John Tortorella hasn't closed the door on coaching at 68, some two months after his latest, brief stint ended two wins short of a Stanley Cup and not being rehired by the Vegas Golden Knights.
“Oh, I want to coach,” Tortorella told The Athletic this week in a story posted on Friday. “I want to coach now. I’m not sure if that happens, and that’s where I am in my career. But I wanted to coach that Vegas team. I told (general manager Kelly McCrimmon) that.”
Tortorella’s tenure in Vegas began with him replacing the fired Bruce Cassidy with eight games left in the regular season. And it ended in mid-June with the Golden Knights losing the Stanley Cup Final in six games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Though Tortorella pushed for his return, he said he respected McCrimmon's decision to promote minor-league coach Ryan Craig.
“They’ve been developing (Craig) for a number of years there,” he said. “He’s a good coach and a good man.”
Tortorella has 24 seasons of NHL head-coaching experience, with the Golden Knights representing his seventh stop — including two separate tenures with the New York Rangers. He enjoyed his longest stint with Tampa Bay, spanning 2000-01 to 2007-08, during which he won his only Stanley Cup in 2004. He also coached in Columbus, Philadelphia and Vancouver.
From Boston, Tortorella is sixth on the NHL list and first among U.S.-born coaches with 1,628 games coached. Tortorella’s 777 career wins rank second among U.S.-born coaches behind Peter Laviolette’s 846. With a 70-72 career playoff record, he’s 20th on the NHL list in wins.
Tortorella lamented coming up short on winning a second Cup.
“I guess the word I’d use is disappointed,” Tortorella said.
“We didn’t finish the job, and I wanted some more time with that club to try to finish the job. That’s not my call. That’s the general manager and president’s call,” he added. “You just get about your business after that.”
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.
WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES - AUGUST 14: A general view of the US Capitol as daily life continues in Washington D.C., United States on August 14, 2023. (Photo by Celal Günes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) | Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
NATIONALS
Ketel Marte – 2B
James Wood – LF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Curtis Mead – 3B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Andres Chaparro – DH
Gabriel Moreno – C
CJ Abrams – SS
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Dylan Crews – RF
Max Kepler – LF
Jacob Young – CF
Tyler Locklear – 1B
Harry Ford – C
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Luis Garcia – 1B
Tim Tawa – CF
Nasim Nunez – 2B
E. Rodriguez – LHP
Zack Littell – RHP
After a successful layover in St. Louis, the D-backs head on for another series against a team who might kinda sorta have playoff aspirations. Though it depends who you ask. According to Jack’s chart, the Nationals either have a 6.1% chance of making the post-season… Or a 30.1% chance. Quite a radical difference in perception there. I suspect a difference in methodology, and perhaps also the degree to which past performance is weighted compared to future projections. As discussed in the preview thread, Fangraphs really does not like their chances going forward, projected the third-worst run differential and record in the majors for Washington the rest of the way.
Hopefully, the D-backs can deliver a couple more of the expected losses this weekend. Smallish sample, but they have been the best team in the National League since July 1st, with an 11-6 record over that time. The 99 runs scored over that time trails only the Braves in the majors, while the 72 runs allowed is also well above-average. Also of note: the Diamondbacks have just one loss by more than three runs over their last twenty games. This is in sharp contrast to earlier in the season, where it seemed they would get blown out almost every series. Even when they lose, the games are typically competitive. That’s a good sign, I feel.
Made it back from the Titanic exhibition. Certainly learned a lot, though disappointed there was no Nekkid Kate Winslet exhibit. 🙂 They did have a nice recreation of the staircase, and on entrance you were given a “boarding pass” representing one of the passengers, and their background. At the end, you learned whether or not they survived. Everyone in our group did not. The most impressive bit was a room where you sat in a lifeboat, and the LED walls around depicted the ship sinking, while the radio messages from the Titanic were played. Let’s just say, we won’t be going on a cruise in the near future. All told, recommended.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 09: Jaylon Tyson #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers runs down court during the third quarter in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Arena on May 09, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers are bumping into the harsh realities that come with recently being above the second apron. Their main goal this offseason was to add a 41-year-old LeBron James to a contract that is far below market value. With the opportunity of doing so out the window, they’re now left to pivot to imperfect options to fill out the rotation.
If the Cavs want to advance to the conference finals or further next season, they will need some of their young players on cost-controlled contracts to provide meaningful minutes. As of now, Jaylon Tyson is the most likely candidate to do so.
Tyson took a meaningful step forward last year in his second season. He showed that he could be a knock-down three-point shooter who provides great energy on both ends of the court. That was much needed for a team that was often stuck in neutral for the first half of the season due to their wide array of injuries.
The improvement he showed last season has Cavs fans optimistic he can take another step forward. Sixty-two percent of fans surveyed earlier this week believe that he has the brightest future among recent draft picks.
While Tyson was the guy fans think has the brightest future, there were plenty out there that believe in Meleek Thomas.
Thomas was impressive this past month in Las Vegas. He led Summer League in scoring, while earning himself a spot on the All Summer League First Team. Summer League success doesn’t always translate to the NBA, but there’s plenty of reasons to be excited about the incredible scoring display Thomas displayed in Vegas.
We’ll see what kind of impact both can make on the Cavs this upcoming season.
Donald Trump picked Michael Jordan over LeBron James in the NBA GOAT debate after James signed with the 76ers. REUTERS
Trump cited his relationship with Jordan and his contentious history with James while explaining his choice.
“Michael Jordan is a guy that’s a friend of mine. I play golf with him. He’s a really good guy,” Trump said. “I think LeBron is maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I don’t know. I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.”
Suns guard Dan Majerle (left) defends Bulls guard Michael Jordan during Game 1 of the NBA Finals in 1993 USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Trump did not compare the players’ basketball accomplishments.
Jordan won six NBA championships and five Most Valuable Player awards during his career. James has won four championships and four MVP awards and is the league’s career scoring leader. His move to Philadelphia will extend his career to a record 24th season.
Trump and James have publicly criticized each other for nearly a decade.
James endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and later criticized Trump’s handling of issues involving athletes and professional sports. In 2017, James again questioned Trump after the president withdrew a White House invitation to the champion Golden State Warriors amid Steph Curry’s reluctance to attend.
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second quarter of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Getty Images
Their dispute escalated in 2018 after James said during an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon that Trump was using sports to divide the country. Trump responded on social media by insulting James and Lemon before writing, “I like Mike.”
Jordan defended James afterward, saying he supported the NBA star’s work in his community.
Trump also chose Jordan when asked about the debate in 2020. At the time, he said Jordan’s limited public involvement in politics made him more popular.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 17: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in action against the New York Mets during Game Four of the National League Championship Series at Citi Field on October 17, 2024 in New York City. The Dodgers defeated the Mets 10-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers were supposed to have two games on Fox during this road trip, but last Saturday in The Bronx rain got in the way and postponed the middle game against the Yankees. So we’ll have to settle on a single Fox game on the road trip, on Saturday against the Mets at Citi Field.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers, coming off his first complete game of the season last Sunday against the Yankees. Mets rookie Nolan McLean has been excellent so far this season with a 3.34 ERA in 20 starts, including only two earned runs allowed over his last four starts combined.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 24: Rhett Lowder #25 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on June 24, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All signs do not point to the Cincinnati Reds being huge sellers at the trade deadline in the next week and a half. Nick Krall confirmed as much to The Enquirer’s Gordon Wittenmyer this week, suggesting that in lieu of rebuilding they are going to ‘retool’ with an eye on still being competitive (for them) in the 2027 season.
Cincinnati Reds president Nick Krall talked with the Enquirer this week about his job security and the Reds' wide-open mind at the MLB trade deadline. https://t.co/FGSQ4VnnRK
What does seem increasingly clear, though, is that the Reds – barring a miracle win streak this week – will likely shed their veterans on the roster who are set to reach free agency at season’s end. Some of those will be easier to find takers than others what with salary obligations, performance, and positional demand, but one guy who seems almost certain to be dealt is righty Brady Singer.
Every team needs a workhorse starter with upside, and Singer has pitched well enough over the last two months that his durability and trend-line will have suitors galore. The Reds won’t land a superstar prospect for him, but there will be enough interest that not dealing him would be a complete non-starter, so it sure seems like one of the key cogs in the team’s rotation will be elsewhere down the stretch.
That brings us to Rhett Lowder, who’ll get the start on the road in St. Louis on Friday night as the Reds open their series against the Cardinals. He has pitched to just a 5.75 ERA and 1.64 WHIP for Cincinnati so far in 2026, sliding down to the bullpen when the rotation was fully stocked for a trio of appearances and fresh off being shelled for 8 ER in 2.1 IP in the hellscape that is Coors Field in the July heat his last time getting a start.
With just 72.0 IP with the Reds this season (and 5.0 IP with AAA Louisville), Lowder’s got plenty of innings he can log between now and the season’s end if he can manage to throw the ball over the plate and be more pitch efficient. And the obvious portion of the entire piece is that once Singer leaves, there are going to be a lot of innings down the stretch for pitchers specifically like him to begin to soak up.
Hunter Greene will be an every fifth day guy until season’s end, his March elbow surgery meaning he’s not going to slam into any innings limit this year. Andrew Abbott will presumably be tasked with going every fifth day for the rest of the season, too, his track record showing that’s not going to be much of a problem. Beyond those two, though, there is a whole lot up in the air for the Cincinnati rotation as ace Chase Burns will inevitably be throttled at some point after having already logged 107.2 IP this year. Nick Lodolo, you’ll recall, is on the IL for the second time with blister problems, and given that he’s reportedly working on a whole new grip for his breaking ball he’s a wild card in terms of how much – and how deep when he does – he’ll be able to work as a starter.
It all leaves a pretty open door for Lowder, Cincinnati’s 1st round pick from back in 2023. Not only will the Reds be giving him a pretty long leash due to the simple need for someone, anyone to pitch 6 innings every fifth day, but they’ll be eyeing just what Lowder can do as a big league starter as they retool their roster for 2027. Can he be a rotation cog? Just how much will they need to invest this winter to replace Singer, or will Lowder take the job and run with it?
In theory, Burns/Greene/Abbott/Lodolo/Lowder looks like a pretty stout rotation for next season. Lowder, though, is clearly the biggest question mark of the bunch, and how well he seizes the opportunity in a post-Singer world will dictate a ton of the direction the front office takes in addressing their roster on a shoestring budget this winter.
Lowder gets his first post-Coors chance to show he’s up for it tonight in Busch Stadium with the Reds season (and full deadline plans) in the balance.
Here’s how the Reds will line up to begin tonight’s game in St. Louis, with first pitch set for 8:15 PM ET:
Dec 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) and Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey react with each other after the game at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The long-awaited decision of LeBron James has now been made, and he is headed to the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year deal with the franchise. With that move, he will now share the court with one of Big Blue Nation’s favorites, Tyrese Maxey.
Also with the organization is Justin Edwards, who is still trying to get his feet wet in the NBA heading into year three.
Maxey went to Instagram to share his reaction when the news broke Friday morning, and said he is “like Coach Cal” after landing his own prized recruit in LeBron James.
In all seriousness, what a shocking move! LeBron James will be joining a team that was already viewed as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference, and now bumps those odds up even more. A team with Maxey and James on it, with Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe and many other talented pieces, is crazy.
LeBron said in his statement today that he “still wants to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.” Well, not many other teams he could’ve joined give him as good a chance as the 76ers do at this point in the offseason. James has decided not to end his career back in Northeast Ohio with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where it all started, but is headed to Philadelphia to end his Hall of Fame career.
This could mean that the streak of Kentucky players winning an NBA championship may continue with a new team and a new face winning it all. In three of the last four years, we have seen a former Kentucky Wildcat win the Larry O’Brien trophy.
The Knicks winning this last one gave Karl-Anthony Towns a ring; the year before, it gave Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a ring and his teammate Cason Wallace with the Oklahoma City Thunder; then, in 2023, Jamal Murray won one with the Denver Nuggets.
Will we be able to add Tyrese Maxey and Justin Edwards to that list soon?
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 18: Jared Jones #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch during the first inning in game one of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are back at home for a weekend series at PNC Park when they take on the NL Central rival Chicago Cubs.
Jared Jones is on the bump for the Bucks for the first time since July 18, when he pitched five innings in a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on the road. He gave up three hits and one run in his first win since June 4, snapping a six-game drought where he didn’t pick up a victory.
The Cubs are countering with Matthew Boyd, who is making his 11th start of the season for Chicago. Boyd was injured for most of the day in June, but he returned to the lineup on June 25. He pitched 4.2 innings, giving up four hits against the New York Mets. Since then, he has made four starts and has picked up the victory in each of those contests, improving his record to 6-1. As a team, the Cubs are 8-2 when Boyd pitches, making this a difficult matchup for Pittsburgh.
The game plan for the Pirates tonight should be to attack Boyd early in the game, putting him on the ropes and forcing Chicago to get to their bullpen early in the first game of this series.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Matthew Boyd (6-1, 4.15 ERA) vs. Jared Jones (2-1, 4.05 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
Edgecombe, who won the Rising Stars Challenge MVP award at this year's NBA All-Star festivities, posted the celebration to his Instagram stories shortly after the news broke. He shared a photo of himself holding his hand to his head looking up at the camera smiling in the same way as James' famous "Smiling through it all! Can't believe this my life" Instagram story.
VJ Edgecombe recreated LeBron’s “Can’t believe this my life” meme on his IG stories upon hearing the news that the King was going to be his 76ers teammate 😂🏆 pic.twitter.com/KFoLhNYUWK
The four-time NBA champion was reportedly deciding between Philadelphia or a return to the Miami Heat or his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.
The 2026-2027 NBA schedule has not been released yet, but the 76ers open preseason with a game against the Celtics on Saturday, October 10. This past season, Philadelphia made it to the conference semifinals where they were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks.
After James announced he was ending his free agency saga by signing with the Sixers, Drummond — a former Sixer himself — reacted by writing “Oh” and a concerned/sad emoji on X.
Drummond spent the last two seasons in Philly before joining the now defending-champion Knicks in free agency this summer.
Some fans questioned his decision to leave the Sixers, while others appeared to reference his post as being concerned about James joining the Knicks’ division rivals.
Former Sixer Andre Drummond posted his reaction to the LeBron James news on X. NBAE via Getty Images
However, the veteran center soon cleared things up in another post.
“I’m good where I’m at,” he wrote along with a praying-hands emoji.
Drummond is still one of the better rebounders in the league and will provide the Knicks with some much-needed frontcourt depth after the departure of Mitchell Robinson.
In 19.5 minutes per game last year, Drummond scored 6.4 points and hauled in 8.4 rebounds per contest.
After leaving the Lakers, James has decided to join his fourth franchise and go to the Sixers. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
He’ll be part of a Knicks team with big expectations next season, though the Sixers will also be a hugely formidable division rival after the addition of James.
With Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe, Philly will be considered a major threat to make it out of the East and prevent the Knicks from defending their crown.
The rest of the East also figures to be loaded, with Giannis Antetokounmpo teaming up with Bam Adebayo on the Heat and Tyrese Haliburton expected to be back healthy for the Pacers.
Jayson Tatum will also be ready for the Celtics’ opening night after missing much of last year through injury.
With the Mets currently 17 games under .500 and 17.5 games back of first place in the NL East, there has been plenty of buzz around who the team will move by the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline.
New York has already informed teams they are open for business, SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes reported on July 16, and likely to deal players on expiring contracts. Janes noted everyone except Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, Nolan McLean and Juan Soto is said to be available, even including star shortstop Francisco Lindor as those potentially on the block.
While it does not mean that Lindor will be among those traded by Aug. 3 at 6:00 p.m., it does mean the Mets and president of baseball operations David Stearns are open to listening to offers. When asked about ruling out the possibility of trading the five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger on Friday ahead of their series opener against the Dodgers, Stearns didn't give a straight answer.
"I'm not going to rule out or in any specific player on anything. I don't think that's wise for me to do," Stearns said. "What I will say is, we've got a group of young players and we've got some potential Hall-of-Famers, future Hall-of-Famers, that we view as our core. We expect them to be our core."
Stearns went on to say the team is being "open-minded" ahead of the trade deadline while expecting to "compete in 2027, adding they aren't "going to close any paths" at this time on who may or may not be dealt in next 10 days.
He was then asked if he considers Lindor part of the "core" he referred to going forward, and loosely included him, but did not make it clear if he's unavailable in trade talks.
"I think what I said was we have a group of young players who we are really excited about, we have some couple guys who are likely headed to Cooperstown one day, and we would consider that grouping of players our core," Stearns said. "I'm not going to get into specifics of who exactly is a name or who exactly we are or not going to trading right now."
After missing 57 games and returning from the injured list on June 26, Lindor owns an .808 OPS with four home runs and 11 RBI over 21 games. He's recently found some rhythm and is trending toward putting up his usual strong numbers by the end of the season (as noted in more depth here).
Meanwhile, Lindor also spoke with Janes on July 19 prior to the team's game against the Philadelphia Phillies and let it be known he is not bothered by the hypothetical trade buzz since it's all coming from outside of the clubhouse.
Since Stearns did not rule anything out Friday, fans can only wait and see what will happen over the next week-plus with Lindor and other Mets who could potentially be playing elsewhere for the remainder of the 2026 season.
"I'm not going to rule out or in any specific player on anything. I don't think that's wise for me to do. What I will say is, we've got a group of young players and we've got some potential Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers, that we view as our core. We expect them to be our… pic.twitter.com/O6s4shL7ZB
Jul 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Yankees come to town for a three game series starting on Friday night. The Phillies will go with lefthander Jesus Luzardo for the opener.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Hockey Hall of Fame player Cammi Granato is changing roles within the Vancouver Canucks’ front office.
Granato will work as a senior amateur adviser after serving as assistant general manager for parts of five seasons, general manager Ryan Johnson said Friday.
“After taking some time to reflect on things, I feel this is the perfect time to transition into a new role with the Canucks,” Granato said in a statement released by the team. "Helping on the amateur side is something I am extremely passionate about, and I am thrilled to continue working with our hockey operations department on that front. I have great confidence in our front office leadership group and love their vision and the direction they are taking with the team.”
Former president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford, who stepped down from his role in May, hired Granato in February 2022 after the women’s hockey icon became the NHL’s first female scout with the Seattle Kraken. Granato, from suburban Chicago, was the captain of the U.S. women’s hockey team that beat Canada to win gold at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
The Canucks have undergone wholesale changes in the front office, hiring Johnson as GM along with franchise icons Henrik and Daniel Sedin as co-presidents of hockey operations after finishing last in the overall NHL standings last season. They hired a new coach, Manny Malhotra, in June.
The 41-year-old spent the better part of a month deciding where he would spend the final years of his career.
The rest of the league watched and waited for James to make the highly-touted decision, which has surely shaken up the Eastern Conference.
Bronny James is expected to remain with the Lakers after LeBron’s exit as he competes for a larger backcourt role. Getty Images
Now, the next question to answer is this: Will Bronny James follow his father?
As things stand, there are currently no plans or request for Bronny James to follow the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Rich Paul, the agent of both Jameses, told ESPN that “they are not a package deal.”
As for the impact of LeBron James’ decision on his son Bronny James, Rich Paul, the agent for both tells ESPN that "they are not a package deal" and there's no current plan or request for Bronny Janes to join his father in Philly.
LeBron James and Bronny James are not a package deal, according to their agent Rich Paul. Getty Images
The latest update falls in line with how the Los Angeles Lakers view Bronny James, as the team reportedly doesn’t view the father and son as an inseparable package.
James informed the Lakers he would not return for the upcoming season in late June. The day prior, Bronny James’ $2.3 million contract became fully guaranteed. It appeared to be a calculated move, but there was speculation the younger James’ future with the Lakers wasn’t set in stone.
Staying in LA would give Bronny James the opportunity to glean from superstar Luka Doncic and other experienced NBA players. The 21-year-old’s performance in the NBA thus far has been modest, but his father’s departure could be an opportunity for him to blossom as a Laker.
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