First three games ‘away’ but Fiji want to play in Europe
England would host Australia, NZ and Japan in November
England are set to begin their inaugural Nations Championship campaign in just over a year’s time by playing Fiji – potentially in Europe – as well as away matches against the back-to-back world champions South Africa and Argentina, the Guardian understands.
The 12-team competition, which will be held every two years and replaces traditional tours, is set to break new ground next year in the northern hemisphere summer and while the fixture list is yet to be announced, the Guardian has learned current proposals put England in line to face the Springboks in South Africa for the first time since 2018. A return to Argentina – where Steve Borthwick’s side will face two Tests this summer – is also on the cards.
It appears Bryce Eldridge is one step closer to making his MLB debut this season.
The Giants’ top prospect is being promoted from Double-A Richmond to Triple-A Sacramento, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area on Tuesday after the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser was first to report the news.
Eldridge began the 2025 MiLB season with Richmond, batting .280/.350/.512 with seven home runs and 20 RBI in 34 games.
Bryce Eldridge is one step closer to making his MLB debut this season.
The Giants’ top prospect is being promoted from Double-A Richmond to Triple-A Sacramento, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area on Tuesday after the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser was first to report the news.
Eldridge began the 2025 MiLB season with Richmond, batting .280/.350/.512 with seven home runs and 20 RBI in 34 games.
Originally selected with the No. 16 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft as a two-way player, Eldridge, now just a hitter, has torn through the Giants’ minor-league system, and widely is regarded as the organization’s best prospect since former catcher and current president of baseball operations Buster Posey.
Across four levels in 2024, including a brief stint in Triple-A to end the season, Eldridge hit .291/.374/.516 with 23 home runs, 92 RBI and an .889 OPS in 519 plate appearances.
Now he returns to the Triple-A level, where he is a short bus ride away from San Francisco if/when the Giants are ready to call up their prized prospect.
Chaos ensued in the lead up to the third one-day international between England and the West Indies, with London traffic delaying the toss by over half an hour.
The Mets called up infielder Ronny Mauricio ahead of Tuesday's game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. His season debut with the big league club will also come immediately, as he's slated to bat seventh and play third base with veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw on the mound.
The numbers the toolsy Mauricio put up while with Triple-A Syracuse this season were outrageous. In 39 plate appearances over nine games, he slashed .515/.564/.818 with three home runs, one double, four stolen bases, and eight RBI.
Mauricio's game action a few weeks ago with Single-A St. Lucie was his first time back on the field in a competitive fashion in roughly a year and a half, since undergoing ACL surgery. The Mets had been taking things slowly with him as he built up his reps and stamina.
He had been playing in back-to-back games and recently played three games in four days, but has not yet played three games in a row since returning.
"It's a long process... You learn a lot. I'm a better person, a better player," Mauricio said ahead of Tuesday's game. "The fact I've already played in the minor leagues, had success in the minor leagues, I think that's why I was able to have the success when I went back..."
With the 24-year-old Mauricio up, it would be a bit of a surprise if he isn't given regular playing time out of the gate. Before Tuesday's game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that the plan is for Mauricio to see time at second base, third base, and designated hitter. His natural position is shortstop, but the path there is obviously blocked by Francisco Lindor.
"He's going to get a lot of opportunities here, but we'll continue to watch him closely," said Mendoza, who's never seen Mauricio play live. "He's going to play, understanding he's coming off a major injury. Obviously, the reports are he's moving well. He's doing everything he was doing before he got hurt. I'm excited to watch him...
"I know there's high expectations. We don't want him to be the savior. Play your game, don't try to do too much. Just have fun. He's still young. Missed a whole year of development last year... We know there's skills there. But we have to be patient with him... It was a long process for him. Really took the time... Very talented player, and not surprised by the success he was having in very few at-bats in the minor leagues."
Mauricio, who flashed high exit velocities and his tantalizing athleticism during his first taste of the majors in 2023, will bring a different dynamic to a Mets team that remains in need of a bit of a jolt offensively.
"I'm feeling great. I'm feeling like I'm the same person I was before my surgery," Mauricio said. "I tried to work every day on the same thing I do to be consistent... I think I'm the same hitter. I think the biggest difference is now I have more experience, more knowledge of the game. All of that helps me when I go onto the field... I'm happy that I'm here and happy to help the team in any way."
In his 26-game stint with the Mets two seasons ago, Mauricio slashed .248/.296/.347 with four doubles, two home runs, seven stolen bases, and nine RBI across 108 plate appearances.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already taken home the NBA’s highest individual honor this season. Now, he’s four wins away from earning the league’s most coveted team prize.
The Thunder point guard has his team on the verge of its first championship since relocating to Oklahoma City and the franchise’s first since winning it all as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1978-79. To get there, the top-seeded Thunder will need to defeat the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals, which begin Thursday in OKC.
Gilgeous-Alexander was named NBA MVP for the 2024-25 season after leading the league in scoring (32.7 points per game) and guiding the Thunder to an NBA-best and franchise-best 68-14 regular season record. While being named MVP is an impressive feat, it doesn’t always lead to team success.
It’s been a decade since the regular season MVP has gone on to win an NBA championship. Only a select group of all-time greats have ever pulled it off, and Gilgeous-Alexander is on the verge of stepping into that Hall of Fame company.
Here’s a look back at all the regular season MVPs who went on to win an NBA championship, as well as those who also collected NBA Finals MVP honors.
Players to win NBA Finals and be named MVP in the same season
Fourteen players in NBA history have won a championship and been named league MVP in the same season.
Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics was the first to do it back in 1956-57. Fellow Celtics legend Bill Russell followed suit in 1960-61 and went on to do it a grand total of four times. Only Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan has matched Russell when it comes to such seasons.
Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors was the most recent player to pull off the feat. He has earned two regular season MVPs and four NBA championships in his storied career, but the 2014-15 season was the only one in which he double-dipped.
Here’s a full breakdown of the players to win a championship and be named regular season MVP in the same season:
Bob Cousy (1956-57)
Bill Russell (1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1964-65)
Wilt Chamberlain (1966-67)
Willis Reed (1969-70)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71, 1979-80)
Moses Malone (1982-83)
Larry Bird (1983-84, 1985-86)
Magic Johnson (1986-87)
Michael Jordan (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98)
NBA MVPs to be named NBA Finals MVP in the same season
Of the 14 players to win a championship and be named regular season MVP in the same year, 10 of them pulled off a trifecta by earning NBA Finals MVP honors:
Willis Reed (1969-70)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71)
Moses Malone (1982-83)
Larry Bird (1983-84, 1985-86)
Magic Johnson (1986-87)
Michael Jordan (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98)
Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94)
Shaquille O’Neal (1999-00)
Tim Duncan (2002-03)
LeBron James (2011-12, 2012-13)
NBA Finals MVP was not created until the 1968-69 season, so Cousy, Russell and Chamberlain did not have a chance to add it to their trophy collections.
Magic Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP in 1980 after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earned regular season MVP honors, while Andre Iguodala was named NBA Finals MVP when Curry and the Warriors won the 2015 Finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already taken home the NBA’s highest individual honor this season. Now, he’s four wins away from earning the league’s most coveted team prize.
The Thunder point guard has his team on the verge of its first championship since relocating to Oklahoma City and the franchise’s first since winning it all as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1978-79. To get there, the top-seeded Thunder will need to defeat the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals, which begin Thursday in OKC.
Gilgeous-Alexander was named NBA MVP for the 2024-25 season after leading the league in scoring (32.7 points per game) and guiding the Thunder to an NBA-best and franchise-best 68-14 regular season record. While being named MVP is an impressive feat, it doesn’t always lead to team success.
It’s been a decade since the regular season MVP has gone on to win an NBA championship. Only a select group of all-time greats have ever pulled it off, and Gilgeous-Alexander is on the verge of stepping into that Hall of Fame company.
Here’s a look back at all the regular season MVPs who went on to win an NBA championship, as well as those who also collected NBA Finals MVP honors.
Players to win NBA Finals and be named MVP in the same season
Fourteen players in NBA history have won a championship and been named league MVP in the same season.
Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics was the first to do it back in 1956-57. Fellow Celtics legend Bill Russell followed suit in 1960-61 and went on to do it a grand total of four times. Only Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan has matched Russell when it comes to such seasons.
Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors was the most recent player to pull off the feat. He has earned two regular season MVPs and four NBA championships in his storied career, but the 2014-15 season was the only one in which he double-dipped.
Here’s a full breakdown of the players to win a championship and be named regular season MVP in the same season:
Bob Cousy (1956-57)
Bill Russell (1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1964-65)
Wilt Chamberlain (1966-67)
Willis Reed (1969-70)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71, 1979-80)
Moses Malone (1982-83)
Larry Bird (1983-84, 1985-86)
Magic Johnson (1986-87)
Michael Jordan (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98)
NBA MVPs to be named NBA Finals MVP in the same season
Of the 14 players to win a championship and be named regular season MVP in the same year, 10 of them pulled off a trifecta by earning NBA Finals MVP honors:
Willis Reed (1969-70)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71)
Moses Malone (1982-83)
Larry Bird (1983-84, 1985-86)
Magic Johnson (1986-87)
Michael Jordan (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98)
Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94)
Shaquille O’Neal (1999-00)
Tim Duncan (2002-03)
LeBron James (2011-12, 2012-13)
NBA Finals MVP was not created until the 1968-69 season, so Cousy, Russell and Chamberlain did not have a chance to add it to their trophy collections.
Magic Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP in 1980 after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earned regular season MVP honors, while Andre Iguodala was named NBA Finals MVP when Curry and the Warriors won the 2015 Finals.
The Phillies are in Toronto for a three-game series with the Blue Jays and Bryce Harper’s return from a right elbow injury is on the horizon.
Corey Seidman and Spencer McKercher discuss Harper’s imminent return, the Phils’ rotation shakeup and more on the Phillies Talk podcast.
0:00 – Bryce Harper’s return imminent after Phillies swept by Brewers 6:12 – Rotation gets shaken up, Mick Abel slated to make his second career start on Wednesday 13:17 – Phillies and fans hoping Jesús Luzardo’s start vs. Brewers was just one bad start. 18:50 – Andrew Painter’s role once he makes big league debut 23:30 – Phillies fans clamoring for Justin Crawford to be called up 28:41 – Happy Junebarian! Kyle Schwarber looking to stay hot at the plate 32:39 – Is Zack Wheeler a Hall of Famer?
“I
think Lugano is the ideal place to take the next step in my career,”
Kupari
is quoted.
“I want to be a leader on and off the ice and bring my game to the
entire rink, both defensively and offensively. I think my most
important skill is skating.”
“Rasmus
has played his last five seasons in the NHL and
AHL,”
said
Lugano GM Janick
Steinmann.
“He’s a first-line
forward,
a good skater with important attributes in every area of the
rink. In North America, he has often been assigned more defensive
roles, but with us, he will be able to assert his skills as more of a two-way player. I am convinced that he will adapt very well to the
National League and have a strong impact offensively.
I am extremely happy to have him with us in Lugano and to be able to
observe all his potential.”
Kupari
hails from Kotka, Finland, and turned pro with the Kärpät
club in Oulu at age 17.
He recorded 52 points in 104 Liiga regular-season and playoff games.
Kupari
was picked 20th
overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Despite
this, he never played more than 66 NHL games in a season or recorded
more than 15 points. Between 2020 and 2025, Kupari played in 217
regular-season games, scoring 14 goals and adding 24 assists for 38
points with 52 penalty minutes for the Kings and Winnipeg Jets. He
also played 11 playoff games for Los Angeles, where he was held
without a point.
Internationally,
Kupari played in three IIHF World Junior Championships, playing a
large part in Finland’s gold-medal win in 2019 with five points in
seven games and scoring the winning goal in the final, but getting
injured in the first game of the 2020 tournament.
Jeff Hoffman ended April with a 1.17 ERA while Jordan Romano’s sat at 12.19, facts that were difficult for many Phillies fans to wrap their heads around after the Phils seemed to deprioritize Hoffman over the winter.
The Phils had interest in a Hoffman reunion but this past offseason was the 32-year-old’s one chance for a lucrative long-term contract. He sought more than some teams were initially willing to offer. The Blue Jays actually weren’t even the first or second team he agreed to sign with — the Orioles backed out of a three-year, $40 million contract for Hoffman because of shoulder issues found in his physical, and the Braves also backed off a reported five-year deal for Hoffman worth $40-45 million.
He ended up signing with Toronto for $33 million over three years.
Hoffman’s first month with the Jays looked similar to his dominant 2024 regular season with the Phillies. Through May 2, he’d saved seven games and finished 13, struck out 23 and walked two. He also earned three wins in April, pitching two scoreless innings in three different extra-inning games.
Things have since gone mostly downhill for Hoffman and his last month has been every bit as rocky as Romano’s first with the Phillies.
Over his last 10 innings, Hoffman has allowed 15 earned runs and five homers. He enters the series with a 5.81 ERA overall, not too far off Romano’s 7.36.
Romano was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2014, came up with them in 2019 and was their closer from 2021-24. This will also be a reunion for him, his first trip back to Rogers Centre.
The Phillies arrived in Toronto with a shaky bullpen picture. Since Jose Alvarado’s 80-game suspension came down on May 18, Phillies relievers have a 4.62 ERA and have allowed more baserunners per inning (1.62) than every team in baseball except the Athletics.
Romano has been more reliable than he was in April but has had inconsistent fastball velocity and slider command. Matt Strahm’s opponents have hit .313 dating back to April 15. Orion Kerkering has been solid of late but was unable to work around bad defense on Sunday, snapping a string of nine straight scoreless outings.
The Phillies’ bullpen gained another arm over the weekend in Taijuan Walker, who will pitch in relief the rest of the season even if an injury arises in the rotation. The Phils don’t want to continue shifting Walker back and forth. Maybe his stuff will frequently play up in one-inning stints. He plans to still utilize five pitches and feels good about a new slider with more horizontal movement. It’s worth checking out and can’t hurt.
The Phils are desperate right now to find another reliable leverage reliever. Having only three hurts because pitching Kerkering, Strahm and Romano 4-5 times a week apiece is a recipe for burnout. But the trade deadline (July 31) is still more than eight weeks away and you’re not acquiring a top-end reliever this early unless you bowl a team over in an overpay.
This current unit, which now includes Walker and Seth Johnson, will have to stem the tide until trade season actually begins. If/when the Phillies see Hoffman this week, it will be a reminder of the bullpen depth they had last summer. The Phillies went five deep in high-leverage arms for most of the second half with Hoffman, Strahm, Kerkering, Alvarado and Carlos Estevez. It wasn’t too long ago this part of the team was regarded as a strength. Dave Dombrowski will almost certainly address it with one or two moves before July 31, but in the meantime, it’s on Romano, Strahm and Kerkering to get the job done as the late-inning triumvirate with more needed out of pitchers like Tanner Banks, Joe Ross and Walker.
Bakersfield Condors forward Drake Caggiula has signed a one-year deal in Switzerland with Lausanne HC, it was announced Monday.
Hailing from Pickering, Ont., Caggiula split time this season between the Condors and the Edmonton Oilers. Over seven NHL games, Caggiula collected an assist while putting up 24 goals and 28 assists for 52 points in 62 regular season games with Bakersfield.
Having signed with Edmonton as an undrafted free agent, Caggiula has played in 289 career NHL regular season games with the Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. In that time, he scored 46 goals and added 46 assists for 92 points.
With Caggiula heading overseas for the first time in his career, he will factor heavily into Lausanne's plans and be an important player for them. While he has struggled to hold down a consistent NHL role over the past few years, Caggiula has proven his value before and could get another look next summer if he is looking to return to the NHL.
The Warriors trading for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer is not likely, but certainly not impossible.
It’s unclear whether Antetokounmpo, who reportedly met with the Bucks to discuss his and the team’s future, will request a trade out of Milwaukee, but if he does want to play elsewhere, Golden State could be an intriguing destination for the nine-time NBA All-Star and two-time MVP.
However, the Warriors, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks outlined Tuesday on “Get Up,” would have to part with, at least, one of Jimmy Butler ($54.1 million in 2025-26) or Draymond Green’s ($25.8 million) contracts in a potential trade package to make Antetokounmpo’s $51.9 million figure work alongside Steph Curry’s whopping $59.6 million contract.
“How it would happen is you’re likely trading Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green in a trade,” Marks said. “That’s how it happens. There’s not a scenario where you can fit Giannis and also keep the other three players there.”
Former NBA guard and “Get Up” analyst Jay Williams wouldn’t hesitate to part ways with either if he were in Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy’s shoes.
“Well, Bobby, I would say this: ‘Thank you for your service, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. Thank you for being part of our team. Bye bye.'” Williams said in response to Marks.
While acquiring Antetokounmpo would result in the Warriors parting ways with either a franchise icon in Green or a bona fide star in Butler, Williams believes the seismic move would allow the Warriors to keep their championship window open throughout the remaining years of Curry’s career.
“If you’re Golden State, if you’re Mike Dunleavy here, you go big-fish hunting,” Williams added. “Giannis is a perfect fit there in the Bay Area. I know the West is absolutely loaded, but just think about the fit that Steph Curry would be able to have with Giannis and how compatible those two would be together.
“And if there’s one way you can send off Steph Curry off into the sunset on the horse, that’s with Giannis.”
The Boston Celtics acquired Luke Kornet in a trade with the Chicago Bulls in 2021. Four years later, he’s now one of the team’s most important bench players, so much so that re-signing him in the offseason should be a priority for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and his front office staff.
“Luke is one of the best teammates that you can have,” Jayson Tatum told reporters on Feb. 12. “An extremely selfless guy. Always talking, never has a bad day.”
In addition to his qualities as a teammate, Kornet is a valuable big man who can score in the paint, grab rebounds and defend the rim. He understands his role and plays it very well.
Kornet will be a free agent this summer. What does his future hold in Boston?
Kornet was a very useful center off the bench. He doesn’t stretch the floor as an outside shooter, but he’s very effective on lobs at the basket and has good touch around the rim. He averaged 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 blocks per game, while shooting 66.8 percent from the floor this past season.
Kornet saw action in all 11 of Boston’s playoff games, including an excellent performance in Game 5 against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals during which he scored 10 points with nine rebounds and seven blocks in a 127-102 win.
Kornet’s ability to set good screens and roll to the basket also was quite impressive. In fact, the Tatum/Kornet pick-and-roll combo was among the most effective in basketball. These stats below — from March 21 — are pretty interesting:
Luke Kornet has been one of the most impactful bench players this season. Cs are steam rolling opponents when he's on the court (+11.6 Netrtg.)
He's got an undeniable chemistry with Tatum, which shows in their pick & roll numbers — #2 most potent combo behind Murray/Jokic pic.twitter.com/yRgIQCiQvj
Kornet ended up leading the Celtics in both offensive rating (121.2) and net rating (14.9) during the regular season.
Contract details
Kornet’s one-year deal worth $2.8 million is about to expire, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Potential roles for 2025-26
Scenario 1: Kornet re-signs, continues to play reserve center role
Kornet played his role at a high level this past season. He played a career-high 18.6 minutes per game and averaged more points and rebounds than any of his other seasons in Boston. He’s also been pretty durable, having played in 73 games this past season, 63 in 2023-24 and 69 in 2022-23.
ESPN introduced a new metric called “net points” this season. It tries to highlight players most directly contributing to their team’s point differential. Kornet ranked 16th in the entire league in net points, ahead of James Harden (17th), Jimmy Butler (18th) and LeBron James (19th). Kornet finished tied for 12th in defensive net points. It’s only one stat, and he’s obviously not better than Harden, Butler or James, but it does show that Kornet makes a very real (and quantifiable) impact on Boston’s success.
Scenario 2: Kornet departs in free agency; Celtics have to replace him
Kornet’s value in free agency might never be higher than this summer. He has proven to be an effective big man off the bench for a championship-caliber team. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers that desperately need a center would be wise to make a pitch to Kornet if he hits the open market.
The Celtcs have an expensive roster, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they tried to shed salary in the offseason. They also must work under the constraints of being a team in the second apron. Can they afford to bring back both Kornet and Al Horford? Would one or both need to take a cheap, team-friendly deal for that to happen?
Kornet is a fan favorite in Boston, and the Celtics should try very hard to re-sign him. But he might be able to get more money and a larger role with another team.
Kornet’s steady improvement with the Celtics has been impressive. His minutes and points per game have increased in each of the last three seasons. He’s a good defensive player, he’s effective in pick-and-rolls, his teammates love him, etc. He’s an ideal backup center.
Losing him in free agency wouldn’t be a massive blow to the Celtics roster, but it would definitely be a setback. The Celtics had a .750 win percentage (21-7 record) in the regular season when Kornet played 20-plus minutes. He makes a strong contribution to winning. Those players are not very easy to find.
