A warmup jacket worn by Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals that was bought by a teenager for $3.07 at an Oregon thrift store sold for $89,600 at auction on Monday.
Quinn Brown had been eyeing a massive bin of clothes at a Goodwill store outside Portland in January when he saw someone toss a Lakers jacket with Chamberlain’s name on it back on the pile. Brown, who resells used clothes online, quickly grabbed it.
The jacket was auctioned by Sotheby’s, which had estimated its value between $150,000 and $250,000 before bidding closed Monday. It received a total of 48 bids, according to the auction house.
Sotheby’s
This Wilt Chamberlain jacket worn by the Lakers star during the 1972 NBA Finals was auctioned off by Sotheby’s.
Described on Sotheby’s website as an “extraordinary piece of memorabilia,” the short-sleeved yellow warmup jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals, in which the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks.
“I didn’t even think that finding something like this was possible,” Brown said. “I got very, very lucky.”
Chamberlain, an NBA Hall of Famer viewed as one of the all-time greats, played in the league from 1959 to 1973. He won two championship rings — one with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, and another with the Lakers in 1972. He holds the record for most points scored by a player in a single game, netting 100 points in a 1962 match.
For the past three years, Brown has been reselling clothes online after finding them in thrift stores. The most expensive item he had sold previously was a T-shirt of Sub Pop Records, the indie label that signed Nirvana in 1989 and released the band’s first album. It went for $250.
After buying the Chamberlain jacket back in January, Brown searched online to see if it was worth something. He found a picture on Google of Chamberlain wearing such a jacket and compared it to the one he had.
In examining the Lakers patch on the front, he noticed certain small stitching details that matched the photo. He also looked up the measurements of a different jersey worn by Chamberlain, a towering figure at 7-foot-1, and discovered that they nearly aligned.
“I really just wanted to make sure, because it was so hard to believe at the time,” he said, adding that he had only ever read about such serendipitous thrift findings.
When he posted a photo of the jacket on social media, Sotheby’s contacted him about consigning the jacket to the auction house. Brown agreed, and an armored van came to pick it up.
Sotheby’s then did its own photo verification and determined that the jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 Finals, in which he was named the Finals MVP.
“Photomatching a piece of game-worn clothing to a specific Finals series, for a player of this era, is genuinely exceptional,” Sotheby’s website says. “As photomatched items worn by Chamberlain become exceedingly rare, this jacket is a piece of sports history.”
It is not the first Chamberlain item from the 1972 Finals to fetch a hefty sum under the hammer: A game jersey he wore during the series sold for $4.9 million at Sotheby’s in 2023, the fourth most expensive NBA jersey ever sold by the auction house.
As for his thrifted find, Brown said: “That was as good as it gets.”
A warmup jacket worn by Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals that was bought by a teenager for $3.07 at an Oregon thrift store sold for $89,600 at auction on Monday.
Quinn Brown had been eyeing a massive bin of clothes at a Goodwill store outside Portland in January when he saw someone toss a Lakers jacket with Chamberlain’s name on it back on the pile. Brown, who resells used clothes online, quickly grabbed it.
The jacket was auctioned by Sotheby’s, which had estimated its value between $150,000 and $250,000 before bidding closed Monday. It received a total of 48 bids, according to the auction house.
Sotheby’s
This Wilt Chamberlain jacket worn by the Lakers star during the 1972 NBA Finals was auctioned off by Sotheby’s.
Described on Sotheby’s website as an “extraordinary piece of memorabilia,” the short-sleeved yellow warmup jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals, in which the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks.
“I didn’t even think that finding something like this was possible,” Brown said. “I got very, very lucky.”
Chamberlain, an NBA Hall of Famer viewed as one of the all-time greats, played in the league from 1959 to 1973. He won two championship rings — one with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, and another with the Lakers in 1972. He holds the record for most points scored by a player in a single game, netting 100 points in a 1962 match.
For the past three years, Brown has been reselling clothes online after finding them in thrift stores. The most expensive item he had sold previously was a T-shirt of Sub Pop Records, the indie label that signed Nirvana in 1989 and released the band’s first album. It went for $250.
After buying the Chamberlain jacket back in January, Brown searched online to see if it was worth something. He found a picture on Google of Chamberlain wearing such a jacket and compared it to the one he had.
In examining the Lakers patch on the front, he noticed certain small stitching details that matched the photo. He also looked up the measurements of a different jersey worn by Chamberlain, a towering figure at 7-foot-1, and discovered that they nearly aligned.
“I really just wanted to make sure, because it was so hard to believe at the time,” he said, adding that he had only ever read about such serendipitous thrift findings.
When he posted a photo of the jacket on social media, Sotheby’s contacted him about consigning the jacket to the auction house. Brown agreed, and an armored van came to pick it up.
Sotheby’s then did its own photo verification and determined that the jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 Finals, in which he was named the Finals MVP.
“Photomatching a piece of game-worn clothing to a specific Finals series, for a player of this era, is genuinely exceptional,” Sotheby’s website says. “As photomatched items worn by Chamberlain become exceedingly rare, this jacket is a piece of sports history.”
It is not the first Chamberlain item from the 1972 Finals to fetch a hefty sum under the hammer: A game jersey he wore during the series sold for $4.9 million at Sotheby’s in 2023, the fourth most expensive NBA jersey ever sold by the auction house.
As for his thrifted find, Brown said: “That was as good as it gets.”
Yaxel Lendeborg did not mince words when describing the difference between his squad and the Memphis Grizzlies’ NBA Summer League team after the Warriors defeated them 94-90 on Sunday to win the 2026 tournament title.
Yaxel Lendeborg on how the Warriors pulled off a double-digit comeback against the Grizzlies in the Las Vegas Summer League championship game: “Man, their butts got tight. They puckered up, you know what I mean? Some of us are built for the moment and some aren’t.” pic.twitter.com/7OiRkczcYS
Lendeborg scored a game-high 21 points with 11 rebounds and led a 12-point, fourth-quarter comeback victory en route to being named MVP of the championship game, and later the entire summer league.
The rookie’s performance and comments drew the attention of Warriors veteran Draymond Green.
Throughout his 14-year NBA career, Green has earned a reputation for his outspoken personality, both on and off the court.
Since the Warriors drafted Lendeborg 11th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, he already has drawn similarities to Green for his outspoken nature and comments.
In fact, there already has been one instance of the two personalities meeting head-on in the form of the rivalry between their respective alma maters.
Lendeborg, a former Michigan Wolverine, was given the opportunity to take a dig at Green’s Michigan State Spartans on his draft night on June 23.
“I hate those guys [Michigan State]. I’ve only been there [Michigan] for one year, but I definitely hate those guys,” Lendeborg said. “All that they were saying, and they can’t really say much because I went 2-0 against them this year. So they’re going to be little brother for me forever, and I’m not going to represent the losers ever.”
“You f–king liar, Yaxel! How dare you? Just come out and lie like that! So you know me, I’m going to provide the receipts. And the receipts are very clear,” Draymond remarked before sharing a screenshot of their text thread with time stamps.
“This f–king guy! It’s the Michigan way. Of course it’s the Michigan way,” Green said. “How the hell are you going to say, ‘Man, Draymond ain’t text me back.’ So you know what I had to do. I had to expose the young fella a bit.”
Green then lightheartedly threatened to bring back rookie hazing if Lendeborg continues his behavior.
Warriors fans will be hoping the barbs will lead to the two developing chemistry rather than clashing and that the veteran will see some of himself in the rookie and take him under his wing.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 27: Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after his team's victory against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 27, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every summer we take a look at the top young players within the Pittsburgh Penguins organization in our Top 25 Under 25 feature. The list is meant to be less predictive of the future and more of a snapshot in time for how players stack up in terms of their value today when attempting to create the trick of sorting recently drafted teenagers against older prospects with limited ceilings but potential short-term NHL contributions.
While the Pens’ system these days is still in the early stages of getting restocked, significant progress has been made in recent years to deepen and boost the system with talent. Past moves under different strategies often burned up high draft picks in exchange for immediate NHL help when the team was contending or attempting to do so as late as trading away their 2024 first round pick. That has gone the other direction in recent years with Kyle Dubas acquiring and stockpiling an impressive amount of picks for the future as the team shifts into a more developmental part of their cycle to reset the base of the organization with youth.
However, there is some culling of the herd as players end up moving out of the team’s purview. Today’s focus takes a peak at some of those reasons for the players who made last year’s list that will no longer be on this year’s T25U25 due to turning 25 and aging out, getting traded or opting outright to not sign with Pittsburgh.
#24 Cruz Lucius
Lucius is technically still a member of the Pens’ reserve list until August 15th, at which point he will become a free agent. He has made it clear to Pittsburgh that he won’t sign with them and will move on and start his pro career with another team, so we’re going to go ahead an pre-emptively move him into the departed category at this point. That’s a minor blow for the Pens, the 22-year old Lucius saved his best college season for last with a 46-point effort in 36 games last year with Arizona State. They wanted him to turn pro with them, he’s opted to do something else.
The former fourth round pick of Carolina came to Pittsburgh in the Jake Guentzel trade in 2024. Lucius participated in prior summer development camps with the Pens, but was absent in 2026 as he looks to free agency. Lucius has upside as a skilled forward but still could be considered a long shot to reach his ceiling and make a consistent NHL impact. He would have been a nice prospect to keep within the system but his loss doesn’t seem like a dealbreaker or anything the team could have reasonably controlled, Lucius wasn’t ready to turn pro prior to this year and he ended up being a very young college player (playing his senior season at age-21).
#20: Sam Poulin
The long saga of Sam Poulin with the Penguins ended with a whimper. The former 2019 first round pick ended up being a throw-in for a larger trade to keep contracts switching from Pittsburgh to Edmonton more balanced in the December trade that sent Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak to the Penguins. Poulin actually played two games with the Pens in 2025-26 (27:38 total ice time, no points, 1 shot on goal, 2 hits and 2 blocked shots) and was still good for Wilkes while he was there (producing 20 points in 22 games) but the writing had been on the wall for the player that peaked at No. 3 in the T25U25 back in 2021 and was considered and hoped to be one of the Pens’ top forward prospects for a good chunk of time.
A lot developed poorly in the post-mortem with Poulin, and some of that was out of his control. Being drafted in 2019 didn’t help his cause for a crucial draft+1 season eaten up by the COVID times. Injuries derailed most of his 2022-23 and some of of 2023-24 for good measure. In the end, Poulin was never more advanced than he was early in the process when he was bigger and stronger than his competition. He’s grown into a very good AHL level player but that tantalizing last jump into being an NHL difference maker was always slightly out of reach. So close, yet so far. Poulin didn’t play any NHL games for Edmonton, he became a free agent and signed a two-way contract with Montreal for 2026-27.
#15: Emil Pieniniemi
Pieniniemi was the second draft pick Kyle Dubas ever made for the Penguins in the third round of 2023. His stint with the organization ended with a summer 2026 trade. The damage was done earlier this season – the Pens with a flush AHL blueline wanted the then-20 year old Pieniniemi to develop in the ECHL to start the season in October. Pieniniemi and his agent did not agree with this path, figuring it would be better for his development to go back to Finland. Leave for Finland is exactly what Pieniniemi did, without approval of Pittsburgh, who made it clear with a suspension they would not loan him outside of the organization this season to allow him to play in Finland. The long stalemate finally ended when Pieniniemi agreed to come back in mid-December and go to the ECHL after all. He played 41 total games in the ECHL and 11 in the AHL before the Pens decided they were better off moving him out of the organization.
The Pens, and Kyle Dubas especially, are very open to the idea that the ECHL can be a positive benefit for a player’s career and development process. They seemingly communicated their vision and plan to lay it out for the player to see. Most players are not aligned to think the same way, where the ECHL is seen more as a dead-end or place to spin wheels, not find an NHL trajectory. It’ll be interesting in the future to see if opinions might gradually shift more into Dubas’ thinking (which is not new, and he does have a good record of using the ECHL as a pipeline towards opportunity for much bigger). But that won’t be Pieniniemi, who wasn’t on board and poisoned the well with his actions. For Pittsburgh to trade the 21-year old for a 26-year old forward who returned to Sweden after playing one year in the AHL shows what the value of Pieniniemi was at this point and willingness to prevent a similar headache in the future.
#11: Arturs Silovs
Silovs, who turned 25 years old in March, has aged out of this feature and is no longer eligible for T25U25 status. His graduation coincides at a good time to not be considered a prospect after signing a one-year contract for $2.8 million dollars that has him firmly in position to be a major contributor for Pittsburgh in 2026-27. A running tenet of the whole T25U25 feature is the rarity of a player inking a seven-figure contract and becoming established as an NHLer at age 25 (it’s very difficult to do!), Most stories are going to end with a dimmer conclusion, the numbers game is stacked against the majority of cases. Silovs will go in as a success story, he did most of the developing in Vancouver’s organization but ended up being a nice add for the Penguins to swoop in and get something out of.
#9: Phil Tomasino
Pittsburgh acquired Tomasino, a former 2019 first round pick, from Nashville in 2024. His first season with the Pens showed moments of promise, producing 23 points in 50 games and at times playing in a scoring line role. Unfortunately, 2025-26 showed how difficult that keeping a firm hold on a NHL spot can be for many players. Tomasino broke camp playing on the fourth line, got a few chances on the third line. His past performance didn’t provide much of a toehold on maintaining his spot and he was a healthy scratch before long. By mid-November, Tomasino was waived – despite an injury to Rickard Rakell there was still no space for Tomasino, who ended up being a novelty AHL asset on an NHL dollars of a $1.75 million contract.
The Pens resolved that situation by trading Tomasino to Philadelphia for a player they knew would not report to the AHL and become a free agent, which is exactly what happened. In essence, the Pens dumped Tomasino’s contract to free up a spot there, saved some money in the process and closed out that chapter of taking a chance on a mid-level player and seeing what he had to offer. Tomasino did not end up playing any more NHL games last season and has subsequently signed a two-way contract as a free agent with Ottawa’s organization for 2026-27.
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Overall, the Pittsburgh system has gained more U25 talent than it has lost in the last 12 months. The Pens have brought in Hendrix Lapierre, Jake Livanavage plus a host of 2026 draft picks including Liam and Markus Ruck, Tomas Galvas and Pierce Mbuyi for fresh young talent since the last Pensburgh T25U25. Those six will all make this summer’s list and offer brighter futures than what was lost from the organization from mostly older ‘prospects’ like Poulin and Tomasino that weren’t on NHL trajectories.
Due to the age limits, our feature this year won’t even capture 25-year olds Egor Chinakhov, Elmer Soderblom, Kaeden Korczak and Nick Robertson (the latter turning 25 in September)- all of which have also been acquired in the last year. They may have barely missed the cut-off for this list but will provide young legs and fresh talent to the team and is another feather in the Pens’ cap as they continue to load up on young-ish talent.
The work for developing young players can be a slow process at the NHL level, the Pens’ system appears to be healthy and improving compared to how it has been from the past. The pipeline to bring in young talent can take a while to get through before the finished product comes out at the other end, but right now Pittsburgh is doing a lot of the groundwork in hopes that as many of the players as we will start to profile can end up contributing to the organization in the years to come.
On July 13, the Miles Bridges trade became official. Brian Gregory had this to say about the Suns’ new power forward.
“His elite athleticism, strength and versatility allow him to impact the game on both ends of the floor. He embodies the grit, competitiveness and work ethic that fit our identity, and we’re excited to welcome him to Phoenix.”
High praise. Or maybe bold praise, considering Bridges’ six-year NBA career with the Hornets.
Coming out of Michigan-lite, Bridges was projected to be the type of player that Gregory is describing. A potential two-way star, with the athleticism to be a menace on the defensive end and a problem with the ball in his hands.
Tom Izzo had this to say to the New York Post about Miles Bridges in advance of the 2018 draft.
“I see a guy who can play a lot of positions and defend them with his strength and rebounding,’’ Izzo said. “What I’d like to see him get better at? Continually improving getting shots off the dribble. He’s a phenomenal 85 percent free-throw shooter. I’d like to see him get to the line more. He’ll get better because he’s a gym rat — in there at 6:30 a.m., in there at night. How many guys love the game, how many guys like the game.”
Chris Dempsey wrote this about Bridges’ potential to impact the defensive end in the NBA.
Miles Bridges’ ideal fit is with a team looking to add toughness and defense to its rotation without sacrificing offense. Bridges can score – Michigan State ran many plays for him – but his immediate impact will be on defense, where he projects to be a very good defender. Bridges is also a good rebounder, and can play right away for a team with scoring and playmaking around him that is in need of some hustle, solid spot-up shooting, and intangibles.
Sounds like one of “Gregory’s Grinders,” and if that’s the Miles Bridges the Suns get it’s a strong step toward building a contender, but that’s not the Miles Bridges the Hornets got over his six years in Charlotte.
The front office is rolling the dice that Charlotte was the problem, and given Charlotte’s record during Miles Bridges’ tenure, it’s a reasonable assumption, even if the numbers signal risk. Will Miles Bridges be who Miles Bridges has been? Or can the Suns’ newly installed culture, and a group of young forwards nipping at his heels, push Miles Bridges to be the explosive two-way player scouts thought he had the potential to be coming out of college?
The Suns clearly believe Bridges can grow as a defender, but Miles Bridges isn’t a prospect anymore.
Over his career, Miles Bridges has a defensive rating of 115.0, which is hovering around average for power forwards.
To put it in context, last season, his future partner at forward, Dillon Brooks, had a defensive rating of 116.5, and the forward he’s replacing, Royce O’Neale, had a defensive rating of 113.9. Those stats being what they are, I’m expecting Miles Bridges to be a clear upgrade defensively in most areas compared to Royce, except for one notable exception. Steals.
The Suns got busy in the passing lanes this season and finished the year fourth in the league with 9.5 steals per contest. Royce O’Neale was responsible for 1.1 of them. Last year for the Hornets, Miles Bridges averaged 0.6 steals per game. The expectations will be different under Jordan Ott, who has attached his defensive philosophy to creating extra possessions by forcing turnovers. If the Suns are going to put out the kind of Thunder-esque defense Ott has envisioned, 0.6 steals from their starting power forward isn’t going to cut it.
For comparison, last season Goodie led the Suns with 1.5 steals a game. Devin Booker averaged 0.8, Jalen Green averaged 1.1, Dillon Brooks averaged 1.0, and Mark Williams contributed 0.9 a game. In addition to the Suns losing Royce’s 1.1 steals, Grayson is taking his 1.4 steals per game with him as well. There is reason to be concerned that, if Miles Bridges can’t find a way to be more disruptive, an area of advantage could regress toward league averages.
Standing at 6’7” with a 6′ 10” wingspan, Miles Bridges is a plus athlete who lacks length. Yet there are reasons to believe that Bridges could create more steals this upcoming season with the Suns. Mark Williams set a career high in steals per game in his first year in Phoenix. Defense is often a mentality as much as an ability, and the Suns were locked in on the defensive end last year. Bridges may thrive in this type of environment, which stands to be starkly different from the culture he’ll be leaving behind in Charlotte.
If not, there is no shortage of young forwards behind him, bringing the athleticism along with the length Bridges lacks. The progress of Rasheer Fleming, Ryan Dunn, and Koa Peat may impact the Suns’ willingness to commit to a Miles Bridges extension. If Bridges wants to make Phoenix a long-term stay, he will need to find the defensive intensity that he never tapped into in Charlotte.
One area Bridges could hang his hat on, as he carves out his role in the Suns’ defense, is the impact he could make on the defensive glass. The stop isn’t complete until the defense secures the rebound, and the Suns struggled to secure the rebound last year.
The Suns were 29th in the league in defensive rebounding last season. Royce was the second leading defensive rebounder on the team with 4.0 per game, and while the Suns’ rebounding issues go beyond the power forward position, the 4.9 rebounds Miles Bridges averaged for Charlotte in 25/26 would have tied Mark Williams for 1st on the Suns. Over his career, he’s averaged 5.1 defensive rebounds per contest. It’s no secret the Suns struggled to compete against size last year, and Miles Bridges, while an undersized four, is going to give the Suns some much-needed “oomph” on the glass.
If Miles Bridges does buy into the team culture, the Suns are adding a much-needed high-end athlete as they look to take their defense from a defense that out-hustles teams in October and November to a defense that wreaks havoc against the NBA’s best in the playoffs. While the Suns excelled in forcing turnovers in the regular season, the advantage disappeared in the playoffs against the NBA’s best.
Suns fans got a first-hand look at the defense that the Ishbia, Gregory, and Ott are trying to bring to Phoenix when the Suns ran into the Thunder in the playoffs. The difference between taking advantage of regular season lapses to forcing your will on a team whose best efforts aren’t enough. That’s what the top defenses do. Athletes like Miles Bridges make fielding a defense like that possible.
The Suns FO has said they want veterans to have career years. Could Miles Bridges average 1.0 steals and 8 rebounds a game next year on the Suns? In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 0.7 steals and 7.5 rebounds for a 19-win Hornets team, so it’s not insane to think he could. If that’s the case, the Suns might be a lot better than I thought they would be in the immediate aftermath of the trade.
There’s still a risk, and a lengthy history to suggest that the transformation to defensive demon won’t happen, and Bridges will continue to be pedestrian on that end of the floor. Could Charlotte’s losing culture be to blame for Miles Bridges not living up to his defensive potential, or could part of the reason Charlotte had a losing culture be that they had guys like Miles Bridges on the team? Talented but distracted players.
The Suns have time to figure out if it works before committing long-term to Bridges if they are willing to let him hit unrestricted free agency. So far this offseason, they’ve been quick to wrap these deals up, but they still have to figure out what they want to do with Brooks contract extension and with a rookie like Koa Peat looking ready to push the rotation. Is it smart to put Miles Bridges in front of him for the next four years?
Miles Bridges could be the win-now move the Suns needed, even if he’s not the win-now move the fans wanted. (JAYLEN BROWN!!!!) It all depends on Miles Bridges’ commitment to being a better defensive player than he’s been over his six-year career.
Brian Gregory thinks, “[Bridges] elite athleticism, strength, and versatility allow him to impact the game on both ends of the floor.”
He hasn’t been that type of player at the NBA level, but I’m not going to tell anyone what they can or can’t do. Only Miles Bridges can decide that.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 18: Kam Jones #39 and Nate Ament #15 of the Milwaukee Bucks high five during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on July 18, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion Center 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The post-Giannis era has just left its first impression. Following a nail-biting win against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks have wrapped up their part in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League. The Bucks finished their campaign with a respectable 2-3 record, winning their final two outings after a trio of losses to start.
More important than the wins, Bucks fans can now breathe a sigh of relief after both of their first-round draft picks—Brayden Burries and Nate Ament—showed their stuff. Burries, in particular, looked a step above the competition and figures to be at least a rotational piece for the real Bucks from day one, while Ament, after a rather passive first three games, finished strongly to suggest that he might just be on the right path too.
But it wasn’t just the Bucks’ prized first-rounders who demanded our attention. Kasparas Jakučionis, Bogoljub Markovic, Pete Nance, and Kam Jones all had moments too. So, with Summer League now in the books, it’s time to hand out their report cards.
Note: Only players who have reported contracts with the Bucks—standard or two-way—have been graded.
Talk about a high floor—you need stairs just to get up to this one! Burries came into Summer League largely as an afterthought, certainly in comparison to his fellow top ten draftees and arguably in comparison to his new Bucks teammates too (at least if the Brew Hoop comment section is anything to go by). At one point before Summer League, I considered penning a “Brayden Burries Boredom” piece; there was that little talk about him. The way he played, he just might’ve felt the oversight too.
Put simply, Burries was the best player on the court regardless of who he played against (or with). The numbers show that—volume scoring, peripheral contributions as a rebounder and passer, unfathomable efficiency. But it’s the way he got them that stood out. Burries was a true three-level scorer, bodying defenders to get to the paint and to the line, drilling pull-up middies, and splashing “Did you see that!?” treys, including some truly amazing step backs. And he did it all like he’d been there before.
He’ll go by “Buzzer Beater Burries” from here on out (thanks, Mitchell).
Ament made no real positive impact in the first three games, but I also wouldn’t say he had a negative impact either. While his defence was certainly not all that additive, it wasn’t as if he was shot-chucking or turning the ball over a tonne; he was kind of just… out there. Some of that is context-dependent: for example, I don’t think it was a coincidence that Ament looked much more engaged when he got more chances to handle the ball.
His fourth game was by far his best, dropping 23 points on 7/13 shooting. Then, in the final game, he had nine points in the first quarter, only to score three for the rest of the game, missing a bunch of bunnies in the second half. All in all, Ament ended Summer League looking like a different player from the seemingly timid guy he was at the start. And don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of work to do, but that mindset to push through adversity was really great to see.
Jakučionis played only in the first two of Milwaukee’s Vegas matchups—losses to his former Miami Heat and also the San Antonio Spurs. In those, he showed flashes of the court vision and passing that enable you to envision him as a starting-caliber offensive maestro, tying with Kam Jones for the Bucks leader in assists per game despite playing fewer minutes. He had some really nice dump-off dimes in the paint after drawing help from opposing bigs, while also showing skills as an inbounder, setting up cutters for rim finishes. Beyond his passing, Kas shot it well from distance, going an efficient 3/6, and used his quick hands to generate steals.
However, Jakučionis struggled mightily finishing anything inside the arc (2/13) and also with ball pressure, most noticeably against the Spurs, where he coughed up five turnovers. In all, it was a somewhat underwhelming performance given his potential and the anticipation that comes with a new, young prospect. But really, Jakučionis simply showed us who he is and why there’s still work to do.
Bogi demonstrated marked improvement offensively compared to last year’s Summer League. While his overall shooting percentage did drop, he took considerably more shots (42 to 29), and his three-point stroke looked much smoother. He also had some moments distributing the ball, with several really nice feeds throughout the five games, and looked comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Markovic’s best game by far came against the Phoenix Suns, where he scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and even had a block. There was a lot to like, and clearly his season overseas helped hone his skills on that end of the floor. It’s a shame his Summer League ended with a stinker against the Philadelphia 76ers—a 1/9 performance—otherwise, it was a good offensive summer for Markovic.
Defensively, it was another story. While Markovic did get himself a block a game, he still seemed slow and had a hard time staying in front of guys. He’s going to need to make more strides in this facet of his game, and I’m not sure that can happen with some of his physical limitations. Overall, the arrow is pointing up for Markovic heading into the offseason, but he’ll need to keep building if he hopes to earn a roster spot by the time opening night rolls around.
I mean, Pete Nance was Pete Nance: a reliable, no-nonsense hooper who plays his role and makes his teammates better. Nance has turned his three-ball into a legit threat and found his niche as a pick-and-pop big, which is huge for his long-term future in the NBA. Before, he was something of a jack-of-all-trades without a definable NBA skill, and he has clearly worked his behind off to turn that three-point shot into his fastball. He also flashed some nice passing ability as the Bucks used him more as a hub than I can remember them doing in the past.
Lewis was basically a non-factor across both the California Classic and Vegas Summer League. He did not look like an NBA player, that’s for sure. His three-point shooting was fine (for the small number of attempts he got up), but any time he was forced to put the ball on the floor, things got ugly. Granted, minutes were scarce for Lewis, and he didn’t really get a chance to redeem himself in Vegas.
I will note that, having seen this guy play for two years at the NBL, the context of Summer League is not advantageous for him. Lewis is a three-and-D specialist, and that’s it; rarely, if ever, was he asked to create off the bounce in Australia, and naturally, players are forced into roles they’re not meant for in the Summer League environment.
We didn’t really learn a whole lot about the 27-year-old Cormac Ryan through Summer League, and to be honest, I’m not too sure what the point was for playing him at all. We know what Ryan is (a secondary creator and spot-up shooter) and what he is not (a primary creator). Throughout the Vegas Summer League, Ryan was forced more into that latter category, which led to inefficient shooting nights that cut into the rookies’ reps. I’m not even necessarily blaming this on him either—maybe the coaches gave him that role—but the whole campaign really seemed like a waste of time, evidenced by him getting shut down after three games.
I really liked Jones’ impact on this Summer League team. He didn’t get to play much until the back end of Vegas because he was behind some guys, but I actually liked his minutes more than the guys who were playing over him initially. Jones was a willing playmaker for others, but was also aggressive in picking his spots when it was his turn. He was a true floor general and brought a calming presence to the team when things got shaky or sped up. I still wonder about Jones’ long-term NBA viability because of his lack of size and explosion, but he was great in the Summer League setting.
Not much to see here, folks. Castro looked like a legitimate defensive menace at times in the California Classic, racking up steals—seven across two games—and altering shots, but he didn’t get much of an opportunity in Vegas. He sure is athletic, but has a ways to go on the offensive end, especially catching the ball. The fact he played just 8.8 MPG in only three games makes you wonder whether his reported signing with Milwaukee on a two-way deal will actually come to fruition.
Milwaukee has one more two-way spot to hand out (Cormac Ryan and Kam Jones occupy the other two), and of all the non-contracted players on the SL squad, Zack Austin looked like the strongest candidate to fill that opening. The counting stats don’t reflect it, but he radiated “NBA-caliber wing” vibes throughout the California Classic and the Vegas games. His motor and athleticism are central to his appeal. Most guys of his size don’t dunk and block shots like him. He can also shoot it really well off the catch—don’t let his poor splits from these exhibitions fool you; he was a 40.4% sniper on volume in the G League last season. All in all, the Bucks can’t let Austin leave their system, even if he begins next year with the Herd.
Grade:A-
What do you think, Brew Hoop family—are our assessments fair or do you need to speak with the principal? Hand out your grades below and add your thoughts in the comments.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 17: Shane Wright #51 of the Seattle Kraken skates the puck into the offensive zone against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena on March 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins are being tied in potential trade interest to a young center this offseason.
The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported Monday “two different sources in the Penguins’ organization” told him Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is “intrigued” by Shane Wright.
Yohe noted, however, “the asking price for Wright is, to put it lightly, substantial, and possibly more than Pittsburgh is willing to pay.”
Wright, who turned 22 in January, was originally selected by the Kraken with the No. 4 pick of the 2022 draft.
He just wrapped up his second season as a full-time NHLer, during which he recorded 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 74 games as a bottom-six center for a Kraken team that missed the playoffs for a third straight season.
Wright skated 13:48 per game and played on the Kraken’s second power play unit last season, which he is apparently hoping will be his last with the franchise.
His agent Kurt Overhardt told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman earlier this month Kraken general manager Jason Botterill “he has agreed to move Shane this summer to a team in need of a top young center.”
Wright is signed through next season on the final year of his entry-level contract before hitting restricted free agency in 2027.
Even given his limited production, taking a swing on a young forward on a cheap expiring contract could be attractive for a few clubs in need of a center. Friedman reported other NHL executives said the Kraken have “made it extremely clear they expect a fair price and won’t be pressured into anything they don’t want to do.”
The Penguins have a few notable organizational ties to the Kraken. There’s Botterill, who worked with the Penguins from 2007 to 2017 before leaving to manage the Buffalo Sabres and later the Kraken.
There’s also Ron Francis, who spent seven seasons with the Kraken as general manager and president of hockey operations before joining the Penguins as a special advisor this offseason. Francis was at the helm when the Kraken drafted Wright in 2022.
If Wright is looking for more ice time, the Penguins could potentially provide him with that in the future. Now that Evgeni Malkin is on the wing, the Pens are heading into next season with Tommy Novak in the middle of the second line, and Ben Kindel is the only young center option in the pipeline.
The Penguins also have a stellar recent track record of picking up players looking for a change of scenery to break them out a slump. Many first-year Penguins including Justin Brazeau, Anthony Mantha, Egor Chinakhov, Parker Wotherspoon and Elmer Söderblom recorded career-high points totals after arriving in Pittsburgh before or during last season.
The Province’s Ben Kuzma reported last week the Vancouver Canucks are Wright’s “preferred destination,” although Wright doesn’t have any trade protections in the final year of his ELC.
Dubas said during the NHL draft last month the Penguins have been interested in trades but “haven’t had the assets to get there.” Whether the Penguins ultimately target Wright as a solution to their center depth issues could depend on what the Kraken are asking to move the 22-year-old ahead of the final year of his rookie contract.
Jul 20, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (6) and second baseman Richie Palacios (1) celebrate a win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Hell has frozen over, pigs have flown, and the Tampa Bay Rays held on to a lead and won a baseball game in the second half.
The never-wavering All-Star Nick Martinez, also known as “El Capitan”, proved to be the streak stopper, going six innings and only allowing one run.
— Pitcher List Stats (@PitcherListPLV) July 21, 2026
I feel like Rogers Centre is somewhere the Rays offense has thrived, no matter who is on the mound, and that came to fruition tonight against All-Star Dylan Cease. Tampa Bay scored in six of the nine frames this evening.
Victor Mesa would get things started with a solo shot in the second, and his third in as many games to provide a 1-0 lead.
Jonathan Aranda doubled the lead with an RBI single in the fourth, 2-1 Rays.
The Rays’ big boys capitalized on Toronto giving them extra outs, as Yandy Diaz plated Nick Fortes on an Andres Gimenez error, and Junior Caminero brought him around to score to make it 4-1.
Cedric Mullins ambushed a hanging slider from Cease to make it 5-1, and that would end his night.
Caminero encapsulated his three-hit evening, getting Diaz to score from first on a double in the left-center field gap in the seventh, and Nick Fortes homered in the ninth to solidify getting the Rays back in the win column, 7-1.
Junior Caminero has his 3rd hit of the night. It's his 2nd batted ball over 109 MPH and his 3rd BBE over 102 MPH. .932 OPS this season. pic.twitter.com/8YbQTkFoF1
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) July 21, 2026
INGLEWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 14: Brent Barry looks on during the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest as part of the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I found this posted by the aptly named “Crazy Stats.”
Brent Barry is the only player in @NBA history to lead the league in two-point percentage (58.8% in 2001-02) and in three-point percentage (47.6% in 2000-01). pic.twitter.com/E6mc4rLGV4
“Brent Barry is the only player in @NBA history to lead the league in two-point percentage (58.8% in 2001-02) and in three-point percentage (47.6% in 2000-01).“
In back-to-back years Barry notched the best three-point shooting percentage followed by the best two-point shooting percentage while playing with the Seattle SuperSonics.
Add the 1996 Slam Dunk Contest and you’ve got some interesting trivia.
Barry, along with his father Rick Barry, were the second father-son duos to independently win NBA titles. The younger Barry earned his rings with San Antonio in 2005 and again in 2007.
Barry rejoined the Spurs from 2018-2024 in the front office as their vice president of basketball operations.
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A Brahminy kite eagle is pictured at KL Bird Park in Kuala Lumpur on December 27, 2023. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo by MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Don’t start reading this with high hopes. It’s July 21, so as much as I try, it’s not that I can gather a lot of links and put together tons of notes. Bad times ahead for a workaholic like myself.
Karl-Anthony Towns opened up about the emotional aftermath of winning the NBA championship during his appearance on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast, how the achievement passed far quicker than he ever imagined, and admitted he struggled with suddenly having no basketball left to play after the Finals.
Kris Pursiainen of Daily Knicks only sees one LeBron James destination that could help the Knicks, or at least not hurt them too much.
Speaking of James, no decision arrived on Monday, only to shut Pat Bev’s mouth.
The Knicks, meanwhile, keep searching for a third-string center after Dallas matched their offer sheet for Moussa Cisse. Could SummerKnick Liam Robbins get the nod? Daily Knicks’ Kenny Kluska thinks so.
Josh Hart shared his pregame meal (not Mikes and Ikes). Could you guess it? Answer here.
Yes, it’s a slow day. What did you expect?
Trae Young says Zaccharie Risacher is finally free from the Hawks 👀
Jul 20, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) reacts to striking out during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Happy Tuesday, Camden Chatters! Did you watch last night’s baseball game between the Orioles and the Red Sox? It was pretty dumb. It’s not that the Orioles lost, which was disappointing but not that surprising. It was the way in which they lost. They made four errors!
A Jeremiah Jackson throwing error allowed a baserunner in the third inning, who later came around to score. Gunnar Henderson also made an error in the inning and didn’t catch a line drive that he probably should have gotten. Shane Baz pitched pretty well, but in the sixth inning, his throwing error allowed a runner to reach second. That runner ended up scoring. Taylor Ward made an error in the seventh inning that didn’t result in a run, but did cause Jim Palmer to exclaim disgustingly that they were playing terrible baseball.
The sloppy play aided in the loss, which actually saw some pretty good offense from the Orioles. They outhit the Red Sox, 11-10. Henderson doubled thrice. Tyler O’Neill had two hits and two RBI. The new guy, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, had a home run and an RBI single. The biggest disappointment on offense was so-called lefty killer Coby Mayo. Mayo managed to strike out three times against lefty starter Payton Tolle. Come on, Coby! That’s supposed to be the one thing you can do!
Probably the dumbest thing on the basepaths was when Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch and immediately got thrown out trying to steal second base with Henderson on deck. Henderson has his troubles, but he’s already doubled twice against Tolle in the game.
It’s a credit to the lineup that they were able to score five runs without Blaze Alexander, Adley Rutschman, or Samuel Basallo. But since the defense didn’t do its job and the relief pitching wasn’t perfect, it just wasn’t quite enough.
One thing I’ll say is that over the last year I had forgotten what it was like to care so much about baseball game. I like caring, even if it backfired on account of the Orioles playing dumb baseball. I will care again tonight, when the Red Sox try to win their 15th game in a row and the Orioles try to start a new streak.
The newly extended Kyle Bradish is pitching tomorrow for the Orioles. For the Red Sox, it’ll be another tough lefty in Ranger Suarez. Gulp. Game time is 7:10
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have five Orioles birthday buddies, including Wei-Yin Chen, who turns 41. Chen was signed to a four-year contract after pitching in seven seasons with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan. He made 117 regular-season starts with the Orioles from 2012-2015 and got a very memorable win against the Yankees in game two of the 2012 ALDS.
Also born on this day in history are former Orioles Willie Eyre (48), Mike Bordick (61), Mark Williamson (67), and Moe Drabowsky (b. 1935, d. 2006).
On this day in 1990, Ben McDonald made his first major league start, and did so in style. Big Ben pitched a complete-game shutout against the Chicago White Sox. He allowed just four hits and struck out five. The Orioles won 2-0. It wasn’t his Major League debut; McDonald started his career with 12 games in the bullpen.
On this day in 1996, the Orioles traded Kent Mercker to Cleveland in exchange for Eddie Murray. Murray returned to Baltimore with 491 career home runs. He hit #500 on September 6th. It would have been cool if he ended his career in Baltimore, but he played in 55 games in 1997 for the Angels and Dodgers.
In 2000, the Orioles beat the Blue Jays, 8-5, in Toronto. Per Baseball Reference, this ended a 20-game Canadian losing streak for the Orioles in games against both the Blue Jays and Expos. Their last win in Canada came in June 1998.
One year ago today, the Orioles lost to the Guardians 10-5. Tomoyuki Sugano got knocked out in the fourth inning after allowing four runs, and relief pitcher Grant Wolfram later let things get out of hand. He gave up four runs in the seventh to make it a blowout. Ramón Laureano had two hits, including a home run, and four RBI.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Manager Shane Victorino #11 greets Jesus Made #12 of the National League Futures team during the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!
None of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates played more than three games this week because of the All-Star break, so this week’s roundup is going to look a little different. Rather than breaking down each affiliate individually, I’ve grouped together this week’s standout performances to highlight everything that happened around the farm over the last few games without getting repetitive. Let’s get into it.
Standout Performances:
Coleman Crow: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Tyson Hardin: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Josiah Ragsdale: 4-for-11, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K Blake Burke: 4-for-12, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K Jesús Made: 3-for-11, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K Bishop Letson: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Travis Smith: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Josh Adamczewski: 5-for-12, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K Luis Peña: 3-for-10, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K Braylon Payne: 3-for-13, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K Brady Ebel: 3-for-9, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K
Biloxi (AA) was the only Brewers affiliate to have a winning record this week, while the other three affiliates combined for just one win. That win came from the Nashville Sounds (AAA), who scored just eight runs in three games against the Norfolk Tides but pulled one out in the finale after Coleman Crow delivered a gem.
Crow, making his first non-rehab start in Triple-A since suffering a right forearm flexor strain over a month ago, certainly looked healthy, tossing six shutout innings while striking out six and allowing just one hit. Tyson Hardin didn’t quite match Crow this week, but he put together a quality outing of his own, allowing three hits and one earned run through six innings.
Coleman Crow's 11th Triple-A start was another quality one!
While no Nashville hitter had enough plate appearances to produce eye-popping numbers, the Sounds received contributions from a variety of players. Luke Adams, Jeferson Quero, and Brock Wilken homered, while Tyler Black, Jacob Hurtubise, and Darrien Miller chipped in with extra-base hits. Black led the Sounds with four hits in twelve at-bats.
Down in Biloxi, the Shuckers put together their 2-1 week largely thanks to the offense. Biloxi scored 21 runs in three games and still managed six runs in its only loss. The offense was led by Josiah Ragsdale, who reached base seven times in fourteen plate appearances and homered. He’s hitting .322 this year and .298 in fourteen games since being promoted to Double-A, although his 1.037 OPS with Biloxi is actually higher than it was with the Timber Rattlers.
Josiah Ragsdale goes yard and we've got double digits!
Ragsdale, a seventh-round pick last year who has played himself into legitimate prospect status, just continues to stack good week after good week at the plate. He also has a solid glove and 70-grade speed. This is what 70-grade speed looks like:
PeterVision has this as the fastest sprint speed of the season
Blake Burke continued to do what he’s done for almost a full year now: hit for extra bases. Burke collected three extra-base hits this week, including another home run, although six strikeouts in twelve at-bats isn’t exactly what the Brewers organization wants to see. Still, like with Andrew Fischer, it’s hard to complain too much as long as Burke remains one of Biloxi’s most productive middle-of-the-order bats.
Josh Adamczewski rounded out another productive week, leading the Shuckers with five hits. Since earning his promotion to Double-A earlier this summer, he’s done little to slow the momentum that’s made him one of the fastest-rising prospects in the Brewers’ system. Also — I didn’t include this video last week, but it’s worth watching:
Come for the Josh Adamczewski homer, stay for the announcer strictly talking about the hot dog he is eating and not even mentioning the homer pic.twitter.com/rdStUboYXf
Although Adamczewski led the Shuckers in hits, Jesús Made was probably the offensive standout, homering on the way to a six-RBI week. Baseball’s top prospect also walked three times while striking out only once, another reminder of just how advanced his approach is for a player his age.
Unlike most of the Brewers’ prospects, Made didn’t get much of a break, either. He and Luis Peña also represented the organization at the 2026 All-Star Futures Game, where Made went 1-for-3 with a single and drove in the National League’s lone run.
The pitching was just as encouraging. Bishop Letson tossed five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while striking out four. Overall, Letson has now been pitching well for the better part of two months, which is great to see from the Brewers’ super-talented No. 9 prospect. Travis Smith also turned in a solid outing, allowing three hits and one run over four innings.
Neither High-A Wisconsin nor Single-A Wilson won a game this week, but a few of their top prospects are still worth highlighting. Braylon Payne struck out six times in thirteen at-bats, but he also added another home run, giving him eighteen on the season.
Luis Peña, the Brewers’ No. 2 prospect, went 0-for-3 in the Futures Game, but 3-for-10 with a pair of doubles this week. It’s great to see him back on the field — and producing — after the health scares that interrupted his season. Also, I wasn’t going to name a Play of the Week this week, but this is such an awesome play from Peña that it wins anyway.
Here is your @JewelersMutual Group Web Gem of the Week by Brewers No. 2 Prospect, Luis Peña! 💎
Just like this highlight, your jewelers deserves to shine – and stay protected. Insure it with Jewelers Mutual. pic.twitter.com/tpD6sfCCu8
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) July 20, 2026
Brady Ebel, the Brewers’ 2025 first-round pick, hit two home runs in one game on the way to a 3-for-9 week in Single-A. If you like meaningless stats, Ebel is hitting .348 with a 1.239 OPS since the Brewers drafted his brother. Jarrette Bonet (5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) turned in the best start of the week for the Warbirds.
The Chicago Cubs playing games in an “open-air stadium” doesn’t “transform the view” from a neighboring rooftop into Cubs property, Wrigley View Rooftop and owner Aidan Dunican argue in a recent court filing. And if it did, other teams, leagues and sports organizers could allegedly demand payment from neighbors who currently watch for free.
Wrigley View Rooftop and Dunican hope to persuade U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman to deny the Cubs’ summary judgment and a permanent injunction in the team’s misappropriation, trademark infringement and unjust enrichment lawsuit. The case, which began in 2024, centers on Wrigley View Rooftop selling access to a rooftop building where fans can watch Cubs games in person without paying the Cubs.
Wrigley View Rooftop maintains the Cubs seek a “new property right” in the form of “visibility of a live sporting event from neighboring private property,” with sightlines converted into property rights. The rooftop company asserts that if this “theory” were validated by the court, it would lack a “limiting principle” and its “consequences would extend far beyond Wrigley Field.”
To that point, Wrigley View Rooftop warns homeowners who live next to a golf course used for a PGA Tour tournament, restaurants overlooking a marathon route and bars along a NASCAR street race “could all be required to pay royalties merely because they profit from proximity to an event visible from their property.”
There are counterarguments to this ominous prediction. There’s no reason to believe organizers of PGA tournaments, marathons, NASCAR races and similar sporting would ever demand payment, and thus the hypotheticals are arguably scare tactics rather than realistic consequences.
A few months ago, Judge Coleman ruled that the Cubs’ claims are plausible. She stressed the team, which depicts Wrigley View Rooftop as illegally free-riding off the team’s financial investment in the playing of games, enjoys a property right in the product of live Cubs games produced at Wrigley Field.
In that discussion, Coleman referred to a court ruling from 1938 in which the Pittsburgh Pirates successfully blocked a radio station sending “observers” to watch games from a rooftop of a building adjacent to Forbes Field and using their observations to transmit an unauthorized radio broadcast of games.
The Cubs now seek a judicial finding from Judge Coleman that no reasonable jury could side with Wrigley View Rooftop, and a permanent injunction to effectively shut down Wrigley View Rooftop.
Through a brief authored by Matthew De Preter and Gary P. Hollander of Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa on June 30, Wrigley View Rooftop insists the Cubs’ legal arguments should strike out.
Wrigley View Rooftop asserts its business model is straightforward and lawful. The company sells tickets to patrons who—unlike the observers in the Pirates case—don’t “record, retransmit, rebroadcast, report or relay” Cubs games but instead watch “live, in-person and in real-time” baseball games that the Cubs “choose to expose to public view.”
Along those lines, Wrigley View Rooftop stresses that people watching Cubs games from across a street aren’t engaged in a broadcast or other professional activity. Their watching of games shouldn’t “threaten the existence of Cubs baseball” or “undermine” the team’s “incentive” to stage games.
Wrigley View Rooftop also cites a section of the City of Chicago’s municipal code titled, “Rooftops in Wrigley Field Adjacent Area,” that contemplates rooftop seating as a lawful activity under certain conditions.
Further, Wrigley View Rooftop takes issue with comments by Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, who, in a related litigation about a decade ago, compared people in the rooftops watching Cubs games to one neighbor looking through a second neighbor’s window to watch the hit show Homeland on Showtime, a premium-pay TV network.
“If Ricketts did not want anyone looking through the window,” Wrigley View Rooftop argues, “he should install curtains, and if the Cubs do not want anyone looking at Wrigley, they should install screens.”
Wrigley View Rooftop maintains the Cubs are not really opposed to rooftop seats, only to others owning those seats.
In 2004, the Cubs and Wrigley View Rooftop resolved an earlier litigation over the same basic issues by entering into a 20-year revenue sharing agreement in which Wrigley View Rooftop shared a cut of its profits. The agreement, as described in court documents, prevented the Cubs from trying to block views from the rooftop seats with screens, obligated the Cubs to provide marketing and allowed Wrigley View Rooftop to use Cubs trademarks.
The two businesses couldn’t agree to new terms and their deal expired on Dec. 31, 2023. But Wrigley View Rooftop keeps selling seats and, the Cubs contend, continues to use trademarks of the MLB team. Wrigley View Rooftop argues it undertook substantial efforts to remove those trademarks from its marketing, website and brochures, though in court documents the Cubs have pointed to what they describe as continuing violations.
The Cubs are also described as installing semi-transparent mesh screens “to obstruct the view” from the rooftop seats, which in turn caused Wrigley View Rooftop “to advise customers of the obstruction.”
In addition, Wrigley View Rooftop complains Cubs owners have known what they were getting into when they bought the team. Wrigley Field is a ballpark in the middle of a large city surrounded by tall buildings and “numerous rooftop businesses.” Over the years the Cubs have purchased some of those rooftop businesses, but not Wrigley View Rooftop.
Attorneys for the Cubs will have the chance to try to rebut these and other arguments in a reply filing that is due on Aug. 10.
No trial date has been set for the case, which could end in a settlement at any point. Given that the two sides are familiar to one another, there’s a chance they could strike a deal similar to the arrangement they negotiated in 2004.
ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 26: St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom looks on during the pregame ceremony prior to the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
For some, the MLB Trade Deadline can be one of the most exciting and unpredictable times of the year. It presents an opportunity for all 30 teams to improve their chances to win now or in the future. For others, it can be a daunting, tedious, repetitive grind of information that may or may not come to fruition. The Viva El Birdos comment section famously has evoked it’s displeasure with the constant trade talk of a former individual who created content for us with soup recipes of all things! So, I thought, what a funny way to both have a reasonable conversation around the upcoming trade deadline and give a hat tip and wink at the comment section.
So, if we are to create Trade Deadline Soup, we need a recipe to follow!
The 2024 Detroit Tigers finished the season at 86-76 as the final Wild Card team into the playoffs. They swept the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card round before being eliminated in the ALDS by the Cleveland Guardians. This seems like a plausible best-case scenario for the 2026 Cardinals team that has surprised just about every corner of the baseball world this season. The 2024 Tigers sold 4 players at the players at the deadline; old friend Jack Flaherty was traded to the Dodgers, OF Mark Canha was traded to the Giants, another old friend C Carson Kelly and LHP Andrew Chafin were both traded to the Texas Rangers.
The Tigers acquired power-hitting C/1B prospect Thayron Liranzo and MLB SS Trey Sweeney, Minor league RP Eric Silva, RHP Joseph Montalvo, and C Liam Hicks.
The Cardinals could follow this “recipe” by trading impending FA Dustin May, OF Lars Nootbaar, C Pedro Pages/Jimmy Crooks, and RP JoJo Romero/Ryne Stanek. I’m slightly more optimistic about the Cardinals’ chances to get better upside in return than the Tigers were able to, given that Nootbaar and the Catchers have control remaining beyond this season.
Reinforcements for St. Louis are ready to backfill the roster if President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom chooses to execute this strategy. LHP Quinn Matthews has been on a HEATER at Memphis over the last month plus, Hunter Dobbins has already shown an ability to get big league hitters out, Memphis OF Joshua Baez has been making Triple-A pitching pay all season with his thump and prodigious right handed power, Catcher Leonardo Bernal has been a steady force behind the plate with no glaring flaws in his game as a switch hitting Catcher with a minor league gold glove to his name to boot. LHP Brycen Mautz and RHP’s Hancel Rincon and Cade Winquest offer upside out of the pen. As with the Jack Flaherty trade as the example above, don’t discount the Cardinals’ ability to get MLB-ready talent in return.
The biggest question on the roster would be what to do with All-Star Closer Riley O’Brien, and has been for this topic for some time now. The return would have to be overwhelming, but, at 31 years old, a serious case could be made that this is peak value for O’Brien, and with reliever volatility, there is no guarantee he ever performs at this level again, so the opportunity to maximize on the asset would appear to be now, despite the remaining 4 years of control. According to MLB.com, as many as 7 teams are in the primary pursuit of relief help. The Orioles, Twins, Mariners, Rangers, Nationals, Phillies, and Pirates. Among those teams exist a plethora of exciting prospect talent that the Cardinals could use to really set themselves up as they appear on the cliff’s edge of perennial contention once more.
But the approach to this year’s deadline has the potential to be more complex than we’ve seen in St. Louis. Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has a history of a hybrid approach to the deadline where he both buys and sells. I do believe that there could be an opportunity to add a young controllable reliever, and there are teams on the West Coast that are defined sellers that could contribute to what has evolved as the Cardinals’ biggest, most glaring weakness. Since May 1st, the Cardinals’ bullpen ranks 20th in FIP (4.26), 17th in Win Probability Added (WPA) at 0.89, and 23rd in K% at 20.5%. Those are the 3 primary stats that I look at when trying to evaluate the effectiveness of relievers. How would they perform in a defensive neutral environment? Do they positively contribute to their team’s ability to win? Do they have the capability to get a strikeout when a ball in play could dramatically swing win probability in high-leverage situations?
As I’m prone to do, I have 3 names to watch that could fit as pieces that could contribute to the next winning Cardinals team.
RHP Ryan Zeferjahn – Los Angeles Angels
The Angels ascended closer Ryan Zeferjahn since June 1st; in his last 20.1 IP has a 3.30 FIP, 40.0 K%, and +0.99 WPA. Zeferjahn comes with 5 additional years of control and 3 options remaining, and won’t be a free agent until 2031. It’s a 5-pitch mix for the Halo righty: Sweeper, 4-Seam, Sinker, Slider, Curveball. 34% Whiff rate and .160 xBA (expected batting average) are both elite performance markers. I won’t speculate on cost because it’s so hard to be predictive of what value they have internally on an emerging closer on the verge of entering a true long-term rebuild, assuming John Mozeliak can effectively persuade Arte Moreno that the good of the long-term health of the Angels organization is to take a step back, sell, and build up their pipeline.
RHP Elvis Alvarado – Athletics
Another young emerging back-end option on the West Coast, Elvis Alvarado is 6’6 253 lbs, a true mountain of a man. He throws that classic 100 MPH heat we’ve come to expect from late-inning relievers, with 5 inches above-average arm-side run. Alvarado also throws a slider and a sinker and a very scantily used Splitter. The 5.14 FIP is not all that encouraging, though the xFIP is 3.54, but that’s probably me cherry-picking, so do with that what you will. 30.4 K% on the season gets us tethered back to why he is so intriguing, and the win probability added of -0.77 isn’t all that encouraging, but also taking into account that it’s likely a combination of poor defense and ball park effects of a minor league stadium working against him, I’m willing to look past some of those struggles and would be fascinated with getting him in St. Louis, much like the George Soriano situation from the spring, to see what this big league pitching staff and development staff can get out of this really encouraging ball of clay. You have essentially 6 years of control with Alvarado, only 2 option years remaining, and Alvarado is already 27, so the player acquisition cost for Alvarado would likely be relatively low, but presents exciting upside.
LHP Erik Miller – San Francisco Giants
This one admittedly is the most far-fetched; however, there likely wouldnt be a more impactful and immediate boost to the Cardinals bullpen than Erik Miller. It’s a 4-pitch mix, primarily Sinker/Slider, which he throws about 85% of the time. He will mix in a 4-Seam and Changeup against right-handed hitters. At 6’5 269 lbs, another gigantic human, I guess, emerging closers is the true theme of these guys, as well. 32.3 k%, 3.42 FIP, and a +0.10 WPA. Miller comes with 4 additional years of control and would be the true lefty weapon the bullpen is missing to pair with Riley O’Brien at the back end of games to give them a legitimate back end of games that would create heartburn for the opposition who would have the misfortune of facing them on any given night. This cost would likely be for players that the Cardinals wouldnt want to part with. More of a dream than a reality, I surmise, but Miller is 100% the ideal trade acquisition for the Cardinals at the 2026 deadline.
Ultimately, the Cardinals’ roster has 2 weeks to make its case not to engage in a significant sell-off. Things have been trending in the wrong direction for some time now, and the NL Wild Card race has muddied itself to the point that “clear and convincing evidence” against following through on the initial plan coming into the season becomes harder and harder to justify. That’s not to suggest that a Cardinals team that has been spiteful in the face of adversity wouldnt be capable of sneaking their way into the final spot even if they sell off short-term players and promote from within more exciting upside talent from this percolating Cardinals farm system. Key ingredients are missing from this recipe before it takes its final and most flavorful form of “deadline soup.” The Cardinals are running out of time, and Chef Bloom is ready to cook. What comes to boil could still be anyone’s guess, but our appetites for answers continue to increase with each passing day. I, for one, with spoon and bowl in hand, am ready to eat it up!
Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the direction you think the Cardinals will go. Who would you like to see them acquire? Who would you try to move out to try and extract value from? I’m eager to see where everyone’s palate for change is driving their craving!
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