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Oklahoma City is hoping to win a championship, and its rookie guard could be helpful during the playoff run.
The Thunder have spent the past week resting after knocking out the Memphis Grizzlies in four games in the first round. The Thunder won’t find out when the second round starts or who they will play until this weekend, making it a bit more difficult to prepare for the next round.
In any case, the Thunder will be the favorite to make it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2016. Whether it’s the Denver Nuggets or LA Clippers on the other side, the Thudner have proven they have a winning formula that can translate to postseason success.
While the Thunder have the MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, another All-Star in Jalen Williams and a rising two-way big in Chet Holmgren, the Thunder’s biggest strength might be their depth. Throughout the season, Mark Daigneault called on his bench, consistently going 10 or 11 players deep, which continued into the first round.
Although he didn’t play much of a role in the opening series, Ajay Mitchell could soon become an option for the Thunder again. Mitchell is only a rookie and missed three months after undergoing toe surgery, but he returned toward the end of the regular season and saw some spot minutes against the Grizzlies.
In the second round, Mitchell could give the Thunder another ball handler and potentially another reliable shooter. Mitchell shot 38.3% from deep in the regular season, and although he has struggled since returning, this lengthy break between rounds could be what Mitchell needs to get back on track.
It might not make sense for Mitchell to necessarily become a part of the playoff rotation full-time, but he was a key contributor for Oklahoma City early in the season. As a 22-year-old rookie, Mitchell is also a bit more mature than most first-year players, which can make integrating him into the lineup easier in the playoffs.
Although it might be the case that the Thunder won’t need Mitchell in the second round, having him as an option if others get hurt or are struggling is a luxury for the league’s best team.
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Highly coveted four-star offensive tackle is giving the Oklahoma Sooners a chance to prove themselves
Brother of former Michigan, Alabama cornerback earns coveted fifth star
In the world of high school football, earning a coveted fifth star is a huge deal. It signifies being a truly elite talent and brings all the big-name schools into the mix. Earning that fifth star and being labeled an "athlete" is even more appealing to major programs. A player with the athlete label can play multiple positions and is essentially a versatile football player. Xavier Sabb of Glassboro HS (NJ) just received that coveted fifth star and is now ranked as the 14th overall recruit in the nation. Xavier is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound versatile player who has played defensive back, running back, safety, cornerback, and even taken snaps at quarterback, where he used his speed and elusiveness in a "Wildcat" type of setup. Xavier also comes from a bloodline of talent, as his older brother Keon started his career in Ann Arbor, winning the 2023 National Championship with the Wolverines. Following that championship season, Keon surprised many people and transferred to Alabama, where he has continued to excel. Both Keon's current and former teams are in hot pursuit of his younger brother's talents. This recruitment feels like one that will drag out for quite a bit, and the younger Sabb may not commit until closer to the 2027 Signing Day. Whatever team lands Xavier is going ot get a player that can make a difference in a variety of ways and may not find his true postion until he reaches his program of choice.
Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Rangers Sign Former Stanley Cup Champion to Tryout Agreement
The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.
Top three notable names to leave the NBA for Europe this summer
There are only 450 spots in the NBA, 540 if you count two-way contracts. Each year, there's a group of players who hit the free-agency market and quietly fade into the obscurity of professional basketball outside of the NBA's bubble. Most of those players head overseas, either to Europe, Australia or China. In recent years, the jump from the NBA to Europe has grown in popularity. The talent level across the top European leagues has dramatically increased, with some teams now closing in on NBA levels of skill and athleticism. And with that talent increase, the pay has started to rise, too. It makes sense, then, that some notable names for NBA fans have made the jump across the Atlantic this summer. Here are the top three players to head to Europe since the start of the offseason. Lonnie Walker IV This time last summer, there was significant chatter about whether Lonnie Walker IV would earn the 15th and final spot on the Boston Celtics roster. The same roster that had won the NBA championship just months earlier. After seeing his Exhibit 10 deal with Boston expire, Walker ended up heading to Lithuania to play for Zalgiris Kaunas before the Philadelphia 76ers brought him back for the second half of the season. Now, after failing to secure a new contract with the Sixers, Walker is heading to Israel, where he's signed a three-year, $10 million deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Walker will now be one of the highest earners within all of European basketball. Oshae Brissett Walker will join Oshae Brissett over in Tel Aviv, as the former NBA champion has also signed with the franchise this summer. Brissett is just 18 months removed from playing a role on the Celtics roster that won the 2024 championship. Brissett doesn't have the athleticism and scoring skill that Walker brings to the table. As such, he won't be bringing home the same level of pay packet. However, he will undoubtedly be one of the better players, both in the Israeli league and in Europe. Brissett leaves the NBA having played in 233 games, averaging 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds on 41.9 percent shooting from two-point range and 33.7 percent from deep. Shake Milton Nobody can deny that Shake Milton has outperformed expectations after entering the NBA as the 54th pick in the 2018 draft. He leaves the NBA having suited up for 359 regular-season games and 40 postseason outings. Milton has spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. Impressively, he's consistently earned playing time, regardless of what roster he's been on. Nevertheless, it would appear that Milton has sought out an opportunity where he can be a core member of a rotation. According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews, Milton has signed a two-year deal to play in Serbia for Partizan Belgrade. If he can adjust to the physicality of the Serbian league and the slightly different rules set, Milton could become a high-level player in the domestic league and perhaps even in Europe.
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