After the Montreal Canadiens’ 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild, former Canadiens’ star defenseman P.K. Subban took to social media to talk about current Hab blueliner Lane Hutson. While the 21-year-old has been snubbed by Team USA for the Milano-Cortina twice now, the ESPN hockey analyst believes he should be in the conversation for the Norris Trophy this season.
Subban believes that Hutson impacts the game at both ends of the ice, offensively and defensively, thanks to his competitiveness and drive. He sees him as a leader who galvanizes the young Canadiens, and a player who craves the big moments, who wants to be THE guy in those big moments.
According to Subban, not only should Hutson be in the conversation, but he has a legitimate chance of winning the Trophy, before adding that anyone who doesn’t believe he should be in the conversation is “absolutely nuts”. Unsurprisingly, he also believes that Team USA is making a mistake by not taking the youngster to the Olympics.
Subban was a Canadiens’ second-round pick (just like Hutson) at the 2007 draft and spent the first seven seasons of his 13-season NHL career in Montreal. He played 434 games with the Canadiens, putting up 278 points, including 63 goals. He’s the last Canadiens’ defenseman to have won the Norris trophy back in 2012-12, when he put up 38 points in a lockout-shortened 48-game season in which he played 42 matches.
A reportedly polarizing figure in the Canadiens’ dressing room, Subban was traded to the Nashville Predators on June 29, 2016, for Shea Weber, who would go on to become the Canadiens’ 21st captain. As for Subban, he spent three years in Nashville, reaching the Stanley Cup Final once but falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, before being traded to the New Jersey Devils during the 2019 offseason. He played the last three years of his career with the Devils, who then decided not to offer him a new contract, which led to his retirement from the game.
The Colorado Avalanche lost a game in a shootout yet again last night, but long before that, it was clear that the Avalanche weren’t exactly locked into a highly intense contest. Lukas Dostal had a great game and nearly secured the shutout if not for a one-timed beauty from Artturi Lehkonen late in the contest. Even with that, last night’s game watched like a late-night infomercial, and I’m not in the market for any non-stick pans. I had this article queued up before the Avs and Ducks put us to sleep, but the game solidified my opinion. The Colorado Avalanche are bored.
I don’t want this article to be perceived as a slight to the Avalanche organization or players. I am simply pointing out what we all know. It’s human nature not be all that interested in inconsequential contests. The same season in which Colorado has a 10-point lead on the rest of their division, 77 points in 48 games played, all of the NHL will come to a pause to make way for the grandaddy of them all. International high-stakes hockey. It would only be human nature for the likes of Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon to feel like they are just biding their time before things get going in Milan, Italy.
Moreover, this team as a whole has already proven it’s a dominant regular season team, but the true proving grounds and arena of opportunity come in the postseason. This is yet another cup-or-bust year, smack dab in the middle of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar’s prime. The remaining 34 games of the regular season are gonna be slow going.
Dallas downgrading
The only saving grace for high-stakes hockey on a nightly basis early on in the season was that the Dallas Stars were just about keeping up all along the way, that is, until recently. Dallas being hot on the Avalanche heels gave Colorado plenty to play for, as winning the division should mean avoiding the Stars and the Minnesota Wild, who should still take two and three in the Central.
The Avalanche experienced some injuries lately, finally dropped a game in regulation at home, lost consecutive games again, and are 5-3-2 in their last ten. Guess what Dallas is up to? They are 3-5-2 in their last ten, including a three-game losing streak.
— Starcastic Remarks-THPN Stars Podcast (@StarcasticR) January 2, 2026
Colorado has faced more adversity than ever as of late, and what has it cost them in terms of the standings and their big lead? Absolutely nothing.
Now I’ll never root for the Dallas Stars, but I would actually be pretty annoyed if they lost to the tune of being a wildcard team and a potential first-round matchup. So I guess Dallas needs to win some more games.
Reason for concern
I’m not writing this as some hard-hitting analysis or take, but mostly pointing to something that could rear it’s ugly head in the future. A wise man once told me that we are only as good as our habits, and it’s super hard to maintain great/elite-level habits when the stakes aren’t that tangible. That’s what makes these guys pros, and that will be the challenge for the rest of the regular season.
We saw Nathan MacKinnon appearing plenty passionate in Colorado’s bounce-back win over the Capitals earlier in the week, which is a good sign. He will have to fabricate and convince himself more than ever this regular season that it’s about the details and habits.
I think they are in good hands with Bednar at the helm, as he seems to be fine with keeping his big-name guys out when the opposition shortens their bench. Even when they have a stranglehold on the division.
I suppose it’s better to ease up now and save the best for last. I just hope that switch flips with ease, because sometimes that’s not the case. Would hate for that to pop up at the worst possible time. That’s exactly what has happened to other clubs in the past, namely the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning and the 2022-23 Boston Bruins.
The Phillies announced Thursday that infielder-outfielder Weston Wilson was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.
Wilson, 31, spent parts of his first three Major League seasons with Philadelphia. Across 100 games with the club, the utility man slashed .242/.328/.428, tallying 20 extra-base hits.
Wilson initially joined the Phillies on a minor-league contract in January 2023 and began receiving more consistent playing time in 2024, when he appeared in 40 games.
That season, he posted an .836 OPS across 98 plate appearances.
His most memorable moment came on August 15 against Washington, when he hit for the cycle. Wilson became the 10th player in franchise history — and the first rookie — to accomplish the feat, doing so during the Phillies’ broadcasters in the stands game.
Wilson struggled to find consistent footing in 2025, hitting .198 across 52 games.
When the Phillies made J.T. Realmuto’s signing official Tuesday, the corresponding move was designating Wilson for assignment, opening a spot on the 40-man roster.
The emergence of Otto Kemp provided the Phillies with additional positional flexibility off the bench, alongside Edmundo Sosa, who can handle multiple infield positions.
The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres meet for the second time in the span of a week on Thursday, January 22.
Both of these Atlantic Division teams find themselves firmly in playoff spots, and the Sabres are looking to end an egregious 14-season playoff drought.
My Sabres vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks suggest another high-scoring thriller between these two offense-centric teams, with Lane Hutson continuing to cement himself as one of the league's best defensemen.
Sabres vs Canadiens prediction
Sabres vs Canadiens best bet: Lane Hutson 1+ assists (-150)
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson has taken his seemingly nonsensical omission from the American Olympic team personally.
The sophomore leads all defensemen in assists this season (43) and is only two points behind Cale Makar for the lead among blueliners. Over his last 21 games, Hutson has 26 helpers — four more than any other defenseman has points over that span.
Bill Guerin's least favorite defenseman has six apples in his last three games, including two against the Buffalo Sabres a week ago.
Sabres vs Canadiens same-game parlay
On a related note, Alexandre Carrier is another Habs defender who has been on fire lately. Not only does he have four goals in his last five games, but the Quebec City native leads the entire NHL with 26 blocked shots in his last eight games.
His 113 blocked shots are good for fifth in the league this season, and for good measure, the 29-year-old now has more points than Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault.
Montreal, despite being the league's youngest team, trails only the Colorado Avalanche in scoring and has tallied 4+ goals in five of its last six against Buffalo.
Montreal has won five of the last six and seven of the last 10 games against Buffalo. Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Sabres vs Canadiens
Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Date
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSG Sportsnet, TSN2
Sabres vs Canadiens latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Ten days ago, I threw a challenge into the void. I went to The Feed and asked, in full Stephen Crowder fashion, for someone to change my mind on the idea that the Suns should stand pat as the trade deadline approaches.
And I am still right where I was then. I like this team as it is built. I like the depth. I like the balance. Power forward remains an area of opportunity, sure, but I do not see anything out there that feels both attainable and worth disrupting what they have going.
Before we dive in, I want to say this sincerely. Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to think through it, to type it out, and to engage with the exercise. I know how much work that is, because I live in a keyboard most days. You all brought thoughtful ideas and real effort.
So now let’s get into it. Let’s walk through what the community had to say, and I will explain where I agree, where I disagree, and whether anything actually moved the needle for me. Let’s explore.
jrm2020: Lauri Markannen
Several of us have been advocating for acquiring Lauri Markenen from Utah for the past several weeks. To repeat some of the rationale presented: fills the Suns biggest position of need with size, experience, proven scoring and rebounding (currently averaging more PPG than anyone on the Suns), and is around the same age as core vets like Booker, Brooks, and Allen. It would be a serious all-in win now move that would immediately raise the team’s ceiling to what I believe would be the level of a true contender. Also, the Jazz have a serious incentive to tank enough to guarantee a top 8 pick so to avoid it being conveyed to OKC. Would definitely requiring sacrificing something of real value to get him, and the Suns probably don’t have enough of the draft capitol that Utah probably primarily wants, but maybe by involving a third team something could be cobbled together to satisfy them. I’m not aware of the Jazz’s position on moving him now, but he’s certainly been rumored as being a target for other teams, so why not us?
I am not anti-Lauri Markkanen. I like him as a player, and I understand the appeal. On paper, his addition feels like a clean next step in properly building around Devin Booker. He grades out as a highly productive player on both ends per B-Ball Index, and from a pure roster construction standpoint, the fit makes sense. At least on the surface.
Where it falls apart is the cost. That is the real hang-up. And jrm2020 nailed the key issue. The Suns probably do not have the draft capital Utah would want. That is correct. But it goes deeper than picks.
Markkanen is making $46.4 million this season. Even with a third team involved, you are talking about moving real money and real depth to make the math work. I am not there yet. Not with how this team feels right now.
This is the type of move you revisit in the offseason. Especially once you have clarity on Jalen Green. He is the kind of financial piece that could eventually help grease the wheels on a deal like this. But right now, the timing is off. The Suns do not have the draft assets to realistically land Markkanen, even with creative accounting and extra teams involved. Neither player is on an expiring deal either. Green would still have two years left after this season. Markkanen has three, with his contract climbing to $53.5 million by 2028-29.
The idea makes sense. The reality does not.
Making this move now would be a full pivot. One that strips depth to chase a single outcome. Utah would want picks. Phoenix does not have enough. Other teams can beat that offer easily. Exploring it right now feels like an exercise in futility.
I would rather let this season breathe. Evaluate Jalen Green. Ride the momentum. Cashing in every chip for a move like this, right now, feels premature.
Mind changed? Interesting theory, but I’m standing pat.
Jtasher: Bobby Portis
The one person I am interested in is Bobby Portis. Good size PF who is tough, can shoot the three and has that mad dawg personality that will fit with the rest of the team. Also someone who has nba experience in the playoffs. But I do not think green should be traded for him and I do not think either o Neal or Allen are enough to get him (without expending draft capital). For the bucks, I think he is available to maybe convince Giannis to stay (if they get an upgrade) or if they blow every thing up. If so a third party may be needed to give them the return on what they want or us to get him.
Bobby Portis is a really interesting name, because he checks a lot of the boxes for what this team could use at the power forward spot. He’s 6’10”, at 30 he fits the timeline, and brings the toughness and edge this team clearly values. He plays with aggression, rebounds with intent, and can stretch the floor. The shooting is the eye catcher. He is hitting a league-best 47.4% from three right now, which is absurd.
He is making $13.4 million this season with two years left, the final year being a player option. From a math standpoint, you can build a deal that works. What does that look like?
It is not complicated. Milwaukee gets some financial relief and a first-round pick, even if that pick has been passed around so much it barely feels real anymore. Maybe you sweeten it with another asset and call it a day.
This is the type of move I can at least talk myself into. But there are roadblocks. The first is that what the Suns have at that position has actually been working. Portis would fit, but disrupting what is clicking always gives me pause.
The bigger issue is Milwaukee. They are struggling at 18-24, but they are in the East. With Giannis Antetokounmpo, a run is always on the table. I am not sure they want to rock the boat that hard.
And then there is the draft reality. The Bucks have fewer picks than the Suns after years of pushing chips in for Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard. If Portis ever truly hits the market, Phoenix should absolutely knock. The problem is other teams will likely have more ammunition to force that door open.
Mind changed? My skepticism is wavering.
Headz77: Jeremy Sochan
O’Neal for Sochan. I think it works straight up, and makes sense for both teams. Might even get the Suns out of the luxury tax?
First off, why can nobody spell Royce O’Neale’s last name correctly? Seriously. It is not only the community. Our own writers battle with it regularly, and I swear I have spent an unreasonable portion of my life editing those letters back into the proper order.
Now, Jeremy Sochan. He has never really done it for me. Yes, he plays hard. Yes, he brings toughness. If you are a team starving for edge and effort, I get the appeal. The Suns are not that team. They already have that. Other teams need Jeremy Sochan. Phoenix does not.
He is shooting 25.7% from three this season and sits at 28.7% for his career. In this hypothetical, you are giving up an elite three-point shooter for someone who hustles, rebounds a bit, and brings energy. That has value. It does not have value here. He would not start. He would come off the bench. At 6’8”, without a three-point shot, living on effort and physicality.
And that is where I get stuck. Do we not already have that guy? His name is Ryan Dunn.
Mind changed? If anything, the needle just moved the other way.
sdhx19: Jalen Smith/Grant Williams
I have 2 names in addition to Portis, who might be the best case. One is our own Jalen Smith, who is in top 50 in rebounds per 36, can protect the rim, shoot the 3 and is somewhat buried in Chicago. The big Q is is he quick enough to defend consistently on the perimeter but either way I think he can be very useful here. 2y ~9m per year.
The other is just returning from injury, Grant Williams from CHA. He is tough, can reb and shoot the 3, not the quickest feet but will provide if healthy. As we know we do business with CHA regularly. he has 2y ~13m per year so he is obtainable.
You really did get a two-for-one here.
Time is a flat circle, right? The guy drafted instead of Tyrese Haliburton and Devin Vassell. The guy who actually fit what the Suns needed at the time, then never got a consistent runway. Jalen Smith. He is making $9 million this season, which makes acquiring him incredibly easy from a math standpoint.
On a middling Bulls team, he has played 36 games, started 6, and is putting up 9.4 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting a respectable 34.7% from three.
When it comes to Stix, I keep coming back to the same question. Why? Is it because we think we need a bigger body? If that is the case, I would rather funnel those minutes into Oso Ighodaro or Ryan Dunn, both cheaper, both already here, both still in the development phase. I want to see what they actually are instead of bringing back a retread because we talk ourselves into needing size.
The only way I can sell this to Chicago is as a financial reset. You pitch it as expiring contracts. Nick Richards expires. Nigel Hayes Davis expires. You frame it as freeing up money instead of paying Smith $9.4 million next year for a player you are not fully invested in anymore.
And here is the real problem. Chicago does not do things like this. They never have. They never seem interested in getting better or cleaner financially. It is honestly impressive in its own way. Every year it is the same cycle. Hover around the Pla-In. Lose. Run it back. No aggressive trades. No draft maneuvering. Unless Sacramento is calling, the phone stays quiet. They are not rebuilding. They are not contending. They simply exist.
Mind changed? Status quo: preserved.
Now Grant Williams. Is the goal here to become the most hated team in the league? Because if that is the mission, we are halfway there already with Grayson Allen and Dillon Brooks. Should we complete the villain arc and bring Grant Williams into the mix, too? And while we are at it, is Charlotte the only team we are allowed to trade with anymore?
I have zero interest in Grant Williams. Start with the ACL. That stuff lingers, and it usually takes a full season after the return before a player looks like himself again. Then add the rest of the résumé. Undersized. Loud. Has rubbed locker rooms the wrong way everywhere he has been. Boston moved on. Dallas moved on. Now he is parked in Charlotte, drifting.
Would he fit the culture? Maybe. But I do not want to give up anything this team currently has to make room for Grant Williams wandering around the rotation. And can you imagine him and Dillon Brooks sharing the floor? That is not defense. That is a complimentary free-throw package for the other team. Fouls. Technicals. Whistles nonstop. Candy on Halloween. Hard pass.
Mind changed? That logic doesn’t live in my neighborhood.
That was a fun exercise, and I landed in the same place I started. Bobby Portis is the one name that genuinely makes me pause and think. Outside of that, nothing I have seen feels strong enough to change how I view this team or what it is becoming.
This roster is built to compete right now, and I did not expect to be saying that at this point of the season. I am thankful that I am. But I do not believe in making moves for the sake of making moves. This team has depth. It has flexibility. Yes, power forward remains an area where size could help, but depth matters, and any addition risks disrupting that balance.
The Suns are not hunting the way the Sixers are for perimeter shooting. They are not scrambling the way the Lakers are to prop up an expensive top end with duct tape depth. This team is balanced. It knows who it is. I have no appetite to upset that right now.
They can compete. They can disrupt. They can make noise in the playoffs without touching a single button. And being in that position, unexpectedly, is a really good place to be.
Writing a primer on a player who it feels like Mets fans simultaneously don’t know very well but also know intimately well in Luis Robert Jr. is an interesting position to be in. The 28-year-old Cuban-born center fielder defected in 2016 and signed with the White Sox the following year, spending his entire career until this point with an American League club the Mets rarely face off against. But the Mets have also been connected to Robert in trade for nearly two full calendar years at this point and his name has been brought up at least a handful of times every trade deadline and offseason since 2024 as the Mets searched for answers to their center field problem.
If there is an overarching pair of themes that tell the story of Robert’s career, it’s injuries and sky-high potential. Robert made his spring training debut for the White Sox in 2018 and hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning, but then landed on the injured list for two months because he sprained a ligament in his thumb while sliding into second base in the game. That spring debut ended up being a microcosm for Robert’s White Sox career.
Robert’s major league debut came in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, before which he signed a six-year, $50 million contract with the White Sox before appearing in a single big league game. That contract included team options for 2026 and 2027; the White Sox picked up Robert’s 2026 option in November prior to the trade and the Mets will now be responsible for Robert’s entire $20 million salary this season. The 2027 option is also for $20 million with a $2 million buyout. Robert won a Gold Glove in his first major league season and came in second in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting. Robert also helped carry the White Sox to their first postseason berth in over a decade—shortened season wackiness notwithstanding—and hit the longest postseason home run in White Sox history in the Wild Card round against the A’s. Things were off to a promising start for the young outfielder.
He carried that momentum right into the 2021 season, in which he hit over .300 in his first 25 games before suffering a complete tear of his right hip flexor on May 2—the first of a string of devastating injuries Robert would have to deal with in his young career. That hip flexor tear cost him three months, but in only 68 games and just shy of 300 plate appearances in 2021, Robert still amassed 3.4 fWAR. Robert’s production fell the following season, as he put up a 111 wRC+ in 2022. Though he played more games (98) than in 2021, he still suffered multiple more minor injuries that year, including a sprained wrist in September that prematurely ended his season.
Robert’s best year of his career by far was his age 25 season in 2023 when he played nearly a full season (145 games), over which he put up 5 WAR, hit 38 home runs, drove in 80 runs, and stole 20 bases—all while playing elite center field defense (12 OAA). He earned All-Star honors that year, won the Silver Slugger, and came in 12th in the AL MVP voting. Though Robert still has potentially a lot of years left to play at age 28, that 2023 season unfortunately represents the zenith of his professional career so far. Perhaps most notably, Robert has not sniffed 38 home runs before 2023 or since.
In all, according to data from FOX Sports, Robert has had over thirty—that’s right 30, as in, three-zero—IL stints in six big league seasons. That’s, well, a lot of injuries. And they are not all bumps and bruises either. Some of these are significant soft tissue injuries that led to lengthy absences. Robert played in just 53% of possible games from 2021 to 2023 and has failed to reach the 145-game high-water mark from 2023 in either of his past two seasons, which have been injury-riddled and mediocre. His 2024 and 2025 seasons were basically carbon copies of each other with an 86 and 85 OPS+ respectively, worth 1.4 bWAR each, and 210 games played across both seasons.
That all seems pretty grim, but there is plenty of reason for optimism here. Even with his history of lower body injuries, Robert maintains excellent—and flashes of brilliant—center field defense with 7 OAA in 2025, landing him in the 93rd percentile. This is certainly in keeping with David Stearns’ vision for improving the team defensively. Robert also maintains elite sprint speed and stole 33 bases last season—a career high. On the offensive side of things, his bat is as speedy as his legs; the inimitable Sarah Langs pointed out that only Robert, Julio Rodríguez, and Oneil Cruz had both sprint and bat speeds in the 90th percentile or better in 2025. That is encouraging company to keep. If you take a gander at xwOBA, Luis Robert’s was the same in 2025 as one Cody Bellinger—he who put up a well above average offensive season last year, was one of the most anticipated and coveted free agent bats this offseason, and was connected to the Mets for many weeks before signing with the Yankees yesterday.
To phrase it charitably, the White Sox are not known as one of the more forward-thinking or advanced organizations in the sport. Of course, when it comes to injuries and realizing the potential evident in the underlying hitting metrics, there is some luck involved. But there is also good injury prevention strategy and hitting instruction involved too and the Mets are likely better positioned than the White Sox in these arenas to help tip the odds of 2023 Robert reappearing in their favor. And while I do think people often wave “change of scenery” around like a wand, hoping that a new team will magically fix all of a player’s woes, lifting the fog of the heinous vibes that come with three consecutive 100+ loss seasons from Robert’s view probably can’t hurt.
It’s easy to see the appeal of this trade on both sides. The Mets have traded a blocked infield prospect with no options remaining and a starting pitching prospect from a farm full of excellent young arms for a player still in his twenties who they have been targeting for years, fits the roster perfectly, and whose potential they think they can maximize. Luisangel Acuña will now have the privilege of everyday playing time to hopefully be the best version of himself. For the White Sox, Robert is the talented, but oft-injured last bastion of a core that fell spectacularly short of expectations and was slowly jettisoned, piece by piece. And Robert also committed the greatest sin of all: making money without providing the bang for that buck consistently enough. For Mets fans still aching over the scattering of our own core of the first half of the 2020s, take comfort in the fact that unlike the team from whence Robert came, this is not a teardown. Unlike Robert was in Chicago by the end of his tenure, Pete Alonso was not the only bright spot in the abyss. At best, Mets fans can dream on Robert putting up a dynamic and fun to watch 5 WAR season, solving (at least in the short-term) the team’s longstanding center field quandary, and being a part of the beginning of the Mets’ next era of success. At worst, if Robert is injured and/or underperforms, as has been the case of late, the Mets have overpaid—something they can afford to do—for one mediocre season that still has a decent chance of exceeding the production the Mets got from center field in 2025.
Ah prospects. Sometimes they really hurt you. After watching the Detroit Tigers pass on Zach Neto and instead select Jace Jung in the first round of the 2022 amateur draft, there was some hope of redemption in the second round. The Tigers picked up an athletic shortstop with power out of the University of Oklahoma named Peyton Graham, and for a while I expected he’d add muscle to his reedy 6’2” frame and take advantage of his power and plate discipline to reach the majors as at least a platoon player who could handle the shortstop position effectively.
Things have not worked out that way. Graham spent much of the 2023 and 2024 seasons battling injuries. He missed half a season in 2023 after getting hit in the face by a pitch. In 2024 he was hit by another that broke two fingers. Beyond those injuries he’s had various minor sprains and strains that he’s had to work through. And after three full seasons of A-ball, he still hasn’t made the strength gains required to reduce the need for his long, high effort swing and all out approach to playing the infield.
Graham was never going to be a quick mover to the big leagues, but the progress required to keep his higher end projections hasn’t materialized. It was easy to be patient after all the injuries coming into 2025, but he needed a a strong move to the Double-A level in 2025 to keep a platoon player future on the board. Instead, he had a good year with the West Michigan Whitecaps without any real breakthroughs and didn’t make the leap to the upper levels.
Graham hit seven homers, 23 doubles, and three triples in 100 games in 2026. He also stole 20 bases for the Whitecaps, slashing .283/.366/.423. He did manage to trim his strikeouts down to a reasonable 20.8 percent, walking in 9.8 percent of his at-bats. Zone discipline has never been the issue for him, but ultimately those numbers don’t matter much without more progress in his overall quality of contact.
Despite his slender frame, Graham will still show you above average juice on occasion, but he just hasn’t developed the physicality to simplify his swing and still relies on a lot of moving parts to generate his quality batspeed. He starts early and is often caught a little off balance or just plain late, leading to a lot of pop-ups on pitches up in the zone. There’s plenty of hard line drive contact and stretches where he’s catching the ball out front and driving more pitches, but it just hasn’t sustained it well enough. In 2025, he finally caught fire for a while from mid-May to mid-July hitting all seven of his home runs on the year in that stretch. For a while things were looking pretty interesting. But then he cooled down after the All-Star break before finishing strong in the Whitecaps postseason run to the Midwest League championship.
As a shortstop, Graham’s main flaw was just generally being too busy. He has good reactions and a solid glove, but his all out style led to too many errant throws. He has the arm strength to play third base, and enough speed to play the outfield corners well, and the Tigers started getting him more work in all those positions in 2025 while Kevin McGonigle took the reps at shortstop. Graham did improve as a defender this season and played much more within himself, looking like an above average second baseman who is solid at third as well. He can handle shortstop too, but he’s fringy there and fits a lot better at second base in particular. He didn’t get that much work in the outfield, but should be able to handle the corners reasonably well with more reps.
There would be a little more optimism if Graham hit left-handed, but the path for a right-handed hitting utilityman is exceedingly narrow. His development was short-circuited early on by the injuries, and I’ve always thought he would be a late bloomer, but it’s getting pretty late indeed. His raw power is still a lot better than most utility types, and his improved defense helps his case to a degree, but raw power doesn’t help unless you’re getting to plenty of it. It was at least a positive sign that he was finally looking more like the player the Tigers were hoping for in the middle of the season. Graham will be in Erie this season, and we’ll see if he can build on the modest progress he made in 2025.
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at outfielder Michael Helman.
Michael Helman was one of the good, fun stories of the maddening 2025 Texas Rangers season. If the Rangers had been able to pull off that improbable September comeback and make the playoffs, he would have entered the pantheon of unexpected sports heroes.
Shades of Francisco Cabrera, whose two out pinch hit single in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS off of Pirates closer Stan Belinda, with the Braves down one, sending the Braves to the World Series, after having just 11 major league plate appearances in the 1992 regular season.
Or Tom Lawless, who hit a three run homer off of Twins starter Frank Viola in Game 4 of the 1987 World Series, giving the Cardinals a lead in the game they wouldn’t relinquish. Lawless was on the Cardinals’ roster all season, rarely played (this was back in the days of 10 man pitching staffs, when National League teams had seven bench guys), and had two hits all season — the first not coming until August 12, in Game 113, and the second not coming until the final regular season game of the year.
Can you imagine what it would be like, in 2026, if a position player was on a team’s roster all year and didn’t have a hit until mid-August? Social media would be all over it. He would become a meme. Late in blowouts, fans would be chanting for him to be put into the game, like college basketball fans calling for Olivier Roux late in a Florida Gator blowout, or Mavs fans in the late 80s chanting for Dennis Nutt.
Drafted in the 11th round in 2018 out of Texas A&M by the Twins, Helman finally made it to the bigs in 2024 with Minnesota, getting 10 plate appearances in 9 games and somehow managing to play four different positions in that small stretch. He was acquired by the Cardinals right before spring training started last year for the always popular cash considerations, was claimed on waivers by the Pirates in May, followed by the Rangers claiming him on waivers less than a week later.
Helman was AAA depth for the Rangers, and as such, got summoned a couple of times to the bigs during the summer for short stints, and was fine, didn’t embarrass himself, did what you hoped a depth guy called up to patch a hole for a short time would do.
When half the team was struck down by the injury gods in August, Helman was brought back up once again, and asked to play a more regular role. It doing so, it is fair to say, he exceeded expectations.
For about a month, Helman was spectacular. He hit. He played great defense. He was dynamic. In a particularly memorable pair of games, he drove in all five Rangers runs in a 5-0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers, blowing the game open in the fifth with a grand slam off of Jose Quintana, then hit a game tying homer the next day to help the Rangers to what would be a 5-4 win against the Brew Crew.
From the time he was called up on August 23 through September 13, when the Rangers won their second straight game against the Mets, putting them just two games back in the A.L. West and for Wild Card spots 2 and 3, Helman slashed .294/.345/.627 in 56 plate appearances, while making some dazzling catches in center field. The Rangers’ unexpected surge while missing so many key players was driven by unexpected guys, including Helman.
Alas, we know how things turned out. After that September 13 win in New York, the Rangers wouldn’t win again for 11 days, losing eight straight and crashing out of the playoff race. And after September 13, Cinderella Helman turned into a pumpkin, slashing .162/.205/.216.
For the season, Helman put up a .232/.290/.455 slash line in 110 plate appearances, giving him an impressive 1.0 bWAR. Very good results from him, and part of why the Rangers were playing meaningful games in the final month of the year. It led to some talk that he should be penciled into the Rangers 2026 plans, part of the Opening Day roster, getting a platoon role in the outfield, with possibly the opportunity to do even more.
Looking under the hood, though, the underlying metrics for Helman were not as good as the raw numbers would suggest. They were, in fact, kind of awful.
Helman didn’t walk much, and struck out at an average rate. Combined with his middling batting average, it means that he had a sub-.300 OBP. His offensive value was primarily derived by his hitting for a surprising amount of power — five home runs in 110 plate appearances, a rate higher than he had shown even in the minors.
The batted ball data isn’t encouraging about how sustainable that would appear to be. Helman’s average exit velocity was near the bottom of the league, as was his hard hit rate. His stint with the Rangers resulted in a .250 xwOBA and a .323 xSLG.
Michael Helman provides value to this team on the 40 man roster as depth, a guy you can stash in AAA and bring up if someone is hurt and you need a fill in on the active roster for a week or two. He’s fast and can play good defense in center, which has value.
But he does not appear to be someone who is going to hit enough to have a meaningful role on a major league team. He turns 30 in May, and his OPS for Round Rock last year was 744, the same as it was in the big leagues, weirdly enough. He has a career .255/.327/.446 slash line in 266 games in AAA. He’s the 39th or 40th guy on a 40 man roster, someone you like to have available, but also someone who is going to be a waiver wire candidate when you need a 40 man spot at some point.
Robert Eckl Sr. and Robert Eckl Jr., Jack Wenninger’s grandfather and uncle, respectively, both played baseball at the University of Wisconsin, but Jack decided to not follow in their footsteps, instead committing to Murray State University after graduating from Cary-Grove Community High School in 2020. Wenninger’s numbers in his freshman season were only pedestrian, posting a 5.26 ERA 51.1 innings over 16 games with 46 hits allowed, 27 walks, and 42 strikeouts. He entered the transfer portal after the season and transferred to the University of Illinois, where head coach Dan Hartleb saw promise in his size, increasing fastball velocity, and improving secondary pitches.
Overview
Name: Jack Wenninger Position: RHP Born: 03/14/2002 (Age 24 season in 2026) Height: 6’4” Weight: 210 lbs. Bats/Throws: L/R Acquired: 2023 MLB Draft, 6th Round (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 2025 Stats: 26 G (26 GS), 135.2 IP, 114 H, 53 R, 44 ER (2.92 ERA), 42 BB, 147 K, .288 BABIP (Double-A)
The right-hander appeared in 15 games in his first season with the Fightin Ilini in 2022 and posted a 5.71 ERA in 34.2 innings over 15 appearances, allowing 30 hits, walking 21, and striking out 30. That summer, he pitched for the Wausau Woodchucks of the Northwoods League and posted a 2.54 ERA in 46.0 innings over 10 games- all starts- allowing 37 hits, walking 21, and striking out 42. He returned to Illinois for the 2023 season and became a mainstay the team’s weekend rotation. The right-hander appeared in 15 games, starting 14 of them, and posted a 4.59 ERA in 80.1 innings, allowing 69 hits, walking 28, and striking out 76.
Following the conclusion of the season, he pitched some supplementary innings with the Williamsport Crosscutters of the MLB Draft League. The right-hander made three starts there and allowed 6 earned runs over 11.0 innings while allowing 9 hits, walking 7, and striking out 19. In early July, the Mets drafted Wenninger in the 6th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the 186th player selected overall, and signed him to a $225,000 signing bonus, below the MLB-assigned slot value of $299,800. Wenninger appeared in two combined games with the FCL Mets and the St. Lucie Mets to finish out his year and allowed 2 earned runs in 2.1 innings, giving up 1 hit, walking 2, and striking out 4.
Wenninger was assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets to begin the 2024 season and struggled early on. The 22-year-old hurler appeared in 15 games for them, making 10 starts, and posted a 5.02 ERA in 71.2 innings, allowing 67 hits, walking 23, and striking out 89. He was promoted to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones in mid-July and finished out the season in Coney Island, having a much better go at it, assisted by the pitching friendly confines of Maimonides Park. Appearing in 10 games and making 9 starts, he posted a 3.12 ERA in 43.1 innings, allowing 40 hits, walking 17, and striking out 51. Altogether, he posted a combined 4.30 ERA in 115.0 innings in his first professional season, allowing 107 total hits, walking 40, and striking out 140; his 140 strikeouts were second-most in the entire Mets minor league system, trailing Jonah Tong and his 160 punchouts.
Promoted to Double-A Binghamton for the 2025 season, Wenninger was even better. Pitching in the shadows of more noteworthy prospects such as Nolan McLean, Joan Tong, and Brandon Sproat, Jack Wenninger was just as good, appearing in 26 games for the Rumble Ponies and posting a 2.92 ERA in 135.2 innings, allowing 114 hits, walking 42, and striking out 147. For a second consecutive year, his strikeout total was the second most in the system (tied with R.J. Gordon), behind Jonah Tong once again. The right-hander ended his season on as high a note as possible, shoving in the Eastern League Championship winner, throwing five innings and allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out a whopping eleven.
The 6’4”, 215-pound Wenninger has a high-waisted frame, throwing from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a simple delivery that utilizes a leg kick and a long arm action through the back. He gets good extension off the mound and keeps his upper and lower halves in sync. His arm is clean, loose, and repeatable, allowing him to consistently throw strikes and keep unintentional walks to a minimum.
The right-hander throws both a four-seam and two-seam fastball, the latter used moreso against right-handed hitters to keep them honest with an offering that breaks towards them. Both fastballs sit in the low-to-mid-90s, with his four-seam fastball velocity up in 2025, topping out at 98 MPH on occasion but comfortably averaging 94 MPH. Thanks to his tall frame, extension, and high arm slot and release point, the pitch gets above-average ride up in the zone.
Wenninger’s main secondary offering is an extremely effective split change. The pitch is a plus offering, sitting in the low-to-mid-80s with a low spin rate that causes it to absolutely drop off the table. He can throw it in all four quadrants of the zone, throwing it up and letting it drop in for strikes and throwing it low and letting it drop out of the zone for chases and whiffs. He is comfortable throwing the pitch against left-handed and right-handed batters, the pitch’s horizontal movement breaking in on right-handed hitters in addition to its downward dive.
Coming into the 2025 season, Wenninger supplemented his fastball-changeup combo with a cutter, curveball, and slider that were all get-me-over offerings that flashed average, but he has refined his arsenal since. His cutter and slider, already brothers on the pitch spectrum, have melded into a single pitch, a tight mid-80s gyro slider. Using a different grip, his curveball now has more bite to it. Both breaking pitches are now average offerings, their effectiveness amplified by his ability to command them and throw them for strikes.
The improvements made to his arsenal have helped minimalize the reverse platoon splits that he was beginning to show. In 2024, right-handed hitters averaged a .262/.336/.409 batting line against him in 254 plate appearances, while left-handed hitters averaged .213/.275/.324 against him in 248 plate appearances, a difference of roughly .150 OPS points. In 2025, right-handed hitters averaged a .237/.280/.381 batting line against him in 321 plate appearances while left-handed hitters averaged .208/.294/.338 against him, a difference of roughly .030 OPS points. His batted ball data also has marginally improved, with his groundball and flyball rates both improving slightly.
2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List
11) Mitch Voit 12) Jonathan Santucci 13) Elian Peña 14) Zach Thornton 15) Nick Morabito 16) R.J. Gordon 17) Chris Suero 18) Dylan Ross 19) Ryan Lambert 20) Antonio Jimenez 21) Edward Lantigua 22) Eli Serrano III 23) Randy Guzman 24) Daiverson Gutierrez 25) Boston Baro
The quest of the Cincinnati Reds to never again be last while feigning interest in actually being first continued over the last week whether they liked it, or not.
Off the board came Kyle Tucker, first, whose signature with the Los Angeles Dodgers further solidified their modern Evil Empire status. The New York Mets, meanwhile, had been heavy on Tucker all winter, and losing out on him caused a domino effect where they pivoted to Bo Bichette on a big AAV deal to further crowd their infield mix. That threw the Philadelphia Phillies into flux, as they’d been big on Bichette all winter, and they subsequently pivoted back to their old friend JT Realmuto, inking the backstop to another deal to once again solidify that part of their roster.
Bichette, an infielder, caused a bit of a logjam on the Mets roster, and they responded by unloading former top prospect Luisangel Acuña to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for mercurial outfielder Luis Robert, Jr., in whom the very Reds once reportedly had kicked tires.
During this flurry, the New York Yankees finally struck terms with Cody Bellinger for a long-term return, while the Los Angeles Angels chimed in with their own rendition of ‘reunion’ by signing Yoan Moncada to a 1-year, $4 million contract that, in theory, would’ve suited the Reds perfectly had they not chosen to take on the some $30 million due to Ke’Bryan Hayes at the hot corner. Then, last night, the Mets struck again by landing Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers, who themselves seem committed to attempts at winning in 2026 with one hand tied behind their back.
(They’ll probably still find a way.)
The flurry of moves gives two clear indications. First, obviously, is that pitchers and catchers begin to report to spring camps in only three-ish weeks and rosters need to be finalized. Second, though, is that the Cincinnati Reds are once again going to play the patience card and wait around to see which remaining free agents are left in the bargain bin.
They still need middle infield help. They could still really use an established outfielder given that TJ Friedl – who missed a ton of time in 2024 – is the only guy they’ve got on-roster who’s recently filed away a full year of good production out there. They likely could use someone who can play all over the place and hit left-handed after the trade of Gavin Lux, who was going to make $5 million, hit left-handed, and not really be able to play anywhere.
The Reds were never going to be in on any of these players because each of these players actually requires being paid market rate for their services. But, now that they’re flying off the board quickly, the rosters of the competition of the Reds are beginning to be solidified, reducing the number of places the remaining names on the market might otherwise have sought out – and that gives us a bit clearer picture of who is realistically on their radar.
Old friend Eugenio Suarez is out there and would be incredibly fun to have back…if the Reds were willing to use Spencer Steer a lot in LF and if Geno’s real with the idea of not ever really playing 3B again. Austin Hays and Harrison Bader are still out there looking for work, too, though it doesn’t appear the Reds have a ton of interest in retaining either of their services for a second time. The same seemingly goes for Miguel Andujar, though the Reds have at least had their name pop up a time or three in connection with him during his otherwise slow winter.
There’s also the curious case of Luis Arraez, who can hit whenever and play nowhere despite his batted-ball profile being more or less exactly what this current iteration of Reds front office slash managerial staff wants out of each of their players. I’m not saying I love the fit, I’m just saying he’s exactly what the Reds seem to want from a bat and at this juncture his dried-up market might well push him into we’ll spend it territory for an otherwise frugal Reds ownership group.
It’s been a pretty rapidly developing free agent tumble the last week even if the Reds themselves haven’t yet dived in.
Bo Bichette is projected to slash .294/.339/.445 (121 OPS+), while Jorge Polanco is projected to hit .253/.327/.446 (118 OPS+).
As far as Marcus Semien, who is coming off two down seasons, he is projected to bounce back a bit and be literally a league average hitter (100 OPS+).
The projections are bullish on Juan Soto, with him slashing .271/.408/.524 (163 OPS+) with 37 home runs, 103 RBI, and 109 runs scored.
Francisco Lindor (123 OPS+) and Francisco Alvarez (112 OPS+) are also projected to have strong offensive campaigns.
STARTING ROTATION
Traditionally, the ZiPS projections for innings totals and ERA for starting pitchers can skew conservative, and that's reflected a bit in the Mets' numbers.
Freddy Peralta (3.87 ERA/9.7 K/9), Clay Holmes (3.90 ERA), and Nolan McLean (3.94 ERA) are all projected to have sub-4 ERAs.
A bounce back is projected for Kodai Senga (3.82 ERA) but not Sean Manaea (4.51 ERA).
Top prospect Jonah Tong is projected to have a 4.07 ERA while striking out 10.1 per nine.
BULLPEN
A big season is projected for closer Devin Williams, with a 3.14 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 57.1 innings (a rate of 12.4 per nine).
Luke Weaver is projected to have a 4.30 ERA, with solid seasons in the cards for A.J. Minter (3.53 ERA) and Brooks Raley (3.79 ERA).
Luka Doncic and the Lakers make the long trip to Inglewood to take on James Harden and the Clippers tonight.
The Lakers are coming off a 115-107 win in Denver Tuesday night against the Nuggets. Doncic was dominant scoring 38, pulling down 13 rebounds and handing out 10 assists to lead LA to their second straight win. LeBron James added 19 points and Marcus Smart chipped in 15. The Clippers’ six-game winning streak was snapped Tuesday night when the Bulls routed them in Chicago, 138-110. It was the second half of a back-to-back for the Clips who could not overcome the absence of Kawhi Leonard (ankle/knee). James Harden had 24 points in the loss.
After starting the season 6-21, the Clippers are 13-3 in their last 16 games. That run has moved them from the cellar out West to tenth place and a spot in the play-in game. The Lakers are 5-5 in their last ten games but still sit tied for first with the surprising Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division.
This matchup boils down to the Clippers’ commitment to defend against the Lakers’ offense. Over their last 16 games, the Clippers are allowing just 108 points per game. The Lakers do not play much defense but are efficient on offense averaging nearly 117 points per 100 possessions (No. 7 in the NBA).
This is the third meeting of the season between these teams. The Clippers took the most recent encounter, winning 103-88 on December 20. The Lakers outscored the Clips on November 25, 135-118.
Lets take a closer look at the matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Lakers at Clippers
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 10PM EST
Site: Intuit Dome
City: Inglewood, CA
Network/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
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Game Odds: Lakers vs. Clippers
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Lakers (-108), Los Angeles Clippers (-112)
Spread: Clippers -1.5
Total: 223.5 points
This game opened Lakers -1.5 with the Total set at 223.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Lakers at Clippers
Lakers
PG Luke Doncic
SG Marcus Smart
SF Jake LaRavia
PF LeBron James
C Deandre Ayton
Clippers
PG James Harden
SG Kris Dunn
SF Kawhi Leonard
PF John Collins
C Ivica Zubac
Injury Report: Lakers at Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves (calf) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Adou Thiero (knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard (knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) is OUT for tonight’s game
Derrick Jones (knee) is OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Lakers at Clippers
The Clippers are 11-9 at home this season
The Lakers are 14-8 on the road this season
The Clippers are 20-23 ATS this season
The Lakers are 23-19 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 25 of the Lakers’ 42 games this season (25-17)
The OVER has cashed in 21 of the Clippers’ 43 games this season (21-22)
The season series is tied at 1 game apiece
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Lakers and Clippers’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Clippers on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Clippers -1.5
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 223.5
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It feels increasingly likely that MacKenzie Gore will be on the Nationals Opening Day roster. Those odds only went up when the Mets swung a trade for Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. The teams desperate to make a move for a starting pitcher are decreasing by the day. With that in mind, it really feels like MacKenzie Gore will be getting the ball on Opening Day.
BREAKING: The New York Mets have acquired All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, sources tell ESPN. Deal is done. Top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat are headed to Milwaukee. One more big league pitcher will head to the Mets.
This offseason I have been mostly operating under the assumption that Gore would be dealt. The southpaw only has two years of team control remaining, and the Nats seem unlikely to be true contenders in the next two years. Gore is also a Scott Boras client, making an extension unlikely.
When you consider these factors, not trading Gore feels like a risk. Pitchers come with more injury risk than ever these days. Tommy John Surgery looms like a dark cloud for pitchers. If Gore suffers a major injury, his value would be gone. However, Paul Toboni appears willing to run that risk.
There is some payoff to keeping Gore. If he has a strong first half, his trade value could increase at the deadline. It is also possible that the Nats surprise some folks, though I do not think Toboni is counting on that. For me, holding on to Gore just feels like a big risk.
Teams have had a clear appetite for starting pitchers on the trade market this offseason. Shane Baz, Edward Cabrera and Freddy Peralta have all gotten impressive returns. Peralta is the best pitcher of the group, but only has one year of control. That did not stop the Mets from giving up multiple top 100 prospects.
One of my favorite analysts Lance Brozdowski wondered if that package would have been enough to get Gore. A package of Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat certainly would have excited me. Sproat is a high floor arm that should be a middle of the rotation piece. Williams is a potential spark plug at the top of a lineup.
Ok, hear me out, but how far off was a Jett Williams + Brandon Sproat package from getting MacKenzie Gore? 🤔
Most baseball fans, including myself, see Peralta as a much better pitcher than Gore. He is certainly more proven, with multiple All-Star appearances and a top 5 finish in NL Cy Young voting last year. Brozdowski actually said he thinks they project similarly in 2026, which really surprised me.
If you look at some of the advanced numbers, you start to see his point though. Over the last two seasons, Gore has a FIP of 3.64, while Peralta’s FIP sits at 3.90. Peralta had a 2.70 ERA with a 3.64 FIP last year, while Gore had a 4.17 ERA with a 3.74 FIP. It sure seems like Peralta is a regression candidate. I would take Peralta next year, but it is closer than I first thought.
With the Mets out of the Gore sweepstakes and February approaching, it sure feels like MacKenzie Gore will remain a Nat. There have been multiple reports that the asking price for Gore is sky high. Yankees reporter Jack Curry said the Bronx Bombers have discussed Gore, but have been turned off by the asking price.
The Yankees have spoken with the Brewers and Nationals regarding Freddy Peralta and MacKenzie Gore, but the prices remain extremely high, according to @JackCurryYES. pic.twitter.com/aYyHSEHa9K
This report came out a couple days ago, which is interesting. The Yankees traded for Marlins lefty Ryan Weathers about a week ago. I thought that trade would take them out of the mix for Gore. However, this does not appear to be true. Gore has proven to be much more durable than Weathers, so it seems like the Yankees want more of a sure thing.
The Yankees were also rumored to be in on Peralta, so Gore could be the fallback option. However, they don’t have that much incentive to move off their demands, given the fact they have Weathers already.
Other potential suitors include teams like the Giants and the A’s. Prying first baseman Bryce Eldridge away from the Giants would be a dream scenario. The Nats desperately need first base help and Eldridge is a local product. It does not seem like the Giants have put him on the table though because that deal would have probably happened already if he was.
The A’s are a team that has intrigued me for a while. They have a playoff caliber lineup, but a weak rotation. Gore would give them an arm with top of the rotation upside, something they do not currently have. He also fits within their budget as well. They have plenty of young talent for the Nats to choose from as well.
However, I don’t think we will see a Gore trade this winter anymore. I was confident it would happen, but as we get closer to Spring Training without a deal, it feels less likely. Personally, I think the Nats should trade him, but I understand not wanting to settle. Paul Toboni is taking a risk here, but it is one that could pay off.
We’re struggling to remember the last time a Sam Hauser 3-pointer touched anything but the net. It certainly didn’t happen on Wednesday night against Indiana, with all five of Hauser’s triples finding nothing but twine.
Hauser has made 25 3-pointers in his last five games. Consider this: There are 279 players in the NBA who haven’t made 25 3-pointers all season. Yes, Hauser has more 3-pointers in a week than half the league has made in half of the season.
Still, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster for Hauser in 2025-26. He came into the new campaign as a starter on a robust $10 million per year extension, but got shuffled to the bench after three games due in large part to Boston’s rebounding woes. Hauser’s shot was off at times to start the season, and his minutes dipped below even his average on Boston’s recent talent-surplus teams.
Even in those moments, Hauser was a positive for the Celtics when he was on the court. But now his shot is falling, and he’s given an already-potent offense another jolt while shuffling back to the starting role.
Let’s crunch the numbers on all the ways that Hauser is helping Boston thrive when he’s on the court:
The turnaround
Let’s get the shooting discussion out the way. After some woes to start the season — at least by his lofty, above-40 percent-on-3-pointers standards — Hauser has found his groove over the last 16 games. Just look at the spikes in his scoring and shooting efficiencies:
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Most notable: Hauser was shooting 32.1 percent on all pull-up 3-pointers through the first 26 games. He’s up to a sizzling 52.4 percent over his last 16 games.
Catch and shoot will always be Hauser’s bread and butter — and even that percentage jumped 12.8 percent to 47.2 percent in his last 16 games — but he’s creating all sorts of quality attempts lately, including some sneaky moments where he puts the ball on the floor and ventures inside the arc.
Nothing but net for starters
The Celtics’ starting five featuring Hauser is outscoring opponents by a whopping 19.2 points per 100 possessions over 149 minutes of floor time this season.
Among the 40 five-man lineups in the league with at least 100 minutes played this season, Boston’s starters rank fourth in net rating behind only lineups from Oklahoma City, Denver, and — surprisingly — Charlotte.
Narrow that down to the 25 lineups with 120+ minutes this season, and Boston’s starting five vaults to second in net rating, trailing only the Denver starters when Nikola Jokic was healthy.
The Celtics rank second in the NBA in offensive rating this season at 121.3, trailing only the Nuggets (121.5).
Quick decisions, good ball security
Hauser is a perfect fit for the starting group in part because his presence forces defenders to stay attached and creates space for teammates. What’s more, he makes quick decisions and takes care of the basketball.
The stat crunchers at BBall Index note that Hauser ranks 74th out of 513 NBA players this season in quick-decision pass percentage, with 86 percent of his touches lasting 0.5 seconds or less. Hauser ranks 57th out of 513 players while committing 1.75 turnovers per 100 touches.
His bad-pass turnovers have crept up a bit this season, but he’s routinely valued the ball throughout his career and is a willing ball-mover when he doesn’t have a quality look.
It’s still comical to watch players trip all over themselves trying to go at Hauser in isolation. Hauser routinely competes in those situations, all while avoiding fouls by keeping his hands up. In fact, the numbers suggest he’s been the best isolation defender on the team this season.
Opponents are averaging 0.68 points per play in isolation against Hauser this season, the best mark of the 10 Boston players who have defended enough possessions to qualify. Opponents are shooting 28 percent in those instances and turn the ball over on 11.8 percent of those possessions. Hauser ranks in the 89th percentile among all isolation defenders.
Overall, the NBA’s tracking data suggests that opponents are shooting 0.7 percent below expected output when Hauser is the nearest defender. That’s another solid number considering the variety of players Hauser defends.
On Wednesday night against Indiana, Hauser spent multiple turns on Pascal Siakam. He had one excellent isolation stop early in the game, then got beat off the dribble later in the game and committed a tough and-one foul.
Still, Hauser commits fouls on just 2.3 percent of his team’s plays, which is an elite number for a player routinely tasked with defending an array of wings and bigs. What’s more, he commits shooting fouls on a mere 7.4 percent of his contested shots, which ranks in the 89th percentile for his position.
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Sam Hauser has been one of the Celtics’ best isolation defenders this season despite routinely drawing tough matchups.
Cleaning the glass
Hauser also quietly does a nice job on the glass. His defensive rebound percentage is up to 14.6 this season, which would be the best full-season mark of his career.
Boston grabs 69.8 percent of available defensive rebounds with Hausers on the court this season, the third-best mark on the team behind only centers Luka Garza (72.0) and Neemias Queta (70.2).
Final thoughts
While Hauser’s reputation hinges heavily on his shotmaking abilities, he continues to find ways to positively impact the Celtics beyond scoring.
In a league where shooters with other skills are some of the most valuable commodities, Hauser is a true luxury, particularly while accounting just for 6.5 percent of the cap this season, even as his extension kicks in.
With the NBA trade deadline lingering, and the Celtics having only a limited amount of tradable contracts, Hauser’s name will invariably be floated at times. The last few weeks have been a firm reminder of how valuable he is to this team and its quest to return to title contender status.
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images