It’s deadline day and the Phillies have reportedly made a deal.
Landing Arraez has been rumored for a few days, but it appears to have come to fruition. Here is the rumored return.
That’s a hefty package, but it’s the offensive upgrade they need.
More to come
Now that the dust has settled on the Luis Garcia Jr. trade, I wanted to highlight my two favorite pieces. Yovanny Cruz and Ben Grable are two relief prospects who project to be weapons in the Nats bullpen for years to come. If Paul Toboni wanted to, he likely could have gotten prospects that were higher ranked on public sites, but instead he centered the package around dynamic bullpen arms that can help the team soon.
In Cruz and Grable, the Nats got two arms who should factor into the 2027 bullpen plans, with Cruz being a plug and play option. Despite giving away Garcia, who leads the NL in slugging, this move was largely made with 2027 and 2028 in mind. It is no secret that the Nats have issues in the bullpen, and these two arms should help fix that.
First, I want to talk about Cruz, who will immediately slide into the Nats bullpen. Cruz has some of the most effortless velocity you will ever see. He can throw 100 MPH fastballs and look like he is just playing catch. That type of electricity is badly needed in the Nats bullpen.
Before this season, Cruz had a winding path through the minor leagues. He was in the Cubs organization from 2017 to 2023, not getting above High-A. After the Cubs gave up on him, he had single season stints with the Padres and Red Sox organizations before signing with the Yankees as a minor league free agent this offseason. This season Cruz suddenly started throwing way more strikes in the Yankees system.
As a result, he started dominating in AAA. Cruz posted a 3.53 ERA and 3.39 FIP in the minors this year. He struck out 33.1% of hitters while walking just 8.9% of them, which is very manageable for a reliever. In 5.1 big league innings, he walked just one batter and struck out six, posting a 1.69 ERA.
When you look at Cruz’s stuff, it is easy to see why he gets all these strikeouts. His fastball sits around 100 MPH, which is rare even in the modern game. The shape of the pitch is not great, which means the heater plays down slightly. However, it is still premium velocity which makes it an effective offering. I would argue his slider is his best pitch though. He throws it more than his fastball and hitters just can’t seem to touch the offering.
It is a 91 MPH bullet that just drops off the table. He has commanded the pitch well this season too. The final pitch of his arsenal is a splitter he throws about 5% of the time. It is a really intriguing pitch that the Nats could look to unlock further.
The fact Cruz is almost 27 and did not throw strikes before this year is somewhat concerning. However, we see pop up relievers fairly often. A lot of great bullpen arms take a while to figure things out. If this strike-throwing sticks, the Nats have a potential closer as soon as right now.
The stuff is nasty and there are some tweaks to be made as well. With his poor fastball shape, I wonder if adding a sinker would help him out. A 100 MPH power sinker would make him even more devastating. That splitter also has a chance to be featured more, especially against lefties. Cruz should immediately slide into a high leverage role, and if he keeps throwing strikes like he has this season, he could be in that role for many years.
Unlike Cruz, Ben Grable is not quite big league ready yet, but his upside might be even higher. Grable may not throw 100, but his fastball is better than Cruz’s. He sits around 96, but gets over 20 inches of induced vertical break. That makes his fastball look like it is rising, making hitters swing under the pitch.
It is a true unicorn of a heater and that pitch alone should carry him to the big leagues. What makes it even more special is Grable’s ability to command the pitch. Between High-A and AA, Grable is striking out 38.4% of hitters while walking just 6.8%. He has a 2.45 ERA and an even lower 1.86 FIP this season. The 24 year old is one of the best pure relief prospects in all of baseball.
There is some risk, most of it being health related. He had a couple elbow surgeries in college, including Tommy John and has an unusual arm action. However, he has been healthy lately and has a chance to be a big league closer.
To go with the plus-plus heater, Grable has a solid slider that is nothing special, but does enough to fool hitters sitting dead red. He will also mix in a curveball and splitter on very rare occasions. Grable throws the fastball 75% of the time though, and for good reason. Even though hitters know what is coming, they still can’t hit it.
As he gets to AAA and eventually the big leagues, he may need to mix in his other pitches slightly more. However, the fastball is good enough where he can throw it 65 to 70% of the time and have success. Ironically, his approach is similar to Nats assistant pitching coach Sean Doolittle, who also leaned heavily on his rising heater.
Grable could have a similar career to Doolittle as a fastball heavy closer with good command. As long as he stays healthy, I think he can be an elite reliever. He should be big league ready sometime next season. It is clear what Paul Toboni was looking for in this package, and if you wanted potential high leverage arms for Garcia, he did very well here.
There is only so much value in relief pitchers, so I am not sure this is the most upside rich package here. However, it matches the Nats needs very well and sets up the bullpen for the present and future. This organization was not going to let the bullpen be this bad again, and they showed that by getting two potential controllable relief weapons. Get used to Yovanny Cruz and Ben Grable because they should be in the Nats bullpen for a long time.
Good morning and happy trade deadline day! Last week, we heard one of the game’s most prominent insiders tell us that the Red Sox were “going to go big” at this year’s trade deadline. Yesterday, we got confirmation that the team is at least trying to do that, as Breslow has pursued Elly de la Cruz, a genuine star who would have represented perhaps the biggest trade deadline deal the Sox have ever consummated.
Of course, the de la Cruz deal did not materialize. That happens, especially when you’re talking about a player of his profile — young, great, not particularly expensive. And while we’ve been hearing rumors about players like CJ Abrams, Zach Neto, and Otto Lopez for weeks now, the failed de la Cruz pursuit reminds us that getting these deals over the line is hard. I mean, there’s a reason why no one was even considering de la Cruz as a possible option until yesterday.
This raises the question: how will you feel if the Sox don’t do something big today? Would it be a failure of the front office? A prudent move to hold onto prospects? Something in between, with the additional context that it might be a good thing not to rock the boat that’s currently carrying the hottest team in baseball?
Talk about trades that may or may not happen and whatever else you want in this space and, as always, be good to one another.
Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2025-26 player reviews! The series will look at the players who finished the season with the San Antonio Spurs on guaranteed contracts and who played consequential minutes and/or a vital role (so no two-way players because we hardly saw them this year, no players who were traded away, and none of the deep bench centers, since they were both irrelevant and are now all gone).
The San Antonio Spurs went from a plucky young team to a full-blown contender, largely thanks to the addition of rookie guard Dylan Harper. In his first season, Harper established himself as an untouchable part of the Spurs’ core, the future running mate of Victor Wembanyama, and a potential All-NBA-caliber player. (spoiler alert: he’s getting a good grade!)
One of the biggest questions coming into the regular season was how Mitch Johnson would handle his guard rotation. The Spurs had just traded for De’Aaron Fox and signed him to a max contract, Stephon Castle was coming off a Rookie of the Year season, and Harper was selected with the second-overall pick. That logjam left Harper with a bench role, despite his pedigree. He accepted that role and instantly transformed the Spurs’ bench, giving them a downhill scoring threat who could seemingly get to the rim whenever he wanted this season.
It’s rare to see rookie guards with Harper’s combination of poise, patience, footwork and finishing ability at his age. Harper shot 66% at the rim this season, converting around the basket with both hands going through and around defenders. His combination of size and athleticism makes him not only a difficult player to contain offensively, but a positive defender with room to grow as he gets used to the NBA game.
His regular season performance earned him All-Rookie first-team honors in a loaded class. What fans will remember most from Harper’s rookie year is his postseason performance. It’s not that bold of a take to say the Spurs might not have made it out of the first round of the playoffs if Harper hadn’t stepped up. After Wembanyama went down with a concussion in Game Two against the Blazers, the Spurs found themselves down big in Game Three on the road. Harper responded with a second-half explosion that gave San Antonio the series lead and completely revived the Spurs.
Harper went on to be one of San Antonio’s most reliable players in the playoffs. In fact, he may have been the Spurs’ best player in the NBA Finals. By the end of the series, San Antonio was actively going to Harper in the clutch to get them buckets. At 20 years old, Harper was scoring 20+ points on the biggest stage against the NBA champions. In just one year, Harper established himself as one of the league’s most exciting young players.
Harper’s playoff performance actually raised more questions about his future with the team than it provided answers. Yes, Harper is undeniably a centerpiece for San Antonio moving forward. The question is how long can the team afford to wait to be given the responsibilities that come along with being a core piece? It’s assumed that Harper will play a bench role in his sophomore season, with Fox and Castle still blocking him from a starting spot. Harper has said publicly that he’s fine with that, but there is already growing pressure from media and fans alike to give him more opportunities.
Harper will likely be the Spurs’ sixth man next year, and finish a majority of games. We should see more of the three-guard lineup with Harper, Castle, and Fox that San Antonio didn’t really utilize until it needed the extra scoring pop in the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals. Harper will be their primary option off the bench and likely the third or fourth option in the closing lineup. That is a gradual, and earned step up in responsibilities from his rookie year, and should be a nice stepping stone to an eventual spot in the starting lineup in the years to come.
He still needs to improve in a few key areas if he’s going to get more responsibility. Harper isn’t as strong of a playmaker as Fox or Castle yet. If he’s given the keys to the second unit, it would be great to see him make strides in running the offense and making his teammates better. His three-point shooting started to improve as the season went along, as he shot 48% from three in 26 games after the All-Star break. He also had some big shooting games in the playoffs. He’ll need to continue improving as an off-ball player with all the other scoring options on San Antonio’s roster.
The expectations for Harper next season will be extremely high. He showed extreme promise as a rookie. If the Spurs want to get back to the NBA Finals and this time leave with a trophy, Harper is sure to be a big part of that. No matter what his role ends up being next season, Harper is sure to make an impact. The question remains how big that impact has to become before he forces the Spurs to adapt the team to maximize his potential.
27 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4-5 from three in Round 1, Game 3 @ Portland Trail Blazers
Up next: Keldon Johnson
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Editor's note: Follow along for live rumors, trades and news during MLB's trade deadline day on Monday, Aug. 3.
The Philadelphia Phillies, who have been desperately searching for a right-handed hitting outfielder, instead pivoted and are acquiring the finest left-handed infielder in the game.
The Phillies are trading for three-time batting champion Luis Arraez of the San Francisco Giants and right-reliever Caleb Kilian, a person with direct knowledge of the trade told USA TODAY Sports. The Giants will receive starter Ramon Marquez, the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect and reliever Marty Gair.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity since the trade has yet to be announced until physicals are complete.
Arraez, a three-time All-Star, is hitting .324 this season with four homers, 47 RBI and an .801 OPS. And although he’s left-handed, he still rakes against lefties, hitting .315 with a .341 on-base percentage, .441 slugging percentage and .782 OPS.
Really, he’s exactly the type of hitter the Phillies are looking for: someone who is dramatically different than what they have in place. Instead of slug, he is contact. Instead of home runs, he brings singles. Instead of strikeouts, he gets on base, striking out just 21 times all season.
Arraez will play second base in Philly, and the Phillies are planning on moving Bryson Stott to third base and Bryce Harper to right field.
The Phillies also acquired Mets left-handed reliever Brooks Raley and are still are searching for another veteran starter.
Arraez will be a free agent at the end of the season, unless the Phillies decide to extend his contract. The second baseman is on a one-year deal. He signed for $12 million with the Giants on February 10, 2026.
Arraez turned 29-years-old near the beginning of the 2026 season. He will turn 30 in April 2027.
Arraez is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who's nickname is "La Regadera," which is Spanish for "The Sprinkler."
He made his Major League Baseball debut with the Minnesota Twins on May 18, 2019. He is in his eighth MLB season having previously played for the Twins, Miami Marlins, Padres and Giants.
Arraez became a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger Award-winner and three-time batting champion. He has a career batting average of .318 with 40 home runs and 348 RBIs. His career slugging splits are .363 OBP/.417 SLG/.780 OPS.
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luis Arraez traded to Phillies: Giants send hit machine to Philadelphia
The Montreal Canadiens have plenty of promising prospects in their system.
Among them is Owen Beck, as he has the potential to become a solid two-way center in the NHL.
Beck spent most of last season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, where he recorded 13 goals, 20 assists, 33 points, and a plus-6 rating in 58 games. He also played in a career-high 15 NHL games last season for the Habs, where he posted one goal, 24 hits, and a plus-4 rating.
During the 2024-25 season with Laval, Beck posted 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games. He also recorded an assist in 12 games for Montreal that campaign. Overall, the 2022 second-round pick has shown promise, but he is still looking to take that next step.
With Beck being a smart defensive forward who plays a steady game, there is no question that he is a prospect Canadiens fans should be watching closely next season. The possibility of him taking a step forward with his development is there, and it would be great to see the 22-year-old earn more chances at the NHL level with Montreal in 2026-27.
It is going to be interesting to see what kind of season Beck puts together. It is an important season for the Port Hope, Ontario native.
There were some great moments for Adam Henrique when he was wearing a New Jersey Devils sweater. He scored some big goals in the playoffs, including one that sent them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, and was later a top player on a team in transition.
In 2017, the Devils traded Henrique to the Anaheim Ducks to acquire Sami Vatanen. Since then, Henrique went on to have a solid NHL career in the Western Conference. He followed his time in Anaheim with parts of three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers.
Included in Henrique's tenure with the Oilers included a couple of trips to the Stanley Cup Final. Like his run with the Devils, they fell just short.
Now, he is still a free agent as we enter the late stages of the NHL off-season. At 36, he still has what it takes to contribute to an NHL team, but someone has to be willing to take a chance on him as a depth center who can also play wing.
If a team doesn’t sign Henrique to an NHL contract before the end of August, it may be in his best interest to sign a PTO during camp and try to make whatever team gives him one. Then, he can go out and prove why he still belongs in the NHL.
Henrique isn’t bringing 20+ goals anymore, but he can be a 4th-line forward who wins faceoffs, plays hard, and brings a certain level of experience that would help young players.
The Devils are not a likely fit for Henrique, but there are teams out there, including in the Eastern Conference, that make sense for Henrique.
Visit The Hockey News New Jersey Devils team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
There’s a lot to learn from the Knicks' run to their third championship in franchise history. New York went 16-3 during the playoffs, winning 13 games in a row -- the second-longest postseason winning streak in NBA history.
What made the Knicks’ title win so unique was how unexpected it was after New York finished third in the East with a 53-29 record during the regular season. It was a very good record, but not in the elite tier of teams.
The adjustments the Knicks made, such as featuring Karl-Anthony Towns as a passer, were an example of new habits that could be applied to New York’s 2026-27 regular season.
Let’s analyze three of them...
One major takeaway from the championship run was that the Knicks have figured out how to utilize Towns on offense. With their backs against the wall and down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round, head coach Mike Brown and the club altered the offensive strategy, having Towns operate as a facilitator at the top of the key.
What followed was a revelation. Towns had at least five assists in the next eight games, all wins. Overall, the All-Star center averaged 4.9 assists through 19 total playoff games. He’s never averaged more than 3.6 assists in a season where he’s played more than 60 games.
Towns is a really strong passer, and his ability to shoot the ball forces defenses to extend out, opening up the paint for his teammates. Towns as a playmaker won’t work against every team, though. He only averaged 2.5 assists against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. But it adds another tool to New York’s offensive arsenal.
Coming off a short summer break and an offseason surgery, there’s a chance that the Knicks could rest Jalen Brunson more often to keep him fresh throughout the season. Going through Towns as a playmaker and shot creator could help keep the Knicks' offense afloat in moments when Brunson is either drawing attention or is off the floor.
Defense has always been OG Anunoby’s calling card. But during the championship run, it became clear that the All-Defensive team honoree is a reliable scoring option, as he averaged 20.1 points in the postseason. The offensive explosion came as somewhat of a surprise, as Anunoby has never averaged 20 points per game in a season or in a playoff series.
Anunoby had arguably the biggest play in franchise history on an offensive rebound tip-in -- the shot that helped the Knicks complete a 29-point comeback victory in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. It was an example of the forward’s value to the club.
Anunoby finds ways to score without dominating the ball, making him the perfect complement to New York’s top two options in Brunson and Towns. He’s not a high usage player, and excels mostly as a play-finisher at the rim or on corner threes.
For this season, there’s a good chance Anunoby can continue to emerge as an offensive star in his role. Averaging 20 points a night is very much in play.
Though much of the talk surrounding New York’s playoff run came around Brunson’s shot-making, Towns’ playmaking and the big three-point nights from New York’s role players, the defense was the swing factor. The Knicks had the No. 1 defense in the entire playoffs, giving up 104.5 points per 100 possessions.
In the regular season, New York was ranked seventh in defense, allowing 112.3 points per 100 possessions. In the playoffs, Towns continued to make steady improvements on the defensive end. Opponents weren’t able to expose Brunson’s lack of size as often as in the past. New York’s trio of wings Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart covered a lot of ground and stifled opposing offenses. Reserves Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, and Jose Alvarado were all effective on the defensive end.
New York will miss Robinson and his rim protection, as he departed for the Boston Celtics in free agency. But there are signs the Knicks can compete on the defensive end, even with recent free agent signing Andre Drummond in Robinson's place. When Robinson was off the floor, the Knicks gave up 100.7 points per 100 possessions during the postseason per NBA Stats.
Continued dominance on the defensive end in the regular season could help the Knicks pile up victories and compete for a top spot in the conference.
After a wild offseason, the Sixers’ roster is set… for now.
LeBron James and Jaylen Brown are now Sixers, as are Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ariel Hukporti. So, where does that leave the Sixers financially? How close are they to the first apron?
We’re partnering with SalarySwish to use their data and help answer every question you have about the Sixers’ financial situation.
We’ll make updates here as the season rolls along, so bookmark this page to keep up on the latest changes moving forward.
Here’s a table with all of the Sixers’ salary information, courtesy of our friends at SalarySwish:
That’s a lot of information to sift through, so let’s dive into a few key notes.
The Sixers are hard-capped at the first apron for almost every reason that a team can hard-cap itself at the first apron.
They used the split the non-taxpayer mid-level exception between Wade and Simons, which triggers a first-apron hard cap. They also used part of the bi-annual exception on Hukporti, which also triggers a first-apron hard cap. And they took back more salary than they sent out in the Paul George-for-Jaylen Brown trade, which also triggers a first-apron hard cap. They just need to acquire someone via sign-and-trade and sign a buyout player who was previously earning more than the non-taxpayer MLE to hit for the first-apron hard-cap cycle.
This year, the first apron is set at $209,015,000. The Sixers are roughly $1.8 million below that threshold right now.
A one-year, veteran-minimum contract for someone with two or more years of NBA experience has a cap hit of nearly $2.45 million. The Sixers do not have enough space under their first-apron hard cap to sign anyone to that type of a deal this offseason unless they shed about $650,000 in salary first.
The minimum salary for someone with one year of NBA experience is nearly $2.2 million, so they can’t even fit that under the first apron. They could sign an undrafted free agent to a one-year minimum contract, which would carry a cap hit of nearly $1.4 million, but that would leave them less than $500,000 below the first apron and would give them virtually zero flexibility at the trade deadline.
Veteran-minimum contracts begin to prorate daily once the regular season begins. We don’t know the exact amount yet, but they should decline by roughly $14,000 each day. According to Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron, Dec. 4 is the earliest that they’ll be able to fill that roster spot if they don’t give it to an undrafted free agent. However, Gozlan expects them to “keep it open to maintain flexibility through the trade deadline.”
Luckily, new team president Mike Gansey didn’t just clean up when it came to standard roster spots this offseason. He also landed Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert on two-way deals, both of whom are legitimate NBA players.
Even with a roster spot open heading into the season, depth should not be a major issue for the Sixers this year.
Everyone’s favorite subject!
The Sixers are roughly $6.75 million over the $200.4 million luxury-tax line at the moment. The good news for Josh Harris and Co. is that the current collective bargaining agreement made it far less punitive for teams to go slightly into the tax.
Under the previous CBA, teams owed $1.50 for every dollar they went over the tax line for the first $5 million, and the rates quickly increased from there. Under the current CBA, teams owe only $1 in tax per dollar that they’re over the tax line for the first $6.06 million, and only $1.25 per dollar for the next $6.06 million.
As a result, the Sixers are only projected to owe $6.9 million in luxury tax at the moment. That will increase if/when they fill their 15th roster spot, but not significantly.
That’s effectively a rounding error to Harris and Co. If they try to swing another tax dump at the trade deadline with LeBron James on their roster, the righteous fury that was unleashed upon them for the Jared McCain trade last year will look like a toddler’s temper tantrum compared to the maelstrom they’ll face this year.
After trading their unprotected 2031 first-round pick and either a 2028 pick or a swap to the Celtics for Brown, the Sixers can only trade these first-rounders or swaps:
The Stepien Rule, which prohibits teams from going back-to-back drafts without a first-round pick, limits what other picks they can trade. Since they owe their 2031 first-rounder to Boston, they can’t trade their 2030 or 2032 picks outright unless they acquire another pick from another team in either of those years.
The Sixers have also already traded away their own 2028 pick either to the Celtics or Brooklyn Nets. They previously had the rights to the Los Angeles Clippers’ fully unprotected 2028 first-round pick, but that is likely headed to Boston as well as part of the Brown trade. As a result, they can’t trade a 2027 or 2029 first-rounder until it’s confirmed that they do have a first-round pick in 2028.
Additionally, the Sixers can currently trade the following second-round draft picks:
They can’t trade their 2028 second-round pick for now because it’s tied up conditionally in the first-round pick that they owe to the Nets or Celtics. Memphis also has second-round swap rights with the Sixers in 2032.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 59 days until the home opener at Nationwide Arena. Today, we talk about Yegor Chinakhov and the drama that surrounded him.
Yegor Chinakhov was drafted in October 2020 and selected #21 overall. It was a headscratcher to experts, and the silence was deafening. They had no clue who he was.
Chinakhov had only played junior hockey in Russia before being drafted, and he would make his KHL debut during the 2020-21 season for Avangard Omsk. In his first pro season in the KHL, he scored 10 goals and had 17 points. Chinakhov played so well that he was elevated to Avangard Omsk's top line. After one season in the KHL, Chinakhov was signed to a three-year NHL ELC in May of 2021.
Chinakhov then came to North America to start his pro career later in 2021. He would play in 62 games for the Blue Jackets in his rookie year, scoring seven goals and totaling 14 points. Under ex-coach John Tortorella, he averaged 12:30 of ice time and chipped in a single power-play goal. He played one game for the Cleveland Monsters, scoring one goal.
A high-ankle sprain derailed Chinakhov's 2022-23 season. He played in 30 NHL games, scored 4 goals, and totaled 13 points. After he came back from injury, he was sent down to Cleveland, where he played seven games and tallied eight points. He was again struck by the injury bug while playing for Cleveland.
In April of 2023, Chinakhov was signed to a one-year contract extension for an AAV of 800k. He was still waiver-exempt, so he spent some time in Cleveland that season, playing in three games and scoring 3 goals while rehabbing an injury.
In the 23-24 season, Yegor Chinakhov broke out. While playing in 53 games, he set career highs in goals, assists, and points. He scored 16 goals and had 29 points while averaging 15:10 of ice time. He also shot 14.5%, which was up by 5% from the previous year.
Unfortunately, he dealt with some injuries last season. He missed the first few weeks of the season, making his CBJ debut on November 4th. He also missed the final month of the season with an upper-body injury.
Later in 2023, there were rumors that he was "unhappy" in Columbus and may want out. His agent, Shumi Babaev, told THN Columbus that "At the moment, there are no conversations about a trade on our part. He likes Columbus, both the team and the city." He went on to tell us that "We are in touch with the General Manager (Jarmo); the only thing Yegor wants is to have more ice time, feel the coach's trust, and help the team win more games. He's very happy after yesterday's game. Felt great on the new line."
When he was drafted, the Jackets needed a shoot-first winger who could score goals. They had two in the form of Kirill Marchenko and Chinakhov. Until they didn't.
Don Waddell got his new contract taken care of almost right away after coming to Columbus, signing him to a 2-year, $4,200,000 contract on June 21st, 2024. About a week before his re-signing, his agent told THN Columbus that the two sides weren't really close on a new deal. A week later, the deal was made.
Chinakhov only played in 30 games in 24-25, scoring 7 goals and totaling 15 points. He attempted to come back later in the season, but was benched when he just didn't look right to Dean Evason.
Fast forward to the 25-26 off-season, and Yegor Chinakhov was embroiled in a bit of drama again. Chinakhov said through his agent on X, "I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here."
He went on to say, "The most interesting thing is that at the end of the year, even at a meeting, everyone was called, but there were no questions for me. I mostly talked to the assistants because the head coach said, 'The assistants will explain everything to you.' But they don’t explain anything."
His agent reiterated a wish for a trade in an interview where he said, "I hope that the club has heard Yegor and will try to find a trade before the championship starts. Let's hope that he will start the season on another team."
Both he and defenseman Jordan Harris raised concerns about a lack of communication between players and the coaching staff.
Don Waddell had since come out and said that he and Chinakhov's agent would talk, and if something came along that satisfied Waddell in terms of a trade, he would consider it.
Chinkhov started last season in Columbus, but played only 29 games and totaled 6 points. He was finally traded to Pittsburgh by Columbus for Danton Heinen, a 2nd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and a 3rd-round pick in 2027 on December 29, 2025.
Of course, in typical NHL fashion, when a player is traded, they get rejuvenated. After this trade, he played in 43 games, scored 18 goals, and totaled 36 points.
In the playoffs however, he disappeared, scoring zero points in six games.
Many fans around Columbus wonder if the recent news that Kirill Marchenko wants out of Columbus has anything to do with how the Chinakhov situation went down. We may find out sooner or later, but for now, the "what-ifs" will be asked for years to come, especially if Chinakhov has a second straight career year.
How did you feel about this situation?
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Came across this little note, and since it is August, why not sink into it a little bit? We all know the Penguins are really weak on the left side of their defense, enter a division rival over on Long Island who happen to be stacked at the position to at least make a fun thought for a summer day.
Winning the lottery and getting the first overall pick in 2025 Matthew Schaefer has upended the Islanders’ blueline. Schaefer joins Adam Pelech and Alex Romanov on the left side of their depth chart, NYI has Ryan Pulock, Tony DeAngelo and Scott Mayfield on the right.
That leaves no space for Isaiah George, 22, who is on the last year of his entry level contract and still can be sent to the AHL without waivers. His best use might be hedging against injury and adding to depth but more than ever young players get antsy about opportunity. George played 33 NHL games in 2024-25, down to just four in 2025-26. He’s already spent parts of the last two years in the AHL.
These days, the once nearly dead practice of interdivision trading is back in a big way. Within the last year, the Pens have picked up Hendrix Lapierre from Washington, Egor Chinakhov from Columbus and sent Philip Tomasino to Philadelphia. It hasn’t been too long since the Pens sent Cody Glass to New Jersey, Anthony Beauvillier to the Caps or even Reilly Smith to the Rangers. Some of these trades have been important, others not so much but it stands to give evidence that more than ever teams are willing to work with even their closest opponents if the best deal available comes from a rival. That said, there hasn’t been a Pittsburgh/NYI trade since Bill Guerin was acquired back in 2009, so that’s been an area where the two teams don’t end up completing trades between each other in the recent past.
How to find a way to make a deal satisfying for NYI could be a hurdle. The Islanders have little cap space and haven’t made many moves this off-season. One area that stands out is their levels of 20-24 year old forward talent is pretty much non-existent besides top youngster Calum Ritchie. In a need-for-need area, players like Tristan Broz, Rutger McGroarty or Ville Koivunen would fill some holes within the NYI organization for young talent.
Whether or not they’d be interested in giving up George or see the value in anything that Pittsburgh would give up is obviously a huge assumptive leap in logic, and could be a reason nothing comes to pass going down this path. It’s surely not 10/10 obvious that both sides have a ton of motivation and clear match, though there’s enough around lining up to make a scenario plausible.
As mentioned, there are often injuries that could make George a very valuable player to retain for the near future from the opposite perspective. There’s not even dots to connect at this point, but the Pens want young talent and they badly need some NHL level players for the blueline. George isn’t a sure thing just yet, though he fits the mold of the type of player that Pittsburgh has brought in recently for players in their mid-20’s that don’t have a clear path to a big role prior to their acquisition. That might not mean he’ll be available for a trade this off-season, but depending on how the situation develops shortly it could present an opportunity to fit a common roster-building strategy deployed in Pittsburgh if anything changes.
We’re a little more than two months away from Phoenix Suns preseason basketball, which tips off on October 5 in Detroit against the Pistons. Damn, that feels like a long time. I guess that’s because it has been. Sometimes I forget how long the offseason really is. During the season, it feels like the schedule never ends. Then suddenly you hit July and August, and the wait feels endless.
As I formulate my expectations for what this team is going to be next season, study the depth chart, and try to understand how all the pieces fit together, there’s one player I consistently overlook. Ryan Dunn.
Two offseasons ago, when the Phoenix Suns drafted him out of Virginia, there was a real level of excitement. Part of that was because he was the first player the Suns actually drafted and kept since Jalen Smith in 2020.
When Ryan Dunn arrived, there was hope that he would be the beginning of the Suns’ next youth movement. We understood his limitations as a shooter and hoped that part of his game would develop over time. In some ways, it has. The one thing Ryan Dunn possesses that you can’t teach is his defensive instincts. He has a natural feel on that end of the floor, and those instincts consistently show up.
The challenge is that the statistical production, combined with the eye test, has been inconsistent through his first two seasons. Last year, he actually played more minutes than he did as a rookie, yet averaged 1.1 fewer points per game, finishing at 5.8 points while shooting 45/33/49. That’s what many of us feared when the Suns drafted him. That the shooting would never come. So far, it hasn’t.
The concern was that he’d become a one dimensional player, and through two NBA seasons, that’s largely been the case. When a player can’t shoot 50% from the free throw line, your mind immediately goes to Shaquille O’Neal. Dunn ranked in the 0%-tile in free throw percentage last season.
As I look ahead and try to project what he’ll be next season, it’s difficult to find a clear path. The addition of Miles Bridges means Dillon Brooks is likely sliding back to the three. The Suns also drafted Koa Peat, who brings intriguing offensive upside along with the kind of physicality and size the roster previously lacked.
Then there’s the power forward spot. According to Cleaning the Glass, Dunn spent 51% of his minutes there last season. The results weren’t encouraging. He posted a minus-8.1 net rating at the position, ranking in the 20%-tile. Because of that, I don’t think Dunn should be the backup power forward. Rasheer Fleming has already shown he can fill that role effectively as a three and D player. At this point, that’s something Dunn simply hasn’t proven he can be.
The advantage of having Ryan Dunn on the roster is that you have a defensive player you can throw into a game to disrupt an opposing offense. That role has value. But for someone entering his third season and trying to establish himself in the NBA, that’s probably not the role he envisioned for himself, nor the one we hoped he’d have by this point in his career. The hope was that he would develop into a consistent rotational player, not a situational defensive specialist or an injury replacement.
That’s my concern for Dunn this season. I’m worried he won’t develop because he won’t get the opportunity to. He’s 24 years old, and he is no longer standing in one foot of water when it comes to competition at his position. The water has risen, and it’s becoming harder to swim. If it keeps rising, you might drown.
Factor in that the Phoenix Suns have potential extensions looming for both Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks, and Ryan Dunn’s situation becomes even more interesting. Dunn is set to count roughly $5 million against next year’s cap, but the Suns hold a team option. That means a decision is coming. This season will be his proving ground. The question is, how much of a proving ground will he actually get? That’s the Ryan Dunn conundrum.
Ryan Dunn’s future may depend less on whether he’s capable and more on whether the opportunity ever materializes. The Suns are deeper, more balanced, and far more competitive at his positions than they were a year ago. That’s good news for Phoenix. It may not be good news for Dunn. Third seasons are supposed to provide clarity. For him, this one feels like it will determine whether he’s part of the Suns’ long-term plans or simply caught in the numbers game of a roster that’s moved ahead without him.
Almost every team in the NBA truly believes it has a chance to win with the right offseason moves right now. The days of Steph Curry vs. LeBron James teams in the NBA Finals every year are long gone, and they’ve been replaced by an unprecedented era of parity that has resulted in eight different champions the last eight years. Add in the NBA’s new anti-tanking rules, and this is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory. Putting together preseason power rankings is really hard right now.
This has been a wild summer of offseason activity. Giannis Antetokounmpo is now on the Miami Heat, LaMelo Ball is on the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jaylen Brown and LeBron James are on the Philadelphia 76ers, and Kawhi Leonard is maybe, possibly going back to the Toronto Raptors. That’s just the start of it.
With the summer movement slowing down for now, it’s time to start previewing the 2026-27 season. Here are the teams that should be better than last year as they head into the new season.
The Sixers won 45 games last year to earn the No. 7 seed in the East, and were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round after upsetting the Boston Celtics in round one. The expectations are going to be way, way higher for Philly this season after a brilliant summer that saw the team trade for Jaylen Brown and land LeBron James as a free agent. I’m a bit skeptical that the Sixers are going to be a great regular season team, but there’s no doubt they have an extremely high playoff ceiling if a few things go right. That of course begins with Joel Embiid and James both being healthy at the right time, which is always a big if. The defense will be a question mark, and I’m not sure how Brown will adjust to a lower-usage role where he might be the fourth option on some nights. It almost doesn’t even matter what seed Philly gets this year. If this team can get to the playoffs in one piece, I like how they could match up with just about anyone in the East, including the New York Knicks. The Sixers haven’t even reached the conference finals since 2001. That needs to change this year with arguably the league’s best starting five. There are plenty of swing factors for this team to reach its true potential, but with LeBron’s leadership and a ton of offensive firepower, they will have a good chance to get there.
This one is obvious. The Pacers reached the 2025 NBA Finals only to see superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton tear his Achilles in Game 7. Haliburton missed all of last season, and Indiana only won 19 games. Now he’s back and already doing between-the-legs dunks, giving the Pacers hope that they can regain their spot at the top of the East. Indiana made a bold trade for Ivica Zubac at the deadline last season, which ended up costing them the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. For as much pain as the lottery caused, Zubac is an excellent defensive center who fits this team to a tee. The rest of the supporting cast from the 2025 Finals run is still in place, with Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith rounding out the lineup around Haliburton. The East feels so much better right now than it did the last time Haliburton was healthy, but he’s proven to have such a big impact on winning that you can’t count out Indiana developing into a contender yet again.
The Heat have been in the play-in tournament four years in a row, and last season was the first time they failed to make it out, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Miami needed a big swing this summer, and they landed the best player available on the market by trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis joins Bam Adebayo for what should be the NBA’s best frontcourt, but the rest of the roster has plenty of questions. Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell should be starters, and maybe Tim Hardaway Jr. fills the fifth starter spot. The bench looks like a major problem, but it’s important to remember that the Heat are better than anyone at developing diamonds in the rough. Pelle Larsson and Dru Smith could both take a real leap playing off Giannis, and knowing Miami, Myron Gardner and Ryan Conwell will be solid rotation pieces come playoff time, too. Last season, the Heat won 43 games and were the No. 10 seed heading into the postseason. They should clear that easily this year as long as Giannis’ body doesn’t fall apart.
Are the Raptors actually getting Kawhi Leonard this summer? The trade was announced on June 30th only to be held up 10 days later because the NBA’s ongoing investigation into the Clippers’ cap circumvention. It’s absolutely ridiculous that the law firm hired to do the investigation hasn’t finished its work yet, and it leaves both Toronto and the Clippers in an extremely tough position for the rest of the offseason. I tend to believe Kawhi will still end up in Toronto, and if that happens, I really like their playoff ceiling. The Raptors have two great young pillars in place with Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, and Leonard was essentially playing at a top-5 level in the league last year with LA. That’s the formula for a better team than last year, when the Raptors won 46 games before getting knocked out in the first round in Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Kawhi, I can honestly see Toronto winning the East if everything breaks right — which starts with Leonard staying healthy, and includes bounce-back seasons from Jakob Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley. The Raptors’ 2019 season proved all things are possible through Kawhi. They just need to hope they get him.
The Grizzlies were decimated by injuries last season, then tanked hard to give themselves a chance at finding a future franchise player in the draft. Memphis got the luck it needed by moving up to the No. 3 pick, and landing the best player in the class in Cameron Boozer. Boozer will be the youngest player in the NBA this season, but he’s so good that I expect him to immediately be a top-100 player at minimum. With Boozer driving the offense with his brilliant passing, bully-ball scoring, and sweet three-point stroke, the Grizzlies have the potential to push for a play-in spot in the West if everything goes right. I love the pairing of Boozer and Zach Edey in the frontcourt if Edey can finally stay healthy. He’s a punishing interior scorer and a monster offensive rebounder who can also help fix some of Boozer’s rim protection issues. Add in a solid collection of guards led by Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Cam Spencer, plus a potential leap from Cedric Coward in year two, and I think the Grizzlies are going to surprise a lot of people this year before eventually developing into one of the West’s better teams in due time.
The Wizards finally got the lottery luck they needed after years of tanking. Washington landed A.J. Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick, and now it’s time to start winning. Washington traded for Anthony Davis and Trae Young midway through last season to help complement a young core that already includes Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, and Will Riley. The Wizards handed out a ridiculously bad max extension to Young already, and Davis might be next, but for the point of this exercise both players will help Washington improve this season. It would honestly be hard to get any worse after only winning 17 games last year. I wonder how Dybantsa and Young will mesh since neither plays well off the ball, and Davis’ health is always a major concern. Either way, the Wizards will have a good chance to double their win total and push for a play-in berth this season.
Brooklyn is projected to be the worst team in the NBA heading into the season with an over/under win total of 21.5. I’m pounding the over as long as they don’t trade Michael Porter Jr. before the end of the summer. Jordi Fernandez is one of the best head coaches in the league, and he got Porter playing the best ball of his career last season. The Nets picked up Julius Randle for free this summer, and he’s still a solid player even if he’s no longer an All-NBA caliber talent. I also think losing Nic Claxton will be addition by subtraction, because backup Day’Ron Sharpe, who now moves into a starting role, has been a better player the last couple years. I’m also loving what I saw out of Egor Demin at summer league. The Nets might not be actually good, but they’re going to clear last season’s 20 wins with ease.
As you know, Brew Hoop, like our beloved Milwaukee Bucks, is in a state of flux.
Stalwart managing editor Van Fayaz has bid his farewell and Jack and I are grateful—and excited—to have assumed stewardship. Believe me when I say this: we live Bucks basketball. And we love this community.
Of course, while we—not just Jack and I, but Jackson and Finn and Deolu too (and perhaps even you)—remain committed to covering all things Bucks, we don’t want to rest on our laurels either. So, like Jon Horst and Taylor Jenkins do with the Bucks, we too have to search for ways to make Brew Hoop even better.
What we don’t want is change for the sake of change. Change can be hard and uncomfortable and all sorts of awkward—just think back to your adolescence (and for those of you in your adolescence, it will pass; just embrace it). But it can also be beautiful and inspiring and revitalising.
This is where you come in.
For us to even dare tinker with the proven product that is Brew Hoop, we need to hear from the people who make this community what it is: the readership. So, we’re after your thoughts. And ideas. And questions. What you love and what you hate. The must-keeps and the “Wouldn’t it just be better ifs…”
All of it.
At its core, this is the sincerest of invitations for you to tell us what you want.
But before you do, a reminder. Whether you’re here every day or only drop in after games, here’s what you’ll find at Brew Hoop:
Which of these do you enjoy most? What type of coverage would you like to see more of? What tweaks would make these that bit better? And what are we missing?
If nothing, that’s great too. Either way, pull up a chair, come talk to us.
Here are your links for today:
“The Devils went from having very few borderline NHLers on their AHL roster to having them strewn throughout the lineup. It’s a great problem to have – at some point or another, the Devils will need to call on them. Putrid fourth-line play cost them a few games in 2025-26, but it now seems as though that is an issue of the past.” [Infernal Access]
Brett Pesce on Sunny Mehta: “Yeah, [Sunny] has been awesome. I had a conversation with him at the end of the year, loved what he had to say, what he did this offseason. So far, so good. He’s a really smart guy and looking forward to getting to know him better.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
Tommy Novak gets a three-year deal:
And Collin Graf does too:
Looking ahead, who are some guys who could actually hit free agency next year? [Sportsnet]
NHL Network producers and analysts unveil their list of their top 20 wings in the NHL right now: [NHL.com]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.