Luka Dončić listens to a question when speaking with the media after a Los Angeles Lakers game. Getty Images
Despite any external criticism Los Angeles has received, Dončić approves the moves the Lakers have made up to this point, as he was quoted saying he was “excited” about the Lakers’ signings in a July 2 article from Dan Woike of The Athletic.
It’s not surprising to hear Dončić share this sentiment. For one, he’s a low-maintenance star who probably wouldn’t voice his displeasure in public, even if he felt like the Lakers hadn’t built enough around him yet.
Dončić dribbles during a Lakers game. Getty ImagesThe Lakers have received a lot of criticism in recent days by those who believe they need to build a better roster around the star guard. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Plus, bringing Reaves back and adding Kessler are objectively solid moves that put the Lakers in a solid position to start the offseason, which Dončić is right to feel excited about.
Now the question becomes whether these moves are enough to make the Lakers a true championship contender, or whether they’re an acquisition or two away from cementing themselves as Western Conference contenders in their first season after the James era.
If the Lakers do manage to secure one more star, Dončić’s opinion will be even more earned, and LA fans will feel more at ease without James being on their roster as the 2026-27 season approaches.
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CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 29: Manager Skip Schumaker #55 removes relief pitcher Chris Paddack #40 of the Texas Rangers from the game during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 29, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitchers Joe Ross and Chris Paddack and outfielder Jarred Kelenic, all of whom were designated for assignment several days ago, have all cleared waivers and become free agents.
Paddack was signed on June 29 for a one shot deal, pitching as the bulk guy behind opener Tyler Alexander on June 29 in Cleveland and then being DFA’d the next day. He gave the Rangers four innings of two run ball in the win, making it a successful signing, as far as I’m concerned. I imagine the Rangers will be looking to sign him to a minor league contract now to pitch for Round Rock, whose rotation is rather puny right now.
Ross and Kelenic were designated for assignment on June 29, clearing roster spots for Paddack and for Cam Cauley. Ross was brought up from AAA because the Rangers needed an arm in the pen, and in five games he went eighth innings and allowed five runs. His most notable appearance was his third outing for the Rangers, when he came into the game to start the top of the 10th inning against the Padres, walked Samad Taylor, and then gave up a three run homer to Manny Machado.
Kelenic was up because, well, the Rangers needed a body that could play the outfield on the bench. When Wyatt Langford went on the injured list and the Rangers needed a righthanded hitter rather than a lefthanded hitter who could play outfield on the bench, the Rangers dropped him for Cauley.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 30, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards are FINALLY in the news for reasons other than AJ Dybantsa, Anthony Davis or Trae Young. Maybe Russell Westbrook as well?
On Friday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Wizards will acquire Deandre Ayton from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two of the Wizards’ second round draft picks in 2031 and 2032.
Just in: The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two Wizards second-round picks in 2031 and 2032, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/bAEtSFpTNi
Ayton, a center, averaged 12.5 points and 8 rebounds per game in 72 appearances for the Lakers. His most notable reign was from 2018-23 when he played for the Phoenix Suns, his first team where they made the NBA Finals but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. With the exception of his lone season with the Lakers, Ayton has averaged a double double in points and rebounds every season he played.
Hardy, who now would be with LA, averaged 9.2 points per game in the 2025-26 season starting with the Dallas Mavericks and later the Wizards.
With Ayton now in DC, it will be interesting to see how or whether he, Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr will fit together.
Jun 21, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (62) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Major League Baseball’s press release also cites these meaningful stats:
– The two-time All-Star dealt at least 7.0 innings in all five of his starts, becoming the first Giants pitcher to make five consecutive starts of at least 7.0 innings since Ty Blach did so twice in 2017. Webb permitted two-or-fewer runs in all five starts, becoming the first Giants pitcher since Madison Bumgarner in 2013 (6 GS) to make at least five consecutive starts of 7.0 innings and two-or-fewer runs permitted. Overall, his eight starts of at least 7.0 innings this season are tied with Nathan Eovaldi, Sánchez and Michael Wacha for the most in the Majors.
– The 2025 Rawlings Gold Glover became the third Giants pitcher in the Divisional Era (since 1969) to throw at least 35.0 innings in a single month and maintain an ERA under 0.75, joining Kevin Gausman (37.0 IP, 0.73 ERA in May 2021) and Noah Lowry (39.1 IP, 0.69 ERA in August 2005). Of the group, Webb’s four walks were the fewest.“
But Webb has looked like the best version of himself since returning from the injured list and it has been a rare respite from the hellacious viewing experience that has often been the San Francisco Giants here in 2026. His starts make it feel as though anything is possible.
Remarkably, his rotation mate Robbie Ray also received votes (4-0, 1.36 ERA). His resurgence has timed out nicely with the trade deadline, too…
But anyway, Logan Webb returning to out-pitch the likes of Jacob Misiorowski, Max Meyer, and Chris Sale is a great story, whether you’re just rooting for the Giants or rooting for the Giants to make some big deadline deals. Well, okay, there’s also the conversation about Logan Webb becoming an All-Star now, and either serving as the team’s lone representative or as a travel partner for somebody else (Luis Arraez, Casey Schmitt)?
Congratulations to Logan Webb on another career achievement. He’s sort of building a ground-up case to someday win a Cy Young Award, creating a reputational aura that might push him to be top of mind come that award in the future. But here in the present, it’s good enough to know that he was never really gone but now he’s incredibly back and, as the players say, shoving.
Rui Hachimura also remains an unrestricted free agent, with multiple teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves expressing interest in signing the 6-foot-8 forward.
Every deal the Lakers have agreed to have a player option at the end of the contract.
In return for Ayton, the Lakers will receive Hardy — who averaged 12.6 points last season with the Wizards on 42% shooting from three. Getty ImagesHardy and Lakers star Luka Dončić were teammates together in Dallas. NBAE via Getty Images
But Ayton was also a polarizing player because of his inconsistent motor and his play style not fitting the archetype the Lakers need. Dončić has long craved a rim-running, rim-protecting center who he can dominate with in the pick-and-roll — two things Ayton isn’t.
Despite his talents, which have been evident since he entered the league, it was clear he wasn’t going to develop into the kind of big man the Lakers needed him to be.
The Lakers are searching for another backup big man, with Andre Drummond, Kevon Looney and Nick Richards all viable options.
In Hardy, the Lakers are acquiring a 23-year-old guard who fits into the team’s desires to get younger and more athletic.
The 6-foot-3 Hardy, the No. 37 pick in the 2022 draft out of the now-defunct G League Ignite, averaged 12.6 points in 23 games with the Wizards after being traded to Washington midseason.
He’s averaged 8.4 points on 38.6% shooting on 3-pointers in his NBA career.
Hardy was teammates with Doncic in Dallas for 2 ½ seasons before Doncic was traded to Los Angeles, with the Mavericks trading Hardy to Washington in February. It isn’t clear what role Hardy will have if he stays on the roster since the Lakers already have several backcourt players ahead of him on the depth chart. He has two years and $12 million (team option for 2027-28) left on his contract.
The trade netted the draft-pick depleted Lakers two second rounders, which can be included in a trade for along with their own 2033 second-round pick and 2032 first-round pick swap as they look to more roster improvements.
With Hardy’s 2026-27 salary ($6 million) $2.1 less than Ayton’s ($8.1 million), the Lakers will create more financial flexibility for themselves as they continue to search for a backup big and wing defender.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 5: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball while being defended by Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 5, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers’ roster shuffling has continued with another trade that also lands them some sorely-needed draft capital.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, LA is trading Deandre Ayton to the Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two second round picks.
Just in: The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two Wizards second-round picks in 2031 and 2032, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/bAEtSFpTNi
Finally, Rob Pelinka got Anthony Davis his center.
This deal will only open up about an extra $2 million in cap space for the Lakers. Hardy is making $6 million this season with a team option for $6 million next season. Ayton was set to make $8.1 million this season.
To do that, they will need to clear contracts off the books, which the addition of the two second round picks should help them do. In short, this feels like a precursor to another trade and then a free agent signing.
Ayton’s season in LA was underwhelming, but largely because he did not establish himself as the team’s center of the future. He still showed he can be a reliable rotation player and a starter on some teams, but he was not the rim-running, lob-catching center the team needed and certainly did not want to be Clint Capela this season.
Hardy averaged 12.6 points per game on 42% shooting in 23 games with the Wizards in the second half of last season. He did spend time in Dallas with Luka Dončić. However, as a guard in an already crowded backcourt, Hardy is likely going to be on the outside looking in.
Ferrari driver qualifies first ahead of Kimi Antonelli
Hamilton: ‘I love this place, I love this crowd’
Lewis Hamilton gave the home crowd reason to roar as he took pole position for the sprint race at the British Grand Prix for Ferrari, beating the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli into second, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third.
The pole for the short format race to be held on Saturday morning at Silverstone must be considered somewhat against the odds, as Ferrari had been expected to be somewhat on the back foot to Mercedes, at the power dominated track.
A pair of AL Central rivals continue their four-game set tonight as the Cleveland Guardians play host to the Chicago White Sox.
Despite missing Munetaka Murakami for the past month, Chicago continues to hit the ball well, which is part of why I’m backing the White Sox as +114 underdogs.
Find out more in my White Sox vs. Guardians predictions and free MLB picks for Friday, July 3.
Who will win White Sox vs Guardians today: White Sox (+114)
Over the past 30 days, Chicago ranks tied for fifth in the AL in runs scored (122) and fourth in SLG (.435). The White Sox have been red hot this week, averaging 7.28 runs per game while hitting .296 as a team.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians are last in runs (88), batting average (.218), and OPS (.632) over the past month.
There’s clear value to be had here on Chicago at +114, and I’d play them to +110.
COVERS INTEL:Guardians starter Gavin Williams goes to the curveball often, and the White Sox rank sixth in SLG (.410) and third in wOBA (.320) against that pitch.
White Sox vs Guardians Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+109)
Both starters have been brutal of late, which should help nullify Cleveland’s sluggish offense. Gavin Williams finished with a 6.04 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in June, while Anthony Kay posted a 6.35 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over that same span.
The Over has cashed in each of the past five starts for both Williams and Kay, while the Over is also 4-1 in the past five games for both clubs.
I’ll play this to +100.
Chris Faria's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 5-1, +3.18 units
Over/Under bets: 2-4, -1.9 units
White Sox vs Guardians weather
Temperatures will be humid and sit in the mid-to-upper 80s around first pitch, further buoying our play on the Over at Progressive Field.
White Sox vs Guardians odds
Moneyline: White Sox +114 | Guardians -126
Run line: White Sox +1.5 (-183) | Guardians -1.5 (+158)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+109) | Under 8.5 (-121)
White Sox vs Guardians trend
Chicago has hit the team total Over in 24 of its last 35 road games (+12.70 Units / 32% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Guardians.
How to watch White Sox vs Guardians and game info
Location
Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
Date
Friday, July 3, 2026
First pitch
7:10 p.m. ET
TV
CHSN, WKYC-NBC3
White Sox starting pitcher
Anthony Kay (6-3, 4.50 ERA)
Guardians starting pitcher
Gavin Williams (9-4, 3.81 ERA)
White Sox vs Guardians latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 23: A general exterior view of Seattle Stadium, home of the Seahawks & Sounders and T-Mobile Park, home of Seattle Mariners, seen from Pike Place at Seattle Waterfront on June 23, 2026 in Seattle, United States. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Shi Davidi tells us that Kazuma Okamoto was named AL Rookie of the Month. Only slightly unfair, as he’s not a 30-year-old rookie who played several seasons in the majors in Japan. But we aren’t going have many guy get awards, this year, so lets enjoy.
Okamoto had 7 home runs, 20 RBI, 4 doubles and 8 walks with a .286/.353/.560 batting line in 25 games. And played very nice defense, which I wasn’t expecting. I don’t think he’s going to be a Gold Glover, or anything (though if Vlad can be, who knows) but he seem serviceable to me.
The pitching matchings:
Today: Dylan Cease (4-4, 3.02) vs. Luis Castillo (3-6, 4.93). That’s a 10:00 Eastern start.
Then the Jays are off to San Francisco for three games, with Thursday off after.
And Max Scherzer starts Friday for the Vancouver Canadians. They are saying that he’ll need a few rehab starts.
June was not a great month: 11-15. Our pitchers had their worst month by ERA at 4.56. There were a few starters who had some disappointing starts. The starters had a 5.73 ERA on the month and averaged just 4.6 innings per start. The relievers had a better time, 3.33 ERA, their best month, but they threw a ton of innings.
The batters had their best OPS by month of the season. .710. But they averaged 3.9 runs per game. In May they averaged 4.2 runs and in April 3.9.
Rowdy gets DFAed. He’s only had 11 PA with the Braves, but hit will in AAA, .259/.367/.483 with 8 home runs in 49 games.
In what is essentially a salary dump for Houston — of a player they spent to get just a year ago — the Rockets are sending Dorian Finney-Smith and three second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Houston recruited and signed Finney-Smith last summer to a four-year, $53 million deal. But then Smith, 33 and a 10-year NBA veteran, missed time at the start of the season while recovering from ankle surgery and was never himself, playing in 37 games and averaging 3.3 points per night when he did get in. Finney-Smith is owed $13.3 million for each of the next three seasons (the last is a player option).
For Houston, this is about opening up a roster spot and saving some salary space after agreeing to deals with Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic (who will largely play Finney-Smith's role for the Rockets), then re-signing Tari Eason. Houston was starting to get within striking distance of the dreaded second apron of the luxury tax, now they are not close.
It's unclear if Charlotte plans to keep Finney-Smith. With this deal, the team has 17 players on standard contracts, so a couple need to be let go or moved before the season starts.
Charlotte now has 20 second-rounders over the next seven years, a lot of trade value there going forward. The Hornets have a trade exception they can use to make this trade and remain more than $30 million below the luxury tax line.
During his most recent stint with the Cubs, left-hander Jordan Wicks threw pretty well: Four innings of relief, one run allowed, a pair of strikeouts. He also picked up two saves.
Wicks threw 40 pitches in Wednesday’s win over the Padres, and so the Cubs optioned him to Triple-A Iowa on the off day Thursday, per the team’s transactions page.
To replace Wicks on the 26-man active roster, the Cubs added left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who they signed to a minor-league deal June 22 after he was released by the Angels June 18. Pomeranz has thrown two scoreless innings at Iowa, with three strikeouts. He last pitched Wednesday, throwing 18 pitches. There was an open spot on the 40-man roster to add Pomeranz, so the 40-man is now full.
Pomeranz had a really good year for the Cubs in 2025, posting a 2.17 ERA and 1.067 WHIP in 57 appearances covering 49.2 innings. He walked 15 and struck out 57 in those innings. The Cubs declined to re-sign him and he signed a one-year deal with the Angels for $4 million.
He got off to a rough start in Anaheim (though he did throw 1.1 scoreless innings against the Cubs March 31 at Wrigley Field), but over his last 12 appearances for them he posted an ERA of 0.77 and a 1.286 WHIP, suggesting he could possibly get back to last year’s level. The Angels got rid of him anyway, and since he was released, the Cubs are only on the hook for a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary for Pomeranz for the rest of this season.
Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar were a pretty good 1-2 combo out of the pen last year. Granted, both are a year older and both have struggled at times in 2026, but perhaps this “putting the band back together” move can help a beleaguered Cubs bullpen.
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 29: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after lining out in the third inning of a game against the New York Mets at Rogers Centre on June 29, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thank goodness for the Angels. The Mariners climbed back over .500 with a sweep of their division rival after a brief dip below that mark following their series in Cleveland last weekend. The three wins against Los Angeles allowed Seattle to keep pace with the Rangers in the division and pull ahead of the faltering Athletics and Astros. They’ll wrap up this homestand with a jam packed weekend series against the Blue Jays.
This rematch of last year’s ALCS isn’t nearly as exciting as it could have been. Like the Mariners, the Blue Jays have largely scuffled to start this year following their deep postseason run last fall. Injuries have played a huge role in those struggles; Toronto currently has 10 players on the IL and has lost the second most total WARP of any team this season according to the Baseball Prospectus Injured List Ledger. The starting rotation has been hit particularly hard but the lineup has suffered plenty of impactful injuries as well. Combined with a pretty sizable playoff hangover from some of their stars, the Blue Jays are stuck in the morass of mediocre teams in the middle of the AL.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
George Springer
DH
R
279
20.1%
10.0%
0.152
93
Nathan Lukes
RF
L
183
15.8%
4.9%
0.120
117
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
1B
R
348
11.2%
10.3%
0.083
96
Kazuma Okamoto
3B
R
344
32.0%
9.6%
0.224
119
Daulton Varsho
CF
L
275
21.1%
8.7%
0.165
108
Alejandro Kirk
C
R
73
15.1%
8.2%
0.121
69
Ernie Clement
2B
R
335
10.1%
3.6%
0.140
111
Yohendrick Piñango
LF
L
151
22.5%
6.0%
0.155
105
Andrés Giménez
SS
L
289
19.7%
3.5%
0.135
81
That’s not a typo: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s isolated power currently starts with a zero. He’s hit just four home runs this year and is limping through the worst season of his career. His groundball rate is up slightly, though not outside the range he’s posted throughout his career, but his hard hit rate is down more than five points and his barrel rate has been cut in half. For whatever reason, his contact quality has taken a steep dive this year. George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, and Daulton Varsho have all taken pretty significant steps backwards this season as well. The good news is that Kazuma Okamoto has made a strong transition over from Japan; he’s blasted 19 home runs already and is running a 119 wRC+ even after a rough April when he was getting acclimated to MLB pitching.
Dylan Cease was the Blue Jays’ headlining acquisition this past offseason when he signed a seven-year, $210 million free agent contract just before Thanksgiving. He’s long been one of baseball’s best strikeout artists, though all those punchouts come with some spotty command. He’s usually able to make it work because he can just work out of any trouble he gets into by avoiding contact altogether, but he can also be prone to big blowups from time to time if his command really slips. He primarily relies on a hard fastball and a nasty slider as his out pitches. He’s increased the usage of his changeup this year and it’s been nearly unhittable; the whiff rate on his offspeed pitch is over 66%!
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Shane Bieber (2025)
40.1
23.3%
4.4%
21.1%
48.2%
3.57
4.47
Logan Gilbert
100
27.0%
5.6%
12.1%
35.0%
3.42
3.60
Emerson Hancock
90.2
24.2%
6.1%
11.9%
41.5%
3.47
3.77
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
33.9%
37.4%
92.6
94
101
87
0.364
Cutter
10.4%
14.9%
87.4
84
Changeup
8.2%
17.3%
89.1
101
Curveball
11.4%
25.5%
82.6
89
72
101
0.329
Slider
36.1%
4.9%
85.4
90
111
60
0.263
Shane Bieber missed nearly all of 2024 and most of ‘25 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Traded to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline last year, he was solid enough down the stretch, though Toronto’s deep run in the playoffs likely contributed to the forearm fatigue he was diagnosed with this spring. He wound up missing the first three months of the season and only made his return from the IL a few weeks ago. At his peak, he utilized pinpoint command of a pair of breaking balls to make up for a pretty mediocre fastball. His command has mostly eluded him after his elbow injury and his fastball quality has further deteriorated. That doesn’t bode well for his ability to stay productive until he can find a way to adjust.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Trey Yesavage
67.1
22.3%
10.9%
6.6%
33.3%
3.34
3.88
George Kirby
104
21.1%
5.6%
9.5%
49.0%
3.81
3.70
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
45.0%
46.7%
94.4
94
80
112
0.296
Splitter
16.3%
42.2%
82.9
137
119
117
0.247
Slider
38.6%
11.0%
88.0
104
111
117
0.280
In his first professional season, Trey Yesavage rose from Single-A all the way to the big leagues last year and ultimately helped lead the Blue Jays to their World Series appearance. It was a tremendous debut. A minor shoulder injury delayed his start to this season, but once he returned healthy, he picked up right where he left off. Everything is vertical with Yesavage’s profile. His extreme over-the-top delivery helps him produce a ton of carry on his fastball, and his two secondary pitches have very little horizontal break on them. His splitter continues to be a devastating pitch and he’s been able to improve the command of his slider this year.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Rangers
45-43
0.511
—
-2
W-W-W-L-W
Mariners
45-43
0.511
—
+14
L-L-W-W-W
Astros
43-46
0.483
2.5
-46
W-W-L-W-L
Athletics
41-46
0.471
3.5
-59
L-L-L-L-W
Angels
36-52
0.409
9.0
-46
W-W-L-L-L
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
48-38
0.558
+4.0
+87
L-L-L-L-L
Guardians
46-42
0.523
+1.0
-7
W-L-L-W-W
Mariners
45-43
0.511
—
+14
L-L-W-W-W
Astros
43-46
0.483
2.5
-46
W-W-L-W-L
Twins
42-46
0.477
3.0
-26
L-W-W-L-W
The Rangers lost on Wednesday to allow the idle Mariners to slip into a tie atop the AL West, but won the first game of a three-game set against the Tigers yesterday. Texas and Detroit are off on Friday to accommodate a World Cup game in Arlington but will resume their series on Saturday. The Astros lost their series to the Twins this week and will play host to the hottest team in the AL this weekend, the Rays, winners of eight straight. The Athletics couldn’t keep up with the Dodgers, though they managed to salvage a win on Wednesday. They host the red hot Marlins this weekend, the team with the best record in baseball in June.
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
That’s the opinion of one NHL player agent, who does not represent either player.
The Philadelphia Flyers have tendered a five-year offer sheet to the Ducks' Leo Carlsson that will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL with an $18M AAV, per @reporterchris.
Anaheim has seven days to match or they'll receive four first-round picks over the next four… pic.twitter.com/5AnQzYX3Fl
On Friday, restricted free agent Carlsson signed a five-year, $90 million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s a league-record $18 million AAV.
Celebrini, approaching the final year of his entry-level contact, is not an RFA, like Carlsson. So while Celebrini is eligible for an extension as of July 1, he’s not eligible for an offer sheet this summer.
So long as the Sharks take care of business with Celebrini this offseason — and there’s no reason to believe that they won’t — there’s no offer sheet coming for Celebrini.
The big change simply is resetting your own expectations for what Celebrini is going to make on his next contract.
The 21-year-old Carlsson got an offer sheet because of how good he is for his age.
There’s no question about 20-year-old Celebrini’s quality: As just a sophomore in the NHL, he was fourth in Hart Trophy voting, a conversation that even Carlsson doesn’t approach.
In a March poll with 26 NHL executives, coaches, and scouts, San Jose Hockey Now asked which U23 player they would start their franchise with, center Celebrini or New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
Of those 26 league sources, 21 took Celebrini over Schaefer; Carlsson was the only other player who might belong in this conversation, albeit a distant third, according to the pollsters.
Point is, proven special second-year players get taken care of before their ELC ends, à la Sidney Crosby in the summer of 2007. And Celebrini is special.
That’ll be Celebrini, unless the Sharks are cheap (they won’t be) or he doesn’t want to be here (there’s no indication of that).
“I want to commit to this team and be here,” Celebrini said in his April exit interview, “I love it here.”
He reaffirmed that this week, telling Luke Fox of Sportsnet, “Looking at what we have and what we’re building, I think we should all be excited for things to come.”
In May, SJHN projected Celebrini’s next contract compared to other recent superstars in their sophomore seasons like Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews. Using percentage of the salary cap as a guide — this year’s cap is $104 million — I landed at $15-16 million AAV, depending on the length of the deal, as a reasonable projection.
But Carlsson’s $18 million figure might blow that up … if Celebrini’s camp chooses to use it as their bar.
“He can definitely play off of it,” the agent said. “But [Sharks owner] Hasso Plattner and [Ducks owner] Henry Samueli have plenty of cash.”
For what it’s worth, the maximum contract a player can sign is 20 percent of the salary cap; that’s $20.8 million AAV in a $104 million cap.
“I’m not sure how worried he is about those other guys,” Sharks GM Mike Grier said when asked this week about comparing Celebrini’s next contract to RFAs Carlsson and Connor Bedard. “He’s kind of a step above them in my view.”
That said, the cap is rising rapidly and is projected to come in around $113.5 million for the 2027-28 NHL season.
So, this agent isn’t concerned for the Sharks: “Again, wealthy owner and plenty of space now, plus increase to $113 million.”
And it looks like even more in the coming years.
Analyzing NHL HRR projections and the current revenue slack that exists in the system, hearing the NHL is projecting a Salary Cap Upper Limit of approx $123M in 2028-29. We are currently at $95.5M. (That’s an almost $30M rise of the Cap within 3 years).
The Sharks won’t mess around. They know what kind of player that they have in Celebrini. If Celebrini is allowed to hit free agency next year, he might be the most attractive offer sheet candidate in league history, which is exactly why it won’t happen.
There’s also reason to believe that Celebrini — historically team-first Crosby being his idol — won’t demand the maximum AAV. Personally, just my opinion, I doubt Celebrini will want the distinction of being the first-ever player in NHL history to make the maximum AAV.
But even if he does, the Sharks probably will pay it and Celebrini probably will be worth it.
So, either way, Celebrini always was going to make a staggering amount of money this summer, with or without Carlsson.
The Anaheim Ducks entered the 2026 offseason with a projected $38.8 million in cap space, holes throughout their depth chart (most notably on the right side of their blueline), and six NHL RFAs (Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, Tyson Hinds, Ian Moore) in need of new contracts, with two of them projected to be sizable extensions: Leo Carlsson (21) and Cutter Gauthier (22).
After signing Moore to a two-year contract extension, trading Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues, and trading Olen Zellweger to the Buffalo Sabres, the Ducks entered the July 1 free agency period with a projected $44.6 million in cap space, and the number of NHL RFAs in need of contract extensions decreased to four (Carlsson, Gauthier, Mintyukov, Hinds).
Offer sheets are an intriguing aspect of every NHL offseason, but notoriously, they’re rarely extended and signed. NHL clubs may sign opposing RFAs to offer sheets between July 1 and Dec. 1, and once signed, the player’s original team has seven days to either match the offer or send the player to the team they signed with in exchange for predetermined compensation.
Of the Ducks’ four current RFAs, only Carlsson, Mintyukov, and Hinds are eligible to sign offer sheets with opposing teams, as Gauthier does not meet the experience criteria. Typically, offer sheets have only been successful when extended to second-tier RFAs. When offered to top-tier players, they’re immediately matched.
The Ducks were relatively quiet to open the NHL free agency period despite losing a trio of veteran RHDs, as well as some depth forwards from their 2025-26 roster. Their only NHL acquisitions to date have been forward AJ Greer, forward Jeff Malott, defenseman Nick Jensen, and goaltender Laurent Brossoit.
They currently have a projected $35.2 million in cap space, the most in the NHL by over $5 million.
A combination of a seeming lack of reverence for the 2026 NHL Draft, an ever-increasing salary cap, and a thin unrestricted free agent market has led to the most eventful NHL offseason in recent memory.
Which brings us back to offer sheets. The New Jersey Devils have already signed Utah Mammoth center Barrett Hayton to a one-year, $4.78 million offer sheet, of which Utah has until July 8 to match or lose the player for a second-round pick as compensation.
With high-profile RFAs such as Jason Robertson, Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantilli, Simon Edvinsson, etc., currently eligible for offer sheets, some have speculated whether this may be the offseason where these prolific players sign offer sheets.
Premier NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Twitter that if teams were to attempt to acquire Carlsson from the Ducks via offer sheet, it would be immediately matched, and the reason for their lack of activity to this point in the offseason is to maintain cap flexibility.
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
“Saw one offer sheet yesterday, Barrett Hayton (with) New Jersey, and are wondering about more,” Friedman wrote. “Heard over the past few hours Anaheim guaranteed it will match any attempt on Leo Carlsson, and the reason the Ducks haven’t made many moves is to make sure to be in a safe cap position.”
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has established a reputation as one of the tougher GMs in the NHL to negotiate with, especially for RFAs, and especially more when they’re coming off their ELCs. Since he’s taken over in the Ducks’ front office, he’s taken negotiations with Troy Terry to the minutes before entering his scheduled arbitration hearing, and he’s taken negotiations with Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and Mason McTavish well into training camp without a deal in place.
The two significant RFA contracts Verbeek “got ahead of” in terms of negotiations were Lukas Dostal in the summer of 2025, where a five-year contract extension was signed several days before arbitration hearings were set to commence, and Jackson LaCombe in Oct. 2025, where an eight-year deal was signed nine months before his current one was scheduled to expire.
Author’s opinion: By not having Carlsson under contract by July 1 and this report coming out a day after, it appears, from the outside, as though Carlsson and his representation have been given all leverage in negotiations with the Ducks.
It’s become more fashionable over the last 5-10 years in the NHL for GMs to sign their young star players well before their ELCs expire so as to have them committed to their teams for as long as possible, to as low an AAV as possible, before they truly break out and acquire more leverage.
“We reached a point, maybe late October/early November, that we decided to table talks with any of our young players and just focus on playing hockey,” Verbeek said when asked about contract negotiations with pending RFAs at the trade deadline. “And if they play hockey well, then all the contract stuff will take care of itself. I just wanted their mindset to be worried on playing good hockey and helping this team win and get into the playoffs.”
During Verbeek’s exit interview, Verbeek expressed his desire to get his high-profile RFAs (Carlsson and Gauthier) signed before training camp.
“In a perfect situation, I’d like to get them done in a week here,” Verbeek said on May 15. “I’m hoping for the best to try and make sure that everybody’s excited for training camp and all of us are happy. I don’t have a crystal ball to say how it’s going to go, but we’re going to do our best to make sure that we get everybody excited and there for camp.”
“I’d like to get it done as soon as possible, but we all have to cooperate with one another, right? That’s the goal,” Verbeek continued when asked about the motivation to get contracts signed before July 1.
Carlsson reiterated Verbeek’s sentiments at his own exit interview, on May 15, to get a contract agreed upon before training camp and relayed that negotiations hadn’t taken place to that point.
“No, not really. We’ll just take it into summer, see what happens,” Carlsson said when asked about any preliminary contract talks between him, his representation, and Verbeek.
When asked about a preferential timeline for a deal, Carlsson said, “I want to get it done before training camp so I can be here with the team as early as possible.”
At of the end of the first round of the recent NHL Draft, the last time the media spoke with Verbeek, when asked about the status of RFA contract negotiations, he said, “They’re ongoing. That’s all I can say. We’re talking, and we’ll see where it goes.”
This remains an important offseason in the growth of the Anaheim Ducks franchise, on the heels of their first playoff appearance since 2018 and with the goal to “keep pushing this football down the field,” as Verbeek stated at the Draft on June 26.
The landscape of the Ducks roster and depth chart, along with projections regarding the upcoming season, is still very much in question after recently losing McTavish, Zellweger, John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas, Ross Johnston, and Jeffrey Viel, and acquiring Greer, Mallot, Jensen, and Brossoit.
Author’s opinion: It seems as though by not having contracts agreed upon with Carlsson and Gauthier, the Ducks were and remain unable to significantly add to and improve their roster due to uncertainty regarding the amount of cap space they’d have to work with.
As the Knicks are enjoying their summer as reigning champs, NBA free agency and the rumor mill that comes with it is already in full swing.
And apparently, if New York didn't beat the San Antonio Spurs to win their first title since 1973, they'd be the top choice for the biggest free agent on the market -- LeBron James.
James' agent Rich Paul told Max Kellerman on the Game Over podcast that James would have chosen to sign with the Knicks if they didn't win the 2026 NBA Finals.
"I think it's difficult, right? Because the last thing you want to do is mess up something like that. The Knicks has a good thing going. If the Knicks hadn’t won, there would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks," Paul said.
Paul shared a whiteboard of potential destinations for James with reasoning for each, showing that he's mainly considering the Philadelphia 76ers, Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Cleveland Cavaliers as his next team. The secondary teams shown include the Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and Spurs.
While the idea of James playing for New York has been rumored multiple times since 2010 (when James infamously made "The Decision" to go to the Miami Heat), Paul made it sound like it would have happened this summer.
"Jalen Brunson would literally have to pick up the phone and say, 'Hey man, there’s no issue with me.' And I'm not saying that would make his decision... They (Knicks) have checked in," Paul said. "The one thing for sure, you want to respect what those guys have built. And also, it's Jalen Brunson's show. You want to respect that. He's earned that right, he's performed well, you want to respect that."
Although, SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley reported late Thursday night that the Knicks "should not be seen as a potential destination for James" and are "very happy with the core of their roster." Begley notes that the Warriors, Heat, Cavaliers and Sixers are viewed as teams with serious interest in the future Hall of Famer.
James, who will turn 42 at the end of December, announced on June 30 that he'll be leaving the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons and choose a new team for the 2026-27 season. He is expected to play at least one more year in the NBA, but where that will be remains to be seen.
Rich Paul on LeBron James to the Knicks 😳
“If the Knicks hadn’t won, there would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks…. Jalen Brunson would literally have to pick up the phone and say ‘hey man, there’s no issue with me.’ They (Knicks) have checked in.”
COVERS INTEL:
