SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 10: Heliot Ramos #17 of the San Francisco Giants rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Sunday, May 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants have had their fair share of bad injury news this year, but on Wednesday they got some good news on that front: Heliot Ramos is nearing a return. The Giants All-Star outfielder, who has been sidelined since mid-May, should be wearing a Giants jersey again soon.
Prior to Wednesday’s walk-off win over the Athletics, Giants manager Tony Vitello said that Ramos could potentially return this weekend, when the Giants host the Atlanta Braves. Ramos started a rehab assignment with AAA Sacramento on June 17, and has appeared in five games for the River Cats, hitting 6-19 with a home run, three walks, and seven strikeouts.
While Ramos’ return will be a welcome sight for the Giants, no one’s entirely sure how the Giants will make the roster work once he’s back. In Ramos’ absence, Casey Schmitt has moved from the infield to left field, where he’s been essentially an everyday player. Schmitt has been one of the team’s best hitters, and leads the Giants in home runs, so it’s not like they can move him out of the lineup to facilitate Ramos.
One possible solution was hinted at during Tuesday’s AAA game, when Ramos played right field for the first time since 2024. With Harrison Bader still sidelined, and neither Drew Gilbert nor Jonah Cox running away with the center field role, could the Giants shift Jung Hoo Lee back to the middle of the grass, and play Ramos in right field, while keeping Schmitt in left field? That’s certainly the best offensive arrangement the team can come up with, though the defensive arrangement is more befitting an October haunted house than an October baseball dream.
Of course, if Luis Arráez’s recent injury lingers, that could temporarily solve the problem, with Schmitt moving to second base, and Ramos slotting in at left field once more. We’ll just have to wait and see.
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants conclude their series with the Athletics this afternoon at 12:45 p.m. PT.
It feels SOOOO good to put Dansby Swanson’s name first on the Cub Tracks page! Tuesday night, he had a two-run home run and an RBI double, followed by a three-run homer and a grand slam in Game 1 Wednesday afternoon. In his last five games (through Game 1 of the doubleheader), Swanson is 8-for-18 with four homers, 14 RBI and only two strikeouts. Here’s hoping that Swanson has found some magic in that bat.
In Tuesday’s game, PCA hit his 17th HR, extending his on-base streak to 24 games and his hitting streak to 11.
Michael Busch’s two-run home run Wednesday increased his team-leading RBI to 44.
I don’t want to gripe and worry about injuries at this moment — that’s done below. The Cubs have won eight of their last 11 games, so I’m just going to enjoy this mini-offensive resurgence.
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Wednesday’s Game 1 stories (Game 2 will be in the next Cub Tracks):
Josh Davis (Clutch Points): Cubs LHP returns to mound for 1st time since setback. “Chicago Cubs left-handed pitcher Justin Steele started throwing activities on Monday for the first time since his UCL injury setback.”
Matt Sullivan (Just Baseball): Why Would the Chicago Cubs Trade Seiya Suzuki? “The right fielder is a top offensive weapon for the Cubs, so why even think of moving him to a different team?”
Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports.com): Should the Cubs Move to a Six-Man Rotation in 2026? “A Chicago Cubs’ six-man rotation continues to be a common discussion as the 2026 season progresses.” (This was before Brown and Cabrera went on IL, but an interesting topic nevertheless.)
Lemon Henry “Blind Lemon” Jefferson was an American blues and gospel singer-songwriter and musician. He was one of the most popular and successful blues singers of the 1920s and has been called the “Father of the Texas blues”.
Due mainly to his high-pitched voice and the originality of his guitar playing, Jefferson’s performances were distinctive. His recordings sold well, but he was not a strong influence on younger blues singers of his generation, who could not imitate him as easily as they could other commercially successful artists. Later blues and rock and roll musicians, however, did attempt to imitate both his songs and his musical style.
Jefferson had an intricate and fast style of guitar playing and a particularly high-pitched voice. He was a founder of the Texas blues sound and an important influence on other blues singers and guitarists, including Lead Belly and Lightnin’ Hopkins.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Taylor Walls #6 of the Tampa Bay Rays slides into second base before Michael Massey #19 of the Kansas City Royals can make the tag after hitting a double in the fourth inning of a game at Tropicana Field on June 24, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star talked about how Jac Caglianone’s error on Wednesday night turned out to be rather costly.
On Wednesday, the Royals got behind early. A costly error and some well-timed execution doomed the Royals in a 5-3 loss. In the third inning, the Rays scored two runs on an ill-advised throwing error from Royals first baseman Jac Caglianone.
Wednesday marked the 5th straight game that Bobby Witt Jr. was sitting out, here is Brian Murphy’s update
Witt was not in the club’s starting lineup for Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field, marking the fifth straight game he has been on the bench since suffering a Grade 1 MCL sprain during Thursday’s win over the Cardinals.
Witt has gone through on-field drills while wearing a knee brace before each of the team’s first three games against the Rays and said Wednesday that his knee has “been better every day.” He also said that he would be available off the bench if needed, but he ultimately did not play.
“We have to understand what the brace is going to do and how he feels,” Quatraro said Wednesday. “That communication with Bobby is paramount.”
Speaking of injured Royals, Kris Bubic made his first rehab assignment appearance last night in Omaha, here is what Jared Greenspan had to say.
Royals left-hander Kris Bubic resumed his rehab assignment with a 1-2-3 first inning for Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday night.
Bubic needed just eight pitches to retire the side in order against Triple-A Columbus. He mixed in four pitches and topped out at 92.7 mph with his four-seam fastball.
Bubic first landed on the IL on May 18 (retroactive to May 15) after experiencing left elbow soreness following his May 14 start against the White Sox. Though Bubic expected his IL stint to be a short one, he suffered a setback following his first rehab start on June 9 when he experienced shoulder soreness.
David Shields has struck out 10 batters in each of his last two starts; here is what Anne Rogers said about the Royals prospect.
Kendry Chourio, the club’s No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 74 overall, is just 18 years old and made his debut with High-A Quad Cities last week. His promotion reunited him with David Shields, who is 19 years old and the Royals’ No. 4 prospect.
Together, Chourio and Shields are two of just nine pitchers in their age-19 season or younger to reach High-A or better this year.
Shields has spent the entire season with Quad Cities, making 13 starts and pitching to a 4.03 ERA, which ranked fifth in the Midwest League entering Tuesday’s series opener. After posting a 2.38 ERA with Single-A Columbia last year and being named the Royals’ Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year, the lefty was eager to take the next step in High-A and face the challenges that have come with it.
The MLB trade deadline is coming up; here is the risks Mike Gillespie at Royals Keep says the Royals shouldn’t take.
With the Cole Ragans news from the other day, Kevin O’Brien of Royals Keep thinks the deadline plan is clearer.
Dansby Swanson has had a really tough year, however he did just drive in 15 runs against the Mets.
The Phillies keep snatching victory from the Nationals at the very last moment, Derek Hill (remember his homer off Strahm as a White Sox player?) this time did the damage.
The Paul Goldschmidt renaissance continues, this time against Tarik Skubal.
The Royals have lost in some rather sucky ways this year, but the Angels walk-off against Baltimore yesterday might’ve taken the cake.
Dodgers Mookie Betts hit his 300th career homer yesterday
The 2026 NBA Draft ended last night, here is all the picks
Your song of the day I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigner
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies watches the flight of his two-run home run in the first inning during a regular season game against the Athletics at Las Vegas Ballpark on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies are known for playing their home games in the most notoriously hitter-friendly environment in Major League Baseball, Coors Field. Despite the introduction of the humidor in 2002 reducing the number of home runs hit there, Coors Field has sat atop park factors leaderboards since its opening in 1995.
This season, however, the Rockies are doing something they have never done before in the entire history of the franchise: Scoring just as many runs on the road as they do at home.
In 40 home games, the Rockies have scored 181 runs.
In 41 away games, they’ve scored 187 runs.
In every previous season of their existence, the Colorado Rockies scored many more runs at home than on the road. They have never come particularly close to breaking even. In 2009, the Rockies scored 75 more runs at home than they did on the road, which is the only non-shortened season where that number was less than 95.
Let’s put this another way.
The only season in Rockies history that they scored less than a full run more per game at home versus away was the aforementioned 2009. That year, they managed a measly 0.93 more runs per game at home.
Halfway through the 2026 season, the Rockies are scoring 0.01 fewer runs per game at home than they are on the road. That’s essentially dead even.
The Rockies are scoring the third most road runs per game but, it hasn’t come with the expected relationship to runs at hitter-friendly Coors Field. What’s accounting for this difference is a bit hard to pin down. On the surface, Rockies hitters appear to still be producing better at home with a triple slash of .265/.334/.423 compared to .242/.313/.398 on the road.
The shape of that production, however, is composed differently. At Coors the Rockies are hitting more doubles and triples but significantly fewer home runs (39) than they are when on the road (47). Unlike overall runs scored, this road homer dominance is not entirely unprecedented since the 2006 Rockies ended the season with seven more homers on the road than they had at home.
No hitter has contributed more to these strange splits than Hunter Goodman. Coming into Wednesday’s game Goodman had hit .198/.279/.405 at Coors compared to .282/.340/.604 elsewhere, good for a 96 point swing in his wRC+ between the two. Among the teams other regulars, both TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston are also hitting a bit better on the road, but no one comes close to matching Goodman’s splits.
Conclusions
Ultimately, what folks will want to know is why has this happened so far and is it likely continue? Sadly, the best answers to those questions I’ve been able to come up with are an unconvincing “luck” and a non-committal “probably not.”
It’s not as if Coors Field has suddenly turned into a pitcher’s park. The Rockies are still allowing more runs at home (6.07) than they are on the road (5.27). Taking a look at Baseball Savant’s Park Factors leaderboards for specifically 2026 shows that Coors Field has been slightly overtaken by the Athletics Sutter Health Park, but it is still near enough to the top that the sample size of a half season isn’t enough to draw real conclusions from.
Part of the answer can be attributed to the Rockies having gotten the opportunity to play three away games in the open air minor league Las Vegas Ballpark. If we removed all three of the Las Vegas games, the Rockies road scoring would no longer slightly outpace their home scoring, but it would still be by far the smallest gap in franchise history at only 0.471 more runs per game scored at home.
At the time of writing this, I have not found a convincing answer as to what, if anything, has changed to cause this shift. Unless Warren Schaeffer reveals some heretofore unknown road batting preparation method new to 2026, changes to the way the ball is moving are discovered, or (knock on wood) some new gambling scandal is uncovered, all previous precedent indicates that these home/road splits will not continue into the second half.
If they do, this will almost certainly go down as the most abnormal offensive season in Rockies history.
In a reversal of the first game of the series on Tuesday, the Bees (LAA) walloped the Isotopes.
What began as a close one run game for the first six innings descended into a blowout with a seven run implosion during Luke Adams’ second inning of work in the sixth. That poor outing overshadowed four shutout innings from Tanner Gordon in his first rehab start since being sidelined with a hip injury at the end of May.
While the Isotopes lineup wasn’t able to get across many runs in the end they did manage to work the count quite a bit against the Bee’s pitching staff. Each of Adael Amador and Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) earned two walks and Jordan Beck (on a rehab assignment) drew another three. The problem was a lack of contact as the entire order only managed four singles while doubling that number of strikeouts.
A second rough outing in a row from Jackson Cox (No. 16 PuRP) let the Sea Dogs (BOS) jump out to a lead in the fourth inning that the Yard Goats were never able to come back from.
Cox, in his third start at Double-A, struck out five over his first three scoreless innings. In the fourth he hit the first batter he faced, walked the next, tossed a wild pitch to let the runners advance, and then proceeded to allow four hits and another walk before being pulled having only recorded a single out in the inning. Cox would be followed up by Cade Denton and Michael Prosecky (No. 25 PuRP) combining for three and a third innings of five-run ball. Eventually Carlos Torres would come in to finish out the final two and a third innings without allowing a run but enough damage had already been done by that point.
At the plate Andy Perez, Dyan Jorge, and GJ Hill collected two hits apiece. Otherwise the most notable performance was from the catcher, Bryant Betancourt, who reached base three times including on a single that drove in Roc Riggio (No. 14 PuRP) in the fifth.
A back and forth affair where both Spokane and the Dust Devils (LAA) would not stop answering lead changes with runs of their own.
It took Spokane five pitchers to make it through the full nine innings and the only one who had a scoreless outing was Justin Loer who tossed a single frame. Yujanyer Herrera (No. 22 PuRP) started off the game going three innings and allowing four runs (3 earned) with four strikeouts but did so on 64 pitches and was pulled before facing a batter in the fourth.
The Spokane bats, however, were a different story. The lineup combined for ten hits and nine walks which was enough to mean they did not have to come back out for the bottom of the ninth. Jack O’Dowd continued to do nothing but impress in High-A by reaching base three times and coming around to score twice. Robert Calaz (No. 6 PuRP) and Tevin Tucker both drew three walk. Unlike every other level of the farm system on Wednesday, the Indians were able to capitalize on all those baserunners thanks to home runs from each of Tommy Hopfe, Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP), and Kelvin Hidalgo.
While the Grizzlies scored the first and final runs of the game they were unable to keep pace with the Storm (SDP) in the interim.
On the mound Luke Hansel and Bryson Van Sickle combined with nearly identical lines to pitch the full game for Fresno. They each went four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out four. The only real difference between the two performances was efficiency as Van Sickle finished his four innings with thirteen fewer pitches than Hansel.
The Grizzlies lineup had a fair share of baserunners, scattering nine hits and three walks almost evenly throughout the order. They failed, however, to provide much in the way of thump to drive those runners in. Tanner Thach’s double to lead of the second inning was the only extra base hit of the night for Fresno.
A forgettable day for the DSL Rockies who allowed at least one run in every inning other than the fourth and had committed three errors by the third. The best pitching performance belongs to Francisco Perez who took over in the third and threw three innings while only allowing two runs, one earned, on just two hits.
At the plate the DSL Rockies were able to work six walks, but failed to drive any of those baserunners in. The only player with multiple hits was Hector Barroso who was three for three, including a double, with a walk. All told, a game to take some lessons from and move on.
A really lovely little piece from Eli Whitney chronicling Jimmy Herget and Brennan Bernadino’s paths to Colorado. The two started in the Reds minor league system together where they were roomates for a while and have apparently kept in touch since. A quick and free read that is incredibly wholesome. My personal favorite quote from Bernadino in the piece: “I’m just trying to be the left-handed Jimmy”.
Just as Renee Dechart did for Purple Row last week, Mario Delgado Genzor dissects whether it would be the right move for the organization to entertain trading Hunter Goodman. The piece leaves no stone unturned in it’s dissection of the topic ranging from what type of player Goodman has been, the Rockies history of poor catchers, the state of the organization as a whole, and what other catchers would be available to buyers at the deadline. A wonderfully thorough piece that is worth every Rockies fan reading while we await the flurry of moves coming at the end of July.
Patrick Saunders talks with Hunter Goodman about the changes he’s seen in the big league club since his callup in 2023. Goodman, and Warren Schaeffer, detail how the tone has shifted from one where people “were just happy to be here” to where “Now, it feels like we can beat anybody, any night.”. The piece gives a real sense of how Goodman has been integral to the step forward the club has made this year.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 24: Kahlil Watson #31 of the Cleveland Guardians hits an RBI during the tenth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on June 24, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a rare blown save by closer Cade Smith, the Guardians somehow rallied back and beat the White Sox 4-3 in extras. Kahlil Watson is establishing himself fast now that he has his first pitch and home run under his belt. His single in the top of the tenth solidified the victory for Cleveland.
Quincy takes a look at Kody Huff and the potential for the catcher-turned-infielder to make an impact on the Cleveland squad.
MLB rightfully names Braylon Doughty as the hottest pitching prospect in the Cleveland organization. Readers of Covering the Corner know his name well, having voted him Cleveland’s No. 6 overall prospect in this past off season’s series.
A familiar name is making an impact in early Cy Young voting. Rookie pitching phenom Parker Messick has caught the attention of the “Panel of MLB Experts.”
Andrew Walters has been shut down due to elbow inflammation, though all reports indicate that his MRI came back clean.
Guardians shut down Walters b/c of inflammation. He underwent an MRI that came back clean. IL stint allows him to build back up when ready. Hasn't pitched since June 10. https://t.co/Z3rh9izTDe
A familiar, and very much missed, face is still gracing the leaderboards. Despite having not played for almost two weeks, José Ramírez is still leading all qualified MLB third baseman in outs above average with his teammate Daniel Schneemann holding down #3.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 13: Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks boxes out Luke Kornet #7 of the San Antonio Spurs during the game during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks exited the 2026 NBA Draft with two new players on their roster, both of them second-rounders, after being clearly focused on preserving financial flexibility throughout the two-day neophyte-filled event.
After a series of first-round trades helped New York move the hell out of signing prospects to any sort of guaranteed contract, the front office created additional breathing room under the league’s second apron and ended up with a plethora of future second-round picks as well as two nice kids: Vanderbilt forward and no-nonsense three-point flamer Tyler Nickel, and German guard and no-way-I’m-going-back Jack Kayil.
Even with the added flexibility, keeping the championship core—outside of the starters—intact remains a difficult equation.
"The Knicks are operating, planning as if they're going to stay below the second apron…
It's going to be really tough to bring Mitchell Robinson back, assuming he gets strong offers on the open market – which he will.
The challenge is related to the upcoming unrestricted free agencies of center Mitchell Robinson and guards Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported on Tuesday that Robinson is expected to generate significant interest across the NBA, including from teams that could offer him a larger role on top of just more money.
“I heard earlier in the postseason that there were numerous suitors, and there was at least one team back then that was prepared to offer Mitchell Robinson a starting spot. To me, that’s significant because he knows he’s not starting in New York as long as Karl-Anthony Towns is here. So if that’s a factor for him, that’s something that I’m keeping an eye on.”
Shortly after making those comments, Begley pointed to the Sacramento Kings as a logical landing spot.
“I don’t have specific info, I mean, I have heard the same whispers about the Lakers, but just based on their need at center and their situation financially. Sacramento, if they didn’t have a player at the position that they loved, I think they’d be all over Mitchell Robinson. They’re always a team that I link to Robinson.”
The connection goes beyond roster fit, with that perhaps being the least appealing thing for Mitch as things stand. The Kings have Domantas Sabonis starting at center and drafted Maxime Raynaud last year. Sabonis could slide down to the power forward position to make room for Robinson at center, but it feels like a lateral move and a similar situation to the one Mitch faced in New York with KAT and his playing at the five and not the four.
However, Sacramento’s No. 1 asset in convincing Robinson to bolt out of Manhattan might be their general manager, Scott Perry, who drafted Robinson in 2018 while still with the Knicks and is a strong supporter of the country boy.
Back in mid-May, the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy already reported the possibility of the Kings entering the Robinson sweepstakes, noting that league sources view Sacramento as a legitimate threat to sign Robinson away from New York in free agency.
“Sources around the league have pegged the Sacramento Kings as a threat to pry away Robinson in free agency. Scott Perry, the GM of the Kings, has long been a fan of Robinson after drafting him the 2018 second round as a member of New York’s front office. It was probably Perry’s best move in a tenure of blunders before (Leon) Rose arrived. Perry’s Kings have no cap space but could maneuver the roster to open a competitive offer for Robinson, who has mostly been underpaid throughout his career ($67 million in career earnings over eight seasons).”
Regarding the cap space issues, the Kings are already trying to solve those by trading (not happening) or waiving and stretching veteran DeMar DeRozan’s $25.74 salary. Not to mention, Sabonis is always on the rumor mill, and there are already whispers about a possible trade.
A week ago, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Knicks had already begun “some level of cursory negotiations” with Robinson’s camp.
That said, New York will have it tough, if not outright impossible, to navigate free agency while remaining under the second apron if they want to retain every single piece of their title-winning team. The math simply doesn’t work, and it’s looking like the Knicks will need to choose between re-signing Robinson alone or bringing back a combination of Shamet/Clarkson and Jose Alvarado, whose $4.5 player option is due to be activated or rejected on Friday.
Robinson, who remained healthy through the regular season playing under a heavy load-managed plan, was key in the team’s championship run, albeit his postseason impact was diminished because of multiple factors. Even then, he will easily command a raise from the roughly $13 million he earned last season, particularly if another team offers a starting role, which would already be incentivizing enough for Mitch to open a new career chapter.
Shamet, meanwhile, has rebuilt his value massively in New York, and there is no way he doesn’t get a deal twice or thrice as expensive as his $3 million current contract. The same goes for Clarkson, who might get another vet min or perhaps finds someone out there willing to raise that bar a bit to convince him to leave NYC.
As free agency approaches July 1, the Knicks appear increasingly unlikely to retain everybody, and perhaps that’s why they started the draft by sending picks packing in a hurry… but ultimately ended up grabbing a couple of warm bodies to fill the end of the bench, even if they don’t sniff the court any time soon.
Giannis Antetokounmpo during Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo on June 7th, 2026. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
588 days ago, right at the beginning of the 2024 NBA season, I called for the Bucks to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo to avert disaster. I was admittedly early to the party, and was thus called many names: “mad man,” “idiot,” “Celtics writer”; I was even refuted in a point-by-point counterargument by a Bucks blogger the same day. To quote from the initial piece:
“When struggling through the doldrums of being alive, we may naively believe that, because things are so bad right now, they can only get better. We may think we have hit ‘rock bottom,’ and that our situation must improve because there is no lower point imaginable. But we are wrong.”
And as much as I’d like to say I saw “the jagged gravel that is waiting for them at the end of this impossibly deep hole they are free-falling down,” I did not expect it to get this bad. The sentiment that the Bucks needed to trade Giannis to save their franchise metastasized into a two-year circus of confusion and stupidity that saw Milwaukee repeatedly take out new mortgages on a house that was built on a fault line. From a Khris Middleton extension to Doc Rivers’ hiring-and-firing to a lunatic Myles Turner contract, the Bucks repeatedly refused to accept reality. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, repeatedly refused to force their hand.
Giannis and the Bucks held the NBA world hostage for almost two years, and by the end I was ready for them to just flip a coin and get it over with. But a saga that had nothing but questions at least finally deserves some answers, and so we’re going to spend the next bajillion words answering as many questions as we can. Hopefully, through self-reflection, we can avoid something like this ever happening again.
So who got the best deal?
To call the eventual trade the result of the “Giannis Sweepstakes” adopts an overly laudatory tone for what was essentially two teams, the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, presenting the Bucks with two options: attempt to compete with Jaylen Brown and receive minimal draft compensation, or accept far more draft picks, Tyler Herro and several younger pieces from the Heat. In the end, they chose the latter.
The fact that the Giannis Antetokounmpo market turned into a staring contest that may have come down to the Celtics’ refusal to include Hugo Gonzalez is an absurd and fitting end to sad saga from which there are essentially no winners. The Heat now have an utterly gutted roster with Bam Adebayo and Giannis, no future draft assets and no remaining young players. They improved their short term outlook, sure, but “Giannis plus random guys” just repeatedly failed in Milwaukee.
The Celtics, meanwhile, will now enter the offseason with an unclear relationship with Jaylen Brown, who they just openly tried to trade. They could look to trade him elsewhere or try to repair the relationship, but whatever the solution it probably won’t be as simple as a pure Giannis upgrade.
The Bucks probably got the best deal they could, and I was surprised by how many draft picks they managed to squeeze out of the Heat. Still, they essentially took back speculative players in the deal, with none of Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Kasparas Jakucionis anything close to a sure-thing. Herro is allegedly the centerpiece of the deal, but he’s really just a moderately sized expiring contract that the Bucks may-or-may-not extend. Essentially, they got cryptocurrency back for Giannis — could it be valuable? Sure. Is it? Nobody knows!
Beyond losing their best player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the real price the Bucks paid was the massive opportunity cost of waiting so long. If you had told me two years ago, after the publication of my initial Giannis trade piece, that the Heat would eventually trade for him but would nothave to include Bam Adebayo? I would have laughed in your face. The fact that the Celtics did not offer more first-round picks or Hugo Gonzalez is laughable, nor is the concept that more teams didn’t want to be in the Giannis business.
Had the Bucks simply traded Antetokounmpo at any point in the last two years rather than vainly try to mend a relationship that had already become untenable, they could have received the largest haul of assets in the history of the league by far. Instead, they got Bitcoin.
Why did the Bucks take the Heat offer over Jaylen Brown?
This is among the more interesting deals to unpack, given that we actually know precisely what the two offers were and can compare them directly. The Heat offer was Herro, Ware, Jaquez Jr. and Jakucionis plus three first-round picks, a swap and a second round pick. Those first round picks are the 13th pick tonight, Miami’s 2031 and 2033 picks and a 2030 swap. The Celtics offer was, apparently, just Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks. It’s less draft compensation, but Brown is a wildly superior player to anyone the Bucks got back from the Heat. So why did the Bucks take the Miami deal over Boston?
The debate was conveniently sorted as a question: do the Bucks want to contend this year or rebuild for the far future? Brown could help them win games immediately while the Heat package is, again, highly speculative. I find that framing somewhat misleading; yes, Milwaukee could have won some games with Brown next year, but which games? In December? Does that team make it to May? Can Jaylen Brown and … some other random dudes win the Eastern Conference? Absolutely not. From that perspective, I found the Miami offer far more realistic.
Kevin O’Connor reported Tuesday morning that Bucks owner Jimmy Haslam was the main force behind taking the Heat deal over the Celtics package because of fears that Brown would not sign an extension and himself demand a trade. Perhaps that was the main reason, but it also may be that it simply did not make sense to pay Brown major money when the team is half a decade or more from getting back to relevancy. If you accept the thesis that Giannis was the better player in the trade with Brown (both sides did), it does not make any sense to swap the two and expect to contend with the same supporting pieces. That is just grass-is-always-greener team building.
The one icky thing about the deal that Bucks took is how far down the road those picks are. Save for the 13th pick this year, they received no picks in 2027, 2028 or 2029. That means it will be four entire years until the Bucks begin cashing in on the assets of this trade, and their immediate future is no more secure with the Damian Lillard waive-and-stretch on the books, Myles Turner eating up space and nothing else to really hang your hat on. It reminds me (I’m not kidding) of how my history professors in college described the finances of Bourbon France right before the French Revolution. Because of how far they are from getting their head above water, there is a real chance the Bucks become an all-time irrelevant franchise for an entire decade.
Could this trade cause any ripple effects?
It surely will, but I don’t believe this is enough of a disruptor immediately deter teams in the East from loading up. The Heat aren’t just beatable, they’re arguably still more beatable than Boston or New York. But beyond the immediate question of Jaylen Brown’s future, I wonder exactly how much this saga will shape NBA teams’ behavior with superstars on declining teams. The Bucks, a small market generally unable to attract high-level free agents, were so frightened of losing Giannis that they repeatedly made irresponsible decisions to try to appease him. But what did we learn about appeasement in school, kids? That’s right: don’t do it.
The next player to hold their team hostage like this may be treated differently, and the “all-in” thesis of having a star player and needing to maximize their window may be greeted by a chilling effect from the Giannis situation. As I pointed out above, the Bucks are scheduled for about a decade of total irrelevance, a period in which their team revenue will decrease as their fans focus more on the Green Bay Packers offensive line questions.
However, one clear mathematical truth emerged from the Giannis saga, which is that we finally derived the formula for total franchise collapse: trading all your own draft picks plus unhappy superstar divided by a small market to the square root of paying for past performance equals disaster. The Bucks have written the book on how to collapse.
So was this all worth the 2021 NBA Championship?
Brian Windhorst famously said that if you win the championship, you don’t have to apologize for anything; trades, free agents, draft picks. None of it matters if you win the title. I’d like to officially file a complaint about that maxim.
This whole situation stems from the Bucks trading the farm for Jrue Holiday, which propelled them to the 2021 NBA Championship and everyone could live happily ever after. While that move is totally defensible, the Bucks took so many additional bites at the apple after their title that they reset the clock on having to apologize. The Damian Lillard trade was desperate and arguably gifted Boston the 2024 title by diverting Holiday to them, and the Lillard/Turner waive-and-stretch is the single most insane NBA transaction in my lifetime. They certainly have to say sorry for all that.
Most fans, myself included, see an NBA team’s responsibility as getting a championship with their best player before they retire or move on. There is nothing so painful as having a great player and never achieving anything with them. Had the Celtics failed to win with Tatum and Brown before they were split up (as seems likely right now), I would have been devastated. Had the Red Sox not won the 2018 World Series with Mookie Betts before making the worst trade in sports history (still mad, will always be mad), I would cry myself to sleep nightly.
The sad reality is that the Bucks went so all-in that they became basically incapable of improving their roster after the Lillard trade. They had the 2021 run and then an incredible title defense in 2022 that saw an absurdly competitive second-round loss to Boston. But the Bucks did not properly account for how ambitious Giannis would be beyond their single championship, and panicked repeatedly to ensure he would stay in Milwaukee. That, to me, will be the legacy of this entire post-championship era.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 12: Quadir Copeland #11 of the NC State Wolfpack drives to the basket while guarded by Jacari White #6 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during the quarterfinals of the 2026 Men's ACC Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 12, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Quadir Copeland didn’t hear his name called during the second round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night, but he’ll still have a chance to play in the NBA this upcoming season. Copeland quickly agreed to sign a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets once the draft concluded.
The Rockets have a need at point guard, which they addressed in taking Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton in the first round, but that was their only draft pick this year (they traded a couple of second rounders away). So this looks like a pretty spot for Quadir to begin his pro career.
He’ll likely spend the bulk of the season with Houston’s G-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, but the two-way deal means the Rockets can bring him up and let him play in up to 50 NBA games. NBA teams have a couple extra roster spots specifically for two-way players, which gives those guys an opportunity to develop without having to worry about losing their jobs to a roster squeeze on the big club.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: An overall photo of 2026 NBA Draft stage before the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Hannah Ally/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
So the draft is over, and what does it mean for the many tentacles of the Brotherhood? Let’s look at it. Well, some of them, anyway. There’s a lot of sifting and sorting to be done yet.
First, this year’s draftees: Cameron Boozer is a Grizzlie with the #3 pick, Isaiah Evans is a Timberwolf with the #33 pick, and Maliq Brown went to the Spurs with the #44 pick.
The Grizzlies traded for Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart, which means they suddenly have a very rugged frontcourt. They have Boozer, Stewart, and man mountain Zach Edey. Those guys are going to leave some bruises, and Stewart can help get Boozer up to speed on the league. And they also picked up Karim Lopez, who is apparently a bit of a bruiser himself.
All of it should also allow them to move away from Ja Morant, and if he decides to be foolish again, guns or otherwise, assuming they can’t trade him, they can afford to glue him to the bench. Cedric Coward and Ty Jerome could manage and be much steadier.
Incidentally, like Darryn Peterson, taken with the #2 pick by Utah, Boozer felt he should have been the #1 pick. Actually, he probably got a break. Washington has been a black hole in the NBA galaxy for decades, a place where careers go to die. He’s better off with Memphis.
Evans was taken by Brooklyn and sent to the T-Wolves, where he can build a solid niche, especially with Donte DiVincenzo getting over a serious injury. He can take pressure off of Anthony Edwards and help open the interior for an aging Rudy Gobert. Everybody can use a flamethrower.
The San Antonio Spurs went hard for defensive help after getting beaten up inside by the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. Brown can guard multiple positions, and he, along with Jayden Quaintance (6-9/253) and Tarris Reed (6-10/260), should offer reed-thin Victor Wembanyama some protection from rough defenders.
However, adding three young big men probably means Brotherhood member Mason Plumlee, now 36, won’t be back.
In Dallas, the Mavericks picked up Morez Johnson and Tobi Lawal. Both should help Cooper Flagg in the frontcourt. Johnson can help in a lot of ways, and while he hasn’t fully mastered the game, Lawal is a spectacular athlete. It’ll be interesting to see what new coach Dusty May does with him, not to mention how Kyrie Irving will work with them.
The Mavs also traded for Sergio De Larrea, a 6-6 Spaniard who could help if he is on the roster this year. There is some speculation that he could be a draft-and-stash.
In Charlotte, Kon Knueppel will greet new teammates Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson (there’s a bad joke there somewhere with Hannes Christian Anderson).
Steinbach is a promising big man who rebounds well, and Anderson will add more perimeter sniping. The Hornets rise should continue. However, they still need some muscle. They’d probably take San Antonio’s haul without asking twice.
Still, look at the young core: Knueppel, LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabate, Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and now Steinbach and Anderson. They’ll probably lose Coby White to free agency, but Anderson may cover that.
It’s a solid core and if they can pick up a couple of pieces, they might go far, but perhaps without Ball, who Charlotte is shopping around, which might persuade them to hang on to White, if possible, as a stop-gap point guard. Maybe they can find one in free agency. Or maybe it’s a chance to pick up the muscle they think they need.
Update: muscle acquired. According to ESPN’s Shams Chamaria, “The Charlotte Hornets are trading star guard LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030) and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033)…” They still have to figure out point guard, but muscle? They got the muscle.
Out in San Francisco, GM Mike Dunleavy has the unenviable task of moving from the Steph Curry era to whatever will replace it.
The Warriors picked up Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, and he’s a pretty solid prospect. We were surprised by Florida State’s Lajae Jones, who impressed us last year. Golden State got him with the 54th pick.
In Los Angeles, coach JJ Redick will add Baylor’s Cameron Carr. A 6-5 guard, he’s lavishly athletic. They still need a quality center, though.
In Detroit, meanwhile, Trajan Langdon made some interesting moves. The Pistons got Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie with the 17th pick. It’s a bit of a gamble, only because he’s a smallish guard, and we saw him struggle with bigger defenders, notably Blue Devil Dame Sarr. He’ll see a lot of guys like that, especially if he continue to score a lot.
Detroit also got Virginia’s Ugonna Onyenso with the 53rd pick. Onyenso has the potential to be a devastating shot blocker. Langdon, as noted, shipped Isaiah Stewart to the Grizzlies, so he may not be done wheeling and dealing yet.
In Hotlanta, Quin Snyder and the Hawks got Kingston Fleming from Illinois with the #8 pick, St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor with the #23 pick, and UNC’s Henri Veesaar at #52 after a trade with the L.A. Clippers.
Toronto GM Bobby Webster seems to have a type. Over the years, he has selected 6-8 Scottie Barnes, and traded for former Blue Devils RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram. This year, he picked Alan Graves with the 19th pick. A 6-9 forward who was a guard before he grew, Graves has a similar package of skills as the others we just mentioned. They may not all be on the roster next season, but the guy has a pretty clear preference for mid-sized, versatile talents.
Out in Phoenix, Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams may have gotten an enforcer as Arizona’s Koa Peat was taken with the 30th pick.
Other ACC players who were taken include Caleb Wilson, who went to the Chicago Bulls with the #4 pick. He somewhat foolishly called himself a GOAT, which is a bad move since Chicago’s real GOAT, Michael Jordan, also came from UNC. Wilson should be good, but he would have been smarter to be a bit more modest. He’s never going to be the GOAT in Chicago.
Louisville’s Mikel Brown went to Brooklyn with the #6 pick, and Cardinal teammate Ryan Conwell ended up with Miami after being taken with the 37th pick by Oklahoma City. Finally, SMU’s Jaron Pierre was taken with the 58th pick by the New Orleans Pelicans.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: An overall photo of 2026 NBA Draft stage before the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Hannah Ally/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The story of this game was the performance from Logan Allen. It’s been an up and down season for him but he was brilliant in this game. He tossed 6 shutout innings, striking out 9 without allowing a single walk. His ERA is down to 4.66 on the season. Franco Aleman continues to put up video game numbers, after another scoreless outing with 2 strikeouts. His ERA is down to 0.35 on the season.
The Clippers offense was held to just 3 runs despite having 11 hits. CJ Kayfus went 2-4 with a walk and an RBI single, Bo Naylor went 2-5 with two hard hit singles. Joe Lampe also continued his hot stretch, he went 2-4 and is now hitting .400 with a 1.108 OPS since being promoted to AAA.
Juan Benjamin went 2-4 with a HR, Wuilfredo Antunez also homered, and Luke Hill went 1-4 with a double. Jose Devers also went 1-4 with a HR.
It’s been a tough transition to AA for Rafe Schlesinger. He allowed five runs on Wednesday in just four innings pitched while walking more batters than he struck out. His ERA since being promoted to AA is now up to 9.49. I am confident he will rebound once he makes some adjustments.
Aaron Walton went 1-4 with a walk and his 13th HR of the season. He is hitting .270 with a .905 OPS on the season. Jace LaViolette raised his average up to .240 with a 2-4 performance with a walk. He has been much better after a rough first couple weeks of his pro career. Nolan Schubart went 1-3 with two walks and has his OPS up to .884.
Jacob Zibin had an up and down High-A debut. He allowed four runs in 4.1 innings pitched, but he also struck out 8 batters, which is very impressive. I really like seeing him miss bats at this level already, and am excited to see how he finishes his season out. Donovan Zsak lowered his ERA to 3.09 after tossing two scoreless innings of relief with 3 strikeouts.
While I am certainly not out on the young man, I can’t think of a more disappointing Guardians prospect than Joey Oakie this season. I really thought he was going to take a leap into a top 100 type prospect and we have seen the complete opposite. After another rough start where he gave up five runs in 4.2 innings pitched, his ERA is up to 6.75. The stuff is too good for him to perform this badly, they gotta figure this out.
Luis De La Cruz went 2-4 with a 2 run HR and an RBI single. Cannon Peebles went 1-3 with a walk and an RBI triple.
League One: Notts Co v Leicester, Barnsley v Bromley
York return to League Two with visit of Bristol Rovers
Wolves will launch the Championship season at home to Blackburn, while West Ham head to Burnley in a meeting of the other two relegated sides in one of the more eye-catching fixtures on the opening weekend.
The EFL fixture list was released on Thursday and Wolves will play their first Championship fixture since 2018 under their new head coach, César Peixoto, at Molineux at 8pm on Friday 14 August, with the former West Brom manager Tony Mowbray back for a second spell in charge of Blackburn.
The Islanders' prospect pool has taken tremendous strides over the last few years, so let's take a look at the pipeline, which includes players 25 and under, even if they are pending restricted free agents at the moment and have yet to play a full NHL season.
It does not include players who have signed AHL deals or players who are Group 6 UFAs.
C: Danny Nelson, Kamil Bednarik, Luca Romano, Gleb Veremyev
LW: Maxim Shababov, Cole Eiserman, Quinn Finley, Victor Eklund, Daylan Kuefler, Tomas Poletin, Alex Jefferies
RW: Daniil Prokhorov, Matthew Maggio, Jacob Kvasnicka, Joey Larson
LD: Isaiah George, Kashawn Aitcheson, Marshall Warren, Jesse Pulkkinen, Calle Odelius, Xavier Veilleux, Dennis Good Bogg, Zach Schultz, Sam Laurila
RD: Tomas Machu
G: Dmitry Gamzin, Henrik Tikkanen, Joshua Kotai, Burke Hood
As you can see, there's a heavy need for the Islanders to add to the right side of their blueline pipeline.
But many will actually start their career playing in the Summer League.
The league is an offseason basketball series that includes some of the NBA teams competing, with the intention of evaluating the younger talent they have in their system. The field usually features the incoming rookie class and second-year NBA players.
While the complete schedule for the Summer League in Las Vegas hasn't been officially released, the tournament will take place from July 9-19 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Jazz and the Wizards will play on opening day in Vegas in a game that will likely feature Peterson and Dybantsa on the court against each other.
The Salt League City action will begin on July 4 and continue on July 6 and 7.
The California Classic will have games happening in two places. The Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings will serve as dual hosts this year. The Warriors will host games at the Chase Center in San Francisco on July 3, 5 and 6, and the Kings will host games at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento from July 4-6.
A list of teams competing at each event has not been announced.
According to BPM Sports and RG’s Marco D’Amico, Matthew Knies’ name is making the rounds in the NHL ahead of the draft. The Toronto Maple Leafs winger was heavily rumored to be the mysterious acquisition that fell through for the Montreal Canadiens on trade deadline day.
Word of discussions with Buffalo and the 4th overall pick.
San Jose also said to be of interest here as well.
Montreal remains interested, but hard to compete with the above teams. https://t.co/OAwk8WMzg1
D’Amico reports that the Leafs are not sure if they’ll move him, but they are certainly testing the waters to see what he could land them. He adds that the Buffalo Sabres, who now own the fourth overall pick in the first-round of the upcoming draft on Friday, are interested just like the San Jose Sharks and the Canadiens. However, given that Buffalo does have the fourth overall pick to offer, it will be tough for Montreal to compete.
It’s worth remembering that the Leafs already have the first overall pick and that, after missing the playoffs and firing both their coach and general manager, they are looking for a quick reset rather than a full rebuild. However, there have been reports of Morgan Rielly giving them a list of teams he’d be willing to be traded to. If that were to happen, chances are Toronto would actually need some roster players to fill the void and not just futures. That could be the Canadiens’ in.
The 32-year-old left-shot defenseman has been a huge part of Toronto’s defense for years, and the Canadiens do have a lot of options on that side of defense. Furthermore, as evidenced by the Bowen Byram trade which took place between the Sabres and the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this week, defensemen can land you a sizeable return.
At this stage, one can wonder if it wouldn’t be wise for the Canadiens to dangle the name of an established defenseman in front of their divisional rival, such as Kaiden Guhle. While he wouldn’t land them Knies on his own, he may be a good starting point for the conversation, especially if the Canadiens are willing to add a top prospect such as Alexander Zharovsky to the package. The skillful winger is held in high regard in the league, and most agree that he should have been a first-round selection at the last draft.
Michael Hage’s name has also been rumoured to be of interest around the league, but it’s hard to see how the Canadiens could even entertain moving him if the return doesn’t include an established second-line center.
While Knies isn’t a pivot, he would fill a sizeable need for the Canadiens. The 6-foot-3 and 232-pound forward has 160 points in 240 career games with the Leafs, including 66 points in 79 games last season. Furthermore, he landed 152 hits playing on Toronto’s top six. If he were to join Ivan Demidov on the Canadiens’ second line, he could be the big winger who’s tasked with puck retrieval along the boards, much like Juraj Slafkovsky does with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
His physicality would be a great addition for the Habs, especially around playoff time. The former second-round pick from the 2021 draft has really paid off for the Leafs and is signed for another five years with a $7.75 million cap hit, which would fit in very nicely with the Canadiens’ salary structure.
