MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 09: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives around Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of a game at Fiserv Forum on March 09, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman delivered his requisite end-of-season interview with the media a few days ago, several weeks earlier than he probably would have liked. His answers made it seem like the team will be running it back, indicating that this group has another attainable gear to hit.
Altman is standing behind head coach Kenny Atkinson, praising James Harden for assimilating as well as he could, and noting how great the front court is, and will be, next year. He also heaped praise on Evan Mobley during his press conference in a way that makes it sound like the team is very unwilling to part with him.
“All Evan has done is impact winning,” Altman said. “He’s been remarkable for us in terms of our ascent the last five years. He’s a huge part of what we do.”
All signs point to a team that will look very similar come October. But the uncomfortable truth is that the only way for the Cavs to meaningfully upgrade this offseason is to trade Evan Mobley.
While a run to the conference finals is no small feat, the Cavs got there in a way that feels much worse than reality. They ended up losing more games than they won in the playoffs with a record of 8-10, failed to close out several winnable games against inferior teams, and then were beaten down in historical fashion to conclude their campaign. Had the Cavs, say, swept Toronto, dispatched of Detroit in six games, and then lost to New York in a hard-fought series, the discussion would be different. As it stands, this team is not as close to the NBA Finals as the front office thinks.
The team already dove headfirst into the deep end of the pool with the trade of Darius Garland, and that was met with raised eyebrows. Moving on from Mobley would be even more daring, but also much more rewarding. He would fetch a hefty package in return, but it would have to be for a player who is better right this very second. The Cavs cannot trade him for a few decent players and draft capital to make up the difference. The tightrope they are walking is championship or bust.
Someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo would be the ideal outcome, a player that instantly levels the Cavs up in a meaningful way and can serve as the alpha. It is unclear if he would be willing to sign an extension to remain in Cleveland beyond next season, making a move risky. But the reward is their best shot at a championship with one of the five best players in the league.
What about Jaylen Brown? Him and Mitchell are exceptionally close friends, and he took a major step forward as a scorer and playmaker with Jayson Tatum out. Sending Mobley to Boston may not be the best idea karmically, but a three-team deal that avoids that is possible. Brown fits as the two-way player that would glue things together.
Oklahoma City, upon being eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs, was instantly linked to Mobley in a potential trade, according to The Athletic. The Thunder have some interesting trade chips in All-Pro Jalen Williams and the other lanky young power forward in Chet Holmgren. With plenty of picks at their disposal, Oklahoma City can feasibly send a very high-end player and then some.
Trading Mobley, of course, comes with risks. He is an elite defender and has continued to grow on offense, though not as quickly as the Cavs need. However, he would be an excellent blue-chip prospect in Milwaukee and profiles as a Victor Wembanyama deterrent for the Thunder. But there is no denying that, if the Cavs are to make another run with Donovan Michell as the head of the snake, trading Mobley is an unfortunate reality.
Sure, Jarrett Allen could get you a good player in return, but it won’t be a great one. The Cavs cannot simply waive Harden and unlock cap space — they are so far over the cap that all that would do is let a good player walk for nothing. A Mitchell trade is not happening, at least not this summer. They don’t have enough draft capital to swing anything meaningful. LeBron James circa 2014 isn’t walking through that door, and the diminished 2026 version might not either. Internal progression from Jaylon Tyson and Tyrese Proctor is not nearly enough to bring the Cavs up an echelon. That leaves Mobley as the ticket to something better.
If the Cavs are serious about maximizing their window to win a championship, trading Mobley has to be on the table as an option. It isn’t a requirement that they trade him, and the Cavs aren’t in dire need of a superstar, but they do need to get better. If trading Mobley achieves that in a meaningful way, and as painful as it may be, it must be considered.
When I first profiled Karim Lopez back in October, I mentioned him as a polarizing international prospect worth keeping an eye on. Now, with rumors circulating that new Mavericks President Masai Ujiri could view Lopez as a prototypical Dallas target, it’s worth revisiting my thoughts on a prospect I have followed for almost three years.
The basics
Lopez is a 19-year-old forward who measured in at 6’8, 221 pounds with a 6’11.5 wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine, paired with a 38-inch vertical. Born in Mexico, Lopez has represented Team Mexico at the international level since his U-15 days, giving him an unusually seasoned competitive resume for his age.
He spent the last two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s NBL, one of the world’s most competitive and demanding professional leagues, where he was tested nightly against older, stronger competition.
The good
His coming-out moment arrived in October 2024, when the Breakers faced the Utah Jazz in an NBA preseason exhibition. Lopez, then 17, put up 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block in just 25 minutes against NBA-caliber players.
This season, Lopez is averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 block, and 1.2 steals in 25 minutes per game, while shooting 49 percent from the field. Those are legitimate numbers for a teenager in a professional league.
Areas of concern
The concern is his three-point shooting. Lopez is connecting on just 32.6 percent of his three attempts per game, a drop of roughly eight percentage points from where he stood in October. For a player at his size and role, perimeter shooting isn’t just a complementary skill; it’s a prerequisite for playing in modern NBA spacing. That regression is what will likely keep him from shooting up any draft boards at the NBA draft later this month.
Fit with the Mavericks
Lopez has a real future in this league. His athleticism and physical profile suggest he can contribute as a rookie off the bench and hold his own against NBA second units. With continued development, a Sixth Man of the Year trajectory is genuinely plausible early in his career.
But that’s exactly the problem for Dallas. The Mavericks don’t need a high-upside bench piece. They need a foundational starter, someone capable of growing alongside Cooper Flagg and shouldering real responsibility from day one. With limited draft capital, they can’t afford to spend a pick on a player whose ceiling, however respectable, doesn’t move the needle on their timeline. Lopez may well become a valuable NBA contributor. Just not for this team, not with this pick.
NBA Comparison
Lopez’s size, strength, and mobility resemble Deni Avdija and John Collins. If Lopez’s shooting numbers improve, his ability to drive to the basket and finish around the rim should allow him to become a versatile offensive weapon in the NBA as he develops over the next couple of years. Both Collins and Avdija are somewhat limited on the defensive side of the ball, but are still solid NBA starters.
"It was great. We had a great meeting," Novotny said. "I would say it was my best. And now I like the organization, for sure. And yeah, it was fun for sure."
What about the interview made it his best?
"As a person, you could just feel it when the conversation is just like flowing, you know?" Novotny said. "You can feel relaxed and just feel more confident at the interview. And I thought I had a feeling, so that was good."
The Islanders hold the 13th selection at the 2026 NHL Draft, and Novotny, a Czech forward, could go anywhere from No. 10 to No. 23.
Novotny, standing at 6'1 ", 205 lbs, has a heavy shot but also tremendous defensive ability that projects him as a middle-six winger at the NHL level.
This past season, after being selected by the Peterborough Petes in the CHL Import Draft, Novotny recorded 34 goals with 31 assists for 65 points in 58 regular-season games before adding one assist in six playoff games.
The 18-year-old did play for Czechia at the U20 World Junior Championships, recording three assists.
Novotny led all prospects with 18 pull-ups at the combine.
Coach impressed by response in win against New Zealand
McCullum admits pitch ‘incredibly challenging’ for batters
Brendon McCullum has praised his players’ refusal to be haunted by their nightmare winter after England won their first Test since the Ashes, against New Zealand at Lord’s on Sunday. The head coach admitted that “the temperature has been a bit hot” around his side since their failure in Australia, but he hailed their bravery and refusal to “carry any baggage”.
McCullum insisted his team had kept the Bazball spirit burning, despite the low scores and strike rates seen on an “incredibly challenging” surface. “I’ve been really impressed,” McCullum said.
LAS VEGAS — There they stood along the glass during warmups for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, two Thornhill lifers in full Mitch Marner Toronto Maple Leafs jerseys amid a sea of Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes colours. One held a simple, handwritten sign high above his head: “My Therapist Recommended This Trip.” The other had flipped his jersey backwards so that Marner’s name and number faced forward across his chest, the familiar blue-and-white crest now pressed against his back.
David Krowitz and Al Sager flew across the continent not for the spectacle alone, but because they needed to be here. had season tickets in the family since 1968. Between them they had attended more than 500 Leafs games. They had lived through every era of hope and heartbreak, and when the core they believed in most, Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares, failed to deliver a Cup, they understood the pain in a way only true believers can.
So when the playoff bracket opened a door to Vegas, they walked through it.
The decision was made in the middle of the night. After Carolina eliminated the Montreal Canadiens, Krowitz and Sager were texting at midnight, both sitting in bed next to their wives. “Dude, you want to do this?” one asked. “Yeah, let’s do this,” came the reply. Their wives, Lily for Krowitz and Mel for Sager, didn’t push back. Lily’s only instruction was simple: “Don’t worry, go. You’ll have the best time ever.”
It was Krowitz’s anniversary weekend. The fact that both women said yes without hesitation became its own story.
“Every wife should be this good,” Krowitz told the The Hockey News in a telephone call from the road on Sunday afternoon.
They booked the trip on Tuesday, flew out Thursday, spent two days taking in Vegas, and then settled in for Game 3. The plan after the game was to drive to Phoenix to visit a friend before flying home, a route that would take them through the mountains and, coincidentally, through the same phone call that would become this story.
By the time the puck dropped, the two friends had already become minor celebrities in the concourse. People stopped them constantly. Some rubbed the backwards Marner jersey for good luck. Others did double-takes.
One man asked Krowitz, “Hey man, are you lost?” Toronto fans walking by scratched their heads until Al turned around and showed them the name on his chest. Then the lightbulb went on.Mi
David Krowitz outside T-Mobile Arena, courtesy David Krowitz
The backwards jersey wasn’t a gimmick. It was deliberate.
“It wasn’t about the Leafs of Marner’s,” Sager explained. “I wanted to wear his team on the front, not the Leafs on the front.”
They wanted Marner’s identity front and center, the franchise that Marner parted ways with, not the crest that had defined a decade of their own lives. Just the player.
Inside T-Mobile Arena, the night unfolded exactly as the two friends had somehow sensed it would. Earlier that afternoon, around 1 p.m., Al had called a 5-4 double-overtime win for Vegas. The only detail they got wrong was who would score the winner. They thought it would be Marner. Instead, he delivered a hat trick and played the most dominant game of his postseason.
The Golden Knights won 5-4 in double overtime. The playoff towels handed out that night all carried Marner’s face. Krowitz and Sager each kept one.
“It was very fitting that the playoff towels were all Marner,” Krowitz said. “We had Marner’s face on the playoff towels. It was just fitting that we were there on that night for a double-overtime win in Vegas. And record-setting points, hat trick — Marner performs the best he’s ever performed. It was a very quintessential of the way everything worked out.”
They had predicted the score. They had predicted the drama. They had not predicted how perfectly the night would align with the reason they came.
\Krowitz and Sager were still buzzing. They had been lined up to appear on Hockey Night in Canada during the third period of Game 3, but the broadcast pivoted when Carolina mounted its furious comeback to erase a four-goal lead. The on-ice story took precedence. No one complained. That was hockey.
What they did want to make clear, repeatedly, was that their presence in Vegas did not mean they had abandoned the Toronto Maple Leafs.
They remain diehard Leafs fans. They remain Marner fans. The two things are not in conflict for them. What they saw in Vegas only reinforced what they had always believed: Marner is one of the best playmakers in the world, a top-five talent on most nights.
“We ran him out of town,” Krowitz said.. “Yeah, it’s hard for him to be there. We made it hard. The media made it hard for his family. People are crazy. They’re going to his house with death threats and bullsh*t. What kind of fan base is this? We’re out of our minds.”
Al Sager wearing his Marner jersey the right way before flipping it aroud, courtesy Al Sager.
He said it without malice, just as fact. He and Sager had lived it. They had watched the pressure build year after year. They had seen what it did to players. And still they showed up in another team’s building, wearing that player’s jersey, holding a sign that read like a confession and a prescription at the same time.
It was funny because it was absurd. It was also funny because it was true. Sometimes the only way to process a decade of near-misses and one devastating off-season is to get on a plane, stand along the glass in enemy territory, and cheer for the guy who gave you everything he had.
Before they left to their seats and before the warmups, they saw the player they had come to support. Marner looked at Krowitz holding the sign, laughed, shook his head, and gave a small nod.
It was enough.
They own their own company, CF Solutions in Richmond Hill, and they have wives and kids and full lives. They could have stayed home. Instead they flew to Vegas, stood along the glass, flipped a jersey, held up a sign, and reminded everyone watching that the loudest, most toxic voices do not speak for every Leafs fan who has been there from the beginning.
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There are a lot of ways that the 2026 NHL Draft could go, especially at the top. Everything you think you know about the upcoming draft can change with one trade or “off the board” selection. The Chicago Blackhawks have the 4th overall pick as we stand.
If the first three picks are the top three forwards, Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Caleb Malhotra, then the Blackhawks are likely going to select a defenseman. There are lots of options, all of whom play a different style, including Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, Alberts Smits, and Carson Carels.
For the Blackhawks sake, an argument can be made that Keaton Verhoeff is the proper selection. The Blackhawks have a crop of young defenders who are good players, but nobody has emerged as that top power-play offensive driver that they need on the back end.
Verhoeff has the tools to be that guy. For a while, he was the consensus number two pick behind Gavin McKenna, but things have changed. Each of them saw their stock drop just a bit due to playing NCAA (much more difficult) after dominating in the CHL.
On Friday, Verhoeff spoke alongside McKenna at the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine, and he was an impressive responder. He understands his game, wants to get better, and seems honored to even be in this situation.
Although Verhoeff isn't a lock to be the number two pick like he seemed to be early in the season, he is okay with it. He understands that there are some incredible players available and every team has different needs. He's also incredibly confident in his abilities.
"They're all so talented," Verhoeff said of his fellow draftees. "The biggest thing I bring every night is my compete level. You won't always have your best game, but bringing that compete level and character to the rink every day."
If the talent doesn't match the compete level, the talent won't transform into success in the NHL, and Verhoeff is well aware of that.
"Playing against those bigger and faster guys has been really important for me," Verhoeff said. "It's helped to round out my game a ton."
At the University of North Dakota, Verhoeff had 6 goals and 14 assists as a freshman for a total of 20 points in 36 games played. There was an adjustment period for him in college, but as he said, it was good for his long-term development.
If the Blackhawks are not the team that selects him 4th overall, he will be off the board before the top-ten, likely top-seven, is complete.
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On June 8, 1955, the Montreal Canadiens appointed Hector “Toe” Blake as their new coach. The 5-foot-10 winger had marked the Habs' history as a player, winning two Stanley Cups and competing in 577 NHL games, only eight of which weren’t with the Canadiens, but with the Montreal Maroons. It’s in his time with the Habs that he gathered his 527 points, making him the 21st highest scorer in franchise history.
Blake would go on to coach the Canadiens for 13 seasons with great success. He was behind the bench for 914 NHL games, all with the Habs, compiling a 500-255-159 record, leading the Canadiens to eight Stanley Cups, a third of their total championships. Montreal drank out of Lord Stanley’s mug for Blake’s first five seasons at the helm. His 500 wins make him the winningest coach in franchise history and the 30th-winningest coach in league history. Of course, seasons have a lot more games these days than back in the day.
With him behind the bench, the Canadiens never finished lower than third overall in the league, but it’s worth saying that the league only had six teams for all but one of his years in charge. Blake’s last season was in 1967-68 when the league welcomed six new teams. The Canadiens ended that season first overall with 94 points in 74 games and won Blake’s last Stanley Cup, going 12-1 in the playoffs, allowing their coach to retire at the top of his game.
During his tenure, the legendary bench boss coached the likes of Jacques Plante, Jean Beliveau, Bernard Geoffrion, Maurice and Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, and Jacques Lemaire, to name a few. While Blake was behind the bench, the Canadiens had only two general managers: Frank J. Selke, who was in post from July 1946 to May 1964, and Sam Pollock, who took over and remained in post for 14 years, winning nine Stanley Cups.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 07: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 and Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrate after the game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on June 07, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The New York Yankees won 6-1. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A really good road trip for the Guardians ended on a sour note with a 10-0 loss to the Rangers.
Today is a bit of a busy day for me doing hurricane relief in Jamaica, so this will be your series preview:
Game One, Monday, 6:40PM ET: Warren vs. Williams
Game Two, Tuesday, 6:40PM ET: Cole vs. Cecconi
Game Three, Wednesday, 1:10PM ET: Rodon vs. Messick
AROUND MLB:
Tigers won, White Sox lost and the Royals beat the Twins
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 16: Tanner Jeannot #84 of the Boston Bruins celebrates after scoring against Akira Schmid #40 of the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of their game at T-Mobile Arena on October 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to a new week, folks!
It’s the first full week in June, if you count a full week as being from Sunday to Saturday, which I think is how it works?
Either way, we’re moving toward the first day of summer, but we still have plenty of on-ice action to discuss.
A wild Final thus far
For a neutral observer, this year’s Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes has been a blast to watch thus far.
A late Vegas game-winning goal in Game 1, an OT win for Carolina in Game 2, then a chaotic Game 3 that had just about everything: a natural hat trick, a blown four-goal lead, and a ping-pong OT winner.
After all that, Vegas has a 2-1 lead and it remains anyone’s series, but the entertainment factor has been through the roof.
And while I’m sure many of you scoff at the mere mention of the NBA, that final has been very entertaining as well.
It’s a nice treat for sports fans until we have to settle into the darkness (in Boston, at least) of baseball season.
Hey, at least the World Cup is coming!
Lucic calls it a career
Two-time Boston Bruin Milan Lucic officially announced his retirement on Sunday, ending a 17-season NHL career that spanned a handful of organizations.
Lucic finished with 233G-353A-586PTS in 1,177 games.
He was a force to be reckoned with in his prime years with the Bruins and was pretty much worth the price of admission on his own during that time with an ability to fight, hit, and score.
Lucic’s second stint with the Bruins ended when he was placed on indefinite leave after he was charged with domestic assault, charges that were later dropped due to inadmissible evidence/lack of testimony.
Lucic briefly played in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) over in the United Kingdom, but that didn’t last long.
Odds and ends
Joe Pavelski, who I honestly thought was still playing, is apparently a name that has come up during the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching search.
Jeremy Swayman finished third in Vezina Trophy voting, with Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning taking home the top spot.
Fans of every NHL team not named the Detroit Red Wings are currently conjuring up the wackiest possible trade proposals for Dylan Larkin. I think Spooner, Khokhlachev, and a first gets it done.
PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 02: Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) skates with the puck during the first period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators on February 2, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Vitals
Player: Ben Kindel Born: April 19, 2007 (Age 18 season) Height: 5’ 11” Weight: 182 pounds Hometown: Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada Shoots: Right Draft: 2025 first round (11th overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins 2025-26 Statistics: 77 games played, 17 goals, 18 assists = 35 points ; 6 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists in playoffs. Contract Status: Kindel has two years left on his entry level contract valued at a miniscule $986,250 against the salary cap.
Story of the Season
When the Penguins drafted Ben Kindel 11th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, there was frustration among the fan base at what appeared to be a reach by Kyle Dubas, forgoing some more popular names still on the board in favor of selecting Kindel at this spot. As it turns out, Dubas and his scouting department did their homework and Kindel quickly made everyone forget about their angst from draft night.
Throughout the course of the summer and into the fall, it became clear that Kindel had something special about him and was going to figure into the Penguins rebuild in a significant way, but no one expected his impact to happen this soon. He stood out among the other prospects at development camp and the Prospects Challenge, but training camp is where he made his case to be on the opening night roster.
Even when Kindel made the team out of camp, most figured it was just going to be for a nine-game trial run before returning to the Calgary Hitmen for another WHL season to continue his development. That plan quickly went out the window and it was clear Kindel was set to be in Pittsburgh for the long run.
In just his third NHL game, Kindel scored his first career goal, the lone Penguins tally in a 6-1 loss to the New York Rangers. He will forever hold the distinction of being the first player from the 2025 draft class to score an NHL goal, beating out top overall pick and eventual Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer by a few minutes.
Even as Kindel blew through his nine game window and it was clear he was going to be with the team for the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign, it was still expected that he was going to have his work load managed as he acclimates to playing in the NHL.
That turned out to not be the case as well, with Kindel playing 77 games as a rookie, recording 17 goals and 18 assists. His 17 goals made him just the 12th player over the last 20 years to reach that number as an 18 year old, joining the likes of Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, and fellow 2025 first round pick Shaefer just to name a few.
While many figured Kindel to be a major piece of the Penguins future, he actually turned out to be a major part of their present as well. As the season went along and it was clear the Penguins were going to be in position to at least contend for a playoff spot, Kindel kept getting opportunities to prove himself and he kept making the most of every chance he got.
Although the season ended in a six game playoff series loss to the Philadelphia Flyers where Kindel did not record a point, he will enter his second NHL season in 2026-27 with valuable experience under his belt and a clear role with the Penguins as not just a part of the future, but with what the franchise is trying to accomplish right now.
It was a pretty consistent run across the board for Kindel in his rookie season when breaking it down by month. January was his strongest month with 10 points in 15 games and his solid March output was big for the team during its toughest stretch of the season and missing key pieces from the lineup. It’s not every day an 18 year old becomes a lineup mainstay in the NHL, but Kindel did just that and was performing on a consistent basis all season long.
Regular season 5v5 advanced stats
Data via Natural Stat Trick. Ranking is out of 18 forwards on the team who qualified by playing a minimum of 150 minutes.
While Kindel’s score effects don’t jump off the page here, it’s a solid base to build off of for a 19 year old who will be entering his second NHL season in 2026-27 in a few months. If that shooting percentage trends upward then everything else should jump right along with it. He creates a ton in the high danger areas on the ice and helps drive possession overall.
It’s tough to not preface every statement with “he’s only 18” but my goodness, this type of offensive and defensive impact from an 18-year old center that wasn’t even a top-5 pick is almost unheard of. Kindel’s still got growth opportunities in terms of finishing and finding a comfort level on the power play, he’s got one heck of a base to work from at even strength.
Kindel is an active player all over the place. The goals and assist totals are nice but far from his only contribution. His defensive aptitude with puck touches are high. He’s good at exiting the zone, he’s pretty decent at entries. Rush offense, particularly setting up teammates is a hallmark of Kindel’s game. A lot of fine details under the hood that demonstrate value to the team. Even when going through some rookie struggles and cold production streaks that type of detail-oriented value add made him a lineup regular throughout the season and reliable player to send on the ice.
All around fun stuff here, as mentioned above Kindel is an active player that gets coverage all over the rink. He trusts his shooting talent with plenty of mid-range shots and has a pretty good one from the left side of the ice with the right handed blade seeing a lot of the net to score on 23.5% of his shots from that area.
One area of improvement detailed in these stats would be getting a little more efficient and frequency towards the front of the net. In this league players have to get to that area near the goal to boost their stats. Kindel frequently had some big bodies like Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau to fill that role, in the future seeing if he can attack the net more will be a big signal and shift towards unlocking even more.
Level of skating ability was something of a knock, if not question mark on Kindel during the draft process. He’s certainly not a burner that is going to pull away from opponents with straight-line speed, but he’s young and fresh enough to have plenty of jump and crafty enough to maneuver his way to being effective as a skater. Again, with age, experience and adding some muscle, this is an area that already is pretty decent but could be expected to show improvement as he continues to grow as a player.
In addition to being a good passer, responsible defensively and decent skater, Kindel’s wrist shot is another tool in his toolbox. (As you can tell, it’s a pretty full toolbox). He knows how to subtlety manipulate his shooting angle by drawing the puck in to fool goalies enough on the direction and timing of his shots, in the style like so many of his young contemporaries tend to do. Kindel won’t be confused for Auston Matthews as a total master of that skill, but he was able to find the time/space to get quite a few shots away to beat goalies from distance as a rookie and presumably will be able to use that experience for the future.
Highlights
Ben Kindel’s first National Hockey League goal… they don’t get much prettier 🤌🏻 pic.twitter.com/VF9Bv1Jcg8
Ben Kindel, who we have discussed at length, made his mark on the Penguins first power play unit as he extended the Penguins lead to 3-1 in the third period! The teenage phenom! Here's @Joe_Brand1's call. pic.twitter.com/cm0fFA2fCH
You’ll hear a lot about a sophomore slump for Ben Kindel next season, so whether or not he can avoid falling into one will be the big question worth answering for him. Everything we saw from him in 2025-26 points to a long and productive career, but there will be bumps in the road and he will have to learn to adjust and work his way through those moments.
At one point this past season, Kindel went 19 games between goals, but once he broke out of that slump, he scored in three straight games along with four in six as well. It was a tough stretch of hockey for the rookie, but he never gave up on himself or got too down. The goal scoring touch returned and he gained his confidence back.
Expectations will be rightfully high for Kindel entering next season, but even the best players can go through slumps or dry spells. It will be how he reacts to those moments and learns from them that will ultimately determine how his 2026-27 plays out and what we are saying about his future this time next year.
Ideal 2026-27
Continued development should be a key focus for Kindel next season. He’s already established himself as an NHL player and has a full season plus playoff experience under his belt at just 19 years old. He’s coming off one of the best goal scoring seasons for an 18 year old in the last two decades, so building off of that will be incredibly important for himself and the franchise this coming season.
Where exactly Kindel will slot into the lineup remains to be seen and we should have a better idea of how it will all shake out once the summer slows down and rosters become clearer post free agency. If the plan is for Kindel to be a top-six player starting next season, then getting him as much ice time with a preferred set of linemates will be crucial to his continued development.
Bottom line
When Ben Kindel was drafted, there was angst among the fan base at the supposed reach for him at the 11th pick. That angst was washed away quickly when it became clear exactly what the Penguins were getting in Kindel. Of the ten players drafted before him, just six played an NHL game this season, only three played in 12 or more games, and one of those players is a potential generational talent.
Removing Shaefer from the equation, Kindel led all first round picks in games played, goals, assists, and points. His rookie season was a smashing success by every metric and he’s only going to get better as a player. There were ups and downs throughout the season, including the previously mentioned 19 game goal drought, but those are the types of growing pains you get with an 18 year old in his first professional season.
Final Grade
A.
What Ben Kindel did as a rookie at just 18 years old is not typical in the NHL. He exceeded every expectation by just making the team out of training camp, then just continued to trend upward as the season went along. His linemates varied throughout the season but he proved he could play with just about any body Dan Muse placed next to him.
When he was drafted, Kindel was seen as a major piece for the Penguins future as the plan was still to rebuild in 2025-26. That rebuild may now be ahead of schedule and Kindel is a major reason why, showing everyone why the Penguins valued him so highly to take him 11th overall.
MONTREAL, CANADA- APRIL 5: Jacob Markstrom #25 of the New Jersey Devils passes the puck to Dougie Hamilton #7 during the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils at the Bell Centre on April 5, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“The New Jersey Devils need to make some changes this offseason, but they will have to clear some cap space to do so. General manager Sunny Mehta will enter the offseason with $13.125 million in cap space, and that’s without a contract extension for Arseny Gritsyuk. Fortunately, there are a few cap-clearing candidates that Mehta can move to give the Devils a bit more financial flexibility if he wants to add players such as Mason McTavish or Dylan Larkin.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
“…The Devils should certainly be calling Detroit about Larkin. He’s an excellent hockey player, and one the Devils would be lucky to get if the price was right.” [Devils’ Advocates]
“At 23 years old, 6-foot-3, and carrying a generous $7.75 million cap hit through 2031 in the rising cap era, Knies has emerged as one of the NHL’s more intriguing young wingers. His blend of size, physicality, and growing offensive production makes him the type of player who can anchor a top-six group for years. For teams like the Devils, who are perpetually hunting for that blend of youth and heft up front, the conversation naturally turns to whether they could step up and get a deal done. The short answer? They absolutely have the pieces.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
Hockey Links
Vegas takes Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final:
VEGAS WINS GAME 3 IN OVERTIME AND TAKES A 2-1 LEAD IN THE SERIES‼️ #StanleyCup
Milan Lucic is officially announcing his retirement following 1,177 career NHL games played – wishing all the best to the 2010-11 #StanleyCup champ👏 pic.twitter.com/X4QF1dWqt3
“Listen, no one can know yet how this Larkin situation will play out. But one thing I won’t do is doubt Yzerman’s ability to pull a rabbit out of a hat in this particular set of circumstances.” [The Athletic ($)]
“From Sunday’s 32 Thoughts podcast: out of nowhere, an unexpected name surfaces in Toronto’s coaching search — Joe Pavelski. According to multiple sources, the Future Hall-of-Famer is on the Maple Leafs’ radar as the team begins the next phase of its interview process, with one describing him as a ‘Martin St. Louis-style candidate.’” [Sportsnet]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 10: Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings looks on prior to the game against the Golden State Warriors on April 10, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks will be earnestly rebuilding their team around Cooper Flagg this offseason. Big changes are already underway following the hiring of Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz (as President and GM, respectively) and the departure of Jason Kidd. With the NBA season officially no more than five games from being over at this point, it’s time to start looking at what Dallas can do to reshape their team going into the 2026-2027 season.
In staff discussions at Mavs Moneyball, we often prognosticate on various trade scenarios, leaving nothing off the table of possibilities. So long as the trade would actually work in reality, we entertain it. Wanting to bring these ideas and discussions to a wider audience, I’ve elected myself curator of the crazy (but far more often, thoughtful) trade ideas that frequently fly about our internal discussions. With that, I welcome you to a new series – Trade Talk.
The parameters are simple. The trade proposal must go through a legitimate trade machine, such as that found on Spotrac.com, and must actually work in reality under NBA trade rules. There will be no trading Mark Cuban for the ghost of Wilt Chamberlain. I’ll select some of the trade proposals we bandy about and we’ll debate the value of each. First up is MMB’s Jack Nowicki’s proposed trade with the Sacramento Kings.
The trade proposal
The Mavericks use their traded player exception (TPE) to take on Malik Monk. Their reward for this service is a swap of Dallas’ #9 pick for Sacramento’s #7 pick in the 2026 draft. Sacramento also gets some cash considerations for their part.
The discussion
Mike: This is an interesting one, because it seems so rare that TPEs are actually ever used. Getting a player that scored 12.5 points per game and knocked down nearly 40% of his threes last season, without giving up any player assets doesn’t sound like a bad exchange. That said, the real value in this trade you’ve proposed seems to lie elsewhere, yes?
Jack: Absolutely. While Monk could be a useful player next season, the real prize is moving from pick #9 to pick #7. The purpose for this small trade-up is if the Mavericks fall head-over-heels for a guard who is unlikely to fall to their current pick. Obviously, we don’t know who this could be, but knowing Ujiri, it would not surprise me if he loves Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. For the Kings, they sit in a unenviable situation where they are simultaneously very expensive and years away from contention. Trading Monk allows the Kings to duck the luxury-tax and build future cap flexibility. The issue with trading Monk is that the Kings will be hesitant to part with any future draft assets, meaning they have few ways of getting out of his money – that’s where this trade-down becomes a solution. If the Kings aren’t sold on the options at #7, this trade gives them the flexibility they require while keeping a pick within the top-10. This move highlights how the TPE could become very valuable and why the Mavericks should get creative this offseason.
Mike: I agree that the key to this is who is still standing when the #7 pick comes up. Monk would cost Dallas $20 million this year, then $21 million the following year in the likely event he picks up his player option. At that point, he may add value as an expiring contract in a future trade, but he comes at a relatively steep price until then. I like how the Anthony Davis trade gave the Mavs better cap flexibility, so I’m hopeful they’ll utilize it in the most favorable way. If Dallas really does their homework and knows for sure “their guy” is gone when the #9 pick is selected, then I’d be more inclined to do this trade. I think Dallas really needs to nail their first pick in this draft and the shift of two spots that you’ve proposed could certainly help them do that.
Jack: One other thing to highlight is that Monk is not an outright negative player. He has major flaws, but would bring a spark of ball-handling and shooting off the bench that could be very useful for this team. He also can be an effective offensive player whether he has the ball or not, meaning he could play next to another guard.
Mike: True. That could come in handy in a number of ways. He’s arguably an upgrade over both Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard, and could take some load off Kyrie Irving as he’s working his way back into the swing of things. Monk might not be the best or cheapest guard option, but well said – he’s certainly serviceable and his 40% three point shooting would be huge for the Mavs.
Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts on this proposal as constructed, or perhaps how it could be altered or abandoned altogether.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
Will AJ Dybantsa be the Washington Wizards next No. 1 overall pick? | Getty Images
For most of the past two decades, the Washington Wizards have been bad. During that 20-year span, they’ve managed an above .500 record just six times. Their cumulative regular season winning percentage was 40.2% — second worst in the league. Only the Sacramento Kings (39.6%) were worse.
And the Kings had to play in the tougher Western Conference.
To be that bad for that long is difficult. The draft was designed to help losing teams obtain the best new players. Unfortunately, the worst teams are typically bad because the people in charge of choosing the players do a poor job of evaluating the relative merits of available players.
Which is a kinda convoluted way of saying bad teams stay bad because they keep picking the wrong guy. A look back through the past 20 years of Wizards’ draft history underscores the point. No every draft year, of course. There were some years and selections where Washington either got the best guy, or the guy they picked turned out no worse than anyone chosen later.
And there were some gobstopping, future-ruining, scream-into-the-void blunders. The kind of mistakes that inspired the #SoWizards hashtag and locked in a small but devoted band of weirdo fans wh0 knew to expect the worst and revel in it.
Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins has the chance to select the team’s next franchise player in the 2026 NBA Draft. | Getty Images
The newest executive team led by Michael Winger, Travis Schlenck, and Will Dawkins are trying to change all that. The tear-down portion is over. With five youngsters added to the draft over the past three years, the rebuild is underway. FanDuel odds suggest they’ll kick things into high gear by picking high-scoring BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the number one overall pick.
Here at Bullets Forever, we’ve published some work looking at this year’s talent-loaded draft pool, and more is on the way. Today, let’s take a look back at bests and worsts of the past 20 years of Wizards drafts.
2006
At 18, Ernie Grunfeld selected Ukrainian forward/center Oleksiy Pecherov. The theory wasn’t bad — sweet-shooting 7-footer. In reality, he wasn’t really an NBA player. What made this a bad pick: Washington could have had Rajon Rondo (21st) or Kyle Lowry (24th). In the second round, the Wizards chose Vladimir Veremeenko, who never played in the NBA. They could have taken Leon Powe (bad knees and all), who went with the next pick, or Ryan Hollins (the pick after Powe).
Grade: D
2007
The pick was Nick Young, who a) was kinda almost not bad some of the time, and b) could not reasonably be considered a miss, even though he went 16th overall. It’s pretty stunning that no one picked in his vicinity performed any better. The closest “shoulda picked that guy” I could see was Tiago Splitter, who went 12 picks later. In this draft, Grunfeld saved his whiff for the second round. He picked Dominic McGuire 47th. Marc Gasol went 48th.
Grade: C-
2008
JaVale McGee had outlandish talent and athleticism. The outlandish antics got him traded. | NBAE via Getty Images
The pick was JaVale McGee 18th overall. McGee was a unique pairing of immense talent and cartoonish personality. He was absolutely robbed of a dunk contest win when judges chose Blake Griffin despite McGee pulling off three dunks that maybe five people on the planet could have done. Guys taken a little later who would have been better picks: Ryan Anderson (21), Nicolas Batum (25), George Hill (26). They sold the 47th overall pick, which annoyed me in 2008 but in retrospect was inconsequential. They missed on no one.
Grade: C+
2009
When I mentioned gobstopping, franchise changing blunders, I had 2009 in mind. With an alleged goal of assembling a championship contender, Grunfeld traded the fifth overall pick for Mike Miller and Randy Foye. Each departed the team after one season. By trading the pick, they missed the chance to select Ricky Rubio (Minnesota took him fifth), or Stephen Curry (7th), or even DeMar DeRozan (9th). Ouch. The blundering continued in the second round. They sold the 32nd overall pick for cash when they could have picked DeJuan Blair (37th), Pat Beverly (42), Danny Green (46), or Patty Mills (55).
Grade: F-
2010
John Wall was one of the best players in Washington Wizards history until his career got sideswiped by injuries. | NBAE via Getty Images
Washington won the draft lottery and made John Wall the number one pick. Wall turned into a mutli-time All-Star and one of the better players in franchise history. I could kinda-sorta see arguments that the Wizards should have chosen Demarcus Cousins (5th) or Paul George (10th) instead of Wall, but I wouldn’t make those arguments myself.
Due to some trades, the Wizards also had picks 17 and 23. They chose French big Kevin Seraphin 17th and Trevor Booker 23rd. Booker was pretty good — no one picked later was any better. Seraphin was terrible (except for those hook shots), but the theory was pretty good, and he wasn’t much of a miss. The only guys who were good who went after him were Eric Bledsoe (18) and Booker. Bledsoe should have been the pick, and a Wall-Bledsoe backcourt could have been interesting.
Grade: A-
2011
This was a disastrous draft. With the sixth overall pick, Washington took Jan Vesely when they could have had Kemba Walker (9th), Klay Thompson (11th), Kawhi Leonard (15th), or Nikola Vucevic (16). With the 18th pick, they took Chris Singleton (who had a don’t draft grade in YODA) when they could have selected Tobias Harris (19th), Kenneth Faried (22nd), Reggie Jackson (24th), or Jimmy Butler (30th).
In the second round, they chose Shelvin Mack, who was the team’s most productive selection from this draft…and who they kept cutting to keep less productive players. Instead of selecting someone they kept deciding they didn’t want, they could have picked Chandler Parsons (38), Jon Leuer (40), Davis Bertans (42), or Isaiah Thomas (60). Thomas, by the way, had a first round grade in YODA.
Grade: F-
2012
With the third pick, the Wizards took Bradley Beal, who started as a standard-issue shooting guard and developed into a high-level offensive weapon. I’d accept arguments that they maybe should have taken Damian Lillard in that spot, though I would not have made that pick myself. In the second round, they picked Tomas Satoransky 32nd, who wasn’t bad…but they could have had Jae Crowder (34th), Draymond Green (35th), Khris Middleton (39th), or Will Barton (40th). Not an egregious miss, but still a miss.
Grade: B+
2013
Hindsight is 20/20: when the Wizards picked Otto Porter, they could have chosen Giannis Antetokounmpo. | Getty Images
For a second straight year, the Wizards had the third overall selection. This time, they picked Georgetown forward Otto Porter. While there were some (including Wall) who seemed more interested in chronicling things Porter could have theoretically done better, what he did was actually pretty damn good. The big miss: Giannis Antetokounmpo, who went 15th and became an all-time great. Ouch.
They traded their second round pick for Glen Rice Jr., who had a nice summer league. They didn’t miss a whole lot — Nate Wolters was chosen in that spot and didn’t do much in the NBA. They could have taken Mike Muscala, who was a decent backup big, or Raul Neto, who came to Washington later and had his best season.
Grade: C
2014
This draft rankled me. First, just before the 2013-14 season, they traded their first rounder plus an injured Emeka Okafor for Marcin Gortat. As a pure trade, it was fine. That they needed to make it was galling because they’d used every player acquisition resource available to them that summer to not address the glaring need for another big man — absurd because Okafor was 30-years-old. That’s an age when most players can be relied upon to get injured and get worse. Had they kept the pick, they could have had T.J. Warren, Jusuf Nurkic, Clint Capela, or a chubby, ground-bound Serbian kid who’d go on to be a three-time league MVP (Nikola Jokic, who went 40th!).
They had the 46th pick, which they sold to the Lakers for cash. They picked Jordan Clarkson. Something of a miss for Washington, though not a bad one.
Grade: C-
2015
In this draft, Grunfeld traded up to 15 so he could select Kelly Oubre Jr. I supported the move at the time — Oubre was long, athletic, and played hard. Some players picked later arguably had better careers, like Terry Rozier (16), Delon Wright (20), Bobby Portis (22), and Tyus Jones (24). I wouldn’t consider Oubre a miss, though. He was about as good as any of those guys and no one was significantly better. In round two, they chose Aaron White, who never played in the NBA, and still was no worse a pick than anyone who went later.
Grade: B+
2016
Once again, Grunfeld traded the team’s first round selection for a veteran — this time acquiring Markieff Morris. While Morris never was any better than average, he still proved to be a good value for the pick. First, because a “typical” 13th overall pick is going to produce over time at about the level Morris did, and second because they didn’t really miss out on anyone. The draft in that 13-17 range was blah. The “misses” came later — Malik Beasley (19), Caris LeVert (20), Pascal Siakam (27), or DeJounte Murray (29).
Grade: C
2017
It’s hard to say Kevin Durant was one who got away from the Wizards when he wouldn’t even take the meeting. | NBAE via Getty Images
For two seasons, Washington had been avoiding adding payroll in this offseason so they could have lots of cap room to chase free agent prizes like Kevin Durant or Al Horford. For some reason, no one in the front office — including the team’s owner, who was on the league’s ownership committee negotiating a new national TV deal — seemed to consider how that new TV deal would change the league’s financial landscape. That offseason, half the league had max cap room. The Wizards couldn’t get a meeting with Durant, and Horford chose Boston. They turned to a Plan C, which involved heaping large contracts on…lesser…players — Ian Mahinmi, Andrew Nicholson, and Jason Smith.
Nicholson was so bad, the Wizards paid the Nets their first round pick to absorb Nicholson’s contract and rent Bojan Bogdanovic for a few lackluster months. That pick became Jarrett Allen. It could have been OG Anunoby (23), Kyle Kuzma (27), Derrick White (29), or Josh Hart (30).
In round two, they traded the 52nd overall pick for backup guard Tim Frazier, which was fine. They didn’t miss anyone by trading the pick.
Grade: F
2018
With the 15th pick, the Wizards chose Troy Brown Jr., who seemed pretty interesting for a couple seasons. Then he lost confidence and retreated and ended up out of the league in short order. They could have taken Donte DiVincenzo (17), Kevin Huerter (19), Grayson Allen (21), or Anfernee Simons (24).
In round two, they inexplicably chose Issuf Sanon with the 44th pick. It’s not so much that better players went later (though they could have drafted De’Anthony Melton or Shake Milton), it’s that Sanon had shown nothing in his professional career overseas to suggest he would ever be an NBA player.
Grade: D-
2019
With the 9th pick, Tommy Sheppard and the Wizards chose Rui Hachimura, who had some good moments in Washington but got less productive the longer he stayed. Sheppard finally traded him to the Lakers for a bushel of second round picks, where Hachimura has been better playing in the space created by LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves. The Wizards dodged a bullet by not picking Cam Reddish (10). They could have selected Cameron Johnson (11), PJ Washington (13), Tyler Herro (13), or Brandon Clarke (21).
With the benefit of hindsight, Herro should have been the pick. At the time, everyone was looking at the short arms and average height and wondering how successful he could be. Johnson or Washington could have been better choices, especially Johnson. While I had Clarke rated high in YODA, I fully understand not picking him that early in the draft — he was a weird combination of wing size, elite athleticism, and a big’s game. And he was older for a prospect. Overall, Hachimura was an okay pick.
In round two, they chose Admiral Schofield 42nd overall. Schofield had wing height and a football player’s build. The theory was he could become a three-and-D type. The reality was that he was too stiff and lacking in lateral agility or vertical pop to be strong at the D part, and his shot wasn’t good enough for the threes part. They could have taken Talen Horton-Tucker or Terance Mann, but I wouldn’t call the Schofield selection a whiff even though he failed.
Grade: C+
2020
Reportedly, the Wizards promised Tyrese Haliburton they would pick him 8th overall. On draft night, Deni Avdija, who they thought would go earlier, was still available, so they broke the promise and chose Avdija. While Avdija has grown into a very good player, the Wizards would have been better off keeping the promise and picking Haliburton — who in five seasons was All-NBA twice, All-Star twice, and was the best player on team that reached game seven of the NBA Finals.
In the second round, Washington for some reason traded the 37th overall pick in a deal that netted them Cassius Winston, who’d been a good college player but was not a serious NBA prospect. It’s tough to be good in the NBA when you’re small and slow and don’t jump well. The Wizards could have taken Tre Jones (41), Nick Richards (42), Isaiah Joe (49), or Sam Merrill (60).
Grade: D
2021
Once again, the Wizards picked a decent player. Once again, they left better players on the board. In this draft, they chose Corey Kispert 15th overall. Alperen Sengun went next. Sengun was followed by Trey Murphy III. Jalen Johnson went 20th. Ugh.
The Wizards had another first round pick, which for some reason they traded to get Isaiah Todd and Aaron Holiday (a replacement level guard). Todd never came close to being an NBA player. The pick they dealt became Isaiah Jackson. They could have drafted Quentin Grimes, Cam Thomas, Santi Aldama, Herb Jones, or Miles McBride.
Grade: D-
2022
This one might have been the worst draft in franchise history other than Kenny Green (who didn’t even make the team) over Karl Malone. With pick No. 10, the Wizards chose Johnny Davis. They bypassed Jalen Williams (the terrific one who played great in the NBA Finals for OKC), Jalen Duren, Mark Williams, Tari Eason, Christian Braun, and Walker Kessler. Wow. Many — MANY armchair draft analysts were screaming for Jalen Williams at that spot. The professionals picked a guy who could not compete at the NBA level.
In round two, they chose Yannick Nzosa 54th, and though Nzosa never played in the NBA, they missed on no one.
Grade: F-
2023
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 10: Bilal Coulibaly #0 of the Washington Wizards goes to the basket against Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Miami Heat during the second half at Capital One Arena on April 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. 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 Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In his first draft with the team, general manager Will Dawkins traded up a spot to select French wing Bilal Coulibaly. While Coulibaly has had his ups and downs, as well as injuries and “injuries,” it’s difficult to argue anyone selected after him has been significantly better.
In round two, the team shuffled some picks and ultimately chose Tristan Vukcevic, a decent shooting big man with leaden feet and inattentive defensive presence. They could have taken GG Jackson (eh), Toumani Camara, or Trayce Jackson-Davis. Fun fact: I was pleased when I thought the Wizards had picked Jackson-Davis 57th overall. Alas, they’d traded the selection to the Golden State Warriors.
Grade: B+
2024
The Wizards used three first rounders:
2nd overall: Alex Sarr — potential franchise player and likely to be the best player from this draft
14th overall: Bub Carrington — competitive gamer, though not very effective overall. They could have picked Kel’el Ware, Jared McCain, or Yves Missi instead.
23rd overall: Kyshawn George — competitive gamer who mixes commendable effort and positive plays with ambitious mistakes and ill-tempered fouls. No one picked later is any better.
The Wizards traded out of the second round. They had sufficient resources to have landed Ajay Mitchell or Jaylen Wells.
Grade: A
2025
Two first rounders in this one:
6th overall: Tre Johnson — good shooter who lacks dimension to his game. It’s too soon to say for sure, but it’s arguable that Jeremiah Fears or Cedric Coward would have been better choices.
21st overall: Will Riley — My assessment of Riley’s rookie year wasn’t as positive as others thought, but he has promise. While it’s too soon to say for sure, I didn’t see anyone picked after him who was better.
In round two, Washington traded out of the 32nd pick where they could have drafted Noah Penda or Micah Peavy, and they chose Jamir Watkins at 43. Watkins was an older prospect, who plays hard, works on defense, and needs to improve his shooting to earn a role. Still, no one picked later has been any better.
Grade: C+
A few observations:
The impact of major blunders is profound. It would have been one thing to say pick Rubio at five instead of Curry. It was something else entirely to spend the fifth pick and gain no long-term value. Getting nothing from Vesely at six was crippling.
The quality of Washington’s drafting dropped when the team replaced Grunfeld with Sheppard and improved markedly when Ted Leonsis hired Winger, Dawkins, and Schlenck.
This year’s draft is LOADED at the top. In Ye Olde Draft Analyzer (YODA for short), my stat-based draft prospect evaluation tool, I have four players with scores consistent with being the number one pick in most drafts, and 12 players with scores that would put them in the top five in most drafts. For context, Sarr, who went second overall in 2024 and had the top score in YODA that year, would rank fifth in this year’s draft. Tre Johnson would rank 17th. Coulibaly: 12th. And so on.
There’s a reality in which the Golden State Warriors’ future doesn’t hinge on the No. 11 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Sure, they could trade the selection for a superstar.
But that’s not what we’re talking about.
It’s whether they could go back and redo their previous lottery picks.
Steph Curry, who was selected seventh overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, was part of the Warriors’ dynasty. NBAE via Getty Images
A run of savvy selections in the early 2010s built the foundation of a dynasty, delivering Steph Curry (seventh overall, 2009), Klay Thompson (11th, 2011) and Draymond Green (35th, 2012) among other key contributors.
But the well has dried up, taking with it any hope of executing owner Joe Lacob’s bold “two-timeline” plan. That hope disappeared when the franchise used two of its highest selections this millennium on James Wiseman (second overall, 2020) and Jonathan Kuminga (seventh, 2021).
As far as the draft goes, the Warriors have been light-years behind.
There have been 44 players taken since Green who have gone on to earn All-Star selections, but none have been among the 21 prospects drafted by Golden State.
The good news is that this year’s draft is considered so deep it will be almost impossible to go wrong with the 11th pick. The Warriors will also have a different man in charge of the draft room from the last time they held a lottery pick.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob (right) hasn’t had much luck with the franchise’s draft picks recently. David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Mike Dunleavy Jr. has proven to be adept at identifying role players late in the draft since assuming the general manager’s post from Bob Myers weeks before the 2022 draft.
But this will be Dunleavy’s first lottery selection.
“We’ll just draft who we think is going to be the best player for us with our franchise moving forward,” Dunleavy said last month. “That’s what we’ve always done. Particularly the last few years we were pretty good about it whether it’s first or second round, whatever.
“We’re a little higher this year, but we’ll take the same approach.”
A report card on the Warriors’ recent history in the NBA draft, dating back to 2020:
A’s
None
The crux of the Warriors’ problems: While they have been able to find role players in the first round and value deeper in the draft, they’ve been bereft of top-line talent.
A selection of players taken after the Warriors’ past three lottery picks: Tyrese Haliburton, Deni Avdija, Tyrese Maxey, Franz Wagner, Alperen Sengun, Trey Murphy III.
You get the picture.
Brandin Podziemski, picked 19th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, has been an above-average player for the Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
B’s
Moses Moody — 14th overall, 2021
Gui Santos — 55th overall, 2022
Brandin Podziemski — 19th overall, 2023
All three players will be part of the Warriors’ rotation for years to come.
Santos looks to be the steal of the 2022 draft — a credit to the Warriors’ international scouting operation and their player development. The Brazilian played an entire season in the G League before making his NBA debut and saw the court sparingly the past two seasons but broke out in a big way this year, starting 26 of the Warriors’ final 32 games while averaging 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and four assists per game.
Moody, the Warriors’ last lottery selection, isn’t a star but had developed into a quality 3-and-D player before tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee in March.
It would be difficult to do better at No. 19 than Podziemski, who played all 82 games this past season and looks to be in line to join Moody and Santos with a contract extension this summer.
The Warriors selected Will Richard with the 56th overall pick in th 2025 draft. Robert Sabo for NY Post
C’s
Ryan Rollins — 44th overall, 2022
Quinten Post — 52nd overall, 2024
Will Richard — 56th overall, 2025
The jury is still out on Richard, who looked far better than a late second-round pick before hitting a wall toward the end of his rookie season. Likewise, Post has contributed more than can be expected from the seventh-to-last selection the previous year.
Rollins is a big win — for the Bucks.
The undersized guard didn’t get much of a chance with Golden State, appearing in only 12 games as a rookie before being traded for Chris Paul. But three years and two teams later, Rollins averaged 17.3 points and 5.6 assists as Milwaukee’s starting point guard.
Jonathan Kuminga was traded to the Hawks at this season’s deadline. NBAE via Getty Images
D’s
Nico Mannion — 48th overall, 2020
Jonathan Kuminga — 7th overall, 2021
Trayce Jackson-Davis — 57th overall, 2023
According to assistant GM Larry Harris, “If I were to tell you that Joe [Lacob] likes the draft, that would be the understatement of the world.”
By all accounts, the Warriors owner loved Kuminga and viewed the raw-but-tantalizing teenager as their ticket into the post-Curry era. In one of the more regrettable sagas of Lacob’s otherwise sterling stewardship, that is not how it played out.
Coach Steve Kerr and Kuminga never saw eye-to-eye on the court, contentious contract negotiations played out in the public eye and the Warriors ended up trading him for pennies on the dollar once it became clear the situation was irreconcilable.
Kuminga could still become a great NBA player — he is still only 23 and is in a better situation with the Hawks — but it was never going to happen in Golden State.
James Wiseman is one of the Warriors’ biggest draft busts in recent memory. Getty Images
F’s
James Wiseman — 2nd overall, 2020
Justinian Jessup — 51st overall, 2020
Patrick Baldwin — 28th overall, 2022
Wiseman has some competition among the Warriors’ biggest draft busts — including their present GM, taken No. 3 overall in 2002 — but there’s no doubt the oft-injured and ineffective big man was their most misguided selection of the current era.
A free agent since being released in December by the Pacers — his third NBA team — Wiseman has logged just 152 games in five seasons since Golden State made him its highest draft pick since Joe Smith in 1995.
The Hornets took LaMelo Ball with the next pick, and Haliburton went 12th overall, leaving the Warriors and their fans wondering: What if?
Hey, at least they didn’t pass on Luka Doncic for Marvin Bagley.
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NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 4: Donald Trump (L), Melania Trump, Howard Stern (C) and Chris Rock (R) watch the game between the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden on November 4, 2005 in New York City. 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 2005 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA and New York Knicks are warning fans to arrive to Madison Square Garden at least two hours before the tipoff of Game 3 as security measures have been added now that President Donald Trump is planning on attending the game.
There is a “no bag” policy, no storage spaces available, and enhanced “TSA-style screening procedures” for fans when they enter Madison Square Garden for the game scheduled to tip off just after 8:30 p.m. EST.
Trump’s visit has also blocked a watch party scheduled outside of MSG. New York fans have taken to social media to complain about everything from the limitations on street access to ticket prices. Trump has touted his Knicks fandom, but his presence will alter how attendees approach their evening. There is a website provided by Secret Service that lists prohibited items for those attending the game.
Media also received notification that certain areas would be off limits throughout the day and night as the added security measures limit access throughout the arena. Luckily, media are allowed into MSG hours before the doors even open, so hopefully there will be less issues for those bringing laptops and recording devices for the press conferences.
As you read this I am either on a plane, a train, a bus, a cab, or already at Madison Square Garden. For the next three days I will do my best to post about the experience. Feel free to hit me up with questions, things you’d like to see covered, and/or restaurant recommendations.
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