INDIANAPOLIS — The green and white of the Capstone Turbine Corp. will again be displayed on the No. 88 Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport car of Colton Herta for the upcoming NTT IndyCar Series season.

The southern-California based clean energy company will serve as the primary sponsor at the upcoming Circuit of the Americas open test, as well as six events including the AutoNation IndyCar Challenge at Circuit of the Americas and races at Texas Motor Speedway, Road America, Richmond Raceway, the streets of Toronto and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Capstone first appeared on the sidepods of the sophomore driver’s car in 2019 on the streets of Toronto and continued through to the season finale race where Herta scored victory from pole position for the then Harding Steinbrenner Racing team. The partnership also extends the relationship between Andretti Autosport and Capstone Turbine which began during the Month of May in 2019 with driver Alexander Rossi.

“The youthful Colton is a perfect fit for the image of our clean and green microturbine technology. The younger generation makes up 30 percent of the population, and are arguably the most concerned when it comes to environmental sustainability as the first generation to have grown up with climate change as part of everyday life,” stated Darren Jamison, Capstone’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“The valuable business relationships we have developed with the support of George Steinbrenner IV and Mike Harding, as well as the new B2B opportunities that will come this season by being part of the Andretti Autosport family, offers Capstone a platform to reach the racing community and help more companies save money and lower their carbon footprint. We are honored to sponsor the No. 88 at the COTA open test February 11-12, and we can’t wait to get back on the grid in April,” concluded Jamison.

Capstone Turbine Corp. is the world’s leading producer of highly efficient, low-emission, resilient microturbine energy systems. Committed to improving the efficiency of energy needs around the world while simultaneously reducing global emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, Capstone’s systems help end users improve their impact on the environment, while still meeting power and reliability needs.

Pittsburgh rookie defenseman John Marino will miss three-to-six weeks after having surgery to repair facial bone fractures, the Penguins announced.

The procedure, conducted by Dr. Mark Ochs, was done Monday at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Mercy.

Marino suffered the injury during the third period of a 4-2 loss Thursday at Tampa Bay. He fell to the ice after a deflected Steven Stamkos slap shot landed just to the side of his helmet on his cheek. He skated off with a towel pressed to his face a few minutes after trainers rushed to his side.

Marino, 22, has been a steadying force on the blue line as the Penguins have battled injuries this season. He has played in 51 games, with five goals and 25 points, averaging 20:19 minutes per game. His point total is eighth among all rookies, and his average time on ice is third.

Pittsburgh has remained in the thick of the congested Eastern Conference playoff mix, despite losing several players for extended periods of time. Entering Monday, the Penguins were in the No. 2 slot of the Metropolitan Division with 73 points, four behind Washington.

The baseline reaction to the annual NHL trade deadline is that it's always underwhelming, which is frankly unfair.

It's like going into a movie having seen all the trailers and read all the spoilers and then being disappointed when the action on the screen doesn't match the movie in your head. The movie in your head is the fun, just like the anticipation of the trade deadline is the fun. We don't watch to see which third-pairing defenseman was traded for which fourth-round pick; we're watching for those fleeting moments when big trades feel like they can be willed into existence.

All that said: Yeah, on paper, the 2020 NHL trade deadline seems a little underwhelming when compared to those of recent years. Due respect to Chris Kreider, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Sami Vatanen, but we're not exactly talking John Tavares, Matt Duchene and Erik Karlsson here. Where this season's trade deadline gets a bit more interesting is in the sheer volume of teams that are still in the playoff hunt. According to Money Puck, as of Monday there were 22 teams competing for 16 spots that had a better than 30% chance of making the postseason cut.

As shopping season intensifies ahead of the Feb. 24, 3 p.m. ET deadline, here is a tier-by-tier look at the NHL trading block: the rentals, the investments and the wild-card stars whose availability could turn this deadline on its collective head. All salary and contract information comes from our friends at CapFriendly unless otherwise noted, and all stats are current as of Feb. 9.

Jump to:
Rentals: Center | Wing | Defense
With term: Center | Wing | Defense
Goalies | Wild cards

CENTERS FOR RENT

Mikael Granlund, C/LW, Nashville Predators

Stats: 48 GP | 12 G | 9 A | 21 P
Contract: $5.75 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

Granlund seemed like he was a goner earlier this season. He hadn't clicked with the Predators, and he's a 27-year-old hitting UFA status this offseason. But since John Hynes took over as head coach, Granlund has seen an uptick: five points in his past seven games, and a demonstrable increase in ice time. That doesn't mean the Predators won't still cut bait with him at the deadline, but it's no longer the near certainty that it was.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C, Ottawa Senators

Stats: 53 GP | 21 G | 13 A | 34 P
Contract: $3.1 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

The 27-year-old center has been the focus of trade speculation all season, as the next in a line of talented UFA-aged forwards seemingly out the door in Ottawa. He has the offensive goods, with 7.8 goals scored above average this season, his first 20-goal season in the NHL. The Senators will try to lock him up, but if that's fruitless, he's the best rental center available in a pure seller's market. If someone antes up a first-round pick, it's hard to imagine GM Pierre Dorion turning it down.

Evan Rodrigues, C Buffalo Sabres

Stats: 34 GP | 4 G | 3 A | 7 P
Contract: $3.1 million AAV, RFA this summer, no trade protection

The Sabres and Rodrigues are headed for a split at some point, with the 26-year-old center's reported trade demand and the fact that his ice time is down more than four minutes per game under Ralph Krueger (with several healthy scratches). But this would be selling extremely low: His minus-3.1 goals scored above average is second-worst on the Sabres.

CENTERS WITH TERM

David Backes, C, Boston Bruins

Stats: 16 GP | 1 G | 2 A | 3 P
Contract: $6 million AAV, UFA in 2021, 8-team no-trade list

Backes hasn't formally requested a trade after his minor league demotion, and it wouldn't really matter if he did: The Bruins are going to have to find a way to clear his salary with a trade partner that wants to take on his contract for another season in exchange for a pick or a prospect. He'll turn 36 on May 1, and as the past two seasons have shown, time has caught up to the physical centerman.

Jeff Carter, C, Los Angeles Kings

Stats: 57 GP | 16 G | 9 A | 25 P
Contract: $5,272,727 AAV, UFA in 2022, no trade protection

The 35-year-old center is having his best season in three years, which isn't saying much considering he has a minus-3.1 goals scored above average. His best offensive years are in his rearview mirror, but if someone wanted him and the Kings were willing to take on part of that cap hit, we're sure GM Rob Blake would listen. (One of those teams that kicked the tires, reportedly is Carter's former team, the Flyers.)

Kyle Turris, C, Nashville Predators

Stats: 47 GP | 7 G | 17 A | 25 P
Contract: $6 million AAV, UFA in 2024, no trade protection

Completing our troika of centers with contracts of which their teams would happily rid themselves, Turris has been available for a year and hasn't been shipped out. This is one where the Predators are going to have to retain some salary, but the 30-year-old is just productive enough where a change in scenery and the right price could facilitate a deal. This feels like an offseason play, though.

WINGERS FOR RENT

Andreas Athanasiou, LW/RW, Detroit Red Wings

Stats: 40 GP | 7 G | 14 A | 21 P
Contract: $3 million AAV, RFA this summer, no trade protection

The 25-year-old speedster has taken a mighty tumble from his 30-goal season, which certainly brings down the price of his next RFA deal. His availability comes down to whether GM Steve Yzerman sees a player he didn't draft as part of the Red Wings' future. (And if the GM who did draft him, Ken Holland, wants to ante up to see Double-A fly with Connor McDavid...)

Jesper Fast, RW, New York Rangers

Stats: 52 GP | 8 G | 14 A | 22 P
Contract: $1.85 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

The 28-year-old winger would be a nice depth addition to a contender's forward group, especially for his defense. But his availability depends entirely on whether the Rangers see him as a part of their rebuild going forward and, potentially, on whether they retain the services of Chris Kreider.

Michael Frolik, LW/RW, Buffalo Sabres

Stats: 50 GP | 6 G | 6 A | 12 P
Contract: $4.3 million AAV, UFA this summer, 10-team no-trade clause

Buffalo traded for Frolik to stabilize its season after mounting injuries, and he has a disappointing one goal and an assist in 12 games. Could the 31-year-old forward, an accomplished penalty killer with a Stanley Cup ring from the 2013 Blackhawks, end up back on the trade block?

Alex Galchenyuk, C/W, Minnesota Wild

Stats: 45 GP | 5 G | 12 A | 17 P
Contract: $4.9 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

He was the most significant piece the Penguins acquired for Phil Kessel, but the gamble didn't pay off: He has one assist in his past eight games and has played under 10 minutes in seven of them. On Monday, Galchenyuk was sent to the Wild as a salary dump in the Jason Zucker trade. Minnesota is his fourth team in three seasons. He'll have a few months to audition before unrestricted free agency -- unless, of course, the Wild flip him again at the deadline.

Mike Hoffman, LW/RW, Florida Panthers

Stats: 54 GP | 21 G | 24 A | 45 P
Contract: $5,187,500 AAV, UFA this summer, 10-team no-trade clause

The Panthers are very much in the playoff race, so logic would dictate they'd keep a player on pace for his second straight 30-plus-goal season. But questions linger about whether the 30-year-old winger is in their future plans, and if they could bolster their defense corps in exchange for Hoffman.

Melker Karlsson, RW, San Jose Sharks

Stats: 51 GP | 3 G | 5 A | 8 P
Contract: $2 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

The 29-year-old is an asset on the penalty kill and can help someone's bottom-six forwards, but there's a prevailing wisdom that the Sharks will seek to re-sign him as a veteran depth player.

Ilya Kovalchuk, LW/RW, Montreal Canadiens

Stats: 32 GP | 9 G | 12 A | 21 P
Contract: $700,000 AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

When the Canadiens brought on Kovalchuk following his Kings buyout, flipping him at the trade deadline seemed like a near certainty. But with six goals and six assists in 15 games, along with a shootout winner, has Kovalchuk raised his stock for that inevitable deadline deal or endeared himself to the Canadiens to the point where it's his new hockey home?

Chris Kreider, LW, New York Rangers

Stats: 52 GP | 20 G | 18 A | 38 P
Contract: $4.625 million AAV, UFA this summer, 11-team no-trade clause

Kreider is the belle of the trade deadline ball. The 28-year-old power forward goes to the net hard -- sometimes too hard, as goalies will tell you -- for goals. He's a physical player and an asset on the power play. The Bruins, Avalanche and Blues are among the expected suitors ... if the Rangers decide they're not going to re-sign him, which isn't guaranteed. (Although considering Kevin Hayes got a free-agent deal worth $7.14 million per season as a UFA, ultimately Kreider might be too expensive for the Rangers to bring back.)

Trevor Lewis, LW/RW, Los Angeles Kings

Stats: 43 GP | 3 G | 5 A | 8 P
Contract: $2 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

A versatile part of two Cup-winning Los Angeles teams, the 33-year-old has just 20 points in his past 87 games and is averaging 11:48 per game, his lowest time on ice since 2011.

Conor Sheary, LW/RW, Buffalo Sabres

Stats: 49 GP | 7 G | 10 A | 17 P
Contract: $3 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

The 27-year-old winger needs a change in scenery, enduring through his lowest scoring season in the NHL. His cap hit is a little lofty for a bottom-six forward at the deadline, but his playoff experience (57 games with Pittsburgh, including two Stanley Cup wins) is enticing.

Wayne Simmonds, LW/RW, New Jersey Devils

Stats: 54 GP | 5 G | 15 A | 20 P
Contract: $5 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

Simmonds is the kind of physical player with net-front presence teams covet at the deadline, which is why Nashville added him last season (to unfortunately deleterious results). A team like Vancouver has been reportedly interested, but the Devils might opt to keep the 31-year-old around as a positive locker room influence on what should be a younger team next season.

Craig Smith, RW, Nashville Predators

Stats: 54 GP | 12 G | 11 A | 23 P
Contract: $4.25 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

The 30-year-old surpassed 20 goals in the previous two seasons, although he's on pace to miss the mark this year. He's averaging the lowest ice time of his career (13:11) and doesn't seem like he's in the plans going forward, but the Predators are in a playoff race and might not be looking to sell.

Tyler Toffoli, LW/RW, Los Angeles Kings

Stats: 56 GP | 14 G | 16 A | 30 P
Contract: $4.6 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

The 27-year-old wants to remain with the Kings, and it's good to want things in life. The reality is that he's a player several teams are interested in -- the Penguins and Bruins among them -- and Los Angeles would be best served collecting more assets for him at the deadline. He has real value as a top-six winger.

WINGERS WITH TERM

Blake Coleman, LW/RW, New Jersey Devils

Stats: 54 GP | 21 G | 10 A | 31 P
Contract: $1.8 million AAV, UFA in 2021, no trade protection

Coleman is one of the best bargains in the NHL as a speedy, tenacious forward who has now hit 20 goals in two straight seasons and can be a dynamic penalty killer. Which is why, unless they're bowled over, the Devils are likely staying in the Blake Coleman business for the foreseeable future.

Ryan Donato, LW, Minnesota Wild

Stats: 49 GP | 10 G | 7 A | 17 P
Contract: $1.9 million AAV, RFA in 2021, no trade protection

After showing some spark when the Wild acquired him from the Bruins last season, Donato is averaging 0.35 points per game and is skating only 10:38 on average. Combine that with the fact that GM Bill Guerin wasn't the one who acquired him, and it's a recipe for a change in scenery before his RFA status hits. His value is in his cap hit and his age (just 23).

Michael Grabner, RW, Arizona Coyotes

Stats: 45 GP | 8 G | 3 A | 11 P
Contract: $3.35 million AAV, UFA in 2021, 8-team no-trade list

It's hard to imagine the Coyotes shipping out any offensive talent when they're 21st in goals scored, but Grabner is a candidate. He's been a healthy scratch this season, and his ice time has dropped by two minutes on average. His legendary speed and penalty kill are attractive assets, and his cap hit isn't gigantic. He would be much easier to move were it not for that second year on his deal.

Andreas Johnsson, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Stats: 47 GP | 12 G | 15 A | 27 P
Contract: $3.35 million AAV, UFA in 2023, no trade protection

You have to give to get in this league, and if the Maple Leafs are seeking to take a big swing at a defenseman at the trade deadline, then the 25-year-old forward would be an enticing piece going back the other way. Johnsson is a 20-goal scorer at 25 years old with that "cost-certainty" contract.

Kasperi Kapanen, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Stats: 55 GP | 10 G | 21 A | 31 P
Contract: $3.2 million AAV, RFA in 2022, no trade protection

As with Johnsson, the Maple Leafs would like to keep the 23-year-old around. The cap hit is great, as is the fact that he's an RFA at the end of the deal. But Kapanen could be in play for the right blockbuster.

Ondrej Kase, RW, Anaheim Ducks

Stats: 49 GP | 7 G | 16 A | 23 P
Contract: $2.6 million AAV, RFA in 2021, no trade protection

If Justin Faulk wanted to play in Anaheim, Kase wouldn't even be a Duck right now. But that trade was nixed, and the 24-year-old forward has gone on to have a middling offensive season despite increased ice time. The Ducks like him a lot, but it's hard to ignore that his chip was already on the table once this season.

Kyle Palmieri, RW/LW, New Jersey Devils

Stats: 49 GP | 7 G | 16 A | 23 P
Contract: $4.65 million AAV, UFA in 2021, 8-team no-trade list

On the one hand, the 29-year-old winger has incredible value as one of the most consistent goal scorers in the NHL over the past five seasons (20-plus goals in each one). To get that for under $5 million annually, and to also get it for a season beyond this one, is attractive for buyers. On the other hand, what's the sense of having two great young playmakers in Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes if they don't have anyone to make plays with? The Devils could hang on to Palmieri.

Brandon Saad, LW/RW, Chicago Blackhawks

Stats: 43 GP | 16 G | 9 A | 25 P
Contract: $6 million AAV, UFA in 2021, no trade protection

The Blackhawks are getting calls on Saad but might not be all that eager to ship out the 27-year-old forward, who has found his game again in his second stint in Chicago.

Tomas Tatar, LW/RW, Montreal Canadiens

Stats: 57 GP | 20 G | 31 A | 51 P
Contract: $4.8 million AAV, UFA in 2021, no trade protection

There's a lot to unpack here with Tatar. His availability greatly depends on the Canadiens' place in the standings around the deadline. Frankly, he has found a great fit in Montreal. But his salary, part of which the Golden Knights retained when they moved him to the Habs, is desirable as an asset, especially since his base salary drops to $4.2 million next season. If he's available, expect suitors like the Penguins and Oilers (he's a Ken Holland draft pick) to line up for him.

DEFENSEMEN FOR RENT

Mark Borowiecki, Ottawa Senators

Stats: 52 GP | 7 G |11 A | 18 P
Contract: $1.2 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

It's been an interesting run for the defenseman in Ottawa. What other NHL player has both starred in an infomercial with his owner and foiled a crime? There's something to be said for the Sens keeping a good soldier like Borowiecki around, at least for his physicality. But the pending free agent is a liability on both ends of the ice, and if someone wants to toss a reasonable draft pick Ottawa's way for his services, it should take up that offer.

Zach Bogosian, Buffalo Sabres

Stats: 19 GP | 1 G |4 A | 5 P
Contract: $5,142,857 AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

He has been buried on the depth chart, is a frequent healthy scratch and has asked for a trade. But for that cap hit, finding a taker at the deadline ahead of UFA status is going to be a very tough order for GM Jason Botterill to fill.

Tony DeAngelo, New York Rangers

Stats: 54 GP | 13 G | 29 A | 42 P
Contract: $925,000 AAV, RFA this summer, no trade protection

As Newsday noted, the fate of a few Rangers players could be tied to whether they keep or trade Kreider. DeAngelo couldn't get the multiyear deal he wanted last offseason and responded with a career year ahead of restricted free agency. A right-handed offensive defenseman has value, both for New York and to those seeking a cost-effective boost to their lineup this season. Is the 24-year-old part of GM Jeff Gorton's burgeoning core on the Rangers, or a piece that can be sold high?

Michael Del Zotto, Anaheim Ducks

Stats: 36 GP | 2 G | 9 A | 11 P
Contract: $750,000 AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

If it's a trade deadline, then we're talking Michael Del Zotto. He has 11 points in 36 games while averaging a surprisingly high 18:10 per game. Someone out there will want a cost-effective veteran offensive defenseman as a spare part. And that someone will be Del Zotto's seventh team since 2014.

Dylan DeMelo, Ottawa Senators

Stats: 45 GP | 0 G | 10 A | 10 P
Contract: $900,000 AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

The Senators would be wise to hang on to the 26-year-old right defenseman, who has been their best blueliner this season while skating 19:52 per game. But he's a low-cost option who could really bolster a contender's D-corps, too. It may come down to his desire to remain part of Ottawa's rebuild.

Brenden Dillon, San Jose Sharks

Stats: 55 GP | 1 G | 13 A | 14 P
Contract: $3.27 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

The Sharks have so few assets available who could attract a bidding war at the deadline, but this steady veteran left defenseman is one of them. He's third on the team in goals scored above average, plays a playoff-style physical defense and is getting a nice showcase this season with 19:15 per game. The Panthers are among the teams for whom Dillon would seem a no-brainer addition.

Mike Green, Detroit Red Wings

Stats: 42 GP | 2 G | 6 A | 8 P
Contract: $5.375 million AAV, UFA this summer, 10-team no-trade list

We've been here before with Green at the deadline. Like the rest of the Red Wings, the 34-year-old defenseman has suffered through a hellish season, skating to a minus-26. But he remains a backliner who can move the puck and certainly help with passes through the neutral zone. The cap hit is too rich for them, but this is the kind of rental a team like the Golden Knights -- the George McPhee connection would be interesting -- could use.

Erik Gustafsson, Chicago Blackhawks

Stats: 54 GP | 6 G | 19 A | 25 P
Contract: $1.2 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

It's easier to look beyond his defensive liabilities when he's scoring 60 points, as he did last season. But Gustafsson hasn't delivered on that offensive promise in 2019-20. He wants to stay in Chicago, but the Blackhawks aren't in a position to offer him much in a contract extension. They're shopping him, and his offensive upside could attract some buyers.

Ron Hainsey, Ottawa Senators

Stats: 48 GP | 1 G | 10 A | 11 P
Contract: $3.5 million AAV, UFA this summer, 10-team no-trade list

We feel obligated to list Hainsey here, given the "everything on the table" mentality of the Senators in the past couple of seasons and the fact that someone might see him as an essential piece to its defensive depth. But the reality is that he turns 39 in March, he's found a nice fit as a veteran sage in Ottawa and gets along swimmingly with coach D.J. Smith, going back to the Toronto days.

Marco Scandella, Montreal Canadiens

Stats: 47 GP | 4 G | 7 A | 11 P
Contract: $4 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

Could we see the defenseman, who turns 30 on Feb. 23, get traded for a second time this season? He has two points in 16 games with Montreal in 17:50 of average ice time. As a pending UFA, one assumes he'll be available. Buffalo received a fourth-rounder for him last month.

Sami Vatanen, New Jersey Devils

Stats: 47 GP | 5 G | 18 A | 23 P
Contract: $4.875 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

Vatanen is one of the best all-around defensemen available on the rental market. He skates well, moves the puck efficiently, can play on special teams and plays a lot of minutes (21:45). It's a reasonable cap hit that becomes even more reasonable if the Devils retain some of it for a sweetened pot. The Capitals, Predators and Golden Knights should all be kept in mind here.

DEFENSEMEN WITH TERM

Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild

Stats: 55 GP | 4 G | 14 A | 18 P
Contract: $6 million AAV, UFA in 2023, no trade protection

This falls squarely into the "if there's a hockey trade to be made, potentially with a team based in Toronto" department. Dumba is a 25-year-old right-side defenseman with term and a 50-point season to his credit. The Wild would listen to any offer at this point for most of their players, but it'll take something substantial to pry him away.

Jake Gardiner, Carolina Hurricanes

Stats: 55 GP | 3 G | 15 A | 18 P
Contract: $4.05 million AAV, UFA in 2023, 7-team no-trade list

It'll be interesting to see what the Canes do with Gardiner. His signing was lauded last summer, but it just hasn't worked out the way both parties had hoped. His minus-9.3 goals scored above average and his minus-22 are worst on the team by a country mile. He needs a change in scenery, and someone can buy low here to provide him with one.

Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers

Stats: 41 GP | 5 G | 7 A | 12 P
Contract: $4.5 million AAV, UFA in 2023, no trade protection

Was that 52-point season an anomaly, or something that Ghost Bear could repeat in a different situation? It would take the right return for the Flyers to move Gostisbehere, who is 26 years old and inked to a very reasonable contract. But those are reasons that someone coveting a puck-moving blueliner might ante up for him. (I think there's a fit with the Golden Knights, for example.)

Josh Manson, Anaheim Ducks

Stats: 37 GP | 1 G | 5 A | 6 P
Contract: $4.1 million AAV, UFA in 2022, 12-team no-trade list

Every season, there's a player in his prime, on a bad team and playing below his career averages who is cast as "trade bait." The Ducks love him and reportedly aren't seeking to deal him, especially in an aforementioned down year.

Alec Martinez, Los Angeles Kings

Stats: 39 GP | 1 G | 7 A | 8 P
Contract: $4 million AAV, UFA in 2021, no trade protection

Martinez is better than a lot of the rental options, both in the way he plays and the fact that teams that trade for him get another season at a very reasonable cap hit. He's past his peak as an NHL defenseman, but he's a veteran with two Stanley Cup runs to his credit who can bolster anyone's top four.

Colin Miller, Buffalo Sabres

Stats: 40 GP | 1 G | 8 A | 9 P
Contract: $3.875 million AAV, UFA in 2022, no trade protection

Stop us if you've heard this one before: The Sabres made a deal, and it didn't work out the way it was intended. Miller skates 17:06 per game, was a steady defenseman for the Golden Knights and could be an easy candidate for a change in scenery with a manageable cap hit.

Jeff Petry, Montreal Canadiens

Stats: 57 GP | 8 G | 27 A | 35 P
Contract: $5.5 million AAV, UFA in 2021, 15-team trade list

If the Canadiens were to make the 32-year-old defenseman available, that would shake up the market considerably. He plays the right side, puts up some offense and can give you 23 minutes a night. His underlying numbers support what the traditional stats tell you, including seven goals scored above average, best among Habs defensemen. Petry has some trade protection, but above all else, he might have the best actual trade protection: The Canadiens love him on their blue line. But UFA status in 2021 and his age could be catalysts for a potential deal.

GOALTENDERS ON THE MARKET

Corey Crawford/Robin Lehner, Chicago Blackhawks

Crawford's stats: 28 GP | 10-14-3 | .912 Sv% | 2.92 GAA
Contract: $6 million AAV, UFA this summer, 10-team trade list

Lehner's stats: 30 GP | 15-8-5 | .923 Sv% | 2.83 GAA
Contract: $5 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

We'll buck the alphabetic presentation in these tiers for the Blackhawks' goaltending battery. That both Crawford and Lehner are unrestricted free agents makes Chicago's situation a cloudy one. Cloudier still is how they feel about these two netminders. Crawford, 35, was a member of two Stanley Cup championship teams, so there's an inherent loyalty there; Lehner is younger (28) and demonstrably better this season (11.2 goals saved above average, to Crawford's 8.2).

Reports out of Chicago are that the Hawks want to ink Lehner to an extension, and GM Stan Bowman has held preliminary talks to that end. While he's the more attractive candidate for teams seeking to solidify their goaltending -- hello, Carolina -- it's possible he might not be the one who moves. But the biggest complication? That Chicago suddenly has a 33.1% chance of making the playoffs, and having the sixth-best save percentage in the NHL (.913) with this duo is a primary reason. Could the Blackhawks hang on to both?

Jonathan Bernier/Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings

Bernier's stats: 32 GP | 12-14-2 | .911 Sv% | 2.82 GAA
Contract: $3 million AAV, UFA in 2021, no trade protection

Howard's stats: 25 GP | 2-21-2 | .889 Sv% | 3.98 GAA
Contract: $4 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

This is almost the funhouse mirror version of the Blackhawks' conundrum, except the Red Wings have a literal 0% chance of making the playoffs and have a team save percentage of .887. Of the two, Bernier is the more attractive option, as he's 4 years younger than Howard and signed at a reasonable cost for a backup through next season. Also, the team that acquires him won't have to explain to its paying customers why it traded for a goalie that, as of Monday, has a record of 2-21-2.

Aaron Dell, San Jose Sharks

Stats: 26 GP | 11-10-2 | .913 Sv% | 2.75 GAA
Contract: $1.9 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

Quietly, Dell has been one of the better goaltending stories of the season. The Sharks' netminders were maligned for months, essentially getting the blame for Pete DeBoer's firing. But Dell is 7-4-0 in his past 11 games with a .928 save percentage. He's singing for his free-agent supper and would be a cheap insurance policy for a contender.

Alexandar Georgiev, New York Rangers

Stats: 25 GP | 12-11-1 | .908 Sv% | 3.12 GAA
Contract: $792,500 AAV, RFA this summer, no trade protection

What are the Rangers going to do with their goaltending spot? Henrik Lundqvist is signed through 2021 with a full no-move clause. Rookie Igor Shesterkin is generally considered to be his heir. Then there's Georgiev, in his third season and an RFA this summer. Do they hang on to him? Flip him to a contender? Make him the "goalie of the future" somewhere else? It's anyone's guess, but one thing is clear: This is an envious position for GM Jeff Gorton to be in.

MARKET WILD CARDS

Josh Anderson, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets

Stats: 26 GP | 1 G | 3 A | 4 P
Contract: $1.85 million AAV, RFA this summer, no trade protection

This one probably is less a wild card than a potential RFA "rental," even though Anderson is banged up at the moment. But it's still a little stunning that a 25-year-old forward coming off a 27-goal season could be in play. Yet in this disappointing season, there's talk that that's the case.

Jonas Brodin, D, Minnesota Wild

Stats: 55 GP | 1 G | 20 A | 21 P
Contract: $4,166,667 AAV, UFA in 2021, no trade protection

Opposing fan bases have been trying to project ways to pry the talented left defenseman out of Minnesota for years. Could it happen, with UFA status looming in 2021 and a new general manager in place? If he were available, teams would line up for him. Will it happen, when he's right there with Jared Spurgeon as the team's top defensemen? Probably not.

Max Domi, C, Montreal Canadiens

Stats: 57 GP | 13 G | 23 A | 36 P
Contract: $3.15 million AAV, RFA this summer, no trade protection

His numbers are way off his career highs of last season, his first in Montreal, but that's no reason to believe that a 24-year-old, whose team holds arbitration rights on him this summer, is going anywhere. Unless, of course, there's an offer the Canadiens can't refuse or if they don't see him as a long-term fit.

Ryan Getzlaf, C, Anaheim Ducks

Stats: 54 GP | 12 G | 25 A | 37 P
Contract: $8.25 million AAV, UFA in 2021, no-move clause

It'd be a game-changer if he decided to move on from Anaheim, but even with unrestricted free agency looming in 2021, it appears Getzlaf is happy with the Ducks ... for now. "Honestly, I have no desire to try to chase a Cup somewhere else," Getzlaf told The Athletic. "I'd love to bring it back to Anaheim here before I retire. It would be awesome. Again, I can't predict the future and what's going to unfold here and what we're going to do."

Taylor Hall, LW, Arizona Coyotes

Stats: 52 GP | 13 G | 31 A | 44 P
Contract: $3 million AAV, UFA this summer, no trade protection

The Coyotes didn't trade for Hall to turn around and trade him again. In fact, GM John Chayka wants to try to persuade him to remain with the franchise beyond this rental. But what if there's some level of finality on Hall's part about playing somewhere other than Arizona next season? What if the Coyotes, in the games before the trade deadline, slip below the bubble a bit? What if a contender dazzles Chayka with an offer for Hall and his $3 million cap hit that he can't refuse, for the future of the team? As wild cards go, this is one of the wildest.

P.K. Subban, D, New Jersey Devils

Stats: 53 GP | 6 G | 6 A | 12 P
Contract: $9 million AAV, UFA in 2022, no trade protection

How much P.K. Subban is left in P.K. Subban? That's the first question, since his past two seasons have been below standards. At 30, is he in decline? Or would a change in scenery and a new challenge -- say, playing for the Maple Leafs -- light a fire under the onetime Norris winner? One thing is clear: If the Devils move him to hasten their rebuild, they'll likely have to gobble up some salary in the process.

Joe Thornton, C, San Jose Sharks

Stats: 55 GP | 2 G | 22 A | 24 P
Contract: $2 million AAV, UFA this summer, no-move clause

Everyone wants Jumbo to get that last crack at a first Stanley Cup, although it's becoming increasingly obvious that it wouldn't be in San Jose. He's given no indication that he wants to leave the Sharks at this stage of his career. If he does decide to take the Ray Bourque route and hitch his wagon to a Cup contender, there will be suitors. (And who among us wouldn't want to see the full-circle irony of Thornton pulling a "Bourque" with the team that drafted Jumbo, the Bruins?)

Big picture

After a two-month prologue, it's time for the main event. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, with the challenge of back-to-back T20 World Cups glittering on the horizon, and the small matter of the Test and ODI series now safely out of the way, put your hands together for the return of the titans. The parade of champions. The launch of the hottest ticket of the autumn - the three-match T20I showdown!

Is that overstating things a touch? Maybe just a bit. But nevertheless, you'd be hard-pressed to ignore the not-so-subtle change of emphasis that has swept through the game in the months since the completion of the 2019 World Cup.

England played a few rookies and mixed a few messages in last week's erratic ODI displays, in which their desire to get something out of the series eventually trumped their urge to give the kids a full run of games. But now, with Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes restored to the front line, and Mark Wood ready to be unleashed once more after his post-Test downtime, the opening fixture in East London marks the official start of England's return to the white-ball saddle.

For this is the format that now offers the swiftest route to glory for an England team that has the 2023 World Cup defence as a long-term objective, and the memory of the 2016 World T20 final to drive them on in the short term. It's easy, and perhaps understandable, for teams to feel sated, even a touch directionless, after achieving a lifetime's ambition, but the pain of that defeat at the hands of Carlos Brathwaite's scything blade four years ago will doubtless be a touchstone as they build towards the next campaign, looming large already, in Australia in October.

England won't be putting forward their very strongest T20 team for this series, for the absence of Jofra Archer with an elbow fracture is a big setback. But you only had to look at the injection of composure and quality that the returning Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid provided in last week's third ODI to be reminded of what a fine-tuned machine England's white-ball squad has become. For Moeen in particular, this promises to be a significant return to the fray, with his Test future still shrouded in doubt after his decision to sit out the Sri Lanka tour.

South Africa are perhaps a few steps behind in their own T20 preparations, with Faf du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada still resting up after the Tests, but the hotly anticipated return of Dale Steyn - for his first international appearances in nearly a year - is evidence of the desire that still lingers among the remnants of South Africa's golden generation.

For the time being, though, continuity is the watchword. Quinton de Kock will lead in du Plessis's absence, and open the batting, too, alongside Reeza Hendricks, who looked fluent amid the showers in Durban last week. Temba Bavuma at No. 3 will have a chance to build on his favourable white-ball impression, and then there's the dangerous David Miller lurking in the middle order - the sort of proven T20 performer who can turn any innings in his side's favour.

There's promise in that mix, and who knows, there could yet be an injection of quality further down the line, with AB de Villiers very much in contention for a last hurrah at the main event, a year on from his aborted offer to return for the 50-over World Cup. That may be a plot twist for a later date, but all such prospects add extra layers of context to these upcoming contests - which is something that bilateral T20Is have all too often lacked in the past.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

South Africa WLWWT
England TWLLW

In the spotlight

Well, who else could we possibly turn the focus on to in these circumstances? At the age of 36, Dale Steyn's refusal to bow to the passing of time is inspirational, but is it sustainable? His Test career is done, and his role in ODIs ended with his sad departure from last year's World Cup - ruled out with a shoulder injury having arrived in England semi-fit but hopeful. But while there's one final crack at an elusive global trophy to be had, he's not ready to call it quits just yet. Such a long-overdue triumph would be the accolade that such a champion performer deserves at the end of a truly exceptional career, but is experience enough to carry the day for Steyn? He lacked penetration at the last World T20 in India in 2016, where South Africa failed to progress from the group stages, and some might argue that Grant Elliott's seismic six at Auckland in the 2015 World Cup semi-final was the moment in which his white-ball career truly died. All the more motivation, clearly, for Steyn to climb back off the canvas and silence his doubters one last time.

Whether Moeen Ali can be persuaded to play red-ball cricket again is an issue for another day. But all things being equal, he remains among the very first names on England's T20 team-sheet, given the maturity of his offspin, the tactical nous he offers as a successful captain in his own right, and the 0 to 60 power that he offers with his late-innings biffing. Few players can connect more sweetly from a standing start than Moeen. He deserves to be valued in this format where perhaps he has been taken for granted elsewhere. And, after the sad decline of his form during the World Cup last summer, at precisely the moment he ought to have been approaching fulfilment, England would do well to harness whatever burning ambition still resides within an often under-rated competitor.

Team news

Steyn's hotly anticipated comeback dominates the agenda in a familiar-looking South Africa line-up, as the new-look side that impressed in patches in the ODIs is given another chance to bed in. Sisanda Magala could yet squeeze Dwaine Pretorius out of the starting XI if he passes a fitness test. Du Plessis and Rabada wait in the wings for now.

South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (capt, wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Temba Bavuma, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Jon-Jon Smuts, 6 David Miller, 7 Dwaine Pretorius/Sisanda Magala, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Lungi Ngidi.

Back come England's big guns, Buttler and Stokes, though where will they slot into the XI? There's the distinct possibility that Buttler, who hasn't played a T20I since April last year, will be given the chance to reprise his stunning form at the top of the order for Rajasthan Royals, which might mean bad news for Jason Roy, whose sketchy record against spin leaves him vulnerable if sides choose to target him from the outset. Buttler may also be keen to reclaim the gloves from Jonny Bairstow, who filled in for the five-match series in New Zealand in November. Dawid Malan slammed a 48-ball century on that tour, and has been muttering quite loudly about his lack of opportunities, so he's presumably due his chance at No. 3. Joe Denly can never be ruled out of consideration, especially given his brace of fifties in the ODIs.

England (possible): 1 Jason Roy/Jos Buttler (wk), 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

The deluges that wrecked Durban's ODI don't look like affecting the Eastern Cape to quite such a terminal effect, with the conditions for Wednesday set to be overcast, windy and humid. In theory, Buffalo Park's short boundaries will encourage some lively strokeplay, but the highest score in two previous T20Is at the venue is a relatively unremarkable 169.

Stats and trivia

• There have been just two T20Is at Buffalo Park, the first in 2012 when New Zealand won by eight wickets, and most recently in October 2018, when Zimbabwe were dispatched by 34 runs

Quotes

"I love playing against these guys. I watched them now in the Tests and the ODIs and I can't wait to get out there. I haven't played against England for a long time. It's great to be in East London where it's not the fastest track in the world but it will do. Any time you are playing at the highest level against the world's best players - if you're not excited about that, then I don't know what's going to get you excited."
Dale Steyn is itching to get involved again after nearly a year on the sidelines

"The white-ball journey that we went on, that changed the way we played, that journey continues now, into the Twenty20 from the 50-overs. It will be the same sort of motivational speech from Morgan, the same sort of team dynamic, the same way that we want to play."
Mark Wood says England will be sticking with their World Cup-winning philosophy for the T20s

Dale Steyn believes Jofra Archer and the ECB will have to work together to manage his workload.

While acknowledging that Archer would endure the "odd injury here or there," Steyn said effective man management, based on good communication between both parties, was crucial in ensuring the England spearhead remained fit.

"The most important thing is that people want to see him on the park, you've got to keep him on the park and they've got to work out how to do that," Steyn said. "Everyone is different so they have got to work out something for him. He is fresh, he is new into the system so it's going to take the odd injury here or there to work it out but they'll get there."

ALSO READ: England may manage Archer's workload differently - Silverwood

Archer, who bowled more than any other England bowler in 2019 but only played one match on England's tour to South Africa, has been ruled out for at least three months with a stress fracture to his right elbow and Steyn is among many who want to see him back as soon as possible, despite joking that England should "bowl him into the ground so he doesn't play".

"It boils down to man management and having good conversations with him and seeing where he is at and what he wants to do," Steyn said. "He is still learning and bowling enough that he is getting his body strong," Steyn said.

Despite the significance of the injury, Steyn - who thought Archer was "phenomenal" when he first saw him bowling for Sussex under the guidance of South African-born then county coach Mark Davis - believes he has all the ingredients for a long career because of his style, particularly the effortless appearance of his run-up.

"Fast bowling is extremely difficult, it's not an easy thing to do and he makes it look so easy," Steyn said. "He almost like waddles in a little bit, he doesn't storm in and he bowls it extreme pace. And then he's got good skill, he is able to change it up a little bit.

"That's what fascinates me. If you watch Mitch Johnson or Starc, they really run in to generate a lot of pace. Archer makes it look so much easier. For a batter that's probably the most difficult thing in the world. You don't know what's going to come."

Asked how he managed to remain injury free for the first decade of his own career, before a spate of problems during the last three years, Steyn put it down to his on-field relationship with Graeme Smith.

"I had a great captain. He bowled me when he felt we needed a wicket and I was able to deliver," Steyn said. "When we got a wicket or if the spinner got a handy wicket, like Paul Harris would bowl his backside off and get a wicket and if he wanted one more over, Graeme would say, 'No, Dale's bowling,' so I was able to bowl to the new batters.

"I had a great captain and I had other guys that were around me that were really able to get the best out of me for a really lengthy period of time."

Joe Root, England's Test captain, has denied suggestions that Archer had been overbowled since making his international debut ahead of the 2019 World Cup but conceded England would need to look at using him more efficiently on his return.

Archer played four out of five Ashes Tests, bowling 44 overs on debut at Lord's, and then 42 in one innings at Mount Maunganui on England's New Zealand tour in November. Having taken the third five-wicket haul of his fledgling Test career in the series opener against South Africa, he missed the following two matches with elbow soreness and was ruled out of the fourth Test on match-day when he suffered pain during the warm-up.

IT'S BUZZING INSIDE AmericanAirlines Arena.

It is Jan. 23 in the middle of another sun-drenched day along Biscayne Bay, and the Miami Heat have just wrapped up practice and a film session. Players are shuffling to the trainer's room. Staffers float in and out of the double doors leading into the locker room. Teammates and coaches conduct interviews with members of the media.

Among them is Jimmy Butler, navigating a conversation about how comfortable he is in his new surroundings -- and the feeling of being the face of a young, up-and-coming team built upon a strong culture like he hasn't had since the beginning of his nine-plus-year NBA career.

But Butler says he isn't thinking about his past. He doesn't wonder about the alternate reality in which he stayed with the Chicago Bulls, the team that drafted him with the 30th pick in the 2011 draft and the franchise hosting Butler and his fellow 2020 All-Stars this weekend.

"Zero," Butler says emphatically when asked how much he thinks about what could have been at his first NBA home.

As Butler returns to Chicago this weekend, Bulls fans are left to wonder what might have been if the franchise had taken the risk the Heat have: handing the keys of the franchise to a player with an uncanny work ethic but a history of chemistry issues.

As the interview winds down, Butler is pressed on the fact that the Heat gave him the big-money extension and stability that the Bulls never felt sure about. Butler leans back against the wall as a wry smile opens across his face.

"One guy's trash," he says, "is another man's treasure."

DUNCAN ROBINSON REMEMBERS the first time he met Butler.

It was in early September, just a few weeks before training camp. Robinson and a group of younger players decided to get a jump on the season at the Heat practice facility.

"We'd been going at 6 a.m.," Robinson said. "I think [Butler] had heard about it, so he wanted to be there before us. So we got there -- I got up to the court around like 5:15 -- he was already up there in a full sweat."

Butler subtly nodded at Robinson as the 25-year-old rookie from Michigan walked into the gym.

"You're getting the crust out of your eyes, and [Butler is] already getting some work in," Robinson said. "That just set the tone for the whole relationship."

One of the most interesting parts of Butler's fresh start and early success is how quickly he has assimilated into not only the Heat's culture but also the relationships he has built with many of the younger players.

"He really started to show me how to be a pro," Heat rookie Tyler Herro said. "Just the way he goes about it: his approach, how dedicated in the time he puts in. You really do see that it's not fake."

Butler is still repairing the damage to his image since he left Chicago. He clashed with former No. 1 overall picks Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins in Minnesota, believing that the talented young duo wasn't putting in enough of the necessary work and didn't have the required attitude to contend for championships.

Butler explosively forced his way out during the 2018-19 season, a departure that only fueled the narrative that he is a bad teammate.

Then Butler was an almost immediate mismatch for Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown, and he struggled to find his place within the young core of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The Sixers had interest in bringing Butler back on a max extension, according to a league source, but after negotiations hit an impasse, they opted to lock up Tobias Harris on the first night of free agency.

"He was disruptive toward his other teammates, but you put him around some guys that actually want to get to the grind, what did he do for them? He upped their level of play, right?"

Miami Heat F Andre Iguodala, on teammate Jimmy Butler

But after almost 10 seasons in the NBA, Butler has finally found a team that sees the world the way he does, and he is emboldened by the belief that his attitude is being rewarded and not scrutinized. He doesn't have to worry about a power struggle, and he's surrounded by the type of hard-working, no-nonsense players that he always wanted more of in previous cities.

Heat forward Bam Adebayo, a first-time All-Star having a breakout season, had heard all the noise surrounding Butler: that he was a difficult teammate, that he was a demanding player, that he was a drain on locker room chemistry.

"That he was a cancer!" Adebayo jokingly shouted.

"He's way different than some of the media portrayed him to be. He's not a cancer," Adebayo said. "As you can see, we're winning. He's one of the leaders on this team, and that's what we need from him. He's going to keep doing it. I'm gonna stay on him to keep doing it."

One of the men tasked with staying on Butler moving forward is three-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala, whom the Heat acquired last week in a deadline deal.

The 2015 Finals MVP has the type of winning credentials that Butler respects. He also has experience dealing with players with fiery reputations -- and believes Butler has similar qualities to Draymond Green, Iguodala's former teammate with the Golden State Warriors.

"When [Butler] was in other places, he got knocked for [speaking his mind]," Iguodala said. "He was disruptive toward his other teammates, but you put him around some guys that actually want to get to the grind, what did he do for them? He upped their level of play, right?

"I think he upped the level of play for the guys on the Bulls. I think [the major issue] was only at one stop, really, [in Minnesota], and we see what's happening with that ship."

WHEN BUTLER WAS drafted, his Bulls teammates and coaches respected his dogged work ethic, but his raw game had limitations.

He shot the ball with no arc, like it was a dart. The coaching staff didn't trust him offensively, using him only occasionally as a defensive plug-in. And he was stuck playing behind Luol Deng, the player former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau trusted most.

Butler didn't have a regular offseason of team workouts because of the 2011 lockout, and Thibodeau didn't give him much run. He averaged 8.5 minutes per game on a roster that was built to contend for a championship.

Despite the lack of opportunity, Butler only pushed harder.

"Jimmy went from the 15th player on the team, the last player coming off the bench, to the star player of the team in four years," former Bulls center Joakim Noah said in 2017.

"When that happens, I'm sure that there was an adjustment period for him. There was an adjustment period for the organization. And there was definitely a change of culture."

Butler and the Bulls couldn't come to terms on an extension prior to his breakout campaign in 2014-15. Butler bet on himself, landing a max deal worth more than $90 million the next summer.

But in the aftermath of the new contract, the strong relationships Butler had formed over the years with the Bulls started to deteriorate. He believed some players weren't putting in the necessary work that he was doing to get better. Bulls officials, who had grown fond of Butler over time, believed that his ego was becoming inflated.

A once-close bond with Noah became fractured after several heated exchanges during the 2015-16 season. Butler publicly called out new coach Fred Hoiberg, and he isolated himself by dressing away from his teammates before and after some games.

Despite it all, the Bulls came into the free-agency period that summer with plans to make Butler their unquestioned leader. (The oft-injured Derrick Rose was traded to the New York Knicks, and Noah joined him via free agency less than two weeks later.)

Bulls general manager Gar Forman said the organization wanted to get "younger and more athletic" but reversed course to sign a player the organization hoped could teach Butler how to grow as a leader while generating interest in a team that wasn't quite ready for a full-scale rebuild: Dwyane Wade.

When the Bulls introduced Wade, Butler stood proudly in the back of the practice facility while Wade made it clear that the Bulls were "Jimmy's team."

Wade's impact was felt early, with an 8-4 start, but the success was fleeting.

After blowing a late 12-point lead to the Atlanta Hawks in January 2017, Wade ripped his younger teammates, then directed reporters to Butler, who doubled down from his seat in front of his locker.

"M-----f-----s just got to care if we win or lose," Butler said.

Veteran guard Rajon Rondo, also brought in that summer as part of Chicago's infamous "Three Alphas" experiment, roasted both Wade and Butler on Instagram, and several young players voiced displeasure with Wade's leadership methods during a team meeting.

From that point on, Wade mostly kept to himself, but he stayed close to Butler. Then the Bulls moved on from both in the offseason.

Sources said the franchise couldn't be sold on Butler as the face of a championship-caliber team worthy of the super-max, five-year, $223 million contract he could have pursued after the 2017-18 season. Later that summer, the Bulls and Wade reached a buyout.

"I realize that this is a business, and I realized it the day that I got traded [from Chicago]," Butler says now. "I still have a great relationship with those people over there. Always will. ...

"Hell, I'm even more thankful that I was able to play with Dwyane Wade in Chicago. It's crazy how things turn out."

WHEN WADE FOUND his way back to Miami after the failed one-year stint in Chicago -- and an even shorter stretch with the Cleveland Cavaliers -- he had a message for Erik Spoelstra.

"He said [Butler is] our kind of guy," Spoelstra said. "He's a Heat guy. Whether that could happen or would happen, he just said, 'This guy is like us.'"

The organization had done plenty of due diligence on Butler and even came close to trading for him in October 2018, but Wade's words resonated nine months later.

"When Dwyane played with him and came back and started to tell us about him, everybody's eyes just lit up," Spoelstra said.

That's why Spoelstra, team president Pat Riley and the rest of the Heat contingent made it a priority to meet with Butler at the start of free agency last summer to close the deal with the man they believed could lead them back to the top following Wade's retirement.

"If you have an opportunity to get him, you don't hesitate. ... We're not making decisions based on fear."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, on Jimmy Butler

Spoelstra's belief only strengthened over the summer, after a face-to-face dinner in London a few weeks after Butler and the Heat came to terms. Spoelstra and his wife, Nikki, were on vacation in Italy and decided to reroute their trip to spend some time getting to know Butler.

"We've had a lot of different kinds of players come through our doors over the years and a lot of different personalities. Not all of them have been easy," Spoelstra said. "But the thing that we definitely know is you need talent to win in this league. And it's hard to find talent to move the needle like we want, to be able to compete for a title. And Jimmy is unquestionably one of those guys.

"So if you have an opportunity to get him, you don't hesitate. ... We're not making decisions based on fear."

Butler admits now that Wade, who recently said he knew Butler was the right kind of "crazy" for the Heat, told him over the years that he would fit within the structured confines of Miami's culture better than that of any other franchise.

"[Wade] told me, 'You could play anywhere. You're that caliber of a player,'" Butler says. "But he said, 'To be the best player that you could be, Miami Heat's the place because they work like you work. They're honest like you're honest. And as much as you might butt heads with anybody in the organization or on the court, it's never going to be personal because y'all both have the same goal in mind, and that's to win a championship.'"

THE WORD "CULTURE" gets tossed around in the NBA, but Miami's is real. It has been tested. It's something the Heat can trust to withstand a personality such as Butler's.

"We're not easy," Spoelstra says. "We're not. Even the staff. We're not easy."

"You hear about [the culture]," Butler adds. "But when you're actually two feet in, you sense it, you love it. Because it's not for everybody."

The search for players who think and prepare like he does has defined Butler's career, and that's the reason he believes he has found his forever basketball home. The pride in the craft is something that resonates for Heat players and coaches as they watch Butler take the next steps in his progression.

What Butler appreciates most about what Miami has built is the fact that the group can have a hard practice, words can be exchanged, tempers can flare, and when they come off the floor, everything goes back to normal. Feelings don't linger or fester like they might have at his previous stops.

"Maybe this league is just too sensitive sometimes," Heat guard Goran Dragic says. "If the guy wants to win, then he'll tell you what you need to do or what he thinks. Some people have a hard time accepting it."

Both Spoelstra and Heat lifer Udonis Haslem see the same qualities in Butler that they saw in franchise legends Wade and Alonzo Mourning over the years: the mental and physical toughness to get better each day, the DNA to work harder no matter the circumstances.

"You had to go through something in life that's put a chip on your shoulder," Haslem said of Butler. "And that's built grit inside you that you're willing to go through extreme circumstances to get where you're trying to go."

It's also the reason the Heat are so confident that any issues Butler had in the past aren't going to reappear in Miami. The culture is built in such a way that a single player is never bigger than the team. And for now, the Butler-Heat partnership is working: Miami is 35-18 and chasing home court as the surprise of the Eastern Conference.

Butler is averaging 20.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game -- one of only six players to reach those numbers this season. Spoelstra said it was a "joke" that Butler, who finished sixth in All-Star player voting, wasn't named a starter.

Butler knows the doubters will always exist. Many within the Bulls organization still hold the belief they did all those years ago: He is a great player with an insatiable work ethic who still can't be the No. 1 player on a championship team.

The Heat were willing to bet that Butler can be.

"Don't nobody be on their own agenda here," Butler says. "It's not about stats. It's not about fame. It's not about money. It's not about none of that. It's legit about winning a championship, and we're capable of it. It's punched into our minds every single day."

That's why the smile comes so easily when Butler talks about his new NBA city. His basketball worth has always been in the eye of the beholder.

IN LATE MARCH 2019, the Orange Coast College baseball team lost two games in a row. For the powerhouse junior college program, this constituted a mini-crisis. As OCC's coach, John Altobelli, searched for ways to prevent the skid from worsening, he happened upon the perfect solution. He would ask Kobe Bryant for help.

Over the previous three years, Altobelli had become close with Bryant. Their daughters played basketball together on Bryant's elite Mamba Sports Academy team; Altobelli lived vicariously through Alyssa the same as Bryant did Gianna. The fathers were quite the pair -- Altobelli the legendary junior college coach with nearly 700 career wins and three state championships; Bryant the legendary NBA star who saw in Altobelli what he saw in himself: drive and fire and desire. They were winners. So were their girls.

During the previous season, Altobelli had invited Bryant to speak to his team at OCC. Once the players stopped gawking and grinning, they hung on every word. So on March 27, 2019, Altobelli thought nothing of asking Bryant for some encouragement that he could share with the team.

For the rest of the season, on an orange bulletin board inside of OCC's dugout, four push pins held up an 8½-by-11 sheet of paper. Printed on the top third of the paper was a photograph of Bryant, mid-fist pump. Beneath the picture was the text message Bryant sent Altobelli that day.

It's not as life can be taken away from you at any moment. Nooo that would be crazy, that would be cruel. Right?

ON JAN. 26, John Altobelli died alongside his wife, Keri, 46, and Alyssa, 14, in the helicopter crash that killed 41-year-old Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and four others traveling to a Team Mamba basketball game in Thousand Oaks, California. The Altobellis left behind J.J., a 29-year-old scout with the Boston Red Sox, and a daughter, Lexi, 16.

John Altobelli was 56. Dutiful father, beloved coach, respected mind, rapier wit, Altobelli -- above all -- was something more.

"He was a collector," Tyler Parker, a family friend, likes to say, "of lost baseball souls."

Ryan Evans was one of those countless souls. In the summer of 2011, he drove with his sister and girlfriend to Disneyland. While in California, he cold-called local juco programs and asked for a tryout. Most didn't bother responding. Altobelli invited Evans to visit OCC and throw. On the fourth pitch, he broke the catcher's mitt. He was on the team.

Until then, baseball had teased and taunted Evans, who had missed the previous season with an arm injury. When Evans returned home from California, he tossed a twin mattress into the cab of his Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and drove 650 miles from American Fork, Utah, to Costa Mesa, California, where OCC is located. Before he found an apartment, he slept in his truck.

At practice, he remained dubious of the entire situation. He had been cut at his previous junior college in Utah; he was sure Altobelli would send him back too. "Are you kidding me, Evs?" Altobelli said at the time. "You'll be playing D-I next year. I'll make sure of it." Evans thrived at OCC. And sure enough, come 2013, he was at Utah Valley University, a Division I program.

"I didn't have a father in my life," Evans says. "Alto played the role of my father. He may not have known it, but I know it. Coaches can be fathers to us kids without knowing it. He was one of mine. I love him and his family for sharing him with us."

Family was a principle Altobelli constantly preached. His father, Jim, sits in the press box at OCC games and emerges with hot dogs to feed the dogs that fans bring into the stands. Altobelli's brother, Tony, is the program's sports information director.

For 27 years, Altobelli ran his two-year program with the personalized care of a boutique outfit and the aspirations of a Division I machine. One day he would summon Bryant or Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer to deliver a speech. The next day he would spend two hours shepherding a recruit around campus on a golf cart or ensuring that a Division I coach visiting campus had a parking pass. He knew the junior college life because he had lived it.

After growing up in Southern California, Altobelli went to Golden West College, a top juco program in Huntington Beach, California. The University of Houston recruited him and named him captain in his first season. Within a semester, Altobelli was wearing cowboy boots and getting in fights at country and western bars. He graduated, got his master's in education and spent six years as a Division I assistant before returning home.

With him came a treasure trove of adages Altobelli used liberally. "The game knows," he would say. And: "Act like you have been here before." Or: "Show respect to the other team and play hard." He loved acronyms. One year, he made his team players write PMA -- positive mental attitude -- on their underwear. Instead of players' names on the backs of their jerseys in 2019, everyone sported the same four letters: NEGU -- never ever give up.

Altobelli wasn't all preach either. For home games, he arrived to the field around 6 a.m., even though first pitch was typically eight hours later. Two knee surgeries, a skin cancer scare and heart surgery never stopped Altobelli from preparing the grass with a push lawnmower, making sure not to leave even a single sunflower seed on the ground.

"I beat him to the field one time," said Murphy Stehly, who parlayed a standout 2019 with OCC into a spot on the University of Texas baseball team. "He said, 'That will never happen again.'"

By all means, feel sorry for yourself. By all means make excuses. By all means feel discouraged.

LUCAS PARKER WAS born blind in his right eye, and among his pediatrician's suggestions was that he play sports. Maybe, the doctor said, it would help regenerate some of his lost vision or at least help with his depth perception. Any sport, he said, would work -- except baseball. Parker taking a ball to his good eye was too risky. The thing is, baseball was the only sport he wanted to play, and in 1992, when Parker was 7, he brought home a shoddily designed flyer that said the new coach at Orange Coast College would be running a summer camp for children trying to learn the game.

"Mom," Parker said, "please."

Liz Parker was wary. She called the number on the flyer and asked to talk with John Altobelli. He was 29 years old, fresh off losing his job at UC Irvine, which had shuttered its baseball program. She explained her concerns about her son getting hurt. Altobelli said that wouldn't happen. His players were the coaches. They would teach him the right way.

"We'll protect his eye," Altobelli said.

When Liz and Lucas Parker arrived at the camp, not even 10 kids were there. What Altobelli lacked in marketing, Liz soon found out, he made up for in coaching. At the end of the day, when she returned for pickup, Lucas told her immediately to unenroll him in the zoo camp and environmental-nature camp he was supposed to attend in the coming weeks.

"Coach Alto says I'm the best and I have to be there every Friday," Lucas said.

The next year, when Liz signed Lucas up to join another baseball camp for kids who needed to hone their skills, the coaches told her after the first day: "Don't bring him back."

Lucas kept playing anyway and spent two more summers at Altobelli's camp. He improved. Some of his vision returned. The tricks Altobelli's players taught him -- how to properly anticipate and make up for the lack of depth perception -- allowed him to play catcher in high school and wide receiver on the football team. Missing out on environmental-nature camp didn't hinder him much either. Lucas Parker is an experimental physicist who works in Los Alamos doing research on the cosmic background radiation released by the Big Bang.

Parker's little brother Tyler was only 4 when Lucas enrolled in the OCC camp -- too young to join. But that didn't stop him from trying. When Tyler saw Altobelli's son, J.J., who was 2½ years old, tagging along with his father, he asked Altobelli: "Can I be your son so I can play baseball here?"

Altobelli loved baseball and lived to teach others to love it the same. This is what Tyler Parker noticed about Altobelli when he described him as a keeper of lost souls -- an instinct to latch on to anyone in need of help. The kid who's blind in one eye, the Division I flameout in need of juco redemption. Even Tyler himself, who grew into an excellent pitcher, suffered an arm injury and received guidance from Altobelli as he recovered. Baseball wasn't merely a game. It was a salve, one with which Altobelli devotedly anointed.

By all means you will have infinite opportunities to put on your gear, feel the glove, the ball, etc. The game of baseball will wait for you.

ON MARCH 31, 2018, a tall, imposing right-handed pitcher for Ventura College named Jackson Hokuf entered in the fifth inning of a game against Orange Coast College. Two runners were on, and he issued a walk to load the bases. Then he allowed a three-run double and another walk before hitting the next batter to reload the bases.

As he was pulled from the game, Hokuf couldn't feel his right arm. From Ventura's dugout, he yelled toward the OCC players, the frustration boiling over. Hokuf knew this was bad, that something was very wrong, that his career might be over.

When Hokuf walked across the field to meet with the trainers, who sit next to OCC's dugout, he was greeted with silence. Then he heard a voice.

"Hey, bud," Altobelli said. "How you doing? I know that was a rough one for you out there."

At first, Hokuf couldn't believe it. He had cursed out Altobelli's team, and here was the coach checking on him. He shouldn't have been surprised. In Hokuf, Altobelli saw another baseball soul to save.

When Hokuf composed himself, he laughed and said, "Yeah, it's been better." Altobelli told him to stay positive and wished him a speedy recovery.

"It was a 30-second interaction," Hokuf says, "that meant the world to a 21-year-old kid who felt like he just lost the only thing he'd ever known."

By all means play the game as if will have all the swings you can dream of and when the day comes when you realize baseball, that life doesn't work that way, you will understand that the best way to play is by ANY MEANS necessary.

NOBODY GOT MAD like John Altobelli. He even had a name for this alter ego: Norman -- as in Norman Bates. When Norman emerged, not a soul was spared, and he saved his deepest vitriol for a particular subset of people: umpires.

Altobelli developed a reputation for getting thrown out of games. Not much bothered him about junior college baseball, but the umpiring? He did not suffer fools gladly. And umpires, in particular, needed to know what everyone knew about how Altobelli treated baseball: This game is the most important thing.

Occasionally, it would backfire. Toward the end of the 2009 season, Altobelli engaged an umpire in an argument. As he returned to the dugout, he groused, "God damn it, get things right!" The umpire ran Altobelli.

It was his second ejection in 2009, and by rule two ejections meant he would need to sit out the rest of the season. This was his best team in 17 years coaching OCC, and he spent the remainder of the year outside of the dugout. He wasn't on the field for his first championship.

Something changed in Altobelli around that time. J.J. was off to play baseball at Oregon. It was just him, Keri, Lexi and Alyssa. The girls were getting older. They would sit down the right-field line in beach chairs during games. Altobelli wanted to set a better example. Norman needed to appear with far less frequency.

Keri's influence helped. They had met at a bar after Altobelli divorced J.J.'s mother and got married two weeks later. She would censure him when necessary. "Alto," Keri would start, calling him by the same nickname his friends and players and pretty much everyone who knew him used. And then she would tell him what he was doing wrong. He usually listened. To Alto, Keri spoke in gospel. After Altobelli underwent open-heart surgery in 2011 to fix a weakened valve, Keri reminded him to save Norman only for the most necessary moments. He had two girls to raise.

Altobelli never missed an opportunity to brag on his daughters. He and Nate Mulberg, an assistant coach at the University of Richmond who visited OCC on a recruiting trip last year, bonded over basketball. Mulberg grew up outside of Philadelphia -- same as Bryant. "I'll never forget Coach Alto telling me during my visit there about how his daughter played travel basketball with Kobe's daughter," Mulberg says.

Altobelli took such joy in Alyssa's excellence. As much as Altobelli spent his life on baseball's lost souls, there was room for more. At OCC, he taught a golf course. In the fall semester of 2010, a 22-year-old named Jessica Oropeza decided to audit it. She had never played sports, and the sight of Altobelli -- his jaw square, his stare searing -- did little to ease her nerves. Then he started to teach.

Adaptation was Altobelli's greatest gift. He reflexively understood what his players needed. When he coached in the elite summer Cape Cod League and his team was wrapping up a disappointing 2013 season, Altobelli tried to give his players a memorable going-away present by playing Scott Heineman at all nine positions in the season's final game. It was little things, small gestures -- acknowledgment that however strong the Norman in him might have been, the counterbalance outweighed it.

Even though Oropeza couldn't hit the ball -- when she brushed the top, it would roll 2 feet in front of her or fly almost sideways -- Altobelli remained patient. He "was hard when he needed to be," she says, "but also gentle." He switched out balls for pieces of grass. When Oropeza hit four in a row, she was upgraded to hitting a tee. From there, she graduated to balls again. Golf, Altobelli told her, wasn't about strength. It is a competition between you and the ball. All the frustration is worth it too, because it's a forever game, its utility infinite.

Oropeza is 32 now. She still plays golf. And even if the ball isn't screaming off her clubhead, she hits it straight with every swing thanks to Altobelli.

"He's the only man," she says, "I can ever call Coach."

By all means entertain yourself with others--- because the game of baseball will be here forever and you will have infinite opportunities to play this game.

EARLY LAST MONTH, more than 7,000 baseball coaches, representing all levels of the sport, gathered in Nashville, Tennessee, for the 76th annual American Baseball Coaches Association Convention. Amid the skill clinics, trade show, Q&A's and other presentations, the ABCA hands out its national coach of the year awards. The winner for the Pacific Association Division, spanning California, Oregon and Washington, was John Altobelli.

Keri joked that he should have won a few by now, and she wasn't wrong. It amounted to a lifetime achievement award: For 27 years at OCC, where Altobelli sent hundreds of players to Division I schools. For three years on the Cape, where he coached Aaron Judge, Jeff McNeil and nine other major leaguers. For the summer camps. For the hospitality during recruiting visits. For being Alto.

Lexi accompanied Altobelli on the trip and got to see firsthand the scope of his influence. Coaches from across the country congratulated him. David Pierce, the University of Texas coach who played with Altobelli at Houston, beamed at the long-overdue honor for a friend who could've been anything and opted to be a lifer.

"He could be the head coach at the University of Texas," Pierce says. "He could be the head coach at USC. That was a choice of his."

The night after he was feted, Altobelli and Lexi met up with a group of coaches, including Pierce, who were having a drink. Lexi is a junior in high school. She is trying to figure out where she wants to go to college. The only thing she had decided, Pierce says, is that wherever she goes, she wants to work with the school's baseball program.

Altobelli made people want to be a part of the game, and of his circle within it. Ten miles up the 405, at Golden West, Altobelli's old friend Bert Villarreal had been doing the same for more than 30 years. He and Altobelli had been teammates at Golden West nearly four decades earlier, and they somehow managed to remain rivals and confidantes simultaneously. During the 2009 playoffs, when Altobelli was banished, he would chat with Villarreal during the games. This year, on the day of Golden West's opener, Altobelli texted Villarreal, who plans to retire after this season, to wish him luck -- then ended OCC's practice early to scout Villarreal's team's game.

Two days later, Villarreal was grabbing lunch at BJ's. The people in line in front of him were talking about how Kobe Bryant's helicopter had crashed. Villarreal pulled out his phone and sent a text to Altobelli.

"I know you were close friends with Kobe," it said. "I'm so sorry for your loss. If you need anything, I'm here."

Play as if every at bat may be your last because it very f---ing well could be. So let's make every single f---ing one count.

TWO DAYS AFTER the crash, OCC played its first game of the season. Outside Wendell Pickens Field, near the banner that read "The House That Alto Built," Liz Parker sat at a table. She had joined the school as a fundraiser years earlier and worked with Altobelli on manifold projects, including convincing an anonymous donor to replace his beloved grass with a turf field that cost nearly $2 million. On this day, Parker was collecting money for J.J. and Lexi.

A woman, maybe in her late 20s, approached Parker. Altobelli had taught her in a CPR class. He was such a great educator, she said. She wanted to donate but was worried about the amount.

"I can't give much," she said.

Parker told her there was no such thing as too little. The woman pulled out a credit card and contributed $10.

People from across the country had come to honor Altobelli. Jackson Hokuf paid his respects, even though he'd spent less than a minute of his life with Altobelli. During a speech by Nate Johnson, OCC's new coach, Hokuf cried. A half-dozen umpires showed up. When someone joked that all the umps who had ejected Altobelli came to Costa Mesa, Tim Matz, a longtime OCC assistant, said: "Where's the other 20?"

Matz met Altobelli when he was coaching at Santa Ana College. In a game at OCC a dozen or so years ago, a foul ball flew into the parking lot and cracked the windshield of Matz's car. That night, he received a call from a number he didn't recognize. It was Altobelli. He said OCC would take care of the damage. Always the little things. In the days after the helicopter crash, Matz scrolled through his text-message exchanges with Altobelli.

"I was so overwhelmed by how many things he checked on me about," Matz says. "Be it my wife Rhonda's health. 'Hey, how's your son today?' I'm just one person in the tens of thousands of people that he touched."

Another was Tyler Parker, Liz's younger son. Recently, he decided he wanted to return to school. He was going to study to become a high school chemistry teacher. At the same time, he hoped to become a member of Altobelli's coaching staff.

"I was looking forward to joining his collection," he told Liz.

All of the souls who attended the game were convinced Altobelli was looking down, ensuring a victory for OCC, which wore T-shirts with his No. 14 on the back and #FOREVERAPIRATE on the front. But baseball doesn't always work that way. Life doesn't work that way. The Pirates faced a 7-1 deficit going into the bottom of the sixth inning. Then they scored four runs. They added another in the bottom of the seventh. After a scoreless eighth, it was 7-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth, with the middle of OCC's lineup due up. But they had to postpone the rest of the game to be played at a later date.

They had run out of time. The sun had set. The day was gone. The game, for now, was called on account of darkness.

By all means , Feel sorry for yourself. By all means make excuses. By all means feel discouraged. By all means don't play like this game is the most important thing to you. By all means entertain yourself with other s--- because the game of baseball will be here forever and you will have infinite opportunities to play this game. You will infinite oppu0rtntities to put on your gear, feel the glove, the ball, etc. The game of baseball will wait for you. Life will wait for you. Its not as life can be taken away from you at any moment. Nooo that would be crazy, that would be cruel. Right? So by all means play the game as if will have all the swings you can dream of and when the day comes when you realize baseball, that life doesn't work that way., you will understand that the best way to play is by ANY MEANS necessary. By any means. No excuses. No waiting. F--- patience. F--- injuries and f--- THEM. PLAY as if every at bat may be ur last because it very f---ing well could be. So let's make every single f---ing one count. Lets go get these f---ers!

UNIFORMS ON, SHOES TIED, the OCC baseball team was ready to stretch before its March 28, 2019, game at Riverside City College. First, Altobelli said, he wanted to talk. The team retreated to the bullpen down the right-field line. This team, he said, was too good to be playing such a mediocre brand of baseball. Somehow he needed to remind them of who they were. So he read Bryant's response to his text message -- about the game, about how it bends to no one, about the sadness of impermanence and the frailty of opportunity -- aloud.

For the rest of the season, "F--- 'em" became OCC's rallying cry. During pregame practice. Before team introductions. When they scored. Any time was the right time.

On May 28, 2019, exactly two months to the day the OCC players heard Bryant's words for the first time, the Pirates, playing their fourth game in 26 hours, rode a walk-off single in the ninth inning to the school's fourth state championship with John Altobelli as coach.

They beat El Camino College. Five weeks earlier, Sladen Mohl, El Camino's 19-year-old catcher, was killed when a 16-year-old suspected of DUI hit him with her SUV. When El Camino lost the state championship, its coach, Nate Fernley, was crestfallen. He had wanted to win, for Sladen.

Altobelli could empathize. Before the 2009 season, Jourdan Watanabe, a catcher for OCC, died under mysterious circumstances. Altobelli's team did win that title for Watanabe, and for the next decade, Watanabe's memory was never far from the program. His father, Kent, worked the snack bar at OCC games, then became an assistant coach. In 2019, Altobelli gave up his No. 14 so he could wear Watanabe's No. 22.

Fernley's disappointment at the loss in the state championship game carried through the winter -- all the way until Jan. 26, when he saw the news. He sent an email to Tony, John's younger brother. He lauded Alto's grace during a speech he had given before the championship tournament in which he expressed solace and solidarity with El Camino, offered deep condolences to Tony and said the months of frustration and exasperation over the end result of the championship game were for naught.

"I always thought that I would change the final game of last season in a heartbeat if anyone could give me that option," Fernley wrote. "Now I know it ended exactly as it should have."

The championship ring OCC commissioned was its biggest and most beautiful yet. On top, the words CALIFORNIA and CHAMPIONS cover the edges. In the middle is the shape of a baseball diamond, with 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2019 -- the years of OCC's titles -- where the baselines would be. On one side, the edge says 36 INNINGS IN 26 HOURS, an homage to their Final Four performance, above the person's name and a flag with a W. The other side's edge says FOREVER A PIRATE atop 39-9, OCC's record, and NEGU.

The engraving on the bottom of the ring is simple and succinct, three letters and an apostrophe, the perfect coda for a team, a man, that made "every single f---ing one" -- every day, every game, every moment -- count.

F'EM

Johanna Konta stepped up her return to full fitness with a doubles win at the St Petersburg Ladies Trophy.

Konta, 28, sat out Great Britain's Fed Cup defeat by Slovakia at the weekend to reduce her workload.

The British number one has only played two singles games since September's US Open because of a knee injury.

But she and Caroline Garcia of France won 6-3 3-6 10-5 against Germany's Vivian Heisen and Valeriya Strakhova of Ukraine to reach the quarter-finals.

Konta, ranked 14th in the world, was playing her first game since losing to Ons Jabeur in the first round of the Australian Open on 21 January.

She is also scheduled to play in the singles in St Petersburg and, as the fourth seed, has been given a bye to the second round.

Konta will face either Slovakia's Viktoria Kuzmova or Oceane Dodin of France on Wednesday.

Wimbledon and US Open doubles champion Robert Farah will not be banned despite being found in breach of the tennis anti-doping programme.

The Colombian, 33, was provisionally suspended last month after testing positive for a banned substance.

Farah said the presence of anabolic steroid Boldenone was from eating contaminated meat in his home country.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) accepted Farah "bears no fault or negligence for the violation".

The positive test occurred in October and was confirmed to Farah by the ITF last month, causing him to miss the Australian Open.

After being told of the positive result he wrote on Twitter: "Two weeks before the test mentioned… I did an anti-doping test in Shanghai which had a negative result.

"I was also tested at least 15 other times randomly in the international circuit throughout the year with the same negative result.

"As stated by the Colombian Olympic Committee in 2018, this substance is found frequently in Colombian meat and may affect athletes' test results."

In 2018, Canadian-born Farah was given a suspended ban and fined £3,800 for promoting a gambling website on social media.

British number one Dan Evans advanced to round two of the Rotterdam Open with an impressive 6-3 7-5 victory against German Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The 29-year-old world number 33 claimed a break in each set, served eight aces and made only 11 unforced errors.

World number 81 Kohlschreiber, 36, is a former Rotterdam semi-finalist.

But Evans used his forehand to fine effect and won in an hour and 16 minutes to set up a meeting with Karen Khachanov or fifth seed Fabio Fognini.

Evans lost 6-4 6-3 6-4 to Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in round two at the Australian Open last month, but won the opening set in 36 minutes against the former world number 16 before securing the decisive break in the 11th game of the second set.

He then served out to love to maintain his 100% record from two meetings with his opponent.

"I served really well," said Evans. "The court was quicker than I thought it was going to be but it suits my game and I am happy to go through."