#player-development

#player-development

While taking a loss is never fun, the Raptors' defeat against the Celtics on January 9 had several redeeming qualities. In light of the unfortunate injuries to Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl (who is still working his way back to peak form), and an ill-timed ankle injury for RJ Barrett against Boston too, Toronto's crop of young players and reserves stepped up to make their mark.

McMann has shown this season that he can drive the play and generate offence. He has scored timely goals throughout the season and been a physical force within the top six. That versatility has made him a perfect fit under Craig Berube, but it has also significantly raised his market value. For a team already tight against the cap, McMann may have played himself into a price range the Leafs simply can't afford.

I think, for me, it's his skating and the speed in the middle of the ice more than anything. I really believe that he's attacking in the middle of the ice, he's demanding the puck in the middle of the ice, and he's doing a great job using his size and speed going through people.

As relayed by SPORT in a recent report, Rodriguez is determined to succeed at Barcelona at any cost and is pushing away any offer to leave the club to prove his worth to Hansi Flick. The youngster currently plays for Barça Atletic in the fourth division of Spanish football, and his quality has seen him attract interest and offers from several teams in higher divisions.

The endless possibilities, the sky being the limit: wonderkids bring our natural footballing instincts to dream big against all established wisdom and experience, and end up disappointed. With this in mind, and with Arsenal seemingly stacked with generational golden boys in recent seasons, it's odd now to look back at how Bukayo Saka burst onto the scene. There was little fanfare.

The 22-year-old has been one of the breakout stars in German football this season, scoring 12 goals in 17 games for second-tier high-fliers Elversberg before Christmas. That form earned him a 6.9m move to his hometown club Eintracht in late December, crowning a remarkable rise from the lower leagues to the top of the German game. Just a year ago, Ebnoutalib was playing in the fourth tier for FC Giessen, after a major setback in Italy had dashed his hopes of a professional career.

Nate Ament could emerge as a worthy high-risk, high-reward target for the Miami Heat in the 2026 NBA Draft, especially if this organization does trust its developmental system. In FanSided's Christopher Kline's latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft, the Heat roll the dice on Ament with the No. 19 overall pick. Even though he's been a bit hit or miss so far this season, he has the high-end raw talent that should make him an appealing target for Miami.

It was a game where they took the lead, but we had our chances before them. They scored in an avoidable situation, but despite that, we did well to look for the equaliser. I don't like to talk about this, but there were two incidents, which we also reviewed, that looked like clear penalties. Honestly, we're not interested in these discussions, though. The positive thing is that, despite the pitch being unplayable today, our players always tried to play the ball, even if the flow of play wasn't what it used to be.

When Jack Grealish arrived from Aston Villa for 100m in 2022, he was one of English football's most audacious, improvisational talents a player unafraid of expression. But the free roaming virtuoso of Villa Park became, for better or worse, a cog in Guardiola's relentless possession machine: his dribbles per game dropped by 40% in his first season at the club, and his flair and freedom was swapped for a regimented support role.

"He's a Bruin through and through and he's a guy that we want in our locker room. And he's going to carry this culture for a long time."

My memory of Eric is very good, he is one of the players you remember with respect because he is one of the players who has taught us coaches what it is to be a footballer of La Masia. His ball output, his way of playing is total Barça DNA,

Matias Maccelli has taken full advantage of being back in the lineup. He has looked more engaged and is creating offensive chances that the Maple Leafs did not have when he was sitting in the press box. Maccelli scored a tying goal in Thursday night's matchup against the Winnipeg Jets to propel them to a 6-5 comeback win. Maccelli has started to earn the trust of the coaching staff to be in the game when they need a goal or to spark the offence. Since Maccelli's return to the lineup, he has produced seven points in seven games.

With consistency and confidence, the real De Winter will emerge. I'll try to give my best as always, and then, with the team and staff, I'll try to fit in well.

Back in 2012, the Blue Jays signed Ureña for a signing bonus of $725,000. By 2016, Ureña reached Double-A and ranked as the Blue Jays' seventh-best prospect. Most of Ureña's 2017 was spent in Double-A, but since he was on the 40-man roster, he was called up to the big leagues that season and got some playing time In their 2017 rankings, MLB Pipeline ranked Ureña as their 94th-best prospect, but his stint with the Blue Jays didn't go so great.

Everton are weighing up ambitious loan moves for Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee as they look to strengthen David Moyes' squad during the January transfer window. According to iNews, the Merseyside club are assessing market opportunities that could add quality and depth without committing to large transfer fees, with both Man United stars viewed as potential short-term solutions who could make an immediate impact.

Not only did George flash the potential to be an immediately serviceable role player throughout a rookie season, but he proved almost immediately to start his sophomore campaign that there was more potential than what originally met the eye. Averaging 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists, while shooting 46.7% from the field and 40.8% from beyond the arc, George has looked every bit like a core piece for the Wizards moving forward.

There's something very Dimitar Berbatov about Eintracht Frankfurt attacker Can Uzun - and we can't get enough. The Turkiye youngster mixes nonchalance, brilliant feet and a high number of shots to create an attacking profile that would fly off the shelves if sold in a footballing department store. Uzun is an elegant player, shifting the ball from his left foot to his right and vice versa, often in the penalty area or close to it and under intense pressure.

It's extremely disheartening to see how far Gradey Dick has come up to this point in his NBA career and Toronto Raptors tenure. For the handful of times I find myself writing about the positive developments in the 22-year-old former Kansas standout's journey, I feel like it's offset by the countless examples of his costly slip-ups and inconsistent play.

Fisher took a step toward that promise on Christmas Day, when the club locked up Tyler Soderstrom on a seven-year, $86MM extension. The 24-year-old outfielder will now be under team control through his age-31 season. With Shea Langeliers just entering arbitration, and Jacob Wilson and still in the pre-arbitration phase, the Athletics have their hitting core in place for the foreseeable future.

Can Arsenal sign Aleksandar Stankovic? The player is likely to cost in excess of 23 million, and it will be interesting to see what Arsenal decide. They are looking to build a team for the future, and Stankovic could be a long-term acquisition for them. The opportunity to join one of the biggest clubs in the world will be exciting for the midfielder as well.

Remember the wave of excitement surrounding the Miami Heat's selection of Kasparas Jakucionis as the 20th overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft? That was never tied to any hopes of him competing for a rotation role on opening night and vying for Rookie of the Year honors. And even if it was, his shaky showing in summer league basically underlined and highlighted his need for further development.

"I think they're very good building blocks," Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Tuesday. "I know their best football is in front of them. ... Both those guys, I think, are foundational pieces for what we're trying to build here on defense."

The players I'm talking about are Ja'Kobe Walter, Gradey Dick, and Ochai Agbaji. For most of the 2025-26 season, these three have been the swingmen options Toronto has used, and they've all had their ups and downs. Agbaji has definitely been the most disappointing of the three, Dick continues to be inconsistent in his third NBA season, and while Ja'Kobe Walter still catches my eye with potential - he's still very much unproven to warrant a significant role.