After trading down from No. 32 overall, the Boston Celtics used the No. 57 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select VCU guard Max Shulga.
Shulga played the last two seasons with the Rams after spending his first three collegiate seasons at Utah State. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 38.7 percent from 3-point range last season.
Shulga’s 3-point prowess fits the Celtics mold, but he’s also a smart, decisive passer. The 23-year-old guard’s balanced skill set helped him earn First-Team All-Atlantic 10 nods twice at VCU.
Shulga will reunite with one of his former college teammates when he joins the Celtics. He and Boston big man Neemias Queta played together for one season at Utah State.
Williams and Shulga are expected to join the Celtics on two-way contracts.
Every NHL draft, there are pivot points that affect what happens next.
What one team does with its pick, whether it drafts a certain player over another or it trades the pick, alters the way other squads approach the rest of the draft.
This year, there are a handful of key points in the first round that could change the way things go directly after them. They could start a run or cause a player to fall. It could be that when a player falls, teams look to trade up.
Let’s look at a few key points that we can identify heading into the first round on Friday night.
Islanders’ Big Decision
The New York Islanders will choose between the potential elite-level prospect in Matthew Schaefer or Michael Misa or the hometown kid in James Hagens. The word around the campfire is they will go with Schaefer, but Hagens grew up an Isles fan, going to games on a regular basis. Maybe they'll be extra aggressive and get Schaefer and Hagens.
It’s a tough decision for a team that has had some issues in the past with high-end players leaving but the reality is that they should go with Schaefer, build out their defense group and look to make the best long-term decision.
There seems to be some level of consensus that Schaefer, Misa, and Swedish forward Anton Frondell are going to be the first three names off the board, although the order is a bit up in the air.
That means the direction the Utah Mammoth take at fourth overall will set the course for the next six picks of the draft.
There are plenty of options for the directions they could go. They could go with a big, hulking player as they’ve done in recent years by drafting someone like Radim Mrtka or Roger McQueen. They could go with a high-skill player like Hagens. They could continue the trend of taking forwards, or they could grab their pick of the defensive class.
Aside from Schaefer, the top of the draft is very forward-heavy. There could reasonably be eight forwards that go in the top 10.
What usually happens, though, is that once the league feels the quality blueliners dwindle, teams clamor to grab their defender so that they don’t miss out. With a group of five or six defenders that seem solidified as first-rounders, once one goes, teams could start a run.
Penguins Hold Picks 11 And 12, Canadiens Hold Picks 16 And 17
There are quite a few teams with multiple first-round picks this year. The San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators have multiple picks spread out over the first round, with the Preds possessing three.
With that said, the most interesting teams with multiple picks are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens. The Penguins have been rumored to be looking to move up in the draft, and now that they have the 11th and 12th picks, they have the ammo to do it.
A few picks later, Montreal holds the 16th and 17th selections. They are among the big group of franchises looking to move picks for NHL talent.
While they may not be able to make that move, the two picks could be used to move up and grab a top-end talent, or they could just make the picks with the players that fall to them and build their already impressive pipeline.
Who Is The Wild Card?
Every single year, there is a wild card. Some team takes a player no one expects.
Whether it’s Yegor Chinakhov, who was drafted 21st overall despite being a relative unknown, or Beckett Senecke going much higher than anyone expected, someone will cause a ruckus at the draft. It’s one of the most exciting parts of the event every year.
The question is who will make the surprise selection. I have a funny feeling it will be Boston, which hasn’t drafted high in quite some time.
The Sacramento Kings picked arguably one of the more intriguing center prospects in the draft at No. 42. Raynaud is a 22-year-old 7-foot-1 French center who has close ties to Victor Wembanyama off the hardwood. In some ways, their games are similar. Raynaud is a strong rebounder on both ends of the court, while having the prized trait of shooting at his size. The Stanford product hit 34.7% of his 3s this past season on 5.5 attempts. That gives a rebuilding Sacramento something key to work with as he looks to get good minutes behind Domantas Sabonis.
Chaz Lanier, G/F, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are coming off a promising season of their own, making the playoffs after a disastrous run under Monty Williams. They added to their young core with 6-foot-4 guard Chaz Lanier at No. 37. The one-season Tennessee Volunteer played four seasons at North Florida before making the switch, averaging 18 points per game. His biggest trait is the mix of his 3-point volume and percentage. Lanier, 23, shot 39.5% from deep on 8.2 attempts, which could help him with minutes early as a catch-and-shoot option for Cade Cunningham.
Tyrese Proctor, G/F, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland finished as the No. 1 seed out East and finally built an identity in the post-LeBron James era(s). But the Cavs disappointingly fell short in the playoffs in the second round, still needing some areas of growth. They added to their wing department at No. 49, nabbing Duke’s Tyrese Proctor. Proctor, 6-foot-5, can play on and off the ball and averaged 12.4 points on a stacked Blue Devils team that had three top-10 picks this draft. Proctor, 21, had a solid shooting split of 45/40/68. The free-throw percentage is likely a one off given he went 87% as a freshman and 75.5% as a sophomore, though the downward trend is something to watch.
Rasheer Fleming, F, Phoenix Suns
The Suns were aggressive in the second round and moved up to pick first. With Kevin Durant gone, Phoenix took 6-foot-9 forward Rasheer Fleming out of Saint Joseph’s. The soon-to-be 21-year-old averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists on a 53/39/74 shooting split. Of course, he’s nowhere near Durant’s level and longevity, but with the Suns desperately needing more young talent at cheaper costs, there’s no wonder they went all out for someone like Fleming. He should get key minutes from the get go.
Kam Jones, G, Indiana Pacers
The reigning Eastern Conference champs added to their wing core at No. 38, taking Marquette wing Kam Jones. The 23-year-old played all four seasons with the program, most recently averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 assists. 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals, all college bests. The 6-foot-4 guard shot 48% from the floor, 31% from deep and 64.8% from the charity stripe. He did shoot 39% from deep as a freshman and 40.6% as a junior both on strong volume, but his free-throw percentages have typically been in the 60s. Still, with Tyrese Haliburton set to miss significant time with his torn Achilles, Jones could get his moments to show what he can bring to a hopeful contender.
The Sacramento Kings picked arguably one of the more intriguing center prospects in the draft at No. 42. Raynaud is a 22-year-old 7-foot-1 French center who has close ties to Victor Wembanyama off the hardwood. In some ways, their games are similar. Raynaud is a strong rebounder on both ends of the court, while having the prized trait of shooting at his size. The Stanford product hit 34.7% of his 3s this past season on 5.5 attempts. That gives a rebuilding Sacramento something key to work with as he looks to get good minutes behind Domantas Sabonis.
Chaz Lanier, G/F, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are coming off a promising season of their own, making the playoffs after a disastrous run under Monty Williams. They added to their young core with 6-foot-4 guard Chaz Lanier at No. 37. The one-season Tennessee Volunteer played four seasons at North Florida before making the switch, averaging 18 points per game. His biggest trait is the mix of his 3-point volume and percentage. Lanier, 23, shot 39.5% from deep on 8.2 attempts, which could help him with minutes early as a catch-and-shoot option for Cade Cunningham.
Tyrese Proctor, G/F, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland finished as the No. 1 seed out East and finally built an identity in the post-LeBron James era(s). But the Cavs disappointingly fell short in the playoffs in the second round, still needing some areas of growth. They added to their wing department at No. 49, nabbing Duke’s Tyrese Proctor. Proctor, 6-foot-5, can play on and off the ball and averaged 12.4 points on a stacked Blue Devils team that had three top-10 picks this draft. Proctor, 21, had a solid shooting split of 45/40/68. The free-throw percentage is likely a one off given he went 87% as a freshman and 75.5% as a sophomore, though the downward trend is something to watch.
Rasheer Fleming, F, Phoenix Suns
The Suns were aggressive in the second round and moved up to pick first. With Kevin Durant gone, Phoenix took 6-foot-9 forward Rasheer Fleming out of Saint Joseph’s. The soon-to-be 21-year-old averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists on a 53/39/74 shooting split. Of course, he’s nowhere near Durant’s level and longevity, but with the Suns desperately needing more young talent at cheaper costs, there’s no wonder they went all out for someone like Fleming. He should get key minutes from the get go.
Kam Jones, G, Indiana Pacers
The reigning Eastern Conference champs added to their wing core at No. 38, taking Marquette wing Kam Jones. The 23-year-old played all four seasons with the program, most recently averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 assists. 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals, all college bests. The 6-foot-4 guard shot 48% from the floor, 31% from deep and 64.8% from the charity stripe. He did shoot 39% from deep as a freshman and 40.6% as a junior both on strong volume, but his free-throw percentages have typically been in the 60s. Still, with Tyrese Haliburton set to miss significant time with his torn Achilles, Jones could get his moments to show what he can bring to a hopeful contender.
Three Mets are moving on to Round 2 of All-Star Game voting.
Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso were officially named finalists on Thursday night.
Lindor was the top vote-getter among shortstops in the National League during Phase 1 of voting, but he'll now have to beat out Dodgers star Mookie Betts as he looks to land his first All-Star appearance as a Met.
The 31-year-old has slowed down a bit after his scorching start to the season, but he's still produced 16 homers and 43 RBI while swiping 13 bags through 79 games.
Alonso finished second among first basemen behind only Freddie Freeman.
The big man has also cooled off following his spectacular first few months, but he's still launched 18 homers and remains fourth in the National League with 64 RBI.
Soto joins former Mets prospect Pete-Crow Armstrong, Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker, Andy Pages, and Ronald Acuña Jr. as the six outfield finalists for the National League.
His slow start to the season appears to officially be behind him, as he's put together a historic month of June with an incredible 11 homers and 20 RBI over his last 25 games.
Jeff McNeil (fourth), Francisco Alvarez (fifth), Starling Marte (fifth), Mark Vientos (eighth), Brandon Nimmo (11th), and Tyrone Taylor (15th) all fell shy of cracking the second round of voting.
Phase 2 starts on Monday and lasts until Wednesday.
The hockey world is waiting to find out where Brad Marchand decides to lace up his skates next season and beyond.
As it stands, the 37-year-old unrestricted free agent could very well end up re-signing with the Florida Panthers.
Florida acquired Marchand at last season’s Trade Deadline in exchange for what ended up being a first round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
It’s a price that the Panthers are surely pleased to have paid, as Marchand played an instrumental role in Florida’s winning their second straight Stanley Cup.
Marchand was a close second to teammate Sam Bennett in the race for the Conn Smythe Trophy. He racked up 10 goals and 20 points in 23 postseason games, including six goals during the Stanley Cup Final against Edmonton.
Two of those six goals against the Oilers were game-winners.
So yeah, Marchand was electric for the Panthers, and what appeared to be a match made in heaven could potentially go on for the next several seasons depending on how things shake out in free agency.
While we still have a few days to wait for those decisions to start coming in, there was another interesting stat from Marchand’s playoff run that felt important to highlight.
As a team, the Panthers proved to be incredibly strong when it came to bouncing back after a loss.
During Florida’s 23-game playoff run, they only lost back-to-back outings one time: Games 1 and 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Panthers held a 6-1 record after a defeat, outscoring teams 33-20 during those seven outings.
It’s what Marchand did during those seven games that really jumps off the page.
First off, Marchand had at least a point in every one of Florida’s games after a loss.
In fact, he racked up seven goals and 11 points on 22 shots in those seven post-defeat outings, skating to a plus-14 on-ice rating.
Considering Florida’s ability to bounce back and not have to endure any extended periods of losing was a key element to their Stanley Cup victory, it’s clear Marchand played a monumental role in making sure that remained a strength that the team possessed throughout their march to the Cup.
It’s just something else to keep in mind as we inch close to July 1.
Of course, Marchand and the Panthers could always agree to an extension before that.
Photo caption: Jun 6, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) reacts after scoring a goal on Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period in game two of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. (Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images)
Coming out of the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month, the Buffalo Sabres got the lowdown on a number of prospects that could be their with the ninth selection at the 2025 Draft in Los Angeles this week, but barring a trade up they will have to rely on the player they want slipping through the cracks.
The NY Islanders are likely to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the top overall pick, but there is no accurate read on how the remaining seven picks will break. That seems to be reflected in various mock drafts that have emerged since the combine. After Schaefer, names like Michael Misa, Caleb Desnoyers, and rising star Anton Frondell are likely to go in the top five, but at that point, any of a number of players could be there for the Sabres at #9.
Justin Carbonneau is a player who is ranked just outside of the top 10 on many mock drafts, but has the combination of physicality and skill that might intrigue the Sabres at #9. The 18-year-old debuted in the QMJHL at 16 and in his second season with Blainville-Boisbriand scored 31 goals. Last season, the 6’1”, 192 lb. winger led the Armada in goals (46), assists (43) and points (89).
According to the Hockey News Draft Preview, Carbonneau is a power forward who put up impressive offensive numbers but has issues with consistency. If he can get a handle on that, he’ll have a solid future in the NHL. Some scouts struggle to see a clear identity, but Carbonneau is a good skater, can hit, win puck battles and go to the net, which NHL clubs are looking for, especially in a copycat league where the Florida Panthers have won a pair of Stanley Cups.
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Aaron Judge is the American League's first named All-Star.
The Yankees slugger earned an automatic All-Star bid after being the American League's leading vote-getter, MLB announced Thursday. Judge led all players, including the National League, with 4,012,983 votes.
Shohei Ohtani earned his automatic big by leading the National League in votes.
The selection doesn't come as a surprise as Judge is having another MVP-caliber season. Entering play Thursday, Judge is slashing .361/.461/.719 with an OPS of 1.180. He leads the major leagues with his .361 batting average, is second in the majors with 28 homers and is tied for fifth in the league with 63 RBI.
This is Judge's seventh time being named an All-Star and the fifth consecutive year he'll be playing in the Midsummer Classic.
In addition, Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and DH Ben Rice have advanced as finalists.
Goldschmidt is having a resurgent year in his first season in the Bronx. The right-hander is slashing .288/.346/.432 with a .778 OPS.
The Yankees' first baseman will be going up against Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to be named a starter for the American League. If Goldschmidt wins, it'll be his eighth selection and his first since 2022.
As for Rice, the left-handed slugger has had a solid second year with the Yankees. He's slashing .238/.324/.489 with an OPS of .814 to go with his 14 home runs and 29 RBI. Opposing Rice is Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn. With the trade of Rafael Devers, the field is open for Rice to earn his first career All-Star selection.
The Mets will receive a big boost heading into this weekend’s series against the Pirates, as Mark Vientos is officially set to make his return from the IL.
Vientos has been sidelined since the beginning of the month with a hamstring strain.
The youngster had gotten off to a bit of a slow start at the plate this season, but there’s no denying that adding him back into the middle of this struggling lineup could provide a huge boost.
"Mark is a big part of our team," Carlos Mendoza said. "We saw it in the playoffs last year, he drives the ball to all fields, gives you good at-bats, and the power is real -- if we get him going, we’re talking about a deep lineup 1 through 9. He’s a guy who can hit anywhere in the lineup, so it just adds to the quality of our roster."
Vientos’ return also puts the Mets in a bit of a conundrum, as their infield depth suddenly gets a whole lot more crowded and they’ll have to open up another roster spot prior to the 25-year-old’s activation.
While it’s a tough decision to make, Mendoza says it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
"This continues to be a puzzle," he explained. "There are going to be a few spots that are going to be rotating and I think that’s a good problem to have -- I’ve been saying since day one, talking about the depth, how good our team is because of the quality and quantity we have.
"So there will be at-bats for everyone in there who is on the active roster, and we’ll make sure that we are communicating with them on a daily basis and they understand that we’re here to win baseball games."
Ronny Mauricio has been viewed as one of the candidates to go back down -- though the skipper did say there's a possibility we could see him stick around even with Vientos and Brett Baty on the roster.
Mauricio was brought back up to the big leagues earlier than the team had hoped following Vientos’ injury, and while he’s looked a bit overmatched at times, he’s coming off one of his best showings to this point.
The youngster picked up three hits, including a solo homer on Wednesday night.
"I’ve been impressed with how he’s handled the adversity," Mendoza said. "I haven’t been around him much because he spent all of last year rehabbing and this year, in spring training he wasn’t really around much just being in the training room and the backfields.
"Watching him after missing so much time and struggling, he’s being the same guy, continues to work and asks for feedback for help -- it was finally good to see a really good game from him last night, we hope to see that same version moving forward."
Williams played at Kentucky last season after spending four years with Drexel. He averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for the Wildcats in 2024-25, in addition to shooting 56.1 percent from the floor.
Williams is an excellent passer, he’s a very good rebounder and he defends the rim at a high level (a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year at Drexel). He also runs the floor well for someone his size, and he has a 7-foot-6 wingspan.
Williams becomes just the third active NBA player who was born in England, joining the New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby and the Brooklyn Nets’ Tosan Evbuomwan.
The Celtics entered the second round with the No. 32 pick, but they traded it to the Orlando Magic for the No. 46 and No. 57 picks, in addition to second-rounders in 2026 and 2027, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The C’s also selected Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez from Real Madrid with the No. 28 pick in the first round Wednesday.
DENVER — Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw inched closer to 3,000 career strikeouts on Thursday, fanning five in six innings against the Colorado Rockies.
Kershaw has 2,997 strikeouts in his 18-year career, three short of becoming the 20th major leaguer to reach the milestone.
The 37-year-old would be the third active pitcher to reach the mark behind Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Verlander, in his 20th season, has 3,468 strikeouts. Scherzer has 3,412 in 18 seasons.
Kershaw struck out three in the first two innings Thursday and got his fourth for the final out of the fifth. He struck out Tyler Freeman for the second out of the sixth inning and left the game after retiring the next batter. He threw 69 pitches, 41 for strikes.
He recorded two strikeouts on his 73 mph curve and got three more on sliders against a Rockies’ lineup that included all right-handed batters.
Kershaw’s next scheduled start is expected to come at Dodger Stadium on July 2 against the Chicago White Sox.
The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star received plenty of crowd support in Colorado, getting a standing ovation from some in the Coors Field crowd when he left the mound after the sixth inning.
Kershaw had made eight starts this season after being activated from the injured list May 17 following offseason left knee and foot surgeries.
Kershaw left with a 3-1 lead and was in line for his fourth straight victory. His ERA dropped to a season-low 3.03.
Jul 25, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (5) throws to first base in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop facing sexual abuse charges, was found guilty on Thursday but received a two-year suspended sentence.
Franco was arrested last year after being accused of having a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship.
Franco, now 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.
Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl’s mother, who was found guilty and would serve the full sentence.
Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, the main judge orally reviewed the copious amount of evidence that prosecutors presented during trial, including testimony from 31 witnesses.
“This is a somewhat complex process,” said Judge Jakayra Veras García.
More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: “The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.”
As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times.
Franco, who was once the team’s star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time.
In January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
He was placed on that list because he has not been able to report to the team and would need a new U.S. visa to do so.
While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a woman’s attention. He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw struck out five in six innings on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies to get to 2,997 strikeouts for his career. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
Clayton Kershaw got to the precipice of history on Thursday afternoon. And now, when he inevitably crosses the 3,000 career strikeout milepost, it will almost certainly happen on his home mound.
In the Dodgers’ 3-1 win against the Colorado Rockies, Kershaw struck out five batters over a six-inning, one-run start to move to 2,997 punchouts for his career.
For a moment, it seemed as if Kershaw might be able to eclipse the threshold on Thursday. At the end of the sixth inning, he had thrown only 69 pitches while mowing through a free-swinging Rockies lineup.
Alas, manager Dave Roberts gave his 37-year-old left-hander an early hook, turning a narrow late-game lead over to his bullpen — and preserving the opportunity for Kershaw’s milestone moment to happen back at Dodger Stadium during next week’s homestand.
“I would argue there might be a temptation to take him out [today] and let him go for it in front of the home fans,” Roberts said pregame, when asked if he would consider extending Kershaw’s leash to let him chase his 3,000th strikeout on Thursday. “I’m not going to force anything.”
Ever since Kershaw returned from offseason foot and knee surgeries in May, and showed an ability to produce even with a diminished fastball and increasing mileage on his arm, his pursuit of 3,000 strikeouts has felt less like an “if” than a “when.”
Entering Thursday, his career total was up to 2,992, leaving him just eight shy of becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history, and only the fourth left-hander, to join the prestigious 3K club.
“I guess ultimately the last box he needs to check for his future Hall of Fame career is that 3,000-strikeout threshold,” Roberts said. “We’re all waiting in anticipation.”
More impressively, though, Kershaw has been winning games and limiting runs for the Dodgers (51-31), improving to 4-0 with a 3.03 earned-run average through eight starts this season.
“I think there’s good days and bad days, good pitches and bad pitches,” Kershaw said. “Not as consistent, not as perfect as I would want. But the results have been OK. And at the end of the day, we’re winning games that I’ve been on the mound. So I’m thankful for that. Just a product of being on a great team.”
Kershaw wasn’t exactly expecting to reach the 3,000 mark Thursday, acknowledging that “eight in Colorado is never going to be easy to do.”
Over his first two innings, however, he quickly inched closer. Thairo Estrada whiffed on a curveball in the first inning. And though Brenton Doyle hit a solo homer in the second, Kershaw set Michael Toglia and Orlando Arcia both down swinging with a slider and curveball, respectively.
“I just love that edge that he gives each start day,” Roberts said. “We certainly feed off that.”
Kershaw didn’t get another strikeout until the end of the fifth, retiring the side with a slider that froze Braxton Fulford for a called third strike. An inning before that, he was bailed out by his defense after his lone walk, when Miguel Rojas turned a spinning double-play up the line at third base to erase the free pass.
"It could’ve been one run in, runner on second, nobody out," Kershaw said. "So to turn that double-play there was kind of a game-changer. ... Biggest play of the day."
Still, in the sixth, all eyes returned to Kershaw’s strikeout total after Tyler Freeman was rung up on a generous outside strike call to finish off an eight-pitch at-bat.
Though it would have required striking out the side, Kershaw was as little as one inning away from No. 3,000.
Instead, Roberts decided to end his day, ensuring that the next time Kershaw takes the mound — likely to be next Wednesday at home against the Chicago White Sox — he will need only three more strikeouts to do something only two pitchers before have ever done: Have a 3,000-strikeout career while playing for only one team.
“It would be very special,” Kershaw said of potentially reaching the milestone at Dodger Stadium. “It would be.”
While Kershaw mowed through the Rockies (18-63), Shohei Ohtani delivered the biggest swing of the day for the Dodgers, padding what was only a 2-1 lead in the seventh with a solo home run to right, his NL-leading 28th of the year.
The blast came hours after the other big news of the day, with Roberts confirming pregame that the two-way star will make his next start as a pitcher on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.
That game will mark Ohtani’s third pitching outing of the season and could be his first in which he goes beyond the first inning. Last week, Roberts hinted at the possibility of Ohtani — who is still building up in his return from Tommy John surgery — pitching into the second inning, but he has continued to leave any final decisions open-ended.
The Warriors’ relative restraint during the 2025 NBA Draft that ended Thursday night provided sufficient evidence that they, as Golden State’s general manager indicated earlier this week, are saving their energy for the free-agent market, which opens at 3 p.m. PT on Monday.
As much as the Warriors love their player-development staff, they’re prioritizing next season above those that will follow. It’s a logical approach for a team whose best players – Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler – are well into their mid-30s.
Dunleavy earlier this week: “We’ve got three players in their 30s that are really good, and that’s the hand we’re playing. It’s certainly admirable what the [Indiana] Pacers and the [Oklahoma City] Thunder and some of these other teams have done in the league, but we have our group. We’re committed to that, and we’ve got to build with it and around it, and that’s kind of what we’ll do.”
Dunleavy on Thursday night: “We add these (draft picks) into the roster however we do it. But I think we’ll be looking to shift of roster the most in free agency, more so than the draft.”
Both Toohey and Richard will compete for roster spots, Dunleavy said, while acknowledging they likely will spend time in the G League.
“These guys are good players; they have a chance,” Dunleavy said. “And we’ll put them in the development program, and it could be some time in Santa Cruz, it could be some NBA minutes. We’ll see how it unfolds.
Alex Toohey
Toohey, who turned 21 last month, spent the past two seasons with the Sydney Kings of Australia’s National Basketball League. In 30 games last season, he averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals 22.9 minutes per game. He committed to play college basketball at Gonzaga in 2023 before opting for the NBL.
At 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, he’s a tweener forward. Too slow to be a prototype small forward, too small to be a prototype power forward. The Warriors are at their best when coach Steve Kerr can lean into a roster with players that have great spatial/movement awareness – a “feel for the game” – and Toohey, by all accounts, has that.
Toohey scored 87 on the NBADraft.net scale and was No. 55 on its big board of draft-eligible players.
Dunleavy on Toohey: “I think he’s like a 4. And I think with our system and the way we play, he has the versatility to play multiple positions. It’s who can you guard and where you can play offensively. And we think especially on the defensive end, he’s super versatile and creates a lot of plays.”
Will Richard
After starting at Belmont as a freshman, the 6-foot-5, 205-pound shooting guard transferred to the powerhouse Florida program and, as a sophomore, became an immediate starter for the Gators. He played 141 college games, with 135 starts, over four seasons.
Though backcourt teammate Walter Clayton Jr. garnered most of the attention in Florida’s triumphant run to the 2025 national championship, Richard acquitted himself quite well — especially in the title game. He scored 18 points, on 4-of-4 shooting from deep, as the Gators came back to defeat the Houston Cougars.
Richard’s profile was not listed on the NBADraft.net site, but the NBA.com site compares his attributes to those of Malik Beasley and Alex Caruso.
Dunleavy on Richard: “We see him as a two-way player, shoot it and defend it. He’s a pretty good on-ball defender, very good off-ball defender, and he’s got good length. And he’s coming from a really good program and system where (he was) well-coached, well-taught through many years in college. This is a guy that knows how to play.”
ST. LOUIS — Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched five scoreless innings against St. Louis on Thursday in his return from a strained left hamstring that had sidelined him since May 4.
Imanaga, a 31-year-old from Japan in his second season with Chicago, was activated from the 15-day injured list to pitch against the Cardinals.
He threw 77 pitches, 49 for strikes, and allowed one hit — a first-inning single to Masyn Winn. After that, he retired 10 straight batters before issuing his lone walk. Imanaga struck out three.
He left with a 2-0 lead, dropping his ERA to 2.54. Left-hander Caleb Thielbar came in to start the sixth.
To make room for Imanaga on the roster, Chicago designated right-hander Michael Fulmer for assignment.
Imanaga has made nine starts this season, allowing two or fewer runs in seven of them. He was an All-Star as a rookie last season, when he went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA.
Imanaga made three minor league rehab starts, most recently for Triple-A Iowa on Friday, when he threw 72 pitches in 4 1/3 scoreless innings.
The NL Central-leading Cubs went 25-16 while he was on the IL.
The 32-year-old Fulmer made two scoreless appearances for the Cubs this week during their four-game series against the Cardinals.
Fulmer had a 4.42 ERA in 58 appearances for the Cubs in 2023, but the right-hander needed Tommy John surgery and missed last year. He also had the Tommy John procedure in 2019.
Fulmer appeared in one game this season for the Boston Red Sox, surrendering three runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings on April 14. He then was released and signed a minor league deal with the Cubs.
