The Chicago Blackhawks have some options with the 4th overall pick, but it will mostly depend on what the teams ahead of them do.
Chicago needs forwards more than they need defensemen at both the NHL level and within the pipeline, which begs the question about best player available vs organizational need.
The truth is, if Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Caleb Malhotra are the first three picks, that doesn't mean that the Blackhawks are forced into taking a defenseman.
If they don't think that one of Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, or Carson Carels is going to be better than Artyom Levshunov or Sam Rinzel, and there is a fourth forward that they really like, they must not hesitate to take the risk.
Forwards like Viggo Bjorck, Tynan Lawrence, Ethan Belchetz, and Wyatt Cullen are projected to be NHL-caliber forwards in the future, and the Blackhawks need as many of those as they can.
If one of them is at the top of their board, even more than any of the defensemen, there is no shame in that. Kyle Davidson has to do what he feels will make the team better in the long term, even if it goes against popular opinion.
Of those forwards, Viggo Bjorck and Tynan Lawrence appear to have the highest ceiling. For Bjorck, he shone at the World Juniors and World Championships, which featured other young stars like Ivar Stenberg and Anton Frondell.
If the Blackhawks ended up with a forward like him, he has the mold of a player who could slot in on a line with his countryman Frondell. The success that they've had with Sweden on the national stage could translate to the NHL.
As for Lawrence, he had times when he was projected to be a top-three pick in the draft. His time at B.U. showed just how hard the transition to college hockey can be, and he wasn't the only one who dealt with that reality check in 2025-26.
Chicago also doesn't have to use the 4th overall pick. If those top-three forwards are gone, there is the option of trading the selection. Trading down could still land them one of the other forwards mentioned, plus another asset.
As with any other team that has selected 4th overall in the past, some decisions must be made depending on what the three teams ahead of them decide. For the Blackhawks this year, positional need could come into play.
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The Philadelphia Flyers and general manager Danny Briere got off to a blazing start to the offseason with their first trade, and the NHL draft and the start of free agency rapidly approach.
With Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit in the fold, the Flyers have already addressed a few immediate needs, and they have a number of prospects still on the way.
In a recent one-on-one with The Hockey News, I had the pleasure of picking Briere's brain, gleaning some insights into the Flyers' plans, how their prospects are coming along, and other odds and ends.
Here, we'll be covering topics like Egor Zavragin, David Jiricek, free agency, Jett Luchanko, former Flyers friends, and more.
Note that some questions and answers in this interview were edited for clarity and brevity.
Jonathan Bailey: "You have Simon Benoit now. You have talked a lot about Hunter McDonald, Ty Murchison, and those guys in the past. Do you think this changed anything for them? Benoit’s got one year on his deal, Seeler’s got a few more, but does that change anything for them now?"
Danny Briere: "You know, the way I see it is, those young guys, they both took a step forward last year. They're going to have to beat someone out of a job, like that's just the reality to make it in the NHL. You have to show that you can beat someone out of their job; that's going to be the challenge for them. So that's always the tough part, you know. Nothing is handed for free. You got to earn it.”
JB: "A few weeks ago, you re-signed Aleksei Kolosov for one year, but his goal was to play in the NHL. Now he’s the No. 3 goalie coming into the year. What's your confidence like in him, because he played pretty well last year?"
DB: "With Aleksei, two years ago, it was kind of a wasted year for him. So spending the year up as a third goalie with the Flyers, it wasn't ideal, and I think it was a little bit of a season that was lost for him last year. He had a good season, stepped back up, so we still see him as a young goalie that's still developing, but he needs more time. We feel it's a good spot for him to be in, as the No. 3. Most likely, there's going to be some injuries along the way, and sometimes he's going to have to play, he’s going to have the chance to play a few games. We don't know how many, and it's kind of the same thing that goes for McDonald and Murchison. You have to beat someone out of the job, so that's going to be the challenge for him."
JB: "Egor Zavragin is off to a new KHL team, maybe a tandem situation, but probably going to play. How optimistic does that make you now after the way this past year went?"
DB: "Yeah, I mean, it was a little disappointing to see, and there was a time where he, early in the year, had the best stats out of the group of three, and I think it almost felt like it was decided before that he was the youngest and he was going to be the one going to the VHL. So it's unfortunate, but we have no control over what they do now. There's a little bit of hope that he's going to be in the KHL the whole year and play some KHL games next year. I think it's going to be great for his development, and there's no rush, especially now knowing and seeing what we have here. We have a good group of four goalies that are under NHL contracts, and hopefully, we don't have to use all four, but we know it's there. And especially in Kolosov and Bjarnason’s cases, it's good to see them developing and playing some games. I think we're comfortable with where it's at, at the moment."
JB: "Jett Luchanko is turning pro this year. He made the team out of training camp both years he’s been here. Is that the expectation now, or do you want to leave that up to him and see where he's at?"
DB: "It’ll be up to him now. We’ll see. I mean, it's a big summer for Jett. Last year was a tough one, missed a lot of training, and he missed development camp. He came in, and he was still a little dinged up. So it's a big summer for him, but there's also no rush if we don't feel he's quite ready. We have Lehigh Valley that's down the road from here, and he's going to play a lot of minutes there, so I don't see us keeping Jett Luchanko as an extra player as a 13th or 14th forward on the team. If he doesn't fit into the top 12, he's most likely going to be in Lehigh so he can play lots of minutes and lots of responsibilities in every situation."
JB: "David Jiricek, I think he needs waivers. All things considered, pretty good in Lehigh, very productive. Where do you see him now that, especially because you have Benoit, is kind of like the insulator? If Juulsen isn’t coming back, that leaves a spot on the right for him… where do you see him right now?"
DB: “Yeah, like you said, he had a really good stint in Lehigh Valley. He proved that he's ready for the next level. For him, it's gonna be a battle for ice time. It's going to be up to him. Big summer for him. Yeah, he needs waivers. We're aware of that, and he's going to get a good look, and we hope that he's ready for it. We feel he's ready for it, but he's going to have to show it on the ice. We know the offense is there, the big shot is there, the size is there, and that's just for him to round out his game, where he becomes a player that the coaches trust every night."
JB: "Are there any players who definitely are, or definitely are not, coming back this summer?"
DB: "[Rodrigo Abols] will most likely not be back. [Luke Glendening] we still have in the mix. Yeah, there's so many moving parts still, right? We're looking at different things, we're exploring. That's our job, to explore what's out there. Look at trades, you know. Three weeks ago, I would be talking about [Emil Andrae] as a guy who has a chance to find his way into the top six, and it'll be up to him, and now today, he's out. Same thing with [Sam Ersson]. So things changed, things evolved. It's a little too early, right? I don't want to pigeonhole myself and say, ‘Oh, this guy's definitely not coming back’ yet. We're keeping the door open, but it's our duty to look at what's out there, and if there’s an improvement that we can make to help the team."
JB: “Coming into this, I had Sergei Bobrovsky and Claude Giroux written down, two of your old teammates who are now free agents.”
DB: Smiles. "Yeah, it's pretty safe to say that there's not much room for Bob. I still have the feeling that Bob will re-sign in Florida. I don't think they have a goalie signed, so, yeah, they're gonna need a goalie, at least one, maybe two. I mean, Bob's a fantastic teammate, and great work ethic. He would have been a really good example for our guys, but no, I don't know how realistic that would have been."
JB: "Giroux, I assume, the same thing? I'm thinking of Rick Tocchet talking about Luke Glendening, having that veteran right-hand center for matchups, making that connection. You never know?"
DB: "Yeah, you never know where it's at. G's had a really good stint in Ottawa. I'm sure they want to keep him there, so I'm not sure he's thinking about going anywhere else. But I think he's been invested in the Senators for a while now, and they have a pretty good team."
JB: "Nick Deslauriers, Stanley Cup champion. You guys gave him the chance to go play for a contender, got nothing back, but showed the young guys they’ll be rewarded for being good teammates and working hard. How nice is it to see him actually go do it from your perspective?"
DB: "Yeah, it was pretty cool. Nick, again, what he did for us, protecting some of our young guys the last few years, it's not an easy job, and you don't play a lot, and you sacrifice, and you do extra work. It's a really tough job to do. So, we're thankful for what he did, and I feel it was the right thing to do, to give him a chance to go somewhere and have a shot at the Cup at the time. If you remember, like, we weren't looking too, too good to have a chance to make the playoffs, so yeah, it was pretty cool to watch him lift when it happened a couple nights ago."
JB: "A bit of a personal one, but Matthew Schaefer has special place in the heart for you, and not to talk about other teams' players too much, but is there a personal sense of pride for you to see him win the Calder Trophy, and then on Good Morning America, where they brought it out to surprise him?"
DB: Smiles. "Yeah, I'm not supposed to talk about players on other teams, but there's a special connection there with the family, not just Matthew, but also his brother and his dad. So it was pretty cool to see that, and a surprise on the show. Yeah, there's a little special place for him, obviously. [New York Islanders GM] Mathieu Darche knows that as well, so it's not a secret. Very proud of him. The only thing I don't like about him is that he plays in our division. That makes it tough. But, otherwise, on most nights, I'm happy for the Schaefer family and Matthew, and he’s a special talent to watch play."
DB: "No, there's nothing still at this point that we can share. We're still in a holding pattern with him, so I don't have anything to share yet."
JB: "Is he still someone you see, like just the way he plays, his style, his traits, long-term, bottom-six, pushing for that role?
DB: “Yeah, that's what we are hoping for, believing that he can give us. He's just got to get healthy, but yeah, we love his spunk. We love the sandpaper that he brings, great personality, really well-loved, too, in the locker room. So we're just hoping that we can get him to a place where he can provide that feistiness for us every night.”
Feb 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Tibbs III against the Seattle Mariners during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Several one-run affairs and a blowout loss for the Tower Buzzers made up a day of baseball in the Dodgers’ minor league system.
Player of the day
Sometimes one hit is all you need. Through nine innings, James Tibbs III hadn’t done anything, but then, with one out in the tenth and the Comets trailing 4-3, Tibbs was at the plate with a runner on base and homered to the opposite field for the win.
It hasn’t been the best of months for Tibbs, far from it, as the left-handed hitter now has a .200 average with three home runs in June. On the plus side, he still is getting on base rather consistently with a .362 OBP despite that batting average at the Mendoza line.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
James Tibbs III is now up to 20 homers on the season, none bigger than last night’s two-run shot, which came when the Comets were two outs away from losing the game in the 10th inning. Tibbs drove in Ryan Fitzgerald, who also only had one hit the whole game.
Considering Tibbs’ homer was the Comets’ only extra-base hit in the entire game, and Hyesong Kim was their only hitter with a multi-hit game, the bullpen deserves a ton of praise. Led by Evan Phillips, Comets’ relievers tossed five innings without allowing an earned run after Christian Romero’s solid but unspectacular start. The only run conceded when relievers were on the mound was the ghost runner in the 10th.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers started off hot with four runs in the second, but quickly faded in a 6-5 loss against the Naturals. Just like in the Comets game, the whole lineup only had one hitter with a multihit game; here it was catcher and ninth-hole hitter Hayden Gilliland. It also only had one home run, here belonging to Josue De Paula.
Unable to score more than one run after that second inning, the Drillers’ offense allowed the Naturals the chance to get back into this one, and after a couple of blown saves from Lucas Wepf and Kelvin Ramírez, the veteran Nick Robertson suffered his first loss on the year. Robertson now moves to a 6-1 record, allowing only his fourth run (two earned) in 29.2 innings.
High-A Great Lakes
Playing a couple of closely contested games, both decided by a single run, the Loons split the doubleheader with the Captains. The bullpen tried to let their win slip, allowing the Naturals to tie the game at four-all after Aidan Foeller left them leading 4-0 thanks to 4.2 scoreless innings. However, the Loons caught a break, earning a walk-off win thanks to a defensive error from the Naturals, allowing DH Jose Meza to cross the plate.
Christian Zazueta’s five scoreless innings in the Loons loss meant that, combined, the Loons starters tossed 9.2 innings without allowing a run. This time around, reliever Isaac Ayon didn’t have it out of the bullpen, and not only did he blow the save in the sixth, but he also allowed a walk-off loss an inning later, coughing up a solo homer. The two runs the Loons had scored in this game, thanks to Emil Morales and Jose Meza, which looked like enough for most of it, fell short.
Single-A Ontario
Unlike the other four games, all decided by one run, the Tower Buzzers fell at the hands of the Quakes by a score of 11-2 in a game with a forgettable defensive performance. Four different players committed an error for the Loons, ultimately accumulating more defensive errors than hits (.3).
The only reliever out of the five from the Tower Buzzers to not give up a run was the veteran Brock Stewart, continuing to work his way back. Starter Brady Smith is now up to a 0-4 record.
Unable to drive forward a competitive effort by himself, designated hitter Eason Shelton at least upped his individual numbers, responsible for both RBI of his team, now sitting at 62 on the season.
Thursday’s scores
Oklahoma City 5, Sacramento 4
NW Arkansas 6, Tulsa 5
Great Lakes 5, Lake County 4
Lake County 3, Great Lakes 2
Ontario 2, Rancho Cucamonga 11
Friday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Brooks Auger) vs. Lake County (Michael Kennedy)
5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Charlie Barnes) vs. Sacramento (Joe Whitman)
Jun 18, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Good morning, foLLks, and happy Friday!
The Mariners shut out the Orioles 3-0 yesterday to secure their first series win over Baltimore since 2022. The second series of the homestand kicks off today against the Red Sox at 7:10pm PDT.
Brewers righty Quinn Priester will undergo first rib removal surgery. He will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.
MLB has proposed a reworked Draft system as negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement remain in their infancy, including the addition of an international draft, removing draft eligibility for high school players, and once again truncating the number of rounds. The MLBPA released a statement regarding these proposals in response, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it appears to be a non-starter in negotiations.
The Pirates and Braves completed a small swap, with Pittsburgh sending former second overall pick C Joey Bart to Atlanta for RHP Hunter Stratton.
The Tigers will recall utilityman Trei Cruz from Triple-A Toledo, who will fill in for Wenceel Pérez after a freak eye injury involving a snapped plyo band. Notably, he is the son of former Mariner José Cruz Jr., and the Cruzes will become just the fifth family to have three generations of MLB players when Trei makes his debut.
Ribbie launched a few weeks ago. Per their site description, it’s “[a]ctual live games rendered pitch by pitch in a cozy 8-bit view while they happen. Watch for free. No account needed. A calmer way to keep baseball close.” While it’s still a work in progress , it’s a pretty neat way to follow a game if you tire of the Gameday view.
If you are looking for a new show to watch, please consider this one (~NSFW).
Los Angeles, CA - June 16, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a home run during the sixth inning of an MLB game against the Tampa Bay Rays at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Baseball is the sport with the most parity on a night to night basis, particularly in the regular season. The worst team can beat the best team, and no one really bats an eye. That is part of what made the Orioles series with the Dodgers back in September so magical. The Orioles were in the midst of a disastrous season while the Dodgers were en route to yet another World Series. That didn’t really matter though as the O’s took two of three anyway, including a particularly exciting comeback from a near no-hitter for Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a walk-off winner for the Birds in Game 2 of that series.
There is a similar gulf between these two clubs entering this series. The Dodgers have a league-best +144 run differential; the Orioles are at -36. The Dodgers lead their division by nine games and are two games clear of the second-best team in the NL. The Orioles are 2.5 games back of the final wild card spot in the AL. Add in the O’s abysmal 13-22 record on the road or 15-24 record against teams .500 or better, and you can start to mentally write this series off entirely.
Looking at stats isn’t going to give you any more confidence. The Dodgers have scored the second-most runs (Nationals) in baseball and hit the second-most home runs (Yankees). They also rank first in batting average (.261) and on-base percentage (.345), while their .441 slugging percentage is second to just the Yankees.
Shoehei Ohtani is having himself another amazing year, though not quite as dominant offensively as we have grown accustomed to. His .545 slugging percentage is his lowest since 2022, and his 15 home runs have him well behind his normal pace of long balls. Even still, his 163 wRC+ is among the leage leaders yet again.
Max Muncy actually leads the team with 16 homers, and he has done that in 60 fewer plate appearances than Ohtani. Andy Pages’ 56 RBI are tops on the team, only one behind the league leaders. Freddie Freeman is still good too, posting a .279/.368/.482 batting line with 12 homers.
The negatives are pretty limited, but we should mention them. Mookie Betts is struggling, and not just in the context of a stacked Dodgers lineup. The former MVP is hitting just .203/.266/.367 with seven homers and a 75 wRC+. His peripheral numbers are much better though. His expected batting average is .277 and he rare chases, whiffs, or strikes out. The 33-year-old is due for some positive regression at some point. Hopefully it doesn’t start this weekend.
And you probably don’t need to worry about this Dodgers team beating you on the base paths. Their 31 stolen bases are the fourth-fewest in baseball, and their -2.4 Base Running Runs are in the bottom third of the league as well.
The two things you can depend on the Dodgers for in recent history are winning baseball games and a full injury report. That is the case yet again in 2026. We won’t see a number of key names this weekend. Will Smith has a stiff neck. Teoscar Hernández is nursing a hamstring strain. Edwin Díaz is out until next month with an elbow injury. And you won’t have to worry about Tyler Glasnow (back), Kiké Hernández (oblique), Blake Snell (elbow), or old friend Evan Phillips (Tommy John) for several more weeks, at least.
Gibson is having the rookie experience right now. His last outing against the Padres was his first with more than two strikeouts. It also saw him issue five walks and bean Xander Bogaerts in the head. There is work to be done, but the Orioles have no choice but to keep trotting him out there given the injures elsewhere on their starting staff.
It has been a rocky sophomore season for Sasaki. He had a 6.35 ERA in March/April, but settle down with a 3.18 ERA in May. Now in June he followed seven shutout innings against the Angels to begin the month with a meltdown against the White Sox (4.1 IP, seven runs). Which version will the Orioles see to open the series? It feels like we all know the answer, don’t we?
Is Rogers back? He has a 3.12 ERA in June and has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last three starts. His formula is pretty simple on paper. Limit the walks and keep the ball in the yard. When he does that, he finds success. That ability will be tested against these Dodgers.
Yamamoto is following up his third-place finish in Cy Young voting a season ago with an almost identical season in 2026. The strikeout numbers aren’t as dominant, but he is walking almost no one and has a WHIP of just 0.840. The diminutive righty makes you earn your way on.
Game 3: Sunday, June 21st, 4:10 p.m., MASN
RHP Brandon Young (5-2, 3.18 ERA) vs. RHP Emmet Sheehan (3-4, 4.76 ERA)
The Orioles’ string of winning games that Young starts was broken in his last outing, but that wasn’t the righty’s fault. He delivered a quality start, going six innings and allowing just three runs. His 2.83 ERA over his last eight starts has been a saving grace for a rotation that has struggled with consistency overall. The Orioles might even have the pitching advantage in this one.
Sheehan has probably been something of a disappointment for Dodgers fans this year. He looked great with his 2.82 ERA across 73.1 innings last season, but has failed to live up to that hype in 2026. Even still, he forces a lot of swing and miss, and regularly gets hitters to chase pitches out of the zone. So this is still going to be a tough matchup for the Orioles.
How many games do you think the Orioles will win in this series? Let us know in the comments.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 18: Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen looks on at Wrigley Field on April 18, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was hardly even a question, thrown in at the end of a radio interview, but Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen went out of his way to give a definitive, strong statement on his trade deadline plans.
“I’m planning on buying,” Hazen said, in the waning seconds of an interview with Arizona Sports 98.7’s Wolf & Luke show.
He isn’t missing bats with the knuckle curve as he has in the past. And with this, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller tags him as the club’s most scrutinized player.
“A month ago, the choice would have been Ketel Marte. But while the three-time All-Star second baseman has turned things around in a big way, Gallen has gone from bad in 2025 to worse in 2026. He entered the year averaging 7.5 hits allowed and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. The former rate has ballooned to 11.1 while the latter has plummeted to 5.9. His velocity has been fine, but the knuckle curve that used to be his go-to out pitch simply isn’t fooling anyone anymore.”
According to the transaction log on his MLB player page, the Triple-A Reno Aces have officially released former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman and DH Luken Baker.
Baker, 29, has played in 76 major league games — 73 for the Cardinals in parts of three seasons from 2023-2025. He was signed to a minor league contract by the Diamondbacks in the offseason ahead of 2026, and made three major league appearances with Arizona.
Negotiations between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association continue for the next collective bargaining agreement. Today, MLB proposed significant changes to the draft. J.J Cooper of Baseball America was among those to cover the developments.
The league’s proposed framework would be a significant drawdown of the way the draft has operated for years. High school players would no longer be eligible to be selected. In fact, anyone under 20 years old by September 1st of the draft year would not be eligible, so that would take many college and junior college players off the table as well.
The Angels placed their 34-year-old center fielder on the 10-day injured list before Thursday’s game against the Athletics after he suffered a right hamstring injury while running to first base during his final at-bat in Wednesday afternoon’s loss in Arizona.
“It felt like a cramp and just didn’t get any better. Achy last night, so woke up this morning and got it looked at,” Trout said before the game.
The 2026 MLB Home Run Derby is turning back the clock and saying goodbye to it simultaneously. MLB officially announced Thursday that the midsummer slugging competition is set to return to a swing-based system for the first time since 2014.
While timed rounds have been part of the past 11 iterations of the Derby, hitters’ bouts will again have no time limit.
ST. LOUIS, MO - JULY 12: Sean Berry of the Houston Astros during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 12, 1998 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
Sean Berry made an immediate impact upon his arrival to Houston in 1996. Originally acquired in a trade from the Expos, Berry would join the “Killer B’s” lineup and drive in 95 runs in his debut season in the dome. Along the way that first season, he’d also hit a pair of grand slams. Berry is our 27th installment of our exclusive Legends Series.
Q: What do you remember about being dealt to Houston?
A: You know, it benefited me that the trade happened during the offseason, so I was able to get a full spring training under my belt and get to know the superstars that I was around in Craig and Jeff and everybody else.
It was a perfect fit. I kind of fell right into the framework and mindset that they had. They all hustled, and it was a great feeling. It was perfect because you knew there was something special with that team on day one.
Q: “Killer B’s” still resonates all these years later down here. How great were Biggio and Bagwell?
A: I think for me, just seeing those guys play as hard as they did, day in and day out, and to do it at that level. Those guys were great players, but what impressed me was the hard work they put in when no one was watching. I never even played a full 162 game schedule like those guys. The turf at the Astrodome wasn’t really turf (laughs) it was more like concrete and they kept their bodies in tune.
Q: Was there any doubt in your mind that they’d eventually wind up in Cooperstown?
A: I came up through the Royals organization, and I got to know this guy by the name of George Brett. Those guys had the same competitiveness as George did and they all had long careers. eff’s numbers would be even more impressive if he didn’t have the arthritis in his shoulder. He would’ve had another 2 or 3 years with great numbers.
Q: What did you like about taking the field for Larry Dierker?
A: When I got there, he was a new manager of sorts but the one thing that they don’t do these days but that Larry always instilled was with our staff, he’d say don’t be looking in here during the 5th or 6th inning for me to come and get you out of the game.
We had Mike Hampton and Shane Reynolds and Darryl Kile, and they always took us deep into games. They were our best guys, so Larry’s belief was to keep them out there even if the metrics didn’t bear it out. He was that way. Larry in his own right had some incredible complete games as a pitcher, so he brought that to the table as a manager.
Q: I heard a rumor that during the first week of the season, you attended a game as a fan for the first time. Is that true?
A: It is (laughs). It was against Boston in April. It was weird, very strange. I was sitting there and there were so many strikeouts and guys not putting the ball in play. It bothered me and watching guys not break up double plays was a little hard. We never tried to hurt anybody, but the second base play stuff doesn’t feel right when I watch it, it just feels wrong.
Q: What did you think of seeing Yordan Alvarez for the first time in person?
A: He’s pretty impressive. Wow. When I did that for a living, I did it pretty okay at times, but then I see a guy like him and I’m like, I never looked that polished at the plate.
When the Blue Jays were last at Wrigley Field in August 2024, thousands of Jays fans followed them to Chicago. I found them to all be passionate fans, but also friendly and unfailingly polite.
As we are near the beginning of summer travel season, I’d expect more Jays fans at Wrigley again this weekend — and in fact, I have heard all three games are already near-sellouts. So, welcome!
This series matches two teams that were supposed to be World Series contenders, but at this time both are struggling. For more on the Blue Jays, here’s Tom Dakers, manager of our SB Nation Blue Jays site Bluebird Banter.
What can I say about the Blue Jays? Well, they have been incredibly average. They can hit, unless, of course, there are RISP, and then they hit much as you or I would. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the ‘face’ of the team, has been in a deep slump and an even deeper power outage. Earlier in the season, he was hitting well, just not hitting home runs. Now, if you look at his stats, you’d see he has three home runs, and that’s not a typo. Three.
The starting pitching has been pretty good, other than Max Scherzer, whom you are unlucky enough to miss out on seeing. The team has been getting starting pitchers back from the IL, so we weren’t going the ‘bullpen days’ two times out of five. Louis Varland has been amazing in the closer role, after Jeff Hoffman had enough blowups to lose the job. Hoffman has a great strikeout rate (36.1 percent) and a roughly equal home run rate (well, not really, but he does seem to give up home runs at the worst possible moments). On the good news side, Alejandro Kirk and Nathan Lukes are back and hitting well.
We Jays fans are hanging our hopes on the fact that they are in about the same spot as they were at this time last year, and that turned out pretty good.
Fun facts
The Cubs have played only nine previous games at home against the Blue Jays, their fewest vs. any current big league team.
They played more against three long-defunct National League clubs: 10 vs. the Hartford Dark Blues, 11 vs. the Louisville Grays and 11 vs. the St. Louis Brown Stockings, all in 1876-77, the league’s first two seasons.
The Cubs are 6-3 at Wrigley Field vs. the Jays. They lost two of three in 2005, swept three in 2017 and won two of three in 2024, missing a sweep when they lost the finale, 1-0.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Ben Brown, RHP (3-2, 1.74 ERA, 0.968 WHIP, 2.36 FIP) vs. Kevin Gausman, RHP (4-4, 3.41 ERA, 1.034 WHIP, 3.20 FIP)
Saturday: Colin Rea, RHP (5-5, 5.35 ERA, 1.459 WHIP, 5.03 FIP) vs. Patrick Corbin, LHP (2-3, 4.57 ERA, 1.475 WHIP, 4.41 FIP)
Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, also streaming on Peacock (outside the Cubs and Blue Jays market territories)
Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Prediction
The Cubs have had their struggles of late, but now they are facing a team that has had trouble winning on the road. The Jays are 16-20 away from Toronto, though they now have a winning record this month, 8-7, while the Cubs are 7-8 so far in June.
The pitching matchups seem to slightly favor the Jays, but I still think this is a series the Cubs can win. Two of three. If the Cubs can do that, that would be three straight series wins.
Up next
The Cubs head to New York for a four-game series against the Mets beginning Monday evening.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 16: Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket in the third quarter against guard Gary Payton II #0 of the Golden State Warriors at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. 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 G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you haven’t seen it already, Greg Finberg wrote about reports about Trae Young planning to decline a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Go ahead and read that article and come back because I’m not going to rehash all the details — I’m here to look at what the Wizards should do.
The calculus for Young looks straightforward. He can get a new contract, the free agent pool is shallow, and he and his agent figure he’ll get a maximum contract. I suspect they’re correct. Several teams have money to spend and want to get better. And there’s a still pervasive view that Young is an elite offensive weapon.
If Trae Young truly opts out so he can sign a maximum contract, the Wizards would be wise to let it be with someone else. | Getty Images
The Wizards are at least somewhat in agreement — team presdient Michael Winger said they viewed Young as the top free agent this summer, so they traded for him to get him early.
But being the best free agent this summer is not the same thing as being worth a maximum contract. Being an elite offensive weapon (assuming that’s true) is not the same thing as being an elite player. Or being worth a max deal.
The question the Wizards front office needs to answer is whether the team would be better off over the next 3-5 years paying Young a maximum salary than they would be to either a) negotiate a lesser deal (if possible), or b) letting him depart and using the financial flexibility to acquire future assets.
I think the Wizards essentially answered this question when they traded for him. And you’ve probably already guessing which direction I’m leaning, but let’s go through it anyway.
Let’s start with this: the Wizards paid next to nothing of any meaningful value to acquire Young. They gave up Corey Kispert, a limited wing who offers good shooting and not much else, and CJ McCollum, a good player mostly in the deal due to his large salary and expiring contract.
That the Wizards got Young for so little is meaningful in at least couple ways. First, it’s testament to Young’s perceived value at a maximum-level salary. And second, the acquisition cost is low enough that the Wizards don’t need to think about it when making the should he stay or should he go decision. Their are no future picks dangling overhead — they gave up nothing of consequence.
There was a time when Young really was among the game’s best players. In my all-around production metric, Player Production Average, where average is 100 and higher is better, Young scored a 195 one season, which followed a 160, which followed a 165. That’s serious production — All-Star level in that 160s range, All-NBA bordering on MVP-conversation level at 195.
But that 195 was in 2021-22. Four years ago. Since then, four seasons, 7,606 minutes and a 142 PPA. Still pretty good but a long way from that elite status of 2022. During that time, the Atlanta Hawks were better on offense with Young on the floor by about the same amount they were worse on defense. In terms of driving wins, the Hawks were about the same whether he played or not.
Over that span, Young’s offensive possession usage stayed high while his efficiency sagged back to around average. It’s kind of impressive that he was able to remain even that efficient given his heavy offensive load and small stature. It’s also apparent that the drop in efficiency makes him less able to drive high-level team offense.
Young is a genius passer, though the creativity does come with turnovers. The shift in officiating has contributed to a modest reduction in trips to the free throw line, which is a further drag on his efficiency. The big issue is his shooting — subpar conversion rate on twos, and below average shooting on threes.
Some of the three-point shooting is the level of defensive attention he gets. Some of it shot selection. Which is to say, he takes a lot of hard shots — extreme range, heavily covered, stepbacks off the dribble. Sometimes all of those things on the same shot.
What happened in his brief appearance in a Wizards uniform last season is barely worth talking about. It totaled five games and 104 minutes, and while he looked pretty good personally, a) the sample size was too small to be meaningful, b) the team was worse on offense and better on defense when he was on the floor, and c) the sample size was too small to make item B mean anything.
That’s the past. The Wizards are buying the future — ages 28 to 31 or 32. Broadly speaking, this is an okay time to spend heavily on a player. The “normal” career arc is for a player to peak in their mid-20s (for a smaller guard like Young, peaks typically happen a little earlier) and then maintain into their early 30s.
Young’s career arc is already more like an exaggerated version of the small guard trajectory than the broader NBA population. Meaning: his best season was probably that 195 at age 23. His production has been down since then. Still pretty good, but not close to that elite level.
I haven’t talked much about Young’s defense, but it has to be addressed. Because, depending on the metric you use, he could well be the NBA’s worst defender. I’m not quite willing to go with absolute worst, but it’s fair to say he’s among the worst. As Bum Phillips once said of Earl Campbell, “He may not be in a class by himself, but it don’t take long to call roll.”
Young’s offense is still good enough that he’s probably a net positive overall — at least in the regular season — despite the defensive woes. We can worry about the postseason when the Wizards get back there.
At this stage in the rebuild, I think it’d be a poor decision to give Young a maximum contract, even if it’s for “only” three years. In my estimation, it would instantly be a bad contract that would saddle Washington with an expensive, declining player for however long the contract runs.
If Young can truly get a maximum contract from another team, the smart business decision would be to do one of two things: 1) facilitate the move and try to extract draft picks or young players, or 2) let him leave. The financial flexibility will pay off — there are always more opportunities to be had, and they’ll probably come along sooner than we’d think.
Bottom line: the Wizards are trying to build a contender. Now is not the time to make a multi-year, $200 million dollar bet on a small guard who’s already declining.
DENVER, CO - MARCH 26: Christian Braun #0 of the Denver Nuggets drives to the basket during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 26, 2025 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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 Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Yesterday, I discussed ways the Bucks could upgrade the roster around Giannis while again dipping into their draft cupboard. For those of you who were against this, today is for you. We’re going to explore ways the Bucks can upgrade the roster, whether or not Giannis stays, without losing a pick in any future draft…. and maybe even gain picks. In this scenario, they can still acquire some really talented players, but without Giannis, they’re not big-time needle movers. None of them by themselves can make the team meaningfully contend.
Since the Bucks have ample room under the tax line and the first apron, they should be in the business of taking on bad contracts if it also nets them draft assets. You might remember that in order to sign Myles Turner last summer, Milwaukee had to create every bit of cap room they could. That meant trading Pat Connaughton’s $9.4m expiring salary to Charlotte, and giving them two future second-round picks for the trouble. Now they’re going to be in Charlotte’s place, taking on teams’ unwanted money.
We begin in the Rocky Mountains, where you’ll find a squad with significant financial concerns this summer…
Christian Braun
The Nuggets need to cut a lot of payroll if they want to keep Peyton Watson in restricted free agency this summer. Braun’s five-year, $125m rookie-scale extension starts in July, but swapping him for Kyle Kuzma would only save them $1m in 2026–27, which is when they need the flexibility most, to say nothing of the future. Receiving Bobby Portis would instead save them $7m, and with five years remaining on that deal, Denver would have to give Milwaukee at least one of the firsts they control in 2026, 2031, or 2033. Their firsts from 2027–30 are encumbered by protections. Braun took a step back after his breakout third season, but he’s just 25 and is a nice player overall.
Cam Johnson
Johnson was widely discussed as a potential Buck last offseason and has a $23.1m expiring deal. Swapping the 30-year-old straight up for Portis is legal and would save Denver $8.6m. He shook off a slow start and actually set a career-high in three-point percentage, though he dealt with injuries a fair bit too, missing 28 contests. Perhaps Milwaukee could squeeze a couple second-rounders out of Denver for helping them save. The Nuggets only have two available to trade: no. 49 this year and their 2033 pick. They also have their 2028 second, but it’s protected only for picks 31–33, so if they don’t have one of the league’s worst records, it goes to Washington.
Zeke Nnaji
The forward has two years left (the second a player option) on his rookie-scale extension signed back in 2023. He showed some promise as a 22-year-old back then, but probably not enough to justify the four years and $32m he received. Denver would certainly like this one back. Milwaukee can help them here too, in the event that any of Gary Trent Jr., Gary Harris, or Taurean Prince opt into the final year of their minimum contracts. Swapping one of them for Nnaji could save the Nuggets up to $11.1m over the next two seasons. That’s definitely worth multiple seconds.
These Denver moves would be smart regardless of whether Giannis leaves or stays, particularly if Milwaukee can get a future first for bailing them out. But now I want to talk about some truly distressed assets. Admittedly, you’d have to squint for these to make sense, but if the Bucks can get some picks out of them, it softens the blow.
Ja Morant
I don’t think Giannis plus Morant necessarily makes the Bucks a top-tier contender in the East, but despite the baggage, I could learn to live with it. There are obviously long-term maturity/off-court issues with him, plus significant injury problems in recent years. There was some belief that Morant and Taylor Jenkins didn’t get along well by the end, though I’ve also heard those reports may be overblown. It’s anyone’s guess how they’d gel with a new franchise.
With two years and $87.1m remaining on his contract, the 26-year-old will probably fetch a similar return as Trae Young this past deadline: salary matching without picks attached. Morant is owed $38.1m more than the value of Young’s 2026–27 player option, which he reportedly plans to decline. Memphis would save $48.4m between now and 2028 if they took back Kuzma and Portis in return.
If I’m Jon Horst, I’d insist on the Grizzlies including draft assets for that bailout. Memphis has 14 firsts and 9 seconds in their cabinet between now and 2033. From a business perspective, getting any additional value alongside Morant, without trading picks, is a sound move. On the court? Maybe not, but a 32-50 team doesn’t exactly have a leg to stand on when debating how good the fit would be.
Kyrie Irving
Another option in a similar vein is Irving, whom Jeremy discussed late last month. Again, there are baggage and health concerns: he’s coming off a torn ACL that has sidelined him since last March. He also just turned 34, a full year older than Lillard was in 2023. He’s guaranteed several million less than Morant, but unlike him, Irving can opt out of his $42.4m final-year salary next summer. The age and injury demerits make for a trickier case: Dallas would only save about $7.5m next season if they swapped him with Portis and Kuzma, so what’s in it for them? They’re not facing financial constraints. They might need a pick to be convinced, and I’d only do that if it’s heavily protected or a swap.
Like I said yesterday, the Bucks are going to do something. But whatever happens with Giannis, I would really like them to deal with Denver. Yes, I wish the Nuggets had more than some crappy seconds to offer for Nnaji, but one of their future firsts in any deal would be an absolute coup. Whatever calls are being made, it would be a missed opportunity to restock if trades like the above aren’t being discussed.
Hiller's introduction to the Maple Leafs caps an abundance of decisions with the purpose of reshaping the organization. And Raddysh joining Toronto's blueline is a big change to the team's D-core.
In other words, it's the beginning of a new era for the Maple Leafs.
The start of this new era in Toronto began last off-season when Mitch Marner departed from the Maple Leafs in that sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. But as the year went along, there were plenty more changes on the cards, and maybe some were not anticipated at the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign.
Here are some of those notable changes and decisions that led to this new era for the Maple Leafs organization.
Joe Bowen's Retirement
After being the voice of the Maple Leafs for over 3,800 games and over 40 years of broadcasting, Joe Bowen has just wrapped up his final year in the booth.
It won't be the same for Leafs fans with Bowen no longer behind the microphone. But the 75-year-old will be in retirement as a new era of Maple Leafs broadcasting begins, starting next season.
The Maple Leafs have been a perennial playoff team in the NHL. In fact, this past season was the first time Toronto missed the post-season in nine years.
Until last year, the Leafs have consistently made the playoffs since 2016-17. In other words, they've never missed out on the post-season in the Auston Matthews era.
That change last season when Toronto ended their campaign as the last-place team in the Atlantic Division and fifth from the bottom of the entire NHL standings.
With that, the organization finds themself in a situation that it hasn't experienced in a decade, marking a new timeline for the Leafs.
John Chayka And Mats Sundin Hiring
Following that disappointing 2025-26 campaign by the Maple Leafs, ownership believed it was time for a change in the front office.
Former GM Brad Treliving was fired in late March, and current GM John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin were named the successors to the previous management.
It was an interesting and unpredictable decision for MLSE to hire Chayka as the GM when he hadn't been in the league since 2019-20. To add to that, they brought in Sundin, a former captain and icon of the Maple Leafs, but he never experienced a role in an NHL front office or in any league, for that matter.
This different approach and assignment of roles is something the Maple Leafs organization hasn't gone through in recent years, and certainly marks a new era for the hockey club.
2026 First Overall Pick
In the aftermath of misery from the end of a poor regular season and the initial backlash from MLSE's front office hires, Toronto's spirits were reborn when they surprisingly won the 2026 NHL draft lottery.
Toronto had the fifth-best odds and an 8.5 percent chance of winning the lottery, and with a little bit of fortune, that hope became a reality. It marks the first time the Leafs will get the first overall pick in a draft since they selected Matthews in the 2016 draft.
With the likelihood of taking left winger Gavin McKenna in this year's draft, or even left winger Ivar Stenberg, Toronto is sure to get a talented youngster to boost a franchise that was trending downward at the end of the last campaign.
Hiller was another surprise hire by the Maple Leafs, both because of the lack of reports that included his name and also his previous tenure with the Los Angeles Kings.
Nonetheless, Hiller returns to the Maple Leafs after four years as an assistant coach from 2015-16 to 2018-19. And the word is, Toronto's stars are a big fan of Hiller.
As an assistant, he ran the power play, and over the course of his Leafs tenure, he guided them to be a top-five power play. With someone like Matthews dropping in production over the years, maybe Hiller can bring the best out of him.
Additions To Blueline
The latest move Chayka has executed is a sign-and-trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning for Raddysh. They acquired him from the Bolts for a 2026 fifth-round pick, and then reportedly inked him to an eight-year extension worth $8.5 million per season.
Raddysh, a Toronto native, was one of the top players in the 2026 UFA class, making this a big grab by the Leafs and a boost to their back end.
With that, throw in the trade with the Philadelphia Flyers when Toronto received 24-year-old defenseman Emil Andrae and sent away Simon Benoit. This improves the Leafs' ability to advance the puck up the ice with Andrae's puck skills, along with his ability to skate.
Not to mention, the biggest change to Toronto's back end may be yet to come. With talks of Morgan Rielly potentially being moved this summer, that would be the most era-changing move Toronto could make, considering he is actively the longest-tenured Maple Leaf on the team.
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PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 14: Joey Bart #14 of the Pittsburgh Pirates rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the fifth inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a late-night trade on Thursday night that will shift the landscape of two areas of the team.
Pittsburgh dealt catcher Joey Bart to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for reliever Hunter Stratton.
A familiar face, Stratton was a 16th-round pick of the Pirates in 2017 and pitched for the club for three seasons.
Stratton made his MLB debut in 2023 and only allowed three runs over 12 innings.
He totaled a 3.58 ERA in 36 appearances the following season, but struggled in 2025. Stratton allowed seven runs in 2.2 innings with the Bucs last year for a deeper and higher-regarded bullpen staff.
The Pirates DFA’d Stratton and traded him to Atlanta, where he posted a 2.20 ERA in 12 appearances. He was DFA’d by Atlanta earlier this week and opened the door for the Pirates to make the trade.
Stratton will begin his second tour with the Bucs in Triple-A Indianapolis.
Currently on a rehab assignment for a left foot infection, Bart was in line to be the odd-man out of the Pirates catching rotation.
The former No. 2 overall pick of the San Francisco Giants was rumored to be a potential trade piece dating back to the start of spring training, and now exists Pittsburgh after two and a half seasons.
Bart hit .259 with one double, two home runs, six RBIs, and 21 strikeouts in 58 at-bats in 2026.
He performed well against left-handed pitching, but started off slow and was on pace for his worst season as a Pirate.
Bart recorded nine hits in his final six games before the injury, including a four-hit day in his final game as a Bucco.
Endy Rodriguez stepped up in Bart’s absence and didn’t look back. Rodriguez was recalled following Bart’s injury and is slashing .267/.413/.467 with three doubles, three homers, and eight runs driving in over 60 at-bats.
He’s also shown good plate discipline with 15 walks compared to 17 strikeouts in 23 games and is beginning to emerge as the Pirates’ No. 1 catcher. Henry Davis remains on the roster and has caught every Paul Skenes start in 2026.
Stratton primarily pitched in Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 4.38 ERA and 16 walks compared to 24 strikeouts in 24.2 innings.
The Pirates need Stratton to channel his early Pirates career and help a bullpen that has been the Achilles heel of the team the entire year.
Pittsburgh plays the first of a three-game series in Colorado against the Rockies on Sunday at 8:40 p.m.
On June 12, three Giants pitchers, Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker, broke MLB protocol by altering their uniforms with Bible verses on their Pride Night caps, which featured a rainbow Giants logo. And another pitcher, Sam Hentges, did not even wear his Pride Night hat. The players received a warning from MLB for violating the uniform policy.
The DOJ said they were referring Major League Baseball to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in a letter written to Commissioner Rob Manfred.
"The three players expressed their opposition to MLB's pro-Pride orthodoxy," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the letter. "The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League's vehicle for pro-Pride messages.
“Federal law is clear: employers must modify their uniform requirements to reasonably accommodate their employees’ exercise of religion,” Dhillon added in the letter. “The Trump administration is committed to combatting religious discrimination."
On June 16, Vice President JC Vance publicly weighed in via social media, responding to a Sports Illustrated social media post, Vance said, “Trump won; we don’t have to do this anymore.”
The Giants said after incident that "they are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ community" but also respect that individuals may make "personal choices about team activations," while also adding that the players caused "pain and anger for many in the LGBTQ community."
This 2025-26 New York Knicks season finally concluded last weekend, surprisingly and euphorically, in the middle of a month that fans have long awaited watching their team compete in. It was a dramatic, grueling road to the NBA Finals that climaxed in a 4-1 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, and the franchise’s first NBA championship in 53 years.
Looking back and trying to grade each individual player on their season will be impossible without a curve, as they accomplished what they and 29 other teams set out to at the start of the year. Here are the final end-of-season grades for the Knicks...
What more can you say about Brunson? The savior fans craved and sought out in the likes of LeBron James in 2010, Kevin Durant in 2016 and Kawhi Leonard in 2019, actualized in this 6-foot-2 second-round pick. He averaged 26 points and seven assists a game during the regular season, leading the team to 53 wins through an evolving offensive system and a catastrophic 2-9 stretch.
In the playoffs, he had a historic performance, encapsulated by a dominant 32 points, 36 points, and then 45 points to close out the NBA Finals.
For someone who couldn’t seem to find his role throughout the season, Towns shook that off along with any noise surrounding his game and put together the best 100-game defensive campaign of his life. He turned around the Knicks 2-1 hole to the Hawks in the first round, outperformed Joel Embiid, and helped his team take control of the Finals from the outset.
If he didn’t dominate Victor Wembanyama in New York’s back-to-back road wins to kick off the championship round, it’s possible they aren’t holding the trophy right now.
Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) are seen prior to game five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Knicks fans can take their pick as to why Anunoby deserves this grade. His full season of elite two-way play, his 49 percent three-point shooting in the playoffs, his 21 points per game in the NBA Finals, or the ridiculous tip-in that gave his team the championship edge in Game 4.
He wasn’t everybody’s favorite for the last two seasons, but Bridges has proven himself ready for the big moment time and time again. From the closeout game of the first round through the Conference Finals, Bridges averaged 19 points on a ridiculous 68 percent effective field goal rate and had big shooting performances in Games 2 and 5 of the NBA Finals, locking up every guard he faced along the way.
Hart brought what he usually does all season: a little bit of everything, all-out hustle and heartbreaking hustle plays for the opposition. But this time, he got to do it on the biggest stages and came through with a lights-out 26-point on five threes in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and hit 40 percent of his threes in the NBA Finals to keep Wemby and the Spurs honest.
May 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) shakes hands with New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the fourth quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals of the 2026 NBA playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Robinson was pivotal to this championship chase, stepping up against the arguable best player in the world with Towns in foul trouble, and securing an offensive rebound of a missed free throw in Game 5 that helped the Knicks seal the deal.
He had his lowlights, and the free throws desperately need work, but nonetheless, he helped get them over the line.
Deuce’s injuries kept him from establishing a strong rhythm, but given enough time, he performed to expectations, lacing threes and defending his tail off. Unfortunately, a muted playoffs (outside of a monster Game 4 in Philly) and worse NBA Finals left it on a sour individual note, but his contribution to this chip shouldn’t be dismissed.
Shamet shook off another shoulder injury and early postseason benching to help the Knicks pull off one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. His sweet shooting carried into the NBA Finals with some big buckets in Games 1 and 2.
Despite falling out of the rotation and only seeing spot playoff minutes, Alvarado was always prepared to step up if Brunson needed a breather or extra ball handler. He’ll forever be a New York legend for two huge shots down the stretch of their miraculous Game 4 NBA Finals comeback.
New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown reacts against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half during game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Came into the season known for being a sparkplug scorer, Clarkson struggled and fell out of the rotation after big games to win the NBA Cup, then completely reinvented himself. He worked his way back through defense, paint touches and veteran steadiness that proved key in the postseason, even if it didn’t jump off the stat sheet.
Masterful games on Christmas and the NBA Cup show he’s ready to fill some shoes in the coming years. Didn’t get his chance these playoffs, but he will soon.
Stepped up when called upon in the regular season, and didn’t get the call much in the playoffs. But when he did, he helped hold the Knicks defense down, even coming up with a massive block in the clinching game of the NBA Finals.
Was brought in to be more collaborative, more dynamic offensively, but most importantly, to get the Knicks over the hump. He did it in year one, under enormous expectations with little room for error.
Jaxson Dart's girlfriend Marissa Ayers is over the moon that her rookie year in New York began with a Knicks championship.
Jaxson Dart’s girlfriend Marissa Ayers is over the moon that her rookie year in New York began with a Knicks championship.
Taking to her Instagram, the model, who recently moved to New York City, shared some behind-the-scenes moments of the couple’s trip to San Antonio for Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals — a 94-90 Knicks win over the Spurs on June 13 to clinch their first title in 53 years.
“My new york rookie year is off to a great start,” Ayers wrote, adding New York Knicks as the geotag.
Marissa Ayers at the 2026 NBA Finals. Instagram/Marissa Ayers
Other photos showed the pair on a private plane and sporting Knicks baseball jerseys.
Ayers, who was a ring girl for the Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua fight in December, also included snapshots of her and Dart at Game 1 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio.
Marissa Ayers and Jaxson Dart at the 2026 NBA Finals. Instagram/Marissa Ayers
Ayers shared that she was moving to New York City in a TikTok video in February, explaining that it was the right place for her to live with her career as a content creator.
Her career has taken off since she went viral as a ring girl for Joshua’s knockout win over Paul.
Ayers made her runway debut at Miami Swim Week earlier this month when she walked in the White Fox Boutique swim show at The Setai, a luxury hotel in Miami Beach.
Dart was seen standing near the runway while filming Ayers as she strutted down the runway in a purple bikini and kitten heels, as seen in a TikTok video on her page.
Dart and Ayers, who were first linked last fall, confirmed their relationship on social media in January following months of dating rumors.
They made their first red carpet appearance together at the NFL Honors ceremony in February.
