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The NBA’s 10-team tanking spectacular will produce disgusting basketball

DALLAS, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 03: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks controls the ball during the second half against the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Center on February 03, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. 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 Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The NBA trade deadline charts the course for the rest of the season, and now it’s in the rearview mirror ahead of the 2026 playoffs. In the wake of the trade wreckage, there’s a small inner circle of championship contenders, and a slightly larger group of teams with a puncher’s chance of winning it all. Some teams, even good ones, realized they probably have no shot at the title, so they decided to simply cut their payroll or make smaller moves around the margins that could impact the roster next year. Then there are the teams whose top objective was maximizing their ping-pong balls for the upcoming NBA Draft lottery for a stacked 2026 class with three potential No. 1 overall talents leading the way. Read our latest 2026 NBA mock draft for more on this class.

It was easy to see a massive tank race eventually forming even before this season started. Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and BYU wing A.J. Dybantsa were all no-brainer elite prospects coming out of high school who were destined to leave NBA GMs salivating. When North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson and Houston guard Kingston Flemings also emerged as excellent prospects in their own right, the 2026 draft had a legit top-5 that rivals any in my 13 years on the beat here.

The current NBA rookie class is already so good, and next year’s could be even better. As the trades were going down on deadline day, I noticed there were a ton of teams incentivized to lose every game the rest of the season if they could. It might be even worse than it looks:

Three of the biggest trades at the deadline involved tanking teams as buyers: the Jazz acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. for a package headlined by three future first-round picks, the Wizards made a shocking deal for Anthony Davis, the Pacers went out and got Ivica Zubac for two premium future first round picks. Does that mean that these teams are going to start trying to win games immediately?

Of course not! Utah’s pick is top-8 protected to the Thunder, and they just pulled all of their starters with a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost. The Wizards have already indicated Davis and Trae Young probably won’t play a game for the organization this season. Zubac had been healthy and productive for the Clippers this season, and now the Pacers will have to figure out how to proceed with him after trading a top-4 protected 2026 first-round pick that morphs into an unprotected 2031 first-rounder if it lands in the protected zone.

NBA draft lottery odds by spot and rules

The bottom three teams all have a 14 percent chance at the No. 1 overall pick and a 52.1 percent chance to land in the top-four. Final lottery positioning is still important: teams can only fall a maximum of four spots after the lottery, meaning the team that finishes with the worst record can do no worse than the No. 5 pick, the team with the second-worst record can’t fall further than No. 6, and so on.

Here are the odds for the No. 1 pick and each top-4 slot from every spot in the lottery:

At this point, the entire bottom-10 is incentivized to try to lose out. Let’s run through the stakes for each team looking at the standings as of Tuesday morning:

  1. Sacramento Kings (12-43): Tried to win with veterans like Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Russell Westbrook, and DeMar DeRozan, but never had any chance. The roster never fit, and most of the key pieces struggle to impact winning despite putting up solid numbers. This tank is as ethical as it gets, but this franchise just feels hopeless.
  2. Indiana Pacers (13-40): Gap year without Tyrese Haliburton. Pick is traded to the Clippers for Zubac, 1-4 protected. The Pacers basically decided they only want Boozer, Peterson, Dybantsa, or Wilson, and were otherwise willing to give up the pick. Pacers brass is going to be watching the lottery with bated breath. Indy deserves lottery luck more than any other team after watching Haliburton get hurt in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year.
  3. Washington Wizards (14-38): The Wizards will be resting Trae Young and Anthony Davis the rest of the season it seems. Washington’s rebuild could suddenly look really interesting if they can land inside the top-4.
  4. New Orleans Pelicans (15-40) -> Atlanta Hawks: The Pelicans traded their unprotected 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta to move up to select Derik Queen. New Orleans was always in danger of being horrible this season, and that’s exactly what happened. The Hawks played their cards perfectly and could luck into a top prospect without tanking.
  5. Brooklyn Nets (15-37): The Nets owe a pick swap to the Houston Rockets next year, so they need lottery luck now while they can still get it.
  6. Utah Jazz (16-37): The Jazz are blatantly tanking by resting their starters in the fourth quarter. The Jazz would seemingly love to keep Dybantsa in Utah.
  7. Dallas Mavericks (19-33): The Mavs have to get lucky in the lottery too without control of their first-round pick until 2031 due to trades the franchise made to build around Luka Doncic. Whoops. Dallas cashed in on a 1.8 percent chance from the No. 11 spot last year to Cooper Flagg, and needs to find him a co-star this year.
  8. Memphis Grizzlies (20-31): Traded Jaren Jackson Jr. after trading Desmond Bane over the summer. The Grizzlies are loaded with future picks and are set to rebuild around Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, and the rest of their young core.
  9. Milwaukee Bucks (21-30): The Bucks can pick as high as No. 2 this year with lottery luck, because the Hawks have the most favorable of their pick and the Pelicans’ pick. The front office probably wants the team to try to lose out, but will Giannis Antetokounmpo push them to compete if he comes back healthy?
  10. Chicago Bulls (24-30): The Bulls have refused to tank for years, but finally played the role of sellers at the trade deadline. If the NBA wants to reward teams who don’t lose on purpose, the Bulls deserve some lottery luck. They haven’t had a top-3 pick since they selected Derrick Rose at No. 1 in 2008 despite having the NBA’s fifth-worst cumulative record since the start of the 2017-2018 season. The Bulls have some solid role players, but they haven’t had a superstar in a long, long time.

The NBA’s tanking problem could solve itself after this year … for a little bit

Why did the Jazz and Wizards both make win-now trades for veterans after being long-time tanking teams? My theory is because the 2027 NBA Draft doesn’t look like it’s worth tanking for. While we knew prospects like Victor Wembanyama, Cooper Flagg, and Cameron Boozer were studs by the time they were sophomores in high school, there’s no one that looks the part of a future NBA superstar yet in the current senior class. I’d say the top prospects in 2027 right now are Tyran Stokes, Caleb Holt, and Anthony Thompson, but none of them are even close to a sure thing. The 2028 NBA Draft also doesn’t have an obvious top prospect at this point.

Obviously, a lot can change between now and the day of the 2027 and 2028 drafts, but at this point I’m expecting weaker classes the next two years. I want to stress I could be very wrong about that, but it’s just how it feels right now based on the top player juniors and seniors plus the international classes. My guess is the Wizards and Jazz wouldn’t have made their deadline deals if another Wembanyama or Flagg was coming next year.

Every draft has good players, even bad ones. I covered the 2013 NBA Draft here when Anthony Bennett went No. 1. That was a bad draft. It also had two Hall of Famers picked after the lottery in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert, plus a ton of solid players mixed in. My two cents is that every draft has good players, but not every draft is worth tanking for.

The NBA has already introduced anti-tanking measures this year. These are all up for debate:

There’s nothing the NBA can do this year to discourage tanking. I predict the next two years won’t have anything like this tank race.

The lottery has given us some true stunners in recent years. The Hawks moved from No. 10 in the lottery to the No. 1 pick in 2024. The Mavericks moved up from No. 11 to win the rights to Cooper Flagg. That’s some hope to cling to for Chicago, Milwaukee, and Memphis right now.

Most teams still have about 30 games left before the end of the year. That means there’s going to be a lot of bad basketball in the name of trying to get the best odds possible to land a top prospect. I don’t think this will be an issue every year, but there’s no saving the NBA’s competitive integrity for the rest of this season.

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Hockey gets underway in Milan this week. Here’s a reminder of the Olympic rules.

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 09: Players of Team United States pose for photographs during training on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 09, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Hockey will get underway this week at the Milan Olympics featuring NHL players for the first time in more than a decade.

Here’s a reminder and refresher that the rules at the Olympics will be a bit different than when you watch your typical NHL game.

During the preliminary rounds of the Olympic hockey tournament, if games are tied after regulation, there will be a five-minute 3-on-3 overtime, followed by a five-player shootout if the tie isn’t broken.

In the quarterfinals and semifinals, the overtime period will be extended to ten minutes.

In the gold medal game, there will be no shootout, but the overtime period will be played as 3-on-3.

During the Olympics, fighting is not allowed and the penalty for doing so is ejection. Playing without a helmet subjects players to a minor penalty.

Roster sizes allow teams to have a maximum of 23 players, consisting of 20 skaters and 3 goalies.

Teams are allowed to dress two more players than allowed during NHL play, meaning that a game lineup can feature 13 forwards and 7 defensemen.

Rink sizes at the Palaltalia Santa Giulia and the Fiera Milano arenas will be NHL-sized, smaller than traditionally used for the Olympics.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will also be captaining Team Canada for this year’s Olympics, the same role he served for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

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What are your favorite and least favorite things about spring training?

Feb 25, 2021; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; A general view from the left field corner of Clover Park during New York Mets spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.

What are your favorite and least favorite things about spring training?

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Meet new Red Sox infielder Caleb Durbin

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 11: Caleb Durbin #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers is hit by a pitch in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at American Family Field on July 11, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Who is he and where did he come from?

Caleb Durbin is an infielder who played college baseball at D-3 Washington University (in St. Louis) and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 draft. He was traded from Atlanta to the Yankees after the 2022 season for Lucas Luetge, and then again to Milwaukee after the 2024 season as part of a package that landed Devin Williams. A year later, Durbin comes to the Red Sox from the Brewers, along with fellow infielders Anthony Siegler and Andruw Monesterio and the 67th draft pick (Comp B), in return for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan, and infielder David Hamilton.

Is he any good?

It depends on where you’re setting your expectations. If you’re looking for the middle-of-the-order power bat that Craig Breslow stressed was a top need on multiple occasions, you’re not going to find that with the 5’7”, 183 lb. Durbin. 

What you will find is someone with an average-to-plus hit tool, who can make the plays defensively at multiple positions, with a lot of speed on the bases. Durbin slashed .256/.334/.387 in his rookie season, with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases, which led to third place in Rookie of the Year voting. 

The ball is usually put into play when Durbin is at the plate. He was one of only five qualified hitters in all of MLB who had less than a 10% strikeout rate (9.9%), but also had just a 21st percentile walk rate (5.9%). On Monday, Breslow noted Durbin’s Air Pull%, which is well above average at 20.4%. For a right-handed hitter at Fenway, that’s never a bad thing, both for home runs and for doubles. 

Defensively, Durbin started 119 games at third base, but just three games at second base for the Brewers in 2025. He was a +5 in Defensive Runs Saved at 3B, but was exactly in the middle of the range with a “0” in Outs Above Average on Statcast. He can also play shortstop in a pinch. With an emphasis on a staff filled with groundball pitchers, Durbin should be part of an improvement on the defensive side in 2026. 

TL;DR, just give me his 2025 stats. 

136 G, 506 PA, .256/.334/.387, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 60 R, 18-for-24 SB, 5.9 BB%, 9.9 K%, 105 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR

Show me a cool highlight. 

Here’s a walk-off homer by Durbin against the Padres on June 7th of last year. And, really, what’s better than a walk-off homer?

View Link

What’s he doing in his picture up there?

He’s getting hit by a pitch, something that Durbin can do with the best of them. He led the National League with 24 HBPs a season ago. While that may seem like a flukey stat, there is an art to getting hit by a pitch. If you have ever had a teammate who got hit by a ton of pitches and always found a way to make it look like an accident, you know what I’m talking about. Durbin had double-digit HBPs in each of his three minor league seasons, in significantly fewer plate appearances. 

In fact, the Red Sox have brought the top two in HBP over from the NL, as new first basemen Willson Contreras was hit by 23 pitches a year ago. Is it possible that this was intentional?

In Durbin’s case, as mentioned earlier, his 5.9 BB% was in the bottom quarter of the league. But what if you include his 4.7 HBP%? A “walk rate” of 10.6% doesn’t sound so bad, and it’s a higher rate than Durbin strikes out at. In general, hit batsmen happened on 1.1% of the plate appearances in MLB in 2025, and Durbin was drilled at more than 4X that rate. 

What’s his role on the 2026 Red Sox?

There were no definitive answers on day one from Red Sox executives, nor Alex Cora. It seems like Durbin would slot in at either second or third base, with Marcelo Mayer playing at the other spot. Upon prospect graduation, the 6’3”, 188 lb. Mayer had a 60-grade arm on Baseball America, where Durbin had a 50-grade arm. My best guess is that Mayer, with more size and a bigger arm, will play third base with Durbin starting at second, a position that he played the majority of the time coming up through the minor leagues. When left-handers are on the mound, Mayer may take a seat in favor of second baseman Romy Gonzalez, which may slide Durbin over to third base on those days. Roster Resource currently projects Durbin to hit seventh in the lineup behind Carlos Narvaez and ahead of Mayer, at least against RHP.

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Are you more excited about the Guardians this year than last, or less?

CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 29: Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians attends a press conference announcing a new seven-year contract through 2032, which extends the contract by four additional seasons, at Progressive Field, on January 29, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Last year, the Guardians completed the largest comeback in MLB history to win the AL Central.

This year, the entire roster is set to return, with several top prospects knocking on the door to debut.

However, the team has slashed payroll by almost $30 million and failed to find a proven centerfielder or a proven right-handed lefty masher for the middle of their order. They also will be without elite closer Emmanuel Clase and up-and-coming young starter, Luis Ortiz, who are likely to be out of baseball entirely after allegedly gambling on the game. Meanwhile, the Tigers have signed Guardians’ nemesis Framber Valdez to pair with Tarik Skubal.

Are you more excited for 2026 than you were for 2025? Why or why not?

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Are The Canadiens The Team That Has Had The Most Disallowed Goals For Goaltender Interference?

The Olympics break gives us plenty of time to observe, analyze, and reflect on what we’ve seen so far this season in the NHL. One topic that has been of interest to me on the NHL media site is the coach’s challenges statistics. Last week, I took a look at the offside challenges to see if Montreal Canadiens’ coach Martin St-Louis was right when he said he felt his team had lost a lot of goals to offside challenges. This week, I thought it could be interesting to look into goaltender interference challenges.

Of the 163 coaches’ challenges that have been initiated this season, 67 were for goaltender interference, and they led to 24 goals being disallowed. For a 36% success rate, given the fact that an unsuccessful challenge leads to a minor penalty, one has to be careful when using that from the coach’s toolbox.

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How many times has Martin St-Louis tried to use it? Twice. How many times was he successful? Once, against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was unsuccessful when he pulled that card against the Colorado Avalanche, but there was no harm done since they managed to kill the penalty.

Which team has used that card the most? The Washington Capitals made six challenges, two of which were successful. Their four unsuccessful challenges led to two power-play goals against the Ottawa Senators and the Vancouver Canucks.

Four teams have made 5 coaches’ challenges: the Calgary Flames, the Blackhawks, the Senators, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Calgary was successful twice and didn’t give up any power-play goals when the challenge failed. Chicago also saw two goals being disallowed, and didn’t give up any power-play goals either. As for Ottawa, goals were disallowed twice, and there was no harm done on the power play conceded. Meanwhile, none of the Penguins’ challenges were successful, but they only gave up one power-play goal.

Just one team made four coaches’ challenges: the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Ontario outfit was successful three times but allowed a power-play goal when its challenge failed.

Which team has suffered the most from interference calls? Chicago. Conor Bedard and Co. are the only team with three goals disallowed, while eight teams had two, and five teams (including the Canadiens) had one.

It’s interesting to see that the Hawks, who are one of the teams that have used the challenge more often, are also its biggest victims. As for the Canadiens, it appears that they are much more disciplined around the net than they once were, back when Brendan Gallagher was younger, for instance.

Only twice this season has a team challenged a Canadiens’ goal for goalie interference. In contrast, in 2015-16, the first year those stats are available, a Habs’ goal was challenged for goaltender interference nine times, leading to four disallowed goals. There’s definitely been some progress there.

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Flyers Will Get Good Look at Top NHL Draft Prospect in Olympics

The Philadelphia Flyers can get a big piece of their 2026 draft scouting done just by watching the Winter Olympics this year.

Of course, the Flyers will be tuned in to see how the likes of Travis Sanheim, Dan Vladar, and Rasmus Ristolainen fare, but it's not just their own guys - veterans - who they want to keep an eye on.

Latvia, an underdog nation that always poses a tough fight regardless of their talent deficiencies, will be boasting a teenaged NHL draft prospect expected to be a top-15 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in June.

Defenseman Alberts Smits, a 6-foot-3 rearguard who is already playing in his second pro season in Finland's Liiga with Jukurit, is primed to feature on a Latvia squad that has only Florida's Uvis Balinskis ahead of him in terms of NHL-level talent.

Rodrigo Abols probably would have been able to give the Flyers the inside scoop if it wasn't for his injury, but the Flyers will just have to watch Smits play for themselves instead.

Smits, 18, has played 37 games for Jukurit this season, scoring six goals, seven assists, and 13 points. The two-way defender plays north of 20 minutes a night fairly often for his club, too, which is an encouraging sign of trust and maturity in a pro league for a player of his age.

It's worth noting, too, that Jukurit was 12-41-6-1 last season, and with Smits now playing for them as a regular, have already improved to 14-23-3-6.

Would Matvei Michkov Make Russia's Olympic Team? Top Coaches Omit Flyers StarWould Matvei Michkov Make Russia's Olympic Team? Top Coaches Omit Flyers StarTwo legendary coaches leave Flyers' Matvei Michkov out of their Russia Olympic teams.

Still not great, yes, but the 2026 NHL Draft prospect has had an undeniable impact on the club.

Smits is big and rangy with his 6-foot-3 frame, is an aggressive risk-taker offensively and in transition, and uses his size and details to execute defensively.

The Latvian defender is neither Cale Makar nor Radko Gudas, but Smits has everything he needs to be a successful top-4 NHL defenseman, which should be attractive to the Flyers at this stage in the rebuild.

Perhaps a player like Edmonton defenseman Mattias Ekholm would be a fair comparison.

And, considering the massive investments the Flyers have made to the right side of their defense in recent years--Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill, and Carter Amico all come to mind--they can't continue to neglect the left side or other positions of need.

Time will tell if they are in a more favorable position to land someone like Tynan Lawrence, but Smits should be right up there in this conversation.

The 18-year-old will be the only 2026 draft prospect playing in this year's Winter Olympics, so Smits is a unique situation worthy of the Flyers' undivided attention for the next few weeks.

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Open Thread: OKC being investigated for sitting ten players against Spurs

Last Wednesday, the Spurs hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder in their fifth and final regular season meeting. In a release just prior to the game, the Thunder released their injury list:

Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain)
Chet Holmgren (low back spasms)
Alex Caruso (right adductor strain)
Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain)
Lugentz Dort (right patellofemoral joint, inflammation)
Isaiah Hartenstein (right eye, corneal abrasion)
Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain)
Nikola Topić (surgical recovery)
Ousmane Dieng (not with team)
Thomas Sorber (right ACL, surgical recovery)

Since 2023, NBA rules dictate that teams ensure star players are available for nationally televised and in-season tournament games that presumably attract more fan interest. The NBA defines a star player as any named to an All-Star or All-NBA team over the prior three seasons.

SGA is the reigning NBA MVP as well as All-NBA first team and an All-Star. Jalen Williams made All-NBA third team, as well as being named an All-Star.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, this triggered the investigation.

If found guilty of  “affecting the integrity of the game,” the Thunder could face possible fines from $100,000 fine for a first violation, $250,000 for the second violation and an increase of $1 million for any subsequent violation.

Upon hearing about the horde of injured Thunder players, I was taken back to November 2012 when Popovich was fined $250,000 for sending Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Danny Green back to San Antonio while the rest of Spurs played a nationally televised game against the Heat in Miami.

Can help but think this situation would make the greatest to ever coach the game smile that crocked little smile and chuckle under his breath.

Check back for updates.

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Suns Reacts Survey: Did the Suns get better at the deadline?

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 07: Amir Coffey #2 of the Phoenix Suns warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Suns fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The trade deadline has come and gone for the Phoenix Suns, and no splashes were made. And honestly, no splashes were needed.

Across the league, this deadline was shaped less by talent chasing and more by balance sheets. We are three years into the current CBA now, and teams are feeling it. Financial discipline won the week. Phoenix was no different. They moved out $7 million in salary by sending Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis elsewhere and took back $4.6 million in return. Mission accomplished. Under the luxury tax.

That was the move. Amir Coffey came in. Cole Anthony came with him. What happens with Anthony remains an open question. But beyond that, this was a quiet deadline by design.

And that brings us to the real conversation.

In a Western Conference that is unforgiving and packed with teams trying to separate, the deadline can be a chance to fortify. Add talent. Raise the ceiling. Push chips in for a postseason run. The Suns chose not to do that. Instead, they stayed the course they set back in October. Compete, develop continuity, protect flexibility. Keep the long view intact.

So what does that mean?

Did the Suns get better at the deadline? Did they stay the same? Or did they get worse by standing still while others shuffled pieces around?

That is the question now that the dust has settled and is the subject of this week’s Suns Reacts poll.

Cast your vote below. Then hit the comments and tell me why you landed where you did.

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Penguins prospects earn AHL, WHL weekly honors

Avery Hayes isn’t the only Penguins prospect who is coming out of a big week.

Kale Dach, Calgary Hitmen forward and seventh-round 2025 draft pick, was named the WHL’s Rookie of the Week after racking up six points (four goals, two assists) in four games.

This is the second time Dach has won the weekly honor. He was also named the WHL’s December Rookie of the Month after scoring 14 points (eight goals, six assists) with three game-winning tallies in nine games.

Dach’s former teammate Ben Kindel was racking up his own WHL weekly rookie honors during his first season in the league in 2023-24.

Penguins VP of Player Personnel Wes Clark said last June that the original plan for Dach, who was selected with the Pens’ final pick of the 2025 draft, was to have him play alongside Kindel for a season with the Hitmen.

Kindel ended up making the jump to the NHL earlier than expected, but that hasn’t stopped Dach from finding success. He has 58 points (27 goals, 31 assists) in 45 games this WHL season.

Dach, who turned 18 in February, is heading to the NCAA next year after committing to join Penn State.

Up in the AHL, Hayes was named the AHL’s Player of Week five days after scoring two goals in his NHL debut.

Hayes earned the honor after following up his historic NHL debut by completing an AHL hat trick in overtime.

The 23-year-old forward was one of the first players the Penguins signed after Kyle Dubas took over in June 2023. He has 26 points (16 goals, 10 assists) in 32 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season.

The NHL isn’t the only league currently on break. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pens action is also paused until Feb. 14 for the AHL All-Star Game. Sergei Murashov and Tristan Broz are representing the Penguins at the event in Rockford, Illinois on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Orioles news: The O’s have a spiffy new training facility

Feb 17, 2019; Sarasota, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles players stretch on the field prior to workouts at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

As the Orioles make their way to Sarasota for spring training this week, they’ve got an exciting new addition waiting for them. (No, it’s not a pitcher. If only!)

Yesterday the O’s unveiled a new, $23 million player development complex at their spring home of Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The 47,700-square-foot facility, which team president Mike Elias described as “the best spring training setup in the state of Florida,” comes with plenty of amenities for both training and entertainment.

The complex includes a biomechanics pitching lab, equipped with 30 cameras to help provide feedback on pitch design and swing mechanics. There’s a new outdoor turf agility field that’s about twice as big as the old one. And there are now four indoor batting cages and eight indoor pitching mounds to help players get their work in on rainy days. I’m kind of surprised the Orioles didn’t have those before, but better late than never, I suppose. Plus, the facility includes classrooms for scouting and player education, along with a player lounge featuring ping-pong, foosball, and video games. It seems like an impressive setup, and it’s doubly impressive that the O’s built the facility in less than a year, having only started construction after spring training last season.

If the Orioles make full use of these new amenities, good things can happen. Maybe a struggling pitcher will be able to use the biomechanics lab to make some key adjustments to his repertoire. Perhaps the upgraded agility field will help players get into better physical shape as they ramp up for the season. And maybe a team-wide ping-pong tournament can help boost camaraderie as the O’s roster looks to gel. Couldn’t hurt!

It’s a reminder that there are smart ways to invest resources into a team other than just signing players. (But to be clear, signing players is still important.) The Orioles saw an opportunity to revamp and improve their training facilities and made it happen quickly. On its own, a new spring training facility might not make the difference between a winning 2026 season and a losing one. But every little bit helps. And it’s a good sign that the O’s are doing what it takes to boost the organization by any means necessary.

Links

Lind shares his thoughts on Alonso, Henderson, Rutschman and more – School of Roch

There’s going to be plenty of attention on Dustin Lind, who’s looking to succeed where the previous two seasons’ of O’s hitting coaches have failed. Unlike those other guys, Lind has Pete Alonso to work with, which is a good start.

MASN to offer season pass to watch Orioles games. Here’s how much it costs. – The Baltimore Sun

If you’re a cord-cutter like me, you can watch the entire season of O’s baseball for $100. Sure beats paying for cable.

Jon Meoli: Two offseasons in, the Orioles’ best path to spend their money on future contracts is clear – The Baltimore Banner

Meoli is beating the drum for the O’s to sign their young players to extensions. I agree, but if it hasn’t happened yet (Samuel Basallo excluded), I have the feeling it’s not going to.

Baltimore Orioles 2026 top 20 prospects: Samuel Basallo, Wehiwa Aloy lead the way – The Athletic

Keith Law ranks the Orioles’ best prospects, including some you might not be as familiar with. I must admit that Andrew Tess was a new name for me, but Law is on his bandwagon.

Is Orioles’ rotation good enough without Valdez? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

My initial thought was “no.” But after thinking about it some more, my answer is still “no.”

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Five former Orioles were born on this day: right-hander Jorge López (33), shortstop César Izturis (46), catchers Alberto Castillo (56) and Lenny Webster (61), and the late lefty Billy O’Dell (b. 1933, d. 2018).

On this date in 2009, the Orioles signed free agent infielder Ty Wigginton. The man affectionately dubbed “Wiggy” was not a particularly good player for the Orioles, posting a 93 OPS+ and negligible defense in two seasons with the Birds, but somehow was selected to the 2010 AL All-Star team thanks to the “every team has to have a representative” rule. Good ol’ Wiggy.

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Which Rays player could surprise us with a 3-4 win season?

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 02: Justyn-Henry Malloy #44 of the Detroit Tigers looks on against the Washington Nationals during the third inning of game two of a split doubleheader at Nationals Park on July 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images

DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!

The Rays have penciled in many starters that aren’t going anywhere — Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, these are all locks.

Which role player or guy on the fringe of the 26-man roster could come out of nowhere and surprise us this year?

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Phillies news: Nick Castellanos, Lou Trivino, Marcell Ozuna

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 06: Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after hitting a two-RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Can you smell that? Yeah, that’s baseball approaching.

Phillies News:

MLB News:

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Who are the Brewers third base options after Caleb Durbin trade?

Milwaukee Brewers
Sep 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox second base David Hamilton (17) hits a home run against the Athletics in the second inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Who’s on third? I don’t know. An Abbott & Costello sketch has turned into reality for the Milwaukee Brewers after Monday’s trade with the Boston Red Sox.

The Brewers had seven different players spend time at third base last season. The leading returner at the position is Sal Frelick, who played one inning in one game at the hot corner. Caleb Durbin, Anthony Siegler, Oliver Dunn, Vinny Capra, Andruw Monasterio, and Isaac Collins have all departed the organization. It’s a complete turnover at that position.

With the Crew’s top three options at the hot corner all being sent out in this trade, it leads to a major question for Brewers fans: Who in the world is going to play third base? Let’s take a look at the options

1. Jett Williams

Brewers PBO Matt Arnold told reporters on Monday that Williams will get reps at third base during spring training. That’s among his other reps he’ll get at shortstop, second base, and the outfield. He’s sure to be busy during camp. But third base might be the best path to playing time for Williams, who was acquired in the Freddy Peralta trade not long ago.

A shortstop by trade, Williams is not as highly regarded defensively as Joey Ortiz and defense is a priority for the Brewers. If the best defensive shortstop stays at that position, Williams won’t win it, but a move over to third base could be most logical. Williams has more power than you’d expect by his size and slugged 17 home runs last season in the minors.

Williams does have a good enough throwing arm to make it work at third base and he does profile as a regular in a starting lineup and not just a platoon/bench option masquerading as a starter. Given that he was acquired for a high profile player in Freddy Peralta, the Brewers likely want to give him every opportunity to make an impact right away and third base looks like that avenue.

2. David Hamilton

The lone infielder coming back to the Brewers in this trade, David Hamilton is also due to get reps at third base during spring training, according to Arnold. Hamilton is more of a utility type infielder, playing in 91 games last year with just 177 ABs. He got a little bit more run in 2024 with 294 ABs and had a lot more success at the plate that year.

Hamilton has spent most of his career up the middle at shortstop and second base. He got a tiny taste of the hot corner in Boston last year and I mean tiny. Just 1.1 IP of third base experience last year in one game. That’s it.

But there’s a potential path to regular playing time for Hamilton at third base so he’ll do his best to learn the position and try to get his offense back on track. Hamilton brings speed but not a ton of pop, so he’s not a prototypical corner infielder, but he’s the only non-1B infielder on the 40 man roster not named Turang or Ortiz.

3. Joey Ortiz

3. Joey Ortiz

In speaking with reporters, Matt Arnold did say that they are open to a variety of infield permutations. In my mind, that opens up the possibility of Joey Ortiz being moved back to third base. Ortiz was very good at the hot corner in 2024 and his offense was stronger that year as well. But a move there will put a lot more pressure on Ortiz’s bat to perform, not to mention opens up what the Brewers do at shortstop. Could Jett Williams overtake him? Does Turang slide to short and Williams or someone else goes to second base? There could be a lot of moving parts.

Ortiz prefers the middle infield, but given his previous experience there, he is a far likelier candidate to move to third base than Turang. Ortiz seems destined to be a regular in the starting lineup once again. What position he ends up at may change, but if you move him, it only switches the question from third base to shortstop.

Longshots

Eddys Leonard

The Brewers signed Leonard to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp back in November. He has yet to make his MLB debut. He’s 25 years old and hit 20 home runs last season for Triple-A Gwinnett in the Braves system. Leonard has 700+ innings of experience at third base in the minor leagues, so that could benefit him. If his power shows up in spring training, he could launch a serious campaign for big league time at the spot.

Brock Wilken

Wilken is a non-roster invitee and a former first round pick. He was well on his way to a bounce-back season in 2025 until a freak knee injury derailed the second half of his season. He still has yet to see Triple-A ball so that makes it very difficult to imagine Wilken making the jump to the big leagues right away out of camp here.

Wilken likely starts the season in Triple-A and if that goes well, he could see a promotion mid-season. He could very well be the long-term answer at the hot corner and the Durbin trade may be about clearing room ultimately for Wilken, but it just seems too early for him to get there for Opening Day.

External Option

Isaac Paredes

This one almost makes too much sense for the Brewers not to be involved. The Houston Astros are desperately looking to trade from their infield glut and the Brewers suddenly have an opening at Paredes’ primary position. The Astros are seeking young, controllable pitching, which the Brewers suddenly have an even bigger abundance of. Paredes has one guaranteed year left on his contract at just over $9.3MM, which the Brewers could afford.

Paredes doesn’t grade well defensively, which could present a major issue for Milwaukee in terms of overall fit. But if the Brewers seek more power in their lineup, as many have begged them to do, then Paredes would present an obvious upgrade.

The free agent market is barren, most of the trade market is picked over by this point in the calendar, but Paredes is still out there and could present an ideal bridge to the arrival of the top infield prospects.