LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 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. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last summer, the Lakers’ acquisition of Marcus Smart wasn’t initially considered a home-run deal.
However, the Lakers believed he’d bounce back and be a winning player again in their environment. They were right.
Now, that deal he signed with the Lakers seems like a bargain, and Smart might think so as well.
In a recent report on The Stein Line, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer explained which team is likely to consider picking up Smart if he opts out of his deal.
The Rockets do, however, loom as a possible free agent destination for another one of Udoka’s former players in Boston: Marcus Smart.
League sources say that Smart, who is expected to draw interest from Houston and possibly other teams in free agency, is very much giving consideration to declining his $5.4 million player option for next season with the Lakers before Monday’s deadline to do so and then proceed to the open market.
This is a tough situation for the Lakers. Losing Smart to the Rockets, the team they eliminated from the playoffs, would be awful. From the Rockets’ perspective, they’d love Smart. They clearly lack dependable guard play, and Smart would enter right away and be one of their best backcourt players.
This move would make Houston better and LA worse, and replacing what Smart did at $5.1 million last year is next to impossible.
He played in 62 games for the Lakers last year. It was the most he’s played since the 2021-22 season when he was the Defensive Player of the Year. He also started in 51 games, making him one of the most important players on the roster.
It’s important to note that this report doesn’t say he will leave, just that he’s considering it. The Lakers reportedly want Smart back, and that could still happen whether he opts in or out.
Still, it’s not an ideal scenario for the Lakers, and they’ll have to see how it plays out. Hopefully, Smart stays one way or another. He was arguably LA’s third-best player last year, and losing him wouldn’t make the Lakers a better team.
Yesterday, the White Sox got their seventh walk-off win from their seventh different player … and it was No. 7, Jacob Gonzalez. | (Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images)
Fresh off their seventh walk-off win of the year, which followed the second-biggest win margin in team history, the White Sox try to sweep the Royals out of the palace this afternoon and send them back to Kansas City, where the song says everything is up to date, but the baseball team isn’t.
Facing a Royals lineup that has only managed one run per game so far this series will be lefty Anthony Kay, who has had a very up-and-down June, being belted around by the Yankees and Phillies but dominating not just the very weak-hitting Tigers and Guardians but also the mighty Dodgers. For the season, Kay has an excellent 6-2 record but a meh 4.24 ERA and very poor 5.06 FIP and 1.389 WHIP.
The Royals counter with righty Luinder Avila, who sports a terrible 5.06 ERA, largely because he has trouble figuring out where home plate is, having walked 27 in 42 2/3 innings. Avila has been good his last two times out, holding the Rays and Nationals to one run each, but was crushed by the Astros the game before that, giving up eight runs before being pulled in the first inning.
Avila faces a White Sox lineup which has only had three at-bats against him, those coming on May 14 when he came into the game in relief.
Kay gave faced K.C. in both April and May. Lane Thomas (2-for-6) and Bobby Witt Jr. (2-for-5) hit him well, Salvador Pérez (1-for-7) didn’t.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Central, on a sunny and humid day with temps in the mid-70s and wind in from left around 10 mph. Usual broadcast suspects.
Jun 27, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Nick Loftin (12) reacts during an injury delay against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
The Royals have followed up winning 5 of 6, by losing 4 games in a row. In those 4 losses they’ve scored 7 runs, allowed 42. Been no hit for 8.1 innings in one of them and lost 13-2 and 22-1. To say the least, ever since Tuesday night, it’s been rather painful to watch the Royals in action.
The Royals are just 2-7 versus the upstart White Sox, losing the last 6 matchups, in fact the only two wins the Royals have over the Southsiders this season are a pair of 2-0 games. So, when the White Sox score a run against the Royals this season, they are 7-0.
Jac Caglianone was in the lineup today but got scratched due to left groin soreness. Nick Loftin has to be feeling the same to be honest. I don’t say that to poke fun at Nick, because mercy that looked extremely painful yesterday.
Anyways, Bobby Witt Jr. is playing shortstop again today, so that’s a positive. Luinder Avila starts today. It’ll be interesting to see which Avila shows up today.
Here is the Royals lineup.
UPDATED LINEUP:
CF Lane Thomas SS Bobby Witt Jr. C Carter Jensen DH Starling Marte 1B Salvador Perez 2B Michael Massey LF Isaac Collins 3B Tyler Tolbert RF Kameron Misner
The Chicago White Sox are 43-38 on the season and winning the AL Central. Imagine hearing that in 2024. They have lost 100 games three straight seasons and were the worst team ever two years ago. “How have they already surpassed the Royals?” I scream into the abyss. Alas, they have a lot of young guys playing well this season, and seem to be getting revenge on KC for the last two seasons.
Lefty Anthony Kay starts today for them. Kay spent the last two years in Japan, and is having a decent season this year, sporting a 4.24 ERA over 76.1 innings. Kay has started twice against KC this season, in total he has gone 11.2 innings, allowing 9 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks and 10 strikeouts.
First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. CT and can be watched on Royals.TV. The Royals are off tomorrow before starting a 3-game series at home against Tampa Bay.
Knicks forwardOG Anunobywas at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon, throwing the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Mets' matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Jose Reyes, who previously invited Anunoby to come throw out the first pitch, was behind home plate to catch it.
Anunoby, whose miraculous tip-in gave the Knicks a win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, has been a Mets fan dating back to his childhood. Reyes was on the cover of MLB 2K8, and he became Anunoby's favorite player because of that.
The forward averaged 21.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in the five-game series as the Knicks clinched their first title in 53 years.
"I used to play baseball so I think I’ll throw a strike," Anunoby said during a brief news conference before throwing the first pitch. "I’m anticipating a strike so I’m really excited."
Here's a look at his first pitch:
To a huge Citi Field ovation, OG Anunoby throws out the first pitch to Jose Reyes! pic.twitter.com/sAu4jQyKI3
Khalid Robinson couldn’t leave basketball. But he never knew coaching would be in his future.
When Robinson stepped foot on Fordham’s campus, his plan already was known. Robinson, a Political Science major, had his sights set on law school until he began studying for the LSATs.
“I just realized this is not what I’m passionate about,” Robinson said to NBC Sports Bay Area. “And I said, ‘What in life am I passionate about?’ It’s basketball. That’s kind of where and when I decided to make the shift to try and get into coaching.”
Robinson walked onto Fordham’s basketball team as a sophomore after taking one year off as a player. The New York native describes his old playing style as a “do-it-all, high energy player.” Willing to make the right play, do the dirty work, crash the glass and be a fierce defender, Robinson played 40 games in four years at Fordham and started six of them.
He scored a total of 13 points in his college career, yet earned the respect of teammates and coaches so much that Robinson was named a team captain in each of his last two seasons. Even then, all the traits of what it takes to be a great coach were clear.
Now as he enters his 11th season with the Warriors, Robinson is about to step into a new role as the team’s NBA Summer League head coach. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr met with Robinson after the season ended and told him the news, and that he thought manning the sidelines throughout summer league would be a great opportunity for Robinson’s personal and professional career development as the next challenge.
Naming Robinson as the Warriors’ summer league head coach falls in line with how Golden State has gone about business in getting coaches to the next step. Like the Warriors’ last three summer league head coaches, Jacob Rubin, Anthony Vereen and Lainn Wilson, Robinson has gone from being a video intern a decade ago, to one season as assistant video coordinator, six seasons as special assistant to the head coach and was promoted to assistant coach going into the 2024-25 NBA season.
As Robinson, 35, prepares for his first chance to be a head coach, he has picked the brains of Rubin, Vereen and Wilson about their experiences, including what they would have done differently after going through the process, along with communicating with Kerr about what he wants to get done in the summer to help get ready for next season. The best advice he has received is probably the most obvious.
“Keep it simple,” Robinson says. “It’s a new group that for the most part hasn’t played with each other, so simpler is better. Simple allows the guys to play harder with more focus. You just want the guys to be organized. If they’re organized, they can play harder and be more effective.”
All eyes will be on Warriors first-round 2026 NBA Draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who does plan on playing in summer league. Lendeborg went through an ankle sprain and left knee bone bruise during Michigan’s title run but says he’s fully healthy now after taking four weeks to heal.
Lendeborg is a seasoned 23-year-old who will turn 24 on Sept. 30. The challenges the Warriors are placing on him this summer aren’t so much about numbers. They aren’t interested in him taking a certain number of shots or scoring a certain number of points. The goal in getting him up to speed to play significant minutes early on is becoming a Warrior in every way possible.
“First, it’s just adapting to the concepts that we’re trying to teach this summer and the things we’re trying to get better at,” Robinson said. “And I think it’s also just challenging him to be an all-around great defender on the ball and off the ball. He has great instincts and great feel. … Offensively, just being who he is – getting to the rim, being aggressive taking and making open threes and using his playmaking.
“Yaxel has a lot of facets to his game that can help us, and we’re going to challenge him to bring that every day in practices and games, and to do it with consistency.”
Robinson wants his team to be a connected group that has great communication. He wants them to be very physical defensively to take away easy buckets and play fast in transition. What he really wants is for them to build an identity that represents the Warriors’ culture.
Summer league records aren’t indicative of a team’s success in the NBA season. Development is the main priority. Wins and losses can get thrown to the side, for the most part. Winning also can’t become an afterthought.
“It’s a mix of both,” Robinson says. “We want to develop our guys and help them get ready for preseason and next season, but we want to win. We want to establish this culture. We’re about winning here, and when these guys come in, we want them to know what we’re about. We’re going into this thing like we want to win. We want to develop and get these guys better on individual skills and team concepts.
“But we want to win games. Building these habits of consistent competition and playing to our identity is part of it.”
Does that sound like somebody who could have said goodbye to basketball when his playing days ended? That alternate reality still pops into Robinson’s head without a second of regret. Robinson isn’t someone who would thrive sitting at a desk all day. He needed to be around players and coaches. He needed the Warriors, like they’ve needed him more every year.
“Ron Adams always talks about coaches being teachers in a way,” Robison remembered. “It allows you to help teach people, and you learn from them in the process, you learn from players in the process. I ended up in the right place.”
Robinson’s head-coaching debut begins Friday night at Chase Center as the Warriors take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the California Classic.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 26: Alexander Command poses for a portrait after being selected 12th overall by the New Jersey Devils during day one of the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good afternoon, Devils fans. Today, we’re doing a short rundown of the Devils’ picks and draft-related moves from the past few days. Below, you can find links to each of the relevant picks and trades.
* Acquired when trading down from 35th to 37th ** Acquired when trading down from 140th to 149th
The New Jersey Devils truly did not have a ton of draft capital leading up to this year’s event. Prior to the Simon Nemec trade, they lacked third and seventh-round selections. By acquiring the 35th overall pick (along with two future firsts) for Simon Nemec and making two trade down moves, Sunny Mehta was able to spin a few extra picks over what the Devils were supposed to be selecting. This is quite good, as it seemed the Devils were targeting Vanhanen in the early second round along with a goalie in Rusakovich when they traded down in the fifth round.
In all, I think the Devils largely did a good job of getting value equal to or above their draft slots throughout the draft, with few exceptions. As I mentioned in the Alexander Command post, our 12th overall selection had an identical NHLe projection to third overall pick Caleb Malhotra (32 draft year NHLe/32% star probability and 67% NHLer probability per Hockey Prospecting). Vanhanen, meanwhile, was much lower on the NHLe boards (8% star probability and 29% NHLer probability) while being very well regarded by microstat trackers. I would give the Command pick an A (especially when considering his super-high compete level and intensity) and the Vanhanen pick a B+.
The Devils’ third pick, Nikita Shcherbakov, is not someone who is going to be well-liked by NHLe-focused draft projectors. Shcherbakov is a large Russian mobile defenseman. On tape, his skating looks awesome, but he has not been an eye-popping point producer in Russian juniors. However, with a decent 10 points in 35 VHL (second-tier to the KHL) games, Shcherbakov may be able to get into a full-time role with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL next season. To be honest, I am not sure they had to grab Shcherbakov this early in the draft, but maybe a suitable trade down was not available. I would give this pick a C+.
The trade of the Devils’ 108th pick for Amadeus Lombardi, while going down prior to the draft, is important to note. Lombardi, a center, has had 35 goals and 82 points over his last 91 AHL games across the last two seasons, which is far more than the Devils have had from any AHL center over the last couple of years. Per AHLTracker, Lombardi has been very good at five-on-five, with his team having a 58.7 goals for percentage with him on the ice this season. Considering that fourth round picks are usually a few years away from the NHL, I thought it was a solid, B-grade move to acquire someone who is ready for that chance to see if he’s capable of a fourth or third-line role in the NHL.
My favorite Day Two pick came in the pick they gained when trading down from 35th to 37th. That 119th pick was used to select Lavr Gashilov out of the Russian junior MHL, and he may have been the highest-NHLe value forward pick they could have made in this slot. Gashilov is a super-skilled center whose rankings are all over the place, but his raw point production could have been that of a player justifiably selectable in the mid-first round. His tape may be more limited, and he does have to work on his skating and defense, but players who go the farthest in the NHL are generally those who are dominant scorers in their teenaged years. With Gashilov only under contract through the upcoming season, it may be less difficult to get him over to North American hockey as well. Since skating is one thing I have little problem letting a young prospect work on (it’s not like he has to learn how to score), I give this one an A+. He had one of the best seasons ever for a draft eligible player coming out of the MHL.
After trading down from 140 to 149, the Devils selected their annual goalie in Daniil Rusakovich, and he had some pretty good numbers in Russian juniors. Rusakovich had a ,913 save percentage in 20 MHL games this season after having a .909 save percentage in 31 Belarusian U17 games the year prior. HockeyProspecting gives him a 35% NHLer probability based on his draft year performance and league, which is in line with many future NHL goaltenders with a wide range of abilities, from Nico Daws to Joel Hofer to Igor Shesterkin. Goalies are hard to predict, so this gets a flat B.
The Devils’ pick at 172 was probably the “weakest” of the draft, but it was the sixth round. Luke Wilfley did not have the kind of profile I would consider selecting, but he grades high as a physical rush shooter with average transition skills who has not turned the puck over much at all in juniors. If Wilfley was not so young, I would probably give this pick a D, but the fact that he is still 17 at the time of this article means I will bump him up to a C-. Adding in that he has learned over the years from David Clarkson tells me he has a good idea of what his path to the higher levels is. I am not super high on the pick, but he could surprise.
With the third-to-last pick of the draft, it’s almost impossible to project a future NHLer. But we will be hoping that Quinn McKenzie, who honestly had a decent draft season with 51 points in 65 OHL games, has something in store for us. Selected 222nd overall, McKenzie grades rather well as a defensive forward with some offensive and transitional drive in microstat evaluations, though he does have a bit of a turnover problem. Scouts regard McKenzie as a super high motor player, with Brock Otten from OHL Prospects saying, “he reminds me a bit of when you hit the Go-Kart track.” McKenzie will need that motor to make his game work at his smaller stature, but I would give this pick a A, all things considered. Even though McKenzie is not in the HockeyProspecting database, Thomas Vandenberg, who went in the fourth round to Los Angeles, had 50 points in 59 OHL games and had a 14% star probability with a 59% NHLer probability. With a few fewer goals and one more point in six extra games, I would estimate that McKenzie would come in around 6-8%/25-40% if he were available.
And, I mean, fun fact: if you look at the “Devils in the System” page on Elite Prospects, these are the top ten players ranked by their most recent raw production outside of NHL games:
Matias Vanhanen, 87 points in the WHL
Lavr Gashilov, 69 points in the MHL
Quinn McKenzie, 51 points in the OHL
Jeremy Hanzel, 49 points in the ECHL
Alexander Command, 45 points between the U20 Nationell (44) and U18 Region (1)
Amadeus Lombardi, 42 points in the AHL
Xavier Parent, 39 points in the AHL
David Rozsival, 37 points in the USHL
Angus Crookshank, 36 points in the AHL
Brian Halonen, 34 points in the AHL
What Sunny Mehta understood here is that not only does the prospect pipeline desperately need forwards, it needs scoring forwards. When Tom Fitzgerald made his first pick of the 2025 Draft at 50th overall, he selected Conrad Fondrk, who only had 39 points in 55 games between the U.S. National U18 Team and the USNTDP Juniors. He proceeded to have eight points in 25 NCAA games this season, the lowest of their three 2025 draftees to play NCAA games this year. North American reputations for defense don’t mean much when your players can’t put the puck in the net. Also adding a player with more AHL points than any of their potentially returning AHLers with a fourth round pick is a solid immediate depth move.
Adding a goalie, a large shutdown defenseman, and a gritty shooting forward on top of that tells me that overall, I would give Sunny Mehta about a B+ on his first NHL Draft with the Devils. Retrospectives will be telling here, but if I had to predict where I think each of these guys will end up right now, it would be this:
Alexander Command: middle six two-way all-around pest center (ideal NHL ETA: 2027-28)
Matias Vanhanen: plug-anywhere top nine playmaking wing, to be paired with shooting centers (ideal NHL ETA: 2028-29)
Nikita Shcherbakov: sixth or seventh defenseman with penalty killing use (ideal NHL ETA: 2029-30)
*Amadeus Lombardi – fourth-line center for the New Jersey Devils in 2026-27 for at least 40 games*
Lavr Gashilov: NHL power play monster and sheltered scoring line center or wing (ideal NHL ETA: 2028-29)
Daniil Rusakovich: Second or third rotational goaltender (ideal NHL ETA: 20230-31)
Luke Wilfley: AHL grit forward, probably some super-high scoring ECHL seasons or a trip overseas at some point (ideal NHL ETA: 2030-31)
Quinn McKenzie: AHL scorer or NHL high-intensity fourth-line plug-in forward who can spark teams; possibly someone who spends his 30s overseas after a few partial or full NHL seasons (ideal NHL ETA: 2030-31)
In all, I am pretty good with that draft. I don’t think it will be too long before all of Command, Vanhanen, and Gashilov are in the NHL and able to contribute, as they are the players I am definitely most hopeful for out of this year’s Devils draft pool. I think I would have preferred to see a trade with one of their second-round picks for someone who can help in 2026-27, but the Devils do have a lot of first-round draft capital to work with in their next two drafts that could be leveraged in the days after July 1, when some no-trade clauses weaken. We will see: this B+ grade is on the value and fit of the picks taken and not representative of the whole offseason, which may not even be at its peak. I am particularly excited about the fit that Command will have on the Devils, lining up behind Hischier and Hughes and possibly being the guy who successfully takes pressure off of them. Beyond Command, I think Gashilov is a steal in the making.
But what do you think of the draft as a whole? If you have not yet done so, check The Feed for any polls that are still open on the draftees, and I will update this post here with the full results when all of them close later tonight. For now, thanks for reading.
Jun 27, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31) slides into second after he hits a double in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (35-48) vs. Houston Astros (41-44)
Time/Place: 1:40 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: The Crawfish Boxes Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Jack Flaherty (1-8, 5.35 ERA) vs. RHP Hunter Brown (1-0, 1.40 ERA)
Mets 1B/DH Jorge Polanco took a big step in his recovery from Achilles bursitis on Saturday night as he resumed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse.
The veteran went hitless, but the good news is that he seemingly came out of the game feeling healthy.
“The next step is to play more games to see how that workload feels on my legs, and go from there,” Polanco said in the Mets clubhouse on Sunday, via an interpreter.
Polanco has taken this step before, however. After starting a rehab assignment in June, he was able to play just six games before the soreness in his ankle became too much to weather.
This time around, though, Polanco believes he’s in a better place, physically.
“I think I’ll be able to return, because my leg just feels stronger,” he said. “I’ve put more of a workload in there, but I’ve also been able to recover properly. So I think with that, with being strong, and just having the right plan in place, I think I’ll have a chance to return.”
He later added: “There’s still pain there, but it’s a pain that I feel like I can tolerate… I think I’m in a position right now where my ankle does feel good enough to go out there and play.”
Signed to a two-year, $40 million contract this offseason with the idea of being Pete Alonso’s everyday replacement at first base, Polanco has appeared in just 14 games, hitting .179 with one home run, three doubles, and two RBI.
Polanco has the day off on Sunday, and all minor league levels are off on Monday, giving him a couple days of rest before the next time he takes the field.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 21: Jonny DeLuca #21 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with Jonathan Aranda #8 after hitting a two-run home run to take the lead in the seventh inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Sunday, June 21, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Carlee Calfee/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 27: Travis Bazzana #37 of the Cleveland Guardians reaches third base on a single hit by Kyle Manzardo during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field on June 27, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jun 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starter Emerson Hancock (26) delivers a pitch second inning against the Boston Red Sox at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
A three-run homer from Randy Arozarena wasn’t enough for the M’s to overcome the Guardians last night, but they’ll look to both clinch the season series against Cleveland today and avoid setting a franchise record for consecutive games of scoring three or fewer runs.
Lineups:
Dominic Canzone unsurprisingly has the day off due to his hamstring acting up, and Luke Raley has the day off, so Víctor Robles will round out the lineup in right field. Mitch Garver will be behind the plate while Cal Raleigh DHs, and the Cole/Colt duo moves up to the sixth and seventh spots.
Chase DeLauter, who you may remember terrorizing the M’s in the first series of the season, was activated from the IL this morning. DeLauter has a fractured rib and was placed on the injured list on the 17th. These guys are not human, I tell you. Gavin Williams gets the ball, and he has scuffled a bit after a scintillating start to the year. Let’s hope that trend continues today.
In the blink of an eye, the Boston Celtics went from rumored “front runners” in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes to the unknown aftermath of tossing franchise star Jaylen Brown into the spotlight of trade rumors.
Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens was willing to part ways with Brown alongside two future first-round picks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, before the Miami Heat swooped in and landed the Greek Freak instead. Since then, Stevens expressed his empathy for Brown during his NBA Draft press conference on Tuesday, acknowledging the national attention the 2024 NBA Finals MVP has drawn in recent weeks.
It’s become a situation the organization itself created. Stevens did his due diligence as the front office’s head honcho by peeking into the cost of bringing Giannis to Boston. That’s fine. The issue is that the Celtics got so deep into the negotiations that they put themselves in a must-win race against Miami. Taking the possible ramifications into consideration should’ve been enough to ensure Antetokounmpo would become a Celtic this offseason.
Yet, while Giannis gets settled in South Beach with Pat Riley and Bam Adebayo, Stevens and the Celtics can only watch as Brown deals with the spotlight that remains on him. The optics of another Boston pursuit with a superstar, in which Brown is the centerpiece of a Celtics offer, don’t bode well for the franchise from an outside perspective.
Last season, Brown did his job — really, really well actually. Even without the assistance of Jayson Tatum for the first 62 games of the season, Brown turned doubt into fuel in two ways: first, by becoming a league MVP finalist and then by turning the unproven Celtics into a 56-win contender. Brown made the ultimate best of Boston’s yard sale last offseason, all without any complaints. He took the likes of Hugo González, Neemias Queta, and Jordan Walsh all under his wing and filled the entire locker room with confidence after their 0-3 start.
BOSTON, MA – MAY 2: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Brown led the Celtics to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, turning a roster viewed as a team built to tank into the NBA’s third-best.
At every turn imaginable, whatever the Celtics have needed from Brown, he’s delivered. From coming off the bench as a lottery selection his rookie year, to playing selfless basketball with Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday in exchange for a championship. Brown has always been a team player, despite his vented frustrations throughout the years.
Therefore, it’s time the Celtics do the same in the aftermath of their failed run at acquiring Giannis.
Brown hasn’t escaped the rumor mill. Each day, another report surfaces with all signs pointing toward the Celtics still fielding offers. According to HoopHype’s Michael Scotto, the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, and Los Angeles Clippers are among those interested in Brown. The New Orleans Pelicans, Houston Rockets, and Orlando Magic, too, had expressed previous interest but are no longer viewed as teams “in the mix.”
Stevens was already weighing enough risk in pursuing Giannis — like durability and committing to Boston — and that was for a two-time MVP. But of the six teams reportedly linked to Brown, including the three no longer viewed as suitors, none bring anything to the table like the Milwaukee Bucks did with Giannis. So realistically, any Brown swap would be a downgrade from what the Celtics could’ve had with Giannis, making the best route simple: clean up whatever feelings may or may not exist with Brown and stand pat.
Trading Brown for a Giannis-like haul headlined by future first-round picks doesn’t help the Celtics get the most out of Tatum’s prime or extend their title window. For the Bucks, it made sense. For the Celtics, it’s a head-scratcher. Boston and Milwaukee are, by no measure, in the same position this offseason. Therefore, the Celtics should operate accordingly.
If Brown is undervalued by the trade market, then there’s no point in parting ways for the sake of avoiding a difficult conversation. Brown has been a member of the Celtics and an invested fixture in Boston’s community for the past decade. Stevens coached him as a rookie and has been by Brown’s side every step of the way throughout his career. This isn’t a Kyrie Irving situation, as there’s a relationship worth going the extra mile to salvage.
Brown and Tatum — at the very least — keep the Celtics competitive when together. That’s the baseline. Depth and playstyle are adjustments that can be made without splitting the two up, so what’s the case for doing so? Unless Brown forces the situation similar to Antetokounmpo’s with Milwaukee, the Celtics are better off staying neutral and signing Brown to the two-year, $142 million extension he’s eligible to ink in July.
It’s up to Stevens to make sure that by the time the Celtics suit up and open the season in October, they do so better than they did last season. For the time being, nothing suggests that trading Brown leads the team to that destination.
Jun 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Ryan Feltner (18) pitches in the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Thanks to the incredible power of Hunter Goodman and the purple coat, the Colorado Rockies came away with a win last night in the Twin Cities despite yet more late game drama from the bullpen. With a win this afternoon in the series finale, the Rockies can come away with a series win against the Minnesota Twins before heading back to Denver.
Making his 11th start for the Rockies this season is the right-handed Ryan Feltner. Since returning from the injured list in late May, Feltner has pitched three quality starts in five outings. He’s given up more than two earned runs just once in that stretch.
Feltner pitched six innings his last time out against the Boston Red Sox. Despite not having his sharpest stuff–giving up four hits and four walks with just two strikeouts–he gave up just two earned runs and threw 93 total pitches.
The Rockies will face their second straight Twins rookie today with left-handed pitcher Connor Prielipp on the mound. Through his first 11 career starts, Prielipp has an ERA of 5.17 with 55 strikeouts in 55.2 innings. His 3.93 FIP indicates he’s pitching better than advertised, but opposing hitters are still slashing .262/.336/.416 against him this season.
Prielipp runs a five pitch arsenal and his predominant combo is a mid-90s four-seam fastball paired with a mid-to-high 80s slider. He also throws a curveball–his best whiff and put-away pitch–a changeup, and the occasional sinker.
First Pitch: 12:10 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 27: Jorbit Vivas #84 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with James Wood #29 after scoring in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 27, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats got a much needed win to stop the bleeding last night. Now, they will look to get back to their series winning ways this afternoon. The boys have a rubber match with the Orioles. Both teams could really use this win, so this should be a hard fought contest.
Blake Butera is making a few changes to his lineup. Curtis Mead, Keibert Ruiz and Jacob Young are back in the lineup. With Mead at third, the red hot Jorbit Vivas slides over to second to give Nasim Nunez the day off. Young will be in center, with Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews manning the corners. James Wood will be in the DH spot. Zack Littell will get the ball and look to tame this O’s offense like Foster Griffin did.
The O’s are getting two players back in their lineup from the injured list. Adley Rutschman is back, and will be catching. Dylan Beavers also returns for the O’s, and he will be in right. Samuel Basallo will be at first, giving Pete Alonso DH duties. We will also see Colton Cowser for the first time in this series. Kyle Bradish has been very good lately, and gets the call for the Birds.
As mentioned, this is an important game for both teams. Hopefully the weather can hold up so we can get this in. The vibes are not fully back for the Nats yet, but things would be back on track with a win to get over .500. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
The 2026 NHL Draft has come and gone, and the Anaheim Ducks, a team who took a massive step forward in their build in 2025-26 by making the playoffs and advancing to the second round, are even younger and have even more cap space than they did on Friday morning.
Friday’s Day 1 of the draft is one of the bigger organizational shifts in the history of the Ducks franchise, as they parted with two pieces that had become NHL regulars in Mason McTavish (3rd overall in 2021) and Olen Zellweger (33rd in ’21) in exchange for two first-round picks (15th overall and 29th overall) in the 2026 draft, a second-round pick (45th overall) in the 2026 draft, and forward prospect Anton Wahlberg (39th in ’23).
As it stands, the Ducks have nine NHL forwards, four defensemen, and two goaltenders under contract for the 2026-27 season, with four RFAs in need of new deals. One of their NHL forwards is Troy Terry, who will miss approximately 25-35 games to start the season as he recovers from hip surgery.
A glance at the depth chart will reveal the Ducks have holes up and down their lineup with NHL Free Agency set to begin in just three days, on July 1 at 9 AM PT. With two of their most valuable roster trade chips already moved, the Ducks may have to find a trade partner who covets futures if they intend to improve their roster via the trade market.
That brings us to Free Agency.
The Ducks currently have a projected $44.6 million in cap space, and the biggest items presumably on their shopping list are one or two top-four defensemen to play alongside Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, a middle-six center upgrade, and one or two complementary wingers to balance out the depth chart.
The 2026 Free Agency class is notoriously barren, especially at Anaheim’s two biggest areas of need: right-shot defense and center.
Defense
Two of the top three UFA right-shot defensemen are former Ducks Jacob Trouba and John Carlson (though the Carolina Hurricanes traded for his signing rights), who are both reported to be heading to market and unlikely to return to Anaheim. Another player seemingly heading to market is Radko Gudas, which leaves Rasmus Andersson, Andrew Peeke, Troy Stecher, and Vincent Desharnais as the only available RHDs who played top-four minutes a year ago and who aren’t former Ducks.
An unorthodox, but perhaps necessary, approach if the Ducks intend to improve their blueline this offseason would be to target players who shoot left and deploy a lineup with one or two left shots on the right side. Doing so would open up countless options on the trade and free agency markets, as left shots are in far less demand league-wide. It’s a proven viable strategy, as each of the last four Stanley Cup-winning teams (2023 Vegas Golden Knights, 2024 Florida Panthers, 2025 Florida Panthers, 2026 Carolina Hurricanes) iced a lineup that featured four left shots and two right shots on their blueline, which should increase confidence in the strategy for teams.
In terms of the free-agent class, opting to target left-shot defensemen would allow the Ducks to pursue a higher number of players who fit their depth chart, such as Mario Ferraro, Ryan Shea, Jeremy Lauzon, Jamie Oleksiak, and Logan Stanley.
Forwards
If they can’t improve through trade, the Ducks may be forced to enter the season with what they currently have in the organization down the middle. The only projected UFA forwards capable of playing middle-six center minutes are Boone Jenner and Erik Haula. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek stated after the first round of the NHL draft that the Ducks have organizational options at the position, and mentioned specifically Mikael Granlund, along with the potential of prospect Roger McQueen or Cutter Gauthier filling in down the middle in the upcoming season.
If improving down the middle is too tall an order, there are several useful wingers available on the market. As mentioned, Terry will miss the opening stretch of the upcoming season, and veterans like Alex Killorn and Chris Kreider aren’t getting younger and will be lucky to maintain their output from the 2025-26 season.
Sophomore Beckett Sennecke may be rendered as the only bona fide top-six winger on the Ducks’ current roster. The hope of a bounce-back season from Frank Vatrano or breakouts from younger players like Nikita Nesterenko, Sam Colangelo, or another from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL are possible, but less likely outcomes.
The trade market will likely feature several quality available wingers, but in the UFA market, wingers like Mats Zuccarello, Ilya Mikheyev, Mason Marchment, Jaden Schwartz, Eeli Tolvanen, Kasperi Kapanen, Anthony Mantha, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Anders Lee each offer differing, yet intriguing potential for the Ducks. Perhaps even a reunion between former Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane and former Hawks head coach Joel Quenneville could offer an interesting storyline.
Moving Forward
Though the Ducks may not be able to directly fill needs in the next week or even between now and training camp, there are options available for them to improve the roster as a whole. There’s a real possibility that adding along the wing and bringing in a left-shot or two to solidify their blueline could keep the Ducks afloat in the 2026-27 standings long enough for Terry to return to the lineup and/or allow a potential breakout campaign from a younger player who could become a big piece of the team’s future like Jackson LaCombe did a couple of seasons ago.
Relying on a breakout season isn’t a recommended strategy, but one wouldn’t be too surprised to see a player like Roger McQueen or Tristan Luneau immediately contribute, or even see a player like Sam Colangelo or Ian Moore elevate their game if afforded the opportunity to do so.
