ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 31: Bryce Elder #55 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Truist Park on August 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the offseason underway (for our Atlanta Braves, at least), it’s time to start looking forward to the future — well, as much as you can when you consider what awaits the baseball world once the start of December rolls around. Either way, teams are going to be keeping it business as usual until that date and as such, it’s time to start keeping an eye on what type of moves the Braves could make going forward.
MLB Trade Rumors has completed their annual Projected Arbitration Salaries for the upcoming offseason and it’s always a useful resource to keep handy once this time of year comes around. This season, the Braves will have six arbitration-eligible players to deal with, with the two most notable names being Bryce Elder and Dylan Lee. For Elder in particular, this’ll be his first arbitration-eligible season so he could be in line for a big jump in pay if this projection proves to be correct. Dylan Lee would also be in line to see the price of his services go up as well.
Here’s the full list and projected salaries (current salaries according to FanGraphs in parentheses), as provided by MLBTR:
Bryce Elder: $4 million ($810,000)
Michael Grove: $1 million ($546,524)
James Karinchak: $1.1 million ($215,249 ($840,000 split contract))
Dylan Lee: $4.2 million ($2.2 million)
Joey Wentz: $900,000 ($900,000)
Luke Williams would’ve made this six Braves players, but he was recently designated for assignment as the Braves selected LHP Danny Young’s contract in a corresponding move.
Obviously, Elder will be the big one to keep an eye on here, as we’ll get an idea of where the Braves are at on him based on these negotiations, which can sometimes get a bit contentious if/when it goes to trial. We’ll see what happens, though.
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 27: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Sunday, September 27, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kyle Sheridan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 43, Ezequiel Tovar (-0.3 rWAR)
Ezequiel Tovar’s story is a Tale of Two Players.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of Gold Gloves, it was the age of batting slumps. It was the 2024 season of light, it was the 2026 season of darkness. We had a cornerstone shortstop before us, we had nothing before us.
Not to get all Dickensian, but it really is fascinating to compare Tovar’s ups to his downs, whether that’s two seasons ago compared to this one or the first half of the year compared to the second half. His future on the team depends on where he falls between his ceiling and his floor, of which we’ve seen plenty of both.
We’re two years removed from Tovar’s stellar 2024 campaign, which feels like a distant memory based on how 2025 and 2026 went down.
In 2024, he put together a well-rounded year on both sides of the ball, not just by Rockies standards, but by league standards. He snagged a Gold Glove award, led the National League in doubles offensively and in outs made defensively, and was fourth in the NL in hits and total bases. With that campaign, he seemingly laid claim to the shortstop position in Colorado for years to come.
The fall off from there couldn’t have been predicted. After his 2025 was cut short with injuries, his stats in every key offensive category fell significantly in 2026.
Category
2024
2026
Games Played
157
146
At Bats
655
465
Batting Average
.269
.219
Hits
176
102
Doubles
45
23
Home Runs
26
13
Strikeouts
200
129
Runs
83
57
RBI
78
44
rWAR
3.6
-0.3
In fairness, some of his raw numbers dipped due in part to fewer total at bats, but many dropped disproportionately. Overall, his contributions to the team struggled, not only evidenced by his rWAR sinking nearly four points and into the negatives, but also by the lack of big plays that he flashed in 2024.
The doubles that he led the NL with dropped by half, as did his home runs. His batting average fell by 50 percentage points. He struggled to bring teammates home, with 34 fewer RBI.
By the numbers, he also lost his defensive edge. His Statcast Outs Above Average, “a range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a player has saved over his peers”, was +15 in 2024. It was 0 in 2026.
This isn’t to say that he became a bad fielder, by any means. His fielding percentage stayed relatively stable from his Gold Glove year (.988 in 2024, .980 in 2026) and was above the league average at the position in both. But, at least by one measure, he fell to an average defensive level, making it harder to compensate for his offensive struggles.
Heading into this season, the primary question surrounding Tovar was whether he could rise again to the level of his fantastic 2024 season or whether his dependability in the field is worth the question marks at the plate. That question remains after a very split 2026.
2026 in Two Halves
As different as Tovar’s 2024 and 2026 were, so were portions of his 2026 compared to others. Promisingly, he worked through his mid-season droughts and finished the year strong offensively.
As mentioned above, he had a .219 batting average on the year. Over the last 14 days of the season, that jumped way up to .294. The pre- and post-All Star break splits were wildly different, too. In the first half of the year, he had a .200 batting average and .574 OPS. In the second half, those jumped to a .260 batting average and a .707 OPS.
In the early chunk of the year, his plate discipline was way off. He had the highest swing-rate in MLB aside a very low contact rate, paired with a high swing rate on pitches outside of the zone. He also struggled to find a batting rhythm in the friendly confines of Coors Field, batting .206 at home and .231 on the road for the year. In July, he ranked last among shortstops in fWAR and wRC+, raising mid-season questions about how to fix Tovar to make him a valuable everyday player.
His weakest stretches at the plate came during the dog days of summer. During a brutal June and July, he was batting .173 and .145, respectively. He slowly turned things around and finished his two strongest batting months of the season in August (.269) and September (.304). In those months, he broke out for a few home runs that felt like a breath of fresh air, including one on a four-hit day in early August that ended a rough month-long stretch at the plate.
Tovar looked to anchor Colorado’s shortstop position for the long-term, signing a seven-year contract for $63.5 million in 2024, with a club option in 2031. He’s certainly shown evidence that he can be trusted to take on that role, but there’s also been reason for doubt.
Even at his floor, Tovar combined dependable playing time with reliable defense. The biggest variable has been his offensive output, ensuring it doesn’t harm the team. In 2027, the Rockies will hope to see continued patience and discipline at the plate from Tovar. If he can improve his hitting consistency and get on base regularly, that alone would be a big win. Even more so, if he can bring back some of his power and account for more extra-base hits, he’d position himself again as one of the team’s top contributors. If his defense can get back to an above-average level, too, that would be a bonus.
Manager Warren Schaeffer sees the offensive and defensive issues as connected. In an offseason interview with Purple Row, Schaeffer said, “I think each guy goes through something different in the year. I think Tovar’s defense was down – I think in large part because his offense was so down. He did a good job of not taking it out in the field, but it’s a really difficult thing to go through the offensive season he had and it to not affect his defense.” The hope is that a consistent approach at the plate will translate to higher numbers across the board.
The Rockies drafted Ethan Holliday (No. 1 PuRP) as a shortstop with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft, although it’s likely that he will move to third base with some versatility to play elsewhere in the infield, including shortstop. Between Holliday’s draft capital and Kyle Karros’ emergence as a strong contributor at third base, more ups and downs from Tovar could force some hard decisions about who plays where.
Having just turned 25 in August, Tovar still sits among the younger side of the roster and has flashed enough potential to show that he can play the position at an award-winning level.
Will Tovar keep the late-season momentum going to prove that he can rebound? Or will it turn out that 2024 is actually the outlier? We’ll find out in 2027.
We know the headliners in Philadelphia: LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid. What too often gets overlooked is that Mike Gansey didn't just recruit stars, he brought in talent around them for a quality bench, guys such as Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
That's a lot of mouths for coach Nick Nurse to feed. What is the key to making it all work? Caldwell-Pope — who has won two rings — said the key is the chemistry the roster is building now. Here is what he told Kris Rhim of ESPN.
"Our chemistry is gonna be the biggest part for us," Caldwell-Pope said Monday. "Us liking each other, being able to be around each other and have fun on and off the court...
"We have so much talent from one through 12, or 15, however many guys we've got, and it's talent everywhere," he said. "So, I think our biggest thing is just communicating with each other, learning each other's tendencies, and just trying to implement that on and off the court."
Chemistry takes time. It can start in training camps and with team dinners, but what it really takes is real games with the core guys healthy and playing together — we saw that for one half this preseason, which is about right — and it will take some road trips. Team dinners on the road where LeBron spluges on good wines. Bus trips. Locker room jokes.
Bringing in LeBron changes a team's culture — he is a brand and culture unto himself. Not in a bad way, but he's the most famous player in the world, an icon, a guy in the GOAT conversation, and his off-court presence is huge. He's also still the first guy in the gym and he puts in the work, that's a big part of his culture, too, and it rubs off on teammates.
It may take some time, but the 76ers culture is going to come together. They are going to figure out how to play best together, Nurse is going to figure out rotations that work. The basketball side of this will come together. Then it just comes back to those core 76ers guys with lengthy injury histories being available when it matters most.
Get a look at the 76ers' early-season chemistry on opening night, next Tuesday, Oct. 20, when they travel to Madison Square Garden and try to spoil the Knicks' ring night. Watch that game on NBC and Peacock as part of our opening day triple-header, with the ring ceremony starting at 6:30 Eastern and the game tipping off at 7 p.m.
Jul 2, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) and shortstop Taylor Walls (6) celebrate after beating the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Tampa Bay Rays have two players nominated for baseball’s top honor for defense in SS Taylor Walls and LF Chandler Simpson.
Perhaps the most underappreciated player on the Rays roster, this is Walls’ third time being named as a finalists for the Gold Glove, as he was nominated in 2023 for his work as a utility player and then last year at shortstop.
The 30-year old Walls has been a staple of the Rays infield since making his big league debut back in 2021. Never one to be an offensive force (career 71 wRC+), Walls forces his way into the starting lineup thanks to his exceptional fielding skills. Walls lost out to Mauricio Dubon in 2023 and then to Bobby Witt Jr last season. This year, Walls will be up for consideration along with Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals (again) and Andres Gimenez of the Toronto Blue Jays.
During the 2026 season, Walls ranked 4th among all players with 21 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Walls easily beats out his competition for the Gold Glove in that statistic, as Witt Jr posted 8 DRS while Gimenez posted just 2 DRS. However, the category in which Walls suffers is Outs Above Average (OAA) as he actually posted -3 OAA over the regular season while Bobby Witt Jr was elite with a 24 OAA; Gimenez was just behind him at 19 OAA.
Chandler Simpson’s nomination is a mild surprise — which is to say not at all surprising if you’ve seen him play this season, but quite surprising if you only have a passing look at his stats or performance. Last year, in the field, Simpson was begging the question if he had a future with the glove. After working with former Rays star turned defensive consultant Kevin Kiermaier (on jumps), Rays org Outfield coordinator Jared Sandberg (on technique), and first base/outfielders coach Corey Dickerson (on mentality), Simpson has improved his defense mightily to be one of the best outfielders in baseball, a remarkable single season turnaround.
Simpson will be up for consideration against Cody Bellinger of the NY Yankees, and Wyatt Langford of the Texas Rangers. Bellinger is the leader in the category with +21 DRS, but Simpson notably logged a higher OAA (+8) than the other finalists, and did so with 200 more innings than Bellinger.
The winners are set to be unveiled on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1.
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 25: Toronto Blue Jays Catcher Brandon Valenzuela (59) throws the ball during the MLB regular season game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays on September 25, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There are five Jays listed among the ‘finalists’ for the Gold Glove awards. Finalist is a funny term, since the vote has happened, but five are among the top three in the vote at their position.
Catcher:
Brandon Valenzuela: This surprises me some, not that he isn’t deserving but that he played less than half the team’s innings at catcher (618.2), with Alejandro Kirk (599.2) and Tyler Heineman (217.2) picking up the rest of the innings. But he showed a great arm (30% of base stealers caught) and I thought he good behind the plate. But he had more errors at catcher (9) than the other two combined (7) and, though there is a lot of noise in the ERA by catcher stat, pitchers had a slightly higher ERA throwing to him (3.94) than Kirk (3.77), but then the pitching staff changed as the season went on.
First base:
Vladimir Guerrero: He deserves the nomination. He had the best number for Outs Above Average among AL first basemen. Also had the most errors, but then only 8.
Shortstop:
Andrés Giménez. I imagine Bobby Witt will win.
Right Field:
Nathan Lukes: Another surprise to me, since he played a little more than half the team’s innings in right field (with 80 innings in left and 60 in center). He’s tied for second among AL right fielders in OAA at 2, though he’s played a lot less innings and he didn’t have an error in right field (nor in center, he had one in left). I doubt he’ll be the winner, but happy for him to be in the top three in voting. That would help his arbitration argument, though he’s not legible until after the 2028 season (baseball rips off players who make it to the majors when they are a little older).
Pitcher:
José Soriano: I don’t know how you pick the best fielding pitcher, but good for him.
The complete list:
Here are your 2026 American League @RawlingsSports Gold Glove Finalists 💪
The Astros have fired their manager Joe Espada. I don’t follow the Astros enough to have an opinion on him, but it seems to be an aging team. I don’t know what the club expects.
And the Dodgers are letting Shohei Ohtani decide if he should be in the lineup and, surprise, he thinks he should be. I also think I should be the Dodgers lineup, but then I think the Dodgers manager should be making the decisions (even though I’m ready to play, today, put me in coach).
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers stands on the court during the second half of their preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 06, 2026 in San Francisco, 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Through four preseason appearances, the initial in-game returns for Bronny James Jr. aren’t ideal. He’s gone 4-of-15 from the floor (1-of-7 beyond the arc) and dished out 13 assists to 12 turnovers. While Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick acknowledged James’s struggles, he added some context to help explain the slow start.
“I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer with us. I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices. Some of it’s just rhythm. Some of it’s who he’s playing with, right?” Redick told reporters after Tuesday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. “He’s played a lot of minutes, especially in the second half of games, with our two-way guys and tonight we played with Rafael [Castro], who’s who’s been with us for three days. So some of it is like the group he’s with. I think that is not necessarily setting him up for success.”
Aside from James, who did not score (0-of-2 shooting) and committed four turnovers (zero assists), his fellow backend bench guards, Jaden Hardy and Chris Mañon, also labored during Tuesday’s defeat. Hardy scored 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting (1-of-6 from deep) and had two assists to three turnovers. Mañon scored five points on perfect 2-of-2 shooting but logged one assist to four turnovers.
Redick recognized the poor performance of those three, which contributed to a dismal second half offensively (26 total points), and knows they’ll be needed throughout the regular season when injuries to other backcourt members occur. But he didn’t place the blame solely on their shoulders and made clear the coaching staff has to find ways to simplify the game for them as well.
“We’ve talked to those guys. I mean, the reality is, again, if one of our three primary handlers are out, one of those guys…one of those guys is going to play,” Redick said. “It’s too taxing with full-court pressure for [Reaves] and [Luka] to just do that solely. We’ll keep trying to get better and those guys, their intent is there…Overall, it just was not a good offensive product in the second half and I’ll look at what I can do better with that too.”
A day after granting Joe Espada permission to interview for the Seattle Mariners’ managerial opening, the Astros parted ways with their manager. With Seattle the only other team currently searching for a manager, Houston can take its time finding Espada’s replacement. Here are six names that could be in the mix.
Rodney Linares
Currently the Rays’ bench coach, Linares spent 20 years coaching in the Astros’ minor league system, where he was instrumental in the development of José Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and George Springer. He joined the Rays’ big-league staff after the 2018 season and took over as Kevin Cash’s bench coach after Matt Quatraro was named manager of the Royals.
Although he has never managed at the major league level, Linares has spent the last eight years working for one of the game’s best managers. Crane has hired from the Rays’ coaching tree in the past, and it’s fair to say Tampa Bay is just as good in the dugout as it is in the front office.
Brad Ausmus
Ausmus was once the sport’s most intriguing managerial prospect, but he chose the wrong jobs and has found himself as a bit of an afterthought.
He chose the established Tigers over the up-and-coming Cubs in 2013, and that turned out to be a disastrous decision. The Tigers won the American League Central in Ausmus’ first season, but they got old and stopped spending money. He parted ways with the Tigers after a 64-98 campaign in 2017.
Ausmus spent 2018 in the Angels front office, and took over as the club’s manager the next season. Again, he chose a bad job, the Angels went 72-90 in 2019 and Ausmus was fired after Joe Maddon became available.
The former Astros catcher remains close friends with senior advisor Jeff Bagwell, and nearly named the team’s general manager in 2023. As long as Bagwell has the ear of Jim Crane, Ausmus has to be considered a possibility to be the team’s manager or general manager.
Martín Maldonado
Maldonado is currently a special assistant with the Atlanta Braves after 15 big league seasons, parts of six with the Astros, all of which included a trip to the American League Championship Series.
While he has never managed before, Maldonado has been mentioned as someone who could do that job in the future. The established relationships he already has Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Yordan Alvarez would give him a head start that someone who is a complete outsider.
Jeff Bannister
An alum of La Marque High School and the University of Houston, Bannister spent the last five seasons as Torey Lovullo’s bench coach in Arizona. Before that, he managed the Texas Rangers from 2015-2018, beating out the Astros for the American League West crown his first two seasons.
Bannister interviewed for the Astros managerial job in 2020 that was ultimately filled by Dusty Baker. He was described as “relentlessly optimistic” when he first took over the Rangers, but he does an edge and aggressiveness that is a slight departure from the men who have previously held the Astros job. Some might see that as a welcome change.
Eduardo Perez
One source described Perez, currently an ESPN analyst, as a “sneaky good name.” He interviewed with the Astros in 2020 after he was a finalist for the Mets job earlier that offseason, and he’s managed in Venezuela the last couple of winters.
The Astros hired Larry Dierker straight from the radio booth 30 years ago, despite having never coached before. That isn’t the case with Perez, who was the Marlins hitting coach for two seasons before serving as Bo Porter’s bench coach with the Astros in 2013.
Albert Pujols
If you can’t beat him, hire him!
Pujols spent a Hall of Fame career mashing Astros pitching, so why not try teaming up with him? He has never served on a major league coaching staff, but he led Leones del Escogido to the Dominican Winter League championship and Caribbean Series title in 2025. He also managed the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic last spring.
Pujols was the favorite to land the Angels’ managerial job last offseason before the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a contract. He also interviewed with the Padres and Orioles.
CLEVELAND - JUNE 13: Brian Reith of the Cincinnati Reds pitches against the Cleveland Indians during the MLB game on June 13, 2004 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Reds 10-8. (Photo by John Reid III/MLB via Getty Images)
The Twins announced this morning that they named Brian Reith as their next pitching coach, replacing Pete Maki who was let go following the end of the 2026 season. They also promoted Ben Myers to the Big League training staff after spending the past few years with the St. Paul Saints, the Twins Triple-A affiliate.
Welcome to Twins Territory, Brian and Ben!
We have announced the hiring of Brian Reith as our pitching coach and Ben Myers as our Assistant Athletic Trainer pic.twitter.com/iUWMGC8rHw
Reith, 48, has been the pitching coach for the Tampa Bay Rays’ Triple-A affiliate for the past five seasons. Reith is a former sixth-round pick by the Yankees, but went on to throw just 128 innings with the Reds from 2001-2004. He then made the rounds through the Indy and international circuit before settling into coaching.
When looking for a new pitching coach, there are few organizations you want to resemble more than the Rays. Plus, with a half-decade of experience with their AAA team, he was an ingrained part of Tampa’s development process and the many iterations they’ve gone through over the years. Reith has actually already coached the Twins’ two best pitchers, spending a lot of time with Taj Bradley and Joe Ryan as they were coming up through the Rays system.
Reith inherits a unique challenge in Minnesota, with a mix of talented veterans (Ryan, Bradley, Pablo Lopez, Jeff Hoffman) and exciting young pitchers that still need some work (Connor Prielipp, Zebby Matthews, Kendry Rojas, Mick Abel, Andrew Morris). However, if Reith can get some more consistency from the vets and help the kids take a step forward, the Twins will have as talented a pitching staff as anyone in baseball (outside of the endless money pit that is the Dodgers and whatever 6th ace they sign this offseason).
Welcome to Minnesota, Brian! Hope you still have some winter gear lying around somewhere because April baseball is frigid up north.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 20: Marvin Harrison Jr. #18 of the Arizona Cardinals walks off the field after his teams 7-31 loss against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cardinals fans and fans across the country.
The Arizona Cardinals made news last week, for their unorthodox handling of the trade of Marvin Harrison Jr. I don’t think people were too surprised by the trade, but the way they went about things was a little different than we have ever seen before.
That being said, the trade is done, Marv is now a Houston Texan, and the Arizona Cardinals also sent along a 2027 sixth round pick.
In return they received a 2027 second round pick and a 2027 seventh round pick.
So the question is, how would you grade the trade instantly?
We will be able to look back on this move in a year, maybe two and see if Marv figures it out, or if the Cardinals were smart ala Josh Rosen and were able to get something of value for a failed player.
Of course, part of getting something will be turning that pick into something of value, and there are questions if that is something that can be done by this regime as well.
But all of that comes later, for now, how do you grade the overall trade?
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 07: Brooks Lee #22 of the Minnesota Twins throws against the Cleveland Guardians on July 7, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Twins third baseman Brooks Lee was named a finalist for a Gold Glove award at third base. The positional specification is important since Lee opened the season as Minnesota’s starting shortstop.
Lee is unlikely to bring the hardware home, as the Red Sox’s Caleb Durbin lapped the field in most defensive metrics at third base, but it’s a testament to the work he and the Twins did with Lee in the middle of the season. Lee spent the first month as the worst defensive shortstop in baseball and then became a true asset at third, a remarkable turnaround. Lee was +8 in DRS, +6 in OAA, and +5 in FRV despite just playing 110 of his 156 games there.
No other Twins were named finalists, though I would make a compelling case for Kody Clemens in the utility spot. While he wasn’t outstanding at any individual position, there are very few players who can provide above-average defense at all three outfield positions, second base, and first base. Byron Buxton would almost definitely be a finalist as well had he played a full season, even as he’s lost a step in his mid-30s.
Lee still has a ways to go offensively, with most advanced metrics painting 2026 as a lucky turn, but he showed meaningful strides on that side of the ball as well with an improved approach that led to more power in spurts. However, a league-average bat with top-end defense who can swipe 10-20 bags a year is still an immensely valuable player. Just look at Durbin’s WAR totals the past couple years, for example.
Regardless, it’s a well deserved honor for a player that has worked hard to get where he is after a tough start to his career. Congrats, Brooks!
MACAO, CHINA - OCTOBER 9: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks as part of 2026 NBA China Games on October 9, 2026 in Macao, China at Venetian Arena. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country.
This is to piggyback off of James’ post. Y’all know how I feel about KD. Great one-on-one scorer, horrible leader and teammate, negative locker room presence, and I’d rather have just about anyone else on my favorite team. Many of you are a little more nebulus on KD. Yet the fact remains, the team was no better and went no further with Durant in the lineup than they did without him.
In addition, a recent report by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon cites Durant as the source of Houston’s obvious locker room issues last year. It was referred to as “turmoil”. Here’s what MacMahon said:
“There were issues of connectivity in the Rockets’ locker room. [Fred] VanVleet directly and significantly impacts both of those issues,” said Tim MacMahon. “Kevin Durant was part of both of those problems. I would say you could even say Kevin Durant was at the top of the list of both of those problems. At the same time, KD was kind of thrust into — I’m not going to say unfair — but a position that didn’t play to his strengths, having to be the primary initiator down the stretch of games, having to be the default leader, the guy most responsible for the mood of the locker room. Those don’t play to his strengths. Those do play to Fred VanVleet’s strengths, and kind of take those burdens off of KD’s shoulders this year.”
If things go south this season or even don’t improve, we all know KD could easily want out. He has a player options next season, so he could opt out and the Rockets lose him for nothing. In that scenario, they would need to trade him by this year’s deadline to avoid losing him for zilch.
So what do you guys think? Do they trade KD at this year’s deadline?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 13: Shawn Armstrong #43 of the Cleveland Guardians exits Game Two of the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Derek Law Elects Free Agency Thanks to be one of the many injured arms the team carried, the Diamondbacks almost never got to know him before he bounced.
Three Big Mistakes from 2025-26 Offseason and How to Avoid Repeating Them Avoiding repeating the mistakes should be incredibly easy as the pitchers are now in recovery, Zac Gallen is gone, and first base now has a plethora of candidates that do not require Arizona wishing on a magic lamp that Goldschmidt would ever return to Arizona.
But in all seriousness, the game has moved forward five hours, so plan accordingly.
What This Year’s Playoffs Say About Baseball’s Future With all due respect to Jess Passan, the playoffs say almost nothing at all about the future of the game. The battle lines have been drawn and both sides have decided to dig in deep. Nothing short of an utter catastrophe will change things at this point. Meanwhile, posts like the one below are missing the point (almost certainly intentionally).
The most likely outcome in Major League Baseball right now is that we’ll have a Brewers-Rays World Series and the owners are going to shut down the sport while telling uneducated fans that only a salary cap can let small market teams compete pic.twitter.com/I48GL8Qbbd
CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 28: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers poses for a portrait during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex on September 28, 2026 in Camden, New Jersey. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The way the Sixers’ practice facility in Camden is designed, the media only gets to interact with players on the practice floor — by design, of course.
The players have their own parking lot (with a roof for their super nice cars) and entrance on the far end of the building. The media members park amongst the regular people outside the facility gates and our exit is on the opposite end of the building.
So, you could imagine my surprise when I encountered Tyrese Maxey walking out in the same direction I was.
“You lost?” I asked.
“Nah, I’m getting on LeBron’s helicopter,” Maxey said with a laugh.
He proceeded to walk out of the gated space, awaiting a ride. As I drove away, there was Maxey, an All-NBA performer on a max contract, sitting on the curb, waiting for a ride.
It was quite the dichotomy after seeing James take off from managing partner Josh Harris’ helipad atop the franchise’s business building.
“One of us left on the helicopter,” Maxey said, “the other one sitting on the curb.”
Helicopter or not, James has acknowledged not every organization and player can handle what comes with rostering arguably the greatest player of all time. We’ve already gotten small tastes of it, with a recent notable example over the whole rumored (and debunked) LeBron-Joel Embiid situation.
There’s attention. There’s scrutiny. It can absolutely become a circus.
But there might not be a better player built for the current situation than Maxey.
Think about all Maxey has been through since he was drafted in 2020. He missed the bulk of training camp that year because he got COVID. He had a weird rookie season. He was too good for Doc Rivers to leave on the bench, but the Hall of Fame coach’s reticence to play young players led to Maxey getting inconsistent minutes. He was also in trade rumors for James Harden and Kyle Lowry, both of whom would eventually become his teammates.
He saw Ben Simmons hold out and his role increase with the ball in his hands more. He was here for the Harden trade and moved back into an off-ball role. And remember the next year when Rivers told everyone it was Maxey’s idea to come off the bench after returning from injury? Hilarious. Harden’s ensuing holdout vaulted Maxey to second in the pecking order, leading to his first All-Star appearance and the league’s Most Improved Player Award.
With Tobias Harris and his exorbitant contract gone, Maxey was able to welcome Paul George aboard — and we all remember how 2024-25 went. It was a nightmare for Maxey, Joel Embiid, the Sixers and the entire Delaware Valley. He grew from it and had an outstanding 2025-26 campaign, culminating in his first All-NBA nod.
This offseason he became a dad, without question the most important thing to happen to him, but the second-most important thing was nothing to sneeze at. Maxey successfully recruited James to join the Sixers to play alongside newcomer Jaylen Brown and a ridiculously star-studded starting five.
James hasn’t stopped heaping praise on Maxey since he got here. Brown, too, has lauded Maxey for making a difficult transition much easier by welcoming him with open arms. Labaron Philon Jr. has frequently mentioned how much Maxey is helping the rookie’s assimilation to the NBA.
Mike Gansey did a hell of a job assembling this roster, but Maxey’s fingerprints are all over it. It’s not hyperbolic to say Maxey has changed the entire trajectory of this organization. Imagine if he hadn’t become the player he is after being selected 21st overall. The Sixers would’ve likely been stuck in NBA purgatory. And if not for the positive culture he’s created in the locker room, this franchise could’ve gone sideways at multiple points over the last seven years.
James has acknowledged it’s not always easy being his teammate. Not because of anything on the court, but with the scrutiny and attention that comes with a team he’s on.
If any player can manage it, it’s Maxey.
He was asked on media day what it’s like to be in this position, where he’s been LeBron James’ workout partner and now teammate.
“What if I said LeBron was my workout partner?” he joked.
Maxey was asked about the extra attention LeBron brings.
“I wanted Bron, I didn’t want y’all,” he joked again.
Then, he got serious.
“Listen, with me, I’m focused on basketball, a job,” he said. “The rest of that, I’m not really worried about it. That doesn’t really bother me, honestly. I’ve been blessed to play in Philadelphia for my entire career so far. I played in Kentucky. I’m kind of used to the noise and all those different things, so that doesn’t bother me.
“My biggest thing is I want to help my teammates, this organization, try to win basketball games and try to win at the highest level. So the rest of that, the hoopla, all that, all y’all people being here, that doesn’t bother me.”
Holdouts, drama, injuries, mismanaged rosters, coaching malpractice, losing, media scrutiny, a fan base that expects nothing short of greatness — Maxey has handled it all.
LeBron’s helicopter flying overhead while he sits on a curb is worth nothing more than a chuckle.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 13: Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors is fouled by Walker Kessler #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter of a preseason game at T-Mobile Arena on October 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers are expecting big things of Walker Kessler this season. They love both his skill-set and how it fits alongside their star duo of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. It’s why they were willing to send a pair of first-round picks and first-round pick swaps to the Utah Jazz while inking Kessler to a four-year, $130 million deal this summer. To help achieve those big things, Kessler and Lakers head coach JJ Redick are latching onto a singular word, one they think should reverberate through Kessler’s approach all over the floor.
“The word I’ve used with him, the challenge is just being relentless. Just in terms of the motor on both ends, running the floor, diving, screening, crashing the glass, playing off Luka and [Reaves],” Redick told reporters Tuesday after Kessler made his preseason debut. “He’s going to have opportunities to playmake in the pocket. That’s just the nature of how teams guard those two guys. His stats are going to naturally come just from playing hard. I thought he did a great job of that. Again, that’s like a very encouraging thing when you have multiple guys on the team that you feel like are going to do the little stuff that maybe doesn’t always show up in a box score, but helps the team.”
Kessler left a positive impression to open his Lakers tenure, with 11 points (4-of-6 shooting), nine rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. He knows if he plays relentlessly, high-level impact should follow, so he intends to try and maximize every single possession, which will manifest in array of ways that benefit Los Angeles.
“JJ and I talked and that’s kind of what we came up with this year is relentless,” Kessler said. “For me, that means just crashing every time, trying to be a presence in the paint, run, play hard, don’t take plays off on the offensive end, defensive end. So that’s going to be my goal for this year.”
Kessler’s next opportunity to embody that relentless mantra comes Friday against the Denver Nuggets in the Lakers’ preseason finale before their regular season kicks off Oct. 21 at home facing the Warriors.
On Wednesday, Detroit Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff made his stance clear on the standoff with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson.
That is good news for Red Wings fans, as the GM appears adamant about bringing back the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The report builds on comments from several other insiders who have said Detroit's preference all along has been to retain the Swedish blueliner.
Red Wings GM Shawn Horcoff says he has "zero interest" in trading Simon Edvisson. "Not something I'm entertaining. We want to sign him."
The organization has already checked one major contract off its list, with star winger Alex DeBrincat signing a seven-year extension carrying a $13 million cap hit. With that deal done, Edvinsson can become the franchise's focus, and the Red Wings can work toward getting him back into game action.
Detroit could certainly use the help as Edvinsson offers a rare blend of defensive skill and the occasional dose of offense, and the Red Wings are struggling at both ends of the ice.
They sit near the bottom of the league defensively, allowing 3.17 goals per game, while their offense is even worse, averaging 2.33 goals per game, which ranks in the bottom five of the NHL.
With the Red Wings having dropped five of their first six games, they need all the help they can get, and 30-point defenseman like Edvinsson would provide a subtle boost.
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