HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR AUTOGRAPH IS REAL OR NOT?

BY MARK HALPERN

   Over the last year, two major counterfeit dealers of sports memorabilia were caught and charged. They were convicted to forging over $6million dollars of high-end autographs from some of the most famous athletes. Names ranging from Tom Brady and Joe Burrow, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, Mickey Mantle, Michael Jordan, Lebron James and yes, the Black Mamba Kobe Bryant. For the people who bought the items whether directly from these dealers or by way of a second party, you paid all that money and the item is not real. One forger took his own life with fears of what was going to happen. For the people he took advantage of they have a very small chance of ever recovering their investment. As for the other forger, he is a Russian. He is in custody for autographed memorabilia, fake coins, stamps and jewelry. 

     Fake Autographs in the sports memorabilia is more common than you think. There are many Authentication companies out their that are safe to use. JSA, PSA, SGC, BGS and Tri Star are the top five companies out on the market. As long as it comes with the COA (Certificate of Authenticity) and it matches in their online database then it generally is Authentic. 

   Now when you go to big Sport Card Shows such as the National buying boxes of cards and individual autograph cards you know what companies you’re dealing with and if on a sport card from Topps, Panini, Upperdeck and Leaf its genuine. However, it’s not just sports cards on display, no there is hundreds of dealers selling autograph memorabilia and better than half have questionable COA’s. These usually come from the dealer him self or another third party that has no online database and it’s their word it’s good. The term Caveat Emptor (which means buyer beware) comes into play very prominently in this case. If the COA is not from a reputable company and they are not willing to let JSA or PSA authenticate (JSA and PSA are at most trade shows) then many red flags should go up. If the autograph you are looking at is one of the ones that I recommend using, simply download their app and punch in the certificate number and as long as it comes up with exactly what you are getting then you should feel safe going home with your new part of your collection.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE WNBA AND THE CBA

BY Mark Halpern

On April 4, 1996 the world was introduced to first ever professional women’s sports  league the WNBA. The WNBA set the standard and now there are more Women’s professional sports than ever before. The league opened with eight teams for its first year and the teams were strategically placed in dominate NBA states at the time to try and grab some of those fans that would have to chance to watch Basketball played all year round between the NBA and WNBA. The leagues first teams were the Charlotte Sting, Clevland Rockers, Houston Comets, New York Liberty, Los Angles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and the Utah Stars. Some of the first players drafted were Rebecca Lobo (Liberty), Sheryl Swoopes (Comets) and Lisa Leslie (Sparks). These three set the standard of what the WNBA would become. 

    The WNBA is at it’s peak in terms of popularity, with stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu among others. This past weekend during the All-Star Game in Indianapolis, the players came out in Black T-shirts saying “Pay us what you owe us”. This was a message to the league in regards to the CBA, which expires October 31st. Players wearing the shirt included A’ja Wilson (ACES), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Alyssa Thomas (SUN) and Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty).  Let’s take a look at some numbers, National viewership for the WNBA is up 23 percent from last year and attendance is up 26 percent, the highest it has been in decades, and merchandise sales are up 40 percent. The WNBA has always had stars from Lisa Leslie to Sue Bird to Diana Taurasi. But now the league is deeper than ever before and has a lot of star power at once. One of the names that has transcended the league is Caitlin Clark, from her rise at Iowa to what she has done for the Indiana Fever has been amazing. The WNBA has become so popular that this year the Golden State Valkyries joined the league, there will be teams in Portland and Toronto next season, and by 2030 Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia will all have expansion teams. Starting next season a 2.2 Billion dollar broadcast deal, where games can be seen on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC, NBCUniversal (NBC, USA, PEACOCK), and Amazon Prime. So between the media deal, the increase in attendance and merch sales and the expansion teams (they paid a fee) is the WNBA saying they can’t increase the player’s pay?

 Caitlin Clark, the face of the league is scheduled to earn $78,066 this season, next season she will make $85,873 and in 2027 she’ll make $97,582 and remember she is on a rookie contract and has endorsements. Breanna Stewart is making $208,400 on the season. To put this into perspective LeBron James, who like Stewart is on a one year deal will make 56 MILLION DOLLARS. Jayson Tatum, who isn’t going to play this season will make 54 million. ( Not sure if he gets it all or if there’s insurance.) Yes, the NBA plays more games than the WNBA, but it is much cheaper for someone to take their family to a WNBA game than an NBA game. 

   In conclusion I am all for equal pay. Will there still be a gap between how WNBA and NBA players are paid: Yes, but that doesn’t mean that the WNBA players don’t deserve a raise. They absolutely do, and now with the league as popular as it is these players deserved to be rewarded.

CHARK A COWBOY?

BY MARK HALPERN

The Dallas Cowboys have an opportunity to bring in another Pro Bowl caliber Wide Receiver to their depth chart. D.J Chark, who has spent his time in the NFL with  five different teams (Jacksonville who drafted him, Detroit, Carolina and Chargers) and has been considering retirement. 

      On July 17th, Chark was asked if his plan was to retire from the NFL. Chark responded “Well I am mulling retirement but, if the Cowboys come calling, I would be very interested.” He also mentioned Houston or New Orleans because of geographical location to where he wants to end up living. (Note Chark visited the Bears on Monday) Chark made the Pro Bowl in 2019 as a member of the Jaguars. 2019 is the only season Chark has gone for over 1,000 yards. Injuries have hampered Chark’s career, he’s only played in 15 games twice in his career, but he’ll be 29 during the season and would provide an instant deep threat to go along with Cee Dee Lamb and recently acquired WR George Pickens. 

    The Cowboys currently have a little over $24 million in salary cap left for this season. Looking over Chark’s numbers I would offer a 2-year deal for $12 million paying him $6 million per season, max. That’s beyond a fair offer for a former pro bowl receiver. Chark would probably land as the third or fourth receiver along with Kavonte Turpin and Jalen Tolbert competing for spots. If the Dallas Cowboys go this way it not only will be an instant upgrade but will give Dak Prescott the best targets he has had in a few years.

ALL IN

BY MIKE RIFKIN

The Pittsburgh Steelers put an exclamation point on their offseason by re-signing star Edge rusher TJ Watt to a three year 123 million dollar extension. The 41 million dollar AAV makes Watt the highest paid non-qb in the NFL. GM Omar Khan and Coach Mike Tomlin were busy this offseason, in addition to Watt coming back, the Steelers added Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Receiver DK Metcalf, and Cornerback Jalen Ramsey to their roster. All of these moves mean the Steelers are all in, but the question is should the Steelers be all in? 

The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 AFC Divisional round against the Chiefs. Last season the Steelers lost their last five games (including playoffs) against the Eagles, Ravens (2x), Chiefs, and Bengals. So in important games down the stretch the Steelers choked, and it feels like they’ve choked in big games over the past few seasons. Yes, Aaron Rodgers is an upgrade over Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, but there while his overall numbers were solid, Rodgers had some games where he terrible and is 41 years old. 

But should these moves make the Steelers favorites in the AFC? The answer is simple, No, I don’t think the Steelers are even the best team forget in their own division, they’re not the best team in their own state. But, I will not take them over the Chiefs, Bills, or Ravens, if the Bengals figure out their defense they might be better.Outside of the division the Steelers will have games against four playoff teams (Bills, Vikings, Lions, and Packers). The Steelers are all in this season, but what happens if they fail? Will there be repercussions, or will the Steelers continue to be the same?

2025 MLB First Half Awards

By Mike Rifkin

At the All-Star Break, here is how I would vote for each award. 

AMERICAN LEAGUE 

MVP  : Cal Raleigh – Mariners : Raleigh already has surpassed his career high with 38 homers at the break. His slash line is not that of Aaron Judge, but his .259/.376/.634 line is respectable. He also is second in OPS, only trailing Judge. But the most impressive thing about Raleigh is he is doing this while catching everyday. Other Candidate : Aaron Judge (Yankees)

CY YOUNG : Tarik Skubal – Tigers : The Tigers have the best record in baseball (more on that later), and Skubal is a major part of that. Skubal is in the top ten in wins, ERA, Strikeouts and WHIP. Skubal is also looking for his second consecutive Pitching Triple Crown. Other Candidates : Max Fried (Yankees), Garrett Crochet (Red Sox)

MANAGER OF THE YEAR  : AJ Hinch – Tigers : If I asked you before the season, who would have the best record in baseball at the break, how many people would say the Detroit Tigers? Answer is probably not many, and the man in charge deserves a ton of credit. The Tigers are getting contributions from everyone and that’s a credit to Hinch. Other Candidates : Joe Espada (Astros), John Schneider (Blue Jays), Alex Cora (Red Sox)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MVP : Pete Crow -Armstrong – Cubs : I’ll be honest I really just didn’t want to hand another MVP to Ohtani, so I looked for someone as deserving. The Cubs have had a fantastic first half and this 23 year old sensation has been a big reason why. Crow-Armstrong has 25 homers and 71 RBI, to go with a slash line of .265/.302/.544 with 27 stolen bases, while playing a great Center Field. (All Met fans reminder to thank Zack Scott). Other candidates : Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers), Pete Alonso (Mets) 

CY YOUNG : Zack Wheeler – Phillies – Wheeler has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Phillies, but has yet to win a CY Young award. In the first half Wheeler has posted a 9-3 record with a 2.36 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts all in the top ten in baseball. He has a 3.7 strikeout to walk ratio as well. He’s having this kinda season without his partner in crime in Aaron Nola, who has been hurt, but really struggled beforehand. Other candidates : Logan Webb (Giants), Paul Skenes (Pirates), Cristopher Sanchez (Phillies)
MANAGER OF THE YEAR : Craig Counsell – Cubs : Every year the Central divisions are guess work. But nobody thought the Cubs would have the second best record in the NL, just a half game behind the Dodgers. But they’re doing this with Justin Steele out with Tommy John surgery and Shota Imanaga missed time with a hamstring injury, those were the top two starters for the Cubs last season. Counsell is doing a tremendous job. Other candidates : Pat Murphy(Brewers), Carlos Mendoza (Mets)

Quarterbacks Under Pressure

BY : Mike Rifkin

With training camp a couple weeks away, ESPN has released their top 10 Quarterbacks for 2025 through conversations with executives, scouts and coaches. Here is the list https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45530940/top-10-nfl-quarterbacks-execs-scouts-2025-espn-jeremy-fowler-position-rankings. This list is going to be a little different, this list will be the top 10 quarterbacks I believe are under pressure this season. 

  1.  Trevor Lawrence – Jags : Lawrence signed a five year 275 million dollar in October, and the AAV is tied for the highest in the league with Joe Burrow. Last season Lawrence had a 60.6 completion percentage, 2,045 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. If Lawrence doesn’t show improvement under new coach Liam Cohen, maybe there’s another team that will take a chance on the former number one pick. 
  1. Caleb Williams – Bears : The Bears spent their offseason doing one thing and that was build around Caleb Williams. Wether it was the additions on the offensive line or the hiring of Ben Johnson, Bears fans are going to want to see an improved Williams and potentially compete in the NFC North.
  1. Dak Prescott- Cowboys : You knew this was coming, Mike McCarthy didn’t get a pass with Dak getting hurt last season. Here is where I have to give Jerry Jones some credit, the addition of George Pickens to play alongside Ceedee Lamb gives Dak a tremendous duo at receiver. So playmakers is one reason the Cowboy QB is under pressure, him being the highest paid QB in the league is another, and the biggest reason Dak is under fire is because for the second time Cowboy fans saw the Eagles win the Lombardi. 
  1. Aaron Rodgers – Steelers : There’s only one reason Rodgers is on this list, and that is he believes the Pittsburgh Steelers are good enough to get to Santa Clara and the Super Bowl. If Rodgers can’t get the Steelers there it’s a failure and all the pressure is on Rodgers ( and should be on Tomlin too).
  1. Justin Herbert – Chargers : One of the questions I ask myself every year, Is Justin Herbert an elite QB? Stats wise he’s fantastic, but when they falter it’s not on Herbert. Whether it’s a lack of receivers or the defense can’t hold the lead, it’s not Herbert’s fault. Well the last time we saw Herbert, he threw four interceptions against the Texans in the playoffs. So, why is Herbert under pressure this season, because he has the same amount of playoff wins as me, and that’s not good. Time for the former Duck to put up or for the media to shut up. 
  1. Brock Purdy – 49ers : Brock got his bag and it’s deserved, but now to quote the great Uncle Ben from Spiderman : “With great power, comes great responsibility”. The Niners were a team decimated by injuries last season, and now healthy it’s on Brock to play like an elite talent and take the Niners to the promiseland. 
  2. Tua Tagovailoa – Dolphins : I know what you’re thinking, how can you put Tua this low on the list? Well, the answer is simple, the Dolphins don’t have the same expectations as some of these other teams entering the season. But, this is a major year for Tua and he has to do one thing in order to make it a success and that is stay healthy. If he has another injury plagued season, his career could be in jeopardy.
  1. JJ Mccarthy – Vikings : The  Vikings were one of the best stories in football last season, led by Sam Darnold. Now they’ve let Darnold walk and said no to Aaron Rodgers, because they believe in the former Michigan Wolverine. With the roster the Vikings have assembled, Mccarthy must lead them to the playoffs, which is asking a lot of a guy coming off ACL surgery. 
  1. Michael Penix Jr. – Falcons : This is not Penix’s fault, this is on the Falcons front office, who after signing Kirk Cousins decided to take Penix with eighth overall pick. Penix played in five games last season, and showed some glimpses, but now he has to prove the Falcons were right in taking him after signing Cousins otherwise somebody’s got a lot of explaining to do. 
  1.  Anthony Richardson – Colts : If you lose your starting job to Daniel Jones ( who apparently the Counting Crows song Mr. Jones isn’t about) you have a massive issue. Richardson, has dealt with some shoulder issues as well, but if he can’t prove to the Colts he is their future Quarterback, he will be out of the league shortly. 

Honorable Mention : Justin Fields (Jets)

People who will read this list are going to ask where are Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, well I’ll tell you their only pressure is to win the Super Bowl, the 10 listed above most of them (outside of Rodgers) have more to prove, and that’s why they’re under more pressure.

Going For It : Mets Trade Deadline Needs

By Mike Rifkin

Under Steve Cohen’s ownership, the Mets goal has been to win the World Series, the team’s first since 1986. Cohen has shown multiple times through his wallet that he’ll do whatever it takes to win the World Series. In free agency he has signed Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, and Juan Soto just to name a few. The trade deadline has been a different monster for the Mets though, as the past few deadlines they have tried to bandaid stuff together and it hasn’t worked. Whether it was the Darrin Ruf and Daniel Vogelbach experiment or adding Paul Blackburn, if the Mets want to be a serious contender this is the deadline to show that and it’s a cherry on top if they don’t have to obliterate the farm system. So what do the Mets need at the deadline? In my opinion the Mets need one or two starters, two relievers (one lefty) and a center fielder. So, what could they get? 

STARTERS

  1. Sandy Alcantara – Marlins : A year removed from Tommy John Surgery, Alcantra has not had a great season with a 4-8 record and an ERA of 7.01. The positive on Alcantara would be he has one year left with a club option for a second.The downside would be trading within the division and helping the Marlins through their rebuild. 
  1. Zac Gallen – Diamondbacks : This one will hinge on whether the Diamondbacks sit in the standings, as of this writing they are 10.5 games behind the Dodgers and 5.5 games in the wild card. Like Alcantra, Gallen has struggled this season with an 5.15 ERA, so he could be a buy low candidate and with him being a free agent after the season could work in the Mets favor. 
  1. Mitch Keller – Pirates : Keller is 29 years old and under contract through 2029. With the Pirates always wanting to shed money, the Mets could be a good partner as they could take the entire salary. But because Keller is under contract, his price might be a little higher. 
  1. Kyle Freeland and German Marquez – Rockies : Ok, both of these guys have good stuff and have pitched well in the past, but not this season. Is it them declining or is it the fact that the Rockies stink. Freeland is 1-10 with an ERA of 5.44. He has one more year left plus a vesting option for 2027. Marquez is 3-10 with a 5.84 ERA, what is worrisome about Marquez is he has a higher ERA on the road as opposed to Coors Field. Marquez will be a free agent after the season. 
  1. Jacob DeGrom – Rangers : Yeah, this is a dream scenario, but let me have this. After another injury plagued season, the leader of the Nation of DeGromination has returned with a vengeance, He is 9-2 with a 2.29 ERA and should be in the running for CY Young. Now, he does have two years plus a 2028 club option left on his contract, so it’ll be interesting to see if Texas wants to move him. 

RELIEVERS : I do think the Mets bullpen will get a boost in the playoffs, with the addition of Clay Holmes, who has been in the rotation all season, but along with him and the return of Brooks Raley, the Mets still need two arms (one lefty) in the pen. 

  1. Pete Fairbanks – Rays : The Rays are always tinkering with their team, so if Fairbanks is available, he’d give Carlos Mendoza a solid option on days Edwin Diaz cannot pitch. Fairbanks has just a seven million dollar club option for 2026. 
  1. Kyle Finnegian – Nats : The Nationals just fired GM Mike Rizzo and Manager Dave Martinez and are in the midst of a rebuild. Finnegan has 18 saves to go along with a 2.49 ERA. Finnegian is a free agent after the season. 
  1. Gregory Soto – Orioles – Soto has 39 strikeouts in 32.1 innings pitched. Soto, who is in the last year of his deal has a 3.90 ERA.

CENTER FIELD : 

  1. Luis Robert : White Sox : Robert, has been involved in trade talks for the last year. Last season was a rough season for him with 14 homers and a slash line of .224/.278/.379. This year has been tougher with eight homers so far and a slash line of .187/.272/.315. Robert also has 22 steals in 30 attempts.  Is this what Robert is or is this because the White Sox stink? Who knows, but adding a 27 year old, who has two 20 million dollar club options over the next two seasons might be worth a risk. 
  1. Cedric Mullins : Orioles : Mullins has been a big piece for the Orioles rise the last few years. He is a very good defender. This season he has a slash line of .211/.300/.410 with 13 homers and 41 RBI. Mullins would bring an element of speed with 11 stolen bases in 13 tries. Mullins is a free agent after the season. 

This is a big deadline for Steve Cohen and David Stearns, the Mets have put them in a position to buy. Even though Stearns likes to use upside and potential in deals, I believe this is a go for it year, they have certain untouchables in terms of prospects, but this is not a time to hug all the prospects. To use a poker term the Mets need to go all in.

Lost Treasure

By Mike Rifkin

Remember last week when the Pittsburgh Pirates won six consecutive games, and you thought hey maybe they turned the corner? Well, they didn’t and the Pirates spent the July fourth weekend without fireworks, as they were shutout in an entire series by the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners outscored the Pirates 8-0, including 1-0 wins on Saturday and Sunday. 

Sunday’s loss hurts more because it was Paul Skenes pitching, and Skenes was fantastic, with 10 strikeouts and no runs allowed in his five innings of work. Why he was pulled at 78 pitches is something I don’t understand (unless it’s injury related). Paul Skenes is in the top ten in ERA (1.94), strikeouts (125), and WHIP(0.92), yet his record is 4-7. Why is such a dominant pitcher 4-7? Well, the Pirates have scored two runs or less in seven of Skenes’ starts. The Pirates are 26th in team batting average (.231) and 30th in homers (61). With the trade deadline looming the Pirates have a few names to consider moving are outfielder Brian Reynolds, starting pitcher Mitch Keller and Closer David Bednar. 

Now here’s the thing for GM Ben Cherington, he has to add pieces for the 2026 Pirates, as they look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015. If they don’t make those additions and the 2026 Pirates are similar to the Pirates we’ve seen this season, well then the Paul Skenes trade whispers are going to get louder. And for a team that has already gone through this (Gerrit Cole) it’s not out of the realm of possibility it can happen again, and the Pirates could lose two treasured pitchers.

NHL FREE AGENCY : WINNERS AND LOSERS (BY TEAM) BY MIKE RIFKIN

We are in the midst of NHL free agency. And while most of the top guys have signed, we will wait and see what happens on the trade market. But, while we wait here are my winners and losers so far. 

WINNERS: 

  1. PANTHERS – How do the back to back champs get better? By retaining all three of their massive free agents. You can make the case that all three could’ve made more money (AAV) on the market, but chose to stay in Florida. Retaining all three of these players will help the Panthers on their quest to win a third consecutive Cup.
  1. MAMMOTH –  It’s not often that 23 year old, that has the potential to score 30 goals hits the market. And in the case of JJ Peterka, he was an RFA and Utah struck a deal quickly with the Sabres to acquire him and subsequently sign him to a five year 38.5 million dollar contract. Nate Schmidt, will replace Michael Kesserling, who was traded to Buffalo for Peterka. Schmidt, was outstanding for the Panthers with five goals and 19 points in 80 regular season games. In the Panthers’ run to the Cup Schmidt had three goals and 12 points in 23 games. As for Tanev, he is an energy player, he will fit in the bottom six and kills penalties. He also will add some physicality to the Mammoth. 
  1. GOLDEN KNIGHTS  – Since their inception into the league, the Vegas Golden Knights have not been afraid of the big splash. This summer they reeled in the big fish in Mitch Marner, in a sign and trade with the Maple Leafs. Marner, is a highly skilled player, who hit 100 points last season. Marner also has 63 points in 70 career playoff games. In the sign and trade for Marner, the Golden Knights traded away Nic Roy, who is a useful two way forward. In replacing him he Knights acquired Colton Sissons from the Predators. Sissons, is a nice complimentary piece, who can play in the middle six, and help kill penalties. Sissons also brings a lot of playoff experience as well, not that the Knights need it. 
  1. ISLANDERS –  The Islanders might have had the best offseason so far, having the number one overall pick in the draft and three total in the first round. The Islanders also had an underrated signing in Jonathan Drouin. Drouin had 37 points in 43 games last season for the Avs, two years ago he had 56 points in 79 games. Drouin, playing on a line with either Mat Barzal or Bo Horvat should help the Isles offense, that averaged 2.71 goals per game. 
  1. CANADIENS – They are young, hungry and very close to ending this rebuild with a bang. They traded for and subsequently signed defenseman Noah Dobson, as well as traded for Zac Bolduc from the Blues. Both players fit the age gap of this young, up and coming team led by Marty ST. Louis. 

LOSERS

  1. BRUINS : The Bruins are in an interesting spot with their franchise. While they still have a lot of talent under contract, they need to start thinking about the future. The Bruins made one of the most confusing deals in free agency when they signed Tanner Jeannot, to a five year 17 million dollar contract (3.4 AAV). In 2021-22 Jeannot scored 24 goals, if you combine the three seasons since, he’s only scored 20 goals. He’ll fit in Boston as a physical player, but unless he finds his offensive game, this contract is not pretty. 
  1. CANUCKS : I know what you’re thinking, Mike they brought back Brock Boeser, and you are 100% right. I have no problem with Boeser, but I am confused on the state of the Canucks. Are they closer to the team two years ago, that was a playoff team or are they the dysfunctional mess they were last season? Anyway the two deals I have a problem with are the addition of Evander Kane, and the Thatcher Demko extension. Let’s start with Kane, there are a few problems I have with it, the biggest one being you help a division rival dump a salary, and don’t get a sweetener. Kane can be an effective player, but there are times where he will lose his cool ( watch the Stanley Cup Final). Not sure he’s the best addition to a team trying to cleanse out their locker room. I love Thatcher Demko, when healthy he’s an elite goalie. The key is when healthy, two of the last three seasons Demko has played less than 40 games.They need to keep Demko healthy otherwise that 3 year (8.5 Mill AAV) is going last forever. 
  2. SABRES – Someone check on Kevyn Adams, the Sabres have been relatively quiet. They traded away Peterka ( mentioned above) and have done very little to improve this team. The Sabres have the longest playoff drought in the league, and one would think if they miss again Adams will be fired.

Another Russ In NY?

BY MARK HALPERN

      The New York Giants will have a new quarterback in 2025 by the name of Russell Wilson, could the Knicks land another marquee Russell? The New York Knicks ambitions of finals glory was ended by the Pacers, who lost in the Finals to the Thunder. Speaking of the Thunder, a former perennial all-star has emerged as a possible target and that’s Russell Westbrook.

     Westbrook played his first 11 seasons in the league with the Thunder. Russell is a nine time all-star. Westbrook has led the league in many categories,he is a two time scoring champ and a three time assists leader, as well as the 2016-17 MVP.  Westbrook is the all-time leader in Triple-Doubles with 203. Westbrook has bounced around since, playing for both LA teams, Houston, Washington, and this season Denver. His days of starting are over, but he still brings energy and can provide a spark every game. Once his trade to the Lakers was proven to be two of his worst years trying to live around the spotlight of Lebron James and Anthony Davis and was lost in the mix. His numbers suffered greatly and almost in an instance he wasn’t a big name anymore.

     The Knicks are in dire need of help off the bench (as the starting 5 is pretty solid). The Knicks sorely lacked in bench production this season after the departing of Donte DiVincenzo (who is rumored to want to come back) and could use the talents and likes of Westbrook as long as his shooting selection has changed. Being in New York with this team could see his name put up for the likes of Sixth man of the year. If Westbrook could handle the LA spotlight, he can handle New York. But one thing he needs to know is that this is not his team.