LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Caleb Wilson #8 of the Chicago Bulls is guarded by Cameron Boozer #27 of the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 10, 2026 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. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
They may have moved on to the next level, but they remain beloved Dukies. The latest edition of the DBR podcast takes a look at how Cam Boozer and others are faring in NBA Summer League action. There are plenty of interesting stories about Isaiah Evans, Maliq Brown, and guys still hoping for a big NBA shot like Trevor Keels and DJ Steward.
After the break, Jason and Donald dive into a new trend in recruiting, the kids showing up on campus a year earlier than expected. From Jojo Boumtje-Boumtje at Duke to new recruits at UCLa and Texas, this is becoming a trend. Are they making Two-and-done into a new thing?
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Jul 12, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (3) hits a base hit against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fourth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Mariners have had a tough run of games on this road trip. In particular, it seems the Florida heat may have gotten to the boys a bit, as the Mariners come into the final game of the first half of the season on a five-game losing streak.
Things got off to an inauspicious start when Hancock took a line drive from Jonathan Aranda on the first pitch of the game off his throwing hand. Hancock would go on to finish the inning, all smiles and thumbs up, but to say the training staff and Wilson felt confident in that would be a lie. In the bottom of the second, Hancock walked Victor Mesa Jr. with two outs, and was promptly pulled from the game for José Ferrer, who ended the inning.
Alright, so an unintentional bullpen day is incoming… when the Mariners have been struggling to score runs… and got blown out 6-1 the day before… no one would blame you if you started reaching for the remote. However, despite everything looking like the Mariners were cruising for a bruising, things didn’t shake out that way.
Top of the second, Josh Naylor got things started with a single. Garver followed with a walk, and Cole Young hit a single of his own, loading the bases for Victor Robles. Typically, when the Mariners get into this type of situation, many fans would get to witness a NOBLETIGER, a common phenomenon for the Mariners, but today things were different. Robles slapped a ball that sunk fast into the outfield, caught by a diving Mullins, allowing Naylor to score from third.
Ok, maybe the Mariners aren’t as dead in the water as we might have thought. I guess I’ll settle back into the couch for a couple more innings. I mean, they may blow it, but at least they scored with runners on.
Cole Young stole second as Weston Wilson struck out. Buddy Kennedy followed that up with a walk, bringing J.P. Crawford to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded again. J.P. proceeded to inside-out a pitch into left field for a double, scoring two more and putting the Mariners up 3-0 in the second.
But the Mariners were far from done; this team was determined to go into the All-Star break on a high note. Hearing all the slander we have been putting on his name, Weston Wilson hit his second home run of the season to left field, extending the Mariners’ lead to four.
Buddy Kennedy reached on an error and was advanced to second by a single from J.P. Crawford, putting two men on for Randy Arozarena. Of course, sensing the attention shifting off of him for a moment, Randy hit a three-run homer to right field.
The Mariners took a 7-0 lead, and didn’t relinquish it from there. Jonathan Aranda did get a good swing in the 8th against Bazardo, though, and ended the shutout with a home run of his own.
The double from Crawford was the final nail in the coffin for the Rays; if the Aranda home run had given them any momentum at all, it had quietly been snuffed out by the back-to-back doubles from Kennedy and Crawford in the bottom of the inning. Munoz entered in the bottom of the 9th to shut the door and end the Mariners chapter on the first half of the season.
The Mariners finish the first half in second place in the AL West with a record of 48-49. This team has struggled a lot on the road this year, and that has been compounded by a lot of guys missing time with injury and just some plain old slumps from some of the more important batters in the lineup. But the first half is over now, we can only hope that this game is a sign of more to come in the second half of the season.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Meleek Thomas #15 of the Cleveland Cavaliers high fives teammate during the game against the Indiana Pacers on July 10, 2026 at the Cox 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have dropped their first two games in Las Vegas. They fall to 0-2 in Summer League, this time suffering a 103-94 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Cleveland trailed by double digits early. Detroit’s Chaz Lanier scored 17 points in the opening seven minutes to cause that. The Cavs would eventually get things under control and rally back in the second half. That comeback fell short, just like it did on Friday when the Cavs had a similar loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The loss wasn’t the only thing that carried forward, however. Meleek Thomas’s strong showing also translated to Sunday.
Thomas, the 34th pick in the most recent draft, looked impressive as the lead ball-handler today. Cleveland has put him in a position to orchestrate the offense in a way he never could with Arkansas. This increased opportunity is leading to instant results, with Thomas’s playmaking being the biggest takeaway from this game.
Thomas dished 7 assists in the first three quarters. He kept his head up, manipulating the floor and creating advantages at every turn. This one-handed skip pass to the opposite corner was straight up ridiculous. It takes serious creativity to think of this in real-time.
The Cavs are confident they found a first-round talent with the 34th pick. Thomas is proving them right by showing he can do more than catch-and-shoot away from the ball. His patience and composure at point guard were extremely encouraging.
Thomas finished with 30 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and only 2 turnovers. Impressive stuff from the rookie.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin was Cleveland’s second-leading scorer with 17 points. Tomlin shot 7-for-10 from the floor and had 4 blocks.
Tomlin and Thomas have been the two standouts for the Cavs. So far, they’re waiting for someone else to step up and provide support. It was a relatively lackluster game from everyone else, with Malakai Branham being the only other Cav to score in double figures.
Detroit was led by Lanier, who scored 25 points on 7-for-12 three-point shooting. Brice Williams joined in on the splash party by nailing 6-of-9 three-point attempts for 21 points. Those two finished with more three-pointers than the entire Cavalier roster.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 12: Brayan Rocchio #4 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins in the fifth inning of the game at loanDepot park on July 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Guardians swept the Miami Marlins heading into the All-Star break. Joey Cantillo had a great start and improved to 8-4 on the season with today’s win. Cantillo threw 85 pitches in 5.0 innings of work. He allowed only one run on six hits and two walks. Joey struck out nine batters.
In the bottom of the second Cantillo pitched into a bases loaded, no outs situation. Back-to-back singles started off the inning and a walk loaded the bases. Cantillo locked in and got a pop out and two strikeouts to escape without allowing a run.
Franco Aleman came on in the sixth, Hunter Gaddis pitched the seventh, and Shawn Armstrong pitched the eighth. All three went scoreless, hitless outings. Cade closed the game in a non-save situation. He gave up two hits and a solo home run, but retired the side to “book it.”
In the top of the first Travis Bazzana lead off the game with a four pitch walk and a stolen base. Brayan Rocchio drove Bazzana in on a single to right field.
Kyle Manzardo, with one out, singled on a liner to left, scoring Rocchio.
In the top of the fifth, Rocchio lead off the inning with a homer to right field.
In the top of the seventh, the Guards extended their lead. Travis Bazzana was hit by pitch to start the inning. With two outs, Kyle Manzardo reached on a fielding error and advanced Bazzana to third. Kahlil Watson hit a single to short that deflected off the pitcher, scoring Bazz.
After being the only player to get on base, in the top of the ninth, Chase DeLauter demolished a fast ball. DeLauter hit a 435 foot home run to the upper deck, putting the Guardians up 5-1.
This was a refreshing series to go into the All-Star Break with. A sweep, a four win streak, and multiple home runs. José and Angel are due back after the All-Star Break, just in time for a big push before the trade deadline on August 3rd.
The notable difference regarding this year’s pre-season is that each team will only participate in four games rather than the usual six due to the regular season now consisting of 84 games.
The talent of Vancouver’s youth will be on full-display during the pre-season, with many up-and-coming players expected to make their mark and potentially push for roster spots. Last year, 2025 first-round pick Braeden Cootes impressed to the point of remaining on Vancouver’s roster through the final camp cuts and making his NHL debut in the team’s season-opener against the Flames.
This year, players like OHL standout Riley Patterson, who made his AHL debut in 2025–26, will be ones to watch heading into the pre-season and training camp. Vancouver’s selections in the 2026 NHL Draft will also be intriguing to watch, though prospects such as Caleb Malhotra are expected to play out the 2026-27 season with their respective NCAA and CHL clubs.
2026–27 Pre-Season Schedule
Game 1: September 19, 7:00 pm PT @ Seattle Kraken
Game 2: September 22, 6:00 pm PT @ Calgary Flames
Game 3: September 24, 6:00 pm PT vs. Edmonton Oilers
Game 4: September 26, 4:00 pm PT vs. Seattle Kraken
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium (24) and forward Nils Hoglander (21) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) and defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev (59) celebrate Buium’s goal against the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Polls! America is obsessed with polls. Not Polish people, or metal or wooden tubes that sometimes people writhe upon, but surveys, votes, the heart of the Sports Blog Nation’s Electoral Process. If SBN had one. After a pretty boring, and chalk draft, where few indefensible decisions were made, thus generated little drama, NBA trades and to some extent, free agent signings have come through for us. The ongoing soap opera* that is the NBA has lots of emotive signings, and plots that would seem utterly contrived, if they didn’t, in fact, actually happen.
Let’s start with this one, that asks the SBN reader “Do You Want Your Team To Sign LeBron James”. As you know, LeBron is still the NBA’s leading soap opera* star. LeBron has created little scandal in his 24 year NBA career, and we all know he doesn’t want any drama. LeBron instead demands, requires and utterly insists upon drama. Usually about what he’ll do next. Even at 41 LeBron can keep the soapy audience of the NBA entertained. But what are the results?
Wow. So fans like the drama, but have a clear mandate for NOT signing LeBron James. Where will he go? Maybe Philadelphia? I have no idea, but rumors have been that the Rockets are not interested in bringing James to the Bayou City.
What’s next? How about “Which of the most prominent traded or signed players will have the biggest impact on their team?”. As far as contrived plots go, the Jaylen Brown trade is right up there. As far as something predictable happening goes, Bam Adebayo punching, slapping or “striking” Tyler Herro is the least surprising.
I personally disagree with the results here. I think Giannis will have a bigger impact in Miami. Even if he doesn’t play a lot. It’s difficult to overstate how much better Giannis is than the players in Miami he’s replacing.
I’m sure the 76ers will have far better forward play than they had from Paul George (minus the last few weeks of the season) but there’s a kind car wreck of usage coming for the 76ers. too. Brown, whether he’s a good or bad player analytically speaking, is a high usage player. So to a lesser extent, is Tyrese Maxey, so is Joel Embiid if he plays. The 76ers will also want to feature VJ Edgecombe more as well, I would think. It’s not that there’s “only one ball” so much as “there are only so many shot attempts”. So while I think the 76ers will improve, I’m just not sure how big the delta on offense between Paul George playing well and Brown will be, given likely lower usage. That said, Brown typically always plays, unlike PGOut13Weeks. That’s subject to the usual caveats, but 76 games of Brown WILL improve the 76ers, especially on defense. How much is the question.
Next up? Who wins the Finals? Can you guess what people said? Probably.
I’m not a New Yorker, or a Knicks fan, but that’s downright disrespectful. Seven percent picked the Knicks? Seven? The Knicks will return pretty much everyone except their one key player they actually drafted, Mitchell Robinson. Robinson played great minutes for them, but doesn’t strike me as someone who couldn’t be replaced. The Knicks came within a whisker of sweeping the last three rounds of the NBA playoffs, including the Finals against the favorite (by 4x over the Knicks) Spurs. That seems like it should garner more than 7% of votes.
I think The Great People Of Rocketsas are being too generous here. That’s us all over, though, generous.
Smart has never been a great player, questionable DPOY aside, but he IS an Ime guy, so hooray for that. If there’s one thing this team needs, it’s an avatar of Ime on the court.
Bogdan Son of Bogdan, or as I like to call him BogBog, looked, ah, washed, last season, and also didn’t shoot well. If a shooter who moves only slightly faster than continental drift can’t shoot, it’s hard to see what he’s good for, no matter how tall he is.
I’d give this signing a “Pandering To Ime For Inexplicable Reasons – C- ”. It’s not an “F”, but you just know that Smart is going to play over better players, often. He wasn’t good last year, a couple of playoff games notwithstanding. I don’t think he’s a misunderstood rebel like Dillon Brooks, I think he’s a 32 year old fake point guard who hasn’t been good in years, and was overrated when he was good, roughly four years ago. Silver lining? Smart spends a lot of time being hurt.
So that’s your check in with the 250 year old project that is SBN NBA internet democracy. Stay cool, Shakers.
*What IS a “soap opera” anyway? Settle down, you, younger readers may not know. How would they? Anyhow, back when people rode dinosaurs to work and women were all “trad” (they weren’t), and there were only three channels of television, there were daily dramas that aired every weekday afternoon. These usually involved the turgid, overblown, schemes, machinations and especially loves and passions of several families. People got married, had torrid affairs, got divorced, and remarried all the time. Since the shows aired in the afternoon, the primary audience at the time was “housewives” (plus the elderly, incarcerated, insane and children) they were sponsored, and often produced, by soap companies, for example Proctor and Gamble (the Cincinnati Soap Monster). These corporations wanted to sell things to women, in large part, soap. Soap was something pretty much everyone watching bought, to clean the dishes, themselves, their kitchen, etc. If the same sort of thing is shown at night, but features truly awful men, expensive settings, and few jokes, it’s not a soap opera, it’s “Prestige TV”.
DETROIT, MI - JULY 12: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on July 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I will admit: I didn’t watch much of this game. I was at my son’s baseball tournament all day and have to go off of vibes and highlights. But there was something at the tournament that struck me as similar to what happened with Zack Wheeler.
The opposing coach was doing a little smack talk about my son’s team, talking about how bad they were. There was some disrespect exuding from that dugout all day, talking about everything from the pitcher to the kids at bat to the umpire’s friendly only one way strike zone. It’s a bit of a stretch, but it reminded me of the disrespect that Wheeler was feeling from not being selected to the All-Star Game. He was reportedly asked to participate, but declined, not wanting to be a fifth choice for anyone. Since that slight last week, Wheeler has taken it out on the competition. Today’s six innings of scoreless ball meant his two games he pitched this week were both scoreless and dominant. Ten more strikeouts today raised that total, zero runs allowed meant his ERA went in the opposite direction.
I’m completely here for his not wanting to go back to Philadelphia for the game Tuesday. MLB screwed up with not letting him represent his team in his city, no matter how much they want to try and make it right. They should have done it the first time rather than waiting around to try and fix things on the fly. They need to get their act together with this All-Star Game.
Oh, my son’s team? They won that game and eventually the tournament.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 05: Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of their 2026 California Classic Summer League game at Chase Center on July 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Earlier this week, we asked fans to vote on which Michigan player selected in the 2026 NBA Draft will have the best rookie season.
Forward Morez Johnson Jr. was selected No. 9 overall by the Dallas Mavericks.
Forward Yaxel Lendeborg was selected No. 11 overall by the Golden State Warriors.
Center Aday Mara was selected No. 12 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The results are now in, and there’s a clear favorite.
Lendeborg received 76% of the votes, while Johnson received 18% and Mara just 6%.
Lendeborg’s in quite the interesting situation and is set to play a key role on a team with future hall of famers in Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler.
Lendeborg, the Big Ten Player of the Year, has already looked impressive during the NBA Summer League.
No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg delivered a double-double in his NBA Summer League debut:
Per FanDuel Sportsbook, the Warriors currently have the 13th highest odds of winning the NBA Finals next season at +4500. With those long odds, Lendeborg likely has a better chance of winning NBA Rookie of the Year.
How did you vote this week? Let us know in the comments and come back next week for another edition of SB Nation Reacts.
The first half is officially in the books, and the Chicago White Sox are in first place.
Sam Antonacci and Braden Montgomery homered, Miguel Vargas and Kyle Teel had multi-hit performances, and Noah Schultz threw five mostly stress-free innings as the Good Guys picked up their 50th win of the season, 9-1 over the Sacramento Athletics. The win lets them keep pace with the Cleveland Guardians at the top of the AL Central with fewer than 70 games left to play.
A six-run explosion in the first inning against A’s starter J.T. Ginn led the charge, sparked by Antonacci’s third leadoff blast in the last 22 days and punctuated by Braden’s drifting three-run shot six hitters later. By the time they tacked on three more in the fifth inning to bring the score to its final resting place of 9-1, the afternoon felt like a celebration of one of recent memory’s more remarkable first halves.
A sweep of the Athletics to ride high to the break feels like a fitting bookend to a half that began in earnest with the Sox three-game trip to Sacramento in mid-April. We didn’t know it at the time, of course, but it was a series with Athletics that lit a fire which has now grown into the club’s first legitimate contender in a half-decade. On April 17, they flew into Sacramento on the heels of getting dusted for three games at home by the Tampa Bay Rays, dropping them to 6-13 with a -40 run differential on the season. A thumping 9-2 win to kick things off at Sutter Home Park set the pace for a series win, and the rest is history.
Since that 19-game thumping to start the season, Chicago has built a 44-32 record (a 93-win pace), with a +75 run differential that’s comfortably in the Top 10 in the big leagues. It’s not an elite, world-beating pace, but it feels sustainable. And fully playoff-worthy.
The Sox put this one away early, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a moment of tension. Though the July heat had the ball flying out of the yard, Noah Schultz’s velocity coming out of the gate was middling, and two of the first three batted balls he allowed checked in north of 100 mph, including a 105 mph blast from Shea Langeliers that gave the A’s a brief 1-0 lead. Schulta had allowed at least three earned runs in six consecutive starts, and another shaky outing would not be the positive note the Sox pitching staff wanted to go into the break on.
Whether the offense’s outburst helped take some pressure off, or if it was always meant to be, Schultz settled in for one of his best outings as a big-leaguer. He needed just 74 pitches to get through five innings, scattering just two other hits and (perhaps most critically) successfully avoiding a walk for just the second time in his 11 outings. In today’s game thread, I questioned Schultz’s heavy usage of a sinker that to this point had failed to generate positive results. The answer was a season-low 10% sinkers and an aggressively changeup-heavy approach to right-handed hitters while continuing to get good results with his nasty sweeper against hitters of both hands.
Lots of broadcast time in both booths was deservedly dedicated to the Sox All-Star trio of Vargas, Munetaka Murakami, and Tristan Peters. This week will be the first time since 2006 that the South Siders have sent three hitters to the All-Star Game, when Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome and A.J. Pierzynski all made the trip to Pittsburgh on their behalf. Vargas did notch his 20th double of the season, but Murakami and Peters were held to a 1-for-7 showing otherwise.
Vargas’ double made him the sixth Sox player to reach 20 homers and 20 doubles before the break, joining Frank Thomas (1993, 1994, 2003), José Abreu (2014, 2019), Luis Robert Jr. (2023), Jermaine Dye (2008), and Magglio Ordoñez (2000). Colson Montgomery, perhaps the other major star presence in the lineup at the moment, had a muted 1-for-4 afternoon.
Today was a day for the All-Stars, but also for the Garrett Crochet trade. Six of the nine Chicago runs were generated by Teel and Braden, while Chase Meidroth made some nice plays at the keystone despite an 0-for-4 day at the plate. Teel’s two-run single in the first inning was the scoring bridge between homers from Antonacci and Braden, with Braden also breaking the scoring open in the fifth inning with an RBI single. Peters was responsible for one other run batted in on a fielder’s choice, and the final Sox run was charged to a wild pitch.
Perhaps sensing a vacation on the horizon, the Sox bullpen was uncharacteristically efficient this afternoon. Jordan Hicks continues to look like a completely new reliever since his latest IL activation, striking out the side in order in immediate relief of Schultz. He’s faced 27 hitters over his last seven appearances, and he’s struck out 15 of them against just two hits and one walk. His fastball velocity continues to be up roughly 2 mph from its pre-injury levels. If this is the Hicks we can expect in the second half, it’ll be some badly needed relief for a bullpen that’s already crawling to the finish line.
They didn’t need to crawl today. When Seranthony Domínguez delivered an all-too-rare 1-2-3 inning in relief of Hicks, things felt strangely right in the world. Tyler Schweitzer had the audacity to allow a hit in each of his two innings of work. I don’t think anybody in that ballpark or watching at home thought it mattered.
I’m just going to leave this here instead. Not updated to include today’s result.
That does it for the first half! We’ll be seeing you tomorrow evening to watch Munetaka Murakami compete in the Home Run Derby at 7 p.m. CT on Netflix, joined by Vargas and Peters at the same time on Tuesday for the All-Star Game itself on Fox.
Apologies, our latest free poll embed software has gone under. That’s two such programs going defunct under our feet. We’ll regather and figure out what to use going forward, and will likely still stick polls here for this game at some point over the break. So check back!
Jul 12, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) slides into third base for a triple against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored six runs while the Houston Astros scored five runs.
The Rangers led 3-0 early and then 4-1 late, holding that 4-1 lead into the seventh inning only for the Astros to tie the game in that ining and then take a 5-4 lead in the eighth because Texas was essentially forced into a quasi bullpen game while unfortunately also being quite thin in both available and reliable relief.
Nevertheless, No. 9 hitter Kyle Higashioka hit a two-out, solo home run to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth which allowed the Rangers to bring in their best reliever Jacob Latz and after a scoreless top of the ninth, they walked off a near-untouchable Josh Hader with three consecutive hits to begin (and end!) the ninth.
The Rangers go into the All-Star break leading the American League West and, hey, those Silver Boot dreams live on another day!
Player of the Game: Brandon Nimmo had three hits and the walk-off single but also big props to MacKenzie Gore for four innings of one-run ball after he asked to make the start on short rest after Jacob deGrom broke his ass or something.
Up Next: After a few days off for everyone other than All-Star Latz, the Rangers open the second half in Atlanta where they will take on the Braves beginning on Friday evening.
Fresh off re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves finally found some refuge on the golf course this weekend in the American Century Championship.
Even the links had been stressful recently for Reaves, an avid golfer who was consumed by the frenzy of NBA free agency.
As among the most coveted available stars, Reaves said he was “on the phone with my agents probably five, six, seven hours a day” for a week when free agency reached a fever pitch.
“It was kind of annoying because it was interrupting my golf,” Reaves said during an NBC Sports interview in Sunday’s final round. “But I did play one full round with them on the phone, and I just put them on speaker. I’d throw (the phone) on the ground and hit and pick it up and keep talking.”
The 28-year-old from Arkansas is a golf content creator when he’s off the court. Reaves founded the "Hillbilly Bogey" brand with his friend Trent Swaim.
“We just try to have fun with it,” Reaves said of his social media. “We play so much golf that we just wanted to document it.”
Reaves joked that he made so many bogeys the first day of the American Century Championship that he was ready to shed the “Hillbilly Bogey” hat he was sporting.
But he was at least happier with his game now that the madness surrounding his NBA future had quieted down.
“It's been good,” Reaves said. “I haven't hit it the way I wanted to all week, but it's good to be out here. My brother's on the bag. It's good to see all the fans and just have fun.”
LAS VEGAS — NBA Summer League grinds on in Sin City, moving past the star-studded first weekend into where the star rookies and players get shut down. In their place, guys trying to get noticed often try to do too much. With that background, here are the latest rumors and notes flying around Vegas about free agency.
LeBron James latest
There has been a lot of talk but very little actual new info on the LeBron James front: His agent, Rich Paul, is talking to teams and relaying news — and voice texts — to LeBron as teams make their pitch. Then there are the public pitches, like Stephen Curry at the American Century Championships.
"Up until probably two, three years ago, that was like a pipe-dream question or even a thought," Curry said. "But that's part of the allure. Him going into his 24th season, me going into my 18th, the battles we've had, that would be such a unique story in NBA history, in sports history. But a little premature right now to talk about it."
Minnesota coach Chris Finch made his pitch during an appearance on a Bleacher Report live stream with Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
Today’s @BleacherReport live stream from the Thomas & Mack alongside @JakeLFischer began with Timberwolves coach Chris Finch telling us he believes Minnesota is still alive in the LeBron chase.
That said, the consensus remains that Cleveland and Miami are the frontrunners, some people (including Stein and ESPN's Shams Charania) believe Philadelphia is in that tier, with the other three teams (Minnesota, Golden State and Denver) well back. LeBron has seen the West and wants to play in the East next season.
Russell Westbrook to Miami?
Russell Westbrook is an unrestricted free agent, coming off a season where he averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 33.8% from 3-point range. At age 37, he was not on top of the board for most teams, but as we get deeper into the offseason and teams are rounding out their guard rotations, Westbrook is getting looks.
Westbrook could land in Miami if they miss out on the LeBron sweepstakes, reports Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. LeBron and Westbrook together on the Lakers did not work — to put it kindly — and Miami isn't going to recreate that experiment.
Westbrook also is not a shooter. With Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster, Miami needs shooters, which makes the addition of Westbrook odd, but stranger things have happened.
Other free agency notes
• Keep an eye on the Gary Trent Jr. contract — four years, $64 million is what was agreed to — if/when it becomes official. That out-of-the-blue contract has raised eyebrows around the league, after Trent played the last two seasons on a minimum. Would the league look into the signing as something agreed to before he took those minimum deals?
• Isaiah Evans is headed back to Minnesota.
The Minnesota Timberwolves signed Isaiah Evans to a four-year, $9.3 million deal, which includes three fully guaranteed years and a fourth-year team option, league sources told @hoopshype. Evans was the 33rd pick of the 2026 NBA Draft and was an All-ACC Team selection at Duke. pic.twitter.com/yWlm2jhTgT
• Alpha Diallo grew up in Denver, played his high school ball, and now the former Providence Friar is headed back to Denver on a minimum deal.
EuroLeague Defender of the Year Alpha Diallo has agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million deal to sign with the Denver Nuggets, agents Jared Mucha and Javon Phillips of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN. The former Providence standout and Euro star makes the NBA jump at 29 years old on… pic.twitter.com/aaN5t7AIFi
• Just a note talking to people around the league, everyone expects the Kawhi Leonard to Toronto trade to get approved. Eventually. Once the Aspiration investigation ends. Again, eventually.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 07: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a three-run home run in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 07, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! Earlier today, the first half of the season wrapped up, but before we turn our attention to the All-Star Break and beyond, let’s take a look back at this week’s social media spotlight. How has the squad been spending their time online? Let’s find out!
All-Star Invitations
Last week, Major League Baseball announced that a quartet of Yankees — Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, and Cam Schlittler — were headed to Philadelphia for the 2026 All-Star Game. Here’s the moment they found out:
Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman went back to her roots and caught Death of a Salesman and Oh Mary — and even got a chance to take a snap a picture of the sound board!
Jul 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (30) hits a one run single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves took a 4-3 win against the St. Louis Cardinals, and though they didn’t win the battle, they’ve won the war… or at least avoided being swept after dropping the series. Does that still count?
The sunny days just might be here again.
The Cardinals kicked off their bid on the scoreboard after an RBI double from Alec Burleson to bring Jordan Walker in. The Braves would drive in three of their own soon after.
The most impressive one was from Brewer Hicklen, knocking in a 109.1 MPH double for the first RBI of his career to drive in Jim Jarvis to give the Braves a two-run lead.
Danny Young, who was slated to start for the Braves at the last minute, only saw the first inning after allowing the first run and a walk from Lars Nootbaar right after. JR Ritchie, who was the original starter, went in for him before the end of the first inning and stayed until the bottom of the sixth inning (4.1 IP/ 1 H/ 0 ER/ 2 BB/ 2 K).
Pitching is what almost got the Braves in trouble as the Bullpen gave up two more runs later in the bottom of the sixth inning, tying the two teams until the top of the ninth where the Braves got a run off a throwing error by Cardinals’ Masyn Winn from a Mauricio Dubón RBI single to bring Ozzie Albies in.
And with that, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the first half of the 2026 season. Lots of positives, ran into struggles, but what team doesn’t? Now, it’s a matter of how they’ll get back on top in the second half, in the race to October.
The Mets' Double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, won 10-5 today, and rehabbing big-leaguers Marcus Semien and Luis Robert Jr. both had big days at the dish.
This was Semien's first in-game action since he was placed on the IL nearly three weeks ago with a hip flexor strain. Meanwhile, Robert has been ramping up his workload since his minor-league assignment began at the start of July, having hit the IL in late April with lower back disc herniation.
Semien clobbered a three-run homer to left-center field in the top of the fourth inning. He was removed from the game midway through the game, having earlier smacked a single. He finished 2-for-3 with a strikeout swinging.
Robert played the whole game, taking six at-bats and recording two hits, including an RBI single, but also struck out three times.
Mets interim manager Andy Green, speaking before Sunday's game, explained the team's expectations for Semien and Robert moving forward, including the three-day MLB All-Star break between Monday, July 13 and Wednesday, July 15.
Green explained that the plan for Semien during that time is for him to "get some live at-bats against Clay Holmes... more rehab games is the most likely scenario starting on Friday."
When asked about how soon the Mets could see Robert's return to the lineup, Green responded, "We'll see how he feels. He'll also get some live at-bats against Clay during the [All-Star] break... then, there's a good chance he will play in a couple of more games [in the minor leagues]."
"Hopefully, at that point in time, [Robert] will be ready to go," the interim skipper concluded.
Kurt Helin
