CJ McCollum of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 7 in Atlanta. (Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)
The famed Magic City adult entertainment club won't be featured at next week's Atlanta Hawks promotional night, the NBA announced on Monday.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged concerns from others in the league on Monday, saying that his decision to cancel the collaboration is in the best interests of the "broader NBA community."
"While we appreciate the team's perspective and their desire to move forward," he said in a statement, "we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees."
The Hawks announced its "Magic City Monday" promotion in late February, featuring a halftime performance by Atlanta-based artist T.I., a collaborative hoodie and the offering of some of the club's popular wings, including the lemon-pepper variety named after former Hawks player Lou Williams.
Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz was a producer on "Magic City: An American Fantasy," a docuseries that aired on Starz. Still, the team's decision to collaborate with the Atlanta strip club ruffled some feathers in the NBA.
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet asked the Hawks to cancel the promotional night in a post on Medium last week, saying that it would "reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society."
Others had argued that Magic City is a big part of Atlanta culture and should be celebrated as such.
The Hawks wrote in a statement on Monday that it was disappointed with the NBA's decision but would respect it.
Rapper T.I. will still perform at halftime, but the live recording of the Hawks AF Podcast featuring Gertz, T.I. and Magic City founder Michael Barney was canceled. Fans who pre-ordered the collaboration hoodie will still receive one, but the sweatshirts won't be available for purchase at the game, the Hawks wrote on X.
"As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta — with authenticity — in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together," the Hawks wrote.
Times staff writer Chuck Schilken contributed to this report
Salary cap inflation is always something to monitor. The cap is currently set at $95.5 million, but is expected to raise signifcantly over the next few seasons. Next year, the cap is projected to be $104 million while the 2027-28 ceiling is projected at $113.5 million.
Recently, NHL player agent Allan Walsh provided an update via social media on what the 2028-29 salary cap could look like. Walsh wrote via "X", "Analyzing NHL HRR projections and the current revenue slack that exists in the system, hearing the NHL is projecting a Salary Cap Upper Limit of approx $123M in 2028-29. We are currently at $95.5M. (That’s an almost $30M rise of the Cap within 3 years)."
At the time of writing, the Vancouver Canucks only have seven players signed for the 2028-29 season. Those players are Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Kevin Lankinen and Thatcher Demko. The Canucks will also have a $2,126,667 penalty that season as the Oliver Ekman-Larsson buyout will not be complete.
According to PuckPedia, Vancouver currently has $52,226,667 commited for the 2028-29 season. If no players are moved, that would count for just over 40% of the projected $123 million. The Canucks are projected to still be in a rebuild in 2028-29, meaning some contracts already signed could be on the move before the season starts.
Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) and defenseman Tom Willander (5) and defenseman Zeev Buium (24) celebrate their victory against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Starting last Thursday in Denver, nine of their next 11 games were against playoff teams with six of eight against teams currently bunched up with them in the Western Conference standings.
With 18 games remaining, the NBA’s marathon 82-game season is now a sprint to the finish — that magical time when fans begin squinting at the standings like stockbrokers watching a volatile market.
Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers high five during the game against the New York Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images
Every win feels like leverage.
Every loss feels like disaster.
The next nine days could decide if the Lakers will have homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
But that begs the question: Do the Lakers need or want homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA Playoffs?
The answer might surprise you.
No. Not really.
Of course, if you ask any player or coach publicly, they’ll say the right things. Homecourt advantage matters. The crowd helps bring energy. Sticking to your normal routine helps. Sleeping in your own bed helps.
All of that is true.
But the reality of the NBA playoffs — especially in the Western Conference — is that matchups and health matter far more than geography.
Right now, the Lakers sit in the middle of the Western Conference traffic jam. Seeds three through six are separated by a single game heading into action Monday night. Oklahoma City and San Antonio have already pulled away at the top like two sports cars leaving a crowded freeway.
Everyone else is stuck jockeying for position.
The Lakers are currently tied with Denver for fifth. Minnesota currently sits in third. Houston sits in fourth just a half-game ahead of the Lakers.
Western Conference standings as of 5 p.m. PT Monday.
Over the next nine days, the Lakers will face all of them.
Minnesota on Tuesday. Denver on Saturday. Then two back-to-back road games in Houston.
If the Lakers win their next five games, they will sit alone in third place with homecourt advantage in the first round in their control.
“It’s not something we’re focused on, but we’re definitely aware of,” said Lakers’ guard Marcus Smart about the upcoming stretch. “My experience, we got to focus on one game at a time…We don’t have the luxury to look ahead. We definitely got to take it one game at a time and handle business.”
Handling business is great, but let’s pause for a moment and remember something.
This is exactly what happened last season.
With 18 games to go last year, the Lakers found themselves in fourth place in a crowded Western Conference. Seeds two through eight were separated by four games, with two through five separated by just 1.5 games. Everyone wanted the Lakers to finish second or third.
When the dust settled, they finished third in the West and earned homecourt advantage in the first round.
And it didn’t matter one bit.
Minnesota walked into Crypto.com Arena in Game 1 and punched the Lakers in the mouth. The Timberwolves blew them out in front of their own crowd. The Lakers recovered to win Game 2, but the rest of the series unraveled quickly.
They lost the series in five games, including two of their three home games,
So much for homecourt advantage.
LeBron James goes up for a dunk against the Pelicans. Getty Images
Last season the Lakers were dominant in Los Angeles, finishing 31–10 at home — the second-best home record in the Western Conference behind the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
It looked impressive in the standings, but it meant nothing in April. It rarely does when the matchup is wrong.
And matchups are exactly what the Lakers should be studying during this upcoming stretch, not necessarily results.
LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves — arguably the most fascinating offensive trio in the conference — have played only a little over a dozen games together. The chemistry is improving, but playoff basketball demands instinctive trust.
The kind that comes from repetition.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves hits a behind-the-back step back against New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The next nine days will act as a scouting report for April. The Lakers will see how they match up against Minnesota’s size and length, Denver’s experience, and Houston’s relentless athleticism.
These games are not just about wins and losses.
They’re about gathering information. They’re about discovering which lineups survive when the game slows down. They’re about understanding which defensive matchups can lock-up their opponent during a seven-game series.
“This could be a perfect time or not,” Doncic said about the upcoming schedule. “Just gotta approach those games with the same mentality. Obviously, every one of those teams has great players. They’re winning games. So we need to go game by game first of all, and then just try to win all those games.”
If the Lakers secure the No. 3 seed, great. They’ll happily take the home games.
But if they finish fifth, avoid the play-in tournament, and have a more favorable matchup?
That’s perfectly fine too.
Because the truth about playoff basketball is brutally simple.
It isn’t about where you play. It’s about who you play — and whether you’re healthy enough to beat them.
Oliver Dunn was just a double shy of the cycle by the fourth inning of today’s rout. | Chicago White Sox
No matter how the 2026 season ends up going, we’ll always have the fourth inning of a who-cares Spring Training game on March 9.
The White Sox steamrolled Colorado, 12-3, on the wings of a ridiculous 11-run outburst in the fourth inning.
In the words of White Sox beat writer and witness to the massacre Scott Merkin, who in a quarter-century of coverage may never have witnessed an 11-run inning in Spring Training, and certainly not one accomplished without making an out:
11 straight White Sox hitters reached base to start the fourth. They scored 11 in the inning.
Oliver Dunn led off with a triple. Drew Romo singled to center field, sending Dunn home. William Bergolla Jr. singled Romo to third, taking second on the throw trying to get Romo. Chase Meidroth tripled to deep right-center field, scoring both Bergolla and Romo. Braden Montgomery singled, sending Meidroth home. Andrew Benintendi singled Montgomery to third, followed by an Austin Hays single to right-center that pushed Benny to second and plating Montgomery.
That seems like a lot, right? The five runs without a single batter retired made the score 6-0, White Sox. But wait — there’s more!
LaMonte Wade Jr. singled to pack the sacks, and then Tristan Peters walked, pushing Benintendi home.
Yes, the White Sox batted around without making an out!
Dunn was back with more power, this time via an RBI single that would keep the bases loaded. After homering in the second and with two hits this frame, Dunn was a double away from the cycle — with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth!
Nice day for Oliver Dunn. The White Sox 3B is 3-for-3 with a HR, 3B, 1B…just a two-bagger shy of the cycle, and it’s only the 4th inning! Chicago poured 11 runs on in the frame.
Romo tripled — the third three-bagger of the inning — and sent three players across home plate. Finally, Bergolla grounded out, but still drove Romo in. For those not keeping count, the White Sox had 10 hits in a row, one walk, and three triples before the Rockies recorded a single out.
While this game was all about the bats, the pitching was impressive as well, holding Colorado to three late runs, at a point when the regular lineup was probably having a pizza party in the clubhouse for putting up 12 runs in its first 12 outs.
Starter Jedixson Paez pitched for two innings, only allowing one hit and striking out two. The outing was key, both in that it allowed Paez to bounce back from a six-run disaster his last time out, and perhaps give the White Sox more reason to keep the Rule 5 hurler into the season.
Mike Vasil, who’d also struggled a bit this spring, took over on the in the third inning and allowed one hit, two walks, and a strikeout over three innings. While the pitching was mostly positive today, the real story comes in the fourth inning.
Brandon Eisert came on after that and threw another scoreless outing, two innings with two hits, a walk and a K.
The Rockies attempted a comeback in the eighth when Drew Avans doubled to left field, allowing Roldy Brito to score. They also loaded the bases when Robert Calaz walked, allowing Avans to score. They also had a solo run in the ninth from Roc Riggio, but that was all they could muster.
While the Rockies managed seven hits, it wouldn’t be a match for the 16 White Sox hits.
In other White Sox news: Seranthony Domínguez helped secure a win for the Dominican Republic, knocking out Israel in a 10-1 win.
Seranthony Domínguez closed out today's Dominican Republic win in the World Baseball Classic with 2 Ks 😤 pic.twitter.com/OIZKoQg1YK
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 04: Will Smith #16 of Team United States high fives third-base coach Dino Ebel #91 after solo home run against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning of the MLB exhibition game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 04, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The United States is 2-0 thus far in Pool B in the World Baseball Classic, as is Mexico, which places high stakes on Monday night’s game in Houston in terms of advancing to the quarterfinals.
Italy is also 2-0, and the top two teams advance out of each pool. Team USA plays Italy on Tuesday, and Mexico and Italy on Wednesday. The first of this three-game gauntlet is Monday night, and Paul Skenes is on the mound for the United States.
No Will Smith in the lineup on Monday, with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh behind the plate against Mexico.
Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones slaps hands with Yankees manager Aaron Boone #17, after hitting a solo homer in a spring training game.
In the first significant cuts of camp, the Yankees optioned a pair of top prospects in outfielder Spencer Jones and righty Elmer Rodríguez.
Jones enjoyed another strong spring with the major league club, going 6-for-18 with three home runs, a double and three steals. He walked four times and struck out six times in the Grapefruit League.
He is expected to start the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he left off last season and displayed both prodigious power and a tendency to swing and miss too often.
Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones slaps hands with Yankees manager Aaron Boone #17, after hitting a solo homer in a spring training game.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Jones was never going to make the team out of camp with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham installed in the outfield plus Giancarlo Stanton set at DH.
The message to Jones?
“As much as you can, don’t focus on things that right now might be out of your control a little bit,” said manager Aaron Boone, who added that the move is purely transactional and that Jones would be playing in Tuesday’s game. “Reality is he’s coming off a really strong season. I feel like he continues to make really solid adjustments. He came in here to spring and has represented really well. Has performed. You see the signs of him continuing to get better.”
Rodríguez showed well in camp, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk in six innings in which he struck out five.
The third-best Yankees prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, he only appeared in two games because he left to pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
Jack Draper continued his impressive comeback from an arm injury by beating Francisco Cerundolo to set up a last-16 clash with Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells.
Draper rode his luck at the end of the second set to clinch a 6-1, 7-5 win and set up his first meeting with Djokovic since he took the first set off the defending champion on his Wimbledon debut in 2021.
Florida Panthers star Brad Marchand will miss time this week to see doctors and determine whether he needs surgery for a lower-body injury.
Marchand has missed 10 games with the injury since early January.
"There's going to be a decision on what's the best way to get to 100 percent full health," coach Paul Maurice told reporters on Monday, March 9.
He said that even if surgery isn't needed, Marchand would be out for weeks, not days.
"We had had a handle on it and there were times where he didn't play but kind of maintained it and then came back in," Maurice said. "But it just got to the point on this road trip that it was never recovering and continuing to get worse."
The Panthers have been devastated by injuries this season, starting with hernia surgery for Matthew Tkachuk that kept him out until January and ACL surgery for Aleksander Barkov when he was hurt in his first practice of training camp.
The Panthers haven't been able to gain traction this season and were 11 points out of a playoff spot on March 9. They could see the end of a run that took them to the Stanley Cup Final for three years in a row and win championships the past two.
Brad Marchand injury update
Brad Marchand will see doctors this week to determine if he'll need surgery. Maurice said the injury has been bothering the winger for months. Marchand also played at the Olympics, winning a silver medal with Canada.
Brad Marchand stats
Brad Marchand has 27 goals and 27 assists in 52 games for the Panthers this season. He had one assist in four games at the Olympics.
The Detroit Red Wings earned a much needed reset Monday night, defeating the New Jersey Devils 3–0 to halt a difficult stretch that saw the club lose seven of its previous ten games.
The victory also marked the debuts and returns of several new faces. Recently acquired defenseman Justin Faulk made his first appearance with Detroit, while call ups Dominik Shine and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard helped inject fresh energy into the lineup. The performance was enough to deliver two points in the standings, but Detroit knows it cannot afford for the win to be a one time response if it hopes to stay in the playoff picture.
Detroit currently sits third in the Atlantic Division in the National Hockey League standings. The Red Wings began the season near the top of the division but has gradually slid from first place to second and now to the third seed. At points during the slump the team even found itself clinging to a wild card spot, a scenario it hopes to avoid as the season enters its final stretch.
Pressure from behind continues to build. The Montreal Canadiens trail Detroit by just one point, while the Boston Bruins sit only three points back. With the standings tightening, the margin for error is shrinking quickly for a Red Wings team attempting to end a playoff drought that has stretched close to a decade.
They will face an uphill battle with the fifth-hardest remaining strength of schedule in the league. Among the toughest tests ahead are two matchups with the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with single games against the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres and the Canadiens.
Because of that challenging stretch, Detroit will need to take advantage of games against teams lower in the standings. Upcoming contests against the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames, along with a two game set against the Florida Panthers and three remaining games versus the Philadelphia Flyers, could prove crucial in determining their playoff fate.
For the Red Wings, the shutout win over New Jersey provided a necessary boost. Maintaining that momentum may ultimately determine whether Detroit finally returns to the postseason or sees its playoff drought continue.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
DUNEDIN, FL - MARCH 02: Boston Red Sox center fielder Braiden Ward (92) is tagged out at the plate by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman (55) on March 2, 2026, at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We’re almost there. In just over two weeks, the Yankees will open the 2026 MLB season in San Francisco against the Giants. Final rosters around the league are still being developed, so we don’t know just yet what each of 30 teams will look like when the season starts. But we know a decent chunk about it now, so why not speculate?
Focusing on the American League, who do you think will be the toughest foe for the Yankees to take down this season? Is it the Blue Jays, who narrowly beat out the Yankees for the AL East last year, took them out in the playoffs, and then nearly won the World Series? They’re probably the favorite, but you don’t have to look too hard around the internet to find people doubting their ability to repeat that magic. Maybe you’re more of a believer in the youthful Red Sox, now also infused with Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras. The Mariners came oh-so-close to dispatching the Jays in the series before the Fall Classic, and their oft-vaunted pitching should stand to rebound from 2025 anyway. The Tigers added more Astros nemesis Framber Valdez to a rotation that also included two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, so Detroit won’t be a walk in the park either.
So make your vote known! And while you’re at it, just for fun, pick a team in the second question’s prompt, which asks about the worst team in the American League. There are certainly some ignominious contenders.
The Atlanta Hawks play in the NBA's Eastern Conference [Getty Images]
The NBA has cancelled plans by the Atlanta Hawks to hold a promotional collaboration with a strip club at one of their games next week.
The Hawks had intended to partner with Atlanta-based adult entertainment venue Magic City for the visit of Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference on 16 March.
There were no plans to host adult entertainment at the Hawks' State Farm Arena home before, during or after the game but concerns arose at the NBA over the idea of partnering with a strip club.
The Hawks had described Magic City as an "iconic cultural institution" in a story on their website promoting the event and had announced plans relating to food, music and merchandise as part of a "Magic City Monday" in-arena experience.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league "reached out to the Hawks leadership" in order to "better understand their plans and rationale" before deciding to step in.
"While we appreciate the team's perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees," Silver said.
"I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community."
The Hawks said that they were "disappointed" by the NBA's decision but "fully respect" it.
A statement added: "As a franchise we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta - with authenticity - in ways that continue to unite and brings us all together."
The Los Angeles Kings (26-23-14) survived a near-late collapse, avoiding another meltdown in Columbus thanks to a clutch finish from Adrian Kempe, walking away with two points.
Kempe blasted a slap shot from the left circle 2:26 into overtime, giving Los Angeles a dramatic 5–4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets after a chaotic back-and-forth contest.
Adrian Kempe had a great afternoon, scoring the game-winner and finishing with two goals and two points. Artemi Panarin had another good outing, scoring a goal, assisting on one play, and finishing with two points.
Brian Dumoulin also played a great game, especially late down the stretch, giving the Kings the lead late in the third period, finishing the game with one goal, two assists, and three points.
Meanwhile, Anton Forsberg was phenomenal on the defensive side of things, finishing with 29 saves on 33 shots attempted, coming up with multiple key saves early in the game to help pay off Los Angeles on offense.
Newly acquired Scott Laughton had another strong performance for the Kings, scoring a goal in his second straight game as a member of the Los Angeles Kings and winning the key face-off in overtime, which led to Kempe's game-winning goal.
Los Angeles struck first in the opening period when the trade deadline addition Scott Laughton continued his string start with the club. Laughton finished the play with a nice coast-to-coast play from Brian Dumoulin down the left side before setting up Laughton for the easy goal.
LAK Goal - Laugh and Order!
Kings open the scoring against the run of play. Nice activation by Dumoulin, Laughton makes it 2 goals in 2 games as a King at the net. 1-0..
Later in the period, Artemi Panarin doubled the score with a goal midway through the period, pushing Los Angeles ahead 2-0, despite heavy pressure and traffic from Columbus.
The Blue Jackets would answer late in the period when Conor Garland cut the deficit to 2-1, where the momentum really started to shift to Columbus to end the first period.
Colombus eventually erased the lead in the second period, scoring back-to-back goals in two minutes after both teams were struggling to get a shot up early in the second period.
Both teams had several chances to score on the power play, but failed, and Columbus eventually broke out of their slump behind Garland scoring his second goal of the game and Denton Mateychuck to give Columbus its first lead, 3-2.
Faceoffs were starting to kill Los Angeles in a fate that we've seen repeatedly happen this season when games get close. But today, Los Angeles won 65.7% of their face-offs, compared to the Blue Jackets' 34.3%.
But Los Angeles would respond despite going down by one goal. After a missed shot by Anze Kopitar, the puck bounced right to where Kempe was on the rebound, and he converted the goal, tying things up for Los Angeles.
LAK Goal - Tie game!
Great shift by the top line to respond. Dumoulin/Ceci involved offensively as well, five-man unit attacking, Kempe buries the rebound. 3-3.
Dumoulin later put Los Angeles back in front after it was starting to get very nervous for LA, with the score tied 3-3. Dumoulin, with one of the best plays of the game, moved into the slot, faked the defense on the sustained pressure, and beat Jet Greaves to give the Kings their lead back.
However, the Blue Jackets would refuse to go away.
After a controversial call that didn't give the Kings a two-goal lead late when Alex Turcotte thought he scored the goal, the refs took it away because the whistle had gone.
This would give Columbus another chance to tie the game up, and they did just that. With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Columbus forced overtime when Kirill Marchenko buried a power-play goal off a feed from Zach Werenski, tying the game 4–4 with just 1:56 left.
The late rally from Columbus would secure them a point as we headed into overtime.
But, Los Angeles this time didn't go away in the extra period, winning key faceoffs, and Kempe finally ended the game scoring his 25th goal of the season and his second goal of the afternoon, sending the Blue Jackets home.
The winger hammered a shot from the left circle off a pass from Panarin, beating Greaves and securing the win.
Key Takeaways
Massive win for Los Angeles, especially after blowing their last game against the Montreal Canadiens. Los Angeles outplayed the Blue Jackets throughout the first two periods, and when the game got close, they shut the door.
This win now gives Los Angeles 66 points on the year, and now they're just one point behind Seattle for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
A very great game overall from the team, arguably one of its most complete wins of the season, playing great defense behind Forsberg and getting contributions on offense from multiple forwards.
Los Angeles will continue their five-game road trip tomorrow, taking on the Boston Bruins at 7:00 PM EST.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
New South Wales’ Tahlia Wilson has earned her maiden national call-up, chosen as Australia’s reserve wicketkeeper for the upcoming white-ball tour of the West Indies.
The Yankees optioned Spencer Jones to minor league camp, the team announced on Monday, ending the outfield prospect’s bid to make the big league roster for Opening Day.
It was always a bit of a long shot for Jones to make the Yanks’ roster out of camp with Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge set in the outfield and Giancarlo Stanton at DH, and he was in an uphill battle competing with the speedy, switch-hitting Jasson Dominguez to be the youngster on the bench.
The six-foot-seven outfielder has an abundance of power, to the tune of 82 home runs over his last three minor league seasons, but the big flaw in his game will be that he strikes out at an outrageous rate, 534 times over that same span.
“Those are the challenges of being a big guy,” manager Aaron Boone said recently. “It’s a hard thing to figure out, but if you can do it, [that size is] a massive advantage.”
Jones, who did hit a 427-foot blast early in spring, had six hits in 18 at-bats for the Yanks with three home runs and seven RBI.
“He’s done a nice job. He’s worked really hard this winter to make adjustments to try to hone his craft and had pretty good results here the first few weeks of games,” Boone said recently of Jones, who turns 25 in May.
Jones, now the Team's No. 6 prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline, is still looking to make his MLB debut.
The club also announced right-hander Elmer Rodriguez, the team’s No. 3 prospect and No. 82 in all of baseball, to minor league camp.
Rodriguez had a solid season at High-A Hudson Valley with a 2.26 ERA over 83.2 innings, and at Double-A Somerset posted a 2.64 ERA over 61.1 innings last season.
The 22-year-old made one appearance at Triple-A last season and expects to start there this season and could be in line for his big league debut later this summer.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 4: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs drives on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first halfat Frost Bank Center on February 1, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Spurs have won 15 of their last 16 and are only two games behind the Thunder on the loss column. Can they take the top seed in the West? And should they go for it even if it means playing their starters more?
Mark Barrington: I don’t think they ‘go for it’ in the sense that they change their strategy for the final stretch of games going into the playoffs. They’re comfortably in the top four and will have at least one home playoff series. They’re going to concentrate on continuing to improve and staying healthy. It’s entirely possible that that could result in a first-place finish in the west, but that’s not the primary goal.
Bill Huan: I can’t see that happening. The discourse about the Spurs potentially securing the top seed over a dominant regular-season team is reminiscent of the 2016-17 season, when they were within a game or two of the Warriors before Golden State pulled away. Oklahoma City has held its best punch for months now, prioritizing health. They’re still ahead, and I fully expect them to start rounding into playoff form and dominate games again before the postseason.
As for the minutes, the only player I’ll be monitoring for that is Wemby. He needs to be able to handle a load in the low-mid thirties for the Spurs to maximize their potential this season, and everyone else on the team seems to be in a good spot already.
Devon Birdsong: I think if there’s anything we’ve learned over the last several seasons, it’s that the Spurs have their timelines and guardrails in place, and they’re not going to deviate from them unless they see a clear (risk-limited) advantage in doing so. Unless they’re within a game of the Thunder in the final weeks of the stretch run, I just don’t see them making a special effort to do so from a front-office/coaching perspective. However, you can never count out what the players and their on-court performances might lead to. They clearly have their own desires and goals, and the way they’re pursuing them has already put them in a place that has (on some level) surpassed even the most optimistic of the front office’s projections. I think the most likely scenario is that they’ll start resting players once/if their position as a 2nd seed is solidified down the home stretch. However, if this hot streak keeps up, I would not be shocked to find them fighting for the #1 seed, which really says everything about this team.
Jeje Gomez: If the top seed is attainable in the last few games, they should probably go for it. The play-in games mean more rest before the start of the playoffs, so a few extra minutes shouldn’t matter that much. Some of the last few games could be tough, but they are at home. The top seed would guarantee that they wouldn’t have to face the Thunder until the conference finals and would pit them against the lesser of the play-in teams, but, more importantly, taking those last few games as must-wins could prepare them for the postseason. It would make no sense to risk injury, but tightening up an already shrinking rotation even more could put them in a playoff mindset, which could help such a young team.
The Spurs have lost to the Knicks twice this season. Bad luck, or is there anything about them that makes them a bad matchup for San Antonio?
Barrington: The Knicks are a veteran team with an incredible on-court leader in Jalen Brunson. Brunson can impose his will, and his team has the size and shooting to cause the Spurs problems, with KAT limiting the strategy of having Wemby lay off of his man and protect the rim. I think the Spurs are learning on the fly to gain the mental resilience to take on the veteran leadership of Brunson, but they still don’t have a big forward to counter Towns, who is too quick for a French Vanilla lineup to work. If the Spurs meet them in the playoffs, it will be a tough matchup, but I’d take it, because that would mean that the Spurs were in the NBA finals, about 2-3 years before I would have predicted that in my most optimistic scenarios.
Huan: Two games are too small a sample size to come to definitive conclusions, but it does appear like OG’s defense on Wemby is the x-factor. In a 7-game series where the Spurs can come up with a better gameplan, I think things would be a lot closer, and it would obviously mean that they made it to the finals. I’m not worried about the matchup in the slightest, and if I need to be in the future, it would mean that this Spurs team is four games away from a championship.
Birdsong: There’s certainly some bad luck involved, but it really comes down to three factors. 1. The Spurs are still inconsistent defending the three, and the Knicks have a roster that can really pour them on. 2. Jalen Brunson is one of the few guards who has enough savvy and grit to successfully fight through and counter Stephon Castle’s defense. 3. And most importantly, Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the few big men whose long-distance shooting can warp San Antonio’s preferred defensive schemes. That shooting forces the Spurs to either let Wemby pursue him to the perimeter, opening up the post for exploitation, or stay home and allow Towns to benefit from the Spurs’ weak spot at power forward. Towns has shot 40% from three in 3 of their last 4 games against each other, and there’s no other player on the roster big enough and fast enough to trouble Towns, which has been making him (and the Knicks) a matchup nightmare for San Antonio.
Gomez: It’s a bad matchup. Teams with stretch bigs and big wings tend to give the Spurs trouble because they expose the lack of length at the forward spots and force Wemby to either step outside or roam, which surprisingly confuses him at times, as he seems at his best when he’s directly involved in plays. But what makes the Knicks a worse matchup than most is their offensive rebounding. Towns is not only an elite shooter, but he has been crashing the glass well, and Mitchell Robinson is arguably the best offensive rebounder in the world. Worrying about New York doesn’t make much sense since they won’t be a playoff rival unless the two teams make the finals, but they do offer others a blueprint on how to beat San Antonio.
Assuming the Spurs stay in one of the top two spots, which potential play-in team would you like them to face in the first round?
Barrington: I think I’d be happy with a Suns matchup. The Spurs have lost two games to them, but I think that could work in the Silver and Black’s favor, as they’ll be motivated to play with maximum effort from the start. Also, the Suns seem to be having a bit of internal dissension, and that might make them a little easier to beat.
The other likely matchup for the Spurs would be the Warriors, and I think they might be a tougher out, especially if Steph Curry is healthy. Really, the dream scenario for the Spurs in the first round is a sweep with everyone healthy, and a good rest before the second round starts, and that would be extremely unlikely against a healthy Golden State squad.
If I were just looking for a fun series, I’d ask for the Trail Blazers, who are punching above their weight in the Western Conference Standings. But I don’t see them winning two play-in games against any of the possible opponents. The Clippers are probably the best team in the play-in range of any of the current four, but by the end of the season, I expect that they’ll be either in the top 6 or out of the play-in tournament completely, depending on Kawhi’s health. There’s no middle ground for them.
Huan: Out of all the options, I’d feel the best facing Portland. Deni is their lone reliable creator, and he’s having back issues. Frankly, I don’t want to see a red-hot Clippers team or a potential Warriors squad getting back a refreshed Steph. Phoenix would be a tough out too, given how much trouble they’ve created for Wemby this year, and the West is suddenly looking much deeper than it did earlier in the season.
Birdsong: I really would prefer for them to avoid the Warriors and the Clippers, so that really only leaves Portland and Phoenix, and out of those two, I think Portland would be the better option. The Spurs would probably need to land the #1 seed for that to happen, though. By default, I think it’s going to be Phoenix. And honestly, that might be a good first-round matchup for the Spurs, because that’s not a team they can succeed against if they get sloppy. Also, I love the opportunity the Spurs would have to make Phoenix fans miserable. Sorry, can’t teach this old dog new tricks (or get him to let old rivalries go).
Gomez: The obvious answer is Portland. They just don’t have enough shot creation to win a playoff series unless everything breaks right for them, but that’s also the reason why they are unlikely to come out of the play-in. Out of the other three teams, the Warriors give the Spurs trouble because they can play five-out and lure opponents into shooting contests, and the Clippers have a stretch big and the type of perimeter length that the Knicks also have. So the preferred option would be Phoenix, which has Spurs-killer Jalen Green, but also traditional bigs for Wemby to guard.
