An appeals panel ruled that five players from Hockey Canada's 2018 world junior championships team breached the organization's code of conduct in a case that led to a sexual assault trial in which all were acquitted.
The panel continued suspensions for four of the five players, and announced the dates when they will again be eligible to represent Canada in international play.
Alex Formenton is eligible to return immediately. Here are the return dates for the other four players:
Cal Foote: suspended until Nov. 10, 2026
Carter Hart: suspended until Nov. 10, 2027
Dillon Dubé: suspended until Nov. 10, 2028
Michael McLeod: suspended until Nov. 10, 2030
Each player was charged in 2024 with one count of sexual assault stemming from an alleged incident that police said happened in a London, Ontario, hotel room while the team was in town in June 2018 for a Hockey Canada gala celebrating the team's gold medal. McLeod also was charged with being a party to the offense.
After their 2025 trial, Justice Maria Carroccia ruled she couldn't rely on the evidence of the female accuser and that prosecutors hadn't proved their case. She found all of the players not guilty.
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 11: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons dribbles the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 11, 2026 at Rocket Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
While we probably still have another month (at least) until we hear that Jalen Duren has signed a new contract with the Detroit Pistons, let’s entertain the idea of what a JD sign-and-trade could look like this late in the summer.
A couple of caveats, first:
I’m only trading Jalen Duren if I’m getting a center back in the deal. Any JD trade that doesn’t bring a center back means there needs to be another deal afterwards to find your new starting big man.
I’m only taking a center back if that player can shoot. If I wanted a center that can rebound and catch lobs, I’d just pay Jalen Duren. In this fake world we’re living in for the premise of the article, I want to add even more spacing so Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson can thrive.
I’m not going to add any picks into these trades. This exercise is more about showing what a trade can look like financially, and y’all can decide in the comments where picks would need to be added.
Let us begin.
Option #1
DET gets: Ryan Rollins and Myles Turner
MIL gets: Jalen Duren
Why Detroit says yes: They land their starting SG of the future and finally pair Ausar with a stretch five since the time Mike Muscala was on the team for a fortnight. Rollins (shoutout Toledo Joe) averaged 17/4/5 while shooting 47%/40%/80% in 32 minutes per game last season and fits Detroit’s core at 24 years old. I do not care that Turner only averaged 12/5/1 last year on an extremely dysfunctional Milwaukee team. His career 37% three-point percentage is the prize, and he can’t be a worse rim protector than Duren.
Why Milwaukee says yes: They kick off their post-Giannis rebuild with a 22-year-old All-NBA center to play with Tyler Herro and the rest of the young guys they got from Miami. That should make them good enough to avoid being a bottom-three team this year.
Why Jalen Duren says yes: He’ll get paid more than what Detroit is reportedly offering him.
Option #2
DET gets: Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu
ATL gets: Jalen Duren
Why Detroit says yes: For the same reasons they’d say yes to the first deal, though, NAW’s contract is probably the prized possession of this trade. While Okongwu doesn’t have a ton of size, he has turned into quite the stretch five. He averaged 15/7/3 on 48%/38%/76% last season while shooting more than five threes per game. Both guys are young enough to stick around with Detroit’s core.
Why Atlanta says yes: Atlanta is primed to make a big splash at some point this season, and it’s not a secret they’re looking for a center. Rudy Gobert was rumored to be on their watch list to reunite him with head coach Quin Snyder, but if Minnesota is still looking to compete with Gobert, Atlanta pivoting to Jalen Duren could be an appealing idea.
Why Jalen Duren says yes: He’ll get paid more than what Detroit is reportedly offering him.
Shoutout to Based Pistons from Bluesky for the idea on this one!
Option #3
Option #3 just had to be a three-team deal, right?
DET gets: Chet Holmgren and Jordan Hawkins
NOP gets: Jalen Duren
OKC gets: Trey Murphy III and Duncan Robinson
Why Detroit says yes: Ever since Chet Holmgren faded in the playoffs against Wemby and OKC drafted Aday Mara while also extending Isaiah Hartenstein, I’ve wondered what it would take to get Chet to Detroit. He averaged 17/9/2 while shooting 56%/36%/79% in 69 games last season. Pairing him with Ausar Thompson would make Detroit the best defensive team in the league, and he’s a career 37% three-point shooter. Sign me up!
Why New Orleans says yes: Troy Weaver.
Why Oklahoma City says yes: With the addition of Aday Mara, he and Hartenstein combined will make $12 million less than Holmgren. If there’s a world where OKC wants to continue cutting costs, turning Chet into TMIII and Duncan is a great cost-saving move. The two J-Wills and TMIII could fill the minutes at PF while Hartenstein and Mara hold down the C position. Shai’s 4yr/$272m extension starts after this season, so future moves may be needed in OKC to prevent them from reaching the second apron.
Why Jalen Duren says yes: He’ll get paid more than what Detroit is reportedly offering him.
What say you, DBB? Any interest in any of the above trade ideas?
Executive Chairman of the Walt Disney Company Bob Iger arrives at the world premiere for the film “The King’s Man” at Leicester Square in London, Britain on Monday, December 6, 2021. (X03696) REUTERS
Apparently with whiplash-inducing speed. Iger and Kushner were pursuing a majority stake in a potential NBA expansion team in Las Vegas through Thrive Eternal, which is the permanent capital holding company launched by Thrive Capital, which Kushner founded.
“As you may have read or heard, we were involved in pursuing the new franchise in Vegas,” Iger told Khobi Price of the California Post.
“And while that happened, it was suggested to us that maybe Mark Walter would be interested in selling his stake in the Lakers. And we immediately decided that given the value of the franchise and the iconic nature of the team that we would be really smart to pursue it. And we did.”
“The deal came together in three days. It’s that simple.”
Why is Mark Walter selling the Lakers 14 months after buying the team?
Mark Walter attends the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation annual Blue Diamond Gala at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images North America) Getty Images
We’re not sure.
Was it because he could make a $2.5 billion profit?
Did it have anything to do with the fact that insurance companies he owned are being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission?
What we do know is that Walter is not expected to sell the Dodgers, which his ownership group purchased for $2.15 billion in 2012.
Does this mean anything for Luka Doncic?
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts on the court during the first half on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. (Corey Sipkin) Corey Sipkin for NY Post
Doncic wanted to retire with the Dallas Mavericks before he was stunningly traded to the Lakers in February 2025 in what was widely considered one of the most surprising deals in sports history. Since then, he has undergone two ownership changes.
It has been dizzying for the 27-year-old, who finished fourth in MVP voting last season.
Doncic was heavily involved with the revamping of the Lakers’ roster this offseason, including the acquisition of center Walker Kessler. Doncic, who signed a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension with the Lakers in August 2025, has a player option for the 2028-2029 season.
“Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA,” Doncic wrote. “I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together.”
What does this mean for Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick?
Iger has already spoken with Lakers coach JJ Redick, whom he has known for a long time. Iger was a season ticket holder when Redick played for the LA Clippers. He has even made several appearances on Redick’s former podcast, “The Old Man and the Three.” They both live in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles.
As for Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka, it’s unclear if Iger has spoken to him yet. Pelinka has been with the Lakers for nine years after joining the franchise as general manager in 2017.
What happens to Jeanie Buss?
Mark Walter, left, a majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Jeanie Buss, minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, talk as the Lakers play the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Jeanie Buss had an agreement with previous ownership to remain as governor for four more years. Will that agreement remain intact under new ownership?
Yes.
When the Buss family sold the Lakers to Walter, there was an agreement for her to remain the team’s governor for at least five years. Iger intends to honor that arrangement.
“We have enormous respect and appreciation for Jeanie, her father and what they’ve contributed to this franchise,” Iger told the California Post.
“And we have every intention to honor the agreement that was made between Mark and Jeanie. If things change, they’ll change. But we’re going into this with enormous respect and appreciation for who she is and what she represents in the organization.”
Josh Kushner is a minority owner of the Heat. How does that work?
Kushner became a minority owner of the Grizzlies in 2019 before selling his share to become a minority owner of the Heat.
He will have to sell his share in the Heat before taking over the Lakers.
A detailed view of the Los Angeles Lakers logo at midcourt before the game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images North America) Getty Images
Los Angeles, CA - February 22: Jeanie Buss during the statue unveiling for former Lakers coach Pat Riley in Star Plaza in front of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 22, 2026. Riley won 4 championships as Lakers head coach. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
This sale is not only a shock, but comes with many questions. One very notable one is what happens to current governor Jeanie Buss?
When Walter took over the team, the agreement was that Jeanie would remain as governor for at least five years. However, just one season as the Lakers’ owner, Walter is gone. However, it looks like Jeanie will stay in her position.
Iger told the Post he and Kushner intend to honor the agreement made between Walter and Buss.
“We have enormous respect and appreciation for Jeanie, her father and what they’ve contributed to this franchise,” Iger said. “And we have every intention to honor the agreement that was made between Mark and Jeanie. If things change, they’ll change, but we’re going into this with enormous respect and appreciation for who she is and what she represents in the organization.”
It certainly sounds like Jeanie won’t be leaving her position with the franchise anytime soon. However, Iger did leave himself some leeway by saying, “If things change, they’ll change.”
Transitions of power in the NBA can be tricky. When Mark Cuban sold the Mavericks, he believed he would continue to have control of the basketball operations and clearly that didn’t happen.
The difference between that situation and the original one with Jeanie was that she got it in writing, making it official. If it’s a handshake agreement, you can see how that turns out. For now, Iger seems open to the idea of keeping Jeanie on.
A detail view of a rally towel with the Emirates NBA Cup logo. This rally towel was a giveaway during the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup championship game in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As part of its weeklong schedule release (sigh), the NBA announced the schedule for the group-play round of the Emirates NBA Cup on Wednesday.
We already knew that the Sixers were placed into a Group of Death with the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. Granted, that news quickly got buried by the Sixers trading for Jaylen Brown that same day and signing LeBron James on a veteran-minimum contract a few weeks later.
Now that the dust has finally started to settle on the offseason, the NBA Cup now looks like a valuable early-season measuring stick for the new-look Sixers. Each opponent will provide a different challenge, but all four figure to be vying for playoff spots this year right alongside the Sixers.
Let’s briefly dive in to what each matchup could tell us about the Sixers early in the year.
Oct. 30 vs. New York Knicks
We found out Tuesday that the Sixers will tip off the season by taking on the reigning champion Knicks in New York on opening night. They’ll face them again 10 days later, except they’ll be back home in Philly for both teams’ NBA Cup opener.
We’ll find out the Sixers’ full schedule Thursday, but in all likelihood, this will be their first chance to face the same opponent for the second time in the 2026-27 season. That means this will be their first chance to make playoff-style adjustments based on what happened in the season opener.
The Knicks’ fan takeover of the Wells Fargo Center in last year’s playoffs is also still a sore spot for the organization. Granted, with LeBron and Brown now in the fold, tickets might be almost as expensive in Philly this season as they are at Madison Square Garden. Still, this will likely be our first chance to see whether Knicks fans are able to pack the stands at the WFC as prominently as they have in past years.
The on-court matchups should be fascinating, too. The Knicks have two elite wing defenders in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby who figure to draw the primary assignment on Brown and LeBron. Can Skinny Joel Embiid hang with Karl-Anthony Towns, particularly when he floats out to the perimeter? Will Tyrese Maxey look to hunt Jalen Brunson? And can VJ Edgecombe stop Josh Hart from inexplicably shooting 50 percent from deep every time he plays the Sixers?
Last, but certainly not least: Ariel Hukporti Revenge Game loading?
Nov. 6 at Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers will be a very different matchup for the Sixers than the Knicks stylistically. The Cavs run a double-big lineup with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, so whichever one of them avoids Embiid as their primary defender should have a clear height advantage.
The Cavaliers also have an elite scoring guard in Donovan Mitchell and an elite passing guard in James Harden, which should keep Maxey and Edgecombe busy defensively. However, the soon-to-be 37-year-old Harden might as well have a bullseye tattooed on his face whenever he’s on defense, as Brunson proved in last year’s playoffs.
Given the “there’s only one ball” concern-trolling surrounding the Sixers, this game should give them an opportunity to prove how they present opponents with an impossible pick-your-poison dilemma. If they relentlessly hunt Harden all night regardless of whom he’s defending, it might force the Cavs to consider pulling him off the floor entirely.
That could be a preview of how the new-look Sixers can maximize their powers while still avoiding the typical your-turn, my-turn tug-of-war that tends to come with superstar tandems.
Nov. 25 vs. Miami Heat
TrueHoop’s David Thorpe is wondering who on the Sixers can stop Giannis Antetokounmpo. This might be their first chance of the season to answer that question.
Like the Cavs, the Heat will trot out a double-big starting lineup with the Greek Freak and Bam Adebayo. That size could prove problematic for the Sixers, who will be on the smaller side with LeBron likely starting at the 4.
But unlike the Cavs, the Heat do not have a star guard to help shoulder some of the scoring load, with all due respect to Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson. Barring another 80-point eruption from Adebayo, it’s unclear whether the Heat have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Sixers.
The Heat largely abandoned pick-and-rolls last season, although they’ll presumably reinvent their offense again around Antetokounmpo this year. Luckily, the Sixers will have roughly a month’s worth of games to scout before this Cup showdown, so they shouldn’t be caught totally off guard by any unforeseen wrinkles.
Really, this might come down to whether Antetokounmpo (or Simone Fontecchio?) can go full Superman mode. That’s what would happen in the playoffs, too, so this could be an early-season test for the Sixers in that regard.
Nov. 27 at Indiana Pacers
Given the massive shakeups that happened around the league this offseason, the Pacers are largely flying under the radar heading into the year. Somehow, everyone seems to have memory-holed that they were one win away from winning the 2025 NBA Finals.
Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 campaign to recover from the torn Achilles that he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, but he’ll have more than a month to shake off the rust before this matchup. He’ll also have a new center in Ivica Zubac, whom the Pacers acquired ahead of the February trade deadline.
Zubac played only five games for the Pacers last season, but he and Pascal Siakam should form an imposing frontcourt when healthy. Much like with the Heat and Cavaliers, the Sixers will have to figure out how to counter the size disadvantage they face whenever that duo is on the floor together.
But as their team name would imply, the real concern with the Pacers is their pace. They tend to fly up and down the floor, leveraging their depth to stay fresh. Outside of Embiid, the new-look Sixers should also be a dynamo in transition, but head coach Nick Nurse tends to overplay his starters. That could lead to late-game fatigue against Indiana in particular.
Dec. 4-11: Knockout rounds?
Through the first three iterations of the NBA Cup, the Sixers have yet to advance past the group-play stage. Despite the star power they added this offseason, it won’t be easy for them to snap that trend this year, either. They’ll be working through some early-season kinks while other Eastern Conference title hopefuls aim to send a message against them.
Given the projected strength of their group, it’s hard to imagine any team going 4-0 in group play. A 3-1 record might the best that any team can realistically hope for. Point differential is the tiebreaker for teams with the same record, so the Sixers will have incentive to run up the score in all of their group-play games.
If they make it to the knockout rounds, the quarterfinals and semifinals will be held in normal NBA team markets. The championship is moving out of Las Vegas this year and is headed to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis instead. And teams in the knockout round also receive a cash prize depending on how far they advance, which is a nice bonus, especially with LeBron playing on a minimum contract this year. (The prize for winning the Cup is more than 1/8 of his total salary!)
The Knicks won the Cup last year and went on to win the actual championship, although the first two Cup champions did not have similar playoff success. So, even if the new-look Sixers fail to bring the Cup to Philly, it doesn’t mean they’re destined for a playoff letdown.
But if the Sixers do go on a deep run in the Cup, they’ll be well ahead of schedule, particularly given the strength of their group in the opening stage.
Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler University in Indianapolis will be the site of the NBA Cup championship game on Dec. 11. (Darron Cummings / Associated Press)
The Lakers start the in-season tournament on Oct. 30 on the road against the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m. PDT on Prime Video, the NBA announced Wednesday during another stage of the schedule release that will wrap up Thursday. The NBA Cup opener is a second matchup in the first weeks of the season between the Lakers and the Warriors, who begin their regular-season schedules on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena.
The Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs are also in the Lakers’ five-team Group C. The Lakers have Cup home games against the Trail Blazers (Nov. 6, 7 p.m.) and Kings (Nov. 20, 7 p.m.) and play their last group-stage Cup game at San Antonio at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 27.
With 30 teams split into six groups for the NBA Cup, teams play a round-robin group stage before the top team in each group and the best second-place team in each conference advance to the eight-team quarterfinal stage.
The quarterfinals (Dec. 4 and Dec. 5) and semifinals (Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9) will be hosted in NBA team markets, a departure from the previous formats that placed only the quarterfinals in team arenas before playing the semifinal and championship in Las Vegas. The championship game, scheduled for Dec. 11, will be played at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The in-season tournament, now in its third season, was launched to increase the stakes during a long NBA regular season. It incentivized competition in part by dangling more than $500,000 in prize money for each player on the winning team.
The NBA Cup just produced its first NBA champion, with the New York Knicks becoming the first team to win the regular-season tournament and the NBA title in the same season.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 20: The sneakers worn by Nelly Junior Joseph #35 of the Atlanta Hawks during the game against the Boston Celtics during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 20, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE(Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 11: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves looks on in the seventh inning during the game against the New York Mets at Truist Park on August 11, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves may have lost the season series to the New York Mets, but a victory in tonight’s finale will earn them a much-needed series win following the series loss in the Bronx.
Take a look at today’s lineup – I don’t know about you, but I would’ve been pretty [heart eyes emoji] about this lineup on Opening Day:
Enough of the experiment (for now) – Walt Weiss has reinstated Ronald Acuña Jr. in the leadoff spot. He’ll also return to right field after DH’ing last night. He’ll trade spots with Drake Baldwin, who gets the day off from being behind the plate. Hitting third, Matt Olson could break the current four-way tie for the league’s HR lead with a couple more of his patented moonshots. Ozzie Albies hits cleanup followed by Michael Harris II. Mauricio Dubón gets the start at shortstop today and will bat sixth. LF Lane Thomas will hopefully live up to his lefty-crushing reputation as he bats seventh with Zac Thornton on the mound for the Mets. Austin Riley bats eighth, and Sean Murphy will serve as the battery mate for Tyler Mahle and hit ninth.
The New York Mets will also have last night’s catcher be their DH today – Francisco Alvarez remains in the lineup in the seven-hole. The top three in the order are also unchanged: AJ Ewing (LF), Francisco Lindor (SS), and Bo Bichette (3B). Carson Benge and Luis Robert Jr. swap so that Benge can hit cleanup. Jared Young and Brett Baty get the start at first and second base, respectively. Luis Torrens will bat ninth and catch for Thornton.
The New York Knicks headline a four-game slate to be played on Martin Luther King Day, January 18, this season. It's the 41st time the league will feature games on the federal holiday, which honors the slain civil rights leader.
The day starts with two Eastern Conference contenders, the Detroit Pistons visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland bounced the top-seeded Pistons from the playoffs in the second round last season.
King's birthplace of Atlanta, Georgia, hosts the next matchup of the day, with the Hawks playing the new-look Philadelphia 76ers. Atlanta has beaten Philadelphia nine straight times.
Madison Square Garden will welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game that features two of the league's most dynamic guards: NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and perennial All-Star Anthony Edwards.
In the nightcap, Memphis, the city where King was shot and killed in 1968, takes center stage, with the Grizzlies hosting the Houston Rockets. It will be the 24th time the Grizzlies have hosted a game on MLK Day, with Memphis posting an 8-15 record in those games.
As is customary, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves connected to the latest offseason news, but rather than a trade target or a free agent, we're talking international suspension.
On Wednesday, Hockey Canada, via an independent appeal board, has made a decision regarding a breach of conduct for the five acquitted players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case.
Forward Alex Formenton, who has been out of the NHL since 2022, has been reinstated by Hockey Canada effective immediately, but the other four players, including former Flyers goalie Carter Hart, will remain suspended.
According to the press release, Cal Foote will remain suspended until Nov. 10, Hart be suspended until Nov. 10, 2027, Dillon Dube will be suspended until Nov. 10, 2028, and Michael McLeod will be suspended until Nov. 10, 2030.
"The players had been formally suspended from Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs, pending the completion of the appeal process," the release said.
"As the independent investigation did not conclude that any other player on the 2018 National Junior Team breached Hockey Canada’s code of conduct, those players are eligible for consideration to participate in any Hockey Canada-sanctioned program, effective immediately.
However, any player under consideration to play on a national team will be subject to Hockey Canada’s enhanced screening process, which will continue to include a third-party review of the findings regarding the 2018 National Junior Team before being eligible to represent Canada internationally."
Hart, 27, is the only one of the five acquitted players to resume their NHL careers, having spent the last season with the Vegas Golden Knights after last playing for the Flyers in Jan. 2024.
In 18 regular season games, Hart went 13-3-3, eventually reuniting with his former Flyers head coach, John Tortorella, going on a fairytale run to the Stanley Cup Final before getting handily dealt with by the champion Carolina Hurricanes.
Despite a hot start, Hart ultimately finished his postseason run with a 14-8 record, a 2.56 GAA, and .909 save percentage, going ice-cold in the Final.
The Flyers' former second-round pick last represented Canada internationally at the 2019 IIHF Men's World Championships, where Canada lost to Finland in the final.
Hart was 3-0 for Canada in that tournament, and led all goalies who had played in at least three games with his .964 save percentage.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 06: Dustin May #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at American Family Field on August 06, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Although it’s August, the divisional races are starting to heat up; with these last couple of wins for San Diego, they find themselves in the mix for a Wild Card. For the Brewers, the heat has intensified with these last two losses; the Chicago Cubs now find themselves 4.0 games behind for first place.
With arguably one of the biggest series of the year looming with the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend, the Brewers look to salvage the final game of the series with the Padres with Dustin May on the mound.
May will be making his second start in a Brewers uniform after having a stellar first outing a week ago. He’ll try to build upon his six innings of two-run ball, with five strikeouts, in what feels like a must-need similar outing today.
Thankfully, the Brewers caught a break this afternoon as it came out that Pat Murphy misspoke when talking about injuries last night, stating that it was Jackson Chourio who hurt his thumb and not Brice Turang. With already a roughed-up infield, a blow to Turang on the right side would not have been ideal. However, Chourio is back in the lineup today, batting leadoff, and playing in left field. Also returning from injury is shortstop Joey Ortiz, who will look to fill a much-needed hole in the infield as Turang can slide back to second base.
Pat Murphy says he misspoke last night. It’s Jackson Chourio who is dealing with a sore thumb, not Brice Turang. Both are in today’s lineup at this particular point in time.
Other notable moves in the lineup is Jake Bauers will be in left field today, as Andrew Vaughn takes over at first base, and Luis Lara and Christian Yelich will be riding the pine in today’s series finale.
First pitch is 3:10 p.m., and you can find the game on Brewers.TV and WTMJ 620.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 11: Jacob Young #30 of the Washington Nationals hits a home run against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Nationals Park on August 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the most runs in all of baseball, the Nats have had a lot of offensive success stories this season. You could argue that Jacob Young made the biggest transformation out of anyone though. The defensive minded center fielder entered the season with just 5 career homers despite having near everyday reps the last two seasons. This year he has already hit double digits after a 427 foot bomb last night.
This offseason, adding power was a real focus for Young. He went to Driveline to improve his bat path and exit velocities. Between that instruction and the work by the Nats hitting coaches, Young has made tremendous strides at the plate while maintaining his elite defense. His OPS has gone from .583 to .719 thanks mostly to slugging. Young’s OBP is only up 16 points, but his slugging percentage has increased a whopping 120 points.
After yesterday’s game I asked Young if reaching double figures in home runs was a goal for him. Young said that was not really a goal he was looking at. Instead, he said he was working on “The internal goals of getting the ball in the air more, hitting it harder and chasing less. The home runs are just a byproduct of that”.
This is the ultimate Toboni era answer, at least in my opinion. Part of what the new regime is trying to instill is a process driven mindset. With the energetic Jacob Young, they have an eager Guinea Pig. The Nats center fielder is always looking to get better. Last season it was his infamous muscle gain before the season. However, with the new regime, he is now being led in the right direction.
On the broadcast Dan Kolko said something revealing after Young hit his home run. He said that Young reaching double digits in the home run column was “Pretty awesome for a guy who was told to hit the ball on the ground quite a bit”. This was pretty clearly a dig at the old regime who wanted Young to be a more prototypical slap hitter.
Jacob Young crushes his 10th HR and Dan Kolko appears to diss the old hitting coach (Darnell Coles) and manager (Davey Martinez) about hitting groundballs. pic.twitter.com/tst4hdF9lV
The data also backs up Kolko’s claim. Young’s average launch angle has risen from 3.8 degrees to 11 degrees. That means he is trying to lift the ball more and is up to do damage rather than slap ground balls. The steeper bat path has predictably lowered his ground ball rate significantly. In 2024 and 2025, Young had an identical 56.5% ground ball rate. Among qualified hitters, Young had the 7th highest ground ball rate last year, and that appears to be by design.
This season, that number has dropped to 40.6%, a nearly 16 point dip. Young is actually hitting the ball on the ground slightly less than the average hitter. A lot of Nats players have seen a dip in ground ball rate this year under hitting coach Matt Borgschulte. However, nobody has evolved as drastically as Young.
While Young is having a breakout offensive season, it has not been a totally linear progression. The Nats center fielder looked like his normal light hitting self through April, even if he had already hit two homers matching his 2025 total. However, the changes he made really seemed to click in May. He shockingly hit 5 homers that month and by May 20th, he had more homers in the 2026 season than he had his entire career before this year.
However, Young took a major step back at the plate in June, hitting just .186 with one homer. Young said the big problem that month was the fact he was chasing too much. The staff showed him the alarming data and talked to him about his approach right before the All-Star Break.
Something must have clicked during that conversation because since the break, Young is hitting .352 with a 1.057 OPS. Plate discipline has played a massive role in that with the 27 year old walking more than he is striking out in that time.
For the season, Young has been roughly a league average hitter with a 98 wRC+. That is more than enough for him to be an impactful starter though. In the field, Young is as good as ever, registering 12 outs above average in center. He has also been a better baserunner this year after being weirdly bad on the bases last year.
Young is 13 for 16 on steals this year. That is a major improvement on his abysmal 15 for 26 mark from 2025. His overall base running IQ has also been noticeably better this year. It is just another area where the former Florida Gator racks up value.
Overall, Jacob Young has been highly impactful for the Nats. He has 2.2 fWAR this season, which is actually tied for third on the team with the departed Luis Garcia. Young is ahead of names like Daylen Lile, Dylan Crews and Keibert Ruiz.
With the offensive strides Young has made this season, he has turned into such a nice player. When you look at the Nats outfield, there are guys with more pedigree and more offensive upside. However, you cannot forget about Jacob Young because he has proven to be able to produce in multiple different ways.
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 19: Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 19, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Russell Westbrook is calling it a career. The point guard announced his retirement from the NBA at age-37 on Wednesday after a brilliant career that spanned 18 seasons. Westbrook will be remembered as the 2017 NBA MVP, and the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson.
Westbrook retires as the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles with 209. It’s likely that record doesn’t last for long, because Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic already has 198 triple-doubles at age-31. Westbrook became the first player to average a triple-double for a season in 55 years on the way to his only MVP. He would average a triple-double in a season four times in his career, all with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Seattle SuperSonics selected Westbrook out of UCLA with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, but the franchise’s move to Oklahoma City was already in motion at that time. Westbrook joined Kevin Durant, who was drafted one year before him, and then teamed with James Harden one year later to form one of the best young trios in league history. The Thunder reached the 2012 NBA Finals where they lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat, and Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets the next year.
Westbrook reached new heights after Durant left for the Golden State Warriors in free agency in the summer of 2016. He put up numbers the league had never seen before in a super high usage role, but he was unable to lead OKC out of the first round of the playoffs. The Thunder traded him to the Houston Rockets for a package headlined by Chris Paul in the summer of 2019, which began a nomadic stage of his career.
Westbrook played for the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings before retiring. He averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds on 52.8 percent true shooting this past season with the Kings.
Westbrook will go down as one of the most polarizing players in league history, in part because he was unable to improve as a three-point shooter after his athleticism started to wane. In his prime, though, Westbrook was an absolute marvel with the most ferocious rim attacks the league had ever seen from a point guard.
SB Nation wrote about Westbrook so much over the years. Here are a few of my favorite pieces.
The sale has not been finalized by the NBA but is expected to be worth more than $12 billion. It would be the second time the Lakers have been sold in the past two years.
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Iger is no stranger to the sports world, overseeing ESPN, which is an entity under The Walt Disney Company, while serving as Disney’s CEO from 2005 to 2020, and then again from 2022 until March of this year.
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He helped launch ESPN's new direct-to-consumer platform in 2025. The company initially launched its ESPN+ streaming service in April 2018 during Iger’s first tenure as CEO.
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Iger also helped shepherd the Disney company through many of its multibillion-dollar acquisitions, from Pixar in 2006 and Marvel in 2009. He secured Lucasfilm in 2012 for more than $4 billion, sparking an ambitious relaunch of the "Star Wars" franchise across film and TV.
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In recent years, Iger helped expand "Star Wars" and Marvel into the Disney theme parks, and spearheaded the opening of Disneyland in Shanghai.
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Iger was the brainchild behind one of the company’s largest acquisitions, the purchase of 20th Century Fox, which includes properties such as Hulu, FX and National Geographic, in 2018 for $71 billion.
"Laker fans, you couldn’t have two better owners. I’ve known Bob personally for over 40 years - he has always loved the Lakers and basketball, and he will bring championships back to LA."
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The Lakers last won an NBA championship in 2020.
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Johnson served as the star point guard for the Lakers during the late 1990s before later becoming the President of Basketball Operations from 2017-19.
"Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA," Doncic said. "I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together."
The sale to businessman Joshua Kushner and former Disney CEO Robert Iger would mark the highest amount ever paid for a North American sports franchise, surpassing the $10 billion that Walter paid for the Lakers. — Scooby Axson
The Los Angeles Lakers have two new owners, after Bob Iger and Josh Kushner purchased the franchise from Mark Walter for a jaw-dropping $12.5 billion sum.
It didn’t take long for Lakers superstar guard Luka Dončić to weigh in on the sale, as he made a social media post in the wake of the deal that read, “Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA.
“I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together,” he added.
Luka Dončić of the Los Angeles Lakers made a social media post in the wake of the multibillion-dollar deal. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
This sentiment from Dončić earned the approval of Jeanie Buss, who is still the Lakers’ Team Governor after selling her majority stake to Walter for $10 billion in 2025.
Buss responded to Dončić’s X post and wrote, “Perfectly said ”.
“We have enormous respect and appreciation for Jeanie, her father and what they’ve contributed to this franchise,” Iger said. “And we have every intention to honor the agreement that was made between Mark and Jeanie. If things change, they’ll change, but we’re going into this with enormous respect and appreciation for who she is and what she represents in the organization.”
Barring anything unforeseen, it makes sense why she would be in a good mood.
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