Latest news with #center
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Isaac Paredes' diving stop
With Donato Off The Market, Flyers Face Uphill Climb In Hunt For Center The Philadelphia Flyers are still in the early stages of a full roster rebuild, and GM Daniel Briere has been frank in discussing the road he's been travelling as he tries to put together young talent to be the core of his lineup. And on Tuesday, Briere held a pre-entry draft press conference in which he made it clear one area the Flyers are focusing on – the center position – wouldn't be easy to address. 2:25 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Connor Zilisch holds off Jesse Love to win at Pocono
With Donato Off The Market, Flyers Face Uphill Climb In Hunt For Center The Philadelphia Flyers are still in the early stages of a full roster rebuild, and GM Daniel Briere has been frank in discussing the road he's been travelling as he tries to put together young talent to be the core of his lineup. And on Tuesday, Briere held a pre-entry draft press conference in which he made it clear one area the Flyers are focusing on – the center position – wouldn't be easy to address. 2:25 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers' Targets For Starting And Backup Center Roles Revealed
Lakers' Targets For Starting And Backup Center Roles Revealed originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Los Angeles Lakers' first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves made it clear that the franchise desperately needed an upgrade at the center position. The Lakers are expected to address that problem this offseason, and team insider Anthony Irwin revealed the players they are targeting. Advertisement 'Sources close to the team reiterated that the internal plan is to trade for their starting center – sources say they've held conversations with other teams about Nic Claxton, Robert Williams, Walker Kessler and others – then, ideally, use the taxpayer midlevel on his backup – Brook Lopez and Clint Capela are the two names most often linked to the Lakers. It's a solid plan that they're considered likely to be able to execute.' It appears that the Brooklyn Nets' Nic Claxton, the Portland Trail Blazers' Robert Williams, and the Utah Jazz's Walker Kessler are three players the Lakers are looking at to be their starter next season. Claxton averaged 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game for the Nets in 2024-25. The 26-year-old isn't a force on offense, but he would greatly help the Lakers defensively. We came up with a three-team mock trade that would see them land not just Claxton, but also Jonathan Kuminga. While Claxton would be a great acquisition, the same cannot really be said about Williams, and that has nothing to do with his play on the court. The 27-year-old averaged 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game for the Trail Blazers in an injury-hit 2024-25 campaign. Advertisement Williams only played in 20 games for the Trail Blazers this season, and this was after featuring just six times in his first season with the franchise. The injury risk is just too great here. A healthy Williams would be a great addition from a defensive standpoint, but you wouldn't fancy his chances of remaining injury-free for an entire campaign. Kessler was the last of three players Irwin mentioned and would be the best addition among them. He averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game for the Jazz in 2024-25. Like Claxton and Williams, Kessler doesn't have much of an offensive game but is a terrific defender. The Lakers' potential package for him would center around Dalton Knecht and their 2031 first-round pick, and time will tell if the Jazz find that acceptable. The Lakers are also interested in bringing in a quality backup, and that would especially be a good idea if they go after Williams. Irwin pointed to Clint Capela and Brook Lopez as two players they're interested in for that role. Advertisement Capela averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Atlanta Hawks in 2024-25. We named Capela as one of the players the Lakers should target with their mid-level exception, and he'd be a solid addition. Lopez, meanwhile, averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024-25. The Lakers have been linked with the big man, who actually played for them in 2017-18, for quite some time now, but have been unable to acquire him. Will that finally change this offseason? We'll have to wait and watch. Related: Lakers Urged To Acquire Jaren Jackson Jr. After Grizzlies Start Quick Rebuild This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sources: Lakers' likeliest strategy to fixing center problem
The post Sources: Lakers' likeliest strategy to fixing center problem appeared first on ClutchPoints. Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers know they need at least one center. Such is agreed upon unanimously across the organization. That said, the path to filling that gaping hole in the roster is up for quite a bit more debate internally. According to sources close to the team, it's widely accepted they'll need to trade for their likely starting center. Where the front office is more split on is what to do with their taxpayer mid-level exception – their only means of paying a free agent more than the veteran's minimum. Advertisement For just a brief moment after the Luka Doncic trade, the Lakers looked like they might have just enough at center to get by. Jaxson Hayes was playing some of the best basketball of his career, LeBron James turned himself into a Draymond Green-type presence at center when they went small, and they appeared to have options if they so chose, with Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison III waiting to be converted. Then, reality struck. It turns out, Hayes is not an NBA-caliber starting center. JJ Redick didn't feel comfortable playing him any minutes in their final game of the season. James did play some center and fared ok. Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt also spent time at that position with mixed results, too. Rob Pelinka opted not to convert Koloko or Jemison after signing Alex Len, who played a total of four minutes in that first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. When asked why he stuck with Len rather than converting either two-way player – and to be clear, both Koloko and Jemison helped the Lakers a lot more than Len last year – Pelinka bristled, which some might take for acknowledgment that it was a poor decision. In the end, the Lakers entered their first postseason of the Doncic era essentially center-less against one of the biggest frontcourts in the league and were dominated physically. They know they absolutely cannot do that again, especially as they try to convince Doncic to ink a long-term extension this summer. Advertisement Veteran minimum contracts range anywhere from $1.2-$3.6 million, depending on experience. It's simply unrealistic to even hope to land a starter at that rate. The Lakers watched that movie last year after trading away Anthony Davis and weren't fans. The taxpayer mid-level exception will sit at $5.7 million next season. This is also well below a starting center's expected salary. Sure, maybe the Lakers could find a spot starter at that rate, but going into the offseason, banking on it would be a mistake. This leaves the trade market as the only viable means to bring in the starter they need and, again, team sources indicate they're prepared to head down that path. Where the Lakers remain split internally is whether or not to double down on the center position using the only tool by which they can pay a free agent more than the minimum. League sources anticipate yet another tough market for free agents this summer, but it's not so dry that Steven Adams will be available to the Lakers, let alone Myles Turner or Naz Reid. Clint Capela is considered within reach at $5.7 million and, as such, is expected to sit pretty high on the Lakers' target board. Advertisement The Lakers could also target Kevon Looney using their taxpayer mid-level exception, but if he was going to accept that contract, he'd likely get it from the Golden State Warriors, sources say. Al Horford had a really good season given his age, and the Boston Celtics are going to be looking to shed salary, so he could also be an option if the Lakers want to double the number of 40+ year-olds on the roster. If it's Capela, Horford, Looney, or Adams, then league sources do believe the Lakers would utilize their taxpayer mid-level exception on a center even after trading for their starter. There are plenty within the organization pushing for this outcome, sources say. That said, there are others who point to Doncic, James, Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, and Jarred Vanderbilt as too much frontcourt spending. So, one thing to look for, potentially – especially if the Lakers use their taxpayer mid-level exception on a big – is a trade where the Lakers send out a mid-tier expiring salary to bring in a more productive perimeter player. This would obviously come after the trade for their starting center, so as to know which salaries they'll need for that deal, but balancing the roster should be a priority this summer. First things first, though, Pelinka will need to find a center who helps convince Doncic to stick around long-term. By all accounts, Doncic is seen as a loyal guy who was ready to spend his entire career in Dallas before they traded him, so most people around the league anticipate that he will stay in LA for a while, but this isn't the kind of situation the Lakers can leave to chance. Related: NBA rumors: Lakers insider reveals why trade for Jazz star is unlikely Related: Giannis Antetokounmpo sounds off on LeBron James' 'no bag' mic drop
Fox News
06-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Musk's question about creating new political party piques Stephen A Smith's interest amid CEO's Trump feud
President Donald Trump and billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's feud exploded on social media, and one potential 2028 presidential contender added his two cents into the mix. ESPN star Stephen A. Smith fired off a post on X in the midst of the president and Musk's extremely public break-up in front of millions of social media users. Musk asked his X user base whether it was time to "create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle." The "First Take" pundit fired off another take, expressing interest in what Musk asked. "Mr. @elonmusk I'm all for moving America to the CENTER. I'm definitely down for that cause! Sign me up!!!" he wrote. Smith has expressed his dissatisfaction with both sides of the political aisle, criticizing how Democrats handled governing the country over the last four years, particularly with open borders, high spending, identity politics and cancel culture. He's also had his criticisms of Trump, pointing to the administration's dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. He's also maintained that he may have "no choice" but to consider a presidential run. As Smith has toyed with a presidential run, Trump and Musk have gone toe-to-toe after months of cozying up with one another. The main issue appeared to be opposite ideas about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was drafted and for which Trump has expressed support. Musk then made a jab over Trump's former relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The White House said earlier on Thursday that a source familiar with the Epstein matter said it is widely known that Trump kicked Epstein out of his Palm Beach Golf Club. The source also pointed out that the administration released the Epstein files, which included Trump's name, and nothing was new about Musk's revelation. Shortly after Musk posted about Trump being in the Epstein file, Trump posted his response to Truth Social. "I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress," Trump said, turning his attention to the "big, beautiful bill" that is before the Senate. "It's a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given. If this Bill doesn't pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that." "I didn't create this mess, I'm just here to FIX IT. This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" the president added. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
