January 2026

There were 1,518 posts published in January 2026 (this is page 13 of 152).

Fantasy Baseball Power Rankings: Which MLB teams should we invest in for 2026?

As we continue our prep into the fresh fantasy baseball season, it’s time to figure out where the gold is buried. Which teams offer the most fantasy utility? Which teams are more challenging?

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

We’ll start at the bottom and work to No. 1, just like Casey Kasem used to do it. And the hits don’t stop ‘til we get to the top.

This group has lost 324 games in three years and things don’t look much better for 2026. There’s a lot of swing-and-miss in Colson Montgomery’s game, but he did conk 21 home runs in just 255 at-bats. Not bad for an ADP around 160. Manager Will Venable spreads the saves around; nobody in this bullpen got past seven handshakes last year.

Colorado can often be a difficult fantasy sell because the entire pitching staff — or everyone but the closer — is usually off limits. Unfortunately, the Colorado offense of recent seasons has also been a mess. Catcher Hunter Goodman and outfielder Brenton Doyle are the only Rockies commanding top 200 picks. Perhaps newcomer Willi Castro can secure everyday time, perhaps at third base; he can be a value.

There’s one sure thing on this roster: emerging star Zach Neto. Everyone else is a wishing well. We hope Jo Adell’s breakthrough last year was signal, not noise. We hope Mike Trout can stay healthy. We hope Logan O’Hoppe can figure out why his swing went south midway through 2025. The Angels amazingly never had a winning record in the Trout and Ohtani days, and things are more stark today.

It’s not as barren as you might think, with seven Miami players carrying a global ADP inside the top 200. Otto Lopez is a sleeper target, a contact-heavy bat who offers some pop and speed.

Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings

James Wood is a star at 23 and still can climb a level if the contact improves. CJ Abrams is a good bet to rebound from an inconsistent 2025. Staff ace MacKenzie Gore was shipped to Texas and a cast of thousands will compete for the closer chair.

It’s probably going to be a top-heavy lineup, so make sure you’re investing in the upper half. Brendan Donovan covers three positions and can be found around Yahoo ADP 196. The market likes Riley O’Brien to beat JoJo Romero for the closer role.

Paul Skenes has done the rarest thing in sports: he’s exceeded the hype. He might have a running mate in emerging Bubba Chandler, and Dennis Santana was a quality closer last year. But too many down years sunk the offense — Pittsburgh scored just 583 runs last year, worst in the majors.

It was a nifty trick to steal the AL Central despite being outscored (and Cleveland was 28th in runs as well). The pitching told the story — 10th in starter ERA, third in bullpen ERA — but Gavin Williams was the only fantasy hit in the rotation. José Ramírez hangs in the first round and closer Cade Smith should be a decent pick, but everyone else looks like a depth play.

Junior Caminero became a star overnight, but everyone else is the type of player you talk yourself into when the light hits them right. The Rays are always the eat-your-veggies roster, a team built on subtle skills, market inefficiencies and affordable contracts (they also stole 194 bases last year, 30 ahead of the pack). Sometimes all of that isn’t enough — this club has quietly been under .500 for two straight years.

MLB’s Team Nomad has a fun offense (12th in runs) swinging in a hitter-friendly park. Four Athletics carry global ADPs in the top 100, and six are in the top 170. There’s no established closer yet and every starting pitcher will open the year on the waiver wire in a standard mixed league.

I was shocked to see their starting pitching fall apart — Minnesota had a 4.51 ERA from their starters, 23rd in baseball. The offense was also 23rd in runs, which is how you explain a lousy 70-92 season. I’ll still audit this pitching staff closely and make some proactive picks, because everyone is priced as a value now. Byron Buxton was a superstar with five healthy months, but it’s just the second time he’s made it to 126 games.

Two playoff seasons in a row have been a treat, but the Tigers stand at the fork in the road with pending free agent, Tarik Skubal. If they get off to a bad season, they might tear it down. Spencer Torkelson’s comeback season was fun, but he’s still a strikeout guy who won’t bat for a useful average.

They offer six players who command a top-100 ticket in global ADP, then the roof caves in. Bobby Witt Jr. still has a level to climb, and Maikel García was one of the most improved players in baseball last year.

Sneaking into the playoffs was a nifty trick given that just three of their offensive players were above league average. We’ll draft Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene aggressively, and I’m more optimistic on Andrew Abbott (fly-ball pitchers are often misunderstood) than the market is.

Willy Adames eventually got comfortable in his new city, but Rafael Devers is in the wrong park. Ground balls and good control push Logan Webb to useful inning totals, though occasionally you’ll suffer through him getting BABIPed to death. The San Francisco park is one of my favorites, but if you make the trip for a night game, dress for December.

The top half of the offense will be fun, but all the pitchers feel like speculation plays. Geraldo Perdomo was the NL’s most improved player last year, checking in as a seven-win star.

Gunnar Henderson is too big to fail and Pete Alonso always has a high floor, but it’s frightening how many young Baltimore players underachieved last year. Adley Rutchman’s career arc is scarily similar to Matt Wieters.

A healthy Yordan Alvarez could be the best hitter in baseball, but he has the knees of a 45-year-old. Jeremy Peña was Houston’s best position player by far last year, still underrated. Hunter Brown’s emergence was for real.

For a World Series team, it’s not as glorious here as you might suspect — just three top 100 global picks, and one of them is 36-year-old George Springer. The rotation will give us multiple useful options, but please don’t tax your heart by watching Jeff Hoffman navigate the ninth inning.

You’ll stump everyone at the bar with this one — the Rangers had the best rotation ERA in baseball last year, helped significantly by 30 Jacob deGrom starts. My heart still rides with deGrom every five days, but I don’t have the stomach to pay his top 60 ADP, especially at age 38. If this lineup stays healthy, the Rangers could steal the AL West.

They had a historically-great offense three years ago. What happened? Injuries for some, production falloffs for others. They quietly have about nine players in the top 100 for global ADP, but every one of their players has an obvious downside, too. I’m a little nervous on this team. Chris Sale’s comeback was inspiring and Raisel Iglesias overcame a rough start, but they’re both in their late 30s — I can’t draft them proactively.

Manny Machado probably has eight toes in the Hall of Fame already, and a healthy Fernando Tatís Jr. can get there, too. Winning 90 games last year was a nifty trick despite bad-timing injuries from Jackson Merrill and Michael King (at his best, King is David Cone 2.0).

They’ve turned into what the Rays used to be, a yearly playoff team that makes its dollar stretch further than everyone else’s. The dreamy infield defense makes you want to invest in their starting staff — and man, Framber Valdez would be a perfect FA target. Brice Turang had a fun breakout year but might be a bargain again because he’s good at a lot of different things; Bill James taught us that specialists are often overrated, but versatile players often underrated. Christian Yelich is settling into his Ibañez All-Star years.

Something old? Aroldis Chapman was unhittable last year. Something new? Roman Anthony might be an immediate star. Something borrowed? Stealing Garrett Crochet from the White Sox was an inspired move. Something blue? The Red Sox couldn’t figure out the Alex Bregman contract and the infield is screaming for help. Boston has the outfield depth to make a significant trade before the season starts.

Do yourself a favor and snag Kyle Schwarber in the second round, a screaming bargain. His batting average isn’t the risk it’s made out to be, he might get a handful of steals and his run production tied to heavy volume makes him a dream. The workload has caught up to catcher J.T. Realmuto — he had a 91 OPS+ last year. Gravity always wins.

They were a top-five offense last year and that’s probably the floor if people stay healthy. The lineup has it all: balanced handedness, patience, power, speed. The sum of the rotation is more fun than the individual cases — this team doesn’t have a striking frontman. But that’s an October problem; the Cubs are well-positioned to win 90-plus games again, a good fit for the six-month grind.

Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor are signature picks and the Freddy Peralta trade made sense, even with his struggles to go deep in games. The retooled offense features a lot of intriguing but speculative bets, adding Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien.

You’ll want to roster as many of their pitchers as possible — the roomy park certainly helps — and of course, there are fun pieces on offense, headlined by Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh. Is this the year the Mariners finally wreck the trivia question and punch a World Series ticket?

They outscored everyone last year, in part because they had the most walks and the highest slugging percentage. The Cody Bellinger dance took a while but it’s best for all parties that he eventually re-signed; he’s a good target at Yahoo ADP 70. Right-handed fireballer Cam Schlittler looked too good to be true down the stretch.

The Dodgers won’t burn themselves out again trying to win 100 or more games, like they did earlier this decade, but there’s an absurdly high floor here. Just be mindful of some of the ages at play — Freddie Freeman steps into his age-36 season, Mookie Betts turns 33 and Max Muncy will be 35. If you draft an L.A. pitcher, remember this team can play the load management card more freely than anyone else. 

Fantasy Baseball Power Rankings: Which MLB teams should we invest in for 2026?

As we continue our prep into the fresh fantasy baseball season, it’s time to figure out where the gold is buried. Which teams offer the most fantasy utility? Which teams are more challenging?

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

We’ll start at the bottom and work to No. 1, just like Casey Kasem used to do it. And the hits don’t stop ‘til we get to the top.

This group has lost 324 games in three years and things don’t look much better for 2026. There’s a lot of swing-and-miss in Colson Montgomery’s game, but he did conk 21 home runs in just 255 at-bats. Not bad for an ADP around 160. Manager Will Venable spreads the saves around; nobody in this bullpen got past seven handshakes last year.

Colorado can often be a difficult fantasy sell because the entire pitching staff — or everyone but the closer — is usually off limits. Unfortunately, the Colorado offense of recent seasons has also been a mess. Catcher Hunter Goodman and outfielder Brenton Doyle are the only Rockies commanding top 200 picks. Perhaps newcomer Willi Castro can secure everyday time, perhaps at third base; he can be a value.

There’s one sure thing on this roster: emerging star Zach Neto. Everyone else is a wishing well. We hope Jo Adell’s breakthrough last year was signal, not noise. We hope Mike Trout can stay healthy. We hope Logan O’Hoppe can figure out why his swing went south midway through 2025. The Angels amazingly never had a winning record in the Trout and Ohtani days, and things are more stark today.

It’s not as barren as you might think, with seven Miami players carrying a global ADP inside the top 200. Otto Lopez is a sleeper target, a contact-heavy bat who offers some pop and speed.

Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings

James Wood is a star at 23 and still can climb a level if the contact improves. CJ Abrams is a good bet to rebound from an inconsistent 2025. Staff ace MacKenzie Gore was shipped to Texas and a cast of thousands will compete for the closer chair.

It’s probably going to be a top-heavy lineup, so make sure you’re investing in the upper half. Brendan Donovan covers three positions and can be found around Yahoo ADP 196. The market likes Riley O’Brien to beat JoJo Romero for the closer role.

Paul Skenes has done the rarest thing in sports: he’s exceeded the hype. He might have a running mate in emerging Bubba Chandler, and Dennis Santana was a quality closer last year. But too many down years sunk the offense — Pittsburgh scored just 583 runs last year, worst in the majors.

It was a nifty trick to steal the AL Central despite being outscored (and Cleveland was 28th in runs as well). The pitching told the story — 10th in starter ERA, third in bullpen ERA — but Gavin Williams was the only fantasy hit in the rotation. José Ramírez hangs in the first round and closer Cade Smith should be a decent pick, but everyone else looks like a depth play.

Junior Caminero became a star overnight, but everyone else is the type of player you talk yourself into when the light hits them right. The Rays are always the eat-your-veggies roster, a team built on subtle skills, market inefficiencies and affordable contracts (they also stole 194 bases last year, 30 ahead of the pack). Sometimes all of that isn’t enough — this club has quietly been under .500 for two straight years.

MLB’s Team Nomad has a fun offense (12th in runs) swinging in a hitter-friendly park. Four Athletics carry global ADPs in the top 100, and six are in the top 170. There’s no established closer yet and every starting pitcher will open the year on the waiver wire in a standard mixed league.

I was shocked to see their starting pitching fall apart — Minnesota had a 4.51 ERA from their starters, 23rd in baseball. The offense was also 23rd in runs, which is how you explain a lousy 70-92 season. I’ll still audit this pitching staff closely and make some proactive picks, because everyone is priced as a value now. Byron Buxton was a superstar with five healthy months, but it’s just the second time he’s made it to 126 games.

Two playoff seasons in a row have been a treat, but the Tigers stand at the fork in the road with pending free agent, Tarik Skubal. If they get off to a bad season, they might tear it down. Spencer Torkelson’s comeback season was fun, but he’s still a strikeout guy who won’t bat for a useful average.

They offer six players who command a top-100 ticket in global ADP, then the roof caves in. Bobby Witt Jr. still has a level to climb, and Maikel García was one of the most improved players in baseball last year.

Sneaking into the playoffs was a nifty trick given that just three of their offensive players were above league average. We’ll draft Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene aggressively, and I’m more optimistic on Andrew Abbott (fly-ball pitchers are often misunderstood) than the market is.

Willy Adames eventually got comfortable in his new city, but Rafael Devers is in the wrong park. Ground balls and good control push Logan Webb to useful inning totals, though occasionally you’ll suffer through him getting BABIPed to death. The San Francisco park is one of my favorites, but if you make the trip for a night game, dress for December.

The top half of the offense will be fun, but all the pitchers feel like speculation plays. Geraldo Perdomo was the NL’s most improved player last year, checking in as a seven-win star.

Gunnar Henderson is too big to fail and Pete Alonso always has a high floor, but it’s frightening how many young Baltimore players underachieved last year. Adley Rutchman’s career arc is scarily similar to Matt Wieters.

A healthy Yordan Alvarez could be the best hitter in baseball, but he has the knees of a 45-year-old. Jeremy Peña was Houston’s best position player by far last year, still underrated. Hunter Brown’s emergence was for real.

For a World Series team, it’s not as glorious here as you might suspect — just three top 100 global picks, and one of them is 36-year-old George Springer. The rotation will give us multiple useful options, but please don’t tax your heart by watching Jeff Hoffman navigate the ninth inning.

You’ll stump everyone at the bar with this one — the Rangers had the best rotation ERA in baseball last year, helped significantly by 30 Jacob deGrom starts. My heart still rides with deGrom every five days, but I don’t have the stomach to pay his top 60 ADP, especially at age 38. If this lineup stays healthy, the Rangers could steal the AL West.

They had a historically-great offense three years ago. What happened? Injuries for some, production falloffs for others. They quietly have about nine players in the top 100 for global ADP, but every one of their players has an obvious downside, too. I’m a little nervous on this team. Chris Sale’s comeback was inspiring and Raisel Iglesias overcame a rough start, but they’re both in their late 30s — I can’t draft them proactively.

Manny Machado probably has eight toes in the Hall of Fame already, and a healthy Fernando Tatís Jr. can get there, too. Winning 90 games last year was a nifty trick despite bad-timing injuries from Jackson Merrill and Michael King (at his best, King is David Cone 2.0).

They’ve turned into what the Rays used to be, a yearly playoff team that makes its dollar stretch further than everyone else’s. The dreamy infield defense makes you want to invest in their starting staff — and man, Framber Valdez would be a perfect FA target. Brice Turang had a fun breakout year but might be a bargain again because he’s good at a lot of different things; Bill James taught us that specialists are often overrated, but versatile players often underrated. Christian Yelich is settling into his Ibañez All-Star years.

Something old? Aroldis Chapman was unhittable last year. Something new? Roman Anthony might be an immediate star. Something borrowed? Stealing Garrett Crochet from the White Sox was an inspired move. Something blue? The Red Sox couldn’t figure out the Alex Bregman contract and the infield is screaming for help. Boston has the outfield depth to make a significant trade before the season starts.

Do yourself a favor and snag Kyle Schwarber in the second round, a screaming bargain. His batting average isn’t the risk it’s made out to be, he might get a handful of steals and his run production tied to heavy volume makes him a dream. The workload has caught up to catcher J.T. Realmuto — he had a 91 OPS+ last year. Gravity always wins.

They were a top-five offense last year and that’s probably the floor if people stay healthy. The lineup has it all: balanced handedness, patience, power, speed. The sum of the rotation is more fun than the individual cases — this team doesn’t have a striking frontman. But that’s an October problem; the Cubs are well-positioned to win 90-plus games again, a good fit for the six-month grind.

Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor are signature picks and the Freddy Peralta trade made sense, even with his struggles to go deep in games. The retooled offense features a lot of intriguing but speculative bets, adding Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien.

You’ll want to roster as many of their pitchers as possible — the roomy park certainly helps — and of course, there are fun pieces on offense, headlined by Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh. Is this the year the Mariners finally wreck the trivia question and punch a World Series ticket?

They outscored everyone last year, in part because they had the most walks and the highest slugging percentage. The Cody Bellinger dance took a while but it’s best for all parties that he eventually re-signed; he’s a good target at Yahoo ADP 70. Right-handed fireballer Cam Schlittler looked too good to be true down the stretch.

The Dodgers won’t burn themselves out again trying to win 100 or more games, like they did earlier this decade, but there’s an absurdly high floor here. Just be mindful of some of the ages at play — Freddie Freeman steps into his age-36 season, Mookie Betts turns 33 and Max Muncy will be 35. If you draft an L.A. pitcher, remember this team can play the load management card more freely than anyone else. 

Mariners announce “Mariners.TV” blackout-free in-market streaming for $99.99/season

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 15: A general view of the exterior of the stadium before game three of the American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on October 15, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Seattle Mariners have announced their plan for streaming games for the 2026 season, offering a deal that in essence matches the Root Sports package debuted a season ago. For $99,99 a season (or $19.99 by individual month), fans will be able to subscribe to Mariners.TV and watch thru the MLB App on various devices, including phones, tablets, computers, and presumably smart TVs. The club noted that they WILL still have their games broadcast via traditional cable and satellite, and internet TV providers as has been the case, however they will be announcing the specific channels/providers between now and Opening Day.

Sign up for the new service begins February 10th.

This is, in essence, a continuation of the exact situation from a season ago, where in-market fans can now choose to subscribe specifically to this streaming service (Mariners.TV) for all non-national broadcast games, while MLB.TV will still be required (and fully functional) whenever out-of-market. If you’re watching the M’s from the Midwest, for instance, carry on as usual.

If you’re a traditional cable subscriber/user, this also may simply not be all that impactful to you. The M’s FAQ notes they “expect the channel locations will be located near other sports programming on your [TV] guide.” As such, between now and the start of the season, you’ll need to learn the new channel that will have M’s broadcasts, but it will likely be as simple as that: learn the new channel, write it down or add it to your favorites, accidentally type the old one every now and then like we all do when the calendar switches to January each year. RIP channels 30 and 627 in the households of my youth.

For those (like myself) who’ll be certain subscribers to this streaming service, it seems functionally identical to the Root Sports Stream experience, with the lone caveat that it will run through the MLB App. If you’re a reader of Lookout Landing, I’ll never assume anything, but it seems likely you have the MLB App. You will NOT have to purchase an additional MLB.TV subscription to purchase this bespoke, Mariners-specific version.

I’m no economist, but purely as a consumer, I’m constantly finding myself wanting a specific thing, and realizing it can only be acquired as part of a bundle or package. About $8.50 a month for the most central entertainment product to me and my life, with no other attached junk feels… reasonable? It remains to be seen what impacts the dissolution of ROOT has upon the broadcast itself, but this feels straightforward in a way that it could’ve easily not been.

Tickets for LeBron James’ potential final game at Madison Square are most expensive since Kobe Bryant’s farewell

LeBron James is scheduled to play what could be his final game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks on Sunday. If you want a seat there to watch, it’s not going to be cheap.

The average ticket price for the Lakers-Knicks game as of Thursday morning was $900, according to Gametime — the most for an NBA regular-season game since Kobe Bryant’s farewell on April 13, 2016, which was $1,049. The get-in price for Sunday’s game is $457. 

James has not announced this is his final season but has admitted it’s certainly a possibility. While making his only regular-season trip to play his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, he became emotional while watching a video tribute from the team before the game.

“I’m just trying to take everything in, not take the moments for granted,” James said. “Because it could be [my last season]. I obviously haven’t made a decision on the future, but it very well could be.”

James has delivered a number of memorable performances at the Garden, including a 52-point effort — his second 50-point game at MSG — when he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009 that came two nights after Bryant scored 61 there. 

Caitlin Clark will make her debut during the Lakers-Knicks game as part of NBC’s “Basketball Night in America” coverage.

NBA fines Thunder’s Lu Dort, Pelicans’ Jeremiah Fears $25,000 each following end-of-game altercation

Tensions escalated at the buzzer on Tuesday night in Paycom Center, where Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort and New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears had to be separated immediately after the Thunder’s 104-95 win.

The NBA fined Dort and Fears $25,000 each, the league announced Thursday.

“After time expired, Dort shoved Fears in the chest, and both players subsequently grabbed each other’s jerseys in an aggressive manner,” the league’s release reads.

Before that, though, Fears corralled an offensive rebound, and the 19-year-old rookie seemed to be angling toward a layup when he appeared to be fouled by Dort.

Fears then got in Dort’s face, at which point Dort shoved Fears.

That turned into Dort grabbing hold of Fears’ jersey, and Fears snatching Dort’s in retaliation. Quickly, both teams bled onto the court to break up the fight under the basket. 

Fears had to be held back again and again and, ultimately, slowly guided off the court and escorted into the tunnel. 

Pelicans president of basketball operations Joe Dumars was even on the floor helping herd last year’s No. 7 overall pick into the locker room.  

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said postgame that things were heated earlier in the night, and that he expected more from the officiating crew to rein in those kinds of situations.

“I thought they lost control of the game in the final minutes,” he said, via The Oklahoman’s Justin Martinez. “I thought that altercation at the end started well before that with the [Saddiq Bey and Jaylin Williams] situation. I thought they could have managed that cleaner.

“And then the second thing is I think that’s a foul on Dort. And if it was, they should put a whistle on that play, regardless of the score and the time. Because if they do that, everybody stops playing, and you can legislate the situation as you normally would.”

There were no in-game penalties for the Dort-Fears altercation, but now they both have fines to pay.

NBA trade deadline: The 5 most interesting teams to watch, including — who else? — the Bucks and Knicks

Deadlines tend to bring action, the truism goes, and with the 2026 NBA trade deadline now just a week away, 30 NBA teams have the opportunity to show us — not tell us — where exactly they think they are in the grand scheme of the league, and what exactly they feel they need to get where they want to go.

Those who fancy themselves contenders might enter this final week searching for one last piece to complete the puzzle, fortifying their chances of playing into June. For teams living a bit lower in the standings, the deadline offers a shot at one last transactional closing kick that can separate them from the middle of the pack, avoid the play-in tournament and maybe even land home-court advantage in the first round.

For others, it’s a chance to keep matriculating the ball down the field on your in-process rebuilding project by trying to snag some future picks or prospects on the outskirts of larger, more present-tense-focused deals. And if you’ve got nothing much else going on, maybe you can at least cut down your luxury tax bill and save your owner a few million bucks. (The Nets and Jazz, the two teams with ]

Maybe Milwaukee instead goes the other way, shedding whichever vets it can (Gary Trent Jr., Gary Harris, Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey) for whatever second-rounders they might return, steering into the skid of another month and a half or so without Giannis in pursuit of a plunge down the standings. Remember: While the Hawks are in line to get the better one of the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ 2026 first-round picks, thanks to the trade that landed Derik Queen in New Orleans, the Bucks will still get the worse pick … which could still be a very good pick if both the Pelicans and Bucks stink.

Maybe, in what’s projected to be one of the strongest top-of-the-draft classes in recent memory, that lands the Bucks a high lottery pick who might help revitalize the franchise, a la VJ Edgecombe in Philly.  Maybe that kind of shot in the arm strengthens the case Horst can make this offseason, when he offers Giannis the four-year, $275 million maximum-salaried contract extension he becomes eligible to receive on Oct. 1 — the kind of deal that would hopefully convince the two-time MVP to scrap all this “new home” talk in favor of staying in Milwaukee for good.

Maybe Giannis doesn’t find that case particularly compelling and decides against signing that extension. In which case: Well, Horst did everything he could, and now it’s time to sift through the best offers everyone can make when there’s more cap space, more draft picks, more opportunities — more, more, more.

Or, maybe, all this is moot. Maybe Wednesday’s “we’re open for business” report nets an offer good enough for the Bucks to take right now — and maybe the balance of power in the NBA shifts drastically, dramatically, immediately.

That’s a lot of “maybes.” That’s why we’re all talking about you guys, Doc, and why everybody’s waiting on you. Sorry for the distraction.

Three and a half months ago, with Jayson Tatum in the early stages of his recovery from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon, the C’s trade deadline path seemed clear. Continue the work that personnel chief Brad Stevens did this offseason when he dealt Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņġis, let Al Horford and Luke Kornet walk, and got Boston’s payroll to within $4 million of getting under the first apron and within $12.1 million from getting out of the luxury tax entirely. Re-route new arrival Anfernee Simons (and his $27.7 million expiring contract) or move sharpshooting forward Sam Hauser (making just over $10 million in the first year of his extension).

Save the owners, old and new, some scratch. Reset the clock on the repeater tax. Give yourself some financial flexibility, maybe add a draft pick or two, and put yourself in position to return to the top of the East once Tatum’s healthy enough to return in 2026-27.

A funny thing happened on the way to that balance-sheet-driven approach, though: Boston just … stayed at the top of the East.

How will the uncertainty of Jayson Tatum’s return impact Boston’s thinking at the trade deadline? (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Boston Globe via Getty Images

The Celtics went 15-4 from late November through early January, with Jaylen Brown looking like an All-NBA First Team selection and Derrick White earning All-Star buzz (from certain irredeemable nerds, anyway). Simons has gone from placeholder to potential Sixth Man of the Year candidate, averaging 15 points in 25.2 minutes per game over his last 20 appearances, shooting 41.1% from 3-point range on more than seven attempts per game. Hauser has rebounded from a frigid first month to start scorching, shooting 44% from deep in his last 30 games. A frontcourt rotation of Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza and Amari Williams has looked better than anybody outside TD Garden had any right to believe. The player with the single best on-court/off-court splits in the NBA this season (minimum 500 minutes played) is rookie wing Hugo González.

A week out from the deadline, Joe Mazzulla’s club is tied for second in the East, with the league’s second-best offense, and a better point differential than anybody besides the Thunder, Pistons and Rockets. Everything’s going about as well as it possibly could have; the vibes, broadly, have been immaculate. The Celtics can look any team in the East in the eye without blinking; they’ve lost three of four to the first-place Pistons, but I don’t think Boston would be scared of that matchup in the playoffs.

Particularly if “once Tatum’s healthy enough to return” comes a bit earlier than anticipated.

Despite tearing his Achilles in May, Tatum has refused to rule out a return this season, pushing hard in rehabilitation and workouts (some of which have been public), with each video and cryptic caption stoking hopes that the comeback might come sooner rather than later. In a recent appearance on “The Pivot Podcast,” Tatum made multiple mentions of a hypothetical return 50 or 60 games into the season — which, with the Celtics at 29-18, wouldn’t be too far off:

But Tatum also said the prospect of him disrupting the flow the team’s found in his absence, with Brown as the unquestioned No. 1 option and everyone else understanding the complementary roles they’ve slotted into around him, is something he’s contemplating “every single day.” Sure enough, Chris Haynes of Prime Video and NBA TV reported Wednesday that the five-time All-NBA selection is now “re-evaluating his situation,” and that a return this season is “up in the air.” Tatum confirmed that to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne later Wednesday, saying he “wants to get it right the first time, so it’s just a lot to think about.”

It’ll be interesting to see how much — if at all — the uncertainty surrounding Tatum’s status gives Stevens and Co. to think about heading into the deadline. If Tatum’s not as ready as he hoped he’d be at this stage, and he’s unlikely to be able to give the Celtics much by the postseason, will they stick to that presumed preseason plan by trying to sell high on Simons, duck under the apron and the tax, and live to fight another day? (For what it’s worth, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported earlier this month that the Celtics “are under no pressure to reduce their current luxury tax bill […] but wouldn’t mind going below the tax for the right deal.”)

On the other hand, if they feel confident that Tatum will be back in uniform before season’s end, might they adopt a more aggressive posture — either letting it ride by hanging on to Simons, looking for a smaller move to add another big man to bolster their rebounding (they’re reportedly one of a handful of teams who’ve shown an interest in New Orleans center Yves Missi) or potentially looking to use Simons’ expiring contract for a big swing on the kind of player who could both help the C’s chances of winning a down East this year and fortifying the roster around Brown, White and a full-strength Tatum in the years ahead?

Which path the Celtics take next week could tell us a lot about the likelihood of seeing Tatum back in uniform this spring — which, in turn, could go an awful long way toward shaping the state of play in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Speaking of which …

Last Wednesday, the Knicks were in the doldrums, with a blowout loss to the short-handed Dallas Mavericks marking their fourth straight loss and their ninth in 11 games — the nadir of their post-NBA Cup swoon. What a difference a week makes: New York has now won four straight, zooming back into a tie with Boston for second place in the East after knocking off the Raptors in Toronto on Wednesday, behind a dominant second half that saw them outscore the Raps 64-26 over the final 20 minutes of the game.

This was the Knicks team that opened the season 23-9 and won the NBA Cup: sharing the ball, moving with purpose, flying around on defense, creating turnovers, pushing the pace in transition, and bringing the kind of energy that can overwhelm even good competition, even without key reserves Mitchell Robinson and Deuce McBride, in the second game of a back-to-back, on the road. That’s the version of the team that led owner James Dolan to go on New York radio and proclaim that the Knicks “should win the Finals” — a version of the team that, frankly, hadn’t been seen often, or at all, since mid-December.

The question: Does Leon Rose believe that team is well and truly back, and sticking around? Or did the last six weeks shake his confidence in the foundation of last year’s Eastern Conference finalist enough that he believes it’s time for a new foundation — like, for example, a great big Greek one?

If it’s the former, the Knicks could be in line for smaller moves, with a package of fringe pieces — like offseason acquisition Guerschon Yabusele, who hasn’t worked out, lightly used former first-round pick Pacôme Dadiet, and some future second-round picks — aiming to return new, better-fitting bench pieces to bolster New York’s rotation for the postseason. Reported targets have included the Pelicans’ Missi and Jose Alvarado, and Sacramento’s Keon Ellis.

If it’s the latter, though? Well, then, Rose will have his work cut out for him, because pulling together the sort of package that Milwaukee is reportedly seeking for Antetokounmpo — “a blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks” — will require assets that the Knicks don’t currently have. Which would mean turning the things the Knicks do have — like the slumping Karl-Anthony Towns, who says he’s unconcerned by his recent presence in trade chatter but who’s reportedly had “hard feelings” about popping up in Giannis rumors before the season, or starting wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges — into the kind of picks-and-prospects package that Horst seeks.

That would require a hell of a lot of movement over the next few days, potentially looping in multiple teams: Jake Fischer and Marc Stein have both connected dots between any Knicks-Bucks talk and the Trail Blazers, who employ ex-Giannis teammate and potential Knicks target Jrue Holiday, and who also control three future Bucks first-round picks dating back to the trade that sent Lillard to Milwaukee. And if, at the end of it, the Knicks have traded away 60% of their starting lineup and multiple reserves to try to get a currently injured Antetokounmpo onboarded, up to speed and in sync with Jalen Brunson in time for April … well, is that juice worth the squeeze for New York? Is the devil the Knicks know — KAT, with all his flaws, still leading the league in rebounding and playing hard despite errant shooting and decreasing minutes; Bridges, with his tendency to lean away from contact and disappear at times, still in the midst of the best all-around season of his career; Anunoby, his handle sometimes shaky and his aggression intermittent, still one of the premier 3-and-D+ players in the NBA — better than the devil they don’t?

The glass-half-full view: Toronto’s flirting with a 50-win pace, blowing away preseason expectations, thanks to an All-NBA-caliber two-way performance by Scottie Barnes; strong complementary scoring and playmaking from Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley; a tone-shifting bench led by Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jamal Shead; and the NBA’s No. 6 defense. That’s a damn good foundation — one that should allow the Raptors to return to the playoffs for the first time in four years, and should give them a real chance to advance beyond the opening round for the first time since 2020.

The more pessimistic view, though, comes on a night like Wednesday, when Barnes, Barrett and Quickley shoot a combined 12-for-35 from the floor, when Toronto gets outscored by 21 points from the 3-point line, and when the Raps score a dismal 82 points per 100 possessions in the second half — some real Process Sixers/7-59 Bobcats business. (As Eric Koreen of The Athletic put it, “When it looks hard for the Toronto Raptors, it looks really hard.”)

The Raptors have been in trade rumors involving star players. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Emilee Chinn via Getty Images

For the season, the Raptors rank 17th in points scored per non-garbage-time possession, 14th in half-court scoring efficiency, 24th in the share of their shots that come from 3-point range, and 26th in team 3-point accuracy, according to Cleaning the Glass. Five Raptors average double-figure points — six, if you’re feeling charitable enough to round up ailing center Jakob Poeltl’s 9.7 points per game — but none scores more than Ingram’s 21.7. Eight Raptors average at least two assists per game — Toronto ranks fourth in the league in helpers and 10th in passes per game — but none more than Quickley’s 6.1. Seven Raptors make at least one 3-pointer per game — eight if your charity extends to Gradey Dick’s 0.9 — but only two members of their rotation (Mamukelashvili and Quickley) shoot better than league-average from distance.

Toronto is a team built to win with high-pressure defense — by forcing mistakes (fifth in opponent turnover rate) and punishing them (No. 1 in both transition frequency and fast-break points per game) — and with an egalitarian offense that winds up amounting to more than the sum of its parts. It is not a team with overwhelming individual offensive talent, save perhaps for Ingram’s midrange mastery, or a surplus of shooters. It’s fair to wonder if that’s a recipe for regular-season wins, but an early playoff exit.

Which is probably why, in recent weeks, Toronto has been mentioned in connection with virtually every big name that’s come on the trade block, with multiple reports suggesting the Raptors have looked to gauge the markets for Quickley, Barrett, Poeltl and reserve wing Ochai Agbaji, among others.

The Raptors were reportedly at least somewhat in on Anthony Davis (before his injury) and Ja Morant (before his injury). They reportedly remain in on Domantas Sabonis — “a man increasingly out of time,” as Tom Ziller recently described him, for his inability to protect the rim and space the floor, but also a high-IQ offensive connector who would immediately be Toronto’s best playmaker. He would also give the Raps an actual center-sized center, which they’ve largely lacked with Poeltl missing significant time due to a back injury, leading to Collin Murray-Boyles — an absolute ace of a defender, but also a 6-foot-7 rookie — punching up in weight class at the 5.

Sabonis wouldn’t solve the shooting problem, though, and finding someone who would is probably going to cost a pretty penny; the Pelicans are said to be looking for a “Desmond Bane-type offer” to even consider entertaining calls about Trey Murphy III. The Raptors do have all of their own first-round picks to deal, plus at least six tradable seconds, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. Are they willing to pony up that kind of package to try to pry loose the sort of wing who could help decongest that half-court offense? Just a game out of second in the East, do they feel like the time is right to push some of their chips to the middle for that kind of swing? Hell — do they decide to push all of them in, getting in on the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes in pursuit of a bet-on-yourself deal reminiscent of the trade that made Kawhi Leonard a short-term Canadian and the Raptors all-time champions?

More likely, the Raptors decide to slow-play things, nibbling on the edges in search of a deal that returns a backup big — they’ve been connected with Missi and Phoenix’s Nick Richards — while offloading enough salary (like Agbaji’s $6.4 million) to duck below the luxury tax line, which they’re currently less than $1 million over. (Sportsnet’s Michael Grange recently called such a move a “seeming certainty.”) In a market where there might not be many difference-makers moving, though, a Raptors team that is pretty good with young talent and all of its draft picks could be in position to upend our expectations once again.

The Kings aren’t the worst team in the NBA at the moment, but they might be the most purposeless.

The Wizards have pulled together a young core of Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson, reorienting their salary structure to have significant cap space this summer even after trading for Trae Young. The Nets took five prospective playmakers in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, got paid an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to take on Michael Porter Jr. and let him cook his way into All-Star consideration, and are developing an identity under Jordi Fernandez.

The Jazz have Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and (when healthy) Walker Kessler, and they’re playing the game to try to get themselves one more bite at the top-of-the-lottery apple. The Pacers only stink because Tyrese Haliburton can’t play right now. The Pelicans stink for myriad reasons, and may well do so into the future, but they drafted Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen to go with Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and, from time to time, Zion Williamson.

It’s probably too charitable to say that all of these bad teams know what they’re doing, but you get the sense, at least, that they know what they’re trying to do.

What are the Kings trying to do? What’s the goal of what Sacramento — 12-36, with the NBA’s fourth-worst offense and third-worst defense — has put together, under the eighth head coach and fifth lead front office executive of Vivek Ranadivé’s checkered ownership tenure?

Job No. 1, as general manager Scott Perry recently told ESPN’s Anthony Slater, is to “get younger as a team” … which, considering the five highest-paid players on his roster are between 27 and 36 years old, seems like a recipe for a fire sale. (It’s at least kind of funny that the Sacramento player who reportedly has the frothiest market — ace-defending fourth-year guard Keon Ellis, about whom Marc Stein recently reported “an estimated 14 teams have registered varying degrees of trade interest” — just turned 26 and could absolutely be part of a longer-term solution in Sacramento … if it wasn’t for the part where Doug Christie only plays him like 18 minutes per game.)

It’s reasonable to wonder, though, what kind of markets there realistically might be for the likes of Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and Dennis Schröder — all of whom have guaranteed money on the books next year (or, in the case of LaVine, a $49 million player option that seems highly likely to get picked up).

All of those players have skills that could play up in the right context: Sabonis’ passing, rebounding and interior scoring; LaVine’s high-volume 3-point shooting; DeRozan’s seemingly unyielding and ageless ability to create his own shot and drop 20 from the midrange; Monk’s instant-offense scoring and 3-point shooting off the bench; Schröder’s quickness, ability to get downhill and play tough two-way basketball, as he did for Detroit last season during their playoff series against the Knicks. If sticker shock results in paltry offers coming back, though, will Perry just bite the bullet and take whatever picks and projects he can get, betting on his front office being able to do a better job of evaluating young talent in the draft, and of Christie being able to do a better job of developing it, than their predecessors?

And if what winds up coming back is of a significantly lower wattage than what goes out — if those multiple former All-Stars mostly bring back a passel of late-first and second-round picks — will Ranadivé really be willing to keep his hands off the wheel and let Perry steer Sacramento through what could, and frankly should — be a protracted rebuild?

“Obviously, he’s passionate about his team,” Perry told Slater. “But we are aligned on the vision, and we both understand that there could be some short-term pain in order for some good long-term gain.”

It’s easy to buy the bit about more pain coming to Sacramento. How long it lasts, and whether it’ll amount to anything, will depend on whether Perry’s able to sketch out an actual long-term plan, and whether he’s able to spend the next week turning those vets who aren’t going to be part of it into picks and/or prospects who might be.

JJ Redick, Lakers take issue with Cavaliers’ raised court after Luka Dončić injures leg: ‘Absolutely a safety hazard’

LeBron James’ return to face the Cleveland Cavaliers was the biggest story to come out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 129-99 loss Wednesday, but it was nearly overshadowed by a controversial injury. Lakers superstar Luka Dončić was briefly removed from the contest after falling off the Cavaliers’ raised court.

The moment occurred early in the contest. After shooting a three just minutes into the game, Dončić backed up on one foot, watching to see if his shot was good. He wound up going too far, falling off the Cavaliers’ raised court and injuring his leg. 

Dončić was removed from the contest and went to the Lakers’ locker room. After being checked out by team trainers, Dončić was able to return at the end of the first quarter and play the rest of the game. Dončić finished with 29 points in just under 30 minutes of play.

While the Lakers’ star avoided a major injury, the Cavaliers’ raised court drew a major focus from the Lakers after the game. Coach JJ Redick called it a “safety hazard,” one that he didn’t expect to change even if the team filed a formal complaint to the league, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

“It is absolutely a safety hazard,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Doncic was able to return later in the first quarter. “And I don’t know why it’s still like that. I don’t. You know, you can lodge formal complaints. A lot of times you don’t see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”

The Cavaliers are the only team in the NBA that plays on an elevated court. There’s roughly a 10-inch separation from the court to the arena floor. While that drop is supposed to be far enough out of play that it won’t affect players, that clearly wasn’t the case during Wednesday’s game. 

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent echoed Redick’s concern, saying he hoped “something can get fixed” with the court.

“It’s tough to see another player get hurt on this court, with the fall, with the drop off,” Lakers guard Gabe Vincent said Monday, “so hopefully something can get fixed with that, but we’re fortunate that [Doncic] is OK.”

As for Dončić, he put the incident on himself, saying “It’s the only court like this so, I guess it’s my fault.” He added that he needs to stop jumping like that after shots. 

When asked whether he would contact the league about the court, though, Dončić said “don’t involve me in that.” Redick took a similar track, saying the issue was above his pay grade. 

Dončić is not the only player to sustain an injury due to the Cavaliers’ raised court. In 2023, Miami Heat guard Dru Smith sustained an ACL sprain after trying to contest a shot. Smith jumped near the Cavaliers’ bench, and his momentum took him all the way to the edge of the court. Smith’s right leg landed on the court’s edge and then dropped all the way down to the arena floor. He was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.

The Heat reportedly raised the issue with the league following Smith’s injury, according to The Athletic.

That incident wasn’t enough to force the Cavaliers into making a change. While Dončić is currently questionable with “left ankle soreness” for Friday’s game against Washington, his scare could reignite the issue in the league office. The last thing the NBA wants is a premier player going down with a significant injury thanks to an uncommon court hazard. 

Jayson Tatum reportedly considering sitting out entire 2025-26 season amid Achilles rehab

The question of Jayson Tatum’s return from a torn Achilles has loomed over the Boston Celtics’ entire 2025-26 season. The team might be about to get the answer it didn’t want.

Prime Video’s Chris Haynes reported Wednesday that a recent and unspecified development has caused the Celtics star to reevaluate his situation and consider sitting out the entire season. Haynes added he had recently heard Tatum was “getting close” to a return, but it’s now “up in the air” if he plays at all. 

The news comes a day after Tatum expressed reluctance about making a return late in the season, which he worried would disrupt the chemistry the Celtics have developed without him, during an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast.”

“That’s something I contemplate every day,” Tatum said. “More so about the team, if or when I do come back this season, they would’ve played 50 some-odd games without me. So they have an identity this year or things that they felt have clicked for them, and it’s been successful, right, third or second team in the East up to this point. So there is a thought in my head that’s like, how does that work or hows does that look with me integrating myself off an injury and 50-60 games into a season? There could obviously be some challenges and it is a thought, like damn? Do I come back or should I wait? It’s something that I honestly, recently in the last two weeks or so, just kind of contemplate every single day.”

Tatum tore his Achilles in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals and has had a hazy timetable to return ever since. Achilles tears are one of the most-feared injuries in all of sports, but Tatum’s youth at 27 years old and recent advancements in treatment invited optimism for this season.

Tatum refused to rule out a return before the season and showed off some dunking ability in October, while the Celtics were reported to be cautiously optimistic. Now, they might have to accept an All-NBA talent isn’t walking through that door until 2026-27.

It might be time to stop wondering what Jayson Tatum can add to this season’s Celtics team. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images

Despite Tatum’s absence, the Celtics have remained one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The team is tied for the second-best record in the East with a 29-18 record, thanks to a career season from Jaylen Brown and strong contributions from supporting cast members like Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Neemia Queta.

Tatum is still under contract with the Celtics for four more seasons on his five-year, $304 million supermax deal.

Why hasn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo been traded already?

We are beyond the NBA season’s ]

And on Wednesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Bucks — previously resistant to a trade — “are starting to listen” to “aggressive offers” from “several teams” for Antetokounmpo, who is “ready for a new home,” and has been for the past nine months.

Meanwhile, the NBA’s trade deadline will pass on Feb. 5 and, despite reports of recent hope from other teams to the contrary, the likelier outcome may still be Antetokounmpo remaining a Buck throughout the remainder of the season, however gruesome it may get.

As for beyond this season, well, do not expect Antetokounmpo to stay a Buck any longer.

“No way they run it back,” one league source said.

So, why not trade Antetokounmpo now? One theory floating around NBA circles: “You trade Luka, you’ll never work again.” In other words, look at what has become of Nico Harrison since he dealt Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Absent a trade request — and it is unclear from any reporting whether he indeed made such a demand — does Bucks general manager Jon Horst want to be The Guy Who Dealt Giannis Antetokounmpo, no matter the return? I wouldn’t want to be That Guy, either.

Not until the last minute, anyway, and this summer essentially yields the last minute, as Antetokounmpo will be entering the final year of his contract in the 2026-27 campaign. He will have far more influence over his next destination the closer the end of his deal comes.

As Charania previously said, “I’ve spoken to about a dozen sources on and off for weeks. The tension that is in the air within that organization and within the front office and in that locker room is at an all-time high. There’s a splintering environment going on there.”

After all, it has been years since Antetokounmpo told The New York Times’ Tania Ganguli, “Winning a championship comes first. I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and don’t win another championship.” The Bucks have failed to emerge from the first round of the playoffs in each season since, and it appears they could miss the postseason entirely.

It would only make sense that Antetokounmpo wants out. Only, “There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment that I will come out and say, ‘I want a trade,’” Antetokounmpo recently told The Athletic’s Sam Amick. “That’s not … in … my … nature.”

Of course, even that he couched with the phrase, “As of today.”

They seemed to have reached a stalemate. Neither Antetokounmpo nor Horst want to alienate the fans in Milwaukee. But we have reached the boiling point. This team is not going to win another championship for the foreseeable future, and therefore the team is not providing Antetokounmpo with what he wants, which is the chance to contend again.

Then came Wednesday’s news: The Bucks are reportedly opening their eyes to a deal.

[Get more Bucks news: Milwaukee team feed]

None of this helps us solve the mystery of why Antetokounmpo has not already been traded. In fact, it only leads us back to that question. There is, of course, more reason to wait until the offseason for a deal, most of it having to do with the salary cap. The first and second spending aprons make it awfully difficult for rival teams to make maneuvers midseason.

“Better in the summer,” said one source familiar with Milwaukee’s thinking. “More flexibility.”

Again: Look at what Harrison got for Dončić midway through the season. He obviously did not canvas the league for offers, or else he would have gotten something better than Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round draft pick. Wait until the summer, though, and the whole league would have moved heaven and earth for the opportunity to trade for Dončić.

The same may be true of Antetokounmpo, even at 31 years old. Even another calf injury “does not appear to be dissuading interested parties,” reported Substack’s Marc Stein.

But it is not easy to move heaven and earth midway through the season and still field a championship team around Antetokounmpo. He is, really, a non-shooter who uses more than a third of his team’s possessions. He needs a certain roster around him — mostly shooters everywhere, including the center position — to maximize his relentless attack.

And he needs to be healthy.

There is an argument to be made that pulling off the Band-Aid now is what is best for the Bucks. Look at how quickly the Houston Rockets have bounced back since trading James Harden for a picks-heavy package in January 2021. Get the rebuild going as fast as you can.

Then again, Milwaukee will have a better idea of exactly what other teams can offer in the 2026 draft when this season is complete. The Atlanta Hawks, for example, own the better pick between the Bucks and the New Orleans Pelicans, and if that lands in the top four at season’s end, it may be the most valuable asset any team can trade for Antetokounmpo.

Whether that means Antetokounmpo will be dealt this season may have more to do with whether Horst wants the responsibility of being the one to trade him. What ever happened to fortune favoring the bold, then? The second apron. That’s what, I guess.