More than a decade later, Paul is still reflecting on the emotional roller coaster that surrounded one of basketball’s biggest “what if” scenarios.
Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets (L) passes the ball as Derek Fisher of Los Angeles Lakers defends. EPA
Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the future Hall of Fame point guard revisited the controversial scrapped trade that would have paired him with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles before then-NBA commissioner David Stern stepped in and vetoed the deal.
“It was very wild to say the least,” Paul said. “I remember where I was, and me and Kobe had actually got on the phone and talked that night. And then yeah, it was basically like a little s–t storm from there.”
NBA commissioner David Stern takes a question from a reporter during a news conference AP
At the time, Paul’s New Orleans Hornets were owned by the NBA and operated by Stern after former owner George Shinn’s financial issues forced the league to take control of the franchise. Paul explained that once the lockout ended, he believed the trade was complete.
In an earlier interview with McAfee, Paul noted concerns from team owners after the league emerged from contentious collective bargaining negotiations may have been a significant turning point.
Paul was serving on the executive committee during those talks.
Chris Paul revisits the NBA’s vetoed Lakers deal and the Kobe partnership that never happened. REUTERS
That is when everything changed.
“It was a crazy time, and just knowing the emotional roller coaster that it was at the time was, was really different. But I got the phone call basically that this trade ain’t happening no more.”
The fallout changed NBA history. Rather than joining Bryant, Paul was eventually traded across the hallway to the Clippers, where he helped launch the “Lob City” era alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
While Paul built a lasting legacy with the Clippers, the thought of a Bryant-Paul backcourt remains one of the league’s most fascinating alternate realities. For Lakers fans, it’s still impossible not to wonder how many championships that partnership might have produced.
Garrett and James have spent years building a relationship rooted in their common ties to Cleveland. One brought the city their first championship in 52 years, the other became the face of the Browns.
Rams defensive end Myles Garrett talks to reporters at a press conference at the team’s practice facility on June 2026. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Their connection eventually extended beyond admiration. Garrett joined Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group, and purchased a minority ownership stake in the Cavaliers franchise.
Garrett even trained alongside James during the offseason and leaned on him for advice when his frustrations with the Browns boiled over in the winter of 2025, ultimately leading to Garrett demanding a trade out of Cleveland.
LeBron even tweeted congratulating Garrett for breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record last season.
“He’s been a positive force in my life,” Garrett said during his introductory press conference at the Rams practice facility on Tuesday. “Giving me advice when he can. Always helping trying to work through different situations early on in my career.”
But then, unsolicited Garrett may have made his recruiting pitch to LeBron to return to the Lakers for next season.
LeBron James stands on the court in the closing minutes of the Lakers’ Game 4 home loss to the Thunder on May 11, 2026 in the second round of the NBA playoffs. AP
“We’ll see how long LBJ is around here,” Garrett said with a smile. “I’m not sure what his future looks like, but if he wants to stay around for a couple more years, I know they’ll accept him with open arms.”
LeBron’s future remains one of the NBA’s biggest unanswered questions. He is officially a free agent and soon will be able to sign with any team he chooses. He could also opt for retirement or run it back with the Lakers. All possibilities are on the table.
But Garrett’s message was clear as day. He waived his no-trade clause and came to L.A. to chase championships, and now that he’s in the same city as his longtime mentor, he would be happy to share the city’s sports spotlight with The King for a few more years.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
There’s one article I love writing every year, and this is it. It takes time, research, holistic thinking, and a few energy drinks to get me there. I’ve juggled countless thought exercises, spoken with numerous people about their thoughts on the Phoenix Suns’ direction, and considered it all.
Who doesn’t love a good puzzle? That’s exactly what this piece is. It’s my chance to take a full look at the landscape of who the Phoenix Suns are right now, what options are in front of them, and how they can navigate the offseason as I try to piece together my blueprint for how I think they should operate.
And make no mistake, this is a complicated puzzle.
I’m sure somewhere along the way, my math is off. Maybe a contract number gets fuzzy. Maybe a roster-construction idea looks cleaner on paper than in reality. That’s part of the process. This isn’t what will happen. This is, more or less, what I hope will happen. What I want to happen.
This is the piece where I zoom out to look at the Suns holistically, then try to answer the questions we’ve been asking since the team was eliminated in the First Round on April 27. What should they do with the draft? What should they do in free agency? Which team options should they exercise, and which players should they let walk?
I’ll start with where I landed when the season ended. At that point, I kept coming back to continuity and development. I wondered if that would still be the direction I believed Phoenix should take once it was finally time to write this article. That was the initial thesis entering the offseason.
Now it’s time to find out if that thesis still holds up, or if working through every decision in front of the organization pushes me somewhere else. So welcome, my fellow readers. Let’s talk about how you fix the Suns.
The Starting Point
You can’t start building out theories on what the Phoenix Suns should do without a starting point, so let’s begin with the basics.
The salary cap this offseason sits at $165 million. The luxury tax line is $201 million. The first apron comes in at $209 million, and the second apron is $222 million.
Right now, Phoenix has 11 of its 15 roster spots filled, though a couple of those spots are occupied by players on team options. Their current payroll, including that dastardly $23.2 million in dead cap tied to Bradley Beal, Nassir Little, and E.J. Liddell transactions, sits at $184.7 million.
There will be no trading of DevinBooker as a part of this path. I believe that it is a valid conversation to have, and we have had it. I am pro-Book in Phoenix…at least for this offseason.
I contemplated moving off of Jalen Green. In my personal opinion, that is the way to go. He is pricey, duplicative of Booker positionally, and inconsistent as a player. But three things prevented me from pulling the trigger as a part of this plan. First, I truly believe the Suns will bring him back, as they want to see if his development can justify his salary. Second, while he might duplicate Booker’s position, he brings a unique skill set, as he can actually put pressure on the cylinder. Now, if only he could finish around the rim more.
And third? It’s hard to find a trade suitor for him. I played with the trade machine and simply couldn’t find any justifiable or likely candidates who would want his services while providing something that makes sense for Phoenix. He will be much more appealing next summer, when his contract becomes an expiring.
Therefore, Booker and Green return. Those are your high-level decisions relative to trades. Now, for the next steps.
Step 1: Pick up the options and structure Dillon Brooks wisely
The Phoenix Suns have two players with team options this offseason that they can exercise: Ryan Dunn and Jamaree Bouyea. If this were a team sitting comfortably under the cap and looking to upgrade the bench with some spending power in free agency, maybe there’s a conversation about declining one of those options. That isn’t where Phoenix is.
Given the financial tightrope they have to walk and the need to maximize every available asset on the roster, both of those options feel like easy decisions. You pick them up.
Then comes the more interesting conversation, Dillon Brooks.
The rumored extension floating around is as much as four years, $125 million. That breaks down to roughly $31.3 million annually. And as much as I value what Brooks brings to this team, that kind of deal would keep him under contract through the 2031-32 season. At this point, I don’t think anyone should be tied to this roster for that long.
Given where the franchise stands and the direction they’re trying to go, flexibility matters. Yes, they want to deepen it. Yes, they want to reinforce the culture. You don’t do that by locking yourself into paying a 35-year-old Dillon Brooks north of $30 million a season. That’s not good business, nor is it smart. Still, you want to reward the player responsible for assisting in defining your culture, and you want to do so in a way that allows you a flexible contract moving forward.
So, in my blueprint and in the scenario I’m building here, Phoenix signs Brooks to a three-year, $81.7 million contract. That lands at an average annual value of $27.2 million and has him under contract through the 2029-30 season. I’d backload the deal and attach a player option to the final year. That gives Brooks security, gives him flexibility later, and still gives the Suns options.
For now, the Suns remain at 11 of 15 roster spots filled, and the payroll stays at $184.7 million. No new players have been added, and no new money has come in. At this stage, we’re focused on securing the future with Brooks and exercising the team options for Dunn and Bouyea.
Step 2: Turn the draft into an opportunity to get younger and cheaper
Before the Phoenix Suns can start navigating restricted and unrestricted free agency, which doesn’t officially open until July 1, the NBA Draft comes first. Two rounds, the first on June 23, the second on June 24. This is Phoenix’s first opportunity to add a player, whether that ends up being somebody on the active roster or a two-way contract.
With the Suns picking 47th overall, and knowing Isaiah Livers no longer qualifies for a two-way deal, the most likely outcome is pretty straightforward. Phoenix drafts somebody at 47, probably Jaden Bradley out of the University of Arizona, and develops him in the G League. And honestly, I’m not opposed to that. That’s a solid place to develop a young point guard, and the Valley Suns could certainly use more distribution and facilitation. It’s the safe play. Probably the most logical play, too. Maybe it’s Bradley. Maybe it’s somebody else. The conservative move is using that pick on a two-way player and keeping the 15th roster spot open for flexibility.
But that’s no fun.
If we’ve learned anything about this front office, it’s that they aren’t afraid to move around in the draft. Two offseasons ago, Phoenix traded up to grab Oso Ighodaro. Last offseason, they used leftover assets from the Kevin Durant deal to move up and make the first pick of the second round for Rasheer Fleming.
So that’s the route I’m taking here. The Suns move up. And to do it, they make a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. The trade? Phoenix sends Royce O’Neale to Memphis along with two second-round picks, including No. 47 in this year’s draft, and in return receives Taylor Hendricks and the 32nd overall pick.
Adding Taylor Hendricks gives Phoenix another three-and-D forward, and another player the team can continue to develop at only 22 years old. The 6’9” power forward was selected ninth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft out of the University of Central Florida and was later moved to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade this past February, along with additional players and draft capital.
He didn’t see a ton of run in Memphis. Across his three-year career, he’s averaged 7.3 points and 4.1 rebounds on 45/35/71 splits. There’s some upside there for sure.
The bigger part of this deal is financial. Phoenix moves off Royce O’Neale and his $10.9 million salary for a player making $7.8 million. And another plus with Hendricks? He’s on an expiring contract.
Of course, the immediate question is: why would Memphis do it?
From my perspective, the Grizzlies are in the middle of stripping things down to the studs and reshaping the roster. Veteran presence still matters in that environment. Royce gives them a proven rotation wing and one of the better three-point shooters in the league, plus Phoenix is attaching another second-round pick to the deal.
That becomes a conversation you can talk yourself into. And Memphis already owns the third and 16th picks in the first round. A lot of early mock drafts have them looking at frontcourt players like Cameron Boozer from Duke University and Jayden Quaintance from the University of Kentucky. If that’s how their board falls, a contract like Hendricks becomes a lot easier to part with.
And for Phoenix, that creates an opportunity to add another young, switchable forward and save money in the process.
So step one of navigating the draft is complete. You’ve traded Royce O’Neale to acquire Taylor Hendricks, and in the process, you moved up 15 spots in the draft. Oh, and you saved $3.1 million in the process. Now what?
You draft Zuby Ejiofor out of St. John’s University and add another forward to the organization.
He’s 6’9”, 240 pounds, and he plays a highly fundamental game. He isn’t somebody you’re expecting to consistently knock down threes, especially after shooting 30.5% last season at St. John’s. What interests me more is the 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and the motor that comes with it.
He’s productive in the paint. He brings physicality. He plays with attitude. And all of that feels aligned with who and what this Suns team is trying to become. At 22 years old, he’s not some raw teenage prospect. He’s older, more developed, and somebody who feels like a cleaner fit for what Phoenix is building.
The next question becomes contract structure. Do you place Zuby on a two-way deal, or do you use a standard roster spot? For this exercise, I’m going with the standard deal. That puts him around $1.4 million. Noah Penda, who went 32nd overall last season, landed around $1.3 million, and with the rookie minimum projecting around $1.4 million for the 2026-27 season, that’s the number I’m using here.
So that’s how we navigate the draft. You move off Royce and save $3.1 million. You move up 15 spots. You add two 22-year-old power forwards to the mix, and one of them comes on an expiring contract. So where does that leave things?
Pre-draft, Phoenix sat at $184.7 million with 11 players rostered. Post-draft, you’ve lowered payroll by $1.7 million and bumped the roster to 12 players.
And because you moved off Royce for a player on an expiring contract, the 2027-28 cap sheet starts looking cleaner, too. And, as we get ready to navigate restricted and unrestricted free agency, every dollar counts.
Step 3: Bring back your depth via free agency
This is where the challenge really begins. And this is where you can’t help feeling frustrated that the Phoenix Suns are carrying $23.2 million in dead cap this season. Up to this point, Phoenix sits $17.1 million below the luxury tax and $25.1 million below the first apron. That feels manageable on paper. Then you remember there are still three open roster spots and three players you’d ideally like to bring back. That’s when things get interesting in a hurry.
So what do they do? And how do they do it? You start by figuring out what actually matters most to Phoenix. Is avoiding the luxury tax the top priority, especially with repeater tax implications hanging out there? Or is this a team willing to cross that $201 million line if it means keeping continuity intact? And beyond that, how comfortable are they with going over the first apron, knowing the restrictions that come with it and how much harder it makes roster building?
Personally, I don’t think Phoenix is overly concerned with being above the luxury tax. At least I hope they aren’t. Mat Ishbia has shown he isn’t afraid to spend. Yes, this would be spending on a team you probably wouldn’t label a true contender today. That part is fair. At the same time, they clearly want to stay competitive. They clearly want to protect continuity. And if that means paying into the tax to make it happen, I believe the organization would be willing to do it.
And there’s one important caveat to always keep in mind. It’s about where you are on the final day of the NBA season. So in theory, the Suns can bring back Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Mark Williams, then buy themselves time. Time to evaluate. Time to see how the roster performs. Time to make decisions based on what the team actually looks like once the season starts. And for a front office trying to balance flexibility with continuity, that matters a lot.
And that’s the direction that I think this team will go. And honestly? I think it’s the right way to go. So let us begin with what bringing back Mark Williams looks like.
Bringing Mark Williams back gives Phoenix an important buffer as Khaman Maluach continues to develop. We know Mark’s injury history, and although he played a career-high 60 games this past season, his career average remains 41.5 games played per season. There’s a real chance he misses time this season, and if that happens, the door naturally opens for Maluach in year two. And that can work in Phoenix’s favor. If Maluach pops, if he looks ready and starts showing real growth, then you’ve put yourself in a position where Mark becomes more expendable and potentially somebody you can shop on the market come the trade deadline. If Maluach still looks raw, then you still have stability at the center spot whenever health allows.
The obvious question with Mark is price. What is he worth? What does his market actually look like? My guess is there won’t be a huge amount of interest. This year’s unrestricted free agent center market has plenty of options, and a lot of teams can find comparable production for cheaper or find somebody with a cleaner injury history. And maybe Phoenix sees it that way, too. Maybe they decide not to bring him back and go fishing in that pool.
For continuity purposes and for Maluach’s development, I think they keep him. And I think they do it on the qualifying offer.
Yes, Bobby Marks floated out $14 million annually as something Mark could potentially get on the open market. If another team wants to pay that, then you tip your cap, thank him for his time, and move on. You look at options on the unrestricted free agent market. That’s easy.
If that market doesn’t materialize, I bring him back at $9.6 million for this season, knowing he’d hit unrestricted free agency next summer. And by then, Phoenix should have a much clearer picture of what it actually has in Maluach. That makes the decision cleaner. That makes the timeline make more sense. And it gives the Suns another year of stability at a position where having it matters.
Jordan Goodwin is somebody the Suns should absolutely bring back. He’s part of the culture. Part of the identity. He’s gritty, he hustles, and he sets the tone every night he’s on the floor. He feels like the soul of this team. That’s not something you casually let walk out the door. At the same time, because of the apron restrictions, it may become a real possibility. And if that happens, it hurts.
Phoenix has Early Bird Rights on Goodwin, which gives them flexibility. They can structure a deal anywhere from roughly $4 million to $9 million annually. Then the question becomes whether Goodwin is willing to take a hometown discount or if he wants to test the market.
And honestly, that would make sense. He’s 27 years old. This could very well be his best chance to land a meaningful contract. There aren’t many teams with major spending power, which helps Phoenix a bit. Yes, another team could use part of a mid-level exception or the non-taxpayer mid-level to make a run at him, although those routes come with their own restrictions.
That’s why in this scenario I’m betting on continuity. I’m betting on fit. And I’m betting both sides find common ground. The number I land on is two years, $11.3 million. That feels fair for Goodwin. It rewards the role he’s carved out and keeps Phoenix intact.
That number could rise if the Suns decide to move off Mark Williams and go searching for another center in unrestricted free agency. In this version of the offseason, they don’t. They keep Williams. They keep Goodwin. And they keep building around the identity they spent all season trying to establish.
Lastly, there’s Collin Gillespie. He showcased exactly what he can bring this season and earned himself a real raise. And he’s a fantastic story. Honestly, he’s the kind of story you want your organization connected to. A player you brought in, developed, watched grow from a two-way contract into a guaranteed deal, and now he’s positioned to cash in because of the work he put in.
Now he hits unrestricted free agency, and Phoenix has to pay him accordingly. For me, that number comes to three years at $32.4 million. Yes, that’s a sizable number for a backup point guard. I’m still doing it. He’s worth it. He fits what Phoenix is trying to build. He understands the system. He’s earned trust. He brings steadiness when he’s on the floor, and there’s real value in knowing exactly what you’re getting from that position every night.
Could another team offer more? Absolutely. And maybe one does. Much like Jordan Goodwin, there’s more financial flexibility here if Mark Williams walks and Phoenix reallocates those dollars. In this version of the offseason, I’m keeping the group together.
And part of making that work is including a player option in year three. That gives Gillespie flexibility and gives him the chance to bet on himself if his progression continues. Which feels fair. Because if that growth keeps trending the way Phoenix hopes, he’ll have earned the right to cash in again.
So when restricted and unrestricted free agency wraps up, you’ve accomplished the mission. Three more players added. Three roster spots filled. Fifteen players under contract. Mark Williams comes back at $9.6 million, Jordan Goodwin returns for $5.5 million, and Collin Gillespie gets $10 million. That puts Phoenix at $25.1 million spent in free agency and brings the payroll right up to $208.1 million.
Now, if we’re being exact, and I know some of you absolutely will be, the final number lands at $208,116,977.
Boom. Under the first apron. Mic drop.
This keeps the Phoenix Suns under the first apron while filling every roster spot and maintaining continuity across the board. Your depth is fortified, and you have enough financial flexibility to keep options available if adjustments are needed later in the season.
I’ve avoided the daunting first apron, and that matters because crossing that line starts cutting into your flexibility in a real way. If you want to make trades, salary matching must be within 100%, and you can’t take back more money than you send out. You lose access to acquiring players via sign-and-trades. You also can’t sign a player waived during the regular season if his original salary was greater than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. In this scenario, those restrictions stay off the table.
Phoenix still has some flexibility. A lot of that flexibility comes through Haywood Highsmith. The “Locksmith” is owed $3.8 million next season, although only $1 million of that is guaranteed. His deal doesn’t fully guarantee until January 10, 2027. By then, you should have a much better understanding of his role, what this team looks like, and what steps you may need to take to get under the first apron, if necessary.
The same applies to Jamaree Bouyea. His team option can be exercised now, and that salary also doesn’t become fully guaranteed until January 10, 2027.
So yes, this is a tightrope. And it’s a tightrope the Phoenix Suns are going to keep walking for a while because of the dead cap on the books, all the way through 2030 (thank you, Bradley Beal). They have to be careful. The Suns have to balance fiscal responsibility with competitiveness. That isn’t easy, but it is the right thing to do. It’s not flashy, it’s not sexy, but that is the path that will open more doors than it locks. Don’t let your short-term greed get in the way of your long-term greed.
This is my blueprint. Yes, Phoenix lands around $209 million in payroll in this scenario. And yes, being roughly $8 million over the luxury tax means that bill turns into something closer to $26 million once repeater tax penalties are factored in. That’s expensive, that’s the cost of doing business, and that’s the cost of carrying dead cap. That’s the cost of trying to stay competitive. That’s the cost of continuity.
And when I look at the roster I have created, I believe it works. You still have an open two-way slot, and I believe it’s competitive. I believe it preserves optionality if the organization decides it needs to pivot. And I believe it gives you a healthy mix of veterans, youth, and upside worth investing in.
That’s who Phoenix is right now. This isn’t a team polishing the edges of a championship contender. This is a team trying to strengthen the path it’s on. They are a team focused on development, leaning into continuity, trying to figure out if this next era of Suns basketball is actually sustainable. Because if it is, you can start making different decisions a year or two from now. You can get more aggressive, adjust the vision, and attack the next phase.
Currently, this is who the Suns are. And this is the path I’d take. I know it’s optimistic to believe that Williams would come in at the qualifying offer and that Gillespie would take a $32.4 million deal. Perhaps they don’t. Perhaps the Suns let Williams walk, sign an unrestricted free agent center on a veteran minimum deal, and reinvest those savings into Gillespie and Goodwin’s contracts. ‘Tis possible.
At the end of the day, there’s no perfect answer here. There probably never was. The Suns are navigating the consequences of past decisions while trying to build something healthier moving forward, which naturally makes every offseason choice a balancing act.
That’s why I keep coming back to continuity and development. Let this group grow. Let the younger players keep earning opportunities. Let Jordan Ott continue shaping the identity Phoenix spent all last season trying to establish. Then evaluate from there. Allow health to be your friend, considering your three highest-paid players missed a combined 96 games last season. See what they can do from here, and for the love of AC Green’s celibacy, avoid three-guard lineups. Maybe a year from now, the vision looks clearer. Maybe the next pivot presents itself naturally.
For now, the smartest move feels like patience, trust in the foundation, and giving this version of the Suns another real chance to prove what it can become.
New York Knicks player Latrell Sprewell (R) looks to the hoop in front of San Antonio Spurs plaayer Tim Duncan during game four of the NBA Finals 25 June, 1999 at New York's Madison Square Garden. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo by JEFF HAYNES / AFP) (Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
But you can forgive me for having a momentary flashback. After all, the last time the New York Knicks were in the NBA Finals, they met the San Antonio Spurs. Now those two teams will meet again starting tonight, with a champion waiting to be crowned.
Now, as SB Nation’s elder statesperson — which is yes a nice way of saying I’m the old one around here — I have the benefit of having lived through that meeting back in 1999. While some of my coworkers were navigating middle school or even elementary school, I was facing the real world having just graduated college. Some of my roommates and best friends that final year in school were Knicks fans. They lived and died with this team.
So it falls on me to take you back in time.
Here is a look back at the 1999 NBA Finals.
The 1998-1999 NBA season
We start by a look at the 1998-1999 NBA season, which might be remembered more for what happened off the court, rather than what happened on it.
First off, the season did not begin until January of 1999, due to a dispute between league owners and the NBA Players’ Association. When the two sides could not reach an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, a lockout began in July of 1998.
That lockout lasted more than 200 days, until a deal was finally reached on January 6, 1999.
The season did not begin until a few weeks later, and schedules were shortened to just 50 games as a result.
Another big piece of off-court news? The dismantling of the Chicago Bulls. Chicago was coming off their second three-peat, but the retirements of Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan, plus the trade of Scottie Pippen to the Houston Rockets and the departure of Dennis Rodman in free agency, opened up both the Eastern Conference and the league at large for a new champion.
How the Spurs reached the 1999 NBA Finals
The 1998-1999 NBA season marked the second year that San Antonio could rely on the pairing of David Robinson and Tim Duncan down low.
And while the Spurs got off to a slow start, beginning the year 6-8, they quickly righted the ship, winning 31 of their final 36 games to finish the year with a 37-13 record. Again, the season was shortened due to the lockout, which ended in January.
That record tied San Antonio with the Utah Jazz atop the Western Conference standings, and San Antonio secured the No. 1 seed in the conference due to a tiebreaker.
Once in the dance, the Spurs stayed red-hot. San Antonio won its opening series 4-1, dropping just one game to the Minnesota Timberwolves. From there, the Spurs swept their way to the NBA Finals, dispatching the Los Angeles Lakers in four games, and then sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference finals. Duncan scored 21 in Game 1 against Portland, adding 13 rebounds, and Robinson scored 20 with ten boards in Game 4 as the Spurs closed out the sweep.
For the first time in franchise history, San Antonio was heading to the NBA Finals.
How the Knicks reached the 1999 NBA Finals
While the Spurs enjoyed a relatively easy path to the 1999 NBA Finals, it was a much tougher road for the Knicks.
Ahead of the 1998-1999 season, New York made several key additions to help Patrick Ewing, adding Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas. Those acquisitions helped the Knicks begin the year with and 8-3 record.
But then, injuries started to mount. Sprewell played in just 37 games that regular season due to a stress fracture in his right foot, and Ewing missed time due to a knee injury. After starting 8-3 the Knicks began dropping games, and hovered around .500 for most of the year.
That stretch cost president and general manager Ernie Grunfeld his job in April.
Wins in six of their last eight games were enough for New York to secure the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, as they finished with a 27-23 record. But that meant a date with the top seed in the East, the Miami Heat. New York won Game 1 in Miami, getting 22 points from both Sprewell and Allan Houston to steal the first game of the series. After dropping Game 2, New York took Game 3 behind a 20-point outing from Sprewell, giving the Knicks a chance to close out the upset at Madison Square Garden at home.
But Miami staved off elimination, forcing a deciding Game 5 back in Miami. Ewing led the way for New York with 22 points, but a buzzer-beater from Houston gave New York a 78-77 win, pushing the Knicks into the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Up next for New York? A date with the No. 4 seed Atlanta Hawks. But to the surprise of many, the Knicks swept their way to the Eastern Conference finals, getting 34 from Houston in Game 1 and 31 from Sprewell in Game 2 to take both games in Atlanta. With the series win, New York became the first No. 8 seed to reach the conference finals.
That meant another date with the Indiana Pacers, the team that bounced New York out of the playoffs the previous year. The Knicks again took Game 1, this time in Indianapolis, behind 19 points from Houston, but dropped Game 2. That second game was costly for another reason, as an Achilles’ tendon injury that had hampered Ewing for most of the season was revealed to be a partial tear, ending his playoff run.
But veteran Larry Johnson stepped up in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, leading the way with a team-high 26 points. The final point of the night came at the charity stripe, as he drew a foul from Antonio Davis on a three-point attempt with seconds remaining in a 91-88 game. The three-pointer tied the game, and the ensuing foul shot gave New York a 92-91 win.
The teams split the next two games, giving New York a chance to close out the series at Madison Square Garden in Game 6. The Knicks did just that, led by 32 points from Houston and stiff defense on Reggie Miller, who was held to just eight points on 3-of-18 from the field, and New York punched their ticket to the Finals with a 90-82 win.
But the win was also costly, as Johnson suffered a sprained MCL in the game, which limited his effectiveness in the Finals.
The 1999 NBA Finals, revisited
The 1999 NBA Finals pitted wounded Knicks team against the Spurs, who had dropped just one game on their way to the series and were rested after sweeping Portland in the Western Conference finals.
As you might expect, it was not much of a series.
San Antonio took the first two games at home, behind a 33-13 effort from Duncan in Game 1 and a 25-15 effort from Duncan two nights later in Game 2. The Knicks fought back to cut San Antonio’s series lead to 2-1 with an 89-81 win in Game 3, behind 34 points from Houston, but that would be as close as New York got. San Antonio closed out the series, and their first title, with wins in Game 4 and Game 5.
The final game, decided by an Avery Johnson jump shot with under a minute remaining, was played two years to the day that San Antonio drafted Duncan.
Happy Wednesday, everyone. Hopefully your week is going better than Aaron Judge’s. The Yankees captain had to sit out a game due to bruised ribs, which is no fun for a guy looking to add to his seasonal home run numbers. The Yankees are just crossing their fingers that their biggest star is back in action soon.
In other news today, we look at the negotiator trying to find common ground in CBA talks, see which teams are already out of the running for the postseason, and check in on some burning questions ahead of the trade deadline.
There’s all that and more, so let’s just jump right into it.
May 31, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama batter Justin Lebron (1) celebrates a double during the Tuscaloosa NCAA Regional in the championship series between Oklahoma State and Alabama. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
If college baseball is not your bag, but you are an MLB fan, you might want to pay attention.
With 16 teams still alive with dreams of spending late June in Omaha, there are plenty of MLB Draft prospects to watch this weekend. Here are 13 players to keep an eye on during Super Regionals, all of whom could be early picks in the 2026 MLB Draft in July.
Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama
When the Kansas City Royals selected outfielder Joe Vitiello with the seventh pick in the 1991 MLB Draft, he became the highest-drafted player out of Alabama.
Justin Lebron could change that in July.
Lebron has been a standout for the past three seasons for the Crimson Tide, and while his numbers at the plate dipped a bit from his stellar 2025 campaign — where he slashed .316/.421/.636 with 18 home runs — his bat has come alive a bit here in the NCAA tournament, as Lebron went 6-for-16 during the regionals as Alabama clinched a spot in the Supers.
He has improved his bat speed over his time at Alabama, and that was on display on this home run against USC Upstate in the regionals. Watch as he’s able to get his hands quickly through the zone, and pull this outside breaking ball for his second home run of regionals:
Right now, projections have Lebron in the 5-10 range in mock drafts, which is a departure from where we were a year ago, when he was considered perhaps the top player in the class. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is now the favorite to go first overall, but he will be watching the Super Regionals along with the rest of us, as the Bruins were eliminated this past weekend.
Lebron is still playing, and a deep run from Alabama could see him slide up into the top five, at least.
Draft range: Top 15
Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
After a strong first collegiate season at Houston, Ace Reese transferred to Mississippi State for the 2024 campaign, slashing .352/.422/.718 in his first SEC season, along with 21 home runs to secure Newcomer of the Year honors.
Reese followed that with a .328/.429/.698 season this past year, belting another 22 home runs.
The power certainly stands out, as you see on this home run from the regional final against Louisiana:
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) June 1, 2026
But what might help his draft stock the most is what he did on the Cape last summer. In just eight games of work for Chatham, Reese slashed .303/.361/.485, showing some prowess with a wooden bat.
Draft range: Top 25
Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss
Cade Townsend is one of the top collegiate arms in the upcoming MLB Draft, and the sophomore-eligible pitcher stands out for his breaking stuff just as much as his fastball. While he gets into the upper 90s with his fastball, where he truly shines is with an array of power breaking balls, from a curve to a slider and a cutter.
Here is a good look at his arsenal from Perfect Game Baseball:
RHP Cade Townsend (@OleMissBSB) sat 95-96 T97 w/ riding FB from fast arm. Nasty cutter at 88-91 is the go-to, showed biting 2 pln SL. Low-80s top to bottom CB & CH ~ 1300 RPM to round out mix. Has had a great spring & risen up boards. Soph./'26 elig. @PG_Draftpic.twitter.com/TAFbM37f5j
After going 1-0 last year over 15 games and eight starts, Townsend stepped into a much bigger role for Ole Miss this past season, going 5-3 as the team’s No. 2 starter, behind Hunter Elliott. But it is his array of pitches that have him as one of the top pitching prospects in the college game. He’ll likely get the ball in Game 2 against Auburn this weekend, and a strong performance against the Tigers will only help his draft stock.
Draft range: Top 30
Aiden Robbins, CF, Texas
Aiden Robbins has enjoyed success at every stop of his collegiate baseball journey, which began at Seton Hall where he slashed .302/.386/.512 in 2024. He played for Gaithersburg in the Cal Ripken Collegiate League that summer — right down the street from this author — and posted an OPS of .959 with five home runs in just 25 games. That earned him a spot with Harwich on the Cap for seven games, where he slashed .385/.385/.538 over just 26 at-bats.
He then was dominant for Seton Hall the following spring, slashing .422/.537/.652, and returned to Harwich for the summer where he led the Cape Cod League in batting average (.307), slugging percentage (.545) and OPS (.936). That season is sure to get scouts paying attention.
Robbins transferred to Texas for this past year, and all he did in his first SEC season was slash .347/.435/.721, hitting a career-best 23 home runs. That improved power will also get scouts paying attention.
Draft range: Top 30
Chris Rembert, 2B, Auburn
Chris Rembert entered the 2026 season as one of the top hitters in college baseball, and he did not disappoint. After slashing .344/.467/.555 during the 2025 campaign for Auburn, he matched those numbers with a .350/.402/.475 slash line this past season, along with 13 doubles and 45 RBI.
His quick hands through the zone stand out on swings like this one from March:
2B Chris Rembert (@AuburnBaseball) gets a hanging SL & promptly deposits it 420 ft. to left @ 105 EV. Bundle of ML average tools in the profile & will stick at second. Quick, quick bat with twitch in the wrists. @PG_Draft
He also played five games for Hyannis this past summer in the Cape Cod League, slashing .429/.478/.952 in limited action. Unfortunately, he was not in the lineup when this author had a chance to see the Harbor Hawks on the final day of the regular season. But one other prospect on this list was, so stay tuned on that front.
Rembert notched a hit in each of Auburn’s five games in the regional, including a 4-for-6 afternoon with four RBI against NC State in a must-win game. A strong series against Ole Miss could solidify his status as one of the top sophomore-eligible prospects in this field.
Draft range: Top 50
Mason Edwards, LHP, USC
Mason Edwards has enjoyed a rather unconventional ride to his status as a likely first-round pick in July. Interest from top schools was late in arriving, as it took some time for his array of pitches to come together. After his sophomore season in high school, he worked with Josh Goossen-Brown, who was coaching at a junior college in Los Angeles, to improve his fastball.
Edwards’ velocity went from the upper 70s that summer, to the upper 80s by the end of his junior campaign. At one point during a bullpen session with Goossen-Brown, that fastball started hitting the 90s.
That is when the offers started coming in.
But he stayed close to home, signing with USC, which kept him with Goossen-Brown, who now serves as the program’s Director of Player Development. That fastball now hangs in the mid-90s, along with a curveball that has a high spin rate and a tough changeup.
All he’s done with the Trojans these past two seasons is stand out as one of the top pitchers in college baseball. He went 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.102 WHIP during the 2025 season, and followed that with an 8-0 year in 2026 with a 1.85 ERA and a 1.004 WHIP. Edwards also leads the nation with 164 strikeouts.
If you have almost 30 minutes to spare, you can watch all 160 of his regular-season strikeouts. You’ll see that arsenal of pitches the lefty brings to the bump, including his stout off-speed stuff as well as that fastball:
𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞
The video is 28:47 long for a reason 🤯
Featuring all 1⃣6⃣0⃣ strikeouts. (Yes, every single one) ✌️
When you accomplish something that has never been done before, you land on lists like this one.
Daniel Jackson started his college career at Wofford, helping the Terriers earn their first NCAA tournament win as he slashed .357/.460/.599 during the 2024 season. He transferred for Georgia, and after playing all over the field in 2025 he moved behind the plate full-time this past season.
All he did for the Bulldogs was hit 29 home runs while stealing 25 bases, becoming the first player in SEC history to post a 25-25 season.
Jackson made a habit of “feeding the trees” this past season with swings like this one, as he goes oppo against Liberty for a two-run shot on Saturday:
.@Djackson2100 picking up right where we left off this morning 👏
That rare blend of power and speed, particularly for a catcher, makes him a very intriguing prospect his MLB Draft season.
Draft range: Top 50
Carson Tinney, C, Texas
Carson Tinney put his name on many scouting lists with a tremendous season for Notre Dame in 2025, where he slashed .348/.498/.753 with a whopping 1.251 OPS. That saw him transfer to Texas, and earn a spot with Brewster in the Cape Cod League last summer.
But his stint on the Cape saw him manage just 13 hits over 79 at-bats, with a slash line of .165/.267/.367, leading to some concerns over how he will adjust to the wooden bat game full-time. Tinney rebounded with a strong first year in the SEC, slashing .333/.487/.711 while mashing 21 home runs. That power was on display over the weekend here against Tarleton State:
He also has a strong arm behind the plate and was named a finalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year award on Tuesday.
Draft range: Top 100
Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia
Joey Volchko’s electric arm, anchored by a fastball that can hit the triple digits and a tough slider, put him on the radar of scouts as a high school senior back in 2023. But he stuck to his Stanford commitment, spending two years out west before transferring to Georgia for the 2026 campaign.
This season with the Bulldogs, the stats started to match the stuff. Volchko went 10-2 for Georgia with an ERA of 3.87, and a WHIP of 1.402.
Here is a look at that slider in action from earlier this season:
Joey Volchko: 50.1 IP 3.75 ERA 1.41 WHIP 25.8% K 11.3% BB 14.5% K-BB
Stuff is real can miss bats, can improve the command but the slider is nasty and he can be electric on the mound at his best pic.twitter.com/ghgjvR7NsM
Volchko got the start for Georgia to open regionals against Long Island and went six hitless innings with ten strikeouts. He’ll likely be on the bump Friday when the Bulldogs open the Supers against Ace Reese and Mississippi State.
Draft range: Top 100
Brendan Brock, C, Oklahoma
The Sooners knocked off No. 2 overall seed Georgia Tech to book a spot in the Super Regionals.
And catcher Brendan Brock was a big reason why.
Brock hit a pair of home runs on Sunday against Georgia Tech, powering the Sooners to a 15-8 win and forcing a deciding game on Monday. This blast, his first of the game, illustrates the quick hands and compact swing he brings to the dish:
Brock slashed .285/.374/.519 this season for the Sooners, and his strength might be on the bases, as he swiped 26 bags for Oklahoma this season. He has played all three outfield positions for the Sooners as well as spending time behind the plate, and his future might just be in center field if a team wants to maximize his speed, arguably his best tool as a prospect.
Draft range: Top 100
Ruger Riojas, RHP, Texas
Ruger Riojas began his collegiate career at Texas-San Antonio, where he won 15 games over two seasons coming out of the bullpen. He transferred to Texas for the 2025 season, beginning the year as a bullpen arm before moving to the rotation down the stretch. He posted a 5.61 ERA over 18 games — with ten starts — during the 2025 season, with a 9-3 record, but it should be noted that he dealt with a severe illness late in the year, that saw him lose 20 pounds.
He stuck in the rotation full-time this past year, posting a 5-2 record with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.086. Riojas has a strong array of pitches, including a fastball that creeps towards the triple digits, as well as a splitter, a change-up, a curve, and a cutter. He also uses different arm angles, mostly throwing from a three-quarter release but he will mix in a lower arm slot at times.
Riojas is an older prospect, as he’ll turn 23 on the day of the draft, and he has dealt with some shoulder soreness this spring. He threw just five pitches on Senior Day in a cameo and sat out the SEC tournament due to that shoulder soreness, but got the start for Texas on Sunday as they closed out UC Santa Barbara. In that game he went five innings, allowing three hits and one earned run.
Draft range: Top 100
Taylor Rabe, RHP, Ole Miss
Cade Townsend is not the only arm to watch on Ole Miss this weekend, as Taylor Rabe could join him in the MLB Draft in July. After missing the 2024 season due to an elbow injury, Rabe made 15 appearances for Ole Miss in 2025 with a pair of starts, posting a WHIP of 1.469. He took on more of a rotational role this past year, starting nine games and finishing with a 5-3 record, along with an ERA of 3.84 and a WHIP of 1.026.
He is also coming off one of the best outings of his career, as he went six innings against Nebraska on Saturday, allowing just one run with nine strikeouts. Patrick Ebert from D1Baseball was in attendance, noting his fastball, cutter, and slider:
Taylor Rabe with a fantastic outing for @OleMissBSB, throws a career-high 113 pitches in 6 innings allowing 1 run (a solo HR) on 4 hits & 2 walks w/ 9 Ks, got out of a huge jam B6
Stuff is loud, 93-98 FB, 87-90 cutter & 83-84 slider, has put Ole Miss in position to win, up 5-1 pic.twitter.com/DdPtAsPSLA
After two standout seasons for North Dakota State — where he slashed .367/.435/.467 in 2025 — Jake Schaffner transferred to North Carolina for the 2026 campaign. In his first ACC season, Schaffner slashed .362/.478/579 with six home runs and 19 doubles, both career highs.
Schaffner also slashed .281/.391/.371 for Hyannis in the Cape Cod League, going 2-for-3 while playing a solid third base in the final regular season game on the schedule. He looked pretty good to me from my seat behind home plate that night:
There he is on the grass at third, expecting a bunt. That’s right, you have actual on-the-ground scouting reports for this piece.
Schaffer earned All-Regional honors this past weekend as North Carolina advanced to the Super Regionals, as he went 4-for-11 with four runs, three RBI, and three walks as the leadoff hitter for the Tar Heels.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 31: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies bats in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on May 31, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The world of advanced metrics continues to grow in the quest to analyze and understand the smallest idiosyncrasies that make baseball players who they are.
Recently, MLB released new swing path and attack angle data for 2026 that may help give us an idea of where the Colorado Rockies are at and if there is an area for improvement.
What are swing path and attack angle metrics?
For those unfamiliar, the four metrics that make up this category of Statcast metrics are as follows:
swing path (tilt)
attack angle
ideal attack angle
attack direction
Swing path tells the shape of the swing on the way toward contact, with the tilt being defined as the angle of the bat path over the last 40 milliseconds prior to contact. This metric is used to determine how steep or flat a swing is; in layman’s terms, the higher the number, the steeper the swing.
Attack angle describes what is happening with the bat at the point of contact. It defines what vertical angle the bat is moving at as it impacts the ball (or comes closest to doing so, on misses). Positive numbers indicate a bat that is moving upwards, while negative numbers indicate a bat moving downwards at the point of contact. The ideal attack angle is defined as “the percentage of swings with an attack angle between5° and 20° at the point of contact.” Hitting the ball with an upward-moving bat creates a higher exit velocity and optimal launch angle, which are necessary to hit doubles, triples, and home runs.
Attack direction, then, helps indicate the horizontal angle the bat is traveling as it makes contact. This is mostly used to determine whether a batter is a “pull” or “oppo” hitter.
For our purposes, we will be focusing on attack angle since swing path is more of a stylistic choice. (It’s not as simple as “more is good” or “less is bad” in that department.) Attack angle, however, tells a bit more about the Rockies’ offense and what’s going on.
The Rockies as a team
Entering June, the Rockies sport a team attack angle of 10°, which lands even with the league average alongside 13 other teams.
However, the Rockies have an ideal attack angle of 49.1%, which ranks 26th in baseball, just ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays (49%), Los Angeles Angels (48%), Athletics (47.8%), and Pittsburgh Pirates (46.6%). The league average for ideal attack angle is 51.2%.
This means that while the Rockies have an attack angle that falls in line with the majority of MLB on swings, they have managed to make contact with that ideal attack angle less than half the time. Evidence is shown in their 26% whiff rate that comes from a league-leading 51.8% swing rate.
Like other stats in baseball, however, there are nuances to attack angle because it depends on pitch location and pitch type as well. Attack angles will be higher on low pitches and lower on higher pitches. The Rockies have a 13° to 16° angle range on lower pitches and about a 9° angle on higher pitches. A higher angel will lead to more flyballs, while a lower angel will lead to more line drives. Negative angles end up with more groundballs.
The Rockies have a league-leading 21.2% line-drive rate, suggesting a flatter swing at the point of contact, despite a team swing path of 34°, which ranks as the fifth-steepest in baseball. A flatter swing isn’t inherently bad, as line drives are a quality result of making contact, but it does point to the lack of power the team has in the home run department. They rank 22nd in flyball rate at 37.9% and 20th in homerun-to-flyball rate at 9.6%.
The difference in the Rockies’ offense is also reflected over the last two months. In April, the Rockies had an ideal attack angle of 50.8%, while May dropped down to 47.2% and saw the club hitting more ground balls and fewer flyballs.
An important element to understanding attack angle is that it is a timing metric.
During a swing, there are numerous attack angles, and the one that matters is the point at which contact occurs. Pitches are thrown from a downward angle (usually around 6° to 10°). An upward (positive) attack angle allows your bat to travel along the same plane as the ball, giving a wider margin for error to make solid contact. Having an undesirable attack angle might be about being early or late, as well as the way the hitter is moving the bat. It’s not a case of “more is better” because too much or too little can be a problem, hence the ideal range.
Individual Rockies
Attack angle gives us a better understanding of a hitter’s profile, and so, let’s take a look at a couple of the Rockies to illustrate the make-up of the team.
Hunter Goodman
Hunter Goodman falls in line with many of the power hitters across the league. Averaging an attack angle of 15°, Goodman often catches the ball with an upward trajectory, which translates to a team-leading 14 home runs. Keep an eye on the red arrow in the video below (starting at four seconds) that showcases his attack angle through his swing to the point of contact.
What’s interesting is that Goodman’s 24° swing path is the “flattest” on the team, while the attack angle is the highest among the qualified hitters. The video shows that while Goodman has a more direct swing path to the ball, he manages to create lift by angling his bat in those final four milliseconds to lift the ball. He currently has a career-high 27.5% line drive rate and is matching his career-high 33.6% fly ball rate. Add in his incredible bat speed, and you get a hitter who can pound the ball at the expense of more strikeouts.
Most importantly, Goodman has an ideal attack angle 65.3% of the time, which ties him for fourth-highest in baseball among qualified hitters. That means that for roughly every six or seven swings out of 10, he is getting the most offensive value potential, which is what you want out of your power bat.
Kyle Karros
On the other side of the spectrum is Kyle Karros. Featuring a 33.3% line drive rate, Karros has generally been more of a contact-first bat with not a lot of oomph. A lower-than-league-average bat speed and an attack angle of 7° have led to more line drives and ground balls in his young big league career.
What makes Karros’ swing interesting is that he has one of the steepest swing paths on the team at 37°, and yet meets the ball on a more even plane at the point of contact. It messes with a preconceived notion that a player with a steeper swing would naturally hit the ball with a higher attack angle, just as a player with a flatter swing would have a lower attack angle.
However, the attack angle is a good measure of swing adjustments for a player, and Karros has demonstrated that over the last week. Starting on May 25, Karros has averaged an attack angle of 12° with 48.8% ideal attack angle rate. The swing path hasn’t changed, but Karros managed to elevate the ball more, which has resulted in two home runs (even if one was against a position player) and a ball in the air 33% of the time. Ideally, Karros raising his average attack angle even just a few degrees upward to the 10° mark could help him find that power a bit more consistently and cut down on the grounders.
More to be learned
There is so much more that can be learned from exploring the intricacies of these metrics that can’t be covered in this article. You can gain a lot just from a glimpse at the basic metrics, and I encourage you to explore these metrics and visuals on Baseball Savant.
For instance, look at the entire 2026 Rockies offense in this image. Some interesting things are going on here.
In general, the Rockies are a team that focuses on line drives and could benefit from more players finding an optimal swing more often than not. These metrics are all about maximizing offensive value, something the Rockies aren’t quite doing across the board at times.
One size does not fit all when it comes to swinging the bat. Each batter is unique with different stances and mechanics, and these metrics tell just a small part of the story and help paint the picture of an offensive profile.
The Albuquerque Isotopes put together a rough game at the plate as they managed just four runs in the middle innings, but struck out 13 times against one walk. Andrew Knizner had a home run as part of a two-hit night but that was about all that highlighted the offense. Still, they could have done just enough to win, but Isotopes starter Valente Bellozo saw his solid start fall apart in the fifth inning. Scoreless through four, Bellozo coughed up six runs and recorded just one out. The bullpen combo of Mason Green and Ryan Miller limited Salt Lake to just one run the rest of the way, but the offense couldn’t make up the lost ground.
Despite collecting six hits, the Hartford Yard Goats were shut out as they struggled to get runners in scoring position and went 0-for-3 when they did. GJ Hill led the way with two hits, but eight strikeouts and three double-plays killed any momentum for the Yard Goats. Jake Brooks started on the mound and delivered six solid innings, allowing four runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Cade Denton was roughed up in relief, unfortunately, as he allowed five runs on six hits in two innings of work.
Spokane lost a close one as a two-run seventh by Hillsboro made up the difference. The Indians controlled the first half of the game 5-0 through four innings before Hillsboro got after starter Everett Catlett for four runs in the fifth. Tyler Hampu took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits in his 1.2 innings of work. Offensively, Spokane had 11 hits with Robert Calaz going 3-for-4 with a home run. The team struck out six times with two walks and went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
A close-knit game saw the Fresno Grizzlies come out on top thanks to a two-run ninth inning rally to walk off the Lake Elsinore Storm. Trailing 5-4 in the ninth, Cameron Nelson laced a one-out double to score the equalizer run before coming in to score the winning run on a Roldy Brito single. Fresno had 10 hits with Nelson collecting a triple as well, while Tanner Thach and Clayton Gray each had a home run. Angel Jimenez started for the Grizzlies and went five innings, allowing just two runs on two hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Jhon Medina and Dylan Crooks followed in relief and struggled with command, issuing six free passes and allowing three runs in 2.2 combined innings of work. Seth Clausen took the win with his 1.1 scoreless innings of work.
The trade deadline is just two months away so it’s time to start considering some questions. Mark Feinsand mentions the Rockies as a likely seller, though they may not have many assets. He points to Antonio Senzatela, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Brennan Bernardino as likely candidates with the most value.
Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) has been on a tear for Albuquerque the last two weeks. Geoff Grammer considers the possibility of Condon getting back on track for a 2026 MLB debut.
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about Ezequiel Tovar heating up at the plate, the need for reinforcements in the pitching department, and reflect on May with our players of the month.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 05: A general view of the MLB 2026 All Star Game Logo during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Athletics on May 5, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
It’s that time of year again. Phase 1 of voting for the 2026 All Star Game begins today!
Last year, I had the idea to coordinate a group effort with the community to try to get specific San Francisco Giants players into the game. It did not work. And I didn’t really expect it to. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try again this year!
As a reminder, fans can only vote for position players. I think concentrating on just a couple of players is the best strategy. So right now, the players we are going to push for are:
Luis Arraez – 2B
Casey Schmitt – DH
For Phase 1, you can submit up to five ballots per day. The website for voting is not live yet, voting begins at 9:00 a.m. PT. But you should be able to find it on MLB’s All Star page once it’s up.
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue this four-game road series against the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon at 4:40 p.m. PT.
Sporting “Fight Like A Girl” T-shirts, players, coaches and staff surrounded Sarah Nauser and her supportive husband, Lonnie, in her customized wheelchair, designed to take her wherever her beloved Royals are playing. Tuesday night, on Lou Gehrig Day across MLB, that place was Great American Ball Park.
“Especially the way things have gone for us these last couple weeks, and to get texts from Sarah or Lonnie after a game, like, ‘Hang in there, it’ll turn’ and ‘Stay positive,’” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “and then you think for a second, coming from her and the horrible disease that she’s battling, and the way she supports us, it has to feel more important to us because of her and what she means to us, the city, the team and the organization. If you don’t feel that way, I think there might be something missing in your heart.”
The Royals greet superfan Sarah Nauser ahead of their game against the Reds. (photo via Mike Petraglia)
Nauser is a lifelong, passionate fan of the Royals whose moving battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) has deeply intertwined her life with the Major League Baseball franchise.
Raised in Blue Springs, Mo., Nauser grew up playing softball and spending her nights cheering at Kauffman Stadium, which she fondly calls her “happy place.” Nauser pursued a career in law enforcement and served as an officer for the Kansas City (Mo.) Police Department (KCPD).
Royals starter Noah Cameron racked up eight punchouts in his seven innings of work against the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday night.
Pasquantino was coming off a coffee-fueled spring during Team Italy’s run at the World Baseball Classic, right in the center of it as the captain. Then the crash hit. Pasquantino posted a .467 OPS in April and is slashing .213/.303/.342 now in 55 games this season. His strikeout rate has ticked up to 18.4% from 15.7% last year. Pasquantino showed the type of hitter he can be last year with 32 homers and 113 RBIs, and the Royals’ offense doesn’t work if Pasquantino isn’t mashing in the middle of it. They haven’t given up on him yet, nor will they. But a hot June from Pasquantino could be just what he and the Royals need to get out of their current funk. — Anne Rogers
Will this finally be the year for Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to capture the AL MVP? The Athletic thinks so, despite the Royals ranking 29th in their latest power rankings.
Top awards candidate: Bobby Witt Jr., AL MVP
Royals fans, I think this is the year.
The league-leader in fWAR is putting up another five-tool season. He should, at the very least, have another 20-20 season, potentially 20-40. No one has more Outs Above Average than Witt’s 15, or has generated as much defensive value as he has.
With Aaron Judge looking mortal — and by mortal, I mean not putting up a wRC+ that mirrors the speed of F1 cars or an OPS that looks like the seating capacity of a small theater — attention can turn to Witt.
It’s been 46 years since the Royals have had an AL MVP. If he keeps it up, that won’t be the only accolade he’ll have for his age-26 season. 2026 All-Star, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, Platinum Glove and AL MVP winner Bobby Witt Jr. has a really nice ring to it.
As mentioned already, they have a system that features a wealth of Top 100 talent, which could provide the Royals lower-ranked farm system with some much needed reinforcements. While they may not have the available trade capital to warrant one of those Top 100 names – not the top end ones at least, perhaps they could target lower names on their organizational Top 30 list. After all, how will they promote any of them if they keep buying every marquee free agent?
As has become custom in L.A., the Dodgers have multiple high profile starting pitching names on the IL at the moment. Perhaps Royals starters like Kris Bubic (when healthy) or veterans Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are options if to bolster their staff. The same goes for relievers, as the injury bug has bitten them there too. Daniel Lynch IV and Matt Strahm are potentially a pair of high-leverage arms that the Dodgers could very well covet.
In six outings and 28.1 IP, Lamkin absolutely dominated Midwest League pitching. He posted a 1.27 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, a 34.9% K%, and 24.8% K-BB% with the River Bandits. In May, with the Quad Cities, he allowed two runs on six hits with no walks while striking out 14 in 10.2 IP. That strong start in May led to his promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Lamkin had a rough Double-A debut on June 14th, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out seven in 5.2 IP. However, he had a much stronger second start on May 20th. He went 6 IP, allowed one hit, one run, no walks, and struck out eight. Overall, the percentiles have been good for Lamkin in his two starts in Double-A, as he is generating a 34.9% K% (92nd percentile), a 35.1% whiff rate (82nd percentile), and a 37.4% CSW% (98th percentile).
Would you believe this is the first game the Royals have won that wasn’t on a weekend since May 5 against Cleveland? As I sat down to write this, I thought it felt different to write about a win in an individual game, knowing the Royals are out of it. The focus is just different when writing about a team with no real playoff hope. We haven’t dealt with that for the last two seasons. And then I realized that I haven’t written about an individual game that was a win for almost a month. Since I don’t really write on weekends and just capture the weekend as a whole on Mondays, the only wins we’ve seen for a while have been written about in the Weekend in Review. Boy, it’s been a bad stretch.
But if you’re looking to the future or at least signs of life for the future, this win was a good one. I’d put it up there with the blowout of the Angels from late April or maybe the first win of the Cleveland series as one of the most complete games they’ve played. It had a starting pitcher who hadn’t ever really done well in that role, putting together a good game. One of the young bats had a nice day. Another bat who could be important had a good day. And it felt like the team got all their frustration out on one swing in the first and looked like it exhaled for the first time in weeks. Let’s start with the young pitcher.
DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 29: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket as Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets plays defense during the game on January 29, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, 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 Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
NBA greats LeBron James and Steve Nash sat down on The Mind the Game podcast to talk about Cooper Flagg and his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, and who had the most upside.
That’s no knock on Knueppel, who had an unbelievable rookie year, vastly exceeding expectations.
He played like he’s been in the league for a decade. It’s very rare to see a guy his age with that level of maturity and sophistication.
Our comparison is to Chris Mullin. Like Mullin, he is not overly athletic, but he lives and breathes the game, and is about as efficient as he can possibly be.
Flagg, though, is something else entirely.
Like Knueppel, he is way ahead of schedule. It took him a few weeks to settle in after the point guard experiment, but it all paid off. Flagg was doing things that, like Knueppel, are far beyond his age.
However, Flagg’s athleticism is a level or two above Knueppel’s. He dominated some amazing athletes this year, and he’s just 18. You may remember a video we linked to where he just completely frustrated Joel Embiid, who ended up just throwing his hands up – literally.
When Flagg fills out, he’s going to be impossible to stop.
Editor’s Note: As the Celtics begin an uncertain offseason, Insider Chris Forsberg is rolling out a three-part series called “The Path,” in which he breaks down three potential avenues for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to take this summer. You can read Part I (minor tweaks)and Part II (the middle road) here.Today: the series finale.
Call us hopeless romantics. We love a fairy-tale ending. Maybe that’s the writer in us. When we ponder the Boston Celtics’ most endearing path forward, it almost always involves Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown overcoming the latest adversity together to return to the NBA mountaintop.
This story has already had plenty of twists and turns. The chapters have piled up. There were early successes and frustrating setbacks. The Jays finally reached the title stage in 2022, only to get stiff-armed by the veteran Warriors. A jarring overhaul to the supporting cast around the Jays helped the duo finally deliver that elusive Banner 18 in 2024.
Tatum’s torn Achilles stunted dreams of a repeat, and Brown’s magical 2025-26 campaign as the focal point of the team ended in bitter disappointment with a first-round playoff exit.
Which delivers our protagonists to their latest crossroads. The Celtics must plot a path forward, one in which a restrictive new collective bargaining agreement makes it unclear if two max-money superstars are a viable long-term luxury for any team.
For Part III of our annual summer path series, we’re left to ponder maybe the most unsavory option: major changes to the foundation of the Celtics franchise.
Another disclaimer: Just because we are examining this pathway doesn’t mean we’re championing it. That said, what surprised us as we’ve gone about the exercise of pondering all the paths — from Small Tweaks to Medium Tweaks — is that, if the team feels that something more than minor changes are necessary to be a legitimate contender again, then a major overhaul might be the team’s best chance to get where it wants to go.
We say it often — especially after seasons end earlier than expected — but the Celtics’ brass has to examine all pathways. It’s front office malpractice not to.
Maybe, at the end of the day, they decide there is no surefire upgrade available and elect to march forward with the Jays. But they have to at least ponder the alternatives.
And so shall we.
Mission statement
With goals of 1) Maximizing money allocation under a prohibitive and apron-filled collective bargaining agreement and 2) Extending the window for the next title run, the Celtics make the swallow-hard decision to trade one of their two superstars.
The ultimate goal: Create a team with one big-money centerpiece, then build a deep roster around them featuring a blend of mid-tier and minimum-salary players.
The path
Trade Tatum or Brown.
Remain under the tax for one more season, creating freedom to build a high-level supporting cast around the remaining centerpiece long term.
Part of the reason we’ve pushed back on the idea of that potential swap is because it doesn’t solve the long-term money issue. You still have two players making max money and you are likely shortening your title window at a time when you can’t freely spend to stockpile around that duo.
Maybe it comes to pass that Antetokounmpo is far and away the best available player this summer, and the Celtics have to consider it if the team believes the core of this team has run its course. We simply believe this deal introduces too much unnecessary risk.
In our mind, the bigger conversation is whether you can start the process of getting younger and extending your window if you elect to move on from Tatum or Brown, all while remaining competitive and not sacrificing prime years of whatever player remains.
But trying to find a deal that brings back a combination of established and future talent, especially on the level of one of the Jays, is no easy task.
The wish list
Some half-baked trade ideas to get the brain rolling:
1. A deal with the Clippers that brings back Kawhi Leonard and the No. 5 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
The soon-to-be 35-year-old Leonard is entering the final season of his contract that will pay him $50.3 million next season — at least $7 million less than what Tatum ($58.5 million) and Brown ($57.1 million) will earn in 2026-27.
The Celtics still have pathways to remaining under the tax this season while adding a high draft pick who can infuse low-cost, high-upside talent and help extend Boston’s title window. The drama that tends to follow Leonard might be tough to embrace, but he finished one spot behind Brown in MVP voting this season while appearing in 65 games.
Imagn Iamges
The Celtics actually could trim salary by including Brown or Tatum in a deal for Kawhi Leonard.
2. A deal with the Pelicans for Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III.
The Celtics essentially split one of their max-money slots while bringing in a former All-Star in Murray, and a potential future All-Star in the offensive-minded Murphy III.
The other wrinkle here: The Celtics could take Murphy III into the Anfernee Simons traded player exception, potentially creating a valuable new TPE that could further aid the team in roster construction during the summer of 2027 when pesky repeater penalties are eliminated.
3. Deals involving Lauri Markkanen, Amen Thompson or Scottie Barnes.
Nothing you can drum up feels quite right. We’d call the Jazz about Markkanen, whose contract is slightly more digestible long term.
We’d dial up the Rockets to see if you can pry some of their young pieces, — especially Thompson — and take on salary filler.
We’d contact the Raptors about Barnes, if only because there are only so many players in their mid-20s making less-than-max money who can even be pried from their current team.
What it looks like
We suspect that, at the end of the day, none of these moves would be enough to make the Celtics break up their core. Our guess is that Boston would have to be overwhelmed by a collection of young talent and picks to even ponder moving one of the Jays.
But the ability to build a deeper roster with only one max-salary player is undeniably intriguing. Just look at the last teams playing this season.
The Knicks can pay five players north of $20 million because Jalen Brunson is on a sweetheart deal and only Karl-Anthony Towns makes max money.
The Thunder are steamrolling toward major financial decisions next year when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s contract rises to max money, but they can stomach at least one more season with as many as six players making $17+ million.
The Spurs are in great position with so many players on rookie deals and eventually can pivot off De’Aaron Fox’s money if resources are needed to pay the next deals for Victor Wembanyama and Co.
The new collective bargaining agreement made the math game tough. The Celtics got ahead of the curve in the summer of 2023 and were rewarded with Banner 18. Now they need to figure out if they can make the math work to give the Jays another shot at winning it all.
ST. LOUIS, MO - JUNE 01: Manager Oliver Marmol #37 of the St. Louis Cardinals talks to the media prior to the game between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Monday, June 1, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ali Overstreet/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today I would like to take a look at who Baseball Savant’s statcast evaluation style compares our current favorite baseball players to. We will use a Savant tool to show a Cardinal hitter profile, and see how it compares with the stats we use every day. wRC+ means weighted runs created, and the + means it has been adjusted to compare a player to league average. 100 is average.
Burleson so far best compares to Adley Rutschman’s hitter profile. Burleson barrels a few more, but he also strikes out a little more. They both can be gotten out by poorly topped and poorly under hits. All in all they are pretty similar from a hitter’s profile perspective. The .88 correlation outdoes the other players close to Burly’s style. Another notable player is Freddie Freeman!
The difference in execution: Burleson has a higher on-base percentage, and Rutschman has a lot more power.
Winn vs Bazzana
Here, we find a much more questionable correlation, but we are looking at batter profiles here. Not necessarily production.
What do I hope this means? Winn has a lot of unlocked potential if he compares closest to a Travis Bazzana hitting profile at .82 correlation. This is not as strong a correlation as in the previous example, but Travis Bazzana is the closest. If Winn can up his hitting across the board, this is the absolute ceiling. He will need to lower his K rate a little bit, take a few more walks, and maybe turn more of those flare burners into harder-hit balls, and of course, tap into his full potential. If he comps closest to a good hitter, this is encouraging.
What does this really mean? Kyle Isbel is another close comp, who matches up closest in offense stat categories, as well as the hitting profile. Isbel is probably a little worse hitter than Winn, but is more where Winn wants to be on the ISO charts. Isbel may be the floor comparison, as his walk rate and strikeout rates are even worse than what Winn has done this year.
Why are left-handed hitters comparing most closely with Winn’s hitting profile? I have no idea, but maybe he hits it the opposite way a lot.
How about Ivan Herrera? So far in 2026, JP Crawford is his closest player similarity score by statcast.
First off, Crawford has a terrible BABIP of .226 this season. So that might explain some of the difference in the wRC+ score. Herrera has a relatively normal BABIP of .296. Somehow Crawford has outdone Herrera in BB% with a ridiculous 15% walk rate. It probably helped that he walked 3 times last night! I was surprised ANYONE had a higher walk rate than Herrera, but this is next level. They have nearly the same ISO, but Crawford strikes out more. However, they both poorly top the ball a lot, and have their fair share of flare burners.
It is also notable that Randy Arozarena is his second closest player similarity score by batting profile.
Gorman and Jensen both walk at about the same rate, but as we all know Gorman’s K rate is next level. Jensen’s is not far behind though! Both players have 7 HR and a low BABIP, suggesting they might both get a little better. Gorman and Jensen are going to suffer a poor K rate, together in spirit.
The black circles in the graphic above are for Strikeout, and Gorman and Jensen lead the pack with that black hole in their swing. Do we like the 2nd closest hitter profile comparison in fellow third baseman Yoan Moncada? No, no we don’t. Moving on!
JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker don’t compare all that closely with any hitters just yet, so I”m going to profile them later in an article, with more in-depth coverage. I’d like to see Nathan Church play more first, as well.
My my, how things have changed! And look at that guy Nootbaar all over the leader boards. The more things change, the more they stay the same. I hope he’s ok, and able to have a career second half.
I will get back to the music writing soon, if I can find the time! I ran out of time again tonight. Next week…
OK, so this is a shot from a Tigers-Yankees game, but it does depict Don Kolloway stealing home, as he did at the front of a ninth-inning triple-steal on this day, 83 years ago.
1943 Holding a slim 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth at Fenway Park, the White Sox rallied to load the bases with two outs. With Mike Tresh at the plate, Don Kolloway broke from third base and scored before Red Sox pitcher Oscar Judd could deliver the ball home, with Luke Appling stealing third base and Joe Kuhel second. As the ball got away from catcher Roy Partee, Appling attempted to scamper home from second but was tagged out to end the inning.
The Carmines went down in order, taking the 6-4 defeat and improving the White Sox to 15-16 on the season.
1963 With the White Sox in first place, another freak injury occurred that was reminiscent of past bizarre circumstances, costing the team dearly. First baseman Joe Cunningham, who hit .295 with 70 RBIs and 101 walks in 1962, broke his collarbone in Los Angeles running out a ground ball in the fifth inning.
Cunninghamwas trying to avoid stepping on Angels first baseman Charlie Dees’ foot, so he twisted and lost his balance, tripping over the bag and crashing down to the ground; a wild throw from second baseman Billy Moran that started the sequence.
Cunningham didn’t return until September. Tommy McCraw was called up to replace him, but just couldn’t fill the bill. The team’s decline set in quickly after Cunningham’s injury, even though the club finished the season in second place at 94-68, 10 ½ games behind the Yankees.
1995 After the White Sox had gone almost four years without a sayonara home run, Dave Martinez connected with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to win, 10-6, vs. Detroit. It was Chicago’s fourth walk-off in new Comiskey history.
Although the homer didn’t save the White Sox from a loss, as the game was tied heading into last ups, there was still drama. Lance Johnson and Tim Raines were retired, and then a two-out rally began, as Frank Thomas worked a walk from reliever Joe Boever and Mike Devereaux singled him to second. Then the decision was made to intentionally walk Robin Ventura to get to Martinez, a disrespect that apparently made Dave none too happy: On a 1-2 pitch, the right fielder ripped a screamer deep and out into the right-field stands.
It was the second straight walk-off win for the White Sox, in the middle of five other losses.
2001 Speaking of walk-offs at Sox Park, Paul Konerko crushed a three-run homer deep to left in the bottom of the 10th to spur a 9-6 win over Detroit. The South Siders fell behind, 6-0, in the eighth, before reeling off nine unanswered runs for the win.
With one out in the ninth, Chris Singleton clocked a double to tie the game, 6-6, against Detroit closer Todd Jones (Singleton was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple). Then, in the 10th, Herbert Perry singled with two outs against Jones, who then balked Perry to second and intentionally walked Ray Durham. Matt Anderson took over for Jones, ran the count to two balls vs. PK, then served up a center-cut, triple-digit fastball to the slugger.
The comeback fueled hope that the defending division champs could get back on track (the win got them to just 23-30 on the season, already buried deep behind Minnesota in the AL Central); alas, the Sox would get no closer than 6 ½ games all season, finishing at 83-79.
2019 With the No. 3 overall pick in the MLB draft, the White Sox picked Andrew Vaughn, a first baseman from the University of California. The slugger won the Golden Spikes Award in 2018.
It marked just the third time since 1977 (Harold Baines, first overall) that the White Sox had such a high draft pick (2013, Carlos Rodón, No. 3 overall). Vaughn took an unorthodox route to the majors, jumping in 2021 from High-A to the South Side after missing the entire 2020 season due to the pandemic. Vaughn became the first player from the 2019 draft to make the majors.
That route appears not to have worked, given Vaughn’s unorthodox route out of the majors, namely being demoted in May 2025 after a horrible start to his MLB season. In fact, over five seasons and 610 games, Vaughn registered just 0.3 WAR for the White Sox — a No. 3 overall pick whose value is of a replacement player.
The White Sox beat the Tigers, 2-1, at Guaranteed Rate Field — with every run in the game scoring on wild pitches! That had never happened before since the live ball (1920) was introduced to the game.
The winning run scored in the last of the 10th when Detroit pitcher Jose Cisnero’s 97 mph fastball struck home plate umpire Cory Blaser in the face mask, knocking him down and bounding away from home plate. Yoán Moncada scored on the play.
The Spurs haven't hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy since 2014, and New York has waited even longer, last celebrating a title when the nation was enthralled by the Watergate scandal.
All eyes will be on Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, the 22-year-old phenom, who has taken the basketball world by storm. But the Knicks, who have the No. 1 ranked offense and defense in the 2026 playoffs, have been absolutely dominant in their postseason run and are beating teams by 19.4 points per game, including series-clinching victories of 51, 30, and 37 points.
Here are the seven players who could have the biggest impact on the NBA Finals:
2026 Playoffs: 23.2 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 3.5 bpg, 2.7 apg
Before long, Wembanyama will be heading up lists as the best player in the entire league, but for now, he will have to be option No. 1 for the best player that will be the difference between the Spurs winning and losing this season. Wembanyama can score at all three levels, and his defense can erase any mistake his teammates allow, and that will be imperative, especially with the Knicks, who can easily go to their inside game when the outside shot is not falling.
When Brunson is on his game, he is an absolute problem, and there is no one on the Spurs who can handle him if he gets going. Whenever he is on the floor, Brunson will be the smallest player, so San Antonio can negate his effectiveness by making him work on the defense end, something the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers failed to do, and that's why those teams are sitting at home.
Once Towns became the focus point of the offense, New York never looked back. That is not saying he needs to lead the team in scoring, but his passing ability and overall presence have sparked the Knicks' suddenly potent fast-break game. Towns can also cause issues if San Antonio decides to be bold and have Wembanyama guard Towns.
The one player who has stepped up big time in New York's impressive playoff run is Anunoby. He has dealt with a hamstring injury earlier in the postseason, but his availability is key. He is a reliable third scoring option, and his defense can be the catalyst for stopping the Spurs' litany of quick guards who want nothing more than to create posters featuring helpless defenders.
Speaking of poster creators, Castle has upped his game even from his impressive Rookie of the Year campaign. Castle's game is at its best when he is under control, and at times in the seven-game triumph against the Thunder, turning it over 26 times to go with 53 assists. He is more than capable of turning on the scoring load, especially when or if Wembanyama is on the bench.
Fox's ankle, which has sidelined him for numerous playoff games, has been an issue. Even though Wembanyama is the offensive linchpin, Fox is no slouch and has averaged 20 or more points in six different seasons and can take over a game if he needs to. If he gets his transition game going on a consistent basis, it might be game over for the Knicks.
The enigma that is Josh Hart could be most interesting in the NBA Finals. He will simply do the dirty work and do things that don't show up in the stat sheet; he is an excellent rebounder for his height and can make life a living hell for scorers with his defense. If you leave him open, he has made teams pay, as he did in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers, scoring 26 points and hitting five three-pointers.
NHL players get praise from all sorts of sources, but none means more to them than that of their peers. That is especially true when it comes from peers who have been incredibly successful in their own careers.
That is what Chicago Blackhawks forward Oliver Moore received from Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.
On the latest episode of his podcast "Wing Man", which he hosts with his brother and Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk, Matthew gave Moore his flowers after playing with him at the IIHF World Championships.
The two represented Team USA together in Switzerland. They lost to Canada in the Quarterfinals, but the young squad took major strides as the tournament went along.
Tkachuk, when praising Moore, said that he is going to be a great player in the NHL for a long time. Tkachuk credited Moore's skills, but also his speed, which is so obviously his best asset.
Moore was a first-round pick, 19th overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft. Since then, he has gone to the University of Minnesota, played some games in the AHL, and begun his NHL career.
In 60 total NHL games played, Moore has 5 goals and 14 assists for 19 points. He has shown the ability to impact games at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill. Again, his speed is a factor in every facet of the game.
It still remains to be seen what kind of point totals Moore will max out at, but he is an everyday NHL forward no matter what. The Blackhawks would love if he became a star producer, but they know they have a speedy solid middle-six forward at minimum.
Matthew Tkachuk has been a wildly impressive player since becoming the sixth overall pick by the Calgary Flames in the 2016 NHL Draft.
In his 673-game NHL career, he has 253 goals, 417 assists, and 670 points. All of this comes while being one of the game's best "pests". His resume also includes two Stanley Cups and an Olympic Gold Medal.
Tkachuk knows what it takes to be triumphant as an individual and as a team at the highest level. Him seeing great things in Oliver Moore is a sign of good things to come for the young Blackhawks forward.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
Imagn Iamges
