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Timberwolves acquire LaMelo Ball and Josh Green from Hornets for Naz Reid and picks

The NBA Draft may be over, but that doesn't mean the intrigue has to end with it. Just hours after the draft concluded and undrafted free agents began signing with teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves made another shocking trade, completing a deal with the Charlotte Hornets to land LaMelo Ball and Josh Green.

So now that we know all the details of the trade, why would each team have made this move?

Minnesota Timberwolves

Get: LaMelo Ball and Josh Green

As we mentioned in our Rotoworld blurb, Anthony Edwards has expressed frustration with how he’s been double-teamed since the team traded Karl Anthony-Towns. With Donte DiVincenzo likely out all of next season with an Achilles injury, the Wolves could have really used a floor spacing guard who could hurt defenses if they sent extra men at Edwards. Ball can be that piece. Last season, he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 36.8% from beyond the arc.

Additionally, LaMelo does two other things well that the Timberwolves could have used this season: he is a good passer, and he plays with exceptional pace. Oftentimes this season, the Wolves used Edwards as a point forward, and while he was good in that role, having him as the primary ballhandler allows the defense to more easily double him. Moving him off the ball, as the Knicks did with Jalen Brunson, will create easier scoring opportunities for him, and Ball can be a good facilitator. With the plethora of young teams in the West, the Wolves also needed to be able to play with a more aggressive pace. Ball brings that style of play, which can put pressure on defenses, force them to collapse into the paint, and then set up easy opportunities for other players on his team.

The Timberwolves also have the defense to compensate for Ball's question marks on that side of the ball. Edwards is a capable defender himself, when he wants to be, and the other three starters (Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert) are all strong defenders, with Gobert's presence also likely to deter many guards who get by Ball from attacking the rim.

There are risks, though. Ball has dealt with plenty of injuries over the last few years, and even though he played 72 regular-season games last season, that was the most he's played since he played 75 games in his second season in 2021-22. Ball can also be a volatile personality at times, and was fined multiple times by the league last season for reckless contact and profane language, etc. His personality fit alongside Edwards and his new teammates will be crucial; however, he did make sacrifices in minutes and shots per game this season, which shows that he can be amenable in order to win games.

Josh Green averaged just 16 minutes per game with the Hornets last year, but is another capable shooter, knocking down 38.7% of his three-point shots during his NBA career, so he will give the Wolves another capable shooter off the bench.

Charlotte Hornets

Get: Naz Reid, a2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030), and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033)

At first blush, this seems like the Hornets gambling that Ball will not continue to remain healthy or play at the level he did in 2026. If you don't believe in his long-term health, then it makes sense to capitalize on his value right now. However, this seemed to be a team that was surging and had a young core. After starting the year 11-23, the Hornets went 32-13 down the stretch and made the play-in tournament. Over that stretch, the Hornets had the top-ranked offense and fifth-ranked defense, so it's a gamble to break up a team that played that well.

However, this appears to be part of a larger move to build for a more sustainable future. Ball has three years left on his contract and is eligible to sign a two-year, $119.2 million extension in July, but the Hornets would have to commit big money to keep him around for the team's long-term build. They also have Kon Knueppel (20 years old), Brandon Miller (23 years old), Moussa Diabate (24 years old), and Ryan Kalkbrenner (24 years old) playing big roles on the team. With the team hoping to re-sign Coby White (26 years old), who averaged 15.6 points in 21 games after the trade deadline, Charlotte seemed to feel good about their foundation.

Miles Bridges, who is 28 years old, has just one more year on his deal, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him dealt as well. The Hornets seem to be looking two to three years down the road as their chance to build a true contender, which makes sense given that the Knicks' core is a little on the older side and players like James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo are aging. Picking up all of these draft picks gives them assets to trade to continue to build for that window.

There were also financial motivations for this deal

That trade exception is the largest one in NBA history, and creates huge cap space for the Hornets to replace Ball with somebody that they believe fits the style of play of the rest of their core. Perhaps they want to focus on a more pure point guard?

For now, the Hornets have reshaped their frontcourt in a drastic way in order to fit into the modern style of play in the NBA. With Naz Reid, Diabate, Kalkbrenner, and rookie Hannes Steinbach, the Hornets have a large frontcourt but one that is also maleable against whatever style of offense they have to defend. Reid and Diabate are very switchable and athletic, Kalkbrenner is a mountain of a man and an imposing shot blocker, and Steinbach is another large human who could be a high-post hub on offense.

Reid himself is not somebody to be overlooked. The 2024 Sixth Man of the Year averaged 13.6 and 6.2 rebounds per game last season and is a career 37% shooter from beyond the arc. He is a physical defender, but the Wolves were 0.6 points worse with him on the floor, and he did rank 154th in defensive plus/minus. He might fit best with the Hornets as a bench big man, and the salary cap match of his contract may have been the biggest motivation for him being included in the deal.

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Fantasy Fallout: Timberwolves acquire LaMelo Ball, send Naz Reid to Charlotte

Going into the 2026 NBA Draft, there was not much discussion regarding the possibility that Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball could be on the move. The future appeared bright, as he was coming off one of his most successful seasons as a pro, helping lead the Hornets to a second-half resurgence that culminated in a loss to Orlando in the Play-In tournament.

However, in the immediate aftermath of the draft, multiple insiders reported that teams were actively pursuing Ball, even though the Hornets did not plan to move him. Well, the Minnesota Timberwolves made an offer that Charlotte believed it could not refuse, and Ball is reportedly headed north in the second blockbuster trade of this offseason. Let's take a look at the particulars and how this trade affects fantasy basketball.

Minnesota receives:

LaMelo Ball
Josh Green

In the immediate aftermath of the trade that sent Julius Randle to Brooklyn, one could not blame the Timberwolves fans who expressed concern that the new ownership would prioritize slashing payroll this summer. Instead, getting off of Randle's money helped set the stage for Thursday's move, even if the Timberwolves had to part with Reid to get it done.

In Ball, Minnesota now has the perimeter playmaker that it desperately needed next to Anthony Edwards. In 72 games last season, Ball averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.8 three-pointers, shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 89.9 percent from the foul line.

While efficiency can be an issue for LaMelo, the greater concern has been his availability. Counting 2025-26, he has surpassed 70 games played in two of his first six seasons. When available, Ball can be a highly valuable fantasy option, especially for those willing to punt field-goal percentage and turnovers. However, based on the track record, his staying healthy has been an issue, lowering his ADP.

Having Ball on the floor could open things up for Edwards, one of the NBA's bright young stars. Regardless of who the Timberwolves placed around him, Ant-Man would be fine, but the exits of Randle and Reid represent a significant shift in the franchise's direction.

The guards will dominate the offense even more, especially with Ayo Dosunmu agreeing to a new deal last week. Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels will be needed even more on the offensive end, while there may be a few more lobs in Rudy Gobert's future. And Reid's exit will free up additional opportunities for Joan Beringer, who is likely Minnesota's starting center of the future. Beringer may not offer much in redraft leagues, but his dynasty league value receives a boost with Thursday's reported trade.

Adding Green gives the Timberwolves a defensive-minded perimeter player who can add depth, but he's unlikely to offer much value to fantasy managers.

Charlotte receives:

Naz Reid
2033 unprotected first-round pick
2028 first-round pick swap
2029 first-round pick swap
2030 first-round pick swap
2029 second-round pick
2032 second-round pick
2033 second-round pick

Reid, a top-5 finisher in Sixth Man of the Year voting each of the last three seasons, winning the award in 2024, appeared poised to take over as Minnesota's starting power forward with Randle being traded. Obviously, that won't be happening now, but starting in Charlotte may be in the cards. The question is whether he'd start at the four or the five.

Miles Bridges has been the subject of trade rumors, and Thursday's deal could prompt the Hornets to move him as well, going all-in on Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel as the new faces of the franchise. If the Hornets can move Bridges, Reid can slide in at power forward, with Moussa Diabaté, Ryan Kalkbrenner or another offseason addition starting at center.

The question for Charlotte in the aftermath of this deal is, who will run the point? Coby White, acquired from the Bulls at the trade deadline, is an unrestricted free agent, and the franchise selected Texas Tech's Christian Anderson with the No. 18 overall pick in this week's draft. White would have a higher fantasy ceiling if he returns, and Anderson should look even more appealing to dynasty league managers than he did before the trade.

However, regardless of who starts at point guard, Miller and Knueppel should have the ball in their hands more as the Hornets embark on a new era, raising the fantasy ceilings of both players.

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Emma Raducanu faces race to be fit for Wimbledon after missing practice

  • 23-year-old spotted in protective boot on Wednesday

  • Raducanu’s last match was HSBC Championships final

Emma Raducanu faces a race to be at full fitness for Wimbledon after her preparations for the tournament were disrupted by injury.

On Wednesday evening Raducanu was seen by Clay magazine leaving the All England Club wearing a protective boot on her right foot after not practising that day. She had been scheduled to train at midday on Thursday but did not practise for a second straight day.

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If you’re gonna mock drafts, you gotta be tough

MONCTON, CANADA - MARCH 12: Tommy Bleyl #16 of the Moncton Wildcats stick handles the puck against Lucas Romeo #16 of the Cape Breton Eagles during the first period at Avenir Centre on March 12, 2026 in Moncton, Canada. (Photo by Dale Preston/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The title a nod to song from a certain movie, anyways it’s difficult to draft NHL players. NHL teams are tasked with scouting players mostly when they are 16 and 17 years old and have to try and rank what they will be as fully formed adults. Needless to say, it’s not an exact science and a process that ends up with more misses than hits. Our results of making picks alongside the Penguins at their spot in the draft has gone about the same way. Here’s the last decade of fake vs real drafting.

Well, on the plus side at least four out of the five mock picks prior to 2025 that we made played in the NHL last season. That’s better than the Pens ended up with in reality. A player like Hoglander has spun his wheels professionally in recent years (really, he might just need to get out of Vancouver ASAP to benefit his career) and might not be looking to be as proud of a pick as it might have seemed a couple years ago when he produced a 24-goal season. Hoglander’s recent career plateau aside, he worked out a lot better than the actual pick of Sam Poulin did.

The real Pittsburgh 2020 first round pick got traded in the last minute to Toronto for Kasperi Kapanen. The Maple Leafs ended up using that pick to select forward Rodion Amirov, who sadly passed away in 2023 after battling brain cancer. The Penguins ended up getting 162 games and 82 points (29 goals + 53 assists) out of Kapanen before waiving him in 2023 and seeing him go to St. Louis. Zary, for his part, has 86 points (and some good defensive metrics) in 191 games with Calgary. So I guess there’s a case to be made that the Pens would have been better off in the long run for holding onto their pick depending on what they did with it, but then again they wanted a NHL forward for 2020-22 to help their late-stage contention windows and it ended up not panning out since Kapanen didn’t help push the team that far forward while he was on it, and then was jettisoned as a bad contract to allow more cap space via dropping him for nothing.

2022 isn’t looking to great either for our pick, or for the Penguins after draft+4. Ivan Miroshnichenko has only played 52 career NHL games, mostly as a spare part forward. He has become an excellent AHL player but needs to make a big move soon if he’s going to establish himself. Owen Pickering, well we’ve all spent a lot of time on his case. We remain convinced former Penguins GM Ron Hextall thought/hoped he had found Travis Sanheim 2.0 when he drafted Pickering – unfortunately though, at this point there’s enough evidence to say that he got Temu Sanheim instead. Pickering might go on to play NHL games in a modest role, it looks like he will fall short of his draft day ceiling of a matchup defender that could have played up the lineup.

We have plans for a victory lap in 2023, Matthew Wood scored 17 goals and put up 30 points in the NHL in his draft+3 season with Nashville. That’s the dream development curve from a mid-first round pick these days, gotta see some flashes and pay off fairly early on to indicate a potential real factor/difference-maker. Yager didn’t do much in the AHL, but was called up for a few meaningless games once Winnipeg was eliminated last season. Who knows what that means for the future, some predictive models aren’t too high on Yager’s chances at all right now. That doesn’t truly matter to the Pens now, of course, since they flipped Yager for Rutger McGroarty, who hasn’t yet established himself either.

Victory lap plans might be canceled after seeing the Pens pull Ben Kindel from deep in the weeds. That’s why the pros are pros! However, for his part Eklund had a great 2025-26 in the top Swedish league and a great WJC tournament. He also popped over to the AHL and scored 10 points in nine regular season games, and recorded an assist in one NHL game late last year. Eklund had a very encouraging draft+1 to suggest there’s a real player in there.

The Pens could have had Eklund at 12, but instead opted to trade down and ended up coming out of the first round with Bill Zonnon and Will Horcoff when the dust settled. It’s not hard to see why Pittsburgh with a lack of talent would want more quantity – it also makes sense that they wouldn’t be interested in drafting two forwards with similarly small frames like Kindel+Eklund and diversify the profile of player they got by adding larger forwards to their prospect portfolio. That reasoning aside, this area of how Zonnon+Horcoff vs. Eklund works out will be worth watching for developments in the way Yager/McGroarty has been a very deep-in-the-weeds type of minor storyline over the past few years.

—

For this year’s draft, I’m going to use scouchsim.com on 25% random to predict who was selected in the first 21 picks. This process is inexact for the real world events on Friday night, and obviously can’t predict if Pittsburgh will trade up or down in reality, but is about as good as it’s going to get for a reasonable way to set the stage of what players could be out there at the time of the selection. In our side quest, we’ll simply stick with the 22nd pick and not get too creative.

After running the sim, here were the top ranked players available:

To an extent, I considered all of these names at least momentarily. The trouble with picking in the area of 22nd is that you know there will be a good future NHLer or two available crowded around a handful that won’t amount to much at the top level. Sorting through and deciding what will end up 4+ years from now is the guess work of today, both for us and for teams picking towards the end of the first round.

NHLe helps as a guide for previous production as projection of how the future unfolds. It loves Tommy Bleyl (12% chance of star outcome of being in the top 15% of WAR/82, and a 64% chance of becoming an NHLer to play in 200 games) as one of the top profiles in the whole draft by this metric. Hurlbert (7% chance of star and 64% becoming an NHL player) ranks highest among the available selections as well, presenting what becomes the two finalists to spell out the thought process. For Bleyl, the question becomes is he going to develop into more of a Axel Sandin-Pellikka or a Calen Addison type of future. It’s a worthy rhetoric to wrestle with. For Hurlbert, it’s more about future position as a center or wing – with a default consensus coming into the draft that he will likely play on the wing as a pro.

In the end, we’ll make Bleyl the official Pensburgh choice, not meant to be predictive of what Pittsburgh will do (we’ll take a stab at that in a full first round mock draft tomorrow). You can check out more on Bleyl from what we wrote earlier in the week. Bleyl’s offensive upside, skating, right shot make him a prospect worth rolling the dice on at this point of the draft. Our fictional prospect pool could use that style of player, as could virtually any real NHL organization that always has a hunger and emphasis on right shot defenders with skill.

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LaMelo Ball trade grades for Wolves, Hornets after shocking blockbuster deal

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - APRIL 17: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets looks on against the Orlando Magic during the third quarter of a Play-In Tournament game at Kia Center on April 17, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. 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 Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It began as a blockbuster rumor at the close of the 2026 NBA Draft, and quickly became reality overnight. The Charlotte Hornets have traded superstar point guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package that involves forward Naz Reid and a bevy of draft capital.

First reported by Shams Charania on Thursday morning, here are the full trade details:

Minnesota Timberwolves get:

  • PG Lamelo Ball
  • SF Josh Green

Charlotte Hornets get:

  • PF Naz Reid
  • Unprotected first round pick (2033)
  • Three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030)
  • Three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033)

It’s a staggering deal that gives Minnesota one of the most exciting and dynamic backcourts in the NBA with Anthony Edwards and Ball, while the Hornets now turn the page on the Melo era to a new chapter where Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are the focal points of the franchise. Let’s break down the deal from both sides.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves opened up a large trade exception by trading Julius Randle, hoping to get in on the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, only to miss out. By landing a legitimate star in LaMelo Ball they achieve two goals: Firstly, make use of that trade exception to where they don’t lose Randle for nothing, and more-importantly, show Anthony Edwards they are serious about improving the roster and surrounding him with talent, ensuring he doesn’t ask for a trade in a year or two.

Losing fan-favorite Naz Reid hurts, but this was brilliant work by Minnesota to keep their core starters together while getting a mammoth upgrade at point guard. Ensuring they kept Jalen McDaniels is mind-boggling and incredible work by the front office. Not only that, but by only giving up one future 1st round pick, the team is betting on themselves to finish deep in the playoffs for the next four years — which can be easily achieved.

The big question about this deal is how Minnesota will balance having two ball-dominant guards on the roster at the same time. The Wolves’ front court is also incredibly thin now behind Rudy Gobert. The Wolves need to hope Ball can stay healthy and maintain the level he showed in the second half of last season. They need to hope Edwards and Ball can mesh together. It’s a huge risk, but there’s no doubt the Wolves raised their ceiling if everything goes according to plan.

Grade: B+

Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball’s individual brilliance is unquestioned, but there was definitely some friction under the surface between his loose, vibes-based style of play and head coach Charles Lee’s more precise, exacting offense. The rub is that while Melo was incredible with the Hornets during the 2025-26 season, his individual success often came at the expense of utilizing Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel to their full potential.

This trade paves the way for the Hornets to re-sign Coby White (which was a priority for them this off-season), while opening a path for rookie Christian Anderson Jr. to get significant minutes at point. There is no doubt Charlotte will miss out of Ball’s offense, but the hope will be that adding defensively at forward and getting Miller/Knueppel more looks will ameliorate that.

Regardless of how much the Hornets may have been ready to part ways with LaMelo Ball, they absolutely did not get back good trade value. The team has essentially traded its franchise player for a nice complementary player and a handful of magic beans. It’s entirely possible none of those pick swaps will be realized, which results in one heck of a gamble that the Wolves will be bad by 2033 to realize that unprotected first.

The haul could look better for the Hornets if things explode in a bad way for Minnesota. If this doesn’t work out, it’s possible Edwards is pushing for a new home before those pick swaps are realized, suddenly making them more valuable. Charlotte was so good with Ball leading the charge in the second half of the season that this feels like a baffling decision and underwhelming return.

Grade: C

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NBA draft worst decisions: These underclassmen passed up NIL millions for NBA uncertainty

College basketball stars used to rush to the NBA, lured by the riches that awaited them. That's not necessarily the case anymore with NIL riches available on campus. That dynamic has complicated the should-I-go or should-I-stay dilemma for underclassmen.

Whether it was bad advice or overconfidence, some early entrants for the 2026 NBA Draft had some unexpected slides this week.

Here are a few players who might be second guessing their decisions:

2026 NBA Draft team grades: Which front offices did the best in both rounds?

Henri Veesaar, North Carolina

Drafted No. 52 overall by Clippers (traded to Atlanta)

North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) bites his jersey against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

A projected first-round pick, Veesaar turned down a reported $5 million NIL payday to enter the draft. The 7-foot center from Estonia averaged a career-best 17 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Tar Heels. Instead of spending a season under NBA champion coach Michael Malone's tutelage in Chapel Hill, Veesaar cast his lost in the draft... and fell to No. 52. There's talk Veesaar's camp steered teams away as he had a late-round promise, but No. 52 hasn't been a spot that's produced many standouts. Over the past 20 years the best No. 52 picks have been Luka Garza (2021) and Mark Pope (2006).

Isaiah Evans, Duke

Drafted No. 33 by Brooklyn (traded to Minnesota)

Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) dribbles the ball past St. John's Red Storm forward Dillon Mitchell (1) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.

Evans left Duke after a sophomore season that saw him earn third-team All-ACC honors after averaging 15 points and 3.2 rebounds a game. Evans entered his name in the 2025 draft before withdrawing, and maybe wishes he had second thoughts again. Another projected first-round pick (Evans attended Tuesday's first round), he had to wait until Wednesday's second round to hear his name.

Meleek Thomas, Arkansas

Drafted No. 34 by Sacramento (traded to Cleveland)

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas (1) celebrates after the men's SEC Conference Tournament Championship against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Bridgestone Arena.

While nine freshmen went in the top 10 picks (including Razorbacks teammate Darius Acuff who went No. 7), another one-and-done entrant had to wait longer than expected to hear his name called... a full 24 hours. In most of the pre-draft process, Thomas was a projected first round pick, but as the draft got closer, his stock started to slip.

Thomas became a full-time starter in late January and averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists, shooting 41.6% from 3-point range. He has plenty of tools, but in a loaded draft like this year's, returning to Fayetteville for another season under John Calipari could have polished him into a 2027 lottery pick.

Koa Peat, Arizona

Drafted No. 30 by Dallas (traded to Phoenix)

Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) reacts after a pay against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center.

While Peat had to wait until the last pick of the first round to hear his name called, things may have eventually worked out for Peat. Peat won four high school state championships in Arizona, helped the Wildcats break its Final Four drought and now gets to stay home with the Suns. So he's probably not complaining too much, but he was projected to go higher and sliding all the way down to No. 30 had to be nerve-wracking. He was one pick shy of missing out on a guaranteed contract. Whew. Had he stayed one more year, in a weaker draft, he could have been a top-10 pick in 2027.

Chris Cenac Jr., Houston

Drafted No. 27 by Boston

NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the twenty seventh pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Houston forward Chris Cenac Jr. after he was selected by the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center.

Projected as a mid-first round pick, Cenac was one of the last players invited to Wednesday's first round to hear his name called. A former top-10 recruit, Cenac won't turn 20 until February, so he's got plenty of development left. That likely could happen in Maine and the G League as the Celtics already have Neemias Queta and Luka Garza at center.

“There certainly probably is a lot of excitement and expectation from his, but we were sitting here last year and I didn’t think the guy that we drafted would play at all for us,” Celtics president Brad Stevens told reporters after the pick. “But you never know. Let’s see. We’ll see how they all come in and work and he’ll certainly have the opportunity like everybody else. But you’re behind when you’re 19 and you’re dealing with now men.”

Another year in college being coached by Kelvin Sampson probably could have turned Cenac into a lottery pick.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Worst NBA draft decisions as underclassmen pass up NIL millions for 2nd round

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Hornets shipping star guard LaMelo Ball to Timberwolves, per report

The Charlotte Hornets traded guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN.com.

The Hornets also traded guard Josh Green to Minnesota, who sent center/forward Naz Reid, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030), and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033) back to Charlotte.

Ball, 24, averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals in 72 games last season for the Hornets, who reached the NBA Play-in Tournament this season but have missed the playoffs in each of the past 10 years. He has had an injury-plagued career, with significant ankle and lower leg injuries in his six NBA seasons.

The Hornets selected Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he won the Rookie of the Year award in 2021.

Ball has three seasons remaining on his five-year, $203.9 million contract signed with the Hornets and will make $40.8 million during the 2026-27 season. He is eligible to sign a two-year, $119.2 million extension once the NBA free agency moratorium ends on July 6.

With the Ball trade, the Hornets are moving forward with building around forward Brandon Miller and forward Kon Knueppel, who led the league in 3-pointers and finished second in the rookie of the year balloting last season.

Reid, 26, averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 77 games for Minnesota and will be entering the second season of a five-year, $125 million deal he signed in 2025.

The Hornets added Hannes Steinbach, who led the NCAA in rebounding in the 2026 NBA Draft, and guard Christian Anderson Jr. with the No. 18 overall pick.

Charlotte had a strong finish to the season, winning 28 of its last 38 games, but lost to the Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament.

The Timberwolves now have two dynamic guards, with Ball paired with star Anthony Edwards, who was the No. 1 overall pick in Ball's draft class, making them instantly one of the more formidable backcourts in the Western Conference.

By shipping Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a trade earlier in the offseason and re-signing guard Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract, the Timberwolves continue their aggressive win-now mentality under owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. Currently, Minnesota is nearly $5 million over the luxury tax after taking on Ball's and Green's contracts.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LaMelo Ball traded to Timberwolves for Naz Reid, draft picks

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Today in White Sox History: June 25

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 25: Brett Lawrie #15 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates his solo home run in the 2nd inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at U.S. Cellular Field on June 25, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois.
On this day 10 years ago, Brett Lawrie contributed two of the record-tying seven White Sox homers clubbed in a 10-8 loss the Blue Jays. | (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

1903
It was a tale of two games.

The first nine innings, played to a tie, was full of hitting and sloppy fielding (12 errors, six per team). The second nine, also played to a tie, featured a pitcher’s duel that ended in the dark.

The White Sox and Highlanders (Yankees) played the longest game in American League history (and just shy of the MLB record set a year earlier between the Colts and Pirates), squeezing in 18 innings in fewer than four hours.

The game was tied on a barrage of late hits from the Highlanders, and the White Sox only escaped the innings thanks to a deft catch by catcher Ed McFarland in foul territory that doubled up a New York runner.

From there, it was goose eggs, as White Sox reliever Roy Patterson and New York sub Jesse Tannehill ended up pitching longer than the starters in the game — Patterson giving up seven hits and two runs over 9 ⅔ innings, Tannehill nine and one over 11 frames.

The White Sox flubbed two chances to score in the final two frames. In the 17th, Frank Isbell led off with a double and was sacrificed to third — but Lee Tannehill hit a comebacker to the mound and Isbell was caught off of third, to be thrown out at home. And with two outs in the 18th, Ducky Holmes got on with a bunt and then moved to third on a hit-and-run with Fielder Jones. Jones stole second base, but Danny Green could muster only a weak tap to second base.

At approximately 7:15 p.m., umpire Jack Sheridan called the game, to objections from neither team. The White Sox were stalled at 25-24 and in fifth place in the AL, on their way to falling to 60-77 and seventh by season’s end.

1940
It was Bill Webb Day at Comiskey Park, honoring the Chicago native, longtime White Sox third-base coach and newly-promoted farm system director. Webb never played for the White Sox (over his 14-year pro career, Webb in fact appeared in just five MLB games, with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1917) but spent the majority of his post-career time in Chicago.

Webb’s story has a sad end, however, as he died just three years later, at age 47, after suffering a heart attack while driving to work at 35th & Shields.

1953
White Sox manager Paul Richards was regarded as one of the smartest people ever to lead a baseball team.

With the Sox going for a series sweep of New York and leading 4-2 in the ninth inning, Richards brought in pitcher Harry Dorish to relieve Billy Pierce. Only Richardsdidn’t remove Pierce from the game — he moved him to first base! After Dorishfaced two hitters, Pierce was brought back to the mound to end the game — which he did, getting Johnny Mize to hit into a force out and then striking out pinch-hitter Bill Renna.

Richards pulled off this maneuver at least twice as the White Sox skipper, the first time on May 15, 1951 at Boston. In both cases, the pitchers involved were Dorish and Pierce. 

Years later, baseball writer Rob Neyer began tracking these moves in a historical database, and one of his readers termed the maneuvers “Waxahachie Swaps.” Richards, who also made these swaps twice as Baltimore Orioles manager, was known as the Wizard of Waxahachie (Texas).

1961
Completing a doubleheader sweep and four-game series sweep of the Washington Senators at Comiskey Park, the White Sox ended a long homestand with a 15-1 record, one of two (1906) in team history. Normally such a run, during these White Sox glory years, would have ended with the White Sox well better than .500 and leading the AL, but the 1961 team had started slow; the homestand began with the Pale Hose 21-33, 14 1⁄2 games out and flirting with the basement of the AL. By the start of the next road trip, Chicago had re-set itself, at 36-34, 9 1⁄2 games out and in fifth place.

The White Sox could only make it to fourth place in 1961, where they finished the year, at 86-76. It was their worst finish in the standings in 10 years.

1962
With the team stuck at .500 in a season that aspired to a pennant, the White Sox made two off-day trades, picking up reliever Dean Stone and left fielder Charlie Maxwell.

Stone came over from the Houston Colt .45s for Russ Kemmerer and finished out the season well as the part-time closer for the club. Over 29 games he tallied nine saves along with a 3.26 ERA/3.38 FIP and 0.7 WAR. The White Sox sold Stone to Baltimore in the offseason, where he played his final season. Kemmerer, a similar relief pitcher as Stone, actually ended up providing the same 0.7 WAR value for Houston in 1962, so this was a win-win deal. Incidentally, this was the first trade the White Sox had ever made with the Colt .45s.

Maxwell cost the White Sox outfielder Bob Farley and gave the White Sox a nice punch in the outfield for the rest of 1962, tallying 1.4 WAR over 69 games. Maxwell played one more season with the White Sox and was released very early in the 1964 season, ending his career. Farley fared poorly for Detroit (-0.5 WAR) in 1962 and was out of baseball after that season.

Ultimately, the White Sox fell short of the 1962 pennant, finishing 85-77 and fifth in the AL. It was Chicago’s poorest placing since 1950.

1964
An overflow crowd of 52,712 jammed Comiskey Park to watch the White Sox hammer the Cubs, 11-1, in the annual “Boys Benefit Game.” 

The Sox, who played as the “visiting” team that night, hit four home runs, including back-to-back-to-back shots in the third inning. The home runs were hit by Ron Hansen, Tommy McCraw and Jerry McNertney. Floyd Robinson also had a home run. 

What was significant, however, was the fact that fans were allowed on the outfield grass behind ropes, because there wasn’t any room left in the park. It was the last time fans have ever been permitted to stand on the playing field for a game. 

The game ranks No. 6 all-time in attendance at old Comiskey Park, which is by extension No. 6 all-time in White Sox and Chicago baseball annals.

1991
White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell fired the first shutout for the home team at new Comiskey Park, blanking the Mariners, 4-0. Jack was masterful on the day, and carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning. He’d end up with a three-hitter, and seven strikeouts. 

2006
With the White Sox trailing the Houston Astros, 9-2, in the eighth inning at U.S. Cellular Field, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi hit a three-run home run to narrow the deficit to 9-5. In the ninth inning, Iguchi connected again, this time for a grand slam to tie the game.

The Sox lost the game in the 13th inning, but Iguchi set a franchise record, as the White Sox had hit grand slams in three consecutive days. Scott Podsednik hit a grand slam two days earlier, and Joe Crede did so the day before.

2016
The White Sox tied the franchise record, first set in a 29-6 blowout in 1955, by blasting seven home runs in a single game. It took place against the Blue Jays at U.S. Cellular Field.

But there was one problem … they lost the game, 10-8.

It was only the third time in baseball history a team hit that many home runs in a game and lost (Detroit, in 1995 and 2004). The Sox players to hit home runs were Brett Lawrie (two), Dioner Navarro, J.B. Shuck, Tim Anderson, Alex Avila and Adam Eaton.

 

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Padres start homestand with sweep of Braves

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 24: JP Sears #38 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park on June 24, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Mike Nowak/Getty Images) | Getty Images

JP Sears was called up to the majors to take the start for the San Diego Padres against the Atlanta Braves in their series finale at Petco Park in place of Lucas Giolito who landed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation earlier in the week. Sears might have been one of the few pitchers Padres fans did not want to see on the mound in place of Giolito, but he was the minor league arm who was available and he got the call. Sears answered the call and delivered just what the Padres needed in a 5-2 win which resulted in a three-game sweep of the Braves.

Sears lasted 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The two runs allowed by the left-hander came on a two-run home run by Joey Bart, which pulled Atlanta within a run of San Diego, making the score 3-2. The Padres provided an answer in the bottom half of the inning when Samad Taylor lobbed a ball over the outfield which dumped into shallow right field, allowing two runs to score to put San Diego ahead, 5-2.

The Padres bullpen was short due to Griffin Canning lasting just 0.2 innings on Tuesday night. San Diego needed just three pitchers, while working their typical game-winning formula, but with different personnel. David Morgan completed 1.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit, Wandy Peralta completed one scoreless inning allowing a hit and Jason Adam pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save.

Ty France provided the offensive spark for the Padres. He opened the scoring in the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning. He also hit a sacrifice fly and tacked on a double to finish 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs and two RBI. Taylor and Bogaerts also had multi-hit games.

San Diego is off today, but will return to action against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday at 6:45 p.m.

Padres News:

Baseball News:

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Chase Harlan’s superb High-A debut

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 24: Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Chase Harlan (94) at bat during the MLB Spring Training game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 24, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Feelings of deja vu in Triple-A and Double-A as the Comets and Drillers experienced similar results to those of the previous day.

Player of the day

Chase Harlan had been one of the standout performers not only with the Tower Buzzers but across the whole Dodger minor league system when he got promoted to High-A earlier this week. In the first game with the Loons, Harlan recorded half of the team’s six RBI in a win over the Lugnuts.

Through 58 games, Harlan has an OPS above 1.000 and nearly as many RBI (48) as he does strikeouts (52), looking like he won’t have much issue adjusting to the promotion.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Providing a sort of carbon copy of the previous day’s game, the Comets once again fell on the losing end of a game decided by one run in which the bulk of its offense came from the rehabbing Teoscar Hernández. The two-run shot in the third inning from Hernández accounted for all of the Comets’ RBI in a 4-3 loss, with the other run coming on an error.

Opportunities were there for a bigger output, but the Comets finished the game 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, wasting Alek Thomas’ three-hit effort, which accounted for a third of the team’s total hits.

Hernández might have had a big game, but other known big leaguers did not so much. Starter Landon Knack only recorded four outs before being removed in the middle of the second inning, and reliever Evan Phillips also allowed a run in the third.

Double-A Tulsa

What is it more rare, one might wonder: to lose a second consecutive game by a score of 10-1 or for a starting pitcher to allow four runs without conceding a single hit? All of this happened to the Drillers against the Hooks, as starter Peter Heubeck could not find the strike zone in the first inning, walking six hitters before being pulled in the opening frame.

Mike Sirota did not homer like the day before, but he did record a hit to take his on-base streak to a whopping 60 games. Other than that, there was very little to talk about concerning the offense that finished the game with just four hits.

High-A Great Lakes

Promoted after a phenomenal start to the year in Ontario, Chase Harlan started his Loons career on the right foot, recording a pair of hits and three RBI in the cleanup spot, the protagonist of a 6-2 win away from home against the Lugnuts.

The Loons took the lead with a first-inning home run from Emil Morales and never looked back, supported by five scoreless frames from starter Aidan Foeller. There was the potential to see a rare four-inning save from Isaac Ayon, but three solid innings were enough, and Alex Makarewich came out for the final frame.

Single-A Ontario

Eleven hits and 15 walks drove forward one of the Tower Buzzers more complete offensive performances of the season, beating the Rawhide 13-9. Freshly activated leadoff hitter Kendall George was one of the few who struggled before being removed for pinch-hitter Oswaldo Osorio, who hit an important three-run shot in the late innings. However, the Tower Buzzers had their secondary leadoff hitter cooking: second baseman Javier Herrera reached in all five of his plate appearances with a hit and four walks, scoring three of Ontario’s 13 runs.

After going through a homer drought between the end of May and the start of June, teenager Ching-Hsien Ko has once again found his power stroke. Ko was responsible for one of the Tower Buzzers’ three homers, his third in the last six games.

Transactions

Outfielder Kendall George was assigned from the Drillers to the Tower Buzzers, activated off the injured list, while starter Landon Knack began a rehab assignment with the Comets.

Wednesday’s scores

  • Reno 4, Oklahoma City 3
  • Tulsa 1, Corpus Christi 10
  • Lansing 2, Great Lakes 6
  • Visalia 9, Ontario 13

Thursday’s schedule

  • 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jakob Wright) at Lansing (Samuel Dutton)
  • 5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Christian Zazueta) vs. Corpus Christi (James Hicks)
  • 6:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Charlie Barnes) vs. Reno (TBD)
  • 6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Visalia (Connor Foley)
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2026 NBA Draft: Fantasy basketball winners and losers

The 2026 NBA Draft is now in the rear view, and though it wrapped up without a ton of surprises, there are plenty of takeaways for fantasy managers.

AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson went No. 1 and No. 2 to the Wizards and Jazz, respectively, while Cameron Boozer went to the Grizzlies at No. 3. Golden State got a much-needed addition at forward in Yaxel Lendeborg, and the rich got richer as Oklahoma City snagged Aday Mara at No. 12.

Michigan represented well in the lottery, with three players from the championship team selected in the first 12 picks, including the Mavericks' first selection in the Dusty May era, Morez Johnson. All three of Johnson, Lendeborg and Mara are in favorable positions to excel in Year 1, with Lendeborg sporting the biggest upside of the trio.

Here are the top winners and losers from the 2026 NBA Draft.

Winners

Yaxel Lendeborg (F - Golden State Warriors)

The 6’9, 230 pound forward bring age, experience, national championship pedigree and most importantly, size, to the Golden State Warriors. Selected No. 11 in the draft, Lendeborg could be an immediate starter or Sixth Man given the team’s lack of frontcourt depth and injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody that will likely cost them time to open the season.

Lendeborg averaged 9.5 rebounds across three collegiate seasons with UAB and Michigan, and Golden State needs all the help it can get on the glass. Last season, the Warriors ranked 21st in team rebounds, 24th in team rebound percentage and 23rd in second chance points surrendered.

Trae Young (PG - Washington Wizards)

Trae Young inked a new, four-year deal to return to the Wizards, and he’s got a golden opportunity to thrive in the traditional PG role he’s played so well throughout his career. With AJ Dybantsa added at No. 1, Washington is chock full of capable scorers and shooters, and Young could lead the NBA in assists once again.

Aday Mara (C - Oklahoma City Thunder)

Aday Mara finds himself in a perfect position to see meaningful minutes immediately for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are looking to clear cap space, and Isaiah Hartenstein could be on the way out. That means Mara could offer appeal in double-big lineups alongside Chet Holmgren or fill in as the lone big in the backcourt when gamescript or injuries demand it.

Brayden Burries (G - Milwaukee Bucks), Nate Ament (F - Milwaukee Bucks)

The Milwaukee Bucks traded Giannis Antetokounmpo on the eve of the NBA draft, and they drafted two players in the lottery who could be building blocks for the future. Brayden Burries and Nate Ament should see meaningful rotation minutes right off the bat, despite the Bucks’ additions of Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Morez Johnson (F/C - Dallas Mavericks)

No team has dealt with more frontcourt injuries over the last two seasons than the Dallas Mavericks. Daniel Gafford has an extensive injury history, and Dereck Lively II has appeared in just 98 games across three seasons.

New head coach Dusty May had his fingerprints all over this selection, as Dallas nabbed Johnson at No. 9, reuniting him with his Michigan head coach. The Mavs may choose to move on from Gafford and/or Lively II to clear a logjam in the frontcourt, but even if one or both return, Johnson has a realistic path to playing time in Year 1.

Losers

Bilal Coulibaly (F - Washington Wizards), Will Riley (F - Washington Wizards)

AJ Dybantsa’s arrival in the nation’s capital is bad news for the fantasy stock of Bilal Coulibaly and Will Riley. Dybantsa should be the team’s starting SF from Day 1, and he’ll see big minutes, limiting the upside of two players who showed plenty of promise for the injury-riddled Wizards last season.

Coulibaly’s ability to rack up steals and blocks while hitting three-pointers made him a useful option in standard leagues. Riley was a streamable option for most of the final four weeks of the season, as he started 14 of the team’s last 20 games and offered reliable counting stats.

Ace Bailey (G - Utah Jazz)

The No. 5 pick in the 2025 Draft appeared in 72 games and averaged 27.6 minutes as a rookie. Over the final 12 games of his inaugural campaign, Bailey averaged 20.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 “stocks” and 2.8 triples across 32 minutes. In that span, he was a Top 70 fantasy option.

Utah drafted Darryn Peterson at No. 2, and there was a real argument that Peterson should have been taken No. 1 overall ahead of AJ Dybantsa. Keyonte George will be Utah’s starting PG

Santi Aldama (F/C - Memphis Grizzlies)

Cameron Boozer’s selection at No. 3 surely means a decreased role for Aldama, who averaged 14 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists across 27.6 minutes - all career highs. Aldama ranked just inside the Top 120 in per-game fantasy value, and he was a viable option in standard leagues.

Boozer put up 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.0 “stocks” and 1.4 triples in his lone season at Duke. He offers strong playmaking and floor spacing at the PF spot, and he can play some small-ball center. Memphis struggled to stay healthy in the frontcourt a season ago, and Boozer should see as much run as he can handle as rookie.

Russell Westbrook (G - Sacramento Kings), Malik Monk (G - Sacramento Kings)

Westbrook enjoyed a bounce-back campaign while averaging 15/5/6, and Monk played sparingly while offering elite floor spacing with a 39.5% mark from beyond the arc. Sacramento’s selection of Darius Acuff Jr. at No. 7 signals an end to the Kings’ veteran backcourt and the beginning of the youth movement.

Acuff Jr. averaged 23.4 points, 6.4 dimes and 3.1 rebounds in his one-and-done season at Arkansas, and he’s Sacramento’s PG of the future. That means far less run for Westbrook and Monk, assuming they’re both on the roster when the season opens.

Isaiah Hartenstein (C - Oklahoma City Thunder), Thomas Sorber (C - Oklahoma City Thunder)

The Thunder are starting to experience what all star-laden teams go through in the current NBA - cap space hell. Max contracts for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams kick in this season, and OKC has already shipped off Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta for peanuts. Isaiah Joe and Luguentz Dort are also on the block as the team looks to shed salary.

The Thunder were fortunate to land Michigan big man Aday Mara at No. 12, and the 7’3 national champ could be the replacement the team needs to justify moving off of Hartenstein’s contract. Though he hasn’t yet made his NBA debut, Thomas Sorber is unfortunately an odd man out in a Thunder frontcourt that includes Holmgren, Mara and Jaylin Williams.

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Dansby Swanson’s epic doubleheader gives him best 4-game series in Cubs history — with game left

Thanks to a historic doubleheader performance Wednesday, Dansby Swanson has the best four-game series in Chicago Cubs history — with a game to spare.

Swanson had a go-ahead RBI triple and four RBIs to cap the monster doubleheader and lead the Cubs to a sweep of the reeling New York Mets with a 10-5 win.

Swanson hit a three-run homer and a grand slam in the Cubs’ 10-3 victory in the opener. The 11 RBIs in a doubleheader are a franchise record, breaking the mark of 10 set by Hall of Famer Ron Santo on July 6, 1970.

The only other player in team history with a nine-RBI doubleheader is also a Hall of Famer — Billy Williams, who did it on Aug. 21, 1968.

“A dream come true, just being able to have your name next to those guys,” Swanson said. “It’s amazing and special.”

The 11 RBIs are tied for the third-most in a doubleheader. Nate Colbert had 13 RBIs for the San Diego Padres on Aug. 1, 1972, a mark equaled by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark Whiten on Sept. 7, 1993.

“Dansby had an incredible day of baseball offensively, for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s fun to see.”

Swanson also homered Tuesday night and has three homers and 15 RBIs in the first three games of the series, which is slated to conclude Thursday night.

The 15 RBIs are the most ever by a Cubs player in a series of four or fewer games since 1920, when the RBI became an official statistic, and are the most by a Chicago player in a series of any length since Kiki Cuyler, another Hall of Famer, had 15 RBIs in a five-game set in 1932.

The 15 RBIs over the last three games are also the most ever by a shortstop, breaking the mark of 14 RBIs set by Nomar Garciaparra with the Boston Red Sox from May 10-12, 1999. The only other Cubs player with at least 15 RBIs in a three-game span is Sammy Sosa, who had 16 RBIs from Aug. 10-12, 2002.

“I couldn’t tell you a game that I’ve had like this,” Swanson said. “It’s one that you honestly dream about.

“Just very, very grateful.”

The three-game surge snapped a lengthy slump for Swanson, who entered Tuesday hitting .178 with three homers and 14 RBIs in his last 48 games dating back to April 24. Swanson is batting just .202 with a .688 OPS this season — down considerably from his career marks of .251 and .732, respectively, entering 2026.

“You say process, process, process and stick to it, but every player is aware of how they’re producing and helping the team,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “He’s been so consistent and persistent. That doesn’t guarantee results, but man, does it feel good when those come through.”

Yet with 11 homers and 46 RBIs through 80 games, Swanson is more than halfway to his fifth 20-homer season and almost halfway to his career-high of 96 RBIs, set during his final season with the Atlanta Braves in 2022.

“That’s why the game sometimes, like, drives you crazy,” Counsell said. “Because if you probably look at Dansby’s season right now, it’s kind of a normal season for Dansby. Maybe the batting average is a little bit low, but probably all the other numbers are right around where he’s been the last couple years. It’s just been peaks and valleys for him.

“The good times, you’ve got to take advantage of them. And when you have days like that and you’re kind of the primary driver of offense, that’s going to win your team games.”

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Royals vs Rays Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today's MLB Game

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The Kansas City Royals will look for a second straight series win when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, June 25.

With a distinct pitching advantage, my Royals vs. Rays predictions and MLB picks have the AL Central bottom-dwellers coming up aces as the road dog against a Tampa side that’s struggling to string together wins.

Who will win Royals vs Rays today: Royals moneyline (+124)

The Kansas City Royals' offense has done heavy lifting this series, but pitching should carry them Thursday.

Seth Lugo has allowed one earned run or fewer in three of his last four starts, and the Tampa Bay Rays have historically been kept off balance with his high-spin curveball with a sinking and four-seam fastball.

Tampa’s offense is batting .222 in the series with 26 strikeouts. On the mound, the Rays will use opener Casey Legumina and funnel innings into a taxed bullpen (4.59 ERA).

With the cleaner starting edge and a more stable path through nine innings, I’d back the Royals up to -120.

Covers COVERS INTEL: Lugo has dominated the Rays in his career, going 3-0 in three starts with a 1.86 ERA and 15 strikeouts. He’s pitched into the sixth inning in each of those starts.

Royals vs Rays Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-103)

Even though Lugo has proven to shut the Rays down, Kansas City could be doing much of the heavy lifting to get to the Over themselves.

They’ve hit .283 collectively as a team in this series, pounding out 26 hits and 17 runs, and they’ll get to work over a not-so-great bullpen again Thursday.

For their struggles this series, totaling just eight runs in three games, the Rays are generally a better scoring team at home, where they own the best record in the AL.

They’re just outside the Top 10 in runs scored at home, at 4.69. The Over has hit in each of the last two games, and I like the trend to continue — though I would play it tight to that 8.5 line.

Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
  • ML/RL bets: 11-11, -0.27 units
  • Over/Under bets: 14-7, +7.13 units

Royals vs Rays weather

Dome.

Royals vs Rays odds

  • Moneyline: Royals +127 | Rays -133
  • Run line: Royals +1.5 | Rays -1.5
  • Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Royals vs Rays trend

Five of KC's last six games have gone Over the total. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Rays.

How to watch Royals vs Rays and game info

LocationTropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
DateThursday, June 25, 2026
First pitch12:10 p.m. ET
TVRoyals.TV, Rays.TV
Royals starting pitcherSeth Lugo
(3-4, 3.69 ERA)
Rays starting pitcherCasey Legumina
(2-1, 3.45 ERA)

Royals vs Rays latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Cavs final report card: Evan Mobley

DETROIT, MI - MAY 13: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers running down court in the game against the Detroit Pistons during Round Two Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Evan Mobley didn’t take the massive leap that many fans hoped for this season. But the fifth-year player did show meaningful improvements throughout the Cleveland Cavaliers’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals. How much is that worth?

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Regular Season Stats

  • 18.2 points
  • 9.0 rebounds
  • 3.6 assists
  • 54.6% FG
  • 29.7% 3PT FG
  • 60.6% FT

Pathways towards being an MVP candidate are looking slim for Mobley. He was momentarily handed the keys to Cleveland’s offense at the start of the season and immediately got pulled over. Kenny Atkinson had no choice but to put Donovan Mitchell back in charge as Mobley nearly drove the team off the road with plummeting efficiency.

Mobley’s sluggish start to the season was disappointing. It became clear that he doesn’t have a go-to move on offense and was flailing around for most of the ‘ber months. This led to the Cavs cutting that experiment short and eventually going all-in on salvaging the season by trading for James Harden. The Cavs had no interest in punting away any more wins while waiting for Darius Garland to get healthy or Mobley to figure it out.

The Cavs put Mobley back into a box. That is to say, they turned him back into being a play-finisher rather than a play-creator. That caused his efficiency to skyrocket back to where you’d expect as he led the NBA in dunks by the end of the season. But these are short-term wins at the cost of long-term answers, if you ask me.

Cleveland still doesn’t know who Mobley can be at his peak. That’s because they haven’t really tried to take him outside of his comfort zone for more than two weeks. There’s value in putting someone in a sink-or-swim position. The Cavs shouldn’t have bailed him out.

Thankfully, the playoffs gave us some valuable insight into Mobley’s ceiling.

The Cavs made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. No one man is responsible for that. But, for the first time in his career, Mobley was arguably the best playoff performer in a Cavalier uniform.

Mobley was a defensive force in the first two rounds, averaging 4.3 stocks per game against the Detroit Pistons and providing elite resistance at the rim versus Toronto. Meanwhile, he turned in some clutch offensive performances, putting up 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists in Game 7 in Detroit.

Watching Mobley confidently bury clutch shots in the playoffs was an eye-opener. Maybe there is something left in his game to uncover after all. That’s a stark contrast from the start of his season, but I’ll take a playoff sample over a few games in October.

For this reason, it can be hard to grade Mobley’s season. He didn’t meet expectations for most of the year. And, even his exciting postseason was met with a bitter ending as the New York Knicks ran him out of the gym. This is really a mixed bag that can offer drastically different conclusions depending on which stretch of the season you want to focus on. I’ll do my best to capture the full picture.

The good? Mobley showed out in the playoffs and gave us hope that he can still take his game to another level. Some of his shot creation and playmaking, particularly when operating in five-out lineups, make me think Mobley isn’t done developing.

The bad? His jumper totally abandoned him for most of the season. He shot below 30% from deep and even struggled to knock down free throws. He can’t afford for that to happen again.

The worst? Mobley fumbled a prime opportunity. The Cavs wanted him to take a step forward, and he couldn’t do it. There’s no guarantee that he’ll be given that chance again. Mobley will have to step up and demand a larger role in the offense. That’s something he can only do by proving it on the court. Next season will be pivotal in determining what kind of player Mobley wants to be.

Grade: B+

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Did Henri Veesaar make the right decision to stay in the NBA draft?

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 11: Henri Veesaar shoots the ball during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 11, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. 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 Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Only Henri knows the answer to that for sure. When a kid from Estonia grows up dreaming of being in the NBA, that decision goes well beyond simple salary math. Veesaar recently married, and after three years of college life, a desire for a change in lifestyle would be completely understandable. The NBA draft values potential more than anything else, and a player’s age plays a role in those calculations. Henri turned 22 in March, and a 23 year old Veesaar is slightly less valuable than a 22 year old Veesaar, all other things being equal. Veesaar had these and other reasons to go, all totally valid. Godspeed, Henri. Knock ’em dead.

UNC has three players on next season’s roster in the conversation for next year’s first round: Nikolas Avdalas, Seyon Keita, and Matt Able. Given that, Henri’s decision seems worthy of discussion. UNC fans will likely be crossing this bridge with one or more players at the end of every season, who will be faced with the same sorts of risks, opportunities, and options. What did Henri leave behind?

Start with this: the decision in the short term likely cost Veesaar a significant amount of money. If it seems odd to contemplate a player taking a pay cut to move to the NBA, welcome to college basketball in 2026. UNC was reported to have offered Veesaar something around $5 million to return to UNC for one more season. With the change in eligibility rules announced this week, Veesaar actually had two more years of college eligibility remaining. Let’s pretend Veesaar opts for two more years of college ball rather than the NBA, and let’s assume he remains healthy. Those two years would net Veesaar — or someone like him — at least $10 million.

Compare that to the players selected at the top of the second round in 2025.

  • Rasheer Fleming, pick #31 in 2025: $8.7m for four years ($5.9m guaranteed)
  • Noah Fleming, pick #32 in 2025: $8.6m for four years ($2.4m guaranteed)
  • Sion James, pick #33 in 2025: $10m for four years ($4.7m guaranteed)