I remember early in Wembyās NBA career seeing him enter press conferences with a book. I have asked a few times what he was reading and considered reading along. I found his creating a book club with the Spurs to be on par with his personality.
As a high school teacher, I tend to look for summer activities to keep me from binge watching television for two solid months. So here is my proposal ā letās start a PtR book club.
Whoās with me?
My first proposal is Expensive Basketball by Shea Serrano. Previously I have read his 2017 book Basketball (And Other Things). Serranoās writing is humorous and informative, hard to put down once you get into his flow. The chapters are short, most are 10-12 pages, so we can break it up over a few days/weeks.
The first chapter of Expensive Basketball is āThe Erosive Terror of Tim Duncan,ā which seems like a good omen.
If you are interested and have any books to add to the list for consideration, please join in the comments.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 3-1 at Columbus Clippers
SS George Lombard Jr. 1-1, 2B, BB, picked off ā left the game after an awkward play in the field where his hand came right into the runner as he was stealing second, super unfortunate LF Kenedy Corona 1-2, RBI, SF C Austin Wells 0-3, BB, K ā first rehab appearance C Payton Henry 0-0 2B Marco Luciano 0-3, BB, 2 K RF Yanquiel FernĆ”ndez 0-4, 2 K LF-SS Oswaldo Cabrera 0-4, K, GIDP ā down to a .661 OPS, an injury may be the only reason we ever see Waldo again, unfortunately 1B Tyler Hardman 2-4, 2 K, HBP DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-2, BB, K 3B Jonathan Ornelas 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K CF Duke Ellis 0-4, 2 K, SB
Brandon Beck 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 9 K (win) Bradley Hanner 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K Yovanny Cruz 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (save) ā had the 14 fastest pitches of the game, with six at 100 mph or above and topping out at 101.7
ā Brendan Kuty š§āāļø (@BrendanKutyNJ) June 17, 2026
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 6-7 at Portland Sea Dogs
LF Jackson Castillo 1-4, BB CF Garrett Martin 1-3, BB, K, SB 1B Nicholas Torres 0-4, 3 K, GIDP, missed catch error ā not the best day for Somerset Patriots fundies RF DJ Gladney 1-3, BB, dropped foul error 3B Coby Morales 2-4, RBI C Miguel Palma 1-4, K, throwing error, passed ball 2B Connor McGinnis 1-4, HR, 5 RBI ā launched a go-ahead grand slam in the third to give Somerset a 6-2 lead; itās the 2025 10th-rounderās first homer at Double-A SS Owen Cobb 0-4, 3 K, fielding error DH Cole Gabrielson 1-4, 2 K
Cade Smith 6 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 6 K, 2 HR Trent Sellers 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB (1 IBB), 4 K, HR (loss) ā blew the save on a solo homer in the ninth and then gave up two doubles for the Portland walk-off
šØ GRAND SLAM ALERT šØ
Connor McGinnis belts his FIRST career Double-A home run to take the lead in the third! šŖ pic.twitter.com/ncwUt2oFh2
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:W, 14-5 at Rome Emperors ā seven homers overall for Hudson Valley (first seven-homer game for the āGades since April 2023: two for Alexander Vargas and Benjamin Cowles each, plus Aaron Palensky, Luis Santos, and Aldenis Sanchez, just to give you a throwback)
2B Kaeden Kent 3-5, 2B, BB SS Core Jackson 1-4, HR, BB, 2 RBI, GIDP, 2 SB, throwing error DH Eric Genther 0-3, 2 BB, K, SB, HBP ā only player not invited to the hit party 1B Kyle West 2-5, HR, 4 RBI, GIDP RF Wilson Rodriguez 1-4, HR, BB, 2 RBI 3B Roderick Arias 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, SF C Josue Gonzalez 1-5, 2B, 2 K LF Josh Moylan 3-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI, K ā two bombs for Moylan CF Camden Troyer 2-4, HR, BB, RBI ā went back-to-back with Moylan in the seventh
Bryce Cunningham 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 5 K (win) ā 55 strikes in a season-high 77 pitches Aaron Nixon 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, HR, HBP Brandon Decker 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Hansel Rincon 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 15-9 vs. Fort Myers Miracle ā Puello hit three homers and drove in seven
SS Jackson Lovich 3-6, HR, 4 RBI, throwing error ā after Puello finished his hat trick, Lovich got in on the fun with a two-run shot (413 feet) for his 12th homer in 48 games 3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-5, K 2B Hans Montero 0-3, BB, 2 K, HBP, throwing error CF Willy Montero 1-5, 3B, 3 K RF JoJo Jackson 2-4, BB, outfield assist LF Luis Puello 4-4, 3 HR, 7 RBI, BB, fielding error ā holy moly what a day! Puello started with a 396-foot slam in the first to give Tampa lead, a 394-foot two-run shot in the fifth, and a solo shot to cap it in the seventh; now slugging .529 since mid-May promotion from Rookie ball DH Engelth Urena 1-4, BB, 2 K C Ediel Rivera 2-5, 2 RBI 1B David McCann 1-4, 3B, BB, 2 RBI, 3 K ā two-run triple made it 6-3 Tampa in the fourth
Justin West 5 IP, 10 H, 6 R (5 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, 3 HR (win) Jose M. Rodriguez 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K Parker Seay 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, HR Josh Tiedemann 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K
Florida Complex League Yankees:Suspended due to rain in the top of the third leading FCL Phillies 2-0, will resume on June 18th
3B Richard Matic 1-1, HR, RBI ā led off game with a bomb DH Queni Pineda 0-1, K 2B Leni Done 0-1, K CF Jose Castro 1-1, HR, RBI ā had a solo shot of his own in the first, his fifth in 17 games RF Francisco Vilorio 0-1, K SS Dexters Peralta 0-1, K LF Estivenzon Montero 0-1, K C Justin Capellan 0-1, K 1B Christofer Reyes 0-0
Brian Hendry 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K ā pretty dynamite rehab appearance for High-A arm
Oppo š® HRs by Richard Matic and Jose Castro put the Yankees ahead 2-0 in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/ikAVpMkZXQ
Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 25-11 vs. DSL Twins ā no typos here; the 11 is a weird football final score so I donāt know if we can truly make a Giants/Vikings joke, but this is a helluva effort
DH Isaias Castillo 1-6, 2B, BB, K SS Stiven Marinez 3-7, 2 RBI, K, SB ā RBI knock in the sixth gave the Yanks their 20th run CF Yostin Pena 3-6, HR, BB, 6 RBI, K, SB ā leader in the clubhouse with six ribbies on the day; his RBI single in the fifth capped an eight-run frame that made it 17-7 and helped Yanks pull away after Twins kept staying within a few runs 2B Juan Torres 2-6, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K, HBP, SB ā two-run blast in the first made it 3-0; it got sillier RF Manuel Aguilar 1-2, 4 BB, RBI, K, HBP, 2 SB, fielding error, outfield assist C Juan Martinez 1-1, BB, RBI ā left at the start of the fourth C Edgar Jimenez 1-2, 2B, 3 BB, RBI 1B Cesar Lopez SB 3-5, BB, 3 RBI, K ā drew the last of three consecutive bases-loaded walks in the fifth 3B Alfred Ciriaco 2-4, 4 RBI, K, HBP, SF LF Eliezer Adames 2-5, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB ā DSL Yanks went a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts, and everyone in the starting lineup had a hit (and Adamesā RBI double in the seventh plated the 25th run)
Dalvin Taveras 3 IP, 7 H, 5 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 2 K Angel Salazar 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 4 K Luis Rodriguez 1.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 1 K Luis Ilarraza 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 4 WP (win) ā the most deserving pitcher to be sure, control be damned
Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 14-4 at DSL Marlins ā 39 combined runs for DSL Yankees affiliates, hell yeah
2B Daniel Santana 2-5, 3B, BB, RBI, SB SS Mani Cedeno 2-5, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 K, SF, throwing error ā cashed in ribbies in three separate PAs 3B Carlos Bello 1-5, BB, 2 RBI, 2 SB RF David Carrera 2-3, 3 BB DH Alessandro Rodriguez 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI ā two-run double in the first started the scoring PH-DH Eddison Charles 0-1, K C Poly Ojeda 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, HBP ā three-run tank in the Bombersā seven-run second to zoom ahead 9-0 1B Stalen Ramirez 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, CS LF Sebastian Pinto 0-2, BB, RBI, SF, HBP ā sac fly made it 11-0 after three and a half innings CF Alfiery Matos 2-4, BB, K
Junior Tavera 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 9 K, balk (win) ā racked up the Kās anyway Josue Silvestre 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, HBP Lenin Caceres 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, 2 WP Ronald Tejada 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K
With the 2025-26 NBA season officially over, itās time to shift gears to what is a pivotal offseason for general manager Mike Dunleavy and the Warriors.
One of the biggest offseason questions for Golden State is what the organization will do with center Kristaps PorziÅÄ£is. ESPNās Anthony Slater reported Wednesday, citing team and league sources, that the two sides are progressing toward a contract resolution.
āThe Warriors, team sources said, want to bring back PorziÅÄ£is but prefer it to be on a short-term deal at a reduced rate from the $30.7 million he played for last season,ā Slater wrote. āThere is growing momentum toward a deal to bring PorziÅÄ£is back, league sources said.ā
PorziÅÄ£is was on an expiring $30.7 million contract and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The 30-year-old originally signed a two-year, $60 million extension with the Boston Celtics in 2024, then was acquired by the Atlanta Hawks in July 2025 in a three-team trade.
Golden State acquired PorziÅÄ£is in an NBA trade deadline deal with the Hawks in exchange for forward Jonathan Kuminga and guard Buddy Hield in February.
In 15 games and 11 starts with the Warriors, PorziÅÄ£is averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.
Keeping the 7-foot-2, 240-pound big man would make a lot of sense for a Golden State team that needs more length and size on its roster.
PorziÅÄ£is, with his ability to stretch the floor as a 3-point shooter, offers a unique skill set that makes him a solid fit alongside Warriors stars Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
With momentum building toward a new deal between the two sides, and with Golden Stateās front office expressing high interest in a reunion, it will come as a surprise if PorziÅÄ£is is not on the Warriorsā roster come next season.
Jun 7, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) in the dugout during the game against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates have officially f beloellw .500 for the first time since March 1, and althought they won last night to get back to even, they are in the middle of a bad slump of games. A lot of chatter has been about how pitcher Paul Skenes isnāt playing as well and may already be slipping as a pro. While the season has been far from perfect for Skenes, there are way bigger problems for the Pirates and their fans to worry about.
First letās get the obvious out of the way first; Skenes is having a rougher start to this season than in yearās past. At one point in Skenesā career, it would be weird to even associate the number ā2ā with the pitcher and his ERA, as he posted below 2.00 in each of his first two seasons. The 24-year-old righty currently has a 2.85 ERA with a 6-6 record. Heās also already given up eight home runs this season, and at times has racked up his pitch count, spending long times on the mound fighting in an at-bat. The sheer dominance that Skenes has had over opponents previously has seemed to waver this year, and for the first time in the majors he has looked human more often than not.
Even given his āshortcomingsā Skenes is far from being āwashedā or a liability in the Piratesā rotation. The fact of the matter is that most big league pitchers would be thrilled to be having the season that Skenes is having. Despite the shaky start to 2026, Skenes still has the fifth lowest WHIP in baseball while also holding claim to the sixth lowest H/AB in baseball and the fourth most strikeouts with 99.
ā Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 14, 2026
The Pirates as a whole are flawed, with a lot of the microscope being focused on Skenes because of his All-Star status. Pittsburgh has lost six straight Skenesā starts. In this span, Skenes has a 2.50 ERA per game, which is certainly high for the reigning National League Cy Young Award recipient. However, the Pirates lineup also has a minus-27 run differential in that time frame, with run support being hard to come by when Skenes is on the mound.
In his most recent start against the Miami Marlins, Skenes struck out 10 batters, retiring nine a row and set a career high in whiffs with 23. In that contest, he gave up two runs, both of which were homers, and the Piratesā bats couldnāt generate more than two runs in support.
Manager Don Kelly spoke postgame on the struggles the team has had during this stretch of Skenesā starts.
āI think when youāre looking at it, we just havenāt been able to put a complete game together,ā Kelly said. āLast year was maybe the run support. Weāve had starts throughout those six where weāve scored runs, weāve had starts that offense has been there and other things have happened. I donāt think we can point to one thing, and thatās consistent throughout all the starts.ā
The ever stoic Skenes was not bothered by the lack of success or run support postgame.
āItās baseball,ā Skenes said. āIāve dealt with it before. Itās a team sport. Itās just the nature of the game.ā
The fact of the matter is everyone has gotten used to one version of Skenes, which at any given time is the best pitcher in baseball. Itās hard to remember in the moment, but ever since he came into the league, Skenes has been rewriting record books and setting new incredibly high standards for an ace in the Major Leagues. Just because heās not performing like Superman every week does not mean heās fallen off. The image and the standard that Skenes created for himself in his first two seasons is INCREDIBLY HARD to live up to all the time. Even at his absolute worst, youād still want him to be your number one pitcher in the rotation. Has he fallen short of expectations? Sure, but itās undeniable that heās still performing in the top echelon of the best big league starters.
Skenes and the Pirates are in a rough patch, thereās no doubt about that. However, Skenes is still a generational type of player for Pittsburgh, and there are way bigger problems on the team than his still very respectable 2.85 ERA. Skenes will bounce back much faster than the Pirates as a team will because thatās what the best pitchers in baseball do. The blinders are on, heās the man in the arena and we all need to pump the brakes on talks of slipping and falling short.
PHOENIX ā This is the pitcher the Los Angeles Angels envisioned when they drafted him in the first round in 2020 as the nationās finest left-handed collegiate starter.
This is the pitcher the baseball world envisioned when he pitched a no-hitter as a 22-year-old rookie.
And now, after his latest magnificent performance on Tuesday, June 16, this is the pitcher that everyone badly covets at the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Say hello to Reid Detmers, who is now officially on baseballās Most Wanted List.
Detmers, 26, is on an absolute pitching heater these days, shutting down the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-0, in his latest dominant start, allowing just three harmless singles and no walks in seven innings. He generated only four swings-and-misses, but he kept the D-backs completely off-balance with his array of 94-mph fastballs, 85-mph sliders and 72-mph curveballs. They hit the ball hard only six times the entire game, with Detmers throwing 19 of his 24 first-pitches for strikes.
āIt looks that he can throw any pitch at any time,āā Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. āHeās just consistently pitching ahead in the count. Earlier in the year, there were a lot of foul balls late in the count. Now, heās starting to execute put-away pitches, put in a good spot where thereās a swing-and miss or put in play for an out weakly.āā
The result has been utter dominance. In Detmers' last six starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.36 ERA, yielding just 12 hits in 33 innings with 39 strikeouts and five walks. He has given up just one run in his last three starts, allowing just six hits in 20 innings for a 0.45 ERA.
"Pretty impressive," said Angels slugger Mike Trout, who homered, doubled and drove in three runs.
The best Detmers has ever been in an Angelsā uniform?
"He had a good run there in '22 for a stretch in the second half," Suzuki said, "so this is pretty damn close to it."
Well, considering he was 3-1 with a 1.97 ERA in eight starts for a two-month stretch in July and August 2022, with 45 strikeouts and 18 walks in 45.2 innings, this stretch might even be better.
It has elevated Detmers to being perhaps the finest starting pitcher on the trade market not named Tarik Skubal.
"I'm not paying any attention to that," Detmers tells USA TODAY Sports. "I don't see any of it, to be honest with you. Iām not on social media. It is what it is. Itās out of my control."
If Detmers keeps pitching like this, he might want to shut off his phone, too. He not only has become one of the most dominant left-handers in the game, but could be one of the best bargains for your buck at the trade deadline.
While Skubal is eligible for free agency this year and is seeking a record-setting contract exceeding $400 million for a pitcher, Detmers is earning just $2.7 million this year, and isnāt even eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season.
Little wonder why clubs already are checking in with Angels GM Perry Minasian.
Well, Minasian hates to be the bearer of bad news, but it's quite possible that Detmers isn't going anywhere at the deadline except making his next start in an Angels uniform.
If the Angels are ever going to win again, Detmers would be an integral part of their future, so why trade him?
Besides, if the Angels arenāt going to trade a megastar like Shohei Ohtani in his walk year, rejecting several lucrative offers that included potential stars like Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, and plan to keep Mike Trout through the rest of his playing days, why would they trade away a young star under club control?
The only time they have been a real seller at the trade deadline since their last playoff appearance was in 2022 when Angels owner Arte Moreno wanted to slash payroll. They dumped reliever Rasiel Iglesias, starter Noah Syndergaard, outfielder Brandon Marsh and utilityman Tyler Wade at the deadline, with catcher Logan OāHoppe being the only quality piece in return.
So, while the Angels arenāt going anywhere this year, and will miss the playoffs for the 12th consecutive year, the best thing for their future is keeping a young potential star like Detmers.
It may have taken longer than the Angels thought, or Detmers desired, but this is the pitcher everyone envisioned when he became the only the 10th pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter in his first 11 career starts in baseball history in 2022. Yet, instead of blossoming, he took a step back, going 8-19 with a 5.30 ERA the next two seasons, walking 98 batters in 236 innings. He was relegated to the bullpen all last season.
This year, with renowned pitching coach Mike Maddux joining Suzukiās staff, Detmersā potential finally has emerged for the baseball world, and, yes, trade suitors, to see.
"I'm just trying to be the best pitcher I can," Detmers, 3-5, 3.68 ERA, said, "mostly just trying to get ahead, staying ahead, and then put them out of make them have weak contact. I wouldn't say I'm trying to do anything different than I have been in the last couple of years. But I've had pretty good command of the fastball lately, and that's helped a lot."
His fastball has been Greg Maddux-esque of late, giving up just one hit in two of the six starts during this stretch, striking out 14 in one game and not issuing a walk in three others.
"It's fun to watch, it's fun to play behind him every single day," Angels shortstop Zach Neto said, "and even when he's not pitching, he's one of the greatest teammates that we have in this locker room, just pushing every single one of us every single day to be better."
So, would the Angels really trade a guy like this?
Troy Watson gave the Mud Hens a pretty good outing, and the bullpen held a slim lead to take the first of six in Rochester on Tuesday.
Watson fired five innings of scoreless ball, allowing just one hit while punching out three Wings.
Andrew Navigato opened the scoring with a solo shot in the third, his second homer since rejoining the Tigers organization. In the fifth, a two-out single from Navigato sparked another run when he stole second and Ben Malgeri singled him in for a 2-0 lead.
Konnor Pilkington allowed a Trey Lipscomb solo shot in the sixth, but he locked it down from there. Tanner Rainey and Jack Little followed him with scoreless appearances, with Little earning his second save on the year.
Navigato: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, SB
Malgeri: 1-3, RBI, BB, K, 2 SB
Watson (W, 2-2): 5.0 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: Itās a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
The SeaWolves offense struggled all game long, but so did the Senators. In the end this one was decided in 10 innings as the SeaWolves plated a pair in the top of the ninth and then Tanner Kohlhepp locked down the bottom of the 10th.
LHP Andrew Sears made his first start of the year back with the SeaWolves after numerous rehab outings in A-ball. He looked good, allowing just a fourth inning run and striking out six in 3.2 innings of work. Yoniel Curet, down from Triple-A, finished the fourth and spun a scoreless fifth, striking out three hitters. Johan Simon, Trevin Michael, and Luke Taggart took it from there in regulation, blanking the Senators.
The SeaWolves got on the board first with a Chris Meyers solo shot in the second. They couldnāt take advantage of five walks issued by Harrisburgās starter. In the top of the sixth, Harrisburg walked the bases loaded with no outs, but they still couldnāt push across a run.
So, this eventually got to extras. With John Peck starting on second base, Thayron Liranzo singled to left and then stole second base, drawing a throw. That throw from Senators catcher Caleb Lomavita sailed into the outfield, Peck scored, and Liranzo moved to third. A pair of strikeouts followed, but they intentionally walked Izaac Pacheco, and Peyton Graham ripped an RBI double to left to make it 3-1 SeaWolves.
That was all theyād get but it was enough. Tanner Kohlhepp took over in the bottom half, struck out the first batter he faced, and then got a routine grounder and fly ball combo to wrap this one up.
From earlier today, hereās how Erie won in extras. A Thayron Liranzo single, and double steal + error, and a Peyton Graham 2-out double. pic.twitter.com/oZmeDqBu3T
ā Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 17, 2026
Graham: 2-4, RBI, 2B, BB
Meyers: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, 2 BB, K
Pacheco: 0-1, 4 BB
Sears: 3.2 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves take a 1-0 lead in the series into a 6:30 p.m. ET matchup on Wednesday.
West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Lansing Lugnuts 1 (box)
After the start time was pushed back to allow some storms to clear the area in West Michigan, Hayden Minton turned in another good start, and the much maligned Whitecapsā bullpen was sharp after the offense broke through in the late innings.
The right-hander allowed just a run on two hits and two walks, striking out four. Thomas Bruss continues to struggle with some control issues but he pitched around two walks and a hit to throw a scoreless sixth. Logan Berrier, Zack Lee, and Ryan Harvey shut the Lugnuts down the rest of the way.
The Whitecaps really struggled to get anything going at the plate early on, but in the sixth they broke through. Samuel Gil led off with a single and Woody Hadeen and Jackson Strong walked to load the bases. Garrett Pennington struck out, but Bryce Rainer took a fastball in the back, forcing in one run. With two outs, Andrew Sojka walked as well to make it a 2-1 Whitecapsā lead.
In the seventh, it was Gil sparking things again with a one-out double. Hadeen walked again, and the duo pulled off a double steal. A sac fly from Jackson Strong allowed Gil to tag and score, and Pennington came through with a double to plate Hadeen for a 4-1 lead, where it ended.
ā Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 17, 2026
Gil: 2-3, 2 R, 2B, SB
Hadeen: 1-2, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, K, SB
Minton: 5.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: Itās a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
Dunedin Blue Jays 6, Lakeland Flying Tigers 4 (box)
Grayson Grinsell gave the Flying Tigers an okay outing, and the offense took control in the middle innings only to see the bullpen falter late.
The most important thing that happened in this game was the absolute worst. In his first game of the year after missing nearly a yearās time with an ACL injury, middle infielder Franyerber Montilla crumpled to the ground on a play in the second inning in which he appeared to slip over second base. He was in agony on the field with what looked like a knee injury and had to be helped off the field. I have no words. It was awful.
Grinsell gave up single runs in the first and second inning, and while he shut it down from there, he was only able to pitch into the fourth, though he did strike out six on the day.
So it was 2-0 Blue Jays when Beau Ankeney doubled to lead off the fourth. Edian Espinal singled him to third, where he scored on a double play ball from Jesus Pinto.
In the top of the fifth, Dunedin put together a scoring threat, but Zach MacDonald in left field caught a fly ball from Jake Cook and fired home to nail the runner tagging from third at the plate.
Finally in the seventh, the Flying Tigers really broke through. Pinto singled and stole second base and then Jude Warwick walked. Carson Rucker grounded into a force of Pinto at third, but Nick Dumesnil cracked a three-run shot to left center field for a 4-2 lead.
Nick Dumesnil launches a 3-run homer to left to put Lakeland up 4-2 in the 7th. Itās his 3rd home run of the year. @AaronArnstein on the call. pic.twitter.com/zYqH02f6RK
ā Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 17, 2026
Luke Hoskins and Win Scott handled the middle innings after Grinsell with no trouble, but Yendy Gomez allowed four runs, three earned, over the final two innings to blow the lead.
Dumesnil: 2-3, R, 3 RBI, HR, CS
Espinal: 2-3, K
Grinsell: 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: Itās a 6:00 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
šļø ICYMI: This weekās podcast episode is live!@AaronArnstein sits down with Tigers No. 2 overall pitching prospect Malachi Witherspoon to talk about his incredible story, the lengths his mom went to support Witherspoon and his brother in their baseball journeys, and much more! pic.twitter.com/KIdCbSoIv2
ā Lakeland Flying Tigers (@LkdFlyingTigers) June 16, 2026
On Monday, lefty Carlos Rodriguez was knocked around for five runs as the Yankees took out the Tigers in Complex League play. Rodriguez struck out eight in 4.2 innings of work, but a pair of home runs really blew up his outing.
Cris Rodriguez hit his fourth home run to lead the offense, while Maikol Orozco and Ronald Ramirez each had a pair of hits in this one.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 16: Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees runs to first base after hitting a solo home run in the second inning during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The White Sox deserve a lot of credit for already exceeding expectations this year, fresh off a 102-loss season in 2025 and of course the modern record 121-loss 2024. Theyāre neck and neck with the Guardians atop the AL Central, and a Wild Card spot is possible as well given how light the American League looks this year. Thatās really great!
But the Yankees should still beat them, especially in the Bronx. And boy did they do that last night, handling the best that the South Side has to offer, righty Davis Martin. Heād allowed three homers in 78.1 innings thus far (a league-best 0.3 HR/9) while racking up 3.2 rWAR and a 2.41 ERA. Well, the Yanks doubled that total in one outing, as each of Spencer Jones, Ben Rice, and Paul Goldschmidt took him deep in a smooth 12-2 victory.
Letās talk about Jones for a minute. His laser to right field was his first ever at Yankee Stadium, and combined with two walks, heās up to a .239/.340/.391 triple slash and a 109 wRC+ in his first 53 career plate appearances ā no small feat considering how overmatched he looked during his first promotion in early May.
Weāre likely to see a decent amount of Jones over the next few weeks with Trent Grisham recently joining Aaron Judge on the injured list and no clear return in sight for Giancarlo Stanton. While the clock might still be ticking on Jonesā return to Triple-Aāanother demotion certainly seemed possible prior to Grishamās injury since Jasson DomĆnguez was finishing a rehab apperanceāhe will likely end up with at least a representative sample of at-bats for 2026.
So what would you consider to be a successful first foray for Jones? I donāt expect high averages or even medium strikeout rates from the big fella, but to me, if he can run into a pitch every now and then, take his walks, and avoid whiffing on too many pitches clearly outside the zone, then heās doing his job. Iāve calibrated my own expectations such that a 109 wRC+ is probably more than I honestly expect. I canāt do cartwheels, but Iād be metaphorically doing them if he did that while Grisham and Judge are out.
Even with their absences, the Yankees are fortunate to have a number of quality bats in the lineup, so Jones doesnāt have to put too much pressure on himself. He can focus on developing while also playing good defense and running the bases well. Those are somewhat-overlooked aspects of his game too, as it would be a disservice to asssume heās lumbering around out there. The man can move!
Today on the site, John will discuss one of the more forgotten players on the roster, Ryan Yarbrough. Madison will run through Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will celebrate an overlooked-but-quietly-important Yankeeās 65th birthday, Peter will break down Ben Riceās go-ahead bomb in Toronto for his At-Bat of the Week feature, Kento will break down why Cody Bellingerās contract might age better than he initially thought, and EstevĆ£o will look back at how the Yankees and White Sox have narrowly avoided playoff matchups over the years. Chicago is the only AL team who theyāve never faced in October.
I have a Bernese Mountain Dog named Bear. Heās an absolute doofus, a rescue that we foolishly adopted after heād basically run the streets of a rural area for the first two years of his life. So he knows not personal space nor manners. He drools ā and flings his drool ā more than any dog weāve ever had (and weāve had some drooling gentle giants). He yelps like an absolute baby when you so much as tap his paw, yet barrels headfirst into you without pain whether your napping, cooking, reading or walking.
Butā¦Bear would not intentionally hurt a fly. He loves EVERY human, dog, or car (because they contain humans, typically) that he sees and cannot fathom why they would not want to make his acquaintance. Bear does not understand his own size and cannot grasp why others might be intimidated and recoil from 100 lbs. of galloping black fur and drool.
Rescuerās remorse? Not exactly. Weāve had big drooling giants before (Great Pyrs), but we definitely bit off a different breed with this one.
All of which is my slow offseason-day way of saying, when the Isles send out a press release headlined āIslanders Sign Bear,ā I pause and chuckle.
Islanders News
J-G Pageau discusses his summer, on Long Island and with a trip to Italy. [Isles]
The Isles announced signing Ethan Bear to another one-year, two-way deal. He missed time with injuries last year but if healthy he could be a good veteran callup option. [Isles | Post]
Could a refurbished Belmont Park host an outdoor NHL game? Ask the Cheeseman. [Newsday]
Dan and Mike reflect on offseason news, the Cup final, and whether the Knicksā stunning title after half a century changes our outlook. [Islanders Anxiety via LHH]
The first offseason buyout window has opened. Will Ondrej Palat get a call? [THN]
Elsewhere
Tuesday at the World Cup, Lionel Messi scored a hat trick, ho hum ā albeit his first in a World Cup ā while Norway dumped Iraq and France dispatched Senegal.
Mitch Marner opens up a bit about the ādarkā days in Toronto, importance of mental health and family support. [ESPN]
Speaking of his old Leafs, they traded goalie Joseph Woll in a curious deal. [NHL] A third-pair defenseman, is apparently why. [Sportsnet]
Carolinaās Cup win is proof hockey analytics nerds and jocks can get along. Canes GM Eric Tulsky ā who used to share neutral zone research here with us at Lighthouse as well as lots lots more on Broad Street Hockey ā is quite the story. [ESPN]
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 10: Pacome Dadiet #4 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden on April 10, 2026 in New York City. 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 Pamela Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There have been 75 first-round picks in the long, 80-year history of the New York Knicks.
Some of them have been iconic. Some of them made the Hall of Fame. Some of them went on to be known as something other than a Knick. And, as we all know, a lot of them were pretty forgettable.
Thereās an exclusive list of those 75 within Knicks lore. In the first 79 years of the franchise, only eight of them had ever won a title with the franchise that drafted them, all between 1965-72:
Bill Bradley (2nd overall, 1965) Dave Stallworth (5th overall, 1965) Cazzie Russell (1st overall, 1966) Clyde Frazier (5th overall, 1967) Bill Hosket (10th overall, 1968) John Warren (11th overall, 1969) Dean Meminger (16th overall, 1971) Tom Riker (8th overall, 1972)
But now, as we bask in the glory of the end of a 53-year title drought, a ninth name has been added to the list.
SAN ANTONIO, TX ā JUNE 13: Pacome Dadiet #4 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs 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
PacĆ“me Dadiet was born on July 27, 2005, in Aubagne, France, a decent-sized town of 50,000 in southern France, just a few miles from the Mediterranean coast and the city of Marseille. Basketball ran in the family. His older brother, Maxence, represents their dadās home country internationally, representing CĆ“te dāIvoire.
As one of the four foreign-born players on the roster, his journey to this moment was a lot different than most. He didnāt go through the American AAU and high school circuits before embarking on a college career, he played for youth clubs as a teenager and built his NBA stock overseas.
In fact, from the age of 6, he played in the Saint-Charles Charenton development program, similar to the way the big European soccer clubs do with young players. By the time he was in his teens, he was rubbing elbows with some of the best young talent in France, including future teammate Mo Diawara and lottery pick Tidjane SalaĆ¼n.
His upward trajectory was stalled when he looked to leave France as a whole, signing with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany, but his debut was delayed several months due to a contract dispute. He was also relegated to their farm team, which played in Germanyās third level of competition.
In 2023-24, he finally got a chance to be a regular starter for a strong European club, and while his stats didnāt pop out, he fit the mold of what teams were looking for in an international player: a raw, versatile wing with all the right physical traits.
After Victor Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly went in the lottery in 2023, there was a run on top French talent in 2024, with Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, and SalaĆ¼n all going in the top 10. Add in the non-French prospects going in the lottery, like Matas Buzelis and Nikola TopiÄ, and the conditions were right for Dadiet to slip into the first round, so after the Knicks traded out of No. 24 (and later No. 26), they decided to use their first first-round pick in three years on Dadiet at No. 25.
It didnāt help that the teamās aversion to the second apron contributed to them drafting Dadiet. He agreed to a buyout with Ratiopharm Ulm to immediately sign with the team instead of being a draft-and-stash, and as such, the team asked him to take just 80 percent of his Year 1 slot value, the absolute minimum, to save $900,000 against the salary cap.
He agreed to the move, one thatās relatively unprecedented, and it resulted in the Knicks being able to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns. How about that?
Dadiet had a quiet Summer League, and it was pretty clear that he wasnāt going to play much as a rookie, especially with Tom Thibodeau as coach. He was raw, he wasnāt really ready, and his minutes were limited, even if he was technically in the Opening Night rotation in the 2024-25 opener against Boston, albeit briefly.
In his first two seasons, itās been more about what heās done down in the G-League and over the summer. He had consecutive 30-point games down in Westchester in March while occasionally suiting up for the big league club.
Over the last two seasons, Dadiet has only played in 47 games, scoring just 78 points. Heās scored double figures just twice, and one was in a garbage-time barrage in Denver. Even in this postseason, where heās played seven games and has put up a higher points-per-game average due to just how many blowouts the Knicks had, he didnāt log a minute in the NBA Finals.
He still has two years remaining on his rookie contract, but even as the first two years of his NBA career havenāt resulted in much, heās made some history.
Because newly drafted players come into the league much younger than they did in the 1970s, Dadiet is the youngest NBA champion in Knicks history, barely beating out his countryman Diawara. Heās not able to buy a drink in the United States until late July.
Heās also added his name to the list of Knicksā first-round picks to win a title, a list that includes a legend of the game in Clyde Frazier. He also now has a 12.5% chance of becoming a senator like Bill Bradley, if the rules follow accordingly.
Congrats, PacƓme!
ā
(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
The drama absolutely wasnāt limited to the San Antonio Spurs hardwood as New Yorkās orange and blue heroes pulled away in the dying seconds to win Game 5, 94-90 in an explosive 16-point comeback.
Diehards who made the last-minute trip to Texas endured travel nightmares ā and a share of distasteful fans who didnāt quite extend southern hospitality after the loss.
New Yorkers took over Texas to see the Knicks win the NBA title Saturday. AP Photo/Darren Abate
I saw a lunatic in a white pickup truck laugh and point a gun at two Knicks fans minding their own business waiting to cross a street ā and other New Yorkers told me they got egged like Victor Wembanyama during the finals while in Manhattan, among more stupidity over a damn game.
Knicks fans celebrated the championship after flying to Texas to see New York win in person. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
What did the group do? They sprayed a bottle of champagne and smoked cigars on the San Antonio Riverwalk as if nothing had happened.
The duo briefly held at what the driver thought was a humorous little gunpoint incident shook it off right after too. Some true and good-hearted Spurs fans ā like the vast majority Saturday were ā even waited with them until their car arrived.
Post reporter Alex Mitchell celebrates with pal Mike Nicosia after the Knicks won. Alex Mitchell / New York Post
Thatās what Iāll remember about my impromptu and haphazardly planned trip, one that cost a pretty penny but was still a discount compared to a good seat at Madison Square Garden.
I donāt care about the 4 a.m. wakeup call and early bird flight to Dallas Saturday, where a good friend of mine drove us the next four hours down I-35 to the greatest live game either of us ever witnessed.
We stopped at a Buc-ees 146 miles north in Temple and saw several other Knicks fans en route to the Doobie Brothersā beloved city as part of New Yorkās takeover.
Several New Yorkers were seen at a Buc-ees almost 150 miles north of San Antonio, like Post reporter Alex Mitchell.
After road tripping the four hours back to Dallas Sunday morning, itās an afterthought that my 3:36 p.m. flight home landed almost exactly 12 hours later at around 3:36 a.m.
We had a series of nightmare delays, starting with air traffic control issues, then weather, and finally hearing our pilot ārejectedā the plane we were supposed to take.
But hey, 12 hours is a lot quicker than 53 years.
More than thinking about the aimless time wasted and changing terminals at Dallas-Fort Worth, my mind goes to the tons of Knicks gear I saw throughout the airport of happy fans heading back home ā eventually, that was.
Flight-delayed New Yorkers cared more about seeing the win than being stuck in airports. Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post
Everyone you passed had a smile and offered a fist bump ā high-spirited TSA officers in Dallas gave me a Knicks cheer and high five as well. Plus, I struck up fantastic conversation with fellow fans waiting for the same flight.
I must have heard āare you going to the parade?ā at least a dozen times.
We were all overjoyed, chatting about coach Mike Brownās fabulous core, including the legend himself, Jalen Brunson, who is expected to return next season when the banner goes up at MSG.
Nobody was thrilled about being stuck, but if you have to be in an airport for hours, doing it with a unanimously united bunch of New Yorkers is the way to go.
Knicks lovers overran the Alamo Saturday afternoon as you couldnāt turn a corner in San Antonio without seeing team gear at Riverwalk bars, restaurants, hotels, or, truthfully, anywhere.
Many Knicks fans like Post reporter Alex Mitchell posed in front of the Alamo on Saturday. Alex Mitchell / New York Post
It carried over at the Spursā home court inside the Frost Bank Center, where New Yorkers owned the noise factor and booed Wemby during warmups to an almost ground-shaking decibel level.
Just about my entire section in the rafters was filled with journeying Knicks fans, standing with palpable nervous energy almost the whole game, eager to witness long-awaited history.
Iāll never forget the pure elation on the away crowdās faces when OG Anunoby hit the title-clinching free-throw with 7.7 seconds to go.
Seeing the Larry OāBrien trophy hoisted at mid-court was a family affair as owner James Dolan got a fever pitch of electric praise from the huge crowd that remained.
New Yorkers took over the Knicks vs. Spurs game in Texas on Saturday night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Strangers in the stands cried, hugged, shook hands and offered congratulations to one another as if it were a personal achievement like delivering a healthy baby or getting a major promotion at work.
If you yelled āGo New York Go New York Go!ā on your way out of the arena, 50 voices would send it back.
It gave you chills ā and a glow that will last much longer than memories of the grueling voyage there and back.
As the Boston Celtics plot what the core of their next title team might look like, the pursuit of any marquee talent on the trade market doesnāt necessarily answer the biggest question facing the team.
Is it still feasible to have two max-money superstars as the long-term centerpiece of a championship roster?
Whether itās leaning into the familiar superstar tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, or any new-look superstar duo as rumors swirl about Bostonās potential pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Celtics are navigating the math problems created by a prohibitive new collective bargaining agreement.
The Celtics already felt the CBA squeeze last summer. Boston got ahead of the crunch and delivered the 2024 title season by building a deep and expensive roster. The team is now paying the late fees on that splurge, not in dollars but in diminished depth. Boston had to watch key pieces from that title team walk away, and traded others, to shimmy down off the second apron last summer.
The Celtics can reset the pesky repeater penalties that make sustained spending nearly impossible by staying out of the luxury tax again this season. Thatās a rather annoying hurdle for a team that has superstar players in their prime and yearns to build the best core around them immediately. Stomaching two max contracts ā and putting a strong cast around them ā becomes easier in the two years after the reset button is hit, but the new CBA is setting up a cycle where itās basically impossible to splurge for more than those two seasons (teams pay the steep repeater rates for being in the luxury tax in three of four consecutive seasons).
Before last summerās teardown, the Celtics were staring at a projected $540 million roster cost. Brad Stevens won Executive of the Year, as voted by his peers, in large part due to maintaining a competitive team despite chopping over $350 million off the books.
And while Bostonās younger players thrived throughout the 2025-26 season, and the team displayed unexpected depth while finishing second in the East, the absence of those veteran players was accentuated as Boston came unglued and kicked away a 3-1 series lead against Philadelphia in Round 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
That delivered the Celtics to this latest offseason crossroads. For the better part of the past half-decade, itās been a no-brainer decision to build the best possible team around the Jays core. Now, Boston has to ponder if thatās still the most prudent path.
Roster building gets a lot more complicated when two players account for 70 percent of the salary cap.
The question becomes, in what feels like a new parity era of basketball, are teams better off building around one big-money star? And are the most valuable players in the league now the superstars that only command, say, 25 or 30 percent of the cap?
The spotlight on roster building is brighter now in the aftermath of the Knicksā title season. New York has one max-money player in Karl-Anthony Towns, who commands 34.6 percent of the cap next season. Jalen Brunson only accounts for 22.9 percent of the cap after agreeing to a team-friendly extension in 2024 that could have been far more lucrative if he had waited another season.
Brunson has been celebrated for giving the Knicks financial flexibility, though his decision had plenty of other factors ā including injury risk management and the potential to get back to the table and negotiate a true max deal sooner. Undeniably, Brunsonās lower salary has allowed the Knicks to build out a deep roster with OG Anunoby (25.8 percent of the cap next season) and Mikal Bridges (20.3 percent of the cap next season) also on reasonable deals. The Knicks swung big on those two trades and were rewarded.
New York will start to feel the squeeze of the tax moving forward, particularly if it yearns to keep all the pieces of its championship core. But the construct of the team this past season begs the question of money allocation.
Which brings us back to the Celtics. Itās somewhat maddening that Boston built a homegrown core and is essentially being penalized for those players becoming All-NBA talent. The league should take measures in future CBAs to limit the tax penalties on teams that draft and develop. But thatās not going to solve the current roster riddle.
Neither does trading for someone like Antetokounmpo. The presence of any two max-contract players leaves the Celtics tiptoeing around the tax line this season. They could potentially scale above the tax to start the year, assess their title chances, and plan to dip back below the tax line before seasonās end.
But the reality is that Boston ā and the rest of the league as well ā is now limited in how it can build around two stars, and teams are going to ride a wave of spending to avoid apron penalties and brutal tax bills.
Whether the Celtics keep the Jays core, or pursue Antetokounmpo or any other max-money star, they will be banking heavily on internal development of younger players. Guys like Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, and Jordan Walsh might need to make another leap beyond the large strides made last season and greatly outkick the value of their current contracts. There are tougher choices about the futures of players like Derrick White (18.4 percent of the cap next season) and Sam Hauser (even at only 6.6 percent of the cap next season).
(function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})();
The Celtics have access to both the mid-level exception and a big-money traded player exception that could allow them to add impact talent this summer. But just how much they can spend must be balanced against the need to avoid the tax again. Itās a funky jigsaw puzzle, but one that wonāt get easier to solve until next summer.
No one wants to wait, though. Not with the Jays in their prime. Not with Tatum healthier after missing much of last season while rehabbing from an Achilles tear. Not with the Knicks parading around Manhattan with their first title in a half century.
The Celtics have intriguing choices to make this summer. So much of the attention will fall on the names of potential pursuits, especially given the megawatt star power of someone like Antetokounmpo. But this puzzle is bigger than that one piece. Itād be a lot easier to make that sort of move if the Celtics were in position to spend big to maximize what might be a limited window of a player on the backside of his career.
Bostonās path back to title contention hinges heavily on figuring out a math problem that the entire NBA doesnāt quite have an answer to yet.
The Warriors could take another crack at pursuing an NBA superstar they targeted before the leagueās Feb. 5 trade deadline last season.
Golden State reportedly discussed a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for forward Kawhi Leonard in the final days ahead of the deadline before Clippers team owner Steve Ballmer stepped in and essentially killed any potential deal.
However, ESPNās Anthony Slater reported in a story published Wednesday that, despite Ballmer still firm in his preference not to deal Leonard, the Warriors once again view the seven-time All-Star as the ideal win-now move this offseason.
āTeam sources continue to indicate [Leonard is] the type of established wing talent they would pursue in a win-now maneuver, depending on the price point,ā Slater wrote. āThe problem: League sources said Ballmer has maintained a firm stance against a Leonard trade, preferring to continue building around his star forward.ā
The soon-to-be 35-year-old averaged a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game on 50.5-percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range in 65 games with the Clippers during the 2025-26 NBA season.
Leonard instantly would provide Golden State with one of the most lethal scoring tandems in the league alongside Steph Curry if the Warriors were to make a deal with their Western Conference rival, but for now, it seems unlikely.
Former British No 1 is axed after 23 years at the mic
āI am lucky to have the best gig in sports broadcastingā
Andrew Castle has confirmed that Wimbledon this year will be his last at the commentatorās mic, the former British No 1 leaving the ābest gig in sports broadcastingā after more than two decades as the BBC makes changes to its coverage.
The 62-year-old, who will remain in post as the All England Championships get under way on Monday, told the Times: āItās been a hell of a journey. I canāt say I have enjoyed every minute because there have been moments of pressure and controversy, but it has been a huge privilege.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: I guess the good news is that Austin Wells began a rehab stint on Tuesday night at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Now. Buckle in. Because thatās it for good news on the injury front. Trent Grisham will be out āa few weeksā due to his hamstring strain. There had initially been a vague hope that perhaps he would only miss the minimum 10 days; that wonāt be the case.
But wait. Thereās more.
As we know, Giancarlo Stanton, suffering from a calf strain (way to mix up the leg injuries, fellas), re-injured it while running the bases last week. Accordingly, both Yankee sluggers are now looking at July returns, assuming nothing else goes wrong. Hereās a little more on Stanton, from the YES Networkās Meredith Marakovits:
Giancarlo Stanton said he reinjured calf running bases. It felt similar to what he felt in Houston. Asked if he is back at square 1 he respondedā¦ I donāt know. He originally wanted to be back tomorrow but he will have a ālight weekā and reevaluate next week #yankees
ā Meredith Marakovits (@M_Marakovits) June 17, 2026
But wait. Thereās more.
MLB.com | Jared Greenspan: George Lombard Jr., crown jewel of the Yankee farm system, left Tuesdayās game with an apparent injury. Not to his leg, though. This looks like an injury to an upper body extremity, just to keep things from getting boring. Bo Naylor slid directly into Lombardās left hand while attempting to steal second, prompting the youngster to double over in pain. He stayed in the game for another inning but ultimately departed early. Hereās hoping heās OK. As of late on Tuesday night, there have not been any updates.
MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: Seth Brown, who had been playing at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankeesā system, triggered his opt-out clause. Accordingly, the Yanks released him rather than add him to the 40-man roster. The seven-year veteran (all with the Aās) has struggled greatly against left-handed pitching at Triple-A, striking out 52.4 percent of the time in 42 plate appearances. When he has the platoon advantage, Brown has hit .247, slugging .466. A club who might be missing some pop from the left side of the plate may be interested in Brown, with the article listing the Padres and Phillies.
The best part of the New York Knicks winning their first NBA Finals in 53 years is knowing that they earned it. The grit and diligence on display when faced with peril was as astonishing as any champion in any sport in recent memory. They ate deficits for dinner.
The worst part of the Knicks winning it all is weāll spend an eternity hearing about New York supremacy. It will be loud enough to obscure the San Antonio Spursā miscues, the Oklahoma City Thunderās misfortune and the Cleveland Cavaliers sucking their collective thumb.
But with the 2026 NBA Draft arriving next Tuesday, followed a week later by free agency, all 30 teams are exploring paths to improvement. Each has studied its roster to determine offseason priorities, which we attempt to address in the almost-summer Power Rankings:
30. Washington Wizards
Tanking regulars acquired established but flawed stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Priority should be to keep both, allowing their abused fans to dream of the NBA playoffs.
29. Sacramento Kings
Watching Mike Brown and DeāAaron Fox in the Finals had to hurt. It should have. The front office priority is to do something that follows logic, like add a quality point guard.
28. Brooklyn Nets
Chasing lottery luck instead of wins has kept them in the NBA swamp. Jordi Fernandez is a terrific coach. Time to use cap space and the No. 6 pick to give him a respectable roster.
27. Chicago Bulls
Their baffling FO (Kings of the East) has shed good coaches, good players and loyal fans. The priority for the new GM is to rebuild with enough savvy to prove real change is here.
26. Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant, the last piece of a once-formidable group, must go even though his value has plummeted. The FO, with the rebuild already under way, knows the assignment.
25. Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most attractive trade chip in the league. A two-time MVP should be enough to launch a rebuild with promising youngsters and a couple culture-shifting veterans.
24. Dallas Mavericks
Proven architect Masai Ujiri needs only his phone and two years. Kyrie Irving with Cooper Flagg is a fine start. Now keep Dereck Lively II healthy and add some shooting.
23. New Orleans Pelicans
Here comes Jamahl Mosley to revamp a 23rd ranked defense. With no first-round pick, the priority is internal improvement and keeping Zion Williamson healthy and productive.
22. Phoenix Suns
Rookie coach Jordan Ott was impressive, guiding them to 45 wins. They have enough firepower to match that ā if they reduce turnovers. They could use stronger paint presence.
21. Los Angeles Clippers
They went from awful to scary last season before landing on mediocre. Coach Tyronn Lue is secure, but Kawhi Leonardās future, there or elsewhere, will be pivotal.
20. Utah Jazz
After so many years of overt tanking, theyāre put together a long, athletic roster built to compete for the playoffs. They have a long way to go, but the turnaround is in view.
19. Charlotte Hornets
They generated enough momentum last season to excite the fan base. Theyāll compete if LaMelo Ball plays smart. Add a strong defender, they could make the playoffs.
18. Portland Trail Blazers
Tiago Splitter coached wonderfully but got no love from the frugal new CEO. The entire league is curious to know if this franchise will prioritize excellence or cost savings.
17. Miami Heat
Eric Spoelstra kept them competitive, but if they can add Giannis to Bam Adebayo while re-signing Norman Powell, theyāll have a top-four roster in the East.
16. Golden State Warriors
The second half of the season exposed a flimsy roster behind Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III. Shot creators and a POA defender are wanted, but two-way wings are needed.
15. Toronto Raptors
The young core, led by Scottie Barnes, showed signs of real progress. The defense is superb, but the offense needs more deep shooters; they were 21st in 3-point percentage.
14. Philadelphia 76ers
Love the backcourt, but Bob Myers and new GM Mike Gansey must decide whether to pray for Joel Embiidās health, or a miracle that delivers a way out of his mega contract.
13. Orlando Magic
Moseley was undone by injuries and poor shooting, so Sean Sweeney brings a new voice to a roster the FO surely knows is limited by inadequate shooting. Can they find it?
12. Los Angeles Lakers
Their limitations mostly trace to the holes in their defense. The must address that while also getting desirable contractual outcomes with LeBron James and Austin Reeves.
11. Atlanta Hawks
Trading Trae Young was the right move. They have two first-round picks, solid talent and superior athleticism. Adding size and re-signing veteran leader CJ McCollum are priorities.
10. Indiana Pacers
Losing Tyrese Haliburton sank last season, but his return puts them back in the playoffs. With Ivica Zubac replacing Myles Turner, can the FO find a reserve stretch-5?
9. Cleveland Cavaliers
They learned that no matter where James Harden goes, his game shrinks in the playoffs. That canāt be minimized. But this team aches for an elite perimeter defender.
8. Houston Rockets
They tried to patch over the loss of Fred VanVleet and realized it didnāt fix the hole. His absence strangled the offense, especially in clutch games. If he returns healthy, look out.
7. Denver Nuggets
They were 27-9 when Aaron Gordon played, 27-19 when he did not. Expect a big-ticket player to be bounced, but their fix is a healthy AG and a legitimate two-way wing.
6. Boston Celtics
Joe Mazzula was named Coach of the Year before his one-dimensional offense went one-and-done in the playoffs. This is an issue no matter what the FO does with Jaylen Brown.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
Julius Randle beats the world one night, curls into a ball another. If he is their No. 2, Anthony Edwards is handicapped. Fix that, and the Wolves can join OKC and San Antonio.
4. Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham is for real, but none of his teammates fit the No. 2 role. The FO must find a floor-spacing shooter because several No. 3s donāt equal a No. 2.
3. San Antonio Spurs
The best team in the league in the second half of the season tried and failed to jump the line to the top. As they await maturity for the tyros, their priority is to add another shooter.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
A healthy Jalen Williams away from the Finals, OKC is built to reload while unloading. Isaiah Hartensteinās team option forces Sam Presti to make a tough decision.
1. New York Knicks
Great fusion of pizazz and fundamentals. Synergistic top eight. Hoping Jalen Brunson set an example for teammates by sacrificing $$, the priority is to maintain continuity.
