NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 03: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 03, 2026 in New York City. The Philadelphia 76ers won 130-119. 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 Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While there has been little movement across the entirety of free agency on Tuesday, let alone the Lakers, it looks like the team has been moving in the background.
Two players who have been linked to the Lakers, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes, look likely to have deals with LA, according to multiple reports. Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein posted on Twitter that the belief around the league is that the pair will agree to contracts with the Lakers.
The growing anticipation leaguewide is that the Lakers ultimately secure commitments on new contracts from Toronto free agent Sandro Mamukelashvili and Philadelphia free agent Quentin Grimes while still pursuing their top summer target: Utah restricted free agent Walker Kessler. https://t.co/pYMRcSyvrn
Just before that, his co-worker, Jake Fischer, reported that the league is under the impression that both deals are done and the pair will become Lakers.
The likeliest route for them to secure the deals is that one of them is signed with the Room Exception at roughly $9 million this season and the other is signed with cap space at around $10 million. That would leave the team with enough cap space to go after Walker Kessler as well.
With Luka Kennard departing to the Suns, the Lakers need a guard off the bench and Grimes fills that need. As for Mamu, it’s unclear if he’d be a replacement for Rui Hachimura or simply another piece on the roster. If it’s the latter, it’s a good signing. If it’s the former, then it’s a tougher sell.
For now, it’s not the time to jump to conclusions until all the work is done. In a vacuum, both deals are fair value. But seeing them in the greater context of the offseason will be key.
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 25: Alexandre Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during a 2025-26 Emirates NBA Cup game on November 25, 2025 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards are in East Group C for next season’s NBA Cup, the NBA announced Tuesday.
The groups are set for the Emirates NBA Cup 2026!
All 30 NBA teams were randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the 2025-26 regular season.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 30: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees reacts after surrendering a first inning base hit against Colt Keith #33 of the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on June 30, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees lost their sixth straight, 9-3 to the Tigers. I have to get that in the first graf (writer-speak for “paragraph”) or my ‘tors (blogtalk for “editors”) get grumpy with me. With that out of the way, let’s travel to the land of metaphor!
Do you all know what the Franklin Expedition was? In the mid-19th century, England was obsessed with finding the Northwest Passage, a sailing route through treacherous ice fields in the Arctic Ocean. Such a pathway would significantly reduce the time it took to ship goods from colonial outposts in India and China, and provide the Royal Navy with a major force multiplier as the Empire enforced its rule, in the face of Russian and German opposition.
The two most technologically advanced ships that the world’s great superpower could build, the Terror and the Erebus, were designed specifically to make their way through the globe’s most dangerous waters. They were captained by the seniormost officers in the fleet and crewed by some of the best engineers, navigators, and scientists who could be found in the Empire upon which the sun didn’t set.
It was a bold display of human advancement, the Apollo program of the era. The ships got trapped in the ice for a full year and everyone involved in the Expedition, some 129 men, died. Many turned to cannibalism as they entered their final, fevered days. Man proposed, and God disposed.
Cam Schlittler is a miracle of technology. He was drafted in the seventh round and was barely touching 90 in Double-A two years ago. He pretty routinely gets up to 100 mph, throws three fastballs with command over all of them. If the voting were held today, he would in all likelihood win the AL Cy Young. He’s not the Apollo program or the first real mapping of a mostly-uninhabitable zone that preceded the colonization of a nation, but he is perhaps the ur-example in the American League of what can happen in the pitching labs and bullpens and tablets of MLB facilities. Young, controllable aces are the opium and spice of the current baseball world, and the Yankees seem to have one.
(Cash)man proposed, (baseball) God disposed.
Cam didn’t get frozen in the ice, rather, he got nuked:
Four home runs, three within four batters in the first inning. An ERA a half-run higher than it was at the start of the game, and now sits above 2.00 on the year. Cam didn’t lose the Cy Young today–we have half a season yet to go–but the worst outing of his young career came on a beautiful Tuesday night in the Bronx.
There’s not a lot else to say about this one. There were no late-inning heroics like Sunday night against Boston. Ben Rice did end an 0-for-18 skid with his first home run in nine days:
Outside of that, it was what you would probably expect from Tarik Skubal pitching against what is at best the Yankee C lineup. That was the only hit the two-time Cy Young winner would allow, striking out nine in six-plus innings of work. The other Yankees runs came on a double play, and a bloop to right field from Jasson Domínguez, which suits a team that has hit 0.093 over the last five games. At least it was a fun bloop:
I hope Cam doesn’t feel too badly, because Ryan Yarbrough somehow gave up a three-run shot in the sixth that really put the game out of reach and the ball left James Outman’s bat at just 92.1 mph. THAT should make you mad.
I’m probably just grumpy because of the game and the fact I haven’t eaten yet but I hate that Dillon Dingler’s chest protector says “DING”. Same caveat but I think my increasing dislike of Spencer Jones is a little more valid, at least he only struck out twice tonight.
I’m not one for yelling at players or turning garbage cans over when things are like this. The Yankees are playing terrible baseball and they know they are. Cam Schlittler didn’t intend to give up four home runs to a fourth-place team tonight. If there’s one saving grace to all this, it’s that the stakes of a baseball season are much lower than that of an attempt to cross the Northwest Passage in a bomb vessel. To be perhaps even more optimistic, the Yankees aren’t stuck in ice; instead, they seem far more adrift, and that feels more fixable to me. After all, they got four hits today the for first time in 1,937 games, so I think they’re figuring this out.
They get a chance to salvage something out of this crappy series tomorrow and perhaps avoid a seventh consecutive loss with Will Warren going in the finale against Troy Melton. 1:35pm Eastern is your start time; wish me a Happy Canada Day because I am also tasked with writing that one up.
Knoxville Smokies’ Andy Garriola (22) makes a catch in the outfield for an out against the Chattanooga Lookouts in a Minor League Baseball game on June 17, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Right-hander Liam Hendriks joins the Triple-A Iowa Cubs from Mesa.
Left-hander Aaron Bummer also joins Triple-A Iowa from Mesa.
Third baseman Drew Bowser goes from High-A South Bend to Double-A Knoxville. In case you’ve forgotten, Bowser was a high school teammate of Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Catcher Logan Poteet was promoted to South Bend from Low-A Myrtle Beach.
Catcher/first baseman Michael Carico also joins South Bend from Myrtle Beach.
Shortstop Jose Silva goes from the ACL Cubs to Low-A Myrtle Beach.
Shortstop Ezequiel Pena goes from Myrtle Beach to the ACL Cubs.
Catcher Ivan Cespedes goes from the ACL Cubs to Myrtle Beach.
Catcher Henniel Alcala goes from Myrtle Beach to the ACL Cubs.
Right-hander Aiden Moffat goes from Myrtle Beach to the ACL Cubs.
Right-hander Vince Velazquez has elected free agency. He did that earlier this season and ended up re-signing with the Cubs. We’ll see what happens this time.
There’s a nice surprise in the ACL Cubs box score.
A quality start for Will Sanders, who got the win after allowing just one run on two hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked no one.
Jayden Murray pitched the seventh and eighth inning and retired all six hitters. He struck out one of them.
Luis Peralta came on in the ninth for the save and made it scary by giving up singles to two of the first three batters. But with two on and one out, he retired the next to batters to end the game and claim the save. Peralta struck out two.
Catcher Moisés Ballesteros tied the game 1-1 in the third inning with an RBI single. Ballesteros went 1 for 2 with two walks.
Third baseman Owen Miller got a “Little League” home run as he rounded the bases with a triple and an error in the fourth inning. Miller was 1 for 4.
Second baseman James Triantos doubled twice in a 2 for 4 game.
Connor Schultz gave up two runs in the first inning, which included a solo home run. After that, the Clingstones got pretty much nothing. retiring the last 13 batters he faced. Schultz’s final line was two runs on two hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out two as he got his first win of the season.
Right fielder Alex Ramírez tied the game up 2-2 in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run, his ninth blase of the year. Ramírez also made it 4-2 with a two-run single in the third, giving him four RBI on the night. Ramírez was 2 for 5.
In the fourth inning, second baseman Hayden Cantrelle connected with the bases empty for his first home run of 2026. Cantrelle went 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Center fielder Andy Garriola chipped in a solo home run in the seventh inning. It was Garriola’s 16th home run this season. He was 2 for 4.
Shortstop Jefferson Rojas went 3 for 5 with two steals. Rojas scored three runs and drove in one.
Catcher Owen Ayers was 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored one run and had one RBI.
Jostin Florentino started and took the loss after surrendering three runs on two hits over five innings. All three runs came on a home run in the third inning. Florentino struck out six and walked two.
South Bend managed just five hits. Center fielder Kane Kepley was 2 for 4 with two doubles.
Starter Emilio Ramos only allowed one hit. Unfortunately, that that one hit was a three-run home run in the top of the first inning. The final line on Ramos was three runs on one hit and four walks over three innings. He struck out three.
Jhon Rosario pitched the final three innings and did not allow a run. He gave up just one hit and he walked one while striking out one.
The Pelicans managed just two hits. Second baseman Alexis Hernandez went 1 for 4 with an RBI single in the eighth inning.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 02: Keon Ellis #14 of the Clevland Cavaliers looks on in the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on April 02, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis, who they acquired this past season, has reportedly signed with the Brooklyn Nets on a guaranteed two-year, $18 million deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Free agent guard Keon Ellis has agreed to a two-year, $18 million guaranteed deal with the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/YdLqrFZHhq
The Cavs traded for Ellis and point guard Dennis Schroder from the Sacramento Kings for De’Andre Hunter, a move that was widely seen as a win for Cleveland. The 26-year-old Ellis brought a level of defensive intensity and energy that was severely lacking on the Cavs at the time, but he fell out of the rotation in the playoffs.
In 29 games with the Cavs, Ellis averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 49.1% shooting from the floor. That shooting percentage is the best of Ellis’ career, though his 35.5% three-point shooting figure was the lowest of any other season.
While this move may look puzzling, the Cavs have a number of free agency fires burning that they are working to figure out. The pending departure of Dean Wade was likely higher on the to-do list than re-signing Ellis, which allowed the former University of Alabama guard to seek out a fresh opportunity.
The rebuilding Nets can offer much more playing time, and the reported contract Ellis signed reflects that. The second year has a mutual option, while maintaining the $18 million guarantee. It is unconventional, but it allows the Nets to re-sign Ellis or move on and open a roster spot. The Cavs are in championship-or-bust mode, and it may not have been as likely that Ellis would see such consistent playing time as he would see on a rebuilding squad.
Monday, June 29 at 2 PM PST, qualifying offers for pending NHL RFAs were due for clubs to retain the rights to their RFAs. If pending RFAs were not tendered qualifying offers by the aforementioned deadline, they are scheduled to become UFAs on July 1 at 9 AM PST if they are unsigned before then.
The Anaheim Ducks had 11 pending RFAs due QOs, but only tendered seven of them.
Among the players who were qualified were goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets, center Leo Carlsson, goaltender Calle Clang, left winger Cutter Gauthier, defenseman Tyson Hinds, defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, and left winger Sasha Pastujov.
The NHL roster players (Carlsson, Gauthier, Mintyukov, Hinds) were no-brainers to receive QOs, as were the two AHL roster players (Buteyets, Pastujov). Clang (24) was a bit of a surprise to receive a QO, as he recently signed a two-year contract with Rogle BK in the SHL, the club he played for before making the jump to North America to play for the San Diego Gulls in the AHL.
It appears the Ducks’ logic behind Clang’s QO is to retain his rights should he benefit from a reset in his home nation of Sweden and, in the future, express interest in returning to North America.
The four players who did not receive QOs are defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka, defenseman Kyle Masters, center Jan Mysak, and right winger Jaxsen Wiebe.
Biakabutuka (24) was a piece sent Anaheim’s way from the St. Louis Blues along with a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for long-time Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler and a 2027 fourth-round pick. During his time in the Ducks organization, Biakabutuka played just 11 games in the AHL with the Gulls and 75 games in the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers.
Masters (23) was acquired just two days before he wasn’t tendered a QO, on the second day of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, along with a sixth-round pick (Noah Kosick) from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for the signing rights to defenseman John Carlson. His signing rights have since been traded back to the Canes in exchange for the signing rights to AHL center Noah Philp (27).
Mysak (24) was acquired by Anaheim two years ago from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Jacob Perreault. Like Clang, Mysak signed a two-year contract to play in the SHL for HV71. Over two and a half years with the Ducks organization, he played 138 games with the Gulls.
Jaxsen Wiebe (24) signed an entry-level contract as an undrafted free agent in March 2023. He yo-yoed between the AHL and ECHL during his time in the Ducks organization.
The Mets evened up the series against the Toronto Blue Jays with a shutout victory on Tuesday night, winning by a score of 3-0.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- For a second straight night in Toronto, offense came at a premium as the Mets and Blue Jays entered the fifth inning in a scoreless draw. Both pitchers, Nolan McLean and Kevin Gausman, were at the top of their game but did have to pitch out of some trouble early on.
For McLean, that came in the second and fourth innings when the Blue Jays twice began two-out rallies to put runners in scoring position. Each time, though, the rookie escaped by getting the final out of the inning to keep Toronto off the board.
-- On the other side, after retiring the first seven batters he faced, Gausman allowed a one-out double to Brett Baty in the third and then got lucky with two consecutive lineouts that had exit velocities above 100 mph.
-- New York had another chance to score in the fourth inning when Juan Soto walked to lead off the frame before Bo Bichette singled to right field for his first hit of the series against his former team. Francisco Lindor followed with a groundout to first base that advanced the runners to second and third, but Jared Young and A.J. Ewing both struck out against Gausman to end the threat as the Mets’ RISP issues continued.
-- To get around those problems, Francisco Alvarez, the designated hitter, led off the fifth with a solo bomb to finally get New York on the board and give the team its first lead of the series. Later in the inning with two outs, Carson Benge singled in front of a walk to Soto for another chance with RISP, but Bichette lined out.
-- Staked to a lead, McLean went out for the bottom of the fifth and worked around an infield single for a shutdown inning. In the sixth, he did the same thing, this time maneuvering past a one-out walk. The right-hander’s night was done after six terrific innings in which he allowed no runs on five and two walks while striking out seven. He threw 91 pitches (63 strikes).
McLean’s outing was much needed, with it coming on the heels of allowing six earned runs last time out against the Chicago Cubs.
-- Still nursing a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning, Luis Torrens doubled it immediately with a solo shot of his own against lefty reliever Mason Fluharty. The home run was the catcher’s second of the season and meant the Mets’ catching duo provided all of the game's offense up until that point with two swings.
-- After Brooks Raley pitched a scoreless seventh inning as the first reliever out of the bullpen, Luke Weaver retired the side in order in the eighth to extend his scoreless streak to 24 consecutive innings. He’s now three innings away from tying Mark Guthrie’s franchise-record 27 consecutive scoreless innings by a relief pitcher, which he did in 2002.
-- New York tacked on a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Baty, and despite scoring three runs, it still managed to go 0-for-7 with RISP. The Mets are 0-for-16 in those situations this series and have scored four runs over the two games so far.
-- Devin Williams got his 12th save of the season after closing things out in the ninth inning.
Game MVP: Nolan McLean
McLean got back on track with a sizzling start and held his opponent scoreless for the second time in his last three starts. He lowered his ERA to 3.78 and is 5-5 on the season.
DALLAS, TX - APRIL 5: Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 5, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers are set to lose one of the best shooters on their roster and in the NBA.
Luke Kennard came to LA at the deadline and immediately provided elite shooting and scoring off the bench. But as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, he is reportedly leaving the Lakers and joining the Suns, as first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
Free agent sharpshooter Luke Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Phoenix Suns, with a player option for the second season, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/rXhDalEdhF
The Lakers losing Kennard is a massive blow as he was a very productive player. Also, with LeBron James out of LA, the roster is suddenly missing multiple players who were a part of it last year. With Kennard making so little, this seems like a deal the Lakers could’ve matched. However, that is not the case, and Kennard will continue his career in Phoenix.
During the regular season, Kennard was a laser for the Lakers. He converted on 53.3% of his attempts and made 47.8% of his shots from deep, making him the league leader in 3-point percentage.
Luke's coaches and teammates surprised him with his trophy for leading the league in 3-point percentage 🙌 pic.twitter.com/vNF1VkRomZ
Kennard remained an effective player throughout the playoffs. He averaged 11.5 points, which was higher than his regular-season average of nine points with the Lakers. His shooting from beyond the arc also remained high, making 47.4% of his threes.
Now that Kennard is gone, the Lakers will have to find another player they can rely on for outside shooting to be an offensive boost for the team. Considering how slim the free agency market is, that will be a difficult thing to accomplish.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 113-110. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns entered free agency with one open roster spot and one glaring need, adding shooting to a team that had just traded away two of its best perimeter threats. With Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale headed to Charlotte, Phoenix needed to replace some of the spacing and bench scoring it lost in that deal while restoring some balance to the roster.
They’ve now done exactly that. The Suns are signing veteran sharpshooter Luke Kennard to a two-year, $13 million contract. The second year is a player option.
Free agent sharpshooter Luke Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Phoenix Suns, with a player option for the second season, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/rXhDalEdhF
Kennard, who is 30 years old, essentially replaces a very similar player the Suns just sent out. Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard were teammates at Duke, although Allen stayed for all four seasons while Kennard declared for the 2017 NBA Draft after his sophomore year. He was ultimately selected 12th overall by the Detroit Pistons. Now he arrives in Phoenix to fill the role vacated by Allen.
Yes, I do have Luke Kennard atop my list of free agent targets for the Suns I put out yesterday. Just 30 years old and not only led the league in three-point shooting this season with 47.8% from deep he also shot 47.4% in two playoff series for the Lakers. Would be the PERFECT…
While Kennard doesn’t possess the same level of physicality or the ability to get to the rim consistently, he is the better three-point shooter. Over a nine-year NBA career that has spanned five different teams, Kennard has shot 44.2% from beyond the arc. He’s led the NBA in three-point percentage three different times, with his best season coming in 2022-23, when he split time between the Clippers and Grizzlies and shot an absurd 49.4% from three on 4.6 attempts per game. He is a one-dimensional player. He’s a pure shooter.
During the Lakers’ 10-game postseason run this past spring, Kennard averaged 11.5 points while shooting 47.4% from beyond the arc. He’s not going to wow you defensively or protect the rim, and he’s not an exceptional playmaker. His job is simple. Come off the bench and shoot. That’s exactly what the Suns are asking him to do.
What this does to the Suns’ cap sheet is push them back over the first apron, with their projected payroll now sitting at approximately $214.9 million. It also completes the standard roster, as Phoenix has now filled all 15 roster spots heading into next season. The only remaining opening is one two-way contract. That spot could ultimately go to Sam Hoiberg or Corey Camper Jr., both of whom the Suns have already signed to Exhibit 10 contracts.
But at this point, the roster is complete. From a contractual standpoint, they’ve put themselves in a good position. The roster now contains plenty of mid-tier, tradable contracts, giving the organization flexibility as it moves forward. In that regard, they’ve operated the right way. Still, you never know. A transaction could be lurking in the shadows.
The depth chart feels balanced, even if there are still legitimate questions about the team’s defensive viability, where the shot volume will ultimately come from, and what the Phoenix Suns will actually look like during the 2026-27 season.
Now comes the fun part. For the rest of the summer, we’ll do what we always do. We’ll theorize, speculate, and try to figure out what this team can become once the games finally begin.
Jun 30, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Tigers took the second game of the series against the Yankees 9-3 with thanks to a dazzling start from Tarik Skubal.
Start spreading the news… the Tigers were back in the Bronx for game two of their series against the Yankees, hoping to clinch the series win nice and early. It was going to be a pitchers’ duel for the ages though, with Cam Schlittler on the mound for the Yankees, up against Tarik Skubal for the Tigers. They would be hoping to carry through their hot bats from Monday night.
Those hot bats certainly came to play. With two outs in the first, Kerry Carpenter homered to center. It really looked like Spencer Jones had nabbed it over the wall, but it bounced out of his glove for a home run.
Colt Keith singled. Then, a very lengthy at-bat from Spencer Torkelson ended with a Tork Bomb to left, and it seemed very likely that Schlittler–who hadn’t given up more than one run in the first before this game–would not be long for his start. He got the final out of the inning, but it took him 36 pitches to get through a single inning.
In the home half, the Yankees retaliated with a two-out home run by Ben Rice.
The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the top of the second, but the Yankees did the same in the home half of the inning, so perhaps both pitchers were evening out after their first inning faux pas.
Or, perhaps not. Dingler singled to start the third, and then with one out, Greene hit another home run. Schlittler did get the final two outs, but the Tigers were up 6-0.
Skubal was looking good in the bottom of the inning, going through the lineup in order.
In the fourth, James Outman took a two-out walk, but the Tigers weren’t able to convert the baserunner. In the bottom of the inning, Tarik Skubal was showing precisely why he has two Cy Young awards, tunneling pitches that went from 100mph to 81 back-to-back and making Ben Rice look a little silly after getting that first-inning home run. Just looking really good. He went through the side in order.
Dingler opened the fifth with a leadoff double and that was it for Schlittler. Ryan Yarbrough came on to replace him. Yarbrough got the rest of the side out in order, leaving Dingler stranded. Skubal once again got the Yankees 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth.
The Tigers were right back on their game in the top of the sixth with a leadoff single from Torkelson. McKinstry reached safely on a throwing error from Jose Caballero, which allowed McKinstry and Torkelson to advance to scoring position. Outman then came in and hit a home run to score three. Three outs followed, but the Tigers were doing pretty well.
Max Schuemann was hit by a pitch to start the home half. Ali Sanchez then singled, bumping Schuemann to third. Paul Goldschmidt hit into a double play, but Schuemann scored as well. Skubal got the final out of the inning, and all things considered, one extra run isn’t the end of the world. Don’t make me regret writing that, Tigers.
Yovanny Cruz came in for the Yankees in the seventh, and got the side out in order. Skubal’s day was done after six innings, going 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB 9 K, 1 HR on 87 pitches (a note on the 1 ER – the second run was charged as an error to McKinstry well after the fact, so the run wasn’t credited to Skubal). A nice night from him overall, truly. Jacob Waguespack came in from the Tigers’ bullpen to replace him. With one out, Jasson Dominguez singled. Anthony Volpe then grounded into a force out, eliminating Dominguez. Waguespack got the final two outs of the inning and no runs scored.
The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth. In the home half, Waguespack got the side out in order.
Jake Bird was the Yankees pitcher for the ninth and gave up a leadoff single to Hao-Yu Lee, then Kevin McGonigle singled right behind him. A popout and a double play ended the inning. Tyler Holton was out of the bullpen to hang onto the Tigers’ lead. Amed Rosario got a one-out walk. With two outs, Rosario advanced to second on defensive indifference. Dominguez then singled to score Rosario, with a little help from an ugly failed catch attempt by Carpenter. Anthony Volpe singled, pushing Dominguez to third. Holton finally got out of the inning with just the one run scored, and the Tigers officially won the game and the series, with one more to play tomorrow afternoon.
Cam Schlittler was tagged for four home runs and the Yankees bats continued their week-long slump in their 9-3 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday night.
The Yankees have lost six in a row and end June with a 12-14 record.
Here are the takeaways...
-Schlittler had a rocky start. After getting the first two outs quickly, Kerry Carpenter hit a ball deep into right-center field. Spencer Jones timed it perfectly and had the ball in his glove, but the ball dislodged over the wall when he hit the wall to give the Tigers the lead. Riley Greene followed up with a no-doubt 424-foot bomb into the second deck in right field.
Two batters later, Spencer Torkelson took Schlittler deep (405 feet) over the left field wall to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead. It took Schlittler 36 pitches to get out of the first inning.
Greene would get Schlittler again in the third, with a two-run shot. Schlittler would pitch into the fifth and, after allowing a leadoff double to Dillon Dingler, manager Aaron Boone pulled his young star.
Schlittler allowed six runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters across four-plus innings.
It's the first start this season that Schlittler has allowed more than one home run. He allowed six in his first 17 starts. It's also a career high in earned runs (6).
-Ryan Yarbrough was the first man out of the pen for the Yankees. After getting out of Schlittler's trouble in the fifth, the defense betrayed him. Jose Caballero, starting at second with Jazz Chisholm Jr. out after Monday's collision with Jasson Dominguez, threw a would-be double play into left field. James Outman followed with a three-run shot, putting Detroit up 9-1.
-In his first game after being recalled, Yovanny Cruz struck out three in his two perfect innings of work. Jake Bird worked in and out of trouble in his one inning of work.
-Going up against Tarik Skubal down four runs is difficult, but Ben Rice got the Yankees on the board with a two-out solo shot in the first. The only other run the Yankees would get off of Skubal would be in the sixth. After Max Schuemann was hit by a pitch to lead off, Ali Sanchez hit a grounder to Zach McKinstry, but the shortstop whiffed on the groundball, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Paul Goldschmidt hit into a double play, but Schuemann scored.
The Yankees' third run came in the ninth. After Amed Rosario walked, he scored on a Dominguez fly ball single that fell in front of a diving Karpenter in right field.
The Yankees had four hits, the first time they eclipsed three in five games.
Game MVP: Riley Greene
Greene's two home runs accounted for three of the Tigers' nine runs.
Highlights
Spencer Jones nearly robs Kerry Carpenter at the wall, but the ball pops out of his glove for a home run pic.twitter.com/eOkW9qUovr
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 30: Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with Alec Bohm #28 after the top of the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park on June 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Pirates 8-0. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Buoyed by another stellar outing by their ace and hopeful All Star Game starter, Cristopher Sanchez, the Philadelphia Phillies (48-38) blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates (43-43) by a score of 8-0 to even up the four-game series at the halfway point.Sanchez battled a blister on his throwing hand and still managed a no hitter into the fourth inning, going seven full allowing just three hits, two walks and striking out nine.
Justin Crawford started the scoring with a two-RBI single in the second inning and drove in another run with a single in the eighth for the first three-RBI game of his career.
Trea Turner also drove in three with an RBI double in the seventh and a two-run home run in the eighth, his ninth of the year.
“Obviously, it sucks to see Clax go,” Wolf said Tuesday as the Nets started practice for Summer League. “He was one of the leaders of our locker room, a great voice in our locker room, and he epitomized what it meant to be a Brooklyn Net. We’re sad, we’re gonna miss him.
“In terms of my role and how that’ll change, I’ll develop some coaches, do what they ask of me, and just keep getting better. Whatever role I’m thrown into, I can do it to the best of my abilities.”
The Nets swapped Claxton and a second-round pick for power forward Julius Randle and a first-round selection that became Joshua Jefferson. Though Randle, Jefferson and holdover Noah Clowney will make the competition tougher at the four spot, the departure of Claxton could let Wolf see more minutes at the five, backing up new presumptive starter Day’Ron Sharpe.
In preparation, Wolf — who was shut down late in his rookie campaign with an ankle injury — has spent the early part of the offseason trying to get stronger, to battle veteran centers on the boards.
Danny Wolf goes up for a layup during the Nets’ win over the Bull on Jan 16, 2026 last season. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“Starting with my body getting stronger or getting quicker, getting my ankle right. And just even playing now, I’ve never felt more in control or on balance or stronger,” Wolf said. “And then with that, I’d say my finishing and my 3-point consistency. And I’m shooting the best I’ve shot it, and I feel like I’m finishing the best I’ve finished. So, just gotta keep at it. But I know I’m nowhere near where I want to be.”
The proof will be in the pudding as far as any shooting improvements.
But Wolf weighed in at 260 pounds, up almost 10 pounds from a year ago, and he’s banking on strength and experience helping his subpar finishing at the rim.
The Nets trade Nic Claxton to the Pistons in a three-team swap last week that brought former Knick Julius Randle to Brooklyn. Noah K. Murray for New York Post
“You learn something new every day when you work here in the NBA,” Wolf said. “Obviously you have Clax, who’s [spent] six or seven years in the league, and then Day Day is going into his sixth year, you learn from those guys every day.
“When I was in the G-League, I played center at times. Then there were times in the NBA when I was playing center too when those guys were out, and I felt comfortable in the position. I think the added strength is gonna be the biggest thing I do for five minutes at the five. But I’m gonna do whatever the coaches ask me to and just compete.”
As a rookie, Wolf played everywhere along the frontcourt. Coach Jordi Fernández even used him as a point forward and backup playmaker when the need arose.
“For sure. I played one through five this year,” said Wolf. “There were games where Jordi, I went in the game being point guard. And there would be games where I went in as a five. And I feel comfortable all across the floor. The biggest thing for me is defense.”
“I felt comfortable switching one through four last year. I thought I did it at a somewhat high level, and the next thing for me is just having that strength, that confidence to guard fives. And if that comes along, then who knows?”
It’s been a busy few days for the Florida Panthers.
After acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators earlier this month, the Panthers addressed several of the team’s needs via trades.
Mainly, the two vacancies in goal.
Before getting to the goaltenders though, the Panthers made a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, bringing in gritty forward Garnet Hathaway in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round selection.
The Flyers retained half of Hathaway’s $2.5 million salary in the trade.
Then on Monday, Florida got to the goaltenders, acquiring Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick.
Then about 12 hours later on Tuesday morning, news started to trickle out that the Panthers were trading for veteran netminder Jacob Markstrom.
The former Panthers draft pick was brought back, along with forward Angus Crookshank, in a trade with the New Jersey Devils for Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves.
Florida making a pair of moves for goaltenders also meant that the team would not be bringing back longtime netminder Sergei Bobrovsky.
After the dust settled, The Hockey Show hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork were joined by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald to make sense of it all.
You can see their thoughts in the video posted below:
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks celebrates with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
June 30.
It marks the start of free agency, an event that once meant a lot more in the NBA world.
Nowadays, most star players are moved via trade. The way the NBA works, players are incentivized to sign extensions to create maximum contract value, so even if they aren’t willing to commit for the five years they sign for, they know they’ll make an ungodly amount of money.
The last real mega year for free agency was 2019, which also makes this the unfortunate seventh anniversary of the biggest nightmare in Knicks history.
A month and a half after losing out on the Zion Williamson sweepstakes in the 2019 draft lottery, Knicks fans had their hearts ripped out when both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving spurned them for the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets.
It was the definitive low point in the history of this historic franchise. Three years later, to the day, everything changed at 9:33 pm.
It wasn’t some franchise-altering move. With the context at the time, it was just supposed to be a move to stabilize a long-problematic point guard position. The Knicks gave a nine-figure contract to a small, former second-round pick with limited starting experience. It was a gamble, even if the team’s cap sheet did not have a player making a prohibitive amount.
The pundits called it an overpay. They said he was just alright, but not worth his contract. He himself said on his first media day that he just wanted to help contribute to winning, that he was not a savior of any sort.
Well, in proving himself wrong, he proved every basketball fan in the world wrong.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jalen Brunson was born on August 31, 1996, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His mother, Sandra, was a Division I volleyball player at Temple, while his father, Rick, was an NBA journeyman. When Jalen was born, Rick was starting his pro career with the Adelaide 36ers in Australia, meaning that he didn’t meet his son for a while. Leon Rose, in fact, held him before his own father.
Growing up, the Brunsons would be on the road a lot. Rick would play in several different countries and a handful of NBA teams by the time his career wrapped up 10 years later. He spent the 1998-99 season with the Knicks, where Jalen met guys like Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, and Tom Thibodeau. While we haven’t been regaled with his experiences in other locker rooms as a kid, his time in New York seems to have shaped him.
Jalen Brunson on the MSG hardwood, circa 1999
Rick would return to New York for 15 games at the end of the 2000-01 season, but other than that, the Knicks were just a small stop on his tiring NBA career. By the time the 2006-07 season rolled around, he had an opportunity to play with his hometown Philadelphia 76ers. With the Brunsons residing in South Jersey, for the first time, they’d have a real opportunity to be together all season.
And then, Rick was cut. Jalen was 10 years old, and he’s stated in interviews since that he remembers holding back tears, hearing his father was hanging it up. At that point, one Brunson’s NBA journey was over.
The other’s was just beginning.
“I don’t want you to live how I lived,” Rick told Jalen that night, according to a 2015 Sports Illustrated feature that I highly recommend reading for more on Jalen’s upbringing. “If you really want to be a ballplayer, listen to what I tell you, and you will take a different route.”
From there, Jalen would train relentlessly. His father would work him ragged, berate him at every turn, bully him into being a better version of himself. He made the righty Jalen play left-handed; he disciplined every last bit of self-righteousness, ego, and selfishness out of his son.
Even as someone with plenty of athletic genes from his parents, Jalen needed thousands upon thousands of hours of work to get to this point. He couldn’t just coast onto Big Boards because of his traits. The Brunsons moved from South Jersey to Chicago in 2010, when Rick got the job as an assistant coach on Thibodeau’s staff. This is where his son’s basketball journey really began.
At Stevenson High School, he was a star by the time he was a sophomore. He dropped 57 points in a game as a junior. In his senior year in 2014-15, he was the best player in all of Illinois, leading Stevenson to a Class 4A state championship. Despite his small stature, his downright dominant play led to him being one of the highest ranked recruits in the nation.
Ranked as a five-star by 247Sports as the No. 31 overall prospect in the nation, Brunson was still behind the likes of Malik Newman, Isaiah Briscoe, Derryck Thornton, Juwan Evans, and Tyler Dorsey as a point guard. The only players in front of him in general that ever did anything in the NBA were Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown, and Jamal Murray. Even Iso Zo was in front of him!
It’s hard to call a five-star recruit with an NBA father doubted, but he was clearly seen as beneath all these guys. Just more fuel to the fire, as he picked Villanova over Illinois for his next step in college basketball.
Right off the bat, Jay Wright did something that he rarely ever does. He started the true freshman right away, only bringing him off the bench one time against an undefeated Xavier team to start Big East play in December. He made 39 starts as a freshman, posting modest numbers and being named to the Big East All-Freshman Team. His impact would be limited in the big games, as he only played around 23 minutes a night during the NCAA Tournament, but he emerged as a national champion.
As a sophomore, his responsibilities increased. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 assists as the second leading scorer on one of the best teams in the nation, being named First-Team All-Big East.
He was a steady force for the Wildcats all season long, but faltered in the NCAA Tournament, being held down with the rest of his team in an embarrassing second-round exit to Wisconsin. Repeating is hard, but with Brunson’s stock not super high, he decided to return as a junior.
His junior season was the stuff of legend. Named a Preseason All-American, he came out firing for a Nova team that started 13-0. 25 against Tennessee, four Big East games with at least 27 points, and a 31-point masterpiece against Providence in the Big East Championship Game.
Soon named the Naismith Player of the Year for his stupendous efforts, he took it into March Madness. Two so-so games in the first two rounds saw Villanova’s depth get them to the Sweet Sixteen, only for Brunson to drop 27 to beat a game West Virginia squad with Jevon Carter.
He took a backseat from there, scoring 15, 18, and just nine in the final three games while setting up for his teammates, Donte DiVincenzo and Mikal Bridges, to claim his second national championship. Finally, he’d go on to the NBA to redeem his father’s disappointment.
But once again, he was doubted.
Despite being the best player in college basketball, he slid out of the first round. It wasn’t unusual to see this, given how Kansas’ Frank Mason fell similarly in 2017, but it was still disappointing. He proved how good he was, yet waited patiently while three of his teammates and the likes of Chandler Hutchison, Landry Shamet, Džanan Musa, Elie Okobo, and even the same Carter he outdueled in the Sweet Sixteen went over him.
His drop finally ended at No. 33, when the Dallas Mavericks added to their haul of Luka Doncic by drafting the proven winner. It would simultaneously be their biggest heist… and their biggest failure.
Playing time wasn’t guaranteed. Not only would Doncic be the team’s future at guard, but they spent a lottery pick on Dennis Smith Jr. the year before. He spent much of the year on the bench, but he got sporadic starting opportunities when Smith was injured.
Things changed, though, when Smith was jettisoned to New York in the Kristaps Porzingis trade. Brunson immediately got more playing time and started alongside Doncic for the final two months, while also learning from the retiring Dirk Nowitzki out the door, a consummate leader and professional. In a March game against the playoff-bound Spurs, he scored 34 points on just 16 shots.
It seemed like his future was bright, but he hit a snag in 2019-20. A reworked Mavericks team prioritized surrounding Doncic with off-ball shooters and defenders, prompting guys like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Delon Wright to get more opportunities. Couple that with a late-season shoulder injury, and it can be argued that Brunson had a sophomore slump, averaging fewer points and fewer minutes in just 57 games.
But the best can make the best of a bad situation, which is exactly what Brunson did. Despite spending much of his third season as the team’s sixth man, he took his game to another level and made himself indispensable. When he got extended minutes, he showed up. When the team entrusted him with closing games, he made the right plays. He finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2020-21, but the Mavericks crashed and burned in Round 1.
At this point, entering his fourth season, Jalen had completed the mission statement. He was a real player for an NBA franchise, something that Rick was never able to accomplish. He had a real future ahead of him. The Mavericks inserted him in the starting lineup in mid-December 2021 after Doncic went down with injury, looking to see the kind of spark he could provide.
He’d never be put back on the bench.
In the final 55 regular-season games, he averaged 17.1 points and 4.8 assists on 50.6/39.2/86.9 splits. By the time Luka returned a few weeks later, Jason Kidd didn’t dare put him back on the bench. In December, Brunson’s camp went back to the Mavs brass to try and get a $55 million extension done after the two sides couldn’t agree in the offseason.
Dallas said no.
After the trade deadline, Dallas was finally willing to give their burgeoning young guard that extension.
Come playoff time, Doncic was once again sidelined with a calf injury, handing the reins to Brunson to start the playoff run against Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz.
With a certain front office contingent in the stands, Brunson scored 24 in a close loss in Game 1. Two days later, he dropped 41 to even up the series. He scored another 31 in a Game 3 win. Even when Doncic returned, Brunson was the catalyst in a six-game series win, averaging 27.8 points a game.
Another 28-point outburst in Game 3 against Phoenix won a crucial swing game. He scored 24 in a blowout Game 7 that sent that franchise spiraling. Even in a doomed five-game series against Golden State in the Western Conference Finals, he had 31 in Game 2 and walked off the floor after the best 18-game stretch of his NBA career after Game 5 with his future unknown.
As he entered free agency, his market had ballooned. In June, the Knicks made it clear that they wanted to bring the Jersey native home. They hired Rick as an assistant on Thibodeau’s staff, they maneuvered around the draft to clear cap space.
For a team coming off a disappointing 45-loss season and a failed Kemba Walker experiment, they had three options. Blow it up by trading Julius Randle and go back into a rebuild, continue to build methodically, or go star chasing.
They wanted to do No. 3, probably, but they didn’t want to go all-out for Donovan Mitchell or Dejounte Murray. I wouldn’t call Brunson a consolation prize, but that’s what the media probably believed.
In a sweepstakes that the NBA later constituted as tampering, Brunson chose New York four years ago to this day. Four years, $104 million. He considered returning to Dallas on a buffed-up deal and even flirted with Pat Riley down in Miami, but home was calling.
Free agent guard Jalen Brunson has agreed to a four-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks, his agents Aaron Mintz and Sam Rose of @CAA_Basketball tell ESPN. The deal includes a player option on the final season.
It was immediately called an overpay by every pundit out there. CBS Sports said he was a clear bust candidate. Nick Wright called it the saddest sweepstakes ever. Stephen A. Smith said he wasn’t the answer. Bill Simmons said he wasn’t a marquee talent.
More doubters, more people he had to prove wrong.
When he was introduced, he didn’t promise anything special. He didn’t promise to be a savior. He just wanted to bring stability and progress to a franchise that had not had a stable starting point guard in a decade and a half.
Things started pretty well. It was abundantly clear that this was the best point guard the team had in a long time, but it wasn’t anything special… yet. He recorded three consecutive 30-point games in November 2022, but the Knicks lost two of those games.
We all have different answers for when we thought Brunson might just be different. Some say they knew as early as his 27-13-7 masterpiece against Charlotte in October. My answer? When he capped a brilliant 30-point effort against the Bulls by crossing Alex Caruso out of his shoes:
He just kept hooping. 38 against San Antonio, 44 against Giannis and the Bucks. In 15 games in the month of January, he averaged 28.7 points on 44.7% from downtown. He kept it going with 41 in an overtime loss to the Clippers. The Knicks were good, but not great yet. He was snubbed from both the All-Star Game and All-NBA in Year 1, but showed that the sky was the limit with 48 against the Cavaliers in late March.
His first playoff run as a Knick started innocently enough with a solid series against an overmatched Cavs team, but he got enough support around him that he didn’t need to be legendary. But against Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler, and the Heat? He was all alone, and he rose like a phoenix.
30 in a Game 2 win. 32 and 11 in Game 4. 38-9-7 in a Game 5 win.
In Game 6, he dropped 41 points on 14-for-22 from the field and 5-for-10 from three. The rest of the team shot 26.5% from the field and 5-for-25 from deep. He had absolutely no help.
By the end of it, Spoelstra sang his praises. A man who’s led some of the best teams of the modern era and seen transcendent talent after transcendent talent called Brunson the truth.
"How is that dude not an All-Star or All-NBA? He should be on one of those teams… I wish he was still out west but man, you gotta respect him as a competitor."
Erik Spoelstra shows his respect for Jalen Brunson after a hard-fought series🤝pic.twitter.com/8jIv8TMJbn
It was an endorsement we hadn’t quite seen yet. Sure, Kendrick Perkins and a few other small voices stated their belief, but the consensus going into 2023-24 was that he wasn’t good enough.
While it was now clearly his team after Randle’s playoff escapades, nobody believed he was a No. 1 option. In December 2023, Inside the NBA ran a segment about the Knicks stagnating as a good but not great team in the East.
For some ridiculous reason, Becky Hammon decided to turn it into a spiel about why small players can’t win a championship. Nevermind the fact that the discussion was merely about how the Knicks get to the top of the East and that she later said that Joel Embiid qualified as a 1A because of his size while being unable to get past the second round, but that’s besides the point.
For the rest of his career, this clip would be used whenever he struggled, failed, or fell short. No exceptions. The only way he could stop it was by winning.
That’s not to say he didn’t try initially, though. His second season with the Knicks was even better, averaging a blistering 28.7 points and 6.7 assists with good efficiency, carrying an undermanned team that missed both Randle and OG Anunoby for much of the second half to the East’s No. 2 seed with limited offensive help.
He made his first All-Star team, was named Second-Team All-NBA, and even came fifth in MVP voting. As the season progressed, you could see the star that was burgeoning in front of us. He scored 50 with the most efficient second half in the history of the sport against Phoenix early in the season.
He dropped 61 in a loss to the Spurs late in the season, where Victor Wembanyama dropped 40/20 and an exhausted Brunson not only failed to break the franchise’s single-game points record, but ran out of gas at the end of the game.
40-point games were the norm in the second half. He sustained a scary knee injury in March in Cleveland, but was back on the floor five days later. With the world collapsing around him, he put up the best individual season by a Knick in decades.
In the playoffs? Superman put on his cape again. After struggling in the first two games against Philly, the same team that ended his dad’s NBA career, he averaged 41 points and 10 assists in the final four games to send them home.
Against Indiana, he did his best to overcome more and more injuries, destroying the team around him. Two more 40-balls later, the series was tied at three heading into a Game 7 at MSG, but the injury bug finally caught up to him. Already without Randle, Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Mitchell Robinson, and with both Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein badly hurting, Brunson fractured his hand on Tyrese Haliburton’s kneecap in the third quarter.
His season, and the team’s season, was over.
Around that time, he also learned he was snubbed from the 2024 Paris Olympics’ roster in favor of guys like Haliburton and Jayson Tatum. Once again, he was passed over for people he had outplayed. The fractured hand would’ve likely kept him off regardless, but he was never even considered.
By the time he put the orange and blue back on the following season, the team was totally different. DiVincenzo and Randle were gone; Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges were here. Never again would they allow themselves to be caught with their pants down without any star power.
Brunson’s usage would never be as high as it was in 2023-24 again, so you didn’t see the weekly 40-piece as part of his diet. He had just three of them all season long, but one of them was a 55-point masterpiece against Washington in late December.
But being a facilitator wasn’t his biggest strength. He had a 17-assist game in November, but only had one other game over 12. His season was more about consistently maintaining his 26-point scoring average and his exploits as the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, consistently bailing out a team that wasn’t deep nor schematically superior enough to dominate.
He finally donned his cape again in the playoffs. With every possession so crucial, Thibodeau’s offense ground to a halt, and they relied on him to bail them out. He scored 30 in five of the six games against Detroit, most notably his 40 in the closeout Game 6 that sent Ausar Thompson flying and the Pistons home.
Still wondering why Jalen Brunson decided to shatter Ausar Thompson’s ankles 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/8Ee86KRPnj
He didn’t have to do too much in a Boston series that was more focused on relentless defense and grit, but he outdueled Jayson Tatum with 39 in a Game 4 win that broke the defending champions’ spirit.
In a rematch against Indiana, he scored 79 total points in the first two games, both losses. Despite averaging 30.7 points on above-average efficiency for a guard, Indiana’s offense wrecked a helpless Knicks defense, sending them home in six games.
With three failed playoff runs, there were serious doubts creeping in about Brunson’s ability to be the best player on a championship team. Sure, the media had been saying this for years, but even the fanbase was starting to worry. For the first time in several years, mock trades were beginning to get a new 1A. Those Giannis rumors in the offseason didn’t help.
A tumultuous 2025-26 season didn’t help. Recurring ankle injuries made the 29-year-old a step slower and less consistent. His shot wasn’t falling as often as before. The new Mike Brown system had players around him questioning their roles, leading to uncertainty all around. The highlight of the regular season was the run to the NBA Cup Final, where Brunson took home NBA Cup MVP.
He still made Second-Team All-NBA, but after gaining the respect of so many in the prior two years, the media began circling again as the Knicks scuffled early in the postseason.
They called Cade Cunningham better. They called Tyrese Maxey better. They called Haliburton better. Multiple reporters posted All-NBA ballots that even had the likes of Chet Holmgren, Deni Avdija, Jalen Duren, Jalen Johnson, and Derrick White over him.
The PR machine had flipped, no more so than his failed late-game execution in Games 2 and 3 against Atlanta. His entire Knicks tenure had been defined by always being the best player on the floor in the clutch.
We all know that something big happened in the locker room after that Game 3, but you also have to think of the switch that flipped mentally for some of these players, some of the realizations that they made.
If this is how they went out, what would happen next?
For Brunson, he knew this franchise was still his, but he surely thought of everything around him. Would another disappointing exit prompt his two Villanova buddies to be ushered out the door? Would his dad be let go to make room for a new voice on the staff? Would James Dolan get rid of Leon Rose, a longtime family friend of the Brunsons, who, along with Thibodeau, made the decision to come to New York much easier than it must’ve been?
And even his own financials. He took a massive pay cut in 2024 to help build this team, hoping that he’d be repaid down the road with a mega extension in 2028. But if he’s already regressing now and the team is going nowhere, why would they give him $400 million?
The switch flipped for him and the team the following game. In Game 5, he scored 39 at the World’s Most Famous Arena, finally solving the Dyson Daniels puzzle and putting a dagger into Atlanta’s hearts that they never recovered from.
Against Philly, he replayed the hits from 2024, just against a much sadder edition of the Sixers. 35 points in a Game 1 blowout, 33 points in a Game 3 that stole their soul. Ho hum.
Then came the Eastern Conference Finals. A chance at redemption, this time against a similar Cavs team to the one they dispatched in 2023. Unfortunately for them, the rust was evident and they were getting blitzed in Game 1.
93-71. Under eight to go. Brunson tried to rally the troops, but it was likely all for naught.
But that’s the thing about the Brunson era. When someone writes you off, you don’t write back. He absolutely decimated James Harden 1-on-1 for what felt like six minutes straight and willed the Knicks back in it, dropping 38 points in the greatest comeback in franchise playoff history.
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) May 20, 2026
He didn’t really do much the remainder of the series, outside of a casual 30 in Game 3, but was still named Eastern Conference Finals MVP for his troubles. The man who claimed he wasn’t a savior had brought the Knicks to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.
All that stood in their way? Wemby and the Spurs. The new guard of the NBA that threatened to dominate the sport for the next decade. Almost everyone believed that the Knicks would be their first victims. After all, the West was the much tougher conference!
They doubted Brunson again, but he and his team proved them wrong one more time.
Despite some hellacious defense holding him down in the first three games, it was Brunson who made the big plays to win Games 1 and 2. He walked them down in Game 1 and was able to find the will to overcome a late 14-0 run in Game 2 to hit the crucial shots and get the game-clinching steal.
In Game 4, when the Knicks went down 29, he helped will them back again with the help of a tremendous game by Anunoby. Down by four in the final two minutes, he sized up the 7’5″ freak of nature and cashed a triple right in his face. There’s no fear around these parts.
In Game 5, we got another version of Miami Game 6.
Nobody was helping him. Towns was in foul trouble and couldn’t get going. Bridges and Anunoby were inconsistent. The bench was awful. The Knicks were down 15, and once again, they looked to Brunson.
This time, it wasn’t to save their season, it was to end someone else’s and end 53 years of misery.
Out of the 94 points the Knicks scored in their championship-clinching Game 5, he scored 45 of them. In a game where nobody had it, he was all they needed. Shot after shot, possession after possession.
He just wouldn’t let them lose. Not now. He waited his whole life for this.
He said he wasn’t a savior. He lied.
He has a case to be the greatest Knick in the 80-year history of his franchise. The stats and success of Patrick Ewing and Clyde Frazier, respectively, might argue differently, but he is undoubtedly the most important player in the history of the Knicks.
Without him, they might still be aimlessly wandering the desert. Without everything he’s done for this team, we all might’ve grown old and died without seeing a championship.
How could the Knicks have been so blessed to not only get such a tremendous talent with the heart of a lion to get better and better, but to get one of the best overall leaders that the league has seen in decades?
In 2024, he could’ve waited a year and signed a $269 million extension. Instead, he inked a new one for $156 million. That extra money allowed the Knicks to fit the contracts for his comrades and is allowing Alvarado and Shamet to still be here to this day.
The Knicks have been down double digits dozens of times in the playoffs since he’s gotten here, but they keep winning. They’ve come back down 20+ on five different occasions in two years. They’ve overcome deficits of at least 14 nine times.
It not only takes a level of talent to overcome bad starts like this, but composure. Mental fortitude. It takes a lifetime of knowing that it’s not over until the final whistle to be able to do this game in and game out.
There was a time people doubted that the Knicks had the grit and desire to overcome adversity (ahem, Vince Goodwill). They might just be the most mentally tough team to ever play organized basketball.
This tribute piece is 5,000 words long. It’s the culmination of 53 years of agony, heartbreak, and disappointment. It’s the end of a series that’s seen us honor all 18 members of this championship roster.
The timing is perfect. This (maybe) was published on the exact moment four years after Jalen Brunson signed in New York.
I’d argue that the start of this championship ascent started with hiring Leon Rose, but this real era of Knicks basketball that will go down in history officially started on that late June night.
13-year-old me had his heart broken on June 30, 2019. The last remaining semblance of hope I had surrounding this franchise was gone when KD and Kyrie went to Brooklyn. Porzingis was gone, Zion was a Pelican, and now nobody was coming to save this sinking ship.
16-year-old me was happy seeing Brunson, someone whom I once watched at the 2017 Big East Championship Game as a Nova fan, join the team on June 30, 2022. I thought we needed more than that offseason, but I always knew he was a super talented player who would stabilize the point guard position.
And now, 20-year-old me is writing this, enjoying the 16 days it’s been since I saw something I never thought I’d see. It’s surreal to have watched all of this happen, to see all the ways this franchise has been improbably changed forever.
Porzingis is at the Golden State retirement home. Irving and Durant’s legacies are those of people who needed the help of all-time greats to ever win anything. None of them wanted to take on the challenge that Brunson showed would be so gratifying to complete.
Who would’ve ever thought we’d be talking about veterans’ ring chasing, defending a championship, ring night, and retiring jersey numbers???
Whenever Brunson’s career ends, he’ll end up in the Basketball Hall of Fame, have No. 11 raised to the rafters of the Mecca of Basketball, and go down as one of the best to ever play the game. If the NBA re-did the NBA 75 right now, he’d be on it. When they do the top-100 in 2046, he’ll be honored. It won’t just be for what he’s done for this city, but that’ll be a very big part.
The most improbable NBA champion in decades, in the biggest basketball city in the world, led by someone who everyone thought was too small, not quick enough, not strong enough.
It’s not just worth a Ben Stiller documentary, an ESPN 30-for-30, or endless YouTube video essays and articles. It’s worth a biopic in Hollywood.
If you pitched the entire story of Jalen Brunson as a screenwriter, you’d be shot down for lack of realism
That’s how awesome this is.
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(This concludes P&T’s player-by-player tributes to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
