Trae Young was ejected from the Wizards' game Monday.
Trae Young gave Wizards fans a taste of his “energy” and “competitiveness” when he got ejected from a game he wasn’t even playing in Monday night.
Young was thrown out of the Wizards’ 123-118 home loss to the Rockets after the newly acquired guard stormed onto the court to complain to an official.
It all started when the Rockets’ Tari Eason gave a hard push to the Wizards’ Jamir Watkins in the third quarter, which sent him to the ground, but the refs didn’t blow the whistle.
It led to a brief scrum before order was restored, but Young came off the bench in street clothes to yell at the ref under the nearest basket and earned himself an automatic ejection.
He didn’t seem to be too bothered by the situation after the game when he took to social media to make light of it.
Trae Young argues with an official during the Wizards’ March 2 game. Screengrab via X/@NBARewinds
“Don’t expect me to get ejected too many more times D.C.,” Young wrote on X, along with a crying laughing emoji. “.. but I’m definitely bringing that energy & competitiveness when I’m back for my brothers!”
He has not made his debut for his new squad while dealing with knee and quadriceps injuries that have kept him sidelined since Dec. 27.
Young has played in just 10 games this season, averaging 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game.
Trae Young walks off the court after getting ejected during the Wizards’ March 2 game. Screengrab via X/@NBARewinds
Young will finally take the court for the Wizards on Thursday when they host the Jazz at Capital One Arena.
He posted a video of himself working out in Wizards gear on Instagram earlier on Monday and wrote in the caption, “March 5th.”
“He’s trending in that direction,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe told reporters before Monday’s loss. “Obviously, we have a couple of days here of practice, but he’s done some 5-on-5 stuff with our group. But, yeah, he’s trending for Thursday. The expectations for him to start with [are] he’ll be on a [minutes] restriction, 17 to 20 minutes. He’s only played 10 games this year. The bulk of those will come in the first half with the normal rotation.”
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Star freshman Cameron Boozer scored 26 points and top-ranked Duke shot 55.2% to beat N.C. State 93-64 on Monday night, securing the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
The Blue Devils (28-2, 16-1) clinched the No. 1 seed for next week’s ACC Tournament with a weekend rout of No. 13 Virginia. Duke followed that by overwhelming the Wolfpack, both by hitting from outside against N.C. State’s zone and then getting into the paint area that has become a trademark strength.
Boozer finished 8 for 10 from the field and 9 for 11 from the foul line while grabbing nine rebounds — along with accumulating multiple long, thick scratches wrapping around his right shoulder amid physical second-half play.
Dame Sarr added 14 of his 16 points before halftime for Duke, which made 11 of 28 3-pointers.
The Blue Devils ran off a 9-0 burst to push to a double-digit lead late in the first half, followed by getting opposite corner 3s — Sarr from the right side, then Nik Khamenia from the left — for a 47-30 halftime lead.
Duke made its last five shots before halftime, then hit its first five out of the break to eliminate any lingering doubt, including a 3-pointer from Isaiah Evans that made it 56-32 at the 17:32 mark.
Darrion Williams had 17 points for the Wolfpack (19-11, 10-7), who continued a late-season slide in coach Will Wade’s debut season. N.C. State shot 35.4% and made 7 of 29 3s en route to a fifth loss in six games, a run that includes a 41-point defeat at then-No. 24 Louisville and last week’s 29-point loss at Virginia.
NO. 2 ARIZONA 73, NO. 6 IOWA STATE 57
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Jaden Bradley scored 17 points, Motiejus Krivas added 13 and Arizona clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title with a win over No. 6 Iowa State.
The Wildcats (28-2, 15-2) secured at least a share of the conference crown by using big runs in each half to beat No. 14 Kansas 84-61 on Saturday.
Arizona earned it outright by smothering Iowa State defensively to give Tommy Lloyd his 140th victory, most in NCAA history in a coach’s first five seasons.
Coming off their first home loss of the season, the Cyclones (24-6, 11-6) labored against Arizona’s physical defense, shooting 29% from the floor, including 7 of 30 from 3-point range.
Tamin Lipsey led Iowa State with 17 points, but leading scorer Milan Momcilovic was held to five on 2-of-8 shooting. The nation’s best 3-point shooter at 51%, he went 1 for 5 from the beyond the arc.
Jan 30, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) moves the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The Edmonton Oilers are fortifying their defense ahead of the NHL trade deadline as they look to make another deep run in the playoffs.
The back-to-back Western Conference champions on Monday acquired dependable defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2028 second-round pick. Chicago is retaining half of Murphy’s $4.4 million salary as part of the deal finalized 93 hours before the deadline Friday.
The Oilers rank 26th out of the league’s 32 teams in goals against this season, including a couple of losses since the Olympic break ended that can be chalked up to shoddy defensive play. They got beat 6-5 by Anaheim on Wednesday and 5-4 by San Jose on Saturday, defeats to rivals in the Pacific Division that have threatened Edmonton’s precarious place in the standings.
Murphy, who turns 33 on March 26, is a reliable defender who should slot in on the blue line on the third pair. He’s averaging 16 1/2 minutes of ice time through 60 games with the Blackhawks this season, his 13th overall and 12th full one since making his debut in 2013.
He leads Chicago with 87 blocked shots.
Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has a long history with Murphy. He was GM of the Blackhawks when they acquired Murphy from Arizona in 2017, and Bowman also signed Murphy’s current $17.6 million, four-year contract that expires on June 30.
Edmonton is coming off losing the Stanley Cup Final to Florida in consecutive years, with keeping the puck out of the net a considerable reason for each defeat. Bowman in December made a goaltending swap with Pittsburgh, sending Stuart Skinner to the Penguins for Tristan Jarry as part of a four-player trade that also involved a 2029 second-round pick.
Jarry’s .864 save percentage with the Oilers ranks 44th out of 49 goalies who have appeared in at least 10 games since the move on Dec, 12, which also included Brett Kulak being sent to Pittsburgh. The Oilers acquired Spencer Stastney that same day, and getting Murphy is the latest step in piecing together a more solid defense.
To make room for Murphy, the Oilers sent forward Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Alec Regula to Bakersfield of the American Hockey League after they cleared waivers. Mattias Janmark went on long-term injured reserve.
Edmonton was not the only contender in the West to add Monday. The Minnesota Wild claimed forward Robby Fabbri off waivers from St. Louis, and they almost certainly are not done.
“We’ve got room to do some things,” GM Bill Guerin said Sunday, pointing to the center position and faceoffs in particular as an area he’d like to shore up. “If I have a chance to make the team better, I will. It’s just got to make sense. Whatever the ask is, whatever we feel like is a good price for whatever we’re getting, we’ll do it.”
CHENEY, Wash. (AP) — Jackson Rasmussen had 14 points, Biko Johnson scored 13 and Idaho beat Eastern Washington 85-81 on Monday night, ending the Eagles' eight-game winning streak in a Big Sky Conference regular-season finale.
Rasmussen added eight rebounds and four assists for the Vandals (17-14, 9-9), who swept the season series. Johnson scored 11 of Idaho's final 18 points. Jack Payne scored 12 and fellow reserve Trevon Blassingame added 11 as the pair combined to make seven of Idaho's 14 3-pointers. Isaiah Brickner hit three 3s and also scored 11, while Aidan Sevilla scored 10 off the bench.
Isaiah Moses finished with 28 points for the Eagles (13-18, 11-7), who jumped out to an 8-0 lead before things fell apart. Alton Hamilton IV totaled 29 points, five rebounds and two blocks. JoJo Anderson pitched in with 15 points, five assists and three steals off the bench.
Idaho lead 34-30 at halftime and took the lead for good at 70-67 on Johnson's 3-pointer with 3:43 remaining.
It's been almost three months since the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Stuart Skinner from the Edmonton Oilers in the Tristan Jarry trade.
The Penguins traded Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Oilers on Dec. 12 in exchange for Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick. They then flipped Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche for Sam Girard and a 2028 second-round pick last Tuesday.
Dubas is never afraid of making deals, and he figures to be pretty active again this week since the NHL's trade deadline is this Friday. He's in charge of a team that finds itself in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.
The Penguins have surpassed everyone's expectations this year and are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season. However, Skinner has been in trade rumors over the last week and is No. 6 on Frank Seravalli's trade target board.
Skinner is a pending UFA, so it's only natural that the Penguins will at least listen to offers on him. He's been good since coming over from the Oilers and went through a stretch where he won eight of nine starts before losing his last two. During Skinner's hot streak, he had a .912 save percentage or better in seven of those games.
To take it a step further, over the last 10 games, Skinner ranks sixth among all goaltenders in goals saved above expected with six.
There's a legit argument to be made that Skinner could be the best available goaltender at the deadline, but the Penguins shouldn't move him unless they get an offer they can't refuse. It would have to be at least a second-round pick, plus something else in return, whether it's a veteran goaltender or a player at another position.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) defends the net in the second period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Otherwise, the Penguins should keep him and roll with him and Silovs for the stretch run and potentially into the playoffs. Skinner has extensive playoff experience that can pay dividends for the Penguins. He recently started for the Oilers in two straight Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers, and you can never have enough goaltending during this time of the season.
I know that Sergei Murashov is lighting up Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and everyone is excited about his future (myself included), but it would be asking a lot to rely on him and Silovs for the most crucial stretch of the season. They're both still rookies at the end of the day, and Murashov has only played in four NHL games.
He should cook a little more in WBS and help his team try to win a Calder Cup before he's on the team full-time next season. There's no need to rush him for the sake of it.
Overall, there are teams that need goaltending before the deadline (hello, Vegas and Carolina), but unless the Penguins are getting a dream return, they should roll with Skinner and Silovs the rest of the way.
The last time Adam Fox spoke, he created a ton of uncertainty around his Rangers future.
Fox didn’t exactly commit to sticking in the Big Apple through another retool -- saying that he is simply focused on this season right now, and it’s a “conversation for when we’re done playing.”
While it doesn’t seem like much, the NY-native seemingly said more with what he didn’t say.
Asked if he wanted to add to those comments following Monday's loss to the Blue Jackets, Fox said “kind of the same.”
“We’re just trying to focus on games, myself included,” he said. “There’s a lot going on with the deadline and everything, but I think all anyone can do right now is take it day-by-day, try to bring a good effort and good attitude and take it from there.”
According to Vince Mercogliano of the Athletic, Fox has met with Chris Drury several times in recent weeks, and he wants to see how the GM handles things over the next few months before making a decision to stick around.
Mercogliano notes that that doesn’t necessarily mean the All-Star blueliner isn’t willing to wait out the retooling period, but he wants evidence that the front office will turn things around.
Fox has a full no-trade clause through next season, then it turns to 16-team list for the final two years of his contract.
NBC's Coast 2 Coast Tuesday is going to have a distinct 1990s-vintage vibe this week.
That's because for the San Antonio Spurs at Philadelphia 76ers, NBC is getting the band back together: Bob Costas will do the play-by-play, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello will be the analysts, and the courtside reporter will be Jim Gray. It's the same crew that was part of the vintage NBA on NBC broadcasts during the 1990s, like the 95-96 season when it felt like Jordan's Bulls were inevitable (winning 72 games), while on the other coast Gary Payton was locking everyone down with the Seattle SuperSonics.
Tuesday night's game has the chance to be legendary in its own right, featuring the must-watch San Antonio team led by Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox and a deep roster of young, athletic talent. Philadelphia knows how to put on a show, too, but unfortunately, it will be without Joel Embiid (oblique strain) and Paul George (suspension). What the 76ers have is a dynamic backcourt led by All-Star Tyrese Maxey — who has been carrying Philadelphia's offense this season, leading the team in scoring (29.1 points per game) and assists (6.8) — and impressive rookie VJ Edgecombe.
It's a throwback style of game, so it's perfect that Costas, Collins and Fratello will be making the call. Both Coast 2 Coast Tuesday broadcasts — Spurs-76ers at 8 p.m. ET and Suns-Kings at 11 p.m. ET — will incorporate reminiscent and familiar components from the 1995-96 NBA on NBC season, including feature graphics package (score bar, stats, full pages, replay wipes, etc.) and tape elements.
How to watch Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics:
While the broadcast may have a 1996 feel, in 2026 both Philadelphia and San Antonio are fighting for playoff seeding and dreaming of a deep postseason run.
San Antonio is coming off a perfect 11-0 February, although they fell to the Knicks on Sunday (March 1). That perfect month all starts with Victor Wembanyama, who, during that winning streak, dominated the defensive paint, blocking 3.5 shots per game. In his third season, he is a heavy favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year (-600, per DraftKings). Wemby also is averaging 23.7 points and a career-best 11.2 rebounds per game. His dominant play is why he has the fourth-best odds to win MVP (+2500, per DraftKings).
Teams try to load up on Wembanyama, but the Spurs can win in a lot of different ways. The guard trio of De'Aaron Fox (18.8 points per game), Stephon Castle (16.5) and rookie Dylan Harper (11, mostly off the bench) can overwhelm teams. Then there is Devin Vassell, who is averaging 14.4 points a game for the season but has had some big nights lately, including 28 against Detroit in a San Antonio win.
Wembanyama is going to get a lot of attention on the night – it's hard to take your eyes off him – but this game is a showdown of two of the best young backcourts in the NBA.
For the 76ers and coach Nick Nurse, that starts with Tyrese Maxey, an All-Star this season who has played in 58 of the Sixers' 60 games and is averaging a league-high 38.5 minutes per game. Maxey has played 40+ minutes 21 times this season and the 76ers are 14-7 when he does (19-20 when he doesn't, including 1-1 in the two games he missed).
Maxey is on pace for career highs in scoring (29.1 points per game, fourth in NBA), assists (6.8) and rebounds (4.1). He also is shooting 37.6% from 3-point
Fans noticed, which is why they voted Maxey an All-Star Game starter this year.
Maxey and the rookie Edgecombe make up the backcourt of the future in Philly. Edgecombe — the No. 3 pick out of Baylor and the Rising Stars game MVP during All-Star Weekend — is averaging 15.5 points per game (third among rookies behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel) and 3.9 assists a game (also third among rookies).
"You could tell early on that he was extremely mature for his age, and that's what kind of surprised me the most..." Maxey said recently of Edgecombe. "He just wants to be better every single day, and you can see it. He's been growing every single night out there on the court, and we're blessed to have him. I was telling Joel [Embiid] the other day, we're just thankful that he fell into our arms. And this organization should be very, very thankful for that." This game is all about playoff seeding.
San Antonio is going to shatter its six-season playoff drought — it is the No. 2 seed in the West at 43-17 and is chasing Oklahoma City for the No. 1 seed in the conference (the Spurs are three games back with 22 to play).
Philadelphia is looking to hang on to the No. 6 seed in the East and avoid the play-in, and it's going to have to lean into its youth to do it. That's because the 76ers will be without Joel Embiid, who is out with an oblique strain, as well as Paul George (suspension).
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Kirill Marchenko scored his second goal of the game 1:04 into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the New York Rangers 5-4 Monday night after squandering a four-goal lead.
Columbus built a 4-0 advantage through the first two periods before the Rangers staged a furious comeback, scoring four unanswered goals, including Gabe Perreault’s tying goal with 4:46 remaining in the third __ to force OT.
Marchenko also added an assist for Columbus, which snapped a two-game skid . Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan and Mathiew Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Charlie Coyle had two assists. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced.
After falling behind four goals after two periods, the Rangers rallied in the third, scoring twice in a 24-second span in the first minute. New York, which had a 16-7 edge in shots in the period, scored two more goals in just over a two-minute span later in the third and managed to force overtime before falling short.
Perreault finished with two goals, and Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen also scored for New York, which dropped to 7-16-5 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were coming off a 3-2, shootout win over Pittsburgh on Saturday that snapped a five-game skid. Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.
RED WINGS 4, PREDATORS 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond each scored a goal and added an assist and Cam Talbot made 18 saves in relief of John Gibson to lead Detroit to a victory over Nashville.
Gibson did not return for the second period because of an upper-body injury. He stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced. Emmitt Finnie and Albert Johansson also scored for the Red Wings, who have two of three.
Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault scored and Juuse Saros made 27 saves for the Predators, who are 1-2-2 in their past five.
FLYERS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2, SO
TORONTO (AP) — Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras scored in a shootout and Philadelphia extended their winning streak to three games with a win over the Toronto.
William Nylander scored on the Maple Leafs’ first shootout attempt, but Auston Matthews and Max Domi failed to convert as Toronto’s losing streak reached four games.
Noah Cates converted a pass from Bobby Brink with 5:18 remaining in regulation time to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. The Maple Leafs tied the game when Nylander slammed in a feed from John Tavares on the power play with 2:30 left.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube adjusted his lines, with the most notable move being the pairing of Matthews, the team captain, alongside Nylander.
Toronto’s Dakota Joshua opened the scoring at 15:22 of the first period, knocking in a pass from Matias Maccelli. It was Joshua’s first goal since returning last week after missing two months with a lacerated kidney.
Flyers center Christian Dvorak tied the game three minutes later on the power play, sweeping in a loose puck in front of the net.
Toronto outshot the Flyers 31-25, and Anthony Stolarz finished with 23 saves. Philadelphia’s Dan Vladar made 29 stop
TORONTO (AP) — Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras scored in a shootout and the Philadelphia Flyers extended their winning streak to three games with a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.
William Nylander scored on the Maple Leafs’ first shootout attempt, but Auston Matthews and Max Domi failed to convert as Toronto's losing streak reached four games.
Noah Cates converted a pass from Bobby Brink with 5:18 remaining in regulation time to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. The Maple Leafs tied the game when Nylander slammed in a feed from John Tavares on the power play with 2:30 left.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube adjusted his lines, with the most notable move being the pairing of Matthews, the team captain, alongside Nylander.
Toronto’s Dakota Joshua opened the scoring at 15:22 of the first period, knocking in a pass from Matias Maccelli. It was Joshua’s first goal since returning last week after missing two months with a lacerated kidney.
Flyers center Christian Dvorak tied the game three minutes later on the power play, sweeping in a loose puck in front of the net.
Toronto outshot the Flyers 31-25, and Anthony Stolarz finished with 23 saves. Philadelphia’s Dan Vladar made 29 stops.
Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale had a chance to end the game in overtime, but his shot off the rush hit the outside of the near post with 30 seconds remaining.
Flyers' leading scorer Travis Konecny missed the game with a lower-body injury. He was a game-time decision.
Matthews has gone eight games without a goal, his longest drought of the season. A member of the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Italy, Matthews was without a goal in four games before the break and has gone four more since his return.
When Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with a right calf strain on Jan. 23, he told reporters that he would likely miss 4-6 weeks.
Turns out, he was right on schedule as Antetokounmpo made his return to the Milwaukee Bucks' lineup in Monday's 108-81 loss to a Jaylen Brown-less Boston Celtics team.
At one point, it was uncertain if Antetokounmpo would ever play in a Bucks uniform again after suffering his injury just over two weeks ahead of the trade deadline. His name has been surrounded by trade rumors for the past few years, but they especially heated up this season when it was reported that he was "open" to a trade.
But the Bucks didn't deal the two-time NBA MVP — at least for now — and re-tooled his supporting cast by taking low-risk fliers on Cam Thomas and Ousmane Dieng. The team hasn't exactly taken off though, the Bucks have just a 6-5 record since Feb. 5 and currently sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, 3.5 games behind the red-hot Charlotte Hornets for the final play-in spot.
And while Milwaukee hasn't been a good team in almost any facet this season, they still at least have a shot when they have their superstar. With Giannis, the Bucks are 15-16 and average 113.6 points per night. Without him, they drop to 11-18 and 109.1 points.
Here's how Giannis did in his return to the court on Monday vs. the Celtics:
At long last, the NHL trade deadline is just four days away, which also means the league's most chaotic and exciting time during the regular season has finally arrived.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins figure to be one of the most interesting teams ahead of the 3:00 p.m. deadline on Mar. 6.
Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has done a masterful job so far this season, as his offseason signings, trade pickups, and draft prospects - as well as some in-season acquisitions - have led to Pittsburgh being a top-six team in the NHL. They currently sit second in the Metropolitan Division and are fifth in the league in goal differential at plus-30.
In other words, the Penguins may just be contenders, but they could be even more so once that deadline passes. Dubas has a careful line to walk between continuing to prioritize the long-term and putting his chips on the table for a run this season with a legitimately good hockey team.
Here are six Penguins' storylines to keep an eye on during trade deadline week.
When thinking about where the Penguins' goaltending situation was just a few months ago, no one could have imagined they'd be making a legitimate playoff push with two goaltenders playing lights-out.
But, that's what has happened. Skinner was brought to Pittsburgh as part of the Tristan Jarry trade in mid-December, and he has been more than serviceable since. Aside from a few outlier bad performances that skew his numbers down a bit - overall, he is 8-4-2 with an .890 save percentage with the Penguins - the 27-year-old has proven to be just as valuable, if not more valuable, as Jarry was in a Penguins' uniform this season.
Second shutout of the season, .981 save percentage, and 2-0-0 over the week? That’s our kind of Arty party 🎊
Congrats to Arturs Silovs on being named @NHL Second Star of the Week!
However, with Arturs Silovs beginning to pull away from Skinner a bit in terms of performance - Silovs has a whopping .936 save percentage over his last nine appearances and has a track record of performing well in high-stakes situations - Skinner, who is on an expiring contract, could end up being the backup down the stretch.
It's certainly a risk rolling with two young, inexperienced goaltenders as opposed to having a veteran with ample playoff experience, so Dubas and the Penguins may have a tough decision ahead of them.
With Crosby out, will the Penguins target a depth center?
This will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow, as Crosby is expected to miss approximately three more weeks with a lower-body injury, and his team has the NHL's most difficult schedule for the remainder of the season.
So far, scoring hasn't proven to be much of an issue for the Penguins without Crosby. However, faceoffs certainly have been, as they have won just 52 of 159 total draws (32.7 percent) in their three games back from the Olympic break Crosbyless.
We'll circle back to this, but it will be interesting to see how the Penguins approach this situation. They do have two capable younger centers in Tristan Broz and Filip Hallander - barring their health - who should be able to help offset at least some of it. But depth never hurts, especially when that depth serves to improve the team overall. And the best bet at acquiring the best depth is in the trade market.
So, it will be interesting to monitor whether or not the center depth on the roster - especially without Evgeni Malkin manning the middle - looks like it could use a boost in the two games the Penguins have remaining prior to the deadline.
Will Evgeni Malkin sign before the trade deadline?
It was reported by Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now on Saturday that Malkin would meet with Dubas early this week, which follows Malkin saying in a postgame interview after a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers that they wouldn't meet until the offseason.
Of course, no one in their right mind actually believes that Malkin is going to be anywhere but Pittsburgh for the remainder of the season. However, it sure would bring some peace of mind to Penguins' faithful if Dubas and the team show priority to their 39-year-old future hall-of-famer, who is having his best season in several years with 13 goals and 47 points in 44 games.
Malkin has also developed ridiculous chemistry with winger Egor Chinakhov, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late December and has 10 goals in 21 games since - more than anyone else on the Penguins since his arrival and half of which have primary assists credited to Malkin.
Many feel Malkin has earned another season with the Penguins, and folks will be anxious to hear about how that meeting with Dubas goes down.
Something they could still use? A young blueliner with higher upside, whether that's on the left or right side. Harrison Brunicke, a right-side d-man, has to play out the rest of his WHL season before becoming a young depth option for the Penguins again, and that won't be until April.
Of course, the Penguins have some options in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) should someone go down, including Dumba, Owen Pickering, Alex Alexeyev, and Finn Harding. But if they want a young defenseman who can make an impact on the NHL roster now, they're likely not within the organization already.
Heading into this season, a priority outlined by Dubas was improvement on the left side. Well, Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea have both been good for the Penguins this season, and whoever has been in that other slot has been good enough. Still, it will be interesting to see if Dubas targets a younger blueliner with promise along the lines of Braeden Schneider (Rangers) or Pavel Mintyukov (Anaheim Ducks), if available.
Given the Penguins' place in the standings - and the fact that they already have more high-value draft capital (and more draft capital, period) than any other team in hockey - it's unlikely that Dubas is going to sell big at the deadline, even if he could receive fairly significant value in return for some of his better assets.
That said, it doesn't mean a "max value hockey trade" won't happen.
Names like Skinner's and Anthony Mantha's have popped up and have the attention of other teams, but in order for those guys to be moved, value would have to come the other way - simliar to the Kulak trade and the Jarry trade, where a guy playing the same position was part of the return along with draft capital (or a prospect).
However, Dubas needs to tread carefully here. Messing with the chemistry of a locker room on a team with a high degree of belief is a tricky thing, and sometimes, these kinds of moves backfire.
Obviously, "going big" - like selling - typically requires one or more pieces on your NHL roster or a high-value prospect going the other way in addition to high-value draft capital, which the Penguins do have. The discourse on trading their first-round pick this season comes with mixed response, as the 2026 draft is deep, but the Penguins, at this point, will probably draft late in the first round and have two second-round picks.
But even if they were willing to give up their first-rounder and more to acquire an impact player, is this year's trade deadline the time to do it?
It's absolutely reasonable to think that Dubas will wait until the summer to go big, given the direction he is taking the team in the foreseeable future as well as the fact that he has already made a pretty big move with the Chinakhov acquisition.
But, never say never. Dubas keeps his cards close to the vest, and given how good this Penguins' team is, he might just shoot higher than everyone expects.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 25 points, rookie Hugo González had career highs of 18 points and 16 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee 108-81 on Monday night to spoil Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return from a right calf strain.
Derrick White also scored 18 points for the Celtics, who have won three straight and seven of eight. White and Pritchard each had nine assists.
Antetokounmpo had 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes in his first action since getting injured on Jan. 23. The Bucks went 8-7 during his absence.
Overall this season, the Bucks are 15-16 with Antetokounmpo and 11-18 without him.
ROCKETS 123, WIZARDS 118
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 13 rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 30 and Houston beat Washington.
Trae Young was ejected from the game after leaving the bench to come on the court to complain to a referee, days before he is expected to make his Wizards debut.
Durant made all 11 free throws and added seven assists and six rebounds in his only game close to his Maryland home this season. Amen Thompson had 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Reed Sheppard finished with 19 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and six steals in his first career double-double.
Bilal Coulibaly scored 23 points and Sharife Cooper had 21 for the Wizards.
NUGGETS 128, JAZZ 125
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 45 points and made the go-ahead free throws with 31.8 seconds remaining to help Denver hold off the depleted Utah.
Utah’s Keyonte George scored 36 points, but was denied two free throws that could have given the Jazz the lead on what would have been Nikola Jokic’s sixth foul with 16.3 seconds remaining — a shooting foul that was reversed to a blocked shot after a lengthy review.
Jokic, who had 22 points and 12 rebounds, made two free throws with 6.1 seconds left and George missed a last-second 3-pointer as the Nuggets escaped with the win.
Cam Johnson was a late scratch with a hurt ankle, but Julian Strawther scored 15 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 13 for Denver.
CLIPPERS 114, WARRIORS 101
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Los Angeles erased a 17-point deficit to beat the short-handed Golden State.
Darius Garland scored 12 points in his Clippers debut, coming off the bench to play nearly 23 minutes in his first game since being acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline last month in a deal that sent James Harden to the Cavaliers.
Garland had been nursing a toe injury, then he went down with 1:26 left in the second quarter after a collision with Moses Moody when they both went for a loose ball and Moody’s right shoulder appeared to get Garland in the face. Both players were shaken but stayed in the game.
Garland’s 3-pointer with 3:09 left in the third pulled the Clippers within 75-68, then Kris Dunn had a steal and layup to make it a five-point game. Los Angeles was within 79-77 going into the final 12 minutes.
Dunn finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Clippers, who shot just 9 for 31 from 3-point range. Los Angeles used a 9-4 spurt to start the fourth quarter and go ahead 88-81.
Brandin Podziemski scored 22 points for the Warriors with Stephen Curry sidelined for an 11th straight game with a right knee injury, big man Kristaps Porzingis out for his fifth consecutive contest because of an illness coach Steve Kerr called “mysterious.” Rookie Will Richard was in a walking boot for his sprained right ankle he hurt in Saturday’s blowout home loss to the Lakers.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kirill Marchenko scored his second goal of the game 1:04 into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the New York Rangers 5-4 Monday night after squandering a four-goal lead.
Columbus built a 4-0 advantage through the first two periods before the Rangers staged a furious comeback by scoring four unanswered goals, including Gabe Perreault's tying goal with 4:46 left in the third, to force OT.
Marchenko also added an assist for Columbus, which snapped a two-game skid . Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan and Mathiew Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Charlie Coyle had two assists. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced.
After falling behind four goals after two periods, the Rangers rallied in the third, scoring twice in a 24-second span in the first minute. New York, which had a 16-7 edge in shots in the period, scored two more goals in just over a two-minute span later in the third and managed to force overtime before falling short.
Perreault finished with two goals, and Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen also scored for New York, which dropped to 7-16-5 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were coming off a 3-2, shootout win over Pittsburgh on Saturday that snapped a five-game skid. Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.
Fantilli opened the scoring with a goal in his third straight game, netting his 16th on a tip-in shot at 5:50 of the first. Marchenko, who assisted on Fantilli's score, made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 15:32.
The Rangers had an apparent power-play goal by J.T. Miller disallowed early in the second when the officials ruled there was goaltender interference. Moments later, the Blue Jackets got a short-handed goal by Monahan. Olivier added a score at 11:54 of the middle period.
New York stormed back in the third on goals by Gavrikov 30 seconds into the period, and Perreault 24 seconds later. Borgen scored at 12:52, and Perreault added his second at 15:14.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 13 rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 30 and the Houston Rockets beat the Washington Wizards 123-118 on Monday night.
Trae Young was ejected from the game after leaving the bench to come on the court to complain to a referee, days before he is expected to make his Wizards debut.
Durant made all 11 free throws and added seven assists and six rebounds in his only game close to his Maryland home this season. Amen Thompson had 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Reed Sheppard finished with 19 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and six steals in his first career double-double.
Bilal Coulibaly scored 23 points and Sharife Cooper had 21 for the Wizards.
Washington coach Brian Keefe said before the game that Young was trending toward being ready to play Thursday against Utah. The All-Star point guard was limited to just 10 games this season with Atlanta and was sidelined by knee and quadriceps injuries when the Wizards acquired him in January.
But Young didn't wait to get into the action, getting ejected in the third quarter during a confrontation between Houston's Tari Eason and Washington's Jamir Watkins. Eason was also thrown out.
Washington was 12 for 19 from 3-point range in the first half but just 6 for 28 inside the arc as Houston led 60-51. Thompson had 12 points and Durant 11 in the third quarter as the Rockets pushed the lead to 18, and they led by 19 in the fourth before Washington made the score close with a 38-point period.
Washington center Julian Reese fouled out with two points in his NBA debut. The brother of WNBA player Angel Reese started and played 28 minutes.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 02: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against Luka Garza #52 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The return of Giannis wasn’t enough to propel the Milwaukee Bucks over the Boston Celtics (who were missing All-Star wing Jaylen Brown and starting center Neemias Queta), losing 108-91. It’s the third straight loss by 20 or more for the Bucks. Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 25 points on 5/10 shooting from beyond the arc. Giannis carried a sluggish Bucks offense with 19 points and 11 rebounds on 7/18 shooting.
Ousmane Dieng was tapped to join the starting five in Giannis’ return, with Ryan Rollins heading to the bench. The Ous got loose early, scoring five of Milwaukee’s first seven. Following Giannis’ first bucket in 38 days, the Bucks went up seven on the Celtics. Boston responded with a 10-0 run, with Hugo González converting two baskets inside, followed by threes from Sam Hauser and Derrick White. After Dieng’s second three of the quarter with 5:36 to go, Milwaukee’s offense went into a nearly three-minute dry spell; Boston took advantage, going up six before Bobby Portis finally got the Bucks back on the board. The Celtics scored the last three buckets of the opening frame, with Hauser capping it off with a mid-range buzzer-beater, putting the visitors ahead 30-20.
Boston kept the pedal to the metal to open the second quarter, going on an 8-0 run to put them up 18. Giannis returned and finally ended the run with a dunk, but that didn’t slow down the Celtics one bit, as they drilled four straight threes to take a 22-point lead with about six minutes left. The Bucks were able to chip into that lead slightly in the final three minutes, though, responding with a 10-3 run, with Giannis, Dieng, and Myles Turner all converting on much-needed buckets. Turner found the bottom of the net once again to close the half on a three-pointer, as the Bucks went into the locker room down 57-43.
Giannis stepped on the gas to open the third, scoring seven straight and cutting Boston’s lead to single digits in just over two minutes! González and Hauser responded, however, torturing the Bucks from three-point range; the pair combined for three triples as part of a 15-0 run for the visitors, growing their lead to 24. It was an unlikely hero that brought Milwaukee life, though, with Pete Nance—who had gotten two DNP-CDs and garbage time minutes in the last four games—helping spark a 9-3 run with a pair of corner threes. But of course, White and Payton Pritchard scored the final six points of the period, with the latter draining a high-arching mid-range shot in the dying seconds. The bucket put Boston ahead 83-65 after three.
The Celtics made sure there was no chance of a Bucks comeback early in the fourth quarter. Pritchard continued to make triples, converting two more as part of a 13-4 opening run, ballooning Boston’s lead to 27, before the Bucks called a timeout. Pritchard splashed home another, making it an even 30-point lead with 4:47 left as Doc called another timeout to empty his bench. Another tough L for the Bucks.
Stat That Stood Out
Despite being relatively the same in size down low, the Bucks were dominated on the inside. The Celtics outscored them 34-22 in the paint and outrebounded them 63-47.
