It’s the end of June, July beckons. Do you know where your prospects are? How about your free agents?
Islanders News
The Islanders wasted no time after the draft getting the kids to Long Island. Development camp began Monday morning with greetings and interviews and breaking into Blue and White. [Isles]
Adam Boqvist, Marc Gatcomb and Max Shabanov did not receive qualifying offers. [Post]
Islanders Anxiety: Mike and Dan review the final week, plus some bonus Masterleaf Theatre. [LHH]
Three Islanders free agency needs and some suggestions for filling them. [Newsday]
What would a successful free agency look like, anyway? (There’s a lot of crap out there.) [Newsday]
Speaking of…here’s a ranking of teams’ cap situations. “The Islanders should be in a strong position to build around Matthew Schaefer, Ilya Sorokin, Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, but the team’s cap sheet is handcuffed by several overpaid veterans.” [Athletic]
Elsewhere
Florida made a couple acquisitions, sending A.J. Greer to Anaheim for pending free agent Radko Gudas’ rights, and they sent a third to Vegas for goalie Akira Schmid. [NHL]
The Hurricanes acquired the negotiating rights to pending UFA John Carlson, who wants to move back east. [NHL]
Bourne: What the Leafs might be doing, or should do given what they’re doing. [Sportsnet]
Anders Lee is among the free agents the Senators should maybe target. [Sportsnet]
The Oilers invited three women pros to their development camp. [NHL]
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 15: Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is introduced before the game against the Detroit Pistons during Round Two Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have built one of the most expensive teams in the league, and one somehow devoid of depth at the most premium position.
The pursuit of talent over position has led to a team with too many overlapping skill sets at guard and center. That is coming back to bite them as they simultaneously can’t afford to be with or without the only rotation player who can naturally shift between small and power forward.
Dean Wade isn’t the ideal starting small forward for a championship-level team. He’s an exceptional point-of-attack defender who can legitimately guard each position on the court. Every team can use a player like that. It’s the offensive side that holds him back.
Wade is a respectable outside shooter for his size, but he hasn’t registered above the fifth percentile for offensive usage in the past five seasons. The hesitancy to pull the trigger when he has an opening, combined with his inability to provide much else as a passer, ball handler, or inside finisher, contributes to that number being so low. An offense can’t function at its capacity if one of its players is participating so little in the outcome of possessions.
Despite these warts, the market for Wade is robust. Every team is either looking for a star athletic wing or a way to slow down their opponent’s. Wade is the latter. And if you’re able to play him in a more ideal role, you’d probably get better results.
It’s been reported that Wade isn’t going to give the Cavs a hometown discount. His market could be upward to the entire non-tax midlevel exception of $15 million per year.
The Cavaliers can match that. They have Wade’s Bird rights, which means they can go over the salary cap to retain him. The concern comes with what that means for the rest of the cap sheet.
The second apron makes it very difficult to reshape your team. The Cavs found that out the hard way this past season as they were the only team above the second apron. James Harden opting out of his contract has allowed the Cavs to duck below that threshold by $42.1 million. But if they are going to stay below — or even get below the first apron — they’ll need more than just signing Harden to a more team-friendly deal.
Moving Dennis Schröder or Max Strus for smaller contracts or cap relief is a possibility that was already on the table. Trading either or both would become vital if you were to retain Wade near the $15 million per year mark. It’s also worth noting that these changes would be aimed at bringing back a group that fell in four games to the New York Knicks — not one that’s a proven championship contender you want to keep intact.
Despite that, if the Cavs lose Wade, there really isn’t a simple solution for replacing him.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Jarrett Allen Fro shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
The Cavs don’t have enough wings to take up Wade’s minutes internally. Strus has proven that he can start at the three with this group, but he can’t do so and also provide backup minutes at power forward. Neither can Jaylon Tyson at 6’6″ if he takes another step forward in his development.
Cleveland’s core four doesn’t have the same exact skill sets, but from a team construction standpoint, they functionally occupy similar archetypes. Donovan Mitchell and Harden are both most effective with the ball in their hands while not providing much resistance as point of attack defenders. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are both at their best as play finishers, not play creators. They’re also more traditional rim protectors that aren’t as useful when they’re forced to guard in space. Both sets require compromises elsewhere. This creates lineups where you have multiple players with the same skills and the same weaknesses.
Redundancy on its own isn’t a problem. Having multiple elite ball handlers and rim protectors is extremely useful over an 82-game season. However, in the playoffs, you need to be able to play in a variety of ways depending on the matchup. This is where the repeated strengths and weaknesses of the core are an issue.
The ideal role players for this kind of team would be players who have well-rounded games. Unfortunately for the Cavs, it’s difficult to find well-rounded role players for a variety of reasons. The main one being that if their games were that well-rounded, they’re usually not actually in the role-player tier.
So instead, the Cavs have opted for specialists to plug holes. There’s lineups and situations that someone like Sam Merrill is extremely useful in. And there’s situations and lineups where it doesn’t quite work. The same isn’t true for Wade.
With the team’s strengths and weaknesses, nearly every grouping benefits from Wade’s point of attack defense, rebounding, switchability, and occasional shooting. This is why the Cavs have consistently played better with Wade on the court.
Lineups with Wade playing last season were three points better than they were when he was off. That drastically increased in the playoffs. The Cavs were 10.6 points better with Wade on the floor compared to without him. That was second only to Harden (+12.7).
It’s easy to see why when you watch these groups play. Wade can guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player. The two bigs can switch any pick-and-rolls without giving up significant mismatches with backline help behind them. And Wade does enough as a shooter and rebounder to round out those lineups. This is just one example of a grouping that Wade can elevate.
On one hand, it’s difficult to justify giving $15 million per year for a player with such a low usage offensively, and who can be a liability in the playoffs when he isn’t taking outside shots. At the same time, there’s no one on the roster, nor anyone that the Cavs could easily acquire, who would better provide the defensive versatility and rebounding that Wade does.
This is one of the many areas where the lack of roster balance hurts the Cavs. Every team under this CBA has weak points and role players that hold groups together. That’s fine. But ideally, those glue guys aren’t the only players at that particular position.
Wade’s importance is a byproduct of valuing skill over position. That philosophy can lead you to stealing Allen in a multi-team trade or picking up an All-Star guard like Darius Garland instead of taking Jarrett Culver because he played a more valuable position. But when taken to its furthest extreme, you end up with a roster that is only glued together by an undrafted free agent that isn’t good enough to elevate the group to the next level, but also too expensive to justify really paying if it handcuffs your ability to make other moves.
The Cavs have a difficult choice to make with the start of free agency later today. Either they pay Wade more than they can easily rationalize doing, considering their cap situation. Or, they lose him for nothing, and will need to spend valuable assets and likely create holes elsewhere in the roster trying to find a replacement.
Neither is a good option. But the Cavs need to choose one, and hope to reinforce the wing position at some point this summer, regardless of which direction they decide to go.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 29: Spencer Jones #78 and Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees look on during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on June 29, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The worst-kept secret about the Yankees right now is that they’re hurting for some offensive fireworks. With Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham, and Ryan McMahon all on the IL right now, over a third of the starting lineup is missing and the consequences can be felt in their five-game losing streak. They’ve been on no-hit alert in back-to-back nights now, and in general the lineup has failed to get much of anything going on a consistent basis. Nearly everyone in the lineup is slumping, and as a result they haven’t scored more than four runs in a game in over a week. That just won’t do.
So there’s been many culprits responsible for the offense’s cold streak, but who can pull them out of the doldrums? In an ideal world there would be several hitters getting close to finding their form again, but sometimes you just need one guy to get on a heater to take the pressure off the rest of the team. It doesn’t matter who does it, but someone’s gotta step up and be the one to put the lineup on their back for at least a little bit. Let’s go over some candidates, shall we?
Ben Rice has been the 1B to Aaron Judge’s 1A in the lineup for the majority of the year, but with Judge now out Rice unfortunately entered a pretty big slump regressing back to the mean a bit. His June’s been rough, but he still stacks up as the team’s best hitter this year and thus stands the best chance of carrying the load with some timely homers if he gets back on track. The lack of protection might be a contributing factor to Rice’s slump, but right now there’s no guarantee of any protection coming up and they simply need somebody to get the torch lit.
Aside from Rice, the next best hitter would be Cody Bellinger, and he’s in the right place to find his groove. Bellinger’s got some of the most egregious home/away splits you could ask for going on this season, hitting to a 207 wRC+ in Yankee Stadium while hitting for a 64 wRC+ anywhere else. That latter mark is quite concerning, but seeing as the Yankees are at the start of a homestand as we speak, there’s no harm in keeping the pattern going for another week.
It’s been a major surprise just how well Paul Goldschmidt’s done this year, but the long-time veteran has fit into his role exceptionally since taking on a small one-year deal to return to the Yankees. He’s gotten more playing time than originally expected with Stanton’s injury, and that has only expanded with Judge also out now, but they’ve never needed him more than now with the rest of the offense struggling. He’s been arguably the most successful of the bunch during June, encapsulated by his two-homer day against Tarik Skubal last week, but if he could fully turn on the 2022 Matt Carpenter magic for a bit his Yankees stint could quickly rise to legendary status.
Perhaps though, the answer simply doesn’t lay with the lineup as is. Perhaps the return of Grisham and/or McMahon will be the catalyst that turns things around, and they’re both nearing that point. Grisham could be back during this homestand, with a short rehab stint that could last as long as a single game being all that stands between him and his name being penciled back into the lineup. McMahon is due back shortly after him, and while he hasn’t been as impactful with the bat overall he’s had his moments and could certainly ingratiate himself by slapping a clutch home run to bail out the rest of the position players.
Whoever the answer is, the Yankees would love it if they got to work immediately as they’ve got another game in front of them. Before we get to their attempt to even up this series though, let’s run through what’s in store here first: Jeff considers what Minnesota could have to offer as our trade partner series kicks off, Peter covers the Roundup, Kento honors Jerry Kenney’s time with the Yankees on his birthday, Michael goes through the past week’s action down on the farm, and Andrés examines Henry Lalane’s resurgence and how it could position him as a trade chip this season.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that James informed the Lakers that “the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere.”
James, 41, spent eight seasons with the Lakers after previous stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18) and Miami Heat (2010-14). He led the Lakers to their 17th NBA championship in the 2019-20 season, which ended in the bubble in Orlando due to Covid.
Over his Lakers tenure, James became the league’s top all-time scorer, made eight All-Star appearances and seven All-NBA teams. He averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game in the regular season with 63 postseason games played.
James also famously joined his son, Bronny James, on the floor for the last two seasons as the first father-son duo to play together. The Lakers fully guaranteed the younger James’ $2.3 million contract for next season on Monday.
Things have changed in recent years for James, though, since the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic. The younger superstar became the face and future of the franchise, leaving James to play in a secondary role alongside Austin Reaves.
Last season, the Lakers went 53-29 and lost in the second round to the Oklahoma City Thunder. James played just 60 games, causing him to miss out on All-NBA for the first time since his rookie year.
Now a free agent for the fourth time in his career, James’ next move could be his last. He will enter his 24th NBA season as the league’s oldest player.
James’ next team has been speculated as the Golden State Warriors, who reportedly could look to pair in-house stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green with James and his former teammate Anthony Davis. Other teams pursuing James could include his former homes in Cleveland and Miami, though they’ll have less money to spend compared to Golden State.
NBA free agency officially opens at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on Tuesday, June 30.
The 22-time NBA All-Star will continue his career next season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday, citing James’ Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul.
BREAKING: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/zzVk6xUVF1
Bad news for the narrative traders. The smoke was just smoke.
For weeks, Kalshi's LeBron James Next Team market was driven by agent-manufactured leverage and sentimental fantasies. Traders threw their capital at a Miami Heat reunion or a hyper-complex Golden State superteam architecture, entirely convinced that loud rumors equaled guaranteed outcomes.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers were sitting right there at a 10¢ discount.
Now, the market has officially resolved. Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul has confirmed that James is signing a two-year, $8 million deal with Philadelphia. The contrarian play hit, the heavy favorites burned, and the balance of power in professional basketball just tilted violently toward Pennsylvania.
Here is a look back at how the board closed, why the smartest play was hiding in plain sight, and what this cycle teaches us about separating front-office reality from Twitter leverage.
LeBron James Next Team Odds: How The Market Resolved
Before the official announcement pulled the market down, the closing prices reflected a massive overreaction to Miami's institutional stability.
Contender
Final Share Price
Implied Probability
Resolution
Miami Heat
49¢
49%
Loss
Cleveland Cavaliers
28¢
28%
Loss
Golden State Warriors
14¢
14%
Loss
Philadelphia 76ers
10¢
10%
Winner
Note: Prices reflect the final trading window before the market suspended for resolution.
The Mechanics of Leverage: Why The Sixers Hit
Prediction markets often price the volume of the noise rather than the quality of the basketball fit...
BREAKING: LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, Klutch Sports Group and Klutch CEO and Game Over show host Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ALOlTkgdAV
The Heat and Warriors dominated the daily news cycle, but the 76ers built an undeniable roster. By trading for Jaylen Brown to pair with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia front-loaded their rotation with elite two-way talent.
James did not need to force a multi-team sign-and-trade to build a contender; the Sixers already did the heavy lifting. When evaluating free agency odds, you have to apply a "coach's eye" to the roster constraints. At 41 years old, LeBron was never going to join a roster requiring a complete gut-job. He needed plug-and-play championship infrastructure. At 10¢, the market completely underpriced the reality of Philadelphia's depth chart.
Jaylen Brown was just traded there, giving Philadelphia an enviable trio in the backcourt of Brown, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. They also have a premier big in the frontcourt in Joel Embiid (if he can stay healthy).
There were also numerous reported LeBron sightings around Philadelphia on Monday, which even we were skeptical about:
JUST IN: Private jet belonging to LeBron James has just touched down in Philadelphia👀 pic.twitter.com/ea3ylvGh5c
The late-stage movement on this board was a masterclass in separating genuine signals from agent-driven hype.
Golden State Was A Mirage
The Golden State Warriors narrative was an absolute mirage. The market briefly bought into the idea that Golden State could magically execute a cap-crushing trade for Anthony Davis, pushing their share price into genuine contender territory. But building a new superteam under modern NBA collective bargaining guidelines is a financial nightmare. Traders who bought into the Warriors—or a sentimental 28¢ Cleveland return—were buying the storyline, not the logistics.
Miami Was The Trap
Miami at 49¢ was the ultimate trap. It felt inevitable, but past institutional stability does not score points in the fourth quarter. The Heat were priced like a lock simply because they were the loudest room in the house.
What We Learned For Next Time
Success in these player movement markets requires treating the board like a live news ticker, not a static sportsbook.
This cycle proved that you cannot let leverage plays distract you from fundamental roster realities. The smartest money did not chase the Golden State smoke or the Miami nostalgia; it looked for the team with the actual infrastructure to win a title right now.
When an aging icon is chasing one final ring, ignore the media ecosystem. Look at the depth chart. The 76ers had the pieces, the cap space, and the immense value. Next time a market heavily favors the most complicated outcome, buy the simple one.
Strategic considerations for traders
Trade the Cascade, Avoid the Resolution: You do not need to hold your contracts until the ink on an official contract dries. The second a credible insider tweets that the Wizards and Warriors have agreed on the Anthony Davis trade framework, Golden State's contract will instantly clear 85¢—that is your optimal window to sell your "Yes" shares for a massive, clean profit.
Arb the Stale Contracts: Look across alternative trading pools for participants who haven't updated their portfolios in light of the Klutch Sports declaration. Buying up mispriced "No" shares on the Lakers remains a pure execution victory.
Monitor the Hard-Cap Aprons: Building a Big 4 under modern NBA collective bargaining guidelines is a financial nightmare. Watch closely for any leaks suggesting Washington is demanding additional young assets that would trigger an untradeable hard-cap restriction for Golden State.
How to trade LeBron James Next Team Odds on Kalshi
Trading high-volume NBA futures on a designated contract exchange like Kalshi offers a highly responsive, data-backed alternative to traditional, static sportsbooks.
Account Setup: Create your profile and fund your active Kalshi account securely via bank wire or standard transfer to ensure your liquidity is ready ahead of the midnight free-agency window.
Navigate: Click directly into the main sports interface, filter by the "Next NBA Team" tab, and select the dedicated "LeBron James Next Team" market.
Execute: Evaluate the live pricing spreads to determine if you want to back the surging Bay Area superteam narrative via ‘Yes’ shares or protect your position by purchasing ‘No’ contracts against the field.
Monitor: Track your risk exposure continuously through your live portfolio feed, giving you the power to sell out of your positions early to lock in your returns or cut your losses.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 29: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees reacts as he is taken out of the game after colliding with a teammate during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on June 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NBC Sports: In case you missed it, Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited Monday’s game against the Tigers early. While tracking a fly ball, he collided with Jasson Domínguez, taking the outfielder’s arm straight to the head. According to Aaron Boone, he has not been diagnosed with a concussion, but he is in concussion protocol.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: The Yankees have not looked good of late, including getting swept in a four-game series at the hands of the rival Red Sox over the weekend. Despite the recent losing streak, the Yankees’ record is right near the top of the American League, and was the best in the AL until the recent defeats. Considering the Yankees’ roster makeup, it’s probably best for them to go all in at the Trade Deadline, with the likes of Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole currently in their 30s.
ESPN | Jorge Castillo: Two of the players whose injury recoveries are most important to the Yankees’ chances are Max Fried and Giancarlo Stanton. In some hopeful news, the two are set to face off in a live batting practice session on Tuesday. Stanton’s timeline is still largely unclear, but if all goes well for Fried he could begin a rehab assignment shortly after this session.
CBS Sports | Matt Snyder: While the Yankees have gotten stinkers out of the rotation, bullpen, and defense of late, the major reason for the recent struggles have been due to a slumping offense. There are several reasons for that, but they’re ones the Yankees are going to have change quickly if they do want to make a run in October. Some of their stars (including their biggest one) are injured, sure, but the supporting cast just hasn’t done much supporting at all during this stretch or for the season at large and that’s a concern that won’t go away easily.
Following tonight’s game, the Yankees optioned RHP Yerry de los Santos to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Lastly, the Yankees will have a fresh arm in their bullpen tonight after needing to use six arms to record 22 outs in relief of an ineffective Ryan Weathers yesterday. Yerry de los Santos threw two innings after Weathers left the game, and he’ll now head back to Triple-A. The RailRiders were off yesterday, so the Yankees will have their pick of the litter.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 21: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on against the Indiana Pacers during the first half at TD Garden on January 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 China Wong/Getty Images) | Getty Images
From afar, Robert Parish has taken notice of the Jaylen Brown trade speculation dominating the offseason discourse, and The Chief has taken his stance.
Parish is firmly against the idea of trading Brown, as the four-time champion adamantly expressed during an appearance Monday on SiriusXM NBA Radio. In explaining his position on the matter, Parish called out the Celtics, and specifically team president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, for what he deems a “serious miscalculation” by the organization following their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“First of all, you don’t get rid of a talent like Jaylen Brown unless he asked to be moved, not to mention the backcourt with he and (Jayson) Tatum is a proven formula. So why would you wanna make that move?,” Parish said. “I find it disturbing, and it’s uncomfortable, and not to mention I don’t understand — never have, never will — why ownership and management want respect and loyalty from players, but they only give you loyalty and respect when it’s in their best interest.”
Boston, MA – March 18: Former Boston Celtics center Robert Parish watches the action in the second quarter. The Celtics played the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden on March 18, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Brown was the reported centerpiece, attached to two future first-round picks, offered to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Antetokounmpo before the Miami Heat finalized an agreement last Monday.
The rumors have only picked up steam since then, as Brown remains one of the biggest names on the reported trade block with an uncertain future in Boston.
During his press conference after the first round of last week’s 2026 NBA Draft, Stevens sidestepped all questions regarding the Brown trade topic. Stevens described Brown as “a big part of us,” while also unwilling to dive into the specifics of their offseason discussions after revealing he and Brown have met to speak.
Brown has yet to comment on the trade rumors specifically, but has been outspoken ever since Boston’s early postseason exit against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. He’s utilized his FCHWPO Twitch channel and X account to keep his voice heard throughout the offseason, whether it’s challenging ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith or basketball analytics to debunk narratives he considers disingenuous or “clickbait.”
Back in March, Parish returned to TD Garden and briefly met with Brown pregame, ahead of his historic performance against the Golden State Warriors in which Brown surpassed Dave Cowens to crack the franchise’s top-10 scoring list.
Parish praised the entire team amid its underdog run without Jayson Tatum.
Brown, in response, praised Parish right back.
“Obviously Parish is a legend, so it’s good to see him out there,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “He looked good — looks in great shape — so it’s great to have him around. I haven’t gotten to meet him or talk to him, so hopefully next time he comes back, I’ll make it an emphasis to go say hello.”
Parish’s perspective is one Celtics fans likely share after a decade of watching Brown grow from a second-unit contributor to a champion and MVP candidate who’s given Boston everything it’s needed and more.
Yaxel Lendeborg is not shy about the fact that he’s a big Kyrie Irving fan, and while bringing up the 2016 NBA Finals might offend Warriors fans, it’s a point of pride for the 23-year-old.
“I’m a Kyrie guy, so I go wherever he goes,” Lendeborg told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Bonta Hill and Monte Poole. “I’m a Cavaliers fan at that time. We played [the Warriors] in the Finals like three years in a row. I’m like, ‘Man, I hate these guys, I’m so tired of them.’ “
“That Game 7 when Kyrie hit that shot, I was in New York at our cousin’s house,” Lendeborg recalled to Hill and Poole. “He hit that shot, I ran down the hallway like 10 times screaming, ‘Let’s Go! Go Cavs!’ all this other stuff. It’s so ironic that I’m here now.”
Lendeborg is now teammates with a pair of Warriors who went through that devastating defeat – Draymond Green and Steph Curry – but says he hopes there’s no hard feelings. Lendeborg admitted he used to “hate” Curry in his post-2026 NBA Draft press conference, to which the Warriors superstar replied, “I’m going to work hard to be your new favorite player,” on social media.
“I was a teenager, I was in high school, come on, man,” Lendeborg said. “[Steph] commented on my post on Instagram. I haven’t really said nothing else about it. I just told him we’re all good, tried to leave it at that.”
Now 10 years removed and all in on playing for Golden State, Lendeborg and the rest of the squad will try to bring another title to the Bay Area.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 25: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors greets LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets after the game on February 25, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Never say never. Back in March, WSOC-TV asked Steph Curry the question he’s been fielding for years, and instead of the usual diplomatic deflection, Steph grinned and said it outright: you always keep your options open. The question was: will he leave the Warriors to join his hometown Charlotte Hornets? Dell Curry’s number 30 went up into the rafters at Spectrum Center that same week, and Steph had already asked his dad, half-joking but clearly not entirely, whether an exception could be made if it ever came to that. Dell didn’t even blink. Quick yeah, he said. We’d take it down for that, no doubt.
That wasn’t a one-off answer, either. He’s repeated some version of that ever since, always with the same grin, like he knows exactly how much weight the words carry and enjoys carrying them anyway. Since 2022, the Warriors front office has dealt primarily with one question: does this move give Steph another real chance? They traded for Jimmy Butler mid-season because the timeline mattered more than the asset cost. They abandoned the two-timeline philosophy once it became clear that developing tomorrow’s core was costing today’s championship window.
The Hornets just acted like time is their greatest asset. Charlotte had a young, exciting core that played its way to the edge of the playoffs, the kind of team that makes a building loud again, and the front office looked at it and decided the ceiling wasn’t high enough.
Genuinely fascinated by every single piece of this LaMelo trade. Fascinated that Tim Connelly decided this was his move. Fascinated that the Hornets decided to sell high on LaMelo after a great second half of the season.
One of the most interesting trades I can remember.
The Hornets keeping LaMelo for all these years than trading him when they finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel is exactly why bad teams stay bad
Over the span of three days, the Hornets traded away both LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, the two most talented players on a roster that had just spent a full season looking like the most fun, most dangerous version of itself in over a decade. LaMelo and Josh Green went to Minnesota for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks. Bridges went to Phoenix days later in a separate deal. By the time the dust settled, Charlotte had also added Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, restocking the roster with exactly the kind of high-IQ, hard-working, three-point-shooting professionals Charlotte has been hunting for.
Buried in that swap is the actual headline. Kon Knueppel just led all rookies in made threes, breaking the rookie record outright with 273 of them, and he did it while deferring to Ball and Brandon Miller most of the season. Charlotte didn’t wait around to see whether handing him the keys later would work out. They moved the timeline up on purpose, while his stock was rising and before Ball’s injury history or trade value had the chance to slide the other way.
Warriors fans know exactly what that feeling is like from the other side of it. Dub Nation spent years watching their own front office wrestle with the same question Charlotte just answered: what do you do with young, talented, occasionally electric pieces who don’t quite fit the timeline you’re trying to win on right now?
Golden State’s version of that question has played out in real time for half a decade, and it hasn’t always ended cleanly. There’s a particular kind of grief in watching a player who made the building louder, who gave you reasons to stay up late checking League Pass, get treated as a trade chip instead of a building block because the front office decided the fun wasn’t the same thing as the path to a banner. Charlotte fans are living that grief right now, watching LaMelo Ball, the most purely entertaining player that organization has had in a decade, get reduced to draft compensation.
Hornets choosing to blow it up after their promising season is smart. They had LaMelo Ball for 6 years. Miles Bridges for 8. During that span, both have been on and off the court. Trading them while their value is peaking does more good for the franchise than keeping them.
The Hornets’ front office looked at a fun, playoff-adjacent roster and decided the version built with picks and cap flexibility gave Charlotte a better chance to become a contender.
The two franchises are solving the exact same problem from opposite directions. Golden State is potentially sacrificing tomorrow for one last run with Steph while Charlotte just sacrificed today for a better tomorrow. That’s probably the right basketball decision, by the way. But if you’ve spent years imagining Steph one day finishing his career where it started for his family, Charlotte just made that ending dramatically harder to picture.
Steph has never closed the door. That’s what has made the fantasy endure for so long. Every few years he smiles, says you always keep your options open, and Hornets fans let themselves dream again.
Another slugfest is expected tonight at Sutter Health Park when the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers face the Athletics in Game 2 of their three-game series.
The Dodgers are overpriced tonight (-144), and my Dodgers vs. Athletics predictions and MLB picks are expecting a bounce-back victory for the highly undervalued A’s (+138) on Tuesday, June 30.
Who will win Dodgers vs A's today: Athletics moneyline (+134)
The market is flat-out wrong, pricing the Los Angeles Dodgers as road favorites tonight based on their uber-pristine surface stats.
Justin Wrobleski is the ultimate regression candidate; his 2.71 ERA is a mirage masked by a fraudulent 4.32 xERA and a bottom-tier 17.8% whiff rate.
Conversely, Jeffrey Springs is dynamically unlucky. His bloated 5.52 ERA hides a much sharper 4.41 xERA and a strong .244 xBA, while his 20.6 % strikeout rate provides a true missing-bat floor.
The elements align perfectly for a high-scoring dog fight tonight.
With 90-degree heat and the wind blowing out at Sutter Health Park, flyball tendencies will be heavily penalized.
Wrobleski lacks a solid bat-missing floor (17.8% Whiff%), while Springs possesses an extreme flyball profile (13th percentile groundball rate).
Combined with an Athletics bullpen surrendering a massive 2.55 HR/9 over the last two weeks, routine flyballs turn into cheap home runs in that bandbox.
These two clubs light up the scoreboard whenever they meet and are 9-1 to the Over in their past 10 meetings.
Hammer the Over to 11 runs and -130.
Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 9-11, +0.01 units
Over/Under bets: 8-10, -3.35 units
Dodgers vs A's weather
Hot, humid weather and winds gusting to 10.9 mph make this an ideal night for hitting for the Dodgers and Athletics.
Dodgers vs A's odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -144 | A's +138
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+108) | A's +1.5 (-113)
Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-113) | Under 10.5 (+108)
Dodgers vs A's trend
The Over is 9-1 in their last 10 H2H meetings. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. A's.
How to watch Dodgers vs A's and game info
Location
Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, CA
Date
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
First pitch
9:40 p.m. ET
TV
SNLA, NBCSCA
Dodgers starting pitcher
Justin Wrobleski (9-2, 2.71 ERA)
A's starting pitcher
Jeffrey Springs (3-7, 5.52 ERA)
Dodgers vs A's latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Warriors on Monday slid toward Phase II of their planned summer refresh. Unless there is an encouraging medical update they haven’t shared, they run the risk of overpaying.
Golden State reached agreement on a two-year contract with Kristaps Porziņģis worth a reported $40 million. It could be responsible for every dollar, as the second year includes a player option.
Though the Warriors beat the free-agency clock, which starts at 3 p.m. Tuesday, their haste comes with a generous dollop of generosity. They’re waving their wallet at a wish. It’s unlikely that many other NBA teams were preparing to pull up to the free agency bazaar to dig into their pockets and offer Porziņģis $20 million per year.
Even $15 million per year would be easier to understand, especially if it came with a team option. As is, it’s a lot of cash for a part-time player, even one as talented as Porziņģis.
The Warriors know what KP can do. They closely observed his audition last season, when he appeared in 15 of their 31 remaining games after acquiring him from the Atlanta Hawks in February in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga.
During those 15 games, Porziņģis showcased his unique set of skills. At 7-foot-3, he was a defensive presence in the paint and a fabulous floor spacer on offense. He’s a good passer with a knack for getting to the free-throw line. He comes closer than anyone in the NBA to replicating San Antonio Spurs wunderkind Victor Wembanyama.
But KP’s marvelous gifts too often come wrapped in medical supplies. From the mysterious ailment that results in fatigue – mysterious because the cause has been debated – to back, knee and ankle issues, Porziņģis spent more time watching the Warriors, sometimes from a distance, than working up a sweat on the court.
This is not a case of bad luck, bad breaks or freak injury. This is Porziņģis’ history. He averaged 49 games per season over the last four, with five different teams. The Mavericks traded him to the Wizards, who traded him to the Celtics, who traded him to the Hawks, who five months ago traded him to the Warriors.
Porziņģis, 31, is the latest project for Rick Celebrini, the man responsible for devising plans to maximize the health of everyone on Golden State’s roster. It’s a massive task, but KP is a believer. Porziņģis needed less than two months to proclaim Celebrini as “the GOAT” of his profession.
Given his journey, Porziņģis has had copious experiences with dozens of doctors, surgeons, and trainers. He should know what makes a good practitioner.
If Porziņģis appears in more than 60 games, the risk the Warriors are taking could be lavishly rewarded. He could regain All-Star status, and Celebrini would deserve an handsome bonus.
But if KP spends the season limping back and forth between the court and the trainer’s room, it will look like the Warriors bought too high.
The Vegas Golden Knights entered the offseason with a big decision to make and a ticking clock hanging above their heads. Akira Schmid, a pending Restricted Free Agent, needed a new deal— but to keep him, they would need to do more than just offer him a contract.
During the 2025-26 regular season, the 26-year-old goaltender led the team with 29 starts. Four goaltenders played NHL games for the Golden Knights, and Schmid led them in every category: wins, average goals against, average save percentage, and shutouts. However, he was still the backup to Adin Hill, and when Carter Hart returned from injury in April, Schmid found himself as the odd man out. The final game he started for the Golden Knights was on March 21st.
On Monday, the Golden Knights announced that they’d extended Schmid a qualifying offer. But with Hill— who backstopped the team to a Stanley Cup just three years ago— and Hart— who started all 22 postseason games— still ahead of him on the depth chart, Schmid would have been the third goaltender once more. Later that same day, the Golden Knights announced that they’d traded Schmid to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Entry Draft.
“Akira is a talented and athletic goaltender who has shown poise in high-pressure moments,” said Panthers general manager Bill Zito in a released statement. “We are excited to welcome him to our organization.”
This trade answers the question about Schmid’s future with the Golden Knights, but it also answers that same question regarding Stanley Cup Champion goaltender Adin Hill. Hill, who is under contract for five more seasons at a $6,250,000 AAV, is coming off a down year. During the 2025-26 regular season, Hill posted a 10-9-6 record, an average save percentage of .871, and lost the starting net to both Schmid and Hart at times.
The NHL is in the business of ‘what have you done for me lately?’, and no one understands that better than the Golden Knights. Some teams allow nostalgia to dictate contracts and roster spots, but the ‘villains of the league’ refuse to fall into that trap. When the Golden Knights no longer find a player useful– or can’t afford to find that player useful– they get rid of them, end of story.
Hill has a sizable cap hit, and the Golden Knights aren’t exactly flush with cash. They’ll get some relief when they place Alex Pietrangelo on Season Ending LTIR, but as of right now, they only have $4,625,000 in salary cap space. With that in mind, there were some questions around Hill’s future with the team after his performance last season.
Trading Schmid seems to have answered those questions.
As of now, it looks like the Golden Knights will enter the 2026-27 season with Hart and Hill as the top two goaltenders on their depth chart. It’s the easiest solution, but it’s also probably the right one. Hill will enter the season with something to prove, and he’s a prime candidate for a bounce-back campaign.
Liam Greentree (85) at the New York Rangers 2026 Development Camp.
Liam Greentree was able to cross one milestone off his list Monday as Rangers prospect development camp began at the team’s suburban Westchester facility.
Months after being part of the trade that sent Artemi Panarin to Los Angeles, Greentree was finally able to pull the Ranger crest over his head for the first time.
The hulking right winger was still in the OHL when he was dealt in the Panarin deal, and this week’s camp marks the first time Rangers brass gets to see in person the key piece the Blueshirts got back from that February trade.
Access the Rangers beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting withMollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
“It’s been awesome. New York is such a historic franchise,” Greentree said after his first day on the ice at the MSG Training Center. “It’s an Original Six franchise, and it’s just really cool to be a part of it. This is the first time I’ve worn the jersey, so it’s a pretty cool experience.”
He’s had three consecutive seasons of at least 74 points in the OHL.
And in February following the Panarin trade, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury told reporters that he valued Greentree “higher than a ’26 or ’27 first-round pick.”
Liam Greentree (85) at the New York Rangers 2026 Development Camp. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Couple all of that with the fact that the winger will be turning pro this upcoming season, it could make any young hockey player feel overwhelmed, but the expectations don’t seem to have bothered Greentree one bit.
“It’s the business of it, and I’ve yet to play an NHL game,” he said in response to a question about feeling any extra pressure. “I’m going through the process of it and trying to make my career a good one. There’s a whole process to these things, so I’m trusting everyone around me.
“I want to play my game and be a Ranger one day.”
Greentree described his game as that of a “big power forward” who can do a little bit of everything, and at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, it’s easy to see why he would view himself in that way.
Greentree, who was taken by the Kings 26th overall in 2024, is expected to start his professional career in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, but it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for him to see playing time with the big club at some point.
In preparation for the jump to the pros, Greentree has been working on his skating, pointing to the “different speed” of the NHL as the biggest factor in the jump from junior hockey.
One person who knows what the Rangers potentially have in Greentree is fellow prospect Nathan Aspinall, who has known Greentree since they were 6.
The two have been skating together in the summer.
“I think just his playmaking, goal scoring,” Aspinall said about Greentree’s most exciting attributes. “I think just when he gets the puck on his stick, he’s dangerous everywhere, so that’s something. He’s an amazing player.”
Greentree isn’t the only prospect with eyes on him during the Rangers camp this week.
First-round pick Alberts Smits took the ice for his first time after a whirlwind weekend in Buffalo after he was taken by the Blueshirts fifth overall on Friday night.
Smits didn’t go into too much on his first day as he looks to make his own mark with the Rangers.
He kept it close to the vest when he was asked if he would be at training camp in September — “We’ll see how it goes” — and he said he was “focused on getting to know the organization” when asked about conversations with the team about his development and path forward.
Greentree expanded a bit more about what he hopes to take out of development camp.
“I’m here to get better and to learn a lot,” he said. “Try to see what it takes to make it to the next level. It’s about taking everything in here and taking it to the offseason and really having a good offseason.”
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 22: Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz reacts after being charged with a foul during the second half of their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Delta Center on October 22, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the eve of free agency, the rumors have not slowed down. The Lakers are remaining active, most notably setting up a call with restricted free agent Jalen Duren once free agency starts on Tuesday.
However, that certainly isn’t the only pot on the stove for the Lakers, who have been busy in the hours and days leading up to free agency.
Here’s the latest rumors involving the Lakers before things really heat up on Tuesday.
Meeting with Walker Kessler
Duren isn’t the only restricted free agent center the Lakers have their eyes on. The team remains linked to Walker Kessler, including a likely meeting with the big man on Tuesday.
On Monday night, NBA beat writer Jake Fischer reported that the purple and gold are believed to be one of three meetings Kessler has scheduled for Tuesday.
Utah restricted free agent center Walker Kessler has meetings lined up with three teams Tuesday night after 6 PM ET at the Los Angeles offices of his CAA representatives.
The Lakers, of course, are strongly believed to be one of those three teams given their considerable interest in trying to swipe Kessler from the Jazz.
Similar to Duren and the Pistons, Kessler and the Jazz are at odds heading into free agency. Unlike Detroit, though, Utah has a whole bunch of other center options, which could make them more open to the idea of moving on from Kessler.
A complete new name has emerged leading up to free agency as a potential back-up big man option in Sandro Mamukelashvili, or Mamu, for short.
The big man opted out of his $2.8 million contract next season and is set for quite a bit more this year with the Lakers as one of the suitors for him in free agency.
But people around the NBA, tasked with trying to make sense of the evolving free-agency landscape, started to link the Lakers to a wide range of players throughout Monday. One name has come up from multiple league sources: Toronto forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Minutes later, Fischer backed up that reporting with some of his own, connecting the Lakers to Mamu.
Sources say Mamukelashvili is likely to generate multiple offers north of $10 million in average annual value after declining a paltry player option in Toronto worth less than $3 million. And we’re told that the Lakers, who have obviously been connected to various big men, have emerged as a notable Mamu suitor.
Mamu had a breakout season with the Raptors last year, averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 52.3% from the field and 38.9% from three on 3.7 attempts per game. For his career, Mamu is a 36.6% shooter from range, but has been north of 37% in each of his last two seasons.
As a stretch big, Mamu would offer a different look for the Lakers than a lob-catching center. He would also not come at a cheap price and would not be a starter, which could throw off the Lakers depending on how quickly they can fill their hole in the starting lineup at center.
Gambling on a young wing?
The Lakers have loved trying to find a reclamation project under President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka. From Malik Monk to Lonnie Walker to Cam Reddish, LA has targeted a wing whose value is low and tried to hit on them.
The next version of that could be Nets wing Ziaire Williams. The Nets declined his team option for next season, setting him up for unrestricted free agency. According to Woike, he could be someone the team goes after as a buy-low candidate.
According to a league source, one player the Lakers could take a look at in free agency is Brooklyn small forward Zaire Williams, who had his team option declined by the Nets on Sunday. The Lakers have desires to get younger and more athletic on the wing, and Williams is coming off back-to-back seasons in Brooklyn where he averaged more than 10 points and shot better than 34 percent from 3-point range.
Last season, Williams averaged 10.2 points and shot 34.3% from beyond the arc. He’s only a 42.5% shooter overall, but did grab 4.6 rebounds per game in 2024-25.
Interestingly, he was also a teammate with Bronny James at Sierra Canyon, adding another connection to the Lakers.
Miami Heat
Cleveland Cavaliers
Golden State Warriors
Philadelphia 76ers
COVERS INTEL: The Athletics are batting .261 with a .789 OPS with 
