“GOD, I trusted you at the beginning, and I will continue to trust you throughout’’ he wrote on his X account Monday, June 22, followed by a prayer hands and 100 percent emojis.
An accompanying black-and-white photo showed Antetokounmpo from the back wearing his jersey No. 34 as if under the spotlight in a darkened arena.
Does this mean exit?
GOD, I trusted you at the beginning, and I will continue to trust you throughout. 🙏🏽💯 pic.twitter.com/BuRHnQS2NQ
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) June 22, 2026
While Antetokounmpo, 31, has never demanded a trade from the Bucks, the possibility has percolated for months.
The 10-time All-Star forward led the Bucks to the NBA championship in 2021. But since then, the Bucks have only advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs once, and this past season Milwaukee failed to make the playoffs.
The Bucks finished 32-50 in the 2025-26 season.
The Bucks selected Antetokounmpo No. 15 overall in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, and in Milwaukee, he has developed into one of the league’s top players.
WASHINGTON — Just about the only thing that could cool off this red-hot Phillies lineup was a 92-minute rain delay.
And, as it turns out, a solid left-handed starter. Again.
The Phillies have masked their struggles against southpaw starters lately, but the larger issue remains.
The only lefties they have scored three or more runs against this season are Kyle Freeland (7.36 ERA), Nick Lodolo (6.12 ERA), Anthony Kay (4.61 ERA), Patrick Corbin (4.73 ERA), Shane Drohan, who has made only five starts, Sean Manaea (4.64 ERA) and David Peterson (6.09 ERA).
Not exactly a list of pitchers thriving this season.
In their other 17 games against left-handed starters, the Phillies have scored just 11 earned runs.
One of those outings came against one lefty who carved them up earlier this year, Foster Griffin.
On March 30, Griffin held the Phillies down over five innings, while the Nationals pounced on Taijuan Walker in a 13-2 Washington win.
A lot has changed since then, except for their issues against lefty hurlers.
Almost three months later, the Nationals left-hander had everything working again in the Phillies’ 4-1 loss to Washington. He attacked the Phillies all evening, starting 20 of the 26 batters he faced with a first-pitch strike.
That is a difficult formula for hitters against Griffin, who developed a seven-pitch repertoire during three seasons in Japan.
He is not overpowering, and it works. He’s got a 3.15 ERA in 16 starts this year.
Griffin threw 71 percent strikes, kept the Phillies off balance and worked 7 1/3 innings of four-hit, one-run ball. He walked nobody and struck out nine.
Superb.
The Phillies finally broke through in the seventh on a Brandon Marsh solo homer. Marsh continues to give the offense quality at-bats against lefties, and his shot cut Washington’s lead to 2-1.
It also gave the Phillies some hope as they prepared to face one of baseball’s shakier bullpens.
That hope did not last long.
With James Wood leading off the bottom of the seventh and two right-handed hitters set to follow, Don Mattingly turned to right-hander Seth Johnson rather than lefty Kyle Backhus.
Wood singled. Then former Phillies farmhand Curtis Mead hit a two-run homer.
The Nationals’ lead grew to 4-1, and that was the final.
For the Phillies, it was a tough finish because they got nearly everything they could have asked for from Alan Rangel.
The club recalled Rangel from Triple-A Lehigh Valley earlier in the day, then used Tim Mayza as an opener before handing the ball to the 27-year-old right-hander.
Rangel was not dominant.
But he delivered one of the more encouraging outings the Phillies have gotten from this spot in the rotation in about a month.
He allowed one run over five innings and gave the Phillies a chance.
Rangel brings a new look to the staff with a funky, hide-the-ball delivery from a steep over-the-top slot. His 69-degree arm angle would be the most vertical in Major League Baseball among qualified pitchers, even steeper than Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage at 66 degrees.
The Phillies’ right-handed starters behind Zack Wheeler have struggled this season. Rangel’s first outing offered a possible sign that the club has another internal option worth exploring.
He filled the zone. Rangel threw first-pitch strikes 62 percent of the time, landed 71 percent of his pitches for strikes and generated a 41 percent chase rate.
For him, it will likely come down to execution more than simply throwing strikes.
Several Nationals hitters swung through or fouled off changeups above the zone. They also chased fastballs out of the zone. That could have something to do with Rangel’s unusual release point, which makes the ball tougher to pick up.
His next chance to start, or work in bulk behind an opener, will likely come Saturday in Queens against the Mets.
That lineup could have Francisco Lindor back by then.
Monday’s result did not go the Phillies’ way.
But Rangel gave Mattingly something to carry into the next turn.
The Knicks and restricted free agent Mohamed Diawara are working on a multiyear, eight-figure deal to bring the rookie back to New York, SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley confirms.
The deal is not official, but all signs are pointing to it getting done, Begley notes.
Diawara, who the Knicks selected with the No. 51 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, was expected to get "significant interest from other teams as a restricted free agent," Begley added.
The 21-year-old forward showed promising flashes over 69 games in 2025, averaging 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in 9.2 minutes of action. He scored a career-high 18 points on Dec. 29 against the Pelicans. Diawara also played in six playoff games during the team's run to the NBA Finals, averaging 1.2 points and 1.5 rebounds over 7.2 minutes.
Diawara made $1.27 million during his rookie season and had a qualifying offer of $2.4 million, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.
The team's other remaining free agents include: Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, Jeremy Sochan, Ariel Hukporti (restricted), Kevin McCullar Jr. (restricted) and Trey Jemison (restricted). Additionally, Jose Alvarado has a player option for the 2026-27 season, while Miles McBride is eligible for an extension.
Game times Wednesday will be 12:10 p.m. CT and 6:10 p.m. CT (the originally scheduled game is the 6:10 p.m. game).
At this time we don’t know who will be starting for the Cubs or Mets, as no announcement has been made. I’d think the Cubs would go with Edward Cabrera (tomorrow’s scheduled starter) and Javier Assad (Wednesday’s scheduled starter), with today’s starter Shōta Imanaga going Tuesday.
The bullpen, for whatever that’s worth, should be well rested.
But that’s just speculation, we’ll find out later.
Some interesting postponement notes from BCB’s JohnW53:
The last time the Cubs had consecutive games postponed by rain or cold was April 20 and 22, 1977. Both were at home.
The first followed two losses to the Phillies. The second, after a day off, preceded two wins over the Reds.
They lost both make-up games, the first of doubleheaders, on July 27 vs. the Reds and Aug. 14 vs. the Phillies. … Their last back-to-back postponements of any kind were Sept. 12-13, 2008, at Houston due to Hurricane Ike. Games were played Sept. 14-15 at Milwaukee. Carlos Zambrano pitched a no-hitter in the first one.
Games at Miami scheduled for Sept. 3-5, 2004, were postponed due to Hurricane Frances. One was played at Miami on Sept. 10 as part of a doubleheader. The two others were played at Chicago as a doubleheader on Sept. 20.
Six games, all at home, three each vs. the Pirates and Reds, were postponed Sept. 11-16, 2001, due to the 9/11 attacks, and played Oct. 2-7.
Games at Montreal scheduled for Sept. 20-21, 1991, were postponed due to damage to Olympic Stadium. They were played at Chicago as a doubleheader on Sept. 22.
Six games, three at Philadelphia and three at home vs. the Mets, were postponed April 3-9, 1990, due to a strike. The three vs. the Mets were played in April, June and September; the three at Philadelphia, Oct. 1-3. Games at St. Louis on Aug. 6-7, 1985, were postponed due to a strike. They were played on Sept. 5 and 9.
As was the case yesterday, feel free to use this thread as an open thread for baseball or other discussion within the rules of the site. Back tomorrow with more Cubs baseball!
The start of the Mets’ seven-game homestand is on hold.
Monday night’s game in Queens against the Cubs has been postponed due to pouring rain and severe thunderstorms in the afternoon, with a split-admission doubleheader now set for Wednesday.
The games will start at 1:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.
Brooks Raley #25 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch in the seventh inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 21, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images
The Mets are coming off series losses to the Reds and Phillies, losing their last two games to Philadelphia by a combined score of 21-5.
On Sunday, David Peterson was the latest Mets pitcher to blow a game for the team.
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He allowed five runs (four earned) across four innings on six hits and logged two walks and five strikeouts.
It won’t get any easier for the Mets in the near future as they’re set to host the Cubs and Phillies.
The Mets (34-43) are six games back of the final wild-card spot yet that would requiring jumping seven teams to get there.
The Mets announced that Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs has been postponed due to rain.
The game will be made up as part of a split-admission doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m.
Kodai Senga was scheduled to face left-hander Shota Imanaga, but now he will go up against RHP Edward Cabrera (4-4, 5.21 ERA).
As for Wednesday's doubleheader, Nolan McLean and Sean Manaea will start for New York, while Imanaga and Javier Assad will go for Chicago, but who will pitch in the afternoon and who will pitch the 7:10 p.m. start are to be determined.
The Mets (34-43) come into the Chicago series having dropped each of their last two series against Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Cubs(40-37) have won six of their last nine.
New York may have Francisco Lindor back for Wednesday's twin-bill, as the shortstop will play another rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the plan will be to "reassess" Lindor after his third minor league appearance as he works his way back from a calf strain, leaving the door open for him to rejoin the big league club.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 16: Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros pitches in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Daikin Park on June 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (37-42) begin a 3-game series vs. the Toronto Blue Jays (38-39) at Rogers Centre in Toronto tonight.
RHP Hunter Brown (1-0, 1.10 ERA) starts for the Astros vs. Jays RHP Dylan Cease (4-3, 2.71 ERA). Tonight will be Brown’s 4th career start/app. vs. TOR, and Cease’s 9th career start/app. vs. HOU.
ROAD TRIPPIN: Tonight is the 1st game of a 7-game road trip for the Astros, during which they will visit TOR (3G) and DET (4G), respectively.
Road Success: The Astros are 10-6 in their last 2 road trips combined. They have have posted a 16-12 record on the road since going 1-9 on their 1st road trip of the 2026 season.
Road Raking: The Astros lead the AL in road batting avg. at .252. They also rank 2nd in road SLG (.420) and OPS (.745) and 3rd in road HR (52) and OBP (.326).
ASTROS-BLUE JAYS: The Astros were 4-2 vs. TOR in 2025 (3-0 at home, 1-2 at TOR). HOU pitched very well vs. TOR last season, posting a 1.86 ERA (11ER/53.1IP) vs. them in 6 games while allowing just 31 hits in 53.1 IP for a .169 opponent batting avg.
Jays hitters were just 32×189 vs. HOU pitching overall last season.
Recent Success: The Astros have won 6 of 8 and 8 of their last 11 vs. TOR.
BROTHER BROWN: Tonight will be RHP Hunter Brown’s 4th start of the season and his 2nd since a lengthy stint on the Injured List due to a right shoulder strain (4/1-6/15). In his 1st start off the IL on June 16 vs. DET, he allowed just 1 run in 5.2 IP on 3 hits and 3 walks with 7 K’s in a 4-2 Astros win.
For the season, Brown has been strong in his 3 starts with a 1.10 ERA (2ER/16.1IP) while allowing just 8 hits in 16.1 IP (.145 opp. avg.) with 24 strikeouts.
2025 Review: Brown had an outstanding season in 2025, going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA, earning All-Star honors and a 3rd-place finish in the AL Cy Young voting.
MAKING THE JAYS BLUE: RHP Hunter Brown has had success vs. TOR in his young career. He enters tonight with a 15.0-inning scoreless streak vs. the Jays, which is the longest active streak vs. them.
In his last 2 starts vs. TOR, he hurled 7.0 scoreless innings on April 21, 2025 in HOU and 6.0 scoreless innings on July 1, 2024 at TOR (both wins).
In 3 career starts vs. TOR, Brown is 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA (3ER/19IP) and an 0.73 WHIP. He has allowed just 7 hits in 19.0 IP vs. TOR.
THE SLOW TURNAROUND: Over the last month, from May 21-June 21, the Astros are 17-11 (.607), which is the 2nd-best record in the AL in that span.
Top Records since May 21 (AL)
1. Yankees 16-10 (.615)
2. Astros 17-11 (.607)
3. Blue Jays 16-12 (.571)
RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 4 of 5 and 6 of their last 9 games.
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid 1st half to his season, currently leading all of baseball with a 1.067 OPS. Additionally, he leads the AL in HR (25), SLG (.640) and TB (181), and ranks 2nd in batting avg. (.322), OBP (.428) and RBI (56).
Alvarez was the AL Player of the Month for May, is hitting .388 (26×67) in June with 5 HR and 17 RBI a 1.124 OPS (.468 OBP/.657 SLG).
ALL-STAR VOTING: Yordan Alvarez currently leads all AL DH’s in All-Star voting. His 1,974,459 votes rank 2nd in the AL and 3rd overall in the Majors.
YORDAN/ROGERS CENTRE: In his last 14 games at Rogers Centre, Yordan Alvarez has 7 HR and 16 RBI, hitting .375 (18×48) in that span with an .875 SLG and a 1.349 OPS.
OKERT’S 0’S: LHP Steven Okert has not allowed a run in his last 15.0 innings, which is the longest scoreless streak by an Astros hurler this season.
His streak, which spans 12 appearances, is the longest consecutive inning scoreless streak in a season since AJ Blubaugh ended the 2025 season with a 19.0-inning scoreless streak. In Okert’s current streak, which began on May 23 at CHC, he has allowed just 4 hits in those 15.0 innings pitched.
HADERADE: In his 8 appearances since coming of the IL on June 3, opponents are just 2×26 off LHP Josh Hader.
Hader has posted a 1.13 ERA (1ER/8IP) and is 5-for-5 in save opportunities (.077 opp. avg., .038 WHIP).
POSITIVE IMPACT: Since SS Jeremy Peña returned to the lineup on May 18, the Astros have gone 18-13, while Peña has hit .293 (34×116) with 5 doubles, 6 homers and 18 RBI in 31 games. Prior to that date, Peña played in only 10 of the Astros first 48 games of the season, with the Astros going 19-29 in those contests.
ROSTER MOVE: RHP Bryan Abreu has been placed on the restricted list, effective today.
RHP Logan VanWey has been recalled from Triple A Sugar Land and will join the Major League club today.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1966 – In the Dome, a home record crowd of 50,908 fans attend to see future HOFer Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers take on the Astros. The Dodgers win the game, 5-2, but the Toy Cannon, Jimmy Wynn, has a banner day, going 4-for-4 off Koufax with a HR and 2 doubles in the losing effort.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, June 22, 6:07 p.m. CT
Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, CAN
TV: Space City Home Network, ESPN Unlimited
Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 12: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 12, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nov 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives tot he net against Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
First things first: it does NOT look like Giannis is coming to Toronto. But, wherever he goes will mean a change in the position that the Toronto Raptors find themselves in the league.
With all signs pointing to Giannis staying in the Eastern Conference, the Greek Freak seems like he will remain an obstacle to the Raptors’ playoff success for years to come. The dominant (if injury-prone) forward is one of the most attractive players in the league, who could potentially enter free agency as soon as the 2028-2029 season. With Milwaukee in NBA purgatory, neither contending nor tanking, it seems that the team is ready to move on, meaning that the Giannis era in Cream City is finally over. With tomorrow’s draft as the “natural time” to resolve the Giannis situation, according to Jimmy Haslam, co-owner of the Buck’s, the NBA landscape looks like it will be changing sooner than later.
What makes this time different?
There has been speculation throughout the past year that Giannis would be shipped off ahead of the 2026 trade-deadline, that ultimately fell flat to the disappointment of many. However, multiple sources are indicating this is the real deal.
Marc Stein has described the mentality of Bucks leadership focusing in on this draft being the turning point for a decision on how to manage their team. Essentially, Haslam argues that keeping Giannis means that this year’s draft will be focused on finding complimentary players, while trading him means a whole different draft approach; thus, the “natural time” closing in soon.
This is corroborated by Sham Charania, who reported that “Giannis Antetokounmpo is somewhere abroad, ready to be traded, either to Boson or Miami.”
Charania posits the Bucks as choosing between two vastly different packages in return for their superstar, and thus, whether they are retooling, or rebuilding entirely.
South Beach’s offer
Miami has been in the superstar sweepstakes for some time, and now, seem to be equipped with enough capital to make an enticing offer to Milwaukee. Their offer, as per Marc Stein, would be built around former All-Star Tyler Herro, sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr, big man Kel’el Ware alongside the 13th pick in tomorrow’s draft.
This would put Giannis into the Southeast Division, far from snowy Toronto, and give the Heat a massive leg up against a relatively weak division. If Giannis is able to stay healthy, a Heat “big three” of Giannis, Bam Adebayo, and Norman Powell could be an interesting combination of defence and offence that could make noise in the Eastern Conference… IF they draft some win-now players to make up for the gutting of their depth.
A half-ready Miami team could be a nightmare for Toronto. As a fringe playoff squad, Toronto was contending not with the likes of the Pistons, Celtics, and Knicks, but rather, teams like the 76ers, Hawks, and Heat. If the Heat stay roughly where they are through a combination of rookie inexperience and poor depth, Toronto could end up facing Giannis in the play-in and getting upset by the veteran. However, if Giannis ends up injured, this could send the Heat into a spiral that leads them to the bottom of the conference, clearing one opponent for Toronto. What Toronto doesn’t want is another squad shooting up to the top of the Eastern Conference. Another insurmountable object makes the fight for a playoff spot that much harder, and unless the Raptors see a sizeable leap in production, it doesn’t yet look like we’re in that upper eschelon.
Beantown’s proposal
The Boston package is centered around something very different, as per Stein: the Celtics seem to want to move on from Jaylen Brown, giving him space to operate as the undisputed 1A of a team, trading him and this year’s pick to Milwaukee in exchange for the Freak.
Apr 5, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dunks the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
The Celtics seem confident in Jayson Tatum returning to pre-injury levels of production, or at least, as the player they’d rather pair with Giannis. This means one of two things: either, Giannis and Tatum both stay healthy, and supplant the Knicks and Pistons as undisputed kings of the East. This is, ironically, one of the best possible outcomes for Toronto. A reshuffling of the three best teams in the conference means that Toronto has room to maneuver in the bottom three playoff spots, without any of the pressure to contend for a championship yet again. But, if the worst case scenario happens, and both Giannis and Tatum go down late in the season, or find themselves on minutes restrictions, a vacuum could open up for the Raptors to be rid of one of the teams they just can’t seem to figure out, and make an even deeper push into the playoffs.
Stein also notes that a third team might end up taking Brown in the deal to alleviate financial pressure from his contract. That is a dangerous thing; if Brown stays in the East, the writer has noted that there have been rumours of him ending up in Atlanta, which elevates that squad to a position either close to, or surpassing Toronto, certainly a dangerous state of affairs for the Raptors squad which is still figuring things out.
“But, I really really want Giannis in a Raptors uniform!”
Look. I won’t say it’s impossible, but in the words of Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, a Raptors package “Probably won’t be enough“. Letting go of Scottie for Giannis is an ugly trade that would likely get a lot of backlash, and there has been no indication of it happening at all.
The Raptors have tried to get Giannis time and time again to no avail, and there comes a point where personal history a years of rumours should be understood as just that; rumours. Unless a truly blockbuster trade happens that subverts almost all media expectations, Giannis will only be setting foot in the Scotiabank Arena to do battle with Toronto. Wherever Giannis lands, Toronto will have to tangle with him for at least the next couple of years.
What do you think? Are the Raptors ready to face Giannis on a new team? Should we have pursued him more aggressively as a franchise player? Let me know in the comments below!
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: Braden Smith smiles during the game during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 14, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. 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 Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Purdue fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The NBA Draft is coming up fast with Round 1 on Tuesday beginning at 8:00 PM and Round 2 coming up on Wednesday also at 8:00 PM. With that in mind if you’re going to vote you need to vote soon so as to not be accused of rigging the vote. STOP THE COUNT!
In this week’s poll I want to know how many of the four Purdue seniors will have their names called over the next two days. Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn are obviously the most likely suspects but Oscar Cluff and Fletcher Loyer are still out there as well. So, will more Boilermakers be a part of the Association come Wednesday evening? Let us know by voting and also leaving a note in the comments.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 19: Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the third inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Friday, June 19, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Blake Butera did not downplay the magnitude of this series. While he said this one counts the same as the rest, the players are aware of what is at stake in this 4 game set against the Phillies. This is a major measuring stick series for this group which surprisingly finds themselves in wild card contention.
With a lefty opener, the Nats are going with a unique lineup. Luis Garcia Jr. is hitting 8th to avoid the opener, while Curtis Mead hits second. Jacob Young is back in center field after an injury scare the other day. Dylan Crews will play in left, while Daylen Lile does the DH duties. Foster Griffin will toe the slab in DC.
The top of the Phillies lineup is red hot right now. Bryce Harper just hit for the cycle and Kyle Schwarber already has 29 homers. Brandon Marsh is hitting 6th to extend what can sometimes be a top heavy lineup. Rafael Marchan will catch instead of JT Realmuto. Tim Mayza will open, while Alan Rangel will be in a bulk role.
Weather permitting, this should be one heck of a matchup. The old champion of the division takes on an up and coming challenger in the Nats. This series will be full of storylines, however it goes. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 20: Allen Graves #22 of the Santa Clara Broncos celebrates during a game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second half during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Enterprise Center on March 20, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The first round of the NBA Draft is set for Tuesday evening. Let’s take a final look at who the experts have the Cleveland Cavaliers taking with the 29th pick.
J. Kyle Mann projected the seven foot, 22-year-old center out of North Carolina to the Cavs. Mann wrote:
I’m sure you’ve pondered this question at some point or another: What if Quinten Post could put it on the floor a little bit and dunked everything? Well, the answer you’ve been waiting for is Henri Veesaar. So if the (very expensive) Cavs stand pat and make this pick for themselves, Veesaar would be a solid option. He’s the type of versatile big who could provide some spacing at the 4 next to Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen.
Any viable backup big option in Cleveland needs to be able to play with both Mobley and Allen. Veesar projects to do so because of his outside shot.
Veesar connected on 42.6% of his three outside attempts per game during his senior season at North Carolina. That accounted for just over a quarter of his shot attempts. The majority of looks came near the rim. That’s exactly what you’d want to see from a big man’s shot chart.
There are concerns about his defense. Does he have the strength to be a five? Does he have good enough foot speed to keep up with fours? Both are open questions. But he does check a lot of the boxes the Cavs are looking for in terms of fit.
Veesar averaged 17 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists this past season on .608/.426/.615 shooting splits.
Graves would be another great fit. The 6’9″ wing from Santa Clear averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on .512/.413/.750 shooting splits his freshman year.
This would be a surprising fall from one of the draft’s analytics darlings in Allen Graves. But should Graves actually be on the board for this long, Cleveland Cavaliers fans should be ecstatic. Graves has the size and length to compete at the power forward position, with an expanding offensive skill set that includes making plays for others out of post-up possessions, shooting from three-point range, and operating as a hub from the top of the floor. He may not have elite juice as a ball handler, but he produces on the glass, and lit up the charts as a defensive playmaker. Freshmen who produce with room to grow shouldn’t be ignored in the NBA Draft, especially if they can come in and fill an immediate need off the bench for a team that’s looking to continue taking the next step in the Eastern Conference.
Grubel’s write-up describes the exact player the Cavs need.
Cleveland has had plenty of guys who naturally play the two, but can shift up to the three as needed. They haven’t had many who are naturally positioned for the three, but can shift up to the four. Graves has the skillset to do so because of his size and rebounding capabilities.
The Cavs have a thing for undersized guards. Stirtz would fit that bill at 6’3″, 190 lbs. The 22-year-old guard out of Iowa averaged 19.8 points and 4.4 assists on .477/.358/.848 shooting splits.
One of the point guards is bound to slide a bit on draft night. I could see that being Stirtz. The Iowa star has had an incredible rise from playing at the Division II level to being a likely first-round pick. This would be a BPA (best player available) pick from the Cavs.
At the same time, this move would muddy what is already a crowded backcourt depth chart. The Cavs just drafted Tyrese Proctor last season, and have been developing Craig Porter Jr. for a few years as well. There really isn’t any more room in the backcourt as presently constructed.
That all said, there’s a lot to like about Stirtz’s game.
Among the things this signing signals: The Washington Wizards will select BYU's AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA Draft. Washington now has its point guard of the future locked up and isn't going to select Darryn Peterson.
Trae Young has agreed to terms to return to the Washington Wizards on a four-year, $212 million contract, a story broken almost simultaneously by ESPN’s Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Young, who was traded to the Wizards from the Hawks at the deadline, declined his $48.97 million player option for next season and became an unrestricted free agent. The expectation from many around the league was that Young would take less per year for a longer deal, but he is now set to make more next season ($49.5 million), and his salary only goes up from there. The fourth year of the contract is a player option for $56.9 million.
The large contract is surprising because, in the run-up to trading Young (for nearly a year prior to the February deadline), it became clear there was not much of a market for Young, at least at his current salary. Less than six months later, things flipped, and Washington paid him that and more. It is possible the Wizards will come to regret the bcal
That $212 million for four years figure is essentially the max any other team could have offered Young (with his Bird rights, Washington could have gone higher). It's unclear whether such a large offer was out there from another team for the 27-year-old four-time All-Star. However, the Wizards front office was convinced that, because of the league's new anti-tanking measures, a larger offer than had been rumored around the league would come his way, reports Robins at The Athletic.
Young struggled last season with injuries and averaged "just" 17.9 points and eight assists a game, shooting 33.8% from 3-point range. The season before that, Young was an All-Star who averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists per game, shooting 34% from beyond the arc.
Young joins a team with Anthony Davis as the veteran in the front court, along with the promising young Alex Sarr. That group very likely now gets joined by Dybantsa on the wing.
Washington finished with the worst record in the NBA last season at 17-65, but with Young at the point this is going to be a better, more competitive team in our nation's capital.
When it came to Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators, there was always a lingering seed of doubt that the captain’s future with the organization would continue for much longer.
Not many anticipated that it would end this soon, however.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss the Brady Tkachuk trade to Florida.
With a little over a year before the Senators could formally offer a contract extension to him, the organization unexpectedly traded Tkachuk yesterday afternoon to the Florida Panthers for the ninth and 25th overall selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, Florida’s top-10 protected 2029 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.
Inevitably, when Brady returned to Ottawa following the birth of his second child, Lila, at the end of April, a difficult conversation between him and the organization was necessary. And, obviously, from the information that general manager Steve Staios gleaned from that meeting, it became clear that Tkachuk was uncertain or hesitant about signing an extension with the Senators. Rather than have that distraction linger over the team for the next year, the general manager pivoted and ultimately sent Tkachuk packing.
It is a staggering development at a pivotal point in this franchise’s competitive window.
The Ottawa Senators were an analytical darling, finishing in the top-five in the percentage of shots for (52.85 CF%, 5th), percentage of shots on goal (54.08 SF%, 4th), and percentage of expected goals (54.54 xGF%, 3rd). If the organization had gotten the saves early in the season, this would have been a team that would have finished amongst the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
There is something to be said for the maturation process and finding success with a young core group of players who had grown up together after some challenging seasons.
And Tkachuk could not commit to that.
For some, it will be a bitter pill to swallow. In his episode of the Amazon Prime docuseries ‘FACEOFF: Inside the NHL’ that aired earlier this season, Tkachuk detailed how he had a unique story to tell.
“Everybody ties what he did, and everyone's expecting me to do the same thing,” Tkachuk stated. “It's just two different stories. Matthew on his path, and it worked out for him. My path is chugging along, grinding it out and winning a Stanley Cup for the Ottawa Senators."
A lot can obviously change within a year.
From his thumb surgery, to Linus Ullmark’s leave of absence and the accompanying speculation that occurred, to the post-Olympics gold medal victory fallout and dealing with the ramifications of Kash Patel’s inclusion and Donald Trump’s crack regarding having to include the women’s team for a White House visit, to his Wingmen Podcasts where he and his situation in Ottawa were frequently a target of his co-host brother and father, Tkachuk dealt with off-ice adversity and controversy.
Some of it he had no control over, but over other parts, he most certainly did.
All of it was a distraction.
And that is before even mentioning the omnipresent trade speculation that dogged the captain for the past few years. It was a frustrating development for this market because all of that noise and speculation was fuelled by outside forces, yet Tkachuk still had to respond to it.
Eventually, speculation regarding his future led to this answer during his end-of-year media availability.
“I haven't had the chance to talk to Steve (Staios), but I feel like I've answered this hundreds of times,” Tkachuk explained. “None of those things ever came out of my mouth. And quite honestly, it's just getting frustrating. It's becoming a distraction. I've been fully committed to this team, to the city, and it's just becoming a distraction and frustrating to (continue to) do it.”
Tkachuk chose his words carefully, but whenever he spoke about his level of commitment, it was impossible not to notice that he always used the present or past tense. There is no doubt that Tkachuk would have played out the remaining two years of his contract here before testing unrestricted free agency, but he conveniently never referenced any prospective commitment to this city or the organization beyond what was left on his deal.
So understandably, Steve Staios had to have a frank discussion with the captain regarding his future. When it became clear that the odds of Tkachuk remaining in Ottawa were remote, the general manager pivoted and got ahead of the situation. And after seeing the discourse in Detroit following the revelation Dylan Larkin had requested a trade, the Senators and Tkachuk’s representatives deserve credit for keeping this situation under wraps until a trade was being finalized.
Now the Ottawa Senators and Staios have work to do.
For a team in its competitive window, their core is ready to win.
Not landing a young and NHL-ready asset in return was a blow, but it was not for a lack of trying. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Senators had inquired on Anton Lundell, but were rebuffed by Florida general manager Bill Zito, who viewed Lundell as a key foundational piece.
Despite giving the Senators a list of teams that he would be interested in waiving his no-movement clause for, including the Minnesota Wild, who Michael Russo indicated made a “huge offer”, the reality was that Tkachuk’s full no-movement clause gave him control of the process.
He ultimately wanted to be in Florida with his brother, and it left the Senators accepting a package laden exclusively with futures.
The silver lining is that this accrued draft capital and cap space afford the organization a ton of flexibility in terms of the direction it can take.
The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta indicated that the Senators really like Dallas’ Jason Robertson, who is a restricted free agent. The caveat is that, as a restricted free agent who is also American, a Brady-less Senators team may not necessarily be high on the list of places where he’d be willing to sign a long-term extension.
If Robertson is not a realistic option for the Senators, the market is not exactly laden with established high-end talent that teams are looking to move.
As an organization that needs to maximize the value of the picks they have accrued, the best opportunity to add a high-end player may be to draft one. Armed with seven first-round picks across the next four drafts, the Senators have the capital to move up in this year’s draft.
In the Senators’ official press release announcing the trade, general manager Steve Staios said, “This was not a decision we took lightly, but ultimately we did what we felt was best for the long-term future of our hockey club. We now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve our roster.”
It could be reading too much into his wording, but if the organization viewed a Tkachuk deal within that “long-term future” lens, it stands to reason that moving up in this year’s draft would align with that vision.
The best trade in franchise history was made under similar circumstances when the Senators dealt Alexei Yashin to the New York Islanders for Bill Muckalt, Zdeno Chara, and the second overall selection in the 2001 NHL Draft that became Jason Spezza.
Regardless, the Senators need to maximize the value of its draft picks.
We do not even have to go too far back in history to recognize that follow-up trades after significant departures can create buzz, but have the potential to fall short of expectations.
Following Daniel Alfredsson’s free agent departure, the Senators traded a significant opportunity cost to the Anaheim Ducks for Bobby Ryan. Ryan was a decent player, but he was never a dynamic one who could move the needle. Ultimately, the organization would have been better served holding onto the assets they moved out.
It may take a season or two for whoever the Senators could pick to turn into an impactful player, but if said player is adjudged to be the best value, that should be the route the team should take. At least a player on an entry-level contract would theoretically allow the organization to allocate more money towards free agency.
Whatever the case, for a front office renowned for its analytical approach and for exploring every avenue through due diligence, having flexibility is key.
As for Brady, it’s a disappointing end to his career in Ottawa.
He was the face of the franchise and the captain of a Canadian market. He was one of the most productive players in this team’s modern existence, and his goal-scoring, shot generation and physicality made him one of the most unique players in the NHL. After years of clamouring for a Gary Roberts-type during this organization’s heyday, Ottawa finally had one.
He was also an unbelievable contributor to this community through his philanthropic work. Unfortunately, when this team was finally trending in the right direction and playing the right way, he left. Not only did he leave, but he chose the path of least resistance that flew in the face of everything he had said previously.
He followed Matthew’s path.
He had a chance to write his own story and be his own person, and he balked.
That is his legacy here.
By Graeme Nichols The Hockey News
Move coverage of the Brady Tkachuk Deal at The Hockey News at the links below:
