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One of draft's top risers would be fun pick for Flyers … if he's available

One of draft's top risers would be fun pick for Flyers … if he's available originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the first time in a while, the Flyers are coming off a playoff run.

That, of course, makes life a little different for the club’s amateur scouting staff leading up to the 2026 NHL draft. Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick at 21st overall. It’s their lowest first-round spot since 2020.

But that was when the Flyers drafted a foundation piece, grabbing Tyson Foerster at 23rd overall.

So the Flyers know the draft is still critical to what they want to do, even when they’re lower in the order.

“We’ve said it for a long time, we wanted to build a team that was going to be here for a long time; not just to go for it for a year or two,” general manager Danny Briere said last month. “That’s still the same approach on my end.”

After the recent trade with the Maple Leafs, the Flyers have only four picks in this draft, which will be held June 26-27. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET.

“I’ll tell you how I feel about drafts and I’ll be totally blunt with you,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said June 2 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think it’s f—ing bulls–t when I hear about, ‘Oh, this draft isn’t as good.’ Here are the numbers. Approximately 45 players from any draft will play 350 games or more in the NHL. It might be 47 one year, 42 another year. That’s the number — you get 45 players that’ll play 350 games or more with varying degrees of success.

“And I know this about the draft. The teams that get good players from the draft say it was a good draft. The teams that don’t get good players from the draft say it wasn’t a good draft. So when people start telling me about a draft ahead of time, I call bulls–t.”

Last summer, the Flyers made nine selections, with six coming over the first two rounds. Porter Martone was their headliner at sixth overall. Now the Flyers will try to hit on a pick in the 20s.

“What you’re trying to do is find a player that you feel has the potential to be an NHL player,” Button said. “That might be a third-line center, that might be a second-line scoring winger. Hey, listen, maybe you get David Pastrnak, who’s a superstar (drafted 25th overall in 2014).

“But the focus has to be on, ‘OK, what type of player do we like, what type of player do we think the guy can be?’ And then get after it and understand what the development path is, and then try to help that player be the best he can be. Put a stake in the ground and celebrate who you’re drafting.”

Before the draft arrives, we’ve been breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.

To wrap things up:

Wyatt Cullen

Position: Winger
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 183
Shoots: Left
Team: USNTDP

Scouting report

There’s a ton to like about Cullen’s makeup.

He’s a dynamic playmaker with shiftiness and skill. He has impressive hockey bloodlines. And he doesn’t turn 18 years old until September.

“I think there’s a raw talent there, his base is there,” Daily Faceoff associate editor and prospect analyst Steven Ellis said June 9 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. … “Give him a year or two and I think he’s going to make a lot of teams that passed on him look bad.”

Cullen put up over a point per game this season in the U.S. national team development program. He had 16 goals and 29 assists over 40 games on the under-18 team that wasn’t nearly as loaded as it has been in the past.

“I feel like what we saw from him was a player that was limited offensively because of the team he played for,” Ellis said. “Part of that is when you look at the NTDP, there’s not a lot of high-end talent there.”

Thanks in part to a serious growth spurt, Cullen has been viewed as one of the draft’s top risers. In the last two years, he has grown by eight inches and 56 pounds, according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic.

At the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship, a tournament that ended last month, Cullen delivered nine points (three goals, six assists) in five games for Team USA.

“His favorite player is Jack Hughes and that’s one the scouts have kind of thrown around for him a couple of times,” Ellis said. “There’s a two-way game, it’s something where he’s a hard-working guy for someone who primarily plays on the wing. He has some center experience, but mostly on the wing.”

Cullen is the 10th-ranked player on Ellis’ top-120 draft board.

“Every time he played at a showcase event, he was outstanding,” Ellis said. “He was a legitimate MVP candidate for USA at the under-18s. … Every game was explosive from him. Great plays, smart, outstanding skill, great skater.”

There’s some variance on Cullen’s stock. He’s No. 6 overall on EliteProspects.com, but No. 21 on Button’s list. He’s No. 13 among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting.

“I think the biggest thing for him is figuring out how to use his bigger frame,” Ellis said. “If he can do that and allow himself to kind of overpower opponents on the boards or through the middle, I think that’s where he gets really exciting.”

Final draft rankings have been updated in this story.

(Michael Miller/Getty Images)

Fit with Flyers

Interestingly, Cullen’s father played for Rick Tocchet when the Flyers’ head coach was an assistant with the Penguins. Matt Cullen suited up for 1,516 career NHL games and won three Stanley Cup titles, two of which came with Tocchet in Pittsburgh.

But connections aside, the 17-year-old Cullen would be a fine pick for the Flyers. He has some positional versatility, too, which should only help his projection.

It’s feeling more and more likely, though, that Cullen won’t be there for the Flyers unless they trade up.

More targets

• Could Lawrence’s early jump to college have him fall to Flyers in draft?

• Will Flyers eye 6-foot-4 forward with ‘goal-scoring hands’ at No. 21?

• Palmieri ‘type of player’ may be available for Flyers at No. 21 in draft

• Russian center with pro build has interesting case for Flyers at No. 21

• Lin has ‘Brandon Montour profile,’ but will he be there for Flyers at No. 21?

• D-man with ‘unbelievable maturity to his game’ could be option for Flyers at No. 21

• ‘Second-line center all day long’ should intrigue Flyers in draft

• ‘This kid is a hell of a player’ — Flyers could draft 45-goal, 104-point winger

• Is Novotny, a winger that’s ‘so dangerous around the net,’ a fit for Flyers?

• A Drysdale type of defenseman for the Flyers at No. 21 in the draft?

• Another OHL first-rounder for Flyers? Klepov, with 97 points, has tons of appeal

• A center with ‘fantastic’ hockey sense could give Flyers option to trade down

• Should a 6-foot-7 center have the Flyers’ attention in first round of draft?

• Is Hermansson too ‘offense or bust’ for Flyers at No. 21 in draft?

• Preston has ‘all the tools,’ but will his tough draft year dissuade Flyers?

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NBA Draft grades: 8 ‘A’ picks from 2026 first-round

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: Cameron Boozer poses for a photo during the 2026 NBA Draft (Photo by Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is in the books, and SB Nation draft expert Ricky O’Donnell graded every pick from the first round. A total of eight teams managed to nail the first round in his eyes, earning an A-grade or higher for their selections.

Grading was a blend of two factors: Where the player was on the NBA big board ahead of the draft, as well as the team fit. The perfect storm is this coming together to lead to an elite fit, which we saw last year as Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Kon Knueppel all earned A-grades a year ago, and turned into being pivotal players for their teams. So let’s dive into this year’s top picks and see if they can continue their path to NBA stardom.

Cameron Boozer to the Memphis Grizzlies, No. 3 overall

Ricky’s take:

Grade A+

Best player in the draft. Boozer lacks vertical explosiveness and some shake in the middle of the floor, but he’s excellent at just about every aspect of basketball. He was unanimously considered the best player in college hoops, despite also being one of the youngest, which is the ultimate sign of star potential. This is reminiscent of Luka Dončić slipping to the third pick in 2018, though in this case, Dybantsa and Peterson are much better than DeAndre Ayton and Marvin Bagley. I still think Boozer was in a class of his own at this draft because of his special processing, knockdown three-point shooting, monster rebounding, powerful isolation driving, and ability to find open teammates as a passer all over the floor.

It’s astonishing that such a brilliant, do-everything facilitator from a proven Duke program fell to No. 3 overall solely because of a perceived lack of upside. This was a home-run pick for the Grizzlies, who not only get the best player in this class — but someone who can be a culture-shaping player in Memphis.

Caleb Wilson to the Chicago Bulls, No. 4 overall

Ricky’s take

Grade: A

This was the easiest pick in the draft. Wilson turned the big three into a big four during an electric freshman year at North Carolina, where he established himself as the draft’s most explosive athlete. Wilson dunked the hell out of the ball at every opportunity this past season with 67 slams in 24 games. His playmaking also looked far better than other freak athletes in his mold. If he can make any sort of leap as an outside shooter or ball handler, it could take his offense to the next level. It will also be fascinating to monitor his defense after a freshman year full of highlight reel takeaways that also included some ugly lapses of ball watching. Read my in-depth feature on his past, present, and future.

The thing you keep hearing raving about with Caleb Wilson is his character. A gym-rat with an endless desire to keep getting better, there’s unquestionably improvements that can be made to his game — but the drive to make it happen as well. It’s going to be so much fun to see Wilson and Matas Buzelis jumping out of the arena together.

Kingston Flemings to the Atlanta Hawks, No. 8 overall

Ricky’s take:

Grade: A

Flemings lacks ideal length and strength for an NBA point guard, but he’s super athletic, super smart, and has an ability to play bigger than his listed size at both ends of the floor. Flemings is an awesome driver who can change directions on a dime, throw live dribble passes on the money, or rise-and-fire into mid-range attempts. He’s probably the best defender of this loaded point guard group despite his lack of size due to his disruptive hands, sharp instincts, and high motor.

This is a really interesting fit as the Hawks continue to move on from the Trae Young era. It gives them a player who can be an impact distributor to accompany Atlanta’s high-end scorers, and a great veteran in C.J. McCollum to help hone his game. It’s impossible to hate on this pick as need met value for Atlanta.

Yaxel Lendeborg to the Golden State Warriors, No. 11 overall

Ricky’s take:

Grade: A

Lendeborg felt like the second best player in college basketball behind Cam Boozer this past season — and he probably should have been, considering he was a super-senior who is a month older than Josh Giddey. I usually don’t like older prospects, but I love Yaxel. He’s long and strong enough to play in an NBA front court and skilled enough to play on the perimeter on both ends of the floor. He probably could have put up monster scoring numbers at any other school, but instead he embraced his role as an floor spacer, connective playmaker, and versatile defender, and it led to a national championship. Read my feature on Yaxel’s stunning rise from JUCO player to NBA lottery pick.

The Warriors are desperately trying to push their window back open, and Lendeborg is a guy who can contribute immediately to achieve it. We don’t know what the future holds for Draymond Green, but it feels as though Lendeborg can come in and be a worse defender, but vastly better offensive player from the jump. That might be enough to get Golden State back in the picture if they can stay healthy.

Aday Mara to the Oklahoma City Thunder, No. 12 overall

Ricky’s take:

Grade: A-

There are only so many humans in the world who stand 7’3 with a 9’9 standing reach. Mara was the single biggest stock-riser of March Madness, showing off his elite passing ability and trusty rim protection in drop coverage on Michigan’s run to the national championship. He’s not a shooter at the moment, and there are questions about his quickness on the perimeter, but I’m willing to bet on Mara’s size, passing, and shot-blocking. The Thunder just got another big body to throw at Victor Wembanyama in future playoff matchups. This is a great landing spot for him with so many ferocious perimeter defenders hounding the ball in front of his drop defense.

It’s really wild to think that teams in the West are already needing to strategize ahead to find their “anti-Wemby,” but it makes perfect sense. The Thunder are at a point now where they’re just looking to get specific tools to add to their toolbox, rather than needing complete stars. The fact they were able to do that at No. 12 overall is perfect.

Hannes Steinbach to the Charlotte Hornets, No. 14 overall

Ricky’s take:

Grade: A

Best rebounder in the class. His offensive rebounding might be the best skill in this class, and he’s also major transition threat. I’m buying his shooting upside. He’s not exactly a defensive anchor, so he’ll probably work best in a twin-towers front court. The Hornets needed some more beef inside and they got it.

The Hornets were desperate to add size and consistent rebounding to complement Moussa Diabate, and they got it. This likely spells the end to Miles Bridges’ time in Charlotte, and trades athletic dunking, for a rim-hound who can mitigate the downside of LaMelo Ball’s volume shooting.

Ebuka Okorie to the Detroit Pistons, No. 18 overall

Ricky’s take:

Grade: A

I love it. Okorie has star upside with the best first step in the class and the ability to extend the advantage with elite acceleration on his way to the rim. He took a lot of threes this year and looked good making them off the dribble. He’s small for a guard and he’s not the best playmaker, but who did he really have to pass to at Stanford? I like the idea of getting Cade Cunningham off the ball a little bit more. Okorie’s ability to generate paint touches could be super valuable for what was an ugly halfcourt offense at times.

Cade Cunningham had a major breakout season that caused the former No. 1 pick to ascend to a legitimate MVP-caliber player. Anything that helps him progress even more will be extremely fun to watch. Okorie’s ability to stretch the floor with teams needing to respect his shot is much-needed when the Pistons’ only reliable threat from beyond the arc is Duncan Robinson.

Jayden Quaintance to the San Antonio Spurs, No. 20 overall

Ricky’s take:

Grade: A-

This is a major roll of the dice, but I love it. Quaintance seemed destined to be a top-5 pick coming into the season after an amazing freshman year at Arizona State where he looked like a special defensive big man. He tore his ACL at the end of that season, and he was never healthy at Kentucky, shutting it down after four games. His offense is a major question mark, but his power, length, and movement skills give him massive coverage versatility and a really high defensive ceiling. Wemby at power forward? You’re going to see it more and more if Quaintance reaches his potential.

Picking a big man to pair with your already MVP-caliber big man? Stop if you’ve heard this one before with San Antonio. The defensive prowess he brings to the middle will take pressure off Wemby to do everything on his own on both ends of the floor. We know he’s going to do that anyway, because it’s just how he plays — but it opens up opportunities to use the phenom in creative new ways.

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What was up with Warriors owner Joe Lacob, GM Mike Dunleavy arguing before pick?

The Golden State Warriors made a pick we graded an A, one of the best in the first round, selecting Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 11.

However, it wasn't smooth sailing getting there — Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy were seen arguing in the run-up to making that pick, something shown on the ESPN draft broadcast.

After the draft, Dunleavy was asked about the disagreement and initially tried to brush it off, saying the two had disagreed about the best golf course in San Francisco. Eventually, he came around to what really happened (and basically put it on Lacob) — Dunleavy wanted to wait and see if a chance to trade down and still get their guy fell in their lap. Quotes via NBC Sports Bay Area.

"As far as the discussion with Joe and I, I think at that point there was probably some talks about trades and things like that, but ultimately we were in all in agreement to land on taking Yaxel," Dunleavy told reporters.

"From our standpoint, we knew we were going to pick Yaxel at 11, he was the guy. But you just want to flush him out, make sure you're not missing anything that falls in your lap or makes a ton of sense. So that's what we were doing. And I think Joe was like, 'Come on, just let's go ahead and pick the guy.' I said, 'Joe, we have time. They give you five minutes.' He was just getting a little anxious about us taking Yaxel.

"The good thing was, because we were on the clock, nobody could swoop in and take him ahead of us. So I was willing to be patient with it."

In the end, it all worked out. The Warriors selected Lendeborg, a plug-and-play four who can step in and help them win now, plus be part of the transition to whatever comes after the Curry era in the Bay Area.

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MLB Notebook: Nick Kurtz's quiet elite season, baseballs are flying farther again, and more

Welcome to a new column I’m doing this season, where I take a bi-weekly look around Major League Baseball to fill you in on the league-wide trends, surging teams, and top individual performances. There will be some highlight clips, some criticisms, and some personal analysis of where I think the game is at and/or going. I hope that, if you’ve had a busy week or haven’t been able to watch as many games as you’d like, this article can be a great way to keep up with what’s happening in Major League Baseball.

So, let’s stop wasting time and dive right in.

⚾️ Baseball is back on NBC: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

Is the Baseball Changing Again?

For years, there has been ongoing speculation that Major League Baseball will alter the baseballs in a given season, or during a stretch of the season, to try to control offensive production. Back in 2019, we had the year of the "Super Happy Fun Ball," where the league averaged 4.83 runs per game, the most since 2006, and 1.39 home runs per game, the most ever by a considerable margin. We know after that, in 2021, that the league, which owns the ball maker, loosened the wool windings on the ball to reduce bounciness and cause the ball not to travel as far. The next season, the league averaged the fewest runs per game in seven years and the fewest home runs per game over the same span.

Well, it seems that there may be a change happening this year as well. Early on in the season, it appeared that drag on the baseball, caused by the wind catching the raised seams of the ball in flight and slowing the ball down, was worse than it had been in a way. Far more deep flyballs turned into outs, and many of the offensive numbers were very pitcher-friendly. However, as Sean Zerillo pointed out on Twitter, the average distance of a barreled ball has increased by +10.2 ft from April 2026 to now, which is the biggest in-season April to June jump of the Statcast era. The average jump, which is common when the weather warms, has been 4.6 ft. Sean found out that the additional ~6 feet of distance on a barreled baseball this June also aligns with an approximately 0.016 point drop in the drag. That's something that Eno Sarris noticed as well.

If the drag on the ball is lower, that means the ball's flight is impeded less by air, which allows the ball to travel farther. Since the data seems to suggest a change occurred in the middle of May, I looked at the league-wide stats from the beginning of the season until May 15th and then compared that to the stats from May 15th onward:

AVGSLGISOHR/GMHR/PAHR/FB
March 25th - May 14th .240.389.148.071.02810.8%
May 15th - June 24th .247.413.166.084.03312.3%

Now, it would be logical to say, "Warmer weather makes the ball travel farther, so this is just because it's getting warmer." However, the offensive production increase appears to be true even after accounting for the weather:

The league will never admit that anything is different, but perhaps the numbers don't lie. We could be in for another offensive explosion this summer.

Hitting for the Cycle...or Not?

Hitting for the cycle (a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game) is a rare feat for an MLB hitter. There have been 350 instances of a player hitting for the cycle in MLB history, with Curry Foley being the first to do it in 1982. It's only happened once in postseason history, when the Red Sox's Brock Holt hit for the cycle against the Yankees in the 2018 American League Division Series. Only four players in history have ever done it twice in a single season: John Reilly (1884), Tip O'Neill (1887), Babe Herman (1931), and Aaron Hill (2012, and only four players have done it in each of the last three seasons.

Yet, just last week, we had two players hit for the cycle when Pete Crow-Armstrong accomplished it against the Rockies on June 15th, and then Bryce Harper did it on June 20th against the Mets. Only, there has been a bit of controversy surrounding Bryce Harper's 5th inning triple, which gave him the cycle.

As you can see in the video, on Harper's triple, he has just rounded second base when Mets shortstop Zack Short cuts off the throw from the left fielder. Had Short thrown to third base, Harper would have been out by about 10 feet. Instead, Short throws home to try to catch Kyle Schwarber at the plate. That allows Harper to advance to third, and the official scorer (the game was in Philadelphia) awarded Harper a triple instead of a double, and advancing to third on the throw.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. Harper goes down as the latest player to hit for the cycle, but, for a brief moment, we had some controversy to go along with it.

Nick Kurtz’s Quiet Historic Season

Maybe it's because he plays his games on the West Coast, or because he got off to a slow start to the season, but Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz has not been in the news much for a player who's having the season he's having. This year, Kurtz ranks second in wRC+ behind Yordan Alvarez and is slashing .290/.439/.556 with 19 home runs, 56 runs scored, 61 RBI, and seven steals in 77 games. He's 4th in the league in hard-hit rate, 4th in average exit velocity, and 8th in barrel rate. Yet, he's fourth among AL first basemen in All-Star voting and is not discussed among the stars of the season, like Jacob Misiorowski, Shohei Ohtani, Ben Rice, and others.

Part of that could be that he plays in a minor league park in Sacramento, where his games start at 9:40 pm ET. It could also be because, heading into May, Kurtz was hitting .236/.417/.418 with five home runs, 18 runs scored, 15 RBI, and three steals with a 32% strikeout rate. However, even during that relatively cold stretch, Kurtz was heading towards a milestone. Beginning on April 4th, Kurtz put together a league-leading 48-game single-season on-base streak that was eventually ended on May 26, 2026. That streak tied Mark McGwire (1996) for the longest single-season on-base streak in A's history and also tied Albert Pujols (2001) for the 5th-longest single-season streak by a player aged 23 or younger since 1900. During the 48-game stretch, Kurtz posted an elite .308/.462/.523 slash line with eight home runs, 32 runs scored, 37 RBI, 53 hits, and 48 walks.

After that streak was snapped, Kurtz built a 22-game on-base streak, which ended on Tuesday night. But getting on base is not the only thing he's doing well. After clubbing a home run on June 21st, his ninth of the month, Kurtz became the seventh-quickest player to ever hit 55 career home runs, joining some incredible names. Whether it's the on-base streaks or the power production, it's been a tremendous all-around season for a 23-year-old in his second MLB season, and it needs more attention.

Individual Player Spotlights

Hitter Spotlight: Dillon Dingler - C, Tigers

One of the benefits of this spot in the article is to highlight some individual players who are not getting as much attention. So far this season, Dingler leads all catchers in wRC+ and WAR. In fact, his 3.6 WAR is fifth in all of baseball. He's also hitting .272/.339/.545 with 18 home runs, 41 runs scored, and 56 RBI. Those numbers put him 6th in baseball and tied for 12th in home runs, among all position players, not just catchers. Yet, Dingler is also a really strong defensive catcher. He's averaging seven Blocks Above Average, which is 97th percentile, has a 7 Framing Value, which is 100th percentile, and has an average pop time to second base of 1.88 seconds, which is 88th percentile. There's a strong argument that he is the best all-around catcher in baseball right now.

Starting Pitcher Spotlight: Foster Griffin - Nationals

Four years ago, Foster Griffin posted an 8.53 ERA in 6 1/3 MLB innings as an up-and-down reliever for the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays. He had success in the minor leagues but couldn't translate that to the big league level. He was cut by two different organizations and decided it was time to try something new. After spending three years overseas pitching in Japan, Griffin returned to the States this season on a relatively overlooked one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Nationals. Yet, the 30-year-old has been far and away the best pitcher on the team, posting a 3.15 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 89/23 K/BB ratio in 91.1 innings.

As Spencer Nusbaum pointed out in a great article at The Athletic, Griffin's time in Japan made him better because it forced him to change as a pitcher and become more analytical. On nights when he didn’t pitch, Griffin was allowed to go home to be with his family. Once his kids were asleep, "he’d put the game on TV and watch with his notepad out." By the time he was done playing in Japan, he had a "binder that nearly burst at the seams" filled with notes on hitter tendencies and attack plans and much more. In Japan, Griffin learned that all of the pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball study tendencies, read swings, and game their sequences out to successfully beat the contact-oriented lineups that fill the league.

That meant Griffin had to change who he was as a pitcher: “Lefties would just stand on top of the plate and take me the other way, and that was starting to get me really angry.” The anger was because Griffin only threw pitches that moved away from those lefties, so he added the sinker to attack them inside. When he discovered that none of his pitches were getting enough swings and misses, he added a sweeper. Then, when hitters stopped chasing that out of the zone, he added a splitter. Without the velocity to overpower hitters, Griffin had to become a pitcher who could outsmart them. “I’m at the point in my career where I’m done trying to chase velocity,” Griffin said. “We’re at the point now where it’s just kind of fun to find out what you’ve got, then go out and compete.”

Relief Pitcher Spotlight: Elvis Alvarado - Athletics

Sometimes it just clicks for a player. Elvis Alvarado is an imposing presence on the mound at 6'6" and has a triple-digit fastball, but that didn't lead to much success early on. Alvarado has battled command issues in the past and then posted an 8.38 ERA in his first 10 appearances this season before being sent to Triple-A. Since being recalled on June 6th, he looks like a different pitcher and, even after a poor last outing, has a 2.70 ERA and 47% strikeout rate in 10 innings.

This is a little bit like what happened last year when he posted a 7.50 ERA in four appearances, got sent to the minors, and then came back and registered a 2.48 ERA with 42 strikeouts over his final 36.1 innings. Yet, this version of him feels different. Since Alvarado has returned, he has showcased better command of his four-seamer but also has been able to get ahead in the count with his slider and sinker. He's started to use his slider more as an early-count called strike pitch in addition to a whiff pitch, which has given his pitch mix another dimension that he didn't have last year.

Alvarado may only have two saves since being recalled, but he has the third-lowest SIERA among qualified relievers at 0.67 and has the best K-BB% at 47.1%. Yes, that's better than Mason Mille's 45.5% mark in June. Perhaps the A's should also give Alvarado a long leash in the ninth-inning role as well.

Individual Stat Leaders (6/1 - 6/24)

Hits

  1. Pete Crow-Armstrong - OF, Cubs: 32 hits (.432 batting average)
  2. Dillon Dingler - C, DET: 30 hits (.385 batting average)
  3. Yordan Alvarez - OF, HOU: 29 hits (.397 batting average)
  4. Jackson Chourio - OF, Brewers: 29 hits (.322 batting average)
  5. Otto Lopez - SS, Marlins: 29 hits (.354 batting average)

Home Runs

  1. Pete Crow-Armstrong - OF, Cubs: 10 home runs
  2. Nick Kurtz - 1B, Athletics: 9 home runs
  3. Jac Caglianone - 1B/OF, Royals: 9 home runs
  4. Byron Buxton - OF, Twins: 8 home runs
  5. Jackson Chourio - OF, Brewers: 8 home runs
  6. Hunter Goodman - C, Rockies: 8 home runs

Steals

  1. Bobby Witt Jr. - SS, Royals: 11 steals
  2. Jazz Chisholm Jr. - 2B, Yankees: 9 steals
  3. Nasim Nunez - SS, Nationals: 9 steals
  4. Five players with six steals (Otto Lopez, Esteury Ruiz, Taylor Walls, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Luisangel Acuna)

Strikeouts (K-BB%) - Starting Pitchers

  1. Bryce Miller, Mariners: 33.9% K-BB%
  2. Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers: 32.5% K-BB%
  3. Drew Rasmussen, Rays: 32.3% K-BB%
  4. Tatsuya Imai, Astros: 29.1% K-BB%
  5. Paul Skenes, Pirates: 27.4% K-BB%

Saves

  1. Louis Varland, Blue Jays: 8 saves
  2. Jacob Latz, Rangers: 7 saves
  3. Alex Lange, Royals: 6 saves
  4. Jhoan Duran, Phillies: 6 saves
  5. Five pitchers with 5 saves
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Panthers May Be Considering Reunion With Former Defenseman, Keeping Goaltending Options Open

When the 2026-27 NHL season begins, the Florida Panthers will have one of the deepest and most talented groups in the league.

It’s not debatable. It’s a fact.

The addition of Brady Tkachuk only added to what was already a Stanley Cup caliber squad, but there are still some holes that will need to be filled.

Obviously, the Panthers need to add a couple of goaltenders.

THN Florida has previously reported the team is giving a good look to several veterans who would not demand high salaries, putting faith in the Goaltending Excellence Department to continue finding tendies whose skillset would allow them to excel inside the Panthers’ systems.

That being said, don’t count the Panthers out quite yet in regard to a big-name goaltender who may be looking for an exit from his Canadian Western Conference team.

Even after using much of their trade capital to acquire Tkachuk, it seems Florida has not closed the door on Connor Hellebuyck and are seeing if they can find a deal that works for both sides. 

Currently, the Panthers have just over $7 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia, and Hellebuyck is playing on a deal that runs through 2030-31 and carries an average annual value (AAV) of $8.5 million. 

Another area the Panthers are looking to bolster is their third defensive pairing.

One veteran blueliner Florida is considering is former Cats defender Radko Gudas.

The bearded butcher spent three seasons in South Florida before signing a three-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks during the summer of 2023.

Gudas, who turned 36 years old at the beginning of June, very much enjoyed his time with the Panthers and was viewed as a leader in the locker room during his tenure with the team.

Those leadership attributes followed him to Anaheim, where Gudas was named the ninth captain in Ducks franchise history.

Regarding quality of play, his advanced metrics were better last season than in either of his first two years in Anaheim, and the physical Gudas is well aware of what Florida asks of their defenseman after playing under Paul Maurice with the Panthers in 2022-23.

The Ducks signed Gudas to a three-year deal that carried an AAV of $4 million, and that came after he played in Florida on a deal that paid him $2.5 million annually.

We’re exactly one week away from the start of free agency, and the NHL Draft is Friday.

Things remain fluid and there are several moving parts, but no matter what happens, it should be fun to see play out.

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Photo caption: Jan 25, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. (Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)

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38-42 – Rangers receive wake-up call with 4-2 finale loss to Marlins

Jun 24, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Degrom (48) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers scored two runs but the Miami Marlins scored four runs.

It was a Texas Rangers game in 2026 so saying “it was kind of an annoying game” should be assumed by default but today’s game was kind of annoying.

In addition to it beginning in the ante meridiem, which made it annoying by premise alone, the Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth with Jacob deGrom cruising only for the Marlins to suddenly start hitting everything exactly once Texas had that lead but only enough so that they took exactly a one-run lead that the Rangers never really threatened until it became too late.

Interestingly, the game became a little less annoying when Miami got to face baseball game Grim Reaper Cole Winn and tacked on a couple of insurance runs in the eighth. After all, there’s something comforting about the assurance of an outcome.

It did become a skosh more annoying when Joc Pederson hit a solo home run in the ninth, a run that would have tied the game had Winn’s name not become perpetually extremely ironic.

So the Rangers lost an annoying game to lose the series. At least we have the rest of our day.

Player of the Game: Wyatt Langford hit one to Hialeah to remain hot.

Up Next: The Rangers fly like 1200 miles to another country to play another game tomorrow so they’re probably grateful for today’s morning baseball. LHP MacKenzie Gore will start for Texas in the opener versus a pitcher to be named for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Thursday evening first pitch from Rogers Centre is scheduled for 6:06 pm CDT and will be viewable via the Rangers Sports Network.

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Pistons were planning ‘real run’ at Austin Reaves in free agency

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 23: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on December 23, 2024 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Austin Reaves got his big payday from the Lakers, who forked over $185 million over the next four years to retain him.

It was always the expectation that Reaves would re-sign with the team. While the numbers on his new contract are high, it seems that if the Lakers weren’t prepared to pay that amount, other teams would be.

On Wednesday morning, longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Pistons were legitimately interested in acquiring Reaves had he been available.

In an article by Shams Charania of ESPN, he also discussed the Pistons’ interest in Reaves.

Reaves was expected to receive free agent interest from multiple teams, including the Detroit Pistons, on a maximum-level salary, so the Lakers stepped up on Wednesday to lock in their homegrown talent.

It’s not a surprise that the Pistons might’ve wanted Reaves. Early in this offseason, there were rumblings that the Nets, Pistons and Hawks were interested in him.

For those who watched the Pistons in the playoffs, it was clear that they needed another offensive weapon.

Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris were the only two players on Detroit who could consistently be counted on to score. And that’s a big reason why, despite winning 60 games and being the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they were knocked out in the second round by the Cavs.

The Pistons paying Reaves would’ve given them another backcourt player who can not only score but also create for themselves and others. And players who can consistently do that in the playoffs earn top dollars.

The Lakers didn’t risk losing their starting guard by trying to be tough negotiators.

Sure, the numbers on Reaves’ deal are high, but this is a player who averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last season. He has gotten better every year, and if the Lakers didn’t like the idea of Reaves at the max, the Pistons or another team would likely try to make it happen.

LA already did the hard part: finding an undrafted talent like Reaves and developing him into a top player. Really, paying the tab at the end is the easy part.

Now, the Lakers have their starting backcourt secured and don’t have to worry about another team reaping the benefits of the work they put into Reaves.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

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The Washington Nationals should convert Luis Perales into a reliever

TALKING STICK, AZ - OCTOBER 07: Luis Perales #91 of the Salt River Rafters pitches during the game between the Glendale Desert Dogs and the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 in Talking Stick, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

As we all know, the Nationals need guys with louder stuff in the bullpen. They rank last in stuff+ and whiff rate among relievers. However, I think they have a potential solution sitting in their Triple-A rotation. Paul Toboni needs to unleash Luis Perales, and make him a high velocity bullpen arm.

Right now, the Nats are still trying to develop Perales as a starting pitcher. This offseason, they picked up Perales in a trade that sent Jake Bennett to the Red Sox. Right now, Bennett is pitching well in the big leagues, while Perales has a 4.42 ERA in AAA. Perales was viewed as the more raw, high upside arm of the pair, so it makes sense that he is a slower burn than Bennett.

However, I think they need to put pause on the starting experiment, and use Perales as a reliever. When you look at Luis Perales’ profile, it screams relief pitcher. He throws absolute gas, sitting at 98.4 MPH. Perales’ control and command really lag behind though. His 13% walk rate is problematic, and his inability to execute deep into games is cutting into his ability to generate strikeouts.

Perales is only 6 ‘0 tall and is coming off a Tommy John Surgery. All of this points to a future in the bullpen. However, I think Perales can be a good reliever, and make an impact fairly quickly. He has shown the ability to sit around 100 MPH in shorter bursts. Perales also has a few offspeed weapons. If he can simplify his approach, and throw a 4-seamer, cutter and changeup, he can be money.

In AAA, Perales has the best Stuff+ among starters. If you unleashed him in shorter bursts, I think that stuff would tick up even more. Perales needs to have extreme stuff because he is not getting batters out with command or execution like a Foster Griffin. The name of the game for him is blowing the ball by guys.

Another reason why I think Perales should get a big league shot before long is because he is already on the 40-man roster. This is also potentially his last option year, meaning he would have to stick in the big leagues next year. However, due to his long term injury last season, there is a pretty good chance that the Nats will receive an extra option year on Perales.

Regardless, they are going to need to get Perales acclimated to the MLB before too long. Right now, I do not think he has what it takes to be a starter. In the bullpen though, I think Perales has a chance to be a real weapon. He is also exactly what the Nats need from a profile perspective.

The Nats have a lot of funky, deceptive guys in the bullpen, like PJ Poulin, Brad Lord and Richard Lovelady. However, they do not have a guy who can throw 100 MPH. Luis Perales could change that, and light up radar guns at Nats Park.

After last night, where the Nats bullpen imploded and Perales had another lackluster start in AAA, I think the transition should happen immediately. If I were in Paul Toboni’s shoes, I would take Perales out of the rotation and get him used to the bullpen for a few weeks, and then add him to the big league roster.

The bullpen is Perales’ long term home most likely, and we need to get him used to being a reliever. He will need to learn things like going back to back days, and optimizing his pitch mix to be a reliever. I think it would be better to teach him that, then letting the flame thrower continue to struggle as a starter.

Even if you put him in the bullpen, that does not mean he has to be a reliever forever. Garrett Crochet, Chris Sale and Clay Holmes all spent time as relievers, and are now very good starting pitchers. We are seeing relievers convert to starters now more than ever.

The Yankees were in a similar spot with their flamethrowing prospect Carlos Lagrange, and recently moved him to the bullpen. For the Yankees, their idea is likely to get him used to the role and have him ready to be a factor for a playoff race. With the Nats also in the playoff hunt, they should be trying to do the same sort of thing. 

The Nats are a competitive team that needs bullpen help. It is time for Paul Toboni to act that way, and use every avenue he can to improve the bullpen. Obviously, the trade market is one way to do that, but converting a guy like Perales to the bullpen is another solution. These bullpen meltdowns are unacceptable, and it is time for drastic measures.

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MLB Strikeout Props & Pitcher Best Bets for Today, June 24

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Welcome in to Wednesday's starting pitcher props & best bets for June 24!

We are attacking pitchers from all angles today, targeting strikeout Overs, Unders, and walk props across the MLB player props board.

There are a handful of intriguing spots on this slate, so let’s dig in and find some winners, anchored by the Rhett Lowder walk prop.

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Player PickOdds
Angels Jose SorianoOver 6.5 strikeouts-107
Cardinals Matthew LiberatoreUnder 3.5 strikeouts -152
Reds Rhett LowderOver 2.5 walks+127

Strikeout prop: Jose Soriano Over 6.5 strikeouts (-107)

I miss when Los Angeles Angels starter Jose Soriano was in the Cy Young odds conversation, but that ship has seemingly sailed.

Still, he finds himself in a solid spot to shove against the Baltimore Orioles, who have maintained a swing-happy offense all season long.

Over their last six games, the Orioles carry a 27% strikeout rate. Over the last 12, that number sits at 26.7%. According to Batters-Box, this lineup features nine bats above the league strikeout rate in the current season data.

Soriano has posted a 28% strikeout rate at home this season, along with a 30.7% called strike plus whiff rate. When sporting an elite rating, the right-hander clears 6+ strikeouts 50% of the time, and 7+ strikeouts 36.36% of the time.

  • Time: 4:07 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: ABTV, MASN

Strikeout prop: Matthew Liberatore Under 3.5 strikeouts (-152)

I am already fading Matthew Liberatore this evening by backing Ketel Marte in the MLB player prop picks, so why not also take a look at the Under on his strikeouts?

The Arizona Diamondbacks do not feature a single hitter above league average in strikeout rate per Batters-Box. Liberatore also draws one of the weakest matchup strikeout environments on the slate, ranking near the bottom in opponent K profile.

Even with Arizona showing a slight cold stretch overall, the strikeout numbers remain strong. They have stayed Under 18% in strikeout rate over their last six, 12, and 21-game samples. Against left handed pitching this season, they are sitting at just a 7.8% strikeout rate as a team.

This is a very strong contact profile against southpaws, which only reinforces the case to continue fading Liberatore in this spot.

  • Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: CARD, ARID

Walks prop: Rhett Lowder Over 2.5 walks (+127)

Yep, we're attacking your mom's favorite country singer, Rhett Lowder, as he finds himself in a vulnerable spot against one of the more patient offenses in baseball.

The Milwaukee Brewers own the second-highest walk rate on the road this season, sitting just north of 10%. Over their last 21 games, they rank first in baseball with a 10.7% walk rate.

This lineup also features seven hitters carrying at least a 7.7% walk rate over their last 60 at-bats against right-handed pitching.

On the other side, Lowder has battled command issues all season. Over his last five outings, he has handed out walks at nearly a 20% clip. While that number improves to 6.52% at home, he has still posted a 15.15% walk rate across his last three starts.

Hopefully the Brew Crew packed their best set of eyeballs for this one.

  • Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
  • Where to watch: BREW, CINR
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
  • Prop picks: 236-436-36, -7.5 units

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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NBA Draft: 1 interesting fact about all 30 first round 2026 picks

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver poses with the 2026 NBA Draft prospects for a portrait before the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is officially in the books, and if you have too short of an attention span to fully dive into the 30 players who heard their names called Tuesday night, here’s one fact about each player you can wow your friends and colleagues with:

1. AJ Dybantsa (Washington Wizards)

Dybantsa was extremely close with former Kentucky star Terrence Clarke, who tragically passed away in a car accident just weeks before the 2021 NBA Draft. The pair grew up in the same Boston area neighborhood, and Clarke took Dybantsa under his wing and served as a mentor for the future No. 1 pick. On draft night, Dybantsa’s suit featured a blue pin shaped like a heart that read “TC5” in honor of Clarke, who wore No. 5 at Kentucky.

2. Darryn Peterson (Utah Jazz)

Peterson became the first high school athlete to sign a name, image and likeness deal when he inked one with Adidas at just 16 years old. Shortly after, he signed another deal with Fanatics, becoming the youngest athlete to ever sign a trading card deal.

3. Cameron Boozer (Memphis Grizzlies)

Boozer didn’t capture a national championship during his one and only season at Duke, but he still continued his lengthy history of accumulating individual accolades and other titles. He’ll head to the NBA with an outrageous resume that includes being the 2025-26 consensus national Player of the Year, the ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, three-time Florida Mr. Basketball, two-time Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year (including one at the age of 15 in 2023), four state championships, two gold medals with Team USA, two FIBA World Cup MVP Awards, a McDonald’s All-American Game co-MVP award and three Peach Jam championships.

4. Caleb Wilson (Chicago Bulls)

Wilson is a lego enthusiast who built a Lego Lamborghini Countach during his one season at North Carolina.

“I didn’t commit to Carolina to come here and go to karaoke night,” Wilson said last October. “I came here to be a great basketball player, so I do things that are kind of mentally freeing off the court because I feel like it is definitely important for you to have a mental balance and you can’t put all your mental cards in one deck.” 

5. Keaton Wagler (L.A. Clippers)

Perhaps the best story of the draft, Wagler became the first player of the “scouting network” era to not be a top 100 recruit according to any of the three major scouting services and still be a one-and-done lottery pick. Only 247 Sports had Wagler as a top 150 prospect in the class of 2025, and they had him No. 150.

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6.Mikel Brown Jr. (Brooklyn Nets)

Despite playing in just 21 games because of a lingering back injury, Brown Jr. still made history in his first and last season at Louisville. His 45-point effort against NC State in February set the record for points in a game by an ACC freshman, and matched the single-game scoring record at Louisville, held by the legendary Wes Unseld.

7. Darius Acuff Jr. (Sacramento Kings)

The 2026 Bob Cousy Award winner for being the top point guard in college basketball, Acuff joined the immortal Pete Maravich as the only players in SEC history to lead the league in both scoring and assists in a single season. Naturally, Acuff brought home SEC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors as well.

8. Kingston Flemings (Atlanta Hawks)

Not only did Flemings said the Houston freshman scoring record when he dropped 42 points on Texas Tech in January, but he finished the 2025-26 campaign as the first freshman in college basketball history to average 16+ points, 4+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and fewer than 2 turnovers per game.

9. Morez Johnson Jr. (Dallas Mavericks)

In being drafted by the Mavericks just two days after Dusty May’s shocking departure from Michigan to the Mavs, Johnson Jr. became the first player since 2014 to be drafted by a team with the same coach the draftee played for in college. The last time it happened was when Fred Hoiberg and the Bulls drafted Cameron Bairstow, who had starred for Hoiberg at Iowa State.

10. Brayden Burries (Milwaukee Bucks)

While Burries now owns most of the family bragging rights, his older brother, BJ, still owns the title of being the leading all-time scorer in Arizona boys high school basketball history (3,387 career points). BJ Burries spent last season as a graduate assistant at Arizona.

11. Yaxel Lendeborg (Golden State Warriors)

At 23 years old, Lendeborg was the oldest player selected during Tuesday night’s first round. Lendeborg spent three years at a junior college and then two more at UAB before wrapping up his college career by helping Michigan win the 2025-26 national championship.

12. Aday Mara (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Measuring 7’3 without shoes at the NBA Draft combine, Mara was the tallest player selected in the first round. His 103 blocks last season at Michigan set a new single season school record.

13. Nate Ament (Milwaukee Bucks)

Ament’s mother, Godelive, is a nurse who was born and raised in Rwanda. Ament frequently wears shoes featuring Rwanda’s flag colors (light blue, yellow, and green) with a golden sun to honor her heritage. Despite being just 19 years old, he has already traveled to the country multiple times and hosted basketball clinics there.

14. Hannes Steinbach (Charlotte Hornets)

The native of Germany led the entire NCAA in rebounding (11.8 rebounds per game) last season, and registered 22 double-doubles in 30 games. He also became one of just 14 freshmen in NCAA history to record 550 points and 350 rebounds in a season.

15. Dailyn Swain (Chicago Bulls)

After spending two seasons at Xavier, Swain blew up in his first season and only season at Texas. He was the only player in the country last season to lead his team in every major statistical category (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and minutes played).

16. Bennett Stirtz (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Stirtz’s college career was spent following head coach Ben McCollum from Division-II Northwest Missouri State for two seasons, to Drake University for a season, and then finally to Iowa for the season that would make him a household name.

17. Ebuka Okorie (Detroit Pistons)

Okorie was committed to Harvard, where both of his parents went, before convincing them that he was good enough at basketball to potentially make a career out of it. When he expressed the desire to play at a power conference school, his parents agreed, but only if it was a power conference schools with academic standards similar to Harvard’s. After one season at Stanford, he’s now off to the NBA.

18. Christian Anderson (Charlotte Hornets)

Anderson was named the Big 12’s Most Improved Player after an all-conference season that saw him set a new Texas Tech record for assists in a single season (244).

19. Allen Graves (Toronto Raptors)

From 1947 through 2021, Santa Clara had just three players in program history who were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. They’ve now had three first round picks in the last five years (Jalen Williams in 2022, Brandin Podziemski in 2023, and Graves in 2025).

20. Jayden Quaintance (San Antonio Spurs)

Quaintance is the youngest McDonald’s All-American history, making the 2024 roster at the age of just 16. His young age forced him to play two seasons in college (one at Arizona State and one at Kentucky) before being eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft.

21. Karim Lopez (Memphis Grizzlies)

Lopez if the first Mexican-born player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, and just the second Mexican-born player to be drafted, period.

22. Labaron Philon Jr. (Philadelphia 76ers)

As a sophomore last season at Alabama, Philon became the only Division-I player in the country to average at least 22.0 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor.

23. Zuby Ejiofor (Atlanta Hawks)

Ejiofor made history in 2025-26 by becoming the first player in Big East history to win the league’s Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards in the same season.

24. Cameron Carr (Los Angeles Lakers)

Carr’s father, Chris, played six seasons in the NBA and was the runner-up to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest when Bryant was just 18-years-old. Carr’s mother, Tanya, was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ dance team.

25. Sergio De Larrea (Dallas Mavericks)

He was named Best Young Player after spending the 2025-26 season playing for Valencia Basket in Spain’s Liga Endesa.

26.  Tarris Reed Jr. (San Antonio Spurs)

Reed has the unfortunate distinction of being a member of the Michigan Wolverines while the UConn Huskies were winning the 2023 and 2024 national championships, and then transferring to UConn where his college career ended with a loss to Michigan in the 2026 national championship game.

27. Chris Cenac Jr. (Boston Celtics)

Boasting a massive 7’5 wingspan, Cenac grabbed at least one offensive rebound in 33 of the 37 games he played for Houston in 2025-26.

28. Joshua Jefferson (Brooklyn Nets)

A super versatile 6’9 point forward, Jefferson became the first player in Iowa State and Big 12 history to record multiple triple-doubles in a single season during conference play. He recorded the first against West Virginia on Jan. 2 and then repeated the feat against Central Florida 18 days later.

29. Alex Karaban (Sacramento Kings)

UConn’s all-time leader in made three-pointers (276), Karaban was the only player selected Tuesday night who was a member of multiple national title winning teams in college.

30. Koa Peat (Phoenix Suns)

Peat is the youngest of seven siblings, and his older brother, Andrus Peat, was a three-time Pro Bowl NFL offensive lineman with the New Orleans Saints. “Koa” means “strong warrior” in Hawaiian.

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Jayden Quaintance expects to undergo knee procedure, miss the start of the 2026-27 season

Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance shoots baskets while warming up with his team before the Hoosiers and Wildcats play college basketball at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky December 13, 2025. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Spurs knew they were taking the long approach when they drafted Jayden Quaintance with the 20th overall pick. While he fits the exact big man prototype they were missing last season, he only played in four games for Kentucky this year after suffering a torn ACL and meniscus in February of 2025 with Arizona State, never quite returning to his usual self and causing his slide from lottery prospect to the back of third of the first round despite being the top defensive prospect in the draft.

He confirmed Tuesday that he expects to undergo one more medical procedure to clean up his knee and get right once and for all. That may seem daunting, and such a procedure usually requires about a 6-month recovery period, so it’s very possible we don’t see him in a Spurs uniform until the 2027 portion of next season, if at all, but the good news is one well known NBA doctor told On3.com that the procedure would be a long-term solution, and once he recovers, that should be the end of any issue with that knee.

Dr. Riley Williams III — head team physician and orthopedic surgeon for the Brooklyn Nets and famous for performing surgery on Paul George’s gruesome open tibia-fibula fracture with USA Basketball in 2014 — gave a second opinion on Quaintance’s injured right knee that limited him to four games in Lexington and recommended a follow-up procedure that could keep him off the floor for six months. The 6-foot-11 prospect’s ACL remains fully intact and his knee can be maintained at its current state, but a clean-up is preferred for a permanent resolution.

…This procedure could lead to a delayed start to his rookie season, but the long-term reward of a healthy 15-year career in the NBA is the prize on the table. It kept teams in the lottery and late teens intrigued, despite rumors of a potential fall to the second round. Sources close to Quaintance felt San Antonio at No. 20 was a backstop for the talented forward going into draft night, an educated hunch that proved to be accurate.

This may sound familiar to some Spurs fans. Back in 2000, Tim Duncan tore his meniscus late in the regular season. He felt he could play through it, but the Spurs decided to sacrifice those playoffs and the defense of their 1999 title for the sake of his long-term career and forced him to get surgery then and there (much to his chagrin at the time). Had he not done the surgery or delayed it for the playoffs but caused even more damage to his knee, it’s quite possible we aren’t talking about an all-time top 10 player and five championships across what would become a 19-year career.

While we obviously aren’t giving Quaintance Duncan-level expectations (that’s Victor Wembanyama’s job), Timmy is a shining example of what taking care of yourself early to avoid long-term impact can lead to, even if your young body thinks you can handle it.

The Spurs already knew they could afford be patient and let Quaintance get healthy, and without the pressure that the lottery brings of choosing THE right guy, they showed they were willing to take a chance on a player with extremely high upside if he can get healthy. Assuming he does, he should end up being well worth the risk. If not, they added an insurance policy by trading up to the 26th pick to select Tarris Reed, another defensive minded big man who is NBA-ready and can help fill the gaps behind Wemby and Luke Kornet on day 1.

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Yankees At-Bat of the Week: Ali Sánchez (6/22)

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JUNE 22: Ali Sánchez #39 of the New York Yankees his hit by a pitch in the seventh inning in front of Dillon Dingler #13 of the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 22, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Yankees offense has hit a bit of a rut of late, entering play Tuesday on the back of a three-game losing streak and four losses in their last five, the team scoring three or fewer runs in all of those losses. As such, there haven’t been many options to choose for At-Bat of the Week, meaning backup catcher Ali Sánchez earns his first nod in this series for his RBI double in the Yankees’ 5-3 series-opening loss against the Tigers on Monday.

We join Sánchez with two outs in the second inning facing Tigers’ southpaw and longtime playoff enemy with Houston Framber Valdez. José Caballero is on first after drawing a two-out walk, and his speed means that any hit that finds the outfield wall should be enough to open the scoring.

Valdez starts Sánchez with a first pitch sinker at 93, Dillon Dingler setting a target low and away.

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Valdez misses his spot, grooving this sinker pretty much right down the middle. Sánchez gets off an excellent swing, but just underneath the pitch. You can tell he was right on time by the way he fouls this pitch straight back to the brickwork behind home.

Seeing how Sánchez was all over that pitch from a timing standpoint, Valdez immediately changes speeds to the changeup. Again, Dingler sets a target low and away hoping to play off the release point of the previous sinker and fool the hitter in both timing and movement.

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Once again, Valdez pulls this pitch toward the zone. It ends up low and in instead of low and away, Sánchez at one point thinking he is going to get hit by the pitch. The changeup never looks like a strike during its entire path toward home, making for an automatic take from Sánchez.

Valdez switched away from the sinker after failing to execute, but interestingly sticks with the changeup despite the poor execution of the one we just saw.

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This one is slightly better execution, but like the first pitch sinker is still in a very hittable zone for Sánchez middle-down. Sánchez once again gets off another impressive hack, but can’t sync his swing path to the downward movement of the pitch and tops it foul. It is worth noting that he was on time with his swing against both the sinker and changeup, so he must be seeing the ball well out of Valdez’s hand.

With the count at two strikes, and having slowed down Sánchez’s bat with the prior pair of changeups, Valdez climbs the ladder with the four-seamer looking to get the strikeout on a pitch above the zone. If he can locate the pitch close enough to the top of the zone, Sánchez should chase – the only fastball he has seen so far is a sinker, whereas the four-seamer drops ten inches less.

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Instead, Valdez gets his release point all wrong, perhaps distracted by Caballero taking off for second base, and Sánchez has to dodge some high chin music.

Now that Caballero is standing on second, I wonder if Sánchez’s mindset changes here from looking to do damage to simply getting bat on ball trying to find the outfield grass.

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Based on this swing against the curveball, it looks like Sánchez has shifted his approach away from trying to pull the ball in the air to more of an all-fields approach. It’s actually an impressive piece of hitting – you can tell Sánchez recognizes the pitch almost from the moment it leaves Valdez’s hand from the way he stays back on the pitch looking to drive it to the opposite field. He doesn’t miss a double down the right field line by all that much as he’s getting closer and closer to barreling the ball with each piece of contact he makes.

I wonder if Valdez is starting to feel uneasy having seen Sánchez make an on time swing against pitches in three distinct velocity bands: mid-90s on the fastball, mid-80s on the changeup, and mid-70s on the curveball. Watching Sánchez wait back on that curveball, it appears Valdez thinks he can now throw a fastball by him.

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This is a hell of a take from Sánchez. The pitch looks like a strike on the outer half when it leaves Valdez’s hand, only for the 13 inches of arm-side movement to carry it off the plate away. In a split second, Sánchez diagnoses pitch type, recognizes location, and remembers the movement of the sinker away from him.

Once again, I am pretty surprised that Valdez opts for a changeup in this full count. It is his third-best pitch, and he missed his location with the first two he threw to Sánchez.

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Indeed, he misses his location for a third time, this one the worst of the lot. He leaves this pitch right down Broadway, and Sánchez jumps all over it, grounding it hard through the hole on the left side to plate Caballero as the game’s opening run. I love how level Sánchez’s swing is here, allowing him to stay slightly more under control of his barrel while still getting off an A-swing.

Here’s the full AB:

It’s not often that I feature an AB from a losing effort on AB of the Week but frankly that speaks to the poor quality of ABs up and down the lineup for the better part of a week. Expectations for Sánchez are pretty tempered given he is effectively their third catcher. All you really want from him is a credible AB against righties and to do damage should he get a mistake he can handle, and he checked both those boxes with this encounter.

The Yankees desperately need better offensive production from the catcher position, Sánchez, Austin Wells, and J.C. Escarra combining to produce the third-worst wRC+ (53) of any team’s backstops. Perhaps that is why I have felt encouraged by the quality of at-bat exhibited by Sánchez over the last week. After looking downright overmatched in his initial exposure – no hits and a 50-percent strikeout rate in his first five games – Sánchez has turned things around to go 6-for-12 with two doubles, three RBIs, and a 243 wRC+ in his last five games. While that tiny sample size is certainly not prescriptive of future performance, it’s enough to earn more opportunities against lefty pitching whenever he returns from the paternity list (or possible injury).

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Colorado Rockies vs. Boston Red Sox game discussion: Ranger Suarez vs. Kyle Freeland

DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 19: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Coors Field on June 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After a stellar walk-off victory on Monday, the Colorado Rockies stumbled to a 5-2 loss on Tuesday as the offense couldn’t quite get rolling against Sonny Gray. Now, with the series tied, the Rockies will try to snag another series win to close out the homestand.

Kyle Freeland (1-7, 7.36 ERA) will take the mound for the Rockies, looking to replicate the success of his previous start. Freeland cruised through seven scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates before coming out to pitch the eighth inning, where he ended up responsible for two runs. He allowed just four hits and struck out eight, including his 1,000th career punchout, while allowing no walks for the second straight start. Freeland has been a little bit more comfortable at home this season, sporting a 1-2 record along with a 6.32 ERA in 31.1 innings over six starts. As for his experience against the Red Sox, he has made two starts and allowed six runs on nine hits over 11.2 innings.

Ranger Suarez (3-3, 2.93 ERA) is scheduled to make the start for the Red Sox. The former Phillie standout has had mixed results in his first season in Boston, as he has battled a little bit of inconsistency between less-than-average starts and ace-like outings. However, has settled into a familiar form in June while staying effective overall. Over his three starts this month, Suarez has allowed just three runs over 18 innings with five walks and 18 strikeouts. His last outing came in Seattle, where he threw 6.2 shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five and walking three, to bring his ERA under three. He owns a 2.43 ERA against the Rockies in seven appearances, including a 3.20 ERA in four appearances at Coors Field. As for facing right-handed batters, he has limited them to a .202 AVG as opposed to lefties, who are hitting .266 against him.

In roster news, the Rockies placed reliever Jaden Hill on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder tendinitis. Seth Halvorsen was recalled to take his spot.

First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)

Red Sox SB Nation Site: Over the Monster

Lineups:

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Lakers' Austin Reaves opts out of contract, plans to re-sign for four years

Lakers guard Austin Reaves catches his breath on the court during a break in play.
Austin Reaves has opted out of the final year of his contract so he can re-sign with the Lakers for four years and $185 million. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Both Austin Reaves and the Lakers have always stated their desire to continue their relationship that started when he was an undrafted prospect five years ago.

They will.

Reaves intends to re-sign with the Lakers for a maximum deal of four years and $185 million, people not authorized to speak on the matter confirmed to The Times on Wednesday.

Reaves opted out of his deal that was to pay him $14.8 million next season and would have become one of the top free agents on the market.

Instead, he will sign the richest contract in NBA history for an undrafted player. The deal also includes a player option for the final season in 2029-30.

Reaves’ representatives and the Lakers began working together on a deal in recent days when teams were able to negotiate with their own free agents at the conclusion of the NBA Finals.

Reaves, 28, will earn about $46 million per season, starting with making $41.3 million in the first year.

Read more:Lakers swap picks with Knicks, select wing Cameron Carr

After the Lakers lost in the second round of the playoffs to Oklahoma City, Reaves had this to say when asked about his future and returning to the Lakers.

“I’ve been around for five years and y’all I would say, but I don’t think about [it] much,” Reaves said. “I take life day by day and I’m just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game. I make good money. But like I said, I don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future, just day by day.”

The Lakers, on the other hand, made it clear that they wanted Reaves back.

The Lakers were aware that several teams, including Brooklyn and Detroit, had expressed interest in Reaves, and L.A. didn’t want to let him get away, making sure they didn’t by agreeing to a deal to keep him.

During his exit interview with the media last month, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka spoke about Reaves.

“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said. “And we feel the same way. We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold. As you know, there’s rules and timing to all of that but I think both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here.”

Reaves averaged career highs in points (23.3) and rebounds (4.7) last season, and 5.5 assists.

But he appeared in a career-low 51 games, a calf and oblique injuries keeping him out of games.

He missed the last five regular-season games with the oblique injury suffered on April 2 at Oklahoma City and the first four first-round playoff games against the Rockets. But he worked hard to return in the last two postseason games against the Rockets and the four against the Thunder.

In those six playoff games, Reaves averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds and shot 40.7% from the field, 25.7% from three-point range.

“That’s the beautiful thing about basketball is there’s always opportunities and areas that you can continue to grow,” Reaves said during his exit interview. “You’re never going to be complete in the full game. So, I’ll take some time off, get back in the gym and continue to get better.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Juan Soto’s status undetermined as Francisco Lindor gets ready to rejoin Mets, Kodai Senga shifts to bullpen

NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor is ready to rejoin the New York Mets — just as Juan Soto deals with a back injury that may sideline him.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he couldn’t rule out a trip to the injured list for Soto, who exited a 9-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs after the fourth inning because of a tight back.

Soto, who was pictured on SNY wearing a wrap around his back in the dugout, underwent imaging before the doubleheader. Mendoza said he hoped Soto could be available at some point but acknowledged a level of concern for the superstar outfielder, who is in the second season of a 15-year, $765 million deal.

“We’ve got to wait,” Mendoza said. “Obviously not ideal when a player like him come out of a game. Those guys are tough and they know how important they are and they take pride on being in the lineup everyday and posting.

“I just didn’t like how he looked yesterday. We’ve got to wait.”

Soto’s injury may delay his reunion with Lindor, who is expected to be activated prior to the nightcap. The 32-year-old shortstop has been sidelined since suffering a strained left calf while running the bases against the Minnesota Twins on April 22 — the same day Soto returned from an 18-day stint on shelf due to a strained right calf.

Lindor played in his third rehab game, when he was 2 for 5 while scoring twice for Triple-A Syracuse. He made the four-hour trip back to New York following the game, which factored into the Mets’ decision to hold off on activating him.

“Everything checked out well after the game last night but he got in late, so we told him to kind of recover this morning,” Mendoza said. “We anticipate him being in the lineup.”

Mendoza said the Mets will proceed cautiously with Lindor following the longest injured stint of his 12-year career. Lindor, who missed just 15 games the previous four years, likely will sit out Thursday and also will see more time than usual at designated hitter.

Lindor and Soto have played just nine games together this season for the last-place Mets, who haven’t recovered from the 12-game losing streak they endured during Soto’s absence. New York, which hasn’t finished in last place since 2003, is seven games out of the final National League playoff spot.

“I’m just worried about Soto,” Mendoza said. “I’m not thinking about Lindor back, Soto out. It is what it is, right? Hopefully we can get those two in the lineup for a long time here for the rest of the season and we can make a run at it.”

Mendoza also announced beleaguered starter Kodai Senga has been shifted to the bullpen. Senga last gave up seven runs over 3 2/3 innings as his ERA rose to 10.08. He hasn’t earned a win since June 12, 2025, when he suffered a hamstring injury covering first base against the Washington Nationals.

Senga, a noted creature of habit, has made just one relief appearance for the Mets. He threw the final 1 2/3 innings of Game 6 of the 2024 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“We’re going to adjust his routine, he’s going to have to adjust his routine,” Mendoza said.