DENVER (AP) — The name of Boston Celtics guard Derrick White surfaced on draft night. Not as part of a trade or anything, just for taking on a new title with a familiar school.
White was announced Tuesday as the president of basketball strategy for his alma mater, Colorado. When he’s not shooting jumpers for the Celtics, he will assist head coach Tad Boyle in mentoring and inspiring future Buffaloes players.
In addition, White, who turns 32 on July 2, and his family are donating $2 million to the men’s basketball program. It’s simply the latest title to add to his list that already includes NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist.
“Everything happens for a reason,” White said in a video posted on the team’s social media account. “I was where I was supposed to be.”
White averaged 18.1 points and 4.4 assists in 2016-17 — his one and only season with the Buffaloes. He earned honors such as Pac-12 all-conference first team, all-defensive team and all-tournament squad. He was also the team’s MVP.
He was taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the 29th overall pick in 2017 and traded to the Celtics as part of a deal in February 2022. He helped Boston to the NBA title in 2024. Later that summer, White was part of the Team USA squad that earned gold at the Paris Games.
Before joining Colorado, White attended the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He’s from Parker, Colorado.
After leading the Knicks for five seasons, including back-to-back 50-win seasons and their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, Tom Thibodeau was surprisingly fired by team president Leon Rose at the end of the 2025 season.
The move raised many questions about New York's direction as it felt like Thibodeau was a driving factor in the team's growth and success.
Firing Thibodeau was critiqued even more after Rose decided on hiring longtime coach Mike Brown, who's best season came back in 2007 when a young LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals (which they lost 4-0 to the San Antonio Spurs).
Fast forward 12 months, Rose's hire of Brown proved to be a major difference maker as he was able to guide the Knicks over the hump to their first NBA title since 1973.
Speaking with 2026 NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and teammate Josh Hart on an episode of their Roommates Show podcast, Rose opened up about the "tough" decision to fire Thibodeau after the team lost to the Indiana Pacers in the ECF and the choice to hire Brown.
"It was tough. Thibs is a great coach. Did so much for the organization," Rose said. "We were right on the doorstep. Just felt that, just needed a change in voice, a change in philosophy. It was a tough move.
"Mike is a guy that really fit what we were looking for. He’s somebody that I’ve known for a long time. I represented LeBron when he coached him in Cleveland. Knew him and kind of followed him through his career. Didn’t know him that well but he always was a guy that was a good guy, that you could talk to, that you really felt good about. That was just your gut."
Rose went on to explain what made Brown an attractive hire over other candidates, mainly pointing to his open-minded approach.
"First of all, just his openness and his willingness to share ideas," Rose said. "And share ideas with the front office, his staff and the inclusion of everyone. I think you guys probably saw that. He really was open to things, open to people’s suggestions, open to ideas.
"I believe that’s what led to some of the changes that were made throughout the season. We started out a certain way, he may have had an idea about how something was gonna work and how he wanted it to work, but he kind of evolved throughout the season, as did our team. I think that all went into the fact that we went into another gear in the playoffs."
It's clear the players and rest of the organization adapted and worked well with Brown in his first season with the team. By winning the Finals, he became just the sixth head coach since the NBA/ABA merger (1976) to win a title in their first year with a team (the Toronto Raptors' Nick Nurse in 2019, Cavaliers' Tyronn Lue in 2016, Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr in 2015, Los Angeles Lakers' Pat Riley in 1982, and Lakers' Paul Westhead in 1980).
While it may have been hard for Rose to move on from Thibodeau after helping get the Knicks back on the winning track, it worked, and will go down as one of the best in his tenure as team president.
Feb 24, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) celebrates after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
The floaters, the left-hand bias, the unorthodox release, the unique basketball IQ and the genuine will to win were all cornerstones of Nick Martinelli’s game in his career as a Wildcat. Another program legend will deservedly enter the biggest stage no matter what, whether that be through a selection or as an UDFA. For more details on his draft profile, our very-own Drew Christmann does a great job breaking it all down here. What follows is about fit: which organizations genuinely make sense for a player like Martinelli, and why, based on what each team is currently and what they need going into 2026-27 beyond.
The brief version of the case for Martinelli: he is a 6-foot-7, 223-pound forward who spent four years at Welsh-Ryan Arena turning an unconventional skill set into something specific and real. He led the Big Ten in scoring for the second straight year as a senior, averaging 23 points on 51/41.7/80.9 splits, and set a new Northwestern single-season record with 759 points. His improved three-point numbers are the ones that matter most for his draft case. He shot 32.2% from deep across his first three seasons, then jumped to 41.7% on 108 attempts, including 39.7% on guarded catch-and-shoot looks. Whether those numbers survive against athletes who close faster and contest higher is the central question every evaluator has about him. His release is not textbook, and it is not quick. The shot falls because of elite touch and a high release point, which tend to translate better than mechanics that rely on creating separation. The honest answer is that nobody knows for certain how it holds up, which is part of why he is in the second round at all.
The case against him is equally specific. Martinelli is not going to beat anybody off the dribble at the next level, and he will be targeted on switches. His combine athleticism measurements backed that up, posting a 26.5-inch no-step vertical. He is not a four and not quite a three, and whatever organization selects him Wednesday is betting that his scoring craft and IQ cover that gap. Given what his former Northwestern teammate Brooks Barnhizer did last year, going to the then-reigning-champion Thunder at pick 44 and earning legitimate two-way trust in a system built around second-round culture, the precedent for that kind of outcome exists at this exact stage of the draft. On Wednesday, somewhere between picks 31 and 60, the hope is that someone is going to make the same bet on Martinelli.
Here are the landing spots that make the most sense:
Minnesota Timberwolves, Picks No. 33 and No. 59
At the combine, Martinelli publicly named the Timberwolves as a team he had already spoken with, the first organization he confirmed by name and that was widely reported across outlets. In draft terms, that kind of acknowledgment usually means something was genuinely said between both parties, not just a formality.
Minnesota’s offseason is defined entirely by the recently-executed Julius Randle move. On the eve of the draft, the Wolves sent Randle and pick No. 28 to Brooklyn in exchange for pick No. 33, then immediately locked up Ayo Dosunmu on a long term deal. They arrive Wednesday night owning the third pick of the second round and the penultimate selection of the entire draft at No. 59. Timberwolves president Tim Connelly walked away from Tuesday’s first round visibly frustrated, saying the night was “not the action or activity we were hoping for.” The framework for 2026-27 is now built around Anthony Edwards with Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Dosunmu redistributing the offensive load Randle carried. Connelly said both McDaniels and Reid “have been clamoring for more opportunities and more responsibility and I think they’re going to get it.”
Martinelli does not solve Minnesota’s most pressing need, which is a legitimate point guard. Donte DiVincenzo’s injury status is uncertain, Mike Conley is a free agent at 38, and finding a ball-handler who can take pressure off Edwards is the organization’s most clearly identified roster hole heading into Wednesday. That said, at pick 33, you are not neccesarily drafting for immediate need so much as long-term value. Martinelli’s maturity and sponge-like learning ability makes him one of the higher-floor prospects available in general for a team that has repeatedly found useful players in unexpected places. Jaden McDaniels himself came at No. 28. Terrence Shannon Jr. was an undrafted add. The Wolves have shown they can identify players who make sense structurally even when the profile looks weird on paper. A forward who is physically ready, shoots at a real rate and plays without demanding touches is a sensible supporting piece for a team built around Edwards.
At pick 59, nearly the last selection in the draft, expectations are essentially nothing. This is the more likely slot between the two of them. But Martinelli is a more credible lottery ticket at 59 than most players available there. The combination of confirmed organizational contact and a specific skill set that fits next to Edwards’ star-centered offense gives both Minnesota picks some logic. The former might be a reach, but the latter would be considered a home-run considering the high-IQ and work ethic that coaches rave about with Martinelli. If he’s considered at 33, he could realistically still be there 26 spots later.
Miami Heat, Pick No. 41
This is the most contextually fascinating landing spot on the list, and it arrives slightly earlier in the second round than most boards project Martinelli.
The Heat just acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks and pick swaps. Miami is now hard-capped at the first apron, with roughly $18 million in space and up to five roster spots to fill heading into free agency. Pick 41 via Golden State is the only draft capital they have, and it comes at one of the more interesting points of the board, right before Martinelli’s consensus range begins.
Here is where organizational history matters. The Heat traditionally do not draft at this range because they are usually trading picks to chase stars. Pat Riley has made only 14 first-round picks in 26 drafts as team president, with three of those traded on draft night, and has made significantly less second-round picks compared to the average franchise as well. The way the Heat have stayed functional through those years of sacrificed draft capital is by developing players nobody else wanted. Udonis Haslem went undrafted and played in France before making the roster. Duncan Robinson started his career at Division III Williams College, went undrafted, and eventually signed a five-year, $90 million contract as one of the sharpest perimeter shooters in the league. Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Haywood Highsmith were all undrafted contributors who became rotation staples during Miami’s Finals runs. Back in 2022, Spoelstra described the organization’s search criteria plainly. All they want are “people that are committed to the work and [the] process,” and draft position is irrelevant to that simple standard.
The Heat’s talent identification pipeline does not run through lottery picks. It runs through the combine, the G League, summer league, and exactly the kinds of pre-draft workouts that teams conduct for second-round candidates like Martinelli. When Miami has a pick in this range, which is rare, they use it the same way they use undrafted signings: find a ready-now contributor with a specific skill, plug them into Spoelstra’s system, and let the development infrastructure do the rest.
The roster Miami is building around Giannis and Bam Adebayo also has a very specific problem. Analysis after the trade immediately flagged the projected starting lineup as relatively light on shooting, noting Adebayo shot only 32% from three last season. Antetokounmpo himself, despite everything else he does, has never been a reliable perimeter shooter. The Heat are going to win games through defense, transition and physicality, which is exactly the identity Spoelstra has built. But they need players on the floor who can catch, decide quickly and make the open look when Giannis draws help. Norman Powell, assumed to re-sign, projects as the roster’s primary perimeter scoring option, and beyond him the shooting depth is thin. Martinelli is specifically the missing piece: he does not need creation, does not demand touches, catches in the corners and midrange, makes the right read, and shot 41.7% from three in his final college season on real volume.
The skeptic’s argument is that the slot is too early relative to his board position, and that Miami with Giannis on the roster has no patience for a developmental second-round forward. Both points are fair. But the organizational track record says the Heat have always found ways to integrate ready-now contributors regardless of draft profile, and Martinelli at 22 with an NBA-ready body, a proven shooting leap and four years of growth at the peak of Northwestern basketball history is almost precisely the profile Spoelstra’s program has turned into rotation players for decades. The Heat do not reach for upside. They find specific, useful, hardworking players and deploy them correctly. Martinelli fits that description better than almost anyone available at pick 41.
San Antonio Spurs, Picks No. 42 and No. 44
Of any organization in the draft, the Spurs have the clearest structural argument for taking Martinelli, and two chances to do it.
Built almost entirely through the draft, with Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper all taken as consecutive top-four picks, the Spurs went 62-20 in the 2026 regular season. They then took down the reigning champion Thunder to make the NBA Finals before falling to the Knicks in five games. It was an extraordinary rebuild for a historic brand. But the franchise’s history of identifying value at the back of the draft predates this current core by decades. Manu Ginobili was drafted 57th overall in the second round of the 1999 draft and went on to win four championships, a Sixth Man of the Year award, two All-Star selections and eventually a Hall of Fame induction. Tony Parker went 28th in 2001 and became a Hall of Famer and Finals MVP. The 2011 draft, when the Spurs traded George Hill to Indiana for the 15th and 42nd picks, yielded Kawhi Leonard at 15. The point is that San Antonio’s draft identity is not just about hitting on lottery picks. It is a franchise that has consistently found useful contributors in the lower portions of the board and trusted them with real minutes.
That said though, in that final series versus the Knicks they shot a very poor 33.9% from three: Wembanyama 27.3%, Castle 30%, Harper 28%, Fox 25%. Only Vassell and Champagnie shot above 40%. That is a historically poor shooting performance from a team with that many talent advantages, and it exposes a very specific depth problem. When those two reliable shooters were off the floor, San Antonio had no reliable third option who could keep the spacing functional. Martinelli just shot 41.7% from three in his final college season, gets to the line at a high rate, and does not need touches to be useful. The profile is almost tailor-made for what the Spurs were missing in June.
Harrison Barnes, Kelly Olynyk and Mason Plumlee are all entering free agency, meaning forward depth has to come from somewhere. With picks 42 and 44, San Antonio can allocate one slot to a ready-now contributor and one to a raw developmental player. The Thunder built their dynasty in significant part on second-rounders: Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Ajay Mitchell and Jaylin Williams all became genuine rotation contributors from that tier. San Antonio has watched that model closely and tried to replicate it. A franchise that turned Ginobili at 57 and Parker at 28 into Hall of Famers is not going to be shy about betting on a player whose profile looks unconventional. The cool part is that those two slots average out to the exact range they are drafting in 2026. Of course, correlation is not causation, and nobody is expecting Martinelli to be a hybrid of the two. Equally, nobody would complain if the Spurs take a player who is already 22, physically complete, and basketball-smart. It is the lower-risk version of the second-round bet, not a concession. There is not much to develop here. There is just a role to deploy him into correctly.
Orlando Magic, Pick No. 46
The Magic put their build-through-the-draft blueprint on hold when they traded multiple future first-round picks for Desmond Bane last summer, a logical decision after assembling one of the league’s best young cores. The reward has not yet arrived.
They blew a 3-1 lead to Detroit, for the second time this century, flailing out of the first round for a second straight year which directly led to the firing of head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Orlando are also without their own first-round pick in 2028 and 2030, both unprotected to Memphis, and their 2029 pick is top-two protected with a swap favoring the Grizzlies. For the first time since 2011, they entered a draft without a first-round selection. Magic President Jeff Weltman’s track record of identifying players who fit the system is real: Tristan da Silva at No. 18 in 2024 drew skepticism on draft night and has carved out a rotation role with his shooting and feel. Jase Richardson at No. 25 in 2025 was a value selection whose stock had slid after the combine but fit Orlando’s backcourt need precisely. Both picks reflected an organization that evaluates systematically rather than chasing athleticism.
The specific problem it needs to address now is not subtle. The Magic ranked 27th in three-point accuracy at 34.3% as a team despite Bane’s 39.1% leading the roster. Banchero, Wagner, Suggs, Anthony Black and Carter Jr. all shot between 30.5 and 34.5% from three. That is a full starting lineup of players who do not shoot the ball well from deep, plus one imported shooter who did not change the team’s playoff fate.
Orlando is still developing Anthony Black, along with previously mentioned da Silva and Richardson, all of whom are roughly the same age as incoming rookies, which tells you the organization is comfortable adding young pieces and letting them develop in the background.
This team is built entirely on defense and physical dominance at the rim, and they have now failed twice in the first round because they cannot score in a half-court game when it gets late and tight. Adding Desmond Bane was supposed to change that. It did not change it enough. Pick 46 is everything they have to work with on Wednesday, and it lands squarely in Martinelli’s consensus range. He is not going to fix the spacing problem. He is one 22-year-old second-rounder who will likely start next year in the G League. But he represents the right kind of thinking at a position in the draft where there are not many options available, and the Magic are a team that should be thinking about every conceivable way to add shooters to a roster that, even after adding a legitimate 40% three-point shooter at considerable cost, still ranks near the bottom of the league from deep.
New York Knicks, Picks No. 31, 47 and No. 55
The defending champion Knicks walked out of Tuesday’s first round without taking a player, executing a series of trades through the Lakers, Mavericks and Suns to accumulate picks at 31, 47 and 55. With Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson both heading to free agency and James Dolan treating the second apron as an absolute ceiling, the three second-round slots represent essentially the only avenue New York has to replenish depth.
The Knicks’ championship is worth understanding because of what it was, not just what it accomplished. The Knicks did not draft a single starter on their championship roster. Their build started with a point guard drafted 33rd overall by Dallas, available in free agency only because the Mavericks declined to offer him an extension. Miles McBride, the one homegrown drafted player who contributed meaningfully in the run, was taken 36th overall in 2021, spent years bouncing between Westchester and 12-minute bench cameos, and eventually became their sixth man before injury. The organization’s track record with second-round picks is not glamorous, but McBride’s path tells you exactly what the Knicks believe is possible when they identify the right player, put him in Westchester, and let the situation develop. He didn’t force his way into the rotation. The moments came, and he was ready.
Jalen Brunson himself, the champion’s centerpiece and Finals MVP, was a Villanova two-time national champion who fell to the second round in 2018, went 33rd to Dallas, and spent two seasons coming off the bench before his breakout. The irony is not lost on Mavericks fans, but the lesson is: the Knicks know better than most franchises that second-round picks can become franchise cornerstones when the system is right.
It helps that the Northwestern connection in this building is real and documented. Boo Buie, the program’s all-time leading scorer who played with Martinelli for two seasons, signed a two-way contract with New York in November 2024. He was waived on December 24 after playing exclusively with Westchester, and was eventually traded to the G-League’s Capitanes the following August. Buie’s path did not work out, but his presence in the organization signals that the Knicks were at minimum comfortable enough with Northwestern’s program to put that trust into a roster spot. Martinelli is a considerably different player physically: heavier, stronger and more equipped to handle contact from NBA-level bodies. And the specific shooting profile the Knicks would be drafting, a pick-and-pop forward who catches and shoots, plays off others’ creation and does not need the ball in his hands, fits naturally behind the championship core’s existing structure. At pick 47 or 55, in the middle of his realistic range, a team like the Knicks could do considerably worse.
Dallas Mavericks, Pick No. 48
Martinelli confirmed both an interview with the Mavericks and a formal pre-draft workout with the organization, making Dallas one of a small number of teams with documented hands-on evaluation time. After taking Morez Johnson Jr. ninth overall on Tuesday and trading the No. 30 pick to the Knicks for stash prospect Sergio De Larrea, pick 48 is Dallas’s final live selection and lands one slot after Martinelli’s most commonly mocked projection.
The Mavericks are in a transitional state that is simultaneously exciting and uncertain. Cooper Flagg won Rookie of the Year and looks like a genuine franchise cornerstone. He shot just 29.5% from three as a 19-year-old last season, which means defenses are still not fully respecting his perimeter shot, and the Mavericks need off-ball players who can punish that, catch the corner kick-outs he generates with his drives and make defenses pay for collapsing. Kyrie Irving is 34 and coming off a torn ACL, and Dallas has essentially no solidified guard depth beyond Ryan Nembhard if Irving misses significant time. A forward who plays off others, does not demand creation, gets to the line and spaces the floor is a reasonable complementary add in that environment.
The workout history with the organization is what elevates Dallas from theoretical to credible. Teams do not put prospects through formal workouts without moving them up the internal board, and the fact that Dallas as a team has plenty room to grow would allow for Martinelli to simultaneously grow at his own pace.
Toronto Raptors, Pick No. 50
Toronto is the most underrated team on this list, and pick 50 lands almost exactly in the middle of Martinelli’s consensus range.
The Raptors finished 46-36 in 2025-26, returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2022, and pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to a deciding Game 7 in the first round. The foundation for what comes next is a genuine two-way frontcourt in Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, who helped Toronto finish fifth in defensive rating. The problem is everything else offensively. The Raptors finished 26th in made threes, 26th in three-point attempts and 21st in three-point percentage at 35.4%. Barnes himself is not a reliable shooter. He hit just 27.1% from deep in his final season before making the All-Star team, and that weakness has been a structural limitation on everything Toronto tries to do offensively.
The organizational track record on pick development is relevant. Immanuel Quickley himself was the 25th overall pick in 2020, developed under the Raptors’ infrastructure into a reliable starting guard, and became one of the more important pieces in their playoff push. General manager Bobby Webster has shown a consistent willingness to identify players who fit the system and trust the environment to develop them rather than expecting instant contribution from second-rounders. Ja’Kobe Walter, taken 19th in 2024, started the year averaging 7.5 points before growing into one of Toronto’s most reliable perimeter threats by season’s end, finishing at 40% from three on over three attempts per game, the only Raptor consistently meeting that volume and efficiency.
Walter is the most important reference point here. He was the only reliable shooter on a playoff team, and the Raptors’ entire offensive ceiling ran through whether he was making threes. Adding another player who can do that job, even in a bench role, even in the G League initially, directly addresses the single most glaring offensive deficiency on the roster. Martinelli at pick 50 on a cheap second-round deal is the specific answer to a specific problem for a team that has demonstrated it can develop players into that role when the fit is right.
Chicago Bulls, Picks No. 38 and No. 56
The Bulls are the wild card on this list, and Martinelli is the most locally resonant name they could possibly call with their second-round picks. As a Chicago-native myself, my fingers are crossed for this outcome, and the story has plenty of reason to root for it regardless.
Martinelli grew up in Glenview, Illinois, attended Glenbrook South High School, and spent four years at Northwestern just down the road in Evanston. As he described it himself, Evanston became an extension of Glenview over those years, his brother Jimmy having moved back to the area, his parents at every home game. Glenbrook South is roughly 20 miles from the United Center. Evanston is closer still. If the Bulls choose him at either of their two slots, his name would span across the digital boards at Barclays Center as a representation of the most Chicago-adjacent player in this entire draft class.
The basketball argument is real too, if complicated. Chicago selected Caleb Wilson fourth overall, then took Texas standout Dailyn Swain at 15, adding size and athleticism to a core already featuring Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey and the recently-added Nic Claxton. Media covering the pick immediately flagged the looming shooting question: despite drafting multiple wings, the Bulls have assembled a roster full of players whose jumpers need work, and spacing is now a significant concern heading into 2026-27. Wing depth with shooting is explicitly identified as one of Chicago’s two main remaining roster needs heading into the second round. Martinelli is specifically that. He does not attack off the dribble. He does not need creation. He catches, he makes the right read, and he shoots at a legitimate rate that none of the players drafted above him in Chicago can match.
Pick 38 is early for where most boards have him, and the Bulls under new GM Bryson Graham have shown a strong preference for length and athleticism in their selections. Martinelli is the opposite of that profile on paper. But he worked out for Chicago, and the narrative of a Glenview kid walking into the United Center as a Bull rather than a visitor is the kind of thing that occasionally moves front offices in ways analytics do not fully capture. If Graham saw enough in his evaluation process to either reach or let him fall to them at 56, the story writes itself: the kid who grew up going to Bulls games, played his college ball 12 miles north, and never needed anyone else’s blueprint to become good enough could extend his Glenview bubble yet again. This time to the Madhouse on Madison.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves runs on to the court in his signature white headband before a playoff game this spring at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
He’s no longer a cute little kid.
He’s a $185-million man.
He’s no longer a quintessential underdog routinely pardoned for his bad defense, his questionable durability and his tendency to tighten up in the playoffs.
He’s a big dog who needs to own it.
Austin Reaves, the most beloved Laker, became the most scrutinized Laker on Wednesday with the news that he agreed to a maximum four-year, $185-million contract to remain with the team.
Kudos to him for becoming the highest-paid undrafted player in league history.
Props to him for declining a rich extension offer last summer to play out the season and bet on himself.
Congrats to the Lakers for turning a homegrown talent into a budding superstar.
Seriously, it makes you just want to hug that unkempt, headband-wearing dude and let him know how his everyman story resonates with the masses.
Except that story is finished. That book has been closed. A new volume has begun.
It’s called, “Is Austin Reaves Worth It?”
Thus far, the answer has been no.
Flash back to May, the opener of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a week after he had returned to the court following a monthlong absence with an oblique injury.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves chases after a loose ball ahead of Rockets guard Amen Thompson during Game 5 of their playoff series in May. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers needed Reaves to set the tone. He instead laid an egg, shooting three for 16 from the field and zero for five from beyond the arc, his body knocked clear to Tulsa by a physical Thunder defense.
Two games later, same thing, he shoots five for 13 and one for five from deep, allowing the Thunder to pound him to a pulp.
With Luka Doncic out and LeBron James exhausted, the Lakers desperately needed Reaves to pick up the slack. He dropped it, again and again, and the Lakers were swept.
It was the same thing in the spring of 2025, when Reaves crumbled in the first-round series-clinching loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, shooting five for 14 and two for 10 in a performance that was, as usual, generally overlooked because he tried so hard and accepted his shortcomings so honestly.
That’s not going to work anymore. That’s not going to be enough anymore.
With this new deal, Reaves becomes the Lakers’ second cornerstone along with Doncic. They are now officially a one-two punch. They are now a twin-engine scoring machine that can rival any similar duo in the NBA.
Guards Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are the new one-two punch of the near future for the Lakers. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Doncic has lived up to his end of the bargain. Will Reaves?
And what about defense? For $185 million, you’d think you could get some defense. Doncic needs his running mate to compensate for his questionable defensive skills, and Reaves has yet to do that.
Simply by earning his way onto the Lakers roster five years ago, Reaves has been a great role model for everyone who has ever been ignored or shunned or marginalized. But did the Lakers fall in love with his legend and ignore his frailties?
Yes, he averaged 23 points per game last season. But he only played in a career-low 51 games because of calf and oblique injuries, and will he add the muscle required to fend off such problems in the future?
Yes, he has been a great interview while admirably and publicly holding himself and his teammates accountable. But he’s always been able to lead from the shadows. How will he react when 185 million microphones are pointed at him?
In a postgame interview after the Lakers’ final loss against Oklahoma City this spring, Reaves was at his aw-shucks best.
“I take life day by day and I’m just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game,” he said, “I make good money. But like I said, I don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future, just day by day.”
Lakers guard Austin Reaves consults with coach JJ Redick during a break in the action during Game 3 of the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in May. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
That tone has to change. He now has to think about the future because he is the future, of this team, of this organization, of the hopes of this city.
With all of Reaves’ shortcomings, one can almost see the unsentimental Dodgers officials looking at Wednesday’s news and saying, “Wait, they did what?”
But in the end, the Lakers didn’t really have a choice. There wasn’t a free agent available who could match Reaves’ prolific shooting, and nobody who could match the Laker-centric story of his personal journey.
Renowned softie Rob Pelinka, who should count Reaves as one of his greatest successes, was so moved by the opportunity to bring him back that he mentioned the Lakers colors when answering a question about him.
“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said during exit interviews this spring. “We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold.”
And so it will, for at least several more years, Reaves now occupying a Lakers leading sidekick role made famous during their championship years by the likes of Anthony Davis and Pau Gasol.
Mark Pope and Rick Pitino celebrate the upcoming basketball season during Big Blue Madness on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 at Rupp Arena. | Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Greetings, BBN!
It’s been quite the roller coaster of an offseason for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Basketball program. Following a 22-14 season that ended with a blowout in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. Pope watched much of his roster leave Lexington, then struggled to fill it out when the transfer portal first opened.
Thankfully, Kentucky was able to end it on a high note thanks to the addition of Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic, while also retaining a potential All-SEC center in Malachi Moreno after he tested the NBA Draft waters.
But even the best of offseasons can only do so much when it comes to a coach’s hot seat. Wins and losses are ultimately what affect that the most, and Pope is entering a critical year that could very well decide how his Kentucky tenure goes.
So, we wanted to ask the BBN their thoughts on what it will take to keep Pope off the hot seat this season.
Do the Cats need to make a run to the second weekend of the Big Dance?
Will a good regular season and one NCAA Tournament win be enough?
Does he just need to make the Big Dance to keep his job?
Or maybe you actually think Pope has done enough through his first two years to earn a fourth season so long as he doesn’t have a Kenny Payne-level disaster in Year 3.
Let us know your thoughts in the poll below and in the comments section!
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in UK fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.Be sure to add us to your “Preferred Sources” on Google to get all of the latest Kentucky Wildcats news and views! And Go CATS!
Los Angeles, CA - April 06: Lakers forward LeBron James, #23, left, goes to the basket for a shot as Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen #31 defends in the first half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Cleveland Cavaliers will forever be linked to LeBron James. The King hasn’t played for his hometown team since 2018, but could return for the final chapter of his career if the Los Angeles Lakers agree to facilitate a trade.
The asking price? Jarrett Allen.
“I think if the Cavs were willing to do that, they’d have LeBron,” said Brian Windhorst on ESPN Cleveland. “The Lakers would kill for Jarrett Allen; they would do that deal in seventeen-tenths of a second.”
This makes sense. James is the oldest player in the NBA and will turn 42 later this year. Wherever he plays next season, there’s a good chance that it won’t be for long. If the Lakers were able to flip him for a 28-year-old center who fits like a glove next to Luka Doncic — they’d do it yesterday.
The question is, why would the Cavs even consider this?
It would take some real desperation to part ways with Allen for the final year(s) of LeBron’s career. As much as we all love James, there is no winning against Father Time. He can’t have much more gas left in the tank. This would be the definition of a short-sighted move. Especially, after Allen came up huge in consecutive Game 7’s in his most recent playoff run. This isn’t someone you want to kick to the curb for a 42-year-old.
James is still an elite player. He averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds last season. But, as a general rule of thumb, you shouldn’t make a deal with someone who would kill to shake your hand and put ink to paper. That indicates that you’re giving up way more than you should. The Lakers would jump to make this deal for a reason.
Unfortunately, the Cavs don’t have many other options for bringing back James. He has a $52 million dollar player option this summer. It’s hard to see him declining that in favor of a much, much smaller deal in Cleveland. He’d have to be desperate to join the Cavs in that scenario. Just as desperate as they’d have to be to trade Allen for him. And if that were true, we wouldn’t be having this discussion, to begin with.
For the first time since April 22, Francisco Lindor will be in the Mets' lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said before the first game that the Mets "anticipate him being active for tonight's game" following his stint on the injured list as he recovered from a calf strain, and he confirmed after the 10-3 loss that Lindor will indeed start.
In 24 games this season, Lindor owns a .226/.314/.355 slash line with two home runs, five RBI, and 14 runs scored.
"We missed him, obviously," Mendoza said. "His presence in the lineup everyday, on and off the field, how much he connects with guys in that locker room, the defense the bat -- he's been missed, obviously. We need him."
With Lindor returning as the starting shortstop, Bo Bichette will slide over back over to third base, but the Mets will need to take things slow with Lindor, likely giving him a day off on Thursday.
"There are going to be some off days here. If he plays today, he's probably going to be down tomorrow," Mendoza said. "... We'll see where we're at, but there are definitely going to be some off days here in the early going as we continue to build him up."
This game looked tough due to the Mets young ace Nolan McLean starting. And in fact, it did not start out that way, with the Mets taking a 3-0 fourth-inning lead with two homers off Javier Assad.
But these are the suddenly offensively surging Cubs, and they hit three home runs and won the opener of the split doubleheader against the Mets, 10-3. Dansby Swanson led the home-run barrage with a pair, including a grand slam. It was the Cubs’ eighth win in their last 11 games.
Assad matched McLean with zeroes over the first three innings, though Assad got himself in trouble with a couple of walks in the second. He got out of that with a double play and then a strikeout of former Cub Jared Young [VIDEO].
The Mets got on the board against Assad in the bottom of the fourth. After a single by Bo Bichette, Young homered, followed by a long ball from Francisco Alvarez to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.
Michael Busch’s fifth-inning home run was the Cubs’ 93rd of the year but 12th that tied the score.
It was just the fourth of those with a runner on base. Seiya Suzuki and Michael Conforto homered with two aboard, at home vs. the Reds and at the White Sox, respectively. Pete Crow-Armstrong did it with one on at home vs. the Reds. All came between May 4 and 17.
The last four had been with the bases empty.
Busch’s today was his third game-tying shot, matching PCA for the most. Alex Bregman and Ian Happ have hit two. The three-run blasts were the only ones by Conforto and Suzuki.
The Cubs have hit 25 go-ahead homers.
Assad finished five innings, allowing five hits and three runs. Really, the only mistakes he made were the home-run balls.
More on Assad’s outing from John:
Javier Assad’s start was the first by a Cub since 1901 of exactly 5.0 innings in which the pitcher gave up three runs on five hits, walked two and struck out five.
Ferguson Jenkins had two games with all the criteria except the two walks. They came a little more than three months apart, May 20 and Aug 23, 1983, both at home vs. the Reds, and he walked none in both.
Sixteen Cubs had starts with all the criteria but not five strikeouts. The most recent was by Edwin Jackson, at home vs. the Pirates, on June 20, 2014. He struck out eight, most in any of the 16 starts. Chris Volstead, with six on April 9, 2012, vs. the Brewers, was the only other one with more than four.
The Cubs then took the lead in the top of the sixth. With one out, Nico Hoerner doubled (good to see him hitting again!). One out later, Miguel Amaya singled, with Nico stopping at third.
Ryan Rolison threw a scoreless sixth and Caleb Thielbar, who has scuffled lately, threw a scoreless seventh.
Then Swanson and the Cubs put the game away in the eighth. Ian Happ and Hoerner led off the inning with walks. Pedro Alvarez laid down a successful sac bunt, moving the runners to second and third. Then Miguel Amaya was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
For Swanson, this was the second seven-RBI game of his career and first as a Cub. More on Swanson’s slam from John:
Dansby Swanson’s grand slam was the fourth of his career and second as a Cub. The first was Aug. 26, 2024, at Pittsburgh.
It was the Cubs’ fourth this season and third in two weeks, after Seiya Suzuki on June 11 at Colorado and Carson Kelly on June 19 at home vs. the Blue Jays.
The Cubs hit five last year. Swanson’s was the last of six in 2024.
They have hit 365 in the regular season since 1876 and 341 since 1901. Swanson’s was No. 155 on the road. They have been hit by 213 different players.
As noted on the Marquee broadcast, Swanson is the third Cub to have a three-run homer and grand slam in the same game. The others: Kyle Schwarber on July 28, 2019 against the Brewers and Derrek Lee on July 2, 2009, also against the Brewers. Perhaps this is a good sign for the upcoming Brewers series.
Through the game of last Tuesday against the Rockies, Swanson was batting .175/.281/.306. Over his last five games since then: .444/.500/1.222 (8-for-18) with two doubles, four home runs, 14 (!) RBI and just two strikeouts. He’s raised his season BA to .194 and his season OPS to .670 over that five-game span. Here’s hoping that hot streak continues.
Tyler Ferguson, who was called up as the 27th man for the doubleheader, finished up with two scoreless innings.
As you know, the injury to Ben Brown is yet another blow to a starting rotation that’s had almost nothing but injuries this year. They’ll have to scramble to find starting pitchers after Thursday (when Matthew Boyd returns from an IL stint) and Friday (when Colin Rea should go against the Brewers). But if the offense keeps clicking like this… maybe the Cubs can keep winning even while trying to cobble together a rotation.
The Cubs are now five games over .500 for the first time since May 30, meaning they’re 10-10 since then. Not great, but much better than they were in the 20 games previous to that (5-15). Things are trending in the right direction.
The rest of this post contains the particulars for the second game of today’s doubleheader. At the time of this recap lineups were not available for the nightcap, so please check BCB social media for the lineups. Here’s the pitching matchup and other info.
Shōta Imanaga, LHP vs. Sean Manaea, LHP
Shōta Imanaga’s tale of three seasons in one:
Phase 1, first nine starts: 54.1 IP, 2.32 ERA, 0.906 WHIP, 2.82 FIP, five HR Phase 2: next four starts: 21.2 IP, 10.80 ERA, 1.521 WHIP, 10.16 FIP, 12 HR Phase 3: next two starts: 10.2 IP, 0.84 ERA, 0.938 WHIP, 2.06 FIP, no HR
So which is the real Imanaga? Yes, the last two starts were against the awful Rockies, but Colorado does have some decent hitters and Shōta got out of Coors Field without allowing a home run.
So, ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
Imanaga’s last start vs. the Mets was Sept. 25, 2025 at Wrigley Field and trust me, you do not want to look at that boxscore link. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Imanaga has pitched against the Mets three times and one of those three was a seven-inning scoreless outing at Citi Field in 2024. Given his career ERA of 10.34 in those three starts, you can guess how awful the other one was.
Hopefully, Imanaga will channel that 2024 start today.
Sean Manaea has been mostly a reliever for the Mets this year until he was moved into the rotation replacing David Peterson, because Peterson had been mostly awful.
Manaea’s two starts have been pretty good — four earned runs in 11.1 innings and only one home run allowed in two games against pretty good hitting teams (Braves and Phillies).
He threw four innings against the Cubs April 17 at Wrigley Field, entering when the Cubs were ahead 7-3. By the time he was done the Cubs led 12-4 and, among other things, he had served up a two-run homer to Ian Happ.
Please visit our SB Nation Mets site Amazin’ Avenue. If you do go there to interact with Mes fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 09: Justin Lawrence #31 of the Minnesota Twins pitches during the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Clearly, Paul Toboni and the front office knew that they needed to shake up the bullpen in some way. It started with demoting Paxton Schultz for Carson Palmquist. Now, the Nats claimed veteran righty Justin Lawrence off waivers from the Twins. Lawrence has had a rough year, but has been successful in the past and has good stuff.
The Nationals have claimed RHP Justin Lawrence off outright waivers from the Minnesota Twins and have designated RHP Jhancarlos Lara for assignment.
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) June 24, 2026
When you look at Lawrence’s stuff, it is easy to see the appeal. He averages 95.5 MPH on his fastball which comes from a side arm delivery. Having a sidearmer who throws in the mid to upper 90’s is really unique. Lawrence also has a sweeper that has a ton of break. Hitters are whiffing over 45% of the time against that sweeper.
If you look at Lawrence’s 2026 numbers, this move is a bit baffling. The right hander has an ERA over 8 and a FIP over 7. Walks and home runs have been huge issues for the righty this season. Despite his putrid performance this season, clearly the front office sees something in him.
He throws hard from a sidearm slot, gets strikeouts and was good last year… Don't look at the other numbers https://t.co/3vYrKJxFtv
Lawrence also has some success in his past. Back in 2023, he posted a 3.72 ERA in 69 outings in the Rockies bullpen. A 3.72 ERA is normally not anything special for a reliever, but that is a really good number in Coors Field. His ERA+ that year was 134, meaning he was 34% better than the league average pitcher when you account for the home field.
When he got out of Coors Field, Lawrence was outstanding when he pitched in 2025. He only appeared in 17 games due to injuries, but his ERA in 2025 was 0.51 in 17.2 innings. However, after a rough start for the Pirates this year, he was DFA’d. The 31 year old was picked up by the Twins, but things only got worse for him in Minnesota, allowing 12 runs in 6 innings.
For a Nats bullpen that desperately needs stuff, Lawrence can provide that. Even this season, he is striking out over 25% of hitters. When he is in the zone, Lawrence can be nasty. However, throwing strikes and missing barrels has been a problem this year.
I wonder what kind of tweaks the Nats will try and make with Lawrence. Maybe they see something mechanically that could help him find the zone more. His side arm delivery is probably tough to repeat when things aren’t going well. The Nats could also up his sweeper usage. Last year, he threw the pitch 50% of the time, but that number is down to 41% this year. The issue is, it is tougher to spam sweepers when you are constantly behind in the count.
Lawrence is out of options, so he will be joining the big league club right away. I would assume he will arrive tomorrow. This is another low risk flier from Toboni, but if Lawrence continues to be as wild as he has been, this experiment could be short lived. Hopefully the Nats can get Lawrence back to his best because his ceiling is high.
George Lombard Jr. of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders reacts during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 22, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Hard to believe, but the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders have reached the midpoint of their season.
The New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate wrapped up first-half play in the International League with a record of 37-37. That was good for 12th in the 20-team standings, 9.5 games behind the first-half champion Memphis Redbirds (47-28). The RailRiders began second-half play Tuesday with a six-game series in Indianapolis.
There were plenty of highlights during the first half. the biggest came June 5th at NBT Bank Stadium in New York when Brendan Beck and Carson Coleman combined to no-hit the Syracuse Mets, 4-0. It was the seventh no-hitter in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise history and the third done in nine innings; the other four were seven-inning games.
Beck certainly is making a case as a contender for International League Pitcher of the Year. The right-hander, who is the Yankees’ No. 21 prospect, is tied for the league lead in wins with seven with Trenton Denholm of the Columbus Clippers and Memphis Redbirds reliever Luis Gastelum. He tops the league in ERA at 3.22; innings pitched with 81.0; and strikeouts with 86. He is second in WHIP at 1.04 and opponents’ batting average at .197. Twice during the first half, Beck was named the IL’s Pitcher of the Week: May 11-17 and June 1-8.
Another highlight came May 16th when Gerrit Cole made his final rehab start in his return from reconstructive elbow surgery in March 2025. Facing the Syracuse Mets, he pitched 5.1 innings and allowed one run on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts. He threw 86 pitches, 56 for strikes, and topped out with a four-seam fastball at 99.6 mph.
On April 29th, George Lombard Jr., the No. 1 prospect in the Yankees organization, was promoted to the RailRiders from Double-A Somerset. In his first month, Lombard struggled some batting just .192 (20-for-104) in 27 games in the month of May with five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs.
June has been a different story, however. He has hit safely in 11 of 14 games so far during the month, including his last nine, and is batting .306 (15 for 49) with seven doubles, two home runs and four RBIs. Unfortunately, he was placed on the injured list June 18 when sprained two fingers on his left hand during a game in Columbus when he had to reach into a sliding runner to field a throw on a stolen base attempt.
Several RailRiders were ranked among the league leaders at the midway point.
Right-hander Carlos Lagrange, the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect, ranks second in strikeouts (80), third in opponents’ batting average (.210), fourth in WHIP (1.29) and fifth in ERA (3.96). Lagrange is being converted from a starting pitcher to a reliever.
Relief pitcher Yovanny Cruz is tied for fourth in the league in wins with five out of the bullpen. He also has two saves.
Yanquiel Fernández is tied for seventh in home runs with 16 and tied for 13th in RBIs with 46. He is batting .253 (59-for-233) in 59 games and was the International League Player of the Week for May 18-24. With Fernández leading the way, the RailRiders hit 101 home runs in the first half to rank fifth in the league.
Despite currently being in the major leagues with the Yankees, Spencer Jones is eighth in the league with 48 RBIs. Oswaldo Cabrera leads the RailRiders with 68 hits, which is 16th in the league. In June, he has hit safely in 15 of 17 games and is batting .388 (26 for 67) and three doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs. Overall, he is hitting .266 (68 for 256) in 67 games with 10 doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 33 RBIs.
Jonathan Ornelas ranks ninth in the league in batting average at .311 (60 for 193) with 11 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 26 RBIs in 59 games.
Duke Ellis is second in stolen bases with 30, trailing only Braiden Ward of the Worcester Red Sox, who has 32.
Last season, the RailRiders won 17 of the first 20 games in the second half on their way to the second-half title and a berth in the International League Championship Series. They’re hoping that can happen again this season.
NEW YORK — Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera were placed on the injured list, delivering two more blows for the pitching-depleted Chicago Cubs.
Cabrera was expected to get imaging after straining his left hamstring/adductor stretching for a throw at first base during a 9-6 win over the New York Mets.
Brown has a neck strain. He is 4-2 with one save and a 1.85 ERA for the Cubs, including 3-1 with a 1.70 ERA in eight starts since joining the banged-up rotation May 8.
The Cubs have six starters sidelined, though opening day starter Matthew Boyd (left meniscus) is scheduled to come off the injured list and start in Brown’s spot.
“We’re getting a guy that pitched opening day back for us, so that’s a big deal,” Craig Counsell said. “Those are important players to get healthy and get in your rotation.”
Jameson Taillon (strained left hamstring) is on the 15-day injured list. Counsell said the 34-year-old is progressing well and could throw off a mound soon.
Cade Horton is out for the year after having Tommy John surgery, while Justin Steele is on the 60-day IL recovering from his 2025 Tommy John surgery and a left flexor strain. General manager Jed Hoyer said Steele likely won’t return to the rotation this year.
Prior to their game against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night, the Yankees placed Ryan McMahon on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 22) with throat infection.
In a corresponding move, the team recalled utility man Oswaldo Cabrera from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Wednesday's game will be Cabrera's first in the major leagues since he suffered a season-ending left ankle fracture on May 12, 2025.
Working his way back to the bigs, Cabrera was optioned to Triple-A at the end of spring training and has played 68 games with the RailRiders this season, hitting .271 with seven home runs, 10 doubles, and 35 RBI. Although, the switch-hitter has been on fire as of late -- hitting .331 with an .858 OPS over his last 45 games in the minors.
He will likely take over McMahon's spot at third base for the time being, having played a majority of his minor league games at the position (30). If manager Aaron Boone opts to use him in a different spot, it shouldn't be much of a problem as Cabrera has also seen action at first base, second base, shortstop (13 games), left field, and right field this season.
McMahon last played on June 21 and had been struggling at the plate, hitting just .176 with a home run and two RBI over his last seven games. Overall, he's hitting .210 with eight home runs, four doubles, and 23 RBI over 69 games.
Karim López arrives for the first round of the NBA basketball draft on Tuesday in New York. (Adam Hunger / AP Photo)
Until Tuesday night, only one Mexican-born player had been an NBA draft pick. Eduardo Nájera was selected 38th overall in the second round by the Houston Rockets in 2000 and enjoyed a 12-year career as a backup forward with five teams.
Karim López joined him when the Detroit Pistons snapped him up at No. 21, making him the first Mexican-born first-round draft selection.
Lopez donned the Pistons’ cap handed to him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, then was immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
López, a 19-year-old 6-foot-9 forward, became emotional when Silver announced the pick. He sobbed beneath the cap.
“It’s just super special,” he said. “I’m blessed. I mean, I have no words.”
Born in Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora, López joined the prestigious Joventut Badalona youth academy in Badalona, Spain, at age 14 to accelerate his development. The academy counts former NBA players Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernández and Raül López among its alumni.
During his post-draft television interview, he displayed a custom design inside his suit jacket: Mexico’s tricolor flag.
“I just wanted to represent my culture, represent where I’m from, represent my faith, and just represent myself, basically,” López said. “Show who I am.”
Memphis clearly targeted López while adroitly obtaining five second-round picks in the process. They received three picks from the Pistons and two from the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for moving back from the No. 16 draft position.
Whether López fulfills his potential and becomes the fifth Mexican-born player to take the court with an NBA team remains to be seen. Reviews are mixed.
“I had Karim López rated quite a bit higher than [the No. 21 pick] and was surprised to see him slide this far,” Hollinger wrote, giving the pick an “A” grade partially because the Grizzlies also collected the five second-round picks.
Vecenie pointed out that López doesn’t shoot well and has defensive deficiencies, saying that his game might be better suited for European leagues than the NBA.
“I’m not sure how he gets on an NBA court early in his career,” he wrote. “I love his frame and physicality. I love that he rebounds and attacks with aggression. But I’m not sure he’s good enough without the ball to make an early impact in the NBA.”
Should López make the Grizzlies’ roster, he would join Horacio Llamas, Gustavo Ayón, Jorge Gutiérrez and Nájera as the only NBA players born in Mexico.
“It means a lot to me,” Lopez said. “It’s just a great opportunity for me and my country to have this platform and have this opportunity. So super blessed and definitely take it with a lot of pride.”
Noteworthy NBA players of Mexican descent born in the United States include former UCLA standout Jaime Jaquez Jr. and former Lakers reserve Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Jaquez averaged 15.4 points a game in 2025-2026, his third season with the Miami Heat. Toscano-Anderson played five seasons in the NBA — including winning a championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022 — and now is with Pallacanestro Trieste of the top Italian league. López is already a veteran of international basketball, having spent the last two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s top pro league. He averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds last season.
He will join No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer with the Grizzlies, who are rebuilding after finishing 25-57 and 13th in the Western Conference last season.
“A goal of mine is to hopefully reach young people in Mexico,” Lopez told ESPN in March when he declared for the draft. “Trying to grow the sport and inspire athletes and people in general to follow their dreams. Show people that it doesn’t matter where you’re from.”
PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA - MARCH 17, 2026: dOswaldo Cabrera #95 of the New York Yankees in the field during the first inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park on March 17, 2026 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Waldo is officially back.
Yankees utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera, who hasn’t played a major-league game since fracturing his ankle early last season, is being called up by the organization to pitch in as third baseman Ryan McMahon was placed on the injured list with an throat infection. YES Network’s Jack Curry revealed the information on Wednesday morning. It will be the 27-year-old’s big chance to prove he is fully behind that gruesome injury suffered on May 12, 2025 in Seattle.
The capable yet inconsistent Cabrera is hitting .271/.330/.397 (88 wRC+) in 68 games with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in 294 plate appearances. He has seven home runs and six stolen bases. It took the switch-hitter a while to get going, which is understandable after such a long layoff. In his first 23 games, he hit a highly disappointing .143/.207/.238 with a 13 wRC+.
In Cabrera’s last 45 games, however, he is hitting a robust .331/.386/.472 with a 123 wRC+. Evidently, he needed some time and reps to get into a rhythm, and the Yankees are taking advantage of his good run of form in Triple-A to promote him and have him help out in The Show.
Cabrera, who is sporting a phenomenal .397 batting average with a .967 OPS and three round-trippers in June, is also hitting .385 with a .965 OPS against southpaws, so he figures to get a lot of playing time in those situations in the Bronx. This also helps explain why Cabrera was selected for the promotion.
As for McMahon, Curry clarified that he hasn’t played since Sunday, so his IL stint will be backdated. He also suggested that it looks like a short stay on the shelf for him. The slick-fielding third baseman has a .210/.269/.360 line (75 wRC+) with eight home runs and 23 RBI in 69 games and 202 trips to the plate for the Yankees this year.
McMahon hasn’t played since Sunday so his IL stint will be back dated. Also, the Yankees are likely to face lefties in 5 of the next 6 games so he wouldn’t start in those games anyway. It’s expected McMahon will be ready to return as soon as the 10 days are up.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves: •Recalled INF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera (#95) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. •Placed INF Ryan McMahon on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 6/22) with a throat infection.
Jun 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Trey Gibson (43) throws during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Our prolonged nightmare of west cost games is nearly over. After tonight, the Orioles will not be back on west coast time until late August, when they have a six-game stint in Sacramento and Denver.
Right now, the Orioles have gone 4-4 on this road trip. That’s not bad considering how it started in Seattle. A win today would make it a winning trip with a pair of series wins included. That one win either way doesn’t seem like a lot on paper, but it would certainly be a mental boost ahead of a flight home and then an off day on Thursday.
There is some good news! Blaze Alexander is back in the lineup for the first time since injuring his knee on Monday. The O’s could use his hot bat after the offense was quiet in their Tuesday night loss.
Still missing, however, is Jackson Holliday. This is his fourth straight game on the bench with a groin injury. His understudy, Jeremiah Jackson, has gone 3-for-12 in Holliday’s absence and has a solid .714 OPS against right-handed pitcher this year. So, the Orioles aren’t missing out on much offensively. But it seems like Holliday is essentially unavailable right now, leaving the Orioles shorthanded. If he is still ailing after the Thursday off day, an IL stint seems likely. The team can only backdate an IL stint by a maximum of three days. So the sooner they make that call the better.
It felt like Trey Gibson made some progress in his last start. Over five innings he allowed three runs and walked four, but he also struck out eight and kept the ball in the yard against the Dodgers. He’s a rookie and growing pains can be ugly. Right now, if he simply keeps the Orioles in the game and gives them five innings that should be viewed as a success.
