Standout OT Taylor Moton set to miss start of season with concerning health issue
A leading NFL offensive lineman is set to miss the start of the 2026 season with a concerning health issue.
Carolina Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton will start training camp on the non-football injury list, according to ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe. Moton is receiving treatment for blood clots in his lung, but is expected to play at some point during the 2026 season.
Panthers RT Taylor Moton is receiving treatment for blood clots & starts training camp on non-football injury list, per sources
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) July 21, 2026
Moton expected to miss start of season but belief is he plays in 2026
Panthers OTs Rasheed Walker & 1st rd pick Monroe Freeling as top options to play pic.twitter.com/CnD8mQemqJ
It goes without saying that blood clot issues are quite frightening. New England Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore dealt with a similar issue two years ago and missed much of the 2024 campaign as a result.
Moton has become one of the NFL’s most reliable offensive lineman. The nine-year veteran has played in either 16 or 17 games in every one of his NFL seasons except for one, and has been a stalwart for Carolina since being drafted in 2017.
The Panthers are coming off an 8-9 season, though they did make the playoffs and gave the Los Angeles Rams a game before falling late. The loss of Moton, even if only for part of the season, will make it much more difficult for them to get back and win the NFC South again.
Trae Young seemingly took a shot at the Hawks
Trae Young seemingly took a shot at the Atlanta Hawks on Monday following their trade of former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.
Young responded to Risacher’s Instagram post after the former No. 1 pick was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a three-team trade. In his comment, the current Washington Wizards guard strongly implied that the Hawks had been holding Risacher back, and that the move would benefit him.
“My boy free! Go fly killa!” Young wrote.
Trae Young commenting on Zaccharie Risacher’s goodbye IG post to Atlanta 👀
— SleeperWizards (@SleeperWizards) July 20, 2026
“My boy free! Go fly killa!🤞🏽” pic.twitter.com/yy4B9X9hux
While Young did not necessarily throw the Hawks organization under the bus when they traded him last season, he also did not hide the fact that he was not necessarily upset to be moved. The organization had become somewhat stagnant, and in Young’s mind, that might have been a factor in Risacher’s lack of development.
After a promising rookie campaign, Risacher regressed across the board last season. He averaged just 9.6 points per game as both his usage and minutes dropped, and even Atlanta fans were not too upset to see him go.
Young still appears to be a believer in Risacher. Time will tell if he was right about the Hawks holding the former No. 1 pick back.
John Harbaugh had the perfect reaction to Cam Skattebo’s backflip
New York Giants coach John Harbaugh had the perfect response to the video of Cam Skattebo attempting a backflip at Fanatics Fest in New York.
Harbaugh was a guest on the “Bleav in Giants” podcast and was asked about how he reacted to the video of Skattebo attempting his signature backflip while coming off a serious ankle injury. The Giants coach said his biggest problem was that Skattebo had failed to stick the landing.
“I haven’t talked to him yet. I’m going to talk to him, I’m sure. My reaction was this: dude, at least stick it. Land it if you’re going to do it,” Harbaugh said.
"Dude, at least stick it. You know what I mean? Land the thing if you're going to do it."
— Bleav (@BleavNetwork) July 21, 2026
-John Harbaugh's first reaction to Cam Skattebo's backflip
Full episode here:https://t.co/FwZqxhNwf2@BobPapa_NFL | @CarlBanksGIII | @FanDuel pic.twitter.com/68YpODwSRx
Skattebo scared Giants fans everywhere with his botched landing, which came on the back of the serious injury he suffered last season. Some found it reckless for him to even be attempting it, though Skattebo himself later downplayed the danger of the move.
Harbaugh probably was not necessarily thrilled to see Skattebo attempting a risky move like that. He may convey that in private. In public, however, he will stick to roasting the running back over the fact that Skattebo did not quite pull off the move as intended.
ESPN lays off well-known personality after 33 years at the network
ESPN announced a new round of layoffs on Tuesday, and one of the victims was one of the network’s most well-known and high-profile personalities.
Karl Ravech is out at the network after 33 years, according to multiple reports. NFL insider Tom Pelissero and NFL analyst Cam Newton are also out, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
Ravech is the most well-known name among the cuts. He first joined ESPN in 1993, initially as a SportsCenter anchor and desk host. He has since called the Little League World Series and the College World Series for the network, in addition to SEC basketball games and a four-year run as the play-by-play voice of “Sunday Night Baseball.”
Ravech had just called ESPN’s broadcast of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Philadelphia Phillies game on Monday night and was still an active presence at the network. ESPN lost the rights to “Sunday Night Baseball” at the end of last season, and their share of live baseball coverage was significantly reduced in 2026, which also impacted Ravech’s on-air role.
ESPN’s latest round of cuts also included NFL analyst Ryan Clark, who reportedly helped seal his own fate with some of his on-air commentary in recent months.
John Schneider responds to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s frustration
Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having a surprisingly underwhelming 2026 campaign, and his struggles at the plate continue past the MLB All-Star break.
During Monday’s series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Guerrero went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and zero walks. It was yet another unproductive night for the six-time All-Star, resulting in a display of frustration.
After the game, Toronto manager John Schneider addressed Guerrero’s behavior.
“He wants to be the guy. He’s here for a reason and we signed him for a reason. He’s frustrated like we’re frustrated. I’ve got no problem with him showing it,” Schneider said, via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.
Guerrero’s troubles on offense help explain why the Blue Jays are painfully underachieving this season. After falling just a win short of winning the World Series in 2025, Toronto finds itself 11.5 games out of first place in the American League East through Monday with a 46-54 record. Pressure is mounting on the team to turn things around, especially with the trade deadline fast approaching.
On the season, the 27-year-old Guerrero is batting only .259/.342/.353. What has been glaringly lacking in his game is his power. He only has six home runs to date and just a .353 slugging percentage. Even more baffling is the fact that he has yet to hit a home run in Toronto this season.
It may not be too late for Guerrero to turn things around, but the sense of urgency is growing by the day.
Braelon Allen responds to a critic with shirtless photos
New York Jets running back Braelon Allen did not need words to respond to a critic. All he needed to do was take off his shirt and remind everyone once again that he’s built like a Greek god.
On Monday, Allen posted a couple of photos on X showing off his elite build in response to a blunt criticism from NBC Sports’ Denny Carter that was made in June.
https://t.co/t7L9RpFyvU pic.twitter.com/i3cki13qML
— Braelon Allen (@BraelonAllen) July 20, 2026
“This guy likes to be shirtless, and I would too if I looked like him. He loves to walk around shirtless, right? So you’re going to see those pictures of him with the caption, ‘Who’s stopping this guy? Who’s tackling this guy?’ And the answer, to be clear, is everyone,” Carter said.
Allen has already played two seasons in the NFL, but he has yet to break out, mainly due to the presence of Breece Hall. As long as Hall remains healthy, the former Wisconsin Badgers running back will likely continue to have a difficult time finding consistent touches in the backfield.
Even when Allen has been given opportunities, however, he has struggled to produce at an efficient rate, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry through the first two seasons of his NFL career.
Just 22 years old, Allen still has his entire career ahead of him, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt his outlook if he takes a significant leap in 2026.
LeBron James gets unexpected pitch from his former teammate
Whatever team LeBron James picks to join next will grab everyone’s attention, but Kendrick Perkins revealed an even wilder possible destination for the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player.
During Monday’s edition of ESPN’s “NBA Today,” Perkins, who played with James during their time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, tried to lure the future Basketball Hall of Famer to a career in Bristol.
“Since everyone is sitting up here making their pitch, how about I make a pitch for us at NBA Today and ESPN,” Perkins said.
“Aye ‘Bron, you don’t really need to play anymore. You’re really good at breaking down the game. You have a high IQ for the game of basketball. I’m pretty sure that over here at the Worldwide Leader, the mouse, we can pay you more than [the] vet minimum.”
"I'm pretty sure that over here at the Worldwide Leader, the mouse, we can pay you more than [the] vet minimum."@KendrickPerkins has an intriguing pitch for LeBron 😂 pic.twitter.com/zsrBn8VCt6
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 20, 2026
That broadcasting career will always be there for James, but the opportunity to keep playing until the wheels fall off won’t.
While he’s about to turn 42 years old in December, James continues to be one of the best players in the league, judging from his most recent campaign. In what turned out to be his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds through 60 games.
H/T USA Today
Angels finally snap a historically absurd streak after a bizarre ending
The Los Angeles Angels ended an extremely long streak on Monday by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2, in a series opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.
Trailing by a run entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Halos’ bats came alive and loaded the bases. Jo Adell was then hit by a pitch from Cardinals All-Star closer Riley O’Brien to pave the way for a Los Angeles victory.
Here is a video of that wild ending.
Walk-off hit by pitch!
— ESPN (@espn) July 21, 2026
Before tonight, the Angels had 106 straight losses entering the 9th inning trailing, by far the longest active streak in MLB 🤯 pic.twitter.com/3wtSA4cFlr
But it was more than just a win for the Angels; it was their first victory in 107 consecutive games when trailing entering the ninth inning, according to ESPN Insights.
But it was more than just a win for the Angels; it was their first victory in 107 consecutive games when trailing entering the ninth inning, according to ESPN Insights.
The Angels’ rally started on a one-out single by Nolan Schanuel before Jorge Soler was hit by a pitch. Vaughn Grissom then hit a double that allowed Oswald Peraza, pinch-running for Schanuel, to score the tying run. The Cardinals opted to intentionally walk Josh Lowe to load the bases for the Angels and set the table for the stunning finish.
The Angels now have a two-game winning streak going for them, though they are still way behind in the American League West race, where Los Angeles is last with a 40-61 record – 11 games off the top of the division.
Connor Bedard wants Blackhawks legend to come home
The Chicago Blackhawks could potentially have a past-and-present tandem on the ice during the 2026-27 NHL season. Chicago star center Connor Bedard voiced his approval of the possibility of former Blackhawks star winger Patrick Kane returning to the Windy City.
“I can’t imagine his first game back at the UC, the reaction he would get and how much juice that would bring to not only our team but our fans, as well,” the 21-year-old Bedard said, via Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“That would be incredible to get to play with him and learn from him. Hopefully he decides to come back.”
Kane is a Chicago sports legend and will always be revered in the city, thanks in large part to the three Stanley Cup titles he helped the Blackhawks win. Drafted first overall by Chicago in 2007, Kane appeared in 1,161 games for the Blackhawks and scored 446 goals with 779 assists for a total of 1,225 points.
Chicago traded Kane, now 37, to the New York Rangers in 2023. He later inked three consecutive 1-year deals with the Detroit Red Wings.
Kane’s hockey powers have faded significantly, but he can still provide an offensive punch. He scored at least 16 goals and recorded no fewer than 47 points in each of his three seasons with Detroit.
Bedard is entering just his fourth NHL season and recently signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension with the Blackhawks, but he has yet to taste the kind of success Kane enjoyed during his time in Chicago.
Video: Athletics’ Joshua Kuroda-Grauer takes brutal foul ball to sensitive area
Athletics rookie infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer had a night to remember on Monday, and not entirely for great reasons.
Kuroda-Grauer hit his first-ever home run in the big leagues with a solo shot in the second inning of the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.
Three innings later, the 22-year-old Kuroda-Grauer got taken down by a foul ball that hit ricocheted off his bat and into his groin.
He immediately collapsed to the ground and stayed there for several minutes in clear pain.
However, he managed to finish his at-bat and lined out into center field.
Here is the video of that painful moment and Kuroda-Grauer’s valiant effort to continue his plate appearance.
"No balls and one strike"
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 21, 2026
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer fouled a ball directly off his nuts, then recovered and got a base knock pic.twitter.com/wtFcxBXjKd
The Athletics later replaced Kuroda-Grauer on defense in the bottom of the sixth inning with Donovan Walton.
The A’s did not provide an update on the exact nature of Kuroda-Grauer’s injury, but manager Mark Kotsay was hopeful that the rookie did not suffer anything serious.
“Unfortunate event for KG,” Kotsay said after the game, via Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. “He tried to stay in and battle. Right now, the big concern is [to make sure] there’s no significant injury to him. We’ll have further notice later on tonight, but, hopefully, things are OK.”
Kuroda-Grauer is off to a strong start to his MLB career, hitting .417/.435/.583 through 16 games this season for the Athletics, who went on to beat the Diamondbacks, 5-2.
Reds pitcher berates ‘f—ing fata–‘ umpire for costing him an inning-ending out
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Caleb Ferguson should not expect a dinner invite from umpire Bill Miller’s family anytime soon.
Ferguson was a strike away from ending a brutal 7th inning that saw the Seattle Mariners pound the Reds for six runs at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash. Ferguson got batter Victor Robles to hit a weak bouncer to second base that should have been an out under normal circumstances.
But as second baseman Edwin Arroyo prepared to make the routine play, standing in his way was Miller. The veteran umpire inadvertently screened Arroyo as an offensive lineman would block for his running back.
“F—ing fata–, get out of the way! Fat motherf—er!” Ferguson appeared to say.
Edwin Arroyo collides with Bill Miller and Caleb Ferguson has some choice words: "Please move you slender fellow. Just a little of to the side fine, sir".
— Blowen’ Wilson🔱 (@MarinersGlaze) July 21, 2026
(or something like that)
Victor Robles picks up his 4th hit of the night on the play. pic.twitter.com/ErmHdXjkhc
The play was ruled a hit, with Dane Meyers heading to third to put runners at the corners.
Ferguson had already been in a sour mood after having just given up a grand slam to Cal Raleigh three batters prior. The left-handed Ferguson had been instructed to intentionally walk left-handed hitter Dominic Canzone to get to the right-handed Raleigh.
Cal Raleigh connects for a GRAND SLAM!
— MLB (@MLB) July 21, 2026
(MLB x @JAL_Official_jp) pic.twitter.com/P4BM9grV43
The 8-year veteran pitcher vented all his frustrations at Miller, who stood stone-faced as Ferguson spewed vitriol his way.
Fortunately for both men, Luke Raley struck out three pitches later to end the inning without further incident. The Mariners cruised to an 8-0 win.
Police respond to video of Cubs fan getting slapped for not standing during national anthem
Police are issuing a response this week to the viral video of a Chicago Cubs fan getting slapped during the national anthem.
A video clip made the rounds online on Monday of an older Cubs fan getting upset at another fan for not standing during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The video, which appears to have been shot during Chicago’s weekend series against the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill., showed the two fans getting into it in the middle of the anthem.
The younger fan remained in his seat while “The Star-Spangled Banner” was playing. That led to the older fan (who was sitting one row above him) angrily leaning over to confront the younger fan and eventually giving him a slap on the back of the head.
Immediately after the slap, the younger fan rose to his feet and remained standing for the rest of the song. You can see the controversial video at the link here.
On Monday, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) issued a response to the viral video. In a statement to TMZ, CPD said that they were aware of the video but added that no police report had been filed. As a result, action will only be taken if the incident is officially reported.
Neither fan in the viral video has been identified as of the time of writing. The Cubs, meanwhile, took two out of three games in the series from the Twins to improve to 56-43 on the year.
Former All-Star willing to bet $100,000 against Anthony Davis’ bold prediction
Add former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague to Anthony Davis’ ever-growing list of doubters.
Davis made waves last week when he made a couple of predictions about how his first season with the Washington Wizards will go. The 10-time All-Star projected his team to win 40+ games and for himself to play in all 82 regular season games.
Teague is willing to put a decent chunk of change on the latter prediction not coming to fruition. In a recent episode of his “Club 520” podcast, the retired NBA guard put $100,000 on the line that Davis won’t hit the 82-game mark, or 70 games for that matter.
“How much do y’all want to put on that AD won’t play all 82?” Teague asked his co-hosts. “I’ve got a hundred bands that he won’t play all 82. … I’ve got anything under 70. He won’t qualify for no awards. I’ll give him like, 58.”
Playing in all 82 games would be an achievement for even the most durable star players in the NBA. Davis, who’s entering his 15th season in the NBA, has only played in 70+ games thrice in his career thus far.
The Wizards would need a miracle or the best doctors on the planet (likely both) to ensure the oft-injured Davis has even an outside shot at dodging the injury bug for an entire year. And even then, the team would likely give him a rest day or two.
To be fair to Davis, the interview during which he made the prediction seemed to be one he just granted to a media member who just happened to walk past him. Davis wasn’t putting out a public statement that he would play all 82 games.
But it’s the offseason, so it’s understandable for podcasters like Teague to make stories out of much ado about nothing.
1 new frontrunner has emerged to sign Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga might be getting the opportunity to reunite with Kenny Atkinson.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the team most-often connected right now to the free agent forward Kuminga, Dan Woike of The Athletic reported on Monday. Woike notes that Kuminga’s market otherwise “remains tepid” at the moment.
Kuminga, the 23-year-old former NBA champion, is still unsigned roughly three weeks into official free agency. The Atlanta Hawks turned down his $24.3 million team option earlier this offseason, and Kuminga’s market remains in an apparent holding pattern at the moment.
The Los Angeles Lakers were the team previously thought to be the frontrunners for Kuminga. But word emerged earlier in the day Monday that negotiations for the Lakers to acquire Kuminga have stalled out.
Meanwhile, the Cavs are an extremely interesting case. They are led by their head coach Atkinson, who previously coached Kuminga on the Golden State Warriors as an assistant, and they do have a gaping need at the forward spot after losing Dean Wade in free agency to a rival team.
Cleveland continues to pursue LeBron James, and they also still need to formally re-sign James Harden to a new deal. Thus, any potential move for Kuminga would almost certainly have to be a sign-and-trade with Atlanta, and that could help Kuminga, a 12-ppg scorer last season, get closer to his desired number in free agency.
Lakers signing former Texas star
The Los Angeles Lakers have promoted one of the team’s NBA Summer League standouts to the senior squad.
The Lakers on Monday agreed to sign 6’7″ forward Arthur Kaluma to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The move comes after Kaluma played a starring role on a stacked Lakers squad that went 4-1 in Las Vegas.
JUST IN: The Lakers are signing Arthur Kaluma to a two-way contract 👀
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) July 21, 2026
He averaged 19 points, 61% shooting and 50% on 3s in Las Vegas summer league. Well deserved 👏
They’ll need to waive one of Chris Manon, AK Okereke or Peter Suder. pic.twitter.com/PoyCTZyX7x
Kaluma was arguably the best player on a Lakers team that featured recent draftees Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr. Kaluma averaged 18.6 points and 3.6 rebounds on 60.9 percent shooting across 5 games wearing purple and gold. Some metrics even had Kaluma as the best player in the entire tournament. Perhaps now Caleb Wilson finally knows who he is.
The former Texas Longhorns standout turned heads when he dropped 34 points on 11/16 shooting in an early summer league showdown against the Dallas Mavericks. He hit 6 three-pointers in the contest and also showed a strong ability to attack closeouts off the bounce.
HAVE A NIGHT, ARTHUR KALUMA!
— NBA (@NBA) July 12, 2026
34 PTS (11-16 FGM)
5 REB
6 3PM
The @Lakers pick up the win in @NBASummerLeague play 👏 pic.twitter.com/2rxcKFxVlJ
For the Lakers to complete the transaction, the team will need to waive at least one of Chris Manon, AK Okereke, or Peter Suder.
With Manon playing a sizable role during Summer League and Okereke signing with the team just weeks ago, Suder may likely be the odd man out to make room for Kaluma.
Kaluma was arguably the best player on a Lakers team that featured recent draftees Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr. Kaluma averaged 18.6 points and 3.6 rebounds on 60.9 percent shooting across 5 games wearing purple and gold. Some metrics even had Kaluma as the best player in the entire tournament.
ESPN ‘soured’ on Ryan Clark after 1 on-air beef with colleague
ESPN executives apparently did not forget about Ryan Clark’s on-air squabble with former colleague Peter Schrager.
Clark was filming an episode of “NFL Live” on Monday when ESPN fired him after over a decade serving as an analyst for the “Worldwide Leader.” A report from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand detailed what went into the network’s decision to part ways with Clark.
Per Marchand, ESPN “soured” on Clark because of “issues with some of his choices.” The network’s frustrations reportedly “peaked” last September when Clark belittled colleague Peter Schrager on an episode of “Get Up.”
Schrager defended Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for his role in an opening-night loss last season. Clark admonished Schrager, claiming the latter’s stance showed “the non-player in you.” You can watch the exchange below.
ESPN’s Ryan Clark and Peter Schrager got into it after Ryan Clark disagreed with his take:
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) September 5, 2025
"That’s the non-player in you" 😳
pic.twitter.com/Sd5GkxkPQO
The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back played 13 seasons in the NFL before moving to a career in media shortly after retiring from football in 2015. While Clark quickly issued an apology to Schrager, the damage had already been done.
Clark has issued several apologies over the past couple of years. Last October, he expressed his regret after he made erroneous claims about the fatal car crash caused by the late Kyren Lacy. Months before that, he apologized to Robert Griffin III for bringing up his wife in an argument.
Clark was reportedly making more than $2 million per year and was slated to be a big part of ESPN’s Super Bowl LXI coverage before being cut loose.
Noteworthy update emerges about Jalen Duren’s free agency
Jalen Duren may be inching ever so closer to … staying put.
Duren and the Detroit Pistons have made “modest” progress on a new deal that would keep the restricted free agent center with the franchise, veteran NBA writer Marc Stein reported this week. Stein adds that the Pistons “continue to brush aside” the possibility of a sign-and-trade that would land Duren elsewhere.
The 22-year-old Duren has been a restricted free agent for the last several weeks now with little-to-no movement in his market. Most recently, we heard that Duren’s future with Detroit was in doubt as the former lottery pick had reportedly grown frustrated with contract negotiations.
Duren represents a very interesting case as the upside is there after he averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game during the regular season en route to both All-Star and All-NBA honors. But Duren blew his shot at a max contract with an unimpressive performance during the postseason (just 10.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game). Now he has to play the waiting game to try to get as much money as possible.
We know that Duren is seeking a specific high number in free agency. But up to this point, it looks like neither the Pistons nor any other outside suitor is willing to meet that figure.
It is overall a pretty cold market for restricted free agents right now as other notable NBA talents such as Peyton Watson and Bennedict Mathurin remain unsigned as well. With that in mind, it appears that the likeliest scenario is for Duren to return on a long-term contract to the Pistons (if and when both sides come off their respective numbers a bit).
Former draft bust headed back to NBA
Former No. 5 overall pick Mario Hezonja is on his way back to the association.
The Croatian forward, who played a starring role at Real Madrid over the last four seasons, has reportedly “decided to return to the NBA.” According to Stefan Acevski of Eurohoops, Hezonja has chosen to exercise an NBA opt-out clause in his contract that was set to expire on July 20.
The 31-year-old’s NBA buyout is believed to be the standard $850,000. It remains unclear which NBA team Hezonja is joining.
🚨 BREAKING: Mario Hezonja reportedly informed Real Madrid that he is leaving the club to RETURN to the NBA 🔥👀 pic.twitter.com/jxRnGASBWN
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) July 20, 2026
Hezonja was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 2015 but did not even get to finish out his rookie contract with the team. After three middling seasons with the Magic, Hezonja had one-year stints with the New York Knicks and the Portland Trail Blazers before moving back to Europe.
Hezonja’s most memorable NBA moment was arguably when he put Giannis Antetokounmpo on a poster and disrespected him afterwards. But his numbers never matched his raw potential, averaging 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists over five NBA seasons.
After six years of maturing both on and off the court, the NBA may be getting a different version of Hezonja than the one who last played in 2020. With his 6’9″ frame and decent outside stroke, playoff teams could do much worse than Hezonja when filling up the rest of their bench.
Mavericks are signing a notable ex-Michigan player
The Dallas Mavericks are keeping the University of Michigan pipeline going.
Dallas announced on Monday that they have signed guard Jett Howard to a two-way contract. Local beat writer Grant Afseth adds that the Mavericks waived forward Tyler Smith earlier in the day, creating the roster space to sign Howard.
The 22-year-old Howard is a former Michigan player who played for the school in 2022-23. Howard then became the No. 11 overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Of course, the Mavericks are now led by ex-Michigan head coach Dusty May. While Howard never actually played for May at Ann Arbor (instead playing under his father Juwan Howard, who was May’s predecessor), he is still an intriguing signing for Dallas.
Standing 6-foot-8, Howard averaged 5.5 points per game in a low-opportunity role for the Orlando Magic last season. He did shoot 37.2 percent from three though and became an unrestricted free agent after Orlando declined his fourth-year team option.
The Mavericks already drafted former Michigan standout Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick in this year’s draft. Now another Wolverines alum in Howard is coming aboard as well for a Dallas team that could soon be undergoing some more big changes.
Athletics could surprisingly trade away 1 All-Star
The Athletics could potentially be looking to trade away their leading man.
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers is a trade candidate ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports this week. Heyman notes that the Athletics are “open to anything” when it comes to trades and adds that recent extension talks with Langeliers went nowhere despite the team offering about $80 million to him.
The 28-year-old Langeliers has been a breakout star for the Athletics this season. He leads the team with 22 home runs on the year and has also chipped in 50 RBIs and 53 runs scored on a .260/.328/.493 slash line.
Those numbers were good enough for Langeliers to make the first All-Star team of his MLB career this season. Quality catchers are also hard to come by, placing Langeliers’ talents at a premium right now.
Though the Athletics are once again out of relevance this year at 42-57 (8.5 games out of a playoff spot), a Langeliers trade would still be a relative shocker. Langeliers remains under club control through 2028, so it is far from do-or-die situation for the Athletics at the moment.
That said, the Athletics have already been handing out a number of enormous contracts to their young core hitters over the last several months. With Langeliers in his prime at a physically-taxing position, perhaps the Athletics are thinking about selling high on him.
