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Lakers trade up to No. 24 pick, select Cameron Carr

WACO, TX - FEBRUARY 10: Guard Cameron Carr #43 of the Baylor Bears holds up a three point signal to celebrate a three point basket during the Big 12 college basketball game between Baylor Bears and BYU Cougars on February 10, 2026, at Foster Pavilion in Waco, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Lakers made sure they got their player in the first round on Tuesday.

Los Angeles made a last-minute trade, moving up one spot to the No. 24 pick to select Cameron Carr, a guard out of Baylor.

It didn’t take much for the Lakers to complete the deal as all they had to do was send some cash to the Knicks for the pick. However, because of the wonderful new CBA, the Lakers will be hard-capped at the second apron by sending out cash in a deal.

Realistically, this was never going to be an issue.

Last season, Carr had a breakout campaign after transferring to Baylor, averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He shot 49.4% from the field and 37.4% 3-point line.

Carr had a number of big games early in the season with a 28-point game and two 27-point games in the first five games of the season. He had a couple of 26-point games late in the season and scored 25 points against Arizona State in the Big 12 tournament. In his last game at Baylor, he struggled from the field, shooting 4-18 from the field, but pulled down 12 rebounds, his third game of the season with double-digit rebounds.

Offense certainly is a strength for Carr. He can score at multiple levels and is a high-level athlete. Any highlight video Lakers fans watch of Carr in the coming hours and days will be full of highlight-reel plays.

An interesting nugget is that Carr and Dalton Knecht were teammates for one season at Tennessee. Carr only played 14 games that season, so he wasn’t much of a factor.

Here’s what Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had to say about Carr:

Offensively, Carr’s game looks like one that should blend perfectly into the NBA. He’s a legitimate 3-point shooter who can attack closeouts, plays well off the ball as a cutter and takes advantage of opportunities as a finisher because of his length. He has the physical height and length NBA teams canvass the globe to find.

The swing skill toward Carr being a positive NBA player is obvious. He needs to get stronger. He needs to play with more bend. He needs to be willing to get more physical. And once that happens, he needs to be much more active and engaged on defense. Some of these things are fixable, as Carr has already done good work on his frame as he has gotten older. He looks a lot like a late bloomer to be excited about, even though he’s already 21.

The Ringer was similarly high on Carr’s offensive ability. Here’s a snippet of their breakdown:

Carr has a few undeniable traits: the largest wingspan-to-height ratio among perimeter players in the draft, NBA-caliber leaping ability, and some of the deepest range in the class. That length and vertical pop could make him an elite weakside rim protector for his size, although his spindly frame and high center of gravity might limit his defensive upside as an on-ball defensive hound.

For a Lakers team that was at such an athleticism deficit last season, Carr is a huge upgrade in that respect. He will also provide the team scoring off the bench, something they lacked much of last season.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

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Senga struggles again as Mets fall to Cubs

Jun 23, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; A general view at Citi Field during the fourth inning between the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The rain postponed last night’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs. The weather gods decided not to bless us for a second straight night, so we were forced to watch another crappy game of Mets baseball in which the team fell behind early thanks to a bad performance from a starting pitcher and the bats never seriously threatened to get back in the game. The final result was a 9-6 loss for the team’s third straight loss. Read on for the fun, I guess.

Kodai Senga took the mound for the Mets tonight. It has been a chore to watch him pitch for the better part of a year now, and after a solid 1-2-3 inning in which he looked like the old version of himself, tonight was unfortunately no different. Senga started the second inning off by loading the bases – on a walk, single, and hit-by-pitch – with nobody out, and after striking out Nico Hoerner to record the first out of the inning, he issued yet another walk to force in the first run of the game. A hard-struck sacrifice fly to left brought in a second run but also put the Mets an out away from ending the inning with a manageable 2-0 deficit. Well, unfortunately, Pete Crow-Armstrong had other plans, as he socked a three-run homer over the right field wall to make it 5-0 after just an inning and a half.

The Mets’ bats struck back in the bottom half of the frame, however. Cubs starter Edward Cabrera had tossed a first inning, and he retired the first two batters in the second. But they then loaded the bases on a walk, single, and another walk, bringing Francisco Alvarez up to the plate. On a 2-2 pitch, the number-nine hitter lined a single to center to bring two runs home and make it a 5-2 ballgame. After issuing yet another walk, Cabrera struck out Bo Bichette to end the inning, but only after throwing a lot of pitches and cutting the Cubs’ lead.

Unfortunately, Senga turned around and gave those runs right back before too long. In the top of the fourth inning – with this year’s SNY Kidcaster in the booth, no less – Carson Kelly worked a one-out walk, and Dansby Swanson followed with a two-run homer to left to make it 7-2 Cubs. Senga then issued another walk and was subsequently taken out after recording just one out. Cionel Pérez came on and stranded the runner at first, but that wasn’t nearly enough to save Senga from yet another atrocious line – 3.2 innings, 3 hits, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts, 2 homers, 7 earned runs. It leaves the Mets with only more questions about how to navigate their continued starting pitching woes.

As if this game wasn’t going poorly enough on its own, Juan Soto exited the game after the fourth with what was later revealed to be left side back tightness. Unfortunately, that would not prove to be the most notable injury-related departure of the game, as the bottom of the fifth ended on a groundout in the second base hole in which Cabrera had to cover the bag and came up lame after stretching to catch the throw. A cart had to come out to remove him from the field, and Hoby Milner came on in the bottom of the sixth to replace him.

Of course, none of these factors made much of an impact on the final result. To his credit, Pérez ate 2.1 innings and retired every batter he faced, which the Mets sorely needed simply to help preserve their bullpen. Tobias Myers was not quite as effective when he came on in the seventh, as he surrendered two runs – all in the eighth on three straight doubles – in his two innings of work. He may have surrendered more if not for two successful challenges by the Mets – including one in the seventh in which Crow-Armstrong was thrown out stealing second when the batter behind him worked a walk. Yes, that is apparently possible. No, I don’t have the energy to describe how that happened. Go look it up.

As far as the bats go, Alvarez did hit a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the seventh off former Met Phil Maton, giving him all three RBIs for the Mets on the night up to that point. They scored some more meaningless runs in the ninth, as Carson Benge hit a two-out RBI single and Bichette followed with a two-run homer. Does it matter? Not really. The Mets lost 9-6. Doubleheader tomorrow.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Francisco Alvarez, +11% WPA
Big Mets loser: Kodai Senga, -41% WPA
Mets pitchers: -41% WPA
Mets hitters: -9% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Francisco Alvarez two-run single in the second, +10.6% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Pete Crow-Armstrong three-run homer in the second, -18.7% WPA

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Juan Soto injury update: Mets star exits game with back issue

Juan Soto left Tuesday night's Mets game against the Cubs in the fifth inning with what the team said is left-side back tightness. He had gone hitless in two at-bats, wincing during both. He was seen in the dugout with a heat wrap around his lower back before he came out and headed into the clubhouse.

Jared Young took over in left field to start the fifth inning. It was the second time this season Soto has left a game early. A strained right calf put him on the injured list in April and cost him 15 games.

Soto went into Tuesday hitting .299 with a .395 on-base percentage, 17 home runs and a .965 OPS through 61 games. Until this season, he had been durable, with no stints on the injured list since 2021.

A healthy Soto is something the last-place Mets can ill afford to lose. They were already down 7-2 when Soto left, with Kodai Senga having given up seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.

The Mets can't seem to catch a break. After a 9-6 loss Tuesday, the Mets stand at 34-44 and last in the National League East, 14 games behind the Atlanta Braves. The Mets have been without Francisco Lindor since late April and had hoped to have their two stars back in the lineup together again soon.

Mets hold their breath as they wait to see how Soto feels Wednesday

"His back locked up during the game," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game. "He's day-to-day. We'll see where he's at. He got treatment during the game, but he got to a point there where you could tell something was off. He was making some faces there and I checked with him. It got to the point where it was bothering him to throw and to get his A swing off. So at that point, I thought basically let's get him out of the game and have the trainers look at him.

"So as of right now, he's day-to-day," Mendoza said. "We'll see where we are tomorrow."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Juan Soto injury news as Mets star exits with back injury

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Kodai Senga struggles again as Mets fall to Cubs, 9-6

Kodai Senga delivered another dud, Juan Soto left the game early because of back tightness and the Mets lost again, falling to the Cubs, 9-6, in front of 35,668 fans Tuesday night at Citi Field. 

The Mets, who have lost three straight and allowed 30 runs over that span, are now 10 games below the .500 mark at 34-44. The Cubs are 41-37. 

Here are the takeaways....

-The Mets' rotation woes continued as the Cubs scored five times in the second inning against Senga. The night had started very well for the beleaguered Mets’ righty – he blazed through the first inning, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts and hitting as high as 98.9 miles per hour on the radar gun. It quickly unraveled, however. Senga walked the first hitter in the second inning, Seiya Suzuki, gave up a single to Ian Happ and hit Matt Shaw with a pitch, loading the bases. One out later, Carson Kelly worked a walk in an eight-pitch at-bat, forcing in a run. After Dansby Swanson cracked a sac fly, Crow-Armstrong mashed his three-run homer for a 5-0 Cubs lead. Senga heard plenty of boos as he trudged off the mound when the inning was finally over.

-Walks have helped sap Senga’s effectiveness all season – he entered the game having walked 6.4 per nine innings this season. Peep this to get an idea of how bad that is: José Soriano of the Angels has the worst walk rate among qualified pitchers (4.5), but it’s nearly two walks fewer than Senga. Senga was not a good matchup for the Cubs, whose hitters owned MLB’s highest walk rate entering the game, and he finished his brief outing with five walks and a hit batter.

-Senga threw 31 pitches in the second inning alone, which meant he was never going to pitch too deep into the game. He didn’t, getting just 11 outs and leaving to more boos with two out and one on in the fourth inning and the Mets trailing, 7-2. In all, Senga allowed three hits and seven runs, including a two-run homer by Swanson, in 3.2 innings. He struck out six and threw 98 pitches (58 strikes). His season ERA ballooned to 10.08. In the two starts since he returned to the Met rotation, he’s allowed 11 runs in 7.2 innings, a 12.91 ERA.

-The Mets entered Tuesday’s game having allowed 151 runs in the first three innings of games, the second-most in the majors, behind only the awful Rockies (161). The Mets have now allowed at least one run in the first three frames in each of their last 13 games.

-The Mets quickly responded after the Cubs took the lead, scoring twice in the bottom of the second with two out. Marcus Semien walked, Brett Baty singled and MJ Melendez worked a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Francisco Alvarez followed by whacking a single into center that plated two runs. The Mets seemed poised to possibly add more when Carson Benge walked, but Cubs starter Edward Cabrera struck out Bo Bichette for the second time to end the inning.

-Alvarez hit a solo homer in the seventh inning, his sixth of the season, a long shot to center off Phil Maton that was clocked at 105.2 mph off the bat.

-The Mets had some late life, too. In the ninth inning, Bichette hit a two-run homer and Benge added an RBI single to trim the Cub lead to three runs.

-Soto, whose streak of 13 consecutive games reaching base safely ended, came out of the game after the fourth inning. He was replaced in left field by Jared Young, who moved from first base. Mark Vientos took over at first for Young. The Mets announced that Soto left with back tightness. He was spotted late in the game back on the Mets bench.

-Cabrera got injured getting the final out of the fifth inning when he covered first and stretched to catch a throw from Nico Hoerner. Cabrera, in obvious pain as he clutched at his left inner thigh, left the field on a cart to polite applause from the Citi Field crowd. It was later announced that Cabrera had suffered a left hamstring/adductor strain. Cabrera allowed two runs on three hits, striking out four and walking four.

-Cionel Pérez provided nifty relief for the Mets, coming in to get the final out of the fourth and then throwing two consecutive 1-2-3 innings.

-Weird play in the seventh: Crow-Armstrong was on first and ran on the pitch as Michael Busch drew a walk. Even though Crow-Armstrong was forced to second because of the walk, the Mets had thrown the ball to the bag and then challenged that Crow-Armstrong had come off the base and gotten tagged. Upon review, the umpires agreed and Crow-Armstrong was ruled out after “losing possession” of the bag and being tagged by Bichette. Perhaps not surprisingly, Cubs manager Craig Counsell was ejected in the post-play discussion.

Game MVP: Pete Crow-Armstrong.

The former Met prospect, dealt for Javy Báez and Trevor Williams at the 2021 trade deadline, smacked a key three-run homer for the Cubs. Dansby Swanson rates, too – he had four RBI.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Cubs will play a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday. First game is set for 1:10 p.m. with Game 2 slated for 7:10 p.m.

 

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Memphis trades back twice from 16 to 21, gets five second-round picks while Oklahoma City, Detroit move up

This is a nice bit of work by the Memphis front office — they moved back five spots in the NBA Draft and picked up five second-round picks.

It's also a little confusing, a multi-step process, all of it broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.

First, Memphis agreed to swap the No. 16 and No. 17 draft picks with Oklahoma City, and the Thunder threw in two second-round picks so they could move up and select Iowa point guard Bennett Stirtz.

Memphis wasn't done. It then agreed to swap the No. 17 pick with Detroit for the No. 21 pick — and the Pistons gave the Grizzlies three more second-round picks.

Detroit then drafted Stanford point guard Ebuka Okorie, an interesting fit because he is the best driver in this class, and bringing him in off the bench behind Cade Cunningham keeps putting pressure on the rim. That said, Okorie's finishing and decision-making when he gets into the paint need to improve.

With that No. 21 pick, the Grizzlies selected Karim Lopez, the first Mexico-born player ever taken in the first round, who played professionally in New Zealand last year. He's a big body and an aggressive rebounder who will come off the bench for the Grizzlies.

Memphis already got its big draft win of the night, selecting Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 pick. The young Grizzlies front line is now Cedric Coward, Boozer and Zach Edey (once healthy), that's a quality young group to start building around.

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Texas basketball’s Dailyn Swain drafted 15th overall by the Chicago Bulls

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: Dailyn Swain is drafted number fifteenth overall by the Chicago Bulls during the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

With the 15th overall pick in 2026 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls picked Texas basketball TK Dailyn Swain. He’s now the Longhorns’ 21st player to hear his name called in the first round.

Prior to his selection, Swain entered this year’s draft as a chin-scratching, but tantalizing, wing prospects in the 2026 class. He has his single season at Texas to thank as he rose nearer and nearer the top of the draft boards.

Swain began his college career at Xavier. However, Swain would eventually part ways with the university to join Texas men’s basketball head coach Sean Miller in his first year leading the program. A change of scenery would do wonders for Swain; nearly on day one, he became one of the team’s focal points, as Swain, at 6-foot-7, average 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 54.2% from the field. By season’s end, Swain led the Longhorns in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and minutes played. And as a result, Swain become the only player in a Division 1 conference to lead his team in all the previously mentioned categories. He was also cited as just the third player in the past three decades to average at least 17 points, seven rebounds, and three assists per game in a season, according to Texas Athletics.

In his final NCAA season, Swain and his teammates managed to end the season in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, as the SEC named him “Newcomer of the Year” and to its second-team all-conference team. Swain was also a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.

It seems NBA scouts have not underestimated Swain’s size and strength. And while his shooting along the perimeter could improve—and with NBA-quality conditioning and coaching staff, it almost undoubtedly will improve in the coming years—it’s Swain’s raw athleticism, aggressive defensive approach, and his roles in playmaking that likely sold him to staffers associated with the sport’s highest level of play.

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St. Louis Cardinals Late Rally Comes Up Painfully Short vs Diamondbacks

Jun 23, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The good news for the St. Louis Cardinals was the fact that Kyle Leahy shut down the Arizona Diamondbacks for the first half of Tuesday night’s game at Busch Stadium. The bad news is Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez also shut down the Cardinals for the first half of the game. It would be crucial misplays at the end of the game that would ultimately cost St. Louis Tuesday night.

The Diamondbacks had the most opportunities early as Ketel Marte doubled on the first pitch of the game. He was moved over to third on a productive groundout by Perdomo, but Kyle Leahy got out of the jam by striking out Carroll and getting Moreno to fly out to center. Arizona would also threaten in the top of the 3rd inning with an almost identical opportunity as Groover hit a ground rule double to lead off the Diamondbacks 3rd, was moved over to third on a groundout by Troy. However, Leahy then struck out Marte and Perdomo lined out to keep Arizona from grabbing a lead.

The St. Louis Cardinals wouldn’t have a baserunner until the bottom of the 3rd inning when Pedro Pagés drew a two-out walk, but he was stranded when JJ Wetherholt grounded out to end the Cardinals 3rd. Jordan Walker collected the first Cardinals hit with one out in the bottom of the 4th inning. Lars Nootbaar followed that with his own single giving St. Louis their first scoring threat of the game, but it would be all for naught as Nelson Velázquez struck out and Jose Fermin lined out to center.

After Kyle Leahy pitched around a Gurriel Jr. double in the top of the 5th and a one-out walk in the top of the 6th, the Cardinals would threaten again in the bottom of the 6th inning when Iván Herrera drew a one-out walk. Jordan Walker followed Herrera’s walk with a sharp single to right field for his second hit of the game and Lars Nootbaar drew a walk which loaded the bases for St. Louis. What would follow would be a massive missed opportunity as Nelson Velázquez popped out to short left field where Perdomo caught the ball, but collided with outfielder Troy. Iván Herrera tagged up on the play and was sent home apparently by Pop Warner trying to score on the confusion of the colliding fielders, but he was thrown out at home plate on a play that was not contested by manager Oli Marmol leaving the game scoreless after 6 innings complete.

Kyle Leahy was nothing short of impressive as he gave the St. Louis Cardinals 6 1/3 innings Tuesday night which is a career-high for him. He was taken out of the game with one out in the top of the 7th inning when Oli Marmol brought in Max Rajcic to face Nolan Arenado. He was able to get Nolan to chase a 3-0 four-seam fastball grounding out to his third base counterpart Blaze Jordan for the second. He would get Gurriel Jr. out on a popup in front of the mound which was awkwardly handled by Pedro Pagés after the rest of the infield baled on the play. Outstanding performance, Kyle Leahy!

The Cardinals would miss another opportunity to provide run support to Leahy’s fine start in the bottom of the 7th inning when Blaze Jordan would draw a two-out walk and then advance to second on a wild pitch by reliever Morillo. Jimmy Crooks was brought up as a pinch-hitter for Pedro Pagés, but he would strike out looking leaving Jordan alone in his thoughts at second.

Max Rajcic stayed in the game to handle the top of the 8th inning for the Cardinals. He would unfortunately walk Groover on four straight pitches bringing up Troy who homered to deep center in Monday night’s game, but he struck out on a nasty 82 mph diving curve. He then got Marte to ground out on an awkward attempt at a double play where both Rajcic and Fermin were standing on first base trying to corral the return throw from JJ Wetherholt which was unsuccessful. Fortunately, it did not matter as Perdomo grounded out sharply to Alec Burleson to end the top of the 8th inning.

After the Cardinals bats remained silent in the bottom of the 8th inning, Matt Svanson was brought in to keep the game scoreless for the top half of the 9th and give St. Louis a chance to walk it off in the bottom half. That didn’t work out like the Cardinals wanted. He was able to strikeout leadoff man Corbin Caroll on a nasty 97 mph sinker, but Jordan Walker lost a flyball from Moreno in the lights for a single. Moreno would advance into scoring position at second on a wild pitch by Svanson and then Smith walked bringing up Nolan Arenado with two on and just one out. Spoiler Alert: this encounter did not end well for the Cardinals as Nado turned on a 3-2 fastball and ripped it into the corner giving the Diamondbacks a 9th inning 1-0 lead and it would get worse. Gurriel Jr. connected on a 3-2 single to center scoring both Smith and Arenado making it 3-0 Diamondbacks. Gordon Graceffo was brought in to try and limit Arizona to just 3 runs so there would be some kind of chance in the bottom of the 9th. That hope was also unsuccessful as Gordon walked two to load the bases and then fell over Marte who scored on a passed ball charged to Jimmy Crooks giving Arizona a larger than it needed to be 4-0 lead before the top of the 9th mercifully ended on a flyout by Perdomo.

I wish I could report that the middle and bottom half of the Cardinals lineup pulled off a miracle rally in the bottom of the 9th against Diamondbacks reliever Paul Sewald, but that would be inaccurate. Would you believe that the Cardinals would bring the potential winning run to the plate, though? That really happened after Lars Nootbaar doubled, Jose Fermin singled and Alec Burleson doubled to give St. Louis a run making it 4-1. Blaze Jordan came up with runners at second and third representing the tying run. He would manage a sacrifice fly scoring Fermin cutting the Arizona lead in half at 4-2. Jimmy Crooks looked to redeem himself for the passed ball and run in the top of the 9th inning by doing something dramatically cool in the bottom of the 9th. He would rip a single to right scoring Burleson and making it a one run game. Good gravy. That brought up none other than JJ Wetherholt as the potential winning run. The Diamondbacks were forced to bring in lefthander Brandyn Garcia to try to shut down JJ. Wetherholt unfortunately struck out. BUMMER. The good news? There’s always tomorrow.

Matthew Liberatore will try to turnaround his season Wednesday night as the St. Louis Cardinals play game 3 of their 4 game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Matthew will be opposed by one of the top Diamondbacks prospect Mitch Britt who will make his Major League debut for the Diamondbacks. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time at Busch Stadium and the TV broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.

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Baseball: Oregon RHP Collin Clarke commits to TCU

Another top pitching transfer is making his way to Fort Worth. On the same day the Horned Frogs reportedly landed Tennessee freshman left-hander Taylor Tracey, TCU has reportedly added Oregon junior right-hander Collin Clarke. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder from Irvine, California went 6-3 with a 4.92 ERA along with 77 strikeouts and 20 walks in 78.2 innings pitched this season. Clarke appeared in 18 games with 13 starts. In his three years with the Ducks, Clarke has made 44 appearances and 27 starts. He has one year of eligibility left.

64 Analytics was first to report the news, which was republished by Jamie Plunkett of HornedFrogBlitz. For his career, Clarke holds an 11-5 record and a 4.96 ERA. He has 151 strikeouts and 45 walks and opposing batters are hitting .262 against him in his career. He played high school baseball at Santa Margarita Catholic in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, where he went 15-5 with a 2.08 ERA, 130 strikeouts and 22 walks in 131.1 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .232 batting average while tossing five complete games.

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NBA Draft 2026: Labaron Philon goes 22nd to the Philadelphia 76ers

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon Jr. (0) controls the ball in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Alabama has had plenty of success in March over the past couple of seasons, but hadn’t had a player taken in the NBA Draft since 2023.

That changed tonight.

Labaron Philon, coming off of an All-American and first-team SEC campaign, heard his name called in the first round as the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the 22nd overall pick.

Here’s what NBA.com has to say about what the Sixers are getting:

Analysis
With elite shooting splits and dynamic playmaking, Philon’s skill set is perfect for the NBA. He’s shifty for his size and nearly always got past the first defender in college. From there, he was willing to find open teammates or take matters into his own hands, reading defensive coverages like a veteran. He’ll need to bulk up to maintain his offensive efficiency against NBA opponents, and how effective he can be defensively is still a major question mark. However, the offensive skills are impossible to ignore, and after a breakout sophomore campaign, it’s possible he’s just tapping into his potential.

Projection
Philon will likely be a lottery pick, but he may not have as high of a floor as the top players in the 2026 draft class. The do-it-all offensive toolkit with question marks defensively is not a unique prospect prototype, but the pace at which Philon plays makes him stand out. His herky-jerky dribble moves to get into the paint have drawn comparisons to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Philon is a couple of inches shorter than the reigning two-time MVP. Philon’s ability to play both guard spots is more akin to Mike Conley, Darius Garland and Dennis Schroder, who’ve all had varying degrees of success in the NBA. 

Philon grew substantially as a shooter in his second season at Alabama, and will need to continue to improve in that area. A bit slight at 6’2.5″ and 176 lbs. per combine measurements, he will have a chance to fill out and has shown ability as a defender if not consistency. What we know for certain is that he can get to the rim. It will be exciting to see how he grows.

Roll Tide.

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Sixers select Alabama guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Labaron Philon Jr. after he is drafted twenty-second overall by the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images

In Mike Gansey’s first move as president of basketball operations, the Sixers took Alabama guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft Tuesday.

The franchise selecting a small guard with the biggest asset acquired in the Jared McCain trade is likely to receive groans, but Philon represents excellent value. The 6-foot-2 guard was comfortably projected to be a top-20 pick by most draft experts. As a sophomore, The Mobile, Alabama native averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.9 minutes per game, earning First Team All-SEC honors and a Third Team All-American nod.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had this to say about Philon in his annual draft guide:

“His improvement as an on-ball player this season while transitioning into that role could not have gone better, as he led the Alabama offense to a top-three mark in the country while putting up video-game-like numbers. The stats are certainly inflated by the spacing and pace of Alabama’s offense, but Philon had a terrific season. His improvement as a finisher at the rim potentially changes his trajectory, making him a possible starting point guard if things break right.”

Philon was super efficient in 2025-26, shooting 50.1% from the field and just a tick under 40% on 6.2 attempts from deep per game. His usage rate also went from 20.9% to 30.0, making his efficiency all the more impressive. He’s not the most explosive athlete, but he makes up for it with tremendous handles and his basketball IQ on both ends of the floor.

While Philon probably doesn’t have a path to being a starter here, he could carve out a role as a third guard behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. A lack of competent primary ball-handler play off the bench was a sore spot for the Sixers in the postseason. Having a reliable third guard could also reduce the wear and tear on Maxey, who led the NBA in minutes.

Philon said he had conversations with the Sixers’ brass at this year’s NBA combine.

“I would say, just watching a lot of basketball, personally, I feel like being selected by Philly is just like destiny,” Philon said to reporters over a Zoom call, “because they got two great guards and I feel like I fit in with those guards, playing at that fast pace and that level of basketball.”

Gansey cited the value Philon represented at pick 22, while also acknowledging the guard fits a need.

“He’s got some toughness,” Gansey said. “I think he’s going to fit Philly. He plays with an edge. He plays with a swag. He’s not afraid. … He was a really good player the last two years and we’re really excited to have him in Philly.”

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Blue Jackets Should Target Canucks Pending UFA Center

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be a team to keep an eye on once free agency begins. The Blue Jackets could end up being a busy team on July 1, as they are entering the summer with multiple pending free agents and roster needs to address.

One area that the Blue Jackets could focus on this off-season is their center depth. This will especially be the case if they are unable to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) forward Boone Jenner. 

When looking at this year's free agents, one player who the Blue Jackets should consider signing for their bottom six is Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger. 

If the Blue Jackets signed Blueger, they would be bringing a veteran two-way center who works well in the bottom six and kills penalties. While he would not be the flashiest of off-season additions, he would give the Blue Jackets' forward group a bit of a boost as they look to take that next step and become a playoff team in 2026-27. 

On a bad Canucks team in 2025-26, Blueger quietly had a strong season, even if he was sidelined for more than half of it. In 35 games this past season with the Canucks, he recorded nine goals, eight assists, 17 points, and 55 hits. This is after he had eight goals and 26 points in 82 games for the Canucks during the 2024-25 season. With numbers like these, he is capable of providing some secondary offensive production. 

However, the Blue Jackets would not be signing Blueger for his offensive production. Instead, the 31-year-old center provides his most value when it comes to his defensive play and penalty killing ability. Because of this, he could be a sneaky good signing for the Blue Jackets if they signed him to a short-term deal. 

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Blue Jackets end up making a push for Blueger this off-season. He would have the potential to be a strong pickup for Columbus' fourth-line center spot, but also could move up the lineup if needed. 

In 453 career NHL games split between the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Canucks, Blueger has recorded 58 goals, 111 assists, 169 points, and 603 hits. He also won the Stanley Cup with Vegas back in 2023. 

Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.   

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Buster Posey’s silence speaks volumes about his Giants leadership — and it’s not good

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Buster Posey, a baseball catcher, stands on the field wearing catcher's gear and holding his helmet, Image 2 shows Mike Hazen on his phone in the dugout during the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants, Image 3 shows San Francisco Giants player Buster Posey at bat

As a player, fans got to know Buster Posey as a tremendous leader. In the clubhouse. Of a pitching staff. As the most important player on three World Series winners.

They must be wondering where that guy was as Posey, now the team’s top baseball executive, clammed up during a heated 15-minute news conference inside the home dugout Tuesday.

Buster Posey looked overmatched when speaking with reporters Tuesday afternoon, failing to address the Giants Pride Night controversy. Getty Images

Confronted with questions about the Giants’ LGBTQ+ Pride Night controversy, Posey had nothing to say. He didn’t offer his support to the four players who objected to wearing the rainbow caps over their Christian faith. He didn’t come out against their actions.

Commissioner Rob Manfred rebuked the organization for its “inadequate and not clear” communication to its players regarding the night, but Posey had no response to that, either.

He had no answers at all.

It was an embarrassing waste of time from one of the franchise’s most beloved players, who might be at risk of losing that title with the way the team has performed under his watch.

Posey began by saying he was “happy to take baseball questions” but the impromptu news conference 10 days after the initial incident, in front of a crowd of some 30 reporters and a half-dozen television cameras, devolved to such a degree that a team PR official had to intervene multiple times as the former franchise legend sat there, lips pursed, eyes down — visibly uncomfortable.

“I’d like to recognize that the organization has shared its response to Pride Night, and I understand that there’s strong feelings on this topic,” Posey said in a prepared statement. “There’s differing perspectives, and out of respect to everybody involved, it’s not something that I’m going to revisit.”

Posey is arguably the most beloved player in Giants history and one of the best catchers in the history of the game. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Posey was offered opportunity after opportunity to revisit the way the team handled Pride Night and the decisions by three pitchers to write a Bible verse on their hats in violation of MLB uniform policy. A fourth opted out entirely and wore the Giants’ normal hat.

“I can promise you this is something that we’ve talked a lot about internally and will continue to do so,” Posey said. “Our focus is on the team right now, the upcoming draft, the trade deadline and trying to win games.”

But the questions kept coming. Posey squirmed and looked to the PR official behind the scrum of reporters. There was never a situation between the lines that made him sweat this much.

Literally, Posey was perspiring.

Then again, there hasn’t been a moment where he has looked as comfortable running a baseball team as he did playing on one.

Posey led the Giants to three World Series titles during his time with the organization. Getty Images

It’s been dysfunction from the top down, one miserable misstep after another.

The shortstop he signed to the largest free-agent contract in franchise history forgot the number of outs while hobnobbing with the opponent. The superstar slugger he acquired to anchor their lineup blatantly undercut the rookie manager Posey hired, who has also looked like a fish out of water at times.

He invested $32 million in two starting pitchers and almost nothing in the bullpen, where one of those starters now resides nevertheless. He traded his starting catcher six weeks after Opening Day and now pitchers are having to call their own games.

“It’s been a rough year,” Posey said, happy to answer a baseball question.

As a player, Posey was considered to be one of the greatest leaders on the field and held in high regard by both his teammates and opponents. Getty Images

The latest incident, when Rafael Devers tried to shoo-away a pinch-runner called for by Tony Vitello as the would-be tying run in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Marlins, was just another example of the empty chair in which Posey is supposedly sitting.

Posey acknowledged it would be important for him to sit down with Devers, even after the first baseman cleared the air with Vitello on the flight back from Miami.

But two days had passed and Posey still hadn’t spoken with the highly paid superstar whose basket he put so many of his eggs in when he committed to paying him more than $30 million per season through 2033.

Posey’s additions of Rafael Devers and Tony Vitello have massively backfired to this point.
Getty Images
Posey’s additions of Rafael Devers and Tony Vitello have massively backfired to this point.
MLB Photos via Getty Images

That’s not the sense of urgency Posey showed when leading the Giants to three World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

“Sometimes it’s not fun,” Posey said. “It’s not fun to stand in front of a camera or a microphone, but that’s something he’s going to need to work on.”

No, he wasn’t talking about himself. He was talking about Devers.

The same way Devers’ refusal to answer questions after Sunday’s game put the burden on the shoulders of his teammates, such as Matt Chapman, Posey’s silence on the Pride Night controversy forced Vitello to answer more uncomfortable questions.

Likewise, the organization issued one milquetoast statement and refused to make any other officials available, despite the scandal growing so large that the Department of Justice launched an investigation into MLB on the grounds of religious discrimination.

“I know Buster had words and spoke with some people earlier today about it,” Vitello said.

No, Tony, actually, he didn’t.

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Bog wild: Phillies 14, Nationals 9

Jun 23, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Edmundo Sosa (33) celebrates after hitting a two RBI double against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Down 5-0 halfway through the game, the Philadelphia Phillies (43-36) came all the way back to take the lead in the eighth inning, coughed in back up and then swallowed it once again with an epic ninth for a 14-9 victory to tie their four-game series against the Washington Nationals (41-39).

Kyle Schwarber was a late-scratch with a sore back but the Nationals’ still opted for a lefty opener, in the form of PJ Poulin, to face the top of the Phillies order in the first inning before giving way to bulk righty, Zack Littel.

Jesus Luzardo had a funky game, giving up five runs for the sixth time in his up-and-down season, but equaled his career-high with 13 strikeouts across his 6.2 innings of work.

The comeback began in the top of the fifth when Bryson Stott led off the inning with the first of his three hits and came home on a two-run home run by Edmundo Sosa, his fifth of the year.

Sosa again scored Stott in the seventh to cut the deficit to two on a fielder’s choice RBI.

The Phillies took the lead in the top of the eighth courtesy of the Nat’s bullpen and some bad luck by right fielder, James Wood.

Brandon Marsh laced a hard fly ball into the right field gap and ended up on third after the scoop was bobbled by Wood for what went down officially as a one-out double and an error. Alec Bohm worked a two-out walk and Stott took a pitch off the abs to load the bases. Ahead 3-1 in the count, JT Realmuto hit a foul ball just over the right field fence that Wood got a glove on but couldn’t secure. On the next pitch, Realmuto stroked a fastball the opposite way that landed just beyond Wood’s outstretched glove to clear the bases and give the Phillies a 6-5 lead. Wood also went 0-5 at the plate.

It took Orion Kerkering eight pitches in the bottom of the eighth to hand the advantage back to the hosts as he surrendered a three-run bomb to Jorbit Vivas after walking the leadoff man and hitting the next batter on the first pitch.

Nationals’ reliever, Brad Lord, who came into the game vying for a spot on the All Star team with a 2.29 ERA, came in to close and gave up a season-high six runs in the top of the ninth, a frame in which the Phillies sent 13 men to the plate, scoring eight total, all of it with two outs.

Marsh hit a two-run home run to tie the game for his third hit of the night, finishing a triple shy of the cycle.

Stott hit a three-run towering shot that stayed just fair of the right field pole. He also scored four runs on the night.

Sosa picked up his fourth and fifth RBIs on a double that scored Realmuto and Gabriel Rincones, Jr., who tripled his hit total for the season with two in the game.

Turner capped off the Phillies’ scoring with his second single of the inning, the first of which snapped an 0-10 drought.

It was the ninth time in their history the Phillies have scored eight or more runs in the ninth inning and first since September 27, 2015, also in Washington.

The Phillies will look to take the series lead tomorrow with Aaron Nola scheduled to face Miles Mikolas.

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Mets' Francisco Lindor, Tyrone Taylor, Ronny Mauricio enjoy big nights with Syracuse as returns loom

The trio of rehabbing Mets were back in action down in Triple-A on Tuesday night. 

Francisco Lindor, Tyrone Taylor, and Ronny Mauricio all enjoyed strong nights at the plate as they draw closer to their returns to the big league level. 

Lindor did his job out of the leadoff spot as he reached on an error, laced a pair of opposite-field singles, and came around to score two of Syracuse's eight runs on the night. 

Taylor was the first to knock in Lindor, and the second was by Mauricio. 

Taylor continues to swing a hot bat during his minor league rehab assignment, as he lifted his second homer and also ripped a double as part of a three-hit effort. 

Mauricio had just two knocks, but he drove in three runs with a sacrifice fly and a two-run double. 

Lindor played eight innings at shortstop, Taylor eight in center field, and Mauricio all nine at third base. 

Lindor appears to be the closest to working his way back into the Mets' lineup, as Carlos Mendoza said ahead of the team's series opener with the Cubs that the team will discuss his next steps following Tuesday's game. 

This was arguably his strongest showing through three minor league contests. 

Taylor and Mauricio, meanwhile, are expected to play in the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday, then they'll see what the next step for them will be from there. 

It's still unknown if Mauricio will return straight to the majors when healthy or stick in the minors. 

The Mets could certainly use all of the help they could get in their lineup, especially after Juan Soto was forced to leave Tuesday's game early due to left side back tightness. 

Two of the bright spots on the mound for Syracuse were left-hander Jefry Yan striking out all five batters he faced, and Dylan Ross closing out his second save of the season around two hits in the ninth. 

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Cubs BCB After Dark: What would it take for Tarik Skubal?

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 29: Detroit pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches during the MLB game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves on April 29th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA.(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. Outside is hot. In here, we’re cool. There are still a few tables available. The hostess will seat you now. There’s a two-drink minimum, but it’s bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

So last night I mistakenly asked you who should leave the rotation when Matthew Boyd returns this week. The funny/awful thing is, I got the idea for the question when someone asked me it in Minor League Wrap and I gallows humored that someone else would get hurt first. Of course, Edward Cabrera went down with an injury today, so he’s leaving the rotation for Boyd.

But as you voted last night, 66 percent of you said Colin Rea.

On Tuesday night, I don’t do movie stuff. But I always have time for jazz, so that time is now. You can skip ahead if you want.

Tonight we have a video featuring Orkestra Obsolete playing New Order’s “Blue Monday,” only using instruments available in the 1930s. This was from BBC Arts from 2016.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.

So the Cubs lost another starting pitcher tonight, which happened while I was writing this. But even before that, two things were true. One, the Cubs are currently in line for a Wild Card playoff berth, even with all the struggles in May. And two, the Cubs need more starting pitching.

We all know who the best starting pitcher on the trade market is: Tigers two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Any team with Skubal in the playoffs is a threat to win it all. He’s the best pitcher in the majors, or at least tied for the best with Paul Skenes.

It’s also true that any team that trades for Skubal will likely lose him after two months for free agency with no compensation. So trading for him gives you a pure rental of one of the best two pitchers on the planet.

So this article on Yahoo! posted some possible trade offers for Tarik Skubal and they have an offer from the Cubs that they think the Tigers would accept.

Matt Shaw

Pedro Ramirez

Jaxon Wiggins

Kevin Alcántara

That’s almost identical to a deal that was proposed on ESPN a few weeks ago with Matt Shaw thrown into the deal. However, ESPN thought it was a good offer, but that other teams could beat that offer that doesn’t include Shaw.

I have two thoughts on the Yahoo! offer, which has a better chance of being accepted by the Tigers. My first thought is that it’s an overpay. My second thought is that you’re not getting Skubal in trade without overpaying. If you’re familiar with the “winner’s curse,” you understand what I mean.

So this deal would cost the Cubs their best pitching prospect, two important bench players with promise and a decent outfield prospect. None of this is anything the Cubs couldn’t afford to lose, but all of it is a lot. It would certainly thin out the Cubs’ organizational depth.

So tonight, I’m just asking you whether you would make this deal. Let’s be clear–all of this is worth it if the Cubs win the World Series. Getting Skubal wouldn’t guarantee a title, but it seems difficult to see how the Cubs starting rotation pitches well enough to pitch the Cubs to a title without getting someone like Skubal. But I certainly see a path to the title with Skubal. After all, you don’t have to worry about limiting his innings if he’s leaving as a free agent after the season.

So would you trade Shaw, Ramirez, Wiggins and Alcantara for Tarik Skubal?

Thanks for stopping by tonight. We’ve enjoyed hosting you. Please get home safely. Call a ride if you need to. Recycle any cans and bottles. Don’t forget any personal items. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.