The NBA released its 2026-27 schedule, and multiple games will be played inside college arenas. Three games are scheduled to take place on college campuses, bringing NBA basketball to new cities and unique venues. The Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets will play at Colorado’s CU Events Center, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers will play at Iowa State’s Hilton Coliseum, and the NBA Cup Final will be played inside Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The NBA Cup has been played in Las Vegas over the last few seasons, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wants to bring the league to iconic college basketball venues.
Hilton Coliseum is one of the best venues in college basketball, and it will be packed for the preseason game on Oct. 7.The Pacers will head to Ames, Iowa, for a Tyrese Haliburton homecoming. Haliburton played for the Cyclones for two seasons before declaring for the NBA Draft following his 2019-20 sophomore season. He was a Second-Team All-Big 12 selection and was selected No. 12 overall by the Kings after averaging 15.2 points per game.
The Denver Nuggets should also attract people living in Boulder who would like to attend an NBA game. University of Colorado graduates and residents of Boulder will likely fill the 11,064-seat arena.
The NBA has an opportunity to capitalize on this idea and continue bringing NBA games to college arenas. The State Farm Center would be a great place to host a Bulls, Timberwolves, Bucks, Wizards or Clippers game. Champaign residents would get the opportunity to see their in-state NBA team or a former Illini play at the next level in their backyard.
The Bulls and Timberwolves are scheduled to play a preseason game on Friday, Oct. 16, and that would be the perfect opportunity for an NBA game to come to the State Farm Center. Many people in Champaign are Bulls fans, while the Timberwolves have two iconic former Illini in Ayo Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr.
Dosunmu was traded to the Timberwolves last season and is expected to have a major role on the team next season. Shannon Jr. has not played as much at the NBA level, but he should have an increased role next season.
Ayo and TSJ could return to the arena where their jerseys hang in the rafters to play against Caleb Wilson and the Bulls. The game would likely sell out and give a preseason matchup some extra juice that it otherwise might not have.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 18: Tim Bontemps and Kyle Korver talk before the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks during Round One Game One of the NBA Playoffs on April 18, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Kyle Korver is a revered figured as part of the Atlanta Hawks franchise. During a 4.5 season career here, he was one of the most feared shooters in the league, helping the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference finals while being named an All-Star for the only time in his career in 2014-15.
After retiring from his playing career, he joined the Hawks front office as a director of player affairs and development in 2022. The next calendar year, he was promoted to the position of assistant general manager, a title he holds until this day.
But news broke on Monday that after four years in an executive role, Korver will be looking elsewhere in his career. This by word of Marc Stein of the Stein Line substack blog:
NEWS: Hawks assistant GM Kyle Korver is leaving the franchise after four years in Atlanta's front office, @TheSteinLine has learned.
I'm told Korver, who also had an All-Star season as a Hawk, parts on good terms and has expressed excitement about his next post-playing chapter. pic.twitter.com/XGnlXroJTZ
This was later confirmed by Brad Rowland of the Locked on Hawks podcast:
As Brad pointed out, the move means two top executives will have left this offseason, so the organization will have work to do in replacing their important contributions.
Evan will be playing the second year of a four-year contract extension, which carries a $2.85 million cap hit per season. After putting up 36 points in 82 games in his contract year (0.44 points per game), Evans put up 24 points in 68 games last season (0.35 PPG). After playing in all 82 games in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, the right-shot pivot was forced to miss four weeks of action after sustaining a knee injury in a December 20 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins when he was the victim of a knee-on-knee collision with Justin Brazeau. Thankfully for the Canadiens, they acquired Danault from the Los Angeles Kings earlier that day.
Evans is and has always been a good depth forward for the Habs; when he finds himself playing on the top six, you know things aren’t going according to plan. While he will tell you that he doesn’t mind playing on the top six and that the way he plays doesn’t change when he does so, it’s easy to see that he doesn’t have the offensive instinct and the finishing touch of a real top-six NHL player. He did remarkably well in the postseason, playing alongside Demidov and Newhook, gathering 10 points in 19 games, but don’t expect him to start the season in that spot.
After scoring 22 goals in his rookie season, Kapanen should be given every opportunity to pick up where he left off when he “hit a wall” in the second part of the season, as often happens with rookies. As a result, Evans is likely to land on the third or fourth line, depending on how things play out at training camp. He will be battling it out with Danault for the third-line center role, and he should logically come out on top. Evans still has another two years on his contract, while the 33-year-old Danault is entering the final year of his.
When the Canadiens are a contending team, Evans should be on the fourth line with Kapanen patrolling the third line and Michael Hage pivoting the second line. Since Hage is unlikely to join the Habs until the very end of the season, the Toronto, Ontario native should spend at least another season on the third line, given that he’s likely to still be around for another two seasons, unlike Danault.
As always, Evans will be playing a key role on the penalty kill, but Danault should still be the one tasked with the end-of-game, lead-protecting missions alongside Suzuki, just like he was in the playoffs; that’s how Martin St-Louis will be able to provide both Evans and Danault with sufficient ice time.
It’s hard to project how many points Evans will be able to put up, as his role, providing everything goes according to plan with the Canadiens, should be more of a defensive one, but anything around 30 would be satisfying if he stays in the bottom six.
Last season, he had his best year faceoff percentage-wise, winning 55.9% of his draws, and that’s one area where he’ll be expected to keep on improving or, at the very least, remain as efficient. As the young Habs progress, his role should diminish, but since Hage opted to return to the NCAA for another year, Evans has another year to play an important role.
For the second straight NBA offseason, the Warriors have yet to add any new players and seem intent on running it back with their current roster. But Golden State could have some players on its radar, including former Chicago Bulls draft pick Dalen Terry, who was spotted at a Valkyries game with Steph Curry and Gary Payton II.
Bay Area hoops family in the building 🫶
Steph Curry and his son Canon are in Ballhalla alongside the @warriors showing love!
Terry, the 18th overall pick in the 2022 draft, played the first three and a half seasons of his career in Chicago, and while he was known for his tenacity on defense, he did not reach his full potential and was dealt by the Bulls at the trade deadline and eventually ended up with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Despite signing a two-year deal with the team in April and showing signs of promise, he was waived in July to make room for LeBron James. But only 24-years-old and someone who has the tools to be a star, the Warriors could look to add him to their training camp roster and see what he can do, with NBA insider Jake Fischer believing Golden State is doing its due diligence.
“I did hear that Dalen Terry is someone on the Warriors’ radar for a training camp invite. Dalen Terry was on a non-guaranteed deal with Philadelphia,” Fischer said. “He did not make the roster crunch with the Sixers after they had to make some space for LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.”
Once an NBA powerhouse, making it to five straight Finals from 2015-19 and winning four titles– most recently in 2022– recent seasons have not been kind to Golden State. Missing the playoffs entirely last season, the franchise fields one of the league’s oldest rosters, with their main core of Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler all over the age of 35.
By adding Terry, the Warriors would get younger while also giving them pieces that they can build around for the future and keep them competitive even after the Curry era. Finishing middle of the pack in defense last season, adding Terry would give the Warriors a massive boost in that category while also giving them a player who can contribute some points offensively.
The Warriors open training camp at the end of September, where the focus will be on bouncing back and returning to the playoffs, starting with their first regular-season game on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 21.
Basketball: ABA Playoffs: Virginia Squires Julius Erving (32) in action vs New York Nets. Game 4. Uniondale, NY 4/27/1982 CREDIT: John D. Hanlon (Photo by John D. Hanlon /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X16772 TK1 )
Julius Erving had a bit of a rough start to his professional career. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, but signed contracts with the Atlanta Hawks and the ABA’s Virginia Squires.
The first dispute was settled by the NBA: his draft rights belonged to Milwaukee, and the Hawks were out of luck. The second dispute was settled by the courts: he had to play for the Squires.
This was really too bad, because if he had played for Milwaukee, he would have suited up with Oscar Robertson and a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while in Atlanta, he would have teamed up with an equally young Pistol Pete Maravich.
It’s rather mind-boggling either way you look at it, but the idea of Maravich having Erving to pass to in the open court is simply incredible.
He did just fine in the ABA, of course, revolutionizing the game to the point where he was the main factor behind the 1976 ABA-NBA merger.
Well, other than money, of course, which the ABA greatly lacked. Nonetheless, the greatest show in basketball was in the upstart league, and the NBA could not abide that.
When he arrived as a Squires rookie, Erving – there’s no other way to put this – freaked people out. It was like young Elvis Presley in the 1950s: no one had ever seen anything like that before, and that includes the people who knew Erving at UMass, who were stunned at the transformation.
Erving later said that he felt liberated when he turned pro and could let his talent and imagination run wild.
It didn’t last long, at least not for the Squires. Money woes forced them trade Ervng to his hometown New York Nets for $750,000, and with the Nets, he went from being a curiosity in Norfolk to the most glittering star in the Big Apple.
In other words, he was a Net when he truly became a legend.
Basketball: NBA Finals: Milwaukee Bucks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) in action vs Boston Celtics Dave Cowens (18) and Don Chaney (12). Milwaukee, WI 4/28/1974--4/30/1974 CREDIT: Heinz Kluetmeier (Photo by Heinz Kluetmeier /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X18606 )
The Boston Celtics did not glide smoothly down from the Russell years; they fell off a cliff.
They wrapped up the 1969/70 season with a 34-48 record under rookie coach Tommy Heinsohn.
Playoffs? The Celtics missed them for the first time in twenty years.
The following year, Boston improved to 44-38, but still missed the playoffs.
Things were looking up, however.
By the third year of the Post-Russell era, the Celtics were 56 game winners, and they advanced as far as the Eastern Conference Finals on the back of second year players Dave Cowens and JoJo White, third year player Don Chaney, and veteran players John Havlicek and Don Nelson.
The Celtics lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Knicks in a gentleman’s sweep of five games in 1972.
In 1973, the Celtics won a franchise record 68 games and added another veteran contributor in Paul Silas, but lost to the Knicks in a seven game affair that saw the green and white claw their way back from a 3-1 deficit, only to fall, at home, to the eventual champs.
Regular Season
BOSTON – UNDATED: Dave Cowens #18 and John Havlicek #17 of the Boston Celtics chat during an NBA game circa 1970's at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges 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 1970 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
1974 saw the Celtics win 56 games again, but, tellingly, their longest losing streak during the regular season was just two games. They started the season hot, running out to a 16-3 record, and were on pace for 60+ wins at the All-Star break. Things slowed down a bit in the second half of the season, but Boston’s record was still good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division and the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Looking at the season-long tallies, the Celtics were good, but not elite—they didn’t lead the league in points per game, points per 100 possessions, or, on the opposite end of the court, points allowed per game or per 100 possessions. Despite having a reputation for running the court under Heinsohn, the Celtics were only 5th of 17 in terms of pace. Their net rating was only the third best in the league; they were behind the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks, who were playing in the absolutely stacked Midwestern Division—the NBA had four 50 game winning teams in the 1973/74 season, and three of them were in the four team Midwestern division.
Any prognosticator with a decent head on his shoulders would’ve given the title to the Milwaukee Bucks, who came out of the league’s toughest division, bar none, and were led a young center who was already an absolute force to be reckoned with: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Eastern Playoffs
Boston’s first round opponent was the Buffalo Braves, a recent expansion franchise led by Bob McAdoo, whose 30.6 points per game average was the best in the league. The team also had Ernie DiGregorio, who would win Rookie of the Year honors and a future Hall-of-Famer in Jack Ramsey calling shots from the bench. All of which suggested that, despite their 42-40 record, the Braves were going to be a ‘tough out’
At this time, playoffs within the conference alternated home and road, and through the first five games, home court held sway. Buffalo was playing to a packed house in the cavernous Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, where they won game two by ten points and game four by two.
Buffalo outscored Boston by three in the second quarter of game four to take a 51-48 halftime lead. Boston won the third by five points, setting up a barn-burner of a fourth quarter, with each team recording game-high point totals.
Buffalo was clinging to a two point lead with just 15 seconds to go when Jim McMillan lost the ball to Havlicek and Cowens; Cowens converted the steal into a game-tying basket with just nine seconds left. In a dog’s breakfast of a play that was drawn up by Ramsey and blown up by Hondo attempting to draw a charge, the ball bounced out to Bob McAdoo who had scored 15 of the Braves 30 points thus far in the quarter. His fifteen footer missed, but Jim McMillan was there to tip it in as time expired. The game was a classic with 28 ties and nine lead changes, but it went the wrong way for the Celtics and their fans. Bob McAdoo’s 44 points was almost as high as the 46 points notched by Boston’s two leading scorers, Havlicek and Don Nelson (22 and 24 respectively).
BOSTON – 1974: John Havlicek #17 of the Boston Celtics passes against Bob McAdoo #11 of the Buffalo Braves during a game played in 1974 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 1974 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Game five saw Boston hold on for a three point win, giving them a 3-2 advantage that they brought home with a game six win. That game six win was a nailbiter that probably shouldn’t have been. Legendary Globe reporter and columnist Bob Ryan called it “another one of those Celtics down-the-stretch specials,” explaining, “the Bostonians build up a lead in the fourth quarter and try to protect it by giving the other team 437 chances to get back in the game.”
The Celtics nearly squandered a nine point lead in the closeout game. With a 104-100 lead and twenty seconds on the clock the Celtics had two clumsy turnovers turn into four points by Bob McAdoo, tying the game. Unfortunately for McAdoo on the final possession of the game, he blocked a Havlicek shot, but fell victim to a pump fake by JoJo White that sent him to the line where he calmly delivered the winning margin with two free throws.
From this point, it might have been expected that the Celtics would face an extreme test in the next round, as they faced off against the defending champs and the team which had eliminated them in the conference finals each of the past two years.
As it turned out, the Knicks were no match for the Celtics. Boston outscored the Knicks by 50 in a five game matchup where their closest margin of victory was seven points.
That set up a Finals contest against, to no one’s surprise, the Milwaukee Bucks.
NBA Finals
Basketball: NBA Finals: Milwaukee Bucks Bob Dandridge (10) in action, shot vs Boston Celtics John Havlicek (17). Game 2. Milwaukee, WI 4/30/1974 CREDIT: Walter Iooss Jr. (Photo by Walter Iooss Jr. /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X18605 TK1 )
The Bucks had cruised to the Finals with an 8-1 record over the first two rounds, and an average margin of victory of 14.67 points.
The Celtics were not the odds-on favorite to win this matchup. Heck, even Bill Russell, by then the head coach of the Seattle Supersonics, picked the Bucks to win.
But Bob Ryan saw things a bit differently. Before the series started, Ryan noted that the Bucks were pretty much a one-man show, and predicted that the Celtics would win in six.
Ryan noted that the Celtics were excellent at applying full-court pressure to the other team’s ballhandler, and with the Bucks relying on an aging Oscar Robertson, the Celtics figured to take him out of the picture, leaving everything on the shoulders of Kareem.
And Kareem was so good at this point in his career, that they dang near pulled it off.
Game one was a cakewalk, as the Celtics cruised to a 16 point first quarter lead and spent the rest of the game playing keep away from the Bucks, with the final score coming to 98-83. Kareem scored 35 points, which was almost as much as the Bucks’ next four highest scoring players combined (12, 12, 6, 6), as the Celtics strategy of putting everything on Kareem’s shoulders paid off in the opener.
Game two was an overtime classic. Boston came into the fourth quarter with an eleven point deficit. They closed it and had two chances to steal two games from the Bucks in their home arena, only to have a shot by Cowens blocked by Jabbar with eleven seconds to go. Hondo’s shot with three seconds to go off the rebound of Kareem’s block, missed the mark as well.
In overtime, the Celtics, exhausted by the effort required to come back, were outscored 15-6 as the Bucks ran away with it.
(Original Caption) 5/3/1974-Boston, MA-As if spellbound by the ball, players appear to be frozen in their tracks during second period action of the third game, NBA Championship Playoffs, Boston Garden. The Celtics went on to win the game 95-83 and take a 2-1 lead in the series. Left to right Celtics' Hank Finkel, Bucks' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Dandridge, Celtics' Don Nelson, Bucks' Oscar Robertson, and Mickey Davis.
Game three went to Boston, as the Celtics once again notched a double-digit victory with a 95-83 final score. Cowens stopped trying to challenge Kareem in the paint and used his skills as an outside shooter to tally 30 points. Boston’s full court press, as predicted by the Globe’s Bob Ryan, was crucial, with the Celtics forcing eleven turnovers in the first quarter alone and 27 for the game.
Game four went Milwaukee’s way as Kareem scored 34 points and the Bucks tied the series 2-2 off an 89-97 final score.
While the Bucks may have been dismayed that they were tied with the Celtics, they at least held home court advantage for the remainder of the series.
That advantage lasted right up until the tipoff of game five. Kareem scored 37 points in the contest, which was a series high for both teams, but Boston held a 20-15 advantage after the first quarter, and they won every succeeding quarter except the second, on their way to a 96-87 victory. The Celtics now had a chance to close out the heavily favored Bucks at home in game six.
Things didn’t quite work out that way, but the game was an instant classic just the same.
As had happened earlier in the series, Cowens got into foul trouble, picking up three early in the game, and the Bucks built a lead that was as high as twelve points in the first half. The C’s entered the fourth quarter down six, but Boston fought their way back, with Hondo hitting a jumper from the right side that tied the game at 86 with less than a minute to go. When Boston forced a 24 second violation on the following possession, the game headed into overtime.
Overtime was tight, with both teams scoring just four points apiece. Milwaukee was up two, 88-90, when a Don Chaney steal led to Havlicek missing a shot and then making another after he snagged his own rebound.
The second overtime was as loose as the first overtime was tight. Over just four minutes of play, the two teams combined for 23 points. Havlicek, who had been instrumental in getting the Celtics this far, scored nine of the team’s eleven points in this period.
It was almost enough.
Dave Cowens fouled out and the Bucks pushed to a 100-99 lead. With less than 24 seconds left and Heinsohn desperately trying to get a time out called, Havlicek came through again, arcing a jump shot through the net for a 101-100 lead. But there was still a little bit of game left—just enough for Kareem to turn a skyhook into a 102-101 advantage. It was good enough, and the Celtics were headed back to Milwaukee and a do-or-die game seven.
In the decisive game of the series, Tommy Heinsohn made a major adjustment to his defensive strategy.
This was no longer a seven game series in which it would be difficult for Kareem to carry the Bucks to victory.
This was a single 48 minute contest, and one which could hinge on the play of just one man.
Heinsohn’s solution was to throw the kitchen sink at him.
With Cowens getting into foul trouble twice in the series already, Heinsohn wanted anyone and everyone within hooting distance of Kareem’s height to cover him—and Kareem found himself double and even triple-teamed during the course of the game.
The result was a 26 point outing from Kareem, which was more than offset by Cowens’ 28 points, as the Boston center, relieved of some of his defensive duties by the heavy Celtics coverage of his counterpart, was able to play with more energy on offense.
The Celtics were never challenged in game seven, as they cruised to a 15 point victory on Milwaukee’s home court.
Turning Point
The turning point was Heinsohn’s strategy of concentrating nearly all the team’s defensive effort on Kareem in game seven. Kareem was held to a series low with 26 points, and looked, if not exactly human, closer to human than he’d looked up to that point. Bob Ryan’s take on the Bucks as a one-man team was more or less justified, as the rest of the Bucks struggled to score. The next leading scorers after Kareem were Mickey Davis with 15 and Bob Dandridge with 14. In fact, the difference between the two teams basically came down to the Celtics putting one more player in double figures than Milwaukee.
It Wasn’t Over Until…
The Celtics continued their tradition of winning game sevens. Russell was, famously, 10-0 in these games, and the Celtics proudly carried on the tradition of playing up to the moment in these winner-take-all contests.
When the dust settled, the Celtics had won their first championship since Russell had hung up his sneakers, and the first of Tommy Heinsohn’s career as a coach.
Banner Years continues tomorrow with the Greatest Game and the Celtics’ path to Banner 13.
A herd of white yaks grazes at a snowy pasture 3,000 metres high in the remote Kyrgyz mountains on February 2, 2026. (Photo by Vyacheslav OSELEDKO / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
This is a stretch to say, but is the offseason melting into the preseason quicker than we expected? If we’re to base our judgement exclusively on having two of these posts published in a span of just three days, not so much! On to some links and notes!
In case you missed it, now we know the Knicks’ five-game preseason schedule, which includes a trip out of the US of A.
The Knicks’ repeat bid would put them in increasingly rare company, and Michael Zeno has the breakdown covered. Per Zeno, New York already broke one historical pattern last season by becoming only the second champion since 1978 to win without receiving a single MVP vote. So… do you believe?
Mike D’Antoni and Amar’e Stoudemire were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, a little more than two months after the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years.
Stoudemire reflected on becoming the star who helped make New York relevant again when few players wanted to come.
“New York, the Garden, there’s nothing like it… before I got there, no one else wanted to go to New York. So that’s why I was like, ‘The Knicks are back, and we’re gonna do this.’”
D’Antoni, meanwhile, used his speech to remember another famous Knicks chapter: Linsanity.
“Jeremy, he was on a 10-day contract and close to being released. But my assistants, Kenny Atkinson, Dan D’Antoni and Phil Weber, kept telling me, just give him a chance. Boy, were they right.”
Mitchell Robinson sounds pretty happy about his move to Boston, and lobster is a reason why.
Losing Ariel Hukporti to Philadelphia continues to look more significant as the Knicks search for a third center, SI’s Isaiah De Los Santos believes.
Opening Night against Philadelphia is already looking absurdly expensive, with the cheapest tickets ranging from $1,881 to $1,970. No need to mention the game is on pace to become the most expensive opener in NBA history.
Charles Oakley is not treating the latest dismissal of his lawsuit against Madison Square Garden as the end after a federal judge dismissed the case for a third time.
“ESPN’s article regarding the LA Clippers investigation – for which the NBA declined to cooperate – contains numerous and significant inaccuracies. The results in this matter will be made clear once the investigation is concluded.” — NBA spokesman Mike Bass.
Enes Kanter Freedom continues his announced attempt to play in the WNBA, has officially declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, and now he’s also proclaimed himself the next No. 1 overall pick. Not only that, Enes has promised to dunk on Angel Reese, who he says is “the Paul George” of the W.
Caitlin Clark LAUGHING at Angel Reese after she missed a layup for the win 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/5Js8RijGUi
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: Cody Bellinger #35 and Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees talk during the game against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on May 5, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been a consistent refrain for weeks now as the Yankee offense has limped through the summer: the lineup will soon improve (NARRATOR: It has not improved). Aaron Boone and the Yankees have maintained their belief that things will turn around for the sputtering unit despite watching the bats flail night after night, every run scored feeling like a precious, nonrenewable resource.
Ultimately, though the offense has not improved of its own volition over the last two months, the impending returns of Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Judge, will all but force the lineup to get better. So let’s dare to dream a little bit today; how good do you think the Yankee offense will be if it gets back to full strength by the end of the season?
First, we can look at what that trio of veteran bats themselves are likely to add to the lineup. At the moment, the ZiPS projection system at FanGraphs pegs Stanton for a 111 wRC+ the rest of the way, Bellinger for a 121 mark, and the incomparable Judge at 175. Anything close to that level of production would be miles better than what most of the offense has done since Judge went down.
Then, there are the plausible multiplicative effects that getting legitimate bats back into the lineup could have. Adding Judge, Bellinger, and Stanton onto the card could add some protection for the hitters that have struggled in their absence, though the effects of lineup protection are often overstated. However, to lean on a separate baseball adage, hitting is contagious. Better players in the lineup means more runners on base, and more runners on base means more advantageous spots for hitters; the league OPS with runners on is more than 40 points this year than the league OPS with no on one base. Hitting begets hitting, something that we may have forgotten after two months of futility.
As hard as it can be to imagine when watching a recent Yankee game, with the scoreline inevitably heading into the eighth inning tied at 1-1, the ceiling here is high. On May 31st, the day Judge was at last sidelined with a rib fracture that had bothered him for over a month, the Yankees had a 117 wRC+ and .342 expected wOBA, both marks tops in the AL and second in MLB, while their position player unit as a whole led baseball in fWAR. This was a team that had already seen Stanton go down, and had not received anything resembling the best version of Judge, the three-time MVP suffering through a slump in the five weeks he played post-injury. In spite of all that, the club’s offense remained elite, thanks to impressive contributions from the likes of Bellinger, Ben Rice, and Paul Goldschmidt.
That looks to me like the fun scenario, the one where getting healthy sparks the Yankee offense to its previous highs. The bear case, of course, isn’t too hard to see. So many of the club’s hitters have floundered in the time since their captain went down, and it’s possible their slumps continue even as the team gets healthier. It’s also possible that Stanton, at 36, is cooked, that Bellinger needs time to get his rhythm back after missing weeks with a hamstring injury, and most of all, that Judge, who may not be fully healed from his rib fracture when he returns and could also need a few weeks to get his timing up to speed, isn’t the Destroyer of Worlds that we’re accustomed to if he comes back in September.
What’s your feeling? In a month’s time, will we see a fully revitalized Yankee offense, reinvigorated after the injection of three sluggers? Will the struggles continue even as the team gets healthier? Or will we find a middle ground, where the club’s offense improves to something better than average, but not to the level it showed at the start of the year? Let us know in the comments below.
It’ll be a busy day on the site as the Yankees get back in action. It’s a three-game set in Baltimore, which Jeff will preview this morning, before Sam runs down last night’s action in the Rivalry Roundup. Matt profiles Burleigh Grimes, born on this day 133 years ago and one of the game’s last spitballers, and Michael recaps the week that was down on the farm, before Peter’s At-bat of the Week, which features, you guessed it, Ben Rice’s game-changing swing in Toronto on Sunday.
Getting ready for one more farewell. | Getty Images
The NHL’s annual summer team-by-team look has now rolled around to the Islanders. I’m not linking the fantasy outlook, but here are their posts about the non-fantasy team and prospects:
The “inside look” includes quotes from Bo Horvat like, “I think Pete [DeBeor]’s going to be very good for us structure-wise and kind of laying the foundation. The buy-in from everybody’s just got to be there.” [NHL]
Their “three questions” bit addresses the captaincy, Semyon Varlamov’s health and DeBoer’s impact. [NHL]
Some “EDGE” stats: Matthew Schaefer is fast and dangerous, Ilya Sorokin is good at mitigating the dangerous, and Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman have been successful shooting from areas of less danger. [NHL]
And the Islanders’ top prospect listing now includes single Malte, of course. [NHL]
Sooo…we’ve got a navy lighthouse and a navy arched “ISLANDERS” in the finals for the third-jersey vote. Voting begins Tuesday, Aug. 18. I think in the interest of self-promotion I’m supposed to vote for the former, but even aside from that…arched letters within a straight horizontal bar is jarring. [Isles]
More on the semifinals vote, with a booster clip from Barzal. [Isles]
Islanders legend and former Senator and Bruin Zdeno Chara will hold a charity farewell game back home in Slovakia, in Pavol Demitra Arena. Ziggy Palffy and Jaroslav Halak will be there. [NHL]
Elsewhere
Brad Marchand won’t be able to play in that testimonial (shame, shame) due to offseason surgery that may delay the start of his season. [TSN]
Brandon Bussi, the first Suffolk County-born Cup champ, brings the Cup back home. [Post]
Five teams facing intriguing salary cap decisions in the near future. [Sportsnet]
Zach Werenski reiterates that Columbus is where he wants to be, making him a welcome outlier. [Sportsnet | NHL]
Drake Batherson would still like an eight-year extension to remain in Ottawa, but the CBA deadline for that length is under a month away. [TSN]
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: Sean Pedulla #00 of the LA Clippers dribbles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 17, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
According to his agent, George Langberg, guard Sean Pedulla and the Houston Rockets have reached an agreement on a two-way contract.
Pedulla, 23, joins Quadir Copeland and Tristen Newton as Houston’s final available two-way position. Players can play for both an NBA team and its G League affiliate under two-way contracts.
After four seasons in college—three with Virginia Tech and one with Mississippi—Pedulla was not selected in the 2025 draft. In February, he signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers after succeeding with Portland’s G League club, the Rip City Remix. He was named G League Rookie of the Year after finishing the season with an average of 20.3 points and 4.5 assists on effective shooting.
The 6-foot-1 guard doesn’t appear to have a clear route to playing in the NBA the following season. Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Fred VanVleet are Houston’s return guards. In addition, the Rockets acquired Bruce Thornton with the 31st pick in the 2026 draft and Marcus Smart in free agency. Houston has made a few attempts at smaller guards (Thornton is listed at six feet), who are mostly known for their scoring prowess, with Thornton and Pedulla.
Pedulla will be the Rockets’ third two-way slot after Houston signed Quadir Copeland to a new two-way contract last month and carried over Tristen Newton from the 2025–2026 season on a two-year, two-way contract.
With this additon, the Rockets will have 19 players under contract after the signing is finalized, leaving two spots available on their 21-man offseason roster. Twelve players now have fully guaranteed standard contracts, two have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed salary, two have Exhibit 10 arrangements, and Newton and Copeland have two-way agreements.
With all that said, how do you all feel about the signing? Do you expect Pedulla to see any playing time? Let us know, and make sure to check back at The DreamShake for more Houston Rockets basketball news.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 15: Carlos Rodón #55 (L) and Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees pose for a photo before the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park on July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NY Daily News | Gary Phillips: The Yankee rotation has been elite nearly all season, but they just haven’t been able to be at full strength at any point during their dominant run. Monday was the closest they’d come yet, as Carlos Rodón was set to return today following a strong outing in his latest rehab start for Double-A Somerset, but then news dropped that Max Fried was returning to the IL with a bone bruise in his elbow. This is the same injury that shelved Fried from mid-May well into July, though it’s unclear at this time if it’s a re-aggravation of the old injury or a new one altogether. Regardless, the Yankees will slot Rodón into Fried’s place in the rotation and keep the line moving, ensuring that the long-awaited decision on who would get moved to the bullpen gets punted down the road once again.
Baseball America | Eli-Ben Porat ($): BA took a look at two Yankees prospects having made different but remarkable strides this season. Antonio Gomez has converted into a pitcher after coming up through the system as a catcher, and his 70-grade arm strength behind the plate has transferred over remarkably into a reliever with 80-grade velocity and a pair of plus-pitches. He’s still got a ways to go in his journey to the majors, but Marco Luciano could be knocking on the door after reviving his prospects with New York this season following a move to second base. The position could be in a state of flux this offseason, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. is scheduled to hit free agency and Anthony Volpe is practicing there as well following his ouster from being the full-time shortstop, but Luciano’s power tool is enticing and he’s redefined his process of attacking pitches while still keeping his chase rates in line. If you’ve got a BA subscription, it’s worth a read at what two under the radar guys have done.
ESPN | Jeff Passan: The world has been saying their goodbyes to an icon of the sport since Saturday when Tommy John passed away at the age of 83, and Passan praises the life of a man whose name may be the most synonymous with modern baseball. As he put it: “Every day during baseball season, and plenty in the offseason, Tommy John — always his first and last name together — is talked about, written about, bandied about.” He’s absolutely correct, and the sport would not have had the pitching evolution we’ve experienced over the last decade or so without the risk that Tommy John took in agreeing to the procedure he’d become the moniker for. Rest easy to a legend of the sport.
NJ.com | Jerry Izenberg: Baseball is heading to a bitter labor dispute after this season, and that comes as no surprise to anyone. Though the commissioner may have gotten his start in labor relations Rob Manfred now works first and foremost for the good of the owners, which to be clear is by design. The Players’ Union has a united front on battling against a salary cap but they lack a front-facing leader after the scandalous resignation of Tony Clark, and I think that may be felt in how their message has gotten lost on some fans who see millionaires complaining and a lone team flexing their financial might to long-term success. Izenberg takes us on a journey to remember the advocate for the game that Casey Stengel was, and bemoans that the fans don’t have an icon quite like him in the game today.
Amazon Prime captures strain of manager’s final season
Club chair says Spaniard threatened to leave ‘100 times’
Pep Guardiola clashed with his captain and almost broke down in tears as he railed at players during his worst run as Manchester City manager.
Guardiola stood down at the end of last season after winning 20 trophies in a 10-year spell at the Etihad Stadium. One of the lowest points of his glittering reign came during a testing run in the autumn of 2024, when City lost nine times and won only once in 13 games. Guardiola outwardly showed signs of strain, notably when he scratched his face after City surrendered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League.
Former Test opener fined $1,500 after failing a breath-test at Easter
Future work opportunities will be affected, says barrister
Australian cricket great David Warner has lamented global media attention about his drink-driving offence, suggesting it cost him valuable overseas commercial opportunities.
The 39-year-old was convicted and fined $1,500 on Tuesday for mid-range drink-driving after he tried to switch seats with a passenger when approaching a random breath-testing site on Easter Sunday.
The original report was stunning: The Buss family had voted and planned to sell its remaining 17.8% stake in the Lakers to incoming owners Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger. That sale would mean the Buss family's ownership of the team, which started in 1979, would be completely over. The end of an era. With that, Jeanie Buss would have to step down as the team's governor (a role that requires at least a 15% ownership stake, by league rules).
Then came a follow-up report saying the other five Buss siblings had approached Jeanie Buss and asked for the sale, forcing a vote that approved the move.
Within hours of that report, Jeanie Buss and her attorney, Adam Streisand of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton Law, pushed back against that. Streisand sent a strongly worded letter to the attorney for the other siblings — obtained by CNBC — stating that previous legal rulings made that move impossible. From the letter:
"[No selling of the] 17.8% ownership interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. can be effectuated without approval by the current co-trustees, i.e., Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss. The co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain Controlling Owner. Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise, and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court."
The six Buss siblings — Jeanie Buss, Jim Buss, Johnny Buss, Janie Buss, Joey Buss, and Jesse Buss (all children of the late owner Jerry Buss) — own their shares together through what has been described to NBC Sports as an incredibly complex trust. The upshot is that they do not own an individual percentage and would have to sell as a group — and agree to do so.
It's not hard to determine the motivations here. Jeanie Buss has kept a key role in the family business and is not looking to step away and give that up. Family members outside that circle feel differently.
About the only thing certain in another Buss family drama is that the big winners will be lawyers billing by the hour.
Opener pays price after scores of 23 and 0 in first Test defeat
Matthew Renshaw drafted into 13-man squad in his place
Jake Weatherald has paid the price for an underwhelming performance in Australia’s shock Test defeat to Bangladesh, with Matthew Renshaw drafted into a 13-man squad to replace the opener for the second and final match of the series starting on Saturday.
Weatherald went into the first Test in his home town of Darwin with a question mark over his place in the side, having largely failed to make an impact since coming into the Test set-up as a late-blooming debutant at the start of the 2025-26 Ashes series.
