Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens spent Monday afternoon trying to justify trading away Jaylen Brown as Boston fans stewed in anger and confusion over seeing another star depart the organization.
Brown was traded to the rival 76ers in a deal that included the Celtics receiving Paul George and draft picks, which Stevens said helped give Boston “optionality” going forward.
The Celtics executive expressed appreciation for Brown’s contributions to the organization, but outright said that he did not want 70 percent of their salary cap tied up between two players — Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Even with Stevens saying Monday that Brown’s contract made it more difficult to field a competitive roster, the decision to trade the star has still been a shock after he produced an MVP-caliber campaign during the 2025-26 season.
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens speaks during a media availability at The Auerbach Center on July 06, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. Getty Images
“We’re not up here to defend ourselves in this decision, which will certainly be scrutinized,” Stevens said. “We’re OK with that. We’re more so trying to deal with the emotions of Jaylen not being here.”
George’s contract is slightly more cap-friendly than Brown’s, with George having a cap hit of $57.7 million this upcoming season and a player option for 2027-28 that has a cap hit of $56.5 million.
Brown has three more years on his deal, with him being owed the same amount this coming season, while making $61.6 million the following season and $65.6 million for the 2028-29 campaign.
“I think when you choose the term ‘optionality,’ you’re talking about just length of contract and assets, so that’s where the increased optionality comes from,” Stevens said when asked directly about the similar salaries. “And listen, we’re going to have to lean on our depth. This is a big part of this.”
Stevens denied that Brown was disgruntled or that the Celtics had been upset with him, and expressed appreciation for his 10 years in Boston, describing the former Celtics star as “a meaningful person in all of our lives.”
“We all appreciate Jaylen. We’ve all enjoyed having Jaylen as a teammate. I think he’s got great relationships from here,” Stevens said.
Jaylen Brown (7) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) during the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, April 21, 2026. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
Celtics owner Bill Chisholm also addressed the growing feeling that there has been some mandate from ownership to bring down the team’s roster salary.
Since the Celtics’ title run in 2024, Boston has seen Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, among others, depart the franchise. Chisholm pushed back on that, saying all decisions were basketball ones.
“It’s not about the money at all. This was trying to put together the right set of players and assets to win,” he said. “That’s what this was about. … None of these were about money. We have some more room now, like if we see something we wanted, Brad’s got the green light to do that.”
The Mets engineered a miraculous comeback thanks to late-inning heroics at the plate, winning a 7-6 thriller against the Atlanta Braves.
New York leaves Atlanta with a four-game split of the series against its bitter NL East rival.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Rookie outfielder Carson Benge got the scoring started in the top of the second inning, timing up a Reynaldo Lopez slider and launching it to left-center field for a solo home run.
-- In the bottom half of the second, the Braves retook the lead, 2-1. Mets starter Freddy Peralta allowed singles to Dominic Smith, Jim Jarvis, and Michael Harris II, and first baseman Jared Young made a fielding error on a Mike Yastrzemski short-hopper which advanced both Braves runners which came around to score.
-- Braves All-Star first baseman Matt Olson led off the bottom of the third inning, jumping all over a Peralta changeup and sending it into the right-field seats, making the score 3-1 in favor of Atlanta.
-- With a man on first and one out in the bottom of the fourth, Benge made a difficult diving grab in right field to rob Yastrzemskiof a hit, helping Peralta keep the Braves off the board in the inning.
-- Benge, on the run to the warning track, was unable to haul in a long fly ball off the bat of Ozzie Albies as he led off the bottom of the fifth. It was ruled a double. The Braves wound up with runners on second and third with one out following a Peralta walk and a wild pitch. Peralta was able to record the second out of the inning by striking out Mauricio Dubon, and was subsequently pulled from the game by manager Andy Green to bring in southpaw Cionel Perez to face Smith, Atlanta's lefty DH. Braves manager Walt Weiss refused to cede an advantage at the dish, and sent in righty Joey Bart to pinch-hit for Smith. Perez only needed one pitch to get Bart to ground out, ending the inning without allowing any further damage to the Mets' 3-1 deficit.
-- Peralta's final line tonight was a mixed bag. He was inefficient, completing just 4.2 innings pitched and throwing 103 pitches, allowing six hits. However, of his three runs allowed, just one was earned, and he struck out six Braves batters to just one walk. His ERA for the season now stands at 4.68.
-- Bo Bichette led off the sixth inning with a single up the middle, and with one out, Benge recorded his second opposite-field extra-base hit of the night, splitting Atlanta's left and right fielders with a double. However, Atlanta's defense executed a perfect cutoff relay to home plate, gunning down Bichette before he could slide into home and keeping the score at 3-1. After Young narrowly beat out a throw to pick up an infield single and move Benge to third base, it was Francisco Alvarez who came up clutch with a two out knock, ripping a single through the infield to bring home Benge. Braves reliever Didier Fuentes struck out Brett Baty to strand one Mets runner in scoring position and end the inning with the score 3-2.
-- Amid a "tarps off" frenzy at Truist Park, the Braves managed to get two runners into scoring position with two outs, but Mets reliever A.J. Minter -- honored by his former ballclub with a pregame tribute video -- struck out Bart to end the seventh inning.
-- Right-handed pitcher Guillo Zuniga made his Mets debut in the eighth inning, and he impressed, working a scoreless frame to keep his team within one run.
-- With the Mets down to their final three outs, Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio roped singles off of Braves closer Raisel Iglesias to put runners on first and second base with one out. A.J. Ewing flied out to right field to move pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor up to third base, bringing Soto to the dish with two outs and men on first and third. On a 3-1 count, Iglesias challenged Soto with a fastball, high and tight. The slugger turned on it and sent it skyward, 430 feet, just inside the foul pole, a three-run shot to put the Mets on top 5-3, their first lead of the game. This blown save ended Iglesias's streak of 35 straight saves, which dated back nearly a year.
-- With Mets closer Devin Williams on the hill for the save opportunity, Albies led off the bottom of the ninth and knocked his second double of the night into the alley in right-center. The next batter was Olson, who sent a Williams pitch which tailed high and away in the zone to the opposite field. Soto could only watch as the ball flew over the wall, as Olson's second homer of the game tied the game, 5-5. With two outs and Braves runners at second and third, Green swapped Williams out, inserting left-handed reliever Brooks Raley to face the lefty Yastrzemski, who was promptly sent to the bench in favor of righty pinch-hitter Jose Azocar. Raley struck out Azocar to send the game to extra innings.
-- Former first-rounder Owen Murphy made his MLB debut for the Braves in the 10th, with Bichette on second base as the ghost runner. With two outs and Bichette still at second base, Young was hit by a pitch, and Luis Torrens -- his first at-bat of the night, substituted into the game for Tyrone Taylor, who had pinch-run for Alvarez an inning earlier -- sent a double down the left-field line to score both runners and restore a two-run lead for the Mets, 7-5.
-- Right-handed reliever Luke Weaver made his second straight appearance, and with one out, Harris II drove a double down the right-field line to score the "ghost runner" and cut the Mets lead to one run. Weaver battled back, stranding the potential tying run in scoring position by striking out Albies for the second out, intentionally walking Olson, walking Jorge Mateo on a 3-2 count to load the bases, and finally getting Dubon to ground a ball that was put away at second base for the force out. A 7-6 Mets victory in 10 innings.
Game MVP: Juan Soto
The three-out home run, which turned a potential loss to a two-run lead, immediately becomes a signature moment for Soto's time in a Mets uniform.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 6: Reynaldo López #40 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning during the game against the New York Mets at Truist Park on July 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Looking for a series win in a four game series, the Braves had Reynaldo Lopez on the mound, hoping to build on his last start against Freddy Peralta and the Mets.
Michael Harris gave Atlanta a chance to take an early lead in the first with a leadoff single, but Peralta got out of it with two strikeouts and a flyout. Carson Benge led of the second with a solo homer to give New York a 1-0 lead. Singles from Dominic Smith and Mike Yastrzemski allowed a bloop single from Jim Jarvis to bring home a run, as the Mets’ offense was a major factor in the Yaz and Jarvis hits. Harris followed Jarvis with an opposite-field single on a pitch way outside the strike zone to bring home another run and give Atlanta the lead.
Lopez worked through a walk and a single to keep the Mets at 1 run in the third and Matt Olson came right out with a leadoff solo homer in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead.
Peralta found himself in some trouble after a leadoff Ozzie double in the fifth and ultimately was pulled with men on second and third but two outs. Perez was first out of the New York bullpen and got Joey Bart to ground out, ending the threat. Didier Fuentes got the sixth and got into some trouble with a single, double, single, and single that only scored one run due to a fantastic relay throw from Jim Jarvis and a great diving play from Dubon, allowing the Braves to exit the inning with a 3-2 lead.
Dylan Lee took over for the seventh inning and walked two but got a double play to escape the inning. AJ Minter took the seventh for New York and allowed a Baldwin single and a Dubon double, but struck out Bart to hold the 3-2 score. Tyler Kinley took the ball in the eighth and walked Benge with one out, but got some help from a great play by Olson to turn an inning-ending double-play. Raisel Iglesias came in for the save after another nothing from the offense and gave up two singles but recorded two outs before facing Juan Soto with runners on the corners, two outs, and the game on the line. Juan Soto won that matchup, hooking a homer just inside the foul pole into the Chop House, giving the Mets a 5-3 lead and giving Iglesias his first blown save of the season. The Braves could have walked Soto, but chose to face him instead and paid the price.
This Braves team wasn’t done though, as Ozzie Albies led off the ninth with a double on Devin Williams. Matt Olson came through massively with his second home run of the night, tying the game up, still with no outs in the inning. Drake Baldwin followed Matt’s blast with a single and Dubon moved him to second with a fielder’s choice. Joey Bart then came up for his third chance with runners in scoring position and walked, passing the baton to Austin Riley in what could have been a big moment for him. Instead, a swinging bunt moved the runners over, but set up a two out situation for Mike Yastrzemski to try and avoid extra innings. The Mets took the opportunity to bring in a lefty reliever and the Braves countered with…Jose Azocar, who struck out on three pitches to send the game to extra innings.
It was at this point that Owen Murphy got to make his MLB debut and recorded two contact outs that moved the ghost runner to third before hitting a batter. He then went up 0-2 on Torrens before allowing a two-RBI double, giving the Mets a 7-5 lead. Owen recorded his first major league strikeout to end the inning on Brett Baty. Jim Jarvis started the bottom of the frame poorly, with a swinging bunt out. Michael Harris gave the Braves life with a one-out RBI double, after successfully challenging a called strike 3 to extend his at-bat. Ozzie Albies struck out, leaving the Mets to intentionally walk Matt Olson. This handed the keys of the game to Jorge Mateo, who drew a walk to hand things over to Mauricio Dubon with the bases loaded and two outs. Dubon grounded out to seal a loss in what was very much a coin-flip game that the Braves just couldn’t win, splitting the series.
Jun 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) celebrates after turning a double play to end the game during the tenth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
It’s another week here at BCB After Dark: the coolest night spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the heat. The music is cool in here. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. There’s no waiting list. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last week I asked you to grade the job manager Craig Counsell is doing. There was a real consensus in that 60 percent of you gave Counsell a “B.” Another 23 percent gave him an “A.” I’d probably have given him that A.
So here’s the part with the music and the movies. You’re free to skip that if you want. Or you can enjoy the music and movies and just skip the baseball. Your call.
So I’ve got a little nostalgia going on tonight for us older folks. This is the great jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery covering The Association’s pop single “Windy” on The Hollywood Palace in 1967. You even get Herb Albert introducing Montgomery.
I’m a sucker for “true crime” stuff, even though I know it’s (mostly) bad for me. Movies that are based on true crime stories suck me in more often than they should. Director Richard Fleischer was also a fan of “true crime” stories as he directed four films based on famous murders. I’d seen two of them before. Compulsion (1959) is based on the Leopold and Loeb murder trial and it’s decent, mostly because of a great performance by Dean Stockwell. The Boston Strangler (1968), on the other hand, is a hot mess. So I should have walked into Fleischer’s The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing (1955) with more trepidation. Because while The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing is not a dumpster fire, it does manage to be something that no true crime dramatization should be: dull.
The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing is based on the murder of famous architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) by railroad heir Harry Kendall Thaw (Farley Granger) in 1906. The title character is Evelyn Nesbit (Joan Collins), who was Thaw’s wife and White’s mistress.
If none of these names mean anything to you, I can promise you that you would have known them in 1906. Nesbit was a well-known “Gibson Girl,” by face if not by name. These were the women drawn by illustrator Charles Gibson for magazine covers. They were the turn-of-the-last-century version of supermodels, even if their faces were better known than their names. White was a rich architect, who, among many other things, designed the Washington Square Arch that still stands in New York. Thaw was the heir to an enormous railroad and coal fortune in Pittsburgh. His net worth was estimated to be around $40 million in 1900 dollars. He was also deeply mentally unwell, a fact that his money covered up throughout his life.
Thaw had become deeply obsessed with White. Not only had he “deflowered” Nesbit before she married Thaw, but Thaw was convinced that White had blackballed him from New York high society. (Maybe he did, but if he hadn’t, someone else would have.) One night in 1906, Thaw approached White during a stage performance on the rooftop of Madison Square Garden and shot killed him in front of hundreds of witnesses. He confessed on the spot, shouting that either that White had “ruined his life” or his “wife.” No one was really sure which one he said and probably both were true in Thaw’s mind. Thaw’s resulting murder trial became the first of many “Trial of the Century.”
One thing you need to know about The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing is that Nesbit was still alive in 1955 and served as a paid consultant on the film. As such, the film is far less lurid than the actual details of the case. For one, the film portrays White fairly sympathetically and Nesbit as in love with him. White’s only real crime, per the film, was not wanting the scandal of divorcing his wife any marrying Nesbit would bring. In reality, Nesbit was 16 when she met the 47-year-old White. She also wasn’t the only 16-year-old having an affair with White. The man was the Jeffrey Epstein of his time. Also, while Nesbit admitted that their later sexual encounters were consensual, their first meeting was a clear case of what we’d call date rape today. Thaw is portrayed in the movie as merely controlling and abusive towards Nesbit, but the long trail of payoffs to victims in his life shows him to be a violent psychopath, serial rapist, and a sadist.
Certainly the Production Code probably prevented some of the more lurid details of the story from coming to the screen, I also wonder whether Charles Brackett, who produced the film and also co-wrote the screenplay with Walter Reisch, also toned down the story. I know Brackett mostly from his terrific partnership with Billy Wilder, but I forgot that Brackett refused to work on Double Indemnity, considering it too immoral. Well, the White killing should have made Double Indemnity look like Sesame Street. Instead, we get a love story between a young woman (portrayed as older than she was in real life) and an older man. Then when the older man refuses to leave his wife, she marries her psychopathic stalker because she needs a husband and because he’s one of the richest men in America.
Farley Granger’s Harry Thaw is not nearly crazy enough. Yes, he’s portrayed as having a hair-trigger temper and an obsession with both Stanford White and Evelyn Nesbit, but his true craziness doesn’t come out until the very end of the film. I suppose Nesbit would rather people think she was duped by an abusive man than she knowingly married an abusive man for money and security. I also don’t think she wanted everyone to know that she was carrying on an affair with White at 16, and her age is never mentioned in the film.
The other problem is that while a young Joan Collins looked a lot like a young Evelyn Nesbit, her American accent is all over the place. Milland just rides with his mid-Atlantic accent that works well for upper-class people on both sides of the pond, but Collins needed a more standard lower-class American accent. Sometimes it’s good, but sometimes it just slips and sounds off. Her portrayal of Nesbit is also quite passive. Maybe that’s how the real Evelyn Nesbit was (I don’t know), but it certainly makes her a less-than-intriguing protagonist.
I did like the CinemaScope photography and the colorful look of early 20th-Century New York a lot. The sets and the costuming are first-rate.
The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing takes a really incredible true crime murder story and tries to reduce it to a lame love triangle story. It’s not a terrible film, but a crime like this one deserves much better.
The trailer for The Girl With the Red Velvet Swing.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
As part of our Draft Week coverage, tonight we’re asking you who was the greatest first-round pick in Cubs history.
The MLB Draft only dates back to 1965 and honestly, the Cubs were mostly terrible at it for the first two decades. It can’t explain the first twenty-five years of the pennant drought after 1945, but it certainly does go a long ways towards explaining much of the next twenty-five. Things have gotten much better since around 2007 and certainly Cubs draft picks after that played a huge role in the 2016 title, either as players or as trade bait for other players.
If you go to Baseball Reference and look at the top Cubs players of all-time as ranked by bWAR, only one of the top ten were Cubs draft picks. To be fair, seven of them were from the era before the draft. Two were acquired in trades and only number ten, Rick Reuschel, was a Cubs draft pick. However, Big Daddy was taken in the third round, so he can’t be the Cubs’ best first-round pick.
The drafted player who is second on the Cubs’ career bWAR behind Reuschel is Mark Grace, who is 15th. However, Grace was taken in the 24th round in 1985. Again, not a first-round pick.
The Cubs best draft pick was Greg Maddux, who was taken in the second round in 1984. But he only had about a third of his total value as a Cub before leaving as a free agent. Still, just Maddux’s Cubs career would put him ahead of pretty much everyone except Reuschel and Grace among Cubs draft picks.
So when you look at the list of first-round draft picks in Cubs history, there is one player whose career bWAR is head and shoulders above everyone else. Unfortunately, that player is Rafael Palmeiro, who just 258 games for the Cubs before he was dealt. Second on the bWAR list is Josh Donaldson, who never even played for the Cubs.
I’m ruling that the greatest Cubs picks of all time can’t be people who played for other teams. I suppose if Palmeiro had been traded for Ken Griffey Jr., he could be the greatest Cubs draft pick of all time, but he wasn’t. So I’m calling Palmeiro and Donaldson as ineligible. Same goes for Jon Garland. To be the greatest Cubs first round pick, you have to have contributed to the Cubs.
So who was the greatest Cubs first-round draft pick who delivered the most value to the Cubs? You don’t have to go by bWAR in their time with the Cubs. In fact, I suggest you don’t. There’s more to baseball than just scoring on a metric. But the following players are first-round picks who starred with the Cubs and made a major impact.
I don’t think I need to tell you much about any of these players. But I will put two number to help you pick, The first is the player’s career Wins Above Replacement as calculated by Baseball Reference as a Cub. The second number is the player’s career bWAR.
Obviously all of these players, other than Wood, are still active. So you can include numbers that you think the player will do throughout their career if you want.
1995; Kerry Wood. Cubs—25.5. Career—26.8
2011: Javier Báez. Cubs—21.8. Career—26.9
2013: Kris Bryant. Cubs—28.0. Career—27.3
2015: Ian Happ. Career—24.2
2018: Nico Hoerner. Career—23.1
I could have included Kyle Schwarber, but other than his World Series heroics, Schwarber only returned 5.4 bWAR before he was non-tendered. And because of his poor defense, his career bWAR is below all five of these players, even with all those home runs.
So who was the greatest Cubs’ first-round pick of all-time?
Thank you for stopping by. We’re always glad to see a friendly face. Please get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.
In the span of a week, Cam Schlittler registered polar-opposite outings.
The Yankees' 25-year-old right-hander pitched New York (50-40) to Monday's 5-1 win at the Tampa Bay Rays with one of his early career's best outings after last Tuesday's season-worst start against the Detroit Tigers -- a result that Schlittler took personally.
"Yeah, I mean, again -- last week was tough, right?" Schlittler said. "They want to say that there's f--king regression because I had one bad outing. So, again, it was personal to go out there and just have a dominant start and put this team in the right position."
Schlittler (9-5, 2.01 ERA) went a season-high-tying eight innings at the Rays (52-36), striking out eight while allowing one run on four hits and throwing 101 pitches (72 strikes) after surrendering six runs in four frames during last week's 9-3 loss to Detroit.
"It was huge," said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. "You know, I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised he bounced back from arguably his toughest outing of his young career so far against the Tigers, so he was great, he was dominant, he was efficient and, yeah, great way to get the road trip started."
The Yankees had lost nine of their past 10 games before they ultimately got back on track Monday with Schlittler giving a boost and returning to form.
"It's frustrating, right?" Schlittler said. "You want to stop the bleeding. I just wasn't able to do that. So, I feel like I dedicated myself this week to just kind of being more locked in and, again, trying to go out there and put the team in a position to win against the first-place team in our division is good.
"So, I think we played great ball tonight and we've got three more to go."
Jul 6, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman David Hamilton (6) celebrates after hitting a two-run double against the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
The Brewers got a quality start from Shane Drohan and, paired with a four-run seventh inning, were able to sneak away with a series-opening victory in St. Louis on Monday night, moving them to a season-high 23 games over .500 at 56-33.
After Dustin May set the Brewers down in order in the first, Drohan got through his half of the inning with a two-out walk to Jordan Walker but nothing else.
Milwaukee picked up a pair of one-out singles from Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell, with both advancing on an error by center fielder Nathan Church to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Unfortunately, the Crew couldn’t cash in, as Sal Frelick went down looking (and lost a challenge while doing it) before Cooper Pratt hit a liner right at JJ Wetherholt at second.
Drohan worked around another baserunner in the bottom of the inning, giving up a double to José Fermín but stranding him at third with a pop out and a pair of groundouts.
After the Brewers had another 1-2-3 inning in the third, the Cardinals put together an offensive threat in the bottom half. Pedro Pagés singled and Wetherholt reached on a misplay by Brice Turang, but Drohan bounced back to induce a pop-up from Iván Herrera. He then walked Walker for the second time on the night, loading the bases with one out for Nelson Velázquez.
Velázquez hit a chopper to David Hamilton at third, and the Brewers were able to get the out at second but were unable to turn two, allowing St. Louis to take a 1-0 lead. Fermín followed with his second hit of the night, bringing another run in for a 2-0 advantage.
With runners still at the corners for Masyn Winn, Fermín got into a rundown between first and second, and Velázquez was caught off third base for the third out. After review, however, the call was overturned, and runners remained at the corners. It wouldn’t matter, though, as Winn struck out to end the rally.
May continued rolling in the fourth, setting the heart of the Brewer lineup down in order. Drohan had a nice bounce-back inning in the fourth, allowing a leadoff single before the runner was caught stealing and a pair of groundouts for a roundabout 1-2-3, 10-pitch inning.
The Brewers got a pair of two-out singles in the fifth, and that marked the end of May’s day, as Justin Bruihl entered in relief. He induced a groundout from Yelich, and the Cardinals held their 2-0 lead at the halfway point.
Drohan worked another quick inning in the fifth, getting Wetherholt, Herrera, and Walker on just six pitches. Thanks to those two quick innings, he got another frame in the sixth, though he allowed St. Louis’ third run on a Velázquez double, Fermín sac bunt, and Winn RBI single to make it 3-0.
The Brewers, in a late hole, finally broke through in the seventh.
With Bruihl still on the mound, Mitchell started things with an infield single, as Bruihl came up grimacing after the play and exited to make way for Ryan Fernandez. He did not fare well, allowing a ground-rule double to Frelick before Pratt reached on a fielding error by Fernandez, loading the bases with no outs for Hamilton.
Hamilton, who quickly fell behind 0-2, worked his way back to a full count before lining the eighth pitch of the at-bat into the right-center gap, scoring both Mitchell and Frelick while moving the tying run in Pratt to third and the winning run into scoring position. Oli Marmol replaced Fernandez with Ryne Stanek, while Joey Ortiz took Hamilton’s place at second base after the double, as Hamilton came up grimacing. It was later reported he exited with left hamstring tightness, so something to monitor in the coming days leading into the All-Star break — hopefully nothing too serious.
Yelich drew a walk against Stanek, and Chourio followed with a groundball that allowed the Cardinals to get the out at the plate, keeping the bases loaded but also giving St. Louis an out. That wouldn’t matter, though, as Turang looped the first pitch he saw into left field for a two-run single, flipping the scoreboard to 4-3 Brewers.
While the Brewers couldn’t do anything else offensively, Chad Patrick took over for Drohan in the seventh and worked a pair of perfect innings, including two strikeouts. Trevor Megill then took the ninth and shut things down, working around a leadoff single by Winn to pick up his 14th save of the year and striking out a pair in the process.
Drohan worked six innings, even if it may not have been the prettiest start. Due to Turang’s error in the third, though, just one of his three runs allowed was earned, as he allowed six hits and two walks while striking out a pair. He also lowered his ERA to 2.97 for the year.
More people need to be talking about Shane Drohan: 6 IP | 1 ER
Offensively, Hamilton and Turang led the way with two RBIs each, and Hamilton was also one of two players to pick up a pair of hits (the other being Mitchell, who had two singles and a walk). The Brewers went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and they made those hits count in this one.
The Brewers are back at it tomorrow, as they’ll play two. Jacob Misiorowski is set to get the ball in the first game, with the Cardinals’ starter listed as TBD. Neither team has announced a starter for game two, though it’s expected to be Robert Gasser for the Brewers and some combo of Hunter Dobbins and Michael McGreevy for St. Louis in the doubleheader. First pitch of the first game is slated for 1:15 p.m., with the second game currently scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JUNE 15: Dustin May #3 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after recording the third out of the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium on June 15, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dustin May returned to form Monday night at Busch Stadium giving the St. Louis Cardinals a strong start against the team they’re chasing down in the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers. It would unfortunately not be enough as the Cardinals pen could not support his strong start eventually giving the game away to Milwaukee.
After both teams squandered good scoring chances in both halves of the 2nd inning, the Cardinals finally broke through in the bottom of the 3rd inning against Brewers starter Shane Drohan. Pedro Pagés led off with a single to center followed by JJ Wetherholt reaching base on a rare error by Bryce Turang who couldn’t handle JJ’s grounder. Iván Herrera fouled out to third for the first out without moving runners over, but Jordan Walker lived up to his name drawing a smart walk to load the bases. Nelson Velázquez grounded out to third, but the Brewers were unable to turn the double play allowing Pagés to score giving St. Louis a 1-0 lead. José Fermín came through with a clutch two-out single scoring Wetherholt and doubling the Cardinals lead to 2-0 after 3 innings.
All the while, Dustin May was dealing. Through the first 5 innings, May only allowed 2 Brewers hits, but he was working on a somewhat limited pitch count as the Cardinals were being cautious with him after back discomfort a couple weeks ago and the line drive off of his ankle in his last start. With 2 outs in the top of the 5th inning, Dustin looked into the Cardinals dugout and shook his head “no” in case manager Oli Marmol was thinking of removing him before the 5th was over. Classic. Unfortunately, May gave up back-to-back singles which did result in Marmol removing him from the game, but Dustin deserves a nod for giving the Cardinals the solid start they needed. 4 2/3 innings with 7 strikeouts, no walks and no runs is just what the doctor ordered although this doc would have liked to see 1 more out. Justin Bruihl was brought in to get Christian Yelich out with the two runners he inherited from Dustin May which he did with a groundout to JJ Wetherholt.
Justin Bruihl would also handle the top of the 6th inning where he pitched out of a mild case of trouble after he walked Jackson Chourio and then ran the count to 3-1 on the dangerous William Contreras. He was able to nurse a ground ball out of Contreras which forced Chourio at second, but JJ Wetherholt couldn’t complete the double play on a low throw to Blaze Jordan at first. It didn’t matter as Jake Bauers grounded out innocently to first to end the Brewers 6th.
The Cardinals offense put together a threat in the bottom of the 6th inning when Nelson Velázquez led off by ripping a double into the left field corner. José Fermín laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Velázquez over to third with just one out. Masyn Winn made sure that sacrifice paid off when he rifled a 90 mph cutter into left field for a RBI single making it 3-0 Cardinals.
The Cardinals bullpen ended up in a shaky situation in the top of the 7th when Justin Bruihl seemed to tweak something on a dribbler to the third base side of the mound from Mitchell. He left the game with Oli Marmol and the trainer with a right ankle sprain which meant that Ryan Fernandez was thrust into action because of the potential injury. Sal Frelick turned on the 4th pitch he saw from Fernandez into a ground rule double bouncing into the right field stands giving the Brewers their best scoring chance of the game with runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Fernandez would make matters worse when he flubbed a ground ball back to the mound by Pratt loading the bases with still no outs. Hamilton made that error by Fernandez hurt as he drilled a double into the right-center field gap scoring 2 and reducing the Cardinals lead to 3-2 with two runners on and still no outs and the top of he Brewers lineup coming up. Oli Marmol brought in Ryne Stanek to try and put out the Brewers fire. He walked Yelich on 5 pitches to load the bases again bringing Jackson Chourio to the plate with the potential to do big bad damage. Instead, Chourio grounded out to José Fermín who got the force at home for the first out. Unfortunately, Turang would slap the first pitch he saw from Stanek into left field for a 2-run single giving the Brewers a 4-3 lead. The only consolation was Contreras grounded into an inning-ending double play to stop the bleeding.
The Cardinals still had 9 outs to turn a Brewers lead into a comeback victory. They did nothing with their 3 outs in the bottom of the 7th inning. After Gordon Graceffo shut down the Brewers in the top of the 8th, the middle of the Cardinals lineup would have their chance. Chances wasted as Jordan Walker struck out looking, Lars Nootbaar flied out to right and José Fermín popped out to end the Cardinals 8th.
Gordon Graceffo stayed on the mound for the top of the 9th with a mission to not allow any more runs. He was successful setting down Milwaukee 1-2-3. Graceffo was one of the bright spots out of the Cards pen Monday night as he kept the game from getting out of hand.
What would the Cardinals do in the bottom of the 9th? With Brewers reliever RHP Trevor Megill on the mound, Masyn Winn would lead off the bottom of the 9th by smoking a single into left field becoming the tying run on first. Nathan Church popped out, but Alec Burleson came off the bench as the potential winning run. He had a very successful record against Megill going 3-4 with 2 RBI’s against him so there was still hope. He unfortunately whiffed on a nasty 90 mph knucklecurve. Bryan Torres was the next pinch-hitter representing the Cardinals final hope. He struck out to end the game finishing a disappointing night that could have been so much more for St. Louis.
The St. Louis Cardinals will have their work cut out for them in game 1 of a day/night doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday. The St. Louis Cardinals have yet to officially name their starter, but the Milwaukee Brewers are definitely sending likely All-Star game starter Jacob Misiorowski to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15pm central time at Busch Stadium.
Sacramento Kings' DeMar DeRozan L goes for a layup during the 2025-2026 NBA regular season game between Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers in Sacramento, the United States, on Jan. 12, 2026. (Photo by Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua via Getty Images)
One of the time-honored traditions of NBA free agency is finding some way to link the Lakers and DeMar DeRozan. No player has been connected more to the franchise without ever actually playing for them.
Between trade rumors and repeated free agent pushes, DeRozan has flirted with joining the Lakers time and time again. It should come with at least modest surprise, then, that the Lakers and DeRozan will not be connected this offseason.
On Monday morning, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that DeRozan and the Kings were working on an exit, which came after the two sides could not find a trade.
Just in: The Sacramento Kings are waiving DeMar DeRozan, making the six-time All-Star one of the top free agents, sources tell ESPN. The sides worked collaboratively on this resolution after exploring trade routes. pic.twitter.com/IsSZXhV4An
However, later on in the day, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that DeRozan would not be someone the Lakers considered signing once he hits the free agent market.
The Los Angeles Lakers are not considered to be a potential landing spot for veteran guard DeMar DeRozan after he was released by Sacramento in Monday, multiple league sources told ESPN. The Southern California native had dialogue with LAL in the past – notably in 2021.
At 36 years old, DeRozan won’t have many more years left in the league. Last season, he averaged 18.4 points on 49.7% shooting from the field. But he shot 32% from three after shooting 32.8% the year prior.
In theory, he plays the four and is not a traditional big, so he could offer some spacing. But he’s also ball dominant, can’t shoot threes and isn’t a good defender.
This bucks the trend of years of him being linked to the Lakers. For old time’s sake, here’s an extensive list of all the times he talked about wanting to play for the franchise.
Oct. 9, 2021 — DeRozan tells Shams Charania of The Athletic it would have been a “hell of an opportunity” to play with the Lakers this season.
July 31, 2021 – Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports that DeRozan had his “sights set” on joining the Lakers but he wouldn’t take a “significant” pay cut after the team traded for Westbrook.
July 26, 2021 – DeRozan tells Shannon Sharpe of Fox Sports 1 that it would be a “great opportunity” to come to Los Angeles and play with Anthony Davis and James.
Theoretically, he could still talk about wanting to join the Lakers. Don’t be surprised if he pops onto Draymond Green’s podcast and tells everyone he wanted to come to LA and the Lakers didn’t want him. Watch this space when he does.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 06: Mikel Brown Jr #0 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles by Nick Boyd #19 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of the California Classic at Golden 1 Center on July 06, 2026 in Sacramento, 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets played their third contest in July this evening, though in many ways, it felt like the true start of Summer. Mikel Brown Jr., Brooklyn’s sixth overall pick and highest drafted player since 2010, logged his first minutes in a Nets uniform tonight after sitting out the first two.
What Brown Jr.’s Summer League debut lacked in punctuality was quickly made up for in thrill. Two days after the East River fireworks had faded, he kept the “oohs” and “ahs” echoing throughout Brooklyn.
The Nets came out against Golden State with Egor Dëmin handling the rock and Brown Jr. working off-ball. He assisted on Brooklyn’s first basket of the game nonetheless…
Mikel Brown Jr.'s first summer points for the Nets are a triple after a Egor Dëmin steal. pic.twitter.com/vulsGndglg
Brown Jr. told NetsDaily it was “amazing” that his first NBA bucket came off an assist from Demin who he said he’s developed a rapport.
Mikel Brown Jr. on his 1st NBA shot:
“Shout out to E(Egor)for finding me. Me&him talked about that. We were going to kind of play off each other & find each other, get each other open shots. To be assisted by him for the 1st NBA bucket I would say was amazing.” pic.twitter.com/NotHS9MKhM
The first quarter highlights for the Louisville product didn’t stop there. A few moments later, Brown Jr. hit a buttery triple after Dëmin came up with a steal in the Golden State backcourt. Soon after, he found Chaney Johnson for his third dime of the opening period. He hand’t seen one since February, but the Orlando kid looked more comfortable on the court than anyone early on.
Mikel Brown Jr. vision and feel already on display.
Gets through with a hesi and then finds Chaney Johnson near the cup here right before the buzzer. pic.twitter.com/c14CkHDRVo
Be that as it may, Brown Jr. wasn’t the only man out there for Brooklyn tonight. Johnson led all scorers in the first seven points while also coming up with two steals, two rebounds and a block. Bilodeau followed with six after splashing 2-4 threes. The Nets, however, trailed 28-24 entering the second, as the Warriors began the game shooting 6-13 from deep, leveraging the ball around Brooklyn’s aggressive ball pressure.
However, in the Summer League, margins are thin. Strengths can crumble into weaknesses in an instant. Ben Saraf, who started the game 0-2 with two giveaways, led a defensive charge to do that for Brooklyn. He and the larger Net guards continued to get in Golden State’s grill, but sped up their rotations to kickstart a 12-0 run. Brown Jr., still posting a near even touch-to-highlight ratio, finished it with more help from Bilodeau…
That run boiled into a 20-2 jolt for the Nets, putting them in position to carry a 56-46 lead into halftime. There, Johnson led with 15 points on 7-9 shooting. Bilodeau followed with 12 while shooting 4-6 from three. Dëmin reached double figures as well with 10 points along with three assists. The team also shot a collective 9-18 from three.
2 points from Egor Dёmin as the second quarter ends.
The subsequent period offered little-to-no movement, as the Net lead continued to bob up and down around the 10-point mark. Both teams flashed their youth with a variety of offensive fouls that collectively slowed things down.
However, the final frame saw the Nets sprint to the finish.
Brooklyn held Golden State scoreless in the fourth period until the 7:38 mark. St. John’s product Aaron Scott pitched in a quick five points as the Nets were eager to convert their stops into fast break buckets at the other end. Johnson continued to leverage his physicality, rummaging his way to four more second half points as the Nets closed things out. He finished with 19/7/2.
Saraf found his playmaking groove down the stretch as well, methodically feeding Johnson and others for high-percentage looks after squeaking past the Warrior defense. By the end of it, he had completely turned things around at the offensive end, finishing with 15 points and seven assists while shooting 6-12 from the field and 3-6 from deep. He was a team-high +28.
Ben Saraf freezes the defender with a nasty crossover and lays it in.
He's got 12 points on 5/10 shooting from the field and 2/4 from three with six assists and three turnovers.
Bilodeau’s sixth three of the game (yes, six) gave the Nets their largest lead of the ball game with 1:49 to go, cementing his team’s second Summer victory. Bilodeau tallied 18 for the game after going 6-9 from deep. A strong second half from Dëmin saw him lead his team with 23 points while shooting 7-12 from the field and 2-7 from deep. He snuck the very last two in, just beating the clock, and enduring foe gravity.
Dëmin also notched eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and three turnovers. His 23.0 scoring average over two games was second in the California Classic, following only Darius Acuff’s 23.5. Brown didn’t play beyond the 2:22 mark of the third. Dutch Gaitley confirmed to reporters post game that the 20-year-old was on a 20-minute pitch count, which would increase in upcoming games.
Gaitley on Mikel Brown Jr.coming out of the game in the 3rd quarter at 2:22:
“He’s at a 20 minute cap.He hasn’t played a lot of games since his injury back in March&I think allowing him to build up,the hope is that he gets through this.We check out how his body is feeling.” pic.twitter.com/pR5wT83mC0
Gaitley said he challenged Brown Jr. to put the game out of question by the time he had to sit for good…
Mikel Brown had 10 points, 4 assists & some surprising defense in his 19-minute debut. Dutch Gaitley said he was on a 20-minutes cap that should increase once the #Nets get to Las Vegas. "We gave him the challenge make it so that the game's out of reach by the time you sub out."
Challenge accepted, and challenge met. The Nets trotted calmly to a 100-79 victory. Brown Jr. finished with 10 points, four assists, a rebound, and two turnovers while shooting 4-11 from the field and 2-5 from deep.
Overall, Gaitley credited the team for winning two games with two different rotations. In Sunday’s win vs. the Kings, virtually no one who played Monday was available…
Gaitley on the slow start: “The guys who were out yesterday were playing with guys that were different than they played with in the first game. So like figuring it out.Also kel is coming in.Thats a little bit different.We’re pulling guys in&out so that we can be ready for Vegas.” pic.twitter.com/LwVzaPKJv4
While it was no a statistical marvel, Brown Jr.’s displayed feel around the floor, vision, and shooting confidence tell an encouraging story. Plus he did it with a seeming nonchalance as if to say: don’t be surprised; this is what I do. It’s only getting started as well.
Next Up
This now concludes the California Classic for the Nets. The boys of summer, however, will play on. The Nets will next play the New York Knicks on July 10th in Las Vegas. The game will be streamable on ESPN. It tips off at 6:00 p.m. ET.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, a potential reunion between Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers is officially dashed.
Friedman reported Monday night that Giroux, 38, "will return to Ottawa," ending any potential farewell tour fairytale ending to the legendary forward's career.
"Word tonight the Senators remain very much in the Claude Giroux mix. Nothing done yet, though," Friedman initially reported.
Then came the kicker.
"He will return to Ottawa, it is getting done," Friedman posted to his X account a few minutes later.
The Flyers had interest in their former captain until the end, but it was ultimately up to Giroux to decide to run it back in Ottawa with the Senators for his 20th NHL season.
Of course, a potential fit for Giroux became complicated when the Flyers went ahead and signed Leo Carlsson to a $90 million offer sheet that will cost them $18 million against the salary cap.
And in addition to that, the Flyers also signed a veteran right-shot center in free agency with journeyman Noel Acciari, adding even more depth to a suddenly crowded Flyers forward group, even without Giroux in the mix.
Assuming this is really it for Giroux, the veteran of 1,345 NHL regular season games and counting finished his Flyers career with 291 goals, 609 assists, and 900 points in 1,000 games donning the Orange and Black.
There's always next year, of course, if Giroux hits free agency again, but with the amount of deliberation and fanfare it took just to get to this point, that's far from a guarantee.
At least for now, Giroux returns to the Senators as an experienced, well-respected leader who the team will rely on to steady the ship after the rocky departure of former captain Brady Tkachuk.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 4: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket against the Atlanta hawks during the first half of of their 2026 NBA Salt Lake City Summer League game at the Jon M Huntsman Center on July 4, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Chris Gardner/ Getty Images) | Getty Images
Darryn Peterson is such an obvious superstar.
As the Utah Jazz lined up a Salt Lake City matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah’s number-two draft pick, Darryn Peterson, and the Grizzlies number-three selection, Cameron Boozer, squared off for the first time since draft night. Carlos Boozer, Cam’s father and a scout for the Utah Jazz, warned teams would regret passing on his son, and this matchup marks an opportunity to make an early statement.
The pair of class foes wasted no time making their presence known in this battle, with Peterson Christening the scoreboard with a feathery floater on one end, and Boozer draining a top-of-the-key deposit for three at the opposite end.
Then Peterson got that look in his eye as he knocked through two free throws, a drifting turnaround three-pointer, and a graceful finger-roll lay-in over Boozer in succession — taking a break only to dish out for back-to-back Blake Hinson three-pointers. Peterson was so dangerous that the Grizzlies matched him up against Cedric Coward. In response, he would instigate a switch onto Boozer, whose footspeed simply couldn’t match that of the number-two selection, and he’d be forced to foul.
Peterson comfortably navigated the Grizzlies hyper-aggressive full-court press and revealed remarkable playmaking feel considering the fact that a lack of assists as a freshman was one of the drawbacks on his draft profile.
Peterson’s style of play is so potent, yet gentle. Immense, yet effortless. Every motion, every action, every shot is so smooth, it’s as if the wind learned how to play basketball. DP is the intersection of basketball and art, and I question if I’ll ever become fully accustomed to how Utah’s budding star plays the game.
Like water, he flows Resistance is most futile A snap of nylon — “The Effortless Conqueror”, a haiku by Calvin Barrett, circa 2026
Needless to say, I feel rather satisfied about the Jazz’s first-round pick, and we’re just two games into Summer League. I’ll wrestle with myself to keep expectations low within the Summer League bubble. After all, we haven’t even seen what Peterson looks like against real NBA competition.
But I know I’m not alone in my elation. Peterson isn’t like the other prospects the Jazz have brought in over the years — his talent is so much more obvious than that of hidden gems Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, or Ace Bailey. I’m not accustomed to seeing players like him suiting up for the Jazz; Donovan Mitchell is the only name that compares in recent years, and he was the 13th overall pick.
Boozer’s impact was much more understated, as his court vision and rebounding were the highlights of his half. A different style of player than Peterson, Boozer’s first half won’t be posted on many highlight reels, but he’s helping his team win by doing his damage in the margins.
Boozer finished the half with 5 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal on 2-4 shooting splits.
Darryn posted a first-half stat line of 13 points, 7 assists (!!!), 1 board, and 2 steals on 3-of-6 shooting splits.
Peterson and Boozer continue their battle in the second half on ESPN and SEG+.
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
These two NBA greats had a solid relationship with each other, and there’s no reason to believe there’s any beef between them, both before and after LeBron’s decision. However, an answer Luka made regarding LeBron during a recent interview is sure to turn heads.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic look on during a Los Angeles Lakers game. NBAE via Getty Images
Instagram user Klemen Kopina interviewed Doncic on July 6, asking him which of many NBA icons he would choose as his “ultimate” teammate for a hypothetical 2-on-2 game.
Initially, Luka was asked to choose between Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. He selected Jokic, and continued choosing Jokic for several subsequent players, including former Lakers legends Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, and San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama.
Soon enough, Luka had to choose between Jokic and LeBron. He chose Jokic with no hesitation.
Luka Doncic being asked about whether he’d have Nikola Jokic or LeBron James as his “ultimate” 2-on-2 teammate. Klemen Kopina/Instagram
Luka finally choose someone over Jokic when having to pick between him and Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird. Then, the interview ended with Doncic picked Michael Jordan over Bird.
For what it’s worth, asking who an ideal teammate would be isn’t the same as picking the better player, as Doncic has to consider whose skillset would best translate alongside his in a 2-on-2 setting, which is like a different game when compared to 5-on-5.
Still, the speed with which Luka dismissed LeBron is a big reason why this interview has already gone viral on social media.
Los Angeles, CA - June 15, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Eric Lauer (33) delivers during the first inning of an MLB game against the Tampa Bay Rays at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Monday, June 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Dodgers and Rockies meet in a battle of southpaws.
Adou Thiero, shown here last season, had to sit out Monday's summer league game for the Lakers. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
Lakers second-year forward Adou Thiero missed the team’s California Classic summer league finale Monday with a right wrist injury.
The 22-year-old was listed in the starting lineup before the game against the San Antonio Spurs, but when the game tipped off in front of an empty arena, Thiero was still in the locker room. Guard Chris Mañon started in Thiero’s place and starred with 24 points and eight rebounds in the Lakers’ 88-84 win at Chase Center.
Thiero joined the Lakers’ bench about halfway through the first quarter, wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants. He kept a towel draped over his right hand for almost the entire game to cover the black brace covering his wrist.
Thiero, a second-round pick in 2025, scored 22 points in two summer league games, shooting 31.6% from the field. After saying he wanted to build up his confidence and consistency with his three-point shooting, Thiero missed all three of his three-point attempts and was just three for six from the free-throw line.
First-round pick Cameron Carr played only in the first half Monday, finishing with five points, one rebound, one assist, one steal, one block and three fouls in 12 minutes and 49 seconds.
The Lakers went 2-1 in the four-team California Classic tournament and will continue their offseason in the Las Vegas summer league beginning July 10.
Lakers add final two-way player
The Lakers signed former Vanderbilt forward AJ Okereke to a two-way contract on Sunday, filling their allotted three two-way deals. Okereke, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward, averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and two assists as a graduate transfer with Vanderbilt after beginning his college career at Cornell. He shot 40 for 100 from three-point range. During the Lakers’ first three summer league games, Okereke had 20 points and nine rebounds.
The Lakers have also signed Mañon and guard Peter Suder to two-way deals. Mañon, a second-year guard, split time in the NBA and in the G League last season, finishing second in G League defensive player of the year voting. Suder won the MAC player of the year award last season, averaging 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, four assists and 1.3 steals while leading Miami (Ohio) to a 31-0 regular-season record.
SACRAMENTO, CA - JULY 6: Chris Manon #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during the California Classic Game on July 6, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers closed the California Classic with a narrow victory over the Spurs, 88-84.
Adou Thiero was a late scratch while Cameron Carr only played in the first half. Chris Mañon stepped into the starting lineup in place of Thiero, who was out with a wrist injury.
The young Lakers had a rough start to the game, missing shots and turning the ball over. Cameron Carr was the first to score on a layup. A familiar face, R.J. Davis, had five points for the Spurs.
LA had six turnovers. With 4:11 left in the quarter, Los Angeles had only put up four points.
Arthur Kaluma had productive minutes off the bench for the Lakers with four points. Mañon drained a triple, which was only the third shot LA converted in 12 attempts. Los Angeles was down six after one.
The Lakers' No. 24 overall pick, Cameron Carr, gets on the board 🔥
The Lakers started the second period with a stronger defensive scheme. Luke Goode drained a 3-pointer for LA early. Los Angeles had gotten to within two until the Spurs scored five in a row. Scoring had been a struggle in the first quarter, but well into this period, every single Laker who played was on the board.
Mañon scored four in a row, giving himself seven points in the half. Kaluma was close behind with six and Carr had five. After just shooting 25% in the first quarter, the Lakers ended the half shooting 36%. They were down by eight at halftime.
Carr did not play in the second half, likely getting rest after playing the first two games.
Both teams started the third period exchanging 3-pointers. AK Okereke now had seven points after scoring five early in the quarter. It was a four-point deficit for LA at the 7:56 mark. Mañon continued his strong play, ending the quarter as one of only two Lakers in double figures with 13 points.
Goode nailed two more triples, making him a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc. At the end of the third, the purple and gold were now up by three. Los Angeles outscored the Spurs 27 to 16.
The Lakers went up by seven early in the final frame. They continued to get production from everyone they put on the floor. Mañon now had 16 points. Kaluma was the other Laker in double figures with 15. Los Angeles led the entire fourth quarter, despite San Antonio’s efforts to take over.
With 13 seconds left, LA called a timeout leading by three. Mañon put the team up by four with a freebie as he put the team on his back alongside Kaluma. The Spurs called a timeout with nine seconds left, hoping to pull off a miracle that did not come.
Key Player Stats:
Mañon finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks. Kaluma had 16 points in 27 minutes off the bench. Carr ended with five points, going 2-7 from the field. Okereke pitched in with seven points and four rebounds. LA’s bench had 45 points.
Las Vegas Summer League begins Friday, July 10th, against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:00 PM PT.
