Oct 11, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Milan Lucic (17) during the second period against the Chicago Blackhawks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Former NHL player Milan Lucic has gone from being a one-time Buffalo Sabres’ antagonist to landing a job as a pro scout, the team announced as part of a series of hirings and promotions on Tuesday.
Lucic joins the Sabres weeks after announcing his retirement in ending a 17-year NHL career. The 38-year-old spent his first eight seasons with Boston, where Lucic won a Stanley Cup in 2011.
And it was with the Bruins where Lucic drew the ire of the Atlantic Division-rival Sabres and their fans. He was particularly vilified for bowling over Sabres goalie Ryan Miller during a game in Boston in November 2011.
Miller missed several weeks with a neck injury and, following the game, called the 240-pound Lucic as “gutless,” for hitting a player 50 pounds lighter. Meantime, Sabres players were criticized for not stepping in to defend their star goalie.
The Sabres announced their front office additions made under first-year Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.
Buffalo pro scout Stacy Roest was promoted to director of player personnel and GM of the Sabres minor league affiliate in Rochester.
Sabres development coach and former player Tim Kennedy was promoted to director of player development. He will be joined by Derek Dorsett, who was hired as a forward development coach.
Former NHL player Jarkko Ruutu takes over as the team’s European development coach, and rejoins Kekalainen after the two previously worked together in Columbus.
Neil Komadoski was hired as assistant director of pro scouting, following 16 seasons working in a scouting role for the Vancouver Canucks.
It's official - LeBron James is leaving the Lakers. The one thing he still isn't leaving, however, is the league.
His record-setting NBA career has already rewritten the history books and redefined longevity, and it all started decades ago in a way that most NBA careers do not: right after high school graduation.
In the elite group of NBA players that have made the jump straight from high school to the NBA, there have been a number of successful careers – and, with James as a prime example, a number of pretty lengthy ones.
Here are the five longest NBA careers by players drafted straight out of high school:
1. Lebron James
Seasons in the NBA: 23 and counting
Of course, the king himself tops this list. Drafted in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavaliers right after graduating from St.Vincent-St. Mary high school in Akron, Ohio, James has become a face of the league. His NBA career has spanned the Cavs, the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers – and now, with his recent announcement, it could be landing him somewhere new yet again.
2. Kevin Garnett
Seasons in the NBA: 21
One of the first players to make the jump directly from high school, Garnett made his mark on the league and on future high school draftees during his two decades of play. After graduating from Farragut Career Academy in Chicago, the 15-time NBA All-Star was taken fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1995 draft and went on to become MVP in 2004 and a champion in 2008 with the Boston Celtics. He retired in 2016 and recently joined the Timberwolves as a “team ambassador.”
3. Kobe Bryant
Seasons in the NBA: 20
Always in the GOAT conversation, Bryant’s jump from Lower Merion high school in Pennsylvania to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 proved to be the best decision he could have made. He played his entire 20-year career in LA, becoming a Lakers legend and leading star-studded rosters to five NBA championships – with a couple of statues to boot. He retired in 2016 and remains an international basketball icon.
4. Tyson Chandler
Seasons in the NBA: 19
Drafted straight from Manuel Dominguez High School in California to the Chicago Bulls in 2001, Chandler played for eight different teams throughout his nearly two decades in the league, winning a title with the Mavericks in 2011. He recently retired in 2020 and returned to work as a player development coach for the Mavs.
5. Jermaine O’Neal
Seasons in the NBA: 18
Although a championship ring evaded him, O’Neal’s 18-year career still speaks for itself. After being drafted 17th overall by the Portland Trailblazers in the 1996 NBA draft – just a few picks after Bryant – straight from Eau Claire high school in South Carolina, O’Neal went on to become a six-time All-Star and a franchise cornerstone for the Indiana Pacers. He retired in 2014 and now runs Dynamic Prep, a high school basketball academy in Texas.
The Los Angeles Kings have completed Peter Laviolette's coaching staff for the 2026-27 season, announcing the additions of Phil Housley as associate coach and Chris Hajt and Ray Whitney as assistant coaches.
Assistant coach Derik Johnston and goaltending coach Mike Buckley will remain on Laviolette's staff after serving in those roles last season.
Housley reunites with Laviolette after previously working alongside him with both the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers. The Hockey Hall of Famer most recently spent two seasons as an assistant coach in New York before joining the Kings.
The 62-year-old brings more than a decade of NHL coaching experience. Before his time with the Rangers, Housley served as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017-19 and spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Arizona Coyotes. He began his NHL coaching career in Nashville, where he worked under Laviolette from 2013-17 and helped guide the Predators to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history.
During his 21-year playing career, Housley appeared in 1,495 NHL games, recording 338 goals and 1,232 points. Both totals rank fourth all-time among NHL defensemen. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 after earning seven NHL All-Star selections and representing the United States internationally on multiple occasions.
Hajt joins the Kings after spending nine seasons with the Ontario Reign, Los Angeles' American Hockey League affiliate, where he most recently served as associate coach. His time with the organization included six playoff appearances, two Pacific Division titles and a trip to the Western Conference Final.
The 47-year-old also has previous NHL coaching experience, serving as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons under Housley.
Before joining Ontario, Hajt helped the Manchester Monarchs capture the 2015 Calder Cup and previously spent six seasons behind the bench with the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm, where he was part of the club's 2014 OHL championship team.
Whitney enters the NHL coaching ranks following a distinguished 22-season playing career that included 1,330 regular-season games and 1,064 career points.
Selected 23rd overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1991 NHL Draft, Whitney played for eight NHL organizations and won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 under Laviolette. He later spent three seasons as a professional scout with Carolina before coaching youth hockey in Arizona.
The Kings also confirmed Johnston and Buckley will remain on the coaching staff.
Johnston returns after serving as an assistant coach last season, while Buckley continues as goaltending coach following his work with the Kings and his role as Team USA's goaltending coach at the Winter Olympics.
With the announcement, the Kings have finalized Laviolette's first coaching staff as they prepare for the 2026-27 season.
Slowly but surely, the Pittsburgh Penguins are making some sneakily good moves to add depth to their prospect pool on the blue line.
For two offseasons in a row, Penguins' president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has identified defense as an area of concern that the Penguins need to improve upon. In the summer of 2025, he went out and grabbed left defenseman Parker Wotherspoon traded to the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday - who became a staple on the top pairing next to a vintage-form Erik Karlsson. There is also the up-and-coming righty in Harrison Brunicke, who will likely see more time at the NHL level next season.
Since then, Dubas has continued to add. And one of those additions is an NCAA product who possesses some nice upside.
"Obviously, it was a dream come true. Something you want to happen since you were a little kid," Livanavage said of making his debut. "Just such a surreal moment, and, you know, the guys in the locker room are awesome. To be around some of the best in the world, it was lot of fun and something that I always look back on and I'm super grateful for."
Prior to making his debut, Livanavage was able to hang around Sidney Crosby and some of the Penguins' other veterans in the press box and during practices, learning as much as he could from them before taking the ice against the Blues.
"I don't know what most people put him at, but he's definitely a top-three player to ever play the game," Livanavage said. "So, to be able to sit next to him and pick his brain and see what he does on a day-to-day basis was... I don't think you can really get any better than that. So, just super grateful, and [he's] an awesome leader."
Even though his debut last spring was something he'll never forget, Livanavage is ready to turn the page. And he is gunning for a spot on the Penguins' opening night roster out of training camp.
Livanavage, a USHL product, put up some impressive numbers with the Chicago Steel in junior hockey before committing to the University of North Dakota, where he spent the last three seasons. The 22-year-old recorded 14 goals and 82 points to go along with a plus-40 in 117 games with North Dakota, and he helped lead them to the NCAA National Championship last season, where they lost to the University of Denver.
"It was awesome. Anytime you're playing for a championship at any level, it's incredible," Livanavage said. "Not the outcome we wanted, but just a special group that we had, and the bond in the locker room that we had, it was pretty special. Like, those teams don't come around very often, so it was just an unbelievable year, and I'm just so thankful for that program and the opportunity they gave me."
His collegiate hockey experience - like many other NCAA prospects have echoed - allowed him the time to get into the gym and work on some off-ice training ventures that he didn't get the opportunity to pursue otherwise with his junior hockey schedule. The Gilbert, Ariz. product said the five days between games during the week allowed him to put on size, recoup his body, and better condition him to play against increasingly bigger competition.
He is well aware that putting on even more size would benefit him in readying for NHL competition, as he wants to keep building on his 5-foot-11, 190-pound frame. And, well, if what Livanavage said about his summer is true, he has already begun to accomplish that.
"This summer, it's just getting bigger and stronger," he said. "You know, being able to play against men. Just coming out and working as hard as I can and just being ready for training camp from the first day. I feel good right now, and I'm super excited to get going.
"I put on about 15 pounds this summer already. I feel like the weight gain in the summer, you know, it's challenging, but it's just something you have to do if you want to play at that level. And you, obviously, want to play there. It's anything you have to do to play at that level, so like I said, it's been 15 pounds this summer and a couple more to go."
New NCAA free agent signee Jake Livanavage arrives at PPG Paints Arena for his first day on the job and immediately gets to shadow a top-five player of all-time.
Gotta be a pretty cool day for him, parked next to Sidney Crosby in the press box. They're isolated from the others.
Of course, Livanavage is one of the older players at the Penguins' annual prospect development camp this year. But, he sees it as an opportunity to get to know more guys - and, especially, guys around his age who he's played against in the past - in the organization in addition to the NHL talent he got to spend some time around in the last month of the 2025-26 season.
He also knows every development opportunity with the organization gives Pittsburgh the chance to be reminded why they called him in the first place. And Livanavage certainly remembers that Zoom call with Pittsburgh prior to signing.
There were other opportunities. But, added onto the fact that Pittsburgh has a rich winning history, Livanavage said that the Penguins felt like the right place to go immediately after he spoke with him - and he couldn't ask for a better culture to help foster his growth and development.
"Honestly, [in] my first zoom call with them, I got off the phone and just felt comfortable," he said. "It was a little bit of back and forth figuring out what we wanted and stuff like that, but when it came down to it, I just felt comfortable coming off the zoom call, and right away, it was just kind of like, 'I think that's it. Like, that's where I want to be.'
"I think the development they put into their players and how much, top to bottom, they care about their prospects and everything, it's super special. You don't get that everywhere."
ESPN insider Shams Charania reported the Lakers had interest in bringing him back, but James did not reciprocate that sentiment. Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told Charania that James informed the Lakers that the organization can move on without him, deciding to play his 24th season elsewhere.
Lakers president and governor Jeannie Buss released a farewell statement in a tribute to James and his tenure in Los Angeles.
"LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history. We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers – including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Laker family," Buss wrote.
James joined the Lakers in the summer of 2018, where he joined a team comprised of young talent including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso. The team had a top-4 record in the Western conference by Christmas Day, but it was short lived after injuries sustained by James and Ball derailed the remainder of the Lakers season. They missed the playoffs and went back to the drawing board.
The following season, a blockbuster move was made by bringing in Anthony Davis and sending Ball, Ingram and other pieces to the New Orleans Pelicans.
LA was the best team in the NBA in 2019-2020. The season was memorable for many reasons. It was the year we lost an icon and Laker legend in the passing of Kobe Bryant and when the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe and caused worldwide shutdowns. The NBA resumed in Orlando, Florida for the remainder of the 2020 season, referred to as the "Bubble Season."
That year, James and Davis brought home a championship, tying the then-NBA record with the franchise's 17th championship.
The following season, LA looked like they would repeat as champions but injuries to James and Davis shot those chances down. The Lakers were bounced in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, losing to the eventual Western conference champions Phoenix Suns.
Another franchise altering move was made when the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook. It seemed perfect on paper, but it didn't pan out on the court. They missed the playoffs in 2022.
LA went back to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, but lost to eventual champions Denver Nuggets after being swept in a series where each game came down to the final moments of the game. In 2024, they faced the defending champions in the first round and lost in five games.
For the 2024-2025 season, LA brought in James' former podcast co-host JJ Reddick as a coach and drafted his son, Bronny. But the biggest headline of that year was the shocking trade to deal Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic. The Lakers were then eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.
In James' final season with the Lakers, he helped them advance to the playoffs as a No. 4-seed, where he led them to a first round series win against the Houston Rockets without Doncic. LA was hobbled going into the second round against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who then swept them.
James was named an All-Star every season he played in a Lakers' uniform. In eight seasons in LA, James averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game on 51.3% field goal shooting and 35.6% 3-point shooting.
LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers tenure:
◽️️ 8 seasons 🏆️ 2020 NBA champion 🏆️ 2020 Finals MVP ◽️️ 8x All-Star ◽️️ 7x All-NBA nods 👑 Broke the NBA's all-time scoring record pic.twitter.com/yWk9jemobN
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: Kaedan Korczak #6 of the Vegas Golden Knights passes the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins made their first big transaction of the off-season by trading out defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to Vegas for Kaedan Korczak.
The Penguins have acquired defenseman Kaedan Korczak from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired defenseman Kaedan Korczak from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon, it was announced today by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas.
Korczak, 25, is signed through the 2029-30 season and carries an average annual value of $3.25 million. Pittsburgh is retaining 50% of Wotherspoon’s contract.
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound defenseman has spent the last five-plus seasons in the Vegas Golden Knights organization. Last season, Korczak recorded three goals, 13 assists and 16 points in 78 games with Vegas and notched three assists in 13 games en route to the Stanley Cup Final.
In 155 career NHL games, Korczak has tallied four goals, 33 assists, 37 points and a plus-31 and added another three assists in 14 career playoff games. The defenseman spent parts of his first four professional seasons with the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League and tallied 39 points (7G-32A) in 134 games.
The Yorkton, SK native has represented Team Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championship and 2019 World Under-18 Championship, winning a silver medal in 2021.
Korczak was originally drafted in the second round (41st overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft by Vegas.
The move has cap implications, the Pens are retaining half of Wotherspoon’s already reasonable $1.0 million salary for Vegas to gain as much space as possible. Korczak carries a $3.25 million cap hit and as mentioned above is signed for the next four seasons on an extension that doesn’t kick in until tomorrow.
One of my radio broadcasts last season was in Vegas. This was the gist of what I gleaned on Kaedan Korczak, the 6-3, 206-pound defenseman: "Intelligent two-way defender who loves to mix it up. Bigger guy who can skate."
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) June 30, 2026
The right shooting defenseman averaged just under 16 minutes per game for Vegas last year. He fits right in the wheelhouse of what the Penguins have sought after in terms of age, 25, and showing some good metrics that the team will hope can flourish stepping up a level.
Wotherspoon performed well for the Penguins, in a first pairing role on the left side on a pair with Erik Karlsson. This move could be a harbinger of things to come as Pittsburgh remakes their blueline now that the already weak left side loses a key member and certainly looks like a place the team will need to add to this summer in another trade or by signing a free agent.
Media reports suggest the league's all-time leading scorer is a target for the Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers said: "LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history.
"We will always be grateful for his eight years with the Lakers - including the title he led us to in 2020, under the most difficult circumstances imaginable, and the countless records he broke in purple and gold.
"We wish him the best in his future, both on and off the court. He will always be a cherished member of the Lakers family."
James responded on social media, writing, "No, THANK YOU!"
He said it was "truly a honor" to wear the purple and gold while trying to continue "the greatness & legacies that came before me!"
"Hope I made a few proud during my stint," he added.
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds this season with the Lakers. The 22-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion is the all-time leader in games (1,622) and points (43,440).
He was selected with the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, where he spent seven seasons before announcing during a live TV special titled 'The Decision' that he was leaving for the Miami Heat.
James then returned to Cleveland and in 2016 rallied the team from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals to stun Golden State and make good on his promise to deliver the Cavaliers their first championship.
He helped the Lakers win the NBA title in 2020, nine months after legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 16, 2024: Henry Lalane #58 of the New York Yankees throws a pitch during the fifth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Toronto Blue Jays on March 16, 2024 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Yankees signed left-hander Henry Lalane as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. He was always seen as a talented but raw pitching prospect, but the skills and the tools were loud, so much so that he was ninth in MLB Pipeline’s organizational top 30 list in 2024, 11th in 2025, and 14th this year despite accumulating just 198.1 minor league innings since 2021, mainly due to injuries.
Prior to the 2026 campaign, his injury issues were so bad that he had never reached the 50-inning threshold in a season, and his stuff suffered as a result of the shoulder woes that eventually led to surgery before the 2025 campaign. During his time as a minor leaguer, Lalane has walked 88 hitters in 198.1 frames, roughly four per nine. The last two seasons before 2026 were particularly concerning in this department, as he gave away 6.57 bases on balls per nine innings in 2024 and 6.52 in 2025, in very small samples.
This year, however, has seen him take a step forward in the control/command department and also with his velocity and run-prevention skills. Basically, we can say that Lalane is regaining some of his prospect luster, which comes in handy for the Yankees at this juncture and with the trade deadline coming soon.
Last week, the southpaw had a brilliant outing for the Tampa Tarpons in Single-A, tossing seven scoreless frames and allowing one hit and zero walks, with a whopping 12 strikeouts to lower his season ERA to a cool 3.09. That comes with a healthy 3.58 BB/9 and a 2.86 FIP in 55.1 frames. He’s cleared the 50-inning barrier, he has struck out 31.3 percent of the hitters he has faced, and his fastball has gotten back more than a few ticks.
After his heater once sank to the 91-92 mph range, it’s now back up to 95-97 mph, even touching 98.4 mph in Friday’s outing. That day, he earned 18 swings and misses: seven on his slider, seven on his changeup, and four on his four-seamer. Here’s some video of the impressive performance, courtesy of Cai Rogers of Just Baseball:
Henry Lalane's night is over, and boy, was it another spectacular start for the southpaw
Final Line: 7.0 IP/1 H/0 ER/0 BB/12 K's (Pro Career-High) -87 pitches -Only hit was an infield chopper -9 Ks was previous career high – FB ranged 95-97 mph and topped out at 98.4 mph 🔥… https://t.co/3iOqVN3Dz9pic.twitter.com/F1SajQSKvb
It’s not easy to hit a 6-foot-7 left-hander with improving control, a fastball that can approach the triple digits on a good day, and two really solid, underrated secondaries. If Lalane keeps this up, he could find himself in High-A Hudson Valley before the end of the year. Of course, that’s if he remains a part of the organization past August 3rd. The Yankees will undoubtedly be active in the trade market, and names like Lalane are the ones that draw the attention of opposing front offices: a 22-year-old left-handed pitcher on the rise, with prospect pedigree, big stuff, and improving command and control.
Given his injury history and the fact that he is still in Single-A, Lalane probably falls short of being the primary prospect offered by the Yankees to land a true difference-maker. He is very much in the conversation as the second piece in a big trade, though. Regardless of his future in the organization, the progress he has shown is a net gain for the Yankees and for himself. He has bounced back nicely after the shoulder surgery, and his future is looking promising.
If he remains on the Yankees, Lalane has a very good chance of becoming a top-ten organizational prospect by this time next year. If he doesn’t, well, he was probably part of a package for a really solid player because New York won’t just give their newest gem away.
According to team sources who spoke to The Athletic on Monday, Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet has activated his $25 million player option for the 2026–27 campaign. He signed a three-year, $130 million contract to join the Rockets in 2023, then in the summer of 2025, he signed a two-year, $50 million extension.
The seasoned point guard could have become an unrestricted free agent by rejecting his option. Vanvleet decided to stay for one more season and continue to play a significant role in Houston, both on and off the court. Before the previous season, the Rockets already held VanVleet, 32, in high regard. But after he missed the 2025–26 season due to a torn right ACL sustained at a team minicamp in the Bahamas shortly before the preseason began, his significance became more apparent. Despite adding Kevin Durant last summer, the Rockets had trouble with guard play throughout the season and fell in the first round of the playoffs.
VanVleet established himself as a big-shot creator and dependable on-ball presence by playing in at least 50 games in eight of his first nine NBA seasons before his ACL injury. Houston had lost at least 55 games in the preceding three seasons; thus, VanVleet’s arrival in 2023 signaled a shift in course. After helping the Rockets finish 41-41 in his rookie campaign, VanVleet was a key member of a team that won 52 games and went into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals during the 2024–25 campaign. He also shot 37.8 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three. As Houston and the Golden State Warriors engaged in an intense series that ultimately resulted in Houston losing Game 7 at home, he assumed an even greater role throughout the playoffs. VanVleet averaged 18.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists during that series.
Last season, the Rockets had to rely more on second-year guard Reed Sheppard and third-year guard Amen Thompson to play point guard in the absence of VanVleet. Because Thompson and Sheppard found it difficult to handle the demands of managing a team, the outcomes were frequently unequal. When the game slows down, having a healthy VanVleet back could help the Rockets stay among the top contenders in the West and will probably make things easier for Alperen Şengün and Durant.
The Rockets will also benefit greatly from VanVleet’s return from the 3-point line, which will give some much-needed spacing for an offense that was occasionally difficult to watch last season, particularly in late-game situations. VanVleet has made 386 3-pointers in his two seasons with the Rockets.
Almost all of Houston’s key rotation players have contracts for the 2026–2027 season, including VanVleet. Fourth-year forward Tari Eason’s restricted free agency is currently the Rockets’ biggest problem.
After VanVleet’s $25 million contract expires, Houston will have roughly $20 million to re-sign Eason and complete the roster before the first apron. There will be a severe financial crisis, yet fans and front office alike are optimistic about a Tari Eason return.
With all that said, what do you all think? Do you like Fred deciding to stick around for the future? Why or why not? Let us know, and as always, be sure to check back at The Dream Shake for all your Houston Rockets news!
MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 1: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies hugs Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors after the game on April 1, 2025 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Remember when I said Dub Nation didn’t need to gloat back in February, that we could just quietly nod and smile as Memphis flew too close to the sun? Well, the wax just hit the ocean. Ja Morant is a Portland Trail Blazer now, traded for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, and the last remaining pillar of that 2021-23 Grizzlies core is gone.
Memphis wasn’t some plucky upstart back then. This was the No. 2 seed in the West and a 56-win team. A franchise that genuinely believed it had stopped chasing Golden State and started replacing them. Four years later, the final cornerstone of that era just got shipped out for a wing on the decline and a prospect who, per Blazer’s Edge’s own breakdown of the return, “seemed to run from the ball.” Call it what it actually is: an estate sale.
Ja is gone. Bane is gone. Melton is gone. Tillman is gone. Konchar is gone. Tyus Jones is gone. Dillon Brooks is gone. Taylor Jenkins is gone. Kyle Anderson is gone. Ziaire Williams is gone. Steven Adams is gone. Jaren Jackson Jr. is gone.
I wrote in June of 2018 that the Warriors’ dynasty operated as a “Path of Destruction,” a running tally of franchises that crumbled simply from existing in proximity to Golden State’s gravity. Memphis wasn’t on that list back then because they hadn’t earned it yet. But go back and look at what Draymond Green told GQ in 2017, the swagger, the certainty that the league knew it didn’t stand a chance. That’s the energy the 2021-22 Grizzlies tried to step to. Morant talked like someone who believed the future had already arrived. And after that 2021 play-in win, the “Whoop That Trick” celebrations from Memphis fans weren’t just noise. That was a fanbase genuinely convinced the torch had passed.
Golden State answered the old-fashioned way by beating Memphis in six games during the 2022 playoffs and winning the championship. Order restored. They then knocked them out of the play-in tournament in 2025. But here’s the part that should actually sting for Grizzlies fans: those losses weren’t the death blow. The franchise just gave up on their guys. Jaren Jackson Jr., a Defensive Player of the Year, shipped to Utah. Desmond Bane, gone to Orlando. Marcus Smart, gone. Taylor Jenkins, the coach who actually built something real in that locker room, fired with nine games left in a season. Nine games!
Jaren Jackson Jr. & Desmond Bane trades = 7 1st-Round Picks
Twelve first-round picks over the next seven seasons sound impressive until you remember Memphis already hit on Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane. Draft picks aren’t the goal. They’re what you hope eventually becomes another Ja Morant. Memphis just traded the real thing for the hope of finding a copy.
Does this graduate Memphis to the Path of Destruction? The case is stronger than Cleveland’s or Oklahoma City’s ever was, and those teams only made my “Imminent Implosion” tier back in 2018. The Grizzlies get the full treatment now, the same shelf as the Spurs and the Clippers in my original Maximum Destruction tier. The difference is the Spurs and Clippers got there losing to Golden State on the floor. Memphis got there by trying to become the anti-Warriors and detonating themselves in the process.
The Warriors didn’t pull the trigger folks, they just kept raising the standard until other franchises started pulling it on themselves. Memphis wanted the dynasty before it had built one. Four years later, the dynasty is gone and the estate sale is complete. Dub Nation doesn’t need to clap; the auctioneer already did.
The Florida Panthers traded for their second goaltender in as many days, acquiring Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday that all but certainly signals the end of Sergei Bobrovsky’s storied run in South Florida.
The Panthers sent Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and the rights to pending restricted free agnet Ben Steeves to the Devils for Markstrom and winger Angus Crookshank.
Florida got goalie Akira Schmid from Vegas on Monday night for a 2028 third-round pick.
The Devils traded goalie Jacob Markstrom to the Panthers. Getty Images
“Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”
Bobrovsky, 37, backstopped Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and ’25 and another trip to the final in ’23.
Markstrom, 36, is beginning a two-year contract at an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. That was signed by former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, who left the organization in April.
Moving on from him is the first big roster shakeup for successor Sunny Mehta. New Jersey now has Jake Allen in net and will likely go shopping for his tandem mate in free agency.
The trade likely ends Sergei Bobrovsky’s time with the Panthers. NHLI via Getty Images
Rodrigues, who turns 33 on July 28, gives the Devils another top-nine forward. The Panthers shed his salary of just over $3 million after getting Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to play with brother Matthew.
In other moves around the NHL, the St. Louis Blues put winger Jonathan Drouin on unconditional waivers to buy out the final season of his contract. They got Drouin at the trade deadline from the New York Islanders as part of the return for Brayden Schenn.
A person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY Sports what was first reported by ESPN insider Shams Charania.
Now all of a sudden, those rumors you heard about James potentially taking his talents to the Bay Area seem more and more believable.
But hold your horses. It's not a clear cut path, just yet.
According to ESPN's Anthony Slater, the Warriors haven't been given any indication that they are the preferred landing spot for James. There's reason to believe that Golden State will have appeal but they will have to do some additional recruiting.
That additional recruiting required could signal the Warriors doing what they can to bring in James' 2020 title running mate, Anthony Davis, over in a trade with the Washington Wizards. James, according to ESPN, would only join the Warriors if they are able to get Davis from Washington and form a nucleus with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Golden State would need to free up money to pull this off. One of the reported avenues to make it happen would be finding a trade partner to get off of Jimmy Butler's contract worth $56.8 million.
However, there could be some complications, according to Hoops Wire, as the Wizards don't want to take on Butler's contract, especially coming off of a season-ending ACL tear. If Golden State wants to land Davis, it's going to take a third team.
Additionally, Butler's agent told ESPN that the Warriors remain "resolute in their plan to support Jimmy through his rehab and have him return to form and continue together on a quest to compete for a championship."
Golden State still has a pathway to land LeBron James. According to Hoops Hype's Yossi Gozlan, if they don't make the Butler-Davis swap, their other option would be to trade Moses Moody to open the $15 million mid-level exception for James, as Green re-signs on a friendlier deal that keeps the Warriors under the first apron.
It's not the first time the Warriors have shown interest in James, having contacted the Lakers multiple times regarding his availability. Now, the Dubs have the chance to finally get the guy they've chased for years.
Apr 5, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Florida Panthers traded for their second goaltender in as many days, acquiring Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday that all but certainly signals the end of Sergei Bobrovsky’s storied run in South Florida.
The Panthers sent Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and the rights to pending restricted free agnet Ben Steeves to the Devils for Markstrom and winger Angus Crookshank. Florida got goalie Akira Schmid from Vegas on Monday night for a 2028 third-round pick.
“Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”
Bobrovsky, 37, backstopped Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and ’25 and another trip to the final in ’23.
Markstrom, 36, is beginning a two-year contract at an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. That was signed by former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, who left the organization in April.
Moving on from him is the first big roster shakeup for successor Sunny Mehta. New Jersey now has Jake Allen in net and will likely go shopping for his tandem mate in free agency.
Rodrigues, who turns 33 on July 28, gives the Devils another top-nine forward. The Panthers shed his salary of just over $3 million after getting Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to play with brother Matthew.
In other moves around the NHL, the St. Louis Blues put winger Jonathan Drouin on unconditional waivers to buy out the final season of his contract. They got Drouin at the trade deadline from the New York Islanders as part of the return for Brayden Schenn.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2026/06/18: Karl-Anthony Towns attends ticker-tape parade honoring Knicks basketball team winning NBA Championship for 2025-2026 season in Canyon of Heroes from Battery Park along Lower Broadway to the City Hall. The Knicks captured their first NBA championship in 53 years and thousand of fans lined up to see their best team in decades. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
I don’t think there’s a more difficult Knick to evaluate than Karl-Anthony Towns. It’s not just the fact that the big man’s season looked completely different from game four of the Hawks series onwards. It’s also the fact that for much of the season, Towns’ impact on the team was hard to gauge. Even when Towns’ counting stats didn’t look the way most fans wanted it to, and even when the team wasn’t piling up results that people had expected, Towns was still analytically better than many believed. But as we learned throughout the playoffs, analytics can’t be the end-all, be-all. So how good was Towns this season as a whole? Incredibly good.
Is that an overreaction considering some of his regular-season shortcomings? Maybe. Is there recency bias? You bet. But if you were to ask me to choose between a player who dominates in the regular season but has a drop off in the playoffs and a player who disappoints a bit during the regular season but dominates in the playoffs, I’m taking the latter. And I do so every single time. I get that the playoff riser is performing higher for a mere fraction of the games as the regular-season guy. But in sports, you take care of business in the postseason, and those performances will do the heavy lifting. As many have said before, “winning cures all”, and that’s exactly what Towns did.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks poses for a photo with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after winning the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I do want to clarify, though, that Towns’ regular season wasn’t bad. Or at least, again, not as bad as many thought. By a lot of metrics, he was playing some of the best defense in his career. And on the other end of the floor, he still put up solid numbers despite changing roles, having a new coach, and seeing limited opportunities at times. I do believe that players, for the most part, have agency. And Towns does deserve some blame for his offensive shortcomings and lack of aggression at times. But some of that blame needs to be placed on Mike Brown, Jalen Brunson, and the rest of the team.
Sure, Towns could’ve, and arguably should’ve, taken it upon himself to get the ball more. And when he did, Towns should’ve been more intentional in looking for his own shot. There absolutely were times when Towns was too passive and nonexistent in the offense. He did take himself out of some games. But there were also a lot of times when Brunson ignored him for his own shot. And other times when OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart just missed him, or couldn’t make the requisite pass. There were also plenty of times when Brown saw the offense going away from Towns and refused to find ways to make him the focal point.
Yet Towns persevered. He responded. Maybe not in the way fans wanted. But the big man continued to look for ways to best serve his team, even when the going got tough. He revealed late in the regular season that he still wasn’t sure what his role was in the offense. And you could tell that Towns wasn’t necessarily enjoying his new roles as an offensive Swiss Army Knife, whose only, or at least primary, role wasn’t to score. It didn’t matter, though. Thankfully for the Knicks and their fans, the transparency never came at the cost of effort or passion. Even with the discomfort and unease of the situation, he didn’t waver. And then destiny came knocking and rewarded him and the Knicks for their mutual perseverance and trust.
When the fate of the season was hanging in the balance and when the Knicks needed him the most, he showed up. In game 4 of the first round, the Knicks found themselves down 2-1. Two more losses and the core of the eventual champions very well could’ve been disbanded. But Towns didn’t allow it to happen. Brunson, Brown, and Towns’ teammates deserve credit for entrusting their season and potentially their future to Towns. And Towns delivered performances that will live on in Knicks lore for decades.
Newly appointed as the offensive hub and point center of a system that emphasized his passing skills and the other players’ basketball IQ and cutting abilities, Towns shone like he never had in a Knicks jersey. And neither Towns nor the Knicks looked back. They rattled off 13 straight postseason wins and won 15 of their next 16 games thanks in large part to Towns’ new game. He was no longer a scoring first center. He wasn’t confined to the paint. And he wasn’t relegated to being a spot-up shooter.
For the first time in Towns’ career, he really put it all together. He was still an elite rebounder who was stretching defenses with his shooting threat like he always had. But now, he had become a smart, patient, and deadly passer. And he was now also playing not just passable, or average defense, but legitimately great defense.
And yes, he got in foul trouble against Joel Embiid and Victor Wembanyama. And yes, he struggled to have an offensive impact in games three and five of the Finals. But on defense, he legitimately made Wembanyama work more than maybe any other player in the league. Meanwhile, on the other end of the floor, his offensive impact far outweighed his counting stats. He continued to perfectly balance scoring and passing and routinely came up clutch. Brunson and Anunoby may have had the biggest moments, but a lot of those comebacks don’t happen without Towns on the floor.
Towns’ early season struggled were frustrating. He still struggles at times with foul trouble, silly turnovers, and a lack of aggression. But you really can’t ask for much more. Towns reinvented himself deep into his career for the betterment of his team. He adjusted to coach Brown’s system. He bought in defensively. Most importantly, he was arguably the best overall Knick during a dominant championship run that saw them go 16-3. The 2026 championship did a lot for multiple players’ legacies. Outside of Brunson, no other player and their legacy benefited more from that trophy than Towns.
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(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 25: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 25, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Players and owners are the outset of contentious labor negotiations that will revolve around the financial inequities between teams. There is no doubt that teams with enormous market resources have an advantage – the high-spending Dodgers have the best record in baseball. But it is also interesting that in the backdrop of these talks, the third-lowest-spending team in baseball – the Tampa Bay Rays – are in first place in a division that includes big spenders like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays.
The Royals split the four-game series with the Rays last week, but Tampa Bay is currently enjoying a five-game winning streak.
Tampa Bay Rays (48-33) vs. Kansas City Royals (35-50) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Yandy Diaz had a four-hit game against the Royals last week and has been on a tear, hitting .391/.468/.489 in the month of June, boosting his MLB-best batting average to .336. Junior Caminero is hitting .415/.468/.927 with seven home runs in his last eleven games. He has the fifth-highest hard-hit rate in baseball. Jonny Deluca is hitting .309/.356/.509 in road games.
Taylor Walls is hitting just .203/.300/.261 against lefties. Ben Williamson has a 30.6 percent line drive rate, sixth-highest in baseball. The Rays have just a 72 percent success rate in steals and are tied for being picked off the most.
The Royals will face three starters they faced last week in Tampa Bay. Griffin Jax allowed just two unearned runs in five innings against the Royals in a Rays win. He has a 2.40 ERA in 11 starts, although he has yet to go more than five innings in a start. He has given up just two earned runs in his last four outings for a 0.90 ERA.
Shane McClanahan gave up six runs against the Royals last week, although only two runs were earned. He has a 4.38 ERA on the road this year, compared to 2.21 at home. Lefties are hitting just .164/.258/.327 against him this year.
Neither team has listed a starter for Thursday, but the Rays are expected to go with Ian Seymour again, while Stephen Kolek should return from paternity leave by then. Seymour tossed six no-hit innings against the Royals as the bulk guy after opener Casey Legumina. He throws his change up 33 percent of the time, with opponents hitting just .141 against it.
The Rays have a 4.40 ERA out of their relievers, ninth-worst in baseball. Bryan Baker has converted 21 of 24 save opportunities, and he has allowed just one run in his last 14 innings. Lefties are hitting just .185/.324/.222 against Kansas-born Garrett Cleavinger. Opposing hitters have a 47.6 percent hard-hit rate against Kevin Kelly, second-highest in baseball.
The Rays are the best team in baseball at home, but are just 17-21 on the road, and they have not won a road series since mid-May. The Royals looked good in the first two games of the series last week, only to fall apart in the final two games. After a terrible weekend in Chicago, they will need to play well in the final homestand before the All-Star Game to get the bad taste out of their mouth.
