Former England captains and the nation’s leading cricket journalists are concerned that Ben Stokes has left their men’s Test team in a deep hole a year out from a home Ashes series.
Great Start From Yesavage, Jays Beat Mets
Mets 1 Blue Jays 2
It was great to see Bo Bichette back in Toronto. He seemed touched by the ovation the fans gave him.
After seeing the Jays down a bunch of runs early in the last several games, the great start from Trey Yesavage was very nice to see. He went 6.2 innings, allowing just 3 hits, 1 earned (on a Francisco Lindor home run), no walks, with three strikeouts. He was helped out by some nice catches in the outfield by Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw.
And, when he left the game, with a runner on first and two out, Brandon Valenzuela made a perfect throw to second for a caught stealing on Luis Urías. Just a perfect throw, right to the bag. The easiest third of an inning Mason Fluharty has ever thrown.
Tyler Rogers pitched the eighth and gave up a one-out double, bringing Juan Soto up with the tying run at second. The Jays decided to walk Soto and pitch to Bo. Considering Soto is a lefty and Rogers is much better vs. right-handed hitters, was the right move, but it cause us some anxiety. But Bo tapped the first pitch back to Rogers.
Louis Varland got the ninth, with a one-run lead. Francisco Lindor lined one hard to left but Straw made the catch. Jared Young ground one up the middle, that Clement went a long way to get and then seemed to have trouble getting out of his glove, for a single. A.J. Ewing walked on six pitches, putting the tying run on second. Mark Vientos (after challenging a strike call and being wrong) struck out. Ronny Mauricio, in hero or goat time, decided goat, striking out. Save #17. Varland threw 23 pitches. I’m guessing he won’t pitch tomorrow.
We didn’t score much, but Springer, leading off the game lined one to left field that Soto, sort of, attempted to catch, even though it bounce 5 to 10 feet in front of him and skipped past him. Center fielder A.J. Ewing, backing up the play, booted it and Springer scored on a ‘triple’ plus an error. You could have called it a double and a two base error. Either way, we were up one early. Something very unusual for our Jays lately.
And, we got a run in the fifth. Luis Urías, who appeared to be guessing sinker, hit one to the wall for a double. Yohendrick Piñango ground out to move Luis to third and Myles Straw, after popping one up near the plate that no Met could get to, hit a sac fly.
We had a shot to add to the lead in the eight. Lukes walked, Vlad singled. But Kazuma Okamoto struck out, Ernie Clement (who was Glement in one of the graphics Sportsnet used) flied out and Brandon Valenzuela struck out.
We only had four hits. Springer, Vlad, Clement and Urias had a hit each. Vlad also had a 107.1 mph line out as well (.860 expected BA but very nice catch) and A 111.1 mph ground out (only .590 EBA). I’m hoping it is a good sign.
Bo went 0 for 4, which was kind of him. Bo, let’s continue that for two more days.
Jays of the Day: Yesavage (0.28 WPA), Varland (0.16) and Rogers (0.12).
No one had the Other Award.
Tomorrow we have Kevin Gausman (4-6, 4.36) hoping to bounce back from two lousy starts in a row. Nolan McLean (4-5, 4.03) starts for the Mets
Mets' defense betrays them in tough 2-1 loss to Blue Jays to begin road trip
The Mets lost the series opener to the Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1, on Monday night.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- Sean Manaea made his fourth straight start since joining the starting rotation earlier this month and his defense failed him from the first batter of the game when Juan Soto misread the bounce on the artificial turf after charging hard on a leadoff hit by George Springer. The ball hopped over Soto’s glove and rolled all the way to the left field wall.
Backing up was center fielder A.J. Ewing, who got to it as quickly as he could, but he juggled the ball in his glove and let it pop out, which allowed Springer to keep rounding the bases and sprint home for a leadoff little league home run. The play was officially ruled a triple and a fielding error on Ewing, but it was Soto’s misplay that was most costly.
The run was charged to Manaea after two groundouts, a hit by pitch and a single followed, but if Soto kept the ball in front of him and kept Springer at first base, Manaea would have gotten out of the inning unscathed.
Nevertheless, the left-hander pitched well and limited the Blue Jays to two runs over 5.2 innings while allowing three hits, two walks and a HBP. He would’ve made it through six innings, and possibly more, but once again an error, this one by Francisco Lindor with two outs in the sixth, extended his outing. Manaea walked the next batter he faced before getting pulled.
-- Meanwhile, the bats were quiet for the Mets for the first six innings against Toronto starter Trey Yesavage. Yesavage held New York scoreless and to two hits for six innings until Lindor made up for his error and hit a home run to lead off the seventh inning.
Yesavage hit Ewing two batters later and left after 6.2 innings with a runner on first base. Mason Fluharty came in for relief but only threw two pitches before Ewing was caught trying to steal second base to end the inning. It was Ewing’s sixth caught stealing this season.
-- The Mets’ bullpen kept the Blue Jays off the board for 2.1 innings to give their offense a chance to tie or take the lead, but the offense squandered chances in the eighth and ninth innings.
In the eighth, Francisco Alvarez doubled with one out before Soto was intentionally walked with two outs which brought up Bo Bichette who was making his return to Toronto for the first time since he left in free agency. Bichette got a standing ovation in his first at-bat, but he finished 0-for-4, including in the eighth when he grounded out to the pitcher to end the threat.
Then, in the ninth, Jared Young got on base with a one-out single and Ewing walked to put the tying run at second base and the winning run on first. But in a similar spot late in the game as Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets couldn’t cash in as Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio both struck out swinging to end the game. Mauricio’s at-bat was particularly bad as he swung at two pitches out of the zone.
-- New York went 0-for-9 with RISP.
Game MVP: Trey Yesavage
Yesavage continued his rookie season, after bursting onto the scene in the postseason last year, with another great outing.
Highlights
Bo Bichette gets a nice hello from Rogers Centre☺️👏 pic.twitter.com/CyurseSjZN
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 29, 2026
Austin Warren throws a strike with the bases loaded to end the 6th inning😤 pic.twitter.com/XjlIZGZaTD
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 30, 2026
FRANCISCO LINDOR HOME RUN!! pic.twitter.com/mkCOVqkSvb
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 30, 2026
What's next
The Mets and Blue Jays continue their three-game series on Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:07 p.m. on SNY.
RHP Nolan McLean (4-5, 4.03 ERA) and RHP Kevin Gausman (4-6, 4.36 ERA) are set to start.
The Mets’ wilting offense cost them another game
After another series loss to the Phillies, the Mets headed north to take on the Blue Jays in Toronto. Bo Bichette was making his return to the Rogers Centre after six-plus seasons as a member of the Blue Jays. Sean Manaea was getting the start against the Mets, facing off against rookie phenom Trey Yesavage.
The game definitely could’ve had a better start for the Mets. After a top of the first where Juan Soto doubled with one out and was promptly stranded at second, they followed that up with an incredibly embarrassing bottom of the inning. George Springer led off the inning with what was probably only a single if fielded correctly, but when it bounced past Soto it turned into a triple. But before he got to third, A.J. Ewing bobbled the ball which allowed Springer to score. It was the only blip on Manaea’s radar in the first inning, but it was another bad look for a team familiar with looking bad in 2026.
It was a quiet back-and-forth after the first, with both sides trading a baserunner here or there but both Manaea and Yesavage keeping things mostly locked down. In the bottom of the fifth, Manaea found himself in a bit of trouble. Luis Urías led off with a double, and was moved to third on a Yohendrick Piñango ground out. Myles Straw hit a sacrifice fly to drive Urías in as the second run of the game for the Blue Jays.
Manaea lasted only a few more batters, exiting with two outs and two runners on in the bottom of the sixth. He left having allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks, with four strikeouts on his ledger. Warren got the Mets through the sixth inning without allowing either baserunner to score.
The Mets showed signs of life in the top of the seventh. After a delay of game after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. not being on the field when the inning was supposed to begin, Francisco Lindor hit a solo home run to lead off the inning. Ewing was hit by a pitch with one out, and after giving up a deep fly out to Mark Vientos, Yesavage was finally pulled from the game in favor of Mason Fluharty. The Mets ran themselves out of the inning, when Ewing was thrown out trying to steal second during Eric Wagaman’s (pinch-hitting for Brett Baty) at-bat.
The Mets had an up-and-down eighth inning on both ends. Facing former Met Tyler Rogers in the top of the inning, Ronny Mauricio led off with a hit…swinging his bat and hitting Francisco Alvarez when both were inexplicably in the on-deck circle. Alvarez recovered well enough to hit a one-out double. After Juan Soto was intentionally walked with two outs, Bo Bichette came up with an opportunity to show out in his former home. But he grounded out, stranding both runners and keeping the Mets in the deficit. In the bottom of the inning, Austin Warren got himself into trouble, giving up a walk and a single to lead off the inning. He was pulled in favor of the newly-recalled Joey Gerber who got two strikeouts with a fly out in between to strand both runners and keep it a one-run game.
In the top of the ninth, the Mets threatened, with a single and a walk putting two runners on with just one out. But Vientos and Mauricio struck out as the second and third outs, closing the book on the first game of the series in Toronto and handing the Mets their fifth loss in six games, putting them 15 games below .500. They face the Blue Jays again tomorrow, with Nolan McLean getting the start and Kevin Gausman starting for the Blue Jays.
SB Nation GameThreads
Box scores
Win Probability Added
Big Mets winner: A.J. Ewing, +10% WPA
Big Mets loser: Mark Vientos, -26% WPA
Mets pitchers: +10% WPA
Mets hitters: -60% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Francisco Lindor’s home run in the seventh, +12.4% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Ronny Mauricio and Mark Vientos’s ninth inning strikeouts, -14.0% WPA each
Red Wings Officially Tender Simon Edvinsson, Decline to Qualify Carter Mazur
NHL clubs had until 5 p.m. ET on Monday to submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents, and the Detroit Red Wings have made their decisions.
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson and 2019 seventh-round (191st overall) pick Carter Gylander were the only players to receive qualifying offers from the Red Wings. At the same time, 2021 third-round (70th overall) pick Carter Mazur was among the many players who were not offered one.
By extending qualifying offers, the Red Wings preserve their matching rights if either player signs an offer sheet with another club once free agency begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on July 1. Both players also have the option of accepting their qualifying offer or continuing negotiations on a new contract with Detroit.
#LGRW qualified RFAs Simon Edvinsson and Carter Gylander.
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) June 30, 2026
No QO for Carter Mazur, Wojciech Stachowiak, Alexandre Doucet, Michael Milne, Jakub Rychlovsky, and Wojciech Stachowiak. @PuckPedia
⬇️ UFA no-QO list: https://t.co/R7UtnHHaG5
All players that were not extended offers will now become unrestricted free agents, though the Red Wings still have the option of re-signing them.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Edvinsson, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, has become arguably Detroit's second-most important defenseman behind Moritz Seider.
He appeared in 72 games this season, reaching a new career-high in goals with nine while adding 16 assists for 25 points. He underwent surgery after re-aggravating an existing injury during a late January contest, but eventually returned to the lineup in late February.
Speaking of injuries, Mazur has suffered more than his fair share, the first of which came just seconds into his first NHL contest in March 2025.
He was also limited to just 16 regular-season games in 2025-26 with the Grand Rapids Griffins, during which he tallied 11 goals and five assists; he also added five goals and an assist in eight Calder Cup Playoff games.
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Gameday Thread, #84: 6/29 vs SF Giants
Series preview: The Giants are playing better than the Dbacks right now — wait, what?
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/san-francisco-giants-game-information/108335/series-preview-the-giants-are-playing-better-than-the-dbacks-right-now-wait-what
Seems to have been accidentally overlooked, don’t expect much, just wanted to throw something up.
Report: Blues Qualify McMichael, Don't Issue QO's To Berggren, Kessel
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues issued a qualifying offer to newly-acquired forward Connor McMichael but are allowing two mainstays to get to unrestricted free agency on Wednesday.
They did not issue QO's to forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Matthew Kessel along with forward Thomas Bordeleau, while also qualifying forward Mikhail Abramov and defenseman Leo Loof, according to PuckPedia. The Blues have not officially released their QO list as of Monday evening.
The #StlBlues did not issue qualifying offers to:
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) June 30, 2026
Berggren
Bordeleau
Kessel
They will now be unrestricted free agents.
Full list of players that did not receive QO's:https://t.co/nv3PL7x8X5
The QO to McMichael comes as no surprise after acquiring the 25-year-old from the Washington Capitals last week in a package that also netted a 2025 second-round pick (Milton Gastrin) and a first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2026 NHL Draft that they used on center Maddox Dagenais.
It's somewhat of a surprise that the Blues would not issue a QO to Berggren, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings last season and put up 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 36 games.
Berggren, 25, who was playing on a one-year, $1.825 million contract, was projected to be in the mix and battle for a spot likely on the third line with the Blues pending his return to the team, and he can still get resigned, but he will hit unrestricted free agency on Wednesday at 11 a.m. (CT).
As does Kessel, 26, who was a fifth-round pick by the Blues in 2020 who was playing on a two-year, $1.6 million contract ($800,000 average annual value) and had two goals and an assist in 29 games last season. But with the addition of Brandon Carlo in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, Theo Lindstein getting more and more ice time as the year progressed last season and potential of Adam Jiricek, their first-round pick in 2024, knocking on the NHL door in St. Louis, Kessel was falling down the chain and apparently off the ladder.
McMichael is arbitration-eligible but with Alexander Steen taking the reigns of the general manager position on July 1, it has been accustomed by Doug Armstrong in years past to get these RFA contracts wrapped up as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Abramov, who the Blues also picked up from the Maple Leafs, has spent the past two seasons playing in the KHL, and Loof, a third-round pick in 2020, has returned to to play for Ilves in Finland's top league Liiga after spending the past three seasons with Springfield of the American Hockey League.
Blues Trade Away Two Third-Round Picks On Second Day of 2026 NHL DraftTeam had three selections, used two in trade to acquire Brandon Carlo from Toronto; focused more on defense, goaltending after picking two centers in first round on Friday
Blues Tried To Get Into Top 10Doug Armstrong said GM made multiple calls to no avail
Blues Go Center Heavy With Their First-Round Picks In 2026 NHL Draft St. Louis grabs Tynan Lawrence at No. 11, Dagenais at No. 16 after trading No. 15, 29 To Ducks For McTavish
BREAKING NEWS: Blues Acquire Mason McTavish From DucksSt. Louis gives up pair of first-round picks, No. 15 and 29 for the young center iceman, who has five years remaining at a $7 million cap hit
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Dodgers vs. Athletics: game chat
The Dodgers visit the A’s on their third and final stop of this long road trip.
Monday’s game info
- Teams: Dodgers at Athletics
- Ballpark: Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento
- Start time: 6:40 p.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
Angels have power to control MLB trade deadline
The Angels have a chance to change their future for the better. And could change the narrative of their future, this year.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic appeared on Foul Territory on Monday afternoon and said he believes they are a team, “That can control the trade deadline.”
“As a seller, the Angels have any number of attractive pieces. The biggest two would be Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers,” Rosenthal said. “Both are under club control for two more years after this one.”
The Angels have been one of the most unpredictable teams during the trade deadline, as they have consistently been in a spot where they should sell but notably do not. Famously doing so when they didn’t trade Shohei Ohtani during the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline.
If the Angels were to consider a year to be sellers, it would be now. On Friday, they fired general manager Perry Minasian and placed John Mozeliak as interim general manager, who will also oversee day-to-day baseball operations.
On Saturday, Mozeliak said the Angels need to change the way they operate from the Major League Roster, all the way down to the Minor League rosters. If what Mozeliak preaches is true, the Angels should be sellers at this year’s deadline as they enter Monday last in the American League West with a 36-49 record.
Both Soriano and Detmers sit in the top 10 in the American League for strikeouts. Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently reported that Detmers could bring in a Tarik Skubal like haul if he is moved.
Through the first two months of the season, Soriano was among baseball’s top pitchers and was starting to place himself as an early CY Young candidate, having a 2.65 ERA.
Rosenthal also went on to state that Zach Neto might not be a name worth trading this year, as the desire for a shortstop isn’t as desirable this year and also added that he’s under club control for three more years.
He went on to list Jo Adell as another piece that could be moved, as he has one more year left of control after this season. He also added Brent Suter and Adam Frazier as other potential trade candidates.
“These are attractive pieces,” Rosenthal said. “The Angels, under [Arte] Moreno, have resisted this kind of thing.”
Rosenthal also added that if the Angels decide not to sell at the deadline, then they need to build around what they have, as their roster is headlined by Mike Trout and has featured a young and promising pitcher in Walbert Ureña, who has a 3.14 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 13 starts.
Dane Myers injury: Reds OF hospitalized after crashing into wall on acrobatic catch
Cincinnati Reds center fielder Dane Myers was carted off the field crashing into the wall in left center field while making an acrobatic catch against the Brewers, Monday, June 29 in Milwaukee.
Myers injured himself in the bottom of the fourth inning chasing Andrew Vaughn's 103.5-mph line drive, catching the ball on the dead run on the warning track, then crashing defenseless into the wall – his left shoulder and arm exposed.
Myers stayed down on the warning track before he was removed from the American Family Field playing surface via cart.
Scary moment as Reds center fielder Dane Myers makes one of the plays of the year and crashes into the wall in Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/zZh9Gophtb
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) June 30, 2026
Myers, who is batting .256 with three homers this season, was replaced in center field by the recently recalled TJ Friedl.
The Reds held a 3-0 lead over the Brewers in the fifth inning, but Milwaukee scored five in the final three innings to pull out a 5-3 win.
Myers sent to the hospital
X-Rays at the ballpark were negative for any broken bones, Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters after the game, but Myers was sent to a local hospital because he was experiencing a lot of pain.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dane Myers injury: Reds OF hospitalized after crashing into wall on acrobatic catch
Flyers Explain Jett Luchanko's Early Absence from Development Camp
While the Philadelphia Flyers have the bulk of their top prospects participating in development camp this week, there is one absence that is quite noticeable.
When the Flyers released their development camp roster over the weekend, they denoted that 2024 draft picks Jett Luchanko and Jack Berglund would not be participating in on-ice activities.
After Monday's first session, we have an explanation for both Berglund and Luchanko, though Luchanko's is one to monitor going forward.
"Jack isn't skating. He's played a lot of hockey in the last season, played on four different teams and he put a lot of miles on, but he wanted to come, he wanted to be a leader," Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong said Monday.
As for Luchanko, the 2024 first-round pick is also resting, though doing so to manage an injury.
"Yeah, he had a little lower-body thing going on," said Armstrong. "Should be back skating next week, and he'll be ready for training camp."
Flyers Issue 4 Qualifying Offers; AHL All-Star Let GoThe Philadelphia Flyers retain two stars and two top prospects, but let an AHL All-Star walk right to free agency.Notably, Luchanko was held out of development camp for the same reason last year, and having the same issue again this year makes it a bit of a trend.
The Flyers are wisely playing it safe and holding Luchanko out again entirely this year, and that is especially important with the young speedster officially turning pro ahead of his first full pro season.
As of now, the expectation is for Luchanko to play at least one year with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, though injuries can always throw a wrinkle in things, be it for Luchanko or someone else.
Because Luchanko only played 38 regular season games in the OHL last year, it is critical that the Flyers ensure their top center prospect does not lose any more development time to injuries or subsequent setbacks from those injuries.
Both he and Berglund will be given the opportunity to make the NHL roster out of training camp this fall.
Could Anthony Davis head to Golden State with LeBron James?
NBA Free Agency opens up on Tuesday as teams across the league are looking to find their missing pieces to make a run in the league next season.
With plenty of former Kentucky Wildcats scattered across the NBA, it is one former No. 1 overall pick that could make some noise in free agency this season. That would be none other than Anthony Davis.
Shams Charania brought the scoop on Monday as the first piece of a very intricate puzzle fell into place. That was none other than Draymond Green declining his player option for this coming season.
What did it open up? A potential trade for Anthony Davis and a potential free agent signing of LeBron James.
This would already add to a wild offseason that has seen star players like LaMelo Ball and Ja Morant get traded, but it is definitely one that I would wait until it actually gets some more legs.
After adding AJ Dybantsa and re-signing Trae Young, it feels like the Wizards are ready to make a playoff push now. Could the Warriors sweeten the pot for a deal that would send AD to the Bay Area? It sounds like they could trade Jimmy Butler, who may miss the entire 2026-27 season due to ACL surgery, to Washington for AD, as the two players have nearly identical cap hits.
A lot has to happen for this potential dream team to come to fruition, but if it does, a Steph Curry, LeBron, and AD team sounds like a lot of fun.
De’Anthony Melton declines player option
As expected, De’Anthony Melton will decline his $3.3 million player option in order to test the market as an unrestricted free agent, per Spotrac.
De'Anthony Melton declined his player option with the Golden State Warriors, a league source told @spotrac.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 30, 2026
Melton will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
After returning from a one-year ACL rehab process, Melton returned to the Warriors in order to increase his value. He had an up-and-down season, showing flashes of being a valuable secondary ball handler and, at times, a serviceable primary ball handler, as evidenced by a career-high 12.3 points per game, to go along with 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in 23 minutes per game. However, he was limited to 49 games last season due to injury. It was clear that, at times, his injury played a part in his struggle to capture a consistent rhythm.
Melton will have plenty of playoff-contending suitors who will seek his services as a reliable back-up guard — a role he is more accustomed to playing, rather than the primary role he was forced to play last season due to a roster ravaged by injuries to its top stars.
Lakers decline Nick Smith Jr.’s team option
After a mixed bag first season, the Lakers are declining Nick Smith Jr.’s team option for next season.
The Lakers landed Smith Jr. on a two-way deal at the very start of the preseason after he was waived by the Hornets.
While Smith Jr.’s impact wasn’t felt throughout the whole season, he still had some particularly bright moments. Never was that more the case than early in the season when he helped lead the Lakers to an improbable road win in Portland.
Smith Jr. largely played bit-part roles as the season went on, though he was someone Redick turned to at different points when the team was undermanned. Ultimately, that belief led to the Lakers signing him at the end of the season on a two-year contract.
On the season, Smith Jr. averaged 6.2 points per game on 39.5% shooting from 3-point range across 30 games. He also made 18 appearances in the G League, averaging 19.7 points aon 37% shooting from three and 49.8% shooting from the field.
Despite Smith being just 22 years old, there wasn’t enough consistency shown for the Lakers to bring him back. The open roster spot and cap space is more valuable to the Lakers, for now.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
Lakers to meet with Pistons star Jalen Duren during NBA free agency
The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings might be getting into a bidding war for a big man.
Senior NBA Writer Sam Amick of The Athletic has reported that Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren is scheduled to meet with the Lakers and the Kings for a potential sign-and-trade deal.
On Monday, Senior NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that there has been a “sizeable distance” between Durren and the Pistons as they are struggling to work out a contract extension for the unrestricted free agent.
Duren, 22, is closing out the tail end of his four-year rookie deal, where he made $19.5 million. In 2022, the Pistons selected him with the 13th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Originally, he began his career serving as a role player, but has started to emerge as one of the top centers in the league, after finishing last just outside the NBA’s top 10 for rebounds [8.5] and blocks [1.2].
Last year, he played in 70 games, while averaging 19.5 points per game and played a vital part in the Pistons snapping an 18-year playoff drought as they finished the regular season with a 60-22 record, for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Amick reported that the Kings are set to meet with Duren in the morning, which would mean the Lakers would likely meet with him later in the day.
Lakers star Luka Dončić has been vocal about his desire for the Lakers to acquire a big man to help with running the pick and roll.
Right now, the Lakers have two centers under contract in DeAndre Ayton and Jaxon Hayes. Ayton performed underwhelmingly for the Lakers last season, averaging 12.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game.
Acquiring Duren would be the first part of Dončić’s requests for this offseason, as he’s also been vocal about the team acquiring more shooters for him this year.
According to Amick, the Kings are set to offer Domantas Sabonis in their offer for Duren, but noted that, “It’s unclear how the Pistons might see that scenario, but the Kings are clearly serious about the prospect of landing the 22-year-old.”