Month: August 2025

The post 1 move Utah Mammoth should’ve made in 2025 NHL offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Utah Mammoth had an active offseason. Firstly, they have a name now, dumping Utah Hockey Club in favor of the new moniker. And then, they made a trade for former Sabres forward JJ Peterka and signed him to an extension. But the Mammoth should have done more to improve their offense through a trade for either Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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The Mammoth did more than just the Peterka trade this offseason. They had already extended Sean Durzi, Olli Matta, and Karel Vajelmka at the trade deadline. In the summer, they signed Nate Schmidt and Vitek Vanecek from the Florida Panthers to bring veteran experience to the locker room. They were also interested in Brad Marchand, but he remained with the Panthers.

The Mammoth have a lot of left-handed forwards, including Peterka. While balance is not the most important thing for forward units, they should be looking to add a right-handed winger. Both Rust and Rakell are right-handed and have the veteran experience that Utah is looking for.

The Penguins are headed for a deep rebuild as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin’s careers wind down. They should be traded before the trade deadline so Pittsburgh gets more ping pong balls in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes. The Mammoth would also be sending over picks and prospects to help the Penguins rebuild their roster.

The Mammoth have 20 total picks between the 2026 and 2027 drafts. That alone makes them a great candidate to make a trade. In the Peterka deal, they sent defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan to the Sabres. That means they still have the picks and prospects to deal. But if the Penguins want NHL-ready players, Utah may not be the right trade partner.

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The Mammoth have a young, dynamic forward unit

When they left Arizona, the Coyotes were finally building for the future. Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Clayton Keller all made their debuts with the Coyotes. Keller was given an extension to stay in Arizona, but the team didn’t stay there and moved before last season.

The Mammoth have made big trades in both of their offseasons so far. They picked up Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning to bolster their blue line before ever playing a game. John Marino also came in during the offseason, but Sergachev was the headliner. When they were retooling the blue line, they made two deals. But when the forward unit was under construction, it was just one deal.

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The Mammoth could have traded for either Rust or Rakell and still been under the salary cap ceiling of $92.5 million. They would not have been missing much from their draft pick surplus, and added more scoring. That is exactly what they need to compete in a deep Western Conference.

Rakell is under contract for three more seasons at $5 million per year. He scored a career-high 35 goals and chased it with a career-high 35 assists for last year’s dreadful Penguins team. After a run with the Anaheim Ducks, he was traded to the Penguins at the 2022 trade deadline. His 10-team no-trade list could make the deal complicated.

Rust is due $5.125 million for three seasons, but has no trade protection. He was a key piece to two Stanley Cup championships in Pittsburgh and also had a career-high in goals, assists, and points in 2024-25. The Penguins should have been looking to trade both of these players this offseason, as their 2025-26 seasons are unlikely to be as good.

The Mammoth should have made another big trade to improve their forward unit. If they are going to compete, they will need to spend to the cap ceiling.

Three schools – Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State – that are leaving the Mountain West Conference for the Pac-12 are suing the Mountain West, saying the league improperly withheld tens of millions of dollars owed to them after they announced their departure plans.

The amended complaint, filed in the District Court of Denver, Colorado, and obtained by USA TODAY Sports, also asserts that the Mountain West misled them about adding Grand Canyon University as a league member.

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Grand Canyon University is set to join the Mountain West on July 1, 2026, the same day the three plaintiffs’ schools are to join the Pac-12.

The lawsuit also added conference commissioner Gloria Nevarez as a defendant, and alleges that Nevarez has “taken extraordinary, retaliatory and unauthorized actions in violation of Plaintiffs’ membership rights and Colorado law,” and “intentionally and fraudulently” caused millions of dollars in harm while “impacting the rights and opportunities of Plaintiffs’ student-athletes for their last year in the Conference” and depriving them of their membership rights.

“For the past several months, Colorado State University, Boise State University and Utah State University worked in good faith to try to resolve this matter. Unfortunately during that same period, actions taken by the Mountain West and Commissioner Nevarez have raised serious concerns regarding their fairness and transparency.

“As set forth in the Second Amended Complaint that was filed today, the Mountain West and Commissioner Nevarez repeatedly misrepresented their intentions regarding the admission of Grand Canyon University for the 2025/26 season and purposefully delayed any formal vote on the issue until after the departing schools delivered their Notices of Resignation from the Conference,” the three schools said in a joint statement.

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The three schools announced last September they will leave the Mountain West to join the Pac-12 on June 30, 2026, at the end of the current Mountain West media rights agreement.

Among the millions of dollars that are allegedly owed are College Football Playoff funds that Boise State earned as a playoff participant last season, as well as money due from the NCAA, including grant-in-aid and other money to support academic programs, and money tied to the well-being of the school’s student athletes.

Also at issue is the Mountain West’s exit fees for leaving for another league. Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State say the exit fee of at least $19 million per school is “unlawful, excessive and punitive.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boise State, Colorado State Utah State sue Mountain West

The NFL preseason isn’t the most glamorous form of football.

Most of the time, it’s essentially a prove-it exhibition ground for players who are trying to establish themselves while the game’s stars are mostly kept on the sideline.

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There are currently just under 80 players with Utah ties on NFL rosters, and for close to half that group, the likelihood is they won’t be on a regular-season roster once final cuts happen at the end of August.

Then there are other Utah ties who are more safe in their roster spot, but need a strong training camp/preseason to improve their hopes of making a contribution at some point.

Week 1 of the NFL preseason kicks off Thursday, and with it, each of the league’s 32 teams will play three games over the next three weeks.

Which Utah ties are among the most interesting to watch in this week’s action?

Zach Wilson, Miami Dolphins QB

• Former BYU and Corner Canyon High quarterback

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The game: Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears, Sunday, 11 a.m. MDT (NFL Network)

Wilson is the only non-rookie on this list, but for good reason.

His career has gotten sidetracked, and now the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft is trying to find his opportunity while serving as a backup.

Last year, he was with the Denver Broncos, where he never played a regular-season snap as rookie Bo Nix ended up winning the team’s quarterback competition.

This offseason, Wilson signed with the Dolphins.

He is listed as the backup on Miami’s unofficial depth chart released for this week’s game, ahead of rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers of Texas, who, according to reports, has been impressive in training camp.

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Considering Miami starter Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history, Wilson ought to have plenty of chances to show what he can do in the Dolphins’ offense during the preseason, in case he’s needed during the regular season.

Can Wilson improve his stock with solid preseason play while simultaneously also keeping himself ahead of Ewers?

“I think Zach’s play has caught the attention of a lot of his teammates. I could have reasonably predicted that,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniels said of Wilson this week, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants quarterback

• Former Corner Canyon and Roy High quarterback

The game: New York Giants at Buffalo Bills, Saturday, 11 a.m. MDT (NFL Network)

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Dart, another former Corner Canyon signal caller, is getting his first taste of live NFL action this week.

He was the No. 25 overall selection in April’s NFL draft, and following a standout career at Ole Miss (preceded by one year at USC), Dart is ready to take aim at the pros.

He’s in an ideal situation, with veterans Russell Wilson, the presumed starter, and Jameis Winston in New York to help Dart acclimate to the pro game.

Dart will get plenty of playing time in the preseason, starting with the matchup against the Bills.

While Giants coach Brian Daboll wouldn’t comment on how much Dart will play this weekend, his offensive coordinator, Mike Kafka, said the rookie quarterback is “on schedule” in his development.

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“I’d say Jaxson is right on schedule from what we’d expect in terms of just understanding the offense, continuing to grow and learn every day,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said on Wednesday, per the team’s official website. “Every day we’re presenting him — not just him but all the quarterbacks — with different situations and some situations you’ve probably never seen before.

“Those have been good to build off of, whether it’s in two-minute, whether it’s a third-down situation or a certain blitz look that we’re getting, he’s able to kind of grow and learn from those examples and now as he starts banking more and more looks, more and more reps — we do a lot of this throughout the walkthrough as well, he can kind of see — now he’s starting to put the picture together a little bit better and cleaner for a rookie.”

Jalen Royals, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver

• Former Utah State wide receiver

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The game: Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, 6 p.m. MDT

Royals, even though he’s a rookie, is already building trust with two of the most important men in the Chiefs organization: three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Andy Reid and All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“He’s catching the football well,” Reid said of Royals following Sunday’s practice, according to Arrowhead Pride. “(He’s) strong (and) looks like the quarterbacks trust him. That’s a big part of it. As you watch, you just kind of see who the quarterbacks are going to, and there’s a certain trust that they’re developing in that kid. So, that kind of speaks for itself.”

There also appears to be an opportunity for Royals, a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft, to make an impact as a first-year pro on a Chiefs team that also has Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy at wide receiver.

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Rice is coming back from a torn ACL and is facing an expected suspension — perhaps in the range of six weeks, according to some experts — tied to a street-racing incident this offseason that involved a multi-car crash.

What does that mean for Royals?

He could be asked to shoulder more of the receiving burden during Rice’s suspension.

Saturday’s game will also give fans their first opportunity to see Royals in a game for Kansas City, and give the young wideout his chance to prove Reid’s and Mahomes’ trust is well-placed.

Caleb Lohner, Denver Broncos tight end

• Former Utah football tight end (and former BYU/Wasatch Academy/Utah basketball forward)

The game: Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. MDT

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It’s not uncommon to hear about players making a transition from one sport to another, and Lohner is a perfect example of that.

Following four years of strictly college basketball — two at BYU and two at Baylor — he transferred to Utah last season and played both football and basketball for the Utes.

Now, he’s paired with one of the best creative offensive minds in the NFL, Broncos coach Sean Payton, after Denver used a seventh-round flier on the 6-foot-7 athlete.

Former Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham, himself a college basketball player before switching sports in the pros — was trained by Payton during his days in New Orleans.

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Could Lohner follow a similar path?

He’ll get his first chance at an NFL game against the 49ers this weekend.

“He’s coming around. He’s doing well,” Payton said of Lohner in June, according to Sports Illustrated. “There are some things that are new to him, and then there are some things that he gravitates to that I think he’s further along with.”

Ja’Quinden Jackson, Jacksonville Jaguars running back

• Former Utah running back/quarterback

The game: Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars, Saturday, 5 p.m. MDT

Though Jackson didn’t finish his college career at Utah — he transferred to Arkansas last season — he is well-remembered for his tough running style.

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Two years ago, he ran for 797 yards and four touchdowns in leading the Utes in rushing the 2023 season.

Now, Jackson is trying to make a 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent.

He is listed as fourth string on Jacksonville’s unofficial depth chart ahead of the team’s matchup against the Steelers, and it’s unclear how many opportunities he will have this week — and throughout the preseason — to prove himself.

Every year, though, one or two Utah ties (sometimes more) who went undrafted end up making the regular-season roster.

Can Jackson be one of them?

There was a time when Ike Larsen was viewed as a near surefire NFL draft prospect.

Maybe not an early-round pick, but a mid-to-late selection.

When people talked about Utah State and the future NFL players that were on the team, it was Larsen whose name was frequently dropped first, followed by wide receiver Jalen Royals, a fourth-round selection this year by the Kansas City Chiefs.

“When the moment gets bigger (Ike) tends to get better. And that’s a great trait.”

former USU coach Blake Anderson on Ike Larsen

There was genuine thought that Larsen might leave school early to go pro and it made sense to believe that.

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In 2022 and again in 2023, Larsen was a difference-maker for Utah State. A playmaker extraordinaire, if you will.

“The guy just has a knack for finding the ball,” former Utah State coach Blake Anderson said back in 2023, following a convincing USU win over Colorado State.

“People like him and (Anthony Switzer) and MJ (Tafisi), they’re just calm in the moment. Their body control at the point of attack is really really good. He (Larsen) is not afraid of the moment.

“Most people get there and honestly can’t make the play. They miss it. They close their eyes and their technique is bad,” he continued. “When the moment gets bigger (Ike) tends to get better. And that’s a great trait.”

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To Anderson’s point, as a redshirt freshman in 2022 — a year in which he only started four games — Larsen led the Aggies with four interceptions and three blocked kicks. No player in program history had ever blocked that many kicks in a single season, and Larsen did it as a redshirt freshman seeing his first major playing time at the collegiate level.

The next season, Larsen may have been better. At the very least, given a larger role (he started all 13 games) his overall production ramped up. Larsen finished the 2023 season with 103 tackles (58 of which were solo) — the second-most on the team. He also recorded a team-high four interceptions and a team-high two blocked kicks. Oh and he had six pass breakups as well, second-most on the team.

Something happened last year, though. Larsen, while still productive statistically — he finished the year second on the team with 80 tackles (55 of which were solo), had a team-best nine pass breakups and one interception — was far from his usual self.

He was more undisciplined, particularly in coverage, and didn’t wrap up his tackles nearly as well as he had proven capable. Somehow Larsen largely went unnoticed in many games, his game-breaking playmaking ability absent more often than not.

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The 2024 season was a disastrous one for USU, starting with the unexpected firing of Anderson, the promotion of new defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling to interim head coach, quickly followed by the tragic death of transfer defensive back Andre Seldon Jr. And when Utah State could have used Larsen at his best, well, he was far from it.

Per Pro Football Focus, Larsen was demonstrably worse last season than he had been previously in his career, his overall grade dropping to a 58.7 in 2024, well below the 74.8 he earned in 2023 and the 89.6 he received in 2022.

His coverage grade was 55.2, which put him as the 739th best safety in coverage out of 858 players graded. Meaning, 86% of safeties who played college football last year were better than Larsen in coverage.

It wasn’t just coverage either. His pass rush grade was 59, which was mediocre at best for his position. He was slightly better in run defense — he graded out at 65.9 — but that still put him in the bottom 41% of safeties.

It isn’t just PFF that noticed the precipitous drop in Larsen’s play. New head coach Bronco Mendenhall was unfamiliar with Larsen before taking over the USU job — despite Utah State and New Mexico playing last season. Mendenhall wasn’t shy at Mountain West media days, noting that Larsen had been better earlier in his career than he was in 2024.

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“Ike has had a strong career,” Mendenhall said. “I didn’t know much about Ike prior to coming to Utah State, as I’ve been out of the state for a while. Earlier in his career, stronger performances. Last year, not as strong.”

There is reason to believe that Larsen will return to form this season, though.

The senior has been noticeable on social media, not as much his own accounts like in the past but on Utah State football’s official accounts. The reason? He’s clearly tried to take on a leadership role, something he appeared to shy away from last season.

“You got a really instinctual player. Got a lot of God-given talent.”

USU QB Bryson Barnes on Ike Larsen

Mendenhall noted that Larsen is eager to get back to playing like he used to.

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“He’s anxious to relink the upcoming year to what he’s truly capable of,” Mendenhall said. “To what will be needed from him and the secondary in general.”

Larsen is still Larsen. He’s unique in a lot of ways. It can be difficult to pin down who he is in just a few words.

“Ike is always going to be Ike,” senior defensive tackle Gabriel Iniguez Jr., said at MW media days. “He just does his own thing.”

The talent remains, though. Game-breaking talent. It never left.

“You got a really instinctual player,” senior quarterback Bryson Barnes said. “Got a lot of God-given talent given to him.”

The hope is that Larsen makes good use of it in 2025 and ends his Utah State playing career on a high note.

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To his benefit and the Aggies.

Utah has long been underestimated. When people imagine our state, they often think of mountains, families and faith — but not major league sports. That needs to change. Because Utah isn’t just ready for Major League Baseball. We’re ideal.

The Salt Lake–Provo–Orem corridor is home to nearly 3 million people, and it’s growing fast. Our economy is healthy, our tech sector is booming and our communities are deeply connected. That’s a rare combination — and Major League Baseball should take note.

A recent poll found that over 80% of Utahns support bringing an MLB team to the state. That’s not a casual “sure, why not?”—that’s the kind of overwhelming enthusiasm every league dreams of. And it’s not just theoretical. The Salt Lake Bees have drawn millions of fans over the years, even without the glamour or payroll of an MLB franchise. We show up. We care.

So why now?

Because we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do this right. To create a franchise that reflects who we are and how we live. A team that’s built not just for profit, but for purpose.

Utah has already shown that professional sports can thrive here. The Jazz are beloved statewide. Real Salt Lake continue to punch above their weight in the MLS. The Mammoth have sprung out of the gate. And college sports dominate headlines and Saturdays. But baseball is different. It’s slower, deeper, more intergenerational. It’s about ritual and memory — things Utahns understand better than most.

A new team wouldn’t just bring games. It would bring jobs, civic pride and the kind of shared tradition that binds generations. Picture summer nights downtown. Picture family outings that don’t require a second mortgage. Picture a stadium designed for families, neighbors and newcomers alike — clean, safe, affordable and local.

We could even do something bolder: reimagine the idea of ownership. While MLB has traditionally resisted public or civic models, Utah is known for innovation. Why not explore a hybrid approach — anchored by private investment but open to community participation? A team that belongs to all of us, not just a boardroom.

We don’t need gimmicks. We need authenticity. Utah has it in abundance.

There will be doubters. Some will say we’re too small, or too conservative, or too far from baseball’s traditional strongholds. But so was Green Bay — and their publicly owned Packers are now one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports.

Others will raise concerns about altitude or April weather. Fair points — but solvable ones. Denver did it. So can we. Build a modern ballpark with shade and heating options. Embrace the Wasatch backdrop. Make it uniquely ours.

If MLB wants a franchise that isn’t just another big-city bet but a real partnership with a real place, Utah is the answer.

We’re not trying to copy anyone. We’re offering something new: a team rooted in community, backed by faith in one another and built for the long haul.

We believe in loyalty. We believe in family. We believe in shared effort and earned success. That’s what baseball is about. That’s what Utah is about.

We’re not just ready. We’re the right choice.

It’s time to bring it home.

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics traded recently acquired forward Georges Niang and two future second-round draft picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for rookie RJ Luis Jr., both teams announced Wednesday.

The deal is contingent on the players passing their physicals.

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Niang is headed to Utah just a month after being dealt to Boston as part of a three-team deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta. Niang previously spent four seasons with Utah. He appeared in 79 games split between Atlanta and Cleveland last season when he averaged a career-high 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Shedding the final year of Niang’s salary for next season will save Boston $8 million in luxury taxes, and allow it to stay under the second penalty apron following the addition of Chris Boucher, who agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal.

Boucher has spent the past seven seasons with Toronto, where he was part of its 2019 championship team.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

The post 1 move Utah Jazz should’ve made in 2025 NBA offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Utah Jazz are unlikely to make the leap to playoff contention next season, and their offseason moves suggest that the front office knows they’re in it for the long game. With the Jazz residing in the tougher Western Conference, it would take a miracle for them to be even in the play-in tournament picture. In fact, it’s not quite clear yet if they have the blue-chip prospect they need to take their rebuild to the next level.

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Ace Bailey could be that guy, although his Summer League performance left a lot to be desired. Bailey also comes with his fair share of off-court baggage; can he overcome that en route to being the franchise cornerstone the Jazz need him to be?

But beyond that, it’s clear that the Jazz are still in talent accumulation mode, hoping that one of those players turns into the star they badly need to get back to their competitive ways.

With that in mind, this move was something they should have done to at least give them another lottery ticket.

The Jazz should have maintained cap space for a restricted free agent

At present, only two teams in the NBA have cap space remaining — the Jazz and the Brooklyn Nets. Cap space has dried up all around the association, leading to a huge pause in free-agent signings. There has been no significant motion in free agency for weeks now, even with talented players such as Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes, and Cam Thomas still unsigned heading into the middle of August.

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Considering how badly the Jazz need to infuse their roster with talent, they should have prioritized being able to create the space they needed to be able to tender an acceptable offer sheet to one of those aforementioned restricted free agents.

Of course, it’s not like all four of them would be seamless fits on the roster. Kuminga, for instance, would be battling for frontcourt minutes with the likes of Lauri Markkanen, Bailey, Kyle Filipowski, and Taylor Hendricks (once he returns). But considering that he’s only 22 years of age, bringing him in would represent a major upside play for Utah.

Kuminga’s desire for a bigger role has been well-documented, and he simply won’t be getting that on the Warriors. If the Jazz carved up around $25-$30 million in cap space, they could have given Kuminga an offer sheet he couldn’t refuse and putting pressure on the Warriors to make a snap decision with one fell swoop.

The other three remaining noteworthy restricted free agents are guards, but the Jazz, looking at their roster at present, appear to be in dire need of a quality shooting guard. It’s not quite clear who the Jazz will be starting at the two — they can roll with a backcourt of Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George, but that is deathly undersized.

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They could also lean more towards supersized basketball, deploying Bailey at the two, while trotting out Markkanen at the three and perhaps Filipowski at the four with the departure of John Collins via trade.

Even then, the Jazz badly need more offense (among the many things they need to become a winning team). Adding someone like Grimes would have been incredible. Grimes and the Philadelphia 76ers are currently at an impasse as well; after his scorching hot end to last season, Grimes is asking for a lot of money befitting of someone who was dropping 30 and 40 point-games like it was nobody else’s business.

Grimes, since arriving with the 76ers, put up 21.9 points per game on 47/37/75 shooting splits, averaging 2.9 made triples per contest. He can thrive both on and off the ball, and he would have given Utah a go-to scorer on the perimeter who’s efficient — someone Utah needs to lessen the scoring burden on Markkanen’s shoulders.

Even Giddey would be a fine addition for the Jazz. While he’s not a marksman from beyond the arc, he flexed his well-rounded game towards the end of the year — putting up 16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game on 48/43/81 splits. Utah has leaned on a supersized identity on the past, and Giddey would fit like hand and glove since he stands at 6’8″ at the point guard position.

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Simply put, the Jazz could have opened up the space to at least make the teams of the restricted free agents sweat more than they have thus far this offseason. They could have waived Kenyon Martin Jr.’s non-guaranteed contract or found a taker for Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love’s contracts.

Things can still change for the Jazz, but that is unlikely since there are no concrete indications suggesting that they plan to move in restricted free agency.

Related: Celtics grades for Georges Niang trade, Chris Boucher signing

Related: Celtics salary dump Kristaps Porzingis trade piece to Jazz