Draymond Green praised his former teammate’s performance on the latest episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.”
“Ryan’s game, I’ll actually say, it was beautiful,” Green declared. “Like the pace that he played with, he never got sped up, he never got rattled.”
Green recounted how, after Rollins ‘levelled’ Steph Curry off of a screen, he tried to get into Rollins’ head by giving him some hard contact in return. Rollins was not affected, and continued to torch the Warriors.
“You’d be surprised at how many guys, once you do that, once you go there, go by the wayside,” Green said. “And he just stayed the course, kept having a game, made another big shot, made two or three more big shots. And it was a beautiful thing to see.”
Rollins’ success this season isn’t just limited to his performance against the Warriors. In six games played this season, he is averaging 18.2 points per game with a 50.9 field goal percentage and a 40.0 3-point percentage.
Drafted No. 44 overall three years ago, Rollins averaged 1.9 points in 12 games as a rookie for the Warriors. Following his first NBA season, Golden State included him in the trade with the Washington Wizards that brought future Hall of Fame guard Chris Paul to the Bay.
Last season, Rollins signed a two-way contract with the Bucks in February after he was waived by the Wizards a month prior. In the offseason, he signed a multi-year contract to stay with Milwaukee.
“You talk about a guy who hasn’t had the easiest path that’s found a home,” Green said. “Yeah, he won’t average 32 points or [get] 30 every night or every other night. But, I think he’s found a home and I think he’ll be able to consistently play well there. Which will be great for him, and it will be great for Milwaukee.”
The Warriors are next scheduled to play Milwaukee on Jan. 7, 2026. Green and the Warriors hope that he doesn’t have another ‘beautiful’ game.
World No 3 seems to have taken a step forward in linking up with Gavin MacMillan but double faults at the WTA Finals shows there is still work to be done
For a brief, hopeful moment in the middle of an intense tussle with her compatriot Jessica Pegula, it seemed as if Coco Gauff had found her way. Gauff had struggled in the first set of their opening match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Sunday, but then she dug deep and slowly turned the match around. The American reached set point on her serve at 6-5 in the second set.
Gauff then proceeded to hit three double faults in a row, which allowed Pegula to retrieve the break without touching the ball. Not a single attempt was even close.
Former St. Louis Blues first-round pick, Klim Kostin, is returning to the KHL after signing a contract to play the remainder of the current season with Avangard Omsk, the KHL club announced on Monday.
Kostin was selected in the first round, 31st overall, by the Blues in the 2017 NHL Draft. He went on to play 46 games with the Blues, scoring four goals and 11 points. He was also a key figure in the Blues' AHL affiliate, but throughout his Blues tenure, he would return to the KHL.
His time with the Blues had more negatives than positives, and it's why he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 9, 2022, for Dmitri Samorukov.
Kostin had a career season with the Oilers, scoring 11 goals and 21 points in 57 games. He and Kailer Yamamoto were shipped to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2023 off-season, and Kostin signed a two-year, $2-million AAV contract.
One final NHL transaction would involve Kostin, as he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks from the Red Wings midway through his first season with the club. Kostin's contract expired this off-season, and the Sharks had no interest in retaining him. After being unable to find an NHL team, Kostin will return to Russia to play with a familiar team, Avangard Omsk.
The 26-year-old won a Gagarin Cup in 2021, and their current team has the best record in the KHL’s Chernyshev Division with 29 points in 21 games. The team’s roster includes Nail Yakupov, Michael McLeod, Vyacheslav Voynov and Maxime Lajoie, and the head coach is Canadian Guy Boucher.
“We are happy to have Klim back with Avangard,” said Omsk GM Alexei Sopin. “Obviously, a lot of time has passed since our initial offer, so we needed to renegotiate all the terms. Kostin is familiar with the demands of North American coaches, has experience in the KHL, and can play in any situation. He will have his first practice today and will go to the Far East road trip with the team.”
The 6-foot-4 winger finished his NHL career with 25 goals and 53 points in 190 games.
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Monday night the NBA tips off with Minnesota at Brooklyn on Peacock! Minnesota enters at 3-3 on the season and are without superstar Anthony Edwards for this matchup, but still has plenty of firepower with Julius Randle and Naz Reid taking the floor.
Brooklyn is one of two winless teams at 0-6 on the season and enters off a 136-117 loss to the 76ers yesterday, while Minnesota beat Charlotte, 122-105. The Timberwolves are -8.5 point road favorites with a game total of 226.5. Let's dive into tonight’s matchup and find a potential sweat or two!
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff. Odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to watch the Timberwolves vs. Nets live
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Game odds for the Timberwolves at the Nets
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Timberwolves (-375), Nets (+295)
Spread: Timberwolves -8.5
Total: 226.5
That gives the Timberwolves an implied team point total of 117.5 and the Nets 108.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups for the Timberwolves and the Nets
Timberwolves
PG Donte DiVincenzo
SG Mike Conley
SF Jaden McDaniels
PF Julius Randle
C Rudy Gobert
Nets
PG Tyrese Martin
SG Cam Thomas
SF Terance Mann
PF Michael Porter Jr
C Nic Claxton
Injuries for the Timberwolves and the Nets
Timberwolves
G Anthony Edwards (hamstring) has been ruled out for Monday's game, but is cleared for basketball activities
Nets
F Haywood Highsmith (knee) is OUT and will be reevaluated in five weeksImportant stats, trends and insights ahead of Timberwolves at Nets on Monday
Important stats, trends and insights ahead of Timberwolves at Nets on Monday.
Minnesota is an NBA-worst 1-5 ATS
Minnesota is 1-2 ATS as the road team and road favorite
Minnesota is 4-2 to the Over
Brooklyn is 4-2 to the Over
Brooklyn one of two winless teams (New Orleans)
Brooklyn is 2-3-1 ATS this season (2-1 at home)
Rotoworld Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Nets to cover the first quarter spread for the first time all season:
"Brooklyn is 0-6 ATS and on the ML in the first quarter this season, failing time in and time out. However, yesterday against the 76ers, the Nets had the cover in the bag until Tyrese Maxey hit a free-throw to win the quarter, 40-37.
The Nets only have two nationally broadcasted games or four, depending on flex situations, so this team does not want to come out and stink it up on its home court and for everyone to see. Minnesota is without Anthony Edwards and still the better team, so I expect the Timberwolves to be a public darling tonight despite their 1-5 ATS start and the spread to move more in their favor.
I like Brooklyn in the first quarter at +2.5, but would wait for +3 or +3.5. If we get a live full game spread of +12 or higher, I would play the Nets as well."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Timberwolves & Nets game:
Moneyline: Timberwolves ML (medium confidence)
Spread: Timbervoles -8.5 (medium confidence)
Total: Under 226.5 (low confidence)
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Is the Ja Morant coming to an end in Memphis? It certainly feels that way. Heading into training camp, it felt like a make-or-break season for the Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. core, but don't take my word for it, here is how general manager Zach Kleiman put it at media day: "I think it is fair to say as we continue to build this team, to be able to achieve a high-end outcome, we need Ja to be a consistent All-NBA-caliber player."
The inevitable talk of rival teams now monitoring the situation is a no-duh way to describe the sudden vibe in Memphis — since rival teams are always poised to pounce on proven All-Stars who might (or might not) be unhappy in their current surroundings — but the truth is that Morant's future has been must-monitor going back to the June draft and the buildup to it. That is when rumbles started to circulate in earnest that the contract extension Morant was eligible for this past offseason would not be offered … and that this team might no longer revolve around him.
Morant is on a reasonable contract for his potential level of production. He is making $39.5 million this season, and has two years, $87.1 million remaining on his contract after this season.
Don't mistake that for there being a strong trade market for Morant — teams are wary. First, Morant has battled injuries in the two seasons preceding this one and simply does not appear as explosive as he once was. What's more, last season, he was frustrated with coach Taylor Jenkins and his decision to move the offense away from pick-and-rolls. As a result, the Grizzlies fired Jenkins at the end of the season and replaced him with Tuomas Iisalo, with whom Morant is now not happy. On ESPN’s Hoop Collective Podcast on Monday, Tim Bontemps suggested the Grizzlies trade Morant sooner rather than later, but Tim MacMahon slowed that roll.
"You say trade him, here's the problem… I don't think there's much — you guys talk to people, I talk to people — do you find a lot of people that believe there's gonna be some robust market if they do shop Ja Morant?"
DeMarcus Cousins suggested on X that two teams in need of point guard help now — Houston and Minnesota — should trade for Morant. But does he really fit in either spot? Houston misses the glue guy, floor general that was Fred VanVleet — that is not Morant, who is a score-first guy and takes the ball out of the hands of Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson. The same is true in Minnesota, where Morant, next to Anthony Edwards, seems like mixing oil and water.
There are teams that would jump at the opportunity to acquire Morant, but the initial offers are more likely to be lowball. Morant can still put up counting stats, 20.8 points and 6.7 assists a game this season, but he has not looked like an All-NBA player and certainly would not get the kind of trade return Memphis would seek. At least right now. Which means the status quo will continue in Memphis for a while.
Any hope of Klim Kostin rejoining the Edmonton Oilers has officially come to an end.
The 26-year-old forward has signed with Avangard Omsk of the KHL for the remainder of the 2025–26 season, returning to the organization where he won a Gagarin Cup five years ago.
Kostin, a former 31st overall pick by the St. Louis Blues, spent part of the 2020–21 season on loan with Omsk, tallying 18 points in 43 games before adding nine more in the playoffs during the club’s championship run.
He joined the Blues in 2021-22, playing four games for the team before being demoted to the AHL. He was later traded to the Edmonton Oilers, where he came a quick success story and fan favorite.
The rugged winger was a hit during the 2022–23 season, scoring 11 goals and 21 points in 57 games while providing physicality and energy in a depth role. However, due to the Oilers’ cap crunch and the unwillingness to pay him what his production had warranted, he was dealt to Detroit Red Wings, and eventually the San Jose Sharks. He never regained his footing in the NHL and became a free agent this offseason.
Kostin was quite public in his desire to rejoin the Oilers this summer. There was some thought Edmonton might entertain the idea on a PTO basis. “In Edmonton, I wanted to die on the ice for the fans,” Kostin said. “This is the place where I felt most comfortable and was myself. Of course, this is my dream.”
The Oilers chose to go a different route. Now, a few weeks into the season, Kostin has realized the only way back to the NHL might be through international play.
Last year, when a player was named player of the game by his Montreal Canadiens teammates, he got to wear the team’s man-of-the-match sunglasses. It was a fitting choice for a group of young guys who were trying to have fun in the midst of a rebuild, focusing on development and getting better together.
On Saturday, after the overtime win over the Ottawa Senators, Alex Newhook was named the player of the game after scoring the overtime winner. He didn’t get to wear last year’s sunglasses, though; he was presented with a wolf pelt, which he proudly put on his head.
While some may not approve of that choice (granted, a wolf was killed to make the accessory), it’s quite a significant choice as well. This season is no longer about developing; it’s about playing as a team and being stronger together. Martin St-Louis keeps telling his men to play defense as a five-man unit and to adopt a pack mentality.
He wants his team to stand up for one another, and they’re doing just that. On Saturday night, when Tyler Kleven hit Alexandre Carrier with what looked like a hefty hit on the boards, with the defenseman dropping to the ice, Joe Veleno jumped on the Ottawa Senators player and dropped the gloves.
One could even say the pelt makes sense because these young Canadiens are hungry like the wolf, as Duran Duran sang in 1982, with, admittedly, a very different meaning, but still, this squad jumps on the ice every night looking for the win — and, figuratively speaking, for blood. It’s no longer about developing and learning; it’s about winning.
In a video shared by the team in the tunnel before the game, as the players are pumping each other up, there’s a lot of “wooing” out there that’s not far off from howling. You could even see that choice as a wink to the fact that Hutson won the Calder Trophy, beating Dustin Wolf to the prize; the Calgary Flames goaltender finished second in voting.
As teams dive deep into their strategies for revamping rosters, let’s have some fun. That’s what our Bold Predictions for the MLB offseason are all about. We’ll touch on potential transactions, signings, awards. Some New York related, some New York adjacent.
Will these be 100 percent correct? Probably.
(Probably not!).
It’s all part of the Bold Predictions game, people. Read on to prep for hot stove magic, whether it’s based in reality or frivolity:
The Brothers Diaz reunite in Queens
Edwin Díaz’s brother, Alexis, started his MLB career with two very strong relief seasons with the Reds, but struggled mightily in 2025, notching an 8.15 ERA in 18 games with three teams. The 29-year-old righty is a free agent now and our crystal ball suggests the Mets take a chance on him as a setup man – after they run him through their pitching lab for a few fixes, of course. It fits David Stearns’ MO of seeking unexpected pitching production, and the Mets bullpen needs bodies. Oh, yeah – guess this means we are also predicting Edwin Díaz, who holds a contract opt-out, re-signs with the Mets.
Munetaka Murakami ships off to Boston
The 25-year-old Japanese slugger figures to be a big name this winter as he’s supposed to be posted and come to MLB. The Dodgers have been a comfy and successful landing spot for NPB stars recently – Hello? Did you watch the postseason? – but the Red Sox win out here, pitching their on-the-upswing roster. If (when?) Alex Bregman opts out and departs, Murakami could play third. Or he could man first. There’ll be plenty of competition, though – Stearns saw Murakami hit a walkoff homer on a visit to Japan, and other big-name hunters will lurk, too, perhaps even the Yankees.
Spending Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays have always been smart and competitive while operating at a lower budget than fellow AL East superpowers. Now they’re under new majority ownership. Maybe the new bigwigs add some zeroes to the payroll to start their stewardship with sizzle. That would create another landing place for big-name free agents. Heck, Pete Alonso’s from Tampa. Maybe he wants to go home.
Jul 9, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits an RBI double in the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
We’re not saying we favor Raleigh outpacing Judge in the AL MVP voting, just that it will happen. To recap the debate: Raleigh, an excellent catcher, hit 60 home runs -- the 10th season ever with 60 homers -- and led the league with 125 RBI. Judge demolished just about everything else, including winning the batting title, notching an OPS of 1.144 (196 points higher than Raleigh) and whacking 53 homers. Judge had the better season, but Raleigh’s feats, all while appearing in 121 games behind the plate and 38 more as the DH, sway voters. Long live narrative!
Kyle Tucker joins the champs
Far from ruining baseball, the Dodgers are experts at amassing talent and they have a looming weakness that could stand in the way of their three-peat quest. The Dodgers won the World Series despite a minus-eight run differential, a .203 average, and a .658 OPS. Toronto topped them easily in those categories, though LA won the homer battle, 11-8. Los Angeles needs offense, particularly in the outfield. So they sign Kyle Tucker, the consensus top bat available. Boo hoo, Dodger haters.
No deal
You, like everyone else interested in baseball, have been trading Marlin players to your favorite teams for years. Oh, the Mets or Yankees need a pitcher? They’ll get Sandy Alcantara from Miami. Nah, they want someone younger, so it’ll be Eury Pérez. However, this winter, the Marlins thumb their noses at the idea they’re just your farm team, don’t deal their arms, and go for the playoffs. Hey, they had the second-best record in the NL East over the second half of last season.
Apr 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (11) tags out New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) on a steal attempt at second base during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Mets sign Bo Bichette to play second base
After a dud 2025, we think the Mets will look to make many splashes this winter. Here’s one with reverberations – they sign Bo Bichette, a tough, clutch player who gets oodles of hits, and move him off shortstop. Yeah, he had a bummer of a 2024. Yeah, he had a nifty 2025, including what, under a different result, would be a legendary World Series home run. Here comes the reverb – this means they seek to trade Jeff McNeil, which would address the changing-of-the-core theorem that some believe the Mets need. If Bichette profiles better at third, then shift Brett Baty to second.
Spencer for Steven, even up
Schooled by the Jays all year including in October, the Yanks nab something from Toronto’s playbook and add non-strikeout, plus-contact offense to their roster via trade by dangling top prospect Spencer Jones. Can they pry Steven Kwan from Cleveland? He’d be an ideal leadoff hitter who also happens to be the best defensive left fielder in baseball. And Yankee Stadium’s spacious left field needs proper tending. Kwan had an 8.7 percent strikeout rate this past season. The MLB average is 22.5 percent; Yanks had the sixth-highest rate in MLB (23.5 percent).
OK, maybe this is about as bold as predicting Kyle Schwarber returns to the Phillies (he will), but Alonso re-signs with the Mets. Mets fans set a Citi Field attendance record last season and the team was a disappointment. Can they really let the disappointment linger through the winter by letting Alonso leave? What if he (gulp) goes to the Yankees? The Polar Bear returning is a special treat for Mets fans and a huge boost to a lineup that would be lacking without him.
Nice winter for a trade, eh, Skub?
After protracted negotiations and much shopping around, the Tigers finally trade ace Tarik Skubal to the Mets. Detroit insists on Nolan McLean’s inclusion, but Stearns and Co. balk. Instead, the Mets send some combination of four name prospects, including Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, to get one year of baseball’s best lefty. If that prospect package feels like a lot to give up for one guaranteed season, well, who the heck knows what baseball will look like after 2026, what with the looming labor talks? There’s more work to do after this move – the Mets must sign Skubal long term – but taking big swings this winter feels right for a team that has won the World Series exactly twice in its history.
Following defeat at Leeds 10 days ago, one West Ham-supporting WAG suggested Jarrod Bowen “must feel like that one human actor in a Muppets film” in a Social Media Disgrace post that got nowhere near the amount of LOLs it deserved. And having seen their team go a goal down on Sunday, moments after their captain had spanked a shot from distance off a post, West Ham fans must have felt it was going to be another regulation day in which Bowen tried to channel his inner Michael Caine in a bid to lend some much-needed gravitas to a typically absurdist and slapstick performance. The feeling can only have been heightened when he was awarded a penalty only to see it overturned by the curtain-twitchers in Stockley Park. But against all odds, West Ham dug deep and managed to eke out a rare and thoroughly deserved victory.
A few weeks back I listened to a discussion on the wireless about AI. A man informed that the limits of AI include the fact that ‘AI doesn’t have a sense of humour’. Imagine my surprise when it turned up in Football Daily” – Michael Lloyd.
As a Bournemouth fan I can assure you that the best AI tactics are Andoni Iraola’s” – Kelvin Baynton.
Given the current farago surrounding Crystal Palace’s impending fixture pile up, would it make more sense to redefine the Fizzy Cup as only being open to teams that have not qualified for Europe that season? This would help with potential fixture clashes, but more importantly it is likely to open up the competition and increase the chances of a ‘smaller club’ winning it. I doubt any of the bigger clubs would complain about being excluded” – Rob Burton (and no other sensible readers).
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have acquired a familiar face for some depth.
The Blues acquired defenseman Calle Rosen from the Washington Capitals for defenseman Corey Schueneman. Rosen will report to Springfield of the American Hockey League.
The 31-year-old had seven points (one goal, six assists) in nine games with Hershey of the AHL this season. He spent parts of three seasons with the Blues from 2021-24, including playing in 73 games (10 goals, 15 assists, plus-17).
In 2022-23, he played in 49 regular-season games for the Blues and had a career high in points (18), goals (eight) and assists).
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Warriors dropped their last two games to teams they should have beaten on paper.
With the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers missing star players, role players like Ryan Rollins and Quenton Jackson took the spotlight. Draymond Green explained why that happened in the latest episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.”
“Any time a star [goes] out against us, you’re always going to have guys that step up and just play out of their minds,” Green said. “That is the Warrior effect, that is the effect you get when you have had the success that we have.”
Green explained that with the Warriors’ prestige, younger and relatively unknown players take the matchup as an opportunity to play their best basketball.
“You figure a lot of these young guys that come into the NBA now, they grew up on the success that we’ve had,” Green continued. “So when they come into that game, it’s their NBA Finals. It’s their childhood dream come true. And so, you always get the absolute best version of guys …”
“… No excuse to why we lose those games, but then I think for us where we have to grow is, you have to put the fire out before it gets started.”
“You’re talking about a team that was [0-5] and we got the game in complete control, and then just down the stretch, let it go,” Green recalled. “That’s not a characteristic of this team since Jimmy [Butler] has come to this team, but that was something we were struggling with before. We can’t fall back into that.”
Last season, the Warriors lost four games in which they had a double-digit lead during the fourth quarter. Three of those blown leads were before the team acquired Butler.
According to Green, the problem lies on the offensive side of the ball.
“I think offensively we got to figure it out. We got to figure our spacing out, we got to figure the turnovers out,” Green explained. “The turnovers are adding up more and more each game, and they’re costly. We got a really good defense; it’s hard to get your defense set when you’re just turning the ball over.They’re not playing against our half court defense, and again you get back to the thing where you’re allowing guys to get off, that allows guys to get a rhythm and get to feeling good.”
Golden State looks to bounce back this week with a Western Conference slate that doesn’t get much easier, starting with back-to-back games against the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings at home and on the road, respectively. The Warriors will play the Denver Nuggets on the road on Friday.
Steven Stamkos' first season with the
Nashville Predators ended with his lowest production over a full NHL
season since his rookie campaign in
2008-09.
Stamkos isn't faring any better early
in this season, netting just two points in his first 13 games. This
is not what the Predators expected when they signed the two-time 'Rocket' Richard Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion to his four-year
contract in July 2024.
Adam Proteau of The Hockey News
believes that trade speculation could begin to swirl around Stamkos
if his numbers don't improve soon. He cited Sportsnet's Elliotte
Friedman envisioning a scenario where management and the 35-year-old
forward meet to discuss their options.
Stamkos has a full no-movement clause
in his contract, along with an expensive average annual value of $8
million. Proteau speculated he could waive that clause to go to a
Stanley Cup contender, suggesting the Carolina Hurricanes, Los
Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs as possible destinations.
Meanwhile, Paul Chapman of The Province
noted that CHEK-TV's Rick Dhaliwal claimed the struggling Vancouver
Canucks had “poked around” on Stamkos. Chapman considers him to
be well past his prime but doesn't blame the injury-ravaged Canucks
for considering all options.
For now, there's no indication that
Stamkos has asked for a trade or been approached about it by
Predators management. If he were to go to a contender, the Hurricanes
have the cap space and tradeable assets to outbid the Kings, Leafs and Canucks.
Turning to the Pittsburgh Penguins,
they're off to a better-than-expected start, jockeying for first
place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Sportsnet's Luke Fox singled out
long-time Penguins star Evgeni Malkin as a key reason behind that
strong start. The 39-year-old center is among the league's top 10
scorers with 18 points. However, Fox questions whether Malkin and his
teammates can maintain that pace.
Malkin is in the final season of his
contract. Fox noted there were recent rumblings that it could also be
his last NHL campaign. He wondered if the future Hall of Famer would
be open to gett moved to a Cup contender at the trade deadline.
Fox believes Malkin would be a
high-interest trade target even if his production drops as the season
progresses. He thinks the Florida Panthers might be a suitor, perhaps
seeing Malkin as a replacement for sidelined center Aleksander
Barkov.
Similar speculation surfaced over a
month ago after Barkov underwent season-ending knee surgery. At that
time, Malkin stated he wanted to remain with the Penguins, but he
didn't know how he'd react if GM Kyle Dubas approached
him about accepting a trade.
If Malkin were to be traded, it won't
happen at this stage of the season. Dubas indicated he intends to
meet with him during the February Olympic break to discuss his
future.
For
action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue,
subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by
subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
“When we got on that plane I was telling Steph, like, ‘Man, Ja ain’t in it at all. It looked like something happened — like, it ain’t Ja,’” Green said. “He was giving the ball to Cam Spencer and kind of going to stand in the corner. And Steph was like, ‘Quiet protest going on, huh?’ And I was like, ‘That’s what it looked like.’”
A few days later, after Memphis’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, Morant brushed off questions about his play, telling reporters to “ask the coaching staff” about his limited minutes. Morant then was suspended on Saturday for one game because of “conduct detrimental to the team” — a move that, according to Green, validated his instincts that something deeper was brewing in Memphis.
“When I saw [Ja’s] comments, I found those interesting,” Green explained, “but all they did was confirm to me what I was watching … and rightfully so, there was something going on.”
Green then reflected on the Grizzlies’ handling of the situation and how suspending a franchise cornerstone can backfire.
“What I will say is this: I am not a big fan of suspending your top guys,” Green said. “As a guy who has been suspended through the years, I don’t think it does much of anything outside of piss the guys off. When you’re talking your first and most important player and you’re suspending that guy, there’s always the possibility of like — there’s no coming back from that.”
Green, who’s been suspended six times across 15 NBA seasons, has built a reputation as one of the league’s most fiery competitors — and someone who understands better than most how quickly trust between players and teams can fracture. Whether the Grizzlies can move past the suspension — and keep Morant fully engaged — remains to be seen.
The 2025-26 NBA season on Peacock continues tonight as the Brooklyn Nets, seeking their first victory of the season after an 0-6 start, while playing host to the Minnesota Timberwolves (3-3), who are without injured superstar Anthony Edwards. It's the first meeting between the teams since April 11 last season when Rudy Gobert tied a career high with 35 points to lead Minnesota to a 117-91 victory over Brooklyn in Minneapolis.
After losing their first two games since losing Edwards to a hamstring injury, the Timberwolves are coming off a 122-105 road victory Saturday over the Charlotte Hornets. Julius Randle scored 30 points while improving to 30 of 54 from the field in the past three games, and Gobert had 14 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in his second double-double this year while leading a Minnesota defense that suffers when the four-time Defensive Player of the Year is on the bench.
Edwards (25.7 points per game) has been sidelined since being hurt Oct. 26 during a 114-110 win over the Indiana Pacers. In his absence, Minnesota has filled the offensive void with Randle (27.2 ppg and 2.7 3-pointers per game), Jaden McDaniels (18.0 ppg) and Donte DiVincenzo (13.5 ppg, 3.0 3-pointers pe game), who had 18 points against the Hornets. Naz Reid also chipped in 18 against Charlotte and is averaging 11.3 points.
Brooklyn Nets storylines
At 0-6, Brooklyn is off to its worst start since losing the first seven games to open the 2015-16 season. Defense has been a sore spot for the Nets, who have rank last in field goal percentage allowed. In a 129-105 loss Sunday to the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn allowed an opponent to shoot at least 50% for the fifth time in six games this season. Coach Jordi Fernandez also has been seeking an answer at point guard, most recently starting Tyrese Martin (who went scoreless in 27 minutes against Philadelphia) in place of rookie Ben Saraf.
Brooklyn's offense primarily has been reliant on Cam Thomas, who is averaging 24.3 points per game and led the Nets with 29 points against the 76ers, Michael Porter Jr. (20.8 ppg) and Nic Claxton (13.3 ppg).
How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Brooklyn Nets
When: Monday, Nov. 3
Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
Time: Pregame studio coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET.
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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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is mobbed after the Dodgers won the 121st World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Los Angeles Dodgers' thrilling 11-inning Saturday win over the Toronto Blue Jays was the most watched World Series game since 2017, according to Nielsen data.
The Fox telecast of the Game 7 contest giving the Dodgers their second consecutive world championship attracted an average of 25. 5 million viewers on Fox.
Viewers watching the Spanish-language telecast on Fox Deportes and Fox Sports streaming platforms brought the audience figure to just under 26 million.
The Dodgers' 5-4 win delivered the largest audience for a World Series game since the Houston Astros' Game 7 win over the the team in 2017, which had an audience of 28.3 million.
The figure was 10% over the last decisive World Series Game 7 in 2019, when the Washington Nationals defeated the Astros.
The battle on Saturday will go down as one of the most memorable games in World Series history, with a number of spectacular plays in the field and a dramatic go-ahead home run by Dodgers catcher Will Smith.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto won his third game of the series with his strong relief outing, earning him the Most Valuable Player Award for the series.
The audience level peaked between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m. Pacific, with 31.5 million viewers tuned in.
The Dodgers became the first Major League Baseball team to win back-to-back championships in 25 years.
