A Montreal Canadiens legend is among the candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs' head coaching job.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, former Canadiens star Patrick Roy is among the names interviewing for the Maple Leafs' bench boss gig this week. Dreger also shared that Peter Laviolette will be interviewing for Toronto's job as well.
With Roy being a Canadiens legend, it would certainly be strange to see him end up being the Maple Leafs' head coach. However, with Roy being one of the top head coaches without a job right now, it makes sense that he is speaking with the Maple Leafs.
Roy was let go by the New York Islanders with just four games left in the 2025-26 season. This is after he led the Islanders to a 42-31-5 record and 89 points. Roy was replaced by Peter DeBoer.
Roy has a 130-92-24 record as an NHL head coach. He also won the Jack Adams Award for the 2013-14 season, where he led the Colorado Avalanche to a 52-22-8 record and 112 points.
In 551 games with the Canadiens, Roy had a 289-175-66 record, a .904 save percentage, a 2.78 goals-against average, and 29 shutouts. He also won two of his four Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens.
The Mets were soundly defeated by the Mariners 8-3. All three Mets runs were driven in by Carson Benge, who had the first multi-home run game of his career.
The Syracuse Mets broadcast booth has become a launching pad for broadcasters looking to break through.
A.J. Ewing may seem like the prototypical leadoff hitter, but Carlos Mendoza is reluctant to move him there with the success Carson Benge has had in the leadoff spot.
Keith Hernandez joined Jeff Passan on his podcast to discuss playing baseball and the life he’s led after retiring from the game, especially in his second life as Mets broadcaster.
Francisco Alvarez began his rehab assignment in Syracuse with a bang, and his quick recovery is attributed (by him) to his mindset.
With all the issues the Mets have faced with their pitching, Sean Manaea is making a case for his re-insertion into the starting rotation.
Around the National League East
Dominic Smith has come back better than ever with the Braves, and he’s providing more than just statistical value for Atlanta.
The Braves held on to beat the Blue Jays 4-3. Bryce Elder got the win pitching 6.2 innings and giving up 3 runs, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out six.
The Phillies narrowly beat the Padres 3-2. Aaron Nola pitched five innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out eight.
The Marlins easily won 7-3 against the Nationals. Heriberto Hernández drove in three runs on two home runs, with Joe Mack also driving in three runs.
Around Major League Baseball
ESPN put out their baseball winners and losers for the month of May, and what to keep an eye on as the 2026 season inches closer to it’s halfway mark.
Aaron Judge has been dealing with nagging shoulder soreness which has been revealed to be a bone bruise, prompting a meeting with doctors last night.
Corbin Carroll is crushing lefties, and it’s not an accident—it’s by design.
Steve Sypa reached the ten week mark for the Mets Minor League Players of the Week.
With the Knicks reaching the NBA Finals and a period of franchise prosperity, Michael Drago wondered how long it will take for the Mets to do the same.
This Date in Mets History
46 years ago today, the Mets selected 1986 World Series Champion and future Mets Hall of Famer Darryl Strawberry first overall in the draft.
We’re going to start this piece with a general disclaimer: Aaron Judge is still an excellent MLB hitter. He is also 261 plate appearances into his worst season since 2021, a “mere” five-and-a-half win campaign that saw him finish fourth for AL MVP. We can also all be honest that that is a significant drop from Best Right-Handed Hitter’s Peak In Baseball History, and from a team construction standpoint, that means other guys in the lineup need to pick up those runs that a 200 wRC+ bat would have produced.
So what gives? We know there’s been some pain for the last month or so, as Judge is currently day-to-day with a bone bruise. We’re a third of the way through the season. How much of this regression is based on the fact that he’s 34 now, how much is because of some problems in approach, how much is just more or less bad luck, and how much is the injury affecting him?
The good news is some of this could clear up on its own. One of the things that’s powered Judge in his post-COVID peak has been that he’s hit to his expected levels — he’s never had a 2025 Ben Rice type of year where he should be hitting better than he is, until now. It’s pretty routine stuff by now for an analyst to say “OK, his xBA, xSLG, and xwOBA are all higher than his actual numbers, we should expect an improvement, something back to that 170-175 wRC+ that FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projects for the rest of his season. Good news!”
There’s still a difference between 170, which gets you MVP votes, and 200, which makes it a no-contest. Solving that delta is now our quest, and I worry how much of it comes from the fact that 34 doesn’t play the way it used to. As Judge has set or approached career high after career high over the past five years, the name he keeps bumping up against is Barry Bonds, and while I do think Bonds is one of the three or so most talented hitters to ever play the game, he had a certain degree of pharmaceutical help. I don’t think steroids are some kind of super soldier serum, but the core benefit of helping your body rebuild muscle faster helps extend careers — Bonds’ best seasons were his age 36-39, and I just don’t think that’s in the cards for Judge.
We see this reflected in bat speed, one of those things that does decline as you age. Judge’s swing speed is down a full mile per hour, and the resulting second- and third-order effects are there. One mile isn’t a huge decline, but it leads to a waterfall of decline elsewhere — barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and average exit velocity are all down ticks. Bat speed is also primarily generated by the lower half. If you watch Judge’s swing, so much of his power comes from a pretty flawless weight transfer against baseball’s stiffest front side. This is why I don’t necessarily think the bat speed is going to come back after Judge recovers from this bone bruise.
Here’s where this becomes a problem; Aaron Judge is no longer the best fastball hitter you’ve ever seen. Last year he was +25 in run value against heaters, 2024 +33, and 2022 +32. This is a roughly cumulative stat, but in a third of a season he’s at +3 in 2026. In a world of Cam Schlittlers and Jacob Misiorowskis, hitters have to bring their own velo against ever-climbing fastball speeds. The slower your bat speed, the less damage you can do against higher velocity.
A first glance at that decline in production and particularly the way Judge’s pull rates have increased might make you think he’s cheating on fastballs, starting the hitting chain earlier. I actually don’t think that’s the case here; his pull rate is back over 40 percent, which is seven points higher than last year, but pretty in line with his other two MVP campaigns. The pull rate isn’t the problem; the problem is what the pull rate represents.
This is where I ask, dear reader, to come with me beyond the spreadsheets into something a little murkier. Michael Kay has talked over and over this season how proud Judge is of his 2025 batting title, that he wants to see himself as a complete hitter, not just a slugger. Part of this is Kay needing to be a play-by-play announcer and needing to guide us all through the various, complicated stories that emerge in 162 games; that’s his job. As we journey into the mystical world of psychology though, you have to wonder how much Aaron Judge is trying to decide what kind of hitter he wants to be.
Last year Judge really fell in love with the opposite field. He’s always had plenty of power to center and right, but all those singles and doubles to the other side were what gave him the batting title. Contrast that with 2024, when his pull rates were more in line with what’s happening this year.
It’s worth noting that clutter of singles in the infield hole last year, which was probably a good share of luck in getting that batting title. The main point is how many more hits were to the opposite field, even though Judge was a more productive overall hitter two seasons past. I think this is the first concerning bit of his approach in 2026 — it must be extremely tempting to still be the .331 hitter even as some of the effectiveness against fastballs begins to fade.
The second concerning piece, and I would argue more important one, is this strange passivity he has. He’s taking pitches in the zone at the highest rate since his 2016 disaster debut, taking first pitches at a lower rate than last year, and most concerning to me, taking meatballs at the highest rate again since 2016. Aaron Judge should never be taking a meatball. If you throw a pitch in the heart of the zone against Aaron Judge, you should be forced onto to the IL with a neck strain from how quickly you whip your head around to watch it leave the ballpark. Yet Judge has seen 42 percent of his 2025 pitch total, and has been one-fourth as effective against pitches in the heart of the zone.
In spite of Judge’s strikeout rate climbing over the past few years, he’s whiffing less, when he swings he’s making more contact. He is just not swinging enough, content to give pitchers a 0-1 head start, or allow a 1-1 offering to become a 1-2 hole.
Compare what he was swinging at last year. He wasn’t chopping away at pitches he couldn’t drive — everything is still in the zone. Indeed, the great advantage of being Aaron Judge is if it’s in the zone, you can probably put a charge into it. I don’t want him to become a slapdick slasher but there’s no reason, when you have arguably the most pure power in the integration era, that you should close off so much of the zone. Hell, maybe Judge’s most impactful home run came on a swing way inside:
You’re Aaron Judge, you have power no matter where the ball is. Stop taking the cutter at the thigh mid-in, you can probably get the barrel around on it. Actually not probably, we have almost a decade of evidence that you can turn that into a mistake pitch.
Here’s where we need to separate approach from the injury, and here’s where I think the fact Judge has seemingly played in pain for the last month factors in. Let’s look at that heatmap of 2026 again:
Aaron Judge is hunting for one specific pitch in one specific location, and willing to take on everything else. To me it seems logical that if baseball activities are causing you near-constant discomfort, you’re really going to focus on getting the A-Swing off on The Pitch you want, as opposed to previous seasons where any pitch above the belt could get the A-Swing. This would be the thing I’d be most confident in Judge changing should he be able to return to full health.
So we’re 1,200 words in. What exactly do we have in Aaron Judge?
He’s better than he’s playing now, and that’s without changing anything in his worrisome two-prong approach. I fully expect that if he’s just doing the exact same thing he’s doing, a month from now he’ll be boasting a better overall batting line. A certain amount of this is priced in already; all else equal he should be more productive than he has been.
I think there’s some age-related regression going on, and that in and of itself isn’t really a bad thing. The fun part about regressing from a 10-win, 200 wRC+ player is there’s so much room to catch a root as you slide down. I think we can be more than reasonable and say that even with the tick back in bat speed, Aaron Judge can be what he was in his rookie year — in my opinion the deserved AL MVP, but if nothing else finishing on the podium.
And then there’s this twin killing, the two things that I think are a bit of an anchor around the Captain’s neck, or at least, his swing. He needs to decide on the pull factor, especially if fastballs are getting just a tick too fast. Should that be the case he either needs to focus on getting around sooner, or take advantage of that natural, godlike power and wait on fastballs, to take them the other way with authority. Given that he is seeing fewer fastballs overall this season, I would tend toward the latter strategy; waiting on the heaters and driving them to right will also have you cocked and locked for offspeed or breaking pitches in the zone.
Health will answer the question around his passivity, though. The Yankees preach discipline and controlling the zone and being savages in the box, and Michael Kay will talk a lot about how often Judge is in 3-2 counts, but a 3-2 count in and of itself isn’t a good thing if you’ve let hittable pitches go to get there. An increased aggressiveness is the key to turning Aaron Judge from a damn fine hitter back to the best we’ve ever seen, but we’ll need to wait and see if that’s a philosophy change, or a constraint imposed because of injury.
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 16: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game during the 2025 NBA Emirates Cup Final on December 16, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Spurs struggled against the Knicks in the regular season. Should New York be considered the favorite because of those matchups?
Marilyn Dubinski: While the Spurs’ loss in New York was their lone blemish of February, if we’ve learned anything in these playoffs, it’s to disregard the regular season. The Cup Final came with Wemby still coming off the bench (and admittedly not focused since he had lost his grandmother), and the Spurs won their home game (albeit behind a franchise record 11 threes from Julian Champagnie). All those games were outliers in their own ways, and both teams have come a long way since then. It’s also hard to know what exactly to think of the Knicks right now because of how quickly they went from disappointing to close the regular season to flying through an easy first three rounds in part due to upsets on the other side of the East bracket. I think it will be a very tight match-up, but homecourt advantage will be the difference for the Spurs.
Mark Barrington: No, because both teams have gotten a lot better since then. It’s hard to know how good the Knicks are right now, since they’ve been lapping the field in the kiddie pool that is the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Can Landry Shamet continue to look like a bigger, stronger Steph Curry? [I think his shooting returns to Earth in this series, although he will continue to be a key player for them.]
Is Jalen Brunson going to be able to create enough space with his compact structure and elite body control? [I think that Victor’s length will bother him in the paint.]
Will KAT avoid taking 4 or 5 dumb fouls per game? [As if. KAT gotta KAT.]
Is Josh Hart the ultimate glue guy? [Yes.]
Will Mitch Robinson even play, and if he does, can he hit a free throw? [Jeremy Sochan is teaching him the one-handed free-throw technique as we speak.]
The deal is that the Knicks aren’t a known quantity at this point. They’ve had an incredible run so far, but they’ve hardly been tested. They’ve beaten the teams in front of them, and handily. I feel like it’s a pretty even matchup at this point.
Devon Birdsong: The favorite? No, I don’t really think so. Cleveland may have been the team least suited to giving them trouble in the East, and the East is still pretty visibly the weaker conference to begin with. I’m honestly not sure the Knicks would even be here if the Sixers hadn’t summoned the inexplicable magic that put them over the Celtics. I see these teams as being remarkably even, and with a cleaner bill of health than previous matchups, I think you have to take this whole series as a start from scratch. Unlike the Thunder, the Knicks did get at least one real challenge in their opening series against the Hawks, but I still think the Spurs are going to benefit from having had to overcome so much in practically every series. If I were looking at this from an outside perspective, I’d be inclined to agree with Vegas, and slightly favor the Spurs, actually.
Jeje Gomez: Regular season wins and losses don’t matter as much to me when it comes to the playoffs as how the matchup actually went. And considering that, I don’t think the Knicks should be the favorites, but they shouldn’t be underrated either. They do present significant matchup issues for Wembanyama and they have a bunch of wings who can potentially limit San Antonio’s driving game and punish overhelp with their shooting. It’s borderline impossible after the Western Conference Finals to think that there’s a better NBA team than the Spurs, but in terms of matchups, the Knicks are definitely dangerous.
What aspect of the game will determine who gets the ring?
Dubinski: I think it will be a combination of three-point shooting and how it’s defended. The biggest key for the Spurs will be to not leave shooters open to play help defense on Brunson. It worked fine against Minnesota because they were lacking in shooters and Ant wasn’t always looking to pass, but it almost burned them against OKC because Caruso and McCain got hot in stretches, hence why they adjusted back to “Stop everyone else and make SGA beat us”. The Knicks have SEVEN main rotation players who shot over 36% from three on three or more attempts during the regular season, so the Spurs can’t cede that shot. Trust Castle (or whoever is on Brunson), stay at home, and play man-to-man defense. Make them beat you one-on-one.
Barrington: The Knicks are a team that shoots a lot of three-point shots, and in the playoffs, they’ve been going down at a high rate. The Spurs’ defense relies on letting Wembanyama roam to erase the other team’s interior and mid-range shots, which sometimes means they allow opponents to get looks from range. This was effective against the Thunder because they didn’t have a lot of elite shooters. Everyone on the Knicks can shoot three pointers, except Mitchell Robinson, who might not even play. So the Spurs are going to have to keep defenders on the shooters against New York, and that could open driving lanes for Brunson. If the Knicks solve the Spurs’ defense, they will win the series, because the Spurs can’t win a shooting contest against these guys. Well, maybe Julian Champagnie can.
Birdsong: Shooting feels like the easy answer, since the Knicks lead the playoff field in 3pt%, FG%, EFG%, and TS%, but I think it might really come down to two specific match-ups, and one wild card: Anunoby defending Wemby, Castle defending Brunson, and the Karl Anthony Towns factor.
As was pointed out a few weeks ago on Twitter/X, among players who have guarded the Spurs star in at least 100 half-court matchups, Anunoby allows the fewest points per matchup. He has tremendous length and strength in spite of the height disadvantage, and Mike Brown and his staff had plenty of time to see how successful the Thunder were in denying Wemby position. Thankfully, Stephon Castle has had his share of success in giving Jalen Brunson fits when defending him (in 38 possessions where Castle was the primary defender, Brunson scored just 5 points while being held to 28.7% from the field), but there’s an added wrinkle to defending Brunson now that KAT has effectively taken on some serious distribution responsibilities in the postseason. You can’t just focus on Brunson to shut down New York’s ball movement. And this is why Towns is the wild-card of the series. Because of his passing chops (6 assists per game) and his long-distance shooting, he allows the Knicks to run two legitimate big men, and that shooting (almost 50% from three in the postseason) pulls Wemby away from the hoop as the only player with the height to contest it, which leaves the interior up for grabs, and Towns has the ability to hit the open man. I think a lot of this series will hinge on how/if the Spurs are able to defend that with other players. I wonder if we’re going to end up seeing a lot of French Vanilla.
Gomez: Since the shooting has already been mentioned, I’ll go with turnovers and pace. The Knicks play slow and don’t cough the ball up. They have Brunson, who can normally get a good shot whenever he wants in the half-court and a solid, switchy defense. If they dictate how the game is played, the Spurs could be in trouble. If San Antonio can create some turnovers and push the pace, they’ll be in great shape.
Prediction time: Who will win the championship, and how do you think the series will go?
Dubinski: Spurs in 7. I think this will be just as difficult as the last round, perhaps slightly more so based on the match-up. There will be times when one team is hot and the other isn’t, but I believe in the Spurs’ grit, determination, willpower, and ability to make adjustments. (Also, I want them to win at home but don’t think it will be in Game 5. Also, also, I have submitted to the power of the Corgi, so I must trust him.)
Barrington: Spurs in 6. Both teams hold home court until Game 6, when the Spurs take the title in MSG, breaking the hearts of the home fans. June 16, mark your calendars!
Victor Wembanyama is Finals MVP, to no one’s surprise. It’s going to be a stressful couple of weeks, folks.
Birdsong: For me, I see the Knicks as presenting all of the issues the Spurs had with the Timberwolves, but with less glaring weakness. They have the length, size, and toughness, but they also have a plethora of three-point shooters. They have a healthy lead guard who is top-notch at both scoring and distributing. And they have a power forward who can stretch the floor and make the pass in reality, as opposed to in theory.The Minnesota series went six games. Barring major injury, I can’t see this not going the full seven. And in that scenario, I think home-court advantage might be the deciding factor. Spurs in 7.
Gomez: I went with Spurs in six. The Knicks are a horrible matchup, but we’ve seen the Silver and Black find another gear during the playoffs. I expect a close series, even if three-point variance turns a game or two into a blowout either way, but I can see San Antonio showing the killer instinct they displayed against the Thunder if they get a chance to end it on the road.
Aug 13, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco (59) pitches in the first inning against the against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Likely to no one’s surprise, the Atlanta Braves have made another roster move involving right-hander Carlos Carrasco. After being designated for assignment for the third time this season, Atlanta selected him to the major league roster ahead of Tuesday’s game.
The #Braves today selected RHP Carlos Carrasco to the major league roster.
Bryce Elder and the bullpen were huge during Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
MLB News:
Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober has been diagnosed with a mild flexor strain. He was placed on the IL earlier this week.
Jon Heasley’s outright has been rescinded and he has instead been placed on the 15-day injured list with a stress reaction in his elbow. The move is retroactive to May 29.
From the Feed:
Cast your vote for Braves Player of the Game here.
MLB Pipeline recently discussed Braves outfield prospect Eric Hartman.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 02: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 following the MLB game at Chase Field on June 02, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The last baseball player to win an MVP award for three consecutive seasons in the same league was Barry Bonds when he won four from 2001-04. With the way that Shohei Ohtani has been playing over the first two months of the season, his chances of winning a third consecutive NL MVP are very much alive.
But what about the NL Cy Young award?
So far, among all pitchers with at least 55 innings this season, Ohtani continues to possess the best ERA at 0.82, giving him a ridiculous 493 ERA+. Ohtani hasn’t given up more than two runs in a start this year, while tossing a quality start in all but one of his outings.
What does Ohtani have to achieve for him to earn the Cy Young award? There is already heavy competition that features Cristopher Sánchez, Jacob Misiorowski and the reigning NL Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes. Manny Randhawa of MLB.com suggests that Ohtani will have to post an ERA under 2.00, average 10 strikeouts per nine innings and tally at least 170 innings on the season.
Well, he might need some help from the hitters facing Sánchez, Misiorowski and Skenes. But if there’s one thing we know about Ohtani, it’s to never doubt him. He’s too good, and he’s proven time and again that when we think we’ve seen him do it all, we’re wrong.
Ohtani will try to keep up his elite pace on the mound on Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Both Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone were among some of the Dodgers working their way back from injury joining the team in Phoenix on Tuesday.
Since his first start of the 2024 season, it has been a nightmare for Miller. Once heralded as a can’t miss prospect in the Dodgers system, Miller only made two appearances last year and has yet to touch the field this season. Miller has struggled with shoulder and back issues since spring training, but the 27-year-old is expected to begin throwing off a mound soon, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“It was shoulder at first. I had some injections right before spring training,” Miller said. “It was pretty good. Then I had a setback with a back injury. But it’s all great right now. I haven’t had any setbacks since that. I’ve been getting stronger and stronger.”
As for Stone, he made just one start in spring training before he was placed back on the injured list. Jack Harris of the California Post notes that there is not timetable for Stone’s return.
“He’s one that I’m really bummed out about,” Roberts said. “I think his makeup is off the charts, good, compete. Right now, his body’s just letting him down a little bit. There’s nothing else he can do. When he … ramps it up, it sort of shows itself again. So right now, I’m not sure exactly where he’s at in this progression. But I’m looking forward to seeing him, though.”
The 1998-99 season was a year of change in the NBA.
Michael Jordan had retired for a second time, and the league's owners, fed up with the league's financial structure and players' rising salaries, locked the players out after failing to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
Once a deal was reached, the season began on Feb. 5, and the schedule was reduced to 50 games. The San Antonio Spurs tied for the league's best record and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers on the way to the Finals.
The New York Knicks, as the No. 8 seed, upset the Miami Heat in the first round, becoming the second No. 8 seed to beat a top seed. After sweeping the Atlanta Hawks, they beat the Indiana Pacers in six games to advance to the championship round.
Here are some takeaways from the last Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals matchup:
If fans were coming into this series looking for aesthetically pleasing basketball, they came to the wrong place. Only one time did a team score 90 or more points, and New York failed to even crack 80 points in three separate games. New York shot 39% in the series, including 20% from 3-point land.
Tim Duncan, at 22 years old, was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points and 14 rebounds in the series, which the Spurs won four games to one.
Beginning of a dynasty
San Antonio continued its winning ways for much of the next two decades, winning titles in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.
Duncan was the catalyst for those winning teams and, in later years, was joined by Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. Duncan was a three-time Finals MVP during the dynasty, and head coach Gregg Popovich retired in 2025 with 1,390 victories, adding 284 more postseason triumphs.
Jalen Brunson, the three-time NBA All-Star for the Knicks, will attempt to help bring home the team's first title since 1973. Brunson's father, Rick, was a second-year guard on the 1999 Knicks roster. Rick Brunson played only 10 seconds in that series, though, getting in the game in the latter stages of the second quarter of Game 3, an 89-81 New York victory at Madison Square Garden without an injured Patrick Ewing.
Rock bottom for the Knicks
After reaching the Eastern Conference finals in the 1999-2000 season and losing to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks' playoff success — or success in general — became few and far between. New York had nine straight losing seasons, starting in 2001.
The Knicks did not make a conference finals appearance this century until last season, when they suffered another disappointing loss to the Pacers.
May 31, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama batter Justin Lebron (1) celebrates a double during the Tuscaloosa NCAA Regional in the championship series between Oklahoma State and Alabama. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
If college baseball is not your bag, but you are an MLB fan, you might want to pay attention.
With 16 teams still alive with dreams of spending late June in Omaha, there are plenty of MLB Draft prospects to watch this weekend. Here are 13 players to keep an eye on during Super Regionals, all of whom could be early picks in the 2026 MLB Draft in July.
Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
When the Kansas City Royals selected outfielder Joe Vitiello with the seventh pick in the 1991 MLB Draft, he became the highest-drafted player out of Alabama.
Justin Lebron could change that in July.
Lebron has been a standout for the past three seasons for the Crimson Tide, and while his numbers at the plate dipped a bit from his stellar 2025 campaign — where he slashed .316/.421/.636 with 18 home runs — his bat has come alive a bit here in the NCAA tournament, as Lebron went 6-for-16 during the regionals as Alabama clinched a spot in the Supers.
He has improved his bat speed over his time at Alabama, and that was on display on this home run against USC Upstate in the regionals. Watch as he’s able to get his hands quickly through the zone, and pull this outside breaking ball for his second home run of regionals:
Right now, projections have Lebron in the 5-10 range in mock drafts, which is a departure from where we were a year ago, when he was considered perhaps the top player in the class. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is now the favorite to go first overall, but he will be watching the Super Regionals along with the rest of us, as the Bruins were eliminated this past weekend.
Lebron is still playing, and a deep run from Alabama could see him slide up into the top five, at least.
Draft range: Top 15
Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
After a strong first collegiate season at Houston, Ace Reese transferred to Mississippi State for the 2024 campaign, slashing .352/.422/.718 in his first SEC season, along with 21 home runs to secure Newcomer of the Year honors.
Reese followed that with a .328/.429/.698 season this past year, belting another 22 home runs.
The power certainly stands out, as you see on this home run from the regional final against Louisiana:
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) June 1, 2026
But what might help his draft stock the most is what he did on the Cape last summer. In just eight games of work for Chatham, Reese slashed .303/.361/.485, showing some prowess with a wooden bat.
Draft range: Top 25
Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss
Cade Townsend is one of the top collegiate arms in the upcoming MLB Draft, and the sophomore-eligible pitcher stands out for his breaking stuff just as much as his fastball. While he gets into the upper 90s with his fastball, where he truly shines is with an array of power breaking balls, from a curve to a slider and a cutter.
Here is a good look at his arsenal from Perfect Game Baseball:
RHP Cade Townsend (@OleMissBSB) sat 95-96 T97 w/ riding FB from fast arm. Nasty cutter at 88-91 is the go-to, showed biting 2 pln SL. Low-80s top to bottom CB & CH ~ 1300 RPM to round out mix. Has had a great spring & risen up boards. Soph./'26 elig. @PG_Draftpic.twitter.com/TAFbM37f5j
After going 1-0 last year over 15 games and eight starts, Townsend stepped into a much bigger role for Ole Miss this past season, going 5-3 as the team’s No. 2 starter, behind Hunter Elliott. But it is his array of pitches that have him as one of the top pitching prospects in the college game. He’ll likely get the ball in Game 2 against Auburn this weekend, and a strong performance against the Tigers will only help his draft stock.
Draft range: Top 30
Aiden Robbins, CF, Texas
Aiden Robbins has enjoyed success at every stop of his collegiate baseball journey, which began at Seton Hall where he slashed .302/.386/.512 in 2024. He played for Gaithersburg in the Cal Ripken Collegiate League that summer — right down the street from this author — and posted an OPS of .959 with five home runs in just 25 games. That earned him a spot with Harwich on the Cap for seven games, where he slashed .385/.385/.538 over just 26 at-bats.
He then was dominant for Seton Hall the following spring, slashing .422/.537/.652, and returned to Harwich for the summer where he led the Cape Cod League in batting average (.307), slugging percentage (.545) and OPS (.936). That season is sure to get scouts paying attention.
Robbins transferred to Texas for this past year, and all he did in his first SEC season was slash .347/.435/.721, hitting a career-best 23 home runs. That improved power will also get scouts paying attention.
Draft range: Top 30
Chris Rembert, 2B, Auburn
Chris Rembert entered the 2026 season as one of the top hitters in college baseball, and he did not disappoint. After slashing .344/.467/.555 during the 2025 campaign for Auburn, he matched those numbers with a .350/.402/.475 slash line this past season, along with 13 doubles and 45 RBI.
His quick hands through the zone stand out on swings like this one from March:
2B Chris Rembert (@AuburnBaseball) gets a hanging SL & promptly deposits it 420 ft. to left @ 105 EV. Bundle of ML average tools in the profile & will stick at second. Quick, quick bat with twitch in the wrists. @PG_Draft
He also played five games for Hyannis this past summer in the Cape Cod League, slashing .429/.478/.952 in limited action. Unfortunately, he was not in the lineup when this author had a chance to see the Harbor Hawks on the final day of the regular season. But one other prospect on this list was, so stay tuned on that front.
Rembert notched a hit in each of Auburn’s five games in the regional, including a 4-for-6 afternoon with four RBI against NC State in a must-win game. A strong series against Ole Miss could solidify his status as one of the top sophomore-eligible prospects in this field.
Draft range: Top 50
Mason Edwards, LHP, USC
Mason Edwards has enjoyed a rather unconventional ride to his status as a likely first-round pick in July. Interest from top schools was late in arriving, as it took some time for his array of pitches to come together. After his sophomore season in high school, he worked with Josh Goossen-Brown, who was coaching at a junior college in Los Angeles, to improve his fastball.
Edwards’ velocity went from the upper 70s that summer, to the upper 80s by the end of his junior campaign. At one point during a bullpen session with Goossen-Brown, that fastball started hitting the 90s.
That is when the offers started coming in.
But he stayed close to home, signing with USC, which kept him with Goossen-Brown, who now serves as the program’s Director of Player Development. That fastball now hangs in the mid-90s, along with a curveball that has a high spin rate and a tough changeup.
All he’s done with the Trojans these past two seasons is stand out as one of the top pitchers in college baseball. He went 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.102 WHIP during the 2025 season, and followed that with an 8-0 year in 2026 with a 1.85 ERA and a 1.004 WHIP. Edwards also leads the nation with 164 strikeouts.
If you have almost 30 minutes to spare, you can watch all 160 of his regular-season strikeouts. You’ll see that arsenal of pitches the lefty brings to the bump, including his stout off-speed stuff as well as that fastball:
𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞
The video is 28:47 long for a reason 🤯
Featuring all 1⃣6⃣0⃣ strikeouts. (Yes, every single one) ✌️
When you accomplish something that has never been done before, you land on lists like this one.
Daniel Jackson started his college career at Wofford, helping the Terriers earn their first NCAA tournament win as he slashed .357/.460/.599 during the 2024 season. He transferred for Georgia, and after playing all over the field in 2025 he moved behind the plate full-time this past season.
All he did for the Bulldogs was hit 29 home runs while stealing 25 bases, becoming the first player in SEC history to post a 25-25 season.
Jackson made a habit of “feeding the trees” this past season with swings like this one, as he goes oppo against Liberty for a two-run shot on Saturday:
.@Djackson2100 picking up right where we left off this morning 👏
That rare blend of power and speed, particularly for a catcher, makes him a very intriguing prospect his MLB Draft season.
Draft range: Top 50
Carson Tinney, C, Texas
Carson Tinney put his name on many scouting lists with a tremendous season for Notre Dame in 2025, where he slashed .348/.498/.753 with a whopping 1.251 OPS. That saw him transfer to Texas, and earn a spot with Brewster in the Cape Cod League last summer.
But his stint on the Cape saw him manage just 13 hits over 79 at-bats, with a slash line of .165/.267/.367, leading to some concerns over how he will adjust to the wooden bat game full-time. Tinney rebounded with a strong first year in the SEC, slashing .333/.487/.711 while mashing 21 home runs. That power was on display over the weekend here against Tarleton State:
He also has a strong arm behind the plate and was named a finalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year award on Tuesday.
Draft range: Top 100
Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia
Joey Volchko’s electric arm, anchored by a fastball that can hit the triple digits and a tough slider, put him on the radar of scouts as a high school senior back in 2023. But he stuck to his Stanford commitment, spending two years out west before transferring to Georgia for the 2026 campaign.
This season with the Bulldogs, the stats started to match the stuff. Volchko went 10-2 for Georgia with an ERA of 3.87, and a WHIP of 1.402.
Here is a look at that slider in action from earlier this season:
Joey Volchko: 50.1 IP 3.75 ERA 1.41 WHIP 25.8% K 11.3% BB 14.5% K-BB
Stuff is real can miss bats, can improve the command but the slider is nasty and he can be electric on the mound at his best pic.twitter.com/ghgjvR7NsM
Volchko got the start for Georgia to open regionals against Long Island and went six hitless innings with ten strikeouts. He’ll likely be on the bump Friday when the Bulldogs open the Supers against Ace Reese and Mississippi State.
Draft range: Top 100
Brendan Brock, C, Oklahoma
The Sooners knocked off No. 2 overall seed Georgia Tech to book a spot in the Super Regionals.
And catcher Brendan Brock was a big reason why.
Brock hit a pair of home runs on Sunday against Georgia Tech, powering the Sooners to a 15-8 win and forcing a deciding game on Monday. This blast, his first of the game, illustrates the quick hands and compact swing he brings to the dish:
Brock slashed .285/.374/.519 this season for the Sooners, and his strength might be on the bases, as he swiped 26 bags for Oklahoma this season. He has played all three outfield positions for the Sooners as well as spending time behind the plate, and his future might just be in center field if a team wants to maximize his speed, arguably his best tool as a prospect.
Draft range: Top 100
Ruger Riojas, RHP, Texas
Ruger Riojas began his collegiate career at Texas-San Antonio, where he won 15 games over two seasons coming out of the bullpen. He transferred to Texas for the 2025 season, beginning the year as a bullpen arm before moving to the rotation down the stretch. He posted a 5.61 ERA over 18 games — with ten starts — during the 2025 season, with a 9-3 record, but it should be noted that he dealt with a severe illness late in the year, that saw him lose 20 pounds.
He stuck in the rotation full-time this past year, posting a 5-2 record with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.086. Riojas has a strong array of pitches, including a fastball that creeps towards the triple digits, as well as a splitter, a change-up, a curve, and a cutter. He also uses different arm angles, mostly throwing from a three-quarter release but he will mix in a lower arm slot at times.
Riojas is an older prospect, as he’ll turn 23 on the day of the draft, and he has dealt with some shoulder soreness this spring. He threw just five pitches on Senior Day in a cameo and sat out the SEC tournament due to that shoulder soreness, but got the start for Texas on Sunday as they closed out UC Santa Barbara. In that game he went five innings, allowing three hits and one earned run.
Draft range: Top 100
Taylor Rabe, RHP, Ole Miss
Cade Townsend is not the only arm to watch on Ole Miss this weekend, as Taylor Rabe could join him in the MLB Draft in July. After missing the 2024 season due to an elbow injury, Rabe made 15 appearances for Ole Miss in 2025 with a pair of starts, posting a WHIP of 1.469. He took on more of a rotational role this past year, starting nine games and finishing with a 5-3 record, along with an ERA of 3.84 and a WHIP of 1.026.
He is also coming off one of the best outings of his career, as he went six innings against Nebraska on Saturday, allowing just one run with nine strikeouts. Patrick Ebert from D1Baseball was in attendance, noting his fastball, cutter, and slider:
Taylor Rabe with a fantastic outing for @OleMissBSB, throws a career-high 113 pitches in 6 innings allowing 1 run (a solo HR) on 4 hits & 2 walks w/ 9 Ks, got out of a huge jam B6
Stuff is loud, 93-98 FB, 87-90 cutter & 83-84 slider, has put Ole Miss in position to win, up 5-1 pic.twitter.com/DdPtAsPSLA
After two standout seasons for North Dakota State — where he slashed .367/.435/.467 in 2025 — Jake Schaffner transferred to North Carolina for the 2026 campaign. In his first ACC season, Schaffner slashed .362/.478/579 with six home runs and 19 doubles, both career highs.
Schaffner also slashed .281/.391/.371 for Hyannis in the Cape Cod League, going 2-for-3 while playing a solid third base in the final regular season game on the schedule. He looked pretty good to me from my seat behind home plate that night:
There he is on the grass at third, expecting a bunt. That’s right, you have actual on-the-ground scouting reports for this piece.
Schaffer earned All-Regional honors this past weekend as North Carolina advanced to the Super Regionals, as he went 4-for-11 with four runs, three RBI, and three walks as the leadoff hitter for the Tar Heels.
Happy Wednesday, everyone. Hopefully your week is going better than Aaron Judge’s. The Yankees captain had to sit out a game due to bruised ribs, which is no fun for a guy looking to add to his seasonal home run numbers. The Yankees are just crossing their fingers that their biggest star is back in action soon.
In other news today, we look at the negotiator trying to find common ground in CBA talks, see which teams are already out of the running for the postseason, and check in on some burning questions ahead of the trade deadline.
There’s all that and more, so let’s just jump right into it.
New York Knicks player Latrell Sprewell (R) looks to the hoop in front of San Antonio Spurs plaayer Tim Duncan during game four of the NBA Finals 25 June, 1999 at New York's Madison Square Garden. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo by JEFF HAYNES / AFP) (Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
But you can forgive me for having a momentary flashback. After all, the last time the New York Knicks were in the NBA Finals, they met the San Antonio Spurs. Now those two teams will meet again starting tonight, with a champion waiting to be crowned.
Now, as SB Nation’s elder statesperson — which is yes a nice way of saying I’m the old one around here — I have the benefit of having lived through that meeting back in 1999. While some of my coworkers were navigating middle school or even elementary school, I was facing the real world having just graduated college. Some of my roommates and best friends that final year in school were Knicks fans. They lived and died with this team.
So it falls on me to take you back in time.
Here is a look back at the 1999 NBA Finals.
The 1998-1999 NBA season
We start by a look at the 1998-1999 NBA season, which might be remembered more for what happened off the court, rather than what happened on it.
First off, the season did not begin until January of 1999, due to a dispute between league owners and the NBA Players’ Association. When the two sides could not reach an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, a lockout began in July of 1998.
That lockout lasted more than 200 days, until a deal was finally reached on January 6, 1999.
The season did not begin until a few weeks later, and schedules were shortened to just 50 games as a result.
Another big piece of off-court news? The dismantling of the Chicago Bulls. Chicago was coming off their second three-peat, but the retirements of Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan, plus the trade of Scottie Pippen to the Houston Rockets and the departure of Dennis Rodman in free agency, opened up both the Eastern Conference and the league at large for a new champion.
How the Spurs reached the 1999 NBA Finals
The 1998-1999 NBA season marked the second year that San Antonio could rely on the pairing of David Robinson and Tim Duncan down low.
And while the Spurs got off to a slow start, beginning the year 6-8, they quickly righted the ship, winning 31 of their final 36 games to finish the year with a 37-13 record. Again, the season was shortened due to the lockout, which ended in January.
That record tied San Antonio with the Utah Jazz atop the Western Conference standings, and San Antonio secured the No. 1 seed in the conference due to a tiebreaker.
Once in the dance, the Spurs stayed red-hot. San Antonio won its opening series 4-1, dropping just one game to the Minnesota Timberwolves. From there, the Spurs swept their way to the NBA Finals, dispatching the Los Angeles Lakers in four games, and then sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference finals. Duncan scored 21 in Game 1 against Portland, adding 13 rebounds, and Robinson scored 20 with ten boards in Game 4 as the Spurs closed out the sweep.
For the first time in franchise history, San Antonio was heading to the NBA Finals.
How the Knicks reached the 1999 NBA Finals
While the Spurs enjoyed a relatively easy path to the 1999 NBA Finals, it was a much tougher road for the Knicks.
Ahead of the 1998-1999 season, New York made several key additions to help Patrick Ewing, adding Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas. Those acquisitions helped the Knicks begin the year with and 8-3 record.
But then, injuries started to mount. Sprewell played in just 37 games that regular season due to a stress fracture in his right foot, and Ewing missed time due to a knee injury. After starting 8-3 the Knicks began dropping games, and hovered around .500 for most of the year.
That stretch cost president and general manager Ernie Grunfeld his job in April.
Wins in six of their last eight games were enough for New York to secure the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, as they finished with a 27-23 record. But that meant a date with the top seed in the East, the Miami Heat. New York won Game 1 in Miami, getting 22 points from both Sprewell and Allan Houston to steal the first game of the series. After dropping Game 2, New York took Game 3 behind a 20-point outing from Sprewell, giving the Knicks a chance to close out the upset at Madison Square Garden at home.
But Miami staved off elimination, forcing a deciding Game 5 back in Miami. Ewing led the way for New York with 22 points, but a buzzer-beater from Houston gave New York a 78-77 win, pushing the Knicks into the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Up next for New York? A date with the No. 4 seed Atlanta Hawks. But to the surprise of many, the Knicks swept their way to the Eastern Conference finals, getting 34 from Houston in Game 1 and 31 from Sprewell in Game 2 to take both games in Atlanta. With the series win, New York became the first No. 8 seed to reach the conference finals.
That meant another date with the Indiana Pacers, the team that bounced New York out of the playoffs the previous year. The Knicks again took Game 1, this time in Indianapolis, behind 19 points from Houston, but dropped Game 2. That second game was costly for another reason, as an Achilles’ tendon injury that had hampered Ewing for most of the season was revealed to be a partial tear, ending his playoff run.
But veteran Larry Johnson stepped up in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, leading the way with a team-high 26 points. The final point of the night came at the charity stripe, as he drew a foul from Antonio Davis on a three-point attempt with seconds remaining in a 91-88 game. The three-pointer tied the game, and the ensuing foul shot gave New York a 92-91 win.
The teams split the next two games, giving New York a chance to close out the series at Madison Square Garden in Game 6. The Knicks did just that, led by 32 points from Houston and stiff defense on Reggie Miller, who was held to just eight points on 3-of-18 from the field, and New York punched their ticket to the Finals with a 90-82 win.
But the win was also costly, as Johnson suffered a sprained MCL in the game, which limited his effectiveness in the Finals.
The 1999 NBA Finals, revisited
The 1999 NBA Finals pitted wounded Knicks team against the Spurs, who had dropped just one game on their way to the series and were rested after sweeping Portland in the Western Conference finals.
As you might expect, it was not much of a series.
San Antonio took the first two games at home, behind a 33-13 effort from Duncan in Game 1 and a 25-15 effort from Duncan two nights later in Game 2. The Knicks fought back to cut San Antonio’s series lead to 2-1 with an 89-81 win in Game 3, behind 34 points from Houston, but that would be as close as New York got. San Antonio closed out the series, and their first title, with wins in Game 4 and Game 5.
The final game, decided by an Avery Johnson jump shot with under a minute remaining, was played two years to the day that San Antonio drafted Duncan.
There’s one article I love writing every year, and this is it. It takes time, research, holistic thinking, and a few energy drinks to get me there. I’ve juggled countless thought exercises, spoken with numerous people about their thoughts on the Phoenix Suns’ direction, and considered it all.
Who doesn’t love a good puzzle? That’s exactly what this piece is. It’s my chance to take a full look at the landscape of who the Phoenix Suns are right now, what options are in front of them, and how they can navigate the offseason as I try to piece together my blueprint for how I think they should operate.
And make no mistake, this is a complicated puzzle.
I’m sure somewhere along the way, my math is off. Maybe a contract number gets fuzzy. Maybe a roster-construction idea looks cleaner on paper than in reality. That’s part of the process. This isn’t what will happen. This is, more or less, what I hope will happen. What I want to happen.
This is the piece where I zoom out to look at the Suns holistically, then try to answer the questions we’ve been asking since the team was eliminated in the First Round on April 27. What should they do with the draft? What should they do in free agency? Which team options should they exercise, and which players should they let walk?
I’ll start with where I landed when the season ended. At that point, I kept coming back to continuity and development. I wondered if that would still be the direction I believed Phoenix should take once it was finally time to write this article. That was the initial thesis entering the offseason.
Now it’s time to find out if that thesis still holds up, or if working through every decision in front of the organization pushes me somewhere else. So welcome, my fellow readers. Let’s talk about how you fix the Suns.
The Starting Point
You can’t start building out theories on what the Phoenix Suns should do without a starting point, so let’s begin with the basics.
The salary cap this offseason sits at $165 million. The luxury tax line is $201 million. The first apron comes in at $209 million, and the second apron is $222 million.
Right now, Phoenix has 11 of its 15 roster spots filled, though a couple of those spots are occupied by players on team options. Their current payroll, including that dastardly $23.2 million in dead cap tied to Bradley Beal, Nassir Little, and E.J. Liddell transactions, sits at $184.7 million.
There will be no trading of DevinBooker as a part of this path. I believe that it is a valid conversation to have, and we have had it. I am pro-Book in Phoenix…at least for this offseason.
I contemplated moving off of Jalen Green. In my personal opinion, that is the way to go. He is pricey, duplicative of Booker positionally, and inconsistent as a player. But three things prevented me from pulling the trigger as a part of this plan. First, I truly believe the Suns will bring him back, as they want to see if his development can justify his salary. Second, while he might duplicate Booker’s position, he brings a unique skill set, as he can actually put pressure on the cylinder. Now, if only he could finish around the rim more.
And third? It’s hard to find a trade suitor for him. I played with the trade machine and simply couldn’t find any justifiable or likely candidates who would want his services while providing something that makes sense for Phoenix. He will be much more appealing next summer, when his contract becomes an expiring.
Therefore, Booker and Green return. Those are your high-level decisions relative to trades. Now, for the next steps.
Step 1: Pick up the options and structure Dillon Brooks wisely
The Phoenix Suns have two players with team options this offseason that they can exercise: Ryan Dunn and Jamaree Bouyea. If this were a team sitting comfortably under the cap and looking to upgrade the bench with some spending power in free agency, maybe there’s a conversation about declining one of those options. That isn’t where Phoenix is.
Given the financial tightrope they have to walk and the need to maximize every available asset on the roster, both of those options feel like easy decisions. You pick them up.
Then comes the more interesting conversation, Dillon Brooks.
The rumored extension floating around is as much as four years, $125 million. That breaks down to roughly $31.3 million annually. And as much as I value what Brooks brings to this team, that kind of deal would keep him under contract through the 2031-32 season. At this point, I don’t think anyone should be tied to this roster for that long.
Given where the franchise stands and the direction they’re trying to go, flexibility matters. Yes, they want to deepen it. Yes, they want to reinforce the culture. You don’t do that by locking yourself into paying a 35-year-old Dillon Brooks north of $30 million a season. That’s not good business, nor is it smart. Still, you want to reward the player responsible for assisting in defining your culture, and you want to do so in a way that allows you a flexible contract moving forward.
So, in my blueprint and in the scenario I’m building here, Phoenix signs Brooks to a three-year, $81.7 million contract. That lands at an average annual value of $27.2 million and has him under contract through the 2029-30 season. I’d backload the deal and attach a player option to the final year. That gives Brooks security, gives him flexibility later, and still gives the Suns options.
For now, the Suns remain at 11 of 15 roster spots filled, and the payroll stays at $184.7 million. No new players have been added, and no new money has come in. At this stage, we’re focused on securing the future with Brooks and exercising the team options for Dunn and Bouyea.
Step 2: Turn the draft into an opportunity to get younger and cheaper
Before the Phoenix Suns can start navigating restricted and unrestricted free agency, which doesn’t officially open until July 1, the NBA Draft comes first. Two rounds, the first on June 23, the second on June 24. This is Phoenix’s first opportunity to add a player, whether that ends up being somebody on the active roster or a two-way contract.
With the Suns picking 47th overall, and knowing Isaiah Livers no longer qualifies for a two-way deal, the most likely outcome is pretty straightforward. Phoenix drafts somebody at 47, probably Jaden Bradley out of the University of Arizona, and develops him in the G League. And honestly, I’m not opposed to that. That’s a solid place to develop a young point guard, and the Valley Suns could certainly use more distribution and facilitation. It’s the safe play. Probably the most logical play, too. Maybe it’s Bradley. Maybe it’s somebody else. The conservative move is using that pick on a two-way player and keeping the 15th roster spot open for flexibility.
But that’s no fun.
If we’ve learned anything about this front office, it’s that they aren’t afraid to move around in the draft. Two offseasons ago, Phoenix traded up to grab Oso Ighodaro. Last offseason, they used leftover assets from the Kevin Durant deal to move up and make the first pick of the second round for Rasheer Fleming.
So that’s the route I’m taking here. The Suns move up. And to do it, they make a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. The trade? Phoenix sends Royce O’Neale to Memphis along with two second-round picks, including No. 47 in this year’s draft, and in return receives Taylor Hendricks and the 32nd overall pick.
Adding Taylor Hendricks gives Phoenix another three-and-D forward, and another player the team can continue to develop at only 22 years old. The 6’9” power forward was selected ninth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft out of the University of Central Florida and was later moved to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade this past February, along with additional players and draft capital.
He didn’t see a ton of run in Memphis. Across his three-year career, he’s averaged 7.3 points and 4.1 rebounds on 45/35/71 splits. There’s some upside there for sure.
The bigger part of this deal is financial. Phoenix moves off Royce O’Neale and his $10.9 million salary for a player making $7.8 million. And another plus with Hendricks? He’s on an expiring contract.
Of course, the immediate question is: why would Memphis do it?
From my perspective, the Grizzlies are in the middle of stripping things down to the studs and reshaping the roster. Veteran presence still matters in that environment. Royce gives them a proven rotation wing and one of the better three-point shooters in the league, plus Phoenix is attaching another second-round pick to the deal.
That becomes a conversation you can talk yourself into. And Memphis already owns the third and 16th picks in the first round. A lot of early mock drafts have them looking at frontcourt players like Cameron Boozer from Duke University and Jayden Quaintance from the University of Kentucky. If that’s how their board falls, a contract like Hendricks becomes a lot easier to part with.
And for Phoenix, that creates an opportunity to add another young, switchable forward and save money in the process.
So step one of navigating the draft is complete. You’ve traded Royce O’Neale to acquire Taylor Hendricks, and in the process, you moved up 15 spots in the draft. Oh, and you saved $3.1 million in the process. Now what?
You draft Zuby Ejiofor out of St. John’s University and add another forward to the organization.
He’s 6’9”, 240 pounds, and he plays a highly fundamental game. He isn’t somebody you’re expecting to consistently knock down threes, especially after shooting 30.5% last season at St. John’s. What interests me more is the 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and the motor that comes with it.
He’s productive in the paint. He brings physicality. He plays with attitude. And all of that feels aligned with who and what this Suns team is trying to become. At 22 years old, he’s not some raw teenage prospect. He’s older, more developed, and somebody who feels like a cleaner fit for what Phoenix is building.
The next question becomes contract structure. Do you place Zuby on a two-way deal, or do you use a standard roster spot? For this exercise, I’m going with the standard deal. That puts him around $1.4 million. Noah Penda, who went 32nd overall last season, landed around $1.3 million, and with the rookie minimum projecting around $1.4 million for the 2026-27 season, that’s the number I’m using here.
So that’s how we navigate the draft. You move off Royce and save $3.1 million. You move up 15 spots. You add two 22-year-old power forwards to the mix, and one of them comes on an expiring contract. So where does that leave things?
Pre-draft, Phoenix sat at $184.7 million with 11 players rostered. Post-draft, you’ve lowered payroll by $1.7 million and bumped the roster to 12 players.
And because you moved off Royce for a player on an expiring contract, the 2027-28 cap sheet starts looking cleaner, too. And, as we get ready to navigate restricted and unrestricted free agency, every dollar counts.
Step 3: Bring back your depth via free agency
This is where the challenge really begins. And this is where you can’t help feeling frustrated that the Phoenix Suns are carrying $23.2 million in dead cap this season. Up to this point, Phoenix sits $17.1 million below the luxury tax and $25.1 million below the first apron. That feels manageable on paper. Then you remember there are still three open roster spots and three players you’d ideally like to bring back. That’s when things get interesting in a hurry.
So what do they do? And how do they do it? You start by figuring out what actually matters most to Phoenix. Is avoiding the luxury tax the top priority, especially with repeater tax implications hanging out there? Or is this a team willing to cross that $201 million line if it means keeping continuity intact? And beyond that, how comfortable are they with going over the first apron, knowing the restrictions that come with it and how much harder it makes roster building?
Personally, I don’t think Phoenix is overly concerned with being above the luxury tax. At least I hope they aren’t. Mat Ishbia has shown he isn’t afraid to spend. Yes, this would be spending on a team you probably wouldn’t label a true contender today. That part is fair. At the same time, they clearly want to stay competitive. They clearly want to protect continuity. And if that means paying into the tax to make it happen, I believe the organization would be willing to do it.
And there’s one important caveat to always keep in mind. It’s about where you are on the final day of the NBA season. So in theory, the Suns can bring back Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Mark Williams, then buy themselves time. Time to evaluate. Time to see how the roster performs. Time to make decisions based on what the team actually looks like once the season starts. And for a front office trying to balance flexibility with continuity, that matters a lot.
And that’s the direction that I think this team will go. And honestly? I think it’s the right way to go. So let us begin with what bringing back Mark Williams looks like.
Bringing Mark Williams back gives Phoenix an important buffer as Khaman Maluach continues to develop. We know Mark’s injury history, and although he played a career-high 60 games this past season, his career average remains 41.5 games played per season. There’s a real chance he misses time this season, and if that happens, the door naturally opens for Maluach in year two. And that can work in Phoenix’s favor. If Maluach pops, if he looks ready and starts showing real growth, then you’ve put yourself in a position where Mark becomes more expendable and potentially somebody you can shop on the market come the trade deadline. If Maluach still looks raw, then you still have stability at the center spot whenever health allows.
The obvious question with Mark is price. What is he worth? What does his market actually look like? My guess is there won’t be a huge amount of interest. This year’s unrestricted free agent center market has plenty of options, and a lot of teams can find comparable production for cheaper or find somebody with a cleaner injury history. And maybe Phoenix sees it that way, too. Maybe they decide not to bring him back and go fishing in that pool.
For continuity purposes and for Maluach’s development, I think they keep him. And I think they do it on the qualifying offer.
Yes, Bobby Marks floated out $14 million annually as something Mark could potentially get on the open market. If another team wants to pay that, then you tip your cap, thank him for his time, and move on. You look at options on the unrestricted free agent market. That’s easy.
If that market doesn’t materialize, I bring him back at $9.6 million for this season, knowing he’d hit unrestricted free agency next summer. And by then, Phoenix should have a much clearer picture of what it actually has in Maluach. That makes the decision cleaner. That makes the timeline make more sense. And it gives the Suns another year of stability at a position where having it matters.
Jordan Goodwin is somebody the Suns should absolutely bring back. He’s part of the culture. Part of the identity. He’s gritty, he hustles, and he sets the tone every night he’s on the floor. He feels like the soul of this team. That’s not something you casually let walk out the door. At the same time, because of the apron restrictions, it may become a real possibility. And if that happens, it hurts.
Phoenix has Early Bird Rights on Goodwin, which gives them flexibility. They can structure a deal anywhere from roughly $4 million to $9 million annually. Then the question becomes whether Goodwin is willing to take a hometown discount or if he wants to test the market.
And honestly, that would make sense. He’s 27 years old. This could very well be his best chance to land a meaningful contract. There aren’t many teams with major spending power, which helps Phoenix a bit. Yes, another team could use part of a mid-level exception or the non-taxpayer mid-level to make a run at him, although those routes come with their own restrictions.
That’s why in this scenario I’m betting on continuity. I’m betting on fit. And I’m betting both sides find common ground. The number I land on is two years, $11.3 million. That feels fair for Goodwin. It rewards the role he’s carved out and keeps Phoenix intact.
That number could rise if the Suns decide to move off Mark Williams and go searching for another center in unrestricted free agency. In this version of the offseason, they don’t. They keep Williams. They keep Goodwin. And they keep building around the identity they spent all season trying to establish.
Lastly, there’s Collin Gillespie. He showcased exactly what he can bring this season and earned himself a real raise. And he’s a fantastic story. Honestly, he’s the kind of story you want your organization connected to. A player you brought in, developed, watched grow from a two-way contract into a guaranteed deal, and now he’s positioned to cash in because of the work he put in.
Now he hits unrestricted free agency, and Phoenix has to pay him accordingly. For me, that number comes to three years at $32.4 million. Yes, that’s a sizable number for a backup point guard. I’m still doing it. He’s worth it. He fits what Phoenix is trying to build. He understands the system. He’s earned trust. He brings steadiness when he’s on the floor, and there’s real value in knowing exactly what you’re getting from that position every night.
Could another team offer more? Absolutely. And maybe one does. Much like Jordan Goodwin, there’s more financial flexibility here if Mark Williams walks and Phoenix reallocates those dollars. In this version of the offseason, I’m keeping the group together.
And part of making that work is including a player option in year three. That gives Gillespie flexibility and gives him the chance to bet on himself if his progression continues. Which feels fair. Because if that growth keeps trending the way Phoenix hopes, he’ll have earned the right to cash in again.
So when restricted and unrestricted free agency wraps up, you’ve accomplished the mission. Three more players added. Three roster spots filled. Fifteen players under contract. Mark Williams comes back at $9.6 million, Jordan Goodwin returns for $5.5 million, and Collin Gillespie gets $10 million. That puts Phoenix at $25.1 million spent in free agency and brings the payroll right up to $208.1 million.
Now, if we’re being exact, and I know some of you absolutely will be, the final number lands at $208,116,977.
Boom. Under the first apron. Mic drop.
This keeps the Phoenix Suns under the first apron while filling every roster spot and maintaining continuity across the board. Your depth is fortified, and you have enough financial flexibility to keep options available if adjustments are needed later in the season.
I’ve avoided the daunting first apron, and that matters because crossing that line starts cutting into your flexibility in a real way. If you want to make trades, salary matching must be within 100%, and you can’t take back more money than you send out. You lose access to acquiring players via sign-and-trades. You also can’t sign a player waived during the regular season if his original salary was greater than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. In this scenario, those restrictions stay off the table.
Phoenix still has some flexibility. A lot of that flexibility comes through Haywood Highsmith. The “Locksmith” is owed $3.8 million next season, although only $1 million of that is guaranteed. His deal doesn’t fully guarantee until January 10, 2027. By then, you should have a much better understanding of his role, what this team looks like, and what steps you may need to take to get under the first apron, if necessary.
The same applies to Jamaree Bouyea. His team option can be exercised now, and that salary also doesn’t become fully guaranteed until January 10, 2027.
So yes, this is a tightrope. And it’s a tightrope the Phoenix Suns are going to keep walking for a while because of the dead cap on the books, all the way through 2030 (thank you, Bradley Beal). They have to be careful. The Suns have to balance fiscal responsibility with competitiveness. That isn’t easy, but it is the right thing to do. It’s not flashy, it’s not sexy, but that is the path that will open more doors than it locks. Don’t let your short-term greed get in the way of your long-term greed.
This is my blueprint. Yes, Phoenix lands around $209 million in payroll in this scenario. And yes, being roughly $8 million over the luxury tax means that bill turns into something closer to $26 million once repeater tax penalties are factored in. That’s expensive, that’s the cost of doing business, and that’s the cost of carrying dead cap. That’s the cost of trying to stay competitive. That’s the cost of continuity.
And when I look at the roster I have created, I believe it works. You still have an open two-way slot, and I believe it’s competitive. I believe it preserves optionality if the organization decides it needs to pivot. And I believe it gives you a healthy mix of veterans, youth, and upside worth investing in.
That’s who Phoenix is right now. This isn’t a team polishing the edges of a championship contender. This is a team trying to strengthen the path it’s on. They are a team focused on development, leaning into continuity, trying to figure out if this next era of Suns basketball is actually sustainable. Because if it is, you can start making different decisions a year or two from now. You can get more aggressive, adjust the vision, and attack the next phase.
Currently, this is who the Suns are. And this is the path I’d take. I know it’s optimistic to believe that Williams would come in at the qualifying offer and that Gillespie would take a $32.4 million deal. Perhaps they don’t. Perhaps the Suns let Williams walk, sign an unrestricted free agent center on a veteran minimum deal, and reinvest those savings into Gillespie and Goodwin’s contracts. ‘Tis possible.
At the end of the day, there’s no perfect answer here. There probably never was. The Suns are navigating the consequences of past decisions while trying to build something healthier moving forward, which naturally makes every offseason choice a balancing act.
That’s why I keep coming back to continuity and development. Let this group grow. Let the younger players keep earning opportunities. Let Jordan Ott continue shaping the identity Phoenix spent all last season trying to establish. Then evaluate from there. Allow health to be your friend, considering your three highest-paid players missed a combined 96 games last season. See what they can do from here, and for the love of AC Green’s celibacy, avoid three-guard lineups. Maybe a year from now, the vision looks clearer. Maybe the next pivot presents itself naturally.
For now, the smartest move feels like patience, trust in the foundation, and giving this version of the Suns another real chance to prove what it can become.
Garrett and James have spent years building a relationship rooted in their common ties to Cleveland. One brought the city their first championship in 52 years, the other became the face of the Browns.
Rams defensive end Myles Garrett talks to reporters at a press conference at the team’s practice facility on June 2026. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Their connection eventually extended beyond admiration. Garrett joined Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group, and purchased a minority ownership stake in the Cavaliers franchise.
Garrett even trained alongside James during the offseason and leaned on him for advice when his frustrations with the Browns boiled over in the winter of 2025, ultimately leading to Garrett demanding a trade out of Cleveland.
LeBron even tweeted congratulating Garrett for breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record last season.
“He’s been a positive force in my life,” Garrett said during his introductory press conference at the Rams practice facility on Tuesday. “Giving me advice when he can. Always helping trying to work through different situations early on in my career.”
But then, unsolicited Garrett may have made his recruiting pitch to LeBron to return to the Lakers for next season.
LeBron James stands on the court in the closing minutes of the Lakers’ Game 4 home loss to the Thunder on May 11, 2026 in the second round of the NBA playoffs. AP
“We’ll see how long LBJ is around here,” Garrett said with a smile. “I’m not sure what his future looks like, but if he wants to stay around for a couple more years, I know they’ll accept him with open arms.”
LeBron’s future remains one of the NBA’s biggest unanswered questions. He is officially a free agent and soon will be able to sign with any team he chooses. He could also opt for retirement or run it back with the Lakers. All possibilities are on the table.
But Garrett’s message was clear as day. He waived his no-trade clause and came to L.A. to chase championships, and now that he’s in the same city as his longtime mentor, he would be happy to share the city’s sports spotlight with The King for a few more years.
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More than a decade later, Paul is still reflecting on the emotional roller coaster that surrounded one of basketball’s biggest “what if” scenarios.
Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets (L) passes the ball as Derek Fisher of Los Angeles Lakers defends. EPA
Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the future Hall of Fame point guard revisited the controversial scrapped trade that would have paired him with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles before then-NBA commissioner David Stern stepped in and vetoed the deal.
“It was very wild to say the least,” Paul said. “I remember where I was, and me and Kobe had actually got on the phone and talked that night. And then yeah, it was basically like a little s–t storm from there.”
NBA commissioner David Stern takes a question from a reporter during a news conference AP
At the time, Paul’s New Orleans Hornets were owned by the NBA and operated by Stern after former owner George Shinn’s financial issues forced the league to take control of the franchise. Paul explained that once the lockout ended, he believed the trade was complete.
In an earlier interview with McAfee, Paul noted concerns from team owners after the league emerged from contentious collective bargaining negotiations may have been a significant turning point.
Paul was serving on the executive committee during those talks.
Chris Paul revisits the NBA’s vetoed Lakers deal and the Kobe partnership that never happened. REUTERS
That is when everything changed.
“It was a crazy time, and just knowing the emotional roller coaster that it was at the time was, was really different. But I got the phone call basically that this trade ain’t happening no more.”
The fallout changed NBA history. Rather than joining Bryant, Paul was eventually traded across the hallway to the Clippers, where he helped launch the “Lob City” era alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
While Paul built a lasting legacy with the Clippers, the thought of a Bryant-Paul backcourt remains one of the league’s most fascinating alternate realities. For Lakers fans, it’s still impossible not to wonder how many championships that partnership might have produced.
Sporting “Fight Like A Girl” T-shirts, players, coaches and staff surrounded Sarah Nauser and her supportive husband, Lonnie, in her customized wheelchair, designed to take her wherever her beloved Royals are playing. Tuesday night, on Lou Gehrig Day across MLB, that place was Great American Ball Park.
“Especially the way things have gone for us these last couple weeks, and to get texts from Sarah or Lonnie after a game, like, ‘Hang in there, it’ll turn’ and ‘Stay positive,’” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “and then you think for a second, coming from her and the horrible disease that she’s battling, and the way she supports us, it has to feel more important to us because of her and what she means to us, the city, the team and the organization. If you don’t feel that way, I think there might be something missing in your heart.”
The Royals greet superfan Sarah Nauser ahead of their game against the Reds. (photo via Mike Petraglia)
Nauser is a lifelong, passionate fan of the Royals whose moving battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) has deeply intertwined her life with the Major League Baseball franchise.
Raised in Blue Springs, Mo., Nauser grew up playing softball and spending her nights cheering at Kauffman Stadium, which she fondly calls her “happy place.” Nauser pursued a career in law enforcement and served as an officer for the Kansas City (Mo.) Police Department (KCPD).
Royals starter Noah Cameron racked up eight punchouts in his seven innings of work against the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday night.
Pasquantino was coming off a coffee-fueled spring during Team Italy’s run at the World Baseball Classic, right in the center of it as the captain. Then the crash hit. Pasquantino posted a .467 OPS in April and is slashing .213/.303/.342 now in 55 games this season. His strikeout rate has ticked up to 18.4% from 15.7% last year. Pasquantino showed the type of hitter he can be last year with 32 homers and 113 RBIs, and the Royals’ offense doesn’t work if Pasquantino isn’t mashing in the middle of it. They haven’t given up on him yet, nor will they. But a hot June from Pasquantino could be just what he and the Royals need to get out of their current funk. — Anne Rogers
Will this finally be the year for Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to capture the AL MVP? The Athletic thinks so, despite the Royals ranking 29th in their latest power rankings.
Top awards candidate: Bobby Witt Jr., AL MVP
Royals fans, I think this is the year.
The league-leader in fWAR is putting up another five-tool season. He should, at the very least, have another 20-20 season, potentially 20-40. No one has more Outs Above Average than Witt’s 15, or has generated as much defensive value as he has.
With Aaron Judge looking mortal — and by mortal, I mean not putting up a wRC+ that mirrors the speed of F1 cars or an OPS that looks like the seating capacity of a small theater — attention can turn to Witt.
It’s been 46 years since the Royals have had an AL MVP. If he keeps it up, that won’t be the only accolade he’ll have for his age-26 season. 2026 All-Star, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, Platinum Glove and AL MVP winner Bobby Witt Jr. has a really nice ring to it.
As mentioned already, they have a system that features a wealth of Top 100 talent, which could provide the Royals lower-ranked farm system with some much needed reinforcements. While they may not have the available trade capital to warrant one of those Top 100 names – not the top end ones at least, perhaps they could target lower names on their organizational Top 30 list. After all, how will they promote any of them if they keep buying every marquee free agent?
As has become custom in L.A., the Dodgers have multiple high profile starting pitching names on the IL at the moment. Perhaps Royals starters like Kris Bubic (when healthy) or veterans Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are options if to bolster their staff. The same goes for relievers, as the injury bug has bitten them there too. Daniel Lynch IV and Matt Strahm are potentially a pair of high-leverage arms that the Dodgers could very well covet.
In six outings and 28.1 IP, Lamkin absolutely dominated Midwest League pitching. He posted a 1.27 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, a 34.9% K%, and 24.8% K-BB% with the River Bandits. In May, with the Quad Cities, he allowed two runs on six hits with no walks while striking out 14 in 10.2 IP. That strong start in May led to his promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Lamkin had a rough Double-A debut on June 14th, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out seven in 5.2 IP. However, he had a much stronger second start on May 20th. He went 6 IP, allowed one hit, one run, no walks, and struck out eight. Overall, the percentiles have been good for Lamkin in his two starts in Double-A, as he is generating a 34.9% K% (92nd percentile), a 35.1% whiff rate (82nd percentile), and a 37.4% CSW% (98th percentile).
Would you believe this is the first game the Royals have won that wasn’t on a weekend since May 5 against Cleveland? As I sat down to write this, I thought it felt different to write about a win in an individual game, knowing the Royals are out of it. The focus is just different when writing about a team with no real playoff hope. We haven’t dealt with that for the last two seasons. And then I realized that I haven’t written about an individual game that was a win for almost a month. Since I don’t really write on weekends and just capture the weekend as a whole on Mondays, the only wins we’ve seen for a while have been written about in the Weekend in Review. Boy, it’s been a bad stretch.
But if you’re looking to the future or at least signs of life for the future, this win was a good one. I’d put it up there with the blowout of the Angels from late April or maybe the first win of the Cleveland series as one of the most complete games they’ve played. It had a starting pitcher who hadn’t ever really done well in that role, putting together a good game. One of the young bats had a nice day. Another bat who could be important had a good day. And it felt like the team got all their frustration out on one swing in the first and looked like it exhaled for the first time in weeks. Let’s start with the young pitcher.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 05: A general view of the MLB 2026 All Star Game Logo during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Athletics on May 5, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
It’s that time of year again. Phase 1 of voting for the 2026 All Star Game begins today!
Last year, I had the idea to coordinate a group effort with the community to try to get specific San Francisco Giants players into the game. It did not work. And I didn’t really expect it to. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try again this year!
As a reminder, fans can only vote for position players. I think concentrating on just a couple of players is the best strategy. So right now, the players we are going to push for are:
Luis Arraez – 2B
Casey Schmitt – DH
For Phase 1, you can submit up to five ballots per day. The website for voting is not live yet, voting begins at 9:00 a.m. PT. But you should be able to find it on MLB’s All Star page once it’s up.
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue this four-game road series against the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon at 4:40 p.m. PT.
