White Sox ace Davis Martin seeks back-to-back quality starts. | (Photo by Michael Hirschuber/Getty Images)
This afternoon’s ballgame marks the halfway point of the 2026 season: Game 81. Coming off a performance the Chicago White Sox haven’t seen since 1970, we also haven’t seen such an exciting and winning franchise on the South Side for five years, though at times it feels like it’s been five decades (2005 and 1983 exempt, of course).
Heading into Game 2, it was a quick, “thank you, next” for David Sandlin, who was demoted to Charlotte today. Tyler Schweitzer was recalled and will take up innings out of the bullpen, lining Noah Schultz up for his return start for Chicago next week in Baltimore.
Staying on the mound, Davis Martin (leading the American League with nine wins, if pitcher wins is a stat you still enjoy) had a much needed bounce-back performance his last time on the bump. He tossed a quality start through six innings and only allowed one run against the Detroit Tigers. He last saw these Royals back on April 10, going seven innings and allowing just two runs, but the Sox wound up losing that game. Martin looks for a similar performance but a different result this afternoon.
As for the Royals, Michael Wacha will be the opposing starting pitcher. The 34-year-old in his 14th MLB season leads the American League with 101 innings pitched, and in the interest of Sox fans, has been an early name for a potential trade deadline acquisition. Last pitching against the Good Guys back on April 11, Wacha was nearly untouchable; he went eight shutout innings and only allowed four hits.
Sticking with the same lineup as last night and hoping for just a fraction of their 22-run outburst, the Sox only make a switch at catcher, swapping in Drew Romo for Kyle Teel.
Bobby Witt Jr. transitions back to shortstop after playing as the designated hitter last night.
CHSN is producing an 80s show for today’s 3:10 p.m. CT game while ESPN 1000 as your usual radio coverage.
The Vancouver Canucks have selected Samuel Eriksson 184th overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The left-shot defenceman played last season with Färjestad BK's program in the J20 Nationell. Listed at 6'6", 212 lbs, Eriksson scored three goals while recording nine points in 2025-26.
In addition to his play in the J20 Nationell, Eriksson also represented Sweden at multiple tournaments last year. He was part of Sweden's U18 team that captured Gold. Eriksson also played at the World Junior A Challenge, where he won a Bronze Medal.
Eriksson was the 31st-ranked European Skater by NHL Central Scouting. The 18-year-old is considered a defensive defenceman who plays a physical brand of hockey. Eriksson is the second-tallest player Vancouver selected in this draft, only behind 6'7" center Brooks Rogowski.
Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; The logo for the NHL draft during the first round at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
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The Yankees suffered their third straight loss to the Red Sox, 4-1, on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Here are some takeaways...
-- Gerrit Cole's career-long struggles against the Sox continued in this one. The right-hander came into the day with a 6.53 ERA against the division rival and they jumped him right out of the gate, as a pair of homers and a Willson Contreras two-run double gave them a 4-0 lead in the first three innings.
-- One of those homers came off the bat of 2B Anthony Seigler, it was the first off the bat of the 27-year-old former Yankee prospect who was playing in his 10th career game.
-- Cole put together his first clean frame in the fourth, then worked around a hit in the fifth. He gave up another knock in the sixth before turning things over to Bent Headrick, who escaped a jam to close his line with just the four runs allowed on seven hits and a walk over 5.1 innings.
-- Unfortunately for Cole and the Yanks, it was much of the same for their struggling offense. After managing just one hit on Friday, Jake Bennett held them without a hit for the first five innings in this one, before Max Schuemann lifted his first homer of the season to dead-center.
-- New York was able to bring the tying run to the plate after back-to-back singles from Amed Rosario and Cody Bellinger leading off the top of the seventh, but Bennett and a relieving Justin Slaten struck out the next three batters in order to strand the pair and end the threat.
-- Both teams combined to throw just 11 pitches in a six-up, six-down eighth inning.
-- Ben Rice was blown away by a 100 mph Aroldis Chapman fastball leading off the ninth, snapping a stretch of eight consecutive groundouts. The slugging infielder finished the day 0-for-4 and now has just four hits in his last 25 at-bats over his last seven games.
-- Bellinger worked a terrific 11-pitch at-bat with two outs to keep this one alive, but Jasson Dominguez popped out on the very next pitch to close out the third consecutive loss. New York managed just three hits and three walks, and they've scored just five runs over the first three games of this series.
-- Game time was 2:22, just one minute longer than Friday's contest (2:21).
Game MVP: Jake Bennett
The righty kept the struggling Yanks offense in check across 6.1 strong innings
What's next
The Yanks look to get things going in the series finale on Sunday Night Baseball.
Carlos Rodon faces off with former Yankee Sonny Gray in the nationally televised matchup.
Jun 26, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) watches Chicago White Sox first baseman Jacob Gonzalez’s (not pictured) three-run home run go over the wall during the third inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Well, it’s time for Royals baseball. Again.
Listen, I’m not going to get into much about yesterday’s game. But I will say this: this isn’t rock bottom. Two teams–the Giants and the Rockies–still have worse records than the Royals while the Angels, who just made a front office change, have the same 34-49 record. Only Colorado (-91) has a worse run differential and the Royals (-70).
Despite being outscored 35-3 the past two days, things could always get worse.
Alright, enough about that. Time to flip the page. The Royals still have two games left against the White Sox this series. They could still win the series!
Hey, want more positivity? The last time the White Sox scored at least 20 runs in a game was on June 20, 2006, so a little over twenty years ago. The opponent: the St. Louis Cardinals.
Guess who won the World Series that season? THAT’S RIGHT, THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS. Connect the dots, people!
Kansas City sends out to the mound this afternoon it’s best starting pitcher of the year–and best trade chip? Another conversation for a different time. But yes, Michael Wacha looks to staunch the bleeding and prevent Tyler Tolbert from pitching a third consecutive day.
Lineup looks fine. Hey, Bobby Witt Jr. is back in the field! He bats second while returning to short. John Rave gets the call in right today. He supplants Josh Rojas in the lineup. Carter Jensen leads off as the DH while Salvador Perez moves from first to behind the dish.
They’ll face White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin, a righty making his 16th start of the season. He’s tied for the league lead in wins with nine while holding a good-looking 3.18 ERA and an even more sparkling FIP, 2.93. In his last outing, Davis received no decision despite giving up just one earned over six in Detroit. The Yankees roughed him up before that, torching him for nine earned runs, including three homers, in just over three innings.
The Royals should emulate the Yankees and do that.
Pretty similar look to the lineup that tied a franchise record for runs in a game with 22 except Drew Romo is behind the plate over Kyle Teel.
Methinks the White Sox will score fewer than 22 today, but then again, I thought things couldn’t get worse after Thursday morning’s shellacking. Silly me.
In the sixth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders selected center Artyom Matyuk from Chaika Nizhny Novgorod of the MHL.
Matyuk scored 13 goals with 26 assists in 39 games in Russia’s premier junior hockey league. He was the third-leading scorer on a team headlined by other prospects, including Montreal Canadiens first-round pick Gleb Pugachyov.
Left-shot center out of Russia. Played in the MHL the last two seasons, their junior league.
First and foremost, the Russian center is an agile skater with a high motor and compete level. Despite being listed at 6’0” and only 165 pounds, Matyuk logged 53 penalty minutes last season and has a reputation for outworking opponents in puck battles.
Matyuk has above-average offensive instincts, using his hockey sense and vision to whip up plays. He was ranked as the 58th-best EU skater by NHL Central Scouting before the draft.
Matyuk was ranked 58th amongst EU skaters by NHL Central Scouting. #Isles
A 6-foot-4 winger, Bernat's shot is one of the notable parts of his game, with the forward having scored 15 goals and 16 assists in 37 games with Tappara's U-20 team. He scored a goal and three assists in his team's 13-game playoff run.
Internationally, Bernat represented Slovakia at the U-18 World Junior Championship this season, putting together a four-point effort in his team's seven games at the tournament.
Bernat was selected by the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL import draft and is expected to play in Canada during the 2026-27 season.
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The video board shows the 20th overall pick for the Columbus Blue Jackets is about to be announced in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 11: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers is introduced before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round Two Game Four on May 11, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Much of the discussion about the Lakers’ upcoming offseason has been about acquiring a center of the future. It was the edict from Luka Dončić before he left for Europe this summer and it’s one of the top priorities of the front office.
The underlying aspect of that is the Lakers very well may still have last year’s starting center on the roster at the start of free agency. Deandre Ayton had a very up-and-down season with the Lakers, at times looking great but also proving not to be a reliable option every night, hence the search for a top starter.
However, Ayton has a player option for next season, taking the decision out of the Lakers’ hands. While Ayton may know that LA is trying to move on from him, it’s still $8.1 million he’d be guaranteed next season by opting in.
So, while there are merits to him opting out and searching for a team that wants him, it seems more likely he will take that guaranteed money, leaving the Lakers with a bit of a conundrum this summer. On a recent episode of NBA Today, Dave McMenamin of ESPN laid out the scenario for the Lakers and Ayton.
“We don’t know if Deandre Ayton is going to opt in to his deal and if he does, if the feedback is get me an A-list center and Ayton was already on the team last year, if he opts in, that means Rob Pelinka needs to find a trade partner for Ayton.”
While Ayton struggled as the starting center for the Lakers last year, he still was a viable NBA player with value. And at $8 million, he may even be on a contract that is good value relative to his production as well.
It’s just that he’s not a good fit with the Lakers. He’s still, at worst, a valuable backup big man who can play for a contending team. It won’t be hard to trade him, but it’ll likely be a necessity.
It’s not difficult to find a way to spin this into a positive. He’s on a non-negative contract and the Lakers could potentially take back more in salary than they send out. If LA can find the right team and right situation, they could acquire a player who better fits around Luka and Austin Reaves.
But it does look like, for all intents and purposes, the Ayton era in LA will be one-and-done.
On Friday night, the Montreal Canadiens picked Gleb Pugachyov with the 26th overall pick, a third Russian in as many years and another Gold Star client. On Saturday, The Athletic’s Arpon Basu confirmed with his agent, Dan Milstein, that the prospect weighed 224 pounds, not 198 as listed on the Central Scouting final list and that he had two years left on his contract in the KHL.
Interestingly, Milstein also stated that there’s a chance the big forward could attend next week’s development camp, scheduled for June 30 to July 2 at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, provided the visa process is efficient. The prospect is currently in Florida at the Gold Star camp, which could speed up the process.
Given the fact that GM Kent Hughes has said that Pugachyov’s play is quite mature and that he may be near ready for NHL action, it would certainly be interesting to see how he measures up with the other prospects of the organization.
Given the Canadiens’ lineup needs at this stage, one has to wonder whether Pugachyov’s arrival in the organization might mean Montreal would be more willing to move Alexander Zharovsky for immediate help, provided it’s for a player who really moves the needle the right way. However, it’s worth remembering that when Hughes spoke to the media on Friday night, it was clear that he highly values the organization’s top prospects and won’t be talked into trading them unless he feels he is getting good value.
The 2025 draft product might have been a second-round pick, but most would agree he should have been selected in the first round, making him a bit of a steal for the Canadiens. Given the fact that Nick Bobrov has said the Canadiens would have picked him at 16 or 17 overall had they not traded the picks, they clearly think very highly of him.
As things stand, at least from an outside standpoint, it would make more sense to move Zharovsky than to move Michael Hage. While it’s far from guaranteed that Hage will turn out to be a center in the NHL, there are plenty of players who struggle filling that role at the highest level. The Canadiens would be ill-advised to trade him unless they are absolutely certain that he won’t turn into a real top-six center when he makes the jump in the NHL. Unless, of course, he’s part of a package to land an already established top-six pivot.
This weekend’s draft has marked a real shift in the Canadiens’ drafting strategy. While they are, of course, still mindful of taking the best prospect available, it certainly feels like they’ve made a conscious effort to get bigger after being physically dominated in the last two postseasons.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Christian Scott #45 of the New York Mets pitches during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field on June 11, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets Lineup
Carson Benge – RF
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Francisco Lindor – SS
Jared Young – 1B
Mark Vientos – DH
A.J. Ewing – CF
Brett Baty – 2B
Francisco Alvarez – C
Christian Scott – RHP
Phillies Lineup
Trea Turner – SS
Kyle Schwarber – DH
Bryce Harper – 1B
Brandon Marsh – LF
Bryson Stott – 2B
Edmundo Sosa – 3B
Gabriel Rincones – RF
Justin Crawford – CF
Rafael Marchan – C
Alan Rangel – RHP
Broadcast Info
First pitch: 4:10pm EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2
Jun 21, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder (55) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
After making the pitching work behind Reynaldo Lopez Friday for a win in Lopez’ return to the rotation, the Braves will hope for a successful more traditional start from Bryce Elder on Saturday night. Elder has been pretty rough of late and Logan Webb is on the mound for the Giants, so this isn’t the most confidence-inducing game on paper.
The strikeouts have ticked down ever so slightly, but the real change for Elder in the month of June, as compared to his previous two successful months has been the fly ball to homer rate. As such, his xFIP has remained in the range of 4, while his ERA and FIP have skyrocketed. Pitching at Oracle Park may play into Elder’s favor with this, being the second least-favorable park for hitting homers in MLB. With Webb on the mound, the Braves may need Elder to keep the Giants to only a few runs to stay in this game.
Logan Webb is having his worst season in a while though, with a 3.51 xFIP over 83.1 innings this year. The walks have remained quite low for Webb, but his ground ball rate and strikeouts are both at career-low numbers since his breakout, which explains the xFIP slightly above his normal lofty standards. Webb remains a five-pitch pitcher, throwing his sinker the most, along with his changeup and sweeper, with a four-seamer and cutter to supplement the sinker. All of his non-sweeper pitches are biased towards the “drop” side of vertical movement, even with his four-seamer lacking ideal “rise”. Webb is a tough pitcher and the Braves’ offense hasn’t exactly been humming lately. We’ll likely have to hope for some sequencing luck and maybe a homer or two, as Webb is tough to slug off of, especially at Oracle. It would be really helpful for Drake Baldwin to show back up as an offensive force with his reverse splits against the tough lefty Webb.
With their second pick on Saturday, the San Jose Sharks selected San Jose native, and San Jose Jr. Sharks alumnus, center Jake Gustafson in the sixth round, 174th overall, in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Gustafson's father, Jon Gustafson, is currently the president of the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda and is also the senior vice president of the SAP Center and Sharks Ice. He previously served as the vice president of the Baracuda, joining the organization over a decade ago.
Jake Gustafson left the Jr. Sharks to attend Shattuck St. Mary's during the 2024-25 season, and then later moved to the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. During his first year with the Winterhawks, he scored 13 goals and totaled 25 points in 68 games.
Gustafson brings a big frame to the Sharks' prospect pool, standing at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds.
"Jake Gustafsson can be a highly disruptive forward," Elite Prospects scout David St. Louis wrote in May. "He looked faster here, making some defensive interceptions, and he played his role in the defensive formation, staying connected with teammates and removing options from the opposition. Good routes defensively. A C-grade forward with a chance at a bottom-line role."
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 25: Alex Hoppe #48 of the Seattle Mariners gets a new ball after giving up an RBI single to Ryan O'Hearn #29 of the Pittsburgh Pirates (not pictured) in the eighth inning during the game at PNC Park on June 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners made a move in their shallow bullpen, optioning RHP Alex Hoppe to Triple-A Tacoma and recalling LHP Josh Simpson from the Rainiers. The move comes in front of two more games with the Cleveland Guardians, whose lineup is incredibly lefty-heavy. It’s the easiest to understand reasoning behind the move for the M’s, whose typical wariness towards using walk-prone relievers is being set aside for Simpson’s groundball-generating skills.
Simpson has managed a 2.08/3.42/4.77 ERA/FIP/DRA in 21.2 innings with Tacoma, all reasonable enough to consider for recall. Hoppe, by contrast, has had difficulty getting his ducks aligned, seeing a 2.86/4.59 FIP/DRA undermined by a 6.38 ERA in his 24.0 big league frames, due to an astoundingly unfortunate 46.2% strand rate and a .343 BABIP. It’s not all unluckiness, as Hoppe’s command has been underwhelming, but the hard-hurling righty has been tasked to mop up many unsavory moments and might not be jettisoned so quickly were Seattle not utilizing all six starters.
To that plan, today’s piggy-back will not occur as scheduled. The Mariners, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, don’t wish to disrupt the rhythm Logan Gilbert has been in of late, instead pushing Emerson Hancock to a solo start Sunday and George Kirby back home on Monday. While it’s not a shocker, this is another alteration to the rotation as laid out, and will be something to track within the clubhouse and on the field. Of course, lining George Kirby up against the Angels is hard to argue with.
Additionally, the club is apparently considering a “super bullpen” late in the season, making use of both LHP Kade Anderson and RHP Ryan Sloan who’ve been stellar in Double-A Arkansas and could provide multi-inning relief ahead of the club’s five or so high-leverage arms.
The second of the three-game series between the Mets and Phillies at Citi Field will be delayed due to impending weather in the area, the team announced.
New York announced a new 5:20 start.
Christian Scott (2-0, 3.10 ERA) will take the mound against the Phillies reliever Tim Mayza (2-2, 2.06 ERA).
Scott is set to make his first start since coming off the IL with a right hip impingement. His last start saw him allow four runs on seven hits and one walk in 4.2 innings against the Cardinals back on June 11.
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 21: Jared Jones #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping to bounce back after a 6-4 loss against the Cincinnati Reds to start off their three-game series at PNC Park.
Luckily for the Pirates, it’s a new day, and they will place Jared Jones on the mound. Jones is making his sixth start of the year, but he is coming off his shortest start of the season on June 21 against the Colorado Rockies. He pitched three innings, giving up one hit and one earned run in Pittsburgh’s 8-6 victory at Coors Field. The Pirates will likely have a short leash again, but the goal for Jones should be to pitch five innings and keep the lead for the team.
The Reds are countering with Chase Burns, who has been one of the best pitchers in the league this season. Burns is 9-1 with a 2.00 ERA. He’s coming off a win in his last start on June 21 against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He pitched five innings, giving up five hits and one earned run in a 4-1 victory for the Reds.
The Reds are 11-4 this season when Burns makes a start. This includes seven of the last eight games, in which he has been the winning pitcher in six of them.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Chase Burns (9-1, 2.00 ERA) vs. Jared Jones (1-1, 5.75 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 13: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks pose for a photo with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy and the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
How incredible is it that an article like this can be written seriously after what we went through the last 20 years?
It’s been a few weeks since the Knicks lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy and put themselves into the history books. With the NBA Draft now behind us and a brief lull before the start of free agency on Tuesday night, the only sensical thing to do is to bask in the glory of being champions before the cold reality of the second apron sets in.
A topic of discussion in a few of my circles during the NBA Finals was about those banners hanging up in the rafters of the World’s Most Famous Arena.
No, not Billy Joel, Mark Messier, or the championship banners. These babies.
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 15: The New York Knicks retired number banners hang above the court during the 64th NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia as part of the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend on February 15, 2015 at Madison Square Garden in New York, 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 2015 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Only seven numbers are out of circulation for the Knicks, with nine total players/coaches honored in the rafters.
Of those nine, only two are ringless. Dick McGuire played in the 1950s, where he made seven all-star teams and appeared in three NBA Finals, but even his number retirement is shared with Earl the Pearl. The only other player in the long history of the Knicks to retire ringless and get his name in the rafters is Patrick Ewing, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
There’s an existing debate to put Carmelo Anthony’s No. 7 in the rafters after he existed as the team’s only mainstream star between the Ewing and Brunson eras, but it feels like it would’ve happened by now. Melo’s number still hasn’t been worn since he left in 2017. No other number lower than 27 has been out of circulation longer.
Even if the Knicks never won a championship, you could probably add at least one name to the rafters when their careers are over. But now that they’ve joined the elite club of champions, suddenly half the roster is in contention to get their numbers retired.
Remember, those 1970 and 1973 teams got six players in the rafters. The entire starting lineups of both championship teams are up there. Only Earl Monroe wasn’t on both teams. That distinction probably means we aren’t putting six in the rafters this time, but there will be retirement ceremonies in the future.
But for whom?
Start Making The Banners
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 18: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jalen Brunson #11 look on during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jalen Brunson
The only person who might’ve objected to this was Becky Hammon, but she seems to have finally admitted she was wrong about the Knicks’ captain.
There are few things to say about Jalen Brunson that haven’t been said on this site, on every other site, and what will be said about him when the NBA Champions series we’re doing gets to him. He is, quite simply, the best thing to ever happen to this franchise.
Whether he’s the greatest Knick of all time is open to interpretation, but the circumstances that led to his arrival and superstardom surpass anything in history. The way he revived one of the NBA’s most iconic organizations from the doldrums will go down forever. Even if he never won a championship here, he would deserve this honor.
If the team wanted to retire his number on Opening Night while presenting him with his ring, that would be a perfectly acceptable reaction.
Karl-Anthony Towns
This was honestly the biggest debate before the chip was closed out. Could Towns do enough, without a championship, to ensure 32 is never worn again?
The legacy of Renaldo Balkman, Jimmer Fredette, and Noah Vonleh is a tough one to overshadow…
In all seriousness, it was probably 50/50 whether a half-decade of all-star play and perennial contention could get Towns in the rafters, but now there’s no question.
An All-NBA-caliber running mate for Brunson that ended a 53-year drought. A Piscataway native who grew up a Knicks fan. As New York as any player not named Jose Alvarado. What he did against Victor Wembanyama in the first two games will be replayed forever.
There’s a good chance that 32 is never worn again in Minnesota, either, which could make Towns part of an elite fraternity of players to have their numbers retired by multiple teams. Regardless of how the remainder of his Knicks career goes, or how long it is, he’s a legend who helped end a 53-year drought as the second option. It’s a slam dunk.
Under Consideration
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 21: OG Anunoby #8 and Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks look on during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals on May 21, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
OG Anunoby
This is something I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted when Anunoby became a Knick on December 30, 2023. A guy who may never make an all-star team, who probably won’t win a Defensive Player of the Year award, or ever be a top option might have his number retired by an iconic franchise.
Anunoby’s 2026 playoff run was one for the ages. Aside from missing two games due to a hamstring injury and a slow start to the Cavs series as a result, he was arguably the team’s most consistent player and overall MVP due to his incredible defense. His sequence in the final 20 seconds of Game 4 of the NBA Finals might be the most impactful sequence in team history.
The difficult thing to do is compare him to someone on the 1970/73 teams. If the all-stars-to-roster-spots ratio was the way it was back then, Anunoby would be an all-star, so comparing legacies in that fashion would be improper. It’s objectively a lot harder to get to that point today.
If I had to guess, OG will be here for long enough that he will be remembered in such a fond way that he gets his number retired. If not, nobody will wear 8 for a while as an informal retirement, similar to Melo.
Josh Hart*
It’s pretty bold to put a player like Hart up here with Anunoby, whose case to be enshrined among the greats is in him effectively swinging the entire NBA Finals by himself at the end of Game 4, but there’s a case to be made that Hart could get to this point, while also adding an asterisk to make it more likely.
Hart will forever go down as the heart of this championship team. It’s been spoken about ad nauseum, but the 6’4″ wing is possibly the best hustle player of this generation, a connector, a positive presence in the locker room, and a flat-out winning player. His impact matters every postseason, regardless of how fans can turn on him due to clunky regular season performances or lineups.
Will that be enough to get him in the rafters with another few years on the team? I’m leaning no, but I offer a addendum.
What if we take a page out of Dick McGuire and Earl Monroe’s book and double-retire No. 3? Not many fans would object to honoring John Starks’ contributions to the franchise, even if he alone didn’t merit a number retirement. If only Game 7 went differently…
Would Take Another Title
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks smiles before the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Mikal Bridges
Imagine hearing “F— Them Picks” chants while 25 is raised to the rafters?
Probably won’t happen, but a man can dream.
Bridges is firmly in the territory of needing a 1973 to happen to join the pantheon. It’s nothing against him; it’s just really hard to get your number removed from circulation. He was a major part of this postseason run on both ends of the floor and was Leon Rose’s biggest and boldest gamble, one that will go down in Knicks lore forever.
Individual excellence would be the other path, but I don’t see him getting there. He’s going to be the fourth option going forward, so while I can see a path to OG Anunoby becoming an all-star or making a run at Defensive Player of the Year (if Wemby is ever ineligible again), I don’t see that for Bridges.
Longshot
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 12: Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks talks to media during 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 12, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Mitchell Robinson
I think, if anything, this would be a sentimental, unofficial retirement.
Robinson’s story is a great one, as he’s the only person involved in the organization beneath James Dolan who was around for the darkness that was the pre-COVID Knicks. He’s lived through so many ups and downs, and I’m overjoyed he’s here to enjoy this.
But will he be here much longer? That probably stops the conversation here. It would be a miracle if he were back in this organization next year with the team’s self-inflicted second-apron hard cap. If he managed to take a pay cut and remain with the Knicks for another few years, maybe he could get to the point where No. 23 isn’t worn again for a good while, similar to Melo’s.
