Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (49) speaks in a press conference before game four against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers have reworked manager Pat Murphy’s contract, locking up the reigning two-time NL Manager of the Year through 2028 with a club option for 2029, multiple sources have confirmed.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy, the back-to-back NL Manager of the Year, has signed a new three-year contract with a club option for 2029, source tells @TheAthletic.
Murphy, who was entering his final season of a three-year deal signed after the departure of Craig Counsell in the 2023-24 offseason, will stick around for three, possibly four more years. If the option is picked up at the end of the deal, it would take Murphy through his age-70 season.
After Counsell ditched the Crew for a massive contract with the Cubs, Murphy picked up right where he left off, leading Milwaukee to another NL Central title with a 93-69 record in 2024.
The Cubs then bolstered their roster last offseason, adding Kyle Tucker, while the Brewers lost closer Devin Williams, leading many experts to select the Cubs to take Milwaukee’s crown. Instead, Murphy led the team to a franchise-best 97-65 record, winning the NL Central and beating the Cubs in the NLDS to make it to the NLCS for the first time since 2018.
The move doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as most two-time reigning Managers of the Year won’t coach on a lame-duck contract (unless they’re planning on retiring, which was certainly a consideration for the 67-year-old Murphy). That said, Murphy will continue to lead the Brewers for the next few years.
The financials on Murphy’s contract have now been reported and it’s a massive pay bump from his previous deal. Jeff Passan reports Murphy gets $8.95MM in new money in his contract, which makes him one of the highest paid managers in the league.
The three year deal starts in 2026, taking over what his original contract was for this year, giving Murphy an additional two guaranteed years and a club option for 2029.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JANUARY 30: Head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the first half of an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on January 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEVELAND — Tanking has been a bigger issue this season than most — at least it is based on how the national media is covering it. As a result, the NBA is trying to find ways to curb that.
According to a recent report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, the league is looking into adding anti-tanking measures. Things on the table include: changing first round pick protections, lottery odds freezing earlier in the season, the odds being based on the record over several years, flattening the odds, and more.
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has heard the noise. As of now, he doesn’t have a good solution to fix the supposed issue.
“I kind of don’t want to get into that,” Atkinson said when asked if there was a tanking issue before Thursday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. “It’s so complex.”
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There’s a lot of moving parts with the tanking conversation, and not all of them have to deal with the draft.
The current CBA has incentivized star players to leave in trades instead of free agency. This has created an environment where draft picks have arguably become more valuable in trades than ever. Messing with the odds would change the currency and value of those picks.
Then, there’s also the fact that it’s hard to get talent to go to small markets — like Cleveland. As the Cavs have shown, the draft isn’t the only way to bring talent in, but it is one of the easiest and simplest ways to do so.
“I understand all sides,” Atkinson said. “Teams, they want to get another James Harden, they want to get a Donovan Mitchell, so I understand that. But I also understand the side where we want a competitive game every night for the media, for the fans, for the coaches, right? Competition is the essence of the NBA.”
Figuring out how to make games matter, but also funneling talent to the worst teams in the league has been a difficult balance for the NBA to strike. Even if you found a way to get rid of tanking, you can’t keep teams from being bad. Presumably, a healthy sports league that’s gone to great lengths to ensure competitive balance doesn’t want bad teams to stay that way year-after-year.
We’ll see what the league does to address this. There’s a lot of potential solutions, but none that clearly help all parties involved.
“I’ve seen all the alternative proposals,” Atkinson said. “I wish I could sit up here and say, hey, I want to champion this one. I haven’t studied it that deeply, but I understand the sentiment and the frustration.”
The next generation of Meta’s Display smart glasses might come with a smart watch. According to a report from The Information, Meta’s watch, codenamed Malibu 2, could feature fitness tracking features and AI, but its real purpose is to replace the Display’s neural band and act as controller for the smart glasses. If the reports are accurate, Meta Display smart glasses with a smart watch could be available in 2026.
There aren’t any other details on the smart watch, so we don’t know the price or what features it may have—but I’d be surprised if this rumor doesn’t pan out eventually. Meta has discussed the idea of a smart watch before, and it makes sense: If you’re going to have a wrist-controller for your glasses, why not give it smart watch features as well? Especially if a glasses-and-watch combo potentially gives users a reason to switch away from their Apple Watches.
Apple is reportedly working on AI wearables too
Speaking of Apple, if the rumors about the company are true, Apple is pushing to release its own suite of AI-powered wearable devices. According to a report in Bloomberg, Apple could roll out smart glasses in early 2027. The company is also reportedly developing an AI-powered pendant that can “be pinned to a shirt or worn as a necklace,” as well as AirPods with expanded AI capabilities. The AirPods and pendant will be equipped with cameras designed to “help the AI work” as opposed to taking photos. Apple’s smart glasses will reportedly not feature a display, but will feature a higher end camera and superior build quality to Meta’s smart glasses. All of Apple’s devices are reportedly designed to work with iPhones.
Is the wearable war heating up?
None of this is confirmed, of course. The closest Apple has come to announcing these plans is CEO Tim Cook mentioning “categories of products” enabled by artificial intelligence at an all-hands meeting. However, everything points to Meta and Apple betting that consumers want a collection of connected AI-wearables. Each company is taking a different approach to hooking users into their ecosystem. Apple seems to be betting on devices integrated with iPhones and controlled with the kind of camera-based tech that powers the Apple Vision Pro headset. Meta seems to be aiming at replacing phones with an in-glasses display, and a biometric control scheme that works with muscle movements, like the existing neural band.
Both Meta and Apple seem to be competing to go beyond a screen or smart glasses to become the next interface for your life—but do people want that? Are consumers excited enough by the prospect of always-available AI and tied-together devices to buy them? That’s the big question, and the answer is anything but certain. Both Apple and Meta have made big bets on virtual reality, and, despite both companies’ VR devices being excellent, neither seems to have captured the market in way these firms would have liked. So, as they say, stay tuned.
Only a couple of weeks since last time we checked in, but there have been some quite significant and dramatic changes to things, both in terms of new signings, and in losses due to injuries. So, let’s review what the Opening Day roster might look like, now the dust has settled, and with spring training games scheduled to kick off tomorrow. As ever, new names since last time are shown in bold.
Starting rotation
Merrill Kelly ($20m)
Zac Gallen ($22m)
Ryne Nelson ($3m)
Eduardo Rodriguez ($21m)
Brandon Pfaadt ($3.4m)
The unexpected return of Gallen to Arizona certainly poses a bit of a roster problem. While, obviously, we’re likely going to need more than five starters over the course of the year, there are now six on the roster. Unless the team goes with a six-man rotation to open the year, which seems unlikely, someone is going to be left out. I’d say it’s probably going to be between Pfaadt and winter signing Michael Soroka. It is possible Pfaadt, who still has minor-league options, could be sent to Reno to remain a starter and wait for the eventual need at the major-league level. But considering the long-term contract he signed less than a year ago, what kind of message would that demotion send?
On the other hand, Soroka is being paid as a starting pitcher: $7.5 million is an awful lot of money for a long reliever. It’s also a role which will make it harder to transition back to being a starter. So this could go other way. It’s marginally possible Ryne Nelson ends up being the one on the outside, though given how effective he was after moving into the rotation last year, that would be a strange decision, even if he is the lowest-paid member of the 2026 rotation. And don’t forget, Corbin Burnes should be back at some point, perhaps triggering a still more difficult conundrum for Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo. Though let’s cross that bridge when we get to it!
Bullpen
Ryan Thompson ($3.95m)
Kevin Ginkel ($2.725m)
Taylor Clarke ($1.55m)
Kade Stroud
Paul Sewald ($1.5m)
Michael Soroka ($7.5m)
Brandyn Garcia
Drey Jameson
One in, one out. An unwelcome surprise was the news that Andrew Saalfrank is going to miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, and he has duly been taken off the 40-man roster and placed on the 60-day IL. In exchange, the team signed Sewald to a one-year deal, the fanbase reacting with a response somewhere between “Why?” and “Meh.” I doubt he will be seeing save situations initially. The question would be, who will be getting those out of the gate? I’d say it could be Thompson, Ginkel or Stroud, and is something to be decided over the course of spring training. Torey is certainly not committing at this point.
The other change is spurred by the loss of Saalfrank. Simply replacing him with Sewald would have given the team an entirely right-handed bullpen, which isn’t something Torey Lovullo appears to favor. Right now, Garcia and Philip Abner are the only healthy left-handed relief options on the 40-man roster, so options for the role are limited. It might be an area where there’s a chance for a left-handed non-roster invitee to break through, but as we previously discussed, the options there lean more towards starting pitching than the reliever. It’s possible this is an area with more work to be done before Opening Day.
Starting line-up
Catcher: Gabriel Moreno ($2.55m)
First base: Carlos Santana ($2m)
Second base: Ketel Marte ($15m)
Shortstop: Geraldo Perdomo ($6.25m)
Third-base: Nolan Arenado ($5m)
Left field: Ryan Waldschmidt
Center field: Jordan Lawlar
Right field: Alek Thomas ($1.96m)
Designated hitter: Pavin Smith ($2.25m)
The broken hamate suffered by Corbin Carroll has put a major spoke in the wheel of the intended Opening Day line-up, though if all goes well, Carroll should be back not too long into the regular season. There’s even a chance he might be back for Opening Day, but that may be optimistic. With just two “true” outfielders healthy on the 40-man roster (Thomas and Jorge Barrosa), the door is wide open for top prospect Waldschmidt to stake a claim to a position on the MLB roster. His spring training performances will determine that. But it looks like Lawlar will be used in CF: given his entire professional experience in the outfield is three (3) games, that’s going to be interesting.
Of note on the infield: Tyler Locklear is going to be out of action quite some way into the regular season – to the point he could be a 60-day IL candidate if the team needs another 40-man roster spot. Torey Lovullo said on Sunday Locklear won’t be back until at least the second half of May. When he does, he’ll have to prove himself better than Santana to justify anything like an everyday spot in the line-up. Though as we are about to see, the Arizona bench is not exactly a Maginot Line of strength.
Bench
James McCann ($2.75m)
Tim Tawa
Jorge Barrosa
Ildemaro Vargas
The team is still looking to add a utility player, and with the news that Del Castillo is likely going to miss Opening Day with a calf strain, the depth on the 40-man roster has become thinner still. Of the sixteen position players there, four are now potentially off the table, Del Castillo joining Carroll, Gurriel and Locklear. This leaves the D-backs with a scant dozen healthy bodies – fewer than the bare thirteen needed to form your typical Opening Day roster. We could end up adding Jose Fernandez, since there isn’t anyone else left on the 40-man roster – but would still need to bring in Waldschmidt, as discussed above, simply to complete the roster.
On that basis, let’s also dip into the non-roster invitees to fill that final spot at the back of the bench. There are some prospects who have a shot, including Tommy Troy and LuJames Groover. But there’s nobody who is more familiar with Arizona than Vargas: he first joined the Diamondbacks back in May 2015 (when Troy and Groover were both thirteen!). We saw his positional flexibility last year when, in just 38 games here, Ildemaro played at every infield spot, and also started three games at DH. The last time he appeared on Opening Day here was 2020. There would almost be something historic about him doing so in 2026.
Payroll
Estimated 2026 Payroll: $195M
Estimated Final 2025 Payroll: $188M
Well, so much for the team cutting payroll. According to the Fangraphs figure, the team is several million dollars above where they finished last season. Admittedly, that final figure was after they shed payroll at the trade deadline, getting rid of Kelly, Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor and Jordan Montgomery. But it certainly does not seem like any incoming utility player is going to be a free-agent – and, certainly, not an expensive one. Per Gambo’s Tweet linked above, that player will be “most likely coming via trade and using minor-league depth.” Payroll will likely be a consideration, but since he’s likely to be a bench option, I doubt he’ll be that expensive.
But comparing like to like, the current figure is about ten million more than on Opening Day last year. Even more surprising, the team is within striking distance of the first luxury tax band, which is certainly unprecedented. For that purposes, the payroll is considerably higher than the raw ”actual” figure, because it uses the average annual value of each player’s contract, so excludes deferments. Right now, reports suggest Arizona there is only about $7.5 million short of moving into the first luxury tax bracket, where they would be subject to a 20% surcharge on all overages. I doubt we want to go there, so there likely will be no significant salary added at the trade deadline by the Diamondbacks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trae Young is getting closer to his Washington Wizards debut, but Anthony Davis still isn’t ready for the practice court, the team announced on Thursday.
The 27-year-old Young last played on Dec. 27. He will “ramp up” basketball activities to continue his recovery from an MCL sprain and a thigh bruise, according to a team statement, and be evaluated next week.
Earlier this month, Wizards GM Will Dawkins said Young had been practicing in one-on-none and two-on-two settings.
The 32-year-old Davis last played on Jan. 8.
After rehabbing ligament damage in his hand in Dallas before the All-Star break, he’s now in Washington following a visit to hand surgeon Steven Shin in Los Angeles. He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks.
“You just follow the process,” Washington coach Brian Keefe said. “That’s what we always do.”
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his right pinky finger.
The Grizzlies had announced Wednesday that Caldwell-Pope would have surgery to address a misalignment of the finger. After Caldwell-Pope had the procedure Thursday, the Grizzlies announced he won’t play again this season.
Grizzlies officials said Caldwell-Pope is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2026-27 season.
The 33-year-old Caldwell-Pope averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 21.3 minutes in 51 games this season.
Things have gone downhill for the Golden State Warriors ever since Jimmy Butler got hurt in January, and that’s been compounded by Steph Curry missing the last five games.
The Warriors are hoping the potential debut of Kristaps Porzingis will help, but either way, the Dubs are in for a tough night against the Boston Celtics.
My Celtics vs. Warriors predictions and NBA picks break down why buckets will be hard to come by for the home team, with tip-off set for 10:00 p.m. ET from the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thursday, February 19.
Celtics vs Warriors best bet: Warriors team total Under 103.5 (-115)
Thanks to injuries and roster movement, this Golden State Warriors team has plenty of issues.
None are more glaring than its ability to generate offense when Steph Curry isn’t on the floor. Golden State ranks 27th in offensive rating, scoring just 104.2 points per game in the five games without Steph.
Tonight, the Warriors host a Boston Celtics team that continues to thrive without Jayson Tatum. Boston ranks ninth in defensive rating and third in opponent effective field-goal percentage.
Bet on the Dubs to finish under their team total in this one.
Celtics vs Warriors same-game parlay
Steph being out means fewer buckets. Jimmy Butler being out means less defense.
The Warriors are suddenly struggling in all areas of the game, ranking 27th in rebounding rate and 25th in opponent assists per possession since Butler went down.
Golden State’s best interior presence right now is Draymond Green, which will open the door for Nikola Vucevic to control the paint.
Meanwhile, Payton Pritchard has been racking up the dimes, recording seven or more assists in five of his last seven contests.
Celtics vs Warriors SGP
Warriors team total Under 103.5
Nikola Vucevic Over 8.5 rebounds
Payton Pritchard Over 5.5 assists
Our “from downtown” SGP: Double trouble
Let’s take Vucevic to not only eclipse his rebounding prop but to record a double-double as well — something he’s done in two of his first three games as a member of the Celtics.
The Warriors are 3-8 ATS since Jimmy Butler tore his ACL. Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Warriors.
How to watch Celtics vs Warriors
Location
Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Date
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Tip-off
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Celtics vs Warriors latest injuries
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MIAMI, FL – APRIL 26: Max Strus #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat during Round 1 Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2025 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. 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 2025 NBAE(Photo by Eric Espada/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still waiting for Max Strus to make this 2025-26 season debut. With just 27 games left on the schedule, the Cavs are simply hoping he’ll be back on the court before the playoffs begin in April.
“Listen, getting Max back at any time before the playoffs would be a huge bonus,” said Atkinson. “He missed a ton of time last year with the ankle, and for a guy with that much experience… Of course you’d [still] like to have a little runway where he gets his rhythm, but as long as we have him for the playoff run, I think that’s a win for us.”
Strus suffered a Jones fracture in his foot in late August. His original timeline had him out for 3-4 months, but an update in January gave Strus another month before re-evaluation. We’re now in late February, and Strus is reportedly still not taking contact in practice. Though Atkinson insists that Strus is trending in the right direction and expects him to play before the regular season is over.
“Yes,” Atkinson replied when asked if he anticipated Strus playing this season. “Looking at his on-court work, it’s trending much more positive. But, still a ways to go.”
This is the second season in a row that Strus missed the beginning of the year with a foot injury. Last season, he was held out until December with an ankle injury. Once he returned, Strus had no trouble finding his groove and contributing to a successful regular season.
Whether or not Strus has enough time to ramp up before the playoffs begin remains to be seen. One thing’s for certain, he’s the type of plug-and-play athlete who can make this short runway work. Strus is a competitor through and through. As Atkinson says, getting him back at any point this season should provide the Cavs with a boost.
When your internet isn’t as fast as it should be, it can be helpful to check a network speed test tool. If the results are slower than expected, you’ll know it’s your network that’s acting up. If it’s performing well, perhaps it’s the website in question, your web browser, or the device itself that’s in need of a tune up. You have plenty of options across the internet to choose from, of course, but if you have a PC, you’re about to get one built right into the OS—at least, in theory.
Windows’ “built-in” network speed test tool is really a shortcut
As part of the latest Release Preview Channel update for Windows 11 Insiders, Microsoft rolled out a network speed test tool, though “shortcut” might be a more appropriate word. This shortcut isn’t its own app; rather, you access it directly from the taskbar. You right-click the network icon, choose the “Perform speed test” option, and, subsequently, Windows fires up your browser. You’ll see Bing load up—even if you have another search engine of choice as your default—where a simplified “Internet speed test” tool appears.
While I wouldn’t blame you for assuming this tool was a Microsoft creation, it’s actually made by Speedtest, of speedtest.net fame. (Disclosure: Lifehacker’s parent company, Ziff Davis, owns Speedtest.) As Tom’s Hardware highlights, the integration itself isn’t actually new, as Speedtest first started running a network speed tool within Bing back in December of 2023. The news now, of course, is that this tool is available as a shortcut within the Windows taskbar itself.
It’s a neat addition to Windows, and makes sense to include within the network icon in the taskbar, but something that actually runs natively on your PC would certainly be better. Maybe the convenience of quickly right-clicking the network icon whenever my internet was slow would win out, but I imagine I’d rather head to the full Speedtest tool, especially to avoid using Bing.
Other new features in this Release Preview Channel update
This shortcut isn’t the only thing new here. Microsoft also added new settings options that let you pan and tilt connected cameras. There are new emojis on the way, including face with bags under eyes and harp, and the Widget settings menu now takes up a full page. You can also now set .webp files as your desktop background, so you don’t need to convert these images ahead of time.
You can try these features out now if you enroll in the Windows Insider program. While you run the risk of unstable software by enrolling your PC here, the Release Preview Channel is much less risky than the Dev or Beta channels, since the Releaser Preview Channel issues updates that have gone through more testing.
NORTH PORT, FL – FEBRUARY 23: A general interior view of CoolToday Park during the Spring Training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on February 23, 2020 in North Port, Florida. The Tigers defeated the Braves 5-1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We’re not too far away from seeing actual spring training games! Excited yet?
