If you were to assemble a list of the Top 10 Ottawa Senators who got away, Zdeno Chara would rank pretty high on that list.
Chara was traded to the Senators at the 2001 NHL Draft as part of a deal to acquire perennially disgruntled star forward Alexei Yashin. He spent four seasons in Ottawa before leaving in free agency in 2006 and signing with the Boston Bruins.
Not to torture Sens fans, but after leaving Ottawa, Chara did it all. He won the Stanley Cup as captain of the Bruins, was nominated for six Norris Trophies, winning once, and last year, he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Next month, on August 21st, Chara will be honoured at an event in Trenčín, Slovakia, called "Zee's Final Shift." Organizers describe it as a farewell and "a definitive and natural end to his great career."
The farewell game will be held at the Winter Stadium in Trenčín, which is named after former Senator Pavol Demitra, who perished in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL team plane crash in 2011.
Chara is inviting mainly NHL players to his farewell, and that includes three other former Senators.
Naturally, one is Marian Hossa, his Sens teammate for three seasons. It's often been speculated that Chara might have pushed harder to stay in Ottawa if Hossa, one of his best friends, hadn't been traded a year earlier. The deal that sent Hossa to Atlanta for Dany Heatley happened just hours after Hossa had signed a three-year contract with Ottawa.
Also at the event will be Chris Kelly, who was Chara's teammate in Ottawa before they went on to win a Stanley Cup together in Boston.
And hockey trivia buffs might also remember former Sens defenceman Radek Hamr, who played 11 games with the Sens in their expansion years. Hamr never played with Chara but works for the European arm of the player agency Chara belongs to.
Other confirmed guests include Thomas Vanek, whose son Blake was a Senators third-round pick last year, and Michael Ryder, the former Bruin and Hull Olympique.
The rest of the guest list is loaded with NHL stars, mostly from the past: Patrice Bergeron, Johnny Boychuk, Ray Bourque, Andrew Ference, Michal Handzuš, Jaromír Jágr, Tomáš Kaberle, Duncan Keith, Anže Kopitar, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Adam McQuaid, Daniel Paille, Žigmund Pálffy, David Pastrňák, Mark Recchi, Robert Reichel, Andrej Sekera, Dennis Seidenberg, Miroslav Šatan, Marco Sturm, Aaron Ward, and Jakub Voráček.
It's an impressive lineup for a special night honouring one of the most unique players in NHL history.
And a player that Senators fans wish they'd been able to hang on to.
Jul 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Colorado Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg (16) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Rockies were almost holding their own until the sixth inning when things went sideways on Jimmy Herget.
But the Rockies like to arrive at the party late, and there’s a lot of game left, so you know what that means.
BROOKLYN, NY - OCTOBER 5: The Brooklyn Nets logo before the game against the Miami Heat during a preseason game on October 5, 2017 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 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The LeBron James wait is over and the 41-year-old will be wearing No. 23 in Philadelphia trying to win his fifth NBA ring in his fourth NBA city which would put him in the same league as … Robert Horry who won seven in three cities.
With that settled, we’ve seen a couple of moves like the Thunder tendering an offer sheet to Spencer Jones of the Nuggets. The Nuggets have until Sunday night to match the Thunder’s two-year $12 million contract. With the Nuggets closing the second apron and with Denver’s ownership not wanting to pay, expect other developments. Will they involve the Nets? Don’t know, but we don’t expect Sean Marks to make the first call. The Nets have the assets other teams need get them out of apron hell.
The next shoe to drop will be Adam Silver’s ruling on the Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration scandal. At this point, we don’t know the full story despite all that’s been written and discussed. The latest revelation by Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic is that there may be a second company involved in funneling money to Leonard outside salary cap limits. If that turns out to be true, expect the hammer to fall heavily on the Clippers ownership and management as well as Leonard. Silver has generally been more conciliatory than his predecessor, David Stern, but the rising tide of scandal in the NBA, between Kawhi and gambling, is likely to change that … just a guess. Will that affect the Nets? It would seem unlikely unless it gives the Nets an advantage over the Clippers in some situation.
If you think we’re referring to Peyton Watson, so be it. We know nothing! As we’ve written, pundits don’t see Brooklyn among those teams likely to work a sign-and-trade for the 24-year-old but PWat and former teammate and big pal, Michael Porter Jr. continue to be seen together in the city in high profile settings: The Fanatics FanFest, the World Cup Final and a visit to the Nets practice facility where Watson was described as a “friend” of a player all got attention. And now a club.
On Saturday night, Jairo Media which tracks celebrity comings and goings, posted video of the two of them entering a club the same time as Jalen Brunson and his wife.
Take look. MPJ and Watson enter at the end of the video…
We continue to think that MPJ is just helping his pal get some leverage in negotiations with the notoriously rich and notoriously tight-fisted Kroenke family. The more media, the better.
‘Mikel is the steal of the Draft’
The fan base is justifiably excited by what they saw from Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. in both Sacramento and Las Vegas. The Nets may have had bad luck in both the 2025 and 2026 draft lotteries but seem to have done well with what they wound up: a 20-year-old backcourt whose positional height and versatility — franchise watchwords — fit together so well on and off the court.
It’s a big deal for the short and long term of the franchise and in ways fans may not fully appreciate. Despite all their picks, there is no guarantee the Nets will ever wind up with two single-digit picks in back-to-back drafts, particularly in drafts seen as generational. They’d need some very good fortune in the lottery which as has been noted has been lacking. That’s how crucial their success with Demin and Brown Jr. becomes. (For the record, the only time the Nets ever had two single-digit picks in back-to-back drafts was 1995 and 1996 when they took Ed O’Bannon and Kerry Kittles.)
On Egor Demin: “He’s a lot more comfortable going into Year 2. I think from the pre-draft process, all the way through his rookie year, we probably over-indexed on his three-point shot too much. I mean Egor, his trainers, our front office, our coaches, everyone. You saw out here (at Summer League), that he was getting downhill more. This year is about putting him in even better spots to shine as an all-around player,” a Nets front office executive said.
On Mikel Brown Jr.: “You’re probably going to hear this about every guy, including A.J. (Dybantsa) at No. 1, but we feel like Mikel is the steal of the draft,” A Nets front office executive said. “He was a little wild here (at Summer League) and in California (at California Classic Summer League), but that’ll round out with time. Having him go against Keon (Ellis) and Terance (Mann) every day in practice is going to be huge for him.”
The Nets, we hear, had Brown Jr. at No. 5 on their internal board not far behind, in their opinion, the Big Four of A.J. Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. (That might not have been the Nets order, just the draft order.)
There’s something else as well in Demin and Brown Jr.‘s favor. They are box-office, two smart, likeable and charismatic personalities … who know it. So do the Nets who have filled their social media outlets with images and videos that highlight them and their personalities. Might that change come the season when Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle (hopefully) start putting up big numbers? Maybe but at the moment they are the faces of the franchise with the second year a bit more so than the rookie.
The Nets are also very high on their 28th pick, Joshua Jefferson, the sweet-passing 6’9”, 240 pound point forward from Iowa State. Jefferson had dropped for a number of reasons. He had mid-first round mock draft vibes early in the season but fell back in part because he was a four-year college player — a consensus All-American but a player who turns 23 in November. He is in fact the eighth oldest player on the current roster! He, like Brown Jr., got hurt just as March Madness was beginning. A sprained ankle kept him out of all but the opening minutes of the opening game.
The Nets got the No. 28 pick in an exchange of first and second round picks — part of the Randle/Claxton trade. That deal didn’t get approved till July 9, the first day of the Vegas Summer League. Until then, Jefferson couldn’t practice with the team, couldn’t scrimmage. So his three games in Vegas were not seen as any indicator of his potential.
In general, a Nets executive told Smith the roster may not be done and pointed out how the y9ung players’ development has been prioritized in the addition of what was described as “legitimate NBA rotation players and potential rotation players.”
“It’s a work in progress. Unless you are the Thunder or the Spurs or the Knicks, I don’t know how you feel like you roster is ‘done’,” a Nets front office executive said. “We probably still lean a little too young, to be honest. The good news is that adding guys like Julius (Randle), Keon (Ellis) and Moe (Wagner) will help these guys grow up a lot. Those are real, physical, sometimes nasty, NBA guys. I can’t wait to watch them help our young guys grow.”
Final Note on deals
Nets will likely go into the 2026-27 season without much if any difference from what they look like now, other than signing Moe Wagner and extending (or not) Michael Porter Jr. It appears the Wagner signing delay is about wanting to have a tidbit of flexibility if something arrives on the door step at 168 39th Street in Industry City.
Both the Nets and MPJ are saying nice things about each other, as we’ve reported, but it would appear that the Nets may want a shorter-term deal than Porter and his agent Marc Bartelstein. Teams are less and less willing to take on long-term commitments because of the onerous nature of the second apron, not just in financial terms but also in terms of flexibility.
They took few risks with the signings of Day’Ron Sharpe ($20 million over two with a team option in year two); Josh Minott ($8 million over two with a team option also in year two), Moe Wagner ($19 million over two with a mutual option in year two) and Keon Ellis ($18 million over two, also with a mutual option.) The mutual option guarantees the full amount of the deals, but gives both sides the right to move on. More than one pundit praised the Nets for the reasonable nature of the deals.
Keith Smith pointed out that the Nets also believe they can win more now that they’ve added veterans, with one Nets assistant admitting, “Not to speak ill of last year’s team, but we were down to rookies and non-NBA-level players by the end of the year. This year, we’ve got depth and the kids are improving too.”
They will still likely be the youngest team in the league again this year and should have a lot of cap space, as much as $68 million, writes Smith in a separate post. That of course does not include any short-term raise MPJ may get or the still unsigned Moe Wagner’s $9.2 million. Still, they’re likely to once again enter the off-season in the top three of cap space.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Corey Seager took live batting practice Sunday for the first time since the Texas Rangers shortstop was sidelined by a back injury for the second time this season on July 1.
Seager finished the session with a home run and was planning to take live BP again Monday before what would appear to be a minor league rehab assignment.
The two-time World Series MVP played two games in the minors in early June when he was returning from a three-week absence because of lower back inflammation. Seager spent two more weeks on the injured list in June after getting a concussion.
“It’s just tough to mimic some in-game stuff,” manager Skip Schumaker said of a possible rehab stint. “It’s always up to the player. Because he missed so much time, we’re going to discuss it. Looked like today was really good. See what it feels like tomorrow, and then we’ll discuss the rehab assignment.”
Seager was removed from a game at Toronto in the first inning on June 30 because of back discomfort. The five-time All-Star is almost certain to play his fewest games since joining the Rangers in 2022.
Seager has been limited to 51 games in what has been the worst season of his career. He is hitting .182 with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. Seager was in an 0-for-27 slide, the worst of his career, when he was sidelined by the back injury the first time.
After returning from the concussion, Seager played in three games before his back flared up. He wasn’t ready to say he had a better handle on dealing with a balky back for a second time.
“I would love to tell you yes, but backs are not what you want,” Seager said.
The Rangers also are hopeful for the return soon of a pair of left-handers who haven’t pitched in the big leagues since 2024.
Jordan Montgomery underwent the second elbow reconstruction surgery of his career last year when he was with Arizona. He joined the Diamondbacks after playing a key role for the Rangers when they won the World Series in 2023. Montgomery rejoined the Rangers on a one-year contract this year.
Cody Bradford, who had elbow surgery in June 2025, made 34 appearances in 21 starts over his first two big league seasons with the Rangers before getting shut down during spring training last year. Bradford also had a strong showing in the World Series when he was a rookie.
Steph Curry wanted LeBron James to join the Warriors, but his restrained reaction after James chose the 76ers suggested he never allowed himself to count on the partnership.
“That’s why you don’t envision anything until it happens,” Curry said from Moses Moody’s youth camp. “There’s a lot of moving parts.”
Curry’s public response contained no criticism of the Warriors and little visible disappointment. The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II believes that may be because Curry had already begun reconsidering Golden State’s repeated pursuit of another superstar.
The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II believes Steph Curry may be tired of the Warriors’ star chasing and ready for a deeper, younger roster around him. NBAE via Getty Images
Speaking on KNBR, Thompson suggested Curry probably knew before the public that James was leaning elsewhere and may have grown weary of waiting for the next blockbuster addition.
“I think he’s probably a little tired of the star chasing,” Thompson said.
Golden State has spent years searching for another difference-maker to extend Curry’s championship window. The Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler in 2025 and have since explored possibilities involving James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown and Anthony Davis.
None of those latest pursuits produced another star.
Thompson wondered whether Curry would now prefer the Warriors to build a deeper, younger roster rather than repeatedly pinning their hopes on one transformative move.
“Let’s give me some eager youngsters and we got to it,” Thompson said while imagining Curry’s potential viewpoint. “Let’s go the Davidson route, right? Let’s go the [Southern Conference] route. Just put together the best team.”
LeBron James (left) Steph Curry would have been an intriguing partnership with the Warriors. AFP via Getty Images
That interpretation remains Thompson’s speculation, not a position Curry has publicly confirmed. Curry has continued emphasizing his desire for Golden State to construct the best roster possible, and he acknowledged that the organization discussed creative ways to improve.
The circumstances surrounding the Warriors have also changed dramatically.
Butler is recovering from a torn ACL, while Moody is working his way back from a torn patellar tendon. Their injuries altered Golden State’s plans long before James made his decision.
“The whole calculus of everything changes,” Curry said. “How do you get through their absence and still stay at a certain level? And then how that goes into this year. It’s the same deal. So, I’m a realist on that.”
The Warriors’ roster didn’t change much during the offseason. NBAE via Getty Images
That realism does not necessarily mean Curry has accepted another season outside championship contention. He is entering the final year of his contract at age 38, and Thompson previously suggested the timing of a possible extension could give Curry leverage to keep pressure on management.
But Curry also appears to understand that Golden State cannot construct its future around hypothetical trades or free agent decisions.
“We don’t live in any alternative universe,” he said.
In this one, the Warriors may need Curry to carry another depleted offense while Butler and Moody recover. Kristaps Porziņģis brings additional talent but has struggled to remain consistently available. Draymond Green is expected to return to an aging core.
Jimmy Butler (left) and Curry are hoping for better seasons healthwise in 2026-27. Getty Images
That leaves Golden State in an uncomfortable position: hoping for one more elite Curry season while remaining reluctant to sacrifice every future asset for a move that may not make it a legitimate contender.
Thompson believes the repeated cycle of anticipation and disappointment could be taking its toll.
“His championship hopes is tied to something completely else,” Thompson said. “And I think he’d much rather it be tied to him.”
Curry has not publicly turned against the Warriors’ strategy. His comments instead sound like someone who has learned not to build expectations around a star who has not yet arrived.
After another failed pursuit, Golden State may soon have to determine whether Curry still believes in chasing the next big name — or would rather the franchise finally try something different.
A former No. 5 pick of Orlando who played five seasons in the NBA before returning to Europe and becoming one of the best players on that continent, Hezonja agreed to return to the NBA at age 31 on a $2.8 million minimum contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania, who was told by Hezonja's agent (Michael Tellem of Excel Sports Management). Reports of Hezonja’s return had been floating around for a while, but like many, he had to wait for the LeBron James situation to play out before things would come into focus.
Hezonja's first NBA stint did not play out as expected — he averaged 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds a game, shooting 31.9% from 3, never developing into the hoped-for star — and on the way out the door he said, "The NBA is more show than the game itself."
He returned to Europe, where scouts have told NBC Sports his game has improved. Last season he was the Spanish ABC League MVP playing for Real Madrid, where he averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. There are certainly minutes for him in Cleveland, where there are gaps with Dean Wade and Keon Ellis gone (that is the role the Cavs hoped LeBron would fill).
Signing Hezonja is one of a series of moves the Cavaliers are expected to make after missing out on LeBron. Re-signing James Harden is high on that list as well. Cleveland now has 13 guaranteed spots filled on the roster and $35.5 million below the second apron (via ESPN’s Bobby Marks), and one of the two remaining spots has to be spent on re-signing Harden (likely for around $30 million a season). While the Cavaliers have interest in Jonathan Kuminga, he would have to come in for the $7 million remaining on the Cavs mid-level exception (he wants more than that, but that's all the Cavs can offer, and a sign-and-trade like Kuminga reportedly wants hard caps the Cavaliers at the first apron, and they would have to cut a lot of salary in that situation, making it highly unlikely).
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred announces Derek Curiel as the fifth overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With just about 48 hours until Monday’s 5 pm ET deadline, Derek Curiel signs his professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His signing bonus is $6.2 million, well below slot value of $8,336,500.
Curiel delivered two fantastic season in Baton Rouge, helping LSU capture their 8th National Championship as a freshman in 2025. In his first season, he hit .345 with a ridiculous on-base percentage of .470. He started his career by reaching base in 43 consecutive games, a freshman record, breaking that of his predecessor Dylan Crews. Getting on base in nearly half of his at-bats let to 67 runs scored in the leadoff spot. He also drove in 55 RBIs.
As a sophomore, Curiel upped his batting average at .353, scoring 64 runs in 10 less games, and driving in 46 RBIs. Those numbers are especially impressive considering he had a slow start in 2026 due to a broken ankle that he sustained in November. Curiel revealed after the season on After Further Review that the rumors of his ankle injury were, indeed, true.
“I had three weeks to prepare for the season. It was my back foot and it was kind of hard for me to load in to my back leg,” Curiel told Matt Moscona.
The injury made his .292 average through the first few weeks of non-conference play make a lot more sense. He caught fire, once LSU started conference play, hitting .331 against SEC opponents. Mid-week opponents got scorched by a then-healthy Curiel, as he went 16-32 for a .500 average during that stretch.
The decision to bet on himself and pull his name prior to the 2024 MLB Draft turned out to be a great one. While he was ranked as the #10 high school player by Perfect Game, Baseball America and MLB Pipeline had him at #78 and #117 among all draft prospects, which pitted him somewhere in the 3rd-4th round and in the $600K-$700k range.
Two years later, that decision has led Derek Curiel to be the #5 overall pick, $6.2 million richer, an All-American, National Freshman of the Year, a National Champion, and forever a Tiger.
Former Knicks swingman and draft bust Mario Hezonja is back in the NBA, agreeing to a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the Cavs, per ESPN. The 31-year-old is returning to the NBA for the first time since 2020 — and four years after saying he would never do so.
“No, I’m not going to return to the NBA”, Hezonja said, according to Basket News in April of 2022. “There was a lot I didn’t like there, I didn’t get the respect that I deserved.”
Hezonja added, “In my opinion, the NBA is more of a show than the game itself.”
Mario Hezonja last played in the NBA during the 2019-20 season. NBAE via Getty Images
The news arrives following the stunner of LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers over the Cavs and Miami Heat, who were among the other teams in pursuit.
The Dubrovnik, Croatia native was selected No. 5 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, one slot behind the Knicks, who selected fellow European standout Kristaps Porzingis at No. 4.
Hezonja spent his first three seasons with the Orlando Magic, who declined his fourth-year option, which made him a free agent in 2018, when he was signed to a one-year deal by the Knicks.
Mario Hezonja had an extremely fruitful tenure with Real Madrid from 2022 to 2026. Euroleague Basketball via Getty
His best NBA season came in 2017-18, his last in Orlando, where he posted 9.6 points per game and shot 44.2 percent from the field, both career-highs.
His most recent NBA stint came in 2019-20 with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Over the last four seasons, Hezonja has starred for Real Madrid, one of the premier basketball teams worldwide, where he had a very successful tenure.
While in Madrid, Hezonja won a prestigious EuroLeague title in 2023, his first season with the club, and was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team in 2024 for the first time in his career.
Mario Hezonja receives the Liga ACB MVP award at Movistar Arena on June 2, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. Real Madrid via Getty Images
Madrid also competes in the Spanish ACB league domestically, where Hezonja and the team won the Liga Endesa title in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
At Madrid, Hezonja also won the Liga ACB MVP for his play in the 2025-26 season.
This past season, Hezonja averaged 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while logging 23.1 minutes per contest.
Hezonja also actively plays for the Croatian national basketball team, having just participated in the FIBA 2027 World Cup Qualifying window earlier this month.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Athletics have placed All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers on the 10-day injured list with a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The A’s recalled catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday to take Langeliers’ place on the roster.
The team has not said if Langeliers will require surgery.
The 28-year-old was hitting .263 with 23 homers and 51 RBIs in 93 games before the injury. He became the first A’s catcher to start an All-Star Game since Terry Steinbach in 1989.
Langeliers had been the subject of trade rumors as the A’s struggle through another disappointing season. The Athletics (44-60) had lost 16 of 22 games heading into Sunday and have not made the playoffs since 2010.
Nearly a month into free agency, a potential sign-and-trade with the Hawks remains stuck because Kuminga does not want to accept both a reduced salary and a long-term commitment, according to NBA salary cap analyst Keith Smith.
“The challenge with Kuminga is that if he’s gonna take less money than what he wants, then he only wants to do it for a year,” Smith said. “He doesn’t want to do a three-year deal, and in order to do a sign-and-trade, he would have to have a three-year contract.”
Jonathan Kuminga’s contract demands are holding up a possible Lakers sign-and-trade as he seeks more money or a shorter deal. NBAE via Getty Images
That requirement leaves little room for compromise.
The Lakers are reportedly discussing a salary in the range of $15 million to $16 million per season, while Kuminga is seeking something closer to the $20 million to $25 million range if he is going to sign a multiyear agreement. He became an unrestricted free agent after Atlanta declined his $24.3 million option for the 2026-27 season.
Kuminga may be willing to take less money on a one-year contract that would allow him to restore his value and return to free agency. NBA rules, however, require a sign-and-trade contract to cover at least three seasons, although only the first year must be fully guaranteed.
“You can’t do a one-year deal on a sign-and-trade,” Smith said. “It has to be a minimum of a three-year deal, so that’s where it’s a little bit stuck.”
Smith said Atlanta is prepared to consider that framework, although other league reporting has characterized the Lakers’ available return as less appealing than what the Cavaliers could offer.
The larger holdup appears to be on Kuminga’s end.
Kuminga (right) played for the Warriors and Hawks last season. Getty Images
“It sounds like it’s on Kuminga’s side, where he wants a little bit more money,” Smith said.
The Lakers view the 23-year-old forward as a potential fit alongside Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler. Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season while splitting time between Golden State and Atlanta.
His athleticism and scoring ability could help replace some of the production lost with LeBron James’ departure.
Kuminga has a previous relationship with Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson. NBAE via Getty Images
Cleveland remains a threat after missing out on James. Kuminga has a previous relationship with Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson.
For the Lakers, the calculation is straightforward. Kuminga may be the most talented attainable wing left on the market, but Los Angeles does not want to overpay a player whose value has declined after uneven stops with two teams.
Kuminga is facing a decision: He can accept less money for the security of a longer contract, lower his demands for a one-year opportunity elsewhere or wait for another team to meet his price.
Until one side compromises, the Lakers’ possible sign-and-trade will remain frozen.
The NHL announced that it will be exploring the idea of an expansion to add a 33rd team to the league, likely based in Texas, either in Austin or Houston. The arrival of a new franchise may throw a bit of a spanner in the works for existing teams, including the Montreal Canadiens. The expansion draft rules that were used for the Seattle Kraken worked out well for the league and should be expected to be the same when the next franchise arrives.
What would the Habs protection list look like if the draft was held next offseason? Well, firstly, it wouldn’t feature Ivan Demidov or Jacob Fowler since players with only one or two seasons of professional experience (AHL/NHL) are exempt from the expansion process. Montreal could choose one of two paths: protecting seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender, or seven skaters and one goaltender.
While the first option allows a team to protect more players, it’s not a great option for a team that has a lot of talent on the blueline, or that has no choice but to protect one of its blueliners because he has a full no-movement clause. The Canadiens actually fit both categories; they’ve got a lot of talent on the blueline, and Mike Matheson’s full NMC means that they have to protect him.
If the Habs were to go down the seven forwards and three defensemen route, they would therefore be able to add Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson to their protection list, which would already include Matheson, but they would have to leave Kaiden Guhle, David Reinbacher, Adam Engstrom, Alexandre Carrier (assuming he signs a new contract with the team) and depth defensemen Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj exposed. That would meet the likely exposure requirement for blueliners: expose one defenceman who is a) under contract in 2027-28 and b) played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons.
In net, there is no question: Jakub Dobes would be protected since Fowler is exempt, but up front, it’s not that easy to pick which seven players Montreal would protect. Of course, the first line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky would be automatic. But who would be the other four? Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, Oliver Kapanen and Zachary Bolduc? If that’s the case, you leave players such as Alexandre Texier, Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj exposed, but that doesn’t miss the exposure requirements, which would likely provide that teams must have two forwards available for selection who are a) under contract in 2027-28 and b) played in 40 or more NHL games the prior season OR played in 70 or more NHL games in the prior two seasons. If Montreal signed Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson to new contracts, they could be left unprotected and meet the requirements that way.
If Hughes elected to use the eight skaters and one goalie option, Montreal would protect Dobes in net and have more leeway on the blueline. They would still have to protect Matheson, but they could also add Hutson, Dobson, and Guhle at the very least, perhaps even David Reinbacher. That would already give them five skaters, leaving three spots for Suzuki, Caufield and Slafkovsky. They would also meet the exposure requirements with Xhekaj, Struble and Engstrom exposed on the back end and Kapanen, Newhook, Evans, Texier, Xhekaj (Florian), and Beck all exposed up front.
It all comes down to who Hughes would be more willing to expose; it’s essentially about picking one’s poison. At this stage, it feels highly unlikely that Hughes would be willing to leave so many blueliners exposed, because there are some core pieces he couldn’t protect. Up front, the first line and Demidov are the four core pieces that have been identified with certainty, and they would all be protected if Montreal used the eight skaters and one goaltender avenue.
Of course, that situation could change if, for instance, the Canadiens were able to acquire another real top six piece through a trade, but we’d have to revisit the situation then. Whatever happens, however, this is not a simple exercise, and it must be a gut-wrenching experience for the GMs who have spent years carefully building their lineup to see someone pluck an asset just like that.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 09: Carson Whisenhunt #88 pitches against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park on July 09, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s series finale time between two very bad teams: the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Angels.
But on the bright side, we get to see lefty Carson Whisenhunt, who makes the start today. In two starts this season, Whisenhunt is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA, a 4.89 FIP, and six strikeouts to six walks in 10.2 innings.
For the Angels, it’s right-hander José Soriano, who makes his 22nd start. He’s 8-6 on the year, with a 3.43 ERA, a 3.83 FIP, and 122 strikeouts to an AL-worst 54 walks in 118 innings. In his last start, he gave up two runs in seven innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Yankees have placed All-Star outfielder Cody Bellinger on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, a blow to New York’s defense on a team already missing several big bats.
The Yankees recalled outfielder Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre before Sunday night’s game at Philadelphia to take Bellinger’s spot on the roster.
New York has been without slugger Aaron Judge since May 31 because of a fractured rib and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is still out with a strained right calf that’s sidelined him since April 24. The Yankees entered Sunday’s game 2 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Bellinger said he felt tightness in his hamstring while rounding first on a double in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Phillies on Saturday night. He waived off manager Aaron Boone and remained on base for the rest of the inning but walked off slowly and down the tunnel to the clubhouse afterward.
Max Schuemann replaced Bellinger in the bottom half of the inning.
Bellinger is hitting .259 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs in 102 games this season. He entered Saturday with 19 defensive runs saved, the most in the majors, and was MVP of the All-Star Game two weeks ago in Philly.
Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees last winter for a $162.5 million, five-year deal and he has been a key part of the offense. He was hitting .280 through mid-June before a slump dropped his average to .254 heading into the All-Star break. Bellinger hasn’t homered in a month.
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 17: An exterior view of Yankee Stadium before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 17, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! With the aftermath of the Draft and All-Star Game behind us and the upheaval of the trade deadline yet to come, it was a pretty quiet week on the Yankees social media. Even so, a quiet week doesn’t mean an empty week: so what has been going on in the Yankees Universe? Let’s find out!
World Cup Wrapup
Last Sunday saw the end of the 2026 World Cup, as Spain defeated Argentina in the finals at MetLife Stadium New York New Jersey Stadium out in the Meadowlands. With America’s every-few-years soccer obsession coming to a close, multiple Yankees-related accounts posted about the experience (note that CC lumped it together in a summer photo dump).
With some post-break wins, we’ve got our first Game Belts of the second half — including one given to Max Fried for his dominant performance upon his sudden return from the injured list.
Dave’s Thoughts
As always, Yankees radio voice Dave Sims took to Instagram to react to the Yankees’ games this week.
YES clubhouse reporter Meredith Marakovits celebrated her birthday this week, as did Yankees legend CC Sabathia (who we posted about as part of our Yankees birthday series). For CC, it was a particularly memorable birthday, as his son Carsten, who was drafted in the 20th round this year out of the University of Houston, officially became a pro after signing with Milwaukee — where CC of course starred back in 2008.
