The 2026 Field of Dreams game takes place tonight at 7:30 PM ET exclusively on Netflix as the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins make their debut in the event.
Tonight's game marks the third edition of the signature event, inspired by the Academy Award-nominated film "Field of Dreams", in which Kevin Costner, starring as Ray Kinsella, follows a voice that inspires him to build a baseball field in his cornfield.
The Field of Dreams game was contested in 2021 and 2022, before a three-year hiatus due to site renovations.
Live coverage of tonight's Phillies vs Twins game begins at 6:30 PM ET. See below for additional information on how to watch the 2026 Field of Dreams game.
How to watch 2026 MLB Field of Dreams Game (Phillies vs Twins):
Where: Dyersville, IA
When: Today, Thursday, August 13
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Live Stream: Netflix
Where is the 2026 MLB Field of Dreams Game?
The Field of Dreams game will take place in Dyersville, Iowa, at a newly constructed baseball park located approximately 500 feet away from the actual movie site of the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams".
MLB Field of Dreams History:
The Field of Dreams game debuted in 2021, with the White Sox defeating the Yankees 9-8 on a walk-off HR. In 2022, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 4-2.
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
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Why are some MLB games unavailable to stream on Peacock?
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club's home television territory. For more information, visit Peacock’s Help Center.
Everything you need to know about MLB Road to the Show, a five-part docuseries on Peacock following some of the top college and minor league players across baseball.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 11: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians looks on from the dugout during the eighth inning while playing the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 11, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After yesterday’s post appealing to Stephen Vogt, it’s time to hypothetically talk to my all-time favorite baseball player, Jose Ramirez.
Jose, there are few things in life that bring me more joy than watching you play baseball. You are on your way to being the greatest Cleveland baseball player to ever lace them up. It isn’t your fault you broke your hamate and had to get surgery. Your quick return and dedication to playing everyday isn’t surprising to anyone who has followed you for any period of time.
But, Jose… is it possible you need a couple more weeks to rest? We can all see that your hand/wrist is a huge liability for you. Prior to your injury, your “down” season was 111 wRC+ with a .354 xwOBA and a slashline of .239/.339/.418 with a .249 BABIP with a 14/13 K/BB%. Since your return, you have a 61 wRC+ and a slashline of .207/.338/.207. with a .317 xwOBA and a 4.5/15.5 K/BB%. To your credit, you’re still making amazing quantities of contact and spitting on bad pitches… but your hand doesn’t have the strength to do anything much with the contact you make at the moment. Would that strength have a better chance of returning with a little more rest?
Perhaps most concerningly, the injury is affecting your play at third base. From not being able to turn the wrist quick enough to catch a snap throw to third to nab a runner, to not being able to smoothly corral ground balls, it’s clear that more time needs to elapse in order to recover enough mobility to be reliably fluid at the hot corner.
Now, if you were to go on the IL again, the infield would become Travis Bazzana at second, Angel Genao at third, and Brayan Rocchio at short, with Daniel Schneemann likely returning as the utility infielder. Personally, I’d like to give the recently red-hot Milan Tolentino a look in that role for a bit, but, in any case, it’s important to note that Schneemann has a .286 xwOBA, Rocchio a .294 xwOBA, and Bazzana a .302 xwOBA (Tolentino’s xwOBA would be much better of late in Columbus but for the season it is only .316), so I can see that your expected numbers even with a drastically diminished wrist tell us you’re still a better hitter than all these young players. However, there is enough reasonable optimism about these fledgling bats (including Genao’s sparkling .381 xwOBA!) to float us to the end of the month and give you a chance to return with some additional strength and healing at the beginning of September.
It’s up to you. Cleveland has made that clear, and far be it from me, a fanalyst, to tell you how to go about your business. You have earned the right to do as you see fit. But, if even a small part of you feels like getting another couple weeks plus off can give you a shot at returning as something closer to your normal self (especially defensively), don’t hesitate. It’ll help the team most of all if that hand/wrist heals more and gives us a shot at getting our star back to something like his usual abilities.
Every Guardians’ fan is in your corner and believing in you to find your way and play a part in giving us a chance at a playoff run. Just know it can involve some more R&R if needed and no one will feel you have failed them in the slightest!
On Sunday, Aug. 9, the NHL Network announced their list of “Top 20 Defensemen Right Now” and ranked Anaheim Ducks star blueliner Jackson LaCombe at 17th. One week after ranking teammate Cutter Gauthier as the NHL’s 19th best winger, LaCombe comes in at 17th among defensemen, sandwiched between Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Well, he's on the map and becoming, vastly becoming one of the better, or best, two-way defensemen in the game because of his great skating ability,” NHL Network analyst Ken Daneyko said on the countdown show. “He’s agile; he's mobile. He can do so many things as far as poise and culture. And he's a big, strong kid."
Unsurprisingly, names like Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski, Rasmus Dahlin, and Miro Heiskanen ranked atop the list at No. 1-5, respectively.
LaCombe (25), a former second-round pick (39th overall in 2019), was selected by the Ducks from Prep School Shattuck St. Mary’s and was seen as a smart, toolsy long-term project. He proved Anaheim’s amateur scouting staff right after playing his next four seasons at the University of Minnesota, where he eclipsed his production year-after-year and totaled 99 points (19-80=99) in 140 games.
Following his senior year at Minnesota, where he was an alternate captain and led his team to a crushing National Championship defeat, he signed his two-year ELC with the Ducks and made his NHL debut toward the end of the 2022-23 season.
LaCombe had a difficult transition to the NHL in his first full season (2023-24), where he scored just 17 points (2-15=17) in 75 games. He was asked to play much of the season on his off-hand side, up and down the lineup, and with limited power play time, but also difficult minutes at 5v5 and on the penalty kill. His play recognition was slow, his game was simplified, and he struggled to defend the strongest and fastest players in the world.
He signed a two-year contract extension following his rookie season that carried an AAV of $925k.
In 2024-25, the Ducks and LaCombe enjoyed a true breakout season despite opening the season as a healthy scratch. He was confident when leading rushes and patrolling the offensive blueline with the puck on his stick. He began driving to the net without the puck, and breakouts became automatic exits with either a precise first pass or poised, confident, intelligent strides. He tallied 43 points (14-29=43) in 75 games and led the Ducks in ice time with 22:18 TOI/G, becoming an all-situations, true No. 1 defenseman.
Following his breakout, with one-year left on his contract, and days before the 2025-26 season, LaCombe signed an eight-year contract extension with the Ducks worth an AAV of $9 million per season.
In the 2025-26 season, LaCombe built on his breakout and established himself as an elite defenseman in the NHL. He again led the Ducks in ice time, with 24:15 TOI/G, including 3:13 on the power play and 1:39 per game on the penalty kill. He produced 58 points (10-48=58) in all 82 regular season games and was arguably the Ducks’ best player as they clinched the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.
His season was highlighted by 10 points (1-9=10) in 12 playoff games and (relatively) shutting down (an injured) Connor McDavid, as they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the first round and went on to lose in the second to the Vegas Golden Knights. Both series lasted six games.
LaCombe has played at the international level for the United States on three separate occasions, winning a Gold Medal at each stop. He notched an assist in six games at the 2021 World Junior Championship, five points (2-3=5) in ten games at the 2025 World Championships, and, though he didn’t suit up, he brought home a Gold Medal from the 2026 Olympic Games as a last-minute replacement for injured Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones.
If possible, LaCombe may be relied on even more by the Ducks moving forward. The 2026 offseason saw the departures of his partner Jacob Trouba, captain Radko Gudas, and Stanley Cup winner John Carlson. LaCombe will likely continue to play heavy, difficult minutes and will likely be called upon to impact both top units of the special teams. There may even be a captaincy on the table for him.
With a lack of overall depth on the roster and a stable of young blueliners behind him on the lineup sheet, LaCombe will have to drive offense to a higher degree at that end of the ice and continue to refine his defensive habits deep in his zone, specifically at the goal mouth.
LaCombe was a long-term project who wound up bearing fruit suddenly and unexpectedly, to the point where the surface of his potential seems only scratched. His big-money contract will only just kick in in 2026-27, and he’ll be this season’s 13th (tied) highest-paid defenseman in the NHL. Once an inconceivable thought, there’s a shot he breaks into the top ten on this NHL Network list in the summer of 2027.
In the 1800s, the best graphite in the world came from China. The Americans wanted to give a tribute to the Chinese for the graphite used in their pencils. Yellow means royalty and respect in China, which is why the Americans manufactured their pencils in yellow. To this day, the default color for pencils is still yellow.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
Most planets rotate on their axis in an anti-clockwise motion. However, Venus rotates clockwise in retrograde once every 243 Earth days.
Star Trek: Generations was the first film to have a website.
The 1994 film Star Trek: Generations was the first movie to ever have an official website. Since then, the trend seems to have caught on, now it’s strange not to have a website for a movie.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 12: Willie MacIver #47 of the Texas Rangers hits a three-run double against the Athletics during the second inning of the spring training game at Surprise Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning friends!
The Mariners couldn’t hang onto an early lead in last night’s game against the Yankees, dropping the middle match 10-5. The gods have cursed us with another Mariners baseball game today with first pitch slated for 10:35am PT.
Both chambers of the California State Legislature have signed off on a measure that would force the Angels to go back to being called the “Anaheim Angels.” Team owner Arte Moreno has long opposed the dropping of “Los Angeles” from the team name, but the state is asking the team to claim the city of Anaheim in exchange for an affordable housing exemption.
Several Angels players spent the trade deadline at Mike Trout’s private golf course. Davy Andrews at Fangraphs did an analysis on where exactly on the course everyone was when they found out they were getting dealt — and why Trout decided to do this in the first place.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 21: Herick Hernandez #96 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Offenses across the board were pretty stagnant on Wednesday, but the pitching — for the most part — stood out, with Hernandez leading the charge for the Stripers. Let’s get into it.
Gwinnett ultimately fell short on Wednesday, moving to just one game above the .500 mark for the year. While the outcome wasn’t what everyone wanted, Herick Hernandez had as good of a day as he’s ever had as a professional.
Across 6.1 innings of work, Hernandez gave up two runs on two hits, but managed to strike out 11 batters in the process for his first double-digit strikeout game since being promoted to triple-A. Additionally, Hernandez managed to get a phenomenal 22 whiffs as well on the night, which paced all pitchers at the triple-A level on Wednesday.
Hernandez’ stock has absolutely rocketed up over the course of this season, as he is suddenly looking like a potential big league piece — perhaps as soon as this season. The stuff is there, but he will need to cut down on the walks if he wants to truly take that next step.
Regardless, the strikeout stuff is legit and he, at the very least, should be able to help out of the bullpen, if not the rotation in Atlanta sooner rather than later.
Back to Wednesday’s action, the Stripers actually outhit Norfolk by a 6-4 tally and actually carried a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. However, the Tides managed to tie things up and the game ultimately went into extras.
Gwinnett brought home their fifth run in the top of the 10th thanks to a Brewer Hicklen — who also had a pair of doubles on the night — sacrifice fly to plate Maverick Handley. In the home half, however, Norfolk tagged Ian Hamilton for two walks (one intentional) and a two-RBI double to take the lead and seal off the walkoff loss for the Stripers.
It was a bit shaky as Columbus had to stave off a late comeback attempt, but the Clingstones managed to get things done and cap off the narrow 4-3 win over Birmingham.
Cam Caminiti got the start and got a relatively early hook as he didn’t have his best stuff. His command was off and he gave up a homer in the three inning start in which he allowed the one run while striking out three. However, there doesn’t seem to be any concern regarding injury for Atlanta’s top prospect, but perhaps rather a case of wanting to pull him simply because he wasn’t bringing his plus stuff on the night.
At the plate, Owen Carey paced the offense by driving in a pair of runs and scoring one himself, while Adam Zebrowski went 2-4 with a double and RBI to his credit as well.
Carey’s biggest hit of the night came in the top of the eighth inning, as he singled into right field to plate Eric Hartman to give Columbus what would be a crucial insurance run.
Leading 4-1 headed into the bottom of the ninth, the Clingstones only needed three outs to secure the win, but Birmingham didn’t make it easy.
The Barons tagged Owen Hackman for two runs on two hits to cut the Columbus lead to 4-3. However, Hackman thankfully settled in and managed to record the final out to get the save.
Rome rode a solid start from Luke Sinnard and multiple banner performances at the plate en route to a 4-1 victory over Asheville.
Across four innings, Sinnard held the Tourists scoreless, limiting the opposition to just a pair of hits and striking out four as well.
In his seven starts with Rome since returning from injury, Sinnard has been excellent. Sinnard is carrying an ERA of 2.81 across 25.2 innings in which he has also struck out 29 batters and limiting the opposition to a batting average of .202.
Overall, Sinnard is striking out batters at a 30.1% clip, while his walk rate has remained steady at 8.1%, which is slightly below his career average thus far. The system will most-likely take it easy with Sinnard and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him finish out the season with the Emperors. However, there is a slight possibility he gets a few start at Columbus at the end of the year.
As Sinnard was dealing, his offense provided him with plenty of firepower in the process.
Colin Burgess got the scoring party started with an RBI-single in the top of the second to plate Colby Jones and make it a 1-0 lead. Burgess then came around to score on an RBI-double off the bat of Luis Guanipa to extend the lead to 2-0. Had the Emperors been playing in virtually any other park, Guanipa’s double would’ve probably resulted in a homer.
Nevertheless, Guanipa had a big day at the plate, doubling twice and driving in and scoring a run as well. It is an encouraging turn of events for Guanipa, who has sputtered a bit since being promoted to high-A.
Dixon Williams also had a huge game for the Emperors, which featured a triple in the top of the seventh, while Logan Braunschweig came off the bench in the eighth and provided an RBI-single to extend the lead to 4-1 which held as the final.
(57-51) Augusta GreenJackets 2, (62-48) Charleston RiverDogs 11
This one unfortunately was pretty much over with before the GreenJackets even had a chance to come to the plate.
Starter Gensi Angeles was hit hard, giving up six runs (five earned) on four hits while walking one and striking out one. Angeles ultimately wouldn’t make it out of the first inning, as Augusta had to go to their bullpen earlier than they probably would have liked to.
With Charleston leading 8-0, the GreenJackets finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth as 2026 15th round pick Caleb Klein registered his first professional RBI on a single to score Parker Brosius — who tallied a double to his credit on the night — to make it an 8-1 game.
The DSL Braves mounted a late comeback in this one to earn their 15th victory of the season on Wednesday.
Cesar Navarro got the start and spun an excellent game, allowing two runs across six innings, striking out three and not walking a single batter on the day.
Overall, Navarro has sort of flown under the radar in terms of Braves prospects putting together a solid 2026 campaign. In 10 starts — 47.1 innings pitched — Navarro is currently carrying an ERA of 2.47 while striking out 36 batters during that span. Opponents are also hitting just .196 against the righty, while only tallying one homer against him on the season as well.
If Navarro can continue to put up solid numbers through the close of the DSL season, there’s a good chance he could sneak his way onto next season’s top preseason prospects lists.
Back to Wednesday’s action, while Navarro was doing his thing, his offense sputtered through the first six innings.
In the midst of a 3-0 shutout, the Braves’ bats finally came alive in the top of the seventh.
Luis Fortunato led things off with a walk before advancing to second on a Jose Nelo infield single. Elioberto Mondesir worked a walk to load the bases before Yassel Pena drew a free pass of his own to plate Fortunato and cut the deficit to 3-1.
Luis Consoro proceeded to come through with an RBI-single up the middle, allowing Nelo to score and make it a 3-2 game. The tying run came as Durban Arnedo grounded into a double play and Mondesir scored.
It wouldn’t take much longer for the Braves to take their first lead of the night, as Fortunato doubled home Mayonbanex Rosa to give them a 4-3 lead, which ultimately held as the final.
HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 08: Kevin Eschenfelder speaks during the Houston Sports Awards on February 8, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images for Houston Sports Awards) | Getty Images for Houston Sports
He’s been part of our lives for decades and his passion for Houston sports runs deep. Originally logging stats at the age of 15 at the Astrodome during Oilers and Astros games, Kevin Eschenfelder’s love for the “home team” has never wavered.
On the majority of nights, he’s the welcoming voice that greets and navigates Pre & Post Game shows around contests on Space City Home Network. The native Houstonian joins us today exclusively at The Crawfish Boxes to talk Astros as we get ready for the home stretch.
Q: Would it surprise if only 83 or 84 victories won the A.L. West outright this year?
A: Honestly, I do think that would surprise me. I get where everyone is in the standings right now, but I have a feeling that somebody is going to take off. Between the Astros and Mariners and Rangers, somebody is going to get hot down the stretch and whoever does, is going to win this division. I don’t think everyone is going to stay as they are right now. One of those teams is going to have a really good September, we’ll just wait to see who it is.
Q: Speaking of September, who is going to be that third bat to generate offense consistently for the Astros behind Yordan & Pena?
A: Isaac Parades is so good. I don’t think anybody realized how good he was when they traded for him. He’s such a good hitter. In order to lengthen that lineup, there are four choices. You have to get Christian Walker and Jose Altuve going and then the X-factors are Taylor Trammell and Cam Smith. Walker had the 11-game hitting streak, we all know what Altuve can do with multi-hit games when the lights are the brightest. Those are the guys to watch.
Q: How special will this weekend be with Alan Ashby and the late Phil Garner going into the Astros Hall of Fame?
A: It’s wonderful that we had two guys who contributed in so many different ways, not just to the Astros organization but to our city. Ash did it as a very good player and switch-hitting catcher and then was a broadcaster and coach. He did a little bit of everything and has always been visible in the community.
With Phil Garner, everyone loved him. When he came over from the Pirates in the 80’s, he locked down that second base position and helped those teams learn how to win. Then of course in 2005 as Manager, he was so special. Phil was also one of the great storytellers. I was always so thankful to be in his presence, and I knew many of his stories like the back of my hand, but I enjoyed hearing them and having them told to the fans.
Q: When was the last time you were with Phil?
A: We did a symposium together at Fan Fest and he told his stories which everyone loved. I’m so happy that Carol and the kids on Saturday will be there to receive that honor and recognition. He was special.
Q: I’m a radio guy at heart and like so many, I marvel at your versatility. How different is the preparation when you’re calling a game from the booth, as opposed what you do in the Space City studios?
A: There’s not a lot of comparison. The Pre and Post Game is 22 minutes of content, and you know what you need to know for those particular programs. However, when you’re doing a live game, you never know what you’ll need to know (laughs). You have to know a little bit of everything, so I’d say that’s the biggest difference. I just put my nose into it, start studying, find a few storylines on players and then identify the right place to use it. That’s the real challenge. The preparation is much greater.
PISCATAWAY, NJ - DECEMBER 08: Marek Dolezaj #21 of the Syracuse Orange is guarded by Myles Johnson #15 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at the Rutgers Athletic Center on December 8, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the first time in a long time, according to Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com, the Orarge are slated to play a non-conference game in the month of February. Syracuse will take on Rutgers at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on February 6, 2027.
The last time Syracuse played a team that was not in either the Big East or ACC during the month of February came on February 23, 2003, according to our very own Sam Federman, when the Orange defeated Michigan State, 76-75.
Rutgers is now officially two years removed from losing Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey to the NBA. The Scarlet Knights struggled last season, finishing 14-20 overall while winning a mere six conference games.
This will officially be the third game finalized for next season that will take place inside an NBA arena. Syracuse previously announced that it will face Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers, on November 9, 2026, before taking on Providence at TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics, on December 21, 2026.
The matchup with Rutgers will also mark Syracuse’s return to New York City after a one-year absence. The Orange last played in the city two years ago, when they fell to Maryland in the Gotham Classic at Barclays Center. Given Syracuse’s long history of playing high-level games in New York City, the return will be sure to generate some excitement
There have also been rumors that the Orange could make another trip to NYC next season to take on St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. However, that matchup has not been confirmed as of yet.
One thing, however, is becoming more and more clear. Coach McNamara wants to bring Syracuse basketball back to relevance and re-engage the fan base that supported him during his time with the program, including when he helped lead the school to a National Championship.
He wants Syracuse playing in NBA arenas. He wants the Orange competing against Power Four programs in New York City. And, perhaps most importantly, he wants this team to turn the page on last season and completely flip the script.
But for now, another big game on the slate for the Orange. What are your takeaways on Syracuse taking on Rutgers in Brooklyn next season? Will you be attending?
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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Twins moneyline
Price: 50¢ (+100) at Polymarket
The Minnesota Twins are slight 50-cent "home" underdogs for their "Field of Dreams" game in Iowa today at the new permanent Dyersville Stadium.
I know everyone thinks the Philadelphia Phillies are the better team on paper, but how they’re perceived and how they produce are two different things.
The Twins have the pitching edge, as lefties are hitting just .206 against Taj Bradley, while Aaron Nola could be vulnerable to the long ball with the low Iowa fences. No pitcher has allowed more home runs than Nola this year.
The Minnesota bullpen is also the better unit. The Phillies' pen has been overworked of late and is pitching to a 4.94 ERA over the last week, compared to 2.31 for Minnesota. There are also two very good sub-3.00 ERA lefties available to throw against this heavily left-handed Philly lineup.
In what is being priced as a near coin-flip, I have the Twins at around 53%-54% probability.
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: Netflix
Jon Metler's expert pick: Dodgers moneyline
Price: 58¢ (-138) at Polymarket
This is straight-up appointment television.
We're looking at a potential NLCS matchup between the two top teams in the National League, but unfortunately, tonight's game could be a preview of how that series ultimately plays out.
I'm taking the Los Angeles Dodgers on the moneyline. They're trading at 58 cents on Polymarket, but this number should be closer to 60 cents.
Roki Sasaki has arguably been the Dodgers' best starting pitcher over the last month, and his swing-and-miss stuff should play extremely well against a Milwaukee Brewers lineup that wants to work counts, put the ball in play, and create pressure on the basepaths. That's a difficult approach to execute when you're facing a pitcher capable of taking the bat out of your hands and sending you back to the dugout via the strikeout.
Max Scherzer has a history of showing up in big games (look no further than last year's Game 7 of the World Series), and has actually been pretty serviceable for the Toronto Blue Jays as of late after struggling out of the gate.
The veteran has allowed just three earned runs across his last 11 1/3 innings pitched, and the stage might be the brightest of the season tonight as Toronto looks to sweep the Boston Red Sox and continue its ascent in the Wild Card standings.
He's looked good in this specific matchup, too, limiting Willson Contreras, Adley Rutschman, and Jarren Duran to a .165 xBA or worse across 25 combined at-bats. The Jays have won 10 of their last 14 games, and the offense has scored five or more runs in five of their last six.
I'm a buyer at 55 cents as a result.
Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
How to watch: NESN, Sportsnet
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Yankees moneyline
Price: 58¢ (-138) at Polymarket
The New York Yankees are available at a very fair price at home today with Max Fried on the mound, especially considering the state of their opponent.
Fried has been excellent since returning to action, allowing one run or fewer in three of his last four starts. While Seattle Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert has been solid, New York holds a major edge in the recent form of both its offense and bullpen.
Over the past week, the Yankees rank eighth in OPS compared to 26th for the Seattle, while their bullpen ranks fourth in ERA compared to 29th for the Mariners. Seattle has now lost six straight and 15 of its last 20 games in what's been a disaster of a second half.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Dodgers and Brewers may serve up another memorable moment or two during their four-game series that starts Thursday, Aug. 13 at Dodger Stadium. But their postseason history already is rich.
The Brewers had won 11 straight heading into the best-of-7 series. The streak reached 12 games when the Brewers won the opener, 6-5.
Three of the games were decided by a single run during the tightly contested series.
Clayton Kershaw was in top form in Game 5, striking out nine and allowing just one earned run in seven innings in the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory. Of course, it all culminated with Game 7.
That night Yasiel Puig powered the Dodgers with a three-run homer. The Dodgers also got a home run from Cody Bellinger, who was voted NLCS MVP. The Brewers got a home run from DH Christian Yelich.
2020 National League wild card series
These days, the Dodgers wait and wonder if Edwin Diaz can regain the form he showed before they signed him in the off season. There was no such worrying in 2020, including when the Dodgers and Brewers met for a best-of-3 wild card series.
Kenley Jansen recorded the save in Game 1 for the victorious Dodgers.
There was no need for Jansen in Game 2 after Kershaw stuck out 13 batters and allowed just three hits over eight shutout innings. Brusdar Graterol did the honors, pitching a scoreless ninth to seal the Dodgers’ series-clinching, 3-0 victory.
2025 NLCS
The Brewers finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, then ran into the biggest payroll in baseball.
The Dodgers did not demolish the Brewers, so much as exert their superiority as they swept the best-of-7 series.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers high-fives teammates after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 12, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning, all!
Cody Bradford has impressed Skip Schumaker in his first two outings after a long road back from injury, and is providing some much needed stability to a rotation that is showing the wear and tear of a major league season.
The Rangers released an injury update wherein we learn that Jack Leiter will be making a rehab start on Friday and that Josh Jung still has not resumed baseball activities.
Wyatt Langford acknowledges that he’s been slumping, saying ““yeah, I’ve been pretty bad.”
The Angels have also been pretty bad this season unless they’re playing the Rangers, apparently, with the Rangers dropping another game to them last night.
Maybe Corey Seager finally getting healthy will fix all of this tram’s problems.
Once again, the NBA schedule smacks the Warriors with the blunt end of the back-to-back equation.
The league’s 2026-27 schedule released Thursday shows Golden State will have 15 back-to-back sets, an above-average total among NBA teams.
It’s one fewer set than last season, when the Warriors were among the 15 teams scheduled for a league-high 16 back-to-back sets. The league low in 2025-26 was 13 such sets, with five teams, including the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Considering the age and frailty of Golden State’s roster, another season on the high end of back-to-back sets presents yet another challenge.
Projected backup center Al Horford is 40. Stephen Curry is 38, wing Jimmy Butler III will be 37 next month and enters the season rehabbing in the wake of surgery to repair a torn right ACL. Forward Draymond Green is 36. Forward Gary Payton II is 33. Projected starting center Kristaps Porziņģis is 31 but has an extensive injury/illness history.
This schedule is something that sends a chill down the coaching spine of Steve Kerr, who addressed the back-to-back issue in May, shortly after agreeing to return for his 13th season on the bench.
“The last couple of years, frankly, have been difficult with the age, the collective age of our team, the injuries,” Kerr said. “We had like six guys this year who either couldn’t play back-to-backs or were on minutes restrictions – often at the same time.
“And I think I gave everyone too much leeway. It just felt like we were constantly resting everybody and just trying to survive to the next game and have enough healthy bodies.”
A significant portion of the roster could miss 15 games simply because of scheduling.
Horford will be limited to one side of back-to-back sets. Butler will get the same latitude whenever he returns. Same applies to Moses Moody, who is 24 but will be sidelined for much of the season as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee.The availability of Curry, Green and Porzingis will be studied closely whenever the Warriors approach a back-to-back set. There will be many instances when they will be limited to only one of the two games.
While the NBA has made efforts to slightly reduce the number of back-to-back sets – Golden State played an astonishing 20 when posting a 73-9 record in 2015-16 – teams averaged 14.4 last season. The Warriors have averaged 15.3 over the last six seasons, with the high being 17 in 2023-24.
Kerr would have gladly embraced a reduction that dropped the Warriors to 13 or so back-to-back sets, but the coach now has no choice but to navigate the reality.
Dr. Rick Celebrini, who supervises the team’s medical/performance staff, will be the most valuable man on the payroll not named Curry.
Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week, the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: Mat Ishbia’s hiring of Brian Gregory as GM was initially considered questionable and attributed mostly to Gregory’s MSU ties. What are your thoughts on Gregory’s performance so far?
zenzino: I didn’t know much about Brian Gregory, but I had a good feeling about him, mostly because of the reports that he was a big part of drafting Dunn and Igodaro. I never paid much attention to the MSU ties. Mine was always a wait-and-see attitude. Mat’s a smart guy; he knew there would be Michigan talk, so he needed to make doubly sure BG was the right hire. BG got hired because of the year he spent with the Suns before that, not ‘mostly due to Gregory’s MSU ties’. I’m sure the fact that Ishbia knew him previously got his foot in the door, but performance opens that door.
I’ve said it in the past, BG’s ability to unfuck the Suns in record time is nothing short of miraculous. Not only was he a huge part of the culture and mindset shift in the FO, but he also was big in bringing in Ott as head coach.
Even if you ignore how well the KD trade worked out when the Suns’ hands were basically tied by KD only wanting to go to Houston and the super-exciting draft we had last year. Just look at this offseason alone. We thought we were essentially sitting this draft out with a late 2nd-rounder, and BG gets the Suns a first-round pick (someone who was projected as a mid-first-rounder and the guy they wanted) for next to nothing.
I was against the Suns waiving and stretching Beal’s contract. I thought they should just eat it for two years and be done. I was wrong. Because of the college-type family atmosphere and culture this team established, BG was able to extend 4 key players on team-friendly contracts that come close to covering the $20M in dead cap hit. That is hella impressive.
I’m all-in on BG. He should have been executive of the year last season, and he damn-sure should be this season.
Ashton: While I was writing this up, CBS Sports dropped an article of the Fifteen Worst Contracts and ranked them. Eagle-eyed Suns fans jumped on this, but essentially the Suns have two worst contracts ranked. Jalen Green (13) and Booker (6). Granted, there is no official metric for these rankings and is really only an opinion piece, but that is not good. Add in Beal’s dead money on the Suns balance sheet, then one really has to ask themselves if the Suns are doing a good job in the FO?
Yes, there will always be hits and misses, and that comes with the business. I think BG has drafted well and was able to extend existing talent at cheaper costs.
But as far as a Key Performance Indicator? I think it is trending down for Brian Gregory. The front office deserves to be questioned.
Rod: I was skeptical at first, but Gregory has already far surpassed my initial expectations. Like many, I cringed a bit when he kept repeating “aligned” over and over when he first took over the job, but now I can see what he was trying to get across back then.
He’s played a big role in forming not only a solid team under trying circumstances, but he’s put together a group of players that truly like playing together and want to be here. Getting three players back on very friendly deals as well as signing another to a very favorable extension is largely a result of this. Don’t for a second believe that they all would have signed those deals if they didn’t really want to stay in Phoenix.
He’s drafted well and manipulated the few picks he’s had to move up in the draft to get players he wanted. I wish we’d had him as GM earlier before the Suns had traded away control of all their own first-rounders to acquire Durant and Beal. I think we would likely be in a much better place right now if he’d been the one whispering in Ishbia’s ear instead of James Jones back then.
Q2: It has been said that the Suns are in a “half-hearted rebuild” since moving on from the failed “Big 3” (Booker, Beal & Durant) experiment, mostly because of their refusal to also trade Devin Booker. What are your thoughts on trading Book and its possible effect on the Suns’ rebuild?
zenzino: This one makes my head hurt. I’m sooooo tired of the ‘trade Book for picks’ trope. After the Nash era, it took the Suns 12+ years just to make it back to the playoffs. And they had lottery picks. The Jazz started a full rebuild when they had their own picks as well as a haul from the Timberwolves. Finally, 5-years later, they might not be tanking this season. It took the Thunder 7 years for their full rebuild. Same for the Spurs. Full rebuilds take time… and luck. And that’s if you have your own lottery picks.
Let’s look at the two big trades this summer:
Jaylen Brown – Celtics get Paul George, 2028 1st & 2nd, 2030 2nd, 2031 1st. Basically an expiring contract for a player who barely plays, a 1st round in two years and another in 4 years. All going to be late rounds because of Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecomb. An utterly useless haul if a team was rebuilding now. If the Suns got this kind of return, they’d be on the 10-12 year plan for getting back to the playoffs (and be more of a laughing stock than the Celtics currently are).
Giannis – The Bucks did a little better. Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis, 2026 13th pick (Nate Ament), 2030 1st swap (useless), 2031 1st, 2033 1st, 2033 2nd. They got some young talent, but none of them come close to filling Booker’s shoes. They had their own #5 pick this draft so that helped. Still, except the 13th pick, all the others are 5-7 years down the road. Not much help to the Bucks now.
So, if two Finals MVPs are mostly garnering picks far into the future, trading Book wouldn’t help the Suns much in the next 4-6 years.
Also, the Suns would only trade Book to someplace he wants to go. Which would limit their return. I think he’s earned that. Whether you agree or not says more about you than anything else.
As much as it was refreshing to watch the never-quit, gritty Suns team play last season, the losing record in the second half made it less fun. I don’t want to watch them play hard and lose for at least the next 5-7 seasons.
So, no. I don’t agree that this is a ‘half-hearted rebuild’. It is a smart rebuild given the lack of draft picks and the dead cap hit. The Suns are going to put out a competitive team that’s fun to watch for the next 4 years and in 2030 we might see some bigger changes.
It’s not a coincidence that Brooks was eligible for a 4-year extension and the Suns opted for a 3-year. If Bridges is extended, I expect the same. I don’t think the Suns will sign any veterans past 2030.
And, for all the Book trade proponents out there, please stop. Not. Gonna. Happen. Ishbia and BG have made it crystal clear that they are ride or die with Devin Booker. Deal with it. Let it go. The only way Book gets traded is if he wants out. And I don’t see that happening.
Ashton: And that is the big question. Do you want to do a full-on rebuild or a soft rebuild with little assets? This question ties nicely with Q1 on Booker’s contract and if BG can handle a full-on rebuild.
The first obvious question is what do the Suns get in return for Booker? Very few teams want to take on a max contract or unable unless they really think it will push them over the edge into the Finals. The formula is usually “we will trade you a bad contract for your bad contract for salary matching purposes”. The second formula is “we will take Booker’s contract off your hands for a few bits and pieces that another third-party team will help us with, mainly because we get picks”. No, keep in mind that it is probably not picks going to the Suns but to another team that wants to hoard them.
Quite honestly, I do not think the Suns would get anything of appropriate value for Booker. Add that Suns fans would probably be enraged that they are now buying tickets to the Suns vs. Kings game to witness the race to the bottom in the West, you know, where the Suns can’t tank.
I have to remind myself sometimes that the Suns did make the playoffs last season. I find that much more palatable this season than watching the inverse. I have no desire to watch a team without Booker, and neither should you. I was not a fan of the Steve Nash trade to the Lakers, though it worked out well for the Suns, because I found it disrespectful for a player that gave legions of Suns fans so many good memories. I would say the same about trading Book, a true Valley Son.
Rod: First off, trading Book would only bottom out the Suns, make the draft picks they’ve already traded away more valuable, and likely turn Phoenix into a franchise that many – if not most – NBA players would dread being traded to or sign with rather than one whose players re-sign at a discount to stay.
Yes, the Suns would get some draft picks back for Book, but any of them would likely turn out to be lottery picks, and using only late first-rounders to do a full rebuild would be more of a strategy based on hope/luck than anything else.
Right now, the Suns have managed to put together a tough, competitive roster that was a very entertaining team to watch last season. Entertaining was not a word that could be honestly used to describe the Suns in the two seasons previous to the last one…and they weren’t very good either despite all of the top-end talent they had.
Is this team a championship contender? No. They are an extreme long shot for that and aren’t likely to much more than that for a while, but I don’t see any way that trading Book would accelerate their ascension to that level any faster than the course they’re currently on.
Q3: What do you believe is the key (or keys) for the 2026-27 Suns to surpass their 45 win total from last season?
zenzino: Health. Numero uno. Had Brooks and MW not gotten injured, the Suns had a legit shot at the 5th or 6th seed.
I think it would be foolish not to assume that MW is going to miss 15-20 games. Maybe with Man Man improving, it will lighten his load. Hopefully, the Suns choose which games he misses rather than injuries deciding. Then he’d be available at the end of the season.
Between Green, MW, Brooks, and GA (Book can always be counted on to miss 10-15, nbd), there were a lot of missed games. However, I am counting on Jalen Green to play almost (if not all) 82, and Brooks’ injury was an accident that is highly unlikely to happen again.
Defense is two on my list. I don’t see them letting up. It’s a core part of Ott’s philosophy. After a year together, I expect them to be even better. Especially with the development of Sheer and Man Man.
Third, is Green and Bridges working out how they fit within this offense. How to use Book’s gravity and also how to take pressure off of Book. While I expect the defense to be good from the start, I think the offense might take a little time to gel.
The teams behind the Suns (except the Kings) got better and the teams ahead of them didn’t fall off to the point where they would be easy pickings.
Aside from the top 4 teams, there is definitely parity among the rest. Even if the Suns were able to improve by a few games and get the 5th or 6th seed, I’d consider that a success.
Ashton: Do not trade Book!
For one, I am in the camp that the Suns will not surpass their season record from last season. But, if they did, it starts with the obvious: injuries. Stay healthy and beat the teams that you are supposed to beat. For that, the bench minutes have to climb significantly for starting players’ rest. If it doesn’t, then the starters are going to try and be heroes with more minutes in close games and increased risk of injury.
That is really my big two. No injuries and player development. Sure, we can walk down the road of increased 3pt and FT shooting percentages or even better to elite defense to keep games close. But that would be my two areas of focus. Oh, maybe three, just keep the game entertaining!
Rod: There are a lot of things worth mentioning here, but I’m going to start off by pointing to Jordan Ott. I didn’t criticize him much last season for essentially playing small-ball most of the time because I saw it as him sticking with the players he trusted the most rather than him just wanting to play small. After Maluach and Fleming spent time getting their feet wet in the G League and showing good progress and the additions of Bridges and Peat, he needs to start playing bigger, more physical lineups this year. They need to work at getting to the basket more and not rely so much on threes because – as we all saw last season – those threes just aren’t going to fall every night, and the Suns’ offense needs to be more multi-dimensional.
Without an overpowering offense (which the Suns won’t have), defense is going to be extremely important this year. Everyone has to play D and play hard all game long. With the depth they have, they should be able to utilize that to limit minutes in such a way to keep players fairly fresh during games, and they shouldn’t be afraid to play more than 9-10 player rotations at times to do so.
Injuries will also be a key, but those are largely due to bad luck and something that can’t really be controlled. But, keeping everyone’s minutes down through utilizing the team’s depth could also help avoid some of those.
And one key, specifically aimed at Book but a good thing for all, is to play efficiently. The Suns need to be efficient on offense and play using the old sniper’s motto, “One Shot, one kill.” It was great to see the Suns rank 5th in offensive rebounding last season, but this year I would rather them just simply not have as many offensive rebounds to go after. Get down the court, put the ball in the hole, and get back on defense. I want the Suns to be one of the leaders in defensive rebounds this year.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Suns Trivia/History
On August 13, 2020, the Suns defeated the Dallas Mavericks 128-102 to finish their perfect 8-0 run in the Orlando Bubble. No other team did this. This was the first time NBA regular season games were played during August and will likely be the last, as the 2019-20 season was delayed for several months during mid-season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unless such an event happens again, the Suns will go down in NBA history as the only team to ever go undefeated during the month of August.
On August 14, 2008, the Suns signed Lou Amundson as a free agent. While Amundson rarely made a big impact on the scoreboard, his enthusiasm and high-energy style of play quickly made him a fan favorite off the bench. In the 2009/10 season, he was part of the near-legendary “Bench Mob” made up of Lou, Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley, Channing Frye and Leandro Barbosa, who weren’t just good enough to hold a lead but at times could blow games open. Then coach Alvin Gentry utilized the bench mob like a hockey coach, structuring the minutes so that the entire second unit would be on the floor together to start the second and fourth quarters in every game. Lou is also remembered as the prankster who once filled Shaquille O’Neal’s ride up to the brim with popcorn.
On August 16, 1987, former Sun Nick Vanos and his fiancée, Carolyn Cohen, tragically died when their plane crashed after takeoff from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan en route to Phoenix. Vanos and Cohen were among the 154 passengers and crew that died in the crash. Vanos was 24 and had just finished his second season in the NBA after being selected by Phoenix in the second round of the draft with the 32nd pick. Vanos played college ball at Santa Clara University, the same college where Steve Nash would play almost ten years later.
On August 18, 2005, the Suns signed Pat Burke as a free agent. Burke is still the only Irish-born player to make an NBA roster. He rarely made an impact on the court but became a fan favorite during his two years with Phoenix… and not just because of his play.
Pat Burke’s Hair Restoration Tonic
On August 19, 2005, seven weeks after the trade had been agreed upon, the Phoenix Suns completed a sign-and-trade with Joe Johnson, sending him to the Atlanta Hawks. Phoenix acquired Boris Diaw and two lottery-protected first-round picks in 2006 and 2008.
The 2006 draft pick acquired from Atlanta in this trade was originally owned by the Lakers, traded to Boston, and then traded to Atlanta. The Suns then traded this pick – which eventually was used to select Rajon Rondo — back to Boston for a 2007 1st round draft pick (which originally belonged to Cleveland) and cash considerations. That 2007 draft pick was used to select Rudy Fernandez, whose draft rights were then traded along with former Suns GM James Jones to Portland for… cash considerations. The 2008 1st round pick (15th) was eventually used by Phoenix to select Robin Lopez.
Important Future Dates
Sept. 28 – Media Day Sept. 29 – Training Camp opens Oct. 5 – Suns @ Pistons (preseason) 4:00 PM Oct. 7 – Suns @ Bulls (preseason) 5:00 PM Oct. 10 – Suns vs. Spurs (preseason) 7:00 PM Oct. 14 – Suns @ Spurs (preseason) 5:00 PM Oct. 16 – Suns vs. Jazz (preseason) 7:00 PM Oct. 20 – 2026-27 NBA Season Begins Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star weekend 2027
A long, uninspiring and somehow exhausting Warriors offseason still has six-plus weeks to go. While the countdown to training camp continues, it’s starting to feel more like a sprint instead of a marathon with Thursday’s 2026-27 NBA regular-season schedule release.
There are reasons and arguments to highlight a handful of Warriors games. These are the five most interesting, ranked by date.
Oct. 23: Warriors vs. Grizzlies
Not the first game of the year, but the second.
A lot of hype will be centered around the season opener in Los Angeles, and rightly so. It’s Warriors vs. Lakers. It’s Steph Curry vs. Luka Dončić. It’s The Bay vs. LA.
Even with LeBron James gone, Warriors-Lakers still has plenty of fanfare to tune in. My eyes, though, are jumping ahead one game to the Warriors’ home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Dub Nation already will have a taste of this team, and the takes will be flying everywhere, including for rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. He’s why the first home game of the season should be so intriguing. Lendeborg is the one major difference to this roster. Will he be starting from Day 1? How big of a role will coach Steve Kerr give the Warriors’ top pick, who happens to fill a major need with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody injured?
Fans want hope, and Lendeborg is who can bring it. They also want rivalries, like the Grizzlies once pretended to be with the Warriors. Lendeborg hasn’t shied from circling Cameron Boozer and the Grizzlies on his calendar, and a growing rivalry can be best for both teams after what happened in NBA summer league.
Boozer and the Grizzlies got the best of Lendeborg and the Warriors the first time they played each other in Las Vegas, just like Duke did to Michigan in the one game they faced off in college. But, it was Lendeborg and the Warriors who got the last laugh in the championship game. In just the second game of the regular season, these two get to keep their feud brewing for the best.
Nov. 13: Warriors at Spurs
No matter the path Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy can see in his head, contending for a championship isn’t in the cards this season. It is for the San Antonio Spurs. Now, and possibly for many years to come.
Every team needs to measure itself against the best. In the Eastern Conference, that means playing the reigning champion New York Knicks. In the Western Conference, that means playing the reigning conference champion Spurs. Just like last season, the Warriors get to do so in the 13th game of the campaign.
And just like last season, we all hope it’s the same kind of spectacular show. Curry scored 44 points on the Spurs a year ago on Nov. 12. Draymond Green dusted off his Defensive Player of the Year trophy and went to battle with Victor Wembanyama. So much has changed since then.
Curry won’t have Butler to rely on scoring 28 points in a game where he also had six rebounds, eight assists, three steals and no turnovers. Dylan Harper was injured for the Spurs, and Carter Bryant was given a DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision). Harper might already be the Spurs’ second-best player, and Bryant is one of their up-and-comers after averaging 8.5 minutes per game in the players.
The Warriors are behind the pack, and they aren’t exactly chasing the Spurs. These are still the kinds of challenges Curry, Green and Co. get up for in an NBA Cup game on the second contest of a five-game road trip.
Jan. 17: Warriors at Heat
By this point, the Warriors already will have played the new-look Miami Heat once at home. The two teams first play each other in the Warriors’ ninth game of the season as their fourth opponent during a six-game homestand. Their second game against each other will be much more interesting.
Don’t get me wrong, the first Warriors game against a Heat team that has Giannis Antetokounmpo will have our attention. Antetokounmpo is the big fish the Warriors had been trying to reel in for years without any bait on their hook. He’s a different kind of must-see than Curry, but you always want to see when they’re on the same court.
Here’s why the second Warriors-Heat game will be a different kind of watch than the first: The second is on a Sunday night as the second game of a three-game road trip that starts in Atlanta on a Friday night and ends in Orlando on a Tuesday night. Ahh yes, the boring ol’ Saturday off in Miami.
The good news is, this is January in Miami and not March. The bad news is, it’s Miami and it’s a Saturday. The Warriors will have just hit the halfway point of the season and will be less than a month from the trade deadline, too. What looks like a random Sunday in January is now a date to remember.
Will Jimmy Butler be back? Likely not, but this is basically one year to the date of his torn ACL against his former team, the same team he was playing when he sustained the injury.
Feb. 13: Warriors at Knicks
The lights remain on for the Steph Show, and any chance to catch Curry at Madison Square Garden is theatre for everyone to enjoy. Whether it was his 54-point game there in 2013 or breaking the all-time 3-point record there in 2021, Curry always comes to play in Manhattan. His one game there this season is with New York back as the mecca of basketball.
It comes at quite the time, too. The Warriors’ one and only game against the Knicks in New York this season is their final contest of a six-game road trip, and, more importantly, their first after the Feb. 11 NBA trade deadline. The team you’ll see in the Warriors’ season opener against the Lakers could look vastly different than the roster they field against the Knicks a few months later.
The Warriors had an extremely quiet trade deadline in Dunleavy’s first year as GM, sending Cory Joseph to the Indiana Pacers for a second-round draft pick. He landed a disgruntled star by adding Butler at the 2025 trade deadline, and last season swapped Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porziņģis. Dunleavy already is hinting at setting up for another move at this season’s deadline.
Butler will be more than a year removed from his surgery. If Butler does return at the deadline, a pseudo addition can’t be the Warriors’ only move. It just depends on who they are and what direction they’re trending going into the deadline.
A date with the champs at MSG will be as intriguing as ever this season.
March 24: Warriors vs. 76ers
After putting all their eggs in the LeBron basket, the NBA is making the Warriors wait and wait and wait to finally play him and Bob Myers’ new super team. Four games later, the Warriors play James and the 76ers in Philadelphia.
Will Warriors fans give him louder boos than usual? Or will there be cheers in the chance this is his last game at Chase Center?
Probably a little bit of both, per usual. What should happen is appreciation. For James, for Curry and for what two of the best to ever do it have given us.
Going a full season without a single Steph vs. LeBron game was cruel punishment for fans everywhere. The biggest hope is both are healthy this late into the season. Curry wasn’t last season, still dealing with runner’s knee. James the night before fell one rebound shy of a triple-double.
The Warriors were a lowly 34-38 last season on March 24. The buzz will be turned down if their record looks like that again. Steph vs. LeBron is cinema, and both their teams being competitive with winning records only calls for more popcorn to savor every last second.
Golden State will appear in 28 national TV games, a drop from 34 last season, which kept them in the top tier. Top-tier status has become customary, as the Warriors last season were one of four teams – along with the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder – scheduled for 34 appearances on national TV.
Both teams at Tier 2 last season, the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves, were scheduled for 28 games.
The Warriors will play on Christmas Day for the 14th consecutive season, but rather than a coveted midday or late-afternoon slot, they will close the five-game schedule with a 7:30 tipoff against the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center.
Though the Warriors still speak confidently about contending, the league’s schedule is an open acknowledgment of their slippage. They are an aging team that has missed the playoffs in four of the last seven seasons and two of the last three.
Meanwhile, other teams have been climbing. Tier 1 for national TV games will include teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers, as well as the Thunder and defending champion Knicks.
The global fascination with Curry is the primary reasoning for the NBA consistently giving Golden State maximum national TV exposure, as he remains the league’s No. 1 TV attraction. He missed 39 games last season and will turn 39 years old next season. It’s reasonable to believe the absence of the team’s No. 2 attraction, Jimmy Butler III, expected to be sidelined for at least the first half of next season also influenced the scheduling.
For context, the Warriors were scheduled for 36 national TV appearances in 2024-25 and 41 in 2023-24.
The NBA and its rightsholders have the flexibility to add or subtract during the season. When the Warriors opened the 2019-20 season by losing Curry in the first week and crawling to a 4-18 start, the league pulled two of their games initially slated for national TV.
The 2026-27 schedule is the NBA’s most evident step toward replacing the Warriors as an elite national attraction.
