LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 18: Graham Ike #45 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League Semifinals on July 18, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Former Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike adds an NBA Summer League title to his resume and made a case for a two-way contract throughout his work this summer. In the Golden State Warriors’ 94-90 double-digit comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Las Vegas, Nevada, he scored six points on 1-for-6 field goals, nine rebounds, three assists/one turnover, and one block in his ninth straight start.
In the 92-88 semifinals victory over Los Angeles Lakers forward Anton Watson, Ike put together his best outing with the Warriors. He would end up with 16 rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting and 11 assists with a +10 plus-minus.
Throughout both the California Classic at the Chase Center and in Sin City, Ike averaged 9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. The Warriors currently have one two-way spot left to be filled and have the need for his strong post presence as well as leadership value.
Training camp in San Francisco, California, will begin in late September or early October.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
The Golden State Warriors earned the 2026 NBA Summer League championship on Sunday, July 19.
Yaxel Lendeborg led the Warriors in the 94-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored 21 and had 10 rebounds for the Warriors in 32 minutes of play.
Lendeborg, the Warriors’ 11th overall pick in the 2026 draft, hit a jumper that helped provide a 91-87 lead for the Warriors with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter and put the game out of reach for the Grizzlies.
Lendeborg was named the Summer League championship game MVP.
Deivon Smith also added 21 points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes of play for Golden State. He shot 9-for-14 from the field.
Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick in 2026, served as one of the leading scorers for the Grizzlies. He nearly produced a double-double with 19 points and eight rebounds.
Cedric Coward scored 19 points and collected six rebounds in 27 minutes of play.
Warriors vs. Grizzlies NBA Summer League highlights
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned through the first three weeks of the NHL's free agency period.
The Red Wings extended a qualifying offer to Edvinsson, ensuring they maintain control of his restricted free agent rights. However, he remains eligible to sign an offer sheet with another NHL team.
Despite him having yet to affix his signature to a contract, it doesn't appear as though the Red Wings are in danger of the Swedish blue liner being lured away via an offer sheet.
Per the latest from longtime Red Wings beat writer Ansar Khan, the club is ready to match any offer sheet that he could potentially receive.
Ansar Khan: Re Red Wings: The Simon Edvinsson thing, I don't think that was ever really a concern among the organization, they were prepared to match whatever he received if he were to get an offer sheet - Jason Gregor Show (7/15)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 18, 2026
Since being chosen sixth overall by the Red Wings in the 2021 NHL Draft, Edvinsson has emerged as a foundational piece of Detroit's defense corps. The 22-year-old has solidified himself as one of the club's premier blueliners and is widely viewed as second only to Moritz Seider in the team's long-term plans on the blue line.
Edvinsson took another step forward in 2025-26, dressing for 72 contests while setting personal bests offensively. He found the back of the net nine times and added 16 assists to finish the year with 25 points.
His season was briefly interrupted when a nagging injury flared up again toward the end of January, ultimately requiring surgery. Despite the setback, he recovered quickly enough to return to Detroit's lineup before February came to a close.
Through 175 NHL appearances, Edvinsson has accumulated 60 points on 19 goals and 41 assists. He's also logged more than 21 minutes of ice time per game over his career while posting a plus-17 rating.
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Former Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell has announced his retirement from professional hockey at 34, confirming the news via an update to his Instagram bio.
In a video where he discussed his career and personal struggles behind the scenes, he now describes himself simply as a "former NHL goaltender" and an "identity and performance coach." His goal is to help others get through what he needed help getting through.
Former Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell has announced his retirement from professional hockey at 34 via Instagram.
Campbell now lists himself as a “former NHL goaltender” and an “identity and performance coach” in his Instagram bio.
Campbell's career was full of fascinating twists and turns. Selected by the Dallas Stars as the highest-drafted goaltender in franchise history (#11 in 2010), he played only one game for the Stars before joining the Los Angeles Kings. He played 56 games as a King before going to Toronto. His numbers for both the Kings and the Maple Leafs were solid. It led to him signing a lucrative deal with the Edmonton Oilers.
On the heels of a season where he played 49 games, posted a 2.64 goals against average and a .914 save percentage, Edmonton gave him a five-year, $25 million deal as a free agent in 2022 — but the fit never worked. He lost the starting job almost immediately, was eventually sent to the AHL, and was bought out by the Oilers after just two seasons.
In October 2024, while with the Detroit Red Wings, Campbell entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program for an indefinite period, a program that supports players dealing with anything from substance issues to mental health struggles. He never played in the NHL again.
What stands out now, in retirement, is how openly Campbell has spoken about his struggles. He wants to apply what he's learned when he said it took him getting a life coach to find his way, and help others. His path from a "can't-miss prospect" to burned-out backup did a number on him personally. It took him time to get back on track, never being able to get there in terms of becoming an NHL goalie again.
It's good to see that he's found a new path and seems to be doing well.
It's not unexpected that Lu Dort got traded this offseason.
Oklahoma City felt the pressure of the second apron closing in as the max extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams kicked in for next season, and some depth was going to be sacrificed. Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins were already gone, but Dort is making $18.2 million next season and is up for an extension the Thunder couldn't swing, so the sides were always likely to part.
Atlanta stepped up, Dallas jumped in, and we have a three-team trade. Who are the winners and losers? Let's break it all down, starting with a reminder of the trade itself:
Oklahoma City receives: Three future second-round picks Atlanta receives: Luguentz Dort, Ryan Nembhard Dallas receives: Zaccharie Risacher
Winner: Atlanta Hawks
This just adds to what has been a strong offseason for the Hawks — they got the best player in this trade.
Atlanta is building a defensive juggernaut and adding Lu Dort — an All-Defensive Team player a season ago — behind Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is just fearsome. Coach Quin Snyder has some decisions to make because playing Daniels and Dort together could be an offensive issue, but this is still a good problem to have. Overall, adding Dort and Wiggins on the wing is an upgrade in Atlanta at the position, regardless of what happens with Jonathan Kuminga. Also, if the Hawks want to clear cap space next summer, they don't have to re-sign Dort (or Nembhard).
Also, adding Nembhard as a solid backup behind rookie Kingston Flemmings as the starter is a good bit of work.
One other note: It's good work by Atlanta getting off Risacher rather than feeling they had to stick it out because he was the No. 1 pick. Granted, it was the previous front office that made the pick, still, it's not something every team would do. It's not that Risacher can't take a step forward, he is just 21, but because Atlanta passed on Alex Sarr (No. 2) and Stephon Castle (No. 4) to take him, too many front offices wouldn't want to make a change to prove they were right. Best to just cut your losses and move on, and the Hawks did.
Winner: Lu Dort
Dort isn't a winner because he went from Oklahoma City to Atlanta, or because he's in line for a bigger role, it's because he can get paid in the ATL.
Dort is eligible for an extension, and with the cap crunch hitting the Thunder that was not happening in Oklahoma City. In Atlanta, they have the cap space to pay the man, and that was likely part of why they traded for him. Dort is not due a big raise, he likely makes something in the ballpark of what he does now (maybe a little less the first year), but he can get a bag in the ATL and will take it.
Loser: Thunder fans
The winner for the Thunder out of this was Clay Bennett's pocketbook, this move gets OKC well under the second apron. Also, this was another win for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the impact of the second apron of the luxury tax — at the expense of fans. When Silver defends the second apron, he talks about parity — he loves to talk about the eight different champions in eight different years — and he sounds like a fantasy owner happy to see players as two-dimensional pawns moved around the board to flatten the talent base. That ignores the connection fans form with players.
Lu Dort was one of the fan favorites in Oklahoma City — the player who hustles every second and does all the little things is someone fans always connect with.
Now, that connection is gone. It's not going to hurt the Thunder on the court much — another elite defender in Cason Wallace slides in to be a full-time starter, and Alex Caruso still comes off the bench — but it's another little loss for the Thunder's depth, along with Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins moving on. All that so the Thunder could get below the second apron.
The more blatant case of this same phenomenon was Boston's front office feeling it had to trade Jaylen Brown for financial reasons — an elite player for the Celtics who was always very active in the community, gave back and was beloved for that as much as for his play. But Brown and now Dort on the move is what Silver and the owners want, and the price they may pay in fan loyalty doesn't seem to bother them in the least.
Winner: Zaccharie Risacher
Sometimes, a player just needs a fresh start.
That's what Risacher gets by going to a new city with a new coaching staff led by Dusty May. Risacher is just 21 years old and is an athletic 6'8" wing who has his moments, averaging 9.6 points per game last season, shooting 36.8% from 3 (and a true shooting percentage right at the league average). Put him next to Cooper Flagg and see what happens.
The fact that the Hawks were willing to walk away is concerning, and Dallas gave up a good player in Nembhard and a second-round pick to get him, which is more than some might have paid, but Risacher gets the chance to prove them all wrong with a clean slate. We'll see what he does with it.
In due time, the Philadelphia Flyers will be back big-game hunting, as they have to wait only a few years to begin putting pressure on the Chicago Blackhawks to pry Connor Bedard away from the flailing franchise.
On Saturday, Bedard, 21, signed a five-year, $75 million extension ($15 million AAV) with the Blackhawks, but there are a few factors that could make push come to shove and force a departure.
For starters, Bedard does not have trade protection at any point in his new deal until Year 5: 2030-31, when he has a full no-move clause. That means that if Bedard is not traded before July 1, 2030, he will spent that full season with Chicago and walk into unrestricted free agency at age 25 if he is not extended before then.
Bedard's new deal buys him only one year of UFA status, too, which is what makes his situation similar to the Leo Carlsson offer sheet. Those contracts are virtually identical, with the exception that Carlsson makes most of his money up front and is $3 million more expensive per year; those were products of the Flyers doing what they needed to do to try and strongarm Anaheim out of their franchise player.
This is all to say that, if it becomes apparent to Bedard and his camp that the Blackhawks are not turning the corner and prepared to win, he can be traded to any other NHL team four or fewer years into the deal.
If that doesn't happen, Bedard can simply wait out Year 5, go to free agency, and pick his team.
While his camp insists he wanted to stay with the Blackhawks and never considered signing an offer sheet himself, it is obvious that the 2023 No. 1 overall pick has numerous ways out of Chicago if and when the opportunity presents itself.
As for the Flyers, well, they proved with the offer sheet to Carlsson that they are prepared to spend big money against the cap and give up whatever draft capital necessary to land themselves a young, elite player in the middle of the ice.
Bedard unquestionably fits that bill and is an even more dynamic talent than Carlsson, even if injuries and size have been question marks in his nascent NHL career thus far.
On top of the Flyers being among the most willing to and brazen about flopping their wallets on the table, we must also consider the Matvei Michkov friendship factor.
Bedard and Michkov are two fierce competitors whose bond began to form on the ice at the international level during the 2021 U18 World Championships
Bedard and Michkov outside the locker rooms after their first NHL matchup in Nov. 2024. (Photo: Philadelphia Flyers)
Michkov took the first NHL matchup between he and Bedard back on Nov. 23, 2024, playing hero with his "cold-blooded" overtime winner.
"It was really good to see him on the ice. It was a long time we don’t play against each other. I hope it’s only the beginning," Michkov had said. "I think he will try to get it back. I have to be ready for it."
Bedard did get Michkov back with a 7-4 win on March 23, 2025, but the Flyers won their two matchups with Chicago last season, putting Bedard down 3-1 in the all-time "series" against his Russian counterpart.
It's tough to be on that side of the rivalry for so long, isn't it?
It may not be tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or the year after that, but soon, the Blackhawks must make something of themselves with Bedard on the team, or else they'll have to trade him or eventually lose him in free agency for nothing. You can count on the Flyers being prepared for that.
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 31: Daniel Gafford #21 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots a free throw during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 31, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
According to Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks are fielding offers for Daniel Gafford.
Stein goes on to say:
Is Daniel Gafford going to be on this team by season’s end? It’s not an answerable question at this point. We know he’s available.
This is the perfect type of move for the Utah Jazz. Gafford isn’t a star center but is a league-average player across the board and is a net positive on the defensive end. Dunks and Threes has his block percentage (4.9) in the 92nd percentile. He’s also in the 91st percentile in offensive rebounding. That type of rim pressure on both ends of the floor is a great way to replace what was lost in the Walker Kessler trade.
We also know that Gafford played a big role in the Mavericks’ run to the Finals just a few years ago, both as a reserve and sometimes as a starter. That type of competence and experience would be a nice addition to a young Jazz team that hasn’t had a lot of experience in the playoffs.
A trade like this, with the Jazz acquiring Gafford and giving up two of their young prospects, might interest Dallas, looking for more young talent to surround Cooper Flagg.
For Utah, they gain a strong backup center who gives them solid center depth behind Jusuf Nurkic and can give them time to find another long-term option at center later, possibly in future drafts.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 11, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In a surprising move, the Dallas Mavericks have shipped guard Ryan Nembhard to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade. The Oklahoma City Thunder traded wing Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for three second-round picks to Oklahoma City, and Atlanta sent forward Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
Nembhard joins fellow Zag wing Corey Kispert in Atlanta, as well as his two Canadian teammates in Dort and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
In his rookie season, Nembhard averaged 6.6 points on a shooting split of 41.5 field goal percentage/35.6 three-point percentage/80.6 free throw percentage, 5.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes across 60 appearances. He set an NBA rookie record with 23 assists in Dallas’ 2025-26 season finale against the Chicago Bulls.
The undrafted lead guard averaged 8.0 points, 8.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks over two games with the Mavericks in the NBA Summer League, before dealing with an illness that kept him out for the final three games.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
Jul 19, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) watches his go ahead solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Sometimes it’s the small victories. After a managing blunder from Aaron Boone in the series opener and a thorough humbling at the hands of Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the second game relegated the Yankees to losses in the first two games of the series, it became imperative that the Yankees find a way to avoid the sweep in both the doubleheader and the series.
Despite Gerrit Cole and Cam Schlittler going in the first two games of the series, the Yankees improbably received their best pitching performance of the series from a hastily assembled bullpen game in the finale. It was far from a vintage performance by the offense against the Dodgers’ cobbled together bullpen game, the Bombers wasting a pair of scoring opportunities in the middle innings to leave the door open for a Dodgers comeback that thankfully stalled before they could take the lead. Jazz Chisholm Jr. provided the decisive blow with the go-ahead solo home run in the eighth, and every reliever not named Fernando Cruz was lights-out to secure the victory, 2-1.
Last time Ryan Yarbrough faced the Dodgers, he authored one of the most improbable starts of any pitcher in baseball last year. He held their mighty lineup to a run in six innings last June at Chavez Ravine, out-dueling Yamamoto in the process — part of a crucial eight-start stretch where he allowed two or fewer runs in seven of those outings to help save the Yankees’ season as the rotation was inundated with injuries in May and June.
He managed to tap into some of that same magic tonight. He retired the first eight batters he faced, needing just 17 pitches to go six up, six down in the first two innings. He couldn’t quite make it through three, Eliezer Alfonzo tallying a single for his first big league hit with two outs and then Shohei Ohtani following with a squibber infield single to the left side. That prompted Boone to call on Paul Blackburn as the first man out of the bullpen. It was expected that Elmer Rodríguez would follow Yarbrough as the bulk reliever — the rookie called up as the Yankees’ designated 27th man earlier in the day — but it’s understandable that Boone go to the recently-minted relief ace Blackburn given the high leverage of the situation. Indeed, Blackburn got Andy Pages to fly out to left to strand the pair he inherited.
The offense had to wait until the fourth to register their first hit (and run) against Yamamoto, so it was nice to see them come out of the blocks firing against opener Will Klein. Paul Goldschmidt kept the first inning alive with a two-out double to the opposite field and Cody Bellinger cashed him in with an RBI single lined up the middle. Jasson Domínguez followed with a single of his own, but Jazz stranded the pair in place by striking out to end the frame.
Kyle Hurt was called up as the Dodgers’ designated 27th man for the doubleheader and entered as the bulk reliever in place of Klein to start the second. Things quieted down for a spell with the two bulk guys in the game, until the Yankees gave themselves a golden opportunity to grow their lead in the fourth. Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells drew a pair of one-out walks and both advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. However, as we have seen countless times in the Boone era, the Yankees made an out at home on an ill-conceived contact play, José Caballero hitting a routine grounder to third and Max Muncy’s throw home beating Volpe by a step-and-a-half. Trent Grisham grounded out to first to strand runners on the corners as the Yankees failed to score.
If you think that was bad, just wait until you see what they did the next inning. They loaded the bases with no outs on three straight singles by Ben Rice, Goldschmidt, and Bellinger to bring Jasson Domínguez to the plate. However, he flailed at four pitches out of the zone to strike out, Jazz popped up a first pitch changeup that was left middle-middle and Muncy caught it in foul territory, and then Volpe chased a 3-2 fastball off the plate for the inning ending strikeout to strand the bases loaded. Probably the worst three batter sequence you are likely to see to Houdini themselves out of scoring a run.
Thankfully for the Yankees, the first two members out of their bullpen appeared to pitch with a steely determination to avoid the sweep. Blackburn gave them 2.1 scoreless innings allowing a hit and a walk. Brent Headrick was even more impressive, twirling two perfect innings in the sixth and seventh and racking up three strikeouts. However, all those wasted opportunities were fated to come home to roost, and indeed they did upon Cruz’s entrance in the eighth. Normally excellent for large stretches this summer, Cruz grooved a 1-0 splitter to pinch-hitter Tommy Edman, and he crushed it to right for the game-tying solo home run. Cruz walked a pair to force Boone out of the dugout to call on his closer, and David Bednar slammed the door on the burgeoning rally to strand the pair.
You wondered whether yet another gut-punch in this series would spiral into a third straight loss. However, Jazz had other ideas in the eighth. He atoned for his pop out with the bases loaded in the fifth with a booming go-ahead solo shot off reliever Evan Phillips. Ryan McMahon followed with a pinch-hit double and Wells drew a walk, the pair advancing into scoring position but ultimately getting stranded by a Grisham pop out.
Bednar navigated around a leadoff Freddie Freeman walk in the ninth, striking out a pair in the frame to nail down the five-out save. The offense remained anemic, scoring two or fewer runs in all three games, and overcame their 11 stranded runners and 2-for-10 showing with runners in scoring position. However, every win is a win, and it’s hard not to feel like this one counts as double given that Yankees were previously 1-9 in their last 10 home games. Thanks to the Rays’ sweep, the Yanks are only a game and a half back of the AL East lead.
The Yankees next welcome the Pirates to the Bronx for three games, thankfully with Paul Skenes having just pitched yesterday. Ryan Weathers gets the series opener against Braxton Ashcraft, who was an All-Star in his own right. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm ET Monday night with the broadcast returning to YES.
Jul 19, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrates his solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
18 innings in one day can sometimes be too much for one team to handle, and that was the case for the Dodgers as they dropped the second half of a doubleheader to the Yankees 2-1.
After both aces battled earlier on Sunday, both teams were relegated to using their bullpens. The Dodgers struck first in the first half of the doubleheader, but old friend Cody Bellinger continued his exciting week with an RBI single against Will Klein to put the Yankees on top 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning.
Both teams were gridlocked throughout the majority of Sunday night, as the Dodgers collected just three hits against the Yankees bullpen through the seventh inning. That all changed when Tommy Edman connected on a Fernando Cruz sinker in the top of the eighth inning and drilled it out to tie the game. It was Edman’s first home run of the season as a left-handed hitter and it was his first home run this year in a regular MLB ballpark.
As soon as the Dodgers found their clutch gene, the Yankees returned the favor against Evan Phillips in the bottom of the eighth inning as Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched an opposite field, go-ahead home run to once again give New York a one-run lead.
David Bednar came in to fan the flames that Cruz created in the eighth inning, and he locked down the door with a scoreless ninth inning to help the Yankees avoid a Dodgers sweep.
Game notes
Eliézer Alfonzo lined a single up the middle in the top of the third inning, giving him his first career hit at the big league level. Alfonzo finished the game 1-2 before being pinch hit for Dalton Rushing, and he is now hitting .091 over his first 11 big league plate appearances.
Old friend Ryan Yarbrough was the opener for the Yankees on Sunday night, going 2 2/3 innings while allowing just two hits and picking up a strikeout.
Brock Stewart and Kyle Hurt provided the most length out of the Dodger bullpen, with both right-handers combining for four no-hit innings while striking out three and walking two.
Several hitters on the Dodgers are enduring sluggish starts to the second half of the season, as Mookie Betts went hitless over the three games while Freddie Freeman went 1-9 over the weekend with six strikeouts, including a three-strikeout performance on Friday.
Game particulars
Home runs— Tommy Edman (2); Jazz Chisholm Jr. (14)
The Dodgers continue their east coast excursion in Philadelphia on Monday as they begin a three-game series with the Phillies (4:10 p.m. PT, ESPN). Emmet Sheehan faces All-Star Cristopher Sánchez.
The Yankees (55-44) beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (63-37) to avoid the three-game sweep at home, 2-1 the final score.
The Yankees now trail the Tampa Bay Rays (56-42) for the AL East lead by just 1.5 games.
Here are the takeaways....
-- The Bronx Bombers took the lead thanks to a two-out rally in the first inning. Paul Goldschmidt doubled, and Cody Bellinger singled him home.
-- Due to the doubleheader, both teams had unusual starting pitchers take the mound tonight. For the Dodgers, reliever Will Klein served as the opener, but was taken out in the second inning. With a fresh bullpen thanks to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's heroic complete game earlier in the day, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts used seven different pitchers in this game. Meanwhile, Yankees manager Aaron Boone handed the ball to lefty Ryan Yarbrough, who pitched a scoreless 2.2 innings. Paul Blackburn picked up where Yarbrough left off, keeping Los Angeles from scoring for another 2.1 innings. Brent Headrick continued to shine in relief for New York, refusing to allow the Dodgers to reach base across two innings, striking out three of the six batters he faced.
-- The Yankees held onto a 1-0 lead for the majority of the game. They could have (and probably should have) had a much safer lead, as they stranded nine baserunners through seven innings, including squandering the bases loaded with nobody out in the fifth. The Dodgers finally broke through in the eighth, tying the game 1-1 when switch-hitter Tommy Edman took a Fernando Cruz splitter out of the park for a solo homer. With two runners on base, David Bednar came in to record the final two outs of the inning.
-- With one out and nobody on base in the bottom half of the eighth inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. faced Dodgers righty reliever Evan Phillips and blasted his fastball to the opposite field for a home run, restoring the Yanks' lead to 2-1. Ryan McMahon entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Anthony Volpe, sending a frozen rope to center field which bounced on the warning track and leaped the wall for a ground-rule double. With runners on second and third and two outs, Phillips got Trent Grisham to produce a meek infield fly to limit the damage.
-- Facing the heart of the Dodgers' batting order, Bednar stayed in the game with the save on the line in the ninth inning. Leading off, Freddie Freeman worked a ten pitch at-bat and drew a walk before being subbed out of the game for pinch runner Alex Freeland. Bednar battled back, striking out Mookie Betts swinging with a nasty splitter and forcing Kyle Tucker into a groundout via fielder's choice. Edman flied out to shallow left field for the third out, sealing a nervy 2-1 win for the Yankees as Bednar earned his 19th save of the season.
Game MVP: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Jazz came up clutch with his 14th homer of the year to give New York a late lead they wouldn't relinquish.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 19: Bryce Harris #41 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on July 19, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets’ final Summer League game — two leagues in two states, eight total games over 16 days — wasn’t much of a contest as Brooklyn kept all of its eight contract players on the bench in street clothes vs. the winless Oklahoma City Thunder. The remaining eight players, several destined for the Long Island Nets, were enough to defeat OKC, 108-90 Sunday afternoon.
The win, which was up against the FIFA World Cup on local TV in New York, mean the Nets would finish the Las Vegas Summer League with a 3-2 record and their two leagues with five wins and three losses. The Nets played three games in the California Classic in Sacramento, winning two of them.
While Brooklyn did not get any bling in either league, the Nets experience had to have been an overall positive for the organization. Both last year’s lottery pick, Egor Demin, the No. 8 pick, and this year’s Mikel Brown Jr., the No. 6, played well and gave fans a first, if limited, limited look at the two. Their play, both individually, and strong personalities won them the nickname, “Aura Bros.”
— Center Street Media (@CenterStMedia) July 19, 2026
In addition to the lottery picks, three other first rounders from last year — Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf — sat, as did the two two-ways already signed, Chaney Johnson and Tyler Bilodeau, plus the Nets other first rounder from June, Joshua Jefferson. Grant Nelson, who played for Long Island and Brooklyn last season, was a DNP as well. Although on the Summer League roster, the 7-footer was never scheduled to play in either league, recovering from a procedure to treat his jumper’s knee issue. He was seated with the team in both.
All that gave a number of young players, some with promises of Exhibit 10s and/or a job in Long Island, a chance and the Thunder were no match, with the Nets getting out in front, 37-22, at the end of the first quarter. OKC was the only winless team in Las Vegas at 0-5. Very few of their youngsters made the trip.
For Brooklyn, the big story was that Dion Brown, a 6’4” combo guard out of St. Louis, finished with a triple-double: 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to go along with two steals and shooting splits of 42/67/100.
Brown, reportedly is in line for an Exhibit 1o signing. That could include an invite to Brooklyn’s training camp and preseason come October. But it basically ensures that Brown will wind up on the Long Island roster, assuming he doesn’t get other, more lucrative offers. Brown spoke post-game, saying the accomplishment is helping the transition from college shooting guard to NBA (and/or G League) point…
Brown was one of seven young Nets who wound up in double figures by game’s end. John Ukumadu , a 6’7” wing, finished with 23 points, having scored 12 early in the Nets first quarter blowout.
Also putting up numbers were former St. John’s wing Aaron Scott with 15, starting center Dain Dainja with 14 points, nine boards, three steals and three blocks. Duke Brennan, out of Villanova had 12 points as did combo guard Hunter Sallis. Dwight Murray completed the list with 10. According to reports, at least two of the group will get to sign Exhibit 10 deals: Brennan and Sallis. Don’t be surprised if Dainja with his 260-pound frame and 7’7” wingspan, winds up at Nassau Coliseum as well. Only PF Ben Humrichous didn’t reach double digits. He had six.
Teams can sign up to six Exhibit 10 deals but can only designate four players for assignment to Long Island. In the past, the Nets have signed players to Exhibit 10s, then waived them near immediately,
The high scorer for Brooklyn in the two leagues was Demin, who averaged 23.0 points in two California Classic games and 21.0 in Vegas. He finished second in the Classic and 12th in Vegas. The big difference between last year’s summer performance and this was that the 6’9.5” guard-forward was healthy and that he used his newfound muscle to drive the paint … and finish.
The next time players wearing the Nets’ black-and-white colors will take the court will be in early October for the NBA preseason. So far, only one date has been publicized: October 14 vs. the Heat in Miami.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 21, 2026: Will Sanders #43 of the Chicago Cubs throws a pitch during the first inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the San Diego Padres at Sloan Park on March 21, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
According to Baseball America, the Cubs have signed 17 of their 21 draft picks already. The only ones that haven’t signed are 11th-round pick RHP Ariston Veasey, 13th-rounder C Emanuel Hernandez, 18th-rounder RHP Luke McGrath and 19th-round pick RHP Luke Guth.
Those four picks still have until a week from tomorrow to sign.
Right-hander Jake Woodford, who opted for free agency four days ago, re-signed with the Cubs and reported to Iowa.
It was a good start for Will Sanders, as he allowed just two runs on two hits over five innings. One of the two runs was unearned. The other one was a home run. Sanders struck out two and walked one as he collected the win.
Ethan Roberts pitched the sixth inning on a rehab assignment and retired the side in order. He did not strike anyone out.
First baseman Jonathon Long had a huge game, going 4 for 6 with two doubles and a solo home run in the third inning. It was Long’s 11th on the year. Long scored two runs and drove in two runs.
Third baseman Owen Miller cranked a three-run home run in the fourth inning, his sixth on the campaign. Miller went 2 for 4 with two walks. He scored two runs.
Finally, center fielder Brett Bateman hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth. It was Bateman’s third home run this year. Bateman went 2 for 5 with a walk and two runs scored.
Right fielder James Triantos doubled twice in a 3 for 5 afternoon. Triantos scored one run and drove in one.
Second baseman Ben Cowles was 2 for 5 with an RBI triple in the ninth. He scored twice.
Catcher Moisés Ballesteros went 2 for 5 with a walk. He stole two bases and had two RBI.
Starter Kevin Valdez gave up four runs in the bottom of the first inning and the Smokies never overcame that. The final line on Valdez was four runs on nine hits over 3.1 innings. Valdez struck out two and walked no one.
First baseman Edgar Alvarez went 2 for 4 and scored one run.
DH Ariel Armas was 2 for 4.
Catcher Ethan Hearn went 1 for 4 and drove in both Knoxville runs.
Kohl Franklin returned to South Bend on a rehab assignment and pitched quite well. Franklin tossed 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Franklin struck out four and only walked one.
The win went to Pierce Coppola, who tossed three innings of scoreless relief. Coppola surrendered two hits and issued two walks while striking out two.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his second on the season. Cepeda was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Left fielder Jose Escobar was 3 for 4 with two runs batted in.
Center fielder Kane Kepley went 1 for 2 with a walk and he was hit by a pitch. Kepley also left the game after his head collided with the Chiefs shortstop’s knee in the sixth inning. Kepley scored one run and had one run batted in before he exited.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 19: Drake Baldwin (30) of the Atlanta Braves celebrates his 3rd inning solo home run with his team during the Sunday afternoon MLB game between the Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves on July 19, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
June was a bad offensive month for the Braves. The first 12 games of July were a mixed bag: some good outputs, but questionable inputs. Still, it got the Braves to a 6-6 record. Then the All-Star Break came and went, and the Braves started the “second half” with a home series against the Rangers.
Good news! The bats not only showed up, they went more or less ham on Texas pitching. The Braves won the series and pushed their division lead back to three games. The Braves hit three homers in the series-opening win, followed with two more in the Game Two loss, and then hit four more in the rubber game. It was the fourth time (two of those were overlapping) that the Braves had three multi-homer games in a row. The nine homers in three games is the third time they’ve done that (they actually had four in a three-game stretch earlier in July). While it’s not clear if the Braves can keep this up (three homers a game is a very tall order), Drake Baldwin looks back and even Austin Riley went off in this series. Things may not be sanguine yet, but this outcome was way better than a loss.
The Rangers also came into this series with a decent pitching staff, and two of the starters they deployed have been having pretty good seasons (the third was Cal Quantrill…), so this series was less the Braves beating up on patsies all weekend, and more one patsy and some pretty good offensive performances in the summer Atlanta heat.
The Braves started the second half with a good ol’ fashioned clobberfest, courtesy of Cal Quantrill, who participated in some clobberfests of his own while eating innings with the Braves last year.
The box score in this one was ridiculous: Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley all homered, Baldwin had three hits and a walk while driving in five, every Braves starter had at least one hit, and even Victor Mederos got in on the action with a two-run hit… against a position player pitching. Meanwhile, Chris Sale, whose prior start was shortened by rain and who sat on the bench during the All-Star Game, came out firing and hurled seven scoreless frames with a 6/0 K/BB ratio.
This one was Braves all the way, a palate cleanser for much of the Braves’ struggles over the past five-ish weeks. And if you figured that Drake Baldwin was back after his rushed-back-from-injury slump after this one, well… you weren’t wrong.
…And all the good vibes of the first game post-Break came crashing down in this one. Temporarily, but crashing down nonetheless.
Most one-run games are kind of weird, and this one definitely fit the bill. The Braves were done in by bad defense, of all things — as they couldn’t stop the Rangers from rallying with a bunch of grounders. This has been a good defensive team even when it hasn’t been a good pitching team or a good offensive team, so having the defense fail to show up and condemn the team to a one-run loss is kind of lame.
It was also kind of lame because the Braves tried hard to win this game. Owen Murphy made his first career start and had it go pretty blah-y, with a 2/2 K/BB ratio and a homer allowed (to old pal Joc Pederson, the first batter of the game) while getting just eight outs. The pitching management was fairly aggressive, especially as a miscommunication in left field started a Rangers rally that Murphy and the gloves couldn’t really staunch, but despite all that, the game was ruined in the sixth. There was a double that Mauricio Dubon (part of the miscommunication earlier) couldn’t snag on a dive, and that was immediately followed by a thanks, short porch homer off Tyler Kinley that tied the game. After a walk, the Braves summoned Dylan Lee to at least try to preserve the tie, but… ball-hit-too-weakly-to-be-double-play, ball-hit-weakly-and-Ozzie-Albies-didn’t-throw-it-for-some-reason, hard-grounder-that-Jim Jarvis-couldn’t-snag-on-a-dive, and seeing-eye-single-to-score-two-runs did the Braves in.
The Braves threatened a few times afterwards and even scored another run, but couldn’t find the grass needed to re-tie the game. Michael Harris II and Eli White had the homers in this one; Baldwin had two hits, but also ended two innings late with outs, even though one was a liner that would’ve really helped were it not hit right at the third baseman.
Drake Baldwin and Austin Riley both hit a pair of dingers; Riley also came through with a pull-away two-run single late, as the Braves took the rubber game. The Braves jumped ahead early, scoring a single run in each of the first four frames against Nathan Eovaldi.
Amazingly, Grant Holmes managed to get by relatively unscathed two whole times through the order… which meant that the Braves more or less stood by and let him struggle through a three-run fifth. Fortunately, that decision didn’t end up hurting in the standings, as there was no bullpen-and-defense-based heartbreak in this one. Instead, a couple of defensive miscues set up a bases loaded situation in the seventh, and Riley unloaded the bags by singling up the middle. Brewer Hicklen got in on the action with an RBI double of his own.
The Rangers managed to score a couple of runs off Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias, but it wasn’t enough to deny the Braves a series win.
With the Phillies dropping a series to the Mets (somehow), the Braves have at least a tiny bit of breathing room as the Padres come to town. That’s kind of a good thing, because A) the Braves were swept by the Padres earlier this season, but also B) the Braves haven’t won a series against the Padres in two years, and haven’t won a home series against the Padres since 2018. They’ll have that chance this week, though.
