According to the Lakers’ communications department, Doncic arranged free parking for fans at a lot near Crypto.com Arena and partnered with Metro Bike Share to offer complimentary rides throughout Los Angeles.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers signs memorabilia for a fan before a game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Doncic also purchased a full-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times, delivering a passionate message to Lakers fans and pledging a relentless pursuit of an NBA championship.
It’s a savvy move from a superstar who understands that winning over Los Angeles requires more than dazzling passes, triple-doubles and expensive sneakers.
The chemistry between Luka Doncic and Walker Kessler will be monitored throughout the season. NBAE via Getty ImagesLuka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter in a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
With LeBron James gone, the Lakers officially belong to Doncic. The franchise’s championship aspirations, its identity and the enormous expectations that accompany wearing purple and gold now rest squarely on his shoulders.
After a severe hamstring injury prematurely ended his 2025-26 campaign, Doncic enters this season with something to prove.
Of course, free parking won’t win playoff games, and a newspaper advertisement won’t hang another championship banner inside Crypto.com Arena.
But in a city where attending an NBA game for a family of four can feel like making a mortgage payment, Doncic’s generosity is a refreshing gesture.
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 22: Mitch Garver #18 of the Texas Rangers celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against Framber Valdez #59 of the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game Six of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 22, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mitch Garver, the catcher/DH who spent a decade in the majors and who was a key part of the 2023 Texas Rangers World Series Championship team, has announced his retirement.
Garver was a 9th round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2013 out of the University of New Mexico. He first broke into the big leagues in 2017 with Minnesota. After the 2021 season, the Texas Rangers acquired him in exchange for Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ronny Henriquez.
Garver had a track record of hitting well when healthy, and of not being able to stay healthy. He played in only 54 games in 2022 for Texas before his season was cut short due to a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm. In 2023, he missed two months early in the season, but was a force upon his return, ultimately slashing .270/.370/.500 in 87 games as the team’s primary DH.
Mitch Garver had what is, to me, one of the most memorable plays of the 2023 postseason. With the Rangers in Houston for Game 6, down 3 games to 2, the Astros scored a run off of Nathan Eovaldi in the bottom of the first to make it a 1-0 game. After losing three straight to Houston in Arlington, with the last one being especially soul-crushing, things felt very, very bad at that point.
Garver led off the second inning, and on the first pitch he saw from Framber Valdez, crushed an opposite-field home run. Tie game. The Minute Maid crowd was silence.
At that moment, I felt as if a weight was lifted. Watching Mitch Garver round the bases, I knew — I knew — that the Rangers were going to the World Series. I had no doubt that they would win the two games in Houston and advance.
The Rangers, controversially at the time, did not make a serious effort to re-sign Garver after the season, and he joined the Seattle Mariners on a 2 year, $24 million deal. Things went poorly for him in Seattle, though, both for that two year stretch, and in 2026, after he re-signed with the club.
Garver ends his major league career with a .229/.325/.432 slash line in 701 games, good for a 110 OPS+, and a career 10.0 bWAR.
Joel Embiid (21) of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks talk after a game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026.
The champions were brought back down to earth.
They believe they will be better off for it.
“I think it’s good for us to kind of get knocked down off the mountain,” Jalen Brunson said after the Knicks’ 106-100 season-opening loss to the 76ers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. “Humble ourselves, put our egos in check and see what’s going to happen. I’ve told you guys since Day 1, whatever happens these first couple of weeks of the season, it’s gonna show who we truly are. So let’s see.”
Joel Embiid (21) of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jalen Brunson (11) of the New York Knicks talk after a game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
It only added to that dynamic that the 76ers — now with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown — have championship expectations and are considered one of the top threats to the Knicks’ chances of repeating. If the Knicks are now the hunted, it was an immediate litmus test against one of the most dangerous hunters.
The pregame ceremony, when the Knicks raised the banner and collected their rings, was recognized by the players as the official end of the championship. They are no longer that team. They can’t just assume they will pick up right where they left off.
And they don’t want to view themselves as champions. They’re back to square one, just like the rest of the NBA.
“We shouldn’t sit there and think we’re the champions because we’re not,” Josh Hart said. “We’re 0-1. We’re the worst team in the NBA right now. So we need to play like it.”
They were far from their normal standards in terms of pace, ball movement and help defending. Identifying those problems could be more beneficial in the long term than a regular-season win.
“I want to win, don’t get me wrong,” coach Mike Brown said. “Don’t get that twisted at all. I want to freaking win, but not at the expense of us skipping steps in the process.”
A bit of a humbling was an important part of that process.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and Brandin Podziemski #2 shoot during warm ups before the game against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center on April 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s finally time! After a long and arduous offseason, the 2026-27 NBA season has arrived, and with it the first game of the season for the Golden State Warriors, who visit the Los Angeles Lakers to kick off the year.
The Dubs, unfortunately, are far from at full strength for the first game of the year, while the Lakers are fairly healthy. Here’s the complete injury report for both teams.
Warriors
Out — Brandin Podziemski (bilateral low back soreness)
Podziemski figures to have a huge role in his fourth NBA season. He shined in the preseason, and recently inked a five-year, $110 million deal. So it’s a bummer that he’ll miss the opener, but after suffering from some back soreness late in camp, he won’t be able to suit up. Thankfully he isn’t expected to be out long.
Out — Charles Bassey (right patellar tendinopathy)
Bassey might have been in line to start tonight, as he did in the preseason finale, if he were healthy. Unfortunately, he suffered a mild injury in that finale, and that will cost him the opener. As with Podziemski, it’s not considered a serious injury, and he should be back on the court soon.
Out — Kristaps Porziņģis(not with team)
The latest news about Porziņģis isn’t good. He’s not with the team, the Warriors are already looking at trading his contract, and the Latvian All-Star is reportedly considering calling it a career. It’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever play for the Warriors again, and with both he and Bassey out, you can expect two-way center Graham Ike to get a lot of playing time.
Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL repair surgery)
No surprises here. Butler remains sidelined indefinitely, and is likely targeting a second-half return.
Out — Moses Moody (right patellar tendon repair surgery)
And no surprises here, either. Moody is likely a few months from returning from the knee injury that ended his 2025-26 season. There’s no set timetable yet.
Probable — Steph Curry (right ankle soreness)
When Curry limped off the court at open practice on Sunday, it seemed like he might be out for a while. Instead, he thankfully is expected to play in the opener.
Lakers
Out — Collin Sexton (right soleus strain)
Sexton figures to play a huge role in his first year with the purple and gold, but his debut will have to wait. He shouldn’t be sidelined long, but won’t play in the opener.
Out — Cameron Carr (right oblique strain)
Carr was a late first-round pick, following a breakout campaign at Baylor a year ago. He likely won’t have to wait long to make his NBA debut, but it won’t be tonight.
Out — Adou Thiero (left knee effusion swelling)
Thiero had a modest role last year with the Lakers, appearing in 25 games and averaging 6.0 minutes per game in his rookie season. He’ll look to build on that this year, but will have to wait as it won’t happen tonight.
Available — Walker Kessler (left finger splint)
LA’s big offseason acquisition was a question mark in the days leading up to the opener, but has now been cleared to play. The Warriors have a serious disadvantage in the paint between Kessler’s availability and their own lack of centers.
Enjoy the game, everyone! It tips off at 7:00 p.m. PT on ESPN.
LOS ANGELES – Yaxel Lendeborg isn’t someone who grew up watching NBA games from start to finish across the league. He’s part of a new generation – the highlight generation.
Among the many players Lendeborg loved watching highlights of, Luka Dončić always has been at the top of his list. Not anymore.
After one regular-season game in the NBA, the Warriors rookie has a much different outlook on the Los Angeles Lakers superstar.
“Being in there firsthand, just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man,” Lendeborg said after the Warriors’ blowout loss to the Lakers on Wednesday night in the 2026-27 NBA regular-season opener at Crypto.com Arena. “That was awful. Like, me getting frustrated, it’s not about the foul being called, it’s about him complaining the entire game. And then you get the foul called, congratulations bro.
“You want to talk to me like you did something great? C’mon dog. That’s just weak. It kind of threw me off for a little while, because, like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone, man. Gone.”
The shorthanded Warriors were waxed by the Lakers in an ugly 127-105 loss that could be the first glimpse of a long season. They trailed by one point after the first quarter, but the story of the game began in the second when Lendeborg and Dončić began trading barbs up and down the court on multiple occasions.
Once it began, there was no stopping the two of them from letting the trash talk flow relentlessly. Dončić, who scored 28 points in 29 minutes on 7-of-18 shooting and went 5 of 12 from 3-point range, said Lendeborg was “talking crazy.” He didn’t divulge much more into what Lendeborg was saying.
But the already best and most honest quote in the NBA didn’t leave anything to the imagination at the podium.
“I was telling him he sucks,” Lendeborg said. “He can’t score on me. You’re talking? You can’t score on me. I said it the whole game. I said a couple cuss words, obviously, that’s why I got the technical and all that. But I was letting him know because he was laughing and talking all this because of that one foul call. His only bucket on me was a banker from halfcourt.
“I know that it’s a team sport. He had 28 on us as a team. Me, I took my matchup personally. Tried not to get called on the fouls. Tried my best. I was thinking about playing him with my hands by my back to see if that worked. I would have still got a foul called.”
Defending Dončić full-court, Lendeborg was physical with the six-time NBA All-Star who knows every trick in the book to get a whistle and make his way to the free-throw line. Lendeborg outwardly showed frustration, but he didn’t show any inclination of backing down.
The trash talk continued when Lendeborg wasn’t even in the game. In one instance, Dončić scored a three in front of the Warriors’ bench and pointed right at Lendeborg, who brought the smack right back.
When Lendeborg returned, he continued battling Dončić and locked him up from long distance. On the way down the court, the talk increased and that’s when he was given the first technical foul of his NBA career.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn’t agree with the call, saying postgame that it at least should have been a double technical, with Dončić also being dinged.
“He got the rookie treatment,” Kerr said.
And Kerr also expressed he “loved” the back and forth between the two players, and the fearless attitude his rookie displayed. To Kerr, this was a debut full of lessons for Lendeborg, who was a minus-21 in 28 minutes with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and four personal fouls.
“He bit on a pump fake, he got a couple that were tough calls, but he’s probably going to have to learn,” Kerr said. “Those are calls that are made in the NBA, so you have to actually give ground in certain spots. … These vets, these superstars are going to play tricks on him, and he’s got to learn those tricks.”
Whether it’s a rookie like Lendeborg or a veteran with more than a decade of experience, Dončić is going to get his. He’s a two-time scoring champion, including last season when he averaged 33.5 points per game.
Yet Lendeborg, despite being whistled more than once guarding Dončić, did his job admirably against an all-time great. Lendeborg held Dončić to 1-of-6 shooting when he was his primary defender. The one made shot was a half-court buzzer-beater going into halftime.
“Everybody’s going to be like, ‘Oh man, he shouldn’t talk to Luka. You should not talk to Luka,’ and I disagree with that s–t 1,000 percent,” Draymond Green said in the locker room. “You f–king gon’ talk to somebody, you talk until you can’t f–king talk no more. And if he busts your ass, guess what? You play him again three more times, and you go back at his ass again. And then you see him the third time, and you go back at his ass again.
“I think in this league, everybody always be like, ‘Oh man, certain guys you gotta respect.’ I ain’t come in this league like that. Respect, you earn respect. So, you know, everybody’s like, ‘Oh man, the rookie learned his lesson.’ What did he learn? Next time you see him, go at his ass again.”
So with that, what exactly did Lendeborg learn in his first NBA game then?
“Lot of flopping, lot of foul-baiting, lot of praying to the refs,” he said. “Interesting first game.”
Next up on the Warriors’ schedule is their home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at Chase Center, when Lendeborg can renew his rivalry with No. 3 pick Cam Boozer. Then comes Devin Booker and the Suns in Phoenix, Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets in Denver, and Anthony Edwards and the new-look Timberwolves in Minnesota before coming home to play Dončić and the Lakers again in San Francisco.
All it took was one game for Lendeborg to have a giant target on his back. His teammates, notably Green and Steph Curry, believe he’s up for the task at hand.
“He’s setting the table for himself to have to show up, and I like that,” Curry said. “Nature of the game, whether you do it between your ears or you let it out, I know he’ll be able to back it up.”
His game will have to do as much talking as his mouth while Lendeborg’s rookie year progresses, and he already gave everyone numerous reasons to circle the Warriors’ next game against the Lakers in less than two weeks.
A notable Pittsburgh Penguins forward is continuing to create chatter as a trade candidate early on this season.
This is because Penguins forward Rickard Rakell was among the players featured on NHL insider Chris Johnston's latest trade board for The Athletic. The Penguins veteran winger was given the No. 8 spot.
"No stranger to the Big Board in the past year or two, Rakell’s time may finally be winding down with a Penguins team slowly transitioning to a younger group," Johnston wrote.
Seeing Rakell be named a top trade candidate is not too surprising. Questions about his future in Pittsburgh have come up for a while now with the team retooling. Thus, it would be understandable if the Penguins moved him during this season.
Rakell could be a nice pickup for a playoff team looking for more offensive production in their top nine. The 33-year-old forward is coming off a solid 2025-26 season with Pittsburgh, as he recorded 24 goals and 48 points in 60 games. This was after he had 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games during the 2024-25 season with the Penguins.
Rakell has had a bad start to this campaign, though, posting one goal, four points, and a minus-4 rating in 10 games. However, he also put together a two-point night in his most recent game against the Utah Mammoth. This could end up being an indicator that the 15-year NHL veteran is set to bounce back.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Penguins end up trading Rakell before the trade deadline. With the club having a surplus of NHL-caliber forwards and young players waiting in the wings, now may be the best time for them to move him. This would especially be so if the Penguins continue to struggle as the season rolls on.
Sacramento trailed 41-29 after the first quarter Wednesday night, and that came against a Clippers team missing Brandon Ingram, Max Strus and Bradley Beal. The Kings trimmed the deficit to five early in the third quarter but never led, and Los Angeles pulled away for a 121-96 win at Intuit Dome.
It was not the group Sacramento planned to open with. Malik Monk was ruled out with left ankle soreness shortly before tip-off, and Ben Simmons is out for the season after tearing his Achilles in Sunday’s practice.
Christie did not point to the absences afterward. He pointed to the defense first.
“Got to be able to keep people in front of you,” Christie said. “It comes from the pride of defensive intensity, keeping the ball in front of you.”
The Clippers scored 27 fastbreak points, 19 of them in the first half. Christie did not hide his reaction to that number.
“They had 27 fastbreak points, just unacceptable,” Christie conceded.
Christie traced the problem to the other end of the floor. He said the Kings cut the deficit to five, 61-56, but lacked the ball movement to build on it.
“Sometimes we were just letting our offense affect our defense, and it just can’t happen,” Christie added.
His fix is built around patience. Christie said the opposition would be happy to see the Kings settle for contested mid-range shots, and he wants them to keep driving and kicking instead.
“We have to continue to trust the process of winning the close-out, attacking the rim. If somebody collapses, spray the ball out,” Christie said. “Just keep continuing on down, drive, kick, swing.”
The reward, he said, is a better look.
“If we continue to drive, kick, swing, we are probably going to end up with a very high shot quality of a 3-pointer, hopefully it’s a corner three, which is the highest percentage shot,” Christie said. “It takes patience and poise to continue when you look up, and there’s 10 seconds on the clock. Don’t freak out, calm down, there’s probably two more drive-kick-swings in that.”
Christie also tied the free throws to the transition problem. When Sacramento makes its free throws, he said, the defense is set instead of scrambling back, and the Kings missed 12 of them on a night when the Clippers kept running.
“We missed 12 free throws, and that is not something that just, like, popped up,” Christie added. “We haven’t been good in the preseason shooting free throws, so there’s a level of concentration, a level of confidence that you have to have when you step to the line and knock them down.”
The Kings did get a few strong individual nights. Domantas Sabonis, playing his first game since Feb. 4, had 18 rebounds, a Sacramento-era record for a season opener, and Zach LaVine scored 28 points. Christie’s focus afterward, though, was on the team’s habits, not the box score.
Rookie Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 7 overall pick, took a game-high 24 shots in his NBA debut and made five of them, going 0-of-7 from 3-point range. Christie did not mention Acuff by name, but his plea for patience and better shot quality might apply to a night like that.
After a night when everything came too fast for Sacramento, Christie wants his team to calm down and trust the pass. The Kings get their first chance to show it Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center for their home opener.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Jhony Brito #76 of the San Diego Padres walks to the dugout during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Petco Park on July 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
A Starter in Waiting
Jhony Brito dominated in the minors this season. Between three different levels of the Padres’ minor-league system, Brito had his best season since being traded to the Friars. He came over as a kicker in the deal that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. Brito was somewhat of an afterthought and hasn’t done much in San Diego since. He’s thrown a total of 52 2/3 innings for the big-league club.
Overall Grade: C-
Despite his incredible success in the minor leagues (2.97 ERA, 69.2 IP), Brito didn’t do much in the majors this year. In nine innings out of the bullpen, the right-hander posted a 3.00 ERA despite a minuscule 0.89 WHIP. Brito couldn’t limit hard contact, allowing two homers in that short stint with the big-league club. He likely would have been called up to the majors sooner, but the San Diego ‘pen is too deep.
Brito could figure into the Padres’ starting rotation plans for the 2026 season if he can prove himself in Spring Training. Brito had below-average marks in both WHIP (1.21) and strikeouts (46, 69.2 IP). The righty didn’t pitch very deep into games (3.2 IP on average), however some of that could be due to the nature of pitching in the minor leagues.
The right-hander missed the majority of the 2025 season after a UCL internal brace procedure in his throwing elbow. Brito posted resurgent numbers after returning from that surgery. If he can keep that up in 2027, he could legitimately work his way onto the Padres’ pitching staff. Regardless, he pitched quite well in 2026 but will need to produce more consistent results in order to make an impact with the big-league club.
LOS ANGELES – The same night the Los Angeles Dodgers were swept out of the NLCS by the Milwaukee Brewers, owner Mark Walter asked president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes about their thoughts for the offseason.
Despite the ongoing federal investigations into Guggeinheim's majority partner that has led to the sale of several of Walter's pro sports franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Chelsea FC, Friedman said the directive he's gotten has been "business as usual." If there are plans for a sale, he hasn't heard anything about it. He's also gotten no indication that the Dodgers will have any less financial resources than normal.
"So much of his focus was, 'How do we put ourselves in the best position to win in '27?'" Friedman said during his exit interview at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Prepping for World Series run in 2027
How exactly they'll be able to do that, however, is another unknown in an offseason full of uncertainty for the back-to-back World Series champions. There is, after all, a pending lockout that feels inevitable as MLB owners and the players union don't appear to be getting any closer to agreeing to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.
If the owners are successful in their steadfast push to implement a salary cap, that would have a substantial effect on how the Dodgers could add to a roster that has eight pending free agents. For now, though, Friedman's approach isn't changing until the current CBA expires in December.
"We're just hard at work trying to figure out the best way to put together our roster," he said. "Those are things that we're not involved in and depending on how things play out, we'll adjust to whatever the rules are."
What are Dodgers' plans for to-be free agent Tarik Skubal?
The biggest name set to hit free agency is starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, who looked like a luxury when the Dodgers traded for him at the deadline but eventually became a much-needed steady presence in the rotation. The back-to-back AL Cy Young winner is projected to become one of the highest-paid pitchers of all time once he hits the open market. That might be a price even the Dodgers might not be willing to reach.
Friedman was noncommittal about bringing Skubal back, applauding the impact he had on the mound and in the clubhouse after moving cities midseason but also "wishing him nothing but the best" moving forward. It's worth noting that Friedman does expect to get at least one pitcher back in 2027: Shohei Ohtani, who will not need surgery on his knee or bicep injuries and could possibly be ready to go by spring.
Dodgers must deal with aging roster
As for other areas of the roster, Friedman did address the dinosaur in the room.
The Dodgers had the oldest lineup in the big leagues this season at an average age of 30.9 years old, according to Baseball Reference. Almost all of their core players are on the other side of 30. 2024 World Series MVP Freddie Freeman is 36 and entering the final year of the six-year $162 million deal he signed with LA in 2022. Mookie Betts (33) and Ohtani (32) are under contract for much longer, but they're not getting any younger, either. In fact, the only regular fixtures in LA's lineup under 30 years old this season were Kyle Tucker (29) and Andy Pages (25).
That might have been a factor in why the Dodgers have fallen off offensively in the second half of the season each of the last two years, to which Friedman admitted that he might have to be more proactive with getting guys rest once they get into the dog days.
Is help on the way from Dodgers' farm system?
But age isn't too much of a concern for Friedman, who pointed to the Dodgers' No. 1-ranked farm system according to MLB Pipeline. For him, the key is supplementing his veteran core with young guys and transitioning them gradually into more responsibility.
Therein lies another question: Where does Josue De Paula fit on this team next year?
The 21-year-old top prospect made such an impression in two weeks in September that he cracked the NLDS and NLCS rosters as a lefty bat off the bench. His bat is clearly ready for the major leagues, and his presence seems to be a spark for the Dodgers veteran offense. Still, Friedman and Gomes made it clear that he needs to take a leap forward as an outfielder.
"We've all seen what he's capable of in the box, which is incredibly exciting," Gomes said. "With that being said, we already have a very talented core group already here. So, it's finding those opportunities but also making sure that throughout this offseason and coming into spring that he continues to improve and gets to that bar and gets to be an above average defender."
Including De Paula, the Dodgers carry six prospects who are ranked in MLB Pipeline's Top 100: outfielders De Paula (No. 4), Eduardo Quintero (No. 15), Mike Sirota (No. 17), shortstop Emil Morales (No. 22), right-handed pitcher Christian Zazueta (No. 33) and outfielder Charles Davalan (No. 79).
There's some sorting around the front office will have to do, but this wave of young talent is what keeps Friedman hopeful that the Dodgers will be able to avoid "falling off a cliff" the way most veteran teams eventually do.
"That is why we have poured so much energy and focus into our farm system," he said. "... We couldn't feel more bullish on the position player core group, from A ball through Triple-A that are coming, and obviously we've traded away a lot of really talented players also.
"... We feel really good about our future outlook."
The Buffalo Sabres are in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic Division nearly one month into the 2026-27 regular season, but we throughout the year will keep tabs on former Sabres around the NHL.
Here are how some former Sabres are doing with their division rivals:
JJ Peterka - Boston
Peterka is one of five former Sabres on the Boston roster. The former Buffalo second-rounder was dealt to Utah for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan in June 2025 and acquired by the Bruins exactly one year later for a pair of first-round picks after scoring 25 goals. In 10 games, he has started with six points (3 goals, 3 assists).
Sam Reinhart - Florida
The 2014 second overall pick has been remarkably consistent since being acquired from Buffalo in 2021 for Devon Levi and a 2022 first-round pick (Jiri Kulich), scoring 30 or more goals in four of his five seasons with Florida. Reinhart scored twice in the Panthers loss to the Sabres last week, and in nine games, he has eight points (5 goals, 3 assists).
Dylan Cozens/Linus Ullmark - Ottawa
Cozens was swapped for Josh Norris in March 2025 and in his first full season with the Senators, had his second-best offensive season (28 goals, 31 assists), but the 25-year-old has struggled mightily this season, posting only two assists in nine games. Conversely, former Sabre Ullmark has built on an excellent playoff performance in a loss to Carolina, and is tied for the NHL lead with six victories, with a microscopic 1.33 GAA, and .945 save %.
Is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen part of the Sabres future?
Zemgus Girgensons - Tampa Bay
Some do not consider Brandon Hagel an ex-Sabre because he never played a game for them, but the former Buffalo draft pick currently leads the Lightning with seven goals and is second behind Nikita Kucherov with 12 points. Girgensons signed with Tampa in the summer of 2024 after a decade in Buffalo and had his best offensive season since 2015 with 20 points last season. This year, the 32-year-old has two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in nine games.
Jake McCabe - Toronto
The former Sabres blueliner has been part of Toronto’s shutdown pairing with Chris Tanev, but after Tanev was injured earlier this month, began partnering on the top pairing with Darren Raddysh. In the Leafs 6-2 win over Columbus, McCabe received a high stick under his visor from Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson and did not return to the game. Leafs head coach Jim Hiller indicated after the game that he was kept out for precautionary reasons, but it appears that a serious injury was avoided.
The Dodgers dugout looks on during the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers last week. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Dodger Stadium was eerily quiet on Wednesday, as a light rain fell over the already yellowing grass. A crow perched on an empty seat. Scattered lights flickered in mostly dark hallways.
Before the World Series begins, the stadium was closed for the season, hosting just one last event before officially wrapping up the 2026 slate.
In the interview room, tucked away at the entrance to the clubhouse, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes took their seats at the podium for their end-of-season press conference.
There was the usual end-of-season question checklist: Are you expecting any changes to the coaching staff or front office? “I expect status quo,” Friedman said. Is Shohei Ohtani going to undergo offseason surgery? “That’s not on the table,” Friedman said.
“I welcome it,” Friedman said of such claims. “For us, and we’ve talked about this a lot, even after successes and we winning a World Series and then winning back to back, everything we do is for our fans. And there’s a lot of noise around us in general. We don’t really pay much attention to it. It’s a partnership we feel with our fans, and so people saying that we’re done and we’re on the downside of this run — it’s just more noise to us because everything for us is about the motivation we have to have a parade in the streets of Los Angeles next November.”
Friedman also didn’t seem to anticipate any trickle down from Walter’s outside ventures — Walter’s insurance companies are under federal investigation and face several lawsuits — affecting the Dodgers’ offseason budget.
“It’s been business as usual for us,” Friedman said. “We talked to Mark after we lost, and he was obviously really disappointed. But so much of his focus was on, ‘OK, what can we do? What are our plans? What are our thoughts for the offseason?’ And our brains weren’t quite there yet, but so much of his focus was, how do we put ourselves in the best position to win in ‘27?”
How will the Dodgers go about picking themselves up from their NLCS exit?
The Dodgers’ 2026 season wasn’t exactly a failure. They won 100 games in the regular season and lost in the playoffs to the only team that won more than that — the Brewers. But the Dodgers, with their star power and payroll, aren’t in the business of accepting moral victories.
Though plenty went wrong in the postseason, from Ohtani’s struggles following his injured list stint, to stalwart Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s surprisingly short start in Game 2 of the NLCS, the overarching theme in the Dodgers’ four straight losses to the Brewers was a lack of offensive execution, especially with runners in scoring position.
“Obviously throughout the latter part of the year, it was stuff we were talking about and trying to put our finger on,” Friedman said of the offense. “And in a lot of ways, it’s a little bit of a game of whack-a-mole, where it can be one thing for some period of time, and then it’s something else, and then it’s something else. Sometimes it’s noise, and sometimes it’s real. And what’s important for us is to be able to sift out the noise and isolate what’s real and what things we can improve upon. We’ll spend a lot of time really focusing on that in the off season.”
Asked if the age of the lineup could be a contributing factor, Friedman pointed to the strong finishes of some of the more veteran players on the roster.
“I don’t think it’s as easy as to paint it with that broad of a stroke,” he said.
Friedman, in an effort to continue to extend the Dodgers’ run of success, has kept in mind the cliff that successful veteran teams can fall off of, if the roster isn’t properly backfilled.
“This isn’t something that we just woke up and were like, ‘Oh wow, the age of our position player group,’” Friedman said. “We knew what things were going to look like in ‘26, ‘27, but also how talented these guys are, the way they prepare. And so much of our long-term contract bats are betting on the human — betting on the person, betting on the work ethic, betting on them doing everything they can to keep themselves in the best position to have success. But when you couple the core talent that we have at the major league level with the position-player strengths that we have in our farm system, that’s what makes us excited, is the art of how to onboard some of these young, talented minor league players.”
The Dodgers had the No. 1 ranked farm system as of mid-August, according to MLB Pipeline. But many of those prospects, including the three outfielders who were the Dodgers’ top three (Josue De Paula, Eduardo Quintero and Mike Sirota), are blocked by veteran players.
“For us, it’s just about having as many talented players as we can, and things tend to sort themselves out,” Friedman said.
This offseason, the Dodgers will also have to figure out what to do about their soon-to-be free agents, a group headlined by left-hander Tarik Skubal. The two-time Cy Young winner was not only the best pitcher available on the trade market when the Dodgers acquired him from the Tigers at the trade deadline, but he’s in line to be the best pitcher available this offseason as well.
“It’s not easy for a guy to get traded in the middle of a season to come to a new city, new clubhouse,” Friedman said. “You have set routines, and you have to make those adjustments. It’s not easy. The way he was able to seamlessly transition, not just in terms of on the field, but in the clubhouse, I can’t say enough good things about the impact that he made in such a short period of time.
“We have a tremendous amount of respect for him on and off the field. … He’s put himself in this position to go out and be a free agent. And for us, it’s, continue to talk to [Scott Boras, Skubal’s agent]. But he and his family have to make a choice over where they want to spend the next X number of years, and obviously we wish him nothing but the best.”
When asked about negotiations, however, Friedman spoke generally, saying the Dodgers were still “wrapping [their] arms around” their offseason strategy.
The impending lockout, which is expected to go into effect on Dec. 1 as soon as the current CBA expires, and uncertainty over changes in the next CBA, will certainly affect the free-agent and trade markets this offseason. And though MLB navigated a lockout just five years ago, the owners’ push for a salary cap has many around the industry bracing for a longer work stoppage and murkier landscape on the other side.
“I never have any feel for how a market’s going to play out,” Friedman said. “We’ve kidded ourselves in the past that, like, ‘Hey, we think this is going to happen,’ and it just takes on its own life form. So for us, it’s just about being as prepared as we possibly can be, and pouncing on opportunities.”
Andre Drummond stayed back in the locker room while the Knicks raised their championship banner and collected their rings ahead of their 106-100 season-opening loss to the 76ers.
“I feel like I gotta earn it,” Drummond said. “I don’t want to experience something that I wasn’t there for.”
He is the lone newcomer among the 10 Knicks to see the court on Tuesday. He is a non-champion surrounded by champions. He’s tasked with replacing a beloved fan favorite in Mitchell Robinson, who was the longest-tenured Knick before he left in free agency for the Celtics.
“I want to be able to experience that [celebration] because I was a part of it,” Drummond said. “I let those guys have their moment.”
But it wasn’t long until he was having his own moment.
Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket as New York Knicks center Andre Drummond (0) defends during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
Drummond was a rare bright spot in an otherwise ugly Knicks showing, recording 12 points, 14 rebounds (seven offensive) and four assists against his old 76ers team. He had a first-half double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
He never had any double-doubles in a half all of last year. “An-dre Drumm-ond” chants reverberated around MSG, as the fans were loving what they were seeing from their new big man.
“It was pretty surreal,” Drummond said. “Just the energy of the arena, just because of how hard I was working, how hard I was playing, just to hear it, I can’t even really explain it. I got chills. Something you live for as a player, hearing the fans be behind you.
“This arena’s electric. Just doing hard work and aggressive plays gets the crowd going, so it gets me going too.”
The majority of his action came in the first half, where he played 16 minutes compared to Karl-Anthony Towns’ six. Towns got into early foul trouble — something that became routine last year — and was forced to the bench.
Those long stretches on the court aren’t the ideal workload for Drummond — and perhaps a reason his production waned in the second half.
“I thought he played with a lot of bounce, energy, in the first half on both ends of the floor,” coach Mike Brown said. “We probably ran him too long because it looked like in the second half, not just him but especially our five starters, it looked like he ran out of a little bit of gas. I gotta keep getting to know him to see where the minutes may lie for him to be effective. But I thought he was really, really, really good in the first half.”
That feeling-out-process will be a season-long journey. For a Knicks group that has so much continuity, Drummond represents one of the rare opportunities for change and fresh ideas.
He is similar to Robinson in that he is one of the most prolific rebounders in the league. He is not the rim protector or help defender Robinson is, but is more of a threat with the ball in his hands on the offensive end.
New York Knicks center Andre Drummond (0) slams the ball during the third quarter of a game against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden in New York, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
Brown is still learning how best to utilize that skill set.
“I think it’s been fun for both of us because, obviously, yes, he’s still trying to get to know me and vice versa, I’m trying to get to know him as a coach,” Drummond said. “I think we surprise each other on a daily basis on the different things that I’m capable of doing as a player. And obviously, the way his coaching style is too, the freedom I have too, is a little bit different. It’s like a tug-and-pull every time we step on the floor with each other. … It’s cool to have the freedom to play the way I want to play, be able to use my experience and my veteran leadership to play the way I want to play but also play the way he wants me to.”
A Mount Vernon native, Drummond is already feeling at home.
“This is a great team,” Drummond said. “Great core group. They’ve done a great job of incorporating me into the group and making me feel like I’m one of them.”
He shouldn’t just feel like he’s one of them — he now firmly is one of them.
MACAO, CHINA - OCTOBER 9: Morez Johnson Jr. #14 of the Dallas Mavericks boxes out during the game against the Houston Rockets as part of 2026 NBA China Games on October 9, 2026 in Macao, China at Venetian Arena. 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks
October 21, 2026
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Time: 7:30 PM CST
TV:Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
Probable Starters
Rockets: Fred Vanvleet, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun
Mavericks: Kyrie Irving, Zaccharie Risacher, Cooper Flag, P.J. Washington Jr., Daniel Gafford
The Rockets are kicking off the new season tonight! Join us at TDS or on the SB Nation app to talk game all night.
MACAU, CHINA - OCTOBER 11: Kyrie Irving #11 of Dallas Mavericks pulls up Cooper Flagg #32 of Dallas Mavericks during NBA China Games 2026 between Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip on October 11, 2026 in Macau, China. 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 Zhizhao Wu/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks start the 2026-27 season by visiting the Houston Rockets. After playing twice in the preseason in Macau, these two face off twice in the first 10 days of the season. Divisional rivals playing four times in a month? Familiarity breeds contempt, even when two of the games were just tune ups. Here’s the main things you need to know tonight.
WHO: Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets
WHAT: Game 1, Lock in folks!
WHERE: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
HOW: KFAA
On the injury front, Dereck Lively and Santi Aldama start the year on the injury report with long known about issues, though Coach Dusty May insists that Aladama is close to taking the court. New addition Tarik Biberovic will miss the contest with heel bursitis, which doesn’t sound comfortable. Caleb Martin will also miss the game with a thumb sprain.
As of this writing, Steven Adams is questionable for the Rockets with calf tightness. That’s one of those areas teams don’t mess around with, so unless he feels great, I actually would bet he misses the game.
These two teams are in very different places in the team cycle. Dallas is trying to claw their way out of the bottom five in the Western Conference. The Rockets had an embarassing post-season exit, but were injury laden last season and hope to finish among the league’s elite with a talented, but mercurial squad. Keep an eye on the Dallas rotations and the Maverick defense tonight. The latter will take weeks to sort itself out but I’m curious what combinations May tried. The latter was very bad for most of the preseason and I expect them to pick up the pace.
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