Wembanyama helped France win silver at the 2024 Olympics [Getty Images]
NBA star Victor Wembanyama has signed a long-term deal with the San Antonio Spurs.
The 7ft 4in France centre's deal, according to ESPN, is for five years and worth $252m (£188m), which is the NBA's maximum for a rookie scale player extension.
The 22-year-old reportedly has an option in the fifth season and could have opted for clauses to make the deal worth more but did not do so to give the Spurs more financial flexibility.
"Spurs family, I'm here to stay. Whatever it takes," Wembanyama wrote on social media prior to the deal being announced.
The two-time All-Star, who was the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, helped the Spurs reach the NBA Finals last season but they missed out on the title, beaten 4-1 by the New York Knicks in the best-of-seven series.
He had a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game, while he averaged career highs of 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 64 regular-season games during the 2025-26 campaign.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Pacome Dadiet #4 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 10, 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We so back the Knicks even played basketball yesterday.
It was a Summerbeating at the hands of the Neighbor Nets, but that’s the only place Brooklyn can beat New York these days.
Here’s the latest from Las Vegas.
Knicks are expecting Jack Kayil to debut tomorrow at Summer League against the Spurs, sources tell me.
The #39 overall pick wasn’t on NY’s roster until yesterday, when they got clearance from Alba Berlin.
Team wanted to get him out to Las Vegas, on the floor in orange and blue.
On Mohamed Diawara, Pacome Dadiet, and the Summer League opener:
“I think they struggled a little bit. We talk about responding to adversity, we got to respond to adversity. They have to respond to adversity tomorrow. They struggled a little bit. They let little things affect them on the defensive end and then it kind of snowballed. So we got to be better. It’s on those two guys and Dillon Jones and me to be better.”
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) July 11, 2026
Mohamed Diawara
On the last few weeks after winning the NBA championship:
“I went straight, straight to the gym because I knew that I had some work to do. So, I mean, a little bit of fun, a little bit of break, but right back to work. I got after it like two days after the parade and everything. So, yeah, a lot, a lot of work.”
On re-signing with the Knicks:
“I had a great season with the Knicks. We just won the title, so I didn’t have anything to do anywhere else. So yeah, for sure, I was happy to be back.”
On how his offseason approach has changed after one NBA season:
“Yeah, a little bit. Now I know that I’m physically going to be more ready, more consistent at the two-point shots. So, yeah, I know that my summer was way different now, but I know a little bit better.”
Clarifying his free agency comments:
“I just said that I wouldn’t have taken up free agency. After the parade, I just really liked the work and was thinking about the Summer League, I didn’t even think about the free agency.”
On his Summer League performance:
“I got to do way better. I think the level that we take back is, like, a little way better. I can play like I played today, and just be better than last game.”
On Mitchell Robinson’s mentorship:
“He’s a great guy, great player, great person. I enjoyed the run here this season, and I look forward to play against him next year.”
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) July 11, 2026
Tyler Nickel
On joining the defending NBA champions:
“Yeah, I mean, it’s crazy, like, how fast everything happens. But, you know, hearing my name, obviously, I was super excited. Obviously, a championship organization. I thought it was perfect. It’s a perfect situation to see what they’re all about and the standard that they hold everybody to in the program. I think that’s perfect to be around.”
On what the Knicks see in him:
“That’s really hard to say right now. I’m not going to speak on it because I can’t really specify what they see in me, but I’ll let you close out that.”
On entering the Summer League with nerves:
“Of course, yeah. As a kid, you know, you dream about being in the NBA. So this is obviously one of the stepping stones of being in the league. So it’s definitely something—if you didn’t have nerves, you don’t care. So definitely some nerves going through it, but then once you get to playing, it’s a basketball game.”
On whether he models his game after anyone:
“I’ve just been playing for a couple years, I believe. I feel like I’m a mix of some different styles. My size and strength and shooting ability, I feel really comfortable shooting off the move. So, like, a Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Sam Hauser… but then, I have my own type of, like, just way of being. So it’s kind of like a mix of a lot of people, but also myself.”
On only mentioning white players as his comps:
“Hey, listen, they got roles in the league, man.”
On whether Friday was the first time he talked to Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride, who attended the game:
“Yeah, it was my first time seeing them being around. They seem like really good dudes, and I’m excited to know them better.”
On choosing No. 55 with the Knicks:
“I’ve also always been five, ever since high school. In college, I had to not be five a couple times just because it was taken. But five has been my number. People back home will call me T-Nick, which is my nickname, but a lot of people call me T-Five. So just five has always been me. So then when 55 was available, I was like, ‘I can’t get five, so 55 is cool.’”
Julius Randle on similarity between Brooklyn and when he first joined #Knicks: “There's definitely some similarities for sure. Each challenge is different; it has its own different challenges. I’m definitely ready to step up to this one. This will be exciting.” #nba#nyk#netspic.twitter.com/MEV25KaHPX
On the similarities between joining the Nets and joining the Knicks:
“There’s definitely similarities for sure. Each [situation] is different. It has its own different challenges. I’m definitely ready to step up to this one. This will be exciting. But it’s definitely similar.
“And for me, I have a lot more experience now than I did when I was that player. So I feel like from a leadership standpoint, I can help a lot more, just being through it and having that experience.”
On his conversations with Nets coach Jordi Fernandez:
“They’re really excited to have me here. Jordi [Fernandez] is really excited. He feels like going into every game, we’ve got a chance to win every single game. To have that confidence from your coach is amazing. … I get to come in and be a leader, show guys how to be a pro.
“We’re coming in trying to win. It’s as simple as that. However we can help give the younger guys experience and confidence and help them fast-track or whatever it is to contribute to winning basketball, that’s really all that matters. All I care about, at the end of the day, is winning, and I know that’s what those guys care about. If I can help give them that experience, great.”
On his playmaking:
“I really enjoy getting guys going: pushing the pace, kick-aheads, opening the floor, getting to the paint, spraying the basketball. It’s about us building our chemistry, knowing where guys like the ball, what spots they want the ball in, guys understanding me and what I’m looking for. It’s going to be fun.”
On trade rumors and joining Brooklyn:
“It feels great to be here. It’s a great opportunity. It’s a city I’m already really familiar with; it’s a situation that I’m familiar with. Then, there’s a lot of talent.
“As far as the trade stuff, man, I’m 13 years in, bro. I played in New York already; so you hear that stuff all the time. I’m used to that. It just is what it is. You ride the wave of it. At the end of the day, I’m playing basketball and I’m doing what I love for a living. So, it’s all I ask for.”
Mikal does ad: “…The mask is portable so I can keep doing my daily routine while I get my skin care in”
Two years ago, Saquon Barkley signed as a free agent in Philadelphia, won a championship in his first season there, and became one of the city's most beloved athletes. Barkley is now recommending the same course of action to LeBron James.
James is a free agent and the Philadelphia 76ers are among the teams in the mix to sign him. Barkley has weighed in and told James that
"I think it's one of the greatest sports towns in the world," Barkley told NBC Sports Philadelphia. "I know [New York Knicks player] Josh Hart said the opposite. I saw that today on Twitter. But I have to disagree with him. If you want to go out with a bang, I feel like a great spot would be in Philly, and bringing a championship to Philadelphia, you'd be remembered forever."
James has played for three NBA teams and won championships with all of them, winning in Miami in 2012 and 2013, Cleveland in 2016 and Los Angeles in 2020. Barkley thinks Philadelphia in 2027 would be a nice place for James to cap his career.
Fullback scores hat-trick as New Zealand win 47-17 in Wellington
New coach Dave Rennie has back-to-back wins in his first matches
Will Jordan grabbed a hat-trick of tries including a record 50th for New Zealand as the All Blacks thrashed Italy 47-17 in the Nations Championship Test.
Jordan touched down once in the first half and twice in three minutes after half-time at Wellington Regional Stadium to eclipse Doug Howlett’s record against the outclassed Italians.
Australia in gold, France in blue, round two of the Nations Championship is under way…
Anthem time in Brisbane, which means an always welcome rendition of La Marseillaise. Advance Australia Fair pales by comparison, but the duration of the song allows plenty of close-ups of the Wallabies’ excellent First Nations jersey, worn to coincide with NAIDOC Week here in Australia.
With content-stacking and spoiler-avoiding, a fan with the right subscriptions can expect to enjoy 13 uninterrupted hours on the sofa on Saturday
Start practising those excuses. For England fans, this Saturday is one of those that demands serious thought, by which I mean how to wheedle out of prior engagements and family obligations. No fewer than four of the national teams are in action, and to catch all the matches will require time, dedication and some nifty work with a TV recorder. How else can you expect to navigate the problem of the rugby team’s Fiji fixture kicking off only 20 minutes before the men’s T20 against India?
With some judicious content-stacking and spoiler-avoiding, however, a fan with the right subscriptions can expect to enjoy 13 uninterrupted hours on the sofa – starting with the morning session of the women’s Test and climaxing with a late-night footballing knockout against Norway. Nor is England the only game in town: there are three other home nations rugby matches to be watched, a Wimbledon women’s singles final, and the Tour de France.
Heatwaves have long been part of the Tour but temperatures now are pushing the riders to limit of human endurance
The Tour de France and the heat of the midday sun are old bedfellows, going back long before an era when the biggest catastrophe of the Tour’s opening week was a major fault in the Visma team bus’s air conditioning. Flip back 50 years to my favourite Tour read, the late Geoffrey Nicholson’s The Great Bike Race, and we find the doyen of cycling writers discussing a Tour that began in baking conditions in the Vendée, and continued through the canicule in central France and Normandy.
“The heatwave,” wrote Nicholson, “is becoming a serious worry.” He describes the late Raymond “Pou-Pou” Poulidor as “an old sweat” – pun alert – “in legionnaire matters”, who was “careful to limit himself to two litres of water on a stage … it is part of the collective wisdom of the peloton that too much water leads to depression and fatigue.” Tell that to the Tour men of 2026 as they glug down one bidon after another.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Adou Thiero #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers passes the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 10, 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
He was flying all over the Thomas & Mack Center and looked the way a two-year player should, as though he has no business competing against this level of talent.
Thiero ended the night with a game-high 20 points and he had a slew of highlight dunks that rocked the crowd and demoralized Oklahoma City.
This was everything the Lakers hoped he could be when they selected him in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Now a year later, he is starting to reach his potential.
“He just wasn’t rushed tonight,” Lakers coach Ty Abbott said after the win. “He took what was in front of him. He attacked matchups. He understood that there was going to be some paint-swarming. Those guys were going to try to flood and meet him at the rim and he made the right pass. When he started doing that, it started to open up for him and he was able to finish at the rim.”
This was in stark contrast compared to Thiero’s start in the California Classic.
In that game, he was still active and a ball of energy, but in the worst ways possible. His play felt rushed. He was attempting shots from uncomprehensible positions. He had just nine points and his lackluster play was a big reason why the Warriors dominated.
But that was then, and this is now.
On Friday night, Thiero was hotter and more relentless than the Las Vegas sun.
He was getting the ball in motion and touching the paint whenever he wanted. When he had the ball at the top of the key, Thiero made the right decisions regarding when to attack and when to pass. He had great instincts for the ball on defense, registering a trio of steals and two impressive blocks.
Adou Thiero making plays on both ends 😁
Chasedown swat. Layup to beat the 3rd quarter buzzer.
Thiero has a rare curse: he’s almost too athletic. It allows him to do things no one else can, but also to try things no one should.
Figuring out how to channel his elite athleticism will be the key to him maximizing his ability and his career.
“Pace and just being patient,” Abbott said when asked how Thiero can play with control. “Sometimes it’s kind of two ships passing in the night. You got two guys going at once. Just letting the action come to him, seeing what opens up, and then attacking it then rather than being predetermined in what you want to do.”
All play in Summer League has to be taken with a grain of salt. The list of players who looked good at this level is massive, but the number who were able to translate that to the NBA is small.
Now, that’s all in the past. And his future has never looked brighter.
“Definitely feels good to go out and get the reps and then seeing some of the stuff you work on, go out there and work,” Thiero said. “But at the same time, still a lot of work to go. In these games I still see where I need to develop.”
If Thiero keeps this up, all the work he is doing will ultimately translate into his regular-season performances. He has the talent, has put in the work, and on Friday night, Lakers fans got an appetizer on what it could look like when it all comes together.
Here’s hoping that ultimately comes to fruition not just during the rest of Summer League, but in the fall with the main team.
Jul 10, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Colorado Rockies infielder Kyle Karros (12) breaks his bat and hits a two RBI single against San Francisco Giants pitcher Caleb Kilian (not pictured) during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies spent most of Friday night creating chances without cashing them in.
They finally broke through in the ninth.
Kyle Karros delivered a go-ahead, two-run single, Cole Carrigg added a sacrifice fly, and Juan Mejia needed one pitch in the bottom of the ninth to strand the bases loaded and secure a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.
Colorado improved to 39-57. San Francisco fell to 39-55.
The Rockies loaded the bases with nobody out in both the sixth and ninth innings. They came away empty in the sixth, but scored three times in the ninth before nearly giving the lead back.
Gordon and the defense limit the damage
Tanner Gordon allowed one run on eight hits over five innings. He walked one, struck out one and threw 81 pitches, 54 for strikes.
It was not a dominant outing. Gordon generated only three whiffs on 35 swings, and his velocity was down across the arsenal. His four-seam fastball averaged 90.7 mph, more than two mph below his season average.
The movement was better. Each of Gordon’s five pitches showed more induced vertical movement than its season norm.
He also used a balanced mix. Gordon threw 20 changeups, 19 sinkers, 19 sliders, 19 four-seamers and four curveballs. Against right-handed hitters, the four-seamer remained his primary pitch at 36%.
Rafael Devers opened the second inning by lifting a 79.7 mph curveball over the right-field wall for his 19th home run and a 1-0 Giants lead.
Gordon then worked through several threats with help from the defense.
In the third, Luis Arraez singled and Casey Schmitt reached on an infield hit. An Ezequiel Tovar throwing error moved both runners into scoring position, and the Rockies intentionally walked Devers to load the bases.
Gordon recovered to get Willy Adames to fly out to Tyler Freeman in right.
Cole Carrigg made the biggest defensive play of Gordon’s final inning.
Arraez opened the fifth with a single before Schmitt drove a fly ball deep to center. Carrigg made the catch, got behind the ball and threw Arraez out at second. The Giants challenged, but the call stood.
Devers followed with a 109 mph single to right, but Gordon retired Adames on a groundout to finish five innings with the game tied.
Ray keeps Colorado from building innings
Robbie Ray allowed one run on four hits across five innings. He walked six, struck out four and threw 100 pitches, 53 for strikes.
Ray was effective despite inconsistent command. He threw first-pitch strikes to 12 of 23 hitters and put only 35% of his pitches in the zone.
Colorado hit eight of its 13 balls in play against Ray at 95 mph or harder, but most of that contact did not lead to runs.
Ray also continued to de-emphasize his four-seam fastball. He threw it only 15% of the time, compared with a 37% season rate. His sinker led the mix at 33%, followed by the knuckle curve and slider at 20% each.
Kyle Karros recorded Colorado’s first hit in the third, extending his on-base streak to 18 games. Jake McCarthy advanced from first to third, but Carrigg struck out to leave runners at the corners.
Hunter Goodman walked to begin the fourth but was caught stealing. Rumfield followed with a 102.7 mph single before Freeman grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Colorado tied the game with two outs in the fifth.
Tovar lined his 17th double of the season to left at 105.1 mph. McCarthy then drove a 2-0 sinker into right field for his 18th double, scoring Tovar.
It was McCarthy’s 52nd RBI and Colorado’s first hit in four chances with runners in scoring position.
Carrigg, Goodman and Rumfield drew consecutive walks to load the bases with nobody out. San Francisco brought in Dylan Smith.
Smith escaped on 15 pitches.
Freeman popped out on the infield-fly rule, Willi Castro struck out and Mickey Moniak grounded out.
Brennan Bernardino kept the game tied in the bottom half. He walked Bryce Eldridge, then got Jung Hoo Lee to line out before Gilbert grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
The Rockies missed another opportunity in the seventh. Karros singled with two outs, but Sam Hentges struck out Carrigg to end the inning.
Devers puts the Giants back in front
Jimmy Herget retired the first two hitters in the seventh before San Francisco started another rally.
Arraez singled and stole second. Schmitt walked, and a passed ball charged to Goodman moved Arraez to third.
Devers then drove a 91.3 mph sinker through the right side at 106.8 mph, scoring Arraez and giving San Francisco a 2-1 lead.
Antonio Senzatela worked a clean eighth inning, striking out Eldridge before retiring Lee and Gilbert on ground balls.
Rockies score three in the ninth
The Rockies entered Friday ranked third in MLB with an .837 OPS in the ninth inning.
Their late offense showed up again.
Moniak opened the ninth with a single against Caleb Kilian. Troy Johnston pinch-hit for Tovar and drew a walk.
McCarthy then executed an obvious bunt situation perfectly. He pulled the bat back on the first two pitches, then placed a bunt down the third-base line and beat it out for a single.
That loaded the bases with nobody out.
Karros followed with the decisive hit. He fought through a six-pitch at-bat and punched a broken-bat single through the middle, scoring Moniak and Johnston for a 3-2 lead.
Carrigg initially showed bunt, worked the count to 3-1 and then lifted a fly ball to left. McCarthy scored easily, extending the lead to 4-2.
Goodman added a single before Edouard Julien grounded into a forceout and Freeman struck out looking.
Mejia gets the final out
Jordan Romano entered for the bottom of the ninth with a two-run lead but could not finish the game.
He walked Cavanaugh before Eric Haase entered as a pinch-runner. Grant McCray grounded into a forceout, then stole second. Romano walked Arraez, putting two runners aboard with one out.
Schmitt then hit a 102.7 mph sinking liner to center. Carrigg charged and made a diving attempt, but replay showed the ball barely touched the ground before rolling into his glove.
The call was overturned, but not without some weirdness. Schmitt was credited with a single, and the runners were placed at third, second and first.
Colorado finished 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position. San Francisco went 3-for-8.
Each team recorded one two-out RBI. McCarthy drove in Colorado’s run in the fifth, while Devers delivered San Francisco’s go-ahead single in the seventh.
The Rockies stranded 11 runners. The Giants left 12 aboard. Colorado drew seven walks and struck out nine times. San Francisco walked six times and struck out three.
Karros led the Rockies by going 3-for-5 with two RBI. His third hit drove in the winning runs.
McCarthy went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, one RBI and two runs. He tied the game in the fifth and loaded the bases in the ninth with his bunt single.
Rumfield reached in all four plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with two walks. He also made a key defensive play on Ramos’ liner in the fourth.
Carrigg went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, but he contributed several important defensive plays and drove in Colorado’s final run with a sacrifice fly.
Devers accounted for all three Giants runs. He finished 3-for-3 with a home run, an RBI single, a sacrifice fly, a walk and three RBI.
Senzatela earned the win with a scoreless eighth inning, improving to 9-1 with a 3.00 ERA.
Kilian took the loss after allowing three runs without recording an out in the ninth. He fell to 2-5 with a 4.74 ERA.
Mejia earned his fourth save.
Up next
The Rockies and Giants continue their series Saturday afternoon at Oracle Park.
Colorado will send left-hander Kyle Freeland to the mound. Freeland enters at 2-7 with a 7.46 ERA and 70 strikeouts.
San Francisco will counter with right-hander Tyler Mahle, who is 1-8 with a 5.70 ERA and 69 strikeouts.
This. THIS is what a complete Rays win feels like.
Taking advantage of opponent’s mistakes, crisp baserunning and a defensive clinic. That is the brand of Rays baseball that has been both the most successful and entertaining this season.
But before we delve into tonight’s on-field action, for the first time since the 2023 Wild Card Series, Tropicana Field’s upper deck was open to fans, and it was quite the treat.
Once fans were able to put butt to seat, there was a pregame ceremony that celebrated the five Rays All-Stars, complete with them receiving their All-Star jersey; Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz, Drew Rasmussen, Brian Baker, and Nick Martinez. Martinez, added to the roster after Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez landed on the injured list, had plans to visit Walt Disney World with his family before getting the nod that he was Philadelphia bound.
Martinez kept consistent with what he’s done the entire first half, going 5.1 innings allowing two earned runs, and striking out and walking one apiece.
Defensively, tonight’s contest from One Trop Drive started with a spectacular diving play from Richie Palacios on the first play of the game, and a nifty grab by Taylor Walls the play after.
In the bottom of the third inning, the offense clicked.
A Caminero double just past the third base bag and a Chandler Simpson single up the middle later, and it’s 1-0 Rays.
Then Tampa Bay started to flex some muscle. Palacios homered to lead off the fourth inning to bring the score to 2-1 Rays.
In the bottom of the fifth, things got peculiar.
Left fielder Randy Arozarena, returning to Tropicana Field for the first time after being traded to the Mariners in 2024, is nursing a tight hamstring sustained in the series prior against the Marlins.
On a foul ball from Cedric Mullins near the left field line, Arozarena went after it, and pulled up about 20 feet away from the ball, with the ball landing about a body’s length away from his outstretched glove.
From the naked eye, it appeared if he kept running at the same speed during the chase, he would catch the ball for a crucial out in the ballgame.
The very next pitch, a hanging slider, was deposited into the right field seats by Mullins to put the Rays up 3-1, and two batters later, Victor Mesa Jr. decided to get in on the fun, as he left the yard with a solo shot.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tampa Bay went for the dagger.
Jonathan Aranda singled to left, and ‘La Maxima’ did what ‘La Maxima’ does, and that’s have a flare for the dramatic. A two-run shot all but puts the start of Longo Legacy Weekend to bed.
— Caminero Fan Club (@CamineroFanClub) July 11, 2026
Chandler Simpson continued to swing a hot bat, having had another multi-hit game tonight, and in the seventh had about the most Simpson-esque trip around the bases that he can have.
He singled, advanced to second base on a Mesa Jr. single, advances to third on a disengagement violation for the pitcher stepping off the rubber three times, and scores on a sacrifice fly from Walls.
Kevin Kelly secures the last six outs, and the Tampa Bay Rays win by a score of 7-2.
LAS VEGAS — Caleb Wilson was drafted No. 4 because he could step in and help Chicago on defense right away, and he had high offensive upside down the line.
Someone forgot to tell Wilson.
#4 pick Caleb Wilson was IMPACTFUL in his NBA Summer League debut for the @chicagobulls!
For some context on how out of the blue this was: Wilson was 7-of-11 from 3 in his Summer League debut, he was 7-of-27 for the season in 24 games for North Carolina.
But Summer League is about potential and dreams, and Wilson showed the potential that had the Bulls jumping for joy when they selected him No. 4. He's a player who has Bulls fans dreaming of playoff relevance again.
In a Friday night game in Las Vegas that was billed as a showdown between the No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer — who showed off the variety in his game on his way to 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting — and the No. 4 pick Wilson, it was the young Bulls star who stole the show.
Wilson scored the most points ever in a Las Vegas Summer League debut with 35. He showed off his high-level athleticism, but also more craft than was expected — and a sweet jumper.
"I've been working on it hard for a long time, so I mean, I'm not shocked at all," Wilson said of getting his 3s to fall.
"He shot the ball well, of course," Bulls coach Tiago Splitter said. "I mean, in college, he didn't shoot like that, but tonight he was he was effective, and he kept shooting."
While the shots were falling, maybe Wilson's biggest highlight of the night was a chasedown block on a layup.
Watch how fast Caleb Wilson got down the floor for this SWAT
“I turned the ball over, trying to be trying to be sexy, and then, I mean, you gotta make up for it," Wilson said. "I knew I can't get I can't turn over and give up a layup, and athleticism will make up for that almost every time. So I just had to go do what I had to be done."
It's just one game of Summer League, but for Wilson it was more than that — it was a chance to get back on the court after he was robbed of the end of his North Carolina season due to injury.
"Honestly, like I cried before I played today," Wilson said of getting to play. "I mean, it's been five months to the day since the last time I played, and I've just been really emotional because I haven't been able to play, and I felt terrible because my team lost in the tournament and my coach got fired. It just was a lot for me at that point. So coming out today, just felt like I've been waiting so long for this opportunity."
Still, it's just one game.
"We're getting to know him, of course, the first game," Splitter said. "He played extremely well, shooting the ball and doing different things. But this is a long road, and you know, be patient with everything."
James has always spoken highly of Curry and has mentioned that he would like the opportunity to play alongside him again.
Curry was out at the American Century Championship golf event in Nevada on Thursday, July 9, when he was asked about potentially playing with James.
"The pitch is: Do you want to play good basketball and be around people who know how to play the game? Raise our floor, our competitiveness this year. There’s good golf in the Bay,” Curry said.
It would serve as a reunion for Curry and James, who teamed up to lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"As I've been saying since 2013, Steph Curry, no one understands how great he is," Andre Iguodala told ESPN on Friday, July 10.
Iguodala spent nine seasons with Curry on Golden State.
Curry finished his 17th year in the league averaging 26.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds.
"We have to look back like, 'Whoa,'" Iguodala said of Curry. "We'll still see his effect (on the game) 30 and 40 years from now.
“People who never thought of playing in the NBA are trying to get there now because of him. There's only one LeBron James. A lot of people can have Steph's stature. … And there are some things about him that you can't get. He's God-given and gifted, but his stature (is relatable)."
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 17: Derrick White #9 and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics talk during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 17, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Todd Kirkland/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS — Derrick White was home with his wife when he found out that Jaylen Brown, one of his longest-tenured teammates, had been traded.
“It’s tough to see someone get traded, and JB’s been an amazing teammate, amazing friend to me, and kind of welcomed me when I got traded to Boston,” he said. “So I’m always thankful for my time that I spent with JB, and it’s obviously always tough to get traded, and I know how that feels.”
White said he reached out to Brown soon after the trade with a simple message: “Thank you for everything you did for me.”
Derrick White said he reached out to Jaylen Brown after the trade:
Neemias Queta, who has been teammates with Brown for three years, also spoke to reporters on Friday night for the first time since the trade.
“It’s not easy,” Queta said. “I think you feel for him. Obviously, it wasn’t easy for him as well. But at the end of the day, it’s part of the business. You know what’s happening. You know it can happen at any moment. But Jaylen’s a guy that you can’t replace in the city. Really, really hard to replace on the court as well. He did so much for Boston in general, and he will definitely be missed.”
Like White, Queta reached out to Brown after the trade, and wanted to stress to him that he’ll still be there for him even though they’ll no longer live in the same city.
“I just wanted to show him a sense of gratitude for pushing me daily, showing that I’m his guy,” Queta said. “I’m still gonna be around. Like anything he needs, he can reach out, and we can arrange things. And I think he just pushed me to be better every day just by his edge and intensity. His ability to corral us as a group was really, really special.”
Hugo Gonzalez shared the floor with Brown for just one season, but frequently lauded the impact the 5-time All-Star had on him. On Thursday, he shared his gratitude for the overlapping year he shared with Brown.
“Jaylen is a Celtics legend, and everybody, [starting with me], is really, really grateful because of the things he has done,” Gonzalez said. “Especially for me, he has been an amazing veteran player. He’s been a leader for me. He’s been a role model. Everybody here is grateful for him.”
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 10: Fans wait out a rain delay during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves at Busch Stadium on July 10, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s start with an image. It’s the only image you need, really:
Within the span of three batters, in a tie game, Michael Harris II hit a ball at over 105 mph, whose combination of velocity and angle yields a hit just about 60 percent of the time, and would’ve been a homer in 26 of MLB’s 30 ballparks. That ball was caught at the wall. Then, pinch-hitter Jimmy Crooks hit a ball over 102 mph, whose combination of velocity and angle yields a hit just about 60 percent of the time, and would’ve been a homer in 24 of MLB’s 30 ballparks. That one was not caught at the wall and ended up being a game-winning homer.
As I’ve been thinking for over a month now, “this is why the Braves built this cushion.” But the existence of the cushion itself doesn’t feel particularly comforting when stuff like this happens. Combine it with the Braves’ steadfast desire to give the guys they consider the “good relievers” as much rest as possible, and, well, we stayed up until about 1:30 am ET for this, guys.
This game was a Chris Sale start, once upon a time. Sale had a poor outing in his last start, and came out firing, striking out five in three frames before the rain cut his night short. There was a little bit of a hiccup with a double and a walk in the third, but Ivan Herrera did nothing of use with a hanging first-pitch slider.
This game was also a Kyle Leahy start, once upon a time. Leahy retired the first eight Braves he faced, gave up a single to Jim Jarvis, and then was bailed out on a snag of a Michael Harris II liner by JJ Wetherholt, who signed a big extension today.
Then, we all sat through a nearly three-hour rain delay as Mother Nature turned Busch Stadium into Busch Lake.
When play resumed, it was kind of a battle of who was less sleepy. Mike Yastrzemski barreled a double with one out in the fifth, and then scored on a hard grounder from Austin Riley back up the middle. That was the only run the Braves ended up scoring… though they could have had more if Wetherholt didn’t snag another liner for the third out of that inning. In the sixth, Drake Baldwin nearly popped a two-run homer, but the ball was just foul.
Victor Mederos threw two shutdown innings after the rain, but Didier Fuentes gave up the lead: a one-out walk, a slow, seeing-eye single on a pitch that was basically in the “waste” area, and then a hard-hit liner the other way by Jordan Walker. Fuentes and the defense escaped the frame with the tie intact, and Tyler Kinley had a leadoff walk erased on a double play in the seventh.
That’s how we got to the eighth, and the image above. Harris didn’t homer, Danny Young came in (not Dylan Lee) and saw Jimmy Crooks deposit a sweeper into the stands, and that was pretty much that.
For an added little pinch of “seriously you already made me stay up past 1 am for this?” Baldwin hit another deep drive off closer Riley O’Brien. That one wasn’t quite a barrel, but it did travel 402 feet, and would’ve been a homer in 12 parks. Just, you know, not Busch Swamp. The game ended shortly thereafter.
The entire NL East lost today, so the division lead remains at three. That’s why they have this cushion, right? Right?
Dodgers pitcher Brock Stewart watches Arizona's Tim Tawa run the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning of the Dodgers' 9-3 loss Friday at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers suffered a deflating 9-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on Friday to start their final series before the All-Star break.
But if there was a silver lining to the Dodgers’ rough performance, it was that superstar Shohei Ohtani looked fine at designated hitter after being scratched from his scheduled start because of irritation in his left knee.
Ohtani, who will not participate in next week’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia, hit a leadoff home run off Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez.
“He does a really good job of taking care of himself,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “Obviously, we’ve curtailed the running, and so he’s doing everything he can to help us on the offensive side. And again, it wasn’t great tonight on the run prevention, but it was the right thing for all of us, and so I think we feel good about that going forward.
“But yeah, it’s really impressive what he continues to do offensively.”
The Diamondbacks took advantage of the Dodgers’ bullpen game — and three defensive errors.
Right-hander Kyle Hurt opened and surrendered two runs on three hits through 1⅔ innings.
Arizona’s Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo opened the game with base hits. Corbin Carroll grounded into a forceout at second, moving Marte to third, before Gabriel Moreno singled on a liner to right that scored Marte. Carroll then scored on an errant throw to third from Kyle Tucker that went into the Dodgers’ dugout.
After Ohtani hit his 21st homer of the season, Andy Pages hit a tying 419-foot blast to left-center for his 17th homer.
But that was all the Dodgers (61-34) would score against Rodriguez, who gave up seven hits and struck out five over six innings to improve to 8-3.
“He’s had a heck of a year,” Roberts said of Rodriguez. “I think he’s an All-Star. Last couple years it’s been a grind for him, health, but man, when this guy’s healthy, the ball’s moving all over the place; he’s a big-league pitcher, he misses barrels. And yeah, we caught a couple barrels early, hit a couple homers, but he settled in nicely. And then once he got a lead, he was just really putting it to us.”
Dalton Rushing walks back to the dugout after grounding out to end the game in the Dodgers' 9-3 loss to Arizona on Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Arizona’s bullpen then held the Dodgers to just two hits — both coming in the ninth inning off Drey Jameson.
Will Klein (3-4) took the loss after surrendering one run through 1⅔ innings.
“I just wanted to see how he was because we’ve pushed him a little bit,” Roberts said about pulling Klein. “And I just wanted to make sure, in talking to him man to man, just how he felt going back out there for another inning because we pushed him a little bit. He’s done a nice job.”
After Brock Stewart gave up a two-run home run to Tim Tawa in the fourth, Arizona (47-47) tacked on two more runs in the fifth after the Dodgers’ second error.
Stewart walked Perdomo to start the inning. Then, Carroll grounded into a fielder’s choice in front of the plate and reached first safely, with an errant throw by Rushing allowing Perdomo to reach third. Moreno grounded out to third to drive in Perdomo. A balk by Edgardo Henriquez followed by a wild pitch allowed Carroll to score.
“It has been sloppy two of the last three games,” Roberts said of the errors. “Don’t know the reason for it. Obviously, it never feels good to not convert outs. So yeah, I think that it’s one of those things that we got to get better at.”
Arizona extended its lead in the sixth after Tawa hit an RBI single to left and Perdomo drove in a run on a groundout to first. Tawa ended his three-hit, four-RBI performance with a run-scoring single in the eighth.
Reliever Alex Vesia threw a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth consecutive scoreless outing to cap a night the Dodgers probably would like to forget.
“It’s not really a wild card; it’s a bullpen game,” Hurt said. “We’re all going to go out there and do our part; we got a job. Tonight, you know, there was a couple walks, some hits. It just wasn’t a good day for us. ... We’ll be better.”
Roberts said the Dodgers might bring up another arm to finish the series.
