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According to NBA reporter Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, James Borrego is the “leader in the clubhouse” for the Cleveland Cavaliers coaching job.
Borrego met with the Cavaliers on Tuesday (6/11).
“Sources tell cleveland.com that New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego, who has been viewed as the ‘leader in the clubhouse’ since late last week, met with president of basketball operations Koby Altman and other members of the organization on Tuesday,” Fedor wrote.
Borrego has coached the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets. He is 148-183 in the regular season.
Borrego has never made the playoffs as a head coach.
The Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of this year’s playoffs in five games after beating the Orlando Magic in the first round in seven games.
“Borrego, a Gregg Popovich protégé and two-time champion as an assistant, has a 148-183 mark as head coach with Charlotte and Orlando,” Fedor wrote. “Multiple sources describe him as humble, innovative, engaging and diplomatic. Even though he has his own general ideals and philosophies, he is willing to learn and listen. All those qualities, sources say, have come across to the Cavs in their multiple interviews with him over the last few weeks.”
The Cavaliers will meet with Kenny Atkinson this week as well. Most people around the NBA expect Cleveland to hire Borrego or Atkinson.
The Los Angeles Lakers are interested in Borrego too.
Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell can sign a four-year, $208 million extension this offseason. He is under contract for next season and has a $37 million player option for 2025-26.
If Mitchell becomes a free agent in 2025, he is eligible to sign for a max of five years and $269.9 million with the team that holds his Bird rights (the Cavaliers now) or four years, $200.1 million with a new team.
If Mitchell doesn’t sign an extension with the Cavaliers this offseason, the thought is that Cleveland will look to trade him before free agency in the offseason of 2025.
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Is Austin Reaves truly untouchable for the Lakers?
Austin Reaves turned heads with a breakout 2024–25 season for the Los Angeles Lakers, and now the rumor mill has him labeled “untouchable” as he’ll likely become Luka Doncic’s backcourt partner for the long run. But is it right to assume Reaves is a foundational member of the team's future? Let’s break it down: Reaves averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds across 73 starts last season. He exploded with steals (1.1 per game), threes (2.7 per game on 37.7 percent shooting), consistency and even a 45-point game that put him in rare company alongside Kobe and LeBron. He’s not just a player—the Lakers built part of the offense around him. Reaves declined a four‑year, $89.2 million extension from the Lakers. Why? It wasn’t drama. It was strategy. Reaves hopes to enter unrestricted free agency in 2026, where the Lakers—or another team—would likely offer something far more lucrative, perhaps in the neighborhood of five years, $246 million. People around the league expect the Lakers to bring him back at $30 million-plus per year, but that hasn’t triggered an immediate megadeal. So is he untouchable? Not quite. Reaves himself reportedly wants to stay for life. He loves it in L.A., adores the fans and sees the Lakers as home. Multiple league execs expect he’ll re-sign—it’s not about leaving, it’s about timing and money. That said, he’s not absolutely sacred in trade discussions. Rumors suggest the Lakers would move Reaves only under a very specific scenario—perhaps to land someone like Walker Kessler plus valuable picks. But trade value is tricky. His current deal—a team-friendly $13.9 million next year with a player option in 2026–27—makes it tough to match salaries for another blue-chip return. You’d have to give up more to make the math work. The Lakers’ cap situation complicates things. They’re nearly at the luxury-tax apron, if not over, and resources are tight. They’ve already burned their MLE and bi-annual exception to sign Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and others—so trading Reaves could free up some breathing room, but only if the return makes strategic sense. Here’s the bottom line: Reaves isn’t untouchable in a literal sense. He’s immensely valuable, homegrown and rising in star power. But his contract and timing give both sides options. The Lakers can keep him—likely re-signing him at a premium in 2026—while retaining the flexibility to pivot if something better aligns. Loyal, skilled and ready to bet on himself. That’s the real story. Austin Reaves isn’t immune to trade chatter—but for now, his performance and hometown chemistry all lean toward staying put.
Craig Kimbrel lands with World Series contender after latest release
Craig Kimbrel is hoping to make an impact with an MLB team down the stretch, and a World Series contender is giving the former All-Star reliever a shot. Kimbrel agreed to a big-league contract with the Houston Astros on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Kimbrel began the 2025 season with the Atlanta Braves after signing a minor-league contract with them in March. The right-hander started out with the Double-A Columbus Clingstones and did not give up a hit in three appearances. Kimbrel was then promoted to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, where he went 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 18 innings. The Braves added Kimbrel to their active roster on June 6. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning in Atlanta's 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants that day. Kimbrel allowed a walk and a hit in the inning. The following day, Atlanta made the puzzling decision to designate Kimbrel for assignment. Kimbrel opted for free agency rather than accepting his minor league assignment. He then signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers but never made it to their MLB roster. Kimbrel was granted his release on Thursday and signed with Houston. Kimbrel, 37, is a nine-time All-Star who has pitched for eight different teams during his MLB career. He led the National League in saves four times and was one of the best relief pitchers in the league during his prime. Kimbrel also helped the Boston Red Sox win a World Series in 2018. The Astros were 69-58 entering Thursday and had a 1.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. If Kimbrel is healthy, he could provide Houston with some valuable bullpen depth over the final stretch of the season.
Bill Belichick takes another shot at Patriots owner Robert Kraft
It is no secret that the relationship between Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft has been strained since Belichick left the New England Patriots. Belichick took an obvious shot at Kraft and the Patriots owner's son, Jonathan, who is the president of the team, during an interview with Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that was published on Thursday. Belichick is preparing for his first-ever season as a college coach with North Carolina. When asked what he has noticed that is different about coaching in college versus the NFL, Belichick insinuated he has enjoyed not having to answer to any members of the Kraft family while doing his job in Chapel Hill. "It’s a much more cohesive, and I’d say unified, view of what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to do it," Belichick told Volin. "It’s a lot of football, and there’s not much in your way. "There’s no owner, there’s no owner’s son. There’s no cap, everything that goes with the marketing and everything else, which I’m all for that. But it’s way less of what it was at that level." Shots fired. There is no way to interpret that other than a criticism of Robert and Jonathan Kraft. Had Belichick left it at not having to answer to a team owner, you could make the case that he was speaking generally about the NFL. The fact that he added in "owner's son" makes it obvious he was referring to his old bosses, as both Robert and Jonathan are hands-on with the Patriots. Belichick is almost certainly bitter over the way his tenure in New England ended following the 2023 season. He coached the Patriots for 24 seasons and won six Super Bowls, so he likely felt he should have been given more time to turn things around in the post-Tom Brady era. The Kraft family preferred to move on after a 4-13 campaign. Though Belichick insists he is solely focused on the upcoming UNC season, this is not the first time in recent months that he has gone out of his way to throw a jab at Robert Kraft.
Braves' Brian Snitker Announces Matt Olson News After 746 Straight Games
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson has been the most durable player in MLB over the course of his ten-year career. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger has not missed a regular-season game for the Braves, appearing in all 162 matchups over the past three seasons. Olson also appeared in every possible regular-season game twice during his six-year stint with the Athletics, accomplishing the feat in both 2018 and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His offensive production continues to be elite as his career progresses, despite the workload—making him one of the league’s most valuable players to roster. He earned his third All-Star appearance at Truist Park this year. Matt Olson Injury News Heading into Wednesday’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox, Olson has logged 746 consecutive games dating back to May 2021, the 12th-longest streak in MLB history. Before the game, manager Brian Snitker announced that Olson had been dealing with a sore toe sustained while running the bases on Tuesday, but believed Olson could play through it. The first baseman was reportedly adamant about remaining in the starting lineup. “#Braves' Matt Olson is dealing w/ a sore toe, which Snitker said happened while running out a double Tuesday. He's in the lineup tonight, his 747th consecutive game. ‘I tried to get him to take (day off), but he wouldn't,’ Snitker said. ‘Something that he can play through, I think,’” wrote The Athletic’s David O’Brien. Olson’s Durability Continues to Anchor Braves Amid Disappointing Season The Braves have had a disappointing season after entering the year with World Series aspirations, and without Olson’s durability, the team may have fared even worse. Olson has smashed 19 home runs and driven in 72 runs while batting .267 with a .366 on-base percentage and .819 OPS across 125 games for Atlanta. He’s locked into the Braves’ long-term future after signing an eight-year, $168 million contract in 2022, and although he’s made it clear the streak is important to him, the toe injury and its severity will be worth monitoring. Atlanta may have to make a tough decision if it worsens.
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