A former Buffalo Sabres forward is heading to the KHL.
The KHL has announced that former Sabres forward Justin Bailey has signed a one-year contract with Barys Astana.
Bailey signing with Barys Astana comes after he spent all of this past season in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls. In 71 games with the AHL club in 2025-26, he posted 25 goals, 17 assists, and 42 points. Overall, the 31-year-old forward had a solid year with the Gulls and will now be looking to make an impact with Barys Astana after landing this new contract.
This is the first time in Bailey's career that he will be playing for an overseas club.
Bailey was selected by the Sabres in the second round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, 52nd overall. He played three seasons with the Sabres from 2015-16 to 2017-18, where he recorded five goals, three assists, eight points, and 54 hits.
Following his time with the Sabres, Bailey had stints at the NHL level with the Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, and San Jose Sharks. In 141 career NHL games over eight seasons, he posted 10 goals, 13 assists, 23 points, and 157 hits.
In what was a close game until the last out, New York had plenty of chances to get Soto into the game at some point but opted to give him the full day off heading into a scheduled off day on Thursday to allow the outfielder/designated hitter two full days to be off his feet and recover from the minor calf flare-up, which arose following the All-Star break.
“We were just gonna stay away from him, try to give him 48 hours to get the calf thing completely behind him,” interim manager Andy Green said after the game. “He’s been able to be out there on it, but it has continued to be something that he’s dealt with on a minor level.”
The Mets are hoping this extended break will be enough to have Soto, who played in the All-Star Game as the starting left fielder during the break, healthy for the rest of the second half.
Soto initially missed around two weeks in April with a mild calf strain and since he returned, New York has been splitting his time between left field and DH.
The injury has not affected his production at the plate this season as he’s slashing .283/.404/.539 with 21 home runs and 52 RBI, although he’s cooled off in his last seven games with just three hits in 24 at-bats and no home runs.
And despite a lost season, the Mets want a fully healthy Soto to close out the year. That starts on Friday night when New York hosts the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game weekend series at Citi Field to kick off a 10-game homestand.
“At this point in time, [Soto] playing the rest of the season as healthy as possible is really important to us,” Green said.
Ty Lawson, a former Denver Nuggets player, was arrested.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by FOX31, Lawson allegedly stole a bottle of vodka from a store in Castle Rock, Colorado on July 16.
Former Denver Nuggets player Ty Lawson was arrested on July 16.
A shop owner called police about a man who entered the store and stole a bottle of Tito’s Vodka before leaving at approximately 8:03 p.m. She told police the man took a drink from the bottle before walking to a nearby restaurant, Scileppi’s, per the arrest affidavit.
The shop owner also revealed she witnessed Lawson stumbling and believed he was intoxicated. The man then sat at the bar with the stolen Tito’s bottle.
The man was later identified as Tywon Lawson. He faces a shoplifting charge since it was a theft less than $300.
Lawson’s friend, who was found holding the Tito’s bottle, was also detained but later released after officers determined he played no role in the shoplifting.
Former Nuggets guard Ty Lawson was a former MVP and Sixth Man of the Year candidate. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Lawson was booked into the Douglas County Jail.
Lawson was the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected the guard, but traded his rights to the Nuggets.
The 38-year-old played six seasons in Denver. Lawson was a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award after the 2010-11 campaign, where he averaged 11.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists in his sophomore season in the league.
Ty Lawson played eight seasons in the NBA, primarily for the Denver Nuggets. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Nuggets guard was also included on the MVP ballot for the 2012-13 season. LeBron James won the award as a member of the Miami Heat that year.
Lawson played eight total seasons in the NBA, primarily in Denver. He also had stints with the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers.
Jul 22, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson (4) jumps off the bag to catch a throw as Cincinnati Reds center fielder Dane Myers (17) slides into second base during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Reds 5, Mariners 3
Silver lining: Luke Raley, +0.20 WPA
Pain, sadness, things of that nature: Eduard Bazardo, -0.52 WPA
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 21: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts with Luis Campusano #12 following the 8-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (50-51) at Atlanta Braves (58-42), July 22, 2026, 4:15 p.m. PST
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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 11: Bubba Chandler #36 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning of game two of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 11, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are facing off against the New York Yankees in the middle matchup of their three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Chandler is making his first start in 10 days for the Buccos fresh off the All-Star break. Chandler pitched 4.2 innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while striking out six in his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 11. Chandler was a no-decision, leaving the game in a 2-2 tie, but the Pirates added another run in the sixth inning to get themselves across the finish line with a victory.
For the Yankees, Will Warren is making his 20th start of the season. He has not picked up a win on his record since May 31, so he is long overdue. Warren has not finished the sixth inning in any of his starts in June or July, but the added rest from the All-Star break could give him the stamina to go deeper into the contest. The Yankees are 13-6 in games in which he pitches this year. In his last start on July 12, Warren pitched five innings, giving up four hits and one earned run against the Washington Nationals.
Location: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, NY
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.77 ERA) vs. Will Warren (7-4, 4.03 ERA)
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today. Chime off in the comments section below.
José Caballero and the Yankees are furious with Major League Baseball for reemphasizing a rule without addressing it with them during a frustrating 10-inning, 5-3 loss to the Pirates in the opener of a split doubleheader in The Bronx on Wednesday afternoon.
With two outs and a runner on first base in the sixth inning, Caballero was called for an automatic strike on a pitch-clock violation. It was the second strike of the at-bat that would end with the shortstop striking out.
Caballero routinely waits until the last moment on the clock to engage with the pitcher, looking down for several seconds as he steps into the batter’s box and gets ready to take his at-bat. It is a stalling tactic that sometimes forces pitchers to hold their delivery and has resulted in pitch-clock violations against them on occasion.
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By rule, Caballero has to make eye contact with the pitcher when there are 8 seconds left on the timer. He was called for this violation with 9 seconds to go.
“Major League Baseball came out with something new, so we have to go change,” manager Aaron Boone said.
There is a rule that says if a hitter deceives the pitcher it is considered circumventing the aforementioned rule, and the umpire can assess a pitch-clock violation to the batter. There was a call between the league office and the umpiring crew about enforcing this rule prior to the doubleheader, but that didn’t involve the Yankees. It was news to them.
Asked if he was frustrated that the Yankees weren’t contacted about this ahead of time, Boone replied: “Very, very — embarrassing.”
“It says something about deceiving the pitcher, which [to] my understanding is trying to trick the pitcher,” Caballero said. “I’m not trying to trick anyone.”
Caballero wasn’t in the lineup for Game 2, replaced at shortstop by Anthony Volpe.
Yankees shortstop José Caballero (72) reacts after he is called out on strikes during the sixth inning in Game 1 of a doubleheader Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Jose Caballero continued his usual pitch clock antics at the plate today.
This time the umpires gave him a violation and told the Yankees that MLB called them before the game and changed the rule.
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) July 22, 2026
Home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott could be heard on mics telling Caballero, “You don’t get to do the 3 or 4 seconds thing in the box anymore,” after the two engaged in a conversation after the violation was issued. Caballero responded by telling Wolcott, “you’re picking on me,” multiple times. Hitting coach James Rowson was ejected shortly after Boone came out to defend Caballero.
“He’s been warned all season,” crew chief Adrian Johnson told a pool reporter. “We were instructed not to warn him. We were instructed to violate him. That’s what it is. It’s a violation.
On Monday, Caballero and Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana exchanged words related to his pre-pitch antics that led to both benches clearing. At the time, Caballero insisted he’s merely taking his time and following his routine.
“If you get frustrated, I’m winning. For me, it’s a battle in the box, and I’m trying to win the battle,” he said. “If you are not concentrating 100 percent, I think I’m winning.”
But now, Caballero is going to have to change his routine. He’s not happy about it.
“I’ve seen other guys do other things and they don’t call anything on them,” Caballero said. “I can name players I’ve seen deceiving the pitchers, but they don’t call it on them. They just call it on me. Like I said, they’re just picking on me.”
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) argues with a umpire after New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero (72) is called out on strikes during the sixth inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post
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He later added: “They’re the ones who invented this clock thing. They don’t know what to do with their rule now.’’
That wasn’t the only call the Yankees objected to. Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole was called for a balk as he attempted to tell the umpires the pitch clock wasn’t working. He broke his hands and stepped off at the same time. There was one out at the time, and the balk sent Jake Mangum to second base. Cole was able to get out of the jam.
“They were not aware the clock went off,” Cole said. “I was startled that it was off. I was tracking the clock and holding the runner.”
The pitch clock caused all kinds of problems Wednesday afternoon for the Yankees.
Former Major League Baseball executive Jim Bowden appeared as a guest on Foul Territory on Wednesday afternoon and took a shot at the team for mortgaging their future on Soto.
“It’s too painful watching James Wood and CJ Abrams rake every single night, to sit there and trade your next guy,” Bowden said.
"It's too painful watching James Wood and CJ Abrams rake to trade your next guy."
The Padres should listen to offers for Mason Miller and Michael King in an attempt to "quickly try to reboot this thing," says @JimBowdenGM. pic.twitter.com/ijJ35dELmB
Before the 2022 season, the Padres had one of the best farm systems in baseball, headlined by MacKenzie Gore, Abrams, and Wood.
At the time, the trade looked like the perfect move for San Diego, which was making a push to win their first World Series in franchise history by pairing him to play alongside Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.
Former MLB executive Jim Bowden urges the Padres be sellers at the MLB trade deadline. Getty Images
When the trade deadline came around that season, the team was second in the National League West with a 58-46 record. General Manager A.J. Preller swung for the fences and traded the three of them, along with Robert Hassell III, for Soto.
Unfortunately for San Diego, things did not pan out. The team just missed the World Series that season when they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series and missed the playoffs the next year.
In December, 2023, Soto was traded by San Diego to the New York Yankees with Trent Grisham. The move allowed the Padres to replenish the farm to some degree, acquiring Michael King, along with four other players.
Last year, though, history repeated itself in San Diego when they traded away now No. 2 overall prospect Leo De Vries for Mason Miller at the deadline.
San Diego Padres pitcher Mason Miller taking the pitcher’s mound. Getty Images
Fast forward a year later, the Padres farm system is considered the worst in baseball and enters Wednesday third in the National League West with a 50-51 record. Meanwhile, Abrams and Wood have turned into promising young players who were selected as All-Stars in 2026.
“I can’t trade anymore of these top prospects here,” Bowden said. “The farm system is so much different than it was, and you’ve got a problem.”
With the future not looking too bright in San Diego, Bowden is now urging the Padres to be sellers at this year’s deadline.
“The right play here isn’t for them to go for it this year; the right play is to do the exact opposite,” Bowden said. “Listen in on Mason Miller, listen on Michael King, and be very open to trying to see if you can get six or seven players back and quickly try to reboot this thing.”
Padres Xander Bogaerts taking the field in San Diego Getty Images
The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 3, and no one knows which way the wind will blow in Southern California.
SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE: This is the 17th of the Cubs’ 33 series in which they split the first two games. They are 8-7 in third games, with one postponed by rain. After losing, then winning, they are 6-4, including 1-2 at home. The win was last Sunday vs. the Twins. They had lost to the Nationals on March 29 and to the Giants on June 7. The Cubs are 8-1-1 in their last 10 series and 16-14-2 for the year. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
RUN DIFFERENTIAL: The Cubs have outscored their opponents by 20 runs, 33-13, in their last four games, boosting their run differential to +69, a season high. They were +56 on May 8, after the last of their second streak of 10 straight wins, 7-1, at Texas. They were -2 after a 3-2 loss at Colorado on June 10, +63 after a 23-3 demolition of the Padres at home on July 1, then +44 after a 3-0 loss at home to the Cardinals on July 4. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMING: The Cubs have made 11, 12, 11 and 11 hits in their last four games. They had not had double-digit hits in more than three consecutive games since they had four in a row April 21-24. Last night’s game was their 75th since then. They did it in five straight games April 12-17. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Sammy Sosa’s three-run homer highlighted a six-run eighth that broke open a 3-3 tie, and the Cubs went on to defeat the Expos 9-5 at Wrigley Field. It happened 28 years ago today, Wednesday, July 22, 1998.
Colin Rea wound up with a “quality start,” three earned runs in six innings, in his last outing last Friday vs. the Twins. That’s due to an error that made one run unearned — but really, the outing was pretty good, marred by one bad pitch that went for a three-run homer by Ryan Jeffers.
Rea hasn’t faced the Tigers since April 24, 2023 and that’s so long ago that Phil Maton’s brother Nick was batting cleanup for Detroit, and his opponent was … Matthew Boyd.
Thus Rea has only faced a handful of Tigers and only for a couple of PA each. Maybe that’ll be to his advantage.
Rea has been much better at Wrigley (2.94 ERA in nine games, eight starts) than on the road (6.45 ERA in 11 games, eight starts).
Keider Montero was in the Tigers rotation until the end of June and was doing reasonably well, but has been throwing in relief since then. This will be his first start since June 28. He hasn’t thrown more than 59 pitches in an outing since then.
Last year he allowed four runs to the Cubs in 5.2 innings as the “bulk guy” after an opener, June 7, 2025 in Detroit. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch and Matt Shaw homered off him.
Please visit our SB Nation Tigers site Bless You Boys. If you do go there to interact with Tigers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 22: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with Ceddanne Rafaela #3 at home after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles during game one of a doubleheader at Fenway Park on July 22, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The last and only other time the Red Sox won 15 games in a row was in the spring of 1946. Ted Williams had just returned from World War II and was off to a scalding start in what would become his first MVP season (it should have been his second). Harry S. Truman was a year into his presidency, there were only 48 states, and Louis Armstrong, Helen Keller, Dwight Eisenhower, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Agatha Christie weren’t just alive, but still had important work to do in the coming years.
Tonight, after yet another victory this afternoon, the 2026 Red Sox could stand alone. Yes, the same 2026 Red Sox that as of a month ago didn’t have a single winning streak longer than three games.
On the mound to help them get there will be Eduardo Rivera, who is likely to be followed by a bunch of Brayan Bello given the current state of the pitching staff. Further complicating matters on that side of the ball is Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman all pitching in the first game of the double header today. In other words, outside of an offensive explosion, the Sox probably need Bello to be good and good for a while if they’re going to pull out yet another win. (And let’s hope for Bello’s sake that happens, because if Brayan Bello is the guy to wreck this winning streak, the pitchforks will be out all across Boston for him.)
The theme of this run however has been just finding a way to win against all odds. If these Sox do it just one more time tonight, they’ll stand alone in the franchise record book — A record book that goes back twelve and a half decades!
Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) is congratulated by third base coach Matt Erickson (68) after hitting a two-run triple during the second inning of their game against the New York Mets Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Brewers don’t win this game without Joey Ortiz and Christian Yelich. Ortiz went 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, a walk, two runs scored, and two RBIs, while Yelich finished 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs. Together, they accounted for five of the Brewers’ nine hits and all four of Milwaukee’s RBIs as the Brewers held on for a 4-3 win in today’s series finale against the New York Mets.
Logan Henderson struck out three in a scoreless top of the first inning, and Mets starter Christian Scott kept the Brewers off the board in the bottom of the frame. Marcus Semien broke the tie in the top of the second with a solo home run on a four-seamer that ran just a little too far over the plate.
The Brewers were shut out yesterday, but their offense didn’t take long to come to life today. In the bottom of the second, Garrett Mitchell led off with a walk, and Andrew Vaughn advanced him to third with a single. Jake Bauers popped up and Cooper Pratt struck out in what were Milwaukee’s first two opportunities with runners in scoring position, but Ortiz delivered with two outs, sending a fly ball over the head of Brett Baty in right field.
Baty probably should have made the catch, but he took a bad route to the ball. He ran almost straight back on a fly ball that landed about 15 feet closer to the foul pole than he anticipated. He adjusted at the last second, veering to his left, but couldn’t quite get there as the ball bounced off the warning track. Ortiz made it around to third for a triple as Mitchell and Vaughn both scored, giving the Brewers a 2-1 lead.
Up next was Christian Yelich, who came through with a line drive single into left field to score Ortiz. All of a sudden, Milwaukee was up 3-1 — and hitting .500 with runners in scoring position.
Henderson allowed just one more hit until the top of the fifth, when Baty hit a solo home run to cut the Mets’ deficit back down to one run. The Brewers couldn’t answer in the fifth, but they did in the sixth. Ortiz grounded a ball past third base that got stuck under the tarp along the third-base line. Ortiz came all the way around to score before being sent back to second on a ground-rule double.
Ortiz wouldn’t be on the bases for long, as the very next hitter — Yelich — crushed a line drive off the center field wall for a triple. Ortiz scored to widen the Brewers’ lead back to two runs.
Henderson exited after five innings, allowing two runs on two home runs while giving up just three other hits. He struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter. As Pat Murphy said in his postgame press conference, “I’ve seen him better,” but if two runs and nine strikeouts is room for improvement, I’ll take it.
Aaron Ashby tossed two hitless innings in relief, striking out four and walking a batter, and Abner Uribe worked around a pair of hits in a scoreless eighth. Trevor Megill came in for the top of the ninth and had a sketchier outing than Brewers fans have become accustomed to lately. He walked Tyrone Taylor to start the frame, who then advanced to second on a groundout from Semien. Luis Torrens then crushed a line drive into right field, but it was right at Luis Lara, who took care of it for the second out.
With the Mets down to their final out, catcher Francisco Alvarez grounded a single into left field to score Taylor. Rather than risking a throw home, Jackson Chourio threw behind Alvarez to keep the tying run at first base.
A.J. Ewing then hit a ground ball to the left side that probably would have been a hit had the Brewers’ third baseman not been named Joey Ortiz:
Joey Ortiz web gem to end the game and the Brewers beat the Mets, 4-3. Milwaukee has won five of six since the All-Star break and is 64-38 — a 101-win pace — with 60 regular season games to go. pic.twitter.com/gNo6gsd0tT
Despite allowing a run for the first time in his last 14 appearances, Megill came away with the save and the Brewers came away with the series win. After taking two of three from the Mets, the Brewers will get tomorrow off before welcoming the Rockies to American Family Field for their third straight three-game home set. First pitch for Friday’s series opener is set for 3:10 p.m., with the Brewer Alumni Legends Game — featuring Ryan Braun, Ben Sheets, Yovani Gallardo, and many more — to follow.
While LeBron and Bronny could be teammates for the 2026-27 season on LeBron’s next team, it also isn’t guaranteed the Lakers will trade the younger James to his father’s next destination.
As has been described to the California Post, there’s a real possibility the Lakers will keep Bronny on their roster going into next season, even as they continue to tinker with their roster to be compliant with the league’s roster rules before Opening Night in October.
Bronny James still may have a future with the Lakers with LeBron leaving. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
If the team signing LeBron is also looking to acquire Bronny, they would likely need to send the Lakers a real asset as part of a trade.
Bronny is well-liked throughout multiple levels of the organization.
The Athletic first reported that assumptions of Bronny and LeBron being linked moving forward being false.
Since the Lakers drafted Bronny out of USC with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, making him and LeBron the first father-son duo in league history, the Lakers have developed the 6-foot-2 guard into a reliable shooter with defensive upside.
Bronny spent significant portions of his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers who have been rebranded as the Coachella Valley Lakers.
"It would take something REAL for the Lakers to want to trade Bronny… they developed him, they’re a fan of him, and he has A LOT of supporters in the building."@khobi_price joined #BrockandAlex to discuss everything #Lakers offseason & what to look forward to going into the… pic.twitter.com/3mpWW6UBjV
He improved significantly during his second season, upping his field goal percentage (50.5% from 41.9%), 3-point percentage (37.6% from 33.6%) and assist-to-turnover ratio (4:2.6 from 4.6:3.3).
Bronny played 42 regular season games for the Lakers in 2025-26, and was a full-time rotation player after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered their regular season-ending injuries.
He averaged 5.6 points and shot 35.7% on 3s in the final 10 games of the regular season.
LeBron and Bronny James during a 2024 game against the Timberwolves. Getty Images
The Lakers guaranteed Bronny’s $2.3 million salary for 2026-27 when they kept him on the roster after June 29.
He also has a $2.5 million team option for the 2027-28 season. His salary for 2027-28 doesn’t become fully guaranteed until Jan. 10, 2028.
If the Lakers keep Bronny on the roster going into the season, he’s expected to compete with newcomer Collin Sexton, rookie Cameron Carr and recently-acquired Jaden Hardy for reserve backcourt minutes.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 21: Amen Thompson #1 and Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 21, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We’re trying something different with the Reacts questions in an effort to get the responses up. We’re posting the question in The Feed and in a story. Not much should change for you, and we’ll hopefully get our voting numbers up as well.
This week’s question wants to know if you expect the Rockets to be better this year, worse, or mostly the same?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with results!
On 92.3 The Fan’s Baskin and Phelps show, Cleveland radio host Andy Baskin revealed what a source shared about James’ free agency decision.
LeBron James made an appearance at Fanatics Fest in New York. Ryan Rolo/Shutterstock
“Here’s what I was told yesterday about the whole LeBron situation. Last week, LeBron’s crew was probably ready to make an announcement, especially because they were in New York,” Baskin said. “The world had their eyes on New York because of the World Cup as well.
“They were probably comfortable making an announcement as early as last week. And then, people were telling them what to do. There’s a little bit of irritation… Irritated was the word I was told, by the commissioner pushing them…so they decided to hold back.”
"Here's what I was told yesterday by a reliable source. Last week, LeBron's crew was probably ready to make an announcement. 'Irritated' was the word I was told, by the commissioner pushing them…so they decided to hold back."
The 41-year-old quickly became the top free agent of the summer, and while he informed the Lakers of his departure in June, nobody truly knows where James will land.
That has not stopped continuous speculation about LeBron this summer, but only his camp appears to know the answer to the league’s biggest question heading into the 2026-27 season.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver publicly commented on the LeBron James free agency saga. NBAE via Getty Images
The supposed final four suitors for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer appear to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 20: De'Aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates with David Jones Garcia #25 of the San Antonio Spurs after they defeated the Atlanta Hawks at Frost Bank Center on November 20, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Spurs are keeping around a familiar face. David Jones Garcia has re-signed with the franchise on a new two-way deal, the team announced.
Jones Garcia earned a spot on the roster on a two-way contract last offseason thanks to his fantastic showing in the California Classic and Summer League. The Dominican scorer had already proved his skills in the G League before signing with San Antonio but looked ready to take his game to the next level, showing intensity on defense and the ability to create for others in a pinch on a terrific run both in San Francisco and Las Vegas.
In his one year with the Spurs, he only suited up for 11 games with the big team but averaged 26 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the G League with the Austin affiliate between the tip-off tournament and the regular season. Unfortunately, his season was cut short by a major ankle injury that required surgery. Now the 24-year-old guard will have another opportunity to try to make it to the NBA.
The Spurs have a lot of guard depth on their roster, so it won’t be easy for DJG to get minutes with the big club, but having someone who can create as well as he does is fantastic injury insurance. The 6’4” scorer can also play on the wing in a pinch thanks to his rebounding ability. He’ll likely spend most of his time in Austin, where the front office will surely monitor his progression.
The Spurs had all three two-way spots filled, as last year’s holdover Emanuel Miller was joined in the platoon by 2026 second-round draft selections Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown. There have been no official reports as to who has been waived to make room for Jones Garcia, but Miller seems the most likely candidate. San Antonio still has an open spot for a standard deal.
Andy Baskin on the latest with what he was told… 
