NBA champion ex-Celtics guard lands roster spot with Western Conference upstart
The Boston Celtics' mission to sink beneath the second tax apron this offseason resulted in the departures of several key contributors to their title-winning 2024 team, including names like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet.
While the previous group were all victims of the Celtics' planned self-implosion that took place over the summer, Boston set out to accomplish their goal back in February at the 2024-25 trade deadline by dealing a promising guard with two-way potential along with two second-round picks to the
Following his release from the Rockets, a short tenure with the
"New Orleans Pelicans guard Jaden Springer has made the team, league sources told HoopsHype," HoopsHype's Michael Scotto shared via X on Saturday night.
"Springer has played four NBA seasons with the
Standing at 6-foot-4, the Pelicans' agile combo-guard Jaden Springer could make a world of a difference for a defensively-inept squad in a loaded Western Conference.
Sure, Springer's career box score figures at the NBA level of 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds paired with a 40.9% field goal percentage don't jump off of the page, but his excellent 106 defensive rating per 100 possessions and 3.5 defensive box plus-minus through 43 career games as a Celtic should not be ignored.
In a competitive situation, Springer has proven to be a player that can elevate a team's defense every minute he's on the floor. As the newest member of the Pelicans, his main goal could be to assist the franchise with progressing heavily on the defensive end as a collective.
The Celtics may have been short-sighted in their evaluation of Springer while providing him with just 6.3 minutes of action throughout his tenure with the franchise. In fact, Springer even proved to be a fantastic scoring threat during his
With an opportunity to notch real playing time for a rebuilding Pelicans team in 2025-26, Springer might be in the best position possible to seek revenge against his former team and prove that he can contribute at a consistent rate on both ends of the floor.
Dodgers predicted to reunite with $80M MVP, World Series champion, 2-time All-Star veteran
The Los Angeles Dodgers are making some noise in the postseason, which feels surprising given their up-and-down regular season. However, the final week of the season should have been a clear hint of what was to come. Until their loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, the Dodgers hadn’t lost in 10 games. Manager Dave Roberts sent a clear message to the rest of the league after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Before this season started, they said the Dodgers are ruining baseball. Let's get four more wins and really ruin baseball,” Roberts said on the air.
While all focus should be on the World Series, it’s never too early to look ahead to the offseason. The Dodgers could very well reunite with a familiar face—one who has made plenty of memories in Los Angeles.
“After winning NL MVP in 2019, Bellinger hit a combined .203/.272/.376 for a 76 OPS+ over 1,143 plate appearances in the three years that followed, which ultimately led to him being non-tendered. In three years since he left, he has a 125 OPS+ and 12.0 WAR in 412 games, and he could be atop the Dodgers list of potential targets to replace Michael Conforto as a left-handed hitting outfielder,” Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter wrote.
Bellinger is expected to opt out of his remaining contract with the Yankees.
“As expected, New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger plans to opt out of his contract and become a free agent next month, a source told ESPN. Bellinger, 30, has a $25 million player option for next season. After a rebound season in his first year in pinstripes, he presumably will receive widespread interest in free agency—it should yield a lucrative multi-year contract,” ESPN’s Jorge Castillo wrote.
If the Dodgers decide to go all in with the Yankees, it will spark a bidding war. However, if any team is suited for a bidding war, it’s the Dodgers.
Bellinger is a versatile player willing to play anywhere on the field. The Dodgers would love having Bellinger back in blue.
