June 2025

There were 1,837 posts published in June 2025 (this is page 105 of 184).

Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown among head coaching candidates on Knicks’ radar

The Knicks‘ search for a head coach has brought up two names that the team has on its radar.

According to SNY’s NBA Insider Ian Begley, the read on the Knicks‘ coaching situation is that it will continue into next week, and heading into the weekend, former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins and former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown are among the names that New York is looking into. 

With regard to the Knicks getting denied permission to speak with current head coaches, at least one of those coaches was able to benefit financially from New York’s interest, per Begley.

Begley has previously reported that the Knicks are in no rush with their search and are casting a wide net of candidates. 

Jenkins, 40, was fired by Memphis after nearly six seasons with nine games remaining in the 2024-25 regular season despite having a 44-29 record at the time. It was a move that shocked the basketball world as he was the fifth-longest tenured NBA coach at the time of his firing.

Jenkins owns a career coaching record of 250-214 (.539) with his best season coming in 2021-22 when he led the Grizzlies to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the West. That team lost in the conference semifinals, falling to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

Brown, 55, is another coach fired mid-season by his most recent team. After making the postseason in his first season (2022-23) with the Kings with a 48-34 record, Brown was relieved of his duties during his third year with the club. He missed the postseason in 2023-24 after a 46-36 record and was off to a 13-18 start this past season before he was fired.

Brown had assisted in the NBA from 1997 to 2005 before he got his first head coaching gig, leading LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In six seasons, he accumulated a 305-187 record to go along with a 42-29 record in the postseason. He also made the NBA Finals in 2007 but fell to the San Antonio Spurs in four games.

After being fired by the Cavaliers, Brown coached the Los Angeles Lakers for parts of two seasons. He led the team to the playoffs with a 41-25 record but was relieved of his duties after just five games into the 2012-13 season.

Brown became an assistant coach for six seasons with Golden State before landing with the Kings.

2025 NBA Draft scouting report: Rocco Zikarsky, C, Brisbane Bullets

(Yahoo Sports/Getty Images)

For a two-round mock draft and a big board with full scouting reports, check out my NBA Draft Guide.

Height: 7-3 • Weight: 257 • Age: 18

Summary: Zikarsky is a big Australian center who plays a traditional role as an interior finisher and rim protector. He doesn’t offer much else at this stage of his career, though, and hasn’t shown many signs that he will.

Comparisons: Jakob Poeltl

At-rim finishing: Lob threat on dives to the basket, and he constantly looks for putback opportunities when crashing the boards.

Rim protection: Zikarsky is a solid rim protector with a long 7-foot-5 wingspan he uses to alter and block shots around the basket. He’s a hard-nosed interior defender who would be at his best playing traditional drop coverage.

Rebounding: Strong presence on the boards. He’ll get his body on a guy and grab the ball at the high point.

Offense: He doesn’t do much of anything other than scoring right at the rim, whether it’s post-ups or jumpers.

Shooting: Lacks a reliable jumper and he’s a sub-60% shooter from the line.

Perimeter defense: Lateral movement is a concern. He may struggle to switch, hedge pick-and-rolls, and do much else besides play drop coverage.

For a two-round mock draft and a big board with full scouting reports, check out my NBA Draft Guide.

2025 NBA Draft scouting report: Rocco Zikarsky, C, Brisbane Bullets

(Yahoo Sports/Getty Images)

For a two-round mock draft and a big board with full scouting reports, check out my NBA Draft Guide.

Height: 7-3 • Weight: 257 • Age: 18

Summary: Zikarsky is a big Australian center who plays a traditional role as an interior finisher and rim protector. He doesn’t offer much else at this stage of his career, though, and hasn’t shown many signs that he will.

Comparisons: Jakob Poeltl

At-rim finishing: Lob threat on dives to the basket, and he constantly looks for putback opportunities when crashing the boards.

Rim protection: Zikarsky is a solid rim protector with a long 7-foot-5 wingspan he uses to alter and block shots around the basket. He’s a hard-nosed interior defender who would be at his best playing traditional drop coverage.

Rebounding: Strong presence on the boards. He’ll get his body on a guy and grab the ball at the high point.

Offense: He doesn’t do much of anything other than scoring right at the rim, whether it’s post-ups or jumpers.

Shooting: Lacks a reliable jumper and he’s a sub-60% shooter from the line.

Perimeter defense: Lateral movement is a concern. He may struggle to switch, hedge pick-and-rolls, and do much else besides play drop coverage.

For a two-round mock draft and a big board with full scouting reports, check out my NBA Draft Guide.

Mets ace Kodai Senga headed for injured list with right hamstring strain

NEW YORK — Mets pitcher Kodai Senga, the major league ERA leader, will be placed on the injured list after straining his right hamstring in Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals.

“He’s going to get an MRI tomorrow, we’ll see the severity of it,” New York manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But he’s going to be on (the) IL here. So we’ve just got to wait and see what we’re dealing with.”

Senga allowed just two baserunners through the first 5 1/3 innings before racing to cover first on CJ Abrams’ grounder to Pete Alonso.

According to Mendoza, Senga said he felt his hamstring grab one stride before he made a leaping grab of Alonso’s high throw.

Senga touched the bag with his right foot on his way down. He stumbled upon landing and reached for the back of his right leg before hopping and eventually tumbling to the ground.

Senga was visited by his interpreter, an athletic trainer and Mendoza before being surrounded by teammates. The right-hander got up and walked off the field on his own, albeit with a slight limp.

Alonso has struggled making accurate throws to pitchers covering first base this season, but Senga relayed to Alonso that he got injured before he reached for the toss.

“I talked to (Alonso) right away as soon as the inning was over – I went up to him and I was like, `Hey man, this is baseball, it happens,’” Mendoza said. “And then Senga went in, he sent the translator and basically told him, hey, I felt it on the step before the jump, so tell him not to worry about it.”

Alonso remained downcast after the game.

“I still feel awful,” Alonso said. “I tried to make the best throw I could and it just sucks. It sucks to be involved in that. Senga, he’s one of our guys here and it sucks. You hate to see anyone go down, Yeah, it sucks being a part of that.”

Paul Blackburn, who blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers over five innings in his season debut June 2, is the most likely candidate to replace Senga in the rotation next Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves.

Frankie Montas (right lat) and Sean Manaea (right oblique) are on minor league rehab assignments recovering from injuries they sustained in spring training.

“I keep saying it. Injuries happen,” Mendoza said. “We feel for him, but nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. We’ve got people coming and the guys that are healthy now, they will continue to step up.”

Riding a six-game winning streak, the Mets have the best record in the majors at 45-24 – thanks largely to a stingy pitching staff paced by Senga.

The 5 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball lowered Senga’s ERA to 1.47. Left-hander José Castillo entered with the Mets leading 4-0.

The leg injury is the second in two seasons for Senga, who strained his left calf in his only regular-season start last July 26. After missing the first 102 games because of a right shoulder injury, Senga gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Braves before he was injured sprinting off the mound to clear room for Alonso to catch a popup by Austin Riley.

Senga returned to make three appearances, including two brief starts, in the playoffs.

“I just spoke with him – obviously frustrated, but I told him he’s going to be back and he’s going to be an important part of this team when he gets back,” Mendoza said Thursday. “Sucks that he’s got to go through it again, but hey, we’ll get him back.”