WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 31: Daylen Lile #4, Jacob Young #30, and James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals celebrate after winning a game against the San Diego Padres at Nationals Park on May 31, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nationals continue to stay hot as the calendar flips to June, having just finished a month where they went 6-2-1 in their 9 series’. Holding 2nd place in the National League East, this month offers Washington a chance to maintain their place in contention and potentially force the front office’s hand and buy before the late July trade deadline. As they look to keep fighting for a playoff spot, they have a chance for revenge against the 26-34 Miami Marlins, who took a 3-game series against them in early May.
It’s certainly a good time for the Nats to face Miami, who enters the series on a 5-game losing streak, capped off by getting swept by the New York Mets. The Marlins have had their stretches, but remain entrenched in mediocrity at the bottom of the division, However, two of their best arms are set to throw this series, giving Washington a legitimate test.
Game 1 – Monday 6:45 PM EST
WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (3-3, 3.62 ERA)
MIA: RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-4, 4.66 ERA)
Cavalli hasn’t been a worldbeater this season, but he’s steadied out as of late and has continued to be a reliable option in the rotation. His most recent outing, 6.0 innings of 1-run ball with 7 strikeouts against the Cleveland Guardians, again showed that the 25-year-old has an arsenal capabale of handling MLB lineups on a consistent basis. He’s done fine job of preventing opponents from putting together crooked innings, and he looks to continue that trend on Monday.
May was a month to forget for Alcantara, giving up 6 runs or more in 3 of his 5 appearances, including getting ripped by Toronto for a season high 8 runs on May 26th. He’s striking guys out at a lower rate than usual, and his offspeed pitches have been getting torched on the regular. The Nats’ offense has been firing on all cylinders, easily swinging this game in their favor.
Game 2 – Tuesday 6:45 PM EST
WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (1-4, 5.72 ERA)
MIA: TBD
This has certainly been an interesting narrative shift for Mikolas, who has seen much improved results since the beginning of May. He’s bounced between starting and entering after an opener, but what hasn’t changed is how impressive he’s been across the last calendar month. His abysmal 8.46 ERA in April was flipped on its head in May, and he takes on Miami after posting just a 2.74 ERA over his last 5 times through the rotation.
No pitcher has been announced yet for Miami, as they continue to work through a handful of injuries and roster moves within the rotation.
Game 3 – Wednesday 1:05 PM EST
WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 4.02 ERA)
MIA: RHP Max Meyer (5-0, 2.97)
The 26-year-old’s 6th appearance in 2026 is set to be his 1st start. San Diego gave him troubles the last time he toed the rubber, and needs to attack hitters instead of restricting himself to the corners. In what’s set up to be a bullpen game for Washington, they look to Alvarez to take care of the top of the Marlins’ lineup in the series finale.
The clear alpha of the Miami staff, Meyer has finally broken out into the pitcher they envisioned when selecting him 3rd overall in 2020. His 5-pitch mix has kept hitters at bay, and his secondaries continue to generate some of the best results across the league. Winning at least one of the first two games will be crucial for the Nats, with Game 3 looking like their weakest matchup on paper.
Mar 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) defends New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
When I first started writing for Pounding the Rock ahead of the 2016-17 season, the Spurs were plenty relevant. The had arguably a top 2 player in the league in Kawhi Leonard, their first ever big free agent signing (LaMarcus Aldridge) was entering his second season with the club, and they were seen as top title contenders alongside the soon-to-be dynasty of the Golden State Warriors. As a result, there was plenty being written about the Spurs from across the media landscape, which meant there was plenty to cover. So we regularly published posts with links so our readers could find content that they had missed.
In the years since, as the Spurs fell down the standings and out of the average sports fan’s mind, there wasn’t as much being written beyond the occasional monument0us event (like, you know, drafting Victor Wembanyama). But now, with the Spurs back in the NBA Finals, they’re in the brightest of spotlights, so it’s time to dust off ye ol’ Links post to provide you with even more reading than what we produce ourselves as you wait for Wednesday evening to arrive.
A look back at the Western Conference Finals
Obviously, we have covered the Spurs’ amazing victory over the Thunder pretty extensively, but if you want some other perspectives, check out the following links:
Jeff Zillgitt of NBA.com provides four takeaways from Game 7, from how the Spurs took down the defending champions to where the Thunder go from here.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater discusses how Victor Wembanyama led the “ahead of schedule” Spurs back to the Finals.
San Antonio Express News’ Tom Orsborn looks at Julian Champagnie’s improbable journey to the Finals, from being cut by the Philadelphia 76ers to make room for Mac McClung — entirely so he could be in the dunk contest — to starter who hit big shot after big shot to help take down the defending champions. (Subscription required.)
Finals Previews
Check out what national pundits are saying in series previews and how they think it will go.
ESPN staffers look back at the Spurs and Knicks three regular season games and what to watch for in the Finals.
The Athletic’s Spurs and Knicks contributors — Jared Weiss and James Edwards III, respectively — team up to provide the lowdown on the Finals. (Subscription required.)
CBS’s Jack Maloney looks at the three biggest questions that will decide the Finals.
We love you, Jeremy, but hush up! Former Spur Jeremy Sochan, who has the unique of experience of having played for both the Spurs and Knicks this season and with Wemby for almost three seasons, provides some insight on how to beat his former teammate.
Finals Courts are back!
Hey look! After receiving much criticism during last year’s finals — where there were initially no trophy or Finals logos or any indication what you watching before the NBA tried tiny, glitchy, digital logos — the Larry O’Brien Trophy is back front and center for the Spurs and Knicks courts. (I kind of feel bad for the Thunder and Pacers, to be honest. You could watch their highlights from last year and think it was a regular season game.)
Are your eyes tired of reading and you just want to watch or listen to something? Check out Thinking Basketball’s latest video on Dylan Harper and his unique abilities that can’t be taught.
And here’s an excerpt from Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe on how the Spurs took over the Western Conference and their eagerness for next year to get here so we can run it back with the Thunder.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 29: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after hitting a walk off RBI double during the tenth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at T-Mobile Park on May 29, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the end of the month upon us, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.
First Place: Seattle Mariners (31-29)
Top Position Player: Randy Arozarena (2.1 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Bryan Woo (1.5 fWAR)
The top spot in the American League West has been a bit of a merry-go-round this season, with the reigning division champs, the Seattle Mariners, emerging as the team on top at the end of the month. Despite a disappointing start to the season from Cal Raleigh, plus injuries to Raleigh and Brendan Donovan, Seattle boasts one of the more prolific offenses in the American League, thanks to strong performances from Randy Arozarena (147 wRC+) and Luke Raley (155 wRC+), plus a strong month of May from Julio Rodríguez (.278/.316/.583 slash line with nine home runs). And yet, this offense still has another level it can reach, as they’ve gotten little production out of first base due to Josh Naylor’s lackluster production (98 wRC+, though he’s heated up since his frigid start), and southpaw-killer Rob Refsnyder has just a .115/.197/.262 slash line against lefties this season.
On the mound, the Mariners boast one of the few rotations in the American League that can challenge the Yankees in terms of depth. Bryan Woo (1.5 fWAR), George Kirby (1.3 fWAR), Emerson Hancock (1.1 fWAR), and Logan Gilbert (0.9 fWAR) each rank within the top 21 of AL starters in fWAR, a number matched only by the aforementioned Bombers. Only Luis Castillo, the pitcher with the longest track record, has struggled. Overall, the bullpen has been solid, although Andrés Muñoz has been uncharacteristically prone to meltdowns.
Second Place: The Athletics (28-31)
Top Position Player: Shea Langeliers (2.3 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Jackson Perkins (0.7 fWAR)
Hovering within two to three games of .500 on each side, the Athletics have spent much of the season at or near the top of a weak American League West. While they have had some big series wins, however, their success in the division to date has less to do with the Athletics themselves, and more to do with how flawed their division has been. The offense has been slightly below league average, despite fantastic performances from Shea Langeliers (147 wRC+), Nick Kurtz (152 wRC+), and Carlos Cortes (165 wRC+), because outside of this trio, the A’s lack a true offensive threat. Brent Rooker has been a real disappointment, accruing -0.3 fWAR with a 71 wRC+ out of the DH spot.
On the flip side, the pitching staff has been slightly better than league average. Jeffrey Springs and J.T. Ginn have been solid (as were Aaron Civale and Luis Severino before they hit the shelf), while the bullpen has seen their roles shuffle (Hogan Harris, Joel Kuhnel, and Mark Leiter Jr. all have four saves, highlighting the team’s search for a consistent closer at the back end). Although they have solid pieces, however, they lack a true ace or a dominant bullpen arm — possibly the result of playing in a minor-league ballpark.
Third Place: Texas Rangers (28-31)
Top Position Player: Josh Jung (1.5 fWAR) Top Pitcher: MacKenzie Gore (1.2 fWAR)
Heading into the season, the narrative around the Texas Rangers was that they would go as far as their pitching staff would take them, and in my heart, I still believe that to be the case. But as it currently stands, the offense has been their (mild) calling card. Thanks to a large number of platoons — the FanGraphs Depth Chart lists them as running four righty/lefty platoons, they have managed a 104 wRC+, good for fourth in the American League. Josh Jung, Brandon Nimmo, Joc Pederson, and Ezequiel Durán each have wRC+ of 129 and above. Should the struggling Corey Seager (80 wRC+) begin to find his stroke whenever he returns from the lower back inflammation that has kept him on the shelf since mid-May, this lineup may finally become truly dangerous.
The starting rotation, on the other hand, has been…less than stellar. Nathan Eovaldi (3.93 ERA) and Jacob deGrom (3.77 ERA) have been inconsistent, sometimes turning the clock back and dominating opposing lineups, at other times looking like their 36- and 38-year-old selves. Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, meanwhile, have yet to live up to the lofty expectations that their status as top draft picks placed upon them. A dominant bullpen, led by Jacob Latz, Tyler Alexander, and Jakob Junis, has held their pitching staff afloat, and allowed them to have a perfectly league average 100 ERA+.
Fourth Place: Houston Astros (27-34)
Top Position Player: Yordan Álvarez (2.7 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Peter Lambert (0.8 fWAR)
What happens when you put together one of the league’s best offenses with the league’s worst pitching staff? You get the Houston Astros, a team that in most divisions would already be in dire straits, but who (unfortunately for Yankees fans) exist in a division that cannot get out of its own way, and are thus still right in the thick of the division race.
Second baseman Jose Altuve has finally begun to look his age, and Carlos Correa is out for the season with an ankle injury suffered during batting practice, but the Houston offense has not missed a beat. Yordan Álvarez looks truly healthy for the first time in years, and looks to be one of the early frontrunners for the American League MVP with a 187 wRC+ and an AL-leading 20 home runs. Between Yordan, first baseman Christian Walker, and a returned-to-health Jeremy Peña, the Astros offense will not be the thing holding this team back.
On the other hand, though, the pitching staff has largely been a disappointment, the combined no-hitter notwithstanding. Thanks to injuries to ace Hunter Brown as well as Ronel Blanco, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., Brandon Walter, and Hayden Wesneski, Houston has been forced to use 12 different starting pitchers this season. Spencer Arrighetti has been electric, and Tatsuya Imai may (emphasis: may) be starting to settle in after a disastrous transition to America, but the depth has been challenged. The bullpen hasn’t been any better, either, with Yankee reject Enyel De Los Santos one of their best relievers, somehow. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that Josh Hader should finally be activated for his season debut on Tuesday, following biceps tendinitis.
The Astros being the Astros, though, they have somehow managed to crawl out of the cellar, and string together enough wins in May to make contention in the division at least plausible.
Last Place: Los Angeles Angels (23-37)
Top Position Player: Mike Trout (2.1 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Reid Detmers (1.9 fWAR)
After years of absolute disasters, the Angels have recaptured their mid-to-late 2010s form, which is to say, they’ve been a disaster, but at least Mike Trout has looked good — and more importantly, remained healthy.
Anaheim’s favorite fish has looked vintage so far this season, posting a .241/.412/.498 slash line with 14 home runs and five stolen bases in his return to center field. Unfortunately for him, help has been rather lacking, as offseason acquisition Josh Lowe was optioned to Triple-A, Jo Adell is proving that last year’s 37-homer campaign was an aberration, and Jorge Soler looks every bit the 34-year-old unable to play the field. Besides Trout, in fact, the only two players contributing offensively on a consistent basis have been shortstop Zack Neto (121 wRC+) and second baseman Oswald Peraza (122 wRC+).
On the mound, the Angels have been, well, just like the offense. After his dominant start to the season, José Soriano has crashed down to earth, posting a 5.34 ERA in the month of May, thanks in part to two awful performances against the White Sox and Dodgers, respectively. Behind him, Walbert Ureña has been in the midst of a breakout, having allowed two runs or fewer in all six of his May starts. Reid Detmers, however, is a reliever cosplaying as a starter, Jack Kochanowicz leads the league in walks, and Yusei Kikuchi wasn’t exactly good before going on the IL. The bullpen hasn’t been any better, with only Chase Silseth and Sam Bachman the only thing resesmbling high-leverage arms.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 30: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks speaks during a press conference after game six of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on April 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Paras Griffin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The wait between the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals can feel like forever. As Knicks fans count down the hours until Game One against the Spurs, here are a few practical tips for maintaining your sanity until the ball finally goes up in San Antonio.
1. Mood Swings Are Normal
While waiting for the start of the Finals, you may experience:
Euphoria
Anxiety
Irrational confidence
Existential dread
These feelings are normal. Do not make major life decisions during this time, and for God’s sake, try not to impregnate anyone or buy a pet. Or impregnate a pet. Pro tip: avoid pictures of Victor Wembanyama standing next to average-sized NBA players. That could cause some unpleasant flutters.
2. Approach Podcasts with Caution
On today’s podcast from The Athletic, all three panelists picked the Spurs to win. I am continually impressed by how underappreciated the Knicks remain, no matter what they do. A historic run through the playoffs? Fuhgeddaboutit! Irrelevant!
If New York wins the Larry O’Brien Trophy, we already know what will happen. The public will find a way to qualify it. Something like: “The Knicks got lucky, catching Wemby before he fully metamorphosed into a World Destroyer.”
New York can blame itself, I suppose. It’s something like the crazy ex-girlfriend who reappears looking healthy and claiming to be on her meds. You want to believe her stability will last, but you can’t forget how many times she trashed your stuff. A narrative that has proven true so often is hard to shake, and the Knicks were terrible for so many years that we can’t blame people for not trusting that they’re for real. Being one of the biggest markets in the league didn’t help, either. It kept the spotlight on them when they deserved to be hidden in the shadows. Well not anymore, pal! Recommendation: Stick to Knicks Film School or Locked On Knicks and skip those other dolts.
3. Strange Symptoms May Occur
Maybe you find yourself checking for updates on Mitch’s pinky every 15 minutes. Or you lurk a little too menacingly behind a guy in a Spurs jersey on the sidewalk. Or you start considering a subscription to Cleaning the Glass because you want to sound extra informed at the Game One viewing party.
Relax. Let the crazy wash over you and pass. If you start a fight with a Spurs fan, you might miss a game or two due to incarceration. And you can totally live without paying to know Stephon Castle’s shot quality from 12-15 feet. Feel free to jump ahead to Number 6 below.
4. Your Relationships May Change
This is the schedule:
Game 1: Wednesday, June 3 — Knicks at Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 2: Friday, June 5 — Knicks at Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 3: Monday, June 8 — Spurs at Knicks, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 4: Wednesday, June 10 — Spurs at Knicks, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, June 13 — Knicks at Spurs Game 6 (if necessary): Tuesday, June 16 — Spurs at Knicks Game 7 (if necessary): Friday, June 19 — Knicks at Spurs
Explain to your family that you love them, but these are sacred time slots. If they are unable to accept that you will be unavailable during those hours, well . . . we are your family, too. We understand you more than they ever can. Cut us, and do we not bleed orange and blue? Besides, I’m sure we have an extra cot for you here at P&T headquarters. Just let me clear it with the wife.
5. Prepare for the Unpredictable
The Finals are much like a scheduled C-section. You know when they’ll arrive. You know they’ll change your life. You know roughly how long they’ll last. Yet somehow, despite months of preparation, you have absolutely no idea what will happen once the cutting starts.
Sleep may prove challenging during this time. You may discover previously unknown superstitions. Remember that these behaviors are normal and no amount of nervous doomscrolling can prepare you for the emotional roller coaster of a Knicks Finals game. Pro tip: Pack an emotional-support beverage. (But don’t drink if you’re actually pregnant, you degenerate. Sheesh.)
6. Savor this Moment
You are breathing rare air. Oh, we caught a teasing whiff of it last season, but now we’re sucking it all into our lungs, and it’s even more amazing than advertised. This is what those Golden State kids were talking about. This is Finals air—not that hot, exhaust-scented B.S. air I was spewing back in 2016, when I was Ubering and trying to convince passengers that Langston Galloway was one to watch.
Breathe in, hold it as long as you can, and enjoy it, family. It took a long time to get here and the future is not promised. Smile to yourself and be cool, knowing that on Wednesday, your New York Knicks will play in the NBA Finals. At last.
While the San Antonio Spurs are heavy favorites in the NBA championship odds, some particular New York Knicks players are the favorites in the NBA Finals prop categories.
If pondering a bet on the Knicks to spring the upset in the series, such a prop bet may be the safer route to profit, as my Knicks vs. Spurs series props and NBA picks explain ahead of tonight's Game 1 clash.
The latter is the better scorer, but he is also facing the better defense. Sure, the New York Knicks may have the better defensive rating in the postseason, but let’s be honest about who they have played. The San Antonio Spurs’ defensive rating was No. 3 in the regular season and No. 4 following the All-Star Break, about two points better per 100 possessions than the Knicks in both subsets.
In the postseason, Brunson has averaged 26.9 points per game, a number actually deflated by New York’s success. In the last 10 games, Brunson has needed to play more than 35 minutes only five times.
Wembanyama has averaged 25.7 points (when ignoring Game 2 of the first round, when a concussion sidelined Wemby after only 12 minutes, and Game 4 of the second round, when he was ejected after only 12 minutes), playing at least 35 minutes in seven of 15 games.
Perhaps that workload concern should be a moot one.
When the Knicks are desperate, Brunson shows up. Looking at genuinely competitive games this postseason, the diminutive point guard has averaged 29.4 points in five games.
He should rise to this moment, and the plus-money payout lends some value to that desperation.
Most assists in series
Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns (+2000 at bet365)
Sportsbooks also view this market as a two-horse race. Brunson and Stephon Castle are near equals, priced at +120 and +130, respectively, with De’Aaron Fox then trailing at +550.
This makes sense. Brunson has led New York with 6.6 assists per game in the postseason, while Castle has led San Antonio with 6.7, ahead of Fox at 5.9 assists per game.
There is another name that should garner more attention, though. In fact, this should be the bet.
The Knicks fell behind the Hawks 2-1 to start the postseason. New York then made an offensive shift, turning to Karl-Anthony Towns as more of an offensive fulcrum. Since then, Towns has averaged 6.5 assists per game, while Brunson has averaged 6.7.
Keeping the ball in Towns’ hands on the perimeter will drag Wembanyama away from the rim, creating cutting chances for the other Knicks. There is both a track record in this postseason and a schematic logic to jumping on this long shot.
Most rebounds in series
Pick: Victor Wembanyama (-160 at bet365)
The leaders in this prop are obvious, Wembanyama at -160 or Towns at +130, then followed by Josh Hart at +2000.
Hart leading the NBA Finals in rebounds would be a chaotic delight, but San Antonio’s perimeter players are physical enough to slow down his usual penchant.
Let’s not overthink this prop.
The only way Wembanyama should fall short of this prop is outright fatigue. And even then, he should have a cushion to work with. Removing those two games in which he departed quite early, Wembanyama has averaged 11.7 rebounds this postseason, compared to Towns’s 10.6.
If there is a Western opponent most comparable to the Knicks, it is Towns’ former team. Wembanyama averaged 13.6 rebounds per game against the Timberwolves, Game 4’s ejection aside. Expect something similar from the Frenchman in the NBA Finals.
Most steals in series
Pick: De’Aaron Fox (+500 at bet365)
Finally, a series prop with a number of viable options. Six players come in between +275 and +600, led by three Knicks, and then followed by three Spurs.
If curious, Hart (+350) has led New York with 1.8 steals per game, closely trailed by OG Anunoby (+275) at 1.5. Devin Vassell (+600) has led San Antonio with 1.4 steals per game, closely trailed by De’Aaron Fox (+500) and Julian Champagnie (+4500) at 1.3.
That might quickly suggest a bet on Champagnie would bring value, but the Knicks’ offense should not put the ball in front of him as often as the Timberwolves did. Fault Julius Randle. Champagnie notched 10 of his 24 postseason steals in that second-round win, otherwise averaging 1.2 steals per game.
This is too high a price for someone who should be the on-ball defender against Brunson with great frequency. Fox made his bones early in his career on fast hands and transition buckets. Reviving that reputation against Brunson could be an underrated piece of San Antonio’s championship chase.
Most threes made in series
Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns (+2800 at bet365)
Let’s start by tearing down the shortest odds.
Devin Vassell (+250) and Julian Champagnie (+260) have led the Spurs from deep this postseason, hitting 2.3 per game and 2.6, respectively, while each shooting better than 35% from beyond the arc. But now they face the best 3-point defense in the postseason, with the Knicks holding foes to 30.5% from beyond the arc.
Brunson (+350) struggled from deep in the Eastern Conference Finals, hitting just 4 of 22 threes, eventually taking only four and then five in the final two games.
If there is no clear frontrunner, is there a worthwhile longshot? Absolutely.
This fits with the assists thought above. Playing Towns on the perimeter does not lessen New York’s offense. It may, in fact, better it. And that is without even acknowledging it will drag Wembanyama away from the rim.
Towns has shot 48.9% from deep this postseason, but he has taken only 3.2 threes per game. Double that in the NBA Finals to force Wembanyama to worry about the perimeter on every possession.
Even the misses will have a better chance of ending up in Knicks’ possession given Wemby will not be crashing the glass while Hart and Anunboy will be.
This is New York’s best offensive approach, and it is one Towns is entirely capable of.
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.
For our money, the ice is the hottest place to be this June.
Starting Tuesday, June 2, Sebastian Aho’s dominant Carolina Hurricanes will go skate-to-skate with Mitch Marner’s mighty Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup.
If you want to be there, last-minute tickets are available for all seven potential high-stakes showdowns.
At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for games at Raleigh, NC’s Lenovo Center — aka the home of the ‘Canes — was $712 including fees on SeatGeek.
Prices start at $1,604 including fees for contests at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
Want to go?
Make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).
Both teams breezed through their respective Conference Finals to advance to this championship round that determines who gets to hoist the NHL’s iconic silver trophy high in the air.
Prior to that, Carolina and Vegas met twice in the regular season. The Golden Knights won both games.
“It’s a different animal. That’s for sure,” Rod Brind’Amour said about playing Vegas. “You can’t get this far without being top-notch, so we know that’s going to be a huge challenge.”
While they’re worried, major sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel consider Carolina to be a major favorite coming into the Stanley Cup.
Although this is the first time Aho’s ‘Canes have gotten to the Finals since 2006, they’re projected to be -155 favorites to win the Stanley Cup while Marner and Jack Eichel’s Vegas Golden Knights opened at +130, DraftKings claims.
Still, both teams are streaking. Carolina has come out on top in 12 of their 13 playoff tilts; Vegas is currently riding a six-game win streak.
We can’t wait to see how this series shakes out.
Want Need to be there?
You’re in the right place, Caniacs and Knights faithful.
Our team has everything you need to know and more about the 2026 Stanley Cup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights below.
Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup home game ticket prices
A complete calendar including all announced Hurricanes Eastern Conference Finals home game dates at the Lenovo Center and the best prices on tickets are listed below.
Carolina Hurricanes home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Game 1 Tuesday, June 2
$712(including fees)
Game 2 Thursday, June 4
$964(including fees)
Game 5 Thursday, June 11
$1,717(including fees)
Game 7 Wednesday, June 17
$2,086(including fees)
Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup home game ticket prices
All Vegas Golden Knights playoff home game dates and the cheapest tickets available at the T-Mobile Arena can be found below.
Vegas Golden Knights home game dates
Ticket prices start at
Game 3 Saturday, June 6
$1,774(including fees)
Game 4 Tuesday, June 9
$1,604(including fees)
Game 6 Sunday, June 14
$1,635(including fees)
How to watch the Hurricanes and Golden Knights on TV
Fans hoping to catch St. Brind’Amour’s beastly team on the tube can watch all playoff games on ABC in the US or Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports in Canada.
Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.
If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.
Huge 2026 concerts
Not sure what to do once the final buzzer sounds on the 2025-26 NHL season?
No worries.
Many of the most exciting acts around will be out and about all summer long. Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss live.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
When the New York Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the playoffs in dominating fashion, fans debated whether the Knicks’ nine days off before the Conference Finals would cause rust to build or if the rest would give them an advantage. Sportico’s analysis determined that rust was not a significant factor, and the Knicks backed that up by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the next round.
The rest vs. rust debate has revved back up prior to the Finals, but the benefits of rest may be less pronounced in the Finals because there is more time off before the games start and between each game. The bigger discussion this time around: Are the Knicks actually as good as their 11-game win streak would suggest, or is the Eastern Conference just weak?
The Western Conference has been stronger for most of the 21st century, with a winning record over the East in interconference games in 24 of the past 27 seasons. This year, though, the East was, on paper, the fourth strongest it has been since the 1999-00 season. East teams won 49% of their games against West teams.
The East’s competitiveness wasn’t just about depth of talent masking a lack of strength at the top. The top four teams in the East went 18-15 versus the top four teams in the West.
In fairness, two of the best Eastern Conference teams bowed out in the postseason before the Knicks got the chance to face them. The Boston Celtics blew a 3-1 lead to the 76ers in the first round and the Detroit Pistons lost to the Cavaliers in seven games in the second round.
But the Knicks have shown they can compete with the best of the best. They went 2-1 versus their Finals foe the San Antonio Spurs this year, including a 124-113 win in the final of the NBA Cup in December. New York went 0-2 against the best team in the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder, but those losses were by an average of only seven points.
It should be noted that in their 11-game win streak through the middle two rounds of the playoffs, the Knicks outscored opponents by 262 points, more than any team in any 11-game stretch in NBA history, regular season or postseason. The Knicks played teams that were 12th, 19th and ninth in regular-season net rating, respectively, but they dominated those opponents to a historic extent.
Even if the East was weak, that wouldn’t necessarily indicate anything about the Knicks’ ability to beat the particular team standing in their path right now. The weakest season for the East in the past 50 years was 2004, when the conference won just 37% of its games against the West. The Detroit Pistons didn’t exactly demolish their competition that year, needing seven games to beat the 47-win New Jersey Nets en route to the Finals against the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 29: Josh Hader #71 of the Houston Astros pitches during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Daikin Park on July 29, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bryan Abreu’s struggles continue, so much so that the Astros have, at least for now, changed the trajectory of a prospect’s career to possibly make him reach the majors this season:
The concerning peripherals behind Bryan Abreu’s better results, a new role for Miguel Ullola and an ode to AJ Blubaugh’s UW-Milwaukee Panthers, free and unlocked – https://t.co/BpckE3NPur
Isaac Paredes is the 10th Mexican-born player in MLB history to reach 500 career hits. One of them, Alex Treviño, is broadcasting this game in the booth next to me.
Cristian Javier will pitch for Double-A Corpus Christi on Wednesday and Hunter Brown will pitch on Thursday in El Paso with Triple-A Sugar Land. Josh Hader is scheduled to be activated on Tuesday. Jose Altuve is very close to facing live pitching
Astros-Pirates probables: Tue: RHP Mike Burrows vs. RHP Bubba Chandler Wed: RHP Spencer Arrighetti vs. RHP Paul Skenes Thu: RHP Kai-Wei Teng vs. RHP Jared Jones
Astros Manager Joe Espada is being inducted into the Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in Puerto Rico
Congratulations to manager Joe Espada on his induction into the Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in Puerto Rico.
This Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, and sports figures who have made profound contributions to local and international athletics. Roberto Clemente, who was born… pic.twitter.com/aMKM0ZVsj2
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain.
De La Cruz left a 6-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves with right hamstring tightness after singling to right center in the fifth inning.
He underwent an MRI.
With the Reds leading 3-2, De La Cruz sent a ball into the gap against Braves starter Spencer Strider. The contact normally would have gone for a double, but De La Cruz grimaced as he reached first base and stopped. He walked off the field on his own after meeting briefly with training staff.
De La Cruz has appeared in 276 consecutive games, the sixth-longest streak for a Reds player in the expansion era (since 1961). His streak began on July 30, 2024. He’s batting .280 with 12 home runs this season.
The Reds also recalled infielder Edwin Arroyo from Triple-A Louisville, selected left-hander Brandon Leibrandt from Triple-A and designated for assignment right-hander Yunior Marte.
The 22-year-old Arroyo is batting .323 with 11 homers and 34 RBIs with a .945 OPS in 53 games.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 20: Spencer Steer #7 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after striking out in the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Reds have not finished in first place since 2012, but were in first place in the National League Central after a hot start had them 20-11 by the end of April. They have lost 17 of 27 since then and their only series wins since have come against the struggling Astros, Phillies, and Mets. Now they face the struggling Royals! The Royals dropped 18 of 28 in the month of May, and now have the second-worst record in baseball.
Kansas City Royals (22-37) vs. Cincinnati Reds (30-28) at Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH
Only seven teams have hit more home runs than the Reds, and they have the seventh-highest walk rate, but the second-highest strikeout rate. They have hit 43 of their 72 home runs at home (60 percent), but are hitting just .224 at Great American Ballpark. Sal Stewart leads all National League rookies in home runs with 12, and is third in wRC+ among all rookies with at least 200 plate appearances. Nathaniel Lowe is hitting .324 with three home runs and four doubles in his last nine games. Spencer Steer is hitting .327/.411/.612 against lefties this year. JJ Bleday is hitting .333/.474/.778 at home.
Matt McLain is hitting just .167/.231/.310 over his last 26 games. The Reds are without All-Star Elly de la Cruz, who was placed on the Injured List with a hamstring strain. Edwin Arroyo, who hit .323/.383/.562 with 11 home runs in 53 games in Triple-A, will be called up to replace him. The 22-year-old is a former top 100 prospect and the #3 ranked prospect in the Reds system, according to MLB Pipeline.
The Royals will start Luinder Avila on Monday, although he is not ramped up to make a full start. Former second-overall pick Chase Burns is enjoying an All-Star season in his first full year in the big leagues. He has given up two runs or less in ten of his eleven starts this year. He has the tenth-highest strikeout rate among starers. He throws a 98 mph fastball, and opponents are hitting just .137 against his slider with a 53 percent whiff rate.
Andrew Abbott was an All-Star last year and earned Cy Young votes, finishing fifth in the National League with a 2.87 ERA. He allowed just four earned runs in 28 innings in May, for a 1.29 ERA, earning three wins. He has a 5.28 ERA in six starts at home this year with five home runs allowed.
Chris Paddack has a 5.40 ERA in three starts with the Reds since they picked him up following his release by the Marlins. He leads the National League with seven losses, and has yet to win a game. Paddack had a 3.33 ERA in 2019, but has a 5.23 ERA in 102 games since then. Salvador Perez is just 1-for-8 against him in their career matchups, but Vinnie Pasquantino has homered against him, going 2-for-7.
The Reds have a 4.98 ERA from relievers, fourth-worst in baseball. Closer Emilio Pagán is currently on the Injured List. Tony Santillan has two saves, but was lifted from a save opportunity yesterday when he struggled to get throught the inning. He has a 53 percent flyball rate, one of the highest in baseball. Today, the Reds called up pitcher Brandon Leibrandt, son of former Reds and Royals pitcher Charlie Leibrandt.
The Royals swept the Reds in their last visit to Cincinnati, outscoring the Reds 28-3 in 2024. They enter this series with a much different mojo, although the Reds matched their gloomy May performance. Both teams could badly use a series win, although at least the Reds are still in a pennant race. The Royals may be looking forward to 2027.
After achieving their seemingly lofty goal, set in the Spring of 2025, to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 2025-26 Anaheim Ducks took it a step further and won their opening round series against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Ducks believe they’ve driven the final nail into the coffin of their long rebuild, and can now be seen as a young, proven, contending franchise for the foreseeable future. Their breakthrough season, exciting young talent that now boasts playoff experience and success, and a market that features a desirable lifestyle, have the potential to render Anaheim a destination for impact players on the move through the trade market or free agency moving forward.
Anaheim made the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2017, and they will likely be setting their sights on an even deeper run in 2026-27. However, they witnessed firsthand what it takes on the ice to win multiple long series in the springtime, as they were defeated by the now Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games.
From a roster construction standpoint, the Ducks have some areas of their depth chart in need of tweaking and/or improving. They have several impact veterans with contracts set to expire every summer for the next three years, and though the prospect cupboard is still somewhat full, there aren’t many obvious internal replacements to fill the projected holes left behind by said veterans.
This year’s free agency class is as thin as it’s ever been, teams are flush with cap space due to the NHL’s now-ever-rising ceiling, and it’s been reported that teams are eyeing “massive” trades this summer. With that said, what holes are currently in the Ducks’ depth chart, and where can general manager Pat Verbeek look to improve his roster in the present, moving forward?
Right Shot Defensemen
Jacob Trouba (32), John Carlson (36), and Radko Gudas (35) will all see their contracts expire on July 1 if extensions are not agreed upon before then. That would leave the Ducks with just Drew Helleson (25), Ian Moore (24), and Tristan Luneau (22) as the only right-shot defensemen under team control with NHL experience.
If the Ducks were to roll with a right side of Helleson, Moore, and Luneau across from Jackson LaCombe (25), Pavel Mintyukov (22), and Olen Zellweger (22), they would boast a talented but vastly inexperienced blueline. For a GM who values experience to insulate his young talent, that potential blueline would likely be quite unappetizing for Verbeek heading into a season where expectations will be amplified.
LaCombe’s emergence as a true #1 defenseman has been a breath of fresh air and was needed for Anaheim’s build to get off the ground. The next step toward LaCombe realizing his potential will be finding him a complementary partner to grow alongside, and together, form an elite defensive pair in the NHL.
Acquiring the long-term Devon Toews to LaCombe’s Cale Makar, the Brayden McNabb to his Shea Theodore, Brock Faber to his Quinn Hughes, etc., will amplify the potential of LaCombe, the blueline, and the entire roster.
To a lesser extent, adding a similar complementary piece to the second pair beside either Zellweger or Mintyukov would also be welcome.
Second Line Center
The Ducks’ lack of center depth and consistency behind Leo Carlsson was exposed during their second-round series against the Golden Knights. Between Mason McTavish sliding to wing (and the press box), Granlund as the interim second-line center, and Ryan Poehling’s promotion to the third line down the stretch of the season, Vegas’ two-way centers like Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, and Mitch Marner’s cameo down the middle overmatched the Ducks with their 200-foot impact on every line.
Center isn’t as dire a need, as McTavish may return to form, Granlund can perform adequately, and prospect Roger McQueen (10th overall in 2025) could potentially be awarded an audition at some point in 2026-27.
However, if the Ducks intend to make a deeper run in the 2027 Playoffs, beyond the second round, an upgrade in the form of an all-three-zones, impact center to provide secondary scoring and defensive prowess could be necessary to elevate the forward group into that of a contending team.
Top Nine Winger
Every offseason, it seems as if all 32 NHL teams are looking to improve the top of their forward groups and are in the market for top-six wingers. As far as the Ducks are concerned, sophomore Cutter Gauthier (22) and rookie Beckett Sennecke (20) established themselves as two of the NHL’s top young scoring wingers, totaling a combined 129 points in the 82-game regular season and 18 points in the Ducks’ 12-game playoff run.
However, beyond that young, dynamic pair, the Ducks have short and long-term question marks on the wing. Troy Terry (28) is scheduled to undergo hip surgery this offseason, leaving the start to his 2026-27 campaign up in the air.
McTavish’s future with the Ducks has come into question, and if he’s to remain in Anaheim for the foreseeable future, it’s unclear if he’ll transition back to center or remain on the wing, the position he played down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Mikael Granlund (34) has two years remaining on his three-year contract with an AAV of $7 million. He’s a versatile player who can provide an impact anywhere in the top nine, so he can be seen as more of an impact gap-filler during the latter stages of his career.
Frank Vatrano was a staple in the Ducks’ top-six during his first three years in Anaheim, but found himself playing fourth-line minutes for head coach Joel Quenneville and the Ducks in 2025-26 when he did find himself in the lineup. He was healthy scratched for all 12 of the Ducks’ playoff games, and his future with the team is in question as he enters the second year of his three-year contract that carries an AAV of $4.57 million.
Chris Kreider (35) and Alex Killorn (36) will be entering the final year of their deals and may be suited for roles lower in the lineup as the Ducks look to advance further in the 2027 Playoffs than they did this year.
The Ducks still have one of the deepest prospect pipelines in the NHL, which features players of various NHL readiness, including Nikita Nesterenko (24), Sam Colangelo (24), Nico Myatovic (21), Yegor Sidorov (21), Sasha Pastujov (22), among a slew of others.
Though the potential remains that one or several of them break through and become top-six options, the likelihood of it being in 2026-27 is slim. A supplementary proven bridge veteran who more fits the Ducks’ timeline could be a useful addition to a team aiming to truly compete next season and beyond.
Some ancillary needs the Ducks may look to pursue could include an additional backup goaltender and/or more fourth-line depth pieces. Ville Husso is a serviceable backup, but NHL teams are electing to employ three goaltenders with increasing frequency, as injury and volatility are common at the position. The Ducks have multiple internal options from which they can build a fourth line. However, Verbeek has shown a penchant for tinkering with that area of his depth chart.
Stay tuned for articles this week featuring organizational situations around the league Verbeek could look to target were he intent on adding to his roster via the trade market this offseason.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 29: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers clicks his helmet with first base coach Chris Woodward #84 after a single against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium on May 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers’ depth took some hits during May, with a pair of injuries on both sides of the ball. But they withstood the losses and piled up the wins over the final three weeks of the month.
But the team started to click on all cylinders, combining a powerful offense with stingy pitching to win 14 of their last 17 games. The Dodgers started May with a half-game lead in the division, and finished the month up by 5 1/2 games in the National League West.
May results
18-10 record 147 runs scored (5.25 per game, 4th in MLB) 84 runs allowed (3.00 per game, 2nd in MLB) .736 pythagorean win percentage (21-7)
Year to date
38-21 record 314 runs scored (5.32 per game, 2nd in MLB) 185 runs allowed (3.14 per game 1st in MLB) .725 pythagorean win percentage (43-16)
Fantastic four
The Dodgers dipped a bit in offense in May, relative to April, but still ranked fourth in the majors in runs scored during this month. Most of the difference came with a drop in batting average.
April: .273/.350/.452, 126 wRC+
May: .252/.339/.441, 120 wRC+
Andy Pages continued his strong season by hitting .26/.319/.560 with a 142 wRC+ during May, and led the team in home runs (eight), RBI (25), runs scored (20), and stolen bases (three). Plus one very memorable sacrifice fly off fireballer Mason Miller.
Freddie Freeman found his stroke, hitting eight doubles to move into the top 30 all-time, and hit .287/.397/.532 with a 159 wRC+ in May. Teoscar Hernández was on an extra-base hit tear when he got hurt, and hit .216/.333/.446 with a 149 wRC+ during May.
Shohei Ohtani still hasn’t gone on a home run barrage — he’s at 10 home runs on the season, on pace for 27 this year after hitting 54 and 55 in his first two years in Los Angels — but he was still quite productive, hitting .289/.397/.495 with a 153 wRC+ in May.
For starters
Ohtani was also busy on the mound, and in his four May starts his ERA ballooned … to 1.08 for the month with 27 strikeouts and eight walks.
The rotation got only one start each from Glasnow and Snell in May, and was more workmanlike in May than in April, but was still quite effective. Eric Lauer made one start during the month, and it was a quality one. Outside of a bullpen game on May 15 in Anaheim, Dodgers starters averaged 5 2/3 innings per start, a bit down from 5.85 innings in April.
Starting pitchers
March/April: 5.85 IP/start, 2.83 ERA, 3.52 xERA
May: 5.67 IP/start, 3.35 ERA, 3.46 xERA
What a relief
Unmentioned in the injuries above was left-hander Jack Dreyer, who missed most of the last half of May with left shoulder discomfort. But he still had enough time to pitch 8 2/3 scoreless innings, but he wasn’t alone. Kyle Hurt and Will Klein allowed one run apiece, and combined for 23 innings and 24 strikeouts. Tanner Scott had a scoreless month until blowing a save on Saturday. The bullpen, complete with its rotating cast of characters, did not allow any runs at all from May 13-24, totaling 38 (but really 40) consecutive scoreless innings, and a 1.74 ERA in 93 innings from actual relievers during the month. And the good news is that Dreyer was activated from the injured list on the final day of the month.
The month ahead
In June the Dodgers only play nine games at home, all of them against American League teams. Interleague play accounts for 17 of the Dodgers’ 27 games during the month, with divisional road series at Arizona to open the month and in San Diego in the last weekend of June.
The 2026 NBA Finals are a rematch of the showdown from 27 years ago, won by the Spurs in five games behind Finals MVP Tim Duncan. This year, it's another fascinating matchup of a Spurs big man — Victor Wembanyama — and a fast-rising young core in San Antonio going against a team on a historic hot streak in the New York Knicks, paced by point guard Jalen Brunson.
This is also a rematch of the NBA Cup Finals game from December, which you know is making Adam Silver smile. In that game, the Knicks outscored the Spurs 35-19 in the fourth quarter to come from behind and get the win, showing the kind of grit they will need in this series if they want to repeat that outcome. It's worth noting that a year ago, Oklahoma City lost in the NBA Cup Finals (to the Bucks) only to bounce back and win the NBA Title.
Who is the player to watch in this year's Finals? What are the keys to keep an eye on if the Knicks are going to win their first title since 1973, or if Wembanyama and the Spurs are going to put the league on notice earlier than expected? Here is everything you need to know in a preview of the NBA Finals.
New York vs San Antonio NBA Finals Schedule 2026
All times are Eastern (* = if necessary). Game 1: New York at San Antonio, Wednesday, June 3 (8:30 ET, ABC) Game 2: New York at San Antonio, Friday, June 5 (8:30 ET, ABC) Game 3: San Antonio at New York, Monday, June 8 (8:30 ET, ABC) Game 4: San Antonio at New York, June 10 (8:30 ET, ABC) *Game 5: New York at San Antonio, June 13 (8:30 ET, ABC) *Game 6: San Antonio at New York, June 16 (8:30 ET, ABC) *Game 7: New York at San Antonio, June 19 (8:30 ET, ABC)
Player to watch: Victor Wembanyama
Raphielle Johnson, NBC Sports Fantasy Basketball Lead writer Is this postseason, the first of his young NBA career, the beginning of the league's "Wembanyama Era?" It very well could be, given the Spurs' center's physical gifts, approach to the game and the teammates around him.
Wembanyama has been excellent throughout the postseason and is more than capable of leading the Spurs to their first title since 2014. However, this matchup stands to be a bit more challenging, as the Knicks have been on fire since deciding to play more through Karl-Anthony Towns offensively. Do the Spurs have Wembanyama guard KAT throughout the series? Or do they put Wemby on Josh Hart, which, in theory, would allow him to play more of a "free safety" role defensively? How Wembanyama is utilized and how the Knicks attack him will say a lot about how the NBA Finals go.
Keys to watch for in Knicks vs. Spurs
From Kurt Helin, NBC lead NBA writer
Can Spurs defense stall out Knicks?
New York enters the NBA Finals on a historic hot streak offensively — their ball movement and shot making have been brilliant and peaked at the right time, leading to 11-straight wins.
The Knicks' offense started to thrive under Mike Brown when they began using Karl-Anthony Towns more as a high-post hub and offensive initiator (as he was often used in Minnesota) and had players cutting off him. When the Cavaliers were able to limit that approach — because Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are both quality defenders — Jalen Brunson went to work and hunted James Harden (and Donovan Mitchell) and others relentlessly.
However, what has really fueled the Knicks is red-hot 3-point shooting and strong wing play from OG Anunoby (48.3% from beyond the arc in the playoffs) and Mikal Bridges (34.1% from deep). Then add Landry Shamet (60%) and Miles McBride (42.9%), who hit everything when they come in off the bench. As a team, the Knicks are shooting 40% from 3 this postseason.
Doing that against the Hawks and Cavaliers is one thing, doing it against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs is another entirely.
In the final minutes of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, with the Thunder trailing and their season on the line, both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Alex Caruso drove hard to the rim, then realized they had to bail out and threw a desperation pass back out of the paint — such is the presence of Wemby. But it's not just him. Stephon Castle is a high-level on-ball defender, and the guard/wing rotation with De'Aaron Fox, Julian Champagnie, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson are all plus defenders.
Put more bluntly: There is no James Harden to hunt in the NBA Finals. The Spurs are long, athletic and disciplined across the board. There are no obvious weak links. They come out of a series where they had to play elite defense to advance.
New York comes in playing like a juggernaut and with the confidence they can score in this matchup — in the regular season, no team scored more points per possession in their matchups with the Spurs than the Knicks. However, doing that in December and March is one thing, doing it in June with the Spurs playing their best ball is another. Can the Knicks stay this hot (especially from 3) against this defense? It will decide the series.
Can the Spurs score on the Knicks?
Maybe the most underrated part of the Knicks — both all season and during this postseason run — has been their defense. New York had the seventh-best defense in the NBA during the regular season, then has the best defensive rating in the NBA for the playoffs (103.5, although their opponents had something to do with that).
What's more, the Knicks were able to slow the Spurs during the season. In the NBA Cup win, the Knicks held the Spurs to 19 points in the fourth quarter sparking New York's comeback win. In the March meeting, the Knicks' defense was dominant, the New York wings cut off the Spurs' dribble penetration, and San Antonio shot just 41% from the floor with 21 turnovers.
San Antonio is playing better, with more confidence now than they have in the past, but they are going to have to show they can score at a high level on the Knicks to win this series. If New York's defense is dominant again, it will have a new banner to hang in Madison Square Garden.
Knicks wings need to dominate
When these two teams played on March 1, Mikal Bridges scored 25 in one of his better games of the season. In the NBA Cup Finals, OG Anunoby scored 28 and had nine rebounds. New York swept Cleveland out of the playoffs in part because they dominated play on the wings (a long-time Cavs weak spot). Against the Cavs, the duo combined to average 34.8 points and 10.2 rebounds a game, while playing stifling defense.
San Antonio presents a whole different level of size, physicality and skill with its guard-wing rotation. Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell start at the 2/3, with Dylan Harper, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes off the bench. New York is not going to own play on the wings like they did last series, but if the Knicks are going to win this series, Bridges and Anunoby must outplay their counterparts for the majority of games.
The San Francisco Giants will be sellers at this year’s trade deadline and while they have some obvious “chips,” “chits,” or “pieces,” I figured it’d be a better conversation starter to rank them, as the perception of a player’s value will surely not be uniform across the fandom or even just those who read this post.
Now, it was only yesterday that I joined the community here by saying that the Giants should not rebuild, and while being sellers at the trade deadline doesn’t necessarily follow a philosophical shift from “trying to sneak into the postseason by accidentally getting the third Wild Card” to TANKING, I want to be ideologically consistent. This post isn’t to say that the Giants should be willing to move anybody on the roster, it’s just to rank the value *I* perceive players to have should the Giants decide to move them.
So, here are the 10 most valuable players the Giants could move before this year’s trade deadline.
10. Tyler Mahle
Look, I’m with you. He’s been terrible. The 1-7 record and 6.04 ERA gets the season ticketholders riled up, but it’s that 4.86 FIP (tied for 8th-worst in MLB with Zac Gallen) that really underscores how terrible he’s been. His 10.0 hits per 9 innings is explained away by the Giants being bad on defense, but the 1.7 HR/9 and 3.8 BB/9 are much closer to his career averages when the small sample size of 56.2 innings and context of his situation (being on one of the worst Giants teams in the long history of the franchise) are taken into account.
And I’ll add that Aaron Civale, he of the 4.91 ERA and 5.59 FIP in just 22 MLB innings last season, wound up being traded around this time last season by the Milwaukee Brewers — who had acquired him the previous season from the Tampa Bay Rays — to the Chicago White Sox for… Andrew Vaughn, one of the key figures in Milwaukee’s lineup these days.
Of course, Buster Posey isn’t the savvy operator that Brewers’ POBO Matt Arnold is nor are the Giants a big unlocker of hitting talent. Milwaukee really isn’t, either, but they are such a well run organization by comparison that simply getting Vaughn off a struggling team like the White Sox and onto a good team like the Brewers really did seem to reset his talent. It’s an interesting situation to note because the White Sox also had current Giant Adrian Houser on their roster last year and seemed to help him revitalize his career (2.10 ERA in 68.2 IP) to the point that they were able to trade him to Tampa Bay.
Mahle would have some value to teams because of his strikeouts (9.1 K/9 is right in line with his career average) and all of the under the hood numbers indicate that he’s still the same guy when healthy — he’s just never healthy. But he would also be more valuable than Houser in a trade scenario because he doesn’t have the extra year attached to him, unlike Houser. That fact might be moot if there’s a lockout, but Houser hasn’t pitched much better than Mahle to merit extra consideration, I think.
The Giants might not be able to get a middle of the lineup tarnished figure a la Vaughn for him, but there’s some dinged up value to be exchanged for dinged up value here.
9. Jung Hoo Lee
There are 64 hitters currently hitting 20% or better than the league average and one of them is Jung Hoo Lee. But to put it another, better way: there are 32 hitters aged 27 or younger currently hitting 20% or better than the league average and one of them is Jung Hoo Lee.
His age plus position plus hitting ability makes him valuable. Weighted against him are some big negatives:
An extensive injury history
An $18.833 CBT number through 2029, as he’s unlikely to opt out after this next season
Average defense, no stolen bases
And did I mention that he has an $18.833 CBT number through 2029? Oh, I did. Well, it’s even worse than that. Because of the structure of his deal, he’s owed $64.25 million after this season, $79.75 million if you factor in what’s left of his contract this season.
That’s a lot of money for a player who could still go either way in his career. That’s right, there’s still a good chance that he winds up hitting his way into a 3-win player over the next few years as the Giants hoped when they signed him. Another team might be able to unlock more consistency with better coaching and scouting, but with such an extensive cost attached to him, the Giants might not be able to get too much back in return, making him less valuable to trade.
On the other hand, here are the worst hitting outfields in MLB right now:
Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, and San Diego are almost certainly locks for the postseason, while the Phillies, White Sox, Astros, and Reds are extremely in the mix. With a looming lockout plus salary cap on the horizon, I’m not sure what the risk appetite will be, but if there’s a cap then there’s going to be a floor, and you could envision a scenario where the Rays, Reds, or Marlins add Lee just to help get them to a theoretical floor sooner… with the Giants kicking in some money to get back a decent prospect or two.
A bad example that still might apply. Back in 2024, the Mariners acquired Randy Arozarena (2.5 years on deal) from the Rays in exchange for their #12 and #22 prospects plus a player to be named later. Another bad example might be when the Marlins traded Jazz Chisholm (2.5 years on deal) to the Yankees back in 2024. They received the Yankees’ #19 & #20 prospects plus an infielder.
A player with 3.5 years remaining on his deal with a nonzero possibility of opting out next offseason (if there is one!) certainly limits a potential return, but given that he’s not one of Buster’s guys and the Giants needing to create some payroll flexibility, I’d say there’s a version of reality where a deal is possible and the Giants would get something in return that might be useful but would certainly be extra money they’ll need in the future.
8. Rafael Devers
In this morning’s Power Alley on SiriusXM radio, Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden talked about the Milwaukee Brewers and how the NL Central is theirs. They also pointed out that as good as they are in terms of winning a division, they’re going to struggle against the Dodgers and Atlanta come the postseason, suggesting they’re one starting pitcher short after Jacob Misioroski and Kyle Harrison and need a middle of the order bat, too. Bowden said something to the effect of “Now, they can’t afford it, but imagine them trading for Rafael Devers and dropping him into the middle of their lineup.”
Would the Giants trade Rafael Devers? I think so. He would be a great near-term value add for a lot of teams out there. I think there might be a behind the scenes scenario where the Giants, in trying to impress their new investors with their fiscal responsibility, might be looking to cut costs on a dead season as quickly as possible. Devers is owed a lot of money for a long time, so, this would be another situation where the Giants would probably need to eat some of the contract, which might be a problem unto itself, or it might be a situation where they get back another team’s problem contract just to balance the books in the near-term; but in any case, I can see another team wanting to make Buster Posey look bad by trading for Devers for even less than what the Giants gave up to get him.
I can also see the Giants figuring they need to hold on to Devers because his bat is meaningfully better than what they have on hand for the time being, and if they’re going to be good again next season or the season after, they’ll probably need him to stick around. So, moving him might hurt the team more than it helps, but I’ll put him low on this list because I think he should be on it. Just in case!
7. Keaton Winn
The Giants should try to move a 28-year old with an injury track record but who’s having a great start to a season (2.45 ERA / 2.80 FIP in 25.2 IP) in a new role as quickly as possible. Including him along with another player on the list might help boost a return, too. Just take a look at last year’s trades to see the reliever duos traded.
6. Robbie Ray
Before the start of the season, he absolutely would’ve been #1 or #2 on this list, but he has pitched so poorly this season that it’s clear the haul will be quite minimal. His 4.45 BB/9 is worst in the National League for starting pitchers (3rd in all of MLB) and his 5.37 FIP is third-worst in MLB behind Jamison Taillon and Ryne Nelson.
He’ll also be owed about $12.5 million the rest of the season, so, a team acquiring him would really need pitching and Ray will have had to string together some starts reminiscent of his best work. Last year, the Padres acquired Nestor Cortes from the Brewers in exchange for backup outfielder Brandon Lockridge. Now, Lockridge is hitting .294/.368/.341 for Milwaukee this season, so it’s not like they got nothing back for Cortes (who was by that point a journeyman several seasons removed from being an All-Star). I’m not sure Ray’s value has tumbled that low, but I’m putting him so low on this list because it feels like that might be more true than not.
5. Erik Miller
Lefty relievers who throw hard are always valuable and especially around trade deadlines. Look, Erik Miller is not is not is not Tanner Scott, but Tanner Scott has been traded twice in his career. After 156 innings of 4.73 ERA ball, the Orioles traded him to the Marlins for three minor leaguers (none of whom panned out). With the Marlins, he had ERAs of 4.31, 2.31, and 1.75 across 212.2 IP and wound up being traded to the Padres along with another pitching prospect for the Padres’ #2, #4, and #5 prospects.
The 28-year old miller is, again, NOT Tanner Scott, and has an extensive injury history that chews into the remaining value, but if the Giants were to dangle him, they’d get a really good return for him. He is a strikeout machine, and you would think an acquiring team would be able to help him tone down that walk rate, especially since they’d have him for three arbitration years after 2026. But even somebody like 34-year old Andrew Chafin netted the Tigers the Rangers’ #24 prospect and a major league reliever back in 2024.
Now, could the Giants use him in, like, 2030 when they might be an 83-win team, fighting for the fourth Wild Card? Sure. But his best value today is as a trade chip.
4. Landen Roupp
He’s got to be high on the list because he would be a tremendously valuable addition to an acquiring team which would mean that the Giants would get a lot for him. On the other hand, the hit to their starting rotation would probably be pretty steep, so, I can’t put him so high on the list. There also aren’t many comparisons to be made here and it would depend on what the industry thinks of him. Moving Roupp seems more like a move to make in the offseason, but if the lockout worries pickup, I wonder if that will change the calculation for teams hoping to compete in 2026. Roupp is also an injury risk who might only be sticking around for another 50-60 innings this season; but, really, I don’t think the Giants would be able to find equivalent value in a trade.
Still, you never know.
3. Luis Arraez
One could argue that the Giants signed him specifically to trade him at the deadline, regardless of their win-loss record. That they were able to Wash him and make him an above average defender at second base makes this whole gambit an absolute miracle, and it’s reasonable to believe that the Giants will do very well in trading him.
It’s very hard to find a comparison here because teams don’t typically trade players with this much value. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the year, so, it’s not like there will be a lot of value to be had in a trade scenario anyway, but on the other hand, we’ve seen teams really go all out to acquire exactly what they need. But just to give an example of value: last year, here were the position players around the 23rd-most valuable on June 1st:
Steven Kwan, 2.1 fWAR
Brendan Donovan, 2.0
Rafael Devers, 1.9
Ryan O’Hearn, 2.1
Remarkably, all of these players were traded at some point or, in the case of Kwan, rumored to be on the trade block. Only O’Hearn was a free agent at year’s end.
In his case, the Orioles traded him along with outfielder Ramon Laureano along with cash to the Padres in exchange for their #6, #8, and #16 prospects along with two more position player prospects and a pitching prospect. Laureano had an extra year on his deal and the Padres were in terrible need of help in their outfield, so, it’s not a true comparison to the Arraez situation.
Then there’s the factor of what teams value more: offense or defense. Only 11 of the 30 teams have positive defense and offense at second base. The rest
Plus, the teams that could use a boost at second base aren’t playoff teams for the most part, and the ones that could be are actually . Only the Rays (+0.3 fWAR, 100 wRC+), but 20 of the 30 teams have at least average defense there. So, how many of those teams would seek an upgrade at the position?
The Giants’ 113 wRC+ is 7th in MLB for the second base position, top third in the sport. Their +6.3 Defensive Runs Above Average is #2. Would Philadelphia want to improve over Bryson Stott (67 wRC+, +3.6 Def, +0.5 fWAR)? Or the Reds over Spencer Steer & Edwin Arroyo (78 wRC+, +2.4 Def, +0.3 fWAR)? Or Tampa Bay get better than Richie Palacios (100 wRC+, -5.4 Def, +0.3 fWAR)?
This is almost certainly the one big trade the Giants will be involved in this deadline and it’s a situation where they might get a big return if they are able to drum up enough interest or move him in June when the acquiring team would get to have him longer.
2. Logan Webb
From December: The “best time to trade Logan Webb is after the 2026 season, provided the Giants are still a .500 at best team.” The Giants are no longer a .500 team at best. They are back to the Bobby Evans era of 2017 in terms of their ceiling. It’s time to move Logan Webb. Problem is, he might not be the same pitcher everyone planned for him to be at the start of the season and the ABS Challenge System might’ve further eroded his value by taking away the shadow strike zone.
Still! There are plenty of comps to be made for a Webb deal. Back in December, I briefly mentioned the Padres trade for Dylan Cease before pivoting to more realistic-looking deals that fit Webb’s contract & age:
– The Orioles gave up INF Joey Ortiz (#8 prospect, #63 on Pipeline’s Top 100), LHP DL Hall, and a Competitive Balance Round A pick for one year of Corbin Burnes (then 29) two offseasons ago.
– The Rangers got the #4, #17, and #27 prospects in the Dodgers’ system at the 2017 trade deadline in exchange for Yu Darvish (age 30).
– In 2014, the Rays traded away David Price at the deadline for Willy Adames, Drew Smyly, and Nick Franklin (Seattle’s #4 prospect)
Now, here’s where things get really interesting. Ken Rosenthal wrote in The Athletic this morning that the trade deadline is about to be dominated by talk of Tarik Skubal being on the move, provided he can establish he’s healthy. I would never suggest that Logan Webb is on Skubal’s level, but he’s right there on the tier beneath and he, too, needs to demonstrate that he’s healthy, not just for the Giants, but for any team that might have interest. Such times might include those that miss out on acquiring Skubal or come to find that Skubal isn’t healthy and not worth acquiring in-season. Logan Webb could very quickly become The Best Pitcher Available, and that’s why I’m sneaking him past Luis Arraez. Not because he’s more likely to move, but because he’d be a more valuable player to move, given the probable return.
It’d be a big hit to the rotation, of course, but this season is so bad that moving Webb might be met by the season ticketholders and general fans with more of a “Well, Buster had to do something to shake things up.“ Because the possible return is lower and the pain for the Giants much greater, I can’t put Logan Webb #1. No Giants fan should want the Giants to trade away Logan Webb. But, you know, if it happens, it will be a logical decision.
1. Casey Schmitt
Now, why would the Giants move their best hitter right now? Well, because they have Matt Chapman, and chances are they won’t be able to trade Matt Chapman. Now, if they trade Luis Arraez, I’d think that would put Schmitt there or even shortstop if they want to slide Adames over to second in-season. There are certainly scenarios where a trade makes him more valuable to the Giants on the Giants, but just imagine what a player who is having his breakout season with three years of team control remaining could fetch in the trade market.
The Red Sox didn’t want to pay Alex Bregman to continue playing third base, so they let him walk and traded for Caleb Durbin (.183/.250/.280). Let Casey Schmitt aim his bat at the Green Monster and have some fun. The Red Sox have not only some interesting outfielders, but interesting arms who could really help the Giants, and with Schmitt in the lineup, Boston might be able to make a run at the AL Wild Card.
The Brewers could improve upon the 71 wRC+ they’re getting from the position and improve upon the defense, too. Cincinnati is dead last in offense from the position. The Phillies are 24th (71 wRC+).
Yes, this would be a big hit to the current Giants lineup, but with Schmitt out of position and a lot of the prospect depth being on the infield, it stands to reason that selling high on him would be a wise decision, particularly if it’s one of only a few moves they’d make around the deadline. It wouldn’t need to be a part of a total teardown, and it wouldn’t be the first time the team traded a popular third baseman to get better fast.
Sure, the Giants should make virtually their entire roster available for trade, but I didn’t include these players for the following reasons:
Adrian Houser: that extra guaranteed year. I don’t think he’s pitched well enough for a team to acquire him with that commitment. Then again, a team might be certain there won’t be a 2027 and change their mind, but I couldn’t conjure value there other than a salary dump for the Giants.
Matt Chapman: Yesterday, I wrote about how he’s not washed, cooked, or finished, but he’s still far enough along the aging curve with enough time left on his deal (plus a no trade clause!) that I don’t think he’d be one of the 10 most valuable trade pieces the Giants would have to offer at the deadline.
Willy Adames: Too much money owed, and not enough upside, especially with the bad defense this season.
Heliot Ramos: I did consider adding him to the list, but I think the Giants would want to hold on to him in the event that they do make other trades because he will be an important bat for them to have in the lineup when he comes back. If he doesn’t come back soon (and it doesn’t seem like he will), then teams won’t want him in-season.
Bryce Eldridge: Since the Giants wouldn’t be trying to acquire a player to remarkably improve their in-season chances I think he’ll stay put. But, wow, I wonder if Zack Minasian has even briefly reconsidered not moving him for CJ Abrams. Ultimately, of course, it all worked out at second base, but the situation is… interesting.
Caleb Kilian, Matt Gage, Joel Peguero, Ryan Walker: The relievers I put on the list would bring back more of a return than any of these guys.
Here’s my opinion of my own list: I’d like to see how the Giants could remake themselves for next year (or a post-lockout 2028) by trading Schmitt, Arraez, Webb, Robbie Ray, and Erik Miller. That would hurt, but it wouldn’t set them back very much going forward with the upside of bringing in prospects from the outside to pair with the ones they’ve been developing internally. The internal processes seem to be going well, so maybe now is the time to lean on the potential strength of player development and set themselves up nicely or a good, long future.
Instead of playing into June, as had been the case the previous five years, Arizona found itself done by mid-May after a disastrous 2026 season. It was a major regression from the year before, when the Wildcats returned to the College World Series for the 19th time.
But if there’s an upside to such a bad season, it’s that work on the next one can get started a little earlier.
The NCAA transfer portal officially opened on Monday, but plenty of players across the country had publicly announced their intention to enter. That included several members of the UA squad that went 19-34.
Arizona’s roster will look very different when the 2027 season begins in February with another tournament at Globe Life Field in Texas, and below is a breakdown of all the comings and goings. Updates will be made as changes occur:
Jalen Brunson
Victor Wembanyama
