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Paris Saint-Germain 5-0 Internazionale: Champions League final – as it happened

PSG finally became champions of Europe after routing Inter as they recorded the biggest margin of victory in any European Cup or Champions League final

Pennant watch. Here’s what PSG captain Marquinhos will be handing over during the pre-match niceties. A typically classy piece in the retro-poster style, here it’s the centrepiece of an enigmatic pop-art collage also featuring a fruit platter, several hundred toothpicks, some power bars, three toilet rolls, a carry case of assorted hardware, and what may or may not be a box of Terry’s Chocolate Orange in the top-right corner. If this was an LP cover you’d stay up half the night trying to decode it.

Inter are playing in their third-choice yellow strip this evening. So that means their pennant will clash with captain Lautaro Martínez’s shirt, but what a gorgeous thing it is anyway (the current Volkswagen-adjacent monstrosity of a crest, not half as good as the old interlapping FCIM logo, notwithstanding).

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Athletics rookie Denzel Clarke’s first major league home run comes in native Toronto

TORONTO — This weekend is turning into quite a homecoming for Denzel Clarke.

The Athletics’ 25-year-old rookie hit his first major-league home run Saturday, going deep at Rogers Centre in his hometown of Toronto.

Clarke told reporters last week he expected 150-200 friends and family to attend the four-game series, and he’s given them plenty to cheer so far.

After going 1 for 19 with 15 strikeouts over his first six games as a big-leaguer, he singled twice and recorded his first major-league RBI in an 11-7 loss Friday night. He also made a flashy defensive play when he leapt at the center field wall to rob Alejandro Kirk of a home run in the fourth inning.

Oakland was down 4-3 in the top of the second Saturday when Clarke, batting No. 9 in the order, stepped to the plate against Braydon Fisher with a man on base and one out. Clarke hammered Fisher’s first pitch 406 feet into the left-field seats for a 5-4 lead.

Clarke, the cousin of Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor and Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, played college baseball at Cal State Northridge and was a fourth-round draft pick of the Athletics in 2021.

He was playing at Triple-A Las Vegas when he was called up to the majors on May 23.

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Rockies demote first baseman Michael Toglia to Triple-A Albuquerque

NEW YORK — Struggling Colorado Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque prior to Saturday’s game against the New York Mets.

Toglia appeared to establish himself as the Rockies’ first baseman last year, when he hit .233 with 21 homers following his June recall from Triple-A. He produced his first multi-homer game July 14, when he went deep three times against the Mets at Citi Field.

But Toglia began this season in a 2-for-23 slump and didn’t homer until his 65th plate appearance. He hit .247 with six homers in 26 games from April 16 through May 14 before hitting .125 with 22 strikeouts in his next 40 at-bats.

He leads the majors with 81 strikeouts in just 186 at-bats.

Interim Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said he wants Toglia to “go down and control the strike zone better.”

“He just needs to get better overall offensively,” he said.

The 24-year-old was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts while serving as the Rockies’ No. 8 hitter in Friday’s 4-2 loss which dropped Colorado to 9-48 — the worst record through 57 games in the modern era.

“It wasn’t working out right now for him and he knows that,” Schaeffer said. “In the future, we expect big things from Mike.”

To replace Toglia on the roster, the Rockies selected the contract of infielder Keston Hiura from Albuquerque. Schaeffer said Hiura, who reached double figures in homers for the Milwaukee Brewers three times from 2019 through 2022, would likely see the bulk of the playing time at first, though Kyle Farmer drew the start at the position Saturday.

The Rockies also designated infielder Aaron Schunk for assignment.

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What To Make Of The Oilers' Triumph And The Stars' Failure

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

1. The Oilers are gaining much more respect the second time around. One reason is the pride that Edmonton has taken in the defensive side of the game.

2. If it's possible McDavid & Co. are even faster than during last year's playoffs.

3. This from Vic Morren on NHL Wraparound with Neil Smith: "These are the two best NHL teams and it's not even close. Carolina and Dallas proved – in their way – how far away they are."

Rangers Blunder That Could Win The Cup For Edmonton Rangers Blunder That Could Win The Cup For Edmonton 1. When Chris Drury canned Gerard Gallant, the Rangers had GG's successor all lined up in Hartford. His name was – and still is – Kris Knoblauch.

4. More Morren: "The Canes DNA is good but in the end they don't have championship personnel. And something always happens to Dallas where it appears that they have the personnel and then their game craps out."

5. Finally Morren: "I'm going with the rematch trends from 1984 and 2009. The motivation to win for the first time outweighs the motivation to defend the title. Finally, Kris Knoblauch is proving to be a brilliant bench boss!"

6. Dallas was picked by The Hockey News Yearbook to win The Stanley Cup. Now the Stars GM Jim Nill will have to decide whether to retain coach Pete Deboer the hockey version of "Close, But No Cigar."

7. Those of us who watched Lane Lambert coach the Islanders are happy to see this good guy get another shot; this time with  Seattle. It's a good gig but not an easy one.

8. This from Jess Rubenstein: "Mike Sullivan may turn out to be a good Rangers coach but his problem is that he's working for a GM who repeatedly gives bad contracts after bad contracts!"

9. Isles new high command got off to an encouraging start by retaining Patrick Roy as well as reliable Kyle Palmieri.

10. Jonathan Toews' decision to make a comeback should gain Chris Drury's attention. He'd make a responsible third-line center.

11. Jake Oettinger got a raw deal and I'll leave it at that.

12. The fact that Oilers GM Stan Bowman chose to retain Corey Perry will go down as one of the quietest smart moves of the entire playoffs.

13. NHL.com's Tom Gulitti sums up the Panthers: "They have championship pedigree."

14. Blue Collar Blue Shirts columnist-extraordinaire Sean McCaffrey stunned The Maven with this one: "Watch for the Panthers to make an Offer Sheet for Matt Rempe!"

15. This Stanley Cup Final will tell us whether age is catching up to Sergei Bobrovsky or that he'll just keep rolling along.

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Canadiens: The Grades Are In – Christian Dvorak

Once plagued by unrealistic expectations after being acquired by former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin to replace Philip Danault, Christian Dvorak was given a much more suitable role this year. Between Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson, the American was tasked with pivoting a reliable veteran third line, and he delivered.

For the first time since joining the Habs, Dvorak was able to play a full 82-game season, and there’s no doubt it helped him find both stability and a certain rhythm. It didn’t make him a points-producing machine; that’s not who he is, but it allowed him to give a full effort, which meant Martin St-Louis knew precisely what he was getting every time he sent his third line in.

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While Dvorak put up over 100 points in his last two seasons in the OHL, he did it while playing alongside Mitch Marner and Matthew Tkachuk. In the NHL, he hasn’t had that kind of linemates, and we’ve seen what he can do without superstars on his wings. His best NHL season, offensively speaking, came in 2019-20 with the Arizona Coyotes when he put up 38 points. This season, he scored 33 points, which is about as much as one has come to expect from him.

Dvorak also played a reliable two-way game and was counted on for big shorthanded minutes, and he delivered skating alongside linemate Josh Anderson on the second penalty kill. He doesn’t play a spectacular game, but he is focused on the task at hand and delivers.

In the sixth and final year of his $4.45 M per year pact, Dvorak delivered on the team’s revised expectations and played his third-line center role as well as he could. He might have missed a few opportunities here and there offensively, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s hard to fault him for it. In my opinion, Dvorak deserves a B- for his performance this past season.

Will he be back next season? It doesn't appear very likely at this stage as his contract is up, and Kent Hughes has already extended Jake Evans. The Canadiens' GM has said in the past that there must be opportunities for the kids in the organization to graduate, and it appears to me that Dvorak will be a casualty of that approach. He was well-liked in the room and was a roommate to sniper Cole Caufield, but hockey is a business, and that likely won’t be enough to convince Montreal to sign him again.

Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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Dodgers transfer pitcher Tyler Glasnow to 60-day injured list, claim catcher Chuckie Robinson

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

The team made the move Saturday when catcher Chuckie Robinson was claimed off waivers. The 30-year-old was designated for assignment this week by the Angels.

Glasnow first went on the 15-day IL on April 28 with right shoulder inflammation. With the current move, the right-hander would be eligible to return in late June. He threw his first bullpen session last week.

Glasnow has made five starts this season, going 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 18 innings. His first season with the Dodgers was cut short last year because of right elbow tendinitis.

Robinson was batting .272 with one home run and 18 RBIs with Triple-A Salt Lake City. He debuted in the majors with Cincinnati, playing 25 games and hitting two homers and driving in five runs. He also spent time with the Chicago White Sox last year.

Robinson has a .992 fielding percentage and is 12-for-48 in runners caught stealing.

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Mariners promote infield prospect Cole Young from Triple-A Tacoma

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners promoted infield prospect Cole Young from Triple-A Tacoma ahead of their game against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

Right-hander Bryce Miller was also reinstated from the 15-day injured list and is expected to start. Infielder Leo Rivas and right-hander Casey Legumina were optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in corresponding moves. The Mariners also designated right-hander Will Klein for assignment.

Young, 21, was a No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 MLB amateur draft and was the Mariners’ No. 3 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, at the time of his promotion. He was off to a solid start to the year in the Pacific Coast League.

For the season, Young was hitting .277 with an .853 OPS for the Rainiers. In May, though, Young was particularly excellent, hitting .366 with a .467 on-base percentage, as well as 10 doubles, three triples and five home runs.

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Red Sox place Liam Hendriks on injured list, recall Nick Burdi from Triple-A Worcester

BOSTON — Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks has been placed on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right hip.

The Red Sox announced Friday the move is retroactive to Wednesday and that right-handed pitcher Nick Burdi had been recalled from Triple-A Worcester.

Hendriks has made 14 appearances this season, posting a 6.59 ERA with 12 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings. He has 116 saves in 490 career games with six teams since 2007.

Burdi, 32, has thrown 2 1/3 scoreless innings over two relief appearances for Boston. He was 4-0 with four saves and an 0.48 ERA in 15 appearances for Worcester.

Hendriks took to social media May 22 to express his displeasure about death threats he says he received following a loss to the New York Mets. The 36-year-old right-hander previously battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma and, in a post on Instagram, said comments were directed at him and his family and that people said they wished he would have died from cancer.

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Mets receiving ‘really good’ reports on Ronny Mauricio but want prospect to get more reps: 'We're watching'

How long it will take for Ronny Mauricio to be recalled to the big leagues is now a daily conversation among Mets fans.

With the offense not firing on all cylinders and Mauricio playing very well in Triple-A, the powers that be in Flushing have consistently been bombarded with questions about the young prospect’s future, and it’s easy to see why.

In seven games since returning to Triple-A Syracuse after a rehab assignment, Mauricio is batting .560 with three home runs and an OPS of 1.546. It’s a small sample size, but it’s enough to get the buzz around the Mets prospect to become louder and louder.

So when manager Carlos Mendoza was asked about the reports he’s getting about Mauricio prior to Saturday’s game against the Rockies, the second-year skipper tempered expectations but was honest in what he’s heard.

“We’re watching. The reports are really good, actually. Not so much about the results, just how he’s moving,” he said. “The way he’s running around the bases, moving in the infield, first step, going after baseballs, recovering well and we’ve seen the results from the offensive side where he’s impacting the baseball from both sides of the plate. Good player, we will continue to watch him.”

There are a few factors holding Mauricio back in Triple-A. First and foremost being his health. Mauricio is on the road back from multiple knee surgeries following the 2023 season and the organization wants him to get back into playing shape, which means playing as many games in the minors as possible.

President of baseball operations David Stearns said on Friday that Mauricio’s health is their No.1 priority.

Mauricio hadn’t played back-to-back games with Syracuse until this past Wednesday-Thursday, so the reports about his fielding and recovery are very positive signs.

The other roadblock is the Mets’ current roster. Mauricio has started at second and third base in Syracuse, spots being held by the combination of Mark Vientos, Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña.

Acuña and Baty are the only two of that quartet with minor league options remaining, but both are currently vital to the team's success of late. Baty swinging a hot bat and playing great defense, while Acuña's speed and defense as a bench player gives Mendoza some much-needed flexibility.

With that logjam, the Mets want Mauricio to continue to play the field and get at-bats as often as possible and the only way to do that is by playing in the minors, for now. But, as Mendoza put it Saturday, there’s going to be a time when decisions will have to be made.

"Right now, we want him to continue to get everyday reps,” he said. “Pretty sure we're going to get to a point where he's going to force us here, but in the meantime, just let him play."

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Mets Notes: Paul Blackburn to make season debut Monday vs. Dodgers; next steps for Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave some updates on the team ahead of Saturday's game against the Colorado Rockies...

Paul Blackburn to start Monday vs. Dodgers

The veteran right-hander will come off the injured list and make his season debut on Monday in Los Angeles, Mendoza told reporters. Blackburn will join a six-man starting rotation and the rest will follow after him.

"Yeah, it's gonna be Game 1 versus LA, Blackburn will pitch on Monday and then everybody will fall in line," Mendoza said.

Blackburn went 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA over seven minor league games during his rehab assignment, including a 2-1 record with a 2.70 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 20.0 innings with Triple-A Syracuse.

Mendoza isn't concerned over Blackburn making his season debut against a strong Dodgers lineup, crediting his MLB experience.

"Not really because he's been in this league for a long time now," Mendoza said. "He knows what it takes. This is not a situation where you're calling up a rookie or a guy that's been up and down. He's been in this league for quite a bit now and has had some success. He knows what's at stake. He knows he's going to be facing a good lineup. And he's ready.

"He feels good, feels healthy, he's throwing the ball well. As far as the competition and all that, he's been there before."

Blackburn pitched in five games for New York in 2024 after coming over from the Athletics, going 1-2 with a 5.18 ERA. He owns a 22-28 record with a 4.85 ERA across 85 games over his eight big league seasons.

What's next for Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas?

Manaea (right oblique strain) threw a live bullpen session on Thursday that "went well," and he'll throw another on Monday.

"It'll be an up-and-down live BP," Mendoza said. "Last time, which was one time up, he threw almost 20 pitches. Now he's gonna go where he goes two innings, basically, facing batters."

Mendoza added that the left-hander could throw another live BP before a rehab start.

As for Montas (right lat strain), Mendoza said that the team is looking for him to pitch another rehab game on Tuesday, depending on the weather.

Montas showed improvement in his second rehab start on Thursday night for High-A Brooklyn, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out three over 3.0 IP. He threw 49 pitches with 28 for strikes.

Mark Vientos 'going through it'

It's been a tough second full season in the bigs for Vientos, who's hitting just .231 with six home runs, seven doubles, and 21 RBI over 51 games. Many expected him to take another huge step forward following his 27-homer season in 2024, but that hasn't been the case.

"I feel like he's going through it," Mendoza said. "There will be stretches where he's hitting the ball hard consistently, but there's also stretches where he chases. Maybe a little bit in between at times. That's part of the grind, part of the 162. Second year in the big leagues, where people are adjusting to him and he's got to continue to make adjustments.

"He's working hard, he's watching film, he's talking to the hitting coaches, he's doing extra work. He's got to keep going."

Vientos has turned things around slightly after a poor April (.225 batting average) with a .256 batting mark in May, but his inconsistent performance has opened the door for others. The 25-year-old is not in the lineup Saturday as Brett Baty gets the start at third base and Jared Young at DH. Mendoza was then asked about balancing reps for Vientos to help him break out of the slump.

"When you got 13 guys, you feel good about your chances," Mendoza said. "It makes it a challenge, but there's a balance. Trying to use everyone as much as possible, keep everyone fresh. But in the case of Mark, he's getting playing time. Yes, maybe he plays one day, sits the other, but he plays three, sits one -- he's still active.

"I'm not worried about that at all, that's part of establishing yourself here at the big league level. Everybody goes through it. And he's going through it right now where he's got to learn where it's like, 'Hey man, you're probably gonna play a couple games and then sit one.' Every one of them is going through it I guess. Again, we got 13 really good players."

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Could The Sabres Shop Their First-Round Pick?

The Buffalo Sabres have a stockpile of young prospects in their organization, including four first-round picks who either played the entire year or split time between the AHL Rochester Americans and the NHL last season.

The Sabres are hosting the annual NHL Draft Combine next week, ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles late next month. Buffalo will be selecting ninth overall, but instead of adding another prospect to the coffers who may play three or four years down the road, GM Kevyn Adams may be willing to move his top-10 pick if he can acquire a player who can help snap the club’s 14-year playoff drought. 

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It is likely that Adams, along with newly added senior advisor Jarmo Kekalainen, will be looking for a player who has significant term or a young NHLer currently on his entry-level or second bridge deal with years remaining before being able to qualify for unrestricted free agency. There is a growing sense that if Buffalo does not make the playoffs this upcoming season, there could be an upheaval of much of the current management structure. 

The Sabres have 10 picks in the 2025 Draft, with selections in each round, an extra pick in the fourth round and two additional selections in the seventh round. With an extensive stockpile of young prospects playing in the NCAA, and in Europe, it is quite possible that Adams would be willing to deal multiple selections to add players to the NHL roster, since he has admitted publicly that Buffalo is not a destination city for free agents or players with no-trade protection. 

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Sharks Extend Bona Fide Offers to Multiple Prospects

The San Jose Sharks have announced that they’ve extended contract offers to a handful of prospects ahead of the June 1 signing rights deadline.

A bona fide offer allows a team to retain exclusive negotiating rights with a drafted player.

The Sharks have extended bona fide offers to the following prospects:

  • Nate Misskey – Defense – UMass-Lowell (NCAA)
  • Colton Roberts – Defense – Vancouver Giants (WHL)
  • Carson Wetsch – Forward – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

By extending offers, the Sharks will hold onto the rights of all three players, giving them the ability to negotiate entry-level contracts down the line.

With the June 1 deadline approaching, teams across the league are finalizing decisions on which prospects they plan to retain—and which they’ll let go. In San Jose’s case, two players did not receive offers:

  • Theo Jacobsson – Forward – Nybro Vikings (Allsvenskan)
  • Evgeni Kashnikov – Defense – Yekaterinburg (KHL)

Since they weren’t signed, both Jacobsson and Kashnikov will re-enter the NHL Draft on June 27–28.

For GM Mike Grier and the Sharks, this is one more step toward the 2025 NHL Draft. But before then, there’s still work to do. Don’t be surprised if a few more RFA or UFA decisions are made before the draft—just to get a clearer picture heading into free agency on July 1.

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Knicks' resilience and talent give NY a chance to come back vs. Pacers in Eastern Conference Finals

It’s no easy task to keep the faith after your team falls behind 3-1 in a series, but the Knicks fans doing so in the face of a dynamic Pacers team have good reason to eschew history. While no team has ever come back from losing the first two home games of a conference finals, and just one team has come back from a 3-1 deficit, this roster is uniquely suited to pull off a miracle.

For all the questions about its toughness and identity, one thing this Knicks team has proven itself time and again is resilient. They did it in the regular season, in the biggest moments of the 2025 NBA playoffs, and now have a chance to do it again. 

Many teams would buckle at a ground-moving trade like the one New York made the night before training camp, trading two starters from the previous year for Karl-Anthony Towns. He’d be a late show to camp due to the deal, while the returning Knicks still had to adjust to one new starter and the emotional aftershock from the trade. 

Despite this, an opening night whooping from the Boston Celtics and an up-and-down start to the year, the Knicks would bounce back with a massive December, losing just two games in the month en route to a 24-10 start to the season. They’d continue through the regular season with the most available rotation in the league, constantly playing through injuries and some of the highest minute and miles loads across the NBA. 

Then, as the season neared its end, Jalen Brunson, the team’s captain and MVP candidate, went down with an ankle injury. With a month to play until he’d return and playoff seeding on the line, the Knicks would once again respond, staying afloat with a 9-6 record over a West Coast swing.

The playoffs brought them little relief, as their first test was the physical and hungry Detroit Pistons. The up-and-coming squad pushed them in their first game at MSG, controlling the contest from the jump and going up double digits in the second half.

The Knicks responded with a massive 40-21 fourth quarter to defend home court, their first of many playoff comebacks this year. They would lose Game 2 at home, but come back with two gutsy road wins, both by single-possession margins, and eventually seal the series on the road in Game 6.

Then came the mighty Celtics, who, as the hoops media repeatedly reminded us all, went 4-0 against the Knicks in the regular season in dominant fashion. This didn’t dissuade the Knicks from competing, even as they fell behind by 20 in Game 1 on the road.

New York pushed its way back, forcing overtime and stealing home-court advantage there. Game 2 was almost a near-repeat, as once again they found themselves down 20, only to march back into striking distance down the stretch, where they’d pull off a historically massive upset in back-to-back road games. 

Even in their decisive Game 4 win to take a 3-1 lead in the series, the Knicks found themselves down double figures after the first quarter. At this point, it had almost become a meme for New York to play their best ball when all the odds were stacked against them. 

We’ve seen this carry over into this Pacers series. After losing both home games, the Knicks came back from 20 points yet again in Game 3 to keep their series alive. 

Down 3-1 and facing elimination, New York would not let itself go out on their home court on Thursday, crushing Indiana to force a Game 6 on Saturday night. One more win and they’ll find themselves in a one-game series, at Madison Square Garden, with all the momentum on their side.

So while many have written off this Knicks season given their predicament, the ones who have stayed positive may be onto something. Because this New York team is far tougher than meets the eye, and has proven that time and time again in getting here.

They may not be able to complete the comeback, but to count them out is going against everything they’ve been this season. 

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2025 NBA Draft: Who gets taken with the No. 3 pick, Ace Bailey or VJ Edgecombe?

The 2025 NBA Draft starts at No. 3.

The first two spots are a lock: Duke's Cooper Flagg is going No. 1 to Dallas (there is zero chance they trade this pick) and Rutgers' Dylan Harper will be taken No. 2, very likely by San Antonio (the Spurs will listen to trade offers, but unless it's a Giannis Antetokounmpo-level deal they will hold on to the pick).

In NBC Sports’ latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft, we have Rutgers' Ace Bailey going No. 3 to Philadelphia and Baylor's VJ Edgecombe going No. 4 to Charlotte. While that is the most likely outcome, those two picks are far less certain.

Bailey no lock at No. 3

The main reason there is uncertainty about Bailey going No. 3 is that there is uncertainty about who will be drafting third. Thanks to the lucky bounces of the lottery ping-pong balls, the Philadelphia 76ers own that pick and are open to trading down. This is a win-now team run by Daryl Morey, someone who never shies away from a bold move.

While drafting Bailey to pair with younger star Tyrese Maxey and the promising Jared McCain would create a clear future timeline for the team, the 76ers have Joel Embiid and Paul George on the roster now and are committed to winning with them. If a trade is presented that makes Philly a more dangerous threat in what should be a wide-open East next season, Morey will have to strongly consider it.

That team moving up to that third pick may feel differently about Bailey, who is a polarizing player, something ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote about in their latest mock draft.

"Bailey has remained polarizing for NBA executives all season, with the wide understanding that he'll need time to adjust before contributing winning minutes on a good team. There are varying levels of confidence around the NBA as to whether he will reach his ceiling ultimately, creating a layer of risk that has held him back from becoming the consensus option at No. 3."

The question isn't Bailey's potential — he might have the second-highest ceiling of any player in this draft (behind Flagg). Bailey checks all the boxes of a prototypical modern NBA wing or stretch four: Good size at 6'8", freak athlete, creates his own shot, and can shoot the 3. He averaged 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season.

What makes him polarizing is that some executives and scouts doubt his ability to live up to that potential. He lived on a diet of tough shots at Rutgers, and while he made them that is harder to do against defenders at the next level. He didn't draw a lot of fouls and shot 69.2% from the line. While he could be a future All-Star if he plays a simplified game and focuses on efficiency, some executives and scouts fear that he may not do so and become a role player who never lives up to the hype.

Edgecombe brings two-way play

Edgecombe had "an excellent interview with the Hornets," reports Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports. He seems a natural fit in Charlotte as the two guard between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller because he is arguably the best athlete in this class and is an elite defender (which is needed next to Ball), plus he shot 36.4% from 3 last season. Edgecombe can get out in transition and moves well off the ball, which would be a hand-in-glove fit with Ball.

If he gets to No. 3.

A team that trades up to the No. 3 spot may be more interested in the athleticism, two-way play and higher floor of Edgecombe over having to work to develop Bailey. If so, they could take Edgecombe third and leave Bailey to Charlotte. Some mock drafts see it that way, although it's difficult to pick because it depends on who has the No. 3 selection when Adam Silver walks to the podium.

At the draft, upside tends to win out — when picking as high as third, GMs don't want to pass on the potential future All-Star. Doing so could lead to hard questions in a couple of years from fans and ownership about why they made the pick they did. It's not a good look for a guy trying to hang onto his job. Which is why Bailey likely goes third, but it is far from a lock. And a lot depends on draft-night trades that could shake up the top of the board.