CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 21: Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates while rounding the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field on April 21, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland leads 2-0. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Guardians just swept a four-game series from the preseason presumptive division favorite Tigers and now they head to Philadelphia to play a hot Phillies team.
Zack Meisel has a pop quiz about what has stood oit about the Guardians so far, and he and Cody Stevenhagen wrote about how they continue to own the AL Central.
The Guardians completed another 13 games in 13 days stretch on Wednesday against the Nationals and then they have more regular days off until June 16th where they begin 19 games in a row. You may have properly guessed, then, that their off-days are regularly interspersed through the rest of the season. If they can survive that long, that should help them finish strong.
Check out the latest episode of Disgusting Baseball Podcast with myself and Nick Karavolos here.
AROUND MLB:
Blue Jays shutout the Yankees and now the Guardians are a half-game behind New York in win-loss record, which is fun.
Mar 7, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Maverick Handley (98) throws a pitch against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning during spring Training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
In light of the numerous injuries, the Atlanta Braves have continued the roster shuffle; this time, catcher Maverick Handley was claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles before being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, righty Hurston Waldrep was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
The #Braves today claimed C Maverick Handley off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett. To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta transferred RHP Hurston Waldrep to the 60-day injured list.
28-year-old Handley made his major league debut in 2025 and has since appeared in just 17 big league games. In the minors this season, he’s logged six games, averaged .333, and spent 30 innings behind the plate. The O’s designated him for assignment earlier this week, and the Braves jumped on the opportunity to replenish catchers while Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy are both dealing with injury.
Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week, the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — gives their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: There’s a lot of fan talk about trading Devin Booker. What’s your opinion on what the Suns could likely expect to get back for Book if traded?
GuarGuar: I am very, very against trading Book. Let me start with that. However, if we did, I’m sure we could get some first round picks and a couple of young players. I don’t think we’d get this unbelievable, enormous haul. He’s gonna be 30 and probably has already reached his peak as a player. Trading him would set us back for a while.
Diamondhacks: This asks for my opinion…about other people’s opinions. My opinion is that Booker’s elite at drawing fouls and converting FT’s. He’s very solid at a couple of other things and therefore a formidable offensive asset.
My opinion about other people’s opinions is that some FOs similarly value Book’s skill set, to return the favor. Along the lines of a D’Aaron Fox or Austin Reaves equivalent…contingent, of course, on the NBA’s byzantine transaction rules, which only 37 people in the world seem to fully understand.
Ashton: Ah, the dreaded Trade Booker question. Way to kick it off, Rod.
Salary cap relief maybe? It will still be bits and pieces in return. And this question rolls so perfectly into Q2 as the real prize is if the Suns can get high-value picks in return.
But let’s be honest here. Book isn’t going anywhere. Booker is Arizona to the core that is last extension should have included a no-trade clause, because that is basically the power he has. His colorways shoes feature green from his off-season home in Flagstaff and his next upcoming Sedona debut featuring turquoise in partnership with McDonalds. It features a “M” and for those that do not know Sedona, they have a city ordinance requiring businesses to put their logos into turquoise. That includes the billion-dollar chain that features overpriced menu items that makes you run for the bathroom. It is quite iconic. I have been to Sedona many times over 30 plus years and seeing a McDonalds with turquoise branding over that time span is just so weird. Enough of Sedona, Brandon Duenas has an article detailing the shoes and I am no “sneakerhead”. I am only pointing out that Book knows Arizona through his colorways, from Flagstaff to U of A.
Which play-off team would absorb his contract? Would the Thunder really have won Game 1 if Booker was on the squad? Pistons may be in the ECF finals if they had him. Both teams could meet the bar with asset ready players and picks. Maybe the Spurs win game 2?
But in the end, the question is moot. Booker is quintessential Arizona. Next topic.
OldAz: I have given this zero thought because it is so impossible to consider for many reasons. If it was something they were looking into, they would need to get back a lot, but who is trading for Booker who also has a collection of assets the Suns would want?
If I were to remove Book’s history and place him in the Suns franchise and make this move, it would be because I was going all in on a core of Green, Brooks, and some of the young talent the Suns have in Fleming, KM, Williams, and even Gillespie. From a pure basketball perspective, this would work, but the Suns would be wise in this scenario to target draft picks and young players, but those are not going to offset Booker’s massive salary. On the other hand, if someone is adding Book, it is probably to pair with their existing star player(s).
The only way I see this working is if a team has an overpriced older star to balance salaries along with more attractive but less expensive assets to send in a deal. I just can’t think of any good examples that would start to move this needle for me and also be attractive to the other team.
Rod: Well, the short answer is that, whatever the return is, it’s not likely going to be enough to make the Suns better in the short term. With the new CBA in place, teams are learning the value of having young players on cheaper contracts on the roster so I doubt that anyone is going to give up many unprotected draft picks or really good younger players still on relatively cheap contracts. Other teams have learned from the Suns’ own mistakes (their trades for Durant and Beal) how badly that can turn out.
Yes, getting rid on his max contract would help the team by adding some financial flexibility. However, with over $20+ mil in dead money on the cap sheet for years to come, and possible hefty extensions due to Brooks and Green coming in the next two years, it might not really have as much of an impact on the cap situation as some think.
Basically, the idea of trading Book just to get off of his current contract isn’t a wise one. That doesn’t mean that trading him shouldn’t be considered though. If a team calls with a really good offer, you have to at least consider it…but only if it’s a really good offer.
Q2: One constant in most trade proposals is getting back draft picks. Without control of their own draft picks over the next few years, how valuable do you believe gaining someone else’s draft picks would actually be?
GuarGuar: It’s hard to get a lottery pick unless it’s your own so trading for somebody else’s first would most likely mean it’s a late first round pick which isn’t nearly as valuable. We’re kinda screwed when it comes to gaining a top pick in the draft for the next 5 years, but having someone else’s pick is better than nothing. I don’t know what we have to offer other than Booker that could net us a first round pick though.
Diamondhacks: The average developed player in today’s NBA is very good and only ten or a dozen picks in each draft seem to rise much above that, to add incremental value. And it’s never the top ten picks either. It’s always more distributed out, to 2nd rounders like Kalkbrenner, Ajay Mitchell, and, we hope, Fleming. So I wouldn’t think the immediate impact to the Suns (of no high picks) is likely to be large.
But in the long term, having no first-rounders is a problem. You’re not only missing out on multiple pools of rising talent, hence more likely to land a franchise piece, but it also hurts negotiating leverage in trades, because you’ve publicly shut off an alternative means to improve your team.
Ashton: Almost a continuation of Q1.
Every NBA team and fans are looking at the OKC and Spurs model that hoarded draft picks and developed young players organically over time or lucked into Wemby. Those first round picks over the next few years are going to be extremely valuable because there is no realistic path for trading Booker for picks and scrubs. The days of receiving five first round picks or over.
And yes, the all-wise national pundits are already declaring 2027 draft weak. I will go on the record to say that it is not. NIL is bringing back quality-level NBA-ready players to college, players whose ultimate goal is to play in the NBA. They will be back in 2027 and beat me for the 2028 draft cycles.
Also, it is likely that anti-tanking rules will come into effect that basically punish the bottom three teams with decreased percentage odds for the first pick while increasing percentages for the remaining 16 teams. It is way too much to go into here.
In the end, sure, first round picks are valuable if they fall into the lottery range. A salary cap hindrance if they do not. Sure, two-ways could be used for the second round and non-guaranteed contracts, but this question is loaded because the value is in 1-16 unprotected picks.
OldAz: This one is tough because the new regime seems committed to player development, which is always more important to me than where they draft, so having more picks is a good thing. However, trading picks has become so convoluted with swap rights that you almost have no idea where a future pick might end up. It seems everyone values picks more for their trade value than for actually picking and developing new players. In either case, having more picks for either use (future trades or young players) is something the Suns lack and could benefit from.
Rod: Depending on protections, they could turn out to be very valuable. Their most likely value would be as additional trade chips, though. I occasionally see fans saying that the Suns should try to get their own picks back, but that’s extremely unlikely as long as those teams believe that the Suns are going to be a bad team when the time to use those picks comes around. With anyone else’s picks, it’s a real gamble as to just how valuable they’ll actually be when draft time rolls around. Unless you’ve got control of your own picks, going into a full-blown rebuild is a recipe for failure.
I certainly want the Suns to add a few more picks to their asset war chest but, in all honesty, that should only be their number one concern if they’re making trades to shed salary.
Q3: Which Suns player (or players) do you believe is most likely to show significant/meaningful improvement next season?
GuarGuar: I think Rasheer is most likely to show the biggest improvement. You could see the difference in his game from the beginning of the season to now. I think the organization knows that if we have a chance to become a top team, we will need him to develop into a very good player. He has a lot of raw talent, and he’s got the best defensive prowess on the team. I’m expecting big things from him next year and for him to be a starter by at least midway through the season.
Diamondhacks: Maluach. He and Fleming improved their skillsets, but Maluach is our youngest player (by more than two years) and therefore earlier on in his projected development arc. In his first NBA nibble, Maluach shot 71% FTs and, after Jan 1, 31% from three. He’s already our best shot blocker. I think that’s all quite encouraging for a 7-foot teenager.
Ashton: This is almost a softball question. Khaman Maluach. He is not being traded anytime soon and will see the NBA game come to him.
Sure, some would say Fleming to step up into the power forward role, but I see it differently.
We (fans) have no idea if Mark Williams will leave, be extended, or be injured and that puts the onus on Oso. The trickle-down effect is to KM (I still dislike the moniker Man Man – he has to prove it).
And my prediction market states KM for Suns MIP.
OldAz: I think Fleming is the most likely because his path to getting that opportunity seems the most clear at the moment. However, if Williams is not resigned or moves elsewhere, then KM also has a clear path and oodles of talent to grow into. At the moment, I say Fleming because I am just so enamored about having his physical abilities on the floor as a Suns fan, but Maluach having an early breakout year would not shock me at all.
Are there really any other candidates here? Dunn could magically figure it out, but his ceiling seems to be a really good rotational piece and Oso is already exceeding expectations and until he can develop a jumpshot (not holding my breath).
Rod: As much as I hope it’s either Fleming or Maluach, I’m going with Collin Gillespie here. As frustrating as it was for fans to watch Collin fade toward the end of last season, I doubt that anyone was more frustrated by that than Collin himself…and I think that’s going to drive him even harder this offseason to improve himself and be better prepared for the NBA’s 82-game grind.
I don’t know just how much better he can get, but I see him as someone determined to keep improving himself, keep adding to his game as long as he’s in uniform. I don’t see him making a huge leap in any single aspect of his game, but I do feel as though he could make enough small improvements in different areas that would add up to a significant improvement overall.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Suns Trivia/History
On May 23, 1976, the Suns played in their first-ever NBA Finals game against the Celtics in Boston. The Suns put up 22 more field goal attempts than the Celtics (99-77), but an uncharacteristically poor shooting night for the Suns (.384 vs .472 season average), plus being outscored 20-11 at the free throw line, led to a 98-87 loss to the Celtics. It was also the only game of the series in which Paul Westphal (8 points on 4 of 17 shooting) failed to score in double digits.
On May 23, 1984, the Suns defeated the LA Lakers 126-121 in LA in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, cutting the Lakers’ series lead to 3-2. All five of the Suns’ starters — Kyle Macy, Walter Davis, Maurice Lucas, Larry Nance, and James Edwards — scored 20+ points in this game, with Macy, Davis, and Lucas all playing 40+ minutes (and Nance was close with 39 mins). Sadly, their series comeback attempt would be cut short when they lost the following game in Phoenix 99-97 on May 25.
INGLEWOOD, CA – 1984: Walter Davis #6 of the Phoenix Suns stops his drive for a jump shot against the Los Angeles Lakers during an NBA game in 1984 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1984 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On May 23, 2021, the Suns returned to the playoffs after an 11-year absence and defeated the LA Lakers 99-90 in their first playoff game in over a decade. Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points while Deandre Ayton added a double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds to take a 1-0 series lead in their first round matchup.
On May 25, 1993, newly acquired Sun Charles Barkley won the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player. Barkley helped lead the Phoenix Suns to a then-franchise and NBA-best 62-20 record during the 1992-93 season and averaged 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 76 games. Barkley was the first of only two Suns to win the award, the second being Steve Nash, who later collected back-to-back MVP trophies in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
On May 28, 1974, the Phoenix Suns drafted future 9-time NBA All-Star and eventual Basketball Hall of Fame member George Gervin with the 40th pick in the 3rd round of the NBA Draft. Gervin was, however, already playing in the old ABA and elected to stay there with the San Antonio Spurs instead of jumping to the NBA to play for the Suns. Gervin was originally signed to play in the ABA for the Virginia Squires in 1973 by Johnny “Red” Kerr, formerly the first head coach of the Phoenix Suns in 1968-69 and 1969-70.
Important Future Dates
Mid-June (date TBD) – Teams can begin negotiating with their own free agents (following the Finals) June 23 – NBA Draft First Round, 8 ET (ABC/ESPN) June 24 – NBA Draft Second Round, 8 ET (ESPN) June 30 – Teams can begin negotiations with all free agents July 1 – Official start of the 2026-27 league year and moratorium period July 6 – Moratorium ends, official free agent contract signings can begin July 9-19 – NBA 2K Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas Late September (dates TBD) – NBA Training Camps open
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 10: Ayo Dosunmu #13, Anthony Edwards #5, and Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves react during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 10, 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
After an unceremonious end to the 2025-2026 season, it seems as though the Minnesota Timberwolves are heading towards an offseason where every indication is that big changes will be made, with the main focus on the roster.
After getting taken out by the two teams battling in the Western Conference Finals this season in the past two playoff runs, plenty of evaluation will take place this summer on the roster and how to ascend to the level required to take down two teams that look poised to be leaders in the clubhouse for years to come. Nothing is ever set in stone in the NBA, and any number of things could change as time marches on, but it is clear that the Timberwolves need more brains and firepower if they hope to build a true contender around Anthony Edwards.
As the dust settles on another Timberwolves season, our staff picked their most important questions for the team that will be answered before opening night in the fall.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MAY 15: Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on from the bench during the third quarter of a game against the San Antonio Spurs 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
Benny Hughes: What Is Julius Randle’s Value?
I got lucky and was able to have first pick for this, so I opted for the most obvious question that most Timberwolves fans are asking.
After a red-hot start to this year, Julius Randle’s production came crashing down. He had a few rough stretches where his attention to detail waxed and waned, with a promise of consistency once the postseason began. This was not the case as he averaged 16.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 39% from the floor and 24% from three. While it would be disingenuous for Randle to shoulder all of the blame, it is tough to sustain long playoff runs with your second option playing like Randle was this postseason.
You couple this performance with Naz Reid’s playoff emergence and Minnesota most likely looking to retool their front court with Joan Beringer waiting in the wings, and it is not hard to come to the conclusion that it is unlikely for Randle to be on the roster next season.
The bigger question becomes, after much setup on my part, what is his value? The good news is that he is still on a reasonable contract and has shown an ability to produce in the regular season; the bad news is that his value is extremely low after the playoffs. This leads to the larger issue of whether you will have to attach an asset to Randle to get off of this contract, or whether you will be able to get value to re-balance a roster in need of point guard play. I think that as the freshness of the playoffs wears off and the offseason progresses, there will be teams that see the value of a Julius Randle, especially with the new lottery rules punishing the worst three teams in the league with a lower chance of obtaining the number one pick.
I think that a team that is in the 4-10 range (or is in the bottom three and wants to get in the 4-10 range) will see the value of a player like Julius Randle to help them not bottom out. He is still a skilled scorer who can fill it up on any given night. While this isn’t the place you would like to be operating from as a GM, it is still something to consider with any Timberwolves move that is made this offseason.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 11: Jaden McDaniels #3, Anthony Edwards #5 and Naz Reid #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 11, 2025 at Target Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Leo Sun: What Is “The Core” and Is It Time to Break It Up?
After the Wolves were unceremoniously eliminated in game six, Head Coach Chris Finch took to the podium for his post-game media availability.
“We still have a young core around Anthony, Jaden, and Naz. We’re not planning on going anywhere, but we know we need to keep building this thing out.”
That was his response when asked about some of the younger talent on the team, such as TJ Shannon, Jaylen Clark, and Joan Beringer, in comparison to the San Antonio Spurs youth. Finch made certain to zoom out and mention that though he believes in those young guys, he pivoted to the aforementioned three. That would fall in line with most fans’ beliefs that Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid are “the core.”
But what if you zoomed out even further?
Though Rudy Gobert is roughly eight years older than that group, has he not been an integral part of the recent Wolves “Golden Era”? It’s easy to imagine a world where, without Rudy on the team, the Wolves hardly make it past the first round in the last three years, let alone as a top six seed. So, when I pose the question “What is the core?” how would President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly answer that?
He was the man who acquired Gobert in the first place.
The Wolves are at an important inflection point in their franchise direction. Do they continue to move forward with whatever they deem the core to be, hoping that the trajectory will incline back up in the next couple of years? Perhaps a few peripheral roster adjustments are enough to push them forward towards a championship.
Or was this year a foreshadowing of an incoming decline in the coming seasons? Perhaps the franchise will have to make the painful, but necessary decision to remove one (or more) of the pillars of their core in hopes of building a team that can raise a championship banner.
The Timberwolves aren’t facing a cliff at the moment, but whether or not they will face one sooner than later depends on the conversations the front office is having about “the core.”
Thilo Widder: Is the Front Office Okay Taking a Step Back?
This may be a little too similar to Leo’s and Benny’s, but I think it’s a separate thing entirely.
Do you guys remember the 2018-19 season, when Jimmy Butler blew up the first Wolves team in 20 years to make the playoffs? Do you guys remember the offers that reportedly came in for him?
I do. The Rockets offered four first-round picks and an expiring. The Heat offered the man who would go on to score 83 in Bam Adebayo, alongside some salary filler, and the pick that would become Tyler Herro. Instead, the Wolves took home veteran forward Robert Covington, the 24-year-old Dario Šarić, Jerryd Bayless, and a second-round pick.
It feels like we’re at a similar point today, albeit with somehow more depressed assets in Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert.
Karl-Anthony Towns was 23 when Jimmy Butler was moved, as was Andrew Wiggins. The Wolves could’ve found players to fit the timeline of those two, dip back into the lottery, and then re-emerge like a butterfly from its chrysalis.
Instead, Tom Thibodeau chose job security and took the worst long-term offer that he hoped would guarantee his career as the Wolves’ President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach. It did not.
Tim Connelly and Chris Finch certainly have a far longer leash to work with, but something feels similar. Connelly is in the last year of his deal, and one could argue that while the Towns trade was cap-forced, it was a similar level of prioritizing the now over the future.
Jrue Holiday and Kyrie Irving are popular targets, but both are some of the most overpaid players in basketball. Jrue in particular has an awful deal. Would targeting one of them in a Randle swap make sense? Sure, but it’d be another band-aid to stay afloat in the demonic Western Conference. How do the Wolves get to the tier of the two teams in the conference finals right now? They change. Significantly.
This offseason is, realistically, the last opportunity to reshuffle the deck and still have enough time to convince Anthony Edwards to stick around for the next iteration of Wolves basketball. I hope they take that opportunity, and the lumps that come with it, instead of finding another band-aid.
Either go all in or get off the pot.
*That* is the biggest question I have for this offseason.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 10: Head Coach Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves talks to the media after the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at Target Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Andrew Carlson: What Does Chris Finch’s Style of Basketball Actually Look Like?
For the entirety of coach Chris Finch’s tenure, it has felt like a “first comes the roster, then comes the philosophy” mentality.
While there are through lines, it feels as though there are major themes that arise every season that sometimes come to fruition and sometimes do not.
The Wolves have always been bottom 10 in pick and roll frequency under Finch, and just this past season and in the playoffs, top five in iso frequency. Off-ball movement off of isolations and high screens seems to be bankable.
But “playing with pace” was something that never quite made its way to the full team, namely the star player. “Your turn, my turn” basketball, or the ball getting “sticky,” also continues to be a theme. A lot of that was Anthony Edwards being the scorer that he is, but much of it was due to a weird and off-kilter roster construction.
Anthony Edwards never trusted Rudy Gobert as a roller. Julius Randle had a reckless disregard for the “flow” that Finch talks so much about, paramount to his offense.
Ahead of an offseason that might see those two leaving, with the ability to reshape the roster, I ask:
What philosophy will be laid down heading into the season, with perhaps Finch’s last major chance to really shape personnel around it?
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 14: Rudy Gobert #27 and Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves look on during the game against the Golden State Warriors during Round 2 Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 14, 2025 at Target Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ryan Eichten: How Many Frontcourt Players Will Get Traded?
The one thing that the Timberwolves’ series loss to the Spurs made clear is that they are just plain not good enough. That is true of the team writ large, but also true for the front-court pairing of Randle and Gobert, who were both ineffective against Victor Wembanyama and the rest of his San Antonio team.
While both are very talented players, especially Gobert, who is on track to make the Hall of Fame, the Wolves have never fully maximized the pairing since trading for Randle and Donte DiVincenzo almost two years ago.
The question for Minnesota heading into this offseason doesn’t seem to be whether or not they will trade one of their starting frontcourt players, but if they will trade both.
While Ranlde’s poor play and attitude against the Spurs stand out, the pairing of Gobert and Edwards has never found the offensive ceiling needed to break through in the Western Conference. Almost regardless of Randle’s status with the team, it may make sense to move on from Gobert, given the Wolves would likely receive a large package in return.
There are merits to trading one or both of Randle and Gobert, and if a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade materializes, McDaniels and Reid may also be on the table. It feels like this offseason will see more change for the Timberwolves than just breaking up the frontcourt and hoping that does the trick.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 26: Darius Acuff Jr. #5 of the Arkansas Razorbacks drives to the basket against the Arizona Wildcats during the Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at SAP Center on March 26, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Darius Acuff Jr. of the Arkansas Razorbacks is perhaps the favorite small-ish point guard on the 2026 NBA Draftboard. Acuff’s offensive case speaks loudly enough to justify high-end lottery interest, but the questions surrounding his defensive effort and shot profile are real enough to split many evaluators. He was Arkansas’ engine as a freshman, scoring efficiently, passing at high volume and delivering some of the biggest late-season performances in the country. The question surrounding Acuff is not whether he can score. It is whether a 6-foot-2 guard can pressure the rim enough, and whether he has the defensive buy-in and decision balance to be more than a regular-season shot-maker.
The basics
Acuff bolstered his standing in draft circles as the 2025-26 season progressed, becoming more of a riser during the SEC Tournament and the Razorbacks’ three NCAA Tournament games. He averaged 23.5 points, leading the conference, in 35.1 minutes per game in his only college season. He shot the lights out from 3-point range, at 44% on the year. That shooting puts him firmly above every point guard on the board save for Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and perhaps Illinois’ Keaton Wagler.
He is a pure scorer more than anything else at this point.
Acuff measured 6-foot-2 without shoes and about 186 pounds with a 6-foot-6.5 wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine, which gives him better length than the average small guard but still places him below the size threshold many teams now prefer for primary ball handlers. His athletic profile is more compact power, pace manipulation, and change-of-speed craft than overwhelming vertical pop. He can get a shoulder past defenders, stop quickly into pull-ups, and play through some contact because of his strength and low center of gravity, but he is not the type of guard who consistently erases mistakes with elite downhill burst.
That distinction matters. Acuff’s combine agility and sprint numbers support a functional mover, not a nuclear athlete, so his NBA separation has to come from handle, footwork, screen craft, and shooting gravity. The long arms give teams a reason to believe the defensive outcome is not hopeless, but the tape concerns are less about tools than engagement, screen navigation, and possession-to-possession awareness.
Strengths
Acuff’s hallmark, the thing that has brought him near the top of draft boards everywhere, is his shot creation with shooting touch. He can make pull-ups from deep, punish defenders who go under screens and shoot off balance without looking rushed. The free-throw and 3-point indicators both back up the touch, and his production suggests the jumper is not just a workout skill.
His second strength is advantage passing out of scoring pressure. He averaged 6.4 assists per game at Arkansas. He is not merely a microwave scorer — his assist volume, low turnover rate for his usage and comfort throwing lobs or hit-ahead passes give him a path to lead-guard status as a pro. When he gets two defenders involved, he can find the release valve quickly enough to punish help.
He also has competitive shot-making confidence. Acuff does not shrink from big moments, and for a smaller guard that matters because his offensive value has to be high-end. The pitch is that he can become the kind of guard who bends defensive coverages with range, tempo, and touch even when the initial action is contained.
Weaknesses
Acuff’s defensive presence is the headline risk associated with drafting him. Multiple scouting reports frame him as a targetable NBA defender because of size, inconsistent effort, poor screen navigation and shaky off-ball awareness. He doesn’t need to become a bona fide stopper, but he does need to compete hard enough to avoid being hunted off the floor. The current concern is that the defensive problems are not only physical; they include attention, assignment discipline and recovery effort.
The offensive translation also has a narrower runway than the raw numbers suggest. Acuff’s size means he must be exceptionally efficient as a creator, and several evaluators question whether he creates enough deep paint touches against length. If he settles for too many floaters and pull-ups, NBA teams may live with the highlights and win the possession math. His passing is good, but because he is scorer-first, teams will want to know whether he can organize an offense when the first scoring read is removed.
There is also a roster-building question. A team drafting Acuff is probably committing to building around his on-ball value while protecting him defensively. That is doable if the offense is special; it is dangerous if he is merely good.
Fit with the Mavericks
First of all, if the Mavericks stay at the No. 9 pick, Acuff will likely be gone, rendering the fit with the team moot, but anything can happen. The Mavs are already desperately small at the guard position. In an ideal world, they would have a chance at a bigger guard, but beggars can’t be choosers, of course.
He would immediately jump every point guard on the roster in terms of gravity, scoring punch and creation, save Kyrie Irving. Getting a hold of Acuff would make an interesting case for seeing what the Mavericks may be able to get in exchange for Irving, but of course, if they were going to trade Irving, 2026 draft picks would be the team’s primary target.
It’s fascinating and a little sad to say that, as desperately as the Mavericks need help at guard, Acuff and smaller point guards like him may not ultimately represent the best fit.
NBA Comparison
Some are saying Acuff reminds them of Stephon Marbury. Neither player is big or explosive, but they’re shifty and physical when attacking the rim. Both Acuff and Marbury initiate and take contact on drives. They step into 3-pointers and mid-range jumpers with similar mechanics behind their shots.
Others have said Acuff is similar to current Utah Jazz point guard Keyonte George, who broke out at the start of his third NBA season before injuries/unethical tanking saw his minutes decline later in the year. I’ve also heard comparisons to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, who more than doubled his scoring from his rookie year (6.5 points) to his second year (13.6) in the NBA.
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 13: Baltimore Orioles Outfielder Heston Kjerstad (13) walks back to the dugout before the spring training game between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies on March 13, 2026 at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With the Orioles idle, Norfolk represented the closest thing to a major league game last night. With that said, the outcome is about what you’ve come to expect. Jonathan Rodríguez hit a solo home run in the top of the first, but the Tides proceeded to allow seven consecutive runs. Jacksonville did the majority of the damage with a five-run fourth inning, and the Jumbo Shrimp bested Norfolk 9-2.
The Tides managed only five hits during the contest. Christian Encarnacion-Strand added the only extra-base hit with a double. Heston Kjerstad finished 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts. Sam Huff finished 1-for-3 with a run scored. Huff is now fully entrenched as the team’s third catcher after the Orioles lost Maverick Handley on waivers.
Christian Herberholz allowed five runs over four innings. He surrendered a pair of homers, walked three and struck out four.
Ethan Anderson plated the first run over the game with a double in the third, and it felt like the one-run lead would hold up for a majority of the game. Unfortunately, Somerset struck for two runs in the top of the seventh. Yaqui Rivera coughed up a two-run homer to Garrett Martin, and the Patriots snuck out a 2-1 win.
Chesapeake starter Evan Yates did his part with 5.1 scoreless innings. Yates limited Somerset to only three hits. He struck out seven and walked three.
Both teams tallied five hits during the game. Chesapeake shortstop Carter Young finished 2-for-4. Anderson’s double represented the only extra-base hit for the Baysox.
High-A: Frederick Keys vs. Greenville Drive (Red Sox) PPD
The game will be made up today during a single admission doubleheader.
Low-A: Wilson Warbirds (Brewers) 13. Delmarva Shorebirds 11
Delmarva’s offense did its part again after a 12-run outburst on Wednesday, but the pitching came up short. Stiven Martinez hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the eighth, but Adrian Heredia allowed a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom half. The big fly came after a batter reached on a fielding error by second baseman DJ Layton.
Martinez finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. RJ Austin and Raylin Ramos combined for six of Delmarva’s 15 hits. Austin scored four of the Shorebirds’ 11 runs. Ramos finished a homer shy of the cycle, while Austin only needed a double to accomplish the feat.
SEATTLE - JUNE 8: Shortstop Juan Castro #17 of the Minnesota Twins just misses a ground ball in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners on June 8, 2006 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The Twins defeated the Mariners 7-3. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After an up-and-down start to the 2006 campaign, the Minnesota Twins hoped to settle in and recapture the AL Central crown. Alas, through May and into one fateful June night in the Pacific Northwest, the endeavor looked more bottoming-out than regrouped-contender.
Heading into a Twinkie Town After Dark ™ contest with the Seattle Mariners on 6/7/06 (more on that momentarily), not much outside of the always-solid Johan Santana, metronomic Joe Mauer, and newcomer Luis Castillo was working.
Remember the guys meant to inject some pop into the lineup after ‘05’s punchless group? Well, Tony Batista was sitting at a .241 BA & .398 SLG, while Rondell White was somehow even worse—perhaps historically so: .193 BA, .436 OPS, 0 HR despite everyday play.
Cristian Guzman SS heir-apparent Juan Castro was another lineup liability at .238 BA & .576 OPS. Touted power prodigy Justin Morneau did have 11 bombs, but with a less-than-stellar .236 BA & .747 OPS that would soon prompt a “come to Jesus” meeting with skipper Ron Gardenhire.
Outside of should-have-been-Cy Santana, the starting pitching was in similar shambles:
Brad Radke: 12 GS, 6.42 ERA
Kyle Lohse: 8 GS, 8.92 ERA
Carlos Silva: 9 GS and some relief appearances, 7.76 ERA
This was all leading to the night of June 6, a game I will never forget watching on TV.
After the Mariners battered Boof Bonser, Willie Eyre, & Dennys Reyes to gain a huge early lead, the Twins mounted an epic comeback—capped by a Michael Cuddyer grand slam in the 8th inning to tie the contest at 9-9!
After a few scoreless frames (for a change) in this wild affair, in B11 Twins RP Jesse Crain—my noted irrational nemesis, since usurped by Justin Topa—needed just one more out to give MN bats another crack at victory.
Instead: a mammoth Carl Everett home run that gave the M’s a walk-off victory and sent me into a profane rage that would have made Jerry Burns blush.
After that soul-crushing loss, the Twins sat at 25-33—buried in fourth place in the AL Central & a whopping 11.5 GB the front-running Detroit Tigers. Instead of the ‘05 mediocrity feeling like a blip, it now seemed to indicate a trend. Roughly four months of games remained on the ’06 schedule, but it would seemingly take a miracle to dig out of such a large early deficit and make a true division championship run.
Thanks mostly to David Peterson and the bullpen, the Mets finished their series against the Nationals with a 2-1 win. Bo Bichette’s two-run single with the bases loaded in the third provided all of the Mets’ offense, but the proved to be enough. And the Mets wake up this morning in fourth place in the National League East, the first time they’ve been out of the cellar in weeks.
Devin Williams got the save in the win, and following his outing on April 23, he decided to raise the position of his hands to reverse a change he made last year in his time with the Yankees.
The Braves beat the Marlins, and their 9-3 win officially got the Mets out of last place in the National League East, as the Marlins moved into the cellar.
Marlins starter Robby Snelling, who came into the 2026 season as one of the very best pitching prospects in all of baseball, will undergo Tommy John surgery after experiencing elbow discomfort following his major league debut earlier this month.
With Aaron Nola sporting a 6.04 ERA this year, which is almost exactly in line with his 6.01 ERA last year, the Good Phight wonders what the Phillies can do about him as he’s still in just the third year of his seven-year, $172 million contract.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: General view during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit square off before a record-setting crowd at Oracle Park on August 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Karen Hickey/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) | ISI Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants return to the bay this weekend for a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. So let’s take a look at what Oracle Park has on deck for fans who might be thinking about attending.
Friday night will be a Special Event for Japanese Heritage Night! Fans with special event tickets will get at Japanese Heritage Night baseball t-shirt giveaway designed by Sumo Fish, and there will be festivities around the park throughout the evening.
As with all Saturday home games this season, Saturday will be a Fiesta Gigantes event with music, food and other celebrations featured throughout the park. Additionally, the first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive a Chain Hat giveaway.
Sunday will be Star Wars Day at Oracle Park. The first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive a Grogu Bobblehead giveaway. I am incredibly jealous because they are very cute. Fans are encouraged to dress up, and will have photo opportunities throughout the park.
If you’re headed to the park this weekend, have fun! And make sure to share pictures!
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants take on game one of this three-game series against the White Sox tonight at 7:15 p.m. PT.
Mar 5, 2025; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (left) is tended to by a trainer after being hit by a pitch against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Just a month and a half into the season, the Colorado Rockies injured list has already seen its fair share of residents.
From long-term injuries like RJ Petit and Pierson Ohl (Tommy John surgery), to 15-day IL stints like Mickey Moniak (right finger sprain), Kyle Freeland (left shoulder inflammation), Jose Quintana (right hamstring sprain), Ryan Feltner (right ulnar nerve inflammation), Jimmy Herget (right shoulder impingement) and Chase Dollander (right elbow strain) to name a few, the Rockies — and every MLB team — always have players dealing with and recovering from injuries.
This keeps the Colorado training staff busy year-round. It also means they form close relationships with the players.
“We know a lot about the guys. In fact, when I was early in my career, the saying was ‘If you want to know about the player, ask the trainer,’” said Colorado assistant athletic trainer Any Stover said a Rockies Fest at Coors Field in January. “And I think that’s the whole truth. That’s one of the things that holds true.”
And it’s not just the players, but their families as well.
“One thing that people don’t realize is that we work for their families, too,” said Keith Dugger, the Rockies head athletic trainer. “So if somebody’s sick, or for their kids, we’re getting the pediatrician or doctors or family or OBGYNs, whatever it is. We’re kind of like the referral gatekeeper for the families, too.”
The day-to-day job
An average day throughout the season is busy for all members of the training staff. They have daily meetings, including before and after batting practice. They talk with players and give the coaching staff updates on the players.
“We give our status of our players and where we think they should be,” Dugger said. “We are the go-between for our management and the administrations to tell them, ‘Hey, you might either get him out of the game if it’s a blowout game,’ or ‘This would be a good day to get a break,’ or, ‘He’s played eight days in a row here,’ or ‘Altitude’s kicking his butt and he’s not sleeping. Let’s give him a break here on this next day game.’ So that’s kind of how we map out.”
A big part of gathering information on the players goes beyond what’s happening on the field.
“Players are real people too. They have real-life problems. They might not have slept. [Maybe] they have twins at home who kept them up all night,” Dugger continued. “So there is that pressure from outside that sometimes people don’t understand why they might be slacking on the field.”
The athletic staff works closely with the physical performance team to look at on-field production, strength and conditioning, what’s happening before and after games to help assess each player’s workload management.
Thanks to advancements in technology and sports science, the training team has lots of data to work with.
“We have tools, we have cameras now, we can look at how much somebody ran, how fast they ran. There’s a lot of things out there now,” Dugger said. “We have electronic devices that help us in the weight room, where maybe we’re doing the same exercises, but you’re talking about power. Now we have little machines that are telling us how much force they’re using, or how high they’re jumping.”
Injury prevention and management
A huge struggle is trying to prevent injuries, especially for pitchers in an era when major injuries and surgeries are more and more common.
“These guys are better, faster, stronger than they’ve ever been. More guys are throwing 100 miles an hour or harder, more than ever,” said Scott Murayama, the Rockies coordinator of major league rehabilitation. “We’re seeing a huge uptick in elbow injuries. I think that’s a legitimate fear of these guys getting hurt and trying to avoid that. The industry is definitely trying to get a handle on these arm injuries, but it’s tough.”
Whatever happens, the athletic team works together to assess, diagnose and make a plan. Murayama said they consider different perspectives, approaches, surgery options, and rehab possibilities that cater to each player, all while also focusing on injury prevention.
“The game’s changed. No doubt,” Dugger said. “Guys are throwing 100-plus miles per hour, which basically I call Ferraris. You can’t take Ferraris and drive them long distances all the time. They’re gonna be overworked, and that’s what happens with our bullpen or our starters.”
Dugger believes that the emphasis on velocity when players are young and the intense club circuits that youth players compete in can make players more susceptible to more serious injuries earlier in their careers. They may pitch faster, but they don’t pitch very many innings in high school or college. Then they are expected to take on large inning loads in their pro careers in longer seasons than they’ve ever played.
“One of the best predictors of the future is the history of the length a guy has thrown, if they’ve done it before, or if they’ve gradually made increments,” Dugger said. “It is a tougher game at this level. It’s a faster, longer season.”
Sometimes, when the Colorado training staff goes out on the field, it’s precautionary to check on something like a player being hit by a pitch. They talk with the player, decide he’s OK and retreat to the dugout. Other times, it’s more serious — like when Dugger has to remove a starting pitcher like Dollander in the second inning of his start against the Pirates on May 14.
Each situation and each player has to be handled differently, and each member of the training staff has their own role. This is why knowing the players so well is a vital part of the job.
“It’s like your own kids. You could be tougher on one individual than others. There are other guys you have to put your arm around, and kind of baby it, and you do little. Everyone’s a little bit different,” Dugger said. “I’m always the bad cop. They [as he pointed to the rest of the staff] are always the good cops. So I’m the mean guy.”
As of Thursday, May 21, the Rockies had one player on the 10-day IL (Brenton Doyle), four players on the 15-day IL and five on the 60-day IL. The athletic staff is managing the grind, helping players in their rehab (like Feltner’s Minor League ease in) and continuing to try to prevent and monitor each player. With a long season ahead, there is no doubt that the trainers will remain busy.
In a game to forget, the Isotopes were held scoreless for eight innings before Vimael Machín hit a solo homer in the ninth inning to prevent the shutout, while Las Vegas amassed 14 hits in a blowout win on Thursday. Machín and Cole Carrigg each posted two hits, combining for four of Albuquerque’s seven total. Valente Bellozo (0-3) took the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits with one strikeout and one walk, but the game really got out of hand when the Aviators scored six runs in the eighth.
Bryant Betancourt hit a two-run homer, Andy Perez doubled and tripled while driving in three runs and Jake Brooks threw a seven-inning gem to earn his first win of the season for the Yard Goats on Thursday. Brooks held the Fisher Cats to one run on a solo homer, six hits, four strikeouts and one walk to improve to 1-1 on the season. After falling behind 1-0 in the second, Betancourt hit his homer in the third to help Hartford take a lead it never lost. GJ Hill added a hit and scored a run and Conner Capel added a double and RBI.
Jack O’Dowd hit two homers, one with two runners on and his second with one runner on base, on a 3-for-4 night when he scored three runs to lead Spokane to a high-scoring victory on Thursday night. The Indians also took advantage of three Vancouver errors that led to four unearned runs. Tommy Hopfe added a two-run homer of his own, Jacob Hinderleider drove in two runs on two hits and scored a run and Robert Calaz also posted two hits and scored a run. Everett Catlett had a short, but effective start, giving up one run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 3.2 innings. Nathan Blasick followed with 2.1 scoreless, hitless innings for the win with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Quakes took advantage of three singles, two walks and a fielding error to put up a four-run second inning, earning a lead they never lost against Fresno. Roldy Brito doubled, singled, scored a run and drove in a run for the Grizzlies, while Clayton Gray added two hits and a run and Tanner Thach also recorded two hits and drove in a run. Angel Jimenez took the loss, giving up six runs (five earned) on with five hits, five walks and six strikeouts.
After hitting the ground hard on a diving catch attempt on Wednesday, Brenton Doyle moved to the 10-day IL with a left oblique contusion on Thursday. The Rockies also made other roster moves, including bringing up Chad Smith.
In case you aren’t yet familiar with the Rockies newest call-up, here’s a nice feature on the infielder who made his Rockies debut on Thursday night in Arizona. You’ll learn about his success at Triple-A Albuquerque and his super-fan grandmother, who lives in Phoenix and is his biggest fan.
Patrick Saunders talks about the benefits of having Jake McCarthy on the roster this season. In addition to his speed, he’s been hitting better lately. This article has some good quotes from Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 20: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates his two-run home run with Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 20, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox are certainly not back yet, but at least the brand of baseball is improving.
Boston swept the Kansas City Royals and finished a road trip (with multiple series) with a winning record for the first time this season. The Red Sox are 22-27 and keep creeping closer to .500, not that that should be some cause for celebration.
If nothing else, Boston looks better than the disaster that took place over the first month of the season. The Red Sox are 10-8 in May and reached that mark without Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet. In this delusional reality, the ballclub in the midst of a frustrating start sits just two games out of a playoff game.
That’s not to say they’re good yet. That’s not to say the wild-card race matters in May. What it does mean is that it’s pretty insane that they’re not out of the realm of contention by any means.
Give credit to the quality starting pitching and improved defense that’s dragged an insufficient lineup to a solid month of May so far. But at the end of the day, this conversation goes beyond the Red Sox. The real story here is that the American League is realistically in Year 3 of legitimate mediocrity.
As of Thursday, there are FIVE TEAMS in the American League with a winning record. Five! For reference, nine teams in the National League are over .500.
This issue stretches back the last two seasons as well. No AL team won more than 94 games in that stretch and postseasons formed without a true standout team. The Yankees cakewalked through the American League Central duo of the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians to reach the 2024 World Series before a swift defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Red Sox made the postseason with 89 wins in 2025. That’s the new reality of the American League. Gone are the juggernauts of even the end of the 2010s. Remember, the AL had three teams win 100 games or more in 2018 and the Red Sox beat the other two (Yankees, Astros) to win the World Series.
So this is not the powerhouse American League we’ve known for most of the 21st century. Instead, it’s a swirling pool of mediocrity without a king to take control. It’s unfortunate for baseball, but in this case, it’s beneficial for the Red Sox.
Despite the rough start that cost Alex Cora and several coaches their jobs, Boston can still realistically fight to play for October the rest of the way. The path to a division title is probably already gone as the team trails the Tampa Bay Rays by 11 ½ games for the top spot in the East.
The melting pot of fringe teams and six playoff spots is just the perfect storm for the Red Sox to do just enough the rest of the way under interim manager Chad Tracy.
It’s wild to think about how little it takes to be a playoff team in the American League. For the Red Sox’s sake, they should be thankful.
The Chicago Blackhawks are entering the off-season with multiple pending free agents. Matt Grzelcyk is among them, as the 32-year-old defenseman is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Grzelcyk was a decent veteran blueliner for the Blackhawks this season, as he recorded 12 assists in 69 games and was a good mentor for their younger players. Yet, with the Blackhawks' blueline being crowded, it is possible that Chicago will move on from the 10-year veteran.
Due to this, let's look at three teams that could target Grzelcyk if he hits the free agent market this summer.
Pittsburgh Penguins
It would not be particularly surprising if the Penguins considered reuniting with Grzelcyk this off-season. The Charlestown, Massachusetts native had the best season of his NHL career with Pittsburgh in 2024-25, as he set career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. With this, the possibility of the Penguins targeting Grzelcyk this off-season should not be ruled out.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks need to add to their defensive depth badly this off-season. They are entering the summer with several pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) defensemen. Due to this, they could be a team to keep an eye on when it comes to Grzelcyk. He could fit on their bottom pairing and could be a good mentor for the Sharks' young players if brought in.
The Philadelphia Flyers should be looking to improve their defensive group during the off-season. The free-agent market could have some interesting options to consider this year.
Because of this, let's look at three defensemen the Flyers could look to target if they hit the market on July 1.
Rasmus Andersson, Vegas Golden Knights
If the Flyers want to improve the right side of their blueline, Rasmus Andersson stands out as a clear potential target. He would give the Flyers a proven top-four defenseman who works in all situations and provides a bit of everything. In 81 games this campaign split between the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights, the 29-year-old blueliner had 17 goals, 47 points, and 149 blocks. He currently has four assists in 13 playoff games for Vegas.
Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks
If the Flyers want to boost their blueline, Mario Ferraro stands out as a prime potential target. The 27-year-old blueliner is a steady shutdown left-shot defenseman who would give the Flyers' blueline more bite. He could fit nicely on either their second or third pairing due to his ability to play both sides. He would also be a clear option for their penalty kill if signed. In 82 games this season with the San Jose Sharks, he posted seven goals, 23 points, 137 hits, and 150 blocks.
Darren Raddysh, Tampa Bay Lightning
If the Flyers want a purely offensive defenseman, Darren Raddysh is the big fish of this year's free agency class. The 30-year-old just had a monster season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, as he recorded 22 goals, 48 assists, and 70 points in 73 games. He also had 10 goals and 26 points on the power play, so he would provide Philadelphia's power play with a major boost if signed.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 20: Alex Caruso #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I am obsessed with the historical occurrence of the fad.
Fad is a word that sounds contemporary but is actually much older, having been coined back in the 1830s as a probable variation of the French word ‘fadaise’ (meaning a trifle and/or nonsense), which was ultimately derived from the Latin ‘fatuus’, which is basically another word for stupid.
And there have been a lot of stupid fads. Some have become lovable and enduring forms of nostalgic lore, like The Macarena, the Hacky Sack, andthe Hula Hoop. Others serve as an external testament to human gullibility and the power of marketing, like the Pet Rock, the Sauna Suit, and vibrating exercise belts.
No longer confined to the “fashion-craze” 1880’s definition of the word, the fad lives on as a societal organism, even in the age of the algorithm. It existed long before the word that we now use for it, and has endured through every phase of recorded history and technological advancement.
We’ve even cycled through a few in the NBA.
‘Positionless’ basketball. The proliferation of small-ball centers. The theoretical softness of European players. The idea that ‘tweeners’ (players who didn’t slot into a traditional 1-5) should be avoided in spite of skill.
There’s even one that’s become an integral part of the modern game: the ABA three-point line.
My favorite fad was introduced to the world in the early 90’s, an epoch rife with Pogs, and Slap Bracelets, with the immortal and quotidian Furby to come, perched upon the sculptured bust above my chamber door.
Magic Eye pictures, also known as autostereograms, were all the rage when I was child.
First published in books in 1991, autostereograms are two-dimensional images that can create the optical illusion of a three-dimensional picture within the 2D image when vision is manipulated in a specific way by the viewer.
One must look past the image in order to see this, to engage Stereopsis (a trick of depth perception caused by the different perspective each eye has of a three-dimensional scene), which is a difficult thing to explain to a 4-year-old.
I wanted to see the pictures so badly. My father did his best to help. He told me to focus on the two dots above the picture, and then relax my eyes until they turned into three, and then look down. No dice.
He told me to touch my nose to the picture, stare into space, and then slowly pull back. No luck there either.
Tantalized by the knowledge of pictures just beyond my sight, I stared at them for hours, patiently (and impatiently) waiting for something, anything, to pop out of the frame in the way that so many had described.
Staring at my television in Game 2, I found myself doing the same thing; trying to will myself into some vision beyond what I was seeing play out on the screen.
The officiating was jarring. Wemby was being manhandled both inside the paint and outside it by an unleashed and unchecked Isaiah Hartenstein. De’Aaron Fox was out recovering from a re-aggravated injury from the series before. Harper made his way up the tunnel, made a bid to escape Spurs staffers, and then vanished into the locker room yet again, with no one certain of the cause.
Stephon Castle was yanked about by the hair and fired errant passes with an air of increasing desperation and chagrin. And the physicality all but barred Keldon from his usual forays into the paint, as he went 4-12 and found himself being targeted by the swan-diving Thunder.
And it wasn’t that I couldn’t get the picture. I more or less had it by the end of the 3rd quarter. This was a loss.
It was one-sided, and ugly, and exactly the kind of defeat that could send even the most composed Spurs fans into a spiral, and that included me.
I was straining to see what the picture within the picture was.
What were all of these repeating frames and violations composing out of their shape and redundancy? I restarted the game after it was over and continued to stare at it, just as I had the Magic Eye books of my youth.
Everything seemed bad. It just did. There were a lot of things that I could tell myself to feel better, but the more I thought about it, the worse things seemed. The Spurs were down to one of their three all-star caliber guards. Both Game 1 and Game 2 had been called fairly unevenly, even though Game 2 had now glaringly overshadowed it.
Even if one (or both) of said guards returned, there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t be ushered right back off of the court if the same degree of physicality was going to be allowed. And even if it wasn’t, that was no guarantee of effectiveness from players with potentially nagging injuries.
An hour so later, I went back to bed, no clearer on the matter than before.
And it wasn’t until the following afternoon, sitting in my truck, locked out of my home and waiting on a locksmith, that it clicked for me. I was crossing my eyes.
It was something I had figured out after enough time spent gazing at autostereograms with no result. If I crossed my eyes on purpose, instead of waiting for them to adjust, I could make the shapes appear.
Instead of popping out of the frame, they would sink into it, creating the impression of the hidden shape. I was thrilled by this development until I told my father about it.
“You won’t be able to see all of the details that way”, he said to me, frowning slightly. “That’s why I didn’t tell you about it. I wanted you to be able to see the whole picture.”
The whole picture. That’s what I was missing. And the thing is, as I had eventually learned, you kind of have to relax in order to see it. And relaxation isn’t exactly one’s first instinct after a game like that.
So, closing my eyes, I went back over the game in my mind.
I saw Julian Champagnie and Castle going a combined 2-13 from three, a trend likely to reverse itself. I saw Devin Vassell putting in savvy work against Jaylin Williams, Jared McCain, and Isaiah Joe while dropping bombs near max efficiency. I saw Jordan McLaughlin put in quality minutes with little to no preparation, boding well if he has to play more, and becoming positive by default if Harper and/or Fox are able to play.
And then I saw the shape pop right out of the background. Long. Rangy. Swatting everything in sight and reach.
The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama. That’s the big picture. That’s the trump card that they have that the Thunder don’t. Sure, they forestalled him for a game. On their home court. With foul calls going almost entirely in their favor (or largely uncalled). After he bent Game 1 to his will like a raging Kaiju let loose in Oklahoma City.
This strategy of unchecked physicality is just a fad. Teams have been trying it out one after another because that’s the fashion. That’s what coaches, and front offices, and talking heads are thinking will work. They’re clinging to anything that offers some modicum of success. They’re hoping that it’ll stop Wemby.
But it hasn’t for long. It works in fits in starts — in sometimes, and quarters and halves.
It’s not a long-term solution. It hasn’t won a series. It’s not here to stay.
In the context of economic studies, fads are mean-reverting deviations from intrinsic value caused by social or psychological forces. They succeed only as a temporary extension of misguided belief, and then return to the mean.
Like mutton-chops, and hoverboards, and chopines (platform shoes), they exist as residue of human envy and enthusiasm for that which is novel and (often) absurd, and sometimes become a part of the fabric of civilization in enduring ways. Entire eras are colored and defined by them.
It’s possible that they are the debris of humanity itself. That they’ll cease to occur in the same gap of time that we cease to exist. But so long as the Spurs have Wemby, I expect them to keep popping up.
That’s how much players and teams are grasping at straws. The fads are the sign of the times.
And this is the time of the Wemby.
Takeways
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t big on Stephon Castle out of his draft class, but I knew the Spurs needed guards, and I did think that (if he could improve his shooting) he had a shot at becoming a pretty decent combo-guard. I was resigned to the Spurs drafting Castle, but I was really hoping they’d draft Jared McCain with their other 1st rounder (not being able to imagine a world where they landed Dylan Harper the following year). I say this so that you understand when I say that Castle has completely won me over. After a couple of months, I pronounced him Jrue Holiday 2.0, which I meant/mean as an absolute compliment. Holiday was one of my most desired players coming out of college ever (after LaMarcus Aldridge and Gordon Hayward), and I consider him to be the best two-way guard of the last decade. The thing is, though, that Holiday has historically been at his best running the point in stints, and sharing the back-court with other guards like Derrick White, Dame Lillard, and Steph Curry, and/or heavy assist forwards like Giannis, Middleton, Avdija, and Draymond Green. The same appears to be true of Castle, who creates value in so many ways that it’s really hard to fault him, or even really consider it much of a shortcoming. With Fox and Harper both out, though, it came to the forefront in a historically ugly way, and he and the coaching staff are going to have to figure this out, even in the event of the return of one (or both) of those guards. In fact, I’d like to see them go out of their way to make a point early in the next game that appropriate adjustments have been made and ram the ball down the Thunder’s collective throats. Castle has that kind of work ethic, fire, and grit, and I’m certain that he can do it with a strategy session beforehand.
I’m starting to think that the Spurs need to kick the tires on French Vanilla if/when the Thunder try to go back to some of their rough-and-tumble paint hijinks. As I understood it, this is exactly the sort of thing that Kornet was brought in for, so it’s odd not to see him used in that way, especially if the Spurs are content to just let Caruso fire away. If you’re gonna give that guy open threes, then who cares if you play two bigs? It just feels like a natural counter that needs to be shown when the Thunder play that hand, as I’m sure they will again.
After some inconsistent shooting performances, Devin Vassell has improved his shooting with every round. He shot 42 and 44% in the first two rounds, and 35% from three. So far, he’s been absolutely huge in this round, upping his shooting from the field to 46% and his long-distance shooting to 43%, in addition to the largely outstanding defense he’s put on display in the postseason. I know I’ve talked a lot about how insanely good Kornet and Champagnie’s contracts are, but even at 27 million, Vassell is giving them a real run for their money in terms of value, and his salary actually *drops* next year! San Antonio’s front office has to be the envy of just about every owner in the league, be they spend-happy or thrifty beyond belief. And to think they did it without cutting every reasonable expense in the process. I’m guessing that guy in Portland thinks he can outdo them, and boy, would I like to sell him the site of Iowa’s one-and-only shark attack if he thinks he can make that work.
