Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will turn 41 on Tuesday. Amid all of his records and accomplishments over his legendary 23-year NBA career, the fact that he’s still producing at a high level despite joining the league in 2003 might be his most impressive feat.
James seems to believe that’s the case as well. When asked about his age Sunday night, James referenced a commercial he shot in 2023, in which he defeats “Father Time,” played by Jason Momoa, in various activities.
James reflected on still performing at a high level despite filming that commercial a few years ago, saying, “I’m kicking [Father Time’s] ass on the back nine.”
“I’m in a battle with [Father Time] and I would like to say I’m kicking his ass on the back nine” – LeBron James, two days before his 41st birthday, on testing his limits in his 23rd season pic.twitter.com/FcuvqLJn1L
The Lakers’ star isn’t wrong. After an injury disrupted the start of his season, James needed a few games to round back into form. James experienced a bit of a tepid start, but has turned things around recently, averaging 25.4 points over his last eight games. That recent surge has James averaging over 20 points once again.
Father Time, of course, remains undefeated. And while James should take pride in continuing to play at a high level at an age when most of his peers are long out of the league or deep into a coaching career, he’s clearly nearing the end of his playing days. Despite that, James hasn’t made any announcements about his future at this time.
As long as the Lakers star continues to put up numbers, he doesn’t have to make that call just yet. James is set to be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2025-26 NBA season. If he still feels good about his ability, James could opt to chase another ring — either with the Lakers or a different franchise.
But if James feels he doesn’t have much left to give, the offseason provides a convenient time for him to finally hang up his sneakers.
The fact that Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić sits atop most fantasy basketball rankings is unsurprising, given his history of success. While there’s no denying the excellence of LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, his injury history tends to negatively affect how his fantasy value is perceived at draft time. Both players currently sit in the top five of the updated Rotoworld Top 200 fantasy rankings, thanks in part to elite performances over the last week.
Jokić put on a show in the Nuggets’ overtime victory over Minnesota on Christmas Night, tallying 56 points (15-of-21 FGs, 22-of-23 FTs), 16 rebounds, 15 assists, two blocked shots and four three-pointers. He scored 18 points in overtime alone, breaking Stephen Curry‘s record for the most points in an overtime period in NBA history. Jokić is also the third player in league history to record multiple triple-doubles on Christmas Day, with Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook being the others. And he dropped a stat line that neither Oscar nor Wilt Chamberlain ever recorded in their illustrious careers.
Nikola Jokić of the @nuggets is the first player in NBA history with 55+ points, 15+ rebounds & 15+ assists in a game. pic.twitter.com/94c6ebaehy
As for Leonard, he made history during Sunday’s win over the Pistons. Not only did he tie James Harden‘s franchise record for points in a game with 55, but the Clippers forward was also responsible for the first game with at least 55 points, five steals and three blocked shots in NBA history. Like Jokić, Leonard was highly efficient, shooting 17-of-26 from the field and 16-of-17 from the foul line (his streak of consecutive free throws made ended at 64).
STATS FROM KAWHI’S CAREER NIGHT
▪️ The ONLY 55-PT, 5-STL, 3-BLK game since STL was first recorded (1973-74)
▪️ The ONLY player with 50+ PTS and 5+ STL in 3 quarters in the PxP era (1997-98)
▪️ Joins James Harden with the ONLY 55-PT, 10-REB, 5-STL games in 50 years
To refer to the Mets‘ offseason to this point as polarizing would be a huge understatement.
With New York trading Brandon Nimmo, letting Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso walk via free agency, and dealing Jeff McNeil, the core has been stripped down to the beams. Never before in the history of the franchise has something this drastic happened in one offseason with core players who were not only still effective, but beloved by the fans.
The Diaz and Alonso departures happening in a 24-hour span resulted in most of the fan base being disoriented, and the slow pace of the offseason since then — not just for the Mets, but nearly every team — has left the mystery of what’s to come hanging in the air. In other words, it has been uncomfortable.
But that doesn’t mean David Stearns doesn’t have a plan.
Before exploring what that plan might entail, it’s important to dissect each of the above moves separately instead of attempting to lump them all together.
Dealing Nimmo to the Rangers ahead of his age-33 season and with five years left on his contract made baseball sense, especially with his offense and outfield defense declining. That the player coming back (second baseman Marcus Semien) wasn’t a Nimmo replacement means the trade is impossible to grade until the next outfield move comes.
Alonso signing with the Orioles on a five-year contract for $155 million was a gut punch for many fans. But it’s hard to argue that the Mets extending that far on Alonso would’ve been a smart move. There is a serious issue without Alonso, though, and it’s the tough task of replacing his power.
McNeil departing was something you could see coming since the end of the 2025 season. And once New York added Semien, there was no longer a regular role for him.
I saved the Diaz departure for last because it’s the only one that left me flummoxed.
Edwin Diaz posing with Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes (right) and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman (left) / Screenshot/Sportsnet LA
You can say that Diaz leaving to sign with the Dodgers was proof that he simply wanted to go there. But I reject that belief. Most of the time, players go where the most money is, and that’s what happened in this case. Anything Diaz said at his introductory news conference in Los Angeles is a waste to analyze, unless you were expecting him to put his new cap and jersey on and say he wished he was still a Met.
The Mets being willing to extend to three years and $66 million for Diaz tells you they wanted to retain him, unless they were playing some weird game of chicken while daring him to leave. So that they lost him for relative pennies suggests that something went haywire communication-wise at the end of the negotiation or that the Mets balked at his ultimate price.
Pair the above with the fact that the signings of Jorge Polanco (who might be asked to play lots of first base)and Luke Weaver are the only big moves New York has made over the last month or so, and the result is this weird, uncomfortable limbo where much more has to be coming — but with it being fair for people to not totally trust the process until the end product is visible.
So, what should the plan be?
Find a top of the rotation starting pitcher
This was the Mets’ biggest need when the offseason started, and the rotation has still not been upgraded with the offseason two months old.
To get this out of the way: The Mets don’t need an “ace,” which is a label thrown around too lightly. There are only a handful of true aces in the sport, and they are incredibly difficult to procure. If New York somehow lands Tarik Skubal from the Tigers? Great. If not, there are plenty of top of the rotation starters (someone who could slide into the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in a rotation) out there.
Via the trade market, the Mets could target someone like Nick Pivetta of the Padres, Freddy Peralta of the Brewers, or Joe Ryan of the Twins. New York has the prospect capital to get it done, but it takes two to tango.
Sep 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacts after striking out Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (not pictured) with the bases loaded in the fourth inning at American Family Field. / Benny Sieu – Imagn Images
If Valdez can be had on a three- or four-year deal, it will be difficult to make a case against the Mets going out and getting him.
The Mets’ 2025 season was torpedoed due in large part to the rotation failing and Stearns not being decisive enough in addressing it (something he admitted after the season). The starting staff must be significantly bolstered this time around.
Add one legitimate starting outfielder
As things currently stand, New York’s outfield is Juan Soto in right field and question marks in both center and left.
With top prospect Carson Benge expected to contribute in a serious way this season, it’s fair to believe that only one legitimate outfielder should be added — with the other spot going to either Benge from the jump or to a placeholder until Benge is ready.
Most of the focus has been on free agents Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. Perhaps Tucker becomes a fit if no team is willing to give him the long-term deal he wants. And maybe Bellinger switches boroughs if the Yankees aren’t aggressive enough.
But if Tucker and Bellinger get enormous paydays, the trade market should be where the Mets turn to try to fill their outfield need.
It’s possible that the Red Sox will trade Jarren Duran, and the White Sox — barring something truly strange happening — will finally part with Luis Robert Jr.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) runs out of the dugout before the start of a game against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. / Eric Canha – Imagn Images
Other options could include San Diego’s Ramon Laureano and an outside-the-box option like Arizona infielder Ketel Marte, who could theoretically slide to left field.
Find a second serious bat
After the Mets downgraded the offense by dealing Nimmo and letting Alonso go as a free agent, they were left needing three legit bats.
They found one of them by signing Polanco, and will likely get another with whoever they bring in as a starting outfielder.
As far as that third bat?
The Mets could add a first baseman and make Polanco the regular DH.
They could sign someone like Eugenio Suarez and have him be the DH.
They could also get creative and do something like sign Alex Bregman to play third base and shift Brett Baty to first.
Bolster the bullpen
Along with Weaver and Williams, the Mets’ bullpen in 2026 is expected to include left-handers A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley — though the start of Minter’s season could be a bit delayed following lat surgery this past May.
Huascar Brazoban also figures to be in the bullpen mix, as do hard-throwing prospects Dylan Ross and Ryan Lambert.
Other relievers who could compete for roles include Jonathan Pintaro (who made his big league debut last season) and Adbert Alzolay (who is on a two-year minor league deal and missed the 2025 season).
But while there are plenty of possible options, the Mets need more certainty — especially at the back end.
Among the intriguing relievers available are Trevor Megill of the Brewers and Jeremiah Estrada of the Padres.
As we approach 2026, the new year offers a fresh start, and that may be exactly what fantasy basketball managers are looking for depending on how their team looked in 2025. It’s been about two months of High Score on Yahoo Fantasy, and this past week we saw our highest score of the season. And the player who posted the score may surprise none of you.
Nikola Jokić is the best basketball player in the world and it’s only fitting that he’s the one to enter 2026 with the highest output of any player in High Score. The Nuggets big man had 108(!) fantasy points in a Christmas Day classic, a 142-138 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime. Jokić finished with an insane 56-point triple-double, racking up 16 rebounds, 15 assists and 2 blocks. The previous top score belonged to Cade Cunningham, who had 101 fantasy points back in November.
We’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who can top Jokić’s career Christmas performance, but the season is still young. Let’s look at the rest of the High Score perfect lineup from the final week of 2025.
The top-six performances overall by position from Week 10.
Taylor Wilhelm
More from the top performers
Cade Cunningham, guard: The Pistons star was dethroned from his place as the top High Score total of the season but continues to be a staple in this lineup. He entered Sunday trailing only Jokić and Luka Dončić in terms of fantasy points per game in High Score (59.2). Detroit has a deep lineup, so there will be floor games for Cunningham. But when the Pistons face a weak defense or are in a close game, that’s when Cunningham really shines.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, guard: We haven’t seen SGA often in this article. Gilgeous-Alexander has one of the better floors in fantasy basketball, but for High Score, his ceiling is limited by his lack of peripheral stats. The steals are consistent but Shai isn’t an active rebounder and is usually in attack mode, rather than distributor mode. Last Tuesday, SGA came close to his first triple-double of the season against the Grizz with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists with 5 stocks.
Nikola Jokić, frontcourt: We’ll be brief because we already went over this up top (and we’ve seen Jokić is pretty much every perfect lineup in 2025). It’s pretty remarkable how Jokić has separated himself from other fantasy assets this season; he’s averaging over 70 fantasy points per game and that’s over 20 more fantasy points per game than the 12th-ranked player (Donovan Mitchell; 50.6 FPPG). It’s safe to say we’re going to see Joker on a lot of fantasy basketball championship rosters in April.
Kawhi Leonard, frontcourt: Santa must have been good to Kawhi to spark such an outburst. This had been building for some time and Leonard has had a very impressive finish to 2025, averaging 29.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game in December. Kawhi has 40+ points in two of his past three games, scoring a season-high 55 in the Clippers’ win over the Pistons on Sunday evening. What’s even better is, after missing most of November, Leonard appears to be healthy, a great sign for fantasy managers.
Scottie Barnes, frontcourt: Barnes was ripping down rebounds like Charles Barkley on Sunday evening. The Raptors forward helped Toronto to victory after scoring on a putback to force overtime. He’d go on to finish with a triple-double on 23 points, 10 assists and a career-high 25 rebounds, plus 4 stocks. This is definitely an anomaly in terms of statistics with Barnes, who isn’t going to grab 20+ boards often. But he’s one of the few players capable of these types of games because of his category coverage.
Jamal Murray, utility: Four out of six of the players in the High Score perfect lineup from this week were connected in some way to the Nuggets. Murray was also great on Christmas with 60 fantasy points but his highest score of the week came last Tuesday while going up against Cooper Flagg and Dallas. Murray had 31 points, 7 boards and 14 assists, one shy of his career high. The Nuggets sport the NBA’s best offense by a wide margin, averaging 125.8 points per contest, Murray being one of the main reasons for that.
The Cavaliers (17-16) are coming off back-to-back losses, most recently falling 117-100 to the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Jaylon Tyson led the team with 23 points off the bench and finished with a career-high 14 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell added 16 points and 6 assists. The Cavaliers have relied heavily on the All-Star guard as they’ve dealt with injuries this season. Mitchell is on pace to set career highs in scoring (30.2 ppg), shooting percentage (49.7%), 2-point shooting percentage (59.4%), field goal attempts per game (21.3), and 3-point attempts per game (10.2).
San Antonio Spurs:
The Spurs look to bounce back tonight after their eight-game regular season win streak was snapped on Saturday in a 127-114 loss to the Utah Jazz. Victor Wembanyama finished with a game-high 32 points, along with 7 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 assists in his first start since suffering a left calf strain on November 14. He had come off the bench in each of the previous six games, following a 12-game absence.
Despite the loss, the Spurs have been the best team in the league over the last six weeks, going 15-4 in their last 19 games to improve to second in the Western Conference
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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Rangers are winless in their last four league meetings with St Mirren (D2 L2); only in November 1904 and August 1984 have they ever gone five without a win over the Buddies.
St Mirren won their last league visit to Rangers 2-0 in February last season, but have never won successive such trips, with this their 126th in league competition.
Rangers have only lost their final league game once in the last eight calendar years (W5 D2), going down 2-1 to Celtic in 2023. When facing a side other than Old Firm rivals Celtic to round off a year, the Gers have only lost their final league game once in the last 31 years (W26 D4), losing 4-0 to Hibernian in the Scottish Championship in 2014.
St Mirren have only won their final league game in one of the last five calendar years (D1 L3), beating Aberdeen 1-0 in 2023.
Only Alexandros Kyziridis (45) has created more chances in the Scottish Premiership this season than both Rangers’ James Tavernier (36) and St Mirren’s Declan John (30).
