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The NBA Draft is less than a week away, and this class has the potential to be one of the most talented the league has seen in recent memory.
However, one team that doesn't appear to be looking to move into the top 30 picks in this year's draft is the Cleveland Cavaliers.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst provided an update on Cleveland's draft night plans, which revolve around their two second-round picks at No. 49 and 58 overall.
"Well, one thing I'll tell you, I will almost 100 percent guarantee, which is that the Cavs will not be trading into this draft because they do not want any more money on their roster," said Windhorst.
"I actually think they're probably okay with the fact that they don't have a first-round pick this year. They couldn't even get there last year's first-round pick, Jaylon Tyson, a lot of minutes [last year], and with where they're at in the second apron, they don't need they don't need to add salary to their books."
This strategy makes a ton of sense for Cleveland.
The Cavaliers will soon be a second-round team, which will limit the roster decisions they can make this upcoming season.
For a team looking to bring back both Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill, adding more money to their roster in the form of a draft pick who will unlikely see a lot of playing time just isn't a good plan.
There are still plenty of talented players who will be available in the second round who can help the Cavaliers win now, and that's where the front office should have its focus.
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Boston Celtics Announce Trade For 22-Year-Old Guard
RJ Luis Jr. played his college basketball at Massachusetts and St John's. He finished last year with averages of 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals per contest while shooting 43.9% from the field and 33.6% from the three-point range in 35 games. On Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics officially announced that they had traded for Luis Jr. Via The Boston Celtics: "We have traded Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for RJ Luis Jr" Luis Jr. had signed a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz after going unselected in the 2025 NBA Draft. Via Jake Fischer of The Stein Line: "The two second-round picks Boston is sending Utah as part of the Georges Niang-for-RJ Luis Jr. trade are the 2027 most favorable between the Celtics/Magic, and the 2031 most favorable between the Celtics/Cavaliers, per source." While Luis Jr. is an intriguing prospect, the Celtics made the move to get off of Niang's contract. Via Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron Podcast: "The Boston Celtics reduce their payroll and luxury tax by a total of $50 million by trading Georges Niang. They’re now just $1.7 million above the first apron and $9.4 million above the luxury tax line. They also create a $8.2 million trade exception." The Celtics won the 2024 NBA Championship over the Dallas Mavericks. They then lost to Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs (in six games).
Padres already demoting one of their trade-deadline acquisitions
The Padres announced they’ve optioned JP Sears to Triple-A El Paso. They recalled reliever Sean Reynolds and will go with a nine-man bullpen in the short term. Sears will spend at least 15 days in the minors unless he’s brought up to replace a player going on the injured list. San Diego acquired Sears alongside Mason Miller in last week’s massive deadline deal. The 29-year-old southpaw made his team debut Monday night. He allowed five runs in as many innings on 10 hits and a walk against the Diamondbacks. Sears took the loss in a 6-2 defeat. He’d carried a 4.95 earned run average over 22 starts with the A’s. Monday's performance pushed his ERA to 5.12 across 116 innings. It’s a bottom-10 mark among pitchers to log at least 100 frames. Sears had the highest home run rate among that group, offsetting his nearly league-average 20.3% strikeout rate and solid 6% walk percentage. This is the first time in two-and-a-half years that Sears heads to the minors. He broke camp with the A’s in 2023 and has been in the majors since then. Sears has also avoided the injured list for that entire time. As a result, he’s tied for fifth in MLB with 87 starts since the beginning of the ’23 season. The durability is the big selling point, as his production (4.62 ERA/4.56 SIERA) over that stretch is that of a fifth or sixth starter. The demotion shouldn’t have any impact on Sears’ service trajectory. He has already surpassed the three-year mark and will qualify for arbitration next winter. He’s under team control for three seasons beyond this one. While he’ll probably be back up at some point this year, it may require an injury elsewhere in the rotation. San Diego optioned Randy Vásquez over the weekend. They have a four-man rotation of Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish and deadline acquisition Nestor Cortes. Darvish and Cortes will get the ball for the next two outings. San Diego is off Thursday and could turn back to Pivetta and Cease on extra rest for their first two games of the weekend series against the Red Sox. That’d point to the series finale on Aug. 10 as Michael King’s return date. King threw 61 pitches in what is expected to be his final rehab start on Sunday, via the MLB.com injury tracker. He’d be on six days' rest for his first MLB appearance since he went on the injured list in late May with a nerve problem in his throwing shoulder.
Sophie Cunningham, Sparks HC react to third incident of object tossed onto court
Over the past couple of years, the WNBA has seen a major uptick in ratings and overall fan engagement. Unfortunately, that has also come with negative attention. It may have reached a new low, as there have now been three separate incidents in which a fan has thrown a sex toy on the court. This time, it nearly hit Indiana Fever veteran Sophie Cunningham during a matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. Cunningham had already joked about it on social media, and given her outspoken nature and reputation as a bit of an instigator, she didn't shy away from it: She also laughed it up on her Instagram story: Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts, however, didn't think it was a laughing matter. Following the game, she put the fans on blast for their "stupid" behavior. "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Roberts said, per Yahoo Sports. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid." There's no place for any of this in sports, much less in women's sports. The league needs to crack down on this and take the necessary measures to prevent it from happening ever again. The WNBA is finally thriving after years of surviving, and while the fans will eventually grow to respect the product, not all publicity is good publicity.
Yankees Pitchers Inching Toward Their Last Weeks in Pinstripes
Fate in the Bronx right now is thinning, as August settles in. The New York Yankees are on a slide, and the slumping is contagious throughout the roster. Yankees pitchers have been scary in a not-so-good way. Some of these pitchers are playing their way to unemployment. The Yankees are now six and a half games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. Having once led the division by a healthy margin, they are now on the outside looking in. This is due to a combination of inability to score runs and make plays. In addition, quality in the pitching depth has not been present. Certain pitchers acquired as valuable pieces are not pulling their weight and do not appear likely to return in 2026. Yankees Pitchers Who Could Be Gone After This Season Brian Cashman and his office already said goodbye to one of their big-dollar pitchers, Marcus Stroman. Shortly after acquiring relief pitcher Jake Bird at the trade deadline, the Yankees instantly regretted their decision. Bird, one of Colorado’s relief pitchers, was demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre due to an ugly first impression. There are a few more arms that the club would like to part with, but will have to wait for the offseason to make it official. Devin Williams Could Be Out of New York in 2026 Closer Devin Williams was acquired to be the Yankees’ established late-game door-shutter. The right-hander held high hopes as one of the league’s top closers. The 2025 season has brought him nothing but struggle and grief in the Big Apple. Williams has 43 innings of work this season for the Yankees. He currently holds a 5.44 ERA, allowing 26 runs on 33 hits. He currently ranks 18th of 30 MLB closers in saves. Williams has 17 saves, three blown saves, and a .208 batting average against. Although these numbers are not terrible, the Yankees reliever does not have what it takes to shut the door in the Bronx. He’s proven his reliability is thin and inconsistent. The remainder of the season is important for Williams, as he needs redemption. He’s set to be a free agent at the end of this season. Jonathan Loáisiga May Be in His Last Months in Pinstripes Jonathan Loáisiga was shut down due to injury, underwent surgery, and returned. The Yankees provided him an opportunity, in hopes that he’s able to come back stronger and elite. He was reactivated on March 16th. The right-hander has not had much to offer this season, with short stints totalling 29 2/3 innings. He holds a 4.25 ERA with a 2.1 HR/9 and a 1.483 WHIP. Loaisiga was in sight as a key part of the Yankees’ bullpen blueprint this season. On August 3rd, the right-hander re-entered the injured list on a 15-day sideline due to back tightness. Loaisiga has a club option of $5 million that the Yankees likely will not pick up. Luke Weaver May Be One of a Few Relief Pitchers to Go Luke Weaver was the trusted arm in the 2024 postseason and World Series. After Clay Holmes was re-purposed in the bullpen and departed the Bronx, Weaver could follow the same fate. Weaver has good stuff on the mound. However, multiple teams have figured him out. He was the set-up man after Williams was assigned to the closer role. After struggling, Weaver was placed back in the closer role while Williams joined the other relief pitchers. The right-handed started off elite in 2025 and slowly declined. He has an ERA over five since returning from injury on June 20th. His current overall ERA is 2.89 in 43 2/3 innings pitched with eight saves, 15 games finished, a 2-3 record, and 16 runs allowed on 25 hits. Weaver is currently on a club option and is set to be a free agent in 2026. The Yankees will likely re-think this option as one of their relief pitchers for next season.
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