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The Thunder are signing forward Alex Reese to a standard, non-guaranteed contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. This move comes in the wake of Isaiah Hartenstein suffering a hand fracture.
Reese was previously on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Thunder, logging limited minutes in three preseason games. Oklahoma City waived him on Wednesday, but he impressed enough in training camp to earn consideration as a backup while Hartenstein recovers from his injury.
The 6-foot-9 Reese played his college ball at Alabama from 2017-21, averaging 5.4 points per game in his final season. He spent a year away from basketball, primarily as a bartender, then signed in Luxembourg in 2022-23 before playing with the Trail Blazers’ G League affiliate last season. He averaged 11.5 PPG in 2023-24 behind decent shooting and impressed enough to earn a spot on the Thunder’s training camp roster.
When the Thunder signed and waived Reese, the plan was likely that he would join OKC’s G League affiliate; however, with Hartenstein out and an open spot on the 15-man roster, that opened up an opportunity for Reese to provide depth. Outside of Hartenstein and Reese, the only players 6-foot-9 or taller on the Thunder’s roster are Jaylin Williams, Ousmane Dieng and Exhibit 10 signing Malevy Leons.
By signing Reese, the Thunder’s roster will stand at 19 players. They’ll have 15 players on standard deals and three on two-way contracts. Leons is also occupying an Exhibit 10 slot, and the Thunder will have to decide by Monday if they’d like to convert him to a two-way contract or cut him.
Reese signing a non-guaranteed deal indicates the Thunder may cycle through players on the back half of their roster or open up that slot later in the season for flexibility. If he impresses, the Thunder can keep him through the year. It’s also possible that Oklahoma City plans to develop him on a multi-year, non-guaranteed contract. As The Athletic’s John Hollinger notes, if Reese is in Oklahoma City’s long-term plans, they could sign him to a two-year deal with a team option on the second year, then decline that in favor of signing him to an affordable multi-year deal next offseason.
More must-reads:
- Thunder lose notable free-agent acquisition to injury
- Injury bug hits NBA: Five key players to miss start of season
- The 'Every NBA MVP runner-up from the lottery era' quiz
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Charlotte Hornets 2025-26 Rotation Breakdown
The 2025-26 Charlotte Hornets still have decisions to make for their rotation and overall roster. With Antonio Reeves officially signed to a two-way deal and Damion Baugh released, the roster still has crucial choices to make. New head coach Charles Lee faced a tough first year, navigating injuries and relying heavily on players who might not have seen the floor under normal circumstances. Still, Lee laid a foundation of structure and accountability that could serve this team well moving forward. With training camp on the horizon, the biggest question looms: Who will crack the rotation? Who should start, come off the bench, or provide a spark in key moments? Let’s break it down. The Five Hornets Anchoring Charlotte’s 2025-26 Rotation PG: LaMelo Ball SG: Josh Green SF: Brandon Miller PF: Miles Bridges C: Mason Plumlee On paper, this starting five brings both intrigue and uncertainty. The biggest question surrounds Miles Bridges and whether he can consistently be the team’s third scoring option. Mason Plumlee returns to Charlotte with the expectation of providing steady minutes at center. His screen-setting and underrated playmaking should help stabilize the offense. Josh Green adds perimeter defense and reliable outside shooting, knocking down 39% of his threes last season. But the spotlight remains on LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. For Ball, it’s all about staying on the court. When healthy, he’s shown the skill and creativity to be one of the league’s top point guards, but injuries have limited him to just 69 games over the past two seasons. As for Miller, the Hornets hope he’s ready to leap. Before a wrist injury cut his rookie season short, he was averaging 21.0 points over a 27-game stretch and looking more and more like a future star. If he picks up where he left off, Miller could emerge as Charlotte’s go-to scorer. The Bench Mob Is Buzzing Collin Sexton Spencer Dinwiddie Moussa Diabate Kon Knueppel Grant Williams One of the potential strengths of this Hornets rotation lies in its bench depth. Collin Sexton is expected to anchor the second unit. While he’s struggled with consistency at times, he’s been a proven bucket-getter since entering the league in 2018 and brings much-needed shot creation. Spencer Dinwiddie brings veteran stability to Charlotte’s backcourt and should thrive alongside Sexton as a secondary playmaker and scorer. Moussa Diabaté was one of last season’s pleasant surprises, establishing himself as a high-energy big with elite offensive rebounding and rim protection. His hustle and motor could be key in second-unit minutes. Grant Williams, returning from an ACL injury, will be counted on for veteran toughness, defensive versatility, and leadership. Meanwhile, rookie Kon Knueppel brings shooting, size, and positional flexibility — and could carve out a role early if his game translates quickly. The Raw Spark Tre Mann Tidjane Salaun Liam McNeeley Drafted sixth overall in 2024, Tidjane Salaün is still a work in progress. While he struggled to find consistency in his rookie season, the Hornets remain committed to his development. Year two will focus on growth, patience, and determining if he can evolve into a long-term part of the puzzle. Liam McNeeley turned heads in the Summer League with his all-around game, averaging 18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists across two games. While still raw, McNeeley’s offensive instincts and feel for the game suggest he could provide a spark if given an opportunity during the season. Tre Mann, who was Charlotte’s top-scoring option off the bench last season before a back injury, will have to earn his chance to play after the acquisition of Sexton. With less pressure to carry the load, he can thrive as a complementary scoring threat when the team lacks it. Developmental Ryan Kalkbrenner Sion James KJ Simpson (Two-Way) Antonio Reeves (Two-Way) Drew Peterson (Two-Way) The Hornets have several young players stashed for development, each offering a unique skill set the team hopes to cultivate over time. Ryan Kalkbrenner brings size and interior presence. While he may not see significant minutes right away, his rim protection and shot-blocking make him a long-term project worth monitoring. Sion James offers defensive versatility and positional flexibility as a 6’6” guard/wing. He’ll need to improve offensively to stick, but his physical tools are intriguing. On two-way contracts, the Hornets have KJ Simpson, Reeves, and Drew Peterson. Simpson is an explosive combo guard with scoring upside and playmaking flashes. Reeves is a polished shot-maker who could provide instant offense if called upon. Peterson is more of a long-term swing, but his athleticism and energy give the Hornets another young piece to mold. Possible Chopping Block Nick Smith Jr. Pat Connaughton Daquan Jeffries The Hornets face tough decisions as they trim their roster, and a few players could be on the chopping block. Nick Smith Jr. has yet to establish consistent production, making his spot uncertain. Veteran Pat Connaughton may be edged out as the team leans toward youth and flexibility. DaQuan Jeffries, fighting for a roster spot amid deep wing depth, faces an uphill battle to secure his place. In Conclusion The Hornets enter the 2025–26 season with a rotation of promise, questions, and pressure. With a retooled roster, a healthy LaMelo Ball, and young talent ready to emerge, there’s real potential for growth. But sorting out the rotation, balancing development with competitiveness, and trimming the roster will be key challenges in the weeks ahead. Training camp will reveal a lot — and for this Hornets squad, every spot will be earned.
Dolphins' Tyreek Hill stirs up drama, calls for teammate to be benched in certain situations
Tyreek Hill was just trying to be a good teammate, but his Miami Dolphins colleague didn't care for the message. On Friday, Hill gave a meaty performance during his media availability, broaching subjects from his mastery of the offense this year to saying he agreed with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa that he needed to be a better leader on the Dolphins for the upcoming season. Then he took a shot at running back De'Von Achane. He suggested the Dolphins keep the 5-foot-9, 191-pound back off the field in third-and-short situations. "Take (Achane) out on 3rd-down," Hills told reporters, via the Dolphins. "What? That's my honest opinion. If it's third-and-short, he's not a power back. I've been telling him that in the locker room... I love De'Von, but If I'm being honest, that's why you got Jaylen Wright, that's why you got Ollie Gordon." Achane responded to Hill giving his opinion to the media. "That's how you feel," Achane wrote with a laughing emoji. Achane rushed for 907 yards and six touchdowns on 203 carries last season. That's an average of 4.5 yards per rush. The Dolphins' backfield as a whole struggled in the run game last season, averaging a pedestrian 105.6 rushing yards per contest. Achane certainly didn't thrive on third-and-short, but Hill's comments feel unnecessary. Last season, Hill caught 81 passes for 959 yards and six touchdowns — his worst production since 2019, when he missed four games due to injury. Is Hill ready to admit that he's washed? Miami's offense was bad, and it didn't help that Tagovailoa missed time due to a concussion. Defenses took advantage of the Dolphins' limited and discombobulated offense last season. Miami's training-camp news conferences are becoming a concern. Hopefully for the team, Achane won't take the slight from Hill too personally.
Five biggest losers from the 2025 MLB trade deadline
The 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline was 6 p.m. ET on Thursday. Some teams managed to get better in either a short-term or long-term outlook. Other teams did not. We've already gone over the five biggest winners, which featured some surprising teams. Here we are focusing on the five teams that were the biggest losers. Minnesota Twins The good news for Twins fans is the team did not trade outfielder Byron Buxton or starting pitcher Joe Ryan. The bad news for Twins fans is the team traded pretty much everybody else. The worst news is the Twins have pretty much sabotaged any goodwill the team had built up in recent years, including their 2023 trip to the American League Division Series. Since then the Twins collapsed late last season, did very little in the offseason and then completely gutted the roster over the past two weeks, including a straight salary-dump trade of Carlos Correa to the Houston Astros, his former team. This is going to be a long, slow climb back to the top. Pittsburgh Pirates The Pirates had a chance to have a potentially impactful trade deadline with some intriguing trade chips in what had become a seller's market. They ended up trading closer David Bednar, third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, starting pitcher Bailey Falter and relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson. They held on to pending free agents Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham and Andrew Heaney. What's so baffling about the trades they did make is that they gave up useful, productive players with years of team control still remaining, did not get a single highly-ranked prospect back in return and kept the players that are going to leave for nothing. The only winner here is owner Bob Nutting's bank account for all of the money he saved in the future by dumping Hayes' contract and potential arbitration years from Bednar and Falter. Chicago Cubs After paying a steep price to get outfielder Kyle Tucker in the offseason everybody in Chicago knew the clock was ticking on the Cubs to build a winner around him. He is a free agent after this season and seems determined to hit the open market for the highest bidder. Even though the Cubs have emerged as a contender, it was pretty clear as the season has gone on that they needed at least one more starting pitcher. They did not get one, and instead only added a utility infielder (Willi Castro) and reliever Taylor Rogers. While so many teams around them in the NL managed to get better, it's an underwhelming deadline performance for a team that should be going all in. Atlanta Braves It's not that the Braves did anything poor at the trade deadline that makes them losers. It's that they didn't do ... anything. At least not anything that they needed to do. None of their pending free agents were moved, no significant changes were made to a team going nowhere this season and the only move they did make was a marginal trade involving Rafael Montero. That is extremely underwhelming. Boston Red Sox The Red Sox were rumored to be in the market for a significant starting pitcher, including Minnesota's Joe Ryan. They did not make that sort of splash move, and instead added Steven Matz and Dustin May. For a team trying to hang in the American League playoff race, that is not really exciting. They also paid a steep price to get May, giving up one of the top prospects — outfielder James Tibbs III — they acquired in the Rafael Devers trade to the San Francisco Giants.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love’s Pitch to Micah Parsons Resurfaces Amid Wild Trade News Bombshell
Dallas Cowboys superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons dropped a trade request bombshell on Friday, making his demand clear to this team that he wants out. The Green Bay Packers are among the teams that can definitely get a boost on their stop unit with a player addition of Parsons’ caliber. But, it remains to be seen whether they would throw their hat into the ring and join the seemingly looming sweepstakes for the services of the former Penn State Nittany Lions star linebacker. Love tried to recruit Parsons to the Green Bay Packers—and the internet didn’t forget Given Parsons’ trade request, it’s just timely for the internet to walk back a little down memory lane and bring up how Packers quarterback Jordan Love attempted to recruit Parsons back in February. During an appearance on Parsons’ “The Edge” podcast, Love said that the player he wants Green Bay to sign was “sitting right next to me,” referring to the four-time Pro Bowl linebacker. Parsons responded by saying that he’s a “for-lifer.” That tune has surely changed several months later, with Parsons no longer having the desire to play for the Cowboys amid his desire for a huge extension contract. Parsons, who is just 26 years old, had his 2025 option worth $24 million picked up by the Cowboys in 2024. Through four years in the NFL, Parsons has accumulated 52.5 sacks with nine forced fumbles, nine passes defended and 256 combined tackles across 63 games.
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