comes back and pushes someone out.

If it really was as easy as changing up his stick, though, then maybe the Islanders have just solved one of their problems.

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Carlos Beltran: Mets hold ‘a lot of weight’ on upcoming Hall of Fame cap decision

Now that Mets legend Carlos Beltran was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, the next decision is which cap he plans to don on his plaque.

Beltran played for seven different teams through his 20-year career, but the switch-hitting slugger pinpointed the Mets and the Royals as the two teams he must choose between.

“There’s no doubt there are two teams: the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets,” Beltran said in an interview with MLB Network. “That’s a decision that I would love to sit down with my wife, kids and make that decision. I do really enjoy my time in New York. Now I work as an advisor for the Mets, so there’s a lot of weight wearing the New York cap.”

Beltran was drafted by the Royals in the 1995 draft and spent parts of the first seven seasons in Kansas City, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 1999. During that time, Beltran amassed a .287 batting average, 123 home runs, and 516 RBI, while stealing 164 bases and earning one All-Star selection.

If Beltran is inducted as a Royal, he'll be just the second in franchise history (George Brett). 

The 48-year-old said he enjoyed his time in Kansas City and envisioned being there his whole career, but that wasn’t to be.

He was traded to the Astros during the 2004 season and helped Houston make a deep run with one of the best postseason performances in MLB history.

That offseason, Beltran signed with the Mets on a seven-year, $119 million deal, where he had his best years as a pro.

From 2005-2011, Beltran hit 149 home runs, drove in 559 RBI -- both career highs with any team -- and stole 100 bases while hitting .280 across 839 games. He made five All-Star appearances as a Met while winning three Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards.

But New York’s ties to Beltran go further than his playing career.

The Mets actually hired Beltran to manage the team in November 2019, but reversed the decision a couple of months later after the slugger was suspended due to his role in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.

New York brought Beltran back in February 2023, hiring him as a special assistant to president of baseball operations David Stearns.

Beltran was asked the cap question again in a Zoom call with assembled media, and the newly-minted Hall of Famer reiterated many of the same points. He’ll take time to decide with his family and even consult the Hall of Fame on how the process works.

But echoed how much the Mets meant to his career.

“The Mets are a big part of my identity as a player,” Beltran said. “Almost seven years in that organization, I got there with a big contract and to be able to stay with the team as an advisor… there’s no doubt the Mets have a lot of weight in that decision.”

If he is inducted as a Met, Beltran will join Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.

Beltran will receive his plaque in Cooperstown on July 26.