CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Otega Oweh looks on during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 12, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. 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 Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Good morning, BBN!
Day 1 of the NBA Draft was a success, with so many kids realizing their childhood dreams.
Despite the up-and-down story of his time at UK, I’m happy for the kid. He’s worked really hard to get to this point, and I hope he has a very successful NBA career.
However, with Day 1 wrapped up, Day 2 should bring some great stories as well. Most important for UK fans is seeing where UK legend Otega Oweh ends up.
He’s been all over NBA Draft boards for the second round, with some not even having him be taken. Hopefully, that’s not the case, and he gets drafted sooner rather than later.
The Boston Celtics selected Houston center Chris Cenac Jr. with the No. 27 overall pick in Tuesday’s first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, but the main topic of discussion during team president of basketball operations Brad Stevens’ press conference at the end of the night was Jaylen Brown’s future with the franchise.
Brown reportedly was part of a trade offer the Celtics made to the Milwaukee Bucks for superstar big man Giannis Ante. The Bucks ultimately chose to send Ante to the Heat late Monday night and accept Miami’s trade package instead.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday afternoon the Celtics were “listening” to teams calling about Brown.
Stevens said he’s been in contact with Brown throughout the offseason.
“We had a couple of meetings earlier at the end of May, also before he went back overseas a couple of days ago, or 10 days ago or so,” Stevens said. “Spent a lot of time just the two of us sitting down together, and then have been, like every offseason, in regular touch with his agent all the way through the last couple of days. Obviously, with all the rumor mill and all that stuff, and his name being splashed all over the place, that’s not easy – but we certainly wanted to be as proactive and upfront with that as possible, and I thought we had really good, candid conversations.”
Stevens was asked if Brown will be on the Celtics at the beginning of next season.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said. “I’m never going to predict the future, but every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right? So obviously, you never know.
“But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate, a great person to be around. And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires, or before, there’s a lot to celebrate. We have a great relationship, an open relationship where we talk about everything. But I don’t want to predict the future. I look at it as, this is our team.”
Sixers new President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey made his first significant move since joining the franchise last night, selecting Labaron Philon Jr. out of Alabama with the 22nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The pick was a bit of a surprise to many, including Gansey himself, who had Philon higher on the team’s draft board.
“Little bit surprised he fell to us,” Gansey said. “but there’s so many good guards in this draft that all those guys who went in the teens, they might be top 10 in normal drafts. … He was someone we just couldn’t pass up.”
As with every draft pick, the people that made the Sixers’ pick were pleased. But what about the self-appointed “experts” across the NBA universe? How did they evaluate Philon? We scoured the Interwebs to find out.
Vecenie: “His improvement as an on-ball player this season while transitioning into that role could not have gone better, as he led the Alabama offense to a top-three mark in the country while putting up video-game-like numbers.”
Hollinger: “A scoring guard with a splendid array of finishes, Philon should add some juice to the non-Tyrese Maxey minutes in Philly once he gets his NBA sea legs. The Sixers have no viable backup point guard at the moment, so Philon could play right away.”
Bobby Marks, ESPN – Calls Philon the best pick of the first round
“I ranked the Alabama guard as the 13th-best prospect in the draft. What stood out for me is how Philon took the constructive criticism from the 2025 draft combine and applied it this past season. He improved his 3-point shooting from 32% to 40%.
The biggest takeaway is that NBA teams wanted to see Philon as a primary playmaker — he averaged 5.1 assists as a sophomore at Alabama. With the 76ers, Philon will join an explosive backcourt with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.”
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo! Sports Senior NBA Analyst – Grade: B
“While Philon appears to be a good value pick at this point, it’s an odd fit for a Philly backcourt that suddenly feels a bit light with him, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe… Philon is also a below-the-rim athlete and is listed under 180 pounds, so his slight frame remains the one thing standing between him and stardom. Is this a team that actually cares about competing today or is this more of a pick for the future?”
Adam Finkelstein, CBS Sports Director of Basketball Scouting – Grade: B+
“Philon gives Philadelphia a dynamic scorer who attacks with pace, has worked his way into a shot-maker, and showed more defensive chops as a freshman. A gifted shot creator, Philon stuffed the stat sheet as the focal point of one of college basketball’s fastest offenses, and did it with 50/40/80 shooting splits. If he can tap back into some of the defensive tools he showed as a freshman, there could be real value here.”
Kurt Helin, Lead NBA Writer, NBCSports.com – Grade: B
“In the modern NBA, you can’t have enough shot creations, and while the 76ers have some dynamic guards in-house already (Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe), Philon could be a high-level reserve. He is a high-IQ, very skilled player who can run a team and get buckets. There are questions about his ceiling, but at pick 22 it’s worth the risk.”
Steph Noh, Senior NBA Writer, The Sporting News – Grade: B+
“Philon is a crafty guard who figures out ways to get into the paint and get his shot off. He greatly improved his shooting as a sophomore, hitting 40 percent from deep last season. He’s a good-not-great passer who can add some secondary playmaking. His defense wasn’t great last season, but he did show better skill two years ago with a smaller offensive role as a point-of-attack menace.”
The Warriors clearly thought very highly of University of Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
Not only did Golden State select the 6-foot-9 wing with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night, but had him ranked as one of its top prospects in what was widely considered a very deep draft.
The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami reported in his latest column, citing a team source, that the Warriors only had one other prospect ranked higher on their board than Lendeborg.
“One team source indicated that the Warriors had Lendeborg rated about even with [Brayden] Burries and only had Duke’s Cam Boozer clearly placed on a higher level in this draft,” Kawakami wrote.
“That might or might not be some slight retro-editing of their true big board (they weren’t going to take a lead guard in this draft and that position dominated the top nine selections). But either way, the Warriors definitely always were very high on Lendeborg and definitely always weren’t so worried about his birthdate.”
The soon-to-be 24-year-old Lendeborg was one of a few prospects frequently mocked to Golden State in the weeks leading up to the draft for his potential fit with the Warriors, which the team, according to Kawakami’s report, clearly valued over some of the other consensus top prospects, most of which were guards, in the picks leading up to Golden State’s No. 11 selection.
Boozer, the only prospect the Warriors reportedly had ranked higher on their board than Lendeborg, was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the No. 3 pick.
Of course, as Kawakami alludes to, teams frequently state after the fact that the player they ended up selecting was one of, if not their highest-ranked prospect coming into the draft.
Whether or not that actually was true.
Regardless of where the Warriors actually had Lendeborg ranked pre-draft, it’s no secret the organization genuinely is excited about the pick.
Jayden Quaintance is a very talented basketball player.
Need proof? Quaintance was drafted 20th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Draft Tuesday night, despite potentially needing a procedure that could sideline him for a good chunk of his rookie season.
Players have to have talent to be drafted into the NBA, so that tells you how talented Quaintance is. Even though we only saw him for four games in Kentucky last year, he showed why the Cats coveted him in the transfer portal.
Quaintance missed most of last season, either recovering from a torn ACL or managing the same knee he injured in his freshman season in 2025 at Arizona State. While that knee is fully intact, Dr. Riley Williams III — head team physician and orthopedic surgeon for the Brooklyn Nets and famous for performing surgery on Paul George’s gruesome open tibia-fibula fracture with USA Basketball in 2014– recommended a follow-up procedure that could keep him off the floor for six months, according to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim.
Six months. That’s at least until December.
You have to feel for Quaintance. None of this is his fault. Injuries happen. By the time he takes the floor with the Spurs, if he has this procedure, it will have been nearly two years since he originally tore his ACL. That’s a long time to be dealing with a significant injury.
The good news is that San Antonio is a great destination for Quaintance. A model organization that is coming off an NBA Finals berth and has a budding superstar in Victor Wembanyama. We will see a lot of Quaintance once he’s able to take the floor, given that the Spurs will be on national television many times this upcoming season.
The goal for Quaintance is a long career. That is why caution may be the best approach.
Following the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, Sean Marks faced, through a screen, bewildered media simply trying to make sense of what the hell had just happened. The Brooklyn Nets not only did not trade any of their five first-round picks, but, judging by consensus, reached on plenty of prospects. The first season of tanking had come and gone without an exciting swing to show for it. Consensus can be and is often wrong, but after June 25, 2025, the Nets felt like a franchise gone haywire.
On the morning of June 24, 2026, the Nets are a franchise ready to face the day. They have not been handed ideal circumstances. The road ahead is not going to be easy. But cautious optimism is warranted.
Brooklyn took Mikel Brown Jr. at #6 overall, a prospect they were heavily linked to in the days leading up to the draft but by no means the safe option. He missed a handful of games at Louisville with a bad back, posted a 45.7 eFG% against top 50 NCAA teams, didn’t play much defense, and struggled to protect the ball. But one look at the highlight tape — full of strong finishes, whirlwind passes, and pull-ups from another county — lights a fire…
Jordi Fernández has squeezed more than he had any right to out of his guards over the last couple seasons, providing Shake Milton an NBA swan song, Dennis Schröder the best stretch of his career, and Nolan Traore (perhaps the league’s worst scorer as a rookie) weeks of decent production. Now, Fernández has Mikel Brown Jr.
When asked what stood out about the 20-year-old, Sean Marks said: “Just how dynamic of a player he is. A playmaker, a scorer, the pace with which he played the game. I think he’s a cerebral player, has really great feel, and just excited to get a guy like that who has some intangible skills as well. When you look how athletic he is, as I mentioned before, the speed with which he can play, those things translate to our league. And then you get to meet the guy, you know, and he really has a chip on his shoulder, he really has something to prove, and I think those are some of the things that stood out to us.”
By trading Nic Claxton for Julius Randle, Brooklyn’s short-term mission is clear: Win a few more games. They have a stable of decent rotation players that, if nothing else, shouldn’t be destructive in their minutes, from Ziaire Williams to Day’Ron Sharpe to Josh Minott. Even Egor Dëmin fits that bill as a complementary piece with room to grow.
Brown Jr. is what they didn’t have, a dynamic young player whom fans can dream about. He is not Yaxel Lendeborg or Aday Mara or even Kingston Flemings; they could all be better than Brown Jr., who was not the safe pick … but that’s exciting.
During his rocky season at Louisville, Brown Jr.’s commitment was questioned repeatedly by a rabid college fanbase, and later by NBA scouts. His maturity, his resiliency, his father’s involvement were all put under a microscope. The Brooklyn Nets, per MBJ’s admission, met with him three times including a visit to his home in Florida.
“It’s really important to see how what makes these guys tick,” said Marks. “Where they come from, why they have the habits they have, you know, and their parents have a lot to do with it. And it was an absolute pleasure to meet the parents of Mikel, and get to see his family background and see where he’s from, and sort of the history of how he’s grown up, and so forth.”
Brooklyn did far more than their due diligence and took Brown Jr. anyway. For a franchise infamously committed to off-court character, this should relieve Nets fans. It is the inverse of what the Sacramento Kings did, taking Alex Karaban at #29 overall due to his winning reputation as a UCONN Husky, a clear attempt to bring a “high-character” rookie into their locker room even if his basketball talent did not merit a first-round selection.
Said Marks: “I think something that we saw with Mikel … was just how anxious and excited he was about getting out there in the NBA. Getting out there: ‘I’ve got something to prove.’ You know, it’s hard to measure but I think that’s something that will definitely translate, when you have a chip on your shoulder and you’re an extreme competitor.”
At #28, the Nets drafted another competitor, lauded for not just his playmaking but his toughness in Joshua Jefferson. And, finally, a guy with a BMI over 20! Our tremendous draft guide over at Swish Theory called the Iowa State product “one of the best 240-pound passers in the world” already, and it’s tough to argue with…
Joshua Jefferson – who has elite vision for a big and is a downhill threat – joins the Nets
– Elite passing metrics (27.7 ast %) – Efficient scoring on volume – Lockdown D (5.5 DBPM) – Strong scoring instincts – Insane defensive tape – High usage, low TOs pic.twitter.com/feP40lg0os
“Josh was a guy that we have absolutely been all over all year long,” said Marks, “and watched just how he played the game. You know, his skill set definitely translates. High IQ, and I think when you watch him play, and I said before: Iowa State plays through him. His teammates feed off of him, he’s definitely a facilitator out there, the toughness that he has, there was a lot of intangibles, and then he’s a winner. An absolute, flat-out winner.”
Jefferson, of course, does not arrive without concerns. As a 22-year-old, he’ll be expected to produce quickly even in a crowded forward room with Danny Wolf and Noah Clowney, not to mention Julius Randle. He is not a plus-vertical athlete for his size, and his scoring numbers left much to be desired in his senior season, perhaps plagued by a loose handle and lack of burst around the rim.
But Jefferson can clearly play, and throughout the season frequently got late-lotto buzz. This feels like the happy medium of Brooklyn valuing pedigree and production, even if he is an older prospect.
Sean Marks is already thinking about where the burly forward can fit in, too: “The way Josh plays with the ball, the DHOs, the reads, the passing ability — that is absolutely going to fit within Jordi’s system and Jordi’s style, and how he wants to play. Mikel, the same thing: He can break down defenses his speed, his craftiness, and obviously, athleticism yet again. Those things — you hear Jordi talk about paint touches all the time.”
It’s not that Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson are guaranteed to be productive NBA players. Far from it. Rather, it feels like the Brooklyn Nets have made the most of a mediocre situation, unafraid to trade for Julius Randle even if it invites insulting comparisons to the New York Knicks. They made no bones about selecting a potentially electric scoring guard, giving fans something to cheer about while doing their homework on the kid. What does it mean for Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf? That doesn’t matter right now; if Jefferson is quickly better than Wolf and Clowney, that shouldn’t matter either.
“I’m excited to see the current roster grow,” said Marks. “I’m going to start to see what falls our way, whether it’s in free agency or trades. I mean, we’ve kept ultimate flexibility over the last year or two, and I think we’ll continue to do that. And then, at the right particular time, when guys that we feel have that real Brooklyn grit — which is what we want to add — and we see them in here long term with us and they can continue to take us to another step in the right direction, we’ll add those guys to this to this group.”
I begrudge no Nets fan for bemoaning the results of the last two NBA Draft Lotteries. Egor Dëmin seems like a functional rotation piece, alas it’s hard not to wonder about what could have been. Same goes for this year, even if Brown Jr. explodes out of the gate. But while Brooklyn may not be a championship contender anytime soon, they are putting one foot in front of the other. They should be easy, if not enjoyable to watch next season. And as Marks alluded to, they still have 11 future firsts to throw around in the trade market.
Much is riding on Mikel Brown Jr.’s thin shoulders. He is not just the most exciting, but the most important rookie the Nets have had since moving into Barclays Center.
Morgan Rielly’s long and distinguished chapter with the Toronto Maple Leafs may be approaching its final pages. Late Tuesday, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported that Rielly’s agent, J.P. Barry, has submitted a list of four Western-based teams the veteran defenseman would be willing to join in a trade. The list is fluid; Dreger noted it will be evaluated team-by-team and could expand based on fit and circumstances.
In the 2025-26 regular season, Rielly skated in 78 games and recorded 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points while posting a minus-18 rating. It was a down year by his standards for a player long counted on for his elite skating, transitional play, and steady presence on the back end.
A Shift in Stance?
What makes Tuesday’s development noteworthy is the apparent change in posture. Rielly has historically been one of the organization’s most vocal supporters of staying in Toronto. Past trade speculation was routinely shut down, and he has spoken publicly about his desire to remain a Maple Leaf through multiple front-office regimes. Recent reporting, however, suggests the longest-serving Leaf has become more open to a move under the new front office led by general manager John Chayka.
Morgan Rielly’s agent J.P Barry has submitted a list of 4 Western based teams Rielly is willing to go to. This will be a team by team assessment and depending on the fit, there could be some flexibility to add teams to the list.
The fact that Rielly’s agent provided a short list of Western destinations signals that conversations between the player and the organization have advanced beyond preliminary discussions. While no trade is imminent and the process remains in the early, exploratory stage, the move represents the clearest indication yet that Rielly and the Leafs are aligned on at least testing the market.
Contract Realities and Market Context
Any potential deal is complicated by the combination of Rielly’s age, recent production, and the $7.5-million cap hit. At 32, he is no longer the dynamic, high-minute driver he was in his prime, yet he remains a respected veteran who can still log significant even-strength minutes and contribute on the power play. Teams acquiring him would be taking on real money for a player whose underlying numbers and plus/minus have declined.
Western Conference clubs with cap flexibility or specific defensive needs, San Jose, Utah, Anaheim, and others frequently mentioned in speculation, could view Rielly as a short-term veteran addition who brings leadership and playoff experience. Because the list is limited to Western teams and remains subject to expansion only where fit exists, the Leafs’ options are narrower than they would be in a fully open market.
What Toronto Might Receive
Returns for a player in this situation are typically modest. Comparable recent deals involving veteran defensemen with similar cap hits and no-move protection have produced mid-round picks, prospects, or salary retention as sweeteners rather than blue-chip assets. The Leafs, under Chayka, appear willing to explore case-by-case offers rather than force a deadline deal. With the NHL Draft approaching, Toronto holds leverage to wait for the right partner rather than accept a lowball offer simply to move the contract.
Franchise Implications
For the Maple Leafs, trading Rielly would close a significant chapter. He has been a constant through the team’s transition from lottery participant to perennial contender and back again. His departure would accelerate the roster turnover already underway and free both cap space and a top-pairing role for younger or incoming defensemen. It would also send a clear signal about the new regime’s willingness to make difficult, asset-driven decisions even when they involve franchise icons.
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The Mud Hens got a great performance out of their bullpen, and the lineup pounded out eight hits, including the first knocks for Brett Callahan and John Peck in their Triple-A debuts, to win on Tuesday.
Jack Little, Brenan Hanifee, Matt Seelinger, and Woo-Suk Go each tossed two innings in this one. Hanifee allowed an unearned run after a Max Anderson error kept the third inning going, but that was it. Tanner Rainey also fired a scoreless inning of work.
Jace Jung singled in the top of the third and later scored on an Anderson single to open the scoring, so it was 1-1 game early on. In the fourth, Gage Workman led off with a walk and moved to third on John Peck’s single. A wild pitch later brought Workman in as the go-ahead, and ultimately the game winning run.
In the sixth, Workman again led off with a walk and advanced on a Callahan single. Singles from Corey Julks and then Jung brought both runners in for a 4-1 lead, and that was all that was required.
Brett Callahan yanks a single to right at 104 MPH for his first Triple-A hit. pic.twitter.com/RglmNkm9qc
Jack Flaherty looked good to go, and the SeaWolves offense cracked four home runs in this one as Thayron Liranzo and Izaac Pacheco continue to do a lot of damage.
Flaherty allowed a pair of solo shots, but otherwise went 5.2 innings allowing just those two runs, and only one other hit. He struck out seven and threw 83 pitches, so he’s seemingly ready to return when eligible.
Liranzo lifted a towering solo shot to right in the fourth inning with two outs to tie the game up 1-1. Chris Meyers followed with a double, and Garrett Pennington showed out in his Double-A debut, mashing a two-run shot the opposite way for a 3-1 lead.
Pacheco followed him with an absolutely monstrous blast to right center field. The third baseman’s 12th shot of the year made it a 4-1 game, but the SeaWolves weren’t done in the inning. Max Burt singled and E.J. Exposito also went yard for a 6-0 lead. All of that with two outs.
Izaac Pacheco demolishes this pitch for a solo homer to right center. It’s his 12th home run of the year, and Erie’s third longball of the inning. pic.twitter.com/7UpVuknG7H
Liranzo doubled with two-outs in the fifth as well, scoring on a Meyers double. In the seventh, three walks loaded the bases for the SeaWolves and Pennington cashed in two of them with a line drive single to center field. 9-2 SeaWolves, and they would tack on a run in the eighth when Burt singled, took second on a balk, and then scored on an Exposito single.
Lael Lockhart cruised through the final three innings to put this one away.
Liranzo: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, HR, BB
Pennington: 2-4, R, 4 RBI, HR, K
Meyers: 2-4, R, RBI, 2 2B, K
Flaherty: 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 7 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start at UPMC Park on Wednesday.
Dayton Dragons: 8, West Michigan Whitecaps 5 (box)
The offense had a pretty good night, but they still failed to capitalize on plenty of scoring opportunities in this one. Meanwhile the bullpen crumbled to lose a close game late.
Zack Lee gave the ‘Caps a nice spot start, tossing three shutout innings with five strikeouts to start things off right.
The Whitecaps loaded the bases in the first but couldn’t score. In the second, Samuel Gil led off and Patrick Lee walked with one out. Woody Hadeen grounded into a force of Lee, but Bryce Rainer smoked a drive to center field to plate both runs for a 2-0 lead.
Bryce Rainer smokes a 2-run double into the gap to give West Michigan the lead. pic.twitter.com/wbiFaNoKqz
Juanmi Vasquez took over for the ‘Caps in the fourth and was promptly knocked around for four runs. He did get some help from Hadeen and Rainer to escape.
So it was 4-2 Dragons in the top of the sixth. Patrick Lee led off with a double and Rainer and Ricardo Hurtado walked to load the bases. Lee scored on a Jackson Strong ground out, and after the Dragons went to the pen, the new reliever balked in Rainer from third. So it was all tied up at 4-4.
Patrick Lee would launch a solo shot in the eighth, completing a heck of a return to action after a rehab stint in the Complex League.
Unfortunately, Eliseo Mota’s High-A debut saw him allow a run in two innings of work. Carlos Lequerica then crumbled for a three-run bottom of the eighth that was the difference in this one.
Lee: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, HR, BB
Rainer: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB, K
Zack Lee: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps look to even the series at 7:05 p.m. ET in Dayton on Wednesday.
Grayson Grinsell settled in for a good start after allowing two runs in the first, but the bullpen kept leaking and the offense didn’t get much going in this one.
The left-hander scattered five hits without a walk, striking out five. Jorge Guzman allowed three runs in the sixth, and Jan Carabello allowed a run in the seventh.
Meanwhile the offense was doing very little. Carson Rucker stayed hot with three hits, and the team drew five walks, but they were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Finally in the eighth, Edian Espinal singled and took second on a throwing error. The young catcher holds a .936 OPS this year. With one out, Jude Warwick singled him in and then he took second on a passed ball. Jesus Pinto struck out, but another wild pitch got Warwick to third, and a bliner from Rucker scored the run.
That was about it for the offense though.
Rucker: 3-4, RBI
Yost: 1-3, BB, K
Espinal: 1-3, R, 2 BB, K
Grinsell (L, 4-3): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
Jhonan Coba was knocked around for the first time, giving up six runs over four innings of work. The bullpen, however, was nails and the Tigers blew up the Yankees with a seven run fourth inning and pulled away to win.
Cristian Perez homered and had two hits, while Steven Madero chipped in three of his own. Cris Rodriguez and Santiago Pinto drove in five runs between them.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 29: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees gets ready to bat against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on May 29, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The city of New York is on a high right now, still celebrating the Knicks’ first championship in 53 years. Though the Knicks will have every chance to return to the NBA Finals next year, observers of the team and the NBA at large knew that this season was a crucial chance for the Knicks, 2026 representing possibly their best opportunity to win a title with their current core.
Now, if you took that last sentence and swapped out the word “Knicks” for “Yankees”, would it still hold true?
Every season of Aaron Judge’s prime that has passed without a World Series championship has been lamented as a missed opportunity, but it’s worth wondering now if this is truly the team’s biggest chance. The way the 2026 American League has developed means that New York has a huge opportunity that they should (must?) convert on.
Take a look at the AL standings. At time of writing, the Yankees have a +111 run differential, tops in the Junior Circuit. The second-best run differential belongs to the Mariners, who are miles back at +18. In third are the Rays at +0. There are two (2!) teams in the American League that have outscored their opponents thus far!
The Yankees have played an entirely different caliber of baseball this year than the rest of the AL. And if we turn our sights to the future, it’s not like we should expect one of the league’s middling clubs to suddenly turn things around and surpass New York down the stretch. The Yankees are easily first in the AL in FanGraphs’ projected rest-of-season WAR, with only the Mariners and Blue Jays in the same ballpark.
There’s obviously a prime opportunity here. But does all this mean that this is the opportunity for the Yankees? On that score, I’m not completely sure. The Yankees have lapped the AL in quality of play mostly with their Captain either on the IL or playing hurt. That they’ve done so suggests that, while Aaron Judge’s reign as the game’s premier hitter could be coming to a close, the team is positioned to continue to contend at a high level even as Judge ages.
There’s enough young or prime-aged talent here performing with Judge injured that the Yankees should feel confident about the future. This year might be their best shot, or, perhaps Judge has a healthier 2027, and the team actually comes back next year with an even better opportunity, with Judge backed by a better supporting cast than he’s had in years.
What do you think? Is it now or never for New York? Or will they have just as promising opportunities in the future?
On the site today, you can check out Madison recap of Tuesday night’s American League action, as well as Peter’s At-Bat of the Week, which features Ali Sánchez. Also, Scott analyzes the first half of the season for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, and John writes up Phil Hughes, the once top Yankees pitching prospect who turns 40-years old-today.
I suppose you expect us to embrace you now… | Getty Images
The Brady Tkachuk trade was only the beginning; lots of trades of name players continue to roll around the league in the lead-up to the draft.
Meanwhile, the Islanders made a front-office move that I will take some getting used to, because I’m petty like that.
Islanders News
The Islanders have drafted 13th overall twice before, to bipolar results. [Isles]
Get ready to talk yourself into rooting Pascal Dupuis or, alternately, harshly judging his work as the ex-NHLer who is heavy with the Stench of Penguin has joined the Islanders front office as Director of Player Development. [Isles]
Here’s the Isles draft hub, where you can remind yourself that the second of their five picks isn’t until the fourth round. [Isles]
Elsewhere
Holy cow, Bowen Byram got his trade wish and was sent to {gulp} Chicago for the 4th overall pick. Also exchanged were a 2nd-rounder and Jordan Greenway. [NHL]
The Senators sent their 9th overall pick to San Jose for William Eklund. [Sportsnet]
The Flames acquired Simon Nemec (and Max Tsyplakov!) for top-10-protected first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. [TSN]
The Blues traded Jordan Kyrou to the Capitals for a good haul, no-longer-so-young forward Connor McMichael, prospect Milton “stapler” Gaston and the 16th overall pick. Kyrou, who has five years left on a deal with a $8.125 million AAV, had become a whipping boy among fans (I was one holding said whip) and was healthy scratched by a succession of coaches, but hopefully he thrives with a fresh start under Spencer Carbery. [NHL]
(A Blues beatwriter did mention at one point that Kyrou might be open to a trade to Long Island, alas the Lighthouse Hockey manager was not open to such a move. But still: we’re not on EVERYone’s no-trade list!)
Morgan Rielly [sic] has submitted a list of teams he’d OK a trade to, including four Western teams. [TSN]
The Faustian Oilers say they are willing to do whatever Mike Babcock says to win. Good luck, guys! Whenever I think the Islanders franchise is paying a long-term debt for their ’80s success I look at Edmonton and think…yeah, that theory may have legs. [NHL]
Babcock chose his introductory press conference to indirectly defend how he treated Mike Modano at the end of his career, ’cause he’s one class act. To borrow from Radiohead’s Exit Music: “We hope…that you choke.” [NHL]
From the Mind of Mirtle: “NHL’s Canada-to-U.S. Talent Drain Starting to be a Problem for the League.” (Yeah…like how Dylan Larkin wants out of…Detroit and Jack Eichel wanted out of…Buffalo, and John Tavares wanted out of Long Island.) [Athletic]
This should help: NHL enters a “term sheet” with the owner of Everton and Roma to explore NHL expansion in Texas — either Houston or Austin. [NHL | Athletic]
Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; With the first pick in the 2026 NBA draft the Washington Wizards selected BYU forward AJ Dybantsa at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
AJ Dybantsa is a Washington Wizard, and to a greater extent than we’ve seen in years, it feels like the Wizards’ core is set.
Unlike many No. 1 picks, Dybantsa is not walking into a blank slate. He is joining a core of touted young players and a pair of expensive former All-Stars. The tricky thing is that, for all the talent here, there is no winning history or proof of concept with this core. It needed another piece.
Dybantsa, as a prototypical do-it-all wing scorer, is the kind of player that profiles as a missing piece. He joins Trae Young, newly signed to a four-year, near-max contract, as the Wizards front office expected to take this team from brief, shimmering glimpses to a real, consistent, winning NBA outfit.
This is, of course, not an easy transition. The Wizards played a chaotic, ball-flies-everywhere style last season, which only faintly resembled winning basketball. Young will be expected to settle things down and run a coherent offense. Dybantsa will be told to plug as many gaps as he can — making possible both big and small lineups, defending good players, taking bail-out fallaway jumpers.
Asked ad nauseum after the draft about what he brings to the team, he seemed to recognize this. He said often that his best quality is his “ability to be versatile” and “play multiple positions, guard multiple positions.” During one interview session, he made a point of emphasizing his occasionally maligned defense.
“I’m taking pride in defense, a lot,” he said. “It was kinda nice just to be a scorer at BYU, but being 6’9” with a long wingspan, being able to switch, on ball [and] off ball, I can be a pest.” He said that Wizards brass had told him during pre-draft meetings that he should be pressing full court.
Sometimes, when a guy gets taken No. 1, the surrounding roster context is an after-thought, especially when the team just went 17-65. The Wizards are coming at this from years of lottery picks and high-profile midseason trades for Young and Anthony Davis. Dybantsa repeatedly name-dropped Young and AD and acknowledged the young core in place.
He now has the opportunity to help elevate a team that is under real pressure to figure out how to win. As it stands, this is a collection of promising raw pieces, many of which fit smoothly on paper, that mostly got caved in last season by other NBA teams.
Questions remain over how they can organize their pieces. There are a lot of oversized wings here, in Dybantsa, Kyshawn George, and Bilal Coulibaly, and there is the ongoing likelihood that Alex Sarr starts the season playing in a twin towers set-up next to AD. That means they could lack dribbling and sharp passing around Young, even if they are flush with size and shotmaking.
Dybantsa takes a high volume of difficult shots, and he’s coming from a situation at BYU that required hero-ball. For maximum immediate impact, he will have to tap into a more complementary off-ball game (something he acknowledged on draft night). He should be a frequent screen-setter for Young and an active cutter and slasher. He’ll have to learn to move the ball quickly and make snappy decisions.
Their best lineups, though, are likely to include Dybantsa. He is blindingly athletic and he will be the one guy on the team — so far! — who can reliably create his own shot at will from the perimeter. Even if he is raw and spacey defensively, the tools are off the charts.
The hope is real, and the pressure is on to get this team back to relevance. Dybantsa, for all the other talent on this team, is the guy who is most capable of getting them there.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 25: Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers goes up for a shot against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Kia Center on February 25, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. 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 Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dean Wade has long been the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ only real option on the wing. That once again proved true this season when they traded De’Andre Hunter in February. Only, this time, Wade actually stepped up?
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Regular Season Stats
5.8 points
4.1 rebounds
1.5 assists
43.9% FG
36.2% 3PT FG
71.1% FT
Wade’s regular season was more of the same. We’ve come to know what to expect here. A 6’9″ forward who can serve as an elite complementary defender due to his agility and underrated athleticism. Wade is stronger than he looks and does a great job of walling off opponents who try to drive past him.
He’s also a savvy team defender who doesn’t get lost in rotation very often. That, paired with his size, makes him the best wing defender on the roster. You can’t overlook that skill set in today’s NBA. Even if the rest of Wade’s game leaves much to be desired.
Wade won’t pull you out of a jam. He isn’t a threat to do much offensively outside of standstill three-pointers and the occasional cut to the basket. His reluctance to shoot the three-pointer can restrict Cleveland’s spacing. That’s made it hard for casual watchers to truly appreciate how valuable Wade is defensively.
That might have changed in the playoffs. At least, somewhat.
Wade started more games than not in the postseason, elevating Cleveland’s defense through two seven-game series in the first round. His efforts on Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes are key reasons the Cavs advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Kenny Atkinson trusted Wade to tilt the scales defensively without costing them too much on offense. He didn’t always win that bet, as Wade was promptly ignored for most of the playoffs. Still, Wade managed to mostly make up for it by being the most impactful defender outside of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
Wade’s role with the team shouldn’t be as big as it is. That’s not his fault. The Cavs just haven’t been able to find other players to alleviate the pressure. He shouldn’t be starting for a Conference Finals team, but I maintain that Wade is an excellent piece to have on your bench.
Reports suggest that other teams feel the same way. Wade might have priced himself out of Cleveland, which is worth a passing grade in my book.
Of course, while many of the big names have found homes with professional franchises, front offices have another evening of decisions to make during the second round. After several trades during night one at Barclays Center, the draft order looks a bit different. Expect more trades coming into Wednesday evening, too.
Most players left on the board had no remaining collegiate eligibility. However, a few players (including Isaiah Evans, Meleek Thomas, Henri Veesaar and Jack Kayil) had the option to play in the NCAA next season and instead chose the path to the NBA.
Based on our current intel, here is a basic preview of what the evening could look like when each team is on the clock:
The Chicago Blackhawks may have found the cornerstone of their blue line — and it's a player Colorado Avalanche fans know well.
On Tuesday, the Blackhawks acquired defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Jordan Greenway from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the fourth overall pick, the 45th overall selection in Friday's NHL Draft, and defenseman Louis Crevier.
For Chicago, the deal is about far more than adding another defenseman. It's a bet that Byram can finally become the top-pairing force many envisioned when the Avalanche selected him fourth overall in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Now 24, Byram arrives in Chicago with both pedigree and experience. A key contributor to Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup championship team, he has steadily evolved into one of the NHL’s more dynamic puck-moving defensemen. Last season, he set career highs with 11 goals and 42 points while appearing in all 82 games for Buffalo.
That durability stood in stark contrast to his early years in Colorado. Across four seasons with the Avalanche, Byram was repeatedly sidelined by injuries — including concussion issues — and never played more than 55 games in a single campaign. He missed significant time in each of those seasons, with availability often interrupting his development path.
His path to Chicago has hardly been straightforward.
In Colorado, opportunities were limited by an already-loaded defensive corps that featured future Hall of Fame-caliber talent in Cale Makar alongside Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, and Josh Manson. Despite showing flashes of top-pair potential, Byram became a valuable trade asset, and the Avalanche dealt him to Buffalo during the 2023-24 season.
With the Sabres, Byram joined a young defensive group headlined by former No. 1 overall picks Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. Alongside Mattias Samuelsson, the quartet played an important role in helping Buffalo finally snap its 14-year playoff drought last season.
While Byram established himself as a reliable top-four option, Buffalo faced difficult decisions elsewhere on its roster.
The Sabres entered the offseason needing financial flexibility with several contracts looming. Veteran forward Alex Tuch is among six pending unrestricted free agents, while restricted free agents Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs also require new deals.
According to multiple sources who spoke with The Hockey News, there is believed to be more than a 95 percent chance that Tuch will not return next season, a development that would further reshape Buffalo’s forward group as it navigates an increasingly tight roster and cap structure.
By moving Byram's $6.25 million cap hit and Greenway's $4 million salary — both entering the final years of their contracts — Buffalo significantly increased its financial flexibility. The move also gives the Sabres additional draft capital, including two first-round selections and a second-round pick this week.
For Chicago, however, this trade signals something larger.
The Blackhawks have spent the past several years stockpiling draft picks as part of their rebuild, making the decision to part with the fourth overall selection a notable shift in strategy. Rather than waiting for another prospect to develop, Chicago targeted a player who is already entering his prime years.
Byram joins a growing young core that includes Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Kevin Korchinski, Wyatt Kaiser, Artyom Levshunov, Oliver Moore, Spencer Knight, and Alex Vlasic.
The Blackhawks finished last season near the bottom of the NHL in both defensive play and offensive production. Adding a defenseman capable of driving play, creating offense from the back end, and handling significant minutes addresses one of their most pressing needs.
Whether Byram ultimately develops into the No. 1 defenseman Chicago believes he can be remains to be seen.
But after years of waiting behind one of hockey's deepest blue lines in Colorado and navigating a crowded defensive group in Buffalo, he'll finally get an opportunity that has largely eluded him throughout his NHL career: the chance to prove he's a top-line defenseman.
BRONX, NY - JUNE 17: Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman on the field before a game between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 17, 2026 in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
MLB.com: The Yankees have signed Chien-Fan Lai as an undrafted free agent, the team announced Tuesday. The highest-rated Taiwanese pitcher in the 2026 amateur class, Lai is a 6-foot right-hander who recently graduated from high school. “The signing of Chien-Fan represents our renewed commitment to players in Taiwan, and in Asia as a whole,” said Mario Garza, the Yankees’ Director of International Scouting. “As I have gotten to know Chien-Fan, I have seen a focused and self-assured individual with great aptitude and a desire to improve.” Garza also noted the youngster’s pitch mix, which includes a live fastball and multiple promising off-speed pitches. The Yankees have signed two other players out of Taiwan in their history, most notably Chien-Ming Wang in 2000, who finished runner-up in AL Cy Young voting after the 2006 season.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: ($) After getting demoted to Triple-A Saturday, J.C. Escarra was recalled before Tuesday’s game. This reprieve came as Ali Sánchez, who’d edged him out for the backup catching job behind Austin Wells, landed on the paternity list. Sánchez coincidentally exited Monday’s game after taking a hit by pitch to the wrist. While X-rays were negative, he was slated to receive a CT scan as well to rule out a hairline fracture.
In other injury news, both Max Fried and Clarke Schmidt threw bullpens last week and are expected to begin facing live hitters next week. Per manager Aaron Boone, Trent Grisham is expected to join the Yankees later this week in Boston to begin “running bases, shagging, BP — all that stuff.” Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge remain essentially in holding patterns at this point in time.
MLB.com | Steve Kornacki: Gerrit Cole had a rough go of it Monday, allowing five runs on nine hits while lasting 4.1 innings in his worst outing since returning from the IL last month. “I sure made a handful of mistakes there,” said the Yankees’ ace. “But they hit a good amount of good pitches. But we just weren’t able to respond with the type of quality pitches to get out of those situations from the extra pressure they put on us.”
The start bumped Cole’s ERA up from 2.57 to 3.62. His manager emphasized that the 35-year-old’s stuff looks undiminished after a year-plus layoff. “I think overall, he’s pitching very much in line with who Gerrit Cole has been throughout his career,” said Boone. “I think he looks good. The stuff’s there. It always comes down to how good you execute time in and time out, and for the most part he’s been very good.”
ESPN: Jazz Chisholm’s unusual mid-game treat Monday did not go unnoticed, as Boone expressed frustration with Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s decision to take the field with a lollipop in his mouth. “That pisses me off,” the normally measured manager said in an interview Tuesday, noting he was unaware of the transgression until after the game. “He and I talked about that, and that won’t be going on.”
