#front-office

#front-office

In time for the upcoming NBA Draft, the Raptors have finally filled their head coaching position.The front office settled on Darko Rajakovic, a Serbian coach with experience in Memphis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, and the NBA G League.Based on his experience on his former teams, this stunning head coaching hire could signal change for the Raptors.

The short answer, as with all coaches who have not been NBA head coaches, is that we simply don't know.There's no way of knowing to what extent an assistant coach has been responsible for different component's of a team's output.But there are always signs, breadcrumbs to follow, to guess at what might be to come.

After coming up just short of making their second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals last season, the Boston Celtics will enter a crucial offseason full of major decisions.Along the way, the front office will have to decide what to do with their impending free agents, which they have three on standard deals and two on two-way deals.

The White Sox have decisions to make.And soon, for that matter.Do they want to forge ahead with the current core, hoping to win the AL Central and thus earning a playoff berth?Or would they rather sell high on their expiring commodities and bring back long term assets?Here's how MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported the Sox' situation as the trade deadline nears.

Now that we're officially into the offseason, some news is starting to shake loose.Nothing significant has yet happened to the New York Islanders roster, but it's still early in the buyout window-GM and President Lou Lamoriello has until after the draft to make the call about buying out Josh Bailey, so he might as well hold off and see if he can just unload the contract entirely.

Good afternoon everyone, it's time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions.Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.Jesse R. asks: I really like Dominic Fletcher's profile (controllable 25-year-old lefty outfielder stuck in Arizona's AAA team because of their logjam).

With over half the incumbent roster without guaranteed deals for the 2023-24 season, it was always expected that the Chicago Bulls would experience a good deal of turnover this summer.What no one likely had on their offseason checklist, however, was the Bulls shopping their franchise cornerstone Zach LaVine on the trade block.

The Toronto Raptors' fanbase seems to be largely against the idea of "running it back" this offseason, as last year's very disappointing result has some pining for either a complete rebuild or a retool that would include making some lateral moves that keep the squad competitive.With OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam being mentioned in trade rumors and the three-headed monster of Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl, and Gary Trent Jr. all potential free agents that could leave, there are several possible futures in which the roster is upended.

If you wanted to recite all the trades Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has made since coming to Seattle, you might need to block out a whole weekend to do so.The man has been one of the more prolific dealers in MLB during his eight-year Emerald City tenure, with his moves ranging from masterful to meh and in some cases maddening.

It's finally here.After years spent in NBA purgatory, reloading for a playoff push that never came, the Washington Wizards are taking the first steps toward a rebuild.New Team President Michael Winger and his front office are expected to pursue a rebuild and help this franchise accomplish something other than disappointment and low expectations.

After not seeing the court much in his rookie season in the NBA, many Bulls fans were left wanting more from Dalen Terry this past year.While the front office deserves some flak for drafting a long-term project over a player ready to contribute immediately, we won't be able to truly evaluate Dalen until he begins playing meaningful minutes.

The White Sox and MLB are just under seven weeks away from the Aug. 1 trade deadline.And the South Siders aren't exactly performing up to par this season.They hold a 29-39 record, as of this writing, with a third-place standing in AL Central -- far and away the weakest division in baseball.If the Sox continue their ways as the deadline nears, one MLB analyst sees a perfect fit for Tim Anderson if the Sox pivot to sellers.

It appeared a forgone conclusion and Chris Johnston reported it today, ex Toronto Maple Leafs forward and assist general manager Jason Spezza signed on with the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday morning to work in the front office.The decision comes just weeks after Spezza stepped down as his role as special assistant to the general manager in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause built into the five-year, maximum contract he signed last year.(Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)The day after the Washington Wizards' season ended, the organization's cornerstone player was asked whether he expected to be at training camp come fall.After 11 years in D.C., including the past five running in place, Bradley Beal gave an answer that left a sliver of doubt.

Boston Celtics fans have been in shambles ever since they watched their team go crashing out of the playoffs at the hands of the Miami Heat.Half the fanbase all of a sudden has cold feet on giving Jaylen Brown a super-max contract extension, after clamoring for him to make All-NBA a month ago, so the team could do just that - pay him.

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Whenever a team declines a player's fifth-year option (as Washington did with Chase Young last month), a flare goes up around the league.

The Toronto Raptors still have not given off any indication of what direction they will go in during the 2023 NBA Draft.Masai Ujiri and the rest of the front office continue to be incredibly tight-lipped about what positions and players they may target with their lone selection.Conventional wisdom would suggest that Ujiri and the Raptors could try to fix their lack of terrific shooting by drafting a dynamic guard at No. 13 overall.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney admitted in the organization's end-of-season news conference that changes likely are coming, and it would not be a surprise if Boston looked at all possible options.The situation in Winnipeg could be one to monitor.Pierre-Luc Dubois's camp informed the Jets he is not interested in signing a one-year deal, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Wednesday.

Just because the Chicago Bulls don't currently own the rights to a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, doesn't mean that this event is one fans shouldn't tune in for.We've seen a record number of trades occur at both last year's draft and trade deadline, so I fully expect that trend to carry over to this summer as well.

Following a disappointing 40-42 season and prompt elimination in the play-in tournament, please excuse me if I join many other fans when I say I'm ready to put this year behind us and look forward to the future.The Chicago Bulls' options this summer may be limited, but at this point, standing pat and not making any moves in either direction would be an abject failure for the franchise.

It was reported earlier today that the Washington Wizards and Bradley Beal would work together to find a trade if the team elects to rebuild.And many around the league believe that Washington, coming off of a 35-47 campaign, will likely to go down that path.The Knicks, as they so often are with big names, have been closely linked to Beal for a while now.

There are important decisions waiting for the Washington Wizards front office and its two stars Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma.Both players have player options for next season and the deadline to make a decision is only two weeks away.It is still a mystery whether the Washington Wizards are going into full roster teardown mode immediately or if they are planning to keep their core together to start the season.

As recently reported by NBA Insider Shams Charania, the New Orleans Pelicans are going to be aggressive in trying to get Scoot Henderson.Since the Charlotte Hornets are unlikely to trade away their second pick, it leaves the Portland Trailblazers.However, they may need a third team to get the deal done.

The NBA Draft is only two weeks away and draft workouts and speculations regarding who the Washington Wizards are going to pick are in full swing.With a brand-new front office, it is hard to tell what the Wizards are going to prioritize with their no.8 pick.Nevertheless, the Wizards need an injection of athleticism and high-end talent.

Major League Baseball officials have discussed the possibility of capping teams' spending in off-field areas such as technology, player development and scouting, report Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic.MLB's owners and league officials are convened in New York this week for a quarterly meeting, though they haven't announced any changes to this point.

Dave Roberts is already one of the winningest managers in MLB history.Roberts has a winning percentage that ranks top five in MLB history.Since he took over the Dodgers in 2016, no team has won more games, and it's not even that close.Also, the Dodgers have made the postseason every season Roberts has been at the helm, and, of course, won the World Series in 2020.