ESPN’s Alden González reported Wednesday that the Los Angeles Angels are moving on from Kurt Suzuki after he spent just one season as manager.
Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki is out as manager after one season. Getty Images
That one season was historically bad for the Angels’ franchise. Their 62–100 regular season set the franchise record for the most losses and the worst winning percentage (.383) in the organization’s 66-year history.
González also mentioned that Suzuki, who spent two seasons playing for the Angels, has been offered a role with the organization as a special assistant, but it’s unclear whether Suzuki will want to stick around the franchise that just fired him as manager.
Suzuki’s one-season tenure was historically bad, setting the franchise record for the most losses and the worst winning percentage. William Liang for CA Post
Pujols spent parts of 10 seasons with the Angels and served as the Dominican Republic’s manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Albert Pujols will likely be in the running to be the Angels’ new manager, as he was in contention last year. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
The Angels are opting for a fresh start in several respects, as longtime owner Arte Moreno finally sold the team to Rams owner Stan Kroenke after years of fans pleading for him to.
This wave of fresh faces should spark some optimism around the Angels’ franchise and fan base.
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The Red Sox are once again making changes to their coaching staff.
The organization is reassigning third base coach Chad Epperson and first base coach Pablo Cabrera to minor league roles next season, according to MassLive.com.
Epperson will take over as manager of Triple-A Worcester in 2027.
Chad Epperson #81 of the Boston Red Sox stands on the field before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Monday, June 8, 2026. Getty Images
Cabrera will return to his previous role as the franchise’s minor league defensive coordinator, a position he held before joining Boston’s big league coaching staff.
Epperson, in particular, came under fire this season after a number of Red Sox baserunners were thrown out at home plate.
During a stretch in May, four runners were gunned down at home plate over a six-game period.
The team has not yet announced replacements for the pair of base coaches leaving at least two vacancies on manager Chad Tracy’s coaching staff heading into the 2027 season.
The moves come less than a year after the Red Sox cleaned house in April, firing manager Alex Cora and four members of his coaching staff — hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, third base coach Kyle Hudson and assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson — while reassigning game-planning coach Jason Varitek.
First Base Coach Pablo Cabrera looks on during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Monday, April 28, 2025. Getty Images
The Red Sox are coming off a rollercoaster of a 2026 season.
After a dreadful start that saw Cora and Co. lose their jobs, Boston got red-hot over the summer, winning 32 of 37 games at one point during a stretch that included a 15-game winning streak.
The shocking turnaround got the Red Sox into the postseason and earned Tracy the full-time managerial job.
But their season ended in disappointment after they were outscored 18-2 in a two-game sweep by the Yankees in the American League Wild Card Series.
After several swings and misses over the summer and a start to the season that saw them lose nine straight, the pressure is on the Philadelphia Flyers to right the ship and improve the roster in line with the franchise's heightened expectations.
Since their season-opening nine-game skid, the Flyers have surprisingly won two straight, facing two tough opponents in the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche.
For a good chunk of the season thus far, the Flyers have been forced to play without one or multiple key veterans, a group of injured players that includes Rasmus Ristolainen, Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, Cam York, and Tyson Foerster.
In the wake of the absences of Ristolainen, Tippett, Konecny, and Foerster, in particular, the Flyers have gotten strong early returns from prospects like Oliver Bonk, Alex Bump, Cole Knuble, while Matvei Michkov has continued to show that he's willing and capable of driving the bus for the team offensively.
The bottom line is that the above injured players haven't been badly missed, with the Flyers escaping their nightmarish slump without them and instead relying on greatly inexperienced youth to get the job done.
There are inherent risks to moving on from more experienced players, of course, but if the right deal presents itself, the Flyers could jettison some of their wingers in order to upgrade the roster elsewhere.
Flyers linked to Seattle's Matty Beniers
In a recent report for Daily Faceoff, NHL insider Anthony Di Marco reports that the Flyers are now pondering roster changes after flipping the switch these last two games, with the winger position, in particular, in need of some clearing out.
"According to a team source, something is eventually going to “have to give” with the Flyers’ crowd of wingers. It could very well lead to the team exploring trade avenues for more than one winger to try and find a top-six center," Di Marco wrote.
Di Marco noted that players like Konecny (NMC) and Tippett (10-team no-trade) have drawn a consistent level of trade interest, but their respective layers of trade protection make a deal more complicated.
Foerster, however, does not have trade protection, and according to Di Marco, might have to be the primary lure if the Flyers were to negotiate for one of their trade targets, Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken.
"One name DFO has heard the Flyers like is Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers, though there is no indication at this time that GM Jason Botterill wants to move the 2021-second-overall pick. Speaking with a Kraken source last week, DFO was told that the Kraken do like Foerster; though that isn’t a player the Flyers want to give up, it would be a 'conversation starter,' according to a team source," Di Marco said.
"Tippett along with a center prospect like Jett Luchanko, would be more of an appetizing package for a player like Beniers from a Flyers’ perspective, DFO was told."
It's long been no secret how much the Flyers covet Foerster, a soon-to-be-25-year-old winger who has scored 20 goals in each of the two full NHL seasons he's played, in addition to scoring 13 times in just 29 regular season games last year.
The Flyers rewarded the 2020 first-round pick with an eight-year, $56.8 million ($7.1 million AAV) extension in the offseason, but dating back to the start of the playoffs, Foerster has just two goals, his only two points, in his last 20 games.
Given his struggles, it would only make sense that the Flyers would consider flipping him for an upgrade down the middle in the form of Beniers.
How Beniers fits the Flyers
Oct 13, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (10) controls the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Beniers, 23, is the highest-paid player on the Kraken roster, with a $7.142 million cap hit through 2031, but the 2021 No. 2 overall pick hasn't quite reached his full potential at the NHL level just yet.
In four full NHL seasons, Beniers has scored 20 goals three times, but reached the 50-point threshold only twice, including his career-high 24 goals and 57 points as a rookie in 2022-23.
With players like Berkly Catton, prospect Jake O'Brien, and Shane Wright all in line for bigger opportunities, the Kraken have no real reason to hold onto Beniers if they are presented with a suitable offer.
Adding a stud winger entering or in their prime would be a nice boost for the Kraken, who will soon need to replace pending free agent Jared McCann, who is now 30 years old, and captain Jordan Eberle, who will be 38 years old when his contract expires in 2028.
With Trevor Zegras shifting to the wing yet again, Beniers would arrive in Philadelphia as the de facto No. 1 center, and his offensive responsibilities wouldn't be as great with the Flyers as they are with the Kraken with the amount of talent the Flyers have up front.
Beniers, a strong two-way center, owns a career 13.8% shooting percentage and is a smooth skater, but creating his own offense has been a challenge at this level.
Paired with someone like Michkov, the Michigan product can leverage his defensively responsible play and efficient scoring effectively.
This wouldn't be the first time the Flyers have been connected to Beniers, and if the circumstances surrounding the team persist, it certainly won't be the last.
At least on paper, a deal like this makes perfect sense for both teams.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 08: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns celebrates with Collin Gillespie #12 after scoring against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 08, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Hornets 111-99. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dear Phoenix Suns Nation,
A year ago, if someone had told you that coming into this season, the Suns would be looking to build off a 45-win season and a playoff appearance, what would you have said?
Your response and perspective may dictate how you feel about this season.
Whether it’s the 2022 New York Giants, who made the NFC divisional round and haven’t returned to the playoffs since, or the Sacramento Kings back in 2023, who were the Western Conference’s third seed and have been at the bottom of the standings ever since, just because a team has a surprising season doesn’t mean that the following one is just as successful.
But it also doesn’t mean that expectations should be dimmed by the surprise of the previous season. Based on their continuity, offseason acquisitions, and internal development, the Suns should be a better team than they were a season ago, pending health, of course.
The team has brought back an overwhelming majority of its key players in a conference that saw a lot of turnover from a season ago. LeBron James is in the city of brotherly love, Kawhi Leonard is in Canada, and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineups are vastly different from what they were a season ago. With Jalen Green healthy to start the year, unlike a season ago, the team is looking at their season-long starting lineup set to be mostly the same from game 1 to game 82, once they decide whether Khaman Maluach or Oso Ighodaro will be the team’s starting center.
The only new starter on the team? While there are numerous questions about him off the court, he should be a significant upgrade over Royce O’Neale at the starting power forward spot because of Bridges’ ability to create his own shot and experience playing alongside ball-dominant guards. Luke Kennard, who is set to replace Grayson Allen, is coming off the best playoff performances of his career and is one of the NBA’s best three-point shooters. Expect Phoenix to jack up a lot of triples this year.
Collin Gillespie, Dillon Brooks, Jordan Goodwin, and Oso Ighodaro? All back in Suns uniforms, with new contracts. Along with Mark Williams as well, but he should be out for the majority of the season, dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered in the offseason. The extensions and re-signings of key members of the team’s core from a season ago add stability that should provide the team and players more confidence to grow on their strong seasons while in the early or middle primes of their careers.
The Western Conference, however, is deeper than it was a season ago. Even if the Suns are a better team than they were a year ago, it might not translate to more wins.
The top eight in the Western Conference all made moves to stay competitive, but the teams in the bottom half of the standings have either made moves or are getting players back from injury that should make them more formidable.
The anti-tanking rules, along with the 2026 draft class projected to be one of the most star-studded in recent memory, have raised the floor of many of the conference’s worst teams from last season. The incentives to bottom out and lose as much as possible are gone, and teams in the conference have responded.
The Utah Jazz, who selected Kansas’ Darryn Peterson second overall in the draft and traded for former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. back in February, are expected to take a leap this year despite losing young center Walker Kessler to the Lakers in free agency. The Memphis Grizzlies, albeit a young team, are expected to make some noise after taking who many executives believe is the most NBA-ready prospect in Cam Boozer. And the Dallas Mavericks, who were without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, should be vastly improved from last year with Cooper Flagg a year older and the team another season removed from the disastrous Luke Dončić trade.
The Suns might be better than they were a season ago. They might not have the drop-offs that the Kings and Giants mean, and it might mean that they’re out of the playoffs again, let alone the play-in tournament. But if you can remember just 365 days ago when the idea of the Suns playing in the playoffs sounded as likely as the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, then maybe it’ll be easier to deal with whatever the 2026-2027 season has in store.
No matter good or bad, like every season, it’ll be an entertaining one. It’s NBA basketball.
Unsurprisingly, Victor Wembanyama didn't have fun during the Spurs' opening-season loss to the Thunder. He started the game by missing his first 12 shots, and while he had six blocked shots and impacted the game in other ways, he was the key reason San Antonio started the season 0-1.
"I need to go back to playing the basketball I like. This is not the sport I like, right here," Wembanyama said. "I got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself. For me, it's as simple as that. I'm good when I have fun...
"I missed lots of lots of shots, which I usually don't miss. But after that, I didn't go back to these shots. I wasn't decisive. I might be overthinking it, and I feel like it's a chance for me. What I have to do is really let go. I don't need to do more. I need to think less, probably."
Was part of his overthinking it the adjustment to new spacing — less of it — with the three-guard De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper lineups?
"I would say we haven't been good enough to find that out," Wembanyama said.
Part of that also is that the Spurs were playing the Thunder, the best defensive team in the NBA last season and one of the few teams with the depth and size to throw multiple 7-footers at Wembanyama to be physical with him. OKC is also loaded with quality perimeter defenders who made life tough for the Spurs trio of guards.
Wembanyama still made his presence felt with six blocks, fantastic overall defense and 13 rebounds.
Wembanyama, at 22, is a thoughtful, high-IQ player, but he would be far from the first great player to suffer "paralysis through analysis." When Wembanyama is playing his best, there is a flow to what he is doing, it happens naturally, instinctively.
If the Spurs are going back to the NBA Finals, they need more out of Wembanyama — and specifically more against the Thunder. This was just one of 82, there is a long road ahead, but Wemby understands he has to get back to being himself, to having fun, or that road will seem even longer.
TALKING STICK, AZ - OCTOBER 05: Luke Holman #29 of the Peoria Javelinas pitches during the game between the Peoria Javelinas and the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Monday, October 5, 2026 in Talking Stick, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
There have been ample foibles foisted in the laps of Cincinnati Reds fans from the seemingly bulletproof front office over the last few decades of copious losing. We need not rehash them all here, of course, as this is simply put out to highlight that perhaps the lone reason why the powers that be are still the powers that be is due to their ability to draft rather well each and every year.
It’s looking more and more like the front office nailed the 2024 draft, for instance.
Chase Burns cracked the big leagues within his first full season as a professional and during the 2025 season established himself as a bona fide ace who was in NL Cy Young Award talk before the Reds chose to curtail the innings on his prized young arm. He also landed a nine-figure contract, and rightfully so.
Tyson Lewis was who the Reds selected with their next pick in 2024. He rocketed into Top 100 overall prospect lists on the backs of a 2025 season that featured incredible exit velocities, the SS/3B now firmly on the national radar.
Lewis isn’t even the top rated prospect drafted by the Reds in this class, though. That honor goes to Mike Sirota, who eschewed concerns about his college production coming up north from tiny Northeastern University to surge all the way into many Top 20 overall prospect lists by late 2026. The only problem there is, though, that the front office saw fit to deal him away for a single awful season of Gavin Lux, so Sirota is doing this within the system of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Leading a draft class with that trio would be impressive enough, but the Reds actually took someone else in between Lewis and Sirota in 2024. That honor belongs to former LSU righty Luke Holman, who we’ve seen for a grand total of 15.2 IP across two years after being drafted.
Holman, now 23, needed Tommy John surgery early in 2025 in his first year as a pro, and that paired with a groin problem in 2026 cost him almost two full seasons of rehab with only 6 games on the mound in any form. That was before this month’s Arizona Fall League, however, and like many of the recent players the Reds have sent to the AFL, Holman’s job there wasn’t simply to soak up the spotlight in a great environment for future experience, it was to use it as a bridge after injury-plagued seasons so that he can hit the ground running again in 2027.
So far, that’s precisely what he’s done. David Laurila of FanGraphs caught up with Holman after his most recent outing left him having fired 9.0 IP in AFL play and having allowed just a lone earned run – with a brilliant 15 strikeouts against just a lone walk in that time. Holman talks shop about his bevy of pitches and how his arm feels as good as ever at the moment, and it’s enough to give hope that the arm FanGraphs rates as the #17 prospect in the system (he ranks 23rd at MLB Pipeline) may well be back and 100% within a Reds farm system that’s seriously devoid of solid starting pitching prospects at the upper levels.
‘Upper levels’ may sound like a stretch when talking about a guy who’s thrown just 15.2 IP in two years across rookie ball and Low-A Daytona, but at 23 with a trio of years spent in the SEC with LSU it wouldn’t shock me at all to see him climb quickly this season if he can simply stay on the mound and prove he’s healthy.
And if he does, the Reds have some long-awaited depth in their pitching ranks again.
The Minnesota Wild and the Edmonton Oilers met in a highly anticipated matchup between two heavyweights clicking on all cylinders.
On one side, Kirill Kaprizov has been unstoppable, leading the NHL in goals and scoring at a rate better than one goal per game. On the other side, Connor McDavid is setting NHL records left, right, and center, and arguably playing the best hockey of his career.
Tuesday's affair saw the Wild jump out to a 1-0 lead with a goal from Joel Eriksson Ek. The Oilers responded with three unanswered goals, two of which came from Leon Draisaitl on the power play.
Down by two goals in the third period, Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman scored to tie the game at 3-3 and send it to overtime. A costly penalty in the overtime stanza allowed the Oilers to win the game, with McDavid posting three primary assists on the power play.
It was a hard loss to swallow, but the Wild played a strong game. Without the Oilers' power-play efficiency, the game likely would have gone very differently. According to MoneyPuck.com, the expected goals at 5-on-5 were 3.44 to 2.69 in favor of the Wild, but in all situations the Oilers had the advantage, 4.47 to 4.31.
Among the strong performers were Quinn Hughes and the Wild's top line of Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Boldy. Kaprizov had an expected goals percentage of 81.61 percent, Hughes 79.21 percent, Eriksson Ek 72.67 percent, and Boldy 72.6 percent at 5-on-5.
Meanwhile, the Oilers' top line hovered below 30 percent.
This sort of play-controlling dominance from the Wild's top line has become the expectation night in and night out, no matter the opponent. Kaprizov has scored in seven of the 10 games, Boldy has five goals and nine points in 10 games, and Eriksson Ek has seven points while playing lockdown defense.
MoneyPuck.com ranks the Wild's top line 8th in expected goals percentage at 72.2 percent, among lines that have played at least 25 minutes together.
The Oilers may have won, but last night's effort was another piece of evidence that the Wild have the big guns to compete with any team in the NHL.
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Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said that while there’s still no set timeline for Mat Barzal to return from the left knee issues that have held up his start to the season, doctors “would be comfortable” for him to move to the next stage of his recovery.
Though Darche never directly said the ball is in Barzal’s court regarding when that will happen, he did make clear that the inflammation that originally caused the Islanders to hold Barzal out of training camp has subsided.
“Initially, there was some inflammation. We feel it’s controlled now. Now it’s getting him to feel comfortable to take the next step,” Darche said. “There’s no setbacks. Nothing happened, no procedure. Since training camp, nothing has come [up]. We feel we’re controlling the inflammation. It’s just how comfortable he feels.”
Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) reacts after getting into a scuffle with Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Samuel Girard (49) during the first period of an NHL hockey game at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Monday, March 30, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Barzal has been skating on his own for a couple of weeks now and walked by a group of reporters at UBS Arena on Wednesday, briefly saying hello. Since he hasn’t practiced with the team, the Islanders are under no obligation to make him available to speak about his injury.
Given the ongoing questions about the situation, though, they did have Darche speak on it Wednesday.
“After two weeks [of skating], we feel the inflammation is down, but we’re still working on getting his strength back and how comfortable he feels,” Darche said. “He’s skating. Progress every day. Can I give you a definite timeline? No. We hope it’s sooner, but every day he’s starting to skate a little bit more, and we’re hoping to, at some point, get him with the team, and we’ll go from there.”
Originally, the plan was for Barzal to resume skating around when the season started. That was pushed back by about a week, and since then things have stayed in place, with the Islanders declining to commit to a timeline for any next steps.
When Barzal does come back, he will need to manage his left kneecap, which was broken two years ago and required surgery to repair. That’s nothing new — even while playing 81 games last year, he managed his knee throughout the season. Darche said the Islanders don’t believe anything about the way the injury was managed caused it to flare up again.
He also said that, as of now, there are no conversations about an additional procedure.
“If it doesn’t get better, you’re always looking at where we think he can be,” Darche said. “We don’t believe [that’s necessary] right now. But we’re progressing. I think it’s going in the right direction.”
The next big question is whether Barzal will join the team on next week’s road trip in Dallas, Nashville and Minnesota, potentially allowing him to start practicing with the group. Practicing in a noncontact jersey would presumably be the next step before Barzal participates fully and, eventually, returns to games.
The Islanders, currently without Calum Ritchie and Matias Maccelli in addition to Barzal, could sorely use his offensive ability, though they’ve withstood his absence quite well. Going into Thursday’s match at home against the Kings, they are 5-3-1 and playing stout defensive hockey under Pete DeBoer.
Still, Barzal’s situation will hang over the club until it is resolved.
New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) skates up ice during the first period against the Washington Capitals at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“We both work together,” Darche said. “The doctors would be comfortable for him to ramp up whenever he’s ready. It’s not necessarily, ‘Oh it’s all him,’ or it’s all us [making the decision]. We’re trying to work together on this.
“But, of course, he has a big say. It’s his body. He knows how he feels.”
New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche speaks with the media during training camp at the Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, N.Y., Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Darche shot down a rumor originating from The Fourth Period that Scott Mayfield could soon ask for a trade if he continues to sit as the extra defensemen.
“I can tell you right now, there’s no truth to any of those rumors,” Darche said. “I saw them this morning. His agent [Matt Keator] was here the last two days ’cause he had a player on the other team, he has a few players on our team. There’s none of that.”
Kurt Suzuki never really had a chance as manager of the Los Angeles Angels. Signed to a one-year contract by a lame-duck owner with an industry lockout looming, Suzuki might have needed to win the World Series to save his job.
Suffice to say he didn’t do either.
The Angels announced Wednesday, Oct. 21 that they have fired Suzuki after one season as their manager, during which he presided over the first 100-loss season in franchise history.
Suzuki, 42, served as a special assistant in former general manager Perry Minasian’s front office. After Ron Washington’s managerial tenure ended after last season, Minasian appointed Suzuki to run the club, although the former catcher was granted just a one-year contract to do so. He had a club option for 2027 and the club announced he will be offered a position as a special assistant with the organization, which he held from 2023-2025.
Minasian was fired midway through the season and interim GM John Mozeliak traded away veterans more aggressively than his predecessor, signaling at least a shift toward rebuilding.
Eventually, Moreno agreed to sell the team to Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who has collected a very successful sports portfolio. If the one-year deal and Minasian’s firing didn’t seal Suzuki’s fate, the agreement to sell the team certainly did.
A new owner will surely want to select his dugout boss, and the impending Dec. 1 lockout means Kroenke might not need to hire a manager until after the sale of the club is finalized early in 2027. The club announced that "in coordination with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, will search for a new manager and coaching staff for the 2027 season."
Suzuki played 16 seasons in the major leagues, winning a World Series with the 2019 Washington Nationals before finishing his catching career with the Angels in 2021 and 2022. He joins Brad Ausmus – who managed the club in 2019 – as an Angels skipper for just one season.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter in a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on October 08, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In case you had somehow forgotten or missed the news: the Los Angeles Lakers begin their 2026-27 season Wednesday night at home against the Golden State Warriors. To commemorate the start of another year, Luka Dončić, Los Angeles’ unparalleled face of the franchise, took out a full-page ad in the LA Times to address Lakers fans ahead of Wednesday’s season opener.
Dončić touches on the team’s ultimate goal of winning a championship, the pride he and his teammates feeling wearing Lakers colors, the unifying nature of sports fandom, how welcomed he’s felt in Los Angeles since arriving 20 months ago and a slew of other topics.
Here’s the full transcript of the message from Luka:
DEAR LA, Tonight we start our run for a championship. Every player dreams of holding that trophy. To do it for all of you amazing fans would mean everything to us. Each of us understands what it means to put on this purple and gold jersey and follow the players who wore it before us. It means so much because of the passion and dedication that generations of you all have shown for this team. I see it everywhere. The hats, the flags on cars, the murals. This city has people from all over the world, speaking every language, and the Lakers are the thing that brings everyone together. We have a special team. We know what you expect, and we are going to do everything in our power to deliver it. From the moment I arrived in LA, you welcomed me with open arms. That is something I will never forget. So here is my promise to you: we are going to give you everything we have, every single night. No excuses. No nights off. But we cannot do this alone. You are the best fans in the world, and we are going to need you. Every game, bring it with us. Let’s go.
During his days with the Dallas Mavericks, Dončić embedded himself in the Dallas community. That’s seemingly carried over to his Lakers tenure as well. He’s repeatedly been involved with the Los Angeles community and made clear how at home he feels in the city.
Wednesday’s ad is yet another example of Dončić connecting with the Lakers fanbase and showcasing his commitment to being the face of the franchise. Because of the attention and hype surrounding Dončić‘s entrance to the NBA 8.5 years ago, much has been expected of him for many years. And because of how well he’s played, earning six All-NBA nods and four top-five MVP finishes, much has continued to be expected of him.
Of course, those expectations largely revolve around his on-court play. But a superstar of Dončić’s magnitude is often required to stretch their scope beyond in-game performance. Dončić clearly understands and embraces his responsibilities. No matter which city and franchise he’s called home, he’s been a mainstay in the community and sought to better the lives of his supporters in some capacity. Now, it’s time to see whether this team is ready to reach the championship aspirations Dončić has laid out.
Ben Jones is ready to make his season debut with the Calgary Flames, and he couldn’t have picked a much better time to get rolling.
The 27-year-old forward earned his call-up after a scorching start with the Calgary Wranglers, recording seven goals and nine points in seven games to open the American Hockey League season.
Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
“For myself it was obviously nice to put some points up,” Jones told the media. “The team is off to a great start so that always helps.”
He’s looking forward to the reunion, although there might be a few adjustments to make once the puck drops.
“It’ll be great to see a lot of those guys. It’s kind of funny to flip the switch, I gotta make sure I pass to the team in red, not the team in green,” he joked.
The opportunity comes with Flames captain Mikael Backlund currently sidelined with an upper-body injury, potentially opening the door for Jones to show what he can bring to Calgary’s lineup.
Jones finished that season with 54 points and a plus-28 rating, helping Calgary capture the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL’s regular-season champions, along with the Pacific Division title.
Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports<br />
Now in his 10th professional season, Jones brings a mix of AHL production and NHL experience to the Flames. He’s appeared in 56 career NHL games between the Vegas Golden Knights and Wild, giving him valuable experience at the level he’s looking to stick at.
His early-season production with the Wranglers has certainly helped his case. Seven goals in seven games is difficult to ignore, even if translating that scoring touch to the NHL comes with a different set of challenges.
For Jones, the immediate task is making the most of the opportunity in front of him. With Backlund unavailable, there’s a chance to earn the coaching staff’s trust, provide some depth down the middle and show that his strong start in the AHL can carry over.
The Flames have been looking for consistency early in the season, and a player arriving with confidence and a hot stick could provide a timely boost.
First, he’ll have to get used to seeing some familiar faces on the other side of the ice.
At least Jones has already identified the most important adjustment: making sure those passes go to the guys wearing red.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 21: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball against Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well well well, anybody feeling a little bit of deja vu today? The Golden State Warriors open in the same building, against the same team, on the exact same date as last season. Except this time around there’s no LeBron James and you won’t get a Brandin Podziemski performance. The Warriors’ injuries are already painting a picture to start this brand new season.
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers When: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT Where: Crypto.com Arena TV: ESPN Radio: 95.7 The Game
Year 18 for Steph. Year one felt just like yesterday 🥹
It feels like while the Warriors have been lined up to see the doctor, the Lakers went shopping for new talent. LA rebuilt the post-LeBron roster at full speed, bringing in nine new veterans, handing Walker Kessler four years and $130 million to protect the rim, and locking up Austin Reaves for four years and $180 million. Meanwhile Golden State spent most of the time since the draft refreshing medical updates like they were lottery numbers.
Unfortunately for Dub Nation, those numbers haven’t hit yet. Jimmy Butler is still working back from the torn ACL with a late January or early February target, Moses Moody is rehabbing a ruptured patellar tendon, and Kristaps Porzingis isn’t even traveling to LA while he remains out indefinitely. Then on the eve of the opener, the one guy who never misses games got ruled out: Brandin Podziemski, who played all 82 games last season, is sitting with lower back soreness, and Charles Bassey is questionable with right patellar tendinopathy. If Bassey sits too, Golden State takes the floor with just 10 healthy players on standard contracts and Draymond probably playing center full-time.
Let’s not forget that Steph, 38 years old and stepping into his remarkable 18th season, caught his foot at open practice and limped to the locker room with a right ankle sprain. He’s officially probable after a full practice Monday, so breathe. But Dub Nation absolutely remembers that last season Curry played 43 games and the Warriors dropped 26 of the 39 he missed.
Luka Doncic is the clear face of the Lakers’ franchise in LeBron’s absence, and he definitely has some firepower alongside him with Reaves. Doncic has averaged 30.7 points per game against Golden State for his career, and tonight he gets to aim that at a frontcourt of Draymond, a minutes-managed Al Horford, Georges Niang and maybe a big man with a sore knee. Luka also apparently took out an ad talking about L.A.’s march toward the title beginning tonight? Fascinating.
Luka Doncic places full-page ad in LA Times ahead of Lakers' season opener on Wednesday.
"Dear LA, tonight we start our run for a championship."
The Warriors are 4-0 against the Lakers on opening night in the Curry era, including a 119-109 win in this same arena last October. This time the Lakers have the size, the depth and a new sense of creativity and freedom after the departure of King James. Golden State has Steph, Draymond and a freshly taped right ankle that has to hold up against the best guard tandem in the Pacific.
Oh and YAXEL POWER. Let Yaxel Lendeborg’s Rookie of the Year campaign begin in earnest tonight!
The Warriors have contacted the Milwaukee Bucks about a potential Kristaps Porziņģis trade, “The Athletic’s” Sam Amick and Nick Friedell reported Wednesday, citing a league source.
The Bucks are among the teams Golden State recently has reached out to, according to the source, who spoke anonymously to describe ongoing deliberations. Milwaukee is not believed to be interested, though the outreach shows how actively the Warriors are searching for a solution as uncertainty around Porziņģis continues on the day of their 2026-27 NBA season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Porziņģis signed a two-year, $40 million contract extension this past summer, with only $3 million guaranteed for next season. Golden State acquired him from the Atlanta Hawks for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield before the February trade deadline, and he averaged 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 17 games for the Warriors during the 2025-26 season.
The Warriors had hoped his absence would be short, but that hope has faded. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. ruled Porziņģis out of the early part of training camp on Sept. 28, and Porziņģis met with Dunleavy and vice president of player health and performance Rick Celebrini at Chase Center last week. In a statement Wednesday, the team said the conversations will remain private.
“We are not anticipating Kristaps being around the team in the immediate future,” the Warriors said.
The Athletic reported the Warriors viewed the re-signing as a gamble they were comfortable with, partly because Porziņģis’ $20 million salary could be included in a larger trade if he again struggled to stay on the floor. Because Golden State is hard-capped at the second apron, it cannot take back more salary than it sends out in any deal.
It may be a long shot, but two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff would love to have a spot on the Milwaukee Brewers' World Series roster.
The one-time staff ace hasn't pitched since going 3⅔ innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 4 due to right shoulder inflammation. However, he was at American Family Field on Tuesday, Oct. 20, throwing 23 pitches to several of the Brewers' best hitters − Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras, Christian Yelich and Jake Bauers.
Once his shoulder flared up for a second time after spending nearly two months on the injured list in May and June, Woodruff was supposed to undergo season-ending surgery in August. However, he gradually started feeling better and opted for another attempt at building up his arm strength.
He's since progressed to throwing off the mound, and in Tuesday's session, registered between 90 and 92 mph with his fastball. It's an encouraging sign for him ... but it could make things much more difficult for the Brewers' decision-makers with the final roster due on Friday morning.
“I know where I’m at. I’ve only faced live hitters once and the World Series starts in three days,” Woodruff told MLB.com. “As far as a decision, I haven’t heard anything. I’m sure they are discussing it.”
Woodruff said he'll see how his shoulder reacts over the next couple days.
"I get it from their vantage point. The apprehensions, I understand that," he said. "All I could do was put myself in a position to be an option.”
As the New York Knicks raised their championship banner on Tuesday night, some members of the New York Rangers were at Madison Square Garden to witness the historic moment.
In June, the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years, bringing a joyful energy and uniting the entire city of New York.
Sharing a practice facility and both playing at The World’s Most Famous Arena, the Rangers and Knicks are bonded together under the MSG umbrella.
For the Rangers, witnessing the Knicks win a championship and seeing the impact it had on the city was something the whole organization took to heart.
“It’s inspiring,” Mike Sullivan said. “It’s inspiring when a group has witnessed the ultimate success in their respective sport. When it’s close to you, these guys, we have lunch with the Knicks a lot, so there’s some familiarity. I know both teams root for one another. We couldn’t be more proud of them and I think a night like last night is inspiring for our guys,
Noah Laba, Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, Alexis Lafrenière, Vladislav Gavrikov, Sean Durzi, and Eeli Tolvanen were all in attendance for the Knicks’ opening-night game on Tuesday night, in which the team received their championship rings and raised the championship banner.
“It was great,” Vladislav Gavrikov said about attending the Knicks game. “The atmosphere, the building was electric. Those moments that they showed on the jumbotron, the video and everything, you are getting goosebumps to that. Obviously, that was a special night.”
The Rangers got a taste of what it could be like to be a champion in New York by watching the Knicks this summer and now further realize the magnitude sports has on the city.
“I think we saw it all summer, the parade and just all of the streets,” Perreault said of the Knicks’ championship win. “It shows you the fan base in New York and obviously if we could do that one day, it would be super cool.”
