ATLANTA, GA - JULY 13: New York Mets mascot Mr. Met jokes with fans during the 2025 MLB Draft presented by Nike at Coca-Cola Roxy on Sunday, July 13, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Major League Baseball has made some changes to the schedule and broadcast of its amateur draft, which begins today at 1:00 PM EDT. And the vast majority of the draft will air on NBC/Peacock, while MLB Network and MLB.com will provide coverage of the picks, as well.
Saturday, July 11: Rounds 1-3, 1 PM EDT, NBC/Peacock
Sunday, July 12: Rounds 4-20, 1 PM EDT, NBC/Peacock
We’ll have an open thread here on Amazin’ Avenue for those of you who are following the draft live and want to discuss it in real time, and as always, we’ll have thorough coverage of all of the Mets’ picks from this afternoon through Steve’s draft profile series that will cover each of the picks. And last but certainly not least, stay tuned for our draft pick signing tracker, which we’ll update as players sign—or decline to sign—with the organization following the draft.
Allen Graves and Izaiyah Nelson | Photos from Getty Images
Just two players were selected directly from mid-major programs in the 2026 NBA Draft. Santa Clara’s Allen Graves was the No. 19 pick to the Toronto Raptors, and the draft rights of South Florida’s Izaiyah Nelson, the No. 51 pick, were traded to Orlando.
However, according to the Mid-Major Reacts survey, despite Graves being a top-20 pick and Nelson being one of the final 10 selections, the two will be equally impactful in the ongoing NBA Summer League, as each player received 50% of the votes.
While Graves enters the NBA with higher expectations, there’s likely more at stake for Nelson in Las Vegas. Graves recently inked a four-year, $19.7 million contract with more than $8 million guaranteed. Nelson, too, earned a contract, but it was a two-way deal.
Graves burst onto the draft scene in just one season at Santa Clara. His redshirt freshman was headlined by WCC Sixth Man and Freshman of the Year honors, and the Broncos’ first trip to the Big Dance in 30 years. Despite coming off the bench in his lone season of collegiate action, Graves skyrocketed up draft boards thanks to his defensive versatility and offensive consistency, marking Herb Sendek’s third first rounder in the last five seasons.
He backed up the first-round label in his Summer League debut and scored 22 points, shooting 9-for-16 and 3-for-8 from deep. Arguably more impressively, he hauled in 13 rebounds, five of which were offensive, blocked two shots and had three steals. He showcased his upside as a do-it-all defender, and if he brings this sort of offense along with his defensive abilities, he’s in for a long NBA career.
Obviously, it’s way too early to formulate real conclusions about his NBA future, but his first showing was about as good as you could ask for.
On the contrary, Nelson doesn’t have as obvious of an NBA path, but he has the physical tools to be a rotational big if he finds the right situation. He doesn’t offer hardly anything offensively on the perimeter, but he got better each of his four college seasons and played himself into the draft after averaging 15.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks.
He made the move from Arkansas State to South Florida with Brian Hodgson, and it resulted in being drafted. Now, starting with the Summer League, he’ll need to prove he belongs at the next level. Without much of a perimeter game, he’ll need to play to his strengths, continuing to be an energetic, high-level rebounder and versatile defender, ideally finding his footing offensively through solid screens and athletic finishes around the rim.
There’s a path for Nelson to stick in the NBA, it’s not as clear as Graves’, but he’s got his foot in the door now. He got off to a rather uneventful start in his first Summer League game on Thursday but flashed what he’s capable of. He scored just two points, but grabbed six rebounds, two offensive, and added a steal and a block in 15 minutes off the bench. Ideally, as Summer League progresses, he’ll see more minutes to prove he can be a high-volume rebounder and stocks guy.
Nelson also picked up five fouls in the contest, so he’ll need to show he can be sound defensively and be impactful without fouling to earn a real NBA opportunity.
Summer League action runs through July 19, and both players will continue to get game reps and show why mid-major players belong on NBA courts, but through one game each, it’s been Graves with the strongest showing.
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Jul 10, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; The Texas Rangers bench celebrates with first baseman Jake Burger (21) after Burger hits a three run home run against the Houston Astros during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 22: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Ryan Ward (67) makes contact during a MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers on June 22, 2026, at Target Field in Minneapolis MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All four Dodgers affiliates are at home this week. The two in the state of Oklahoma picked up wins on Friday.
Player of the day
Ryan Ward homered in his first game back with Oklahoma City on June 30 after getting optioned, but had no extra-base hits in his first seven games of July. Ward made up for that on Friday with a home run and two doubles.
Ward also singled, tying his season best with four hits.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets had eight extra-base hits in a home romp over the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres). Ward had three of the eight extra-base hits.
Alek Thomas also homered, his third in three games. Jack Suwinski doubled twice and drove in four runs Austin Gauthier and Ryan Fitzgerald also doubled.
Christian Romero struck out five while allowing a run in 5 1/3 innings, with the only run coming on a solo home run.
Ryder Ryan came within one out of a three-inning save, but was pulled with two outs after allowing three runs in the ninth inning. Jerming Rosario entered with a five-run lead but the bases loaded and the tying run on deck. He struck out Bryce Johnson to earn a save of the more standard variety.
Double-A Tulsa
Josue De Paula had three hits, including an RBI double in the Drillers’ four-run rally that gave them the lead for good in a victory over the Springfield Cardinals.
Zyhir Hope hit the game-tying two-run single in that seventh inning and also walked and stole a base.
Kendall George singled twice, walked, stole two bases, and scored a pair of runs. After missing a month with a knee injury and five tune-up games with Class-A Ontario, George in his first four games back with Tulsa has eight hits in 16 at-bats plus three walks and three stolen bases.
Evan Shaw pitched three scoreless, hitless innings in relief with four strikeouts to earn the win.
High-A Great Lakes
Two runs in the eighth inning doomed the Loons in a loss to the Dayton Dragons (Reds). Robby Porco pitched a scoreless seventh but walked a pair with one out in the eighth before getting pulled. Both walks scored on a single off Justin Chambers.
One day after his 20th birthday, Chase Harlan hit his third home run and sixth extra-base hit in 13 games since getting promoted to Great Lakes. Shortstop Emil Morales, who doesn’t turn 20 until September, doubled, singled, and drove in a pair. Morales in four games in this series has 10 hits, including five extra-base hits, and seven RBI.
Brooks Auger allowed a pair of home runs for a second straight start, after giving up no long balls in his first 10 starts, encompassing 37 innings and 153 batters faced. Though he gave up four runs on Friday, Auger also struck out eight, giving him 66 strikeouts and 20 walks in 46 1/3 innings this season, with a 34.2-percent strikeout rate.
Class-A Ontario
Tower Buzzers pitching allowed crooked numbers in four different innings in a blowout loss to the the Inland Empire (Mariners).
The bulk of the scoring came against Marco Estrada, who allowed five runs in his 3 2/3 innings of relief, including a pair of home runs. Drafted by the Dodgers in the seventh round out of MIT last July, Estrada struck out five and walked four on Friday. The right-hander has filled up the box score this season, with 50 walks and 66 strikeouts in his 57 2/3 innings, and a 7.96 ERA.
Marlon Nieves was activated off the injured list after missing two months and allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings in his abbreviated start.
Third baseman Easton Shelton hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning, his league-leading 24th home run, nine more than anybody else in the California League. Mairo Martinus also homered for Ontario.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 10: Matt Krook #58 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Nationals Park on July 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nationals addiction to platoon matchups has hurt them a few times this year, but there was no more obvious example than last night. In a 3-2 game in the top of the 9th, Blake Butera went to lefty Matt Krook over sticking with Clayton Beeter. Krook, who now has a career ERA of 16.62 gave up the lead by allowing a home run to the left handed Jazz Chisholm.
Going to a guy with an ERA of 14 over your best reliever just does not make sense. I do not care what hand Matt Krook throws with https://t.co/mbHa5dYitn
I am not really sure what book Blake Butera is going off of right now, but there needs to be some serious reflection after last night. Butera needs to start trusting his best relievers instead of turning to guys based on what hand they throw with. Moving forward, Butera cannot be pulling his best reliever for a guy with an ERA in the double digits in the 9th inning.
After the game, Butera explained his decision by saying he brought in Krook because of the three lefties/switch hitters that were up. He told me that he went with Krook over the more reliable PJ Poulin because he liked how Krook matched up with the switch hitting Jasson Dominguez. Krook ended up allowing a single to Dominguez and a homer to Jazz Chisholm who is worse against left-handed pitching.
I love so much of what Butera and the new regime have done, but they have not covered themselves in glory building or managing this bullpen. Jose A. Ferrer would be a decent lefty to throw out there in the 9th, but he was traded for Harry Ford, who is struggling in AAA. Butera himself has struggled to push the right buttons in an admittedly weak bullpen.
There have been plenty of times where you can’t really blame Butera for this bad bullpen melting down. However, last night was not one of those cases. It felt like we had the Yankees right where we wanted them after Clayton Beeter got a strikeout to end the 8th. Beeter, who has not allowed a run in his last 7 outings, would come out for the 9th, and the fans would be happy.
Butera had other plans though. He wanted to play the matchups instead of sticking with his best arm. It is not like Beeter has a problem against left handed hitters though. Lefties are hitting just .200 against Beeter this season and .198 in his career. Beeter’s downer slider is a platoon neutral weapon that works against lefties and righties.
For what it's worth, left-handed hitters are slashing .200/.373/.222 vs. Clayton Beeter this season and .198/.368/.341 for his career.
However, Butera thought Krook was the right move, and he got burned. Moving forward, I think the Nats need to play to their own strengths instead of fixating on other teams weaknesses. Sure, some of these Yankees hitters struggle against lefties, but with all due respect, most of the lefties they are facing are better than Matt Krook.
Right now, the Nats have 4 low slot, soft-tossing lefties in the bullpen. Three of them pitched yesterday, and while Palmquist and Cosgrove did their jobs, Krook did not. Moving forward, I really want Blake Butera to manage based on his own personnel instead of being such a reactive manager.
Final thought of the night: Your process is only as good as your personnel. And if you don't have the personnel to make your preferred process work, you have to be willing to alter it. I have a hunch the Nationals will.
One thing I thought was revealing was when Blake Butera said after the game that having Krook, or at least one of his lefties closing out the game was pre-planned. It is just another example of this regime’s extreme devotion to platoon matchups. Having 4 lefties in the bullpen was part of the plan for this weekend.
However, I think the Nats should pay more attention to quality over what hand a guy throws with. Honestly, after Brad Lord’s injury, Eddy Yean should have been given the call up to the big leagues. He has an upper 90’s heater and a real mound presence. The Nats went with Tom Cosgrove though. Cosgrove’s profile just feels redundant with Krook, Poulin and Carson Palmquist.
Part of what makes these low slot lefties effective is that they are a unique look. If hitters just keep seeing one low slot lefty after another, they are going to catch on at some point. It felt like that happened when the Yankees faced their third low slot lefty of the night.
This should be a major wake up call for Blake Butera and this front office. For most of these bullpen meltdowns, you can blame it on Butera not having the guys or his guys letting him down. However, last night, Butera had his guy on the mound, but pulled him after one batter for a pitcher with a career ERA over 16 because of what hand he throws the baseball with.
HOOVER, AL - MAY 20: Head coach Tim Corbin of the Vanderbilt Commodores walks off the field during the SEC Baseball Tournament second round game between Vanderbilt Commodores and Florida Gators on May 20, 2026, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.(Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s Draft Day. For most sports, it’s a celebratory day where you’re glad to hear the names of your boys, cheering them on as they jump to the next level. For college baseball fans, it’s a PTSD-laden war of attrition where your mood is dependent on hearing the fewest amount of names of your potential incoming freshman class. Zero names is ideal, of course, but when you ‘croot at Vanderbilt’s level, that’s never (or almost never, it did happen once) a realistic ask.
In short, go ahead and forget the names of OF Eric Booth Jr. (expected to go in the top 10 picks of the 1st round) and SS Aiden Ruiz (a slick-fielding defensive maven likely to get tabbed in the first 50 or so picks). Expect also to lose top pitchers LHP Sean Duncan and RHP Joseph Contreras (though there’s an outside chance one makes it to campus) and at least one of our two top SS commits, SS James Tronstein and SS Luke Williams. Keep it to losing 4 or 5 of them, and none of our remaining members of the #1 ‘crootin’ class in the nation, and we have set ourselves up to return to the postseason, challenge for a #1 seed this year, and challenge for a title in 2-3 years. Get decimated and… well, remember when Krusty drank gasoline and woke up on Bart’s lawn?
Then there’s our boys (you know, the ones who haven’t transferred out like pretty much our entire 2026 bullpen). Honestly, not a lot of Diamond Dores are expected to get drafted, and none (well, maybe Braden Holcomb) should expect to hear their names today (rounds 1-4).
Regardless, join up in the comments to collectively white knuckle the worst weekend of the year for college baseball fans with us at Anchor of Gold. Pour Jobu his rum, Hail Pinman, and scream “OO!” at Vocockyteps. It’s Draft Day.
Brandon Dubinsky signed what would be his last NHL contract on this day in 2014. He signed a six-year deal that would keep him in Columbus until 2021.
Dubinsky was traded to Columbus in the summer of 2012, in the now-infamous Rick Nash trade. Coming to Columbus with Dubinsky were Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon, and a draft pick, who would later become Kerby Rychel.
Dubinsky played a hard-nosed style of hockey and would not hesitate to jump into or cause a scrum. He was notorious for trying to get under Sidney Crosby's skin, and even if he couldn't, he kept trying.
Dubinsky has a ton of highlights, but for fans of Columbus, there must be only one. In the first round of the 2014 playoffs, the Blue Jackets were playing the Pittsburgh Penguins. Down in the game 3-2 and in the series 2-1, Marc-Andre Fleury would attempt to play the puck behind his net. Ryan Johansen would steal it from behind the net and sling it directly into the middle of the ice where Dubinsky was standing. He quickly gathered it on his stick and shot it between two defenders and a diving Fleury. The goal rocked Nationwide Arena and the City of Columbus. Columbus would go on to win that game in overtime.
Sadly, after the 2018-19 season, Dubinsky’s career was cut short due to what was described as a “chronic condition” in his wrist. He embodied what it meant to be a Blue Jacket 10 years ago. A hard worker who would do anything to beat you. He would finish his CBJ career with a stat line of 72-153-225, and his faceoff % was over 50% every year he played in the NHL.
He played his last regular season game on April 6, 2019. A month later, after helping the CBJ defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his last playoff game against the Boston Bruins.
These days you can routinely catch him at CBJ games sitting amongst the crowd. Dubinsky is also a partner with JBM Development, a construction company focusing on developing and managing multi-family housing in Columbus.
Today we salute you, Brandon Dubinsky.
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Petco Park on July 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres brought the winning run to the plate with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. Xander Bogaerts stepped into the batter’s box with Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. on first and second base after the Padres recorded three consecutive two-out hits off Padres closer Louis Varland. Bogaerts worked the count full, but on the final pitch of the at-bat he hit a routine ground ball to third base, which resulted in the final out of the game to give San Diego a 5-3 loss at the hands of Toronto in their series opener at Petco Park on Friday night.
The Padres came into the bottom of the ninth trailing, 5-2. Jake Cronenworth pinch hit and struck out to open the inning and Luis Rengifo hit a deep fly ball into left field for the second out of the inning. Luis Campusano lined a ball back through the middle of the infield and Tatis followed with a line drive single through the right side of the infield. Merrill stepped in and connected on another base hit, which scored Campusano to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Bogaerts represented the winning run and Petco Park was waiting to erupt with a big hit from the San Diego shortstop. Bogaerts started the scoring in the game in the bottom of the first inning when he connected on a two-run home run off starter Shane Bieber to put the Padres up 2-0. Considering the speed of Tatis and Merrill and the fact that they were on the move on a 3-2 pitch, a base hit by Bogaerts might have tied the game, but it would have likely brought San Diego within a run with Manny Machado set to come to the plate. However, that was not how the 3-2 pitch played out. Instead, Bogaerts bounced a ground ball to Toronto third baseman Kazuma Okamoto who threw across the diamond in time to get Bogaerts to end the inning and the game.
Okamoto proved to have the game-winning hit for the Blue Jays in the top of the fifth inning. Padres starter JP Sears allowed two of the first three batters of the inning to reach base on singles and Jhony Brito came in to face Vladamir Guerrero Jr. Brito allowed an RBI-single and Toronto tied the game at 2-2. Brito then faced Okamoto who won a seven-pitch at-bat with a 377-foot three-run home run into the left field bleachers to give the Blue Jays a 5-2 lead.
San Diego will try to stop a two-game losing streak in the second game of the series against Toronto today at 5:40 p.m.
Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers the same night he was scratched from his start on the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
BAD GASTEIN, AUSTRIA - MAY 28: The Schlossalmbahn cable cars transport guests to the attend the opening event of CALL Film Festival at Restaurant Hirsch & Maus on May 28, 2026 in Bad Gastein, Austria. (Photo by Julia Beverly/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hickory starter Daniel Keaney gave up five runs in five innings, striking out three and walking one.
Pablo Guerrero was 2 for 5 with a double. Yolfran Castillo was 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and a walk. Paulino Santana had a hit and a walk. Daniel Flames doubled and walked twice. Angel Arredondo doubled. Marco Argudin had a hit and a walk.
Round Rock starter Jose Corniell allowed five runs in 1.2 IP, walking three and striking out one. Emiliano Teodo walked one, struck out one and allowed one run in 1.1 IP. Wilian Bormie allowed two runs in an inning of work, walking two. Luis Curvelo threw two shutout innings.
Another busy slate in the Majors means more opportunity for long balls in my MLB player props home run analysis.
I'll include James Wood, Chase DeLauter, and Ben Rice in today's MLB picks for Saturday, July 11.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
James Wood
+350
Chase DeLauter
+549
Ben Rice
+275
💲Today's HR parlay
+8986
Home run pick: James Wood (+350)
Washington Nationals star James Wood is crushing baseballs right now. He owns a .722 ISO over his last six games, going deep four times during that span. Wood's hard-hit rate over the last week also sits at 62.9%, with a barrel rate just under 20%.
The slugger will face New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler tonight. Although the youngster has been dominant overall, he's had trouble with the long ball recently. Schlittler has allowed 3.00 HR/9 across his last two outings.
This Yankees pen has also surrendered 1.63 HR/9 across their last 27 2/3 innings. There's a lot of opportunity for Wood to leave the yard again.
I'll play this pick down to +300.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Nationals.TV
Home run pick: Chase DeLauter (+549)
Cleveland Guardians youngster Chase DeLauter has homered in back-to-back games, and he has three bombs in his last six contests. DeLauter carries a .417 ISO during that span and an astounding 68.4% hard-hit rate. The 24-year-old is consistently squaring up the baseball.
DeLauter will face Miami Marlins starter Eury Pérez this afternoon. The righty has allowed a home run in six of his last eight outings. He's been pitching well, but it's common for him to make a mistake in a start, and an opponent punishes it.
That could be DeLauter this afternoon, considering just how well he's seeing the baseball.
I'll play this pick down to +450.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Guardians.TV, Marlins.TV
Home run pick: Ben Rice (+275)
Ben Rice has emerged as a superstar this season, and he's showing off his power ahead of the HR Derby. The slugger has clubbed five long balls in his last seven games. Over that span, he owns a .556 ISO and 19% barrel rate.
Today's matchup heavily favors Rice. The Yankees will face the struggling Miles Mikolas. He's surrendered 2.77 HR/9 across his previous two appearances, and opponents also have a 40.8% hard-hit rate against him over the last two weeks.
This Nationals bullpen is also giving up 1.86 HR/9 over the last seven days. Whether it's against Mikolas or the relief corps when they enter, Rice has a great chance to put one in the bleachers.
Play this down to +250.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Nationals.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 15-75, -4.99 units
Today’s HR parlay
James Wood
Bet Now +8986
Chase DeLauter
Ben Rice
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
1st over: England 4-0 (Salt 2, Buttler 1) Another quiet opening over for England with the bat. Arshdeep Singh is swinging the ball with his left-arm efforts, and neither Salt nor Buttler tries anything expansive.
SINGAPORE, Jan. 21, 2020 -- A dumbo rat is seen with the Chinese character "Fu", which means good fortune, during an event to welcome the Year of the Rat in Singapore Zoo of the Wildlife Reserves Singapore on Jan. 21, 2020. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/ via Getty Images) | Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
Less than a month after playing a competitive game, the Knicks were back on a court doing some goofy play. Here are some links and notes before New York gets back to it against a familiar foe later today.
The Knicks opened Summer League with a 91-65 loss to the Nets. Shouts out to my Brooklynites for taking advantage of the only time of the year they’re good enough to beat New York.
Mohamed Diawara did not sugarcoat his awful performance after going 1-for-9 from the field and putting up a monster minus-39 in 23 minutes of playing time.
“I got to do way better. I think the level that we take back is, like, a little way better. I can play like I played today, and just be better than last game.”
Pacome Dadiet somehow looked like a player, scored a team-high 20, and multiplied his value as he enters his third season in the League, earning $2.9 million. Of note, per the Daily News’ Kristian Windfield, Dadiet’s cap hit rises to $5.4 million next year, so the Knicks will need to make a business decision here.
Rookie Tyler Nickel made a smooth impression, coming off the pine and drilling six threes of 10 attempted for all 18 of his points. Fellow drafted neophyte Jack Kayil did not make his Summer League debut (no big deal) after the mini-paperwork saga that finally got him onto the roster. Debut expected against the Spurs on Saturday, per Kris Pursianen.
T.J. Saint is already impressed (h/t James L. Edwards) with a particular area of Nickel’s game, and it’s got nothing to do with his three-point shooting. before the shooting show, but acknowledged Dadiet and Diawara’s struggles.
The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy wrote that the Knicks are now in the NBA’s “culture” sweet spot, revealing its two ingredients and comparing this New York team to Tim Duncan’s Spurs and Steph Curry’s Warriors. Trying to keep it spoiler-free:
“The reality, as evidenced through the NBA’s history, is ‘culture’ cannot be spoken into existence. It requires two important components, both non-negotiable and both currently achieved by the Knicks.
“(The Spurs and the Warriors) represented the standard because of Duncan and Curry. When Duncan left, Gregg Popovich was just a below-average coach. When Curry is injured, Steve Kerr’s record plummets.”
Julius Randle is back in New York, just on the wrong side of the bridge. On Friday, attending the Nets-Knicks Summer League game, Randle spoke about plenty of things, including his role as a mentor in Brooklyn and the similarities between this new chapter and the one he spent with the Knicks. Never not like Jules.
“It feels great to be here. It’s a great opportunity. It’s a city I’m already really familiar with; it’s a situation that I’m familiar with. Then, there’s a lot of talent.
“As far as the trade stuff, man, I’m 13 years in, bro. I played in New York already; so you hear that stuff all the time. I’m used to that. It just is what it is. You ride the wave of it. At the end of the day, I’m playing basketball and I’m doing what I love for a living. So, it’s all I ask for.”
Victor Wembanyama pulled a Brunson and signed a five-year, $252 million rookie extension with the Spurs, locking himself into the 25 percent max instead of preserving the chance to jump to the 30 percent max with All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year, or MVP honors next season. In other words, he left about $10 million annually on the table to give the Spurs some flexibility going forward.
Down in Miami: chaos. Bam Adebayo punched Tyler Herro in the face at a Las Vegas practice court in front of Herro’s AAU squad. Chaz with the full breakdown here.
There is only one “rightful” farewell tour for LeBron James, thinks Charles Barkley.
Meanwhile, a former Ohio cupcake-shop owner who once became famous for calling LeBron’s 2014 Cleveland return is now claiming LeBron is coming back to the Cavs with Bronny James and Draymond Green. Personally, I never found a cupcake I didn’t like, so I’m with Jonathan on this one.
Jul 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Anthony Seigler (48) reacts after reaching second base on an error by New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (not pictured) during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
The Red Sox had a bunch of issues getting to New York for yesterday’s game, but you wouldn’t know it based on the results. Boston scored two unearned runs off Nolan McLean in the first inning to take the lead and the Mets stayed behind all evening, ultimately losing 6-2.
The Mets made a series of roster moves prior to last night’s game, including officially placing Mark Vientos on the injured list and bringing Tobias Myers back to the active roster.
Vientos will be out for 6-8 weeks due to his hand injury; in happier news, Clay Holmes continues to progress in his return.
NBA Summer League picks for Saturday, July 11 feature a rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals, and I’m taking the San Antonio Spurs to get the win over the New York Knicks.
I’m also backing a couple of underdogs today, as I see value in both the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers to win on Saturday.
NBA Summer League predictions for July 11
Pick
Spurs moneyline
-133
Pacers moneyline
+122
Lakers moneyline
+170
Today's Summer League Picks
Spurs moneyline (-133 at Kalshi)
In a rematch of this year's NBA Finals, I’m picking the San Antonio Spurs to exact a small measure of revenge against the New York Knicks. The Spurs have a fascinating Summer League roster, including Carter Bryant, who played throughout the NBA Playoffs for San Antonio, as well as Tarris Reed Jr., the second-round draft pick who will be fighting to get minutes as a backup center behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet.
Meanwhile, the Knicks aren’t doing much of interest to fans or bettors in Summer League, with most of their roster — and especially their main rotation — already in place for next season. A New York roster led by Mo Diawara won’t have the depth to compete with the Spurs, who should win this game handily.
Pacers moneyline (+122 at Kalshi)
The Indiana Pacers showed their Summer League strength on Friday, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-93 in their offseason opener. Rienk Mast scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win, with Jalen Slawson adding 15 points, six boards, and five blocks.
The Philadelphia 76ers are also coming off a win, but with Labaron Philon Jr. and Johni Broome leading the way, they have far less experience than Indiana on their summer roster.
Mast is battle-tested, as he plays for the Netherlands in international play and is clearly taking his Summer League opportunity seriously. Even as an undrafted rookie, I like that level of experience to help lead the Pacers to a win on Saturday.
Lakers moneyline (+170 at Kalshi)
The Los Angeles Lakers come into Saturday’s Summer League matchup against the Dallas Mavericks as a significant underdog, but I think they offer excellent value to bettors at this price.
With LeBron James moving on from the Lakers, Los Angeles has an added desire to consider its options when it comes to young players who may potentially end up on the NBA roster. That includes a number of promising draft picks like Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr, along with undrafted free agent Robbie Avila.
Thiero scored 20 points on Friday night in a 96-84 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Carr adding 18 points in the victory. I’m expecting more of the same on Saturday, with the Lakers likely to overwhelm a Mavericks team that lost 101-90 to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
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Saturday’s NBA Summer League parlay
Spurs moneyline
Pacers moneyline
Lakers moneyline
+950 at Kalshi
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
James Wood
Chase DeLauter
Ben Rice
Spurs moneyline 
Pacers moneyline 
Lakers moneyline