PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 23: Andre Drummond #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Phoenix Suns during Round 1, Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs on May 23, 2021 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 2021 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LA dealt Ayton to the Wizards for cap relief and draft picks, opening up the backup big spot. Immediately, the team was linked to multiple players, including Andre Drummond and Kevon Looney.
The Lakers will now focus on finding Walker Kessler's backup on the market — with centers such as Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney among those being considered, sources said.
The Wizards took a patient approach to the start of free agency and now land a… https://t.co/3GEA9Wx7gY
A name that's come up when talking to rival teams about a player who would fit the Lakers' current roster has been Andre Drummond. Interesting to see how the Lakers navigate the back-up center spot.
Drummond is an elite rebounder who could come in and make the most of the opportunity. This would be Drummond’s return to LA as he was with the team during the 2020-21 season. Last year, as a backup with the Sixers, he averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Kevon Looney or Jonas Valančiūnas are also viable bigs the Lakers could pursue.
Looney is an 11-year vet who spent his first decade with the Warriors. Last season, he joined the Pelicans but played limited minutes, averaging just 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
He played in 65 games for the Nuggets last season, averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. As a backup in LA, he would make a ton of sense, providing size and strength, along with rebounding and scoring ability.
Nick Richards is another name that’s being reported as a player that could end up with the Lakers.
Some other centers that are unsigned – Nick Richards and Kevon Looney https://t.co/bUj0GWF1MC
Richards has bounced around the NBA playing on three different teams in his six-year career. Last season, he averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
The reported trade involving Ayton is a surprise, but it all but guarantees that other moves are coming. The Lakers can’t enter the season with so few bigs, so whether it’s Drummond, Looney, Richards, or someone else, more frontcourt help will have to be arriving.
Stay tuned Lakers fans, the front office is cooking. Hopefully, it’s something everyone will want to eat.
The Yankees made a flurry of roster moves on Friday, most notably, placing star LHP Carlos Rodon on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation.
The move is retroactive to June 30, two days after he last pitched against the Boston Red Sox on June 28. Rodon allowed just one hit in the outing, striking out six and walking four over 5.0 IP.
Over nine starts this season, Rodon has gone 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA and 52 strikeouts through 46.1 IP.
Prior to Friday's game, Rodon said that his UCL is intact and he's dealing with heavy inflammation in the elbow, according to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner.
Additionally, New York reinstated both Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon from the 10-day injured list. Grisham has been out since June 12 with a right hamstring strain, while McMahon was out since June 21 due to a throat infection.
The team also optioned Oswaldo Cabrera to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after bringing him up with McMahon sidelined. He went hitless with four strikeouts in nine at-bats over three games.
On what was supposed to be a day of injury relief around the Yankees, yet another concern emerged for a club struggling both with health and performance.
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The Yankees officially activated Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon on Friday but placed Carlos Rodón on the 15-day injured list with what the lefty called “heavy inflammation” — but nothing worse — in his pitching elbow.
Rodón had been bothered by the elbow “on and off” for “the last couple weeks,” he said, and was having issues with recovery that escalated this week.
He underwent an MRI exam on Thursday that found the inflammation and, most notably, found a UCL that was still intact.
“I think it’s a pretty big exhale,” Rodón said before the Yankees opened a series against the Twins in The Bronx.
Carlos Rodon during his latest start against the Red Sox. AP Photo/Steven Senne
Rodón will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection and be shut down for a time — “at least a few days, maybe a week,” manager Aaron Boone said — before building up again.
Neither team nor player offered a timetable, but it is possible he returns within the month if the inflammation clears and recovery goes as planned.
At least at the moment, there is no long-term concern regarding Rodón’s elbow, which underwent a procedure in the offseason to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur.
Still, the Yankees will be without another capable starting pitcher — the 2025 All-Star has pitched to a 3.30 ERA in nine starts this season — at a time when they lugged a season-high, seven-game losing streak into play.
Even with an elbow that became increasingly tricky to handle, Rodón allowed two unearned runs on one hit in five innings on Sunday in Boston.
“I really feel like Carlos was throwing the ball well and doing some really good things,” Boone said. “Hopefully this is something that gets cleaned up and gets him in a better place so that he can return for the stretch drive and be even more of a factor for us.”
Also available for the stretch drive, the Yankees hope, will be Max Fried, who has been building up from a bone bruise in his elbow and is now facing hitters again.
But as the Yankees stand today, the club’s rotation has hit its first adversity with Cam Schlittler coming off his worst major league start, Gerrit Cole proving human, Ryan Weathers’ ERA spiking from 3.14 to 4.08 in his past six starts and Will Warren letting up 13 runs in his past 16 ²/₃ innings.
They lack a true fifth starter and plan to summon Brendan Beck from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to either start or pitch several innings out of the bullpen on Saturday.
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In his major league debut on May 7, the righty prospect allowed two runs in three innings during a win over the Rangers.
The higher-ranked Elmer Rodríguez was not an option after pitching Thursday, and Luis Gil (shoulder inflammation) has yet to begin a rehab assignment.
Hitting has loomed as the team’s biggest issue — the Yankees have badly missed Aaron Judge, who still does not know when he will receive further imaging much less when he can return, and the absence of Giancarlo Stanton has grown more significant.
The club hoped Grisham and even McMahon could provide a spark in the lineup and in the field.
But the rotation, which had been the Yankees’ greatest strength until just a couple weeks ago, added a bit more uncertainty Friday.
“I want to be back as soon as I can, whenever I’m ready,” Rodón said.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 24: Colorado Rockies mascot Dinger carries a laundry basket onto the field before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 24, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Rockies rolled into May with a surprising record of 14-18, but since then they’ve gone a much more familiar 21-35 to really dig into last place of the NL West. Of course, all season long, the Giants have been burrowing at the edges trying to breach their trench. The teams are separated by 2 games for last place in the division. So, this 3-game series could be pivotal from an embarrassment standpoint.
Sure, the Rockies are inured to win-loss embarrassment by now, but if the Giants came into town and delivered a whoopin’, they might smart a little bit because the Giants have already lost a series in Coors and have been the Diamondbacks’ doormats this season. Meanwhile, the Giants could fall to last place! The last time they were last place on July 5th was… okay, well, not that long ago. In 2019, they were 39-48 on July 5th. But still! Not where the team expected to be this season!
The Rockies might be right on schedule for a 2030 renaissance, though. Hunter Goodman has carried his All-Star 2025 into this season (27 HR, 1.7 fWAR in 340 PA), while prospect Kyle Karros has developed quite nicely in his first full season amassing 1.4 fWAR in 279 PA and a season wRC+ of 96. But in June (81 PA), he led the team with a line of .357/.444/.586 (167 wRC+). He’s performing well alongside trade pickups like T.J. Rumfield (125 wRC+) and Jake McCarthy (112 wRC+). They didn’t add a lot from the outside but have simply managed to improve some of the players on the roster.
Yes, for the Rockies it will always come down to the pitching. That’s still bad. But this Fourth of July weekend, they welcome a team that was as bad as they were in June. For the month, the Rockies had a team fWAR of 4.9 (23rd) while the Giants were 21st with 5.0 fWAR. Now, that team performance for the Giants is buoyed by Logan Webb & Robbie Ray’s dominance (1.4 fWAR & 0.7 fWAR, respectively). But here’s where the comparison gets wacky:
The Giants had a great starting pitching performance throughout the month while the Rockies were stellar in the bullpen. The Giants’ -0.4 fWAR (4.36 ERA in 295.1 IP) was the fifth-worst value in relief pitching for the month. Colorado’s +2.1 fWAR in 375.2 IP was squarely in the middle of the pack (15th). The teams had virtually identical bullpen FIPs (4.45 for SF, 4.46 for COL) but the key difference between the two was that the quality of contact against the Rockies relievers was slightly worse than what hitters could do against the Giants’ silly relief corps.
So, we have our eyes to tell us that the Giants’ bullpen has been bad, but just comparing to the Rockies’ ‘pen really adds an extra layer of despair. A lot of us will be seeing fireworks this weekend, but before the season began you might’ve expected that because of the Fourth of July holiday and not because of an explosively bad reliever group.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (36-50) at Colorado Rockies (35-53) Where: Coors Field | Denver, Colorado When: Friday & Saturday at 5:10pm PT, Sunday at 1pm PT National broadcasts: Peacock (Sunday)
Projected starters Friday: TBD vs. Ryan Feltner (RHP 2-2, 4.42 ERA) Saturday: TBD vs. Tomoyuki Sugano (RHP 8-4, 4.80 ERA) Sunday: TBD vs. Tanner Gordon (RHP 2-2, 6.69 ERA)
Giants to watch
Bryce Eldridge: His June overall looks really impressive (.295/.385/.474 — 4 HR), but the second half of the month paints a different picture. Since June 15 (55 PA), he’s hitting just .184/.273/.286 (61 wRC+). I’d really like to see him hit some home runs into Nate Schierholtz/Alex Dickerson territory. For reference:
Luis Arraez: He has just a career .274/.319/.323 line at Coors Field (69 PA) and that just seems a little odd for a player like him. Yes, the .274 average makes sense, but that’s a spacious outfield and it seems like he’s so predictable when he hits the ball in the air that the size of the outfield would hardly seem to matter. But Arraez has been on an absolute tear the past two weeks: .415/.457/.707 in his last 11 games (47 PA), so him coming to a cold stop in Coors Field would be a real surprise.
Logan Webb: It was a bit of a headscratcher when he made his return off the IL in Coors Field, but he acquitted himself nicely in just 4.1 innings and he went on to have an absolutely dominant June, so, I’m not nervous to see him pitch there again when last place is on the line.
Prediction time
The Giants salvaged a game in the last Coors series with a 19-6 win, which boosted them to a +6 run differential for the three games despite losing said series. They hit 3 homers in that finale to give them 4 in the series. My prediction: they will hit at least 4 home runs in this series, too.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees runs off the field during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium on June 20, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The month of June did not wrap up the way the Yankees had envisioned, dropping nearly a game per day to wrap up the calendar page. Despite some adversity, no month goes by without a highlight with the bat or some leather. June was no different, as multiple Yankees did their part in preventing runs around the field. With plenty of disappointment abound, why not take a look at some high point with the glove over the past month.
Already trailing by a run, the Yankees were on the ropes in a June 10th game against Cleveland. With a couple of runners on base, Stuart Fairchild threatened to make it a lot worse when he lofted a ball deep into right-center field. But, Trent Grisham swooped in to save the day, not with a particularly challenging grab by his standards, but an impressive one, given the fact that he maintained the catch after some rather significant contact with right fielder Jose Caballero. Clearly shaken up by the collision, Grisham held onto the ball, and put an end to the inning, one that could have a lot worse had things fallen a bit different.
In a tied game this time, the Blue Jays were in prime position, with a pair of runners on second and third with just one out. Charles McAdoo seemingly did his job when he rifled a line drive up the middle, just right of the second base bag. Destined for a two-RBI knock, Jazz Chisholm stepped in and went horizontal to snare the line drive. With a the multi-run saving play, Chisholm helped to keep the threat subsided, and the Yankees went on to claim a tight victory north of the border.
June 17th: Caballero snares a liner just above the grass
With two outs in the seventh and a healthy lead in tow, Caballero did his part in moving the game into its late stages. Chicago’s Randal Grichuk hit a top-spinning line drive into left field. Moving in and to his right, the Yankees’ left fielder got a great jump and fully extended to make the grab. With Caballero low to the ground, his skillful grab put a close to the inning and helped the Yankees grab an easy win at home.
Back-to-back highlights from the Yankee utility man. This time trailing in the sixth inning, JJ Bleday’s fly ball into left-center threatened to make this game a blow out. But, running straight back to the track upon contact, Caballero made a full speed grab over the shoulder. With a full extended arm toward the wall, Cabby’s impressive catch ended the inning and thwarted the threat, while giving credence to his skill at multiple positions around the diamond.
In a tight game against the Tigers, Detroit’s Hao-Yu Lee tried to add to the damage with a push bunt against Ryan Yarbrough. The veteran lefty hopped off the mound to back-hand the ball, before jetting toward the first base bag. With no one over to cover the base, Yarbrough took matters into his own hands and ran to the base before laying out to place the tag on Lee and secure the much-needed out. He was initially called safe, but upon review, the lefty’s hard work paid off and the call was reversed to an out.
After falling behind 6-0, the Los Angeles Dodgers (57-31) stormed back and beat the San Diego Padres (43-43), 12-7 on Thursday. Dalton Rushing tied a career-high with four hits and four RBI, while Kyle Tucker added four hits and reached base five times.
Los Angeles is 5-2 versus San Diego this season outscoring the Padres, 41-22 over those seven games. The Dodgers have won five of the last six games overall and 12-4 over the past 16 contests. Shohei Ohtani will start on the mound and the Dodgers have won two straight and six of the previous seven when he starts.
San Diego has lost six straight games, which ties a season-long. The Padres are hitting .284 (6th) with 10 home runs (T-5th), and 13 doubles (T-5th) over those six games. The problem has been the pitching staff. The Padres pitchers boast an MLB-worst 10.48 ERA over the last week to go along with an outrageous .351 OBA (last) and 2.19 WHIP (last).
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Padres at Dodgers
Date: Friday, July 3, 2026
Time: 10:10 PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV / ESPN
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Odds for the Padres at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers (-251), San Diego Padres (+203)
Spread: Padres +1.5 (-103), Dodgers -1.5 (-117)
Total: 8.0
Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Dodgers
Friday's pitching matchup (July 3): Shohei Ohtani vs. Michael King
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is hitting .291 with 89 hits, 18 home runs and 50 RBI over 306 at-bats
The Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker is hitting .249 with 74 hits and 72 strikeouts over 297 at-bats
The Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting .280 with 93 hits, 5 home runs, and 33 RBI over 332 at-bats
The Padres’ Jackson Merrill is hitting .212 with 68 hits and 88 strikeouts over 321 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Dodgers
The Dodgers are 43-45 ATS
The Padres are 46-40 ATS, ranking seventh-best
The Dodgers are 46-42 to the Under
The Padres are 46-39-1 to the Under, ranking fifth-best
The Dodgers are 17-24 ATS at home, ranking sixth-worst
The Padres are 21-19 ATS on the road
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Dodgers and the Padres
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Padres and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Dodgers on the Moneyline.
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DENVER — Logan Webb was hardly the worst pitcher in baseball to begin this season, but he had performed far from his own high standards when he hit the injured list in the first week of May.
Now, in his first full month back, the San Francisco Giants ace earned the highest honor available to him.
Webb was named the National League pitcher of the month for June, beating out the Milwaukee Brewers’ electric ace Jacob Misiorowski for the first monthly honor of his career.
San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb was named the National League pitcher of the month for June. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
In five starts, Webb allowed just three earned runs and walked only four batters while striking out 29. His 0.71 ERA was the sixth-lowest by any Giants starter in a month dating back to 1913, the most dominant month by any San Francisco starting pitcher since Noah Lowry (0.69) in August 2005.
Misiorowski turned in the most dominant start by anybody in the league this season with his 15-strikeout complete game shutout that required only 95 pitches. But Webb made one more start, threw 10 more innings in total and edged out the 24-year-old fireballer’s 0.96 ERA for the month.
Webb beat out the Brewers’ electric ace Jacob Misiorowski for the first monthly honor of his career. AP Photo/Justine Willard
Webb, of course, had a memorable outing of his own that set the tone for the rest of the month.
In his second start back from the IL, Webb took a perfect game against Misiorowski’s Brewers into the sixth inning and didn’t allow a hit until the seventh in what would be his first of three starts he didn’t allow an earned run. He followed those seven shutout inning with his first of three straight starts of eight innings — the first Giants starter to complete eight frames thrice in a row since Madison Bumgarner in 2015.
Clearly, Webb was impacted by the bursitis in his right knee that forced him to the IL for the first time since he established himself at the top of the Giants rotation in the second half of 2021.
Getting healthy isn’t the only thing that spurred arguably the best run of Webb’s career.
The Giants’ ace began calling his own pitches — most of them, anyway — in his second start back from the injured list, flirting with a perfect game in seven one-hit innings in Milwaukee.
“I didn’t throw the best until then. I just came back and [thought] I’ve done it before, I haven’t thrown to these guys a lot,” Webb said. “I mean I was with [Patrick Bailey] for a long period of time. There’s a trust factor in those sorts of things.”
It worked out so well that Webb has continued the practice, trusting himself over two new catchers to keep batters guessing.
He was 2-4 with a 5.06 ERA when he landed on the IL after his May 5 start against the San Diego Padres.
Just two months later, he is 5–5 with a 3.09 ERA and a candidate to make his third All-Star Game.
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Center Deandre Ayton, attempting to score over Rockets guard Amen Thompson, has been traded to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers have traded center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks, in 2031 and 2032, people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed to The Times on Friday.
Ayton picked up his player option for $8.1 million on Sunday.
But it became obvious that he was expendable as the starting center once the Lakers acquired 24-year-old center Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade deal worth four years and $130 million.
The Lakers now will be in the market for a backup center.
Centers such as Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney are still available. Drummond played 21 games for the Lakers during the 2020-21 season, when he was picked up on the buyout market.
The Lakers acquired Ayton last season after the Portland Trail Blazers bought out his contract, and then signed him to a two-year, $16-million deal.
He averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 72 games last season with the Lakers while shooting 67.1% from the field.
The Wizards believe the 7-foot Ayton will be a good fit alongside centers Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr.
The 6-3 Hardy, who spent three-plus seasons with the Dallas Mavericks before being traded in February to Washington, averaged 9.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 42.4% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range last season.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 10: Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 10, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After a quiet opening night of free agency, the Lakers got to work. On July 1, they agreed to a sign-and-trade for Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and agreed to sign Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton. A week later, they added Kevon Looney on a one-year, veteran-minimum contract.
In total, the Lakers have shelled out more than a quarter-billion dollars this summer. After entering free agency with the ability to create more than $50 million in salary-cap space, they’re now basically out of spending power.
There may be another shoe still to drop, though.
The Lakers traded Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks. Flipping Ayton’s $8.1 million salary for Hardy’s $6.0 million salary gives the Lakers a bit of remaining cap space, but not enough to do anything meaningful with… yet.
The Lakers renounced the rights to all of their remaining free agents—and the cap holds for Lakers legends such as Wayne Ellington and Dion Waiters—to give themselves enough cap room to make the Kessler, Grimes and Mamukelashvili deals official. They’re now free to sign Sexton with the room mid-level exception and can officially sign Austin Reaves to his new four-year, $184.8 million max contract… unless they have something else (Jonathan Kuminga?) up their sleeves.
The Lakers have no remaining salary-cap exceptions after spending the room MLE, so they can only offer minimum contracts to other free agents for now. They do have a pathway to create more cap space for Kuminga or another free agent, although it would likely involve either salary-dumping Jarred Vanderbilt or waiving him and stretching the remainder of his contract.
Since Looney is signing a one-year deal, his $3.9 million contract will count as only $2.45 million on the Lakers’ books, and they’ll add him via the minimum exception once they’re done spending cap space. They’re also now hard-capped at the first apron after acquiring Kessler via sign-and-trade.
Here’s a look at where the Lakers stand financially in the wake of their free-agent flurry and the Ayton trade.
Player
2026-27 (pre-Reaves/Sexton)
2026-27 (after Reaves/Sexton)
Luka Dončić
$49,488,300
$49,488,300
Austin Reaves
$20,906,361
$41,240,250
Walker Kessler
$30,232,558
$30,232,558
Quentin Grimes
$13,953,488
$13,953,488
Sandro Mamukelashvili
$13,000,000
$13,000,000
Jarred Vanderbilt
$12,428,571
$12,428,571
Collin Sexton
N/A (Room MLE)
$9,366,000
Jaden Hardy
$6,000,000
$6,000,000
Jake LaRavia
$6,000,000
$6,000,000
Dalton Knecht
$4,201,080
$4,201,080
Cameron Carr
$3,316,200
$3,316,200
Kevon Looney
(Minimum exception)
$2,449,421
Bronny James
$2,296,271
$2,296,271
Adou Thiero
$2,150,917
$2,150,917
TOTAL
$163,973,747
$196,123,057
SALARY CAP
$164,961,000
$164,961,000
CAP ROOM
$987,253
-$31,162,057
LUXURY TAX
$200,428,000
$200,428,000
TAX ROOM
$36,454,253
$4,304,943
1ST APRON
$209,015,000
$209,015,000
1ST APRON ROOM
$45,041,253
$12,891,943
2ND APRON
$221,686,000
$221,686,000
2ND APRON ROOM
$57,712,253
$25,562,943
Once the Lakers sign Reaves and Sexton to their new deals, they’re projected to be less than $5 million below the $200.4 million luxury-tax line and roughly $13 million below their first-apron hard cap.
Since the Lakers can’t cross the first apron this season, they will have considerable in-season trade flexibility. Teams above the first apron can’t take back more salary than they send out in trades, but teams below it can take back significantly more.
Kessler, Grimes, Mamukelashvili and Sexton won’t be trade-eligible until Dec. 15 at the earliest, but that’s something to file away for ahead of the trade deadline.
Can the Lakers create more cap space?
Between Reaves, Sexton, Grimes, Luka Dončić and rookie Cameron Carr, the Lakers now appear to be set in the backcourt. Their frontcourt is also in fairly good shape between Kessler, Mamukelashvili, Looney, Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia.
However, their situation at the three leaves much to be desired, barring a massive leap from either Adou Thiero or an immediate impact from Carr.
Even if Reaves, Dončić and Grimes all start together in a three-guard lineup, the Lakers could use some additional wing help. They have a few pathways to continue adding to their roster this offseason despite being capped out.
The Lakers could always look to salary-dump Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), but they don’t have much left to sweeten any trade offers. They now have zero tradable first-round picks, only one remaining first-round swap (2032), but do have three second round picks now after the Ayton trade.
They could also pull a 2025 Milwaukee Bucks and waive-and-stretch Vanderbilt. Doing so would leave them with a $5.1 million dead cap hit in each of the next five seasons, but that would equip them with an additional $7.3 million of spending power this summer. They’d have to spend that newfound cap space before they officially signed Sexton, Reaves or Looney to their new contracts.
As the game of free-agency musical chairs runs out, the Lakers might be able to snag a wing for cheap — perhaps even on a minimum contract — since they can offer a legitimate role. Playing alongside an elite playmaker like Dončić could help players improve their market value moving forward, too. But if the Lakers hang on to Vanderbilt, they’re likely done with their big moves in free agency.
Do the additions of Kessler, Mamukelashvili, Grimes, Sexton and Looney outweigh the departures of LeBron James, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Ayton and Hachimura? Do the Lakers have something else up their sleeves? We’ll find out soon enough.
Detroit Red Wings prospect goaltender Sebastian Cossa had reached a crossroads with the organization that selected him in the opening round (15th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft.
He was no longer waivers-except, and was in need of a new contract with restricted free agency looming on July 1. Rather than extend him, the Red Wings traded him to the Utah Mammoth in return for the 23rd overall pick in the 2026 Draft.
Since then, Cossa has signed a two-year contract with a $2 million salary cap hit, while the Mammoth traded backup goaltender Vitek Vanecek to the New York Islanders. Right now, it appears as though the road is paved for Cossa to begin his NHL career.
He only has one game of NHL experience under his belt, having come in to relieve Ville Husso against the Buffalo Sabres in December 2024; he helped the Red Wings earn a 6-5 shootout victory.
While speaking on the final day of Development Camp, Red Wings Director of Player Development Dan Cleary attested to Cossa's character.
"Sebastian is a good man," Cleary said. "I really liked working with Sebastian. He's on the goalie side, and I like to tell him, 'I don't really know a lot about goalies, but I certainly know a lot about character and trying to help you and move along.'"
Cossa finished what would be his last season with the Griffins going 26-8-4, recording a 2.33 goals-against average along with a .915 save percentage.
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Last season, Lakers Nation was the latest fan base to talk itself into the potential of Deandre Ayton before the season, only to watch reality unfold. He was inconsistent but generally fine, although clearly not the guy they needed as a two-way center next to Luka Doncic.
The Lakers are now trading Ayton to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two Wizards second-round picks in 2031 and 2032, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
This trade doesn't make immediate sense for Washington, where Ayton will come off the bench, backing up Alex Sarr and Anthony Davis as the starting bigs. With those two bigs on the books, did the Wizards need to put in two picks to take on more money for a backup center?
Last season, Ayton was up and down — as he has been throughout his career — and averaged 12.5 points and eight rebounds per game. Ayton, the 27-year-old former No. 1 pick, picked up his player option for $8.1 million for the coming season.
The Lakers traded for Walker Kessler and are paying him big money (four years, $130 million) to be the center of the future next to Doncic. With Jaxson Hayes now in Utah, the Lakers will look to the market for a backup for Kessler, with Charania mentioning Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney. The Lakers need to get the backup big right, as Kessler played just five games last season due to shoulder surgery and 58 the season before that.
The Lakers also get Hardy, 24, who played a limited role in Dallas to start last season but was sent to Washington as part of the Anthony Davis trade. With the Wizards, he played about 20 minutes a night off the bench in 23 games and averaged 12.6 points a game, shooting 42% from 3-point range. He will get a chance for backcourt minutes off the bench for the Lakers.
He's also making just $6 million this season, saving the Lakers a little money. Hardy has a team option for $6 million for the 2027-28 season.
The Lakers, nearly devoid of draft picks after the Kessler trade, add a couple of second-rounders to help fill out their stockpile. They may need those picks if they want to trade someone like Dalton Knecht or Jarred Vanderbilt for a player they think helps more now.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 16: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers & Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game on March...
However, it seems that one key holdup in the Warriors’ pursuit of another star player could keep them from signing James, which ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania asserted during a July 3 appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” podcast.
The Golden State Warriors’ inability to acquire Anthony Davis could be what keeps them from signing LeBron James in free agency, according to NBA insider Shams Charania. NBAE via Getty Images
When asked which teams he believes have a “legitimate” shot at landing James in free agency, Charania said: “At least a few. But this is a true free agency process, because so much has changed, right? There’s fluidity that comes with it, with information. A few days ago, the [Philadelphia 76ers] didn’t have Jaylen Brown. So now they do … So now they have to be on the radar of LeBron James.”
“The [Cleveland] Cavaliers, the [Miami] Heat — they’re two teams that are known quantities. The Warriors, going into free agency; they dreamt up a grand plan of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, LeBron James,” Charania continued.
“The big domino with them is trying to get a player like an Anthony Davis, so you can bring in LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a package deal. Short of that, they’re not really looked at right now at the top of this list. But things can change.”
James’ future is still TBD, but the Warriors are losing steam. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Charania is alluding to Golden State’s interest in signing James’ former Lakers running-mate, Davis, as a way to entice the NBA record-breaker to bring his talents to the Bay Area.
But the Washington Wizards (with whom Davis is under contract through next season) have asserted that they have no intention of trading him at this point.
Shams on the Warriors/LeBron:
"The big domino with them is trying to get a player like an Anthony Davis, you can bring in LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a package deal. Short of that, they're not really looked at right now at the top of this list."pic.twitter.com/5bYL0OGUVJ
Since the prospect of reuniting with Davis was seen as a big reason why LeBron might want to join the Warriors, that no longer being realistic presents a tough reality check for Golden State.
Then again, the Warriors still have Curry, who James would surely love to play alongside. And as Charania said himself, things can change very quickly in the free agency landscape.
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Atlanta hasn’t scored more than five runs in a game in any of its last seven contests, and may struggle against Scott’s sweeper, as they have just a 21.8% air pull rate against the pitch, which ranks 23rd in MLB. The Mets are third-worst in the majors in run scoring, having put up just 3.98 runs per game on the year.
Given those trends and a solid pitching matchup, it’s hard to see a whole lot of runs coming tonight. This total is far too high, and I’m taking the Under at 8.5 runs or more.
Ed Scimia's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 13-21, -8.84 units
Over/Under bets: 12-20, -8.74 units
Mets vs Braves weather
Mets vs Braves odds
Moneyline: New York +102 | Atlanta -104
Run line: New York -1.5 (+159) | Atlanta +1.5 (-167)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-122) | Under 8.5 (-131)
Mets vs Braves trend
Atlanta is 2-8 straight up in its last 10 games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Braves.
How to watch Mets vs Braves and game info
Location
Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Date
Friday, July 3, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Mets starting pitcher
Christian Scott (2-0, 3.20 ERA)
Braves starting pitcher
Grant Holmes (4-4, 3.96 ERA)
Mets vs Braves latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
INGLEWOOD, CA - MARCH 31: Caleb Love #2 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up before the game against the LA Clippers on March 31, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Philadelphia 76ers are rounding out their eventful free agency week with two-way signings, it seems. Fresh off inking Rayan Rupert to a two-way deal, they’ve now signed former Portland Trail Blazer Caleb Love to a two-way contract. ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report the news:
Free agent guard Caleb Love has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6u3rnDG8Uy
For those who aren’t familiar with Love, he’s a former five-star recruit with quite an extensive college resume. He played five years in the NCAA, three with the North Carolina Tar Heels, later transferring to Arizona and playing two years there. Across 142 total college games, he averaged 15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He accumulated 200 made three-pointers.
Love declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, and to the surprise of some, went undrafted. He went on to sign a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite never being converted, Love saw plenty of action at the NBA level during his rookie season. He appeared in 49 games for them, starting one, and averaged 10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three. Love’s best stretch of basketball occurred from late December through the beginning of February, where he averaged 15.3 points on 43.3 percent shooting. I’d encourage you to check out his game logs, as for a first-year undrafted guy he really lit it up.
Love now caps off the new “guard glut” of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Labaron Philon and Anfernee Simons. There’s no shortage of scoring amongst this group. Love also has quite a few Sixer-centric connections. A year ago, he faced off against Edgecombe in a heated rookie workout, and also crossed over with Dalen Terry during his time at Arizona.
Caleb Love and VJ Edgecombe going blow for blow last off-season
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) July 3, 2026
With the signings of Love and Rupert, the Sixers are now down to one vacant two-way spot. Considering Rupert is best classified as a wing, and Love is a guard, it’s safe to assume that could go towards bolstering their big man rotation, currently occupied by Joel Embiid, Adem Bona, Johni Broome, and Jabari Walker.
DOUBLE FIGURES, PART 1: Wednesday’s 23-3 demolition of the Padres was the 10th game this season in which the Cubs scored at least 10 runs. They had 22 double-digit games last season, after having had only 12 in 2024, half their total in 2023. They are 5-4 this year in their next games after double-digit outbursts. Since 2000, they are 165-158 in next games and have averaged 4.80 runs in those games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
DOUBLE FIGURES, PART 2: The Cubs had not scored 10 or more runs at home against the Padres since an 11-7 win on May 28, 2012, their longest such drought against any National League opponent. Their longest now is against the Marlins, since a 13-4 win on May 9, 2018. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
A HIT MACHINE: The Cubs have made 40 hits in their last three games: 10, 13 and 17. They had made only 16 in their previous three, and a total of 41 in their previous seven. The Cubs made double-digit hits in five straight games April 12-17 and in four straight April 21-24. This is their first streak of at least three games since then. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
DANSBY SWANSON’S CASE FOR PLAYER OF THE WEEK: In the three games so far this week, Swanson is batting .615/.615/1.846 (8-for-13) with a double, five home runs, 11 RBI, seven runs scored and only one strikeout.
The Cardinals lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cardinals lineup.
David Peterson, LHP vs. Andre Pallante, RHP
David Peterson’s first Cubs start, last Friday in Milwaukee, was a success. This despite seeing the first pitch he threw in a Cubs uniform deposited into the seats by Jackson Chourio. After that he was really good.
Peterson faced the Cardinals three weeks ago in New York and trust me, you do not want to look at this boxscore link. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. That night Peterson was being used as a “bulk guy” after an opener, so this game will obviously be different, and, hopefully, better.
Andre Pallante threw three innings against the Cubs May 29 in St. Louis and allowed eight hits and four runs. Ian Happ smashed a three-run homer off him in the first inning.
Pallante posted a 3.16 ERA in five June starts, and that would have been better if he hadn’t allowed five runs in 6.2 innings in his most recent start, June 27 vs. the Marlins.
Pallante doesn’t strike out or walk a lot of guys so the Cubs should look to put the ball in play.
Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos. If you do go there to interact with Cardinals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
COVERS INTEL: 
