The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
The Sabres selected three defensemen in the 2025 Draft class, including their top two picks in first-rounder Radim Mrtka, and hulking third-rounder David Bedkowski in the third round. With their pick in the fifth round, Buffalo selected blueliner Noah Laberge from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL. The 19-year-old tripled his goal total from four to 12 in his draft year and scored 35 points for the Titan, who moved to St. John's, Newfoundland last season.
Who had the best and worst offseason in the Atlantic Division?
In his third and final QMJHL season, Laberge set a career-high with 56 points (7 goals, 49 assists) and also posted 13 points in 12 playoff games.
Elite Prospects describes the 6’1”. 187 lb. defenseman as “an intelligent and mobile blueliner who specializes in suppressing opposing rushes. He plays a patient defensive game based mostly on his stick work. He funnels puck carriers to the outside, anticipates their movement and matches them, and cuts passes as they’re fired, limiting the opposition’s ability to orchestrate chances. When he regains possession, he immediately looks to the inside for an outlet, connecting with teammates as they rush up the ice, before following their movement.”
Normally, the Sabres would be on the clock to decide to sign the youngster with the two-year window for players drafted out of the CHL, but the option now open to head to the NCAA gives NHL clubs a longer development window. Laberge is heading to Northeastern University this fall.
Oceanside, CA - OCTOBER 9: Deonte Burton #4 of the Guangzhou Loong Lions and James Harden #1 of the LA Clippers look on during the game on October 9, 2025 at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images)
Former Iowa State men’s basketball player Deonte Burton, who played for the Cyclones from 2015 to 2017, will play for NLEX Road Warriors when the PBA season 50 Governors’ Cup resumes in October.
The team made the announcement Friday, following a 112-110 loss to Converge FiberXers.
Road Warriors head coach Jimmy Alapag is “very excited” to have Burton suit up for the team as Alapag coached the Milwaukee native during his time in the Sacramento Kings organization.
Jimmy Alapag is glad that his former player with Stockton and Sacramento, Deonte Burton, will be NLEX’s import when the #PBA50 Governors’ Cup resumes#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/ZmfveYDGyc
In addition to stints with the Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder, Burton has also played for: the Maine Celtics, South Korean teams Wonju DB Promy, Busan KCC Egis and Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters, Mets de Guaynabo and Osos de Manatí in Puerto Rico and Guangzhou Loong Lions in China.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom left Thursday night’s start against the Los Angeles Angels after two innings because of right triceps fatigue and will undergo an MRI on Friday.
“I’m not too concerned,” deGrom said following a 7-0 loss to the Angels. “I mean, hopefully I’ll make my next (start). We’ll see. It was tight in the second inning, and it just didn’t want to loosen up, so I don’t know, I haven’t really had this before.”
The 38-year-old right-hander, who has been dealing with a left hip and glute injury since the All-Star break, escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the first but gave up two runs and five hits during a 32-pitch second. He was replaced by right-hander Peyton Gray to begin the third with the Angels leading 2-0.
It was the first time deGrom permitted five hits in an inning since Sept. 5, 2017, with the New York Mets.
“I wasn’t going to risk it once I heard (it was) the triceps,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “Obviously, you don’t want to hear anything arm-related. You pull a guy out in the second inning, it’s concerning. But we’ll figure it out when he gets some imaging. We won’t know until they get in there.”
This seven-game road trip began with the Rangers placing pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list because of elbow inflammation Monday. Texas beat the Angels 4-1 that night but lost the next three games to fall to 60-62 and two games behind first-place Houston in the AL West.
Now, the Rangers might have to navigate the next few weeks without their two best starting pitchers.
“Our starting pitching has taken a hit, that is reality,” Schumaker said. “With two guys going down, we’ll see what it looks like, but it’s never easy when you’re No. 1 and No. 2 guys are down.”
A two-time Cy Young Award winner, deGrom allowed six hits, struck out three and walked one. He needs two strikeouts to become the ninth active pitcher and 94th in major league history to reach 2,000.
In three starts against the Angels this season, deGrom has yielded 10 earned runs in 10 innings.
“It was very disappointing,” he said of Thursday night’s start. “I needed to go out there and give us some length and wasn’t able to do it. I said I could probably keep going, and they said, ‘Well, we’re not going to risk this right now,’ so we’ll just see how it is tomorrow and I’ll go from there.”
One of baseball’s best pitchers when healthy, deGrom made at least 31 starts per season and pitched to a 2.53 ERA across 622 1/3 innings from 2017-19 with the Mets.
He won NL Cy Young Awards with New York in 2018 and 2019 and led the National League with 255 strikeouts in 2019 and 104 strikeouts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
But deGrom made only 35 starts because of injuries from 2021-24 and underwent his second Tommy John surgery in June 2023, which sidelined him for much of his first two seasons with Texas in 2023 and 2024.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Franklin Arias #19 of the Boston Red Sox poses for a photo during the 2026 All-Star Futures Game player photoshoot at Philadelphia Marriott Downtown on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Georgia Soares/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Woo Sox pounded out 10 runs and 13 hits on Thursday night in an emphatic victory over the Bisons (TOR). Franklin Arias led the way with three hits, three runs, two RBI, and his fourth home run at Worcester. He has 23 home runs and 70 RBI in 90 games combined in the minor leagues this season.
Franklin Arias solo shot.
The Boston Red Sox prospect is 3-for-4 with a double (4), a homer (4), and two RBI (17) in Triple-A tonight. 23 total homers on the season. pic.twitter.com/VIufQuVx7G
The chirping is getting louder on social media, asking for Arias to get the call in 2026. Unfortunately, with the looming lockout, it’s difficult to see top prospects who are not on the 40-man roster getting the call this season. Minor leaguers will still be able to play next year if the lockout spills into the season, and Arias doesn’t need to be protected from the Rule Five draft until after 2027.
I know that we don’t shout out the Triple-A players in their thirties too often, but it’s easy to forget how recently Mickey Gasper played a significant role with the major league team. Gasper had two doubles and an RBI on Thursday, and his slash line in 233 plate appearances at Worcester this year is .340/.451/.571, with a 161 wRC+. The guy shows up for work every day and will be ready for the call when needed. I expect to see him hitting .300 somewhere at the age of 40.
Kristian Campbell also had a couple of doubles to stay hot, and Nathan Hickey had two hits, three RBI, and finished the game on the mound (allowing two runs).
Gage Ziehl (1-0, 0.00) will get his second start since being promoted to Worcester on Friday at 6:45.
I’ve looked at quite a few line scores in my day. It’s not often that I see a “6” in the final column of a professional baseball game.
That seems suboptimal when trying to win a ballgame. Believe it or not, five of the six Binghamton (NYM) runs were unearned, with starter Hayden Mullins allowing one earned over five innings and striking out eight. Miguel Bleis and Johanfran Garcia each hit solo homers, with Brooks Brannon contributing three doubles on the day.
The Sea Dogs have yet to name a starter on Friday at 6:00.
Hub City Spartanburgers 6, Greenville Drive 3 (BOX)
The Drive were never really in this one, as the Spartanburgers (TEX) went out to a 6-0 lead after six innings. Starter Jacob Mayers allowed one earned run over 3 2/3 innings but was saddled with the loss.
DH Ronny Hernandez homered in the loss, his twelfth, and had both of the team’s RBI. Yophery Rodriguez contributed two hits as well.
Jason Gilman (0-1, 5.40) gets the ball on Friday at 7:05.
The RidgeYaks got off to a tough start against the Shorebirds (BAL), who tallied five runs in the bottom of the first to chase starter Williams Montero from the game. Reliever Berny Ortiz calmed things down in relief, throwing 3 1/3 shutout innings.
At the dish, Andruw Musett had two doubles and three RBI, accounting for all three of the Salem runs on the day.
On Friday, Leighton Finley (6-4, 4.87) will take the mound at 7:05.
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (61-55) won 4-1 (BOX SCORE)
Alexander started for Sugar Land and pitched well allowing one run over 6 innings while striking out 8. The offense got on the board in the 6th inning on RBI doubles from Brooks and Cole. In the 7th, Alexander added a 2 run double to extend the lead. The bullpen was solid tossing 3 scoreless innings as they closed out the 4-1 win.
Jason Alexander, RHP: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (WIN)
Kai-Wei Teng, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (SAVE)
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (52-59) lost 5-1 (BOX SCORE)
Gillis started for the Hooks and allowed a run retiring just two batters before being pulled. He was relieved by Swanson who allowed 3 runs over one inning of work. The offense got on the board in the 4th inning on a Janek RBI double. The bullpen allowed another run and the offense was unable to score again as the Hooks fell 5-1.
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (37-72) lost 8-3 (BOX SCORE)
Asheville got on the board in the first inning on a Thomas lead-off home run. After the Emperors scored two runs in the second inning, Asheville responded with one on a Powell RBI single. Shoemaker tossed two hitless innings as the starter, but allowed two runs as he walked five. Cruz struggled in relief allowing 5 runs over 2.2 innings. Asheville got a run back in the 7th on a Powell RBI single but that was it as Asheville fell 8-3.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (56-52) won 7-4 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning scoring two runs on a Luciano 2 run double. They got two more runs in the 2nd inning on a Ramirez RBI single and a run on a fielder’s choice. Verdugo got the start and pitched well, allowing three runs, two earned, over 5.1 innings while striking out six. The offense responded with three runs in the bottom of the 6th inning on a walk to Ramirez and two runs scoring on wild pitches. The bullpen was solid allowing one run over 3.2 innings as they closed out the 7-4 win.
Note: Fielder is hitting .278 with the Woodpeckers.
This series wraps up Cubs vs. Cardinals for this year (barring an unlikely postseason matchup). After struggling vs. the Cardinals in their first two series of 2026, the Cubs took three of four in St. Louis last month and so the season series is tied at five wins each.
For more on the Cardinals, here’s Doc Holliday, manager of our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos.
Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy have emerged as top of the rotation talent. Pallante may be the most effective arm on the staff right now after May got traded and Michael McGreevy had a couple of less-than-ideal starts. Meanwhile, Matthew Liberatore has been a dumpster fire and he’s the scheduled starter on Friday. Major control issues. He had one start out of his last four that was strong when he had everything working. That has been the exception and not the rule. He’s the weak link which again is why Friday afternoon’s game is crucial.
Riley O’Brien has gotten his control back and has been effective in his most recent save attempts. Caleb Ferguson was a mistake pickup at the trade deadline who might not be on the roster by the time the Cardinals arrive in Chicago.
The Cardinals’ offensive story is a mixed bag. Alec Burleson has returned to his Silver Slugger-level self and has been a RBI monster this past week. He had three home runs a few games ago and was key to the victory over the Phillies on Wednesday. Jordan Walker hit his first home run since the All-Star break recently. He has not regressed to 2025 Jordan Walker and continues to make hard contact. JJ Wetherholt has been struggling at the top of the lineup as his average is now down in the .240’s, but there were signs today that he might be coming out of the slump. Ivan Herrera has also become red-hot. He’s horrific as a defensive catcher, having not thrown out even one runner this year, but as a DH he’s amazing. Newcomer Everson Pereira, who the Cardinals claimed a few days ago from the White Sox, has made a great first impression. Made one of the best plays we’ve seen this year in center field Tuesday night as he slammed into the wall at full stride to rob the Phillies of a scoring chance. Then he hit a solo blast in the late innings to ice Tuesday night’s victory.
St. Louis will arrive in Chicago with momentum. There’s a vibe similar to what the team had early in the season, but I suspect Friday’s game will be key. I’m expecting an exciting weekend. The Cubs have the chance to torpedo the Cardinals chances at making a run at the third Wild Card spot. If St. Louis can somehow manage to win the series against Chicago, could be the springboard to a serious September run.
Fun facts
After losing two of three games when they hosted the Cardinals for the first time this season, July 3-5, the Cubs were 50-40 and the Cards were 47-40.
Since then, the Cubs are 21-11; the Cardinals, 14-20. Instead of leading the Cards by 1.5 games, the Cubs are up by 9.0.
The ancient rivals have played 2,536 games, the second most the Cubs have played against any opponent, behind 2,631 against. the Pirates. Their 1,286 wins over the Cards are their second most, too, just five fewer than their 1,291 vs. the Pirates. 716 of the Cubs’ win have come at home, their most vs. any guest. They have won 700 against the Braves and 691 against the Pirates.
The Cubs have split 10 games against the Cards this year. They won the series, 8-5, a year ago, by sweeping the last three games of the season at Wrigley, by 12-1, 7-3 and 2-0. They had won two of three earlier in the year and three of four in the second series of 2024, so the Cubs are 9-4 in their last four at home in the rivalry.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Clay Holmes, RHP (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 2.000 WHIP, 7.33 FIP in one start with Cubs; 4-5, 2.86 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 3.48 FIP in 10 starts overall) vs. Matthew Liberatore, LHP (5-9, 5.15 ERA, 1.522 WHIP, 4.70 FIP)
Saturday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (8-1, 3.50 ERA, 1.218 WHIP, 3.95 FIP) vs. Michael McGreevy, RHP (4-9, 3.64 ERA, 1.222 WHIP, 4.25 FIP)
Sunday: 2:15 p.m. CT, ABC-TV (full national broadcast, no blackouts). Also available streaming on the ESPN App (subscription required).
Prediction
The Cardinals just took two of three from the Phillies at home, but the Phillies have been in a slide in general lately, while the Cubs have been hot. That should be enough for the Cubs to take two of three here.
Up next
The Cubs host their crosstown rivals, the White Sox, in a three-game series at Wrigley Field beginning Monday evening.
The game returns to San Francisco for the first time since 2007, and commissioner Rob Manfred has acknowledged the relatively quick return to the Bay Area for the big game would boost the chances MLB players could toggle from the All-Star break to the Summer Games in Los Angeles, with the baseball portion held at Dodger Stadium.
Creating a multiple-week block of high-ratings exhibition baseball will result in a longer midseason shutdown, but players have expressed interest in participating in Olympic ball. Their participation has become a bargaining point in negotiations with the league ahd the MLB Players' Association during collective bargaining talks.
This will mark the fourth All-Star Game in San Francisco, with the first two held at Candlestick Park. The 2027 game will be at Chicago's Wrigley Field, while Toronto, Baltimore and Boston have expressed significant interest in hosting games in the near future.
The Milwaukee Brewers (75-47) stormed back to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (73-49), 5-4. Milwaukee scored three runs in the ninth inning rallying Edwin Diaz out the game.
After seven-straight losses, Los Angeles is 4-2 in the last six games. The Dodgers are batting .222 in that span (22nd) with 23 runs scored (15th). The pitching has held Los Angeles together lately. The rotation has posted a 2.95 ERA (5th) with the fourth-most strikeouts (54), and eighth-ranked OBA (.203) in those six games.
Milwaukee snapped its three-game losing streak with the comeback win on Thursday. The Brewers were swept by the Padres, losing two games by one run, so it's fitting they won by one against the Dodgers. In August, Milwaukee has a 3.78 ERA (14th) as a team and batting .218 (24th). The Brewers offense has scored 45 runs over 13 games, which is tied 18th with the Pirates.
Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Brewers at Dodgers
Date: Friday, August 14, 2026
Time: 10:10 PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Brewers at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers (-181), Milwaukee Brewers (+168)
Spread: Brewers +1.5 (-137), Dodgers -1.5 (+114)
Total: 7.5
Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Dodgers
Friday's pitching matchup (August 14): Robert Gasser vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Shohei Ohtani is batting .298 to start August (14/47) with three home runs
Mookie Betts is hitting .282 in August (11/39)
Kyle Tucker is hitting .243 in August (9/37)
William Contreras is hitting .116 in August (5/43) with eight strikeouts and seven walks
Jackson Chourio is hitting .284 in August (13/46) with four home runs
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Dodgers
Los Angeles is 50-72 ATS, ranking third-worst
Milwaukee is 63-59 ATS
Los Angeles is 64-57-1 to the Under
Milwaukee is 67-52-3 to the Under, ranking fourth-best
Los Angeles is 21-39 ATS at home, ranking second-worst
Milwaukee is 28-28 ATS on the road
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Dodgers and the Brewers
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Dodgers and the Brewers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Brewers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brewers at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.5
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PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 10: Ariel Hukporti #55 of the New York Knicks and Justin Edwards #11 of the Philadelphia 76ers goes after a loose ball during the game during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Fresh off a massive offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers have nearly rebuilt their roster with new additions including LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. The spotlight is now on this team as never before, with media scrutiny intensifying. The Liberty Ballers crew weighs in on key questions in this three-part series.
For Part 3, we’re focusing on team construction and depth. From navigating Embiid’s role in a pace-and-space offense to addressing potential weak spots, here’s our crew’s take:
Joel Embiid is still skilled but doesn’t move as quickly as he used to. The rest of the starting five leads the league in transition baskets. How do you expect the group to mesh with this mismatch?
Bryan Toporek: I’m genuinely curious about this, because other than Embiid, the rest of the roster is designed to fly up and down the court. They’ll presumably look to push the pace off any missed basket, but if they can’t score in transition, they’ll slow it down and work Embiid into some half-court actions. Embiid needs to get himself into tip-top shape heading into this season, though.
Sean Kennedy: I think it will work just fine. Joel will concentrate on boxing out and then throwing kick-ahead passes to the other guys in transition. They will streak ahead and if an opportunity doesn’t develop organically, Embiid will saunter into position around the nail or top of the key to run a pick-and-roll or dribble handoff with 16-to-18 seconds still left on the shot clock.
Josh Grieb: I’m not concerned about this at all really. After drafting VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers made it a point to play fast and get out in transition as much as possible last season as well. With the speed in the backcourt and the amount of turnovers they created, they were able to get the ball and run down the floor without Embiid really ever having to.
The only time this pace got disrupted was during Embiid’s prolonged stretches of availability, and the offense would slow down because he was scoring like his old self again, which was just as viable a path to winning games. The Sixers’ backcourt will likely be hunting a lot of turnovers again, and Embiid will likely miss a good chunk of games again. Even when he’s on the floor, I don’t think the Sixers will have much of a problem getting transition baskets.
Drew Peltzman: I believe we will be seeing Embiid at the half-court line for transition buckets, which is fine as long as he is the defensive anchor and rebounder the team will need him to be. If that is not the case, then big man better start running because it will be a track meet around him, and fans will quickly notice if he is literally too slow for this new roster. This may not become prevalent until the playoffs where the attrition sets in, but shooting more trail threes from all over the arc at a good clip could be the biggest change to ingratiate himself in the new offense. Late-career Embiid should embrace becoming a souped up Brook Lopez V2, it is exactly what the team needs.
Harrison Grimm: This is a very real question, but I do think people are overthinking it a bit. Embiid’s been playing in the trailer position pretty much all of his career, and that’s exactly what he’ll do here. Rebounding will be the biggest area to watch. On one hand, he’ll need to protect himself and his body accordingly, but on the other, he’ll need to grab boards and find one of several ball handlers to kick out to and run. I think it can not only work, but work well. Embiid’s favorite spot to shoot from the perimeter is a straight-on three, and he can walk into those with drives and kicks from any of the big name players.
If you divided the starting five into two hypothetical units, which lineup combinations would you want to see featured?
BT: This is an impossible question. Well done!
It’s impossible because there are so many different combinations that could work well together. My initial instinct would be to stagger Maxey and LeBron so the Sixers have a high-level playmaker on the floor at all times, but Maxey and LeBron should also be a deadly pairing together (not to mention the chemistry they’ve already established as offseason workout partners). I would at least keep Maxey and Embiid paired due to Maxey’s shooting ability.
If the Sixers do run out lineups without Maxey, Embiid and LeBron, that means Edgecombe and Brown would have a chance to run the offense on their own for a bit. I’d want Anfernee Simons with that duo to add some shooting, but I do want to see Point VJ at times this year given the playmaking chops he showed as a rookie.
SK: I like the idea of the vet duo of LeBron and Embiid building off their Team USA chemistry and running pick-and-rolls with spot-up shooters off the bench like Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade. I’m sure James could find Joel with some really sweet pocket passes. Then, the other group of Maxey, VJ and Jaylen could be assigned to hound opposing teams on the perimeter and run, run, run as much as possible.
JG: My initial temptation is to group Maxey, Embiid and LeBron together with Brown and Edgecombe as certified dawgs leading the second unit. My concern with that is it shifts nearly all of the passing ability to the first unit.
I think the pairing that might work best is LeBron, Maxey and Edgecombe with Embiid and Brown leading the other group. The two guards can be cutting and screening all over the floor while LeBron runs the show. The other group can pound teams to death with an Embiid/Brown pick-and-roll. Availability will surely determine how Nick Nurse staggers this bunch, but in a perfect world, I think that’s how I’d do it.
DP: I believe you can rotate three different combinations of the starting five throughout the whole game. This would be my ideal playoff rotation: Maxey/VJ/Brown as the remaining starters when the bench comes on. Likely Wade and Bona/Hukporti as the forward and center subs first to get the old guys off the floor. You could run all day and have strong interior defense and rebounding against the opponents bench unit. This would be the time for Edgecombe to eat, and help take the load off Maxey and Brown if necessary.
Then, those three starters exit for LeBron/Embiid/Simons/KCP, Wade stays on with this group. This is a slow and steady group but provides Embiid and LeBron the opportunity to cook with more space and proven role players in Simons, Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Then you bring Brown on for Wade, let him cook with LeBron’s playmaking and Embiid’s gravity helping to distract the defense. Then you bring back Maxey and VJ for a long stretch, and repeat this again in the second half. I would try to avoid LeBron playing with the backup centers as much as possible, if possible.
HG: This isn’t an easy question to answer, which speaks volumes to the talent the Sixers have at their disposal. There’s going to be no shortage of staggering, but if we’re honing in on two specific groups, I’d like to see the first group be something like Maxey, KCP, LeBron, Wade and one of Bona or Hukporti. I think this group could play fast and have no shortage of shooting without sacrificing anything defensively. A big part of surviving when Embiid is off the floor is making do with Hukporti and/or Bona, and to do that, the bulk of their minutes should come alongside LeBron, who can spoon-feed them at the rim.
The other group would be something like Anfernee Simons, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, Barlow and Embiid. This would allow VJ to have plenty of on-ball reps, and this is a good group to compensate for Simons’ defensive problems. You could run plenty of pick-and-rolls with VJ and Brown with Embiid, and Embiid did a good job dishing to Barlow when posted up under the basket. Shooting could potentially be a problem with this group, but you could always swap out Barlow for Wade to provide that floor spacing.
The backup center spot has long been a topic of discussion, and it remains one this season. Are Bona and Hukporti enough to get by if Embiid misses time?
BT: This is easily my biggest area of concern heading into the season.
Can Bona and Hukporti fill in as spot starters at times? Probably. But if Embiid misses significant time, color me skeptical.
The Sixers can always try small-ball units with Barlow or even LeBron at the 5, but they’d be sacrificing a ton of rebounding and rim protection. Those lineups are fine as curveballs, not as something to be routinely relied upon.
I’m guessing that they’ll fill their last two-way spot with another big man just to give themselves more depth at that spot, and their final open roster spot is likely earmarked for a big man in-season as well.
SK: I think those two are enough in the sense that the team has enough talent elsewhere to get by with one position of weakness if and when Joel is out of the lineup for a few games here and there. You’re obviously not going to get a playoff-caliber center option on a minimum deal, so you have to hope the ability to load manage Embiid and take more off his plate with the massive infusion of roster talent can keep him on track to be relatively healthy come the postseason. I would like some sort of stretch-shooting big just to give Nick Nurse another lineup alternative – Kevin Love as a midseason signing, anyone?
JG: This is my second biggest concern, because as it stands, I don’t believe they’re enough to get by a substantial amount of time, especially to win a playoff game or two. Bona’s sophomore season was very up-and-down, and he looked woefully unplayable for large stretches of both playoff series for the Sixers last season.
Hukporti has gotten less opportunity. There’s perhaps a little more hope for development, but a lack of experience isn’t going to help him cut down on fouling immediately. Should Embiid miss a playoff game, I’d be very concerned about the other team being able to use all 12 of Bona and Hukporti’s fouls.
They won’t be able to do anything until halfway through the season, but I will be monitoring the veteran’s minimum and buyout big market closely.
DP: I strongly doubt it will be enough, but I am excited to see what Hukporti can bring to the table. If there’s any trade deadline targets the Sixers go after, I’d imagine it would be a center.
HG: I haven’t sold off my Bona stock yet, but I’m going to need to see much more of him this season. I think Bona and Hukporti are extremely similar in the sense that you want them doing less to provide more. These guys are big frames who play seriously hard, and when you overextend them, things can get wild and they can rack up fouls quick. You want them filling in the gaps, not doing the heavy lifting. I might be in the minority on this one, but those two might be enough if LeBron is mostly available. I do think you can run into problems quickly, however, if LeBron misses a chunk of time or you need to lean on both of them to soak up 48 minutes at the center spot in the event of an Embiid injury.
Knicks fans are feeling new emotions entering a new season this year, coming off the franchise's first championship in 53 years with a solid case for repeating in 2026-27.
Euphoria is at an all-time high, the expectations are less burdened but still there, and the excitement is at a peak after a wild offseason of rival teams chasing New York’s preeminence.
We’re still two months away from tip-off, but the hype kicked off with the season’s schedule release on Thursday.
Let’s dive into all 82 games to take an early glimpse at what the Knicks should expect in defense of their throne this year.
Key Dates
Sept. 29: NBA Training Camps open
Oct. 20: Start of NBA regular season
Dec. 4-5: Emirates NBA Cup 2026 | Knockout Rounds | Quarterfinals
Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9: Emirates NBA Cup 2026 | Knockout Rounds | Semifinals
Dec. 11: Emirates NBA Cup 2026 | Championship | Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Feb. 11: NBA Trade Deadline
Feb. 19-21: NBA All-Star 2027 | Phoenix
Feb. 19-24: NBA All-Star break
Top Matchups
Oct. 20 vs Phi.
Opening night has never been more special, as the Knicks receive their 2026 championship rings, before suiting up to play the rebuilt 76ers. This is not the team they eliminated from two of the last three postseasons, after acquiring Jaylen Brown via trade and LeBron James in free agency.
NBA Cup Games
Oct. 30 @ Philadelphia 76ers
Nov. 13 @ Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton returns from his Achilles tear as the Knicks test themselves against the one teams they failed to overcome in their hunt for a chip.
Nov. 2 vs Brooklyn Nets
Julius Randle dons a Nets jersey at MSG for the first time, returning to the city that made him a perennial All-Star.
Nov. 25 vs Cleveland Cavaliers
New York has had Cleveland’s number, but the Cavs won’t go quietly after an embarrassing Conference Finals sweep.
Nov. 27 vs Miami Heat
Giannis Antetokounmpo pays a visit to Madison Square Garden for the first time in his new Heat uniform, as the Knicks face a potential new contender in the East.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots the ball past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the first half during game one of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center / Geoff Burke - Imagn Images
Dec. 25 vs San Antonio Spurs
A Christmas Day NBA Finals rematch, what more could fans ask for? Victor Wembanyama and co. will be out to prove they’ve ascended beyond last June’s performance.
Feb. 13 vs Golden State Warriors
We don’t have many more chances to watch Stephen Curry play at Madison Square Garden, so fans of the quixotic shooter will have this date circled on their calendars.
Easiest stretches
New York doesn’t boast any especially easy stretches playing in a packed division and conference with their longest home stand coming in at five games. They do open the season with seven of their first 11 games at home, though, with two against Chicago, plus Brooklyn and Milwaukee on the docket letting them start the year with a little victory lap.
From Jan. 11 through the end of the month, the Knicks play nine of 11 games at home with only one back-to-back -- this stretch includes a number of visiting West teams, but few pushovers.
Late March provides them another reprieve, with five of six games at home and the one road game just a stone’s throw away in Washington D.C. They play the Wizards twice plus the Pelicans and Kings in this stretch, giving them a potential nice boost to playoff seeding down the stretch.
Toughest stretches
New York was given a brutal holiday schedule, kicking off in December with two road games before pivoting into the NBA Cup tournament action. From there, they play five more road games before finally returning home in time for games every other day through the end of the month, including their Christmas matinee.
And it doesn’t stop there, as the Knicks go back on the road on Dec. 30 to launch a six-game West Coast trip with a though back-to-back. In all, they play 13 of 16 games away from home for a month and a week, not including Cup games.
This part of the schedule will definitely test this team, which had a similar stretch last year in which they won the NBA Cup and went on a killer winning streak, before completely flaming out for the next 11 games.
With all of the trophies they were able to secure last season, perhaps they will be able to find a way to carry through this intense stretch with less of a boom-and-bust approach.
A season after the Mets (and every other team but the White Sox) passed on slugging Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami, New York is showing interest in reigning NPB MVP Teruaki Sato.
It hasn't yet been confirmed that the star third baseman will be posted by the Hanshin Tigers this offseason, but Jorge Castillo of ESPN reported in May that teams are "preparing" for Sato to be available.
Sato, 27, hit .278/.345/.579 with 40 home runs, 34 doubles, and 102 RBI in 139 games in 2025 for Hanshin.
He's taken it up a notch this season, slashing .318/.404/.622 with 27 homers and 28 doubles in 103 games, though he has struck out 116 times.
Sato would very likely have to slide over to first base in a world where he lands in Queens and Bo Bichette doesn't opt out of his contract.
New York's current in-house options at first base for next season include Jared Young and Jorge Polanco. But Polanco has been abysmal at the plate this season, with his Achilles issue limiting him to DH duties since he returned from the IL.
Regarding Bichette, he has opt-outs after this season and the 2027 season. However, it's difficult to envision him exercising it this offseason, with him set to get an AAV of $42 million in both 2027 and 2028.
Bichette has been a lot better since his tough start, hitting .307/.349/.458 (.807 OPS) with seven homers and 11 doubles in 232 plate appearances dating back to June 11. But his OPS for the year is still just .690.
As far as Sato, Heyman notes that the Yankees, Dodgers, and Phillies are also "linked" to him.
Sato continued his huge season on Thursday night, when he crushed a 480-foot homer.
It was a day of high-scoring wins across the three highest levels of the Dodgers minor league system and a blowout loss for the Tower Buzzers.
Player of the Day
It had been a while since the name of James Tibbs III was mentioned in the running for Player of the Day. Yet here he is once again, the standout player in the Comets’ blowout win at home, hitting two home runs.
Tibbs hadn’t hit multiple long shots in the same game since the end of May, and with his four RBI, the corner outfielder moved to a team-leading 88 on the season.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
In one game, James Tibbs III hit more home runs (2) than he had since the start of July, commanding a great Comets effort in a 9-to-3 win over the Isotopes. Also pitching in on the power department, Zach Ehrhard and Ryan Ward both left the yard in this win.
Settling in nicely after nearly two years away from the mound, Gavin Stone was terrific, with a solo homer being the only hit he allowed in three innings of work, punching out five. Kyle Hurt and Ben Casparius also had scoreless appearances, with the former earning the win.
Gavin Stone strikes out his final four batters to end his second rehab start🔥
Capitalizing on big rallies of seven and four runs in the third and sixth innings, respectively, the Drillers beat the Travelers 11 to 8 despite getting out-homered two to nothing. Elijah Hainline was a key factor in both of those innings, driving in three runs, including a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth.
Elijah Hainline with a clutch 2-run single and the Ranch Dippers have taken back the lead! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5CxrZQkzLV
Tulsa starter Zach Root’s six earned runs allowed were the most he has had all season long, coughing up a 7-1 lead alongside reliever Myles Caba. However, Carson Hobbs, Kelvin Ramirez, and Lucas Wepf were able to shut things down in the backend of the bullpen with a combined 5.1 scoreless innings to give the offense enough time to retake the lead.
High-A Great Lakes
Scoring seven of their eight runs in the first two innings, the Loons built enough of a cushion early on to earn the win over the Cubs. Leadoff hitter Charles Davalan started things off with a solo shot and added another one in the fourth, the only two homers that the Loons hit.
Adjusting well to his time in High-A, Mairo Martinus was another key performer offensively with a pair of doubles—the only Loons player with multiple RBI besides Davalan. Across two levels this season, Martinus has a .890 OPS in 102 games.
The Cubs slowly but surely built a comeback effort against Sterling Patick and Justin Chambers, but Davis Chastain got the job done in the ninth to earn the save, his fifth of the season.
Single-A Ontario
When your leadoff hitter strikes out three times in just four at-bats, that’s probably a sign of a struggling offensive effort, such as it was in the Tower Buzzers’ 10-2 loss against the Quakes. Ontario’s offense was dominated by starter Derek Clark, who struck out 12 through seven innings of two-run ball.
Take the contributions of Brayan Vergara to close the game as well, and the Tower Buzzers struck out 17 times. On a positive note, though, Joendry Vargas left the yard for his 10th homer of the season; no surprise it was a solo shot given the Tower Buzzers’ offensive struggles in this one.
Transactions
The Loons activated catcher Anson Aroz off the injured list and placed right-hander Hyun-Seok Jang on the IL. The Tower Buzzers activated right-hander Mason Estrada off the IL. The Dodgers sent righties Jonathan Hernández and Landon Knack to Triple-A, and the Comets were also assigned catcher Chadwick Tromp.
Thursday’s scores
Oklahoma City 9, Albuquerque 3
Tulsa 11, Arkansas 8
Great Lakes 8, South Bend 6
Rancho Cucamonga 10, Ontario 2
Friday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Isaac Ayon) vs. South Bend (Alfredo Romero)
5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Luke Fox) vs. Arkansas (Kade Anderson)
5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Tyler Glasnow) vs. Albuquerque (Mason Adams)
6:30 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Rancho Cucamonga (Mikey Cascino)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 8: Former San Francisco Giants player Buster Posey waits in the dugout before the Wall of Fame pregame ceremony at Oracle Park on August 8, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rosalind Adams at The City Reporter broke news that the Brooklyn Cyclones withheld tips from concessions stand employees. The Cyclones are owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings, the company that has purchased several minor league teams in recent years.
Although Shohei Ohtani’s contract stipulates that he could opt out in the event of a sale of the Dodgers, Alden Gonzalez at ESPN reports he would likely stick with the organization in that scenario.
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 13: Caleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox hits a grand slam during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on August 13, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Bombers took a painful 1-0 loss on Thursday at the hand of the Mariners. They mustered just one hit against Seattle, wasting a very solid effort from Max Fried, as they drop to 6.5 games out of first place in the East. As something resembling a silver lining, they were far from the only contender in the AL to be shutout on Thursday, as quality pitching was abundant around the league on a short day. With a disappointing contest for the Yankees behind us, let’s take a look at some of the other action around the Junior Circuit.
Boston Red Sox (65-56) 7, Toronto Blue Jays (59-64) 0
The Red Sox scored in the top half of the first inning on Thursday, and never looked back. Willson Contreras’ RBI double had them up early, and it was left-hander Payton Tolle’s game from that point on.
Boston’s 23-year-old lefty enjoyed one of the best starts of his season against Toronto, as he tossed eight strong shutout innings, striking out four batters and surrendering just two hits. Until the offense broke out late in this one, it was Tolle’s excellence on the mound that had Boston rolling.
The Red Sox lead remained at just 1-0 until the eighth inning, when they loaded the bases with a pair of singles and an intentional walk. Caleb Durbin made the absolute most of the opportunity, when he belted a grand slam into the Jays’ bullpen in left field.
Now up-5-0 in the ninth, Boston added some insurance thanks to a sacrifice fly from Masataka Yoshida, and another RBI off the bat of Durbin. Greg Weissert finished things off on the mound after Tolle’s eight innings of work, as the Jays a pair of hits in the scoreless affair. With the win, the Sox maintain their cushion in the wild card race.
Detroit Tigers (60-61) 3, Cleveland Guardians (59-63) 0:
Despite all of the selling taking place at the deadline, the Tigers netted another win on Thursday, and actually have hold of the final wild card spot in the American League. They took the lead in the third inning, thanks to a timely ground out, but would later add on to their total with a homer from Eduardo Valencia and an RBI from Spencer Torkelson. Most importantly, starter Keider Montero worked 6.1 scoreless frames, while the Detroit bullpen continued that trend to keep the Guardians out of the run column for the day. With no Tarik Skubal or Casey Mize, the Tigers still find themselves very much involved in the playoff hunt.
Cincinnati Reds (58-62) 9, Chicago White Sox (62-58) 8:
Elsewhere in the Central, the White Sox dropped a tough one in a slugfest at home. The Reds jumped out early, with homers from Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suárez putting them up three runs in the first inning. The White Sox countered with help from some big hits off the bat of Randal Grichuk, whose double gave them the lead in the second inning, but the Cincinnati bats would not be silenced. The Reds plated six more runs between the third and the sixth, which included another long ball, this one from Tyler Stephenson. Chicago did what they could to stage a comeback, initially down 9-5, when a pair of big hits in the ninth cut the lead to just one, though they couldn’t ultimately complete the comeback.
Los Angeles Angels (48-74) 7,Texas Rangers (60-62) 0:
The Angels jumped on the trend of tossing shutouts, doing so against Texas late on Thursday. All nine Los Angeles hitters tallied a hit in this one, including three each from Mike Trout and Denzer Guzman, who played big roles in the seven-run output. All the while, Walbert Ureña and the Angels’ bullpen kept things in check and the Rangers out of the run column. With the Tigers winning, the Rangers drop to a half-game out of the wild card with their loss.
DETROIT, MI - JULY 10: Catcher Rafael Marchan #13 of the Philadelphia Phillies during a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 10, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Scranton/WB 5, Lehigh Valley 1
IronPigs had a bullpen game and it showed. Tucker Davidson gave up four runs and took his 5th loss of the season. The offense was held to just 4 hits on the game and 3 walks. Rafael Marchan was rehabbing the game and went 1 for 2 at the plate. His mid-game replacement Payton Henry had the lone RBI, a force-out where the bases were loaded. The IronPigs were 0 for 8 with RISP.
Reading 6, Chesapeake 4
27 year old starter Adam Seminaris has put up a nice little season with Reading this year, his first year with the organization after being a 2020 5th round pick of the Angels. He has a 3.24 EA with 131 strikeouts in 111 innings pitched. Raylin Heredia hit his 20th HR of the season, a solo shot, and relative newcomer Wuilfredo Antunez (signed back on July 17th) hit his first HR with the org and 13th overall on the season. Heredia also picked up stolen bases 18 and 19, setting himself up for a nice 20/20 soon.
Brooklyn 6, Jersey Shore 1
Sam Highfill takes the loss, his 5th of the season, and has had a very bad time since being called up to High-A. His ERA has has ballooned to 5.83 over 66.1 IP. Meanwhile, the BlueClaws offense was held to 5 hits and went 1 for 12 with RISP. Devin Saltiban had two hits among those five.
Fort Myers 10, Clearwater 4
Always fun when you outhit the opposing team 13 to 9 and still lose the game and that is what happened here. Only two of those hits were for extra-bases. Starter Sean Youngerman gave up 4 of the runs (3 earned) and took his 6th loss. Catcher Macon Winslow had a multi-hit game, the first of his young professional career and is riding a 3-game hitting streak (he also had a throwing error and passed ball…).
