AUGUSTA, Ga. — A concoction of sweaty bodies and long-lens cameras was deadlocked in the upper left-hand corner of the No. 15 grandstand at Augusta National as Rory McIlroy’s 7-foot eagle putt slid underneath the cup. At that point in the day, the phoneless Masters Tournament patrons were not unfamiliar with the sound of thousands of simultaneous groans. Hearing and participating in them repeatedly, however, was not getting any easier.

A Green Jacket stood up out of his plastic bleacher seat in a frenzy.

“I can’t take much more of this,” the gentleman uttered. He bee-lined toward the steep downward staircase, his sons close behind, fumbling to button the coat that only a select group can sport on this property.

Until it actually happened, McIlroy’s chase of the career Grand Slam and the end to his 11-year major championship drought felt more like if you took the most nauseating roller coaster on earth and increased its speed tenfold. Or stuck yourself in a blender and turned it to the highest setting, making the table shake.

An opening double bogey, a water ball into Rae’s Creek with a wedge in hand, the first sudden-death playoff in the Masters since 2017 — McIlroy gave Augusta National the show it didn’t know it wanted. The patrons on site still aren’t sure that’s what they would have signed up for. Sunday was a ticketed heart attack.

“My battle today was with myself. It wasn’t with anyone else,” McIlroy said Sunday evening, a 38 Regular green jacket slung over his shoulders. “You know, at the end there, it was with Justin (Rose), but my battle today was with my mind and staying in the present.

“I’d like to say that I did a better job of it than I did. It was a struggle, but I got it over the line.”

It might have been an internal waging of the wars for McIlroy, but all of Augusta National felt it with him. They leaned with the wayward drives, hustled to catch a glimpse of the gravity-defying escape routes, and hoped — oh, did they hope — every time the putter face made contact with the golf ball it would find a hole. Just this one, Rory.

Rotation by rotation, they held their breath.

Then, a final roar that could only mean one thing: sweet, sweet relief.

In his 1975 Masters file for Sports Illustrated, the great Dan Jenkins wrote: “There is an old saying that the real Masters doesn’t begin until the back nine on Sunday.” That was 50 Masters ago. It’s still true.

This back nine of the 89th Masters began with a semblance of something that you can never trust at the place: comfort. It is almost always a mirage.

No. 10 crushed McIlroy’s Masters dreams 14 years ago as a naive 21-year-old. Sunday morning, McIlroy opened his locker to a note from Angel Cabrera, the 2009 champion who played with McIlroy that day.

The drive on No. 10 was demonless. The ensuing birdie putt to take a four-shot lead? Electrifying. Patrons surrounded the 10th green and 11th fairway 30 deep, peering through tree branches and shuffling around aimlessly to find a gap where they could see something. Anything. Amen Corner lurked. Lest they all knew, the rug was about to be ripped out from underneath the Northern Irishman.

It all happened in a blur. A bogey on No. 11 — a number that could have been a lot bigger. A par at No. 12. A 3-wood off the tee at No. 13, McIlroy playing it safe with a four-shot lead.

There’s no tighter part of the property for patrons than Amen Corner, tens of thousands pressed together to watch as McIlroy’s ball flew through the air once, then twice. He stood with a wedge in his hands from 82 yards. If he was going to screw this all up, it wasn’t going to be here, with all of Georgia to the left side of the green. Right?

McIlroy’s ball tumbled into the creek. He bent his spine in half and threw his hands onto his knees. There had been plenty of triumphant patron responses at that point in the day. Here, in Amen Corner’s final chapter, the gasps returned. They did not stop.

First, McIlroy’s red 13 came off the nearby manual leaderboard and was replaced by a somber 11. He paused, waiting an additional moment before heading over the 14th tee, almost as if he knew it was coming. Rose suddenly had his 10 switched out for an 11.

Tie score.

No Masters champion has ever won the green jacket with four double bogeys. Is that the kind of history McIlroy was going to make?

Every time it looked as though McIlroy had thrown away the golf tournament for good, he followed it with a shot, a moment, even a bounce in his step that added up to the opposite. He looked like he was in cruise control until the emergency brakes hit. The patrons’ fists in the air were coupled with sunburned faces buried in hands. More new red numbers caused a stir. McIlroy threw another dart. Birdie-par-birdie. Triumph? No. Closing bogey. There it was. All of it would come down to this. A sudden-death playoff against his Ryder Cup teammate, Rose.

Harry Diamond, McIlroy’s caddie and best friend since age 7, looked at his player as they headed to the golf cart that would bring the pair back to the 18th tee box once again.

“Well, pal, we would have taken this on Monday morning,” he said.

The jostled Augusta National audience did not agree. The anguish was becoming unbearable, borderline exhausting, but also the best Masters of the modern era. Either way, it needed to end. McIlroy needed to put himself — and everyone else — out of their misery.

Walk through the white and gold doors of the Augusta National clubhouse, up a winding staircase and through a quaint but decadent dining room, and you’ll find yourself on a porch. It overlooks the giant oak tree, the iconic rows of green and white umbrellas, and in the distance, if you crane your neck just enough, No. 18 green.

But today that view was clouded by a sea of anxious bodies. On the ground, some proposed starting a game of “telephone” to communicate the play-by-play on the green.

Up on the porch, you can rotate 180 degrees and you’re facing a row of white window panes. They lead to a 35-inch television, the only piece of modern technology in a 100-yard radius. A strange combination of Green Jacket wearers, off-duty broadcasters and confused writers gathered around to watch the playoff. Patrick Reed dipped in to order an Azalea cocktail. The incoming USGA president showed up. Everyone was too nervous to utter a word. No one did.

A sound of this force cannot be tape-delayed.  All of Augusta National felt McIlroy’s energy release after that 4-foot birdie putt dropped. And by the look of him — collapsing onto his knees and convulsing with sobs — he felt it, too.

One of the most chaotic final rounds of recent memory ended with pure emotion, a release appropriate for the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam, and McIlroy shut down a narrative he wondered whether he’d ever escape.

“It was all relief. There wasn’t much joy in that reaction. It was all relief,” McIlroy said after the round, laughing. “And then, you know, the joy came pretty soon after that. But that was — I’ve been coming here 17 years, and it was a decade-plus of emotion that came out of me there.”

We know, Rory. We know.

(Top photo: Harry How / Getty Images)

Read Dane Brugler’s 2025 ‘The Beast’ NFL Draft guide.

At least beyond Cam Ward, there is no consensus on where each of this year’s crop of quarterbacks may get drafted. After Ward presumably becomes a Tennessee Titan, the rest of the group is a complete mystery. It’s just as likely Ward is the only quarterback we see on Thursday night as it is that four quarterbacks go in the first round.

Lucky for us, we’re going to cut through all that uncertainty and play quarterback matchmaker, placing all of this year’s top quarterback prospects on the teams that make the most sense. In some cases, that has more to do with what type of quarterback the team needs; in others, it’s about finding the right environment for getting the most out of a particular skill set.

Let’s get to the lovely new couples.

Cam Ward: Tennessee Titans

All signs point to Ward being the Titans’ starting quarterback next year. It’s not even worth entertaining different possibilities for either QB or team at this point. Ward is both a good fit for the core of Brian Callahan’s offense and would bring elements that Titans’ quarterbacks last season did not.

The Titans’ 2024 offense was all about maximizing play-action opportunities and attacking down the field. Ward has the arm talent and fearlessness as a thrower to excel in that environment. However, Ward also massively improved his quick-game operation in college, and he’s much more comfortable playing from spread and empty formations than Will Levis has ever been. Ward is leaps and bounds ahead of Levis (or Mason Rudolph) as a creator outside of the pocket, too.

There are going to be growing pains with Ward’s overzealous play style early on, but they will be worth it in the long run. Ward has both a floor and ceiling worthy of being the No. 1 pick in this class.

Shedeur Sanders: New Orleans Saints

Finding Sanders’ best fit was trickier than I anticipated. Kevin Stefanski’s downfield play-action offense in Cleveland is not ideal; Brian Daboll’s quicker passing attack in New York might make sense, but that offensive line is a sieve and Sanders is not athletic enough to tap into some of the best parts of Daboll’s playbook.

The idea of Sanders being Kellen Moore’s first crack at a quarterback is intriguing, though. Sanders is at his best operating spread passing concepts, especially in the underneath area. He’s a reliable short-area passer who uses the intermediate and deeper areas of the field to keep defenses honest, rather than making those his preferred areas of attack. That’s perfectly fine for a West Coast-inspired offense.

Of course, falling to ninth overall is no guarantee. The Browns or the Giants may feel the itch of desperation and draft Sanders in the top three. If Sanders does slide a little bit, however, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Saints stop that fall.

Jaxson Dart: Seattle Seahawks

It would be stunning if the Seahawks left the first two days of the draft without a quarterback. The deal Sam Darnold signed in March is effectively a one-year contract with team options from then on out — if that doesn’t scream “a developmental quarterback is coming,” I don’t know what does.

Seattle could go in a few directions, but Dart makes sense for their new offense under Klint Kubiak, and vice versa.

Dart reminds me a lot of Jimmy Garoppolo as a passer. The two are quite similar in build, arm talent and ability on throws over the middle of the field. A majority of Dart’s best throws on film are slants, short posts and crossers. The same was true of Garoppolo at his best in San Francisco. Neither Dart nor Garoppolo is a quarterback you want reading out a full progression very often.

In theory, Kubiak’s offense plays into all of that. It’s built off the run game, which is then parlayed into a strong play-action attack. Not only does that simplify reads for the quarterback, it also demands the QB often makes tight throws over the middle of the field, which is where Dart shines.

With a year on the bench to learn the pace of the league, maybe Dart can make it work with the Seahawks.

Tyler Shough: Cleveland Browns

The Browns’ best path to a quarterback is to take the Day 2 player most ready to start immediately. For my money, that is Shough.

Outside of Ward, Shough is the most talented thrower in the class. He has a flexible yet explosive release that works well from all platforms, in and out of the pocket. Though he’s more of a straight-line thrower than someone with fantastic touch, he still gets the job done from an accuracy perspective.

Shough is a quality processor, as well. Similar to Ryan Tannehill, he can be a hair slow coming off of reads early in the down but generally doesn’t make bizarre mistakes, and he protects the ball well.

In terms of pro readiness and arm talent, Shough just makes the most sense for Kevin Stefanski’s offense right now.

Jalen Milroe: Los Angeles Rams

If Sean McVay wants to keep the offense roughly the same in an eventual post-Matthew Stafford world, Milroe is not the answer — he’s actually the furthest thing from Stafford in this draft class (aside from the two or three bizarre misfires each QB has every game).

McVay has long flirted with the idea of a mobile quarterback, though. He was eager to give John Wolford a chance at the end of the Jared Goff saga, then held onto him as the team’s backup through the 2022 season. McVay also gave Bryce Perkins a start in 2022, a game in which Perkins carried the ball 19 times for 90 yards.

Milroe will walk into the league as one of the best athletes at the position. As a passer, he’ll need at least a year to fix his footwork and adapt to the speed of coverage at the NFL level, but that’s okay. There would be no pressure on Milroe to compete with Stafford for the job.

This would be a long play. Regardless of it being a good or realistic idea, I just so badly want to see the world in which McVay gets to re-unlock the boot-action game and dabble in a quarterback-centric rushing attack.

Riley Leonard: New York Giants

Brian Daboll’s best work over the years — outside of his time with Josh Allen — was at Alabama in 2017, with Jalen Hurts, and in 2022, with Daniel Jones.

Though different quality players, Hurts and Jones can both generally be described as sturdy, athletic quarterbacks with the arm talent to push the ball down the field a little bit. Both players added something to the offense via their mobility, and Daboll took advantage.

Aside from maybe Milroe, Leonard is Daboll’s best swing at that kind of athlete. Leonard is 6-foot-4, 218 pounds with serious wheels. He’s fairly explosive in short areas and excels when he really gets to stride out, similar to Jones. He’s clearly a weapon in the designed-run game and the red zone.

Leonard still has a lot to prove as a passer, but his athletic ability and toughness gives him a floor to work with while he figures it out.

Kyle McCord: Dallas Cowboys

It’s hard to find and hold onto good backup quarterbacks — the Cowboys were lucky to draft and retain Cooper Rush for as long as that they did. Boring as he is to watch, Rush was a perfectly competent quarterback when it came to running the offense and not playing outside of his means.

With Rush now in Baltimore, the Cowboys are in search of the next guy to fill that role. McCord is their best bet.

McCord is not an overwhelming talent. His arm is just okay, and he’s not going to scare anyone on the move. Like any good NFL backup, however, McCord can run an offense efficiently and consistently. He really learned to play within himself at Syracuse, displaying good rhythm and decision-making as a thrower.

It’s unlikely he ever ascends to anything above a very good backup, but that’s quite alright for a Cowboys team shopping for that exact kind of player.

Will Howard: Pittsburgh Steelers

They have to draft somebody, right? Even under the assumption Aaron Rodgers finally drops the charade and signs, the Steelers need to make some sort of effort to secure a young quarterback.

Howard, if nothing else, fits Arthur Smith’s offense. He is not someone who should be a high-volume passer, which already leans into Smith’s run-first approach. Additionally, Howard’s best traits are his size and arm talent, which allows him to comfortably throw down the field, as well as ample athletic ability for a player his size. Smith’s entire play-action and boot menu would be open with Howard at quarterback.

It’s hard to imagine Howard developing the down-to-down accuracy and play speed to really thrive as an NFL starter, but Smith’s offense in Pittsburgh at least would give Howard a chance to hide his weaknesses and lean into his strengths.

Dillon Gabriel: Miami Dolphins

Putting the short lefty quarterback prospect as a backup to the short lefty NFL quarterback feels like a bit, but it’s not. It makes sense when you consider each player’s strengths and the dynamics of being a left-handed vs. right-handed thrower.

Firstly, pass-catchers often talk about the flight and spin of the ball being different from lefty quarterbacks — the ball rotates in the opposite direction of 99 percent of quarterbacks, so it looks different coming into a receiver’s vision.

Gabriel, like Tua Tagovailoa, also thrives with RPOs and throws over the middle. He has a flexible and explosive release, making him perfectly equipped to manage those RPOs at a high level. And he thrives on in-breaking throws, even offering more velocity than Tagovailoa does.

The Dolphins desperately need to invest in a backup quarterback somehow. Gabriel fits.

Quinn Ewers: Buffalo Bills

Not every player or team gets their ideal match in an exercise like this. Sometimes, teams have to settle for whoever is left on the dance floor.

From the Bills’ perspective, a young backup quarterback should be on the table, because Mitchell Trubisky has just one year left on his deal. It makes some sense for the Bills to get ahead of things early and get a developmental player in the pipeline.

Ewers would bring functional athleticism and arm talent for Joe Brady. He still struggles with pocket presence and touch accuracy, especially down the field, but there’s enough talent there to mold a functional backup.

(Top photo of Jaxson Dart:  Justin Ford / Getty Images)

We’re into the defining stretch of the 2024-25 season, with trophies to be won, European spots up for grabs and relegations to be avoided. All of Europe’s domestic leagues and UEFA’s three club competitions are nearing completion, which not only prompts conversation about the end-of-year awards but the next Ballon d’Or too.

At its roots, the Ballon d’Or is a subjective award. Handed out every October to honour the best player in the game over the previous 12 months, it is decided by votes from 100 journalists, one from each of the countries in the top 100 of the FIFA world rankings. Yet, for both players and fans, it remains arguably the best way to judge and reward individual performance. Lionel Messi has the most wins, with eight, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo (five) and then Michel Platini, the late Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten on three each.

So, with around six months to go before this year’s winner is crowned, here’s a considered analysis of those players The Athletic currently considers the main contenders. We will update these rankings regularly, so expect to see plenty of movement as individual form waxes and wanes over the rest of this season and into the next one.

1) Raphinha (Barcelona and Brazil)

Why’s he in the top 10? Raphinha leads La Liga players in goal contributions across all club competitions with 28 goals and 20 assists in his 45 games. Few could have foreseen the Brazilian having a season of this nature when he was battling relegation from the Premier League with Leeds United this time three years ago, but if Barcelona go on to complete a historic treble, few would argue against him receiving the Ballon d’Or in October.

This week Raphinha had to settle for a half-hour appearance off the bench in a 1-1 home draw against Real Betis last Saturday, with his minutes being carefully managed since he returned from international duty in South America last month. Restored to the starting XI for the visit of Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, Raphinha scored the game’s opening goal from about two inches out before assisting both Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal as Barcelona won 4-0. He is now up to a club record 19 goal contributions in the Champions League this season, matching Lionel Messi’s career-best tally from 2011-12.

Up next Barcelona return to domestic action on Saturday away at Leganes with revenge on their mind after losing 1-0 to the relegation-threatened side in December and with Raphinha on the hunt for just his third La Liga goal of 2025. That is followed by a visit to Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday for what looks like a dead-rubber of a second leg.

2) Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain and France)

Why’s he in the top 10? After displaying flashes of brilliance for years, Dembele has finally added consistency to his game this season. He has 32 goals in 41 club appearances, including 21 in 19 since the turn of the year (to go with scoring for France against Croatia last month too). Turning 28 next month, Dembele is one of the senior players in PSG’s youth-infused project under Luis Enrique, which is finally taking off, with the team in contention for a treble, including a Ligue 1 campaign where they are yet to lose after 28 of the 34 matches.

This week Dembele came off the bench for the final half-hour of PSG’s title-clinching win against Angers on Saturday before dazzling in the 3-1 defeat of visitors Aston Villa four days later in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. He crowned an impressive display by assisting Nuno Mendes for a potentially pivotal third goal in stoppage time.

Up next PSG have no match this weekend, so don’t play again until the return leg against Villa on Tuesday. With the home side needing to attack to claw back that two-goal deficit, Dembele should find plenty of opportunities on the counter.

Dembele underlined his Ballon d’Or credentials once more against Villa (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

3) Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain)

Why’s he in the top 10? The cult of Yamal seems to grow every week as he shows off new skills while improving on those we’ve already seen. Whatever he touches seems to turn to gold. He has a record of 14 goals and 17 assists for Barcelona this season, to go with a sumptuous goal for Spain in their Nations League quarter-finals win over the Netherlands in March.

This week Yamal cut a frustrated figure last weekend against Betis, with some rarely-seen heavy touches and misplaced passes as Barca tried to break through a disciplined defence. But it was a good learning experience for him, and he proceeded to toy with Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini in midweek before scoring the game’s final goal with an impudent toe-poke.

Up next Yamal will be key if Barcelona are to continue their La Liga title charge at Leganes — the second leg against Dortmund a few days later is now a mere formality with that four-goal lead.

Yamal had another outstanding game in the Champions League on Wednesday (Pedro Salado/Getty Images)

4) Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England)

Why’s he in the top 10? The Bundesliga is proving far too easy for Kane. Having scored 36 league goals in his 2023-24 debut season after a move from the Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur, he is on 23 this time, helping put Bayern six points clear at the top with six games to go after surprisingly losing the title to Bayer Leverkusen a year ago. Vincent Kompany’s side are also in the last eight of the Champions League, where Kane has 10 goals in his 12 appearances. He also scored twice for England in their March double-header.

This week Kane scored Bayern’s go-ahead goal in a 3-1 win against Augsburg last Friday, heading home from Michael Olise’s 60th-minute cross. He struggled on Tuesday against visitors Inter in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, though, hitting the post in the first half from his best chance as Bayern lost 2-1.

Kane scoring against Augsburg last weekend (Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)

Up next Kane and Co are at home on Saturday against Dortmund, who he has scored seven goals against in seven games for Spurs and now Bayern. While Der Klassiker is usually an A-list fixture, their focus will undoubtedly be more on turning the Inter tie around at San Siro on Wednesday than domestic matters.

5) Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid and France)

Why’s he in the top 10? Mbappe is approaching the end of one of the best debut seasons ever by a Madrid forward, with 32 goals in 47 games across all competitions despite some growing pains early on. As he has found his feet, the Frenchman has overtaken Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham as the talisman of the team.

This week Last weekend saw a humbling for the La Liga champions as Valencia beat them at the Bernabeu for the first time in 17 years. Mbappe toiled with minimal luck against goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili as Madrid fell four points behind leaders Barcelona with eight games to go. If that 2-1 defeat was a shock to the system, Tuesday brought full-fledged electrocution as Arsenal thrashed Madrid 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg of a quarter-final to leave their hopes of back-to-back Champions League titles dangling by a thread. Mbappe missed two presentable chances in the first half before being shut out for much of the second.

Up next A trip north to Alaves, who are fighting relegation from La Liga, on Sunday could be the ideal match to either return to form or deepen the sense of crisis at Madrid. That will be followed by Wednesday’s return leg against Arsenal, a fixture which will require Mbappe to channel his inner 2021-22 Karim Benzema.

Mbappe endured a difficult night in north London on Tuesday (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

6) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt)

Why’s he in the top 10? When your statistics are being compared to those of Messi and Ronaldo, it’s an indication you’re having an all-timer of a season. Salah has gone off the boil rather in the past month but still has 44 goal contributions (27 goals and 17 assists) in the Premier League alone, with Liverpool looking primed to win the title. There will be no other trophies for them in 2024-25, but this is undoubtedly one of the greatest individual seasons played out on English turf.

This week Liverpool suffered a rare league defeat on Sunday, beaten 3-2 at Fulham in a match where Salah was kept quiet for the second time in a week after the 1-0 derby win against Everton. He ended the week much more brightly, though, with confirmation of a new two-year contract.

Up next Liverpool host West Ham United on Sunday and may have a chance to extend their lead at the top of the table if Arsenal rotate players for their home match against Brentford the previous evening. Salah is due a bounce-back game having not scored a non-penalty goal in the league since February 23 and 16th-placed West Ham present the ideal opportunity for him to cut loose.

7) Alessandro Bastoni (Inter and Italy)

Why’s he in the top 10? Bastoni has been a near ever-present for treble-chasing Inter, racking up 3,193 minutes across competitions, the most by any of their outfield player. In addition to his defensive prowess, he averages the second-most pass attempts per 90 minutes (76.6) among all Serie A centre-backs this season.

This week Bastoni played only the first half away at struggling Parma last Saturday as a precaution because of a knee issue. Inter were 2-0 up at the break but conceded twice in nine minutes without him to draw the game. He then played the full 90 at Bayern in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday, helping his team to an impressive 2-1 win.

Up next Bastoni and Inter will look to extend their three-point lead in Serie A when they entertain 15th-placed Cagliari on Saturday before the rematch with Bayern, also at San Siro, on Wednesday.

8) Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona and Poland)

Why’s he in the top 10? After facing questions over his Barcelona future at the end of last season, the 36-year-old Lewandowski has spearheaded their treble charge in this one. He is the only player in Europe’s top five leagues to get to 40 goals across all competitions and has a barely believable 123 times in 116 matches under Hansi Flick over three seasons with Bayern and now Barca.

This week Lewandowski, like his attacking partners, struggled in that 1-1 draw with Betis but came to the fore in midweek against Dortmund, another of his former clubs. He scored with a close-range header to make it 2-0, then powered home Barcelona’s third as they put one foot and a couple of toes in the Champions League semi-finals.

Up next Leganes are one of just three teams Lewandowski has faced in La Liga without scoring (although in his defence, he’s only played against them once), a record he will want to change on Saturday. A rest could do him good too, though, if Flick decides he wants him fresh for the trip to Dortmund.

Lewandowski is one of three Barcelona forwards in our top 10 currently (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)

9) Pedri (Barcelona and Spain)

Why’s he in the top 10? The front three understandably take the headlines but most of Barcelona’s good play stems from Pedri, their midfield engine. His first fully-fit season since 2019-20 has delivered one good performance after the other for Barca and Spain with excellent passes, non-stop running, defensive interventions — and the occasional goal, too.

This week Pedri was another restricted by Betis’ system but found more joy against Dortmund’s inexperienced midfield.

Up next Unlike his attacking team-mates, who might get a rest, you are almost guaranteed to see Pedri start against both Leganes and Dortmund.

10) Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid and England)

Why’s he in the top 10? Bellingham has struggled with inconsistency compared to his 2023-24 debut season with Madrid but still has 11 goals and 10 assists from midfield in 36 matches across La Liga and the Champions League. Madrid have struggled with their balance and their attack’s best moments have come when Bellingham has pulled the strings and made his signature late runs into the box.

This week Bellingham assisted Vinicius Jr’s equaliser against Valencia, and created two great openings in the first half against Arsenal before fading after the break.

Up next Alaves have been one of Bellingham’s favourite opponents — he has a goal and three assists from his three matches against them — but Madrid need him at his absolute best for the Arsenal game in midweek as they aim to conjure another Bernabeu miracle.

(Photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)

Follow live coverage of the final round of the 2025 Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters will never be cheugy.

It may be a crime of fashion to be overdone, outdated or, gasp, dressed in millenial-core for 51 weeks a year. But for this week, at Augusta National Golf Club during the Masters, the patrons come dressed for the scene they find when they step on property, and there’s something about the place that makes it all work.

The open space between the clubhouse, the first tee and the practice green at Augusta National is like the Shibuya Crossing of golf. Spectators shuffle in every which direction, creating a dizzying blur of rye green, seersucker and straw hats. The Green Jackets gather under the canopy of the legendary oak tree, schmoozing with VIP guests, while groups of done-up women meander about, greeting each other and dishing out compliments on floral dresses from the latest spring collections: “Oh I love that! Where’s it from?” Meanwhile, the golf bros walk with purpose to find their next vantage point, as spikeless golf shoes and big box brand dry-fit polos do exactly what they are supposed to do: perform.

From the old to the young, to the PGA Tour superfan and the clueless significant other, the patrons at Augusta National all have one thing in common when it comes to their varying fashion choices: They’re trying to say something.

The spectators at the Masters take full advantage of the opportunity to be, well, extra.

For the men, this effort manifests in a competition as old as time. The Country Club Logo Olympics begin at 7:00 a.m. Monday, when the patron gates open for the week’s first practice round. At the Masters, the idea of “quiet luxury” is not just a Hermés bag or a pair of Chanel ballet flats, but also needlepoint whales and acorns stitched onto canvas golf hats.

It’s impossible for a few not to catch your eye: Pine Valley on a navy polo, Seminole Golf Club on a cashmere pullover. Spot the ultra-private Ohoopee Match Club onion? Or the lesser-known but mighty crest for one of Scotland’s finest, North Berwick Golf Club? It might spark a conversation. That’s exactly what they want.

“You see these logos and you’re like, he definitely knows a member. But you’re not sure if he is a member. But if he is a member, I need him to be my friend,” says Stephen Malbon, founder of Malbon Golf, a lifestyle brand that has partnered with PGA Tour pro Jason Day to stretch player fashion past slim-fit golf pants and shades of blue.

That’s the least of it. Turn to the left or right anywhere on property and it won’t take long to find the GOAT: The Augusta National Golf Club logo. It is not to be confused with the Masters logo. These are very different things.

There’s already an exclusivity to the idea of purchasing Masters merchandise because it is only sold on site. When you get there, there are about 19 other elevations beyond what you can take home from the massive merchandise building, which contains 64 check out registers and 385 mannequins and sells everything from $400 cashmere hoodies to scented candles and gnomes. Now Augusta National has Berckmans Place and Map & Flag, two brand new and hot-ticketed hospitality venues that also sell their own apparel. The holy grail is, of course, the club’s intimate pro shop. That’s the only place one can purchase an item that is simply adorned with the coveted “ANGC.” Yes, those four letters make the difference.

“There are people flexing their Berckmans merch. And that’s different from the main merch. And the pro shop merch is different from that merch,” says Malbon. “There’s levels to it. People are showing their social or economic status by wearing this stuff.”

For the women of Augusta National, there’s an understanding that you dress for the female gaze. Admit it or don’t, you’re scrolling Pinterest and TikTok in the months leading up the tournament to find outfit inspiration for your Masters outfit, which, if you’re attending Thursday-Sunday, will not be seen on an Instagram feed (unless you film an “outfit check” in the parking lot.) Cell phones are prohibited from the Augusta National grounds and cameras are only allowed on practice round days. You dress to impress, though, even if the internet may not see it.

“The key to fashion at the Masters is not necessarily clothes that you’d wear to play golf. Those outfits are great for other golf tournaments. For me, the Masters is more like the Kentucky Derby of golf, minus the hat and definitely minus the heels,” says Golf Channel’s Kira K. Dixon. “If you wear a hat, it should just be a really good wide-brim hat because sun protection is key.”

“Wear something really cute that you wouldn’t normally wear, blow it out of the water. Wear the wide leg pants, wear the fun blazer, wear the fun print. This is Augusta National. Do it.”

A pop of green is the first aesthetic necessity for women at the Masters, but there are always ways to go above and beyond.

Annie Shoulders and Kylie Shemanksi stood on the ropeline of the fifth fairway at Augusta National, waiting for Jordan Spieth’s Thursday pairing to find the short grass. Shemanski’s name was stitched onto the back of her white sweater in green letters in the style of the traditional Masters caddie bibs — a creative touch. But then Shoulders turned around for the grand reveal.

She had painted her square-shaped crossbody purse by hand to look like a pimento cheese sandwich.

“I knew I was going to do this for about a month,” said Shoulders, an engineer from Little Rock, Ark., attending her second Masters. “I also made sweaters for (Shemanski’s) daughters.”

(Michael Madrid / USA Today Sports)

There’s a decadence to the women at Augusta National. Round, flat-brim straw hats and monochrome matching sets have been two popular trends in 2025. Color combinations of Masters green — also known as Pantone 342 — and Butter Yellow, the season’s hottest spring shade, have been plentiful. Adidas Sambas are the tournament’s most popular shoe, with New Balance 327s coming in as a close second. Dixon, who has received hundreds of direct messages from Masters ticket-holders asking for outfit advice, coined a term to describe the style: “Augustacore.”

The local boutiques in Augusta make it their mission to capitalize on Masters week. The Swank Company prepares inventory with the proper color schemes and accessories for patrons in need of a last-minute shopping trip. The Peppy Poppy says that Masters season is their second-most profitable time of the year, behind only Christmas.

“Masters style is always going to be the same: Something green and something stylish and comfortable to walk around in,” says Dawne Byrd, owner of the Peppy Poppy.

The fashion circus at the Masters feels like it could get old really fast, but somehow, it just never does. There’s a sense of, if you’re at Augusta National, why wouldn’t you go all out?

“When I told my sister that we were going to the Masters, her first question was ‘What are we going to wear?” says Kiara Dowdell, who was wearing a matching cardigan with her sister, Alexis Vega.

(Peter Casey / USA Today)

The players and their sponsors participate in the frenzy too, with pre-planned weekly scripting and outfit choices that they wouldn’t make at any other golf tournament. For example: Cam Smith wore a four-way stretch blazer during Wednesday’s practice round. It was the result of a drunken conversation with the man who makes said blazer.

The tournament participants are focused on the task at hand, but they’re also aware of what’s going on around them.

“When you’re walking the golf course, everyone looks like they’re having a good time. Everyone is dressed up really nice,” Day, who is known for pushing the boundaries with his on-course attire, says. “It’s kind of like a horse racing event when everyone comes out and they’re wearing some really nice clothes. They just do it right here at Augusta.”

The Masters is not just a golf tournament. It is different. So naturally, the patrons, in all sorts of ridiculous ways, are going to treat it like a one-of-a-kind opportunity. And that allure will never go out of style.

(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Andrew Redington, Richard Heathcote / Getty Images; Rob Schumacher, Kyle Terada / USA Today Sports)

In the end, the news that Mohamed Salah will remain at Liverpool was delivered with a humorous tagline.

“More in than out,” read the message across the club’s social media pages at 8am on Friday, around 36 hours after reports in the forward’s homeland of Egypt first suggested he had agreed to extend his eight-year stay at Anfield.

It was a play on words, nodding to Salah’s comments in November when his future on Merseyside felt far more tenuous. The fact that he felt “more out than in” after scoring two crucial goals in a 3-2 come-from-behind win at Southampton that day was confirmation that the process of his contract negotiations has not exactly been smooth. Though Liverpool always felt confident a successful resolution would be reached, that scenario was not inevitable.

He’s staying. pic.twitter.com/AnhqQjUg7g

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 11, 2025

Now, however, the deal is done.

Salah has signed a two-year extension, with no breaks or release clauses, on terms very similar to the ones that almost certainly made him the second-highest-paid player in the Premier League behind Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. While his previous contract included a basic weekly salary of £350,000 ($480,000), when bonuses and performance-related incentives were taken into account, Salah’s package was worth far more. Including external commercial endorsements, some of which also had performance-related clauses, he earned up to £1million per week.

This new contract’s lucrative nature reflects Salah’s status and his ongoing excellence, even though he’ll turn 33 in June. After scoring 243 goals in 394 games, he is set to complete a decade’s service at Anfield.

Discussions on this latest deal have been a drawn-out process, rather than there being any breakthrough ‘moment’, and have taken nearly a year. The path has not been straightforward.

The Athletic has talked to figures with intimate knowledge of those negotiations, who spoke to us on condition of anonymity to protect relationships, to understand why they took so long, how both parties approached them and what ultimately clinched an agreement.

Ramy Abbas, the Colombian lawyer who is Salah’s long-time representative, does not like discussing sensitive matters on his phone. For him, it is convenient that services such as WhatsApp are banned from receiving or making calls in the United Arab Emirates, where he lives.

Though messages are permitted, hundreds of them are usually left unread on his accounts, many from potential commercial partners looking to work with his most famous client. A note on his WhatsApp profile warns: “Voice notes ignored. If you’re late, I will leave.”

Abbas is transactional, he likes efficiency and he prefers to meet in person.

When Liverpool signed Salah in the summer of 2017, their sporting director at the time, Michael Edwards, and chief scout Dave Fallows flew to Dubai out of respect for Abbas. They wanted to show him how keen they were to sign Salah from Roma.

Having arrived in the evening when it was already dark, they headed home to England a few hours later without ever taking their jumpers off. On that return journey, the pair joked they must be the only visitors to leave the Gulf resort without experiencing any sun on their backs.

… pic.twitter.com/MeMKwl6op7

— Ramy Abbas Issa (@RamyCol) July 1, 2022

That negotiation was relatively straightforward due to Salah’s enthusiasm for a return to the Premier League, where he felt he had much to prove having barely played during a previous spell with Chelsea.

When Liverpool’s new sporting director, Richard Hughes, picked up the phone to introduce himself to Abbas in July last year, however, there was much work to do.

Hughes had inherited significant challenges at Liverpool, starting with the recruitment of a manager/head coach to succeed Jurgen Klopp, who stepped down at the end of last season after almost nine years. Following the hiring of Feyenoord coach Arne Slot to fill that vacancy, Hughes moved on to player retention: as with Salah, there was only 11 months left on the contracts of the team’s captain, Virgil van Dijk, and his deputy, Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Liverpudlian local hero.

Alexander-Arnold’s case was different to the others in that he was in his mid-twenties, and had active interest from Real Madrid. Salah and Van Dijk were in their early thirties, and while still performing at an elite level, Liverpool were conscious that their previous contracts had been agreed when both were at the peak of their powers.

The mantra from Liverpool and the club’s owners at Fenway Sports Group (FSG) was the need to ignore the question of, ‘What looks like the right decision today?’, and rather frame it as, ‘What will look like the right decision in future?’.

That first conversation between Hughes and Abbas was brief and casual, with the sporting director promising that he would be in touch again soon to discuss Salah’s future. Like Edwards and Fallows had years earlier, Hughes would subsequently travel to Dubai to see Abbas, going twice before the end of 2024.

The first meeting, in late September, was held in the bar of one of the city’s quieter restaurants but the discussion was again short and informal until Hughes asked Abbas whether Salah wanted to stay at Liverpool. Abbas told him that he did, but the sporting director flew back to the UK with Abbas concerned the club might not be willing to maintain his client’s level of remuneration.

Abbas was impressed by Hughes but was left asking himself whether Liverpool valued Salah quite as much as they used to. He wondered whether the lack of commitment represented a hostile act.

As far as Salah was concerned, he was operating at the same level as the best players on the planet and showing no signs of slowing up, despite a disappointing end to last season after sustaining a hamstring injury at the Africa Cup of Nations in January 2024. The goals and assists were flowing.

Salah and Abbas understood the player’s salary would be in line with what he might achieve in the future but they wanted to sustain his position as one of world football’s best-paid players.

Liverpool, for their part, maintain that a pay cut was never on the agenda and that they always wanted to keep Salah. They had no issue with Salah pushing for the best possible terms and FSG had, after all, sanctioned lucrative deals for players — including Salah — worth the investment. They were also conscious of the need to try to find common ground with Abbas before tabling a formal offer.

There was also an acknowledgement, however, that any deal could not run counter to FSG’s sustainable financial model and had to be in the best interests of the club. For Liverpool’s owners, this principle could not be sacrificed, regardless of how valuable Salah was to the team’s chances of on-pitch success.

Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Salah thought the best years of his career were still to come.

Until Manchester City’s Rodri won it at age 28 last year, Ballon d’Or winners over the previous decade had all been in their early to mid-thirties and he wasn’t turning 33 until June 2025. Salah believed that his goals fuelling a successful Liverpool side would allow him to follow legends such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema in winning that award, recognising the best footballer of the previous 12 months.

Hughes had travelled to that first meeting alone but Abbas wondered about Edwards’ involvement behind the scenes. Though he now officially worked for FSG, rather than the club, it was ultimately his responsibility to manage the budgets in the organisation’s football interests. Liverpool were not in financial distress. Though the club was expected to post a loss before tax for the 2023-24 season, it remained well within the limits for profit and sustainability rules (PSR) for the following campaign.

When Salah last renewed with Liverpool in July 2022, a deal that made him the highest-paid player in the club’s history, the contract was brokered and signed off by FSG president Mike Gordon. Julian Ward had succeeded Edwards as Liverpool’s sporting director but the meatier conversations were between Gordon and Abbas. That negotiation was a slog and Abbas and Salah both felt that the player’s future lay elsewhere just three weeks before an agreement was reached.

Abbas was unsure whether a resolution would have been found had Edwards led that process. He had brokered a complex package that was realistically achievable but, on a basic level, more lucrative than the figure suggested publicly. He was proud of the deal, realising that the club and their owners had extended themselves as far as they could to keep Salah, and even allowed the prestigious Harvard Business School in the United States to turn it into a case study.

Mohamed Salah signs his previous contract in 2022, along with Ramy Abbas (facing away from camera), and club officials Jonathan Bamber and Julian Ward (Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

The revelation that FSG had authorised a record-breaking deal to keep Liverpool’s star man meant it was more difficult for any of its critics to accuse it of being tight with money but it also suited the owners to keep the figures lower. If it was known that Salah was earning considerably more than some of his team-mates, there was a danger that Liverpool’s pay structure would spiral out of control.

FSG brought Edwards back into the organisation in March last year to try to re-establish a chain of command that existed at Liverpool before it became a manager-led operation under Klopp. The owners knew how ruthless Edwards could be. Yet beyond him and Hughes, Abbas could not shake the feeling that Gordon would also still be involved when it came to the final figures, if the negotiations ever got to that stage. FSG’s money was ultimately Gordon’s, and he would be the one signing off any deal.

In a second Dubai meeting between Abbas and Hughes in October, the conversation didn’t move on very far, with the lawyer concluding the discussion was light on meaningful content. It was his view that negotiations had not even really started. Abbas’ policy had always been to let the club make the first move, allowing him to see clearly how highly they valued his client. The lack of pace or urgency worried him.

Towards the end of November, Abbas did not know how much Liverpool were willing to pay Salah or how long they wanted him to stay. Though he was told there was an offer in the making, nothing happened. He was confident Liverpool would deliver on their promise eventually, but was increasingly beginning to think it would only be done to save face, allowing the club to claim they had tried to keep Salah — even though they knew the offer made to him would be rejected.

This explains why, on November 24, after he’d scored twice in the second half to inspire that win at Southampton, the player decided to speak to journalists about his future, telling them he was disappointed not to have received a new contract offer, before making his “more out than in” comments regarding the 2025-26 season.

Nothing that Salah says publicly is done without consideration. He is rarely impulsive and little is improvised. Initially, he planned to tell UK broadcaster Sky Sports about his frustrations but in the immediate post-match interview, he was not asked about his future. Outside the stadium, as he boarded the team bus, he asked print journalists whether they were willing to ask the difficult questions.

It was unusual to hear a player as private as Salah speak so openly. Yet on this occasion, he felt as though he was able to attack the situation because Abbas only represents him. Neither the player nor the lawyer had team-mates or other clients to think of at Liverpool.

Salah would subsequently receive criticism, notably from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, for speaking out. A comparison was drawn with Van Dijk, but Abbas had been told that the Dutchman had already received a contract offer while his client had not. Therefore, Salah had more of a reason to go public about his concerns.

Hughes had taken the view early on in the process that he had no desire to put anything relating to the contract talks in the public domain, reasoning that doing so would only cause issues for Salah (who he wanted to focus simply on scoring goals and winning games), new coach Slot or the team as a whole.

This often meant the club being subjected to ferocious criticism, particularly on social media, for seemingly allowing talks to drift and uncertainty to foment. A fan’s banner also appeared on the Kop during a match at Anfield, nodding to Salah’s ‘bow and arrow’ goal celebration, urging FSG: “He fires a bow, now give Mo his dough!”

Yet, for Hughes, it was deemed a price worth paying, even after the Southampton game when the temptation to become drawn into a public debate may have been acute. Following that banner’s advice would have been the antithesis of FSG’s principles.

A banner on the Kop encouraging FSG to finalise Salah’s new contract (Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Abbas was open-minded about the length of any new contract, despite some claims the issue was causing a dispute. If the offer was right, Salah was willing to extend his stay at Liverpool by only one year. Yet as November turned into December, both parties were not even at the numbers stage.

It was certainly in Liverpool’s interest to ensure Salah’s deal was the last one signed among the three players approaching free agency. If he were the first and his salary remained high, the representative of every other player at the club would have a figure to work from during their own contract negotiations. It was Abbas’ view that Salah was the star player and, just as Andriy Shevchenko (a striker) had earned more money than Paolo Maldini (a defender) at Milan decades earlier, so Salah deserved the more lucrative package.

With the focus swinging from Liverpool’s table-topping surge in the Premier League to Salah’s future after his words with reporters in Southampton, champions Manchester City were the team’s next opponents at Anfield the following Sunday — December 1. Earlier in the week, Abbas had flown into London’s Heathrow Airport, taking a meeting with a sponsor in Manchester before a night back in London, where he ate at one of his favourite Japanese restaurants. He travelled north again by train, arriving in Liverpool a few hours before kick-off and heading into a hospitality suite at the stadium without anyone from the media noticing him.

Though Hughes had contacted him about Salah’s comments the previous weekend, there was no summit with the sporting director. After watching the match, which Liverpool won 2-0, with Salah scoring the late clincher, Abbas flew back the next morning to Dubai via Manchester, no closer to knowing where his client’s future lay.

Abbas had earmarked the start of February as a cut-off point for any decision. That would leave a reasonable amount of time to try to find a resolution with Liverpool, or failing that, reach an agreement somewhere else.

Foreign clubs could not officially talk to Salah until January. Abbas was planning to spend the first month of 2025 broadening his client’s options but he knew that Salah’s priority was to re-sign with Liverpool. He was enjoying playing under Slot, and admired the head coach’s sense of superiority — he did not seem to mind embracing the expectations that fall upon the club.

Previously, Klopp liked to cast himself as the underdog but Slot was the opposite: Liverpool were a global superpower who should be winning trophies. Salah respected that attitude. Whereas Klopp had regularly complained about the demanding fixture schedule, Slot seemed to relish it. There were no excuses — it was all on the manager, the staff and the players to find solutions.

By Christmas, Liverpool were leading the Premier League by four points and also top of the reformatted Champions League table. Salah was convinced this was his and the club’s season of opportunity. Abbas, by comparison, believed success did not always lead to good sporting or business decisions. Win the league and it would be a much easier argument for Liverpool to then let Salah go, as the fan pressure might not be as significant.

This potentially left a curious dynamic: could it be true that the better Salah and Liverpool did, the weaker his chances of staying at Anfield beyond the summer of 2025 became? Salah wanted to play at the highest level for as long as possible. If Liverpool ended up winning the Premier League and Champions League, then anywhere else at that point was down as far as he was concerned.

At the turn of the year, this made the Saudi Pro League a low-probability destination. Though it was a league with mind-boggling resources, Saudi Arabia was also a developing country in football terms. Salah also loved living in England, where his family privacy was respected — he has a wife and two daughters who are well settled in the county of Cheshire, just south of Liverpool — and he could focus on his career. Would that be the same if he returned to the Middle East?

In the long-term, Abbas was interested in the United States but Major League Soccer did not make any approaches. While there was press speculation that Paris Saint-Germain were another option, in early January, the French club’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi denied he was targeting the player.

By mid-January, the player’s sponsors were getting twitchy, keen to know where Salah’s future lay. Abbas did the maths about what a move to France would mean — Salah’s endorsements would take a serious hit because Ligue 1 does not have the same global visibility as the Premier League. This contributed to Abbas being more inclined towards a longer stay in England, preferably with Liverpool. Salah would not trash his legacy by joining a rival, which ruled out both Manchester City and neighbours United.

There was some intrigue about Chelsea, where he’d played for just over a year across 2014 and early 2015 and was considered a failure as he was first loaned to Fiorentina and fellow Italians Roma, then sold to the latter in August 2016. Salah felt as though he still had something to prove at Stamford Bridge, yet any deal to go back was reliant on Chelsea abandoning a transfer strategy that focuses on signing young players. Any move to another English club was also made more complicated by the fact none of them were legally allowed to negotiate with Salah until May.

Salah feels he has unfinished business with Chelsea (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

By the end of January, Salah had told his family that there was a chance they would have to uproot from their Cheshire home. For Abbas, there were now two clear options: stay at Liverpool, or, somewhat reluctantly, agree a deal with the only alternative that could satisfy his financial expectations.

That meant one of the Saudi Arabian clubs, most likely reigning champions Al Hilal in the capital, Riyadh, who had wanted him for their Club World Cup campaign this summer. Though Abbas had held talks with other clubs owned by the state Public Investment Fund (PIF), he was increasingly beginning to think that the interest in his client was a charm offensive by the country’s football powers to show how highly Salah was valued.

Abbas did not have an offer in writing but the numbers the Saudis were talking about would remove any concerns about sponsors and how they would react. His contacts in Saudi Arabia told him that if Salah wanted to move there, then an offer would come, though Abbas was mindful of what might happen if it became clear first that a new deal was not happening at Liverpool. Potentially, this would leave Salah exposed and suddenly he would be in a buyers’ market.

Of more significance, however, was what was happening closer to home.

By early December, Liverpool had finally made Salah an offer. Abbas’ fears were allayed and he considered it something to work from. He was happier now with the way things were going because of the regularity of the contact with the club.

Liverpool seemed more serious but Haaland’s nine-year contract at City, announced in the middle of January, had the potential to complicate things. What was he earning? Abbas understood that any deal for Salah would be much shorter but if Haaland was setting the rate for forwards, given Salah was outscoring him and playing for a team higher up the table, his wage ought to be competitive with what City were paying the Norwegian.

By now, speculation was reaching fever pitch, something Abbas found faintly amusing.

When it was suggested by local media on Merseyside at the end of January that he was flying in for talks, Abbas posted a picture on Instagram of the view from his home in Dubai.

Halfway across the world, Salah continued to hit landmarks: after scoring his 50th European goal for Liverpool on January 21 in a Champions League game against Lille, Slot spoke about his “elite mindset”. Back in Dubai, Abbas had dinner with his wife before watching that game at their apartment. Despite making progress, he and Liverpool remained some distance away from an agreement.

After January, however, Salah did his best to divert questions about his future.

In an interview with Sky, he insisted he did not know which club he was going to be playing for after this season, suggesting that if these were his final months at Liverpool, he did not want his memories of the period attached to any wrangling related to an impending exit. Instead, the focus would be on his and the club’s attempts to bring more trophies to Anfield.

The change of tactics was also a reflection of momentum shifting, with progress being made between Hughes and Abbas. On Valentine’s Day, Abbas was in a somewhat combative mood, posting on Instagram about too many social media users craving “attention and validation” from people they’ve never met, before switching to X, where he was rather more complimentary about Liverpool’s head coach, who he said was “excellent at his job” after taking the team seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Slot, meanwhile, was making it clear in interviews that he wanted Salah to stay, and the determination of the player to continue with Liverpool reflected the respect the Dutchman had gained during his debut season.

Arne Slot has struck up a good relationship with Salah (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Outside the club, many were baffled why all this was taking so long. Internally, Liverpool were relaxed about leaving any decision about Salah as late as possible.

They knew the retention of Salah would allow Liverpool to continue as the “destination club” they had become under Klopp, but they considered it smart practice to wait, as the team had settled into a rhythm, and this time gave Hughes and other club officials more of an opportunity to be sure the player was capable of maintaining his performances at age 33 and beyond.

The deal, when it was announced just before 8am on Friday UK time, involved images of Salah sitting on a throne beneath the Anfield floodlights at night. They had been taken the previous evening, when it was easier to get him in and out of the stadium without being seen.

For Liverpool, the announcement was a vindication of the work Hughes and Edwards have done behind the scenes, and of the impression made by Slot since his arrival last summer. The club feel the same will be true of Van Dijk, whose own two-year contract extension is also nearing confirmation.

Salah’s team-mates had long expected him to commit his future to Liverpool, not just because of his contribution this season, but because of the relationship he has struck up with Slot and how positive he has been about the head coach helping to elevate his game over course of this season. They have also been struck by how Salah has embraced the responsibility that comes with being part of the club’s leadership group and the support he gives to the younger players as a role model.

When the video was released on Friday morning, Abbas was back in Dubai. In some ways, dealing with him had been simple because only he acts on Salah’s behalf, and Salah is a footballer who does not have an entourage interfering in his affairs, unlike other players of his stature.

Abbas has no emotional connection as to where Salah plays his football — for him, it is simply a case of getting the best deal for his client, and he knows Liverpool are good for business.

But Salah was desperate to stay, as were his family. In the video released by LFCTV, he spoke about how his daughter Makkah was “the happiest one in the family” when he told the family he was staying because she didn’t want to move away from her school and friends.

Despite some difficulties, the dialogue between Abbas and Hughes was respectful, helping them extend a relationship that, until this point, has worked out handsomely for everyone.

Additional reporting: James Pearce

(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)

If a player hits a running trick shot to save a break point, but later gets broken off three unforced errors and a double fault, is it good tennis? For Carlos Alcaraz, definitely.

He delivered a signal example of the tension running through his documentary series, ‘My Way,’ just as Netflix released its trailer. While Alcaraz was oscillating between the sublime and the absurd on court against Daniel Altmaier at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco, the streaming company put out a snapshot of the series on YouTube.

It asks some fundamental questions of tennis: how much should it require of its stars? How much sacrifice should greatness take? And is there a route to greatness that does not demand everything of the player who seeks it?

Against Altmaier, Alcaraz found himself down 30-40 in his first service game of their match. The German feathered a drop shot just over the net, dragging Alcaraz forward…

He responded with a sharp, cross-court angle…

… but Altmaier read the shot and moved across the court, to send the ball deep down the line on the other side.

Alcaraz, running diagonally to his left, would have to hit a shot through his legs. The easier option was to send the ball back cross-court. Altmaier duly moved to cover that shot; Alcaraz, perhaps obviously, did not hit it.

Instead, he levered the ball down the line, sending Altmaier scrambling to his backhand corner. The German managed to hook the ball back into play, but Alcaraz was waiting to crush a backhand flat into the same corner, which Altmaier could only send into the net.

It was an example of the divine inspiration and at times otherworldly skill — and joy — that Alcaraz brings to the court, and which has carried him to the upper echelons of tennis.

“It’s beautiful to play points like that,” Alcaraz said later, watching the shot back. “I’m trying to put on a show, trying to entertain the people. A point like that… Just to reflect, how my matches are going to be.”

The rest of the match was not so much like that.

Having saved that break point, Alcaraz missed a routine first groundstroke behind his serve. He saved four more break points in the game and held his serve for 1-1. He then broke Altmaier to lead 3-2, before hitting three unforced errors and a double fault to get broken straight back in the next game.

That was the pattern of the first set, oscillating between brilliant points and routine mistakes, before Alcaraz broke again at 5-3 to take it, 6-3.

The second set was more routine, with the Spaniard ultimately triumphing 6-3, 6-1 to set up a quarterfinal against No. 12 seed Arthur Fils.

“I want to do it my way,” Alcaraz says, in the series trailer, of his goal to be the best player in the world. That ambition is intercut with opinions from Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who both did it their way.

“To accomplish what Novak (Djokovic), Roger or myself have done,” Nadal says, “you need to feel that the sacrifices are worth it and that they pay off.”

With 66 Grand Slam titles between the three greatest men’s players of all time, there is little argument that they paid off in achievement. What Alcaraz appears to ask is whether or not they pay off in other ways.

Alcaraz, 21, already has four Grand Slam titles. He is the youngest man to win a major on all three surfaces, and still has two more opportunities — at the 2026 and 2027 Australian Opens — to become the youngest man to win all four majors.

If he wins the title in Monaco, he will reassume the No. 2 spot in the men’s rankings, behind only his closest rival and the player with whom he shares the mantle of the best in the world: Jannik Sinner.

His style of play is so singular that both his wins and his losses can appear as if from another world.

When he loses, whether a set or a whole match, he tends to lose badly. The creativity looks like naivety and the shotmaking looks like waste — and it tends to happen against lesser-ranked players. He has 16 defeats and one retirement due to injury since the start of 2024, but only six of those defeats came against top-10 players. Two of those six came in one tournament, the 2024 ATP Tour Finals, during which he was struggling with illness. The average ranking of his opponents in the other 10 losses is 32.

He is making adjustments, mentally and technically, most notably to his serve and his backhand. He has changed the motion on the former and the racket take-back on the latter, which means mistakes sometimes flow like water but also reveals a dedication to on-the-fly improvement, one of the hardest things to do given tennis’ demanding schedule.

Alcaraz describes the challenges of that schedule in the trailer, emphasizing that he wants to be able to spend time at home, to see his family. If he also wants to dominate the sport as Djokovic, Nadal and Federer did, that time will be limited.

As the retired Nadal and Federer hint at in their roles as Netflix talking heads, it’s only possible to find out if all that was worth it in the end.

On the way, there will be tweeners.

There will be errors too.

(Top photo: Valery Hache / AFP via Getty Images)

It was a small moment in the Toronto Maple Leafs season, a late-January footnote that most of the NHL hardly noticed.

But when the team captain remarked how he was disappointed in the home crowd for showing so little enthusiasm for an early-game fight, it set off plenty of commentary in the center of the hockey universe about the Leafs fan base.

Or, to be more specific, the lack of one in the seats.

“I would’ve liked a little more energy from the crowd after that (fight),” Auston Matthews said following a 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, during which the Leafs’ Ryan Reaves dropped the gloves with Mathieu Olivier in the first period. “I thought it was a little quiet tonight, especially after two guys like that go at it.”

“He’s just admitting what everybody knows,” TSN commentator Bryan Hayes later added. “That building on a Wednesday night in January is never loud.”

Criticism of the crowds at Scotiabank Arena is not new in Toronto, where ticket prices have long outpaced the average fan’s means.

The tepid game atmosphere was raised by many of the hundreds of Leafs faithful who responded to our ownership survey last month. It was heavily featured again when we interviewed season-ticket holders about eye-opening price increases for next year’s packages.

Part of the issue in Toronto has to do with the nature of sports attendance in general over the past 20 years. More and more tickets are bought by companies as corporate perks, to the point that sitting in the lower bowl often doubles as attending a business meeting in major markets such as Toronto, New York and Vancouver.

Swanky suites and expensive lounges near the best viewing areas help woo clientele, who then help inflate revenue beyond what anyone could have imagined in earlier eras.

And yet, even with this growing trend across all sports, many organizations have started sinking millions of dollars into improving the atmosphere in their respective arenas. What’s become known as the “event presentation industry” has grown dramatically in that span. The impact has become particularly noticeable over the last decade or so in hockey, as newer markets have pushed the envelope of what’s possible at an NHL game.

According to some in the event presentation industry, the Nashville Predators may have started it all when they erected a band stage above the Zamboni entrance at Bridgestone Arena, embracing their Music City reputation with live performances integrated into the gameday experience. Plenty of other teams have followed suit, between the Tampa Bay Lightning’s outdoor areas and Tesla coil; the Seattle Kraken’s flying fish; and how the Vegas Golden Knights have … well, there’s a lot going on at T-Mobile Arena.

The result? When you travel to non-traditional markets these days, it’s jarring how much better the arena environment can be compared to some of the most venerated hockey cities on Earth.

It’s a contrast that made me wonder about the science behind working the crowd — and whether, perhaps, the NHL’s old guard can learn something from the new.

When Las Vegas landed an NHL expansion franchise in 2016, the soon-to-be Golden Knights heavily invested in the in-game experience. But they didn’t simply airlift in “hockey people” for the roles.

President Kerry Bubolz, who came by way of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, instead hired two staffers from the WWE to build out their presentation team: Jonny Greco, who became the Golden Knights’ vice president and chief experience officer, and Andrew Abrams, who specialized in video production at the arena level.

Greco and Abrams had worked in the NHL before — Greco with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Abrams with the St. Louis Blues — but their assignment for the Golden Knights was significantly different. In Vegas, they were tasked with combining what they had learned in both hockey and wrestling; applying the lessons to a unique market; and establishing a new brand that would stand out in an old league.

“Everybody thought we’d just have, like, strippers everywhere,” Greco added. “You know, ‘Vegas — that’s what they’re gonna do!’ And it was like, well, hold on, there needs to be more thought to it than that. … Let’s honor the game and honor the traditions, but let’s also play in the sandbox a little bit. Let’s innovate.”

In the beginning, Abrams and Greco didn’t know if they had a winning product to work with, given the sorry state of most expansion rosters. Instead, the Golden Knights went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final in their first season of existence.

“The show was our No. 1 priority,” said Abrams, now the Golden Knights’ vice president and executive producer. “We had to make it good because if the team wasn’t good, we still needed people to come and have a good time, pay for the ticket and generate the revenue. Luckily for us, the team has been good.”

The Golden Knights’ initial version of innovation included deploying an actor dressed as a medieval knight to give rousing pregame speeches on the ice while carrying out a plot of a looming battle against an opponent. The team has since added more layers to its game experience, including a group of drummers who can fire up the crowd even while play is going; a “Knight Club” experience with DJs and special celebratory bottle service at the second intermission; and, as of last season, a 34-foot-wide, smoke-emitting dragon at one end of the rink.

Abrams explained that the Golden Knights have taken a lot of inspiration from theme parks, especially when it comes to the scale of some of their designs (see: dragon). And that they try to switch things up, so even season-ticket holders don’t know what they’re going to see any given night.

Even on a Wednesday in January, NHL games in Vegas are never boring.

The approach has won the Golden Knights a boatload of recognition, including the best overall production award at the 2023 IDEA conference, an Emmy Award for their Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony that same year, and honors as the NHL’s top team for game presentation three times in the past four seasons.

Yes, some of the success is because it’s all happening in Las Vegas. But other teams around the league have taken notice, too. And not just in the Sun Belt. The Edmonton Oilers, for example, installed an area for a band — the Oilers Drum and Brass Crew — that fires up the Rogers Place crowd during games, a new twist for a Canadian market.

The push to innovate the fan experience has been so pronounced that Greco has branched out to start his own company, Shine Entertainment. He now travels the globe helping sports franchises push their crowd work to the next level, bringing some of that Golden Knights touch and encouraging teams to channel that “potential energy” into something fun and authentic for everyone in the building to experience. In one presentation that he regularly delivers, on the “ingredients of a goal moment,” Greco details the appropriate music, animation, lighting, scoreboard visuals and timing for every time a goal is scored.

More and more franchises, Greco said, are rewarding game presentation staff with executive titles and “a seat at the table,” having recognized how important the role is in building momentum with ticket holders.

“People are really realizing the power of the engagement — what I call scoreboard-proof programming,” said Greco, who before launching Shine, also worked as a senior vice president for both the Madison Square Garden Company, which owns the New York Knicks and Rangers, and the Seattle Kraken. “To be able to connect differently, to be able to have the conversations with hockey ops, but also the brand people, and then try to create something that plays and hits all the feels right, that creates home-ice advantage.”

But Greco acknowledged that the challenges for established, traditional franchises can be more pronounced than for those starting anew in, say, Vegas or Seattle.

“It’s way, way harder,” he said. “Some teams do have leaders that are very micromanaging of your show and can’t tell you why they don’t like something. But it’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t like that, don’t do that anymore,’ without maybe a rhyme or reason.”

As interesting — and successful — as the in-arena efforts of newer teams such as the Golden Knights and Kraken have been, some of it will likely never happen in more established NHL markets.

In Toronto, the Leafs have invested in advanced video projection technology, and there’s an impressive display on the ice at Scotiabank Arena before games. But they are not about to put the equivalent of a giant dragon in the corner of their rink.

One idea Greco believes could work to boost the energy level in traditional markets: soccer-like supporters’ sections. It’s already added a new wrinkle to Los Angeles Clippers games this season with “The Wall,” and it’s been tested in NHL arenas to a limited extent over the years in Nashville and Vancouver.

For the Canucks, the group is known as The Larscheiders, and starting in 2016, they worked with the team to purchase large sections of nosebleed seats to seven or eight games a season.

This Larscheiders’ section in the lower bowl is so cool. Never really seen this kind of electric, soccer-like atmosphere at a #Canucks game before pic.twitter.com/xDbLj93Xur

— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) April 20, 2022

The Larscheiders have a 10-point code of conduct for fans who buy into the section — “No. 2: Stand the entire game and react to what happens on the ice” — and they’ve received media attention for coming up with popular chants such as “Bruce, there it is!” (in honor of former coach Bruce Boudreau) and rowdily cheering on Elias Pettersson’s first NHL goal.

The motivation behind starting the group was to inject some life into Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, which had become quiet in recent years due to so many seats being sold to corporate interests, group co-creator Carlo Bodrogi said.

“Cheering for your home team while surrounded by other fans who are with you — not on their phones or closing deals — in the same mindset, that’s something really powerful and different from other entertainment options,” Bodrogi said. “It’s a feeling of solidarity and group joy.”

The challenge with building a supporters section, he explained, involves the need for buy-in from the team, as purchasing a block of tickets where hundreds of fans can stand together isn’t possible through Ticketmaster. This season, after making the playoffs last spring and with ticket prices on the rise, the Canucks didn’t set up a section for The Larscheiders, a move that drew criticism in the market.

With the playoffs approaching and the Leafs on a first-round collision course with their long-time rival, the Ottawa Senators, it’s likely the energy will pick up organically in Toronto beginning next weekend. More tickets will find their way to die-hard fans, and the stakes of the postseason will bring more passion to a building that’s needed it at times this season.

Whether the future brings something more, however, remains an open question. At the very least, it’s one worth investing some additional time, money and thought into over the years to come.

(Top photo: Mark Blinch / NHLI via Getty Images)

After the NBA fined Ja Morant $75,000 last week for making finger-gun gesture celebrations, the Memphis Grizzlies star has found a new way to commemorate a made 3-pointer.

In the Grizzlies’ 141-125 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night, Morant mimicked pulling a pin, tossing a grenade and covering his ears following a made 3. It was the second straight game in which Morant had made the grenade gesture, having unveiled it Tuesday when Memphis played at Charlotte.

“That’s my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it, and I’ll find another one,” Morant said after Thursday’s shootaround.

The NBA fined Morant $75,000 on April 4, one day after the 25-year-old mimicked shooting a gun with his fingers after a made 3 — once in the first quarter and once in the third quarter — in the Grizzlies’ win over the Miami Heat. Ahead of that matchup, the NBA notified Morant he wouldn’t be punished for his April 1 gun-related gestures while playing the Golden State Warriors.

Morant finished with a team-high 36 points and shot 5 of 13 from behind the arc against Minnesota.

Ja Morant ditched the gun celebration for a grenade celebration pic.twitter.com/tgKKWidB5k

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) April 11, 2025

Against Golden State, Morant and Buddy Hield engaged in a verbal altercation that included the gun-related hand gestures. Both players and teams received warnings from the NBA, and the league told each team the gestures were inappropriate and instructed them to stop using them, a league source told The Athletic. The argument from the teams’ side was that the gestures were not intended to be violent, according to the league source.

Despite the warning, Morant continued the gesture into the next game against Miami and received the fine one day later.

Morant, a two-time All-Star, was also suspended twice in recent seasons for gun-related incidents.

In March 2023, the NBA issued an eight-game suspension after Morant was seen brandishing a gun on Instagram Live while at a gentlemen’s club in Glendale, Colo. He also missed the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season due to suspension after he was seen holding a handgun while riding in a car on Instagram Live.

While the NBA does not have a rule against specific gestures, the league has fined players for making gun-related motions before. In 2017, then-Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson was fined $35,000 for gesturing toward a fan in a way that appeared to mimic pulling a trigger. In 2015, then-Miami Heat guard Gerald Green received a $25,000 penalty for making a similar gesture.

The NBA caps the fines for on-court conduct at $100,000.

(Photo: David Jensen / Getty Images)

The crash was horrifying.

During a 2018 IndyCar race, the wheels of Robert Wickens’ car clipped those of Ryan Hunter-Reay’s car, launching Wickens airborne and into the fencing surrounding Pocono Raceway. Among the injuries Wickens suffered were a thoracic spinal fracture, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, four fractured ribs and a pulmonary contusion. He also had a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

At the time, Wickens was on the cusp of stardom in one of motorsports’ premier series. That year, he had seven top-five finishes in 14 races, finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500 and won IndyCar’s Rookie of the Year honor. Those injuries cut short a promising IndyCar career and could’ve meant Wickens’ days as a professional race car driver were over. But that thought never crossed the now 36-year-old’s mind.

“I thought I was going to make the first (IndyCar) race in March the following year,” Wickens said. “We were always talking about what (racing) would look like if I used hand controls. It was never a question; it was a question of ‘How? Where?’ I knew it was something that was possible.”

Wickens, who regained some use of his legs but lacks the full capability to use them while driving, returned to competitive racing a little over three years after the accident, using a hand-controlled throttle and braking system to control the cars. He competed in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, and in 2023, he captured the drivers’ championship.

And he isn’t done. A new chapter begins this weekend when he moves into an even higher level of racing by competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in a race through the streets of Long Beach, Calif. He’ll co-drive a Chevrolet Corvette fielded by DXDT Racing in the highly competitive GTD class, going against Mercedes, Ferrari, Porsche and other top-flight exotic sports cars.

Wickens will be on the grid at Long Beach due in part to an electric hand-controlled throttle and braking system, developed by Bosch and Pratt Miller, that he’s been able to utilize since returning to racing.

Without it, Wickens’ driving career would’ve likely ended in August 2018. However, the system has proven to be an equalizer, allowing him to compete on a mostly level field. And continued technological refinements by Bosch over the past few years have narrowed the performance gap between a car operated by hand controls and one operated by traditional pedals.

The hand control operates like similar systems that can be installed in road cars, except this one has been more fine-tuned to allow Wickens to drive almost as if he were using the throttle and brake by foot. He can lightly tap the brake while turning and thereby carry greater speed through the corners.

“The best thing about my new system with Bosch is that the tuning can happen in the background because this is an electronic braking system,” Wickens said. “So if I want more brake sensation or less braking sensation, I can either have a button on the steering wheel that I tune out of brake pressure that I get to apply to the brakes.

“The old system that I was using when I first started, the system was a very mechanical system where there’s a bunch of linkages and levers that just pushed the able-bodied brake pedal down, but I would squeeze something with my hand up by the steering wheel. … The downfall of that is there was a lot of latency in that system and a lot of inconsistency.”

Because Wickens and fellow driver Tommy Milner must trade off driving the Corvette, Bosch had to develop a straightforward way to switch between Milner using pedals and Wickens the hand controls.

“It’s quite impressive,” Milner said. “There’s just one button that either of us has to push to put it in the mode that we want and that switches all the systems over within a second.”

Once Wickens was committed to racing again, the challenge of navigating the expense and lack of accessibility only further complicated the endeavor. Finding sufficient sponsorship is often problematic enough in racing; Wickens also had to convince a team owner to install a hand-control system in their car.

“There are people racing all over the world with disabilities,” Robert Wickens said. “I’m just fortunate that I had a platform to show my progress.” (David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Having gone through the process himself, Wickens would like to see such features more readily available in commercially produced vehicles. Just as manufacturers use auto racing to develop technology that can be applied to passenger vehicles, Wickens wants to see the same principle applied to hand-controlled systems to make it both convenient and cost-effective.

“I kind of have naive dreams of thinking that there could be a Robert Wickens steering wheel that can just fit into every road car in the world,” he said. “I’m imagining it’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, just plug it in like a USB or something and you’re on your way.’ But I know that that’s just not how it works. …

“The reality is, right now, when I’m driving on the road and I want to make a lane change, for example, I have to consciously over-speed because when I take my hand off the throttle to put on my turn signal, I slow down, and my hand isn’t on the throttle. Then, I have to signal and put my hand back on the throttle, make the lane change, and then take my hand off the throttle to stop your signal. It’s just a lot of extra steps.”

Long Beach is the first of five events in 2025 in which Wickens will drive the DXDT Racing Corvette entry. Plans beyond this season are still being determined. He is open to securing a full-time ride in the IMSA SportsCar Championship if the opportunity arises. He’d also like to race again in the Indianapolis 500.

Wickens downplays the idea that he is an inspiration, but those who know him marvel at how he’s refused to let go of his dream of being a professional driver when he had every reason to quit. He also wants to help others facing a similar situation.

“I personally don’t feel like I’m an inspiration to anybody, but I’m always kind of humbled when people tell me that I am,” Wickens said. “After I was paralyzed and out of my medical-induced coma, I was trying to understand what life I had. I was just working hard to try getting myself and my wife the best quality of life possible.

“There are people racing all over the world with disabilities. I’m just fortunate that I had a platform to show my progress where others might not.”

(Top photo of Robert Wickens: Courtesy of Chevrolet Racing)

The crash was horrifying.

During a 2018 IndyCar race, the wheels of Robert Wickens’ car clipped those of Ryan Hunter-Reay’s car, launching Wickens airborne and into the fencing surrounding Pocono Raceway. Among the injuries Wickens suffered were a thoracic spinal fracture, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, four fractured ribs and a pulmonary contusion. He also had a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

At the time, Wickens was on the cusp of stardom in one of motorsports’ premier series. That year, he had seven top-five finishes in 14 races, finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500 and won IndyCar’s Rookie of the Year honor. Those injuries cut short a promising IndyCar career and could’ve meant Wickens’ days as a professional race car driver were over. But that thought never crossed the now 36-year-old’s mind.

“I thought I was going to make the first (IndyCar) race in March the following year,” Wickens said. “We were always talking about what (racing) would look like if I used hand controls. It was never a question; it was a question of ‘How? Where?’ I knew it was something that was possible.”

Wickens, who regained some use of his legs but lacks the full capability to use them while driving, returned to competitive racing a little over three years after the accident, using a hand-controlled throttle and braking system to control the cars. He competed in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, and in 2023, he captured the drivers’ championship.

And he isn’t done. A new chapter begins this weekend when he moves into an even higher level of racing by competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in a race through the streets of Long Beach, Calif. He’ll co-drive a Chevrolet Corvette fielded by DXDT Racing in the highly competitive GTD class, going against Mercedes, Ferrari, Porsche and other top-flight exotic sports cars.

Wickens will be on the grid at Long Beach due in part to an electric hand-controlled throttle and braking system, developed by Bosch and Pratt Miller, that he’s been able to utilize since returning to racing.

Without it, Wickens’ driving career would’ve likely ended in August 2018. However, the system has proven to be an equalizer, allowing him to compete on a mostly level field. And continued technological refinements by Bosch over the past few years have narrowed the performance gap between a car operated by hand controls and one operated by traditional pedals.

The hand control operates like similar systems that can be installed in road cars, except this one has been more fine-tuned to allow Wickens to drive almost as if he were using the throttle and brake by foot. He can lightly tap the brake while turning and thereby carry greater speed through the corners.

“The best thing about my new system with Bosch is that the tuning can happen in the background because this is an electronic braking system,” Wickens said. “So if I want more brake sensation or less braking sensation, I can either have a button on the steering wheel that I tune out of brake pressure that I get to apply to the brakes.

“The old system that I was using when I first started, the system was a very mechanical system where there’s a bunch of linkages and levers that just pushed the able-bodied brake pedal down, but I would squeeze something with my hand up by the steering wheel. … The downfall of that is there was a lot of latency in that system and a lot of inconsistency.”

Because Wickens and fellow driver Tommy Milner must trade off driving the Corvette, Bosch had to develop a straightforward way to switch between Milner using pedals and Wickens the hand controls.

“It’s quite impressive,” Milner said. “There’s just one button that either of us has to push to put it in the mode that we want and that switches all the systems over within a second.”

Once Wickens was committed to racing again, the challenge of navigating the expense and lack of accessibility only further complicated the endeavor. Finding sufficient sponsorship is often problematic enough in racing; Wickens also had to convince a team owner to install a hand-control system in their car.

“There are people racing all over the world with disabilities,” Robert Wickens said. “I’m just fortunate that I had a platform to show my progress.” (David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Having gone through the process himself, Wickens would like to see such features more readily available in commercially produced vehicles. Just as manufacturers use auto racing to develop technology that can be applied to passenger vehicles, Wickens wants to see the same principle applied to hand-controlled systems to make it both convenient and cost-effective.

“I kind of have naive dreams of thinking that there could be a Robert Wickens steering wheel that can just fit into every road car in the world,” he said. “I’m imagining it’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, just plug it in like a USB or something and you’re on your way.’ But I know that that’s just not how it works. …

“The reality is, right now, when I’m driving on the road and I want to make a lane change, for example, I have to consciously over-speed because when I take my hand off the throttle to put on my turn signal, I slow down, and my hand isn’t on the throttle. Then, I have to signal and put my hand back on the throttle, make the lane change, and then take my hand off the throttle to stop your signal. It’s just a lot of extra steps.”

Long Beach is the first of five events in 2025 in which Wickens will drive the DXDT Racing Corvette entry. Plans beyond this season are still being determined. He is open to securing a full-time ride in the IMSA SportsCar Championship if the opportunity arises. He’d also like to race again in the Indianapolis 500.

Wickens downplays the idea that he is an inspiration, but those who know him marvel at how he’s refused to let go of his dream of being a professional driver when he had every reason to quit. He also wants to help others facing a similar situation.

“I personally don’t feel like I’m an inspiration to anybody, but I’m always kind of humbled when people tell me that I am,” Wickens said. “After I was paralyzed and out of my medical-induced coma, I was trying to understand what life I had. I was just working hard to try getting myself and my wife the best quality of life possible.

“There are people racing all over the world with disabilities. I’m just fortunate that I had a platform to show my progress where others might not.”

(Top photo of Robert Wickens: Courtesy of Chevrolet Racing)

By Grant Brisbee, Chad Jennings and Levi Weaver

Every week,​ we​ ask a selected group of our baseball​ writers​ — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results.

Two surprising weekends can make a big difference in football, but small samples mean less in baseball. Keep that in mind as you browse our Power Rankings a week and a half into the season.

Some of our opinions have changed, but perhaps not as much as each team’s record would suggest. The one-win Atlanta Braves are still far ahead of the middle-of-the-pack Miami Marlins, and the red-hot San Francisco Giants have our attention, but we’re not anointing them a top-five team just yet. (And before you blame our biases, note that the soulless algorithm at FanGraphs seems to agree.)

We do want to have our opinions changed, though. We want to believe in Cinderella and predict Goliath’s defeat, and so we offer this week’s Power Rankings with a “difference-maker” on each team: one player who’s having an outsized impact on either present performance or our future expectations.

Record: 9-3
Last Power Ranking: 1

Early difference-maker: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

If the Dodgers can turn Michael Conforto into an All-Star again, it won’t matter if Jon Garland comes out of retirement and makes every start for them for the rest of the season. They’ll hit their way to 160 wins. But assuming they’ll need some reliable starting pitching at some point, Yamamoto has been their best source of that so far. Now-injured Blake Snell’s 8.0 BB/9 is the second-best in the rotation so far, at least among pitchers with two starts, so this is the shakiest top spot in the power rankings the Dodgers have had in months, if not an entire year. (They were still the unanimous choice, of course.) — Grant Brisbee

Record: 7-2
Last Power Ranking: T-4

Early difference-maker: Jesús Luzardo

There’s a lot going right for the Phillies. Kyle Schwarber has been a monster, Zack Wheeler has been as good as ever, Edmundo Sosa has been awesome off the bench and the bullpen has picked up the slack for struggling closer Jordan Romano. But the defining moment in this strong start to the season has been taking two out of three from the Dodgers over the weekend, and that series started with Luzardo going seven scoreless innings in the opener. Two starts into his Phillies career, Luzardo is 2-0 with 19 strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA. The rest of the rotation (other than Aaron Nola) has also been excellent, but Luzardo was the team’s biggest offseason addition, and he’s had an immediate impact, including that early season statement against the defending world champs. — Chad Jennings

Record: 6-4
Last Power Ranking: 2

Early difference-maker: Aaron Judge

The Yankees are this high in our rankings for many reasons, most of them to do with their offense. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe have been the best middle-infield duo in baseball, Paul Goldschmidt has been resurgent at first base, and both Trent Grisham and Ben Rice have taken advantage of more-than-expected playing time.

But let’s not overthink this. Judge was historically great last season, and it took eight games this season for FanGraphs to declare him already a 1 WAR player (he dipped to 0.9 WAR after a hitless Game 9). A three-homer game certainly helped pad the early-season stats, but Judge has another three-hit game, he’s twice homered in back-to-back games, and he leads the league in both runs and RBIs. It’s going to be hard to match last season, but Judge is making an early run at it. — Jennings

GO DEEPER

Trent Grisham hits 2 home runs in win over Pirates, talks overcoming difficult 2024

Record: 9-2
Last Power Ranking: 7

Early difference-maker: Jackson Merrill

Merrill is the only Padre currently with a double-digit RBI total and now, he’s one of those Padres who can pick up a restaurant tab, too. San Diego expects him to be a superstar and make up for the less-than-superstar production it might get from Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado going forward. So far, so good, and it’s making A.J. Preller’s foresight to keep him while trading every minor leaguer and minor-league mascot in the system look even more impressive. — Brisbee

Record: 8-3
Last Power Ranking: 3

Early difference-maker: Josh Smith

The thing about the Rangers is that there are at least six guys I could nominate here. Nathan Eovaldi has pitched like an ace. Jack Leiter looks more like a blowtorch and less like a flameout. (This is absolutely a “Leiter” pun, I’ll own it.) Joc Pederson and Jake Burger have been helpful additions to the lineup. But I’m going with Smith here. His defense is good-to-great at any of the five positions he can play, and at the time of this writing, he led all Rangers position players in fWAR (0.5) and OPS (1.011). This is a team with Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Adolis García in the lineup, in case you forgot. — Levi Weaver

Record: 5-6
Last Power Ranking: 6

Early difference-maker: Corbin Carroll

Corbin Carroll’s back? Corbin Carroll’s back. The Diamondbacks scored more runs than any other team in baseball last year, even with their young, burgeoning superstar hitting below the Mendoza Line for the first two months. Any herpetological-related optimism for this season was based on the belief that his second half was much more representative of his talent level. It probably was, and now every starting pitcher not named Zac Gallen has to make the good kind of difference if they’re going to keep up in a red-hot NL West. — Brisbee

Record: 6-5
Last Power Ranking: 8

Early difference-maker: Rafael Devers

Oftentimes, we’re using the term “difference-maker” as a shorthand for team MVP. And if we apply that logic to the Red Sox, Wilyer Abreu would be the choice. But if we’re looking for a tangible difference, consider this: Devers went 0-for-19 in the first five games of the season, and the Red Sox were 1-4. Then he had two hits in Game No. 6, stayed blistering hot through a four-hit game on Sunday — the last game we saw before voting on the Power Rankings — and the Red Sox went 5-0 in those games. When Devers wasn’t hitting, the Red Sox weren’t winning. When he started hitting, the Red Sox couldn’t lose. Seems like the definition of a difference-maker. — Jennings

Record: 7-3
Last Power Ranking: 9

Early difference-maker: Tylor Megill

Juan Soto is getting on base a ton, Pete Alonso is hitting for power and Francisco Lindor is struggling (but still delivering when it matters). The Mets are built around those things. For their team to work, those three pieces have to be clicking. So far, so good. (For the most part.) The surprising piece keeping the Mets afloat in the early going is starter Megill, who’s become especially important following injuries to Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn. Megill made two starts and won them, including the first game of a three-game weekend sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays. He has a 0.87 ERA. — Jennings

Record: 8-2
Last Power Ranking: 15

Early difference-maker: Wilmer Flores

The Giants are off to their fastest start since 2003, when they went wire-to-wire and finished with the best record in baseball. That team had Barry Bonds in his prime, but this team has a healthy Wilmer Flores, which is roughly the same thing, at least for the first couple of weeks of the season. It was Flores’ home run that helped them come back on Opening Day, and it was his ninth-inning single on Sunday that helped keep the Giants’ winning streak going. The .900-something OPS will come down, but a return to his career numbers would be a big deal for a lineup that will need steady contributors. — Brisbee

GO DEEPER

‘We like fun!’: Matt Chapman, Jung Hoo Lee help Giants extend win streak to 6 games

Record: 1-8
Last Power Ranking: T-4

Early difference-maker: Spencer Strider?

Almost all of the Braves’ positive impact has come from three players: Marcell Ozuna (he can still hit), Matt Olson (ditto) and Spencer Schwellenbach (two starts, three hits, 14 strikeouts, no earned runs). But the Braves have only one win because of [gestures wildly in all directions] everything else. Austin Riley has a .468 OPS, Chris Sale has a 5.40 ERA, Jurickson Profar has an 80-game suspension, and Reynaldo López is having shoulder surgery. It’s last season all over again.

Except, very soon, the Braves could get Strider off the IL, and that’s the kind of addition that could be a turning point. Give the rotation another ace, get some hitters back on track, and the Braves could gain some momentum and remind us why they were among the favorites heading into this season. — Jennings

Record: 5-6
Last Power Ranking: 10

Early difference-maker: Charlie Morton

The Orioles’ lineup is performing more or less as expected. It has not been great with runners on base, but the lineup is loaded with well-above-average hitters (including Jackson Holliday, whose second season is off to a better start than his first). But if the lineup has been as expected, the rotation has been as feared. Failure to re-sign Corbin Burnes, plus injuries to Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Bradish — among others — left the Orioles’ rotation vulnerable. Through the weekend, three of their starters had an ERA higher than 6.00, including Morton (9.72 ERA in two starts, both losses). This helps explain why, despite Cedric Mullins being awesome, the Orioles still have a losing record. — Jennings

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Record: 8-5
Last Power Ranking: 13

Early difference-maker: Kyle Tucker

As much fun as it would be to give the nod to Carson Kelly, who hit for the cycle and has some very fun small-sample early-season numbers, the clear answer here is Tucker. Dude has been everything the Cubs hoped they were getting when they traded away a prospect (Cam Smith) who this spring looked very capable of giving them a bad case of Trade Regret™.

Not yet, though. Tucker is hitting .327 (1.165 OPS) with five home runs. Enjoy it now, Cubs fans — he’s going to break a lot of brains when we hear how much he makes in free agency this winter.

(Shout out to Shota Imanaga, who’s also been very good.) — Weaver

Record: 6-4
Last Power Ranking: 16

Early difference-maker: Spencer Torkelson

I could easily go with Riley Greene here, but he was already pretty good last year. That doesn’t mean he can’t be a difference-maker, but if we truly want to highlight something new and current, Torkelson has been a different player this year, hitting .289 (.953 OPS) with a pair of homers. Last year, it wasn’t clear whether or not there would be space on the roster for Torkelson in the future. A swing change and breakthrough later, he’s been one of the Tigers’ best hitters. — Weaver

Record: 4-6
Last Power Ranking: 11

Early difference-maker: Brendan Rodgers

Does the early difference-maker have to be making his team different in a better way? If so, then it’s Rodgers, a third-overall pick who was a top-25 prospect for five years before being aggressively OK with the Rockies. There’s also a chance that he arrived in Houston and said something like, “Wait, these video rectangles — these ‘eye pads’ — can show me videos of opposing pitchers and help me break down my swing? And there are people whose entire job is to look at ‘statistics’ and ‘data’ now? Golly.” He’s now Brendan Rodgers in the 21st century, and maybe this is the year he breaks out.

If the early difference-maker can be someone making the team worse, then the answer is … well, just about everyone. The post-Tucker/Bregman era hasn’t gotten off to a scintillating start. — Brisbee

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Record: 4-7
Last Power Ranking: 12

Early difference-maker: Julio Rodríguez

Not because Rodríguez has been so good that he’s propelled the Mariners to a winning record, but because he’s had a strong-ish start to the season. If the team is going to leverage its strong rotation, it will need Rodríguez to be the perennial MVP candidate the franchise has been expecting for a couple years now. He’s making a difference by helping Mariners fans believe a rainbow might follow the 10-game season-opening downpour, and that’s about all they can ask for. Well, that and a pennant or two. — Brisbee

Record: 6-5
Last Power Ranking: 14

Early difference-maker: Andrés Giménez

Of all the guys to hit cleanup on this team, Blue Jays manager John Schneider has gone with his slick-fielding second baseman since Opening Day. Giménez came into the season with a barely above-average 101 OPS+ for his career, but he’s justified the lineup choice by coming out of the gate with the best offensive numbers on the team. Much slower starts by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander help explain why the Blue Jays were only a .500 team through the weekend. Another difference-maker worth noting: If we voted for Cy Young awards after two starts, Chris Bassitt would be among the front-runners in the American League. He’s allowed one run and two walks through 12 2/3 innings. — Jennings

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Record: 4-5
Last Power Ranking: 17

Early difference-maker: Brandon Lowe

Eight seasons in the big leagues, and Lowe has yet to finish a year with below-average offensive numbers. He came close in 2022 (103 wRC+) but has otherwise never had a season with less than a 112 OPS+ or 114 wRC+. When Lowe’s healthy, he hits, and he’s doing it again this year and that’s been enough to keep the Rays afloat in the early going. Their rotation has been predictably solid from top to bottom, and Kameron Misner has given them a spark off the bench. The rest of their lineup has been too erratic to maintain much momentum, and the Rays were swept this weekend in Texas. They have yet to lose when they’ve scored more than four runs, but they’ve scored more than four runs only three times. — Jennings

Record: 5-5
Last Power Ranking: T-21

Early difference-maker: Maikel García

By the end of the season, I have full confidence that the answer to this question will be Bobby Witt Jr.  He hasn’t been bad, but there are two others I think deserve it a bit more.

On the pitching side, Kris Bubic has been brilliant in his first two starts, going 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA, striking out 16 and walking just three in 12 2/3 innings, outpacing even Cy Young candidate Cole Ragans. As for the hitters, while Mark Canha’s numbers are a little better, García is right there, and in about twice as many plate appearances, hitting .333 (.977 OPS) with two home runs.

García has always been an anomaly to me. Compare his barrel percentage (lower 10th percentile in 2023 and 2024) with his hard-hit percentage (93rd and 65th percentile in 2023 and 2024, respectively).

So far this season, we’re seeing what happens when a blue number flips to even a pinkish shade of red. — Weaver

Record: 5-5
Last Power Ranking: 20

Early difference-maker: Freddy Peralta

For one year, in 1969, the Seattle Pilots existed. Then they moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers, completely wrecking what would have been — given their dogged dedication to stripping out parts and somehow staying afloat — a perfect “Ship of Theseus” reference in this space. I’d love to be able to nominate the departed Corbin Burnes or Devin Williams or Willy Adames or Josh Hader or Brent Suter or manager Craig Counsell or GM David Stearns or … well, there’s a word limit. William Contreras is still around, but he’s had a slow start.

But look, it’s Fastball Freddy! Peralta has a 2.08 ERA and a 0.538 WHIP. On a team that has not pitched well, he’s been an oasis. — Weaver

Record: 3-7
Last Power Ranking: 18

Early difference-maker: One of the center fielders

The Twins have a single hitter with a batting average over .300 (Matt Wallner, .303). Their pitching fWAR leaders are Pablo López and two relievers (0.2). Do you see any “difference-makers” in their pitching or hitting leaderboards? Because I do not.

So I guess let’s go with Harrison Bader, who has been distinctly not terrible. Or maybe we want to go with vibes and point out that Byron Buxton is a difference-maker in terms of creating excitement? You can take your pick; the vitriol and fire of my youth have long since waned, and I no longer have it in me to debate about a team such as this. — Weaver

Record: 3-6
Last Power Ranking: 19

Early difference-maker: Austin Hedges

From a pure statistical standpoint, the answer is José Ramírez. Maybe the league’s most underrated superstar, Ramírez is off to another hot start for the Guardians, hitting .320/.438/.880 (1.318 OPS) through the first nine games.

But I’m going to give some love to backup catcher Hedges here. He has been the worst hitter in baseball for a very long time, but his defense and clubhouse enthusiasm have been so outsized that he keeps getting big-league jobs. So far this year? He has an OPS of 1.229. Please do not inform me that it is on the strength of one hit (a home run) in five at-bats. I know. — Weaver

Record: 4-6
Last Power Ranking: T-21

Early difference-maker: Lars Nootbaar

Lots of candidates here, including Iván Herrera, who is currently leading the National League in slugging percentage. Let’s turn the spotlight on Nootbaar, though, because he’s always been a Baseball Savant darling for his ability to stay in the strike zone and hit the snot out of the ball, but hasn’t had flashy statistics to show for it. There’s a stat called expected weighted on-base average on contact (xwOBAcon) that says Nootbaar’s offensive output should be closer to Bryce Harper’s and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s than Brandon Nimmo’s or Michael Conforto’s. Maybe this is the year it shows up in the real world. — Brisbee

Record: 4-7
Last Power Ranking: 24

Early difference-maker: Tyler Soderstrom

Soderstrom was once one of the better-hitting prospects in the game, and he was called up at a younger age than most of his peers. With a full season of above-average hitting in his age-22 season last year, he might have had a lot more buzz coming into this year. A wrist injury cost him a couple months, so that left us with about 200 plate appearances that suggested that he was on schedule and could still develop into an All-Star. A few weeks into the season, he looks like an All-Star, so don’t be surprised if he signs an extension to make sure he joins Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler as franchise cornerstones when Sacramento’s beautiful new ballpark opens in 2029. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one, and I’ll believe in Las Vegas when one (1) steel girder is in place. — Brisbee

Record: 4-7
Last Power Ranking: 23

Early difference-maker: Brady Singer

We’re going for good difference-makers, right? Because I could make the argument that a few guys have made a bad difference, given that the Reds put together an impressive 35-inning scoreless streak last week.

But if we’re leaning positive here, I have two finalists. Hunter Greene has been very impressive thus far, boosting an already-nasty fastball into consistent triple digits. But I’m going with new addition Singer, who came over in the Jonathan India trade. Through two turns of the rotation, he went pitch-for-pitch with Greene. Throw in Nick Lodolo, and that’s starting to look like a pretty nasty rotation in Cincinnati. — Weaver

Record: 6-3
Last Power Ranking: 28

Early difference-maker: Kyren Paris

The Angels have won twice as many games as they’ve lost, which puts them on pace for a 108-win season. Will it last? Probably not, but they’ll always have Paris. The 2019 second-rounder was scorching hot all spring, and he somehow got even hotter for the start of the season, with a .444/.545/.889 slash line as of this writing. He’s always shown strong plate discipline in the minors, but it came with an outsized strikeout rate. Now he’s making more contact, and he’s making better contact. If your first thought was “swing change,” guess what, you’re right. He has Angels fans believing, which might be the biggest miracle of the season so far. — Brisbee

Record: 5-5
Last Power Ranking: 27

Early difference-maker: Daniel Moskos

It’s impossible to accurately judge this from afar, but here’s what the numbers show: Last season, the Marlins ranked next-to-last in staff ERA. Only the Rockies were worse. This season, the Marlins have an above-average ERA that’s nearly a run better than last season. Getting Sandy Alcantara off the IL has certainly helped, but it’s hard not to notice that the Marlins also hired Moskos this offseason to be their new pitching coach. Now, Max Meyer’s numbers are better, Anthony Bender’s numbers are better, and the Marlins have a winning record. It’s an absurdly small sample, but if you’re wondering what’s made the difference for the Marlins out of the gate, it’s their pitching. It’s only fair that the new pitching coach gets at least some of the credit. — Jennings

Record: 4-7
Last Power Ranking: T-25

Early difference-maker: Paul Skenes

I like to think of myself as a creative person and an outside-the-box thinker. I love to eschew the predictable in favor of the underappreciated or unexpected. Routine? Never heard of it. My art? Abstract. My music? Eclectic. I put mayonnaise on my hot dogs because I like it and because it makes my friends from Chicago very angry. Look who I picked for the Guardians blurb. (I stand by it.)

But no matter how much I look for a zag (Andrew McCutchen?), it’s obviously Skenes, who has a 1.46 ERA after two starts. Nobody outside Pittsburgh can even give you a half-hearted suggestion that anyone else is even close, and nobody in Pittsburgh wants to. — Weaver

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Record: 4-6
Last Power Ranking: T-25

Early difference-maker: Mitchell Parker

It was first-rounder MacKenzie Gore who stole the show on Opening Day, but ever since, the most reliable way for the Nationals to win a game has been to put Parker on the mound. Through their first nine games, the Nationals were 3-6, but two of those wins belonged to Parker, a 25-year-old with a 0.73 ERA in his second big-league season. Rookie of the Year candidate Dylan Crews has fallen flat out of the gate, but Parker and Gore have been good in the first two turns through the rotation. They’re going to need some help, though, to ultimately lift the Nats out of mediocrity. — Jennings

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Record: 2-7
Last Power Ranking: 29

Early difference-maker: Kyle Freeland

The frontrunner was Dinger, with his gleeful and only slightly demonic cavorting forever giving the franchise a chance to turn 6-year-olds into Rockies fans. Let’s throw a bone to Freeland, though, as he’s made two good starts so far. The Denver native has watched a lot of lousy baseball in his nine-year Rockies career, and very little of it was his fault. Here’s hoping for 30 more solid-to-excellent starts and some downballot Cy Young votes this year. He’s earned it. — Brisbee

Record: 2-7
Last Power Ranking: 30

Early difference-maker: Martín Pérez

The biggest difference between the 2024 White Sox and 2025 White Sox? Last year, they waited until game No. 11 to win their second game. This year? They were at .500 as late as … four games into the season, at 2-2. The reason was that their starting pitchers came out of the gate on an absolute heater, going on a 28-inning scoreless streak that extended into their fifth game. (They lost that game, and every subsequent game they have played.)

So yeah, it all imploded after that, but if we have to pick one of the guys who staved off the inevitable for almost a week, let’s go with Pérez, who pitched six no-hit innings in his first start of the year. — Weaver

(Top photo of Austin Riley: David J. Griffin / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After pouring in 19 points for Coastal Carolina in a first-round loss to Southern Miss in the Sun Belt Conference tournament on March 4, Colin Granger went back to the team hotel in Pensacola, Fla., to have dinner with his parents and discuss his future.

In football.

Granger had told Chanticleers coach Justin Gray that if Coastal went on an unexpected run in the conference tourney, it would be his sign that he would continue his basketball career overseas, where he had multiple offers from professional teams.

If not, Granger would become the first client of George Fant, the 10-year NFL veteran who was starting a business in which he identifies and trains college basketball players he believes can make the jump to the NFL — a transition Fant made in 2016 after leaving Western Kentucky.

So when the Chants were bounced in the opening round in Pensacola, Granger talked it over with his parents before calling Fant and telling him he was on board. A month later, Granger worked out for five NFL teams at a private pro day at his Atlanta-area high school. And three days after that workout, Granger signed with the Carolina Panthers as a tight end in one of the more non-traditional transactions in their history.

Because Granger did not play in college and at least four NFL seasons have elapsed since he finished high school in 2020, he was eligible for last year’s draft. That meant the Panthers or any team could sign him as a free agent this year.

Shortly after finalizing his contract with the Panthers on Monday, Granger was eating lunch in the cafeteria at Bank of America Stadium with three edge rushers on their pre-draft visits — Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku and LSU’s Bradyn Swinson. Granger told the group he’d just joined an NFL team despite not having played football since eighth grade.

“I tried to tell them the story and they just literally laughed in my face,” Granger said. “They were like, ‘Dude, come on. Like whatever, bro, just tell us what are you actually doing?’ ”

What Granger is trying to do is follow a trail blazed by Fant and other former college basketball players — including several high-profile tight ends — who carved out successful NFL careers. Fant believes Granger can make his mark in a Panthers tight end room that currently has Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Jordan Matthews at the top of the depth chart.

“Don’t be surprised if we see Colin out there playing early and often,” Fant said.

Tony Gonzalez (Cal), Antonio Gates (Kent State), Jimmy Graham (Miami) and Mo Alie-Cox (VCU) all became receiving tight ends after playing hoops in college, with Gonzalez and Gates both becoming Hall of Famers. Gates and Alie-Cox — like Granger — did not play college football.

The 6-foot-8, 240-pound Granger played football and lacrosse through eighth grade, which is when he first suited up for his middle school basketball team. Within eight months, Granger had his first basketball scholarship offer from Mount St. Mary’s.

“My freshman year of high school, I had just stopped playing football. The head football coach called me out of class every single day, and he wanted me to play football,” Granger said during a phone interview Monday.

But other than the occasional comment from a strength coach about how he might look in pads and a helmet, Granger had pretty much forgotten about football as he worked his way through five basketball seasons at three schools — Ohio University, Western Carolina and Coastal Carolina (he averaged 7.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, including 2.0 offensive rebounds last season).

And then he got a DM from Fant, who explained his background and said he was looking to work with college basketball players who projected as NFL prospects.

“I saw it was a real account, that it was a real NFL player,” Granger recalled. “But I was like, what? Change sports? I’m trying to beat freaking N.C. State tomorrow. I’m not worried about that.”

Fant, who played sparingly in his only football season at Western Kentucky, started his niche headhunter business with his trainer and agent. Fant started going through an online database of every Division I basketball player, scanning their heights, weights and statistics, paying particular attention to offensive rebounds. When he found guys he liked, he would look for YouTube videos and see if their athleticism might play in the NFL.

“I just saw Colin kind of pop off the screen to me. (Initially) I thought he could be a guy that could play offensive line like a Lane Johnson kind of guy,” said Fant, a free-agent offensive tackle with nine years of experience. “Once I got him to Kentucky, though, and I got to see him run around, I knew right away he was a tight end.”

Following the loss in the Sun Belt tournament, Granger returned to Coastal’s campus to pack his stuff, spent a few days at his parents’ house in Florida and then headed to Fant’s home in Bowling Green, Ky., arriving around midnight on March 10.

“He walked out in his driveway and met me,” Granger said, “and I moved into his guest room.”

The two spent 2 1/2 weeks working out in Fant’s home gym while Fant and his agent, Jeffery Whitney, organized a pro day for April 4. In between sets on the bench or during breaks in speed training, Fant would give other tips to a player who hadn’t been on a football field in nearly 10 years.

“Right away he bought in and was the kind of guy you didn’t have to tell something twice,” Fant said. “Once you were able to show it to him, he took it and learned from it right away and got better.”

Justin Gray, Granger’s coach at both Western Carolina and Coastal, predicted that Granger’s work ethic would be well received in Kentucky.

“I guarantee you as soon as he got there and they saw how hard he works and how dedicated he is and how disciplined he is, it’s like, ‘Man, this kid has a chance,’” said Gray, who just wrapped up his first season at Coastal.

“He plays as hard as he possibly can. He’s a great offensive rebounder, defensive rebounder. The ball’s in the air, he goes after it. He’s tough as nails. He eats nails for breakfast. He’s not soft, nothing about him is soft. And then he’s competitive.”

A competitive attitude is great, but Granger still had to show scouts his physical traits. The Panthers — represented by pro scout Adam Maxie — and four other teams last Friday came out to Lambert High in Suwanee, Ga., where Granger ran the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds and posted a 40-inch vertical leap, according to him and Fant.

Granger, who caught passes from former Georgia State quarterback Zach Gibson at the workout, was thrilled with his vertical jump but thought he’d run a faster 40.

“My 10-yard split, my 20-yard split all during training, I was running 4.7 numbers,” he said. “I only trained for three weeks. My trainer told me, ‘Dude, if I got you just for another three weeks, you’re a 4.6 guy.’ I’m fast. It’s the little bit of the mechanics that shave off those tenths of a second.”

Granger only did seven reps on the pro bench (225 pounds), but chalked that up to the difference in weight training in the two sports. “I’ve got muscle and I can put it on there,” he said. “But an Olympic lift like that, we didn’t really straight bench-press like that all the time.”

Fant was pleased with how things went. “I think the craziest part of this whole thing is we only had 2 1/2 weeks to train him,” he said. “My trainer, Jacob Davis, was able to get hands on him and do the impossible, and get him ready for a pro day in two weeks.”

Granger was scheduled to attend the Atlanta Falcons’ local day this week. Instead, he’s under contract with their division rivals, thanks in part to Fant’s ties to Carolina general manager Dan Morgan, coach Dave Canales and tight ends coach Pat McPherson from their time together in Seattle, where Fant signed as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and started 10 games as a rookie.

Fant said he appreciates the Panthers’ giving Granger a chance, and expects him to make the most of it. “He’s a big guy and he’s able to high-point the ball,” Fant said. “He’s able to catch the ball really, really naturally.”

Gray, a Charlotte native who played at Wake Forest from 2002 to 2006, believes Granger’s basketball skill set will transfer to the gridiron.

“Don’t get me wrong, I coach basketball. So I would assume ball in the air, he’s gonna jump up and get it at its highest point. He did that for us. He was really good at offensive rebounding, being able to dunk it back in. Playing with people around him wasn’t a thing,” Gray said. “But it’s a different sport, man, and it’ll take an adjustment period. But I know with his discipline and his consistency, he’ll be just fine.”

Granger, who met Chuba Hubbard on Monday while getting fitted for equipment, said the biggest adjustments will be learning an NFL playbook and getting used to the physicality.

“I’m excited to go get hit. I used to love hitting people in football. It’s a grown man’s league. I know it’s gonna hurt a little bit more now. But guess what, I’m big now and I’m only getting bigger,” he said. “I just want to go out there and pop someone or get popped, get put on my ass and just feel it. Be immersed in the game. Get that first hit out of the way and I think I’ll be fine.”

(Top photo: Scott Kinser / Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

In 2009, Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke went viral after telling Yahoo Sports he was boycotting Chipotle’s guacamole.

“I mean, $1.50 is already pretty darn high. So they changed it to $1.80, and I’ll never again get guacamole,” Greinke said. “It’s not about the guacamole itself. I just don’t want to let them win.”

Fifteen years later, a (small) side of Chipotle’s guacamole is $2.65, and Greinke’s thoughts remain a common sentiment among MLB players.

“Greinke was on a kick for a while,” said Reds pitcher Scott Barlow, a former Greinke teammate. “It’s the principle.”

So what else are MLB players cheap about? Well, after The Athletic asked dozens of them the question over the past year, the answer is … pretty much everything.

“It’s that old cliche,” said Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, “You stay rich by being cheap.”

Some players took issue with the framing of the question. “I don’t like the c-word,” A’s pitcher T.J. McFarland said. “I use frugal.”

You be the judge.

Whit Merrifield, free agent: It’s funny when music is playing in the clubhouse and someone has their phone hooked up and an ad comes on. Guys will yell, “You’re a big leaguer making millions of dollars and can’t pay $11.99 for Spotify?!”

Ryan McMahon, Rockies: My wife is on her cousin’s Spotify, so I use that.

Jake Cronenworth, Padres: I don’t buy any music. It’s a pretty useless purchase. I like to drive in silence. Total silence.

Zach Neto, Angels: I use Apple Music but I’m still on my (cheaper) student account. Don’t tell Apple Music that. It’s the only app I pay for.

Hayden Birdsong, Giants: I’m not paying for any apps. I’m on my mom’s Spotify.

Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers: There’s something about (buying an app). I just don’t want to give them the $2.

Barlow: If I have a game app and it says you can upgrade for no ads, I won’t do that.

Glasnow: It’s probably worth it, too. It’s just ingrained in my brain — like, no, I’m not doing it.

Despite being division rivals last season, former Yankees pitcher Lou Trivino was on Orioles reliever Cole Irvin’s Netflix account.

Tanner Scott, Dodgers: We are definitely still on my wife’s family’s Netflix.

Evan Carter, Rangers: I’m on my wife’s parents’ Netflix and my parents’ Hulu.

McMahon: If you’ve got someone else’s log-in, you’re all set.

McFarland: Up until about two years ago I was on my family cellphone plan. And I wasn’t even paying my parents, it was free. Finally, my dad is like, “You are in the big leagues, time to get your own s—.”

Dansby Swanson, Cubs: I had that moment, too. I needed a new phone and it was a good time to switch my phone number. I was like, “All right, it’s time to get off my parents’ plan.”

Tristan Beck, Giants: That day is coming for me, too. But I’m going to try to avoid it as long as I can.

Matt Strahm, Phillies: I’m not going to just buy new clothes because I want to. I need to need clothes to buy clothes.

Joe Musgrove, Padres: You know how in elementary school you get to go back to school shopping and you get a few pairs of jeans and a couple T-shirts to last you the year? I’m still the same way.

McFarland: I’m coming in with shoes literally coming apart — the sole was coming off. My wife was like, “That’s enough.” She took them and threw them out.

Derek Law, Nationals: My wife is like, “You need to get some new shirts,” and I’m like, “Ehh, I’m good.”

Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles: I never need new clothes.

Mike Yastrzemski, Giants: I don’t buy clothes, I don’t buy shoes. I get very weirdly indecisive about things. I’ll be like, “I want this,” and then I’ll turn around 10 minutes later and be like, “Well, what’s going to change if I buy this? Nothing.” So then I’m like, “I guess I don’t need this,” and I move on.

Strahm: I’m very simple and cheap with clothes. There is black, white and gray in my closet, just plain T-shirts.

Craig Kimbrel, Braves: I’ll wear stuff out.

Kwan: Socks, undershirts, that stuff I will ride until the end.

Musgrove: I’ll wear it until I can’t wear it anymore.

Mountcastle: Until it literally has holes in it.

Kwan: I had a pillow for 10 years that my now-wife was totally disgusted by. She’s like “You can get a new one!” and I was like “Why? I don’t need a new one.” One day she took the cover off and said, “You need to look at this, it’s disgusting.” And it was. I did end up throwing it away my first year up here. It made it to the big leagues, though.

Seth Lugo, Royals: I hate paying for shipping.

Austin Riley, Braves: There was something — it was a hunting gadget, it was like $6, and the shipping was $8. And I was like, “I’ll just go buy it somewhere.”

Jesse Chavez, Braves: And a “processing fee.”… Processing? Where did that come from?

McFarland: When you use DoorDash and it’s an extra couple bucks to have someone deliver the food to you, I tell my wife, “No way, we are picking it up.”

Lugo: Go get it yourself. I’m not ordering stuff (to get delivered).

McFarland: Sure, it’s 15-20 minutes to go pick it up and you are probably spending that money on gas, but (delivery) is something I am not OK wasting money on.

Jesse Winker, Mets: I feel like Uber’s prices have gotten out of control, so if I can’t walk somewhere, I’ll rent a scooter for a fraction of the price.

Clay Holmes, Mets: I’m cheap about flights. You fly so much with the team you never even think about it, then you go to book flights in the offseason, and it’s like, “I got to pay this much to fly?”

Jameson Taillon, Cubs: I have a hard time paying for extra legroom. I can afford to fly first class or in an exit row, but I feel like I’m getting punished for being tall, so I refuse to upgrade my seat.

Triston McKenzie, Guardians: I look at first-class seats, but I don’t ever buy them.

Matt Vierling, Tigers: I still drive my car from college. It’s a 2012 Ford Escape. It broke down on the highway on me (in September).

Birdsong: I’ve got a 2015 Ford Fusion.

Paul Sewald, Guardians: I had my first car, a Toyota 4Runner, for 13 years in the big leagues, and only upgraded in 2021 because we got pregnant and needed a bigger car.

Vierling: I was driving an even older car before. (The Escape) was used when I got it; it had like 65,000 miles on it. Now it’s got like 172,000, and we are still rolling. I am going to try to ride it out for another year. I got everybody in my family saying, It’s not safe, you should get another car. And I’m just like, “Not yet. I will ride it until it dies.”

Birdsong: I was a sixth-rounder, I’ll keep it till it breaks, and it’s pretty close. It’s got 140-150,000 miles on it.

Sewald: I’ve got a Ford Expedition now. It’s not fancy. It’s pretty much a dad car.

Birdsong: Maybe I’ll get a Prius next.

Kwan: I still don’t own a car. I lease one and do some (promotional stuff) for the company, and they pay for it. That saves a lot of money.

Kyle Gibson, Orioles: When I was in college, my junior year (2009), I needed a 60-degree lob wedge. So I went to Walmart, and bought a $19.99 wedge. I still have that club, and I have yet to buy a new one because I love it. The grip is ripped badly, the shaft of the club is completely rusted out. Whenever I golf with somebody new, they see me pull it out of my bag and they go, “What are you doing?”

Yastrzemski: I have the same clubs I’ve had for four years that I got for free anyway. I called my agent because I cracked my driver face and said, “Hey, do you know anyone who can send me a driver? I don’t care what it is.” I didn’t want to buy it. … I did buy a new putter recently. It took me a year and a half to pull the trigger on it.

Chavez stayed near a lake during the All-Star break with teammate A.J. Minter and their families. There were eight people total, and they filled up a cart, mainly with fruit and vegetables. It was $600.

Chavez: I’m also a big stickler at the grocery store. … Where did this (bill) come from?

Law: Groceries are crazy.

McFarland: I will look at the store, and it’s like, “OK, if it’s 60 cents less, I am getting the generic brand.”

Emilio Pagàn, Reds: Even if it’s 40 cents cheaper.

McKenzie, Guardians: If I need medicine, I’m definitely getting Target brand ibuprofen.

Law: If the strawberries say they’re two for $7, I’m going to get two strawberries because I feel like I’m saving money. Am I? Probably not, because they made me buy two now.

Jake Diekman, free agent: The other day at self-checkout I was like, where are all the bags? And the lady said you have to buy them. It was wild. I only bought two, though.

Law: Most of the time you forget the bags that you’re supposed to bring. And it’s like, damn, I am not paying 10 cents.

Kwan: I don’t like paying for snacks. I have my little Lulu(lemon) bag and it’s like a trick-or-treat (in the clubhouse) every day. Usually it’s spilling out the brim. I’ve got free waters and these sweet Thai chili almonds I’ve been absolutely emptying out.

Winker: The price of water has gone way too high. We get so used to just being able to grab water (in the clubhouse). Then in the offseason you go buy water and you’re like, “This water is this expensive?”

Dustin May, Dodgers: I’m not saying I don’t load up (on the free waters). I definitely do.

Neto: I won’t pay for water bottles. Before I leave here, I will take a couple home with me to drink.

McFarland: The same guys walking out of here with tons of free water bottles have no problem spending $25,000 on a Rolex.

Manny Machado, Padres: I won’t spend money on a wine (at a restaurant) that they charge you 800 percent (markup) on. I’ll just go home and drink my own wine or bring my own wine.

Pagan: For the longest time, my diet included a lot of Taco Bell. Crunch Wrap Supreme is hard to beat. That helped my cheap mindset, but now I’m getting older and can’t eat that as much.

Machado: I like wine, but the value’s got to be there. I’m a value guy.

Diekman: You have to go to Costco, the No. 1 seller of wine in the world. I feel like everyone trying to save should go to Costco, grab yourself a hot dog and get some wine.

Kwan: You got to buy in bulk. I’m not playing around going to get toothpaste five or six times. I’m going to get the 10-pack and let that ride out.

Logan O’Hoppe, Angels: Don’t hate me, but even though it’s a dollar, I refuse to pay for The Athletic. Even if my name is in it, my ego gets in the way and I don’t want to pay for it.

(Editor’s note: Subscribe now for just $1/week for four weeks, Logan.)

McKenzie: I did finally subscribe. (Guardians beat writer Zack) Meisel got me to. He was like, it’s only a dollar! But I did hold out for a little bit.

O’Hoppe: I am not paying that damn dollar. It’s the principle. I will read the first paragraph before the paywall. So, I guess I’m too cheap to read this article.

— The Athletic’s Katie Woo, Dennis Lin, David O’Brien and Patrick Mooney contributed to this story.

(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors’ regular season will end on a Sunday afternoon at Chase Center in one of Draymond Green’s favorite matchups. Against the LA Clippers. It will likely have postseason implications, so Green will no doubt be intense.

But it’s not one of his favorites for the matchup against Ivica Zubac, the bruising center he’ll have to face. Or Kawhi Leonard. Or James Harden. No, Green loves the matchup because of opposing head coach Ty Lue.

“When I’m playing against his teams,” Green said, “I feel like it’s a chess match with me and him.”

It’s a window into why Green is here, at 35 years old, still playing stellar enough defensively to be worthy of Defensive Player of the Year consideration. He’s not as fast as he once was, not as explosive as when he last won the award in 2017. His body has endured, is enduring, the typical wear and tear of a career over a thousand games long.

But Green compensates with his mind. Always a high-IQ player, Green’s advanced knowledge, accrued through six NBA Finals trips and four championships, has evolved him into an algorithmic deconstructor of offenses.

He still has some tangible strengths. He’s strong. He remains spry. He also has a 7-foot-2 wingspan he wields like a weapon. It compensates for him being only 6-foot-6. Sometimes, he’ll guard people with one hand in the air, like a fly swatter.

But the activation of these tools is his special trick. It ain’t checkers. Not to Green. He doesn’t want to win matchups; he wants to disrupt whole schemes. He doesn’t see his battle with the players on the court but with the aim of what they want to accomplish.

“Every offense in the NBA is built to put (defensive) players in a rotation,” Green said. “So if I know that, and I know the rotation … if I see that y’all are doing this or y’all (are) doing this to get to that? Great. I’m going to stand right there and f— this whole play up.

“I want everything that y’all thought y’all was going to come in this game and do, I want to take all of that s— off the table. That’s why I talk to the coaches so much. … This is my little battle with the coach. I want to f— your s— up. It’s no hard feelings. I’m always bantering and talking. But I want you to know that your offensive game plan, I wanna f— it up. … Completely destroy your offensive game plan, and then I want to let you know about it.”

What goes into the monkey-wrenching of defenses? Green sat down and broke down five plays from this season that give a window into his defensive mind. Watch the videos to hear Green’s detailed explanation.

Warriors vs. Pelicans | Oct. 30 | Chase Center

Zion Williamson went 5 of 20 in this early season showdown, back when he was healthy and spry. Green frustrated him into a rough night. He explained how he did it, using this sequence as an example.

Williamson caught the pass as he was curling into the lane. But Green, after having watched Williamson score 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting the previous night against the Warriors, altered his approach: Give Williamson space.

“I want to give myself a little distance because he’s fast and powerful. You know, quick,” Green said. “But I don’t want to give too much distance to where the momentum of the bump that he’s going to deliver, it’s gon’ move me.”

Against taller players, such as Nikola Jokić and Anthony Davis, Green has to be close enough to get a good contest. Williamson is just 6-6. So Green could give him space and still contest thanks to his wingspan.

Williamson settled for the midrange jumper and missed badly. Wide left. He managed to get the ball back, but Green hunted him down with his fly swatter and challenged his shot. He calls it the deflector hand.

“It’s the deflector,” he said. “I need the deflector going. I’ve got to get this hand up because I’m not 7 feet. If my hand goes up late, it’s a wrap. I’m 6-5.”

Warriors vs. Mavericks | Nov. 12 | Chase Center

Two plays — one early in the first quarter, another late in the fourth quarter — revealed the nuance of the chess Green plays.

Then-Dallas star Luka Dončić ran a pick-and-roll with Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford on the left wing. Andrew Wiggins and Trayce Jackson-Davis trapped Dončić on the sideline. Green defended Naji Marshall. But he left Marshall to go cover Gafford.

The rotational scheme called for Green to pass off Gafford once he got below the free-throw line. Straying too far from his man would give Dončić an easy pass to an open shooter. But Green didn’t mind that shot.

“I tag Gafford because if you don’t tag Gafford, what Luka gon’ do? He’s gon’ probe, probe, he gon’ throw it right to the front of the rim to Gafford for a lob. So I’m tagging him all the way down. But I know I have a non-shooter. I know I can get back here.”

Sticking with Gafford did two things. One, it kept Stephen Curry out of rotation. He was the low man responsible for cutting off the diving big man. Since Green discouraged the pass to Gafford, preventing the roll, Curry didn’t need to rotate and could stay tethered to Klay Thompson in the weakside corner. And then-Warrior De’Anthony Melton could stick with Kyrie Irving instead of zoning up to cover both Thompson and Irving — if Curry had to rotate.

Dončić, with his roll man covered, dribbled around Jackson-Davis and drove baseline. The double-team stayed with him, and Dončić ended up under the rim. Thompson was covered by Curry, Irving by Melton and Gafford by Green.

Dončić, being such an exceptional passer, knew his lone option — though it was behind him. He wrapped a no-look, two-hand pass from the right low block to the left wing, where Marshall was wide open.

Notice Green’s back was to Dončić, whose back was to the shooter. Yet, Green had already diagnosed what Dončić would do. The ball was barely out of Dončić’s hands when Green made his move toward Marshall on the wing.

So Green freelanced the defensive scheme, baited Dončić to throw the ball where he wanted, then “jumped the route” and got one of his patented blocked 3-pointers — which was relatively easy.

Green said most defenders, when they see an open player, run toward the open man with their hands up. Since defenders are trained to get a hand up on shooters, they instinctively raise their arms while closing out. But Green said that slows the defender down.

“When I see the ball passed, I take off and sprint. At the last second, I get my hand up. Before my hand goes up, I’m on a dead sprint.”

With a bead on the play, a sprinting closeout and a 7-2 wingspan, this was an easy block of Marshall’s 3-pointer.

Oddly enough, the biggest defensive play of this game happened because Green made the opposite choice with Gafford and left the Mavericks big man open on purpose.

The Warriors were down a point with 2:21 left and needed a stop. Dončić was running a pick-and-roll with then-Maverick Quentin Grimes, trying to get Curry on Dončić. Green tried baiting Dončić into passing to Gafford. Green parked at the free-throw line in the middle, negating Grimes’ roll to the basket.

Green was aware of Gafford behind him. He wanted Dončić to feed him the ball. They’ve been in this situation before.

It worked. Dončić passed behind Green to Gafford on the baseline. Green didn’t get in front of Gafford. Instead, he essentially gave Gafford the lane to the rim.

“Because I know I can get the ball on the back side,” Green said. “… If I come to him and get my body in front of him, he’s too big. He’s just going to shoo me off and just lay it here. Me getting my body in front of him at that point, I’m at a disadvantage. My advantage is to elude his body and get the ball on the other side.”

Warriors at Rockets | Dec. 11 | Toyota Center

Houston’s Alperen Şengün had Green in the paint isolated and decided to post up the smaller Warrior. The Rockets’ big man is 6-11, 235 pounds and one of the best in the NBA with his back to the basket. But Green made quick work of him in the paint. He used his hands to keep Şengün from getting into his body.

Şengün got into the low post on the left block. But Green anticipated his move and, using the baseline as a defender, angled his body to be in the way when Şengün attempted to turn back to the middle.

“He always wants to spin,” Green said. “So when he’s going left, guess where he’s going? He’s spinning back right. So now I just need to pin him that way. I can’t let you spin back to your right hand, and you’re too deep. You’re under the backboard.”

An off-balance Şengün was easy prey. Green stripped the ball, and the Warriors were off the other way.

Warriors vs. Knicks | March 15 | Chase Center

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Warriors had taken control of the game. Green started the play on New York’s Josh Hart, a non-shooter who allowed Green to play center field. When Mikal Bridges curled off a screen, Green left Hart to stop Bridges. Green knows Bridges likes to get to his midrange pullup.

“As soon as I see him coming off the screen with a little bit of space, I’m already knowing, like, ‘Oh, I need to jump up. Because if I don’t, he’s gon’ shoot that. That’s his pet shot. So I need to put this fire out right away.”

Instead of taking his midrange shot, Bridges lofted a pass to the left wing for Knicks forward OG Anunoby. Karl-Anthony Towns set a screen on Warriors forward Gui Santos, who shadowed Anunoby. Then Towns rolled out of the screen and warded off Jimmy Butler, who was on Towns.

This resulted in a clear path to the rim for Anunoby.

Bridges, after making the pass, floated to the top. But Green didn’t follow him. He abandoned Bridges, leaving him alone behind the arc.

“I don’t think he can make this pass,” Green said. “He can’t make that pass. He don’t even see it. … He got a drive to the rim. He ain’t passing. And he was playing well? Go put the fire out.”

Ever the freelancer, Green beat Moses Moody and Butler to the rotation and cut off Anunoby on the baseline. When the Knicks forward leapt toward the front of the rim for a layup, Green blocked it to complete the play.

So Green started on Hart, switched onto Bridges, then thwarted Anunoby.

Warriors vs. Bucks | March 18 | Chase Center

The Warriors were one stop away from sealing the game. Green was on Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo did a dribble-handoff (DHO) with forward Kyle Kuzma into a pick-and-roll. Buddy Hield, chasing Kuzma, zipped around Giannis to stay connected to his man. He found himself behind a screen by Giannis.

But Green didn’t drop back to cover Giannis.

“My thought process here is I’m gonna be up at the level of the screen,” Green said. “Because I’ve got to take the 3 away. We’re up 11 points with 51 seconds to go. I’ve gotta take this 3 away.”

So Green immediately ate the space between him and Kuzma. For one, he wanted to speed up Kuzma. He also wanted to make the pass harder for Kuzma. And Green already knew he couldn’t let Kuzma turn the corner and have a two-man game with Giannis rolling to the basket in open space.

“Look where Kuz catches the ball,” Green said. “He’s in a prime trap spot. He’s got the sideline. He’s got nowhere to go. … I’ve got him dead right here. Once he turns his back, I can get out now.”

Green hustled back to Giannis. Butler had rotated over to cover for Green, but now Green sent him away. He was ready for his second effort on the defensive possession.

With Giannis catching the ball farther out, Green was in a better position to defend.

“So now I can beat (Giannis) to the spot, and I can prepare myself for the shoulder because I know the shoulder is coming,” Green said. “I can take the hit.”

Green indeed absorbed Giannis’ shoulder and impeded a shot attempt. Giannis passed to Damian Lillard in the weakside corner. Green remained connected to Giannis, who drifted to the left side. But when the ball reversed to the opposite corner, Green had to give a third effort.

He sprinted out to contest an open 3 from Taurean Prince. Green closed out well enough to make Prince pump fake and step away from Green. The change was enough to disrupt Prince, and he missed.

The play began with him blowing up their pick-and-roll plans and ended with a good contest. Ball game.

(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Jed Jacobsohn / NBAE, Elsa, Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

“Always I have to be careful for the respect for the players that have played incredible roles, but there’s no doubt he’s one of the greatest for sure,” said Pep Guardiola of Kevin De Bruyne’s impending exit from Manchester City.

De Bruyne’s impact at City since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015 has been huge, with the Belgian scoring 106 goals in 413 appearances, contributing to 187 Premier League goals (scoring or assisting), equalling the assist record for a single season and winning 19 trophies.

While Guardiola was careful about discussing where he stands in the greatest player debate, the City coach praised his “influence in our success in the last decade”.

Which had us asking, who are the most influential midfielders of the Premier League era?

Here is a selection of our writers’ answers and explanations of why they chose them. There probably isn’t a right answer but please let us know who we’ve overlooked (sorry, Paul Scholes) and register your vote in our poll (or submit your own entry).

We’ll publish the results on Sunday.

Yaya Toure

Premier League career: Manchester City 2010-18

Quite simply, Yaya Toure played in a style different to any midfielder the Premier League had seen before. He had the physicality of a centre-back, screening of a No 6, driving ability of a No 8, and shot power of a striker, patch-worked together in one sky blue-clad body.

There was Claude Makelele, who achieved Toure’s defensive coverage but was far more limited in attack, while even Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira lacked the Ivorian’s ability to take games by the scruff of their necks. Mousa Dembele, at his best, probably comes closest.

Here was the player that straddled City’s first post-takeover steps — his goal against Stoke City won the 2011 FA Cup, the club’s first trophy in 35 years — and Pep Guardiola’s dominant sides. David Silva, as wonderful as he was, relied on the industry and guile of his deeper-lying partner.

He is probably the figure who has most influenced the mimetic ideal of a Premier League midfielder, his frame dominating in the most physical league in the world, but his technical ability still allowing him to evade pressure and crash the box. Ask any top-flight manager to draw up the frame and skill set of their ideal midfielder, all rules of creation in their hands, and Toure would be the closest facsimile.

Jacob Whitehead

Frank Lampard

West Ham United 1995-01, Chelsea 2001-14, Manchester City 2014-15

Goals. Lampard scored 177 of them, elevating him to seventh place on the Premier League’s all-time list. To put that into context, he’s surrounded by strikers. The next-highest midfielder — Steven Gerrard — is in 23rd place. Lampard’s assists? 102. Astonishing numbers that highlight Lampard’s incredible attacking output across 22 Premier League seasons, most spent with Chelsea, where he won three Premier League titles after signing from West Ham in 2001.

Lampard’s biggest talent, by his own admission, was his work ethic and dedication. Encouraged by his father, Frank Lampard Snr, he practised relentlessly, striving to be the best that he could be every day at training, and, ultimately, he got his reward.

An elegant passer of the ball, aided by his awareness and football intelligence, Lampard mastered the art of the late run into the penalty area, where he scored goals of every description to establish himself as one of the Premier League greats.

Stuart James

Roy Keane

Nottingham Forest 1990*-93, Manchester United 1993-2005

A force of nature, a supreme competitor. Sir Alex Ferguson once said, “If I was putting Roy Keane out there to represent Manchester United on a one-on-one, we would win the Derby, the Grand National, the Boat Race and anything else.”

Keane was not just part of a dominant team at United in the 1990s and early 2000s, he was the heart and soul.

Keane was United’s on-pitch leader (Michael Steele/EMPICS via Getty Images)

He didn’t play defence-splitting passes like Gerrard, De Bruyne or Paul Scholes. He didn’t have the silky skills of Cesc Fabregas, Luka Modric or Silva. He didn’t score goals like Lampard and he didn’t have the towering presence of Vieira. But he was, in an understated way, an extraordinary footballer — not just a fearsome tackler but a swashbuckling box-to-box midfielder and who evolved into an intelligent and inspirational (if at times impetuous) captain who elevated and at times dragged his team-mates to another level.

Oliver Kay

* 1992-93 was the first Premier League season

Xabi Alonso

Liverpool 2004-09

As if it wasn’t enough to be so good that Jose Mourinho compared you to a “metronomic” Guardiola. No, Alonso could also do the audacious to sit alongside the elegantly procedural midfield demands.

He scored in a Champions League final, won the FA Cup and shared the limelight with Gerrard in his prime. But the Basque midfielder will also be remembered for one of the Premier League’s most ridiculous goals, against Newcastle United at Anfield in September 2006.

Having won the ball himself just outside the centre circle, he saw opposition ‘keeper Steve Harper off his line and duly put the ball into the net from a staggering 60 yards. It was the second-longest goal in top-flight history but remarkably, he had already gone better.

That year, he had scored from more than 70 yards near the end of an FA Cup win at Luton Town after the goalkeeper had gone up for a set piece. The complete range of passing, a penchant to put his foot in when required and capable of jaw-dropping goals — Alonso had it all.

Greg O’Keeffe

Steven Gerrard

Liverpool 1998-2015

Football has become about specialisms, players whose job description is tightly defined around one super-strength. Very few have possessed the ability to claim they are one of the best across all categories.

Vieira, Toure and Rodri all have a case, but those players were usually part of either the best or second-best team in England. Gerrard did not have that luxury in many seasons, yet he is still the best all-rounder there has been. It is why his spectacularly outsized influence on Liverpool was so captivating.

He had power, guile, range, aggression. He was Roy of the Rovers incarnate, a sheer force of nature who could transform games on his own. It is why Jose Mourinho tried to sign him for three different clubs and why Ferguson thought he was the only player who replicated Keane’s ubiquity on the pitch.

Gerrard stayed loyal to Liverpool (AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)

That ferocious energy and desire to be everything was what Rafa Benitez refined. He added a subtlety to his game while playing just off Fernando Torres, producing sublime killer passes on tap. Late in his career, he was reinvented as a ‘quarterback’, pinging diagonals from deep with machine-like precision.

He could have been placed into any team or style and had he not stayed at his boyhood club and racked up titles elsewhere, the conversation would be a lot shorter.

Jordan Campbell

Cesc Fabregas

Arsenal 2003-11, Chelsea 2014-19

He was so good, he changed the way Arsenal played football.

Arsene Wenger’s early success in north London had been built on the pace and power of Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Gilberto Silva, but when a scruffy 16-year-old with a dodgy mullet and a baggy shirt arrived from Barcelona, a new era began.

After Viera’s departure, Fabregas was given the keys to the Arsenal midfield and grabbed them with both hands. His passing was slick, his vision sublime, and he quickly became the poster boy for what would come to be known as ‘Wengerball’.

He was unlucky to never win the trophies his quality deserved with Arsenal, but he returned from a spell back at Barcelona to win two Premier League titles in three seasons with Chelsea.

Under Wenger, Mourinho and Antonio Conte, the styles were wildly different, but it’s a testament to how good a player he was that Fabregas’ quality always shone through.

Kaya Kaynak

Patrick Vieira

Arsenal 1996-2005, Man City 2010-11

In the Premier League, there was a time before Wenger and a time after he arrived.

And just as Thierry Henry used Wenger’s Arsenal team as a vehicle to redefine the role of a Premier League forward, so Vieira used it to transform the idea of a midfielder.

There had been outstanding box-to-box operators before him, most notably Bryan Robson at the league’s inception in the early 1990s, then Keane. But Vieira was the complete package.

Vieira was key to Wenger’s Arsenal (John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

He could match any midfielder of his era for technique, skill and intelligence while having the edge on everyone else in athleticism, physical presence, stamina and mobility. He could bend games to his will through sheer force of personality and he did it all while gliding across the pitch with a grace that no supreme, 6ft 4in (193cm) athlete should be able to produce.

Steve Madeley

Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City 2015-2025

It’s not just the relentlessness of De Bruyne’s output that City will miss, but the imagination and variety — the spark — that he consistently found, so often the man with the creative solution that other talented team-mates just couldn’t see.

There were moments of sheer genius — a deft reverse pass to find Leroy Sane in a 7-2 win against Stoke City; a free kick rolled under the wall against Cardiff City, a defence-splitting ball to drag Manchester City back into the game at Newcastle.

There were moments of repeated brilliance — those unstoppable crosses from the right, always struck with whip, venom, and deep into the areas that no opponent wanted to defend. And when all else failed, there was sheer power — searing strikes against Swansea City and Chelsea, a thumping half-volley off the bar at St James’ Park, and a surging, title-winning run into the box against Aston Villa all springing to mind.

On both feet, and with absolutely everything he had, De Bruyne brought a unique mix of brutal efficiency and eye-catching style, a hard-working midfielder with game-breaking talent to boot.

How City will adapt to life without him remains unclear; it’s the same question fans asked when Toure and Silva chose to move on, before a certain Belgian midfielder answered the call.

Leaving with six Premier League titles, five League Cups, two FA Cups and, most importantly, a Champions League to his name, the club have De Bruyne to thank for helping to deliver its finest hours.

Thom Harris

Claude Makelele

Chelsea 2003-08

There are not many football players whose role became so clearly defined that it is named after them.

Makelele arrived at Chelsea in the twilight of his career. Aged 30, Makelele had been converted from an attacking midfielder to a deep-lying, anchoring midfielder that would protect his back line and hoover up any defensive actions that came anywhere near his orbit.

However, it was not just his ability to cover ground and regain possession, but also how much his role transformed the way that Chelsea played on the ball — signalling to the Premier League that a 4-4-2 was becoming increasingly outdated.

Makelele even had a role named after him (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)

“If I have a triangle in midfield — Claude Makelele behind and two others just in front — I will always have an advantage against a pure 4-4-2 where the central midfielders are side by side,” said Mourinho as Chelsea manager. “That’s because I will always have an extra man. It starts with Makelele, who is between the lines.”

When ‘The Makelele Role’ becomes an established phrase within the game, you know you have made an impact in the Premier League.

Mark Carey

Paul Ince

Manchester United 1989*-1995, Liverpool 1997-99, Middlesbrough 1999-2002, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2003-04 (Ince played in the top flight for West Ham from 1986-89)

Ince was the start of it all. In the inaugural Premier League season (1992-93), Manchester United won their first title in 26 years. Ince played 41 of the 42 games. He made United win matches.

Next season, same again. United won the second ever Premier League season, with Ince playing 39 of 42 matches and scoring eight goals, most of them alongside new arrival Keane.

In the third Premier League season, United were beaten into second place by Blackburn Rovers and Ince’s relationship with Ferguson had soured, so he was sold to Inter Milan for £7.5million ($9.7m at current rates).

A lot was said about Ince, not least by Ferguson, who called Ince a “big-time Charlie” when the midfielder was playing for Liverpool, a comment Ferguson later regretted.

It’s true, Ince did rate himself, but justifiably so. If you supported the opposition, Ince felt unbeatable. He controlled the midfield and controlled the game, the way great Italian midfielders were able to.

He spent two seasons in Serie A before signing for Liverpool. He was past his best then, but before that, Ince was the Premier League’s stepping stone to get to Keane, Vieira and De Bruyne.

Andrew Hankinson

N’Golo Kante

Leicester City 2015-16, Chelsea 2016-23

Kante took the Makelele role and asked for large fries to go with it. He super-sized what it meant to be a ball-winning midfielder (despite his shorter height and slighter frame) and spearheaded consecutive Premier League titles with different clubs.

He arguably achieved a unique feat in being central to two successive title-winning teams. Eric Cantona did something similar with Leeds United and Manchester United in 1992 and 1993, but only joined the former from February onwards when they were already top of the table.

Kante was central to Leicester’s remarkable title (Getty Images)

It is impossible to envisage Leicester winning the title in 2016 without Kante, who did the jobs of two, even three players with his relentless interceptions and tackles. Then at Chelsea a season later, he repeated the feat, scooping up all the player-of-the-year awards along the way.

A World Cup and a Champions League would follow as Kante reimagined himself slightly further up the field. Sadly, injuries stunted his golden era, but at his best, no one in the world was better at what Kante did.

He is also the greatest bargain buy on this list, costing Leicester just £5.6m from French club Caen in 2015

Tim Spiers

David Silva

Manchester City 2010-20

There is an interesting debate to be had between Silva and De Bruyne, purely in terms of their different styles of play. Plenty of City fans will pick Silva as the best player to ever play for the club, and most Spaniards would probably side with Silva due to their different appreciation of what makes a footballer special.

De Bruyne’s game lends itself more to British sensibilities: he is all about powerful running and crash, bang, wallop goals.

Silva was the yin to De Bruyne’s yang. If De Bruyne was the icing on the cake, Silva was the cake.

He made City tick during his entire period at the club, whether it was Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini or Guardiola in charge. The latter’s game plans are all about controlling the game and Silva’s tempo-setting approach, always knowing how many touches were needed in a given moment, found an obvious home. To sound all hipster for a moment, Silva would be the thinking man’s choice.

Sam Lee

Have your say

After it was announced Kevin De Bruyne is to leave Manchester City at the end of the season, we asked a selection of our writers who the most influential midfielders of the Premier League are and then opened it up to a vote.

And you voted in the thousands. In addition to the 12 players nominated by our writers, there were votes for players including Rodri, Luka Modric, Joelinton, Mousa Dembele and Paul Scholes. Or “Paul Scholes you idiots” as one voter put it. But for all the support for the former Manchester United midfielder, it was Steven Gerrard who won the poll.

This is how readers of The Athletic voted:

28% Steven Gerrard

17% Roy Keane

14% Kevin De Bruyne

12% Patrick Vieira

8% Frank Lampard

5% Yaya Toure

4% Paul Scholes

4% N’Golo Kante

2% David Silva

2% Claude Makelele

1% Cesc Fabregas

1% Xabi Alonso

The remaining votes were shared among other players

(Top image: Getty Images)

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees’ bats were the story of the team’s franchise-record nine-home run day against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Then came the discussion about the actual bats used by some players in the 20-9 win.

The uniquely shaped lumber is the result of two years of research and experimentation with a former Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist-turned-coach at the helm.

The question at its center?

“Where are you trying to hit the ball?” Aaron Leanhardt said in a phone interview Sunday morning. “Where are you trying to make contact?”

Leanhardt, 48, began his work when he was a member of the Yankees’ minor-league hitting department in 2022 and brought it to the major leagues last season when he was the team’s lead analyst, with some players, including shortstop Anthony Volpe, trying them in games. Now, as many as five Yankees will be using them in games at least early this season, according to outfielder Cody Bellinger.

The bats — with their torpedo-like shape — are custom-made to player preferences and are designed so that the densest part of the bat is where that particular hitter most often makes contact with the baseball, said Leanhardt, who became a field coordinator with the Miami Marlins in the offseason.

“Really,” he said. “It’s just about making the bat as heavy and as fat as possible in the area where you’re trying to do damage on the baseball.”

A Major League Baseball spokesman told The Athletic that the bats don’t break any rules. MLB Rule 3.02 states that a bat “shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.” It also says that “experimental” bats can’t be used “until the manufacturer has secured approval from Major League Baseball of his design and methods of manufacture.”

Asked whether he was the inventor of the technology, Leanhardt said it was a group effort, the results coming from conversations with coaches, players, MLB and bat makers.

“Credit goes to those who take it,” Leanhardt said. “But if people want to ascribe credit to different people, then I’ll take some cut of it.”

A Yankees official, however, said Leanhardt deserves “a lot” of the credit. Retired infielder Kevin Smith, who spent parts of four seasons in the majors, also credited Leanhardt as the inventor.

Yes, the Yankees have a literal genius MIT Physicist, Lenny (who is the man), on payroll. He invented the “Torpedo” barrel. It brings more wood – and mass – to where you most often make contact as a hitter. The idea is to increase the number of “barrels” and decrease misses. pic.twitter.com/CsC1wkAM9G

— Kevin Smith (@KJS_4) March 29, 2025

Leanhardt took an unorthodox route to baseball.

He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in physics from MIT. He was a physics professor at the University of Michigan from 2007 to 2014.

Leanhardt began coaching in the Atlantic League in 2017 and coached at a Montana community college before joining the Yankees in 2018. In the majors in 2024, the club said he was its first “major league analyst” and “responsible for integrating the use of quantitative information with on-field performance and preparation.”

Why leave academia for baseball?

“I think that’s one of the cool things about sports is it’s very competitive,” he said. “Guys are willing to push the envelope. It’s just an opportunity to take my background to an area and find ways to innovate.”

Talking to players over the years revealed that their biggest concerns were twofold, Leanhardt said. They wanted to make more contact with pitches and they wanted to strike the ball more often with the bat’s “sweet spot,” or the densest area.

“They’re going to point to a location on the bat that is probably six or seven inches down from the tip of the bat,” he said. “That’s where the sweet spot typically is. It’s just through those conversations where you think to yourself, why don’t we exchange how much wood we’re putting on the tip versus how much we’re putting in the sweet spot? That’s the original concept right there. Just try to take all that excess weight and try to put it where you’re trying to hit the ball and then in exchange try to take the thinner diameter that used to be at the sweet spot and put that on the tip.”

Leanhardt said he didn’t see many drawbacks to redistributing the weight of the bat.

“The bat speed should stay the same,” he said. “Maybe the bat speed can even increase a little bit depending on how you want to redesign the bat. But ultimately you’re getting a fatter barrel, a heavier barrel at the sweet spot. So in some sense, you can have your cake and eat it here too. You can get some gains without actually making sacrifices.”

Leanhardt said he didn’t want to talk about individual players’ experiences with the new bat. Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton told reporters earlier this month that it was “probably some bat adjustments”  last season that caused the ligament tears in both of his elbows that led to his current stay on the injured list, though he didn’t place specific blame on anybody. Then he added: “I don’t know why it happened.” Leanhardt declined to comment on Stanton’s situation.

“You’d have to ask the Yankees’ medical personnel about that,” he said. “I’ll defer all those questions to the Yankees’ medical guys.”

Leanhardt said it was “the nature of our business” that it took years for a radically new bat design to come along.

“People back in the day swung very heavy bats made out of hickory and then someone had this genius idea to swing something lighter, something like ash, and that was revolutionary back in the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s kind of in that transition, and then the industry kind of stayed the course for quite some time,” he said. “Ultimately, it just takes people asking the right questions and being willing to be forward-thinking.”

He got a kick out of seeing the social media fervor the bats caused Saturday. He said that while some players began to use them last season, “the entire industry kind of caught wind of it” and “it exploded in the offseason.”

“Which is why you see it in the hands of so many guys right now,” he said. “Obviously, (Saturday’s) performance threw a whole lot of attention to it.”

It took a lot of coordination for the bats to go from the design stage to being manufactured. Leanhardt said he would “guarantee” he’s on a first-name basis with officials at MLB who oversee bat regulation and “everyone who operates the lathe for every bat manufacturer in baseball.”

“You really just are communicating with each company and trying to find the person who really knows the wood and knows how to turn the wood on a lathe. You just build a relationship with those guys and convince them that this is something that’s in their best interest to produce for their players. They want their players to be as successful as possible. Some guys buy in and it gains traction,” he said. “That’s really how it got built up.”

(Top photo of Aaron Leanhardt, right, with Marlins manager Clayton McCullough: Jasen Vinlove / Miami Marlins / Getty Images)

By Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal and Sahadev Sharma

CHICAGO —  At first glance, the post from an X user named @Brooks_Gate seemed like something a multibillion-dollar company would ignore.

It consisted of a chart that used estimated data to illustrate the percentage of revenue spent on player payroll. Rather than sitting at the top with heavyweights like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, the Chicago Cubs were lumped in near the bottom alongside the crosstown White Sox as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins — the lightweight class.

The Wrigley Field money-making machine drove the Cubs to the third-highest revenue in Major League Baseball last year, according to sources briefed on the club’s finances. Yet even as one of the world’s most beloved ballparks hums along, a single post on social media struck a nerve with fans — and inside the executive offices.

When fans stream into Wrigley Field for Friday’s 1:20 p.m. home opener, unmistakable signs of the disparity between revenue and payroll will be visible. It’s seen in making Craig Counsell the highest-paid manager in the game and then handing him almost the same roster that got David Ross fired after the 2023 season. It’s seen in trading for Kyle Tucker after back-to-back years with 83 wins, but not going all-out to maximize his final season before becoming a free agent. It’s seen in handing the third-base job to an unproven rookie at the start of a playoffs-or-bust season, after budgetary restrictions effectively took them out of the running for Matt Chapman and Alex Bregman.

how much revenue each MLB team generated last year, and how much of that is going towards their payroll this year pic.twitter.com/UAZmHhaR8a

— BrooksGate (@Brooks_Gate) March 29, 2025

The graphic that perturbed Cubs executives was just one of many floating around in the vast expanse of social media. But it captured the growing belief that the Cubs no longer seem quite as singularly focused on winning the World Series, at least compared to the way that 1908 once hung over prior regimes.

One reason is the payroll parameters set by the Ricketts family ownership group and Crane Kenney’s business operations department. Another is the rising cost of doing business in the hypercompetitive National League. Taken together, those factors have left the club in a somewhat nebulous state, as legitimate contenders but with a margin for error that is arguably thinner than it should be.

The organization’s decision-makers dispute that notion. They believe the graphic is misleading and that they are making forward-looking financial choices, from hiring Counsell to building a scouting presence in Japan to enhancing player development.

“Talking about team revenue and payroll without including the other investments in baseball and business operations, as well as the impact of revenue sharing, does not show the whole picture,” said Kenney, a reference to the capital expenditures to maintain a team-owned ballpark that opened in 1914, and operating costs to run a popular tourist attraction.

Still, one league source referred to “the handcuffs” that Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has dealt with while trying to build a playoff contender. A competing view, however, is that the Cubs spent roughly $100 million more than the Milwaukee Brewers last year and still finished 10 games behind that small-market team.

“The focus should not be on payroll,” Hoyer said. “Last season we went over the luxury tax and we ultimately didn’t win. That’s on me. I think we’ve built a better team this year and I’m excited for the season.”

On paper, the club remains a favorite to win the NL Central with a solid pitching staff, first-round picks all over the field and the ability to upgrade at the trade deadline. This new Cubs Way could work. But success would come despite the discrepancy highlighted by the graphic on social media. The Cubs’ spending on payroll does not appear to match their revenues.

Imagine what Chicago’s lineup would look like with Chapman or Bregman hitting in the middle of the order and playing Gold Glove defense at third base. Within the past two offseasons, the Cubs had their chances to sign those All-Stars, who lingered on the free-agent market longer than expected.

Hoyer’s baseball operations department viewed each player as a sound investment and lasted into the final rounds with Scott Boras, the high-powered agent who represents both Chapman and Bregman. Those negotiations, however, went down as missed opportunities.

Matt Shaw, the unproven player tapped to play third base, might wind up being the NL’s Rookie of the Year. But the Cubs also could have bought more time for Shaw, the No. 13 pick in the 2023 draft, or upgraded in other areas to lower some of the team’s overall unpredictability.

Shaw started spring training this year understanding that Bregman was a possibility for a front office that often stays engaged on free agents deep into February or even March.

The year before, with a hole at third base, league sources said the Cubs kept Chapman on their radar but never made a formal offer due to budgetary constraints.

Chapman eventually signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. While the Cubs started seven different players at third base last year — all no longer in the organization — Chapman posted 7.1 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference.

“The Cubs had a lot of interest in me,” Chapman told The Athletic. “They were willing to do a one-year deal with me.

“There was just no way I could take the Cubs’ one-year deal, just for protection purposes. I was definitely considering it. I thought it would have been a good place to play. I thought they were a good team.

“Even if it was two with an opt-out after the first year, I would have really had to take a look at it. But they said with the way their money was, they could only do a one-year. I was just like, ‘That’s just too risky.’”

Boras first placed another client, Cody Bellinger, back with the Cubs before securing Chapman’s deal with the Giants. Chapman played so well in the Bay Area that he wound up signing a six-year, $151 million contract extension last September.

Matt Chapman would have made sense for the Cubs, who couldn’t make him more than a one-year offer because of budget limitations. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

Bellinger, meanwhile, had a good-but-not-great season with the Cubs, which convinced him to opt in for another year on his current deal. Rather than retain the former MVP, the Cubs traded Bellinger to the New York Yankees last December, a move that lined up with their blockbuster deal to acquire Tucker from the Houston Astros.

In a salary dump, the Cubs gave up Bellinger for Cody Poteet, a 30-year-old pitcher who got designated for assignment last week and was then traded to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations.

Internal frustrations resurfaced in February once the Cubs missed on another third baseman. Bregman picked the Red Sox, signing a three-year, $120 million contract that includes a substantial amount of deferred money that lowered the present-day value.

Hoyer was authorized to present Bregman and Boras a four-year deal worth $115 million, according to league sources, which paled in comparison to offers made by the Astros (six years, $156 million) and Detroit Tigers (six years, $171.5 million) as well as the opportunity in Boston.

While thanking the Ricketts family for the freedom to pursue Bregman, Hoyer also made it clear to reporters that this was deemed an exceptional case. The money earmarked for Bregman would not be automatically transferred into this year’s budget for baseball operations.

Hoyer also revealed that the Cubs were around their budget limits last year when ownership gave the approval to sign Bellinger. Their final 2024 payroll wound up ninth in the majors, according to The Associated Press, at almost $240 million, or just slightly over MLB’s luxury-tax threshold.

If Hoyer had to make a special request for Bellinger, then signing another All-Star shortly thereafter would have been out of the question. This was not lost on one of the sport’s most influential agents.

“The winning commitment barometer of a major-league team is the percentage of revenues invested in talent,” Boras said.

Ten years ago, Cubs executives were highlighted in a glowing Bloomberg Businessweek cover story that declared “a sports empire is in bloom.” The major-league club had finished in fifth place five years running, and the franchise had not captured a World Series title since Theodore Roosevelt’s presidential administration. Still, the roaring optimism proved to be accurate.

Theo Epstein, the curse-buster from Boston, had recruited Hoyer to serve as his general manager in a growing front office, and later hired star manager Joe Maddon. Big-name free agents flocked to Chicago for the money and the chance to make history.

Just as the baseball side of the organization had modernized scouting and player development systems to support an elite farm system, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts and Kenney’s group realized the synergy of a renovated Wrigley Field, which suddenly became the new avatar for a franchise long known as the Lovable Losers.

Kenney delivered the money quote in that Bloomberg Businessweek story: “Basically, my job is fill a wheelbarrow with money, take it to Theo’s office, and dump it.”

The wheelbarrow was big enough to win the 2016 World Series and carry the NL’s highest payroll in 2019, a disappointing season that was the lone playoff miss amid five postseason appearances between 2015 and 2020. But since the fall of what they hoped would be a dynasty, the Cubs have taken a conservative approach while certain NL clubs continue to operate aggressively.

The financials for almost every MLB franchise are opaque, but The Associated Press gave a snapshot on Opening Day 2025 that ranked the Cubs 12th out of 30 clubs with a major-league payroll nearing $193 million, which put them lower than the Arizona Diamondbacks.

That total does not reflect the organization’s entire spend on baseball operations. A team source indicated the Cubs were fifth in that category last year, though the NL is becoming a different kind of arms race.

The Mets, pushed by owner Steve Cohen, and Dodgers, taking advantage of an exceptional TV deal, are both carrying major-league payrolls north of $300 million. The Philadelphia Phillies, led by managing partner John Middleton, have added more investors in recent years as the club pushed its payroll toward the $300 million level.

The Atlanta Braves followed a Wrigleyville blueprint, building The Battery Atlanta around Truist Park, and business is booming. The San Diego Padres just signed Jackson Merrill, a dynamic young center fielder, to a nine-year, $135 million contract extension, which now gives the club six players on nine-figure deals.

“Deficit spending in the National League has definitely accelerated in the past five years,” Kenney said. “This has added pressure to grow revenue in new ways and innovate beyond our comfort zone.”

Fans cheer on Shota Imanaga. Wrigley Field continues to help fuel the Cubs’ robust revenue. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

Forbes recently assessed the Cubs at $4.6 billion, the fourth-most valuable franchise in baseball, an astronomical increase from the $845 million purchase price of the team, Wrigley Field and a piece of a regional sports network in 2009. The Ricketts family subsequently sold equity shares to help finance the stadium renovations, but they do not view that as a sustainable strategy for signing free agents and propping up payroll.

Even as valuations soar — the Boston Celtics, an iconic NBA team, recently sold for $6.1 billion — industry sources said the franchise remains a generational asset for the Ricketts family. Navigating this next phase will be a challenge.

“The business model in baseball, it’s worked pretty well for a long time, but there’s a few things right now that are just a little out of kilter,” Ricketts said on 670 The Score during the team’s winter fan festival. “The Dodgers have a lot more resources, naturally, from smart business moves they made years ago. I don’t begrudge them any of that.

“I understand when fans say, ‘How come you don’t spend like that?’ Because they think somehow we have all these dollars that the Dodgers have or the Mets have or the Yankees have and we just keep it. Which isn’t true at all. What happens is we try to break even every year.”

Ricketts clarified his Cubs Convention comments during a recent sit-down interview with CNBC.

“Maybe using the word ‘break even’ wasn’t the way I wanted to say that,” Ricketts told CNBC. “I just want people to know that every dollar that’s spent at the ballpark goes back into putting a more competitive team on the field. Away from that, everyone knows — every Cub fan knows — that we’ve invested roughly a billion dollars into Wrigley Field itself and the neighborhood around, so it’s not a matter of us not investing. We are putting the best team on the field that we can every year.

“Fortunately, for baseball, player development is as important as how much you’re spending on free agents, so we just keep grinding and doing the blocking and tackling that build the organization from the bottom up.”

In 2020, when Hoyer took over for Epstein, the Cubs refused to label it as a rebuild. But they made no secret that there would be changes.

Hoyer dealt with the COVID-19-related budget cuts that forced his group to non-tender Kyle Schwarber and trade Yu Darvish in the middle of a pandemic. When the Cubs began to collapse months later, Hoyer made the bold move to unload Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Báez in a flurry of deals at the 2021 trade deadline.

All those unpopular and unsentimental decisions eventually left the Cubs without any players remaining from their 2016 World Series team.

But what has surprised some players, agents and rivals is the cautiousness that has followed that period of transition.

“They announced what they were going to do when Jed took over,” said one executive who was granted anonymity to candidly discuss another club. “They were going to take a step back and they have. There was the assumption that once they got to a particular point they would start investing very heavily again. And they’ve probably been a little bit more methodical about it than a lot of people in the industry thought they would.”

The expectation was that Kenney’s wheelbarrow of money would come in once the front office reconstructed a stable foundation. While that has not yet happened in full force, the rival exec said, “They’re arguably the favorites in that division now. They’re still in pretty decent shape even with somewhat more modest spending.”

But big spending is the competitive advantage in a division where every other club routinely collects competitive balance draft picks to stack up more prospects. And if deficit spending, equity sales and deferred money are becoming common practices for the sport’s top teams, then the Cubs’ seeming reluctance to more assertively wield those financial tools becomes noticeable.

Jed Hoyer has yet to lead the Cubs to the postseason. In the final year of his contract, he faces pressure. (Griffin Quinn / Getty Images)

The Cubs’ pursuit of Bregman indicated that the bigger wheelbarrow has yet to arrive. Bregman passed the scouting eye test and the club’s projection model. Third base represented the only spot on the field where the Cubs did not have an established position player. Bregman’s championship experience and baseball IQ could have provided intangible benefits, and he’s close with Tucker after their time together in Houston.

After years of creating a solid major-league nucleus and restocking the farm system, this felt like the moment to strike. Instead, the Cubs whiffed and moved forward with Shaw, a top prospect and one of several talented young players who are being counted on to have breakthrough years.

Hoyer is now in the final year of his contract and under pressure. The rival official pointed to the Tucker trade, one that will be endlessly debated if the Cubs miss the playoffs this year and the Astros turn Cam Smith, the headlining prospect in that deal, into a superstar. The outcome may prove to be a referendum on the Cubs — and whether they’ll continue to face scrutiny for their spending.

“They’re going to have a test case with Kyle Tucker,” the rival executive said. “One extension probably puts all of that discussion to bed. And they have been active in a variety of these conversations. They just haven’t quite landed the player.”

Until they do, an undercurrent of frustration will run through Wrigleyville and social media, and the rumbling over time will only grow louder. Unless this is the year the Cubs win big.

(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photo: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)

One of the four head coaches left working in the men’s NCAA Tournament will win his first national championship Monday night. It could be Houston’s Kelvin Sampson in his 36th season of running a program at age 69. It could be Duke’s Jon Scheyer in his third at age 37.

Auburn’s Bruce Pearl is on the Sampson side of things — 30th year as a head coach, 65 years old. Florida’s Todd Golden is just getting going, like Scheyer — sixth year as a head coach, 39 years old. It’s difficult to compare the quality of work of careers that are decades apart in length, but that is our charge in advance of Sampson-Scheyer and Pearl-Golden matchups in Saturday’s national semifinals at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

After scoring the coaches in a variety of categories on a four-point scale and ranking them, we may have a hint at which one of them will end up winning it all. Or at least that coach will have this victory as consolation while watching one of the others cut the nets.

Longevity

It’s a worthwhile category of its own, especially considering the way Sampson and Pearl have been able to hang in and thrive in the era of (out-in-the-open) player compensation and player movement.

4: Sampson
3: Pearl
2: Golden
1: Scheyer

Achievement

Sampson is 798-353 — what a way this could be to reach 800. Like Pearl (706-267), Sampson started at a lower level (Montana Tech, Pearl at Southern Indiana) and has done nothing but win at every stop. Sampson is one of 16 coaches to lead two different schools to the Final Four. That and his run of recent dominance at Houston give him the edge. Golden has won at San Francisco and Florida, two programs that aren’t advantaged like Duke. Still, Scheyer is winning more than 80 percent of his games.

4: Sampson
3: Pearl
2: Scheyer
1: Golden

Mentors

No one is topping the top reference on Scheyer’s resume, Mike Krzyzewski. Sampson learned from a good coach at Washington State, Len Stevens, and then took that program to another level. But he also credited his graduate year under Jud Heathcote at Michigan State — 1979-80, the year after the Magic Johnson-led national championship — as being formative. Pearl was a Tom Davis guy all the way, assisting him at Stanford and Iowa before striking out on his own. Golden played for Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s and then for Pearl at the Maccabiah Games in Israel in 2009. He later joined Pearl’s staff at Auburn. So yeah, having Pearl as a mentor gives Golden the edge over Pearl.

4: Scheyer
3: Golden
2: Sampson
1: Pearl

Resources and other supporting factors

Who’s doing the most with what they’ve got? Pearl ($5.96 million in pay, by the way) is the one coach here doing unprecedented things at a place that never cared for basketball the way it does now. His is a football school all the way. Yes, that means Pearl and Golden ($3.6 million) both have that sweet SEC football money, but that also means fierce competition for NIL dollars.

Sampson ($4.6 million) has reversed a tradition-rich but moribund program, elevating to the Big 12 and continuing to thrive. Scheyer (reportedly more than $7 million, but Duke is a private school and not subject to open records laws) has a ton of pressure succeeding Krzyzewski, but also every advantage. For the record, none of these programs is believed to be at the very top of the NIL pay scale this season. Cooper Flagg, it should be noted, came in with the national marketability to make a ton of money this season off “actual NIL.”

4: Pearl
3: Sampson
2: Golden
1: Scheyer

NCAA rule following

The fact that no one cares about NCAA rules anymore does not mean no one ever cared — in particular, other coaches who actually followed said rules. Sampson got a five-year show-cause from the NCAA in 2008 for making impermissible phone calls to recruits while at Indiana, the NCAA saying he lied to investigators. That was also the crux of the Pearl case — which started with a recruit at a cookout at his house — that got him fired from Tennessee and given a three-year show cause. Auburn also got four years of probation, and Pearl a two-game suspension, in 2021 after an investigation that involved the FBI.

4: Scheyer
4: Golden
1: Sampson
0: Pearl

Basketball identity

Sampson’s is the clearest and easiest to identify. The Cougars are going to grab your offense, squeeze it, put it in a box and stomp on it, just like his Oklahoma Sooners Final Four team of 23 years ago did. He’s also developed many great point guards. Does he have enough shooters this year to finish the deal for the first time?

Pearl has always been a pressing, high-tempo, self-described “gambling” coach, but to his credit, he listened to son and associate head coach Steven Pearl this season and slowed it way down to maximize his team’s strengths.

Florida and Duke play aesthetically pleasing basketball with size and length as bullying traits. Many of Duke’s best teams over the years have leaned on ferocious man defense, but the prevailing identity is having better players and fitting scheme to their strengths. Which is what smart coaches do.

4: Sampson
3: Pearl
2: Scheyer
1: Golden

Recruiting and development

Take it all together, high school recruiting and portal adds. Golden and Scheyer have been effective in both areas. Scheyer has done a masterful job of building the right team around Flagg — which is actually more impressive than getting Flagg. Duke is going to land superstars until further notice and until whoever’s in charge screws it up.

Golden’s star, Walter Clayton Jr., was the original find of Rick Pitino. Several of his returnees from last season improved significantly. But the two Baby Boomers have long track records of excellence. Big recruits, no-name recruits into stars and portal wins. Johni Broome, the Morehead State transfer who has developed into a national player of the year candidate, tilts it slightly toward Pearl. Recency bias for the win.

4: Pearl
3: Sampson
2: Scheyer
1: Golden

Playing career

Scheyer played four years under Krzyzewski, winning the national championship in 2010 as a senior and second team All-American. Golden was a solid guard at Saint Mary’s. Sampson played for his father, John W. “Ned” Sampson, at Division II Pembroke State (now UNC Pembroke). Pearl didn’t play for Davis at Boston College. He was a student manager and got into coaching from there. Managers work hard, too.

Scheyer: 4
Golden: 3
Sampson: 2
Pearl: 1

Media darlingness

Hey, don’t laugh, this matters! It’s not about whether we like you — it’s about whether you can use us to better your cause. We’re actually very easy to use. Smart coaches know how much this can help with recruits and fans (read: potential donors) as well. Everyone here is good — these are basketball coaches, not football coaches — but Pearl is must see/must listen. You never know what may come out of his mouth. Scheyer seems genuinely interested in giving insightful and revealing answers, which means he understands that media are simply conduits to the people.

Pearl: 4
Scheyer: 3
Golden: 2
Sampson: 1

Final results

Sampson: 24
Pearl: 23
Scheyer: 23
Golden: 19

If these scores apply to the games, we’ll be talking about Houston and Auburn on Monday night, a rematch of the Tigers’ 74-69 win in November at the Toyota Center in Houston. Advantage Sampson? Maybe. But Pearl remains the only known coach in NCAA history to beat a top-five team away from home after two of his players got in a fight on the plane and forced the pilot to turn the plane around.

(Top photo of Todd Golden and Bruce Pearl: John Reed / Imagn Images)

Alexandra Eala had the biggest week of her tennis career at the Miami Open in March. She beat three Grand Slam champions — Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Świątek — on her way to the semifinals, where she had 2024 U.S. Open finalist Jessica Pegula on the ropes in what was ultimately a three-set defeat. Eala, 19, who has been making tennis history for the Philippines for most of her life, was the most surprising star of the tournament.

More surprising, for anyone familiar with the uneasy relationship between tennis and media, was how quickly she became a star on the women’s tennis tour’s YouTube, too. By the Monday after her incredible run, Eala was front and center for “Rally the World,” the WTA’s series of videos in which players declare how the sport lets them express their full selves, launched as part of a rebrand in late February.

“This is my stage to rally a nation,” Eala, who became the highest-ranked Filipino player in WTA history at the end of March, says.

Eala used the Miami Open’s teal and blue courts as her living room for most of that tournament, but the wider stage on which tennis broadcasts itself — across television, streaming and social media — is more often an exercise in restricted views and convoluted entry points. When world No. 3 Coco Gauff, who has as much star power on TikTok as she does on the tennis court, was asked about what she wanted the WTA to improve, she focused on user-generated content: the clips, highlights packages, memes and other media that players and fans make, separate from the official output of the tennis tours or rights holders. The WTA cannot create this itself, because then it wouldn’t be user-generated, but it can follow the outlines of what makes it so compelling.

“Obviously I’m someone who is on social media a lot. A lot more TikToks and following the trends that a lot of the other sports are doing, which I know that WTA has a plan in place … they ask for feedback and that was the main thing I noticed,” Gauff said in a news conference at Indian Wells.

The tension between official and unofficial content — and how the rights and deals are made that decide which is which — are at the center of tennis’ future.

If a tennis fan in the United States wants to watch the next Grand Slam, the French Open at Roland Garros, Paris, they have a few choices. They can buy in-person tickets; they can watch on television; they can watch on a streaming service; or they can watch highlights, either on those services or on a social media channel like YouTube.

Buying in-person tickets is expensive, even before factoring in travel to France. To watch on cable television, they will need to use a Warner Bros. Discovery network, after the company signed a 10-year, $650 million (£503.2m) deal for U.S. broadcast rights to the tournament in June 2024. In April, it announced that eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi will join as an analyst, for coverage that will air on TNT Sports and TBS. It will also stream on Max. It had previously aired across a fragmented combination of NBC, the Tennis Channel, Tennis Channel+ (its streaming service) and Peacock.

That’s for one Grand Slam. The other three are variously broadcast across ABC, ESPN and the Tennis Channel. For the next rung down, ATP and WTA 1,000 tournaments, the fan could use Tennis Channel. Or, to just watch men’s tournaments, they could subscribe to Tennis TV, the ATP-run streaming service from ATP Media. It launched as a combined service in 2009, but the WTA left the platform in 2016. The WTA has its own WTA TV platform, but it does not operate in the United States.

For highlights, the fan could use television or streaming, or they could use YouTube — through the French Open’s own channel.

This combination of platforms, subscription costs and split services is a feature, rather than a bug, because of how central broadcast media rights are to tennis’ financial ecosystem. ESPN will pay $2.04 billion (£1.58 bn) to air the U.S. Open through 2037, while Wimbledon’s broadcast deal with ABC and ESPN networks comes in at $52.5m per year as of 2024, according to SP Global. Those revenues, along with ticket sales and sponsorships, form the three pillars of how tennis tournaments make money.

At the upper echelons of tennis, media rights revenues take up more of that three-way split; moving down the pyramid of events, they take up less. For the biggest events, that means their value requires protection, which means being officious about broadcast restrictions. One of the main limitations to Gauff’s desire for more social content? Players, who create the product for which media companies pay so much, can’t even share footage of themselves.

At Wimbledon last year, the Australian player Daria Saville launched a petition against the restriction. “It pains me that Grand Slams do not currently permit players and fans to share footage and highlights from matches on their social media platforms,” she wrote. “The opportunity for us to self-promote and inspire a broader audience, particularly young and aspiring athletes, is being denied by this outdated copyright policy.”

Daria Kasatkina, the world No. 12 who recently switched allegiance from Russia to Australia, runs “What The Vlog.” It’s a YouTube channel, produced with Kasatkina’s partner, Natalia Zabiiako, which gives fans an insight into life on the tour and interviews Kasatkina’s fellow players. Kasatkina has also criticized the fact that players can’t share footage of themselves in action. “This is something I a bit don’t agree with, because it’s not like we’re streaming,” she told a couple of reporters at the Australian Open.

“It’s something that happened two weeks ago, plus, it’s me. Goddamn, it’s me playing the match. I was waiting there outside running, and now I cannot use the footage of myself.”

The Grand Slams were contacted for comment. A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which organizes Wimbledon, said: “It’s important to strike a balance between encouraging fan engagement with The Championships, the players and the sport, while at the same time tackling the growing issue of illegally pirated content and protecting the contractual agreements that are in place with our rights-holding broadcasters who bring a significant amount of value into the tennis ecosystem.”

A spokesperson for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) added: “Our broadcast partnerships are vital to the growth and success of the U.S. Open and the game of tennis in many ways. Together they are the platform through which the US Open is seen by hundreds of millions of fans around the world each year. We understand the evolving universe of player and fan-shared content, and we support athletes’ desires to promote themselves. We’re constantly evaluating how we can make changes and enhancements in these areas to maximize the promotion and growth of our sport, while also ensuring that our agreements with our partners, and their copyrighted material, are protected.”

Kasatkina said that the WTA has been more permissive about sharing match footage from its events. Marina Storti, chief executive of WTA Ventures, the tour’s commercial arm, said in an interview in February that what players can and can’t share will be a discussion point in future rights negotiations.

The WTA has also introduced “Inside the Tour,” a video series designed to emulate the popularity of player vlogs like Kasatkina’s, on its own YouTube channel.

One Grand Slam has even circumvented its own broadcast agreements in order to attract a wider audience. In January, the Australian Open showed matches for free live on its YouTube channel, but instead of the actual match footage, it used animated characters, like something from a video game. It was a hit, with the viewership increasing from 246,542 over six days for a more basic 2024 version to 1,796,338 in the same timeframe this year.

Innovation in how tennis is broadcast is not easy in a sport with an often traditionalist audience. “I think broadcasting in all sports has stayed the same,” said Farzeen Ghorashy, president at Overtime, in a video interview in February.

“What innovation has there been in broadcasting broadly? The camera angles are the same. The commentators are mostly the same. There’s more simulcasts and visual sort of things, but that doesn’t bring fans into the sport.

“I think if you’re any league that has sold your media rights and it lives on linear television, the average age of the linear television viewers is older, so therefore the fan is going to be older as well.

“So I think all the leagues and rights holders are now thinking about, how do I age down … (and) reach a new audience in a different way.”

Overtime is a media company aimed at Gen Z sports fans which focuses on the NFL and NBA, and claims to have an audience of over 100m people. The ATP Tour recently signed a content partnership to bring its clip-microphone interviews with players to tennis. These kinds of clips, which can be shared endlessly by fans across social media platforms, are a key access point for people who may know someone like Gauff, Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz or Aryna Sabalenka as someone they have seen on social media doing a dance, rather than a champion tennis player.

Other sports, including Formula One, have embraced drivers’ prominence in other spaces, especially on streaming platforms like Twitch. Amazon, which owns Twitch, had a five-year deal for the U.S. Open between 2018 and 2023. It did not renew the deal, and the cross-over opportunity went away. Golf has made strides in embracing YouTube. Direct-to-consumer streaming services, like the one the Tennis Channel launched in November last year, could yet add single-match subscriptions, or one-off payments for compelling rivalries, or other introductory offers. Even a relatively modest monthly payment is not a good deal for someone who only wants to follow one player or just the odd final. But these things don’t yet exist.

Another key entry point is controversy, something which official rights holders don’t always want to lean into. At last year’s Madrid Open, a short clip of Daniil Medvedev asking if the “Illuminati” were responsible for roof closure decisions went viral. It is still up on the Tennis Channel and Tennis TV YouTube channels, but it was copyright-striked on X. These kinds of clips, like the above player interviews, are ways into tennis for fans unfamiliar with the sport and its protagonists, but more often than not rightsholders’ contracts are written so restrictively that they limit discoverability.

Fans generating these kinds of entry points meet similar obstacles. The Sabinelisickifansss YouTube account racked up 27,000 subscribers before being shut down last July for repeated copyright strikes, in which the official rightsholder for a clip makes a complaint to YouTube. The account started as a way of sharing footage of the German player and former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki, but grew into a showcase for controversial moments on the WTA Tour more widely.

It became popular with videos like “Top 10 most HATED WTA tennis players” and “Double Bounce in WTA Tennis (No Sportsmanship at all…) ( (DRAMA),” but sailed close to the wind with the amount of footage it used without actually owning any rights. After a series of complaints from Wimbledon, and previous copyright strikes from other tournaments and governing bodies, it was shut down.

The account was first set up by Jacky, 25, who lives in Hong Kong. He started it seven years ago, when he was a student. In a phone interview in February, he said he was “shocked” when the account was closed down, despite receiving several warnings. Last year, a letter sent to the European Union and signed by the Premier League, Sky and Warner Bros Discovery, among others, claimed that the total cost of piracy to sports rights holders is $28.3bn each year. That complaint was primarily about the live streaming of events on unofficial streams, rather than short clips from matches that happened, in some cases, years ago.

Jacky said that the tours’ limits on what they will post don’t serve fans’ desire for controversy. “They will not put up negative things like the worst player in history. But I think the WTA audience wants to know which player played really badly in a Grand Slam or what’s the biggest losing streak on the WTA Tour.

“This tennis YouTube is doing something official YouTube accounts cannot provide, and Grand Slam highlights are often only like two or three minutes long.”

He decided to start a new version of his YouTube account after around a month away. He said that he’s a lot more careful now about sharing footage from Grand Slams, but feels strongly that tennis fans are often underserved by the quality and quantity of highlights that is freely available from the majors. Highlights on the ATP and WTA channels are made using artificial intelligence, which can capture exciting points but often leads to a package that gives a fan absolutely no idea of how a match played out, jumping from halfway through with one player leading to the other player having match point.

They are also very short (official Grand Slam channels, most often the Australian Open, do offer longer packages and sometimes full matches) and big matches sometimes don’t get full fanfare. Last year’s Madrid Open final between Świątek and Sabalenka, widely regarded as the best match of the year and a rare final meeting for the two best women’s players in the world, got the full-match treatment…

…On Christmas Day, almost eight months after it was played.

Joint broadcast rights for the ATP and WTA Tours would simplify all of this. This is in place at the four Grand Slams, but a long-discussed commercial merger between WTA Ventures and the ATP into a new company called Tennis Ventures is yet to be finalized. The proposed merger would not come with a 50-50 revenue split between the two tours at present, with the ATP slated to receive closer to 80 percent of revenue from tournaments, media rights and sponsorships.

“Everyone sees the opportunity to align more closely the men and the women sport both commercially, but also from a marketing perspective,” Storti said, adding that talks remain ongoing. “And we know we see the opportunity to help grow the sport. I think it would benefit everyone — the players, the tournaments.”

Tennis is also not alone in reaching a sports media inflection point, as media companies try to figure out how to balance the decline in what has made them money in the past (linear broadcast and cable) and the rise of what could make them money in the future, but largely hasn’t yet (streaming.) MLB and ESPN will terminate their broadcast deal, which was supposed to run until 2028, at the end of the 2025 season. Sources briefed on ESPN’s thinking told The Athletic that ESPN, which would have paid the league $550 million for the three remaining seasons, saw that figure as too far above market value.

The sport is also still recovering from the impact of Covid-19, which was financially ruinous; the renewal of media rights deals in its wake has been vital.

In the short-term, tennis tournaments and tours can see that high-value rights deals plus intense media restrictions equals high demand for pay television and in-person tickets. But in the long-term, as streaming inevitably overtakes cable, those restrictions — which shut out fans from discovering the sport, as well as consistently watching it — could come home to roost.

If those broadcast deals decline in value, and other services don’t fill the shortfall — because their figures show there are fewer fans waiting to watch on the other side of that decline, because their routes into the sport have been closed off — tennis tournaments will suddenly find themselves at the head of a broken system.

The WTA’s increased focus on its players’ stories, and acting with speed when a new one emerges, like with Eala in Miami, is one example of a move to fight against that tide. The Australian Open’s cartoon players and the ATP’s Overtime partnership are another; so are the social media accounts of players like Gauff and Kasatkina.

It’s the friction between these on-ramps for fans and the full tournament experience that will be critical for tennis, if it really does want to “rally the world.”

(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic / Getty Images)

The top of the 2025 WNBA Draft experienced a major shakeup when Olivia Miles entered the transfer portal. Miles was projected to be the No. 2 pick in April’s draft and likely fall no lower than third overall, but instead she has elected to extend her college career, just not at Notre Dame.

Even though the era of the pandemic bonus year has essentially ended in college basketball as eligible players had to be on rosters during the 2020-21 season, which was when the current crop of fourth-year seniors was in high school, eligibility decisions are still at play for WNBA prospects. There are still medical redshirts, which is why Miles can play for another year because she missed the 2023-24 season with a torn ACL. Furthermore, juniors who turn 22 during the year of the draft have the option to go pro or remain in school.

Miles’ decision not only represents the emerging power of player agency in the women’s basketball landscape, but it is particularly interesting strictly from a basketball consideration, as she is beloved by WNBA talent evaluators. The former Notre Dame guard was all but guaranteed to be a lottery pick, with general managers calling her the safest pick in the draft beyond UConn’s Paige Bueckers. Her massive improvement as a 3-point shooter (24.6 percent before the injury compared to 40.8 percent after) was the tipping point when combined with her already excellent facilitation as a lead guard.

In theory, Miles’ stock has nowhere to go but down if her shooting doesn’t remain consistent at this level. That indicates that when she gets picked isn’t nearly as important as how much money she can make in the process, where she goes, and how her body feels after her ACL injury.

The WNBA is currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the players’ association that could potentially triple individual salaries. Rather than lock herself into a four-year rookie contract totaling about $350,000, Miles could wait to enter the league until 2026 and possibly recoup that figure within the first two seasons. Agents have been advising college players across the country with an additional year of eligibility to stay in school and reap the financial rewards of the next CBA.

If Miles makes her transfer decision within the next week, she could also secure name, image and likeness commitments before the final hearing in the House v. NCAA lawsuit on April 7. This is the last gasp for unregulated “pay-for-play” deals with athletes before they are assessed by an NCAA clearinghouse. Given Miles’ status as a two-time All-American — the only other multi-time All-American to ever enter the portal was LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, who left DePaul — Miles will presumably be raking in cash from collectives.

It’s worth remembering that Miles’ external sponsorships will likely stay with her when she turns professional, supplementing her WNBA salary. However, collectives affiliated with a university will only be interested in her as a collegian; thus, this is her last opportunity to pull in that particular revenue stream.

Most WNBA executives didn’t cite Miles’ health as a concern in the lead-up to the draft, as she has suffered only one significant injury and appeared to be in excellent form during the 2024-25 season. However, she told The Athletic in Birmingham that she is not close to where she wants to be post-injury.

“My physical shape could be better,” Miles said. “This injury, it’s a long, long process. Even after you’re healed, getting the rest of your body to catch up. I would say I’m not even 75 percent of the way there yet.”

Taking the leap from college to the WNBA requires a certain level of confidence not only in a player’s skills, but in their body. If Miles doesn’t feel physically herself, it wouldn’t be the right time to play against grown women in a physical league. That’s a similar calculation that Azzi Fudd had to make. The redshirt junior opted out of the 2025 draft to return to the Huskies despite also being a projected first-round pick. Fudd has barely played one full healthy season at UConn and could stand to get stronger before joining the W.

Miles also has more to accomplish at the collegiate level. She ended her season in the Sweet 16, just as she has every full season at Notre Dame, which was short of what the Irish — who were ranked No. 1 in the country on Feb. 17 — had hoped for. There were always questions about the fit between Miles and another ball-dominant guard in Hannah Hidalgo. Now, Miles can find another team where she is the full-time point guard and with more returning talent. Even if Miles returned, Notre Dame was losing half its rotation (Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld, Liatu King and Liza Karlen) and bringing in one top-100 recruit.

Flau’jae Johnson, a draft-eligible junior, said she wanted to do more winning before leaving LSU, despite already being a national champion.

“Once you taste the national championship, you want more,” Johnson said after losing in the Elite Eight. “And I feel like that national championship I had (as a freshman), yeah, I was a big factor in it, but there were bigger factors in that. I want my own one. Where I lead the team.”

Ta’Niya Latson, who was a 2025 All-American with Miles and Johnson, has experienced enough individual accolades at Florida State. She also entered the portal instead of the WNBA draft, having hit a repeated NCAA Tournament first-weekend ceiling with the Seminoles.

There will always be a draw to playing in the NCAA Tournament, one that the WNBA can’t match, and there are only so many years when players can take part in it. All of the aforementioned athletes have been deprived of postseason experience due to injury. Miles missed two tournaments, Fudd missed one and was ill during another, and Latson was injured during her freshman postseason.

This is a situation JuJu Watkins will have to consider when she returns from her ACL injury. Rather than go pro in 2027, she could stay in college a fifth year as a medical redshirt to get back the March time she lost, depending on what USC has accomplished to that point.

Miles’ decision doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is representative of all the financial, medical and legacy-related questions that female athletes are confronting in a time when they have more agency than ever. The balance of power is shifting, and colleges and WNBA teams are now at the mercy of the players.

(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

Three years ago, Brandon Halverson had all but given up on his hockey dream.

He was delivering UberEats and groceries and working on a farm. He sold his truck. He borrowed money from his parents. Whatever it took to scrape out enough money for rent.

Two weeks ago, he stepped into the net with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the first time as an NHL starter — nearly 11 years after being drafted as a highly touted prospect, and more than seven years after his only other appearance in the league.

From toiling away with a last-place team in Germany’s second division, a tiny club on the verge of relegation that played on an outdoor rink in below-freezing temperatures, to begging a coach in North America’s third-rung ECHL for a training camp tryout, a final Hail-Mary shot at his dream.

Through numerous injuries, several of which required surgery, and wondering multiple times whether he had reached the end of his career. Through tough talks, and tears, and mental health struggles.

His path to that start for the Lightning might be one of the most improbable in hockey history.

“It’s been a very long road,” said Halverson, who turned 29 last weekend. “I’m just happy that after all of everything that I’ve gone through that I was able to start a game (in the NHL). That was the goal in my mind this entire time, was to get that actual start.”

Halverson was 9 when he knew he wanted to be a goalie. He grew up in a working-class family in Traverse City, Mich., where his father, Paul, — a former boxer — put in hard early morning hours as a construction worker.

When the city landed an NAHL junior team in 2005, the Halversons decided to billet players. The first to stay with them was Jeremy Kaleniecki, a 19-year-old goalie who quickly became Halverson’s idol and surrogate big brother. They played countless games of mini sticks with balls of tape in the living room when they weren’t on the ice. Kaleniecki nicknamed Halverson “Fuzz Ball” after his mess of blonde hair.

While Kaleniecki’s playing career ended after that season, leading him to become a local goalie coach, Halverson’s took off. He rapidly grew into a gangly 6-foot-4 teenager and used the athletic aggressive moves he had picked up from his much smaller billet brother to attract the attention of professional scouts.

In June 2014 Halverson was drafted by the New York Rangers with the penultimate pick of the second round — higher than current starting NHL goalies Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin and Elvis Merzlikins — despite having only 19 games of experience at the major-junior level.

Halverson’s stock continued to rise over the next two seasons; in 2014-15, he won 40 games to help the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds to the OHL’s best regular-season record before they lost in the playoffs to Connor McDavid’s powerhouse Erie Otters. He also made the United States’ world junior team in consecutive years, winning a bronze medal in early 2016 alongside the next generation of American stars in Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk and Zach Werenski.

Later that year, at age 19, Halverson signed an NHL entry-level contract to join the Rangers, an Original Six franchise, with a $92,500 signing bonus. He had made it. But he wasn’t prepared for what came next.

“It was so much so soon for him,” Kaleniecki says now.

The transition to minor-league hockey is often brutal, between the punishing bus rides, packed game schedule and low pay. It’s a meat grinder of a system that leaves many young players behind, whether through cuts or demotions to even lower levels.

When Halverson turned pro in 2016, the Rangers were a perennial contender team with future Hall of Fame goalie Henrik Lundqvist leading the way. They didn’t hesitate to bring in hardened veteran goalies to challenge their kids for minutes, making for a very competitive environment in the minors.

As one of the youngest goalies in his first pro season, Halverson had some tough games early with the Hartford Wolf Pack, to the point he ended up getting sent down to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL for most of the next two seasons.

He struggled with the adversity and conditions, to the point that his mental health took a turn for the worse. At one point, Kaleniecki was concerned enough to hop on a plane to South Carolina to help.

“You take somebody who’s a high prospect who needs just some fostering and development,” Kalenicki said, explaining that in the ECHL goalies often don’t have a dedicated coach to work with them. “Then you compound that with adding in multiple competitors all vying for the same thing. And it kind of becomes a toxic environment. You know, toxic mentally.”

In his third season, Halverson ended up hurting his knee. He tried to play through it, rather than miss time, but he lost his spot to older, more experienced goalies.

He now realizes how much he was struggling, but he explains that he didn’t reach out to the team or league for help, believing he could tough out the challenges as he had in junior.

“I knew there was some sort of thing you can call and reach out for (help),” Halverson said, referring to a players-only phone line operated by the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, the union that represents minor-league players. “But I was just like, ‘I know what I have to do.’ Even though I’m incredibly depressed.”

By the end of his three-year, entry-level contract, Halverson had played 50 games in the AHL, 63 in the ECHL, and only 13 minutes with the Rangers as a mid-game fill-in for Lundqvist in February 2017 after another goalie forgot his passport and missed the initial call-up.

At age 23, New York cut him loose.

Halverson’s next few years are a blur for him now. There were more injuries, including a badly broken wrist that cost him a full season. More thrilling call-ups and heartbreaking cuts. More packing up his life and moving to a new city only to once again return home to an existence of odd jobs and unpaid bills.

In 2019-20, with his ECHL club toiling in last place and the AHL seeming further away than ever, Halverson decided to leave midseason for mental health reasons. At that point, his father met with him for a heart-to-heart to discuss whether the toll was worth it.

“Are you sure you want to keep doing this?” his father asked.

“He was only saying that because he’s being a good dad,” Halverson recalled later. “Just advising me what he thinks is best. I was like, ‘Dad, it just eats away at me. It’s on my mind all the time, every single day. I’ve gotten in my car at work, all I could think about was playing in an NHL game. I don’t think my body and my mind can rest until this happens. I’m gonna keep going forward.’”

That led to nearly two years away to heal his body and mind. After separate surgeries on both his knee and wrist, Halverson tried to make money however he could, delivering UberEats meals and groceries. He also took shifts at a friend’s farm where, with one arm in a cast, he helped build a barn and tended the greenhouse.

Meanwhile, to get ice time, he started training beer-league goalies at 11 p.m. on Wednesdays — including some who were still learning to skate.

Prior to the 2022-23 season, Halverson received a tryout offer from a team in Germany’s top division. He flew overseas and the team ran some tests on his battered body. They indicated they intended to give him a contract, Halverson recalled, to the point that he turned down a competing offer from a British Elite Ice Hockey League squad.

When the German team then cut him before he had played a game, he suddenly had nowhere to go. Five thousand miles from home, Halverson broke down sobbing.

“I’ve never done that before,” he said. “It’s just always been one thing after another in my career. I never could stick it with New York. I never could stick it anywhere else. And there was always something happening, something happening. And when they told me that, my whole body just fell apart and I just wasn’t doing good.”

That was how he ended up in Bayreuth, a German city of 74,000 an hour north of Nuremberg. The pay was paltry, he couldn’t even play some games due to league rules limiting the number of import players, and the second-division team was relegated due to financial issues at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Really, it was the end of the line in pro hockey. But hockey was all he had.

“That was quite a different world for me,” Halverson said. “In my head, I’m just like, ‘This is gonna make for a great story.’ So I just kept working hard and put my head down.”

When Halverson returned home to Traverse City in summer 2023, he was desperate to find ice wherever he could. Kaleniecki helped, bringing him out to skates in Michigan. So did Jon Elkin, a well-known NHL goalie coach who had worked with Halverson in junior.

Halverson also called the Orlando Solar Bears’ Matt Carkner, one of many minor-league coaches who had cut him in the past, and said he wanted a chance to attend camp and beat out their two incumbent goalies.

He told the Solar Bears staff this would be his last attempt to play pro. It was this or retirement.

“He was the hardest worker every single day. And with his ability, his size, his work ethic in preparation, he clearly earned his opportunity to sign with us,” Orlando goalie coach Nathan Craze said, recalling how intensely Halverson dug into video sessions of Solars Bears practices and their upcoming opponents. “But the biggest thing for me was he really found the love of playing again.”

And he started to win. After a successful first few months, Halverson was called up on a tryout deal to the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning’s AHL affiliate. A late-November shutout — his first ever at that level — got the team’s attention, earning him an AHL contract. By the end of the 2023-24 season, Halverson had posted a 7-3-3 record with a .913 save percentage for Syracuse and, more incredibly, started for the team during the AHL playoffs.

Brandon Halverson and Jeremy Kaleniecki during an on-ice session. (via Jeremy Kaleniecki)

This season, he has continued to justify the Crunch’s faith in giving him their No. 1 job, going 18-10-8 with a .913 save percentage in 37 appearances. In January, he was named an AHL All-Star. A month later, the Lightning signed him to a two-year, two-way NHL contract that guarantees him $300,000 next season.

It’s a long way from where he was even two years ago, when he couldn’t secure a league minimum $575-a-week offer in the ECHL.

Halverson credits his parents, Paul and Jennifer, and a newfound close relationship with God for helping get him here. He also knows he couldn’t have done it without his big billet brother, who watched him get his first NHL start against Utah HC last week with a lump in his throat.

Little Fuzz Ball had done it.

“To be honest, I think that’s probably the most nervous and excited I’ve been for anything in hockey in my life,” Kaleniecki said. “It’s somebody that is truly family. And you’ve seen the struggles. You’ve been a part of it with them … you know what they’ve gone through. It was hard to hold (the emotions) in. It’s just one of the coolest moments in my life in hockey.”

After being named a 2025 AHL All-Star, Brandon Halverson was signed to an NHL contract by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On March 22, he made his first NHL start against the Utah Hockey Club. pic.twitter.com/9FTpG5oHvT

— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) March 29, 2025

The game didn’t go the way Halverson wanted, as he allowed five goals in a 6-4 loss in Salt Lake City. Despite the outcome, though, Halverson’s phone blew up with congratulatory messages throughout the night. One of the texts was from Craze, who told Halverson to be proud of where he had come from, and how far he had come. “That’s something no one can ever take away from you,” he wrote. “And this is only the start.”

Halverson knows nothing is guaranteed for him with the Lightning. His start last week was to cover for backup Jonas Johansson, who was away from the team for family reasons, so he knew his NHL stay wouldn’t be a long one.

But after everything he’s been through, he feels ready for what’s next.

“I try not to think about what’s gonna happen,” Halverson said over the phone last week. “I’m here another day. Great. If I’m leaving tomorrow, great. I get to go down and get back to work and play whatever game I’m gonna be in next. So I’m just happy and thankful.”

The very next day, Halverson was reassigned to Syracuse.

His first start back? A 1-0 shutout, his fifth of the season.

(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic. Photos: Dave Reginek / NHLI via Getty Images, Peter Creveling / Imagn Images)

By Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr. and Andy McCullough

Every week,​ we​ ask a selected group of our baseball​ writers​ — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results, with the average rankings of our panel in parentheses.

The first weekend of the baseball season offered its usual cornucopia of familiar sights and unexpected delights. Shohei Ohtani sent a baseball soaring over the fence at Dodger Stadium; Aaron Judge sent four of his own into orbit in the Bronx. Zack Wheeler looked sharp. Paul Skenes threw hard. Matt Chapman still knows how to pick it. The Braves called up Jesse Chavez.

All of those could have been predicted. But raise your hand if you’d heard of Kameron Misner before last week. Or if you thought Rafael Devers would spend all weekend whiffing. Or if you knew the biggest story in the sport would involve something called a “torpedo bat.”

It’s the time of year when every team still can be optimistic, both about the things they expected and some that have caught them by surprise. Here’s a look at the most encouraging sign from the season’s opening weekend for all 30 teams.

Record: 6-0
Preseason Power Ranking: 1

Most encouraging sign: Uh, everything?

Roki Sasaki hasn’t been throwing strikes. Mookie Betts hasn’t been able to keep down solid food. Max Muncy hasn’t been making much contact. So far, none of it has really mattered. The Dodgers swept the first two series of the season, taking down the Tigers after downing the Cubs twice in Japan. Ohtani looks like himself. So does Freddie Freeman (although he was not in Monday’s lineup because of a tweak to his surgically-repaired ankle). Betts returned from his gnarly stomach bug to swat a walkoff homer. Michael Conforto has lengthened the lineup. The summer figures to be a delight for Dodgers fans — and a nightmare for all the clubs visiting Chavez Ravine. — Andy McCullough

GO DEEPER

Shohei Ohtani leads MLB players in jersey sales, six Dodgers crack top 20 list

Record: 3-0
Preseason Power Ranking: 7

Most encouraging sign: Either the Yankees own magic bats or their lineup hits for enough power to make everyone believe they own magic bats

The biggest story of opening weekend was the Yankees’ use of so-called torpedo bats, which move the barrel down from the end of the bat to a spot closer to the handle. New York smashed 15 home runs in three games against the Brewers, or more long balls than the Mets had hits over the weekend.

The bats are legal, and the Yankees aren’t the only team using them. But New York’s lineup overwhelmed the Brewers so comprehensively that hitters around the league are intrigued. Of course, Judge used a boring old normal bat to slug four homers in three games. Imagine that guy with a magic bat. — Tim Britton

Record: 3-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 10

Most encouraging sign: Wyatt Langford took a step toward taking the leap

The Rangers brass believes its postseason-missing campaign in 2024 was an aberration and the championship season of 2023 should become more of the norm. Part of the reason is Langford, who was drafted No. 4 that summer. The 23-year-old outfielder held his own as a rookie last season, with 16 homers and an 111 OPS+ in 134 games. Texas believes his ceiling is much higher than that.

In the first weekend of the season, Langford’s five-hit series helped the Rangers knock off the Red Sox. If Langford approaches his potential, a Texas offense that already includes Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Joc Pederson will be that much more intimidating. — McCullough

Record: 0-5
Preseason Power Ranking: 2

Most encouraging sign: An 0-4 start in the NL East actually portends greatness

Atlanta is just the ninth team in the last five seasons to start the year 0-4, and five of those teams have resided in the NL East. You might think, given what you know, that starting 0-4 is not optimal, and that starting 0-4 in a typically difficult division like the NL East would be especially troublesome. But it’s basically the opposite.

The other four NL East teams to start 0-4 since 2021 are:

• The 2024 Mets, who went to the NLCS
• The 2022 Phillies, who went to the World Series
• The 2021 Braves, who won the World Series
• The 2024 Marlins, who are the exception that proves the rule.

— Britton

GO DEEPER

MLB suspends Braves’ Jurickson Profar 80 games for PEDs

Record: 3-1
Preseason Power Ranking: 4

Most encouraging sign: Jesús Luzardo looked like his best self

While the Phillies are running it back with mostly the same lineup, their deal for Luzardo feels like it went under the radar in the winter. Filling in a fifth starter role that was problematic for long stretches of 2024 for Philadelphia, Luzardo went and struck out 11 Nationals in five innings. In short, he pitched like he did for most of the ’23 season with the Marlins, when All-Star games and Cy Young votes appeared on his horizon. If that’s the version of Luzardo the Phillies get to round out their rotation, they can be even better than the 95-win outfit they were a season ago. — Britton

Record: 2-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 3

Most encouraging sign: The offense still looks dangerous

After leading the sport in runs last season, Arizona let two crucial hitters, Christian Walker and Pederson, depart in free agency. The team asked a new addition, Josh Naylor, to replace Walker at first base, with holdover Pavin Smith taking Pederson’s at-bats as designated hitter. Naylor and Smith appeared up to the task against the Cubs over the weekend. Naylor drove in three runs and scored three more. Smith clubbed three doubles. The four home runs from Eugenio Suárez didn’t hurt, either. The Diamondbacks may not be able to overtake the Dodgers, but they can hang with anyone. — McCullough

Record: 5-0
Preseason Power Ranking: 13

Most encouraging sign: The back-end starters looked sharp

San Diego’s four-game sweep of Atlanta provided a reminder to anyone who had forgotten: No team pushed the Dodgers harder last season than the Padres. Even if San Diego did not spend to keep up with L.A. this winter, the top-end talent is still there. With Joe Musgrove out for the season and Yu Darvish on the shelf with an elbow injury, the team will need Nick Pivetta and Randy Vásquez to help keep the rotation afloat behind Dylan Cease and Michael King. Pivetta and Vásquez combined for 13 innings of scoreless baseball against Atlanta. — McCullough

Record: 1-4
Preseason Power Ranking: 6

Most encouraging sign: Kristian Campbell fit right in

In his first series in the big leagues, Campbell showed why the Red Sox maneuvered their infield around to make room for the 23-year-old (and why they appear willing to commit to a long-term contract extension for him). Of the six hits he picked up in four games against the Rangers, three were for extra bases (including his first major-league homer), and he showcased his defensive versatility by starting a game in left field. Ask Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr., and even Mookie Betts what it’s like to be a young, unproven player on a win-now roster in Boston. For one weekend, Campbell — the first in a long line of prospects slated to debut for the Red Sox soon — made it look easy. — Britton

Record: 2-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 5

Most encouraging sign: The rotation has a chance

It’s a tradition for teams to throw their best starter on Opening Day, followed by their second best and third best, etc. The Mets, foremost keepers of that custom as evidenced by their ridiculous record on Opening Day, decided this year to zag: In their opening series with Houston, they started pitchers who ranked fifth, sixth and seventh in the hierarchy at the start of spring training.

Sure, injuries drove that decision. But New York went with Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning against the Astros, and they actually pitched pretty well. Megill and Canning, in particular, cruised for stretches by shifting their pitch mixes and ditching those that didn’t work for them in 2024. The Mets earned some benefit of the doubt by maximizing Sean Manaea and Luis Severino last year, and they might be at it again. — Britton

GO DEEPER

Can the Mets’ Francisco Lindor start hot this time? He’s wondering, too

Record: 3-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 9

Most encouraging sign: Adley Rutschman went yard twice

A lot of Baltimore’s limp toward the finish line in 2024 derived from Rutschman’s prolonged second-half slump: He had a .585 OPS after the break, barely cracking a .200 average and hitting all of three home runs.

He nearly matched that power total on Opening Day, when he went deep twice in Toronto. The Orioles have enough young talent to withstand an unexpectedly down season from someone, somewhere. But Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson are the driving forces of that position-player core — the duo that lifts the ceiling of this group from postseason participant to World Series challenger. — Britton

GO DEEPER

The Windup: An unbelievable Opening Day streak

Record: 2-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 8

Most encouraging sign: Jose Altuve is still Jose Altuve — at the plate

Altuve’s transition from second base to left field has featured plenty of hiccups. He biffed several low-stress plays in the Grapefruit League during spring training. It will still take him time to adjust to fielding near Daikin Park’s Crawford Boxes. The team may need to remove him for defensive purposes later in games, as manager Joe Espada did on Sunday. But Altuve can still hit better than almost every other person on the planet. In a season-opening series victory against the Mets, Altuve collected five hits in 11 at-bats. With Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker gone, the lineup requires hearty contributions from Altuve more than ever. — McCullough

Record: 2-3
Preseason Power Ranking: 11

Most encouraging sign: Andrés Muñoz still has it

The 2025 Mariners looked a lot like the Mariners of recent vintage in a four-game sample against the Athletics. The rotation is strong despite the absence of George Kirby; Logan Gilbert demonstrated why he is a trendy Cy Young Award candidate with seven innings of one-run baseball on Opening Day. The lineup, of course, is less daunting. Seattle will need Muñoz, an All-Star reliever in 2024, to lock down as many save opportunities as he can. Muñoz bookended the Athletics series with crisp performances, sitting down six of the seven batters he faced. — McCullough

Record: 3-4
Preseason Power Ranking: 12

Most encouraging sign: Kyle Tucker is that guy

On Saturday, Tucker came within one triple of the cycle. The next day, his three-run homer in the eighth inning gave the Cubs a 97 percent chance of winning. That’s exactly the player that Tucker is. On any given day of the week, he gives you a strong chance to win, whether that’s with his defense, bat or speed. If the Cubs manage to get out of the 83-win cellar, it’ll be because Kyle Tucker does Kyle Tucker things for a full campaign. — Johnny Flores Jr.

Record: 3-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 18

Most encouraging sign: Is Bo Bichette back?

A series of maladies to his right leg undercut Bichette’s production from late 2023 through all of last season. (Bichette’s career OPS before his knee injury in August 2023 was .834; since his recovery it was .625 through the end of last season.) In the opening series with Baltimore, the shortstop in his platform season picked up seven hits, including two doubles, and scored four times.

When Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr. have both been at their best, the Blue Jays tend to win 90-plus games, as they did in 2021 and 2022. Toronto has one more shot to put it all together behind that duo this year. — Britton

GO DEEPER

Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer placed on 15-day IL with thumb inflammation

Record: 3-1
Preseason Power Ranking: 20

Most encouraging sign: Justin Verlander looked closer to 40 than 45

Verlander made his Giants debut a little over a month after his 42nd birthday. It was only five innings, but Verlander subdued the Reds with his fastball. His velocity touched 96 mph. He generated six whiffs with the heater. All of this is encouraging for a club that will rely upon its arms and defense to stay within striking distance of a postseason berth. But the bigger question will come as the season progresses: Can Verlander continue to hold off Father Time? — McCullough

GO DEEPER

Justin Verlander, Astros had ‘mutual interest’ in reunion during offseason

Record: 1-3
Preseason Power Ranking: T-16

Most encouraging sign: Spencer Torkelson might be putting it together

By this point, it’s no secret that this is something of a make-or-break season for former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson. The former Arizona State slugger largely forced his way into Detroit’s 2025 plans with a standout spring (.340/.389/.680) and picked up right where he left off to begin the season. Four hits, including one double and one homer, as well as four walks against the defending World Series champions are a major development for Torkelson. It’s the type of performance that will keep him on the roster, even as the Tigers begin to see the likes of Wenceel Perez and Matt Vierling come off the IL. — Flores 

Record: 3-1
Preseason Power Ranking: 14

Most encouraging sign: The rotation holdovers held it down over the weekend

Before Drew Rasmussen returned this week, before Shane McClanahan comes back down the line, before the Rays have all the makings of a shutdown rotation — the guys who kept them in it last year looked just fine again over the weekend. The trio of Ryan Pepiot, Zach Littell and Taj Bradley combined to allow four earned runs in 18 innings, striking out 22 and walking one. That’s the kind of ratio that plays regardless of how much smaller your new home ballpark is.

Rasmussen and McClanahan (along with Shane Baz, who came back in the second half last season) certainly raise the level of what the Rays can do this season. But the three holdovers from last year make this a dangerously deep rotation as well. — Britton

GO DEEPER

Rays prepare for a sunny season of home-field challenges (and maybe home-field advantages)

Record: 0-4
Preseason Power Ranking: T-16

Most encouraging sign: Joe Ryan’s return from injury

In his first start since August, Ryan posted five innings of one-run ball with no walks and five strikeouts. It was an encouraging sign for the 29-year-old, who missed much of last year’s second half due to a season-ending grade 2 teres major sprain. The Twins will need these kinds of starts to make up for a lackluster winter, in which they did not make any free agent moves until well into February. Much like the Mariners out west, if the bats are going to struggle to put together hits, it’ll be on the starters to keep other teams in line and give the team just enough opportunities to make a difference. That Ryan was able to look mostly like his old self is a strong sign in that regard. — Flores 

Record: 2-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 21

Most encouraging sign: Kyle Manzardo’s bat

For what feels like years, the Guardians have been searching for another complementary hitter to pair with José Ramírez. Franmil Reyes went from hitting in the middle of their order to playing in Japan, the Josh Bell experiment didn’t work and Josh Naylor is no longer in Cleveland. It’s only three games, but Manzardo looked like the hitter that the Guardians need, slugging two homers over Cleveland’s first three games. It’s the type of stabilizing presence that could carry the Guardians into another AL Central title and perhaps even a longer postseason run. — Flores 

Record: 0-4
Preseason Power Ranking: 15

Most encouraging sign: Freddy Peralta looks like Freddy Peralta

The Yankees’ lineup may have thrashed the rest of Milwaukee’s staff, but the same can’t be said about Peralta, who turned in five innings of two-run ball on Opening Day. With news of Aaron Civale being placed on the IL, the Brewers are down to just two established starters, Peralta and Nestor Cortes. For Milwaukee to stay afloat in the NL Central until Jose Quintana, Tobias Myers and Brandon Woodruff all make their season debuts, it’ll be on Peralta to provide stability every fifth day. Five solid innings against one of baseball’s best offenses is a step in that direction. — Flores 

Record: 2-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 19

Most encouraging sign: Jonathan India at leadoff

While the Royals still feel a bit like Bobby Witt Jr. and company, the addition of India provides Kansas City with another bat to give the lineup a bit more length. If at least one of the Royals’ 5-9 hitters (10-for-56 with 11 strikeouts) can turn into a serviceable bat, the team can go from being in the bottom half leaguewide on offense to something more middle-of-the-pack. India goes a long way in helping the team get there. — Flores 

Record: 3-1
Preseason Power Ranking: 24

Most encouraging sign: Nolan Arenado might still have it

After spending what felt like the entire offseason in an awkward trade limbo, Arenado came out and reminded everyone of the player that he can still be. Over three games, he authored five hits, three of which went for extra bases. He got the curtain-call treatment from the St. Louis faithful, and the Cardinals marched to a 3-0 start, just how everyone drew it up. A return to form for Arenado could make absorbing his salary a bit more palatable for another team, or provide St. Louis with enough reason to try to make the postseason in an otherwise weak NL Central. — Flores 

Record: 2-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 23

Most encouraging sign: Nick Lodolo’s ability to battle

In his first start of 2025, Lodolo did not have his best stuff, nor did he really have any command of the strike zone. He still managed to turn in six innings of two-run ball. In particular, after throwing 57 pitches through the first three innings, Lodolo needed just 29 to complete his next three, retiring eight of nine batters. He relied on his defense to make plays behind him with the Reds suffocating 11 grounders to keep the Giants off the bases. It’s the kind of start that veteran pitchers know how to make and one that will be important for Cincinnati as Lodolo looks to take a step forward in his age-27 season. — Flores 

Record: 2-3
Preseason Power Ranking: 25

Most encouraging sign: A healthy Jeffrey Springs is a low-key beast

Springs struck out nine Mariners across six scoreless innings in his Athletics debut. He scattered three singles and walked one. He looked a lot like the pitcher who starred for Tampa Bay in 2022 before Tommy John surgery wiped him out for most of the next two seasons. The Athletics took on Springs’ salary this past winter and paired him with Luis Severino atop the rotation. The duo should help the Athletics, for the first time in a while, at least stay competitive in the American League West. — McCullough

GO DEEPER

As Athletics begin their Sacramento residency, a city tentatively opens its arms

Record: 1-4
Preseason Power Ranking: 22

Most encouraging sign: The starting pitching was strong

Here are the lines for Pittsburgh’s starters through the first four games:
Paul Skenes: 5 1/3 IP | 2 ER | 2 BB | 7 K
Mitch Keller: 6 IP | 1 ER | 1 BB | 4 K
Bailey Falter: 6 IP | 2 ER | 4 K
Andrew Heaney: 5 IP | 1 ER | 1 BB | 1 K

Here’s the Pirates’ record through four games: 1-3, with three losses all on walk-offs. Consider that Jared Jones is on the IL and Bubba Chandler is in Indianapolis, meaning there is room for this rotation to be even stronger. Starting pitching is half the battle, and provided the lineup can string together just enough hits, this team could end up winning a lot more games than originally anticipated. — Flores 

Record: 1-3
Preseason Power Ranking: 26

Most encouraging sign: MacKenzie Gore can do that?

Since they lowered the mound in 1969, here’s the list of pitchers with more strikeouts in an Opening Day start than the 13 Gore piled up against the Phillies:

• Randy Johnson (1993 and 1996)
• Shane Bieber (2020)

Bieber won the Cy Young that season. Johnson won it five times, though not in either of those seasons.

How good was Gore Thursday? His FIP is 1.70 — sorry, minus-1.70, which, if maintained, would be a record. Since coming over in the Juan Soto trade, the lefty has established himself as a pretty good major-league starter. Thursday suggested the leap to something more could be imminent. — Britton

Record: 3-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 28

Most encouraging sign: Clutch exists and the Marlins have it

Statistically speaking, the best chance for the Marlins to outperform expectations is to be, and this is a specifically defined term, “crazy good” in close games — 2012 Orioles good in close games. And in the first weekend, that somehow looked like a plausible blueprint.

Miami became the first team since the ’01 Tigers to win with three walk-offs in its first series. You hear ’01 Tigers and probably think of Tony Clark and Bobby Higginson. No, I mean the ’01 Tigers of Kids Gleason and Elberfeld — the 1901 Tigers, who overcame deficits of nine, one and three in the ninth inning to earn those walk-offs against the ur-Milwaukee Brewers. It’s disheartening no one on that Detroit roster earned “Clutch” as a nickname, but their mistake doesn’t have to be ours. What a game Clutch Conine had Sunday, eh? — Britton

Record: 3-1
Preseason Power Ranking: 27

Most encouraging sign: Jack Kochanowicz missed some bats

Kochanowicz, a 24-year-old right-hander, presented a puzzle for analysts last season. He stands 6-foot-7 and wields a fastball that touches the upper 90s. Yet in his rookie season, he struck out only 3.4 batters per nine innings. He has solid command, so any improvement to his whiff rate could help him level up. He made decent progress in his first outing of 2025. It was only four batters in six innings, and it occurred against the White Sox. But progress is progress is progress. — McCullough

Record: 1-3
Preseason Power Ranking: 29

Most encouraging sign: Ryan McMahon could rejuvenate his trade value…

But then again, the Rockies haven’t been very aggressive with trying to move homegrown players in recent years. McMahon is a quality defender at third base, but he’s been a slightly below-average hitter for his entire career. There is probably a team or two willing to gamble on McMahon’s upside getting out of Colorado, especially if he produces at the plate like he did in the season’s first weekend. — McCullough

Record: 2-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 30

Most encouraging sign: Chicago’s 1-2 punch

Yes, the White Sox lost two of three games to the Angels, and yes, they had a massive malfunction with their tarp that became the stuff of internet tomfoolery.

We’re getting close to the finished product.

The White Sox have a lot of tarps. pic.twitter.com/QfRyuvsGuF

— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) March 30, 2025

But consider this: Between Opening Day starter Sean Burke and Game 2 arm Jonathan Cannon, the duo managed to put up 11 scoreless innings, with eight strikeouts against just three walks. Now, the Angels aren’t some offensive powerhouse, and the weather was rather cold, but seeing as Chicago lost an astounding 121 games in 2024, a reliable 1-2 duo is the kind of progress that the White Sox need so that they stay away from another historically bad season. — Flores 

(Top image of Texas’ Wyatt Langford and Joc Pederson: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)

Three hundred and four days is a long time for a footballer to go without playing in a game. And 1,135 days must feel like a lifetime for a striker to go without scoring.

The former Real Madrid forward Mariano Diaz ended both of those personal droughts within the first 20 minutes of a friendly between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico this week.

Mariano made 84 appearances for Madrid over two spells between 2016 and 2023, scoring 12 times. He then joined fellow La Liga side Sevilla in 2023 but left them last summer and has been without a club since.

He had scored his last official goal on February 15, 2022, for Madrid against Cadiz in La Liga, and his most recent appearance in any recognised competition was in a Spanish top-flight match for Sevilla against Barcelona on April 26 last year.

Now, he is back in business.

The 31-year-old has committed to the Dominican Republic national team in time for their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup in Canada and the United States, with 16 sides from North and Central America and the Caribbean competing.

So, why did the Dominican Republic want Mariano after such a long time out? And how was he able to hit the ground running on his return?

Mariano played 88 minutes in the Dominican Republic’s 2-0 win against Puerto Rico on Tuesday, at Cibao Stadium in the Dominican city of Santiago.

His goal came from a long ball over the top, which he received on his chest while running in behind the Puerto Rican defence. That touch dropped the ball onto his favoured right foot, before he fired a shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

It was a high-quality take and finish from a similar angle to his stoppage-time goal seconds after coming off the bench against Barcelona in March 2020 — his best moment in a Madrid shirt — and showed why the Dominican Republic are so excited to have him, despite his lack of club football over the past 10 months.

“It was a very beautiful feeling to return to the pitch, to score a goal again. It’s what I most like,” Mariano told the Dominican Republic football team’s official channels. “There’s a very good connection (with the rest of the team), very good chemistry, and I hope it continues like that in the next games.”

The goal was of special importance to the Dominican Republic’s Argentinian manager Marcelo Neveleff, who pushed for Mariano’s inclusion.

“I told him before (the game) that I was praying for him to score a goal, and he gave me a big hug. And then after the game, he gave me another big hug,” Neveleff, 62, tells The Athletic. “We were all rooting for him, and he knew that, even without saying words. He showed gratitude to us all, coaching staff and players. We were all really happy for him.”

The two teams had met just four days earlier in Puerto Rico and drew 2-2 without the Dominican Republic’s two most high-profile players, Mariano and Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo, who both scored in the later win in Santiago. Puerto Rico are 157th in FIFA’s world rankings (the Dominican Republic are 141st), so there will be tougher tests ahead for Mariano.

It was his first appearance for the Dominican Republic — where his mother is from — since his international debut in 2013, when he featured in a friendly against Haiti. He was also eligible to play for Spain, having been born in Premia de Mar, Catalonia.

In a 2018 interview with Spanish news agency EFE, as reported by Marca, he called playing for Spain “a dream I have since I’ve been little” and added: “They (the Dominican Republic) have tried to get me to go (there), but I have the desire and the intention of playing for Spain.”

Neveleff, who was appointed in January 2023, says: “When I got here two years ago, we went over the players of Dominican heritage that played in Europe, and he was on the top of the list. We met a year ago, and then he told me that he was interested but not at the moment, when he was in Seville. But then we started talking again and it was a big-time opportunity for us as a national team to have a player of his calibre.

“He believed that we were going to be able to help him relaunch his career. And that’s why it was a win-win situation for all of us.”

Players without a club very rarely represent their countries.

Notable examples include Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal at the 2022 World Cup after his second Manchester United exit two days into the tournament and Zinedine Zidane at the 2006 World Cup, as he had announced he would retire when his France team’s involvement ended having already played his last game at club level for Real Madrid.

Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa put in stellar performances for Mexico at the 2014 World Cup while he was a free agent after leaving France’s Ajaccio to earn a move to Spanish side Malaga and Hal Robson-Kanu helped Wales to the 2016 European Championship semi-finals as a free agent after his deal at Reading expired — his decisive second in the 3-1 quarter-final win against Belgium nominated for FIFA’s Puskas award for the best goal that calendar year — and was then signed by West Bromwich Albion.

But none were without a club for as long as Mariano, who endured a difficult time at Madrid.

He joined their youth system in 2011-12 from Catalan side Badalona and rose to become third-choice striker behind Karim Benzema and Alvaro Morata in 2016-17. He made the most of his limited minutes to earn an €8million ($8.7m; £6.7m at current exchange rates) move to France’s Lyon in summer 2017 and scored 21 goals in 48 games for them across all competitions the following season before Madrid then exercised a right of first refusal to bring him back in 2018.

His final five years at Madrid were characterised by a lack of playing time and it probably did not help that he took on the iconic No 7 shirt worn by Cristiano Ronaldo when he left for Juventus in the summer of 2018. Mariano finally left through the back door in 2023 and signed as a free agent with Sevilla — but failed to score in 13 appearances and has been without a club since leaving last summer after his one-year contract expired.

Mariano scores for Madrid against Barca in March 2020 (David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Dominican Republic manager Neveleff describes him as a “tough kid” who is “very strong mentally”.

“These guys are high-level athletes,” says Neveleff. “If they have the idea to come back, they cannot relax, especially (when it comes to) physical training. What is most challenging (for a player) is (going without) the competition. When you play in La Liga, the Premier League or the Championship, whichever, some of the stuff that you were resolving on the field in a split second, it might take you a bit longer to do it and when you take longer, you are already late for the action.

“He missed a couple of chances (in the Puerto Rico game). I told him if he had been in top shape and form he would not have missed. He missed a one-on-one with the goalkeeper before he scored the goal, but he knows.”

But the signs were mostly positive on Mariano’s return. He trained well before the game and played those 88 minutes to a decent level before being replaced.

“I saw him in the first day in practice and it was obvious this guy has been training all the time (despite being without a club),” says Neveleff, “so we had a conversation and I asked him, ‘Do you feel that you are ready to start?’. When he told me ‘Yes’, I believed him.”

The Dominican Republic’s goalkeeper Xavier Valdez, of MLS club Nashville FC, agrees on Mariano’s quality.

“With him as a new addition, it makes our fight for qualification to the World Cup much stronger,” the 21-year-old tells The Athletic. “He brings a lot of quality and effectiveness to the team. Everyone has received him well, and I think we can all say that we are all very excited for him to be part of the team again.”

With two games played and two to go, the Dominican Republic are third in their second-round Concacaf World Cup qualifying group, behind Guatemala and Jamaica, as they chase a historic first appearance in football’s most prestigious tournament.

The top two in each of the six groups (12 teams overall) progress to the third round, where they will be split into three groups of four. The three third-round group winners will qualify directly for next year’s World Cup, with the two best-ranked runners-up entering inter-confederation play-offs also involving teams from Asia, Africa, South America and Oceania.

Neveleff says Mariano is hoping to find himself a club before the Dominican Republic’s next matches in early June, when they visit Guatemala and host Dominica, a fellow Caribbean island nation, in those last two second-round World Cup qualifiers before the Gold Cup starts later that month.

The Dominican Republic qualified for the 2024 Olympics and are now aiming for a first World Cup appearance (Alex Grimm – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

“I don’t think he will be without a team for long, but if that happens, I am going to start bugging him,” says Neveleff.

“I know it is in the middle of the season (for many leagues), but hopefully, he will get somewhere. If not, he will stay training, and I’ll see how I can help him. Maybe we can bring him over and train with a group of players here, but I believe in his quality.

“The next international window is only a few months away. I don’t think he will lose his quality from today to June, so my plan is to have him at all costs.”

The Dominican Republic have made important strides in football in recent years.

Their qualification for the Gold Cup marks the men’s team’s first major tournament, one year after the women first qualified for their equivalent competition.

The men’s side also appeared at the 2024 Olympics in France, where they were knocked out at the group stage, drawing with Egypt (0-0) and Uzbekistan (1-1) and losing 3-1 to eventual gold medallists Spain. Mariano was listed in their preliminary squad but ultimately got left out, with competing countries only allowed three players over 23 years old in their selected 18.

The country’s increased commitment to football also saw it host the Under-17 Women’s World Cup from October to November last year.

Higher standards have been set partly thanks to the successful recruitment of dual-national players playing in Europe, including Firpo, who committed his future to them in February 2024, Getafe forward Peter Gonzalez, and left-back Juan Familia-Castillo of Dutch side RKC Waalwijk.

If he can continue to score, Mariano could take the Dominican Republic closer to history — and perhaps relaunch his club career in the process.

(Top photo: Mariano celebrates scoring for Madrid in 2019; David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)

There has been growing excitement within Formula One over the potential return of the V10 engines. That roaring sound is part of the sport’s history and identity.

But the calls from senior figures in the F1 paddock, including the FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, to consider returning the loud engines used most recently 20 years ago, has also raised questions.

If simpler, louder and cheaper V10 engines, running on fully sustainable fuels and resulting in smaller and lighter car designs, are introduced in the coming years, what happens in the interim? And how would that impact the imminent power unit change scheduled for 2026?

F1’s stakeholders have been working on the 2026 engine rules, maintaining the V6 hybrid basis for the power units, for years. Since their approval in the summer of 2022, the ruleset has encouraged Audi, Ford (via Red Bull), and General Motors to join the grid, as well as reversing Honda’s decision to quit, all thanks to the sport’s commitment to fully sustainable fuels and greater electrification. In the case of Audi and Red Bull, the development of their new engine programs has required significant investment and recruitment, running into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

These rules were meant to cover a five-year cycle from 2026 through to the end of 2030. But will they even happen at all?

In a select media roundtable, including The Athletic, on Sunday in Shanghai, Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s single-seater director who helps shape F1’s future rules, framed the discussion over the future engine regulations as hinging on two questions.

The first relates to the long-term direction of the sport and whether, in the next three or four years, F1 wants a different type of power unit. “If the answer to that is yes, (that) we want to change something, then question number two is, ‘What we do in the intervening period?’” Tombazis said. That period begins next year.

“What I want to say at the start about 2026 is that, either way, whether we stay with the current regulations or whether we do the already approved new regulations, I think Formula One would be in a good place,” Tombazis said. “I don’t want it to be seen as sort of, ‘OK, we are panicking about 2026,’ because that is far from reality.”

On Friday in China, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner claimed there were “limitations” with next year’s rules that could impact the sport’s on-track spectacle due to the “shortcomings of the split in electrification and combustion” sources with the new power unit, which leans more on the electric power in the power unit. Those “limitations” would relate to consistent performance issues across the grid, which could affect the quality of competition and racing.

But Tombazis said he and the wider FIA did not share what he called a “scaremongering” view raised about the 2026 regulations’ potential impact on racing.

“I think there will be cars racing closely with each other, able to fight each other, and using driver skill, etc,” Tombazis said. “So fundamentally, I think I don’t share the panic stories. I remind people that there were panic stories for the ’22 regulations about how the cars would be massively slow.” This was when F1 last made a major overhaul to the aerodynamic regulations, which was not on the scale of 2026 when both the car designs and power units will change.

“I’m not saying everything was perfect,” Tombazis said of the 2022 change. “There are things with the benefit of hindsight we would have done differently. But I don’t think it was that disaster.”

Any change to the plans for next year would depend on the position of all the engine manufacturers. The investment and effort already put in has led the sport to a point where it’s “10 past midnight, and Cinderella has left the building,” to quote Horner.

Although Tombazis agreed that “the train has left the station to a large extent” for 2026, he noted that talk about the ‘interim’ period was fueled by chatter in the wake of Ben Sulayem, the FIA president, calling for an evaluation of a future switch to V10s.

Tombazis added that the FIA did not wish to impose any changes that would make it impossible for a team to compete. “We won’t just go on majorities,” he said. “We are trying to build a consensus here, and if that fails, then we will stay where we are (with the existing 2026 plan).”

If F1 power unit manufacturers were to feel it’s better to shelve the ’26 engines due to potential negative impacts on the sport — if the “scaremongering” were serious and concerns were widely shared — then mechanisms do exist that could lead to the status quo with the current specification of power units being the interim solution until a possible return to V10s.

But that would lead to other major knock-on effects and issues, given that Audi and Red Bull Powertrains/Ford haven’t produced a V6 hybrid engine for the current regulations. Other existing manufacturers have shifted all development to future engines. This, again, makes the idea of changing next year’s engine plans seem unthinkable.

Horner told reporters on Sunday in China he would be “very surprised” if the existing rules continued next year. “I think all teams are all in at the moment on ’26,” Horner said. “So we’d have to understand what it was all about.” He also denied Red Bull was pushing for a delay of the new rules, saying it was “geared up and ready for ’26.”

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, didn’t give much thought to the possibility of the 2026 changes not going ahead.

“It’s all going to be good,” he told reporters, calling the change an “exciting adventure” for the F1 grid that meant it should be celebrated, not derided by already looking at what follows the upcoming change.

“This is where we should put our emphasis,” Wolff said. “This is what we should cheer for, and speak about, all the goodness that is going to bring rather than looking too far forward.”

A spokesperson for Audi issued a statement noting that the upcoming rule change and power unit design was “a key factor in Audi’s decision to enter Formula One. These power unit regulations reflect the same technological advancements that drive innovation in Audi’s road cars.” The German manufacturer has established its own F1 engine program and bought the Sauber team all on the basis of these rules — which now could only last a few years.

Assuming things go ahead as planned for 2026, as most still anticipate, the winds are currently blowing toward a shorter cycle from the original five years to change the power unit formula.

The desire for a long-term game plan is shared by senior figures throughout the paddock, meaning it’ll be a talking point in the coming months. The positions of the various power unit manufacturers could be influenced by their relative competitive standings in the political battles next year. If one team has produced the best power unit and has an advantage that would be hard to overcome, it’s only natural it might seek to protect that and kick any shift in regulations as far down the road as possible — and that its rivals would try to fight back.

Given how celebrated the 2026 engine rules were when they were announced in 2022 and the credit given to them when each new major manufacturer joined the grid, ditching them early would be strange. But Tombazis felt two primary factors had caused the change in stance. First, he cited the perception from manufacturers about electrification uptake across the automotive industry given a slow down in consumer interest.

“Back in 2020, 2021, when these discussions were had, the trend was pretty decisively in the direction of electrification,” he said. “I’m not saying that’s not happening, but certainly the views of the participants have changed since then.”

He also highlighted the costs of making the power units, admitting the current designs are “way too expensive.” When the 2026 rules were announced, improved cost control was heralded as one of their benefits, but Tombazis said their expense was a consideration.

“Even if Formula One is in very good health financially, it has become important also to protect it against world economy fluctuations, and I think we need to take these protective measures while the sun is shining and not when it starts raining, ideally,” he said. “The drive to cut costs is important to consider.

“All of these things are not things we would dream of doing without trying to respect all of the participants properly.”

Wolff said Mercedes was “always open” to different engine solutions, but that F1 had to consider what fans wanted too, and whether their views might have changed amid the shift toward a younger and more diverse fanbase than in the past. For those who came to the sport through “Drive to Survive,” the sound of V6 hybrids is all they will have known.

“All of this needs to be set as questions,” Wolff said. “What are the objectives for a future regulation change in a few years? Let’s analyze that based on data and come to a conclusion that is for the best of our sport.

“Because this is the single most important denominator between the FIA, Formula One, the teams, that we want to have the greatest product for our fans.”

(Top photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images)

More than 1,000 Division I men’s basketball players have entered the transfer portal since it opened on March 24. That’s a lot of names and faces to learn as college basketball’s roster management busy season increasingly resembles NBA free agency. This is where The Athletic’s transfer portal rankings come in.

The rankings are a living document we will continue to expand and update as more players hit the portal. Some notes to keep in mind: First, positional scarcity is taken into account. The easiest type of player to find in the portal is a scoring guard; the hardest types are versatile wings and bigs. Second, remaining eligibility matters. Players with potential to play more than one season carry more value. Finally, these rankings are essentially scheme-agnostic. Not every team runs the same offense and defense, so no two teams’ boards look the same. Take these as more of a list of transfers to watch than an official window into how much every team values every player.

With that said, here are The Athletic’s 2025 transfer portal rankings.

Position Center Forward Guard Wing

Availability Committed In Portal

Pre-committment Team Arizona State Cal Drake ETSU Evansville Georgia Georgia Tech Howard Indiana Iowa Iowa State Kennesaw St Lincoln Mem. Miami (Fla.) Nevada New Mexico North Carolina North Dakota Notre Dame Omaha Oregon State Providence Robert Morris San Diego St Santa Clara South Dakota St Tulane UNLV Valparaiso Virginia West Virginia Wyoming Xavier

Post-committment Team Creighton Bluejays Indiana Hoosiers Iowa Hawkeyes Kentucky Wildcats St. John’s Red Storm

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Ht: 6-4 Wt: 180

The maestro of Drake’s 31-win team is following Ben McCollum to Iowa, announcing that he would be joining his coach in Iowa City even before his name officially hit the portal. Stirtz is a tremendous processor who understands exactly how to play within McCollum’s scheme. He runs the show and seemingly never leaves the court (over 39 minutes per game this season). He can score from all three levels, can play on and off the ball and serves as an extension of his coach on the floor. He scored 21 points in both of Drake’s NCAA Tournament games against high-major competition. There are some athletic concerns as he moves up a level, but those are more NBA-focused than college-centric. Stirtz is a good bet to be an All-American next season and a monster building block for Iowa in the post-Fran McCaffery world. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 180

The maestro of Drake’s 31-win team is following Ben McCollum to Iowa, announcing that he would be joining his coach in Iowa City even before his name officially hit the portal. Stirtz is a tremendous processor who understands exactly how to play within McCollum’s scheme. He runs the show and seemingly never leaves the court (over 39 minutes per game this season). He can score from all three levels, can play on and off the ball and serves as an extension of his coach on the floor. He scored 21 points in both of Drake’s NCAA Tournament games against high-major competition. There are some athletic concerns as he moves up a level, but those are more NBA-focused than college-centric. Stirtz is a good bet to be an All-American next season and a monster building block for Iowa in the post-Fran McCaffery world. — Sam Vecenie

Guard

Committed

Drake

Iowa Hawkeyes

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 175

Dent was one of the best point guards in college basketball this season, becoming the first player since 1997 to average at least 20 points and six assists while shooting 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3. He was a borderline All-American while carrying a fast-paced offense to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He’s wildly competitive and reads the court incredibly well. Any mistake that a team makes in ball-screen defense, Dent is going to hammer it. Tag too late, he’ll hit the lob to a big. Tag too aggressively on the weak side, he’ll hit the cross-corner kick-out. If you give him too much space coming off of a screen, he’ll attack the rim or find a beautiful little floater. He’s lethal at getting to the foul line, too. Dent has every chance to be an All-American next year wherever he ends up. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 175

Dent was one of the best point guards in college basketball this season, becoming the first player since 1997 to average at least 20 points and six assists while shooting 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3. He was a borderline All-American while carrying a fast-paced offense to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He’s wildly competitive and reads the court incredibly well. Any mistake that a team makes in ball-screen defense, Dent is going to hammer it. Tag too late, he’ll hit the lob to a big. Tag too aggressively on the weak side, he’ll hit the cross-corner kick-out. If you give him too much space coming off of a screen, he’ll attack the rim or find a beautiful little floater. He’s lethal at getting to the foul line, too. Dent has every chance to be an All-American next year wherever he ends up. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 215

Conwell proved he could be a high-major go-to guy this year at Xavier after breaking out in his one season at Indiana State. He’s one of the best scorers in the portal, able to fill it up from all three levels. The lefty shot 41.2 percent from 3, and he’s elite in catch-and-shoot, off movement and off the bounce. He’s one of those lefties who just seems hard to stop from getting to his left hand. He’s smooth and strong, so he finds a way to get to his spots. He also battles defensively and is a valuable two-way wing. He can be streaky, but when he’s on, he can really go off — proven by two 30-plus-point games this season. Conwell is arguably the best wing in the portal and should be highly coveted.
— C.J. Moore

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 215

Conwell proved he could be a high-major go-to guy this year at Xavier after breaking out in his one season at Indiana State. He’s one of the best scorers in the portal, able to fill it up from all three levels. The lefty shot 41.2 percent from 3, and he’s elite in catch-and-shoot, off movement and off the bounce. He’s one of those lefties who just seems hard to stop from getting to his left hand. He’s smooth and strong, so he finds a way to get to his spots. He also battles defensively and is a valuable two-way wing. He can be streaky, but when he’s on, he can really go off — proven by two 30-plus-point games this season. Conwell is arguably the best wing in the portal and should be highly coveted.
— C.J. Moore

Ht: 6-7 Wt: 225

DeVries played for his dad, Darian, at Drake before following him to West Virginia and now to Indiana. A two-time Missouri Valley player of the year, he’s an elite shooter off movement who can create shots from all three levels. He takes about seven 3s per game, and while he only hits them at a 37 percent clip, that’s because he takes some truly difficult ones off all sorts of intricate action within this offense. He also passes extremely well. His feet can be a bit slow on defense, a trait that could be exploited in the Big Ten. Still, expect him to be one of the best players in the league next season even coming off the wrist injury that held him out for all but eight games this year. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-7 Wt: 225

DeVries played for his dad, Darian, at Drake before following him to West Virginia and now to Indiana. A two-time Missouri Valley player of the year, he’s an elite shooter off movement who can create shots from all three levels. He takes about seven 3s per game, and while he only hits them at a 37 percent clip, that’s because he takes some truly difficult ones off all sorts of intricate action within this offense. He also passes extremely well. His feet can be a bit slow on defense, a trait that could be exploited in the Big Ten. Still, expect him to be one of the best players in the league next season even coming off the wrist injury that held him out for all but eight games this year. — Sam Vecenie

Wing

Committed

West Virginia

Indiana Hoosiers

Ht: 6-10 Wt: 230

Freeman extended a long line of great Iowa post players under Fran McCaffery, consistently getting to his spots on the block and making shots. He shot 63 percent in post-ups, per Synergy, and has a great back-to-the-basket game. But he also has some handle, allowing him to attack in straight lines before using drop steps and counters to finish. His footwork is terrific, and he had a couple of moments when he stepped away and showed some potential from 3-point range. Teams that run several post-ups will likely be the best fit here, but he would also fit in ball-screen offenses that utilize seals. But to win games that matter, his new team must surround him with high-level defenders. That end of the floor wasn’t always a strength despite his gaudy 1.8 blocks per game. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-10 Wt: 230

Freeman extended a long line of great Iowa post players under Fran McCaffery, consistently getting to his spots on the block and making shots. He shot 63 percent in post-ups, per Synergy, and has a great back-to-the-basket game. But he also has some handle, allowing him to attack in straight lines before using drop steps and counters to finish. His footwork is terrific, and he had a couple of moments when he stepped away and showed some potential from 3-point range. Teams that run several post-ups will likely be the best fit here, but he would also fit in ball-screen offenses that utilize seals. But to win games that matter, his new team must surround him with high-level defenders. That end of the floor wasn’t always a strength despite his gaudy 1.8 blocks per game. — Sam Vecenie 

Forward

Committed

Iowa

Creighton Bluejays

Ht: 6-5Wt: 210

One of the most fun breakout stars of the year in the Big Ten, Dix is a skilled, efficient gunner who makes great decisions. He shot 51 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free-throw line, but the big number here is the 42.2 percent mark on five 3-point attempts per game. He’s an all-situations shooter: off spot-ups, off movement, off relocations and off the dribble. He tops it off by being useful in ball screens as a handler and cutting sharply off the ball. He has an NBA-style off-ball game, and he’ll likely fit best in a scheme that prioritizes off-ball movement, 3-point shooting and five-out play. But he can play anywhere in the country. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-5Wt: 210

One of the most fun breakout stars of the year in the Big Ten, Dix is a skilled, efficient gunner who makes great decisions. He shot 51 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free-throw line, but the big number here is the 42.2 percent mark on five 3-point attempts per game. He’s an all-situations shooter: off spot-ups, off movement, off relocations and off the dribble. He tops it off by being useful in ball screens as a handler and cutting sharply off the ball. He has an NBA-style off-ball game, and he’ll likely fit best in a scheme that prioritizes off-ball movement, 3-point shooting and five-out play. But he can play anywhere in the country. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 200

DeMary is unlike just about anyone else available. Why? He’s a big guard who can actually run an offense. Landing him gives a team a lot more flexibility in the other guys they can pursue: A big lead lets you play smaller scoring guards if you want, or go with the recent Connecticut model and switch all actions across positions one through four at a high level. DeMary had a monster close to this season, averaging 19.3 points and 3.5 per game over his final 10, and he shot it well enough from 3 all year to play both on and off the ball if needed. He’s a serious chess piece. Expect an expensive battle for his services. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 200

DeMary is unlike just about anyone else available. Why? He’s a big guard who can actually run an offense. Landing him gives a team a lot more flexibility in the other guys they can pursue: A big lead lets you play smaller scoring guards if you want, or go with the recent Connecticut model and switch all actions across positions one through four at a high level. DeMary had a monster close to this season, averaging 19.3 points and 3.5 per game over his final 10, and he shot it well enough from 3 all year to play both on and off the ball if needed. He’s a serious chess piece. Expect an expensive battle for his services. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-6Wt: 225

Hopkins has had a wild career, starting at Kentucky as a consensus top-40 recruit before transferring to Providence and exploding onto the scene with a first-team All-Big East campaign in 2022-23. Hopkins tried his luck with the NBA Draft in 2023 but returned to school and tore his ACL midway through his junior season. He tried to return this season but suffered a bone bruise after three games and missed the rest of the year. At his best, Hopkins is a mismatch nightmare at the four who can slash and finish at the rim with physicality, make plays for his teammates and defend with toughness. He could turn out to be one of the best players in college hoops next season, or he could struggle with his knee and disappoint. Given the resources that you’d have to allocate to get him, Hopkins won’t be for everyone. But if he’s right, he’s a genuine program-changer. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-6Wt: 225

Hopkins has had a wild career, starting at Kentucky as a consensus top-40 recruit before transferring to Providence and exploding onto the scene with a first-team All-Big East campaign in 2022-23. Hopkins tried his luck with the NBA Draft in 2023 but returned to school and tore his ACL midway through his junior season. He tried to return this season but suffered a bone bruise after three games and missed the rest of the year. At his best, Hopkins is a mismatch nightmare at the four who can slash and finish at the rim with physicality, make plays for his teammates and defend with toughness. He could turn out to be one of the best players in college hoops next season, or he could struggle with his knee and disappoint. Given the resources that you’d have to allocate to get him, Hopkins won’t be for everyone. But if he’s right, he’s a genuine program-changer. — Sam Vecenie 

Forward

In Portal

Providence

Ht: 7-0Wt: 190

Gwath went from zero-star recruit to legitimate NBA prospect in a single season. He won both freshman of the year and defensive player of the year in the Mountain West (although he has some ball-screen and perimeter issues to work through on that end) and has a pro-style game. The numbers don’t look gaudy, but that’s because it took him time to establish himself. He is a 7-footer with legitimate handles who can attack from the perimeter in addition to shooting from 3. Gwath is still quite skinny and will need to keep filling out his frame over the next few years, but I would anticipate this ends with him playing in the NBA, and he should go to a school that will better weaponize his perimeter game and space the court around him. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 7-0Wt: 190

Gwath went from zero-star recruit to legitimate NBA prospect in a single season. He won both freshman of the year and defensive player of the year in the Mountain West (although he has some ball-screen and perimeter issues to work through on that end) and has a pro-style game. The numbers don’t look gaudy, but that’s because it took him time to establish himself. He is a 7-footer with legitimate handles who can attack from the perimeter in addition to shooting from 3. Gwath is still quite skinny and will need to keep filling out his frame over the next few years, but I would anticipate this ends with him playing in the NBA, and he should go to a school that will better weaponize his perimeter game and space the court around him. — Sam Vecenie 

Forward

In Portal

San Diego St

Ht: 6-7 Wt: 220

Swain certainly has one of the best potential futures of any player in the portal. He’s a genuine NBA prospect who should declare for the draft this season to at least test his stock. A tremendous defensive playmaker, Swain has incredibly long arms and is wildly reactive on the court. He averaged 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks to go with 11 points. Offensively, teams generally played off him this year, and he made them pay at times (he had 27 points in Xavier’s Round of 64 game vs. Illinois). However, to take that next step and become one of the best college players in the country — and a legitimate NBA player — he will have to improve his shot. He made just 25 percent from 3 this season and doesn’t look all that comfortable taking them. The good news? He has some real touch around the rim and made 82 percent of his free throws, so he has a chance to take that next step. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-7 Wt: 220

Swain certainly has one of the best potential futures of any player in the portal. He’s a genuine NBA prospect who should declare for the draft this season to at least test his stock. A tremendous defensive playmaker, Swain has incredibly long arms and is wildly reactive on the court. He averaged 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks to go with 11 points. Offensively, teams generally played off him this year, and he made them pay at times (he had 27 points in Xavier’s Round of 64 game vs. Illinois). However, to take that next step and become one of the best college players in the country — and a legitimate NBA player — he will have to improve his shot. He made just 25 percent from 3 this season and doesn’t look all that comfortable taking them. The good news? He has some real touch around the rim and made 82 percent of his free throws, so he has a chance to take that next step. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 195

A former five-star recruit, Sanon is a bucket-getter through and through. He’s not overly big, but he averaged 12 points per game while shooting 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3 as a freshman. The numbers aren’t what they seem, however. He had a dry spell in conference play after a strong start, averaging just six points from Dec. 14 through Feb. 23 while he played through an ankle injury. He was healthy at the end of the season and averaged 19 points in his final five games. He needs to improve drastically on defense and work on making consistent reads as a driver. If he can make tough, winning plays on both ends of the court on a regular basis, he has real NBA upside after next season. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 195

A former five-star recruit, Sanon is a bucket-getter through and through. He’s not overly big, but he averaged 12 points per game while shooting 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3 as a freshman. The numbers aren’t what they seem, however. He had a dry spell in conference play after a strong start, averaging just six points from Dec. 14 through Feb. 23 while he played through an ankle injury. He was healthy at the end of the season and averaged 19 points in his final five games. He needs to improve drastically on defense and work on making consistent reads as a driver. If he can make tough, winning plays on both ends of the court on a regular basis, he has real NBA upside after next season. — Sam Vecenie

Wing

Committed

Arizona State

St. John’s Red Storm

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 180

One of the best pop-up freshmen in the country this season, Wooley was dominant in Conference USA for Kennesaw State. Not only are the averages per game impressive, but he shot 51 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3 and 77 percent from the line. His frame still needs a bit of work, so it makes sense that he spends at least one more season in college. However, he did almost carry Kennesaw to a win over league-champion Liberty in the conference tournament, scoring 28 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists. He also had 25 points and 19 points against top-100 teams UC Irvine and Santa Clara. Originally from Tuscaloosa, this feels like it’ll be an all-out war between Alabama and Auburn. Wooley is good enough to play anywhere.
— Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 180

One of the best pop-up freshmen in the country this season, Wooley was dominant in Conference USA for Kennesaw State. Not only are the averages per game impressive, but he shot 51 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3 and 77 percent from the line. His frame still needs a bit of work, so it makes sense that he spends at least one more season in college. However, he did almost carry Kennesaw to a win over league-champion Liberty in the conference tournament, scoring 28 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists. He also had 25 points and 19 points against top-100 teams UC Irvine and Santa Clara. Originally from Tuscaloosa, this feels like it’ll be an all-out war between Alabama and Auburn. Wooley is good enough to play anywhere.
— Sam Vecenie

Guard

In Portal

Kennesaw St

Ht: 6-4Wt: 200

The pitch with McKneely is simple: He’s one of the best shooters in the country, point blank. He has made 43.1 percent of his nearly seven 3-point attempts over the last two years. He makes them off movement at a high level and can find his shot from just about any situation. Where he’s really improved over the last two years, though, is how he uses the threat of that shot to attack off it, finding his way into the lane to score occasionally or to use a touch floater. He’s not a monster passer, but he sees reads well and is unselfish. He also rarely makes mistakes. Teams that run a lot of actions to free shooters should be salivating about getting McKneely into their scheme. The perfect fit here is for McKneely to be Koby Brea’s replacement at Kentucky, given that he grew up a three-hour drive away in West Virginia. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-4Wt: 200

The pitch with McKneely is simple: He’s one of the best shooters in the country, point blank. He has made 43.1 percent of his nearly seven 3-point attempts over the last two years. He makes them off movement at a high level and can find his shot from just about any situation. Where he’s really improved over the last two years, though, is how he uses the threat of that shot to attack off it, finding his way into the lane to score occasionally or to use a touch floater. He’s not a monster passer, but he sees reads well and is unselfish. He also rarely makes mistakes. Teams that run a lot of actions to free shooters should be salivating about getting McKneely into their scheme. The perfect fit here is for McKneely to be Koby Brea’s replacement at Kentucky, given that he grew up a three-hour drive away in West Virginia. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-10Wt: 230

Cofie started the season on fire and looked like a potential one-and-done player. However, he cooled off as the season progressed, looking more like a terrific first-year starter who will take some time to develop to get to the next level. He played about 20 minutes per game and is a sharp, reactive player across the board. He gets his hands up and makes defensive plays regularly and can rotate across the back line to be available on the weak side. Offensively, the jumper looks entirely workable, and he’s a serious mismatch threat with his size and ability to handle the ball. It’s hard to find fours with enough size to play the center position in college, and even with his downturn in shooting late in the year, Virginia was still 10 points per 100 possessions better with Cofie on the court than when he was off it, per CBB Analytics.
 — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-10Wt: 230

Cofie started the season on fire and looked like a potential one-and-done player. However, he cooled off as the season progressed, looking more like a terrific first-year starter who will take some time to develop to get to the next level. He played about 20 minutes per game and is a sharp, reactive player across the board. He gets his hands up and makes defensive plays regularly and can rotate across the back line to be available on the weak side. Offensively, the jumper looks entirely workable, and he’s a serious mismatch threat with his size and ability to handle the ball. It’s hard to find fours with enough size to play the center position in college, and even with his downturn in shooting late in the year, Virginia was still 10 points per 100 possessions better with Cofie on the court than when he was off it, per CBB Analytics.
 — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-8Wt: 190

NBA teams are keeping their eyes on Williams after a terrific freshman season at Tulane that saw him do exactly what scouts look for from low-usage wings — knock down shots and be a menace on defense. He drilled 41 percent of his five 3-point attempts per game and has a nice stroke that should continue to translate up levels. On defense, he’s active with his hands and length, averaging 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks from the four spot. The reason he’s more of a four than a three right now is that his ball skills need to improve significantly. But he knows his role, makes good decisions and doesn’t tend to overextend himself. This is a good bet for any high-major team to take, even the ones at the highest levels.
— Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-8Wt: 190

NBA teams are keeping their eyes on Williams after a terrific freshman season at Tulane that saw him do exactly what scouts look for from low-usage wings — knock down shots and be a menace on defense. He drilled 41 percent of his five 3-point attempts per game and has a nice stroke that should continue to translate up levels. On defense, he’s active with his hands and length, averaging 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks from the four spot. The reason he’s more of a four than a three right now is that his ball skills need to improve significantly. But he knows his role, makes good decisions and doesn’t tend to overextend himself. This is a good bet for any high-major team to take, even the ones at the highest levels.
— Sam Vecenie

Wing

Committed

Tulane

Kentucky Wildcats

Ht: 6-7 Wt: 200

Harper is this season’s mid-major breakout freshman, a 6-foot-7 wing who won both the MEAC’s player of the year and freshman of the year awards. A smooth lefty with a sweet shooting stroke and great touch, Harper still has some things to work on but has the look of a high-level, high-major recruit. He attacks aggressively off the bounce and is fearless driving to the paint. He averaged 8.4 free-throw attempts per game and does a great job of drawing contact, even though he’s not overly vertical. The worries here are that he wasn’t overly efficient at the rim and that he was an athletic/size outlier at the MEAC level. He needs to work on his strength to bounce off other wings and improve his footwork on drives. Otherwise, he’ll need to be more willing to fire from 3. He reminds me of Florida starting wing Will Richard back when Richard was at Belmont.
— Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-7 Wt: 200

Harper is this season’s mid-major breakout freshman, a 6-foot-7 wing who won both the MEAC’s player of the year and freshman of the year awards. A smooth lefty with a sweet shooting stroke and great touch, Harper still has some things to work on but has the look of a high-level, high-major recruit. He attacks aggressively off the bounce and is fearless driving to the paint. He averaged 8.4 free-throw attempts per game and does a great job of drawing contact, even though he’s not overly vertical. The worries here are that he wasn’t overly efficient at the rim and that he was an athletic/size outlier at the MEAC level. He needs to work on his strength to bounce off other wings and improve his footwork on drives. Otherwise, he’ll need to be more willing to fire from 3. He reminds me of Florida starting wing Will Richard back when Richard was at Belmont.
— Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-9Wt: 220

The Horizon League Player of the Year, Folgueiras led Robert Morris to the NCAA Tournament and helped give Alabama just about all it could handle. At 6-foot-9, Folgueiras is an incredibly gifted, skilled mismatch four. The Spanish forward has great instincts across the court for playing off the ball, with timely cuts and sharp movements to find open 3s. He can pick-and-pop, and he posted his man well at the Horizon League level. His touch is terrific, and he can put the ball on the deck to finish, too. He’s also a sharp passer who sees the court well. So, what’s the issue? He’s just not all that explosive athletically. He’s a bit in-between positions defensively at the high-major level, too. But he’s active with his hands and knows where to be, averaging 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. I’m a big believer in him translating up levels and thriving at least as a high-level starter.
— Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-9Wt: 220

The Horizon League Player of the Year, Folgueiras led Robert Morris to the NCAA Tournament and helped give Alabama just about all it could handle. At 6-foot-9, Folgueiras is an incredibly gifted, skilled mismatch four. The Spanish forward has great instincts across the court for playing off the ball, with timely cuts and sharp movements to find open 3s. He can pick-and-pop, and he posted his man well at the Horizon League level. His touch is terrific, and he can put the ball on the deck to finish, too. He’s also a sharp passer who sees the court well. So, what’s the issue? He’s just not all that explosive athletically. He’s a bit in-between positions defensively at the high-major level, too. But he’s active with his hands and knows where to be, averaging 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. I’m a big believer in him translating up levels and thriving at least as a high-level starter.
— Sam Vecenie 

Forward

In Portal

Robert Morris

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 180

A former five-star prospect coming out of Sweden by way of high school powerhouse Link Academy in Missouri, Cadeau never quite found his footing at North Carolina after choosing to reclassify into the 2023 recruiting class. He’s certainly a dynamic playmaker and passer, as he showed while averaging over six assists per game this season. But he could be turnover-prone and didn’t have a consistent way to score. He’s a real athlete, but he’s a bit undersized and needs to keep working on the jumper to create that threat to get defenders off-balance. He likes to drive downhill or to get out in transition to finish at the rim, but he’s inconsistent at doing that, having made only 50 percent of his attempts in the half court at the basket. There’s clear talent here, and a change of scenery may allow him to bloom. A well-spaced offense that is ball-screen dominant would fit his game best. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 180

A former five-star prospect coming out of Sweden by way of high school powerhouse Link Academy in Missouri, Cadeau never quite found his footing at North Carolina after choosing to reclassify into the 2023 recruiting class. He’s certainly a dynamic playmaker and passer, as he showed while averaging over six assists per game this season. But he could be turnover-prone and didn’t have a consistent way to score. He’s a real athlete, but he’s a bit undersized and needs to keep working on the jumper to create that threat to get defenders off-balance. He likes to drive downhill or to get out in transition to finish at the rim, but he’s inconsistent at doing that, having made only 50 percent of his attempts in the half court at the basket. There’s clear talent here, and a change of scenery may allow him to bloom. A well-spaced offense that is ball-screen dominant would fit his game best. — Sam Vecenie

Guard

In Portal

North Carolina

Ht: 6-1Wt: 175

A two-time All-Mountain West pick, Thomas is one of the better floor generals available in the portal. He passes the ball extremely well and has a very attack-oriented mindset. He constantly trying to get downhill to the rim and does an amazing job of drawing fouls, averaging six per game. He also has a smooth lefty floater game and the ability to step out and drill shots from distance off the catch. But he’s also quite small, and that impacts his game in several ways. His finishing on the interior when he doesn’t draw contact isn’t great, and he isn’t always effective on defense. Still, expect Thomas to get a massive amount of money to run the show at a high-major next year, and he’ll have a real shot to be an all-conference pick as he puts up gaudy numbers.
— Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-1Wt: 175

A two-time All-Mountain West pick, Thomas is one of the better floor generals available in the portal. He passes the ball extremely well and has a very attack-oriented mindset. He constantly trying to get downhill to the rim and does an amazing job of drawing fouls, averaging six per game. He also has a smooth lefty floater game and the ability to step out and drill shots from distance off the catch. But he’s also quite small, and that impacts his game in several ways. His finishing on the interior when he doesn’t draw contact isn’t great, and he isn’t always effective on defense. Still, expect Thomas to get a massive amount of money to run the show at a high-major next year, and he’ll have a real shot to be an all-conference pick as he puts up gaudy numbers.
— Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-7Wt: 185

Freeman is a Division II prospect from Lincoln Memorial in Tennessee, the former stomping grounds of current Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz. He’s twitchy and athletic and has the look of a real NBA prospect down the road. He has significant burst and hit around 40 percent of his 3s this season. He’s 6-7, and it’s hard to find players this big, skilled and athletic. So, where does he slot in as a transfer? He’s still quite skinny, and while he has a creative handle, it feels like it can get away from him a bit too often. Going to a place like Saint Louis would make the most sense. Play in an uptempo scheme that is conducive to your athleticism and continue to grow physically in a league that is a bit more forgiving than the highest of high-majors. Having said that, he’s a prospect worth investing in if you are a high-major program.
— Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-7Wt: 185

Freeman is a Division II prospect from Lincoln Memorial in Tennessee, the former stomping grounds of current Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz. He’s twitchy and athletic and has the look of a real NBA prospect down the road. He has significant burst and hit around 40 percent of his 3s this season. He’s 6-7, and it’s hard to find players this big, skilled and athletic. So, where does he slot in as a transfer? He’s still quite skinny, and while he has a creative handle, it feels like it can get away from him a bit too often. Going to a place like Saint Louis would make the most sense. Play in an uptempo scheme that is conducive to your athleticism and continue to grow physically in a league that is a bit more forgiving than the highest of high-majors. Having said that, he’s a prospect worth investing in if you are a high-major program.
— Sam Vecenie

Wing

In Portal

Lincoln Mem.

Ht: 7-0Wt: 240

Quality bigs seem to be the most expensive asset in the portal, and Tilly will likely draw lots of attention because of his size and advanced numbers. The second-team All-WCC center has solid per-game averages, but his advanced numbers pop. He had a 117.8 offensive rating and a high free-throw rate, drawing 4.7 fouls per 40 minutes. He’s a skilled big who can score in the post and step out to make a jumper — he made 17 3s in ‘24-25. And most promisingly, he had some of his best games against Santa Clara’s best opponents: 17 points and eight boards against Saint Louis, 16 points against Stanford, 21 points against Bradley and 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting in an upset of Gonzaga. — C.J. Moore

Ht: 7-0Wt: 240

Quality bigs seem to be the most expensive asset in the portal, and Tilly will likely draw lots of attention because of his size and advanced numbers. The second-team All-WCC center has solid per-game averages, but his advanced numbers pop. He had a 117.8 offensive rating and a high free-throw rate, drawing 4.7 fouls per 40 minutes. He’s a skilled big who can score in the post and step out to make a jumper — he made 17 3s in ‘24-25. And most promisingly, he had some of his best games against Santa Clara’s best opponents: 17 points and eight boards against Saint Louis, 16 points against Stanford, 21 points against Bradley and 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting in an upset of Gonzaga. — C.J. Moore

Center

In Portal

Santa Clara

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 180

Agbim is well-traveled; his next school will be his fourth in five years after three juco seasons and a season at Wyoming. He could be the best three-level scorer in the portal: He drilled 44 percent of his six 3s per game and has real juice in the open court to lead the break, fill lanes or space to the corners. His shot is smooth and translatable to any situation, and he plays off that threat well by getting into the midrange and finding pull-ups, which he hits at about 45 percent. Give him a ball screen, and he’ll snake his way into a good look. While he doesn’t get to the rim often in halfcourt settings, he makes those at a reasonable clip for a guard and has a nice little floater package. Essentially, Agbim is a professional scorer playing in college. He’ll need to play next to a bigger distributor and defender to find the most success. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 180

Agbim is well-traveled; his next school will be his fourth in five years after three juco seasons and a season at Wyoming. He could be the best three-level scorer in the portal: He drilled 44 percent of his six 3s per game and has real juice in the open court to lead the break, fill lanes or space to the corners. His shot is smooth and translatable to any situation, and he plays off that threat well by getting into the midrange and finding pull-ups, which he hits at about 45 percent. Give him a ball screen, and he’ll snake his way into a good look. While he doesn’t get to the rim often in halfcourt settings, he makes those at a reasonable clip for a guard and has a nice little floater package. Essentially, Agbim is a professional scorer playing in college. He’ll need to play next to a bigger distributor and defender to find the most success. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-3Wt: 180

Boyd is coming off an All-Mountain West season at San Diego State, where he defended at the point of attack and consistently made good decisions in an offensive structure that looked awfully archaic for long stretches. He’s not a wildly dynamic downhill driver, and he’s a good shooter (not a great one), but Boyd is extremely reliable and can be counted on to organize his team as a lead guard. I don’t know that I quite see him as an all-conference guy at the high-major level, but he can be a big part of a winning team as a starter in the right spot — as he proved when he was a starting guard as a sophomore during Florida Atlantic’s 2023 Final Four run. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-3Wt: 180

Boyd is coming off an All-Mountain West season at San Diego State, where he defended at the point of attack and consistently made good decisions in an offensive structure that looked awfully archaic for long stretches. He’s not a wildly dynamic downhill driver, and he’s a good shooter (not a great one), but Boyd is extremely reliable and can be counted on to organize his team as a lead guard. I don’t know that I quite see him as an all-conference guy at the high-major level, but he can be a big part of a winning team as a starter in the right spot — as he proved when he was a starting guard as a sophomore during Florida Atlantic’s 2023 Final Four run. — Sam Vecenie 

Guard

In Portal

San Diego St

Ht: 6-3Wt: 180

George, originally from Toronto, emerged from out of nowhere at the 2023 Peach Jam, signed that summer with Georgia Tech and has grown into one of the better point guards in the ACC. He has a slick handle and a high-level feel working out of ball screens. He can also shoot behind a screen — he made 36 of his 60 3s off the bounce, per Synergy — shimmy his way into the paint and score there, or find an open teammate. He’s one of the best passers in the portal. He has high turnover numbers (3.0 per game) and is susceptible to trying to make the home-run pass, but he has the vision, size and ability to make just about every pass. He’s not a great finisher at the basket, but in the right system with shooters around him and paired with a good pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop big, he would likely flourish. — C.J. Moore 

Ht: 6-3Wt: 180

George, originally from Toronto, emerged from out of nowhere at the 2023 Peach Jam, signed that summer with Georgia Tech and has grown into one of the better point guards in the ACC. He has a slick handle and a high-level feel working out of ball screens. He can also shoot behind a screen — he made 36 of his 60 3s off the bounce, per Synergy — shimmy his way into the paint and score there, or find an open teammate. He’s one of the best passers in the portal. He has high turnover numbers (3.0 per game) and is susceptible to trying to make the home-run pass, but he has the vision, size and ability to make just about every pass. He’s not a great finisher at the basket, but in the right system with shooters around him and paired with a good pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop big, he would likely flourish. — C.J. Moore 

Wing

In Portal

Georgia Tech

Ht: 6-8 Wt: 235

Reneau, a former top-30 recruit, has a terrific mid-post game and sharp low-post footwork. He’s about as physical a player as you’ll find down there, always trying to hunt contact to create a bit of separation for him to score with his left hand. I worry that he’s a bit undersized to be a high-major center, but that’s where his game works best on offense, unless you have a big who can step out and shoot. A league like the ACC is probably the best bet for him. Two schools to watch: Georgia because Mike White originally recruited Reneau to Florida but lost him to Indiana when he took the Bulldogs’ head coaching job, and Miami because it’s Reneau’s hometown and the assistant who led his recruitment at Florida, Erik Pastrana, just joined the Hurricanes’ staff. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-8 Wt: 235

Reneau, a former top-30 recruit, has a terrific mid-post game and sharp low-post footwork. He’s about as physical a player as you’ll find down there, always trying to hunt contact to create a bit of separation for him to score with his left hand. I worry that he’s a bit undersized to be a high-major center, but that’s where his game works best on offense, unless you have a big who can step out and shoot. A league like the ACC is probably the best bet for him. Two schools to watch: Georgia because Mike White originally recruited Reneau to Florida but lost him to Indiana when he took the Bulldogs’ head coaching job, and Miami because it’s Reneau’s hometown and the assistant who led his recruitment at Florida, Erik Pastrana, just joined the Hurricanes’ staff. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-5Wt: 190

An expected one-and-done, Bethea’s season didn’t go as planned. The former top-10 recruit showed great range beyond the 3-point line in both pull-up and catch-and-shoot situations. He’s also big enough to play both guard positions down the road, although this season I didn’t feel like his handle was quite strong enough to initiate the offense. It would help Bethea to keep getting stronger, but he’s also a willing defender, and there aren’t many big combo guards available. After Miami’s disastrous season and December coaching change, it might be as simple as getting Bethea into a competent situation that will allow him to grow. Some sharp high-major should still take a flyer on him. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-5Wt: 190

An expected one-and-done, Bethea’s season didn’t go as planned. The former top-10 recruit showed great range beyond the 3-point line in both pull-up and catch-and-shoot situations. He’s also big enough to play both guard positions down the road, although this season I didn’t feel like his handle was quite strong enough to initiate the offense. It would help Bethea to keep getting stronger, but he’s also a willing defender, and there aren’t many big combo guards available. After Miami’s disastrous season and December coaching change, it might be as simple as getting Bethea into a competent situation that will allow him to grow. Some sharp high-major should still take a flyer on him. — Sam Vecenie

Guard

In Portal

Miami (Fla.)

Ht: 6-8 Wt: 240

Teams that love to play five-out, spacing-conscious basketball will prioritize Davidson in the portal. It’s hard to find bigs who can step away and fire, and Davidson can do just that. He hit 37 percent from 3 this past year and has a really nice inside-out game as a stretch four that should translate up levels. He’s very skilled as a passer, too. With one year left, he’s a good flyer for a creative offensive coach to take. But the players around him will need to be conscious defensively to get the most out of him. I think it’s reasonable to expect an impact similar to Kentucky’s Andrew Carr. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-8 Wt: 240

Teams that love to play five-out, spacing-conscious basketball will prioritize Davidson in the portal. It’s hard to find bigs who can step away and fire, and Davidson can do just that. He hit 37 percent from 3 this past year and has a really nice inside-out game as a stretch four that should translate up levels. He’s very skilled as a passer, too. With one year left, he’s a good flyer for a creative offensive coach to take. But the players around him will need to be conscious defensively to get the most out of him. I think it’s reasonable to expect an impact similar to Kentucky’s Andrew Carr. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-10Wt: 230

The Missouri Valley has a long history of successfully sending players to the high-major level. Expect Schwieger to be next in line. He largely played the five as a two-year starter at Valpo and projects best there athletically at the high-major level. He’s also improved his frame over the last year, which should allow him to find success against physical players. He has kind of a funky load into his shot but has made about 33 percent of his 3s in college on about three attempts per game. His footwork in ball screens as a roller or a pick-and-pop player is terrific, and he also can run dribble handoffs to roll, pop or reject and get all the way to the rim himself. Defensively, there will be some athletic concerns, but don’t sleep on his timing as a shot blocker: He swatted two shots per game to lead the Missouri Valley. A team trying to play five-out would do well to give him a shot.  —Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-10Wt: 230

The Missouri Valley has a long history of successfully sending players to the high-major level. Expect Schwieger to be next in line. He largely played the five as a two-year starter at Valpo and projects best there athletically at the high-major level. He’s also improved his frame over the last year, which should allow him to find success against physical players. He has kind of a funky load into his shot but has made about 33 percent of his 3s in college on about three attempts per game. His footwork in ball screens as a roller or a pick-and-pop player is terrific, and he also can run dribble handoffs to roll, pop or reject and get all the way to the rim himself. Defensively, there will be some athletic concerns, but don’t sleep on his timing as a shot blocker: He swatted two shots per game to lead the Missouri Valley. A team trying to play five-out would do well to give him a shot.  —Sam Vecenie 

Forward

In Portal

Valparaiso

Ht: 6-7Wt: 215

A big Italian wing who came to Evansville by way of the NBA Academy in Australia, Pozzato is more athletic than you’d expect and plays with authority when he decides to get to the rim. He’s a sharp cutter and mover without the ball and attacks close-outs at a high-level. If you let him get downhill in a straight line, it’s a rack attack. The key for Pozzato is the jumper. He only made 32 percent of his 3s last year despite taking six per game and possessing a fluid stroke that should translate to made shots in the future. He looks like a perfect option to play off of dynamic guards at the high-major level and not be as responsible for creating offense as he was at times this season. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-7Wt: 215

A big Italian wing who came to Evansville by way of the NBA Academy in Australia, Pozzato is more athletic than you’d expect and plays with authority when he decides to get to the rim. He’s a sharp cutter and mover without the ball and attacks close-outs at a high-level. If you let him get downhill in a straight line, it’s a rack attack. The key for Pozzato is the jumper. He only made 32 percent of his 3s last year despite taking six per game and possessing a fluid stroke that should translate to made shots in the future. He looks like a perfect option to play off of dynamic guards at the high-major level and not be as responsible for creating offense as he was at times this season. — Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 180

Rataj has a genuinely fascinating game that has prompted me to reach out to multiple coaches to get a read on where they stand on him. The German forward is a dynamic four man who can dribble, pass and shoot at 6-9. He was a serious mismatch nightmare at the WCC level this year for Oregon State, where his ability to use his frame and skill level made him an exceptionally difficult cover. He could just as easily shoot from 3, where he hit 35 percent, attack in a straight line from the 3-point line or post a smaller player. However, he’s not all that explosive, either, and that could get him into some trouble areas. He’s also quite active with his hands on defense and seems to have awesome hand-eye coordination. Rataj is a player who will fit best in a five-out offense that will give him room to operate. But fit will be important to his success. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 180

Rataj has a genuinely fascinating game that has prompted me to reach out to multiple coaches to get a read on where they stand on him. The German forward is a dynamic four man who can dribble, pass and shoot at 6-9. He was a serious mismatch nightmare at the WCC level this year for Oregon State, where his ability to use his frame and skill level made him an exceptionally difficult cover. He could just as easily shoot from 3, where he hit 35 percent, attack in a straight line from the 3-point line or post a smaller player. However, he’s not all that explosive, either, and that could get him into some trouble areas. He’s also quite active with his hands on defense and seems to have awesome hand-eye coordination. Rataj is a player who will fit best in a five-out offense that will give him room to operate. But fit will be important to his success. — Sam Vecenie

Forward

In Portal

Oregon State

Ht: 6-11 Wt: 260

A massive, wide Australian big man who took some time to develop, Cluff is getting an extra year as a player who started his career at a junior college. He’s played at the high-major level before, proving that he could be a starter on an NCAA Tournament team at Washington State. He transferred down for a bigger role this year at South Dakota State and flourished. He finished second nationally in rebounding and has a soft touch on the interior. He’s not particularly vertical, but few bigs across the country do a better job of using their frame to seal off defenders to create space. That lack of vertical pop could make it a bit easier to contest him at a higher level, and I don’t think I’d expect him to average 17 again. But if you put him in an offense like Gonzaga’s, which makes a concerted effort to seal and post, he could thrive again at the highest level.
— Sam Vecenie 

Ht: 6-11 Wt: 260

A massive, wide Australian big man who took some time to develop, Cluff is getting an extra year as a player who started his career at a junior college. He’s played at the high-major level before, proving that he could be a starter on an NCAA Tournament team at Washington State. He transferred down for a bigger role this year at South Dakota State and flourished. He finished second nationally in rebounding and has a soft touch on the interior. He’s not particularly vertical, but few bigs across the country do a better job of using their frame to seal off defenders to create space. That lack of vertical pop could make it a bit easier to contest him at a higher level, and I don’t think I’d expect him to average 17 again. But if you put him in an offense like Gonzaga’s, which makes a concerted effort to seal and post, he could thrive again at the highest level.
— Sam Vecenie 

Center

In Portal

South Dakota St

Ht: 6-11Wt:270

The starting center and interior anchor on a top-10 defense this year, Jackson is a ready-made starting center at 6-11 and 270 pounds. He’s well-traveled, having gone from Washington State to Charlotte to Iowa State, and is still eligible after taking a medical redshirt at Washington State in 2021-22 to correct a genetic variation in his heart. There’s certainly some game-to-game inconsistency, and you would expect him to finish a bit better than he does at this size. He can be a bit of an adventure as a defensive rebounder, too, because his hands can be awkward and he’s not overly twitchy. But he’s a good screener, and he does a great job of creating driving lanes for his guards with seals. Defensively, he’s just a massive body on the interior who takes up space and contests. In a portal not exactly littered with huge humans, he can come in and start for a mid-tier high-major.
— Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-11Wt:270

The starting center and interior anchor on a top-10 defense this year, Jackson is a ready-made starting center at 6-11 and 270 pounds. He’s well-traveled, having gone from Washington State to Charlotte to Iowa State, and is still eligible after taking a medical redshirt at Washington State in 2021-22 to correct a genetic variation in his heart. There’s certainly some game-to-game inconsistency, and you would expect him to finish a bit better than he does at this size. He can be a bit of an adventure as a defensive rebounder, too, because his hands can be awkward and he’s not overly twitchy. But he’s a good screener, and he does a great job of creating driving lanes for his guards with seals. Defensively, he’s just a massive body on the interior who takes up space and contests. In a portal not exactly littered with huge humans, he can come in and start for a mid-tier high-major.
— Sam Vecenie

Center

In Portal

Iowa State

Ht: 6-9 Wt: 205

Davis is at his best as an athletic slasher and cutter who finds his way to the rim either by driving in a straight line, waiting in the dunker spot or cutting. If you give him even a little bit of space, he’s going to get downhill in a hurry by using his long strides to find his way to the rim. He also does a great job of playing through contact, as he drew six foul shots per game this year. He’s continued to get better every year as a shooter, too and made 30 percent of his 3s this year. That’s the swing skill here. If Davis can’t shoot, he’s probably more of a role player at the high-major level on a great team. If he gets to work on the jumper over the summer and figures things out, then he has a chance to be a significant impact player given his length and athleticism at the four at around 6-9.
— Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-9 Wt: 205

Davis is at his best as an athletic slasher and cutter who finds his way to the rim either by driving in a straight line, waiting in the dunker spot or cutting. If you give him even a little bit of space, he’s going to get downhill in a hurry by using his long strides to find his way to the rim. He also does a great job of playing through contact, as he drew six foul shots per game this year. He’s continued to get better every year as a shooter, too and made 30 percent of his 3s this year. That’s the swing skill here. If Davis can’t shoot, he’s probably more of a role player at the high-major level on a great team. If he gets to work on the jumper over the summer and figures things out, then he has a chance to be a significant impact player given his length and athleticism at the four at around 6-9.
— Sam Vecenie

Forward

In Portal

Notre Dame

Ht: 6-8Wt: 240

Hansberry is the perfect five-out center in that he understands screening angles, can pass, can pop and make a 3, and he is excellent in dribble-handoff actions. He can also play as more of a traditional big-man role and score over both shoulders. He has excellent feel for the game and knows where to be on both ends. He’s also a good rebounder, knowing where to position himself and how to use his body. The shot looks good — he made 35 3s last year — but the percentage (29.2) wasn’t ideal. Maybe that’ll improve. Where Hansberry is limited is in his length and athleticism. He can sometimes struggle to finish around the basket against length, and he’s not a rim protector. He played center for West Virginia, and he is skilled enough to slide over to the four, although guarding more athletic fours could be an issue. But in the right system that utilizes his abilities as a hub on the perimeter, he’s a really effective player. — C.J. Moore

Ht: 6-8Wt: 240

Hansberry is the perfect five-out center in that he understands screening angles, can pass, can pop and make a 3, and he is excellent in dribble-handoff actions. He can also play as more of a traditional big-man role and score over both shoulders. He has excellent feel for the game and knows where to be on both ends. He’s also a good rebounder, knowing where to position himself and how to use his body. The shot looks good — he made 35 3s last year — but the percentage (29.2) wasn’t ideal. Maybe that’ll improve. Where Hansberry is limited is in his length and athleticism. He can sometimes struggle to finish around the basket against length, and he’s not a rim protector. He played center for West Virginia, and he is skilled enough to slide over to the four, although guarding more athletic fours could be an issue. But in the right system that utilizes his abilities as a hub on the perimeter, he’s a really effective player. — C.J. Moore

Forward

In Portal

West Virginia

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 175

The SoCon Player of the Year this past season, Peterson led ETSU to a 12-6 league mark and morphed into a dominant player late in the year, averaging 11 points while shooting 45 percent from 3 in his final 12 games. He’s a fast, jittery lead guard who can be a high-volume 3-point shooter when he’s rolling. He’ll make shots off movement and tends to thrive most off the catch, drilling 46.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s, per Synergy. But I don’t really think he’s a high-major lead guard, either. He’s best running off actions or relocating and finding open areas. However, he’s just a bit small for that role at the highest levels. You’ll need a big guard next to him who can help share ballhandling responsibilities. But Peterson is a good bet to be a good high-major scoring guard next year.
— C.J. Moore

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 175

The SoCon Player of the Year this past season, Peterson led ETSU to a 12-6 league mark and morphed into a dominant player late in the year, averaging 11 points while shooting 45 percent from 3 in his final 12 games. He’s a fast, jittery lead guard who can be a high-volume 3-point shooter when he’s rolling. He’ll make shots off movement and tends to thrive most off the catch, drilling 46.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s, per Synergy. But I don’t really think he’s a high-major lead guard, either. He’s best running off actions or relocating and finding open areas. However, he’s just a bit small for that role at the highest levels. You’ll need a big guard next to him who can help share ballhandling responsibilities. But Peterson is a good bet to be a good high-major scoring guard next year.
— C.J. Moore

Ht: 6-6 Wt: 190

Eaglestaff is a volcano waiting to happen, a dynamic wing scorer who can fire the ball from distance as well as use the threat of that shot to score in other ways. This year alone, he dropped 40 on Alabama and had 51 points against South Dakota State in the conference tournament. He’s a ridiculously tough shot-maker when he’s on, but he also was tasked with taking some absolutely wild attempts for North Dakota this year. That ultimately dragged down his efficiency. The key for a high-major will be finding a role for Eaglestaff that allows him to take easier shots — which will be easier when pairing him with high-level shot creators. He’ll have one year at high-major to show what he’s capable of after playing for a pretty rough North Dakota team that he wasn’t able to elevate. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-6 Wt: 190

Eaglestaff is a volcano waiting to happen, a dynamic wing scorer who can fire the ball from distance as well as use the threat of that shot to score in other ways. This year alone, he dropped 40 on Alabama and had 51 points against South Dakota State in the conference tournament. He’s a ridiculously tough shot-maker when he’s on, but he also was tasked with taking some absolutely wild attempts for North Dakota this year. That ultimately dragged down his efficiency. The key for a high-major will be finding a role for Eaglestaff that allows him to take easier shots — which will be easier when pairing him with high-level shot creators. He’ll have one year at high-major to show what he’s capable of after playing for a pretty rough North Dakota team that he wasn’t able to elevate. — Sam Vecenie

Wing

In Portal

North Dakota

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 185

Wilkinson was a fun surprise for Cal, finishing among the national scoring leaders for first-year players. He has a dynamic game off the bounce, with the ability to both drive and find pull-up options. But the decision making on some of his shots was often an adventure, and he’ll need to moderate that as he moves to a winning team. It can also be a struggle to place pure scoring guards roughly his size in the lineup, given how much they can give back on defense. Still, Cal was much better when Wilkinson was on the court because of his ability to beat his man, and that’ll provide value wherever he ends up. He’s from Georgia, so don’t be surprised to see him head back east. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 185

Wilkinson was a fun surprise for Cal, finishing among the national scoring leaders for first-year players. He has a dynamic game off the bounce, with the ability to both drive and find pull-up options. But the decision making on some of his shots was often an adventure, and he’ll need to moderate that as he moves to a winning team. It can also be a struggle to place pure scoring guards roughly his size in the lineup, given how much they can give back on defense. Still, Cal was much better when Wilkinson was on the court because of his ability to beat his man, and that’ll provide value wherever he ends up. He’s from Georgia, so don’t be surprised to see him head back east. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-8 Wt: 225

This one is going to be complicated. Mgbako has shown moments of brilliance, and as a former five-star with long arms and shooting potential, he will have an awful lot of suitors. But, man, there is just an awful lot of bad tape, too, where he looks completely invisible on offense because the jump shot isn’t consistent enough yet and his defensive intensity wavers. Maybe it’s as simple as Mike Woodson not being able to get through to him, but the ‘24-25 Hoosiers were a better team when Mgbako was off the court, per CBB Analytics: They gave up nearly 10 points more per 100 possessions when he played (by far the worst of the nine players to play at least 300 minutes). If a change of scenery is all that was needed, a team could reap massive dividends — or it could come away disappointed. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-8 Wt: 225

This one is going to be complicated. Mgbako has shown moments of brilliance, and as a former five-star with long arms and shooting potential, he will have an awful lot of suitors. But, man, there is just an awful lot of bad tape, too, where he looks completely invisible on offense because the jump shot isn’t consistent enough yet and his defensive intensity wavers. Maybe it’s as simple as Mike Woodson not being able to get through to him, but the ‘24-25 Hoosiers were a better team when Mgbako was off the court, per CBB Analytics: They gave up nearly 10 points more per 100 possessions when he played (by far the worst of the nine players to play at least 300 minutes). If a change of scenery is all that was needed, a team could reap massive dividends — or it could come away disappointed. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-7 Wt: 215

Sutton earned Summit League player of the year honors while leading Omaha to the NCAA Tournament, but he’s not particularly elite at any skill by high-major standards. He posted smaller players well in the Summit. He made the occasional 3 off the catch. He attacks in transition and can get downhill in a straight line. But I’m not sure I see him as a shot creator at the highest level; he only hit 27 percent from 3 last year, and his post game isn’t particularly well-developed. If you’re looking for a dynamic athlete to play in an uptempo scheme, Sutton should work. But he’ll need to find the right fit that works for him. Something like the St. John’s scheme would have potential. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-7 Wt: 215

Sutton earned Summit League player of the year honors while leading Omaha to the NCAA Tournament, but he’s not particularly elite at any skill by high-major standards. He posted smaller players well in the Summit. He made the occasional 3 off the catch. He attacks in transition and can get downhill in a straight line. But I’m not sure I see him as a shot creator at the highest level; he only hit 27 percent from 3 last year, and his post game isn’t particularly well-developed. If you’re looking for a dynamic athlete to play in an uptempo scheme, Sutton should work. But he’ll need to find the right fit that works for him. Something like the St. John’s scheme would have potential. — Sam Vecenie

Ht: 6-6 Wt: 200

Rohde was one of the most improved players in the ACC, as it took a year for him to adjust to the level after transferring from St. Thomas following his freshman year. He’s an exceptional passer, leading Virginia in assists. He’s elite in catch-and-shoot situations and also able to shoot off movement, which he did a lot in Virginia’s system, which frequently runs its shooters off screens. Rohde is not a big-time scorer, but he should be a popular target because he’s a heady player who should not be hard to incorporate into a winning system. — C.J. Moore

Ht: 6-6 Wt: 200

Rohde was one of the most improved players in the ACC, as it took a year for him to adjust to the level after transferring from St. Thomas following his freshman year. He’s an exceptional passer, leading Virginia in assists. He’s elite in catch-and-shoot situations and also able to shoot off movement, which he did a lot in Virginia’s system, which frequently runs its shooters off screens. Rohde is not a big-time scorer, but he should be a popular target because he’s a heady player who should not be hard to incorporate into a winning system. — C.J. Moore

(Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photos: Porter Binks, Jamie Squire, Zach Bolinger, Joe Robbins / Getty Images)

PORTLAND, Ore. — Brian Vu has been a fan of the NBA for 14 years, but he has never experienced a game like the one he attended last week in Portland.

Not only did his hometown Trail Blazers beat the Memphis Grizzlies, but also for the first time in his life, Vu said he felt involved in the game, every bit a part of the 18,491 in attendance at Moda Center.

Vu, who has low vision, didn’t see one play during the Blazers’ 115-99 win. But he felt every score, every turnover, every shot.

The 32-year-old Vu used a haptic device that allowed him to follow the action in real time through vibrations felt through his fingers. The device was unveiled this season by Seattle-based OneCourt. After three pilot trials last spring, the Trail Blazers in January became the first NBA team to offer the service to fans. Since then, Sacramento and Phoenix also have been offering the devices at games.

Using a laptop-sized device that has the outline of the basketball court, visually impaired users feel vibrations that indicate ball movement. An earpiece gives updates on the score, as well as the result of a play, whether it’s a steal, block, 3-pointer or something else.

OneCourt founder Jerred Mace likens the concept to a tactile animator, creating the illusion of movement through pixels.

“We’ve basically built this display that functions similarly to a visual screen, but instead of pixels that you see, these are pixels that you feel,” Mace said.

So while Vu couldn’t see Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, his favorite player, zip through the defense for a layup, he could feel the play through his fingertips, which were spread out over the device that rested on his legs.

Vu said his fan experience had changed exponentially.

“It’s pretty cool. I feel more independent,” Vu said. “I’m usually bugging my friend during the game, asking him, ‘What’s happening?’ So now, I can interpret the game in my head … and I don’t feel excluded.”

Vu attended the Blazers-Grizzlies game with his friend James Kim, the recipient of many of Vu’s elbow jabs and questions during games over the years. As the Blazers pulled away in the third quarter, Kim and Vu were in sync, oohing and aahing when Shaedon Sharpe dunked or Donovan Clingan rejected shots.

“Usually, he’s like, ‘Who shot that? What just happened?’ It was not that big of a deal for me, but this is definitely an upgrade,” Kim said of Vu. “He can enjoy the game without having to stop and get the details from me, so I think it’s great for him.”

Vu’s experience is exactly what Mace hoped for when he brainstormed the idea as a student at the University of Washington. Mace, 24, grew up in Spokane, Wash., with parents with disabilities. He also wore glasses so thick he was called “goggles” by classmates. He had astigmatism in his left eye — what people could see 80 feet away, he would see at only 20 feet — and although his vision improved through surgeries and by wearing a patch over the right eye, he was left with a lasting empathy and understanding for those with disabilities.

“You bundle those experiences together, and I think that just primed my heart for this work,” Mace said. “I think it’s given me a ton of perspective and appreciation for what it’s like to experience the world differently.”

During his junior year at Washington, he was surfing through social media when he discovered a video of a blind person watching a soccer match. A woman in the stands moved his hands across a board to mimic the game action.

The idea of OneCourt was born.

“The physicality of that experience stood out to me, and as someone who struggled with vision, it was such an appealing intersection for me,” Mace said.

The OneCourt staff, led by founder Jerred Mace (far right), has produced an effective way for visually impaired fans to enjoy athletic events. (Courtesy of OneCourt)

He presented his idea at the University of Washington’s 2022 Science and Technology Showcase. The idea was in its infancy, just a research poster with no physical product, but it won first place and a $2,000 prize.

The contest used tennis as the example, but Mace had broader aspirations. The key, he knew, would be linking the idea with readily available data. Beginning with the 2023-24 season, all NBA arenas were equipped with optical tracking technology, which captures player and ball movement in real time. The NBA says up to 20 tracking devices are stationed in the rafters of each arena.

Mace reached out to the Trail Blazers with the idea and, with their help, was introduced to the NBA. The league has seen value in working with Mace.

“We’ve been thrilled to work with Jerred and the team at OneCourt to use technology to help advance their mission of enabling visually impaired fans enjoy NBA games,” said Jason Bieber, the NBA’s vice president of new business ventures. “We’re especially excited to have OneCourt in the current cohort of NBA Launchpad companies so we can continue to partner and explore even more possibilities in the space.”

Within four months, Mace had access to the NBA data and began running pilot tests at the end of last season.

“The NBA is innovative when it comes to technology like this and when it comes to accessibility for their fans,” said Matthew Gardner, the Blazers’ senior director of customer insights. “They saw the good that it could do, and they were like, ‘Hey, no problem. We’ll unlock it for you.’”

Mace added: “I think (the NBA) is always looking for new applications for their data, and this happens to be a very special one. It’s not analytics on the back end. It’s not sports betting on the front end. It’s something that had the potential to change someone’s life and their entire experience and relationship with sports.”

A Blazers fan claps while a OneCourt device rests on his lap. The device creates a focused, yet intimate game-day scene for the visually impaired. (Courtesy of Portland Trail Blazers)

Vu and Kim can attest: When Vu experienced the Blazers game with the OneCourt device, it was a game changer. From their end zone seats, Vu and Kim were as locked in and vocal as anyone in the arena.

Vu couldn’t clap because it would cause his hands to lose track of the action. But his legs were in constant movement, and he joined in with the crowd chanting “DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!”

“There was a steal, and you can feel the vibration go to the other side — really fast — and I got super excited,” Vu said. “I knew why the crowd was cheering. Before, I wouldn’t understand what was happening.”

Vu estimated he used to go to Blazers games once a year. It was exciting to hear the crowd and the sounds, but he always felt detached and behind.

“Now it’s a whole different experience,” he said. “I’ve got the best of both worlds.”

Kim could only smile as he watched Vu’s hands moving quickly across the device, his feet nervously tapping.

“He’s really into the game,” Kim said, nodding toward his friend. “He’s, like, zoning in on it.”

Gardner said several other NBA teams have called and asked him for feedback after the Blazers debuted the device on Jan. 11. He tells the teams that nearly every home game has had at least one device checked out, and offering the device is essential to the fan experience.

“Being a fan should be for everybody,” Gardner said. “This unlocks an entirely new world for our fans who are blind and have low vision. We’ve seen it across all the faces of those who have used it so far.”

Mace said his company of eight employees, five of whom work full time, is bracing for the demand as more teams inquire about the services. Portland and Sacramento have five devices that can be reserved ahead of time or checked out on the concourse, while Phoenix has 10 devices. Fans do not need to pay for the device, thanks to Ticketmaster, an NBA sponsor.

Mace says the impact expands beyond the number of people using the device.

“One might think, ‘Oh, this device just impacts five people in a stadium.’ But really, the ripple effects are incredible,” Mace said. “Now, the circle of who is going to the game — friends and family — has expanded because everyone can share the experience.”

Vu said the device was easy to use after listening to a two-minute tutorial, but he wishes the audio could include specific indications, like which player has the ball and which player is shooting. Those could be updates for the future.

For now, Vu said knowing the Blazers offer the device increases his chances of attending more games.

“Oh, 1,000 percent,” Vu said. “Instead of maybe one game a year, I could see myself going to five a year. It’s just a better experience.”

(Top photo courtesy of Portland Trail Blazers)

The NFL offseason is well underway, and while the upcoming NFL Draft will shake things up even more, there has been no shortage of roster-altering moves. The biggest, of course, have come at quarterback. We’re still waiting for one big domino (Aaron Rodgers) to fall, but we’ve already seen huge shifts in the QB landscape. No. 1, of course, was the Seattle Seahawks trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders before signing former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold to be their new signal caller.

How did those moves, and all of the others made so far this offseason, affect their teams’ outlooks for the 2025 season? It’s a bit like asking: Who have been the biggest winners and losers of the offseason so far? We’re going to attempt to answer that analytically using our NFL Projection Model.

Before we get there, it bears repeating: A lot can change. Teams have plenty of time to alter their standing in these rankings. But we wanted to examine where things are right now. How much value have some teams added? How much have some teams lost?

To measure that, my model uses a handful of advanced metrics and assigns a value to every player in the NFL. Think of that value as how much a single player affects the point spread of the expected winning percentage of a single game.

After that, I went through every transaction made this offseason and calculated the value added or lost (up through March 25). Since I’m only looking at how these moves affect each team for the 2025 season, my model does not factor in the length of the contract or money spent on contracts. It’s also important to note that this process only assesses players changing teams. Players who re-signed with their teams aren’t included because those players’ values were already included in their teams’ projections.

With that explanation out of the way, here’s a look at how many expected points each NFL team had added or lost this offseason.

Five Biggest Winners

Las Vegas Raiders

I’m not sure how any list doesn’t include the Raiders at the top, or at the very least inside the top three, after landing Smith. The Raiders roster isn’t ready to compete for a playoff spot, especially in the vaunted AFC West, but they’ve solidified the sport’s most important position with a quarterback who has proven he can give you a solid floor as a league-average QB with the ability for more. And with quarterback (presumably) locked down for the next few seasons, new coach Pete Carroll can focus on acquiring talent to fill out the rest of the roster.

New York Giants

The Giants were wise not to stop addressing the QB position after signing Jameis Winston last week. He now becomes their backup with the newly signed Russell Wilson leading the charge into 2025. Now we’ll see if they want to add a rookie to the mix in April. Beyond their solid start at QB, the Giants made some nice moves on defense by adding safety Jevon Holland and cornerback Paulson Adebo while improving the depth of their front seven. The Giants weren’t a QB away from anything significant, but they’ve quietly done a good job fortifying the roster at a position they still need to find a long-term answer for.

New England Patriots

The Patriots continued their free-agent spending spree Tuesday night, adding star wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a receiving group that needed a No. 1. After that splash signing, finishing third in these rankings might seem low. And maybe it is. It probably boils down to what you think of Harold Landry III as an edge rusher. My model thinks Landry is just fine — and that’s not a bad thing. Having average players on the roster can be good if you can put stars around them. Factor in Landry’s familiarity with new head coach Mike Vrabel, and you understand why New England made the move. Offensive tackle Morgan Moses and defensive tackle Milton Williams are the other additions my model likes, and if you think Landry will be better in this new system, you can easily make an argument for the Patriots jumping the Giants in these rankings and even threatening the Raiders for the top spot.

Indianapolis Colts

My model loved the Charvarius Ward signing, grading it as one of the most impactful moves made this offseason not involving a quarterback. While there is some risk — Ward is 28 years old — a change of scenery might be what just what the veteran cornerback needs to return to form as one of the best defensive backs in the league. Pair the Ward signing with the addition of safety Cam Bynum, and the Colts have done an excellent job of upgrading a secondary that badly needed one.

Washington Commanders

The Commanders made their splashes on the trade market rather than in free agency, and my model liked what they did. Laremy Tunsil remains one of the better left tackles in the league, and that was a position where Washington needed an upgrade. Meanwhile, wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. should fit into this Washington offense with his versatility, pairing well with the skill set of QB Jayden Daniels. Adding cornerback Jonathan Jones was another interesting move and one that my model liked. He’s up there in age (31) and didn’t have the greatest 2024 season, but if he bounces back in any way, watch out for the Commanders (again) this season.

Five Biggest Losers

New York Jets

The loss of Rodgers might be offset by the addition of Justin Fields, but there were still some major losses here. Davante Adams remains a very good wide receiver, despite getting up there in age; Moses is still a quality tackle; and the biggest loss, according to my projections, is D.J. Reed. Reed has been a quality cornerback for a while, and he’s going to be difficult to replace. I don’t necessarily disagree with letting these players walk, given the state of the roster and the price tags it would have taken to keep them in town, but there’s no debate the Jets lost some top talent this offseason.

San Francisco 49ers

This ranking shouldn’t come as a surprise to those tracking San Francisco’s offseason, which has seen a mass exodus of quality players. I already spoke about how much my model likes Ward, but the 49ers also lost Samuel, Jordan Mason, Aaron Banks, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave, Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins and Isaac Yiadom, among others. Maybe that’s the price of doing business after paying running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk ahead of of a new contract for quarterback Brock Purdy, but the 49ers are in the middle of a transitional period, and the state of their roster shows it.

Philadelphia Eagles

One of the byproducts of winning the Super Bowl, or just being consistently competitive in the NFL, is that players on your team earn significant raises. That’s just the way it goes. Last year, the Eagles and Chiefs were near the bottom of this list after the early part of free agency, and both reached the Super Bowl, so all hope isn’t lost in Philadelphia, especially with so much talent still on the roster. But no matter how you shake it, Philadelphia will be looking to replace a lot of snaps from this year’s championship-winning squad as Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Brandon Graham, Darius Slay Jr., C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Isaiah Rodgers are all gone.

Dallas Cowboys

Staying in the NFC East here, the Cowboys will again be looking to primarily bolster their roster through the draft, which they’re pretty decent at, rather than free agency. The losses of DeMarcus Lawrence, Jourdan Lewis, and Chauncey Golston are daunting (though letting Lewis walk after one of his best seasons isn’t the worst decision), and the loss of Zack Martin to retirement will sting. He was certainly past his peak, but he was still a quality offensive lineman, and those are always hard to find.

Seattle Seahawks

What did you expect after they traded away their starting quarterback and a Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver? If it’s any consolation to Seahawks fans, it’s impressive they aren’t last on this list. That’s because they replaced Smith and DK Metcalf with Darnold and Cooper Kupp to help offset those losses, while adding Lawrence to their defense. The model is skeptical Darnold can replicate his success from Minnesota, while Kupp and Lawrence are past their primes and have some injury concerns, so it’s no surprise the Seahawks still rank near the bottom.

(Photos of John Lynch, Pete Carroll and Geno Smith: Ezra Shaw and Tom Hauck / Getty Images)

MIAMI — After two decades of professional tennis, 99 career singles titles and 24 Grand Slam triumphs, Novak Djokovic has become a mystery — to tennis fans and to himself. Both parties are trying to answer the same question, from match to match and tournament to tournament, as his career moves towards an as-yet unknown end.

Who is the greatest player of the modern era at this moment?

Is he the player who faded two weeks ago against Botic van de Zandschulp, in his opening match at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif.? Or is he the player who has plowed through his first three opponents in at the Miami Open the past five days, including Lorenzo Musetti, the world No. 16 from Italy?

Is he the player whose return of serve, one of the greatest in the sport’s history, has been a shadow of its usual self? Or is he the player who broke Musetti five times Tuesday night on his way to a 6-2, 6-2 win?

Is he the player ramping up his schedule as he approaches his 38th birthday, because it’s his last spin around the tennis globe? Or is he the player he described to the Miami crowd when he told them, “You’re going to be seeing me a few more years.”

When it comes to the subject of Novak Djokovic, Djokovic is like everyone else: always searching for the signal in the noise, searching for the data about himself and his tennis that will allow him to separate what matters from what does not. At this moment, there is both too much and not enough data to figure out who and what the Djokovic of 2025 is. All these years later, but just 14 matches into this season, he has become the sport’s international man of mystery — definitively not what he once was, and searching for the answer of what he will be.

“I do hope and wish for Novak that you saw tonight, and then at the same time, I worked hard not to have the Novak that was playing in Indian Wells,” Djokovic said in the mixed zone with reporters when his match with Musetti was over. “The continuity or consistency of the level of tennis nowadays for me is more challenging than it was years ago or 10 years ago, five years ago, and I know that.

“That’s definitely not due to lack of hours spent on the practice court and in the gym because I still keep the dedication. It’s there, but it’s just makes it a bit more challenging for me to maintain the level.”

Djokovic is living through a common misconception about what happens to elite athletes declining from their peaks. The apexes stay sharp and accessible in fleeting moments, even when they need them most: Djokovic found his on his otherworldly run to the gold medal at last year’s Paris Olympic Games. It’s the stability that erodes, the repetitions that are necessary to maintain their excellence.

Djokovic’s biggest triumph this year came at the Australian Open, where he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals after a series of wins that had included serious dips in his level, during which young and inexperienced opponents found ways to hurt him but could not finish him off.

Stunning as it was, the victory was also one of the strangest tennis matches in memory. Djokovic suffered a muscle tear in the first set, but somehow managed to win in four, thanks to a heady cocktail of painkillers, adrenalin and an inexplicable Alcaraz breakdown. The Spaniard succumbed to the stress of playing Djokovic, of thinking about his opponent’s tennis and his physical condition more than he was thinking of his own.

Three days later, Djokovic had to retire from his semifinal against Alexander Zverev at the end of the first set because of his muscle injury. When he arrived in Florida, he had not won a match since beating Alcaraz on that January night in Melbourne.

In Miami, he has wins against Rinky Hijikata, a 24-year-old Australian who has played 13 Grand Slam matches, just over half the number of Grand Slam titles that Djokovic has won. He then beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli, a 25-year-old Argentine who has never won a Grand Slam match.

Both matches opened with a blowout set and ended with Djokovic winning a tiebreak. It’s one of the most familiar patterns in Djokovic matches over the years, just inverted: the tight set to loosen everything up before the acceleration to victory swapped for a fast start and then an ebbing end.

Then came Musetti. On paper, he looked like a legitimate threat. On the court, Djokovic picked up his head and saw Serena Williams sitting in the stands. He looked at his box and saw Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro, the retired Grand Slam champions. One his coach; the other his good friend. All those big names made him a little starstruck and nervous about playing well, especially in front of Williams, the greatest female player of all time.

Musetti’s elegant all-court game suits grass, clay and slow hard courts, but he remains reasonably lost on fast ones. Against the best hard-court player in the history of the sport, he broke serve in the first game and surged to the illusion of a 2-0 lead built on making the match physical. Djokovic decided he wasn’t going to play a match like that and won the next nine games to seize control. Musetti showed about as much resistance as a swinging door.

On Wednesday night, Djokovic will face Sebastian Korda, the young and talented American of a thousand renaissances, seemingly always on the cusp of announcing himself. Korda, 24, is still trying to find his way after a couple of years of wrist injuries; he received treatment on his wrist during his round-of-16 win over Gael Monfils on Tuesday.

Djokovic won their only previous meeting, in Adelaide, Australia, two years ago. He might get some more data about their matchup and about himself Wednesday, but it’s not clear how fit Korda will be to give him what he needs. Djokovic at least has no doubts about his wants: to keep playing at the highest level in an era when even the youngest players approach the game with a level of professionalism unheard of when he was starting out.

“Fitness and recovery and just overall approach to the work, from both physical and mental side has improved so much,” he said in Miami.

“Nowadays, pretty much every player in the top 30 in the world has a full team of three and four people around them that takes care of them, their body and everything, so that that reflects on the court. That’s why the careers are extended now.”

When he embarked on his professional career, players started counting their days when they hit 30, he said. Now it’s more like 35, maybe more.

“Of course I’m in that group. I’m not going to get younger, but I still feel good about my body and about my tennis.”

That may be the data point that matters more than all the others.

(Top photo: Al Bello / Getty Images)

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — There was Viktor Hovland, moments after winning his first PGA Tour championship in 18 months, after storming back from three shots down with five to play to beat a top-10 player in the world for the Valspar Championship.

If there was a moment to declare himself back, to say that every swing fix and coaching change he has put himself through since the 2023 Ryder Cup was absolutely worth it because here he is with the trophy next to him, this was it.

But as much as it was clear that Hovland, the 27-year-old Norwegian flashing that easy smile, was happy, I had to ask him, “How happy are you with your swing right now?”

“Yeah, it’s still not great,” Hovland said. “… The club is just not in a great place for me coming down. It’s just not what it used to be. So I can’t really rely on my old feels anymore because the club is in a different spot and I have to change my release pattern to make that work.”

OK, well, it did work. Results over process, right? Hovland just played four straight rounds under par at the Copperhead Course, including a Sunday 67 with birdies on two difficult holes to edge Justin Thomas by a stroke. No, not so much.

“I think that is something that I’m extremely proud of that I can show up at a PGA Tour event at one of the hardest golf courses we play all year and still win with not my best stuff. … But at the same time, it makes this game a lot more stressful than I think it should be,” Hovland said.

This is, at its core, who Viktor Hovland is and why he believes he’s been able to go from a relatively minor golfing country like Norway to Oklahoma State to the PGA Tour and have as much success as he has. Sunday was his seventh PGA Tour win, including a Tour Championship, and he has three top-five finishes at the majors in the last three years.

It’s not enough to be good. It’s not enough to flirt with great. He’s striving for something here, and why is that a problem?

“I find it kind of weird that we’re professional athletes and the people that are wanting to improve are somewhat looked at, ‘Oh, he’s a perfectionist, he’s out on the perimeter searching too much.’ It’s like, that’s what we do; we are here to get better, and we are here to win tournaments. So if you’re not going to try to get better, what are you doing?” Hovland said.

There’s something to be admired there. The not-so-secret truth of the PGA Tour is that the money is good enough that you don’t have to win to set up yourself and your family nicely. And for years the tour has operated in a way that if you kept your card for a few years, it was hard to lose it, perpetuating a cycle of doing just enough to keep the checks coming. Good is, in fact, the enemy of great. Men’s professional golf is no different from any other industry in that way.

No one has been able to convince Hovland to join the murky middle, even his well-meaning mother, who makes it a habit to let Viktor, at his low moments, know that a lot of other people played poorly that day too. “It never consoles me,” he said.

This was the tournament week for Hovland, who had not made a cut in 2025 and was ejected from The Players Championship with a first-round 80: While committed to the Valspar, he spent Monday in Orlando working with swing coach Grant Waite, and they found something of a swing feel. Enough that Hovland figured he might as well drive over to Tampa Bay on Tuesday, playing a late practice round. Only after those nine holes did he make the final decision to play in the tournament, but with very little, if any, expectation of contending.

Then came a first-round 70, and a 67 the next day that had him one shot off the lead. “I don’t have control over what I’m doing,” Hovland said that day. Playing in the final group Saturday, Hovland shot a 69 and ended the day in a three-way tie for the lead. “Still feels like I’m saving a lot of shots, but they’re going fairly straight, so it’s OK,” Hovland said.

Viktor Hovland leaned on his irons during the Valspar Championship. (Brennan Asplen / Getty Images)

Sunday was a stress test, then. Could Hovland manage his game, play into that swing feel and find a way to win? The answer was a testament to his work. Hovland not only avoided his biggest problem right now — a “big push fade” — on No. 16, where water runs the length of the fairway, but he also hit maybe the shot of the tournament, an approach from 187 yards out to less than 6 feet. With a birdie putt there and another on No. 17, Hovland had a two-shot cushion, enough to bogey 18 and still win.

Now the work begins again with Waite, one of the swing coaches Hovland hired and fired over the last 18 months, bringing him back this month in part because Waite is an information guy and Hovland wants all the information. All the data. Don’t hide from the problem. Lean into it and come back out the other side. Hopefully.

You win this time of year on the PGA Tour and it’s only so long until the questions inevitably come around to the Masters. There are 18 days until the first round, and Hovland believes what he did to win this week — taming tight fairways with accurate iron shots and a good week putting — will not have the same effect at Augusta National, an entirely different test of golf. That is his reality as he sees it, though Hovland sprinkled in some positive self-talk.

“I still need to be honest so I can attack the problems that I have and we can improve, but at the same time, I got to give myself some credit. And even no matter how bad it feels or how many poor shots I’m hitting, I’m still capable of shooting good scores with it. So I kind of have to keep that in the back of my head,” Hovland said.

So, is Viktor Hovland back? Yes. Just don’t ask him to confirm it.

(Top photo: Brennan Asplen / Getty Images)

On average, about one in every 30 corners leads to a goal. The success rate tends to go up dramatically, however, when the goalkeeper and their entire defence are standing outside their six-yard box when a corner is taken.

That was the remarkable scene during the UEFA Nations League quarter-final in Dortmund on Sunday. Germany’s Jamal Musiala turned the ball into an empty net against an Italy team who acted like they thought the game would stop for them to hold a debrief into where everything had been going wrong for them during the first half.

Joshua Kimmich had other ideas and the combination of his brilliant quick-thinking and Musiala’s goal-hanging — allied to a ball boy who was, well, on the ball — led to Germany doubling their 1-0 lead from a highly unusual corner on 36 minutes, and making fools out of Italy in the process.

The goal evoked memories of Liverpool’s fourth against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final second leg at Anfield in 2019, when Divock Origi swept home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s swiftly-taken corner to take the Premier League club through 4-3 on aggregate. On that occasion, though, there was a goalkeeper standing between the posts. Gianluigi Donnarumma, in contrast, went AWOL in Dortmund last night.

It wasn’t just the Italian goalkeeper who was caught out. Amazon Prime, which was showing the game live as part of a pay-per-view package, almost missed the goal completely too, with viewers only seeing exactly what had happened when a replay was eventually shown.

The bizarre chain of events started with Donnarumma producing an exceptional one-handed save to claw striker Tim Kleindienst’s twisting header behind for a corner. Italy were being outplayed at the time, trailing by a goal on the night following a Kimmich penalty and 3-1 on aggregate. In that context, it was not surprising that their players were annoyed.

As Kleindienst turned away holding his head in his hands in disbelief and disappointment, Kimmich (circled below), quickly made his way to the corner flag.

Italy wing-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo (No 22) started the inquest, pointing with his right arm and looking in the direction of his central-defender team-mate Alessandro Bastoni. With his back turned on the play, Bastoni was gesturing too as he walked towards Di Lorenzo.

Donnarumma decided to get involved as well. Wandering outside of his six-yard box with arms outstretched, the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper was oblivious to the presence of Musiala behind him, free as a bird in the six-yard box after following up Kleindienst’s original header.

By now, some important work had already taken place off the pitch. A steward (circled behind the goal below) was busy trying to retrieve the ball Donnarumma had tipped behind.

As the steward bent down to pick it up and motioned to throw it back, he realised a ball boy (also circled) close to the corner flag was already delivering a chest pass that had pre-assist written all over it (think Callum Hynes, the teenage Tottenham Hotspur ball boy who got a high five from their then manager Jose Mourinho after his quick-thinking led to Harry Kane scoring in the Champions League against Olympiacos in 2019).

As Musiala signalled to Kimmich to take the corner quickly, Donnarumma carried on walking and joined what was now a group of five Italians, who had congregated outside the six-yard box to dissect their problems. The only thing missing was a tactics board and a table and chairs.

Central defender Alessandro Buongiorno, who also had his back to play, was among that group, as was fellow centre-back Federico Gatti, who was busy wiping his face with his shirt. The rest of the team may as well have been covering their eyes too.

Late for the meeting, midfielder Samuele Ricci (circled below) was about to become the sixth Italy player to offer his thoughts until he saw Kimmich out of the corner of his eye and sounded the alarm. Unfortunately for Italy, it was far too late.

After placing the ball, Kimmich had spotted Musiala on his own — it was hard to miss the Bayern Munich youngster, especially when he was waving his arms about like an aircraft marshal on a runway — and the corner was launched, arcing towards the edge of the six-yard box.

Although the ball was slightly behind Musiala, forcing him to retreat a little, there was plenty of margin for error on the delivery; six yards to be exact. As Musiala shaped to swivel and strike the ball with his right foot, Donnarumma pivoted too, in a state of blind panic. Musiala’s shot was en route to the back of the net before the goalkeeper had a chance to get reacquainted with his six-yard box…

… and Germany were 2-0 up.

Italy, to their credit, staged a superb fightback to come back from three goals down to draw 3-3 on the night (losing 5-4 on aggregate). But the damage — some of it self-inflicted — was done during a chaotic first half.

“Everyone knows we struggle from set plays, but we cannot keep talking about it, or this will turn into an obsession,” Italy’s head coach, Luciano Spalletti, had told reporters a few days earlier.

And thanks to Musiala’s bizarre goal, that topic of conversation is here to stay for Italy for some time yet.

(Top photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

“My phone kept buzzing with messages, but I was so tired, I went straight to sleep — I hadn’t realised I’d set the record!”

For Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew, last Tuesday night was just like any other. The 38-year-old midfielder spent the evening coaching the club’s under-18s. Once home, he watched the football, then went to bed. Yet for Mulgrew and Linfield, this was a record-breaking evening.

The televised match was between Linfield’s two closest rivals: Glentoran drew against Larne, confirming Linfield as champions for the 57th time, a world record. That success confirmed Mulgrew’s 11th league winner’s medal — setting a national record and joining an exclusive global club. It was an extraordinary achievement in the most ordinary of circumstances.

“In some ways, it was an anti-climax,” Mulgrew admits. “You would always prefer to win it on the pitch.” The title was confirmed with six matchdays remaining.

Only four active professional footballers — Dinamo Zagreb’s Arijan Ademi (13), Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller, James Forrest of Celtic and former TNS full-back Chris Marriott (all 12) — have won more league titles than Mulgrew’s at one European club. Yet there is one key difference: Linfield have been significantly less dominant domestically than any of those clubs. Larne entered this season as back-to-back champions and, since 2013, Crusaders had won three league titles and Cliftonville two.

Mulgrew, who turns 39 in July, insists those title-less campaigns make his successes more enjoyable, highlighting the five-year gap between titles from 2012 to 2017.

“You never know if it’s going to be your last one and that makes them sweeter,” he offers. “The hunger for more never disappears.”

Mulgrew began his career at Glentoran, Linfield’s primary Belfast rivals.

He made two first-team appearances, including during their 2004-05 league success. Linfield approached Mulgrew that summer, with the 19-year-old’s contract expiring, and he decided to join the club he had supported in his youth. That 2005-06 season saw Linfield complete a clean sweep of all four domestic trophies, but a recurring medial knee injury limited Mulgrew’s game time.

For successive seasons, the midfielder was involved in title-winning squads but missed the minimum appearance threshold to claim a winner’s medal.

Mulgrew, who has 26 trophies and counting at Linfield, believes his ascent to the captaincy was born of having to fight for recognition in a dressing room of serial winners. “That squad I joined was full of leaders and big personalities,” he explains. “You had to adapt to those standards. Back then, it was only 14-player matchday squads, so you constantly had that pressure of performing and working hard.”

His longevity is made more remarkable given his playing style; Mulgrew is a combative midfielder comfortable at carrying the ball, shuffling past opponents and drawing free kicks due to his low centre of gravity. While no statistical measurement is available, he is widely considered to be the Irish League’s most fouled player.

Yet he has other qualities that are arguably more important: constantly instructing team-mates on positioning, what runs to make, when to push up the pitch and when to slow a game down. He credits his leadership to his early years at the club.

“I was shaped by that pressure to win and perform, of needing to know how to train, to set an example on and off the pitch, to have the right combination between confidence and staying humble… and that hunger,” he says. “To use criticism as fuel. That is what I try to instil in my team-mates and the youngsters I coach.”

Mulgrew swaps pennants with Celtic’s Scott Brown ahead of a Champions League qualifier in 2017 (Craig Williamson – SNS GroupSNS Group via Getty Images)

One of the midfielder’s biggest tasks is helping new players integrate into a winning culture.

“The pressures at Linfield are unique — winning trophies is everything,” says Mulgrew. “I joined the club so young, that environment is all I have ever known. But others take time to adjust. It is our job to make them comfortable, but our responsibility for them is more than that — we need to win for them. If they join a winning team, that pressure lifts.”

Mulgrew will almost certainly not surpass the remarkable tally of 1,013 Linfield appearances set by his former team-mate, Noel Bailie, but he is closing in on the 800-game landmark. There has previously been interest from elsewhere. In 2011, a year after his two international appearances for Northern Ireland, Mulgrew’s Linfield contract was expiring and he attracted interest from Colombus Crew and Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer. The midfielder travelled to the United States for separate trial periods but decided against a move.

In 2021, Linfield went full-time; an upgrade from their previous semi-professional status. This was not without risk, with several of Mulgrew’s long-term team-mates deciding to move elsewhere due to personal circumstances. Yet, for Mulgrew, the opportunity to become full-time, aged 34, was too good to turn down.

His work outside football was centred on afternoons, with the new model freeing up his evenings to spend with his wife and three young children. “That decision, without doubt, has prolonged my career.”

Mulgrew fires off a shot during a UEFA Conference League play-off in 2022 (Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images)

For Mulgrew and his team-mates, this season’s trophy lift will have added poignance.

In June 2024, the club’s physiotherapist, Paul Butler, passed away suddenly aged 37. Six months later, Michael Newberry — the defender who spent three and a half seasons at Linfield before joining Cliftonville last summer — died on his 27th birthday.

“What has happened in the past year is hard to come to terms with,” says Mulgrew, whose brother-in-law passed away in 2023. “We can forget how anyone, no matter how famous or successful, are just people and we all go through the same emotions.

“For us, being in a team environment and going in to train every day together is an important support network. Everyone here has helped each other. We have a really strong changing room, you can maintain the normality with the banter and the support. We genuinely enjoy spending time with each other.

“This squad has great character and resilience, too, that is borne out through our results this season but also coming through everything we have together.”

Mulgrew has already committed himself to Linfield for next season, which will take him up to his 40th birthday. “I won’t outstay my welcome,” he says. “I will know when it’s time to move aside.”

He believes he needs to listen to his body more, admitting to playing through muscular pain earlier in the campaign. That is indicative of his relentless desire to be involved but, these days, he has to compromise.

Mulgrew begins his UEFA Pro coaching licence next week and while current Linfield manager David Healy has previously said he is “keeping the seat warm for him” and often consults his captain as he “knows the club inside out”, the midfielder insists his focus is on adding to his success on the pitch.

Mulgrew adds: “I already want my 12th title.”

(Top photo: Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)

In the 17 months since the Boston Red Sox hired Craig Breslow as chief baseball officer — their fourth leadership change within the past 10 seasons — the organization has undergone sweeping changes, particularly behind the scenes in the front office. Under Breslow’s direction, longtime employees have been fired, while others have left on their own, frustrated with the direction of the organization. The scouting department, in particular, has seen deep cuts.

Many that remain in the roughly 275-person front office paint a previously unreported picture of uncertainty and unease, though others see opportunity and optimism, particularly in the rapid revamping of the organization’s pitching infrastructure and player development methods, and in a promising big-league team. Some indicate it’s created an odd juxtaposition between those eager to initiate change and those trying to adapt to new roles under new leadership.

Breslow does not apologize for changes he believes will finally snap the organization out of a years-long stretch of mediocrity. He was hired for this purpose. The team has made the postseason once since their last World Series title in 2018 and has posted a record at or below .500 in four of the past five seasons. Red Sox ticket prices remain among the highest in baseball.

Breslow recently spoke to The Athletic about the restructuring that resulted from an internal audit conducted last year that helped reshape the front office, noting that they “tried to pick off the highest leveraged opportunities first.”

“There are times where maybe it makes sense to bulldoze through things and then kind of pick up the pieces afterward and there are times where being a little bit more intentional and patient ends in the best outcome,” he said, standing outside of Boston’s spring training complex at JetBlue Park. “I think ultimately, what we’ve been trying to instill is the idea that what is most important is what happens on the field, and we need to work backwards from that.”

Change is not new in Boston. Far from it. Just two years ago under Chaim Bloom, the Red Sox underwent a different front-office overhaul. But Bloom wasn’t around long enough to see those changes make an impact.

So, how will Breslow’s restructuring be different? After so many years of upgrading and updating the front office structure under previous leadership, is this new setup the right one? Will ownership give Breslow enough runway to see the changes through or — given that his predecessors were each fired within their first five years on the job — is he already nearing the halfway mark of his tenure in Boston?

Sources within the team acknowledge that baseball’s increasingly competitive landscape necessitated swift change. Yet too much change can create instability.

Breslow is clear that he believes it’s important to be transparent and he is mindful of the organization’s culture and staff morale. But he also has a strong vision of how the Red Sox can improve.

“Our goal is not to make everyone happy,” he said.

Within a few months of joining the Red Sox, Breslow hired New York City-based Sportsology Group to conduct an internal audit of all baseball operations employees.

One goal was to get all of the front-office departments on the same page so that they could collaborate and communicate more effectively, ultimately benefitting the major-league team. The audit also laid out an objective evaluation method for Breslow to utilize when identifying employees who would best fit his vision for the franchise.

“The one thing I’m committed to, is doing what’s best for the organization and that requires taking a hard look at the processes that we have in place, the systems we have in place, and the people that we have in place,” Breslow told The Athletic in June amid the audit.

“Sportsology is not the decision-making group. They are not evaluating people, we are evaluating people,” he added. “They’re helping us create the frameworks that allow us to do that and certain benchmarks against which we want to evaluate and how to calibrate the information that’s coming in. But the evaluations are being done by us.”

During the audit, there was a natural undercurrent of anxiety within the organization about just what the evaluations would suggest, according to multiple employees who spoke on a condition of anonymity. After the audit was completed, there were widespread changes, not just in scouting, where people with decades of experience were let go, but in creating new department heads in research and development, and reorganizing player development and the medical department.

“The result of an audit was not some drastic kind of headcount-cutting measure,” Breslow said. “It was understanding who our people are, what type of work they’re doing, what we’re really good at, what opportunities there are to improve.”

The scouting department had the biggest turnover — and those departures created the most angst. On the amateur side, a 34-person staff last year was reduced to 22 following departures and layoffs. Four people were added in their place, increasing the amateur staff to 26. Among the most notable layoffs were longtime scouts Mark Wasinger, Paul Fryer and Willie Romay, a group with decades of collective scouting experience. Tom Kotchman, a scout for nearly 50 years, including 14 with the Red Sox, retired at the end of 2024.

Changes in the scouting world have become ubiquitous over the past decade with the evolving landscape of how the game is evaluated, particularly as advances in technology enhance — and at the same time challenge — traditional scouting methods. Breslow admitted emerging research methods have allowed teams to collect information differently and often more objectively.

“But it has not eliminated the value in the role of the scout,” he said. “I think in certain cases, we’re asking our scouts to take on slightly different responsibilities in order to ensure that we are continually positioned at the industry’s leading edge. But it isn’t that scouts are less important. It isn’t that we’re looking to diminish the voice or the role of the scout. It’s that the job of the scout has changed, and we have to provide the support for people to make sure that they’re going to do their jobs every day.”

All of the scouts who were let go had significant impacts on the club, but Romay, in particular, was directly responsible for uniting the Red Sox with key pieces of the current clubhouse, signing Triston Casas, Kutter Crawford and Roman Anthony. One employee noted that Romay being part of the cuts in the fall was “incredibly disheartening for everyone.”

“Like anything, like friends that get traded, like anyone that gets released, you never want to see that happen to someone and it’s sad,” said Anthony, whose relationship with Romay was a key reason he didn’t forgo signing with the Red Sox to play at Mississippi. “I still stay in contact with him. He still texts me and still roots for me. I understand it’s a business, and I understand that teams have to do whatever they think is right. And people may not always agree with that.”

Mike Rikard, who’d previously served as amateur scouting director and most recently as vice president of scouting, was moved to a special assistant role last fall before he left the organization in January to join the Arizona Diamondbacks as senior advisor in the scouting department. The Diamondbacks have several former Red Sox employees in their front office, including GM Mike Hazen. Rikard led the team’s drafts from 2015-19 when they selected Andrew Benintendi, Tanner Houck, Jarren Duran, Casas and Crawford. He later transitioned to VP of scouting where he helped in the evaluations of Mayer, Anthony, Campbell and Kyle Teel.

On the international side, 12 scouts were let go or reassigned to different departments with eight additions, shifting the 40-person group to 36.

Assistant general manager Eddie Romero, who had focused on the club’s international scouting and player development efforts, remained an assistant GM but with a role more centered on the big-league club in acquisitions and player development. Over the past 20 years, Romero has helped revitalize the organization’s Dominican Academy and led efforts in signing and developing players such as Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Brayan Bello and Ceddanne Rafaela.

A batting cage at the Red Sox Dominican Academy. (Jen McCaffrey / The Athletic)

On the professional scouting side, five pro scouts on an 18-person staff were fired and their spots were filled with a mix of external and internal moves, including shifting international amateur scouts Kento Matsumoto and Won-Sang Lee, based in Japan and South Korea, respectively, to the pro side.

Several inquiries about these changes were left unanswered and those who did discuss changes asked not to be identified or quoted, citing ongoing questions about their job security. Some scouts who were fired have said they’re happy with their new teams and didn’t want to discuss the matter.

The industry has taken notice of the changes to the Red Sox scouting department. In a recent Baseball America poll of more than two dozen scouts, the Red Sox ranked among the least “scout-friendly” teams.

Breslow wouldn’t address specific departures, but defended what he deemed difficult decisions in order to keep the organization at the forefront of the game, noting “that there are a number of people who have contributed to the success of this organization, and that will not change.”

“We have to evaluate where we currently are and where we think this game is headed,” he said. “In some cases, that means the set of responsibilities that our scouts take on has changed and in certain situations it hasn’t at all. We need to find the best people and put them in the right places.

“Fortunately, and in a lot of ways and as a result of a pretty comprehensive audit, we found that we do have a lot of great people here. And there are maybe people who decide that the direction that we’re going is not for them, and that’s OK. But again, all of this is rooted in trying to put the best team we possibly can on the field and give ourselves the best chance of making great decisions.”

Boston is not the only team reorganizing their scouting structure. The Chicago Cubs, a team for which Breslow previously worked, is in the midst of its own front-office changes. As teams shift more toward Driveline-type methods, others have gone a different direction. The Philadelphia Phillies scaled back “Driveline-ification” efforts of their front office in recent years. In 2022, the Red Sox hired former Phillies director of minor-league hitting Jason Ochart.

At the same time the Red Sox have cut from the scouting department, they have added to others, including research and development, which is now the second-largest department in the front office, behind only international scouting. The R&D department was reorganized under four directors — baseball sciences, baseball systems, baseball technology and baseball analytics. Early in the offseason, Breslow hired Taylor Smith, former director of predictive modeling for the Tampa Bay Rays, as an assistant general manager tasked with overseeing R&D. Mike Groopman, an assistant GM who’d previously overseen R&D, moved to a role focused on acquisitions. The new structure created a heavy emphasis on data-driven analysis and sought to streamline a growing department that had increased to 33 people, up from 30 last year.

Although R&D grew, there were departures, including Joe McDonald, a former director of analytics, who joined the New England Patriots as senior analyst of football strategy. A few analysts were moved to scouting roles. In all, there were six additional hires, including one Breslow specifically highlighted at his end-of-season presser, former Driveline employee Kyle Wasserberger, a biomechanist with an extensive background in injury prevention and rehabilitation.

The Red Sox now employ nine former Driveline employees, the most of any team in baseball, including Driveline founder Kyle Boddy, who serves as a special assistant to Breslow. Breslow said there has not been a directive to hire Driveline employees but he values the way they approach the game.

“I think people who have gone to work at Driveline have taken on a specific set of experiences that typically lends itself to a way of thinking and a curiosity and open-mindedness,” he said. “Yeah it’s data-driven decision-making, but it’s understanding and having evidence and having support for decision-making rather than just blindly working through different possibilities of outcomes and solutions. It’s doing a lot of the work beforehand, before you take a suggestion or a recommendation to a player. It’s being grounded in evidence and information.”

This analytical approach has paid dividends in many areas, particularly in developing several top position player prospects, including Anthony, Mayer and Campbell, who’ve excelled at the plate thanks to a revamped hitting philosophy implemented over the past few years on the minor-league side, a process that began under Ochart at the end of Bloom’s tenure.

It has also created tension with traditional coaching methods. The Boston Globe recently reported on a “heated conversation” Hall of Famer Jim Rice, a former hitting instructor who now serves as a special assignment instructor for the Red Sox, had with an unidentified staffer after a player approached Rice for hitting advice. Rice was told by the staffer his advice “didn’t align with the team’s approach.”

“There are little tips of the iceberg that have revealed themselves,” one employee noted about the culture of the organization.

Despite that rift and the obvious shift toward more data-driven methods, the Red Sox are not foregoing hands-on instruction. As they seek to strengthen ties between their farm system and their major-league team, another notable change was the addition of Chris Stasio, formerly the assistant farm director, who will work in a player development role on the major-league coaching staff.

Traditionally, the Red Sox player development group was solely involved in development in the minor leagues, but now, via Stasio’s new role, it will also focus on continued development at the big-league level. Stasio will be in uniform and travel with the major-league team. Stasio’s new position was part of a larger restructuring of player development that saw eight people fired and four moved to different positions, including former minor league hitting coordinator Dillon Lawson, who was promoted to big league assistant hitting coach.

There have been changes in the medical department, too. Dr. Larry Ronan, who’s been the team’s lead physician for 20 years, stepped into an advisory role this season. Dr. Peter Asnis, who’d been the team’s head orthopedist for more than a decade, was elevated to head physician, leading a staff of multiple specialized doctors. On the field, strength coach Kiyoshi Momose moved to a Boston-based strength role, rather than traveling with the club, while two strength coaches were added to their staff of roughly a dozen trainers, rehab specialists, massage therapists and physical therapists.

The vast number of changes across the Red Sox organization has empowered some employees while leaving others feeling diminished in their roles. Some understood the cutthroat nature of working in a billion-dollar industry where the bottom line is what matters most. Others saw years of loyalty and hard work wiped clean.

The Red Sox have not won in recent years and that, in turn, means change. Once again.

Breslow and his leadership team acknowledge the painful moves but remain steadfast that in a competitive industry, this type of restructuring is par for the course and that the organization is re-evaluated after every season. This was, however, a larger and deeper reorganization.

“Without a doubt, we had to make really difficult decisions,” he said. “My hope is that whether people agree with those decisions or not, they understood that we were making the best decisions that we could in order to further this goal we have of competing for World Series championships year over year.

“I don’t know that there’s a finish line,” he added. “We need to constantly evolve, track our progress, reevaluate. I think that’s what good organizations do.”

(Top photo: Charles Krupa / Associated Press)

Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart is this NFL Draft cycle’s most divisive quarterback. Some evaluators think he’s a mid-round pick, while ESPN’s Mel Kiper mocked Dart going No. 9. Kiper may have been trying to be controversial for engagement, but Dart does have an intriguing skillset and one can see how an evaluator could be drawn to him.

He’s not tall (6-foot-2), but he’s built well (225 pounds). He has good arm talent and is a legitimate big-play threat as a runner. However, he played in a simplistic spread offense and will need time to adjust to an NFL offense. In a weaker quarterback class, can Dart’s theoretical ceiling, along with his steady production, be enough to push him into the first two rounds of the draft?

The skillset

When it comes to natural throwing ability, Dart has every type of throw in his bag. He doesn’t have a rocket arm, but he has a live one, and he can complete outbreakers and move the ball downfield with ease.

He throws outbreaking routes with timing, accuracy and zip. These are defined throws on which he has a high degree of confidence before the snap that the receiver will be open. He doesn’t hesitate to make these throws if he sees off coverage and space outside.

Dart doesn’t just have a fastball. One of his best traits is his ability to throw off-speed and layer passes over defenders. The Mississippi offense is free flowing and routes aren’t precise. Receivers are looking for space and adjusting their angles. Dart does a good job of seeing what his receivers see and leading them into open spaces. Even though he’ll put touch on passes in the middle of the field, he rarely leads his receivers into big hits.

Dart’s deep accuracy is very good. Not elite, but his deep passes are pristine when he’s on. He can hit his receivers perfectly in stride down the field on deep posts and go-balls but can have stretches where he sprays the ball.

Dart has a natural ability as a creator. Sometimes, you want to see him look downfield more when he breaks the pocket (9.5 percent scramble rate) or gets pressured, but he was an effective scrambler (6.87 yards per scramble) so it’s understandable. The clip above was one of his best throws of the season. Against Duke, he was flushed out of the pocket, kept his eyes downfield, and threw a perfect deep bomb, hitting his receiver in stride.

On third-and-14, against Oklahoma, Dart broke the pocket to his right. Originally, Dart’s receiver was running a shallow across the field. As Dart broke the pocket, he threw the ball upfield instead of horizontally to lead his receiver to open space. He and his receiver were on the same page and they converted. This pass shows creativity and instincts when playing outside of structure. He won’t be able to scramble as much in the NFL, so he’ll have to look downfield more.

Dart has good size and vertical speed. Teams will have to gameplan for his ability to scramble, and he’ll be able to execute designed quarterback runs in the league. He’s twitchy in the pocket and has the strength to rip away from pass rushers. He routinely makes the first defender miss in the pocket. He’s a linear runner in the open field but has the speed to pull away from defenders.

Pocket toughness is a trait that you either have or you don’t. Rarely do quarterbacks become more willing to stand in the pocket and take hits. Dart is very willing to keep his eyes downfield and rotate into throws despite knowing he’ll take a hit. He also can generate power and maintain accuracy in muddy pockets without a big runway in front of him.

The offense

Overall, Dart’s skillset offers a lot that you can’t teach. His ceiling relative to other quarterbacks in this class is very high. However, his offense at Ole Miss doesn’t translate to the NFL. It will take time for him to learn a pro system, footwork and even how to take a snap from under center. As we’ve seen, the NFL rarely shows the necessary patience for long periods of development.

There was a free-flow feel to the Ole Miss offense. Receivers weren’t running precise timing routes, so Dart doesn’t have much experience with timing throws and syncing his feet with his progressions. Head coach Lane Kiffin is an excellent play caller and often got Dart’s first read open. There weren’t many examples of Dart getting through multiple reads on a play but that doesn’t mean he can’t eventually learn how to do it.

This third-and-14 play against Arkansas was one of the rare examples of him getting through multiple reads. Dart initially looked to his left. His slot receiver was indecisive and ran a sloppy route, showing his receivers were either undisciplined or given a lot of freedom to find open space. Dart eventually progressed to his right outside receiver and led his target to open space. You can see in the clip that Dart hops from read to read rather than hitch from read to read. Cleaning up his footwork is going to take some time.

One of the few full-field progression concepts that Ole Miss has in their offense is an air raid staple: Y-Cross. On Y-cross, Dart should be reading the fade and shoot route (bottom of the screen) simultaneously. The corner to that side was playing flat-footed and had his eyes on the shoot route. Ideally, Dart would have seen the corner’s body language and thrown the fade route. No one was deep with the corner playing the shoot route. Instead, Dart progressed to his third read but made a nice throw in the middle of the field.

Sometimes it looks like Dart determines his throws pre-snap because he often goes to the same receiver on certain concepts. For example, against Florida, early in the game, he hit his receiver on a deep post on a Mills concept (deep post with a dig route). Kiffin called the same play later in the game. This time, Florida’s defensive backs dropped deep and easily picked off the pass.

Dart has to be better against the blitz. He was sacked 9.6 percent of the time when blitzed (10 sacks overall). His numbers against the blitz are inflated by run/pass options (RPOs) counting as blitzes because defenders are moving toward the line of scrimmage to play the run. On third-and-long (7+ yards), which are true dropback situations, his EPA per dropback against the blitz is 0.05.

Here, the Duke defense showed a cover 0 blitz look with multiple defenders at the line of scrimmage. With more potential pass rushers than blockers, ideally, Dart should abort the play fake and quickly find a “hot” receiver. But he still carried out the play fake which made it easy for an unblocked defender to get to him. His slot receiver to his right found space and quickly got his eyes back to Dart but the quarterback didn’t see him.

In this clip, the defense again showed a heavy-pressure look. Ideally, Dart should look for a quick outlet and hope his receiver can break a tackle in space on third-and-long. He had a three-on-three situation to his left (bottom of the screen) but after the snap, he looked to the single receiver side but that receiver was double covered. Dart broke the pocket and found a receiver on the scramble drill, but this isn’t a reliable answer against heavy-pressure looks.

Though Dart has an intriguing skill set with a high ceiling, a sizable gap must be bridged between the offense he operated at Ole Miss and what he’ll be asked to do in the league. Ideally, Dart will get drafted to a team where he can sit, learn a playbook and clean up his footwork without live action. However, quarterbacks drafted in the first round are rarely afforded redshirt years. With Dart’s developmental gap, getting drafted in the second or third round to a team with an established starter would be the best situation. After Cam Ward, Dart could have the highest ceiling of any quarterback in the draft, and he’s only 21 years old.

(Photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)

Get ready for a different kind of free agency this summer: Less wild, perhaps, but weirder.

At first, the 2025 NBA free-agent class doesn’t exactly overwhelm you with front-line talent. This isn’t the year for superstars holding meetings in the Hamptons while teams wait on pins and needles for franchise-altering decisions. Only one likely All-NBA selection can become a free agent this summer, and that one (the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James) isn’t going anywhere. The next-best potential free agent, the Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving, turns 33 soon and just tore his ACL.

However, what the free-agent class lacks in superstar talent, it makes up for in sheer quirkiness. Between the most recent collective bargaining agreement, some existing rules that rarely came into play before and several players massively outplaying small contracts, this summer could offer some real financial puzzles for front offices.

Here’s a preview of some of the more interesting conundrums as we truck toward the offseason:

Ty Jerome’s unlikely breakout

Jerome might have the best value non-rookie contract in the league; the Cleveland Cavaliers’ breakout super sub only makes $2.56 million after signing a two-year deal with the Cavs in 2023.

The issue this summer is that the Cavs only have early Bird rights on him as a free agent because of that two-year deal. Nobody ever considered the possibility that Jerome would be so awesome that “only” being able to pay him $14 million next season would make him a potential flight risk, but here we are.

Jerome is having one of the most unlikely breakout seasons in league annals, suddenly emerging in his sixth season out of Virginia (wahoowa!) as a serious contender for both the Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player awards. He’s shooting 41.8 percent from 3 and an unfathomable 55.6 percent from floater range, boasts the league’s 10th-highest steal rate among players with at least 1,000 minutes, averages nearly three assists for every turnover and has compiled a 20.1 PER for a team that’s a phenomenal 56-13.

Knowing the Cavs can only get to $14 million, if you’re a team like the Brooklyn Nets or Chicago Bulls that has some cap space this summer, is it out of the question to offer Jerome $20 million a year? He’s 27, so his next deal would pay him for his prime years.

The cap rules on paying Jerome are only half the problem for Cleveland. The other half is … what if he re-signs? Locking up Jerome at that $14 million number becomes a very expensive proposition for the Cavs, who are plunging deep into the luxury tax next year regardless because of Evan Mobley’s likely supermax extension.

Paying Jerome market-rate money on top of that would blast Cleveland way past the second-apron threshold. While it’s possible other trades could soften the blow (what would you give me for a lightly used Isaac Okoro?), it’s clear Jerome’s unlikely success has added another layer to what was already a tricky cap problem facing Cleveland.

Could he take a cheapo one-plus-one deal that would let the Cavs pay him as a Bird rights free agent a year from now? That might be the only palatable endgame from Cleveland’s side, but it’s tough to ask a guy who has never been paid to wait another year for his bag.

Russell Westbrook’s option

Westbrook is thriving in Denver, yet he and the Nuggets face a very interesting fork in the road. He has a player option for 2025-26 for $3.5 million, and he’s pretty clearly worth massively more than this, at least to the Nuggets. That’s good news for this season but bad news once we get to the summer.

Westbrook opting out feels like a no-brainer, but Denver has few mechanisms for paying him much more. The best possibility is probably to use its taxpayer midlevel exception, which would cap the Nuggets at the second apron but would allow them to pay Westbrook a projected $5.7 million in 2025-26. A two-year deal with a player option would let him opt out of that contract again in 2026 to get more jelly as an early Bird free agent.

Anything more than $5.7 million requires some serious digging. For instance, getting to the point where the Nuggets could pay Westbrook some or all of the projected $14.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception would require the Nuggets to shed about $10 million in other salaries to get themselves below the first apron.

That would most likely be accomplished by trading Dario Šarić (who, incredibly, was signed for more money than Westbrook last summer) and Zeke Nnaji (who is playing better of late but still owed $23 million over the next three years). The Nuggets, however, have no draft picks left to incentivize a trade, because they’ve already used so many to offload other bad contracts. They can trade their two 2032 picks after the draft, but do they really want to ditch those picks already? At what price point is it worth just trying to find their next Westbrook?

Jake LaRavia’s contract ceiling

The Sacramento Kings acquired LaRavia from the Memphis Grizzlies with a second-round pick at the trade deadline, a needed piece in a lineup that lacked size at the forward spot.

The conundrum for Kings fans is that they want a “Goldilocks” LaRavia … one who plays well but not too well. As a result of Memphis declining his fourth-year option for 2025-26 this past fall, LaRavia is limited in free agency to re-signing for that declined fourth-year salary of $5,163,127. That limit carried over in the trade; neither Memphis nor Sacramento can pay him more than this but 28 other teams can.

That puts Sacramento at a disadvantage in free agency, but the Kings have a way to get that advantage back if LaRavia doesn’t play too well. The Kings could give him a two-year deal with a second-year player option that starts at that $5.16 million figure; he could then opt out of the second year in 2026 if he has a good year and would have full Bird rights with the Kings and be able to re-sign for any amount.

Obviously, that goes out the window if somebody drops a full midlevel exception offer on him this summer, but thus far, it seems like LaRavia will thread the needle where nobody values him at that amount.

Guerschon Yabusele’s minimum

The Dancing Bear hasn’t played quite as well as Westbrook, but he’s in a similar situation: Playing well enough on a short deal for a taxed-out team that keeping him will be a bit of a pickle.

Yabusele is on a one-year minimum deal; he has non-Bird rights, and the most he can get from Philly without using exception money is a 20 percent raise on his minimum for next year, or $2.85 million. His market value seems pretty clearly more than that, although there is a glimmer of possibility that the Sixers could get him to sign a one-plus-one deal that lets him try free agency again next summer.

As with Westbrook above, the cleanest solution would be for the Sixers to re-sign Yabusele with their taxpayer midlevel exception of $5.7 million. The problem is that it would cap the Sixers at the second apron, and they might need that money for…

Quentin Grimes, superstar

One of the most bizarre situations in the league is happening in Philadelphia right now, where the Sixers are simultaneously navigating a tank job to possibly keep a top-six protected pick and a contract push from Grimes as he hits restricted free agency. A low-usage role player in his first three seasons, Grimes had stepped things up a bit in 47 games in Dallas this season, but he didn’t really blow up until he got to Philly at the trade deadline.

On a denuded Sixers roster with three injured All-Stars, Grimes has averaged 21.8 points while making shots from everywhere — he’s shooting 39.5 percent on 3s and 60.1 percent on 2s, the latter a fairly incredible figure for a 6-foot-5 guard with middling athleticism.

At some point, you figure he’ll cool off a bit, but even after regressing his shooting to the mean, the stat line is impressive. (He’s also increased his rates of rebounds, blocks, steals and assists. Dude is balling.)

What does that mean for Grimes this summer? Being a restricted free agent might limit the market, but given the Sixers’ position vis-a-vis the luxury tax and aprons, teams might also be tempted to test the Sixers’ willingness to spend by dropping a big offer sheet. It could actually tempt a rival team to spend more, in the hopes of creating such a poisonous sheet that the Sixers run away shrieking. Right now, Brooklyn is the only team in a strong position to do this, but things can change before July 1; Grimes will only be 25 this summer, so as with Jerome above, a team would be buying his theoretical prime.

That takes us to the other aspect of Grimes’ situation. Paying him something on the order of $20 million a year would take the Sixers right to the second-apron line, assuming their three players with options choose to pick them up. (Kelly Oubre, Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon have player options worth a total of $17 million; none set hearts aflame with their play in 2024-25.)

That is, unless the Sixers keep their pick, which would add several million to their cap number (the fourth pick will make $8.4 million, for instance) and tighten the screws in other places. In particular, it would seemingly be very difficult to keep both Grimes and Yabusele at their market rates with a top-six pick in the draft.

This takes us back to the tank. The Sixers are in quite a “race” with Toronto and Brooklyn for the fifth- through seventh-worst records in the league, with the three teams resorting to increasingly impressive hijinks to, um, keep up … except that Philly keeps playing Grimes. The Sixers have gone 4-17 since Feb. 4, but Grimes singlehandedly delivered one of the wins (a 44-point masterpiece against the Golden State Warriors) and nearly pulled out another when he hung 46 on the Houston Rockets in an overtime loss.

The difference between fifth and seventh might not seem like much, but it literally doubles the Sixers’ odds of keeping the pick (from 31.9 percent to 63.9 percent). If Grimes leads them to enough wins that the Sixers don’t keep the pick, there’s more money left to pay him!

Malik Beasley, shooting star

I’m not sure what the Pistons’ plans were for their non-max trove of cap space this summer (roughly $25 million), but I’m guessing “using it all to re-sign Malik Beasley” wasn’t anywhere on the list when they were mapping out scenarios last fall.

That was before Beasley basically turned into Stephen Curry from beyond the 3-point line. No, seriously. Beasley’s 16.2 3-point attempts per 100 possessions this season are second only to Curry’s 16.9, and Beasley has knocked down an incredible 41.9 percent of them.

Wait, it gets better: Beasley’s 6.8 3-point makes per 100 are the most ever for a player not named Curry — Steph has beaten it four times, but James Harden in 2018-19 is the only other player to reach 6.5 in a season of 1,500 or more minutes.

This, obviously, has made Beasley a very valuable player. Beasley signed a one-year deal worth $6 million last summer; there is no scenario where the Pistons can keep him for anything close to that. At a bare minimum, they would seemingly need to pay him the full nontaxpayer midlevel exception of $14.1 million; even if that contract didn’t require cap room, it would essentially nuke any cap-room scenarios for Detroit.

Fortunately, Detroit’s books are in a strong enough position that retaining Beasley should be fairly straightforward; the only question is deal length and player options. Would Beasley rather have a short deal with a player option to get more bread a year from now, or would he prefer the security of a longer deal?

Malik Beasley is having a season for the ages from 3. (Rick Osentoski / Imagn Images)

Moe Wagner and Orlando’s tight tax

The Magic have the full allotment of 15 players under contract for next season, have four draft picks this June and are $11 million over the projected tax line. All of that would make it seem unlikely that they would pick up Mo Wagner’s $11 million team option, especially since he’s out with a torn ACL.

However, all may not be as it appears. Wagner is a highly-valued player in Orlando, and not just because he’s the brother (and housemate!) of Magic star Franz Wagner; his injury more or less marked the turning point in the Magic’s season. (They were 18-12 at the time and 14-25 since.)

For one, the Magic have other options they can decline to get the roster down to reasonable size. Declining options on Gary Harris and little-used Cory Joseph and Caleb Houstan would put them under the projected tax (at least until the draft picks put them back over) and open enough roster breathing room to bring back Wagner. Also, because the Magic would retain Bird rights on him, a cheap one-year deal with a second-year player option could be a palatable option for both sides; he could have his “rehab year” then get paid off his work in the second half of the season when he returns.

Either way, declining the option seems like the only play for Orlando. The question is what the Magic can do to retain somebody they would prefer to keep amid a tricky cap environment and a roster that, once Paolo Banchero’s likely max extension hits in 2026, will become fairly expensive.

Lakers decline-and-sign pathway

This little trick is likely to come up in the case of several teams dancing the first-apron tightrope, most notably with the Lakers and Dorian Finney-Smith.

The idea is that L.A. can get Finney-Smith to decline his player option for $15.4 million for 2025-26 in return for re-signing on a longer deal for less money. The risk of overpaying on the back end of the deal (Finney-Smith turns 32 this summer) is offset by managing the immediate tax situation by shaving a few million off his 2025-26 cap number.

The motivation for L.A. would be to leave enough wiggle room under the first apron to either use its nontaxpayer midlevel exception to sign a real center or to trade for one. It’s a tight squeeze right now, even if the Lakers decline Shake Milton’s $3 million nonguaranteed deal. They might even consider stretching Maxi Kleber’s $11 million to generate the necessary space, especially since they’re running out of draft picks to put into trades to incentivize a deal. (I’ll also note this option exists for James as well; there is no rule requiring him to sign for the max, and he actually took a slight haircut on that amount last summer to keep L.A. below the second apron and allow it to aggregate salary in trades. That decision has worked out very well, based on recent events.)

The Minnesota Timberwolves could potentially go this route, too, with Julius Randle, who has a $31 million player option for next season with incentives that could raise the value. Locking in a lower number for Randle on a long-term deal might make it easier to keep Naz Reid in free agency and still make Minnesota’s tricky cap math work in future seasons.

And then there are the Rockets. Houston has a similar issue with Fred VanVleet, except it’s a team option instead of a player option, so the Rockets have a lot more control over the situation. VanVleet is due $44.9 million next season, one where the Rockets are likely to push into the tax. Things don’t get any easier in the future, as their talented young players need to be paid (most notably Amen Thompson in the summer of 2027), but 2025-26 is a squeeze point unless VanVleet’s cap number goes way down.

Thus, locking in VanVleet at a lower number for a longer tenure has a lot of advantages for Houston. However, there’s a case to be made that the Rockets could go the complete opposite route by opting to pay him the $44.9 million, in return for extending his contract at a much lower number in the out years. That concept trades a single year of pain in 2025-26 in return for making the salary structure more manageable in the out years when Houston’s other young players will be ready to get paid. It’s a fascinating puzzle for the Rockets with no clear answer, beyond the obvious one that Houston still very much needs to keep VanVleet one way or another.

Decline-and-sign, discount version

Finally, you may have noticed an unusual number of players this season were signed off two-way deals into two-year contracts with second-year team options.

There’s a reason for that: The teams can decline the option and, as non-Bird free agents, re-sign the player to a much longer four-year deal worth up to 20 percent over the minimum. Given the limited likelihood of a bidding war on players of this ilk (and the protection of restricted free agency, just in case), it’s a good way for teams to play their hands. This is particularly true for those teams that either don’t have access to their nontaxpayer midlevel exception or want to save it for potential use at the trade deadline.

This category includes several rookie two-way players who have since been promoted to roster deals, such as Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell, Golden State’s Quinten Post, New York’s Ariel Hukporti and Philadelphia’s Justin Edwards. All are likely looking at summer “decline-and-sign” situations that end with them returning to their present teams on three- or four-year deals at or near the minimum. (One slight exception: Mitchell got $3 million out of the Thunder’s room exception money and thus can sign for a starting salary of as much as $3.6 million if the option is declined.)

(Top photo of Russell Westbrook: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Two thick, beefy strong boys with snug polos and holstered pistols walked, chests out, up to the area behind TPC Sawgrass’ 12th green Sunday. As they approached the hill, another security officer smiled at two of the day’s main characters.

“It’s the Bash Brothers!” the man joked.

The three of them waited behind the green in the moments before play restarted at the final round of the Players Championship after a four-hour weather delay halted what appeared to be Rory McIlroy’s runaway moment. By then, roughly two-thirds of the massive crowd understandably left, but the ones who decided to stay all day? They were there for Rory. His gallery remained full. As the van dropped off McIlroy to continue his round, the fans loudly chanted “Ro-ry! Ro-ry! Ro-ry!” They applauded as he birdied the hole to take a three-shot lead. Most of Ponte Vedra seemed to be pulling for McIlroy.

But that support was not why the Bash Brothers were there.

That nickname was earned, for all the hecklers the two police officers kicked out of the Players Championship that day. One or two officers follow every PGA Tour group all year to act as security for the game’s stars. It’s normal, making sure no unauthorized people get inside the ropes and the crowd doesn’t do anything out of line. Most days they won’t have a single issue.

But by the time McIlroy hit his approach from the 18th fairway, one of the Bash Brothers claimed to have kicked out 15 people at least. Because, for a very minuscule, annoying, yet loud minority, McIlroy is becoming a target for heckling right now. How he handles it will tell us so much.

As McIlroy approached the 18th tee Sunday, tied for the lead trying to win the tour’s marquee event, he looked around at the crowd. He scanned his head as if trying to take it all in. And that crowd rose up and roared for him.

Until one man shouted, “Hit it in the water, Rory!” The crowd groaned. It was isolated enough that McIlroy certainly heard it. No problem, as he launched an absolutely beautiful draw around the bended fairway along the water. By the end of the day, McIlroy was headed to a three-hole Monday playoff with J.J. Spaun, one he would win going away to claim his second Players.

But is it a challenge for McIlroy to tune those heckles out?

“Yeah, absolutely,” he admitted.

“But I think when you’re in business mode you’re just trying to keep your head down and stay in your own little world for the most part.”

McIlroy is not new to fame. And he’s not new to criticism. He’s one of the bigger lightning rods for discussion in the sport, and he’s heard (and historically laughed along with) every crack about his deflating losses in majors like the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst.

Until a week ago.

McIlroy was playing a Tuesday practice round when he hit his tee shot on 18 into the water and a young-ish fan shouted, “Just like 2011 at Augusta!” while his buddy filmed. McIlroy hit another tee shot, and before going to his ball he walked over to the fan, grabbed the friend’s phone that was filming and walked away. It turned out the guy who yelled this was Texas golfer Luke Potter, who won the amateur tournament in town just days earlier. That only added to the bizarre nature of the incident. Security kicked Potter and his friend out, but a third party filmed the incident, posted it online and it went viral.

Seeing McIlroy react that way was surprising, and perhaps it shed light on a deeper insecurity of McIlroy. He can joke and laugh about Pinehurst. Maybe even the 2022 Open Championship or the 2023 U.S. Open. But that 2011 Masters when he led by four shots and shot a Sunday 80 to finish 10 back? That’s the big one.

That reaction is human. It is relatable.

There’s just one problem. The reaction encouraged the masses. Or at least a particular segment of it. It’s why the Bash Brothers had such a busy day. Perhaps even more interestingly, it’s why there was such a short leash to kick those people out.

As McIlroy walked to Sawgrass’ famous island 17th green, one fan yelled “2011 Augusta, Rory!” McIlroy’s caddie, Harry Diamond, called the Bash Brothers over and the fan was taken away.

We don’t know what led to each anecdotal example, so we can’t be sure how bad each one was. We just know a good deal of them happened. The PGA Tour has in its code of conduct specific rules related to fan behavior, and it takes a firm zero-tolerance policy when it comes to things like heckling. Specifically, it makes clear you are at risk of expulsion, for “rude, vulgar or other inappropriate comments or gestures or any words or actions,” including “verbal or physical harassment of players, caddies, volunteers, officials, staff, guests and/or spectators.”

The tour doesn’t appear to have an overall fan problem. There was concern when gambling was legalized that it would lead to severe issues with spectators attempting to shout during backswings or otherwise affect results. The tour hasn’t seen that happen, other than some pleading with a player to win their bet or complaining that they lost it (which is indeed a problem but not too dramatic of one).

Most events go on with no issue, but we also live in a new era of social media where it’s common for some to revel in the chance to get a reaction and gain some attention by posting it online. That reaction is everything. And while maybe 40 years ago nobody would know it even happened, it now has the chance to go viral and be seen by the world.

That’s why Tuesday’s practice round incident was so consequential. For that minuscule minority, McIlroy provided a target. The 2011 Masters at Augusta. It’s now his exhaust port in the Death Star — hecklers know they can hit it and watch it go boom. Diamond being the one to call security over for a dumb but generally innocuous comment (“2011 Augusta, Rory!”) only confirmed it.

Because yes, the tour has its code of conduct, but it’s generally the players or their caddies who act on it. Many players ignore any stupidity, and then it goes away. McIlroy generally always had.

We’re seeing what happens when you flinch. At Torrey Pines last month, a fan told McIlroy to blame his caddie, Diamond, for a missed put. McIlroy, always quick to defend Diamond, told the fan to “shut the f—k up.”

Former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson got heckled by rowdy spectators at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open for the U.S. loss in Rome, and he went over and argued with them. That went viral, of course. So two months later at the Masters — the one place “patrons” are supposedly so well behaved — Johnson made a mess of the 12th hole and heard sarcastic cheers. A hot mic caught Johnson turning and yelling, “Oh, f—k off.” He’s now perhaps the most consistent target for heckling in golf.

Before that it was Bryson DeChambeau, a top target during his feud with Brooks Koepka. After a painful playoff loss to Patrick Cantlay at the 2021 BMW Championship, a fan yelled the taunt, “Great job, Brooksie!” and DeChambeau lost it. “You know what? Get the f–k out!” DeChambeau yelled.

Things were so bad once for Colin Montgomerie that Golf Digest made buttons. (Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)

It’s not all recent. Take Colin Montgomerie. Back in the early 2000s, he had become such a target for heckling in the U.S. that it got to him. They called him “Mrs. Doubtfire” and made fun of his figure. And he reacted. It bothered him so much he threatened to boycott U.S. events. So at the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, Golf Digest made 25,000 buttons to handout reading “Be Nice To Monty.”

The point for McIlroy is that these kinds of comments will now continue. The through line on all of this is that spectators pile on when they know they can make you mad. Immaturity, alcohol and/or comedic laziness lead to a lot of generic dudes thinking they’re clever when repeating the same lines. That stinks, the same way somebody yelling “Mashed potatoes!” after a tee shot or “Get in the hole” on an approach gets old fast.

The vast majority of fans sincerely love McIlroy. Maybe that’s difficult to remember when the negativity stands out. McIlroy is playing the best overall golf in the world. He won his sixth DP World Tour championship in December. He won at Pebble Beach last month. Add in a huge Players win Sunday. This could be McIlroy’s moment.

Yet people aren’t going to suddenly change. And each ejected fan or viral video of an angry reaction only provides more fuel to the fire, and the comments will continue. The Ryder Cup is coming, in New York of all places. All the power to him if that’s how he wants to react, but the test will be how he plays in response.

Sunday, he did let Spaun come back from a three-shot deficit to force a playoff. Then again, as the fan yelled “Hit it in the water” on 18, McIlroy hit one of the prettier shots you can hit. Which response he channels more will tell us everything about his 2025.

(Top photo: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES — USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb and her star player, JuJu Watkins, were invited to the annual Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala in May. In a who’s-who world of L.A. glitterati, Gottlieb was astounded by how many people flocked to Watkins. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and owner Mark Walter wanted to meet her. Magic Johnson and his wife, Cookie, came over. A section of Los Angeles Lakers personnel were interested, too.

“Everywhere I’m turning, these fans and these people that are here go, ‘JuJu! JuJu!’” Gottlieb said. “She’s as recognizable with (her) bun (hairstyle) as any of the Dodgers and was the biggest star. I came back and I said to my staff and the administration here, this was next level. Amongst L.A., she is kind of the star amongst the stars.”

Watkins was coming off a historic first season that saw her set the NCAA record for points by a freshman and lead the Trojans to their first conference title in a decade and first Elite Eight appearance in 30 years. Her bun became famous in its own right, and a national AT&T commercial during last season’s March Madness featured NBA superstar Joel Embiid, among others, trying out the look.

Watkins had already brought USC basketball back from relative obscurity. The promise of what she can be and what that means for the program and the city is evolving in real time as the Trojans start the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed, hosting the first two rounds on their home court.

The sophomore sensation and the people around her have been preparing for this possibility before she started college. Watkins signed with Klutch Sports Group as a junior in high school and has been building her brand portfolio ever since. As a Los Angeles native, it has always been part of the plan to use her influence to elevate her community — a previous partnership with Lids allowed her to design a hat that highlighted her neighborhood of Watts — and choosing to attend USC allowed her to remain in the same spotlight.

“L.A. is just a great place as far as opportunity and relationships,” Watkins said. “I feel like L.A. plays a big part in my legacy and what I do on and off the court.”

The city is drawn to Watkins. The Trojans averaged 1,037 fans at home games in 2022-23, per data from the NCAA. During Watkins’ freshman season, that number spiked to 4,279 and further increased to 5,932 during the 2024-25 regular season. In addition to former USC players, Watkins has brought out a number of celebrities to the Galen Center. Actors, musicians and other influential stars, including Sanaa Lathan, Leslie Jones, Vanessa Bryant, Flea, Snoop Dogg and Michael B. Jordan, have cheered from USC courtside seats.

In anticipation of the extra attention, the program reached out to get a sense of what was to come, contacting the Big Ten and Iowa, including former Hawkeyes head coach Lisa Bluder, before the season began.

Caitlin Clark had been the talisman for women’s basketball fans during her senior season at Iowa, drawing historic crowds and TV ratings en route to breaking multiple scoring records. The Hawkeyes’ run to back-to-back national title games culminated in the highest-rated national championship game of all time, outdoing the men’s final the next day.

When Clark turned pro alongside former LSU star Angel Reese, and with UConn star Paige Bueckers entering her final college season, Watkins became the natural heir apparent to fill the superstar vacuum, both in the Big Ten and nationally.

As a result, USC updated its security protocols, adding a wristband policy to control the specific crowds permitted to stay in the arena after games. The Big Ten helped handle pregame and postgame protocols on the road, and Bluder shared details about how to maintain privacy at hotels. Watkins’ agent, Jade-Li English, added that security is a particular topic of interest given how recognizable Watkins is in her home city — with or without her bun.

When the Trojans went on the road this season for their inaugural Big Ten campaign, every school (other than Iowa, which sold out every home game) saw an uptick in attendance. The JuJu Bump produced an average attendance increase of 75 percent, punctuated by Rutgers nearly tripling its average crowd when USC visited. All around the country, moms and dads in Watkins jerseys brought their daughters wearing their hair in buns to games.

“It was hard to predict this until you’re living in it in real time,” Gottlieb said. “We all had a vision for her helping to really grow this program, but I think that the gravitational pull in the change in the fan support is really pretty remarkable.”

That Watkins’ arrival into college basketball has coincided with an overall boom for the sport has only enhanced her popularity and her opportunities. Her portfolio is extensive, with 16 current national marketing deals, including Nike, State Farm, Gatorade and Fanatics. Her image is inescapable whether walking around Los Angeles — where she has a three-building-wide Nike billboard in downtown — or turning on the television.

“We’re able to align JuJu with brands that are leaders in their respective industries and align with brands that have a natural synergy with women’s basketball,” Klutch Sports senior vice president of athlete strategy Brittany McCallum said. “All of these partners have television placements, TV broadcasts during the NCAA Tournament. So these partnerships leverage national TV visibility, allowing for JuJu to be a part of a larger cultural moment, while also amplifying the brand’s presence during one of the most watched times in women’s sports.”

Watkins said her collaboration with Funko Pop was one of her favorites, as she helped with the details of its bun and eyelashes being as close to her likeness as possible. She signed at least 30 of them during USC’s Selection Sunday party. Her ad spot with Chipotle was another standout as it included the entire Trojans roster.

But the partnership with Nike has truly opened doors for Watkins. McCallum said her 19-year-old client was over the moon and “completely caught off guard” when she learned she would be appearing in a Super Bowl commercial.

“Seeing those moments and the power behind what Nike is putting behind women’s sports right now has been really special to her and probably something that wasn’t in the cards but definitely aligns on where the women’s game is right now,” McCallum said. “And JuJu is very grateful to be a part of the movement.”

The JuJu Watkins rise doesn’t happen without her corresponding basketball success. She followed up her freshman campaign with another first-team All-American season, joining Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo as the third and fourth players to earn first-team honors as freshmen and sophomores. She led USC to its first conference regular-season title in more than three decades.

With all of the added attention, the focus remains on basketball. She doesn’t do pregame interviews, preferring to stay in the zone. Gottlieb says Watkins goes hard in every rep in every practice, accepting challenges on both ends of the floor. After dealing with cramping during her freshman season, Watkins put extra emphasis on hydration this season to negate that issue.

Snoop Dogg in da house! He’s wearing a JuJu Watkins fit.

Michael B. Jordan is also in attendance for the USC vs. Notre Dame game. pic.twitter.com/FAlD6NCc4A

— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) November 23, 2024

Even though her star turn has been choreographed, and the expectation was for her to succeed, she is reaching heights that were impossible to predict.

Gottlieb joked that her own identity is now defined through Watkins. At a USA Basketball event, she was working out in the hotel gym with Dawn Staley and the family of one of the U-17 players. The young boy in the family excitedly told his dad, there’s Dawn Staley, before turning around and noticing, there’s JuJu Watkins’ coach! At the 2024 Final Four, a father asked Gottlieb for a picture with his daughter because she was a massive Watkins fan, excited to merely get a picture with someone in Watkins’ orbit. Gottlieb felt compelled to point out that she’d be the one in the picture, not JuJu.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick attended the regular-season finale between USC and UCLA. Afterward, he said, “JuJu Watkins is one of one, she’s incredible. First time seeing her play in person, but obviously I’ve watched her before. She lived up to the hype.”

The hype train is unprecedented at this point, Where it leads is anyone’s guess.

(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen/ The Athletic; Photos of Angel Reese, JuJu Watkins and Caitlin Clark: Harry How / Getty Images, Brian Fluharty / Getty Images, Eakin Howard / Getty Images)

The Athletic has appointed Chris Weatherspoon as its first dedicated football finance writer. Chris is a chartered accountant who will be using his financial acumen as The BookKeeper to explore the money behind the game. He is starting with a series this week analysing the financial health of some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

You can read more about Chris and pitch him your ideas, and his first article exploring how Manchester United ended up in a financial mess.

Last summer, in the afterglow of a record fourth consecutive English league title, Manchester City didn’t feel the need to do much. As rivals strengthened and Premier League splurging continued, the reigning champions were the division’s lowest spenders. Of the £2.4billion spent by England’s top clubs, City accounted for just £23million of it.

A rebuild would be necessary but City could wait another year. Even the departure of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid did little to dim sunny dispositions in the blue half of Manchester, not least as his sale brought in world football’s biggest fee of the window — £64m ($83m), potentially rising to £81m.

Then the rains came. City, imperious under Pep Guardiola for so long, imploded in the autumn and on Christmas Day, sat seventh. In the revamped Champions League, they were in danger of going out at the first hurdle (avoided, just). And so, like any rich protagonist in a rut, they went shopping.

The effects of retail therapy on mood improvement are debatable. A University of Michigan study published in late 2013 found residual sadness was reduced by shopping because it gave the shopper what the paper termed “personal control restoration”. Through the act of buying things, individuals regained some agency over their lives, so they felt less sad.

The study didn’t cover football clubs, so the question of whether control restoration might sufficiently offset the misery felt after a 5-1 defeat at one of your biggest rivals was omitted, but City’s £50m deadline-day signing of Nico Gonzalez presumably acted as a small salve to Guardiola and staff following a chastening 24 hours beforehand against Arsenal.

City spent £183m in the winter, the highest-ever mid-season spend behind Chelsea’s £275m two years ago. City were the only club to top £100m in fees, disbursing almost three times as much as next-highest spending Al Nassr of the Saudi Pro League (whose entire outlay went on coaxing Jhon Duran from Aston Villa). Domestically, City accounted for over two-fifths of the Premier League’s spend. Oh, and they also tied down the best striker on Earth to a nine-and-a-half-year contract.

So in a world of spending regulations, what did this do to their financial position? And what is the broader picture for City during a season of change in which they are also fighting legal battles with the Premier League.

How could City afford to spend so much this winter?

Other than the glaringly obvious, ‘They’re owned by an Emirati royal’ answer, City’s could splurge thanks to years of financial prosperity. There’s little fear of City’s club credit cards being declined any time soon. And as for profit and sustainability rules (PSR), unlike when UEFA first introduced financial limits in the early 2010s, City have nothing to concern themselves with. The club’s owners haven’t put money in as shares since a £23m injection in 2021, meaning City can only lose up to £15m of their own money over three years — but the club are so profitable such matters are hardly on their radar.

In the three years to the end of last season, City booked a cumulative pre-tax profit of £195.9m, a PSR position made stronger once allowable costs, such as investment infrastructure and women’s football, are deducted. Using a combination of estimates and figures disclosed in the accounts, The Athletic projects City’s PSR headroom in last season’s calculation came to around £324m.

Correspondingly, they’ll have zero trouble with compliance this year, too. City’s finances will be impacted by their exit from the Champions League and they’re likely to drop domestic prize money but this summer’s Club World Cup could cover those shortfalls anyway. Unless they posted a £287m loss this season (newsflash: they won’t), they’ll be fine on the Premier League’s PSR, even after the winter spree.

The £183m they spent in transfer fees will be closer to £200m once agent payments and other associated costs are included, but that’s not £200m hitting City’s books this season. Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Nico were signed on four-and-a-half year deals, so only £22m of extra transfer fee costs should land in City’s 2024-25 figures after amortisation (spreading the cost of acquiring a player over the length of their contract).

This season’s accounts will also include significant sales City made in the summer. Alvarez’s move to Atletico ensured a chunky profit on sale — likely at least £45m, possibly more — and the departures of Joao Cancelo and Liam Delap generated yet more money to boost the bottom line.

City are also now subject to UEFA’s squad cost ratio rule, which seeks to limit how much clubs can spend on their football staff. European football’s governing body will only allow clubs to spend a certain amount of ‘relevant turnover’ — 90 per cent last season, 80 per cent this and 70 per cent from 2025-26 onwards — but crucially, it allows clubs to count player-sale profits towards relevant turnover. City’s headroom here will be reduced from last year, but still shouldn’t pose a problem.

What do Manchester City’s recent finances look like? 

Last season was Manchester City’s fourth consecutive year of posting a profit, and their ninth in the last 10, although the one loss-making year in 2020 comprised a hefty, Covid-19-induced £125m deficit. Even including that big loss, City have booked net pre-tax profits of £126.4m in the last decade.

City are one of English and world football’s most consistently profitable clubs. If we strip out skewing — one-off items, such as owner loan write-offs — the only Premier League club to have posted a higher net profit over their last 10 accounting periods is Liverpool (£136.2m).

City are one of only a handful of teams to have successfully rebounded from the pandemic. In the five seasons before the Covid-19 outbreak, Premier League clubs were generally profitable. Then the virus arrived and revenues stagnated or fell as wage bills and other costs kept growing.

The impact on club finances was galling: of the 80 financial results for Premier League clubs announced from 2019-20 to 2022-23, just 20 were profitable. City accounted for three of those. In 2016-17 and 2017-18, all of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ were profitable. Since the pandemic shutdown, the only club among that cohort to post a profit other than City was Liverpool in 2022, and that was on the low side at just £7.5m.

That’s impressive, while potentially misrepresentative. City have been a profitable club for a while but it is worth remembering what it comes on the back of: heavy losses in the years after being taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) in 2008. The first six years of ADUG ownership, unrestrained by any domestic ‘financial fair play’ regulations, saw City rack up a cumulative pre-tax loss of £601m. To put that sum into context, the net loss of every other Premier League club combined in those six years was £56m lower, at £545m, albeit that does omit two years of expected losses at Portsmouth, who entered administration during that time and didn’t publish their accounts.

City investing heavily back then is old news but its impact continues to be felt today. The club’s ongoing profitability derives from their excellent navigation of the transfer market; in each of their last seven profitable years, City booked an operating loss, with that propelled into the black by chunky player sale profits. Last season, by selling Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte, Cole Palmer and a slew of other youngsters, City’s profit on player sales figure hit a club-record £139m. In the past five years alone, player sale profits stand at £436.8m.

Revenue up again – even without a treble

City’s revenue increased again last season to another club record of £715m. That was only a £2.2m increase on 2022-23, but any growth is impressive given it came on the back of their treble-winning season. That £715m was enough for City to retain their position of generating the second-highest income in world football, though enormous year-on-year growth at Real Madrid means the Spanish giants’ income now sits over £170m ahead of anyone else.

City saw minimal change across all three main revenue streams, with matchday income up five per cent to £75.6m, commercial income up one per cent to £344.7m and broadcast income falling two per cent to £294.7m. In each of the latter two categories, they lead the way domestically, though that matchday revenue figure is only the Premier League’s sixth-highest.

City view that as a significant growth area, and it’s one of the reasons the club is investing heavily in expanding the Etihad Stadium and the surrounding area. City’s gate receipts trail Manchester United by £61.5m, and Tottenham Hotspur joined United, Arsenal and Liverpool as the English clubs whose annual matchday revenues top £100m.

The regeneration project carried out at the Bernabeu drove the surging income at Real Madrid, one of several European rivals who make more money on matchdays than City. Based on the latest available figures, Bayern Munich and Barcelona (even despite having their attendances slashed while the Camp Nou is renovated) took more at the gate than City. Those ongoing works will improve the Etihad’s standing. For now, season ticket prices rose by an average of five per cent for 2024-25, continuing a theme whereby supporters have borne extra costs in nearly all of the last 10 seasons.

Falling at the quarter-final stage of last season’s Champions League hit City’s broadcast income, though £4m of that was offset by Club World Cup success in December 2023. Commercially is where they continue to excel and grow. Last season’s figure of £344.7m was the highest in England for the fourth year running.

City’s commercial income figures have been a cause of much debate in the past, and they form the basis of a hefty chunk of the 129 charges levelled at the club in their ongoing legal battle with the Premier League. They stand accused of disguising cash injections from majority owner Sheikh Mansour as sponsorship income. It’s worth noting here the gravity of those charges: City’s auditor, BDO LLP, has repeatedly signed off on the club’s accounts without issue, so any suggestion of misstating commercial income figures is to accuse City of going far beyond just breaching some industry-specific (and oft-criticised) financial rules. City deny any wrongdoing.

The club’s increase in commercial revenues since the 2008 takeover remains staggering, having risen by over 1,000 per cent. All big clubs have seen huge rises and City were starting from a particularly low base. Even so, critics point to how among Europe’s elite it was only at City and Paris Saint-Germain — the French club who also have state ties — that commercial revenues remained pandemic-proof. Among the continent’s most prominent clubs, only City and PSG have enjoyed 1,000 per cent commercial growth since 2008.

The impact of City’s commercial growth can hardly be understated. Across the past decade, they’ve booked £2.54bn in commercial revenues, a figure eclipsed domestically only by United’s £2.67bn — an advantage City are now eating into at a rate of £40m per season. Everyone else is a long way back, with Liverpool (£1.67bn) the only club within £1bn of their Mancunian rivals. That’s a huge edge to have, so it’s little wonder City’s rivals will be watching the outcome of that court case with a keen eye.

How wages compare – and the CFG disparity

City’s salary bill fell last season, down £10.3m (two per cent) to £412.6m. A reduction was unsurprising — the previous set of accounts included bonuses from the historic treble — but the expectation was the drop in 2023-24 would have been more pronounced.

Few clubs disclose how much of their wage bills are consumed by the playing squad. City are no different but there was some information released in a 2024 UEFA report that detailed the quantum of various clubs’ player wages (the relevant page of the report has since been removed from the version available on UEFA’s website — why it was removed is unknown). According to that, City spent €389m (£338m; $430m) of their 2022-23 wage bill on players. That was 80 per cent of the season’s overall bill, so applying the same proportion to 2023-24 gets us to a playing wage bill of £330m.

On the topic of UEFA documents, the governing body’s most recent ‘finance and investment landscape’ report included a notable divergence from City’s financial statements. In there, City’s wages were listed as Europe’s second-highest at €554m, only trailing PSG. Using UEFA’s exchange rate, that translates to a wage bill of £475.8m — £63.2m higher than the figure per City’s accounts. In other words, there’s a material difference between the wages reported to UEFA and those in the club’s annual accounts.

That difference is explained by UEFA’s reporting requirements. The governing body employs a ‘reporting perimeter’, which asks that clubs report any figures ‘in respect of (that club’s) football activities’, including any amounts that occur under the auspice of other legal entities. By contrast, City’s published accounts cover the club individually but none of the other active legal entities related to the club, some of which evidently contribute to football activities. City therefore report a higher wage bill to UEFA than is seen in their individual club accounts in order to appropriately record those football-related costs.

Those other entities likely sit within City Football Group (CFG), City’s parent company that oversees the multi-club structure. Where City, the club, now make continual profits, CFG as a whole is significantly loss-making; the wage bill found in the UEFA report confirms figures given by clubs to the governing body might bear little resemblance to a club’s published accounts.

City’s wages were still the highest in the Premier League (illustrated in the graphic above), as they have been in four of the last five years. Last season was also the second successive year their wage bill was above £400m, a feat only one other English club has achieved — and Chelsea’s £404m in 2023 included around £45m in managerial change costs. City are big payers, and they see positive results on the pitch as a result.

That said, it’s not like they’re over-leveraging themselves. City’s wages to revenue metric stood at 58 per cent last season, a level it has hovered around for most of the last decade. They also aren’t really close to world football’s biggest spenders but nobody is. PSG spent roughly £565m on wages in 2023-24, even without Lionel Messi or Neymar on their books. 

Pep’s net spend argument

Guardiola has been keen during the recent malaise to highlight City’s relatively low net spend. Using the last five years of club accounts, it’s easy to see where he’s coming from. Between 2020 and 2024 City spent £970.3m on new players and recouped £570.5m in sales, a net spend of £399.9m. That put them sixth in England, behind Chelsea (£833.6m from 2019 to 2023), Arsenal (£776.5m, 2020-24), Manchester United (£713.1m, 2020-24), Newcastle United (£492.2m, 2020-24) and Spurs (£468.6m, 2019-23).

There’s a reason Guardiola highlights net spend — that particular measure paints his achievements at City in an even better light — but it does not assess a club’s overall financial outlay. For one, correlation between transfer spending and on-pitch success is sketchy (wages have historically been a better barometer for how a club will perform). For two, the implication of a lower net spend is that a club has needed to rid itself of its stars and find hidden gems on the cheap — that hasn’t been the case at the Etihad. City’s £970.3m on new players was only topped by Chelsea’s largesse and, rather more narrowly, by Arsenal (£991.7m).

Where City have benefited significantly is in reaping the rewards of plans laid over a decade ago. The club’s youth facilities are world-renowned and formed a key plank of the owners’ strategy to build City into one of the best clubs on the planet. Establishing the club’s academy as one of football’s most revered is paying clear financial benefits.

In the last six years, six players — Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Romeo Lavia, James Trafford, Douglas Luiz, Gavin Bazunu and Carlos Forbs — have left City’s setup for eight-figure fees despite not playing a single minute of Premier League football in sky blue. City banked £99m in transfer fees, and that’s without considering any sell-on clauses that may soon or already have accrued from subsequent moves.

Add in the £40m received for Palmer from Chelsea, the £15m Ipswich Town paid for Delap last summer and £10.5m from Southampton for Shea Charles and you’re at over £150m for nine players with a combined Premier League career for City of scarcely more than six full games.

Palmer, paradoxically, is one many people now think City were silly to sell, but it’s not as if Guardiola parted with a key player. One of City’s greatest financial successes has been their ability to generate vast sums for largely untried young players.

City’s production line is the envy of most clubs, with plenty now trying to copy them — but it needs to be acknowledged when citing net spend. While transfer fees aren’t indicative of future success (and cross-city rivals United are the poster boys for that), it still stands to reason that the costlier a squad, the better they should be. To the end of June, City’s squad cost stood at £1.11bn, the second-highest in Europe, only surpassed by Chelsea (£1.42bn). City and Guardiola, regardless of their net spend, possess one of the most expensively assembled squads in world football.

Legal case and what’s next?