NBA

Kings fire head coach Mike Brown

Most underachieving teams select a fall guy, someone held responsible for a season gone awry. For the 13-18 Kings, Brown inherits the blame. Ironically enough, Sacramento’s now former head coach is among the least responsible for the team’s struggles, but this reactionary move fits the bill for the Kings, a franchise with just one playoff appearance since 2006.

Good luck, Sacramento, on finding a head coach to prop this group up better than Brown did. After all, the Kings still boast a positive point differential with an oddly shaped roster. Brown did great work across two-plus seasons with the Kings — I hope the 54-year-old gets another shot as a head coach.

Grade: D-

Mavericks PG Luka Doncic out for at least one month with left calf strain

Dallas has given itself a decent cushion at 19-11 to sustain the long-term loss of its best player, but virtually no lead is safe in the rugged Western Conference. That holds true in this case, as the Mavericks are just four games ahead of the 11th-place Spurs. Dallas should be fine, but it’ll need to lean on Kyrie Irving for more scoring over the next month or so.

This injury, in addition to the team, also affects Doncic. It’s now extremely unlikely that the guard makes a sixth-consecutive All-NBA team. That’s probably the least of the 25-year-old’s worries at the moment, but it’s worth noting.

MLB

Dodgers sign LF Teoscar Hernandez to three-year, $66 million contract

The rich get — well, in this case, stay — richer. Hernandez undoubtedly could’ve received more money elsewhere, but the veteran outfielder opted to stay with the Dodgers. After a successful 2024 season, it’s hard to blame him. The left fielder belted a career-high 33 home runs last year as a middle-of-the-order threat for the World Series champions.

There’s at least some downside to this pact for Los Angeles — if you squint hard enough. For one, Hernandez is a 32-year-old bat-first corner outfielder, so it would be reasonable to expect a decline at some point, perhaps imminently. Hernandez also doesn’t run well, despite swiping 12 bags last season. At this point, though, we’re picking nits, and the main story here is that a juggernaut secured a talented player at below-market value.

Grade: B+

Tigers sign 2B Gleyber Torres to one-year, $15 million contract

Detroit has loads of uncertainty in its infield entering 2025, so adding Torres at least gives the club a dependable option at the keystone. Dependable, however, hasn’t always been the best word to describe the 28-year-old. Torres exploded as a youngster in 2019 with 38 homers, but it’s been somewhat of a roller coaster for him since. Take last season, for example. The second baseman muddled through the first half of the year before finishing strong, culminating in a .257 average, 15 home runs and 63 RBIs.

Torres was more of a bit piece with the Yankees, a youthful talent capable of impressive highs and bewildering lows. That’ll need to change with the Tigers. Spencer Torkelson, Colt Keith, Trey Sweeney, Jace Jung and Javier Baez are all question marks at this point, so the club will look to Torres — even if it’s for just one season — for stability.

Grade: C+