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Every team in the Eastern Conference has played at least 41 games, which means we have reached the NBA regular season’s midway point, which means it is high time for a report card. (Our midseason awards can be found here.)

The Detroit Pistons (31-10), led on offense by Cade Cunningham and owners of the East’s best defense, are running away with the No. 1 seed, holding on to a 5.5-game lead in the conference.

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Still, the East is as wide open as it has ever been. The second-place and surprising Boston Celtics (26-16) could return Jayson Tatum for the fourth quarter of this season. The New York Knicks (25-18) have been floundering, but we know what they are capable of when they are firing on all cylinders. Same goes for the sloooowly getting better Cleveland Cavaliers (24-20).

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Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers (23-19) and Orlando Magic (23-19) are lurking, if only they could stay healthy. Then there are the Toronto Raptors (26-19), who are as plucky as anybody.

We have yet to see a team in the East that has made the statement: We are prepared to battle whomever emerges from the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Maybe Detroit is THEM. The Pistons could use one more impact player, but that is for the trade deadline to determine.

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Now, though, it is time to get to the grades …

Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

(Our first-quarter grades can be found here.)

• Midseason MVP: Jalen Johnson (23-10-8 on 51/36/78)

• Offensive rating: 113.4 (22nd) • Defensive rating: 114.8 (16th)

• Best lineup: Johnson • Nickeil Alexander-Walker • Dyson Daniels • Zaccharie Risacher • Kristaps Porziņģis (+19 in 129 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 11-18 • Against losing teams: 9-7

Comments: Since trading Trae Young, the Hawks are 3-4, hardly the start they anticipated upon dealing the four-time All-Star point guard. … On the whole, they have been outscored by 1.4 points per 100 meaningful possessions when Young is not on the court, per Cleaning the Glass. … Atlanta was supposed to be a darkhorse candidate to emerge from the East. Instead, it looks like it could be bound for the play-in again. … Is another big move in development?

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Grade: D

• Midseason MVP: Jaylen Brown (30-7-5 on 49/36/79)

• Offensive rating: 121.4 (2nd) • Defensive rating: 114.0 (14th)

• Best lineup: Brown • Payton Pritchard • Derrick White • Sam Hauser • Neemias Queta (+53 in 134 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 13-12 • Against losing teams: 13-4

Comments: The Celtics own the East’s second-best record and its second-best net rating, all in the absence of an injured Jayson Tatum. … Tatum’s return could be sooner than later. … Jaylen Brown has played his way into the MVP conversation. … Anfernee Simons and Sam Hauser have also played well enough for the Celtics to consider a) not moving either at the deadline or b) packaging one or both of them, along with picks, for a significant upgrade. … They could use another big.

Grade: A

• Midseason MVP: Michael Porter Jr. (26-7-3 on 49/40/85)

• Offensive rating: 112.3 (25th) • Defensive rating: 117.4 (26th)

• Best lineup: Porter • Egor Demin • Tre Mann • Noah Clowney • Nicolas Claxton (+18 in 306 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 5-18 • Against losing teams: 7-11

Comments: The Nets may have won their trade of Cam Johnson, given how well Michael Porter Jr. has played to this point and the fact that they received an additional first-round pick in the deal. … Porter might fetch more first-round assets if he is shopped by the deadline. … The Nets needed one of their five first-round picks to pop, and none of them has, though Egor Demin has played better of late (14-3-3 on 45/45/83 shooting splits in his last 14 appearances).

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Grade: C

• Midseason MVP: Kon Knueppel (19-5-4 on 49/44/89)

• Offensive rating: 116.9 (7th) • Defensive rating: 116.7 (21st)

• Best lineup: Knueppel • LaMelo Ball • Brandon Miller • Miles Bridges • Moussa Diabate (+63 in 112 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 7-16 • Against losing teams: 9-11

Comments: Rookie wing Kon Knueppel, it seems, was a true find at the No. 4 draft slot. … Brandon Miller should be good, too. Together they are a decent foundation. … Is LaMelo Ball a part of that same foundation? He is reportedly open to a trade away from Charlotte, and it might be in the Hornets’ best interest to deal him. … They have not won with him. … Then again, they are +11.5 points per 100 meaningful possessions when Knueppel, Miller and Ball share a court.

Grade: D

• Midseason MVP: Josh Giddey (19-9-9 on 47/39/76)

• Offensive rating: 114.4 (16th) • Defensive rating: 116.8 (23rd)

• Best lineup: Giddey • Matas Buzelis • Kevin Huerter • Isaac Okoro • Nikola Vučević (+5 in 65 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 10-11 • Against losing teams: 11-11

Comments: Shocker of all shockers: The Bulls are hovering around .500 again, bound for another play-in tournament in a watered-down Eastern Conference, no chance at winning. … Lots to like about Matas Buzelis. … You can’t help but appreciate Nikola Vučević’s efforts, too, even as he seems endlessly frustrated by Chicago’s perpetual quest for mediocrity. … What to do with Coby White, a 2026 free agent? … The Bulls are full of questions, empty of answers.

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Grade: D

• Midseason MVP: Donovan Mitchell (29-5-6 on 49/38/84)

• Offensive rating: 116.5 (10th) • Defensive rating: 114.6 (15th)

• Best lineup: Mitchell • Darius Garland • De’Andre Hunter • Evan Mobley • Jarrett Allen (+29 in 51 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 10-15 • Against losing teams: 14-5

Comments: That redundancy of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the backcourt and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt? Still a problem. … Far more of a problem than it was a year ago at this time, when the Cavs were bound for a 64-win campaign. … Then again, when all four are on the court, Cleveland is still +7.2 points per 100 meaningful possessions. … Maybe they need a wing. … Maybe they just need Garland healthy. … They need something.

Grade: C

• Midseason MVP: Cade Cunningham (26-6-10 on 45/33/82)

• Offensive rating: 116.0 (11th) • Defensive rating: 108.5 (2nd)

• Best lineup: Cunningham • Ausar Thompson • Duncan Robinson • Tobias Harris • Jalen Duren (+57 in 276 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 14-4 • Against losing teams: 17-6

Comments: The Pistons own the East’s best record and best net rating. How could we complain? … Cade Cunningham has been everything Detroit could have asked for from its No. 1 pick. … Jalen Duren should be an All-Star. … They need to upgrade the Tobias Harris position if they want to seriously compete with the West. … Lauri Markkanen would be nice, but his cost is prohibitive. … Michael Porter Jr.? Now, he would establish them as clear favorites in the East.

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Grade: A

• Midseason MVP: Pascal Siakam (24-7-4 on 48/38/68)

• Offensive rating: 107.9 (30th) • Defensive rating: 116.0 (19th)

• Best lineup: Siakam • Andrew Nembhard • Ben Sheppard • Bennedict Mathurin • Jay Huff (+9 in 39 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 3-25 • Against losing teams: 7-9

Comments: Look at what the Celtics have done without Tatum, and look at what the Pacers have done without Tyrese Haliburton. … It’s not the worst-case scenario. Indiana has quickly pivoted to becoming a tanking team, once it became clear it had no chance of seriously competing for a playoff spot. … In that sense, they are a success, falling to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, in line for a top-four overall pick. Could be a lot worse, actually.

Grade: C

• Midseason MVP: Norman Powell (24-4-3 on 49/42/85)

• Offensive rating: 113.7 (20th) • Defensive rating: 112.8 (8th)

• Best lineup: Powell • Tyler Herro • Davion Mitchell • Andrew Wiggins • Bam Adebayo (+27 in 94 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 10-18 • Against losing teams: 13-3

Comments: The Heat installed a new, almost pick-and-roll-less offense, which was all the rage as the season began, only to settle in at 20th in the NBA on that end by midseason. … They still play at the fastest pace in the league — by a wide margin. … Norm Powell, the Clippers’ loss, is Miami’s gain. … Bam Adebayo, forever an anchor of a top-10 defense. … The Heat are 4-7 with Tyler Herro in the lineup and cannot find any sense of a rhythm as he battles a series of injuries.

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Grade: C

• Midseason MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo (29-10-6 on 65/40/65)

• Offensive rating: 113.0 (23rd) • Defensive rating: 116.1 (20th)

• Best lineup: Antetokounmpo • Ryan Rollins • Kevin Porter Jr. • AJ Green • Myles Turner (+44 in 173 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 6-18 • Against losing teams: 12-6

Comments: The Bucks are performing like a top-tier team when Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the court, outscoring opponents by 6.9 points per 100 possessions. … They are operating like a bottom-dweller when he is on the bench, getting outscored by 9.5 points per 100 possessions. … Still, Antetokounmpo insists he will not ask out of Milwaukee, leaving that discussion to the team and his agents. … Might the Bucks make one more desperation move to satiate Giannis?

Grade: D

• Midseason MVP: Jalen Brunson (28-3-6 on 48/39/85)

• Offensive rating: 118.9 (4th) • Defensive rating: 115.9 (18th)

• Best lineup: Brunson • Miles McBride • Josh Hart • Mikal Bridges • Karl-Anthony Towns (+45 in 118 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 11-13 • Against losing teams: 14-5

Comments: The Knicks, who entered the season as betting favorites to win the East, are now staring up at Detroit in that regard. … They also trail the Tatum-less Celtics in the standings. … They are 2-9 with the 27th-ranked net rating (-8.4) in their last 11 games. … Newsday’s sources suggested the sharks are circling Karl-Anthony Towns, though another report shot down that idea. … It is hard to imagine the Knicks shaking up their core for anyone but Antetokounmpo.

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Grade: C

• Midseason MVP: Paolo Banchero (21-9-5 on 45/27/76)

• Offensive rating: 114.4 (18th) • Defensive rating: 113.6 (12th)

• Best lineup: Banchero • Jalen Suggs • Desmond Bane • Franz Wagner • Wendell Carter Jr. (+47 in 117 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 12-12 • Against losing teams: 11-7

Comments: Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have played 16 games together; the Magic are 8-8 in those outings. … Hard to tell what Orlando is capable of, since Jalen Suggs has also had trouble staying on the court. … Anthony Black’s progress (16-4-4 on 47/36/73 shooting splits) is a revelation. … Of the 48 players who have taken 15 or more shots per game, Banchero ranks 44th in true shooting percentage (55%). … Can Orlando get back into the top 10 on defense?

Grade: C

• Midseason MVP: Tyrese Maxey (30-4-7 on 47/40/88)

• Offensive rating: 114.4 (15th) • Defensive rating: 113.2 (11th)

• Best lineup: Maxey • VJ Edgecombe • Paul George • Dominick Barlow • Joel Embiid (+22 in 142 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 9-14 • Against losing teams: 14-5

Comments: Tyrese Maxey, what a player. … VJ Edgecombe is going to be a heck of a backcourt partner to Maxey. The 76ers are set there. … Joel Embiid since mid-December: 28-8-4 on 51/30/86 splits, and he can barely even jump. Can he stay healthy through multiple rounds of playoffs? … Paul George is also contributing as somewhat of an outsized role player. … Who wants to face these Sixers in the first round? Just imagine if they acquire another wing.

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Grade: B

• Midseason MVP: Scottie Barnes (20-8-6 on 50/32/82)

• Offensive rating: 114.1 (19th) • Defensive rating: 112.5 (6th)

• Best lineup: Barnes • Immanuel Quickley • RJ Barrett • Brandon Ingram • Jakob Poeltl (+18 in 166 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 11-12 • Against losing teams: 15-7

Comments: The Raptors own the league’s sixth-rated defense, and their rim protector, Jakob Poeltl, has not played since Dec. 21 … You can see why Toronto might be interested in Anthony Davis. … You can see why they might want Ja Morant, too, since the Immanuel Quickley spot could also be upgraded. … But who wants the three years left on his deal after this season? … Collectively, though, we couldn’t ask for much more from this team, especially Brandon Ingram.

Grade: A

• Midseason MVP: Alex Sarr (17-7-3 on 51/35/70)

• Offensive rating: 109.6 (28th) • Defensive rating: 120.7 (29th)

• Best lineup: Sarr • Bub Carrington • Tre Johnson • Kyshawn George • Khris Middleton (-5 in 41 minutes)

• Against .500+ teams: 2-20 • Against losing teams: 8-12

Comments: Is Trae Young ever going to play for this team this season? Maybe they will nurse his quad injury for as long as it takes to pull their tank into a bottom-four spot. … The Wizards are still waiting on a star to emerge from their recent string of first-round draft picks, though Alex Sarr (17-7-3 on 51/35/70 shooting splits and a league-leading 2.2 blocks per game) is a player. … Get Tre Johnson more shots than his 10 per game. … Another high-end lottery pick loading.

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Grade: B

College athletics is, if nothing else, the ultimate copycat industry. Whenever somebody has success doing something unique, dozens of struggling programs will try to beg, borrow and steal whatever they can from that blueprint.

There is no real precedent, however, for how the broader world of college athletics is going to react to Indiana winning a national championship in football. In a sport that has always been tilted toward the pedigreed programs, watching a perennial loser cap a 27-2 two-year stretch with a title is such a one-off that it’s hard to know exactly what the takeaway should be for everyone else.

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Does it mean suddenly anything is possible for the middle and lower class of the sport? Has it ruined the excuses of every program struggling to achieve great things? Are there other Curt Cignettis out there who can build a national champion out of three-star recruits and a few hits in the transfer portal?

Here’s the real answer: Probably not. But that isn’t going to stop a whole lot of similarly situated schools from chasing the idea they can become “the next Indiana.”

Who can blame them after watching Hoosier fans suddenly activated after decades to take over the Rose Bowl, the Peach Bowl and even outnumber Miami fans in their home stadium for the national championship game? What administrator could resist the idea that football success is going to get billionaire alums like Mark Cuban to write big checks to the athletic department for the first time?

“I think we sent a message, first of all, to society that if you keep your nose to the grindstone and work hard and you’ve got the right people, anything’s possible,” Cignetti said. “In our particular situation in the athletic world, college football has changed quite a bit. The balance of power also.”

Though nobody could have envisioned a national title within two years, Indiana’s administration led by athletic director Scott Dolson and president Pamela Whitten were not shy about saying that the school needed to invest more and build a winning football program. The subtext of that move, after decades of relative apathy, was that Indiana might be at risk of getting left behind if there was ever a so-called super league of the top 30 or 40 programs that broke away from everyone else.

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Indiana certainly isn’t the only school that has that fear. Fundamentally, though, athletic departments will have to ask themselves whether Indiana is a comet or a blueprint.

Because the reality of college sports is that no matter how much anybody invests in a particular sport, there are limits to the number of wins available. Half the teams in college football still lose every week regardless of what it costs to put the product on the field. And in most cases, particularly in the NIL era, giving money to one sport is probably going to negatively impact another.

That’s where Indiana’s success has been a little bit scary for men’s basketball coaches. When their administrations start to feel the pressure of “If Indiana did it, we can too,” will they continue to feed their other sports or try to double down on football like Indiana?

“There’s probably some root fundamental questions that never had to have been directly answered that have to now like, ‘What do we want to prioritize?’” one men’s basketball general manager at a power conference school told Yahoo Sports. “Most of the people that run athletic departments have never felt the pressure of turning a profit.

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“[Cignetti] signed an 8-year, $93 million deal. That’s a lot. Their stadium doesn’t have 100,000 seats. If their roster ends up costing them $35 million a year, the question has to be asked, will they make it back?”

Right now, nobody at Indiana cares. They’re drunk on what Cignetti has built, and it’s easy to say the investments have and will continue to pay off when you’re holding a national championship trophy.

But only one team wins the title every year. And it’s not like Indiana is the first school in history to spend a whole lot of money trying to reverse their football fortunes. They just happened to pull it off at an unprecedented level — probably because they caught lightning in a bottle with an overlooked coach in his 60s who was willing to take on the challenge.

“So what is the best use of your funds?” the general manager continued. “At certain places, if you’re at Ohio State, yeah, maybe the best use of your funds is on football. But I can promise you this — it costs a lot of money to run Ohio State football. It’s easy to say, ‘Yeah, go all in on football.’ But even if you reach the absolute ceiling, are schools like Kansas or Arizona or North Carolina or UConn ever going to be football first? And that’s nobody’s fault, it’s just what it is. So is it a sound business decision to go that route or to invest in our strength and make it profitable?

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“It might make sense for schools to maybe invest more on the basketball side of NIL while everyone is running to football.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. Every school has a different stadium size, a different donor base and different budgetary pressures. There are one-off places where a sport outside the traditional profit centers of football and men’s basketball really, really matters like LSU baseball, Nebraska women’s volleyball, Minnesota hockey and Utah gymnastics.

Realistically, though, King Football rules all those campuses in terms of dollars and institutional priorities. If anything, Indiana’s title will probably lead to schools throwing a lot of good money after bad, only to find out that it isn’t so easy to pull off anything close to what they just accomplished.

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One thing’s for sure: Cignetti won’t be inviting a bunch of coaches to Bloomington this spring to share his secrets.

“I’m sure we’ve got some people’s attention,” he said. “I’m not one to entertain visitors too much in the office. I prefer to watch tape and keep growing and learning. I think anything is possible with the right commitment, leadership, blueprint, plan and people.”

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The New York Mets struck big last year when they reeled in Juan Soto from the Bronx to headline an eventful winter. However, after a disappointing 2025 campaign, the Amazin’s have been on a mission to retool this offseason, and thanks to David Stearns, they’ll go into 2026 with plenty of new faces and hope for success.

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On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the retooled lineup that the Mets have assembled, which includes signing Bo Bichette and trading for Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox. In addition to the signings of Devin Williams and Jorge Polanco, the new-look Mets are looking forward to a redemption season in 2026.

Later, Jordan and Jake talk about Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, why the Houston Astros cheating scandal caused Beltrán to have to wait and the improbable climb for Jones to make it into the Hall. Then the guys discuss the Philadelphia Phillies bringing J.T. Realmuto back to the City of Brotherly Love, Elly De La Cruz rejecting a big contract extension from the Cincinnati Reds and take a look at the LIDOM Championship Series.

1:12 – The Opener: New-look Mets

22:09 – Luis Robert Jr. trade

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33:24 – Hall of Fame results

54:26 – Around the League: Phillies re-sign Realmuto

1:03:02 – Three-team trade

1:06:47 – Elly turns down extension

1:09:33 – LIDOM Championship Series

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Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine react to Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury and discuss its impact on Golden State. Is there a Kuminga or Butler trade that could possibly save the Warriors’ season?

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Plus, they break down what’s going on with the New York Knicks as their downhill slide continues after the NBA Cup. Is the criticism of Karl-Anthony Towns fair, or should Mike Brown shoulder the blame?

(1:06) The Big Number: Jimmy Butler out for the season

(28:08) The Little Numbers: Warriors offense without Butler

(32:44) The Little Numbers: Draymond Green’s salary

(36:53) The Little Numbers: Golden State’s playoff odds

(42:56) Is KAT what’s wrong with the Knicks?

🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channel

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Legendary St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is returning to the franchise … as a member of the front office. Molina was announced as the team’s special assistant to the president of baseball operations on Wednesday.

The team announced the move on various social media sites, though it did not go into detail on the nature of Molina’s new role.

Molina, 43, returns to the Cardinals after three seasons away. After a 19-year career in MLB — all of which came with the Cardinals — Molina retired following the 2022 MLB season. He finished his career with a .277/.327/.399 slash line and 176 home runs. He also won a Silver Slugger award.

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While Molina had strong seasons with the bat, he was more known for his leadership and defense with the Cardinals. He was a 10-time All-Star who won nine Gold Glove awards and four Platinum Gloves. He also helped lead the Cardinals to two World Series titles.

Following his playing career, Molina went into managing. He coached in both Puerto Rico and the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League before being named Puerto Rico’s manager ahead of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Puerto Rico reached the knockout stage under Molina before it was eliminated by Mexico.

Later that year, Molina won the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League championship with the Criollos de Caguas. He made his return to the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League last season, and he was named manager of the year after turning around the Navegantes del Magallanes and leading the team to a playoff spot after a miserable start.

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Given Molina’s importance to the franchise and previous experience as a successful manager, it’s possible the new role is setting up Molina’s eventual move to the Cardinals’ bench, especially if the team falters under Oliver Marmol in 2026.

In four seasons as Cardinals manager, Marmol has a 325-323 record. The team hasn’t reached the playoffs the past three years.

When the Los Angeles Dodgers added All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker to their already All-Star-laden roster, questions swirled concerning the fate of resident slugging right fielder Teoscar Hernández.

The Dodgers officially introduced Tucker at a news conference Wednesday, and manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Hernández isn’t going anywhere. He’ll just shift to left field, while Tucker will play right.

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Per Roberts, Hernández is “excited” to play in left field.

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Roberts also said Tucker will likely bat in the top third of the order. But he wasn’t ready to commit to a precise batting spot for the former Silver Slugger, who is a lifetime .273/.358/.507 hitter and has averaged 26.8 home runs the past five seasons.

He expects that Tucker will hit “second or third” behind leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani but added to reporters, “Don’t hold me to that.” In addition to four-time MVP Ohtani, the Dodgers have former MVPs Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts to work with near the top of the lineup.

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Baseball isn’t celebrating Tucker to Dodgers

The Dodgers’ years-long spending spree to acquire a roster of All-Stars and MVPs has been the subject of consternation around baseball, as it has so far produced two consecutive World Series championships in Los Angeles. Per a report from Tuesday, competing owners are “raging” in the aftermath of the Tucker acquisition and contemplating a salary cap.

Tucker was the top-rated free agent on the market this offseason. The Dodgers also added the top closer on the market, Edwin Díaz, to address the biggest weakness on their World Series-winning roster from last season.

Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million contract to join the Dodgers from the Chicago Cubs. He was asked Wednesday what he thinks about the state of baseball through the prism of the Dodgers’ spate of high-priced acquisitions.

“I think baseball’s in a good spot,” Tucker responded.

It’s been 15 months since wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk played in a game for the San Francisco 49ers. A divorce felt inevitable, and general manager John Lynch confirmed it Wednesday.

“I think it’s safe to say he’s played his last snap with the 49ers,” Lynch told reporters in his end-of-season news conference, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

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In December, Aiyuk was placed on the reserve/left squad list. That move officially ended a season that never began for the 2023 second-team All-Pro, who came out of a contract dispute that featured a hold-in with a four-year extension reportedly worth $120 million ahead of a 2024 campaign that ended prematurely.

Aiyuk, 27, hasn’t suited up for the Niners since he tore both the ACL and MCL in his right knee during a Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 20, 2024.

He spent most of this season on the physically unable to perform list. While his return timeline was murky this summer, he was expected to come back at some point and give San Francisco a boost on the outside.

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But as the 49ers navigated other injuries across their roster this season, they reportedly grew increasingly frustrated with Aiyuk. The receiver, whom San Francisco selected No. 25 overall out of Arizona State in the 2020 draft, had failed to participate in meetings and other team activities, according to a Nov. 21 report from The Athletic, which noted that the 49ers responded to Aiyuk’s absences and lack of communication by voiding the guaranteed money in his contract for 2026.

That also paved the way for Aiyuk to be released at the end of the season. He told NFL Players Association reps that he didn’t want to file an official grievance against the move, per The Athletic.

Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan’s commentary about the Aiyuk situation Wednesday confirmed the behavior The Athletic’s report described, per David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. As for why Aiyuk’s relationship with the franchise waned?

“I wish I knew. I can’t help you,” Lynch said, according to Lombardi, who also reported that Shanahan added, “It’s confusing for all of us. … We still don’t understand it very well.”

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Even after The Athletic’s November report came out, Shanahan said he still hoped for an eventual reunion with Aiyuk. The 6-foot, 200-pound wideout had stitched together back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2022 and 2023, after all.

His 2023 stat line — 75 receptions, 1,342 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns — helped him receive his lucrative extension.

But things went downhill from there. Last season, he got hurt. The 49ers never activated Aiyuk this season. And now he’s headed toward free agency.

The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5. Let’s dive into the chatter and try to make sense of it all.

Morten Stig Jensen: All right, Kelly. The NBA trade deadline is just two weeks away, and we’ve already seen Trae Young change addresses, with Ja Morant and Anthony Davis rumored to follow suit.

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But instead of regurgitating those same two names, I’m wondering if we should identify teams that are just generally in need of doing … well, something!

Detroit is No. 1 in the East, and that’s obviously good, but I can’t escape the feeling they aren’t that heavy in the talent department.

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Tobias Harris’ expiring contract, worth over $26.6 million, could be a big trade chip, and now is the time to do something as Jalen Duren is going to earn a new paycheck this coming summer.

Lauri Markkanen is a name often bandied about in connection with the Pistons, but should they even try to enter into negotiations with Danny Ainge?

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Kelly Iko: The Pistons are having a historic season, are loaded with young talent and have the league’s second-ranked defense. It would be an absolute buzzkill for them to stand pat before the trade deadline.

From an offensive standpoint, Detroit is kind of meh. They’re 26th in offensive rating since Jan. 1, 23rd in halfcourt points per possession, 26th in 3-point attempt rate and 22nd in 3-point makes.

In a perfect world, Cade Cunningham would be this prolific driver, drawing downhill gravity and spraying out to shooters on the perimeter who could either knock down catch-and-shoot looks or create their own if the defense adjusts. According to Second Spectrum, Cunningham is fifth in drives per game (16.8), but the difference between him and, say, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is stark. Cunningham shoots 10% worse on drives and 10% worse at the free-throw line than SGA.

The playoffs are essentially a math problem and when the book is out on Detroit — swarm Cunningham at the point of attack and dare their role players to make shots — the issues could come quickly. Houston’s 2024-25 season comes to mind: exciting young core with a kick-ass defense that struggles in the halfcourt. That was a first-round exit.

So yes, I think Markkanen makes sense in a lot of ways as a jumbo creator with uber-spacing ability. Ditto for Michael Porter Jr. and Trey Murphy. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor recently put together a nice list of names the Pistons should be chasing, but the overarching theme is as awesome as Detroit has been for a refreshing storyline, this is anything but a perfect team.

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Back to you, Mort. Who’s second on your list and why? Perhaps a team out West …

Mort: Sir, if you’re insinuating that I should bring up the Spurs here, I shan’t disappoint. This team is just so far ahead of where most had them pegged at this stage, and that leads to a similar conclusion as you had with Detroit. It’d be a buzzkill if they didn’t do, well, something.

So let me throw something your way that’s proper insanity.

The Spurs need a more-than-solid wing big if they are to constantly go up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. We can sit here all day and talk about short-term solutions and who might come cheaper on the trade front, but let’s kill that noise and go all in.

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Deni Avdija.

The Blazers have zero — and I mean ZERO — interest in moving off their 26/7/7 wing, who should make his first All-Star team this season.

As such, the Spurs need to make what we rarely see anymore: the Godfather offer.

Kelly Olynyk for salary-matching and damn near every tradable pick under the sun, in particular the juicy ones, such as Atlanta’s 2027, a future Kings swap option and some of their own in the 2030s.

They’re clearly moving off Jeremy Sochan, and while Harrison Barnes is one of the best role players in the league, he’s getting up there in age. There’s going to be a need for a wing big who can play power forward, and they need someone who can shoot, handle the ball and initiate plays in such a role.

Why not make a play for a guy who fits the timeline, is dirt cheap ($13.1 million in 2026-2027 and $11.8 million in 2027-28) and could realistically catapult you into championship contention this very season?

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At the very least, the Blazers can receive the offer. If they wish to stick with Avdija, which I think we both could understand, then so be it. But it’d show some aggressiveness on behalf of the Spurs in trying to fulfill their mission as soon as possible and while Victor Wembanyama is still young and (relatively) healthy.

(I don’t want to put the injury hex on him, but let’s be real. Human beings who are 7-feet-5 and play professional sports historically play fewer years than, say, smaller lead guards.)

Iko: Love the idea of Avdija in San Antonio. So much of what the Spurs do — from a non-Wemby and offensive balance vantage point — revolves around the proficiency of their guard play. Bringing in a taller initiator with legit three-level scoring ability would give them an added wrinkle while still keeping their spacing in Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie.

Here’s my devil’s advocate question for you, though. We just named two teams that could benefit from pulling the trade trigger. But what about the teams that would be letting these assets go? Is there a world where the Blazers ponder what Avdija looks like next to a healthy Damian Lillard? Is there a world where the Jazz start to actually build around Markkanen and Keyonte George? Or are those teams destined for NBA purgatory and should flip their hot commodities while they still can?

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Mort: I usually want teams in NBA purgatory to not go all in, as that often insinuates they don’t have their leading man.

(Neither the Blazers nor Jazz are in purgatory due to their situations, but it’s fair to wonder if their ultimate ceiling is capped as none of Avdija, Markkanen or George projects as a Tier 1 superstar.)

However.

Allow me to just bring up the Bulls for a second. We don’t assume competence on their part, and probably rightly so, but have you seen the situation they’re in?

If new leadership were to take over, it’d be licking its chops: an enormous bundle of expiring contracts, upward of $80-plus million, control of all of their picks and even some youngsters with trade value.

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Is this a team that should take a step back and build even more draft equity? Probably, but that’s never been its favorite song. Instead, this leadership has a history of buying and leaning into some questionable upgrades, such as Nikola Vučević at the trade deadline in 2021, when they then followed up in free agency by acquiring both Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan.

Is this on-the-fence team one we should keep an eye on?

Generally speaking, I’m curious how teams with numerous trade assets will decide to act before Feb. 5. Do they see this as a means of buying low on, say, Zion Williamson or Ja Morant?

Williamson is reportedly off the table in trade negotiations, but excuse my French when I say, “Baloney!”

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Personally, I don’t think it’s a smart strategy, but reasonable people can disagree, and we must at least acknowledge there is star quality attached to both names.

Iko: Ironically, we talked about Chicago prior to the season. These sneaky Bulls always mosey their way into the conversation.

I’m generally wary of anything going on in the Windy City (DJ Moore routes included), but if I’m in the Bulls’ front office and I’m pondering whether to make a move for Morant or Williamson, why not just go for both?

It sounds ludicrous until you actually give it some thought. Health and availability is obviously the biggest factor in moving for either of these players, but they’re still young enough (Zion, 25; Morant, 26) where you could sell a core along with Matas Buzelis, who’s been a bright spot and showcased some underrated defensive versatility. Again, this only works if you can guarantee that both play in at least 65 games (big if), but I’m tired of the Bulls being boring. Shoot for the oft-injured stars.

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On a more serious note, I appreciate how each team approaches this time of the year. The rumor mill can get a bit mundane, but at least if you sift through enough, you’ll get an understanding of individual organizational goals and objectives. It should be a fun two weeks.

Bayern Munich joined Arsenal in the Champions League Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Belgian side Union St.-Gilloise.

Harry Kane — who else? — netted a brace in a three-minute span early in the second half and the German side, despite going down to 10 men following Kim Min-Jae’s 63rd-minute dismissal after a second yellow card, cruised to a win and is now 6-0-1 and in second place in the table.

Three points behind Bayern Munich sits Liverpool, which handled Marseille 2-0 at Stade Vélodrome. Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time with an under-the-wall free kick before Jeremie Frimpong forced a 72nd-minute own-goal to wrap up the points.

It was a good Wednesday for the Premier League sides as Newcastle and Chelsea joined Liverpool as Matchday 7 winners.

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The Magpies dispatched PSV 3-0 with goals from Yoane Wissa, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes. They will now advance to at least the knockout playoff round, but could secure an automatic Round of 16 place if next week’s results go their way.

Chelsea, meanwhile, needed a Moises Caicedo header in the 78th minute to finally breakthrough against Pafos for a 1-0 victory.

It was a tricky first half for Barcelona during their 4-2 win over Slavia Prague. Fermin López is up to five Champions League goals this season after a brace, but a Robert Lewandowski 44th-minute own-goal saw the game even after 45 minutes.

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As Barça were just getting over Pedri exiting the match with a hamstring issue, his replacement, Dani Olmo, scored in the 63rd minute to put them up for good.

Lewandowski would put one in the opponent’s net seven minutes later to extend Barcelona’s lead to 4-2. He now has 106 career Champions League goals and trails only Cristiano Ronaldo (140) and Lionel Messi (129) all time.

Elsewhere, Nico Serrano and Robert Navarro scored four minutes in the second half apart to help Athletic Club top Atalanta 3-2; USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie scored for the third straight UCL match as Juventus blanked Benfica 2-0; Camilo Durán and Bahlul Mustafazada scored in the 80th and 94th minutes as Qarabağ beat Entracht Frankfurt 3-2; Galatasaray and Atlético Madrid had to settle for a 1-1 draw after Marcos Llorente’s 20th minute own goal erased Atleti’s early lead.

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Here’s how all the action on Matchday 7 went down live:

Live coverage is over49 updates

• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:59 PM PST

• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:59 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:58 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:57 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:56 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:55 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:55 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:53 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  But it’s not enough as the final whistle blows and Athletic Club gets the 3-2 win on the road.

• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:49 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:45 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• 

  Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:41 PM PST

  Sean Leahy
• 

  Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:41 PM PST

  Sean Leahy
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:38 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:36 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  And it all started with this clinical finish from Gorka Guruzeta:
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:34 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:32 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  The USMNT midfielder scores in this third straight Champions League match after the dime from Canada’s Jonathan David. The CONCACAF connection is alive and well in Italy.
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:30 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  The Spanish midfielder scored a beauty just minutes coming off the bench. What a goal!

• 

  Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:29 PM PST

  Sean Leahy

  3-0 to the Magpies, who could find themselves in the top eight by the end of Matchday 7.
• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:27 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

  Pedri, one of Barcelona’s key players, was just subbed out of the game with an injury. A potentially catastrophic loss for Hansi’s Flick’s side.

• Wed, January 21, 2026 at 1:24 PM PST

  Yahoo Sports Staff

Champions League Matchday 7 results

FT: Qarabağ 3-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
FT: Galatasaray 1-1 Atlético Madrid
FT: Atalanta 2-3 Athletic Club
FT: Bayern Munich 2-0 Union St.-Gilloise
FT: Chelsea 1-0 Pafos
FT: Juventus 2-0 Benfica
FT: Marseille 0-3 Liverpool
FT: Newcastle 3-0 PSV
FT: Slavia Prague 2-4 Barcelona

Joe Thomas has entered the chat.

A day after Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield took a swipe at his former Cleveland Browns head coach and new NFC South rival Kevin Stefanski, Thomas weighed in on the simmering beef. He’s team Stefanski.

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Thomas, an eight-time All-Pro and 10-time Pro Bowl former left tackle for the Browns, posted this on social media Wednesday:

“I could be wrong,” Thomas wrote. “But I’ve heard that communication is a 2-way street and there are no laws against you [Baker] sending Stefanski a text or calling him after you got traded.”

In case you missed it, Thomas’ tweet is in response to one from Mayfield on Tuesday taking a shot at Stefanski out of left field.

Why is Baker mad?

Stefanski was recently hired as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons following six seasons as Cleveland’s head coach.

On Tuesday, Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer D. Orlando Ledbetter wrote a story on Stefanski and tweeted that “Stefanski had a dumpster fire at quarterback in Cleveland” and that Mayfield “failed” as the Browns’ starting quarterback.

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Mayfield took umbrage at this. And he used the opportunity to bring up old beef with Stefanski, whom he’ll now face twice a season:

“Failed is quite the reach pal,” Mayfield wrote in response to Ledbetter. “Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach.”

“Pal,” in this instance is Ledbetter. “Coach” is Stefanski. And Mayfield is clearly still steaming over his Browns tenure.

To be clear, Stefanski didn’t say or do anything to provoke Mayfield. Not recently or publicly, at least. But Ledbetter’s comments opened old wounds for Mayfield, who’s not pleased with how his time in Cleveland ended in 2022, four seasons after the Browns selected him with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

And now the stage is set for some more bad blood in an NFC South that’s never lacking for spice.

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At its core, this is lingering Browns beef. And Thomas is as Browns as it gets.

Thomas, a 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, played his entire 11-season NFL career with the Browns and retired after the 2017 season. He didn’t play with Mayfield (drafted in 2018) or play under Stefanski, who coached his first year with the Browns in 2020.

But before Myles Garrett, Thomas was unquestionably the best player in modern Browns history since the franchise returned to the league in 1999. His voice carries weight in Cleveland.

As for moving forward, this will surely be revisited the first time the Bucs and Falcons play next season — if not sooner.