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For a team who's reputation stems so closely to the youth the've accumulated through the draft and their willingness to give those prospects NBA experience the hard way, the Washington Wizards have no shortage of veterans.
They closed last season by giving the team's future as long of a leash as you'll see, granting starting spots to their four rookies and other young pieces down the regular season's close while older Wizards like Malcolm Brogdon, Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart watched from the sidelines.
Those experienced pros have made for critical presences in Washington's locker room, with those three particularly combining for a decorated trophy case. Brogdon's taken home Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year, Middleton's won it all as a top scoring option along with several All-Star Game appearances to his name, and Smart's a former Defensive Player of the Year winner with the most playoff experience of any Wizard at 108 games.
As welcome as their pedigrees have been on such an otherwise-inexperienced team, few of those vets are expected to be around for the long haul. Brogdon is set to enter unrestricted free agency this offseason, while Middleton has a $34 million player option he may or not pick up.
Only Smart is locked in for 2025-26, set to enter the final year of the four-year, $76 million deal he inked when he was still a Celtic.
He's owed just over $21 million, a relatively modest figure for the team to advertise should they try to move Smart for more future assets as a juicy, mid-level expiring contract.
As entertaining as that option is, should Smart provide immediate value and entertain offers before the deadline market, the team has a real incentive to hold onto him through his deal.
He's already made a real positive impact on the team on and off the court, with several of Washington's prospects crediting Smart as one of the most impactful veteran voices who've gone on to fill the Wizards locker room.
Former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart coaching up Jordan Poole.
— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) February 9, 2025
( via @jacobstark_ ) pic.twitter.com/DKRUKfeyu2
His defensive impact was felt in games, especially alongside his younger teammates who were less experienced pressing their assignments the length of the court. He was as confident as ever taking over ball handling responsibilities, and made shots at a much more efficient rate than he's done in the past. Smart posted several career-highs in Washington, specifically in field goal percentage (44%) and 3-point hit rate (39.2%).
Marcus Smart: "I just wanted to continue to show everybody I still do this sh*t."
— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) February 25, 2025
Hell yeah. pic.twitter.com/Tnehxalydc
Those aren't as likely to be replicated this upcoming season in a larger sample size, but his mentorship as a leader, defender and big game player can't be tossed aside. He'd be a worthy presence alongside whatever iteration of the Wizards awaits us in 2025-26.
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Sacramento Kings Announce Signing Of Elite 3-Point Shooter
Doug McDermott spent the 2024-25 season with the Sacramento Kings. He had averages of 3.5 points per contest while shooting 42.7% from the field and 43.6% from the three-point range in 42 games. On Tuesday, the Kings officially announced that they had re-signed McDermott. Via Kings.com: "The Sacramento Kings announced today that the team has re-signed forward Doug McDermott. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed." McDermott has been a solid role player over his 11-year NBA career. He was initially the 11th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Creighton. Via ESPN's Shams Charania (on July 21): "Free agent Doug McDermott has agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million deal to return to the Sacramento Kings, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. McDermott will enter his 12th NBA season after shooting 44% from 3 in 42 Kings games in 2024-25." McDermott has also spent time with the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and OKC Thunder. The 33-year-old has career averages of 8.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per contest while shooting 47.0% from the field and 41.1% from the three-point range in 697 games. Via The Indiana Pacers (on May 27, 2024): "Doug McDermott blocks the shot cashes in with a three " As for the Kings, they finished last season as the ninth seed with a 40-42 record. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in tournament, so they missed the NBA playoffs.
NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025
While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have garnered a lot of attention lately, there is one NFC team that has quietly been flying under the radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a one-score game to the Lions in the divisional round in 2023 and followed that up with another one-score loss to QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders last season, proving how close they have been to the ultimate prize in the two seasons with Baker Mayfield under center. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, analyst and former player Ryan Clark offered high praise for Mayfield and what the Buccaneers are capable of. "Baker Mayfield is a top-10 quarterback in this league," Clark said. "Baker Mayfield is a football player. And when I say that, I know people at home are gonna be like, 'Duh, he gets paid to play football.' No, not all quarterbacks are seen as football players. Not all quarterbacks are embraced in the locker room as one of us." Clark sees the Buccaneers as a team the rest of the league should be paying attention to because of who they have returning and the close calls in the playoffs the last two seasons. "This is a team that's been on the cusp the last two years," Clark said. "Now you think about some of the pieces they've added, the confidence in their quarterback and the way that he plays, and Todd Bowles with another year to understand winning at a high level at the head coach position. This is a team you better be extremely scared of because they're stacked and they're confident." Mayfield has been sensational during his time with the Buccaneers. Although he did throw 16 interceptions, Mayfield accounted for the third-most passing yards (4,500) in the league last season and has thrown the most TD passes (69) in the last two seasons, per StatMuse. To add even more incentive for Mayfield, the team restructured his contract, which is set to expire after the 2026 season, to include $30M in guaranteed salary for that season. The Buccaneers return a lot of production on both sides of the ball, in addition to bringing in first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka, who topped 1,000 receiving yards twice at Ohio State and accounted for 26 total TDs. While Tampa Bay allowed the 17th-most points per game (22.7) last season, it returns the majority of its defensive production. On top of that, the offseason acquisition of veteran LB and two-time Pro-Bowler Haason Reddick, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal, should be a welcomed addition for a franchise that had some question marks on defense last season. The Buccaneers are projected to have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL this season and have the best chance to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season, according to ESPN Analytics. If Mayfield can cut back on his turnovers and the defense can create more pressure on opposing QBs, the Buccaneers could be a threat in the NFC once again as they look to put their recent nail-biting losses in the postseason behind them.
Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.
Raiders' Pete Carroll has cryptic comments on bizarre Christian Wilkins situation
There have been a couple of different theories floated about why the Las Vegas Raiders made the shocking decision to cut star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, but head coach Pete Carroll has no interest in sharing the real motive. The Raiders released Wilkins on Thursday, which was barely a year after they signed him to a four-year, $110M contract in free agency. Initial reports suggested Wilkins and the team were at odds over how the 29-year-old's foot injury was being handled, but the story has since taken a bizarre turn. ESPN's Adam Schefter said on Monday that there was an incident between Wilkins and a teammate in the locker room that Wilkins viewed as playful, but his teammate did not take it that way. Tashan Reed of The Athletic reported that the incident took place in a meeting room at the Raiders' facility last week and was investigated by the team's human resources department. On Tuesday, a reporter asked Carroll about the alleged incident. The 73-year-old coach refused to get into it. "I have no comment to make,” Carroll said, via The Athletic. “We made a decision on what we’re doing, and we’re moving with it. We’ll see how that all unveils itself in time.” The last part of Carroll's comment is interesting. Carroll may have been saying time will tell how the decision to cut Wilkins will turn out for the Raiders, or he may have been insinuating that more information will come out at some point. Raiders defensive tackle Adam Nelson was also asked about Wilkins on Tuesday. Nelson responded by encouraging people to seek therapy if they are struggling with something in their life. Wilkins had 17 total tackles and a pair of sacks in five games with the Raiders before he suffered his season-ending foot injury.
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