LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 11: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers is introduced before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round Two Game Four on May 11, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Much of the discussion about the Lakers’ upcoming offseason has been about acquiring a center of the future. It was the edict from Luka Dončić before he left for Europe this summer and it’s one of the top priorities of the front office.
The underlying aspect of that is the Lakers very well may still have last year’s starting center on the roster at the start of free agency. Deandre Ayton had a very up-and-down season with the Lakers, at times looking great but also proving not to be a reliable option every night, hence the search for a top starter.
However, Ayton has a player option for next season, taking the decision out of the Lakers’ hands. While Ayton may know that LA is trying to move on from him, it’s still $8.1 million he’d be guaranteed next season by opting in.
So, while there are merits to him opting out and searching for a team that wants him, it seems more likely he will take that guaranteed money, leaving the Lakers with a bit of a conundrum this summer. On a recent episode of NBA Today, Dave McMenamin of ESPN laid out the scenario for the Lakers and Ayton.
“We don’t know if Deandre Ayton is going to opt in to his deal and if he does, if the feedback is get me an A-list center and Ayton was already on the team last year, if he opts in, that means Rob Pelinka needs to find a trade partner for Ayton.”
While Ayton struggled as the starting center for the Lakers last year, he still was a viable NBA player with value. And at $8 million, he may even be on a contract that is good value relative to his production as well.
It’s just that he’s not a good fit with the Lakers. He’s still, at worst, a valuable backup big man who can play for a contending team. It won’t be hard to trade him, but it’ll likely be a necessity.
It’s not difficult to find a way to spin this into a positive. He’s on a non-negative contract and the Lakers could potentially take back more in salary than they send out. If LA can find the right team and right situation, they could acquire a player who better fits around Luka and Austin Reaves.
But it does look like, for all intents and purposes, the Ayton era in LA will be one-and-done.
On Friday night, the Montreal Canadiens picked Gleb Pugachyov with the 26th overall pick, a third Russian in as many years and another Gold Star client. On Saturday, The Athletic’s Arpon Basu confirmed with his agent, Dan Milstein, that the prospect weighed 224 pounds, not 198 as listed on the Central Scouting final list and that he had two years left on his contract in the KHL.
Interestingly, Milstein also stated that there’s a chance the big forward could attend next week’s development camp, scheduled for June 30 to July 2 at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, provided the visa process is efficient. The prospect is currently in Florida at the Gold Star camp, which could speed up the process.
Given the fact that GM Kent Hughes has said that Pugachyov’s play is quite mature and that he may be near ready for NHL action, it would certainly be interesting to see how he measures up with the other prospects of the organization.
Given the Canadiens’ lineup needs at this stage, one has to wonder whether Pugachyov’s arrival in the organization might mean Montreal would be more willing to move Alexander Zharovsky for immediate help, provided it’s for a player who really moves the needle the right way. However, it’s worth remembering that when Hughes spoke to the media on Friday night, it was clear that he highly values the organization’s top prospects and won’t be talked into trading them unless he feels he is getting good value.
The 2025 draft product might have been a second-round pick, but most would agree he should have been selected in the first round, making him a bit of a steal for the Canadiens. Given the fact that Nick Bobrov has said the Canadiens would have picked him at 16 or 17 overall had they not traded the picks, they clearly think very highly of him.
As things stand, at least from an outside standpoint, it would make more sense to move Zharovsky than to move Michael Hage. While it’s far from guaranteed that Hage will turn out to be a center in the NHL, there are plenty of players who struggle filling that role at the highest level. The Canadiens would be ill-advised to trade him unless they are absolutely certain that he won’t turn into a real top-six center when he makes the jump in the NHL. Unless, of course, he’s part of a package to land an already established top-six pivot.
This weekend’s draft has marked a real shift in the Canadiens’ drafting strategy. While they are, of course, still mindful of taking the best prospect available, it certainly feels like they’ve made a conscious effort to get bigger after being physically dominated in the last two postseasons.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 11: Christian Scott #45 of the New York Mets pitches during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field on June 11, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets Lineup
Carson Benge – RF
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Francisco Lindor – SS
Jared Young – 1B
Mark Vientos – DH
A.J. Ewing – CF
Brett Baty – 2B
Francisco Alvarez – C
Christian Scott – RHP
Phillies Lineup
Trea Turner – SS
Kyle Schwarber – DH
Bryce Harper – 1B
Brandon Marsh – LF
Bryson Stott – 2B
Edmundo Sosa – 3B
Gabriel Rincones – RF
Justin Crawford – CF
Rafael Marchan – C
Alan Rangel – RHP
Broadcast Info
First pitch: 4:10pm EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2
Jun 21, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder (55) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
After making the pitching work behind Reynaldo Lopez Friday for a win in Lopez’ return to the rotation, the Braves will hope for a successful more traditional start from Bryce Elder on Saturday night. Elder has been pretty rough of late and Logan Webb is on the mound for the Giants, so this isn’t the most confidence-inducing game on paper.
The strikeouts have ticked down ever so slightly, but the real change for Elder in the month of June, as compared to his previous two successful months has been the fly ball to homer rate. As such, his xFIP has remained in the range of 4, while his ERA and FIP have skyrocketed. Pitching at Oracle Park may play into Elder’s favor with this, being the second least-favorable park for hitting homers in MLB. With Webb on the mound, the Braves may need Elder to keep the Giants to only a few runs to stay in this game.
Logan Webb is having his worst season in a while though, with a 3.51 xFIP over 83.1 innings this year. The walks have remained quite low for Webb, but his ground ball rate and strikeouts are both at career-low numbers since his breakout, which explains the xFIP slightly above his normal lofty standards. Webb remains a five-pitch pitcher, throwing his sinker the most, along with his changeup and sweeper, with a four-seamer and cutter to supplement the sinker. All of his non-sweeper pitches are biased towards the “drop” side of vertical movement, even with his four-seamer lacking ideal “rise”. Webb is a tough pitcher and the Braves’ offense hasn’t exactly been humming lately. We’ll likely have to hope for some sequencing luck and maybe a homer or two, as Webb is tough to slug off of, especially at Oracle. It would be really helpful for Drake Baldwin to show back up as an offensive force with his reverse splits against the tough lefty Webb.
With their second pick on Saturday, the San Jose Sharks selected San Jose native, and San Jose Jr. Sharks alumnus, center Jake Gustafson in the sixth round, 174th overall, in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Gustafson's father, Jon Gustafson, is currently the president of the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda and is also the senior vice president of the SAP Center and Sharks Ice. He previously served as the vice president of the Baracuda, joining the organization over a decade ago.
Jake Gustafson left the Jr. Sharks to attend Shattuck St. Mary's during the 2024-25 season, and then later moved to the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. During his first year with the Winterhawks, he scored 13 goals and totaled 25 points in 68 games.
Gustafson brings a big frame to the Sharks' prospect pool, standing at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds.
"Jake Gustafsson can be a highly disruptive forward," Elite Prospects scout David St. Louis wrote in May. "He looked faster here, making some defensive interceptions, and he played his role in the defensive formation, staying connected with teammates and removing options from the opposition. Good routes defensively. A C-grade forward with a chance at a bottom-line role."
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 25: Alex Hoppe #48 of the Seattle Mariners gets a new ball after giving up an RBI single to Ryan O'Hearn #29 of the Pittsburgh Pirates (not pictured) in the eighth inning during the game at PNC Park on June 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners made a move in their shallow bullpen, optioning RHP Alex Hoppe to Triple-A Tacoma and recalling LHP Josh Simpson from the Rainiers. The move comes in front of two more games with the Cleveland Guardians, whose lineup is incredibly lefty-heavy. It’s the easiest to understand reasoning behind the move for the M’s, whose typical wariness towards using walk-prone relievers is being set aside for Simpson’s groundball-generating skills.
Simpson has managed a 2.08/3.42/4.77 ERA/FIP/DRA in 21.2 innings with Tacoma, all reasonable enough to consider for recall. Hoppe, by contrast, has had difficulty getting his ducks aligned, seeing a 2.86/4.59 FIP/DRA undermined by a 6.38 ERA in his 24.0 big league frames, due to an astoundingly unfortunate 46.2% strand rate and a .343 BABIP. It’s not all unluckiness, as Hoppe’s command has been underwhelming, but the hard-hurling righty has been tasked to mop up many unsavory moments and might not be jettisoned so quickly were Seattle not utilizing all six starters.
To that plan, today’s piggy-back will not occur as scheduled. The Mariners, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, don’t wish to disrupt the rhythm Logan Gilbert has been in of late, instead pushing Emerson Hancock to a solo start Sunday and George Kirby back home on Monday. While it’s not a shocker, this is another alteration to the rotation as laid out, and will be something to track within the clubhouse and on the field. Of course, lining George Kirby up against the Angels is hard to argue with.
Additionally, the club is apparently considering a “super bullpen” late in the season, making use of both LHP Kade Anderson and RHP Ryan Sloan who’ve been stellar in Double-A Arkansas and could provide multi-inning relief ahead of the club’s five or so high-leverage arms.
The second of the three-game series between the Mets and Phillies at Citi Field will be delayed due to impending weather in the area, the team announced.
New York announced a new 5:20 start.
Christian Scott (2-0, 3.10 ERA) will take the mound against the Phillies reliever Tim Mayza (2-2, 2.06 ERA).
Scott is set to make his first start since coming off the IL with a right hip impingement. His last start saw him allow four runs on seven hits and one walk in 4.2 innings against the Cardinals back on June 11.
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 21: Jared Jones #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping to bounce back after a 6-4 loss against the Cincinnati Reds to start off their three-game series at PNC Park.
Luckily for the Pirates, it’s a new day, and they will place Jared Jones on the mound. Jones is making his sixth start of the year, but he is coming off his shortest start of the season on June 21 against the Colorado Rockies. He pitched three innings, giving up one hit and one earned run in Pittsburgh’s 8-6 victory at Coors Field. The Pirates will likely have a short leash again, but the goal for Jones should be to pitch five innings and keep the lead for the team.
The Reds are countering with Chase Burns, who has been one of the best pitchers in the league this season. Burns is 9-1 with a 2.00 ERA. He’s coming off a win in his last start on June 21 against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He pitched five innings, giving up five hits and one earned run in a 4-1 victory for the Reds.
The Reds are 11-4 this season when Burns makes a start. This includes seven of the last eight games, in which he has been the winning pitcher in six of them.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Chase Burns (9-1, 2.00 ERA) vs. Jared Jones (1-1, 5.75 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 13: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks pose for a photo with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy and the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
How incredible is it that an article like this can be written seriously after what we went through the last 20 years?
It’s been a few weeks since the Knicks lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy and put themselves into the history books. With the NBA Draft now behind us and a brief lull before the start of free agency on Tuesday night, the only sensical thing to do is to bask in the glory of being champions before the cold reality of the second apron sets in.
A topic of discussion in a few of my circles during the NBA Finals was about those banners hanging up in the rafters of the World’s Most Famous Arena.
No, not Billy Joel, Mark Messier, or the championship banners. These babies.
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 15: The New York Knicks retired number banners hang above the court during the 64th NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia as part of the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend on February 15, 2015 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Only seven numbers are out of circulation for the Knicks, with nine total players/coaches honored in the rafters.
Of those nine, only two are ringless. Dick McGuire played in the 1950s, where he made seven all-star teams and appeared in three NBA Finals, but even his number retirement is shared with Earl the Pearl. The only other player in the long history of the Knicks to retire ringless and get his name in the rafters is Patrick Ewing, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
There’s an existing debate to put Carmelo Anthony’s No. 7 in the rafters after he existed as the team’s only mainstream star between the Ewing and Brunson eras, but it feels like it would’ve happened by now. Melo’s number still hasn’t been worn since he left in 2017. No other number lower than 27 has been out of circulation longer.
Even if the Knicks never won a championship, you could probably add at least one name to the rafters when their careers are over. But now that they’ve joined the elite club of champions, suddenly half the roster is in contention to get their numbers retired.
Remember, those 1970 and 1973 teams got six players in the rafters. The entire starting lineups of both championship teams are up there. Only Earl Monroe wasn’t on both teams. That distinction probably means we aren’t putting six in the rafters this time, but there will be retirement ceremonies in the future.
But for whom?
Start Making The Banners
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 18: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jalen Brunson #11 look on during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jalen Brunson
The only person who might’ve objected to this was Becky Hammon, but she seems to have finally admitted she was wrong about the Knicks’ captain.
There are few things to say about Jalen Brunson that haven’t been said on this site, on every other site, and what will be said about him when the NBA Champions series we’re doing gets to him. He is, quite simply, the best thing to ever happen to this franchise.
Whether he’s the greatest Knick of all time is open to interpretation, but the circumstances that led to his arrival and superstardom surpass anything in history. The way he revived one of the NBA’s most iconic organizations from the doldrums will go down forever. Even if he never won a championship here, he would deserve this honor.
If the team wanted to retire his number on Opening Night while presenting him with his ring, that would be a perfectly acceptable reaction.
Karl-Anthony Towns
This was honestly the biggest debate before the chip was closed out. Could Towns do enough, without a championship, to ensure 32 is never worn again?
The legacy of Renaldo Balkman, Jimmer Fredette, and Noah Vonleh is a tough one to overshadow…
In all seriousness, it was probably 50/50 whether a half-decade of all-star play and perennial contention could get Towns in the rafters, but now there’s no question.
An All-NBA-caliber running mate for Brunson that ended a 53-year drought. A Piscataway native who grew up a Knicks fan. As New York as any player not named Jose Alvarado. What he did against Victor Wembanyama in the first two games will be replayed forever.
There’s a good chance that 32 is never worn again in Minnesota, either, which could make Towns part of an elite fraternity of players to have their numbers retired by multiple teams. Regardless of how the remainder of his Knicks career goes, or how long it is, he’s a legend who helped end a 53-year drought as the second option. It’s a slam dunk.
Under Consideration
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 21: OG Anunoby #8 and Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks look on during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals on May 21, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
OG Anunoby
This is something I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted when Anunoby became a Knick on December 30, 2023. A guy who may never make an all-star team, who probably won’t win a Defensive Player of the Year award, or ever be a top option might have his number retired by an iconic franchise.
Anunoby’s 2026 playoff run was one for the ages. Aside from missing two games due to a hamstring injury and a slow start to the Cavs series as a result, he was arguably the team’s most consistent player and overall MVP due to his incredible defense. His sequence in the final 20 seconds of Game 4 of the NBA Finals might be the most impactful sequence in team history.
The difficult thing to do is compare him to someone on the 1970/73 teams. If the all-stars-to-roster-spots ratio was the way it was back then, Anunoby would be an all-star, so comparing legacies in that fashion would be improper. It’s objectively a lot harder to get to that point today.
If I had to guess, OG will be here for long enough that he will be remembered in such a fond way that he gets his number retired. If not, nobody will wear 8 for a while as an informal retirement, similar to Melo.
Josh Hart*
It’s pretty bold to put a player like Hart up here with Anunoby, whose case to be enshrined among the greats is in him effectively swinging the entire NBA Finals by himself at the end of Game 4, but there’s a case to be made that Hart could get to this point, while also adding an asterisk to make it more likely.
Hart will forever go down as the heart of this championship team. It’s been spoken about ad nauseum, but the 6’4″ wing is possibly the best hustle player of this generation, a connector, a positive presence in the locker room, and a flat-out winning player. His impact matters every postseason, regardless of how fans can turn on him due to clunky regular season performances or lineups.
Will that be enough to get him in the rafters with another few years on the team? I’m leaning no, but I offer a addendum.
What if we take a page out of Dick McGuire and Earl Monroe’s book and double-retire No. 3? Not many fans would object to honoring John Starks’ contributions to the franchise, even if he alone didn’t merit a number retirement. If only Game 7 went differently…
Would Take Another Title
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks smiles before the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Mikal Bridges
Imagine hearing “F— Them Picks” chants while 25 is raised to the rafters?
Probably won’t happen, but a man can dream.
Bridges is firmly in the territory of needing a 1973 to happen to join the pantheon. It’s nothing against him; it’s just really hard to get your number removed from circulation. He was a major part of this postseason run on both ends of the floor and was Leon Rose’s biggest and boldest gamble, one that will go down in Knicks lore forever.
Individual excellence would be the other path, but I don’t see him getting there. He’s going to be the fourth option going forward, so while I can see a path to OG Anunoby becoming an all-star or making a run at Defensive Player of the Year (if Wemby is ever ineligible again), I don’t see that for Bridges.
Longshot
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 12: Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks talks to media during 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 12, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Mitchell Robinson
I think, if anything, this would be a sentimental, unofficial retirement.
Robinson’s story is a great one, as he’s the only person involved in the organization beneath James Dolan who was around for the darkness that was the pre-COVID Knicks. He’s lived through so many ups and downs, and I’m overjoyed he’s here to enjoy this.
But will he be here much longer? That probably stops the conversation here. It would be a miracle if he were back in this organization next year with the team’s self-inflicted second-apron hard cap. If he managed to take a pay cut and remain with the Knicks for another few years, maybe he could get to the point where No. 23 isn’t worn again for a good while, similar to Melo’s.
The New York Rangers have traded Adam Edström to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Massimo Rizzo and a fifth-round pick (148th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Edström broke onto the scene during the 2025-26 season, as he made the Rangers’ opening-night roster out of training camp and earned a full-time bottom-six role.
However, after playing 51 games, Edström suffered a season-ending lower-body injury, derailing his momentum.
Toward the first half of the 2025-26 campaign, he suffered another injury, which sidelined him for multiple months.
“I mean it sucks,” Edström said of dealing with constant injuries. “What I was dealing with this year, I felt for a long period of time that I can push through it and take care of it after the season, but the more I played, the worse it got. It finally reached a point where the doctors and me made a decision together, it was better for us to just take care of it right away.
“That also puts you in a bad spot, not playing at 100%, playing injured, and from there, missing a lot of time. When you get put on the sideline for that amount of time, it’s not good for your career. It’s been two frustrating years, and knock on wood, I’m hoping I can stay healthy.”
Upon his return to the lineup in March, Edström fell out of favor with head coach Mike Sullivan, losing his spot in the lineup and he was scratched for the majority of games to close out the season.
By April, it was evident that the 25-year-old forward was in need of a fresh start.
“We’ve had some conversations,” Edström said in April about his dialogue with Sullivan. “He's kind of told me how he looks at my season, and I got to talk to him and kind of tell him how I felt. At the end of the day, it’s his team, and he decides who plays, so all I can do is respect that…
“I feel like there are a lot of parts in my game that I can develop for sure. I can work on physicality, always skating hard, those kinds of things. It’s been a very choppy year, playing big amounts of the year not feeling well, playing injured, missing a lot of time. As I said, it’s been a tough year.”
Rizzo, the player the Rangers received in return for Edström, is a restricted free agent, and he reportedly won’t be given a qualifying offer.
In the fifth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders selected right-shot defenseman Vladimir Dravecky out of the Guelph Storm in the OHL.
Under a stacked Brantford Bulldogs team last year, Dravecky tallied nine goals with 19 assists for 28 points in 58 games, as well as three assists in 11 playoff games. Dravecky also scored five assists in 11 games with the Czechia U20 team in international competition, but was held scoreless at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
Dravecky was traded from Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) to Guelph Storm on June 9.
Standing at 6’0” and 192 pounds, Dravecky has a well-rounded game, possessing strong mobility and hockey sense. The blueliner doesn’t have a standout trait, but he may have scored more on a less talented team; Dravecky was stuck behind other defensemen within the Brantford depth chart.
Dravecky was expected to be selected around the third round by some scouts, so the Islanders may have found some value by picking him in the fifth.
Islanders just picked up Vladimir Davecky who was a bit buried on an elite Brantford team, but you could see signs of the ability he has. He'll be featured more at Guelph next year as they build towards the Memorial Cup. Right shot, can move pucks and make some plays.
Dravecky is now the third defenseman selected by New York, and the second right-shot blueliner chosen by general manager Mathieu Darche, who is seeking to bolster the weak right side in his team’s prospect pool.
The Islanders are slated to draft two more times, once each in rounds six and seven. Day 2 of the NHL Draft is available to watch on NHL Network, Sportsnet, and ESPN+.
Ron Harper Jr. is a real Boston success story from last season. He was signed to an Exhibit 10 (training camp contract) before camp last year, but by the end of camp, the team had turned that into a two-way contract. As the season moved past the All-Star break, Harper became a regular part of the Celtics' rotation. In April, Boston converted him to a standard NBA contract.
Now the Celtics have declined Harper's $2.6 million team option for next season to re-sign him to a three-year, $9 million contract, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.
After the All-Star game last season, Harper averaged 11 minutes a night, scoring 5.1 points per game.
Harper is entering his fifth NBA season, but the first one with a guaranteed deal. He was on two-way contracts with Toronto and Detroit before he came to Boston.
Harper is the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and the older brother of Spurs guard Dylan Harper.
Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the twenty eighth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson after he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Last June, the Brooklyn Nets traded Cam Johnson, a player earning a little more $20 million to the Denver Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr. and a future first round pick, the Nuggets unprotected first in 2032. It was a salary dump and Denver seemed tired of MPJ. The cost to the Nets for salary cap purposes: $17 million.
This June, the Brooklyn Nets traded Nic Claxton, player earning a little more than $20 million to the Chicago Bulls in a three team deal for Julius Randle and a swap of future first round picks that yielded them the Timberwolves’ unprotected first in 2026. It was a salary dump and Minnesota seemed tired of Randle. The cost to the Nets for salary cap purposed: $17 million.
You have to hope at the Nets do as well in last week’s trade as they did in last year’s. Like last year, the big piece is a 20-point scorer who’s in the prime of his career. Unlike last year, they won’t have to wait years to see how the pick worked out. Brooklyn took Joshua Jefferson, a 6’9″ point senior forward out of Iowa State at No 28.
As our Lucas Kaplan noted in story his about the pick, “though his stock dropped toward the end of the season, there had been often lottery buzz surrounding him” earlier in the season. His stock dropped in part because he’s older, turning 23 a month into the season, and he was coming off a left ankle sprain that cut short his NCAA Tournament. So upside was the issue. On the other hand, Jefferson is a big — 246 pounds at the NBA Combine — point forward, ideal for Jordi Fernandez’s offense and the Nets overall strategy of choosing quick decision-makers.
“The way Josh plays with the ball, the DHOs, the reads, the passing ability,” Sean Marks said in his post-draft Zoom call with reporters. “That’s absolutely going to fit within Jordi’s system and Jordi’s style and how he wants to play.”
Jefferson said after being drafted and an impromptu trip to get a handshake from Adam Silver that he appreciates his good luck in getting selected by Brooklyn, as Brian Lewis reported.
“It was really good feedback, from the late first round, from all the front office, just seeing what they need for their team,” Jefferson said. “They felt that I fit in a lot of spots because of my versatility. I’m where I need to be. The Nets took a great chance on me, and I’m very thankful for that.”
In a way the Nets took a chance on him like they took a chance on Mike Brown at No. 6. He too missed time with a back injury.
“When that injury happened, I feel like a lot of things [were] jeopardized from that. Going into pre-draft, I was like, make the most out of your workouts and attack your rehab hard and everything will go how it needs to go, Very blessed for this position that I’m in and just very thankful.”
Marks said there was a connection between trading for Randle, then drafting similar sized forward even if their skillsets are different. Jefferson will be backing up both forwards.
“It absolutely was,” Marks said. “Josh was a guy that we have absolutely been all over all year long and watched how he played the game, his skill set. That definitely translates.
“High IQ, and when you watch him play — when Iowa State plays through him, his teammates feed off of him — he’s definitely a facilitator out there. The toughness that he has. So there were a lot of intangibles. And then he’s a winner, an absolute flat-out winner. There’s an edge to how he plays and a toughness, which we loved.”
Moreover, Jefferson brings something that the Nets have been missing for a long while: physicality, something Randle will also help with in the starting lineup.
“The thing about my game that’s going to translate pretty quickly is my physicality. The NBA is a physical game right now. You have to be physical in the playoffs to win, and that’s what I’m going to bring,” Jefferson said. “Then just continue to work on my shot. Shooting it really well throughout this pre-draft process, a lot of reps. So if I continue to do that, it’s going to keep me on the floor. And defending.”
That probably more than anything will give Nets fans positive vibes.
He is, as you might expect, not a plus athlete. His max vertical was measured at 33.0 inches at the Combine and in fact all of his athletic measurements were around the 30th percentile of the 72 prospects on hand. He has been compared to Kyle Anderson, the similar sized point forward who’s had a long NBA career playing the same game. The Nets should be so lucky.
The Detroit Red Wings initially entered the 2026 NHL Draft without a first-round selection, but that was remedied on Friday evening with the acquisition of the No. 23 overall pick from the Utah Mammoth in return for goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
With the selection, they drafted forward J.P. Hurlbert.
Heading into the second day of the NHL Draft on Saturday, the Red Wings selected a familiar name with the 47th overall pick, welcoming winger Victor Plante to the organization.
Plante's excitement was on full display, as he couldn't stop beaming throughout his first official NHL media availability session.
"I mean, it's so awesome," Plante said about his initial reaction. "Going (in) the same spot as my brother, the same exact pick too, it's pretty funny. But a huge honor, going to the Detroit Red Wings, an Original 6 franchise, it's awesome."
His family also includes brother Zam, taken by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022, along with father Derek Plante, a former NHL player.
"I wouldn't be there without them, they're so awesome and so supportive," he said of his family. "They pushed me so hard, which is awesome. Just to live in that house is a huge honor, and it's great."
Meanwhile, knowing that he's now part of the Red Wings organization is nothing short of exciting for him.
"Just the fact that I get to go to the same franchise as my brother, which is so awesome," he said. "And just the fact that it's Detroit. So much history there, such a great franchise. There's just not enough words to be said about it, it's awesome."
Plante, who will be playing for the University of Minnesota-Duluth this fall, scored 21 goals with 27 assists for the U.S. National Development Team this past season in Plymouth.
He even lived with former Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood during the season and took in a few games at Little Caesars Arena.
"It was great, he's a fun guy to be around," Plante said of Osgood. "He took me to about four or five games. It was sick.
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TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 13: Josh Naylor #12 and Julio Rodriguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners celebrate after Rodriguez's three-run home run in the first inning of Game Two of the American League Championship Series presented by loanDepot between the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Monday, October 13, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Thomas Skrlj/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners are struggling offensively. Yes, their team wRC+ is around league-average. Yes, they are finally running nearly their entire full healthy lineup out for the first time all season (save Bringo Dingo, may your groin heal in peace). But Seattle entered Saturday 25th in MLB in runs per game at 4.02, a 651 run pace. T-Mobile Park always will curtail Seattle a bit, but a season ago they concluded at 4.75 runs per game, 10th in MLB and a 766 run season. There are several culprits, but one of the most glaring is one you don’t have to wait around to see.
Of the 158 players to receive at least 250 plate appearances this year, Seattle has three of the worst hitters in baseball on the first pitch.
Julio Rodríguez, 356 PAs, 116 swings, .224 wOBA (151st)
League-average for 2026 is a .389 wOBA on first pitch swings, well ahead of the .317 league-average wOBA overall. Obviously, you can’t strike out on a first pitch swing, but it’s a common strategy for hitters to maximize their outcomes. Kyle Schwarber is notorious for this, swinging 104 times out of 343 opportunities, with a staggering .759 wOBA this year. Nick Kurtz, Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton, as well as numerous other less-notable over-performers are also among the most successful ambush hitters. Quelle surprise, as a team overall, the M’s are near the cellar as well, with a .348 wOBA (28th) on 1,027 swings in 3,105 PAs. Some M’s are obviously lifting the numbers a bit, like Arozarena and his .443 wOBA (62nd) in 318 PAs and 106 swings. But it’s is a huge hole from three of the most present and frequent hitters in Seattle’s lineup.
This is not some longstanding issue, either. A year ago, all three players were right there with Arozarena as above-average ambushers. Per Baseball Savant, the cliff of poor production has been precipitous thus far this year.
Not a single barrel for Julio on first pitches, and a 31.9% hard hit rate for Naylor, on pitches ostensibly meant to be receiving a hitter-friendly hack. If we’re wondering where the missing power has been for Naylor this year, ta da!
Moreover, this issue has been prolific. Naylor is tied for 14th-most swings on first pitches, while Julio is 45th. Crawford’s numbers are poor, but his first pitch swings not as frequent by rate (26.6%) as Naylor (41.9% of first pitches) or even Rodríguez (32.6%). And as we can see from their 2025 numbers, it’s not just average performance they’re losing out on. First pitches were where all three players generated MUCH of their offensive production a year ago. All three hit the ball harder, drove in runs and generated scoring opportunities, and blew open big innings with this aggression.
There’s still time to turn things around, and not a crystal-clear explanation as to why these numbers have sunk so prodigiously. But at least for the next few weeks, it might be nice to see some of Seattle’s key hitters take a pitch.
