PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 23: A detailed view of an ESPN tv camera during the game between the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 23, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Red Sox defeated the Phillies 9-8 in extra innings. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, July 20 will be exclusively televised by ESPN, the network announced on Tuesday.
Karl Ravech will call play-by-play for Dodgers-Phillies alongside analysts Eduardo Pérez and David Ross, plus reporter Buster Olney. There will be no SportsNet LA telecast of this game. This is the third ESPN game for the Dodgers this season, along with April 15 against the New York Mets and June 15 vs. the Tampa Bay Rays. Both of those previous games were at Dodger Stadium.
The game against the Phillies is the start of the middle series of a nine-game road trip gauntlet directly following the All-Star break, with the Dodgers facing the Yankees, Phillies, and Mets, teams they faced over the last two postseasons.
It’s also a trip rife with nationally televised games, four of them exclusive:
July 18 at Yankees, 5:08 p.m. PT (Fox)
July 19 at Yankees, 4:20 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
July 20 at Phillies, 4:10 p.m. (ESPN)
July 21 at Phillies, 3:40 p.m. (TBS, non-exclusive telecast)
That’s how much of Northwestern baseball’s offensive production, by RBI, is departing Evanston.
Ben Greenspan had done well in his first three years with the ‘Cats, building back toward conference tournament contention. But year four for him seems like it will be the toughest of all — most of the guys he’s recruited to be the building blocks of a Wildcat rebranding on the diamond will be gone, leaving him with more questions than answers as to how he’ll find success.
There’s a tornado tearing through Greenspan’s roster this summer, and there’s no telling what the wreckage will be once the dust settles in the fall.
Who’s gone?
Among the names to depart Northwestern this summer, the one that hurts the most is MLB prospect Ryan Kucherak — the ‘Cats’ most disciplined hitter this past season, leading the team with 27 walks.
Kucherak has the five-tool player “starter pack,” per se: power to all fields, the ability to hit for average and drive in runs, a plus glove at shortstop, the ability to steal bags and an above-average baseball IQ. The integration of all these aspects of his game immediately makes him one of the top available players in the portal, which is further supported by his performance at the MLB Draft Combine last week, where he topped out at a 106 MPH exit velocity.
Ryan Kucherak put together a quality BP at the MLB Draft Combine…three balls in the 104-106 EV range from the @NUCatsBaseball SS who set a single-season program HR record in 2025. Big power potential at a premium position.
— The College Baseball Show (@CollegeBSBShow) June 24, 2026
NU loses its spark plug in the two-hole, as Kucherak slugged .521 last season with 23 extra-base hits, second on the team behind another draft prospect in Jack Lausch.
Lausch made a major improvement in the middle of his junior season and hasn’t looked back since. This past year, he settled into the cleanup spot for the ‘Cats and proved himself to be one of the best bats in the Big Ten with a .312 average, 1.047 OPS, 41 RBI, 16 home runs and a 131 wRC+, while his pure athleticism made him a sure-handed fielder in center field.
Owen McElfatrick and Matt Kouser are another two departures that pain Northwestern. McElfatrick was one of the ‘Cats’ most consistent hitters — a .250 average doesn’t necessarily scream that, but he still managed to slug .475 and drive in 39 runs last year.
Kouser hits the transfer portal alongside Kucherak after pitching to a 5.02 ERA in 15 appearances. He’d consistently been in a top-two starter role in his freshman season, this year being more of a Swiss army knife for the ‘Cats’ pitching staff, slotting in wherever Greenspan sees fit. A very valuable addition to whichever program is able to secure him out of the portal.
That brings us to first baseman Nick Barron, whose last-minute departure has completed a demolition of NU’s infield. Barron showed power in droves in his first season of college baseball, leading the team with 15 doubles and tacking on nine home runs and 33 RBI batting in the middle third of the order.
A major positive to having Barron back is his plate discipline — his 14.6% strikeout rate was the second lowest on the team in 2026. He would have likely seen himself in the heart of the Northwestern order. Instead, he’ll look to claim that spot elsewhere.
NU is in deep trouble, simply put. It needs corner infielders, a shortstop, a center fielder and a No. 1 starter for next year. Not a great place to be, but maybe it’s not as bad as we’re making it out to be.
What’s left?
In the wake of massive turnover in Evanston, Greenspan has gathered a quartet of transfers for the 2027 season.
Let’s start with a pair of former Duke Blue Devils in Jeff Lougee and Andrew Bell — a pair of athletic infielders who will compete for jobs that seem up in the air as of now with Kucherak’s absence and a lack of an everyday second baseman in 2026.
Lougee only played a total of eight games in Durham last season and struggled, hitting .176 in 17 at-bats. However, much of his true promise was shown in his 2025 Cape Cod League campaign with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, hitting .288 in 80 at-bats, logging eight extra-base hits and 16 RBIs. By season’s end, he was No. 8 on D1Baseball’s top-10 position player prospects list for the 2027 MLB draft.
Bell, on the other hand, is more of what one would call a “raw talent.” He saw a total of 25 plate appearances at Duke, posting a career .158 average in his two seasons there, but his 2025 summer with the Keene SwampBats of the NECBL gives a much larger sample size of his archetype as a middle infielder.
Bell made plays like these, which proves that he has the tools to be one of the Big Ten’s best defensive shortstops.
Graduate transfer Jonathan Kim had his 2025 season ruined by injury, only making 17 appearances on the year. However, he’s proven himself to be consistent when healthy, leading the Wolverines with a .322 batting average in a freshman season that landed him on the All-Big Ten Third Team. Kim hovered around the .270 mark in the seasons after, logging 10 doubles and 15 RBI in 2025.
Rounding out the transfer class is Eddie Albert from Dartmouth, who won the team’s Big Green Rookie of the Year award in 2023 — a year that saw him fan 22 batters in 28 innings. Albert pitched to a 3.72 ERA in 9.2 innings last year in appearances against Gardner-Webb and LSU, and is looking to replicate flashes of reliability with the Wildcats.
The new guard for NU baseball stems far beyond this transfer class — in fact, it includes changes in its coaching staff. Former Washington and Texas A&M pitching coach Jason Kelly is expected to make his way to Evanston in the coming months.
Sources: @NUCatsBaseball is expected to hire Jason Kelly, the 2018 @d1baseball Assistant of the Year, as its new pitching coach, I'm told. Kelly spent the last two seasons at Texas A&M, and previously was the head man at Washington.
Kelly was named D1Baseball’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018 — the year of the Huskies’ first-ever trip to the Men’s College World Series. He’d lead one of the most efficient pitching staffs in the nation in his first year as an Aggie — a staff that ranked top-three nationally in walks allowed per nine (2.89) and in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.31).
After seeing an early exit in the College Station regional, Kelly looks to revitalize a youthful Northwestern pitching staff which, right now, seems centered around promising sophomores in Jake Rifenburg and James Whitaker.
All that being said, the backbone to next season’s team will be its most crucial returner in Jackson Freeman, who’s still searching for his freshman season swing that carried him to all-conference freshman team honors. While his 2025 season was more reflective of that year than 2026 was, Freeman seeks to build upon the potential he showed three seasons ago.
Above all, this team lives and dies with Ben Greenspan staying true to himself and his coaching philosophy, and not letting the chaos dictate his decision making.
NU is in a developmental phase, where it’s seeking its core pieces for the future. It thought Barron and Kucherak would be those pieces, but now it finds itself back at square one.
Next year will say a lot about Greenspan’s readiness to be the head coach of a struggling program that has been treading water in the Big Ten for the past decade. If he can find a way to move the needle upward, despite the massive turnover, that means that he’s the man for the job.
Uncapped back set for Nations Championship call-up
Squad aims to bounce back at Hill Dickinson Stadium
England’s rugby players could be forgiven for wondering which way is up. On Sunday they were in South Africa, next Monday they will be in South America and they are now in sub‑Saharan Surrey preparing to face Fiji in Liverpool this Saturday. Ironically it is warmer in Bagshot this week than it is in Suva, albeit with fewer coral reefs and fresh coconuts.
Regardless of the rotating backdrop, though, there is no disguising the lingering disappointment of the 45-21 defeat against the Springboks in Johannesburg last weekend. Victory at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium would not repair everything overnight but there is widespread acceptance within the camp that they need to rebound strongly on Saturday.
Just under a week ago, the Edmonton Oilers made a quiet addition to their roster with a depth forward that went largely unrecognized except by Detroit Red Wings fans.
On July 1, the Oilers signed former Grand Rapids Griffins forward Eduards Tralmaks to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000, giving the 29-year-old winger his first real shot at cracking an NHL lineup after years as a career minor leaguer.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman spoke on the move during Monday's episode of his podcast, 32 Thoughts, pointing to new Oilers head coach Mike Babcock, who won a Stanley Cup with Detroit back in 2008, as the kind of coach who could get the best out of a player with Tralmaks' skill set.
Friedman suggested Babcock's track record of developing depth players into legitimate NHL contributors could give Tralmaks a real chance to work his way into a regular role at the game's highest level, something the Red Wings never gave him during his one year with the franchise.
Red Wings fans saw Tralmaks at his best last season, when he recorded 26 goals and 16 assists for 42 points in 64 AHL games with Grand Rapids, finishing fourth on a Griffins team that broke several league records during a 51-win campaign in just 72 games.
Tralmaks did earn emergency recalls and practiced with the Red Wings at times, but he never once cracked the lineup for an actual NHL game, spending his entire tenure in the organization strictly as a minor-league piece.
Tralmaks likely helped his case with his performance at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, where he was one of the better players in the tournament for Latvia, scoring three goals and adding an assist for a point-per-game average across the country's four games, with several of those goals proving to be genuine difference-makers.
Now heading to Edmonton, Tralmaks will get an extended look with the Oilers as they aim to finally get over the hump under Babcock after two Western Conference Championships in the last three seasons.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 30: Pitcher Brett Renfrow #17 of the Virginia Tech Hokies delivers a pitch during an NCAA Division 1 Regional college baseball game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the UCLA Bruins on May 30, 2026, at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Greg Fiore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 30: | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The 2026 draft is less than a week away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Virginia Tech righthander Brett Renfrow.
Brett Renfrow is a 6’3”, 220 lb. righthanded pitcher who just finished his junior season at Virginia Tech. Undrafted out of high school in Manassas, Virginia, Renfrow has been in the rotation for VaTech all three seasons. He turned 21 in January.
Renfrow has a mid-90s fastball that grades out around average and that works well up in the zone, but that isn’t a bat-missing pitch. He’s reportedly been able to touch 97 mph with it. Renfrow also throws a cutter, a slider, a curve and a changeup, though there appears to be a lot of similarity between his cutter and his slider. As with his fastball, the secondaries all grade out as more or less average, though Keith Law gives his curve a plus grade.
Renfrow has the size and build of a workhorse starting pitcher, as well as the repertoire. He improved his walk rate in 2026, and the grades on his control all come in around average. However, MLB Pipeline notes that he’s currently a control-over-command guy, and has gotten punished at times due to not locating his fastball in the zone where it needs to be.
Renfrow made 15 starts in each of his three seasons with the Hokies, and logged between 73.2 and 75 innings in all three seasons. After putting up a 4.92 ERA with 78 Ks against 32 walks as a freshman, he improved to a 3.89 ERA in 2025 despite the K and walk rates being very similar, primarily due to cutting his home run rate in half. This year, he improved to 88 strikeouts and 25 walks, though his home runs increased from 7 to 11, resulting in a 4.64 ERA.
Renfrow is not a particularly sexy draft candidate, with grades coming in at around average across the board. He does have a track record of durability, though, and has the build and pitch mix that you want to see in a potential starting pitcher.
To avoid being an up-and-down guy, Renfrow is probably going to need to improve one or two pitches by a grade, and tighten up his command. He seems to offer the upside of a mid-rotation starter, and you could see the Rangers taking him in the second or third round.
Jul 4, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Welcome back to another edition of our Brewers Reacts Surveys, and this week, we’re asking fans if they think it’s time for veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff to retire.
Woodruff, 33, has spent nine seasons in the majors, all with the Brewers, and he’s pitched to a solid career stat line with a 55-30 record, 3.10 ERA, 3.19 FIP, and 918 strikeouts over 790 1/3 innings. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy, though, with an injury on the Fourth of July in Phoenix the latest in a long string of frustrating setbacks.
While he has a solid 2.98 ERA and 3.20 FIP this year, he’s pitched just 45 1/3 innings over his nine starts, and he hasn’t exceeded 70 innings since the 2022 season. In fact, since the beginning of 2023, he’s pitched just 177 innings, and while he has a 2.80 ERA in that period, that’s simply not sustainable for a team like the Brewers, as they’re paying him $22 million, plus $10 million from his opt-out of a mutual deal last offseason.
While there’s no doubt Woodruff provides value as a veteran in the clubhouse and is a fantastic pitcher when healthy, that leaves the question: Is it time for him to retire? He’s spent more days on the IL with a variety of arm injuries than he has healthy, and it seems like a perfect fit for him to find a home with Milwaukee’s coaching staff in some form or another.
I know nobody wants him to retire, but what’s the right call here? Weigh in below and stay tuned for results later this week!
It’s Paul Skenes Day, and that means the odds have lost their bearings. With the Pittsburgh Pirates starting their most well-known player since a much smaller Barry Bonds was in Pittsburgh, plenty of casual bettors are backing the Bucs.
That means the better team is a heavy underdog, which means a chance to cash in. It’s why my Braves vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks are calling for an Atlanta win.
Who will win Braves vs Pirates today: Braves moneyline (+132)
Even at the height of his powers, Paul Skenes shouldn’t make the Atlanta Braves +132, and he’s far from his height.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost their last nine starts. It’s not merely a lack of run support — Skenes has a 5.36 ERA over his last nine games, and he’s coming off a career-worst day — eight runs and two homers in four innings.
It doesn’t guarantee a Braves win, but it’s the smart-money play if the Braves are heavier than +120. Atlanta is seven games better, has a run differential 62 runs higher, and is better on the road than Pittsburgh is at home.
COVERS INTEL: Paul Skenes' four-seamer and sinker have both lost almost one full MPH from last season and are spinning 90 revolutions less. His whiff rate on the sinker is 8.8%, about half of last season’s. His changeup is the same speed as before, and the lack of difference between that and his fastballs is affecting that pitch as well. Batters are hitting 100 points higher against the change this year.
Braves vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+109)
Skenes is affecting these odds as well. However, he's not pitched in the seventh inning in his last nine starts and has failed to complete six in six of them. Pittsburgh’s bullpen has a 6.75 ERA in the last three games, in which they’ve pitched a total of 16 of the 27 innings.
Both teams are stroking the ball. Pittsburgh has scored five or more in each of the last five games. Atlanta has done one better, scoring a total of 44 in the last six.
The Braves start Hurston Waldrep, who's making just his third appearance since returning from February arm surgery.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 25-32, -3.98 units
Over/Under bets: 32-29, +0.32 units
Braves vs Pirates weather
Braves vs Pirates odds
Moneyline: Braves +144 | Pirates -150
Run line: Braves +1.5 (-144) | Pirates -1.5 (+133)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+117) | Under 8.5 (-122)
Braves vs Pirates trend
The Pirates have cashed the Over in 30 of their last 45 home games for +13.8 units and a 28% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Pirates.
How to watch Braves vs Pirates and game info
Location
PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Date
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
First pitch
6:40 p.m. ET
TV
BravesVision, Gray Media
Braves starting pitcher
Hurston Waldrep (0-0, 3.68 ERA)
Pirates starting pitcher
Paul Skenes (6-8, 3.62 ERA)
Braves vs Pirates 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 Boston Celtics officially announced Tuesday the signings of free agent center Mitchell Robinson and guard Mike Conley Jr. And on Monday, they officially announced the Jaylen Brown trade.
Conley reportedly signed a one-year deal, while Robinson reportedly signed a three-year contract worth $47.4 million. The C’s traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
George will wear No. 13 with the Celtics. He also wore No. 13 with the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers. George used No. 8 with the Sixers. Ron Harper Jr. wore No. 13 for the C’s last season.
Robinson is going to wear No. 4 with the Celtics. He wore No. 23 with the New York Knicks over the last seven seasons, but in Boston that number is retired for Frank Ramsey.
Previous players to wear No. 4 for the Celtics include Isaiah Thomas, Anfernee Simons, Jrue Holiday, Nate Robinson and Chauncey Billups. It was most recently used by Nikola Vucevic.
Conley is entering his 20th NBA season, and he will wear No. 44 for the C’s.
He has only worn No. 10 and No. 11 in his career so far, but No. 10 in Boston is retired for Jo Jo White and No. 11 is currently worn by Payton Pritchard.
Former players who have worn No. 44 for the Celtics include Robert Williams III, Brian Scalabrine, Danny Ainge, Pete Maravich, Dave Bing and Paul Westphal.
“By the way, breaking news here — LeBron James and Draymond Green are spending some time here together this week,” Charania said on the show. When Stephen A. asked where exactly, Charania simply responded: “Undisclosed location.”
Draymond Green and LeBron James are planning to hang out this week, per @ShamsCharania
The timing is significant. Green opted out of his $27.7 million player option last week specifically to give the Warriors financial flexibility to pursue James — and the two have been close friends throughout their careers despite never playing on the same team. Green’s opt-out widely was viewed as a signal that he was operating with knowledge that James was leaving the Lakers, if not necessarily confirmation that he was heading to the Bay Area.
Charania made clear the Warriors still face a significant hurdle in the James sweepstakes. Golden State’s plan reportedly hinges on packaging a trade for Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis alongside a James signing — and short of that, Charania does not believe the Warriors are at the top of James’ list.
“The Warriors’ whole plan going into free agency was, let’s see if we can get Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, LeBron James and Anthony Davis,” Charania said. “The big draw for LeBron James with the Warriors would be a package deal. Short of that, I don’t think the Warriors are high on that list — and I think the Warriors believe they’re not high on that list — unless they’re able to go get Anthony Davis.”
Per Charania, the Cavaliers, Heat and 76ers currently represent the top tier of James’ options. Cleveland is viewed as the quiet favorite by most league insiders, while Philadelphia’s acquisition of Jaylen Brown from the Celtics has made the 76ers a legitimate contender for James’ services.
For now, Green and James are somewhere together. Whether that undisclosed location becomes the setting for one of the most consequential recruiting pitches in Warriors history remains to be seen.
The Washington Wizards select big man Felix Okpara. | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards have signed second-round pick Felix Okpara to a two-way deal, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported Tuesday.
The Washington Wizards and Felix Okpara have agreed to a two-way contract, league sources told @hoopshype. Okpara was the 46th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and was an SEC All-Defensive Team selection. He was acquired by the Wizards from the Orlando Magic in a trade on draft night. pic.twitter.com/WRUmBQEpJ8
Washington traded up to select Okpara with the No. 46 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-11 forward, who averaged 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks at Tennessee last season, will start the 2026-27 season in the G League with the Capital City Go-Go.
The Wizards trade No. 51 and 60 to acquire Felix Okpara at No. 46.
Okpara joins Jamir Watkins and Julian Reese as Washington’s two-way players.
Washington’s roster sits at 14 standard contracts and three two-way contracts:
Guard: Trae Young | Tre Johnson | Bub Carrington | D’Angelo Russell
Wing: AJ Dybantsa | Kyshawn George | Bilal Coulibaly | Will Riley
Forward: Anthony Davis | Justin Champagnie | Cam Whitmore
Center: Alex Sarr | Deandre Ayton | Tristan Vukcevic
Two-way: Jamir Watkins, Julian Reese, Felix Okpara
Washington could open another roster spot by waiving or buying out Russell, who opted in to his $5.9 million player option but never reported to Washington following last February’s trade from the Dallas Mavericks.
Kyle Lowry helped the Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals [Getty Images]
Former NBA champion Kyle Lowry re-signed for his former team Toronto Raptors for one day before retiring at the age of 40.
The veteran point guard, who helped the Raptors win the 2019 NBA championship, wanted to end his career with the team after playing for the Philadelphia 76ers since 2024.
"Thank you to my family, my friends, my team-mates, my coaches, my opponents, the staff, the media and especially the fans," Lowry said.
"It's all about you. I appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you, Toronto. Thank you, Canada. And as I always told y'all, it's officially happening. I'm retiring as a Toronto Raptor."
Lowry was selected to the All-Star Game six times in nine seasons with the Raptors. He also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and Miami Heat and spent the majority of his final three seasons with his hometown team the 76ers, while also working as a television pundit.
He wore the seven jersey with the Raptors and made his announcement on 7 July.
Lowry and his wife have also joined the ownership group of WNBA side Toronto Tempo.
"We are a huge basketball family and have been big supporters of the WNBA since day one," the couple said in a statement.
"This feels like a true full circle moment to announce our ownership in the Tempo. We're excited to help build something special in Toronto, inspire the next generation of athletes and fans, and support the continued growth of women's basketball in Canada."
TORONTO (AP) — Daniel Alfredsson, once public enemy No. 1 in Toronto as captain of the Ottawa Senators, is leaving Canada's capital to join the Maple Leafs as an associate coach.
The Maple Leafs announced the move Tuesday, saying John Gruden and Brad Werenka also are joining coach Jim Hiller’s staff as assistants.
Alfredsson, 53, spent the last three seasons as an assistant in Ottawa after a Hall of Fame playing career spent mostly with the Senators.
The Swedish winger was a prominent figure in the “Battle of Ontario” between the Maple Leafs and Senators, which included four playoff showdowns between 2000 and 2004.
Senators owner Michael Andlauer in a statement said that while he wished Alfredsson were not joining a rival organization, the door would always be open for a return.
The Maple Leafs announced that assistant coaches Mike Van Ryn and Derek Lalonde would not return.
When NBA free agency opened earlier this month, the Warriors widely were viewed as one of the premier contenders to land superstar free agent LeBron James.
However, as more time has elapsed in the James sweepstakes, Golden State seems to have less momentum. Not only have there been talks of them pivoting to a pursuit of DeMar DeRozan, but ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed on Tuesday’s “Stephen A. Smith Show” that they are no longer among the teams in the mix for the 21-time All-NBA selection.
“The teams that keep popping up for me when I’m talking to teams are Cleveland, Miami and Philly,” Charania said. “It was Golden State at various points, and it still could. LeBron is taking a period of time here that has now allowed the Warriors, if they want to engage the Wizards on an Anthony Davis trade, to bring LeBron and AD as a package deal. They have a window for that, but the price is going to be steep.”
What might that price be? Well, it would center around Golden State star Jimmy Butler, and it could also impact the Warriors’ ability to build through the draft for the foreseeable future.
“You’re looking at Jimmy Butler and a plethora of draft picks, and if you’re the Wizards now, you have the leverage in these conversations. So, if you’re the Warriors, are you really going to part with multiple first-round picks, multiple swaps and multiple seconds to go get AD and then also get LeBron? Is that worth it? That’s something the Warriors have to sift through.”
Considering a report surfaced on Monday that the Cavaliers are viewed as the expected landing spot around the league, the Warriors would likely would need some sort of assurance from James that he’d sign with them before they part with any assets to make a move for Davis.
James, 41, is coming off a season that saw him make the NBA All-Star team for the 22nd consecutive season and proved he still can be a key part of a team’s offense. He averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game en route to helping the Los Angeles Lakers clinch the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
Unlike in 2010, when ESPN aired “The Decision” on national television, which saw James leave Cleveland for Miami, there is no set date for when he will decide. So, it appears James and his team will keep things under wraps until he truly has made a final decision.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 19: Rasheer Fleming #20 of the Phoenix Suns plays defense during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 19, 2025 at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Suns fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The draft is done. Free agency is pretty much done, at least for the Phoenix Suns. So the next mile marker on the calendar arrives this Friday at 8 p.m., when the Suns’ Summer League team makes its debut in Las Vegas against the Portland Trail Blazers.
There are numerous storylines to follow, especially for an organization that has emphasized development and moved up in recent drafts to acquire prospects it believes in. Summer League matters to this organization, even if we have to temper expectations and avoid overreacting to the results. That’s easier said than done.
Personally, I don’t put too much stock into Summer League. But with nothing else happening in the basketball world, we tend to place a little more weight on it than we probably should. That being said, the Phoenix Suns have several second-year players participating in Summer League, and expectations for them will naturally be higher this time around.
PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 7: Rasheer Fleming #20, Khaman Maluach #10, and Koby Brea #14 of the Phoenix Suns are introduced during a press conference on July 7, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Khaman Maluach was taken 10th overall in last summer’s draft and quite possibly could be the last lottery pick the Phoenix Suns make for quite some time. He is still only 19, not turning 20 until September 14, and we know it typically takes big men longer to develop at the NBA level. That being said, the expectation is that we see progress. Sharper decision-making, better basketball IQ, and an improved understanding of how to utilize his unbelievably long frame to be effective on the basketball court.
Rasheer Fleming might have been a second-round pick, but he was selected 31st overall last summer and was the rookie who appeared to pop a little more as the season progressed. So what does he look like during his second summer in Las Vegas? It’s been reported that he has added muscle, so how does he carry that extra weight as he moves around the court? What does his three-point shot look like? Does he attack the interior with more ferocity and frequency?
Lastly, there is Koby Brea, who returns on a two-way contract after being selected 41st overall last summer. He’s another player the Suns moved up to target and acquire, and while there still isn’t room for him on the big league roster, what does his progression look like? How crisp is his three-point shot, and how often is he taking it during Summer League? More importantly, how effective is he in other aspects of his game?
There are plenty of storylines to monitor with the Suns’ sophomore class, and that is the subject of this week’s Suns Reacts poll.
Who do you need to see the most improvement from this year in Las Vegas, and what is driving that need for improvement? Is it about seeing progress from one summer to the next and building upon what we saw at the end of last season? Or is it about showing improvement toward what could ultimately be that player’s ceiling? Please take the time to vote in the poll, then let us know in the comments below why you voted the way you did.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 02: Hurston Waldrep #64 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Truist Park on July 2, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After two tough losses in a row, the Atlanta Braves will head to PNC Park to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Tonight’s matchup will feature newly returned Hurston Waldrep against reigning Cy Young Award winner, Paul Skenes. Both pitchers have something to prove. Waldrep is likely looking to show he is fully good to go, and Skenes is looking to prove his 3.62 ERA is a fluke.
Skenes is clearly having a down year by his standards when comes to ERA. In his previous two seasons his ERA stayed within 0.01 point of each other with a 1.96 and 1.97 respectively. However, it does appear that he has been a bit unlucky. If you look at his expected ERA (xERA) of 2.76 it is not far off from his previous two seasons of 2.65 and 2.50.
Skenes has been plagued by a terrible left on base percentage. In his previous two seasons his strand rate was 82.4 percent in 2025 and 85.6 percent in 2024. This season his strand rate is 65.8 percent. Odds are we could see his ERA go down just based on that.
One area that could be good for the Braves is that Skenes’ fastball velocity has dropped every single month this season. In April his average fastball was 97.4 MPH and so far in July it has been 96.3. If we go back to the start of his career his velocity has gone down every season. In 2024 there were months when he was averaging 99.3 MPH.
It should be no shock the Braves have struggled against Skenes in their limited sample sizes against him. Five players on the roster have faced Skenes before and none of them have faced Skenes more than three at-bats. Albies has one hit in two at-bats, and Olson has one hit in three. Riley, Smith, and Yastrzemski are all hitless.
Waldrep will be making his third appearance and second as a starter this season. In his last start he lasted 5.1 innings where he gave up five hits to include a HR, three earned runs, a walk, a HBP, and accumulated four strikeouts. It should be noted that all three of those runs happened in the first inning and he was able to settle down and have a solid start overall. In his lone relief appearance, he went 2.0 innings and struggled with command, giving up four walks, but did not give up a run.
The only player on the Pirates that Waldrep has faced in the past is Brandon Lowe, and surely, he remembers it because it was only one at-bat and Lowe took him deep for a solo shot.
On paper it appears that the Pirates have the upper hand as they usually do with Skenes on the mound, but Skenes just came off of his worst start of his career where he gave up seven earned runs in 4.0 innings against the Phillies, and he gave up four earned runs in the start before that. If the Braves were to ever want to face Skenes, now is the time.
Waldrep is going to have to be on his A game. The Pirates have scored the fourth most runs in MLB since the start of June, and the fourth most in the last two weeks. They are staying steady as an offensive force.
COVERS INTEL: Paul Skenes' four-seamer and sinker have both lost almost one full MPH from last season and are spinning 90 revolutions less. His whiff rate on the sinker is 8.8%, about half of last season’s. His changeup is the same speed as before, and the lack of difference between that and his fastballs is affecting that pitch as well. Batters are hitting 100 points higher against the change this year.
