Here’s the latest Yankees free agency and trade buzz during the 2025-26 MLB offseason…

---

Jan. 1, 1:21 p.m.

While it remains unclear whether the Yankees will make any sort of big splash this offseason, it seems their eyes are beginning to wander with several top free agents still on the market.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees are among three previously unreported clubs to “check on” star shortstop Bo Bichette. The other new suitors are the Dodgers and Cubs.

Heyman also reports the Yankees are gauging league interest in infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. — whose name has appeared in base-level trade rumors all winter — and a formal offer to free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger was issued earlier this week.

Bichette, who just wrapped up seven seasons with the division-rival Blue Jays, is undoubtedly an intriguing target for the Yankees. While his defensive metrics at shortstop are poor, the 27-year-old has reportedly expressed a willingness to move over to second base.

Of course, that transition with the Yankees would be contingent upon a firm decision on Chisholm’s future. But Bichette is an obvious offensive upgrade at shortstop — internal spring training competition is expected with Anthony Volpe recovering from shoulder surgery.

Bichette was rather steady at the plate for the Blue Jays in 2025, slashing a laudable .311/.357/.483 with 44 doubles, 18 home runs, and 94 RBI in 139 games. He also delivered under the brightest lights, hitting .348 with six RBI in seven World Series games against the Dodgers.

Spotrac currently projects Bichette’s market value at $23.3 million annually, and there’s a chance his contract lands in the range of six to eight years.

Dec. 26, 9:50 a.m.

While the holiday season has lowered the hot stove temperature, it appears the Yankees’ hopes of re-signing Cody Bellinger remain high enough.

A reunion with the star outfielder is still a priority in the Bronx, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, and the club feels “pretty confident” he won’t move boroughs for a deal over in Queens.

The pursuit of Bellinger is also endorsed by the Yankees’ captain. Heyman reports Aaron Judge is “a big advocate” for a long-term commitment with the former MVP, who hit .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI as a one-year rental in pinstripes last season.

It’s unclear when Bellinger will take himself off the free-agent market, but with high demand from championship contenders, some projections have him earning around $30 million annually on a six-year contract. The Yankees may have to sweeten the pot in order to convince him to stay.

Dec. 23, 10:10 p.m.

Tatsuya Imai is one of the high-profile free agent starters this offseason, but it seems he may not be Bronx-bound if YES Network’s Jack Curry is to be believed.

Curry spoke about the perceived connection between the Yankees and Imai on Tuesday’s episode of Yankees Hot Stove and poured some cold water, saying, “The vibe I’m getting is that connection does not exist.”

He added that any pursuit of Imai by the Yankees this offseason is very different than the one they conducted for Yoshinbou Yamamoto a couple of years ago.

“With Imai, the Yankees have been very quiet,” Curry said. “I don’t think the Yankees have been as aggressive, as intense in any kind of pursuit of Imai. They are making some moves around the edges… but I don’t think they are the frontrunners for Imai, and I don’t think he’ll be signing with them.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently told reporters that the Yankees have not met with Imai — as of Dec. 19 — and that he doesn’t know if New York will set up a meeting with the right-hander.

Imai has until Jan. 2 to sign with a team.

Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m.

The Yankees have lost another bullpen arm to free agency, as the Braves announced that they’ve signed right-handed reliever Ian Hamilton to a non-guaranteed one-year deal. 

Hamilton was a staple in New York’s bullpen over the past three seasons.

The club decided to non-tender him this winter, though, after he put together a bit of an up-and-down campaign. 

He pitched to a 4.28 ERA and issued 22 walks over 40 innings of work. 

Atlanta will look for him to rebound in a bullpen that’s also added Robert Suarez and retained Raisel Iglesias this winter. 

Dec. 19, 11:25 a.m.

Former Yankee Michael Kingre-signed with the San Diego Padres on a three-year, $75 million deal on Thursday night, despite some buzz that he could return to New York.

However, according to a report from the NY Post’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees did not make an offer to King and “have other targets” on their radar.

Over five seasons with the Yanks from 2019-2023, King made 115 appearances (19 starts) and posted a 3.38 ERA over 247.2 innings. He was then part of the blockbuster trade with the Padres that brought Juan Soto to the Bronx ahead of the 2024 season.

King transitioned to a starter with the Padres and made 45 starts (46 games total) over two seasons, going 18-12 with a 3.10 ERA and 277 strikeouts.

Among the “other targets” New York could pursue include OF Cody Bellinger, who had a strong 2025 with the Yanks and is expected to get a five or six-year deal.

Dec. 17, 3:50 p.m.

Luke Weaver signed a reported two-year, $22 million deal with the Mets on Wednesday and it seems like the Yankees were not looking to bring back the right-hander.

Joel Sherman of the NY Post reported that the Yankees were not part of the bidding to try to retain Weaver. 

The Athletic reported earlier this week that both sides had mutual interest in a potential reunion after Weaver pitched to a 3.22 ERA and a 0.994 WHIP in 129 appearances across three seasons in the Bronx.

Dec. 16, 8:59 a.m.

The Yankees have “genuine” interest in a reunion with right-handed reliever Luke Weaver, reports Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, who notes that the interest is mutual.

Kirschner adds that roughly 10 teams have contacted Weaver’s camp this offseason.

Weaver, 32, was solid for New York last season, with a 3.62 ERA (3.89 FIP) and 1.02 WHIP with 72 strikeouts in 64.2 innings.

His best season came in 2024, when he had a 2.89 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 84.0 innings while striking out 103 — a rate of 11.0 per nine.

If brought back, Weaver would likely be one of the main bridges to closer David Bednar.

Dec. 14, 7:35 p.m.

While reports indicated that the San Francisco Giants “do not anticipate making the nine-figure investment” required to sign free agents this offseason, they aren’t checked out of the marketplace altogether.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reported recently that the Giants “have checked in on” Cody Bellinger, the Yankees’ No. 1 target.

Bellinger proved to be a big part of the Yanks’ last season, contributing well on both sides of the ball with 29 home runs, 98 RBI, and a .272/.334/.480 slash line for an .813 OPS (125 OPS+ and wRC+) while ranking in the 93rd percentile in outs above average (seven) and with 12 defensive runs saved.

Dec. 11, 12:21 p.m.

The Yankees “have listened” when it comes to a potential Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Chisholm is set to earn roughly $12 million via arbitration in 2026 in what is his final season before free agency.

He spent time at third base (28 starts) and second base (96 starts) in 2025 — and was not thrilled with his time at third, noting “everybody knows I’m a second baseman.”

Offensively, Chisholm had a big season, posting an .813 OPS while hitting 31 home runs.

The Yankees’ infield is unsettled. Ben Rice is penciled in at first base, with Ryan McMahon at third base. But the shortstop situation is in flux with Anthony Volpe expected to miss the start of the 2026 season after having shoulder surgery.

Other infield options include Jose Caballero and Oswaldo Cabrera.

Dec. 10, 7:26 p.m.

Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta is a hot name on the trade market this offseason, and the Yankees are among the teams reportedly looking to add him to their team.

According to Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Yankees are one of five teams looking to trade for Peralta, joining the Orioles, Red Sox, Giants and Astros. Other clubs like the Mets had previously reported interest in a trade for Peralta. 

The news comes just days after the Brewers made it known they were open for business on a trade. 

With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon starting the 2026 season on the IL, the Yankees would hope Peralta gives them the depth needed to get through a season until their big arms return.

Dec. 8, 9:50 p.m.

Looking for bullpen help, the Yankees have shown an interest in right-hander Brad Keller, according to a report from Gary Phillips of The New York Daily News on Monday.

Nothing is imminent between Keller and the Yanks, Phillips reported, adding that two or three teams are considering signing the 30-year-old free agent as a starting pitcher.

Keller is coming off his best year as a professional by far, pitching to a 2.07 ERA and 0.962 WHIP with 75 strikeouts to 22 walks in 69.2 innings over 68 appearances out of the bullpen. The righty has some very attractive attributes: 30.6 percent hard-hit percentage (99th percentile) last year, with a fastball that averaged 97.2 mph and a sinker at 96.7 mph.

Dec. 8, 8:45 p.m.

As the Mets and Yankees continue to look to revamp their bullpen this offseason, they’ve both called the Brewers about reliever Trevor Megill, according to Joel Sherman of the NY Post.

Megill, of course, is the older brother of Mets starter Tylor Megill.

The 32-year-old would be a tremendous boost at the backend for either club, as he has developed into one of the top relievers in baseball over the past few seasons. 

Megill missed time to injury last year, but pitched to a stellar 2.49 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while locking down 30 saves. 

Dec. 8, 1:24 p.m.

SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino believes there’s a “solid chance” the Yankees will retain free agent Amed Rosario.

Rosario had a .788 OPS in 16 games for the Yanks last season after being acquired from the Nationals ahead of the trade deadline.

The 30-year-old excelled against left-handed pitching in 2025, slashing .302/.328/.491 in 122 plate appearances.

Rosario would provide strong versatility if brought back, with the ability to play shortstop, third base, second base, and left field. 

Dec. 7, 9:31 p.m.

While the Yankees reportedly discussed the chance of a reunion with All-Star reliever Devin Williams a few weeks ago, it appears their conversations never intensified.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said as much on Sunday night at the Winter Meetings, telling Greg Joyce of the New York Post that the club didn’t even make a formal offer to Williams before he signed a three-year deal with the Mets last weekend.

According to Joyce, Cashman asked Williams’ agent to keep the Yankees in the loop regarding the right-hander’s market, but he didn’t get a call prior to Williams signing in Queens. Cashman also noted that Williams’ reps never “needed to” update him on the process.

Dec. 4, 11:42 a.m.

While other suitors are certainly in the mix, Cody Bellinger remains the Yankees’ No. 1 target, and the club is making a “big effort” to bring him back, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Heyman lists the Mets, Phillies, Angels, and Dodgers as other possibilities. 

ESPN’s Jeff Passan has previously reported that signing Bellinger would be a “multipart move” for the Yankees, as the club would almost certainly need to move one of their other outfield pieces –potentially Jasson Dominguez or up-and-coming prospect Spencer Jones. 

With Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer, the Yanks would have a surplus of outfielders if Bellinger was to re-sign.

Dec. 3, 8:22 p.m.

The high-stakes bidding war for Kyle Tucker officiallyincludes one of the Yankees’ division rivals, as the superstar outfielder visited the Blue Jays’ facility in Florida on Wednesday, according to a report from Robert Murray of FanSided.

It’s no surprise the reigning AL champions are big-game hunting for a new bat. The club signed free-agent starter Dylan Cease to a massive seven-year, $210 million deal and right-hander Cody Ponce to a three-year, $30 million contract in the last week.

Murray reports the Blue Jays are also interested in retaining shortstop Bo Bichette, who could garner an average annual value above $20 million.

Tucker would make the Blue Jays’ lineup even more imposing. In his lone season with the Cubs, the 28-year-old slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 25 steals. His seven-year run with the Astros was far more impressive, though — he hit .274 with 125 homers and 417 RBI.

Only time will tell if the Yankees make a legitimate run at Tucker’s services. His contract demands seem too rich for their blood, and the Yankees have stated they’re focused on re-signing Cody Bellinger, who’d come at a much lower price.

The strange offseason sweepstakes for Tatsuya Imai has finally come to a close, as the Japanese right-hander is joining the Astros on a three-year contract, per multiple reports.

According to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, the deal maxes out at $63 million with yearly opt-outs. 

With a salary of $18 million that can reach $21 million, based on innings logged, Imai is receiving the third-highest AAV of any Japanese-born pitcher.

Imai’s window for a major league contract was closing fast. His deadline to officially sign with a club was Jan. 2, and The Athletic reported earlier this week that the 27-year-old was still taking meetings with interested suitors.

Conversations between the Mets and Imai were never serious, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Not surprising news, as SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino noted earlier this winter that a “full-tilt pursuit” for the former Nippon League star wasn’t anticipated. 

This was also the case for the Mets with Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto — who currently owns the record AAV mark for a Japanese arm — two offseasons ago. 

There wasn’t much noise from the Mets’ crosstown rival, either. Jack Curry of YES mentioned last week that the Yankees weren’t expected to sign Imai, who happened to be outspoken about his desire to beat the reigning champion Dodgers.

Imai was terrific in 24 starts for the Seibu Lions this past season, registering a sharp 1.92 ERA and 0.89 WHIP across 163.2 innings. He also allowed only 101 hits and struck out 178, producing a strikeout rate of 9.8 per nine.

In eight NPB seasons, Imai logged a 3.15 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, but his last four years on the mound grabbed MLB’s attention. With an above-average four-pitch mix that includes a fastball sitting in the mid-90s, he posted ERAs of 2.04, 2.45, 2.34, and 1.92, respectively.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2025 World Series behind the arm of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the team’s prized free-agent signing in 2024. And Yamamoto had plenty of help along the way, with Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers’ prized free-agent signing in 2025, and Shohei Ohtani, whose two-way status is a modern-day cheat code, pitching in.

At one point, all three players were stars in Nippon Professional Baseball with the desire to prove their talent could shine in Major League Baseball. Now the Houston Astros are hoping Tatsuya Imai will be the next Japanese pitcher to make that leap. The Astros agreed to a deal with Imai on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

The contract is reportedly for three seasons and $54 million guaranteed, according to John Heyman of the New York Post. The deal can max out at $63 million, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Imai’s contract also reportedly contains opt-outs after each season.

While it’s a shorter deal than expected, Imai will receive the second-highest average-annual salary of any Japanese-born MLB pitcher, behind Yamamoto in the top spot.

The move gives the Astros a potential top-of-the-rotation starter to replace Framber Valdez, who is currently a free agent. The Imai deal doesn’t prevent the Astros from bringing back Valdez, but it could signal that Houston is willing to move on from its former ace.

The Astros don’t have many set rotation spots. Hunter Brown will likely move into the team’s No. 1 spot, but there’s an argument to be made that Imai is now the team’s second-best starting pitcher. That might depend on whether Cristian Javier can regain his form after a down year in 2025. 

The oft-injured Lance McCullers Jr. slots in next in the team’s rotation. The team’s lack of starting pitching depth not only makes the Imai deal necessary for Houston but also essentially ensures he’ll open the season as one of the team’s top options in the rotation. Houston is looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season despite an 87-75 record. 

[Get more Astros news: Houston team feed]

The 27-year-old Imai comes to MLB after an impressive year with the Seibu Lions in Japan. In 2025, he posted a 1.92 ERA over 163 2/3 innings. He registered 178 strikeouts and 45 walks. 

While those numbers are strong, Imai is coming to the majors with less hype than any of the Dodgers’ three stars who made the same transition. Given Ohtani’s status as a two-way player, comparing him to other players is foolish. But from purely a pitching standpoint, Sasaki and Yamamoto had more impressive track records than Imai when the Dodgers’ duo came to the majors.

That, combined with offense being slightly down in NPB, caused Imai to be viewed as a step below some of the top starting pitchers on the free-agent market. He ranked No. 14 on Yahoo’s list. However, at 27 years old, he still has the potential to develop further in MLB.

As things stand, the righty boasts strikeout stuff with the ability to limit walks and home runs. And he brings a unique repertoire to the majors. In addition to a fastball and a slider, Imai throws a splitter and a changeup, a rarely used combination. That could give him a leg up early on, when major-league hitters will be learning how to hit against him without fully developed scouting reports. 

The typical concerns for a pitcher coming over from NPB apply for Imai, including the different size of the baseball and the increased workload that comes with pitching in an MLB rotation. Imai showed some signs the latter won’t be an issue, as he not only upped his workload his last two years with the Lions but also showed better fastball velocity during that stretch, a sign that the increased workload didn’t add too much fatigue to his arm. 

Given the success of the Dodgers’ trio — as well as pitchers such as the Chicago Cubs’ Shota Imanaga and the New York Mets’ Kodai Senga — there will be pressure on Imai to perform at a high level immediately. The Astros believe he’s capable of delivering on that promise and were willing to commit significant money to have him on their side.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2025 World Series behind the arm of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the team’s prized free-agent signing in 2024. And Yamamoto had plenty of help along the way, with Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers’ prized free-agent signing in 2025, and Shohei Ohtani, whose two-way status is a modern-day cheat code, pitching in.

At one point, all three players were stars in Nippon Professional Baseball with the desire to prove their talent could shine in Major League Baseball. Now the Houston Astros are hoping Tatsuya Imai will be the next Japanese pitcher to make that leap. The Astros agreed to a deal with Imai on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

The contract is reportedly for three seasons and $54 million guaranteed, according to John Heyman of the New York Post. The deal can max out at $63 million, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Imai’s contract also reportedly contains opt-outs after each season.

While it’s a shorter deal than expected, Imai will receive the second-highest average-annual salary of any Japanese-born MLB pitcher, behind Yamamoto in the top spot.

The move gives the Astros a potential top-of-the-rotation starter to replace Framber Valdez, who is currently a free agent. The Imai deal doesn’t prevent the Astros from bringing back Valdez, but it could signal that Houston is willing to move on from its former ace.

The Astros don’t have many set rotation spots. Hunter Brown will likely move into the team’s No. 1 spot, but there’s an argument to be made that Imai is now the team’s second-best starting pitcher. That might depend on whether Cristian Javier can regain his form after a down year in 2025. 

The oft-injured Lance McCullers Jr. slots in next in the team’s rotation. The team’s lack of starting pitching depth not only makes the Imai deal necessary for Houston but also essentially ensures he’ll open the season as one of the team’s top options in the rotation. Houston is looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season despite an 87-75 record. 

[Get more Astros news: Houston team feed]

The 27-year-old Imai comes to MLB after an impressive year with the Seibu Lions in Japan. In 2025, he posted a 1.92 ERA over 163 2/3 innings. He registered 178 strikeouts and 45 walks. 

While those numbers are strong, Imai is coming to the majors with less hype than any of the Dodgers’ three stars who made the same transition. Given Ohtani’s status as a two-way player, comparing him to other players is foolish. But from purely a pitching standpoint, Sasaki and Yamamoto had more impressive track records than Imai when the Dodgers’ duo came to the majors.

That, combined with offense being slightly down in NPB, caused Imai to be viewed as a step below some of the top starting pitchers on the free-agent market. He ranked No. 14 on Yahoo’s list. However, at 27 years old, he still has the potential to develop further in MLB.

As things stand, the righty boasts strikeout stuff with the ability to limit walks and home runs. And he brings a unique repertoire to the majors. In addition to a fastball and a slider, Imai throws a splitter and a changeup, a rarely used combination. That could give him a leg up early on, when major-league hitters will be learning how to hit against him without fully developed scouting reports. 

The typical concerns for a pitcher coming over from NPB apply for Imai, including the different size of the baseball and the increased workload that comes with pitching in an MLB rotation. Imai showed some signs the latter won’t be an issue, as he not only upped his workload his last two years with the Lions but also showed better fastball velocity during that stretch, a sign that the increased workload didn’t add too much fatigue to his arm. 

Given the success of the Dodgers’ trio — as well as pitchers such as the Chicago Cubs’ Shota Imanaga and the New York Mets’ Kodai Senga — there will be pressure on Imai to perform at a high level immediately. The Astros believe he’s capable of delivering on that promise and were willing to commit significant money to have him on their side.

Happy New Year! As we wave goodbye to 2025 and welcome in 2026, fantasy basketball managers are making resolutions for the new year. Unfortunately, there’s no way you can go back and draft Nikola Jokić (though the Nuggets big man is out at least a month due to a knee injury). But you can make plans to be the best roster regulator this year in an attempt to take home a championship. We’ve learned plenty through the first three months of High Score on Yahoo.

Let’s wrap up the year with the perfect lineup from December:

More on the top performers

Luka Dončić, guard: The Lakers superstar has been one of the best case studies so far in High Score — a player who almost always hits a ceiling week-to-week despite missing games and busting out. For example, Dončić missed three games in December and posted low scores of 47 points and 21 points (due to injury) in certain spots. But he also dropped 99 fantasy points on Dec. 18 vs. the Jazz, one of the highest scores all season. December wasn’t Dončić’s best month; he averaged 31 points, 7.9 assists and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 44.1% from the floor and 28.9% from distance. We’d like to see a more consistent showing from Luka to start 2026. 

Cade Cunningham, guard: Cunningham is in the NBA MVP conversation with the Pistons set to enter 2026 atop the Eastern Conference. In the new year, Cunningham should look to be a more aggressive and efficient scorer; he shot 48.7% from the floor in December but only averaged 17.2 attempts per game.

The volume scoring is holding Cunningham back from his true potential, which we’ve seen with massive fantasy outputs this season. But his assist and steals totals are helping him remain atop the fantasy scoreboard most weeks. He dished out 17 assists — one shy of a season high — on Dec. 26 against Utah to help him reach 80 fantasy points in High Score. 

Nikola Jokić, frontcourt: It’s upsetting that we enter 2026 without Jokić on the court. To start the last week of 2025, Jokić hyperextended his left knee and is expected to miss at least four weeks. At least the Nuggets big left his managers with a parting gift for 2025 in the form of a season-high 108 fantasy points in a Christmas Day win over the Timberwolves. Jokić picked apart Minnesota with 56 points, 16 rebounds, 15 assists and two steals. It was the eighth game this season Joker had 80+ fantasy points.

It was looking like, at minimum, managers with Jokić on their roster would be a shoo-in for the fantasy playoffs. There’s no replacing him in the short-term; you can only hope he comes back healthy and picks up where he left off. 

Kawhi Leonard, frontcourt: After missing the start of the season and pretty much all of November, Leonard is back (and then some). He’s playing every night, something we’ve rarely seen throughout his injury-riddled career. His numbers in December are looking MVP-worthy: 29.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.1 stocks per game while shooting 49/36/96 over 12 games. Leonard dropped a career-high 55 points with 11 rebounds and eight stocks in a win over the Pistons on Dec. 28 to reach 94 fantasy points for that week. If Leonard can keep this up, he’s looking like one of the steals of drafts. 

Alperen Şengün, frontcourt: Like Jokić, the Rockets’ big is going to start 2026 on the shelf while dealing with a calf injury that has caused him to miss two games. But he enters Wednesday ranked ninth in average fantasy points per game in High Score at 53.2 on the season. Şengün has sort of been a Jokić-lite to start his fifth NBA season, producing across multiple categories (rebounds, assists, stocks). The issue has been scoring volume, which we don’t always see, given the presence of Kevin Durant in Houston. Şengün’s top score in December of 88 just made the cut on Dec. 1 against the Jazz (of course, it was against Utah). The elite stock coverage will always elevate Şengün’s floor; he averaged 3.5 stocks in December. 

Scottie Barnes, utility: The Raptors swingman snuck his way onto this list thanks to a historic rebounding performance to close last week. He helped Toronto force OT and eventually take home a win over the Dubs on Sunday, scoring 23 points with a career-high 25 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double of the season. Barnes also added a pair of assists and three stocks to help him reach 80 fantasy points and knock Hawks F Jalen Johnson off this list. Barnes has a high ceiling given his category coverage, but the lack of scoring and rebounds giving you only 1 FPT hurts his floor. 

Big picture, the NBA is in a really good place. We’re seeing record-setting attendance. Viewership is up significantly year-over-year. The league just struck a $76 billion media deal. Franchise values are higher than ever. 

But it’s not perfect. To steal the HoopIdea motto from my pals Royce Webb and Henry Abbott: ]

Congrats to the OKC Thunder for earning the top seed, now you have to face … Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets!Hey, Detroit, kudos to you for winning the East, good luck against the No. 8 seed featuring … checks notes … Giannis Antetokounmpo! 

To avoid this scenario and inject more excitement in the playoff structure, the NBA should allow the top seeds (Nos. 1-3 in the first round; top seeds again in the semifinals) to choose their opponents. It’s a more efficient system that rewards regular-season performances, builds storylines and makes the playoffs a lot juicier. It’ll also clear up the weird loophole that the No. 1 seed has the least amount of time to prepare for its first-round opponent thanks to the play-in tournament. 

5. Bring back traditional home/away jerseys for national TV games

The NBA added prestige to the NBA Cup by changing the floors to highlighter colors and signaling to the audience that This Is Different. But what if we added prestige by … going back to normal. 

Let’s restore some recipes and go back to the good old days when — and stay with me now — home teams wore white. I know! Crazy! Let’s dial it back and make sure that, for big games, teams wear the standard jerseys rather than seemingly flip through different jerseys every game. Please, we need Celtics green and New York white at Madison Square Garden. This is elemental to the NBA experience. 

If the game isn’t on national television, then teams can choose whichever jersey they want. But for the big games, bring back some normalcy in an increasingly confusing world.

6. Tighten up the gather-step rules

It’s too easy to score in the NBA. The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta freakin’ Hawks just scored 302 points in regulation and no one batted an eye. The worst offense in the league, the Indiana Pacers, score 108.1 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com/stats. You know where that would rank in the 2000-01 season? Not 15th. Not 10th. Not fifth. It would be first! Better than the Kobe-Shaq Lakers that won 56 games with an offensive efficiency of 107.0 points per 100 possessions that led the league. In fact, the injury-marred Pacers are scoring more on a per-possession basis than any of the Kobe-Shaq Laker teams.

Scoring inflation has happened fast. You know the 12-20 Utah Jazz led by Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George? They’re currently scoring at a higher rate than the KD/Steph Warriors’ best offensive season. I know. It’s disorienting.

We need to bring defense back. We can start with bringing back the travel to the spirit of the rule. Players have studied travel rules and stretched legal basketball innovations to the extreme and, I would argue, way past the limit. Gather step plus one step. 

Call it The Grayson Allen Rule. Look at this play. I don’t know what this is, but this is not basketball. 

Whatever rule that makes that an illegal play, I’m all for. 

And this? 

Yeah, that can’t be legal. Except it is. When @mdwbasketball (go follow that account btw) says it’s legal, it’s legal. I just don’t think it should be legal.

It’s too easy to score in the NBA. Let’s pull it back a bit and call travels like we used to.

7. Allow referee press conferences

Frankly, it’s overdue. With gambling allegations and investigations ensnaring Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, Damon Jones, Malik Beasley and Jontay Porter (who has pled guilty, unlike the other names on this list), trust in the integrity of the game may be at its lowest since the Tim Donaghy scandals. And I’m not just talking about angry fans on social media. Recently, the NBA had to step in and announce four five-figure fines in just one week, penalizing teams and players for publicly criticizing officials.

It’s time to further ensure transparency and integrity of the game by having referees available to speak freely with credentialed reporters after the game and have that media session broadcast on public channels.

On most nights, ref press conferences may not be needed. But allowing at least one beat reporter from each team to be present for a postgame news conference would be a big win for the trust in the system. Such a forum would cultivate an educational and informative context for rules to be explained, decisions clarified and calls defended. Currently for every game, the NBA assigns a pool reporter who has to submit questions ahead of time and the resulting Q&A is posted in text form on its website. For instance, is this at all helpful or productive?

In my opinion, current measures don’t go far enough. The NBA has already opened the door by allowing the crew chief to announce a coach’s challenge ruling to the fans over the PA system. Having the crew chief sit and answer questions in a professional setting among reporters would be a step in the right direction. By and large, referees are good at their jobs. Let them show us.

Big picture, the NBA is in a really good place. We’re seeing record-setting attendance. Viewership is up significantly year-over-year. The league just struck a $76 billion media deal. Franchise values are higher than ever. 

But it’s not perfect. To steal the HoopIdea motto from my pals Royce Webb and Henry Abbott: ]

Congrats to the OKC Thunder for earning the top seed, now you have to face … Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets!Hey, Detroit, kudos to you for winning the East, good luck against the No. 8 seed featuring … checks notes … Giannis Antetokounmpo! 

To avoid this scenario and inject more excitement in the playoff structure, the NBA should allow the top seeds (Nos. 1-3 in the first round; top seeds again in the semifinals) to choose their opponents. It’s a more efficient system that rewards regular-season performances, builds storylines and makes the playoffs a lot juicier. It’ll also clear up the weird loophole that the No. 1 seed has the least amount of time to prepare for its first-round opponent thanks to the play-in tournament. 

5. Bring back traditional home/away jerseys for national TV games

The NBA added prestige to the NBA Cup by changing the floors to highlighter colors and signaling to the audience that This Is Different. But what if we added prestige by … going back to normal. 

Let’s restore some recipes and go back to the good old days when — and stay with me now — home teams wore white. I know! Crazy! Let’s dial it back and make sure that, for big games, teams wear the standard jerseys rather than seemingly flip through different jerseys every game. Please, we need Celtics green and New York white at Madison Square Garden. This is elemental to the NBA experience. 

If the game isn’t on national television, then teams can choose whichever jersey they want. But for the big games, bring back some normalcy in an increasingly confusing world.

6. Tighten up the gather-step rules

It’s too easy to score in the NBA. The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta freakin’ Hawks just scored 302 points in regulation and no one batted an eye. The worst offense in the league, the Indiana Pacers, score 108.1 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com/stats. You know where that would rank in the 2000-01 season? Not 15th. Not 10th. Not fifth. It would be first! Better than the Kobe-Shaq Lakers that won 56 games with an offensive efficiency of 107.0 points per 100 possessions that led the league. In fact, the injury-marred Pacers are scoring more on a per-possession basis than any of the Kobe-Shaq Laker teams.

Scoring inflation has happened fast. You know the 12-20 Utah Jazz led by Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George? They’re currently scoring at a higher rate than the KD/Steph Warriors’ best offensive season. I know. It’s disorienting.

We need to bring defense back. We can start with bringing back the travel to the spirit of the rule. Players have studied travel rules and stretched legal basketball innovations to the extreme and, I would argue, way past the limit. Gather step plus one step. 

Call it The Grayson Allen Rule. Look at this play. I don’t know what this is, but this is not basketball. 

Whatever rule that makes that an illegal play, I’m all for. 

And this? 

Yeah, that can’t be legal. Except it is. When @mdwbasketball (go follow that account btw) says it’s legal, it’s legal. I just don’t think it should be legal.

It’s too easy to score in the NBA. Let’s pull it back a bit and call travels like we used to.

7. Allow referee press conferences

Frankly, it’s overdue. With gambling allegations and investigations ensnaring Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, Damon Jones, Malik Beasley and Jontay Porter (who has pled guilty, unlike the other names on this list), trust in the integrity of the game may be at its lowest since the Tim Donaghy scandals. And I’m not just talking about angry fans on social media. Recently, the NBA had to step in and announce four five-figure fines in just one week, penalizing teams and players for publicly criticizing officials.

It’s time to further ensure transparency and integrity of the game by having referees available to speak freely with credentialed reporters after the game and have that media session broadcast on public channels.

On most nights, ref press conferences may not be needed. But allowing at least one beat reporter from each team to be present for a postgame news conference would be a big win for the trust in the system. Such a forum would cultivate an educational and informative context for rules to be explained, decisions clarified and calls defended. Currently for every game, the NBA assigns a pool reporter who has to submit questions ahead of time and the resulting Q&A is posted in text form on its website. For instance, is this at all helpful or productive?

In my opinion, current measures don’t go far enough. The NBA has already opened the door by allowing the crew chief to announce a coach’s challenge ruling to the fans over the PA system. Having the crew chief sit and answer questions in a professional setting among reporters would be a step in the right direction. By and large, referees are good at their jobs. Let them show us.