SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 27: Anthony Davis #23 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the game against the Golden State Warriors on March 27, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Sometimes, we as Washington Wizards fans get it wrong — or at least we are 99.9 percent certain that we will be wrong. If only a sportsbook like FanDuel could do robust prediction markets on trades. Just so you know, they did sponsor this post.
According to the latest SB Nation Reacts poll from earlier this week, 64 percent of Wizards fans believe Anthony Davis will be traded this offseason. However, the Wizards are reportedly NOT interested in trading him though.
Our poll came out before reports indicated that the Wizards wanted to see what the brow could do in DC first. pic.twitter.com/8R8b8M3P81
It’s possible that Davis could be traded in the middle of next season. Look at previous Wizards like Kyle Kuzma, Jonas Valanciunas or CJ McCollum. But the Wizards aren’t supposed to be rebuilding for the sake of rebuilding anymore. At this point, it appears that they want to see how AJ Dybantsa will work with Davis and Trae Young before any major decisions are made.
BALTIMORE, MD - CIRCA 1985: Don Aase #41 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a Major League Baseball game circa 1985 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. Aase played for the Orioles from 1985-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As we inch closer to the All-Star Break, we continue our 40-year anniversary of the game’s 57th Summer Installment which took place at the iconic Houston Astrodome on July 15th, 1986, in front of a capacity crowd of 45,774.
Don Aase would come on for the American League and notch the save on this night. Don reflects with us exclusively at The Crawfish Boxes.
Q: I went back and watched this game in its entirety, and it appears that Willie Hernandez thinks that he’s actually going in to close out the game when manager Dick Howser makes the move. What happened there exactly?
A: Yeah, it was funny. Willie went to go running in there and then he stopped, dead in his tracks. It was mix up, kind of strange there, but I went in and did the job.
Q: So, you earn the save in your only All-Star appearance. What did that night at the Astrodome mean to you personally?
A: Oh man, that was something that you can only dream about. I couldn’t believe I got a save in that situation. I don’t know if anything can ever beat that feeling. That was a high point of my career.
Q: What did you think of Roger Clemens outing that night? He had a little extra going on being back home and it being his first ever ASG appearance.
A: He had it going no doubt. You know, all of the pitching was really good. I remember Fernando also doing his thing. It was just a great thing to watch really, and it got extra exciting towards the end.
Q: You were on fire to get there. You posted 23 saves in the first half of the 1986 campaign and the O’s weren’t even a legit contender that season. What do you remember most about that season?
A: We were in a ton of games early on and they were all close and we started off well and I was closing games it felt like daily. We tailed off because I hurt my back and I had to miss a few weeks. I still think about that and the season we could’ve had.
Q: What do you think about the closers today?
A: It’s just really amazing how big and strong these guys are now. This is coming from somebody who spends most of his time these days watching the grandkids, but it’s impressive seeing how hard everyone throws these days. It seems like everyone today throws it 10 mph faster than we did.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 01: Shea Langeliers #23 of the Athletics celebrates his solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park on July 01, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Friday A’s fans,
Earlier this week, the Athletics began a six-game stretch at home by losing two of three to the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Tonight, they welcome the Miami Marlins for the opener of a three-game series. The Marlins, who have an even lower payroll than the A’s, posted an MLB-best 20-6 record in June to jump into the National League Wild Card picture.
Miami’s pitching staff, which has the 11th best ERA in the sport, played a major role in the club’s stellar performance over the past few weeks. While the A’s will not have to face standout right-hander Max Meyer, they’ll still draw the Marlins’ Dominican duo of Sandy Alcántara and Eury Pérez on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Meanwhile, only the Colorado Rockies have a higher ERA and have given up more runs than the Athletics’ much-maligned pitching staff. Yes, the team is playing in a hitter-friendly minor league park for a second straight season. However, that does not change the fact that these are major-league pitchers league pitchers who have earned their way to baseball’s highest level. As a result, they should be capable of making the necessary adjustments to limit the damage in a hitter-friendly environment.
Currently, it seems like the Athletics can only count on J.T. Ginn and Gage Jump to consistently deliver quality starts. On Wednesday night, Ginn shut down the Dodgers for six innings, helping his team avoid the series sweep.
Two nights prior, Jump endured his first rough outing against a Dodgers’ lineup loaded with star power, so the result was not entirely surprising. The promising rookie left-hander will look to bounce back in Sunday’s homestand finale. Before that, the A’s will turn to right-handers Jack Perkins and Aaron Civale to start tonight and tomorrow night.
Offensively, the Marlins are the opposite of the Athletics. Miami relies on speed to manufacture runs, leading the majors with 94 stolen bases this season. In contrast, the A’s have some speed, most notably center fielder Henry Bolte, but their offense is still driven primarily by the long ball.
The Marlins won’t make it easy, but there would be no better way for the Athletics to celebrate the Fourth of July than by putting their June struggles behind them and taking the series.
Funny exchange between these two A’s players. Lawrence Butler would greatly benefit from listening to Shea Langeliers’ advice as Butler’s batting average is still below the Mendoza line.
𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 Lawrence Butler: “Four straight years of 20 homers, how do you do it?”
Injuries have taken a toll on this team and could be one reason behind its June swoon. The return of several key players over the next two months could fuel a rise back up the standings.
It’s been a dream of a past week for Owen Carey, who is showing power we’ve never seen from him before while maintaining an lengthening hitting streak. The pitching on the minor league side also had much intrigue, with Garrett Baumann pitching in Gwinnett and Lucas Braun posting his best start of the season for Columbus. Add in yet another home run from Alex Lodise and the day was full of exciting moments and big performances.
Garrett Baumann, SP: 5 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 11.49 ERA
Even with a rough start from Garrett Baumann and a lackluster performance by the offense the Stripers still had a sniff of a chance to steal this game late, but always came up just short with two-out RBI chances. The Stripers left 11 men on base in this game, but that doesn’t fully encapsulate that eight of those came in just the final three innings of this game. With the bases loaded in the eighth inning the Stripers, by some miracle, had a chance to tie the game, but Jair Camargo flew out lazily to end that opportunity. An error in the ninth inning put Adam Zebrowski on base, kicking off a rally that saw the Stripers fall tantalizingly short. DaShawn Kiersey hit a bouncer off of the back of the pitcher that would go for a single, but as the ball trickled into left field Zebrowski tried to score from second and a combination of his sub-20 speed and an admittedly impressive play from Carson Williams to get to the ball in shallow left field saw Zebrowski cut down trying to score. It probably wasn’t smart to send him, and after a single, a hit batter, and a walk scored Kiersey and left the bases loaded with two outs it seemed even worse in retrospect. Jose Azocar finished off the game with a grounder straight at Williams that would have been a routine double play if there were only one out, stranding the bases loaded for the second straight inning.
All six of the runs Garrett Baumann allowed in this game were driven in via home runs, which is an issue that has exploded over the past three outings for him. Baumann allowed seven home runs in his first 12 starts this season (11 COL, 1 GWN) but in the past three outings has allowed eight of them. While the Bulls hitters took advantage of the mistakes Baumann made and he left a few too many pitches over the plate, he didn’t really pitch that poorly. He made good pitches with his splitter, located his fastball at the top of strike zone fairly consistently, and mixed his pitches well. He ran out of steam a bit in the final inning which contributed to the middle-middle fastball that got hit for his third home run, but overall he wasn’t glaringly bad in any particular way. He got beat a few times by hitters making good swings, but this was not nearly on the level of his prior two starts when he was making too many mistakes with his command. He looked better in this outing even if the results weren’t there, and if he comes out in future outings and pitches like that the results should follow.
Lucas Braun, SP: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 3.30 ERA
With the run environment up across minor league baseball there haven’t been too many of these true pitchers’ duels, but we got one in Tennessee on Thursday night and it was a masterpiece from Lucas Braun. It didn’t immediately look like it was going to be one of those nights for Braun. He struggled with his command to the first couple of hitters and gave up hard contact, including throwing a sinker middle-middle in a 2-0 count that got hit off of the wall in the deepest part of the park for a double. He fell behind 3-1 to the next guy before getting him to pop out and then got a ground out on a slider he hung, but after catching a series of breaks he locked in and started putting in good work. He dialed the slider in with a swinging strikeout to end the second inning, then started to dot the fastball up, slider down sequence to great success. That was the formula for the rest of the game, and his combination of being on with his command and the Smokies being willing to chase on sliders below the zone gave him the tools to get through eight scoreless innings.
The Smokies managed to match Braun with zeroes, and the Clingstones running up strikeouts undid the advantage they had with getting runners on base. Heading into the bottom of the ninth inning Columbus had gotten ten runners on base to the Smokies two, but thanks to strikeouts in key moments with runners in scoring position and a couple of outs on the basepaths they never managed to push anyone home. Shay Schanaman had an unfortunate bit of luck when he jammed the leadoff hitter but gave up a single on a slow roller to third base, but he also struggled to throw strikes. He walked two hitters to load the bases up with only one out in the inning, then gave up a walkoff single on a hard hit ball that went off of the glove of Jordan Groshans at third base.
Swing and Misses
Lucas Braun – 16
Shay Schanaman – 3
(38-38) Rome Emperors 8, (28-49) Jersey Shore BlueClaws 4
Zach Royse, SP: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 4.96 ERA
The Owen Carey fan club is eating well these days. Carey only had one hit in this game to extend his hitting streak to nine games, but he did it in a big way with a missile for a home run in the fifth inning. Carey has three home runs in his past four games with that hit, and already has beaten his total for home runs last season in just 37 games. Carey is really making solid contact in the air on the pull side early in this season, which was the biggest criticism you could have of him last season. He is maintaining his ability to hit hard line drives all over the field and make contact at a high rate while adding to his power output, and the Emperors have yet another breakout candidate making waves for them. Overall this offensive performance was mostly not driven by the elite-tier prospects for the Braves, though they’ll certainly be happy to see Dixon Williams add another to his total. Williams had a no-doubt shot in the first inning to put Rome up 3-0, banging the ball off of a billboard well past the fence in left field. Williams has homered in two straight games, and after that nasty slump he has really been crushing the ball over his past 15 games. He has five home runs and a .321/.415/.661 slash line during that timeframe, though his poor contact rates do remain a red flag.
Zach Royse had a couple of poor games in his adjustment to High-A, where he was not missing bats at the rate he was in Single-A, but this game was a quick reversal of trends as he looked strong once again. Royse’s slider was on full display as he kept going back to it until each individual hitter proved they could hit it, and some of the guys in the lineup never showed that they could. Royse’s only issue in the game is that he had a whole lot more trouble commanding his fastball, but he was able to work around that the first time through the order. The next time through the BlueClaws had a better feel for him and his velocity really started to drop off, so the earlier success he had at getting whiffs didn’t carry over. Royse did enough and his slider was good enough that Jersey Shore never got comfortable in the game, but the velocity dip and the command of his fastball are more fuel to the opinion that Royse’s future is likely in the bullpen. The quality of that slider is good enough to carry a major league middle relief pitcher’s career, but there’s certainly no reason to move him out of the starting role just yet even if it’s just to give him extra reps.
Swing and Misses
Zach Royse – 15
Jacob Kroeger – 5
(44-34) Augusta GreenJackets 10, (30-47) Salem RidgeYaks
Alex Lodise, SS: 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, .254/.342/.369
Jeremy Reyes, SP: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 3.25 ERA
It was a disappointing outcome for the GreenJackets on Thursday night, but they still received big contributions from the top prospects in the lineup, especially from Alex Lodise. Lodise has yet again hit a spell where the strikeouts are piling up — he has nine over the past six games — but it hasn’t slowed down his power production one bit. He hit his 16th home run of the season and eighth over the past 14 games while adding in a double. Most of the damage Lodise has done during this hot streak has come with him lighting up the lower half of the strike zone, but this time he took a fastball in the upper half and hit it the other way. Early in this game Augusta went on a run at the plate that allowed them to open up a 6-1 lead, and a big part of that came courtesy of the Carolina League batting leader Luis Guanipa. With the bases loaded in the second inning Guanipa shot an inside sinker into the opposite gap for a bases-clearing double, netting him the first three of five RBI on the day. In another bases-loaded chance in the fifth inning Guanipa again came through with an opposite field single, helping Augusta open up a lead of 9-6 that would also eventually get blown by the pitching staff. While Guanipa has maintained his contact numbers throughout this season he hasn’t seen the home run power that he showed earlier in the season and that double in the first inning is an example of a pitch we were seeing him drive to the pull side in April and May. Guanipa’s bat speed makes it so he tends to never get beaten on the inner half, but he has shown a tendency to drift back towards getting his front foot down a bit late and shooting pitches the opposite way, which has robbed him of some of the impact he showed in the early months. Conor Essenburg added an 0-5 performance to his recent struggles, and has been locked in his worst stretch of the season for the past couple of series.
With his recent demotion you would hope for better results from Jeremy Reyes, but right now what Reyes is putting on the field is concerning for his future. His velocity is down significantly and he just doesn’t have the command to overcome that limitation, and even though his slider has had success generating whiffs at the Single-A level there just isn’t much indication of growth from him. Should the velocity return to his baseline there is a chance for him to fit in as a relief arm, but the electric potential he showed last season has not been there at all in 2026. He’s getting hit hard right now in addition to not being able to throw strikes consistently, and it’s hard to see that changing anytime soon when his sweeper is the only thing showing anything right now and that’s a pitch he can’t land near the strike zone consistently.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 01: Noelvi Marte #4 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts while crossing home plate after hitting a two run homer in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on July 01, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles are rapidly approaching the point where they need to go on a stretch of solid baseball to re-establish themselves as real contenders for the wild card. Between now and the All-Star break is the time where they are going to need to do it. Inching along at 5-4 might drag it out for longer. Worse comes close to putting them out of the picture entirely.
With this in front of them, they are in Cincinnati to match up for three games with the Reds over Independence Day weekend. The Reds had themselves an excellent April and have been on a bad run since, dropping a 10-17 May before a 9-17 June, with one game played and lost so far in July. It’s not too hard to figure out their problem. They’re a bad hitting team, mustering just a .228/.309/.389 batting line for the season. This quartet is carrying the offense: Elly Da La Cruz, Sal Stewart, JJ Bleday, and Nathaniel Lowe. The rest of the guys are in “slightly worse than Leody Taveras” territory.
Add to that a pitching staff that’s bottom 10 for both starter and reliever ERA and that’s a tough way to be a contender. The rotation is bad in spite of 23-year-old righty Chase Burns showing as a genuine Cy Young contender so far this season. Burns entered Thursday with a 2.36 ERA in 14 starts. Unless something weird happens, Burns won’t face the Orioles in this series because he pitched against the Brewers on Thursday. Three guys in the Reds rotation have an ERA over 5 and their notional closer has an ERA over 6. That’s a tough recipe for contention.
The Orioles have to actually play better than the Reds for any of this stuff to matter. We’ve seen quite recently as they faced the otherwise-woeful Angels that they can blow it against an obviously bad team. The Reds bring a comparable record to the Orioles into this series, so it’s not like the O’s are even “supposed” to be better than these guys. They’re in the same muck, just in different leagues. A three-game series means one of these teams is guaranteed to exit it feeling a little better about themselves. If it’s not the Orioles, the available path back to contention will have shrunk yet again.
Here’s how they’re matching up in each game of the series.
Friday: 7:10pm Eastern
BAL starter: Trevor Rogers – 4.99 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 1.311 WHIP in 15 games
CIN starter: Brady Singer – 5.12 ERA, 5.82 FIP, 1.539 WHIP in 16 games
Rogers is fresh off a month of June where, across five starts, he pitched like it was last year again. Opponents hit to just a .510 OPS off of him in those games and he had a 2.05 ERA. Yeah, that will play. However, though the Reds have a disappointing offense, they are much better against lefties than righties, with a .758 OPS against southpaws. It seems that their righty batters are actually hitting lefties. Some guys on the Orioles should try out that concept.
Singer pitched 169.2 innings a season ago and allowed 19 home runs. He’s already allowed 19 homers so far this season in not even half as many innings. It’s not only homers that are his problem. Batters are hitting .294 against Singer. He is also coming off of an improved June, though, so like Rogers, the overall season number isn’t impressive but there’s a trajectory of improvement. Also, Singers has a 3.25 ERA at home, so that tilts in his favor.
Saturday: 7:10pm Eastern
BAL starter: Brandon Young – 3.11 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 1.300 WHIP in 13 games
CIN starter: Hunter Greene (season debut after spring training surgery for bone chips in elbow)
Elsewhere on the site, I’ve noted within recent days that the only thing standing between the Orioles and complete disaster this season has been Young. The team is 10-3 in his starts and the way he’s pitched has had a lot to do with that being the case. It’s quite a stark contrast to the results he got in his first introduction to the majors last year. We have to hope that maybe Trey Gibson can find something like this after a similarly-unimpressive set of debut starts. They are going to need Young to keep pitching well.
Greene was one of the game’s great young starting pitchers in each of the past two seasons. He hasn’t had the opportunity to show whether he can continue that yet this year due to that spring training arthroscopic surgery. He destroyed Triple-A batters over his rehab outings, finishing with a 6.1 inning start that saw him throw 82 pitches. Maybe the Reds won’t push him too hard towards 100 pitches, and if so, maybe the Orioles hitters can work some counts and take advantage of this to get into that bullpen.
Sunday: 1:05pm Eastern
BAL starter: Kyle Bradish – 3.77 ERA, 4.13 FIP, 1.452 WHIP in 17 games
CIN starter: Nick Lodolo – 5.05 ERA, 5.30 FIP, 1.471 WHIP in 10 games
Note: This game will be televised only on Peacock. If you do not have access to Peacock, you will not have access to the video broadcast.
In the final game of this series, the Orioles batters will finally have to face a left-handed starting pitcher. Believe it or not, the O’s have rebounded from their horrible early record against lefty pitchers, and currently sit with a 10-15 record when facing a southpaw. That’s still bad, it’s just better than it was; they’ve gone better than .500 against lefties after losing the first several.
Lodolo has not been a good lefty this year, but as we know, that doesn’t matter for the Orioles offense. They will stink against anyone, any time, anywhere. They will make sure that you never doubt their ability to do this.
Is Bradish back or not? He’s been see-sawing between pre-surgery great results and rough ones, including his most recent start where he walked five guys in only four innings against the Nationals. Three of Bradish’s five June starts saw him pitch just four innings, and he gave up a total of 14 runs in those three starts. He was also great in two other starts, allowing just one run in 15.2 innings. Which will show against the Reds on Sunday? Your guess is as good as mine.
**
What do you think? Can the Orioles look like a good team in this series or not? Stay cool, wherever you are!
May 12, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan (33) hits a single during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Major League Baseball issued suspensions to Cade Cavalli (7 games), Miles Mikolas (5 games), Willson Contreras (7 games), and Nate Eaton (3 games) for their roles in Tuesday’s brawl between the Nationals and Red Sox.
Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic made his predictions for this year’s All-Star Game rosters. ($) The rosters will be unveiled on Saturday afternoon at 4:30pm PT.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 07: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers hugs Lebron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers after a game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on December 07, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Los Angeles Lakers won 112-108. 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. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have a whole lot of smoke, friends.
After a couple days of LeBron James speculation and reports, his agent and longtime friend Rich Paul confirmed The King’s interest in potentially joining the Philadelphia 76ers.
Paul, the head of Klutch Sports, has a podcast he does with longtime sports media personality Max Kellerman called Game Over. On Friday morning’s edition, Paul went through all the realistic destinations for each team chasing LeBron and what those franchises bring to the table.
Here’s a condensed version with all the mentions of the Sixers transcribed. For the full context, watch the video.
Rich Paul: Philadelphia, everything changed.
Max Kellerman: So, they have his attention?
RP: How could you not have his attention when you have [Tyrese] Maxey, [VJ] Edgecombe, [Jaylen] Brown, [Joel] Embiid.
MK: All they really need here is a power forward who can think the game and shoot.
RP: He loves Maxey, so we don’t even have to talk about that. I think [LeBron] helps VJ really understand how to play the game. … Super talented, plays both ends of the floor, plays hard every night. The benefit [VJ] would get, would be ridiculous. Obviously, Jaylen Brown. Embiid is health and habits. If the health and habits of Embiid are there, it’s a really good team.
MK: That by itself doesn’t necessarily work. But if you add the right guy — LeBron James is the one guy who might be able to unlock that and get that to be a team.
RP: He enhances everything. He unlocks everything.
…
RP: Let me give you an X-Factor about the Sixers, though. We forgot something. Jameer Nelson is a part of the front office, ex-player. Mike Gansey … you know Mike Gansey is an Ohio guy? Played against us in high school. There’s a picture floating around that Mike Gansey’s brother put out of Mike Gansey and LeBron that were a part of the high school Ohio All-Americans for the season.
MK: Does LeBron remember guys like Gansey?
RP: Absolutey.
…
RP: Josh Harris and [David Blitzer]. Love those guys.
For what it’s worth, Paul and Kellerman easily spent the most time talking about the Sixers. Paul even went back and referenced them multiple times while talking about other teams. Now, that could just be because they’ve sort of thrown their hat into the ring late and are one of the more talked about teams around the league right now … but it could mean something.
After multiple reports of the Sixers attempting to make a pitch to LeBron, it sure sounds like they’re firmly in the mix.
During an episode of the Netflix podcast "Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul," Paul displayed a whiteboard with a list of options and teams that the NBA's all-time leading scorer could play for after he informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would not be returning there for a ninth season.
Another one of the teams discussed was the Knicks, whose dominant playoff run led to their first championship in 53 years and has spurred NBA teams to rethink their rosters this offseason.
Then the topic of James joining the Knicks became clearer.
"It's difficult," Paul said. "The last thing you want to do is mess up something like that. The Knicks has a good thing. … If the Knicks hadn't have won, there'd be no board. He'd be going to the Knicks."
Paul added that Knicks star Jalen Brunson "would literally have to pick up the phone and say, 'Hey man, it's no issue with me'" for James to consider taking his talents to New York.
Kellerman asked Paul if the Knicks had contacted him and James.
"Yeah," Paul said. "They checked in. You want to respect what those guys have built. It's Jalen Brunson's show. He's earned that right. You want to respect that."
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 1: Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Perhaps the most pressing question heading into the Houston Rockets’ offseason has been settled.
OK, fine. The question of whether they’d acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo was settled some time ago. In the realm of realism, fans had Tari Eason’s contract at the top of their minds.
Now, they can rest.
Eason will be back with the Rockets on a five-year, $81.5 million contract. This should be a tremendously team-friendly contract:
To disagree, you’d have to be out on Eason entirely.
Rockets retain Eason on a steal of a contract
Granted, this season was not Eason’s finest.
His True Shooting % (TS%) dropped from 56.7% to 51.4%. Eason’s efficiency was disappointing. He spent a solid portion of the season as one of the best shooters in the league, only to morph into one of the worst. The net result was underwhelming at best.
His Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of -1.6 was a free fall from the 3.6 he posted in 2024-25. So, it requires some optimism to invest in this contract.
Consider me an optimist.
Anyone can have a down year. Eason’s production was mostly on an upward trajectory since his rookie year. Last season was likely a mere blip.
Here’s the point: $16.3 million is below market value for the player Eason has been for the sum of his NBA career. A market never seemed to take shape for him in Restricted Free Agency (RFA), likely because the number of teams with cap space was limited.
It would be fair to note that Eason’s durability has been a concern. That said, he’s been dealing with a pre-existing benign bone growth (exostosis) on his lower left tibia (per Google). The growth has been removed, so hopefully it won’t be problematic anymore.
After all, it seems like Eason is a big part of the Rockets’ plans.
Rockets need Eason to maximize potential
Eason is the closest thing to Ime Udoka that Ime Udoka has in his rotation.*
*Yes, he’s better than Udoka ever was.
Wings that rack up steals and offensive rebounds are a rarity. Eason embodies the Rockets’ broader basketball philosophy. The hallmark of this team’s approach is to maximize possessions by virtue of pure, unadulterated hustle.
The 3-and-D wing is a near-mythological creature. Eason has the D part down to a science. If he can get his three-ball more consistent (and stay healthy), this will be one of the best contracts in the NBA.
Thank God we won’t be watching him do it on another team.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 04: Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates on second base during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Friday, July 4, 2025 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa Howell/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The 2026 season has become all about finding a few reasons to crack a smile during arguably the worst Red Sox campaign of the 21st century.
Those would include the remarkable work of the starting rotation as well as the unexpected yet rather pleasant four-game sweep of the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Boston reminded everyone that these rare positives are just that when they immediately lost that momentum as the Washington Nationals took two of three from the Red Sox to end the homestand.
The next expected small victory on the schedule would be the rare chance the team gets solid returns across the board for the pieces they should still be selling at the trade deadline. But if you need a small shot of better Red Sox vibes to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, recent history says you should be in luck.
The Red Sox are 10-1 on Independence Day since 2013, trailing only the Athletics for the most wins on the holiday in that span. Boston’s only loss in that 13-year run (excluding the game’s absence in 2020) came in 2023 with a 6-2 loss to the Texas Rangers at Fenway. Other than that, Boston is a wagon with the stars and stripes in full swing with a +40 run differential (72-32) and a 6-0 road record.
That will come up again as Boston visits Anaheim for a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels, who sit 15 games under .500 in last place in the American League West. What a matchup for baseball!
Boston will not be at full strength beyond the widely-discussed injuries after Willson Contreras earned a seven-game suspension for his role in Tuesday’s scuffle with the Nationals. Nonetheless, the Red Sox are in position to keep this patriotic streak in rhythm.
Sonny Gray takes the ball Saturday night in Anaheim in the midst of sensational starting pitching from the veteran. He took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Yankees on Sunday night baseball and struck out 11 against the Colorado Rockies before that. Entering with a 2.69 ERA and 24 strikeouts in his last three starts, Gray should pick up where he left off and have the Red Sox in position for another Independence Day victory.
Even if Boston does slip up in another frustrating loss, the 9:38 p.m. first pitch pushes that well out of the way of enjoying hot dogs, fireworks and nationwide celebrations for a historic day for the United States.
He played in many high-profile games over five college seasons — three at North Carolina, two at Arizona. The 6-foot-3 Love is a confident scorer who posted at least 20 points on eight occasions last year. Love certainly has room to improve in the efficiency department; he shot 38.8 percent from the floor, 31.8 percent from three-point range and 73.5 percent at the foul line.
The Sixers’ list of guards is now Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Simons, rookie Labaron Philon Jr. and Love. The 27-year-old Simons is the oldest of the group.
The New York Knicks keep looking for centers and big men in the free-agent and trade markets with no success to date.
New York’s pursuit of backups at both the center and power forward positions is starting to get concerning, and it only intensified after losing both sixth-man Mitchell Robinson and end-of-bench Ariel Hukporti in free agency.
Robinson agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million deal to start at center with the Boston Celtics, while Hukporti inked a one-year, $3.4 million deal to become Joel Embiid’s backup in Philly. Both moves, obviously, were influenced by the Knicks’ need to remain below the second apron, as irrationally mandated by James Dolan.
Those financial constraints will continue to shape the Knicks’ options this offseason, with the franchise having roughly $8.5 million remaining to fill at least three roster spots.
That restriction has narrowed the market significantly, if not entirely, to a bunch of lesser, mostly aging bodies still available in the wild out there: Andre Drummond, Kevon Looney, Dwight Powell, Bismack Biyombo, Mason Plumlee, and the likes…
And on Thursday, we learned that the Knicks have been repeatedly denied in the pursuit of one of the few young, high-upside bigs considered to be both cheap (in terms of his salary) and available (if only for the right price) in New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi.
Sources: New York Knicks have tried feverishly to trade for New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi after losing Mitchell Robinson, but offers have been rejected multiple times. Pelicans view Missi as a vital core figure and the message is that he’s unavailable. pic.twitter.com/EZYlzAEy1o
According to NBA reporter Chris Haynes, New York has “tried feverishly” to acquire Missi from the Pelicans, but multiple offers have been rejected of late. Haynes reported that New Orleans considers the third-year center a “core figure” and has made it clear he is not available.
“Sources: New York Knicks have tried feverishly to trade for New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi after losing Mitchell Robinson, but offers have been rejected multiple times. Pelicans view Missi as a vital core figure and the message is that he’s unavailable.”
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, who for some reason decided to wait more than a week to reveal the information he shared after Haynes’ report, perhaps to give us some false hope, New Orleans expressed a desire to keep Missi and allow him to develop under new head coach Jamahl Mosley all the way back to the NBA Draft, when the Knicks first asked about him.
“Around the NBA Draft, Pelicans signaled that Yves Missi would not be available via trade and will in New Orleans under new head coach Jamahl Mosely.”
Those two reports point to two rejections, but the Knicks’ interest in Missi predates the offseason, and that makes it three times the Pelicans have stiff-armed New York in its collective face.
The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy reported back in February that New York explored a deal for the center at last season’s trade deadline, when the Pelicans were seeking a first-round pick in return. The Knicks did not have that draft capital, and the Pels rejected all other packages offered by New York.
With Missi seemingly out of reach, what are the Knicks going to do to have some depth in the paint?
Well, for starters, it looks like New York was interested in signing Marvin Bagley III before he went to the Denver Nuggets, per HoopsHype. The same report points toward an interest in the aforementioned Drummond and Looney, as well as Chicago Bulls UFA Nick Richards
That said, Drummond himself opened up on free agency at the start of July and made it clear he is “not willing to play for less than my worth,” hinting at wanting more than a vet min deal.
“I did that once and then I got labeled as one of those guys, and I think it really killed my value in the NBA, because I’m still moving like I’m in my mid-20s. I still have a lot left in the tank. I think by taking that paycut—I feel like I’ve been climbing out of a hole for the last 4-5 years. It’s been hard.“
And regarding the widely-reported Looney pursuit, Bondy refuted the reports of the three-time champion being on the verge of signing with the Knicks.
For now, the Knicks’ preferred target (and that of most fans, too) is off the table, and the path to filling the frontcourt gap remains very, very unresolved.
Missi, meanwhile, reacted to all the whispers with a Druski meme. Trust him over sources.
A new era has arrived for Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. — and it begins with the Rangers.
MSG executive chairman and CEO James Dolan is handing over the day-to-day ownership responsibilities for the Blueshirts to his son Quentin, The Post has learned.
Access the Rangers beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting withMollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
This begins the process of passing the torch to his children, which Dolan has said he’s always hoped to execute.
Indeed, for the first time since assuming control of both the Knicks and the Rangers 27 years ago, Jim Dolan is scaling back his involvement with one of his teams.
It begins with the 32-year-old Quentin Dolan assuming the titles of Rangers president, chief operating officer and alternate governor. Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury will now report to him instead of James Dolan.
The hierarchical change does not impact Drury’s responsibilities in hockey operations. Drury will continue to lead all decision-making for the Rangers and work collaboratively with the fourth-oldest of the six Dolan sons.
“I think it’s something I’ve been building towards, and I’ll be working my hardest and probably proving to myself for a while that I’m ready,” Quentin Dolan told The Post from inside his office at 2 Penn Plaza in his first-ever interview.
“For me, the ultimate goal is winning a championship. It’s been a goal of mine to really continue my father’s and grandfather’s legacy, and that’s something that I understood about myself and wanted early on. This is a continuation of that and it feels right.”
Quentin Dolan, son of Knicks owner James Dolan, is set to take over the Rangers.
A source said Quentin Dolan’s promotion with the Rangers does not change anything for the Knicks. All is status quo for MSG’s NBA championship team, with Jim Dolan remaining in his executive chairman role.
Quentin Dolan’s most notable position was SVP of player performance and science for both the Rangers and Knicks, following various roles at MSG Sports and service on the MSG Sports board of directors since 2021.
His background as an adviser on several sports performance and biotech research and product development projects helped him build the infrastructure and lead the organization’s performance science and player development.
Part of his responsibilities included overseeing medical, strength and conditioning, nutrition, mental performance and performance data operations for both teams.
Prior to becoming SVP, Dolan also served as vice president, strategic adviser to the executive chairman and as investment director. He’s worked progressively closer with his dad over the years.
The elder Dolan’s passion for the job and insatiable work ethic are traits his son says he plans to carry with him into this new opportunity.
Knicks owner James Dolan celebrates after defeating the Spurs to win the NBA Championship. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“There’s a quote that I’m not sure if he knows that I even know, that the art of management is being able to control an outcome without being present,” Quentin said. “Of course, I will be far more present and operationally involved, but this role is much broader. I continue to work on my management skills and keep that in mind, that ultimately that’s the standard I have to strive for.”
Knicks head coach Mike Brown even gave him a shoutout during a press conference in March for his efforts in piecing together the plan that kept the oft-injured Mitchell Robinson healthy.
James Dolan and son Quentin watch the Rangers take on the Devils during a 2023 playoff game with Yankees’ Aaron Judge and his wife Samantha Bracksieck, Harrison Bader and Anthony Volpe. Paul J. Bereswill
And less than 12 hours after landing from a memorable night inside Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, where he was drenched in champagne while holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy, Dolan was already in a meeting to discuss Rangers strategy.
“That was the thought, you know, how do we get here with this franchise?” he said.
Dolan was at MSG Training Center in Tarrytown with Drury and the rest of the front office for what was a busy first day of free agency for the Rangers on Wednesday. Also peeking in at development camp, Dolan said he enjoyed being around while everything unfolded.
An NYU alum — who got his bachelor’s degree in sports and events management — Dolan already has a working relationship with Drury and Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, which should help ease him into his new responsibilities.
Quentin Dolan celebrates with the Larry O’Brien trophy after the Knicks won the NBA championship. MSG Sports
Building relationships has been a priority for Dolan, who recognizes the importance of collaboration while instilling a winning culture.
Asked what he thinks will make him successful in this job, Dolan pointed to how much he cares.
“And I hope that comes through in time,” he said.
Coming off two down seasons with no playoffs, the Rangers are at a pivotal point in team history as their Stanley Cup drought has reached 32 years. Drury has operated under his retooling proclamation, making considerable changes and additions to the team since sending out a formal letter to fans Jan. 16.
It was the second message from the organization since 2018 informing the Blueshirts faithful of a new direction. Unlike the first, which came under Jeff Gorton’s regime, this one assured the plan was not to rebuild but to expect a restructuring “built around our core players and prospects.”
Quentin Dolan celebrates with the Larry O’Brien trophy after the Knicks won the NBA championship. MSG Sports
Dolan recognizes his increase in authority and reach over the franchise, but he knows exactly how he’ll approach the position.
“Same way I’ve been approaching it from the moment I got in the company, which is honestly keeping my head down, working the hardest, and for me, I have an extremely high bar for when I am working the hardest, and I’m tough on myself,” he said. “So I trust that I will continue to be hard on myself because that’s all I know how to do.”
In some ways, Dolan said he thinks he will be different from his father as he steps into this next chapter of his career.
The Rangers will be the first team to see how.
“The bigger the challenge, the better I get out of myself,” Dolan said. “I run toward those things. This is what I’m looking for.”
BATON ROUGE, LA - MAY 30: Anthony Eyanson #24 and Kade Anderson #32 of the LSU Tigers in action against the Little Rock Trojans during the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional on May 30, 2025 at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Mitchell Scaglione/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
Following their success at college-level baseball, two former LSU Tigers continue to carve out names for themselves in the upper ranks of professional baseball. Pitchers Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson have both been named to the American League roster for the 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game.
Anderson, now a member of the Seattle Mariners’ Double-A affiliate, Arkansas Travelers, was dominant on the mound for LSU during his two seasons in 2024-25. Anderson led LSU to its second National Championship in three years in his stellar ’25 campaign. The lefty delivered a 12-1 record and would go on to win the Most Outstanding Player award for the 2025 College World Series.
Kade was selected third overall by the Mariners in last year’s draft and has transitioned flawlessly to the next level. Anderson is 8-0 with just a 1.22 ERA through 13 starts with the Travelers. He has earned nearly 100 strikeouts and has walked just ten batters.
Anthony Eyanson, also playing at the AA level, is a member of the Portland Sea Dogs, part of the Boston Red Sox organization. Anthony was a third-round pick from LSU, in the same class as Anderson. Eyanson, a right-handed pitcher, is currently 2-0 with the Sea Dogs and owns a 1.07 ERA.
Eyanson played just one season with the Tigers, but he was an impactful transfer from UC San Diego for Jay Johnson and crew. Anthony pitched to a 12-2 overall record, amassing 150 strikeouts and walking just 36. The righty reached a career high 15 strikeouts versus North Alabama in March of 2025.
Although neither prospect has yet to be called up to “The Show,” their inclusion as some of the top young players in the league bodes well for their elevation to come soon. Eyanson and Anderson are just a couple of former Tigers making noise around the diamond, and there will be plenty more to follow in their footsteps.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Max Kranick #32 of the New York Mets pitches during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Monday, April 21, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It is easy to forget with all that is going on, but the Nats have a potentially impactful arm who is rehabbing right now. The Nats signed Max Kranick in May, and have helped him out in the final steps of his recovery from flexor tendon surgery. Now, the righty is rehabbing in Harrisburg and showing strong stuff.
After his first rehab outing, the media actually got to talk with Kranick. It was very clear that he was excited to be back on a competitive mound. He told us that his live BP sessions in West Palm Beach were beginning to get “stale”. With the competitive juices flowing, he said his stuff looked better than he thought it would. In that outing, Kranick got up to 97, and was sitting about 95.
DJ Herz is shut down with his flexor strain. On a more positive note, Blake Butera said Max Kranick was up to 97 in his rehab outing and should make another appearance on Wednesday. Could be a nice bullpen arm when he is back
Kranick said that the velocity and shapes were not at that level when he was throwing his live BP’s. However, with the adrenaline flowing, he thought his stuff was nearly identical to where it was last season.
Back in 2025, Kranick was impressive for the Mets, combining stuff and command. His fastball averaged 95.6 MPH. He combined that with a 90 MPH slider, a 79 MPH downer curve and an 82 MPH sweeper he would mix in occasionally. In 37 innings, Kranick had a 3.65 ERA for the Mets in a multi-inning relief role. If the Nats can get that version of Kranick, it would be a big boost for them.
— Fredericksburg Nationals (@FXBGNats) June 21, 2026
With the quality of his stuff, I think there could be some room for improvement from a strikeout standpoint. Last year, he only struck out 16.7% of hitters, which is low for a guy with quality stuff. He was clearly focusing on pounding the zone in 2025, with a 4.7% walk rate.
During his rehab assignment, Kranick has shown that he has not lost his strike-throwing ways. Kranick has not walked anybody in 5.2 innings across 4 outings. Having that kind of command after missing a year due to elbow surgery is very impressive. It shows a level of sharpness that proves that Kranick can be big league ready soon.
Kranick has also shown some swing and miss, with 6 strikeouts in those outings. However, most of the K’s came against A ball hitters. Once he got up to AA, Kranick has only K’d one hitter in 3 innings. Overall, the effectiveness has been there, with the righty posting a 3.18 ERA across his four outings.
After his first rehab appearance with the Fred Nats, Kranick had an interview, where he went into how he felt and what was next. He mapped out a process that has since been followed. The next step for him should be to start throwing on back to back days.
— Fredericksburg Nationals (@FXBGNats) June 21, 2026
Once he does that, and makes some outings in AAA, he should be ready to roll in the big leagues. Kranick has not been talked about much, but he could be a really nice addition to this bullpen. He has the ability to be a multi-inning guy or a higher leverage arm, which is nice.
With the Nats having a shot to make a playoff push, they need all hands on deck. The bullpen has been an obvious weakness for this team. Max Kranick is obviously not going to fix this all by himself, but he can be part of the solution. Hopefully the Nats are in position to make some additions to this bullpen at the trade deadline as well.
This is going to be the most exciting second half of Nats baseball we have had in a long time. However, to truly make a push, this bullpen has to be better. Max Kranick can be a part of that fix.
