New Zealander has won the County Championship and makes those around him better but is also not averse to mind games
With two games of the 2005 season remaining Nottinghamshire, under the captaincy of Stephen Fleming, were sitting precariously at the top of the County Championship, still needing to visit their two main rivals. First up was Kent: Notts were 397 for five after the first day, but rain washed out most of the second and at the end of the third Kent were only five down. A draw looked inevitable, and with a Shane Warne-inspired Hampshire – Notts’ final opponents – on their way to victory at Glamorgan the title chase seemed to be turning. But Fleming had other plans.
“He called a meeting of the senior players on the fourth morning to say he had an idea,” says Darren Bicknell, his Notts teammate. “If Kent didn’t win the game against us, they were dead, they’d have no way to win the title, so he recognised that he had them over a barrel a little bit.” Fleming offered Kent the chance to chase 420 in 70 overs, an unlikely target – but also the best they were going to get. “To take a calculated gamble in that game was a stroke of genius,” Bicknell says. “Some of the senior players were a bit anxious, thinking we didn’t need to take any risks because the draw was still a good result. But people went with him.”
With Summer League play in the rearview mirror and most major transactions completed, now is a good time to look back at some players whose fantasy values have been affected by the changes. After looking at the players whose fantasy outlooks have improved earlier this week, we look at some whose values may have taken a hit, some through no fault of their own. Kicking things off are two players in Philadelphia who are well-positioned to contend for an NBA title, at the expense of their respective fantasy outlooks.
G VJ Edgecombe and G/F Jaylen Brown, Philadelphia 76ers
Obviously, no front office worth its salt would ever consider fantasy value when making moves that could improve the roster. Between the acquisition of Brown and the recent signing of LeBron James, the 76ers are well-positioned to contend for an NBA title next season. However, a stronger starting lineup also means that some individual sacrifices will need to be made.
As the least experienced player in the 76ers' starting five, Edgecombe may be the one who's asked to sacrifice the most offensively when everyone is healthy. The athletic guard is coming off an excellent rookie season in which he provided sixth-round per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats, as well as points leagues. Edgecombe's usage (20.1) wasn't too high, but that number may decrease with Brown and James on board, especially with both proving to be more durable than Paul George was.
As for Brown, he's coming off the most productive individual season of his NBA career. With Boston not having Jayson Tatum for most of the season as he recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Brown's usage was a career-high 36.2. With the trade to Philadelphia, that number was already going to take a hit. Add in LeBron, and that is something else for fantasy managers to consider. Hopefully, Brown will be able to clean up the turnovers (3.6 per game), which factored into him finishing outside the top-50 in nine-cat formats.
G/F Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
Avdija is coming off the best season of his NBA career to date, having earned his first All-Star Game appearance. He posted career-high averages in points, assists and three-pointers while offering third-round per-game value in eight-cat formats. However, between the departure of head coach Tiago Splitter, the return of Damian Lillard and the acquisition of Ja Morant, Avdija's usage (29.3 last season) is bound to decrease. He can still offer reliable fantasy value, especially if the three-point accuracy improves and the turnovers decrease. However, Avdija's ceiling took a significant hit this offseason.
G Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks
While he did enter last season with a top-100 ADP, few expected Rollins to be as productive as he was for the injury-riddled Bucks. He recorded career-high averages in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and three-pointers while shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 40.6 percent from three and 79.6 percent from the foul line. The Bucks' chances of being a factor in the East took a significant hit with Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded to Miami. Still, there are even more perimeter options for new head coach Taylor Jenkins to sift through.
In addition to Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. return, with the latter having signed a deal that shocked many (four years, $64 million). Among the players Milwaukee received from Miami were guards Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakučionis, and lottery pick Brayden Burries was one of the best performers at the Vegas Summer League. While he won't fall off the face of the earth, the increased number of guards on the roster may not do Rollins' fantasy value any favors.
F Andrew Wiggins, Miami Heat
Speaking of the Antetokounmpo trade, his arrival in Miami may mean that Wiggins' usage takes a hit. Despite Herro and Norman Powell (who's now in Chicago) missing extended periods of time due to injury, Wiggins still averaged just 15.4 points per game last season, a decrease of more than three points when compared to his 2024-25 average (19.0). The positive is that Wiggins shot a career-high 41.4 percent from three on 4.9 attempts per game; if he can maintain that accuracy, it would help preserve some of his category-league value.
C Alex Sarr and G/F Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards
After years of stockpiling young talent, the Wizards began to shift the franchise's approach with the acquisitions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis last season. Add in AJ Dybantsa, who was selected with the first overall pick in June's draft, and some of the other young Wizards stand to take hits to their fantasy values in 2026-27. Sarr may be better equipped to preserve his fantasy value, especially if Washington decides to start him alongside Davis.
And in that scenario, players like George, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson and Will Riley would lose their luster as fantasy options. Of those four, George's overall profile gives him the highest category-league ceiling, but it would be challenging to expect a top-100 season out of him.
F/C Santi Aldama, Dallas Mavericks
While he finished last season with career-high averages in points, rebounds, assists (tie), steals and blocks, injuries limited Aldama to 43 games for the Grizzlies. The move from Memphis to Dallas puts Aldama on a team headlined by Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, and there's a surplus of bodies in the post as well. Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford remain on the roster, as does Moussa Cissé after the Mavericks matched the offer sheet he signed with the Knicks. Add in lottery pick Morez Johnson Jr., and Aldama's fantasy value stands to take a hit unless someone is traded.
Rookies
G Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz
After finishing the Salt Lake City portion of Utah's summer league run on a positive note, Peterson played three games in Las Vegas. In those appearances, the second overall pick in June's draft averaged 20.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 three-pointers. However, the efficiency was lacking, with Peterson shooting 30.8 percent from the field while averaging 4.7 turnovers.
Long-term, Peterson should be fine; there is too much talent for the Jazz to work with in the former Kansas guard. Short-term, does he start alongside Keyonte George or come off the bench? George, who is extension eligible this summer, is coming off the best season of his NBA career and appears to be Utah's answer at point guard. There's also Ace Bailey to consider, as he made 61 starts as a rookie. Peterson should still be one of the first rookies taken in drafts, but managers may need to temper their expectations early on.
G Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings
Similar to Peterson, Acuff put up good averages this summer, but the efficiency was an issue. In three games in Las Vegas, the seventh-overall pick averaged 19.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 three-pointers while shooting 36.8 percent from the field, 26.3 percent from three and 64.3 percent from the foul line. Between the 4.7 turnovers per game and limited defensive value, Acuff has some areas to clean up going into his rookie campaign. The good news is that managers who can withstand the efficiency concerns should be fine, as Acuff should be the Kings' starting point guard on Opening Night.
F Nate Ament, Milwaukee Bucks
Ament did not play in the California Classic, but he did appear in all five of Milwaukee's games in Las Vegas. In those appearances, the former Tennessee forward averaged 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.4 three-pointers per game. Ament posted solid percentages, but his overall impact was somewhat muted. Once training camp opens, he will face significant competition for minutes. Miami added Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware via the Giannis trade while also re-signing Ousmane Dieng. Add in returnee Kyle Kuzma, and Ament's rookie year fantasy outlook may not be great.
F Dailyn Swain, Chicago Bulls
While fellow first-round pick Caleb Wilson was one of the standouts in Las Vegas, Swain struggled. In four games, he averaged 4.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.8 steals, shooting just 12.9 percent from the field. While Summer League is nowhere near the level of play Swain and the other rookies will face in the fall/winter, the inability to get things done offensively in his first NBA experience is a concern.
F Alex Karaban, Sacramento Kings
Karaban's summer got off to a rough start, as a sprained ankle sidelined him for the entirety of the California Classic. That injury likely factored into his slow start in Las Vegas, with the former UConn standout averaging 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.6 three-pointers per game in four appearances. Karaban shot just 38.1 percent from the field, and there's no guarantee that the quality of looks he gets will improve once the regular season begins, with the Kings likely starting fellow rookie Darius Acuff Jr. at the point.
Even while new allegations swirl around it, nearly everyone in league circles — and particularly the LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors — want the alleged salary cap circumvention case about Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers to wrap up fast. However, if Leonard or the Clippers decide to fight any potential punishments, this saga likely would drag out into the season and maybe into 2027, according to a new report.
That's because the NBA's collective bargaining agreement says any cap-circumvention case — and potential punishments out of it — must go before a neutral arbitrator and, potentially, an appeals process. While NBA Commissioner Adam Silver can suggest punishments, the arbitrator would determine if the case has been made and if those punishments are appropriate to the offense.
Those appeals could drag out the process, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN, who discussed a timeline that could run into next year.
Sources close to the National Basketball Players Association with knowledge of the investigation said the union wouldn't hesitate to take the matter to arbitration if the NBA sought penalties without sufficient evidence proving the claim that the Clippers have denied since the league's inquiry began nearly 10 months ago.
On July 9, NBPA executive director David Kelly told reporters in Las Vegas that he didn't believe there was a "there, there" regarding whether the Clippers compensated Leonard through a $28 million endorsement deal that he signed in 2022 with the now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration, which also had a 23-year, $300 million endorsement deal with the Clippers.
There are a lot of competing interests here. If the investigation finds sufficient proof that the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer intended to circumvent the cap, Silver would have to come down hard on the team and its owner — but Ballmer has repeatedly professed his innocence and, by nature, is a fighter. He might not let this go. Then there is the players' union, and potentially Leonard himself, appealing things depending upon the punishment.
The best-case scenario for the league might be a "plea bargain" deal where the Clippers and league agree to whatever potential punishments would be handed down. Whether that kind of agreement could be reached is another question.
The Clippers and Toronto Raptors agreed to a trade that would send Leonard back to Toronto — where he won a title in 2019 — for a package centered around Brandon Ingram. However, that trade is on hold because the Raptors, understandably, don't want to trade for Leonard with the threat of a potential suspension hanging over him.
In Las Vegas for Summer League, Silver said that the entire case "needs to be wrapped up before the beginning of next season," but even when he said it that timeline raised eyebrows around the league. Now that timeline seems optimistic at best, which leads to questions about the future of the Leonard trade to Toronto.
Leonard’s secret soccer team
One of the reasons Silver's timeline seemed optimistic were reports that the investigation had widened beyond just the Aspiration endorsement — and may include a Rhode Island soccer team.
Leonard and his associates became involved around the same time that [Rhode Island FC founder Brett] Johnson was struggling to secure enough private financing to move ahead with construction of Rhode Island FC's new 10,000-seat stadium in Pawtucket, which cost more than $130 million to build. The previously undisclosed role of Leonard underscores how little has been known about who was backing the stadium deal, even with tens of millions in taxpayer funds on the line. Rhode Island FC has never publicly disclosed the identities of its full ownership group.
Leonard's quiet involvement here raises questions on a couple of fronts. One is simply publicity — when star athletes in other sports invest in the USL, the league and teams publicize it, as happened with Russell Westbrook, for example. It also happened when former Celtics big man Daniel Theis joined Rhode Island's ownership group three years ago.
Potentially more interesting was something else reported by Torre: During 2019, when "uncle" Dennis reportedly was making extravagant and improper demands from teams recruiting a free agent Leonard — such as giving him a home, access to a private plane and, most concerningly, a no-show endorsement deal — one of them was to make him part owner of a professional sports team.
That is not proof that Leonard's investment in the team isn't legitimate or doesn't come from his own pocket, it just is another question. RIFC founder Johnson said this to WPRI about Leonard and associates' investment.
"They're particularly interested in real estate, finding ways to invest in housing, particularly in low-income areas," Johnson said.
The building of the stadium was supposed to come with other developments, such as a hotel and about 400 housing units. That housing has yet to be built, despite having received local approvals and some tax deals. The company has applied for more taxpayer subsidies.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 28: Austin Wynns #38 of the Texas Rangers celebrates a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Tobi Lawal #33, Morez Johnson Jr. #14, and Sergio De Larrea #55 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts to a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on July 15, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Sydney Bezelik/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA Offseason isn’t over but this week we decided to grade what the Dallas Mavericks have done so far.
Michael: I’m giving the team an A-. That may be hard for some to fathom when a team like the 76ers landed Jaylen Brown and LeBron James (what could their grade possibly be if ours is an A-?) – but I think a grade like this has to be measured on an appropriate scale and realistic expectations.
This offseason, the Mavericks have hired President Masai Ujiri, a front office professional calling the shots, the likes of which Dallas has not had in many, many years. They hired a proper GM in Mike Schmitz to pair with Ujiri to properly rebuild around Cooper Flagg. They hired a head coach that virtually everyone thought was untouchable and who ought to be perfect for a young, budding core. Then they constructed that young core, getting a player like Santi Aldama through clever use of a trade exception which they kept intact by clever use of signing-and-trading Khris Middleton. They moved up in the draft to get a promising guard in Sergio De Larrea, after using their higher pick to land Morez Johnson. They made a couple other slick moves in the second round for even more youth, and traded for a former #1 overall pick. All of this was done with a dearth of draft capital and an inherited pile of bad will. It was also done while keeping all of the obvious tradable player assets.
Will every one of these moves pan out to greatness? Probably not. But rebuilding a youthful, athletic, affordable roster while maintaining what precious few assets they had was nothing short of a masterclass of how to make something out of virtually nothing. For where the Mavs were three months ago, this was an excellent outcome.
David: I would say they have operated around a B. As of writing, their roster makes no sense, but they have made moves for good players. Morez Johnson was certainly a surprising draft pick, but maybe he is far past what any one of us mortals saw. He has the body to work perfectly next to Cooper Flagg. Masai Ujiri’s lust for big wings has been evident, but I am not too concerned about their success on the court this season. As of now, they have made mostly the “right” moves and have set themselves up for more to come. It hasn’t been a home run, but they’re definitely on base and in scoring position.
Ben: I give them a B+. The new front office is having to clean up one of the worst messes in NBA history due to one of the worst trades in NBA history. This was always going to be a long-haul project and they’re operating that way so far. They’ve added a bunch of interesting players who could work out, who might not, but they’re taking some chances. If they’re able to move some of the vets before the season starts, I’d even get close to an A-.
Matt: A very solid B+. The new regime has done the impossible and made Dallas an interesting team to watch again. There are several storylines going into this season with the potential to develop into something genuinely beneficial to the team’s longterm outlook. They’ve gotten creative in how to put new talent around Cooper Flagg with guys who are on his timeline, and are taking many, many bites at the apples in hopes that one of their developmental players pans out. It’s a roster-building exercise in the law of large numbers. The only thing they haven’t done is re-stock the barren shelves with some draft picks, but there’s still time and guys like Gafford, Washington and Marshall should be of interest to SOME team with an aim to contend this season – even if it’s not a huge haul.
Jack: I would give the Mavericks a B- for the offseason they have had so far. I honestly like all the additions they have made, starting with drafting Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea, to acquiring high-upside young talent for relatively cheap value. They have also done an amazing job of adding shooting to the roster, which will certainly help Cooper Flagg’s development. The way they have attacked the margins is very exciting, as with a lack of draft assets they will have to find unique ways to acquire talent. What holds back my grade is the dramatic roster imbalance that still plagues the team. They have too many forwards and not enough ball-handlers, simply not having the minutes to give. This holds back the opportunity for a player like Zaccharie Risacher, who needs time on the court to hopefully develop his skills. The lack of creation also lessens the impact of the new shooting, as most of these new players need their shots created for them. If the Mavericks can trade P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford for good value, then my grade would jump into the A’s, but since no trade is seemingly on the horizon, I’m settling on a B- for now.
Tyler: I’m going to give them an old school, college-level incomplete grade for the offseason. I can’t grade the work they’ve done through today because, well, this can’t be all the work they’re doing. The moves themselves are fine: I was indifferent at best on the Morez Johnson pick, but I do like Sergio De Larrea. I also think they’ve done decent work with the Sasser and Aldama acquisitions. I have questions about the Risacher addition, but it’s a fine “shot in the dark” as long as they don’t commit long-term money there until they see proof of the vision they surely imagine. But the roster is still incredibly unbalanced, and they don’t have much in the way of future assets they’ve gotten. Until the dust settles, it’s probably best to settle with an incomplete. I can’t imagine this is the roster they roll into the season with.
Bryan: Easy A- with potential for an A+ pending a frontcourt trade or two for reasonable value. The top 8 of the draft lottery fell exactly as we hoped that it wouldn’t, but M&M still left the draft with a great coaching hire, two players that figure to factor in the rotation battle this season, and two big upside swings in the 2nd round. On top of that, we’ve acquired a ton of shooting, length, and athleticism that lends itself to insulating Kyrie, Flagg, Sasser, Sergio, and another shot creator to be named later defensively. We did all this at the paltry cost of portions of our exceptions (trade exception and Mid-level) and three 2nd rounders. We’ve barely touched the few assets we have and remade the team completely from last season. This offseason has been a measured rundown of the checklist for a proper rebuild and a welcome, if foreign, sight for Mavs fans’ eyes.
Joe: The Dallas Mavericks deserve a C+ for their offseason so far. Given the difficult roster and asset situation Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz inherited, Dallas did a respectable job adding useful players on manageable contracts without sacrificing anything essential to Cooper Flagg’s future.Moves for Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser, Morez Johnson Jr. and Zaccharie Risacher were all defensible individually. Dallas added shooting, size, youth and upside while preserving several movable contracts. Even the Risacher gamble came at a relatively low price. The Mavericks did not panic, overpay for a short-term solution or surrender another major first-round asset. That is what keeps the grade from falling lower.
The problem is that Dallas chose to work around the margins instead of truly reforming the roster. The Mavericks still have too many overlapping forwards, not enough reliable ball-handling and several veterans who do not clearly fit Flagg’s timeline. Other young teams have been more aggressive in defining their direction, whether by collecting draft assets, clearing veterans or building a cleaner developmental roster. The individual moves mostly make sense, but they do not yet form a coherent plan. The “plus” comes from hiring Dusty May, one of basketball’s biggest rising coaching names. Pairing him with Ujiri and Schmitz gives the Mavericks a leadership structure worth believing in. Dallas improved its flexibility and talent base. It still has not made the larger, uncomfortable decisions required to properly build around Flagg. For now, that makes this a C+.
Isaac: i’m willing to give Masai and crew an A for this offseason. While not all needs were met, it’s a good step in the right direction and the offseason’s not over yet. They’ve made serviceable trades and taken shots on young guys that could help the team without committing long-term money to them.
It’s hard for fans, myself included, to handle the whiplash of being in the Finals just two years to being where we are now, but it’s the reality we live in. Offseasons for teams like the Mavericks aren’t about contending this season or next; they’re about taking chances to build a core around their young star. I think they’ve done a great job at that this offseason, and I’m fascinated by what they can get for the players on our team that have value (PJ, Gafford, Klay).
Matt M.: B-. This roster configuration may not make a ton of sense, but it doesn’t have to this season. It’s maddening that some of the vets who are still here are still here. But I have at least some level of middling trust in the long-term plan of Masai & Co. The guards on this roster don’t please me greatly but there is at least a glimmer of hope for this team putting an interesting product on the floor in 2026-27. Progress, I guess?
Kirk: A- for me. Look, I am broadly a pessimist when it comes to team sports. There’s only one champ every year, you know? So when I think about where Dallas was last February and see where they are 18 months later, this is about the best possible outcome I could have hoped for. Nico Harrison leveraged the future then traded away the centerpiece, so that Dallas has Cooper, everything else is more straightforward. Dallas made mistakes in tanking (or not tanking, really) but Morez Johnson is a nice pick. Sergio De Larrea has something! They’ve made two fun trades that could pan out well. They still have a lot of roster imbalance, but there’s hope for the future.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Kansas City Royals put first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino on the 10-day injured list with a sore right wrist.
Pasquantino is hitting .232 with six home runs and 33 RBIs in 79 games this year. He missed a month earlier this season with a broken hamate bone in the same wrist, which he aggravated during the Royals’ 3-2 loss to Minnesota.
“Just a little bit of wrist soreness,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That’s not the kind of thing that you can have go away without some rest. So just trying to make a decision that he needed to get some rest and see if we can get him to calm down.”
In 11 games since he returned from the IL on July 11, the 28-year-old hit .282 with one double and no home runs.
HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Josh Okogie #20 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket during the game against the Utah Jazz on February 23, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We are officially into the doldrums of the offseason – Summer League is behind us, free agency is all but over, and we still have months until we first see our new team take the floor. It is in these doldrums that one begins to ponder the real questions of the soul: am I leading my life correctly? should I be spending all this time on basketball? is Mario Hezonja worth all the hype given to his free agency decision? And, most importantly, who will be the Jazz’s backup shooting guard?
It seems to me that there are four options for the two backup wing positions: Brice Sensabaugh, Svi Mykhailiuk, John Konchar, and the titular Josh Okogie. All four deserve to play minutes somewhere – each have started legitimate amounts of games in their careers, and two may be out of the rotation next year.
Choosing which of these four worthy candidates have my vote to earn playing time is already difficult, and is made even more difficult due to the fact that I am no expert on the newest Jazzman of the group, Josh Okogie. Sure, I have a passing knowledge of the guy – I follow the NBA, he’s made his way around the block a few times, so I generally understand his game. He defends, he’s kinda stocky, he got that one block on James Harden’s step back in his rookie year…he’s Josh Okogie! But that cursory, surface-level understanding won’t cut it if I am to make the hugely important decision of who should be Darryn Peterson’s backup (and then complain when the Jazz coaching staff makes a different choice than me). I need to become a Josh Okogie scholar.
I took this self-assigned responsibility seriously – I would not go halfway for one of the newest Jazzmen. So, to shore up the holes in my Okogie expertise, I took to NBA.com’s video database to watch every Josh Okogie field goal, assist, steal, and block from the 2025-2026 season. If Josh Okogie did just about anything with the ball last year, I watched it. I won’t pretend this was the most interesting exercise I’ve ever (for reasons that will be explained later), so instead of everyone else having to go through the same study process, I will report on what I learned, his strengths and weaknesses, and his fit on the Jazz. Hopefully, no one will have any remaining Josh Okogie questions after this article.
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 29: Josh Okogie #20 of the Houston Rockets shoots a three point basket during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 29, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Josh Okogie is a very simple offensive player, for better and for worse (at the very least, it made for a dull viewing experience). While you can rest assured that he will not hijack the offense with complicated, on-ball hijinks, sometimes the simple, barebones nature of his offensive game leaves a bit to be desired. He has figured out his role perfectly during his 8 years in the NBA, and will not dare stray from it.
The majority of Okogie’s shot attempts this past season came from behind the arc (54.8% of his attempts, to be exact), and nearly all of them looked exactly the same. He never shot from off the dribble (100% of his three pointers this past season were assisted), he rarely shot off of movement, and he mainly shot from the corners. His three point percentages have steadily ticked up over his career, peaking this season at 38.5%, but I don’t think he’s gotten more versatile with his shot; he needs to be set, and he needs to be facing minimal pressure. After having watched 161 of his three point attempts in very quick succession, I think I uncovered the reason for this – Okogie’s form simply isn’t built for anything beyond a catch-and-shoot attempt. He doesn’t get much elevation on his shot, and it isn’t particularly quick, which when combined with the fact that he’s only 6’4, creates a player who needs a separation from a defender to get his shot off cleanly. Additionally, his footwork behind the arc isn’t always the cleanest, making movement off-ball and around screens disadvantageous to his style of jump shot. He can make these shots while open (see the video below for some examples), but his 38% from three isn’t providing the same spacing that Anfernee Simon’s 38% is.
Josh Okogie made 3 of his 4 threes and finished with his 2nd highest scoring night as a Rocket yesterday:
An interesting statistical tidbit – while Okogie attempted most of three pointers from the corners (67% of his attempts came from both corners combined), they were far from his most efficient spot on the court – he drained around 30% from those zones, and 52% from the two wings. Now, I understand that, all things considered, this is a pretty small sample size to determine Okogie’s strengths and weaknesses as a shooter, but similar general trends occur throughout his past few seasons; consistently, his strongest area as a shooter is either the right or left wing, with his percentages from the corners being more pedestrian. The Jazz attempted some of the fewest corner threes per game in the NBA this past season – hopefully this can lead to Okogie’s shooting leap to continue into 2026-2027.
Inside of the three point line, Okogie, once again, is nothing to really write home about. Even though Okogie is a good athlete, he isn’t too impressive as a vertical high-flyer; this can lead to ugly misses at the rim. He missed more dunks than I would’ve expected, and I’m sure the Rockets never felt great about Okogie driving headfirst into a set rim protector. Luckily, he tended to know his role in this regard as well – he never attempted to do too much to achieve rim attempts (which is good, considering his stiff, uncreative handle), and mostly found himself shooting in that range off of quick cuts or in transition. He isn’t the most active cutter in the world, sometimes being a bit too sedimentary behind the arc, but is proficient enough when he does decide to streak to open space near the rim.
To continue the tradition of unspectacular but serviceable offensive skills, his passing is just enough to keep the offense flowing but not much more than that. There were a few really impressive interior passes sprinkled throughout the clips of his assists, but for the most part his passes were simple, connective throws to teammates finding open space around the perimeter. I only recall a few pick-and-roll passes, which were unremarkable – while I’m sure he’s capable of hitting a roll-man, I don’t think he’s capable enough for it to be an aspect of his offense a coach can reliably call upon.
However, even with all of these middle-of-the-road offensive skills, the Rockets were still better offensively with Okogie on the court. How can this be? I believe this is explained by two factors. First, Okogie demands very little on the offensive end. Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant were two Rockets players from this past season who were best operating with the ball in their hands, and Okogie’s completely unselfish offensive game could, if his shot was falling, act as an amplifier for a ball-dominant star. There’s a limit on how much good he could do offensively without a more dynamic offensive game, but a player who is perfectly content with hitting open threes and nothing else is still valuable.
The second factor, though, is a bit more interesting to me. One of Josh Okogie’s hidden superpowers is his activity on the offensive glass. In a down year, Okogie still grabbed 2.2 offensive rebounds per game per 36 minutes, and that impact was felt by his team – when he was on the court, the Rockets were nearly 2 percentage points better at snagging offensive rebounds. While watching, it almost felt like Okogie was conserving energy while stationed in the corner, with the expectation that he would exert it all the moment the ball left the shooters hands. With his linebacker frame, Okogie torpedoed towards the ball, and had a real nose for it – his anticipation for where the ball would bounce was really impressive. So, even without providing much value with the ball in his hands or even as a shooter, Okogie boosted his team’s offense by helping them win the possession battle – while he was out there, Durant and Sengun could count on more attempts because they could count on Okogie.
Synopsis: A simple offensive player who likes to station himself in the corners. Can shoot off the catch and not much else. Not strong with the ball in his hands. Great offensive rebounder for his position.
Defense
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 29: Josh Okogie #20 of the Houston Rockets plays defense during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 29, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
While this side of the court is his calling card, I do feel like there is less to be said regarding Okogie’s defense compared to his offense – whatever you think you know about his defense, you’re probably right.
All of his physical tools are best used on the defensive end of the court. His +8 wingspan is put to good use both on and off the ball. It allows him to guard up and down the lineup (his long arms make up for a small deficit in speed against point guards and a deficit in height against wings), and allows him to take up more space and muck things up even when he’s not guarding the point-of-attack. Additionally, Okogie offers a pretty unique combination of length and strength from the guard spot – it helps him to be able to take space AND keep it.
He’s quite adept when he gets switched down to a bigger player in the post. He’s really stocky, with a low center of gravity, and has constant energy when he’s working to deny the entry pass to his assignment down low. Combine that with killer hand-eye coordination, and you have a player who consistently got steals off errant passes to the post.
I think his best defensive skill is beating offensive players to passes. He has some great burst to quickly attack the floating ball, using his long arms and quick hands to get there first, and then uses his strength to muscle his opponent off of the path towards the loose ball so he can grab it and finish the transition opportunity. His consistently revving motor and active hands allowed him to be one of the more disruptive players in the league, deflecting more balls than any Jazzman in 2025-2026 not named John Konchar. Below is an example of this type of play against Victor Wembanyama, and there were quite a few more similar plays throughout the season.
As a defender, Okogie isn’t perfect. He isn’t the best defender against the quickest, shiftiest opposing guards – his strength and stocky frame does come at the expense of elite foot speed. Additionally, this past year was a downturn in regards to his shot-blocking. That doesn’t seem like the biggest deal when talking about a 6’4 guard, but one of his most impressive skills to me in the past was how he mirrored perimeter offensive players to such an extent that he was consistently blocking their jump-shots (the play below is my personal favorite) – hopefully he’s able to return to form as both a perimeter shot-blocker and rim presence this next season, especially considering he may be sharing substantial minutes with Kyle Filipowski at center, noted non-elite rim protector.
However, even if Okogie has his flaws as a defender, this is the side of the ball that has kept him in the league for over a decade, even during the years where he wasn’t shooting the 38.5% from behind the arc that he did in Houston. Even when his shot isn’t dropping, he provides a solid base level of value because his defense is just so high level. While he’s best guarding more traditional shooting guards, he can defend up the lineup with his stocky frame and long arms. Additionally, his motor is a skill itself – Okogie is a LOUD defender who shifts the tone of the game the moment he subs in. This is the type of stuff fan-favorites are made of, and I expect Okogie to get loud cheers in the Delta Center for these very skills.
Synopsis: This is where Okogie makes his money. Great activity, quick hands, and a special combination of length and strength. Can guard up or down the lineup, although quick point guards can best him. Hopefully his shot-blocking makes a return.
Conclusion/How It All Fits
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 12: Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Svi Mykhailiuk, Isaiah Collier, Josh Okogie, and Mo Bamba of the Utah Jazz attend the game between the LA Clippers and the Utah Jazz during the 2026 NBA Summer League game on July 12, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Utah Jazz need someone like Josh Okogie, but I’m not sure if they can fit in someone like Josh Okogie. It has been no secret that the Jazz defense has been awful ever since they’ve traded away Rudy Gobert, and while the fix won’t be made in a day, picking up Okogie could spark a very necessary culture shift on the defensive end. Perhaps Ace Bailey or Darryn Peterson one day take a big defensive leap (both have the potential to do so), but until then, the team needs someone to clap their hands and slap the floor and take the most difficult matchup night after night. After my deep dive, I’m confident in saying Josh Okogie has the defensive capabilities to be that stopgap as the young guys mature.
However, while Okogie could be an answer to the Jazz’s defensive issues, he may compound some of the struggles the team projects to have on offense. I worry that the Jazz built a roster with too many strong off-ball players – Lauri Markkanen, Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Jaren Jackson Jr. are all best being set up by a creator – so adding another player without strong ball handling or passing worries me. While he’s clearly the best defender out of the four options for the backup wing positions, he is just as clearly the most limited as an offensive player. Additionally, if the shot improvements aren’t maintained, he would be a third player on a hypothetical bench lineup with limited-to-no shooting gravity (him, Collier, and Filipowski or Hayes) – that may be an offensive situation that even Will Hardy can’t scheme his way out of.
At the end of the day, I doubt that Okogie intentionally signed in Utah to simply not play, so I bet he takes one of the two available slots. I also think that, even if Okogie hurts the offense, the total tonal shift he can provide on defense is probably worth it. This signing was a low-stakes swing on a player who, if the shot improvements are legitimate, may end up playing real minutes in the most important games of the year. For that alone, I think giving Okogie minutes in the regular season to build shooting flow and comprehension of Hardy’s system is the smart move. My deep dive taught me that he isn’t the best shooter, and he isn’t the best passer, and he isn’t the best dribbler, but it also taught me that Josh Okogie changes games. So, after this perhaps unnecessary exercise, I cam away with two things. First, a desire to no longer watch a compilation of wide-open threes, and second…an excitement for games to be changed in the Delta Center in 2027.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 24: Zach Neto #9 of the Los Angeles Angels hits a triple in the top of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on July 24, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The MLB Trade Deadline is less than a week away and with the team mired in a 40-game funk of mediocrity (a 20-20 record during that stretch), one of their star players openly challenging his boss to make improvements and that star player’s manager rebuffing those challenges, rumors persist the Phillies are interested in an upgrade for their infield.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Wednesday that Angels shortstop Zach Neto is high on their list of targets.
What will the Phillies do ahead of the trade deadline?@JeffPassan shares potential routes that could make an impact in Philadelphia 👀 pic.twitter.com/7Pw93zy5Cw
In his report, Passan mentioned an acquisition of Neto, who is just 25, would require moving Bryson Stott to third base and either Neto or Trea Turner to second. Passan also notes the Phils would not be the only big market teams in on the young shortstop, along with the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox as potential suitors.
There are a number of reasons why Neto would be appealing.
Since becoming a starter in 2024, the righty swinger has hit .248/.320/.452 with a wRC+ of 114, meaning he has been 14% better than league average at his position at the plate. His .772 OPS over that stretch would be 10th-highest among qualified shortstops over that span and is the exact same number as Turner. Turner’s wRC+ of 112 is slightly behind Neto’s. Essentially, they’ve produced nearly identical offensive production over the last three seasons. However, Turner’s fWAR of 11.2 is much higher than Neto’s 8.7, which is tied for 14th.
Neto is a right-handed hitter, a commodity in short supply across this year’s Trade Deadline. In 105 games and 471 PAs this season, Neto is batting only .234, but his .325 on-base percentage is decent thanks to a dramatic increase in his walk rate, from 6.0% in 2025 to 10.2%. He has been good, but not spectacular, against left-handed pitching, with a .255 batting average and an .832 OPS against southpaws this year. For his career his OPS against them is .868.
Neto’s also a solid base stealer, with 14 bags swiped this year and seasons in which he’s stolen 30 and 26 bags the two previous years. And he’s tallied 2.0 fWAR in 2026 thanks, in part, to solid defensive metrics.
In terms of Defensive Runs Saved, his +2 mark ranks 7th among 18 qualified shortstops. That position has been a black hole defensively all year, with Turner’s -13 DRS dead last. He’s also started the 4th-most double plays at shortstop (28). Turner’s 15 is second-lowest.
He would also be an inexpensive addition contractually. He’s under team control for four additional years after this year, becoming a free agent after the 2030 season. He’s making $4.15 million in ‘26 and, while he will see raises in arbitration each of the next three off-seasons, he’d be far more affordable than a free agent signed over the winter.
There are areas of concern, however.
Why are the Angels giving up on a player with this much team control and a salary this low? One would think this is a player even a struggling team like Los Angeles would build around. What’s going on there?
In addition to seeing his walk rate improve, he’s also seen his strikeout rate take a jump as well. It was 23.3% in ‘24, 26.9% last year and 31.4% this season. He’s swinging at a career-high 36.5% of pitches outside the zone (30.0% in 2025). His Baseball Savant page has more “blue” on it than one would like.
Here’s what it looked like a season ago.
The addition of Neto would almost certainly result in either Alec Bohm being dealt or moving Bohm to first base and shifting Harper to right field full-time, a switch that would improve the Phillies’ outfield production, even with Harper slumping in July.
Neto isn’t the only Angel Dombrowski could target. As one of MLB’s clear sellers at the deadline, outfielder Jo Adell is almost certainly available. He has failed to follow up last year’s 37-homer season with a similarly productive power performance, slugging just 16 HRs with a .695 OPS and .291 OBP, although his .941 OPS against left-handers would be a dominant feature in a platoon role.
There is the yearly trade deadline speculation of Mike Trout being willing to waive his no-trade clause, but there has never been any indication the Phils are as interested as the fanbase in bringing the 34-year-old outfielder home. Trout’s had a solid season, with an .852 OPS in 90 games, but lugs around another four years at $37 million a season and a constant worry of injury with him.
Starters Reid Detmers (4.03 ERA in 22 starts) and Jose Soriano (3.29 ERA) are starting pitchers who could interest Dombrowski, as could left-handed relievers Brent Suter (4.26 ERA) and Sammy Natera (2.08 ERA in 21.2 innings), could be added in any potential Neto deal, too.
Acquiring Neto would almost certainly require them giving up their top prospect, pitcher Gage Wood. So Dombrowski needs to ask himself one main question.
Is he the guy to go all-in on at the Trade Deadline?
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 09: Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 9, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This year’s trade deadline approaches, with four days to go until the point where teams are mostly locked in to what they’ve got already for the rest of the season. The Orioles are 2.5 games out of a wild card spot with 53 games still to play. Their playoff odds, as reckoned by sites like Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, are in the range of 20-25%. They are too close to give up and too far out of real contention to deplete the farm just to push to make something happen this year.
Unless there’s a sweep in either direction in this weekend’s series against the Phillies, the question of whether the Orioles should buy or sell is probably not going to get a decisive answer. They’ll be plugging along in the periphery, still below .500 and still sort of contending. What’s Mike Elias supposed to do about that? There’s not an easy answer.
Nationally in The Athletic and locally in The Baltimore Banner, the latest is that the Orioles could possibly end up doing a little bit of selling and a little bit of buying at the same time. Ken Rosenthal describes the team as a “classic example of a team working both buy and sell angles, unsure what to make of their club.” Anybody who’s been following this team all year can relate to that feeling. I am also unsure what to make of this club.
In The Banner, Andy Kostka breaks it down like this (emphasis mine):
The Orioles are holding out as long as possible to determine their deadline approach, although they are making plans for buying, selling, and a mix of both, according to multiple sources throughout the industry, and are expected to be active ahead of the deadline. The likeliest path forward, sources said, is for Baltimore to buy and sell.
Each of these reports highlights a trio of players who are in their final season before free agency as the ones who the Orioles are gauging their value. That’s starting pitcher Trevor Rogers, reliever Andrew Kittredge, and outfielder Taylor Ward. These players could be traded while the Orioles seek to upgrade in other deals with players who would ideally help both this year and beyond.
Rosenthal’s report also lists the Orioles as “pricing” Adley Rutschman, though Kostka mostly shoots that down, saying that while “teams have called to check on the availability” of both Rutschman and Jackson Holliday, “the Orioles aren’t actively shopping” either player. Kostka believes that the right-handed relievers in the bullpen are a group where the Orioles might deal away even if they also buy, listing not just Kittredge but also Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia, and Tyler Wells.
Orioles fans might be packing Garcia’s bags for him after he’s given up home runs in three of his last four appearances. Other teams probably have some modest interest in Garcia for the same reason that manager Craig Albernaz keeps putting him in the pressure situations: They know he can be better than his recent worst. Cano or Wells would be real subtractions, not just from the current bullpen but also next year’s. However, betting that a good reliever will stay good is not always a good bet to make.
Whether Rogers or Ward are dealt might depend on whether other teams are willing to pony up with an offer that’s just too good for Mike Elias to refuse. If teams are going to value Rogers based on his 4.27 season-long ERA, the Orioles are probably better off hanging on. If they’re willing to value him like a guy who has a 2.21 ERA since June 1 after having a 1.81 ERA last season, maybe that’s too good to pass up, even if it weakens the rotation.
Ward is in a similar situation there. If somebody who’s a more serious contender, pushing to shore up a roster for October rather than just to maybe squeak into the postseason, sees Ward .383 on-base percentage as a right-handed batter and thinks that’s just the thing to cure what ails them, there’s a real case to make to make that deal. The sheer number of contenders could make this a seller’s market.
Depending on how the Orioles shuffled their roster in the aftermath of that deal, they might even end up with an improved outfield defense without Ward regularly getting playing time out there. “Trade Ward and bring up Enrique Bradfield” might not work, but it’s not the craziest idea out there.
It’s tougher to believe the same about losing Rogers from the Orioles rotation, unless you’re really, really a fan of pitching prospect Nestor German, who’s been pitching pretty well for Triple-A Norfolk. Or if you’re really, really a believer that Chris Bassitt is going to come back from his back surgery looking like the 2025 version of Bassitt that Elias probably hoped he was signing. I am not a believer. I do not want to hear anything like “it’s like we got someone at the deadline” come out of Elias’s mouth about Bassitt or about Félix Bautista as he works back from rotator cuff surgery.
Elias has pressed the plunger and exploded a fringe contender before. That was in 2022, when he ruffled the feathers of the fanbase (and perhaps also the team) by trading Trey Mancini and Jorge López at that year’s deadline. Doing the public-facing damage control for those decisions was when he uttered his now-infamous statement that “It’s liftoff from here.” The implication of that was that he’d be adding aggressively to improve the team, an implied promise that he has not lived up to overall. The Orioles did go 101-61 in the next season, though. They did lift off. Getting into a steady orbit has proven tougher.
The central question remains: What are the Orioles supposed to do in this situation? Elias’s cold analytical assessments often don’t produce outcomes that line up with what the hearts of Orioles fans want to happen. Sometimes, subsequent events have vindicated the Elias approach. Others have repudiated it. How he looks at this situation is going to come down to what the Orioles do over the next three days. No pressure, guys.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 21: Conor Essenburg #34 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
12. Herick Hernandez – LHP
How he got to the Braves: 2024 4th round pick (#129 overall)
The Braves took Herick Hernandez in the fourth round two years ago and the lefty out of Miami is already in Triple-A. He’s split the year between three levels, though the one start in Augusta was a rehab start after missing a little time early on in the year. In his 11 starts in Double-A he has posted a 2.80 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts to 31 walks in 45 innings. In his first two starts with Gwinnett he has allowed eight runs in 8.2 innings, striking out seven but also walking seven.
Hernandez was dominating for Columbus and had posted a 12.8 K/9 rate thanks to a nasty curve and a fastball which has good life on it. He has the four-pitch mix needed to start, but his problem has always been his well below average command. When he is on he has proven to be unhittable in the minors, but he is also a guy walking 6.1 BB/9 this year and 5.8 for his career.
Hernandez is already about to turn 23 in the first half of August, so if he can’t get the command ironed out by the end of next year he would likely be looking at a reliever role in the big leagues. Hernandez has real potential as a middle reliever or lefty setup man, but the Braves would obviously prefer if he was able to reach his middle of the rotation upside as a starter first. Now that he is in Triple-A, his big league ETA is any time as he could potentially get a call to help out of the pen should the need for a lefty arise.
How he got to the Braves: 2025 5th round pick (#157 overall)
Last year the Braves spent on Illinois prep two-way star Conor Essenburg in hopes that he had a promising power bat to develop. The early returns have been promising as he has hit .250/.397/.452 with 10 doubles, two triples, eight homers, 46 walks, and 80 strikeouts in 237 plate appearances for Augusta. The strikeout totals have been high, but the 19-year-old, who won’t turn 20 until mid-September, still has plenty of time to work on cutting down on them. He has split the year between right and center field – though his likely future would come in right, where he has a big arm to profile as a prototypical right fielder.
Essenburg is still filling in his 6’2’, 200-pound frame and learning how to get his power to translate more frequently but his advanced approach and a feel for making hard contact are big plusses for a kid who has only been a full time hitter for the last year. Essenburg will have the upside to be a legitimate solid big league starting outfielder who has value for both his bat and glove. He is probably not going to be ready for the big leagues until sometime in 2029, but he is looking like a strong pick early on.
Three homers today. Three consecutive games with at least one homer. 🚀🚀🚀
How he got to the Braves: 2026 2nd round pick (#48 overall)
Kaiden McCarthy was the first of the overslot prep arms the Braves invested in during the 2026 MLB draft, and he comes in with an electric fastball that is the cornerstone of a balanced arsenal. McCarthy is a young arm even for a prep player and doesn’t turn 18 until next week, and blends present day talent with a moldable future. Coming from cold-weather Vermont McCarthy’s exposure to scouts was lesser than his peers, but he impressed enough that most projected him as a day one pick if he was signable, and that is what happened. McCarthy has shown a feel for spin as a prep player and flashed a changeup, though the latter pitch is not well developed yet as is common with high power prep arms. McCarthy mostly gains attention for a fastball that can touch 99 mph, which he can throw with both a four seam and sinker variant.
McCarthy is going to be a project and comes with all of the drawbacks that hard-throwing prep pitchers have, though he has a clean delivery and a the athleticism to project to average command at the next level. The Braves will have the opportunity to mold the rest of his arsenal to their liking, and with him already showing the potential to spin two average or better breaking balls there is plenty to work with. McCarthy will require patience, but the Braves have had success developing young pitchers with his athleticism/experience profile in recent years. His lower mileage as a cold weather arm could be a benefit to his health, though as we have seen that is hardly a predictable metric and hard-throwing prep arms always come with concern of future arm trouble. McCarthy is a bit undersized at an even six-foot-tall, and though that serves his four seam fastball well up in the zone it raises the requisite concerns about durability. McCarthy and the rest of his pitching cohort are going to likely make significant moves next season once we get looks at them in Single-A, though for right now he is a player that comes into the system with our confidence to stamp him with the first of the top 10 prospects.
Kaiden McCarthy RHP | (VT) – FB 97-99 blew hitters away – CB 84-86 with late bite up to -9 IVB – Flashed High 80s CT and CH – Biggest pitcher winner of the day pic.twitter.com/lwi3I7AG2O
How he got to the Braves: 2026 3rd round pick (#84 overall)
Drafted using the savings from going under-slot on the first two picks Jensen Hirschkorn enters a farm system with some of the highest performing teenage pitching in baseball. The Braves needed upwards of $3.9M to sign Jensen out of his commitment to LSU and a very quick glance of some video easily shows why the Braves are gambling on the big, talented arm. Coming into the draft, Jensen was considered the #15 rated player in the entire draft according to Baseball America, and a clear five-star prospect.
Standing at a mammoth 6’7”, Jensen is already a presence on the mound despite the ability to add on a solid amount of weight onto the frame. Jensen, at 18, already projects at having three plus pitches thanks to some very advanced command for his age. His ability to command his fastball, that currently sits 95-96 that many believe will increase with more conditioning, at the top of the zone consistently puts him ahead of most of his class. Jensen also has a very good ability of generating spin which has helped him with his slider that also grades as plus. Lastly, while his changeup is behind both the fastball and slider, it shows enough depth that it is also projected to be a plus pitch. Even as someone that’s watching video – it’s already difficult to pick up the ball out of his hand because of his natural arm action making him that much more difficult to hit which can be seen by his 0.71 ERA as a high school senior.
With his plus slider, it will be interesting to see if the Braves employ their normal pitcher strategy and have him toy with a sweeper. If not, they may focus on the fastball, and potentially add a cutter, or two-seam, as the Braves have done to pretty much every single pitcher in the organization. Jensen has some of the highest upside in the organization, including position players, and with his plus command on all three pitches he will likely move faster than you expect from a prep pitcher. Along with Cam Caminiti, and Briggs McKenzie, the Braves will roll out a three headed monster a top their prospect list for quite some time.
UNHITTABLE.
Jensen Hirschkorn (@Jensenhirsch1) is thru three innings. 8 strikeouts. One meek foul-out. First inning was one pitch away from immaculate. Guys just cannot pick his stuff up out of the hand.
How he got to the Braves: 2025 International Free Agent
The Braves top international free agent last year, Diego Tornes hit .279/.395/.402 with five doubles, five triples, 24 steals, 23 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 147 plate appearances in the DSL last season. He moved up to the FCL this year where he has hit .196/.274/.304 with four doubles, four triples, eight steals, eight walks, and 27 strikeouts in 124 plate appearances – though his FCL season ended a little early due to injury.
Despite his stats Tornes has looked like a potential five tool player with serious power potential, even though he hasn’t hit a professional home run to date. His FCL numbers this year weren’t ideal, but his underlying numbers looked better than his stat line indicates. Tornes is potentially fast, powerful, and has big time bat speed along with having a real chance to stick in center defensively.
Tornes is likely to move to Augusta next season for just his age-18 season. The upside for the young Cuban is enormous, maybe higher than any hitter in the system, it is just that he is years away from being ready. I would say his ETA looks like 2030, with a chance to move that up if things really start to click sooner for him.
Diego Tornes has a 102.5 MPH EV flyout. It was very close to his his first professional HR.
The 174 FT on gameday should update but the ball was hit 330-340 FT and was a couple feet from the warning track. pic.twitter.com/Hj9DzZ8jdg
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) May 16, 2026
7. Owen Murphy – RHP
How he got to the Braves: 2022 1st round pick (#20)
With all of the pitching prospects the Braves paid to bring into the fold in 2026, Owen Murphy is a great example of the blueprint Atlanta has followed in spreading money between a handful of pitchers. As the headliner of an impressive 2022 class Murphy came in with high expectations and has done nothing but beat them at every step of his journey. In his first full season he struck out nearly 30% of batters faced between two levels, then went two High-A in 2024 and posted one of the best seven-start stretches in recent memory. Murphy started 2024 with a 1.54 ERA/2.22 FIP and 38.7% strikeout rate across 41 innings, but went down with a UCL tear and missed the rest of that season and most of 2025. He returned to High-A in 2025 less sharp and with a noticeable decline in stuff, but another offseason of rest has Murphy stronger than ever in 2026. He got off to a shaky start due to some uncharacteristic command issues at Double-A, but received a promotion to Triple-A nonetheless and really found his stride in mid-May. In his final nine Triple-A starts Murphy had a 2.86 ERA/3.11 FIP with a 30.1% strikeout rate, and earned his first big league call up on July 6th. Murphy has been solid in inconsistent action, pressed to Atlanta more out of need than readiness, and armed with knowledge of his shortcomings has returned to Triple-A to further develop his arsenal.
Murphy’s arsenal hinges on a plus fastball, which is not a phrase typically associated with a player who averages 92.4 mph on his fastball in Triple-A this season. Murphy saw some velocity regression after being drafted though largely it has rebounded since Tommy John surgery, but his other fastball traits are impressive enough to escape his below average velocity. Murphy’s fastball has plus carry and he does such a terrific job of commanding the pitch at the top of the strike zone that he still produces a good whiff rate and plus results on the pitch. The Braves have done a lot of work to lock down exactly how his secondaries will look at the major league level, and right now he is nearly 80% fastball-slider with curveballs and changeups mixed in to combat left-handed batters. He throws his slider hard and spins it well, and it has produced good results at Triple-A and projects to be an average pitch. His changeup is the pitch he hasn’t fully developed into a major league quality weapon yet, and stands as the next barrier to him cracking a major league rotation as a full-time starter. He has the command of his arsenal and the two pitches primed to work through major league lineups multiple times, but he needs a real third weapon to reach his potential and right now his changeup is not that pitch. Murphy projects as a reliable back end starter and has a high chance to reach that projection at this stage in his development, though he may not have the ceiling of other starters in this range. Murphy’s plus command makes everything look better and gives him less variability than others his age with his lack of experience, and finding a consistent feel for how to attack lineups deep into games is an area Murphy has improved on. Murphy has managed to maintain his success missing bats at the upper levels, and like many with velocity limitations he can run into home run trouble but keeps his fastball away from the middle of the zone enough that it hasn’t been a killer to an otherwise sparkling profile statistically. Any regression in his command could be problematic, but given his age, simple mechanics, and plus athleticism there is no reason to think he won’t do anything but continue to improve in coming seasons. It’s a narrow profile but one that Murphy and the Braves are honing to perfection.
OWEN MURPHY GEM. TEAM USA UP. WHO HAS IT BETTER THAN US??
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 27: Kyle Stowers #28 of the Miami Marlins at bat against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning of the game at loanDepot park on July 27, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another article – another Marlins’ trade target. This time slugger Kyle Stowers.
You can view our larger trade deadline piece here as we discuss a wider pool of options the Guardians may consider. To make my position clear, I expect the Guardians to make smaller moves, like trading Bo Naylor and getting a castoff/undervalued reliever. But, in the interest of exploring potential larger moves, we are doing a series looking at some of those bigger names. So far, we have discussed Spencer Steer, Luis Arraez, Shea Langeliers, Taylor Ward, Heliot Ramos, Jo Adell, Ty France, Tyler Soderstrom and Heriberto Hernandez. Although the Guardians’ greatest need is hitting, the market is aflush with starting pitching so it also may make sense for the Guardians to see if they can find a good value there, as we wrote here and looked at specifically with Jose Soriano.
Stowers broke out in 2025 and has a 131 wRC+ with a .503 slugging percentage over the past two years, 29.5/9.9 K/BB%. He does not hit left-handers well. Ok, well, we don’t have anyone hits right-handers particularly well right now. Stowers grades out as a below average left-fielder and an average right-fielder. He has a career 106 wRC+ as a DH so seems to be figuring out how to make those rhythms work. He is 28 years old and under arbitration control through 2029, making him a piece the Marlins should consider moving.
I think Stowers is one of the few true sluggers who could be available because he looks like a platoon bat with a 71 wRC+ against LHP over the past two years and because he is having a bit of a down year from last year’s breakout. Stowers has been increasing his pulled-fly-ball rate over the past two years and should be able to maximize the production in that ability in Progressive Field with the short right field corner. This would be a gamble on finding a true slugger who can actually punish the 75% of right-handed pitchers the team sees, and, for that, I’d be willing to part with one of the Genao/Velazquez/Doughty/Chourio/Ingle bunch to get him as well as an additional valuable prospect.
The resulting lineup could be:
Kwan CF
Jose 3B
DeLauter DH
Stowers RF
Bazzana 2B
Martinez LF
Manzardo 1B
Bailey C
Rocchio SS
What are your thoughts about targeting Stowers as a potentially available slugger? Let us know in the comments below.
The Seattle Mariners (53-56) and Los Angeles Dodgers (68-40) wrap up their three-game series tonight at Dodger Stadium with the series tied at one game apiece.
The Dodgers evened the series last night with a 4-2 victory behind a dominant effort from left-hander Eric Lauer. The southpaw delivered one of his best starts of the season, allowing just one hit over six scoreless innings while striking out four and walking one. The Mariners managed only a third-inning single by Cole Young against him, and Lauer retired the leadoff hitter in every inning he worked.
Fun Fact: The Dodgers have won all eight of Lauer's starts since acquiring him from Toronto in mid-May.
The Dodgers opened the scoring courtesy of an Andy Pages solo homer in the first inning. Los Angeles continued to pressure Mariners’ starter Emerson Hancock, scoring again in the third when Freddie Freeman reached on an infield hit that brought home Shohei Ohtani. Pages added another RBI in the fourth, and Ohtani capped the Dodgers' scoring with a two-out RBI double in the sixth inning. Seattle mounted a late rally. Weston Wilson scored on a Cole Young RBI single in the eighth, and Josh Naylor doubled home Dominic Canzone in the ninth. The tying run reached base against returning closer Edwin Díaz, but Díaz closed the door for his fifth save after missing 85 games due to arm surgery. Pages finished 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, while Ohtani went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Veteran Bryce Miller (4-5, 2.75 ERA) takes the ball today for Seattle. That sparkling ERA was a bit shinier before Miller’s last start. Last Friday on the road against the Rangers, the right-hander gave up five runs on six hits over just 5.1 innings in a 5-4 loss. The Dodgers counter with Roki Sasaki (4-5, 4.71 ERA). The right-hander has been lights out his last two starts allowing one earned run while striking out 14 over 12.2 innings. The Dodgers have won each of his last four starts.
Lets dive further into today’s game and find a sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Mariners vs. Dodgers
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2026
Time: 10:10PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, Mariners.TV, Sportsnet Los Angeles
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The Latest Odds: Mariners vs. Dodgers
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Seattle Mariners (-157), Los Angeles Dodgers (-157)
Spread: Mariners +1.5 (-162), Dodgers -1.5 (+134)
Total: 8.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers – Mariners vs. Dodgers for July 30
Mariners: Bryce Miller Season Totals: 68.2 IP, 4-5, 2.75 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 71K, 11 BB
Freddie Freeman is enjoying an 8-game hitting streak (16-33)
Shohei Ohtani is 8-20 over his last 4 games
Max Muncy is 15-68 (.221) in July
Bryce Miller has allowed 11 earned runs in 16 innings over his last 3 starts
Julio Rodriguez has hit safely in 8 of his last 10 games (9-37)
Josh Naylor is 6-17 over his last 5 games
Naylor has not homered since June 12 (37 games)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Mariners vs. Dodgers
The Mariners are 42-67 on the Run Line this season
The Dodgers are 48-60 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 54 times in Seattle’s 109 games this season (54-49-6)
The OVER has cashed 50 times in LA’s 108 games this season (50-57-1)
Expert picks & predictions: Mariners vs. Dodgers
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s game between the Mariners and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Dodgers on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 8.5
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Part of the speculation about LeBron James' next team — before he ended up choosing the Philadelphia 76ers — was about which landing spot best told a story that he could put into the documentary he was having made about his next (and potentially final) season.
That documentary is happening, with LeBron and ESPN close to a deal on a serialized documentary about the season — kind of in the "Last Dance" style — reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
LeBron James and ESPN are closing in on an agreement for a behind-the-scenes documentary series that will be similar to Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance," according to industry sources granted anonymity as they were not authorized to talk about the deal that is not finalized.
One of the sources described the talks as being at the "1-yard line," with the expectation that James, 41, will have a camera crew documenting his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, who James signed with this month.
There is no released timeline for when this would air, although it likely would have some lag time rather than be a "Hard Knocks"- style situation where episodes are finished less than a week after being filmed. The financial terms of the deal also remain unknown.
LeBron's jump to Philadelphia — a team that also added Jalen Brown this offseason and has to be considered one of the top contenders in the East — has drawn tremendous interest from fans. As evidence, Fanatics announced that LeBron's No. 23 76ers jersey has become the best-selling jersey for any player in any sport during the first 48 hours after their announcement, beating out the record set by Shohei Ohtani when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers.
LeBron's plans to make a documentary about his next season — his record 24th in the NBA — are well known, with his production company heading it up. The documentary makers would have special access to him and the 76ers during the season, and also would use historic footage from LeBron's well-documented career.
ESPN had great success with The Last Dance, the documentary done with and about Michael Jordan during his final season and championship with the Bulls, which dropped during the pandemic, when people were home and starved for fresh content. ESPN can only hope LeBron would draw similar ratings and interest.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 12: Kevin Alvarez #17 of the Houston Astros on the American League Team looks on in the seventh inning during the 2026 MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (53-50) won 7-5 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Whitcomb 3 run home run. McPherson got the start for Sugar Land but struggled allowing 4 runs over 3.1 innings. Sugar Land took the lead in the 4th inning on a Sacco solo home run and Ferreras RBI single. After the Bees tied it in the 6th, Sugar Land took the lead again in the 7th scoring 2 runs on a Meyers 2 run double. The pen closed it out with scoreless innings down the stretch as Sugar Land won 7-5.
Kai-Wei Teng, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Christian Roa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (WIN)
Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (SAVE)
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (45-53) lost 13-12 (BOX SCORE)
The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on Sisneros and Whitaker RBI singles. Hertzler got the start and went 3 innings allowing 1 run. Santos allowed a run in the 4th inning but the Hooks got 2 runs in the 5th on an Austin 2 run home run. The pen struggled in the 6th allowing 9 runs as Frisco opened up a big lead. The Hooks rallied in the 9th scoring 8 runs on 8 hits but the comeback fell short with a man on second as the Hooks fell 13-12.
Cole Hertzler, RHP: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Alex Santos, RHP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Jose Guedez, RHP: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Jack Dashwood, LHP: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Ramsey David, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (33-63) lost 13-1 (BOX SCORE)
Santos started for Asheville but struggled allowing 4 runs retiring just 2 batters. He was relieved by Ogando who allowed 2 runs over 2 innings. The offense got on the board in the 3rd inning on a Thomas solo home run. The pen continued to struggled with Steinbaugh allowing 6 runs as the Drive extended their lead. The offense was quiet the rest of the way as Asheville fell 13-1.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (49-47) won 5-4 (BOX SCORE)
Forcucci started for the Woodpeckers but struggled allowing 4 runs, 2 earned, over 1.2 innings. The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning on an Alvarez RBI single. In the 4th, Sierra connected on a 2 run home run to cut into the lead. In the bottom of the 6th, Alvarez hit a solo home run to tie the game. Verdugo pitched in relief and pitched well tossing 6 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 9th, the Woodpeckers won on a walk-off walk to Diaz.
Note: Alvarez is hitting .330 over his last 27 games.
Raphielle Johnson
