The Athletic's Scott Wheeler released his latest 2026 NHL Mock Draft. In it, he predicted the entire first round.
When it came to the Montreal Canadiens, Wheeler predicted that the Canadiens will select left winger Adam Novotny with their first-round pick.
Novotny is an interesting prospect heading into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-1 forward demonstrated plenty of promise this season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Peterborough Petes, so he would be a nice pickup for the Habs if selected.
In 58 games this season with the Petes, Novotny recorded 34 goals, 31 assists, and 65 points. With numbers like these, the big winger showed that he is capable of putting the puck in the net, which certainly adds to his appeal.
The potential for Novotny to blossom into an impactful NHL forward is there, so it would make sense if the Canadiens ended up selecting him in the first round this year. This is especially so when noting that they could use more depth on the wing.
It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens end up selecting Novotny from here. The fit looks strong on paper.
President Donald Trump was booed, loudly and at length, when he appeared on the Jumbotron during the national anthem before Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden Monday night.
The arena had been chanting “U-S-A! U-S-A!” as Avery Wilson began to sing The Star Spangled Banner. The Trump’s face appeared on the screen for the first time since he had entered the arena, saluting the flag and the arena erupted in boos.
While the booing was clear on the ABC broadcast, people inside the arena also posted videos capturing the booing.
The Athletic's Esfandiar Baraheni recorded the moment it turned.
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 9, 2026
Trump wasn’t rattled, at least not publicly. Boarding Air Force One after the game, the president told reporters, “I think it was mostly cheers. It was loud. And it was enthusiastic.”
He attended as the guest of Knicks owner James Dolan and became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game. The Knicks lost 115-111. They lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is on Wednesday at MSG, ESPN reported that Trump will not attend.
Joining Trump in the suite were White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, EP Administrator Lee Zeldin, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Trump's granddaughter, Kai Trump. Also in the suite was Envoy Steve Witkoff, Director of White House Oval Office operations Walt Nauta, longtime Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn, and executive assistant to the president Natalie Harp.
CNN reported that his son-in-law Jared Kuschner was also in the suite.
May 24, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The Jays officially activated Dylan Cease off the IL and sent Adam Macko back to Buffalo.
Macko pitched in 12 games for the Jays, with a 1.50 ERA. In 12 innings he had allowed 11 hits, 1 home run, 2 walks and 12 strikeouts. Batters hit .244/.282/.333 against him. I liked that he could throw more than an inning at a go. I am sure we’ll see him again.
Dylan Cease made 11 starts, before going on the IL, with a 3-3 record, and a 3.05 ERA. Batters hit .215/.302/.307 against him. I’m very happy to have him back and even more happy that we won’t be seeing ‘bullpen days’ so often. Spencer Miles can slot into a long relief role (along with Woods Richardson).
And Max Scherzer will be getting tomorrow’s start, with someone else getting moved out.
Alejandro Kirk is DHing for the Bisons tonight, he’s only a few days from being back.
Tonight’s lineups. The big news is Vlad hitting leadoff (and DHing). Springer gets a day off. I’ve said I’d like to see Vlad leading off for a while now. I hope he buys into the idea. Course, this doesn’t mean that he’ll be in that spot tomorrow.
When you're an interim head coach in the NHL, it's not a great sign to be a month and a half into your offseason with the word interim still attached to your title, hanging around like a bad party guest.
DJ Smith was the Senators' head coach for four and a half seasons (2019-2023) and had hoped to land the Los Angeles Kings head coaching job full-time for this fall.
"That's a question for Ken (Holland)," Smith said shortly after the Kings lost in round one. "All I know is, as a coach and as a coaching staff, is your team prepared? Are they detailed? And do they show up every night in the answer to that question? Yes, they did, under me.
"Ken's been around a long time. He's won Stanley Cups; he's one of the best in the business. He's a Hall of Fame general manager. He's gonna make that decision. So that's not up to me to decide. I know I did my absolute best."
Apparently, that wasn't enough. On Tuesday, the Kings hired Peter Laviolette for his seventh tour of NHL duty.
The 61-year-old has been a head coach for 1,594 career games with the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders. He won a Cup with Carolina in 2006 and made it to the final with the 2010 Flyers and 2017 Predators.
Until now, Smith had a chance to end the ex-Senators coaching curse. Instead, he will remain part of a 22-year run of head coaches who left the Senators organization and never found another NHL head coaching job elsewhere.
The last one to do so on a non-interim basis was Jacques Martin. He was fired in 2004, then found head coaching jobs in Florida and Montreal.
Since Martin parted company with the Sens the first time, the Sens' list of head coaches who've come and gone includes Bryan Murray, John Paddock, Craig Hartsburg, Cory Clouston, Paul MacLean, Dave Cameron, Guy Boucher, Marc Crawford and, of course, Smith.
Murray stayed with the Senators, moving away from coaching to take the club's GM job. However, everyone else on the list left the organization, continued to pursue their coaching careers, but never again became a full-time NHL head coach.
After leaving Ottawa:
Paddock coached nine more years in junior, the AHL, and as an NHL assistant. His final year was with Regina, coaching Connor Bedard.
Hartsburg coached for seven more seasons in junior as a head coach and an NHL assistant. His swan song was 2015-16 with Columbus, where he was let go when John Tortorella took over, as he inevitably does everywhere.
Clouston coached three more years in junior, the last in 2015 with Prince Albert. After he was fired, little did the Senators know he'd coach Mark Stone, a prized future asset, the following season in Brandon.
MacLean got work as an NHL assistant for a bit and now makes the odd appearance as a TSN Sens analyst.
Dave Cameron has coached for the last seven seasons, been an NHL assistant, a head coach in Austria, and, for the last five years, the head coach of the Ottawa 67s. He just signed a two-year extension.
Since his firing, Guy Boucher has only coached for one year at a top level as an assistant with Toronto, then one year as a KHL head coach.
Crawford coached for four more seasons as an assistant in Chicago then worked for a while as a head coach in Switzerland.
And with a clearing of his throat, Smith rounds out the list.
There's no word yet on the immediate future of Smith. He may return to his spot as a Kings' assistant, but it's certainly true that, more often than not, new head coaches like to handpick their own guys.
And so the curse of the ex-Senators' head coaches continues.
Joe DeMayo and guest co-host Sal Licata deliver the latest episode of The Mets Pod, as the Mets come home from a west coast trip.
Sal and Joe discuss the overall state of the team, the stalled rehab of Jorge Polanco, the emergence of Carson Benge, the slight steps forward for Bo Bichette, and the latest makeup of the starting rotation.
Later, the guys go Down on the Farm for a status update on 2025 first-round draft pick Mitch Voit, and answer Mailbag questions about the development of A.J. Ewing, the bar for being buyers at the trade deadline, and the potential trade return for Freddy Peralta if the Mets decide to deal him away.
Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Madison Square Garden waited 26 years to host an NBA Finals game, but the home fans saw a loss on Monday night when the San Antonio Spurs beat the Knicks in Game 3 to trim New York’s series lead to 2-1. After the game, there were multiple reports of Knicks fans physically attacking Spurs fans on the streets. The viral videos of the assaults are so ugly that Victor Wembanyama, Karl-Anthony Towns, and others players pleaded with fans to stop the violence.
In separate incidents, Knicks fans jumped men wearing Spurs jerseys around the city after the loss. The videos are horrifying. This is totally unaccepted behavior from some stupid, young members of the fanbase. No should should be assaulted just because they are wearing another team’s jersey.
The videos elicited a response from star players on both teams. Here’s Wembanyama’s comments on the incidents, via ESPN:
“My thoughts of course [are] that we can’t forget it’s a game,” Wembanyama said. “We’re just playing a game out there. I am all for passion, but [with] the respect of each other. It’s unacceptable.”
Spurs teammate Julian Champagnie added: “I feel like, for the fans, it should never be that serious where you have to jump people, beat people up, follow people home. Whether we win, they win, it doesn’t really matter. Everybody should be able to come and enjoy the game, no matter who they’re rooting for.”
Towns encouraged fans to “Leave the physicality to everyone on the court.”
Warning: The video below contains violence that readers may find disturbing.
Christian Scott (SP Mets): Rostered in 26 percent of Yahoo leagues
Let's go with a repeat for the first time this season. Scott was first recommended in this space on Apr. 28, when he was coming off a miserable season debut and was three-percent rostered in Yahoo. His subsequent four starts were decent, but they didn't produce much fantasy value, as he threw only 18 1/3 innings between them and recorded no victories. However, his last three times out have seen pitch 5 2/3 scoreless innings twice and allowing one run over five innings once. He's also picked up his first two wins in that span. He's currently sporting a 2.50 ERA and a 26 percent strikeout rate.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Scott, who missed last year after UCL surgery, has returned with a little extra velocity this season, averaging 95.5 mph with his fastball. He seems like he should be particularly tough on righties with his big sweeper, but he's had terrific success against lefties thus far, limiting them to a .179 average and no homers in 84 at-bats. His cutter has been a factor there, but really, no one is doing much damage against his fastball. He's given up a total of five singles and five doubles on the pitch through eight starts.
Eventually, lefties are going to have more success against Scott. His subpar splitter and lack of a traditional changeup will turn into an issue, and he'll start giving up some homers. However, he should remain a legitimate middle-of-the-rotation starter with some extra fantasy value in a good situation in Queens. Even in 10-team leagues, he should be rostered at this point.
Jordan Lawlar (3B/OF Diamondbacks): Rostered in six percent of Yahoo leagues
Slated to play regularly in the Diamondbacks outfield at the beginning of the year, Lawlar lasted all of six games before a HBP left him with a fractured wrist. He's getting close to returning now, having gone 2-for-8 in three games in the Arizona Complex League and 3-for-11 (with all of the hits going for extra bases) through three games with Triple-A Reno on a rehab assignment. Does he still have a spot awaiting him?
Jordan Lawlar rips a triple and would later come around to score on a wild pitch to put the aces within 1⃣ pic.twitter.com/59RNiXsksw
In the absence of Lawlar and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who returned from Tommy John surgery to make a brief cameo before hurting him hamstring and returning to the injured list, the Diamondbacks have promoted top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt and Tommy Troy to fill outfield vacancies. Waldschmidt has come in at .278/.321/.371 through 105 plate appearances while playing mostly center, and Troy is batting .275/.370/.400 in 46 plate appearance as the left fielder. Waldschmidt's modest success is the product of a .435 BABIP that is unsustainable, but his 33 percent strikeout rate will certainly get better with time. Troy has shown a more polished approach with his 15 percent strikeout rate and 13 percent walk rate to date.
Lawlar earned his shot in part by hitting .333/.448/.604 in 59 plate appearances this spring. He's also a lifetime .326/.413/.578 hitter in 94 career Triple-A games, and he's younger than Troy and only a couple of months older than Waldschmidt. He deserves the long look that seemed promised to him at the start of the season. I'm a little nervous about whether it will happen, but his upside will still make him worth taking a chance on once he's activated. Lawlar probably won't hit for a particularly strong average, but he has four-category ability. He totaled 11 homers and 20 steals in just 63 Triple-A games last year. The D-backs can make room for everyone if they want. Bailing on Ildemaro Vargas, who has long since returned to pumpkin form, would help.
Braden Montgomery (OF White Sox): Rostered in eight percent of Yahoo leagues
The White Sox are just promoting a quality prospect every week at this point. Montgomery, who was selected 12th overall in the 2024 draft by the Red Sox and then traded in the Garrett Crochet deal, joined the team on Tuesday after hitting .313/.429/.606 in 27 games for Double-A Birmingham and .315/.417/.495 in 29 games for Triple-A Charlotte. Overall, the switch-hitter had 10 homers and five steals (in 11 attempts) in 56 games between the two levels.
Braden Montgomery blasts his 10th homer of the year, fourth at Triple-A
Montgomery's bat speed is impressive, particularly from the left side of the plate, and it's easy to see him becoming a 25- or 30-homer guy in time. He's been striking out 25 percent of the time in the minors, in part because he's pretty patient and often finds himself in deep counts. Most likely, his K rate will spike to 30 percent or higher in his introduction to the minors. He also doesn't really max out his power right now, too often hitting the ball on the ground. He'll probably keep up his trend of strong BABIPs because he hits the ball plenty hard, but it might not be enough to lead to mixed-league value right away. It doesn't help that he's just not a skilled basestealer at this point of his career. Major league coaching could help there.
Picking up Montgomery wouldn't be a terrible idea for those in 12-team leagues in need of an outfielder. He's certainly not being called up to sit, and if he gets off to a fast start, the White Sox could wind up hitting fourth or fifth to help break up their lefties. He's already hitting sixth against a righty tonight in his debut.
Waiver Wire Quick Hits
- Paul Goldschmidt is only 12 percent rostered despite playing regularly for the Yankees of late and hitting .274/.351/.526 on the season. He might return to being useless in shallow leagues if Giancarlo Stanton pulls off a comeback from his calf strain later this month, but he's well worth playing right now.
- The Rockies are giving 24-year-old Cole Carrigg his first MLB promotion after placing Tyler Freeman on the concussion IL on Tuesday. There's still good reason for skepticism about his bat, but he busted out on a big way at Triple-A Albuquerque, hitting .338/.414/.529, and he loves stealing bases; he was 30-for-37 in 57 games this year and 46-for-56 in 123 games in Double-A last year. There's also plenty of room for him in the lineup right now with three outfielders on the IL. With three games in Coors and then three games in Vegas this weekend against the A's, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give him a shot.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 06: Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes makes a save against Colton Sissons #10 of the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period in Game Three of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 06, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Three nights ago, Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes contained just about everything. First there were not one but two disallowed Vegas goals, then four straight tallies which actually counted for Vegas including a Mitch Marner natural hat trick and also a missed penalty shot from him. It seemed like an easy victory was on deck for the Golden Knights but Carolina scored three goals in just over 30 seconds plus one nearly at the buzzer to tie the game 4-4. It took until the second overtime for Shea Theodore to bounce a puck off the end boards to give Vegas the 5-4 victory and 2-1 series lead.
All that in just one game! What will Game 4 have in store? Will Carolina tie the series 2-2 or will Vegas take a commanding 3-1 lead?
This wild Stanley Cup Final is back on tonight with Game 4 here in Las Vegas.
The story and stats, 3 things to watch, lineups, status report and more:https://t.co/yp8VetYgps
After the hat trick and four-point performance in Game 3, the Conn Smythe is now Mitch Marner’s to lose as he now leads the postseason leaderboard with 28 points. Vegas also survived a scare with defenseman Brayden McNabb getting dozens of stitches to the nose after taking a puck to the face and he should be in the lineup again tonight.
Projected Lineup
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Pavel Dorofeyev
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner
Tomas Hertl — Colton Sissons — Mark Stone
Cole Smith — Nic Dowd — Keegan Kolesar
Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
Dylan Coghlan — Jeremy Lauzon
Carter Hart
Adin Hill
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes tested their 6-0 overtime record and came up a bit short in Game 3. Their ability to stage a comeback is impressive but they need to stop digging out of holes. If they could score earlier in games that would help their cause. After backup goaltender Brandon Bussi nearly saved the day in relief in Game 3 will Carolina turn to him to start Game 4? The team was mum on the issue at morning skate.
When it comes to the Philadelphia Flyers' prospect pool, something that is not discussed nearly often enough is the lack of long-term goaltending depth.
Fortunately, with Dan Vladar emerging as a legitimate NHL starting goalie, the Flyers won't have to worry too much about the present day, but the future is still blurry.
While the book isn't closed on him yet, Aleksei Kolosov does not appear to have a clear path to a future with the Flyers at the NHL level, and Carson Bjarnason, in his first full season as a pro player, struggled after a decent start in the AHL.
That leaves the Flyers with the promising but enigmatic Egor Zavragin, who was just traded to a new KHL team and is set to sign a one-year contract extension overseas.
In the 2025 NHL Draft, the Flyers had plenty of opportunities to draft top-tier talents with their spare first- and second-round picks, but those selections were instead allocated to produce Jack Nesbitt, Shane Vansaghi, Jack Murtagh, and Carter Amico.
Top goaltending prospects they could have gotten instead include Joshua Ravensbergen, Semyon Frolov, Alexei Medvedev, and Jack Ivankovic.
Heading into the 2026 NHL Draft, the goalie class looks a bit weaker than normal, though the Flyers still have plenty of options to consider.
Chief among those is USHL Youngstown Phantoms goalie Tobias Trejbal, ranked 34th overall in the class by EliteProspects and compared to Dan Vladar.
Trejbal, 18, is a hulking 6-foot-5, right-catching goalie who would be the first of his kind in Philadelphia since Steve Mason (or Mike McKenna, or Cal Petersen...)
The Czech netminder is an above-average athlete who is already well refined for his age and experience, though, as is the case with many big, athletic goalies, his reads and play tracking will need to continue to improve.
But, from the Flyers' perspective, if that's all they feel really need to work on with Trejbal, then he's a slam-dunk selection if Philadelphia trades back in the first round or moves up to the top of the second.
“I remember Montreal asked me some weird questions," Trejbal said.
"Like, 'If you were in the Sahara and there were two guys, one had a bottle of water and the other had a baseball bat. What would you do?' So, their guy told me, 'I have a wife at home. I have kids at homes like, are you gonna really kill me?’ I said, 'Yeah, your family is at home. They’re safe, and I have my whole life in front of me, and I want to play in NHL, so I will smack you with the baseball bat.'"
On the topic of projects, WHL Medicine Hat Tigers goalie Carter Casey, like Bjarnason, is a superb athlete playing in the Western league, though he isn't very refined at all.
But, with Kolosov, Bjarnason, and Vladar holding things down for now, the Flyers can afford to be patient with someone like the 18-year-old Casey.
Casey could be a riskier investment early in the second round, but the Flyers, who own the 53rd overall pick, could easily justify that chance.
Also in the WHL is Harrison Boettiger of the Kelowna Rockets, who is more of an average athlete but a master of positioning himself and being where he needs to be to make any kind of save.
Boettiger would be a safer, lower-ceiling option for the Flyers than the other two, and some teams might value that more than others.
Where the Flyers are, I would put Boettiger below Trejbal and Casey.
Because the Flyers don't have fourth- or fifth-round picks, we'll jump lower down the list, where we find another Czech goalie in Michal Orsulak.
A righty like Trejbal, Orsulak is massive at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, and went 24-4-4 with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders to the tune of a .907 save percentage, 2.22 GAA, and four shutouts.
Orsulak was actually ranked above Trejbal and Casey by NHL Central Scouting, placing second in their North American goalie rankings behind only Brady Knowling.
EliteProspects is a bit lower on the 18-year-old, as he is unranked on their 2026 draft guide, so we can expect some variance in where he goes later this month.
Anywhere between the third and fifth rounds is a good spot for Orsulak, who has plenty of potential worthy of tempting the Flyers to trade up or invest early.
One last goalie that everyone seems to have forgotten about, and is certainly worth following towards the end of the draft, is Latvian netminder Linards Feldbergs.
You may remember Feldbergs as the goalie who dominated for a poor Latvia team at the 2025 U20 World Juniors, where he went 2-3-0 with a 3.13 GAA but a jaw-dropping .929 save percentage.
The 20-year-old over-ager has put up numbers everywhere he's gone, and his playoff numbers with the QMJHL Sherbrooke Phoenix and USHL Sioux Falls Stampede only further prove that he steps up when the lights get brighter.
Feldbergs is committed to the NCAA's Merrimack College for the 2026-27 season, and while no major colleges or NHL teams have given him a shot, his athleticism, resolve, and lunch-pail mentality should be enough to put him on the Flyers' radar late in the draft.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 08: The shoes of James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at Rocket Arena on March 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 12: Cole Carrigg #86 of the Colorado Rockies runs to third base during the seventh inning of the Spring Training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 12, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Tuesday afternoon prior to starting their series against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies announced a series of roster moves. The most prominent of these moves has potentially seismic organizational implications.
The Rockies have selected the contract of top outfield and shortstop prospect Cole Carrigg (no. 4 PuRP), adding him to the 40-man roster and setting him up for his Major League debut. Carrigg will wear no. 16, last worn in 2025 by first baseman Blaine Crim. He is currently in tonight’s starting lineup, batting seventh in the order and playing in center field.
Carrigg, 24, was a second round pick in the 2023 draft out of San Diego State. With the Aztecs he was a true super-utility player, logging innings at every single position including both pitcher and catcher. However, he has been largely a center fielder and shortstop since joining the Rockies organization—with limited appearances behind the plate with the Arizona Complex League Rockies and Low-A Fresno Grizzlies in 2023.
The Rockies assigned Carrigg to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes to start the season after he spent all of 2025 with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats.
Carrigg has quickly become a star in Albuquerque. Over 57 games with the Isotopes he has hit .338/.414/.529 with 15 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 42 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. Carrigg is among the Pacific Coast League leaders in multiple offensive categories, and has also drawn 27 walks to 39 strikeouts.
To open a spot on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Keegan Thompson has been designated for assignment.
Thompson, 31, was obtained via waiver claim from the Cincinnati Reds this off-season. While he performed well in Triple-A with a 3.34 ERA over 11 appearances—five of which were starts—and 19 strikeouts over 32.1 innings, he has struggled on the Rockies’ active roster. Thompson has posted a 8.25 ERA in five appearances and 12 innings of work.
In addition, the Rockies have recalled right-handed reliever Jeff Criswell from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Criswell, 27, had a promising debut in 2024 with a 2.75 ERA in 13 appearances and 27 strikeouts over 19.2 innings. However, he missed the entirety of the 2025 season after requiring Tommy John surgery.
In order to open another roster spot, outfielder Tyler Freeman has been placed on the 7-day concussion injured list.
The San Antonio Spurs have officially made the 2026 NBA Finals a series after taking Game 3 on the road in Madison Square Garden. However, their victory may have come at a heavy cost. After reviewing a first quarter shove of New York's Jalen Brunson by Victor Wembanyama, the league's head of officiating, Monty McCutchen, has admitted they missed a foul call on the play. Even worse for San Antonio is that it could turn into a retroactive flagrant.
NBA head of officiating Monty McCutchen, appearing now on ESPN, acknowledges that a foul was missed on Victor Wembanyama's first-quarter shove of Jalen Brunson and says the league's review is still ongoing regarding whether the play will be deemed a retroactive flagrant foul. https://t.co/W4wAe20h0F
While there is no trouble just yet, Wembanyama has put himself in danger with this foul. Should the league upgrade it to a flagrant 1, Wembanyama would be subject to suspension if he were to commit another similar foul.
Wembanyama's absence from the Spurs would almost certainly mean defeat in the NBA Finals. Wembanyama cannot afford to play so recklessly for the remainder of the series.
Here's what to know about the foul and what it could mean for the Spurs.
What happened between Wembanyama and Brunson?
The play in question came in the first quarter of the Spurs' Game 3 win over New York. Brunson and Wembanyama got tangled up during a possession and video shows Wembanyama tossing Brunson to the ground during the play.
Not yet. In the NBA playoffs, players are allowed three penalty points before a suspension is enacted. Wembanyama has already obtained two penalty points for his Flagrant 2 foul against Naz Reid in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Should the NBA determine that Wembanyama's shove warrants a Flagrant 1 distinction, Wembanyama would have three penalty points for the postseason, meaning one more flagrant foul (1 or 2) would lead to immediate suspension.
What determines a Flagrant 1 or 2 in the NBA?
Per NBA Rule 12, a Flagrant 2 is called when contact with an opposing player is determined to be "unecessary and excessive." A Flagrant 1 is called when the contact is only unecessary.
A Flagrant 2 is also grounds for an immediate ejection from the game and comes with a minimum $2,000 fine.
Seeing a lot of confusion right now about whether Victor Wembanyama will be suspended for Game 5, so here’s what NBA rules say might happen:
The Giants were one out away from a much-needed victory Monday night. Instead, they were left searching for answers after another late collapse.
San Francisco carried a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning against Washington before watching it disappear in a matter of minutes.
Shawn Estes ripped the Giants manager Tony Vitello’s ninth-inning decisions after another bullpen collapse vs. Washington. D. Ross Cameron-Imagn ImagesWashington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) celebrates after scoring on a single by Daylen Lile (4) during the ninth inning of a baseball game agains the San Francisco Giant AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn
By the time the dust settled, the Nationals had scored three runs, handed the Giants a 4-3 loss, and reignited frustrations surrounding a bullpen that has repeatedly let games slip away this season.
Former Giants All-Star pitcher Shawn Estes defiantly refused to place the blame on reliever Keaton Winn.
Instead, he pointed directly at the decision-makers.
Speaking on NBC Sports Bay Area’s postgame show, Estes argued Winn never should have been on the mound after a taxing weekend in Chicago that included multiple appearances and extensive work.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Keaton Winn (67) delivers against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Winn entered Monday having pitched in three consecutive games and thrown 41 pitches over the previous two days.
“The guy’s arm is tired,” Estes said. “You could tell in the ninth inning based on the mistakes he was making. I feel for the kid, I feel for him. He’s put in a tough position and now he’s going to get the blame for tonight’s game.”
Estes believed the answer was obvious: let ace Logan Webb finish what he started.
Webb dominated Washington for eight innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out nine. He exited after 99 pitches despite facing little resistance throughout the night.
San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello (23) walks to the dugout before the game against the Colorado Rockies Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
“He’s your ace,” Estes said. “He’s the guy that can handle that.”
Manager Tony Vitello defended the move afterward, citing Winn’s experience in late-game situations.
Estes wasn’t buying it.
“I don’t want to be the ‘hindsight is 20-20’ guy, but it just seems like that last inning, it was, it was lost when the inning started, just based on how it was managed,” Estes said. “And I hate to say that, but like, that’s a win you got to have right there.”
The criticism didn’t stop there. Estes also questioned the Giants’ decision to pitch to Nationals star CJ Abrams after a passed ball created an open base situation with runners in scoring position. Abrams promptly delivered a game-tying two-run single.
The loss dropped San Francisco to 27-40 and overshadowed another brilliant outing from Webb.
For a team sitting toward the bottom of the National League standings, watching a winnable game unravel in familiar fashion has frustrations at a fever pitch.
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PHOENIX , AZ - MARCH 20: Luis Lara #14 of the Milwaukee Brewers bats during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Phoenix , Arizona. (Photo by Aryanna Frank/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers have, for the second time this season, signed one of their most promising prospects to a long-term extension. This time, it’s outfielder Luis Lara (ranked as a top-100 prospect by MLB Pipeline), who has enjoyed a significant offensive breakout with Triple-A Nashville this season. According to Jeff Passan, Lara has signed a seven-year deal worth $31 million that includes three option years that could bring the total to 10 years and $79 million. Lara’s deal follows an eight-year, $50 million agreement (plus two option years) signed by his Nashville teammate, shortstop Cooper Pratt, in early April.
Outfield prospect Luis Lara and the Milwaukee Brewers are in agreement on a seven-year, $31 million contract extension that includes three club options, sources tell ESPN. Lara, 21, has dominated Triple-A this season. Deal maxes out at $79 million.
Lara, who doesn’t turn 22 until November, was signed for $1.1 million as part of Milwaukee’s international free agent class in 2022. The fleet-footed Lara has always been a good defensive outfielder and was viewed as a somewhat high-floor prospect because of that. As a hitter, though, there have always been questions. Lara has never been a bad hitter, as he’s had a wRC+ between 94 and 116 at each of his six minor league stops prior to this season.
But in 2026, Lara has exploded, particularly in the power department. After never having posted a slugging percentage higher than .385 at any level, Lara — against the most advanced pitching he’s ever face — is slugging .500 so far this season. He’d hit a total of 12 professional home runs in four years that covered over 1,700 plate appearances; this year he’s already got seven in 247. On the season, Lara is hitting .338/.447/.500 for a 155 wRC+, and it’s not that small a sample.
Given Lara’s hot start to the season and the struggles particularly of Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins, there have been calls from every corner of the internet for Lara to get the call. Even with the financial concerns now off the table, I still don’t see that happening anytime soon. As Pat Murphy noted earlier this season, they don’t want their big prospects to be riding the pine in the majors. That means that consistent playing time would likely require a demotion of sorts for Frelick. Frelick has struggled this season, but just last season he was a three-WAR player. Lara is also a switch-hitter, so a platoon situation doesn’t make as much sense for him as it might for some others.
In either case, Lara’s future in the Brewer organization is now secured. Along with Pratt, Milwaukee now has an infielder and an outfielder primed and ready with Triple-A Nashville in case of injury or a change in organizational direction in the major leagues.
