LOS ANGELES — Before he was the architect of the Miami Heat’s impressive franchise culture, before he coached the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals, Pat Riley was a Lakers legend.
The slicked-back hair and impeccable Georgio Armani suits — which actor Michael Douglas admitted inspired the look for his Gordon Gekko character in “Wall Street” — the highlight-filled Showtime offense led by Magic Johnson, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the paint hitting skyhooks, and Pat Riley as the architect of all of it.
With his design came four NBA titles and seven trips to the NBA Finals while he was the Lakers coach. Which is why on Sunday, he got a statue out in front of the Lakers’ home, Crypto.com Arena.
Pat Riley’s statue has been unveiled in Los Angeles!
“The time has gone so fast,” Riley said. “I feel like everything I’ve ever done, I’ve been blessed. I was surrounded by greatness.”
“In 1981, my father made Pat the team’s head coach and Pat soon became the epitome of an era, the stylish leader of the all-conquering Showtime Lakers,” said Lakers governor Jeanie Buss. “Now, generations of Angelenos will be able to gather here to learn of his achievements and to understand his central role in the history of our team and our city.”
The statue strikes a familiar pose to any fan of the Showtime era, Riley with his fist raised to the air, a pose he often struck after Magic found Kareem for a skyhook bucket.
“Significance doesn’t come from comfort. It comes from adversity, from discipline, from refusing to be ordinary,” Riley said. “One day we look back with the incredible pride and gratitude to have been part of something truly special. That statue right there is loaded up with all of us who took this magical journey.”
Riley getting a statue brought out the stars: Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis, Jamaal Wilkes, Bob McAdoo, Norm Nixon, Byron Scott, and famed Lakers trainer Gary Vitti, just to name a few.
Magic took the mic and told stories of the glory days, including the time Riley came to him and asked him to score more, and Magic replied, “Did you ask Kareem?” Nobody laughed harder at that than Abdul-Jabbar.
The inscription on the base of the statue was a Riley quote, advice he attributed to his father: “There will come a time when you are challenged, and when that time comes, you must plant your feet. You must stand firm. You must make a point. About who you are, what you do, and where you come from. When that time comes, you do it.”
There are now eight Lakers honored with statues outside the arena: Kobe Bryant, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and legendary Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn.
The statue was designed and created by Omri Amrany and Sean Bell of Rotblatt Amrany Studio, the studio that also created statues honoring Bryant, Hearn, Abdul-Jabbar, O’Neal and others.
Feb 22, 2026; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (2) jokes around with third baseman Matt Chapman (26) against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
New manager Tony Vitello is new to life in the Majors. He’s never experienced baseball like this first hand. Quality at this quantity right between the eyes. The Big Time. The Show. Professionalism oozing from the pores of the ticket scanners to the players. These diamonds shine — even in Spring Training.
Five pitches into Robbie Ray’s debut the stadium alarm system went off. Somewhat worryingly the incessant beeping and declarative voice over the loud speaker, directing everyone in attendance that an emergency had been reported and everyone should vacate the building, was collectively ignored.
Because this ain’t college ball, coach. This is the PROs. The game doesn’t just stop because there’s some kind of “emergency.” These gladiators don’t just seek safety — like sheep — because some automated, disembodied voice says so. As the sirens roared and all of Scottsdale burned in the distance, Robbie Ray pitched on, walking the first two batters he faced, then before giving up a bloop single to Seiya Suzuki…
No matter, this is the Major Leagues, in case you forgot, where two walks + a single = three outs.
Welcome to the Big Leagues, Mr. Vitello — this is what it’s like every damn day.
Obviously, Cactus League play in February is not the Lincoln Center. One does not usually venture down to the Phoenix metropolitan area in search of grace and elegance. The Spring Training version of black-tie is a loose-fitting Hawaiian shirt, a straw hat, and an inner-thigh sunburn. Games this early on are about as edifying as three hot dogs and a beer for lunch.
The Giants 4 – 2 win over the Chicago Cubs was a circus of lost fly balls, booted grounders, brainless base-running, poor command, and overcooked offerings. 10 walks and 9 hits allowed by pitching, 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position — this is not a blueprint for success. The rust showed all the way up in the broadcaster’s booth as well. At one point Duane Kuiper stated that Alex Bregman “helped us win a World Series.” Jeff Kent called Alex Rodriguez “a fat ass” and a “son of a bitch” on live radio (but that might be an example of Kent in form), and Jon Miller referred to Bryce Eldridge as Bryce Harper.
But bad baseball is better than no baseball. Man, it feels good to be back.
Things to note:
Matt Chapman rocketed doubles with exit velocities of 109 MPH and 107 MPH in his first two at-bats of spring. Guess the hand’s feeling good.
Carson Seymour made his spring debut with a scoreless frame in the 2nd. He surrendered a single, touched 97 MPH multiple times on the radar gun, and showed off three different fastball types (four-seam, sinker, cutter). While Seymour came up as a starter, there has been some early camp chatter about him wiggling his way on to the roster by way of the bullpen.
Luis Arraez didn’t look like a complete kook in his first start playing second base. He actually made a somewhat heads up play on Suzuki’s 1st inning bloop with an off-balanced throw that went right to Rafael Devers who initiated the improbable triple play. A rangier defender might have tracked down that flare — thank god Arraez didn’t. Can you imagine settling for only one out on that play?
Jung Hoo Lee lined an outside splitter 103 MPH to left field in his first at-bat. Spraying hits and using the whole field is the key to sustained success at the plate for Lee in 2026. More positive news for the Hoo Lee Gans: Right field seems like a decent fit so far. In the 6th, Lee ranged far to the foul line to track down a fly ball before a strong and accurate one-hop throw home bagged the runner tagging from third.
There were seven ABS challenges in the game. The Cubs went 2-for-4 while the Giants went 2-for-3 Patrick Bailey botched his first one on an elevated sinker that he thought scratched a corner. Turns out his framing is so good he can even fool himself.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls guard Anfernee Simons will have additional imaging on his injured left wrist on Monday and see a hand specialist, coach Billy Donovan said before Sunday’s game against the New York Knicks.
Simons, acquired by Chicago in a deal that sent center Nikola Vucevic to Boston at the trade deadline earlier this month, was hurt in Chicago’s 126-110 loss to Detroit on Saturday and didn’t play in the second half.
The injury was listed as a left wrist sprain, but Donovan said the team wasn’t certain of the exact diagnosis or how long Simons might be out.
“They (the Bulls medical staff) certainly want to see a hand doctor and we’ll do some pictures tomorrow, so I’ll have a better idea” Donovan said. “He’s out right now.
“He’s still pretty sore from it, but the extent of it, I’m not sure yet.”
In six games and five starts with the Bulls, Simons has averaged 15.2 points and 28.4 minutes.
In 49 contests with the Celtics this season, the 26-year-old Simons averaged 14.2 points in 24.5 minutes. He was Portland’s first-round draft pick in 2018 and played the first seven of his eight NBA seasons with the Trail Blazers before being traded to Boston for Jrue Holiday in July.
The Bulls entered Sunday on a season-worst eight-game losing streak.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lauren Betts had 19 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, and No. 2 UCLA defeated Wisconsin 80-60 for its 21st consecutive victory on Sunday, when the Bruins celebrated the program’s first outright Big Ten championship.
The Bruins (27-1, 17-0) are close to completing the first undefeated league season since 2014-15, when Maryland went 18-0. They finished 14-0 at home and have one road game remaining.
Wearing white title caps, the Bruins gathered at center court in a group hug and posed with the trophy.
UCLA had already clinched the title by the time it took the court, thanks to No. 13 Iowa’s 62-44 victory over sixth-ranked Michigan earlier in the day. Both Michigan and Iowa are tied for second with three losses each.
Gabriela Jaquez had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Bruins, who had five players in double figures.
Dorja Zaja scored 16 points and Lily Krahn added 13 for the Badgers (13-15, 5-12). They lost their eighth in a row and fell to 2-9 on the road.
Wisconsin struck for two quick baskets to open the third and get within seven. Destiny Howell scored and Ronnie Porter hit a 3-pointer.
But the Bruins took over, outscoring Wisconsin 24-15 to take a 65-49 lead into the fourth.
The Bruins led by 14 points on Jaquez’s 3-pointer early in the second quarter. The Badgers twice cut their deficit to eight points before trailing 41-29 at halftime.
On Senior Day, the Bruins honored Betts, Kiki Rice, Jaquez, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Gianna Kneepkens and Angela Dugalic with flowers before the game. Rice and Jaquez have spent their entire four-year careers at UCLA; the others transferred to Westwood.
Up next
Wisconsin: Hosts No. 13 Iowa on March 1 to end regular season.
UCLA: Visits crosstown rival USC in regular-season finale on March 1.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 20: Colorado Rockies Infielder, Kyle Karros steps up to the plate during the first 2026 spring training game at Salt River Field at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 20, 2026. The Arizona Diamondbacks went onto beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
Today, the Colorado Rockies lost a road game to the Texas Rangers, 9-5. (The Dolly Parton song moves much faster than today’s game did.) For more details, go here.
We’re not yet to the point where we’re doing postgame write-ups, but here is some video from today’s game.
First, here’s manager Warren Schaeffer:
And here’s Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros, who had a pretty good day:
The Los Angeles Lakers honored former coach Pat Riley during a ceremony outside Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 22. The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of a bronze statue of the legendary coach’s likeness.
It’s the 15th statue put up outside the arena, joining a list of notable figures from Lakers history, including Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Riley’s statue is nearly eight feet tall and weighs 510 pounds and is located between the statues of Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, his two star players on the “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s.
Riley did not have head coaching experience when he was promoted to head coach of the Lakers during the 1981-82 season. But Riley became the perfect fit for the Lakers during the 1980s and the “Showtime” Lakers went to seven NBA Finals under Riley, winning four championships (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988).
“This right here is off the charts of being honored,” Riley told CBS Los Angeles.”I am just so privileged to have this here.”
Riley spent 24 years as a head coach and compiled 1,381 regular-season and playoff victories, which ranks fifth in NBA history. He has a regular season record of 1,210-694 (.636 winning percentage). In addition to his four championships with the Lakers, Riley won another title with the Miami Heat in 2006 and has added two more rings as an executive.
Is Pat Riley in the Basketball Hall of Fame?
Riley was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Feb 19, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners outfielder Jared Sundstrom (89) during spring training photo day in Peoria, AZ. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
If you turned this game off in the second inning, that’d be understandable. Maybe you are one of the many people who woke up incredibly early to watch the US men’s hockey team gold medal match against Canada. Also, this lazy Sunday game was the first radio-only affair of the spring, held down by the broadcast crew of Rick Rizzs, Gary Hill Jr., and the affable Charlie Furbush. And by the end of the third inning, the Mariners were down 8-2. Totally get it if you went to do something else.
But if you turned the game off, you missed some fun stuff. Especially if you like [sparkle fingers] challenges. Because the fate of this game turned on Mariners prospect Jared Sundstrom making a good challenge, and butterfly-effect style, making a new game, one where the Mariners emerged victorious, 14-8.
Another story of this game: the sheer amount of pitches the Mariners batters made Reds pitching throw. The Reds used 11 pitchers, who threw a combined 240 pitches. The Mariners drew 10 walks. Mariners pitching? Issued zero walks. Mmmm, that’s some good Controlling of the Zone.
Once again, the Mariners drew first blood, foreshadowing the level of Problem this lineup could be this season. The Mariners forced Reds starter Jose Franco to throw 30 pitches in the first inning, scraping a run out on a trio of singles: a leadoff one from Luke Raley, a hard-hit one from Julio Rodríguez (99.9 EV), and a magnificent hard-won RBI from Randy Arozarena, who took the ninth pitch of an at-bat right back up the middle (107.7 EV) for a run-scoring single. Randy was wearing the number 75, because he’d forgotten his jersey back in Peoria, and you know what, Randy? Relatable.
But that early lead quickly turned into a deep deficit. Randy Dobnak had a rough Mariners debut, working around an Elly De La Cruz double in the first but unable to escape the second inning, giving up six straight hits. All but two of those hits were on the sinker, which got torched by the Reds hitters. The Mariners had to bring in one of their “jicky” (Just In Case) minor-leaguers to mop up the inning, and Ryan Hawks, 2023 eighth-rounder, took care of De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez, buttoning up the inning by striking out Geno with a slider.
Casey Legumina picked up where Hawks left off, taking care of his three hitters 1-2-3 for a clean third inning and ending on a strikeout of Ke’Bryan Hayes, a good showing for the Bean Man in his spring debut. Maybe that energy transferred to the offense, as the Mariners got one back in the fourth thanks to a two-out double by Will “Willy” Wilson followed by a Brock Rodden triple.
I will take one ticket to the Brocketship, please and thank you.
But Ryan Loutos, making his Mariner debut, gave that run right back and then some. Loutos just wasn’t able to miss many bats: the Reds were able to contact everything he put on the plate, and by the time the next jicky came in to stop the bleeding—this time Marcelo Pérez—the score was 8-2. Once again, the minor-league callup stepped up; Pérez struck out Geno chasing after a slider and coaxed a groundout from Spencer Steer to cap the damage.
But the Mariners battled back in the second half of the game. It started in the fifth, when the Mariners played some small ball against former Mariner prospect Connor Phillips. The big hit came from Julio, who scorched a double (104.2 EV) off a sweeper well below the zone. Arozarena worked another walk, this time with two outs, bringing up Dominic Canzone, who singled to score Luke Stevenson, pinch-running for Julio. Michael Arroyo then turned in yet another polished plate appearance: he’d gotten some bad luck earlier in the game, a 107.6 mph lineout and a groundout that came off the bat at 103.2; this time he worked a walk, refusing to chase anything out of the zone, to load the bases. The defense remains an issue – he mishandled a routine throw and let a ball go past his glove today at second – but his production in the box will force him into the lineup somehow. Will Wilson then worked a bases-loaded walk of his own to cut the deficit to 8-4.
Then it was time for the Brock Star again. Facing new pitcher Julian Garcia, Rodden shot a ground ball just out of reach of former Mariners prospect Edwin Arroyo to bring in another run. Jonny Farmelo struck out to end the inning, but the game now stood at a manageable 8-5.
In the middle innings, it was time for some more Mariners debuts. Robinson Ortiz made his Mariners debut in the fifth with a clean 1-2-3 inning of three weak-contact outs (one was a little more adventurous than it needed to be thanks to a poor throw from Arroyo, but Josh Naylor was able to clean it up). Ortiz’s fastball hung out around 93 mph and he primarily threw his four-seam with a couple of sliders mixed in. In the sixth, it was time for Cole Wilcox. Wilcox definitely won the stuff battle, hanging out at 97 on his sinker and touching as high as 98.5 while collecting two strikeouts.
The Mariners added another pair of runs in the seventh against Lyon Richardson. Arozarena—wearing number 75 because he apparently forgot his jersey, oh Randy—singled in his final plate appearance. New LL heartthrob Brennen Davis worked a walk, showing some solid strike zone awareness. Blake Rambusch and Luis Suisbel then hit back-to-back singles to bring the Mariners within a run, 8-7.
The turning point of the game came in the eighth inning. With two outs, the Reds had challenged a pitch on Carson Taylor; the call was upheld, and Taylor walked. That brought up Jared Sundstrom, who was initially called out in a 1-2 count on a 98.1 mph fastball on the inside edge. Sundstrom immediately challenged, and the call was reversed. Sundstrom would go on to work a walk as Reds pitcher Zach Maxwell’s command further disintegrated. Brennen Davis and Blake Rambusch would go on to work back-to-back walks, tying up the game at 8-8.
Obviously playing for the win, Dan Wilson left Jhonathan Díaz out for the bottom of the eighth after he had worked a clean seventh. That set up the Baby Mariners for the win in the ninth: two highly-touted Mariners prospects delivered leadoff doubles, with Felnin Celesten doubling in his first at-bat of the spring and then sprinting home on a Jonny Farmelo double to give the Mariners their first lead since the first inning. Josh Caron followed that with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs, and Luke Stevenson worked the Mariners’ tenth walk of the day. Sundstrom then came through again with a two-run single into left, setting up Brennen Davis for the kill shot. Davis demolished a middle-middle fastball at 114 mph for a three-run home run to make the score 14-8, and that’s where the game would end as Domingo Gonzalez worked a 1-2-3 inning in his Mariners debut.
In a game that featured nine challenges, none was more impactful than Sundstrom’s, leading to the Mariners tying the game. With the ABS system, players have an opportunity take more ownership over their at-bats, but the risk is significant; those who have an impeccable sense of the zone will find themselves advantaged by the challenge system. The Mariners went 2-for-3 in their challenges today, but more importantly, they won the battle in the zone on both sides of the ball. The Reds recorded 12 hits, striking out eight times and, as mentioned, walking none; the Mariners recorded 17 hits, and while they did strike out 12 times, they also earned 10 free passes. No matter what innovations come to the game, commanding the zone is timeless.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – FEBRUARY 22: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 22, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers fought hard to erase an early 23-point deficit, but they weren’t able to keep up with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s hot outside shooting. The Thunder prevailed 121-113.
The starting lineup doesn’t work in every context; this is one of them. Lu Dort and Cason Wallace‘s size and strength made it difficult for Donovan Mitchell and James Harden to attack off the dribble. The rest of the starters weren’t able to do much as Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are all play finishers and not play creators. This hurt the Cavs and was part of the reason why they turned it over seven times before the first subs entered the game.
I’m in favor of Wade starting in most situations. His defense and rebounding add a different dimension for this team. However, there are some matchups where Cleveland would be better served starting someone like Jaylon Tyson or Sam Merrill. This is one of them.
The Cavs lost the five minutes the starters shared the floor by 14. They won the other 43 minutes by six.
You don’t want to over-index one game, but outings like this are why it’s fair to wonder if Wade can be a difference maker in the playoffs.
As mentioned, this wasn’t a great matchup to use Wade as a starter. There wasn’t a player that they specifically needed him to defend. When he doesn’t have that, his utility goes down, which only highlights how he can be a limited offensive player.
The Cavs needed players who could shoot or provide some level of ball handling. Wade was hesitant to pull the trigger and isn’t an on-ball creator. He had just one field-goal attempt in 18 minutes despite the defense being more than okay to cheat off him. You’re completely handicapping your offense if neither he nor his teammates trusts him to be an active part of the offense.
The Cavs wouldn’t start Wade if they played the Thunder in a seven-game series. They’d just use him off the bench as a backup. So, again, you don’t want to make too much of this one game. But there are other matchups, like against the Detroit Pistons, where the Cavs need Wade to guard the opponent’s best player. Wade can only be placed in a spot to do so if he provides something offensively.
The Cavs need to find alternative ways to get Allen involved. After spending the last few weeks talking about how they need to get him the ball early, he took just one shot in the first quarter. As has been the pattern, this carried over for the entire game as Allen had just six field goal attempts in over 28 minutes.
The Thunder deserve some credit for this. They did a great job of collapsing passing lanes and sending help whenever Allen did get the ball. Cleveland’s poor outside shooting allowed them to gamble as much as they did. That said, the Cavs’ offense didn’t really have a way to get him the ball besides just trying to force-feed him in the pick-and-roll.
Teams know that Allen is the key to getting their offense involved, especially after the addition of Harden. Allen’s rim pressure opens the floor up for the guards and for shooters on the perimeter. But if it gets shut down, things can become stagnant like it did in Oklahoma City.
Not every team has the ability to stop Allen with a drop big as good as Isaiah Hartenstein and the perimeter defender the Thunder have. It’s not like it’s the most replicable strategy. At the same time, a team like the Pistons — who the Cavs could face in the playoffs — can do something similar with their defensive personnel.
Allen needs to be a bigger factor than he was. There’s just not many situations where the Cavs are going to beat an elite opponent if he’s held to just six shot attempts.
Keon Ellis continues to impress with his defensive effort. He finished with two steals and was once again incredibly disruptive.
There aren’t many players of his size who can alter defensive possessions as he does. Plays like the one below are an example of that.
Ellis rotates like he’s going to contest Chet Holmgren’s drive. Holmgren assumes that Ellis is going back to the wing, but instead, he comes down and forces Holmgren out of his shot. It’s not often a 6’4” guard forces a 7’1” center out of a jumper.
It’s difficult to keep someone this impactful defensively off the court.
There’s room for more Merrill and Harden two-man screening actions.
Merrill is a good screener and had his shot working on Sunday as he went 6-10 from three. Only one of those six triples was assisted by Harden, but the ease with which the shot was created makes you wonder why they don’t use it more often.
Here, a simple ghost screen from Merrill creates a wide-open look due to how much attention Harden draws to the ball. It helps that Harden can make behind-the-back passes with ease.
These two have shown a natural chemistry in their first six games together. They should lean into that much more than they currently are. This has the potential to be as lethal a combination as Harden and Allen.
The spacing principles with Harden need work.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson is trying to find ways to keep elements of his movement offense while working in the isolation sets that Harden is comfortable with. In the previous five games, the Cavs were able to make that work. They weren’t on Sunday as Harden turned it over five times, with a few coming because the spacing just isn’t where it needs to be.
We talked about the starters not providing much spacing. This is an example of that. Four defenders are in the paint along with three Cavaliers when Harden committed the offensive foul.
And here, Dennis Schroder is stuck trying to relocate to the corner in the middle of Harden’s drive, which disrupts the spacing, leading to the turnover.
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The Thunder are a tough matchup for Cleveland’s backcourt. There aren’t many teams that have more disruptive guard defenders than Dort and Wallace. They don’t give up many 30+ point games from an opposing guard. That means that the rest of the offense needs to be in sync, and they weren’t.
As was seen here, the Cavs’ offense has the potential to be good — and they were for stretches on Sunday — but they certainly aren’t fine-tuned yet. The spacing wasn’t great, they couldn’t find a way to get Allen involved, it’s fair to wonder where Mobley fits into the Harden offense, and the rotations are a work in progress. Games like this are going to expose those issues.
The Cavs are very much a work in progress. The talent is there, but they don’t know who they are and how they want to play enough to quite be on the Thunder’s level. In many ways, they’re trying to build the plane in the air.
Nothing from this game makes me think that the Cavs can’t reach that level. Even though the Thunder were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, they shot uncharacteristically well from three. Making more than half of your outside shots is going to make any team incredibly tough to beat. The Cavs also didn’t do themselves any favors with the turnovers and poor shooting, yet they still had chances to win this one.
Even though they failed this test, going through struggles like this is necessary. The Cavs aren’t far off. The question is whether they have enough time to actually put all the pieces together.
The Sacramento Kings are looking to fill their roster after losing players to injury in the last few weeks.
Sacramento reportedly agreed to sign guard Killian Hayes to a 10-day contract deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto.
Hayes most recently appeared in nine games for the Cleveland Charge, the G-League affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 22.4 points and 8.5 assists in nine games.
His last NBA appearance was during the 2024-25 season with the Brooklyn Nets, where Hayes averaged nine points in 27 minutes. He appeared in six games.
Who is Killian Hayes?
Hayes, 25, was drafted with the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to the Detroit Pistons.
Hayes spent four seasons with the Pistons. His best season arguably came during the 2022-23 campaign when he posted career-highs in games played (76), points per game (10.3), assists (6.2), and steals (1.4).
Kings add more depth
Sacramento wasn’t done after the Hayes 10-day signing.
The team adds more depth to their roster following their announcement that recently acquired forward Deandre Hunter is ruled out for the season with ongoing left eye iritis, an injury that required surgery.
“Hunter was diagnosed with a retinal detachment in his left eye. This afternoon, Hunter underwent successful surgery to repair the injury,” the team said in a Feb. 20 news release. “Hunter is expected to make a full recovery and an update will be provided in approximately eight weeks.”
With the news of Hunter, who joined Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine to be ruled out for the final months of the season, they decided to add more depth.
The Kings signed Patrick Baldwin Jr. to a two-way contract deal.
Baldwin, 23, most recently played for the San Diego Clippers, G-League affiliate of Los Angeles.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 10: A general view of the stadium during the sixth inning of the Spring Training game between the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 10, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Record: 1-2. Change on 2025: +1. 5-inning record: 0-3
Kohl Drake got the start, and it was a bit bumpy initially, as he walked the first two batters he faced. One of those came around to score, but Drake settled down nicely. He retired the next six men he faced, including strikeouts of established major-leaguers Travis D’Arnaud and Trey Mancini in the second. Arizona then got scoreless innings from two men who are competing for spots in the major-league bullpen, in Yilber Diaz and Kade Stroud, the latter disposing of the Angels on six pitches with a trio of groundouts. The D-backs tied things in the fourth, on a Nolan Arenado RBI double, but Junior Fernandez allowed the visitors back in front in the fifth, giving up two hits and a walk.
The sixth inning was… long and interesting. The Angels broke out with a four-run top half, all the runs being charged to Landon Sims while he retired two batters. But facing a 6-1 deficit, the Diamondbacks struck back in no uncertain fashion, putting up six runs in their half. Alek Thomas had a two-run double, and Jorge Barrosa later capped off the frame with a two-run homer, giving Arizona a 7-6 lead. Wholesale changes followed for Arizona, and they were unable to keep Los Angeles off the board in any inning after the fourth. A Jose Fernandez triple and LuJames Groover groundout made things interesting, but the D-backs came up just short.
Geraldo Perdomo reached base safely all three times he was up, on two singles and a walk, with Fernandez and Thomas each notching a hit and a base on balls. Tomorrow will see the Diamondbacks leave Salt River Fields for the first time this spring, heading past SnakePit Towers on their way to Goodyear, where they will take on the Guardians. Taylor Clarke will get the start for our boys, with Juans Morillo and Burgos among those expected to come out of the bullpen thereafter. It will be another 1:05 pm start.
