CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 22: Starting pitcher Bailey Ober #17 of the Minnesota Twins pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 22, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):12:40 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe:Royals Review
After getting shutout by notorious ex-Twin Randy Dobnak last night, the Twins will try to get things back on track facing someone ever harder than a journeyman pitcher with a Triple-A ERA over 5: an anonymous lefty with an ERA just below 5.
The Twins looked like one of the league’s best offenses from June 1 onward, but have scuttled coming out of the All-Star Break and still have hit 0 home runs since then. Not exactly a good way to right the ship. It won’t be getting any easier with Byron Buxton on the IL for the second time this month and with the team scheduled to facing the grueling trio of Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby this weekend in Seattle. The Twins could have used the Buxton injury to bring a jolt to the lineup with one of their top 20 prospects crushing it at AAA, but instead we got the return of Tristan Gray who has a .566 OPS in St. Paul since being optioned. Oh and recently DFA’d backup catcher Alex Jackson is starting at first base.
Tom Pohlad and Jeremy Zoll say they expect to buy at the trade deadline which means they want to win, but it’s hard to believe there’s a scenario where Tristan Gray puts this team in a better spot than Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, or even lower ranked players like Hendry Mendez, Gabriel Gonzalez, or Kyler Fedko. Gray had two big hits at the beginning of the year and has apparently carried that momentum to hold a roster spot hostage. He can’t really hit, makes Brooks Lee look like Gold Glover at short, and is a slow, bad baserunner.
It’s entirely possible Jenkins or Culpepper aren’t ready, but why not let them try? We know what Gray is and at 30 years old, he’s not getting any better. In the meantime, let’s at least try to scrape some runs across against a bad pitcher and sneak out of here at .500 and with another series win under their belts.
Both franchises still intend to complete the deal, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, despite uncertainty over when the league will conclude its investigation into allegations that the Clippers circumvented salary-cap rules to compensate Leonard.
The nearly year-long probe centers on a four-year, $28 million endorsement agreement Leonard received from Aspiration, a now-bankrupt company that previously held a major sponsorship deal with the Clippers.
The Raptors and Clippers still plan to complete Kawhi Leonard’s trade despite an NBA investigation that could extend into 2027. Getty ImagesSteve Ballmer looks on during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers NBAE via Getty Images
Los Angeles owner Steve Ballmer has acknowledged introducing Leonard to Aspiration but denied arranging or knowing about the endorsement agreement. The Clippers and Leonard have consistently denied wrongdoing.
The league is examining whether the endorsement was legitimate or an improper method of funneling additional money to Leonard outside his NBA contract.
Holmes reported that the investigation could extend into next year if the league, Clippers, Leonard and National Basketball Players Association cannot agree on the findings or any proposed punishment.
The union would reportedly be prepared to take the case to arbitration if it believed the NBA attempted to discipline Leonard without sufficient evidence. That process could add months to an investigation that has already complicated one of the offseason’s biggest moves.
Toronto Raptors NBA basketball team president Masai Ujiri speaks about acquiring Kawhi Leonard in a trade AP
Toronto and Los Angeles reportedly agreed to the trade on June 30. Leonard would return to the franchise he led to the 2019 championship, while the Clippers would receive a package headlined by Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple draft picks.
The transaction was placed on hold after the NBA informed Toronto that it would assume the risk of any punishment affecting Leonard once the trade became official.
Potential discipline could include fines, lost draft picks, suspensions for team personnel or even the voiding of Leonard’s contract. Exactly how any penalty would affect a completed trade remains unclear.
That uncertainty explains Toronto’s reluctance to finalize the deal before the league reaches a decision. It has not, however, changed the Raptors’ desire to reunite with Leonard.
Shortly after the trade, Raptors team president Masai Ujiri expressed confidence in Leonard’s mindset.
“He is determined and seems in the right frame of mind,” Ujiri said. “You will be hearing from him shortly. I think there is a fire inside of him and we are all excited about that.”
The 35-year-old is coming off a career-best scoring season, averaging 27.9 points across 65 appearances.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently expressed hope that the investigation would conclude before the regular season, but no formal deadline has been announced.
The Raptors and Clippers are therefore preparing to move forward while waiting for a process they cannot control.
Leonard’s return to Toronto still appears to be the expected outcome. The only question is whether it happens before training camp, before the regular season—or after the investigation becomes a problem that follows both teams into 2027.
James and ESPN are reportedly nearing an agreement on a documentary series that would follow his time with the Philadelphia 76ers while revisiting the defining moments of his career, according to The Athletic.
Negotiations are said to be at the “one-yard line,” although financial terms and a potential release date remain unknown. ESPN and a representative for James declined to comment on the report.
LeBron James and ESPN are reportedly close to a ‘Last Dance’-style documentary chronicling his final NBA chapter with the 76ers. NBAE via Getty Images
Should the deal be finalized, cameras would follow James throughout his first season in Philadelphia, where he will begin a record-extending 24th NBA campaign. The series would also pull from an extensive archive of footage collected since James emerged as a national phenomenon at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.
That could provide viewers with previously unseen material from a career that has stretched across Cleveland, Miami, Los Angeles and now Philadelphia.
The obvious comparison is Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance,” the 10-part ESPN documentary centered on the Chicago Bulls’ 1997-98 championship season. Cameras received extraordinary access to Jordan and the Bulls during their final title run, although the series was not released until 2020.
A James project would only intensify the debate that has followed both superstars for years. Jordan’s documentary revisited the end of a dynasty. James’ version could capture the conclusion of the other career most commonly mentioned in basketball’s greatest-player conversation.
Michael Jordan and Ron Harper are all smiles as a playoff game in 1998 winds down. Phil Velasquez/TNS via ZUMA Wire / Shutterstock
The biggest unanswered question is whether this is actually James’ final season.
The 41-year-old called joining Philadelphia his “last decision,” but he signed a two-year contract and reportedly holds a player option after the 2026-27 campaign. His agent, Rich Paul, has also left open the possibility that James could play beyond the next two seasons.
That uncertainty could affect when the series reaches television. A documentary chronicling James’ arrival in Philadelphia would already carry enormous interest, but its impact would be greater if the footage ultimately captured his final games.
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers on court against the Cleveland Cavaliers Getty Images
James chose the 76ers after ending an eight-season run with the Lakers, whom he helped lead to the 2020 championship. He now joins a star-heavy Philadelphia roster featuring Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and newly acquired Jaylen Brown.
The move was made with a fifth championship in mind. If the 76ers can deliver one while cameras document the season, James could produce the Hollywood ending Jordan enjoyed with Chicago.
Unlike “The Last Dance,” however, nobody yet knows when James will take his final bow.
“Oh, my wife hates it,” the veteran pitcher said Wednesday night, when asked about the seemingly increasing likelihood that the Dodgers could trade him before next Monday’s deadline.
“I love it here. I think I’m thriving here,” he later added. “And I would love to be part of this team.”
Dodgers pitcher Eric Lauer is aware that he could be used in any trade involving the Dodgers ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. Getty ImagesLauer has been great for the Dodgers since joining the team, going 5-0 with a 2.96 ERA in nine starts. MLB Photos via Getty Images
All too aware of his situation, however, Lauer knows he might not be over the next couple days.
When the Dodgers acquired the 31-year-old left-hander earlier this year, plucking him off the DFA scrap heap in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, they told him early on that his stint might only be temporary; that he was a stopgap for a rotation that had endured a couple key early injuries.
“I was aware of coming over here that it might be like a rental thing,” he said. “There’s some big guys that have injuries that there was just a need. So, see a need, fill a need kind of thing.”
And though Lauer has exceeded all expectations since then –– going 5-0 with a 2.96 ERA in nine Dodgers outings, all of which have also been Dodgers wins –– that need he was filling will soon be invalidated, with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and (eventually) Shohei Ohtani all expected to rejoin the team’s rotation for the stretch run of the year.
That has meant, for a Dodgers team long inclined to selling excess players at the deadline in hopes of cashing on inflated midseason prices, Lauer has long looked like a potential trade candidate:
Superfluous on the Dodgers’ roster. But capable of perhaps netting them a prospect at the deadline.
The Dodgers have a history of similar deals, having turned James Paxton into one lottery-ticket talent in 2024 (Moises Bolivar, a 19-year-old infielder who had an .839 OPS in the Arizona Complex League this year), and Dustin May into two higher-ranked prospects after being squeezed out of the rotation last summer (James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard, both of whom have had impressive seasons in triple-A Oklahoma City).
Still, the fact that Lauer has become the latest such candidate is a testament to the turnaround he has made since coming to Los Angeles, where his ERA has been less than half what it was in a swingman role for the Blue Jays earlier this season.
“He’s been great,” manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday night, after Lauer pitched six shutout innings with only one hit allowed in a 4-2 win over the Mariners. “He was always good against us, with just the makeup, the preparedness. And what he’s done for us as far as giving us length – it seems like every time he pitches, we win.”
Lauer threw 6.0 innings of one-hit ball in Wednesday’s 4-2 victory over the Mariners. Getty ImagesLauer isn’t the only one who wants to stay in Los Angeles, as his wife is also a fan of So Cal. Getty Images
Lauer gave credit back to the Dodgers on Wednesday night, saying everything (and everyone) in the organization is “geared towards winning the day and winning the pitch.”
He also noted the renewed confidence he has found in his slider and his changeup of late, which helped him rediscover his career-reviving form from 2025 (when he had a 3.18 ERA with the Blue Jays after returning to MLB from a stint in South Korea).
“The changeup for me has always kind of been like the holy grail of what I need to round out my repertoire and get something going armside,” Lauer said. “So being able to just be confident using that now and mixing that in a lot more has been huge to keep guys off balance.”
Lauer’s departure from the Dodgers is not yet a fait acompli.
It will still be at least several weeks, after all, until the team’s rotation is back at full strength. And even then, Lauer could provide value as a swingman in the bullpen, especially if the Dodgers look to curb the late-season workloads of some of their bigger starting arms.
For now, Lauer said he has not heard anything recently from the front office about his chances of getting traded.
“I don’t think that that’s really something that a player would necessarily even want [to know],” he noted. “You don’t want to play GM too much in your head because then you start getting away from what your job is and how you prepare. Thinking you’re halfway out of the game, you’re halfway out of the clubhouse, that’s just never good for anybody.”
In a perfect world for the Dodgers, however, Lauer would likely not be part of their preferred playoff pitching staff.
While he has unlocked a renewed level of consistency with the team, he still lacks the kind of overpowering stuff usually required in October, averaging a nearly league-worst 91 mph with his fastball and barely five strikeouts-per-nine-innings.
Somewhere else, he might be more valued. For a number of pitching-hungry playoff contenders, he could be a more attainable alternative to rounding out a rotation.
Right now, Lauer isn’t trying to think about that.
“Those decisions are made way above my pay grade,” he said.
Alas, he also understands the reality of his situation, too; acknowledging that, even after one of his best starts with the Dodgers on Wednesday night, he knows that it could very well also be his last.
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A former Pittsburgh Penguins forward is heading to one of their division rivals.
The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have signed forward Colin White to a one-year, two-way contract. At the NHL level, the former Penguins forward will have a $900,000 cap hit with the Devils.
White signing this two-way deal with the Devils comes after he spent all of last season in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda. In 46 games with the AHL club in 2025-26, he posted 21 goals, 27 assists, and 48 points.
White most recently played at the NHL level during the 2024-25 season, where he had zero points in three games with the San Jose Sharks. Now, he will be looking to make New Jersey's roster after signing this new deal.
White appeared in 11 games for Pittsburgh during the 2023-24 season, where he had zero points, eight shots, and 11 hits. He also posted five goals and 10 points in 21 AHL games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during that campaign.
In 323 career NHL games over nine seasons split between the Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, and Sharks, White has posted 44 goals, 69 assists, and 113 points.
Something about Colin White and Jersey just feels right.
Good morning New York! So you broke a championship curse that spanned five decades. Fifty-three years since the last banner went up, and now there’s a new one. Welcome to the club nobody tells you the rules of until you’re already a member. You are the curse breaker, the uplifter of community, the beacon of hope. You’re also the biggest target alive.
Welcome to being the 2015 Warriors after the parade.
Minnesota traded Towns cause he was "washed"…
Dallas refused to pay Brunson cause "he's not that good"…
Nets traded Bridges cause he "has no future"…
Raptors got rid of OG to "save on the cap"
Blazers got rid of Josh Hart cause he's "too emotional"…
I say that with love, because as an Oakland kid who watched his longsuffering franchise FINALLY make good, I lived it. That team walked into the next season with the same core, the same coach, the same swagger, and it still didn’t repeat. Golden State went 73 wins deep the year after and still watched someone else hoist the trophy. Talent wasn’t the problem and neither was continuity wasn’t the problem. The problem is that winning a title doesn’t freeze the league in place around you. Rather, it wakes the whole league up. Every single franchise has to look at itself and say “whoa if that box of misfit toys can win, why can’t we?”. And right now, the whole league is very much awake.
I distinctly recall the Warriors having to battle a myriad of “lucky” allegations that drove the team into a psychopathic competitive zone. The Knicks are gonna have to find some of that juice to make the new climb.
Let’s start with what New York already knows is coming. Mitchell Robinson is gone to the rival Celtics. Miami paired Giannis Antetokounmpo with Bam Adebayo. Philadelphia is running out Jaylen Brown next to LeBron James. Both the Celtics and 76ers are in their division! And every night, the Knicks are gonna get everyone’s best punch. Every opponent will be hyped to face the champs and embarrass them.
Teams that “concern” me as a Knicks fan
1.) Pacers- teams having another teams number(any sport) is real and I don’t like that…Haliburton is a problem
2.) Celtics- their floor is like 48 wins and Jayson Tatum is a problem adding Mitch is a problem
I know the counterargument, because it’s the same one Warriors fans told themselves in 2015. Continuity is an edge. The Knicks added Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges and needed real time to figure out how those pieces fit, and now they get to run it back with that learning already paid for while half the league starts from zero. That’s real.
But then there’s the part nobody wants to say out loud, the championship hangover. It’s not a myth. Winning a championship changes what every day feels like, and the teams that repeat are the ones who fight that change instead of pretending it isn’t happening. Jalen Brunson, Mike Brown, OG Anunoby, they’ve got the reputation for grinding through adversity. But adversity from an opponent and adversity that comes with finally getting everything you wanted are two very different monsters, and only one of them shows up on tape.
Here’s what should actually worry Knicks fans more than any of that. This team has made a habit of getting knocked down before it gets back up. Down 2-9 to start the year. Down 2-1 to Atlanta. Down 22 to Cleveland in the fourth quarter. Down 29 to San Antonio at the half. Every single time, they answered, and that resilience is real and it’s earned. But resilience like that usually gets built by being an underdog, by being counted out, by having something to prove. Nobody counts out the defending champs. The Knicks are about to spend an entire season being the hunted instead of the hunter for the first time in this era, and we genuinely don’t know yet if that changes how they play when adversity hits, because they’ve never had to find out.
So no, I’m not telling you it’s impossible. Nobody’s won back to back since 2018, and someone has to be first again eventually. But history is cruel because winning it once and winning it twice require two completely different versions of hunger, and only one team in the last decade has figured out how to hold both at the same time.
Do you know who that team was? Here’s a hint: they ran LeBron out of Cleveland.
Even while new allegations swirl around it, nearly everyone in league circles — and particularly the LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors — want the alleged salary cap circumvention case about Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers to wrap up fast. However, if Leonard or the Clippers decide to fight any potential punishments, this saga likely would drag out into the season and maybe into 2027, according to a new report.
That's because the NBA's collective bargaining agreement says any cap-circumvention case — and potential punishments out of it — must go before a neutral arbitrator and, potentially, an appeals process. While NBA Commissioner Adam Silver can suggest punishments, the arbitrator would determine if the case has been made and if those punishments are appropriate to the offense.
Those appeals could drag out the process, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN, who discussed a timeline that could run into next year.
Sources close to the National Basketball Players Association with knowledge of the investigation said the union wouldn't hesitate to take the matter to arbitration if the NBA sought penalties without sufficient evidence proving the claim that the Clippers have denied since the league's inquiry began nearly 10 months ago.
On July 9, NBPA executive director David Kelly told reporters in Las Vegas that he didn't believe there was a "there, there" regarding whether the Clippers compensated Leonard through a $28 million endorsement deal that he signed in 2022 with the now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration, which also had a 23-year, $300 million endorsement deal with the Clippers.
There are a lot of competing interests here. If the investigation finds sufficient proof that the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer intended to circumvent the cap, Silver would have to come down hard on the team and its owner — but Ballmer has repeatedly professed his innocence and, by nature, is a fighter. He might not let this go. Then there is the players' union, and potentially Leonard himself, appealing things depending upon the punishment.
The best-case scenario for the league might be a "plea bargain" deal where the Clippers and league agree to whatever potential punishments would be handed down. Whether that kind of agreement could be reached is another question.
The Clippers and Toronto Raptors agreed to a trade that would send Leonard back to Toronto — where he won a title in 2019 — for a package centered around Brandon Ingram. However, that trade is on hold because the Raptors, understandably, don't want to trade for Leonard with the threat of a potential suspension hanging over him.
In Las Vegas for Summer League, Silver said that the entire case "needs to be wrapped up before the beginning of next season," but even when he said it that timeline raised eyebrows around the league. Now that timeline seems optimistic at best, which leads to questions about the future of the Leonard trade to Toronto.
Leonard’s secret soccer team
One of the reasons Silver's timeline seemed optimistic were reports that the investigation had widened beyond just the Aspiration endorsement — and may include a Rhode Island soccer team.
Leonard and his associates became involved around the same time that [Rhode Island FC founder Brett] Johnson was struggling to secure enough private financing to move ahead with construction of Rhode Island FC's new 10,000-seat stadium in Pawtucket, which cost more than $130 million to build. The previously undisclosed role of Leonard underscores how little has been known about who was backing the stadium deal, even with tens of millions in taxpayer funds on the line. Rhode Island FC has never publicly disclosed the identities of its full ownership group.
Leonard's quiet involvement here raises questions on a couple of fronts. One is simply publicity — when star athletes in other sports invest in the USL, the league and teams publicize it, as happened with Russell Westbrook, for example. It also happened when former Celtics big man Daniel Theis joined Rhode Island's ownership group three years ago.
Potentially more interesting was something else reported by Torre: During 2019, when "uncle" Dennis reportedly was making extravagant and improper demands from teams recruiting a free agent Leonard — such as giving him a home, access to a private plane and, most concerningly, a no-show endorsement deal — one of them was to make him part owner of a professional sports team.
That is not proof that Leonard's investment in the team isn't legitimate or doesn't come from his own pocket, it just is another question. RIFC founder Johnson said this to WPRI about Leonard and associates' investment.
"They're particularly interested in real estate, finding ways to invest in housing, particularly in low-income areas," Johnson said.
The building of the stadium was supposed to come with other developments, such as a hotel and about 400 housing units. That housing has yet to be built, despite having received local approvals and some tax deals. The company has applied for more taxpayer subsidies.
NEWARK, NJ - JULY 02: New Jersey Devils Mikhail Yegorov (40) tends the net during the New Jersey Devils 2025 Development Camp at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center on July 2, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There is still much to be decided and determined before the New Jersey Devils take the ice to open the 2026-27 season. While GM Sunny Mehta has seemingly settled on a three goalie system at the NHL level for the year, it leaves questions regarding the team’s AHL affiliate and beyond. With about six weeks until players start reporting for training camp, there’s still a lot of variables at play; Coach Sheldon Keefe might only want to keep two of said goalies on his roster for example. But until the team actually comes together, as of right now Jake Allen, Nico Daws and David Rittich are all on the NHL roster.
Looking over at Puckpedia, this leaves only Jakub Malek in Utica on a contract where he could be brought to New Jersey if needed. However, Tyler Brennan and Jeremy Brodeur are both still with Utica on AHL deals. While both of those players can be loaned to Adirondack of the ECHL (which is where they both spent most of the 2025-26 season) they are technically available to Utica. If the Devils stand pat and don’t add anyone to the roster, and additionally they do not demote one of the three NHL level goalies, they still have enough tenders to fill out at least the NHL and AHL rosters. While I’m not entirely familiar with Adirondack at the ECHL level, I would be willing to bet they have another goalie to fill out their ranks if one of Brodeur/Brennan stay in Utica.
If Devils management is trying to better the team at every level though, they might want to consider inking one of the unsigned goalies also listed on that Puckpedia page to a deal. Jeremy Brodeur is already 29, and hasn’t progressed beyond being an ECHL regular; he’s unlikely to be anything more than a minor league player at this point. While Tyler Brennan is only on the cusp of turning 23, he doesn’t seem to be making much progress either. While Jakub Malek could wind up eventually making the jump to the NHL level, the Devils could use to get another prospect under contract to take reps and play within the Devils’ system. Mikhail Yegorov, Veeti Louhivaara, Trenten Bennett and Daniil Rusakovich all have their rights held by New Jersey and perhaps one could join the organization soon.
I think Rusakovich is the least likely to join right now for a couple of reasons. Not only was he just selected in the most recent draft, making him the youngest (and perhaps least polished) unsigned goalie, but the Devils hold his rights indefinitely due to the lack of a transfer agreement with the KHL and their affiliates. The Devils can afford to be patient with him. The other three goalies are all 20 (all born within a few months of each other to boot), however Bennett has an extra year for the Devils to sign him by due to him being drafted a year later. Again, with the earliest date the Devils would have to make a decision on him on being in 2029, I think he’s another case where the team can be patient.
If the Devils sign another undrafted prospect, it comes down to Louhivaara and Yegorov. Both Louhivaara and Yegorov had similar stats this season, but Yegorov played 13 more NCAA games this season than Louhivarra did USHL games. While I cannot speak to Veeti’s game beyond his stats, I had the benefit of being able to watch Mikhail live at a BU/UConn game this season. While he unfortunately got absolutely lit up that night, he was playing behind a rebuilding (read: awful) BU defense that gave up numerous odd-man rushes and breakaways. The plays where he was set, he looked composed and in control of the action, even when (again) his defense faltered in front of him.
With the hype around him, as well as from what I have personally viewed, I think Yegorov is the stronger contender to be signed by the Devils, At the same time, I think things may really depend on how the organization views Jakub Malek; if they rank him higher than Yegorov (and really all of the unsigned goalies) than the team may want him to play the larger share of AHL games. In that case, it wouldn’t matter if it was one o the ECHL guys from last year backing him up. If the plan is for the team to see what they have with as many goalies as possible to try and find an internal option for starting goalie, than signing Yegorov, Louhivaara or even Bennett to start narrowing down their options.
It may take until training camp gets underway and the Devils see which of the three 20 year olds performs the best, but I do think the Devils add another goalie for the AHL level this season. I also do not see them demoting one of the NHL goalies; depth continues to become more and more important for NHL teams, and I don’t think the Devils chance losing any of their depth in net on waivers, at least not this season. With that as part of the reason, I predict we are going to see two young Devils in Utica this season playing to see which one could be an NHL goalie in possibly the not too distant future.
What are your thoughts on the Devils potentially signing one of their unsigned goalie prospects to round out the AHL roster; do you have a preferred player you want to see under contract? Do you think the team waits to see how things shake out in training camp? Is it more likely the parent club demotes one of the three signed goalies? Do you see Utica calling up one of the ECHL goalies to complete their tandem? Leave any and all comments down below and thanks as always for reading!
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Keon Ellis #14, Michael Porter Jr. #17, Terance Mann #14 and Noah Clowney #21 of the Brooklyn Nets attend the game between the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 10, 2026 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Draft is over. The Summer League is over and it would appear that free agency, if not over, is basically done as well. Now comes the long Summer. From the end of Summer League on July 19 till the first preseason game on October 6, it will be all highlights and speculation along with Moe Wagner’s expected signing. Maybe there’ll be a surprise or two, but for the most part it’s about expectations.
—July 30 – August 4: Day’Ron Sharpe and Kenyon Martin tour China with stops in Shanghai and Huangzhou.
—August 2: 3:00 p.m. ET. WNBA trade deadline.
—August 5: Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks. Not applicable to the Nets. Tyler Bilodeau signed a two-way deal shortly after the Draft.
—August 31 – September 16: FIBA World Cup break for WNBA players, coaches.
—September 24: Last day of WNBA regular season.
—September 27: WNBA Playoffs begin.
—September 28: Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center.
—September 29: Nets Training Camp opens at HSS Training Center.
—October 1: Terance Mann eligible for three-year, $72.6 million extension starting in 2027-28. Again, highly unlikely.
—October 6: Brooklyn Nets open preseason vs. Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte. 7:00 p.m. ET.
—October 8: Brooklyn Nets host the Philadelphia 76ers and perhaps LeBron James at Barclays Center. 7:30 p.m. ET.
—October 12: Brooklyn Nets travel to Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Wizards at the Capital Center, 7:00 p.m. ET.
—October 14: Nets play fourth and final preseason game vs. Heat at Kaseya Center, Miami. 7:30 p.m. ET.
—October 19: Roster cut down day. Teams must get down to 15 standard deals and three two-ways.
—October 20: Opening Night, 2026-27 NBA season. Limited number of games.
—October 21: Likely opening night for Brooklyn Nets
—October 30: Emirates NBA Cup 2026 | Group Play tips off on Prime Video. Brooklyn Nets will play in East Group A alongside the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, and Milwaukee Bucks.
—October 31: Nets must extend each of the Flatbush 5 for a third season.
—November 13: Opening Night, Long Island Nets’ 2026-27 G League season.
Montreal Canadiens fans will be happy to hear that Arber Xhekaj loves Montreal; that’s not exactly news, but it’s still something his agent, Brian Bartlett, made abundantly clear in an interview on TSN 690.
Speaking to Matthew Ross and Dave Trentadue on the Game Plan, Bartlett discussed a number of his clients. Still, since TSN 690 is mostly about the Habs, he had to talk about Xhekaj, who remains an RFA at this stage and is one of only two Canadiens who still need a contract alongside Zach Bolduc.
Asked how Xhekaj deals with the rumors about there being interest in him on the trade market, Bartlett explained:
Arber loves Montreal; he loves playing in Montreal, loves the fans, the city, the atmosphere, the coaching staff, the development staff, Marty, Adam Nicolas, everybody. He’s become a better hockey player there, and it’s an amazing place to play. Our hope, I think, kind of collectively, Arber’s and ours is that we can find a way to make it work with Montreal here.
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He also added, however:
The flip side of that coin is that Montreal has a lot of very good players, a lot of good players at defense, and it’s trying to work out how that logjam works itself out. What’s the best way to have the most productive team. I think we’ve all been through this enough that we understand the Montreal Canadiens are going to do what’s best for the Montreal Canadiens and Arber Xhekaj is going to do what’s best for Arber Xhekaj. There’s a very large world where those diagrams overlap, and we’re optimistic we end up in kind of that overlap where it’s good for Montreal and good for Arber, but we’ve still got a lot of time until training camp; there’s no panic.
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Clearly, the agent is not worried about the fact that the negotiations are taking some time to come to fruition; he explained that the market had been kind of on hold with the Leo Carlsson offer sheet, the Zach Werenski trade rumours, and the Jason Robertson stalemate; everyone was watching as the market was slowly being set.
While the agent is right that there’s still ample time for a deal to be reached, I still find it interesting that Xhekaj didn’t file for arbitration and effectively left himself open to receiving an offer sheet. The Xhekaj camp is well aware that there’s a logjam in Montreal and is interested to know how that will resolve itself, which is understandable. At the end of the day, even if the player loves everything about Montreal, he must be craving an opportunity to establish himself as a full-time NHL player.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 16: LeBron James speaks onstage during the mind the game panel at Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center on July 16, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Fanatics) | Getty Images for Fanatics
It’s not even been a week since we found out LeBron James is now a Philadelphia 76er, and the impact of his arrival is already starting to go beyond what he’ll be doing on the basketball court — just as you’d expect. There’s also how he plans to tell the story of the final stage of his career, and it sounds like he has something very exciting lined up.
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand has reported that LeBron and ESPN are closing in on an agreement for a behind-the-scenes documentary in a similar style to Michael Jordan’s 2020 ‘The Last Dance’ series, which was co-produced by ESPN and Netflix.
Marchand confirmed that the talks to finalize the deal are close, and initial plans for filming during his time with the Sixers:
One of the sources described the talks as being at the “1-yard line,” with the expectation that James, 41, will have a camera crew documenting his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, who James signed with this month. The 76ers are expected to be the final home of his legendary career.
The documentary is expected to also use footage from earlier in James’ career, as NBA crews have filmed him since he was a rookie, including some never-before-seen footage.
As of now, there’s reportedly no set date of when the documentary would be completed and aired.
Maverick Carter has weighed in on the documentary to say they “are not doing anything like” ‘The Last Dance’. So even though we may see a documentary similar in style, with cameras following LeBron in Philly, his camp at least don’t want to give the impression this is definitively his last season.
We are NOT doing anything like the “last dance” LeBron doesn’t even know when his last season is
If you’ve somehow never seen it, ‘The Last Dance’ told the story of Jordan’s career with a main focus on the Bulls’ 1997-98 season as they made their run to secure a second three-peat. There were quality interviews and unseen footage galore, with excellent editing and production throughout. Hopefully we’ll be getting more of the same from this new story of LeBron’s career and his shot at a title with the Sixers.
Of course, Jordan’s documentary had the advantage of uncovering more details and stories from a time when the constant coverage of social media and smart phones didn’t exist. More happened out of the public eye. It also released during the COVID pandemic, at a time when we were all at home desperate for new entertainment, which probably added a heightened level of excitement when each new episode dropped.
If this LeBron documentary goes ahead and is anywhere near as good as ‘The Last Dance’, though, it promises to be a brilliant series.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 16: LeBron James speaks onstage during the mind the game panel at Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center on July 16, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Fanatics) | Getty Images for Fanatics
Give LeBron James credit: He wasn’t bluffing.
During an episode of his Mind the Game podcast in late May, he said: “I think at some point in June, late June, as July rolls around, free agency starts to get going and as July rolls around and maybe into August, we’ll start to kind of get a feel of what my future may look like.”
James didn’t decide to sign a two-year, veteran-minimum contract with the Sixers until July 24. The Lakers had long moved on by then, as expected.
Shortly before free agency began, LeBron informed the Lakers that they could “move on without him because he will play elsewhere.” They proceeded to splurge on Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton within the first 24 hours of free agency.
Now that most of the free-agency dust has settled — Jonathan Kuminga notwithstanding — it’s hard not to circle back to one question: If LeBron was willing to play on a minimum contract, why didn’t he just re-sign with the Lakers? He wouldn’t have to uproot his family and he’d get to finish out his career alongside Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Kessler.
His decision to join with the Sixers instead is fairly telling.
The Thunder and Spurs loom large
In his announcement, James said he still wanted to “compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.” He added that he believed he could help make the Sixers “a championship team.”
It’s fair to wonder how all five of LeBron, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid will fit together, although it’s not hard to see the upside if everything breaks right for them. Having that many star teammates will reduce the burden on each of them during the regular season, which should help keep them fresher for the playoffs.
“A source familiar with James’ thinking” told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that his choice “hinged on the pursuit of the fifth championship. After weighing his options, he landed on Philadelphia as the best situation for that.”
Left unsaid: He chose the Sixers over the Lakers in that regard.
While the Lakers now have one too many players signed to standard contracts after adding Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Kevon Looney to minimum deals, one would think the Lakers gladly would have sacrificed any of them to re-sign LeBron on a min. Perhaps California’s state income tax worked against the Lakers when the salaries being offered were otherwise the same, but it doesn’t seem as though LeBron even entertained re-signing with them. Why is that?
The presence of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the West had to play a factor.
After this offseason, one could make the case that the East is deeper than the West, particularly assuming that the Kawhi Leonard trade eventually goes through. However, the West has the top two title favorites by far.
Could LeBron and the new-look Lakers have been in the race for a top-four seed in the West? They’d have to beat at least two of the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves for it, but that wouldn’t have been impossible. Potentially having to topple both the Thunder and Spurs in the playoffs, though? Just to get to the NBA Finals?
Again, it’s not like LeBron and the Sixers will have a cakewalk in the East. The reigning champion New York Knicks reside in the same division as the Sixers, as do the 2024 champion Boston Celtics (albeit sans Brown, the Finals MVP that year). The Miami Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. The Indiana Pacers are getting back a healthy Tyrese Haliburton. The Toronto Raptors are (theoretically) reuniting with Leonard. The Sixers’ 25-year conference finals drought isn’t guaranteed to end.
But they don’t have to worry about the Thunder or Spurs until the NBA Finals, and they wouldn’t have to beat both of them in the playoffs. That’s a huge selling point for any team in the East right now.
One other factor might have helped drive LeBron out of L.A. as well, though.
The fan factor
LeBron has played for three teams in his NBA career thus far, and he’s won at least one championship with each of them. But no matter what he did in L.A., he would never replace Kobe Bryant in the minds of Lakers fans.
The Sixers have had plenty of all-time greats over the years, including Wilt Chamberlain, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson. But they don’t have a Kobe-esque shadow looming over them.
“One of the things that was compelling about the Sixers was how passionate the fanbase is and how long it’s been since they’ve won a championship,” the source said.
The Sixers’ proximity to championship contention was undoubtedly their main selling point. LeBron didn’t leave the Lakers because of Kobe stans. But that sentiment popping up a few different times is telling, particularly since McMenamin reported a few months ago that LeBron felt the Lakers took him for granted at times.
LeBron’s beef is likely more with President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka than Lakers fans. But the lack of appreciation that he felt in LA compared to how Philadelphia has already received him might only further justify his decision to leave.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 13: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s been a controversy-free offseason for the Spurs so far (at least outside the broadcast booth), but if there was anything that raised a few eyebrows, it was the unverified rumor that guard Dylan Harper was unhappy in a bench role during his rookie season and would demand a starting role going forward. Despite the rumor coming from a parody X account and Ron Harper, Sr. pointing out that it was fake, it never completely went away, leading to speculation over if the Spurs either needed to start looking at the trade market for De’Aaron Fox or consider a three-guard starting line-up, featuring those two alongside Stephon Castle.
However, Dylan has now spoken up himself in an interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org. When asked about his goals for next season, he noted that his only goal (besides individual improvement) is the same as the entire team’s: to learn from what went wrong in the Finals and make up for it next year. When specifically asked to confirm if that that means he’s fine in any role — starter or bench — he reassured that he’s just grateful to be playing and the logistics don’t matter. (In other words, yes, he’s fine with a bench role.)
Q: Your second season’s coming up here. There are high expectations. Do you have any concrete objectives in your mind? Whether that’s statistical, whether that’s on the court as far as where you want to improve?
Harper: Nah, man. I feel like the biggest thing for me in every year is really just getting better every day, learning from the people around me and learning from my own experiences and just trying not to make the same mistakes over and over again. But for me, it’s not really just anything personal. I feel like we all have that one team goal that we felt like that we should have had last year. I feel like that’s really the only thing on that. That’s the only thing that’s on everyone’s mind.
Q: So simply put, it’s team-based over any sort of individual objectives. That’s what’s on your mind.
Harper: Yes, sir.
Q: And it doesn’t matter to you, you were coming off the bench your first season, your rookie season. It doesn’t matter to you whether you’re a starter or whether you’re a bench player, right?
Harper: No, I feel like regardless, I’m in the NBA. There’s only like 450 people in the NBA, and I get a chance to go on the court and play with the best of the best. I feel like those kinds of things and those logistics at the end of the day, in the big scheme of things, it’s not going to affect me and how I approach every day.
Speaking of the Finals, he discussed what the team learned from the experience (the answer is pretty obvious) and how he feels about the team going forward.
Q: What was the biggest thing that you learned from that experience? Obviously, you guys led for a great duration of that series. You came up a little short, but what can you take from that series moving forward?
Harper: I think the biggest thing is probably closing out games, and I think just knowing exactly what we’re gonna do in certain times, I think the biggest thing for us is we got a year under our belt. I think this year for us, the first year we’re all together as a team, and I feel like the sky’s the limit for us.
Finally, he discussed what it’s like playing with Wemby, his leadership style, and what it meant seeing him take a discount for the team.
Q: I want to talk to you about Wemby. Obviously, a heck of a player, man. It shows how much he cares about the team that he took less money than the max on his extension. Talk about what that means, and talk about what type of player and leader he is behind the scenes — maybe that fans don’t know about.
Harper: I feel like for a 22-year-old, he’s probably one of the best leaders I’ve been around, just the way he carries himself, his maturity, from top to bottom, whether it’s basketball treatment, in the weight room, personal life. I feel like he’s kind of structured his life in a way that has worked for him, and I think he’s the most genuine person ever. When that came out, I feel like yes, it was a surprise to everyone. But I mean, that’s just the type of person he is.
There were other topics of discussion in the interview, so be sure to check out the entire thing, but it’s good to know that the Spurs may not be facing as many line-up decisions as some wanted to believe heading into next season. Harper’s time as a starter will surely come, but it’s reassuring to know he is ready and willing to take on whatever role as asked of him for the betterment of the team, and in an unselfish and professional manner, like any true Spur would.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 28: Austin Wynns #38 of the Texas Rangers celebrates a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
