SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 25: Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz is interviewed after the win against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 25, 2023 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 2023 NBAE (Photo by Chris Nicoll/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Few positions in the history of the NBA have more prestige and history than the center position for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Reading off the names of players who have anchored the paint in purple and gold is like listing off inner-circle Hall of Famers.
Mikan. Kareem. Wilt. Shaq. AD. All have title-winning legacies with the franchise and all were included among the top 75 players all-time in 2021. And that’s not even an extensive list.
Lining up at center for the Lakers carries pressure and expectation under any circumstance. But Walker Kessler, who the team officially announced on Wednesday, is going to have a lot of weight on his shoulders.
The top names on the market were restricted free agents and while the Lakers had the cap space to make teams sweat, they did not have the luxury of time. So, the Lakers calculated the risk and pushed their chips they’ve held so tightly to the middle of the table to acquire Kessler.
Two first round picks and two pick swaps later and Kessler was inked to a four-year deal that will pay him north of $30 million annually. It’s an enormous contract for a player but whose biggest accolade in the NBA so far is a spot on First Team All-Rookie in 2023.
No All-Star games. No All-NBA teams. No All-Defense teams. But, at still just 24 years old, it’s a gamble the Lakers felt was worth making, and it’s not hard to see why.
While he hasn’t received official honors for his defense, he’s widely regarded as one of the league’s best rim protectors. His 2.4 blocks per game career average is as good an indicator as any of his ability to defend the paint.
Players that have allowed the lowest rim FG% to opponents over the last 5 seasons…
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) July 2, 2026
Considering how much the Lakers struggled at defending the rim last season, that alone makes Kessler a welcome addition. He’s the type of big man who not only can deter shots in the paint, but will make defenses second-guess even attempting them.
It’s just as easy to see him meshing offensively as well. He has established himself as a great pick-and-roll big, able to finish at the rim or make plays out of the short roll. It’ll be the staple of the Lakers’ offense, no matter if it’s Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves running the show.
The questions come with whether Kessler’s game can translate on a bigger stage and in a bigger volume.
There’s a difference between doing it for 30 minutes per night with the Jazz and doing it for 30 minutes per night with the Lakers. Every team is now going to be scouting the Luka-Kessler pick and roll. Can he still produce at the same level of efficiency?
No longer can he hide in obscurity. The lights are a lot brighter in Los Angeles than they are in Salt Lake City. Some players are built to step up and some aren’t.
Pelinka and the front office made a gamble that he’s the former and not the latter and used all their remaining tradeable draft picks to do so. The core of this era of the Lakers will be Luka, Kessler and Reaves.
Whether that’s the core of a contending team will largely lie in the hands of Kessler being the center of the future. As much as the Lakers believe that to be the case, they need it to be true, or the Luka era could be doomed from the start.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 8: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 8, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite getting completely and totally blanked for the first six innings of this contest, the Atlanta Braves eventually broke through and ended up pulling off a 3-0 victory in an excellent pitching performance from Grant Holmes and Atlanta’s bullpen.
It would be an understatement to call this one a pitchers’ duel, as both starters were dominant for the period of time where they were out there. Grant Holmes successfully navigated his way through two trips through the order as he finished with just three hits allowed and one walk conceded across five innings of work and five strikeouts. The slider and cutter were both working pretty effectively for Holmes — everything was working, really, as Holmes picked up two strikeouts on the four-seamer and three on the slider.
The only time that Holmes ran into trouble was in the third inning, which is when he found himself with two runners in scoring position with two outs after he led off the inning hitting Henry Davis and then gave up a two-out single to Bryan Reynolds. Fortunately, Holmes was able to get Esmerlyn Valdez to pop up on a four-seamer and that was that for the scoring chance. That was as close as Pittsburgh got to scoring off of Holmes before he eventually exited the game with 90 pitches after five innings.
As good as Homes was, Jared Jones was better. Jones was just about untouchable against the Braves tonight, as he struck out eight batters without giving up a hit or a walk through six innings of work. Atlanta’s lineup couldn’t handle him at all, which is why it was probably a huge relief for the Braves once they saw Mason Montgomery walk out for the seventh inning.
The crowd in Pittsburgh disagreed with the decision and they voiced their disapproval after Ozzie Albies ended the combined perfect game bid with a looping single out to left to give the Braves their first hit and baserunner of the game. While Jones has been kind of easing back into things following elbow issues, it certainly took a lot of the neutral intrigue out of the game once it was clear that the Pirates weren’t going to let him go for the perfect game.
Either way, the Braves were unable to do anything with the baserunner in the seventh inning as Montgomery sat down the Braves in short order after the hit. However, Atlanta’s fortunes improved once the eighth inning rolled around and an old friend of Pittsburgh’s got a chance to do some damage against his old club.
Earlier in the game, Joey Bart came the closest to getting the Braves on the board after he hit a deep fly ball in the third inning that only made it to the warning track. The funny part is that despite the hard contact, Bart busted it out of the batter’s box because he knew this ballpark and knew that he probably didn’t get enough of it for a dinger. This time in the eighth inning, he did, in fact, get enough of it. Bart followed up Mike Yastrzemski’s double off the wall in right field with a 422-foot shoot to left-center in order to finally break the deadlock and put the Braves in the lead.
Thanks to Didier Fuentes and Dylan Dodd keeping the Buccos quiet once they entered in relief of Grant Holmes, that set the stage for Dylan Lee to enter the game and deliver another strong performance out of the bullpen. That set the stage for the Braves to add on some more insurance as Michael Harris II led off the ninth with a double and then Drake Baldwin cashed in Money Mike with an RBI knock to make it 3-0.
With the lead at three runs, it was now up to Raisel Iglesias to make it stick and get a tiny bit of redemption following his rare blown save on Monday. The first batter for Iggy is always crucial and this time, Iglesias struck out Esmerlyn Valdez to get the inning started on the right track. While Iglesias did end up walking a batter, the Pirates weren’t able to even get the tying run aboard and the Braves ended up taking the 3-0 shutout victory.
For a while, this sure seemed like teh Braves were going to be on the wrong side of history for a second night in a row. Instead, Atlanta took advantage of the pitching change and did enough damage to Pittsburgh’s bullpen while the Braves’ bullpen was back in great form as well. Grant Holmes pitching five great innings sure helped matters as well and the Braves were able to snap their losing streak at the earliest point to where you could call it a losing streak.
It’ll be a quick turnaround for everybody involved as the rubber match takes place tomorrow afternoon at 12:35 p.m. ET. The Pirates will turn to Mitch Keller while Bryce Elder will be making his return to the rotation for the Braves. Hopefully he can pick up where Grant Holmes and the rest of Atlanta’s pitching staff left off and we’ll see the Braves pick up a much-needed series win after a nice win on Wednesday evening.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 06: Mikel Brown Jr #0 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles by Nick Boyd #19 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of the California Classic at Golden 1 Center on July 06, 2026 in Sacramento, 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. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The California Classic is officially over and that California love is being spread the Brooklyn way. The lottery picks showed out. Mikel Brown Jr. looked like the real deal in his one game, while Egor Dëmin continues to evolve. Hard to argue anyone at that tournament was better than him — as discussed. Furthermore, Pooch returns.
Topics
Intro
Summer League: Mikel Brown Jr. & Egor analysis
Standouts, Drake Powell
The “Flatbush Five” discussion
Free Agency: Moe Wagner, Keon Ellis, and the frontcourt depth
Julius Randle: Culture building & the “Fringe All-Star” debate
Mailbag: Making a “big move” and the Eastern Conference landscape
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 07: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres advances home to score a run during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on July 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Arizona Diamondbacks (45-46) at San Diego Padres (45-46), July 8, 2026, 7:10 p.m. PST
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DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 3: Gabriel Hughes #43 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in his MLB debut in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on July 3, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies have a rare opportunity as they try to win a series on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies’ offense has been troublesome for the best team in baseball throughout the series, and after a narrow extra-inning loss on Monday and a comeback victory on Tuesday, Colorado looks to do it again tonight.
Gabriel Hughes (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his first career start after debuting against the San Francisco Giants last Friday. Hughes was excellent against the Giants in his debut, firing three scoreless innings to secure a save. He will have a tougher challenge this time out as he faces a dangerous Dodger offense. In nine starts in the minors this year, Hughes has a 4.71 ERA over 36.1 innings of work in that role. He has done excellent work pounding the zone, as evidenced by his 44 strikeouts against 12 walks. He’ll need to be mindful of hitting his spots and utilizing all of his pitches to challenge the Dodgers and avoid getting behind hitters, thus leaving mistakes over the plate.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers will send out Roki Sasaki (3-5, 5.40 ERA). It’s been a tough second season for Sasaki as he has experienced an up-and-down ride. He had one of his worst outings last Thursday when he gave up six runs on seven hits in a season-low three innings against the San Diego Padres. Sasaki has excellent stuff that can result in strikeouts, but he has struggled with his command and given up a lot of contact. He has been hit by the long ball lately, giving up seven home runs over his last four starts.
Gerrit Cole pitched into the seventh but the Yankees did not give him run support in their 3-0 loss to the Rays on Wednesday night.
The Yankees had six hits, all singles, and just could not string together enough hits against Tampa's pitchers. After striking out 17 times in the last two games, the Yankees struck out 11 times.
New York is now 5.0 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East.
Here are the takeaways....
-The Yankees had a chance in the second. With runners on first and third and one out, Max Schuemann laid down a safety squeeze, but Jasson Dominguez didn't get a good jump and the bunt was hit too hard back at Shane McClanahan. Dominguez was called out at the plate and the Yankees would not score.
Their next best chance came in the seventh. With runners on first and second and one out, Anthony Volpe struck out and a pinch-hitting Trent Grisham flew out to end the threat. New York was 0-for-4 with RISP and left four on base.
-Unlike the Yankees, the Rays did capitalize on an early opportunity. Yandy Diaz hit a one-out double that was nearly a homer in the third. Jonathan Aranda hit a single to Dominguez in right, but the outfielder's throw home was off the line, allowing Diaz to score. An on-target throw would have likely got Diaz out at the plate.
Aranda would drive in the game's second run with a one-out double in the fifth with two runners on. Gerrit Cole worked out of trouble to limit the damage, but allowed a third run in the seventh on an Aranda sac fly off of Fernando Cruz -- the runner on third was Cole's responsibility.
-Cole gave the Yankees exactly what they needed. He pitched 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out six batters. This is now two straight good starts for Cole after he allowed two runs across five innings on July 3 against the Twins. He tossed 97 pitches on Wednesday, his most since returning from Tommy John surgery.
-Paul Goldschmidt's struggles continued. He finished 0-for-4 and his hitless streak is now a career-worst 0-for-34. Volpe went 1-for-3 starting at short while Jose Caballero was also 1-for-3, and started at second.
-Manager Aaron Boone was tossed for the third time this season in the sixth. Home plate umpire Doug Eddings tossed bench coach Brad Ausmus first, and then Boone was thrown out for defending Ausmus. It seemed like the Yankees were miffed when they were not allowed to challenge an out call when Caballero was thrown out at second on a steal attempt.
Game MVP: Jonathan Aranda
Aranda drove in all three of the Rays' runs
What's next
The Yankees and Rays complete their four-game set on Thursday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m.
The Yankees have yet to announce a starter, while the Rays will send Drew Rasmussen (7-4, 2.78 ERA) to the mound.
LeBron James is still not ready to make his next move.
According to Shams Charania, a decision on where James will play next season is not expected soon, leaving the NBA’s free agent market stuck in a waiting game that could stretch for weeks.
LeBron James’ free agency decision reportedly could take weeks, leaving teams and the NBA market waiting on his next move. London Entertainment / SplashNews.com
James plans to spend this week with family and friends while continuing to weigh his options for his record 24th NBA season. That means the teams still involved in the chase may have to keep operating in limbo while the league’s biggest free agent takes his time.
The field also appears to be narrowing.
Vanity Fair Photographs LeBron James and His Family at Their Los Angeles Home, in October Issue
Charania reported that the Denver Nuggets have been removed from James’ list of potential destinations. That leaves five teams still connected to the sweepstakes: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors.
Each option comes with a different kind of appeal.
Cleveland offers the full-circle ending, Miami offers history and familiarity. Minnesota offers a ready-made contender built around Anthony Edwards. Joining Stephen Curry in Golden State offers the wildest basketball theater with two heated rivals on one team
Philadelphia has emerged as one of the more intriguing teams, with the Sixers reportedly making a serious pitch around a win-now core.
LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings NBAE via Getty Images
But none of that appears to be forcing James into a quick decision.
Rich Paul recently suggested the process would not move quickly, saying he did not think a decision would happen “anytime soon” or within the next few days.
That tracks with Charania’s latest reporting, which makes clear the NBA may be waiting on James longer than they would prefer as James decides which offers the closest thing to “complete happiness”
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a picture with his family at the end of the game, (L-R) Bronny James, Bryce James, Zhuri James Savannah James and Gloria James Getty Images
That is the difficult part for the rest of the market. James may be 41, but he remains the biggest domino available. Even at this stage of his career, he can change a team’s ceiling, alter the balance of power in either conference and force rival front offices to adjust their own plans.
The Warriors, Cavaliers, Heat, Sixers and Timberwolves can all make their cases.
James, though, still controls the clock.
And for now, the NBA is still waiting.
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ESPN Reporter Tim Bontemps attends the game between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers on January 15, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
From the press box to the executive suite.
Former ESPN NBA writer and New York Post reporter Tim Bontemps is taking a role with the Hawks’ front office as a strategic advisor, he confirmed Wednesday.
The new position will see Bontemps report to the team’s president of basketball operations, Onsi Saleh.
“It’s something I’ve thought about for a while, but I never knew if I’d have a chance to do or the right thing would come along. I’m very grateful and appreciative for Onsi to give me a chance to try to help a little bit,” Bontemps said.
ESPN reporter Tim Bontemps attends the game between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers on January 15, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NBAE via Getty Images
“I had a dream job at ESPN. … I certainly wasn’t trying to go anywhere. I was only going to leave if it was a really awesome thing that came up and I got very fortunate that this is a very cool thing and so we’re going to move to Atlanta.”
Bontemps started his journalism career with The Post and covered the Nets during his time at the paper before covering the NBA for the Washington Post and later going to the Worldwide Leader.
Bontemps had been heavily focusing on team strategy, player movement and league trends during his latter coverage of the league at ESPN, in addition to appearing on the network’s shows and digital assets.
Atlanta is coming off a season in which it was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the Knicks after going 46-36 in the regular season.
Leadoff batter Anthony Seigler and cleanup hitter Willson Contreras both had to exit the Boston Red Sox's game against the Chicago White Sox before Wednesday night's game was even three innings old.
Seigler was hurt in the top of the third inning due to a collision with White Sox catcher Kyle Teel. Seigler scored on a wild pitch, but remained down after colliding with Teel and appeared to be in considerable pain.
He was replaced at second base by Andruw Monasterio.
Contreras fouled a ball off his foot in the same at-bat in which Seigler was hurt.
Willson Contreras has exited the game for the Red Sox after fouling a ball off his foot pic.twitter.com/jIjXAPx28w
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 9, 2026
He flied out to center to end the inning and eventually exited in the bottom of the third when the Red Sox returned to the field. He was limping heavily when he exited.
Both Willson Contreras and Anthony Seigler are out of the game. Incredibly bad luck.
Contreras was limping heavily out at first base before pulling himself. Last time we saw him during the first half? pic.twitter.com/vOyZMuZcri
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 08: Dylan Cease #84 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on from the dugout against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the eighth inning at Oracle Park on July 08, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Baseball has a funny way of sticking with you. Some plays, some moments, some games, some players, just latch onto certain segments of your brain and I’m not fit to diagnose why.
I’ve consumed thousands and thousands of San Francisco Giants games in my life. Some through paper box scores, and others through digital ones; many through the speakers of my bright yellow boombox that my parents got me in my youth, and many more through god knows how many different car stereos; some I watched on TV, some I watched on a computer, and some I watched on my phone; a few were in person, and plenty have been followed through social media or the play-by-play data online.
And I’ve forgotten most of them, of course. Countless memorable games and can’t-miss highlights that have been labeled as you won’t ever forget that have been, ironically, thrown out in my annual spring cranial cleaning.
What we forget is rarely weird. What we remember, however, always seems so strange.
I remember, for instance, July 2, 2013 vividly. The Giants, seeking to repeat as champions, were mired in quite a slump. A once promising season had fallen by the wayside. They’d lost five of their last six games, and scored one run in three of their last four. They were flailing and feckless. They were inventing new ways to lose.
In a word, they were pathetic.
I was in Yosemite on that day, spending time with my parents for the first time since I had moved out and attempted to start life as an adult. There’s a cafeteria/bar/pizza parlor/patio in the valley, where we would stay on our then annual vacations, and they throw sports on the television, which is quite good of them. In 2013, the glorious pre-streaming era, they played the Giants, because the Giants were on the station they got.
And so I wandered with my dad to check in on the Giants game, eager for a glorious battle between Tim Lincecum and Homer Bailey. Excited for a chance for the Giants to right the ship. The game was only a few innings in when we got there, and we weren’t planning on staying long.
But I had to stay and catch the first hit. My dad, less patient, wandered back to the cabin. Every now and then I’d roam back between innings to fill him in: still no hit. Occasionally he’d meander back to the cafe and poke his head in: still no hit.
Finally and mercifully, the game ended. Nine no-hit innings by Bailey. I remember remarking, I think to my dad but perhaps just in my head, that at least the Giants had finally hit rock bottom. A brutal June swoon that began with getting blown out in both halves of a June 1 doubleheader had reached it’s climactic moment. The Giants had been bounced off the bottom of the riverbed, and had nowhere to go but up. They had been no-hit, and things could not, and would not, get worse.
I was thinking about that game today, as the Giants lost 10-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays. The thought first popped up in the third inning, when Dylan Cease struck out Bryce Eldridge, Drew Gilbert, and Eric Haase in dominant fashion, ending his first turn through the order with emphasis. It was perhaps too early to contemplate a no-hitter, especially given that the Giants, for all their woes, possess baseball’s fifth-best batting average. They struggle to spin hits into runs, and really struggle to spin runs into wins, but they do get their dinks and their doinks and their grab bag of miscellaneous singles.
But Cease cruised through the fourth on just nine pitches. And while a two-out walk drawn by Willy Adames broke up a perfect game in the fifth inning, Cease’s immediate rebuttal — overpowering Eldridge for another strikeout — made it clear that the other historic bid remained intact.
It was hilariously emblematic of the Giants season that Logan Webb was matching Cease bar for bar, but only after stalling out of the starting gates. Webb allowed back-to-back singles to open the game, followed them up with a one-out walk and a single to score a run, and then ceded the first grand slam of his career to Kazuma Okamoto.
By that point the had thrown 25 pitches, allowed five runs, and retired one batter. And then, in typical Webb fashion, he retired the next 13 batters consecutively, and needed just 46 pitches to do so. In all, Webb would make it through seven innings, giving up just a single and a walk after that fated stretch to open the game.
Cease, meanwhile, would not live up to his verb comprising his surname. He gave in with another walk in the sixth — this time a leadoff bases on balls to Gilbert — then struck out Haase, struck out Ramos, and induced a weak groundout from Luis Arráez. The no-hitter watch was well and firmly on.
It highlighted how useless the offensive display was — and how dominant the pitching was — that no one started to question the no-hitter until the seventh inning, when it became apparent that Cease was headed for squeamish manager pitch count territory, which wasn’t helped by his third walk of the game, this time to Rafael Devers. But he worked through it, and entered the eighth inning with a no-hitter intact.
In that frame, he got the two things he needed: a nine-pitch inning, and a highlight play from his defense. The former was necessary for John Schneider to feel comfortable sending his ace out to finish the job. The latter — a 396-foot fly ball from Eldridge that Daulton Varsho tracked down — was mandatory for the no-hitter. According to rule 109.3 in the Big Book of Baseball Rules, and I quote, “Every no-hitter must feature at least one (1) highlight defensive play in which you think a hit will be achieved, but it is instead stolen by a defender, resulting in a pitcher celebration that serves as the first on-field acknowledgement of the historical achievement at hand, and which will be uploaded to MLB’s YouTube channel within 30 minutes of the final out, to be replayed in perpetuity by millions of fans, at least 5,000 of which, annually, will be mandated to claim that they were in attendance even though they were not.”
At that point, the no-hitter felt like a given. The Blue Jays had their play. Cease had made it through eight innings with only one scare, only four balls hit harder than 90 mph, and 11 strikeouts.
But the Giants had a cheeky trick up their sleeves. They had tried everything to knock Cease out of rhythm: taking pitches, swinging at pitches, looking blankly at pitches, making jokes while watching pitches go by them … you name it, they’d tried it. But late in the game they tried a new tactic: ice him out.
It started in the top of the eighth inning, when Spencer Bivens replaced Webb, and an oh-so-long inning ensued. Bivens loaded the bases with one out, and then induced a double play ball, only to watch as Devers flat out dropped a pitch thrown right to his chest. A run scored, the inning lived on, and then another run scored on a single. They had kept Cease, now into triple figures with his pitch count, sitting in the dugout for a long time.
Was it any coincidence that when he took the mound in the eighth, he immediately threw a pitch that Eldridge tattooed deep into the night, even though it was ultimately caught?
Apparently the Giants didn’t think so, because they doubled down on their efforts in the ninth inning, with a man who has been honing this craft all season: Ryan Walker. If a laboriously long inning is what Tony Vitello is after, then he knows just the man to call. And indeed, Walker took his time issuing a leadoff walk to Nathan Lukes, then followed it up with back-to-back home runs issued to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer, both on teed-up hangers placed perfectly into the wheelhouse of the respective sluggers.
Walker mixed in a single and a few other long counts, ultimately throwing 28 pitches in the inning, the perfect amount of time for Cease to sit, grow cold and stiff and bored, and then get called on once again.
This time it worked. Cease took the mound for the ninth inning, and the third pitch he threw caught too much plate, with too little movement. Ramos jumped on it, lining it sharply into center field.
The no-hit bit was over, and it honestly felt anticlimactic. You almost found yourself rooting for a little bit of history. Maybe it’s the memory of Chris Heston influencing me, but there’s something magical about how a no-hitter stands as an outlier in a player’s performance, which allows it be viewed as separate from a run of the mill great outing. Great pitchers throw them, yes, but mediocre pitchers throw them as well. Sometimes players throw a no-hitter, and the next week get rocked. It feels less like a sustainably great performance by a sustainably great player, and more like the sport’s version of an eclipse: a perfect confluence of magic, skill, luck, and destiny bestowed upon a pitcher some random weekday from the baseball deities.
But eight innings of one-hit ball by an ace who was available this winter but the Giants didn’t even try to sign, followed by three quick outs from Tyler Rogers, an elite reliever who was available this winter but the Giants didn’t even try to sign? Well, that just feels like a baseball team that’s run better than yours and coached better than yours, using their players who are better than yours to win.
And with that, the Giants fell to 16 games below .500 for the first time in eight years. It wasn’t a no-hitter like the one Bailey painted all those years ago, but it sure feels like rock bottom all the same.
Then again, the day after Bailey no-hit them 13 years ago, the Giants got walked off in the 11th inning, and would lose six of their last seven. So maybe it’ll get even worse.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 3, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) pitches against the San Diego Padres in the first inning at Dodger Stadium on July 3, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ longest homestand of the year — 10 games — to take them into the All-Star break features all National League West opponents. First came the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies to Los Angeles, and now the Arizona Diamondbacks are in town for a three-game series beginning Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles really distanced itself from the division in June, and Arizona has lost 10 of 16 games entering Wednesday night.
Shohei Ohtani takes the mound in his final pitching start before the All-Star break. He’s lasted at least six innings in 13 of his 14 starts this season, including each of his last six starts, averaging 6.12 innings per start this season with a sparkling 1.79 ERA and 2.70 xERA.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 20: Victor Mederos #58 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates defeating the Miami Marlins 9-1 at loanDepot park on May 20, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Prior to today’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Atlanta Braves recalled right-handed pitcher Victor Mederos and optioned lefty Conner Thomas to Triple-A.
Mederos appeared in one game back in late May for Atlanta, covering two innings in a victory against the Miami Marlins. He had pitched in a dozen games across three seasons with the Los Angeles Angels prior to his Braves debut. Thomas appeared for the Braves last night, allowing four runs in 3.2 innings pitched in his debut with Atlanta.
The Braves continue to churn pitchers on an almost daily basis. On a related note, the team’s transaction page shows the Carlos Carrasco has resigned on a minor league deal again.
Mederos has had middling results with Gwinnett this year, but can cover multiple innings, when needed.
FILE – Mark Cuban talks with reporters after an event at the White House, May 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
Mark Cuban is accusing Dallas Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont of freezing the team’s former majority owner out of business opportunities in a proposed move of the club out of downtown, according to a newspaper report.
The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday that Cuban alleges Dumont has engaged in “adversarial business practices” in his bid to move the team about 10 miles north of downtown to the former site of a Dallas mall.
A Mavericks spokeswoman told The Associated Press the team wouldn’t comment. Cuban didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mark Cuban talks with reporters after an event at the White House, May 18, 2026, in Washington. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
The billionaire businessman sold his majority stake in 2023 to the families of Miriam Adelson and Dumont, who is Adelson’s son-in-law.
Cuban said he had an agreement to continue running basketball operations, but Dumont gave former general manager Nico Harrison full control of the basketball side.
The newspaper reported that Cuban said in the filing he was unaware of Harrison’s plan to trade superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025 until it was too late to object and call off the trade.
The shocking trade backfired on the Mavericks, and Harrison was fired in November after the team’s slow start to the 2025-26 season.
Cuban owns 27% of the Mavericks, but the newspaper reported there is a clause in the purchase agreement that the Adelson and Dumont families can buy another 20% of Cuban’s stake.
The filing by Cuban comes a little more than a month after the Mavericks signed an option agreement to purchase approximately 104 acres in north Dallas, part of a plan to build an arena that would open in 2031.
The Mavericks’ lease at American Airlines Center expires in 2031. The team has been downtown since it debuted as an expansion franchise in 1980.
Cuban said his businesses were “contractually entitled to participate” in the move to the new site, which the filing describes as “a unique investment opportunity.”
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 22: Jordan McLaughlin #0 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz on January 22, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Alex Goodlett/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Spurs’ team for the 2026/27 season is mostly set. San Antonio extended Julian Champagnie’s contract, brought back Harrison Barnes, signed Tobias Harris in free agency, and added two rookie big men from the draft. All those moves got them close to the tax line and filled up 13 of the 15 roster spots available.
With the big transactions out of the way, all that’s left is deciding what to do with those two last roster spots. The Spurs could go in different directions there, so let’s take a look at some of their options.
The continuity path: Jordan McLaughlin and Bismack Biyombo
Arguably the least exciting path, but we are talking about the fringes of the roster, so there’s nothing wrong with making choices that focus on stability instead of upside
McLaughlin arrived in the De’Aaron Fox trade and impressed the Spurs enough that they brought them back on a minimum contract for the 2025/26 season. He suited up for 44 games, mostly in garbage time, but on the opportunities he got, he showed he can be a good deep bench guy who provides solid game management and steady spot-up shooting. The 30-year-old is a finished product, but he can play and fits San Antonio’s culture.
Unlike J-Mack, Biyombo shouldn’t really see the floor unless a game is decided at this point in his career. His athleticism is gone, and he was never known for his skill. What he brought to the table last season was leadership, as he was clearly respected by everyone in the locker room, including Victor Wembanyama. With how many big bodies the Spurs have, he could continue to be more of a coach than a player.
McLaughlin would likely command a guaranteed minimum deal, like last season, while Biyombo could likely be had for a partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed minimum.
The maximum depth path: sign the best veterans available
Signing the best talent available might seem like the obvious best choice, but the Spurs don’t really have a lot of minutes to offer, so the expectations of anyone coming in should be managed to avoid any potential locker room issues. Guys like McLaughlin know how things work in San Antonio. A talented veteran who is trying to get his career back on track or end it on a high note might want a bigger role than Mitch Johnson can offer them. But if Johnson is open to having everyone but the core guys earn their minutes through competition, it could work.
Now, we are talking about players who would take the minimum or close to it, since that’s all the Spurs can offer, which rules out any big names. But guys like Bruce Brown, Jordan Clarkson, or Cole Anthony, among others, could be in play. They would probably prefer a destination where minutes are readily available, but if they are assured they will have a chance to earn them, they could be interested in being in a contender.
Those guys could carve out small roles for themselves, but could also be unhappy if they don’t end up doing so. There is some risk attached to them, but they could help in case of an emergency.
The youth and upside path: no one over 25 allowed
Essentially, the opposite of the continuity path. The Spurs have their main guys, and with Barnes back and the Harris addition, they have their veterans. Why not use the last roster spots to try to find the next Champagnie?
A simple way to do it would be to canvas the undrafted free agent and G League talent pools. Summe League is perfect for it. While most teams would likely only offer Exhibit 10 (training camp) contracts, the Spurs could be more aggressive and offer a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed standard contract to someone who shines. At this point, it’s hard to come up with a lot of names, but there are always standouts. San Antonio has a lot of youth already on the main roster, but they have a good developmental system in Austin that they can always rely on.
The issue with this direction is that it both hurts the overall reliable depth of the team, as by nature the signings would be somewhat risky and target players who could develop into but are not currently NBA talents, while also costing money and flexibility. And most projects don’t turn into Champagnie. Still, if the Spurs think they can get the veterans they are interested in to wait until after Summer League is over, they could be patient before making their signings and potentially use one or both of their spots on young players with potential.
The savings and flexibility path: keeping a roster spot open
Teams are allowed to carry just 14 players on their roster, so there’s no need for the Spurs to sign two more guys. They could simply elect to add someone and keep an open spot heading into the season, something they’ve done in the past.
The reason for doing that is to maintain some roster flexibility. They don’t have much room under the tax to take on money for assets, but they could do a two-for-one deal or eventually convert a two-way contract into a standard one without having to waive anyone. They could also have a spot in case someone they’re interested in gets waived. Essentially, they’d save up some money that otherwise would be going to someone unlikely to contribute until they feel they can find the right use for the spot.
The downside is the Spurs wouldn’t be able to add depth at two positions in this scenario. They would have their two-way guys to help in case of emergency, so anything other than major absences shouldn’t present a major problem, but there’s a case to be made for having a set roster that can work together and develop chemistry heading into the season. It would also be unwise to use the one roster spot with someone like Biyombo, who only provides leadership, instead of likely focusing more on potential productivity.
What path do you think the Spurs should pick? Could they mix and match, going for a veteran and a young player? What are some names you would like to see them pursue? Let us know in the comments.
