When asked about the search for a replacement for Jason Kidd, new Dallas Mavericks team president Masai Ujiri made a comment that should scare Florida and Michigan basketball executives.

Before the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers squared off in a wild Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals inside Madison Square Garden, the Mavericks shocked the basketball world when reports surfaced that they had fired their head coach after five seasons.

While the 53-year-old has suffered consecutive losing seasons, he was blindsided by the Luka Doncic trade two years ago and has had to deal with major injuries to his top veterans over the past two seasons. Additionally, Kidd signed a new multi-year extension that will pay him $40 million over the next four years after leading Dallas to the NBA Finals two years ago.

However, according to a report from NBA insider Marc Stein, Ujiri wanted a “clean slate” after taking over the top executive position a few weeks ago.

Now, speculation has emerged about who new team president and general manager, Mike Schmitz, will be their next head coach. On Wednesday, Ujiri gave an interesting answer to that question when asked by a member of the Dallas media.

“It’s an open search … we have a very open mind,” Ujiri said. “We’re going to look everywhere. Try everything possible, and we’ll really see what’s best for this organization. First-time, veteran, college, European, everywhere. Whatever is best for this organization going forward.”

Could the Mavericks target Dusty Mays or Todd Golden?

The assumption may be that Ujiri would prefer an experienced NBA head coach or top assistant in the league. However, he’s apparently open to all options, and that could include Florida’s Todd Golden and Michigan’s Dusty May.

Is there a possibility of going to the NBA? No, but it should not be dismissed. Especially when both have national championships in their resumes. What else is left to prove?

Dallas will do well with Ujiri in charge. Which means stability. The Mavericks also boast the future face of the NBA in Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. If May and Golden had to leave cushy jobs in college, they would both be attractive to them.

Both are well paid in their current jobs. Will Dallas match that number? Perhaps. Firing Kidd with so much money remaining on his contract shows that Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont isn’t afraid to spend big to make the changes he wants at Ujiri. If they feel May or Golden are the right options, Dumont will likely spend big money again to land them.

While Mays or Golden are unlikely to leave for the Mavericks, Ujiri’s comments should give Michigan and Florida fans a little concern until the new college basketball preseason begins.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

A new report sheds light on some coaches the Dallas Mavericks could soon target to replace former head coach Jason Kidd.

Before the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers squared off in a wild Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals inside Madison Square Garden, the Mavericks dropped a bomb on the basketball world. And that was the firing of their head coach after five seasons on the job.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Kidd led the team to the NBA Finals two years ago, and has four years and $40 million left on his contract after signing an extension through 2024. The new Mavs head of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, wanted a “clean slate” after taking the job a few weeks ago.

Micah Nouri is among potential targets to become the next Dallas Mavericks coach

The talented executive isn’t rushing into making a move, so he likely has multiple candidates in mind to lead the franchise. Late Tuesday night, Steen offered up a pair of assistants who would likely be on Ujiri’s candidate list.

As Steen noted, both have been linked to various head coaching jobs in recent years and come from two elite teams in the Western Conference. It’s also possible that Ujiri goes after more proven candidates like Billy Donovan, Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau, who have all been linked to the Orlando Magic job in recent days.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

About a month ago today, when Sunny Mehta was introduced as the general manager of the New Jersey Devils, Sheldon Keefe was there and smiling.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to see him stay behind New Jersey’s bench next season.

However, he will not be surrounded by all the same faces. Half of his assistants were either let go or reassigned yesterday, and a search for replacements is underway. More on the latest Devils news in the links.

Elsewhere, Vegas takes a knee, Trevor Zegras speculates extension, more.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: So it seems Sunny Mehta has come to his decision. Sheldon Keefe will remain as head coach of the Devils. However, Mehta went ahead and made more changes around Keefe.

📺 devil’s rink report:Sunny Mehta has a lot to do this summer. One of those things involves addressing the elephant in the room with Dougie Hamilton, as I mentioned in the last clip on the Devils Rink Report.

Here’s what else he needs to do:

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Pittsburgh hockey now: The Pittsburgh Penguins have completed their reclamation projects. Just look at guys like Igor Chinakhov and Anthony Mantha. With that in mind, here are five players that could yield similar rewards for the Penguins to target Kyle Dubas in a trade.

Boston hockey now: Viktor Arvidsson quietly scored 25 goals for the Boston Bruins last season. And for this projected contract extension, he would be worth it. If he makes it into free agency, the Devils should focus on their scoring depth.

Colorado hockey now: Mehta wasn’t the only one making changes yesterday. Adam Foote is not returning behind the Vancouver bench next season. The former Colorado Avalanche defenseman was canned.

Philly hockey now: Trevor Zegras is going to get a raise and oh boy, will he get a raise. Here’s how Will James sees the Philadelphia Flyers moving forward.

Toronto Hockey Now: Do John Chayka’s latest comments suggest the Toronto Maple Leafs are not off trading William Nylander?

Athletic ($): It’s not every day you see the Vegas Golden Knights back down from their stance. Actually, this never happens. That was until Tuesday, when he admitted it was a mistake for him not to make himself available to the media after defeating the Anaheim Ducks in the second round.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

The Chicago Bulls are reportedly considering going after the 2025-26 Coach of the Year contender who is still under contract with the Western Conference playoff team.

After a 31–51 finish and fourth consecutive loss on the season, Billy Donovan decided to step down from his role as head coach of the Bulls. Now, following the installation of a new head of basketball operations in Bryson Graham and his spot at No. 4 in the NBA Draft set, NBA insider Jake Fisher claims the team is expected to “accelerate” the search for Donovan’s replacement.

With the Bulls coming on strong from the start, the team is casting a wide net in its search for its next head coach. Interestingly, this may also include buying and selling of coaches from the West. Fisher reports that Chicago is expected to formally request an interview with Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter.

The seven-year NBA veteran was put in a very difficult situation after taking over as head coach of the Trail Blazers when his predecessor Chauncey Billups was arrested for his role in a federal gambling investigation, one game into the season.

The first-time head coach did an impressive job guiding Portland to their first winning record (42-40) and the playoffs since 2020-21. Additionally, former Washington Wizards lottery pick Deni Avdija went from being a good player to a legitimate All-Star in 2025-26 under Splitter’s watch. The 41-year-old Brazilian deserves a lot of credit for the work he did last season, yet new Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon didn’t appreciate it.

Dundon have been searching for a new coach for several months and are reportedly looking for a new coach at a budget rate. Splitter is still under contract with Portland for one more season. Therefore, unless the Trail Blazers want to release him from his deal, the Bulls will have to trade for the coach’s rights if they want to make him their next head coach.

Still, despite the ongoing search for his replacement, Fisher reports, “Whispers were spreading on Monday [Splitter getting the full-time job] This cannot be denied now.” An NBA insider suggests this may be the reason why Portland declined Chicago’s request for an interview.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

A new rumor suggests the recently fired head coach is the favorite to get a similar start with the Orlando Magic. And the strange thing is that he too was appointed to this job two decades ago.

After blowing a 3–1 lead in their opening-round playoff matchup against the Detroit Pistons, Magic management decided that the team needed a new voice leading their locker room and bench in 2026–27. Still, it won’t be easy to replace former head coach Jamahl Mosley after playing a leading role in building the team into a playoff contender.

The organization has been linked to several experienced coaches to replace Mosley. However, according to NBA insider Jake Fisher, there appears to be a strong contender for the position. “Coaching insiders across the league landscape are operating under the belief that former Bulls coach Billy Donovan has an excellent chance to land the position.”

Fisher said the former Chicago Bulls head coach “has been talking with Magic president Jeff Weltman and will soon have an in-person meeting with the Orlando chief executive”. Donovan resigned from his role with the Bulls last month following a 31-51 finish and a fourth consecutive loss in Chicago. His record as a coach in the NBA is 469-413.

The former Florida Gators coach was hired as head coach of the Magic in 2007, before he reneged on the deal and returned to the Gators. He eventually jumped to the NBA eight years later with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jeff Van Gundy is also a contender for the head coach position of Orlando Magic

While Donovan appears to be a strong contender to become the next head coach of the Magic, it is not a done deal. Another experienced coach with a strong resume who Fisher claims is in the running for the job is former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy.

He left coaching in 2007 and remained a favorite on-air voice for the NBA on ESPN for several years. However, after 16 years, he was let go by the network in 2023. Since then, he has been a consultant for the Boston Celtics and is currently an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he has earned praise.

Van Gundy’s career record as a head coach is 430–318. His peak came when he led the Knicks for seven seasons, leading them to the playoffs six times, including their last trip to the Finals in 1999.

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He was out of work for just two weeks. Former Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley was named the new head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

Mosley spent five years at the helm of the Magic, but earlier this month after the team’s first-round exit for the third consecutive season, Orlando decided to move on from the 47-year-old. The final straw was blowing a commanding 3–1 series lead over the heavily favored Detroit Pistons.

He gets a five-year long contract to take the reins of the Pelicans, who won only 26 games and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Pelicans’ extensive search leads to Mosley as new head coach

Insider Shams Charania reports that top Pelicans executives began talks with Mosley shortly after his firing on May 4. Additionally, he said Pels Executive Vice President Joe Dumars conducted a thorough search with other candidates. He is said to have “spoken” with two assistants with the Milwaukee Bucks, Darwin Hamm and Rajon Rondo, as well as Brooklyn Nets assistant Steve Hetzel. Interim New Orleans coach James Borrego was also being considered.

This is a big decision for the Pelicans. Next, they must decide how to move forward with veterans like Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III. The latter’s name was constantly coming up in rumors as the trade deadline approached. The other two are having trouble staying on the court.

Mosley took over the team in the same situation he faced while working with the 21-win Magic. The franchise felt the team was ready to move on, and Mosley built them a 47-win playoff team in three seasons. But injuries certainly played a big role in preventing the team from taking the next step.

Of course, with Williamson and Murray as the two stars in New Orleans, Mosley may face a similar challenge. Murray has played only 14 and 31 games in The Big Easy over the past two seasons. As everyone well knows, Zion has spent as much time injured as he has on the court in his seven years with the team.

Who will be the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers? J Woodcroft? Craig Berube? Bruce Cassidy? Jessica Campbell?

The Oilers did what everyone expected and fired head coach Chris Knoblauch. Additionally, he relieved Mark Stuart of his coaching duties. Oilers general manager Stan Bowman issued a statement on May 14, making the move official.

“After a thorough review of last season, we believe these changes are needed,” Bowman wrote. “We are grateful for the contributions both Chris and Mark have made to our organization and we wish them all the best moving forward.”

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Bob Stauffer teases profile of Oilers’ new head coach

Now that Knoblauch is out of the way, who will coach the Oilers? Oilers Now host (and team employee) Bob Stauffer offered fans a profile of who will be the Oilers’ new head coach when they eventually announce it.

“I believe the Edmonton Oilers will target an experienced head coach,” Stauffer wrote in a social media post. “With gravitas, who has a history of structure and process in his team’s play… and has won before!”

It’s not surprising that the Oilers management team is potentially leaning in this direction. But who fits the bill?

Craig Berube, Peter Laviolette and Cassidy all fit this profile. Here’s a brief summary of the three best candidates who fit Stauffer’s profile.

craig berube

career coaching record:707 GP, 365-252-90, .580 points percentage

Stanley Cup: 1

Teams trained: Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs.

Other: 10 years of head coaching experience.

Most recently, Berube served as the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, a terrible regular season that ended with them winning the draft lottery brought an end to his tenure.

peter laviolette

career coaching record: 1594 GP, 846-562-161, .589 points percentage

Stanley Cup: 1

Teams trained: New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers.

Other: 23 years of head coaching experience.

Laviolette most recently coached the New York Rangers. However, his most recent success came when he coached the Predators to the Western Conference championship in the 2016–17 season. Also, he doesn’t bring the same gravitas as Cassidy and Berube.

bruce cassidy

Career Coaching Record: 829 GP, 470-254-96, .630 points percentage

Stanley Cup: 1

Teams trained: Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights.

Other: Jack Adams Trophy winner (2019-20) and 12 years of head coaching experience.

Cassidy is considered the favorite for this post. He also fits the bill in terms of the system, the process and the championship pedigree.

With the head coaching position officially vacant, more should emerge about potential candidates who may be interested.

Tik Tok.

Caleb Kearney is a freelance journalist and writer who covers the Edmonton Oilers for SportsNut. Caleb Kearney Read More About Caleb Kearney

The Edmonton Oilers’ best-kept secret is now out.

Earlier this morning, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug announced the news on the social media platform X.

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“The Oilers have relieved Chris Knoblauch of his coaching duties,” Rishaug wrote. This comes just days after rumors surfaced about the Oilers’ interest in speaking with former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy.

This also comes about eight hours after the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast shared some insights in its report.

“We’re hearing tonight that the Edmonton Oilers and Chris Knoblauch are working toward mutual parting ways,” the post said. “An official announcement by the organization is expected soon. It is our understanding that some players are upset with how this leaked to the public and how it was handled by the management staff. Chris is well liked and respected by the players.”

“The Oilers are also working toward interviewing Bruce Cassidy this week, with Bruce being the leading candidate for the new head coaching position. There are a lot of moving parts here.”

Cassidy has been linked to both the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.

There’s more to come, as this is a developing story.

Caleb Kearney is a freelance journalist and writer who covers the Edmonton Oilers for SportsNut. Caleb Kearney Read More About Caleb Kearney

New Toronto Maple Leafs hockey executives John Chayka and Mats Sundin spoke for several hours with head coach Craig Berube last weekend. And coming out of this, all signs point to Berube staying on as Leafs coach, at least for a while. But on Wednesday morning, the team fired the head coach after a two-year run.

It is safe to say that the Chicago Bears made the right decision last season in hiring Ben Johnson as head coach and former head coach Dennis Allen as their defensive coordinator. That coaching duo led a sharp turnaround, resulting in an 11–6 record and Chicago’s first playoff win since 2010.

Now the Bears’ brand-new coaching structure is moving into Year 2 together, and this time, they have an even better handle on things. Whether it’s covering up weaknesses or making short-term improvements, the Bears still have room for growth.

One of those areas involves the pass-rusher position, where Chicago ranked near the bottom with 35 total sacks last season. As the offseason progresses, some Bears rumors have led the team to sign free agent and potential future Hall of Famer Cameron Jordan, who remains unsigned after spending the first 15 years of his career with the New Orleans Saints.

It helps that Allen coached Jordan for the first 10 seasons of his career in New Orleans. Could their relationship set the wheels in motion for a reunion in the Windy City?

Coach Allen was recently asked about the possibility of the Bears signing Jordan as a free agent. But he made it seem like the Bears coaching staff hasn’t spent much time thinking about adding the 37-year-old to their roster any time soon.

“I don’t know that there’s been much discussion about it.” [signing him]. “We feel very good about where we are and what we have,” Allen said. “Yet you never know what opportunities may arise down the road.”

While Jordan is not someone who can make a long-term impact on the field of play, he still recorded 10.5 sacks as a member of the Saints last season. This suggests he will be able to help make an impact in Chicago this season, especially since he is already very familiar with the Bears’ defensive coordinator.

RELATED: 2026 NFL QB rankings: From the NFL’s worst starting QBs to the best

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

Raider Nation is angry again as an unnamed ACC coach told ESPN this week that Fernando Mendoza doesn’t have “NFL qualities.” His receivers made him look much better than that. The back-shoulder thing won’t work in the league. Those throws get picked up in the NFL.

Before you get all upset and take it to the “national media” and take aim at the Raiders again, step back and think a little differently. This time, the media is doing the Raiders, Fernando Mendoza, and their fan base a favor.

Mendoza Criticizes 2025 Nothing Like Shedure Sanders Takedown

Read the anonymous quote a few times. Now ask yourself if this sounds familiar.

Necessary. Almost a year ago, anonymous sources spent the better part of three weeks publicly dismantling Shedure Sanders. Both situations are being framed as parallel cases of pre-draft and post-draft doubt. They are not the same. They’re not even close.

Watching the coverage of Shedure Sanders last season, it was a completely different animal. That effort, fairly or unfairly, was a constant drain on Sanders’ draft stock. Tom Pelissero reported that a longtime NFL assistant coach gave Sanders the worst formal interview of his career, said he behaved appropriately, and said he took unnecessary sacks, among other things. An AFC executive said that Sanders wanted to command the room. An NFC scouting director warned of culture shock upon hitting the real locker room. One scout told Athlon Sports he mailed it every step of the process. A former NFL evaluator went on record with a 26-game film study and an unattainable grade.

Sanders then fell to take 144. Which retroactively validated every anonymous shot taken at him.

This is what a real eviction looks like. multiple sources. Multiple angles. The football, the character, the preparation, the medicals, the whole circus. The criticism was of the story.

Criticism of Fernando Mendoza is an outlier

During the draft process, some people were skeptical of Fernando Mendoza and his ability to translate what he did at Indiana in 2025 to the next level. Don Orlowski’s criticism and critique was perhaps the most publicized example of this type.

This time, ESPN reports, only one coach took aim at Mendoza. a coach. A coach who last saw Mendoza at Cal in 2024, before his signature year and his incredible run to the College Football National Championship. This coach saw him First 41 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025. They saw him before he became the runaway Heisman Trophy winner. Before he became that guy, four other coaches told the same ESPN reporter that he was either “one of the more complete quarterback prospects” they had seen or someone who “grows up” in those moments that you can’t teach.

Please read the coverage of the ACC coach’s quote and see how it is handled. Bleacher Report ran it ahead of the Big Ten coaches’ praise. Clutch Points called the criticism “a bit unfair”. Hoosier State of Mind kept the word “somehow” in the title. Just Blog Baby went with “completely ridiculous and not supported by its peers”. Comeback speculated that Kirk Cousins ​​might have “some credibility” before heading to the safety net.

No one is treating this as a Sanders moment. Outlets are running the quote so they can include it in the same article.

RELATED: Raiders rookie minicamp 2026: Fernando Mendoza already looks like a boy

Mendoza consensus is much more positive

That’s why the national media, coaches, former players and evaluators talk more positively than negatively about the Raiders’ new franchise quarterback. The wealth of evidence is there. If Fernando Mendoza had serious question marks like Sanders, you’d be hearing it everywhere, but he doesn’t. Mendoza was first in FBS in EPA per dropback last season, second in EPA per dropback on third and fourth downs. Ranked fourth in EPA when tied or trailing in the fourth quarter. He is just a clutch player and the visual evidence is overwhelming.

Mendoza played hurt against Ohio State, came back and won the Big Ten title. He scored the game-winning touchdown in the national championship game. ESPN’s draft scouting report, written by a former college quarterback, identified pocket movement as his real weakness. No back-shoulder throw.

This coward of an ACC coach, who last saw Mendoza at Cal, has some kind of ax to grind. This is clear. He is criticizing a player who no longer exists. 2025 Mendoza completed passes at a different clip, threw to a different level of receivers, ran a different offense, and was asked to do different things. Treating those two players as the same prospect is the analytical equivalent of evaluating a stock based on last year’s performance.

On the bus: #attacker First-round quarterback Fernando Mendoza is training and throwing to Ohio State superstar WR Jeremiah Smith.

They are both Miami natives and potentially top-2 #nfl Draft picks back-to-back.

Future teammates in Las Vegas.

👀 pic.twitter.com/KDQ1a0Am2t

– mlfootball (@mlfootball) 7 May 2026

That doesn’t mean Mendoza is bulletproof or has proven himself in the NFL yet. In fact, he said as much at last week’s rookie minicamp. He knows he has to earn respect and admiration in the NFL by being the best quarterback he can be. Given his conduct, intelligence and track record, how can you doubt him?

As I’ve said before in this area, the Raiders need to develop a young quarterback. It remains to be seen whether this season’s impressive offseason moves and draft performance mean the organization is finally on the right track. The Raiders have unfortunately underperformed with talented players in the past. Inheriting the league’s worst offense by 2025 has a rookie quarterback to do the job, no matter what the consensus board said in April. But framing matters here. An opponent’s old decision is not a referendum.

Sanders had institutional doubts. Mendoza is a man with a chip on his shoulder.

If anything, this ACC coach trying to start a fire proved just how little fuel is needed.

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Spanish coach Jose Bordalas ‘hopes to receive a good offer outside Spain’ after deciding to leave Getafe this summer. And there may be a lot of interest in this crystal Palace.

Marca’s report on the Getafe coach And says his departure from the club is now ‘reality’. According to him, he has turned down several renewal offers and will now be departing in the summer.

strained relationships

The newspaper reports that Jose Bordalas has made it clear to the Spanish club that he cannot continue with them in the current circumstances.

The club has been burdened with financial problems for years. This season has been similar, with several key players being sold or loaned out to balance the books. One of these, Chrysantas Uche, has spent the season sitting on the bench at Crystal Palace.

His frustration with this situation increased throughout the campaign. He has also expressed this frustration in press conferences, which has caused his professional relationship with President Angel Torres to deteriorate.

Despite a contract offer being on the table since last summer, he now intends to leave. Due to this it will have to be renewed till 2028. Instead, he’s looking at offers elsewhere.

Indeed, Marca reports that Bordalas has recently changed agents to YouFirst. According to him, ‘he is hopeful of getting a good offer from outside SPAN.’

Crystal Palace Interest

There should be interest from Crystal Palace, who have been consistently reported to be linked this year.

A report in December Jose Bordalas was reported to be the leading candidate to replace Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace this summer.

Those claims continued to rise that monthThe Getafe president tried his best to shoot him down. However, by January, Jose Bordalas was keeping things alive Clear message in his press conference.

He is now set to become a free agent, and Crystal Palace have not yet announced a replacement for Oliver Glasner. We suggest that this may be a case of the stars being so well aligned that it cannot be completely ignored.

The Washington Capitals have announced they are parting ways with assistant coach Kirk Mueller. Müller’s contract was due to expire in June.

On Monday morning, Capitals general manager Chris Patrick released a statement regarding Mueller. The assistant coach wants to pursue “other opportunities in the National Hockey League.”

“Kirk has expressed his desire to explore other opportunities within the National Hockey League and we respect and support his decision,” Patrick said. “We thank Kirk for his dedication, professionalism and numerous contributions he has made during his three years with our organization. He is an experienced and highly respected coach whose work ethic, leadership and commitment to player development have made a meaningful impact on our team both on and off the ice. We wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of his career.”

Muller joined head coach Spencer Carberry’s staff in June 2023. He was brought in to work with the Capitals’ forwards and run the power play.

Last season, the Capitals’ power play struggled and ranked eighth-worst in the NHL at 17.8 percent. The team missed the playoffs for the first time under Carberry due to inconsistency on the man advantage.

In Mueller’s three-year tenure, the Capitals’ power play operated at 20.6 percent and near the middle league-wide.

Muller’s NHL coaching tenure began in 2006–07 with the Montreal Canadiens. He briefly served as head coach for both Montreal and the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Capitals will be looking to fill another coaching staff void this summer. It already looks to be a busy offseason for the team in general.

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Ime Udoka’s comments following the Houston Rockets’ loss in Game 3 of the series against the Los Angeles Lakers fueled recent speculation that the team could trade young star Alpern Sengun this summer.

The Rockets’ 2025-26 campaign is on the verge of a stunning finish. They entered the year with serious NBA Finals expectations after acquiring future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. But Houston finished fifth in the conference. Still, they were fortunate in a first-round playoff matchup against a Lakers team without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

However, after a bad loss on Friday night, where they blew a huge lead in the final minute of regulation, the Rockets advanced to Game 4 on Sunday by a 3–0 margin. After the loss, Houston head coach Ime Udoka was asked about their Game 3 collapse, and his opinion was surprising.

“Terrible mistakes. I don’t know whether you want to say young or scared of the moment,” Udoka said in his post-game press conference.

His comments were honest but also very interesting, as they seem to confirm why Alpern Sengun could be on the trade block this summer.

Did Ime Udoka confirm why Alperen Sengun will be traded?

On Friday, The Athletic’s William Guillory explained why the next few games were so important for Sengun’s future in Houston. After being a major part of the team’s rebirth in 2024–25, they had a poor performance late in the regular season and were even worse in the playoffs.

Guillory wrote, “The Rockets were expecting much better than this. More specifically, they were expecting a lot more from Sengun at this point in the season, especially after last year’s playoff run helped solidify the 23-year-old as one of the pillars of the franchise.”

“It’s no exaggeration to say that Sengun has been one of the biggest disappointments in this year’s playoffs – not just in Houston, but among all postseason teams.”

While the two-time All-Star played much better in Game 3, posting 33 points, 16 rebounds, and was +10 when he was on the floor, he couldn’t carry his team across the finish line in a very winnable game at home. It added to his reputation that he couldn’t do it under a bright spotlight for a franchise with championship aspirations.

The team was willing to give up Jalen Green despite notable development in order to trade Durant, with Guillory speculating that Sengun could easily be added to a winning proposal in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Donovan Mitchell in the offseason.

While Udoka didn’t specifically call out Seungun, he was one of the guys who was scared at the moment, and that doesn’t bode well for his long-term prospects in H-Town.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

There’s no love lost between the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators during the Round One matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and after the events of Game 3, it’s safe to say that the general feeling of dislike has grown even deeper after Jake Sanderson left the game following a check to the head of Taylor Hall.

At exactly 4:24 in the second period of Thursday night’s game in Ottawa, Ontario, Hall was assessed a two-minute minor penalty after an illegal check to the head against Sanderson. The fumble occurred in the Senators’ defensive zone as Hall and Sanderson both went for the loose puck after Nicholas Matinpalo intercepted Logan Stankoven’s pass to Jackson Blake.

A blow to Hall’s shoulder broke the helmet of Sanderson, who stood on his skates and proceeded to punch Hall in the back of the head, as Matinpalo and Ridley approached him with Greg Sanderson following shortly thereafter.

No antitrust penalties were assessed, and Sanderson spent two more shifts on the ice – the last of which lasted 2:44. During those changes, he took a hit on Sebastian Aho, and also blocked a shot from Blake with his hand – which many believed led to his absence for the remainder of the game.

Travis Green confirms Jake Sanderson injury, objects to lack of review

Senators head coach Travis Green, when asked the reason for his leaving the game, responded, “I think it’s pretty obvious why he left the game.” “I can’t understand how a five-minute major wasn’t called for a blow to the head. That’s a tremendous blow to the head; the kind of blow you don’t want to see. I think it’s ridiculous there was no review.

He further pointed to the review called on Brady Tkachuk, who himself gave a dirty hit to Jordan Martinook, although it was reduced to two minutes for interference.

“They call a review on Brady, on a penalty, which I don’t even know what the penalty was, and then they completely miss a review. I mean, I’d be surprised if there isn’t some review from the league on that, and something is done.”

Sanderson’s injury is another major blow to the Senators, who lost their other top-pairing defenseman, Artem Zub, in the first half of Game 1 in Raleigh on Saturday.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is just hours away, and there is plenty of intrigue over what the Washington Commander could do with the seventh overall selection. After missing the playoffs and seeing their offense and defense decline massively, it is safe to say that the Commanders need help on both sides of the ball.

Still, Washington only has six draft selections overall, and moving up the draft board may not be an option for Commanders general manager Adam Peters. However, that’s probably not what head coach Dan Quinn wants to hear, as he reportedly has his eye on a special talent for his defense.

According to NFL insider Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, Coach Quinn “loves” Ohio State linebacker Sonny Stiles. Still, he says Washington “knows they need a WR and they’ve done a lot of work on Ohio State’s Carnell Tate.”

Both are expected to be in the top-10. Styles, even though he is a linebacker, could be a top-five selection, meaning Washington will have to move up to reach target Quinn Cowets.

As for Tate, it seems more realistic for him to fall to seven, but there is some discussion that Cleveland could select the Ohio State receiver at No. 6. However, finding a franchise for a tackle could influence their decision, leaving Tate to Washington instead.

Either way, it appears the Commander is entering Thursday night with an open mind, which is what you need to do when there are six other teams making selections before Washington.

RELATED: Final 2026 NFL mock draft: Projecting Round 1 with trades

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

As this terrible season ended for the Milwaukee Bucks, they made quick work of firing head coach Doc Rivers. Now, almost as quickly, they have named his replacement. The Bucks have agreed to terms with top head coach Taylor Jenkins on the market.

A new rumor suggests that a pair of elite NBA coaches have already become the Portland Trail Blazers’ official replacements for Chauncey Billups.

There were dark clouds over the trail blazers They had their season hanging from day one when former head coach Billups was implicated in a wild POKEr-rigging plan. However, interim head coach Tiago Splitter did an impressive job controlling the drama. Leading them to a 42-40 record and their first trip to the playoffs since 2021.

A major reason for this is former Washington Wizards lottery pick Deni Avdija having a career year. The 25-year-old leads the team in scoring (24.2 ppg) and dropped 41 in their play-in win last week. His series with the San Antonio Spurs should be fun while it lasts, but either way, Splitter has earned the chance to keep his job permanently. However, it seems that hasn’t impressed his boss Tom Dundon.

The team’s new owner has developed a negative reputation among Blazers fans in just one month of his ownership, with some financially conservative – or cheap – decisions. They opted to save money by not having two-way players travel for their first two playoff games on the road. They will not be giving away free t-shirts for their home postseason matchups this week. And Dundon also reportedly doesn’t want to pay his next head coach more than $1.5 million annually.

Michael Malone and Tom Thibodeau turned down Trail Blazers jobs?

Additionally, he tried and failed to secretly search for a new head coach and general manager. According to The Athletic, Dundon once approached Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone as well as former New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau about becoming his next head coach.

Malone had to fill the same role in college for ACC powerhouse North Carolina. And the report said Thibodeau “is no longer a candidate.” The Trail Blazers still have a rebuilding roster with a lot of potential. Both have shown the ability to consistently turn a team into playoff contenders. However, each has an impressive resume, and $1.5 million per year wouldn’t even come close to securing their services.

One has to assume that if Dundon didn’t want to be paid more than that per year, both proven veteran NBA coaches immediately passed on the idea when the contract figures came out. While Dundon doesn’t seem to be impressed enough with Splitter to make him the full-time head coach, he does seem to be the best option for them.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Barring a trade, the Tennessee Titans are less than 48 hours away from deciding which prospect they will select with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Most expect the Titans to go with either a running back, pass-rusher or linebacker.

When Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi initially spoke on Tennessee’s plans with the fourth overall selection, he said they would go with the best player available. Many came away from this with the belief that the Titans would be targeting Notre Dame star Jeremiah Love (if he is available), as he is the top-ranked prospect on many evaluators’ draft boards.

Yet, this may not be the case at all.

Recently, NFL insider Tony Pauline of Essential Sports revealed his information that Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey is the “game-changer new head coach Robert Saleh is coveting.”

This is fine, but there may be a problem. What if Bailey is the pass-rusher the Jets want at No. 2, too? There is talk that New York is down to either Arvel Reese or Bailey, and that could put a wrench in the Titans’ plans. Heck, the Cardinals at No. 3 could even decide they want one of this year’s elite pass-rushing prospects and take whoever the Jets don’t.

In other words, based on Pauline’s reporting, it doesn’t look like Jeremiah Love is Tennessee’s top prospect, but this is also smokescreen season, so you never really know.

RELATED: Tennessee Titans could lean toward Jeremiah Love at 4

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

The 26-year-old grandson of famed former Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired after a collision Saturday night in Durham, North Carolina, that took the life of a 15-year-old boy.

The incident happened just before 9 p.m., when Joseph Savarino, who was driving a northbound Ford Explorer, hit the teen who was riding an e-bike in the same direction. The boy, identified by family as Jack O’Shea, was pronounced dead at the scene.

No other injuries were reported and police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the accident.

Mike Krzyzewski’s grandson charged in fatal DWI crash that killed 15-year-old boy | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/WaWtDBlRej pic.twitter.com/0KztylBkgH

– TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) 20 April 2026

Details emerge: Coach’s grandson’s DWI crash takes life of Cardinal Gibbons freshman

According to court records, Savarino admitted to drinking alcohol that evening. A breathalyzer test conducted shortly after midnight recorded a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.11 percent – ​​more than North Carolina’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.

He was charged with DWI over the weekend and made his first court appearance on Monday, where a judge suspended his driver’s license and set his bond at $100,000. Savarino made bail later that day and is now out of custody awaiting his next court date. This will happen in about a month.

O’Shea’s family shared an emotional tribute on social media, describing the Cardinal Gibbons High School freshman as a “well-rounded, smart, athletic, fearless and beautiful baby boy” who enjoyed his final day — attending Confession in the morning and biking with friends in the afternoon.

His mother said the family was finding some solace in the memories of that day as they grappled with unimaginable grief. The tragedy shocked the local community, where O’Shea was known as a talented athlete on his school’s baseball and basketball teams.

The case has attracted attention because of Savarino’s prominent family ties to the Duke basketball program. Coach K, who has led the Blue Devils to five national championships over several decades, has not issued any public statement on the matter as of Monday.

This is the second time a grandson in the family has faced DWI-related problems in recent years.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

Former Michigan football coach Sharon Moore avoided jail earlier this week when a judge sentenced her on two misdemeanor charges. The allegations stemmed from a confrontation with a former staff member with whom she had an inappropriate relationship.

Moore pleaded no contest last month to trespassing and malicious use of a telecommunications device in a domestic relationship. More serious charges – including felony home invasion and stalking – were dismissed as part of the deal.

This horrific incident occurred on the same day that Moore was fired by the University of Michigan. The case centered on the former coach’s uninvited visit to the apartment of his former executive assistant and mistress Paige Shiver, shortly after she dropped her case.

According to the investigation and its description, Moore entered the residence, became emotional and grabbed a kitchen knife, threatening to harm herself.

There was a shudder at the judge’s decision. In a public statement released after the hearing, he made it clear that the sentence did not match the trauma he experienced.

According to the New York Post, he said, “December 10 was the most terrible day of my life.” “The criminal acts he committed were extremely horrific and violent. He burst into my apartment crying, screaming, angry, and attacked me with knives. I was threatened, and I feared for my life.”

“Today’s sentence does not reflect the harm I suffered or the objective evidence in this case.”

A statement issued on behalf of Paige Shiver by her legal team pic.twitter.com/vXFWUqQNLw

– Isaiah Hole (@isaiahhole) 14 April 2026

Paige Shivers criticizes ‘sweetheart’ probation sentence: ‘I feared for my life’

The sentencing marks another chapter in Moore’s rapid decline. Once the Wolverines’ interim and then full head coach, he was fired due to the scandal surrounding the affair.

But the judge’s decision drew criticism that the former coach got a sweetheart deal, first with the plea bargain and then with the judge’s leniency. The judge reportedly took note of Moore’s wife’s support during the hearing, but warned that if Moore stepped out of line again, he would not be so forgiving.

“When I look at the totality of this situation I do not believe that imprisonment should be appropriate,” the judge said in sentencing. “I warn you, Mr. Moore, if there is a violation, all bets are off. I don’t like sending people to jail, but I have no problem doing it.”

It appears that he has clearly had a problem doing so in this case.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

Former Michigan football coach Sharon Moore was sentenced to probation Tuesday after pleading no contest to two misdemeanor counts — trespassing and malicious use of telecommunications equipment in a domestic relationship.

The charges stemmed from a confrontation at the apartment of a female employee with whom he had an inappropriate relationship.

Prosecutors dropped more serious felony charges, including home invasion and stalking, as part of a plea agreement. Moore, 40, must pay a fine of just over $1,000, continue counseling, abstain from drugs and alcohol, surrender any firearms and have no contact with the victim.

The judge warned Moore that if he overstepped his bounds again, he would not be as lenient.

District Court Judge Cedric Simpson said in sentencing, “When I look at the totality of this situation I do not believe that imprisonment should be appropriate.” “I warn you, Mr. Moore, if there is a violation, all bets are off. I don’t like sending people to jail, but I have no problem doing it.”

Sharon Moore is sentenced to 18 months’ probation.

Former Michigan HC has no connection to Paige Shiver.

No jail time, and the judge praised Moore’s wife for sticking with him through it all

“You sir, take it lightly.” pic.twitter.com/QLxKVWqRD

– Tray Wallace (@TrayWallace) 14 April 2026

Judge saves Sharon Moore from jail sentence, praises wife he cheated on while punishing coach for spreading pain to victim

The case dates back to Dec. 10 — the same day Michigan fired Moore after he admitted to having an extramarital affair with his executive assistant.

The situation became worse after his dismissal. Moore was charged with serious criminal charges for allegedly vandalizing his mistress’s home. According to the victim, Paige Shivers – his former executive assistant and personal assistant – Moore burst into her apartment uninvited while crying, yelling and angry. He grabbed a butter knife, threatened to harm himself and attacked her with the knife, leaving her in fear for her life.

The two had been in a relationship for about two years, a fact Koch acknowledged in discussion with police on the night of the encounter. This, along with many other details, came to light following sworn testimony by a detective at a complaints authority hearing.

The judge continued to punish Moore for his actions.

“Frankly, Mr. Moore, you had no right to do what you did,” Simpson said. “I know she was in fear. It was a traumatic experience for you – it was certainly a traumatic experience for her – but you had no right to extend your pain to her.”

Shiver, who did not attend the hearing, issued a statement saying the sentence “does not reflect the harm I have suffered” and accused the university of failing to protect her from years of manipulation and harassment.

The judge praised Moore’s wife for her support and said it influenced the lenient sentence.

Simpson said, “The person who is protecting you from the full wrath of this court is the person you betrayed.” “When all the situations are happening to her, and she’s absorbing them in real time, she never once loses her focus, never once glances at you to be suspicious, never once wants anything terrible to happen to you.”

He then told Moore’s wife: “If there were more people like you in the world, I’d probably be out of a job, but the world would be a better place.”

I’m not sure how helping someone avoid accountability for terrorizing their mistress translates into a better world.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

Former FC Twente boss Marino Pucic has revealed that he received an offer from Arne Slot to join them liverpool In 2023.

Pusic, who is now managing Al-Jazeera in the United Arab Emirates, revealed that Slott had contacted him after his first season at Shakhtar Donetsk.

But despite the prestige of a move to Liverpool and the chance to be reunited with Slot, Pusic walked away from the opportunity.

“Arne asked if I wanted to join him at Liverpool. I considered it a great honour, but it didn’t feel right to leave.” Pusic told Voetbal International.

Why did Pusic say no to Liverpool?

Marino Pusic’s decision wasn’t about football. Instead, it was his loyalty to Shakhtar, a club operating under the unimaginable stress of war, that made him feel the times had become impossible.

During his two years at the club, he guided Shakhtar through a period he describes as emotionally overwhelming and uniquely demanding.

He said, “No club in the world has performed as well as Shakhtar during the war: one national title, two national cups and thirteen points in two Champions League campaigns.”

Players and staff were regularly faced with news of loved ones killed in the conflict. Puzik said that in those moments, coaching became something deeper than strategy.

“You’re talking about life and death together. That’s how you build a close relationship.”

Love of slots for Dutch coaches

Arne Slot’s approach to reuniting with Marino Pusic is not at all surprising. The pair worked together successfully at Feyenoord before Slott transferred to Liverpool in 2024.

Slott then hired Jonny Heitinga as his assistant, then replaced him with Giovanni Van Bronckhorst when Jonny Heitinga left for Ajax the previous year.

He also wanted to take Etienne Rejan with him to Anfield. But the Feyenoord assistant could not get a work permit, which ultimately led to Heitinga’s arrival.

Sander Westerveld also asked Slott to contact Puzik again When it came to replacing Heitinga last year.

Now Puzik has admitted that the offer was there at one time. However, he could not turn his back on Shekhar at that time.

What does this mean for liverpool

Marino Pusic’s revelations have added a fascinating footnote to Arne Slot’s early recruitment plans at Liverpool.

He was clearly someone Slott had great confidence in, enough to move him into one of the biggest jobs in world football. Had he accepted, Liverpool’s backroom team would look very different today.

In fact, last season could have been very different. Many credited his replacement Heitinga for playing a key role in their title success last season.

Instead, Pusic decided to remain loyal to Shakhtar, a decision he apparently does not regret.

The New Jersey Devils are going in a new direction. They will have a new head of the table, however, we don’t know yet who that will be.

There is growing speculation that there will be not only a new general manager, but also a new president of hockey operations. One name that has been coming up repeatedly for the latter position is Brendan Shanahan. I guess we’ll see where it goes.

Elsewhere, is the head coach safe? Breaking from Florida? and more.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils fired Tom Fitzgerald as general manager in New Jersey. He and David Blitzer made a statement in the announcement.

Earlier in the day, the news was much more positive. Jack Hughes earned second star of the week honors in the NHL.

📺 devil’s rink report: It’s ironic that the Devils fired Fitzgerald on Monday because earlier, Johnny Lazarus and I talked on the latest Devils Rink Report about whether Sheldon Keefe has done enough to keep his job during the regular season with New Jersey’s improved play.

Full episode here 👇🏼

Please like and subscribe our Youtube channel And turn on those notifications when we go live every Friday! At 1K subscribers, we’ll start publishing on your favorite podcast platform!

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Pittsburgh hockey now: Here’s why the Pittsburgh Penguins should bring back Evgeni Malkin, and what’s changed.

Florida hockey now: Now some NHL teams, including the Devils, are seeking additional features in their front offices. The Florida Panthers could suffer a blowout as a result.

NYI Hockey Now: Pete DeBoer explains why he decided to go back behind the bench now, and why the New York Islanders were the team that got him there.

Montreal hockey now: A lot has gone right for the Montreal Canadiens this season, however, here are the unsung heroes who have helped get them there.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

The Las Vegas Raiders officially began their 2026 offseason schedule on Tuesday. No pad. No live representative. No, Fernando Mendoza is not taking pictures in the silver and black just yet. Just meetings, strength and conditioning work, and rehab of players coming back from injury.

Sounds boring, right?

it.

What happens in those first days, especially how Clint Kubiak runs them, will tell us more about the direction of this franchise than any free agent signing or mock draft projection. Culture doesn’t start in training camp. It doesn’t start with a draft. It starts now, in a building in Henderson, Nevada, with a first-year head coach trying to establish something this organization has lacked for too long: a coherent identity.

Kubiak has a chance to set the tone for whatever is to come this week. How he uses it is what matters.

Meetings are where culture is made – or broken

Stage one is essentially a classroom stage. The players are in the building, they’re conditioning their bodies and they’re sitting in the meeting room. For Kubiak, it’s really an opportunity, not a limitation.

Every new coaching staff faces the same challenge in Year 1: Players are bringing habits, tendencies and, frankly, the baggage of whoever came before them (ahem, Pete Carroll!). The Raiders have had substantial coaching changes in recent years, with some of the veterans having seen this film before. They know how to nod in meetings and wait to see if the new guy is really different. Three coaches will do this to one player in three years.

Clint Kubiak really needs to be different.

This means that messages in those rooms may not be as normal this week. It can’t be “we’ll work hard and hold each other accountable” boilerplate. Raider Nation has heard it. The players in that building have heard it. What they haven’t heard, and what this organization hasn’t had for years, is a clear, specific, non-negotiable vision of how this team will operate. Just not aggressively. Just not in a planned manner. Culturally.

This is Kubiak’s chance to draw that line in the sand before even throwing a single ball.

Max Crosby sets the tone if Kubiak empowers him to do so

Here’s something that isn’t discussed enough: Max Crosby’s presence in that building this week is just as important as Kubiak said.

Crosby’s trade with Baltimore was voided. He is an attacker. And does Kubiak still fully understand it, Crosby is the most important cultural asset he has. Not because of his rush numbers, although they speak for themselves, but because of what Crosby represents to every player who walks through that door.

He decided to stay. He could force his way out. He didn’t.

This means a lot in a locker room environment where players want to see who really believes in what is being built in Vegas. If Kubiak is smart, he’s leaning on Crosby in those early meetings. Not in a fanciful, “let’s cheer on the star” way — but in a genuine acknowledgment that the approach of the veteran leadership and coaching staff has to work in the same direction, or none of it will work.

A coaching staff that sidelines its own culture bearers in Year 1 is a coaching staff that is already behind.

What Kubiak’s approach says about his leadership style

New head coaches fall into two camps as the early offseason begins. Some people treat phase one as a formality, like getting bodies into the building, checking compliance boxes and saving the actual setup for OTAs and training camp. Others consider it the basis.

Given what Jon Spytek and the Raiders have built this offseason, Clint Kubiak can’t afford to treat this as a formality. They are having a voluntary veteran minicamp April 20-22, three days before the draft begins in Pittsburgh. That minicamp, combined with the first two weeks of Phase One, gives Kubiak about three weeks to establish the relational equity he’ll need when real competition begins.

Three weeks is not long. But it is enough to show the players what kind of head coach you are. Does he know their names before he knows your snap counts, do you walk the same way in the practice facility, are the cameras running or not, are the standards you preach the standards you actually enforce.

Attention is paid to those things. They are discussed. They go from veteran to young players faster than any plan.

All eyes are on Kubiak and the tone he sets

Tuesday is the beginning of something. Is this the start of something real. Will this be a cultural change that will actually stick in Las Vegas or not? It depends on what Clint Kubiak actually decides to do these early, quiet, unnatural weeks.

The Raiders have plenty of big moments and bold announcements. What they’re missing is the foundation beneath all this.

The first phase is starting from Tuesday. Now the foundation is laid.

Scott Gulbranson is the editor-in-chief of our Silver & Black TODAY Las Vegas Raiders community, a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, and host of Silver & Black TODAY on 101.5 KDAWN in Las Vegas.

Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1 … More about Scott Gulbransen

Former New Jersey Devils head coach Pete DeBoer has once again been assigned behind an NHL bench.

On Easter Sunday, the New York Islanders made the smart move of firing head coach Patrick Roy and replacing him with DeBoer, as the Isles were going through a slump during the regular season, and were struggling to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Islanders are tied for third place in the Metropolitan Division by one point with the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. Philly and Columbus have games on the Islanders, which could knock New York out of the playoff picture by the end of the season.

According to multiple sources, DeBoer’s new deal with the Islanders is only through the remainder of the 2025-26 season and not the playoffs. There is a condition attached to his new deal that is yet to be disclosed.

The Islanders noted DeBoer’s success as a head coach in the NHL, citing his success with the San Jose Sharks – qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs in four of his five campaigns with the Sharks and helping the team reach their first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history during the 2015–16 season.

He also noted DeBoer’s four seasons in New Jersey, particularly the season he reached the Stanley Cup Finals in his first campaign with the club in 2011–12.

DeBoer also has several deep Stanley Cup playoff appearances, most recently with the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights.

DeBoer ranks 18th in NHL history in coaching wins (662) and 22nd in games coached (1,261), and he has a perfect 9–0 record in Game 7s, the most Game 7 wins in NHL coaching history.

In 2024, the Islanders relieved former coach Lane Lambert during his second season as head coach in New York in favor of Roy in a similarly shrewd move.

Now, the Devils’ opponent will be led by one of the most successful playoff coaches in NHL history, who has yet to claim hockey’s ultimate prize.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has been a key part of the organization’s turnaround with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Kerr has won four NBA Finals since joining Golden State in 2014. However, could the Warriors head coach be nearing the end of his tenure with the organization?

As Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard reported, the most likely scenario is Kerr returning to the Warriors for a “Last Dance” during the 2026–27 NBA season. This will likely be the 60-year-old’s final season coaching Golden State. At the moment, Kawakami believes Kerr has not fully made his decision.

Kerr is currently in the final season of a two-year extension. If Kerr and the Warriors wish to continue their partnership, they must reach a contract extension before the 2026–27 NBA season. After all, there are reasons for Kerr to return, as Golden State is expected to make some major upgrades.

It has been widely speculated that Kerr wants to retire at the same time as Curry, but it is unclear when the star point guard plans to step away from basketball. Curry is likely to retire in the next few seasons as he approaches age 40, but if Kerr has a “last dance,” he may not step down all together.

Kerr has been one of the NBA’s best head coaches since 2014, and the Warriors will leave an era that featured incredible success. Curry and Green are no longer in their prime, but other players like Brandin Podziemski are trying to pave the way moving forward in Golden State.

The Warriors’ last NBA Finals win was in 2022, and if Kerr returns for another season, the team hopes to find that magic again.

READ MORE: Report reveals update on Draymond Green’s future amid Steve Kerr rumors

Austin Konensky is a sports writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and college football. His work…More about Austin Konensky

For the first time since the failed Max Crosby trade, Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spitek and head coach Clint Kubiak publicly addressed the fallout — and both looked like men who came out the other side just fine.

At the NFL’s annual league meetings in Phoenix this week, the two spoke candidly about the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end and what the chaotic sequence of events at the start of free agency ultimately meant for the franchise.

Las Vegas Raiders GM gets an ‘elite’ member during free agency

Earlier this month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on March 6 that a deal was underway to send Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round draft picks. The new league year was required to start on 11 March before the deal could be made official. But before that could happen, Baltimore backed out – citing concerns about Crosby’s surgically repaired knee – and the pass rusher returned to the silver and black.

The timing of that reversal didn’t disrupt the team’s offseason plans as much as it might seem, Spytek said.

“Just the timing of it, it didn’t really happen,” Spytek said. “We did what we did on Monday, and that was Tuesday when it all happened. We had a lot of cap space and a lot of cash was provided to us by Mark [Davis] And the ownership group has to be aggressive and build the team in the best way possible. I’ll echo what Clint said – the way it worked out, it was like we got another elite defensive end in free agency.

Those signings — notably center Tyler Linderbaum and edge rusher Qwity Paye — came during the legal tampering window, just before the Ravens pulled the plug.

Development of a General Manager

Crosby has seen a parade of general managers and head coaches come through the organization since being drafted in 2019. Spytek, who has worked to build trust with his star player from the beginning, said communication between them has never stopped.

“I have had many great conversations with Max since the beginning of his tenure here and we have had many great conversations throughout the season,” Spytek said. “We had a deal at the end of the season, which everyone knows about. We talked about it in the months leading up to the deal. Max and I have continued to have good conversations since. I know he and Clint have had good conversations, too. We just try to tell each other the truth and not have a lot of secrets or unknowns. Max, Clint and I will continue to work that way.”

Spytek also talked about the importance of making those difficult roster decisions – ones that impact players beyond the football field.

“Those are all challenging conversations,” Spytek said. “I try to sit down with that person in that moment and explain the reasons why we’re doing it, and try to be as honest and candid as I can. For me, those are all deeply personal conversations because you know how deeply it affects that person. I don’t just see them as a player. This is changing their lives.”

Also Read: Mark Davis Isn’t Selling the Raiders So Stop Acting Like He Is

Kubiak: “Our team is better now”

Kubiak came to Las Vegas after helping Seattle win the Super Bowl last month, giving him a compressed timeline to assemble his coaching staff — all while watching this trade saga play out in real time.

He didn’t hide how he felt when Spytech told him the deal was off.

“Anytime there’s a trade, you always know there’s a downside to it,” Kubiak said. “Once it happened, I was really excited. When Spy came and talked to me about it, we sat down and my first thing was to smile. ‘Oh, we have Max back. Are you kidding me? It’s great.’ “Our team has gotten better.”

With the signing of Paye, Malcolm Koonce retained, and Tyree Wilson still on the team, Las Vegas enters 2026 with legitimate depth along the defensive line. Crosby’s return only solidifies what was already shaping up to be a priority area.

One remaining question is whether Crosby will be in the reckoning immediately when the regular season opens. He had meniscus surgery in January and is not expected to make a full recovery until this summer.

“These are things we have to work on,” Kubiak said. “We have to get him healthy enough to practice. I know he’s going to put himself in great condition to do that, and we’ll probably have conversations about that as we move forward. Just taking small steps right now.”

The coach did not seem worried about the deadline. He’s seen how Crosby works.

“Max is our guy. He’s the leader on defense.”

Also Read: Las Vegas Raiders: 5 second round pick options for GM John Spytek

Braven Honda graduated from San Diego State with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism in May 2021. During his time at SDSU, … More about Braven Honda

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn wants Geno Smith to have a big season in 2026 and he’s trying to force it into existence with public praise of the quarterback.

In his first season as head coach, Glenn convinced NY Jets fans that free agent addition Justin Fields could finally reach his potential and become a star for Gang Green. Ultimately, the former Chicago Bears first-round pick had the worst season of his career and was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs this month to serve as their new QB2.

In 2026, the coaches will go with another new QB1. This time, it will be former Las Vegas Raiders starter Geno Smith. Unlike Fields, Smith has had success in the league and is a two-time Pro Bowler. However, he is still coming off a season where he went 2-13 and threw a league-leading 17 interceptions. Still, Glenn really wants NY Jets fans to believe that Smith can be a big difference maker next season.

“There’s something about a quarterback with a chip on his shoulder,” Glenn told SNY at an NFL meeting this week. “And he’s proven a lot with what he’s done in this league. Especially when you factor in his time in Seattle. He fits the bill perfectly with what we’re trying to do. We’ve created an identity. The foundation of our offense is great now.”

“… I just feel like he’s the guy that’s going to lead us to the promised land. The guy that’s going to touch the ball more than anybody else. I know he’s had his struggles. A lot of quarterbacks have their struggles.”

Aaron Glenn is entrusting his NY Jets future to Geno Smith

Could 2026 be a comeback season for Smith? It is definitely possible. He was playing behind, arguably, the NFL’s worst offensive line last season, and also has a Comeback Player of the Year award on his resume. However, this would also be an opinion that ignores the obvious.

Before turning his career around with the Seattle Seahawks, Smith was viewed as a draft bust who developed into a journeyman QB in the league. When he won CPOTY honors in 2022, he threw for 30 touchdowns. Since then he has not come even close to that number and last year his number was 19. Additionally, his interceptions have increased from 11 in 2022 to 17 last year.

If the NY Jets were to get Smith a year or two after his big season in 2022, perhaps he could fix the weaknesses of their offense and lead them back to relevance and a playoff run. However, he is four years away from having that career year and will turn 36 in October. An age point when even consistently good QBs start to decline in numbers.

There is far more evidence that Smith will be slightly better than the bad situation he was in 2025, rather than being back to being the player he was in 2022. Glenn is choosing to ignore the obvious, and it’s confusing him. This will likely cost him his job over the next eight months because he is creating expectations that the QB will not make it next season.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Shanahan not thrilled about Australia opener

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear on Monday that he is not at all overreacting to the NFL’s decision to start the 2026 season in Australia.

Speaking at the league owners meeting in Phoenix, Shanahan was asked about the historic matchup against the division rival Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on September 10.

“I don’t see any professionals,” he told reporters.

Now, to be clear, he’s coming at this from a coach’s perspective. And football players and coaches alike have often expressed approval for the exclusivity of international games and the opportunity they give them to experience new things, while also stating very clearly that it is not good in terms of the quality of the game. Or for the team moving forward.

Shanahan echoed those widespread sentiments. He acknowledged that the game is “good for the league to play globally” and “wonderful” for international fans to get a taste of NFL action. Nevertheless, he still does not see any positive benefits for his team.

He said, “But as far as the team is concerned in doing this, there is no special benefit in it.” “Sometimes it’s nice to have a bye after a week, but not in the first week.”

Highlights from Kyle Shanahan’s press conference today:

• Kyle feels good about where the roster is. Says it’s definitely been a better offseason than last year

• He is not a fan of the 49ers playing in Australia

• They’re in no rush to release Brandon Aiyuk. Keep hope… pic.twitter.com/Eg659RocVN

– Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) 30 March 2026

Yeah, they’re not giving bye week after week. MLB usually gives its opening day game participants a short break after playing the first game of the season. But taking a day off in a 162-game schedule is a lot different than what the NFL would have to do if it gave a Week 2 bye.

The 49ers will face a grueling 14-hour flight and significant time-zone juggling for a 10:35 a.m. local kick-off in Melbourne.

Needless to say, Americans forget such early games. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard friends ask, ‘Was there any play today?’ After one regular season game in the UK.

Read more:

Shanahan’s sarcasm during a discussion of travel logistics for the game immediately hit the charts.

“Oh, very excited. So, are we going back in time or into the future? I guess we gain a day or lose a day? Not sure yet which, but it is what it is,” he joked before noting very seriously, “We’ll deal with it.”

This is something they will have to deal with if they want to maintain some momentum from last season.

The 49ers posted a solid 12–5 record last season and finished third in the stacked NFC West. After missing the playoffs the previous year, they returned to the postseason and earned a wild card win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

But their run ended with a lopsided loss in the divisional round to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

Heading into 2026, expectations remain high for Shanahan’s team as they look to build on last year’s resiliency, stay healthy, and take advantage of key stars like Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey and Nick Bosa, as well as key additions like veteran wide receiver Mike Evans.

Will they get the year off to the right start with a win in Australia?

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

Well, the offseason has arrived somewhat early for some organizations. And I don’t mean because they’ve been mathematically eliminated. For the second time in as many nights, and the NHL organization has made a major change to its personnel, leaving New Jersey Devils fans wondering if they will follow through.

However, if I were you I wouldn’t hold my breath.

In the links, the latest discussion about the Devils head coaching situation, Tom Fitzgerald, and more.

Also, big mess in Toronto.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: As soon as Bruce Cassidy was let go on Sunday, a few people immediately messaged me asking if I thought he would be a good fit for the New Jersey bench. Well, here’s why I’m not so sure about it, as well as why Sheldon Keefe may not be going anywhere.

And there is a man who is going to take this decision. Or…is there? At this point, I’m not expecting Tom Fitzgerald to be fired as Devils GM. However, could he be stripped of his presidency?

On Sunday, not only did the Devils celebrate a win, but so did Nico Hischier. If you can believe it, the Devils captain has already skated in his 600th NHL game. Our own Pat Pickens captured the moment and received lots of praise from teammates and coaches.

📺 devil’s rink report: Here’s Jack Hughes on the Devils’ latest win, Hischier’s career and more.

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Forever Blueshirts: Brennan Othman is happy that the New York Rangers traded him earlier this month. He revealed this during his debut for the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

Pittsburgh hockey now: Weren’t the New York Islanders winning this game 3-1 at some point? The scrappy Pittsburgh Penguins made a complete comeback and defeated them 8–3. Hear more from Dan Kingerski about what you need to get there.

San Jose Hockey Now: The scouting report on Michael Misa is that he is going to put up some interesting numbers in his NHL career. Not now. However, what can he do now to earn more minutes with the San Jose Sharks?

Philly hockey now: I think this should have been done earlier, but I believe its better late than never. The Philadelphia Flyers and Trevor Zegras are finally in the midst of extension talks.

Detroit hockey now: Whether they make the playoffs or not, this is why Bob Duff believes Steve Yzerman will remain the Detroit Red Wings GM.

Athletic ($): In a news dump late last night the Toronto Maple Leafs fired GM Brad Treliving before the season ended. And although it didn’t work out for him, James Myrtle says MLSE has made a big mess for the Leafs after three years of failure.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Man, it’s hard to look at how the New Jersey Devils have been playing lately and not wonder how they’ll look with Jack Hughes in the lineup for a full 82 games. However, Hughes’ absence this season is not the only reason for their unsuccessful season.

More information about what led them to this disastrous result is provided in the link below.

Elsewhere, a shocking head coach swap, who is to blame, and Toronto seek revenge.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: Yesterday’s win was good. A game in which the Devils were doing everything right, but just weren’t dropping the puck in the first half. And then the flood came, and Jack Hughes led the Devils to their 10th win in their last 14 games. However, the season is lost. And, unfortunately, this is a microcosm of Jacob Markstrom’s poor performance this year. More from our Pat Pickens.

📺 devil’s rink report:I was unconscious due to fever on Friday, so we didn’t record any new episodes last week. First time for everything, I guess. However, we will be back on Friday.

However, you can still visit the Devils Rink Report channel for updates. Here’s Jack Hughes on the Devils’ latest win, Nico Hischier’s 600th win, scoring on his friend Spencer Knight, and more:

Please like and subscribe our Youtube channel And turn on those notifications when we go live every Friday! At 1K subscribers, we’ll start publishing on your favorite podcast platform!

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

Forever Blueshirts: This isn’t New York Rangers related, but Jim Cerny always makes the connection. Former Blueshirts bench boss John Tortorella got a job that shocked the world. He is now the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, who immediately fired Bruce Cassidy on Sunday.

Athletic ($): So, the Golden Knights remain true to their tireless nature, pursuing Cassidy, the coach who led them to their first Stanley Cup. Is he really guilty?

Florida hockey now: Despite the fact that they are unlikely to make the playoffs, fans are definitely hoping that Sasha Barkov will play for the Florida Panthers. Paul Morrissey has an update on this, and it’s not what they want to hear.

Sportsnet: If you weren’t planning on watching much hockey tonight, you might want to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs’ tilt with the Anaheim Ducks. After Radko Gudas took a knee with Auston Matthews in their last meeting, the Leafs explained they would be “excited” tonight – a game Gudas vowed to play.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Hungary coach Marco Rossi has hit out at Liverpool manager Arne Slot over his use of Dominik Szoboszlai following the Reds boss’ recent comments.

blick report on comments Rossi made it clear in response to the slot today that he expects his players not to play too many minutes during the international break.

“I think the players need the break more than the manager and unfortunately he has to keep playing.” The slot declared match of the day on Saturday.

“Let’s hope their national team coaches understand that there are a lot of players playing a lot of minutes at Liverpool. But I think other clubs probably could have rotated more than me this season.

“So, let’s hope we’ve got a national team coach who won’t make them play 180 minutes in two matches.”

Hungarian reaction

However, reports in Hungary Suggested he had no intention of resting the Liverpool midfielder.

Hungary face Slovenia tomorrow and then Greece in friendlies this week. But those early reports indicate that Rossi will not change his plans solely because of Slott’s comments. Now he has launched a direct counterattack.

“I have never spoken to Arne Slott personally,” He said.

“Accordingly, when the Liverpool head coach, for example, would play Dominik Szoboszlai as a defender, I would never say anything. But I would also expect him not to interfere with my work.

“If Dominic wants to rest, of course I will let him rest. But everyone knows how important the national team jersey is to him as the captain of the team. What is important for us now is to finish these two matches with a good result.”

liverpool fitness concerns

Rossi’s response will certainly not be welcomed by Slott. His team has significantly increased their physical output this season but struggled in the final minutes.

Szoboszlai is prominent among them. He is one of the top runners in the Premier League so far. He is also regularly included among the players who have covered the most distance.

Now he is set to add to it during the international break, as Hungary and Liverpool look set for a power struggle over the 25-year-old.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergvall says Sweden manager Graham Potter will have to make a decision on his minutes ahead of the clash with Poland.

The midfielder was a regular under Thomas Frank, playing 26 matches under the Dane’s orders and scoring one goal and four assists.

Tottenham parted ways with the manager in February and appointed Igor Tudor until the end of the season.

Bergvall has not featured regularly under Tudor due to injury. On 20 January, he suffered an ankle injury in Spurs’ 2–0 Champions League win at home to Borussia Dortmund.

last month, the potter said It will be difficult for him to be fit in time for the current international break.

However, he returned to the field in Tottenham’s 3–2 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid last week. At the weekend, he again came off the bench in Spurs’ 3–0 league defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Despite his earlier doubts, Potter added the young player to his list. Bergvall played 13 minutes in Sweden’s 3-1 win over Ukraine in the World Cup playoffs on Thursday.

The Tottenham man proved the doubters wrong

After yesterday’s match, soccer channel Talked to Lucas Bergvall about his fitness and other topics.

On his early return from injury and his place in the national team, he said: “It’s been tough. But it was incredibly fun to come back and we won.

“Yes, it happened quickly. But it’s hard to say when you get an injury like that. It varies from person to person as to how quickly it goes. I was lucky that I came back in time.”

The main goal of the Tottenham Hotspur player was to get a place in Graham Potter’s team.

“Yes, it is. And that was the goal. To get back to the national team. I think most people had written me off when I had the injury. I tried to rehab as quickly as possible and get back.” Bergvall explained.

Sweden must beat Poland on Tuesday to book a place in the World Cup. The midfielder, for his part, feels ready to start in this important encounter.

“It depends on the coach but I am ready,” He added.

Ahead of tomorrow’s match, Potter said the Spurs man is “extremely important” to the national team.

On this comment Bergvall said: “Did he say that about me? First of all, it’s incredibly funny to hear him say that. I’m just trying to come here and help the team as much as I can after the injury. I can contribute as much as I can so that we can get to the World Cup.”

Sweden squad for March international break

Graham Potter’s team will face Poland on March 31:

Goalkeepers: Christopher Nordfelt, Melker Aalborg, Noel Törnqvist

Defenders: Victor Lindelof, Isak Hien, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Carl Starfelt, Daniel Svensson, Gustaf Lagerbilke, Herman Johansson

Midfielders: Mattias Svanberg, Jesper Carlström, Yasin Ayari, Hugo Larsson, Lucas Bergvall, Besfort Jenelli, Gustav Lundgren, Williet Svedberg, Eric Smith, Elliot Stroud.

Forwards: Victor Gyökeres, Anthony Elanga, Gustaf Nilsson, Benjamin Nygren, Rouni Bardaghji, Taha Ali

🇷🇴Radu Dragusin | Really nice words from the defender.

🤍Explains how he fell in love with the move to Tottenham
🩺The closeness has increased @madders10: “It’s just an example of how he is, the kind of guy he is. That and a lot of my colleagues.”https://t.co/h2fVYHOANm #thfc #joyce

– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 26 March 2026

Clint Kubiak changed his mind.

Three weeks after the Las Vegas Raiders announced their coaching staff would be without a quarterbacks coach – a decision that raised eyebrows considering the decision was coming on April 23 – Kubiak has returned and filled the spot. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo, the Raiders are hiring longtime NFL assistant Mike Sullivan for the role.

Sullivan, 59, has been a quarterbacks coach in this league four times: twice with the New York Giants, once with the Denver Broncos, and most recently with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2021-23. He also has experience as an offensive coordinator with the Buccaneers and Giants. He was set to join Rutgers as a senior offensive assistant before coming back to Las Vegas. The two have history, as Sullivan and Kubiak were on the same Broncos staff in 2018.

Rent matters for an obvious reason. Fernando Mendoza is almost certainly walking through that door as the No. 1 pick in Pittsburgh on April 23 and the Raiders have a complicated history developing young quarterbacks. Sullivan helped bring along Eli Manning during New York’s 2011 Super Bowl run. He has done this before also.

When I wrote about this vacancy in early March, the thinking around the organization was that Kubiak, along with OC Andrew Janko and assistant head coach Mike McCoy, had enough experienced offensive minds in the building to cover the position. This is still true. But adding Sullivan doesn’t hurt. It just means Mendoza has another voice – a dedicated one – when the real work begins.

The question mark on the staff in 2026 was always Rob Leonard on defense, not the QB room. Sullivan’s appointment does not change that. But for a franchise that has often botched quarterback development, getting this piece right matters. Kubiak called. Now we’ll see what Sullivan does with it.

Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1 … More about Scott Gulbransen

The Milwaukee Bucks decided to waive Cam Thomas on Monday afternoon, just hours before the Bucks were scheduled to take on the LA Clippers in Los Angeles.

The decision comes just weeks after the franchise signed the guard to help its shorthanded roster in an effort to advance in the playoffs.

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was asked about the move to waive Thomas before the game on Monday.

“Yeah, it was pretty tough, to be honest,” Doc Rivers told members of the media before the Clippers-Bucs game. “We’ve run out of resources and at the end of the day, there are guys you have to make decisions on. I thought Cam was really good overall, and he might be a guy we could look at again. Where we’re at right now, not really looking because when we signed him, we thought it was the right thing to do for the rest of the guys right now.”

Thomas was released by the Brooklyn Nets on February 5 after a suitable trade partner could not be found for the guard. On February 8, the Bucks and Cam Thomas agreed to a deal for the remainder of the season.

Since the contract he played 18 games for the Bucks, averaging 10.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 27.5 percent from three.

“There are things we don’t need to talk about,” Rivers said. “It’s nobody’s job, like I said before. As a coach you have to decide what’s best for the team at that time. People don’t understand that, they talk about other things, and it’s not for anybody to know.”

From 2023 to 2025, Cam Thomas played 91 games for the Bucks, averaging 22.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from three.

The top five picks in the 2026 NBA Draft will be all rookies, but Darius Acuff Jr. is not projected to be one of them. A potentially historic crop of talent, coupled with serious defensive concerns, is causing the Arkansas star to land a little further down the board in most mocks. However, one of the all-time great college basketball head coaches has no concerns about Acuff transitioning to the next step.

“Acuff is one of the top two or three players in the country,” Duke icon and five-time national champion Mike Krzyzewski told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday. “He’s got a man’s body. He’s ready for the NBA. And he loves pressure.”

“Darius Acuff is one of the top two or three players in the country..

He’s ready for the NBA and he loves the pressure.”

coach’s #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/YZUbTBSRk1

– Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) 23 March 2026

The 19-year-old guard has been electric during the season and is captivating fans through the Razorbacks’ first two games of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. He scored a combined 60 points on 20 of 41 shooting and also dished out 13 assists versus Hawaii and High Point. Acuff is a tremendous offensive talent who has been compared to Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.

He can punish opponents at the rim or behind the 3-point line (44.6 percent from downtown), solidifying Coach K’s declaration that he is well-prepared for the Association. Considering the ease with which he gets buckets, not to mention his aforementioned strong physique, Darius Acuff Jr. should be able to perform against NBA competition. Still, teams that are selecting early in the draft may be hesitant to rely on his defense.

The unanimous All-American and SEC Player of the Year made a splash at High Point on Saturday, but he faced little resistance against the Panthers on the other end of the field. Mediocre or even subpar defenders can thrive if they are potent enough offensively, but no one can be a complete liability in that department. Acuff probably has the strength and athleticism to reach an acceptable standard. Can he prove that much before June?

The Sweet Sixteen showdown with Arizona provides the perfect opportunity. However, honestly, if he can lead Arkansas to victory over the No. 1 seed in the West Region, the defensive issues won’t matter to officials. Acuff will attempt to extend his landmark campaign on March 26 inside the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

With Cade Cunningham firing on all cylinders throughout the season, the Detroit Pistons have emerged as a major force in the current campaign. They currently lead the Eastern Conference with a 49–19 record. A similar uptrend has been evident with the Toronto Raptors, who finished 11th in the East last season, but currently sit in 5th with a 38-29 record.

However, for former Toronto head coach Sam Mitchell, the Raptors may be even more talented than the Pistons, according to a post on X by Omar Osman, despite both teams’ current records.

Sam Mitchell says the Toronto Raptors may have more talent than the first-seeded Detroit Pistons overall 👀:

“You think about Cade Cunningham, who’s his second best player?”

“Look at the Raptors. You got Scotty Barnes and Bey. They’re your 2 best players.”

“You see… pic.twitter.com/zzr39iikJR

– Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) 18 March 2026

“You think about Cade Cunningham, who’s their second best player? Look at the Raptors. You got Scotty Barnes and BI. Those are your 2 best players,” he said during his appearance on TSN, citing the huge gap between the Pistons’ best and second best players.

This may be understandable since Cunningham is the only Pistons player averaging more than twenty points per game, with Duncan Robinson, who is going at 19 points per game, the only other player averaging more than 15 points a pop. In comparison, the Raptors have a more balanced offensive engine, with RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes averaging more than 15 points per game.

“You look at the center position. Jakob Poeltl and Duren? About the same. So if you look at this Raptors team, and you look at what players have accomplished on the Raptors, you can argue that the Raptors might be a better team in terms of talent than Detroit,” Mitchell concluded.

Of course, Mitchell has a point considering that the Raptors are hardly viewed as favorites to make it out of the Eastern Conference. Detroit has an offensive engine that relies heavily on Cunningham.

However, they still went 5-2 without their main man and fans will argue that their scoring is actually a result of the extremely physical bad-boys-throwback type of basketball they have adopted under JB Bickerstaff. This has resulted in an impressive 25-8 home record this season, which can only be expected to extend into the playoffs.

Player agent Rich Paul will once again be raising quite a few eyebrows after his latest bold move in regards to the NBA.

Paul, who represents Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James caught attention since then launch His podcast with former ESPN host Max Kellerman led many to point out a conflict of interest.

On the latest episode of “Game Over”, Paul revealed his true feelings about being the so-called Big Three in the NBA.

“I just think, we talk about the Big Three, right? The Big Three Is advanced. the big three Is Not three big name players. The Big Three in today’s NBA are the president/general manager, the coach, and the star player. This is where the Big Three are focused. When you have that, it spreads throughout the team,” Paul said.

While the star-studded trio has long been a part of the league, it came to the forefront negatively in 2010, when James teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. He won two championships.

Now, the 41-year-old James has a talented trio on the Lakers with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Paul said he was willing to turn the team’s second-best player into a “great team president” and the third-best player into a “great coach.”

“First of all, it depends on who the second best player is. If the second best player could be the first best player, like (Jason) Tatum or (Jaylen) Brown, then the answer is no. But if the second best player is not an All-NBA-caliber player, then the answer is yes,” Paul explained.

Paul expressed some outrage in January when he said the Lakers should trade Reaves to improve their roster.

James, who has been with Paul Klutch Sports since 2012, distanced himself from the comments.

The New Jersey Devils will have to go through the remainder of the 2025–26 season. However, I think it’s time to start thinking about who will be in charge behind the bench.

Given the way the Devils have disappointed so much this season, it is reasonable to think there will be a new head coach after this season. So, who can fit behind the bench. A fellow Devil’s Beat reporter chimed in on some of the ideas below.

Elsewhere, more trade talk in St. Louis, NHL GM meetings, and more.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

NJ.com: The Devils have a decision to make when their season ends in about a month. Will Sheldon Keefe return behind the bench, or will the Devils have a new bench boss? If it’s the latter, here’s who Ryan Nowozinski should be to lead Jack Hughes & Co.

📺 devil’s rink report: In case you missed it, via Devils Rink Report here are Nico Hischier and Jake Allen’s reactions to the high-skill play between Arseniy Gritsyuk and Lenny Haminaho — who connected for an incredible goal over the weekend.

Full episode here 👇🏼 Watch the full Devils Rink report here:

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

athletic ($):NHL GM meetings begin today. The statuses of Radko Gudas and Auston Matthews will be on the agenda, but Pierre LeBrun says action is not expected.

More confirmed ($): Will there be more pressure to trade 26-year-old Robert Thomas this summer? What impact will this have on other young Blue forwards? Jeremy Rutherford dives.

colorado hockey now: NCAA free agent signings have begun, and the Colorado Avalanche have signed Gustav Stjernberg to a two-year, entry-level contract.

Forever Blueshirts: Chris Drury has been a hit or miss GM for the New York Rangers, however, here’s why Vladislav Gavrikov is one of the best.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

West Ham United assistant manager Paco Jemez would not hesitate if given the chance to manage Rayo Vallecano.

The 55-year-old man had two different spells [1992/93 and 2004] With the La Liga club during his playing career.

He returned to the Spanish team as manager in 2012 and spent four years there. During that period, the West Ham coach played 164 matches, winning 55 and losing 80.

Rayo Vallecano re-hired him as their manager in 2019, but parted ways again in 2020. In the second spell, Jemez won 18 and lost 14 out of 56 matches.

Since leaving, he has had a spell at UD Ibiza [2021/22]Iranian side Tractor SC and returned to Fiji in 2024. Jámez left Ibiza in October 2025 and joined Nuno Espirito Santo’s backroom staff in January.

This is the first time he has played an assistant role in his coaching career. Jemez has previously said that the West Ham manager’s plea for help convinced him to join the London club.

“There wasn’t much to do. He told me he needed my help, and I thought about experiencing the Premier League from the inside. He values ​​me a lot and lets me do what I like best,” He Explained in January.

Would not hesitate to leave West Ham for Rayo

Jemez has been speaking regularly to the Spanish media since joining the Hammers. He appeared as a guest in to be a chainEl Larguero on Thursday, where he discussed the possibility of returning to Rayo Vallecano.

Iñigo Pérez is currently in charge of the Spanish club. He joined them as assistant to Andoni Ierola in 2022 and left in 2023 after the manager moved to AFC Bournemouth.

Pérez was unable to move to the Premier League side due to work permit issues and returned to Rayo Vallecano as their manager in February 2024.

The West Ham coach cannot let go of his relationship with Rayo Vallecano.

“If Rayo Vallecano needs a coach, I will not hesitate for a second to accept it,” He said.

spanish newspaper As has also issued its comments on this subject.

Jemez explained: “When Rayo doesn’t have a coach and needs someone, and I think I’m the right person, I will move immediately.”

West Ham shouldn’t let him go too soon

The Premier League team appointed Nuno as Graham Potter’s successor in September. He has been in charge of 30 matches with nine wins and 11 draws.

West Ham now sit 18th in the table, level on points with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest and one point behind 16th-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham have performed well since Jemez arrived in the English capital on January 15. To give context, the Hammers have played 10 matches since his arrival and have lost only twice, against Liverpool and Chelsea.

In that period, West Ham have scored 14 points in the Premier League. This is half of the total points they have scored this season. Therefore, it is imperative that West Ham retain Jemez to avoid being relegated.

However, sooner or later it seems that Paco Jemez will return to Rayo Vallecano. The Spanish side clearly have it deep in their hearts.

🇮🇹Federico Gatti | €25m could be enough for West Ham and Nottingham Forest 💷 Financial concerns are forcing an exithttps://t.co/FpRX2p28Pt #whufc #nffc

– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 11 March 2026

Bam Adebayo did the unthinkable on Tuesday night when he scored 83 points in the Miami Heat’s 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. Despite scoring the second-most points ever in a single NBA game, Washington head coach Brian Keefe didn’t seem too impressed with Adebayo’s performance at the end of the contest.

The 49-year-old head coach credited Adebayo for playing well in the first half of the game. However, during the post-game press conference, Keefe explained that as the game progressed, it began to feel like a fake basketball game, especially in the fourth quarter.

“I give [Adebayo] Credit to the first half, Keefe said. “He hit the ball brilliantly, he scored really well with the ball… [The Heat] Obviously kept him in the game. You know, there were a lot of wrong calls. 16 free throws in the fourth quarter…

“He still got some free throws from 40 feet to the rim. I can’t explain some of those calls… The turnovers and the offensive rebounds, the possession game was definitely important. We only lost the game by seven in the second half, but the fourth quarter turned into a real basketball game.”

“The fourth quarter turned into a real basketball game.”

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe dropped 83 points on his team’s Bam Adebayo 😳

(via @WashWizards)pic.twitter.com/XfrN11UuWM

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

The Wizards coach also pointed to Turnov and offensive rebounding as major reasons for Washington losing the game. Washington turned the ball over 23 times compared to the Heat’s 16, while on the offensive end the team was outscored four times for 15. Ultimately, Keefe claimed that it was a mistake for him and his team to allow Adebayo to take control of the game.

36 of Bam Adebayo’s 83 points came from the free-throw line, a new NBA record for most free throws made in a single contest. The 28-year-old center recorded 21 points from beyond the three-point line, while shooting 31.8% from deep. The remaining 26 points scored by Adebayo came within two-point range, the majority of which were within the key. He also recorded nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block.

Tuomas Isalo has never been one to shy away from discussing the nitty-gritty of basketball, but his latest criticism touches on a trend that has increasingly frustrated NBA coaches. However, the Memphis Grizzlies are currently suffering the most, as they are effectively operating without a frontcourt. Their small-ball lineup without Ja Morant has been an easy target for opponents and officials, who have penalized overzealous, over-competing defenders.

Extensive practice on proper technique is one thing. NBA referees require a little more finesse to see things their way. Unfortunately, Isalo can’t point at the jumbotron without getting the Grizzlies in technical foul trouble. People who wear stripes hate to show off, but Memphis is throwing its hands up in anger after a recent 50-50 call.

“One of the things we’ve been good at this year, and we’ve practiced a lot, is showing our hands when there’s contact,” Isalo stressed. “I thought (against the Clippers), every time I look at the video board where they show the replays, there’s a foul on the drive.”

In two recent home losses, the Grizzlies were called for more fouls than the Portland Trail Blazers (23-22) and LA Clippers (29-20). It’s been even worse in road losses against the Minnesota Timberwolves (26-24) and Philadelphia 76ers (31-25). Even the recent win over the Dallas Mavericks (26-13) was a thrilling whistle-fest for Isalo. Being called for double violations despite having a drive-heavy game plan is almost unheard of in today’s NBA.

It’s hard to see, even if fans are rooting for the tank action to succeed. Intentionally engineering contact to cause fouls rather than executing a basketball game is either an art form or just ugly, unethical basketball. It depends on who you ask about a particular play and when. It can’t be denied that finding ways to make contact and get whistled is what smart players do to produce within the existing framework.

That’s why those ‘skills’ have come off the bench at this point.

“Our hands were outside the cylinder, and they were in the cookie jar,” Isalo said. “Players have become so skilled in this league that they can understand that situation and utilize it. And it’s not just the best offensive players. It’s one in 15 guys that are able to read that if your hand is on the body, they’re going to make that contact.”

Isalo stopped short of blaming officials for poor decisions, noting that calls are being made consistently throughout the league. Still, the pattern troubles him from a purist’s point of view. But what can be done?

Grizzlies get NBA attention

The NBA has attempted to address foul-batting before. Ahead of the 2021–22 season, the league announced an interpretive change in the role of “overt, sudden or unusual non-basketball moves by offensive players” with the ball in an attempt to draw a foul. Ahead of the 2023–24 season, he initiated a technical foul for flopping on a one-year trial basis, later made permanent.

That’s why Isalo noted that the issue is not with the consistency of whistleblowers or officials individually, but with the interpretation of the rule.

“It’s called consistently. I’m not a big fan of some of the interpretations because it seems like guys are just reaching for the foul instead of playing basketball. But it’s been extremely consistent in the way it’s been called. We’ve got to do a better job of doing that as a team and as a coaching staff doing that.”

Isalo’s comments reflect broader tensions throughout the NBA, where offensive players have increasingly mastered the art of using body contortions, sudden stops and subtle arm hooks to draw defenders into contact. Critics argue that this strategy slows down the game and rewards manipulation rather than skill, while others argue that it is simply smart, within-the-rules play. After months of feedback, the answer is not to lobby for a rule change mid-season, but to adapt.

This is perhaps the last useful test to find a silver lining in the season. These Grizzlies need to get better at playing inside and exploiting the same system that is currently working against them. Figuring out those subtle incentive structures on both ends of the court is probably the last intelligence Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward need to really run the wings.

Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie’s statement on veteran Russell Westbrook attacking the media after the loss may or may not surprise you, but either way, he’s rooting for his player. After the New Orleans Pelicans handed the Kings their 50th regular season loss, a furious Westbrook personally called out reporters for various reports and comments made during the 2025-26 season.

Christie told reporters he hasn’t seen But he was pleased with Westbrook’s passion, according to Shawn Cunningham of KCRA News.

“I still haven’t seen what Russ said,” Christy said. “Listen, I’m proud that he’s passionate about what we’re doing, man. That’s what leadership is all about. He knows what we do here. He knows all the different aspects of it. He’s a student of the game. So, what was said was no big deal.”

Kings head coach Doug Christie talked about Russell Westbrook’s viral comments following his 50th loss of the season Thursday night, the 18 games remaining in the season, getting closer to regaining a focal point and not losing the sting of losing games. pic.twitter.com/zSgBdy81T1

– Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) 7 March 2026

Doug Christie and the Kings (14-50) have the worst record in the NBA. They will look to get back to their winning streak when they host the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

Russell Westbrook calls out Kings media after 50th loss

Kings veteran Russell Westbrook has had a rocky relationship with reporters before, but watching him call out reporters felt intensely personal, as if it was pent-up anger that had finally boiled over. Westbrook said he’s been trying but hasn’t had much success in his regular season efforts.

“You know, go out and compete. It’s a game. You go in and play professionally. That’s all you can do,” Westbrook said.

Then, Westbrook turned the conversation toward the reporters in the room.

“What do you all think, though? Because y’all got a lot of answers, and y’all always talk,” Westbrook said.

Russell Westbrook decided to reach out to the media after the game tonight. pic.twitter.com/UOgmGhV5OH

– James Ham (@James_HamNBA) 6 March 2026

Westbrook says he has noticed reporters offering opinions on things only people behind the scenes would know about, presenting narratives they know nothing about, which has continued throughout the Kings’ regular season.

The New York Knicks have tried to land a superstar for years. From pursuing LeBron James’ free agency in 2010 to being linked to stars like Donovan Mitchell and even Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Knicks appear to be home to one of basketball’s biggest stars and a perennial championship contender. But, that effort to acquire franchise-changing talent hindered the Knicks for several years.

In an interview with Fan Duel TV play it backFormer Knicks coach David Fizdale looks back at the 2018-2019 season, where New York went 17-65. According to him, the team was trying to land either Zion Williamson or Ja Morant in the 2019 NBA Draft, while also trying to land Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

“I was totally on board with the plan we came up with, and I thought this was the deal and this was the way to go about it. It didn’t work out… losing all the games, sacrificing our record to get Zion Williamson or Ja.

He added, “That summer our guys thought KD and Kyrie were definitely coming to us, but it didn’t work out.”

The Knicks have had some productive role players on the team, such as Luke Kornet, who is emerging as a backup center with the Spurs this season. Tim Hardaway, Courtney Lee and Enes Kanter have had productive years in the league and Kristaps Porziņš, though battling injuries, recently helped the Boston Celtics win the 2024 NBA title.

But Fizdale believed the roster construction was not really conducive to winning.

“When you look at that roster as a whole, all solid players, but when you put them on the floor together, the pieces weren’t working… If I were doing it again, I would have struggled more to make a team early on and not cash in on my record.”

Overall, Fizdale brought a different take to the conversation about tanking. The tanking discussion has been a big one throughout the season, and Fizdale offered a different perspective on it.

“That’s the hard part for coaches when you agree to tank. When you tank, you have to build something big. Not everything that happens is considered a tank… That’s not the formula.”

The NBA on Tuesday officially named Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for February, marking the third time in his career that he has won the award and the first time he has earned the honor this season. Atkinson is only the third coach in Cavs franchise history to accomplish the feat, joining Mike Brown and the late, great Lenny Wilkens.

Cleveland went 8-3 last month with a league-leading scoring average of 120.9 points per game and the top field-goal percentage (49.8%). He also averaged the third-most assists per contest (28.9).

This coincided with the incredible dominance of Jarrett Allen and the trade deadline acquisitions of James Harden, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder.

“Bringing in James has given us new confidence, if that means anything,” Atkinson said. “We understand we’re a better team and that feeling, that confidence, for some strange reason forces you to play more and compete harder and compete harder defensively, and I felt like we were losing that edge, that confidence. So I think we’re getting that back.”

Three of the team’s four lowest opponent-scoring totals were recorded in February against the New York Knicks (94) and Los Angeles Clippers (91), and the Wine and Gold held the Brooklyn Nets to a season-low 84 points at Rocket Arena.

Offensively, Cleveland scored at least 130 points three times last month, which tied for second in the East. Its average margin of victory was 10.9 points, which ranked third in the conference. Additionally, from February 1–20, the Cavs remained undefeated and had five consecutive road wins, despite the interruption of the All-Star break.

Atkinson won the NBA Coach of the Month award twice last year, with recognition for October/November 2024 and December 2024. To catch Brown’s leading total of five with the Cavs, he will have to win it twice more.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson won the award for representing the Western Conference.

The Cavs have already had a solid start to March despite nagging injuries throughout the campaign. They have earned the next four days off before welcoming the Boston Celtics to town on Sunday afternoon.

Led by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors remain competitive in the beleaguered Western Conference. All three feel that if their health remains favorable, they can compete with the NBA’s best like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets.

But one thing is becoming more real with each passing day: This era of Warriors basketball is nearing its end.

Stephen Curry, 37, has one year remaining on his deal after the 2025-26 season. Draymond Green, who turned 36 on Wednesday, has a player option for the 2026-27 season worth $27.7 million. And head coach Steve Kerr is coaching in the final year of his contract.

While Curry and Green are expected to be back with the Warriors next season, what does the future look like for head coach Steve Kerr?

Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. recently spoke in an extensive interview with Tim Kawakami, Bay Area writer for the San Francisco Standard and host of “The TK Show” on 95.7 The Game, which also touched on Kerr’s future as Warriors head coach.

That’s where Dunleavy Jr. says he envisions Kerr returning next season and beyond.

“Yeah, I don’t see why not,” Dunleavy Jr. responded. “I mean, I guess Steve [Kerr] Mentioned a desire to get to the end of the season and find out. I think things are going well for him. We’ll figure it out when it comes, but I think it’s interesting that for us internally the focus has been on Joe, among me. [Lacob]The players and Steve are really working on getting this thing right for the rest of the season. So, we haven’t given it too much thought.”

“But obviously, on a personal level, I love having Steve here. Yes, I would guess he’s our coach next year. But again, we’re going into absolute certainty, and a lot of it is in his court, so we’ll have to see.”

In his 12 seasons coaching the Warriors, Steve Kerr has compiled a 598–338 record (.639) in 936 regular season games and a 104–48 record (.684) in 152 playoff games.

In February 2024, Steve Kerr and the Warriors agreed to a record two-year, $35 million extension to retain him as head coach of the franchise.

Entering this season on an expiring deal, Kerr said he was not particularly concerned about signing a new deal before the end of the season.

“I’m very comfortable going into the season with a year remaining,” Kerr said. “I very much agree with this [general manager] mike [Dunleavy] And [owner] Who [Lacob]. We talked about this – there is no reason for discussion or concern. This is kind of the point in our relationship where we’ll see how it goes at the end of the year.

“I don’t expect any conversations during the season. Who knows — maybe it all comes up at some point, and they come up to me. But I’m not worried about it in the slightest. I don’t think about it. I just think it’s perfect for all of us.” [to wait]”

Through 61 games, the Warriors have a 31-30 record and are currently four games behind the seventh-seeded Phoenix Suns and just 1.5 games ahead of the eighth-seeded LA Clippers. According to Positive Residual, the Warriors have the fourth-toughest strength of schedule, behind the Pelicans, Blazers and Suns.

Lonzo Ball finds himself in limbo as no team has selected him since He was waived by the Utah Jazz After acquiring him in a three-team deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks in February.

The Cavaliers signed Ball in the offseason, but only he gone 35 games, play A limited role off the bench. He became even more expensive with the arrival of James Harden.

Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson was excited about the addition of the selfless guard, praising his vision and playmaking. However, Atkinson could not get enough minutes on the ball.

28 year old ball is under multiple Mentor in the NBA, but on “Ball in the Family” he claimed to have been coached by his father, LaVar Ball, and his former coach at UCLA, Steve Alford h himburn.

“I felt like I was trained to be a certain way for a long period of my life, so when I got to the league, it was weird for me. Like if I was playing bad, someone would say, ‘Oh, it’s OK.’ He wasn’t translating for me. I would love to hear like, ‘What’s wrong? Do your work.’ It was an adjustment. “I haven’t been around a lot of coaches that can rub off on you like that,” Ball said.

“I think Stan Van Gundy was a little strict. But other than him, there’s not really any hard coaching here. I got a lot of hard coaching in college and really by my pops.”

He and his younger brothers, LiAngelo Ball and LaMelo Ball, often credit their father for inspiring them to become good players. The elder Ball was punished for his flamboyance, but it’s hard to discredit his work in turning his sons into professional hoopers.

In addition to Atkinson and Van Gundy, Ball has played for Luke Walton, Alvin Gentry and Billy Donovan in the NBA.

He enjoyed his best season under Van Gundy at the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 13.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 118 games.

Ball has struggled to regain his form in 2022 after suffering a knee injury that caused him to sit out consecutive seasons.

Casper Ankergren was part of Graham Potter’s coaching team at West Ham. The manager was shown the door from the Hammers in September and Ankergren went with him.

A goalkeeping coach, he now goes to work at Chelsea.

Potter returned to Sweden and took over the national team in March, facing play-offs to qualify for the World Cup. Ankergren did not rejoin them in that role, and has been out of work since his exit from West Ham.

He is now delighted to have agreed a move to Chelsea. The Potter connection has resurfaced, with Ben Roberts, who leads the Blues’ goalkeeping coaching, having worked with both at Brighton.

It was Roberts who was behind the idea of ​​getting Ankergren the Chelsea role, and Anker is pleased that his contacts have worked out.

Why has Chelsea got a job boost?

talking to denmark boldThe 46-year-old made it clear how happy he is to be back in the game.

The months without work since West Ham have clearly created frustration. Returning to a club of Chelsea’s level is a big boost for the coach’s career.

Bold quote from Ankergren saying: “It’s been strange not being able to do what I love for the last five months, so when the opportunity came up at Chelsea, I had no doubt it was something I wanted to try.”

The contract with Chelsea lasts until the end of the season. It is almost certain that the coach will hope to stay for a long time, and now he will have to impress the decision makers at the London club.

Liam Rosenior took over in January and Chelsea are currently pushing to qualify for the Champions League. They are sixth in the table, three points behind fifth-placed Liverpool and six behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Former Sunderland coach Mark McCormick has explained why he left the club just one year into his three-year contract at the Stadium of Light.

Kicker today had an interview with the former Sunderland coach. He explains why he left North East prematurely.

McCormick served as Head of Coach Development at Sunderland between 2017 and 2018. He was appointed in September that year to lead the development of coaches within the Black Cats academy service.

He joined Australian club Northern Tigers FC, where he was first team manager. However, his time at Sunderland would only last for a year.

Instead, he found himself in the midst of one of the most turbulent periods in Sunderland’s history. That season saw a high turnover of first-team managers, including Simon Grayson and Chris Coleman, which ultimately led to their relegation to League One.

All of this was detailed in full during the first season of the Netflix drama Sunderland ‘Til I Die. This sometimes featured the Academy’s work at the Stadium of Light, although McCormick was not personally involved.

His departure was a piece of chaos but ultimately made sense to him. Since his exit, he has established a significant coaching career in Austria, progressing from youth development to several high-level support management roles in the Austrian Bundesliga and Second League.

Why was Sunderland a mixed bag?

McCormick is now the assistant manager at SKN St. Pölten, where he earned his UEFA Pro License at the end of November 2025.

That was the main focus of his interview with Kicker, but he still couldn’t resist asking about Sunderland.

“The work at Sunderland was fantastic,” He said.

“The whole city is behind this working-class club. In the Championship, we would usually have 40,000 spectators. But it was complete chaos, as anyone can see in the documentary Sunderland ‘Till I Die.

“That’s why I left after a year, even though I had a three-year contract. And I also wanted to get back on the field myself and not just watch other people all the time. Thankfully, Cem (Sekarlioglu) took me back to Austria Vienna.”

Khamzat Chimaev has long targeted a showdown with Alex Pereira, but the undefeated middleweight champion’s grappling coach believes the Brazilian striker should take a completely different route.

A key figure in Chimaev’s corner, Alan “Finfou” do Nascimento, recently spoke with MMA Fighting and offered surprisingly candid advice for the current light heavyweight king. Rather than risk his aura in a stylistic nightmare against “Borz”, Nascimento suggests that Pereira should pursue a third divisional title in the heavyweight ranks.

Nascimento acknowledges that a bout between the two superstars would generate significant revenue, but he feels the historical implications of the heavyweight move are far more important. The grappling expert pointed out that Pereira is already the financial A-side in almost any matchup.

Therefore, accepting the fight against Chimaev, even if a second title is at stake for the Chechen-born fighter, does not offer the same historical reward as capturing a third championship belt. Nascimento said achieving champion-champ-champ status is something the organization has never seen, making it the ultimate foundation for a combat sports career.

Despite advising against the matchup from his perspective, Nascimento is confident in his protégé’s ability to reach the 205-pound limit. He said that moving up to light heavyweight requires a fair amount of time to safely gain weight and cannot be done overnight. However, if UFC officials provide the opportunity and Chimaev is interested, the team will comply and move forward with the necessary preparations.

The coach praised both athletes for their mentality in rising from difficult beginnings to the top of the sport. When breaking down the hypothetical clash of styles, Nascimento predicted a classic striker-versus-grappler dynamic, where the athlete who successfully dictates the fight location would be victorious.

He noted that if Chimaev failed to secure a takedown, he would be in serious danger of being knocked unconscious by Pereira’s signature left hook. Conversely, if Chimaev manages to pin the kickboxer to the ground, the chances of a submission victory will increase.

While acknowledging the unpredictability of combat sports – such as the hypothetical scenario of Pereira knocking out Chimaev – Nascimento firmly believes that the outcome depends entirely on which man can apply his tactics first.

The Cleveland Browns have a new head coach, but there’s no guarantee Todd Monken will immediately get better results in his first season. Still, the Browns are taking steps to ensure Monken has experienced minds he can rely on throughout the season.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that the Browns have hired 75-year-old Dom Capers to Monken’s staff. Capers will serve the team as a senior defensive assistant.

Capers has been the head coach for a total of eight seasons, split between the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans. However, he also spent 16 seasons as an NFL defensive coordinator with the Packers, Steelers, Jaguars and Dolphins. His job as defensive coordinator moved to Green Bay in 2017.

His most recent work came with the Panthers, where he spent the last three seasons as a senior defensive assistant at Carolina. It’s the same job he’s been doing since 2019 between the Jaguars, Vikings, Lions, Broncos and Panthers. Now he’ll see if he can help Monken and defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg in 2026.

With a first-year head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, the Browns will need help in some way or another next season, and now that plan includes Capers.

RELATED: 5 potential Kirk Cousins ​​free agency landing spots after Falcons release

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos fell short of their goals this season, but this group looks like they could be a step or two away from reaching the Super Bowl in the near future. Franchise quarterback Bo Nix isn’t going anywhere, and after retaining Vance Joseph, the Broncos’ third-ranked scoring defense should remain elite in 2026.

Now the Broncos may need a little more help to become the class of the AFC. Recently, Coach Payton sat down with an old friend about a position on his staff.

According to KUSA’s Mike Klis, the Broncos talked to former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer about a role on the coaching staff last week. Payton wants Zimmer to join the Crew in a “senior coaching” role.

Payton and Zimmer reportedly share mutual interest in making a deal, but as Klis reports, nothing is imminent. Zimmer worked with Payton on the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2005. Now, almost 20 years later, the two may be reunited.

Zimmer last served in the NFL as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator in 2024. If they can come to an agreement on a contract he will bring over 20 seasons of NFL experience to Denver. With the Broncos making back-to-back trips to the playoffs, Denver appears to be a good fit for Zimmer if he wants to add to his Super Bowl ring collection after winning one in 1995.

RELATED: Minnesota Vikings trying to trade Pro Bowl player

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

West Ham United’s Taty Castellanos has revealed that he had the opportunity to join River Plate early in his career.

The Argentina international appeared on a stream with Lagusneta and Teo D’Elia to talk about some topics.

The Millionaire Page Includes comments from the West Ham player on River Plate’s interest and why the move never came to fruition.

The striker arrived in Europe for the first time when Verona signed him from New York City FC in 2022. A year later, he left the La Liga team to join Lazio permanently. He spent over three years with the Serie A team before Nuno Espirito Santo’s side signed him in January.

West Ham player surrounded by River Plate fans

The South American club approached the 27-year-old when he was his assistant to Mattias Biscay. His first term was between June 2012 and December 2022. He returned to River Plate again in August 2024 as assistant to Marcelo Gallardo.

Taty Castellanos reveals talks with Biscay over joining the Argentine club. Furthermore, people close to him were pushing him to leave New York City FC for River Plate.

“My friends from Mendoza and my brother are all River Plate fans, they were driving me crazy trying to get me to join them,” He said.

“I also spoke to Biscay, Gallardo’s assistant. This was six months before Gallardo finished his first stint at the club.”

Why didn’t Taty Castellanos join River Plate?

According to La Pagina Millonaria, after losing Julian Alvarez to Manchester City, River Plate tried to sign the attacker in the summer of 2022. In the same window, the Argentine club sold Enzo Fernández to Benfica.

These two deals significantly improved their financial position, but reports now claim that River Plate refused to meet New York City’s $15m [€12.7m] price. Therefore, he ultimately did not join them.

Taty Castellanos has two goals in nine appearances for West Ham in all competitions. He has a contract until 2030, with the option of a further year, but has been linked with a move away from the Hammers.

Last week, Sports Witness Brazilian claims covered Flamengo are considering him for the near future.