I’m getting this together ahead of time in case I’m not back for game time.
Vlad is back in the lineup, as is Jesus Sanchez who is back along with Braydon Fisher. Lips and Macko are back in Buffalo
I’m getting this together ahead of time in case I’m not back for game time.
Vlad is back in the lineup, as is Jesus Sanchez who is back along with Braydon Fisher. Lips and Macko are back in Buffalo
After getting out of the gates after the All-Star break with a strong road trip that saw four wins in six games, the White Sox started to falter. Losing four of five to the Houston Astros and New York Yankees, it looked as if the South Siders were starting to wilt under the pressure. Out of nowhere, the White Sox pulled two miraculous wins in extra innings out of their hat, and found a way to split the series with the Yankees.
Those two wins were absolutely critical and may turn out to be the difference in a tight AL Central that Chicago currently leads by two games. Unfortunately, their work is far from over as they now face off against the best team in the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays.
Just like they have for most of the past decade, the Rays have been one of the more underrated and underappreciated teams in the majors and will pose a real test for the White Sox. While the Rays don’t have an especially potent offense or pitching staff, they do have a 40-16 record at home — by far, the best in baseball. They will look to improve upon this year’s success at Tropicana Field when they throw out Nick Martinez to start tonight’s game.
Much like the Rays, Nick Martinez has flown under the radar this year and there should be much more noise surrounding his Cy Young candidacy. Martinez comes into Friday’s game with a 10-2 record and 2.45 ERA, good for second in the American League and fifth in all of baseball. With just three starts in which he’s allowed more than two earned runs, and never allowing more than three all year, the best way to attack Martinez in his current form is to find a way to elevate his pitch count and get him out of the game as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, that’s incredibly hard to do when Martinez is in the upper echelon of pitchers when it comes to allowing walks, with just 20 in 20 starts this year. He also limits hard-hit balls and is methodical as a pitcher. The one saving grace for the White Sox is that Martinez struggles to strike batters out, totaling just 67 in more than 117 innings of work.
As for the White Sox, it’s another “Fedde Friday”, as Erick Fedde takes the hill. While he hasn’t been great this season, he’s been exactly what you’d expect from a pitcher at the tail end of the rotation. Even his 5-6 record and 4.25 ERA don’t tell the whole story, as Fedde sports a 3-1 record and an ERA of 3.73 over his last seven starts.
To be quite honest, Fedde’s stuff isn’t anything to write home about. He’s been more than serviceable as a fifth starter, but it’s clear the Rays have the edge on the mound tonight. With that in mind, all Fedde needs to do is keep Chicago in the ball game and hope they can find the same late success as they have in their last two games. Although Chicago’s bullpen isn’t exactly the best, either, a battle between the bullpens is their best bet at taking the first game of this series.
Here are the starting lineup for the Chicago White Sox:
Here are the starting lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays:
First pitch is 6:10 p.m. CST. You can watch on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000. Let us know your thoughts and predictions below!
Sign up for a user account and get:
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
In this week’s Reacts survey, we asked fans how they’d like to see the Brewers handle Jacob Misiorowski’s workload down the stretch.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, nearly half of fans (47%) said the Brewers should be setting strict pitch counts and limits, while 38% said the team should spread his starts out more. The final 15% voted for the team to continue pitching him every fifth day as normal.
Misiorowski has already tossed 120 innings across 20 starts this season, putting him very close to his previous career-high of 141 1/3 innings reached last year (between Triple-A and MLB). The team has already started to pull back a bit on Misiorowski, as he’s been spaced out a bit between starts and had his pitch counts limited, with just 83 pitches on Sunday and 65 pitches in his previous start.
With the trade deadline on tap, it seems likely the Brewers will look to add another starter, and adding one would solve two problems at once — give some relief to Misiorowski, and add general depth to the rotation with two-plus months to go. Who would you like to see the team go after to help out?
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Only one year remains on Stephen Curry’s deal with the Golden State Warriors, and with NBA fans bored during the summer months, speculation continues to swirl around the future Hall of Famer's future.
While the two-time MVP has no plans of finishing his career anywhere but the Bay Area, Kalshi’s Steph Curry next team odds suggest the grass might be greener on the other side...
As we’ve learned in the NBA over the years, Kevin Garnett voice: “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLEEE".
Use Promo Code COVERS
| Team | |
|---|---|
| 92% | |
| 6% | |
| 4% | |
| 2% |
Percentages courtesy of Kalshi.
The Golden State Warriors have little incentive to move Stephen Curry. The Warriors control nearly all of their future first-round picks through 2033, giving them flexibility to retool without sacrificing their franchise icon.
Combined with Curry's loyalty, the organization remains committed to keeping him in the Bay Area.
After dealing Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George, the Boston Celtics are still left with plenty of young talent to try and land another superstar next to Jayson Tatum.
That said, much of the Curry-to-Boston discourse is centered on rumors around a misinterpreted column from a Celtics beat reporter saying Brad Stevens reached out about the availability of the Dubs' PG, which has since been cleared up by the man himself.
I did not report that the Celtics made an offer to the Warriors
— John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@John_Karalis) August 2, 2026
I wrote a column that said IF the Warriors were open to a Steph trade that Brad WOULD call.
I thought it was pretty clear that the whole piece was my opinion
NBA fans are hilarious.
While there are no specific reports that give this scenario much legs, the San Antonio Spurs have often been brought up when discussing where Curry could go if he decided to part ways with Golden State.
The prospect of pairing Steph with Wemby sounds like a whole lot of fun, and the Spurs have enough assets to land the future Hall of Famer if the opportunity arises. Remember though, there's a reason this only has a 4% chance of happening.
At first glance, seeing a future Hall of Famer wrap up his career with an organization like the Charlotte Hornets seems far-fetched, but our very own Jon Metler breaks down why these odds could accelerate quickly...
There’s a Stephen Curry Next Team market open on Kalshi
Charlotte Hornets sitting at 2% 👀 https://t.co/dqHS61BFDNpic.twitter.com/tpw5AAv45w
— Jon Metler (@JonMetler) July 31, 2026
While trading on a market like this is fun, NBA expert Jon Metler discusses the best course of action moving forward, and what dates to keep in mind:
There are two key dates to watch in this Stephen Curry Next Team market on Kalshi. First, Curry becomes eligible to sign an extension with the Golden State Warriors on August 29. If he signs, the trade speculation likely fades. If he doesn't, the rumors will only intensify, as he'll be on track to become a free agent after next season. The second key date is October 21, 2026, when this market closes. That leaves no time for the Warriors to stumble through the season, decide they can't contend, and pivot to trading Curry. If there's going to be real momentum toward a deal, it likely starts with contract negotiations on or around August 29. If those talks stall because Curry isn't satisfied with the roster, this market could change quickly.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
After Freddy Peralta was scratched from tonight’s start due to increased trade interest (per manager Andy Green), Kodai Senga was named tonight’s starting pitcher against the Marlins.
Senga hasn’t started a game in over a month, and has exactly one (1) appearance with no earned runs either as a starter or reliever. His 8.85 ERA is a far cry from his stellar 2023 campaign or the start of 2025 before an errant throw landed him on the Injured List. With the expected departure of Peralta, Senga will likely get a few more opportunities to show that he’s got something left in the tank before he enters the fifth year of his contract next season.
Senga will be squaring off against Janson Junk for Miami tonight at Citi Field.
There is still no news regarding Peralta’s landing spot, but there are reportedly many teams involved, including the White Sox, Braves, and Phillies.
Ahead of the game, Cionel Pérez was placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to July 30, with a left forearm strain. To replace both he and the traded A.J. Minter on the active roster, the Mets have recalled right-handed pitchers Jonathan Pintaro and Xzavion Curry from Triple-A Syracuse.
I was originally going to post this as a reply to DbacksEurope’s comment on the Place Your Bets thread, but I ended up rambling on a bit, so figured I should write it up here instead. Basically, the core was “Thank you AZSnakePit for reminding me that I am terrible in gambling.” Me, too. I don’t do it often, and when I do, expect to lose whatever I wager. It’s the price you pay for the entertainment, like buying a ticket to a baseball game or a movie. Indeed, I think gambling and watching sports are similar endeavors: you’re mostly watching things over which you have no control, and hoping for a particular outcome to take place. The uncertainty is the thrill.
However, personally, there’s a very large social aspect to both. If I gamble, it’s typically along with Mrs. SnakePit. We’ll sit beside each other at a slot machine, taking turns and agonizing over the spin of every reel, celebrating or commiserating as appropriate. Sitting by myself, pushing the button, just isn’t anywhere near as much fun. And the same goes, I find, for watching sports. I go to games with other people. If I’m at home and watching, I’m inevitably on the ‘Pit as well. I can’t remember the last time I watched any sporting event “in isolation”. I know some people watch other teams and game, but me? I’ll just wait for the highlights.
This is not to say there’s a “right” or “wrong” way, of course. But I think that sports and gambling are perhaps tied closer to each other than we’d like to think, in terms of the endorphins they release in our brains. And that may partly be why we now have MLB openly and blatantly touting for these companies. But remember, folks! Any player who gambles threatens the very fabric of baseball! We’ll have more on the topic, after this word from our latest sponsor, Kalshi. “It’s not gambling, it’s a prediction market”.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled Gameday Thread. 🙂 I’ll also embed the Confidence Poll today and tomorrow, in case anyone hasn’t yet voted, what with it being an off-day yesterday!
Happy Friday, everyone! It’s a warm evening in Baltimore as the Orioles and Phillies kick off a big series in what will surely be a rocking crowd filled with both Orioles and Phillies fans.
But first, some news if you missed it. The Orioles have announced that they signed Yennier Cano to a two-year contract extension with a club option for 2029. Those two years are his arbitration years, so this isn’t a big move. Good for them, I guess. The Orioles are weird. Anyway, on to tonight’s game.
Brandon Young is on the mound for the Orioles, sporting a sharp 3.13 ERA. The Orioles are 14-3 in games started by Young this year, which might make him the most valuable player on the team.
For the Phillies, it’ll be righty Andrew Painter on the mound. Painter is a 23-year-old rookie who was Philly’s top prospect coming into the season. He made the team out of spring training and made 12 starts and two relief appearances before he was demoted to Triple-A. His first go-round in the big leagues did not go so well, with a 7.06 ERA and 1.662 WHIP in 14 games. He was sent to the minors on June 17th and has made five starts with a 4.56 ERA. That doesn’t sound great, but he had four very good starts and one very bad one.
If Painter shuts down the Orioles, I know everyone in the comments will register their displeasure about how they rolled over for a guy with a 7 ERA. And while they technically wouldn’t be wrong, it’s worth keeping in mind that Painter is a recent top prospect with just 14 MLB games who was performing better in Triple-A. I would prefer, however, that the Orioles light him up like a Christmas tree and render this entire conversation moot.
The Orioles lineup is your typical vs righties lineup of late, however you choose to feel about that. Coby Mayo is in against the right-handed pitcher, which is fine with me. He has done better against them of late and it’s worth seeing if that’s real, in my opinion.
The Phillies lineup might be filled with aging guys, but it still has a lot of street cred.
Orioles lineup
Dylan Beavers (L) LF
Pete Alonso (R) 1B
Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
Taylor Ward (R) DH
Leody Taveras (S) RF
Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
Coby Mayo (R) 3B
Colton Cowser (L) CF
Yohel Pozo (R) C
Phillies lineup
Trea Turner (R) SS
Kyle Schwarber (L) DH
Bryce Harper (L) 1B
Alec Bohm (R) 3B
Brandon Marsh (L) LF
J.T. Realmuto (R) C
Bryson Stott (L) 2B
Gabriel Rincones Jr. (L) RF
Justin Crawford (L) CF
Let’s go O’s!
After years of searching for better frontcourt play, the Lakers made big changes this offseason.
Gone are Deandre Ayton, Maxi Kleber and Jaxson Hayes. In their replacement, the Lakers took a big swing by trading for Walker Kessler and signing Kevon Looney.
Kessler is the premier acquisition. He is joining the team with the expectation that he’ll be the big of the future.
While satisfying the starting center spot is great, the team could use more depth.
In a recent article by Dan Woike in The Athletic, he detailed how the team currently desires to bolster the frontcourt.
Between Looney’s 21 games and the five Kessler played last season, the Lakers are, according to team and league sources, hunting for reinforcement at the center position. But that search won’t be easy. The center market is largely a mess. In addition, the Lakers already have 16 guaranteed contracts and no open roster spots.
Kessler said he’s good to go health-wise, so hopefully his injuries are a thing of the past.
Still, it’d be ideal to have a backup you can rely on in case he misses a game here and there. Looney doesn’t seem ready for that kind of role. He is an older, more limited player. Last season he played just 21 games.
Looney is a solid rebounder and screener, but his offensive production was never great, and it’s declining. With the Pelicans last year, he scored just 2.8 points per game and shot 41.7% from the field.
If the season started now, he’d likely be taking over Hayes’ minutes. It’s hard to imagine Looney can produce at the same level that Hayes did.
Looney playing the Kleber role, as a third-string big who knows how to be a professional, would be a better situation for him.
If the Lakers opt to sign a center from the unrestricted free agent market, Nick Richards and Drew Eubanks remain available.
Richards averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds last season. However, he was traded to the Bulls midseason and performed well there, averaging 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in a larger role.
Eubanks played with the Kings last season and averaged 5.2 points while shooting 59.6% from the field.
Whether via a trade or by signing a player, the goal seems to be for LA to snag another backup center option.And it’s why they continue to look for that reinforcement even with all of their roster spots currently being accounted for.
Given how important the frontcourt is for the Lakers, they should be able to figure out how to improve the depth at that position before the start of the year. The only unknown currently is who it will be.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
SP: Kodai Senga – RHP
SP: Janson Junk – RHP
First pitch: 7:10 PM ET
TV: WPIX
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The Golden State Warriors still need to add some players to fill out their roster, and it seems they’ve narrowed down the candidates. According to a recent report by Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Dubs are considering center Kelly Olynyk, combo guard Brandon Williams, and guard Gabe Vincent for the team’s final three roster spots alongside a pair of internal options (re-signing Gary Payton II or promoted LJ Cryer from his two-way deal). Siegel clarified that “a few other names could emerge.. but the Warriors will be adding at least one more guard.”
“With about an $8 million buffer between their current payroll and the second apron, the Warriors have three open roster spots left,” Siegel wrote. “Sources say Kelly Olynyk, Brandon Williams, Gabe Vincent, and Gary Payton II are all players in consideration for a minimum deal from the Warriors, along with current two-way guard LJ Cryer.”
Olynyk is a veteran stretch-five, who would seemingly replace departed restricted free agent Quinten Post, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Grizzlies (the deal includes multiple team options). In his prime, Olynyk’s size, shooting, and passing abilities seemed like an excellent fit alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green, but at 35 it’s unclear whether he has enough left in the tank to make a major impact. Last season, Olynyk only played 8.6 minutes per game across 42 contests, averaging just 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 25.5% from three with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs. However, he was much more productive the season prior between the Pelicans and Raptors. He played 20.3 minutes per game, averaging 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while making 41.8% of his three-point attempts.
Vincent, 30, is a defense-first guard who emerged as a key role player with the Miami Heat, where he thrived alongside Jimmy Butler in the team’s run to the finals in 2023. He signed a lucrative three-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers following the trip to the finals and was immediately derailed by injury. Since returning, he has struggled to regain his form. While Vincent has never been an above-average offensive player, he made a career-worst 35.2% of his field-goal attempts last season. Granted, he did make 34.1% of his three-point attempts. He averaged 4.4 points, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 rebound in 16.6 minutes per game (53 appearances between the Lakers and Hawks).
While Olynyk, Vincent, and Payton all fit in the category of “veteran role player probably past their prime,” Williams is undeniably a more volatile potential option. Williams has appeared in just 140 career NBA games over the past five years and was not a rotation player until last in the 2024-25 season with the Dallas Mavericks. Over the past two years, however, Williams has emerged as a productive microwave scorer averaging 11.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in just 19.7 minutes per game (99 games).
Yet, Williams averaging more than 20 points and 5 assists per 36 minutes in each of the past two seasons has not earned him a big pay day because of his limitations defensively and as a shooter. A career 28.0% shooter from three, Williams finished last season 36-155 (23.2%) from behind the arc. Still, Williams’ ability to score and get to the free-throw line remain intriguing. Still only 26, he could be a perfect bench scorer for the Warriors if his shot bounces back next season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are firmly in the mix for both Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson. Both forwards would be acquired via a sign-and-trade, with Max Strus and Dennis Schroder as the two players who Cleveland is willing to give up.
Strus ($16.6 million) is on an expiring contract that could be of interest for a team like the Denver Nuggets, who are trying to navigate a hefty payroll. Absorbing Strus, gaining his talents for a season, and then not having to pay him long-term is a benefit.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says the Cavs have expanded their search for a wing by becoming more involved in Watson’s situation in Denver.
“The Cavaliers have recently called to express interest in a sign-and-trade for Denver Nuggets restricted free-agent forward Peyton Watson, league sources told HoopsHype. The newfound interest in Watson comes on the heels of Cleveland also being in the mix for free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga in sign-and-trade discussions.”
Watson, an athletic 23-year-old forward, would fill one of Cleveland’s biggest needs. He has strong potential as a 3-and-D forward. He averaged 14.3 points per game last season on above 40% three-point shooting. That’s music to our ears.
Denver is reportedly asking for one notable player and at least one first-round pick for Watson. To this point, no suitor has been willing to offer a first-round pick to Denver. The Cavs have a 2031 pick they could put on the table.
If it were up to me, that’s a price worth paying.
Schroder ($14.8 million) still has another year left on his deal after this, worth $15 million. That’s an obstacle for a player who isn’t as highly valued around the league. Backup guards, especially undersized ones, aren’t garnering that much interest in today’s NBA. Schroder is still a helpful contributor nonetheless.
Cleveland has also shown interest in Atlanta’s Kuminga for most of the summer. The Cavs would dump either Strus or Schroder to make the deal financially possible. There haven’t been many updates on this front other than Atlanta still searching for a way to retain Kuminga despite interest from other teams.
Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.
You know the drill.
This is now an open thread
There’s a beautiful kind of joy that comes from watching a fanbase feel invincible for exactly one quarter.
Rewind to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers are up 22. Donovan Mitchell’s cooking, the crowd at the Garden is booing its own team, and somewhere in Cleveland, ten years of championship famine is doing that thing where it lets itself believe again. You know the feeling. Warriors fans have watched enough other fanbases live inside it to recognize the exact shape of the mirage.
Then the fourth quarter happened, and it happened fast. Up 22 with eight minutes left, the Cavs scored 15 the rest of regulation and folded on the other end while the Knicks picked Kenny Atkinson’s decision to stick with James Harden apart in real time, Harden finishing with more turnovers than made shots for the sixth time that postseason. Cleveland blew the 22, went to overtime tied, scored three points in the extra period, and lost — a franchise-level gut check, live, on national television, in a series they were supposed to at least make competitive. They never did make it competitive after that. New York finished the sweep with a 130-93 blowout, the first time Cleveland had been swept in a playoff series since 2018, when the team doing the sweeping wore blue and gold and had a guy named Curry running the show. Ten years after 3-1 became scripture in that city, Cleveland’s been victimized again by the power of the broom.
But the sweep wasn’t the gut punch. The sweep was just the appetizer, because what came after is the part that actually stayed with me. Here’s where I have to own something. I had zero inside information, no sourcing, nothing but vibes and a decade of watching this league, and I was certain LeBron was landing in Cleveland this summer. It just felt inevitable, the prodigal son, the second act, the fairy tale writing its own ending. Rich Paul was reportedly fielding voice-note pitches from half the league on LeBron’s behalf, with Cleveland on that list alongside Golden State, Miami, and Minnesota, and this wasn’t some distant, theoretical Cleveland pitch either.
Team president Koby Altman and assistant GM Brandon Weems reportedly sat down with Cavs ownership and LeBron’s camp in Akron in early July, his hometown, the actual place where the whole story started, while everyone else in the league was stuck relaying pitches through Rich Paul secondhand. Cleveland got the meeting nobody else got, and they cared enough about landing him that they reportedly held off finalizing James Harden’s new contract until they knew which way LeBron was leaning, betting the structure of their entire offseason on getting a yes.
That’s a team that genuinely thought it had the inside track. He called this one his “last decision,” took real time with it, genuinely weighed retirement, and picked Philadelphia anyway, over the hometown meeting, over the sentimental bookend to eleven seasons and two stints, the most he’s ever spent with one franchise, in favor of a team that had missed the playoffs the year before now built around LeBron, Joel Embiid, and a return trade for Jaylen Brown, chasing a championship window that has absolutely nothing to do with sentiment and everything to do with Mike Gansey deciding high-risk, high-reward was the only lane left. It worked out well for the Sixers. It’s a brutal thing for a franchise to get him in the room in Akron and still watch him walk out of it.
The second gut punch stings more than the first, honestly, because it wasn’t bad luck, it was inertia. While Cleveland waited on LeBron’s decision, they lost Dean Wade and Keon Ellis, their on-ball defense, gone, with nothing lined up to replace it, and there was no pivot to trade Evan Mobley for Giannis while that was reportedly on the table, no pivot to trade Donovan Mitchell for a stack of picks and start over. Instead they extended Mitchell on a deal that already looks shaky, kept an aging Harden who’s now a year further past his prime, and did it all in a conference that got harder while they stood still. One national outlet handed them a D grade for the summer and said it plainly: nobody had a worse offseason than Cleveland, and it wasn’t one bad move that got them there, it was the absence of any move at all.
So here’s where the Cavs actually are. Swept by the team that went on to win it all, thinner than the team that just ran them out of their own building in Game 4. The image that sticks is Akron in early July, Koby Altman and Brandon Weems in a room with LeBron James’s camp and Cavs ownership, the closest thing to a homecoming this franchise has gotten since 2014, everybody in that room aware of what 2016 meant and what it could mean again. And it still wasn’t enough. Cleveland got the one meeting nobody else in the league even got, and the greatest player in franchise history walked out of it and picked somewhere else anyway.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s been a full week since LeBron James announced his decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers instead of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That doesn’t leave much time for fans to gather their feelings. Still, we asked you earlier this week if James’ decision has negatively changed how you feel about him.
Cavs fans made themselves clear. This one hurt.
Nearly three-fourths of voters answered that James has negatively altered his connection to Cleveland with his decision to join the 76ers. The fans who participated in our poll said that they feel more negative about James now than before.
That’s understandable. No one wants to feel like a second or third option. Cleveland’s been through this feeling before, and it’s never fun.
Most of the fan base had likely made peace with James potentially ending his career in Los Angeles. But it was hard not to feel hopeful that a homecoming was on the table once James announced he was leaving the Lakers. The results of this decision were always going to be disappointing if the answer wasn’t Cleveland.
That said, I’d hope that no one is taking this too far.
James already fulfilled his promise to Cleveland. He’s done so while remaining true to Northeast Ohio through his various donations and community-building events. This isn’t someone who has abandoned his hometown. He just doesn’t want to end his career here.
It’s okay to feel disappointed by that. And it’s okay to feel like this relationship was more one-sided than you thought. Cavs fans were ready to welcome him with open arms, and instead, he’s leaving them hanging once again.
I’d be interested to see how this poll might change in a year. Feelings are as intense as they’ll ever be coming off the heels of the decision. Perhaps time will heal all wounds.
The Cavs certainly aren’t as screwed as they were the last time James burned them with a decision. Cleveland is still 10th in championship odds according to FanDuel and has the advantage of continuity that some other teams in the mix won’t be afforded next season.
Michael Porter Jr. had a career year and he’s due for a big payday. The one-time champion and near All-Star this past season put up a career-high 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
As training camp approaches, General Manager Sean Marks faces his most critical financial decision of the offseason: What is the right price tag for a Michael Porter Jr. contract extension?
Entering the final year of his current deal at $40.8 million, Mark Bartelstein and the Nets front office are still figuring things out, and it sounds like he wants to be back. But Brooklyn boasts ample cap flexibility and locking up the high-volume scorer long-term directly impacts future max cap space.
All said: Nets fans want MPJ kept in Brooklyn, but only at the right price.
Is it realistic? Maybe not. He’s already making more than this…
Nets fans voted this past week and offered their thoughts in the comment section.
Thanks to everybody who voted and/or participated.
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