Oct 25, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) runs after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning during game two of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The Dodgers on Thursday extended the contract for third baseman Max Muncy, signing him to a $7 million deal for 2027 that includes a $10 million club option for 2028.
Muncy has missed significant time with oblique and knee injuries over the last two seasons, combining for just 173 games between 2024-25. But when healthy he has been quite productive at the plate, including hitting .243/.376/.470 with a 137 wRC+ and 19 home runs in 388 plate appearances in 2025.
On the Foul Territory podcast in December, Muncy was asked by Erik Kratz if he’d like to stay with the Dodgers beyond his contract, which at the time ended after 2026.
“We’ve created such a good relationship with Andrew and Brandon, Alex and all those guys over there that, there’s just not really any rush to get to that point. That’s really how it’s always been with me,” Muncy said. “We’ll talk with them and say we’d like to discuss something like this, and they’ll respond back, ‘Yeah, let’s discuss it later on in the year.’ That’s really how it’s always gone.
“I don’t know what they have in the works with who they’re looking at. Obviously they don’t send out organizational updates with what they’re doing. I’m sure they are looking at pieces that are out there, and who they might try to go after, and all that stuff. Once that’s done, maybe we’ll have a discussion, maybe we won’t. I honestly don’t know. I would love to [stay beyond 2026], clearly, but we just have to see how things unfold.”
After the departures of Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes, and Clayton Kershaw over the last year, Muncy is the longest-tenured Dodger on the active roster.
This new contract falls in line with Muncy’s previous dealings with the Dodgers, as the two sides have always found a way to keep the relationship going without Muncy ever reaching free agency.
With Muncy in the fold for longer now, all nine members of the projected Dodgers lineup are signed through at least 2027, as are the top six starting pitchers, plus relievers Edwin Díaz and Tanner Scott.
Muncy’s $10 million club option for 2028 includes a $3 million buyout, per Jack Harris of The California Post. Coupled with the $7 million salary for 2027 that means the extension adds one guaranteed year an $10 million to his current deal. The average annual value for competitive balance tax purposes remains $10 million (rather than $10 million over one year, it’s $20 million over two).
SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Max Verstappen says it is “no fun” to drive the new Formula 1 cars and sweeping changes for 2026 mean the series no longer feels like F1.
Regulation changes for 2026 have made cars smaller and lighter, with a key role for the strategy of charging an on-board battery and using electrical energy to boost speed.
“It’s actually no fun at all to drive,” the four-time champion told broadcaster Sky Sport in a German-language interview during testing on Thursday, likening it to the all-electric series Formula E, where managing energy is crucial to strategy. “What should I say about that? It’s a bit like Formula E on steroids.”
Verstappen predicted it would be difficult to manage the car's energy at tracks like Melbourne, which hosts the season-opening Australian Grand Prix next month.
“I don’t know what else to do about it, you know, it isn’t the original Formula 1 feeling any more,” said Verstappen, who was second-fastest on the opening day of testing Wednesday and sat out Thursday.
Leclerc fastest on Day 2
Charles Leclerc led the way for Ferrari on Thursday, going fastest by half a second from champion Lando Norris.
While some rivals hit reliability issues, Leclerc's performance was an encouraging sign for Ferrari following its winless 2025 season.
McLaren's Norris, who had been fastest Wednesday, racked up the most laps on Thursday with 149, close to triple a full Bahrain Grand Prix race distance.
Oliver Bearman was third-fastest for Haas, which had another strong day after Esteban Ocon was fourth on Wednesday.
There were issues at Mercedes, where Kimi Antonelli managed just three laps in the morning before handing over to George Russell, and at Red Bull, where Isack Hadjar spent much of the morning waiting for the team to get his car running.
Teams can only run one car on track in the test. As well as Verstappen, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari was among those to sit out the day.
There are three days of testing this week, with three more next week.
A new mural featuring Shohei Ohtani and his famous dog, Decoy, has cropped up in Los Angeles — and it’s huge.
The piece shows the Dodgers star giving a high-five to his furry friend, and, fittingly, it’s located on a wall at a downtown LA dog park called Pawradise Park.
Oh my gosh a Decoy and Shohei Ohtani mural in a dog park!
It’s called Pawradise Park and mural by Alex_Ali_Gonzalez
Artist Alex Ali Gonzalez was responsible for the painting, and videos making the rounds on social media show it clearly took some significant work to complete.
Shohei Ohtani and his famous dog, Decoy, have become inseparable over the years. Getty Images
A scissor lift and dozens of bottles of spray paint were used to get it all just right, the footage shows.
The image of Ohtani and his kooikerhondje is one Dodgers fans will recognize immediately — it’s from the game Decoy “threw out” the first pitch at Dodger Stadium during the duo’s bobblehead giveaway night in 2024.
Shohei Ohtani’s dog, Decoy, was given some hardware at the BBWAA Awards Dinner in January. Shohei Ohtani
Decoy and Ohtani have formed quite the bond since the MLB player got the pooch a few years ago. The dog’s joined its owner during training sessions and even received some hardware just like Ohtani at the BBWAA Awards Dinner last month.
And now that the two have been immortalized in paint, perhaps it’ll make their impending time apart due to the rigors of the MLB season a bit easier to swallow.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 19: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches during the game between the Athletics and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by James Vigil/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The recent addition of Aaron Civale seems to have solidified the top three spots in the rotation to open the year. Even if you don’t feel that Civale is an upgrade over anyone in-house already, manager Mark Kotsay made it clear yesterday that the top three will be Severino, Springs, and Civale to open the season.
That means that the final two spots in the rotation are theoretically up for grabs, but are they really? Lefty Jacob Lopez was one of the A’s best pitchers last year but is apparently still recovering from the forearm issue that prematurely ended his rookie season. Would he actually be one of the odd-men out if he’s fully healthy and fully ramped up come Opening Day? Would the A’s be that cautious?
Then there’s righty Luis Morales. One of the recent top prospects in the system, Morales showed why he was rated so highly in his first action with the A’s this past season. That would seemingly give him a step up on the other pitchers, but it’s important to remember he set a career-high in innings last year… at just 89! If the A’s do open the season with him in their rotation they’d have to be monitoring his workload essentially all season long.
If the A’s do surprise us all and want more of a workhorse-type option at the back of the rotation to open the year they could turn to a different young arm like Mason Barnett. Or they could give someone like Jack Perkins or JT Ginn a big chance to prove they can be more than a swingman. Want more upside? Gunnar Hoglund might be the arm you want at the back of the rotation to start the season. And there’s always the wild card in Luis Medina, who is out of options.
We’ve had surprises in recent years when Kotsay named his Opening Day rotation and this year could follow a similar path. Who takes those two final spots behind the veterans? Debate and comment below!
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 10: Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 10, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
My son brought home his mid-term grades last week, and I realized that it would be fun to give players on the surprising Suns team one, too. The grades are somewhat subjective and are on a curve: they’re based on expectations for the player, value for salary, past performance, statistical impact, and the subjective eyeball test.
If Collin Gillespie and Devin Booker get the same grade, it’s not because Gillespie is as good as Booker; it’s because an undrafted two-way player has made himself into a very good starter, and Booker has played at his usual All-Star level.
So here we go in alphabetical order by last name:
Grayson Allen: B+
This is going to be a common theme: Grayson Allen is having a career year in points and minutes per game because the Suns can’t seem to stay healthy for more than 5 minutes at a time, literally. He has stepped up and hit clutch shots. However, his shooting efficiency is down (36.8% from three), and his on-court/off-court numbers suggest that he’s not helping quite as much as his numbers suggest.
Devin Booker: A
His numbers are down across the board, including a putrid 31.3% career low 3-point percentage. Even if Father Time and lots of NBA minutes are catching up with him, his three-point shooting should still be good. So, why does he still get an A? Because he answered the question of whether a Suns team with an unbalanced roster, led by him, could actually be a good team, and the answer was yes. If they had more talent at power forward, they’d likely be the 2 team in the West now.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 13: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns celebrates during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on January 13, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jamaree Bouyea: A
This might not make sense, but the expectations for a two-way undrafted free agent pulled out of the G-League are pretty low. His previous stints in the NBA didn’t show this sort of potential. The expectations for him were to be a warm body on the bench, ensuring the team met the mandatory minimum number of players active. Instead, he’s basically the team’s fourth guard in the rotation with Booker and Green out, while averaging 15 mpg.
His shooting efficiency is good, defense is good, and his net +/- per 48th is 6th on a good team. So, he gets an A mostly for exceeding expectations by a huge margin.
Koby Brea: Incomplete
Brea has played a grand total of 8 minutes over 2 games for the Suns in garbage time minutes: not enough to make any sort of judgment. That said, his play in the G-League has been “meh”.
Dillon Brooks: A-
This was a tough one. He’s exceeding expectations by having a career year in points per game, while maintaining shooting efficiency on a par with previous years where he wasn’t expected to carry the offensive load. He’s shown an array of crafty moves on offense (including a reliable, unguardable Jordan-esque turnaround fadeaway jumper from mid-range) and is much more than just a 3-and-D guy.
His fiery personality energizes the team. At the same time, his antics cost the team points, and his net +/- numbers suggest he’s not helping as much on the court as the raw numbers suggest. In the end, the “minus” is for the techs.
Ryan Dunn: C
Dunn gets a passing grade for playing exactly the way he did last year. There’s been very little noticeable improvement in his game, other than slightly improved rates of rebounding and free throw percentage (which is still an awful 64%). You’d hope for some sort of tangible improvement on a team starved for front-court depth, but there hasn’t been any.
Thus, he gets a C for doing the absolute minimum by not regressing in his second year, but it is still disappointing: other players have stepped up to fill the void when given the opportunity, and he hasn’t.
PHOENIX, AZ – FEBRUARY 10: Ryan Dunn #0 of the Phoenix Suns plays defense during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 10, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Rasheer Fleming: D+
In my draft analysis, I liked Fleming’s physical tools, including his size, athleticism, wingspan, vertical, and shooting touch. What I didn’t like was his lack of instinctive play and mediocre-at-best basketball IQ, and I worried that he was a tall athlete and not a basketball player.
So far, the latter has been true. On a team where Isaiah-Freaking-Livers is the best power forward on the team, he cannot carve out a niche for himself. The +/- numbers bear out the eye-test observation that he looks lost. D+ for failing to meet the very minimal expectation of being better than a perpetual NBA journeyman.
Collin Gillespie: A+
Collin’s raw numbers don’t jump out at you, but you can sense he makes the team better. The advanced stats bear it out as well: he leads the team in raw +/- and also leads the team when you calculate net +/- per 48 differential. He’s a former two-way player, doing it all on a league-minimum contract for a team that could finish the season as high as second in the West.
Gillespie has become as crucial to the team’s success as Booker. Easy A+ for exceeding expectations by a ridiculous amount.
Jordan Goodwin: A+
Goodwin is having a sneaky career-best year and is quietly one of the best defensive guards in the NBA. Dunks and Threes’ Estimated Plus Minus stat rates him as the fifth-best guard in the NBA defensively. He passes the eye test as well: you can see him wreaking havoc and turning deflections and steals into points at the other end. He’s got uncanny instincts for where the ball will be, and where he needs to be on defense.
He’s having a career year in most categories, including three-point percentage (35.6%). His 6’10” wingspan on a 6’2” guard makes him a solid rebounder as well. He’s fifth on the team in +/- per 48 differential. The Suns are getting a ridiculous return on investment on another vet minimum contract, earning him an A+.
Jalen Green: Incomplete
Green has played eight games for the Suns, and he has limped off the court with an injury in three of them. It’s tough to rate his play because we haven’t seen enough, but if he can’t start to stay healthy, this turns into an F. A perpetually injured Jalen Green has the same value as Bradley Beal’s dead money on the court and the salary cap.
Oso Ighodaro: B+
Ighodaro has developed into an absolute defensive menace, ranking in the 96th percentile in both estimated and actual defensive +/-. He’s fourth on the team in net +/- per 48 differential on the team and ran away with the back-up center job from Nick Richards, who the team opted to deal at the trade deadline.
There are some egregious holes in his game: his offense is negligible, and free throw shooting percentage execrable (49%, down from 58% last year). He has no shooting range, and his shot-put style floater doesn’t go in nearly enough. On the plus side, he sets good screens, passes the ball well, and maintains a 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio as a center. The Suns are getting amazing value again out of a mid-second round pick. In most respects, he’s doing better than Ryan Dunn.
Isaiah Livers: C+
Isaiah Livers is the best power forward on the Suns while averaging 2.3 ppg and 2.0 rpg on 42.3% shooting in 10 minutes per game. He’s also second on the team in net +/- per 48 differential. He gets that high number by being the only marginally competent payer on the Suns with the size for the position, sort of like Will Ferrell in “Elf”. He’s not playing any better than he did in his previous stints in the NBA: he’s just better than the other guys doing the same job (which is why I bled 3000 words on how the Suns can upgrade at PF).
C+ for exceeding expectations by a little bit. He’s not a great student. He’s just the only one in his grade not eating the minty-fresh Elmer’s glue.
Khaman Maluach: D-
Man Man is another guy that I love as a person, and hate seeing on the court. When the Suns drafted him, I loved the size, athleticism, and potential. I didn’t love how raw he is, how little experience he has playing basketball, and ESPECIALLY how much he reminded me of all-time draft bust Hasheem Thabeet.
So far, he’s doing worse than Thabeet. He’s super young, has plenty of room to grow, and has shown some flashes in the G-League, but that’s not the NBA. He has a long way to go. So, D+ for failing to meet most expectations of a tenth pick in a loaded draft, but not an F for working hard, having a good attitude, and having a lot of room to grow.
Royce O’Neale: B-
Royce is another Suns player having a career year, but it’s mostly due to the team’s utter lack of frontcourt depth. On the plus side, he’s a 40% three-point shooter who provides spacing and doesn’t make many mental mistakes. He’s just solid. On the downside, at 32, he’s getting slower and slower, turning him into a traffic cone on defense. Or a matador.
Regardless, he’s not the defensive plus he used to be. He’s also undersized at PF and ranks fourth from last on the team in net +/- per 48 differential. All that said, he gets a B- for being game every night to guard whoever he’s told to, providing spacing, and holding down a starting spot at a position he’s too small for.
Mark Williams: B
Can you give a player a good grade for not getting hurt? The knock on Williams has been his health and his lackadaisical defense. This year, he’s been great with the former and average at best on the latter. He is somewhat under-utilized on offense, despite his efficiency, averaging his career average of 12 ppg and 8 rpg. On defense, he should be able to do more with his size and athleticism. But, unlike Ayton, you can see consistent effort. He will receive some reward in the offseason, but the Suns can’t over-pay for a guy producing his numbers, which put him behind Iggy in terms of on-court +/- metrics. So, B for exceeding expectations in terms of health and effort (though I could be talked into a B+).
Now it’s your turn. Time to dish out your All-Star Break report cards!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 01: Fernando Cruz #63 of the New York Yankees reacts after catching a bunt during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on October 01, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A late-blooming out of nowhere relief pitcher is one of the great understated joys of baseball, and the Yankees acquired one of their own prior to the 2025 season. Fernando Cruz, who was drafted nearly two decades ago in 2007 by the Royals, didn’t make his major league debut until 2022, at the age of 32.
Following his long journey to the bigs, Cruz spent three seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, showing promising stuff and elite strikeout potential, despite struggles in the run-prevention department. The Yankees took a flyer on the righty reliever in the deal that sent Jose Trevino to Cincy prior to last season. He continued to show excellent stuff on the mound, as the Yankees hope he can build on the late-career success that has brought him to this point.
In his four seasons in the major leagues, Fernando Cruz has never struck out less than 32.8 percent of opposing batters — a skill that has gotten him to this point in his mid-30s, and one that will likely keep him around if he’s able to maintain it. When the Yankees took him on, he was on the fast track to a prominent role in the bullpen. On the whole, he did not disappoint.
Across 48 innings of work in his first season with the Yankees, Cruz managed a 3.56 ERA and 3.18 FIP to back it up, all while striking out a characteristic 36 percent of hitters. Walks are and always have been an issue for the righty, as his 12 percent clip in 2025 was an improvement. But the skill is clear to the naked eye, and despite this coming year being his age-36 campaign, there could be plenty of improvement left to be seen.
Cruz relies on his split-finger more than half the time, and it would be hard to blame him. It’s one of the best around the league, as he has generated a whiff rate close to 60 percent with the pitch throughout his career. It’s the obvious money-maker for Cruz, and he’s not afraid to show that, with the pitch carrying plenty of the load and balancing things out with a fastball that is not exactly overpowering.
Not long after a blow-up against the Tigers in early September, Cruz finished the season strong for the Yankees, and clearly earned the trust of the club heading into October. This was evident in the run Aaron Boone and company gave the right-hander in the postseason. He pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in the Wild Card round, before allowing one run across his two appearances in the Division Series.
It feels safe to assume a decent role for Cruz with the Yankees in 2026. He had a solid year, and has the pieces to put together elite stretches of pitching out of the bullpen. He has a top tier pitch in the repertoire, which can take a pitcher in his circumstances almost anywhere. On top of that, Cruz has already earned himself a level of trust worthy of innings for the Yankees at the highest stakes. He may not be leading the charge in relief, but a significant role isn’t hard to envision.
He is likely a high-variance player in terms of outcomes. It feels equally believable that he posts a low-2s ERA in 60 innings or that he plays much of the season away from the major league roster. Either way, a high-ceiling reliever like Fernando Cruz is far from a bad player to have on a roster.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Mason Barnett #63 of the Athletics pitches in the top of the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Sutter Health Park on September 26, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitchers and catchers have reported, which is a cool symbolic benchmark of “baseball is back!” but is really just a lot of throwing and stretching. Games begin a week from Saturday, though, and slowly truths will begin to unfold. Some of the key story lines I will be watching as February eases into March…
1. Muncy: Plan A at 3B?
It appears Max Muncy will be given first shot to grab hold of 3B (but not yank it from its moorings), with Darell Hernaiz, Brett Harris, and Andy Ibañez competing at least in theory for the job.
Harris is a favorite on AN for the gig due to his superior defense combined with a strong offense around the 3B spot and the A’s need to play good infield defense behind an iffy rotation. But anytime you see depth charts cited by A’s insiders, Harris is listed third as more of an “honorable mention,” and it seems like it’s going to be Muncy’s job to lose going in.
So I will be watching carefully to see if the Muncy who shows up next week has better 3B form than the one who learned on the job in 2025 with very mixed results. Does Muncy look like a true 3Bman with adequate range, hands, and throwing accuracy?
At the plate, when he hit the IL Muncy was showing signs of life but overall his EVs, hard hit %, squared up % all left quite a bit to be desired but are also hard to assess in especially the early days of spring training games. So I will follow his hitting somewhat casually but am keen to see how the glove looks.
2. Barnett: New Angle, New Pitcher?
One reason not to overly wig out around a young player’s stats is that a ‘small’ tweak can make a huge difference seemingly overnight. Be it a toe tap or stance adjustment, development of a new pitch or moving from one corner of the rubber to the other, there can be that moment where a stalled player takes off.
For Mason Barnett, that adjustment could be the arm angle which the A’s say shifted last year and was not easily corrected during a season, better addressed in the off-season/ST. Barnett came to the A’s as a solid prospect and even the anti-A’s oriented Keith Law presently ascribes “mid-rotation SP upside” to Barnett.
Barnett’s debut in 2025 was rough: a 6.85 ERA in 22 IP with 26 hits, 11 BB, and just 18 K following a 6.13 ERA at AAA. Will he come to camp with a new (old) arm slot that elevates his game and allows him to present more like the “mid-rotation upside” SP he was projecting to be as a 3rd round pick whose K rates were between 10.70 and 14.14 at every minor league stop prior to 2025?
Having any one of the A’s young arms (Barnett, Ginn, Perkins) strongly emerge would be a huge boon to the 2026 club, especially early in the season when Gage Jump is still in the minors. Let’s see what Mason’s new arm slot delivers.
3. Leo De Vries: Fast Track or FAST Track?
Leo De Vries is not going to break camp with the big league club. But it’s not out of the question at all to think he could be a call up as soon as mid-season 2026. He has been invited to spring training and while he is likely to be an early cut he will have the opportunity to make an impression.
I will be keen to see to what extent he looks so close to ready that the A’s will be “forced” to consider fast-tracking him to the big leagues — or whether he looks “talented but raw” like you would expect from a 19 year old. In particular, we know his bat is special but how does his defense look?
I will also be watching closely to see where De Vries shows up on the diamond. The only position he has ever played so far is SS but the A’s have shown no indications of moving Jacob Wilson off the position. If De Vries sees any time at 2B or 3B it could be seen as significant. Or if he simply comes in at SS to replace Wilson/Hernaiz and get a few innings in there, one could also suggest it means SS is where they see De Vries until further notice.
What story lines do you have to offer for us to watch in the early days of the Cactus League? And what are your thoughts on these 3 that I have identified for myself? It’s just nice to be talking about what to watch for because it means games are coming soon: 9 days but who’s counting?
If one were cynical, one would point out that this news came down just after the tanking-to-hold-on-to-their-pick Jazz won two in a row despite sitting Jaren Jackson Jr. — and Lauri Markkanen — in the fourth quarters of those games.
Utah's Jaren Jackson Jr. is out for the remainder of the season and "will undergo surgery to remove a localized pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) growth in his left knee," the team announced Thursday.
The team said the growth was identified on an MRI during Jackson's post-trade physical. The team reportedly consulted medical experts, as well as Jackson and his representation, before deciding to have the surgery now, during the All-Star break.
A PVNS growth is a rare and benign (noncancerous), it does not spread to other parts of the body. The Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine center in Kansas City adds this: "PVNS is a progressive joint disease that gradually worsens and can cause bone damage and arthritis. In a healthy joint, the synovium produces a small amount of fluid that lubricates the cartilage and aids in joint movement. However, in PVNS, the synovium produces extra fluid, causing swelling in the joint and making movement very painful."
It's still difficult not to find the timing very convenient for the Jazz.
Utah owes its first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but it is top-eight protected. Utah wants to hold on to that pick so it can add one more high draft pick to its young core of Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and Walker Kessler (out injured for the season). That young group, paired with a front line of Jackson and Markkanen, looks like a playoff team in the West on paper — Utah has signaled it's done with the losing part of its rebuild and wants to start winning... but not until next season.
Currently the Jazz would enter the NBA Draft Lottery with the sixth-worst record in the league, and with that a 96.2% chance of retaining their pick. However, with a third of the league now tanking heading into what is projected to be one of the best and deepest drafts in years, the Jazz need to keep losing to ensure they hold that position and don't worsen their odds of giving that pick to OKC.
Which led the Jazz to come up with a loophole in the league's Player Participation Policy that forces them to play recent All-Stars Markkanen and Jackson — the Jazz did play them for 25 minutes a night through the first three quarters, then benched all their stars in the fourth. That strategy opened the door for Orlando to come from behind in the fourth and beat Utah last weekend.
Now Jackson is out for the remainder of the season, which is a short-term plus for Utah. Jackson, a former Defensive Player of the Year, is averaging 19.4 points plus grabbing 5.7 rebounds and blocking 1.4 blocks per game this season — he helps teams win. He and Markkanen form an All-Star-level front court.
Which Jazz fans are very excited about and want to see — but not until next season.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 7: Ruger Riojas #13 of the Texas Longhorns poses for a portrait on Texas baseball media day on January 7, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
For first-year Texas Longhorns pitching coach Max Weiner in 2025, the most impressive aspect of producing the sixth-best ERA nationally was how little margin Weiner had to accomplish that excellence.
Without many overpowering fastballs on the pitching staff, the Longhorns had to dominate the zone by largely pitching backwards with the five reliable arms that Weiner had — Luke Harrison, Ruger Riojas, Max Grubbs, Jared Spencer, and Dylan Volantis combined to pitch 300 of the 514.2 innings thrown by Texas last year, almost 60 percent of the total.
In every SEC weekend series, the Horns had a narrow pathway to victory if every pitcher executed their role successfully. But that pathway narrow even further when Spencer, the Friday starter, went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. After Riojas went from the fireman long relief role to the Friday starter, he caught the flu, which turned into bronchitis and led to the rock bottom of the Wimberly product’s baseball career as he lost 20 pounds and velocity on his pitches as a result.
By the Florida series in early May, Riojas was only able to record one out against Florida in allowing six runs on three hits and four walks.
For Weiner and the Longhorns, the margin had evaporated into the hot Central Texas air and Texas was eliminated from the Austin Regional by UTSA.
And so although Spencer was out of eligibility, the other three veteran pitchers had a sense of unfinished business and collectively decided to return to the Forty Acres to cap their college careers.
“Those guys wanted to be here,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said on Wednesday.
“They were the three most important recruits we could possibly have, to get those guys back for their last year, and that really gives us some space to allow the younger guys to develop. Not many better pitchers in the transfer portal than those guys, so getting those guys back to Texas is like getting a great transfer.”
When Texas opens the season against UC-Davis at UFCU Disch-Falk Field this weekend, the three returnees will start each game — Riojas on Friday, Harrison on Saturday, and Volantis on Sunday.
Like several other pitchers, Riojas remained in Austin to develop his body after the season ended. At 6’0, the UTSA transfer isn’t the biggest presence on the mound, increasing the importance of his strength and conditioning. To that end, Riojas is now at 205 pounds, 10 pounds heavier than he was listed last season before his illness, and has seen an increase in his fastball velocity.
The fastball is one of four pitches he throws from a high arm slot, including a slider, cutter, and splitter. From a lower arm slot, Riojas throws a sinker, slider, changeup, and curveball, putting pressure on on his ability to repeat his mechanics from both arm slots, something that he credits to his background as a position player.
“I think it takes a lot of athleticism. I credit playing middle infield and outfield my entire life to being able to adjust to these arm slots,” Riojas said on Wednesday. “And then it’s really just seeing those shapes on both ends and kind of defining them in your own way. You can go through the lineup over and over and over again, because a batter might not see all the pitches.”
When Riojas was at his best as a starter, he pitched 5.2 scoreless innings in the win over Texas A&M in late April, lowering his season era to 2.98 before his illness robbed him of his effectiveness — of the 45 runs allowed by Riojas in 2025, 27 of them came in his last four starts after he got sick, ballooning his ERA to 5.61.
Schlossnagle credits the self-awareness of Riojas for his ability to bounce back from adversity without lingering effects.
“He’s just being who he is. Away from the field, he’s super consistent as a human being. You’ve got a great combination of humility and confidence. So he has the humility to recognize that, or be self aware enough to know that there are things he has to get better at, and he goes to work on them like he did all summer with his body and in the fall with his pitches with Max. But he still has the confidence that one game or one stretch doesn’t define his career, and that he’s also getting better,” Schlossnagle said.
A left-hander who bounced back from Tommy John surgery after the 2022 season, Harrison kept pushing to improve under the new coaching staff after he struggled in his return from injury in 2024, becoming the team’s most consistent starter in 2025, making a team-best 15 starts while notching a 5-1 mark with 3.06 ERA and totaling 24 walks and 72 strikeouts over a team-high 70.2 innings.
Harrison was able to increase his fastball velocity into the low 90s to make it more playable and added a cutter to be able to pitch in on the hands of right-handed batters and a curveball to complement his slider, which become more effective working in tandem with his cutter, coming out in a similar plane with similar arm speed.
Like Harrison, Grubbs benefited from adding effective pitches to his arsenal under Weiner to post a 6-2 mark with 2.84 ERA and five saves with 14 walks and 61 strikeouts over 57 innings. A sinker-slider pitcher over his first two seasons on the Forty Aces, Grubbs took the next step in his development as a long reliever by introducing a cutter and a split-finger pitch to his repertoire.
Volantis is also developing a changeup as he moves from his closer role into the starting rotation to explore his upside after a sensational freshman season that saw him earn the Baseball America National Freshman of the Year award and first-team All-America recognition from four publications.
A younger returning player who should find a role on the staff is sophomore Jason Flores, who drew praise from Schlossnagle earlier this week for his improved maturity and work habits from his freshman season, when he showed promise with a 4-2 record and 2.78 ERA with five starts over 14 appearances. Flores was hard to hit, holding opponents to a .205 batting average. If the 6’1, 240-pounder doesn’t earn a role on the weekend, he’ll be a valuable asset during midweek games.
Last month, second baseman Ethan Mendoza picked redshirt senior right-hander Cody Howard as a pitcher who could surprise. The Baylor transfer struggled with his command last year, but has the pure stuff to get hitters out — opponents only batted .196 against him in 2025.
Also returning are junior left-hander Kade Bing, a midweek starter for the Longhorns in his first season on the Forty Acres, junior right-hander Hudson Hamilton, who earned two midweek saves as a sophomore, and redshirt junior left-hander Ethan Walker, a soft-tossing southpaw who was able to get through 4.1 innings in his start against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.
Expected to move into the closer role is 6’3, 230-pound junior right-hander Thomas Burns, a starter at Arizona State in his freshman season before experiencing some ups and downs as a reliever in his first season on the Forty Acres.
With a fastball that can reach triple digits, Burns has considerable upside that was limited last season by his lack of command, never more evident than in a bad appearance against Arkansas in which he allowed five runs over 1.1 innings despite only giving up two hits because he walked five batters.
But new starting catcher Carson Tinney believes that Burns will be the breakout star on the staff because of his mental maturity.
“Just his ability to control himself and his mind, I think is elite and probably the best I’ve ever seen,” Tinney said.
Burns also added a splitter he’s throwing instead of a changeup because he can throw it from the same arm slot as his fastball and has better command with it.
Is he going to be the closer, though?
“We’re all just a bunch of savage out-getters,” Burns said with a smile.
Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. is likely to miss the rest of the regular season with a knee injury, the team announced.
The team said Jackson will undergo surgery to remove a localized pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) growth in his left knee, and the injury was identified after an MRI.
Jackson, Jr. will have surgery in the coming days over the All-Star break, and the team said he is expected to make a full recovery.
Jackson Jr., 26, is averaging 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 48 games this season for Utah, who sit at 18-37 at the All-Star break and will likely miss the postseason for the fourth straight year. He was traded last week from the Memphis Grizzlies, where he spent the first seven seasons of his career, to the Jazz in a deal that included three first-round draft picks.
Jackson Jr. won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23, is a two-time NBA All-Star, and a two-time All-Defensive First Team selection
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 28: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the ball up court during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Rocket Arena on January 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 129-99. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA Trade Deadline, for better or worse, is behind us. Out goes Jared McCain and Eric Gordon. In comes draft picks and a bunch of seemingly temporary players.
Despite what your opinion might be, the Sixers freed up two roster spots and seem to be weighing all options there. But who makes sense? Is there any name out there who isn’t totally washed and can spell a soon-to-be 40-year-old Kyle Lowry some rotation minutes?
Before diving into names, I want to mention one answer to the Sixers’ now two vacant standard spots that’s already on the roster: Jabari Walker. Walker has been a serviceable rotation player for most of his Sixers tenure, though Daryl Morey seemed coy about actually converting him in his post-trade deadline presser. I’d argue Walker is probably better than most of the names I’m about to get into, and he’s still quite young. He’s limited, but he embraces the dirty work and does the little things this team needs. We’ll see what happens there, but it feels likely the Sixers bring in at least one new addition to bolster the group.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s survey the market. Pre-existing names or guys expected to be available in the near future. Can we find someone who fills the gaps and isn’t totally cooked? It won’t be easy, but let’s comb through it.
Chris Paul
Paul is an interesting potential name for the Sixers for several reasons. The future Hall of Famer has put together a tremendous career. Heading into the season, he was supposedly on a farewell tour, with retirement looming at year’s end. That didn’t really materialize.
Paul and the LA Clippers had a falling out early in the season, resulting in him being essentially banished and sitting in limbo for most of the year. That was until the trade deadline, when he was moved to Toronto and then bought out. Now he’s a free agent, likely looking for one final stretch of NBA basketball.
Paul has history with Daryl Morey, both good and bad. The Houston Rockets traded for him and paired him with MVP James Harden, producing arguably the best Rockets team of that era. The highs didn’t last long. Harden pushed for Russell Westbrook, Paul was sent out, and that trade marked the beginning of the end for that group.
Understandably, the relationship between Paul and Morey cooled after that. It’s been years, though, and time heals things. For argument’s sake, let’s say Paul would be open to Philly. Does it make sense?
I’d lean no. Paul is a small guard whose athletic burst has completely faded. He can’t score around the rim anymore. In his later Phoenix years, even while starting, he nearly abandoned paint scoring altogether because he just couldn’t finish consistently at his age and size.
But the thing about CP3 is the intangibles. He can still pass, still organize, still play real point guard. He’s the archetype people constantly beg for in the comments. The issue is that this team’s long-term vision clearly revolves around the Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe backcourt. They want the ball in their hands. At this stage, Paul’s value comes with the ball in his hands too, and that overlap creates tension.
The Sixers already have a veteran point guard in Kyle Lowry. Paul might be more playable, but is that really saying much? I’m not sure it meaningfully shifts anything.
Lonzo Ball
The former No. 2 overall pick has become something of a favorite among Sixers Twitter. A 6-foot-6 guard with real passing IQ is exactly what fans have been asking for since Maxey took the leap. But if it’s that simple, why is Ball available?
It comes down to injuries. Ball became the first player in NBA history to undergo a meniscus transplant, which effectively saved his career. He had limited success after the surgery with Chicago, who later traded him to Cleveland as a major offseason addition. It didn’t work. Ball looked like a shell of himself athletically and, at times, disengaged. He fell out of the rotation entirely and finished his Cavs tenure shooting 30.1 percent from the field and 27.2 percent from three. That’s rough.
He was eventually rerouted to Utah and bought out. So should the Sixers buy low?
My answer is a quick no. Credit to Ball for coming back from devastating knee injuries. But his previous athleticism is gone. Similar to Paul, he isn’t a factor near the rim and rarely attempts drives. That’s a pretty big issue for a table-setting guard. His defense, once a strength, has regressed hard. Add in the poor efficiency and it’s difficult to justify the gamble.
The idea of Ball is intriguing. The current version probably isn’t.
D’Angelo Russell
OG Process fans will see D’Angelo Russell’s name and feel a little nostalgia. He was the guy many wanted after the 2015 lottery. Years later, he’s bounced around and now finds himself in another rebuilding situation, having fallen out of favor.
Russell isn’t physically washed like Paul or Ball, but he’s been a one-dimensional player for most of his career. He doesn’t give you much defensively, so all of his value comes on the offensive end. Even with the Mavericks struggling this season, we know what Russell brings: microwave scoring, shooting and some secondary playmaking.
Despite having decent size, you’re plugging in a real question mark defensively. Nick Nurse has generally preferred length and defensive versatility around his guards, and Russell doesn’t check that box.
Still, if we’re being honest, he’s one of the better bets on this list to actually produce something. The Sixers need shooting badly after losing McCain and dealing with the Paul George suspension. Russell can provide that, if you’re willing to live with the rough stretches and questionable decisions.
I’m not racing to the buyout table for him. But he’s not an automatic no either, which is more than can be said for some of these names.
Kyle Anderson
Anderson has long been floated as a potential Sixers target. He’s not flashy, but he’s consistently been an impactful rotation player. Even this year in Utah, he averaged 7.1 points in 20.6 minutes while shooting 54.6 percent from the field across 20 games.
He fits the Nick Nurse mold well. At 6-foot-8, he has the size to switch across multiple positions. He isn’t a high-volume shooter from deep, but he can knock down open shots. Inside the arc, his game is unorthodox but effective. He finishes well and can lean on a floater or midrange when needed.
The issue is volume and spacing. The Sixers desperately need reliable perimeter shooting at a high rate, and that’s not Anderson’s calling card. They also already have similar archetypes in Trendon Watford, Kelly Oubre, Dominick Barlow and potentially Jabari Walker if he’s converted.
In a vacuum, he’s a solid player. In this specific context, the fit feels a little redundant.
Chris Boucher
Boucher is at least a name the Sixers have been linked to by a notable source. He also has familiarity with Nick Nurse from their Toronto days. And it’s worth mentioning the Sixers haven’t had a true backup stretch big in a while, which Boucher would theoretically address.
He most recently spent time with Boston, stuck at the end of the rotation and appearing in just nine games. The sample size is small, but the numbers weren’t encouraging. That said, he was productive in Toronto the year prior, playing 17.2 minutes per game across 50 appearances.
Signing Boucher would be a bet that he isn’t completely cooked and that Boston simply wasn’t the right situation. If he can return to form, he gives you a small-ball five who can shoot and a versatile four next to one of the Sixers’ centers. He’s familiar with Nurse’s system, which helps.
I’d lean toward other options, but the prior interest makes him someone to keep an eye on.
Khris Middleton
Middleton is one of the biggest names here. Multiple All-Star appearances next to Giannis. A key piece on a championship team. But recent years haven’t been kind. He was moved to Washington in the Kyle Kuzma trade and later sent to Dallas as part of their forward-looking approach. Injuries have piled up, and that’s largely why Milwaukee moved on.
This year he averaged 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 24.3 minutes, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three. The numbers aren’t eye-popping, but they’re respectable in a reduced role.
Even with the knee and ankle issues, Middleton can still shoot. The defense isn’t what it once was, but it passes the eye test more often than not. For a wing his size, he can run pick-and-roll and make smart reads.
With George sidelined and Oubre taking on more than he probably should, Middleton makes a lot of sense. He soaks up wing minutes, provides ball handling Nurse can trust, and adds shooting. When George returns, he can scale down into a smaller role comfortably.
Age and health are the question marks, but the Sixers could do much worse than Middleton.
Haywood Highsmith
Highsmith should be familiar. He was one of the few Division II players to turn pro, grinding through the Delaware Blue Coats before earning a two-way with the Sixers. He never got an extended opportunity here. That came with Miami, where he worked his way into becoming a legitimate rotation piece.
The Heat later sent him to Brooklyn in what amounted to a salary dump. He’s been rehabbing a knee injury and is nearing a return.
A reunion makes sense. Highsmith still has supporters within the organization, and there was free-agent interest a few seasons ago. He developed into a quality 3-and-D wing in Miami, and that’s exactly what the Sixers need.
He’s not flashy and doesn’t carry huge upside, but he might be the safest name on this list. I’d argue he’s the best defender among these options, and he provides shooting. That two-way combination is rare on the buyout market.
Personally, he sits at the top of my list.
Georges Niang
From one former Sixer to another, Niang is likely to hit the buyout market. He had some of his best years in Philadelphia before signing a big deal in Cleveland. Since then, he’s been traded again and landed in Utah, where there’s little incentive to prioritize him.
We know what Niang brings. Shooting and floor spacing. Not much else.
He isn’t a strong defender, and I wouldn’t trust him in high-leverage playoff minutes. But shooting isn’t in abundance right now, and Niang can provide it cheaply and reliably.
It wouldn’t be the worst move. It also wouldn’t be the most ambitious one. Ideally, the Sixers find someone who helps now and offers some long-term upside. Niang feels more like a short-term patch than a real solution.
There’s no perfect name here. That’s the reality of the buyout market. But if the goal is plugging real holes without sacrificing size, defense or shooting, a few of these options make more sense than others.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 03: Sebastian Walcott of the Surprise Saguaros poses for a photo during the 2025 Arizona Fall League media day at Scottsdale Stadium on Friday, October 3, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Rebhan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Sebastian Walcott will miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season due to a torn UCL, per the beats.
This sucks, to put it mildly. And puts a damper on our poll yesterday, asking when Walcott will make his major league debut.
Walcott, a shortstop who doesn’t turn 20 until next month, is the top prospect in the Texas Rangers system and a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball. He spent the 2025 season at AA Frisco, and was slated to be in Round Rock for the 2026 season. That isn’t happening now.
Walcott was originally set to play in the Arizona Fall League last year, but appeared in just one game before being shut down with what was described as arm fatigue.
Walcott’s arm has been one of his strengths, and while he has been seen as likely to have to move off of shortstop eventually, his arm strength led prospectphiles to suggest he could land at third baes or right field. Now we will have to see how he recovers.
The Montreal Canadiens will be a team to watch once the NHL Olympic roster freeze passes. With the Canadiens being among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, there is an expectation that they will look to add to their roster ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Now, the Canadiens are being connected to one of the NHL's top trade candidates.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Chris Johnston predicted that the Canadiens will be the team that acquires New York Rangers star center Vincent Trocheck.
"The Canadiens’ biggest hole all season has been down the middle, and it’s going to be a battle at the deadline for the limited options who can fill the 2C role on a contender. Even at 32, Trocheck certainly fits that description, and the fact he comes with some term at a reasonable cap hit will help the Habs bridge the gap as their youth movement progresses," Johnston wrote.
Seeing the Canadiens being viewed as a potential landing spot for Trocheck is not difficult to understand. There is no question that he would give the Canadiens' top six a nice boost if they acquired him. His stats this season show this, as he has recorded 12 goals, 24 assists, and 36 points in 43 games.
Yet, with Trocheck being a legitimate top-six center who has a $5.625 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season, it is clear that the Rangers would want a significant return for him in a potential move. Yet, with the Canadiens needing another impactful center, he could be worth the price.
It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens end up being the team that lands Trocheck ahead of the deadline. There is no question that the skilled center is going to have several suitors.
