Four New York Knicks are questionable as they seek to avoid a questionable end to the 2024-25 regular season.
The injury report for the Knicks' 2024-25 regular season finale against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, MSG) lists OG Anunoby (thumb), Jalen Brunson (ankle), Josh Hart (knee), and Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) as questionable.
Sunday's game carries no meaning for the Knicks (50-31) beyond getting postseason momentum back after a three-game losing streak, which continued with a 108-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. Towns did not play in that game while Anunoby, Hart, and Mitchell Robinson were all held out of the prior game against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
"I want to win Sunday. It's plain and simple, regardless," Brunson said in video from SNY when addressing his status in the aftermath of Friday's defeat. "Everything that you guys see and we see, we've got to fix that."
The Nets (26-55) are long-eliminated from postseason contention and are locked into the sixth-best odds to land the top pick at this June's NBA Draft. Noah Clowney (ankle), Cam Johnson (back), De'Anthony Melton (knee), D'Angelo Russell (ankle), Day'Ron Sharpe (knee) and Cam Thomas (hamstring) have all been listed as out while Reece Beekman (calf) and Ziaire Williams (patella) are questionable.
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The Phoenix Suns pursuit for Golden State Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga is reaching its final stages. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Phoenix and Sacramento Kings have made “concrete” offers to the 22-year-old. Kuminga hasn’t received much interest in restricted free agency but could still make the jump from the Warriors to a different team next season. Charania on Suns interest with Kuminga: “I’m told the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings are two teams that have made concrete offers to the Warriors over the last week or so. They’re two of the most aggressive teams.” Reports have indicated that the Warriors want a first-round pick, a solid role player and no bad contracts. The Suns are lacking in first-round picks but have plenty of role players to offer in a sign-and-trade. Shooting guards Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale would have to be a part of any trade with Kuminga because of the former lottery pick’s high asking price. Allen makes nearly $17 million, while O’Neale cost around $10 million. The duo are some of the most effective shooters in the NBA and would be a perfect player to play off ball of superstar Stephen Curry. Phoenix has a surplus at shooting guard and wouldn’t lose much positional depth with the departure of the two backcourt players. In 2024-2025, Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 45.4% shooting from the field. The turmoil between the young wing and head coach Steven Kerr boiled over after limited playing time in the playoffs. The DNPs that Kuminga racked up in the playoffs likely has hurt the value of him in free agency and in the trade market, which could help Phoenix in its pursuit.
A recent trade pitch from Heavy.com has the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring veteran defenseman Mike Matheson from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Simon Benoit, restricted free agent Nick Robertson, and a 2028 third-round pick. While the idea might seem intriguing on paper—especially for a Toronto team looking to add offensive punch from the blue line—the numbers don’t add up terribly well. Matheson, entering the final year of his eight-year, $39 million contract, carries a $4.875 million cap hit. In this hypothetical deal, the Leafs would send out Benoit’s $1.35 million salary and the unsigned Robertson, meaning the club would be taking on over $3.5 million in additional cap obligations. As it stands, the Maple Leafs don’t have that kind of space to play with. In fact, the deal would put them roughly $675,000 over the salary cap, forcing GM Brad Treliving to make additional moves just to stay compliant. That’s a steep price for a player they don’t necessarily need. Toronto’s blue line is already deep, especially with recent additions like Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The team also has Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe, with Brandon Carlo acquired at last season’s trade deadline. Treliving has made it clear he likes the “length” and physicality of his defense corps. While Matheson would add some offensive flair—he posted 31 points in 80 games last season—he doesn’t offer enough of a game-changing upgrade to justify the cap crunch when the real need is more scoring up front. If the idea is to gain that scoring from the back end, it can only mean Toronto has run out of realistic options for their top-six forward group. Canadiens Likely Don’t Love This Trade Either The Canadiens, for their part, could benefit from shedding salary on a player they no longer really need and acquiring two young, controllable pieces. However, as one commenter on the post noted, GM Kent Hughes likes Matheson and has already said there is no rush to trade the defenseman. The Canadiens need a second-line center, and the return from Toronto doesn’t help fill that need. From Toronto’s perspective, this move feels like a forced fit. For Montreal, it removes a tradeable asset and doesn’t bring them back what they’re ideally looking for.
Pittsburgh Steelers training camp is in full swing, and it’s already been full of excitement. With many new faces on the roster, fans are eager to see how these additions will fit in. After a busy and eventful offseason, training camp serves as the perfect opportunity for all the anticipation surrounding the team to start coming together on the field. One of the most talked-about positions for the Steelers this offseason has been quarterback. The team completely overhauled the position, leading to plenty of uncertainty and speculation early on. While the Steelers were strongly linked to Aaron Rodgers for some time, no official deal had been made by the start of the 2025 NFL Draft. Amid the uncertainty, the team made a bold decision by selecting Will Howard out of Ohio State, bringing in a new face and creating even more talk about the future of the position. Because the Steelers picked Howard late in the draft, there were questions about what his role on the team would be. Even before Rodgers signed, it was clear Howard wouldn’t be the starter. However, during a recent 7 shots drill, Howard unexpectedly took reps with the third team, raising more questions about where he might fit in. Rodgers is clearly locked in as the starting quarterback, with the hope that he can stay healthy throughout the entire season. Earlier in the offseason, he mentioned that this would likely be his final year, though he expressed excitement about the opportunity to play for a franchise like the Steelers. That said, Rodgers has always been unpredictable, and there’s still a chance his career may continue beyond this season. Regardless of what the future holds, his experience and football knowledge are incredibly valuable to the other quarterbacks on the roster, and they’ve made it clear how much they appreciate having him around. Mason Rudolph is expected to be the primary backup behind Rodgers this season. Rudolph was originally drafted by the Steelers and has spent most of his career in Pittsburgh as a dependable backup. However, he’s also shown he can step up when needed, filling in during important games and leading the team when called upon. Rudolph spent last season with the Tennessee Titans, gaining additional experience outside of Pittsburgh. After that brief stint, he re-signed with the Steelers early in the offseason, bringing familiarity, veteran presence and stability to the quarterback room behind Rodgers. Rudolph recently shared that Rodgers has been both incredibly helpful and genuinely friendly since joining the team. Many expected Skylar Thompson, another veteran backup the Steelers signed this offseason, to be next in line on the depth chart. However, with Howard now taking third-team reps, he could move up the depth chart as the season progresses. Rookies bring an element of unpredictability since they’re adjusting to a completely new environment and haven’t yet played in professional games. It’s hard to know how they’ll perform until they get real field experience. If Howard continues to perform well, there’s no reason he shouldn’t climb higher on the depth chart. It’s unlikely that Howard will get much playing time this year, but that doesn’t mean this season isn’t important for him. Learning from a player like Rodgers is incredibly valuable, and Howard has shared how grateful he is to have Rodgers as a mentor. Even if he doesn’t take the field this season, the experience and knowledge he gains behind the scenes could greatly influence his opportunities for playing time down the road. Steelers' future at QB likely isn't on the roster The Steelers were connected to several quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, and the situation drew plenty of attention due to the uncertainty surrounding Rodgers at the time. Although the team eventually signed Rodgers and selected Howard in the later rounds, it seems the search for a long-term franchise quarterback may still be ongoing. Rodgers is only on a one-year deal, and reports have already surfaced that the Steelers are eyeing next year’s quarterback draft class. Opinions on Howard vary, as some view him as a potential career backup, while others are optimistic about his upside and believe he could develop into a solid starting option in the future. Will Howard prove himself and continue to move up the depth chart?
Having been in an on and off relationship for over two years, Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas are quite familiar with each other and their families. It comes as no surprise when the Spanish WTA star appeared to be in agreement with a statement by former player Ivan Ljubicic, where the Croat urged parents of tennis stars to focus less on tennis and more on raising their kids. The high-profile couple made their relationship public in May 2023, and were seen at each other's matches. A year later, they would take to social media to announce they had split ways, only to get back together three weeks later. Known for his volatility on the court, Tsitsipas would engage in a rather heated exchange with his father Apostolos during an opening round loss against Kei Nishikori at the 2024 Canadian Open. The elder Tsitsipas was acting as Stefanos coach at that point, and the Greek star would later take shots at his father in his post-match conference. However, Tsitsipas would later reveal he had apologized to his father soon after the incident. In an interview with SDNA, Tsitsipas stated both men had a long conversation, during which they aired their grievances and the former World No.3 admitted to apologizing to his dad. Badosa co-signs statement by Ljubicic "We discussed it, from my side I had to apologize because it was a big mistake on my part," said Tsitsipas to SDNA. "We have found a new line of communication and a way to talk to each other, so that such things don't happen again and such tensions don't arise again." Ivan Ljubicic, former player who would later coach Roger Federer during the tail end of his career, would chime in on the role of tennis parents, a day after Jannik Sinner dethroned Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. "Following last night, second note to parents: your role is CRUCIAL," said Ljubicic. "Your responsibility is to build independent, responsible, strong human beings. Let the professionals do their job, make sure they have all they need. I promise that this is the best formula." Soon after Tsitsipas' interview with SDNA was published, Badosa would return to Ljubicic's post and express her support. "Soooo good ", wrote the Spanish WTA star on Twitter. Although Badosa did not mention Apostolos specifically, the elder Tsitsipas has received backlash for being overbearing towards Stefanos.
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