College basketball might take the spotlight in March, but the idea that NBA teams aren’t playing hard in the run up to the playoffs has always been a fallacy. Look no further than the Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz game on Monday night. The Jazz are playing out the string in another lost season, and their main objective at this point is to protect their draft pick. The Nuggets have been hit with the injury bug all year, but they’re still fighting for seeding in the Western Conference. What could have been an afterthought matchup turned into a super hard-fought, dramatic finish that also included a controversial play from the game’s best player.
The Nuggets beat the Jazz, 128-125. The most memorable moment of the game happened in the first quarter, when Utah guard Keyonte George tried to box out Nikola Jokic for a rebound, and ended up having the NBA’s heaviest player resting entirely on his back.
George is listed at 185 pounds. Jokic is listed at 284 pounds, with only Zach Edey and Jusuf Nurkic (who are both out for the season with injury) listed heavier. Watch Jokic and George fight for the rebound here.
This is a dangerous play. Jokic is a joy to watch, but the stress of this season is clearly getting to him. Jokic is sick of teams taking cheap shots against him, and we all saw how he reacted to Lu Dort’s dirty play against the Thunder last week.
To me, this is a clean box out by George. He’s keeping Jokic away from the rebound exactly how you’re taught: get low, stick your butt into the offensive player’s mid-section, and control the leverage game as you wait for the rebound. Jokic falling on his back is not the right way to handle this, and it could have resulted in injury.
George looked just fine on the night, scoring 15 of his team-high 36 points in the fourth quarter. George almost out-dueled Jokic and Jamal Murray (who dropped 45 points in the win), but the Nuggets are just too good. Maybe next year, Utah.
In fairness to Jokic, he gets hit harder than anyone in part because he’s bigger than everyone. The Thunder played extremely physical defense on Jokic in last year’s playoffs led by Alex Caruso defending him in Game 7. Caruso was giving up so much size in that matchup that he essentially fouled Jokic every time down the floor and dared the refs to call it. They’re only going to call it so many times.
The 2026 playoffs are going to be so good, but let’s make sure it’s a safe, fair game for everyone.
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 26: Christian Little #99 of the LSU Tigers high-fives fans to celebrate after winning the Division I Mens Baseball Championship against the Florida Gators held at Charles Schwab Field on June 26, 2023 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
By our means of ranking prospects here on the site, RHP Christian Little is largely de facto roof of a tier of M’s prospects. Very little separated Little, Tyler Cleveland, Alex Hoppe, Jared Sundstrom, Mason Peters, and Charlie Beilenson, while Thursday’s prospect will have as much separation from Little as he from Beilenson at 19th. We’re unsure about this cohort, but there’s something there. What that something might be might be strongest in Little, a 6’4 former top prep prospect on a several-year hunt for consistency.
Little is a prospect archetype well-represented in some systems but scarcely in Seattle’s. The high-upside pitcher with a long lead line to work out his starting chops isn’t inherently a high-probability player to become a big league contributor, but Seattle’s recent success with fast-moving hurlers isn’t the only way. Like the majority of the pitchers outlined in this series thus far, Little has at least one plus pitch – in his case a fastball that ranges 93-95 usually with excellent bat-missing ride – and enough question marks to muddy his route up-farm.
The 6’4 22 year old has usually missed bats, and did that very thing in his first pro season, coming from LSU after a transfer from Vanderbilt to sign with Seattle for $200k in the 11th round of 2024. Little has come a long, long way since campus mechanically, where you can see a variety of jerky, high-effort motions that contributed to eye-popping walk rates in college, ultimately driving him down from a potential top-100 pick out of the bonus rounds.
By contrast, a year or two later, you can see a smoother, more controlled delivery from Little that also features a breaking ball more focused on sweep as his primary off-speed.
Christian Little was awesome today. Final line: 3.2IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 6K, 57-38. pic.twitter.com/MxXehQOyBR
Little finished out his college career as a reliever for the Tigers, but he started in Low-A Modesto, earning a late-season promotion to High-A Everett after an excellent second-half carried by those improved mechanics and recovery from a bone spur that was noted for a dip in stuff in late June that cost him the month of July. The young man from St. Louis, MO mixes in a changeup and more 12-6 breaking ball as well still, offering four distinct planes of movement and a sinker that can at times have vicious late bite. He’s adjusted his hands pre-pitch to cue himself into consistency.
The strength of Seattle’s system has been its ability to convert their top picks into impact talent, along with a few huge hits on arms later in the top 10 rounds. But Little, who was a top-notch prep prospect and a member of Team USA’s 15U roster, is the type of player we’ve rarely seen converted into a big leaguer here in Seattle. The depth behind Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan (spoilers) quickly has question marks, and Little is fraught with them. His command remains a work in progress, and unless 1-2 of his off-speed pitches continue building consistency, he’ll struggle to retire more talented bats. But a SEC bat-misser with the build and coachability to make adjustments is the sort of player who can find his upper realms of promise, which would be another member of the M’s rotation depth in the next couple seasons. Nothing little about that.
For almost a decade now, I have been following the baseball journey of Ronny Mauricio. I remember seeing Mauricio for the first time down at Segra Park in Columbia, South Carolina back in 2019 and immediately understood what all the hype and fuss was about; his skinny, athletic frame oozed potential, and the sound of the ball off his bat just sounded different. Fast forward a few years later, and I was one of Mauricio’s biggest skeptics, going very much against the grain along with the rest of the Amazin’ Avenue prospect team following a successful season in Triple-A as a 22-year-old. What happened? In short, the Ronny Mauricio of 2021 showed up in 2022 and 2023; as Lukas succinctly put it, he showed us that he is who we thought he was.
At some point during the 2023 season, likely during one of his many Minor League Player of the Week wins, I began looking at his numbers and saw some really problematic stuff. Obviously, we knew surface-level stuff, like that he struck out a bit more than we’d all like and didn’t walk as much as we’d want him to, but his time in Triple-A Syracuse gave us all kinds of Statcast tidbits that we didn’t have access to until then. He didn’t walk a lot, swung a lot, and posted an extremely low SEAGER score; he swung at more pitches both inside and out of the zone than average, and made less contact inside and outside the zone than average; he had a lot of difficulty against off-speed pitches and even more against breaking balls, curveballs in particular; his ground ball-to-fly ball ratio was extremely poor and his fly ball rate exacerbated even more by the high number of infield fly balls; he was exhibiting some noteworthy platoon splits. None of which meant necessarily that Mauricio was cooked as a prospect and that any kind of major league future was doomed, but there were numerous red flags under his surface-level stats. What gave me a lot of concern was less that those red flags existed, but rather, that nowhere over the course of his career did we see Ronny improving in any meaningful way on those flaws.
Mauricio came on extremely strong in his MLB debut at the end of 2023, but crashed back down to earth following that hot streak. Likewise, after missing all of 2024 due to a torn ACL, he started the 2025 season in Syracuse and put up excellent numbers, but once again hit a wall when he was called up the majors. Both seasons, those problematic red flags became more than just problematic, limiting his value at the plate.
Where the 25-year-old begins the season is most likely dependent on factors beyond his control. Francisco Lindor’s surgery to correct a hamate injury may or may not cost the All-Star some time at the beginning of the season. If he is unable to start the year on the active roster, Mauricio is one of a handful of shortstop options the Mets have to fill-in for the injured Lindor, perhaps the most appealing, as he is a young, homegrown player that has more potential upside than the Jackson Cluffs, Vidal Brujans, Christian Arroyos, and Grae Kessingers of the baseball world. If Lindor is fully healthy and ready to go when the season begins, it will likely be in Mauricio’s best interest to begin the year in Triple-A, so that he can get regular at-bats. At the same time, his bat from the left-side would be useful off the Mets’ bench, as he posted a .265/.336/.447 in 132 at-bats, good for a 121 wRC+. On one hand, being used irregularly in certain situations might not be the best use for Mauricio’s development as a baseball player. But then again, Mauricio has long showed us that this is who he is, so perhaps why not?
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 26: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on from the outfield prior to the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Thursday, February 26, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Annalee Ramirez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Scottsdale, Ariz. — Nolan Arenado was drafted by the Colorado Rockies second round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut on April 28, 2013, and the rest is history.
He spent eight years with the Rockies and enjoyed many highs – including eight Gold Gloves, four Platinum Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, five All-Star appearances, two playoff runs, and numerous jaw-dropping offensive and defensive spectacles – and plenty of lows. After an ugly public feud with the Rockies front office in 2020, Arenado was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on February 1, 2021 – less than two years after signing a record eight-year, $260 million contract extension.
Arenado played five years in St. Louis, and still enjoyed plenty of highs and lows. He won two more Gold Gloves, one more Silver Slugger, made three more All-Star appearances, went to two more playoffs, and continued to make jaw-dropping offensive and defensive plays. But after a down year in 2025 – both for the Cardinals and for Arenado – he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, marking his return to the NL West.
“I’m really excited about [returning to the NL West],” he said. “Obviously, I know the division well, but there’s a lot of new players and new pitchers and stuff. And obviously I know the ballparks really well. I grew up in this division, so it should be fairly easy getting adjusted to it.”
And, in true Arenado fashion, he has high expectations for his new team and his new season.
“I think this team is really good,” he said. “This offense is a Top-10 offense without me, but I think I could really help it. I’m trying to make some adjustments that I feel can really help me play the way I know I can. I always keep those goals to myself, but I do have hefty goals and I don’t think I’m ever going to change that.”
However, he does have some fond memories of his time in Colorado.
“Obviously, I think the group of players that I was with – starting off with Todd [Helton] and [Troy Tulowitzki] and [Dustin] Morneau and some of those guys – were awesome,” he said.
“And then playing with [Carlos González], [Trevor] Story, Charlie [Blackmon] and DJ [LeMahieu]. I see the players now, and I’m like ‘Man, I have no idea who any of these players are.’
“And so just thinking about the past with those players, it was a really special group,” he continued. “The more I look back on it… it’s funny, everywhere I go, even the Diamondbacks now, they’re like, ‘Man, that team you guys had was unbelievable. It was so hard to pitch to. It was a pain to face you guys.’ And now when I look back on it, it was probably one of the better offenses I’ve ever played on.”
Even though that was nearly a decade ago, he still keeps in touch with many of his teammates, including Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela, whom he played with from 2017-2021.
“When I see ‘Free,’ I always say hi. Same with ‘Senza,’” he said. “Those guys mean a lot to me. They were young when they came through, and they did such a great job pitching when I was there. I want healthy success for them. But I talk to Charlie all the time. I talk with DJ probably every day. Story, too. We still trash talk.”
And not only does he still have connections with some players, but he and new Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer also go way back.
“I played with him in Double-A,” Arenado said. “I was young at the time. I was a pain in the butt at that time. But we got along great because he loved that I worked. And he was a big worker, too. He took ground balls everyday. And the one thing about Schaeff – there were times where he wasn’t starting in those games, but he was still working every day and never complained. He showed up to work.”
Schaeffer also looked back fondly on their time together with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers.
“I remember just enjoying watching him play,” Schaeffer said. “I mean, he was the young kid coming up; I was, at that time, the old guy that sat on the bench, and he played one of my positions.
“I always thought he was the best practicer, and I loved it,” Schaeffer continued. “He was the first guy I ever saw other than myself show up like that — and do it almost more than me — and that’s why he’s so great. He had that mixed with talent and that’s why he’s a future Hall of Famer. He’s unbelievable. He’s probably my favorite baseball player that I’ve ever seen.”
Arenado is entering what could be the final stages of his career, and has been in the conversation for the Hall of Fame since his early years in Colorado.
But he’s not focused on that quite yet.
“Being in the conversation is great, but I don’t even think about those things,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got a whole season ahead of me here [in Arizona]. I’ve got to go out there and play well – I have high expectations for this team, and I have high expectations for myself, and we’ll cross that bridge when we need to.”
But what’s a Nolan Arenado profile without some defensive gems?
I asked him to name his favorite plays, and here they are:
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: James Tibbs III #98 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready in the batters box against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Stadium on February 22, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The last few days have seen a handful of Dodgers outfield prospects make an impact in spring training games.
Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope have been active all 10 days of Cactus League games this spring, with each one playing in nine games so far this spring. De Paula has seven hits in 17 at-bats with a double and four walks. Hope is 5-for-15 with two doubles and three walks, plus a few nice catches in left field.
Eduardo Quintero is the youngest of the group, entering his age-20 season, and just reached High-A Great Lakes for the last six weeks of 2025. That puts him behind the others in terms of reaching the majors, even if he might have the highest ceiling of the group.
Sirota turns 23 in June, but High-A is his highest level as well, having played only 35 games with the Loons before the injury, just three games fewer than Quintero, two years his junior. Sirota was a first-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2024 before getting sent to the Dodgers in the Gavin Lux trade. He didn’t play professionally with the Reds in 2024 and only played 59 games last year before getting hurt.
With extensive time in Double-A already, it wouldn’t be a surprise if both Tibbs and Ehrhard start the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, or at the very least should play there way up there soon enough.
Dodgers outfield prospects & highest levels to date
Ehrhard, age 23 in 2026, 92 games in Double-A
Tibbs, age 23, 66 games in Double-A
Hope, age 21, 6 games in Double-A
De Paula, age 21, 4 games in Double-A
Sirota, age 23, 35 games in High-A
Quintero, age 20, 38 games in High-A
Today’s question is which of these Dodgers outfield prospects will play in the majors first?
On this day 31 years ago began a “replacement player” era of White Sox baseball. | Chicago Tribune
1995 Spring Training got underway with a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals, in 10 innings. But there was something different about this opener. Perhaps it was the fact it was a game played with scabs “replacement players,” on both sides.
With a lockout in full force after a failed offseason of labor negotiations, the major news of the day being Michael Jordan leaving White Sox camp after being told he would have to cross the picket line in order to continue his quest to play for the White Sox one day. On the field, ex-MLBer Oil Can Boyd started the game, backed mostly by a host of unknowns, in front of 1,504 fans.
1998 It’s a belated but banner day for White Sox icons, as Larry Doby and George Davis are among four players selected for Hall of Fame enshrinement by the Veterans Committee.
Doby was better known for his play in Cleveland and the Newark Eagles, but provided 6.7 WAR in just 280 games for the White Sox over three seasons toward the end of his career. On the whole, Doby very broadly provided similar value as his career contemporary in the AL and Negro Leagues, Minnie Miñoso.
As a favorite of White Sox (and Cleveland) owner Bill Veeck, Doby also made history in 1978, when Veeck elevated the coach from staff to manager, replacing Bob Lemon at midseason. Doby became just the second Black manager in MLB history.
In a coincidence of timing, Doby’s honor came 39 years to the day he was traded from Cleveland to Detroit for Tito Francona. Later that season, Doby was flipped to the White Sox for the second time, and finished out his MLB playing days on the AL pennant-winners.
Davis was an even better player than Doby, starring in the 1890s-1900s as a shortstop for the New York Giants and White Sox. His 84.5 WAR qualifies him as 53rd-best player in baseball history, and the fifth-best shortstop. With the White Sox, Davis put up 33.1 WAR in just seven seasons, placing him ninth all-time among club hitters and the third-best shortstop. Before he moved to Chicago to play full-time, “Gorgeous George” was the subject of an intense fight between the White Sox and Giants, as Davis bolted New York in 1902 to sign with the upstart league at double the salary — then had misgivings and tried to return to the Giants.
Davis, by then 35 and a legend, was a platoon shortstop on Chicago’s first World Series winner, with an OPS of .846 and six RBIs in just three contests in 1906.
And also on this day, former White Sox and Cubs broadcaster Jack Brickhouse underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. The tumor was discovered when Brickhouse was getting dressed to attend colleague Harry Caray’s funeral. Brickhouse would die five months later.
Big contract numbers do not shock baseball fans the way they once did.
A decade ago, a $300 million deal felt seismic. Today, Steve Cohen’s Mets have shown what happens when new money enters the sport, and the Dodgers have demonstrated how aggressive spending and deferred structures can be used as part of a fully operational Death Star. The financial ceiling keeps moving, labor issues loom, and what once felt extreme now feels routine.
That shifting reality brings us to Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Recently, Chisholm publicly stated he would seek a contract in the range of eight to ten years at roughly $35 million annually. The reactions ranged from jokes about Dr. Evil asking for $100 million to fans ready to print the contract themselves. Before debating years, injury history, or total value, the real question is more straightforward:
Would you want the Yankees to sign that deal today?
To answer that, we start with what Jazz has actually been since arriving in New York.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. in Pinstripes
Projecting Jazz based on his Miami seasons misses the point. The Yankees are evaluating a different version of the player than the one who left South Florida Since arriving in New York, Chisholm has produced at roughly a four-win pace over a full season while combining power, speed, and defensive versatility rarely found in a single roster spot.
Using a prorated 140-game pace based only on his statistics with the Yankees:
Player
OBP
OPS
HR
SB
fWAR
Chisholm
.330
.813
33
39
4.5
The context matters as much as the numbers.
Much of this production occurred while Jazz learned a brand-new defensive position at the MLB level, as the Yankees asked him to try third base for most late 2024 and early 2025 as they accomodated Gleyber Torres and (more questionably) DJ LeMahieu. The defensive results have varied across the diamond, but he has demonstrated he is a natural second baseman capable of handling multiple positions because of elite athleticism. Importantly, the offensive production remained stable throughout those adjustments and under the bright New York City lights.
In other words, the Yankees are evaluating a player who already produces like a long-term core piece. Across roughly a season and a third in pinstripes, Jazz has:
learned a new position
been an elite basestealer
produced the fourth-ever 30/30 season for the Yankees
That profile places him squarely as a modern long-term extension candidate.
The next question is: Does Jazz’s production match his asking price?
The Yankees’ Current Price: Cody Bellinger
The Yankees themselves recently gave us the clearest comparison point.
Cody Bellinger signed a five-year, $162.5 million contract this winter, carrying a $32.5 million annual average value (AAV) along with full no-trade protection and opt-outs.
Here is Bellinger’s most recent season compared directly with Jazz’s:
Player
Games
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
fWAR
Bellinger
152
.272
.334
.480
.813
29
13
5.1
Chisholm
130
.242
.332
.481
.813
31
31
4.2
The offensive production is nearly identical. Bellinger’s value leaned on durability and defensive stability, but the comparison establishes an important baseline, as the Yankees are already paying near Jazz’s asking price for similar recent production.
Jazz’s request does not introduce a new salary tier. It slides smoothly inside the one the Yankees themselves just validated.
The Current Market Rate: Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman provides league-wide context.
Here’s what the former Astro did with the Red Sox last year before cashing in on his new five-year deal with the Cubs:
Player
Games
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
fWAR
Bregman
114
.273
.360
.462
.821
18
1
3.5
Chisholm
130
.242
.332
.481
.813
31
31
4.2
His contract sits at $35 million annually, the exact annual value Chisholm referenced publicly.
Bregman represents the modern All-Star contract tier: highly productive players who are not necessarily generational superstars but serve as key foundational pieces for contenders.
Jazz’s ask lands directly within that band.
The Long-Term Blueprint: Francisco Lindor
The season and winter before the 2022 campaign reshaped long-term contracts and provides the clearest structural precedent for long-term deals signed around the last labor uncertainty cycle. The Mets were proactive and inked the Francisco Lindor deal in April after trading for him that offseason. At the time, with all record-setting contracts, reactions were mixed. Lindor was respected as elite, as he was hitting over 30 home runs and stealing over 20 bases a year with Cleveland before the COVID season. Additionally, he was a switch-hitting shortstop who was entering his prime but not universally viewed as a generational superstar.
Signed during his age-27 season, Lindor came to terms on a 10-year, $341 million deal, good for a $34.1 million AAV. This is what Lindor did last year, just before turning 32 in November.
Player
Games
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
fWAR
Lindor
160
.267
.346
.466
.811
31
31
5.9
Chisholm
130
.242
.332
.481
.813
31
31
4.2
Adjusted to today’s economic environment, Lindor’s deal equates to roughly $37.9 million annually over its remaining years.
Today, contracts like this feel normal. That evolution is the point.
The Real Questions
Strip away hindsight for a moment and put yourself in the front office chair:
• Using Cody Bellinger’s contract as the blueprint, would you pay Jazz a similar AAV plus inflation for three additional years?
• If the Astros could go back three years, would they sign Bregman to an eight-year, $264 million commitment?
• Would you have signed Lindor to his exact contract at the time, or at its inflation-adjusted value today for the remaining years?
• If you could sign your second baseman to an extension and remind the crosstown hedge fund manager that your second baseman statistically produces comparable value at a lower price point than his star shortstop, would you?
Bringing It Back to Jazz
Jazz publicly stating the high end of his range is simply sound negotiation. Players anchor high. Teams negotiate downward.
He also likely understands his place within the Yankees’ hierarchy. The organization will never value him the way it values Aaron Judge, and it should not. But the club should value him as it does Belli. Every era needs multiple complementary pieces, and sometimes the second or third name on the marquee matters just as much as the star attraction.
If the Yankees believe the version of Jazz Chisholm Jr. they have seen in pinstripes is real, waiting may only increase the cost. Players in their prime rarely become cheaper.
Another strong season, a rising market, or even a potential future labor standoff could push contracts into another inflationary cycle. Instead of gambling on what this season might bring, the Yankees could choose stability now. Extending Jazz during spring training would not be about projecting superstardom at this price point. He may not be willing to consider it so close to free agency in an otherwise-light class for hitters at this point. But if possible, it would be a safe play to secure known production alongside Aaron Judge and locking in a core piece during the competitive window already in place.
Washington Wizards player Trae Young, center, watches from the bench during a game against the Houston Rockets on March 2 at Capital One Arena. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
The four-time All Star has, however, already been ejected from a game as a member of the team.
That happened Monday night, three days before Young's expected debut for the team that acquired him in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 7. He has not played in an NBA game since Dec. 27 because of knee and quadriceps injuries.
Earlier on Monday, Young posted a video on Instagram that showed him in Wizards gear and ended with "3/5" on the screen, indicating the date Washington hosts the Utah Jazz later this week. Before his team's game against the Houston Rockets on Monday night, Wizards coach Brian Keefe said Young was trending toward being able to play in the Utah game.
Still, Young was in street clothes and watching the Rockets-Wizards game on the bench at Capital One Arena. During the third quarter, Houston’s Tari Eason shoved Washington’s Jamir Watkins to the floor, an incident that did not draw a whistle from the referees.
A few seconds later, after a foul was called on Eason for a different incident involving Watkins, Young stepped onto the court while yelling at referee Jacyn Goble apparently over the previous no-call against Eason. Goble called a technical foul on Young, then spoke with crew chief Tony Brothers and umpire Marat Kogut.
Brothers then announced that the technical foul had been called on Young for running onto the court and that Young had been ejected from the game. Eason also was ejected.
Young gave high fives to fans as he left toward the locker room. He did not speak to reporters after the Wizards' 123-118 loss but joked about his ejection on X.
"Don’t expect me to get ejected too many more times D.C.," Young wrote, adding a crying-with-laughter emoji, "but I’m definitely bringing that energy & competitiveness when I’m back for my brothers!"
After the game, Keefe praised Young for having his fellow player's back.
“I think he was just sticking up for his teammates, which I thought was great," Keefe told reporters. "Obviously, the refs missed a call in which our guy got knocked down, and I loved how our teammates stuck with him. So, whatever happened in that moment, I was actually proud of him because he stuck up for his teammates and I really care about that type of stuff.”
Keefe added that it's an example of the type of engagement Young has shown since he's joined the team.
“It’s nothing that he’s not been doing the whole time since he’s been here," Keefe said. "He’s talking to everybody in every timeout. He sees so much. He has so much stuff to share. He’s completely engaged in the whole game. So I am not surprised that he stood up [for] his teammates. That’s the type of guy he is, and we’re lucky to have him.”
The Brooklyn Nets will try to break an eight-game losing streak as they visit the Miami Heat tonight.
Miami is playing better since the return of one of its star players, which is why I’m taking the home team to cover in my Nets vs. Heat predictions.
Let’s break down this matchup and see how bettors should approach it with my free NBA picks for Tuesday, March 3.
Nets vs Heat prediction
Nets vs Heat best bet: Heat -13 (-110)
The Miami Heat have won four of their last six games and are 6-3 against the spread in their last nine.
That’s more than enough to give them a leg up on the hapless Brooklyn Nets, who have lost eight in a row and only covered once in that span, losing five games by double figures.
The Heat have Tyler Herro (21.0 points per game) back in the lineup, further widening the talent gap between these teams. Brooklyn is by far the lowest-scoring team in the league (107.0 PPG) and won’t be able to keep up with Miami tonight.
Nets vs Heat same-game parlay
One reason I like the Heat to win in a blowout tonight is Herro's recent return, who should play a big role for Miami tonight. I’ll take Herro to hit the Over on both his points and assists totals, as he’s averaging 21 PPG and has dished out at least six assists in three of his last four games.
Nets vs Heat SGP
Heat -13
Tyler Herro Over 20.5 points
Tyler Herro Over 3.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: The Heat Go Big
Along with my bets on Herro, I’m going to target two other Miami players to hit their props to bring in a long-shot SGP. That means taking Bam Adebayo to record his third straight double-double, along with picking Kel’el Ware to hit at least one 3-pointer, something the big man has done in eight straight games.
Nets vs Heat SGP
Heat -13
Tyler Herro Over 20.5 points
Tyler Herro Over 3.5 assists
Bam Adebayo double-double
Kel'el Ware Over 0.5 made threes
Nets vs Heat odds
Spread: Nets +13 (-110) | Heat -13 (-110)
Moneyline: Nets +525 | Heat -750
Over/Under: Over 226 (-110) | Under 226 (-110)
Nets vs Heat betting trend to know
Brooklyn is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Heat.
How to watch Nets vs Heat
Location
Kaseya Center, Miami, FL
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
YES, FDSN Sun
Nets vs Heat latest injuries
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The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 17 of the season:
Brayden Burries, No. 2 Arizona
The 6-foot-4 freshman guard is the first player to earn AP national player of the week honors twice this season after a stellar two-game stretch. Burries led the Wildcats to at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title by averaging 22.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He scored 24 points with four assists in an 87-80 win at Baylor. He followed up with 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and no turnovers in an 84-61 win over No. 14 Kansas. Burries was named player of the week in Week 13 and gives Arizona three player of the week honors after fellow freshman Koa Peat earned it the opening week of the season.
Runner-up
Mikey Lewis, No. 21 Saint Mary’s. The 6-3 sophomore had 31 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal in Saturday’s 70-59 win over No. 12 Gonzaga to give the Gaels a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season crown. He made 10 of 21 shots from the floor and 7 of 13 from 3 in the game. Lewis also had 21 points and seven assists in Wednesday’s win against Santa Clara to help the Gaels close the week on an eight-game win streak.
Honorable mention
Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Alabama; Nick Martinelli, Northwestern; Seth Trimble, North Carolina.
Keep an eye on
Ty Harper, Oral Roberts. The 6-3 guard scored 47 points in a win over Denver on Thursday. Harper made 12 of 24 shots from the floor, and hit all 21 of his free throws to break the Summit League record. He followed with 27 points in a win at Kansas City on Thursday. The senior leads ORU with 17.9 points per game heading into this week's Summit League tournament.
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 28: Johann Grünloh #17 and Thijs de Ridder #28 of the Virginia Cavaliers defend Cameron Boozer #12 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the Brooklyn Nets inch closer to finishing their season with one of their season objectives — top-three NBA Draft lottery odds — it’s time to put on our wishful-thinking cap and look ahead.
Assuming Brooklyn lands near the top of the board, there will be no shortage of intriguing prospects.
But the Nets already have intriguing prospects.
What they need is a franchise changer, someone who can lead them out of the league’s bottom tier and make becoming a Net feel appealing to an available star for the first time since the Big Three era.
“Identity” is a common cliché tossed around when discussing young teams trying to establish themselves. But even if teams don’t formally sit down and define it, having a strong organizational culture has an impact on everything.
That’s why, depending on where the Nets land, the highest-rated player available might not automatically be the best fit for a rebuilding team still figuring itself out. Sean Marks & co. take high character very, very seriously when assessing prospects.
An unhappy star can derail a takeoff before the seatbelt sign even turns off. And after the time this franchise has invested in starting over, Marks cannot afford to miss.
At this stage of the process, you’d have to think Brooklyn’s guy has to be Duke’s Cameron Boozer, a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year who is having one of the best analytical collegiate seasons of all time and checks other boxes as well.
He leads the country in Player Efficiency Rating, Offensive Box Plus/Minus, Box Plus/Minus, Win Shares per 40 minutes and total Win Shares. His 19.82 BPM and 13.31 OBPM are the second-highest marks posted since 2010-11, trailing only Zion Williamson’s 2018-19 run, which is about as elite a comparison as it gets.
Through 29 games, the freshman power forward is averaging 22.5 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and 1.8 steals.
Drafting four guards and a forward who operates like one in the 2025 NBA Draft doesn’t lock Brooklyn into targeting the frontcourt. The Nets will tell you it’s always about BPA, best player available. But it does matter when you’re sketching out the future.
At 6’10” and 250 pounds, with an uncanny playmaking ability from the 4, the 18-year-old offers size that creates offense instead of slowing it down.
He plays advanced for his age, physically and mentally, like someone who already knows exactly what he’s good at and how to lean into it.
“Cam is never satisfied, I think that’s the great thing about him,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said. “He’ll find something from tonight’s game, I’m sure, where he’s pissed at, he didn’t do as well, even though he had 32 (points), nine (rebounds) and four (assists). That’s what makes him special. I think when your best player is that way, it becomes contagious and have a big effect on the rest of the group.”
While his skillset should translate quickly to the NBA, some of the bully-ball stuff, lowering a shoulder into a defender’s chest and carving out space at the rim, probably won’t be as easy against grown men.
Still, that doesn’t mean he’s limited. He’s just taking what’s easiest right now. He can get downhill and finish with either hand, score on the block, face up and knock down a jumper, and even slide into catch-and-shoot threes off movement. The foundation is all there.
Then, there’s the intangible: Boozer is the son of Carlos Boozer who played for four teams in a 15-year NBA career, twice being named to the NBA All-Star team and once to an All-NBA berth. He also won gold as part of the 2008 USA dream team in the Olympics and an NCAA championship. That has to matter. Cameron has a unique resource in pursuing his NBA dream.
What about the others at the top of everyone’s draft board. Darryn Peterson has seen his stock drop because of concerns related to nagging injuries and reliability and one decision-maker told ND this week that A.J. Dybantsa may not be the guy to “set your culture” because of maturity issues. As has been reported, the player the Nets take in the draft will likely be a big part of the draw for a superstar.
Brooklyn’s two most promising young pieces this season have come from backcourt backgrounds — Egor Demin and Nolan Traoré. Demin has already emerged as one of the top young 3-point shooters in the NBA, while Traoré is learning how to properly channel his explosiveness and use his speed to control tempo instead of just playing fast.
With two rising young talents in their backcourt, Boozer can slide in and form a dynamic two-man game with either to carve up defenses for the near future.
Whether lottery luck puts Brooklyn in a chance to immediately draft him, the Nets have options.
They control 10 first-round picks over the next five years, the second-largest asset pool in the league, 13 over the next seven. If they decide to move up, unlike last year, they have enough draft capital to make another rebuilding team at least pick up the phone.
Sitting around and waiting for a player of his caliber to fall into their lap isn’t a safe bet by any means.
If this rebuild is really about getting the plane off the ground and keeping it there, then this is the pick.
The Montreal Canadiens will travel way south — and way west — to visit the San Jose Sharks tonight. These two young, exciting teams will meet for the first time this season.
My Canadiens vs. Sharks predictions expect Cole Caufield to stay on his torrid pace as he pushes to become the first Montreal player to reach 50 goals since 1989-90.
Canadiens vs Sharks best bet: Cole Caufield anytime goalscorer (+120)
Since January 15, no player has scored more than Cole Caufield.
The Montreal Canadiens forward has 14 goals in his last 12 games and has found the back of the net three times in two games since the NHL returned to action. A focal point of the Habs’ top six, Caufield now draws a San Jose Sharks squad that allows the third-most goals in the league.
It's the perfect matchup for Caufield to light the lamp at least once.
Canadiens vs Sharks same-game parlay
Speaking of red-hot Habs players, Noah Dobson has seen a notable uptick in offense recently. The Montreal defenceman has nine points in his last seven games, eight of which were at even strength.
The Canadiens and Sharks rank 24th and 30th in goals allowed, respectively. Additionally, Montreal boasts the fourth-best offense in the league. Both meetings last season went Over, with the Habs emerging victorious in both.
The Canadiens have won four consecutive games in San Jose, dating back to October 2021. San Jose hasn't beaten Montreal at home since the 2018-19 season. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Sharks.
How to watch Canadiens vs Sharks
Location
SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, CA
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN2, NBCS-California
Canadiens vs Sharks latest injuries
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Today we look at the Cubs’new left-handed reliever.
Hoby Milner came to the Cubs as a free agent after spending a year as a Texas Ranger, where he had a little success, as he has had during a long career, previously with the Phillies, Rays, and Brewers. His ERA and peripherals weren’t so great, early in his career, but he seems to have righted the ship and has been dependable for years. Lifetime, he’s 13-9, 3.82 in 341 innings, in which he has logged 321 strikeouts, issued 94 bases on balls, and opponents have hit a rather high .252 against his offerings.
He throws a lot of ground balls. In 2025, his pitches resulted in 9 GIDP and he has 33 all-time. He’s a middle-reliever-type with a lot of holds on his baseball card. He’s likely to make the Opening Day roster and alternate with Caleb Thielbar.
Milner’s lifetime bWAR is 1.1 (2.8 fWAR). He signed a one-year, $3.75 million contract this past December. Milner is 35, 6’3”, 187. Projections have him throwing 60 innings with an ERA around 4.00 and three wins. He has four pitches, relying heavily on his sweeper and sinker, with a changeup and four-seamer worked into the mix.
His results the last few years have been pretty consistent, though nothing to write home about. But the Cubs love guys like Milner, ostensibly because the longtime vets deal with playoff pressure better than others, and have more predictable outcomes.
We’ll see. It’s always possible that a player at his age drops off. But Milner looks good to go right now. He’s got some good funk. We need the funk. Give us the funk.
FRISCO, TX - MAY 21: Kade Morris #9 of the Midland RockHounds pitches during the game between the Midland RockHounds and the Frisco RoughRiders at Riders Field on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Homero Amador/Minor League Baseball)
*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.
We’ve officially finished the top-20 prospects in the Athletics system. This was where we were planning to end this series but due to high demand and a few weeks left until Opening Day, we’re set to continue our CPL for at least around five rounds of voting. So get ready for a few more votes!
The player that rounds out the top-20 prospects in the system according to A’s fans is righty Kade Morris. The 23-year-old was the return piece the A’s received back in exchange for former All-Star Paul Blackburn. He just wrapped up his first full season in the Athletics’ system, first beginning at Double-A and pitching well there before a promotion to the final stop in the minors. His time with the Aviators went a bit tougher than his time in Midland but hopefully a full year at Triple-A can further his development. Like many of the names on our CPL Morris could be an option for the A’s as soon as this upcoming season.
We have our first reliever taking a spot among the nominees as right-hander Eduarniel Nunez gets the nod to replace Morris in the next round of voting. One of the return pieces the A’s got back from the Padres in exchange for Mason Miller and JP Sears, Nunez comes with a big fastball and wicked slider than should make him a force in the backend of the bullpen… if he can learn to harness his two-pitch repertoire. If he can manage to do that the A’s could have their future closer already on hand.
The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
The voting continues! Time to vote for the 19th-best in the system everyone. Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
Pitching exclusively out of the stretch, Núñez has the goal to blow both of his pitches past batters, starting with a 97-99 mph heater that has touched as high as 101.4 mph in front of Statcast this season. It’s pure velo over movement here, and Núñez gets minimal extension under six feet (allowing batters to see the fastball a little longer), but it’s still enough to make for an uncomfortable at-bat. The Dominican Republic native’s upper-80s slider is an even better pitch, getting good depth while still being thrown hard, and it’s posted whiff and chase rates above 40 percent in the Minors during Núñez’s time in the San Diego system. Plenty of left-handed hitters have been fooled by the breaking ball too, but without a quality changeup, Núñez has drastic handedness splits.
Núñez’s desire to show explosive stuff can lead to inconsistencies in his delivery, and while his control numbers were much-improved with the Padres, he’s still likely to have issues locating routinely in the Majors. But there’s no doubt his electric arsenal is a quality find for a big league bullpen.
Causey thrives with a fastball that hovers around 90 mph, but that’s because he has a funky sidearm delivery that helps him get crazy movement and deception with his arsenal. Causey excelled in his first full pro season, posting a 1.72 ERA across High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He’s a fast mover with a different look that could add to the Royals’ bullpen in the coming years.
Causey began the year with a sinker, changeup and sweeper, but he added a four-seam fastball this season to help him at the top of the zone. After years of working on adding a cutter, Causey finally found something that works with the four-seamer.
Zhuang relies heavily on his four-seam fastball, which can touch 95 mph but normally hovers in the 90-93 range. He also throws a low-80s split-finger offering with good diving action. His arsenal is rounded out by a low-80s slider, a mid-70s curveball with good bend and a low-80s changeup.
Zhuang does have a history of injuries, which brings some real concern as to whether he can hold up as a starter despite having the necessary pitch mix for the role. He can command it well, as evidenced by his low walk numbers. For now, the A’s are enjoying watching the rise of the man many in the organization have nicknamed ‘Z-Man.’ He is firmly on their prospect radar, and his age could actually help him move up quickly if the success continues.
In some ways, Turley is the same player he was post-high school, a veritable toolshed with some concerns about him using those tools consistently. He might have had as much raw power as anyone in his Draft class, with some scouts hanging a 70 on it. He can drive the ball for extra bases anywhere with prodigious home run pop thanks to outstanding bat speed, and he was showing more ability to hit the ball out the other way this spring. There has long been the question about whether he’ll hit enough to get to that power. He had a 36 percent miss rate in 2024 with the Beavers, leading to a 27.3 percent strikeout rate, and while he’s improved those rates this season, including his propensity to chase breaking stuff, the swing-and-miss is still a concern. He does draw a ton of walks to help offset that.
Turley has above-average speed, though he hasn’t used it to be a basestealing threat. His athleticism does help him in the outfield, where his easily plus arm is also an asset. He’s played more left field than anywhere else and he should fit nicely as a corner outfielder in pro ball.
Tur is 26 but only signed with the A’s before the 2023 season after several seasons pitching in the Serie Nacional in Cuba. He started almost all of last year, going from High A to Triple A, although I think he’s a straight reliever. He comes straight over the top, sitting 96 with some ride along with a 55 splitter and a low-90s cutter that doesn’t miss many bats. The slider is fringy and he’s very north-south because of the arm slot. He could pitch in the big-league bullpen right now.
* * *
Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay in making your
BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 1: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dunks the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on March 1, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After feeling like Jarrett Allen was being wasted with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the start of the season, Allen saw an uptick of involvement around the trade deadline. This turned into a whole month of Allen seizing opportunities and showing a level of aggression we haven’t seen since his All-Star campaign in 2021-22.
It only feels right that in this first edition of Fear the Sword’s player of the week, we celebrate the fro and praise the campaign he is putting together.
Average player grade last week: A
Stats last week: 22.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in four games last week.
Standout performance: 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in OT loss to the Detroit Pistons on 2/27/2026.
Frankly, when I was thinking of other players in contention for this award, there was no argument for anyone other than Allen. He’s been on a different level for the better part of a month plus.
Does anybody realize Jarrett Allen was maybe quite literally the best player in the NBA for February?https://t.co/00PY3dPtb1 has their catchall player value stat stat — PIE or Player Impact Estimate.
Last week he quelled any concerns regarding whether the month of February was going to be a fleeting memory or something of substance.
Allen’s peaks in his career have come frequently enough that fans aren’t surprised but more disappointed that they don’t translate to sustained aggression and success. While the arrival of James Harden has certainly gotten Allen more involved, his production came about before the Harden addition.
It was almost a month ago that Allen posted a 40-point game against the Portland Trail Blazers. From there, it was a different Allen for the Cavaliers. The level of involvement from Allen is tied to a winning formula as the Cavaliers are 11-2 when Allen scores 20+ points in this season.
This is because when Allen is active and engaged, he is about as dynamic of a pick-and-roll player as there is in the league. When active in the restricted area, he can also put his touch and vision on display as well.
Against Detroit, it felt like the full display of what a difference an engaged Allen does for Cleveland. The Cavaliers entered that game against Detroit without their star backcourt of Harden and Donovan Mitchell. In the past, this would have been a death knell for the offense. However, Allen stepped up to the call against the Pistons.
Allen played well against one of the best defensive bigs in the league, Jalen Duran. He was the tone setter for the Cavaliers. Allen was getting to the rack early and often against Detroit to the point where when Allen had the ball Detroit’s defense was crashing to meet him around the rim.
Allen was unfazed by the extra defensive attention as he finished 9-10 inside the paint, scoring 25 points, shooting overall 10-12 on the night. That level of scoring, combined with nine rebounds and four assists, would have led the Cavaliers to an impressive victory if not for the team making poor decisions down the stretch.
The talent for Allen has always been there; the level of engagement and enforcement has been what has waivered at times.
The attitude shift in Allen changes the identity of the Cavaliers as much as the acquisition of Harden. Allen has had multiple narratives in the past dangled over his head questioning his toughness. If this version of Allen comes with the Cavaliers into the postseason that is a game-changer for this team.
On behalf of Fear the Sword, Jarrett Allen, your award is in the mail.
