Let’s be so honest – would you even believe the Atlanta Braves had the best record in baseball if you’d been told that both Sean Murphy and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin were on the IL at the same time?
For eight glorious days we had our elite catching tandem, arguably the best in the league. And now, as respectfully as I can say it, we are rocking with Sandy León and Chadwick Tromp.
The next-man-up mentality and depth has been very important to AA and the Braves, particularly this season. It’s been tested a fair bit and we haven’t even flipped the calendar to June.
To replenish the catching options in Triple-A, the Braves have claimed Maverick Handley off of waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. He’s been up with the O’s twice this season and his singular PA this season came on May 16 versus the Nationals before he was DFA’d on May 19. In the 2025 season in which he debuted, he had 41 ABs in 16 games, slashing .073/.133/ 0.73.
The corresponding move is Hurston Waldrep (loose bodies) moving to the 60-day IL. Last we heard, he had begun throwing bullpens in Florida, but no timetable on rehab. They were targeting June for game action but it’s looking things are still on track for #64 and his road back to the Braves.
Nothing changes in terms of Waldrep’s progression. The move was described as procedural by the club, as the Braves needed a 40-man roster spot to add Maverick Handley. https://t.co/reGZgeGpzT
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - MAY 19, 2026: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals runs between third base and home plate on an inside-the-park grand slam during the second inning of a game against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on May 19, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. The Nationals beat the Mets, 9-6. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
These Nats just continue to score runs in bunches. Last night, they put 8 on the board in a comfortable win over the Mets. Offensive performances like the one from last night just seem to be par for the course right now. Hopefully they can keep it up with a chance to get over .500 today.
The Nats have the same lineup as last night. However, there is one position tweak. Daylen Lile and James Wood are switching spots. Wood will be out in left field, while Lile will be the DH. Otherwise, it is exactly the same as last night, which is a rare occurrence under Blake Butera. Cade Cavalli will take the ball, and he is coming off a strong outing against the O’s.
The Mets are making a couple changes to their lineup. Luis Torrens will be back behind the plate, replacing Hayden Senger. MJ Melendez is the DH again, but he is moving down to the 8 hole. Besides that, it is mostly the same faces as we have seen the past few days. David Peterson has been pitching behind an opener a lot lately, but today he will get the ball from the start.
There could be some rain in the area, but hopefully it stays away until the game is over. This is a big chance for the Nats to make a statement to finish off a successful home stand. The offense is raking and this team has been so much fun to watch. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Belgian ‘always planned’ late attack that sealed stage 12
Jonas Vingegaard now 33 seconds off the pink jersey
Alec Segaert stole a march to win stage 12 of the Giro d’Italia on Thursday and his Bahrain Victorious teammate Afonso Eulálio snatched bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint to extend his overall lead.
The 175-km ride from Imperia to Novi Ligure looked to be headed for a sprint finish before the Belgian rider Segaert made his telling move 3km from the line and held off the chasing pack to take the win on his Giro debut.
The Philadelphia Flyers will have to think outside of the box this offseason if they want to make the big splash they have been advertising and add more firepower in the form of a top-six center.
By their own admission, the 2026 free agent class is devoid of any high-end talent, as studs like Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, and Artemi Panarin all signing contract extensions with their respective clubs.
That leads the Flyers to two roads, both of which can be dangerous if not navigated with care.
On one hand, the Flyers can leverage the mounds of cash they have available thanks to the salary cap increase and make a play for one of the top restricted free agents.
The problem, though, is that it would take a ludicrous offer sheet to get a center like Adam Fantilli or Leo Carlsson without Columbus and Anaheim, respectively, matching that offer sheet.
And, not to mention, Fantilli is yet to have a 60-point NHL season, and an unmatchable offer sheet from the Flyers' side would cost north of $12 million annually as well as four first-round picks as compensation.
So, the only other option for the Flyers is to consult the trade market, assuming they aren't willing to throw the kitchen sink at someone like Fantilli.
The Flyers' most obvious trade target, and one that is subject to great controversy online, is Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson, who played under Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet for parts of three seasons.
Pettersson, 27, is a smooth, creative two-way forward who was, up until very recently, regarded as one of the best centers in the NHL.
The 2017 No. 5 overall pick erupted for 102 points in 80 games under Tocchet and Bruce Boudreau in 2022-23, then followed that up with an 89-point effort in his first full season under Tocchet in 2023-24.
Of course, Pettersson has managed just 30 goals and 96 points in his last two seasons combined, and it's worth noting the level of disarray that has plagued the Canucks organization in those last two seasons.
The other detractor for Pettersson is his staggering $11.6 million cap hit and full no-move clause, which severely limits the number of suitors for him on top of having complete say over his next destination.
At this point, the Canucks, who will now have a new GM and a new head coach heading into 2026-27, should lean into a full rebuild.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Flyers, Tocchet, and Pettersson all have interest in a reunion, but on paper, it makes sense, and there is a history of some success to fall back on.
No. 1 centers don't go on trees, and Pettersson may be the best shot at one for the Flyers. For all parties involved, a resolution might be the best path forward.
(Photo: Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images)
A far less appealing option, but still an option nonetheless, is Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish, who appears to have completely fallen out of favor under new head coach Joel Quenneville, mimicking the career path of former teammate and current Flyers star Trevor Zegras.
McTavish, 23, just finished the first year of a six-year, $42 million extension that comes with an annual cap hit of $7 million, but GM Pat Verbeek and the Ducks paid all that out for a meager 41 points this past season.
The Ducks have Leo Carlsson in need of a massive new payday, and they have 2025 first-round pick Roger McQueen on the way, too.
McTavish won't come without his warts; he's four seasons into his NHL career with just one 20-goal, 50-point campaign and isn't a great skater.
Still, the Ducks could flip him to add more talent elsewhere and recoup some assets, whereas the Flyers would be betting on the potential that made McTavish the No. 3 pick in 2021, just as they did Zegras a year ago.
(Photo: Steven Bisig, Imagn Images)
Last but certainly not least, and sticking with the underperforming theme here, is Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers.
The Kraken are not exactly the Vegas Golden Knights in terms of taking an expansion team and becoming an instant contender, and with most of their defense and winger groups rapidly ageing, they may as well start from scratch.
Beniers, 23, has played a role in that, too, with career-highs of 24 goals and 57 points through the first four years of his NHL career.
The 2021 No. 2 overall pick will turn 24 in November and is already heading into Year 3 of the seven-year, $50 million extension he signed with the Kraken on Aug. 20, 2024.
Beniers will be an unrestricted free agent as a 28-year-old in 2031 and is already making $7.142 million against the cap.
The former Michigan ace is a detail-oriented playmaker who does his best work in his own end of the ice. Beniers has the tools to be more of a scoring threat, though, and he can certainly unlock that potential in Philadelphia.
The Flyers have a much more robust group of wingers at their disposal than Seattle does, and as a result, Beniers won't have to focus on defense all the time while also trading in his Batman cape.
Tocchet and Co. deployed Matvei Michkov almost exclusively with Noah Cates and Sean Couturier this past season, so a partnership between Beniers and the Russian phenom feels like a natural fit.
No center on this list is a sure-thing, home-run add, but the Flyers are eventually going to have to make a move to get going on their way to becoming Stanley Cup contenders.
Talented centers with legitimate top-line upside don't come around very often, which makes now the time for the Flyers to use their roster and draft capital to build.
The Giants’ 2026 MLB season has gotten off to a less than impressive start, as San Francisco is 20-30 and fourth in the NL West.
President of baseball operations Buster Posey has had to answer for the struggles, as well as some questionable strategic decisions. He joined KNBR on Thursday and discussed how he would grade his tenure in his season-plus at the helm.
“If we’re going based on wins and losses, not very well,” Posey, who was hired by the Giants for his current role following the 2024 season, said. “But I do believe there’s hope with what we’ve got going on in our farm system right now. There’s a lot of exciting players. Hopefully we’re going to add some more here during the draft.”
However, at the major league level, San Francisco has struggled mightily as of late. The Giants are 2-6 over their last eight games and are 11 games back from the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the division and 8 1/2 games back from the third Wild Card spot.
“Baseball is a fickle thing,” Posey added. “Hopefully next time we’re on here, we’re talking about a lot more positive things, and I believe that’s a real possibility.
“All you can do is keep going … because sports is the ultimate meritocracy.”
It’s still early in the season with more than 100 games left to play, but Posey has been around the league long enough to know that at the end of the day, results are truly all that matters.
BOSTON, MA - MAY 2: VJ Edgecombe #77 and Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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
It feels like just yesterday Sixers fans were in ferocious debates over who the team should select No. 3 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. The team ultimately took VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor.
There was also a sector of the fan base who contemplated what the Sixers could get in a Tyrese Maxey trade after the Orlando Magic paid a draft pick ransom to the Memphis Grizzlies for Desmond Bane.
Fast forward to the end of the 2025-26 season and it’s hard to imagine where the Sixers would be without the VJ-Maxx backcourt in the fold. Despite a second-round sweep by the New York Knicks and complete chaos surrounding the franchise, Maxey and Edgecombe represent a fleeting feeling amongst fans — hope.
The Sixers are locked in with max contracts for Paul George and Joel Embiid. The likelihood of either being moved this summer seems low. Daryl Morey is out, while his successor has yet to be named. Nick Nurse’s seat probably isn’t the coldest. There’s plenty of uncertainty and dismay over where the organization goes from here.
But none of those questions revolve around the future of the Maxey-Edgecombe backcourt.
“He’s been exceptional,” Maxey said of Edgecombe after the team was eliminated. “That’s the word that I can use, exceptional. Man, I know I sat up at this podium a lot and talked about him a lot this season, just about his maturity, about all the different things that he brings to the game. He had a hell of a rookie season, man. Hell of a not just rookie season, hell of a season. A lot of guys in the NBA wish they had a season like him. So the sky’s the limit. Future is bright.”
Edgecombe was better than just about anyone could’ve anticipated. He was a First Team All-Rookie pick and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, doing so in a stacked draft class while playing for a playoff team. For the season, he averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 35.4% from three. For a 20-year-old rookie with his athletic profile, that’s a damn fine statistical rookie season.
His numbers were unsurprisingly down during the postseason, but stellar performances in Games 2 and 7 against the Boston Celtics flashed his serious potential. Between his athleticism, skill and intangibles, it’s not hyperbolic to think Edgecombe has star potential.
“VJ is up next,” Embiid said. “Philly got a good one in him. He’s the guy. I’m telling you guys, that guy is something different. And this was only year one. Year two is going to be better. Year three, even better. But he has a chance to be extremely special.”
If you’ve learned anything about Edgecombe this season, it’s not at all surprising to hear how much he deflected praise and poured it on his teammates. There is a required delusional confidence Edgecombe possesses, but it doesn’t raise to the level of arrogance — quite the opposite.
He frequently cites his hard work as a reason for his confidence while deflecting much of the credit for his team’s success onto others. It’s very similar to the way Maxey carries himself. It’s easy to see why the two have been such a natural pairing.
“For me, from day one,” Edgecombe said of Maxey, “before I even knew I was getting drafted here, he welcomed me with open arms. I’ve been learning from him since then — just trying to keep building that relationship, keep building that chemistry. And I’m really proud of how he handled the season, a lot of ups and downs.”
Both players will go back to the lab this summer, looking to add to their games and fix the flaws that revealed themselves this postseason.
Edgecombe talked about wanting to play on the ball more to help keep the pressure off Maxey. Maxey talked about playing more off the ball to help Edgecombe develop more as a ball-handler. They also talked about Edgecombe making his way to Dallas this summer for a workout.
“I know probably like two, three years ago, I sat up here with Joel and sat up here with James, and they saw something in me,” Maxey said. “And I guess I’m getting old now because I’m sitting up here with VJ, and I’m just happy to be a part of his journey. I’m happy to be someone who can help him.
“And another thing is, I’m just going to push him to be as good as he possibly can, because it’s a lot more left in that tank that we’re gonna get out of him. And he’s someone that it’s not gonna take much. You ain’t gotta push his buttons much. He works too hard and he wants it too much.”
Nobody really knows where the Sixers go from here. Bob Myers, who is leading the charge to find the organization’s next president of basketball operations, spoke to reporters for the first time last week. He didn’t offer much as far as the direction the franchise will go.
The reality is, the next person in charge will have their work cut out for them. The Sixers’ depth was a major issue at times through the regular season, but it was on full display as the team was ran out of the gym in a four-game sweep to the Knicks. How you build out that depth with so little resources is a huge question mark.
But the most alluring part of this job to any executive candidate is going to be Maxey and Edgecombe. Once the Embiid and George contracts are off the books — one way or another — they’ll be able to build around this electric backcourt.
On nights when Embiid is ailing and George needs a rest, just remember Maxey and Edgecombe will be running things soon.
“It’s surreal to see,” Edgecombe said of Maxey’s ascenion. “He’s gonna be a superstar for years to come. I’m really proud to just be a part of the journey. He’s just been so great for me, for this team. We ain’t going anywhere without him.”
WORCESTER — Entering last season, the Boston Red Sox’ future looked bright with the “Big Three” of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell. Now, there’s a real chance we’ll never see the trio play in a big-league game together.
After soaring through the minor league ranks, Campbell was the first of the three to crack Boston’s roster. He made the Opening Day squad and signed an eight-year, $60 million contract extension just one week later. Two and a half months after that, Campbell was sent back down to Triple-A Worcester. He hasn’t returned to the majors since, and his path back to Boston is anything but clear.
After winning the American League Rookie of the Month award for March/April, Campbell became a liability both at the plate and defensively at second base. Over his last 35 games (130 at-bats), he slashed .154/.236/.215 with two homers and nine RBI. He posted -9 Outs Above Average during his brief MLB stint.
Campbell’s struggles at second prompted the organization to move him to the outfield. He has played 14 games in right field, 11 in left, seven in center, and five as a designated hitter so far this season with the WooSox. He’s taking the switch in stride.
“It’s been good. Defense has been going well in the outfield,” Campbell told NBC Sports Boston. “I’ve been playing all three different positions each and every day, so it’s been a work in progress.
“Offensively, I feel good, too. Just trying to put up good at-bats each and every day, get used to some of the new changes I made, and just keep going on from there.”
While Campbell has shown flashes of his high upside this season in Worcester, he still hasn’t produced the offensive numbers that made him arguably the most exciting prospect in Boston’s pipeline. Through 38 games this season, he has posted a modest .254/.367/.348 slash line with seven doubles, two homers, and 18 RBI. He has 51 strikeouts and 24 walks in 169 plate appearances.
Still, the biggest roadblock on his path back to Boston is his switch to the outfield. The Red Sox have a logjam at the position with Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida each taking up spots.
“It’s not really my problem to worry about, to be honest,” Campbell said of the logjam. “I just worry about what I have to do here to get better each and every day and worry about myself, really. That’s really it. Let everything figure itself out.”
Perhaps Campbell would benefit from a change of scenery. The problem is, it’s unlikely the Red Sox will find a club willing to take on his contract at this point. The Georgia Tech product is essentially in baseball purgatory, and that’s a real disappointment for those who watched Campbell dominate at every minor league level in 2024.
As disappointing as it’s been, there’s still a chance Campbell returns to form. He turns just 24 next month, and he never got a real chance to settle in during his rapid ascension. In hindsight, it was a mistake to promote him after only 40 games in High-A, 56 games in Double-A, and 19 games in Triple-A in 2024.
For what it’s worth, Mayer and Anthony also have yet to live up to their lofty expectations in the majors. Mayer has excelled defensively but underwhelmed at the plate with a .638 OPS through 88 games. Anthony has put up solid numbers when healthy, but he suffered a season-ending oblique injury last year and has missed time because of back and wrist ailments this season.
The shortcomings of Campbell and the “Big Three” serve as a cautionary tale for prospect hype. Fortunately for them, time remains on their side.
LeBron James has presented a timeline regarding his future and when to expect an update on his decisions. Yes, plural.
James, 41, will be an unrestricted free agent coming off his 23rd NBA season where he led the league in fast break points while averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. He could consider retirement. Or, he could opt for his 24th NBA season – further extending the NBA record for most seasons played.
And if year 24 is the answer, there would most definitely be suitors. But pump the brakes.
During an episode of his podcast "Mind The Game" with Steve Nash, James shared that he hasn't really thought about what his next chapter is going to be, whether retirement, a return to the Los Angeles Lakers or possibly even a different team.
"I'm still in the moment of like, just taking my time," James said. "I haven't even really thought about it too much. Obviously, I understand that I'm a free agent and I can control my own destiny, (if it's) being here with this (Lakers) franchise for the foreseeable future, or if it's going somewhere else."
James elaborated on a timeline leaning into late summer for when he'd have a decision, but first come his priorities – family.
"I haven't even really even gotten to that point. I haven't even taken my family vacation yet, which is going to happen after Memorial Day. That's kind of the thing at the forefront of my mind," James said. "But I think at some point you know, up until late June, as July rolls around, free agency starts to get going and July's rolling and maybe into August we start to kind of like get a feel of what my future may look like."
Whether James continues to play the game that he loves is up in the air. What's not in question is his ability to do so.
James said he knows he can "still give so much to the game and play at a high level" but hasn't came to a point where he's making a decision.
"When I get there, it'd be fun to kind of see what the future could hold," he said.
Factors into LeBron James' next decision
If James decides to play, it wouldn't be for a bottom-feeder team. Contenders only. Correction, championship contenders only. It's the only scenario James feels comfortable in at this point in his illustrious career.
Teams in rebuild mode or that just don't have it yet put together need not consider themselves in the LeBron James sweepstakes this offseason.
"No, there's no way," James said when asked about "starting over" with a team on the bottom. "There's no way. I mean, you know, winning is most important, because you want to be excited about going to work every day. You want to be excited about, you know, like I said earlier, winning the day and being around a group of guys that you know feel the same way."
He added: "Trying not to take steps backwards and understand the season is a long marathon, and whatever the case may be, but those building blocks throughout the course of the season is what matters to when you get to the marathon or when you get to the sprint, which is now, you know, the postseason. I'm not going anywhere it's a start over at year 24 or things of that nature, I'm done with that."
But James is also a family man, and that's a high priority.
"That's very important, and it's up there. I mean, 1A and 1B is like, where do I feel comfortable with doing with my career, but also with my family," he said. "How do they feel about whatever the decision that I'm able to come up with and make. That's a joint decision as well. I give them the insight, both my boys, my daughter and my wife. You know, so you know it's 1A and 1B. I don't think one is higher than the other, whatever the case may be."
Apr 7, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4), forward Dillon Brooks (3) and guard Devin Booker (1) against the Houston Rockets at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Tiers. It’s a subject we spent plenty of time discussing here at Bright Side of the Sun as we worked through our postseason SunsRank rankings.
Having tiers created a much more structured approach to ranking every member of the Phoenix Suns roster and determining who the team’s best players actually are. That’s the beauty of tiers. They provide segmentation and definable categories, making the entire exercise easier to navigate and comprehend.
Anybody who plays fantasy football already understands this concept. Tiers become incredibly important when you’re on the clock, scurrying to determine who should come off the board next. If you’ve already separated players into groups, the decision-making process becomes cleaner and easier to process. So yes, I love me some tiers.
When you extrapolate that concept outward beyond just the Suns roster though, it becomes an even more useful tool for understanding and ranking players across the NBA as a whole. It’s also an incredibly daunting task, one I absolutely do not envy. Thankfully, Law Murray of The Athletic has been tackling exactly that challenge, releasing a series of articles breaking players across the league into different tiers. I highly recommend reading the series and appreciating the work.
It’s a far more in-depth process than what we did with SunsRank because you’re evaluating the entire NBA landscape. There aren’t clean labels like cornerstone, pillar, wildcard, or depth piece. Instead, it’s tier-based with subcategories like Tier 2B or Tier 3A. Still, the overall goal remains the same: creating structure around player evaluation.
Murray has five tiers, with the following designations:
Tier 1
Top 10
A player who can reasonably be considered an All-NBA First Team player. Capped at 10.
Tier 2
11-30
An All-Star-caliber player who can lead an adequate team. Tiers 1 and 2 are locked at 30 total players, but I made them flexible this year.
Tier 3
31-60
Star consideration. It is not ideal for this level of player to be the best on a team, but it is great if this level of player is the third-best player of a big three. A flexible tier.
Tier 4
61-100
A player who is a good starter, if not quite a star. Flexible tier but rounds out the top 100.
Tier 5
101-125
Just outside of the top 100. A quality rotation player.
Now that those tiers have started rolling out, we finally have a national perspective on where certain members of the Suns roster land within the larger NBA hierarchy. And while rankings are typically something we roll our eyes at, I find value in these rankings. Because it allows us to see a structured perception. This isn’t some click-baity article meant to stir conversations in the doldrums of social media. These are rankings that, much like SunsRank, carry historical caveats within. You can see either progression or digression, which provides a greater context and layer to the conversation.
So where did the Suns players end up? Let’s start by reviewing the entire list of Suns’ players, and then delve a bit further.
Player
Tier
Devin Booker
2D
Dillon Brooks
4C
Jalen Green
4E
Collin Gillespie
5A
Grayson Allen
5B
My initial reaction to seeing these rankings is that, internally, the Bright Side writing staff and community largely got it right. Through all of the thought exercises, tier definitions, and polling, the order of where Suns’ players ranked locally and nationally was very…what’s that word Brian Gregory has made us fall in love with?…aligned!
If you remember our SunsRank exercise, Devin Booker was followed by Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green in the writers’ rankings, while the community rankings flipped Brooks and Green. Even then, the margin between the two on the community side was razor-thin, with only five votes separating them. Both Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen made the list as well, although our writing team had Mark Williams ahead of Grayson in SunsRank. But overall, having 5 players in the top 125 is a solid foundation.
Player
Writers Ranks
Community Rank
Devin Booker
1
1
Dillon Brooks
2
3
Jalen Green
3
2
Collin Gillespie
4
4
Grayson Allen
6
5
Seeing Green ultimately land below Brooks by three sub-tiers in Law Murray’s rankings actually fortifies how the local fan base views those players relative to one another. Green has the talent, the upside, and the athleticism. But Brooks is the emotional leader, the tone setter, and the one who carries with him a much more deliverable price-for-value paid.
What becomes really interesting, though, is when you start digging deeper into where each player lands compared to the rest of the league within their respective tiers. And probably the most surprising thing for people outside Phoenix, at least from a national perspective, is seeing Booker land in Tier 2D.
Player
2025 Tier
Deni Avdija
3C
Devin Booker
2A
De’Aaron Fox
3A
James Harden
2C
Pascal Siakam
2D
Jalen Williams
3A
Only one player other than James Harden fell in their ranking as compared to last season. And that player is Devin Booker. It’s a reminder, and honestly a reinforcement, that the perception of Devin Booker both locally and nationally is beginning to shift. The feeling now is that he’s falling out of that true superstar stratosphere, that a player who once comfortably lived in the top 15 conversation is starting to slide further down those lists.
Whether the driving factor is production, overall skill set, or some combination of both, it’s understandable why he ended up in this tier.
I’ve said it multiple times recently. Booker is a star. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a star. Still, the conversation naturally changes once a player is being paid superstar money. That’s where the value discussion begins to creep in, fairly or unfairly. It’s a conversation you know and I know we will continue to have for quite some time, because we are beginning to enter that uncomfortable space where the price tag rises as the potential for production wanes. We’re not there yet. But it’s just over the horizon, and some do not want to see that day.
At this point though, Booker remains the foundation and backbone of the Phoenix Suns franchise.
The shooting guards here are Devin Booker and De’Aaron Fox, two players who could also be called point guards. Booker has won just four playoff games without Chris Paul on the floor with him, and all five of Phoenix’s series wins with Booker have been against a team missing a star for all or part of the series (Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray, Kawhi Leonard, Zion Williamson, Paul George). That’s not to say that Booker isn’t a very good player. The Suns would be lost without him, as he is his team’s best chance for anything close to efficient offense, and he competes on defense. But he would benefit significantly from three things: a point guard who consistently helps him get easier shots, another star teammate at any position and a head coach who can stick around a while (Jordan Ott is Booker’s eighth head coach).
Sometimes I feel defensive when national writers speak to who and what Booker is. I poke my nose into the sky and sigh, knowing that they typically are only touching the surface. But in this case, is Murray wrong? I think not. And that realization is one that many still struggle to come to grips with.
Further down the list is Dillon Brooks, who lands in Tier 4C. Who is he next to in the rankings?
Player
2025 Tier
RJ Barrett
4D
Dillon Brooks
4E
DeMar DeRozan
3B
Paul George
3C
Josh Hart
4A
Zach LaVine
3C
CJ McCollum
4B
Naz Reid
4F
Ausar Thompson
—
I think this ranking is appropriate as well.
Dillon Brooks absolutely elevated his game this past season, and people around the league took notice. He was one of the few risers who landed in Murray’s 4C. For a long time, and I’ll include myself in this, what he did with the Memphis Grizzlies often felt more rooted in antics, while his stint with the Houston Rockets came across as more annoying than impactful. Last season changed that perception.
What Brooks did in Phoenix reinforced the idea that he genuinely moves the needle. Emotionally, he’s always done that. This year though, he proved he could do it through offensive production and through the cultural impact he had on a basketball team. Nobody expected the Phoenix Suns to be remotely competitive entering the season. Then you inject Brooks into the equation alongside a group of young, feisty players, and suddenly the entire identity of the team shifts. The league noticed that. His placement within these tiers reflects exactly that.
And then there’s Jalen Green, who fell into Tier 4E.
Player
2025 Tier
2026-27 Salary
Toumani Camara
5B
$2.4M
VJ Edgecombe
—
$11.7M
Keyonte George
—
$6.6M
Jalen Green
4E
$36.3M
Jaime Jaquez, Jr.
—
$5.9M
Immanuel Quickly
4E
$32.5M
Jabari Smith, Jr.
—
S23.6M
Peyton Watson
—
RFA, QO $6.5M
Andrew Wiggins
4B
$30.2M
You’ll notice I added a third column to this tier breakdown because I think it’s unbelievably important to the conversation.
I’ll start with the obvious. Jalen Green missed 50 games this season, and that absolutely impacted how he’s perceived both locally and nationally. Interestingly enough though, his tier placement one season ago was also Tier 4E. Then you start looking around the rankings and notice players like Ja Morant, who missed 62 games, sitting in Tier 3E. Or Domantas Sabonis, who missed 63 games and also lands in Tier 3E. That’s where your eyebrow starts to raise a little because it forces you into an uncomfortable realization.
The national perception of Green simply isn’t where it needs to be right now.
That matters because the Phoenix Suns are about to pay him $36.3 million next season, and when you scan the players around him in these rankings, he’s making significantly more money than most of them. You start understanding why the fans who want Green traded this offseason may ultimately be disappointed.
Based purely on this type of ranking system, you can see that his national value probably isn’t high enough right now to bring back the kind of desirable assets Phoenix would want in return to meaningfully move the franchise forward. Now granted, this isn’t a ranking system put together by NBA executives or general managers. It’s the perspective of a writer at The Athletic. Still, it provides insight into how Green is viewed nationally, and that’s really the crux of the Suns’ current situation.
Even if Phoenix were interested in exploring trades involving Green, which honestly I don’t believe they are right now, this probably isn’t the time to do it.
Now we turn to a pair of players who saw their stock rise this season. First up? Collin Gillespie.
Player
2025 Tier
Christian Braun
4C
John Collins
4E
Collin Gillespie
—
Draymond Green
4A
Tobias Harris
5A
Cameron Johnson
5B
Kristaps Porzingus
3C
Neemias Queta
—
Coby White
4F
As Collin Gillespie approaches unrestricted free agency this offseason, his rising national value becomes incredibly important. Ultimately, that perception could help dictate the price point at which the Phoenix Suns bring him back, something that certainly appears to be a priority for the organization.
It’s funny because when you look across Tier 5A, most of the players in that grouping are either making a lot of money already or are players beginning to trend downward in their careers. There are exceptions though, and Collin is one of them. His value is clearly rising after what was a breakout season for him.
Locally, we understand the context. We watched him fade a bit as the season progressed. Still, when you step back and evaluate the season holistically, the value is obvious. The hope entering next year is that the progression continues, he takes another step forward, and his placement in these rankings keeps climbing.
Lastly, there’s Grayson Allen.
Player
2025 Tier
Grayson Allen
—
Nic Claxton
—
Donovan Clingan
—
Luguentz Dort
5A
Tari Eason
5B
Keldon Johnson
—
Onyeka Okongwu
5B
Duncan Robinson
—
Ryan Rollins
—
Shaedon Sharpe
—
Cason Wallace
—
He landed just one tier below Collin Gillespie and is the second-oldest player within that grouping. Like Gillespie, Allen did not crack the top 125 rankings a season ago, which serves as a reminder of how valuable he still is around the league. It also reinforces the idea that he could ultimately become one of the pieces the Phoenix Suns move if they decide to pivot certain aspects of their roster construction.
Allen possesses one of the more tradable contracts on the roster, paired with a skill set that translates almost anywhere. Shooting always travels. Teams are always looking for secondary scoring and spacing off the bench. Because of that, it’ll be interesting to see what his market value actually looks like around the league.
That said, regardless of what Phoenix could potentially get back in return, moving off Allen absolutely hurts your depth and second-unit scoring.
What these rankings ultimately reinforce is something Suns fans are still wrestling with emotionally. Phoenix has good players. Legitimately good players. The issue is the league no longer views the roster as one built around overwhelming star power. Instead, it’s increasingly viewed as a team trying to construct functionality, depth, and identity around Devin Booker rather than simply stacking names and hoping it all works. Honestly, that’s probably healthier long term, even if it feels less sexy on paper.
And that’s where these tiers become valuable. They strip away emotion and force you to evaluate the roster through a colder lens. Booker remains the clear headliner, although nationally he’s drifting closer toward “high-end star” than “untouchable superstar.” Brooks is gaining respect because his impact finally translated into winning basketball people could quantify. Gillespie and Allen are viewed as legitimate rotational pieces. Green remains the wild card, simultaneously carrying the highest ceiling and the most uncomfortable price-to-production conversation on the roster.
Taken together, the rankings paint a pretty honest picture of where the Suns currently exist within the larger NBA ecosystem. Competitive. Interesting. Deeper than expected. Still lacking the kind of top-end hierarchy that typically defines true championship contenders.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 20: Aaron Nola #27 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the first inning during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park on May 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was the type of start we’ve come to expect from Aaron Nola.
First inning, we see vintage Nola. Pinpoint command. Two strikeouts. A 1-2-3 opener. The type of beginning that makes you remember why the Phillies signed the veteran right-hander to a seven-year, $172 million contract before the start of the 2024 season.
Then, as if that dominant first inning never happened, it all fell apart.
The second inning starts with a line drive double, then a line drive single, then a ground ball double down the right field line to score a run. Nola records two outs and then allows the hit that turns what could have been an inning with minimal damage into one with a crooked number, a line drive single that scores two.
The third inning would feature two more singles, although neither player scored. In the fourth? A leadoff triple that smacked off the center field wall followed by an out and then another line drive, RBI single to plate the Reds’ fourth run.
After a clean fifth, Nola was done. His final line read: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 0 BB and 5 Ks.
This has been the norm. Through 10 starts, his ERA is 6.04. His fielding independent pitching (FIP) is 4.48. Neither number is good.
These are also not new numbers. In 17 starts last season, the EAR was 6.01. Among 144 starters with at least 100 innings pitched since the beginning of last year, Nola’s 6.02 ERA ranks 141st.
Aaron Nola has been one of baseball’s most ineffective pitchers since the start of the 2025 season.
He is scheduled to make $24.5 million each of the next five seasons, including this one. He is no longer expected to be a top-of-the-rotation starter, but there should be an expectation that he would not be one of the very worst pitchers in the sport.
There are any number of reasons why Nola is struggling, but it all starts with the fastball.
Aaron Nola's fastball is the biggest concern right now.
Batting average against Nola's fastball over the years:
If Nola is not going to be able to throw his fastball, especially in fastball counts, he’s going to have to learn to feature his secondary pitches exclusively and use his fastball more sparingly. He’s already throwing it less (27.5) than he ever has. Manager Don Mattingly talked about Nola needing to learn to “pitch backwards,” but noted there is no one single flip that can be switched.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto feels Nola is simply not executing his pitches. The problem with Nola is that he absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, leave anything out over the middle of the plate. There is zero margin for error. And now, as noted by On Pattison’s Tim Kelly, it’s possible the new ABS system may be taking away Nola’s penchant for getting balls just off the plate called for strikes in the past.
On the latest episode of Phillies Stoplight🚦, @TimKellySports explained why he thinks it's harder than ever for an Aaron Nola-type pitcher to succeed. pic.twitter.com/hvZm1SMzwM
Regardless, Nola is at a crossroads. There is simply no world where he can continue to pitch like this.
The hope is pitching coach Caleb Cotham and Nola can sit down in their pitching lab and cook up some ideas on how to fix Nola’s fastball. That’s easier said than done.
The more likely answer is that Nola may simply be cooked. And it would be understandable if he is, even as he approaches his 33rd birthday next month.
From 2017-2024, no pitcher in baseball threw more innings (1432.2) than Aaron Nola. That is an enormous workload, one that pitchers through the 1980s routinely piled up, but not so much in this era of baseball.
The problem is, there are five years left, counting 2026, on Nola’s free agent contract. So, what are the Phillies’ options?
While the Phils showed a willingness to eat some money by releasing Taijuan Walker last month, he was on the final year of his $18 million a year deal. Nola is due another $98 million after this season. That’s too much for any team to eat.
He cannot be traded. He has full 10-5 trade rights (10 years in the Majors and at least five years with his current team), and not only is it highly unlikely there would be another team willing to deal for him, it’s just as unlikely Nola would agree to a trade.
He cannot be optioned to the minors without his approval. Now, other veteran pitchers who were out of options have agreed to minor league demotions during times of struggle. In 2008, Brett Myers agreed to pitch in AAA for a few weeks to get things right. When he returned, he was a dominant force that helped the Phils win a World Series title. Would Nola be willing to do something similar if things don’t change?
The only other option is to send him to the bullpen. But without any logical replacements in AAA or AA as of yet, and the trade deadline still more than two months away, the only recourse the Phillies have is to send him out there every fifth day and hope he and Cotham can figure something out.
Nola’s stuff is good enough that he should be better than this. A pitcher of his talent, even with all those innings and a declining fastball, should be better than an ERA over 6.00.
Everyone will just have to grin and bear it for now. And hope Nola rights the ship.
Listen to more of my thoughts on Nola as well as the Phillies’ series loss to the Reds on the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, powered by WHYY!
Senga, who has been on the IL since April 28 while dealing with lumbar spine inflammation, is beginning a rehab assignment.
The right-hander will start for A-level St. Lucie on Friday, with the expectation that he'll throw roughly 50-to-60 pitches.
Before he landed on the IL, the situation with Senga in the rotation had become untenable, with him being unable to pitch more than 3.1 innings in any of his last three starts.
While Senga has been out, the Mets have lost Clay Holmes to a long-term fibula injury, which conceivably changes the calculus regarding the plan for Senga once he's activated.
New York's rotation currently consists of Nolan McLean, Freddy Peralta, and Christian Scott, with David Peterson also factoring in every fifth day and rookie Zach Thornton in the rotation on a start-to-start basis. Jonah Tong, who has been with Triple-A Syracuse all season, is in consideration to come up to pitch this weekend against the Marlins in Miami.
As far as Senga, the Mets could theoretically move him to the bullpen when he returns, but that seems like a very poor fit given his routines.
Following back-to-back appearances for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday and Wednesday, Minter is set to pitch again for Syracuse on Saturday. If all goes well, Minter could be activated following that outing.
Minter missed most of last season after needing surgery for a torn left lat muscle.
His return would give the Mets another option at the back end of the bullpen, and could potentially put the roster spot of the struggling Craig Kimbrel in jeopardy.
Young, who is in the middle of a rehab assignment with Syracuse, feels good physically, with Mendoza noting that it is now a matter of getting his timing down.
The left-handed hitter excelled for New York earlier this season, hitting .350/.391/.450 in 23 plate appearances over 11 games.
DETROIT — Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Stubal threw another bullpen session, his third since his rehab program from elbow surgery began.
The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner underwent a non-invasive procedure on his left pitching elbow on May 6 to remove a loose body. He threw his latest bullpen session prior to Detroit’s home game against Cleveland.
Manager A.J. Hinch called it a “great step” but stopped short of saying when Skubal might return to action.
“There are little hurdles to clear along the way when you come back from a procedure,” Hinch said. “As much as we described it as simple, it’s still a procedure.”
Skubal used his full arsenal while throwing a total of 35 pitches, taking a breather in-between to simulate a break between innings.
“His velocity was as high as it’s been since his throwing started,” Hinch said. “He sat down and came back and did like a simulated second inning. That’s encouraging and it’s full stuff.”
Skubal will travel with the team during its weekend series in Baltimore and throw another bullpen session. The team’s medical and coaching staff will determine his next step afterward.
Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA in seven starts this season. He’ll be a free agent after the season.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 06: Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees strikes out during the game against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on May 06, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
At the 2025 Trade Deadline, one of the Yankees’ primary acquisitions was for a defense-first third baseman. Ryan McMahon, who had spent the past nine seasons with the Colorado Rockies, was known as one of the game’s finest defenders at the hot corner, one that could hit enough to get by in the majors, culminating in his first All-Star selection in 2024.
I will put my hand up: I liked adding RyMac to the fold. His glove gave him a solid floor, and he had enough pop with the bat to float around league-average and contribute a big hit now and then. Now, a good chunk into his first full season in the Bronx, it’s clear that something is not working for McMahon at the plate. He’s not putting the ball in play with much authority, and the basepaths are proving difficult to reach in 2026. He was never a bat-first guy, but at third base, at least some pop at the plate is expected, and it simply isn’t coming for the Yankees.
It took McMahon 17 games to get his first extra-base hit of the season, which in all fairness, was a clutch homer against the Royals. The pressure to produce that sort of hit is hammered home by Michael Kay’s “Ohhhh, did he need that!”
The issue arises in the fact that this hit did not really open the floodgates for McMahon, as he’s only amassed a handful of extra-base hits in his 137 plate appearances to this point. Now, all homers or doubles count the same, but you’ll notice that this homer wasn’t exactly a no-doubter. It was a wall-scraper the other way into left field. Unfortunately for McMahon this season, that seems to be all that he can buy.
Don’t mistake this chart for for Isaac Paredes’, these are all of Ryan McMahon’s extra-base hits this season — three doubles and four homers. Notably, all but one of these hits are to the opposite field, and rather extremely so. Not only has it been difficult for the Yankee third baseman to turn up the slug, but when he does, he’s not exactly doing himself any favors with a spray chart like this.
A pulled fly ball is the best category of hit a batter can ask for, something that McMahon cannot seem to find in his bat for 2026, and it’s clearly reflecting in his numbers. His 62 wRC+ would be an easy career worst since becoming a gular in 2018, as he’s reaching base at a miniscule .259 clip, strikes out 30 percent of the time, and is walking less than he ever has in his career. 2026 has been a rough go for McMahon at the plate, and his lack of production at the plate has necessitated the need for improvement at the hot corner for New York. Manager Aaron Boone hasn’t hesitated to play righty platoon partner Amed Rosario against same-handed pitching on occasion during McMahon’s deeper slumps.
For McMahon specifically, the production we’re seeing is a particular downgrade for him. Although his premier attributes have never come with the bat, the Yankees can and should reasonably expect a little pop from their third baseman. Instead of the guy who’s posted five consecutive 20-homer seasons, the Yankees have seen this version of McMahon. His production is substandard for anywhere on the diamond, but when considering the position he occupies, and the fact that he has been a consistent contributor for the better part of a decade, the trend becomes all the more troubling.
McMahon still hits the ball fairly hard (80th percentile in average exit velocity), and does so at a good rate (81st percentile hard-hit rate). But it’s clear that this sort of output is not all created equal, as his extra-base hits are fine in isolation, but they become part of a larger, more worrisome trend in the big picture. A full rebound with the bat feels less and less likely as time goes on, but nothing is out of question, as McMahon at least has a fine track record to back it up. But, as things stand, 2026 has been full of far more questions than answers for McMahon and the Yankees.
May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) warms up prior to game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images
In sports, there are three types of players. Those who are great regular season players, who take their greatness to a whole other level in the playoffs. Then there are great regular season players who flame out in the postseason. Lastly, there are the players who are average to good regular season players, who step their game up when it matters most, including in the playoffs. In my opinion, Jabari Smith Jr. is lining up to become that kind of player, and in 2025-2026 he showed us glimpses.
A lot of what is required to be successful in the postseason is mental. In the playoffs, every team is good and made up of good players. In the course of a seven-game series, there are no more secrets about what you or your opponent are going to try to do, it’s about executing your gameplan better, and imposing your will mentally and physically. Now I won’t say that physically Jabari Smith Jr. imposed his will on these playoffs, but he has the mentality that you need to win. Sadly, there were moments in the series against the Lakers that he looked like the only player who cared.
In the series against the Golden State Warriors last season, Jabari’s first taste of playoff basketball, he was extremely efficient on the offensive end but not nearly aggressive enough, taking less than five shots per game. This postseason, Jabari knew he’d have to be more of a factor with Kevin Durant missing all but one game in the series, and the team being down 0-3 in the series as a result. Yes, he stepped up his point production slightly in the playoffs, but honestly, it wasn’t enough. The team needed more from him offensively.
That being said, Jabari Smith Jr. took more than 14 shots per game in the series. The issue being that he only shot 38.3 percent from the field, including 37.3 percent from three. He played hard defensively as he always does, but let’s face it for a man of his stature he should be more of a factor on the boards. I don’t believe watching him on the court that it is from lack of effort, which is why I won’t be too harsh on the young man in this review. I think he has what it takes to be a contributor on a winning team, he just needs to finally put it together in his upcoming fifth season.
If he can combine the efficiency of his first playoff series with the aggressiveness and sense of urgency he showed in his second playoff series, then he will be one of those impact players in the postseason. I think at this point Jabari’s ceiling is a fringe All-Star ultimately on the outside looking in, unless the Rockets are just grossly misusing him, I don’t see him being much more than that. However, I can’t explain enough how big of a fan I am of his mental makeup. His 15.8 points per game in the regular season is fine with me, as long as he can bump it up to 18-19 points per game in the postseason. His 7.9 rebounds per game is cool with me, as long as it turns into 9-10 rebounds in the postseason. He doesn’t have to shoot 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from three like he did in the 2024-2025 playoffs, but he needs to be close.
Since Jabari Smith Jr. was drafted third overall in 2022, he’s been on a personal mission to prove to himself that he belongs. With Paolo Banchero winning rookie of the year, Chet Holmgren already being a key contributor to an NBA Championship, and the eyes of many wondering if the Rockets made the right choice selecting him third overall, you can see that the spirit is willing with Smith, the question… Is he really that dude? I think he can be, because I see how hard he works, I see how badly he wants it, the only thing left for him to answer to me is, is he willing to go take it. Because no one is going to hand it to him. If he can match his on-court production with that dog mentality I sense in him, then I hope he’s still wearing a Rockets jersey when it happens.
