LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Nate Johnson #31 of the Oklahoma City Thunder plays defense during the game against Adou Thiero #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers began Las Vegas Summer League with a 96-84 win over the Thunder and looked good doing so.
Cameron Carr was getting it done on both ends and appeared too good for this level of play. Adou Thiero had some mesmerizing dunks, and with some great defensive plays from Chris Mañon, that’s how the Lakers began their time in Nevada with a win.
The Lakers jumped out to a 9-5 advantage early on. Mañon continued to demonstrate his on-ball defense, which led to a few early turnovers by the Thunder.
OKC countered with a 5-0 run to regain the lead. The Thunder remained hot from the field, making six of their first seven baskets. The Lakers, on the other hand, were shooting 45% from the field and were 1-5 from deep.
Carr put the Lakers back in front by drilling LA’s second three of the night with a little over three minutes left in the opening quarter.
Carr then displayed his defensive game with a pair of impressive blocks.
After one quarter of play, LA was in front 24-23.
The Lakers lead the Thunder 24-23 after one quarter of play. Cameron Carr leads all scorers with 7 points. He also has a game-high two blocks. An impressive Las Vegas Summer League start for the rookie.
The Lakers remained in control to start the second quarter. Peter Suder knocked down a three, and LA’s other two-way player, AK Okereke, made his first basket of the game.
Midway through the period, Anton Watson drove to the basket and scored, giving the Lakers a four-point lead.
Brooks Barnhizer had a highlight-worthy dunk for the Thunder, but then Thiero saw that and raised the stakes with a slam of his own. Moments later, he had a monster windmill dunk extending LA’s lead to nine.
In the third quarter, LA’s dominance continued. Carr scored with ease from the elbow, and thanks to a nice putback by Hickey, the Lakers maintained their double-digit advantage.
After a pass from Thiero resulted in a three by Hickey, the Lakers were up by 15, their largest lead of the night.
The rest of the third was all LA. Carr and Thiero converted on lob dunks and the Thunder were unable to close the gap. After three quarters of play, LA was up by 20 points.
With the Lakers so far in front, the game was all but over. Fans started a “We want Robbie” chant for Robbie Avila and the rest of the contest was glorified cardio. The Thunder never went on any kind of serious run, and the Lakers earned the win.
Key Player Stats:
Carr had 18 points, and two blocks. Thiero had a team-high 20 points. Arthur Kaluma ended the night with 18 points.
The Lakers’ next game will be against the Mavericks on Saturday at 7:00 PM PT.
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 10: Jaxon Wiggins #70 of the Chicago Cubs participates in Spring Training workouts at Sloan Park on February 10, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Iowa left-hander Josh Fleming was moved to the development list.
Right-hander Ryan Jensen was promoted to Double-A Knoxville from the ACL Cubs.
Jaxon Wiggins was activated off the injured list and made his first appearance in Iowa since early April. He very much struggled with control in the first inning, when he allowed three runs on two hits and two walks. But He settled down after that and finished with three runs on three hits and three walks over 2.2 innings. Wiggins struck out four. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.1 mph and hit 98 mph once.
Zac Leigh relieved Wiggins in the third and got the win after going 1.1 innings with no runs and one hit. He struck out two and walked no one.
Grant Kipp then threw three innings and gave up just one run on one hit and one walk. He also hit one batter. Kipp struck out one.
Eduarniel Nuñez threw the final two innings for the save. Nuñez retired all six batters in order, striking out four of them.
Catcher Christian Bethancourt went 3 for 4 with a double. He drove in two and scored once.
Center fielder Brett Bateman was 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Bateman had an RBI bunt single in Iowa’s four-run second inning. He also scored on an Owen Miller single in the sixth.
Right fielder Owen Miller was 2 for 5 with the RBI and a run scored.
Dawson Netz started and kept the Shuckers to three runs on four hits over five innings. Netz struck out five and walked no one, but he did hit one batter.
Erian Rodriguez had some major control issues, but he didn’t allow a run and ended up with the win. Rodriguez gave up no runs on one hit over 1.1 innings. He struck out just one and walked five—so he had more walks than outs recorded.
Evan Taylor cleaned up Rodriguez’s mess in the seventh and then went on to finish the game and collect the save. Taylor allowed no runs on one hit over 2.2 innings. He struck out three and walked no one.
Catcher Owen Ayers was 3 for 5 with three RBI. He also scored once.
DH Alex Ramírez went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored two runs.
Left fielder Andy Garriola was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk.
This is one way for Evan Taylor to get out of a jam.
Pierce Coppola’s Midwest League debut could have gone better. Coppola gave up six runs on four hits and four walks over three innings. One of those hits was a grand slam in the third inning. Coppola struck out two.
Ethan Flanagan pitched the final four frames of this game and allowed no runs on two hits, earning him the win. Flanagan struck out seven and walked one.
South Bend banged out 15 hits Cedar Rapids and scored seven runs in the third inning and five in the ninth.
Third baseman Matt Halbach went 3 for 6 with a double and a stolen base. He scored three times and had two RBI.
DH Josiah Hartshorn was 2 for 5 with a triple and a walk. Hartshorn drove in two and scored one run.
Catcher Logan Poteet doubled twice in a 2 for 5 night. He had three RBI and two runs scored.
Left fielder Jose Escobar was 2 for 5 with a double, a walk and a stolen base. Escobar scored two runs and batted in one.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda went 2 for 5 with a walk. He scored one run and had two RBI.
Finally, right fielder Miguel Useche was 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored three times and drove in one.
Highlights from the seven-run third, including Hartshorn’s triple.
Starter Braylon Myers allowed four runs on four hits over four innings. Myers walked four and struck out three.
Hayden Frank tossed the next three innings, allowed three runs on five hits, and took the loss. One of Frank’s three runs was unearned. Frank struck out two and walked no one.
Third baseman Ludwing Espinoza hit his first Pelicans home run with a man on in the third inning. Espinoza was 1 for 5.
Shortstop Derniche Valdez was 2 for 5 with a double and two runs scored.
First baseman Edward Vargas was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. He had an RBI single in the fourth inning and also scored once.
Jul 10, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) hits a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
The Yankees came to Washington, DC after a series split with the Rays to match wits with a young and hungry Nationals team. The Nats are young, exude talent, and score tons of runs. They also give up lots of runs, particularly in the late innings. The Bombers saw both sides of the DC dichotomy tonight, watching a pair of talented hitters tear their hard-earned 2-1 lead to ribbons in just two pitches. But in the ninth, a pair of thunderous blasts from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells flipped the script a second time, and brought the Bombers to victory, 5-3.
After a two-hour rain delay pushed first pitch to just after 8:45pm ET, the Yankees began their offensive effort from the man who propelled them to the aforementioned Trop split: All-Star and soon-to-be Home Run Derby participant Ben Rice. Rice cracked a fastball from opener Carson Palmquist just past the leap of left fielder Dylan Crews and into the Yankee bullpen to give New York an early advantage. If Benny Barrels grabs one more dinger in this series, he’ll have 30 homers before the All-Star Break. What a season he is putting together.
The Yankees got two more runners aboard in the first, including on a single from Paul Goldschmidt that ended his 0-f0r-34 slide, but Palmquist worked around the jam to hold New York to the lone run.
Because this is a Ryan Weathers start, silliness was immediately afoot. In the second inning, two misplays in the infield forced him to essentially get five outs — a task he managed to accomplish without allowing a run, much to his credit.
One of those misplays came from Amed Rosario, who is burning up the goodwill he accrued early in the year. You just can’t be the lefty specialist who gets called upon to hit leadoff against the lefty opener with a 7 ERA and then go 0-for-2 with two strikeouts against him. To then boot a ball and make your pitcher’s job tougher is just a really tough look.
Weathers escaped that bind, but ran into further issues in the third thanks to the All-Star James Wood. Wood slammed a changeup 112 mph for a double, advanced to third on a base hit, then scored on a double play—another well-executed pitch by Weathers spurred the twin killing and subdued Washington’s rally. The Bombers jumped back ahead the following half-inning, making the deed all the more impactful.
Palmquist did his job and more, taking care of the first three innings for manager Blake Butera—then ceded to the veteran righty Zack Littell. Catcher Keibert Ruiz did Littell a solid by throwing out Cody Bellinger on a steal attempt. That meant that Jasson Domínguez’s ensuing home run was just a solo shot, but hey! A power display from the Martian is always welcome! His fifth home run of the year sailed 408 feet to right center field, over one of the deepest parts of Nationals Park.
Much to our chagrin, it was once again Amed Rosario time in the bottom of the fourth. An entirely routine ground ball to third base turned into a triple thanks to a complete lawn dart uncorked by Rosario—which eluded Paul Goldschmidt and skipped into a gulf of foul territory along the right field wall. Mercifully, Andrés Chaparro was subsequently erased in a rundown between third and home; and Weathers struck out Luis Garcia Jr. to retire the side. Once again, give Weathers credit for playing with the poor hands he was repeatedly dealt. But seriously, these kinds of mistakes from Rosario cannot continue to happen. (Ryan McMahon unsurprisingly took over afterward.)
Weathers beautifully worked a peaceful fifth inning, retiring the side in order and finishing with a strikeout of Curtis Mead. It sure would be nice if he could receive some more substantial run support than just the two solo shots the Bombers could muster. It probably wouldn’t have prevented Aaron Boone from making the call to Fernando Cruz when Weathers allowed two hits to put runners on the corners in the sixth.
For once though, Ryan caught a break when C.J. Abrams slipped rounding third and failed to score the tying run. Cruz cashed in that favor by striking out Daylen Lile and familiar face Jorbit Vivas to once again send a frustrated Washington offense packing. Weathers deservedly remained in line for the win thanks to Fernando’s continued success in leverage spots; as Michael Kay noted, he has stranded 30 of 35 inherited runners this year, the most in MLB.
But baseball does not like its starting pitchers, dear reader. The Yankees’ lead turned into a deficit in a matter of two pitches in the home seventh. A moment after the YES broadcast flashed a chyron showing the dramatic gulf in ERA between the Yankees’ and Nationals’ bullpen, Keibert Ruiz took Tim Hill deep with a drive down the left field line, just inside the foul-pole for a game-tying home run.
Then Wood seized upon Hill’s very next pitch, thrashing it on a line to the right-center stands for his 26th round-tripper and a 3-2 Washington lead. The second-best lineup against southpaws in the league finally showed up after the seventh-inning stretch.
The whole sequence reminded of that one Yankees-Twins game from 2021 in which Aroldis Chapman gave up a pair of homers to turn a win into a loss in record time—but at the very least the Yanks had multiple opportunities to get back in the game tonight.
The eighth inning was a dud, though. Ben Rice hit a sharp ground ball to first with a runner on, but Garcia made a nice stab to turn it into a double play. Butera brought in former Yankee prospect Clayton Beeter after an infield hit from Trent Grisham, and Beeter successfully struck out Goldschmidt to get the rickety Nats bullpen three outs away from victory.
Another pitcher who debuted with the Yankees was tabbed to pitch the ninth: lefty Matt Krook. Few people, including the sickos who read this site, likely remember Krook’s MLB debut, in which he let up five runs in under two innings as part of a blowout loss to the Red Sox in 2023. They’re more likely to remember the big swing he surrendered tonight. Domínguez lit the fire, putting the tying run aboard with a single and passing the baton to Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Jazz took a first pitch sweeper low, then watched a sinker pass by for strike one. Krook then returned to the breaking ball on 1-1, and Chisholm uncoiled, ripping it to the second deck in right field. Turnabout is fair play—the Yankees were back on top.
But New York wasn’t done. Austin Wells, who notably ended his homer drought yesterday in St. Petersburg, turned it into a streak by clobbering a ball from Justin Lawrence into the night for a critical insurance run.
Three David Bednar outs and multiple Blake Butera thousand-yard stares later, the Yamkees were 5-3 winners just a shade before midnight. What a win for the Bombers. As I said in the game thread earlier tonight, the Nats are pure entertainment value; sometimes to their benefit, but often to their detriment as well.
Tomorrow’s contest is a mid-afternoon affair in the nation’s capital. Cam Schlittler will take the mound following an eight-inning masterpiece at the Trop, facing veteran Miles Mikolas. First pitch is due at 4:05pm ET on YES.
LAS VEGAS — Mikel Brown Jr.’s Las Vegas Summer League debut featured a slow start, a strong finish and all kinds of spectacular plays in between Friday night.
The Nets’ rookie lottery pick paired with second-year backcourt mate Egor Dëmin to lead Brooklyn’s 91-65 rout of the Knicks at Thomas & Mack Center.
The guards shared team-high scoring honors with 20 points.
But after Dëmin had carried the Nets early as Brown found his way into the game, the latter poured in 16 points after halftime, drawing “oohs” and “ahhs” with several highlights.
Mikel Brown Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks during the 2026 NBA Summer League on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NBAE via Getty Images
“Seeing my teammates, getting them open shots, seeing the ball go through the hoop obviously gets you going as well. But I know how much work I put in to get to this point,” said Brown. “The ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ are coming just because that’s just how I play.
“Yeah, I mean, like I said, I’m a savant when it comes to this stuff, man. I love the game of basketball. I love when my teammates look successful. It brings me joy because that means it’s not just me, but everybody got it going.”
Brown shot 6-for-12, including 3-for-6 from 3-point range. He added three assists, two steals and a block.
“He’s extremely talented overall,” said Dëmin. “His shooting ability, his ability to create his own shot, and how shifty he is, he’s gonna give a lot of trouble to the defenders just because of his feel for the game and his talent. Now the part of his game is to adapt to the physicality, which took me a while last year.”
… We’re gonna do everything we have [to] for it to happen as fast as possible.”
Brown insisted that won’t take long. And he played feisty defense that helped spark Brooklyn’s third-quarter blitz.
Mikel Brown Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets dunks the ball. NBAE via Getty Images
The Nets trailed by a point going into the second quarter and edged ahead 38-33 by halftime. But they blew the game open in the third.
Brooklyn blitzed the Knicks 30-9 in that period, holding them to 2-for-15 shooting with six turnovers. Brown’s nine points, three assists and a steal in the fourth helped the Nets blow it open.
The sixth overall pick has made it a point to prove he can hold his own on the defensive end.
“Yeah. absolutely. I really do feel like that I can defend; like, I really do feel like I’m not a liability,” said Brown.
“People put that burden on me, like, all his physicality and stuff like that. At the end of the day, man, mano a mano, you ain’t finna score on me. That’s just my mentality. And that’s how I carry it.”
Chaney Johnson had 11 points, nine boards and a 3-pointer, finishing +35 playing center at just 6-7.
Rookie Joshua Jefferson hasn’t been able to practice with the Nets, but did workouts to stay sharp. Now that the Julius Randle trade that brought Jefferson to Brooklyn has been made official, coach Dutch Gailey said he’s hopeful the first-round pick can debut Saturday today against Atlanta.
The Yankees had a late lead and the bullpen coughed it up, but Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s go-ahead homer in the ninth pushed New York to a 5-3 win over the Nationals on Friday night in Washington, D.C.
Both the Yankees and Nationals entered Friday as the top two teams in home runs in all of MLB. And after the start of the series opener was delayed by approximately two hours due to a storm, both teams brought the thunder.
Two early Yankees jacks were undone when Tim Hill served up back-to-back homers to Keibert Ruiz and James Wood to give the Nats the lead. But that's when Chisholm came to the rescue, launching a two-run shot off of southpaw Matt Krook to give New York the lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Here are the takeaways....
-Ben Rice got the Yankees scoring started early with his 29th home run of the season to give New York a 1-0 lead in the first. The blast was his seventh in his last 10 games and is now one behind Yordan Alvarez -- who homered Friday as well -- for the AL lead.
With the game tied in the fourth, Jasson Dominguez went deep to give the Yankees back the lead.
-On the mound, Ryan Weathers was very effective for much of the game. The southpaw allowed one run through the first five innings, but pitched into trouble in the sixth. After a one-out double by CJ Abrams, Jacob Young singled, but the Nationals shortstop slipped on third and had to retreat when he was destined to tie the game.
That knocked Weathers out of the game as Fernando Cruz was called on to get out of the jam. Cruz struck out a pinch-hitting Daylen Lile and Jorbit Vivas -- also pinch-hitting -- to strike out swinging to put a bow on Weathers' night.
Weathers allowed one run on six hits while striking out six batters.
-After the Nationals took the lead, the Yankees had a chance to tie in the eighth. After Trent Grisham's infield single with two outs, he reached second on a wild pitch while Paul Goldschmidt was at the plate. The veteran right-hander struck out to end the threat.
Overall, the Yankees were 0-for-6 with RISP and left eight on base.
-David Bednar allowed just one baserunner (a hit batter), but was otherwise perfect, getting the final six outs.
-Amed Rosario had a tough time in the field on Friday. Starting at third base, Rosario made two errors, one throwing and one of the fielding variety. While it didn't cost the Yankees any runs, it costWeatherspitches that he could have used to go deeper into this game.
Manager Aaron Boone pinch-hit for Rosario with Ryan McMahon in the fifth. Rosario finished 0-for-2 with two strikeouts.
-Goldschmidt singled in the first, snapping his career-worst 0-for-34 hitless streak. He finished 2-for-5.
Game MVP: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The go-ahead blast turned around what would have been a tough loss.
LAS VEGAS — Mohamed Diawara wasn’t in the mood to talk about his new contract. Or his potential.
His performance in Friday’s Summer League opener — a 91-65 defeat against the Nets — was such a dud that the bigger picture was out of focus.
“I got to do way better. At the level we played last season, I got to do way better,” Diawara said. “I can’t play like I played today.”
Indeed, Diawara was a massive disappointment Friday, shooting 1-for-9 — including 1-for-7 from beyond the arc — as the Knicks were outscored by 39 points in his 23 minutes.
Mohamed Diawara of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2026 NBA Summer League on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NBAE via Getty Images
Diawara, who this week signed a multiyear contract after his promising rookie season, was one of two players on the Summer League roster on a standard NBA deal.
The other was Pacôme Dadiet, who scored 20 points but was an inefficient 1-for-7 on 3s.
“I think they struggled a little bit. We talk about responding to adversity, we got to respond to adversity,” Knicks Summer League coach TJ Saint said. “They have to respond to adversity tomorrow. They struggled a little bit. They let little things affect them on the defensive end and then it kind of snowballed. So we got to be better. It’s on those two guys and Dillon Jones and me to be better.”
Diawara showed enough promise last season to warrant a fresh four-year, $11.2 million deal.
Still, only the first two seasons are guaranteed and Diawara will have to fight for a rotation spot.
As it stands, he’s low on the projected wing rotation behind OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson.
New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara drives to the basket during a game last season. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Diawara offers a unique element because of his 7-foot wingspan, but he understands playing time will require better than Friday’s ugliness.
“Got to be better. I got to work more,” Diawara said. “If I keep working, I will get better. I see a good future but I got to keep going. keep working to be at that level.”
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 8: Due to inclement weather, a tarp covers the field at a postponed game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium on May 8, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, it wouldn’t be a Braves game in St. Louis without a rain delay, now would it? It seems like this is a regular occasion whenever these two teams lock horns in baseball battle — especially whenever the games take place in the shadow of the Arch.
Anyways, the game is now stuck in the top of the fourth inning with the score still at 0-0. Stay tuned right here for more updates, y’all.
Today's game is now in a delay due to rain in the St. Louis area.
UPDATE [10:25 p.m. ET]: Well, the rain has stopped, so that’s the good news. Now we’ll see if they can salvage this so we can get #BaseballAfterDark or if they’ll try to finish this tomorrow.
UPDATE [11:47 p.m. ET]: Ozzie Albies just struck out on a 1-2 pitch, we’re back underway. There’s still more rain set to hit the St. Louis area (according to local forecasts) so this could come down to who’s ahead after the fifth inning. We’ll see what happens! Join us in the game thread!
Chicago’s pursuit of Landon Thome may have just gotten a lot hotter. | Landon Thome/Instagram
When Jacob Gonzalez was removed from his game at Triple-A Charlotte on Friday — in a rather brusque manner, pulled off the field in the middle of a seven-run third inning for the Nashville Sounds — it seemed clear that a trade was in the offing.
Two hours later, word came through that the White Sox had swapped Gonzalez to the Pirates in exchange for the 34th pick in Saturday’s draft, which is Pittsburgh’s Competitive Balance pick for 2026. Also included in the trade is a swap of lefty relievers, with the White Sox shipping Brandon Eisert east for Triple-A hurler Jaden Woods.
Rumors are flying that the White Sox intend to select prep slugger Landon Thome, son of Hall-of-Famer Jim Thome. The signing bonus slot value for No. 34 is $2,897,400, which can’t be too far from the price it will take for Thome to eschew his commitment to Florida State University and begin his professional career with the White Sox.
The opportunity comes at a cost, as Gonzalez had broken out in a big way at Triple-A Charlotte this season. Chicago’s first-rounder in 2023 found a power stroke and offensive game that had largely eluded him in the first two seasons of his career, slashing .317/.419/.669 with 19 homers (tied for fifth in all of Triple-A, this despite playing in 28 games fewer than the league leader) and appearing at every position on the infield.
Gonzalez improbably forced his way up to Chicago with his preposterous slugging, but once there his offense sagged. Still, his 93 OPS+ was not far off of league average, and he managed 0.4 WAR in 30 games — basically the value of an average major-leaguer.
Eisert had a solid if underwhelming rookie season with the White Sox in 2025, pitching to a 4.39 ERA but appearing in 72 games to lead all Chicago pitchers. His 2026 has been fairly catastrophic, forcing the White Sox to yo-yo him between the big club and Charlotte; he ends his White Sox tenure with a 5.93 ERA over 25 games in 2026. His departure from the White Sox active roster will necessitate a call-up from Charlotte, to be announced by the team tomorrow.
Woods was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A in June, buoyed by a 3.16 ERA over 17 games. He’s continued to tame his prior wildness while at Triple-A, but the more advanced bats at that level have thus far found the lefty much more hittable, as his WHIP has jumped to 1.655 over his 10 games. At just 24, there is still a lot of potential in Woods, but he is unlikely to be a significant factor, or at least one contributing on the South Side soon, in 2026.
Thome is currently ranked at No. 33 on Keith Law’s draft board for the Athletic and No. 34 on the MLB Pipeline board, and is the second-ranked player in Illinois. He’s a shortstop but his MLB draft slot lists him as a 2B/3B — third base was where his father broke in to the bigs. Baseball America placed Thome on its All-America Second Team (the third time he’d been honored as a BA All-American).
The Burr Ridge native attended Nazareth Academy, where he was a teammate of Chicago’s second pick last draft (albeit in the second round), Jaden Fauske. Thome hit .533 with eight homers, 35 RBIs, 49 steals and had a 1.676 OPS during his senior year with the Roadrunners.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Allen Graves #22 of the Toronto Raptors plays defense during the game against the Boston Celtics on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Here are our grades after the Toronto Raptors fell to the Boston Celtics 83-80 in Summer League.
This was a massive debut for those who believed in Graves. The concerns about his athleticism and his lack of experience against elite competition quickly dissipated. Within the first five minutes of the game, Graves recorded four points, two rebounds, and one steal, while throwing down a contested dunk on a backdoor cut.
Graves authored a plethora of brilliant defensive moments, but three stuck out in particular, with two of them involving Chris Cenac Jr. as a dance partner. The first instance occurred in the first half, with Cenac attempting to face-up and take Graves one-on-one in the right corner. Graves got down into his defensive stance and poked the ball away as soon as Cenac made a move to the basket. Late in the second half, Graves smothered Cenac after he crossed half-court. Even with Cenac desperately trying to hold him off, Graves poked the ball loose before finishing the possession with a dunk.
A third example occurred when Graves turned the ball over as the inbounder. Instead of panicking, he walled up on defence, blocked the ensuing shot attempt, and got the possession back for the Raptors.
While Graves struggled with his three-point shot early in the game, he flashed a promising tendency to meet big moments. The 19-year-old hit two clutch three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, with the second triple extending Toronto’s lead to 75-71. The Raptors often had Graves in the corner, but when the game hung in the balance, the coaching staff involved the rookie in more pick-and-pop actions.
As someone who Raptors fans hope becomes an elite role player – for the 19th pick in the draft – Graves has an obvious engine that he supercharges during critical moments. During the final possession of the game, he was solely responsible for reviving the Raptors’ chances.
He’ll make a fascinating watch for the rest of Summer League.
Nate Bittle: A-
8 points, 10 rebounds, 6 blocks, 42.8 FG%, 40 3P%
Raptors fans are naturally going to show interest in Bittle, especially after recording six blocks by halftime. Toronto desperately needs size in its organization and the 23-year-old rookie offers that. Outside of the three-point volume, Bittle aesthetically moves and operates like Jakob Poeltl.
While Bittle didn’t look vertically or laterally intimidating, he consistently leveraged his size and IQ to make plays at the rim. Bittle’s three-pointer with less than two minutes in the game to put the Raptors up 72-71 was a great moment.
Jamarion Sharp: B+
0 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 4 blocks
There’s size and length in the NBA, and then there’s what Sharp has. At 7’5, the reigning G League Defensive Player of the Year has an undeniable presence on the floor. While Sharp didn’t get a chance to show any improvements to his offensive touch, he had no problems displaying what he does best – wreck havoc on the defensive end.
It’ll be fun to watch how Sharp progresses throughout the rest of the tournament.
Jaden Bradley: C
3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 11.1 FG%
Bradley was relied on for a significant amount of the ball-handling duties, likely benefiting from Alijah Martin missing the game due to knee soreness. Unfortunately, Bradley missed his first five shots. Bradley finally recorded his first points as a professional when he converted on an and-1 at the 3:58 mark of the third quarter.
The second-round rookie appeared to struggle against full-court pressure and the Celtics’ tenacious on-ball defence. However, Bradley has demonstrated an ability to navigate under pressure during his collegiate career, so expect him to improve as he gets more comfortable. Toss this one out and look forward to the next one!
Chucky Hepburn: C
11 points, 5 assists, 1 steal, 25 FG%, 11.1 3P%
Hepburn visibly looks comfortable with the ball in his hand, especially compared to his counterparts. He played at a pro-level pace and never felt rushed by defenders. The issue was when Hepburn attempted to put the ball in the basket. The most obvious path to rotational minutes on the main roster is as a three-and-D type of guard off the bench. Hepburn knocked down a much-needed triple with the Raptors down 52-51 near the end of the third quarter, but he’ll need to be more consistent for the rest of Summer League to carry good vibes into pre-season.
We remember him! Don’t be mad, Kurt, the umps will be your friends later. | Getty Images
You can read the dek, can’t you? If you can’t, well, an unfortunate series of events led to the Twins falling behind, and they just didn’t get the hits you’d hope for later. Inning-by-inning notes:
1: A scoreless first inning, but 24 pitches for Zebulon Matthews. He averages just a tick above six innings pitched per start, and the Twins have the highest bullpen ERA in baseball, so we’ll be watching this. Not closely or anything, we have bigger worries in life, just kinda watching it. Yes I am using the royal “we.” I’m the king of you.
Trevor Larnach with a leadoff double. In his first AB for the Twins since May 18th, Ryan Jeffers hits it to RF and Larnach moves up; another flyout by Kody Clemens scores Trevor. Nice small ball, kinda sorta. Josh Bell doubles and nothing comes of it except he gets to adopt a puppy after the game, doubles get you that. Twins 1-0
2: Now 42 for Zebby. Per Wiki, Matthews attended Smoky Mountain high school, so named because of the number of students who hotbox in the school’s parking lot.
Nothing going for the Twins either. I guess a bunch of the Twins HOFers are at the ballpark tonight, so there must be a ceremony of some sort this weekend. Get to a game if you can and bring a Sharpie, and see which intimate body part you can get Kent Hrbek to sign.
3: A two-out, four-pitch walk to the Angels’ fastest runner, Zach Neto. Maybe pitchers do this for a challenge, either that or it’s a prop bet. Neto doesn’t go anywhere, and his name makes me think of actor Jared Leto. Did you know that Jared Leto has a band, 30 Seconds to Mars, which is a terrible band name but they’ve sold 15 million albums? I didn’t know, either. See the things we learn together?
Luke Keaschall is HBP, and Larnach GIDPs. Ryan Jeffers BB. Clemens F7. I Zzz.
4: Funtimes with Zebby. A leadoff homer, a double, a runner advancing to third on a groundout, and a balk to score the runner. Since the balk rule is intended to prevent pitchers from using fakeouts to catch runners off base, and almost nobody steals home anymore, should a lone runner on third get to advance because of a balk? Seems odd. Anways, we losing now.
Bert Blylevn was scheduled to appear on the radio in the third inning, and finally shows up here with two outs, and sounds like his HOF dinner consisted of Turkey (Wild) with all the stuffing (ice cubes). Halos 2-1
5: A leadoff single for Wayne Meckler, and a bunt played badly by Royce Lewis, everybody’s safe. A duck fart to right loads ‘em up with no outs. I think Bert is jinxing Zebby. Nolan Schanuel singles, bases still loaded, nobody still out. Flyout to right RBI; then a 1-4-3. This could have been much worse; Bert could have jinxed it more by being even drunker (allegedly).
Tristan Grey with the leadoff single, but nothing comes of it. Grayson Rodriguez came into this game with an ERA of 8.06 and the Twins are making it a better ERA. I need more coffee. Angels Angels of Anaheim 4-1
6: Zebby still in there at 84 pitches; 10 pitches later, there’s a leadoff walk. Adell hits into the DP, then Oswald Peraza singles. Then Wade Meckler singled to right, sending Peraza to third; Meckler saw that second was uncovered and tried for two. The Twins nailed him. So Zebby escaped unharmed, wild!
Another double for Bell! He gets two puppies, or can trade those up for one iguana. A one-out infield hit by Lewis puts runners on the corners and chases starter Rodriguez. Samy Natera, one of their three good relievers, enters. RBI double by Brooks Lee! Austin Martin hits it deep enough to short to score the run. That’s all here, but at least the Twins didn’t waste their opportunities. Gene Autrys 4-3
7: Derek Shelton’s Magical Arm Barn brings in Andrew Morris; he gives up the leadoff single. Nothing else!
One-out Larnach facing a lefty takes a five-pitch walk. Radio says that one section has their shirts off and is chanting “let’s go, Trevor!” So that works. Ryan Jeffers doubles; RISP with one out. And… Clemens pops one straight up. Home run in a grain silo. Two outs. Bell hits it hard, but arcs it high, and that’s a flyout.
8: Morris gets a 1-2-3. All credit to the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District, because I was outdoors at dusk during this half-inning and didn’t get bit once. Usually, if there’s five people outside at dusk and I’m among them, I’m the only one who gets gnawed. The beasties love my blood content. No comment why.
Sam Bachman pitching for Them. Lee takes the one-out walk, nothing else good happens.
9: Travis Adams pitching for Twins. When a fly ball is hit to Trevor Larnach, radio guy Kris Atteberry says “Travis is all over it.” Those “Tr” names can be confusing.
The Twins have two walk-offs this year, can they make it three? It’s Kirby Yates, their best reliever. With one out, Trevor/Travis hits a double into the gap. 3-2 groundout by Jeffers; that gives Clemens the chance to make up for his popup in the seventh. He smacks one over 1B Nolan Schanuel’s head… and Schanuel jumps. Twins lose.
Studs of the game: Bell, Larnach, Lee, two doubles apiece. Morris and Adams, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K. Duds: Clemens, I guess, even though ill-timed popups do happen (and often are pitches a guy just missed). So scratch that; Duds go to Bert for Boozed Jinxing (allegedly), and the lone-guy-on-third Balk Rule.
Thanks to everybody who joined in! I know I’ve been kinda absent from GTs these last two years; it’s not because I don’t enjoy you folks, I just write alot for a hobby site and I’m usually writing at night. I’m with ya in spirit.
Tomorrow’s game is at 2:10, and features Their Ryan (Johnson) versus Our Ryan (Joseph Philip). Catch y’all next time!
His big night at the dish extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Baty shed light on the work behind the scenes, which has led to this offensive surge in his postgame news conference.
"I've been working a lot on approach and game planning beforehand... high velo machine work."
When asked about his mentality in the batter's box, Baty gave himself well-earned credit, responding that he is "up there hunting instead of being passive."
"He's turning into a dog out there," Mets interim manager Andy Green said of Baty. "He may take a bad swing, but it's not affecting his next swing."
"I'm really encouraged by the steps he's taken," the skipper concluded.
Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández will not be with the team when it visits the White House later this month to celebrate its 2025 title. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“I’m sure a lot of guys are going to participate and be there, and this is an individual choice,” Roberts said. “But I do expect a lot of our guys to be there.”
Scheduling conflicts when the Dodgers played the Nationals in Washington on April 3-5 pushed back the trip.
“This took a long time to get both sides together, and, honestly, like I’ve always said, my company line, my personal line is I hope that we get this invitation every year,” Dodgers manager Roberts said. “Because that’s the goal: to win a championship, to get this invitation to the White House. And I’m not a politician, and I’m doing something that teams have done for decades. And so that’s where I stand, really. I’m a baseball coach. That’s what I do.”
Back in 2019, Roberts suggested that he might not accept an invitation to the White House with Trump in office. But he did attend last year when the Dodgers celebrated their 2024 title.
Roberts said the Dodgers found out earlier this week that the White House visit had been scheduled.
“There was a lot of unknown,” Roberts said. “It’s an off day, and then how could we work this out logistically?”
That set off “a lot of phone calls, texts, and communication internally.”
Hernández’s injury rehab has moved along more quickly than Roberts initially expected. He landed on the injury list in late May after playing in just two games following offseason surgery on his left elbow.
“He looks normal,” Roberts said last weekend. “I’m not saying miraculous, but I’m really in disbelief how well he responded, given the injury.”
One of the most universal cliches in sports is that opportunities must be earned. Athletes are never just going to be handed things, and those who put in the most work tend to be rewarded.
While this is a necessary mindset for any player trying to reach the pinnacle of their respective sport, there is a line: It's impossible to earn opportunities if there is no opportunity to be had.
And that is the situation several young players in the Pittsburgh Penguins' organization are set to face when the puck drops for the upcoming 2026-27 season with the NHL roster as currently constructed.
And the only players from last year's mainstay roster they've subtracted? Other than goaltender Stuart Skinner, forwards Noel Acciari and Anthony Mantha plus defensemen Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea, who signed a five-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers.
As a result, there is even less room on the roster for young players like Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Avery Hayes, Tristan Broz, and Harrison Brunicke, all of whom are at or near the point where an extended stay in the NHL is best for their development. The only young player with a direct pathway to the roster is Sergei Murashov, who will likely be the second half of the goaltending tandem next season along with Arturs Silovs.
Right now - even without Robertson signed up to this point - the Penguins already have 13 forwards for their NHL roster, none of which are McGroarty, Koivunen, Hayes, or Broz. They also have four right-shot defensemen, none of which are Brunicke.
Of course, as mentioned before, simply just leaving those spots gift-wrapped for these young players isn't necessarily the best course of action, but neither is blocking them with legitimate upside NHL players who are already established. Once Robertson signs, there's next to no way he's not in the forward lineup. Lapierre could be a twelfth or thirteenth forward, but he's still an NHL player, as is Kuzmenko and every other forward who was on the NHL roster last season.
The same goes for the blue line. Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang are locks on the right side, and the same goes with Korczak. van Riemsdyk is a veteran who can play both sides and will probably feature somewhere on the left for the most part, but that's still a roster spot that won't be Brunicke's, especially with Carlisle, Girard, and Ilya Solovyov also options on the left.
All in all, Kyle Dubas has done a great job in his tenure with the Penguins with regards to balancing the need for keeping young players who have earned their NHL playing time - Ben Kindel is a prime example - and adding peripheral middle- and bottom-six players to bolster the NHL roster. It has also helped that, by and large, the young players weren't quite ready the past two seasons to make the jump to the NHL level on a more permanent basis.
Well, now they are - or, at least, almost all of these five will be at some point this season. All of them should be. But, without any open opportunity, barring injury, to crack the NHL roster out of camp with the roster as is, it's unlikely they'd all have a fair shot to end up sticking around next season.
With rumors swirling about Dubas, the Penguins, and the trade market, it’s entirely possible that they’ll move out some of the players on the NHL roster prior to the start of the season. Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are frequent subjects of trade speculation, and Tommy Novak, Justin Brazeau, and Karlsson have been brought up as well since they are all in the final year of their current contracts. So, if the Penguins move on from a few of their veterans, it will make way for at least a couple of the other guys to have a legitimate shot.
But, if not, there is a good chance that some of the Penguins’ prized youth will be stuck in limbo yet again, which could end up not only stunting their development but also frustrating them to an extent. That is the last thing the Penguins need as they attempt to rebuild their roster younger on-the-fly while their best veterans eventually age out.
There is still time for something to shift this summer. But Dubas and the Penguins need to get this right, and they have two more months to figure it out.
“It’s all love in Miami,” according to Tyler Herro.
The new Bucks guard was asked about his departure from the Heat after a physical altercation with Bam Adebayo — but before it was reported — and said both sides are “super happy” about their new situations.
The interview came during the Bucks-Heat NBA Summer League game, which Herro attended, and he interacted with multiple members of the Heat while taking in the game.
“It’s all love in Miami,” Herro said on the Prime Video broadcast. “I’ve seen a couple of the guys, coaching staff, Chris Quinn, [Erik Spoelstra], the front office guys; we are all good in Miami. Just an opportunity for both sides to reset, get a fresh start, and both are super happy with this.”
Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat look on against the Toronto Raptors during the second quarter at Kaseya Center on December 12, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images
Adebayo then walked up to Herro, punching him without hesitation.
According to The Athletic, one of Herro’s AAU coaches confronted the Heat center while Herro was being escorted from the scene by security personnel.
Adebayo also left on his own accord.
“We are aware and not commenting,” the Heat said in a statement to ESPN.
Tyler Herro of the Milwaukee Bucks attends a game between the Bucks and the Heat. NBAE via Getty Images
The Bucks had no comment.
Herro and Adebayo played on the Heat together for the last seven years, with no reports of a foul relationship.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) brings the ball up court against the New York Knicks during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The post was a graphic of players with the worst field goal percentage from midrange, with Antetokounmpo first on the list, shooting 26.8 percent. Adebayo was 10th, shooting 35.9 percent.
Direct messages were then also leaked that allegedly showed Herro talking poorly of Adebayo’s defense.
Herro did not specifically name-drop Adebayo in the alleged messages.
Julius Randle drives to the basket during the Timberwolves' November 2025 game.
LAS VEGAS — Julius Randle sees the similarity between joining these rebuilding Nets and when he first helped guide the Knicks from the lottery to the playoffs.
But this time he says he’s a better leader.
And a better player.
And better equipped to help this young team make that climb.
“There’s definitely similarities for sure,” said Randle, 31. “Each [situation] is different. It has its own different challenges. I’m definitely ready to step up to this one. This will be exciting. But it’s definitely similar.
“And for me, I have a lot more experience now than I did when I was that player. So I feel like from a leadership standpoint, I can help a lot more, just being through it and having that experience.”
The four-team trade that brought Randle — along with rookie Joshua Jefferson — became official on Friday.
Julius Randle drives to the basket during the Timberwolves’ November 2025 game against the Knicks. Charles Wenzelberg
Without control of their own pick, the Nets don’t intend for a third.
That’s why they added a floor-raiser like Randle, who has a $35.8 million player option for next season.
“They’re really excited to have me here. Jordi [Fernandez] is really excited. He feels like going into every game, we’ve got a chance to win every single game,” Randle said. “To have that confidence from your coach is amazing. … I get to come in and be a leader, show guys how to be a pro.
“We’re coming in trying to win. It’s as simple as that. However we can help give the younger guys experience and confidence and help them fast-track or whatever it is to contribute to winning basketball, that’s really all that matters. All I care about, at the end of the day, is winning, and I know that’s what those guys care about. If I can help give them that experience, great.”
Randle had less experience when he first came to New York in 2019-20, joining a Knicks team that was coming off a sorry 17-65 season.
Two years later they were 41-31 and fourth in the East.
The bruising forward became one of the league’s more reliable regular season scorers, before being the centerpiece in a trade that brought Karl-Anthony Towns.
Now, after Brooklyn suffered through consecutive lottery seasons to get rookie Mikel Brown Jr. and second-year guard Egor Dëmin, Randle can help them level up.
Whether he’s a Net long-term or is flipped again, he will help them.
Julius Randle moves the ball during the Timberwolves’ November 2025 game against the Knicks. Charles Wenzelberg
“He’s experienced being around many different teams and playing in the different levels of the different stages of the season and playoffs,” Dëmin said. “He brings an amazing knowledge. And he seems a great person.”
Randle averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 boards and five assists last season for Minnesota.
For a Nets team focusing indexing on playmakers and ball movement, Randle’s passing should accentuate Brown and Demin’s and play into that.
“I really enjoy getting guys going: pushing the pace, kick-aheads, opening the floor, getting to the paint, spraying the basketball,” Randle said. “It’s about us building our chemistry, knowing where guys like the ball, what spots they want the ball in, guys understanding me and what I’m looking for. It’s going to be fun.”
Randle’s exit from Minnesota was anything but, a three-point 1-of-8 nightmare in their playoff ouster after he had struggled down the stretch.
Many opined that he’d been distracted after his name surfaced in trade rumors for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But when asked Friday, Randle took the high road.
“It feels great to be here. It’s a great opportunity,” Randle said. “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.”
