Congratulations to Brett Kulak. The former Edmonton Oilers defenseman just signed a five-year extension with the Colorado Avalanche, reportedly worth $4.5 million per season.
The ex Oiler was moved as part of the trade to acquire Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was ultimately flipped by the Penugins to the Avalanche this past season.
Kulak will go down as one of the big blunders last season by Edmonton. He was essentially a throw-in on a trade that saw Edmonton and Pittsburgh swap goaltenders. Stuart Skinner went to the Penguins (along with Kulak), and Jarry came back. Part of the issue wasn't just that the Jarry trade hasn't worked out well for the Oilers, but that Kulak was overlooked.
He was an essential part of two playoff runs for Edmonton and was a depth guy who could play a bigger role if required. He had speed, hockey smarts, and wasn't afraid to chip in offensively. The Oilers badly missed him last season as they struggled and lost out in the first round to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Avalanche have recognized what they have. Given that he's 32 years old, it is a bit of risk to give him five years, but the cap hit is friendly.
With the deal, the Avalanche keep Kulak from testing the free agency market. They also locked up veteran Brent Burns to a new one-year deal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded away the rights to goaltender Samuel Ersson to the Ottawa Senators on Friday, in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick.
Toronto acquired Ersson in the trade with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier in the month. They also received defenseman Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick while sending away defenseman Simon Benoit and goaltender Joseph Woll.
In the end, it seemed unlikely that Maple Leafs GM John Chayka was going to qualify Ersson. The Swedish goaltender is coming off the worst season of his young career, posting a .870 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average in 33 games last year.
With no intention of keeping the 26-year-old Ersson, Toronto recouped an asset that they had lost in a separate deal, in a sense.
Though the 2027 fifth-round pick they received from Ottawa isn't from the same draft, the value of that fifth-round pick returns to the Leafs organization and faces zero consequences with this move in the meantime.
The Maple Leafs now have three goaltenders in their main system, with Anthony Stolarz assuming the starting role, while 24-year-olds Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov are next in line for NHL jobs.
Freeing up a goaltending spot may either allow the young netminders to come through and prove themselves in the NHL, or something else could be brewing in terms of bringing in another veteran goaltender to play alongside Stolarz for the Leafs.
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Three wickets on debut from Ireland’s Matt Hollard
Ireland defeated India for the first time in men’s international cricket with an unexpected 34-run victory over the world T20 champions at Stormont.
Ireland recovered from 51 for four to post 182 for nine, before an attack inspired by debutants Matt Hollard and Jai Moondra left India all out for 148 with seven balls remaining. This was the tourists’ first defeat since winning a second successive T20 World Cup in March.
The Chicago Blackhawks no longer hold a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. They traded the 4th overall pick to the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the week as part of a deal to acquire Bowen Byram.
That doesn't make the first round irrelevant for them, however, as there are still plenty of reasons to stay locked in. For one, there has to be knowledge about where other top prospects are going around the league.
Also, Kyle Davidson has traded into the first round every single year that he's been the GM of the Blackhawks.
The opening round will take place on Friday night. The rest of the draft will be on Saturday morning into the afternoon.
Over the course of the event, which takes place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, the Blackhawks have picks 34, 37, 66, 119, 194, and 200. Despite not being first-rounders, these are all lottery tickets that could turn into regular NHL players with good development. With a little bit of luck, they could be more than just regular NHL players.
More Trades
There are plenty of trade conversations taking place around the league. The Chicago Blackhawks, according to multiple reports, have a seat at the table for a lot of these players on the market, including Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson.
Over the course of the entire draft, these trade possibilities are ones to monitor. If the Blackhawks are serious about continuing to build a winning team, making bold moves is a must.
How To Watch
For people in the United States, the 1st round can be seen on ESPN and ESPN+. It begins on Friday at 6:00 PM CT. Rounds 2-7 can be seen on NHL Network or ESPN+, beginning at 11 AM CT. In Canada, Round 1 is on Sportsnet while the rest is on Sportsnet+.
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Are the Warriors one move away from giving Steph Curry one last NBA championship run?
Kendrick Perkins thinks the answer is yes — and he has a very specific move in mind.
The former NBA champion and ESPN analyst made his case on Friday’s episode of First Take, urging Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. to pursue Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown before Curry’s window closes.
Perkins pointed out that five of the NBA’s 25 oldest players currently reside on Golden State’s roster — a “senior citizen group,” in his words — and argued that the Warriors need to respond the same way they did after blowing a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, when then-GM Bob Myers aggressively pursued and landed Kevin Durant.
“You go out, you make a move, it may not be the perfect piece, but you add Jaylen Brown to this roster,” Perkins said. “We don’t know when Jimmy Butler is going to come back, and when he does, we don’t know what he’s going to look like. That’s why you go get a young 29-year-old Jaylen Brown, who is playing at his highest level right now.”
Perkins was equally blunt about the Warriors’ current supporting cast. He acknowledged Draymond Green can still be an elite defender, but questioned whether Butler — returning from a significant knee injury — still is capable of being the second star this team needs alongside Curry.
“Jimmy Butler — I don’t know if he’s still that dude at this stage of his career,” Perkins said. “If I’m Mike Dunleavy, if I’m [owner] Joe Lacob, I’m definitely picking up the phone and calling Brad Stevens and saying, ‘What the hell do I need to do to get Jaylen Brown over here?’ Because also you get Jaylen Brown for now and the near future, after Steph Curry.”
The idea is provocative for a reason. Boston is not rebuilding; the Celtics were the 2023-24 NBA champions, with Brown locked into a supermax deal through the 2028-29 season. Any package that would move him almost certainly would require a significant haul of first-round picks, and Golden State’s draft capital is not exactly overflowing after years of contention-mode roster building.
But Perkins’ underlying point is hard to dismiss. The Warriors are running out of time, Curry is running out of prime years and the current supporting cast has done little to inspire confidence that Golden State can compete for a title as currently constructed.
Whether Dunleavy Jr. agrees is another question entirely. The call, according to Perkins, is long overdue.
The Montreal Canadiens reportedly have their eye one of the NHL's top trade candidates.
According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Canadiens are keeping an eye on New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck in the trade market.
"Speaking of Montreal, by the way, I mean, they’re being pretty aggressive calling around to figure out the market when it comes to being able to upgrade their top-six forward group. They’re monitoring Vincent Trocheck for sure and see where that goes," LeBrun said.
The Canadiens having Trocheck on their radar is not surprising. It is no secret that they need a boost at the second-line center spot, and he is one of the top centers in the trade market right now. Because of this, it would make sense if they made a real push for him.
If the Canadiens signed Trocheck, he would give them a top-six center who produces strong offense, works in all situations, and plays a gritty game. His stats from this past season show this, as he had 16 goals, 37 assists, 53 points, and 193 hits in 67 games with the Rangers in 2025-26.
It will be intriguing to see if the Canadiens land Trocheck, but the fit looks good on paper.
Gavin McKenna is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft, and when his name is called in Buffalo, N.Y., on Friday night, he will embrace his family, receive cheers from the sold-out crowd and shake hands with league commissioner Gary Bettman. But for the star left winger, meeting the group that’s actually selecting him, the front office of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will have to wait.
That’s because the NHL switched its draft to a decentralized format last year. The league used to have decision-makers and other personnel from all 32 of its teams gather on the floor of wherever the marquee offseason event was held, which NHL president of content and events Steve Mayer called a “who’s who of hockey.”
Now, the franchises run their draft operations remotely from their home cities, similar to how it’s done in the NFL, the NBA and MLB.
Teams were eager for a change, finding the travel burdensome and the schedule too hectic to focus on roster preparations, with the league’s awards ceremony, the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the start of free agency unfolding in a few weeks’ time. Having competing franchises all in the same room also raised privacy issues, and Mayer said there were discussions on how potential moves could be visually tipped off. So after conducting a vote with its general managers, who polled their respective organizations, the NHL opted to shake the event up.
But shifting the format didn’t necessarily make things easier. While travel expenses went down for the individual franchises, the decentralized draft costs the NHL more, largely because of how technologically intensive it is. In addition to year-over-year improvements in presentation, the league has to manage broadcast feeds from 32 different locations, transmit data back and forth, and coordinate trades and selections, all in real time.
And Mayer isn’t shy to admit the NHL didn’t get everything right in the first year of decentralization. During the 2025 draft, the league had selected prospects proceed into a “Hockey House,” which had giant LED screens so they could immediately talk to their new teams. Yet it proved to be hit-or-miss as to whether the content was compelling, and it came with a bunch of tech issues. So the NHL scrapped it for this year.
The league also vastly underestimated how much space it needed for the event, even without the teams present, moving from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles in 2025 to KeyBank Center in Buffalo, where the Sabres play, for this draft.
Difficulties aside, Mayer has “zero concerns” about how the draft will play out this year. In fact, he’s extremely bullish on the atmosphere since Buffalo is geographically close to Toronto, which holds the top overall pick for the first time since the Maple Leafs drafted Auston Matthews in 2016. “It is going to be a pretty big moment for sure,” he said.
Mayer acknowledges the NHL player-selection event doesn’t match its NFL counterpart, but then, what does? “It’s hard to compare the NFL,” Mayer said. “I mean, that’s another level, but I put our draft absolutely up against any of the other drafts from the other major leagues for sure.”
As it is, the NHL’s event is generating plenty of commercial opportunities. The league has consistently been adding more elements, such as additional signage and screens, produced player profiles and celebrity activations, giving “our sponsorship team many, many more opportunities to sell,” he added.
The overall growth of the hockey draft has made it more attractive and beneficial to partners, like Upper Deck, which holds the title sponsorship for the event.
“The draft that used to be a business meeting is no longer a business meeting,” Mayer said. “It’s a spectacle, it’s an event, it’s a very sellable item, not only to the spectators in Buffalo, but people that watch it around the world and around the globe and especially for us in North America.”
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 19: Dink Pate #28 of the New York Knicks dunks the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 19, 2025 at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks’ 2026 NBA Summer League schedule in Las Vegas features four preliminary matchups starting July 10. All 30 NBA teams participate in the 11-day showcase.
The Knicks’ preliminary Las Vegas schedule is as follows (all times Eastern):
July 10: vs. Brooklyn Nets (6:00 PM)
July 11: vs. San Antonio Spurs (6:00 PM)
July 13: vs. Detroit Pistons (4:00 PM)
July 16: vs. Golden State Warriors (7:00 PM)
Following these games, teams will advance to the Summer League playoffs. Semifinals will take place on July 18, and the Championship game is scheduled for July 19.
The Knicks’ roster is likely to feature newly drafted rookies Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel alongside several familiar young players. Pacôme Dadiet, Ariel Hukporti, Tyler Kolek, Mohamed Diawara, and Kevin McCullar Jr. are all expected to see significant minutes as New York evaluates its young talent ahead of free agency. Take a break from the pool to watch the Summer Knicks, why dontcha?!
The lead-up to the 2026 NHL Draft has been full of trades.
Though this is a deep draft, picks were shipped for more immediate help and even more players could be moved this weekend.
So far, the Florida Panthers have acquired Brady Tkachuk and Garnet Hathaway, the Chicago Blackhawks shipped out the No. 4 overall pick for Bowen Byram and the Washington Capitals landed Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou. Valeri Nichushkin, William Eklund, Michael Kesselring and Simon Nemec also moved teams.
According to reports, Jason Robertson and Mason McTavish were being shopped.
Here's a live look at trades and other transactions that happened during the 2026 NHL Draft weekend:
Toronto will receive a 2027 fifth-round pick for Ersson, who they acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this month in the Joseph Woll trade. Ersson is a pending restricted free agent and the Senators will need to make him a qualifying offer to retain his rights.
The pending unrestricted agent is staying with the Islanders on a two-year deal with a reported $4.5 million cap hit. DeAngelo had 35 points in 76 games in his second season with the Islanders and 10th in the NHL.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff confirmed he has been listening to offers on star goalie Connor Hellebuyck. “As an organization, it’s incumbent on me to listen,” he said. He didn't answer whether the U.S. Olympic gold medalist has asked for a trade or if there is if a timeline for making a deal. Hellebuyck is under contract through 2031. “What I’ve been hearing hasn’t made me act,” he said.
Jason Robertson turns down Kraken offer
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the Stars gave Seattle permission to talk to Jason Robertson and he turned down the team's offer for about $15 million a year. Robertson can become a restricted free agent on July 1.
Sharks getting offers on No. 9 overall pick
Sharks general manager Mike Grier said this week he had been getting calls about the No. 9 overall pick and a few others on the No. 2 pick.
Blues have four first-round picks
After trading Kyrou, the Blues have four picks in the first round, including back-to-back at 15 and 16. Could they potentially package some of those picks to move up in the draft, or to go after another team's player?
According to multiple reports, most recently from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers are the two teams that have made offers to the Anaheim Ducks for center Mason McTavish.
The Blues have been linked to McTavish for quite some time now, and they could be in the final stretch run of a deal.
LeBrun reports that the Ducks are currently in talks with both teams about their offers. The Blues’ offer reportedly centers on draft picks, notably the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft. For the Rangers, their trade package involves a roster player.
LeBrun also mentions that the Ducks would likely use the picks they acquire from the Blues, if they agreed to the trade, to acquire players who can help their roster now, as they don’t want to be viewed as sellers.
For the Blues, landing McTavish would solidify their center core. Robert Thomas would remain the No. 1 center while McTavish and Dalibor Dvorsky make up the middle six.
McTavish is 6-foot-1 and 219 pounds and would look to be an offensive center with the Blues. The 2025-26 season was poor for McTavish, but the prior season, he notched 22 goals and 52 points in 76 games.
While McTavish would have a higher offensive responsibility, Dvorsky would be tasked with defensive duties.
Although they wouldn’t be playing on the same line, they would complement each other and allow their strengths to shine.
At just 23 years old, McTavish is still developing his game and hoping to improve. At this point in his career, McTavish has played 304 regular-season games and 10 playoff games. He has experience in everyday NHL life, but a change of scenery could help him rediscover his game and play like the former third-overall pick of the 2021 NHL draft.
The 11th overall pick is a steep price to pay for a player coming off a career-worst season, but if the Blues were hoping to land a forward like Tynan Lawrence, Wyatt Cullen, or Viggo Bjorck, trading for McTavish, who is five years older, provides them with more security. McTavish is an established NHLer, and while those three forwards project well, there is still uncertainty surrounding them.
LeBrun does indicate that teams could circle back and rejoin the McTavish trade discussions, but as of now, it’s a two-horse race between the Blues and Rangers.
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The Mets' disastrous first-half of the season finally reached it's tipping point on Friday morning, as the team announced that they've fired manager Carlos Mendoza.
Mendoza was in the midst of his third year at the helm in Queens.
Behind an absolutely magical turnaround, he led them to an 89-73 finish and an NLCS appearance as a rookie manager during the 2024 season.
But Mendoza Mets would miss the postseason after a second-half collapse last year, and that disappointment carried over to this season after a winter of wholesale changes.
New York holds a 34-47 record following their ugly four-game series sweep at the hands of the Cubs.
Though things didn't end as Mendoza or the Mets hoped, the skipper penned a statement on Friday afternoon thanking Steve and Alex Cohen, David Stearns, Mets fans, and everyone throughout the organization.
"New York will always hold a special place in my heart," he wrote. "I leave with tremendous gratitude, pride in what we accomplished together, and confidence that the future of this organization is bright. I wish the Mets and their fans nothing but success in the years ahead."
Carlos Mendoza issues a statement following his departure from the Mets:
"I would like to thank Steve and Alex Cohen. They are tremendous owners who care deeply about their people, their families, and the entire organization. I am grateful for the opportunity they gave me to… pic.twitter.com/3p449WFUFw
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 24: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park on June 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees rebounded from a recent three-game losing streak to secure the final two games of their series against the Tigers. They couldn’t keep that momentum rolling into the series opener against the Red Sox as countless mental errors piled up en route to a 6-3 loss. As such, we have to go back to that series at Comerica to find a candidate for Sequence of the Week, that distinction belonging to Ryan Weathers in the rubber game.
We join Weathers with two outs in the bottom of the second on Wednesday. Paul Goldschmidt led off the game with a home run off Tarik Skubal, but Weathers handed it right back with a Spencer Torkelson double, Hao-Yu Lee walk, and Zach McKinstry RBI single. That put runners on first and second with the score tied, 1-1; every run crucial with the back-to-back reigning AL Cy Young on the mound for the home team.
With the nine-hole hitter Jake Rogers at the plate, it becomes imperative that Weathers go right after him and halt the early rally here to avoid turning the lineup over to AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner Kevin McGonigle. Weathers starts Rogers with a first pitch sweeper, Austin Wells setting a target on the outside edge as they attempt to steal a called strike one.
Instead, Weathers pulls this pitch down and in, and it lands a full two feet away from his intended aim of back-dooring the pitch. Had he landed a fastball in the zone before this, there’s a much higher chance that Rogers would have chased this pitch, but as a first pitch offering, there was nothing to set it up.
Despite failing to execute that sweeper to his spot by a wide margin, Weathers tries the same backdoor tactic again.
He’s lucky that Rogers gives up on this pitch early, because it ends up right down the middle for a called strike. Had Rogers been sitting on another breaker, there’s a good chance he would have crushed this pitch having gotten a good look at its movement profile on the prior pitch.
Now that Weathers has shown Rogers two straight off-speed pitches that break toward the batter, he has the situation set up to start a changeup down the same tunnel as the sweeper he just threw so that he can fool Rogers with a pitch that now breaks away from him.
The process is sound but the execution not so much. He yanks this changeup just like he did with the first pitch changeup, and it ends up well below the zone for ball two. The pitch starts as a ball out of Weathers’ hand and only travels farther away from the zone, making for a straightforward take from Rogers.
This pitch wasn’t as poorly executed as the result might suggest, and it appears has found the right seam orientation at release based on the sharp, late breaking movement downward. The pitch must have felt good coming out of his hand, because he shakes off Wells to get back to the changeup.
This one is an absolute doozy, as evidenced by Rogers spinning out and falling into the dirt as he whiffs wildly over the top. He’s obviously selling out for the fastball here, and is made to look silly by an absolutely disgusting changeup.
After seeing such an out of control hack from Rogers, the only logical choice would be to try to replicate that pitch.
Weathers throws the perfect changeup, on the corner down and away with wicked sinking and fading movement. Even if Rogers takes this pitch, it’s called strike three. However, that’s a moot point as Rogers once again swings and misses super early and over the top as if he is anticipating a fastball. Weathers strands both the runners, giving his offense the chance to grab the lead again as Goldschmidt crushed his second homer and Jasson Domínguez went yard off Skubal as he continues to look much improved batting righty.
Here’s the full sequence:
Weathers needed this turnaround start badly having allowed at least five runs in four of six starts before this game. In allowing one earned run across six strong innings, Weathers’ ERA sinks back below four, Weathers crucially keeping the ball in the yard amid his home run issues. Weathers and Will Warren are currently fighting for their spot in the rotation with Max Fried’s return from injury on the not-too-distant horizon, and a performance like this is certainly a mark in Weathers’ favor.
If, on Opening Day, I had told you the Cubs would be 44-37 after 81 games, you’d have probably been a bit disappointed. That’s an 88-win pace, which is good, but fewer wins than last year and probably not enough to win the NL Central.
The thing is, I think a lot of Cubs fans are hugely disappointed in the team right now. They’ve generated enough offense, I’d think, to win more games than that. They currently rank sixth in MLB in runs with 399 (and they’re only 10 runs behind the third-ranked Pirates). That’s just less than five runs per game. Generally, if you can score around 800 runs in a season, you’re going to win 90+ games.
Except if the pitching staff isn’t doing its job, you’re not. And this pitching staff has been riddled with injuries. I don’t need to recount all of those to you, you are quite familiar with them. And right now, the team has allowed 362 runs, which ranks 16th, exactly league average. What’s worse, though, is that they have served up 123 home runs, most in MLB. The A’s are second at 120, and as you know, they play in a minor-league park that’s known for long balls.
The weirdest part about this very odd Cubs season is how they got to 44-37.
First 16 games: 7-9, 73 runs scored, 69 allowed Next 23 games: 20-3, 142 runs scored, 90 allowed Next 29 games: 7-22, 93 runs scored, 151 allowed Next 13 games: 10-3, 91 runs scored, 52 allowed
That is…
I mean, what team does that in half of a single season? That’s a .500 club for a couple of weeks, the best team in baseball for three weeks, the worst team in baseball for four weeks, and the best team again for two weeks.
Hitting? Pitching? As you can see, it’s both. During the 20-3 streak, the team averaged more than six runs a game and allowed fewer than four. Then they spent nearly a month scoring only a bit more than three per game (and scored 1 run or fewer nine times), but also allowed 5.2 per game.
In the current 13-game stretch, they’re back to pounding the ball — seven runs scored per game — and also have had solid pitching, allowing four per game.
Where does this team go from here?
Acquiring David Peterson will help. As has been written elsewhere, he’s an extreme ground ball pitcher who will be helped by the Cubs’ elite infield defense. We just spent four days watching how bad the Mets infield defense is (and that’s not a one-year problem, either).
But clearly, the team needs another starting pitcher, too. Today we stand 38 days from the trade deadline. The Mets, incidentally, should be one of the teams selling, and Freddy Peralta pitched well enough Thursday (and for most of the season) that he should be a Cubs trade target. Peralta, too, would be helped by the Cubs defense. There are other pitchers out there that I’m sure Jed Hoyer & Co. are targeting.
They could use some relief help, too. If I’m Hoyer I’m on the phone with my old buddy Craig Breslow in Boston, seeing what it would take to get Aroldis Chapman. Hey, it worked 10 years ago. Chapman isn’t the pitcher he was in 2016, but he is still an effective MLB reliever and he could close games in Daniel Palencia’s absence.
Other than that, the offense has begun to click again. If the team can get Alex Bregman, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch going, it could be a real juggernaut in the season’s second half.
That second 81-game stretch begins tonight in Milwaukee. Hopefully this Cubs team can play better against the Brewers than they did last month in Chicago.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: Caleb Wilson poses for a photo during 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 Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
UNC’s connection with the Chicago Bulls has been a fascinating one over the last 40+ years. In 1984, the Bulls selected Michael Jordan as the third overall pick in the NBA Draft. Things went extremely well to say the least, and ultimately Jordan went on to become arguably the greatest NBA player of all time. In 2019, the Bulls drafted Coby White as the 7th overall pick in the draft, and while White himself eventually became the NBA player most UNC fans thought he could be, things were a trash heap as far as the Bulls organization goes. While Jordan won six NBA titles, White only made it to the NBA Playoffs once with the Bulls, only to get smoked by the Milwaukee Bucks.
That brings us to today: Caleb Wilson was selected with the fourth-overall pick to the Bulls, becoming just the third Tar Heel to be drafted by the franchise. The question, though, is will Wilson be set up for success better than White was? Or will he be resigned to play in the Play-In Tournament against the Miami Heat for the next six years? Let’s take a look at three reasons why things could play out a lot better for Wilson from an organizational perspective. Let’s start at the top and work our way down.
Arturas Karnisovas has left the building
When Coby White was drafted, the Bulls front office comprised of Gar Forman and John Paxson, who were in the middle of their villain era with the city of Chicago. After letting Jimmy Butler walk because they didn’t want to pay him a super max contract, things went downhill with the team at record speeds, and there was no immediate sign that things would get better. After drafting White, the duo known as GarPax would try to build a team around Zach LaVine, but ultimately after missing out on the playoffs four years in a row, Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf decided to make some changes.
In comes Arturas Karnisovas, and to speed things up, let’s just say things didn’t get a whole lot better. While things weren’t completely bad with AK, he still was not able to help Billy Donovan build a playoff team. The final straw was earlier this year when AK traded Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu for second round picks, and the Reinsdorfs had enough. Now the Bulls have Bryson Graham, who is widely respected for his ability to identify talent. He has said and done all the right things so far, and he has done the one thing that none of the names mentioned previously were willing to do: committed to a real rebuild. Caleb Wilson is the first building block in what will be a multi-step plan to finally return the Bulls to the NBA Playoffs.
Wilson won’t have to deal with Jim Boylen
When Coby White entered the league, Jim Boylen was the Chicago Bulls head coach. To put it nicely, Boylen was one of the worst NBA coaches that the league has ever seen. He stunted White’s growth by playing inferior talent over him, utilizing bizarre offensive and defensive schemes, and in general proving that he had no idea what he was doing. Again, that is putting it nicely. Boylen finished his head coaching career with a 39-84 record before getting fired and replaced by Billy Donovan, who while was a much better coach that helped develop White into a much better player, didn’t have the front office support to get the Bulls very far.
After deciding that he no longer wanted to coach for the Bulls after his contract was up, Donovan was replaced by former interim Portland Trailblazers head coach Tiago Splitter. While he only coached the Blazers for a short amount of time, he gained a ton of respect from the locker room, and just about every player hoped that he would stay. Carolina Hurricanes and now Portland Trailblazers owner Tom Dundon had other plans, though, and decided not to retain Splitter, so he decided to take his talents to the Windy City.
Splitter has a reputation for developing/getting the most out of his players, and many credit his efforts in getting the Blazers to the NBA Playoffs. If the same holds true in Chicago, there’s no doubt that we will see Wilson shine under the Bulls’ new leadership. It’s unfortunate that White got the short end of the stick, but Wilson will be led by a promising head coach.
Wilson’s role will be clear
The thing that bothered me the most about the Coby White situation in Chicago is that his role changed just about every year. After being buried on the bench under Boylen, he eventually found more playing time at point guard, and under Donovan he would bounce back and forth between point guard and shooting guard. While that sounds normal, it was who he was playing next to and what he was being asked to do that just never felt right.
With Caleb Wilson, though, it is hard to imagine that he will not have a defined role under Splitter. The Bulls drafted Wilson as the guy they want to build around in their rebuild, and there’s no ambiguity when it comes to what he can and can’t do. Splitter knows he’s getting a guy with a high motor who lives above the rim and can defend his tail off, and he hopes to develop him into a guy that can also stretch the floor and potentially create for others. And because the team is in a rebuild, the only pieces that are almost guaranteed to stick around for the next 2-3 years are Wilson, Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue, and Dailyn Swain. Barring any big surprises, Wilson will likely become the franchise player, and he could develop into an All-Star when it’s all said and done.
From the outside looking in, it’s easy to see why anybody would be uneasy about Wilson getting drafted by Chicago. But it’s a new day in the Windy City in just about every way, and Wilson has a chance to do something special in one of the best markets in the NBA. For that to happen, the Bulls will have to do their part and not go back to their old ways.
May 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos tosses his bat after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Phillies could have easily been swept by the Washington Nationals. They generally played poorly for most of the four-game series, but thanks to some late-inning magic against a garbage fire bullpen, they ended up winning the series.
Speaking of garbage fires, there’s the New York Mets. Since defeating the Phillies last Thursday, they’ve lost six games in a row, some of them in embarrassing fashion. But hey, at least some people in the stadium managed to enjoy themselves.
These Norwegian fans are having the time of their lives watching Cubs-Mets 🙌 🇳🇴
However, if there’s one thing the Mets have been able to count on in recent years, it’s beating the Phillies at Citi Field. The Phillies have lost ten straight games at the stadium including two games in the 2024 NLDS. With the Mets in freefall, if the Phillies can’t find a way to win a game this weekend, it seems possible that they might never win there again.
…..And as I was writing this, it was announced that the Mets have fired manager Carlos Mendoza.
Steve Cohen on the Mets moving on from Carlos Mendoza:
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Carlos Mendoza for his leadership and unwavering commitment. He represented this organization with integrity and dedication throughout and I wish him and his family all the best.… pic.twitter.com/HTnHZ20RkZ
This is not a positive development for the Phillies, as the Mets may likely experience a “new manager bounce” this weekend. On the other hand, it gives me a reason to use this clip:
Opposition research: Mark Vientos
In 2024, the Mets thought they had a young star on their hands. In his first full season, Mark Vientos put up an OPS of .837 with 27 home runs. And he went on to destroy the Phillies in the NLDS, going 9-16 with two home runs.
He’s continued to perform well against the Phillies. Last year, he batted .313 with two home runs against them, and in the series last week, he was 2-5 with a homer. However, he hasn’t hit all that well against anybody else in that time, and combined with horrendous defense, he’s been one of the least valuable players in the league.
Things aren’t trending in Vientos’ direction either. He’s batting just .179 in June and went 1-10 in the series against the Cubs.
Statistically, Mark Vientos has been the WORST player on the Mets this year.
Defensively, the Mets accepted that he couldn’t hack it at third base so they moved him to first this season. However, he’s proven to be equally bad there, committing a league high six errors. Mets fans are now openly pining for Pete Alonso.
Immediately after Mark Vientos made an error at first base, the New York Mets fans started chanting “Pete Alonso” 😭 pic.twitter.com/9ozIHoodby
"I'm not going to go nuts and get angry right now because we're beyond that. This is way beyond the anger stage."@sal_licata reacts to the Mets' four-game sweep at the hands of the Cubs:
Last week’s answer: The three relievers to earn wins in the Phillies’ sweep of the Mets in September 2007 were Tom Gordon, Antonio Alfonseca, and Geoff Geary. MG77 and Morris Buttermaker each named one of them.
This week’s question: The Phillies last win at Citi Field was a 12-2 romp on September 20, 2024. Which Phillie had four hits and four RBIs in that game?
Vote for the Phillies! Just not necessarily the ones you expected
It’s kind of hilarious that Brandon Marsh, Alec Bohm, and Bryson Stott have all reached the second round of All-Star voting while Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber did not. While Marsh clearly deserves inclusion on the team, it wasn’t that long ago that fans wanted both Bohm and Stott traded away for anything they could get. (Can you imagine the reaction at the end of April if someone told you that Alec Bohm might be an All-Star?)
Alec, Brandon, and Bryson are one step closer to starting the All-Star Game in Philly 🤩
Harper and Schwarber both have a good chance to be named to the team as reserves, although they could always get excluded due to the “every team gets a guy” role and whether or not Dave Roberts feels he has to choose a rookie with six starts under his belt.
Additional thought about the series
Late inning comebacks are really fun, and the Mets also do not have a great bullpen. (Sure, it’s better than the Nationals’ relief group, but I don’t think it’s possible to be worse.) That said, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Phillies to simply get out to an early lead and sustain it for the entire game.
They should have an opportunity to score early runs. The Mets are calling up rookie Zach Thornton to start one game, and it seems likely either Kodai Senga or Christian Scott will get the ball at some point. Either way, the Phillies won’t be facing a top-notch array of pitchers this weekend.
I am slightly worried that the Mets can’t possibly continue to play as poorly as they have been, and they might be somewhat motivated by getting their manager fired. On the other hand, the Phillies can’t keep losing every game at Citi Field, right? In the end, while I’d love to see the Phillies extend the Mets’ misery, I think I’d be happy if they can come away with one win this weekend. That’s not too much to ask for, right?
