Browsing: offseason

Once the calendar flips to September, the PGA Tour, and for the most part, pro golf as a whole, goes semi-dormant. Outside of the Ryder Cup, the FedEx Cup Fall Series and the DP World Tour’s finishing stretch of the Race to Dubai, golf takes a backseat in the fall. It’s why the PGA Tour moved the FedEx Cup Playoffs to August so it would not conflict with football, and it gives its members time to have an “offseason” before The Sentry rolls around in January.

But pro golf doesn’t go completely cold in its “offseason,” there’s just a different goal for those in the arena. It’s an arena that delivers something rare in pro golf.

Real stakes.

The focus for most teeing it up during October and November — be it on the PGA Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour — isn’t about padding their bank accounts or peaking for major championships. It’s about keeping the dream alive.

That pursuit is draining. The climb up the professional ladder is grueling, and the resilience needed to stay there is something few have.

Highlights from final round of Sanderson Farms

Fall on the PGA Tour is about players trying to either stay or get on the right side of the top-100 bubble to keep their fully-exempt status. You’ll have a handful of players jockeying to get into the first two Signature Events of 2026, and a few of the top players might make a start here or there.

But for the most part, it’s about Lanto Griffin, who finished third at the Procore Championship behind two guys — Scottie Scheffler and Ben Griffin — who were only there to stay crisp for the Ryder Cup. A win would have meant Griffin, who has one career victory and entered the fall at 142nd in the standings, would have been exempt for two years. Instead, Griffin now sits at 105 after a missed cut at the Sanderson and has just weeks to jump five spots.

It’s also about Steven Fisk, the 28-year-old PGA Tour rookie who arrived in Jackson, Mississippi, with one top-10 finish on his resume and sitting well outside the top 100.

With just a few weeks left to earn his card for 2026, Fisk fired back-to-back 65s to vault into contention and then shot a Sunday 64 to track down Garrick Higgo to claim his first PGA Tour win and the peace of mind that comes with it.

“Self-belief. Grit. I know I’m good enough. I thought I could do it,” an emotional Fisk said after his win.

“It’s a lifelong dream, honestly. Sometimes you doubt yourself. I don’t know. I knew I could do it. And to have some job security is pretty nice. It has been a long, hard year.”

Hours before Fisk tapped in to wash his worries away, a former PGA Tour member put the pedal down on Sunday to breathe some life into his career.

Doc Redman’s last PGA Tour start came at the 2023 RSM Classic. He narrowly missed out on regaining his card at last year’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship. But the 2025 season was hard for Redman on the KFT. The former Clemson star finished 138th on the points list and has no status for next season unless he gets through Q-School. But Redman got into the Sanderson Farms by winning a three-way playoff at the Monday qualifier and then shot 65-67 on the weekend to finish in a tie for ninth place at 16 under. That top-10 finish gets Redman into the Bank of Utah Championship, where he can continue accumulating non-member points, earning him KFT starts next season.

Redman needed a birdie on 18 Sunday to secure his top-10 finish. He hit his drive 330, stuck his approach to seven feet and rolled in the birdie putt to punch his ticket to Utah. Even as his climb stalls, Redman’s self-belief remains intact.

“So there is really no bad results unless I had a bad attitude or something like that,” Redman said on Saturday about staying positive even when professional golf gets hard. “So you know, I think I’m good enough, so I just got to trust that.”

The chase is even more intense this time of year on the Korn Ferry Tour, with players needing to finish in the top 75 on the points list to guarantee their status for next season or else be left adrift in the pro golf world. The top-75 cutoff takes place after the Compliance Solutions Championship, which is the third leg of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

First, we go to Cole Hammer.

The Texas product entered the week at No. 79 in the points ranking and needed a strong final round to secure his place in the Finals. With his job status on the line, Hammer fired a bogey-free 64 to jump into the top 15 and finish at No. 72 in the rankings. With his KFT privileges secured for 2026, Hammer could exhale.

“I am so relieved, honestly,” Hammer said after his round. “But more so proud of just how I fought. I really had to lean on my experience from last year all day long. I knew I was in a similar position [as last year], and it’s not easy.

“I might have looked calm on the outside, but it felt like there were bumblebees inside me. I was buzzing so much. It’s hard standing over a three-footer on the last hole thinking, ‘OK, if I make this I’ll have a job. If I don’t, I won’t.’ … There’s so much finality to these last couple of events that the other events don’t have. Knowing that I pretty much had my job on the line was a pretty stressful experience. I learned that I’m a little bit tougher than I think I am. Sometimes I’m not sure if I can handle the big moment or whatever life calls for, but today I think I showed that I can hang in there and stick around in the ring for all 12 rounds.”

Among the others who buckled down on Sunday at The Patriot Club in Owasso, Oklahoma, was Blades Brown. The 18-year-old phenom elected to forgo college to turn pro. He started the season with no status and needed to finish in the top 75 to have full playing status on the KFT.

Brown played his final seven holes in three under to finish in a tie for 43rd and get into the Korn Ferry Tour Finals on the number at 75.

“I cannot explain or put into words the feeling that I was feeling on those last couple of holes,” Brown told Golf Channel after his round. “I remember my hands were shaking on No. 17, and I was like, ‘What the heck, Blades? You have a pitching wedge in your hand. Just hit it where you want.’ I was an unreal pressure and I learned a lot about myself.”

James Nicholas entered the week 78th in points but shot 23 under to finish in third place and vault into the top 75. Samuel Anderson played his final four holes in two under to go from 76th to 72nd and avoid a trip back to Q School.

In professional golf, the dream is always right there.It’s one swing away, one round away, one feeling away. The fall is about those still chasing it — still raging against the dying light.

Some are successful. They keep climbing using inertia and self-belief as their fuel. Others are left to continue the chase, knowing they’ve chosen a pursuit that can’t be faked. The only way up is to get the ball in the hole.

“I think the correct answer is let the chips fall where they may and focus on what you can control,” said Sam Ryder, who sits at No. 111 in the FedEx Fall. “I can’t control how people play. Really I just know — it’s really more process-oriented stuff. I’m very aware where I’m at. You know it all year. You get a text every single week that tells you exactly where you are on FedEx. You can’t hide from it.”

The 2025 MLB playoffs are here — and for some teams, October is going to last a lot longer than it is for some others.

We start with the wild-card round, where the Cincinnati Reds became the first team eliminated from postseason contention — on the very first day of October, no less — with a two-game series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The next day, the Cleveland Guardians lost their series to the Detroit Tigers, the San Diego Padres fell to the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox were knocked out by the New York Yankees in a trio of Game 3s.

What’s next for the teams and towns that won’t be celebrating a World Series parade this fall? As each contender is eliminated, ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield will list that club’s key free agents and biggest offseason questions and make their predictions for the long, cold winter ahead.

Teams eliminated in wild-card series

Eliminated by: Dodgers

Key free agents: RHP Nick Martinez, RHP Emilio Pagan

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Biggest offseason priority: Flipping their home run differential. The Reds badly need middle-of-the-order power, the kind that will better align their lineup with the long-ball-friendly vagaries of Great American Ballpark. The Reds gave up 25 more homers than they hit in 2025, postseason included, the fifth-worst differential in the majors. That differential was minus-18 at home. The Reds have the pitching they need to win the NL Central, but they need a major uptick in firepower to support the arms. With Martinez’s salary coming off the books, Cincinnati has a wide-open payroll, which — one would think — means lots of flexibility, whether it’s a free agency splurge or a high-impact trade.

Is it time to really unleash this rotation? The Reds have collected quite a collection of high-upside young pitchers. Some of them have established themselves in the majors — Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott. Abbott had a career season in 2025, but Greene still hasn’t paired his dominance with season-long durability. Lodolo produced 28 mostly excellent starts but has plenty of room to grow in his innings count. Then you have Chase Petty, Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder, along with the veteran stability of Brady Singer. The ideal for 2026 would be for manager Terry Francona to push this group of seven for a full season and perhaps lighten up a bit on the innings management side of the equation. This has the potential to be among MLB’s best rotations.

Offseason prediction:The Reds will get aggressive. No, they won’t go wild, of course, but besides having a contention-worthy rotation and a star in Elly De La Cruz who is edging toward his prime, they have a 66-year-old future Hall of Fame manager in Francona who isn’t going to be around forever. — Doolittle

Eliminated by: Tigers

Key free agents: OF Lane Thomas, C Austin Hedges, RHP Jakob Junis

Biggest offseason priority: The term “Guards Ball” caught on during Cleveland’s unlikely second-half run. It was fun to watch and even inspiring. It’s also not generally how championships are won in baseball these days. The Guardians need more firepower on offense, and while there are a lot of promising bats in the system, maybe for once the team will splurge on a middle-of-the-order anchor? Yeah, that’s probably wishful thinking.

What will Cleveland get from its young hitters? It’s not hard to imagine some of the Guardians we saw on the playoff roster getting better — Kyle Manzardo, CJ Kayfus, Johnathan Rodriguez, Jhonkensy Noel. It’s not hard to see Chase DeLauter becoming an AL Rookie of the Year favorite. Given his numbers at Triple-A, it’s a little harder to see Travis Bazzana being part of the Opening Day mix, but it’s not difficult to envision him making a leap during the 2026 season. The crucial question the Guardians have to answer is: What will this group do to lift the offensive profile of a lineup led by Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan? The Guardians won a division title despite scoring more runs than just two other teams. That’s not a sustainable formula.

Offseason prediction: The Guardians, with prospects on the way and the roster full of players under team control, won’t do much in the offseason. They certainly can afford to with so little future guaranteed funds tied up — a big pillow contract to someone like Ohio native Kyle Schwarber would be amazing — but it’s not likely. So, take heart, Cleveland fans, and enjoy the Guardians’ still-spewing fountain of youth. — Doolittle

Eliminated by:Cubs

Key free agents:1B/2B Luis Arraez, SP Dylan Cease, SP Michael King ($15M mutual option), CL Robert Suarez ($8M player option), 1B Ryan O’Hearn, OF Ramon Laureano ($6.5M club option), INF Jose Iglesias, RP Wandy Peralta ($4.45M player option), C Elias Diaz ($7M mutual option), SP Nestor Cortes

Biggest offseason priority:Cease and King will venture into free agency, and the Padres will have to replace them in the rotation. San Diego will have Joe Musgrove back in 2026, but he’ll be coming off Tommy John surgery. Yu Darvish will still be there, but he’ll be in his age-39 season, having accumulated fewer than 100 innings each of the past two years. The depth beyond them, outside of Nick Pivetta, is suspect. First base will also be a priority unless the team brings Arraez back.

Will they spend again?The Padres lost their local-television contract in 2023, then missed out on the playoffs despite fielding arguably the most talented team in franchise history. Shortly thereafter, Peter Seidler, their beloved, free-spending owner, died. The Padres dropped the payroll by roughly 30% the following year. A 25% increase followed in 2025, putting them at roughly $215 million. Where will they go in 2026? It’s hard to say. But Manny Machado’s salary will keep increasing — from $13 million in 2025 to $21 million in 2026 and $35 million thereafter. If they want to keep surrounding him with talent as he ages, they’ll have to keep spending.

Offseason prediction:The Padres will pay six players — Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Darvish, Musgrove, Machado and Pivetta — a combined $120 million in 2026. The team’s success will come down to the production of those players — along with Jackson Merrill and Mason Miller, who are still not in their prime earning years. But A.J. Preller will look for ways to acquire a front-line starting pitcher and will get creative if he has to. Last offseason, he landed Pivetta on a deal that paid him only $4 million in 2025. This offseason, that front-line starter might have to come via trade. — Gonzalez

Eliminated by:Yankees

Key free agents:3B Alex Bregman (opt-out), RHP Lucas Giolito ($19 million mutual option), OF Rob Refsnyder, RHP Dustin May, LHP Steven Matz

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Biggest offseason priority:Re-signing Bregman if he opts out … and improving the starting pitching depth. Bregman had a solid season, hitting .273/.360/.462 around an injury, but aside from the numbers he also brings fire and leadership to the team. It’s also possible Bregman will opt back in at $40 million per season (for 2026 and 2027), but he had a good enough season that he’ll probably opt out. Yes, Marcelo Mayer is a possible replacement — especially if the Red Sox direct that money instead to the pitching staff.

Giolito had a solid season as a low-volume starter in his return from Tommy John surgery, so there could be mutual interest there on a longer deal. But outside of Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and perhaps rookie Connelly Early, who looked good in four late-season starts, the projected rotation is unsettled.

Will the Red Sox trade any of their outfielders/young players?It’s still a crowded outfield picture with Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu (plus Masataka Yoshida, signed for two more years, as a DH option). It played itself out this season as Abreu and Anthony both missed time with injuries, while Rafaela played some infield. But Rafaela is such a wizard in center field, you’d like to keep him there. Throw in Mayer and Kristian Campbell, and the Red Sox have a deep group of young players who could be used to acquire pitching help. Craig Breslow refrained from trading anyone at the deadline, but let’s see what he does this offseason.

Offseason prediction:I think the Red Sox will play it safe and bring back a similar roster, starting with re-signing Bregman. They could then slide Mayer to second base. That still would leave four outfielders plus Campbell, who started the season with a lot of helium after making the Opening Day roster, but his defense at second wasn’t good, and he didn’t rip up Triple-A after getting sent down. If anyone is the odd man out, it’s probably him, so he’s the one most likely to get traded. Bringing back Giolito — assuming he’s healthy after missing the postseason with an elbow injury — also makes sense, as he wouldn’t break the bank but would fill a need. If he’s deemed too risky, a veteran such as Merrill Kelly or, if the Red Sox want to spend bigger, Framber Valdez or Shane Bieber, makes sense. — Schoenfield

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2025 season: 89-73, third in AL East, eliminated in wild card

With the Red Sox eliminated by the Yankees in the 2025 postseason, let’s take a look at the season that was in Boston, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for next year.

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Things that went right

In finishing third in the AL East and earning a wild-card spot, the Red Sox exceeded or met the expectations of most analysts. This was even more true when factoring in the organizationâ€s controversial decision to trade superstar slugger Rafael Devers to the Giants in June.

The offseason signing of Alex Bregman turned out to be a brilliant move. Although the 31-year-old missed roughly six weeks in the first half due to a right quad strain, he was the leader of the lineup and finished with his highest OPS (.821) since 2019. His leadership was especially pivotal for prized prospect Roman Anthony, who debuted June 9 and quickly became the teamâ€s leadoff hitter. Anthony logged a .917 OPS in the second half and was a major reason the offense thrived without Devers. Unfortunately, he missed most of September and the wild-card series due to an oblique injury.

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Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela and catcher Carlos Narváez were underrated contributors. Both were useful offensive players who were among the best defenders in the majors. Given that they play two of the most important positions, their fielding work was especially vital to a pitching staff that lacked stars beyond Garrett Crochet.

And Crochet was everything the organization couldâ€ve hoped for when it acquired him from the White Sox last December. The lefty finished the season third in the majors in ERA (2.59) and first in strikeouts (255). He pitched an 11-strikeout gem in Boston’s only playoff victory. If not for an incredible campaign from Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, Crochet would be a few weeks from winning a Cy Young Award.

In his fourth season, Brayan Bello took a major step forward and became the teamâ€s No. 2 starter. And after missing all of 2024 while recovering from elbow surgery, Lucas Giolito was effective (3.41 ERA) across 26 starts, though an elbow issue prevented him from pitching in the wild-card round.

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A relief corps that lacked many big-name players wound up finishing first in baseball in ERA. The ageless Aroldis Chapman emerged as the teamâ€s closer and logged eye-popping ratios (1.17 ERA, 0.70 WHIP) while finishing fourth in the American League with 32 saves. The setup crew was consistently effective, as Garrett Whitlock, Greg Weissert, Brennan Bernardino and Justin Wilson each logged an ERA below 3.40 while making at least 55 appearances.

Things that went wrong

Although Anthony immediately delivered on his prospect hype, the same couldnâ€t be said for Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer. Campbell broke camp with the team but was optioned to the minors on June 19. He was hitting .223 with a .664 OPS at the time of his demotion. Mayer was promoted May 24 and primarily filled in for Bregman during his IL stint. He hit .228 with a .674 OPS before right wrist surgery caused him to play his final game of 2025 on July 23. Campbell, Mayer and David Hamilton all logged time at second base, but none contributed enough offensively to patch the hole in the lineup.

The team deserves credit for working around the absence of Triston Casas, who was expected to be a lineup centerpiece but suffered a ruptured tendon in his left knee on May 2. Devers†subsequent refusal to cover first base was a major reason he lasted just a few more weeks as a member of the organization.

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The two biggest disappointments on the mound were Tanner Houck and Walker Buehler. Houck was one of the teamâ€s best pitchers in 2024, when he logged a 3.12 ERA across 30 starts. But this year, he produced an 8.04 ERA in nine starts before landing on the IL due to an elbow injury. He eventually underwent Tommy John surgery and will likely miss most of 2026. Buehler arrived in the offseason on a one-year contract but was unable to get his career back on track. He held a 5.45 ERA when he was released in late August.

Put it all together, and the Red Sox were simply overpowered by the Yankees — the deeper, healthier and more talented team — in their three-game wild-card elimination.

Offseason outlook

Looking ahead, the Red Sox are unsettled at most infield positions. That said, catcher is a point of stability, as Narváez and Connor Wong will continue to form a tandem behind the plate. Bregman can opt out of his contract at the end of the season, and the expectation is that he will do so after such a strong campaign. Trevor Story will return as the shortstop, but thereâ€s no clear answer as to who will join him in the middle of the diamond. Campbell is the most likely option, while Hamilton profiles more as a reserve. Casas should return as the first baseman but will need to show that he is healthy after major surgery. Nathaniel Lowe joined the team in August but will likely receive a substantial salary in his final year of arbitration and could be released if the front office receives optimistic reports on Casas†recovery.

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The outfield is in much better shape than the infield. Rafaela is a standout defender in center, and Anthony can play either corner outfield spot. Jarren Duran experienced some regression from his breakout 2024 season, but he is still a key part of the team and will primarily play left field while making some appearances in center. Wilyer Abreu should be the right fielder, and with four players for three outfield spots, each of them will make some appearances at DH as well. There is also Masataka Yoshida, who missed much of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery and will need to figure out where he fits. This group is so deep that the front office could trade someone to fill a void at a different position.

On the mound, Crochet gives the Red Sox an ace who can match up against any pitcher in baseball, and Bello should be reliable as a No. 2 or No. 3. Everything else with this group is unsettled. Giolito and Dustin May are heading to free agency. Hunter Dobbins showed flashes of potential this year but will be a major question, as heâ€s coming off July surgery to repair a torn ACL. Kutter Crawford is more likely than Dobbins to be ready for spring training, but heâ€s a wild card after he didnâ€t pitch this season and underwent wrist surgery in June.

Prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early are strong candidates to earn roles after successful minor-league campaigns and exciting late-season debuts — plus a wild-card Game 3 start for Early. Richard Fitts is also a contender to grab a spot, but he finished this season with a 5.00 ERA across 45 innings. Then thereâ€s Kyle Harrison, who was sent to the minors after arriving in the Devers deal but threw 182 2/3 innings with the Giants. Overall, Boston’s front office needs to add at least one veteran to this crew.

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Chapmanâ€s contract is expiring, which leaves a massive void at the back end of the bullpen. With Whitlock, Weissert, Bernardino and Jordan Hicks set to return, thereâ€s a solid setup crew in place. But there is an obvious need for a new closer, as none of the relievers listed here is a good candidate for that role.

[Get more Boston news: Red Sox team feed]

Prospects on the horizon

Even after Anthony, Campbell and Mayer graduated from the prospect list, the Red Sox still have plenty of talent in the minors. Several of their top prospects will debut in 2027 or beyond, but two notable names provided a glimpse of the future when Tolle and Jhostynxon Garcia arrived in Boston down the stretch.

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A 6-foot-6 lefty with terrific command, Tolle rose through three minor-league levels this season before making his MLB debut on Aug. 29. He was dominant in the minors (3.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 13.1 K/9 rate) and could crack Bostonâ€s rotation in spring training. Given the teamâ€s lack of pitching depth, the door will certainly be wide open.

Garcia fared well in Triple-A this year, hitting .271 with an .832 OPS and 18 homers in 81 games. But as an outfielder, the 22-year-old plays the worst position for cracking the Red Soxâ€s roster. Things could change in the offseason, but if not, Garcia will open 2026 in Triple-A and wait for an injury to occur.

Early and David Sandlin are two more pitchers who could provide depth next year. Early reached Triple-A late in the year after having great success (2.51 ERA, 12.1 K/9 rate) in Double-A. He made his major-league debut Sept. 9 and got the ball for Bostonâ€s win-or-go-home wild-card Game 3 vs. New York. After serving as a starter, Sandlin worked primarily in relief in Triple-A down the stretch.

Goals for 2026

After appearing in the postseason for the first time since 2021, the Red Sox have turned a corner in their rebuild. This iconic franchise is ready to shift back into win-now mode, as itâ€s stocked with young players who can form the Red Sox’s core for many years. The bold decision by Craig Breslow to trade Devers now looks like a strong move that has resulted in a more harmonious organization and allowed other players to take on leadership roles.

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Itâ€s worth noting that rising to the top of the AL East is always much easier said than done. This is a loaded division, as the Blue Jays have ascended, the Yankees are always near the top of the standings and the Orioles have the young players to bounce back from a disappointing season. Plus, the Rays always seem to be in the mix. Qualifying for the postseason wonâ€t be a given for Boston, but its odds will be much better if Breslow can add a closer and at least one effective starter this winter. Keeping Bregman will also be essential.

Fantasy focus

Crochet will be the first Boston player drafted in every league, and he could find his way into the first round of some drafts. The next Red Sox to have their names called will be a pair of outfielders, Duran and Anthony. Both will come off the board in the range of Round 4, as Duran attempts to bounce back from a mildly disappointing year and Anthony continues his ascent to major-league stardom.

Bregman will be a popular pick in the area of Rounds 6-7, and Bello should have his name called in Round 10. After that, there will be a wait before the likes of Abreu and Rafaela are selected in the second half of drafts. Campbell and Mayer could become late-round sleepers if they can deliver strong springs.

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The plan, Luka Doncic said Thursday after the the Lakers†third day of training camp, is to go “a little bit slower†during these sessions so he doesnâ€t totally tax his body after a summer of playing hoops with his countryâ€s national team.

About a month ago, Doncic and Slovenia were eliminated from the 2025 EuroBasket in the quarterfinals by Germany, his 39 points not enough to salvage a win.

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Doncic, who slimmed down this offseason, had been playing at a peak level then, but now he and the Lakers want to ease him back into things with the hopes of avoiding injuries.

“Yeah, obviously probably take it a little bit slower than the usual,†said Doncic, who will play in the Lakers†first preseason game Friday night against the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert. “I had a busy summer. I think month, month and a half I was with national team. So, it was kind of a lot. But that got me ready for the preseason and obviously regular season. So, for me, I think it really helps.â€

This camp for the Lakers and Doncic is all about being in tip-top shape, something coach JJ Redick stressed after they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It has meant more drills, more running, more exertion.

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“Yeah, we just talked about today,†Doncic said. “It’s not just physical shape. It’s mental shape too. So, that kind of goes both ways. Both are very important. We’re doing practice. It was great. Everybody’s in great shape. Everybody’s running a lot so it’s been great so far.â€

Over the first three days of camp, the Lakers have seen Doncic dominate.

They have seen his creativity, his ability to find teammates from all places on the court.

“Yeah. I think I’m just reminded of his own greatness,†Gabe Vincent said. “He sees the floor so well. He could score from anywhere on the floor. He is always a threat. But he does such a good job of commanding defenses. He gets all 10 eyes on him and he sees the floor and he makes a good read nine times out of 10.â€

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Still, there are moments when the Lakers are learning how to play alongside Doncic. They are learning his style, which can only help them during the regular season

“Yeah, I think a bit,†Vincent said. “But like I don’t really see Luka as a premeditated individual, you know what I mean? He’s very much so reading and reactive, so you have to read and react with him. So I see it that way. He’s high IQ. LeBron [James is] pretty similar in that route as well. So, it’s definitely still learning him, learning what he likes and doesn’t like. And just playing at his level.â€

Getting in shape

Since the end of last season, the mantra from Redick was for his team to be in championship shape.

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To that end, at the close of the Lakers†third day of training camp, Redick pushed his players in which they had to run for six minutes, 10 minutes and six minutes.

“I don’t know if they like me right now for what we just finished practice with,†Redick joked.

Apparently, Vincent said, it wasnâ€t an issue for him and his teammates.

“I told JJ about a week or two ago, I said, ‘If we all hate you, but we all hate you collectively, that’s great,††Vincent said. “So, as long as we’re together in it. … Obviously no one wants to run at the end of a long practice. But we know the goal we have set for ourselves and we know what we’re trying to do moving forward and we all embraced it, we all got the run in and we all got better for it.â€

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Injury update

Redick said James, Maxi Kleber (quad), Marcus Smart (achilles tendinopathy) and Aduo Thiero (knee) will not play against the Suns.

Redick said Kleber had an MRI exam and that “heâ€ll be out a few days.â€

“Itâ€s a very minor thing with his quad,†Redick said. “But weâ€re going to be cautious with him, just like we will all our guys right now.â€

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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After his second season in the NBA was cut short due to the discovery of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, San Antonio Spurs star big man Victor Wembanyama attacked the offseason with fury in hopes of building his body back up.

“My training this summer, it was brutal,” Wembanyama said at Spurs media day, per The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. He went on to explain that he committed to a strict regimen that didn’t include much offensive work.

“This summer, I chose to do something much more violent,” Wembanyama added. “Maybe that takes away from some time I can spend on shooting the basketball, but it doesn’t matter. I wanted to get my body back.”

Wembanyama was averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-leading 3.8 blocks before his season ended in February after just 46 games. Weiss explained, “The doctor visits, the games watching from the sideline, it all got to him.” The 21-year-old traveled across the world and “lived life to the fullest this summer” before beginning his preparation for the 2025-26 season.

Wembanyama arrived back to San Antonio for training camp with a renewed energy, evidenced by an intense drill in which he “defends a one-on-one sequence against every player in the gym without a breather. Once he’s taken everyone on, he sprints down to the other end of the court and goes right back into it,” per Weiss.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone work out like that,” Spurs wing Julian Champagnie told Weiss. “It’s crazy to see.”

Wembanyama made it clear that his commitment to the defensive side of the ball this year will emanate through the entire team, which would surely help San Antonio return to playoff contention.

“From the first game of the preseason, (defense) is a non-negotiable. It’s not something you can’t do if you want to be a part of our team,” Wembanyama said. “We’re going to hold each other accountable. We know the coaches are gonna hold us accountable. It doesn’t matter your status, defense is non-negotiable.”

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  Neil PaineOct 2, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

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  Neil Paine writes about sports using data and analytics. Previously, he was Sports Editor at FiveThirtyEight.

Parity has emerged as a defining feature of this NBA era.

With the Oklahoma City Thunder’s breakthrough in June, the league has crowned seven different champions in as many years — a streak unmatched in NBA history. Of those seven, the Thunder’s young core has arguably the best chance to parlay the victory into a dynastic run, but that doesn’t mean other teams haven’t been working all summer to make sure it was a one-off.

While fewer blockbuster and major fireworks meant this offseason was quieter than most, plenty of teams reshaped their rosters in meaningful ways.

The Houston Rockets splurged on Kevin Durant in a swap with the Phoenix Suns, who slotted in Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks via the same deal. The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks lost key veterans and shuffled in new talent. The Orlando Magic bet on Desmond Bane, part of their rise to No. 7 in title odds at ESPN BET. The Los Angeles Clippers made some interesting moves. And the Portland Trail Blazers made headlines by reacquiring Damian Lillard, though fans will have to wait a season for his return, with an injury shelving him until 2026-27.

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To size up all these wheelings and dealings, we projected how a player’s addition (or absence) could shift a team’s standings by setting a baseline of the player’s expected performance using their established level of Estimated RAPTOR Wins Above Replacement (WAR), then identifying the five teams that gained — and the five teams that lost — the most roster value.

We did not factor in the value of literal contracts and salaries, but we did adjust for rookies who could make an immediate impact — hello, Cooper Flagg — and for newcomers with injuries, such as Lillard. We also considered pending free agents as departures. And finally, we noted how much value was lost to presumed season-ending injuries for players like Tyrese Haliburton, though did not factor that into the calculations for teams that made either list.

So which teams bolstered their chances to contend? Which lost big? And which could regret a quiet offseason? Let’s walk through the biggest talent transfers of the past few months — and how they could shape the season ahead.

Jump to a team:
All | BOS | BKN | CHA
CLE | DAL | HOU | LAC
MIL | MIN | PHX

Teams that gained the most value

WAR added: +13.8 | WAR lost: -5.7 (+8.1)

Top additions: G Chris Paul (4.7), C Brook Lopez (3.5), G Bradley Beal (2.9), F John Collins (2.5)

Top losses: G Norman Powell (4.8), G Ben Simmons (0.7), G Amir Coffey (0.3)

The Clippers said goodbye to Powell, who was coming off the best season of his career (6.3 WAR), via a three-team swap in July. But they otherwise didn’t lose much talent from a core that was already pretty good. (Simmons is no longer really an impact departure, sadly.)

They also added a quartet of players with a recent track record of producing at least 2.5 wins per season: the homecoming king CP3 — who often improves his teams — a steady vet with Lopez, and a couple of high-upside reclamation projects in Beal and Collins.

WAR added: +12.6 | WAR lost: -7.5 (+5.1)

Top additions: F-G Kevin Durant (7.1), F Dorian Finney-Smith (2.2), G Josh Okogie (1.7), C Clint Capela (1.5)

Top losses: G Jalen Green (3.0), F Dillon Brooks (2.7), F Cam Whitmore (1.1), C Jock Landale (0.6)

Season-ending injury loss: -6.3 (Fred VanVleet)

The Rockets landed the best player to change teams this offseason in Durant, who — even at age 36 with a diminished supporting cast in Phoenix — averaged 26.6 points last season with his trademark efficiency. They will need him to keep producing in the wake of departures that helped bring KD to Houston (Green and Brooks), and with the recent torn ACL suffered by VanVleet, who was supposed to play a big role in the Rockets’ contention.

Kevin Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets this past offseason and is eligible to sign a two-year extension after the 2025-26 season with the Rockets. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

WAR added: +6.3 | WAR lost: -2.5 (+3.8)

Top additions: F Cooper Flagg (3.6), G D’Angelo Russell (2.8)

Top losses: G Spencer Dinwiddie (1.7), C Kai Jones (0.7)

There is a lot more underlying Dallas’ 2024-25 numbers than the typical team. For one, the Mavericks’ No. 19 net rating from last season included multiple distinct eras’ worth of team construction, from before the infamous Luka DonÄić trade to the short-lived Kyrie Irving-Anthony Davis era that followed, including a stretch run spent with both stars on the shelf. Now Davis is back and Irving is expected to return at some point during this season, and their net established WAR (+3.8) is boosted by the assumed value of Flagg (+3.6), the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.

The Mavs also added Russell, who was more serviceable in 2023-24 than 2024-25. And they didn’t lose much talent — Dinwiddie had a negative RAPTOR for three straight seasons — so it should be far from a dull season in Dallas.

WAR added: +10.0 | WAR lost: -7.0 (+3.0)

Top additions: F Michael Porter Jr. (5.6), F Haywood Highsmith (1.7), G-F Terance Mann (1.5), G Egor Demin (0.6)

Top losses: F Cameron Johnson (3.5), G D’Angelo Russell (2.8)

The Nets were bad last season, winning just 26 games — their fewest since 2016-17 — and they will likely be bad again. However, they did acquire the more productive recent player (plus an unprotected first-round pick) in the trade that shipped Johnson to Denver in July. It was a cap-driven move for the Nuggets, but the Nets got a player in Porter who is younger and produced nearly twice as many WAR (11.7 vs. 6.3) over the past two seasons, helping to drive their net WAR (+3.0) here.

WAR added: +7.7 | WAR lost: -5.7 (+2.0)

Top additions: G Collin Sexton (3.3), PG Spencer Dinwiddie (1.7), G-F Kon Knueppel (1.0), C-F Mason Plumlee (0.7), G Pat Connaughton (0.6)

Top losses: C Mark Williams (1.8), G Josh Okogie (1.7), C Jusuf Nurkić (1.4), G Seth Curry (0.5)

At least you can’t accuse the Hornets of trying to run back the same group and expecting different results. Aside from the core of Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, general manager Jeff Peterson has turned over much of the rest of a roster that won just 19 games a year ago, adding Sexton from Utah and Dinwiddie from Dallas — plus drafting Knueppel out of Duke at fourth overall.

Granting that it’s easier to improve a bad team than a good one, and that — like the Nets — the Hornets still most likely won’t be good in 2025-26, they can aim to at least be better than they were.

Who’s not here (and why)

The Orlando Magic are a buzzy team heading into this season, rising to seventh in the preseason NBA title odds, so why do they rank a mere 17th in the net WAR rankings despite adding Bane (along with ex-Suns G Tyus Jones)? They also had to give up Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony — who combined for 4.5 WAR in Orlando last year — to get Bane, who was worth 6.3 WAR, reducing some of the net value of the deal in pure basketball terms.

Similarly, the Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks made big moves to add talent — even raiding each other’s rosters in some cases — with KCP and Ty Jerome joining the Grizz, and Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard going to the Hawks. But both teams also lost nearly as much, as Bane and Kennard left Memphis and Caris LeVert and Capela departed Atlanta. That hurts both teams’ net talent ranking.

And finally, the Portland Trail Blazers would be higher by virtue of adding Lillard to go with Jrue Holiday, but Dame’s timeline for a Blazers return is delayed by his torn Achilles.

Teams that lost the most value

WAR added: +4.9 | WAR lost: -16.5 (-11.6)

Top additions: G Anfernee Simons (2.6), F Chris Boucher (1.6), F Josh Minott (0.5)

Top losses: C Kristaps Porziņģis (4.9), G Jrue Holiday (4.5), C Luke Kornet (3.5), C Al Horford (3.2)

Season-ending injury loss: 10.7 (Jayson Tatum)

After winning the 2024 NBA championship and spending most of last season on the very short list of title front-runners, it’s shaping up to be a very different year in Boston. For one, regular-season WAR leader Tatum suffered a torn Achilles in May — and while he isn’t ruling out a return from what was originally deemed a season-erasing injury, he would likely miss the majority of the regular season even if he did manage to come back early.

Add in the fact that Boston said goodbye to many of the core contributors from its title run — Porziņģis, Holiday and Horford — plus highly effective role player Kornet, who signed with the Spurs in July, and the Celtics are looking at a very diminished group leading the way in 2025-26.

WAR added: +9.3 | WAR lost: -16.4 (-7.1)

Top additions: G Jalen Green (3.0), F-G Dillon Brooks (2.7), C Mark Williams (1.8), G Jared Butler (0.8), C Khaman Maluach (0.5)

Top losses: F Kevin Durant (7.1), G Bradley Beal (2.9), G Tyus Jones (2.7), F Cody Martin (1.4), G Monte Morris (0.9), C Mason Plumlee (0.7), F Bol Bol (0.5)

This type of offseason was necessary for Phoenix to press the reset button and move on from the failed Big Three experiment with Durant, Beal and Devin Booker, which yielded zero total playoff wins before being blown up. But the Suns still saw an exodus of talent, headlined by — but not limited to — KD’s move to Houston. They got back some interesting players in that record-breaking seven-team trade, including Green and Brooks, who combined for 7.3 WAR last season. But there is no doubt that the post-Durant transition in Phoenix will be painful.

play

1:03

Suns owner Mat Ishbia: I didn’t do enough when KD was here

Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia reflects on what went wrong during Kevin Durant’s and Bradley Beal’s time on the team.

WAR added: +5.5 | WAR lost: -11.1 (-5.6)

Top additions: C-F Myles Turner (2.9), G Gary Harris (1.2), G Cole Anthony (1.2)

Top losses:G Damian Lillard (7.0), C Brook Lopez (3.5), G Pat Connaughton (0.6)

The Bucks land here with the dissolution of the Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo alliance after an underwhelming two-year run, during which they won only three playoff games across a pair of first-round exits, with both stars struggling to stay healthy at different times. But say what you will, Lillard was productive in both of his regular seasons in Milwaukee, amassing 13.7 total WAR across 2023-24 and 2024-25. Now the Bucks will move forward with Turner, to whom they signed a four-year, $107 million contract in the hopes he replicates his solid averages of 17 points and 7 boards from the past three seasons alongside Giannis in a new partnership.

WAR added: +2.6 | WAR lost: -8.0 (-5.4)

Top additions: F-C Larry Nance Jr. (1.4), G Lonzo Ball (1.2)

Top losses: G Ty Jerome (4.6), G Isaac Okoro (2.5), G Javonte Green (0.9)

A year after leaping from 48 wins to a near-franchise record 64, the Cavs are once again among the title favorites. But like many contenders in the NBA’s recent salary cap era, they had to bid farewell to some of their best role players — namely Jerome, who was ridiculously effective (+5.3 RAPTOR) in 20 minutes per game last season, as well as Okoro, who provided them a steady dose of 3-and-D efficiency for years before being dealt to the Bulls for Ball in July.

If Ball ever stayed healthy enough to play a full season, he could single-handedly erase the Cavs’ offseason deficit, which makes him a fascinating acquisition for a team with its eye on a championship. But for now, Cleveland is down a lot of proven talent from a year ago.

Lonzo Ball was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Chicago Bulls last June for Isaac Okoro. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

WAR added:+0.4 | WAR lost: -3.7 (-3.3)

Top additions:C Joan Beringer (0.3)

Top losses: G Nickeil Alexander-Walker (3.0), F Josh Minott (0.5)

The T-Wolves went into the summer with a lot of uncertainty about which supporting players would be coming back, and in that sense, they arguably did the best they could (without going into the second apron) by re-signing Julius Randle and Naz Reid. But it did come at the cost of losing Alexander-Walker, who had 7.1 total WAR — and with whom the team was an average of 4.0 net points per 100 possessions on the court versus off — over the past two seasons. It’s hardly an earth-shattering loss, but it speaks to the depth that can be a casualty of the luxury tax in the current NBA.

All-30 team NBA rankings

Ranking NBA teams by net WAR added or lost this offseason

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With the 2025-26 NBA season around the corner, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson will be missing time to start the year. The team announced Friday that Henderson suffered a left hamstring tear during an offseason workout.

As a result of the injury, Henderson will be out 4-8 weeks. The team says Henderson can return to basketball activities in that time, though an exact timeline for his return is unclear.

Portland begins preseason Oct. 8 with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors. The Trail Blazers’ season opener is set for Oct. 22, as the team hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Henderson, who was drafted No. 3 overall by Portland in 2023, was set to start his third season with the team. The 21-year-old point guard averaged 12.7 points, three rebounds and 5.1 assists per game last season, leading the team in assists per game.

Henderson was likely to come off the bench this season behind veteran point guard Jrue Holiday, an offseason acquisition for the Trail Blazers. With Henderson out, Dalano Banton will likely get more time off the bench behind Holiday.

Henderson is the latest NBA player to suffer an injury during the offseason. Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain’s injury woes continued after tearing a ligament in his thumb Thursday. Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet suffered a season-ending ACL tear during a team workout in the Bahamas, with the veteran guard successfully undergoing surgery.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:Today we jump back 15 years to two back-to-back episodes of the PWTorch Livecast from Sept. 15 and 16, 2010.

On the Sept. 17, 2010 episode, PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell includes discussion with live callers on last night’s TNA Impact, Tommy Dreamer’s lengthy promo, Impact running into Reaction with Angle vs. Hardy, a comparison of the likely Bound for Glory PPV main event of Angle vs. RVD riding winning streaks vs. the actual main event of a Angle vs. Hardy vs. Anderson after two non-finishes to Hardy-Angle, how TNA management views Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles, Matt Hardy’s latest Tweets entering worked shoot territory and mirroring the 2005 issue with Edge and Lita, plus much more.

Then in the previously VIP Aftershow, they discussed with a live caller on how WWE can create a TV off-season for Raw by inserting NXT and a character-driven reality show into a three-month gap, and come back with a new season of Raw, with the benefits to talent getting time off, the writers getting new ideas, and the overall product seemingly refreshed. Plus, why WWE would be afraid of that idea.

On the Sept. 20, 2010 episode, PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell and PWTorch columnist Bruce Mitchell includes discussion with live callers on last night’s Night of Champions PPV, Chris Jericho’s future, Miz vs. Bryan at the PPV, how long Randy Orton will hold the WWE Title, comparisons of Daniel Bryan in WWE and Desmond Wolfe in TNA, RVD’s babyface promo on Impact, concussions in football and pro wrestling plus WWE needing to improve its Wellness testing, Cena vs. Barrett on Raw, and more.

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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick told reporters that he spent time with Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady this summer, as relayed by Dan Woike of The Athletic.

McVay is the youngest hired coach in the NFL’s modern era at 30 years and 354 days old. He’s entering his ninth NFL season with the Rams, who have enjoyed great success under their leader. L.A. has notably won two NFC titles and a Super Bowl with McVay at the helm, making the playoffs six times and enjoying winning seasons in all but one of his campaigns.

Brady played in the NFL from 2000-2022, winning six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and another one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The former sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan made 10 Super Bowls overall during his career while winning three NFL MVP awards and making 15 Pro Bowls.

Obviously, those two are good influences for Redick as he embarks upon his second season on the Laker sidelines.

Redick, a former NBA guard, ESPN analyst and podcaster, just led L.A. to a 50-32 record, good enough for the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs. However, L.A. fell in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.

This year’s team could very well fare better after adding a few key pieces, including a sorely needed big man in Deandre Ayton and combo guard Marcus Smart, who should provide key backcourt depth.

Of course, the Lakers also return their big three of Luka DonÄić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves as well.

DonÄić, a five-time All-NBA guard who was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks last February, notably signed a three-year, $165 million extension that keeps him with the team through at least 2028.

L.A. will begin its regular season on Oct. 21 with a home game against the Golden State Warriors.

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And on that farm he had some… buckets?

As Knicks center Mitchell Robinson prepared this offseason for what will be his eighth NBA season, he didn’t just work on his hoops game.

He also worked on his coops game.

In an effort to eat healthier and drop some weight, the 27-year-old Robinson made an effort to eat healthier by learning the art of farming in Nashville.

“I started my own farm, so all of my stuff is legit fresh, organic, stuff like that, so kind of moving forward with that,” Robinson said. “Chickens, all kinds of stuff.”

Asked how he learned to farm, Robinson replied: ‘You gotta know people, they’ll teach you a lot.”

Farmer Robinson acknowledged that he did lose weight this offseason, saying he’s around the same weight he was last season, which he says is the right range for him to play at his best.

And that should go hand-in-hand with playing under new head coach Mike Brown, who likes to push the pace at a much faster rate than previous head coach Tom Thibodeau.

“I’m excited to play for him,” Robinson said of Brown. “I’ve been here going on eight years now, third coach. Just get in there and give the same energy I gave the other coaches. Hard work and keep it moving.”

“A lot of conditioning, getting up and down the court,” he later added about Brown’s coaching style. “Putting in a lot of new things that I’ve never seen before. It’s going to be a process, but I’m all for it.”

While injuries limited Robinson to just 17 regular season games last year, he made a big impact in the postseason, playing 18 playoff games and eventually moving into the starting lineup.

Robinson said he doesn’t care whether he starts or comes off the bench this season, and that he’s ready to adjust to playing with whomever he’s on the floor with.

“Same approach as last year,” Robinson said. “We had a lot of success last season, so we just come in with that mindset and see how [Brown] likes us to play and adjust to that.”

Robinson has established himself as one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA, and his relentlessness on the glass makes him a huge asset for a Knicks team in search of an NBA championship.

And while it sounds like Robinson is ready to cook on the floor, don’t expect him to do much cooking in the kitchen.

“No,” Robinson replied when asked if he cooks the food his farm provides.

“Hell no.”

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