The Dylan Larkin rumor mill shows no signs of slowing down, and with new information surfacing seemingly by the hour, the Detroit Red Wings' offseason has become one of the most compelling storylines heading into the summer.
After Larkin's initial three-team trade list became public knowledge, the Red Wings reportedly asked their captain to expand his options and the ripple effects of that request have now produced a dramatically wider field of contenders.
Larkin, 30, has been vocal about his desire to win, and that priority has shaped his thinking throughout this process. However, the three teams on his original list, the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights, present a significant challenge for Detroit GM Steve Yzerman, as none of those organizations carry the kind of return package that would make a trade palatable for a rebuilding Red Wings club looking to accelerate its timeline.
Larkin's wish list and Detroit's needs have not yet aligned, which is precisely why the ask to broaden his no-trade clause came down. The expanded list of rumored suitors has grown considerably according to reports with Elliotte Friedman reported that the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning may have joined the conversation while others have mentioned the Utah Mammoth, Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets have been linked to Larkin's name.
Most recently, on Thursday, The Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta reported that the Philadelphia Flyers are now also joining the sweepstakes, making for a crowded and eclectic group of potential landing spots.
Of all the teams now involved, Montreal stands out as arguably the most intriguing fit on paper for what Detroit would want in return. The Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference Final this past season before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes, and they come equipped with future draft capital, NHL-ready forwards and a deep prospect pool that gives them the flexibility to structure a package around whatever Yzerman envisions. Montreal checks the competitive box for Larkin while also having the organizational depth to satisfy Detroit's front office, a rare combination in this field.
Tampa Bay and Utah also have pieces worth targeting with Sam O'Reilly, Tampa Bay's blue-chip prospect who is expected to make his NHL debut next season, is the kind of centerpiece that could make a Lightning offer appealing to Yzerman.
Utah, meanwhile, has Tij Iginla, son of Hockey Hall of Fame forward Jarome Iginla, who is one of the more coveted young players in the pipeline across the league. Neither team made a deep playoff run this past season, which complicates the fit from Larkin's perspective, but the asset value is undeniable.
Perhaps the most fascinating dark horse in this entire conversation is the Jets as Winnipeg missed the playoffs this past season after winning the Presidents' Trophy the year prior. But what Winnipeg does have some draft capital with the eighth overall pick in the upcoming draft, a respectable prospect pool and perhaps most importantly a proven track record of convincing star players to commit long-term in a non-traditional market.
Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor have all signed significant extensions with the Jets, demonstrating that Winnipeg's front office knows how to make its case to elite players. If the Jets lay everything on the table in an offer sheet to Yzerman, the return package could be compelling enough to force Detroit's hand, provided they can also sell Larkin on a bounce-back season in Manitoba.
The remaining teams in the mix with Florida, Minnesota, Vegas, Dallas and Philadelphia are harder to make a case for on multiple fronts. Some lack the asset depth, others the competitive profile Larkin is seeking, and in most cases, both. They remain part of the conversation for now, but as the summer progresses and negotiations intensify, it would be a surprise if any of them ultimately emerged as the destination.
The teams best positioned to actually get a deal done are Montreal, Tampa Bay, Utah and Winnipeg, each for different reasons and with different trade-offs involved. Detroit is not going to move its captain at a discount, and Larkin is not going to waive his no-trade protection to go somewhere he does not believe can compete. Finding the sweet spot between those two realities will define how and whether this trade ultimately happens.
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Jun 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson coaches against the New York Knicks during the second quarter of game four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
These playoffs have been the ultimate back-and-forth for the young Spurs. When they win, experience doesn’t matter, and talent and comradery trumps all. When they lose, all the conversations about inexperience start up again. By now, it may finally be impossible to ignore, as the list of their failures to execute in the clutch in the Finals has them on the brink of elimination, that their position has been entirely self inflicted. The silver lining is that there are lessons to take from this situation that will help everyone involved with the team to be more prepared in the future.
I continue discussing the wild ebbs and flows of this series with Russell Richardson of Posting and Toasting in this series of Fraternizing with the Enemy conversations in which a ln unlikely friendship has grown so fast and firm that it will certainly endure beyond however these Finals conclude. If you missed them, go back and check out parts parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.
J.R.
My friend, I think I can call you my friend. We’ve spoken on the phone. We’ve exchanged self deprecating remarks. We’ve laughed at each other‘s expense. Yeah, although our friendship isn’t as long as others I have, I think it’s safe to call you my friend. I just hope I can keep you as a friend.
I’m not changing the stakes of this. I hope I’m not changing anything at all. But I am going to admit one of the basic assumptions of our friendship, and more largely an assumption that lies under every Fraternizing with the Enemy post and series I’ve ever done: this can’t end well for both of us.
I’ve gone on record to say that the Game 4 loss will be good for the team in the long run. It might even be great. I’d rather that they lose playing stupid & learn to play smart over time, than to develop the long-term bad habits that come from expecting your talent to bail you out. Rule number one for sports with a clock: when you’re up big, the clock is your primary enemy, not the opponent. Under those circumstances, slow it down, work the ball inside, get twos & FTs. Win. When you’re in the bonus, all of that goes double.
I mean, the team kept on shooting threes early in the clock. Sometimes they even avoided driving an open lane just because a three-pointer was open. As I was saying over and over to the point that I’m sure my parents (who I watched the game with as my family is still in Colorado) were tired of hearing me say “slow it down and work the ball inside,” and the team steadfastly refused to do that.
If no one on the team knows this or can get it across to the rest of the team, then suffering the embarrassment of giving up the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history would be worth it, as long as everyone learns from it. I hated the outcome of this game, and hopefully the team hates it enough to extract every bit of improvement they can from it.
All that said, I need to quote a friend of mine who is fond of saying, “The Spurs have yet to lose a lost game this postseason in which they haven’t shot themselves in the foot.” I believe that the above is true, and I also think that since this amazingly talented, phenomenally confident, outrageously resilient team has spent all season doing things that no team has ever done before while setting all kinds of records, they could still come back from trailing 3-1. That’s as ridiculous as it is scary, but I think it’s completely true.
And that is why I started this section the way that I did … because if that happens, I had to make sure that we’re both prepared for it so that we can remain friends.
And now it’s time for me to talk about how amazingly awesome that game was. I have no attachment to the city of New York or its residents, but when the comeback was happening, I had the strangest thing happen to me. I found that I was actually happy for the people celebrating at the potential demise of my team. Not the celebs or anything outrageous like that, but the wide shots of the arena all cheering and celebrating at the unhinged and bizarre event that was unfolding in front of them and in which they were participating — I felt good for them.
It was so surreal to have that level of empathy in a moment like that. I’m not saying I had an out of body experience and I’m definitely not going to claim enlightenment. It wasn’t anything that felt particularly spiritual or benevolent or unnerving. I just was able to be happy for people being happy that I didn’t and don’t care about at all. It was so strange and yet I definitely recommend it. It’s the kind of thing that takes the edge off losing, for sure.
R.R.
Of the many surprises this postseason, two were the biggest. One was to discover that the Knicks are the team of destiny, chosen by the universe to finally win a championship, hallelujah, amen. The other was to strike up such a rich and enjoyable friendship with an SBNation colleague who, until these Finals, I knew by name only. Thank you again for initiating this incredibly rewarding collaboration. I expect our friendship will extend far past the Knicks’ victory in Game Five.
And if the improbable occurs and your Spurs win three straight, our friendship will stand—but given that I will surely be comatose, you might find it unfulfilling and one-sided.
Now for the game. Whattagame. There have been numerous times this postseason when I have stumbled to bed, disbelieving what I’d seen and convinced that this—THIS—was the greatest game ever played. But then the Knicks do it again.
It had an inauspicious start. Mike Brown’s gameplan for tonight was going to feature Karl Anthony Towns. Mitch Johnson knew it, which is why Fox went right at him on the opening possession. The refs called a questionable brush-by foul, which clearly benefited your side. Then on the other end, they overturned a Wembanyama foul that could go either way because of mutual hooking. It went against Towns, which seemed wrapped in an NBA bow. The card attached read, “Let’s see what New York does with KAT’s hands tied behind his back and his big butt on the bench. Bwa-ha-ha! Love, Adam”.
Meanwhile, someone Manchurian Candidate-d the Knicks in the first half. There were reports of a shadowy figure in a trenchcoat who blew a whistle on the concourse. After that, the whole team turned into zombies.
So the Knicks were not playing with their usual physicality because they expected a whistle. Making matters worse (or better, depending on your rooting interest) was San Antonio’s historic first-half shooting.
With the fouls piling up, Mike Brown had to go deep into his bench. How excited were you to see yer old pal Jeremy Sochan take the floor? Having watched a little of Sochan’s game, I suspect you were salivating.
On the subject of benches: yours scored 28 points. Brown employed seven reserves and they contributed 12 points. Worse (or better, depending on your rooting interest), Hart and Bridges combined for 13 points on 13 shots in 61 minutes. That means the Knicks offense basically was composed of Brunson, Anunoby, and a smattering of Towns. And still…an epic turnaround…how??
Everyone knows that the only way to break a Manchurian Candidate trance is to evoke the powers of the Wu-Tang Clan. Lucky for us, they were booked as the halftime entertainment! Thus explains the historic comeback that undid the historic first-half shooting. All credit belongs with the Wu.
Btw, to hold the Spurs to 14 points in the third quarter was impressive. To then limit them to 16 in the fourth? Astounding.
Someone in your Game Thread (I was lurking!) wrote, “Brunson is going to win the MVP, but OG has been the Knicks’ best player.” That is one hundred percent accurate. OG has been the most consistent player all postseason, full stop. His defense tonight was incredible, and his block on Fox not only kept two critical points off the board, it set up the final possession—where he scored the two winning points. I’ve had an Anunoby jersey in the shopping cart all season long. It’s time for me to checkout.
The Knicks executed their last scoring play to perfection. OG inbounded the ball and took off running—it helped that no one guarded him, so he had an unencumbered runway. Meanwhile, Brunson knew that OG was coming in case of a miss and the timing was critical. Shoot too early and OG would not arrive in time; wait too long, and there might be nothing left on the clock for the tip-in. Oh, and he had to release high enough to clear Wemby’s reach. I’d estimate the likelihood of that play working successfully at 10%, or 1-in-10 times. Which was still more probable than a 29-point turnaround!
My wife, newly interested in the sport, said, “This must be so painful for the creepy bald man.” (She meant Thibs.) She’s right, I’ll bet Tom took this one hard. He was supposed to be on the sideline in the Finals, not that smiley Mike Brown. Grumbling to himself, Tom stops the recording on the VCR and rewinds it. He will re-watch from the beginning with a fresh notebook, keeping track of all Mitch Johnson’s mistakes.
There were a number of gaffes for Thibs to tally. You mentioned a few of them (quick trigger, forsaking the easy buckets, etc.). The Spurs were so far ahead, they could have just committed shot-clock violations throughout the second half to kill time and still would have secured the win. Where do you place the most blame for this collapse? Mitch? Or the players who kept chucking?
J.R.
When it’s time for a post event analysis on a simple disaster (you know, like the Titanic or the Hindenburg), you might be able to place a percentage of blame with a number of the participants in place. But when you’re talking about something like a 29 point lead that evaporates in a game as big as finals Game 4, there’s no such thing as more or less blame. Everyone gets all of it. Which is nice, because they can share. And as everyone knows, sharing is caring.
The thing is, there was something like 17 different individual, group, and systemic failures that happened in order for the Spurs to blow that lead, and if any of those failures doesn’t happen then the Spurs win. Parceling out blame when there are so many key moments that were butter-fingered is a Sisyphisean task. There’s no end to it.
If everyone gets the blame, then everyone improves 1%, and then hopefully it never happens again. For me there is enough even if the team doesn’t come back to win it all this year. For others, I know that talk rubs them the wrong way.
Some people hear this kind of talk and equate it with a lack of caring, and here’s my response to that. I don’t get to choose whether San Antonio wins or loses, I only get to decide how I’m going to respond to it.
That choice is mine and I choose to believe that the Spurs can (like Wemby said he would after G2) take this on the chin, dust themselves off, and learn from it to go on to greatness. I’m not saying that they must lose this series in order to learn how to play with a modicum of humility and a dose of BBIQ, because teams have come back from 3-1 and this Spurs team could make the necessary changes and take it this year. I’m saying that IF they don’t I will see it as a good thing for them even if there’s no guarantee that they ever make it back.
My point is that my choosing to think that there can be a positive to their losing doesn’t mean I’ll assume that they will make it back, nor does it mean that I WANT them to lose. It simply means that I’m continuing to believe in this core truth: one of the best human traits is to find the good amidst the bad and use a negative event as fuel to power eventual triumph. That’s the story I want to tell myself and others, and I refuse to abandon myself again to wallowing in the pain of loss instead of lifting my head up and expecting better things going forward. I’ve lived the other way and I won’t do it any more. It was miserable.
Being down 3-1 isn’t insurmountable, but if it turns out to be too much for this team this year, then I choose to view it as an opportunity and not a hopeless thing. Because this team isn’t behind in this series because they’re not good enough to win. They’re down after four games and on the brink of elimination because they haven’t valued every possession; because they weren’t willing to avoid the easy three and drive; because they haven’t harnessed their immense talent and worked the problem in front of them step by step before celebrating and taunting and reveling in their opponent’s certain defeat; because they’ve yet to learn that some teams don’t have any give-up in them and will come back to beat you if given the chance.
R.R.
We see it similarly: everyone shares responsibility for the loss. Recency bias tends to cast the last mistakes in the worst light, and Fox has caught flak for not running out the clock. But Wemby missed 16 shots and three free throws. Champagnie shot only three times in the second half, and Castle shot once. Vassell was a team-worst -28 plus-minus after intermission. The team committed two turnovers before halftime and nine after. Mitch Johnson mismanaged the game and could have done more to slow the opponent’s momentum.
The Fox layup attempt will live forever because of the timing, but it capped a disastrous stretch of execution. The play distilled San Antonio’s biggest problem in this series, which is trying to win spectacularly when simple game management would have been enough. Sometimes boring is best, boys. (I hope that’s true; it’s one of my defining characteristics.)
Where we differ is that I (unashamedly biased) give more credit to New York. At halftime, Brown didn’t show them any video clips, but chose to let the players discuss the situation among themselves. They decided to try for singles rather than home runs, and Alvarado was a cheerleader, encouraging them to build momentum that could carry over to Game Five.
While the Knicks bunted to get on base, San Antonio scored just 14 points in the third quarter, settled for jumpers, stopped getting into the paint, and never adjusted when OG Anunoby took on the Fox assignment.
Brunson led the comeback, finishing with 36 points and seven assists. He and Anunoby repeatedly delivered big baskets as the Knicks erased a 15-point deficit in the final period. Mike Brown deserves credit, too, for leaning on Alvarado and switching Anunoby onto Fox.
Alvarado was quietly huge. The Knicks needed a second ball handler to take pressure off Brunson, and Deuce McBride has been a dud in the playoffs. Alvarado filled that need, made a couple of big shots, and brought relentless defensive intensity, using all five of his fouls. They wouldn’t have come back without him.
This has become the Knicks’ identity. It was their second massive comeback of the postseason after rallying from 22 down against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals. They have repeatedly taken on a putrid stench of death and somehow risen like Lazarus.
As for the recurring theme of San Antonio building big leads and failing to protect them—with maturity, they will learn to stop doing that.
Take it from a long-suffering Knicks fan: the productive response is collective accountability and improvement. If everyone learns from the failure, the loss can have value regardless of the season’s outcome. It’s 100% true: fans cannot control wins and losses; they can only control how they interpret and respond to them. Finding meaning and growth in defeat is more healing than picking at a scab.
It’s time for my prediction, I suppose. Given that the Knicks already won twice at Frost Bank Center and have the wind at their back from Wednesday’s win, it’s a wrap. The basketball fan in me would love a competitive game, and maybe even a sixth contest before the season concludes. As a Knicks fan, my heart can’t handle any more stress. Saturday night, the Knicks win, they end the 53-year drought, and I still get to jam with Wilco on Tuesday. What say you?
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
It’s mock draft season, and the Sharks have two picks, No. 2 and No. 20, in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
San Jose Hockey Now has asked 15 beat writers and one guest GM to make selections for their teams for this top-20 mock draft. SJHN will make the Sharks’ picks.
Thanks to Mark Masters of TSN, Thomas Drance of The Athletic, Ben Pope of Chicago Sun-Times, Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic, Ryan Pike of Flames Nation, Keegan McNally of the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, Nick Kieser of Lower Broad Hockey, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now, Stefen Rosner of the Elmonters, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch, Sammi Silber of the Hockey News, John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor, and Cole Bagley of KSL Sports for helping out.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
Mark Masters selects winger Gavin McKenna: “John Chayka says they will pick the best player available. Gavin McKenna is the best player available.”
2. San Jose Sharks
Sheng Peng selects defenseman Chase Reid: “If the Sharks have the chance to trade this pick back, and still come out with Reid or fellow top defensive prospect Carson Carels, they should do it. But I’m opting for Reid over Carels and winger Ivar Stenberg, who’s the safer pick, because Reid’s ceiling as a true No. 1 defenseman who can run a top power play is exactly what the Sharks need to make themselves a well-rounded powerhouse in the coming years.”
3. Vancouver Canucks
Thomas Drance selects center Caleb Malhotra: “The Canucks have been scouting Malhotra heavily throughout the OHL playoffs, when he really broke out offensively. I think he represents a lot from a character, work ethic, positional value perspective that they want to be about in this next rebuild, despite some of the associated awkwardness of hiring Manny [as head coach], and then potentially drafting his son. The sense I get is that it’ll be very difficult for them to pass on him, even if Ivar Stenberg remains on the board.”
4. Chicago Blackhawks
Ben Pope selects winger Ivar Stenberg: “Ivar Stenberg not only would be the best player available at No. 4, considering who has been taken, but also would be a perfect fit for the Blackhawks, considering that they see Bedard, Nazar, and Frondell as centers and have a need on the wing for a playmaker who can also hold his own defensively and build something alongside those guys, [including] Frondell with the Swedish connection. An obvious pick, and one that [Kyle Davidson would] be happy to make.”
5. New York Rangers
Vince Mercogliano selects defenseman Carson Carels: “The ideal scenario for the Rangers would involve Malhotra or Stenberg falling to No. 5, but this one seems more likely. They have needs all over, and are therefore, weighing all of the defensemen who could be in the best player available conversation. My sense, at this stage, is it’ll come down to Carels or Alberts Smits.”
6. Calgary Flames
Ryan Pike selects defenseman Keaton Verhoeff: “With two years as Cole Reschny’s teammate, they know him well. Lots of high-end skill and versatility. Would be better if he was a leftie, but they can always move guys, and I don’t think they can resist Verhoeff’s overall skills package.”
7. Seattle Kraken
Keegan McNally selects defenseman Daxon Rudolph: “Seattle has chosen only forwards in the first round since their inception in 2021. Catton, Wright, Sale, Beniers were all first-rounders, and even early seconds in Firkus, Miettinen, Rehkopf were all additions to their forward prospect group. When they do draft defense in the second round, they typically aim for WHL’ers such as Ryker Evans, Lukas Dragicevic, and Blake Fiddler. I think that trend continues but they finally reach for a high-impact offensive defenseman with their first pick. Rudolph easily becomes Seattle’s best defense prospect to add to great forward prospect depth.”
8. Winnipeg Jets
Ken Wiebe selects center Viggo Bjorck: “Securing someone who could ultimately fill the second-line centre role sooner than later is the priority. Don’t worry about any of the potential concerns about Bjorck’s size, he brings a tenacious style to go along with his high-end skill and speed. Bjorck bolstered his draft stock with a strong showing at the recent men’s World Championships. Bjorck also won a gold medal at the World Juniors in St. Paul along with a pair of Jets prospects, Sascha Boumedienne and Alfons Freij.”
9. Florida Panthers
George Richards selects defenseman Alberts Smits: “If the Panthers do not trade this pick in a big deal before the draft, Smits would be a home run selection if he is still around. Smits is a big defenseman who has received great experience both professionally and internationally at a young age. He could potentially move into the Panthers’ plans in the next 2-3 years. Florida has had great luck with players from Latvia, with Uvis Balinskis and top prospect Sandis Vilmanis. If Smits is still around at No. 9, and the Panthers have the pick, it will not take long for them to get his name in.”
10. Nashville Predators
Nick Kieser selects center Tynan Lawrence: “Lawrence would be a wise selection for the Predators as they begin to look toward the future. The center may not have popped off during his freshman season at BU, but that shouldn’t deter Nashville from adding more depth down the middle. Lawrence has time to develop and shine in the NCAA before making the jump to the NHL, and should he be picked by Nashville, it could bode well for new GM Chris MacFarland as he begins his tenure. The budding forward’s dog-on-a-bone mentality coupled with his skill will provide a bright future for any franchise.”
11. St. Louis Blues
Jeremy Rutherford selects winger Ethan Belchetz: “The Blues would’ve preferred one of the top three centers here, but with the Predators picking up Lawrence, Belchetz is a solid pivot. The Blues have an abundance of wingers, and more on the way, but none with Belchetz’s 6-foot-5 size and ability.”
12. New Jersey Devils
James Nichols selects winger Wyatt Cullen: “It’s unlikely the Devils draft a defenseman here and they could really use a blue-chip forward in their pipeline. Wyatt Cullen is the most talented forward on the board at this point. If the Devils don’t trade this pick for more immediate help, they’ll covet Cullen’s skill and skating. The son of former NHLer Matt Cullen, his puck-handling craftiness stands out in a big way, whether he’s winding up for a shot or threading a pass through tight gaps. A strong skater with real top-end speed, he looked like a different player this season, which shows he’s become more comfortable with his frame after a recent growth spurt shot him up to 6-foot-1, 176 lbs…Cullen doesn’t sound too dissimilar from his favorite player, Jack Hughes.”
13. New York Islanders
Stefen Rosner selects winger Adam Novotny: “While the New York Islanders are in need of a right-shot defenseman, Daxon Rudolph is off the board. Novotny projects to be a top-six forward who can play center and wing.”
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
Brian Hedger selects defenseman Malte Gustafsson: “Gustafsson fits into the mix as yet another big, physical, defensive-leaning defenseman who could slide into the left side of the second or third pairing in a couple of years to restock the Blue Jackets’ defensive corps with another quality defender, albeit another lefty. Since Don Waddell took over as the Blue Jackets’ president-GM, they’ve used most of their draft picks to add big, physical players up front and on the back end. This guy fits the mold perfectly and, as all GMs like to note, there’s no such thing as too many quality defensemen. Combined with three big-bodied defensemen selected among the Jackets’ six picks last season, led by swift-skating Jackson Smith, Gustafsson gives Columbus more bite on a back-end that’s already stocked with big, young defensemen.”
15. St. Louis Blues
Jeremy Rutherford selects center Alexander Command: “With another first-round selection just four picks later, the Blues can scoop up their center. The choices are Command and Oliver Suvanto, and either would be fine, but Command has a mixture of physicality, speed, and skill that’s attractive.”
16. Washington Capitals
Sammi Silber selects defenseman Ryan Lin: “A rising right-handed power-play quarterback and one of the top defensemen in the draft. The Caps have Cole Hutson, but will go for the best player available, and Lin adds quite a bit to the blueline. D.C. also needs more depth on that right side.”
17. Los Angeles Kings
John Hoven selects winger Oscar Hemming. An NHL scout told San Jose Hockey Now about Hemming: “He got half the year in college hockey, and the offense was just not there. He had one goal [in 19 games], which is scary … but he’s super young; he might be one of the youngest guys in the draft … if he takes a step offensively, you’re talking legit power forward…there’s a pretty high ceiling with him.”
18. Washington Capitals
Sammi Silber selects winger Elton Hermansson: “The Swede oozes talent and is one of the most skilled players in this class. His ceiling’s high. Areas of his game need fine-tuning, but he could end up being a big steal for DC.”
19. Utah Mammoth
Cole Bagley selects defenseman Tommy Bleyl: “With a fairly shallow defensemen prospect pool, Utah is in need of a strong two-way defenseman who has confidence on the puck and produces offense.”
20. San Jose Sharks
Sheng Peng selects defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii: “In a similar vein as Haoxi (Simon) Wang, the 6-foot-8 Sokolovskii is a project. He’s more refined at the time of the draft than Wang was last year. Sokolovskii is very athletic and physical and projectable, and if he fulfills his potential, he adds an intimidating presence that the Sharks’ blueline of the future doesn’t have, and no doubt, GM Mike Grier would love.”
The Sporting News recently pieced together its Top 20 Greatest NHL Teams of all-time, based on single-season performances, and ranked the 1989 Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames in 14th place.
One season after capturing the franchise's first Presidents' Trophy in 1988 with 105 points, the Flames only advanced to the second round that year. In under one year, they bounced back with an even stronger campaign in 1989, with 117 points, repeating as Presidents' Trophy winners and winning the Stanley Cup.
Featuring a lineup with several future Hall of Famers, including Lanny McDonald, Joe Nieuwendyk, Al MacInnis, Mike Vernon, Joe Mullen, and Doug Gilmour, the Flames collected 117 points, which ranked 11th all-time at the time, among the best single-season performances by a team.
Only six skaters in the NHL managed to score more than 50 goals, with Mario Lemieux leading the pack with 85, but both Mullen and Nieuwendyk tallied 51, finishing fifth and sixth in that category.
Meanwhile, Mullen was the only Calgary player to surpass 100 points, finishing seventh overall in league scoring with 110 points, behind Paul Coffey (113) and ahead of Jari Kurri (102).
Overall, 14 different skaters reached double digits in goals, with eight collecting more than 20. Moreover, 19 recorded more than ten points, with eight reaching at least 50 points.
Between the pipes, Vernon would finish second in Vezina Trophy voting, thanks to a 37-6-5 record with a .897 SV% and .266 GAA. Outside of winning another Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings, including the Conn Smyth Trophy, Vernon never duplicated the successes he had from the 1988-89 season.
Despite outstanding performances from so many key players in the lineup, only Mullen won an NHL Award, walking away with the Lady Byng Trophy, while finishing fifth in Hart Trophy voting. Meanwhile, Vernon lost the Vezina Trophy to Patrick Roy in an 87-54 vote.
On their march to the Stanley Cup Final, their second appearance in three seasons after 1986, they defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games, featuring a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory in Game 7. Then they swept a Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings in the Division Finals before eliminating the Chicago Blackhawks in five games. With a Game 2 win at the Saddledome, the Blackhawks ended the Flames' six-game winning streak.
In the 1989 Stanley Cup Final, a rematch from 1986 against the Montreal Canadiens, the Flames jumped out to a 1-0 series win with a 3-2 win in Game 1. Montreal took Games 2 and 3, including a double overtime win in the latter. Down but not out, the Flames won Game 4 4-2 before a 3-2 win in Game 5. On May 25, 1989, Calgary became the first and only team to celebrate a Stanley Cup victory as a visitor at the Montreal Forum, with a 4-2 win.
MacInnis won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP with 31 points in 22 games, including four game-winners. Meanwhile, Mullen led all playoff scorers with 16 goals, ten at even strength, on a playoff-leading 91 shots.
As of 2026, the 1988-89 season remains the best in franchise history, not only because it led to the only Stanley Cup title, but because they set records for wins, points, and points percentage. Through 53 seasons, only two other Flames teams have won more than 50 games, including the 2018-19 and 2021-22 squads.
Close to 40 seasons since that magical season, the 111 points the Flames accumulated that year now rank 24th all-time, a confirmation of how special it was to achieve those win and point totals before the mass expansion in the 1990s and 2000s.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 3: AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars drives to the basket during the second half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena on March 3, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards have won just one NBA title, but that doesn’t mean they’ve lacked elite prospects.
Before winning the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, Washington had made four No. 1 picks since 1960. With another talented prospect soon arriving in D.C., let’s look at where AJ Dybantsa — the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft — would slot in among the best prospects in Wizards history.
But first, a few things before we get into this ranking.
This list contains the best prospects in Washington’s franchise history, which extends beyond those who wore “Wizards” across their jersey.
The rankings have nothing to do with a player’s NBA production and everything to do with a player’s college/high school production and pre-draft evaluation.
Tier 1: The top-3 — in no particular order
Wes Unseld
As a junior at Louisville, Unseld was named a First-Team All-American after averaging 23.0 points and 18.3 rebounds on 61.3% FG. In fact, Unseld averaged 18+ points and 18+ rebounds during all three of his collegiate campaigns.
Washington selected Unseld with the No. 2 pick in the 1968 NBA Draft — one spot behind Elvin Hayes, who later won an NBA championship with Unseld as members of the Washington Bullets.
John Wall
It’s hard to compare eras, which made this ranking tough. With that said, John Wall’s combination of speed, finishing ability and athleticism at Kentucky was otherworldly — and that’s not hyperbole.
Wall entered his freshman season as the No. 2 prospect in his high school class and quickly overtook Derrick Favors for the top spot. The future All-Star averaged 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game and earned First-Team All-American honors as a freshman.
Wall blew past defenders in the open court and got to his spots in the halfcourt. He was simply too skilled and too fast for the college game. Kentucky went 35-3 that season, and the Wizards selected Wall with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft. I’d say that pick turned out pretty well for Washington.
Walt Bellamy
Bellamy’s collegiate stats rivaled Unseld’s in points and rebounds, but the Louisville product scored more efficiently (61.3%) than his frontcourt predecessor (50.1%).
The 6-foot-11 center averaged 21.8 points and 17.8 rebounds during his senior season at Indiana before the Chicago Packers selected him No. 1 in 1961. Bellamy’s rare combination of size, skill and touch around the rim made him the clear top prospect in his class.
Tier 2: Incredible talents
Earl Monroe
Earl Monroe, Washington’s No. 2 pick in 1967, averaged an incredible 41.5 points per game as a senior at Winston-Salem State. The 6-foot-3 guard was an unstoppable scoring force that year as he led the Rams to a Division II national championship.
The main separator between Monroe and the aforementioned top three is that he played at the Division II level, while the others dominated Division I. While there was a clear difference in competition, Monroe still averaged over 40 points a game — an impressive feat at any level of hoops that slots him just below the first tier of Wizards prospects.
AJ Dybantsa
AJ Dybantsa hasn’t been selected by Washington just yet, but according to FanDuel Sportsbook, he’s a -475 favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.
Dybantsa’s size, athleticism and scoring ability have made him the best prospect on most draft boards. His 25.5 points per game led Division I, and his incredible vertical (42-inch maximum vertical at the NBA Combine) was on display in several highlight-reel dunks.
At 6-foot-10 in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan and untapped scoring potential, the 19-year-old forward possesses an All-NBA ceiling. Some draft experts, like CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein, believe Dybantsa could lead the NBA in scoring one day.
Dybantsa doesn’t possess the interior scoring game or incredible rebounding skill that Unseld and Bellamy did. And unlike Wall and Bellamy, the BYU product isn’t considered the consensus best player in his draft class.
But Dybantsa’s collegiate scoring production and high ceiling would still place him among Washington’s top-five all-time prospects, which includes three Hall-of-Famers — Bellamy, Unseld and Monroe — and a five-time All-Star in Wall who leads the franchise in assists (5,282) and steals (976).
15 Jan 1998: General view of a game between the Colorado Avalanche and the San Jose Sharks at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. The game was a tie, 2-2. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport | Getty Images
The past thirty years of Avalanche hockey have featured incredible highs, and some very, very dismal lows.
As an avid fan of The Simpsons, I’ve witnessed plenty of “best of times” moments, but also been subjected to a smattering of unpleasant “blursts” of times. In this first of an ongoing off-season series, I take a look back through the past thirty years, highlighting one moment that stands among the best, and comparatively, the worst (or blurst, if you will) each season.
Here are the best and blurst moments from the first five years of Colorado Avalanche history.
1995-1996
The Best: Colorado Captures Stanley Cup #1 (June 10, 1996)
If you were on board for the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs, you knew exactly where you were when Colorado Avalanche defenseman Uwe Krupp made history.
At the 4:31 mark of the third overtime in Game Four, Krupp’s blue line shot surprised Florida Panthers goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, cementing a 1-0 victory to complete the sweep and secure the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. The championship, which was the first major professional championship for the state of Colorado, was a storybook ending for the Avalanche’s first season in Denver after relocating from Quebec.
Joe Sakic was named the Conn Smythe trophy winner as playoff MVP, succeeding the late Claude Lemieux, who won the trophy with the New Jersey Devils the previous year. Both Lemieux and goaltender Patrick Roy, acquired through the year by Avs general manager Pierre Lacroix, won their third Stanley Cup championship. Peter Forsberg had a coming out party during the Stanley Cup Final, scoring a hat trick in Game Two en route to the eventual Stanley Cup summit.
There couldn’t be a better best moment for this team to begin its time in the Mile High City.
The Blurst: Uwe Krupp’s Season-Opening Knee Injury (October 5, 1995)
While Krupp’s Cup-clinching goal that night (or early morning) in June was the signature on his Avs tenure, the fact that he was even on the playoff roster is nothing short of remarkable. During the season opener against Detroit, he took a hard hit from Martin LaPointe in the third period, resulting in ACL, MCL, and lateral meniscus tears. Krupp had already registered two assists—including one on that very sequence which set up Valeri Kamensky’s game-winning goal—up to that point in the game.
Krupp missed 76 regular season games before returning on April 6, 1996, in the Avs 5-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks at the Shark Tank. He registered a single assist in the six regular season games he played before setting career highs in playoff points (16), assists (12), and goals (4) during the 1996 playoff run, culminating in the goal that made Avalanche history.
A happy ending saved what was a blurst of a regular season for Krupp.
1996-1997
The Best: Colorado Captures Its First Presidents Trophy
Out to prove that their Stanley Cup victory the previous year was no fluke, the Avs finished the 1996-1997 regular season with 49 wins, 24 losses, and 9 ties, totaling 107 points to claim their first Presidents Trophy in franchise history. The mark surpassed the previous season’s point total (104) and set a franchise record for wins in a regular season. Adam Deadmarsh led all skaters in goals (33), a career high. Peter Forsberg led all skaters in assists (58) and points (86).
The Avs would enter the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the top seed, with home ice on their side for another return to the Stanley Cup Final. They defeated the Chicago Blackhawks and the Edmonton Oilers in the first two rounds before falling in the Western Conference Final to the Detroit Red Wings.
The Blurst: Fight Night at the Joe (March 26, 1997)
You had to know this was coming.
While the loss to Detroit in the 1997 Western Conference Final certainly stung, this game has its own unique sting.
Ever since Claude Lemieux’s blind hit on Kris Draper the previous year, he was marked man when Colorado paid its final regular season visit to Detroit. What unfolded was the perfect storm of fury, fisticuffs, and more than a few goals. Detroit got its long-awaited revenge late in the first period, as Darren McCarty lit the fuse and got his pound of flesh against Lemieux, who refused to engage, at the 18:22 mark.
Absolute carnage ensued in the wake of McCarty’s punch on Lemieux. Both teams would amass eighteen fighting majors apiece—including a wild exchange between goaltenders Patrick Roy and Mike Vernon—and two game misconducts in the first forty minutes alone. To that point, Colorado had the better of Detroit on the scoreboard, nursing a two goal lead early in the third period. That lead eventually evaporated, with Detroit scoring twice in 0:56 to tie the game. Adding insult to (avenge) injury, McCarty tallied the game-winner in overtime.
This game became a rallying cry for fans of the Winged Wheel, and served as the watershed moment for the storied rivalry between both clubs. Detroit would succeed Colorado as Stanley Cup champions in June (and again the following year).
The undisputed blurst of the season.
1997-1998
The Best: The Olympic Stage (February 7-22, 1998)
The 1998 Winter Olympic Games was a groundbreaking event for the NHL. For the first time, professional athletes would be allowed to compete, giving a sizeable advantage to member nations featuring premier talents throughout the League.
Colorado sent nine players to Nagano: Adam Foote (Canada), Patrick Roy (Canada), Joe Sakic (Canada), Jari Kurri (Finland), Uwe Krupp (Germany), Alexei Gusarov (Russia), Valeri Kamensky (Russia), Peter Forsberg (Sweden), and Adam Deadmarsh (USA).
Despite the infusion of professional talent, Canada, Sweden, and the United States all failed to reach medal contention. The Czech Republic, backstopped by Buffalo’s Domink Hasek, won its first (and so far, only) gold medal over Russia. Gusarov and Kamensky would return to Colorado with silver medals, and Kurri with a bronze medal.
Although he would make his NHL debut the following season, Milan Hejduk—drafted by Quebec in 1994—captured Olympic gold as a member of the Czech Republic roster.
The Blurst: Elimination by Edmonton (May 4, 1998)
After handily dispatching Edmonton in five games the previous year, the expectation was that the Avs would breeze past them again. Extended playoff runs had become the standard for a team as deep as the Avs after two consecutive appearances in the Western Conference Final.
Edmonton, however, had other plans.
The Avs had a 1-0 lead going into the third period in Game Five at McNichols Sports Arena. Edmonton scored three unanswered goals to stave off elimination, then proceeded to shut out the Avs in Game Six (a 2-0 decision) and Game Seven (an embarrassing 4-0 decision on home ice).
It’s absolutely baffling that a team loaded with undisputed Hall of Fame talent would go completely cold in 163:40 of playing time for the balance of the series, but somehow, this version of the Avalanche pulled it off.
This blurst cost head coach Marc Crawford his job, as he was replaced by Bob Hartley during the off-season.
1998-1999
The Best: Florida Falls in Forsberg-Fueled Frenzy (March 3, 1999)
Anyone would (rightly) assume that, if Patrick Roy surrendered five goals—including a natural hat trick to a future Hall of Famer—that it just wasn’t the Avs’ night (at best), or that they laid a pretty large egg (at worst).
This game would be a very rare exception.
After Florida’s Scott Mellanby followed up Pavel Bure’s hat trick, things were looking pretty grim for Colorado. The Avs trailed 5-0 at that point, and they were in desperate need of someone, anyone to provide a spark.
That someone was Peter Forsberg.
His first goal of the night would break the shutout late in the second period, and the Avs would score six more goals on goaltender Sean Burke in the third period to pull off a miraculous comeback to defeat Florida by a 7-5 decision. Nine skaters would combine for sixteen(!) points in the third period alone to secure the victory. Forsberg would have six of those third period points—including finishing off his own hat trick—en route to the win, claiming first star of the game honors.
Craig Billington, who replaced Roy for the third period, stopped all eight shots he faced.
Hands down, easily one of the best of regular season bests throughout Avalanche history.
The Blurst: Game 7 vs. Dallas (June 4, 1999)
Spoiler: This won’t be the only time Dallas appears on this list.
After last season’s playoff run got cut short by Edmonton, the Avs returned to the Western Conference Final upon dispatching the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings in the first two rounds. A second trip to the Stanley Cup Final was within reach after the Avs took a 3-2 series lead with a 7-5 victory over Dallas in Game Five at Reunion Arena.
Claude Lemieux opened the scoring for the Avs in Game Six with a late first period goal. Unfortunately, they couldn’t crack Dallas’ trademark brand of boring defensive hockey for the balance of the contest, which Dallas would win by a 4-1 decision. Old friend Mike Keane became the hero in Game Seven for Dallas, scoring two of their four goals against Patrick Roy (amid nauseating repeated chants of, “Eddie’s better!” from the stands).
Joe Sakic would score the only goal for Colorado with just over six minutes left in the game, which was too little too late: Colorado would lose by a score of 4-1 at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champions*.
(* The asterisk is a blurst of a different kind.)
1999-2000
The Best: The Pepsi Center Era Begins (October 13, 1999)
To this point in Avalanche history, concerns arose whether Ascent Entertainment Group (AEG), owners of the club at the time, could afford to keep the talented roster together. Two years earlier, AEG was hard-pressed to match the front-loaded offer sheet that Joe Sakic had signed with the New York Rangers, but successfully managed to retain his services for the next three seasons. During this time, AEG was also looking to secure an agreement with the City of Denver for a successor to McNichols Sports Arena closer to downtown Denver.
After some tense negotiations—and a timely infusion of cash from the success of Air Force One, which was produced by Beacon Pictures (owned by AEG at the time)—ground finally broke on what would become Pepsi Center. The project was completed at a cost of $197 million dollars, and would secure the revenue needed to keep the nucleus of the roster intact into the new millennium. The arena was completed in time for the 1999-2000 season.
The Avs played their first game in their new home against the Boston Bruins on October 13, 1999. Milan Hejduk scored the first goal in the building’s history during the second period, and Adam Foote provided the game-winning tally late in the third period, securing a 2-1 victory. Patrick Roy stopped 25 of 26 shots, earning first star honors in the contest.
The Blurst: Game 7 vs. Dallas (May 27, 2000)
After losing Game Seven to Dallas the previous season, this year was going to be different, right?
It was, but only different in that the heartbreak was even worse.
Trailing 3-2 in their Western Conference Final series, the Avs seemingly had some momentum after Chris Drury’s game-winner in Game Six sent the series back to Texas. Dallas scored the first three goals of the contest, but third period strikes from Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk set up a tense finish. The Avs threw everything they could at goaltender Ed Belfour, but couldn’t come up with the tying goal as time wound down.
With Patrick Roy pulled for the extra attacker with seconds left on the clock, defenseman Raymond Bourque—traded to Colorado from Boston in the hopes of closing out his career with a Stanley Cup ring—collected a loose puck in the Dallas zone and threw a desperation shot on goal…only to have the puck ricochet off Adam Deadmarsh, bounce off the far post, and roll harmlessly away.
For second straight postseason in a Game Seven, Colorado’s playoff dreams were burst by Dallas.
(Or more appropriately, blurst.)
This loss would serve as the third consecutive Game Seven exit for the Avs, but the pendulum would soon swing back in their favor.
Was there a best (or blurst) from the first five years of Avalanche hockey that was overlooked? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Offensive rebounding has long been the Knicks' calling card. Even as the team’s offense shape-shifted from stylistically rugged to one that hummed with passing and shooting, the offensive boards remained a focal point of New York’s success.
Now, just one game stands in the way of the Knicks winning the third championship in the team’s history and the first since 1973.
Here’s three keys to the Knicks potentially making history in Game 5...
Difference-maker
There’s a clear argument for Anunoby being New York’s best player in not only this series, but the entire playoff run. He’s been that good. In four games, Anunoby is averaging 23.5 points on 58 percent from the field, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks.
Now, you can add the tip-in and the block of Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox in the closing moments of Game 4 to the resume for Anunoby.
Everything is working for Anunoby, but the corners are where the Knicks’ two-way wing is thriving. He’s shooting 53.3 percent on corner three-point shots during the playoffs, per NBA Stats, and he’s converting 63.2 percent of those shots during the Finals.
On the other end, the game changed when Anunoby was switched on to Fox. He disrupted Fox, forcing the All-Star guard into turnovers and difficult shots. It was a career-defining moment, and it will be interesting to see if Anunoby can continue this stellar play in Game 5.
Comeback kids
This series has played out with a familiar theme in all four games. The Spurs have jumped out to double digit leads in the first quarter. But somehow, some way, the Knicks have won three of those contests.
And we’ve seen this story before.
New York came back from a 22-point fourth quarter deficit against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. In last year’s playoff run, the Knicks had two huge comebacks from 20-point deficits against the Boston Celtics in the second round.
It’s hard to analyze why this team is so good at facing sizable deficits. But it does speak to the team’s leadership. Captain Jalen Brunson’s even-keeled personality is a calming influence.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) in the second quarter during game four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
It also helps that the Knicks can often go to Brunson in the late stages of games, and he can create a good look for himself or his teammates more often than not.
It would be nice to see the Knicks actually take a lead in the first quarter, but going into Saturday night’s game, it’s easy to feel confident in the Knicks regardless of the scenario.
Extra ball-handler
The Spurs have thrown the kitchen sink at Brunson, applying full court pressure on the Knicks’ star, and occasionally bringing two to the ball.
With New York’s lack of ball handlers on the roster, one adjustment to make was creating more time for Jose Alvarado to play with Brunson in a two point guard alignment.
Alvarado closed the game. And the move worked to perfection. The point guard was a plus-11 on Wednesday night, recording eight points (all in the fourth quarter) and three assists in 16 minutes.
Alvarado was a pressure release valve for Brunson.
When the Knicks’ captain was trapped, Alvarado could catch and drive to the paint. He created an open corner three for Anunoby, faked a pass into a nifty finish around the basket, and nailed an important three-pointer while on the floor with Brunson.
The two point guards had never before shared the court during the postseason. But there were some signs the pairing could work. Alvarado and Brunson were a plus-15.8 points per 100 possessions in 114 minutes together during the regular season.
Heading into Game 5, Brunson and Alvarado playing together should be something the Knicks go to again.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Larry David and John McEnroe attend Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City. 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 Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s a chance we are a little over 24 hours from the biggest celebration in Knicks history.
There’s no chance you miss it.
Here’s everything we missed coming off the historic Game 4 victory as the Knicks get back to practice ahead of Saturday’s matchup.
“I know a lot of you guys can’t because you’re in the media, and you’ve got to be neutral, but I’m going to [expletive] clap for Jose. Sorry, Mom. Jose was unbelievable tonight.”
On why he inserted Alvarado in the fourth quarter:
“Jose has been good in the pick-and-roll. And if Jalen [Brunson] wanted to get off the ball for a few possessions, Jose could handle it, and he could touch the paint and make the game easier for others. If Jalen was on the ball and the ball got sprayed and it found Jose, Jose can then touch the paint with his speed. So that’s all I was trying to do is see if we can touch the paint a little bit more with the two guards out there while the floor was spaced the right way. See if we can get some easy looks, especially from the three-point line, while trying to play faster.”
On luck and making your own breaks:
“The reality is that not just in basketball, not just in sports, but life, too, and I think you all can attest to this, you have to have a little luck. But you also can go make your own luck, too. That’s probably the biggest message. You got to get a little lucky in sports, but let’s do what we do so you can make some of that luck happen.”
On James Dolan’s pregame prediction:
“You know, he owns the team. He can say whatever he wants to say. Maybe he feels something, I don’t know. But I’m 100 percent OK with him saying whatever he feels like he needs to say.”
José Alvarado is dude from Brooklyn who just played a major part in biggest comeback in Finals history for his hometown team
“You said it, two kids from here, right. I’m not going to sugarcoat this: I was about to cry, not because — obviously there is one more [game to win], but I’m at Madison Square Garden, end of the fourth quarter, playing with these guys, and we’re playing for something special. I was just — I was just excited. It’s really something I couldn’t put in words. And like I said, we could get excited and enjoy this, but we got one more to do.”
On being part of the Knicks’ journey:
“It’s crazy, 2026 Finals [wallpaper] behind me. Just to be part of the journey is amazing. I appreciate, you know, coach and everybody giving me my flowers, but this is what I worked hard for, to be in moments like this and shine with it. So I’m glad it went our way today, and I’ll definitely remember this for the rest of my life. But you know, next game, this is the next game, man. We’ve got to worry about when we play over there.”
“Every time we’re in the game with OG, third quarter, second quarter, he may not be feeling like he’s playing his best. Every time I talk to him, I say, I already know what OG Anunoby is going to do in the fourth quarter, and he did exactly what I thought he would do. He gave us a chance to win, and that’s all you could ask for from the best two-way player in the NBA.”
On OG’s game-winner:
“What it is they call Messi – Hand of God? That was the hand of God. I think I’m going to get that hand bronzed.”
On his emotions after the Game 4 win:
“I think for me, you could see my reaction, the emotion, it kind of spilled out of that moment. It was tears of joy, you know. Just it wasn’t boo-hoo or anything, just tears of joy, because like I say, all you can do is ask for a chance. And for me personally, I just wanted one break in life. And I got one. I got one at that last play with OG making the shot and us getting the stop. I just wanted one break in life, just one thing to go my way, one time, and I’m glad it did. I’m glad it did for us, man. God is good, man.”
On Jose Alvarado:
“It’s tough for me to be a Dominican talking about a Puerto Rican like this, but man, when you talk about somebody who not only lives up to the moment but plays with his emotion and utilizes that to his advantage, that’s a rare quality. You know, a lot of times, you play with a lot of people and they play with emotion, but it gets the better of them. For Jose, that emotion is what drives him and makes him take it to another level. He’s a special player . . . He has so much to his basketball game that people don’t give credit to, and I’m glad on this stage on a night like this, he was able to show the world what he can do when he’s given a chance.”
On the halftime vibes after trailing by 29:
“For us, when we got in there at halftime, we understood we were disappointed with the performance we had in the first half. That’s, of course, the result of walking in. But I’ve always talked about the unity and the connectivity of this team. Went in there, people spoke up. Jose (Alvarado), just saying, regardless how the result of the game comes out, we can’t at least not work on our standards and be who we are.”
On his feelings after the comeback win:
“You could see my reaction, the emotion, it kind of spilled out of that moment. It was tears of joy… all you can do is ask for a chance. And for me personally, I just wanted one break in life. And I got one. I got one at that last play with OG making the shot and us getting the stop.”
"We're gonna find a way to win. That's gonna be our motto…Things aren't always how you planned…Stay connected, focused…We're gonna fight…not gonna quit, not gonna lay down. The game may be ugly…We're not afraid of failure, big-time thing about us"
“OG is someone who brings it every night. His work ethic, since the moment I’ve been teammates with him and seen him, has grown. His confidence has grown just because of his work ethic. Everything that I’ve seen, he’s gotten exponentially better at. So regardless of what the outside world thinks of him, we know what we have in our locker room, and we have a superstar in that locker room.”
On the Knicks’ halftime talk in Game 4:
“There really wasn’t much to be said at that point. Just, ‘We need to chip away, hit singles.’”
Miles McBride
On the Knicks’ knack for improbable wins:
“I wish I knew.”
On why and how the Knicks keep doing it:
“Because then I’d stop it and we’d get good solid wins. At the end of the day, a win is a win. We got to take it.”
"I got a special shout-out for OG because he saved me, at least for this game, a lifetime of regret."
“OG, he’s been amazing since he’s got here. This whole playoff run, he’s been amazing on both ends of the ball. He’s a winning player and he made a winning play.”
On the Knicks’ mindset during the comeback:
“You don’t look at when you’re down 29 — we’ve got to win this game. You look at it when you’re down 29 of ‘OK, let’s get it to 20.’ There’s three minutes left in the third quarter. We’re down 18, you’re thinking, ‘Let’s get it to 10.’ In the fourth quarter, you’re like, this is winning time. Anything can happen. And when you have a group of guys that do that — it starts with (president) Leon (Rose), (executive VP William Wesley) — and (head coach) Mike (Brown) is the same — and it just trickles down.”
On the journey to this point:
“Every game, every second, every practice of the season, it led us to this point. Now we have to go into San Antonio on Saturday and get ready for another battle. Special shoutout for OG, man, because he saved me, at least for this game, a lifetime of regret.”
Mikal Bridges on the halftime message during Game 4:
"We've been here before. We've been down a lot before. You just gotta take it one possession at a time. You can't get it back in one" pic.twitter.com/rLPkBsRFcg
“Unbelievable. He’s different, man. I’m happy he’s on my team.”
On the Garden atmosphere:
“It was loud, especially when we made that run. It was unbelievable.”
"We were terrible early, got off to a horrible start. Huge deficit late, but this is the most proud I've been of our group. Just our collective approach from halftime on, nobody panicking"
“We’ve got to try to put it behind us. Get back to the things that we’ve done well in these games. … We have to figure out a way to hold the lead. We’ve been able to build double-digit leads in all four of these games, and we’ve got to figure out a way to sustain that. It obviously looks like a steep hill, but this is something that’s happened before. … We feel like we have a team that is able to come back from this, but we have to take this one game at a time.”
"I expect to win tonight – we're gonna win tonight, we're gonna win The Finals"
“They make us all feel a part of it. Like we’re a part of them.”
Latrell Sprewell
On the Game 4 comeback:
“I can’t even put it into words. We were just thinking, ‘Get it close. Get it to 25, get it to 20, get it to 15, get it to 10. Put the pressure on them.’ I never thought they totally had it. I mean, once we got even or we got within four, I said, OK, we have a real shot.’”
Melo's words courtside made its way to the Knicks players before OG's game-winner 👀
“I was yelling at them the whole time: ‘The offensive rebound is there! The offensive rebound is there!’ Coming out of that timeout, I made eye contact with them and was yelling ‘The offensive rebound is there! Somebody go!’ I didn’t know who was going to go. But I just kept yelling, somebody go!”
"One more baby one more"
Mariska Hargitay, Spike Lee, Kurt Thomas, Iman Shumpert, Kiyan Anthony, Karl Towns Sr, Gerald Wilkins, Victor Cruz, John Wallace, John Starks, Leon, Metta, Joe, AJ Dybantsa, Chris Dudley, Perk, Raekwon, Spree & Starbury w Tim Thomas postgame center court pic.twitter.com/WKJT4hFo6Q
“Here’s another thing. These seats cost an arm and a leg. It is more affordable to drive down to Philly and come back. It’s more affordable to buy a round trip ticket to Atlanta. A round trip ticket to Cleveland. So I’m fortunate that I can afford to see it. But everybody can’t. That’s why we travel.”
“I was in the back. I just wanted to take a breather and just kind of evaluate in my own mind what was going on. And all I kept saying was, ‘Let’s drive. Let’s get in the paint. Defense, defense.’ And, yo. They sustained. They did what they needed to do. With a little bit of Wu energy. I think it helped a little.”
Wally Szczerbiak
On Josh Hart’s rebounding:
“He’s maybe the best rebounder ever under 6-6 that I can remember in the NBA. San Antonio was struggling to score, but San Antonio is a good offensive rebounding team, and they attacked the offensive glass. And there were some of those rebounds that kind of bounced up there, and they were 50-50 rebounds, and then you got Josh Hart coming out of the pack with ‘em. And not only does he come out of the pack, he starts the fast break, because he can handle the ball and push it up the floor.”
On Hart’s rebounding mentality:
“Anytime he gets his hands on or around the ball, he secures it immediately. So he can outfight a lot of people for it. And then I just think . . . rebounding is a mentality. You have to think ‘rebound.’”
“They pursue the ball, and they read where it’s coming off the rim. And I think that’s what Josh Hart is really good at . . . and he just has that tenacity and that gift to pursue it and get to the ball quick, quicker than others. That’s kind of what makes him so great.”
On the value of rebounding in the NBA:
“With the analytical uptick in the NBA, and in all sports in general . . . getting your hands on the ball more often than the other team, that’s like gold. That’s the most important analytical measurement, and it’s very simple: the more possessions we get, the more opportunities we get to shoot threes to make points.”
“When you can get extra possessions and offensive rebounds, that leads to, just, backbreaking extra points. The other team . . . if they don’t secure the rebound after playing good defense, and forcing you to miss, they might as well have allowed you to score on the first attempt.”
On the Knicks’ offensive rebounding mentality:
“I know the Knicks coaches, all their analytical coaches, they teach the players anytime you get an offensive rebound, that’s like finding $20 on the side of the road. And immediately turn it around and try to make this a three. Try to get the ball to the three-point line immediately.”
“Heart [not Hart] over height. I mean, that’s what it is. He’s heart over height.”
On the mindset of rebounding:
“When it comes to rebounds, it’s all about a ‘want to’ mindset. You’ve got to want the basketball. And then go get it.”
On rebounding instincts:
“Some people have it, some people don’t. If you can follow the flight of the basketball — which most people don’t — then you can kind of see where it’s gonna hit and where it’s gonna come off. And you can, if you’re quick, you can get there.”
On apologizing to Jalen Brunson for not considering him a title-winning player:
“I want to tell you now because I want to tell it to your face, and then I’ll say it publicly after. But I want to apologize in one game. So I will say it now to your face: I’m sorry. Then I will say it when you go and get your ring: I apologize.”
Always great to talk Knicks/NBA with my friend @ZachLowe_NBA… we were both lucky enough to be in MSG last night so we get into Game 4, OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, what’s next, some bigger picture Spurs stuff and more on The Zach Lowe show: https://t.co/eA5cyRgCjz
“What a playoffs for OG Anunoby. He is averaging 21 points and six rebounds. Here’s his playoff shooting splits: 58% shooting, 51% on threes, 64% on twos.”
On Anunoby’s Finals production:
“In the finals, he is averaging 24 points a game on 58% shooting and 57% on threes, and despite averaging five and a half points less than Jalen Brunson and three and change assists less than Jalen Brunson, and Jalen Brunson having big moments in Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio, I think the Finals MVP right now would be OG Anunoby with a bullet.”
Chris Webber crushed the Spurs after their historic Game 4 collapse against the Knicks:
"That was just probably the dumbest game, and I'd like to say most arrogant game, that's ever been played with the stakes this high.
“That was just probably the dumbest game, and I’d like to say most arrogant game, that’s ever been played with the stakes this high.”
On San Antonio’s shot selection:
“It just shows how you really have to have on-the-court feel and not just analytics, because I don’t think analytics would tell you to shoot the ball eight times in a row if you miss, and taking shots early in the shot clock.”
Dwyane Wade
On the unpredictability of the Finals:
“I don’t think [any] of us expected the Knicks to go on to San Antonio and win two. And then turn around and San Antonio to win one [in New York]. The unexpected, the unknown. That’s what we love about sports. We don’t know the outcome. I love that these great athletes have put everything into this. Everything into their performance, into their individuality and also, everything into [their] team.”
On the Knicks’ tendency for comebacks and their deep postseason run:
“It’s game to game, possession to possession. The Knicks have habits that’s been built over years, especially this season with this unit. Obviously, with coach [Mike] Brown and his staff coming in, you gotta leave it to the fans to look at the outcome. You guys’ job is to look at the steps that you need and the habits that you built. Make sure you continue to work those and continue to work the game. The Knicks have given themselves a chance to win every game, and if you do that for seven games, you could possibly walk away with four wins. It’s not as complicated as it is for the fans, but inside you know who you are, you know what you can do. There’s gonna be a lot of ebb and flow, and they gotta stay the course.”
“The game was so brutal, down 29 at the half, but I’m telling you, to watch this team fight and claw their way back — to see that look in Jalen’s eyes — there are just endless life lessons in there.”
On OG Anunoby’s game-winner:
“And then OG comes flying in, his orange and blue cape fluttering behind him, and then it’s just pandemonium.”
On the moment:
“It‘ll get replayed again and again, not just as an epic moment in basketball, but on the highlight reel of the best moments in sports. And all I could think was ‘THAT JUST HAPPENED!!!’ And ‘OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!’ And ‘OH MY GOD, I LOVE THIS CITY!!!’”
"She's not a Knicks fan. Get out of here girl!"
Monica McNutt is not a fan of Taylor Swift being at Game 4.
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 11, 2026
Monica McNutt
On Taylor Swift attending Game 4:
“She’s not a Knicks fan. Get out of here, girl.”
On not realizing Swift’s Knicks connection and appologizing afterward:
“I did not know. We just saw her in Cleveland with her fiancé ― obviously, Travis supports the Cavs ― she didn’t have on any Knicks paraphernalia, so I did not know of her Knicks loyalty.”
“Swifties, I appreciate your passion. I said what I said and here’s the deal, if I’m wrong, and I am wrong apparently because we’ve got an OG Amar’e Stoudemire jersey. I misspoke. I apologize.”
Michael Bloomberg
On his friendship with Jose Alvarado:
“Our second meeting went a little smoother. Huge congrats to my new friend [Alvarado] and the [Knicks] on their historic comeback. Don’t ever count NYC out. One more to go. Let’s Go Knicks!”
"Larry's (David) like, 'Let's get out of here, I can't handle this anymore!' I'm like, 'Larry, take a deep breath here!'"
“It was hard for me to believe that I — and I would italicize the ‘I’ if I knew how — that I could witness that. I’m supposed to miss games and moments like that. That’s what I was thinking.”
John McEnroe
On the Garden crowd at Game 4:
“I’ve never felt the energy in a crowd at Madison Square [Garden]. We used to play a big tennis event there [the season-ending Masters], and nothing’s ever come close to that. No one left after an hour.”
On his exchange with Larry David during the comeback:
“We were sort of a little negative at 71-42. He was like, ‘Let’s get outta here.’ He was like, ‘Let’s get outta here.’ I go, ‘Larry, listen, over the years it hasn’t come up the way we expected [as Knicks fans].’ You know, I’ve blown a couple [of] big leads in my life….It was sort of like, ‘Here we go again, we’re gonna lose this. Something bad’s gonna happen.’”
On trying to stay optimistic:
“I said, ‘Larry, we have to get a little more positive here. If they get it down [from 29] to 25, 21, 18, it’s 15 at the end of the [third] quarter.’ This type of stuff. ‘Let’s keep it positive.’ That’s the most positive I’ve ever been at a game, and I’ve been at a lot of sporting events over the course of my 56 years of coming to Knicks games when I was 8 years old.”
Brian Windhorst says if Wemby going to talk trash, you’re gonna do some of the stuff that he does you can’t let this happen at the end of the game:
On the Spurs ruining Victor Wembanyama’s already weak core:
“Second half, he plays all but 57 seconds… I feel like he totally ran out of gas. I don’t understand why he was not getting more rest in the game. At the end of the third quarter he’d played five more minutes than he played in Game 3 and that was a one-point game this was a 15-point game. He couldn’t move defensively, that made it easier for the Knicks and offensively, he was unable to get anything. At one point he went 1 of 10. When he gets fatigued he starts flopping around.”
On Wembanyama’s dirtiness, smacking him back in the face:
“I gotta say, if you are going to talk trash and you are going to do some of the stuff that he does — which he does — you can’t let this happen at the end of the game.”
"We go to the Under Armour Classic to see another player and all of a sudden I'm watching this guy with a with a long wingspan. Guarding the ball, trapping the ball and running the floor. His name wasn't in the book!"
“He was ready. The first thing you notice is how open he is as Jalen is going up for the move. And you felt he was going to be open because of the way San Antonio was playing the inbounds. And as Jalen goes into the move, you see OG at the top of the key — and all of a sudden, it was almost like, did the TV actually catch that he tipped it in, he was out of there so fast.”
On Anunoby’s instincts:
“He’s got such quick twitch. He’s anticipatory, he’s got excellent reaction. But he didn’t wait. He knew he was open. But he didn’t wait for a pass that didn’t come. He was gone. He knew Jalen was going to shoot it, especially when Jalen goes to the right, so OG was open, but I think even as Jalen was moving up and releasing that shot, OG was gone. I don’t think it was a lack of them blocking out as much as he was already there.”
On Anunoby’s mentality:
“When you combine the quick mind with quick feet and a quick twitch — he has such an alertness. How many players would’ve paused and hesitated because they were open and didn’t get the ball in that situation?”
On the decisive split second:
“And he didn’t have any of that. And that’s the split-second difference between him being there before everybody realizes you’re coming.”
The Spurs held a narrow 1-point lead with about 15 seconds remaining when Fox deflected and then secured the ball as time wound down. Instead of dribbling the ball out to waste more time and potentially get sent to the free-throw line, Fox thought he could outrun New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby and get in an easy layup to extend San Antonio’s lead to three points. But Anunoby blocked Fox’s shot, giving the Knicks one final possession to pull off their miraculous and historic comeback victory after being down by as many as 29 points.
While many are focused on that single play by Fox, Green believes the blame should be pointed elsewhere for the Spurs’ loss, and to him, there’s plenty of blame to go around.
“Let’s dish out a little blame for the Spurs’ collapse,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show.” “Let’s start with De’Aaron Fox. 6-for-16 from the field, not that important. Mindless turnovers in the clutch, definitely got to be better there. The decision to shoot the layup, that’s a bang-bang decision. Not a smart play. Very bang-bang. If he makes the layup, no one’s complaining. If he misses the layup, like he did, everyone’s like, ‘Yo, he cost them the season.’
“I think the turnovers were worse than the attempted layup. Yes, it was bad. I’m not saying it wasn’t. But that’s not what cost them the game. There were so many things down the stretch. … I’ll blame those turnovers more than I’ll blame the layup.”
Fox had a team-leading four turnovers in the crushing loss, with all four of them coming in the second half (three in the third quarter).
He was a plus-23 in the first half and a minus-22 in the second.
But Green also pointed the finger at San Antonio’s best player, Victor Wembanyama.
“Wemby. From the moment Wemby started telling Mitchell Robinson, ‘I’m in your head,’ the Knicks outscored the Spurs 87-69. Wemby scored 14 more points and was 4-for-17 from the field,” Green said. “Two big missed free throws at the end from a great free-throw shooter. Bad 3s, wasn’t rolling to the rim anymore. I think Wemby deserves a lot of blame. Not complete blame, but again, you’re up 29 points and you’re that great, you got to be able to stop the bleeding at some point, and he did not.”
Wembanyama finished with a team-high 24 points and 13 rebounds, but he shot just 36 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc.
Finally, Green believes Spurs coach Mitch Johnson made some questionable decisions down the stretch.
“Mitch Johnson, 20-4 run before you take a timeout with a young team like that, I can’t agree with,” Green said. “Never adjusted in the second half. Rotations were not great. There were times where they had a big enough lead to give Wemby a rest, and he didn’t. He left Wemby in. And if you get him some rest in some of those spots that you could have, maybe down the stretch, he could’ve done some of those things I was just talking about. But he played and he played. I think you could have given him some rest and he could’ve been fresher down the stretch. He had nothing in the tank.
“Mitch Johnson has to be better. With his subs, his timeouts, when he takes timeouts, getting great shots out of timeouts. I think he could be a lot better. It’s his first NBA Finals; everybody goes through their growing pains. Mike Brown has been here before. There are growing pains, and it comes with the territory.”
No team is perfect, but in the NBA Finals, it’s about limiting the mistakes. And for the Spurs, there were too many costly mistakes in Game 4 to put them down and face elimination on their home floor on Saturday.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks celebrates after scoring the go-ahead basket against the San Antonio Spurs in the final seconds with Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jordan Clarkson #00 during the fourth quarter in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City. 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 Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The year of the Indiana Hoosier stretched all the way to New York City this week when Indiana men’s basketball alumnus OG Anunoby made the game-sealing play that let the New York Knicks take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
Anunoby flew through a sea of bodies after a Jalen Brunson miss in the closing seconds, getting just the right amount of touch on the ball for a go ahead tip-in that all but sealed the game for New York and capped the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Former Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and Racquel Smith stirred buzz online after she shared Instagram photos and videos of them together in Saint Tropez on Tuesday.
Former Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and Racquel Smith stirred buzz online after she shared Instagram photos and videos of them together in Saint Tropez on Tuesday.
Racquel is the widow of the late Will Smith, a former New Orleans Saints All-Pro defensive end, who was shot to death in 2016 during a road rage incident.
She was also shot in the incident.
Ex-Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and Racquel Smith stirred buzz after she shared Instagram photos and videos of them together in Saint Tropez. Instagram/Racquel Smith
The pair looked cozy while posing together in one photo that showed Carmelo with his arm around her waist.
The Hall of Famer was seen standing behind her while in an elevator in another video.
Racquel captioned her carousel post with a few heart emojis and included the quote, “We are not here long enough to be living unhappy.”
It seems Racquel was soft launching the relationship, although they have yet to directly confirm it.
She also shared photos of them partying at Nikki Beach in Monte Carlo earlier this week.
Carmelo Anthony and Racquel Smith at Nikki Beach in Monte Carlo this week. Instagram/Racquel SmitH
The two previously rang in his 42nd birthday together last weekend, as seen in another photo she shared to a highlight reel on Instagram.
“Happy Birthday to one of the kindest souls I have ever met…,” Racquel wrote with a red heart emoji.
Carmelo, who is an NBA analyst for NBC, hasn’t publicly dated anyone since his 2021 divorce with his ex-wife La La Anthony.
La La filed for divorce from Carmelo in June 2021 and cited irreconcilable differences after being separated for a several years.
Carmelo Anthony and Racquel Smith celebrating his 42nd birthday on May 29, 2026. Instagram/Racquel Smith
The pair, who met through a mutual friend when she was 22 and Carmelo was 19, tied the knot in 2010.
They share 19-year-old son Kiyan, who is a guard for the Syracuse Orange, his father’s alma mater.
Carmelo has a daughter, Genesis, whom he shares with his former partner, Mia Burks.
Carmelo, who last played with the Lakers in the 2021 season, announced his retirement in 2023 following 19 NBA seasons.
In 2024, a jury unanimously convicted Cardell Hayes, the man who fatally shot Smith, of manslaughter in a retrial.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 4: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers stands for the National Anthem before the game against the New York Knicks during Round Two Game One on May 4, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Save for one game in Boston, his playoffs were just as frustrating. He shot 39% from the field in the postseason despite going 40% from three. Forgive us for hammering this point home, but after touting a “glut of guards” at the trade deadline, a struggling Grimes was the only playable guard off the bench in the playoffs.
The only question remains is should the Sixers entertain bringing Grimes back? Game 2 of their playoff series against the New York Knicks showed that their backcourt is not as gluttonous as originally thought. Tyrese Maxey only sat for a minute and a half in that game, and yet the six points the Sixers lost those minutes by ended up being the difference in the game.
As Grimes showed in Game 5 in Boston, he can hang on the floor defensively and can even be a plus defender against star-level players. It’s clearly something Nick Nurse prioritizes in a guard playing next to Maxey. It was a big reason Grimes was comfortably ahead of Jared McCain in the rotation, and why the Sixers felt they were choosing Grimes over McCain at the deadline.
The biggest flaw in Grimes’ game is what makes his return a hard sell, and that is scalability. For the second straight season, Grimes had his best stretch of the year cooking on his own while the top three players on the team were out due to injury or suspension.
He was just never able to find a rhythm offensively when guys came back and he had a smaller role. This was most evident in his three-point attempts per game decreasing throughout the season. He started the season taking 6.4 threes a game and finished the season averaging only five. He only took 3.2 threes a game in the postseason.
As it often does, the conversation on keeping Grimes or not boils down to price. The reported number of $15 million per year is way too steep a price for the Sixers to pay, given their limited resources. If the Sixers are able to stay under the luxury tax they’d have access to the full $15 million dollar non-taxpayer mid-level exception. If they go over the first but stay under the second apron, they’d get the $6.1 million taxpayer exception.
That’s a much more palatable number to bring Grimes back. At the same time, Grimes will probably be looking to make more money than that exception, which is less money than what the qualifying offer he signed to play on this past season.
The biggest factor in this will be how willing this new front office will be to go near the aprons for a team they admit is not a championship contender at the moment. It’s a problem without a clear and easy fix, but the Sixers do have some work to do to make their backcourt gluttonous once again.
This week has featured more big-league debuts, more IL stints, and more lineup shuffling. Let's break it all down.
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Arizona Diamondbacks
Geraldo Perdomo was recently dropped to the bottom half of the lineup after hitting inside the top three in every game through June 3. Pavin Smith returned from the IL in June and has been the primary DH against righties. Tommy Troy is the primary left fielder with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. sidelined.
Athletics
Lawrence Butler still isn't an everyday player, even against righties. Henry Bolte isn't one either, but he's starting far more often than Butler. Carlos Cortes remains in a strict platoon but draws a premium lineup slot (typically 1-4) against RHP. Zack Gelof has started every game since May 3.
Atlanta Braves
They've faced one lefty and one righty since Ronald Acuña Jr. landed on the IL. Michael Harris led off against the righty, with Mauricio Dubón getting the role against the southpaw. Austin Riley hasn't hit higher than fifth since May 18. Dominic Smith has been locked in at DH against righties for weeks.
Baltimore Orioles
Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo both returned from minor injuries on Thursday. Colton Cowser has become an everyday player against righties, which wasn't the case until recently. Coby Mayo still isn't starting every game, but the trend is in the right direction. Jeremiah Jackson's playing time has evaporated in June. Overall, the Orioles seem to be consolidating playing time more than they did to open the season.
Boston Red Sox
Jarren Duran has hit leadoff in every game since May 1. Mickey Gasper has overtaken Carlos Narváez as the starting catcher. Caleb Durbin has started every game since May 28 after starting just three of the previous nine.
Chicago Cubs
Pete Crow-Armstrong moved up to leadoff (second against lefties) on May 23 and hasn't looked back. They've been remarkably consistent with their starting nine.
Chicago White Sox
Braden Montgomery has started all three games in right field since his call-up. Sam Antonacci (vs. RHP) and Chase Meidroth (vs. LHP) are still splitting the leadoff role. Jacob Gonzalez has started 8 of 11 since being called up.
Cincinnati Reds
JJ Bleday has started every game since April 29. Blake Dunn has been the primary leadoff option, though it isn't an exclusive role. Noelvi Marte has started four of seven since being recalled from Triple-A. Edwin Arroyo has started six of nine since his call-up. Matt McLain is handling shortstop with Elly De La Cruz sidelined.
Cleveland Guardians
Steven Kwan is still hitting in the bottom third of the lineup. Brayan Rocchio has missed only three games this year. Travis Bazzana leads off against righties and hits fourth or fifth against lefties.
Colorado Rockies
Cole Carrigg has manned center field in all three games since debuting, batting sixth or seventh. Jake McCarthy leads off against right-handers; Willi Castro does so against southpaws.
Detroit Tigers
Gleyber Torres has returned from the IL and hit 1-3 in every game since. Colt Keith has been dropped in the order against righties as a result. Dillon Dingler has sat just once since May 3.
Houston Astros
Jose Altuve is back from the IL and hitting fifth. Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes are hitting 3-4 after all the offseason hand-wringing about whether there would be enough playing time to go around. Carlos Correa's injury changed that calculus. Yordan Alvarez has missed only one game this season. Joey Loperfido is back from Triple-A, seemingly to platoon with Brice Matthews in left field.
Kansas City Royals
Jac Caglianone is on fire and has started against each of the past five lefties he's had the opportunity to face. Carter Jensen leads off against righties with Lane Thomas getting the job against left-handers. Michael Massey and Nick Loftin are platooning at second base.
Los Angeles Angels
Wade Meckler hits third against righties with Vaughn Grissom sidelined. Trey Mancini has started at first base in two of the past three games since his recall. The depth in this lineup wasn't strong to open the season, and it's really hurting without Grissom, Jorge Soler, and Yoán Moncada.
Los Angeles Dodgers
All eyes are on whether Shohei Ohtani is in Friday's lineup after he exited Thursday with knee inflammation. Andy Pages has hit second or third in each of his starts since May 26. Mookie Betts has been at cleanup since the same date. Kyle Tucker has mostly batted fifth or sixth lately. Ryan Ward and Alex Call share a left field platoon.
Miami Marlins
Kyle Stowers is up to five games (four starts) at first base, cutting into Connor Norby's recent opportunities. Xavier Edwards has oscillated between leadoff and cleanup this season, which shifts the balance between runs and RBI opportunities. Joe Mack ranks 15th in plate appearances among primary catchers since his debut.
Milwaukee Brewers
Andrew Vaughn remains the odd man out against righties but continues to mix in. David Hamilton is consolidating the shortstop playing time versus right-handers. Gary Sánchez's playing time has cratered since everyone got healthy.
Minnesota Twins
Royce Lewis has started all five games since returning from Triple-A, three at first base and two at second. Brooks Lee is sticking at third base while Tristan Gray and Orlando Arcia split shortstop. Kody Clemens and Josh Bell consistently hit 3-4.
New York Mets
Some consistency has developed, with Mark Vientos losing the most playing time. He has started once in their past seven games. Jared Young is the primary cleanup option versus RHP.
New York Yankees
Paul Goldschmidt has been an everyday player since May 20 and is typically hitting inside the top three. Anthony Volpe has started 10 of 15 at shortstop since Jose Caballero returned from the IL. Caballero has started 11 times in that span, but he's back to moving around the diamond. Spencer Jones has been in the lineup against three of the four right-handers since his recall.
Philadelphia Phillies
The most consistent lineup of the past month now that Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott start against the majority of southpaws. Derek Hill was acquired from the White Sox on Thursday, possibly to platoon with Justin Crawford.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz being sidelined puts a damper on MLB's sixth-highest scoring offense. Spencer Horwitz gets the leadoff role against RHP with Nick Gonzales filling it against LHP. Jared Triolo is the everyday shortstop with Griffin out. Marcell Ozuna's playing time against righties has diminished lately.
San Diego Padres
Gavin Sheets has started all but two games since May 8. Bryce Johnson, Samad Taylor, and Jase Bowen are getting corner-outfield reps with Ramon Laureano on the IL and Nick Castellanos having been designated for assignment.
San Francisco Giants
Bryce Eldridge has started 15 of 16, but he hasn't hit higher than fifth this year. Casey Schmitt has led off every game in June. Drew Gilbert is sharing center field with Jonah Cox.
Seattle Mariners
Colt Emerson has a chance to stick at shortstop with JP Crawford on the IL. Cole Young has hit leadoff against righties in Crawford's absence. Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley continue to mash in strong-side platoon roles.
St. Louis Cardinals
Lars Nootbaar is back from the IL and hitting fifth versus RHP. He sat against the one southpaw they've faced since his return. Bryan Torres has sat three straight with Nootbaar back. Nathan Church is off the IL and playing center field with Victor Scott II now at Triple-A.
Tampa Bay Rays
Cedric Mullins has started against seven of the past eight lefties they've seen. Ryan Vilade and Austin Slater are hitting in the top half of the order against southpaws.
Texas Rangers
Joc Pederson (vs. righties) and Wyatt Langford (vs. lefties) are sharing leadoff duties. Evan Carter is back to sitting against lefties now that Langford has returned. Ezequiel Duran has started every game since April 29, bouncing between first base, second base, and right field since Corey Seager got healthy and reclaimed shortstop.
Toronto Blue Jays
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit leadoff on Tuesday, but that was a game George Springer sat. Nathan Lukes hits first or second against righties. Andrés Giménez platoons at shortstop with Charles McAdoo. Against left-handers, McAdoo slides to second base with Ernie Clement covering short.
Washington Nationals
Curtis Mead still sits against the occasional righty, but he's frequently used off the bench in those games. Luis García Jr. gets the two-hole against righties. Daylen Lile has missed only one game this year.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Cameron Boozer shoots the ball during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 12, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. 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 Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, so it won’t be long until we learn where Cameron Boozer will play ball for the foreseeable future.
The smart people now think he may end up being taken by Utah with the second pick, but the smart people are frequently wrong. We’ll just have to wait and see.
The latest mock drafts (ESPN, CBS, NBADraft.net, and SBNation) see him going to Memphis with the #3 pick, while Yahoo has him going to the Jazz at #2.
Like a lot of Duke players, Boozer comes from a basketball family, with his father, Carlos, having played at Duke in Cameron before he gave that name to his son.
In this article, the author focuses on following a famous father. It can be difficult, but not for everyone. Kobe Bryant far exceeded his father Joe; in fact, his father is nearly forgotten. Steph Curry outshone his father Dell, and Klay Thompson has eclipsed his father, Mychal.
But a lot of guys don’t manage it. Michael Jordan’s sons were never going to surpass their dad, but they never even got close to the NBA. Scotty Pippen Jr., has a long ways to go to catch his dad. Hakeem Olajuwon’s son, Aziz is at Stanford, and this fall, he’ll start to understand how difficult that is.
Boozer has made his own reputation, but he had to deal with it on the way up. At this point in his career, he’s well ahead of his father. His fundamentals are impeccable, and he is, by far, a better passer and shooter than his dad ever was. And he’s just 19.
Watching his career unfold is going to be a lot of fun.
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 30: Trey Yesavage #39 of the Toronto Blue Jays walks back to the dugout out during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 30, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees faced a decently big test earlier this week as they took on the Cleveland Guardians — who are near the top of the AL Central — in a series without Aaron Judge. Capped off by a big win on Wednesday, the Yankees passed that test, sweeping all three games against Cleveland. Next up is another challenge, and one that could have an even greater impact on the playoff races this season.
Starting tonight, the Yankees will be making their first trip north of the border. While the Blue Jays aren’t currently in the AL East race, and are even below .500, you’d still expect them to get back into things at some point. They’ve also had the Yankees’ number somewhat recently, including knocking the Bombers out in the ALDS last year. However, they’ve not been not been especially great recently, going 4-7 over their last 11.
Before the action gets going later tonight, here’s a look at the expected pitching matchups over the next couple days.
Friday: Ryan Weathers vs. TBD (7:37 pm ET)
After a decent hot run in May and early June, Weathers has struggled in his most of his recent outings. His ERA has gone from 3.00 to 3.86 over his last four starts, and that included seven scoreless against the Rays during that run. One of his iffy recent performances came against the Blue Jays back on May 18th. He got knocked out after five runs and 5.1 innings.
At least at time of writing, the Blue Jays haven’t officially announced their rotation for this weekend’s series, but they’ll have regular starters on regular rest for the set, so Friday seems likely to be Trey Yesavage. That’s unfortunate for the Yankees, as they still have yet to figure out the Toronto youngster. He has had some iffy outings lately, but that doesn’t include the six innings he shutout the Yankees on May 20th.
Saturday: Cam Schlittler vs. TBD (3:07 pm ET)
The Yankees’ own young ace will go in the second game of the series. Following a couple starts that had some iffy signs, Schlittler fully bounced back against the Red Sox last weekend. He gave up just one run on four in 5.2 innings, helping the Yankees down Boston.
Again, nothing confirmed for this game, but it’s most likely that Kevin Gausman will go for Toronto in game two. The Yankees missed Gausman in the two teams’ earlier meeting this season. Last season, the Yankees got to him in their initial meeting, but then Gausman get the better of them in the following three. That included one in the ALDS, holding them to one run in 5.2 innings.
Sunday: Will Warren vs. TBD (1:37 pm ET)
Warren has his foibles, but he’s still been pretty impressive on the whole. He’s only allowed more than three runs in a start just once this season, and that was over a month ago at this point. In the first meeting between these two teams, Warren picked up a victory over the Jays, having held Toronto to three runs in five innings.
Finally, the most likely starter for Toronto in the finale is Patrick Corbin. After several years of being the worst starter in baseball, Corbin has somewhat bounced back this season, although he’s been worse of late. He had a 3.60 ERA through May 6th, but he has a 5.60 ERA since. He was okay but not great against the Yankees during that stretch, but the Yankees probably should’ve done better than they did.
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