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Which teams could the Lakers make a trade with for first round picks?

The Lakers find themselves in a precarious situation.

This year’s roster needs upgrades. However, Indiana doesn’t have much in the way of sweeteners to make those improvements. Misses on Jalen Hood-Schifino and Dalton Knecht mean the young prospects aren’t there to put into trade packages and undoing the Russell Westbrook trade and making the deal for Luka Dončić depleted the team of their first round picks.

Simply put, the Lakers don’t have the means, as things stand, to make notable upgrades to this team.

That makes the recent report from Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports all the more intriguing. The Lakers appear to be looking to replicate a move made by Phoenix last year in which they would trade away a future unprotected first round pick for multiple first round picks of lesser value.

The Suns traded an unprotected 2031 pick to Utah in exchange for first rounders in 2025, 2027 and 2029. Those picks were the least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah’s in each year, to give a sense of the types of picks the Lakers could see come back in a similar trade.

In theory, it makes a lot of sense for the position the Lakers are in. What the team needs now is some flexibility and the ability to make moves now that Luka is on the team. Optionality is one of President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka’s favorite words and the Lakers don’t have a ton of it when it comes to trades.

The problem is finding a team willing to do this type of deal. The list of teams with a plethora of picks and a willingness to play ball is short. Incredible short. In fact, after doing a bit of research, it feels like there are only about a handful of teams on paper who could be willing to make that type of deal.

Oklahoma City Thunder

This is the most obvious choice and if Pelinka is serious about this, he should be calling the Thunder daily. There’s an absolute trove of picks OKC could be willing to trade as, over the next two years, they have eight first round draft picks.

The problem is that most of the picks they own from other teams are actually valuable. In 2026, they have the Clippers’ and Sixers’ picks. In 2027, they have a pick swap with the Clippers and potentially the Spurs’ pick.

They do, however, have Denver’s first rounders in 2027 and 2029 and with Nikola Jokic going nowhere, those are prime picks to target.

Would a deal sending out the Lakers’ 2032 first round pick for 2027 and 2029 Nuggets first rounders and an OKC first round in that span work?

Brooklyn Nets

After OKC, the options are much less obvious and much slimmer. Brooklyn has a host of firsts, but they’re also a team that is not competitive right now.

That being said, it’s hard to figure out what the Nets’ plan is right now either. Sure, it’s to tank and acquire picks, but their selections with those picks in the last draft were some head scratchers.

Would they be open to consolidating some firsts after making so many picks in the 2025 draft? They own three future Knicks picks in 2027, 2029 and 2031, all picks likely to be at the end of the draft. They also own a 2032 Denver pick as well as the worst pick from Dallas, Houston and Phoenix in 2029.

On top of that, if they do trade Michael Porter Jr. this season or in the summer, that will certainly net them at least another first.

While they don’t have their 2027 pick, the bevy of picks they have at the end of upcoming first rounds could make them willing to do this sort of deal.

San Antonio Spurs

The final two teams really likely only make sense if the Lakers are looking to get back two firsts and perhaps some seconds, of which they only have one as things stand.

The Spurs have a bunch of picks, but a lot of them are going to be valuable, like Atlanta’s in 2026 and 2027, the Clippers’ in 2029 and Sacramento’s in 2031.

But there are two picks that are interesting in Boston’s 2028 first and the better of Dallas and Minnesota’s first in 2030. The fact that it’s the more favorable of those two teams makes it a little more unclear if they would include that pick, but they also could be a team confident enough in what they’re building, so long as Victory Wembanyama is around, that they’d include their own pick.

Utah Jazz

Negotiating with Danny Ainge sounds like a punishment that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies, but despite being the team that did this type of deal recently, Utah still has enough picks to potentially do another version of it.

It would, again, be a lesser version, but Utah does own Cleveland’s first in 2028 and the better of Cleveland and Minnesota’s picks in 2029. Those picks are probably a bit too good to be included in this deal, but it also shows how few teams may be willing or able to do this kind of deal and the challenges Pelinka will face in completing it.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

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Gary O'Neil leads Strasbourg to 2-1 win over Metz in Ligue 1 debut

PARIS (AP) — Strasbourg new coach Gary O’Neil enjoyed a succesful Ligue 1 debut, guiding his team to a 2-1 win over local rival Metz in the French league on Sunday.

O'Neil, who started his tenure with a comfortable win at a fourth-tier club to reach the last 16 of the French Cup last weekend, was appointed earlier this month as a successor to Liam Rosenior, who left for Chelsea.

Strasbourg had failed to win its past five league matches and the win lifted O'Neil's side to seventh in the standings. Metz remained last, with just 12 points from 18 matches.

Diego Moreira put the hosts in front in the 12th minute but Strasbourg did not hold onto its lead for long as Gauthier Hein leveled from the spot. Forward Martial Godo headed home the winner just before the interval.

Rosenior’s departure has left fans opposed to the multi-club ownership model fuming, amid calls for the resignation of president Marc Keller. Strasbourg has been owned by Chelsea owner BlueCo since 2023. Some Strasbourg fans again protested the ownership setup on Sunday by deploying hostile banners in the stadium.

On Saturday, Lens secured a 10th consecutive win across all competitions to stay atop the Ligue 1 standings. Lens defeated Auxerre 1-0 and remained one point ahead of defending champion Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG warmed up for next week’s Champions League match at Sporting with a convincing 3-0 win over Lille on Friday. Third-place Marseille won at mid-table Angers 5-2 ahead of a Champions League showdown with Liverpool next week.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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Randy Vasquez needs to continue progression in 2026

Randy Vasquez has seen a steady increase of work since he started his career with the New York Yankees in 2023. He appeared in 11 games as a rookie and made five starts for the Yankees and finished the season with a record of 2-2. Vasquez closed the season with a 2.87 ERA and allowed 18 walks to 33 strikeouts. The future appeared bright for the right-hander.

The numbers produced by Vasquez caught the eye of San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller and he was acquired via the Juan Soto trade along with pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito and Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

Vasquez was given an opportunity to start for the Padres in 2024 and had mixed results. He appeared and started in 20 games and finished with a 4-7 record. His innings pitched increased from 37.2 to 98.0 which also led to an increased ERA of 4.87. Vasquez gave up 56 runs with 53 of those being earned and recorded 62 strikeouts and allowed 29 walks.

The thought was that Vasquez would take another step forward in 2025, and he did in terms of overall numbers, but the win/loss record remained relatively the same as he finished 6-7. Vasquez appeared in 28 games and made 26 starts. He threw 133.2 innings and worked to a respectable 3.84 ERA. However, his runs and earned runs shot up and finished at 127 and 122 respectively. Unfortunately for the right-hander, and the Padres, he finished with 78 strikeouts and 52 walks.

Vasquez currently stands as the No. 4 starter in the Padres’ rotation. If he remains in that position as San Diego enters the season, he will be asked to take on a greater role and will have to find greater success. Wins and losses are not solely on the pitcher so it’s tough to judge how well Vasquez is performing on record alone, but walks are solely on the pitcher and Vasquez has complete control over throwing strikes. His fastball velocity increased at the end of last season and there is hope that his increased velocity will increase his confidence and he will challenge more hitters.

With growing numbers in games started and innings pitched, Vasquez has been able to steadily acclimate himself to pitching through a major league season over the past three years. Reports are that Vasquez has been working throughout the offseason and is in better shape at this point in the offseason than he was at this time a year ago. Maybe that is maturity and Vasquez becoming more of a professional or maybe he understands he will be leaned on heavily in 2026 and he is trying to show Preller, manager Craig Stammen and the Padres he is up to the challenge.

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Yankees Birthday of the Day: Michael Pineda

For today’s birthday boy, we have ourselves an interesting, injury-riddled, and often controversial character to dive into. Michael Pineda, once acquired by the Yankees in a fairly high-profile deal, looked to be a major part of the New York rotation through the early-mid 2010s.

It didn’t quite work out that way, as injuries and trouble both on and off the field got in the way more often than not for the big right-hander. He still had his moments in pinstripes and elsewhere, but his career certainly didn’t pan out the way he or his clubs likely hoped it would.

Michael Francisco Pineda
Born: January 18, 1989 (Yaguate, Dominican Republic)
Yankees Tenure: 2012-17

Born in the Dominican Republic and signing for $35,000 with the Seattle Mariners at just 16 years old, Pineda was an intimidating presence on the mound from the get-go. At 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, the hurler signed his first contract late in 2005 and was loaded full of potential coming up through the ranks.

The man known as “Big Mike” made his MLB debut with Seattle in April 2011. He had just placed 16th on Baseball America’s preseason Top 100 Prospects list, with the outlet noting:

Pineda has the size, stuff and control to pitch at the top of a rotation. He throws a crisp fastball that sits at 93-97 mph and gets as high as 101 with explosive life and occasional heavy sink. He tightened and added more tilt to his quality slider this year, though he can still get under it occasionally, causing it to flatten out. He also did a better job of selling his upper-80s changeup with the same arm speed as his fastball, keeping it down and getting hitters to chase it. Pineda throws all three pitches from the same three-quarter arm slot. With his velocity, high-effort delivery and unusual arm action, it’s surprising how well he throws strikes.

Pineda pitched six frames of solid ball in his first outing, kicking off what was a very solid rookie campaign. That year, he tossed 171 innings across 28 starts with a more than respectable 3.74 ERA and 3.42 FIP. His first half was even better, as he completed at least six innings in 15 of his first 17 starts, managing a 2.58 ERA along the way. He was rewarded with an All-Star selection in his inaugural campaign, and received some down-ballot love with Rookie of the Year Award votes.

Expectations were high, and Pineda delivered a rookie season to warrant it.

While Pineda was doing his thing, the Yankees had a young catcher looking the part of a budding star as well. Jesús Montero was considered among MLB’s very best prospects, just behind the likes of Mike Trout and Bryce. Then in 18 games at the end of 2011, he notched a 163 OPS+, hit some big homers, and seemed to be a part of the team’s future. In the offseason following the 2011 campagin, the Yankees sent Montero and pitcher Hector Noesí to Seattle, with the primary return being Pineda. It was a potential-for-potential and youth-for-youth deal, a type of deal that isn’t all that common. It is safe to say that neither side played out the way the clubs likely anticipated in the end, but Pineda was officially a Yankee.

Unfortunately for the pitcher and his new club, the trouble started almost immediately. At the end of his first spring training with New York, Pineda complained of shoulder tightness, beginning what was a long road back to a big league mound. What began as a tendinitis diagnosis turned into a torn labrum and season-ending surgery for the Yankees’ new hurler.

Pineda wasn’t ready for the beginning of the 2013 season, but the Yankees were optimistic he’d be a part of their season. After an extensive rehab assignment in the minors, Pineda seemed close, before being pulled from a game with more shoulder tightness. Once again, it turned into another completely lost season for the big righty.

Finally, after spending two entire years on the shelf, Pineda appeared ready to go to begin the 2014 campaign. He won a spot in the rotation, and actually turned in some excellent work across 76.1 innings. He posted a 1.89 ERA (204 ERA+) in some of the best baseball of his career, but he couldn’t help but find himself in injury (and other) trouble. The drama began in a start against the Red Sox in April, his second against the storied rival. After suspicion in the first, Boston manager John Farrell alerted the umpiring crew of potential pine tar on Pineda. It was smeared on his neck — not the most subtle smudge in the world — and Pineda was promptly ejected from that game.

Over the next two seasons, Pineda was able to maintain his health to a much greater degree and remain in the rotation for longer stretches.

Between the 2015 and ‘16 seasons, the righty made 59 starts and worked over 330 total innings. He was far from a game-changing starter, but he was generally out there every fifth day as a roughly league-average arm — and at the very least, one who didn’t aggravate fans by walking the ballpark (his command might’ve been uneven at times, but his control never really wavered given his career 2.0 BB/9). And Pineda could still show flashes of his raw talent, like his May 2015 start against the Orioles, when he struck out 16 batters across seven innings of work. That tied a Yankees franchise record for the most in a single game by a righty pitcher, matching none other than ’90s ace David Cone:

Despite the high expectations Pineda established for himself headed into New York, there is still something to be said for someone who can pitch fine innings when it’s their turn. Pineda was able to do that for stretches at least, though the injuries and occasional trouble were clearly difficult for him to overcome throughout his career.

Pineda continued on roughly the same track in the 2017 season, providing solid value for the Yankees. But, in mid-July, it was discovered that the righty had a torn ligament in his elbow, and would require Tommy John surgery, as he’d once again be hitting the shelf for an extended period. This marked the end of his time in New York, but not for his MLB career.

After returning from elbow surgery in 2019, Pineda pitched some solid innings over the course of three seasons with the Twins (once interrupted by a PED suspension) though never pitching more than 146 frames in any of them. His final season came in 2022, when he tossed 46.2 underwhelming innings for the Tigers.

It was a rocky road at times for Pineda with the Yankees and elsewhere, in what was ultimately a disappointing career given how it started. That being said, he did have his moments of displaying tremendous talent, he just had plenty of trouble staying on the field one way or another.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

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Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, and Dodgers-induced ennui

Welp, this is attempt number three at writing this post. The first version was written on Thursday before the Dodgers had agreed to terms with Kyle Tucker. And the second version was written on Friday morning before Bo Bichette agree to terms with the Mets. Hopefully, I can get this version published before somebody signs Cody Bellinger or the Dodgers trade for Ketel Marte.

Phillies fans spent Friday afternoon in an absolute tizzy because Bo Bichette signed a free agent deal with the Mets.

When the offseason began, Bichette wasn’t really on the radar for most Phillies fans. Yes, he’s a good player, but seemed like an imperfect fit for the Phillies, and it felt much more likely that he would go elsewhere.

But then, the rumors started: The Phillies and Bichette were talking! The talks went well! The Phillies were the prohibitive favorites to sign him!

Bichette suddenly became a must have for Phillies fans. We were already penciling him into the lineup and figuring out where Alec Bohm could be shipped off to.

It seemed as if the Phillies had agreed to everything Bichette was asking for. And then…

If they had basically agreed on everything, why wasn’t the contract signed? It’s possible that the Phillies dragged their feet. Or it’s possible that Bichette’s camp always wanted to see how the Tucker situation played out.

It didn’t play out well for the Phillies. The Dodgers decided they needed another stone for their gauntlet, and Kyle Tucker decided he’d be fine being the sixth best player on a super team. The Mets seemed to think they were going to be the one to sign Tucker, and when they lost him, they pivoted to Bichette, giving him a contract that even Mets fans are a little unsure about.

Almost immediately after, the Phillies announce that they’re bringing back J.T. Realmuto, and let’s just say, the fan reaction has been a little different than when they re-signed him five years ago.

Most fans are unhappy that the team is basically “running it back” with mostly the same group that has fallen short the past four postseasons. The Phillies haven’t signed a big-name player in free agency since Trea Turner after 2022, so, I understand why people are unenthused about another season of the “same old” Phillies.

I do push back on this narrative that the past four years have been “failures.” Yes, they’ve seemingly had good opportunities to win the World Series, and they’ve disappointingly failed in that regard. But after watching the team miss the playoffs for a decade straight, I find it hard to turn my nose up at 95+ win division title-winning teams.

There are complaints that the team isn’t trying or were too cheap to match the Mets’ deal. (In reality, the offers were so different that it was almost like they were playing a different sport. Even though the Phillies offered more guaranteed money, the Mets are paying Bichette $42 in 2026, and he’ll have a chance to get a new deal next year when he might be the best free agent available.)

Looking beyond the disappointment at the Phillies not getting their shiny new toy, here’s the reality of the situation:

  • If the Phillies had signed Bichette, they would have been very likely to make the playoffs but still wouldn’t be the favorites because the Dodgers have an absolutely stacked roster.
  • Without Bichette, they are still likely to make the playoffs, but they won’t be the favorites because the Dodgers have an absolutely stacked roster.

It’s possible that the Phillies had a chance to match the Mets’ offer but simply refused because they did that calculus. Why spend a fortune in luxury tax money – as well as major penalties in amateur player acquisition – if you’re still going to be dependent on the Dodgers suffering some bad injury luck or having a bad week or so in October?

The Phillies could still make some moves to improve the team, and sadly it might not even matter. Because the way the baseball landscape currently exists, this is the Dodgers world, and the Phillies and 28 other teams are simply living in it.

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Wizards Get Rebuilding Loss to the Denver Nuggets

Last night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets felt more like “rebuilding” than “tanking.” The Wizards played a flawed game loaded with mistakes and miscues, and were competitive throughout, carrying a small lead into the fourth quarter and forcing fourth quarter heroics from Jamal Murray and Tim Hardaway Jr. to ultimately lose.

Facing a team devoid of centers (Nikola Jokic and former Wizards great Jonas Valanciunas were both out with injuries), Washington dominated inside — +10 on the boards, 27-4 advantage on second chance points, and outscoring Denver 66-50 in the paint.

Another strong game from Wizards forward Justin Champagnie — 13 points, 9 rebounds in the team’s loss to the Denver Nuggets.

They lost because of an array of defensive breakdowns, and some elite shotmaking from Murray.

A few notes I took during the game:

  • Denver won the opening tip and seconds later, Jalen Pickett walked into a wide open three. What happened? The Wizards didn’t match up properly. Two defenders were on Peyton Watson, and Tre Johnson (who was the closest defender) watched instead of sprinting into a closeout.
  • In the first half, Wizards defenders repeatedly sagged into the lane off Murray. While the team’s defensive priority is protecting the paint, there is no way — none — that leaving Murray undefended in the corner was part of the defensive game plan. They stopped helping off him in the second half.
  • Washington’s transition defense was poor for a few reasons. First, not sprinting back. Second, not matching up in ways that make sense. Third, ball watching and failing to notice opposing players positioning themselves for shots.
    • One Nuggets fast break got a transition corner three from Hardaway. Jamir Watkins got back but ball watched — failing to notice Hardaway running behind him to the corner. Watkins first noticed Hardaway when the ball swung to the man above the break, who Watkins picked up. When the pass went to the corner, Watkins sprinted to close out but was too late. Meanwhile, Marvin Bagley III and Justin Champagnie jogged back to the defensive end and never got involved in the play.
    • In the second quarter, Champagnie missed a three. While he watched the ball in flight, Bruce Brown (who’d closed out) ran to the offensive end. Bagley, Bub Carrington, and Tre Johnson all jogged back, but all three stopped out top and none of them noticed Brown behind them.
    • In the third quarter, Khris Middleton stopped playing to complain about a foul non-call. Meanwhile, his man got a wide open corner three in transition, which he (fortunately for Washington) missed.
  • The Wizards defensive scheme uses some of the “pre-helping” concepts pioneered by the Oklahoma City Thunder and being used by more teams around the league. Basically, the weakside “low man” comes halfway into the lane to be in position to help if there’s a drive. It’s generally a good method of complicating penetration and reducing the number and quality of opponent at-rim attempts. The drawback can be giving up open threes.
    • One play made me laugh: Middleton was low man. He pre-helped on a Murray drive against Alex Sarr, who’d picked him up on a switch. Middleton came all the way across the lane and was (theoretically) in position to cut Murray off. Unfortunately, Middleton’s lack of mobility meant that Murray still got all the way to the rim — he made a nice pass to Spencer Jones, who’d made a cut behind the help…which Carrington (who had weakside zone responsibility) missed because he was ball watching.

I know the preceding is a recitation of woes, but this game wasn’t bad. They were competitive in ways they should have been based on who was missing from the opponent’s lineup. They made mistakes early on and corrected them during the game. The scheme they’re trying to execute is good. What I noticed as problems are pretty normal for young players and are correctable with experience and acceptance of coaching.

Thoughts & Observations

  • Champagnie does a nice job of cutting to the rim when his man moves into a help position or turns his head.
  • Strong offensive game from George — an efficient 29 points to go with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. He was credited with three blocks, though I do not think he played well defensively — he’s guilty of ball watching, leaving his man to help when it’s not necessary, and not matching up properly.
  • Murray was the first guard in several weeks (at least) to figure out a counter to Sarr’s chase down blocks when driving the switch. Instead of a more normal extension into a layup, Murray jumped straight up as he laid the ball in. Sarr crashed into him and it became a three-point play.
  • Sarr did as well as any big man could be expected when switched onto Murray. He prevented penetration a couple timed, forced Murray into difficult shots at others, and even poked the ball loose once.
  • Bagley had another strong game off the bench. I’m curious to see Sarr and Bagley play together.
  • With Bilal Coulibaly out, the Wizards had no strong point of attack defender.
  • Abysmal game from Tre Johnson, who hit just 1-10 from the floor and missed all four of his three-point attempts. I didn’t love his shot selection, which was heavy on runners and floaters, which tend to be low value shots. The one he made was runner.
  • Aaron Gordon was two points from a triple-double. Filling in a center, he tallied 11 assists, including one pass that was Jokic-light — he caught the ball in the post and instantly spun and hit a shooter in the opposite corner — literally behind his head. There was no way he could see the man before he went into the pass. I call it “Jokic-light” because Jokic would have made the same pass but no-look.
  • Peyton Watson has been on a scoring binge with Jokic out. He has an impressive package of skills and the ability to make shots. His offensive efficiency would have gotten a solid boost if he’d shot better than 4-8 from the free throw line.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

  • eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
  • OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
  • TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
  • FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORSWIZARDSNUGGETSLGAVG
eFG%51.6%61.2%54.4%
OREB%33.3%11.4%26.2%
TOV%10.9%11.8%12.8%
FTM/FGA0.1670.2000.211
PACE10199.7
ORTG114119115.7

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDSMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
Kyshawn George326714528.9%5.8243-6
Justin Champagnie265511220.3%-0.41521
Marvin Bagley III204214424.8%2.92002
Khris Middleton275713122.1%1.9136-9
Jamir Watkins21441934.9%1.7963
Will Riley16349718.7%-1.2621
Bub Carrington39828618.5%-4.520-6
Alex Sarr286010224.0%-2.015-8
Tre Johnson31655214.5%-6.0-78-8
NUGGETSMINPOSSORTGUSG+PTSPPA+/-
Jamal Murray398312836.1%3.82725
Tim Hardaway Jr.367513125.0%2.91500
Aaron Gordon326811916.8%0.412514
Spencer Jones29611806.1%2.490-6
Jalen Pickett224710715.3%-0.61128
Peyton Watson357410623.7%-1.7645
Zeke Nnaji163412511.8%0.481-8
Julian Strawther61206.5%-0.922
Bruce Brown25528414.3%-2.4-3510
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Ja Morant starts for the Grizzlies against Magic in London is his return from a calf injury

LONDON (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant started against the Orlando Magic on Sunday and was on a minutes restriction after a six-game absence because of a right calf injury.

“We’ll try to maximize his minutes and try to do it in a smart way," Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said at a pregame news conference at London's O2 Arena.

Morant missed the first of the two-game NBA Europe series when the Magic beat the Grizzlies 118-111 in the league’s first regular-season game in Germany.

Iisalo said the medical update he received about the two-time All Star was positive a day after Morant practiced with the team.

“We’ve discussed this several times this season, when you miss a bunch of games, it’s not so easy to (go) right away into big minutes," Iisalo said of his expectations for Morant.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Rockets look to keep up the momentum versus New Orleans

After a ‌tight ‌victory against Minnesota, Houston aims to snag another one against New Orleans. This year, the Rockets sit at 0-1 against the Pelicans, following a 133-128 defeat in overtime. From there, New Orleans picked up just four wins.

So far, the Rockets have shown flashes of real power mixed with some shaky stretches, pulling off wins in high-speed matchups, yet dropping others they should have claimed. In the latest outing, Kevin Durant dropped 39 points to beat the Timberwolves, highlighting his knack for those huge scoring bursts. When Houston locks in, their fast breaks and board work stand out; they often cash in on extra shots and own the glass.

New Orleans, though, packs a serious scoring punch when everybody’s fit, even amid all their troubles this campaign. Still, injuries and uneven play kept them from accumulating wins, and lately, betting lines favored the Pacers over them, pointing to deeper issues across the board.

Houston has to cut down on turnovers and draw solid efforts not only from Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, but also from guys like Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr too.

Tip Off

6:00 CT

How To Watch
Space City Home Network

Injury Report
Rockets
Fred VanVleet: Out (Acl),
Dorian Finney-Smith: Day-To-Day (Ankle),
Tari Eason: Day-To-Day (Ankle)

New Orleans

Herb Jones (right ankle sprain) – Out
Dejounte Murray (right Achilles rupture) – Out

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Nets vs. Bulls preview: a busy Sunday in Chicago

BROOKLYN, NY – JANUARY 16: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago Bulls grabs the rebound during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on January 16, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Let’s do it again. The Chicago Bulls almost pulled off an improbable comeback, but the Brooklyn Nets escaped with a 112-109 win on Friday night. The W snapped their five game losing streak.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Amazingly, this game will tip off after 7 PM. More on that in a bit.

Injuries

No Ziaire Williams, Michael Porter Jr, Drake Powell, or Haywood Highsmith.

Zach Collins and Noa Essengue are out. Patrick Williams is questionable. Josh Giddey has been upgraded to doubtful as he recovers from a left hamstring strain.

The game

Brooklyn won games one and two. They’ll wrap up the season series in February.

Noah Clowney continues to impress. The kid collected a double-double as his 23 points and 11 rebounds paced the Nets frontcourt. The more he plays well, the more he becomes an integral part of the Nets future when they return to playoff contention. Keep at it and the results will be there.

The Bulls found their three point shooting at the right time on Friday night. They went 6-12 from deep as they made their furious comeback. They’re tenth in threes attempted and 14th in efficiency, which is pretty respectable. For the Nets, they’ve got to make sure they make things tough on the Bulls and limit any quality looks they can generate.

Nolan Traore got the bulk of the point guard minutes over Egor Dëmin, and it shows the importance of having two decent young guards on the roster. When one doesn’t have it, you can turn to the other one and see if he can bring home. Either way, it serves as a valuable learning lesson for both of them and should help as they continue their careers.

Without Porter Jr in the lineup, look for Cam Thomas to be one of the team leaders in field goal attempts. If all else fails, Thomas can get shots up at the rim. And with him being unlikely to play on Monday due to the back-to-back, he’ll have even more incentive to hunt for his shot tonight.

Player to watch: Nikola Vucevic

When Vucevic has it going, he’s hard to slow down. Vuc has a great touch, is solid in the post, and can stretch the floor. There’s a reason why he’s always given the Nets hell over the years and Chicago will make sure he gets the ball as much as possible this evening.

Nic Claxton will keep on keeping on. Clax grabbed a season high 14 rebounds on Friday as he helped the Nets to a +6 advantage on the boards against the Bulls. Securing possessions matters a ton in close games and if we have another one that goes down to the wire, Claxton’s work on the glass will go a long way in pushing the Nets to a win.

From the Vault

I feel very safe saying that just about everybody at the United Center will have their attention on the LA Rams vs. Chicago Bears at Solider Field this evening. It’s the first time the Bears have been in the divisional round in 15 years. With that in mind, let’s take a trip back in time.

More reading: Blog a Bull, The Bigs, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter, City of Nets

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NHL Player Props & Best Bets for Today, January 18: Kane Stings Senators

Patrick Kane’s best days are behind him, but he remains very productive at age 37, having gathered 28 points through 34 games.

He has been especially efficient against teams that bleed goals, and he has a matchup with one this afternoon. That’s why he headlines my three NHL player props for Sunday, January 18.

Best NHL player prop bets today

PlayerBet99
Stars Miro Heiskanen Over 1.5 shots on goal<<-145>>
Lightning Brandon Hagel Over 2.5 shots on goal<<-170>>
Red Wings Patrick Kane Over 0.5 points<<-115>>

Get a first bet encore up to $800 — no BET99 promo code neededGet a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL.
(not available in Ontario)

Our best NHL player props for Sunday, January 18

Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.

Prop #1: Miro Heiskanen Over 1.5 shots on goal

-145 at BET99

Miro Heiskanen has generated strong volume in Dallas all season long, averaging 2.6 shots on target per night and clearing this line at a whopping 81% clip.

He has consistently gotten the job done regardless of the level of competition. Facing stout defenses or low-event teams has made zero impact on his volume or success.

Isolating teams ranking Top-10 in shot suppression vs. defensemen, Heiskanen has recorded multiple shots in seven of eight home games.

The only Under was a one shot performance against the Kings in which Heiskanen still generated five attempts, which is more than enough volume to clear. He was just inaccurate in that one game.

Heiskanen will play a ton of minutes while matched up against the Lightning’s best players at 5-on-5. He also continues to quarterback the top power play over Thomas Harley.

There should be plenty of chances for him to test Andrei Vasilevskiy.

  • Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: NHL Network

Prop #2: Brandon Hagel Over 2.5 shots on goal

-170 at BET99

The biggest beneficiary of the Brayden Point injury is undoubtedly Brandon Hagel. More falls on his plate at 5-on-5 and he also takes on Point’s role playing on the No. 1 power play unit.

To say it’s made a difference in his shot volume would be an understatement.

Hagel has averaged 2.7 shots and 6.1 attempts per game with Point in the lineup while clearing his line at a 57% clip. Very solid but unspectacular numbers.

Those outputs go up several levels without Point. Hagel has produced a whopping 3.9 shots on 8.2 attempts per game, going Over 2.5 shots in eight of nine.

Hagel attempted 6+ shots in every single one of those games. For reference, his hit rate sits at 80% this season — with or without Point — when generating 6+ attempts, which has been the floor thus far.

Expect Hagel to continue firing away Sunday afternoon.

  • Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: NHL Network

Prop #3: Patrick Kane Over 0.5 points

-115 at BET99

The Ottawa Senators can’t keep the puck out of their net. They just can’t. It doesn’t seem to matter how many shots or chances they give up — whoever is between the pipes continues bleeding goals.

That’s why they rank 29th in goals against per game despite sitting third in expected goals allowed, behind only the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.

As you’d expect from a team giving up goals in bulk, the Senators allow a lot of production to opposing right wingers. The fourth-most, in fact.

Patrick Kane has produced at a high clip in similar matchups this season. He has points in eight of 11 games against teams ranking Bottom-10 in points allowed to right wingers, including seven of eight on home soil.

Ottawa is in a road back-to-back with 37-year-old journeyman James Reimer expected to get his first taste of action this season. This is not a spot where the goals should stop flowing.

  • Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: RDS2, FDSN DET

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

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Steph Curry flattered by Collin Sexton's hilariously aggressive defense

Steph Curry flattered by Collin Sexton's hilariously aggressive defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Guarding Steph Curry is an undertaking very few in the NBA are prepared for.

Hornets guard Collin Sexton was ready for the challenge in the Warriors’ 136-116 win over Charlotte on Saturday at Chase Center, and he did his best not to leave Curry’s side.

Quite literally.

With 8:20 remaining in the second quarter and the Warriors leading 47-39, Sexton, with his arm around Curry, followed the Warriors superstar stride-for-stride across the court. When Curry, who noticed Sexton hovering, kept walking past Charlotte’s bench and toward the locker room, Sexton hilariously followed him off the court.

All Sexton is doing is what every coach probably preaches to their players when matched up against Curry: Wherever he goes, you go. And you don’t leave his side.

Of course, Sexton didn’t do anything wrong, he was just being overly aggressive in sticking by Curry’s side, but when asked about the viral moment after the game, Curry couldn’t help but feel flattered at the attention paid to him.

“There’s a part of you that fights it just because it’s not real basketball,” Curry said. “But there’s also a part of it that’s flattering … knowing that you demand that much attention and what it does to create shots for other guys.”

Whether it was Sexton and Charlotte’s defense or just a poor shooting night, Curry was held at bay with 14 points, three rebounds and five assists on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and 2 of 8 from 3-point range in 29 minutes.

Hopefully future opponents don’t take Sexton’s antics further and follow Curry out of the building.

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What we've learned about the Knicks halfway through the 2025-26 season

One word to describe this current era of the New York Knicks has been stability. Over the past three years, the club has won at least 47 games and been victorious in at least one round in the postseason.

This season, the Knicks are on pace for a similar outcome, as they are in third place with a 25-17 record after 42 games. But despite the similar record, something seems off. After losing 106-99 to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night, the Knicks have dropped eight of their last 10 games. Only two games separate them from the seventh seed in the East and a play-in appearance.

New York’s last two months have been unlike the last few years, unstable. Before this recent swoon, the Knicks had won 15 of 18 games, including the NBA Cup Championship game against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Knicks have a lot of room to grow after the first half of the season. But as the year rapidly progresses, it will be much more difficult to escape the funk the team is currently in.

Defense has been the number one concern in New York’s first half of the year. This season, New York is ranked 19th in defensive efficiency. The largest issues have been overhelping on the perimeter and allowing easy drives into the paint, which is leading to a steady stream of easy three-point looks from the opposition.

Built around star Jalen Brunson, New York’s offense was deadly to start the year. The Knicks are still ranked third in offensive efficiency overall this season, but the offense has also slowed down recently. Since the start of the new year, the Knicks are just 21st in offensive efficiency. They are 23rd in three-point shooting at 34.7 percent.

Injuries have been a factor in New York’s first half of the year. Brunson has sprained his right ankle twice this season. OG Anunoby missed a handful of games with a left hamstring strain. Josh Hart has been in and out of the lineup with a sprained right ankle. Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride and Landry Shamet have all also missed significant time.

New York Knicks guards Mikal Bridges (25), Miles McBride (2), and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) watch from the bench in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden.
New York Knicks guards Mikal Bridges (25), Miles McBride (2), and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) watch from the bench in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

New coaching scheme

Coach Mike Brown has made some adjustments in his first season in New York. Brunson has the ball in his hands a lot less. The team is attempting more threes compared to last year. Brown has given some of the younger players on the bench spot minutes.

These decisions have mostly paid off. Brunson is having another All-Star season, New York’s offense has been one of the best in the NBA for most of the year, and unlikely contributors like Tyler Kolek have made highlight moments early on this season.

But Brown has not been without fault. As mentioned before, New York’s defense has been poor. And it’s only getting worse. The Knicks rank 29th in defensive efficiency in January. Brown also hasn’t been able to unlock Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks’ star center is having his worst shooting season of his career, and his scoring numbers have dropped significantly from last season.

Towns has seemed uncomfortable in a slightly adjusted role under Brown. He’s posting up less and doesn’t touch the ball as much as last season.

Eyeing the future

New York’s coaching switch from Tom Thibodeau to Brown this summer was an indication of a belief in the roster for the foreseeable future. But what if the team is unable to advance further with Brown than it did with Thibodeau? It could lead the team to re-evaluate if the roster is good enough.

The Eastern Conference is wide open. The Knicks might never have a better shot of making the NBA Finals than this season. But being a Finals favorite comes with extra pressure.

Looming over this season is Towns’ contract. The five-time All-Star center is locked into his deal for next season, but he holds a $61 million player option for the 2027-28 season. Towns’ future isn’t the only one to monitor. Robinson is also likely to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. McBride could become a free agent in the summer of 2027.

With the Knicks approaching the feared second apron, keeping this core together will be pricey going forward. An early playoff flameout could shift how the front office feels about the roster.

Despite the doom and gloom, there is still a path for the Knicks to get to the NBA Finals. The offense has been effective, and that will give the team a chance. But the defense and better play from Towns will be needed for the club to build an airtight case as a true contender.

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BYB 2026 Tigers prospect reports #43: RHP Joseph Montalvo

When the Detroit Tigers traded left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin to the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline in 2024, it was never likely to be an impactful deal. The Tigers got sidearmer Chase Lee in the deal, but it was the second piece, right-handed starter Joseph Montalvo, who was expected to be the modest centerpiece. Unfortunately, another injury plagued season for a Tigers pitcher made 2025 a lost season for him.

The Rangers drafted the Puerto Rican product back in 2021 out of Central Pointe Christian Academy in Kissimee, Florida. Montalvo had moved to Florida for high school with the ambition to pitch, and he was willing to take the minimum bonus to forego college and start a pro career as a 20th round pick.

At the time of the trade, Montalvo was injured with a torn ligament in his foot, which may have helped the Tigers pry him away from the Rangers for a two months of a solid reliever. Prior to that injury, Montalvo was on a great run in his first look at the High-A level. A distinct fly ball pitcher, he was racking up tons of quick outs in the air and striking out 29.9 percent of hitters faced. His stuff wasn’t overpowering, but he was mature in his ability to vary his approach and spot his fastball and slider.

Unfortunately the hoped for bump in his stuff didn’t come to frution as Montalvo moved up to the Double-A level in 2025. His reesults were really mixed from one start to another and his strikeout rate plunged. That isn’t too unusual as a young pitcher adapts to the upper levels, but he didn’t show much improvement over his 2024 work early on. Finally in late May and early June, Montalvo seemed to be settling in, but after ripping off several good starts in a row he suffered an unspecified arm injury in early June that ended his season.

About the only thing we can say is that it didn’t appear to bea major surgery involved as the Tigers often announce those, but don’t provide any details about injuries otherwise. However, Montalvo did post one picture on social media showing a full arm brace on his extended right arm in September, three months after the initial injury. So we can at least assume it was a significant injury. This makes it difficult to project him in 2026. Is he going to start the season on time? We’ll assume so since it apparently wasn’t a UCL surgery, but his status remains a little bit up in the air.

Montalvo has the size at 6’2” 185 pounds to develop more velocity, and his flexibility and athleticism say that may come with a little more time, but the injury short-circuited progress in that regard last year. One of his key selling points when the Tigers traded for him was his ability to command three pitches, but he still needed a bump in terms of his stuff to carry him into the upper levels of the farm system as a legitimate starting pitching prospect.

Montalvo’s athleticism helped him command everything despite a lot of subtle variants in his approach. He gets down the mound pretty well and smoothly works into a low three-quarters release that seems to throw hitters off a bit. He also has pretty good feel for varying his angles and shapes to suit the hitter. He would jam left-handers with more of a true riding fourseamer to his gloveside, and then shift to get a better angle to his armside and throw the same fourseamer with more run. In short, he has quite a bit of what scouts will sum up as pitchability.

Montalvo is often able to get a lot of weak fly balls, pop-ups, and some whiffs just by never letting a hitter see anything quite the same way twice. On the other hand, without overpowering stuff, his mistakes get hit over the fences a fair amount and he’s had some bouts of giving up homers in bunches. So instead of hoping a harder throwing pitcher develops some command, the upside with Montalvo is that a little boost in stuff will take advantage of his pitching ability and get him to the majors in relatively short order.

Here’s a look from after the trade in 2024.

He backs the fourseamer with an above average sweeping slider at 83 mph and a decent circle change that is still a little firm but does run a good amount. At his best with the Rangers, his ability to spot both of those pitches consistently helped them play up and made him a pretty decent starting pitching prospect. The hope was that he’d add a little more strength to his lanky frame and get to sitting more consistently in the mid-90’s. As things stand he’s usually around 93 mph, and with the Tigers he’s had some off days where the velo is down a little bit. Steadier mid-90’s velocity anda minor breakthrough with his changeup are the keys for him going forward.

The lack of progress since he was acquired, combined with the recent injury history, have the risk meter pretty high on Montalvo now. At his best he shows a lot of nice feel for pitching and can move his stuff around the zone, set hitters up, and get them off balance. He needs to stay healthy and develop a little boost in the stuff department. Hopefully he’s able to take advantage of the rehabilitation process and the offseason to get stronger. If he’s able to start getting traction in Double-A this spring he’ll move right back up the rankings by midseason.

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The Cubs will create a World Series monument… and Marquee will have fewer Spring Training broadcasts

In the past, the Cubs Convention used to have a session with President of Business Operations Crane Kenney. That, along with a session with Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts, have been eliminated from the convention agenda.

Kenney did have a wide-ranging conversation with Meghan Montemurro of the Tribune, and in her article she wrote that the Cubs have a plan for a permanent monument to their World Series champions — not just the 2016 team, but all three Cubs World Series winners:

To honor the franchise’s three World Series championship teams, the Cubs are creating an archway monument at the Clark Street entrance of Gallagher Way, slated to be unveiled the weekend of July 17, president of business operations Crane Kenney told the Tribune on Saturday. The unveiling will coincide with an in-season celebration of the 2016 squad.

The Cubs are still in the early stages of the design phase, but the organization opted for a more inclusive creation rather than a singular statue representing the 2016 team. The installation construction will start about six weeks before its reveal with one of the most iconic features, the piece revealing the name of the champions gate, being put in place shortly beforehand.

Thus, I don’t have any renderings to show you, but the location would be approximately where the Christmas tree stands in this EarthCam image of Wrigley Field, shown from SportsWorld Chicago at the southeast corner of Clark and Addison.

Here’s what Kenney said about the decision to make this monument to honor all three Cubs championship teams:

“We could never get comfortable that there was a way, and especially because that team and Game 7, you think about Game 7 and the contributions were from everyone in the entire roster, so how in the world can we ever pay tribute to the roster and coaches?” Kenney told the Tribune during the Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. “So we went back and said, OK, let’s do something to honor all of them — a gate into Gallagher Way, where all the statues are where we celebrate our heroes.

“We treasure our history and heritage. It allows us to share the story, the history, and, importantly, would not leave any out.”

I agree with Kenney that no part of Cubs history should be left out. Now retire some of the numbers of the men who played for the team before 1960, as I wrote in this article a few years ago.

In Montemurro’s article, Kenney also said that Marquee Sports Network is likely going to reduce the number of Spring Training broadcasts:

Although they are still finalizing the total, Kenney indicated the number will “probably” be less than double digits for the 32-game spring slate and definitely fewer than the volume of Cactus League games they had been broadcasting annually. Last spring, 17 of the Cubs’ 29 exhibition games aired on Marquee while in 2024 the network broadcast 28 of their 35 games.

“A really hard decision, but it seemed like it made the most sense to us in terms of, like any budget, where do you want to cut and what do you want to emphasize?” Kenney said. “So we’re going to emphasize the pre, the post and the games with the same technology, same talent, to give our fans the very best games. And we made that decision on spring training, we’re going to do fewer.”

It should be noted that the 17 games carried last spring were all games played at Sloan Park. So if the total is “less than double digits” for games this spring, that’s probably around half of the 18 home games scheduled for Sloan Park this year. Away games might be available on the opponent’s TV channel. When a spring TV schedule comes out I’ll post it here. What I am hoping is that the Cubs might revive the internet audio broadcasts of spring games that they had about a decade ago. If they could do that, at least there would be some broadcast coverage of the games not televised.

Kenney also addressed the idea, which I have written about here previously, that MLB might want to get all 30 teams’ local rights in one package they could sell to TV networks along with national rights — and said the Cubs might not want want to be part of that:

If MLB wants to bring all the teams’ broadcasts under one umbrella run by the league, there currently isn’t a big appetite on the Cubs’ end to go in that direction.

“If the league comes and says, ‘What if we put all 30 teams together?’ our bias typically is we like to do things ourselves, but we would listen,” Kenney said. “But it’s hard for me to see a world where Marquee’s not predominant. It just allows us to do things, like, we want to spend more on (TV) talent, and if you’re in with the league and they’re like, ‘OK, here’s your budget for your on-air,’ we want the best on-air, and so it’s kind of like Jed (Hoyer) on a trade: We’re always listening, but I can’t see a world where we’re not doing it ourselves.”

That’s a lot of information for a Sunday morning, I grant you. I like the idea of the World Series monument very much. Maybe they could make a replica of this 1908 World Series flag and display it near the monument.

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Mariners News: Andy Pettitte, Ryan Pressly, and Rashid Shaheed

In Mariners news…

Around the league…

Nick’s pick…

  • Go Hawks baby. I hope everyone enjoys the most relaxing football watching day of the year today.
  • The 49ers couldn’t score one touchdown, meanwhile Rashid Shaheed was scoring before the first play from scrimmage and causing seismic activity. Game was over immediately.