Washington Wizards rookie and No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa is done for the remainder of NBA Summer League. The BYU product was shut down by his team on Tuesday, July 14. According to The Athletic, Wizards Summer League coach T.J. Sorrentine informed Dybantsa that he will not play in the team's final two games.
This is a normal situation for highly-touted prospects. Many first-round picks are shut down after two Summer League games as a precaution to ensure no injuries are sustained before their rookie season.
Dybantsa has drawn a good amount of hype heading into the 2026-27 season, with even veteran teammates like Trae Young attending the team's Summer League games in Las Vegas for an early glimpse at the up-and-comer. And Dybantsa didn't disappoint.
In just two games, Dybantsa averaged 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, helping lead the Wizards to wins over both the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings.
Is Dybantsa the only player being shut down by Washington?
No. The Wizards are also shutting down Summer League standouts Will Riley and Tre Johnson. Riley averaged 25 points in his two Summer League appearances, while Johnson scored 26 in his only appearance.
How many more Summer League games do the Wizards have?
The Wizards have two games remaining in Las Vegas, with matchups against the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers scheduled for Tuesday, July 14 and Wednesday, July 15, respectively.
Two Philadelphia Flyers prospects were among the players listed on Scott Wheeler's top 100 NHL drafted prospect rankings for The Athletic. This is because Porter Martone and David Jiricek both made the cut.
Martone was given the No. 3 spot on Wheeler's rankings. Seeing Martone be ranked so high is entirely understandable, as he has all the tools to become a star power forward in the NHL.
After posting 25 goals and 50 points in 35 games with Michigan State University as a freshman last season, Martone signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers. He made an immediate impact with the Flyers after this, posting four goals and 10 points in nine regular-season games.
Marte also had two goals and five points in 10 playoff games for Philadelphia. With numbers like these, he has already shown a lot of promise in the NHL and should only get better.
Jiricek, on the other hand, just made the cut at the No. 97 spot. The 2022 sixth-overall pick is still looking to break out and become a full-time NHL defenseman. It would not be surprising if he takes that next step with the Flyers next season.
Jiricek was excellent for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season after being acquired by the Flyers from the Minnesota Wild. In 15 games with the AHL club following the move, he posted two goals and 13 points. It will be interesting to see if he can translate some of this play over to the Flyers next season.
Much of the dialgoue around the Vancouver Canucks as of late has been which players the team should trade. Veterans such as Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson, and even Brock Boeser have been mentioned in trade talks throughout the 2026 off-season thus far, though it feels as though no one on the roster is truly safe from the rumours.
In a similar vein, Vancouver has also been named in recent trade talks surorunding players from other markets. Reports indicated that Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright would welcome a trade to Vancouver, while Brendan Gallagher was connected to the Canucks for a while before being dealt to the team ahead of free agency opening. Whether they roll the dice on them or not would depend on what Vancouver has to give up.
But what counts as too much to give up?
As little a list as it may be, there are some players that the Canucks should not be trading under any circumstances for the time being. With the team entering a rebuild that will keep fans invested based on the future potential rather than current play, the Canucks will want to prioritize keeping the players that will likely be around, or even entering their prime, come the time Vancouver’s contention window opens. These five players are the ones that the Canucks should not trade under any circumstances.
Zeev Buium
One of four pieces acquired in the Quinn Hughes trade back in December, it’s looking more and more like Buium could be the cornerstone of Vancouver’s future blueline. The Canucks opted to select only one defenceman during this year’s draft — Samuel Eriksson in the sixth round — leaving their defensive prospect pool with little change. This could change come next year’s draft, of course, though at the current moment it appears that Buium will be a big part of the future.
Offensively, Buium showed some flashes of intrigue in his 45 games with the Canucks this year. Aside from the three goals and nine assists he scored, the defenceman gave fans things to cheer about when making the occasional slick play to advance offence for his team. Adding to this is the commitment Buium seems to have towards building a better future alongside his teammates — something that always helps a player’s case in staying.
From a rebuild perspective, Buium fits the Canucks’ timeline well. With the 2025–26 season being his first year in the NHL, the defenceman can now approach the next couple of seasons the way he should be able to — as a learning experience. Given Vancouver’s status as a rebuilding team, there will be more room for young players like Buium to make mistakes and learn from them.
Of course, there is still currently a timeline on Buium’s long-term future with the Canucks. The defenceman’s entry-level contract is set to expire after the 2026–27 season, with Buium becoming an RFA after that. If the Canucks are set on a long-term fit with Buium, they’ll want to lock him down as quickly as possible.
Tom Willander
Despite Vancouver’s dark moments this year, Willander has shown he wants to be part of a solution in Vancouver. Having been selected 11th-overall by the Canucks in 2023, Willander very quickly shot his way up Vancouver’s defensive depth chart after a call-up in October that lasted the remainder of the season. He finished the season with 21 points in 70 games.
A candid, calm competitor, Willander impressed this season with his offensive capabilities as well as his quick adjustment to the NHL level. Injuries, as well as changes to Vancouver’s roster as a whole, resulted in Willander averaging nearly 17 minutes per night throughout his rookie NHL season. While there will always be things to work on, as a whole, the defenceman took the season with stride — all while emphasizing his desire to continue improving.
There’s more to keeping a player like Willander around than just the on-ice element. While 2025–26 was still his rookie season, the defenceman showed a keen sense of responsibility and level of accountability that would make him a valuable leader in the long run. As it stands, he, along with good friend Buium, appear primed to headline the Canucks’ next young D-core.
Tom Willander vs. Zeev Buium. 🎳
Watch the latest All-Access, presented by @Rogers.
It’s still extremely early to tell how his career will pan out, but so far, things look very positive for Novotný. The 24th-overall pick in this year’s draft was highly-coveted by Vancouver and is already looking to be an important piece of the team’s offensive depth when looking towards the future.
At the heart of his game, Novotný is a goal-scorer. The forward can shoot — evidenced by his 34 goals in 58 games for the Peterborough Petes this season. He can play hard and throw his body around in order to help gain possession and create offence.
Braeden Cootes
While it could be bold to say that Cootes will be the future captain of the Canucks, it wouldn’t be surprising. The center seemed like a shoe-in to take on the role the minute Vancouver drafted him 15th-overall in 2025, especially given his pedigree as former captain of Canada’s U-18 national team (2024–25) and the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds.
What may make Cootes even more well-suited to be a future captain is his impressive work-ethic. He made such a strong impression at training camp in 2025 that he made his NHL debut soon after at the start of this season, and even continued that run of determined play during Vancouver’s development camp in 2026. While these camps aren’t always an indicator of a player’s strong performance in the long run, the fact that Cootes put in the effort and made it count in times that not every player needs to isn’t unnoticeable.
Cootes can play well on both sides of the ice but showed a particular surge in offence throughout 2025–26. Long-term, it’s likely the center would slot into Vancouver’s middle-six, assumedly behind the next player mentioned on this list. Center depth has been an issue for the Canucks as of late, though Cootes will be one of a couple to help negate that heading towards the future.
Oct 13, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Braeden Cootes (80) skates against the St. Louis Blues in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Caleb Malhotra
Malhotra immediately shot up to number-one on the Canucks’ prospect depth chart list the minute he was drafted third-overall back in June. The center will fill a gap that Vancouver has been looking to remedy since things fell-through after the team moved on from centers Bo Horvat, Elias Lindholm, and J.T. Miller.
An offensively-prolific season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL in 2025–26 will likely only be a stepping-stone in Malhotra’s development. The center will be heading to Boston University for the 2026–27 season, with his play throughout then likely determining his fate for 2027–28.
Malhotra will be a key part of Vancouver’s future regardless of when he makes a full-time jump to the NHL.
Honourable mentions: Liam Öhgren, Elias Pettersson (D), Brooks Rogowski, and Niklas Aaram-Olsen
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Now, it's not a free-for-all, upload-any-design kind of situation. Fans must use the available templates, as they have been approved by the league for trade marks and all that fun stuff.
Follow the link below to upload your creation:
A jersey made for the fans, designed by the fans.
This is your chance to design the #Isles Third Jersey for the 2027-2028 Season!
It makes you wonder, with how popular New York Islanders' star defenseman Matthew Schaefer has become since being selected first overall at the 2025 NHL Draft, if he's destined to find himself on the cover of the NHL video game in the near future.
If Schaefer is named the cover athlete for NHL 28, he'd surpass Celebrini as the youngest to ever do it.
Schaefer turns 19 on Sept. 15, so he'd still be 19 when the announced comes out, around the same time next season.
As mentioned in the story above, the plan, since we spoke with Gustafsson at the podium on night one of the NHL Draft, was for him to return to the SHL for a second season with SV71 before coming over to join the organization.
The Hockey News has been told, despite signing his ELC, that plan has not changed.
Gustafsson is eligible to come over and join the Islanders organization, whether that's at the AHL or the NHL level, when his season comes to an end, like we saw with Victor Eklund this past season.
Like with Eklund, though, don't expect Gustafsson to take part in Islanders training camp this fall.
England white-ball captain Harry Brook said Brendon McCullum’s sacking as Test coach was “disappointing” as India won the first ODI by six wickets at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
Apr 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard John Tonje (8) shoots during the second half against the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
The NBA Summer League kicked off last Thursday, and several former Wisconsin Badgers have looked to make their names known as they battle to make their respective team’s rosters.
Last year, the Badgers had their first draft pick since 2022 when John Tonje was taken by the Utah Jazz in the second round. Tonje enjoyed a quality rookie season in the G League, averaging 18.1 points and 4.6 rebounds a game while splitting time with the Salt Lake City Stars (Utah’s G League affiliate) and the Maine Celtics (Boston Celtics G League affiliate) after being traded midseason.
Tonje is now playing for the Celtics Summer League team, and he’s been off to a fantastic start.
In Boston’s first game, Tonje had 20 points, hitting five threes, while having a clutch steal and dunk that helped seal a three-point overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors. In their next game against the Charlotte Hornets, Tonje had an efficient 17 points on 8 of 10 from the field, while hauling down five rebounds.
He did struggle a bit in Boston’s third game, scoring five points on 2 of 8 from the field in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Nick Boyd is also participating in this year’s Summer League after going undrafted last month in the 2026 NBA Draft. He signed a deal with the Golden State Warriors after the draft and is looking to compete for a roster spot or a G League spot there.
Playing on the Warriors Blue team during the California Classic, Boyd had a couple of solid games to kick off Summer League. He struggled in his first contest, scoring 11 points on 2 of 10 shooting in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. But Boyd followed that up with a double-double, dropping 11 points and 10 assists in a loss to the Sacramento Kings, while shooting 4 of 7 from the field.
In the final game of the California Classic, Boyd had 13 points and five assists, while shooting 5 of 13 from the field. He was the starting point guard for all three games on the Warriors’ second G League team.
Boyd has now played in one of the two games since the official G League start in Las Vegas. He did not suit up for Golden State’s first game, but had 14 points, two assists, and two rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench in the team’s most recent game, while shooting 5 of 6 from the field.
The other former Badger playing is center Steven Crowl, who signed a deal to play for the Detroit Pistons ahead of Summer League.
After being a DNP in Detroit’s first game, Crowl has seen some minutes off the bench for the Pistons in their last two contests. In their second game, an 11-point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Crowl had two assists, a block, and an offensive rebound in eight minutes of action, while being a +5 in the box score.
He saw a bigger role in their third game, playing 19 minutes, while scoring five points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out two more assists. He was a +6 in his minutes.
Summer League continues on Tuesday and will go on for the next few days, as each of the three players will look to make the most of their minutes. But, there have been some positives from Tonje, Boyd, and Crowl in their early action so far.
We’ve already reached the middle of July, and Samuel Montembeault is still a member of the Montreal Canadiens. As things stand, it is conceivable that for a second year in a row, the Canadiens will have three NHL-caliber goaltenders on their payroll.
Last season, Montembeault’s struggles led to Jacob Fowler being called up much earlier than expected, and the Melbourne, Florida native proved that he was up to the task and didn’t look out of place for a second. He may just be 21 years old, but he manned the crease like a seasoned vet and quickly earned his teammates’ trust. In 17 games, he posted a 9-6-2 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, and picked up a shutout along the way.
Meanwhile, the man who was a seasoned vet had only a 10-8-4 record, a 3.43 GAA, and an .872 SV. As for Jakub Dobes, he was in net for most of the Canadiens’ wins and ended the year with a 29-10-4 record, a 2.78 GAA, and a .901 SV. While he did struggle at one stage in the season when he couldn’t seem to win over the coaching staff’s trust, he blossomed when Montembeault was cast aside, and by the time the playoffs came around, he was the undisputed number one choice.
Earlier this month, the Canadiens rewarded the Czech netminder with a three-year contract extension which has a $5,357,575 AAV. That was a clear endorsement of the 25-year-old’s work, and while a contract doesn’t guarantee playing time, as Dobes said himself in his media availability, it at the very least lets him know that he’s got the inside lane right now.
Having three goalies on the roster is far from an ideal situation, especially when two of them are 25 or younger. At that age, goaltenders need to see a lot of action to develop properly, and GM Kent Hughes has been clear: if Fowler stays with the big club this season, he will need to see plenty of action.
The days of the clear-cut number one choice in net seem to be a thing of the past. Nowadays, it seems like teams prefer to bet on a two-goalie system, which allows them to avoid overworking their top guy while also providing the backup with enough playing time.
As things stand, the Canadiens are in win mode; the results matter. They are no longer in rebuilding mode, with the focus being almost exclusively on development. Given Montembeault’s performance last season, one has to wonder whether he could earn the team’s trust back if he were to spend the season in Montreal.
As good a teammate as the Quebecer is, the Canadiens cannot afford another season of uncertainty in net. Time and time again last season, he was beaten on his first shot, putting the team in a hole straight from the start. It wasn’t surprising that eventually, his teammates started to play nervously in front of him.
Of course, given how young Fowler is, he could still be assigned to the AHL for the season and get plenty of ice time even if it’s at a lower level. Does he need more time there, though? There are no set rules regarding the time netminders spend in the AHL. Dobes played 65 AHL games before becoming a regular with the Canadiens after Cayden Primeau’s collapse. Carey Price only skated in 12 AHL games before becoming a regular in the NHL. Andrei Vasilevskiy only patrolled the Syracuse Crunch’s crease for 37 games. Jake Oettinger saw 54 AHL games, while Dustin Wolf saw 138 before becoming the man in Calgary.
Fowler has only played 30 games with the Rocket and another eight in the AHL playoffs. Granted, that’s not a lot, but it may just be enough. Granted, Fowler must see a lot of action, but his development may well be better served in the NHL, and, statistically speaking, his presence in Montreal would give the Habs better odds of winning.
However, should the Canadiens decide to go with a Dobes-Fowler tandem and try to send Montembeault down to the AHL, he would no doubt be picked up on waivers, and it’s hard to imagine the Habs’ brass being willing to lose that kind of asset for nothing. While a lot has been said about the Canadiens’ need to improve their top six, it may be an even bigger need to find Montembeault a new home.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 01: Relief pitcher Ryan Walker #74 of the San Francisco Giants walks off the field after a pitching change in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 01, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Giants defeated the Diamondbacks 6-4. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, I cobbled together five of what a San Francisco Giants fan might consider to be some of the team’s best moments from the first part of their 2026 season, so let’s look at five of the worst moments.
5. Swept by the Yankees (March 25th-28th)
It’s less the sweep and more the way that it happened. Outscored 13-1 in one of the rare times the team has opened a season at Oracle Park and simply outmatched in every facet of the game. It was the worst case scenario imagined by all the skeptics and considered by all the reasonable people out there after Buster Posey installed an inexperienced coaching staff to run a veteran roster with expectations.
The Giants had a nice spring and that plus their offseason had certainly built up this Opening Night on Netflix as something that would be worthwhile. Instead, the Giants revealed to their fans and the world that they’re a big steaming pile of losers who stink. Bad start to a season, worst start to a managerial career. Given the way the rest of this season has gone, the Giants might never live it down.
4. Doubleheader sweep via walk-off in Philadelphia (April 30th)
This is what a lot of the Giants media points to as the low point of the season. After clawing back to a not-terrible 13-15 record, the Giants proceeded to pee, poop, and vomit all over themselves before stumbling headfirst into an overflowing garbage can, then going vertical with their clown shoes swishing frantically as they struggled to free themselves, only to cause the garbage can to roll down a hill and onto a manure scow which would soon run aground on Diarrhea Island.
Walker’s nine-pitch battle against Bryson Stott, which ended in Stott hitting a game-tying triple, was especially jarring from a pitch-calling perspective. The cross-firing right-hander exclusively threw sinkers to Stott, and while the first eight were outside, his ninth and final one ended up right over the middle of the plate.
“I don’t really have an answer for you on that one,” Walker said when asked he only threw one slider. “It’s just something that we need to figure out. Obviously, that would’ve been beneficial. The two-seam’s been working a lot. I think we overused them definitely today. But yeah, it’s in the back of my mind. If we utilize the slider in that situation, it’s a different story.”
Did Walker consider shaking?
“I have a tough time shaking,” Walker said. “I’m not a big shaker. I put a lot of trust in my catchers. I still have a ton of trust in Bailey, whatever he calls, especially as a two-pitch guy. I have the confidence to get outs with both pitches in any situation. Obviously, nine two-seams to Stott is not ideal, and we’ll be making some changes in terms of situational pitching.”
Catcher Patrick Bailey didn’t offer much when asked about Walker’s sinker usage in Game 1 or Keaton Winn’s splitter usage in Game 2 (Winn threw 10 straight at one point).
“Good pitches,” Bailey said. “Trying to get them out. … I trust my guys and their pitches.”
Patrick Bailey would be traded 10 days later. It was at this point that everyone suspected that the stink lines coming off the team weren’t the result of some bad luck or small sample size or all the new people getting their sea legs. There was a rot on the surface. We now know that the Giants are rotten to the core, of course, but here’s the moment in the season when it kicked into gear — what a way to end the first month of the season!
3. Third base coach Hector Borg is reassigned (May 29th)
This is a bit of a heartbreaker in that, by all accounts, Hector Borg is well regarded within the San Francisco Giants organization and even by Tony Vitello. As Alex Pavlovic wrote back in February:
Vitello and members of the front office hopped on a Zoom call with Hector Borg in November as the longtime team employee was coaching in the Dominican Republic. Borg tried to convey what he has done in coaching and how passionate he is about helping young players. But mostly, he tried his best to be authentic with Vitello.
“I can remember getting off the Zoom and I don’t even know if it was five seconds and Tony was like, ‘Can we hire that guy?'” general manager Zack Minasian said recently, laughing.
If you spend about five seconds talking to or observing Borg, it’s not hard to see what intrigued Vitello. Borg, 40, is overflowing with energy and passion and is known within the organization as a tireless worker. He has been tied to Ron Washington all spring, and the two very much appear to be built the same way.
As for the job of third base coach itself? Well…
“I’m an aggressive third base coach,” he said. “I’ve always been that way.”
Prophetic.
Anyway, was Borg a scapegoat? Possibly. But he also seemed to be the outcome of a flawed process run by relative neophytes. The common person is convinced that Buster Posey’s time as a Hall of Fame-bound catcher means it’s no problem for him to transition into a management position, as though President of Baseball Operations is the same type of manager as the kind the common person loathes or simply distrusts.
But the Giants once again solved their problem by oversteering, replacing the 40-year old Borg with 68-year old Garry Pettis. Has the move worked out? Sure. The Giants were tied with the Angels for the worst Baserunning value (-4.2 runs) while Borg was with the team, according to FanGraphs. Since Pettis has been with the team, the Giants are just -1.5 runs in 32 games… 25th in MLB.
It’s just another example of the team feeling like amateur hour or watching Baby’s First Team.
2. Tony Vitello knifes Keaton Winn & Matt Gage, asks Logan Webb to pitch the 9th then rescinds the request, gets shouted at by Rafael Devers when he sends a pinch runner (four-way tie)
Speaking of amateur hour, here’s a list of on-field incidents that can be chalked up to a dude feeling his way through his first year as a manager at a whole new level of play and without any sort of meaningful guidance, as his overseers are just as inexperienced.
It’s probably not embarrassing that Tony Vitello threw the injury-riddled Keaton Winn three days in a row, but the outcome was predictable. It’s probably not embarrassing that Tony Vitello pushed Matt Gage to throw a career-high 51 pitches because it was an early blowout in Colorado and they needed the innings. But the outcome was predictable. It’s probably not embarrassing for the manager that one of the team’s star players refuses to be pinch ran for and makes an obvious stink about it, but the manager’s stature in the clubhouse can be reasonably called into question no matter the public sentiment towards the player.
Did Tony Vitello want to pinch run for Rafael Devers in that situation because he wanted a faster runner at third base or was Tony Vitello concerned that Devers’ previous comment about soreness would impact his ability to run the bases late in the game? Or is Rafael Devers just a jerk? For some reason, when the smoke cleared, it was Devers speaking to Bay Area media and, effectively, accepting responsibility, but let’s be clear: this isn’t the first time that there’s been murky intent when it comes to the manager’s decisions.
Webb would go eight innings and throw 99 pitches, striking out seven batters, allowing one run and five hits, as manager Tony Vitello got criticized for taking the pitcher out in the ninth inning. However, Webb revealed the conversation of Vitello asking him if he’s able to go back in the ninth, with the 29-year-old saying “it’s up to you,” leading to the change and the blown win in the ninth inning.
“Tony asked if you’re good, and I said ‘It’s up to you,'” Webb said, according to KNBR. “‘It’s your decision.’ He came back to me (bottom of the 8th), and he was like ‘we’re gonna make a change.'”
“I don’t regret that decision at all,” Webb continued.
That blown save just so happened to be the third consecutive game Keaton Winn pitched and would be his last one until July 10th. So… it’s all connected? But also, did Tony Vitello want to send Logan Webb back out there or did he defer to “It’s up to you” as a sign that he wasn’t good to go?
But then again, if it sounds like I’m pinning all of this on the rookie manager who usually sounds confused and often manages in a way that often reinforces how it sounds, I’ll admit that veterans taking advantage of a new guy with no experience or track record and few relationships is just as plausible. What could Tony Vitello do to them, ultimately? He hasn’t earned their respect or trust. As professionals, they should probably just be professionals on the field. But that doesn’t appear to be what’s happening here… for whatever reason, whether it’s Tony & his staff’s approach or the players’ POV.
And so this season-long discord has to be one of the team’s worst moments from part one.
Though, it’s worth adding: Rafael Devers is hitting .299/.392/.687 in 19 G (79 PA) since the pinch running incident; and, Logan Webb was the Pitcher of the Month in June. And, some of this was also a downstream consequence of Zack & Buster’s questionable bullpen planning during the offseason. That has certainly contributed to many memorably bad moments this season.
1. The Giants come out as bigots (June 12th)
The obvious pick and it’s one of these episodes where it spilled from the filled into off-field matters, where a lot of fans like to live to avoid reality. It’s almost certainly true that there are more bigoted baseball fans than there are non-bigots (or, at least, open-hearted and open-minded fans) and so the Giants have calculated that they can win in the long run despite this affront to the surrounding community. After all, they’re on pace to draw 3 million fans this season. The Giants got what they needed from the City of San Francisco and now that Mission Rock is up and running, they can commune with the people they prefer.
For those fans, the Giants would seem like a revelation. A new ally in the culture war. A firm that has finally seen the light! For the rest of us, it’s heartbreak. And for some of us, a sad final chapterof a relationship.
The notion that the Giants aren’t bigots is disproved by the definition of bigot: “a narrow-minded person who obstinately adheres to their own opinions and prejudices.” People invoke the Holy Bible to justify all sorts of beliefs and practices and at the end of the day, if the only idea that people want to pull from it is hatred, then it it’s definitionally bigotry. You don’t scribble on your hat or proclaim “Read the Bible!” without some emotion behind it. Spite? Hatred? It’s certainly not coming from a place of love. Wanting to be a bigot in everything but name only is on the level of losers. Own it!
The public protest on top of the awful pitching was the real clincher in all this. Some real Boaters for Trump vibes.
But the theme of this season has been the Giants either revealing or realizing that they are not who any of us thought they were or had hoped to be. The preseason projections saw them as an average team. The fans saw an average team with maybe some magic afoot if Bryce Eldridge panned out. Instead, the Giants are losers.
It’s loser level to hate LGBTQ+ people. It’s loser level to deface one’s work uniform as a protest of LGBTQ+ people. It’s loser level to sign with a team as a free agent so you can fire & brimstone their fans after a game. It’s loser level to hold a press conference like the one Buster Posey did, or do what Larry Baer did on KNBR the day after — but, admittedly, those were “off the field,” and shouldn’t be a part of this article. So, I’ll conclude instead with the ultimate loser level: being Ryan Walker. He has a 9.90 ERA in just 10 innings since the protest.
Now, does this mean you can draw a straight line from Pride Night to their 41-55 record? No. The anti-Pride Night protest and the ensuing farts from the front office are symptoms of a larger, perhaps diseased body operating as the San Francisco Giants. This is a team that has kept Larry Baer in a public-facing role despite a very public episode that caused him to lose a position within the organization. A team that dumped their public address announcer because of her political beliefs (hypocrites!</s>) after ownership’s political beliefs and political contributions came out and clearly conflicted with the region, the team’s purported values, and some general human decency, but hired Glen Kuiper… because everyone deserves a third or fourth chance to drop the n-word on a broadcast, I suppose?
To be absolutely fair, though, the team has been consistent in one way: they oppose dudes humping no matter the circumstances.
In the past, it’s been nonsensical to link personal character with win-loss results because there are hundreds — maybe even thousands — of examples of bad people being great athletes and champions; but, then you get a team like the 2026 Giants a team so bad that, beyond the obvious talent gap, makes you wonder just how much character counts… because it surely can’t be zero.
Anyway, don’t let me be the final word on this. What are some other worst moments from the first part of the 2026 season?
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Gonzaga coach Mark Few will join the staff of USA Basketball head coach Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), reports Shams Charania of ESPN. USA Basketball is expected to make that official in the coming days.
This is a potential stepping stone for Daigneault and Bickerstaff. Spoelstra was named the head coach for this cycle of USA Basketball — which includes the 2027 FIBA World Championships — after serving as an assistant on Steve Kerr's staff in the Paris Olympics, where the USA men won gold for the fifth consecutive Games.
This staff will face the stiffest challenge the USA has seen to its basketball supremacy — the rest of the world has been catching up fast for years. It took a golden final few minutes from Stephen Curry — with Kevin Durant and LeBron James flanking him — to win gold two years ago.
That win was against a French team led by Victor Wembanyama, who has grown into arguably — and in two years it will not be up for debate — the best player on the planet. The French, Serbia (led by Nikola Jokic), and a deep German team are medal threats as well. A deep Canada team cannot be discounted as well.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 09: AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards walks on the court during a break in the first half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game against the Utah Jazz at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 09, 2026 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. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dybantsa flashed his relentless rim pressure, elite athleticism and finishing ability through two contests. He scored 27 points — which tied Blake Griffin for the most by a No. 1 pick in their Las Vegas Summer League debut —in a 92-88 win over the Utah Jazz before tallying 23 points in Washington’s 104-85 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The Wizards’ No. 1 pick averaged 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists across those two contests. He used his 6-foot-9 frame to tally 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game as he flashed an impressive defensive motor.
One of the few blemishes on an otherwise impressive showing was Dybantsa’s shooting efficiency. The BYU product shot just 39.4% (13-33) from the field and 9.1% (1-11) from 3-point range.
In what served as his lone appearance, Johnson tallied 26 points on 11-20 FG. He scored from all three levels, knifing into the paint for contested layups, pulling up for mid-range jumpers and knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.
Riley shook off a shaky opener to dominate the Kings on Sunday. The second-year wing scored a game-high 32 points while making six of his eight 3-point attempts. He shot 70% from 3-point range on 10 attempts across two Summer League contests.
The Wizards return at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday against Caleb Wilson and the Chicago Bulls before facing Keaton Wagler’s Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 12: Curtis Mead #45 of the Washington Nationals celebrates while rounding the bases after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Nationals Park on July 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In a season full of great stories on the offensive side of the ball, the emergence of Curtis Mead has been one of the best ones. The Nats traded a 6th round senior sign for Mead, who had just been DFA’d by the White Sox. It has proven to be a great deal, as Mead has 17 homers and has been arguably the most clutch hitter on the team.
Curtis Mead just smashed his 11th HR. Gave the Nats a 7th-inning lead. Been a revelation.
Former top prospect in TB; played for Blake Butera in Rays system. Knew Butera and Michael Johns well. Toboni traded for him a day into season. He's been huge. pic.twitter.com/1aPGqwJYS3
The Curtis Mead story is a good example of how a second chance and a change of scenery can benefit a player’s career. A few years ago Mead was a top 50 prospect and one of the best hitters in the minor leagues. At the time, people thought the Rays had won the one for one swap that sent Mead to Tampa and Cristopher Sanchez to Philly.
Obviously that did not turn out to be the case, with Sanchez starting the All-Star game and his home park while Mead is having success, just not in Tampa. Mead just hit and hit in the minor leagues, but the transition to the majors was tough. The Rays had a tough time finding a consistent role for him with Junior Caminero on the rise, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda at DH and first base, as well as Brandon Lowe playing second at the time.
Mead got looks here and there, but with no true home, the Aussie struggled. Eventually the Rays decided to trade him to the White Sox. Mead got a solid run of playing time there but did not make the most of his chance. With Miguel Vargas at third base and the addition of Munetaka Murakami at first, the writing was on the wall again for Mead.
When Mead reunited with his old minor league manager Blake Butera, he had to know this could be his last shot. To begin the season, Mead was on the short side of a first base platoon with Luis Garcia Jr., but played so well that the Nats had to find more playing time for him. He would get some reps at third base, DH or second base as well.
However, he found a permanent home at third after Brady House got sent down. Since then, Mead plays almost every day, though he will occasionally get an off day against a tough right handed pitcher. For the year, the 25 year old has 17 homers and an .843 OPS. He is on pace to hit over 30 home runs, which is not bad for a guy with 5 career bombs entering the season.
Curtis Mead's breakout season has been awaesome to watch
Mead is a very well rounded bat who does a great job combining contact ability, power and swing decisions. His chase rate, barrel rate and whiff rate are all in the 75th percentile or better. He does not hit the ball incredibly hard, but he hits the ball at good angles and pulls the ball in the air a lot. That allows him to have 30 home run power despite average raw power.
Based on his pedigree and minor league track record, it was clear that there was a good hitter in Curtis Mead that just needed to be unlocked. Guys do not hit .298 with an .878 OPS in the minors while almost always being younger than the competition by accident. That is what Mead did, and now after finally getting some stability, he is producing at the big league level.
Sure, Mead has some warts in his profile, most notably his lack of a true defensive home. Mead is sure handed at third base, but his arm is light for the position. He has played some first, but does not look super comfortable over there. I am interested to see what he would look like at second base, but I wonder about the range. It could be fun to experiment with him in the corner outfield spots and make him into a true super utility guy.
Mead came into the season as a post-hype flier who could hopefully be a solid platoon bat. However, he has become so much more than that. Mead is one of the big four pieces of the best offense in baseball. He is one of four players with at least 15 homers on the Nats. Mead, Abrams, Garcia and Wood have provided such immense value at the plate this season.
Curtis Mead hit his 15th home run of the season in the fifth inning, giving the Nationals four players with 15 or more home runs, tied for the most in Major League Baseball with the Dodgers.
Dodgers: Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) July 7, 2026
For Curtis Mead, this is no fluke either. His wOBA and xwOBA are identical at .365, meaning there is no luck right now. This is just who he is as a hitter. His BABIP of .251 is also unusually low. With his fly ball heavy profile, a low BABIP is not unexpected, but I would expect that to go up at least a little bit, which would raise his .247 average.
That .247 average is mediocre, but he makes up for that with his ability to draw walks. One of Mead’s defining attributes is that he consistently grinds out at bats. He does not whiff or chase very much. That makes it no surprise that Mead is walking over 11% of the time this year while striking out at a sub-20% clip.
Based on how teams drafted the other day, it is clear that Mead’s offensive profile is very desirable. Teams love high contact hitters with power and plate discipline. Curtis Mead has become the very good, well rounded hitter the Rays expected him to be all those years ago. All it took was a fresh start and some time in Matt Borgschulte’s hitting lab.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 22: Austin Reaves #15 and Head Coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round One Game Two of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2025 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 2025 NBAE(Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers are a franchise that always empowers its stars.
During a recent interview on the “Dan Patrick Show,” Reaves explained that he was in constant communication with Luka, Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick during this offseason.
“I had a lot of talks with Rob. I’m really close with Luka and JJ as well. We’re just building something that can be sustainable for not just now but the future. I seen something the other day that I’m the oldest guy on the team and I’m 28. That’s actually crazy to me. We want to have success now and five, six, seven years in the future.”
The Lakers have committed a ton of money to Luka and Reaves. This is the new star duo in LA, so they will be in the know and have a lot of say. That’s not a bad thing. The Lakers are heavily invested in them, and it’s best to make sure most of the big decisions and the main plan are ones they are on board with and like.
Pelinka is still running things, so decisions fall on him, but it’s good to keep Luka and Reaves in the know.
This summer has been transformational for the Lakers. As Reaves said, they’ve gotten much younger. And now they are built around Luka and Reaves.
At least for now, it seems everyone is on board with the plan. Now we just need to wait for the fall to see how it looks in action.
We’re still in the heart of the offseason, though, so it’ll be a while before we see the new-look Lakers in action. For now, it’s summer, and with Reaves getting a huge payday, he should celebrate his success and the raise.
So far, as he discussed on “The Dan Patrick Show”, he hasn’t really done that.
“I haven’t bought myself anything. Actually, my financial advisor told me the other day that I needed to spend more money. So, I struggle with that. I mean, I’m more, I like getting gifts for other people so I’ve done a little bit of that.”
It sounds like being Reaves’ friend is a good thing to be right now. Hopefully, Reaves can treat himself and enjoy his new deal. Perhaps he can buy himself a great set of golf clubs or take a vacation to a place he’s always wanted to go. He’s certainly earned it, and once the NBA season starts, it’s back to work, and the time for extended fun will be over.
And when the Lakers play again, Reaves will be the No.2 in every way possible. His usage reflects that, as does his pay and insights into the franchise’s decisions.
PHILADELPHIA — Getting an All-Star Game selection is often considered a big-time moment for Major League Baseball players, as it is something often factored into their Hall of Fame conversation.
To get a start in the All-Star Game, especially on the mound, that's an even bigger deal.
Both Sánchez and Cease are the first two pitchers for their respective clubs to start the Midsummer Classic since Roy Halladay started the game for both the Phillies and Blue Jays in 2011 and 2009, respectively.
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game is set for 8 p.m. ET in Philadelphia. The National League is looking for back-to-back wins against the American League after Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber helped the NL win in Atlanta last season in the tiebreaker swing-off.
Here's what to know on the starting pitchers for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game:
Who are the starting pitchers for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game?
It'll be Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies and Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays who will start Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game.
Both were officially announced as the starting pitchers for their respective leagues on Monday by managers Dave Roberts and John Schneider in a press conference format, though it was announced on Sunday that they would be starting.
Who is Cristopher Sanchez?
Sánchez has been one of the top pitchers in baseball over the course of the last three seasons, which includes finishing as the runner-up to Paul Skenes in the National League Cy Young Award race.
"Pretty special, really exciting, even more so than being here at home," Sánchez said on Monday at All-Star Media Day on what it means to get the start. "I'm just super excited so I can come here tomorrow and just take it all in and enjoy it overall. … It's a result of a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work that we put throughout the season."
He has a three-pitch arsenal, with his sinker and his changeup being his two primary pitches. He is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA and 144 strikeouts – third-most in the majors – in 127 ⅓ innings pitched this season.
"He’s not trying to get too complicated," former Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels said of Sánchez’s minimum-arsenal approach in an interview with USA TODAY Sports last week. "Because of that, it allows him to stay more fluid and be able to repeat his delivery because he’s not having to add different arm angles or different sorts of breaking pitches. He really does keep it simple."
Cease is off to a great start in his first season in Toronto, as he is second in the majors with 148 strikeouts, only behind Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misorowski.
"It's a massive honor. I'm really excited and I'm very grateful for it," Cease said on Monday at All-Star Media Day on what it means to get the start.
Cease, the former Chicago Cubs sixth-round pick in 2014, is making his first All-Star Game appearance after missing out on making the American League squad in 2022 with the Chicago White Sox. Hitters are hitting .190 against Cease this season, who is coming off a near no-hitter in his last start before the All-Star break against the San Francisco Giants.
"You’re talking about leading the league in strikeouts, up there in innings pitched, quality starts, WAR," Schneider said on Monday about his decision to go with Cease. "There was a lot of categories that he was either at the top or second in. I think that's what tipped it. It was performance. Part of it was me seeing it up close every day, but we get to see a lot of guys up close, and I think Dylan's performance made him very deserving of this honor."
What time is MLB All-Star Game tonight?
The 96th edition of the Midsummer Classic is set for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Fox will handle the broadcasting rights.
