Following a loss against the Memphis Grizzlies over the weekend, the Detroit Pistons will be back on the floor on Monday night to host the Sacramento Kings. The Pistons hoped to get a key contributor back in the mix, as the starting forward Tobias Harris missed the last two games.
Lately, Harris has been battling heel soreness. As a result of his recent setback, the veteran forward has sat out for four of the past five games. When Harris played against the Oklahoma City Thunder last week, he checked out after 22 minutes of action. The Pistons checked him out and ruled him out for the remainder of the game.
On a good note, Harris was doing well offensively for the Pistons before checking out. He shot 5-8 from the field to score 10 points. He also collected four rebounds and two assists. The Pistons came up way short against the Thunder for their second-straight loss at the time.
Leading up to Monday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings, the Pistons listed Harris as questionable for the matchup.
Once again, Harris will be off the floor as he's officially ruled out for the night.
Tobias Harris (heel) ruled out Monday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 7, 2025
Before the game, Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff addressed Harris’ recent string of absences.
"He’s getting better but we just want to make sure he’s right,” Bickerstaff told reporters, according to Omari Sankofa. “He knows what it takes for his body to be where it needs to be and we trust him."
JB on Tobias' heel injury (he's questionable tonight): "He’s getting better but we just want to make sure he’s right … he knows what it takes for his body to be where it needs to be and we trust him."
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) April 7, 2025
The Pistons are gearing up for playoff basketball after securing a top-six seed last week. Harris is an important contributor to the team. Getting him to the postseason as healthy as possible is a priority.
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The Los Angeles Lakers had been looking around for a center for most of the offseason before they were able to sign Deandre Ayton after the Trail Blazers waived him. One of the teams they were rumored to be talking with in a trade was the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers were interested in Nic Richards after the Suns added multiple other centers. Now that the Lakers have signed Ayton, and re-signed Jaxson Hayes as the backup, an NBA insider has given an update on where things stand on a possible trade between the two teams. More news: LeBron James Reportedly Wanted to Join Mavericks, Team Up With Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, there are no longer any discussions between the two teams now that Ayton is in LA. If the Lakers are looking to make a trade to further improve the roster before the season starts, it won't be with the Suns. At this point, they would likely only be looking to add a forward. Wing players are what they need now that they have signed Marcus Smart to help with their perimeter defense. A wing who can switch multiple positions is the next thing on their list. Whether or not they are willing to give up the assets to land that kind of player before the season starts remains to be seen. They have to figure out what the roster looks like as it is currently put together before they decide to make any more moves. More news: Lakers Targeting $66 Million NBA Champion Wing in Potential Blockbuster Trade Los Angeles is hoping that they are closer to winning a championship than things look like right now. While they were the third seed in the Western Conference, the Thunder look like they are so far ahead of everyone else. The Lakers are certainly good enough to compete offensively for a championship, but they have to improve defensively before they are ready to go deep in the playoffs, after losing in the first round of the playoffs. Los Angeles is hoping to add a wing, whether it's before the season starts or at the trade deadline. That could end up being the last piece that they need in order to win a championship. More news: Lakers Linked to $134.4 Million All-Star, NBA Champ in Blockbuster Trade For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
While the Seattle Mariners landed an impact bat on Thursday night, their trade for Josh Naylor has also likely impacted the entire upcoming MLB trade deadline. On Thursday, Seattle sent a pair of top pitching prospects to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Naylor, with left-hander Brandyn Garcia (ranked as Seattle's 13th-best prospect by MLB.com) and right-hander Ashton Izzi (ranked as Seattle's 16th-best prospect by the same rankings) heading to the desert. Knowing what the Diamondbacks received in exchange for Naylor could well set the market for what is to come between now and the conclusion of the 2025 MLB trade deadline, set for 6 p.m. (Eastern) on July 31. The 28-year-old first baseman was ranked by The Athletic as the 17th-best trade candidate likely to be available, but ranked behind just one other first baseman (Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn, who was slotted in at 16th). If Naylor brought in a pair of pitching prospects, including Garcia, who has appeared in two games this season for Seattle, the Diamondbacks could be salivating over what third baseman Eugenio Suarez and his 36 home runs could bring in return. All MLB teams who will be buying or selling at this year's trade deadline have had the first price bar set for them with the Naylor deal. Now it will be fascinating to see what comes next, especially knowing that Naylor will be a free agent at the end of this season. If Seattle gave up two pitching prospects for a player who could be a late-season rental only, imagine what the Minnesota Twins may be able to recoup for starting pitcher Joe Ryan (under team control through the 2027 season) or the Boston Red Sox might get back for outfielder Jarren Duran, who won't be a free agent until the 2029 campaign. While Naylor may not be the biggest move to come during this span before the trade deadline comes to a close, his deal could be the one that establishes selling prices for the trades that are to come. With so few MLB teams expected to be outright sellers, the price for available talent was expected to be high. We learned on Thursday night with the Naylor swap just how high those prices may go.
The Green Bay Packers released star cornerback Jaire Alexander earlier this offseason, which frustrated the fan base because they did so without an obvious solution. Packers fans have been clamoring for the team to sign veteran and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, but Green Bay does not appear all that interested in doing so. But you know who could represent a possible replacement for Alexander? Wide receiver Bo Melton. Yes, you read that right: wide receiver Bo Melton. Melton has started Packers training camp as a cornerback, which could ultimately lead to the 26-year-old assuming a major role in Green Bay’s secondary. Why the position switch? Well, Melton was struggling finding playing time in the Packers’ receiving corps as it was. Now, Green Bay added Matthew Golden and Savon Williams into the equation, so the chances of him actually getting on the field as a receiver in 2025 are slim to none. Melton logged just eight catches for 91 yards last season, and in 2024, he finished with 16 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown. The funny thing is, he actually has shown promise in very limited action, but there is simply no room for him. The Rutgers product seems to want to stay in Green Bay, hence his decision to flip to the other side of the ball. He knows he has no chance to play as a wide out. Why not utilize his athleticism as a cornerback? Of course, this does not necessarily mean that Melton will serve as Alexander’s primary replacement. In fact, it would be pretty concerning if the Packers choose not to bring in another corner between now and the start of the regular season. But hey, maybe Melton will be so impressive in camp that Green Bay will actually give him a look.
New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury has enjoyed an excellent offseason thus far, ticking items off his ‘to do’ list with encouraging regularity. That said, there are still holes to fill on this Rangers team, like the bottom of the Rangers' defensive corps. Adam Fox is a star and Vladislav Gavrikov is a perfect acquisition, sorting out the top pairing. Will Borgen and Braden Schneider, health permitting, should form a solid second pairing. The third pairing, however, remains up in the air. On paper, Carson Soucy is an outstanding third pair D-man. He's big, nasty and responsible in his own end. Last season, though, he was horrible with both the Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks. Never the swiftest of movers, Soucy looked far older than his birth certificate (30) might suggest. He was caught out of position an alarming number of times and, given he provides zero offense, was a huge negative overall. Brought in to fix an ailing defense, Soucy instead poured kerosene onto the blaze. Scott Morrow is an intriguing prospect. Acquired in the K’Andre Miller deal to Carolina, the 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and swift feet while being very offensive minded. Learning at the foot of Fox should only help Morrow’s development. That said, he’s currently a pronounced liability in his own end, prone to the sort of haziness and losses of concentration that saw Miller drive Rangers fans crazy. In time, he’ll be a good one, but the question remains: is that time now? No other option inspires a ton of confidence. Urho Vaakanainen? He’s … fine? Responsible enough defensively but provides little offense and doesn’t exactly own the defensive zone, either. Matthew Robertson, a former second-round pick, played the final two games of last season. Those are his only two games in the NHL. He’s big and can skate, but is 24 and simply could be destined to be an AHL/NHL swingman? E.J. Emery and Drew Fortescue are still far too green for the big leagues. Conner Mackey and Derrick Pouliot set precisely zero hearts racing. With a gap that requires filling, does new head coach Mike Sullivan look to his old team in Pittsburgh and seek a reunion with Matt Grzelcyk? The 31-year-old only played one season under Sullivan after a career spent in Boston, but that one season was clearly his best. His 40 points (one goal, 39 assists) was, by far, a career high, despite playing on a poor Penguins team. Sullivan clearly trusts Grzelyck, his 20:37 of average ice time was also a career high. Despite the lack of goals, Grzelyck is an accomplished power play conductor, his 15 assists last season tied for the team lead with Sidney Crosby. His breakout passing at 5-on-5 is eye-opening. At the same time, he is responsible defensively. He’s also a playoff veteran, with 66 games under his belt. Grzelyck’s agent, Matt Fish, recently told ESPN that his client is looking for ‘the best fit’ and that is where the Rangers may fall short. Would Grzelyck be happy on a second on third pairing? He won’t see PP1 minutes on a team with Fox, so would he be satisfied with quarterbacking the second power play? Of course, the bright lights in New York would mean that Grzelyck remains in the national conscious, no matter how the Rangers perform as a team. If he is looking to get one last decent deal, he could do worse than play in a major market. Grzelyck would be the bridge player that allows the Rangers to let Morrow marinate in the AHL for another season. If Sullivan isn’t happy with his in-house options, he might just lean on his relationship with Grzelyck to convince him to come to Broadway.
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