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White Sox Minor League Update: June 23, 2026

George Wolkow blasted his 10th long ball of the season. | (George Wolkow/Instagram)

Rochester Red Wings 10, Charlotte Knights 9
The Knights (42-34) came up just short in a wild one despite outhitting the Red Wings 12-10. The bats snoozed through the early frames until Nolan Jones finally got things cooking in the fourth with his 10th bomb of the year. Korey Lee chipped in an RBI double in the sixth to make it 3-2, but then came the seventh. It was a full-on meltdown, with Rochester tagging Adisyn Coffey and Chase Plymell for seven runs, and the Knights were buried under a mountain of tallies.

Charlotte refused to go away, though, answering with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Rikuu Nishida and Dustin Harris both with RBI knocks, and Jones lacing a two-run double to keep the corpse twitching at 10-6. In the ninth inning, it was one last gasp with the Knights putting up three more runs. Jones with a sac fly for his fourth RBI, Caden Connor slapping a two-run single to bring Charlotte within a run, but that was the end of the magic. On the hill, Duncan Davitt provided a bright spot for three hitless innings, and Jared Kelly closed up the last two frames, allowing two hits, a walk, and two punchouts.

Who was the Knights MVP?
 
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Who was the Knights Cold Cat?
 
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Knoxville Smokies 5, Birmingham Barons 3
Despite the loss, the Barons (26-44) did show some patience at the plate (eight walks!), but it was about the only thing worth applauding. Four hits, all night, and every run squeezed out in a single, frantic fourth inning. Anthony DePino and Samuel Zavala started things with back-to-back walks, Colby Shelton poked a single to jam the bases, and Jeral Perez broke through with a two-run double. Eddie Park walked to reload the bags, Dylan Campbell took a bases-loaded freebie, and that was it for the offense. Shelton doubled in the sixth, Alec Briley doubled in the ninth, but the Barons stranded nine, whiffed 11 times, and went a ghastly 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

On the mound, Jake Palisch took the loss, tagged for four runs on seven hits in five innings. The bullpen of Phil Fox, Nick Altermatt, and Jacob Heatherly each tossed a clean frame to keep things close, but the offense never got the clutch knock. No late heroics tonight, just a slow fade to a 5-3 defeat.

Who was the Barons MVP?
 
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Who was the Barons Cold Cat?
 
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Hub City Spartanburgers 5, Winston-Salem Dash 4
The Dash (39-31) let a late lead slip away and got walked off the field in Hub City with a gut punch. There were some early fireworks from Winston-Salem. Ryan Burrowes hit a two-run bomb in the first, and George Wolkow smacked a solo shot in the third. Ely Brown laced a triple in the fourth, scored on an Alex Ungar single, and it was 4-2, Dash. For a while, it looked like cruise control. But the bats dried up just in time to leave the door wide open heading into the ninth.

Garrett Wright, wild as a rodeo, handed out five free passes and watched the Spartanburgers cash them in. Jack Young came in to try to stem the bleeding, but Boston Smith had other ideas, leaking a passed ball that plated the winning run. All of this wiped out a perfectly decent start from Riley Eikhoff (five innings, two runs, five hits) and three solid frames from Frankeli Arias and Mathias LaCombe.

Who was the Dash MVP?
 
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Who was the Dash Cold Cat?
 
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Columbia Fireflies 4, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 3
The Ballers (35-35) spent most of the night chasing after Jhosmmel Zue unloaded a grand slam in the second. Four runs, one swing. The Kanny bats were mostly silent, seven strikeouts and precious little traffic, but the pitching staff at least kept things from getting ugly. Gabe Tanner wore the loss, tagged for all four on that one mistake, but he hung in for five. Daniel Wright followed him with two scoreless frames while Jesus Mendez and Marco Barrios each tossed a clean inning to keep the deficit from ballooning.

Finally, Kanny mounted a rally in the ninth. Matthew Boughton and Derek Cerda poked singles, Stiven Flores cracked an RBI double, and suddenly the Ballers were back in it. Adrian Gil’s double play drove in another run, and Nathan Archer laced a triple to drag Kannapolis within one. The tying run stood a whisper from home, but Jurdrick Profar rolled over, and the rally fizzled out.

Who was the Ballers MVP?
 
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Who was the Ballers Cold Cat?
 
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ACL Reds 8, ACL White Sox 1 (7 innings)
The ACL White Sox (11-27), unfortunately, took another one on the chin. Four hits, 0-for-6 with RISP, and one lonely run. Their tally came in the sixth when Alejandro Cruz decided to make something out of nothing with a double, a swipe of third, then a mad dash home on a wild pitch. Otherwise, the bats were pretty silent with just singles from Jefrank Silva, Marcelo Ácala, and Steven Lancia. On the mound, Fabian Ysalla got roughed up for four runs in 3 2/3 innings, and the bullpen got tagged with four more.

DSL Mariners 2, DSL White Sox 1 (7 innings)
The DSL White Sox (5-12) dropped a tough one to the Mariners in a game that was all about the pitching. Ronald Kelly was outstanding in his start, holding Seattle hitless and scoreless across four innings while punching out seven. The righthander worked around three free passes and a hit batter. Jefferson Timaure kept it close with two solid frames, allowing just one run on two hits. The decisive tally came in the bottom of the seventh against Beinel Adon, who walked the leadoff guy, gave up a single, and after a fly out, a grounder and a shortstop miscue let the winning run in. Offensively, it was the Diego Natera show with a solo homer in the third, a double in the fifth, and that was two-thirds of the team’s hits. Not much else to write home about.

ACL Mariners 14, ACL White Sox 3
The ACL White Sox got steamrolled, 14-3, surrendering a couple of touchdowns. They went up early when Jordan Rich and Marcelo Ácala worked back-to-back walks, José Mendoza doubled them in, and it was 2-0 after the first. Then the offense vanished until Eduardo Herrera smacked a solo homer in the eighth, but by then it was a lost cause. Only six hits, 1-for-13 with RISP, 11 runners left on base. The pitching was a horror show, except for Jefrank Silva, who kept his line clean. Christian Oppor, Chicago’s No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is still wrestling with his command. He tossed 1 1/3 innings, gave up a run on one hit, walked four, hit a batter, and fired off a wild pitch, which allowed the tally to score.

DSL Arizona Black 16, DSL White Sox 7 (7 innings)
This one wasn’t even remotely close early, with Arizona up 10-1 after six and the Sox bats looking like they’d rather be anywhere else. Three hits, one run, and that only thanks to Sebastian Romero, who keeps finding ways to matter. His sixth bomb came with two outs in the first, and then it was pretty much tumbleweeds until the seventh. Suddenly, six runs — yes, six! — in the seventh, with Romero and Ronald Cardozo knocking RBI singles to make the box score look a bit less embarrassing. The pitching? Forget about it. The only guy who didn’t get lit up was Yordany Marte, who tossed three innings, allowing one run on four hits, two walks, and three punchouts.

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What the Knicks’ draft-day dealing means for their tenuous cap situation

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: The New York Knicks on the clock during the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

You’re telling me Leon Rose didn’t pick at No. 24 and instead decided to trade back multiple times to accumulate future second-round picks?

No… it can’t be. He’d never do something like this…

The Knicks entered Tuesday night with the 24th pick. They then traded back three different times (technically). They came out the other side with the No. 47 pick and four additional future second-round picks that will be known at a later time.

As of right now, the Knicks will enter Wednesday night with No. 31, No. 47, and No. 55. They are currently on the clock and appear likely to trade it… again. Never a dull moment with this front office.

You might’ve asked yourself once or twice tonight. Why the hell did the Knicks do this? Why not just pick one of these exciting college players? Why does Leon Rose do this every single year?

To answer those questions,

  1. That’s the subject of this article. Keep reading.
  2. See above.
  3. We’ll never know. Somewhere in his sick, twisted, mega agent mind, compels him to use the draft as his own personal bingo card. Maybe he’ll tell us on the Roommates Pod later today. I’ll try to elaborate my reasoning at the end.

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Why did the Knicks do this? Point blank, it’s about Brock Aller’s speciality: the cap.

The Knicks are operating as if the second apron is a hard cap that they will not exceed. Unlike the last two years, where they were physically hard capped, they have an open runway to exceed it. At some point, the brain trust deduced it wasn’t worth it. I personally disagree, given what this will mean for retaining this championship roster, but I’m just a lowly part-time, non-credentialed writer, while they’re making six figures (or more) in an NBA front office.

We’ve speculated for the past few days whether this was a feeling or their confirmed direction. We now know that they are dead serious. Barring a tremendous change of heart, the Knicks will not exceed the second apron in 2026-27.

Now that we’ve established that, here’s where the draft comes into play:

The No. 24 pick in the draft holds a slot value of $3,325,000. The 2026-27 veteran minimum is estimated at $2,457,000. That’s a difference of $782,000. For some reason, they decided to swap picks with the Lakers out of the kindness of their heart, saving them $130,000. When the Knicks selected likely EuroStash Sergio De Larrea with the 25th pick, you figured they’d just let him keep playing in Spain and pocket the money.

Now that he’s off to Dallas, they can do that anyway. They save the full $782,000 by not using a first-round pick.

This now gives them $16.9 million in second-apron space, with five roster spots to fill (or $21.4 million with six, depending on Jose Alvarado’s player option). This is a misleading figure, as we know the set amount that the Knicks are required by law (or at least CJ McCollum’s CBA) to fill those spots with.

So I have created a new(?) term. Effective apron space.

How does it work? Take however many open roster spots you have and multiply it by the vet min, which is $2.457m. Subtract your current apron space by this new number and you get effective second apron space.

If we assume Alvarado opts in, the Knicks have $4.63 million in effective apron space. That means they can add that money to a vet min and stay beneath the second apron, a number which comes out to $7,087,000. That’s above the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, which is nice.

If they had selected Cameron Carr and signed him to the full rookie scale, that space goes down by $782,000. It might not seem like much, but when you have two players hitting free agency who will demand sizable salaries, every penny counts.

Now, you might be asking, how do second-round picks fall into this equation?

Well, my dear friend, I have good news. The second-round exception is the cheat code for gaining more space. This is a Brock Aller niche.

A new feature in the CBA to make the second round more important, teams are now able to effectively go beneath the league minimum for roster spots if they sign their second-round picks to standard contracts.

The current estimate allows teams to sign any second-round draft pick to a three-year, $6 million contract with a critical Year 1 salary of a measly $1,361,000. That’s $1,096,000 beneath the vet min.

So, even though Shams Charania is saying that the Knicks are trying to trade out of No. 31, let’s say they keep the pick and select Isaiah Evans, someone who they were interested in at No. 24 and fell through the cracks. They’d now be able to sign him for nearly $2 million less.

It would also add an extra million to the team’s effective apron space. One second-round exception brings it up to $5.726 million, which would allow you to spend up to $8,183,000 on a player’s first-year salary, whether it’s Landry Shamet or an external TPMLE player.

If you sign two, which is in the realm of possibility? The space is up to $6.822 million, which would raise the number to $9,279,000.

Let’s do some diner napkin math. Let’s say Shamet’s market value allows you to sign him for, let’s say, four years and $32 million. Considering what he did in the playoffs, this feels fair, especially if he wants to stay in New York.

That would give him a Year 1 salary of about $7 million, which would eat into your effective apron space considerably. Without a second-round exception, you have no room to sign anyone else above the vet min.

With one, you could give an extra player up to two years and $7.46 million total under the mid-level exception.

With two? That number spikes to two years and $9.71 million. That’s an enticing amount for veterans looking to chase a ring.

So in summary, why did the Knicks do this? They did this because they want to stay beneath the second apron, do as much as they can in terms of retaining their talent, and put themselves in the best position to add externally.

They believe veterans will be more ready to help the team in their championship defense than rookies, a very short-sighted goal, but one we can all get behind because we are firmly in a contention window. No ifs, ands, or buts.

If you came here solely for the cap stuff, feel free to click off. If not, humor me below as I talk about Leon’s mindset come draft time, which I could put in a different article but I won’t. I’ll even bridge this with the highlights of the guy we had for 30 minutes!

–

Alright, where were we?

One thing is abundantly clear about Leon Rose in his six years as the President of Basketball Operations of our beloved New York Knicks.

It’s that he doesn’t give a flying f— about building through the draft.

In 2021, he punted the No. 19 pick for a future conditional Hornets pick that never conveyed. He kicked the can down the road and eventually used it with Kevin Knox to get Cam Reddish. He then traded him and the 2023 first to get Josh Hart. Think smarter, not harder.

In 2022, he got a second chance at a lottery pick after a disappointing season. With some spectacular players on the board, he traded it to OKC for three firsts, two of which were conditional, and one of them never conveyed (the Wizards pick, which is now the #31 pick and a 2027 2nd).

Two picks later, he traded back into the draft for Jalen Duren and swung him to Detroit alongside Kemba Walker in a salary dump. The full three-team move saw the Knicks give up their lottery pick, effectively, for a top-4 protected 2024 Bucks pick and two conditional picks. The salary dump started a process that got them Jalen Brunson.

In 2024, he had two consecutive first-round picks to use after the Mavericks successfully robbed us of a lottery pick with shameless tanking the year prior. He then traded one of those picks for a lot of seconds (more on that later) and used the other on a project in Pacôme Dadiet, who would agree to take $800,000 less. They used that extra money to fit Karl-Anthony Towns under the second apron.

Essentially, none of the picks he’s had over the years has he kept. Since 2020, only four players have been announced as Knicks and have stayed Knicks:

  • Obi Toppin (No. 8, 2020)
  • Jericho Sims (No. 58, 2021)
  • Trevor Keels (No. 43, 2022)
  • Pacôme Dadiet (No. 25, 2024)

Everyone else, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Deuce McBride, Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, and Mo Diawara, were announced as someone else’s pick. The Knicks have now made a baffling 18 trades in 6.5 drafts under Leon Rose. The only year they didn’t make one was when they physically did not have a pick to trade.

The Knicks’ front office is a perfect one for a professional sports franchise.

They don’t care about your feelings. They don’t care about the fans’ wants. They care about one thing.

Winning.

Rose operates like he’s playing NBA2k MyGM. There’s no emotion, there’s no considering the wants of others, it’s all about what he needs.

Knicks fans begged to trade Julius Randle and “Play the Kids” in 2022. He responded by doubling down with the Brunson signing and eventually traded almost every one of the kids (and Randle, eventually) for upgrades. It resulted in a Larry O’Brien Trophy. The roster that fans dreamed of in 2022 would’ve never even gotten us to the ECF.

Fans want a new toy every year. We barely saw any of Mo Diawara, and yet everyone can’t get enough of drooling over his potential. That’s how starved we are in terms of “shiny new toy syndrome”.

This is a front office that traded four unprotected firsts, a Bucks’ first, and a pick swap for Mikal Bridges, who’s currently the team’s fourth option. It’s the biggest overpay in NBA history in regards to true talent level and value, yet it doesn’t matter. He fit like a glove and is an NBA champion. Who the hell cares about those picks now?

Would Danny Wolf have brought us here? Would some 10th grader in a few years? Odds are, no!

This draft was simply a continuation of what Rose has done as President of Basketball Operations. A lot can be done on the margins, so you must take advantage of any margins you can.

By collecting five seconds, the Knicks have partially restocked a quickly deteriorating war chest. Remember what they traded for Jose Alvarado? Two seconds. How’s another few Jose Alvarado’s sound in the future?

Those are moves made on the margins. Moves that separate the good FOs from the great. It’s Sam Presti-esque, who I firmly believe is the only POBO better at his job than Rose, all things considered.

Speaking of Presti, the two are best friends on draft night. Remember when I said the Knicks traded the No. 24 pick in 2024 for a bunch of seconds?

The full details were that they traded that pick to the OKC Thunder for five 2nds (sound familiar?). They then used some of those to trade up for Tyler Kolek later in the draft.

The player that Presti selected? Dillon Jones, who was salary-dumped a year later, was waived by the Wizards and won a championship as a two-way player for the Knicks last week. Sure, Presti’s outsmarted us a few times with Ajay Mitchell and kinda Jalen Williams, but you take small wins when you can get ’em.

The Knicks are definitely not done in this draft, one way or another, so there’s still another chapter of the book to be written. One thing is for certain, though.

The Knicks are playing chess. A lot of other teams are playing checkers.

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2026 NBA Draft grades for every team in the first round

The fireworks for the 2026 NBA Draft seemed to go off a day early. The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to Miami stole the headlines in the morning, and when the NBA Draft itself got underway... it largely followed the chalk and stayed to form. There were no shocking trades, no wildly unexpected picks, just a lot of smart choices.

That's reflected in the grades for the first round. Let's break it down by team.

Washington Wizards: A

AJ Dybantsa (1)

This was not a no-brainer — there were three players legitimately worthy of being the No. 1 at the top of the draft. Washington, however, made the best choice for them. Dybantsa is a 6'9" wing who can score from all three levels and lit up college basketball last season. When I saw him play in person, what stood out was that he is a tough shotmaker, a skill needed by elite players in the league. Dybantsa seems a natural fit between Trae Young at the point and Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr on the front line. Washington nailed this.

Utah Jazz: A

Darryn Peterson (2)

Utah got the best fit for its roster out of the top four picks in this draft — and there are plenty of people around the league who would argue they may have drafted the best player. Going into last season, Darryn Peterson was the guy on top of everyone's draft board — he was seen as the most explosive athlete in the class and the player with the highest upside. His one season at Kansas did not play out like he or the Jayhawks envisioned, but multiple NBA teams talked to him, looked at his league medical evaluation, and came away largely unconcerned about his future. Pairing Peterson with Keyonte George in the backcourt — and Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler along the front line — makes a very good starting five.

Memphis Grizzlies: A

Cameron Boozer (3), Karim Lopez (21, via OKC and Detroit)

Memphis has a vision for how it's retooling this roster, and Boozer is a perfect fit and crown jewel for it. The Memphis front line is now Cedric Coward, Boozer and Zach Edey, with Lopez coming off the bench — that is a foundation you can build around. Boozer just does everything well: Can score inside and out, has elite footwork, is a good screener, can get you rebounds, defends the paint, and most importantly, just processes the game fast and at a high level. Nice bit of work by Memphis to pick up five second-round picks to move back from 16 to 21, with a series of trades with Oklahoma City and Detroit and still get a big with potential in Lopez.

Chicago Bulls: A-

Caleb Wilson (4), Dailyn Swain (15)

The last time Chicago drafted a North Carolina star near the top of the NBA Draft, things worked out pretty well for them.

The Bulls hired Tiago Splitter as coach in part because he showed real player-development skills in Portland (Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson), and now that gets put to the test. Wilson was the only pick to make at four and he has the upside potential of the three players above him, but he's also a bit more raw and there needs to be work. Swain is even more of a project, a fantastic athlete and slasher who needs to develop his jump shot, improve his decision making and more. All that development of really athletic forwards is something Chicago has historically struggled with, but Splitter deserves a chance to change the narrative.

LA Clippers: B

Keaton Wagler (5)

Wagler was not really on NBA teams' radar until the past year or so, when he shot up to No. 5 after an impressive season at Illinois, where he led the nation's best offense. This is a smart pick by the Clippers because they needed some size and someone who can play off the ball next to Darius Garland in the backcourt, and Wagler is that. He can shoot, is a good passer and has handles. I'm always a little cautious with guys who fly up draft boards, but with his shot, it's not like he's going to flame out. He's going to be good, and maybe someday an All-Star, he has that potential.

Brooklyn Nets: A

Mikel Brown Jr. (6), Joshua Jefferson (28, via Minnesota)

I'll admit my bias here, I am higher on Brown than most, I think his combination of pace, shooting and vision is built for the more open game in the NBA. He's got to get stronger and make better decisions at points, but Brooklyn is a great fit. Having Brown running pick-and-rolls with just-acquired Julius Randle, that is going to be a tough play to stop. Jefferson is also a nice late-round pick. There is a lot to like about Jefferson's feel for the game and the way he can do a little bit of everything — he can defend, he can pass, he can do whatever is called for.

Sacramento Kings: A-

Darius Acuff Jr. (7), Alex Karaban (29, via Cleveland trade)

Sacramento got the guy they wanted and needed. Sacramento didn't just need someone to become the focal point of their offense, they needed someone entertaining for a starved fan base to rally around. Acuff is that guy. His high-end player comp is Damian Lillard (although he's built a little more like Jalen Brunson). The only knock (and why they get a minus on this grade) is that Acuff is an undersized guard who can't defend, which tends to be an issue in the NBA. Karaban can develop into a solid role player. He's a movement shooter who can defend a little and has good size.

Atlanta Hawks: A-

Kingston Flemmings (8), Zuby Ejiofor (23)

There is a distinct plan for the retooling in Atlanta and Flemmings fits right in — he is a high-level defensive point guard. If Quin Snyder puts him on the floor with Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, that's some shut down perimeter defense. I'm not as high on Flemmings as some others, he's going to have to learn how to be an NBA point guard (like NFL quarterback, it's an adjustment) but I like how Flemmings fits the overall plan. Ejiofor is another quality defender, plus he is a high-motor player who could bring real energy off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks: B

Morez Johnson Jr. (9), Sergio De Larrea (25, via Lakers and Knicks)

First, Dallas poaches Michigan's coach, Dusty May, then they draft one of his star players — that duo just won a national championship. Dallas needs defense along the front line and Johnson, 6'9", is the best defensive forward in this draft, plus he can play some small-ball five. I thought this was a little high to take Johnson in a deep draft, but he was a flat-out winner in college, and May clearly believes he can bring that to the next level. De Larrea is considered the best young player in the Spanish ABC league, he's got a high basketball IQ and he has great skills. It's a big jump to the NBA, but the Mavericks might have a steal here.

Milwaukee Bucks: B

Brayden Burries (10), Nate Ament (13, via Miami)

Burries was absolutely the guy to draft here, the best player on the board at the moment. He's a strong all-around player who can defend, score at all three levels, is physically strong and just does a lot of things well. My concern with Burries in Milwaukee is he's not a No. 1 option on a team searching for one after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he could be thrust into that role. Ament was the perfect pick for a rebuilding team, a player with good athleticism and a lot of upside who has not lived up to that yet, but with some development could be a steal.

Golden State Warriors: A

Yaxel Lendenborg (11)

Golden State needed some size and defense at the forward slot (outside of Draymond Green) and they got it with a plug-and-play guy in Lendenborg. He is older (almost 24) but comes in the door NBA-ready, both as a quality defender and someone who can score a little in the flow of an offense. Lendenborg can help the Warriors win now and be part of their future.

Oklahoma City Thunder: A

Aday Mara (12), Bennett Stirtz (16, via Memphis)

Two very smart picks by Oklahoma City, good young players who need a little development, headed to maybe the best player development team in the league. It's not an accident the Thunder took Mara on a team that already has Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren — they have seen Victor Wembanyama up close and know they need all the bigs they can find to beat him. Stirtz is the kind of guy who may not play much as a rookie for OKC, then suddenly explode on the scene in his second season. He can shoot and he's an unflappable floor general. Both Mara and Stirtz are going to thrive with the Thunder.

Charlotte Hornets: B

Hannes Steinbach (14), Christian Anderson (18)

Charlotte came into this offseason looking for more size up front and more shooting. Check and Check. While I'm not as high on Steinbach as some, he's an elite rebounder who has good hands, and the Hornets could use that. Anderson should fit in well with Charlotte, as he may be the best shooter in this class, and the Hornets need shooting. Kon Knueppel, the best shooter from last year's draft, now paired with Anderson, the best shooter in this draft, is good team building — you can never have enough shooting. Anderson's lack of defense could hold him back.

Detroit Pistons: B

Ebuka Okorie (17, via Memphis/OKC trade)

Oklahoma City needs to add playmaking next to and behind Cade Cunningham, and Okorie is a perfect fit that way. He is arguably the best driving guard in this class, getting downhill and touching the paint almost at will. He's got to improve his decision-making when he gets to the paint and his 3-point shot, but the fit here with Detroit makes sense.

Toronto Raptors: B-

Allen Graves (19)

Graves was a favorite of the analytics community going into this draft, but in reality, he's a bit of a project for Toronto. There's a lot to like, he's a high-IQ player who helps a team win the possession game. But it's one thing to do that at Santa Clara and another in the NBA. This may take a minute.

San Antonio Spurs: B

Jayden Quaintance (21), Tarris Reed Jr. (26, via Denver trade)

San Antonio clearly went into this draft with a plan to find some big man depth to play behind (and take some load off) Victor Wembanyama. Drafting Quaintance is a bet on his health and the Spurs' medical staff. The question isn't whether he has the skills to be a high-level NBA rim protector and rolling big man who can finish — he has shown that when healthy — it's his knee issues that kept him out most of the season. There were teams that saw his medical report and slowly backed away, but his upside as a finisher and rim protector is undeniable if healthy. Reed was a solid big man last season who stood out during the NCAA Tournament, when he averaged 19 points and 13.5 rebounds a game in UConn's run to the NCAA title game. He's a physical bruiser.

Philadelphia 76ers: B

LaBaron Philon Jr. (22)

In the modern NBA, you can't have enough shot creations, and while the 76ers have some dynamic guards in-house already (Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe), Philon could be a high-level reserve. He is a high-IQ, very skilled player who can run a team and get buckets. There are questions about his ceiling, but at pick 22 it's worth the risk.

Los Angeles Lakers: A-

Cameron Carr (24, via trade with New York)

The Lakers have very defined needs this summer and shooting is one of them. Carr is a knockdown 3-point shooter (37.4% last season for the Bears) and an athletic slasher who can put the ball on the floor and attack closeouts. In an ideal world, he develops into a Derrick Jones Jr.-type player who would thrive alongside Luka Doncic.

Boston Celtics: B

Chris Cenac Jr. (27)

In the playoffs, Joel Embiid showed the Celtics they need more depth and size inside, and Cenac brings that… or has the potential to. Cenac is a development project, a player who has all the tools Boston would want in a big man — size, athleticism, some shooting — but it has never all come together for him. Maybe Boston can develop him.

Phoenix Suns: B+

Koa Peat (via reported trade with New York)

For my money, Peat is a good player to take a flyer on at the end of the first round. He was a top-10 high school recruit with plenty of tools, but it has never come together for him. He was more highly recruited but took a back seat to Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley at Arizona. Peat's a Phoenix native, maybe going home — and with not much pressure on him to play right away — he can develop and start to show us why he was so highly recruited. If not, well, this is where the Suns did okay because this is where you should take big swings in the draft.

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From the Pocket: Richmond’s rebuild is frustrating and strange. Who knows if it’s working

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They weren’t thrashed. And they weren’t disgraced. But Richmond’s loss to North Melbourne on the weekend was a cripplingly tedious affair, the sort of day where you wonder whether any progress has been made at all. Games between bottom sides, as the Tigers’ win over West Coast in May demonstrated, can be as entertaining as a top-four clash. But Sunday’s game was blighted by cynical coaching, uncontested marks and a certain futility. A few of Richmond’s older players seemed to have checked out, the forwards barely got a look in and most of their best young talent were watching from the stands.

A team would normally be pilloried for a performance like that. A coach with nine wins from 60 would normally be out the door. But it’s been tempered by their drip feed of injuries, which has featured most body parts and vital organs – hips, feet, knees, collarbones, throats, groins, brains, ligaments and tendons. The nature of the injuries and the protean timelines have only added to the frustration. Tom Lynch lost the use of his voice box and had to undergo speech therapy to rediscover his vocal projection, Josh Smillie was sent to Philadelphia to reprogram his body, and Sam Lalor is still nursing what’s not entirely convincingly referred to as a “partial Achilles tear”.

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Knicks navigating 2026 NBA Draft with second apron restrictions in mind

A few notes on the Knicks’ trades in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft...

As noted earlier Tuesday, the Knicks are operating as a team that will not exceed the second apron in team salary this season. 

That, presumably, was a factor in how New York approached the first round of the NBA Draft. 

They entered Tuesday with the No. 24 pick. At the end of the night, after three trades, New York ended up with five second-round picks and cash considerations. 

They also ended the night with $3.4 million in financial flexibility. If the Knicks selected a player at No. 24, they would have owed that player $3.4 million in 2026-27. 

Every dollar counts for the world champs as they navigate the second round of the draft and free agency on a tight budget. 

Entering the second round of the draft on Wednesday, the Knicks have roughly $211 million in committed salary to 11 players. That means they have about $10.8 million in room before they hit the second apron.

Given that, it will be nearly impossible for them to re-sign both Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet as things currently stand. They would need to shed significant team salary to make a competitive offer to either player. 

Both players figure to have aggressive suitors in free agency. 

The Lakers are in the market for a center. 

As noted Tuesday, they were among a group of teams to contact New Orleans about potential Yves Missi trades. New Orleans obviously didn’t like Los Angeles’ offers ahead of the draft. If the Lakers miss out on targets like Missi, logic says they will be interested in Robinson when he hits free agency. 

If Robinson leaves the Knicks, they would either need to convince a veteran free agent to take less money in signing with them or they would need to acquire a center via the trade market. 

The same is true for Shamet. If they lose the sharp-shooting reserve, they would need to get creative to replace him. 

In addition to Robinson and Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, Jeremy Sochan, Ariel Hukporti (restricted), Kevin McCullar Jr. (restricted) and Trey Jemison (restricted) are free agents. Bench favorite Jose Alvarado has a player option. He agreed to push the decision date on the player option to after the draft. This probably gives the Knicks flexibility as they navigate the draft and the second apron. It would be a surprise if the Knicks and Alvarado didn’t come to an agreement if he declines the option.

As far as the second round, the Knicks have three picks on Wednesday (No. 31, No. 47 and No. 55). The other four second-rounders they acquired on Tuesday will be in future drafts. 

ESPN reported that the Knicks are likely to trade out of the No. 31 spot. 

What about those later picks? St. John’s Dillon Mitchell has supporters within the organization. But drafting Mitchell – or any second-rounder – would cost the Knicks in team salary for 2026-27. 

This is where the second apron factors in. Do the Knicks spend team salary on a rookie or save it for a veteran who can help them right away?

Just my opinion: it’s surprising to see a team that has never been shy about spending money operate with financial restraint right after they win the NBA title. Maybe owner James Dolan ultimately changes course on second-apron restraints. In doing so, he’d give New York an easier path to retain its free agents. If not, Leon Rose and his group will have to get creative over the next two weeks to fill out the 2026-27 roster.