From Canada, Nickeil Alexander-Walker may not have had the career that his cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has had, but his two years plus in Minnesota were solid.

Arriving with Mike Conley as part of a three-team trade in February of 2023, Alexander-Walker, in Minnesota, endeared himself to the franchise by embracing a "3-and-D" identity. He provided crucial perimeter defense and improved shooting efficiency, appearing in every regular-season game (82) for two consecutive seasons (2023–24 and 2024–25) and becoming a vital piece of the team's top-ranked defense and its run to the Western Conference Finals. His consistent performance eventually outpriced Minnesota's salary-cap flexibility, leading to his departure in July 2025 via a sign-and-trade to the Atlanta Hawks after he re-established his value as an elite role player.

The Baseball Hall of Fame Contemporary Era Veterans Committee has announced tht Jeff Kent is the lone man to have obtained the necessarry 75% to join the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Kent received 14 of the 18 votes, and the man with the most Home Runs among any Second Baseman (351 of his career 377).   A five-time All-Star, Kent won the 2000 NL MVP and earned four Silver Sluggers.  Kent also had 2,461 Hits and 1,518 RBIs.

Three other players will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame on the next Contemporary Ballot.

Carlos Delgado received nine votes and Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy earned six.

As a new wrinkle, players who received five or fewer votes will not be on the next Contemporary Ballot in 2029.  This means that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela will not be considered for that ballot.

Notably, this year’s committee consisted of Hall of Fame Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Perez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell and Robin Yount; major league executives Mark Attanasio, Doug Melvin, Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Tony Reagins and Terry Ryan; and veteran media members/historians Steve Hirdt, Tyler Kepner and Jayson Stark.

Over the next five years, the respective committees will be voting for:

2027-Contemporary Baseball Managers/Executives/Umpires; 2028-Classic Baseball; 2029-Contemporary Baseball Players; 2030-Contemporary Baseball Managers/Executives/Umpires; 2031-Classic Baseball.

Please note that we will be revising our Notinhalloffame Baseball List once we know the Writers' elect for the Class of 2026.

We here at notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Jeff Kent for his impending induction.

P

Hmmm.

Julius Randle arrived in Minnesota in a shock trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns the other way to New York.  Bluntly, the jury is still out on that deal, as Randle saw his four-year streak of at least 20 Points per Game broken, but he still was solid with an 18.7/7.1 Rebound year.  The Timberwolves also returned to the Western Conference Finals, so theoretically, they are in the same place they were before the trade.

Nevertheless, for an organization as young as the Timberwolves, which has also failed to reach the NBA Finals, a very good season is enough to make this list.

In Toronto, Pascal Siakam became a star.

The native of Cameroon came of age in his third NBA season, winning the Most Improved Player of the Year in 2019, all while helping the Raptors win their first NBA Championship.  He later went to two All-Star Games as a Raptor, but it was clear Toronto needed to rebuild, and he was traded to the Pacers during the 2023-24 Season.

The Power Forward continued to score often, and in the year-and-a-half he has played for Indiana, he has maintained a 20-plus PPG, added a third All-Star, and was crucial in Indiana’s NBA Finals appearance in 2025.  Entering this season, Siakam has a lot on his plate, as Tyrese Haliburton is out for the year, and he no longer has Myles Turner.  Nevertheless, Siakam has a lot of good basketball in him, though he might have to carry a bigger load than expected.