September 2025

There were 1,641 posts published in September 2025 (this is page 85 of 165).

Jonathan Kuminga would agree to Warriors’ contract if change is made, per agent

Jonathan Kuminga would agree to Warriors’ contract if change is made, per agent originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It appears there is just one hurdle remaining in the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga contract saga.

Golden State has negotiated with its prized restricted free agent for months, and with Kuminga still unsigned midway through September, the sides could strike a deal if one change is made to the Warriors’ latest offer.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater joined “NBA Today” on Tuesday, where he shared what Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, told him about the Warriors’ latest contract offer, which Slater and Shams Charania reported Monday is for three years and $75.2 million.

“I actually talked to Aaron Turner, Jonathan Kuminga’s agent, this morning, and the messaging they’re adopting this week is ‘Turn the [team option] to a [player option’ and it’s done,” Slater said. “And that messaging is generally saying, if it’s a team option on [that deal], if that’s suddenly a player option, not only will Jonathan Kuminga sign it, they’re saying, but he will be completely bought in on the mission they’re asking of him.

“Which is, using Turner’s messaging, that is to get Steph Curry and Draymond Green a fifth ring, [and] Jimmy Butler his first ring.”

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson confirmed Kuminga and Turner’s willingness to take the Warriors’ offer if the team option is changed to a player option.

The Warriors, as ESPN reported Monday, have not budged in their desire to maintain a team option in the deal, but also have offered Kuminga a three-year, $54 million fully guaranteed non-team-option contract as well.

However, if Golden State were to give Kuminga the player option he desires in their three-year, $75.2 million offer, it could go a long way toward strengthening the relationship between the young forward and the organization for the 2025-26 NBA season and beyond.

“That’s an understanding of him that it’s a show of goodwill if they set it to a player option, for what they’re calling ‘years of confusion’ over his role and a willingness to suppress some of his personal ambitions, which are obviously very much a part of the holdup here, accept what probably is going to be a bench role, what’s probably going to be fluctuating minutes and accepting what will very likely be a tradable contract,” Slater added.

It’s unclear if the Warriors will budge, but if they do, a deal could be imminent.

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Jonathan Kuminga ‘absolutely miserable’ with Warriors, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon

Jonathan Kuminga ‘absolutely miserable’ with Warriors, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

A divorce between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors seems inevitable, but when that could be now has become the question.

Despite Golden State reportedly upping its contract offer to Kuminga to three years and $75.2 million with a team option for the third season, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon believes it’s not all about the money to the 22-year-old forward.

“You’re making this about the money. He’s miserable. he is absolutely miserable,” MacMahon said Tuesday on ESPN’s “The Hoop Collective” podcast. “It’s a bad situation. It’s a breakup that needs to happen sooner than later. It is a terrible situation for him. He was getting DNP-CDs in the playoffs.

“The coach doesn’t want him. The coach doesn’t believe in him. The coach has publicly said over and over that he does not fit with the core of this team.”

Kuminga registered DNPs in Golden State’s most important contests to conclude the 2024-25 regular season and into the postseason.

This came after an already up-and-down four-year career with the Warriors after being selected by the team No. 7 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Despite showing flashes of his potential at times, Kuminga never maintained a consistent role in coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.

But when the Warriors needed him most — in their second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with an injured Steph Curry sidelined — Kuminga stepped up and showed out for Golden State, although it wasn’t enough to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Kuminga seemingly used that impressive postseason performance to his advantage as he entered restricted free agency this offseason, seeking a larger role and a contract that gives him stability with an organization.

But with training camp two weeks away, the situation remains unresolved.

How much longer will Kuminga remain “miserable”? Hopefully, for the sake of all parties involved, not long.

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Phillies rally past Dodgers in extra-innings thriller, clinch NL East

The Philadelphia Phillies are NL East champions. 

And they clinched the division in style. 

In a game between potential playoff opponents that saw multiple lead changes, the Phillies rallied past the Dodgers for a thrilling 6-5 win in 10 innings on Monday in Los Angeles.

[Get more Philadelphia news: Phillies team feed]

With the victory, the Phillies held off the New York Mets to clinch their second straight division title. There are 11 games remaining on their schedule, and the 90-51 Phillies hold a 12.5-game lead over the 77-73 Mets.

The Phillies partied at Dodgers Stadium to celebrate their NL East crown.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Philadelphia got on the board Monday with a first-inning solo home run from Kyle Schwarber, his NL-best 53rd of the season. 

It put him one behind Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh for the MLB lead.

From there, the game saw four lead changes and three ties before the Phillies ultimately prevailed in extra innings. 

A Max Muncy home run helped spark the Dodgers to a 3-1 lead that stood until the seventh inning. Then a Bryson Stott RBI single and a Weston Wilson home run put the Phillies back in front 4-3.

Mookie Betts answered right back with a solo blast in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game 4-4.

The Phillies again took the lead with a solo Bryce Harper home run in the eighth inning. 

The Dodgers answered back with an Andy Pages solo shot in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras. 

The Phillies then retook the lead in the top of the 10th on a sacrifice fly for a 6-5 advantage. 

A pair of walks loaded the bases for the Dodgers with one out in the bottom of the 10th, putting pressure on reliever David Robertson and the Phillies’ defense. 

Robertson induced a popout from Miguel Rojas and a game-inning groundout from Muncy to ensure Philadelphia’s place atop the NL East.

The Phillies clinched their spot in the playoffs over the weekend. Now they have also secured the division title.

The Dodgers are virtual locks to make the postseason, whether they maintain their two-game lead over the Padres in the NL West or clinch as a wild-card team. They currently hold an 8.5-game lead for the final playoff spot in the National League. 

Either way, sign us up for more if this a preview of things to come in the postseason.

Astros All-Star Yordan Alvarez out indefinitely after spraining ankle by slipping on home plate

Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez injured his left ankle while crossing home plate Monday, leaving Houston without its All-Star during a critical juncture of the AL West race.

The injury took place in the bottom of the first inning. Alvarez scored standing up after a Carlos Correa single and a throwing error allowed him to reach home plate from first base. 

He appeared to slip on home plate as he touched it and hobbled toward the Astros dugout, unable to slow his momentum. He was in immediate and obvious pain and needed help limping down the stairs into the dugout.

The Astros later announced Alvarez had sustained a sprained left ankle and exited the game. A day later, Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters that the injury was “significant” but declined to provide a timetable or even say if the slugger would be placed on the IL. The coach did concede, “This is going to take some time to heal.”

[Get more Houston news: Astros team feed]

On the bright side, rookie Zach Cole hit a two-run home run after replacing Alvarez in the lineup, leading the Astros to a 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers. With the win, Houston moved to within a half-game of the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West. The Rangers also fell three games behind the Astros for the American League’s third wild-card playoff berth.

Overall, Cole replaced Alvarez in the lineup nicely, batting 2-for-3 with three RBI. 

An injury of any significance to Alvarez would mark a blow to the Astros with 12 games remaining in the season amid a tight race atop the AL West.

Alvarez is 18 games removed from his return from a nearly four-month layoff due to a hand fracture. He had been sidelined since May 3 due to the injury that was initially diagnosed as a muscle strain. The Astros at first expected Alvarez to miss a few weeks — until imaging on May 31 revealed that he’d actually sustained a bone fracture.

Alvarez returned to Houston’s lineup on Aug. 26 with the Astros engaged in a race for the AL West crown. Houston had a 1.5-game lead over the Mariners for first place at the time of his return.

After Monday’s win, the Astros have two games remaining in their series with Texas. From there, they’ll host a three-game series with the Mariners that could determine the AL West crown.

Alvarez was an All-Star in each season from 2022 to ’24. He led the Astros in 2024 with a .308 batting average, 35 home runs and 86 RBI. He has received MVP votes the past three seasons and won a Silver Slugger in 2022 while finishing third in AL MVP voting.

Alvarez has also come up clutch in the postseason throughout his career. In 60 career playoff games, he has slashed .294/.393/.591 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI. He was named ALCS MVP in 2021 as the Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox to advance to the World Series.

MLB playoffs 2025 tracker: Standings, schedule, clinch scenarios and more

The MLB postseason is right around the corner. And with two weeks left in the regular season, every team with World Series aspirations still has a lot left to play for.

Let’s break down the MLB standings and the playoff picture as they look ahead of games on Sept. 15.

The Brewers clinched the first spot in the playoffs on Sept. 13. They are in line to win the NL Central and secure the NL’s No. 1 seed.

The Phillies clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 14. They are in line to win the NL East and secure the NL’s No. 2 seed.

No other team has clinched a postseason berth yet, though the same 12 teams have been in playoff position since July 11.

The Tigers and Blue Jays are in a race to be first in the American League, with magic numbers at six and five, respectively.

On the NL side, the Cubs, Dodgers and Padres have playoff odds above 99%, according to FanGraphs. The Brewers, Phillies and Dodgers are in position to win their divisions, while the Cubs currently hold the top wild card. The Mets are also in wild-card position.

In the AL, the Tigers, Blue Jays and Yankees all have playoff odds of 99% or better. Also in playoff position are the Red Sox, Astros and Mariners. The Tigers, Blue Jays and Mariners currently lead their divisions, with the Yankees, Red Sox and Astros making up the wild-card field. 

But someone could still shake up the wild-card picture, as the Rangers and Guardians are within 2.5 games of the Astros for the final spot in the AL, and the Giants, Reds and Diamondbacks are within 2.5 games of the Mets for the final spot in the NL.

Which of these MLB stars will lead his team to a World Series title this fall? (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)

Once a team clinches its ticket to the postseason, there’s still a lot to play for. Beyond division leads and wild cards, teams could be battling for playoff positioning until the final weekend of the season.

The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in each league go to the division winners with the two best records. Those teams earn a bye through the wild-card round and hosting rights in the division series. Currently, the Brewers, Phillies, Tigers and Blue Jays are in line to claim those byes.

The No. 3 seed goes to the third division winner, and that team will host the three-game wild-card series against the No. 6 seed (which goes to the third wild card). The top wild-card team will earn the No. 4 seed and host the No. 5 seed (the second wild card) in the wild-card round.

The higher seed also gets home-field advantage in the championship series, once we get that far.

No longer do teams play a Game 163 if they finish the season tied. Instead, tiebreakers are determined by head-to-head records first and, if needed, intradivision records second.

Here are the tiebreakers that could come into play:

  • The Blue Jays have clinched the tiebreaker against the Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers.

  • The Red Sox have clinched the tiebreaker against the Yankees.

  • The Tigers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Astros.

  • The Mets have clinched the tiebreaker against the Phillies and Padres.

  • The Phillies have clinched the tiebreaker against the Dodgers.

  • The Cubs have clinched the tiebreaker against the Brewers.

  • The Dodgers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Padres.

  • The Astros have clinched the tiebreaker against the Blue Jays.

  • The Astros and Mariners are 5-5 this season with three games left to play.

(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)

Wild card: No. 6 Houston Astros vs. No. 3 Seattle Mariners
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Detroit Tigers

Wild card: No. 5 Boston Red Sox vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays

Wild card: No. 6 New York Mets vs. No. 3 L.A. Dodgers
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies

Wild card: No. 5 San Diego Padres vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers

Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2*

ALDS

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 7
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 8*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 10*

NLDS

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 9*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 11*

ALCS

Game 1: Sunday, Oct 12
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 15
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 17*
Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 19*
Game 7: Monday, Oct. 20*

NLCS

Game 1: Monday, Oct 13
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 14
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 17
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 18*
Game 6: Monday, Oct. 20*
Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 21*

Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29*
Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31*
Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1*

(*if necessary)

Five takeaways from Week 3 of high school football

There have been some eyebrow-raising developments through the first three weeks of the high school football season. Here are five big takeaways from last week’s action.

Bruuuce!

Expectations were fairly high for Bruce entering last season, but three straight losses to open the campaign and the loss of some key players proved too much to overcome.

The proverbial script has been flipped this year. Bruce is 3-0, already matching last season’s win total. The Trojans are coming off a 46-35 win against a solid Falkner team, as the offense had another big night. Quarterback Joshua Long, who stepped in as the starter early last season, has been reliable. And he has a playmaking target in Jermaine Jackson, who has 349 yards and four touchdowns on 17 catches.

This is the third year for head coach Chuck Darbonne, and it could prove to be a turning point for this once-proud program.

Unbeaten Bearcats

On paper, this looked to be a bit of a rebuilding year for Baldwyn’s offense. But this program, which won the Class 1A title last season, has always been adept at reloading, and that’s what the Bearcats have done.

The offense hasn’t missed a beat during a 3-0 start, with wins over Kossuth, Booneville and Nettleton. First-year quarterback Rush Watkins has thrown for 527 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

The defense, as expected, is again a tough unit, with players like Chanceton Price and Braxton Stewart causing havoc in opposing backfields.

Baldwyn is now in 2A and could be a contender.

Cardinals soaring

Belmont is off to a 3-0 start for the second straight year and is coming off an impressive 30-28 win against Myrtle. This isn’t surprising, because third-year head coach Michael D. Jackson has a long history of winning. Over 19 seasons in Alabama, he had a record of 134-79 with 12 playoff appearances.

The next step for this program is winning a playoff game, which Belmont hasn’t done in seven years.

So much Winfun

Entering this season, North Pontotoc’s Drew Winfun was rated the area’s No. 4 quarterback by the Daily Journal. Through three games, he is showing why he was deserving of that ranking.

Winfun has terrorized opposing defenses with both his arm and his legs. He’s completed 29 of 40 passes (72.5%) for 593 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception. He’s also rushed for 200 yards and two scores.

Those numbers are especially impressive when you consider he has yet to play a full four quarters, due to the Vikings blowing out their first three opponents by a combined score of 136-0.

Hill-acious game

Regents, a small private school in Oxford, is playing its first year of varsity football. But the Lions’ quarterback, Zane Hill, has plenty of varsity experience from his time at Myrtle.

Hill is the grandson of the legendary Johnny Hill, the former Tupelo and Oxford head coach who is now an assistant at Regents. Johnny played quarterback at UT Chattanooga in college. Three of his four sons also played college football, including Zane’s father Jake.

That pedigree was never more evident than last Friday, when Zane completed 30 of 50 passes for 542 yards, nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 60-58 loss to Carroll Academy. Safe to say, he is carrying on the family legacy.