Apr 5, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Florida Panthers traded for their second goaltender in as many days, acquiring Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday that all but certainly signals the end of Sergei Bobrovsky’s storied run in South Florida.
The Panthers sent Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and the rights to pending restricted free agnet Ben Steeves to the Devils for Markstrom and winger Angus Crookshank. Florida got goalie Akira Schmid from Vegas on Monday night for a 2028 third-round pick.
“Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”
Bobrovsky, 37, backstopped Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and ’25 and another trip to the final in ’23.
Markstrom, 36, is beginning a two-year contract at an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. That was signed by former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, who left the organization in April.
Moving on from him is the first big roster shakeup for successor Sunny Mehta. New Jersey now has Jake Allen in net and will likely go shopping for his tandem mate in free agency.
Rodrigues, who turns 33 on July 28, gives the Devils another top-nine forward. The Panthers shed his salary of just over $3 million after getting Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to play with brother Matthew.
In other moves around the NHL, the St. Louis Blues put winger Jonathan Drouin on unconditional waivers to buy out the final season of his contract. They got Drouin at the trade deadline from the New York Islanders as part of the return for Brayden Schenn.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2026/06/18: Karl-Anthony Towns attends ticker-tape parade honoring Knicks basketball team winning NBA Championship for 2025-2026 season in Canyon of Heroes from Battery Park along Lower Broadway to the City Hall. The Knicks captured their first NBA championship in 53 years and thousand of fans lined up to see their best team in decades. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
I don’t think there’s a more difficult Knick to evaluate than Karl-Anthony Towns. It’s not just the fact that the big man’s season looked completely different from game four of the Hawks series onwards. It’s also the fact that for much of the season, Towns’ impact on the team was hard to gauge. Even when Towns’ counting stats didn’t look the way most fans wanted it to, and even when the team wasn’t piling up results that people had expected, Towns was still analytically better than many believed. But as we learned throughout the playoffs, analytics can’t be the end-all, be-all. So how good was Towns this season as a whole? Incredibly good.
Is that an overreaction considering some of his regular-season shortcomings? Maybe. Is there recency bias? You bet. But if you were to ask me to choose between a player who dominates in the regular season but has a drop off in the playoffs and a player who disappoints a bit during the regular season but dominates in the playoffs, I’m taking the latter. And I do so every single time. I get that the playoff riser is performing higher for a mere fraction of the games as the regular-season guy. But in sports, you take care of business in the postseason, and those performances will do the heavy lifting. As many have said before, “winning cures all”, and that’s exactly what Towns did.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks poses for a photo with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after winning the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I do want to clarify, though, that Towns’ regular season wasn’t bad. Or at least, again, not as bad as many thought. By a lot of metrics, he was playing some of the best defense in his career. And on the other end of the floor, he still put up solid numbers despite changing roles, having a new coach, and seeing limited opportunities at times. I do believe that players, for the most part, have agency. And Towns does deserve some blame for his offensive shortcomings and lack of aggression at times. But some of that blame needs to be placed on Mike Brown, Jalen Brunson, and the rest of the team.
Sure, Towns could’ve, and arguably should’ve, taken it upon himself to get the ball more. And when he did, Towns should’ve been more intentional in looking for his own shot. There absolutely were times when Towns was too passive and nonexistent in the offense. He did take himself out of some games. But there were also a lot of times when Brunson ignored him for his own shot. And other times when OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart just missed him, or couldn’t make the requisite pass. There were also plenty of times when Brown saw the offense going away from Towns and refused to find ways to make him the focal point.
Yet Towns persevered. He responded. Maybe not in the way fans wanted. But the big man continued to look for ways to best serve his team, even when the going got tough. He revealed late in the regular season that he still wasn’t sure what his role was in the offense. And you could tell that Towns wasn’t necessarily enjoying his new roles as an offensive Swiss Army Knife, whose only, or at least primary, role wasn’t to score. It didn’t matter, though. Thankfully for the Knicks and their fans, the transparency never came at the cost of effort or passion. Even with the discomfort and unease of the situation, he didn’t waver. And then destiny came knocking and rewarded him and the Knicks for their mutual perseverance and trust.
When the fate of the season was hanging in the balance and when the Knicks needed him the most, he showed up. In game 4 of the first round, the Knicks found themselves down 2-1. Two more losses and the core of the eventual champions very well could’ve been disbanded. But Towns didn’t allow it to happen. Brunson, Brown, and Towns’ teammates deserve credit for entrusting their season and potentially their future to Towns. And Towns delivered performances that will live on in Knicks lore for decades.
Newly appointed as the offensive hub and point center of a system that emphasized his passing skills and the other players’ basketball IQ and cutting abilities, Towns shone like he never had in a Knicks jersey. And neither Towns nor the Knicks looked back. They rattled off 13 straight postseason wins and won 15 of their next 16 games thanks in large part to Towns’ new game. He was no longer a scoring first center. He wasn’t confined to the paint. And he wasn’t relegated to being a spot-up shooter.
For the first time in Towns’ career, he really put it all together. He was still an elite rebounder who was stretching defenses with his shooting threat like he always had. But now, he had become a smart, patient, and deadly passer. And he was now also playing not just passable, or average defense, but legitimately great defense.
And yes, he got in foul trouble against Joel Embiid and Victor Wembanyama. And yes, he struggled to have an offensive impact in games three and five of the Finals. But on defense, he legitimately made Wembanyama work more than maybe any other player in the league. Meanwhile, on the other end of the floor, his offensive impact far outweighed his counting stats. He continued to perfectly balance scoring and passing and routinely came up clutch. Brunson and Anunoby may have had the biggest moments, but a lot of those comebacks don’t happen without Towns on the floor.
Towns’ early season struggled were frustrating. He still struggles at times with foul trouble, silly turnovers, and a lack of aggression. But you really can’t ask for much more. Towns reinvented himself deep into his career for the betterment of his team. He adjusted to coach Brown’s system. He bought in defensively. Most importantly, he was arguably the best overall Knick during a dominant championship run that saw them go 16-3. The 2026 championship did a lot for multiple players’ legacies. Outside of Brunson, no other player and their legacy benefited more from that trophy than Towns.
–
(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 25: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 25, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Players and owners are the outset of contentious labor negotiations that will revolve around the financial inequities between teams. There is no doubt that teams with enormous market resources have an advantage – the high-spending Dodgers have the best record in baseball. But it is also interesting that in the backdrop of these talks, the third-lowest-spending team in baseball – the Tampa Bay Rays – are in first place in a division that includes big spenders like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays.
The Royals split the four-game series with the Rays last week, but Tampa Bay is currently enjoying a five-game winning streak.
Tampa Bay Rays (48-33) vs. Kansas City Royals (35-50) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Yandy Diaz had a four-hit game against the Royals last week and has been on a tear, hitting .391/.468/.489 in the month of June, boosting his MLB-best batting average to .336. Junior Caminero is hitting .415/.468/.927 with seven home runs in his last eleven games. He has the fifth-highest hard-hit rate in baseball. Jonny Deluca is hitting .309/.356/.509 in road games.
Taylor Walls is hitting just .203/.300/.261 against lefties. Ben Williamson has a 30.6 percent line drive rate, sixth-highest in baseball. The Rays have just a 72 percent success rate in steals and are tied for being picked off the most.
The Royals will face three starters they faced last week in Tampa Bay. Griffin Jax allowed just two unearned runs in five innings against the Royals in a Rays win. He has a 2.40 ERA in 11 starts, although he has yet to go more than five innings in a start. He has given up just two earned runs in his last four outings for a 0.90 ERA.
Shane McClanahan gave up six runs against the Royals last week, although only two runs were earned. He has a 4.38 ERA on the road this year, compared to 2.21 at home. Lefties are hitting just .164/.258/.327 against him this year.
Neither team has listed a starter for Thursday, but the Rays are expected to go with Ian Seymour again, while Stephen Kolek should return from paternity leave by then. Seymour tossed six no-hit innings against the Royals as the bulk guy after opener Casey Legumina. He throws his change up 33 percent of the time, with opponents hitting just .141 against it.
The Rays have a 4.40 ERA out of their relievers, ninth-worst in baseball. Bryan Baker has converted 21 of 24 save opportunities, and he has allowed just one run in his last 14 innings. Lefties are hitting just .185/.324/.222 against Kansas-born Garrett Cleavinger. Opposing hitters have a 47.6 percent hard-hit rate against Kevin Kelly, second-highest in baseball.
The Rays are the best team in baseball at home, but are just 17-21 on the road, and they have not won a road series since mid-May. The Royals looked good in the first two games of the series last week, only to fall apart in the final two games. After a terrible weekend in Chicago, they will need to play well in the final homestand before the All-Star Game to get the bad taste out of their mouth.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 13: Manager Oliver Marmol #37 of the St. Louis Cardinals argues with umpire Brennan Miller #55 after being ejected from the game against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium on July 13, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Urgh, June 2026. It was not a good month. The Braves are 9-13 so far, and lost five series (including a sweep) while only winning three. Two of those three came at the beginning of the month, too, so it’s basically been a disaster of a stretch for a team that played like they were nigh-unbeatable up until that fateful game on Chicago’s South Side. Over the course of the month, the team lost as many series to the Giants, one of the few unequivocal “bad team definite sellers” in MLB this season, as they had to anyone in the past two months. Not great.
So, there’s one more day left in June, and the Braves can… well, they can’t really salvage the month, but they can at least win a game, yeah? Maybe. The matchup, though, is interesting.
Their opponents over the next few days will be the St. Louis Cardinals, who have a rebuild/youth movement thing going on for the first time-ish in forever-ish, but have also had a pretty good season so far. The Cardinals are 43-38, 7.5 games behind the Brewers, but tied with the Marlins for the last National League playoff spot. They have “just” 1-in-3 odds of making the playoffs, but don’t count out the devil magic.
The way the Cardinals have gotten here has been unexpected. They started off well, but have been playing .500 ball for two months, including a recent 3-7 slide. Not as bad as the Braves’ slide, but few things are or have been. Overall, they’ve been an awesome hitting team, third in xwOBA, while also playing really good defense… but have been held back by a big teamwide xwOBA underperformance, and some pretty bad pitching. The quartet of Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, JJ Wetherholt, and Jordan Walker has been pounding the ball.
All in all, this kind of bodes poorly for a Braves team that A) hasn’t hit at all in June, and B) won’t have the luxury of a Chris Sale start in this series. While the Braves will get to take aim at Matthew Liberatore, who’s had a rough season to date in some ways, that’s not too much consolation considering they’re not hitting anyone these days.
Liberatore comes in with a 137/128/103 line (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-). His peripherals are basically the same as the past two years, but his HR/FB is sky-high, and balls are getting through his defense despite the quality of that defense being pretty high. Whether that continues against the Braves, eh… they’ll need to hit the ball hard to make it matter. That said, Liberatore has had a pretty miserable June, too — 254/205/128 against four not-all-that-good offenses, so something’s gotta give on June’s final day.
The Braves will be starting Martin Perez, which is, well… you know all about Perez pachinko by now, so no need to belabor the point. He comes in with a 72/95/94 line, but had a real clunker against the Padres last time out, his first poor outing in four tries. It may have been related by getting hit by a comebacker, or it may just be that it’s Martin Perez and he’s made a career of not pitching all that well but hanging around, so this is just what happens sometimes (or, a lot of the time). Anyway, the Braves will need to play better if they don’t want to get shut down by a guy who is having a real hard time succeeding in June, and that’s where we are.
LILLE, FRANCE - JULY 28: Assistant coach Tyronn Lue (L-R), Head Coach Steve Kerr and LeBron James on the side line during the group stage match between Serbia and USA on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024 in Lille, France. (Photo by Markus Gilliar - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The worst-kept secret in the NBA this offseason has been the Golden State Warriors’ desire to bolster their roster with a LeBron James acquisition. Golden State has been chasing James for years, and while it was initially a pipe dream, this offseason it’s felt different.
While still being considered a long shot, the Warriors entered the offseason with more realistic dreams of adding the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. It was easy to see the appeal of James, in the twilight of his spectacular career, joining Steph Curry (whom he’s always had extreme admiration for), Draymond Green (one of his close friends), and Steve Kerr (whom he played for in the Olympics). But it was unclear if James would actually consider such a move.
On Tuesday, it became a distinct possibility, when news broke that James had informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would be playing elsewhere. After spending eight years in the purple and gold, it was widely assumed that that James’ most likely choice would be to stay on the Lakers. With that off the table, the doors to all the other options opened wide.
And with that, the Warriors are not just in the running, but arguably the favorites for James’ services. Given the reports that James prefers an ideal situation to the largest check, the Warriors check a lot of boxes. They would be a competitive team, they employ a lot of his friends (and fellow Klutch Sports athletes), they’re coached be someone he deeply respects, and he would remain close to Los Angeles, where his family is firmly entrenched.
The betting odds may favor the Dubs, but nothing is set. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors “have been given no indication” that James intends to sign with them. That doesn’t mean James is against signing with Golden State, just that nothing was been predetermined.
Warriors decision makers have been given no indication at this hour that they are the firm LeBron James landing spot, per sources. There's a belief that they'll have plenty of appeal, but appears to be some level of recruitment required.https://t.co/sarcY9gxME
As Slater notes, the Warriors will need to do some recruiting … but it’s hard to imagine a better trio of recruiters for James than Curry, Green, and Kerr. The Warriors have to be thrilled with the position that they’re in, but there’s still work to do.
With Landry Shamet signed, the biggest question for the Knicks entering free agency is about Mitchell Robinson.
If New York wants to stay under the second apron, the franchise would need to shed existing salary to make Robinson a competitive offer.
As things currently stand, the Knicks’ team salary is at roughly $213 million. They have 11 players under contract. The NBA’s second apron in team salary is $221.7 million. Knicks owner James Dolan said in an interview with WFAN earlier this month that he did not want to exceed the second apron. It is unclear if that decision was made in concert with his front office or if it was purely a financial decision. Dolan did reiterate his stance on the second apron internally prior to the NBA Draft.
If Dolan and the Knicks don’t change their stance on the second apron, they would need to shed salary – presumably by trading trading Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek or Miles McBride – in order to make Robinson a solid offer.
What is the market for Robinson?
That’s unknown. The Lakers were oft-mentioned as a Robinson team. DeAndre Ayton picked up his player option for 2026-27. But that wouldn’t automatically take them out of the running for Robinson. As of Tuesday morning, Los Angeles was still active in the center market. The Lakers were among several teams who would have interest in Toronto’s Sandro Mamukelashvili during the free agency period, per sources. As of Tuesday morning, Los Angeles was comfortable offering Mamukelashvili a deal worth $10 million-plus annually.
What about the Nets? They were reportedly interested in Robinson but the Nets also are expected to show strong interest in Orlando’s Mo Wagner in free agency, per sources. Brooklyn obviously wouldn’t sign both Robinson and Wagner.
Portland reportedly agreed to a deal with Robert Williams III for $13+ million per season. Jock Landale reportedly agreed to a deal with Atlanta for a $14 million annual salary.
The Knicks would need to shed significant salary to offer Robinson a deal that approaches $14 million in annual value (Another team salary note: the plan entering free agency for second-round pick Jack Kayil is that he play next season overseas with his current club in Germany).
But maybe Dolan is willing to go into the second apron for Robinson this season if he can get out of it next year? WFAN’s Craig Carton said that Robinson’s return to New York depends on Karl-Anthony Towns’ extension. Towns is extension eligible on July 10. If he accepts a lower salary than his 2027-28 player option of $61 million, perhaps the Knicks can exceed the second apron in 2026-27 to re-sign Robinson and then dip under it in 2027-28.
NHL free agency officially opens at noon ET on Wednesday, July 1, but there is plenty of action on June 30 as teams get in shape for the annual signing period.
Already, the Florida Panthers changed up their goaltending with two trades and the St. Louis Blues took a step to buy out Jonathan Drouin.
The Panthers announced that they acquired goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils and Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Panthers' 2025-26 goalies, two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky plus Daniil Tarasov, are pending unrestricted free agents.
Here are live updates on NHL transactions from Tuesday, June 30:
Parker Wotherspoon is heading to Vegas, with 50% of his salary retained, for Kaedan Korczak. Wotherspoon had a career-best 30 points last season. The move saves the Golden Knights $2.75 million in cap space.
The Panthers give up Evan Rodigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves in the Markstrom deal and also get back minor league forward Angus Crookshank. They give up a 2028 third-round pick in the Schmid deal.
Bobrovsky, 37, won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles with the Panthers and two Vezina trophies earlier in his career. But he was coming off the worst save percentage of his career and was reportedly seeking a long-term deal. The Panthers then changed plans.
Markstrom, 36, is also coming off a subpar season, but he's signed for two years at $6 million a year. He began his NHL career with the Panthers.
The Devils land versatile forwards who can play up and down the lineup in Rodrigues and Boqvist. New Jersey has Jake Allen in net, but will need to find a goalie in free agency or via trade.
Schmid was available because the Golden Knights have Carter Hart and Adin Hill in net.
The goaltender will get two years at a $2 million average. He was acquired on Friday, June 26, for a first-round pick and will get a shot in the NHL as a backup to Utah's Karel Vejmelka. The Red Wings' 2021 first-round pick played in only one NHL game with Detroit.
The team placed Drouin on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract. He had been acquired from the Islanders in the Brayden Schenn trade.
Drouin, 31, had three points in nine games after the trade and 24 points overall. He has had three 50-point seasons, the latest in 2023-24 with the Avalanche.
Australian defeats Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga
Thanasi Kokkinakis loses five-set epic but Kim Birrell through
Alex de Minaur has enjoyed the perfect launch to his latest bid to reach a grand slam final with an encouraging win over Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga.
The Australian No 1 was stretched by an hour-long opening set but once he shook off his nerves, got his feet moving and found his groove, he raced to victory on Tuesday.
Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) reacts to a teammates basket against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images
The Spurs have announced their roster for the California Classic Summer League (which we can assume will mostly carry over to Las Vegas), and there are plenty of familiar faces. As predicted, the team will be captained by second-year Spur Carter Bryant and coached by Corliss Williamson. Another returning face is Emanuel Miller, who signed a two-way deal with the Spurs in February but did not play any NBA minutes for them.
Unsurprisingly, the Spurs rookie class is all there, including Tarris Reed, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown. Jayden Quaintance is a somewhat surprising inclusion, although Williamson has confirmed he is only traveling with the team and will not participate. He only appeared in five games for Kentucky this year after tearing his ACL and meniscus in February of 2025 and reportedly expects to undergo one last procedure to clean up his knee for good.
An easy assumption would have been that the Spurs want him to get his knee fixed as soon as possible so he can get to rehabbing and return to the court (social media doctors have said it is typically a six-month recovery), but this suggests the Spurs are truly in no rush with him (they don’t have to be with Victor Webmanyama, Luke Kornet and Reed on the roster) and would prefer he experience the learning and comradery that comes with Summer League first and foremost, even if it’s merely as a spectator.
Notable names that aren’t there are the Spurs’ other two-way players from last season, David Jones Garcia and Harrison Ingram, both whom the Spurs extended qualifying offers to, making them restricted free agents. Jones Garcia is no surprise considering he too is recovering from injury, plus he had his SL breakout last season, and it could be that the Spurs know Ingram well enough at this point that they don’t need to see anything else.
The California Classic, which Bryant may not participate in, begins on Friday at the Chase Center in San Fransisco. Here is the complete schedule (TV/streaming is TBD).
Friday, July 3 vs. Miami Heat, 7:00 PM CT
Sunday July 5 vs. Golden State Warriors, 6:00 PM CT
Monday July 6 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 6:30 PM CT
The schedule has yet to be announced for the Las Vegas Summer League, which will run from July 9-19.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 26: Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 of the Toronto Raptors handles the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 26, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Anyone who watched the Raptors this year isn’t surprised that Sandro Mamukelashvili has become one of the most popular mid-level free agent targets this summer. As a 6-foot-9 forward, Mamu came off the bench to average 11.2 points per game on 63% true shooting along with 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
He was able to shoot 37% from three, taking 2.5 per game in 2024-25. He’s always had a good assist rate for a big, and in that last season in San Antonio, he posted one at 11.7% with a career-best 8.9% turnover rate. Impressively, neither of those numbers saw a huge change as he had an 11.9% assist rate with a 9,5% turnover rate with the Raptors.
Mamukelashvili has profiled as a solid defender who is a capable rebounder. His block numbers are nothing to write home about but he’s posted a steal rate of over 1.5% the last two seasons, which puts him in the 74th percentile for his position, according to Cleaning the Glass.
As the start of free agency nears, teams have begun to circle him. Several plugged-in reporters have said the Los Angeles Lakers will have interest, and the Spurs are interested as well. The Sixers will have some high-profile teams with good roles to offer to compete with, but they should absolutely be throwing themselves into the Mamu sweepstakes.
What’s clear from last season is that as good as Joel Embiid looked when he was able to get on the court, the Sixers need an innings eater to get them through the regular season. Mamukelashvili appears to be not only capable of that, but also sliding up to the four and playing alongside Embiid in certain lineups.
The last two seasons, Mamu played about a 60%/40% split at center to power forward. The way he’s been able to hit shots over the last two years instills a lot of confidence that he’s someone who can get plugged into just about any type of lineup.
Those type of bigs don’t exactly grow on trees. It’s easy to see why he’s drawing so much interest on the open market. Especially since with all that being said, it appears he will be gettable for a portion of the $15 million dollar non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
There are a couple attractive targets for the Sixers to use that on should they stay below the first apron. Guys like John Collins and Dean Wade might make more sense to use the full exception on. Both of those two would also probably fit pretty well in Philadelphia — this very blog has made theargument for that.
The difference between those two and Mamukelashvili is that he can play the five and they cannot. It’s true that the Sixers need to bolster their forwards at every position, but these last two seasons have really emphasized the need for another center to get them through the regular season.
Mamukelashvili isn’t the only center on the market, but he might be the best that’s gettable. With Jusuf Nurkic, Jock Landale and Robert Williams III all having agreed to extensions to avoid hitting the free agent market, the pool of centers has only gotten shallower.
The Sixers would have a lot of teams to compete with to secure Mamukelashvili’s services, but it’s a ring they absolutely need to be throwing their hats into.
They made history together in 2024, becoming the first father and son to share the court -- not to mention playing for the same team -- during an NBA game. And they continued to share the same locker room and suit up purple-and-gold for the past two seasons.
But that feel-good history gave way to reality when ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday, June 30, reported LeBron James has informed the Lakers he will be playing elsewhere during the 2026-27 season. The business of basketball, already set in motion, accelerated.
If the Lakers had waived Bronny on Monday, they would've saved about $1 million in cap space. But on Tuesday, Bronny remained a Laker, but his future is unclear.
Bronny James Lakers contract
Unlike his father, Bronny is not an unrestricted free agent, or a free at all.
Bronny, 21, is headed into the third year of a four-year contract, with the final year being a club option.
But that doesn’t rule out Bronny asking for a trade if he hopes to rejoin his father and the Lakers are willing to comply.
During the 2026-27 season, Bronny will be making $2,296,271 a year, a pittance among NBA players. But critics might argue it's debatable if he deserves to be on the roster – or if it was mostly meant to keep his father happy.
Last season, his second in the NBA, Bronny averaged 2.9 points, 1.1 assists in 8.9 minutes per game. He also shot 40.9% from the field and 38.6% from 3-point range, appreciable improvement over his rookie season.
Before the Lakers played the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs last season, Lakers coach JJ Redick talked about Bronny.
“He's improved a lot, we trust him,’’ Redick said. “The shooting I believe in because of how well he shot it in the G league. There was a stretch where he didn’t shoot it well. He’s improved defensively in terms of his body positioning both on and off ball."
He also remained a fan favorite, and moments with LeBron and Bronny on the court together were potential magic – including father finding son for an alley-oop during Game 3 of the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets this past season.
But now the father is gone.
Will the son remain with the Lakers?
Only one thing is certain: The most famous father-and-son pair in NBA history will no longer be wearing purple and gold together.
James will be the most coveted free agent on the market despite entering his record 24th NBA season, especially if he's willing to take a pay cut. He signed with the Lakers ahead of the 2018-19 NBA season and won the 2020 NBA championship in the COVID bubble with the franchise. The 41-year-old is just a year removed from earning all-NBA honors.
The Golden State Warriors are considered the front-runners to sign James after Draymond Green's decision to opt out of his contract to provide the team with financial flexibility. But it would involve James taking less money than he's used to and there are other potential suitors, including James' two former teams.
Here's a breakdown of the potential NBA free agent landing spots for James now that he has informed the Lakers that he plans to play elsewhere during the 2026-27 season:
The Warriors have emerged as early favorites to land James given recent developments. If James is willing to take the midlevel exception of about $15 million, there's a relatively straightforward path for him to join Steph Curry and Green on Golden State's roster next season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
A return to Cleveland has long been considered a possibility for James, who could provide the veteran boost the Cavaliers need to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference with their current nucleus. James Harden's decision to agree to a new contract should give Cleveland enough flexibility to make this work, either through the midlevel exception or a sign-and-trade.
Miami Heat
Would James want to join forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo for a major discount? That's likely what it would take to make a return South Beach happen. It's also unclear if James and Antetokounmpo could work along with Bam Adebayo. But Pat Riley has always taken big swings. Snagging James and Giannis in the same offseason would be the ultimate one.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are a longshot in this process, but the prospect of pairing James with Nikola Jokic would create one of the most basketball savvy duos ever. Denver could make this work as a sign-and-trade, or if James is willing to take a veteran's minimum salary.
Los Angeles Lakers
James told the Lakers he plans to play elsewhere, but the Lakers are still the team that can pay him the most money given its cap situation. Perhaps James finds a better fit elsewhere. Maybe the Lakers do the same with another player. But don't completely close the door on James and the Lakers, if only because more money and leverage can always change minds.
Last night’s game at Wrigley Field had an air of playoff baseball from the early innings. Perhaps it was a throwback to the last time the San Diego Padres played at Wrigley Field during the Wild Card round in 2025. Or maybe it was that both the Cubs and the Padres find themselves squarely in the Wild Card hunt, more games than they’d like behind their respective division leaders, but still solidly over .500 as the calendar flips to July. It was probably amplified by the wind blowing out and one of the first truly hot days of summer. Every pitch felt like it could travel over the wall and break the game wide open.
But of course, that’s not how it went down. On a night that felt like it was destined for a high scoring affair, the Cubs and Padres battled to a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Padres tried to eke a bit more out of Jason Adam, letting him face a red hot Pete Crow-Armstrong who hit a flare of a single to left field. Then they brought in Mason Miller: their closer who throws well over 100 miles per hour, striking out more than 50 percent of the batters he’s faced in 2026 and just generally setting the standard for relief pitchers. It turns out even Mason Miller is human [VIDEO].
Seiya Suzuki sent the crowd at Wrigley Field into a frenzy as he hit a towering fly ball off the ivy, just out of the grasp of leftfielder Jase Bowen.
It was the Cubs’ 10th walkoff victory of the season. Despite the injury woes and staring down a superior Padres bullpen, the 2026 Cubs found a way. The win took them to 47-38 on the season, keeping pace in the division, 5.5 games back of the Brewers. That 10th walkoff win is the most the Cubs have had in a season since 13 walkoffs in 2015:
As we wait for tonight’s action from the corner of Clark and Addison, I wanted to look back on a few of the excellent walkoffs the Cubs have had so far this year. My top three are below, but feel free to add your favorites in the comments.
3. Pete Crow-Armstrong’s redemption
It’s been hard to find a hotter hitter in baseball than Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong in the month of June. PCA has been firing on all cylinders since late May, but part of what makes him so fun to cheer for is his humanity. He pulls off superhuman feats in the outfield and rakes at the plate, but he’s human and makes mistakes like all of us. Like allowing this inside the park home run I’m sure he’d rather forget [VIDEO].
Don’t get me wrong, a walkoff is a walkoff. They are all great in their own way. But the playoff atmosphere combined with Seiya making contact off of one of the best pitchers in baseball was pure vibes. It added to the drama that Seiya had struggled head to head against Miller:
After all, who wouldn’t struggle to make contact against a guy who throws 102 on the corners? But last night, Miller threw mostly sliders rather than his patented heat. He threw seven pitches, only one fastball. Both Alex Bregman and Seiya were ready for the offspeed pitches. The post-game celebration was pure joy [VIDEO].
1. Michael Conforto walks off the Reds
One of the strangest success stories for the Cubs this season has been Michael Conforto. The 33-year-old grabbed the last outfield spot on the bench out of Spring Training, which was honestly a bit of a surprise given Dylan Carlson’s hot spring and his ability to play center field. But Conforto has delivered as a pinch hitter, a part-time role player, really whatever role Craig Counsell has asked him to play.
On May fourth Conforto helped the Cubs continue their second 10-game winning streak of the season when he sent this Emilio pitch into the left field bleachers for his first career walkoff home run [VIDEO].
It’s hard to believe that it’s still June and we’ve already had 10 magical walkoff nights at the baseball cathedral at the corner of Clark and Addison. Maybe that’s just what happens when a talented team is beset by injuries but keeps finding ways to fly the W. Share your favorite walkoff moments in the comments below.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 16: Willson Contreras #40 of Team Venezuela looks on during batting practice prior to the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Italy at loanDepot park on Monday, March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
“It’s not easy just to show up and play with everything that’s going on in my country.”
Willson Contreras didn’t mince words following the Boston Red Sox’ victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, as shared by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. It’s immensely difficult to operate under these circumstances, just as it is for several of his teammates.
Contreras, Ranger Suárez, Carlos Narváez, Andruw Monasterio, and Wilyer Abreu all hail from Venezuela, which was hit by twin earthquakes last week that have left at least 22,619 people affected, 5,034 injured, and 1,700 dead, according to CNN. It’s difficult to say anything more than the players have, both with their words and emotions – all of which have come out over the last several days.
Contreras let it all go following his first-inning home run on Monday. “I wasn’t feeling good the whole day. I was kind of down, sad,” Contreras said, per Healey. “I hit a homer, and of course, I tried to help [pump up] my dugout. But the first thing that I said was ‘Venezuela.’ That was the first thing that came out of my mouth.”
Suárez did his best to suppress the emotions while out on the mound for the second time since the tragedy struck, turning in another terrific performance before admitting that “it’s obviously very hard to be here when you want to be out there physically trying to help, but at the end of the day, we’re trying to do our best to try and support them.”
Abreu, who had two notable errors over the weekend, also admitted how difficult things have been, saying “It’s very hard to play right now with everything that’s going on in Venezuela, but we’re doing everything we can to stay focused on the game,” as seen on NESN.
The Red Sox, organizationally, have done what they can to support the players and their community, setting up a relief fund that will directly impact search and rescue efforts in La Guaira and Caracas. If you would like to donate, click here.
It’s nice to see that the boys are rolling, with five straight victories setting a new season high. It’s also fairly easy to feel for them through such an emotional time. We’ve spent months harping on the negatives and clinging to the positives, but for right now, it would be nice to just lend some support.
James’ announcement comes on the day of free agency, which officially begins at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, June 30.
ESPN insider Shams Charania first reported that James, 41, informed the team that they can begin to move on without him as he pursues his NBA future as a free agent.
James joined the Lakers in the summer of 2018 and has spent the last eight seasons in L.A., leading the team to an NBA championship in 2020, where he was named Finals MVP. He was named an All-Star every season he played in a Lakers' uniform. James averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game on 51.3% field goal shooting and 35.6% 3-point shooting during his eight seasons in LA.
The big announcement which came from James' agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, has sparked interest and think pieces around the sports world. Many expressed their gratitude for James, including former teammate Luka Doncic, Lakers president Jeannie Buss and Laker legend and former president of basketball operations Magic Johnson.
Here’s how the sports world reacted:
Sports world reacts to LeBron James not returning to Lakers
I want to thank LeBron James and his super agent Rich Paul for taking a meeting with me back in 2018 when I was President of the Lakers and deciding to sign with us. He created a whole new era for the Lakers, including leading us to an NBA Championship in 2020 and all the…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 30, 2026
Breaking: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, his agent told @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/3uYVROBrH1
"This feels like a breakup that you want the other person to do the breaking up. Like, I think the Lakers are ready to move into the Luka Dončić era of Los Angeles."
