Steph Curry wanted LeBron James to join the Warriors, but his restrained reaction after James chose the 76ers suggested he never allowed himself to count on the partnership.
“That’s why you don’t envision anything until it happens,” Curry said from Moses Moody’s youth camp. “There’s a lot of moving parts.”
Curry’s public response contained no criticism of the Warriors and little visible disappointment. The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II believes that may be because Curry had already begun reconsidering Golden State’s repeated pursuit of another superstar.
The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II believes Steph Curry may be tired of the Warriors’ star chasing and ready for a deeper, younger roster around him. NBAE via Getty Images
Speaking on KNBR, Thompson suggested Curry probably knew before the public that James was leaning elsewhere and may have grown weary of waiting for the next blockbuster addition.
“I think he’s probably a little tired of the star chasing,” Thompson said.
Golden State has spent years searching for another difference-maker to extend Curry’s championship window. The Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler in 2025 and have since explored possibilities involving James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown and Anthony Davis.
None of those latest pursuits produced another star.
Thompson wondered whether Curry would now prefer the Warriors to build a deeper, younger roster rather than repeatedly pinning their hopes on one transformative move.
“Let’s give me some eager youngsters and we got to it,” Thompson said while imagining Curry’s potential viewpoint. “Let’s go the Davidson route, right? Let’s go the [Southern Conference] route. Just put together the best team.”
LeBron James (left) Steph Curry would have been an intriguing partnership with the Warriors. AFP via Getty Images
That interpretation remains Thompson’s speculation, not a position Curry has publicly confirmed. Curry has continued emphasizing his desire for Golden State to construct the best roster possible, and he acknowledged that the organization discussed creative ways to improve.
The circumstances surrounding the Warriors have also changed dramatically.
Butler is recovering from a torn ACL, while Moody is working his way back from a torn patellar tendon. Their injuries altered Golden State’s plans long before James made his decision.
“The whole calculus of everything changes,” Curry said. “How do you get through their absence and still stay at a certain level? And then how that goes into this year. It’s the same deal. So, I’m a realist on that.”
The Warriors’ roster didn’t change much during the offseason. NBAE via Getty Images
That realism does not necessarily mean Curry has accepted another season outside championship contention. He is entering the final year of his contract at age 38, and Thompson previously suggested the timing of a possible extension could give Curry leverage to keep pressure on management.
But Curry also appears to understand that Golden State cannot construct its future around hypothetical trades or free agent decisions.
“We don’t live in any alternative universe,” he said.
In this one, the Warriors may need Curry to carry another depleted offense while Butler and Moody recover. Kristaps Porziņģis brings additional talent but has struggled to remain consistently available. Draymond Green is expected to return to an aging core.
Jimmy Butler (left) and Curry are hoping for better seasons healthwise in 2026-27. Getty Images
That leaves Golden State in an uncomfortable position: hoping for one more elite Curry season while remaining reluctant to sacrifice every future asset for a move that may not make it a legitimate contender.
Thompson believes the repeated cycle of anticipation and disappointment could be taking its toll.
“His championship hopes is tied to something completely else,” Thompson said. “And I think he’d much rather it be tied to him.”
Curry has not publicly turned against the Warriors’ strategy. His comments instead sound like someone who has learned not to build expectations around a star who has not yet arrived.
After another failed pursuit, Golden State may soon have to determine whether Curry still believes in chasing the next big name — or would rather the franchise finally try something different.
A former No. 5 pick of Orlando who played five seasons in the NBA before returning to Europe and becoming one of the best players on that continent, Hezonja agreed to return to the NBA at age 31 on a $2.8 million minimum contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania, who was told by Hezonja's agent (Michael Tellem of Excel Sports Management). Reports of Hezonja’s return had been floating around for a while, but like many, he had to wait for the LeBron James situation to play out before things would come into focus.
Hezonja's first NBA stint did not play out as expected — he averaged 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds a game, shooting 31.9% from 3, never developing into the hoped-for star — and on the way out the door he said, "The NBA is more show than the game itself."
He returned to Europe, where scouts have told NBC Sports his game has improved. Last season he was the Spanish ABC League MVP playing for Real Madrid, where he averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. There are certainly minutes for him in Cleveland, where there are gaps with Dean Wade and Keon Ellis gone (that is the role the Cavs hoped LeBron would fill).
Signing Hezonja is one of a series of moves the Cavaliers are expected to make after missing out on LeBron. Re-signing James Harden is high on that list as well. Cleveland now has 13 guaranteed spots filled on the roster and $35.5 million below the second apron (via ESPN’s Bobby Marks), and one of the two remaining spots has to be spent on re-signing Harden (likely for around $30 million a season). While the Cavaliers have interest in Jonathan Kuminga, he would have to come in for the $7 million remaining on the Cavs mid-level exception (he wants more than that, but that's all the Cavs can offer, and a sign-and-trade like Kuminga reportedly wants hard caps the Cavaliers at the first apron, and they would have to cut a lot of salary in that situation, making it highly unlikely).
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred announces Derek Curiel as the fifth overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With just about 48 hours until Monday’s 5 pm ET deadline, Derek Curiel signs his professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His signing bonus is $6.2 million, well below slot value of $8,336,500.
Curiel delivered two fantastic season in Baton Rouge, helping LSU capture their 8th National Championship as a freshman in 2025. In his first season, he hit .345 with a ridiculous on-base percentage of .470. He started his career by reaching base in 43 consecutive games, a freshman record, breaking that of his predecessor Dylan Crews. Getting on base in nearly half of his at-bats let to 67 runs scored in the leadoff spot. He also drove in 55 RBIs.
As a sophomore, Curiel upped his batting average at .353, scoring 64 runs in 10 less games, and driving in 46 RBIs. Those numbers are especially impressive considering he had a slow start in 2026 due to a broken ankle that he sustained in November. Curiel revealed after the season on After Further Review that the rumors of his ankle injury were, indeed, true.
“I had three weeks to prepare for the season. It was my back foot and it was kind of hard for me to load in to my back leg,” Curiel told Matt Moscona.
The injury made his .292 average through the first few weeks of non-conference play make a lot more sense. He caught fire, once LSU started conference play, hitting .331 against SEC opponents. Mid-week opponents got scorched by a then-healthy Curiel, as he went 16-32 for a .500 average during that stretch.
The decision to bet on himself and pull his name prior to the 2024 MLB Draft turned out to be a great one. While he was ranked as the #10 high school player by Perfect Game, Baseball America and MLB Pipeline had him at #78 and #117 among all draft prospects, which pitted him somewhere in the 3rd-4th round and in the $600K-$700k range.
Two years later, that decision has led Derek Curiel to be the #5 overall pick, $6.2 million richer, an All-American, National Freshman of the Year, a National Champion, and forever a Tiger.
Former Knicks swingman and draft bust Mario Hezonja is back in the NBA, agreeing to a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the Cavs, per ESPN. The 31-year-old is returning to the NBA for the first time since 2020 — and four years after saying he would never do so.
“No, I’m not going to return to the NBA”, Hezonja said, according to Basket News in April of 2022. “There was a lot I didn’t like there, I didn’t get the respect that I deserved.”
Hezonja added, “In my opinion, the NBA is more of a show than the game itself.”
Mario Hezonja last played in the NBA during the 2019-20 season. NBAE via Getty Images
The news arrives following the stunner of LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers over the Cavs and Miami Heat, who were among the other teams in pursuit.
The Dubrovnik, Croatia native was selected No. 5 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, one slot behind the Knicks, who selected fellow European standout Kristaps Porzingis at No. 4.
Hezonja spent his first three seasons with the Orlando Magic, who declined his fourth-year option, which made him a free agent in 2018, when he was signed to a one-year deal by the Knicks.
Mario Hezonja had an extremely fruitful tenure with Real Madrid from 2022 to 2026. Euroleague Basketball via Getty
His best NBA season came in 2017-18, his last in Orlando, where he posted 9.6 points per game and shot 44.2 percent from the field, both career-highs.
His most recent NBA stint came in 2019-20 with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Over the last four seasons, Hezonja has starred for Real Madrid, one of the premier basketball teams worldwide, where he had a very successful tenure.
While in Madrid, Hezonja won a prestigious EuroLeague title in 2023, his first season with the club, and was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team in 2024 for the first time in his career.
Mario Hezonja receives the Liga ACB MVP award at Movistar Arena on June 2, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. Real Madrid via Getty Images
Madrid also competes in the Spanish ACB league domestically, where Hezonja and the team won the Liga Endesa title in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
At Madrid, Hezonja also won the Liga ACB MVP for his play in the 2025-26 season.
This past season, Hezonja averaged 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while logging 23.1 minutes per contest.
Hezonja also actively plays for the Croatian national basketball team, having just participated in the FIBA 2027 World Cup Qualifying window earlier this month.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Athletics have placed All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers on the 10-day injured list with a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The A’s recalled catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday to take Langeliers’ place on the roster.
The team has not said if Langeliers will require surgery.
The 28-year-old was hitting .263 with 23 homers and 51 RBIs in 93 games before the injury. He became the first A’s catcher to start an All-Star Game since Terry Steinbach in 1989.
Langeliers had been the subject of trade rumors as the A’s struggle through another disappointing season. The Athletics (44-60) had lost 16 of 22 games heading into Sunday and have not made the playoffs since 2010.
Nearly a month into free agency, a potential sign-and-trade with the Hawks remains stuck because Kuminga does not want to accept both a reduced salary and a long-term commitment, according to NBA salary cap analyst Keith Smith.
“The challenge with Kuminga is that if he’s gonna take less money than what he wants, then he only wants to do it for a year,” Smith said. “He doesn’t want to do a three-year deal, and in order to do a sign-and-trade, he would have to have a three-year contract.”
Jonathan Kuminga’s contract demands are holding up a possible Lakers sign-and-trade as he seeks more money or a shorter deal. NBAE via Getty Images
That requirement leaves little room for compromise.
The Lakers are reportedly discussing a salary in the range of $15 million to $16 million per season, while Kuminga is seeking something closer to the $20 million to $25 million range if he is going to sign a multiyear agreement. He became an unrestricted free agent after Atlanta declined his $24.3 million option for the 2026-27 season.
Kuminga may be willing to take less money on a one-year contract that would allow him to restore his value and return to free agency. NBA rules, however, require a sign-and-trade contract to cover at least three seasons, although only the first year must be fully guaranteed.
“You can’t do a one-year deal on a sign-and-trade,” Smith said. “It has to be a minimum of a three-year deal, so that’s where it’s a little bit stuck.”
Smith said Atlanta is prepared to consider that framework, although other league reporting has characterized the Lakers’ available return as less appealing than what the Cavaliers could offer.
The larger holdup appears to be on Kuminga’s end.
Kuminga (right) played for the Warriors and Hawks last season. Getty Images
“It sounds like it’s on Kuminga’s side, where he wants a little bit more money,” Smith said.
The Lakers view the 23-year-old forward as a potential fit alongside Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler. Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season while splitting time between Golden State and Atlanta.
His athleticism and scoring ability could help replace some of the production lost with LeBron James’ departure.
Kuminga has a previous relationship with Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson. NBAE via Getty Images
Cleveland remains a threat after missing out on James. Kuminga has a previous relationship with Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson.
For the Lakers, the calculation is straightforward. Kuminga may be the most talented attainable wing left on the market, but Los Angeles does not want to overpay a player whose value has declined after uneven stops with two teams.
Kuminga is facing a decision: He can accept less money for the security of a longer contract, lower his demands for a one-year opportunity elsewhere or wait for another team to meet his price.
Until one side compromises, the Lakers’ possible sign-and-trade will remain frozen.
The NHL announced that it will be exploring the idea of an expansion to add a 33rd team to the league, likely based in Texas, either in Austin or Houston. The arrival of a new franchise may throw a bit of a spanner in the works for existing teams, including the Montreal Canadiens. The expansion draft rules that were used for the Seattle Kraken worked out well for the league and should be expected to be the same when the next franchise arrives.
What would the Habs protection list look like if the draft was held next offseason? Well, firstly, it wouldn’t feature Ivan Demidov or Jacob Fowler since players with only one or two seasons of professional experience (AHL/NHL) are exempt from the expansion process. Montreal could choose one of two paths: protecting seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender, or seven skaters and one goaltender.
While the first option allows a team to protect more players, it’s not a great option for a team that has a lot of talent on the blueline, or that has no choice but to protect one of its blueliners because he has a full no-movement clause. The Canadiens actually fit both categories; they’ve got a lot of talent on the blueline, and Mike Matheson’s full NMC means that they have to protect him.
If the Habs were to go down the seven forwards and three defensemen route, they would therefore be able to add Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson to their protection list, which would already include Matheson, but they would have to leave Kaiden Guhle, David Reinbacher, Adam Engstrom, Alexandre Carrier (assuming he signs a new contract with the team) and depth defensemen Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj exposed. That would meet the likely exposure requirement for blueliners: expose one defenceman who is a) under contract in 2027-28 and b) played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons.
In net, there is no question: Jakub Dobes would be protected since Fowler is exempt, but up front, it’s not that easy to pick which seven players Montreal would protect. Of course, the first line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky would be automatic. But who would be the other four? Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, Oliver Kapanen and Zachary Bolduc? If that’s the case, you leave players such as Alexandre Texier, Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj exposed, but that doesn’t miss the exposure requirements, which would likely provide that teams must have two forwards available for selection who are a) under contract in 2027-28 and b) played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons. If Montreal signed Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson to new contracts, they could be left unprotected and meet the requirements that way.
If Hughes elected to use the eight skaters and one goalie option, Montreal would protect Dobes in net and have more leeway on the blueline. They would still have to protect Matheson, but they could also add Hutson, Dobson, and Guhle at the very least, perhaps even David Reinbacher. That would already give them five skaters, leaving three spots for Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky. They would also meet the exposure requirements with Xhekaj, Struble and Engstrom exposed on the back end and Kapanen, Newhook, Evans, Texier, Xhekaj (Florian), and Beck all exposed up front.
It all comes down to who Hughes would be more willing to expose; it’s essentially about picking one’s poison. At this stage, it feels highly unlikely that Hughes would be willing to leave so many blueliners exposed, because there are some core pieces he couldn’t protect. Up front, the first line and Demidov are the four core pieces that have been identified with certainty, and they would all be protected if Montreal used the eight skaters and one goaltender avenue.
Of course, that situation could change if, for instance, the Canadiens were able to acquire another real top six piece through a trade, but we’d have to revisit the situation then. Whatever happens, however, this is not a simple exercise, and it must be a gut-wrenching experience for the GMs who have spent years carefully building their lineup to see someone pluck an asset just like that.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 09: Carson Whisenhunt #88 pitches against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park on July 09, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s series finale time between two very bad teams: the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Angels.
But on the bright side, we get to see lefty Carson Whisenhunt, who makes the start today. In two starts this season, Whisenhunt is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA, a 4.89 FIP, and six strikeouts to six walks in 10.2 innings.
For the Angels, it’s right-hander José Soriano, who makes his 22nd start. He’s 8-6 on the year, with a 3.43 ERA, a 3.83 FIP, and 122 strikeouts to an AL-worst 54 walks in 118 innings. In his last start, he gave up two runs in seven innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 12: The sneakers worn by Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz during the game against the LA Clippers during the 2026 NBA Summer League game on July 12, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center 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 Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Yankees have placed All-Star outfielder Cody Bellinger on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, a blow to New York’s defense on a team already missing several big bats.
The Yankees recalled outfielder Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre before Sunday night’s game at Philadelphia to take Bellinger’s spot on the roster.
New York has been without slugger Aaron Judge since May 31 because of a fractured rib and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is still out with a strained right calf that’s sidelined him since April 24. The Yankees entered Sunday’s game 2 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Bellinger said he felt tightness in his hamstring while rounding first on a double in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Phillies on Saturday night. He waived off manager Aaron Boone and remained on base for the rest of the inning but walked off slowly and down the tunnel to the clubhouse afterward.
Max Schuemann replaced Bellinger in the bottom half of the inning.
Bellinger is hitting .259 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs in 102 games this season. He entered Saturday with 19 defensive runs saved, the most in the majors, and was MVP of the All-Star Game two weeks ago in Philly.
Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees last winter for a $162.5 million, five-year deal and he has been a key part of the offense. He was hitting .280 through mid-June before a slump dropped his average to .254 heading into the All-Star break. Bellinger hasn’t homered in a month.
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 17: An exterior view of Yankee Stadium before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 17, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! With the aftermath of the Draft and All-Star Game behind us and the upheaval of the trade deadline yet to come, it was a pretty quiet week on the Yankees social media. Even so, a quiet week doesn’t mean an empty week: so what has been going on in the Yankees Universe? Let’s find out!
World Cup Wrapup
Last Sunday saw the end of the 2026 World Cup, as Spain defeated Argentina in the finals at MetLife Stadium New York New Jersey Stadium out in the Meadowlands. With America’s every-few-years soccer obsession coming to a close, multiple Yankees-related accounts posted about the experience (note that CC lumped it together in a summer photo dump).
With some post-break wins, we’ve got our first Game Belts of the second half — including one given to Max Fried for his dominant performance upon his sudden return from the injured list.
Dave’s Thoughts
As always, Yankees radio voice Dave Sims took to Instagram to react to the Yankees’ games this week.
YES clubhouse reporter Meredith Marakovits celebrated her birthday this week, as did Yankees legend CC Sabathia (who we posted about as part of our Yankees birthday series). For CC, it was a particularly memorable birthday, as his son Carsten, who was drafted in the 20th round this year out of the University of Houston, officially became a pro after signing with Milwaukee — where CC of course starred back in 2008.
The NBA moves quickly, whether talking about the speed of the game, which newcomers to the league struggle to process, or how fast NBA rosters change. The Suns’ roster has completely turned over and then retooled since they selected Ryan Dunn at number 28 in the 2024 draft. Dunn was selected for a team featuring Booker, Beal and Durant, and he emerged from the wreckage of that 36-win season with momentum, but it’s a new season and a new team. The forward position that was once viewed as a hole on the roster has become a logjam.
Only months ago, Dunn seemed to me to be a piece the Suns needed to have on their team. Length, athleticism, defense, and rim pressure on a bargain deal. A guy you develop to outplay the value on his contract before you sign him to a team-friendly deal like Gillespie or Goodwin. Fast forward a few months later and I look at the roster and wonder if Ryan Dunn is out of time. There’s no more easing in. It’s now or never if Ryan Dunn is going to carve out a role on the Phoenix Suns.
I’ve heard it said online that Ryan Dunn regressed last year, but the stats paint a different picture. Dunn trended up in his shooting percentage, including the all-important three-point shooting percentage, which lifted to 33.1 in 25/26, up from 31.1 in 24/25. He improved his production in rebounds, steals, and assists, and he played slightly more minutes than he had for Budenholzer and the KD Suns. Still, the overwhelming sentiment in the fanbase seems to be one of skepticism about speculating on Ryan Dunn’s potential. Shiny new forwards have caught their attention, and a lot of the positives Dunn brought to the team last year, that earned him playoff minutes over Fleming, are easy to overlook.
I think the disconnect between the production and the fan’s opinion of the production comes from the expectations of the role Dunn would have coming into last season and the role he ended up playing. Dunn started 44 of the 74 games he played for the KD Suns. He only started 16 of the 70 games he played under Jordan Ott, who willingly sacrificed defense for the sharp shooting and reliability of the veteran Royce O’neale. Eight of those sixteen starts came in the first 8 games of the season. Ryan Dunn was only able to hit more than one three in 2 of those first 8 games and Jordan Ott quickly moved on from Dunn being a regular in the starting lineup.
Dunn, however, had more of an impact off the bench than I feel he gets credit for from the fanbase. Content creators and the Twitterati are put off by Dunn’s defense, which was supposed to be his NBA-ready skill. Dunn hasn’t been the stifling point of attack defender fans were expecting. He should be given his frame and athleticism, but he seems to struggle predicting where offensive players will go and staying in position to get a good contest when defending ball handlers; as a member of a team defense, Ryan Dunn makes the defense better.
Ryan Dunn was on 6/10 of the top steals-producing lineups for the Suns last year. He also lifts the team’s rebounding. The Suns had six lineups with positive total rebounding last season, and Ryan Dunn was on four of them. When sorting the Suns lineups by plus-minus, Ryan Dunn appears on 6/10 of those five-man combinations.
These aren’t coincidences. The Suns played better in key areas when Ryan Dunn was in the lineup, which is why I’m not chicken-littling Dunn’s defensive impact. The questions about Dunn’s game as a prospect remain the same questions about Dunn’s game going into his third season for the Suns. What can he consistently contribute on the offensive end in terms of the corner three, his handles going to the rim, and limiting turnovers, and how does he compare in those areas to his competition?
Ryan Dunn’s three-point shot is trending up, which is what the Suns needed to see when evaluating the progress of his development. Ryan Dunn’s viability as a rotational player on an NBA team centers around him pushing that three-point percentage over the 35% mark this season. Rasheer Fleming shot 34% from three-point range and, in limited opportunity, knocked down 45 three-pointers. Ryan Dunn knocked down 56. If Dunn can’t do more with his opportunities this season, he will lose them to Rasheer.
Dunn can’t be a worse three-point shooter than Rasheer if he wants to maintain his 19 minutes a game, but he doesn’t need to be significantly better and likely comes out ahead in the event of a draw because Ryan Dunn has some offensive versatility that Rasheer doesn’t.
Rasheer has a promising three-point shot, and we are all salivating as we project his defensive impact, but Sheer is quite honestly a statue on offense. His contribution is spacing the floor with the corner three. He’s not a solid playmaker; he doesn’t seem entirely comfortable with knowing where to go with the ball, and he can’t put it on the floor in an NBA game. Ryan Dunn has flashed that he can.
I trust there will come a day when Rasheer will get the ball in the corner, pump fake the contest, put the ball on the bounce, and finish through contact at the rim, but that day will not come this next season if it comes at all. Ryan Dunn could separate himself from Rasheer by improving his handles and decision-making on the perimeter. Including lowering the amount of turnovers he commits, which went up last year.
Ryan Dunn has juice when he’s going to the rim. He makes great cuts and is looking for any opportunity to take flight for a monster dunk. Last season Ryan Dunn took 121 runs at the rim and finished 82 of them. Of those shots at the rim, 56%of them were assisted. Compare that to Rasheer, who went 34/60 at the rim on 73.5% assisted, and you can maybe start to understand what Jordan Ott saw in Ryan Dunn’s game that he didn’t see in Sheer’s when he decided to give Dunn the nod over Fleming at the end of the season. Could Dunn further separate himself by being a guy who can attack the rim when he gets the ball and all the defenders run to find a shooter to hug?
Last season Dunn got to the free throw line 49 times and only converted 23 of them, and while that isn’t a big part of Rasheer’s offensive bag, Koa Peat won’t be in the G League forever, and that projects to be a huge feature in his game. This is where it gets really tricky for Dunn.
If Fleming finishes the season in front of Dunn in terms of minutes played, Dunn begins next season, or maybe even the back half of this season, battling for the leftover backup forward minutes with Koa Peat. Who are the Suns more likely to view as the player with the brighter future? Ryan Dunn, who lost out to Rasheer Fleming and is now 24 going into his 4th year on the team, or a 20-year-old Koa Peat, who could have been a lottery pick, in his first year out of the G-League?
It’s now or never for Ryan Dunn. If it’s not already too late. Fans were initially surprised that Ryan Dunn didn’t participate in the summer league. I don’t think it was completely shocking given there aren’t many third-year players playing, but you do wonder if it was more about how it would affect the perception of Ryan Dunn to potential trade partners if he showed up on the summer league roster than whether or not he still needs extra reps on his three-point shot.
Ryan Dunn still has a chance to be a part of the Suns’ solution going forward but it’s going to depend on the development of his shot and ability to drive to the basket that will separate him from the competition pooling up behind him. The runway to get this done is shrinking. It’s a different team than the one he was drafted to play with; no one could have known how quickly that situation would implode when Dunn was drafted. The Suns are moving on, and if Ryan Dunn doesn’t claim his spot now, it’s unlikely there’ll be a spot for him going forward.
Will Ryan Dunn take that next step on offense next year? Let me know what you think in the comments.
James, a four-time NBA MVP and four-time champion, left the Lakers this summer and decided to hop on board the Sixers’ planned push for a title. He now officially represents Philadelphia.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
The Sabres were looking for veteran depth players for the Rochester Americans and could not have been disappointed with the results with the signing of Buffalo native Trevor Kuntar. The son of former Amerk and brief NHL goalie Les Kuntar, the 25-year-old played for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres for two years and for USHL Youngstown before being selected by the Boston Bruins 89th overall pick in the COVID-delayed 2020 NHL Draft.
Buffalo native Patrick Kane signs with the Chicago Blackhawks
The 6’0”, 205 lb. center played three seasons at Boston College, and trailed only NHLers Cutter Gauthier and Nikita Nesterenko in club scoring as a junior, which led the Bruins to sign Kuntar to a two-year ELC. After a promising first season AHL Providence, scoring 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 70 games and 113 penalty minutes, he declined to just three goals in 2024-25 and was not given a qualifying offer by the Bruins last summer.
Kuntar signed a one-year AHL deal with Rochester, and after nine goals in his first 24 games, he was upgraded to an NHL deal for the remainder of the 2025-26 season and finished last season with 21 goals and 37 points in 70 games, as well as making his NHL debut against Vancouver on December 11. After the season, he signed a two-year, two-way contract extension for the NHL minimum $875,000.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JULY 26: Parker Messick #77 of the Cleveland Guardians throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the looming threat of a series sweep, the Cleveland Guardians headed into today’s matinee game against the Tampa Bay Rays only two games above .500. Parker Messick was about as great as you could ever hope from a starter, but what is quickly becoming the norm for the rookie lefty. Messick went 7.2 innings of one run ball. He allowed six hits and struck out six. A funky pop bunt in the bottom of the sixth accounted for the sole run in an otherwise scoreless game.
Colin Holderman finished the eighth inning, getting the final out behind back-to-back challenges from catcher Austin Hedges that overturned two ball calls to strikes.
There wasn’t much in terms of highlights for this game, period. Especially so for Cleveland’s offense. Kyle Manzardo made a great leaping grab in the beginning of the game to end the third.
