“I guess,” Looney said when Thompson II asked him if Post was the final straw for him. “I wouldn’t say it like that, but it was anybody but me it seemed like at this point. It wasn’t no one moment. Even this year, probably the playoffs. We going up against Steven Adams. This is what I do. They’re not really giving me the chance to really let me do what I do.
“It’s like, ‘All right, y’all don’t trust me? I thought y’all trusted me.’ They put me at the end in Game 7, it’s like why’d we have to wait for that point?”
Looney played just 9.3 minutes per game in the seven-game series against the Houston Rockets in the opening round of the playoffs. In a Game 6 loss, Looney played just two minutes as Houston forced a do-or-die Game 7.
Meanwhile, Post played 17 minutes per game during that series.
While Looney has been the reliable force the Warriors could depend on whenever, he reached a point where it was too much.
“Nah, you get sick of that at some point,” Looney told Thompson II. “When you prove yourself the first four, five years, all right, cool. But after 10 years of it, it’s like, all right. You either trust me or you don’t.”
“I just know it’s never personal with Steve,” Looney said. “He’s going to do whatever is best to try to win. It ain’t just me. He’s done this to everybody. I might’ve been the one it was happening to the most because I was here the longest. I know it’s not personal. He just wants to win.
“You can’t be mad because the results showed that. It usually worked. You talk about sacrifice and win, he’s going to really test that sacrifice part.”
As a 10-year NBA vet, Looney understands the business side of the league. And in the end, regardless of the jersey he’s wearing, he’ll always be a Warriors legend in Dub Nation’s eyes.
Being the first overall pick of the NHL draft comes with lofty expectations, and that’s normal; it comes with the territory, but not all first overall picks will be generational talents and point-producing machines. The Montreal Canadiens had the first-overall pick in 2022 when the draft was held on their turf at the Bell Centre, and that brings yet another dose of attention to a player.
The lucky recipient of those expectations and heightened scrutiny was 18-year-old Slovakian left winger Juraj Slafkovsky. Since then, the media and fans alike have been keeping a close eye on his development.
The Habs wasted no time throwing the youngster in the deep end as he was made to start in the NHL right away, but his rookie season was cut short by a shoulder injury, and he only played 39 games that year, picking up an underwhelming 10 points.
In 2023-24, he had an excellent second half of the season, becoming a mainstay on the top line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. He gathered 50 points in 82 games, an output that most were satisfied with for his sophomore season.
That marked increase in production meant that expectations were raised once again before the 2024-25 campaign and before the puck dropped on the season, Slafkovsky admitted he had set objectives for himself in his third season, but refused to reveal them. In the end, in 79 games, he put up 51 points, and it wasn’t the kind of progress most had in mind, including the 6-foot-3 and 225-pound winger. At the end of the year, when he was asked if he had reached the expectations he had set for himself, he replied: What do you think?
He hadn’t, but the start of his career is by no means a disaster. In his three campaigns, he has suited up for 200 games and picked up 111 points. That’s a 0.56 point-per-game average for a player who wasn’t necessarily picked to fill the net.
Fifty-one years before they picked Slafkovsky with the first-overall pick, the Canadiens had drafted local favourite Guy Lafleur. The legend in the making had been a driving force in the LHJMQ, scoring 379 points in just 118 games, a 3.2 points-per-game average. Many saw Lafleur as a generational talent, the man who would lead the Canadiens to the promised land time and time again.
His first three seasons weren’t all that impressive, however, since he picked up 175 points in 215 games. A 0.81 point-per-game average, much less than what he had been producing at the junior level, and Lafleur was a player who had been picked to fill the net, unlike Slafkovsky. Still, the Canadiens didn’t start trying to trade him out of Montreal; they knew what they had on their hands and that he just needed time to reach his full potential. In his fourth year with the Habs, Lafleur exploded with the first of six consecutive seasons of 119 points or more, and he never looked back.
No, I’m not saying Slafkovsky will turn into Lafleur overnight, or ever, but what I'm saying is that some players need a little time to reach their potential when they make the jump to the NHL. It’s normal; this is a league featuring the world's best players, all of whom are physically mature adults and tough to play against.
Still not over this.
Wins a battle. Crossovers off the wall. He’s in the slot, with his captain and leading scorer screaming “Hey! Hey!” to his left. And he trusts himself to shoot instead.
Before joining the Canadiens, when he played in the junior ranks in Slovakia, he was likely always the most significant body on the ice. Still, when he turned pro with TPS Turku in Finland, he became a different player. In the NHL, he wasn’t anymore. That’s not easy to adapt to, and in his rookie season, Slafkovsky looked easy to push off the puck; he wasn’t used to being pushed like that. he was used to being the wall players crashed into, and that was no longer the case.
Playing a physical game in the NHL is hard, it’s demanding, and it’s tiring, but Martin St. Louis is slowly but surely making Slafkovsky realize that his success will come from using that big frame of his consistently. The 21-year-old has heard the coach, he knows it, he even said so himself coming back from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, declaring he would like to play more like Brady Tkachuk.
Slafkovsky knows what he needs to do, he knows the way he needs to play and he’s also aware that he needs to do it right away when the season starts, when he manages to put everything he knows into practice all at the same time, he’s going to be quite a player and one that will be a massive asset to the Canadiens, give him the time to get there.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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One of the biggest holes in the Yankees' roster is the lack of a third baseman.
General manager Brian Cashman, despite his efforts this offseason, allowed the Yanks to start the regular season with a trio of third base options: Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and DJ LeMahieu.
Cabrera was lost for the season after fracturing his ankle in May and LeMahieu, after starting the season on the IL, was "physically unable" to play third base, according to manager Aaron Boone. That forced Jazz Chisholm Jr. to move from his natural position at second base to third to give the team more flexibility on the field.
However, the solid defense Chisholm showed at the hot corner last season regressed, and LeMahieu's age didn't allow the veteran infielder to man second base the way a major leaguer should. That resulted in LeMahieu eventually being DFA'd and Chisholm moving back to second base.
So, where does that leave third base for the Yankees?
Peraza and the recently-recalled Jorbit Vivas are playing third for now, but their inexperience at the plate has made their spot in the lineup an automatic out. With no internal options available, Cashman will have to go and swing a trade for a third baseman who can field and hit. That's where Ryan McMahon comes in.
The veteran third baseman is on a Rockies team that has the worst record in MLB and will flirt with breaking the 2024 White Sox's mark for worst record in history.
Colorado should be sellers at this trade deadline, but the team has not had fire sales in recent seasons like they should. Perhaps this year will be different -- and the Yankees should give the team a buzz to see if McMahon is available.
Here are the pros and cons of New York making a deal for McMahon...
Jul 11, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon (24) reacts after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Pros
The biggest argument to trade for McMahon is how futile the young Yankees' third basemen have been this season.
Just looking at the current options (Peraza and Vivas), you'll see why McMahon's production is an immediate upgrade. Peraza is slashing .151/.215/.247 with an OPS of .462 to go along with three homers, five doubles and 13 RBI.
Vivas is slashing .149/.245/.255 with an OPS of .500 to go along with one homer, two doubles and four RBI.
Of course, both Peraza (146 at-bats) and Vivas (47 at-bats) have not had regular playing time this season and will get a runway here before the Yankees make a deal. But if either were hitting the ball consistently enough, the Yanks would have given them the job a long time ago instead of resorting to Chisholm playing third base.
McMahon, 30, is slashing .214/.312/.382 with an OPS of .694 to go along with 13 homers, 13 doubles and 28 RBI in 322 at-bats. Those numbers aren't great but, again, it's an upgrade.
He's also not far removed from an All-Star appearance. Just last year, McMahon made his first All-Star Game in a year where he slashed .272/.350/.447 with an OPS of .797 and 14 homers before the break. Perhaps there's something left in there that the Yankees could mine. And perhaps he'd perform better playing for a contending team instead of the 50-games-below-.500 Rockies.
His left-handed bat could also play well at Yankee Stadium.
But on the defensive side is where McMahon really shines. Over his nine-year career, McMahon has never had a negative DRS playing the hot corner. He's also a near double-digit OAA fielder the last three seasons.
The combination of defense and offensive upside is an intriguing possibility that the Yanks should explore.
Cons
Although McMahon is a better hitter than Peraza and Vivas, it's not by much. After making the All-Star team last year, the second half of 2024 was rough for McMahon. He slashed .188/.283/.309 with a .592 OPS and smashed just six homers in the final months of the season. That lack of production has spilled over to the first half of this year, which is odd for a player who calls Coors Field home.
But that advantage is also a warning sign for any team that wants to acquire him. This year, McMahon's home/away splits are alarming.
Jun 17, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon (24) makes a throw to first base after fielding a ground ball by Washington Nationals third baseman Brady House (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Nationals Park. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
In 44 home games, he's hitting .241/.358/.441 with an .800 OPS while cracking eight homers and driving in 15. In 48 road games, he's slashing .192/.270/.333 with a .604 OPS and five homers to go along with 13 RBI.
Those splits are a career-long trend for McMahon. He's hit 85 homers and batted a career .263 with an .813 OPS in 511 games (440 starts) at Coors. On the road, he's hit only 52 homers while batting .217 with a .666 OPS across 491 games (436 starts).
McMahon's left-handed swing is also unnecessary on a Yankees roster that needs right-handed bats in the worst way.
On the defensive side, McMahon has seemingly taken his struggles at the plate onto the field. While having a positive DRS this season, it's only at 3 DRS. His career low DRS was 2 back in 2018, but it's a far cry from the double-digit DRS he had the past four seasons.
And then there's the contract.
While the Yanks would have two years of control after this one, it comes to $16 million each year. It's a similar contract to Nolan Arenado's -- who is owed $31 million in the final two years of his deal -- and the Rockies will likely either want the Yankees to take on the majority of it or part ways with some valuable prospects.
While a regular third base option for the next few years is great, it could keep George Lombard Jr. from making the jump to the majors.
Verdict
This is an easy pass.
While McMahon provides an upgrade offensively to the Yankees' current situation, it's not enough to warrant the prospects/money it would likely cost. If a controllable third baseman is what the Yankees want, Arenado -- although he's older -- makes more sense than McMahon.
And if Lombard is the future at third base, the Yankees need to make sure there's a path for him. Trading for a rental is more feasible, and Arizona's Eugenio Suarez fits that bill.
If the Rockies are desperate to move McMahon and the Yanks can get him at a steal, sure. But with that scenario unlikely, Cashman needs to look elsewhere.
The NHL is overflowing these days with young talent that’s not just promising for the future, but already helping to reshape their franchises in real time. At 23, Tim Stützle is already the Ottawa Senators' most skilled player (spoiler: he has been for a long time), and on Monday was named by NHL.com as one of the league's 10 best forwards under 25 entering this season.
Stützle is the first name listed in a top 10 that includes the likes of Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, and Connor Bedard. Stützle led Ottawa with 79 points (24 goals, 55 assists) and helped the club return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Stützle has registered at least 70 points in three consecutive seasons, but his two-way game has improved along the way, and while it may seem like the smallest of intangibles, his body language has been much better as well. Stützle looks more in charge of his emotions, like a man with a job to do, unfazed by the nonsense. That's all part of the maturation process, never getting too high or too low.
Stützle has remained both durable and productive, and as he continues to work out the balance between offence and defence, he'd like to return to the 39-goal, 90-point levels he achieved three years ago. He'll have plenty of time to grow with the club, under contract with the Senators for six more years.
For now, for one of the best young players in the game, it's about summer training and a little golf. Earlier this month, Stützle and Red Wing defenseman Mo Seider teed it up in the BMW International Open Pro-Am event in Munich. They played in a foursome with Welsh soccer legend Gareth Bale and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.
Another of Stützle's many virtues as a player is his happy demeanour and popularity as a teammate. And friendly chirps always come with that territory. Under Stützle's Instagram post, where Stützle says his group won the Pro-Am, teammates chimed in hard.
Stützle: A great day on the course!⛳️ Thank you for a fun day @bmw_golfsport @dpworldtour. W🤘🏽
Thomas Chabot: "Nothing like shooting a 98 on the @dpworldtour."
Stutzle: "Nothing like winning."
That's a motto that's music to the ears of Sens fans. After finally making the playoffs this year and getting a taste of some team success, the sky's the limit for one of the game's brightest young stars.
Featuring Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso, the Mets have a quartet that can create offense in a flash, as they did last Tuesday against the Orioles while erasing a four-run eighth-inning deficit, and again late in the game this past Friday against the Royals in Kansas City.
But the Mets need more.
It could come in the form of someone like Mark Vientos stepping up and/or Francisco Alvarez finding his power stroke when he returns from Triple-A Syracuse.
It could also come via trade.
The Mets' biggest needs right now are in center field (Tyrone Taylor has a .580 OPS) and third base (where none of the Mets' young, homegrown players have been able to fully seize the opportunity).
So, should New York swing a trade for slugging Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez?
May 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez celebrates after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. / Mark J. Rebilas - Imagn Images
PROS
Suarez has been a total menace power-wise this year, slashing .250/.320/.569 with 31 home runs, 18 doubles, and 78 RBI in 391 plate appearances over 95 games.
He leads the National League in RBI, and is behind only Cal Raleigh (82) and Aaron Judge (81) in all of baseball.
Suarez's 31 homers are fourth-most in baseball, trailing Raleigh (38), Judge (35), and Shohei Ohtani (32).
While this season's power surge is enormous even by Suarez's standards, he has cemented himself as one of the most reliable home run hitters in baseball over the last decade.
He has averaged 32 homers per 162 games during his career, has eclipsed 30 homers in a season six times, and has a 49-homer season on his ledger (coming in 2019 with the Reds). So a lot more thunder should be expected from him in the second half.
Suarez would also fill a void at third base, though his defense there leaves a lot to be desired (more on that below).
One of the most important things about Suarez is that he's set to become a free agent after the season, so the cost to acquire him should be relatively low.
That doesn't mean the Mets or another team wouldn't have to part with a prospect or two of value, but it's impossible to envision New York having to trade any of their top eight or nine prospects for him.
CONS
There are two negatives that stick out when it comes to Suarez -- his defense and his propensity to strike out.
Suarez has already fanned 105 times in 95 games this season, and is on pace to finish the year with 175 K's. He fanned 176 times last season after striking out 214 times in 2023 and 196 times in 2022.
Jul 12, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) celebrates in the dugout after his second solo home run of the game during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea - Imagn Images
This should be a less important aspect, but trading for Suarez would also likely mean a lot less playing time for Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty -- plus defenders at third base who have showed flashes at the plate, but not enough consistency.
It would be surprising if the Mets don't swing a trade for a center fielder to replace Taylor in the lineup. And if New York trades for a center fielder, it would force Jeff McNeil to second base on a regular basis.
Add Suarez or another third baseman to the mix, and the playing time for Mauricio and Baty dries up -- with Vientos likely a main designated hitter option along with Jesse Winker upon his return.
But in a season where the Mets are trying to win a World Series, they can't (and won't) let a few months of lost playing time for Mauricio or Baty stop them from obtaining a game-changing bat like Suarez.
VERDICT
For a return that shouldn't hurt that much, New York would get one of the best power hitters in baseball without any commitment beyond this season.
Suarez would provide serious thump beyond the top four, an answer at third base, and allow the Mets to have more options to DH. This should be an easy yes.
New York Islanders development camp was a great success, like Borat would say.
The young players from this past draft class and the few previous ones were all able to be together since the camp happened right after the draft, as opposed to a week before the start of training camp.
All the prospects got a taste of what being part of the Islanders organization is all about and a sneak peek at what it takes to be an NHL player.
However, their development is just starting and picking the right offseason routine and offseason workout partners could be the difference in a good summer and a great one.
Islanders captain Anders Lee skated with Horvat last summer and it did a world of good for him.
No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer told us he's skating this summer with Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech with Mark Giordano as his coach.
Defenseman Isaiah George, who got a cup of coffee in the NHL last season, is also training with them.
Having prospects train with NHLers, especially those in the same organization, is massive in acclimating these young players to the team, as well as in building relationships, chemistry, and providing firsthand insight into what it takes and what is expected of someone who dons the blue and orange.
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Another Ducks prospect will be making the transition from playing in Europe to playing in North America this upcoming season, but it won't be for college hockey just yet.
Latvian defenseman Darels Uļjanskis has decided to play for the Flint Firebirds in the OHL for the 2025-26 season. Previously, Uļjanskis was drafted by the Sioux City Musketeers in the eighth round of the USHL Draft in May and was expected to play in the USHL this season. He was then drafted fifth overall by the Firebirds in the CHL Import Draft two weeks ago.
"I was drafted in May to the USHL and Sioux City Musketeers, but I felt more for the CHL in Canada," Uļjanskis said in an interview with hockeysverige (translated from Swedish). "So I waited for it. Now in July, the Flint Firebirds (OHL) chose me, so that's where I'm going."
Committed to the University of Connecticut for the 2026-27 season, Uļjanskis will play one season in the OHL before transitioning to collegiate hockey.
Uļjanskis spent the last two seasons primarily playing in Sweden for AIK's J20 team. He was second among defensemen in scoring this past season. This came after the Ducks drafted him in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
With two development camps now under his belt, Uļjanskis is currently in Florida, where he is competing in the SoFlo hockey summer league. He will continue training in Florida until the beginning of August, when he will report to Flint for training camp.
"I feel much better without the puck and more confident in the defensive game," Uļjanskis said. "I play much tougher and more aggressive than last year, I think.
"(The Ducks) want to see a two-way defenseman who can be trusted in all zones, and be aggressive and able to handle all parts of that game, but also create offensively. I have the summer to get bigger and stronger, so that will also help me for the season. Then I just want to get used to North American hockey."
Making it to the NHL as a seventh-round pick is an uphill battle, but not impossible. With more developmental paths opening up for prospects, like being able to play in both the CHL and NCAA now, finding the right development techniques and systems has become more accessible for young players.
Jordan Walsh’s ejection in Las Vegas on Monday night was ill-advised — unless you ask his conflict-loving head coach.
The Celtics forward was tossed from Boston’s NBA Summer League matchup with the Heat in the first half after he shoved Miami guard Pelle Larsson following a foul call. It was Walsh’s second technical foul of the game, which meant an immediate ejection for the 21-year-old wing.
Considering the stakes for Walsh at Summer League as he aims for a larger role in Boston’s rotation this season, getting thrown out in the first half isn’t ideal. But when he hit the showers Monday night, he encountered some words of encouragement from Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.
“He told me he loved it,” Walsh said of Mazzulla, via SB Nation’s Noa Dalzell. “As soon as I got ejected, I got to the locker room and checked my phone and he was texting me like, ‘I love this out of you.’
“So, take that for what it is. But Joe was hyped.”
That message is coming from the same person who said he wants to “bring back fighting” in the NBA, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that Mazzulla enjoyed Walsh’s chippiness. And that chippiness appears to be a point of emphasis for the 21-year-old as he enters his third NBA season.
“I feel like I’m trying to get under people’s skin,” Walsh added. “… I’m trying to get them confused and throw them off their rhythm. [It] ended up happening to me, but I want to disrupt everybody. I want to take out your rhythm. I want to take you out of your plays, your sets. I want to speed you up.”
While there’s value in being a disruptor, Walsh also needs to avoid crossing the line and hurting his team. He had a team-high 13 points at the time of his ejection, and Boston’s offense struggled in his absence en route to a 100-96 loss.
Walsh has a golden opportunity to expand his role this season with Jayson Tatum sidelined due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, and he’s proven he can make an impact with his defense and hustle. He shot just 36.1 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from 3-point range last season, however, and if he can’t contribute more offensively, he may find himself behind second-year wing Baylor Scheierman on the depth chart.
Walsh and the Summer Celtics will be back in action Thursday night against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers at 9 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
The MLB All-Star Game festivities soon could return to Third and King.
If MLB and the Players Association agree to allow players to compete in the 2028 Olympics, San Francisco is a frontrunner to host the All-Star Game that year, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reported Tuesday, citing a league source.
According to Slusser, if MLB players are allowed to compete in the Olympics, both the league and the union reportedly would prefer a West Coast destination for the All-Star Game in order for the participants to be able to easily travel to Los Angeles, where the Summer Olympics baseball tournament will be held.
Slusser also reported that the momentum appears to be in favor of allowing MLB players to compete in the 2028 Olympics.
The other West Coast options include Petco Park in San Diego and T-Mobile Park in Seattle — both of which have hosted the All-Star Game more recently than Oracle Park — and Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, which, according to Slusser, is not in consideration. It is unclear if Angel Stadium in Anaheim is a likely option.
Following this year’s event at Truist Park in Atlanta, the All-Star Game will be played at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park in 2026 and Chicago’s Wrigley Field in 2027.
With the All-Star game taking place Tuesday night, it's the perfect time to break down the NL CY Young race between the 23-year-old Paul Skenes versus 35-year-old Zack Wheeler and why one player is the better bet than the other.
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NL CY Young: Paul Skenes (-105) vs Zack Wheeler (-125)
Wheeler's calling card to voters is simple — he's never won a CY Young. At age 35, this could be Wheeler's final shot at the elusive award, but is what he's done enough or more impressive than Skenes?
understand the logic of betting Wheeler, but if you've watched the two pitch this season, I think Skenes is the better of the two and arguably the best in all of baseball (Tarik Skubal says hi). However, if you look at basic stats and their consistency, you would say Wheeler has the slight edge, right?
Pre All-Star Break Stats and NL Ranks
Paul Skenes
Zach Wheeler
2.01 ERA (1st)
2.36 ERA (6th)
121.0 innings pitched (5th)
122.0 innings pitched (T-3rd)
.189 opponent batting average (T-3rd)
.181 opponent batting average (1st)
0.93 WHIP (5th)
0.86 WHIP (2nd)
131 strikeouts (8th)
154 strikeouts (2nd)
12 starts with 0 or 1 ER allowed
11 starts with 0 or 1 ER allowed
3 games of 3 ER or more
4 games of 3 ER or more
4 wins (T-104th)
9 wins (T-8th)
8 losses (tied-20th most)
3 losses (T-4th best)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
There isn't much that differentiates the two besides the wins, losses, and strikeouts, which all favor Wheeler. Skenes does have 26 more ground-balls than Wheeler and seven fewer homers allowed (13 to 6), which may bother some. Skenes clearly isn't trying to be that high-rate strikeout guy like early in his rookie season, but get more efficient outs and pitch longer into games — which he's done exceptionally well.
However, while wins and losses historically are a common driving factor for voters, it's becoming not as detrimental since the offense is out of the pitchers control, more so than ever with the universal DH — meaning Skenes could have the upper hand.
If you haven't seen or heard about that stat by now here it is — If the Pirates would have scored four runs in each of Skenes' 42 career starts, his win-loss record would be 28-1 rather than 15-10.
Insanity at its finest! While four runs is a lot for any pitcher to get, that stat is supposed to provide clarity on how poor the Pirates offense and bullpen is and why that shouldn't hold Skenes back in CY Young voting.
In his career wins, Skenes has a 1.19 ERA compared to a 2.39 ERA in losses or non-decisions, so either way, he hasn't been the Buccos' problem since he arrived. This year alone, Skenes has allowed 27 runs over 20 starts and the Pirates have lost 11 of those 20 games!
Pittsburgh's offense has scored the fewest runs in not just the NL, but all of baseball — even the Rockies and White Sox. For more context, the Phillies have scored 112 more runs than the Pirates in one less game.
Both Skenes and Wheeler will be dominant in the second-half, I have no doubts, but Skenes could post a sub 2.00 ERA this season (was doing so through 19 starts), sub .200 OBA, and still have a losing record, which on surface level makes no sense.
Despite how it looks or sounds, I think what Skenes is doing weighs more impressive, challenging, and deserving than what Wheeler is doing. Pitching under the pressure of allowing two earned runs and being almost guaranteed a loss is not common and that's what Skenes goes through every start.
I played and tweeted Skenes out at +115 to win NL CY Young and would go out to -115 odds prior to his first start for the second half of the year. I already played him at +300 on Opening Day to win CY Young, so I am double-dipping.
Pick: Paul Skenes to win NL CY Young (1u)
Vaughn Dalzell’s MLB Futures Card
2 units: Aaron Judge to lead MLB in home runs (+130) 2 units: Cam Smith to win AL Rookie of the Year (+150) 2 units: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (-110)
1 unit: Shohei Ohtani to win NL MVP (-110) 1 unit: Bobby Witt to win AL MVP (+450) 1 unit: Elly De La Cruz to win NL MVP (+2000) 1 unit: Garrett Crochet to win AL CY Young (+450) 1 unit: Paul Skenes to win NL CY Young (+115) 1 unit: Paul Skenes to win NL CY Young (+300) 1 unit: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (+100) 1 unit: Byron Buxton to win AL Comeback Player of the Year (+430) 1 unit: New York Yankees to win AL East (-115)
0.5 unit: Dodgers to win 117-plus games (+650) 0.5 unit: Paul Skenes to lead MLB in wins (+1400) 0.5 unit: Garrett Crochet to lead MLB in wins (+2200) 0.5 unit: Juan Soto to lead the MLB in homers (+2800) 0.5 unit: Yordan Alvarez to lead the MLB in homers (+2000) 0.5 unit: Roman Anthony to win AL Rookie of the Year (+1200) 0.5 unit: Jacob Misiorowski to win NL Rookie of the Year (+1100)
0.25 unit: Drew Pomeranz to win NL Reliever of the Year (+1500) 0.25 unit: Aaron Judge to bat .400 by the All-Star break (+800) 0.25 unit: Aaron Judge to bat .400 for the season (+5500) 0.25 unit: Oneil Cruz to lead MLB in stolen bases (+15000)
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“Elite duo right there,” Poole, who was acquired by the Pelicans from the Washington Wizards earlier in the offseason, said when reacting to the news.
The former Warrior duo played four seasons together before Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2023, and then to the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this month.
During their time together, they were key contributors to the Warriors’ 2022 NBA championship. Poole averaged 13.2 points in the finals, while Looney averaged five points along with seven and a half rebounds.
“I’m so happy bro … that’s some of the best news I’ve heard yet,” Poole continued.
Shortly after the signing was announced, Looney Facetimed his former teammate. Poole had a wholesome response when answering the call.
“Welcome bro … it’s been a long time comin’ bro,” Poole said.
These two were beloved in the Bay, and now they’ll be competing against Golden State in a stacked Western Conference.
Generations of kids spent their childhood trying to answer the question “Where’s Waldo?”, but that was an easy task compared to trying to answer the interrogation that’s on the mind of every Montreal Canadiens’ fan this offseason: Who will be the Habs’ second line center?
Depending on who you ask, the replies go from Kirby Dach to Zach Bolduc to “Kent Hughes is just about to pull a big trade, I can feel it!” or even to: Ivan Demidov would be the perfect fit at the second line pivot.
But what does the man himself believe? Well, unlike what has been reported in the last day or so, Demidov has never said that it was outside of the realm of possibilities that he would play center and that it wasn’t something that interested him at all. According to RG.org’s Marco D’Amico, the young Russian said he would have to see if he could play at center. He has done it in the past, as a junior player, but never in the KHL.
PSA: Ivan Demidov never refused to work on his faceoffs this summer.
I was asked why he isn't an option for 2C and brought up a quote from Ivan back in February. He just wasn't confident in being able to play C because of faceoffs. https://t.co/bMvjWIfglvpic.twitter.com/iuH4dwGw1Q
Humble as they come, Demidov also added that face-offs would be the key factor, and he doesn’t always win them. The rookie will play wherever the Canadiens ask him to play, but he’s not confident that he could play center in the NHL. He didn’t say anything controversial, and any claims that he might have an attitude problem are false. He didn't refuse to work on his draws this offseason either.
I don’t know how the idea could even be entertained given the fact that the player has elected to stay in Montreal this Summer and is diligently putting in the hours at the Canadiens’ Brossard training facilities instead of enjoying the sunshine and the scorching weather. Last weekend, he even appeared in a shootout showcase in Boisbriand to please the fans, and he’s also set to play in the Living Sisu LSHL three-on-three league this Summer.
Could Demidov end up being the Canadiens’ second-line center? Maybe, but right now, it doesn’t seem likely, especially given the fact that the youngster typically doesn’t lack confidence, and he confesses he doesn’t know how good he could be playing that position.
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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Over the weekend, a report that Anton Frondell would play the 2025-26 season in Sweden after signing his ELC with the Chicago Blackhawks went viral in the hockey world. Overall, this is not a shocking piece of news.
The Blackhawks have been careful lately when it comes to calling players up to the NHL. They only want truly ready guys, if not a little more than ready. Not everybody can be Connor Bedard and make an impact at 18 years old.
Playing for Djurgårdens of the SHL for another year will be great for Frondell’s development. Djurgårdens is moving up a level in that league, so the competition will be stiffer, which is magnificent for Frondell as a young forward trying to enhance the two-way game.
Frondell will be joined on the team by one of his good friends in Victor Eklund, who the New York Islanders selected 16th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Eklund isn’t the only notable teammate of Frondell with Djurgårdens either. He will suit up with former Blackhawks forward Marcus Kruger. Kruger is a tremendous elder player to have surrounding a young talent like Frondell.
Was Kruger a key contributor offensively during Chicago’s dynasty years? No. As far as forwards go, they had Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Patrick Sharp for that. With that said, Kruger’s effort, character, and “do what I can for the team” attitude made him one of the best role players in NHL history.
Kruger was skilled enough to play for an excellent Swedish Olympic team in addition to being a key player on a championship-caliber NHL team. He accepted his role and executed it.
Having the countryman connection in addition to the Blackhawks connection should help Kruger pass some knowledge on to Frondell. When he comes to North America full-time for hockey, he will have learned his trade well.
Throughout his 520 NHL games, Kruger played all but 48 with the Blackhawks. Those 48 came with the Carolina Hurricanes. Kruger had 38 goals and 85 assists for 123 points. When he was on the ice, despite his low offensive totals, Kruger was an effective player. He was so good defensively that he even earned some Selke Trophy love a couple of times.
Frondell has infinitely more tools than Kruger did, but the mentality of being a good two-way hockey player is something that the elder can help the rookie with.
A view of The Battery at Truist Park in Atlanta, which is playing host to the MLB All-Star Game this week. (Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
In 2021, Times columnist Bill Plaschke incurred the wrath of Atlanta by blaspheming the entertainment district surrounding the Braves’ ballpark as a “sterile shopping mall.” The district, called The Battery, prefers the grand descriptor of “the South’s preeminent lifestyle destination.”
Let’s take a walk around The Battery, so you can understand why it could become one of the flash points in the coming holy war between owners and players.
If you leave the ballpark through the right-field gates, you are in The Battery. You’ll see a plaza in front of you, and around you places to ride a mechanical bull, go bowling, navigate an escape room or take in a concert.
You can eat, drink, shop, dance, stay in a hotel. You can live here, in apartments above the storefronts. You can work here, in office towers housing corporate giants.
“To create an environment where you can spend eight, nine hours at The Battery and the field, and still feel like you have all the time in the world, I think they’ve done a wonderful job building this place,” Dodgers and former Braves All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman said.
The Braves built all this, not only to lure fans to come early and stay late on game days but to make money from the property 365 days a year rather than 81. On that front, it is a spectacular success: Nine million people come here each year, and the Braves generated $67 million in revenue from The Battery last year.
This, according to major league officials, is the template for the modern team. The Angels had planned a ballpark village twice as large as The Battery. Imagine what the Dodgers could build, and how much revenue they could generate, on property twice as large as the Angel Stadium site.
And, speaking of revenue, Rob Manfred has something he likes to say to players about it. The MLB commissioner spoke at the Braves’ Investor Day last month and said he tells players that their share of the sport’s revenue has dropped from 63% in 2002 to 47% today.
Baseball is the only major sport in America without a salary cap system, in which owners agree to spend a designated percentage of revenue on player salaries.
“If we had made a deal 10 years ago to share 50-50, you would’ve made $2.5 billion more than you made,” Manfred said he has told players, in comments first reported by Sports Business Journal.
The players and their union rolled their collective eyes at those comments. It is no secret that many owners want a salary cap, and the cost certainty that comes with it.
“It’s all tactics,” Dodgers All-Star catcher Will Smith said. “It’s all early negotiating stuff.”
Said Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star outfielder Corbin Carroll: “Owners don’t want to put money in our pockets. For them to emphasize how we need this so much, there’s a reason for that.”
Tony Clark, the union’s executive director, said the revenue numbers the league shares with the union are not consistent with Manfred’s statements. And, when you consider a percentage of revenue, you have to define what counts as revenue: What goes into the pool to be shared with players?
Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB players' union. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)
So let’s go back to The Battery, and to the revenue opportunities that such ballpark villages create for teams.
A report released in April by Klutch Sports, the Los Angeles-based agency, called such villages “the sports industry’s $100+ billion growth engine,” particularly as media revenue wanes. Within the pitch to team owners: Those villages “generate attractive financial returns that stand outside of league revenue sharing requirements.”
Translation: You can make all these millions without sharing any of it with the players.
The Braves are building here because the team plays here. That is the new issue looming over the next round of collective bargaining: If a team builds around its ballpark, should that revenue be shared with players?
“Oh yeah,” Athletics All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker said. “Revenue is just any dollar that teams bring in that ultimately could be turned around and used to put a better product on the field. It’s got to include tickets, TV, concessions, all the things around the stadium. It’s got to include all of it.”
Is the money a team makes from renting office space outside the ballpark really relevant to the team?
Here’s what Braves president and chief executive Derek Schiller told ESPN about The Battery: “You've got a whole other set of revenues from the real estate development that can then be deployed for the baseball team.”
I asked Clark whether, if negotiations turn to the possibility of revenue sharing along the lines Manfred discussed, the money from ballpark villages needs to be part of the conversation.
“Yes,” Clark said.
He declined to elaborate. Understand this about Clark: He can filibuster a yes or no question into a 45-second monologue without actually answering yes or no. That he would say a clear “yes” and nothing else leaves no doubt about his position.
If the players do ask that owners share revenue from such ballpark villages, the response would be predictable: First, we share baseball revenue from baseball operations, and real estate developments are not baseball operations. Second, if you want to share in the revenue, you can share in the risk too, by helping to fund construction of the ballpark village, say, or by assuming some of the losses when a tenant drops its lease and leaves storefronts or office buildings unoccupied.
Said Carroll: “I think that’s a conversation that won’t need to happen, because it won’t get to that point. A salary cap is a nonstarter from the union’s perspective.”
Enjoy the All-Star Game Tuesday, because this summer is one of relative peace. The collective bargaining agreement expires after next season, which means the rhetoric between players and owners ought to be flying this time next year. If the owners insist on pushing a salary cap, a lockout almost certainly would follow.
And, if the owners push revenue sharing, The Battery could provide the push for the players’ pushback.
Warriors basketball soon is approaching, Dub Nation.
Golden State released its preseason schedule for the 2025-26 NBA campaign, with three of its five games at Chase Center.
Here is the full five-game schedule:
Oct. 5: Warriors vs. Lakers at Chase Center
Oct. 8 Warriors vs. Trail Blazers at Chase Center
Oct. 12: Warriors vs. Lakers at Crypto.com Arena
Oct. 14 Warriors vs. Trail Blazers at Moda Center
Oct. 17 Warriors vs. Clippers at Chase Center
Oct 5: Warriors-Lakers at Chase Center Oct 8: Warriors-Blazers at Chase Center Oct 12: Warriors-Lakers at Crypto Oct 14: Warriors-Blazers at Moda Center Oct 17: Warriors-Clippers at Chase Center
Warriors have three home preseason games and two on the road
Following a gutwrenching end to the 2024-25 NBA season, Golden State will look to bounce back in 2025-26 around its core of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
