The heartfelt carousel of pictures featured Jones’ proposal on top of the Empire State Building and the couple celebrating around New York City.
“Forever starts today,” the post read. “I feel like the luckiest man on Earth to propose to the most beautiful, intelligent, and sweetest woman I’ve ever met. You’ve elevated my life in so many ways & I can’t wait to take your hand in marriage.
“You are the brightest light in a city of endless opportunities. I truly believe the world is ours when I am with you. There is nothing we cannot do when we are together. You are so easy to love. The Joneses coming soon!”
It’s unclear when exactly the couple started dating, but the earliest pictures of the two shared on social media are from mid-2024. O’Connor celebrated the Yankees rookie’s first promotion to the big leagues earlier in May.
“Let’s go baby! The most deserving incredible man. I love you!” O’Connor wrote on her Instagram Story upon the news of Jones’ promotion.
Spencer Jones got engaged to girlfriend Ava O’Connor. avaaoconnor/instagramSpencer Jones and Ava O’Connor celebrated on top of the Empire State Building. avaaoconnor/instagram
In 86 games, Jones posted a slash line of .245/.313/.429 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs.
One of his major downsides, however, was his high strikeout rate, getting punched out 105 times in just 289 plate appearances.
“I struck out a million times this year,” Jones told The Post following the Yankees’ elimination in the ALDS by the Rays. “I feel like I didn’t help the team in certain contexts that way. I think defensively, I think I can get better. I think I can get faster.
“And then the mental side of the game — leaning on the resources we have here and making sure that I’m the best competitor when the season starts next year.”
World No 10 holds nerve in 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4) semi-final win
Australian will meet Carlos Alcaraz in championship match
Alex de Minaur has held his nerve to claim what could be one of the most significant wins of his career, downing the world No 1-elect Alexander Zverev with a fearless display of attacking tennis to reach the Vienna Open final.
The Australian played a fabulous deciding tiebreaker, nervelessly brushing off a couple of double faults to keep the pressure on the two-time grand slam champion to prevail 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4) to set up a championship match with Carlos Alcaraz at the Wiener Stadthalle.
The Buffalo Sabres are enjoying their current three-game win streak, a streak that included a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings Saturday afternoon. But before Sabres fans get too giddy, we have to point out the fact that Buffalo’s win streak has come against three teams that, frankly, aren’t very good – at least, at the moment.
The streak began with a 2-0 shutout of the San Jose Sharks, a thoroughly-mediocre team that has a 7-7-1 record and an offense that ranks 26th in the league at an average of just 2.67 goals-for per game. Somehow, despite having one of the most highly-regarded collections of young talent in the league, the Sharks are a Jekyll-and-Hyde team that hasn’t had a win streak or a losing streak of more than two games. So while it was nice to see goalie Colten Ellis thrive with a shutout, it’s hardly a momentous achievement to beat San Jose.
Similarly, Buffalo’s second win in their current streak also came against a club – the Anaheim Ducks – that isn’t on anyone’s list of the better teams in the league right now. The Ducks currently sit in 12th place in the Western Conference with a 5-7-1 record that includes a 3-6-1 mark in their past 10 games. Anaheim is the NHL’s second-worst offensive team (averaging 3.85 goals-against per game), and so it’s no impressive feat for the Sabres to stick them for seven goals in a 7-6 win. Don’t get it twisted – Buffalo’s anemic offense needs all the confidence it can get, but the Sabres’ defense against the Ducks left much to be desired.
Finally, there’s Saturday’s win over the lowly Kings. Buffalo nearly blew a 2-0 lead before a third-period marker gave them a narrow win. But this is L.A. we’re talking about – a squad that’s been arguably the NHL’s most disappointing team this season. The loss to the Sabres dropped the Kings’ record to 4-7-2, and it dropped Los Angeles’ home record to 1-4-0. Again, while Buffalo will certainly be happy with the two standings points they earned Saturday, there are still some signs of trouble with this team.
We’ll have a better indication of the kind of team the Sabres are in their next half-dozen contests. Four of those six games will be against strong teams – the Ottawa Senators, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars – so the degree of difficulty is going to rise considerably. And the other two games in their next six will be against the sub-par Columbus Blue Jackets and abysmal Chicago Blackhawks. And that means Buffalo will need to take care of business against weak teams and raise their compete level against powerful ones.
It’s Sabres coach Lindy Ruff’s job to produce consistent efforts from his group, and thus far this season, he hasn’t succeeded in that regard. But there’s no time like the present to change that. And the way Buffalo performs in the next two weeks will be the best indicator of what the Sabres are made of.
There may be another long win streak ahead for Buffalo, but we haven’t seen them win more than three in a row – and we have seen them lose three straight, in the games immediately preceding their current win streak. It’s a long season, and there are going to be highs and lows for every team. But the Sabres’ current streak of victories isn’t wowing anyone who’s really paying attention.
And until they demonstrate they can impose their will on teams that are actually relevant, Buffalo will remain firmly in the league’s mid-tier.
MLB insider Jim Bowden made an interesting comment about a potential Dodgers trade target during his appearance on the “D-Mac and Reiter Show” on Thursday.
“Absolutely I do,” Bowden said when asked whether he thinks the Reds could consider trading star shortstop Elly De La Cruz this offseason, per an X post from Doug McKain.
“This kind of trade makes sense for both the Dodgers and teams like the Reds and the [Washington] Nationals. The Dodgers need to be thinking about their next superstar player,” Bowden added.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz reacts after hitting a two-run double against the New York Mets during a game at Citi Field on May 26, 2026. Jason Szenes for The New York Post
De La Cruz is one of the most electrifying players in baseball and produced a .283 average, an .880 OPS, 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases for Cincinnati last season.
Dodgers fans would love having De La Cruz in their infield. That is, unless they’re also Lakers fans.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during a game against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
De La Cruz posted multiple clips celebrating the Warriors’ win over the Lakers to his Instagram Story.
Elly De La Cruz’s Instagram Story posts of Steph Curry crossing up Luka Doncic. (Instagram/@la_cocoa_____18).
De La Cruz has been outspoken about his Curry admiration, saying multiple times over the years that Curry is his favorite NBA player.
Cruz even said he sees similarities between his and Curry’s playing styles during an August 2024 interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer.
If De La Cruz ends up being traded to the Dodgers, Los Angeles sports fans will have to reckon with him rooting against the Lakers whenever they face Curry and Golden State.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 30: Christian Braun #0 of the Denver Nuggets attempts a layup against Collin Gillespie #12 and Devin Booker #15 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center on October 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When you find yourself struggling to win basketball games, every mistake is amplified and every possession is overanalyzed. Through four games to start the season, that’s certainly been the case for the Phoenix Suns, who sit at 1–3 and have struggled to play clean basketball.
While the offense has begun showing signs of life, along with some much-needed functionality and responsibility, and the team currently possesses the 10th-best offensive rating in the league, there’s still plenty that needs to be cleaned up. And defensively? The team is an absolute mess. Rotations are being missed, assignments are being blown, and quite frankly, it looks like a group of players who don’t fully trust one another yet.
Why do we consistently see weak-side defenders crashing into the paint whenever an opposing player drives to the basket? Because there’s a lack of trust that the primary defender can handle his assignment, leading teammates to abandon their own responsibilities to provide help. And what happens as a result? Wide-open shooters are left waiting on the perimeter. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the Suns are currently allowing (easily) the highest opposing three-point percentage in the league.
The most frustrating aspect of watching this team thus far has been the numerous mental lapses and situational mistakes that you can attribute to poor judgment. But when you start seeing them over and over again, it raises a bigger question about whether this team possesses a high basketball IQ. We witnessed it numerous times from numerous players against Denver, and it’s been a recurring theme throughout the early portion of the season.
Examples? But of course. I’d show the actual plays, but the NBA has decided to negate the ability to share play-by-play videos. Because screw the fans, right? As long as they get their Emerites money, they’re satisfied.
The Suns are down nine points late in the third quarter and Devin Booker misses a wide-open layup. That should’ve been the easiest birthday gift he received yesterday, and somehow, he missed it. How does the team respond? By committing a senseless foul in transition. And of course, Denver is already in the bonus, so the Nuggets head directly to the free-throw line.
Then there’s the Jalen Green possession. After the Suns fight their way back to within five points, Green decides it’s time to put on his superhero cape and drive into the lane rather than surveying the floor and setting up a quality offensive possession. What happens? Marvin Bagley rejects him, Denver takes possession, and the Nuggets promptly knock down a three-pointer on the other end. That’s a five-point swing at a moment when Phoenix had finally generated some momentum.
Dillon Brooks was your primary offensive weapon in the first half, scoring 20 points before getting tossed from the game for a Flagrant 2 after kicking Jamal Murray in the nuts. Now, I don’t agree with the call. I think it was reputation-based (and Tyler Ford hates the Suns…which is factual), and as somebody who’s watched Brooks play for over a season now, I know he routinely kicks his legs out on those turnaround jumpers. I genuinely don’t believe there was any malicious intent.
But part of being a high basketball IQ player is recognizing when you can’t afford to push the envelope, especially when you’ve been as valuable to your team’s offense as Brooks was in that game. You have to understand the situation and the potential consequences of putting yourself in that position. Stupid call? Yes. Stupid to put yourself in that situation? Also yes.
The same goes for the silly delay of game after knocking the ball away from Nikola Jokic following a Devin Booker running layup with the Suns down 7 in the third. You know Tyler Ford is an official who has a tendency to officiate the Suns ridiculously. There is no team in the NBA that he has assessed more personal fouls against per game in his officiating career than the Phoenix Suns. The team he calls the least amount of fouls against? Yeah. The Nuggets. Why give him another opportunity to blow the whistle? It’s an entirely unnecessary play that once again handed Denver another free throw.
These are the kinds of mistakes that make winning basketball games considerably more difficult than it needs to be. And we’re not cherry-picking a couple of isolated possessions to manufacture a narrative. We’ve seen these mental lapses repeatedly throughout the first four games of the season, which is precisely why they’re becoming a concern. Side note: stop fouling three-point shooters! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
Every team makes mistakes. Every player has moments when their judgment fails them. That’s basketball. But when those mistakes become recurring behaviors rather than occasional lapses, you have to start asking some uncomfortable questions about this team’s decision-making and overall basketball IQ. That’s when the red flags start going up.
The Suns have put themselves in a situation where there’s plenty to clean up. This is a team that relies on hustle as its North Star, but that hustle has to be accompanied by responsibility and intelligent decision-making. They’re not going to overpower opponents physically, and they’re certainly not going to overwhelm anybody with their efficiency. That means they can’t afford to give away free points through careless mistakes and unnecessary fouls.
Playing smart basketball has to become a fundamental part of this team’s identity if the Suns ultimately want to start winning basketball games.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 17: Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 17, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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CALGARY, CANADA - OCTOBER 08: T.J. Hughes #13 of the Colorado Avalanche and Morgan Frost #16 of the Calgary Flames battle for the puck during the second period at the Scotiabank Saddledome on October 08, 2026 in Calgary, Alberta. (Photo by Leah Hennel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the first time in twenty-four years, the Colorado Avalanche are hosting a game on Halloween!
Tonight will be a rematch against the Calgary Flames, who have been heating up of late with five wins in their previous six games.
Colorado Avalanche (7-5-1)
The Opponent: Calgary Flames (6-7-0)
Time: 8:00 P.M. MDT/10:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Local Broadcast Area), ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Area – US), SN, SN+ (Canadian National Broadcast)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche, looking more Dr. Jekyll than Mr. Hyde, defeated the visiting New Jersey Devils by a 5-2 decision on Wednesday night, avenging their loss at the Prudential Center eight nights earlier. New Jersey, playing the second half of a back-to-back series, started goaltender Jake Allen, who gave up five goals on forty-five shots. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped twenty of twenty-two shots for his sixth win of the season.
Nicolas Roy, who had missed the previous six games with injury, returned to the lineup, registering an assist on Nazem Kadri’s go-ahead goal in the second period. Defenseman Josh Manson, however, did not finish the game. Head coach Jared Bednar announced yesterday that Manson would miss eight weeks with an ankle injury.
Manson’s absence paves the way for increased usage for defenseman Noah Juulsen. Juulsen has played eight games for Colorado this season.
It’s likely that Blackwood closes out the home stand, saving Scott Wedgewood for next week. They kick off another back-to-back pair of road games on Monday in Chicago before heading to Columbus.
MacKinnon still leads all skaters in points (22) and assists (14). Artturi Lehkonen leads the team in goals (10).
A win tonight pulls the Avs within one point of second-place Utah in the Central Division standings. The Avs won the opening game of the season series against Calgary on October 08.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nicolas Roy Jaden Schwartz – Nazem Kadri – T.J. Hughes Parker Kelly – Fedor Svechkov – Gavin Brindley
Defense: Devon Toews – Cale Makar Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski Noah Juulsen – Brent Burns
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Calgary Flames
Calgary’s start to the season was anything but hot: they lost six of their first seven games of the season, including the previously-mentioned 7-3 loss on home ice to Colorado on October 08. During their most recent four game homestand, however, things started to heat up. Thanks to stellar play by goaltender Devin Cooley, Calgary swept all four games, which featured victories over Minnesota, Toronto, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
Unfortunately, Cooley’s heater came to an abrupt end this past Wednesday after sustaining an injury from a collision with Edmonton’s Colton Dach. Calgary wound up losing by a 4-0 decision, but rebounded last night on home ice with a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Goaltender Dustin Wolf recorded his first win in over two weeks, saving twenty-five of twenty-seven shots against.
Calgary, who has been without left wing Jonathan Huberdeau after he underwent hip resurfacing surgery last season, is seeing injuries continue to pile up. Left wing Samuel Honzek, who last played against Colorado, is listed as week-to-week. Brennan Othmann also was injured during the Edmonton game after a fight with Ty Emberson.
With Cooley also listed as week-to-week, goaltender Arsenii Sergeev has been called up from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers to back up Wolf. Maxim Tsyplakov, who had been a healthy scratch for Calgary’s previous five games, returned to the lineup against Seattle.
Joel Farabee and Matt Coronato lead all Calgary skaters in points (14). Rookie Matvei Gridin leads the team in goals (5), while Coronato leads the team in assists (11). Right wing Adam Klapka leads all Calgary skaters in penalty minutes (37), second only to Ottawa’s Nick Cousins (42) across the League.
Tonight’s game marks the start of a three game road trip for Calgary, and is their only visit to Denver. They return home to start a three game homestand on Thursday.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Joel Farabee – Mikael Backlund – Matt Coronato Aydar Suniev – Morgan Frost – Yegor Sharangovich Matvei Gridin – Martin Pospíšil – Ryan Strome Maxim Tsyplakov – Jonathan Castagna – Adam Klapka
Defense: Kevin Bahl – Šimon Nemec Jake Middleton – Zach Whitecloud Yan Kuznetsov – Zayne Parekh
Between the Pipes: Arsenii Sergeev
NOTE: Don’t forget to download the new SB Nation app for a more mobile-friendly way to follow tonight’s action and engage with Mile High Hockey’s match threads. Commenting and interacting with your communities is easier than ever before with the Game Chat feature. The app is currently available in the U.S. and Canada on iOS and Android devices.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 21, 2026: Garrett Hawkins #59 of the San Diego Padres throws a pitch during the eighth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on March 21, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
The Rule 5 Protectee
The Padres’ No. 30 prospect, Garrett Hawkins, was drafted by San Diego in 2021. In 119 games (237.2 IP) in the minors, the righty has posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 307 strikeouts. After undergoing Tommy John in 2024, Hawkins transitioned into the bullpen in 2025. That transition was seamless, with Hawkins posting a 1.50 ERA and 80 strikeouts across 60 innings of work.
Overall Grade: C+
Because of that production, Hawkins was added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft ahead of the 2026 season. He was believed to be a candidate to bolster the Padres’ pitching staff this year but struggled in the minors. His strikeout numbers were still solid with 65 Ks across 54 1/3 innings, but he couldn’t limit runs the same way he had in ‘25 (5.47 ERA).
The 26-year-old righty features an otherworldly fastball and serviceable slider and changeup to go along with it. That pitch mix makes him quite similar to former San Diego closer Robert Suarez. Hawkins’ command struggles in 2026 were the reason for his downfall. He allowed 13 extra walks this season in 5 1/3 less innings pitched.
Still, Hawkins remains a potential contributor for the Friars’ bullpen in 2027. With a solid performance in Spring Training, Hawkins could wind up on the Opening Day roster depending on which relievers the Padres end up retaining this offseason. With the potential departures of Jason Adam, Yuki Matsui and Adrian Morejon this offseason, Hawkins could become an important piece for San Diego in the years to come.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 15: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs embrace after the Spurs defeated the Timberwolves 139-109 in Game Six of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
It’s an early Western Conference Semifinals rematch tonight in San Antonio, where the Spurs take on the Timberwolves, who will be missing Anthony Edwards for a good part of this season as he needed to get knee surgery shortly after scoring 133 points in his first four games of the season. The Timberwolves are still formidable without his 33 point average, with Lamelo Ball and and Jaden McDaniels picking up a lot of the scoring slack. That worked out well enough last night for the Wolves to rout the Clippers 127-101 and take a 1-0 lead in their NBA Cup group. None of that matters to the Spurs right now, since they’re in a different group and haven’t played a Cup game yet.
This will be the toughest game for the Silver and Black since the season-opening weekend of Thunder/Rockets, so it could be a good measuring stick to see if the team is rounding into shape after playing some desultory basketball in the first 5 games, with enough flashes of brilliance to sport a 3-2 winning record so far. The three guard lineup has gotten mixed reviews, but as some of the PTR writers discussed a few days ago, sometime it takes time for these kinds of things to gel. Tobias Harris still hasn’t made his Spurs debut, and that could end up changing the outlook a bit going forward. My opinion that any NBA game played while there are still pumpkins on the porch is to early to take much from, win or lose, because the teams aren’t anywhere near where they will be in the springtime.
For local viewers, this game is on DAZN only. I had some fun with the last game when my iPad quit showing the Jazz game, but luckily, I was able to get DAZN to load in a web browser and watch it on my computer. The lesson of that is to always have options, and maybe a newer iPad. Let’s GOO Spurs!!
Game Prediction:
After watching Victor Wembanyama hit a couple of three-point shots, Rudy Gobert becomes jealous and decides to match him shot-for-shot. It’s airball city for the big Frenchie (theirs, not ours), but a few of the errant shots fall into his teammates’ hands are are counted as assists.
San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves October 31, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT Streaming: DAZN, League Pass TV: DAZN Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
Each week, the California Post will power rank the NBA’s 30 teams. Records are as of Saturday morning:
1. Houston Rockets (5-1)
The Rockets take the top spot despite suffering their first loss of the season Friday to the Mavericks. Statistically, they have the league’s best offense and are getting contributions from across the board. Seven Rockets are averaging double-digit scoring figures. (Last week, 5th)
Memphis Grizzlies’ Ty Jerome shoots a free throw during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
2. Memphis Grizzlies (5-0)
The league’s last undefeated team continues to climb up the rankings after another perfect week. The Grizzlies were the fun preseason pick when asked which team would exceed expectations. And with Ty Jerome and Cameron Boozer leading the way, they’ve done that so far. (Last week, 13th)
LeBron James of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during a game against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
3. Philadelphia 76ers (5-1)
Two wins in 10 days over the defending NBA champions? It’s fair to say LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid are headed in the right direction and could lead the 76ers to being legitimate NBA title contenders. (Last week, 2nd)
4. Detroit Pistons (5-1)
The Pistons have hardly missed a beat since All-NBA center Jalen Duren suffered a right hamstring strain that’ll sideline him for at least another week. Superstar guard Cade Cunningham leads a Pistons roster that’s getting contributions from all over as they look to build off a 60-win season last year. (Last week, 9th)
5. Boston Celtics (4-1)
The Celtics have bounced back after dropping their season opener to the Pistons, rattling off four straight wins. Paul George has been a great fit, and Jayson Tatum is getting back to looking like his pre-Achilles injury self. (Last week, 10th)
6. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1)
The week went from bad to worse for the 2025 NBA champions. Three starters (Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace) suffered injuries that’ll sideline them for various periods. And the Thunder lost their first game after opening the season with four straight victories. (Last week, 1st)
7. San Antonio Spurs (3-2)
The Spurs have bounced back from a slow start to the season with three straight wins. Victor Wembanyama is back to playing like the two-way force the Spurs need him to be to build off their 2026 NBA Finals appearance. (Last week, 4th)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (3-1)
The Trail Blazers started off hot, winning their first three games of the season before losing to the Grizzlies. But now, they face an uncertain immediate future with Ja Morant sidelined for at least the next month because of a strained left hamstring. (Last week, 12th)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic smiles during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Oct. 30, 2026. AP Photo/Justine Willard
9. Los Angeles Lakers (4-2)
The Lakers enter the weekend with the taste of their blown 25-point lead during the loss to the Warriors still fresh in their mouths. Luka Doncic (league-leading 36.2 points per game) is having an MVP-caliber start to the season, but this past week exposed some flaws. (Last week, 6th)
10. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2)
The Timberwolves were as hot as any team to start the season, but Anthony Edwards having a procedure on his right knee that could sideline him for a couple of months cooled them off. (Last week, 7th)
11. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)
The Mavericks rattled off three straight wins this past week, and 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg is looking like he’s taken a leap. Flagg is averaging 26.8 points, 6.6 assists, 6 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.2 blocked shots. (Last week, 15th)
12. Toronto Raptors (3-2)
The Raptors only got two games from Kawhi Leonard before swelling in his left knee sidelined the star forward. Scottie Barnes is poised to lead the Raptors while Leonard is out. (Last week, 8th)
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-2)
The Cavaliers’ losses came against teams expected to be in the playoff race. They’re performing at their expected level but need more from James Harden to be a true contender in the East. (Last week, 14th)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry celebrates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, in Denver. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
14. Golden State Warriors (3-3)
Three straight wins over potential playoff teams, including the epic comeback against the Lakers, have the Warriors climbing back up the rankings after a slow start. Steph Curry’s third in the league in scoring (29.2 points). (Last week, 26th)
15. Denver Nuggets (3-2)
You can only play the teams in front of you, but the Nuggets’ victories have come against the lowly Pelicans and a Suns team that came out of the gates slowly. They need Nikola Jokic to get back to his MVP form. (Last week, 11th)
16. Atlanta Hawks (3-3)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is proving that last season’s breakout year wasn’t a fluke as the Hawks ended the week with a victory over the Cavaliers. (Last week, 18th)
17. New York Knicks (2-4)
The defending champions haven’t looked like it, with an 0-3 start turning into a disappointing October. There will be several opportunities to get back on track and stack wins throughout November. (Last week, 3rd)
18. Washington Wizards (3-3)
Anthony Davis (22.3 points, 9.2 rebounds) and Trae Young (20.7 points, 10.2 assists) have led the Wizards to a respectable record and standing throughout the league so far. (Last week, 23rd)
19. Charlotte Hornets (3-3)
It may not be the most efficient brand of basketball, but Brandon Miller is keeping the Hornets afloat as they wait for Coby White and Kon Knueppel to make their season debuts. (Last week, 19th)
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Miami Heat dribbles against the Indiana Pacers during the first quarter of an NBA game in Miami on Oct. 30, 2026. Getty Images
20. Miami Heat (2-4)
Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to stuff the stat sheet (28.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists), and the Heat finally picked up their first wins of the season against the Hawks and Pacers to close out the week ahead of an early West Coast swing. (Last week, 17th)
21. Orlando Magic (2-3)
Road wins over the Knicks and Raptors this past week put the Magic in as good of a spot as possible despite an early-season ankle injury for Paolo Banchero. (Last week, 20th)
22. Indiana Pacers (2-4)
Tyrese Haliburton’s hamstring injury, which is expected to sideline him for two weeks, took the energy out of the start of the season. The Pacers entered the weekend having lost their previous three games. (Last week, 16th)
23. Phoenix Suns (1-3)
The Suns went from a gritty, tough style of play last season to having the league’s worst defense this year. They have to address the less glamorous end of the floor to get back on track. (Last week, 22nd)
24. Los Angeles Clippers (1-4)
The injuries continue to stack up for the Clippers, who signed Blake Wesley on a 10-day hardship deal in light of who they don’t have available. (Last week, 25th)
25. New Orleans Pelicans (1-4)
The Pelicans picked up their first win with their victory over the Kings on Thursday, but they still remain without a clear direction. (Last week, 27th)
26. Utah Jazz (1-4)
Injuries that’ve zapped their frontcourt depth (Jaren Jackson Jr., Jusuf Nurkić) have slowed down what could’ve been a promising start to the season. (Last week, 21st)
27. Chicago Bulls (1-5)
Prioritizing the development of young players typically comes at a cost, even when it’s the right direction for a franchise. The Bulls continue to learn this lesson. (Last week, 24th)
28. Milwaukee Bucks (1-4)
The Bucks are feeling the growing pains after trading Antetokounmpo. (Last week, 30th)
29. New Jersey Nets (0-5)
At least the Nets have been competitive in a couple of their games so far. (Last week, 29th)
30. Sacramento Kings (0-5)
Meanwhile, the Kings are getting blown out regularly. (Last week, 28th)
BOSTON (AP) — Elias Lindholm scored in overtime as the Bruins rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to top the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 and extend Boston’s home winning streak to five games.
Mason Lohrei scored to pull Boston within a goal and Morgan Geekie’s second goal of the season with 12 seconds left in the third period sent the game into overtime.
Ryan Greene and Connor Bedard scored in the third period as the Chicago Blackhawks took a 4-2 lead. Anton Frondell had his second career two-goal game for Chicago.
The Blackhawks came into the game with the worst power play in the NHL, converting on 4 of 40 opportunities and were 0 for 11 on the power play on the road. However, it took Frondell just 11 seconds to give Chicago the lead after Will Borgen was whistled for a delay-of-game penalty.
Goaltender Michael DiPietro kept Boston in the game with key saves as the Bruins were outshot 28-13 in the first two periods. He stopped a Bedard shot from the slot with 2:09 left in the first period. Geekie, who hasn’t scored in his previous nine games, hit a shot off the post late in the first period.
David Pastrnak scored on a breakaway in the first period for his 428th career goal, passing Patrice Bergeron and moving into sole possession of third place on the Bruins’ career goal-scoring list. Casey Mittelstadt and Mason Lohrei also scored for the Bruins.
OILERS 4, ISLANDERS 0
NEW YORK (AP) — Connor McDavid extended his NHL-record season-opening assist streak to 14 games by setting up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ second goal, and Edmonton opened their road trip by beating New York.
Nugent-Hopkins scored on a power play in the third period to give McDavid his league-best 29th assist. McDavid has a big lead in points with 37 and is on pace for more than 200.
Longtime running mate Leon Draisaitl recorded a pair of assists, including a perfect skate-to-stick exchange that led to Vasily Podkolzin putting the puck into a wide open net. Ilya Sorokin similarly had little chance on Nugent-Hopkins’ shot from point-blank range off a feed from Kasperi Kapanen 68 seconds earlier.
Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry stopped all 18 shots he faced for a second consecutive shutout, and Jason Dickinson scored into an empty net to seal the victory. The Oilers have won 10 of their first 14 games this season, their first with Mike Babcock as coach.
Despite 20 saves from Sorokin, the Islanders’ winning streak ended at two games, with top defenseman Matthew Schaefer getting whistled for two of the team’s five minor penalties. Forward Emil Heineman was ejected less than 2 1/2 minutes in for a knee-on-knee hit that injured Isaac Howard, who put no weight on his left leg as he was helped off the ice and did not return.
PREDATORS 5, LIGHTNING 4, SO
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored the tying goal in regulation and the only goal of the shootout to lead Nashville to a victory over Tampa Bay.
Reid Schaefer, Adam Edstrom and Jayden Struble also scored and Justus Annunen made 22 saves in regulation and overtime for the Predators, who had lost two straight. Filip Forsberg and Nick Perbix each had a pair of assists.
Just one day after reportedly asking to be traded, Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov had three assists. John Carlson had a goal and an assist, Jake Guentzel, Victor Hedman and Conor Geekie also scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves for the Lightning, losers of three of four.
Nashville had lost their first five games that had extended past regulation this season before Saturday.
Stamkos, the former Lightning captain, made it 4-4 with a power-play goal at 7:27 of the third.
It was the 246th power-play goal of Stamkos’ career, tying him with Phil Esposito for sixth in NHL history.
BLUES 5, RED WINGS 4
DETROIT (AP) — Aleksanteri Kaskimaki scored his first career NHL goal to cap St. Louis' rally from a two-goal, third-period deficit in a victory over Detroit.
Kaskimaki tapped in an Alexey Toropchenko pass with 6:45 remaining to complete the comeback after Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Barron scored earlier in the period. The 22-year-old from Finland was playing in his 11th NHL game.
Jimmy Snuggerud scored his team-high eighth goal and Dalibor Dvorsky added the Blues’ other goal. Joel Hofer made 24 saves in the opener of St. Louis’ four-game road trip.
Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist to lead the Red Wings. J.T. Compher and Keegan Kolesar scored the first goals of the season for Detroit. Kolesar’s goal was his first point in 14 games since he was acquired from Vegas in an offseason trade.
Emmitt Finnie added a power-play goal for the Red Wings, while John Gibson made 10 saves.
SABRES 3, KINGS 2
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tage Thompson scored twice, including the go-ahead goal with 6:20 remaining, and Buffalo beat Los Angeles to extend their road point streak to seven games.
Jack Quinn had a goal and an assist, Zach Benson and Rasmus Dahlin each had two assists, and the Sabres won their third straight overall. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves.
Corey Perry had a power-play goal, Andre Lee also scored and Anton Forsberg stopped 28 shots for the Kings.
Thompson put the Sabres back in front on a one-timer off a pass from Quinn on a power play at 13:40 of the third period. Buffalo had controlled long stretches of the game before allowing the Kings to get back into it by taking some unnecessary penalties.
Buffalo controlled the first period but only led 1-0 on Quinn’s eighth goal when he scored on a power play at 6:35.
Even with Los Angeles gaining momentum in the second half of the second period, the Sabres made it 2-0 on Thompson’s ninth with 4:22 left.
SENATORS 5, SHARKS 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Tim Stützle and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist and Ottawa defeated San Jose.
The Senators snapped a two-game skid and matched the franchise record for October victories with their ninth, equaling the mark set in 2007-08. Ottawa lost the first two games of a five-game trip that continues in Anaheim on Sunday.
Drake Batherson, Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto also scored for Ottawa, while Samuel Ersson made 21 saves.
Michael Misa scored the lone goal for the Sharks and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 30 shots.
Ottawa broke open a 1-1 game with three second-period goals. Batherson put the Senators ahead at 5:04 before Stützle and Greig scored 1:23 apart midway through the stanza.
Cozens opened the scoring at 13:25 of the first period, and Misa tied it at 16:06 with his third goal of the season.
Mexico’s Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez reclaimed the WBC super-middleweight title with a unanimous-decision victory over the previously unbeaten Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on Saturday night.
The fight went ahead at Kingdom Arena despite a week of heightened security concerns in the Saudi capital, where the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted missiles and drones launched by Iran-aligned Houthi forces. Several events in the kingdom were cancelled or postponed, including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Tim Stützle and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist and the Ottawa Senators defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-1 on Saturday.
The Senators snapped a two-game skid and matched the franchise record for October victories with their ninth, equaling the mark set in 2007-08. Ottawa lost the first two games of a five-game trip that continues in Anaheim on Sunday.
Drake Batherson, Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto also scored for Ottawa, while Samuel Ersson made 21 saves.
Michael Misa scored the lone goal for the Sharks and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 30 shots.
Ottawa broke open a 1-1 game with three second-period goals. Batherson put the Senators ahead at 5:04 before Stützle and Greig scored 1:23 apart midway through the stanza.
Cozens opened the scoring at 13:25 of the first period, and Misa tied it at 16:06 with his third goal of the season.
Stützle finished October with nine goals and 12 assists, extending his franchise record for points in the month to 21. He finished one goal shy of Bob Kudelski’s team October record, established in 1993.
Batherson extended his point streak to seven games, scoring his ninth goal of the season. Cozens scored for the third time in two games after scoring twice in Thursday’s 6-5 overtime loss at Los Angeles.
Ersson earned his first victory of the season after entering 0-3-1. Ottawa has been without injured goaltender Linus Ullmark.
The Senators improved to 9-5-1 and split the two-game season series after losing 6-2 at home on Oct. 22.
San Jose fell to 7-7-1 and lost for the third time in four games.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 30: Jalen Smith #25 of the Chicago Bulls and Mitchell Robinson #4 of the Boston Celtics battle for position during a free throw in the second half at the TD Garden on October 30, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BOSTON — Mitchell Robinson is on the injury report ahead of the Celtics’ Sunday afternoon game against the Orlando Magic. Robinson, who hasn’t missed a game this season, is listed as questionable with rest. Outside of Robinson, the only other Celtic on the injury report is Devin Carter, who continues to recover from illness but has rejoined the team.
Injury Report for tomorrow vs. Orlando:
Devin Carter – Illness – OUT Mitchell Robinson – Rest – QUESTIONABLE
The Celtics are on the front end of a back-to-back, so Robinson could miss Sunday’s game but lace up on Monday against the Houston Rockets. When the Celtics had their first back-to-back of the season — a Monday game against the Chicago Bulls and a Tuesday game against the Brooklyn Nets — everyone played in both games, though Joe Mazzulla noted that might not always be the case.
“It just depends,” he said. “We trust the sports science team that we have; we trust the competition of those guys. At the same time, our locker room has built on 1-15, 16, or 17 being able to impact winning. It’s just a combination of all those things. At the end of the day, we have to do what gives us the best chance to win. At the same time, keep those guys healthy and validate the whole locker room by putting guys in situations where they gotta win games for us.”
Mitchell Robinson has had a slow start to the Celtics season
So far this season, Robinson has averaged 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. He’s started all five games for the Celtics, but has played as many minutes as Neemias Queta, the team’s backup center. But Robinson’s rebounding is substantially down from last season, when he averaged 8.8 rebounds in similar minutes. In Robinson’s minutes so far, the team has been outscored by 26 points. Conversely, in Queta’s minutes, the Celtics have outscored opponents by 52 points, the second-best mark on the team.
Robinson was hard on himself after the season opener, a loss to the Detroit Pistons.
“I played like ass,” he said.
And though his play has improved from that opening game, he’s yet to have quite the impact he had on the New York Knicks. Whether he continues to acclimate and improve his play remains to be seen.
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 31: General manager Mike Hazen of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on prior to Game 4 of the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The past couple of seasons have not gone as planned for the Arizona Diamondbacks finishing just outside of the playoff picture every season since their magical 2023 World Series run. What we all hoped would be the makings of a powerhouse turned out to be more of a team that struggled to turn a corner from a middling 3rd wild card type to a 90+ win a season powerhouse. Going into the 2026-2027 offseason it is perhaps time for this team to receive a bit of a change of identity if the goal is to turn a corner. That being said, owner Ken Kendrick has already gone on record saying that the payroll is likely to come down from the record highs of 2026. So the question is, does this team have a realistic path to finally turning a corner?
For this plan, I chose 85 projected wins as the benchmark. The 2027 projections I used in this article for the 2027 roster are projections from a Marcel-style WAR model (method by Tom Tango), built on FanGraphs WAR, as of Oct 31, 2026. This is due to the mainstream projections for 2027 not being out just yet. As currently constructed, with no additions, the 2027 D-backs project for about 80 wins (79.9; preseason projections carry roughly ±8 wins of uncertainty). The 85 number comes from me running many many offseason scenarios, and 85 was about the ceiling I could get the projections to with this team with realistic financial resources and realistic trade values. Those I will be outlining in the next section.
The Resources
To help answer that question, I think a good place to start is what resources does this team realistically have going into the offseason. On October 3rd, Jack Sommers did a phenomenal job outlining what the Dbacks financial situation likely looks like heading into the offseason with roughly 162.8M already committed. I suggest you read that article to get the full breakdown of what all that number entails. The 2026 baseline was 192.8M LRD or about 30 million more than what they currently have pledged. It is also likely the team non-tenders Pavin Smith which could save an additional 2 million as well as trimming some money around arbitration contracts, however for the purposes of this article, lets be optimistic and assume Kendrick meant what he said and this team has about 25M to spend this offseason or a small reduction in payroll at just a 2.6% drop.
In addition to money, lets look at what the Dbacks realistically have available to trade:
I will be the first to acknowledge that these trade values are a bit hand wavy as it is really impossible to know how everyone in this organization is valued. However, I attempted a methodology that included future production projections as well as contract and years of control while sprinkling in some prospect status using MLB Pipeline FV. This list is far from perfect, but it passed some of the initial smell tests so I’m going to go with it.
So how much trade value do they realistically have? For some context here, I applied the same methodology to a list of front line starters and this is what I got:
What I gathered from this? The Dbacks are going to have a really hard time acquiring impact front line starting pitching via trade given the resources they have. All four premium chips together (Lawlar, Waldschmidt, Bratt, Fernandez) come to about $45–78M at market.
Next lets try the same table but for left handed impact bats:
So a Pasquantino-level bat (10–18): one premium chip, or two secondary pieces. That’s something like a Troy + Dix package, or maybe a Drake + Groover package. Not really great either especially considering the years of control you would be trading away for a pretty 1 dimensional type player. Do you trade Troy + Morillo for a platoon bat like Colt Kieth or a 28 year old who strikes out at a 30% clip in Kyle Stowers?
So does the trade market really make sense to go out and try and acquire the impact level talent (2-3WAR players) this team needs? Probably not as much as you would think.
How to Get to 85+ Wins?
This is where things really get interesting. In almost every scenario I modeled to get this team to 85+ wins, it involved roughly the same strategy. Essentially completely overhaul the starting rotation. The starting rotation as currently constructed is the teams Achilles heal. The D-backs’ rotation as currently constructed projects in the bottom third of MLB (about 21st-23rd measured by the author’s model), with Merrill Kelly projected at under 1 WAR per 180 innings and Corbin Burnes’s projection limited by his return from Tommy John surgery.
The rotation is the largest weakness on the current roster: it projects about 21st of 28 clubs and roughly 1.7 WAR below an average rotation, across some 870 innings. First base projects even lower relative to the league, but it’s one lineup spot; the rotation’s gap is bigger in total wins and cheaper to close. That’s why most paths to 85 wins start there, with a first-base/left-handed bat and a bullpen floor as the secondary priorities.
Another common theme, was trading away Ketel Marte in order to free up capital. According to my best estimates, trading away Ketel Marte saves this team about 13.75M of LRD payroll flexibility in 2027.
The Moves
Path A: Two free-agent starters + 4 trades (85.3 wins at ~$187.3M)
This exercise is limited by my ability to accurately value the players trade value, however I gave it my best effort. Ultimately that value is going to vary from team to team at how they value them based off of their own methods and data that I don’t have access to. One of the biggest variables I found while doing this was what the value of Ketel Marte was going to be. To do that I really focused on the teams that I thought had the biggest need and would be willing to take on the extra baggage he brings along with the most surplus of starting pitching.
The other thing that was interesting to me was all roads apparently go through Trevor Rogers! My models really like him from a starting pitcher projected wins added per dollar amount rate. You could certainly argue for swapping Rogers for Soroka especially because it has been reported Soroka has interest in returning, however my projections only project about 1.8 WAR for Soroka compared to 2.9 WAR for Trevor Rogers even though Rogers also has some durability concerns.
On the offensive side, guys like Colt Keith and Lawrence Butler may not be the names people were hoping for. However Colt Keith I believe could be had given 2nd base being a real weakness in Detroit that Tommy Troy could fill and Keith’s production against righties has been pretty steady .336 regressed xwOBA vs RHP, 77th percentile, steady from 2024–26. 3B is also freed up if Nolan Arenado really is willing to move to first, however Keith is not as good of a 3rd basemen compared to Arenado. Although Keith has played some 1B. My models also really likes Butler in that he is left handed and has been steady against righties xwOBA .347 / .320 / .339 (2024–26) with top end bat speed and exit velocity. He would mostly DH vs righties.
At the end of the day, it is impossible to know the direction the Dbacks will go. Recently there was some reporting the team had interest in young controllable starting pitching, but that is certainly different than tearing this rotation apart. Also the shear volume of trades make both of these scenarios unlikely given how hard it is to make trades and the condensed offseason due to the lockout.
For me, I like both of these scenarios because I was able to keep the big 3 of the bullpen intact while also staying within the financial constraints of the team, while also avoiding completely gutting the farm although it does take a hit. What do you guys think?
