Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs, and Clayton Kershaw pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers back into first place atop the National League West with an 11-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. 

Ohtani put the Dodgers on the board first with a leadoff homer off Landen Roupp, who left a 91 mph cutter up high in the strike zone. Roupp caused more trouble for himself in the second inning, walking Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy on five pitches apiece. Both runners came around to score on an Andy Pages single and Michael Conforto double.

With two runners on and one out, Roupp intentionally walked Ohtani but then left a sinker in the middle of the zone for Mookie Betts to smack for a two-run double. The Giants starter lasted 1 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on four hits, five walks and zero strikeouts. 

Ohtani added his second home run in the sixth, pulling a high, outside curveball from reliever Tristan Beck over the fence in right-center field. That was the 250th home run of Ohtani’s spectacular eight-year MLB career, 79 of which have come in less than two seasons with the Dodgers. 

Surprisingly, Ohtani hadn’t hit a home run in his past 10 games. That might have made him press a bit, compelling him to chase pitches he normally might’ve held back on, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

“I think it seemed like a while,” Roberts said, via MLB.com. “I think that there was a lot of chase down below in the last 10 days. Tonight, he got the ball, used the big part of the field and put some good swings together.”

Perhaps even more encouraging for the Dodgers was Kershaw’s best start since his return to the rotation on May 17. Making his sixth appearance of the season, the veteran left-hander allowed only three hits and one walk with five strikeouts in seven innings. In his past two starts, Kershaw has given up one run in 12 innings, striking out 12 batters and walking only one. 

“In the moment, I can think of some pitches outside my head that I’d like to have back, that I’d like to throw better,” Kershaw said after the game. “But there’s no restrictions physically, health-wise, which is great.”

Saturday’s start dropped Kershaw’s ERA to 3.25 for the season, though he’s striking out only 6.5 batters per nine innings, the lowest rate of his career. He’s also only 12 strikeouts away from reaching 3,000 for his career.

“Maybe by September I’ll get there, we’ll see,” Kershaw said, via MLB.com. “It’s obviously a very cool thing, and it’s starting to get a little more on the forefront of the mind, but who knows how long 12 could take me at this point? It might be until August, so we’ll see.”

Only 19 other pitchers have hit and surpassed that mark in MLB history, including two other active pitchers, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. 

With Saturday’s win, the Dodgers regained a one-game lead atop the NL West at 42-29, just ahead of the Giants at 41-30. Dustin May starts for Los Angeles in the series finale on Sunday, while Kyle Harrison gets the nod for San Francisco.

What contract Marks would offer Kuminga in restricted free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s about to be a very interesting NBA offseason for the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga, who will be a restricted free agent at the end of the month.

But what kind of contract can Kuminga expect to sign, whether it be with Golden State or elsewhere? ESPN’s Bobby Marks revealed what he would offer the 22-year-old forward in a piece published Sunday, and he believes Kuminga is worth a three-year, $81 million deal with the final year as a player option.

“Projecting a new contract for Kuminga is like trying to master the Rubik’s Cube,” Marks wrote, pointing to the youngster’s roller-coaster fourth NBA season which featured an undefined role with plenty of breakout performances mixed in.

Marks admits the only thing “guaranteed” for Kuminga is that the Warriors will tender him a $7.9 million qualifying offer before June 29, and Golden State holds the advantage after that due to a predicted lack of spending around the league this offseason.

“A contract that starts at $25 million gives Golden State the flexibility to fill out its roster and remain below the second apron,” Marks wrote.

If Golden State opts not to sign Kuminga to a new contract, it’s likely the team will facilitate a sign-and-trade deal that lands it additional players and/or assets in the process. There’s also the possibility Kuminga agrees to an offer sheet with another NBA team, which the Warriors will have an opportunity to match. Marks lists the Brooklyn Nets as another “best fit” for the young pro.

Regardless of what happens with Kuminga, his contract situation and its outcome will play a big role in how the rest of free agency ends up for the Warriors.

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Grizzlies trade Desmond Bane to Magic for 2 players, 4 first-round picks: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The NBA Finals is still ongoing, but the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic are already looking forward to next season.

Memphis and Orlando executed the first blockbuster trade of the 2025 NBA offseason on Sunday, with Desmond Bane reportedly heading to the Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap.

Orlando is sending to Memphis the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Phoenix’s first-round pick in 2026, plus its own unprotected first-round picks in 2028 and 2030. The pick swap is lightly protected in 2029.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news on Sunday morning.

Bane, who turns 27 later this month, will join an Orlando team that lost in the first round to the Boston Celtics, with a noticeable lack of offense holding the young roster back. He averaged 19.2 points per game for Memphis last season, shooting 41% from 3-point range over his five-year career. The Magic ranked last in 3-point percentage as a team in 2024-25 (31.8%).

While Memphis is giving up the best player in this trade, the haul of four unprotected first-round picks is a ransom. Caldwell-Pope and Anthony have been consistent veteran guards throughout their careers, too. KCP won championships with the Los Angeles Lakers (2020) and Denver Nuggets (2023), while Anthony has been with Orlando since being drafted in 2020.

The Magic will use Bane to form a strong trio with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, especially in an Eastern Conference that will be up for grabs next season. Bane has four years and $163.2 million left on the max extension he signed with Memphis in 2023.

Grizzlies trade Desmond Bane to Magic for 2 players, 4 first-round picks: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The NBA Finals is still ongoing, but the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic are already looking forward to next season.

Memphis and Orlando executed the first blockbuster trade of the 2025 NBA offseason on Sunday, with Desmond Bane reportedly heading to the Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap.

Orlando is sending to Memphis the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Phoenix’s first-round pick in 2026, plus its own unprotected first-round picks in 2028 and 2030. The pick swap is lightly protected in 2029.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news on Sunday morning.

Bane, who turns 27 later this month, will join an Orlando team that lost in the first round to the Boston Celtics, with a noticeable lack of offense holding the young roster back. He averaged 19.2 points per game for Memphis last season, shooting 41% from 3-point range over his five-year career. The Magic ranked last in 3-point percentage as a team in 2024-25 (31.8%).

While Memphis is giving up the best player in this trade, the haul of four unprotected first-round picks is a ransom. Caldwell-Pope and Anthony have been consistent veteran guards throughout their careers, too. KCP won championships with the Los Angeles Lakers (2020) and Denver Nuggets (2023), while Anthony has been with Orlando since being drafted in 2020.

The Magic will use Bane to form a strong trio with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, especially in an Eastern Conference that will be up for grabs next season. Bane has four years and $163.2 million left on the max extension he signed with Memphis in 2023.

Willson Contreras had an eventful game on Saturday.

In the ninth inning, the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman made MLB history with his brother, Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras. Together, the pair became the second pair of brothers to homer in the same inning as opponents in the modern age, and the first since 1933 (Rick and Wes Ferrell).

That was nice. Less nice was what happened in the bottom of the third inning.

A seemingly routine groundout to third base resulted in Milwaukee’s Caleb Durbin colliding with Contreras at first base, due to Contreras taking a step backward into the basepath after catching the throw from third baseman Nolan Arenado.

The Brewers dugout, most notably veteran Rhys Hoskins, had some words for Contreras after the play, which he reciprocated.

There was no bench-clearing brawl, but bad blood clearly remained. Hoskins got hit by a pitch on his next at-bat in the fourth inning, and Contreras took his own plunking in the fifth inning.

Contreras playfully responded to his HBP by running down the ball and returning it to Brewers pitcher José Quintana.

The real fireworks were reserved for after the game, when Contreras described Hoskins with some, shall we say, colorful language, via Jeff Jones of the Bellesville News-Democrat:

“One of their players, he liked to talk from far away, but then when he got in my face, didn’t say s***,” Willson Contreras said postgame. “I was looking for more than that. He seems to be tougher. He’s a f***ing p****. I’m not gonna name no names. He knows who he is.”

For his part, Hoskins downplayed the incident and resulting plunkings. He described their argument in the third inning as “talking about playing first base,” and said he didn’t believe he was hit intentionally.

Contreras is in his first year as a full-time first baseman after nine seasons as an MLB catcher with the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs. Saturday’s incident aside, the fielding transition has so far been a smooth one, with Contreras ranking positively among most of the advanced defensive metrics.

Less good has been his offense, where he’s taken a small step back with a .255/.340/.422 slash line after Saturday. His current .762 OPS would rank as his worst mark since 2018.

Hoskins is in his second year with the Brewers after seven years with the Phillies. He is currently slashing .244/.336/.418, with 10 home runs in 257 plate appearances.

The Kevin Durant trade saga appears to be entering its endgame, and three teams have emerged as the Phoenix Suns star’s preferred destinations. 

The Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are the teams Durant would commit to long term if traded, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Durant has only one year remaining on his current deal and could elect free agency next summer if sent to a team he doesn’t like.

Despite Durant’s preferences, the Suns have reportedly told six-to-eight interested teams they will make the trade that is best for the franchise, even if it’s outside of the trio above.

All three teams present an intriguing potential supporting cast for Durant — and questions about how feasible a trade really is. The Athletic reports a deal with the Spurs or Rockets is looking unlikely for now, while the Heat were hesitant about parting with Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr. during similar negotiations at the trade deadline.

The Spurs entered this offseason in position to make a major move. There’s little doubt in Victor Wembanyama as a future, if not current, superstar, and the team has already added some significant talent around the Frenchman. However, the team already has two major names at point guard in All-Star De’Aaron Fox and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, and its best choice for the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft appears to be Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper.

San Antonio trading the second pick for an established talent, especially a wing like Durant, has loomed as a major possibility all season. However, this team is also clearly built for the future, and trading young players for the 36-year-old Durant sounds questionable.

The Rockets are further ahead than the Spurs, going 52-30 this season on a core of both younger players and veterans. Trading for Durant would likely require parting with some of those young players, though, making a deal similarly complicated. As for the Heat, they have a Jimmy Butler-sized hole in their near-future plans and might need to wonder if the aging Durant will really put them on the right track.

One other team mentioned by The Athletic as being in on Durant is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are reportedly not including wing Jaden McDaniels in any trade talks. The Star Tribune’s Chris Hine reports a deal is currently unlikely there.

If a team outside of Durant’s preferred destinations trades for him, they are betting on him either changing his mind down the line or having a spectacular single season with them. That complicates his market, but it’s hard to imagine some teams won’t remain interested.

Russell Westbrook has declined his player option for next season with the Denver Nuggets, and will become an unrestricted free agent on June 30, according to Marc Stein. Westbrook’s player option was worth $3.5 million.

The nine-time All-Star spent just one season with the Nuggets, playing in 75 games and averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. 

The 36-year-old Westbrook is six seasons removed from his last All-Star nod and won league MVP in 2017. Since leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder after the 2018-19 season, Westbrook has bounced around the league, from Houston to Washington to Los Angeles and, most recently, Denver.

Westbrook’s departure opens up cap space for the Nuggets as they continue to build around the core of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray in the quest for another title. After winning the championship in 2023, the Nuggets have lost in the conference semifinals the past two seasons to the Timberwolves and Thunder, respectively. 

In his lone postseason run with Denver, Westbrook came off the bench and averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds. The Nuggets went seven games with the Clippers and Thunder.  

Before Denver, Westbrook was acquired by the Clippers in 2023 and had decent performances alongside Kawhi Leonard and Co. under Tyronn Lue’s coaching. However, after James Harden arrived in LA, the old Thunder tandem proved ineffective, which led to Westbrook’s exit.

The Clippers traded Westbrook to Utah and acquired Kris Dunn before the Jazz waived Westbrook, who was acquired by the Nuggets shortly after. His free agency comes after Westbrook underwent surgery to repair two breaks on his right hand. While his next team remains unknown, the explosive guard is expected to be cleared by training camp.