Eli Gregorski

Sports journalist with over 1,000 published articles covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, NCAA sports, international soccer, the Olympics, and Formula One for outlets like Heavy Sports, StadiumRant, CU Independent, and USports.org.

My Published Articles

HEAVY •

Lakers Projected Starting Lineup And Depth Chart For 2026-27 NBA Season

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ starting lineup, the power forward position in particular, and depth chart have been a topic of discussion in the lead-up to the 2026-27 NBA season.In terms of the Lakers’ starting lineup for opening night, that will remain somewhat of a mystery until head coach JJ Redick announces his decision on who will play the power forward position alongside the other presumptive starters.The Lakers’ depth chart is known for the most part, but the franchise still has a few two-way r...
HEAVY •

Lakers Proposed To Trade Knecht And Hardy For $27M Bargain Center

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to cut ties with either Dalton Knecht or Jaden Hardy before the season begins, but the franchise is also rumored to be interested in making one more trade before the season begins to add big man depth behind Walker Kessler.If the Lakers are serious about a trade, there aren’t a ton of candidates available at this point in the NBA calendar, specifically teams interested in taking back Knecht, Hardy, or both of them.However, according to some recent reports, cen...
HEAVY •

Lakers Handed Major Development On PJ Washington Trade Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers are still reportedly interested in trading for a starting power forward or another backup big man before the 2026-27 NBA season begins, and according to a new report, they could be getting closer to landing one of their top rumored targets: PJ Washington of the Dallas Mavericks.As a former teammate of Luka Doncic and a player with the exact type of skill set the Lakers were looking for this summer, despite his status as still being on the Mavericks, Washington remains one...
HEAVY •

Lakers Poised To Bench New All-Defensive Wing Matisse Thybulle In Bold Decision

The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the sneakiest offseason free agent signings by getting two-time All-Defensive wing Matisse Thybulle to agree to a veteran minimum contract to play in the Purple and Gold this upcoming NBA season.But while Thybulle has the resume, specifically on the defensive end, to upgrade the biggest hole in this Lakers roster, him just being on the team isn’t a guarantee that he joins the starting lineup or has a big role throughout the year.Thybulle recently made the case...
HEAVY •

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka Put On Hot Seat After 'Desperation' $261M Offseason

The general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, Rob Pelinka, is now officially on the ‘hot seat according to top NBA insiders speaking on The Hoop Collective podcast.Pelinka has been in charge of the Lakers since 2017 and has overseen some major franchise success. However, in what might be considered the most important offseason in recent memory for the team, questions about Pelinka doing a good enough job to build a new roster around Luka Doncic have led to him having an uncertain future in his...
HEAVY •

Lakers Bargain Free Agent Ziaire Williams Could Save PJ Washington Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers made a ton of offseason roster changes, and though they have yet to see the results of what this new-look group will look like together, all the early returns on free agent signing Ziaire Williams should be considered good news for a team that remains in search of a starting-caliber power forward for the upcoming season.Williams arrived to the Lakers on a minimum contract in free agency, and through the offseason and now training camp, the talk about him as a key contribut...
HEAVY •

Lakers Hand $185M Star Austin Reaves Front-Office Decision-Making Power

The Los Angeles Lakers signed shooting guard Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million contract extension this summer to pay him like a true NBA superstar, and now they are treating him like one too.As Reaves said in a recent press conference, like his co-star, Luka Doncic, the former undrafted player now has some say in roster decision-making going forward.Much was made this summer about Doncic being able to have an input with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, head coach JJ Redick, and the o...
HEAVY •

Lakers Sent Harsh Warning After 'Mishandling' Bronny James Decision

The Los Angeles Lakers are treating Bronny James like a point guard, but the 21-year-old might not be best suited for that role, and the decision to put the ball in his hands could come back to haunt the franchise later on this year.Lakers head coach JJ Redick and James himself have both insisted the son of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer will be playing a ball-handling role this season when he’s on the court. However, based on all the evidence, the 6’2″ guard likely isn’t suited for that role...
HEAVY •

Knicks Eyeing 'Aggressive' Miles McBride Trade For Center In 'Priority' Roster Decision

The New York Knicks aren’t facing the same roster issues other teams around the NBA are dealing with, as the franchise actually needs to sign a few more players rather than cut any before the new season begins. The Knicks are reportedly eyeing a move for another center and could potentially make a Miles McBride trade in one final offseason move to replace the now-gone Mitchell Robinson.New York has made several training camp signings, but heading into the season, all of those players currently w...
HEAVY •

Pistons Handed Cold Hard Truth On $200M Jalen Duren 'Overpay'

The long offseason standoff between Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons came to an end with just an hour and a half to spare, as the 22-year-old center signed a five-year, $200 million contract extension with the franchise instead of taking the qualifying offer or asking for a trade.While the Pistons retained their core duo of Duren and Cade Cunningham, questions remain about whether the $200 million deal was the right move for Detroit for a player who had a historically bad 2026 NBA playoffs sh...
HEAVY •

Lakers Tipped To Start New 3-And-D Wing After 'Best Defender' Austin Reaves Praise

The Los Angeles Lakers made a ton of roster changes this offseason to build around Luka Doncic, and though the team has yet to commit to a starting lineup for the upcoming NBA season, free agent signing Ziaire Williams is generating buzz around training camp and is a realistic candidate to begin games for the Purple and Gold in just a few weeks.Williams, 25, joined the Lakers in free agency on a minimum contract with the expectation that he’d be a rotational player this season in Los Angeles.How...
HEAVY •

Lakers Dealt Great News As All-Defensive Wing Poised For Breakout Season

The Los Angeles Lakers prioritized adding defense this offseason, and that was clear with the free-agent signing of former All-Defensive player Matisse Thybulle, who could be in line for a breakout year in his first season playing in the Purple and Gold.Thybulle had a strong start with the Philadelphia 76ers, but his game dipped over the past few seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, both due to injury and being placed in a smaller role off the bench.However, after signing a veteran minimum c...
HEAVY •

Ex-Lakers Champion Center Joins D'Angelo Russell On New Team In China

Former championship-winning center for the Los Angeles Lakers, Javale McGee, has signed a new contract with the Shanghai Sharks, now set to join another ex-Laker, D’Angelo Russell, in the Chinese Basketball Association.While Russell’s move to China was seen as a bit surprising, McGee last played in the NBA during the 2023-24 season, and more recently took the court for several teams across the globe before now being set to join the Sharks.Clearly, McGee isn’t done playing basketball, but after w...
HEAVY •

Raptors Proposed To Trade RJ Barrett For All-NBA Center In Blockbuster Deal

The Toronto Raptors made a big splash by making a trade for NBA star Kawhi Leonard to pair him with Scottie Barnes and an overall strong roster in the Eastern Conference. But after the big move, who’s to say another trade isn’t on the table?The Raptors expect to be competitive in the upcoming NBA season, and any Leonard storylines aside, the looming contract extension for RJ Barrett could become an issue that impacts the team.With that, the idea of trading Barrett, and potentially a few other as...
HEAVY •

Jaden Hardy Dealt Good News As Lakers Expected To Cut Dalton Knecht

The Los Angeles Lakers have a final cut to make before the start of the NBA season to get under the league’s 15-man roster limit, and the two names on the chopping block are Dalton Knecht and Jaden Hardy.Both have on very different paths to find themselves where they are now on this Lakers team. Knecht has been with the franchise for a few seasons and has yet to crack the rotation. New reports reveal the team already tried trading him once this summer.Hardy, meanwhile, is a new addition to the t...
HEAVY •

Dalton Knecht Tipped For Fresh Start As Lakers Trade, Roster Cut Looms

Third-year NBA player Dalton Knecht is expected to see his messy tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers come to an end very soon, as he’s the most likely name on the roster to be cut or traded before the start of the 2026-27 NBA season.Knecht was selected 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, but his time on the Lakers didn’t go as planned. Along with trying to trade him during his rookie season, Los Angeles reportedly almost moved him this summer in a deal for Buddy Hield.Now, with just a few weeks b...
HEAVY •

Los Angeles Lakers Realistic Austin Reaves Trade Scenario Revealed

After signing Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million contract extension this summer, the biggest deal in NBA history for an undrafted player, the Los Angeles Lakers made it clear they want the 28-year-old to be a part of their long-term future.However, the NBA is a brutal business, and if things quickly go south for the Lakers’ trio of Reaves, Luka Doncic, and Walker Kessler, there is a real chance one of them, specifically the shooting guard, could be traded in the not-so-distant future.Cur...
HEAVY •

Pistons ‘2 For 1’ Jalen Duren Trade Idea With Hawks “Makes A Ton Of Sense“

As time goes on and contract extension negotiations between the Detroit Pistons and restricted free agent Jalen Duren continue, the situation has only become messier, and the idea of the team trading the young center has only become a more likely reality with the start of the NBA season just a few weeks away.Duren declined a $200 million contract offer from the Pistons, missed media day, and has no current plans to report to training camp as a restricted free agent.With that, rival teams have re...
HEAVY •

Bronny James' Potential $95M Lakers Extension Tops Kevin Durant Contract

NBA player Bronny James of the Los Angeles Lakers remains one of the most controversial and discussed players in the NBA, and that became even more the case after his father, LeBron James, skipped town just days after the franchise guaranteed his rookie contract for the upcoming season.James has an uphill battle to make his way into the Lakers rotation. Still, the young player has gotten praise from his coach and teammates, and so early in his career, it can’t be ruled out that he has a long pat...
HEAVY •

Jalen Duren Set For Unique NBA History After Rejecting $200M Pistons Offer

As restricted free agent Jalen Duren continues to remain in messy contract extension negotiations with the Detroit Pistons after turning down a five-year, $200 million contract offer, the star big man could instead sign the qualifying offer of his deal and return for roughly $9.6 million next season, in what would be something never seen before in NBA history.If Duren decides to further bet on himself and hope for an even bigger contract next season, whether it’s with the Pistons or not, and tak...
HEAVY •

Lakers Expect To Cut Ties With Dalton Knecht After Failed Buddy Hield Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers have one final roster cut to make before the start of the 2026-27 NBA season, and all signs point to it being Dalton Knecht.Knecht has had a difficult start to his career on the Lakers, as after already attempting to trade him for center Mark Williams during his rookie season, the team once again tried to trade the three-point shooting wing once again this offseason.According to a recent report from NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Knecht is likely to be waived by...
HEAVY •

Lakers Eyeing 'No Problem' Dalton Knecht Trade For $27M High Upside Center

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to cut ties with Dalton Knecht in the final roster move ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season, but that will only happen if they can’t use him in a trade for another upgrade at the center position.The Lakers already reportedly tried to trade Knecht for Buddy Hield, but after that deal didn’t go through, the team is expected to search the trade market for another center and use the failed former first-round pick in a deal.According to a recent report from NBA insider...
HEAVY •

Lakers Trade Rumors Confirmed As Dalton Knecht Or Jaden Hardy Set For Departure

Amid the start of training camp and just a few weeks before the start of the 2026-27 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to trade either Dalton Knecht or Jaden Hardy to both get under the league’s 15-man roster limit while also adding new talent in the process.The idea of the Lakers making a ‘2 for 1’ trade has been floated out recently, and according to recent comments from general manager Rob Pelinka, as well as two top NBA insiders, Los Angeles is eyeing a move before the start of...
HEAVY •

Lakers Expected To Make Trade And Cut Ties With Young Player: Insider

Throughout the offseason the Los Angeles Lakers have been at the center of NBA trade rumors, with many expecting the franchise to make a move for a power forward to join the starting lineup alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, and Walker Kessler.Now, according to the latest report from a top Lakers insider, the team is expected to make a trade before the season begins to help get to the 15-man roster limit set by the league.Players like PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford of the Da...
Load More