June 2025

There were 1,837 posts published in June 2025 (this is page 16 of 184).

MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers, Phillies, Tigers atop the list with the All-Star Game just weeks away

July is just around the corner, which means it’s prime time for MLB clubs to campaign for their top players to be selected as All-Stars. With the Midsummer Classic only three weeks away, MLB announced an All-Star voting , and he’s going to be the annual leading contender to start the Midsummer Classic for the foreseeable future. We are all witnesses.

There aren’t a ton of statistical standouts to choose from on this ultra-young Miami squad, but the two leading contenders to be the Marlins’ lone All-Star representative are outfielder Kyle Stowers and right-hander Edward Cabrera. Stowers has blossomed into an every-day bat this season after struggling in his initial stint with the club following his trade from Baltimore. Cabrera’s explosive stuff has tantalized for years, and now he’s finally finding some consistency: After a rough April (7.23 ERA), he has posted a 2.23 ERA over his past eight starts.

Rule 5 pick and surprise rotation standout Shane Smith has scuffled lately, so his All-Star bid might be in jeopardy, but it’s not like there are a ton of other options to choose from on this roster. Among the hitters, Miguel Vargas clearly has the best case; he has hit .279/.351/.522 with 10 homers over his past 54 games after initially looking like a complete bust of an acquisition since coming over from the Dodgers in a deadline trade last summer.

It’s practically tradition for the worst team to send one anonymous reliever as their lone All-Star rep, and Jake Bird (2.06 ERA in 43 ⅔ IP with 56 strikeouts) would absolutely fit the bill for this historically terrible Colorado club. But keep an eye on Hunter Goodman, who has been one of the best offensive catchers in baseball this season and is a ton of fun to watch swing the bat. And before you scream “COORS!”, note that he has remarkably been much better on the road (.925 OPS) than at home (.750), including hitting 11 of his 14 homers away from Coors.

NBA Summer League: Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg to debut against Lakers

The NBA on Friday announced the game and broadcast schedules for the NBA Summer League, which will feature all 30 teams and take place July 10-20 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 11-day competition, featuring 76 games, will air live on ESPN platforms or NBA TV. The top four teams after four games will advance to the playoffs, which will begin with a semifinal doubleheader on July 19 and conclude with the championship game on July 20.

Each team in the NBA Summer League will play at least five games at the Thomas & Mack Center and the Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The 26 teams that do not advance to the four-team playoff will play a fifth game between July 18-20.

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg will take the court for the first time on July 10, with the Dallas Mavericks facing the Los Angeles Lakers (8 p.m. EDT). In the second game, No. 2 pick Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs meet No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe and the Philadelphia 76ers (10 p.m.).

The following night features No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets squaring off against No. 5 pick Ace Bailey and the Utah Jazz on ESPN (7 p.m.). No. 6 pick Tre Johnson and the Washington Wizards will play the Phoenix Suns in the second matchup (9 p.m.).

The NBA Summer League has a rich history of showcasing future NBA stars, with past participants including Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: NBA Summer League: Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg to debut against Lakers

How many Jacksonville Jaguars players could make 2025 NFL top 100 rankings?

How many players on the Jacksonville Jaguars could appear on the NFL top 100 list for the 2025 season?

The NFL is set to unveil its list of the top 100 players for the upcoming season, as voted on by the players, beginning on June 30th. The unveiling of these rankings will run through August 29th, with two new players being revealed each weekday as the countdown goes from No. 100 down to No. 1.

The player reveals will take place on X at 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM ET on weekdays and feature a three to five-minute video about each member on the list.

Which Jacksonville Jaguars players could make the NFL’s top 100 list in 2025?

On the 2024 NFL top 100, the Jaguars had two players on the list, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence coming in at No. 94 and defensive end Josh Hines-Allen at No. 35.

Those two again will be top candidates to make this year’s list, and I’m sure wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is a safe bet as well, after he was one of the most productive receivers in the NFL as a rookie, totaling the third-most receiving yards in 2024.

Defensive end Travon Walker is another name to watch for. He was top-20 last season among his position group in pressures, along with recording double-digit sacks for the second consecutive year.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: NFL top 100 rankings begins June 30, how many Jaguars will make list?

Lakers have signed three more undrafted free agents

On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers made what could eventually turn out to be a significant addition. They traded the No. 55 pick in the NBA draft and cash to the Chicago Bulls for the No. 45 pick, and they then flipped that No. 45 pick for the draft rights to University of Arkansas forward Adou Thiero, who was the No. 36 selection.

After the second round of the draft ended on Thursday, the Lakers continued to go to work by scooping up some undrafted players as free agents. They signed Villanova University forward Eric Dixon, who led the NCAA in scoring this past season, to a two-way contract, and they also added guard RJ Davis, guard Augustas Marčiulionis and forward Arthur Kaluma to Exhibit 10 contracts.

Three more undrafted players are joining the Purple and Gold: Ethan Taylor, TY Johnson and Julian Reese.

Taylor is 6-feet-5 and 205 pounds and averaged 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game while hitting 38.4% from 3-point range this past season for the Air Force. He’s a high-volume 3-point shooter who ended his four-year college career with an accuracy of 36.6% from that distance.

Johnson is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard who spent the last three seasons at the University of California, Davis after playing for Loyola University Chicago as a freshman. He’s a poor 3-point shooter, but he may have some potential on the defensive end after averaging 1.8 steals a game throughout his college career.

Reese stands 6-feet-9 and weighs 252 pounds. He spent four seasons at the University of Maryland and registered 13.3 points on 55.5% field-goal shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals a game this past season.

He is the younger brother of Angel Reese, the budding star of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers have signed three more undrafted free agents

Bakersfield Speedway hosts McGowan Memorial at Kern Raceway, fireworks show

Bakersfield Speedway racing, which now runs its local events at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, will conduct the 14th annual Richie McGowan Memorial tonight. A post-racing fireworks display is also scheduled.

The H&S Body Works Hobby Stocks will vie in a 32-lap featured race as well as the weekly division races for the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Stock Cars and American Stocks.

Grandstand gates will open at 4 p.m. There will be hot laps starting at 5 and an opportunity for fans to get on-track autographs from drivers at 5:30. Opening ceremonies, heat races and main-event racing and the fireworks will follow.

This is the first time that the Kern Raceway, 13500 Raceway Blvd., near Enos Lane and Interstate 5, will be hosting the McGowan Memorial program.

McGowan, a 1979 West High graduate, had worked for his family’s business, MMI Services, which is an oil field well-servicing company his father, Mel McGowan, started in 1970. McGowan had raced at the former site of the Bakersfield Speedway since 2002. He died at age 50 on Feb. 13, 2012.

According to the Kern Raceway, the Hobby Stock feature is a battle for a top prize of $632. The IMCA Modifieds, racing 30 laps, will compete for $1,032. The IMCA Sport Mods race is 25 laps and the winner’s share is $732. The IMCA Stock Cars are competing in the McGowan Memorial for the first time. This race is scheduled for 20 laps. The American Stocks will also compete in a 20-lap race.

Last year’s McGown Memorial winners were Bakersfield’s Nicholas Johnson in the Hobby Stocks; Nevada’s Jake Pike won the IMCA Modifieds race; Bakersfield’s Jason Bannister won the IMCA Sport Mods; IMCA Stock Cars will crown its first McGowan Memorial champion tonight; and Bakersfield’s Ricky Childress Jr. won the 2024 McGowan Memorial for American Stocks.

Tickets for the races are available at www.BakersfieldSpeedway.com Adult general admission tickets are $25, kids ages 6-12 are $15 and those five and under are free. Parking is free.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Thunder championship parade turnout: ‘Best city in the world’

Holding the Larry O’Brien trophy, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had plenty of highlights from the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s championship parade. Hot summer temperatures didn’t scare folks from attending. Half a million packed themselves into downtown to see them celebrate the franchise’s first title.

Gilgeous-Alexander and his Thunder teammates showed a side of themselves that hasn’t been publicly seen before. A championship will bring that out of you. The usual stoic Aaron Wiggins showed off his charisma on the microphone to kick things off.

Jaylin Williams had the Scissortail Park hang onto every one of his words in an epic expletive-filled speech to close the parade off that would’ve had Stone Cold Steve Austin smile. Usually, NBA champions stay on their buses as they make the rounds. But Gilgeous-Alexander did the opposite.

The MVP winner walked the streets. Reaching out the championship trophy over the barricade for fans to touch, Gilgeous-Alexander showed the Thunder faithful his love for their commitment over the years as they went from a rebuild to one of the greatest teams ever.

“Best city in the world, if you guys can’t tell already,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Best city in the world.”

That’s music to Thunder fans’ ears. The scary part for the rest of the NBA is that this is only the beginning in OKC. Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren ensure the Thunder will remain in title conversations for the foreseeable future. Heck, they’re the favorites to repeat next year.

For Gilgeous-Alexander to show Thunder fans love on the biggest day of his career shows the bond built between the team and OKC. He’s quickly risen through the ranks as the greatest player in Thunder history. Sorry, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Thunder parade: ‘Best city in the world’

Brooklyn Nets jersey history No. 20 – Pace Mannion (1986-87)

The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.

Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.

To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 21st of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 20, which has has had a total of 28 players wear the number in the history of the team.

The second of those players wearing No. 20 played in the (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets era, forward alum Pace Mannion. After ending his college career at Utah, Mannion was picked up with the 43rd overall selection of the 1983 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors.

The Salt Lake City, Utah native would play the first season of his pro career with the Warriors, and also played for Jazz before he signed with New Jersey in 1986. His stay with the team would span just 23 games before he would be waived by the team.

During his time suiting up for the Nets, Mannion wore only jersey No. 20 and put up 3.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 20 – Pace Mannion (1986-87)

Naz Reid agrees to new five-year, $125 million deal to stay with Timberwolves: Report

Naz Reid has signed a new five-year, $125 million contract to stay with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Sham Charania.

Reid had the choice to exercise a $15 million player option to stay with the Timberwolves. Instead, he has agreed to a deal to keep him with Minnesota long-term. Per Charania, the new contract also includes a player option.

After winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award after a breakout 2023-24 campaign, the 6-foot-9, 264-pound Reid authored an impressive encore, averaging 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game, all career highs, as an integral frontcourt contributor for a Wolves team that made its second straight run to the Western Conference finals.

The sixth-year pro has turned into one of the NBA’s premier reserves, serving as a high-volume, high-efficiency stretch big who has fit snugly at power forward and center next to a variety of partners over the years — Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince, T.J. Warren, et al. When Reid checks into the game, he provides a welcome and immediate injection of 3-point variance, downhill driving and interior finishing — all while helping to space the floor for Minnesota superstar Anthony Edwards.

Reid can allow a team to play twin-towers lineups built around a screen-and-dive center without sacrificing spacing, or to run five-out small-ball looks without punting on rim protection and defensive rebounding — an unassuming and devastatingly effective Allen key to unlock whichever lineup combination might be most effective on any given night. And while he isn’t necessarily thought of as a top-flight rim protector and interior defender on his own, his strength and lateral quickness have made him an effective switch defender on the perimeter; the Wolves have allowed fewer points per possession with him on the floor than off of it in five of his six pro seasons, and he’s long posted above-average block and steal rates for a big man.

“Defensively, Naz has been outstanding,” Wolves head coach Chris Finch told reporters in the spring of 2024. “He has taken a lot of different matchups, and in his switching, Naz creates a lot of transition opportunities for us. We don’t get a ton of those and he is responsible for a lot of it, whether it is pushing it [via passing and dribbling] or at the end of it [with the finish]. And he is just a ball-mover; he has that dynamic quality for our offense.”

That combination of shooting, complementary frontcourt playmaking and possession-ending defensive work is pretty rare. Last season, only seven players in the NBA made 150 3-pointers, dished 150 assists, blocked 50 shots and snagged 50 steals: three MVPs (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden, Kevin Durant), a two-time All-NBA selection (Edwards), two universally beloved 3-and-D players on nine-figurecontracts (Derrick White and OG Anunoby) … and Reid.

That’s awfully lofty company for Reid — who turns 26 in August, just entering his prime, with plenty more developmental runway still ahead of him — and the kind of heights few anticipated he’d reach when he signed with the Wolves as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in the summer of 2019.

“To see where Naz was three, four years ago and to see where he is now, he’s only at that place because of a tremendous work ethic,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said back in 2023. “He’s become obsessed with the game, obsessed with keeping his body right. Anytime you surround some of your best players with guys who are as impactful culturally and on the court as Naz, you do everything you can to keep those guys.”

Naz Reid agrees to new five-year, $125 million deal to stay with Timberwolves: Report

Naz Reid has signed a new five-year, $125 million contract to stay with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Sham Charania.

Reid had the choice to exercise a $15 million player option to stay with the Timberwolves. Instead, he has agreed to a deal to keep him with Minnesota long-term. Per Charania, the new contract also includes a player option.

After winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award after a breakout 2023-24 campaign, the 6-foot-9, 264-pound Reid authored an impressive encore, averaging 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game, all career highs, as an integral frontcourt contributor for a Wolves team that made its second straight run to the Western Conference finals.

The sixth-year pro has turned into one of the NBA’s premier reserves, serving as a high-volume, high-efficiency stretch big who has fit snugly at power forward and center next to a variety of partners over the years — Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince, T.J. Warren, et al. When Reid checks into the game, he provides a welcome and immediate injection of 3-point variance, downhill driving and interior finishing — all while helping to space the floor for Minnesota superstar Anthony Edwards.

Reid can allow a team to play twin-towers lineups built around a screen-and-dive center without sacrificing spacing, or to run five-out small-ball looks without punting on rim protection and defensive rebounding — an unassuming and devastatingly effective Allen key to unlock whichever lineup combination might be most effective on any given night. And while he isn’t necessarily thought of as a top-flight rim protector and interior defender on his own, his strength and lateral quickness have made him an effective switch defender on the perimeter; the Wolves have allowed fewer points per possession with him on the floor than off of it in five of his six pro seasons, and he’s long posted above-average block and steal rates for a big man.

“Defensively, Naz has been outstanding,” Wolves head coach Chris Finch told reporters in the spring of 2024. “He has taken a lot of different matchups, and in his switching, Naz creates a lot of transition opportunities for us. We don’t get a ton of those and he is responsible for a lot of it, whether it is pushing it [via passing and dribbling] or at the end of it [with the finish]. And he is just a ball-mover; he has that dynamic quality for our offense.”

That combination of shooting, complementary frontcourt playmaking and possession-ending defensive work is pretty rare. Last season, only seven players in the NBA made 150 3-pointers, dished 150 assists, blocked 50 shots and snagged 50 steals: three MVPs (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden, Kevin Durant), a two-time All-NBA selection (Edwards), two universally beloved 3-and-D players on nine-figurecontracts (Derrick White and OG Anunoby) … and Reid.

That’s awfully lofty company for Reid — who turns 26 in August, just entering his prime, with plenty more developmental runway still ahead of him — and the kind of heights few anticipated he’d reach when he signed with the Wolves as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in the summer of 2019.

“To see where Naz was three, four years ago and to see where he is now, he’s only at that place because of a tremendous work ethic,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said back in 2023. “He’s become obsessed with the game, obsessed with keeping his body right. Anytime you surround some of your best players with guys who are as impactful culturally and on the court as Naz, you do everything you can to keep those guys.”

Naz Reid agrees to new five-year, $125 million deal to stay with Timberwolves: Report

Naz Reid has signed a new five-year, $125 million contract to stay with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Sham Charania.

Reid had the choice to exercise a $15 million player option to stay with the Timberwolves. Instead, he has agreed to a deal to keep him with Minnesota long-term. Per Charania, the new contract also includes a player option.

After winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award after a breakout 2023-24 campaign, the 6-foot-9, 264-pound Reid authored an impressive encore, averaging 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game, all career highs, as an integral frontcourt contributor for a Wolves team that made its second straight run to the Western Conference finals.

The sixth-year pro has turned into one of the NBA’s premier reserves, serving as a high-volume, high-efficiency stretch big who has fit snugly at power forward and center next to a variety of partners over the years — Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince, T.J. Warren, et al. When Reid checks into the game, he provides a welcome and immediate injection of 3-point variance, downhill driving and interior finishing — all while helping to space the floor for Minnesota superstar Anthony Edwards.

Reid can allow a team to play twin-towers lineups built around a screen-and-dive center without sacrificing spacing, or to run five-out small-ball looks without punting on rim protection and defensive rebounding — an unassuming and devastatingly effective Allen key to unlock whichever lineup combination might be most effective on any given night. And while he isn’t necessarily thought of as a top-flight rim protector and interior defender on his own, his strength and lateral quickness have made him an effective switch defender on the perimeter; the Wolves have allowed fewer points per possession with him on the floor than off of it in five of his six pro seasons, and he’s long posted above-average block and steal rates for a big man.

“Defensively, Naz has been outstanding,” Wolves head coach Chris Finch told reporters in the spring of 2024. “He has taken a lot of different matchups, and in his switching, Naz creates a lot of transition opportunities for us. We don’t get a ton of those and he is responsible for a lot of it, whether it is pushing it [via passing and dribbling] or at the end of it [with the finish]. And he is just a ball-mover; he has that dynamic quality for our offense.”

That combination of shooting, complementary frontcourt playmaking and possession-ending defensive work is pretty rare. Last season, only seven players in the NBA made 150 3-pointers, dished 150 assists, blocked 50 shots and snagged 50 steals: three MVPs (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden, Kevin Durant), a two-time All-NBA selection (Edwards), two universally beloved 3-and-D players on nine-figurecontracts (Derrick White and OG Anunoby) … and Reid.

That’s awfully lofty company for Reid — who turns 26 in August, just entering his prime, with plenty more developmental runway still ahead of him — and the kind of heights few anticipated he’d reach when he signed with the Wolves as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in the summer of 2019.

“To see where Naz was three, four years ago and to see where he is now, he’s only at that place because of a tremendous work ethic,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said back in 2023. “He’s become obsessed with the game, obsessed with keeping his body right. Anytime you surround some of your best players with guys who are as impactful culturally and on the court as Naz, you do everything you can to keep those guys.”