Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has had to make some tough decisions since replacing Danny Ainge in 2021. This upcoming offseason, however, is shaping up to be his most challenging yet.
Will Stevens channel his inner “Trader Danny”? Yahoo Sports’ NBA insider Kevin O’Connor made the case for Stevens to maximize his players’ trade value this offseason.
“I think back to Danny Ainge,” O’Connor told co-hosts Drew Carter and Chris Forsberg on NBC Sports Boston’s The OffC’season special. “Danny Ainge, what did he do when he traded Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets? Two things: A, he traded them before they fell off a cliff. Before they aged out and before they were near retirement. And B, he took advantage of a completely desperate franchise in the Brooklyn Nets. That’s why they got Jayson Tatum, that’s why they got Jaylen Brown, that’s why they had 10 straight years of making the playoffs and why they won a Finals.”
Of course, Pierce was 35 and past his prime when he and the Celtics parted ways. Kevin Garnett was 36 and his best days were well behind him.
Boston’s most valuable trade chips, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, are 29 and 31, respectively. Both are in the prime of their careers.
Trading oft-injured 30-year-old big man Kristaps Porzingis or 35-year-old guard Jrue Holiday seems more realistic, though O’Connor wouldn’t take anything off the table if another general manager calls Stevens with an enticing offer.
“For Stevens, he needs to find the most desperate team,” O’Connor added. “Whether that means Brown or White, or whether it means (Kristaps) Porzingis as an expiring salary, or whether it means Jrue Holiday as the final piece for the Dallas Mavericks and Nico Harrison’s vision. Whatever it is, finding the most desperate team to get the best value back based off of how you perceive your own player.
“That could be a lot of pain. It might mean trading Derrick White. But if the Warriors are going to give you a Mikal Bridges type of deal like four, five first-round picks, how do you say no? You can’t say no.”
No matter what direction Stevens chooses, all signs point toward an uncomfortable offseason in Boston. The championship window may not be closed, but the window to win it all again with the 2024 core almost certainly has.
Watch the full “OffC’Season” episode below or on YouTube:
Have the Dodgers lost their claim as the best team in baseball? After a few rough weeks, they are no longer in the lead of the National League. Jake is on the road this week, visiting Jordan in Cleveland where the Dodgers are facing the Guardians and so far have taken two of three. The guys give a live report from what they’ve seen so far as the defending champs visit northeast Ohio.
You have questions and we have answers! Jake and Jordan reach into the mailbag to discuss a few fan questions including about bullpen phones, players announcing they are joining Team USA & more.
According to Tom Hanks, there’s no crying in baseball. It seems Jake is not the only person that disagrees with this sentiment. The guys discuss tears on the infield, a walk-off grand slam, animals on the field at a ball game and more news from around the league.
Join us for this mid-week edition of Baseball Bar-B-Cast.
Dave Roberts walking back to the dugout
Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Have the Dodgers lost their claim as the best team in baseball? After a few rough weeks, they are no longer in the lead of the National League. Jake is on the road this week, visiting Jordan in Cleveland where the Dodgers are facing the Guardians and so far have taken two of three. The guys give a live report from what they’ve seen so far as the defending champs visit northeast Ohio.
You have questions and we have answers! Jake and Jordan reach into the mailbag to discuss a few fan questions including about bullpen phones, players announcing they are joining Team USA & more.
According to Tom Hanks, there’s no crying in baseball. It seems Jake is not the only person that disagrees with this sentiment. The guys discuss tears on the infield, a walk-off grand slam, animals on the field at a ball game and more news from around the league.
Join us for this mid-week edition of Baseball Bar-B-Cast.
Dave Roberts walking back to the dugout
Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Many of us want the right to repair our own devices, and at least with Apple products, things have been moving in the right direction on that front. Three years ago, Apple launched its self-service repair program, which finally gave people access to the tools and repair manuals needed to fix their broken Apple products for themselves. The program launched with support for iPhone repairs, and it later added some Macs, the Beats Pill speaker, and the Apple Studio Display to its roster as well. Now, Apple is expanding its self-service repair program to include some iPad models.
Which iPads can I repair?
Unfortunately, not all iPads are in the self-repair program at the moment. From May 29, 2025, Apple will add the following iPads to the program: iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad (A16). This matches the list of iPads Apple will currently accept for official mail-in or in-shop repairs. If you have a different iPad, then you’ll instead have to try your luck with third-party repair shops such as iFixit.
How to repair your broken iPad
Start your self-repair journey by downloading the appropriate repair manual from Apple’s website. Go through your manual to learn more about your device and how to repair it, and once you’re ready, place an order for the necessary tools and parts.
The good news here is that you can buy or rent Apple-approved iPad repair tools and replacement parts directly from the company. All available products are listed on Apple’s Self Service Repair Store. Plus, authorized third-party repair shops also now have access to these tools, too, if you’d prefer to get some in-person help with your repair but can’t make it to an Apple location. At time of writing, iPads still weren’t listed on the site, so the exact pricing of different types of repair isn’t available yet. In the meantime, let’s take a look at repair costs for an iPhone 16 Pro Max to get an estimate of what the prices could be.
As an example, repairing an iPhone 16 Pro Max’s display costs a hefty $379, and repairing the battery costs $119. In some cases, you can return the replaced part to Apple and receive a credit, which should ease the burden on your wallet. For the aforementioned display repair, the credit offered is just $19, but it’s $57 for the battery, which is quite good.
iPads are bigger than any iPhone, so you can expect repair prices to be higher for them, too. Note, also, that you may sometimes have to enter the serial number of your iPad before placing your parts order, so don’t expect to be able to keep a stockpile of parts on hand.
Repairing iPads (and other Apple products) is a great idea for those who are comfortable tinkering with hardware, but even if you’re not one of those people, this announcement is still good news, since programs like these allow your friendly neighborhood repair shop to stock genuine parts, too.
Check out Rotoworld’s newly-launched WNBA Player News section, the best place to keep up to date with transactions, injuries, and game results around the W this season!
How did Caitlin Clark get injured?
The exact timing of Clark’s injury is unknown. She dealt with a left leg injury during the preseason, sitting out Indiana’s May 3 opener against the Washington Mystics. However, that was the first of two games in as many days for the Fever, who face Brazil’s national team in Iowa City the following day. Clark was on the floor for her “homecoming,” playing 19 minutes and finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, one blocked shot and four three-pointers in the blowout victory. Clark also played 23 minutes in Indiana’s preseason finale against the Atlanta Dream on May 10.
Fever coach Stephanie White said during her availability on May 27 that this injury is not related to the leg issue that Clark dealt with during the preseason. Clark played 38 minutes in Indiana’s two-point loss to the Liberty on May 24 and would then undergo an MRI on her quad. The strain would be discovered then, sidelining the point guard for at least two weeks.
When will Caitlin Clark return from injury?
The two-week timeline means she will miss at least four games, starting with Indiana’s road contest against the Mystics on May 28. Also falling within that timeframe are games against Connecticut (May 30), Washington (June 3) and Chicago (June 7). It should be noted that this is only until the Fever re-evaluates Clark’s injury, so the potential remains for her to miss more time, depending on what the doctors see.
Who will be asked to fill the void in Caitlin Clark’s absence?
Fever head coach Stephanie White said on Tuesday that veteran Sydney Colson will move into the starting lineup. Signed as a free agent this offseason, Colson has championship experience, having won titles with the Las Vegas Aces during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. However, her playing time was limited, with her most recent average being 8.0 minutes per game during the 2024 campaign. Colson filled a similar role to begin this season, averaging eight minutes per game in three appearances. Her playing time clearly will increase with Clark sidelined.
Another name to know is that of Sophie Cunningham, who was acquired from the Phoenix Mercury in February as part of a trade that involved a staggering 10 teams. Having missed Indiana’s first two games with an ankle sprain suffered during the preseason, Cunningham has averaged 7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 three-pointers in 20.0 minutes.
Kelsey Mitchell, a starter who earned All-Star honors last season, stands to be of even greater importance to the Fever with Clark out, especially with Colson not being much of a scorer. Also, Lexie Hull has gotten off to a good start, averaging 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 three-pointers through Indiana’s first four games. The Fever offense will look different with Clark out of the lineup, but they have enough talent to compensate for her absence, especially with the moves made during the offseason.
Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw gave up one run in five innings of work, but the bullpen could not hold the lead late against the Cleveland Guardians. (David Dermer / Associated Press)
Given the shorthanded state of the Dodgers’ current pitching staff, losses like Wednesday are the ones that hurt the most.
Seeking to end their East Coast trip with a three-game sweep against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, the Dodgers got a productive five-inning, one-run start out of Clayton Kershaw in his third outing back from offseason foot and knee surgeries.
They had a late-game lead on a day an ominous rainy forecast never came to fruition.
Most of all, they had most of their top current relievers available, able to call upon names they trusted over the final few innings.
Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia walks to the dugout after the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians Wednesday in Cleveland. (David Dermer / Associated Press)
Such a perfect alignment has been rare for the Dodgers lately. Which means, when it does come around, “we’ve got to win these games,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Instead, the Dodgers lost 7-4 to the Guardians on Wednesday, wasting Kershaw’s five-inning outing with a five-run meltdown in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Struggling closer Tanner Scott gave up the inning’s first two runs on three ground ball singles and a walk, squandering a 4-2 lead for his fifth blown save of the season. Left-hander Alex Vesia then yielded the deciding blow, serving up a three-run blast to Angel Martínez to drop the Dodgers to a 3-3 record on this New York-Cleveland swing.
“It’s sour in the sense of, you win the first two [games of this series] and you catch a lead going into the eighth inning,” Roberts said. “You feel good about the game. I thought we did enough to win. But unfortunately that eighth inning got away from us.”
And quickly, at that.
Leading 4-2 entering the frame, Scott took the mound for his second inning of work, Roberts seeking an up-down outing from his recently up-and-down closer.
Scott’s appearance had started well, with the left-hander striking out Gabriel Arias to escape a jam he inherited in the seventh inning.
But, in what became his third rough outing out of the last five, he failed to limit damage as a threat began to brew.
Jhonkensy Noel led off the frame with a ground ball up the middle, after second baseman Kiké Hernández got to it in the hole but had no chance to make a throw. Will Wilson followed that with a spinning three-hopper up the third base line, its awkward bounce off the edge of the infield grass tripping up Max Muncy for another infield single.
Scott hurt his own cause from there, walking Daniel Schneemann in a left-on-left matchup to load the bases.
And though he fanned Austin Hedges for the first out of the inning, Nolan Jones hit a one-out roller that found a hole through the left side of a shifted infield. Two runs came around to score. A lead the Dodgers had held since the fourth inning had suddenly evaporated.
“I think at the crux is, when you get count leverage, we’re just not able to put guys away with the strikeout,” Roberts said of Scott, who had Jones to two strikes before throwing a slider that caught the outer edge of the plate.
“Leaving middle spin sliders in the zone for them to put the ball in play, I think that when you do that, sometimes the ball finds holes or some outfield grass,” Roberts added. “It’s something that we’ve seen all year. There’s great strike-throwing, getting count leverage. But just that last pitch to put guys away … That’s what we’ve got to kind of unlock and be consistent with.”
The final blow came in the next at-bat, when Vesia entered the game and quickly fell behind 2-and-0 to Martínez. Vesia tried to get back in the count with a fastball up in the zone. Martínez instead delivered a knockout blow, belting a three-run homer to left to complete the Guardians’ five-run rally.
“Tried to throw him two changeups and they were not very good, [and] the fastball was right down the middle,” Vesia said. “Just gotta be better in those situations.”
Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott reacts after giving up a two-RBI single to the Guardians’ Nolan Jones during the eighth inning Wednesday in Cleveland. (David Dermer / Associated Press)
Two of the runs were credited to Scott, whose ERA ballooned to 4.62 just months removed from his $72-million signing with the team.
For Vesia, meanwhile, it marked the seventh home run he has surrendered this season, matching his full-season totals from each of the last two years.
“Just my misses have been bad,” Vesia said. “That’s pretty much it. Just gotta keep going and execute pitches a little bit better.”
The ending left Kershaw with a no-decision; despite him getting through five innings on a day he navigated traffic, limited damage and overcame what he called “some bad habits” in his delivery.
“I’m fighting some stuff mechanically,” said Kershaw, who gave up six hits and two walks while striking out only three. “I was able to make a few pitches here and there to get through five. But obviously wasn’t pitching good enough to be able to stay in the game, which makes the bullpen have to throw more innings, and sometimes stuff like this happens.”
It also didn’t help that Kershaw’s last start on Friday in New York was shortened by a rain delay to just two innings, prompting an early hook from Roberts after just 74 pitches.
“I thought the last couple innings got a little bit better,” Roberts said, adding: “I felt at that point in time he did enough to help us win a game.”
That much, he did, the Dodgers leading 2-1 when Kershaw exited at the start of the sixth (in the fourth inning, Will Smith had an RBI double and Andy Pages an RBI single) and 4-1 by the seventh-inning stretch (Freddie Freeman had an RBI single in the sixth, before Hernández doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the seventh).
Alas, right-handed Lou Trivino gave up one run in the bottom of the seventh before being relieved by Scott. And in the eighth, everything fell apart on a day the Dodgers — despite all their injury absences at the moment — seemed to be building momentum. “It’s still a .500 road trip, which I think going into it we would have banked,” Roberts said. “But losing this one kind of how we did … we’re not used to giving up games late as far as the bullpen. There’s things that we’ve just got to keep kind of trying to figure out and get better.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday after a brutal eighth-inning collapse.
Behind Clayton Kershaw’s brilliance on the mound, the Dodgers finished the seventh inning with a 4-2 lead. However, the bullpen gave up five runs in the eighth as the Guardians rallied for a 7-4 win.
The game was tied 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth when Angel Martinez blasted a three-run homer to put Cleveland ahead.
Martinez had two hits, including the go-ahead home run. Nolan Jones, Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana each had three hits in the victory.
Wednesday’s defeat denied Kershaw his 213th victory, despite allowing one run in a career-high five innings. On the other end, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 with a walk against Cleveland.
Ohtani leads MLB with 20 home runs and had hit one in each of the Dodgers’ previous three games.
The loss moved the reigning World Series champions to 34-22. Los Angeles was on its way to sweeping the series against Cleveland before Tuesday’s loss.
Despite the loss, the Dodgers still lead the National League West. Cleveland improved to 30-25 to stay second in the AL Central.
The Dodgers now head to New York for a World Series rematch against the Yankees, who lead the AL East with a 34-20 record.
