College basketball stars used to rush to the NBA, lured by the riches that awaited them. That's not necessarily the case anymore with NIL riches available on campus. That dynamic has complicated the should-I-go or should-I-stay dilemma for underclassmen.
Whether it was bad advice or overconfidence, some early entrants for the 2026 NBA Draft had some unexpected slides this week.
Here are a few players who might be second guessing their decisions:
Drafted No. 52 overall by Clippers (traded to Atlanta)
A projected first-round pick, Veesaar turned down a reported $5 million NIL payday to enter the draft. The 7-foot center from Estonia averaged a career-best 17 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Tar Heels. Instead of spending a season under NBA champion coach Michael Malone's tutelage in Chapel Hill, Veesaar cast his lost in the draft... and fell to No. 52. There's talk Veesaar's camp steered teams away as he had a late-round promise, but No. 52 hasn't been a spot that's produced many standouts. Over the past 20 years the best No. 52 picks have been Luka Garza (2021) and Mark Pope (2006).
Isaiah Evans, Duke
Drafted No. 33 by Brooklyn (traded to Minnesota)
Evans left Duke after a sophomore season that saw him earn third-team All-ACC honors after averaging 15 points and 3.2 rebounds a game. Evans entered his name in the 2025 draft before withdrawing, and maybe wishes he had second thoughts again. Another projected first-round pick (Evans attended Tuesday's first round), he had to wait until Wednesday's second round to hear his name.
Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
Drafted No. 34 by Sacramento (traded to Cleveland)
While nine freshmen went in the top 10 picks (including Razorbacks teammate Darius Acuff who went No. 7), another one-and-done entrant had to wait longer than expected to hear his name called... a full 24 hours. In most of the pre-draft process, Thomas was a projected first round pick, but as the draft got closer, his stock started to slip.
Thomas became a full-time starter in late January and averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists, shooting 41.6% from 3-point range. He has plenty of tools, but in a loaded draft like this year's, returning to Fayetteville for another season under John Calipari could have polished him into a 2027 lottery pick.
Koa Peat, Arizona
Drafted No. 30 by Dallas (traded to Phoenix)
While Peat had to wait until the last pick of the first round to hear his name called, things may have eventually worked out for Peat. Peat won four high school state championships in Arizona, helped the Wildcats break its Final Four drought and now gets to stay home with the Suns. So he's probably not complaining too much, but he was projected to go higher and sliding all the way down to No. 30 had to be nerve-wracking. He was one pick shy of missing out on a guaranteed contract. Whew. Had he stayed one more year, in a weaker draft, he could have been a top-10 pick in 2027.
Chris Cenac Jr., Houston
Drafted No. 27 by Boston
Projected as a mid-first round pick, Cenac was one of the last players invited to Wednesday's first round to hear his name called. A former top-10 recruit, Cenac won't turn 20 until February, so he's got plenty of development left. That likely could happen in Maine and the G League as the Celtics already have Neemias Queta and Luka Garza at center.
“There certainly probably is a lot of excitement and expectation from his, but we were sitting here last year and I didn’t think the guy that we drafted would play at all for us,” Celtics president Brad Stevens told reporters after the pick. “But you never know. Let’s see. We’ll see how they all come in and work and he’ll certainly have the opportunity like everybody else. But you’re behind when you’re 19 and you’re dealing with now men.”
Another year in college being coached by Kelvin Sampson probably could have turned Cenac into a lottery pick.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: Isaiah Evans poses for a photo during the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A lot has happened in the past couple of days for the Minnesota Timberwolves. It started on Monday night when they traded away Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in what was essentially a salary dump.
Shortly thereafter, they re-signed Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract. The deal will keep him under contract through at least the 2029-30 season before he has a player option on the final year of his new deal in 2030-31.
After the Randle trade, which sent out the Wolves’ 28th overall pick in exchange for the 33rd overall pick, Minnesota was left without a first-round pick. In the second round, the Wolves selected Isaiah Evans from Duke with the 33rd pick and Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn at the 59th.
That is a lot to happen all in the span of three days, so here are some news and notes about where the Timberwolves find themselves with the 2026 NBA Draft now in the books.
Editor’s note- As this was being published, the Timberwolves traded Naz Reid and draft picks to the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball and Josh Green
Wolves pick Isaiah Evans with the 33rd Pick
After moving back five spots following the Randle trade, the Timberwolves made their first selection of the 2026 NBA Draft, taking Evans with the 33rd overall pick. Evans is a six-foot-six wing from Duke who projects as one of the best shooters in this draft class.
The Wolves had Evans much higher than 33rd on their draft board and were considering taking him in the first round before they traded back. The Timberwolves believe they can develop Evans as a movement shooter and think highly of his confidence and mental makeup.
“I think it was just my ability to stretch the floor,” Evans said to reporters about the aspect of his game that he felt the Wolves were intrigued by. “It was my shooting ability that really got me in the door.”
The Wolves’ new rookie also spoke about who on the Wolves roster he is looking forward to learning from, saying, “Jaden McDaniels is a lot bigger than me, but I’m really interested in learning from him, how to affect the game on the defensive side as much as he does. Obviously, when Donte gets back, I really want to be able to fill in that role behind him and just learn how to come in and be that guy who is impacting the game on the wing alongside the guards.”
The main area of improvement for Evans that will determine the success of his time in Minnesota, and likely his NBA career, is his defensive ability, as is the case with many young prospects. Minnesota will try to develop him into a player who can defend multiple positions and will look for him to add muscle this summer.
Timberwolves just grabbed one of the best shooters in this draft in Isaiah Evans. Love how much his game has grown the last couple years and how he comes into the league with an elite skill. pic.twitter.com/mT4mAT6k5U
While the Wolves start their search of free agency to add talent to the roster, many in the Timberwolves front office believe that one of the main ways Minnesota will improve heading into next season is from players already on the roster getting better.
“I think we’re going to put a huge emphasis on internal development,” Connelly stated. “I think we have a couple guys that had very limited roles last year that are capable of a lot, lot more.”
The two most notable players that the Wolves expect to see growth from are Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels. Both are set to see increased roles on next year’s team, with Reid joining the starting lineup and McDaniels likely slated for more on-ball possessions.
“It’s just about creating the opportunities now,” Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch said of Reid and McDaneils. “I think we’ve seen what they can do, and it’s their job to make sure it stays at a consistently high level… We’ve talked about it before. When you have a lot of great options, it’s just a usage puzzle, and we just gotta make sure that the usage is appropriate.”
With Randle out of the way,
Finch shared a similar sentiment when speaking about Terrence Shannon Jr. and Joan Beringer, who are both set to have more carved out roles for them in the rotation.
“It’s about creating pathways for those guys to be able to play,” Finch explained. “You might say, ‘Isn’t that the coach’s job?’ But sometimes, you know, there’s a gridlock. When you have the type of roster construction that we’ve had in the last couple of years, which has been a large part of our identity. So we’ve gotta look at how we can either kind of change things around or get to a point where these guys can get a more consistent role.”
Beringer, especially, has caught the eye of the Timberwolves brass as he has steadily improved behind the scenes during his 12 months with the organization.
“Oh boy, here we go,” Timberwolves General Manager Matt Lloyd said excitedly when asked about Beringer. “His progression since he got here, first off, he learned English, so that tends to help a little bit, and secondly, he’s put the work in to elicit a positive outcome because that’s who he is.”
Matt Lloyd with some insight on Joan Beringer’s growth and the plan for him heading into Summer League 🐺🐺🐺 pic.twitter.com/gebDgduanY
The Wolves are still likely going to add pieces to their roster, with the point guard position lingering as a need. Minnesota is also banking on the improvement from the young core of its roster. From starters like Reid and McDaniels, down to the 20-year-old French kid set to see his first consistent stretch of playing time, the Wolves are expecting the returning portion of their roster to take big strides next season.
Anthony Edwards isn’t Going Anywhere
Almost immediately after Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat, the NBA world, mostly on social media, went searching for the next superstar that they wanted to see traded.
Unfortunately for Timberwolves fans, that led them to Anthony Edwards. Even though Edwards still has three years left on his contract, that didn’t stop many from wondering if the 24-year-old, four-time All-Star is currently disappointed with the current state of his team.
While that may be what opposing fans want to see from Edwards, it is certainly not what he or his camp have indicated to local reporters or the Timberwolves themselves.
“I think he’s super super excited,” Connelly said about Edwards. “There’s been countless things we could have done. I think our roster is pretty well though of league wide. When you go to your leaders like Ant, you say it takes this to get that, and the conviction he has in our guys is evident, and we say, No, we’re not trading this guy.”
I’ve seen a lot of the “is Ant the next to ask for a trade” chatter? Just can tell you from talking to some people Ant still very much loves it in Minnesota. He and his people think it’s a great situation. He obviously wants to keep competing at a high level … (1/2)
The discourse about Edwards potentially leaving the Wolves one day are not likely to stop any time soon. Online fans who only follow the sport by hopping from one trade rumor to the next are not likely to give it up until they either get what they want or Edwards signs an extension past his current contract.
The only thing the Timberwolves can do now is put the best team possible around Edwards so that when he is handed that potential extension as soon as next summer, he signs it without hesitation.
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 29: ESPN NBA Draft Analyst Mike Schmitz reports during the 2021 NBA Draft on July 29, 2021 at the Barclays Center, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Michael J. LeBrecht II/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Many were surprised Dallas did not seek guard help with #9, especially with Brayden Burries still available when the Mavs made their first selection. In De Larrea, they did ultimately acquire said guard, and a long and tall one at that, but he most likely will need development time before having a measurable impact.
Incongruities between expectation and reality often cause a range of generally negative reactions – disappointment, annoyance, frustration – but just because the front office plan wasn’t guard-centric doesn’t mean it was a poor plan. In fact, GM Mike Schmitz suggests quite the opposite. In a post-Draft press conference after night one, Schmitz extolled the outcome as largely on point with what the front office was after. “We feel this went accordingly to plan,” he stated succinctly.
Here we will break down three individuals he spoke about throughout the presser.
Dusty May
“Incredible confidence.”
Schmitz articulated his history with May, which dates back to the latter’s time as an assistant with Florida Atlantic. The two scouted overseas together early in their respective careers and have known each other for years. Schmitz’s sense that May is the right person to helm the Mavericks is apparent. He was highly complimentary of May’s ability to build relationships with players, lead a team and ultimately succeed as he did en route to winning the National Championship just a few months ago.
Confidence in May is not exactly surprising. Had the front office not believed in him, he wouldn’t have been offered the job. What is at least somewhat newsworthy here is the history the two shared. Up until the hire, May was a pipedream and it was not widely know that Schmitz had an existing relationship with him. This is yet another example of the advantage of having life-long basketball executives who have cut their teeth in a conventional and progressive way. As much as the commentary was about May, it demonstrates what the Mavs have with Schmitz – an executive with a great track record and far-reaching relationships.
Patrick Dumont
“Very supportive.”
Schmitz was asked about Dumont, who was seen in the draft room video when Dallas selected Johnson, and he did not hesitate to heap praise upon the team owner. He described Dumont as a positive influence that was curious about the process without running any type of interference.
Dumont is quietly conducting his apology tour following the Luka Doncic trade, and he is doing so effectively. He cast himself in a very poor light following that fateful trade, making comments unbecoming of his position and appearing easily duped and perhaps even naïve for following the solitary opinion of Nico Harrison. Since that time, Dumont has endeavored to make amends with the fan base, sitting courtside with a fan who days earlier told him exactly what he thought, among other things. Acknowledging a blunder and setting out to make things right is an admirable quality and for all the flack he rightfully received in the past, we may want to consider giving Dumont his flowers (even if not everyone is ready to hand over a full bouquet quite yet). After decades of Mark Cuban making basketball decisions and perhaps even showing a frugalness contrary to his reputation, the Mavericks may finally have an owner with deep pockets, a willingness to spend, and the ability to get out of the way of the basketball lifers he hired in the first place – that could be an amazing advantage for the Mavs.
Morez Johnson
“Toughness. Competitiveness. High Energy.”
Schmitz is clearly high on what Johnson will bring to the team. He spoke enthusiastically about his intensity, particularly on the defensive end, where he feels he can cover positions one through five. He further suggested that Johnson is a “great fit with Cooper [Flagg],” referencing his ability to space, pass and attack the offensive glass. Leaving no doubt that Dallas got the player they wanted, Schmitz stated “we were thrilled that Morez was there when we were choosing nine and we think he fits perfectly what we’re trying to do.”
Closing the loop on expectation vs. reality, each and every fan did not get what they wanted – that, of course, would be impossible. But what each and every fan can take away from the Draft is that this front office has a plan and they are executing that plan flawlessly at this point. It may not be a plan everyone agrees with (again, impossible), but in the wake of the Draft, I find it refreshing to take a breath and recognize the effort and professionalism being displayed. It’s a welcome thought knowing the days of leaving Giannis Antetokounmpo on the board in an effort to save a few hundred thousand dollars for a ‘big fish’ that never arrived, are most likely behind us. Also, whether Johnson was the guy any of us wanted is almost irrelevant. He’s a well regarded winner that will likely win over the fanbase in a hurry and Dallas could have done a lot worse, or something really off the wall foolish.
There is still work to be done, but we can all have confidence there is a plan being executed.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
The Hornets also traded guard Josh Green to Minnesota, who sent center/forward Naz Reid, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030), and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033) back to Charlotte.
Ball, 24, averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals in 72 games last season for the Hornets, who reached the NBA Play-in Tournament this season but have missed the playoffs in each of the past 10 years. He has had an injury-plagued career, with significant ankle and lower leg injuries in his six NBA seasons.
The Hornets selected Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he won the Rookie of the Year award in 2021.
Ball has three seasons remaining on his five-year, $203.9 million contract signed with the Hornets and will make $40.8 million during the 2026-27 season. He is eligible to sign a two-year, $119.2 million extension once the NBA free agency moratorium ends on July 6.
With the Ball trade, the Hornets are moving forward with building around forward Brandon Miller and forward Kon Knueppel, who led the league in 3-pointers and finished second in the rookie of the year balloting last season.
Reid, 26, averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 77 games for Minnesota and will be entering the second season of a five-year, $125 million deal he signed in 2025.
The Hornets added Hannes Steinbach, who led the NCAA in rebounding in the 2026 NBA Draft, and guard Christian Anderson Jr. with the No. 18 overall pick.
Charlotte had a strong finish to the season, winning 28 of its last 38 games, but lost to the Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament.
The Timberwolves now have two dynamic guards, with Ball paired with star Anthony Edwards, who was the No. 1 overall pick in Ball's draft class, making them instantly one of the more formidable backcourts in the Western Conference.
By shipping Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a trade earlier in the offseason and re-signing guard Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract, the Timberwolves continue their aggressive win-now mentality under owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. Currently, Minnesota is nearly $5 million over the luxury tax after taking on Ball's and Green's contracts.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, Al Horford will decline his player option to sign a new two year, $14 million deal to stay with the Golden State Warriors.
With this signing, Horford officially becomes the 13th player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons.
Golden State's Al Horford is declining his player option and intends to sign a new two-year, $14 million deal to stay with the Warriors, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater. Horford, 40, becomes only the 13th player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons. pic.twitter.com/Tuu4oYb9hV
According to Slater and Charania, Horford’s deal is fully guaranteed and includes a trade kicker.
Horford joins the list of 20-season players that includes LeBron James, Vince Carter, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis, Robert Parish, Kyle Lowry, Udonis Haslem, Jamal Crawford, Kobe Bryant, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Per Horford in the article that announced the deal:
“I knew a few off the top of my head, but I hadn’t seen the list. It’s hard to believe. It’s something that, for me, I’m very grateful. It’s just so hard to be in this league for that amount of years. There’s a lot of commitment, a lot of sacrifice and time. I still feel like I’m able to contribute and have an impact on a team.”
The Warriors’ plan for Horford this offseason is to stay in the Bay Area to work with Rick Celebrini, carefully following a conditioning program that will allow Horford to stay health and in shape throughout next season. That includes foregoing participation in national team duties for the Dominican Republic this summer.
Horford’s first season with the Warriors saw the 40-year-old veteran averaging 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Though the team’s title aspirations were derailed by a mid-season injury to Jimmy Butler, Horford provided crucial frontcourt depth before their season ended in the Play-In tournament.
On this day 10 years ago, Brett Lawrie contributed two of the record-tying seven White Sox homers clubbed in a 10-8 loss the Blue Jays. | (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
1903 It was a tale of two games.
The first nine innings, played to a tie, was full of hitting and sloppy fielding (12 errors, six per team). The second nine, also played to a tie, featured a pitcher’s duel that ended in the dark.
The White Sox and Highlanders (Yankees) played the longest game in American League history (and just shy of the MLB record set a year earlier between the Colts and Pirates), squeezing in 18 innings in fewer than four hours.
The game was tied on a barrage of late hits from the Highlanders, and the White Sox only escaped the innings thanks to a deft catch by catcher Ed McFarland in foul territory that doubled up a New York runner.
From there, it was goose eggs, as White Sox reliever Roy Patterson and New York sub Jesse Tannehill ended up pitching longer than the starters in the game — Patterson giving up seven hits and two runs over 9 ⅔ innings, Tannehill nine and one over 11 frames.
The White Sox flubbed two chances to score in the final two frames. In the 17th, Frank Isbell led off with a double and was sacrificed to third — but Lee Tannehill hit a comebacker to the mound and Isbell was caught off of third, to be thrown out at home. And with two outs in the 18th, Ducky Holmes got on with a bunt and then moved to third on a hit-and-run with Fielder Jones. Jones stole second base, but Danny Green could muster only a weak tap to second base.
At approximately 7:15 p.m., umpire Jack Sheridan called the game, to objections from neither team. The White Sox were stalled at 25-24 and in fifth place in the AL, on their way to falling to 60-77 and seventh by season’s end.
1940 It was Bill Webb Day at Comiskey Park, honoring the Chicago native, longtime White Sox third-base coach and newly-promoted farm system director. Webb never played for the White Sox (over his 14-year pro career, Webb in fact appeared in just five MLB games, with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1917) but spent the majority of his post-career time in Chicago.
Webb’s story has a sad end, however, as he died just three years later, at age 47, after suffering a heart attack while driving to work at 35th & Shields.
1953 White Sox manager Paul Richards was regarded as one of the smartest people ever to lead a baseball team.
With the Sox going for a series sweep of New York and leading 4-2 in the ninth inning, Richards brought in pitcher Harry Dorish to relieve Billy Pierce. Only Richardsdidn’t remove Pierce from the game — he moved him to first base! After Dorishfaced two hitters, Pierce was brought back to the mound to end the game — which he did, getting Johnny Mize to hit into a force out and then striking out pinch-hitter Bill Renna.
Richards pulled off this maneuver at least twice as the White Sox skipper, the first time on May 15, 1951 at Boston. In both cases, the pitchers involved were Dorish and Pierce.
Years later, baseball writer Rob Neyer began tracking these moves in a historical database, and one of his readers termed the maneuvers “Waxahachie Swaps.” Richards, who also made these swaps twice as Baltimore Orioles manager, was known as the Wizard of Waxahachie (Texas).
1961 Completing a doubleheader sweep and four-game series sweep of the Washington Senators at Comiskey Park, the White Sox ended a long homestand with a 15-1 record, one of two (1906) in team history. Normally such a run, during these White Sox glory years, would have ended with the White Sox well better than .500 and leading the AL, but the 1961 team had started slow; the homestand began with the Pale Hose 21-33, 14 1⁄2 games out and flirting with the basement of the AL. By the start of the next road trip, Chicago had re-set itself, at 36-34, 9 1⁄2 games out and in fifth place.
The White Sox could only make it to fourth place in 1961, where they finished the year, at 86-76. It was their worst finish in the standings in 10 years.
1962 With the team stuck at .500 in a season that aspired to a pennant, the White Sox made two off-day trades, picking up reliever Dean Stone and left fielder Charlie Maxwell.
Stone came over from the Houston Colt .45s for Russ Kemmerer and finished out the season well as the part-time closer for the club. Over 29 games he tallied nine saves along with a 3.26 ERA/3.38 FIP and 0.7 WAR. The White Sox sold Stone to Baltimore in the offseason, where he played his final season. Kemmerer, a similar relief pitcher as Stone, actually ended up providing the same 0.7 WAR value for Houston in 1962, so this was a win-win deal. Incidentally, this was the first trade the White Sox had ever made with the Colt .45s.
Maxwell cost the White Sox outfielder Bob Farley and gave the White Sox a nice punch in the outfield for the rest of 1962, tallying 1.4 WAR over 69 games. Maxwell played one more season with the White Sox and was released very early in the 1964 season, ending his career. Farley fared poorly for Detroit (-0.5 WAR) in 1962 and was out of baseball after that season.
Ultimately, the White Sox fell short of the 1962 pennant, finishing 85-77 and fifth in the AL. It was Chicago’s poorest placing since 1950.
1964 An overflow crowd of 52,712 jammed Comiskey Park to watch the White Sox hammer the Cubs, 11-1, in the annual “Boys Benefit Game.”
The Sox, who played as the “visiting” team that night, hit four home runs, including back-to-back-to-back shots in the third inning. The home runs were hit by Ron Hansen, Tommy McCraw and Jerry McNertney. Floyd Robinson also had a home run.
What was significant, however, was the fact that fans were allowed on the outfield grass behind ropes, because there wasn’t any room left in the park. It was the last time fans have ever been permitted to stand on the playing field for a game.
The game ranks No. 6 all-time in attendance at old Comiskey Park, which is by extension No. 6 all-time in White Sox and Chicago baseball annals.
1991 White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell fired the first shutout for the home team at new Comiskey Park, blanking the Mariners, 4-0. Jackwas masterful on the day, and carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning. He’d end up with a three-hitter, and seven strikeouts.
2006 With the White Sox trailing the Houston Astros, 9-2, in the eighth inning at U.S. Cellular Field, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi hit a three-run home run to narrow the deficit to 9-5. In the ninth inning, Iguchi connected again, this time for a grand slam to tie the game.
The Sox lost the game in the 13th inning, but Iguchi set a franchise record, as the White Sox had hit grand slams in three consecutive days. Scott Podsednik hit a grand slam two days earlier, and Joe Crede did so the day before.
2016 The White Sox tied the franchise record, first set in a 29-6 blowout in 1955, by blasting seven home runs in a single game. It took place against the Blue Jays at U.S. Cellular Field.
But there was one problem … they lost the game, 10-8.
It was only the third time in baseball history a team hit that many home runs in a game and lost (Detroit, in 1995 and 2004). The Sox players to hit home runs were Brett Lawrie (two), Dioner Navarro, J.B. Shuck, Tim Anderson, Alex Avila and Adam Eaton.
The Hornets are out of the Lamelo Ball business, trading him to the Timberwolves on Thursday, ESPN.com reported.
Ball was shipped to Minnesota in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, and 2030) and three second-round picks.
Reserve guard Josh Green heads to Minnesota as well in the trade.
The move comes after reports that Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards would force a trade from Minnesota in the near future if the team doesn’t improve his supporting cast.
Lamelo Ball looks like he will be on the move. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The pairing of Ball and Edwards should be interesting, as the now-former Hornets guard is one of the most divisive stars in the NBA.
Ball is not known as a player who takes defensive effort particularly seriously, although he did play better during the Hornets’ second-half playoff push, where they went 18-9, among the best in basketball.
Shot selection is another key sticking point that has frustrated Ball fans, as he sometimes shoots off-balance jump shots from several feet beyond the arc.
It’ll be up to Timberwolves coach Chris Finch to reign in Ball’s questionable shot quality and inconsistent defensive prowess.
The poor defensive metrics will likely be masked somewhat by the presence of perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert backing him up down low.
Ball has also seldom been available during his NBA career.
Anthony Edwards is looking for a running mate in Minnesota. Getty Images
He played in 72 games last season, the second-most of his career, but suited up for just 105 of a possible 246 games in his prior three seasons in the league.
Ball averaged his fewest points per game since his rookie year (20.1), but he still helped the Hornets qualify for the Play-In Tournament, and last season was the most wins he has contributed to since he entered the NBA.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 24: Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Chase Harlan (94) at bat during the MLB Spring Training game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 24, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Feelings of deja vu in Triple-A and Double-A as the Comets and Drillers experienced similar results to those of the previous day.
Player of the day
Chase Harlan had been one of the standout performers not only with the Tower Buzzers but across the whole Dodger minor league system when he got promoted to High-A earlier this week. In the first game with the Loons, Harlan recorded half of the team’s six RBI in a win over the Lugnuts.
Through 58 games, Harlan has an OPS above 1.000 and nearly as many RBI (48) as he does strikeouts (52), looking like he won’t have much issue adjusting to the promotion.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Providing a sort of carbon copy of the previous day’s game, the Comets once again fell on the losing end of a game decided by one run in which the bulk of its offense came from the rehabbing Teoscar Hernández. The two-run shot in the third inning from Hernández accounted for all of the Comets’ RBI in a 4-3 loss, with the other run coming on an error.
Opportunities were there for a bigger output, but the Comets finished the game 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, wasting Alek Thomas’ three-hit effort, which accounted for a third of the team’s total hits.
Hernández might have had a big game, but other known big leaguers did not so much. Starter Landon Knack only recorded four outs before being removed in the middle of the second inning, and reliever Evan Phillips also allowed a run in the third.
Double-A Tulsa
What is it more rare, one might wonder: to lose a second consecutive game by a score of 10-1 or for a starting pitcher to allow four runs without conceding a single hit? All of this happened to the Drillers against the Hooks, as starter Peter Heubeck could not find the strike zone in the first inning, walking six hitters before being pulled in the opening frame.
Mike Sirota did not homer like the day before, but he did record a hit to take his on-base streak to a whopping 60 games. Other than that, there was very little to talk about concerning the offense that finished the game with just four hits.
Promoted after a phenomenal start to the year in Ontario, Chase Harlan started his Loons career on the right foot, recording a pair of hits and three RBI in the cleanup spot, the protagonist of a 6-2 win away from home against the Lugnuts.
The Loons took the lead with a first-inning home run from Emil Morales and never looked back, supported by five scoreless frames from starter Aidan Foeller. There was the potential to see a rare four-inning save from Isaac Ayon, but three solid innings were enough, and Alex Makarewich came out for the final frame.
Single-A Ontario
Eleven hits and 15 walks drove forward one of the Tower Buzzers more complete offensive performances of the season, beating the Rawhide 13-9. Freshly activated leadoff hitter Kendall George was one of the few who struggled before being removed for pinch-hitter Oswaldo Osorio, who hit an important three-run shot in the late innings. However, the Tower Buzzers had their secondary leadoff hitter cooking: second baseman Javier Herrera reached in all five of his plate appearances with a hit and four walks, scoring three of Ontario’s 13 runs.
After going through a homer drought between the end of May and the start of June, teenager Ching-Hsien Ko has once again found his power stroke. Ko was responsible for one of the Tower Buzzers’ three homers, his third in the last six games.
Transactions
Outfielder Kendall George was assigned from the Drillers to the Tower Buzzers, activated off the injured list, while starter Landon Knack began a rehab assignment with the Comets.
Wednesday’s scores
Reno 4, Oklahoma City 3
Tulsa 1, Corpus Christi 10
Lansing 2, Great Lakes 6
Visalia 9, Ontario 13
Thursday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jakob Wright) at Lansing (Samuel Dutton)
5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Christian Zazueta) vs. Corpus Christi (James Hicks)
6:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Charlie Barnes) vs. Reno (TBD)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Visalia (Connor Foley)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 24: JP Sears #38 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park on June 24, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Mike Nowak/Getty Images) | Getty Images
JP Sears was called up to the majors to take the start for the San Diego Padres against the Atlanta Braves in their series finale at Petco Park in place of Lucas Giolito who landed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation earlier in the week. Sears might have been one of the few pitchers Padres fans did not want to see on the mound in place of Giolito, but he was the minor league arm who was available and he got the call. Sears answered the call and delivered just what the Padres needed in a 5-2 win which resulted in a three-game sweep of the Braves.
Sears lasted 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The two runs allowed by the left-hander came on a two-run home run by Joey Bart, which pulled Atlanta within a run of San Diego, making the score 3-2. The Padres provided an answer in the bottom half of the inning when Samad Taylor lobbed a ball over the outfield which dumped into shallow right field, allowing two runs to score to put San Diego ahead, 5-2.
The Padres bullpen was short due to Griffin Canning lasting just 0.2 innings on Tuesday night. San Diego needed just three pitchers, while working their typical game-winning formula, but with different personnel. David Morgan completed 1.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit, Wandy Peralta completed one scoreless inning allowing a hit and Jason Adam pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save.
Ty France provided the offensive spark for the Padres. He opened the scoring in the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning. He also hit a sacrifice fly and tacked on a double to finish 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs and two RBI. Taylor and Bogaerts also had multi-hit games.
San Diego is off today, but will return to action against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday at 6:45 p.m.
The 2026 NBA Draft is now in the rear view, and though it wrapped up without a ton of surprises, there are plenty of takeaways for fantasy managers.
AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson went No. 1 and No. 2 to the Wizards and Jazz, respectively, while Cameron Boozer went to the Grizzlies at No. 3. Golden State got a much-needed addition at forward in Yaxel Lendeborg, and the rich got richer as Oklahoma City snagged Aday Mara at No. 12.
Michigan represented well in the lottery, with three players from the championship team selected in the first 12 picks, including the Mavericks' first selection in the Dusty May era, Morez Johnson. All three of Johnson, Lendeborg and Mara are in favorable positions to excel in Year 1, with Lendeborg sporting the biggest upside of the trio.
Here are the top winners and losers from the 2026 NBA Draft.
Winners
Yaxel Lendeborg (F - Golden State Warriors)
The 6’9, 230 pound forward bring age, experience, national championship pedigree and most importantly, size, to the Golden State Warriors. Selected No. 11 in the draft, Lendeborg could be an immediate starter or Sixth Man given the team’s lack of frontcourt depth and injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody that will likely cost them time to open the season.
Lendeborg averaged 9.5 rebounds across three collegiate seasons with UAB and Michigan, and Golden State needs all the help it can get on the glass. Last season, the Warriors ranked 21st in team rebounds, 24th in team rebound percentage and 23rd in second chance points surrendered.
Trae Young (PG - Washington Wizards)
Trae Young inked a new, four-year deal to return to the Wizards, and he’s got a golden opportunity to thrive in the traditional PG role he’s played so well throughout his career. With AJ Dybantsa added at No. 1, Washington is chock full of capable scorers and shooters, and Young could lead the NBA in assists once again.
Aday Mara (C - Oklahoma City Thunder)
Aday Mara finds himself in a perfect position to see meaningful minutes immediately for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are looking to clear cap space, and Isaiah Hartenstein could be on the way out. That means Mara could offer appeal in double-big lineups alongside Chet Holmgren or fill in as the lone big in the backcourt when gamescript or injuries demand it.
The Milwaukee Bucks traded Giannis Antetokounmpo on the eve of the NBA draft, and they drafted two players in the lottery who could be building blocks for the future. Brayden Burries and Nate Ament should see meaningful rotation minutes right off the bat, despite the Bucks’ additions of Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Morez Johnson (F/C - Dallas Mavericks)
No team has dealt with more frontcourt injuries over the last two seasons than the Dallas Mavericks. Daniel Gafford has an extensive injury history, and Dereck Lively II has appeared in just 98 games across three seasons.
New head coach Dusty May had his fingerprints all over this selection, as Dallas nabbed Johnson at No. 9, reuniting him with his Michigan head coach. The Mavs may choose to move on from Gafford and/or Lively II to clear a logjam in the frontcourt, but even if one or both return, Johnson has a realistic path to playing time in Year 1.
Losers
Bilal Coulibaly (F - Washington Wizards), Will Riley (F - Washington Wizards)
AJ Dybantsa’s arrival in the nation’s capital is bad news for the fantasy stock of Bilal Coulibaly and Will Riley. Dybantsa should be the team’s starting SF from Day 1, and he’ll see big minutes, limiting the upside of two players who showed plenty of promise for the injury-riddled Wizards last season.
Coulibaly’s ability to rack up steals and blocks while hitting three-pointers made him a useful option in standard leagues. Riley was a streamable option for most of the final four weeks of the season, as he started 14 of the team’s last 20 games and offered reliable counting stats.
Ace Bailey (G - Utah Jazz)
The No. 5 pick in the 2025 Draft appeared in 72 games and averaged 27.6 minutes as a rookie. Over the final 12 games of his inaugural campaign, Bailey averaged 20.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 “stocks” and 2.8 triples across 32 minutes. In that span, he was a Top 70 fantasy option.
Utah drafted Darryn Peterson at No. 2, and there was a real argument that Peterson should have been taken No. 1 overall ahead of AJ Dybantsa. Keyonte George will be Utah’s starting PG
Santi Aldama (F/C - Memphis Grizzlies)
Cameron Boozer’s selection at No. 3 surely means a decreased role for Aldama, who averaged 14 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists across 27.6 minutes - all career highs. Aldama ranked just inside the Top 120 in per-game fantasy value, and he was a viable option in standard leagues.
Boozer put up 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.0 “stocks” and 1.4 triples in his lone season at Duke. He offers strong playmaking and floor spacing at the PF spot, and he can play some small-ball center. Memphis struggled to stay healthy in the frontcourt a season ago, and Boozer should see as much run as he can handle as rookie.
Russell Westbrook (G - Sacramento Kings), Malik Monk (G - Sacramento Kings)
Westbrook enjoyed a bounce-back campaign while averaging 15/5/6, and Monk played sparingly while offering elite floor spacing with a 39.5% mark from beyond the arc. Sacramento’s selection of Darius Acuff Jr. at No. 7 signals an end to the Kings’ veteran backcourt and the beginning of the youth movement.
Acuff Jr. averaged 23.4 points, 6.4 dimes and 3.1 rebounds in his one-and-done season at Arkansas, and he’s Sacramento’s PG of the future. That means far less run for Westbrook and Monk, assuming they’re both on the roster when the season opens.
Isaiah Hartenstein (C - Oklahoma City Thunder), Thomas Sorber (C - Oklahoma City Thunder)
The Thunder are starting to experience what all star-laden teams go through in the current NBA - cap space hell. Max contracts for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams kick in this season, and OKC has already shipped off Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta for peanuts. Isaiah Joe and Luguentz Dort are also on the block as the team looks to shed salary.
The Thunder were fortunate to land Michigan big man Aday Mara at No. 12, and the 7’3 national champ could be the replacement the team needs to justify moving off of Hartenstein’s contract. Though he hasn’t yet made his NBA debut, Thomas Sorber is unfortunately an odd man out in a Thunder frontcourt that includes Holmgren, Mara and Jaylin Williams.
Thanks to a historic doubleheader performance Wednesday, Dansby Swanson has the best four-game series in Chicago Cubs history — with a game to spare.
Swanson had a go-ahead RBI triple and four RBIs to cap the monster doubleheader and lead the Cubs to a sweep of the reeling New York Mets with a 10-5 win.
Swanson hit a three-run homer and a grand slam in the Cubs’ 10-3 victory in the opener. The 11 RBIs in a doubleheader are a franchise record, breaking the mark of 10 set by Hall of Famer Ron Santo on July 6, 1970.
The only other player in team history with a nine-RBI doubleheader is also a Hall of Famer — Billy Williams, who did it on Aug. 21, 1968.
“A dream come true, just being able to have your name next to those guys,” Swanson said. “It’s amazing and special.”
The 11 RBIs are tied for the third-most in a doubleheader. Nate Colbert had 13 RBIs for the San Diego Padres on Aug. 1, 1972, a mark equaled by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark Whiten on Sept. 7, 1993.
“Dansby had an incredible day of baseball offensively, for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s fun to see.”
Swanson also homered Tuesday night and has three homers and 15 RBIs in the first three games of the series, which is slated to conclude Thursday night.
The 15 RBIs are the most ever by a Cubs player in a series of four or fewer games since 1920, when the RBI became an official statistic, and are the most by a Chicago player in a series of any length since Kiki Cuyler, another Hall of Famer, had 15 RBIs in a five-game set in 1932.
The 15 RBIs over the last three games are also the most ever by a shortstop, breaking the mark of 14 RBIs set by Nomar Garciaparra with the Boston Red Sox from May 10-12, 1999. The only other Cubs player with at least 15 RBIs in a three-game span is Sammy Sosa, who had 16 RBIs from Aug. 10-12, 2002.
“I couldn’t tell you a game that I’ve had like this,” Swanson said. “It’s one that you honestly dream about.
“Just very, very grateful.”
The three-game surge snapped a lengthy slump for Swanson, who entered Tuesday hitting .178 with three homers and 14 RBIs in his last 48 games dating back to April 24. Swanson is batting just .202 with a .688 OPS this season — down considerably from his career marks of .251 and .732, respectively, entering 2026.
“You say process, process, process and stick to it, but every player is aware of how they’re producing and helping the team,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “He’s been so consistent and persistent. That doesn’t guarantee results, but man, does it feel good when those come through.”
Yet with 11 homers and 46 RBIs through 80 games, Swanson is more than halfway to his fifth 20-homer season and almost halfway to his career-high of 96 RBIs, set during his final season with the Atlanta Braves in 2022.
“That’s why the game sometimes, like, drives you crazy,” Counsell said. “Because if you probably look at Dansby’s season right now, it’s kind of a normal season for Dansby. Maybe the batting average is a little bit low, but probably all the other numbers are right around where he’s been the last couple years. It’s just been peaks and valleys for him.
“The good times, you’ve got to take advantage of them. And when you have days like that and you’re kind of the primary driver of offense, that’s going to win your team games.”
The Kansas City Royals will look for a second straight series win when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, June 25.
With a distinct pitching advantage, my Royals vs. Rays predictions and MLB picks have the AL Central bottom-dwellers coming up aces as the road dog against a Tampa side that’s struggling to string together wins.
Who will win Royals vs Rays today: Royals moneyline (+124)
The Kansas City Royals' offense has done heavy lifting this series, but pitching should carry them Thursday.
Seth Lugo has allowed one earned run or fewer in three of his last four starts, and the Tampa Bay Rays have historically been kept off balance with his high-spin curveball with a sinking and four-seam fastball.
Tampa’s offense is batting .222 in the series with 26 strikeouts. On the mound, the Rays will use opener Casey Legumina and funnel innings into a taxed bullpen (4.59 ERA).
With the cleaner starting edge and a more stable path through nine innings, I’d back the Royals up to -120.
COVERS INTEL: Lugo has dominated the Rays in his career, going 3-0 in three starts with a 1.86 ERA and 15 strikeouts. He’s pitched into the sixth inning in each of those starts.
Royals vs Rays Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-103)
Even though Lugo has proven to shut the Rays down, Kansas City could be doing much of the heavy lifting to get to the Over themselves.
They’ve hit .283 collectively as a team in this series, pounding out 26 hits and 17 runs, and they’ll get to work over a not-so-great bullpen again Thursday.
For their struggles this series, totaling just eight runs in three games, the Rays are generally a better scoring team at home, where they own the best record in the AL.
They’re just outside the Top 10 in runs scored at home, at 4.69. The Over has hit in each of the last two games, and I like the trend to continue — though I would play it tight to that 8.5 line.
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 11-11, -0.27 units
Over/Under bets: 14-7, +7.13 units
Royals vs Rays weather
Dome.
Royals vs Rays odds
Moneyline: Royals +127 | Rays -133
Run line: Royals +1.5 | Rays -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Royals vs Rays trend
Five of KC's last six games have gone Over the total. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Rays.
How to watch Royals vs Rays and game info
Location
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Date
Thursday, June 25, 2026
First pitch
12:10 p.m. ET
TV
Royals.TV, Rays.TV
Royals starting pitcher
Seth Lugo (3-4, 3.69 ERA)
Rays starting pitcher
Casey Legumina (2-1, 3.45 ERA)
Royals vs Rays latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 08: Matt Chapman #26 of the San Francisco Giants gets picked off at first base tagged out by Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves in the bottom of the eighth inning of a major league baseball game at Oracle Park on June 08, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I know that no one really wants to remember last year, but the trip to San Francisco was a bit of a fulcrum point. Or, maybe, not a fulcrum point, but the part where the Braves were flipped off the deep end by a lever atop a diabolically-positioned fulcrum. Or something.
Specifically, the 2025 Braves ended May at 27-30. Not good, but playoff odds were still at about 50 percent, given the roster, the expanded playoffs, yadda yadda yadda. When 85 wins can give you a playoff spot, winning seven more games than you lose over four months isn’t really that hard of a sell. They then lost four straight at home, including two one-run losses to the Diamondbacks — the latter of which involved giving up a seven-run ninth to turn an easy win into another disaster. Just like that, playoff odds went from 1-in-2 to 1-in-3, because, well, 27-34 is a lot harder to overcome than 27-30.
Then they got to San Francisco, and the bottom more or less dropped out. The Braves were swept, first with two consecutive walkoff losses, and then another one-run loss. Playoff odds were now down to 1-in-4. It was their fifth straight one-run loss; they wouldn’t have another one-run loss until the last game of June. Part of the kicker, too, was that after this visit to San Francisco, they went 11-8 for the rest of June — exactly the kind of improvement they’d have needed before the meaty part of the skid. But since that meaty part existed, it wasn’t near enough.
The Braves right now are… it’s not similar, but the vibes (which were near-immaculate for two months) are similarly doomer-ish. The Braves have lost 10 of 13, they’ve lost four in a row for the first time all season, they’ve been officially swept for the first time all season, and it goes on. The lineup is both injured enough to look like those random 2025 lineups with a bunch of warm bodies, but instead of the stories being about exciting resurgences from scrapheap pickups like Dominic Smith and Jorge Mateo, the only thing to really talk about is how nearly the entire team, including, say, Matt Olson, has gone from jumping all over hittable pitches to a revolting combination of staring at strikes, swinging at balls, and weak contact without any super-noticeable reduction in swing speed. Probably the biggest killer was rushing Drake Baldwin back because the Braves decided they couldn’t live with worse-than-a-pitcher offensive production from their fill-in catchers, only to have Baldwin hit like those catchers upon his return. Nothing has killed the team more than going from a best-in-class to a worst-in-class spot, and then keeping the worst-in-class stuff going even without Sandy Leon. Without the elite-ish hitting, the run prevention (or lack thereof) is more exposed, as the Braves have had to make tougher pitching management decisions while also taking the foot off the proverbial pedal in terms of actually orienting those decisions towards winning today’s game. Combine that with stuff like, “now is the perfect time to give Chris Sale more rest” and, yeah, it’s a mess.
But, this is about San Francisco and the Giants, who won two games (and had a third rained out) in Atlanta not long ago. The Giants aren’t good, and they followed their time in Atlanta by getting swept in Miami, though they have won their first two against the Athletics in a couple of very low-scoring games. If the Braves can’t recover here, it might just be that same early-June slide from 2025, just… much, much longer given how good April and May were.
On a related note, I’m of two minds about the press discussion (or lack thereof) regarding the team. Early on, before we knew what was going to happen, a lot of staffers and players were giving sound bites about how Walt Weiss differed from Brian Snitker because he was more vocal, animated, and willing to put himself in opposition to players to get a specific reaction. In other words, they were suggesting that he’d get steamed when things weren’t going his way. Of course, that was basically irrelevant for two months when everything was going his way… but we’ve heard nothing about any sort of steaming or internal boot-to-butt antics.
On the flip side, though, it may be disingenuous to expect any management impetus when the players could (but probably wouldn’t? probably?) point to management decisions as a contributing factor to the disharmony. I don’t think any players would come out and say it, but they’re as aware of the load management and the pushing Sale back as anyone. So, who knows — maybe we aren’t hearing anything about Weiss metaphorically spear-tackling his guys because really everyone needs a spear-tackle. But that’s really a side note.
Anyway, hope the things get better soon, but given that the Braves don’t seem very committed to making them better, we’ll see whether San Francisco is more of the same or a turnaround that is best described as fortuitous rather than some other adjective, because I’m not sure there’s much of a middle ground.
After missing over a month with a shoulder sprain, Walker Jenkins is back in Triple-A and just one step away from the big leagues. He played four rehab games between Single-A and High-A, going 9-for-16 with a pair of homers. A couple days later, he faced off against reds rehabber Hunter Greene in his first at bat since returning to Triple-A and blasted a 99 mph fastball to the center field wall for a 108.7 mph triple. The Twins’ prized outfield prospect is looking MLB-ready and could be just weeks away from his major league debut.
In Walker Jenkins first AAA at bat since returning from the IL, he hit a 109 mph triple off a 99 mph Hunter Greene fastball.#MNTwinspic.twitter.com/S9aImfunP5
His sweet lefty swing generates an impressive blend of contact and power. At just 21 years old, his 112.3 mph max EV and 90th percentile in the 107 range are well above average and give him a chance to develop plus power as he continues to mature. His plus hit tool has translated seamlessly throughout the minors, and it is only getting better. With strong contact rates and high line drive rates, he could push close to the .300 batting average mark in the majors, although that may drop if he leans into more of a power-focused approach. With strong discipline and good spin recognition, Jenkins has more walks than strikeouts in Triple-A this season. He is a complete hitter with no considerable weaknesses and is remarkably polished for his age.
It’s not just the bat, though. The Twins are getting an asset in every aspect of the game. Jenkins probably won’t be an aggressive base-stealer, but he is a good runner and can provide value on the bases. Defensively, he is a capable centerfielder, but with Buxton in the way, he will slot nicely into right field, where his plus arm and good range are expected to be reminiscent of what Max Kepler did out there for so many years.
The Twins are trotting out Austin Martin, Trevor Larnach, Kody Clemens, and Kyler Fedko in the corner outfield right now, all of whom have controllability beyond this season. At the same time, they have Emmanuel Rodriguez, Alan Roden, Matt Wallner, and Hendry Mendez waiting across the river along with Jenkins. This overcrowding issue in the outfield has been on the horizon for a couple years and the Twins have reached a position where they now have to deal with it. Something has to give. The consensus opinion is likely that Larnach or Clemens should be traded, but those two have been two of the Twins most consistently productive bats. Would the team be willing to trade one or two of the prospects for a big league pitcher?
There are countless potential outcomes, but if there is one certainty in this crossroads, its that Walker Jenkins is a franchise cornerstone, and a spot will undeniably be there for him when the team decides that its time for his major league career to begin.
I’ve always been a fan of Dansby Swanson. He plays elite defense and, up to this year, his bat always played well enough.
This season, Swanson got off to a very slow start. He had a decent run for a few weeks in April, then went into an extended slump that had him batting .175/.281/.306 after last Tuesday’s loss to the Rockies at Wrigley Field.
I’m not sure what’s gotten into Swanson over the last six games but let’s hope this hot streak sticks around. After driving in seven runs in the doubleheader opener Tuesday afternoon with a three-run homer and grand slam, Swanson went 3-for-5 with four RBI in the nightcap, helping lead the Cubs to a 10-5 win over the Mets and a doubleheader sweep.
Also, the Mets are a really, really bad defensive team. They made six errors in this game, making half the Cubs’ 10 runs unearned. It was the first time any team had made six errors in a game against the Cubs since the Pirates made seven errors Sept. 7, 2012, a game the Cubs won 12-2. In fact, this is so rare in modern baseball that it hadn’t happened in seven years. Before this game, the last time any team had made six errors in a game was… the Cubs, on April 1, 2019, in Atlanta.
Before I get to the facts of this game, you need to read this. A team record was set by Swanson in the doubleheader — details from BCB’s JohnW53:
Dansby Swanson’s 11 RBI on Wednesday are the most since 1901 by a Cub in a doubleheader.
Billy Williams had nine (two, then seven) on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 1968, at home vs. the Braves. In the first game, he singled home one run each in the third and seventh. After the second one, Ernie Banks homered to give the Cubs a 5-4 lead, and that is how the game ended.
Williams hit a two-run homer in the third inning of the second game, added a sacrifice fly in the fifth to tie the score at 5, broke the tie with a two-run single in the sixth and doubled home two runs in the eighth to make the score 9-5. The Cubs won, 11-5.
That record stood for less than two years, until Monday, July 6, 1970, when Ron Santo drove in 10 (two, then eight) at home vs. the Expos. He smacked a two-run, fourth-inning homer as the Cubs won the opener, 3-2.
Then he knocked in eight in the rematch, with a grand slam in the first, a bases-loaded walk in the fourth and a three-run homer in the sixth. He came up in the seventh with runners on first and second, and one out, and grounded into a double play. The Cubs won, 14-2.
No Cub had more than seven after Santo until Swanson on Wednesday. Williams had seven on Aug. 8, 1971, and Ryne Sandberg had seven on June 13, 1990.
The Mets came back with a three-run second off Shōta Imanaga. Unfortunately, all three of the runs scored on homers, which has been an issue for Imanaga all year. Francisco Alvarez hit a solo shot and after a single, A.J. Ewing hit a three-run blast.
The Cubs didn’t wait too long to take the lead back. In the top of the fourth, Hoerner doubled for the second time in the game. Kelly reached on the Mets’ second error of the game, with Hoerner taking third.
As you will hear in comments from Swanson below, PCA was actually trying to do that — he’s been practicing it, according to Dansby.
The Mets tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with another home run off Imanaga, this one a solo shot by Mark Vientos. About all the homers given up by Imanaga, from John:
This was the 10th game in his three-season career as a Cub in which Shota Imanaga has surrendered at least three home runs.
That ties him with Steve Trachsel (1994-99) and Kyle Hendricks (2015-23) for the third most by any Cub since 1901.
Ferguson Jenkins did it 11 times in 1966-73 (never in his return in 1982-83) and Warre Hacker did it 12 times in 1950-56. Hacker made 140 starts; Jenkins, 347; Trachsel, 190; and Hendricks, 270. This was just Imanaga’s 70th.
The Cubs took the lead back in the top of the sixth. Ramirez led off with a double and Swanson, again, came through, this time with a triple [VIDEO].
Imanaga was left in to face Francisco Lindor to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Shōta retired Lindor and then gave way to Gavin Hollowell to face Bo Bichette.
Didn’t matter. Bichette homered anyway, off Hollowell, to make it 6-5. Hollowell finished off the rest of the sixth without incident, and Hoby Milner threw a scoreless seventh.
The Cubs increased their lead to 7-5 in the eighth thanks to two Mets errors. Ramirez reached on the first one, by Bichette, then stole second. One out later, this happened [VIDEO].
The Mets defense was just awful. Just you wait, there’s more of that to come.
Trent Thornton threw a scoreless eighth and then the Cubs put the game away in the ninth. And all of it happened after the first two Cubs were routine outs.
Hoerner doubled, his third two-base hit of the game. This is, we hope, a good sign for Nico, who has been in a terrible slump for two months. His 21 doubles are now tied for third in MLB.
Kelly followed, reaching on an error by Vientos, with Hoerner taking third.
That wasn’t an error on Marcus Semien, but it could have been — that’s just poor defense. Kelly took third, and Ramirez moved up to second on his second steal of the game.
Here are a couple of amazing run-scoring facts from John. First, on scoring six or more runs in consecutive games:
The Cubs have scored at least six runs in six consecutive games. They had not had a streak that long in more than 26 years, since they had six in a row April 22-28, 2000. That was the last of 10 previous streaks that ended at six.
Their last of more than six was eight, April 16-26, 1970. They had had eight three times before, in 1920, 1925 and 1930.
The team record since 1901 is nine, done twice: Aug. 31-Sept. 8, 1929, and June 29-July 5, 1937
And, on scoring in double digits in both games of the doubleheader:
The Cubs had not scored at least 10 runs in both games of a doubleheader in more than 82 years, since May 21, 1944, when they beat the Braves at Wrigley Field by 15-1 and 14-5. The second game was called after eight innings.
They had done it in only five earlier doubleheaders: Aug. 21, 1935: lost, 13-12, and won, 19-5, at Philadelphia Aug. 6, 1932: won, 10-9 and 10-8 in 11 innings, at Philadelphia Sept. 2, 1929: won, 11-7 and 12-10, at home vs. Cardinals Sept. 26, 1912: won, 11-10 and 10-0, at home vs. Reds (second game six innings) May 30, 1908: won, 10-2 and 11-2, at St. Louis
So, Wednesday was the seventh time, fourth on the road and first sweep on the road in nine-inning games in 118 years and 27 days.
Wednesday’s doubleheader was the Cubs’ 858th since their last with two double-digit games and their 421st on the road.
Also, check this out. Seven hits with RISP is excellent for one game, but having 25 at-bats with RISP in one game is just an insanely large number.
I have written here before on how much defense matters. The Cubs have elite defense at almost every position. The Mets are, to be blunt, terrible. It showed in this game. Errors aren’t the only measure, either. You can read almost every defensive metric available and it will show how far superior the Cubs are to the Mets. Further, this elite defense might help David Peterson, who the Cubs just acquired from the Mets in trade. We’ll likely find out more about that this weekend in Milwaukee, because I suspect Peterson will start one of the games against the Brewers.
In the meantime, the Cubs can go for an unlikely sweep of the Mets Thursday evening at Citi Field. Matthew Boyd will be activated from the injured list to start this game for the Cubs. The Mets will counter with Freddy Peralta. Game time is again 6:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
COVERS INTEL: Lugo has 
