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Brewers kick off spring training with 9-6 loss to Guardians

Feb 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Brandon Lockridge (20) scores on a double by second baseman David Hamilton (6) in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After a long, eventful winter, the Milwaukee Brewers were back in action on Saturday afternoon in Phoenix, as they hosted the Cleveland Guardians. While the results don’t matter much (besides for the coveted Cactus League Cup), the Brewers did go down 9-6 in this one.

Garrett Stallings worked around a pair of singles to begin the afternoon, as Reese McGuire threw out a runner on the basepaths before Stallings induced two flyouts.

The Brewer offense hit the ground running in the bottom of the inning, as Brice Turang singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a Jackson Chourio single. With runners at the corners, Akil Baddoo cashed Turang in with a sac fly to make it 1-0 early. Joey Ortiz followed with a strikeout, and Tyler Black grounded out to end the inning.

Blake Holub followed Stallings on the mound, working around a leadoff single for a scoreless second.

Brandon Lockridge tacked on another run for Milwaukee to lead off the second, slugging the first homer of spring on a no-doubt 440-foot bomb out to left. One batter later, David Hamilton struck out on the first Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge of the spring, as catcher Austin Hedges got what was called ball three overturned to strike three.

In the third, Will Childers worked around another single for the Guardians, keeping the lead at 2-0. The top of Milwaukee’s lineup went down in order in the bottom of the inning, as Turang and Baddoo both struck out.

Cleveland finally put together a strong offensive inning against Jaron DeBerry in the fourth, picking up three walks paired with a throwing error (by DeBerry), a passed ball, and a double to make it 3-2 before all was said and done.

Milwaukee’s offense had a response in the bottom of the frame, as Black and Lockridge hit back-to-back one-out singles before executing a double steal to put runners at second and third. Hamilton followed with a two-run double, putting the Brewers back ahead at 4-3. Also of note: Jackson Chourio’s brother, Jaison, entered at the beginning of the inning, replacing Chase DeLauter in center.

In the fifth, we got to see Jett Williams for the first time this spring, as he replaced Turang at second. Tyson Hardin also entered on the mound and, after a walk to begin the inning, picked up a pair of outs on a strikeout and a flyout. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get that third out quickly, as he allowed a single to George Valera before Nolan Jones slugged a 421-foot three-run homer to right-center field to give the Guardians a 6-4 lead.

The Guardians swapped out most of the rest of their lineup in the bottom of the fifth, and despite loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk, Milwaukee was unable to produce any runs.

Milwaukee then put in a few more prospects defensively in the sixth, as Josh Adamczewski replaced Baddoo in left, top prospect Jesús Made replaced Ortiz at short, and Luke Adams replaced Black at first.

Brett Wichrowski also took over the mound, recording a strikeout and a flyout before walking a pair and giving up a three-run homer to catcher Cooper Ingle, stretching Cleveland’s lead to 9-4. The inning wouldn’t end there, though, as Wichrowski gave up two more singles before finally getting a flyout to end the frame.

The Brewers went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, and after a few more substitutions (Luis Peña replaced Hamilton, Matthew Wood replaced McGuire, and Greg Jones replaced Lara), Edwin Jimenez worked a perfect seventh for Milwaukee.

In the bottom of the inning, Williams gave one a ride out to center, but Jaison Chourio was able to run it down. Brock Wilken, entering for Jackson Chourio, worked a walk and moved up on a passed ball but was stranded there.

Jordyn Adams replaced Lockridge in center in the eighth, and Manuel Rodriguez worked a perfect inning. Against Zane Morehouse in the bottom of the inning, Luke Adams walked and Peña singled to put two runners on with one out. Wood flew out, advancing Adams to third, and Peña then stole second before Jones hit a two-run single to cut the deficit to 9-6 through eight frames.

Mark Manfredi worked around a walk in the ninth for a scoreless inning, and it came down to Xavier Martinez on the mound for Cleveland. The Brewers were able to draw a pair of walks to put the tying run at the plate, but they weren’t able to cash in as Martinez closed out the game.

In a 15-run, 20-hit game, there were 19 pitchers (10 for Milwaukee, nine for Cleveland) and 36 position players (18 for each side).

Jackson Chourio, who had a huge spring in 2025 (.469/.509/.714 with a homer, nine doubles, eight RBIs, and 13 runs over 17 games), got off to another hot start, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles this afternoon. Lockridge scored two runs on a pair of hits, including a homer.

On the mound, the Stallings, Holub, Childers, Broca, Jimenez, Rodriguez, and Manfredi all worked scoreless innings, though as a staff, Milwaukee allowed nine runs (eight hits) on 10 hits and eight walks.

The Crew is back in action with a split-squad day tomorrow afternoon. The road squad faces off against the White Sox at 2:05 p.m. CT on Brewers TV, while the Brewers will host the Royals at 2:10 p.m. on 94.5 ESPN Radio and across the Brewers Radio Network.

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Colorado rides big start, big finish to 83-69 win over Oklahoma State

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Bangot Dak scored 17 points, Barrington Hargress added 16, and Colorado defeated Oklahoma State 83-69 on Saturday, giving the Buffaloes their third straight home win.

Colorado didn't allow a field goal in a 5 1/2-minute stretch early in the first half and the Buffaloes led 25-8 eight minutes into the game. Colorado made five 3-pointers in that opening stretch.

Scoring runs of 9-0 and 6-0 helped Oklahoma State get within 42-34 at halftime.

Christian Coleman and Isaiah Coleman combined for an 8-0 run that drew the Cowboys within 45-44 early in the second half and they went ahead 48-47 four minutes into the period. But Oklahoma State never went ahead by more than a point and Colorado used a 15-4 run to rebuild a double-digit lead, 68-57.

The lead reached 15 points on a 3-pointer by Alon Michaeli with 3 1/2 minutes remaining and 16 points when Isaiah Johnson converted a layup with 1:50 to go.

The Cowboys missed their last 10 shots.

Parsa Fallah scored 14 points and Christian Coleman and Vyctorius Miller added 11 points each for Oklahoma State, which has lost five straight.

Michaeli had 12 points off the bench for Colorado (15-12, 5-9 Big 12). Sebastian Rancik grabbed 10 rebounds and Hargress had eight assists.

The Cowboys (16-11, 4-10) fell to 0-10 when scoring less than 81 points. They are 16-1 when scoring at least 81.

Up next

Oklahoma State: West Virginia visits on Tuesday.

Colorado: Kansas State visits on Wednesday.

___

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Let’s overreact to a spring training game

The Astros opened their spring training schedule with a 2-1 loss to the Nationals on Saturday afternoon in West Palm Beach. While no veterans were in action, Joe Espada’s lineup was littered with guys fighting to make the Opening Day roster, making the first half of the game somewhat interesting. Here are some notes and thoughts from the game’s first five innings.

  • Zach Cole has talked about wanting to be more patient at the plate, and he took that to another level on Saturday. Cole offered at just one of the 14 pitches he saw against the Nationals, working two walks and striking out, but he wasn’t given much to swing at. Nine pitches he saw were out of the zone, per Baseball Savant, and he didn’t offer at any them. of the four strikes he took, three were borderline. 
  • While he wasn’t aggressive at the plate, Cole was aggressive on the basepaths. He stole three bases, and he was thrown out trying to advance to third on a fly ball to right field. His jumps weren’t great, but overall, it was a good first day for Cole, who appears to have a leg up on the Opening Day left field job.
  • Brice Matthews made a nice play at second base and did not swing at a pitch outside the strike zone in three plate appearances
  • Joey Loperfido’s three-pitch strikeout on all fastballs in the second inning was rough, even though it came against a lefty. Things did get better when he worked walks in his next two plate appearances. 
  • César Salazar had two hits and made hard contact on a third ball while throwing out a runner trying to steal second by a mile. That’s a perfect way to start spring for a player trying to win the backup catcher job.
  • Colton Gordon is probably a little further down the list of candidates for one of those final rotation spots, but a 1-2-3 first inning against the Nationals’ regulars is a good start to the spring. Only four of his 11 pitches were in the strike zone, but he did generate some chase — something that eluded him last season — including a 1-2 fastball above the zone to Dylan Crews that resulted in his lone strikeout of the day.
  • AJ Blubaugh is in the same boat as Gordon, and while he didn’t allow a run in his inning of work, he had trouble locating his pitches. Blubaugh threw nine four-seam fastballs, but only two were in the zone, and most of his misses were well above the zone. In total, only six of his 18 pitches were in the strike zone. One of those misses was a well-executed changeup that Abimelec Ortiz was able to lay off.
  • Peter Lambert worked around a couple of hits to put up a zero in the third inning. A second-round pick in 2015, the 28-year old is back in the States after spending last season in Japan and is likely ticketed for Sugar Land’s rotation to start the year. Lambert’s fastball velocity was up Saturday from where it was when he pitched for the Rockies two years ago, and all six breaking balls he threw were in the zone. There’s been a long list of pitchers who have gotten better in recent years after leaving the Rockies’ bubble, so Lambert is someone to watch over the next couple of months.
  • Miguel Ullola’s one inning of work was underwhelming to say the least. His fastball averaged just 93.5 MPH and he couldn’t throw it for a strike, and his slider had absolutely no bite. Making matters worse, Ullola only threw 9 of his 26 pitches in the strike zone, and he did not generate a swing on any of the 17 pitches that missed. 

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NHL Trade Rumors: Predicting Flyers Trade Deadline Plans, Targets

The 2026 NHL trade deadline, which falls on March 6 this year, is officially less than two weeks away. In that short period of time, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to have to make some important decisions with long-term implications.

Sitting at a mediocre 25-20-11, the Flyers are eight points out of the second wildcard playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and eight points out of third place in the Metropolitan Division.

MoneyPuck gives the Flyers a measly 10.7% chance of reaching the postseason, which are the ninth-worst odds in the NHL by their metrics.

So, with that all being said, all signs point to the Flyers being forced to sell at the trade deadline once again.

Having already re-signed Christian Dvorak to a five-year pact, the Flyers are down one less trade chip, but they do have a few pieces that could at least make the deadline interesting.

Rasmus Ristolainen, now an Olympic Bronze medalist, is the biggest fish in the Flyers' pond, and he's at a point in his contract that could be the sweet spot for contending teams.

Report: Flyers Rejected Big Maple Leafs Trade for Rasmus RistolainenReport: Flyers Rejected Big Maple Leafs Trade for Rasmus RistolainenAccording to a new report, the Philadelphia Flyers received a massive trade offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs for veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. GM Danny Briere and Co. didn't budge.

The 31-year-old has two years left on his contract at a $5.1 million cap hit, and the Flyers, who will have the retention in the Kevin Hayes and Scott Laughton trades come off their books this summer, should feel free to use their last remaining retention slot to maximize Ristolainen's value with minimal long-term consequences.

Of course, the Flyers really like the player, and Ristolainen has experienced a career resurgence over his last few seasons in Philadelphia. At the same time, does it really make sense for the Flyers to hold onto a veteran who's suffered a season-ending injury two years in a row?

Of note, in regards to pending RFA Christian Kyrou, Flyers GM Danny Briere told The Hockey News that the team will evaluate the prospect's future with the club "after the trade deadline."

Ristolainen, alongside Emil Andrae (RFA) and Noah Juulsen (UFA) are among the defensemen who could get moved to clear a roster spot for Kyrou so that the Flyers can get a better look at the surging prospect in an NHL environment.

Plus, the Flyers recently had prospects Hunter McDonald and Oliver Bonk up to practice with the NHL squad, filling in for Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim, who are, of course, at the Olympics.

If the Flyers fall any further out of playoff contention, it would behoove them to get extended looks at the young players they feel will have a future with the organization.

It's worth mentioning that McDonald himself is a pending RFA, and Adam Ginning and Maxence Guenette, who each have a handful of games of NHL experience, are on expiring deals, too.

Flyers Defender Could Be Trade Candidate To WatchFlyers Defender Could Be Trade Candidate To WatchIf the Flyers end up being sellers, this defenseman could be a trade candidate to watch.

In short, the Flyers have a lot of defensemen to evaluate and not a lot of time to do it.

It would come as a major surprise if the Flyers did not move on from at least one defender on the current NHL roster by the deadline on the 6th.

As for the forwards, veteran grinders Nick Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway will have close to no value. Carl Grundstrom, who's been something of a pleasant surprise for the Flyers, might have been a more attractive piece to contenders if not for his $1.8 million cap hit.

Bobby Brink, though, at age 24 and a slightly more modest $1.5 million cap hit, would be a smart buy for a playoff team that intends to keep him beyond this season.

The diminutive winger has a respectable 13 goals, 11 assists, and 24 points in 50 games for the Flyers in a checking role, but it's only a matter of time before the imminent arrival of Porter Martone forces Brink or another winger off the Flyers.

As for potential Flyers trade targets, star St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas should be at the very top of the list, though that deal might be one best saved for the offseason rather than an in-season deal.

Would Flyers, Jett Luchanko Benefit from a Position Change?Would Flyers, Jett Luchanko Benefit from a Position Change?The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> may not have the center prospect they thought they did in Jett Luchanko, but that isn't a bad thing.

As a writer, given the Flyers' lack of projectable centers, I'm always looking for ways the Flyers can find depth and quality down the middle. 

Buy-low options like Marco Kasper, Cole Sillinger, Adam Fantilli, Shane Wright, and Hendrix Lapierre all make sense to varying degrees, though the Flyers may not be interested in some, and others (namely Fantilli) may not be available.

Centers are always more expensive on the trade market, though, and the Flyers may find it easier to capitalize on their glut of wingers by moving to address their weak defensive depth instead.

Assuming Andrae and Juulsen don't have futures with the team, the Flyers would ideally like to find a left-shot defender to take some responsibility off the aging Nick Seeler while contributing to the penalty kill.

Pavel Mintyukov from Anaheim would be a dream long-term contributor, but the Flyers are much more likely to target someone with the profile of a Mario Ferraro or Mattias Samuelsson. Middle-aged, inexpensive, defense-oriented players that might benefit from a change of scenery.

And, to that end, if the Flyers haven't decided to move on from backup goalie Sam Ersson by now, there won't be any changes until the offseason. Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov are each pending RFAs and should be pitted against each other to battle for a future with the club.

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Wilkinson scores 19 points as Georgia rallies to beat Texas 91-80

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 19 points off the bench, and Georgia used a late run to defeat Texas 91-80 on Saturday, ending a three-game home losing streak

The Bulldogs (19-8, 7-7 SEC) shot 60% overall, 11 of 20 from 3-point range, and led 45-35 at halftime. Marcus Millender added 15 points and five assists, Somtochukwu Cyril and Kanon Catchings each scored 13 and Blue Cain finished with 12 points and five assists.

Texas (17-10, 8-6) rallied in the second half behind Matas Vokietaitis, who finished with 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and Dailyn Swain, who added 21 points. Jordan Pope scored 17 for the Longhorns, who shot 57% overall and 6 of 12 from 3-point range.

Texas tied the game at 67-all on a step-back 3-pointer by Pope with 7:37 remaining.

Justin Abson started a Georgia run with a dunk, and a three-point play by Cain capped a 10-2 surge that pushed the lead to 77-69 with 5:26 left. The Bulldogs later extended the margin to 87-75 on a Catchings 3-pointer with 2:04 remaining and never let Texas get closer than eight the rest of the way.

The Bulldogs and Longhorns split their season series after Texas beat Georgia 87-67 on Jan. 24.

Up Next

Texas: Hosts No. 12 Florida on Wednesday.

Georgia: Plays Wednesday at No. 19 Vanderbilt.

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Rockets vs Knicks Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

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The standings may not show it, but the Houston Rockets are stumbling these days.

Although the New York Knicks may look like peers, they are actually far more trustworthy.

These Rockets vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks trust the home team on Saturday, February 21.

Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden, with the game airing on ABC.

Rockets vs Knicks prediction

Rockets vs Knicks best bet: Knicks -3.5 (-105)

It is not just that the Houston Rockets have gone 3-10 against the spread in the last month. It is also that they have fallen short of bookmakers’ expectations by an average of 9.1 points in those 10 ATS losses.

That is not terribly surprising once realizing Houston’s offensive rating in the last month has been No. 22 in the NBA, down from No. 4 before Jan. 21. When your offense slips by 8.3 points per 100 possessions, woes are going to follow.

Rockets vs Knicks same-game parlay

Kevin Durant may have poured in 35 points in his first game following the All-Star Break, but he fell short of this points prop in five of eight before the break, part of why the Rockets have cashed 10 Unders in 13 games in the last month.

Rockets vs Knicks SGP

  • Knicks -3.5
  • Kevin Durant Under 24.5 points
  • Under 219

Our "from downtown" SGP: KAT Boards

While New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns has struggled to shoot lately, he has continued to pile up rebounds, grabbing double-digit boards in 10 straight games and hitting this prop in nine of them.

Rockets vs Knicks SGP

  • Knicks -3.5
  • Knicks 1H -1.5
  • Kevin Durant Under 24.5 points
  • Under 219
  • Karl-Anthony Towns Over 10.5 rebounds

Rockets vs Knicks odds

  • Spread: Rockets +3.5 (-110) | Knicks -3.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Rockets +135 | Knicks -160
  • Over/Under: Over 219 (-110) | Under 219 (-110)

Rockets vs Knicks betting trend to know

Houston is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games. Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Knicks.

How to watch Rockets vs Knicks

LocationMadison Square Garden, New York, NY
DateSaturday, February 21, 2026
Tip-off8:30 p.m. ET
TVABC

Rockets vs Knicks latest injuries

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Yankees have sewage issue at Steinbrenner Field: 'It's all over the place'

The New York Yankees and their fans were greeted by all the glory of the senses in the team's Grapefruit League opener at Tampa's Steinbrenner Field. 

The crack of the bat − from two Aaron Judge home runs and a monster shot from prospect Spencer Jones. The feel of the Hillsborough County sunshine on an 83-degree day. 

And the smell of, well, raw sewage. 

A pair of sewer lines broke outside the main entrance to George M. Steinbrenner Field, causing fans to tip-toe around what a security guard reportedly referred to as "the poo-poo water." 

Underground, the scene was much worse. 

The Yankees clubhouse was inundated with sewage, manager Aaron Boone telling reporters: "It's not great. It's all over the place." 

The sewage reportedly had not reached the portion of the clubhouse housing the players' lockers. Yet the mess forced Yankees players to conduct interviews in a hallway − where the funk was still palpable.

Not exactly the way you want to begin Grapefruit League play. 

It's an unfortunate turn for a field that saw multi-million dollar renovations the past couple years, both for the Yankees and to accommodate the Tampa Bay Rays during their one regular season campaign there last year as they relocated due to hurricane damage. 

In better news for the Yankees, they defeated the Detroit Tigers 20-2. In less optimal news, the New York Mets are due in town come morning − leaving a quick turnaround time to fix the glitch. 

And hopefully eradicate the stench. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees sewage issue at Steinbrenner Field: 'It's all over the place'

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Mets Notes: A.J. Ewing impresses, Carson Benge's spring 2026 debut set

Following the Mets' 2-1 loss in their spring training opener to the Marlins on Saturday, manager Carlos Mendoza spoke to the media to give insight on the game and what's to come down the line.

A.J. Ewing Impresses

The Mets are in the market for an everyday right fielder and they hope someone takes the job this spring.

One potential option is youngster A.J. Ewing.

The No. 6 prospect on Joe DeMayo's list in the Mets system made his 2026 spring debut on Saturday. Taking over for Juan Soto in the middle of the game, and playing center field, Ewing showed off a little bit of everything he can provide the Mets at the plate and in the field. 

At the plate, he went 0-for-1 with a strikeout, but pushed across the team's only run with a sacrifice fly.

In the field, Ewing made some impressive reads to run down flyballs but the biggest play was gunning down the Marlins' Colby Shade trying to advance to third base on an errant throw on a stolen base attempt at second.

"There’s a lot to like, man," Mendoza said after the game. "He looks like a hitter at the plate and the defense. Made a couple of good plays, great jumps. The reads off the bat, but just his ability to give you a really good at-bat from the left side. The speed is obviously there. I’ve been pretty encouraged by what I’ve seen so far. And today was a perfect example of that." 

Carson Benge spring 2026 debut set

Speaking of outfielders. There's no bigger hype around a Mets player than there is for Carson Benge this spring.

The lefty swinging youngster has a real shot at winning the right field job this spring and fans will get their first look at Benge's ability this spring very soon.

Mendoza confirmed after Saturday's game that Benge will be one of the notable positional players heading to Tampa to take on the Yankees in Sunday's matchup. The others are Mark Vientos and Luis Torrens.

Benge comes into camp this season after a solid 2025 in the minors. He mashed Double-A pitching, slashing .317/.407/.571 with eight home runs before getting promoted to Triple-A. There, Benge saw his production drop as he adjusted to that level of pitching. He wound up hitting .178 with an OPS of just .583. He did hit three home runs and drive in 13 runs in 24 games with Syracuse. 

In addition, Mendoza confirmed that the position player group that played in Saturday's game will be the same in Monday's game.

Working with new coaching staff 

Aside from some core players like Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso no longer with the team, the Mets had a major coaching shakeup for the 2026 season.

Saturday was the first game against another team where this cast of coaches worked together. Mendoza was asked about how it after the game, and the Mets skipper made sure to get as much work in with them as he could.

"It’s always good to start that process going," Mendoza said. "Send [pitching coach Justin] Willard out for a mound visit. The sign system that we’re going to have with the base coaches. Interactions with Kai [Correa] as the bench coach, controlling the run game with [catching coach J.P. Arencibia].  It’s always good. There’s only so much you can do with zoom calls and meetings. There was a lot of good back-and-forth today." 

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Why restricted free agency could be key for Lakers this offseason

DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 20: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball as Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets defends during the fourth quarter at Ball Arena on January 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tanner Pearson/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images) | Getty Images

On paper, the Lakers are poised for a huge summer of spending. Through multiple transaction windows, the Lakers have planned for the summer of 2027 as the time when they strike big.

The problem with their plan, and one they currently have entirely predicted, is that the unrestricted free agency class is rather underwhelming. It doesn’t mean the Lakers can’t still build a contender, but it does mean the simplest path to do so won’t likely be one they can take.

What, then, will free agency look like for the Lakers this summer? Let’s dive into that and more with our mailbag this week.

OldSchoolBaller
Who are the best and most likely free agents this coming offseason?

Technically, the two biggest likely unrestricted free agents will be two Lakers in LeBron James and Austin Reaves. After that, the free agency class pretty quickly takes a nose dive.

First, let’s look at the most notable potential unrestricted free agents:

  • Isaiah Hartenstein — Team option
  • Andrew Wiggins — Player option
  • John Collins — Unrestricted
  • Norman Powell — Unrestricted
  • Lu Dort — Team option
  • Quentin Grimes — Unrestricted
  • Ayo Dosunmu — Unrestricted

This isn’t even a particularly exhaustive list or one with much thought on the Lakers’ needs, but more of an example of how few real game-changing free agents there will be.

Excluded from this were Trae Young (player option), James Harden (player option) and Kristaps Porzingis (unrestricted), but for various fairly obvious reasons, I don’t think the Lakers are going to be an option there.

The far more intriguing crop of players are the restricted free agents:

  • Jaden Ivey
  • Bennedict Mathurin
  • Ousmane Dieng
  • Jalen Duren
  • Mark Williams
  • Walker Kessler
  • Peyton Watson

Restricted free agency has taken on an odd form under the new CBA. Last summer, we saw how little interest teams had in signing them, leading to long standoffs between the incumbent team and the player.

The Lakers’ unique position, though, could allow them to sign at least one of these players and still be spenders in free agency elsewhere. It won’t tie up their cap space entirely to send out an offer sheet. And with so much cap room, they could put together some really big offer sheets that will make it tough for teams to match.

It wouldn’t be a surprise, then, to see the Lakers moving aggressively from the start of free agency to sign one of these players and start the clock on the incumbent teams to match the offer once the moratorium ends.

Kilgary
It’s crazy we don’t have a definitive answer for this yet. With just 28 games left in the season: Who should be in our starting lineup? We saw zero success with AR+Luka+LeBron+Rui all starting (no one quick enough to defend the POA) BUT that was with JJ’s “switch everything” defense. What if they started out in zone? JJ has been experimenting with a lot of different zone looks to wallpaper over our slow footed stars. Would we be better off with our best offensive players in the starting lineup and starting out in zone or with some defenders and starting out in our “switch everything” defense?
  • Zone starters: Austin, Luka, Rui, LeBron, Deandre
  • Switch starters: Marcus, Austin, Luka, LeBron, Deandre

While I understand the sentiment, I think there are a couple of reasons to push back.

For one, you’re telegraphing what type of defense you’re going to play based on your starting lineup and if there’s anything coaches hate to do, it’s telegraph things based on starting lineups.

There is also a bit of a misconception about the zone defense the Lakers are using. It’s not something they go to for a long string of possessions in a row because NBA offenses and players are too sophisticated and smart for that to work.

The Lakers will employ their zone defense for a couple of possessions and then go back to the man-to-man. Think of it in baseball as a pitcher having different pitches. If they keep throwing a changeup (zone defense), then eventually the batter is going to see it coming and bad things will happen.

But if he can mix in that changeup with a fastball (man-to-man) and maybe even some other stuff like a curve (blitzing the ballhandler, as they did against the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard), then they may have enough. The zone defense is part of a greater scheme defensively and one they’re going to use with about every lineup they have because they aren’t good enough defensively to just have one look.

Kilgary
Second question: is there anyone left in the buyout market who would be worth waiving Kleber for? I’ll fully acknowledge that Maxi has contributed to winning 4 games this season. But that means he didn’t really contribute (or actively hurt our chances) in his 25 other games. I personally believe the bad outweighs the good and would rather have someone else hold the 15th roster spot. We can afford another vet minimum contract starting on February 26th. I was hoping we’d have a shot at Highsmith, but he’s off the board. Is there anyone else like Matisse Thybulle or even one of our 2-way guys like Timme who is worth taking a chance on over keeping Maxi on the roster as an emergency big?

I think there’s very, very little chance they move on from Maxi Kleber before the end of the season. Barring something drastic, this is the roster for the rest of the season.

Considering the recent games Deandre Ayton has missed with a knee injury lately and Jaxson Hayes’ potential to tackle a mascot at a moment’s notice, I don’t think the Lakers are in a position to cut bait on their third-string center.

I also think there’s value in being a respected veteran teammate on the bench. The team loves Kleber and he’s answered the bell when he’s asked in some big moments. I’m not sure there’d be a great reaction internally or externally to waiving him just before the playoffs, especially with a buyout market void of any real impact players and no two-way guys worth signing to a standard deal for the playoffs.

This isn’t like last season when Jordan Goodwin was securely in the rotation as the season ended. Drew Timme had a moment, as has Nick Smith Jr., but neither guy is worth cutting Kleber for.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

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Manchester City 2-1 Newcastle: Premier League – as it happened

City closed the gap on Arsenal at the top thanks to two first-half goals from Nico O’Reilly

Newcastle get the ball rolling! “No-one actually believes we’ll win this game, do they?” sighs Toon fan Chris Paraskevas. “I mean the last time we won at the Etihad, the goal-scorers were Moussa Sissoko (now ruining his reputation at Panathinaikos with Rafa Benitez) and Ryan Taylor.”

The teams are out. Manchester City, in sky blue, are given a guard of honour by members of their 1976 League Cup winning side. The 50th anniversary of that victory, over Newcastle, comes up next week. The Toon in third-choice blue. As for the weather, Bert Challenor, the talent scout from Comedians by Trevor Griffiths, says it best: “I’ll never understand why they don’t run boats to Manchester.” We’ll be off in a minute.

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Mills scores 21 to lead Maryland to 64-60 win over Washington

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Andre Mills scored 21 points to lead Maryland to a 64-60 win over Washington on Saturday.

Mills was only 7 of 18 from the floor, but 3 of 6 from behind the arc with five assists. He was coming off a career-high 39 points against Northwestern on Wednesday and scored 10 of the Terrapins' final 13 points over the last 6:24 of the game.

Solomon Washington’s 11-point, 14-rebound double-double buoyed the Terrapins (11-16, 4-12 Big Ten), while Elijah Saunders had 12 points and five rebounds.

Maryland held a 34-32 lead at halftime, flipping a game-high eight-point deficit into a lead with a 9-0 run starting at the 14:07 mark. They closed the game with a 13-6 run to retake and hold onto the lead.

The Terrapins had advantages in rebounding and on second-chance points, with 36-23 and 16-2 margins, respectively. While the Huskies shot 46 percent from the field (24-for-52) to 40 percent (23-for-57) for the Terrapins, the Terrapins made five more 3-pointers, and shot 43 percent behind the arc.

Zoom Diallo scored 19 points on 8 of 13 from the field to go with five assists for the Huskies (13-14, 5-11). Hannes Steinbach had 14 points and Wesley Yates III added 12.

Up next

Washington will continue its trip to the East Coast with a visit to Rutgers on Tuesday.

Maryland will face No. 9 Nebraska on the road on Wednesday.

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start again for Dodgers before World Baseball Classic

Feb 21, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Yoshinobu Yamamoto had one very good inning and one bumpy frame in his 2026 spring training debut on Saturday against the Angels in Tempe. But the news from the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener is that Yamamoto will make one more start in Arizona before leaving to join Team Japan in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.

Yamamoto is slated to pitch for Japan for a second straight WBC, with camp opening in Tokyo next weekend. The Dodgers right-hander told reporters after his start on Saturday that he’ll pitch once more for the Dodgers before departing for Japan.

Friday, February 27 has the Dodgers in Scottsdale to play the San Francisco Giants.

As for the game on Saturday in Tempe against the Angels, it was a tale of two innings for Yamamoto.

After a perfect first inning with two strikeouts, the Dodgers scored six runs in the top of the second. Yamamoto was less sharp in the bottom of the second, giving up a double and two singles. Including an error by Teoscar Hernández in left, two runs were charged to Yamamoto’s ledger, one earned. Yamamoto was pulled with two outs in the frame, at 30 total pitches on his day, right in the expected range.

Given that Yamamoto was first out of the gate for the Dodgers, and with opening day not until March 26, there’s room for him to make at least five starts this spring, counting his work in the World Baseball Classic, to build up toward the regular season.

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Atwell, Anderson lead No. 13 Texas Tech in 1st game without Toppin to a 100-72 win over K-State

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Donovan Atwell had 26 points with six 3-pointers, Christian Anderson scored 21 and No. 13 Texas Tech beat Kansas State 100-72 on Saturday in the first game for the Red Raiders since standout post JT Toppin's season-ending knee injury.

Texas Tech (20-7, 10-4 Big 12) maintained a double-digit lead after making nine consecutive shots, including three 3s in a row by Atwell, during a 26-10 run in just under seven minutes for a 40-20 lead with 6:20 left in the first half.

Anderson, who also had nine assists, scored 16 of his points after halftime, when LeJuan Watts had 13 of his 19.

The Red Raiders reached 20 wins for the third season in a row. The school record is four, with coach Bob Knight from 2001-02 to 2004-05.

PJ Haggerty had 17 points and Nate Johnson 15 points for Kansas State (11-16, 2-12), which was playing its second game since a coaching change. The Wildcats beat Baylor 90-74 at home Tuesday, two days after coach Jerome Tang was fired.

The Wildcats led only twice at Tech, when Johnson made their first two shots of the game, a 3 and then a jumper that made it 5-3.

Toppin, the preseason AP All-America selection, averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds a game while having 16 double-doubles before tearing the ACL in his right knee in a 72-67 loss at Arizona State on Tuesday night. He sat at the end of the Tech bench Saturday.

Sophomore forward Luke Bamgboye, a 6-foot-11 transfer from VCU, made his fifth start for the Red Raiders, his first since Dec. 7. He scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting while also having six rebounds and three blocked shots in 21 minutes.

Up next

Kansas State visits Colorado on Wednesday night.

Texas Tech hosts Cincinnati on Tuesday night.

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Hartel, Biel score as St. Louis, Charlotte draw 1-1 in opener

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Marcel Hartel scored in the 60th minute and Pep Biel equalized in the 73rd as St. Louis City SC and Charlotte FC opened the MLS season with a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

St. Louis controlled much of the match, finishing with a 22-9 advantage in shots and an 11-3 edge in shots on goal. Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina made 10 saves.

The teams played to a scoreless first half, with Charlotte generating limited attacking pressure while St. Louis created the better chances. CITY SC made its first substitution of the season early in the second half, bringing on Brendan McSorley.

St. Louis broke through in the 60th minute when Hartel finished from the left side of the box after a well-timed pass from Simon Becher opened space in front of the goal.

Charlotte answered 13 minutes later as Wilfried Zaha delivered a through ball that found Biel making a run into the box, and the midfielder finished to level the match.

St. Louis pushed for a winner late, generating several chances in stoppage time, but Kahlina preserved the draw with multiple close-range saves.

CITY SC finished with a 1.9-0.6 advantage in expected goals and a 6-1 edge in corner kicks, but settled for a point. St. Louis remains unbeaten in its four MLS season-opening matches.

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