everton are back in the mix to sign Djuriko Davitashvili from AS Saint-Étienne in the summer.

Back in January, Sport Witness Covered claims from France Everton are entering the race to sign him.

That time, benfica were challenging Premier League sides but could not get a deal over the line.

The winger has enjoyed good performances with the Ligue 2 team, scoring 15 goals and providing five assists in 31 appearances.

His impressive performances have already attracted the attention of several European clubs

Everton is in competition with 5 other clubs

Foot-Sur7 It is now reported that six clubs are in the race to sign the Georgia international in the upcoming window.

This includes David Moyes’ team, Benfica, Olympiacos, AS Monaco, Lille and Besiktas. The outlet claims it is their own information and reports that these clubs are lining up to secure his services.

These six clubs are hoping that Saint-Étienne will continue in Ligue 2 so that they can snatch up Zuriko Davitashvili.

The French club finished third in Ligue 2 and faced OGC Nice in a two-legged playoff. The second phase will take place on May 29 and this deadline is crucial for the Toffees and the five other interested parties.

This is because the attacker’s supporters are eagerly waiting for his deadline to launch their bid. Of these six clubs, Lille has the advantage after achieving direct qualification for the Champions League.

Saint-Étienne is aware of the difficulty of retaining the 25-year-old without a return to Ligue 1.

In the event of a sale in the summer, the French club would demand at least €15m. The fee could be higher if they return to the top flight.

Everton, Benfica, Olympiacos, AS Monaco, Lille and Besiktas have all been reported to be interested in a fee to sign Davitashvili.

Contract, price and agent information

The Georgian has a contract until 2028, with the option of a further year, and is worth according to transfer marketIs €10m.

Georgian agency Jugeli Sports, owned by agent Giorgi Jugeli, is representing the winger.

The New York Mets have been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball this season, entering Sunday’s game with an 18-26 record despite having one of the highest payrolls in MLB. As a result, questions are being raised about changes to the front office and coaching staff.

MBL insider Robert Murray wrote this week that he believes Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is likely safe. This had a lot to do with how much team owner Steve Cohen wanted him and how long he waited to hire him.

RELATED: Insiders explain whether the Mets will sell at the trade deadline

“Cohen coveted Stearns, believing he was the top candidate for the job, and waited more than a year to hire him after he left the position with the Brewers. He would not fire him at the first sign of trouble.”

In New York, Robert Murray met with president of baseball operations David Stearns, claiming to be safe.

Stearns, age 41, established himself as one of the best general managers in baseball during his tenure with the Milwaukee Brewers (2015-2023). After taking over as the Mets president of baseball operations ahead of the 2024 MLB season, he led the club to the National League Championship Series in his first year, but the team is now on the verge of consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance.

Despite declines in recent years, Cohen still believes in Stearns’ vision for the future. Therefore, New York’s head of baseball operations would have to dictate how the club approaches the MLB trade deadline, with a strong incentive to buy out and save his job.

RELATED: MLB Power Rankings Week 7, New York Mets Climb

The same level of trust and job security doesn’t exist for Mendoza. Murray wrote that the Mets’ captain’s future “seems more uneven” and that change is possible. What doesn’t help the New York manager is the fact that a vacancy will attract the top managerial candidates in MLB.

Ultimately, the most likely outcome is that Mendoza will be fired this year and Stearns will be chosen as the next captain of the Mets. If things don’t work out with the next manager, Cohen will likely vacate the house.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

週六晚上，扎克·切利 (Zak Chelli) 在法比奧·沃德利 (Fabio Wardley) 對陣丹尼爾·杜布瓦 (Daniel Dubois) 的比賽中打出了拳擊史上最大的冷門之一。

很少有人給這位來自富勒姆的學校老師擊敗古巴狡猾的大衛莫雷爾的哪怕一絲希望。

In his debut at 200 pounds, David Benavidez challenges unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez this Saturday. The “Mexican Monster” dominated early and defeated Ramirez with very fast hands. In the fourth round, Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) landed a five-punch combination that dropped the defending champion to one knee.

The challenger continued to punish Ramirez with left hooks and right hands in the sixth round, as he was knocked down for the second time. However, “Zardo” failed to beat the referee’s count, and Benavidez scored a TKO victory to become the new WBA (Super) and WBO cruiserweight champion.

Following his win, the three-division champion called out several big names including Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol. We also consider other names that would be ideal matchups for Benavidez’s next opponent.

Jai Opetaia

There’s no doubt how big a fight with Jay Opetaia would be for the division. Even Benavidez expressed interest in the possibility when asked about fellow undefeated cruiserweights. Except that the former 200-pound IBF and Ring Magazine titleholder signed with Zuffa Boxing in January. He defeated Brandon Glanton by unanimous decision in March to claim the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title.

With two big punchers facing off, can a crossover promotion make the fight a success?

artur beterbiev

The native of Dagestan, Russia has not fought since a unanimous decision loss to Bivol in February 2025, which was a rematch for the undisputed light heavyweight championship. Benavidez did not rule out a return to 175 pounds, where he also holds the WBC title. Of Beterbiev’s 21 wins, only one has gone the full distance. Due to his brute power, Beterbiev will certainly give the WBC light heavyweight champion a tough test.

A victory over the former 175-pound undisputed champion would certainly add a notable name to Benavidez’s resume.

Dmitry Bivol

The WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine light heavyweight champion is set to defend his title against mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 30. Benavidez referred to Bivol as “No. 1 on his hit list”, and it’s no surprise. Since his light heavyweight debut in 2024, Benavidez has been clear about his desire to challenge for the undisputed championship. There’s no doubt this is the biggest fight at 175 pounds.

canelo alvarez

The Mexican icon has been targeted by Benavidez for years. While Alvarez never demonstrated a mutual desire in a potential fight, Benavidez has not forgotten the former four-division titleholder. After the unified cruiserweight champion once again called out “Canelo” in front of a cheering crowd last Saturday, it seems the fans haven’t forgotten either. Alvarez last fought at 175 pounds in May 2022, where he lost a unanimous decision to Bivol for the WBA (Super) light heavyweight title.

If Benavidez captures the undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship, will Alvarez shift gears?

Born and raised in New York City, Jimmy Robles received a journalism degree from Queens College in 2017. Before… More About Jimmy Robles

It’s the same story, this time louder. David Benavidez is not holding back, and his latest comments aimed at Canelo Alvarez are easily his most direct to date. In a recent interview, the undefeated contender didn’t dance around it. He questioned Canelo’s desire to fight him and made it clear that he still viewed that matchup as unfinished business.

“He’s scared, he has no balls. That’s the thing. I give Canelo total respect… but I was the #1 contender in two weight classes for a long time.”

That tension has been building for years. Benavidez, now 30-0 with 24 knockouts, has consistently topped the super middleweight division. At one point, he held the WBC interim title and sat as a mandatory challenger, yet the fight never came to fruition.

“He’s shown he doesn’t want to fight me. It’s a real shame because it’s a fight everyone wants to see.”

David Benavidez vs. Canelo Alvarez: A fight that never came together

On paper this was the fight. Two Mexican stars. Same division. High stakes. Huge interest from fans.

But boxing rarely goes according to script.

Canelo Alvarez, now 35, has built his career around big names and calculated moves. He became a four-division world champion and one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in the sport. Nevertheless, Benavidez believes that despite earning his position he was constantly ignored.

The situation changed even further last year after Canelo lost his undisputed super middleweight title to Terence Crawford. That loss changed the division and, in some ways, changed the urgency of the Benavidez fight.

Now, with Canelo Alvarez planning a comeback later this year and reportedly knocking out both Benavidez and Dmitry Bivol, that long-awaited clash is looking less likely than ever.

Benavidez moves forward but doesn’t let go

This is where things get interesting. Benavidez isn’t waiting any longer, calling out Canelo Alvarez still.

He is going up.

The 28-year-old is set to face Gilberto Ramirez at cruiserweight on May 2, a serious step up to a heavier and more dangerous division. It’s not just a fight to stay busy, either. Ramirez holds the major titles, and a win would immediately legitimize Benavidez at 200 pounds.

Benavidez even claimed that he tried to make the Canelo fight a financial success, saying that he had offered $150 million which went nowhere. Whether those numbers hold up or not, it shows just how far he was willing to go to secure the fight.

Still the tone did not change.

“I have 100% confidence in myself and my skills. If he says he’s the baddest man on the planet, why not give the fans what they want to see?”

the window might be closing

At this point, it seems like one of those feuds that remains more in debate than reality.

Benavidez is moving to a different weight class. Canelo Alvarez is choosing his path carefully. The time that once made this fight right is beginning to slip away.

Promoters know this. The fans definitely feel it.

And if Benavidez wins at cruiserweight, the conversation could completely change. He will no longer pursue Canelo. He might be making something new.

Still, this rivalry won’t be completely over until both fighters battle it out. Too much history. Too much conversation. And honestly, a lot of people still want to see it happen.

Dogley Wilberforce is a boxing writer for SportsNaught, covering fight news, fighter reactions and major bouts in the sport… More about Dogley Wilberforce

A New York Jets insider this week revealed the unexpected reason why the team prefers to use the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft on David Bailey instead of Arvel Reese.

After another disappointing season in 2025, the Jets are in good position heading into next week’s draft. While they don’t have the No. 1 overall pick at the event, they might as well as the Las Vegas Raiders are set to take quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in Round 1. This allows the Jets to select the most talent-rich player available this year.

There is a lot of speculation about who that player will be. However, most mock drafts and expert opinions point to the Jets selecting Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey or his Ohio State counterpart Arvel Reese. The reason a lot of people are divided on them is the perception that Bayley is better right now, with Reese having a much better fit.

Well, it seems like the Jets’ decision makers aren’t thinking long term and want to get better immediately after a three-win season.

Do the New York Jets want David Bailey because he can make an impact quickly?

During a new appearance on the gang is all here podcast, Jets insider Brian Costello claimed that many around the NFL are convinced Bailey will be the choice for two reasons. First of all, Glenn is feeling the pressure of losing his job and needs a player who can be very good now, not later. The second reason is that Bailey is a “plug-and-play” talent. On the other hand, it is unclear where Reese will play in the NFL as an EDGE or outside linebacker.

Costello believes it would be a poor decision by Glenn and management to draft a player based on what they can do for them now rather than in the long term. However, this is the opinion of sources around the NFL as to how the Jets’ brain trust will view this incident.

Jets fans will find out which way the team goes during the first day of the 2026 NFL Draft next week.

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

The Denver Nuggets put on one of their best offensive performances of the season in a 142-135 win over the Dallas Mavericks, and Jamal Murray was once again at the center of the proceedings. Murray finished with 53 points on 19-28 shooting, another historic day amid a career season so far.

And according to a post on Vinny Benedetto’s X, Nuggets head coach David Edelman believes he’s in contention for the All-NBA First Team as well.

“I really hope All-NBA is something that’s obvious and there’s no argument,” Edelman said, referencing another “special night” for the 29-year-old.

According to The Athletic, Edelman claimed he has had several such nights this season before matching the accomplishments of both Murray and Nikola Jokic with Denver.

“It’ll be really cool when this thing is over and we look back at what these two have done together here. We’re really fortunate in this city to have these two guys playing for this basketball team,” he concluded.

Murray went 9-14 from beyond the arc and also had six rebounds and four assists. The guard had already scored 33 points at halftime, almost half of Denver’s 68 points in the first two quarters.

The Canadian international is having a career season, posting his best-ever averages of 25.4 points, 7.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He is also making 7.4 three-pointers per game and 10.9 two-pointers per game, which are career highs.

In addition, Murray’s three-point efficiency (42.6%) this season is also slightly higher than his career-high 42.5%, which came during the 2023-24 season. These statistics have come along with several game-winning performances, with Murray already receiving his first All-Star call-up this season.

Of course, his coach also took this opportunity to praise Nikola Jokic, who returned with a spectacular triple-double of 23 points, 21 rebounds and 19 assists. Jokic reached 6,000 career assists despite shooting only 8-19 from the field during the game. The Nuggets shot 56% overall and 50% from three-point field, much of the credit for Murray’s almost obscene shooting in the game.

The Denver Nuggets probably entered FedExForum on Wednesday thinking they were going to get an easy win against the Memphis Grizzlies. However, the opposite happened, as the Grizzlies defeated the Nuggets 125-118.

The Nuggets suffered their fourth loss in seven games, losing 42–28. Although they still have plenty of chances to find their footing, losing to the Grizzlies, who had only 24 wins before their head-to-head, was unforgivable.

In a video posted by Altitude TV after the game, Denver coach David Edelman expressed regret over his inadequate effort and allowing Memphis to blame no one but himself. control Of the game.

“Really a bad loss for us. I give them (the Grizzlies) credit, they played very fast, they played the way they play. There’s no excuse for it. I knew we’d be tired and sloppy to some degree, but it’s a long game, a lot of time to get ourselves into the game, and I thought we just waited too long,” Edelman said.

After falling behind 39-31 in the third period, the Nuggets tried to rally in the fourth quarter. But the Grizzlies managed to stop them. Edelman explained that playing backwards “is not a good place to be in the NBA.”

“The way we played early gave them a lot of confidence, even though it was tied at the half, I don’t think we played well,” Edelman said.

“A bad loss for us”

Hear more from head coach David Edelman at https://t.co/FkAXlCYDGb 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/MdTrJpHK0P

– AltitudeTV (@AlteachTV) 19 March 2026

The Grizzlies played 80% of the game and scored 27 points off the Nuggets’ 19 turnovers.

Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and 10 errors. Jamal Murray added 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.

They’ll look to bounce back on Friday against the Toronto Raptors.

On Saturday evening, the Denver Nuggets suffered their biggest loss of the season with an overtime road loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. It appeared that the Nuggets had the game wrapped up by the end of regulation, but Lakers guard Austin Reaves engineered a perfectly executed missed free throw, which he then rebounded and scored to tie the game.

After the game, Nuggets head coach David Edelman explained what happened in the game.

“It’s one of those things that’s 100 in the NBA,” Edelman said, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, formerly of Twitter. “It happened. You give them credit. But there were a lot of things that led to it that we could have done differently, maybe better.”

Some criticized the Nuggets for not placing a fourth player in the lane to join in the rebounding action for Reaves’ second free throw, which went straight to an empty area of ​​the paint, where another Denver player could have been deployed had they so chosen.

A loss to Los Angeles would likely erase the good vibes from Denver’s recent solid win over the San Antonio Spurs, even without Victor Wembanyama.

It was a particularly brutal game for shooting guard Jamal Murray, who scored only five points and was shut out of the contest, a full 180 points from his usual dominance against the Lakers in recent years.

The Nuggets are currently 41-27, and are just a game and a half away from the Phoenix Suns to avoid the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets now have a few days off before they next face off at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday evening.

俄克拉荷马城——在对阵俄克拉荷马城雷霆队之前，丹佛掘金队主教练大卫·阿德尔曼对谢伊·吉尔杰斯·亚历山大追平威尔特·张伯伦连续 126 场比赛得分 20+ 的纪录进行了展望。对于花了 63 年才打破的纪录，吉尔吉斯-亚历山大的历史性夜晚将载入史册。

在吉尔吉斯-亚历山大实现 NBA 历史上最罕见的壮举之​​一之前，阿德尔曼提供了 适当的上下文 在他赛前接受媒体采访时。

“我不知道人们是否知道做到这一点有多难。在 10 场（连续）比赛中得到 20 分，而不是 120 分，无论是什么，这都很特别。他是一名特别的球员，”约基奇说。 “与他交手是一种荣幸，也是一种荣幸。”

大卫·阿德尔曼 (David Adelman) 在 SGA 上即将追平威尔特·张伯伦 (Wilt Chamberlain) 连续 20+ 场比赛的记录：“这充分说明了 Shai 的职业生涯。他多年来表现出的稳定性，以及篮球现在处于一个非常好的位置这一事实……

这不仅仅是一个…… pic.twitter.com/mxWequmjBH

— 约书亚·皮科克 (@Joe_Sway) 2026 年 3 月 9 日

据 ESPN 的安东尼·斯莱特报道，周一，在吉尔吉斯-亚历山大投进致胜三分球帮助球队以 129-126 击败掘金队后，全明星球员兼 MVP 候选人尼古拉·约基奇向 SGA 致敬，因为他追平了张伯伦在 NBA 历史上连续得分超过 20 分的纪录。

“我不知道人们是否知道做到这一点有多难。在 10 场（连续）比赛中得到 20 分，而不是 120 分，无论是什么，这都很特别。他是一名特别的球员，”约基奇说。 “与他交手是一种荣幸，也是一种荣幸。”

尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 谈 SGA 连续 126 场比赛拿下 20 分追平威尔特 (Wilt)

“我不知道人们是否知道做到这一点有多难。在 10 场（连续）比赛中得到 20 分，而不是 120 分，无论是什么，这都很特别。他是一名特别的球员。” pic.twitter.com/YMSWvXGbhj

— 安东尼·斯莱特 (@anthonyVslater) 2026 年 3 月 10 日

掘金队将于 4 月 10 日主场迎战卫冕冠军雷霆队，这是本赛季最后一次对阵。

马克·戴尼奥特 (Mark Daigneault) 在雷霆获胜后透露 SGA 的“超能力”

周一历史性的夜晚之后，雷霆队主教练马克·戴尼奥特回顾了谢伊·吉尔杰斯·亚历山大作为一名球员、领袖和一个人的情况，SGA 在这场历史性的夜晚以 129-126 的三分制胜球击败了掘金队。

“他从不施压。他只是对环境有令人难以置信的认识，对比赛时间的认识；我认为这是他的超能力之一，”戴尼奥说。 “他知道比赛有多长。所以，他可以做出正确的比赛，知道自己会取得突破。如果他过早投丢球，他知道还有更多比赛要做。他总是在精神上保持专注。我认为这就是他始终如一的部分原因。”

吉尔杰斯-亚历山大很早就转向了他的支持阵容，他们无疑没有让人失望，雷霆队的杰林·威廉姆斯全场得到29分，其中包括职业生涯最高的7个三分球和12个篮板。阿杰·米切尔 (Ajay Mitchell) 在从腹部拉伤和左脚踝伤势中恢复后的第一场比赛中，以 24 分领先替补球员。

“我认为今晚他的传球真的很棒。即使是那些不是助攻的简单传球，”戴尼奥补充道。 “他们整晚都包夹了他。他很早就下场了，就像阿贾伊那样 [Mitchell] 很晚阿杰开车把哈达威带到了那里。这只是防守前的简单打法。今晚他打了一场精彩的比赛。显然，这是一个伟大的结束。一位伟大的球员。”

雷霆队已经取得了七连胜。

OKLAHOMA CITY – Before facing the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets head coach David Edelman put into perspective Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 consecutive 20+ point games. A record that took 63 years to break, Gilgeous-Alexander’s historic night will go down in history.

Before Gilgeous-Alexander accomplished one of the rarest feats in NBA history, Edelman provided proper reference During his pregame media availability.

“I don’t know if people realize how hard it is to do that. To score 20 points in 10 (straight) games, not 120, no matter what, it’s special. He’s a special player,” Jokic said. “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to play against him.”

David Edelman on SGA is on the verge of equaling Wilt Chamberlain’s consecutive 20+ point games: “It says a lot about Shai’s career. The consistency he’s shown over the years and the fact that basketball is in a really good place right now…

It’s not just one… pic.twitter.com/mxWequmjBH

-Joshua Peacock (@Joe_Sway) 9 March 2026

According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, after Gilgeous-Alexander’s game-winning 3-pointer topped Monday’s 129-126 win against the Nuggets, the All-Star and fellow MVP candidate Nikola Jokic congratulated SGA for tying Chamberlain’s record for consecutive 20+ point games in NBA history.

“I don’t know if people realize how hard it is to do that. To score 20 points in 10 (straight) games, not 120, no matter what, it’s special. He’s a special player,” Jokic said. “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to play against him.”

Nikola Jokic ties Wilt with 126 consecutive 20-point games at SGA

“I don’t know if people realize how hard it is to do that. To score 20 points in 10 (straight) games, not 120, whatever, it’s special. He’s a special player.” pic.twitter.com/YMSWvXGbhj

– Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) 10 March 2026

The Nuggets will face the Thunder for the last time this season when they host the defending champions on April 10.

Mark Daigneault reveals SGA’s ‘superpower’ after Thunder win

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault reflected on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a player, leader and person after Monday’s historic night where SGA held the Nuggets to a game-winning three in a 129-126 victory.

Daigneault said, “He never presses. He has incredible situational awareness, awareness of the length of the game; I think that’s one of his superpowers.” “He understands how long the game is. So, he can make the right plays, knowing he’s going to hold his own. If he misses a shot early, he knows there’s still more to play. He’s always in it mentally. I think that’s why he’s as consistent as he is.”

Gilgeous-Alexander turned to his supporting cast early and often, and they undoubtedly did not disappoint as the Thunder’s Jaylin Williams finished with 29 points, including a career-high seven threes and 12 rebounds. Ajay Mitchell led the way off the bench with 24 points in his first game back from an abdominal strain and left ankle injury.

Daigneault said, “I thought his passing tonight was really cool. Even ordinary people weren’t supportive.” “They doubled him all night. He got over it early, like it happened with Ajay [Mitchell] Even late, Ajay got Hardaway there. It’s just a simple game before defense. She played a very good floor game tonight. Obviously, a great finish. A great player.”

The Thunder have won seven consecutive games.

David Perrone is going back to Detroit. After parts of two seasons with the Senators, the Red Wings are bringing back the 37-year-old veteran, who played in Detroit for two seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24. The hope is that Perron can work his way back to health and help the Red Wings on their playoff journey. As far as the Senators are concerned, the trade would give them a conditional fourth-round selection. Let’s get into the details.

READ MORE: Senators acquire Warren Foegele from Kings

Peron’s time with senators

When Perron signed a two-year deal worth $4 million per season in the summer of 2024, expectations were high. He was coming off a 17 goal, 47 point season with the Red Wings and was a veteran of over 1100 games. He also had a Stanley Cup on his resume during his time with the St. Louis Blues. Unfortunately, injuries have plagued the Senators as well as Perón. He has missed time in each of his two seasons and is currently out with a sports hernia. His numbers in both seasons were as follows:

• 2024-25: 43 games, 9 goals, 16 points
• 2025-26: 49 games, 10 goals, 25 points

In the Senators’ first-round series against the Maple Leafs last year, he played well, scoring 2 goals and one assist in 6 games.

Over the past two seasons it was clear that Perron was an extremely slow skater. He lacks both initial burst and top end speed. What he did provide, however, was a great board battler who was always ready to move into the dirty areas. Despite limited minutes, he produced solid numbers this season, including 3 goals and 8 points on the Senators’ second power play unit.

return to senators

These are the conditions for draft selections that come before senators:

• If Perron plays a game this season or in the playoffs for the Red Wings, the Senators will receive a 2026 fourth-round draft pick.
• If Detroit reaches the second round of the playoffs and Perón plays at least 50 percent of his first-round games, the Senators will receive a 2026 third-round selection.

With these conditions, it seems as if Peron’s health is clearly still in question.

final thoughts

The move lines up nicely with the trade made just hours earlier, which brought in the Senators’ Warren Foegele. Essentially, Foegele is the Perrone replacement on the wing, with the Senators giving up a second-round pick and (probably) selecting a fourth. So, is it for senators? Staios was aggressive at last year’s deadline, so don’t be surprised to see him push for something more tomorrow.

Danny was born and raised in Ottawa and still lives in that city. He has followed… more about Danny McCloskey

Denver Nuggets head coach David Edelman continues to defend All-Star Nikola Jokic for his actions in the fourth quarter of last Friday’s 127-121 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Edelman didn’t care for Lou Dort’s apology for drawing the flagrant-2 foul on Jokic. When Dort intentionally knocked down the MVP candidate in the backcourt by going over his injured left knee, Nikola was furious.

Edelman understands Jokic’s frustration, having to deal with the physicality of opposing teams that run the line on dirty plays is enough for any player. lose one’s temper According to the DNVR Nuggets, he said, in the heat of competition at a high level.

“It’s not biased towards my own player. Nobody in the league is being guarded like he is. Nobody. Nobody is sitting on the knees of other MVPs. Nobody is taking shots the way he’s taking them. But that’s our reality,” Edelman said. “And so, we’ve got to continue to try to win games. He’s got to play through that physicality. I’ve got to find places on the court where he can play in space – that’s on me. So, there [are] No excuse. If the whistle doesn’t blow, it won’t blow.

“The game continues. We will deal with it as long as we can. Also, I have no problem with his reaction. Like I said, reacting is part of being a human being. If this continues, we will react accordingly.”

“No one in the league is being protected like he is. No one is taking a knee to another MVP. No one is taking shots the way he’s taking them. But that’s our reality.”

Nuggets head coach David Edelman explained how to execute Nikola Jokic.

(via @DNVR_Nuggets)
pic.twitter.com/QahpHTOKrZ

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 5 March 2026

After losing to the Thunder in overtime, the Nuggets suffered another loss at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves (117–108), but bounced back with a 128–125 win against the Utah Jazz.

David Edelman calls out Thunder for not reacting to Lu Dort

Nuggets head coach David Edelman was amazed by the Thunder’s response to Lou Dort’s blatant -2 foul on Nikola Jokic. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault expected the same result if the situation had been reversed, but he never condemned Dort for his actions. Lu’s teammates chalked it up to a spur-of-the-moment play.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, for Edelman, Jocic losing his temper was justified due to the severity of Dort’s foul.

“He’s a more measured guy throughout the season — I think most guys are. If they’re measured they’re more productive. But there’s a point where we play these games, and he tackles anybody on the night [would] React that way. For Dort to take that shot – and then I guess it was no big deal from his perspective, how he saw it – is ridiculous. He was malicious. It was a cheap shot.

“Lou Dort is a great player, and I haven’t seen him do that before. But at some point, you have to stand up for yourself, and so does the team. They’re a great team. That’s what that game was. But, yeah, Nikola, that’s who he is, man. You can’t have the success that he’s had and you can’t be as competitive. He’s got emotions inside of him that he keeps under control, but the guy is very capable and very willing to respond emotionally,” Edelman said. Concluded.

The Nuggets will face the Thunder on Monday at Paycom Center.

Former NJPW standout David Finlay officially arrived to AEW during Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite in El Paso, Texas. Making his presence felt immediately, Finlay interfered in a tag team grudge match, using his signature shillelagh to attack Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy. The attack served as a reunion for Finlay and his former Bullet Club War Dogs colleagues, Clark Connors and Gabe Kidd, with the trio now officially recognized as The Dogs in AEW.

Although the fourth-generation wrestler was heavily linked to WWE by rumors – especially considering that his father, Fit Finlay, and brother, Brogan Finlay, are both with the company – new details have emerged as to why the deal fell through.

Did WWE offer David Finley a low price?

周三，前 NJPW 杰出人物 David Finlay 在德克萨斯州埃尔帕索举行的 AEW Dynamite 节目中正式抵达 AEW。芬利立即介入了一场双打怨恨比赛，用他标志性的希拉拉攻击达比·阿林和奥兰治·卡西迪，让人们立即感受到了他的存在。这次袭击是芬利和他的前子弹俱乐部战犬盟友克拉克·康纳斯和加布·基德的重聚，这三人现在被 AEW 正式认可为“The Dogs”。

虽然有传言将这位第四代摔跤手与 WWE 联系在一起——特别是考虑到他的父亲菲特·芬利 (Fit Finlay) 和兄弟布罗根·芬利 (Brogan Finlay) 都在该公司工作，但有关交易失败的原因的新细节已经浮出水面。

WWE终于给了大卫一个低价报价？

Despite the veteran guard’s recent apology, Denver Nuggets head coach David Edelman is not discounting the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Lou Dort for his flagrant 2 fouls on All-Star Nikola Jokic. After the Nuggets’ 127-121 loss in overtime on Friday, Jokic called Dort’s dirty play an unnecessary move. Dortch spoke about the incident for the first time Tuesday.

The Thunder guard said he shouldn’t have made such a dangerous play on Jokic. However, Edelman did not care about Dort’s recent comments when a reporter asked the Nuggets head coach if Lu Apology means nothing to himhe said, according to Troy Renk of the Denver Post.

“No,” Edelman replied. “No,” as he repeated his terse response.

Dort acknowledged that his foul on Jokic was out of bounds. #nuggets‘ feedback? don’t care.

Coach Edelman:

As a footnote, there is going to be a playoff-physical cage match on Monday night in OKC pic.twitter.com/o3OwGWQ1DR

– Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) 4 March 2026

Speaking to the media in the visitors’ locker room after Tuesday’s 116-108 win against the Chicago Bulls, Dort reflected on the play that caused him to miss Friday’s game, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic.

“It was a physical game the whole game,” Dortch said. “Obviously, there was unnecessary contact that I shouldn’t have made. Getting kicked out of the game hurt me the worst. But yes, it was a high-level game. I’m a competitor, so I compete.”

David Edelman and the Nuggets will face the Thunder in a rematch next Monday at Paycom Center.

Nikola Jokic speaks out after altercation with Thunder’s Lu Dort

Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic slammed Lou Dort for his flagrant-2 foul in Friday’s overtime loss to the Thunder. Ready to leave the loss behind, Jokic believes adversity will make the Nuggets better in the long run. Perhaps there is a plan to avenge the defeat from the current champion.

According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, he said, by no means, that Jokic did not hold back from criticizing Dort’s actions.

“Unnecessary move, and a necessary reaction,” Jokic said. “There’s no such thing – I think things like that shouldn’t happen on a basketball floor. So it was just an unnecessary step and a necessary reaction by me.”

The Nuggets returned to the win column with a 128-125 win against the Jazz on Monday.

The Denver Nuggets had quite a scare against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on Monday. Luckily, Jamal Murray put on his superhero hat and led them to a hard-earned 128-125 win.

The Nuggets snapped their two-game skid and improved to 38–24, including 22–12 on the road.

Murray looked like a secret member of The Avengers, scoring 45 points on 13-of-19 shooting, including 8 of 13 from beyond the arc. He also had two rebounds, eight assists and two steals.

his brilliant performance was not lost On Nuggets coach David Edelman, as shown in video posted by AltitudeTV.

“Jamal was really special. I mean, 45 points on 19 shots,” Edelman said.

“Jamal was really special. I mean, 45 points on 19 shots.”

Coach Edelman is reflecting on tonight’s win and Jamal Murray’s performance. 👇
Watch the full interview at https://t.co/FkAXlCYDGb pic.twitter.com/9wza1qSYym

– AltitudeTV (@AlteachTV) 3 March 2026

This was not the first time Edelman had praised Murray. When the prolific guard dropped a season-high 52 points in December, Edelman was adamant that Murray was “above average,” underscoring the fact that he is largely underappreciated by fans.

The 29-year-old Murray has had a stellar campaign, including earning his first nod to the All-Star Game. His pairing with Nikola Jokic remains one of the most lethal in the NBA, and the Nuggets will go as far as this pairing will take them.

Meanwhile, Edelman praised his players for maintaining composure despite a tough challenge from the Jazz, who lost 18–43.

“I don’t know, I think people judge wins these days. I don’t. Wins are wins. Losses are losses. We would have beaten OKC (Thunder) if (Alex) Caruso missed that three, we lost tonight, what’s the difference? We’re just trying to win, get ourselves to a good place. I’m proud of the guys for sticking with it. There was no nervousness,” Edelman said.

The Nuggets return to action on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Before facing the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault responded to Denver Nuggets head coach David Edelman’s recent comments on Lou Dort’s flagrant -2 against Nikola Jokic in Friday’s win. Edelman called out the Thunder’s Daigneault for his opinion on Dort’s ejection, which was mentioned to a reporter by Daigneault before Sunday’s matchup against the Mavericks.

Daigneault doubled down on my tech As of Friday night, reminding reporters that his stance on Dort’s flagrant -2 has not changed in the past 48 hours since the Thunder’s 127-121 overtime win against the Nuggets, according to Sports Illustrated’s Rylan Stiles.

“I’ll reiterate what I’ve said whenever we’ve played Denver for a long period of time, which is I have nothing but respect, we have nothing but respect for Denver,” Daigneault said. We are respected from top to bottom. We obviously have respect for Jokic, Gordon, Murray because those guys have worked together for so long and had a lot of success, but we also have respect for their staff.

I mentioned this during the playoffs last year. Like I said, I have nothing but the highest respect. I said it the other night – teams make each other better. That’s why this is a great matchup. That’s all I’ll say about it,” Daigneault concluded.

Mark Daigneault was asked about David Edelman’s comments today about Lou Dort’s Hardcore II over Nikola Jokic “We have nothing but respect for Denver” pic.twitter.com/ycNEp339jw

– Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) 1 March 2026

Clearly, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault is not going to shadow Dort for his Major-2. At this point, he will stick to his response that the Nuggets and Thunder matchup is a physical match that brings emotions to a boil.

David Edelman responds to Thunder’s firing of Lou Dort

Nuggets head coach David Edelman didn’t hold back in his reaction to Thunder veteran Lou Dort after his stellar performance against All-Star Nikola Jokic on Friday. Daigneault never criticized Dort for his vicious foul on Jokic, which led to an interesting response from Edelman ahead of the Nuggets’ matchup against the Timberwolves on Sunday.

“Yeah, I think that’s him,” Edelman said. “He’s a more measured guy throughout the season — I think most guys are. If they’re measured they’re more productive. But there’s a point where we play these games, and he tackles anybody on the night [would] React that way. For Dort to take that shot – and then I guess it was no big deal from his perspective, how he saw it – is ridiculous.

“He was malicious. It was a cheap shot. Lou Dort is a great player, and I haven’t seen him do that before. But at some point, you’ve got to stand up for yourself, and so does the team. They’re a great team. That game itself was like that. But, yeah, Nicola, he’s who he is, man. You can’t have the success he’s had and you can’t be as competitive. There’s feelings inside that he’s in control, but that guy is very capable. And very willing to respond emotionally,” Edelman concluded.

The Thunder will face the Mavericks on Sunday.

Denver Nuggets head coach David Edelman has not defended All-Star Nikola Jokic for his reaction to Lou Dort’s headed 2 in Friday’s 127-121 overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. During his postgame press conference, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault never criticized Dort for his hard-2. Instead, Daigneault hoped that the play would be called the same way if it was reversed, with no malicious intent.

Jokic retaliated by getting in Dort’s face. After this, a scuffle started between Thunder center Jaylin Williams and players of both the teams had to separate. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Edelman understands why Jokic reached his peak during the fourth quarter of the game, when tension was high between the Thunder and Nuggets.

“Yeah, I think that’s him,” Edelman said. “He’s a more measured guy throughout the season — I think most guys are. If they’re measured they’re more productive. But there’s a point where we play these games, and he tackles anybody on the night [would] React that way. For Dort to take that shot – and then I guess it was no big deal from his perspective, how he saw it – is ridiculous.

“He was malicious. It was a cheap shot. Lou Dort is a great player, and I haven’t seen him do that before. But at some point, you’ve got to stand up for yourself, and so does the team. They’re a great team. That game itself was like that. But, yeah, Nicola, he’s who he is, man. You can’t have the success he’s had and you can’t be as competitive. He’s got emotions that he keeps in control, but he’s a guy emotionally. Very capable and very willing to provide feedback.”

For this, Lou Dort was thrown out. pic.twitter.com/6JO8h2odv8

– SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) 28 February 2026

Apparently, the Nuggets’ David Edelman is not happy with how the Thunder responded to Dort’s foul after the game. When Jokic was asked about it by a reporter during media availability after the game, he didn’t hold back.

“There’s no such thing – I think things like that shouldn’t happen on a basketball floor,” Jokic said after the game. “So, it was an unnecessary move by me and a necessary reaction.”

The Thunder will host the Nuggets again on March 9 at Paycom Center.

Mark Daigneault’s opinion on the ejection of Thunder’s Lou Dort

After Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault called Lou Dort’s flagrant 2 on Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic uncharacteristic of him, All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said he didn’t see the play that made Jokic angry. Nuggets head coach David Edelman would probably have a different opinion. Officials deemed Dort’s play beyond the reach of the Nuggets’ MVP candidate, ruling out the veteran guard after an extensive review.

After the game, Daigneault chalked up Dort’s play to the Thunder guard’s competitive nature amid the fourth quarter of a physical matchup against the Nuggets.

“That was a weird game. These are two teams that played each other in a seven-game series. We’re in the same division. We’ve played each other 100 times,” Daigneault said. “They know our playbook. We know their playbook. It is what it is. It’s going to be an imperfect game, and things escalate like that sometimes. I know Lu [Dort]. I know [Nikola] Jokic.

“I know J-Will. I don’t think anybody is trying to hurt anybody; they’re just great competitors. It just ended up being over. I think it was nothing more than that.”

The Thunder will face the Mavericks on the road on Sunday.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Ahead of Friday’s showdown between MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets and All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, coach David Edelman had an interesting thing to say. Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander are recovering from injuries that have kept them out of a lot of games. Many wondered whether any of them would be able to reach the NBA’s 65-game requirement to qualify for the MVP award.

For the third consecutive season, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic are the two leading candidates for MVP. Before Friday’s matchup, Edelman addressed the league 65-game regular-season requirement For NBA awards and how it could affect Jokic and SGA’s tight race.

“The rules weren’t made for them. They both got hurt. They both play all the time. So, that part of it — maybe we have to look at that. I really mean that. That’s one of the best things about both guys,” Edelman said. “When a fan buys a ticket, they’re going to play. And they’ve done that for years, and our guy’s been doing that for a very long time. Him missing a game, him missing a practice, him missing a workout, it’s really tough on that guy.

“He’s a regular-based player, which is good for our game, good for the fans, and Shai is the same way. That’s one of the most impressive things about both guys. So, when both guys get hurt, I don’t look at it as a comfort. I think there’s a difference, and I know why the rule is there — it’s to clean things up. It makes sense to me and to the fan.”

While the 65-game rule forces teams to play their stars regardless of their record, Nuggets coach David Edelman understands the importance of fans attending games. He doesn’t think this rule should apply to guys like Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander, who rarely miss games intentionally.

“It’s the worst when your bus is parking, and you see kids in jerseys, and they show up, and that guy doesn’t play,” Edelman said. “I look at it both ways, but in the spirit of the game, I think Shai and Nicola have been great for the league over the years. I hope that’s taken into account as we move forward.”

David Edelman’s strong opinion on SGA and Jokic’s MVP race in relation to the NBA’s 65-game rule: “The rule wasn’t made for them. They both get hurt. They both play all the time. So, that part of it – maybe we have to take a look at that…

There is a difference and I know why the rule is… pic.twitter.com/IWRsNt7krz

-Joshua Peacock (@Joe_Sway) 28 February 2026

Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander return for Nuggets

After missing the past nine games, Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns from an abdominal injury for Friday’s contest against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. It’s always must-see TV when Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic are going at it.

After last year’s Western Conference Semifinals best-of-7 series, where the Thunder and Nuggets played Game 7 at Paycom Center, this should be another playoff-like intensity with SGA and Jokic taking center stage.

维克多·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 继续成为圣安东尼奥马刺队的超级巨星，在圣安东尼奥马刺队最近战胜底特律活塞队后，他再次与蒂姆·邓肯和大卫·罗宾逊等人并列。

邓肯和罗宾逊是马刺队唯一的前状元秀，他们显然是球队历史上最伟大的两名球员，但他们也是NBA历史上最伟大的大个子之一。当温比加入他们的独家名单时，这总是一项重大成就，而他周一晚上在底特律的统治地位又为这位年轻球星的一长串成就增添了色彩。

在马刺队以114-103战胜活塞队的比赛中，温巴尼亚马出战36分钟，得到21分、17个篮板（其中8个进攻板）和6个盖帽。结果，他与罗宾逊和邓肯一起成为马刺队历史上唯一一位在一场比赛中至少得到20分、15个篮板、5个盖帽和8个进攻篮板的球员。

两位马刺传奇人物在各自的职业生涯中三次实现了这一壮举。

温比对凯德坎宁安的封锁👀

只是来自外星人的荒谬的东西👽pic.twitter.com/vacTyagBfV

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 2026 年 2 月 24 日

自全明星周末以来的最后三场比赛中，温巴尼亚马连续三场两双，场均贡献 22.0 分、14.3 个篮板和 5.0 个盖帽。他在对阵活塞队的比赛中出色的表现帮助马刺队取得了九连胜，使球队仅落后俄克拉荷马城雷霆队 2.5 个胜场，成为 NBA 最佳战绩。

这场比赛结束后，温巴尼亚马反思自己16投仅6中，声称他在场上的个人表现并没有赢得这场对活塞的比赛，而是球队的集体努力。

“下半场的防守相当令人满意，”温班亚马赛后说道。 “艰难的投篮之夜。这就是他们（活塞队）所做的。如果他们不想让你得分，那么他们就不会让你得分。这就是为什么我也在谈论进步，因为今晚每个人都紧密相连。整场比赛，每个人都在进攻上紧密相连。

“今晚每个人都必须吃饭，因为我们联系紧密。”

马刺队自2018-19赛季以来首次取得九连胜，这也是该组织最后一次进入季后赛。

圣安东尼奥马刺似乎不再可能在未来十年被排除在西部季后赛之外，因为温班亚马已经在 22 岁时在 NBA 留下了自己的印记。他现在才刚刚触及名人堂潜力的表面，他将继续在球队历史上与邓肯和罗宾逊并肩。

老实说，不难想象温比未来会超越他的前辈。

維克多·文班亞馬 (Victor Wembanyama) 繼續成為聖安東尼奧馬刺隊的超級巨星，在聖安東尼奧馬刺隊最近戰勝底特律活塞隊後，他再次與蒂姆·鄧肯和大衛·羅賓遜等人並列。

鄧肯和羅賓遜是馬刺隊唯一的前狀元秀，他們顯然是球隊歷史上最偉大的兩名球員，但他們也是NBA歷史上最偉大的大個子之一。當溫比加入他們的獨家名單時，這總是一項重大成就，而他週一晚上在底特律的統治地位為這位年輕球星的一長串成就增添了色彩。

在馬刺隊以114-103擊敗活塞隊的比賽中，溫巴尼亞馬出戰36分鐘，得到21分、17個籃板（其中8個進攻板）和6個蓋帽。結果，他與羅賓遜和鄧肯一起成為馬刺隊歷史上唯一一位在一場比賽中至少得到20分、15個籃板、5個蓋帽和8個進攻籃板的球員。

兩位馬刺傳奇人物在各自的職業生涯中三次實現了這一壯舉。

溫比對凱德坎寧安的封鎖👀

只是來自外星人的荒謬的東西👽pic.twitter.com/vacTyagBfV

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 2026 年 2 月 24 日

自全明星週末以來的最後三場比賽中，溫巴尼亞馬連續三場兩雙，場均貢獻 22.0 分、14.3 個籃板和 5.0 次蓋帽。他在對陣活塞隊的比賽中出色的表現幫助馬刺隊取得了九連勝，使球隊僅落後俄克拉荷馬城雷霆隊 2.5 場勝場，成為 NBA 最佳戰績。

這場比賽結束後，溫巴尼亞馬反思自己16投僅6中，聲稱他在場上的個人表現並沒有贏得這場對活塞的比賽，而是球隊的集體努力。

「下半場的防守相當令人滿意，」溫班亞馬賽後說道。 「艱難的投籃之夜。這就是他們（活塞）所做的。如果他們不想讓你得分，那麼他們就不會讓你得分。這就是為什麼我也在談論進步，因為今晚每個人都緊密相連。整場比賽，每個人都在進攻上緊密相連。

“今晚每個人都必須吃飯，因為我們聯繫緊密。”

馬刺隊自2018-19賽季以來首次取得九連勝，這也是該組織最後一次進入季後賽。

聖安東尼奧馬刺似乎不再可能在未來十年被排除在西部季後賽之外，因為溫班亞馬已經在 22 歲時在 NBA 留下了自己的印記。他現在才剛觸及名人堂潛力的表面，他將繼續在球隊歷史上與鄧肯和羅賓遜並肩。

老實說，不難想像溫比未來會超越他的前輩。

After the Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers by 54 points last Friday, the team would be unable to muster a 128-117 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. As there is some concern for the Nuggets following their loss to the understaffed Warriors, head coach David Edelman will point to an interesting aspect of the opponent’s injury report.

Just before tip-off, which was at 12:30 p.m. local time, Golden State announced that Green was a late scratch due to lower back tightness. This prompted the Warriors to go with Al Horford, who scored 22 points in his highest-scoring game as a team member, leading Edelman to admit how “confused” it was to see a late injury to Green.

“That was confusing,” Edelman said, via ESPN. “I think that’s why we report the injury. Obviously, the game plan was very different.”

The loss was a painful one for Denver, as they were missing Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, who is still out, Golden State’s top four players, Kristaps Porzingis and Green due to a season-ending injury. Although this was Denver’s third road game in four days after the All-Star break, it can’t be denied that the team won’t use this as an excuse.

What Warriors had on Nuggets to Nikola Jokic became real

Jokic, who himself is recovering from injury, had a great game where he recorded 35 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and two blocks. However he also acknowledged, via Sports Illustrated, that Golden State had “better energy”.

“They had better energy, and since I (dunked in the fourth quarter), I think the score was tied, I missed a three, they made a three, I had a turnover, they made like a six, went on a 7-0 quick run, and they were up 13, 11 or whatever. So we couldn’t really find an open shot; they were finding open shots, they were making like they made the whole game,” Jocic said.

At any rate, Denver will look to bounce back in its next game on Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics.

The Portland Trail Blazers are rumored to be in the process of being purchased by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, leading to concerns over the limitations of the Moda Center as well as the franchise being moved out of the city. While the sale is expected to be completed around March 2026, many fans, including Denver Nuggets head coach David Edelman, do not want the Trail Blazers to move on.

Edelman was asked about his favorite childhood memories of Portland, and his response became an impassioned plea.

“They have to keep the team here. They have to find a way to do that. This is a basketball town. Northwest deserves two teams. It would be crushing for this community… Emotionally, I know what this place is and what it means to have a professional basketball team here. It’s not just something to hang out with. It’s something to go to and be a part of,” he said, according to a post on X by journalist Brenna Green.

David Edelman was asked about his favorite childhood memories in Portland @katywinge And it turned into an impassioned statement about why the Blazers should stay in PDX:

“They’ve got to keep the team here. They’ve got to find a way to do that. This is a basketball town.… pic.twitter.com/Gz95dpdVbN

– Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) 21 February 2026

Edelman spent a large portion of his childhood in Portland as he is the son of former Trail Blazers head coach Rick Edelman, who also previously played for the team. The Trail Blazers have been in Portland for more than 55 years, but things could change with the expected approval of Tom Dundon’s purchase at a valuation of more than $4 billion.

The limitations of the arena’s infrastructure, along with new ownership and the fact that the long-term lease expires in 2030, have brought uncertainty about the future. The Trail Blazers are the area’s only major men’s professional sports franchise in leagues such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, or NHL, further increasing the importance of the team residing in the city.

However, an immediate transfer appears unlikely. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has indicated that a transfer is “not under consideration right now”, although according to WRAL News, this phrase makes the future uncertain.

克利夫蘭的變化很少會悄然到來。儘管如此，大衛·恩喬庫的離開仍然帶來了情感上的沉重影響。在橙色和棕色的九個賽季​​之後，這位經驗豐富的近端鋒宣布他將測試自由球員。關於球隊歷史最長的進攻章節之一的書到此結束。恩約庫曾經被視為一種基本的失配武器和更衣室支柱，但現在他在陣容全面重置、教練更換和年輕化的哲學重心中退出。

然而在整個聯盟中，他的上場被視為一個機會。即使上賽季角色有所減少，恩約庫的體型、運動能力和紅區可靠性仍然吸引著尋求近端鋒多才多藝的競爭者。對於希望重申自己價值的老將來說，有幾支球隊自然而然地脫穎而出。

防禦和過渡

布朗隊的 2025 年賽季是深刻轉變的一年。它的定義是卓越的防守，但由於進攻的不穩定而受到削弱。儘管球隊擁有聯盟最具統治力的防守之一，但球隊卻取得了 5 勝 12 負的戰績，並在亞足聯北部墊底。邁爾斯·加勒特 (Myles Garrett) 完成了歷史性的 23 次擒殺賽季。與此同時，新秀線衛卡森·施韋辛格成為了球隊的基石。然而，進攻端卻出現了不一致的情況。新秀四分衛謝德爾·桑德斯 (Shedeur Sanders) 展現了自己的潛力，但也經歷了可預見的成長陣痛。該部隊難以維持得分動力。

在那場動盪中，近端鋒發生了象徵性的轉變。新秀小哈羅德·范甯逐漸成為傳球進攻的焦點。他最終帶領球隊接球。他的出現恰逢一場更廣泛的青年運動重塑了進攻體系。球隊決定在賽季結束後與主教練凱文·斯特凡斯基分道揚鑣，這只會強化組織重組的感覺。在那個不斷發展的藍圖中，恩喬庫變成了犧牲品。

恩約庫的角色日漸縮小

恩約庫在克利夫蘭的第九個也是最後一個賽季反映出了身體上的困境和使用率的下降。他出場 12 場比賽，接球 33 次，推進 293 碼。這是他自 2020 年以來的最低產量。儘管如此，他在高槓桿領域的價值仍然顯而易見。恩約庫獲得了四次達陣，並繼續作為可靠的紅區選擇。

揮之不去的膝傷最終縮短了他的賽季，讓他缺席了最後四場比賽。賽季結束時，位置轉換完成。隨著范甯成為 TE1 的一員，並且圍繞年輕球員重新調整進攻，恩喬庫公開宣布他打算在自由球員市場尋求“新家”。這結束了他在接球和達陣方面都攀升至球隊歷史上近端鋒第二位的任期。

合約動態

Njoku 的退出也受到復雜的金融機制的影響。他在 2022 年簽署的為期四年、價值 5475 萬美元的續約將於 3 月 12 日失效。這使他職業生涯第一次成為不受限制的自由球員。由於之前為減輕早期上限負擔而進行的重組，克利夫蘭現在面臨著與他的離開相關的 2430 萬美元的固定上限費用。布朗隊預計將在 6 月 1 日之後部署一個指定，以將這一打擊分攤到兩個賽季。這應該會緩解眼前的財務壓力，同時正式過渡到更年輕的近端鋒核心。對於恩約庫來說，合同到期讓他有機會根據適合性、機會和競爭時間表來選擇下一個情況。

以下是他最有潛力的目的地。

亞特蘭大獵鷹隊

亞特蘭大提供了最平滑的示意性過渡之一。隨著凱爾·皮特斯在新秀合同窗口不平衡後進入自由球員市場，獵鷹隊在近端鋒面臨著不確定性。主教練凱文·斯特凡斯基的到來只會加深這種聯繫。斯特凡斯基在克利夫蘭的共同任期中對恩喬庫的技能非常了解。這就是近端鋒在“12 人”部署中蓬勃發展的地方。

斯特凡斯基的進攻依靠雙近端鋒陣型，通過比賽動作和分層路線概念來強調防守。 Njoku 已經了解系統中嵌入的阻塞分配和時序期望。這種熟悉可以轉化為立即使用，而不是延長適應期。對於 Njoku 來說，亞特蘭大既舒適又寬敞。

綠灣包裝工隊

綠灣的興趣既源於設計的需要，也源於必要性。包裝工隊的近端鋒深度圖在 2025 年遭到重創。塔克·克拉夫特 (Tucker Kraft) 前十字韌帶撕裂，約翰·菲茨帕特里克 (John FitzPatrick) 因跟腱受傷而倒下。這種消耗使得 Jordan Love 在進入 2026 年時沒有經過驗證的中間安全閥。

恩喬庫的到來將穩定這一空白。他的跑動阻擋能力與馬特·拉弗勒爾的寬區框架完全一致。與此同時，他在接縫路線上的存在將增強綠灣隊的進攻能力。在紅區，他的接球能力將解決上賽季末困擾進攻的終結問題。即使卡夫捲土重來，Njoku 也可以作為補充的在線選項。這將在該方案中保留兩個緊端的多重性。

堪薩斯城酋長隊

堪薩斯城的吸引力在於競爭和繼任計劃。特拉維斯·凱爾斯 (Travis Kelce) 仍然高效，但已進入 36 歲的賽季。這促使球隊更謹慎地管理他的工作量（如果他回來的話）。到 2025 年，“酋長”還缺乏一致的次要武器。這將使防禦力量能夠集中覆蓋主要目標。

恩約庫將為帕特里克·馬霍姆斯提供另一種運動型中場武器，同時啟用更重的兩名近端鋒組合。 Kelce 可以轉向更多的槽位排列，而 Njoku 則可以處理串聯任務和垂直接縫。這對搭檔將保留進攻的爆發力，同時為后凱爾斯時代悄悄奠定基礎。對於 Njoku 來說，抽籤與常年存在的超級碗生態系統直接相關。

田納西泰坦隊

田納西州代表了一條不同但同樣引人注目的道路。在主教練羅伯特·薩利赫和進攻協調員布萊恩·達博爾的帶領下，泰坦隊正在圍繞四分衛卡姆·沃德進行建設。年輕的四分衛經常嚴重依賴近端鋒作為進展閱讀和比賽動作概念中的安全毯。

隨著 Chigoziem Okonkwo 也進入自由球員市場，田納西州面臨進入 2026 年時缺乏穩定老將的情況。恩約庫將在進攻中扮演傳統的“Y”型近端鋒，平衡攔網職責和中路的連鎖移動路線。他的接球半徑將為沃德提供一個寬容的目標窗口，特別是在高壓下。

競爭者價值

恩喬庫的克利夫蘭分會可能即將結束，但他的聯盟價值仍然完好無損。他仍然擁有罕見的身體素質和跨多個進攻系統的多功能性。亞特蘭大提供熟悉度和數量。綠灣提供了因傷病而產生的機會。堪薩斯城距離冠軍很近。田納西州與一位冉冉升起的四分衛提供發展合作夥伴關係。

對於尋求相關性和復興的退伍軍人來說，下一個目的地不是重塑，而是重新發現。

當新英格蘭愛國者隊希望為超級碗比賽計劃做最後的準備時，明星角衛克里斯蒂安·岡薩雷斯至少部分地把目光投向了另一支 NFL 球隊：華盛頓指揮官隊。

沒錯，在對賈克森·史密斯-恩吉巴和庫珀·庫普進行刻苦訓練的同時，岡薩​​雷斯還目睹了他的姐夫大衛·布拉夫被任命為指揮官隊的新進攻協調員，這使他成為現代 NFL 歷史上最年輕的 OC 之一。

當被問及他的大家庭的另一位成員在超級碗媒體週期間獲得了一些好消息時，岡薩雷斯稱讚他姐姐的丈夫在他的 NFL 職業生涯早期就獲得瞭如此好的機會。

“是的，我認為這太棒了。我為他感到非常興奮，對我們，對我認識的人來說，這並不奇怪。他是一個聰明的頭腦，一個非常好的球頭腦，對球了解很多，”岡薩雷斯解釋道。

“我很幸運能認識他，我不知道，也許是在高中的時候就認識了。所以我看了很多，這真的很酷。我認為他會做得很好。他有武器。我為他、為他的新旅程、為我的妹妹和他們的家人感到興奮。我認為他們可以一起做到這一點，享受它並度過美好的一年。”

布拉夫以球員身份開始了自己的 NFL 職業生涯，從普渡大學以 UDFA 身份與克利夫蘭布朗隊簽約，之後再次為底特律雄獅隊、明尼蘇達維京人隊、亞利桑那紅雀隊和驕傲隊進行訓練。 布拉夫從四分衛轉變為指揮官隊的四分衛教練，然後於 2026 年晉升為 OC。當華盛頓上場時，30 歲的他將成為 NFL 最年輕的球員之一。第一周將繼續讓岡薩雷斯在未來幾年感到自豪，除非新英格蘭歡迎指揮官來到城鎮，反之亦然。

華盛頓指揮官們決定他們迫不及待地想要得到邁克·麥克丹尼爾，所以他們扣動扳機並選擇大衛·布拉夫作為他們的新進攻協調員。這就是為什麼宣傳布拉夫是非常有意義的。

在 2024 年 NFC 錦標賽的後續比賽中以 4 勝 13 負的成績結束後，指揮官們必須做出改變。他們還沒有準備好結束主教練丹·奎因的任期，所以其他人不得不離開。其中包括解僱進攻協調員克里夫金斯伯里。

因此，指揮官們開始內部尋找替代者。他們把進攻鑰匙交給了30歲的大衛·布洛。但為什麼？

指揮官們與年輕的大衛·布洛一起冒著 OC 的風險

首先，讓我們看一下奎因角。這是最重要的，因為奎因有權簽署或拒絕此舉。

奎因擁有金斯伯里，並且在 2024 年表現出色。但金斯伯里的進攻有在衰退之前迅速走出大門的歷史。這是一個既定的趨勢。

當 2025 賽季陷入困境時，奎因沒有理由把帽子掛在金斯伯里身上。當歷史表明聯盟再次追上了金斯伯里時，即使傑登丹尼爾斯健康，為什麼還要期待逆轉呢？

於是奎因打開了門。他會在下一個進攻協調員身上尋找什麼？

鑑於奎因過去的行事方式，他選擇一個好老男孩可能是有道理的。這就是他最終遭遇小喬·惠特的防守災難的原因。

但這是一個不同的丹·奎因。由於 2025 年賽季的結果非常糟糕，時間已經不多了。這可能是奎因成為 NFL 主教練的最後機會。一定會有一種絕望的感覺。不要驚慌失措，因為奎因會雙腳著地。如果明天他被指揮官解僱，第二天他很可能就會成為另一支球隊的防守協調員。

但在跟上 NFL 年輕人的思維的意義上來說是絕望。看看留在 NFC 季后賽的教練：本·約翰遜、肖恩·麥克維、凱爾·沙納漢和邁克·麥克唐納。

聯盟中有年輕的槍手爭奪超級碗。對於奎因這個年齡段的人來說，跟上潮流意味著加入人群並變得更年輕。這就是布拉夫帶來的部分成果。

指揮官 OC David Blough 代表了全新的視角

布拉夫贏得了這個機會嗎？並不真地。他準備好應對這個高壓職位了嗎？時間會證明一切。

那麼布拉夫有什麼吸引力呢？是他和丹尼爾斯的關係嗎？當然，指揮官們想讓丹尼爾斯高興。他是他們讓這支球隊每年重新爭奪季后賽席位和季后賽成功的唯一希望。

但僅僅作為四分衛的伙伴並不能讓布拉夫在進攻桌上佔據主導地位。布拉夫之所以能獲得這個職位，是因為他在日常足球教練工作中所表現出的表現。

他的建議很有道理。他的想法常常奏效。也許最重要的是，他以一種 2026 年的方式來理解比賽。

這並不是說像肖恩·佩頓這樣的老幫派已經無法完成任務了。事實上，佩頓今年可能隨野馬隊贏得超級碗。但華盛頓的球隊對錯過優秀教練很敏感。

可以說沙納漢是 NFL 中最好的教練。如果不是他，那麼也許是麥克維。這兩個人都在華盛頓內部。他們逃走了。要么今天就可以執教指揮官隊，誰知道可以避免多少年的失敗賽季？

因此，布拉夫受益於歷史。他得到了機會，因為指揮官們擔心失去另一位未來的主教練超級巨星。

布拉夫會是那樣嗎？現在說還為時過早。但布拉夫擁有成功的內在優勢。

QB 傑登·丹尼爾斯 (Jayden Daniels) 為大衛·布洛 (David Blough) 帶來先機

我們不要忘記健康的傑登·丹尼爾斯所做的一切。他的新秀賽季數據並沒有什麼僥倖或幸運的地方。好吧，也許萬福瑪麗的勝利是幸運的。但這些數字顯示出巨大的希望。

2024年，丹尼爾斯的傳球成功率為69%。他傳出 25 次達陣，僅被攔截 9 次。他讓指揮官們繼續參加比賽，但最終他們還是退出了比賽。

丹尼爾斯在 2025 年只首發了 7 場。他的完成率下降到了 60.6。在那七場比賽中他只傳出了八次達陣。但可以說，就像金斯伯里在 2024 年舉起丹尼爾斯一樣，他今年也阻止了丹尼爾斯。

布拉夫將獲得兩次與丹尼爾斯搭檔的機會。他將有機會讓他更多地處於中鋒位置。這將創造更多的傳球機會。丹尼爾斯輕柔的前場傳球將創造出金斯伯里在 2025 年錯過的霰彈槍式進攻的精彩表現。

丹尼爾斯不需要一直處於霰彈槍狀態。從比賽的角度來看，他不需要成為跑動的威脅。據稱，他身高 6 英尺 4 英寸，體重 210 磅，而且很瘦。丹尼爾斯需要掌控足球的主要時間是在爭奪中。當防守隊員遠離他時，他可以跑出 20 碼，然後滑行或跑出界外。

布拉夫的主要目標是保持丹尼爾斯的健康。如果他能與賈里德·戈夫一起帶來雄獅隊如此出色的中下戰術打法，那麼丹尼爾斯可能會在 2026 年度過一個偉大的賽季。

對於丹·奎因來說這是一個大膽的舉動

請不要誤會這一點。如果布拉夫在這個角色上被擊敗並且指揮官在進攻上陷入困境，他們就會輸掉比賽。防守不足以贏得比賽。

因此，奎因把他的主教練聲譽寄託在布拉身上。想一想。這就是最終的認可。 “我的工作我信任你。”

由於 NFL 中沒有人認為 Quinn 是愚蠢的，因此這一舉動對於 2026 賽季來說非常有意義。

現在，指揮官們的粉絲們，請坐下來保留判斷力。相信布拉夫和奎因是無辜的。