Five Losses That Defined the Giants Season

Before we get to the main topic, I wanted to say a few words about yesterday's win in Vegas. If nothing else, we now know for certain that the Giants are NOT the worst team in the NFL. Quite the contrary, the team I saw on that field executed on offense and made enough plays defensively to convince me that with the right coaching staff in place, they could have a winning record next season. 

Yes, I know it was only the Raiders, who, along with the Jets, are two of the worst teams in all of sports, but Big Blue has shown throughout this season that they can hang with the best in the league. Now that they no longer have the number one pick to worry about, we can put this whole Fernando Mendoza nonsense to bed. The Giants have their quarterback and he put on quite a show yesterday. Hopefully, Joe Schoen, or whoever the next GM winds up being, will realize that and use next year's draft to fortify the many needs this team has.

As for the fans who were hoping they would lose to secure that number one pick, I honestly don't know what to say. Imagine being so bitter that you root against your team. I've been a fan of the Giants since the days of Joe Pisarcik, which means I've endured a lot of losing seasons. Not once did I ever root for them to lose. Winning these last two games would mean the world for a roster that is still relatively young and has some pretty good talent on it. If you can't see that, I feel sorry for you.

Now onto the main course. I will list each loss in chronological order, but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know which one was the worst.

Week Two at Dallas: Coming off a lackluster performance in Washington, the Giants, with Russell Wilson under center, had their most impressive offensive performance in over a year. Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns; the last one a 48 yard strike to Malik Nabers to put the Jints up 37-34 with 25 seconds left in regulation. All New York had to do was stop the Cowboys from getting into field goal range.

But in what would become a pattern all season long, Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen elected to rush only three, and Dak Prescott navigated his team to the Giants 46 yard line, where Brandon Aubrey kicked a game-tying 64-yard field goal to send it into overtime. Dallas eventually would win on another Aubrey field goal.

Week Five at New Orleans: This was Jaxson Dart's second career start. The previous week he had beaten the Chargers at MetLife 21-18. Two touchdown passes from Dart to Theo Johnson put New York ahead 14-3 with 13 minutes left in the second quarter. Victory seemed inevitable.

That's when the wheels came off. Dart threw two picks. The Giants as a team turned the ball over five times; the last one resulting in an 86-yard fumble recovery that put the Saints up 26-14. It was a painful reminder that counting your chickens before they hatch is not a good strategy for winning. 

Week Seven at Denver: The pièce de résistance of the 2025 season. Fortunately, I was at a wedding when this travesty happened or I would've thrown something at my TV. Dart had arguably his best game as a pro, throwing for 283 yards and three touchdowns against one of the best defenses in the NFL. 

New York led 19-0 after the third quarter, and 26-8 with ten minutes to go in the fourth. The Broncos scored 22 unanswered points to take a 30-26 lead with 1:51 left in regulation. Dart then drove the Giants downfield and put them ahead 32-30 with 37 seconds remaining. 

Once again, Bowen elected not to pressure Bo Nix, who managed to get his team into Giants territory, where Will Lutz kicked a 39 yard field goal to win the game as time expired. That Bowen wasn't fired immediately after the game just underscores how incompetent this franchise is.

Week Ten at Chicago: The Giants had lost three games in a row going into the Windy City, but that didn't stop them form taking a 17-7 lead over the Bears two minutes into the third quarter. Once again, Dart was impressive, going 19-29 for 242 yards and two rushing touchdowns. 

However, with just over five minutes to go in the third and the Giants deep in Bears territory, Dart was hit and fumbled the ball at the Chicago 21 yard line. He suffered a concussion on the play and would not return. With Wilson at the helm, New York's offense stalled and the Bears rallied for a 24-20 win. This was Brian Daboll's last game as head coach.

Week Twelve at Detroit: The final nail in this hellscape of a season. With Dart still in concussion protocol and Mike Kafka replacing the fired Daboll, the G-Men jumped out to a 27-17 lead over the Lions early in the fourth quarter, thanks to Jameis Winston throwing for 366 yards and two touchdowns.

But, and stop me if this sounds familiar, the Giants defense couldn't hold the lead. Jahmyr Gibbs had the game of his life, rushing for 219 yards and two touchdowns; the latter coming in overtime. Not one Giant defender touched him as he raced 69 yards for the winning score.

There you have it: five losses that defined the Giants season. While it's unlikely that New York would've swept all five of those games, with a competent defensive coordinator, who knows, maybe they could've won four of them. They certainly played well enough to go 4-1. While 7-10 is nothing to brag about, it's a helluva lot better than 3-14. And honestly, it's where I thought they'd finish before the season started.

A Very Merry Knicksmas

With just over ten minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the New York Knicks were trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-86 on Christmas Day at the Garden. Things were not looking so good for the men in orange and blue. It certainly appeared as though the fans were going to go home with a lump of coal in their stockings. 

Oh well, you can't win them all. 

That's when the Knicks said "No so fast." Jordan Clarkson made a layup; then Tyler Kolek sank a three-pointer. In all, New York would go on a 40-21 run to beat the Cavs 126-124 in what was without question the weirdest, wildest game of the season. 

Overcoming huge fourth-quarter deficits is nothing new for the Knicks. They did it twice against the Boston Celtics in last year's playoffs. What is new, at least for this team, is that it was the bench that played a major role in the comeback. Kolek had 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and had a huge block on what would've been a Donovan Mitchell layup with 1:45 left in regulation; Mitchell Robinson had eight of his 13 rebounds in the final quarter, including two key offensive boards that led to three pointers by Brunson and Kolek; and Clarkson led all bench scorers with 25 points.

The evolution of Kolek has been something to behold. With the exception of the game against the Sixers, in winch he scored only two points and committed four turnovers, he has been, by far, the biggest surprise. Under Mike Brown, the 2024 second-round pick from Marquette has blossomed into a reliable backup to Brunson. With 2:29 left in the Cup game against the Spurs, when Brown needed another ball handler to take the heat off Brunson, he didn't hesitate to send Kolek into the game, even though Mikal Bridges was available. Kolek responded with two assists, two rebounds and four points. 

That is an example of the kind of trust Brown has shown in his players, and it has paid off handsomely. With OG Anunoby and Brunson both missing games due to injury, the bench, which was often an afterthought under Tom Thobodeau, has become an integral part of the success of this team. Clarkson, the man Leon Rose signed for $2.2 million during the offseason, has averaged 10.4 points per game coming off the bench. He has 17 double-digit point games this season. Deuce McBride is averaging 11.6 points per game, and has 10 double-digit point games. 

Accountability has become a hallmark of this coach; that and tough love. When his players make mistakes, instead of benching them, he points out what they did wrong and then challenges them to do better. Against the Timberwolves, Kolek shot only 3 for 10 in the first half and was chided by his coach. He responded by going 6 for 12 in the second half. On the flip side, Brown has shown that he isn't afraid to bench a player when it's warranted. Going back to that Cup game, it was clear Bridges wasn't shooting the ball well, so he sat the final 6:22 of the game. Can you imagine Thibs doing that?

The more I see of this team, the more excited I get about their chances. With McBride and Landry Shamet due back soon, they seem to have everything they need to make another deep run in the playoffs. They have the best clutch player in the NBA in Brunson, a duel threat at center in Karl-Anthony Towns and Robinson, one of the best defensive forwards in the game in Anunoby, and a budding young star coming off the bench in Kolek. There's only one team that's deeper and more talented than the Knicks, and that team - the Oklahoma City Thunder - plays in the other conference.

Yes, it was a Very Merry Knicksmas at MSG yesterday. And if the Basketball gods continue to smile on them, 2026 could well be a Very Happy New Year. 

Knicks Send A Message

Normally, I don't get all that excited about exhibition games. My rule has always been if it doesn't count in the standings, it doesn't count. Period.

However, last night's win by the Knicks over the San Antonio Spurs in Las Vegas was much more than an exhibition game. In case you haven't noticed, New York sports fans haven't had a whole lot to celebrate lately. Both area football teams are an embarrassment; the Rangers window has apparently been nailed shut; the Mets front office seems determined to transform the franchise into the Milwaukee Brewers; and the Yankees front office isn't much better. The Knicks are about the only serious sports team in town right now; and with the exception of the Jets, no fanbase has suffered more. It was nice to celebrate a win, even an exhibition one.

But aside from the celebratory mood, the Knicks, in winning, sent a message to their front office; a very strong message. They're for real, and they don't need any help. Trailing 94-89 going into the fourth quarter, New York outscored San Antonio 35-19 to capture the NBA Cup Championship 124-113. While the win may have been symbolic, it was far from meaningless. Mitchell Robinson, who has been the subject of trade talks, out rebounded the entire Spurs team 8 to 6 in the fourth quarter; Tyler Kolek - another possible trade chip - scored 6 of his 14 points in the quarter and also picked up an assist on a beautiful pass to O.G. Anunoby, who drilled a three pointer with 1:56 left in the game to put the Knicks up 118-110; and Jordan Clarkson hit back-to-back threes early in the fourth to put the Orange and Blue ahead for good.

Sending a message is one thing; whether it got through to the folks who work at 4 Penn Plaza, specifically James Dolan, is another. For those who may have been living under a rock the last few weeks, Giannis Antetokounmpo's name keeps popping up in trade talks. And the number one destination appears to be the Knicks. To listen to the supposed "experts," it's not a question of if Giannis becomes a Knick, but when.

What last night's victory proved was that this team doesn't need a superstar, even one as great as Giannis, to rescue it. The Knicks are 18-7; 9-1 in their last ten. Over that stretch, they are second in the NBA in defensive rating, first in points allowed per game, and first in opponent three-point percentage. They are on pace to have their best regular season since 1996-97, when they went 57-25. If Leon Rose wants to tweak the roster, that's fine, but under no circumstance should he make any serious alterations to it, and that includes moving Robinson, or anyone in the starting five, in a package for Giannis.

I confess, I was one of those "experts" who was ready to ship him off to the Milwaukee Bucks for Bobby Portis, but after watching him last night, I am convinced that his presence will prove invaluable to this team come the playoffs. The Knicks had 32 second-chance points on 23 offensive rebounds against the Spurs; ten of those offensive rebounds came from Robinson. The man was an absolute beast on the glass. And to think, he only played 18 minutes. Imagine what he could do if he played 25 minutes per game. Yes I know he can't hit a free throw to save his life, but there are few players in the league who can do what he does on the boards. The Knicks are stronger with him than without him.

Fourteen years ago, Dolan by-passed his GM and overpaid to get Carmelo Anthony. That trade screwed up the Knicks for the next eight years. It has taken Rose five years to assemble this roster; five years of methodical trades and signings. When healthy, only the Oklahoma City Thunder are deeper. 

This franchise is knocking on the door of what could well be its first title since 1973. The last thing it needs is for its owner to fuck things up again. 

Get the message, Jim? 

Don't Blame Sullivan for Mika Benching

The big story at Madison Square Garden last night wasn't that the New York Rangers lost to the much-improved Anaheim Ducks 4-1; their 12th loss in 16 home games and the ninth time this season they've been held to one goal or less on their own ice.

The big story was that Mike Sullivan benched Mika Zibanejad for being late to a team meeting and that was the reason they lost. Yes, Mika Zibanejad, who we're now supposed to believe is the second coming of Guy Lafleur, was so vital to his team's chances that without his presence, they did pretty much what they've been doing all year long: they shit the bed. Had it not been for a fluke gaol by Matthew Robertson, they would've suffered their sixth shutout of the season. And it's not even Christmas yet. 

I'm sorry, but did Mika play in the season opener against the Penguins? Did he play against the Capitals or the Oilers or the Wild or the Hurricanes or the Islanders or the Red Wings or the Lightning? Let me save you the trouble of looking it up: he did. Wanna know what the Rangers record was in those games? 0-8.

That the beat writers of this team would even suggest that Zibanejad's absence had any bearing on the outcome of this game is embarrassing. For the record, the reason the Blueshirts lost last night was because they surrendered a shorthanded goal while on a 5v3 power play and Igor Shesterkin whiffed on a shot by Cutter Gauthier to put the Ducks up 2-1 in the third period that nine times out of ten he stops. If you're going to grill Sullivan over anything how about his stubbornness in sticking with five forwards on the first power play unit, which is now 0-21 and has allowed two shorthanded goals? That would be a good place to start, don't you think? If anything, I applaud Sullivan for holding his players accountable. If Brian Daboll had handled his players as well as Sullivan handles his, he might still have his job.

Face it: no team in the NHL works harder at being mediocre than the Rangers. They bring new meaning to the word underwhelming. According to Steve Valiquette, New York had eleven high-danger scoring chances to Anaheim's six, and yet they couldn't convert on one of those chances. The Robertson goal was a mid-danger chance. Unusual? No, just standard operating procedure at the world's most famous arena. I swear these players would have a hard time finishing at a whore house. 

Want to hear something crazy? This team has less talent than the one Jeff Gorton decided to tear down in 2018. Just take a look at the numbers below. These are the adjusted point totals for the top six plus Adam Fox:

As you can see, Panarin is the only player scoring at around a point per game. To quote the great Dean Wormer of Faber College, "Congratulations, Bread, you're at the top of the Delta pledge class."

This isn't a top six; hell, it's barely a middle six. And it's why the Rangers are a middling team that if the season were to end today would miss the playoffs for the second straight year.

Nothing about this roster excites you; nothing in the pipeline excites you. The most encouraging thing you can say about this franchise is that if they continue at the pace they're on, they have a half-way decent shot of getting a lottery pick in next year's draft; that's assuming Drury doesn't do something stupid and trade it away. 

Seriously, I don't know how anybody looks at this team and says, "Oh, yeah, they're good." Good for what? If the word disappointment could be trademarked, the Rangers would be the General Motors of the NHL.

Over the last 50 years, I've had a front-row seat to four rebuilds: the mid-'70s; the late '80s; the late '90s to the early '00s; and the late 2010s. I've seen players come and go. And that's why I'm imploring Chris Drury to do the right thing and start another one.

Please spare me all the "But they're only two points out of a wild card spot" drivel. So in two years we've gone from winning the Presidents' trophy to possibly being the eight seed? If that's your argument, I don't want to hear it. Look at what the Knicks are doing. Now that's a team with a real shot at winning a championship. By comparison, the Rangers look like the guy who stayed too long at the bar and now can't get a ride home.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Drury tells Dolan this team, as currently constructed, can't win, especially since he's the principal architect of it. He won't be a happy camper, I can assure you of that, It isn't every day that you see a franchise have two rebuilds in less than a decade. Drury will be lucky if he isn't fired. And if you think Dolan wouldn't fire his GM, guess again. The man's paying Tom Thibodeau $30 million to NOT coach the Knicks. Somehow I don't think money is going to influence him one way or the other. 

But while doing a rebuild is risky, not doing it is far riskier. Every team in the Eastern Conference not named the Buffalo Sabres is deeper and younger than the Rangers, including a certain team that plays in Elmont. The longer Drury waits, the worse this situation will get.

Neil Smith waited too long to start his rebuild, and the Rangers went seven years without qualifying for the postseason. 

Welcome to the New York Brewers

It's hard to believe that a year ago this month, the Mets, fresh off an NLCS appearance against the Dodgers, signed the top free agent of the offseason, and arguably the best player in baseball, Juan Soto, to a 15 year, $765 million contract. Steve Cohen could've run for mayor and he would've won in a landslide. The Flushing Faithful had visions of a parade down the Canyon of Heroes dancing in their heads.

What a difference a year makes. After jumping out to a huge lead in the National League East in mid-June, the Amazins slowly imploded over the last three and half months of the season. Not only did they not win the World Series, they didn't even qualify for the playoffs. A Mets team with a $342 million payroll lost out to a Cincinnati Reds team with a $119 million payroll.

David Stearns, the man hired by Cohen to run the organization, quickly went to work. On November 23, he traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien. So far, so good. While Nimmo was a fan favorite, as I wrote at the time, he was hardly Ted Williams. Semien may have had an off year in '25, but he is generally viewed as an outstanding fielder who will solidify the Mets infield. Stearns apparently meant it when he said he would focus on "run prevention."

Next, Stearns signed Devin Williams - another ex-Yankee - to a three-year, $51 million contract. While Williams struggled in the Bronx, he had three very good years in Milwaukee. As a set-up man to Edwin Diaz, the Mets would finally have what they'd been looking for since the days of Orosco and McDowell: a devastating one-two punch at the back of the bullpen.

The off-season was shaping up very nicely. Mets fans eagerly anticipated the Winter meetings where the expectation was that Stearns - with the aid of Cohen's checkbook - would trade for Tarik Skubal and sign either Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger. No one, and I mean no one, was prepared for what happened next.

It began on December 9, when the Dodgers signed Diaz to a three-year, $69 million contract. Losing Diaz to the team that had beaten them in '24 was bad enough, but losing him over what amounted to $3 million over three years left a very bad taste in the mouths of every fan. As I wrote at the time, this was an epic failure for the organization.

But what followed the very next day shook the Flushing Faithful to their core. Pete Alonso, the franchise home-run king, who, like Diaz, had opted out of his contract, was signed by the Baltimore Orioles to a five-year, $155 million deal. Adding insult to injury was the revelation that the Mets didn't even bother to make the Polar Bear an offer. All we know for certain is that Stearns wasn't willing to go more than three years.

For the last couple of days I've been trying to wrap my head around what happened. I've gone from shock to anger to frustration and finally to profound sadness. The team that was two wins away from going to the World Series in '24 is now being broken up and there's not a damn thing I, or any other Mets fan, can do about it. Yes, they severely underachieved last year, but typically rosters that underachieve are bolstered, not split apart.

Let's get something straight: this was not an accident; it was deliberate. Nor was it about run prevention. If it were, would the Mets have allowed their best run preventer to walk for a measly $1m per year? No, what this was about was transforming a franchise that in 2025 paid almost $80 million in luxury tax for a team that won 83 games. If you want to know what Stearns' vision for the Mets is, go to Spotrac and take a gander at the Milwaukee Brewers 2025 payroll. Now add $61.8 million - the exact amount Soto will make next season - $19 million in retained salaries for Frankie Montas and Nimmo, plus another $20 million and you have next year's payroll for the Mets. That's right folks: $238 million, $6 million below the tax threshold for 2026.

That means no Skubal, no Tucker, no Bellinger and no Robert Suarez, who signed with the Atlanta Braves for three years, $45 million. For the foreseeable future Dollar Store Dave will continue to shop for bargains and team-friendly contracts. Don't be surprised if Paul Goldschmidt ends up replacing Alonso at first base next season. As for the starting rotation: Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat will be given every chance to make it. 

Why? That's the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Why would an organization owned by a multi-billionaire suddenly get so tight with its money? Circle this date on your calendar: December 1, 2026. That's when the current CBA between the owners and the players expires.

Over the last 53 years there have been eight labor disputes: four players strikes and four owners lockouts. The most damaging of these disputes occurred in 1994 when the players went on strike over a proposed salary cap by the owners. That resulted in the cancellation of the World Series for the first time since 1904. It would take major league baseball several years to recover from the damage to its reputation. 

I believe we are headed towards another work stoppage, only this time I think the owners are serious about implementing some kind of cap. Maybe not as severe and exacting as the one the NHL adopted after its successful lockout in 2005; but perhaps something along the lines of the apron system currently employed by the NBA.

Unlike '94, however, most of these owners have the financial wherewithal to withstand a long work stoppage, meaning we could be looking at a year or more of no baseball. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the players went on strike sometime in the late summer if they think the owners are going to lock them out in December.

If the owners are successful in implementing their cap, any team above that cap when play resumes will either have to shed salary or face severe penalties; and by penalties I don't mean paying a luxury tax. Now you know why Cohen went from Daddy Warbucks to Scrooge in just a few days. You don't have to shed what you don't have. Which makes you wonder why he went after Soto in the first place. Imagine what the Mets could've done with that money.

Bottom line: Stearns hasn't gone rogue; he's doing this at the behest of his employer. 

Welcome to the New York Brewers, people. Get used to it. 

Dollar Store Dave Strikes Again

I won't mince words here. Losing Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers was an epic failure for David Stearns and the Mets organization. And the way it went down will sting for a very long time. 

To sum up, here's what happened. After the season ended, Diaz opted out of his contract that still had two years remaining with an AAV of $20.4 million. Stearns offered him a three-year deal with an AAV of $22 million. So, basically, the Mets offered inarguably their best pitcher, and arguably their third best player, a pay increase of $1.6 million. They then told his agent to "circle back" to them in the event another team came to the table with a higher offer.

For those not familiar with the art of negotiating, Stearns broke every rule in the book. First, he knew Diaz was not happy with his contract, hence the opting out; second, his offer of a $1.6 million raise was an insult to his closer; and third, he added insult to that injury by actually having the nerve to tell his agent to "circle back" to him if he received a higher offer. In other words, Stearns could've offered more and he chose not to. 

Don't blame Diaz for this. He went with the higher offer. Free agents do that all the time. And don't blame the Dodgers. What were they supposed to do, not sign him? The blame here lies squarely with Stearns. 

I spent 25 years in sales, 13 of them in retail. It is an axiom among people in my profession that you never allow the customer to walk without making your best offer. And above all else you never say "if you find a better price bring it back to me." You might as well kiss that customer goodbye. My managers would always chide me whenever I got pissed that I lost a sale. "Don't blame the customer," they would say. "It's your fault for not closing them."

They were right.

If Stearns could've offered more, he should've done so before the Dodgers got into the act. Going cheap the way he did made it that much easier for them to swoop in and sign him. And as far as "circling back," let's get something straight: there is no obligation on the part of a player agent to give the home team the last shot. Juan Soto was a special case. Scott Boras knew he had a bidding war between three teams; two of which were the Yankees and Mets. It was in his client's best interest to drag the process out as long as possible. Most teams know, or at least are told, that they need to make their best offer up front. The irony in this fiasco is that after the season Stearns said his primary focus would be "run prevention." Well he just let his number one run preventer leave.

My fear is that this isn't a one-off. I'm not a betting man, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Pete Alonso is wearing a Red Sox uniform next year. The Mets were lucky last offseason. Alonso had an off year in 2024. That gave them the leverage they needed to re-sign him to a team-friendly deal. However he rebounded very nicely in '25 to have one of his best seasons as a Met. You can bet the ranch Boras will find a team that will be willing to meet his demands; whether that's Boston or Baltimore - the other team rumored to be interested in signing Pete.

And if Alonso leaves, you can flush next season down the drain. I'm serious. Who do you think provided Soto all that protection in the lineup? How many more times would he have been intentionally walked without the Polar Bear batting behind him? Even with Alonso, the Mets were a top heavy team. Without him, they'd be the fucking S.S. Poseidon on New Year's Eve. [If you don't know the reference there, you're too young.]

Why would a team owned by Steve Cohen, a billionaire 23 times over, be so penny wise and dollar foolish? I think the below chart might offer an explanation. 

Several things stand out. 1. Only the Dodgers had a larger payroll going into 2025 than the Mets; 2. the Mets made $444 million in revenue in '24, $308 million less than the Dodgers; and 3. they spent 90 percent of that revenue on salaries plus luxury tax, by far the largest percentage of any team in the majors. And that includes the $61 million Soto is getting.

I have no way of proving it, but I think Cohen didn't expect to win the Soto sweepstakes. The prevailing sentiment was that if the offers were close, he would return to the Bronx. Indeed, the Mets bid was only $5 million more than the Yanks. As elated as the fanbase was at the time, in retrospect, Stearns could've used that money to beef up a pitching staff, which as we know all too well, was terrible last season. While the Yankees used the savings to sign Max Fried, who went 19-5 with an ERA of 2.86, the Mets went with a rotation of Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp.

It's entirely possible that Stearns has been told by Cohen to trim payroll wherever possible and seek out more team-friendly contracts. That was his specialty when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers. While the Dodgers are putting together a package to land Tarik Skubal, the Flushing Faithful may have to be satisfied with getting Devin Williams.

I hope I'm wrong; I hope Pete re-signs with the Mets and they get a big-name starter. I'm just not getting my hopes up. 39 years of frustration can make a cynic out of even the Pope.

And he's a White Sox fan. 

A Knicks Trade That Actually Makes Sense

Giannis Antetokounmpo is disappointed with the Milwaukee Bucks. So much so that Jon Hurst reached out to Leon Rose over the summer to see whether there was any interest in bringing the Greek Freak to Manhattan. And if there was, what players would he be willing to give up in a trade. We're not sure how long the phone call lasted, but suffice to say the offer Rose made went about as far as a Mitchell Robinson free throw attempt.

Let's get real. Giannis makes $54 million. The Knicks are hard-capped at the second apron. The only way they can take on his salary would be to unload $54 million the other way; $54 million in, $54 million out. Got it? That means Rose would have to trade a significant portion of a core that last season was two wins away from reaching the NBA finals for the first time in 26 years, just to accommodate a player who's unhappy with where he is.

Well, boo hoo. Life is tough. As Mick Jagger once sang, "You can't always get what you want."

Forget for a moment that this would be the third major trade Rose would be making in the last two years - the Mikal Bridges deal doesn't count because it only involved draft picks going the other way - where's the incentive here for the Knicks? Not only does it not make them better, it actually makes them worse. As I wrote in a piece this past October, without Bridges - who I assume would be one of the players headed to Milwaukee - New York doesn't beat Boston in the conference semi-finals last May.

No disrespect intended but what has Giannis done since winning the title in 2021? He's a great player, sure, but he's no Nikola Jokic. And his team has been one of the biggest postseason disappointments over the last four years, while the Knicks have been one of the more pleasant surprises. The only way I'd consider taking Giannis off Milwaukee's hands is if they retained half his salary and were willing to accept bench players in return. Not interested? Have a nice day.

No, if Rose is going to make any trade at all, it'll likely be for a complementary player that adds to the depth of this roster, not subtracts from it. And, ironically, the Bucks have such a player: Bobby Portis. The 6-9 power forward / center would fit in nicely on a Knicks team that could use a little more beef in its front court. And at $13 million, he's cheap. Rose could offer them Robinson and a first rounder to get it done. 

Portis is no stranger to New York; he briefly played here in 2019-20 before joining the Bucks the following season for their championship run. He averages 12 points and seven rebounds per game. And unlike Whack-a-Mitch, he actually makes his free throws.

Imagine a roster that includes KAT, Portis, Anunoby, Bridges, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride, Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele, Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek. I'd say that's pretty impressive and deep. Is it good enough to go to the finals? That remains to be seen. One thing's for certain: gutting it for one player, even one as talented as Giannis, won't get this franchise any closer to its goal of winning a title. Indeed, it would be Carmelo Anthony, Part Deux. 

Bottom line: Rose assembled this roster. It's the best roster the Knicks have had since the days of Pat Riley in the 1990s. It deserves a chance to win.

Fox Injury Could Be Blessing in Disguise for Rangers

Let's be clear: even with Adam Fox playing his best hockey in two years, the Rangers were still three points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Now that the former Norris trophy winner has suffered an injury to his left shoulder that will keep him on LTIR for at least a month - perhaps longer - the prospects for them making the playoffs went from slim to "Don't make me laugh!"

Win some, lose some, may be what you tell your kid after a tough loss, but in the world of collegiate and pro sports, there is no such consolation prize. To quote Bill Parcels, "you are what your record says you are." And right now, the Rangers are two games above .500. The best thing you could say about this team is that they're better in their own zone than last year's team. In 2024-25, they were 19th in the NHL with 255 goals against; in 2025-26, they're 11th with 71 goals against.

But while the defense has improved from last year, it has come at the expense of the offense. When the Rangers won the Presidents' trophy two seasons ago, Artemi Panarin had 34 multi-point games. This season, he has only six such games, registering six goals and 13 assists. The Blueshirts are 6-0 in those games. In the other 21 games, he has a paltry two goals and five assists, and New York has gone 7-12-2.

By no means is the Bread Man the only culprit on this team. Something is clearly wrong with J.T. Miller. He has seven goals and seven assists in 25 games. Not counting the pandemic-shortened season of 2020-21, he is on track to finish with his lowest point total since his first full season with the Tampa Lightning in 2018-19. And it isn't just his lack of offense that is disconcerting. In a game against the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this season, he appeared to give up on a play that led to a Vegas goal. He was called out by Steve Valiquette in the post-game show.

At the risk of repeating myself, this is not a good team; decent yes, but hardly good. Good teams don't go 2-8-1 at home, and they don't get shutout in five of those losses. In the salary cap era, only one team - the 2015-16 San Jose Sharks - has made the playoffs with a losing record at home. And unlike that Sharks team which went to the Stanley Cup finals, there is nothing about this Rangers team that would lead a reasonably objective person to believe they are contenders. Far from it. 

Well fate appears to have intervened just in the nick of time. With Fox out for the foreseeable future, Chris Drury now has the excuse he needs to finish what he started last year, and what his predecessor Jeff Gorton tried to do: a thorough rebuild. Barring a James Dolan meltdown - always a possibility with him - the Rangers should be sellers at the trade deadline. 

Think about it. What is the rationale for keeping this roster together? That maybe, just possibly, they go on a late-season run and sneak into the playoffs, only to be bounced in the first round? The 2017-18 Rangers could've done that, but even Gorton knew that was not a sustainable plan. So he sent out his memo and broke up the core. Face it: the bill comes due for all teams sooner or later, and if we're being totally honest here, this team's bill has been marked "past due" for quite some time.

Those players with no-move clauses like Mika Zibanejad, Panarin and Miller will be impossible to move, I know, but the others should be no problem.  Among the others, Drury needs to waive Conor Sheary right now. Keeping him makes no sense. Taylor Raddysh scored a few goals early in the season, but has done virtually nothing since. Maybe he could get a fourth round pick for him. And before he becomes untradable, Alexis Lafreniere needs to go. If Drury could get Will Borgen and a couple of draft picks for Kaapo Kakko, he should be able to fetch more for the former first overall pick. Carson Soucy is having a good season. But he will be a UFA next summer and will be looking for a long-term extension. He's just the sort of player other teams will be looking to add at the deadline. And under no circumstances should Drury re-sign Panarin. If he won't waive his NMC, thank him for his time on Broadway and let him walk.

Next, bring up the kids, and play them - all of them. Gabe Perrault, Brennan Othmann, Scott Murrow, Brett Berard, Matthew Robertson. It's time to see what's in the cupboard. And by play them, I mean more than six minutes per game. This probably wasn't the deal Mike Sullivan agreed to when he took the job, but deals change all the time. Besides, where's he gonna go, back to Pittsburgh? In case you haven't noticed, the Penguins are doing just fine without him. In fact, between the two teams, the Pens have a better shot of making the postseason than the Rangers.

Is there a risk in doing another rebuild? Of course there is. But keeping the status quo is unacceptable.