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The arrival of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline has hastened in recent days, and it’s time to lock eyes on a franchise that has far more working for itself than anyone seems to notice — potentially itself included. 

Despite the well-earned reputation as one of the most incompetent, and perhaps disinterested, franchises in the association, the Chicago Bulls enter the deadline with an enormous amount of assets that would make any front office with just a slight inclination of creativity drool. 

Unfortunately, the Bulls’ front office — and ownership group — has shown the collective imagination of a dead rodent. As such, if the Bulls won’t come to the carriage of trades, the carriage of trades must come to them. 

Expiring contracts, draft picks and intriguing prospects 

While the Bulls are rarely involved in major dealings, or even rumored to be — making the following highly unlikely to ever materialize — they have advantages in the form of their asset trove.

If the Bulls were to let every single one of their expiring contracts do just that, while letting fourth-year forward Dalen Terry walk, they would have upwards of $90.1 million in expiring money that could come off the books this very summer. 

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Surprisingly, for a team that rarely values draft equity, the Bulls are also in full control of their own future in that department. They have no outgoing first-round pick, and are even owed a pick from the Trail Blazers, which is lottery protected through 2028 but has increasing odds of conveying as the Blazers strengthen their roster. 

Finally, the organization sports second-year forward Matas Buzelis (14.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks), all-around playmaker Josh Giddey (18.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.8 assists), and the unknown quantity of Noa Essengue, who is just 43 days removed from his 19th birthday. 

That is considerable wealth for a franchise that has grown enormously stagnant and irrelevant over the years. 

So let’s assume the role of lead executive, and do what the organization lacks the gall to do: roll the dice on an upside play so ridiculously lofty it will leave the fan base in a state of utter confusion. 

The Bulls must enter the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes 

As is custom with these Bulls, they are rarely mentioned as potential suitors for the league’s elite players, of which Antetokounmpo qualifies. (Executing some panic trade for Domantas Sabonis will do absolutely nothing for them, which means that’s surely what they will do.) 

But remember the current administration is no longer in charge. We are. 

And as our first order of business, we place a call to the Bucks and offer the farm for the Greek superstar. Buzelis, Giddey, Kevin Huerter and Chicago’s unprotected first-rounders in 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032 represent more than an adequate bid for Antetokounmpo. Should the Bucks require additional pick swaps, or want the deal to include Essengue, that too should be fine. 

[Devine: The 5 most interesting teams to watch at the NBA trade deadline]

The Bucks would acquire four unprotected first-round selections, a tremendous sophomore forward with All-Star-level potential and a 6-foot-8 playmaker who is on a reasonable $25 million-per-year contract and would even shave off an immediate $8 million. (In order to keep track of the books, assume Essengue stays in Chicago for now.) 

However one wishes to slice it, that is not a poor offering, and Chicago should thus be able to compete with multiple other suitors. 

This is where you might wonder what the point is of sending Antetokounmpo to a situation in which he’ll be left with few weapons around him to succeed. 

Well, this is the part where the true gamble slumbers in its might. 

Antetokounmpo’s presence should lure Austin Reaves in free agency 

The aforementioned expiring contracts in Chicago are plentiful, and given that the Bucks accept Giddey in the proposed trade, this removes $25 million from the Bulls’ books next season, meaning Antetokounmpo’s 2026-27 salary of $58.4 million won’t be as aggressive a hit as one might think. 

The Bulls should then relinquish any rights to Amir Coffey, Nikola Vučević, Zach Collins and Jevon Carter, removing $72.5 million in cap holds. This brings Chicago’s actual salary commitment, which includes cap holds, but not roster charges, to $150.2 million, with the 2026 salary cap estimated to come in at $166 million. 

That is, obviously, not even remotely enough to make a real play for Reaves, meaning the Bulls could work this from several angles.

One, they could discuss a framework in which they conduct a double sign-and-trade deal, consisting of Reaves and Coby White, assuming of course Reaves is interested in leaving Los Angeles to play with Antetokounmpo. (The Bulls could even sweeten the pot in offering Essengue to the Lakers, should the organization initially be disinterested in conducting a sign-and-trade.) 

Or, the Bulls could simply relinquish their rights to White and immediately open up $24.5 million, as that is the cap hold he carries. 

That brings Chicago close to the 25% max ($41.5 million) that Reaves could earn as a starting salary. By potentially trading off Isaac Okoro ($11.8 million) through breaking his contract into smaller pieces and taking back less money, the Bulls could secure even more funds, fully avoiding a situation in which they can’t offer Reaves his max. 

Now, why all these cap gymnastics? 

It’s simple. The Bulls wish to hang on to Ayo Dosunmu, who has a cap hold of $14.3 million. After Reaves has been signed, the Bulls can go over the cap to re-sign Dosunmu, setting their backcourt. 

The risk is enormous 

There’s no question this all comes with immense risk, but that is part of life in the NBA. Playing it safe and hoping to magically get out of the play-in tournament every year is not a plan. It is nothing short of mental defeat. And this endeavor, however risky it is, at the very least turns over a leaf for an organization that has lost interest from the basketball world. What used to be a brand of excellence has become a forgotten symbol of the past.

A core of Antetokounmpo, Reaves, Dosunmu, Jalen Smith, Patrick Williams, Tre Jones and what will likely be a plethora of minimum signings and ring chasers isn’t going to shatter the NBA at large, but it could be just enough in the Eastern Conference to make a deep playoff push. 

The Bulls will have to nail those minimum deals, and should they be able to persuade Vučević or Collins to return for the minimum — which, given the market for centers these days, might not be out of the realm of possibility — all the better. 

But it all starts with the trade deadline and the decision to do something utterly bold to break the shackles of mediocrity, which have haunted the Bulls for years. 

The Minnesota Twins and team president Derek Falvey “mutually agreed to part ways,” the team announced Friday, less than two weeks before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

“Over the past several weeks, Derek and I had thoughtful and candid conversations about leadership, structure and the future of the club,” said executive chair Tom Pohlad, who replaced his younger brother as the lead owner last month and now oversee the club’s business operations while he directs a search for Falvey’s replacement.

“We reached a shared understanding that the needs of the organization are evolving and that a leadership transition is the best way to move forward.”

General manager Jeremy Zoll will keep leading the Twins’ baseball department, the team said in its release.

The change arrives on the doorstep of spring training and months after the Twins’ massive trade-deadline sell-off that saw the franchise deal a whopping 10 players, including three-time All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa and closer Jhoan Durán, less than two years removed from an ALDS appearance.

At the time, Yahoo’s Jake Mintz gave that tear-down an “F” when grading every team’s deadline deals.

“Any time you trade 10 players off the big-league roster during a season in which you planned to contend, you get a big, fat F, regardless of the prospects,” Mintz wrote on July 31. 

“Dealing away Correa, whom Minnesota had hailed as a franchise cornerstone, was as deflating as it was shocking. What even is this team now? There are dark days ahead up north; a years-long winter of woe awaits.”

[Get more Twins news: Minnesota team feed]

Back then, the Twins, as a whole, were up for sale. But the Pohlad family ultimately decided against selling the franchise. Instead, on Aug. 13, it brought on “two significant limited partnership groups.” The Pohlad family has remained the principal owner of the club.

The Twins finished last season 70-92 and fourth in the AL Central. Afterward, they fired manager Rocco Baldelli, who led Minnesota to a trio of division titles during his seven-year run. Former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton is the Twins’ new skipper.

As for Falvey, the 42-year-old executive had been with the franchise since 2016, when he was hired as executive vice president and chief baseball officer, coming off a stay as a scout and executive in Cleveland that culminated in a World Series appearance. In 2019, he was elevated to president of baseball operations in Minnesota. Ahead of last season, he was promoted and tasked with overseeing the business side, too.

During his nine seasons with the Twins, they collected three AL Central titles and made the playoffs four times. Minnesota famously ended an 18-game playoff losing streak with a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2023 AL wild-card series. 

“Following a series of thoughtful conversations with Tom that began after the ownership transition and progressed over the past few weeks, we both agreed this was the right time for us to part ways,” Falvey said in his statement Friday.

He also noted: “On a personal level, I’m looking forward to taking some time to be with my family, reflect and consider what comes next. I don’t have specific plans yet, but I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had here and excited about the next chapter when the time is right.”

As usual, the MLB offseason has moved at a glacial pace. While the key free agents in football, hockey and basketball are scooped up in the initial few days of their availability, we are two months into baseball free agency and still have outstanding players such as Framber Valdez and Eugenio Suárez waiting to find a team.

Still, even though they came in a trickle, there have been major signings and trades that have shifted the needle for important players in the fantasy baseball landscape. And managers can be forgiven if they missed some of the headlines while trying to keep up with the NFL, NBA and NHL seasons.

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

Here is a one-stop guide to the biggest changes in player values over the past two months.

Value Up

Kyle Tucker (OF, Los Angeles Dodgers): Signing with the Dodgers should maximize the value of Tucker’s considerable skill set, thanks to their homer-happy venue and high-scoring offense. This situation is so favorable that Tucker will maintain his status as a Round 1 option, even after a down year.

Willson Contreras (1B, Boston Red Sox): Contreras could have his best season now that he is the expected cleanup hitter for a team with a good lineup and a hitter-friendly home park. Managers can expect him to eclipse his career-best marks in homers, RBI and runs scored.

Kazuma Okamoto (1B/3B, Toronto Blue Jays): The top arrival from Japan this offseason, Okamoto will get regular playing time (primarily at third base) in a strong lineup. He had outstanding on-base skills and six 30-homer seasons during his career in Japan. Managers can expect 20 long balls, 75 RBI and a respectable batting mark.

Luis Robert Jr. (OF, New York Mets): Finally freed from the White Sox’s grueling rebuild, Robert must now show he hasn’t lost the skills that led to 38 homers in 2023. Joining a talented Mets squad is a good situation for the 28-year-old to get his career back on track.

Adolis García (OF, Philadelphia Phillies): Like Robert, García is looking to bounce back from a pair of underwhelming seasons. The 32-year-old will be easy to acquire in the late rounds of drafts and still has 25-homer, 15-steal potential.

Cedric Mullins (OF, Tampa Bay Rays): Mullins avoided becoming a part-time player by signing with a Rays organization that plans to make him their center fielder. The 31-year-old has a fantasy-friendly skill set and should produce 15 homers and 25 steals.

Harrison Bader (OF, San Francisco Giants): Bader is in a similar situation to Mullins, as signing with the Giants has ensured him a full-time role. He has a long injury history but has stayed healthy the past two years and could hit the 15 mark in both homers and steals.

Owen Caissie (OF, Miami Marlins): Formerly the Cubs’ best prospect, Caissie could earn a regular role with the Marlins. This prospect has power, and his contact skills will determine his rookie-year success.

Nolan Arenado (3B, Arizona Diamondbacks): If Arenado has anything left for his age-35 season, the D-backs are his best chance to unlock it. After all, Arizona has outscored every other team over the past two seasons.

Luisangel Acuña (2B, Chicago White Sox): Although Acuna will start the season on waivers in most leagues, he’s someone for roto managers to monitor now that he has a path to a full-time role. The 23-year-old has 35-steal upside.

Konnor Griffin (SS/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates), JJ Wetherholt (2B/3B/SS St. Louis Cardinals), Kevin McGonigle (SS, Detroit Tigers): The Pirates improved their roster but kept the shortstop spot open for Griffin. The Cardinals cleared room in their infield by trading away Contreras and Arenado. And the Tigers elected not to add a veteran shortstop over the winter.

All three of these elite prospects have a clear path to debut on Opening Day, or by May at the latest. They are all draftable in standard formats.

MacKenzie Gore (SP, Texas Rangers): Gore has shown flashes in recent seasons and could finally put together a breakout campaign now that he is on a competitive team with a pitcher-friendly home park. The lefty could tally 200 strikeouts but needs to lower his WHIP before becoming a significant fantasy option.

Tatsuya Imai (SP, Houston Astros): Imai is the top pitching arrival from overseas, having posted a 1.92 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP last season. He joins a Houston franchise that typically has success with its starters, and he can be valued as an SP5 with upside in 12-team leagues.

Mike Burrows (SP, Houston Astros): Burrows showed potential with the Pirates (3.90 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) and is locked into the rotation on a solid team with a strong track record of developing pitchers. He’s an exciting late-round option.

Value Down

Ranger Suárez (SP, Boston Red Sox): Although Suárez should continue to be useful, it’s worth noting that his new home park is tough on left-handed pitchers. And with mediocre contributions in the strikeouts and WHIP categories, he needs a low ERA in order to make an impact.

Alex Bregman (3B, Chicago Cubs): Bregman’s situation is similar to that of Suárez — he should continue to be productive but by switching home parks, he has created a more challenging situation for himself.

Munetaka Murakami (3B, Chicago White Sox): Murakami could hit his share of homers during his debut season, but he would have helped his fantasy value by signing with a high-scoring team. The rebuilding White Sox aren’t there yet.

Brandon Lowe (2B, Pittsburgh Pirates): Lowe’s fantasy value is typically more dependent on his ability to stay off the IL than any other factor. Still, his upside was capped when he was traded to baseball’s lowest-scoring team.

Matt Shaw (3B, Chicago Cubs): The addition of Bregman pushed Shaw to a utility role, which will limit his opportunities on a deep Cubs roster. Previously a sleeper who logged an .839 OPS in the second half of his rookie year, he’s now undraftable in mixed leagues.

Triston Casas (1B, Boston Red Sox): Any chance of Casas returning from a ruptured patellar tendon to serve as Boston’s starting first baseman flew out the window when the team acquired Contreras. Unless he is dealt, Casas can stay off draft lists.

Jordan Lawlar (2B/3B/SS, Arizona Diamondbacks): A clear path to playing time was blocked when Arenado was acquired to play third base. Lawlar will now enter Spring Training without a position, unless the team opts to use him heavily in the outfield.

Jonah Tong (SP, New York Mets): By adding Freddy Peralta, the Mets have at least six starters ahead of Tong on the depth chart. He should spend plenty of time in Triple-A and on the waiver wire in fantasy leagues.

Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Maurico (New York Mets): The additions of Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien will leave these three youngsters to fight for DH and backup responsibilities, which makes them all waiver wire fodder in standard formats.

Coby Mayo, Ryan Mountcastle, Tyler O’Neill (Baltimore Orioles): Similar to the situation in New York, the acquisitions of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward will leave these three players with limited opportunities, which negates most of their fantasy appeal.

Closer Chaos

Edwin Díaz (Los Angeles Dodgers): Díaz was already being treated as the No. 1 fantasy closer by some analysts and is now even more appealing as the ninth-inning man on baseball’s best team.

Ryan Helsley (Baltimore Orioles): After succeeding as the Cardinals closer, Helsley faltered down the stretch as a setup man with the Mets. He is back in a ninth-inning role and should be valued as a second-tier option.

Devin Williams (New York Mets): The Mets believe that Williams still has the skills that made him a dominant closer with the Brewers. However, his struggles with the Yankees are enough reason to keep the righty out of the top tier at the position. Like Helsley, Williams becomes an option once 5-6 relievers are off the board.

Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suárez (Atlanta Braves): After getting his season back on track in the second half of 2025, Iglesias re-signed with the Braves. He is expected to pitch in the ninth inning while former Padres closer Suárez works the eighth frame.

Emilio Pagán (Cincinnati Reds): Pagán returned to the Reds on a two-year deal, which was the best possible news for his fantasy value. The veteran has the trust of manager Terry Francona and will get every opportunity to remain in the closer’s role.

Pete Fairbanks (Miami Marlins): Fairbanks switched teams within the state of Florida. The relocation shouldn’t impact his first-half value, but it’s easy to see how the Marlins could trade away a closer who is on a one-year deal if they fall out of the race by July.

Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan (Detroit Tigers): Jansen converted 29 of 30 save chances with the Angels last year, which should be enough to get him the first opportunity in Detroit. Although manager A.J. Hinch will likely give a few chances to Finnegan and Will Vest, Jansen is expected to lead the committee and therefore is the only Detroit reliever worth drafting.

Kirby Yates (Los Angeles Angels): It’s hard to believe that just two years ago, Yates produced dominant ratios (1.17 ERA, 0.83 WHIP) and 33 saves. The veteran struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness last year, but if healthy, he could lead the Angels in saves.

Seranthony Domínguez (Chicago White Sox): Domínguez jumped back onto the fantasy radar when the White Sox signed him to a two-year deal. The right-hander is now the saves favorite on one of baseball’s worst teams, which is good enough to make him a late-round pick in deep roto leagues.

No NBA player younger than Cooper Flagg has scored more points than Flagg did on Thursday.

Facing the Charlotte Hornets and his former Duke roommate, Kon Knueppel, Flagg posted a career-high 49 points in a 123-121 loss for the Dallas Mavericks. No teenager has ever scored that many points in NBA history, and it’s also a Mavericks rookie record.

The latter record was previously co-owned by Flagg and Mark Aguirre. In a fun twist of fate, the Mavericks were retiring Aguirre’s No. 24 on Thursday night.

Knueppel also posted a career high with 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including a franchise-record eight made 3-pointers, plus 4 rebounds and 3 assists. In addition to finishing one point shy of 50, Flagg had 10 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 20-of-29.

The game came down to both players. Flagg tied the game at 121 with a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left, but Knueppel got a steal at his expense on the next Dallas possession and ended up shooting a pair of free throws to take the lead. 

Flagg had a chance to tie the game and hit the half-century mark, but his buzzer-beater missed long after shooting through a double team.

Regardless of the result, Flagg continued to enter rare company at only 19 years old. In addition to having the most points by a teenager, he is now one of three players to post multiple 40-point games at 19 or younger, joining LeBron James and Anthony Edwards.

The win is a welcome one for the 21-28 Hornets, who are now 2.5 games back from the Chicago Bulls for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. Knueppel’s star performance continued a strong rookie year for the No. 4 pick pick, who ranks second among NBA rookies in points per game with 18.9, behind only Flagg.

Two days after the possibility of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade became very real, the Milwaukee Bucks did a masterful job of showing why that’s the case.

Facing a Washington Wizards team that previously had the fewest wins in the NBA with 11, the Bucks lost 109-99 and fell to 18-28. They still sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, 4.5 games out of a playoff spot.

Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since last Friday due to a calf strain and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks. In his absence, Myles Turner led the Bucks in scoring with 21 points plus a team-high 14 rebounds and 6 blocks. As a team, Milwaukee shot 41 of 98 (41.8%) from the field and 10 of 38 (26.3) from 3-point range, while getting outrebounded 61-43.

The Wizards got 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists from Kyshawn George, while Alex Sarr had 16 points, 17 rebounds and 2 blocks. It was a special night for D.C., which was hosting former franchise great John Wall for a retirement ceremony.

The win actually moves the Wizards from the worst record in basketball to only fourth-worst at 12-34, as the 12-36 Indiana Pacers, 12-37 Sacramento Kings and 12-37 New Orleans Pelicans all have worse win percentages right now. Given the stakes of the 2026 NBA Draft, that’s not necessarily a triumph.

Scott Taetsch via Getty Images

In an ESPN article published Tuesday, the Bucks were reportedly described by potential trade partners to be “more open than ever” to moving on from Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee has been consistently hesitant about such a move, but the franchise’s recent struggles and Antetkounmpo’s potential decline at 31 years old have made the idea more feasible than ever.

The Bucks don’t need to move the 10-time All-Star at next month’s NBA trade deadline, especially if they believe they can get more for him during the summer. If the gates are indeed open, there is no shortage of contenders who will be interested.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez has signed a reported seven-year, $175 million extension, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Ramírez’s restructured deal will see him earn $25 million per season from 2026 to 2032, with $10 million deferred each season.

The 33-year-old Ramírez has spent his entire 13-year MLB career with the Guardians. The third baseman is a seven-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger Award winner and a two-time All-MLB First Team member. 

[Get more Cleveland news: Guardians team feed]

Two of MLB’s biggest awards have eluded Ramírez, as he is a three-time AL MVP finalist and seven-time Gold Glove Award finalist.

Last season, Ramírez slashed .283/.360/.503 with 30 home runs and 85 RBI. He hit 34 doubles and stole a career-high 44 bases in 158 games. His .863 OPS was third among qualified third baseman, and per FanGraphs, he posted 6.3 WAR, which was tied with Francisco Lindor for eighth among position players.

“He’s the best all-around third baseman in baseball,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said last season, via The Athletic. “He’s one of the top five players, in my opinion. … I’m just thankful I get to watch him do it every day.”

Ramírez joined the Guardians in 2009 as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic. A franchise stalwart, he is second in franchise history with 285 home runs, 52 behind Jim Thome. He is also top-five in games played (1,609), stolen bases (287) and runs scored (1,001).

The new agreement will add four years and $106 million to the five-year, $124 million extension Ramírez signed in April 2022. He is now committed to Cleveland through the 2032 season.