MLB Draft: Sibling 1st Round Picks

Dan SoemannJuly 24, 2025

Fourth overall pick Ethan Holliday signed a $9 million bonus with the Rockies which landed $229,100 over slot and set a record for high school players under the current system. His older brother Jackson Holliday (2022 - #1) previously held the record with a $8.19 million bonus from the Baltimore Orioles in 2022 but that was surpassed last week when Washington Nationals first overall pick Eli Willits signed for $8.2 million.

The siblings are the 14th pair of brothers to be drafted in the first round and previous examples have fared quite well financially:

2002 - #2: B.J. Upton (16.5 WAR - 10.126 YoS)
Career Earnings: $95,909,000
Largest Contract: 5 years, $75.25M with Atlanta Braves (2013-2017)
2005 - #1: Justin Upton (32.1 WAR - 14.099 YoS)
Career Earnings: $180,670,465
Largest Contract: 6 years, $132.75M with Detroit Tigers (2016-2021); opted out after 2017

Combined Total: $276,579,465 (48.6 WAR)
1998 - #5: J.D. Drew (44.9 WAR - 13.020 YoS)
Career Earnings: $111,300,000
Largest Contract: 5 years, $70M with Boston Red Sox (2007-2011)
2004 - #15: Stephen Drew (15.8 WAR - 11.038 YoS)
Career Earnings: $59,843,443
Largest Contract: 1 year, $14.1M with Boston Red Sox (2014)

Combined Total: $171,143,443 (60.7 WAR)
1998 - #14: Jeff Weaver (15.2 WAR - 10.158)
Career Earnings: $40,781,694
Largest Contract: 4 years, $22M contract with Detroit Tigers (2002-2005)
2004 - #12: Jered Weaver (34.6 WAR - 11.082 YoS)
Career Earnings: $105,342,500
Largest Contract: 5 years, $85M with Los Angeles Angels (2012-2016)

Combined Total: $146,124,194 (49.8 WAR)
1991 - #4: Dmitri Young (12.2 WAR - 12.008 YoS)
Career Earnings: $53,230,682
Largest Contract: 4 years, $28.5M + $8M Club option (exercised) with Detroit Tigers (2002-2006)
2003 - #1: Delmon Young (3.2 WAR - 8.115 YoS)
Career Earnings: $24,757,327
Largest Contract: 1 year, $6.75M with Detroit Tigers (2012)

Combined Total: $77,988,009 (15.4 WAR)
2003 - #2: Rickie Weeks (11.6 WAR - 11.150 YoS)
Career Earnings: $57,957,000
Largest Contract: 4 years, $38.5M with Milwaukee Brewers
2008 - #12: Jemile Weeks (1.5 WAR - 3.011 YoS)
Career Earnings: $3,251,072
Largest Contract: $1,910,000 Draft Signing Bonus

Combined Total: $61,208,072 (13.1 WAR)
2015 - #12: Josh Naylor (6.4 WAR)
Earnings through 2025: $25,311,906
2026 Unrestricted Free Agent
2018 - #29: Bo Naylor (2.3 WAR)
Earnings through 2025: $4,857,647
Pre-Arbitration through 2026

Combined Total: $30,169,553 (8.7 WAR)
2019 - #8: Josh Jung (3.9 WAR)
Earnings through 2025: $7,040,633
Arbitration-eligible starting 2026
2022 - #12: Jace Jung (-0.9 WAR)
Earnings through 2025: $4,857,647
Arbitration-eligible starting 2029

Combined Total: $11,898,280 (3.0 WAR)

Western Conference Summer League Notes

Keith SmithJuly 22, 2025

NBA Summer League is ostensibly a basketball event. There is basketball being played on the court, but there are just as many games being played in quiet corners of the arenas, the concourse and hotel lobbies.

The entire NBA world is in Las Vegas. The main madness of the offseason is over. It’s a relaxed environment and NBA folks are ready to talk. They’ll talk about what they did, didn’t do, and what their hopes are for players and their teams. In exchange for anonymity, you can get some real good insight. Yes, most of it has an optimistic tone. But that’s summer in the NBA for you!

As I’ve done each year when returning from Las Vegas, I’m going to empty out my notebook. In each case, I’ll notate if the comment came from a front office executive, a coach or a scout.

One note: None of these notes came from sessions where we had speakers at Sports Business Classroom. That intel is forever under lock and key. That’s because that gold is for SBC students’ ears only. If you want in on that, click the link above and start looking at getting ready to sign up for the next session!

First up, I’ll have some general NBA notes. Then, we’ll go through the Western Conference teams. You can find the Eastern Conference teams here. Let’s finish emptying the notebook!

NBA Expansion

“It’s coming. That much seems clear. When? That’s the big question. My guess is that we’re at least three years away from the process starting, as far as roster-building goes,” a Western Conference front office executive said.
“I think we’re ready for expansion. I have clients who are NBA guys, but even with the third two-way spot, roster spots are still hard to come by. Adding another 36 total roster spots (Note: Assumption is two teams at 15 standard spots and three two-way spots per team) would be huge,” a longtime agent said.
“It’s been a pretty open secret that we’re going to expand. My guess is that it will be here (Las Vegas) and Seattle, but that’s just a guess. They seem to be the best candidates. I have no idea how the league will rebalance the conferences. One team moving to the East makes sense, but maybe they blow it all up and relook at the entire conference structure?” an Eastern Conference GM said.

NBA Draft items

On the two-day NBA Draft: “We love, I mean LOVE, the two-day draft. The second round is so much better. Less chaotic. More time to talk trades. And the reset between days is really nice too,” said an Eastern Conference GM.
The other side of the two-day draft: “We thrived in the chaos. Our draft room is calm. We know who gets frantic. Splitting the draft means there is less of that. Less opportunity to take advantage of a room that might be confused or a little messy,” an Eastern Conference scout said.
On college players staying in school: “I think that trend is here to stay, at least until we reset our own pay scale in the NBA,” an Eastern Conference GM said. “I read the other day that some college guys are making up to $5 million for a year in school. That’s almost as much as these entire second-round pick exception contract. I’d stay in school too! It does change the backend of the draft some, but I don’t mind having another year to scout guys who were borderline first/second-round picks and borderline drafted/undrafted players.”
“This year’s draft was the worst in my 25-plus years in the NBA. The entire second round could have just been agents making the picks. They were already telling teams all over to not draft guys. It’s gotten a little out of control and we’ve allowed it to be that way,” a Western Conference front office executive said.
Related to the above: “Oh cry me a river. The idea of draft is ridiculous anyway. US sports are the only sports in the world where a player is told where he has to play. You don’t think I’m going to try to control that process for my guy? Get out of there!” a longtime agent said.

Dallas Mavericks

On Cooper Flagg: “Since we selected him, he’s been everything we thought he’d be and even more. Tremendous kid on and off the court. Here’s a good story for you: He shot like crap in his first game here (Las Vegas). Second game he dominated. We had a plan to play only two games. Cooper comes to the us and the coaches and asks to play a third game. We laughed and told him, ‘No. You’re good.’ And he goes, ‘I just don’t want people to think the good game was a fluke.’ All we could do was laugh, but it shows how much he wants to be great,” a Mavericks front office executive said.
More on Cooper Flagg: “It pays to be lucky, right? Dallas got a generational talent when those lottery balls bounced their way. That kid is unbelievable. You knew after he played like crap in the first game out here that he was going to be great the next time out. He’s an ass-kicker. Wish we had that kind of luck,” an Eastern Conference GM said.
On D’Angelo Russell: “We had to get a guy a who could play in place of Kyrie (Irving) while he’s out. But that guy also needed to play with Kyrie too. We feel like DLo fits that perfectly. We also like that he can shift off the ball with Cooper (Flagg) handling the playmaking too,” a Mavs coach said.
On Ryan Nembhard: “We were so excited to get him as a two-way guy. He’s so damn tough. A lot like his brother (Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard) in that way. We love Miles (Kelly) too. We feel like we’re starting to get really good development out of two-way process now,” a Mavericks front office executive said.
On the moves of the last year: “Whenever you trade a truly great player, it’s going to hurt. We love AD (Anthony Davis) and we feel like we’re in a good position to have a great team moving forward. With better health this year, we’ll be near the top of the conference going into the playoffs. That’s the goal,” a Mavericks front office executive said.

Denver Nuggets

On the roster changes: “We had to get deeper. That was clear to us as far back as the trade deadline,” a Nuggets front office executive said. “We’ll have DaRon (Holmes II) this year, which is going to be huge. But adding Cam (Johnson), Jonas (Valanciunas), Tim (Hardaway Jr.) and bringing Bruce (Brown) home, are huge for us. And we still like our younger guys too. The pressure is just off them a bit to have to be great every night.”
On DaRon Holmes II: “Rotation guy from Day 1. He would have bene one last year, if he hadn’t gotten hurt. DaRon is a beast. You saw it here (Las Vegas). He can shoot, he can take opposing bigs off the bounce, he’s got a good passing eye. Defensively, he’s ready to contribute too. Start the Rookie of the Year campaign! (laughed) He’s eligible, right?” a Nuggets coach said.
On Cameron Johnson: “When you move a core player, which is what Michael Porter Jr. was for us, you have to be sure you are getting back a really good player. Cam is going to fit in perfectly for us. Everyone is focused on his shooting and how he’s pretty solid on defense. What really attracted us to Cam is that he’s an excellent cutter. Because we’ve got passers all over, including the big guy (Nikola Jokic), Cam is going to get a bunch of layups too,” a Nuggets coach said.
On Nikola Jokic declining to sign an extension now: “No worry at all. It’s the smart move from his side, if I’m being honest. He can lock in an extra year next year, which is the way to do it when you are in his position. Same offer, plus one more year, will be there for him a year now from now. He knows that, and we’re all on the same page,” a Nuggets front office executive said.
On the Jonas Valanciunas saga: “Yeah, we’d have rather have not had anything like that. But it’s not like things ever got ugly at all. Jonas is a good player, so it’s no surprise all kinds of teams in NBA and Europe were interested in him. That’s why we traded for him. From our first conversations after agreeing to the trade, we made it clear we intended for him to be in Denver, and he never made it a real thing to try and get out of his contract. We’re looking forward to adding him to our frontcourt this season,” a Nuggets front office executive said.

Golden State Warriors

On the offseason so far: “Well, this will be a quick conversation! (laughed) I mean, we haven’t done anything yet, right? Are we the only team in the league?” a Warriors front office executive said. “We’ve got things we hope to do. But we’re got other things that have to fall in line first. We’re being very mindful of our sequencing here, because we know the aprons and hard caps can become an issue for us really fast.”
On Quinten Post: “BC guy thing, right? (laughed) We’re really happy with Quinten. We think he can be a starting five in the league. He needs to improve on defense, but that will come. The shot, the passing and the interior scoring are all there. He also fit right in and wasn’t afraid to go at it with our long-term guys. That confidence was huge for him,” a Warriors front office executive said.
On Jimmy Butler: “Adding a player like that, with all the guys we had to send out, can mess up your season really badly. But Jimmy was awesome from Day 1 with us. He just wanted to play high-level hoops with a group of guys who are chasing greatness. That made the adjustment so easy. Looking forward to having a full year together this year,” a Warriors coach said.
On Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency: “We’re trying to be responsible. With the aprons and hard caps and all of that, you can’t just throw money around. We still love Jonathan. We’re hopeful we can figure out a way to strike a balance that works for him and for us. But we’re not going to compromise our roster-building ability now, or in the future. We have to be responsible in the way we build our team,” a Warriors front office executive said.

Houston Rockets

On the offseason: “What a whirlwind! From the KD (Kevin Durant) trade to all the signings and other trades, it’s been a busy summer for us,” a Rockets front office executive said. “We didn’t finish last season saying we needed to reshape our roster, but the playoffs showed us just how close we were. Not waiting too long to get our core guys deeper into the playoffs became something we focused on. Getting KD gives us a different ceiling and we think it raised our floor too.”
On Reed Sheppard: “Big year coming for Reed. I’ve seen you make the Payton Pritchard comp before, and I think that’s sort of fair. Pritchard had to prove it to earn his minutes. Same with Reed,” a Rockets front office executive said. “We had a tough backcourt to get minutes in last year. This year, there are minutes there for him, if he takes them. Ime (Udoka) doesn’t give anyone anything. If you play, it’s because you earned his trust and earned that time. Reed did everything we asked, and now he’s on his way to earning those rotation minutes.”
On supplementing the young core: “I’d put our younger guys up against anyone else’s in the entire league. Amen (Thompson), Alpie (Alperen Sengun), Jabari (Smith Jr.), Tari (Eason), Reed (Sheppard), that’s a whole starting five of dudes who can play. Some of them will be backups, because we’ve got some killer vets too. But that doesn’t mean we don’t love those guys. I’ll go to battle with them every day,” a Rockets coach said.
On expectations for this season: “Win and win big. Look, you don’t get KD (Kevin Durant) with the goal being to make the playoffs. I’m not saying we’re going to roll through the league or anything, but we were pretty good last year. This year, we should be even better. This is what we’ve been building for,” a Rockets front office executive said.

LA Clippers

On adding depth this offseason: “I couldn’t be happier with the moves we’ve been able to make. Getting Brook (Lopez) first, kind of set the tone. Trading for John (Collins) continued that. Having him tells (Bradley) Beal and CP (Chris Paul) that we aren’t messing around,” a Clippers front office executive said. “We’re as deep as we’ve been in years now. Don’t forget Bogie (Bogdan Bogdanovic) too. He’s going to be important for us. We’re ready to contend for a title.”
On the starting lineup: “We’ve got to do some work for sure. The good thing is that we have all kinds of options. But Brook (Lopez), Brad (Beal), CP (Chris Paul), John (Collins) and our returning guys all just want to win. No one is going to cry about starting, not starting, minutes, none of it. We made sure of that before we signed anyone,” an LA front office executive said.
On the team’s younger players: “This is a hard rotation to break into. We’ve been that way for a while now, but it’s even tougher now. If one of our younger guys is playing, it’s because he proved he’s better than a lot of guys who have been in the league for a long time,” a Clippers coach said. “That said, Jordan (Miller) has been outstanding here (Las Vegas). Cam (Christie) has done what we’ve asked of him, even if the ball hasn’t gone in a lot for him. Yanic (Konan Niederhauser) has a ways to go, but that’s fine. He’ll spend some time in San Diego this year. Both Kobes (Brown and Sanders), Trentyn (Flowers) and Patrick (Baldwin Jr.) are all going to log some G League time too, I think. You don’t want them to go too long without playing in games.”
On the team’s window: “We’re not putting any artificial timelines on anything. If we’re still going strong in three, four, five years, that would be great. But, sure, we’re geared up to make a run here over the next couple of seasons. Each offseason, we’ll figure out where we are and we’ll act accordingly,” a Clippers front office executive said.

Los Angeles Lakers

On the offseason moves (Note: this conversation was before the reported Marcus Smart agreement): “We came in without much room under the first apron and with some needs. We feel like we did great, considering the lack of tools to do much. Deandre (Ayton) fills a massive need, but literally and figuratively. Jake (LaRavia) gives us shooting with size. Look at all the best teams, they have shooting with size. And we’re really excited about getting Adou (Thiero) in the draft too. He’s going to get better quickly, because he’ll be going against great players every day,” a Lakers front office executive said.
On LeBron James: “Whenever you sign a player to a deal with an option, you willing give them the control to initially guide the situation. But this notion that a player option gives the player all of the power, is pretty silly. If they opt out, the team is then a partner in re-signing them or not. If they opt in, then the team is a partner in whatever happens next too. For LeBron, he had a player option and made his decision to opt in. We’re just happy that he’s still a Laker,” a Los Angeles front office executive said.
On extending Luka Doncic: “We aren’t even allowed to do that until next month (August 2nd), so it’s a bit early to talk about that. But Luka and his reps know how we feel about him. They’ve known that since we’ve traded for him. This will hopefully be a long, long partnership between Luka and us,” a Lakers front office executive said.
On the roster now (Note: this conversation was before the reported Marcus Smart agreement): “We’re still working on some tweaks. I don’t know that we’re done. We’d like to add a little more depth. But we feel pretty good about our roster now. Good versatility, better depth up front, added some shooting. The front office still has some things coming, so we’ll see what it looks like when camp starts,” a Lakers coach said.

Memphis Grizzlies

On trading Desmond Bane: “That one hurt a lot. But when we finished last season, we felt like we had to make a change. When talks advanced with Orlando, the package of picks plus Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, was simply something we couldn’t pass up. We know Desmond will be great for Orlando, but we’re excited about the flexibility this gave us, both now and for years to come,” a Grizzlies front office executive said.
On adding Ty Jerome: “We had to get some more bench scoring. That’s been a thing we’ve needed for a while now. Ty is going to be huge for us, especially with Desmond (Bane) having been traded. Ty can play with Ja or he can carry the second unit. We’re excited about having him,” a Memphis front office executive said.
On renegotiating-and-extending Jaren Jackson Jr.: “From the minute he didn’t win NBA awards, we knew we had to create the cap space to make that happen. There was no chance we were letting him get to unrestricted free agency next summer. Too many teams with too much cap space out there to risk that. Jaren is a core guy for us, just like Ja (Morant) is. Those are the guys we’re building everything around,” a Grizzlies front office executive said.
On drafting Cedric Coward: “We’re so excited about having him. Cedric is going to be really good for us. He should be ready to go for camp. You have to have good wings to win big in our league, and I think Cedric with Jaylen (Wells) is going to be great for us,” a Grizzlies front office executive said.
On Jaylen Wells at Summer League: “We wanted to see Jaylen functioning as a primary playmaker. The preseason is so short, you barely have time to work on your installs for the season. So, we figured we’d give him a couple of games this summer to see what it looked like. Really, really impressed that coming off his injury, that he took on that challenge so well,” a Grizzlies coach said.

Minnesota Timberwolves

On losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker: “Yeah, that was rough. But when you are up over that second apron, you have to make tough choices, right? We saw it with Boston and Phoenix and Milwaukee the last couple of years. I guess it was our turn. But when a door closes, another one opens. We’ve got some guys who will benefit from stepping into more minutes, and we’re excited about that,” a Timberwolves front office executive said.
More on the team’s young players: “Our vets will carry us, but they need support. That’s going to come from the guys we’ve added over the last few years,” a Wolves front office executive said. “Jaylen (Clark) is ready for a bigger role. We love his defensive approach, and he’s improved on offense. Terrence (Shannon Jr.) got a little run in the playoffs and held up. He’s ready for more. Rob (Dillingham) is going to get a shot to play a lot too. We have to figure out how to keep minutes off Mike (Conley) better. And you saw here (Las Vegas) that Joan (Beringer) is as competitive as they come. He’s going to force his way into some minutes too.”
On staying under the second apron this season: “It’s not a mandate or anything. It’s something we’re conscious of though. We want to be mindful of not putting too many burdens on ourselves as we move down the line. But if the right move is there, and we have to add some salary, then we’ll add some salary. We’re all on the same page there,” a Minnesota front office executive said.

New Orleans Pelicans

On the draft night moves: “We loved Jeremiah (Fears) where we were drafting. We didn’t have a long-term player at point guard. We feel like Jeremiah is going to be that guy for us for years and years,” a Pelicans front office executive said. “As far as Derik goes, he was right there with Jeremiah for us. When we had the chance to trade for Derik, it wasn’t something we hesitated on for a second. We now have a floor leader and a versatile big man. That’s huge for our future.”
On trading for Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey: “It’s no secret our team has had a lot of trouble staying healthy. We felt like we had to have more depth. That’s what this offseason was about. Some of it came with the guys we drafted. Then we signed Kevon (Looney) for depth up front. And getting Jordan is huge. He’s always out there. And all of our intel was really positive for his impact with a really young Wizards team. We’re excited to have him. Saddiq didn’t play last year, but he’s a player we’ve liked for a long time. Again, that’s about having more depth behind some guys who have missed a lot of time,” a Pelicans front office executive said.
On Yves Missi: “Things were pretty messy here (Las Vegas) for him. But we’ve got evidence of his succeeding in real NBA games. That means about a million times more than a couple of wonky Summer League games. Mostly, I’m excited that he owned the paint on defense. Yves got moved a little too easily last year. You can already see that won’t be the case this year,” a New Orleans coach said.
On Zion Williamson: “Zion is still our guy. If he wasn’t, we could have waived him for like nothing on the books. We could have reset everything. But we believe in Zion. He wants to make it work, and so do we. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet,” a Pelicans front office executive said.

Oklahoma City Thunder

On if the offseason felt different as the champs: “Not because we were the champs, but because we’re bringing almost everyone back. There wasn’t any free agent recruiting or big trades this year. That isn’t because we won the title, but because of our overall roster structure and the contracts we have in place,” a Thunder front office executive said.
On running it back almost whole: “It’s different, right? Most teams have a decent amount of turnover. I think Boston lost a few guys last summer after winning the title. We’ve had a few changes, but we’re happy that our guys are coming back. We built this team very intentionally, and it paid off in the best way possible. But that doesn’t mean we’ve completed the job. What’s the old quote? ‘The best title is the next one.’ We’re enjoying this one, and enjoying it a whole lot, but that ends in a couple of months when camp starts. Then, it’s back to work,” a Thunder front office executive said.
On the future after extending several key players: “Fair question. We’re going to be a lot more expensive than we’ve been. But everything we have done over the last five years or so has been very intentional. From resetting the roster after the bubble, to building back up, to adding from the outside, to re-signing our guys. It’s all been part of a multi-year plan. So far, so good,” a Thunder front office executive said.

Phoenix Suns

On the offseason moves: “We had a plan. It didn’t work. That meant resetting. We think that given the challenges we had, we did well to reset in the way we did. We got great value in our trades. We now have the flexibility to do more than we’ve been able to do over the last couple of years. It’s nice to have the handcuffs off, if you will,” a Suns front office executive said.
On trading Kevin Durant: “When it became clear that was a direction we could do, we set a goal of not just going with a package of all young players and picks. We want to compete. We feel like getting Dillon (Brooks) and Jalen (Green), along with Khaman (Maluach) in that deal gives us a great balance of veterans, mid-career players and a young big man to help us get after it right away,” a Suns front office executive said.
On extending Devin Booker: “That’s our guy. He wants to be a forever Sun. We want that too. We’re well on our way to making it happen,” a Suns front office executive said.
On the team’s roster balance: “Still have some work to do. We’ve got some overlap, but it’s not in bad areas. We’ve got a bunch of centers who are going to push each other every single day. We’ve got guards and wings who will do the same. I’m not saying we’re done, but if this was the group we hit camp with, we feel confident that Jordan (Ott) and his staff can make it work,” a Suns front office executive said.
On the team’s younger players: “We felt like last year’s draft class was really good. Ryan (Dunn) can be a top-tier wing/forward defender. Oso (Ighodaro) just knows how to play,” a Suns coach said. “This year, we hit a homerun. Khaman (Maluach) is going to be a top starting center before the end of his rookie deal. Everything in his profile speaks to how quickly he improves. Rasheer (Fleming) could play right away. Getting him in the second round was huge for us. And Koby Brea is on a two-way, but we think he was the best pure shooter in the draft. The best part, these guys are part of the identity we want to build now. A bunch of workers who defend and get after it every day.”

Portland Trail Blazers

On drafting Yang Hansen: “I know you didn’t like that pick. (laughed) But we love him. In today’s NBA, your big man has to be versatile and able to do a lot of stuff. We feel like Yang is going to be really good for us, and probably sooner than most expect,” a Blazers front office executive said.
On bringing back Damian Lillard: “We realize it’s a great story, and we’re excited about that element. But we’re really excited about having Dame around our young guys. He’s going to be so good for them. And then next year, after another year of improvement, we’re really going to take off,” a Portland front office executive said.
On balancing veterans and young players: “We feel like we were starting to trend a little too young. We saw real progress a year ago, and some of that was driven by our veterans. This year, we expect more of the same. And the vets we have are such high-character guys, that the young fellas will have no choice but to match that work ethic,” a Portland coach said.
On Toumani Camara: “It was so important for him and for us that he got some recognition last year. Toumani is really, really good. We’re hoping to be able to work something out to keep in Portland for a long time,” a Trail Blazers front office executive said.

Sacramento Kings

On adding Dennis Schroder: “Last year, after trading De’Aaron (Fox), we saw that our offense needed more ballhandling. We’ve got scorers and passers, but guys to get into our stuff was something we were lacking. That’s what Dennis will give us, along with his own scoring and playmaking too,” a Kings coach said.
On Keegan Murray and a possible extension: “We’re so happy with Keegan and his development. He’s had a tough role every year, really. As a rookie, we asked him to shoot a lot more. Last year, he was often the fourth or fifth option. For a young guy, that can be hard to adjust to. But to his credit, Keegan never balked. We feel like he’s a top defender as his position and the offense is there. It’s on us to make sure we don’t let him go too long without getting involved,” a Kings front office executive said. “As far as an extension goes, Keegan and his reps know how we feel about him. We’re hopeful that we can get something done that keeps him in Sacramento for a long time.”
On the roster continuing to evolve: “We’re really happy with the guys we added at the draft. We think Nique (Clifford) was one of the most versatile players in the class. He’s probably going to play a role for us right away. Getting Maxime (Raynaud) in the second round was a steal. He’s kind of the perfect partner to Domas (Sabonis) because he’ll space the floor, and we won’t have to push him to play too many minutes too early. Keeping Isaac Jones was a key for us too. He’s got so much talent and he plays so hard. He’ll be hard to keep off the floor,” a King front office executive said.
On Keon Ellis and a possible extension: “That’s the goal. We had a lot of discussion on the best way to handle things with Keon and the option we had for him. Ultimately, it’s a show of trust that we picked up his option, instead of making him a restricted free agent. That helped us add some talent this year, that we might not have been able to get otherwise. Now, we hope to get something done that keeps Keon in Sacramento, because he’s a really good player and different from all of our other guards,” a Sacramento front office executive said.

San Antonio Spurs

On the team’s draft: “We were so fortunate to have that luck in the lottery. Getting Dylan (Harper) was just one of those things that happens and you’re so thankful for it. It was a cameo out here (Las Vegas), but you can see how special he is. A terrific competitor and I know our coaches are excited about watching him and De’Aaron (Fox) and Stephon (Castle) battling it out and making each other better,” a Spurs front office executive said. “Carter (Bryant) fits what we want too. He’s tough, he defends and we think there’s a lot more there offensively than what he showed in college. Really excited to have him.”
On adding size this offseason: “When Victor (Wembanyama) went down last year, it really showed that we needed more up front. The opportunity to sign Luke Kornet was perfect. He can start or he can come off the bench. The guys in Boston couldn’t have said better things about Luke as a person and a player. We’re thrilled to have him,” a Spurs front office executive said. “Then the chance to add Kelly (Olynyk) came up later, but we’re glad it did. We had a lot of guards after the draft, so we were able to move a couple of our younger guys to add Kelly. The best part with both Kelly and Luke is that they can play with Victor or they can play together.”
On a potential contract extension for De’Aaron Fox: “When we made that trade, we knew what the contract status was, of course. We see De’Aaron as someone who can grow with our young players and be a real leader for us. We’re hopeful we can make something happen to keep him in San Antonio for a long time,” a Spurs front office executive said.”
On Victor Wembanyama’s recovery: “Everything seems to be going according to plan. He’s spoken about feeling pretty good recently. Nothing seemed to be anything that would linger after the issue was addressed. We’re excited to get him back on the floor with the rest of our group, and our new guys,” a Spurs front office executive said.

Utah Jazz

On the team’s roster construction: “We had a lot of work to do, for sure. When you have as many guys on expiring contracts as we did, plus as many young players, you have to be very proactive,” a Jazz front office executive said. “We didn’t want the older players here pushing for minutes to get their next deal, which is what they should be doing. We didn’t want the younger players getting resentful because guys who aren’t a part of our future were playing in front of them. That mindset drove some of our moves this summer.”
On drafting Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr.: “When Ace was on the board at our pick, it sure took a lot sting out of dropping in the lottery. All the stuff about him pre-draft and not wanting to come to Utah, that was all just nonsense. He’s excited to be with us, and we’re thrilled to have him,” a Jazz front office executive said. “As far as Walter goes, he’s exactly the kind of player we want. He’s a leader. He’ll be a leader on Day 1 of camp. We can already see it during Summer League. And it’s authentic. Talk to anyone around that Florida program and they’ll tell you that Walter drove them to the title this year. Not just on the floor, but in practices and in the locker room. We love that about him.”
On Walker Kessler and a potential extension: “We’d love to get Walker signed. We have a whole lot of flexibility, because Lauri (Markkanen) is the only veteran we have on a long-term deal. That will come into play with Walker too, because he’ll be the next guy on a long-term deal. That’s something we have to be mindful of, as we plan and build out roster out in the immediate and for the future,” a Jazz front office executive said.
On Lauri Markkanen’s future in Utah: “We hope it will be a long one! (laughed) Seriously, we love Lauri. He’s been great since getting here and nothing will change with that. He understands what we’re doing and how this team is building. He’s ready to get back here and to get back to work for next season,” a Jazz front office executive said.
On having so many young players: “It’s important that we set the right tone. It’s ok to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. These guys are young and some of them are young young, if that makes sense. Mistakes are coming to come. But they can’t be the same mistakes over an over. If they are, look around, there’s another guy ready to take your minutes. That level of competition is going to be awesome for us. And if the kids aren’t getting it done, we’ve got a lot of vets who have had success in the league. Those guys aren’t done playing yet. No one on our roster is just collecting a paycheck. They’re all here to work and to push each other to be better,” a Utah coach said.

nba nba offseason nba summer league nba

Eastern Conference Summer League Notes

Keith SmithJuly 21, 2025

NBA Summer League is ostensibly a basketball event. There is basketball being played on the court, but there are just as many games being played in quiet corners of the arenas, the concourse and hotel lobbies.

The entire NBA world is in Las Vegas. The main madness of the offseason is over. It’s a relaxed environment and NBA folks are ready to talk. They’ll talk about what they did, didn’t do, and what their hopes are for players and their teams. In exchange for anonymity, you can get some real good insight. Yes, most of it has an optimistic tone. But that’s summer in the NBA for you!

As I’ve done each year when returning from Las Vegas, I’m going to empty out my notebook. In each case, I’ll try to notate if the comment came from a front office executive, a coach or a scout. When it’s my own observation, I’ll start the note by saying so.

One note: None of these notes came from sessions where we had speakers at Sports Business Classroom. That intel is forever under lock and key. That’s because that gold is for SBC students’ ears only. If you want in on that, click the link above and start looking at getting ready to sign up for the next session!

First up, I’ll have some general NBA notes. Then, we’ll go through the Eastern Conference teams. Let’s start emptying the notebook!

Stars in trade rumors deep into the offseason

“This is how it is now, I think,” an Eastern Conference GM said. “It used to be by the time Summer League ended, you could go on vacation until training camp. Now, we’re going to have year-round news because the star guys put that kind of pressure on the team to keep improving.”
“Do I think the star guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or LeBron (James) are going to go anywhere? Nope. Is it possible? Sure is. That’s why I can’t go to the beach and shut my phone off. You never know when a call could come. And imagine telling your owner that you missed out on a trading for one of those guys because you were asleep on the beach? I’d lose my job!” a Western Conference GM said.
“This is how it is now. Building a roster is a year-long job. You can’t finish up here in Las Vegas with camp guys and call it a summer. Probably good for you for content though, right?” an Eastern Conference front office executive said.

Second Apron

Observation: The dreaded second apron was a discussion point in almost every conversation. For some, it was a fear that the second apron was going to cause teams to cheap out. For others, the restrictions are necessary for survival of all 30 teams.
“The apron is tough. You have to be more mindful and preemptive than ever,” said an Eastern Conference GM.
“I think what we’re going to see is teams dip their toes into the tax, because that’s not as punitive,” one president of basketball operations said. “Then you’ll go to the first apron as you climb the playoff ladder. And if you’re a title contender, then you can go into the second apron for a year or two. But you have to be intentional about it.”
“Look, we’re probably never going to be a second apron team. It’s just now how we operate. But for a team like us, that can open up value trades or even signings, when the expensive teams start shedding salary. It’s a tremendous balancer for the league,” an Eastern Conference GM told me.

Major injuries, including the rash of torn Achilles’ tendons across the NBA

“I know you’ve talked about this before, and you’re spot-on: It has to start with the youth levels,” a head of sports science said. “By the time guys to get to the league, they’re already beat up. And these are 20-year-olds we’re talking about. We have to stop grinding them to dust before they even make it.”
“It’s something we’ve talked about as a team. We always have to build depth, because injuries are inevitable,” a Western Conference GM said, “But what’s different is that you have to multiple years of depth now. Because we’re all going to lose a guy for a year or so at some point.”
“You know how in baseball they say things like ‘It’s good that he got a Tommy John surgery out of the way early in his career’? I almost wonder if we’re going to hit that point in basketball. I hope not, but we have to start fixing this problem and it starts by not pushing these guys to play so much when they are children,” a head trainer said.

Atlanta Hawks

On Zaccharie Risacher: “A big part of the reason we were willing to add guys to push forward was the play of Zaccharie Risacher. From Christmas on, he was awesome. Go look up the stats and you’ll see how good he was after Christmas. (Note: Risacher averaged 13.9 points on 50/40/73 shooting splits over his final 45 games of his rookie season.) We know what Trae (Young) and Jalen (Johnson) are. Dyson (Daniels) is become a big-time player. But Zaccharie gave us the confidence to add to the roster,” a Hawks front office executive said.
On extending Dyson Daniels: “I think we can get a deal done with Dyson. Both sides want to. He’s been a perfect fit next to Trae (Young) because they complement each other well,” a Hawks front office executive said.”
On the draft and draft-night trade: “The draft was a homerun for us. We got that extra pick. (Note: this is the best of the Pelicans/Bucks 2026 first-round pick.) And we nailed our pick with Asa Newell. He’s something different from our other frontcourt guys. The goal for this year for him: Play really hard, run the floor and mix it up on defense. Keep it simple and build from there,” a Hawks coach said.
On the offseason moves: “We feel like we had one of the best offseasons in the entire league. I know that’s confident, but we got Kristaps (Porzingis) in a trade and signed Nickeil (Alexander-Walker) and Luke (Kennard). Who else added three players that good?” a Hawks front office executive said. “Those are big-time players who all fill needs for us. We’re going to be deep and really versatile next season. We won’t put any kind of expectations on our group, but we’re not putting any kind of artificial limits on them either.”
On Kobe Bufkin: “I’m a little worried about him. Athletically, he’s fine. He’s too quick and too strong for guys here (Las Vegas Summer League). But he’s got to shoot it better. And he has to stay healthy. Hopefully it will come together for him,” a Hawks scout said.

Boston Celtics

On the roster changes: “Still figuring it all out. As you’ve noted, we’re still above the second apron. We won’t finish there. It sucked to trade Jrue (Holiday) and KP (Kristaps Porzingis), because we loved those guys and they loved Boston,” a Celtics front office executive said. “But it was being brutally honest that we aren’t the same level of team without Jayson (Tatum). We’ll be good. We’ll be a playoff team, but…you know. It’ll come for every team that lands where we did. You can’t be over the second apron and not a title contender. It’s just poor management for both the short- and long-term. The frozen pick and pick dropping stuff is real.”
On Charles Bassey: “Considering he got added to our team so late, this was an awesome run for him. No idea if we’ll have roster space for him or not. But we’d love to keep working with Charles and see if we can make something work,” a Celtics front office executive said.
On Jordan Walsh: “This is sort of a make-or-break year for him. The minutes will be there, if he takes them. This summer was a good start,” a Celtics coach said.
On Hugo Gonzalez: “I don’t care about the shooting numbers. His legs were Jello. He was exhausted. But he competed. He wants to win. The shot looked good before his legs went. We’ll take it slow, but he’s going to get real minutes as a rookie,” a Celtics coach said.
On Baylor Scheierman: “Not worried at all about the shooting. He took more self-created shots out here (Las Vegas) than his entire rookie year. That won’t be his thing in the league…yet. We think he can get there. What was really exciting for us was his defense, his passing and his rebounding. That’s all the connective stuff we drafted him to do,” a Celtics coach said.

Brooklyn Nets

On drafting five rookies: “Kind of crazy, right? But the value to trade those picks against the players we could get just wasn’t there,” a Nets front office executive said. “Now, we have to be very intentional this year. Being as young as we are is pretty fragile. But we’re excited for the challenge.”
On Egor Demin: “Yeah, his role here (Summer League) was WAY different than what we’re going to ask him to do in the regular season. But that’s what this is for, right? We tasked him to shoot it from deep and to shoot it a lot. He did exactly as he was asked,” a Nets coach said. “We know about the playmaking. This was a chance to see if he could get his shot off against NBA-level defenders. He did and those shots went in a lot too. We couldn’t be happier with his work here (Summer League).”
On Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf: “A lot of people see them as being similar players, and that’s somewhat fair. But we think they can play together. Look at OKC and Indiana. They play a lot of ballhandlers and creators,” a Nets front office executive said. “We’re not too worried about the shooting here (Summer League). Both guys just finished up their seasons overseas. They were both pretty wiped out.”
On adding Michael Porter Jr. and Terance Mann: “We’re transitioning our roster, of course. We’re going to play a lot of young players. But we need some vets to balance that. And, of course, we need to score some points,” a Nets front office executive said. “Porter will help us a ton there. I’m not saying he’ll win the scoring title, but I think it could be close. And Terance will help with everything. He’s such a good connector. He’s going to help our young ballhandlers a ton with learning the NBA.”
On Cam Thomas: “We love Cam. We think he’s one of the best scoring guards in the league, and an underrated playmaker. We’ll see what happens, but our feelings about Cam as a player and person have never wavered. We love him,” a Nets coach said.
On re-signing Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams: “We want to be careful that we aren’t just casting off every guy who isn’t on a rookie deal. That’s not good for an organization to get that kind of rep,” a Nets front office executive said. “Those guys and their reps put their faith in us to use our flexibility this summer, while still taking care of them. We’ve still got some cap space, but there’s a clock on that. (Note: if a team has not reached the salary floor by the start of the regular season, a cap hold for the difference is put on the team’s cap sheet.) But we love both Day’Ron and Ziaire and everything they were for us last year and before. We’re young, obviously, but we want some young vets to show the new guys the way. Those two are a big part of that.”

Charlotte Hornets

On the draft: “We had the best draft in the league. Of course, 29 other teams will probably say the same thing,” a Hornets front office executive said. “But we’re fired up. We wanted guys who could complement LaMelo (Ball) and Brandon (Miller) and to help open up the floor for them. Kon (Knueppel) and Liam (McNeeley) can do that. But we didn’t want one-skill guys. We all saw Indiana and the Thunder, right? You have to be able to be versatile. We’re getting there. And we hit in the second round with Sion (James) and Ryan (Kalkbrenner) too. We considered both of them at 29, but knew that Liam wouldn’t come back around. So, we held our breath and still got both guys. Internally, we’ve said we feel like we have four first-rounders, because all four guys we got had first-round evaluations on our board.”
On a full roster: “Yeah. We’ve still got some work to do, for sure. That’s what the rest of this summer will be about. There are some difficult decisions coming, but that’s not bad thing, right? Better that than not having enough guys,” a Hornets front office executive said.
On frontcourt depth: “I get why you are asking. But we think we’ve got guys who can play. Mason (Plumlee) will help with his experience and his passing ability. We’ll have Grant (Williams) back and he’s a great connector. We love Moussa (Diabate). He plays with such great energy and he’s awesome on the glass. And Ryan (Kalkbrenner) has been awesome out here (Summer League). We think he’ll shoot it eventually too,” a Hornets coach said.
On LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller and their health: “Those guys are still our anchors, pillars, foundation, whatever you want to call it. But you are right, we have to get them on the floor. They played like 20 games together last year. That’s not going to cut it. We have to figure that out, and we’re confident we will. Our roster moves at the draft and beyond were about building around those two guys with complementary and connecting pieces to them,” a Hornets front office executive said.

Chicago Bulls

On a somewhat quiet offseason: “I won’t say it was by design. But we knew we weren’t likely to make any blockbuster moves either. But we’re happy with what we did and we’re still actively looking at other options too,” a Bulls front office executive said.
On Josh Giddey: “We want to get a deal done with Josh. He’s as important of a player as we have. We see him as a foundational player for us. I hope we can find a deal that makes sense for us and him and that we’ll be together for a long time,” a Bulls front office executive said.
On Matas Buzelis: “He’s going to be really, really good. He wants it so damn bad. This kid pushes himself so hard. And you see that on the floor too. But it’s the quiet moments when you see him work. He’s wildly intense about getting better and improving,” a Bulls coach said.
On the roster as a whole: “Last year, we played pretty fast. I think we can play even faster next season. Our roster is built for it. And you saw with Indiana and OKC in the Finals, that playing with pace is so important. We’re going to get after it on defense, force turnovers and then get out and run. That suits Matas (Buzelis) and Noa (Essengue) as our young forwards and all of our guards really well. We also think that Isaac (Okoro) will benefit in a more up-tempo style too. There’s untapped potential there,” a Bulls coach said.
On Coby White: “The contract is what it is. We probably can’t extend him, because the rules don’t allow for us to pay him enough,” a Bulls front office executive said. “But we want Coby to be a Bull for a long time. He knows how we feel about him.”

Cleveland Cavaliers

On the overall roster: “It’s hard being a second apron team, but we think we did well to add some talent,” a Cavs front office executive said. “Thrilled to bring Sam Merrill back. We value his shooting so much. Lonzo (Ball) is really going to help us. He gives us more size and defense in the backcourt, and his passing will be so great for all of our guys. Larry (Nance Jr.) is going to really help our frontcourt a lot. He can play either big spot and that’s huge in a rotation with Evan (Mobley) and Jarrett (Allen). We’re also excited about Tyrese Proctor too. We think he was a tremendous value pick in the second round.”
On Nae’Qwan Tomlin: “Really exciting, right? We saw some of this in the G League last year. He might be a rotation guy for us this year,” a Cleveland coach said.
On Jaylon Tyson’s development: “Right on schedule. This year, there’s a path to more minutes for Jaylon. Don’t be surprised if he’s in the rotation,” a Cavs scout said.”

Detroit Pistons

On the roster movement this offseason: “It’s no secret we had to pivot, right? But we feel really good about what we were able to do,” a Pistons front office executive said. “Caris LeVert is going to be huge for us, because he can score and he can be a primary playmaker too. Duncan Robinson’s shooting is something we had to have. We think we’ve got guys who can set him up even more than he was in Miami the last couple of years.”
On Ron Holland II: “Oh, man! Yes! Be honest with me: Did you see a better player out here (Las Vegas) than Ron?” a Pistons front office executive said. “If you say you did, you better be ready for an argument! Ron was so good. We said it when we drafted him that we felt like we got one of the best players in the draft. As a rookie, he just got better every single day. Now, he’s going to break out and have an incredible season. The jumper and the free throw shooting? Those are real. Big, big, BIG year coming for Ron.”
On extensions talks with Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey: “Those guys are key guys for us. We’re not the cap-space Pistons anymore. We’re the playoff-Pistons now. If want to keep being the playoff-Pistons, we need to be really smart from here on out,” a Pistons front office executive said. “That means finding the right deal for us and our players. But we love the way both Jalen and Jaden have developed. Look, if we have Jaden last year, we win our first playoff series in forever. We believe that 100%. We’re hopeful we can get extensions done with both of those guys to keep them in Detroit for a long time.”

Indiana Pacers

On losing Myles Turner: “It’s tough. Myles was so important to everything we’ve been over the last decade. But we have to be smart, both right now and the future,” a Pacers front office executive said. “We feel like we used our assets well to get center options in the building that can help us continue to be a really good team.”
On the center position: “We’re thrilled to bring back Isaiah (Jackson) and James (Wiseman). I mean, who the heck has two big guys tear Achilles’ in the span of a week? That was crazy,” a Pacers coach said. “Those guys were poised to have good years for us last year. Now, they’re set up to do the same this year. And adding Jay Huff was big-time. He’s an underrated floor spacer and rim protector. No one can replace Myles, but Jay is going to be a lot better than a lot of people realize.”
On playing without Tyrese Haliburton: “Yeah, we’ll see how that goes, unfortunately. Wish it wasn’t the case, but it is. That’s life in the NBA,” a Pacers scout said. “But we have really, really good guards. We think we have the best guard group in the entire NBA. Tyrese is the best point guard in the NBA, but Andrew (Nembhard), T.J. (McConnell), Benn (Bennedict Mathurin), and Kam (Jones) are pretty good. They’ll make it work.”

Miami Heat

On adding Norman Powell: “Huge. One of the best scoring guards we’ve had in the league over the last few years. He can get downhill off the bounce and he can play off guys as a shooter. He’s going to be awesome for us, because he’ll get a chance to do a lot of everything on offense,” a Heat coach said.
On re-signing Davion Mitchell: “The minute Davion arrived and we saw him on the floor, we knew he was going to be someone who stuck around. Sometimes when you make a trade, guys are kind of in and out and you keep shuffling,” a Heat front office executive said. “With Davion, we knew right away. He’s perfect with our guys and our mindset.”
On drafting Kasparas Jakucionis: “I’m not going to tell you where he was on our board, but it was a heck of a lot higher than where we picked him!” a Heat front office executive said. “The great thing about Kas is that he wasn’t very good in California. And he was mad about that. Here (Las Vegas) he was much better. That’s what will work for him in the NBA. He’s not going to settle for anything other than being great.”
On Kel’el Ware: “Big, big year coming for him. He’s another guy who won’t settle for anything other than being great,” a Heat front office executive said. “We’re looking forward to watching the leap he’s going to take as a second-year guy. Perfect fit with Bam (Adebayo) in our versatile frontcourt. Couldn’t be happier with how he’s coming along.”

Milwaukee Bucks

On a transitioning roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo: “I know you’re a Moneyball guy from your tweets. ‘Adapt or die’, right? When you have a player as good as Giannis, you have to be continually willing to do what it takes to win. That’s what we did,” a Bucks front office executive said.
On adding Myles Turner: “When we signed Brook (Lopez) forever ago, it was because we knew adding a floor space that could protect the rim next to Giannis would make us hard to deal with on both ends,” a Bucks coach said. “We’re doing the same with Myles. He’s not exactly the same as Brook, but we don’t have to completely change our identity with Myles either. That’s huge for continuity.”
On re-signing several key free agents: “We’re lucky to have had this group of free agents when we did. This was a complicated summer for us, because we had to create cap space and then re-sign a bunch of guys too. We’re thankful to have this particular group, with a bunch of great agents to work with, to get things done. They put their faith in us, and we hope that was rewarded,” a Bucks front office executive said.
On what happens next: “(laughs) I know you’re asking about Giannis. We have no indication that anything is really changing as far as our relationship with the player we think is the best in the world. We rebuilt on the fly, in a really challenging situation, but we think we did it as well as it could be done,” a Bucks front office executive said.
On the waive-and-stretch of Damian Lillard: “That was really, really hard. Dame is such a great player and we’re all thrilled that he landed back home in Portland,” a Bucks front office executive said. “It’s also hard to take that kind of cap hit in immovable salary for a long time. But when you have Giannis (Antetokounmpo), you have to be willing to do what it takes to win and maximize your time with him.”

New York Knicks

On the offseason moves: “We didn’t have a lot we could do, because of the apron. But we were able to land a really good big man in Guerschon (Yabusele) and an experienced backup guard in Jordan (Clarkson). We feel pretty good about getting those two guys,” a Knicks coach said.
On pushing for a Finals run: “We’re close. We were already right there. Now, we think we’re even close. This is a great group and the additions we made will push us even further,” a Knicks coach said.
On Mikal Bridges and an extension: “We hope to get something done. When you make the commitment to trade for a player like we did with Mikal, you do it with the intention of them being on the team for a long time,” a Knicks front office executive said.
On the team’s younger players: “This is a tough rotation to crack. We have a lot of NBA veterans who are going to play a lot. But Pacome (Dadiet) looked a lot more comfortable this year than last year. Tyler (Kolek) got some run last year and we’re comfortable with playing him more this year. Ariel (Hukporti) was forced to play at time last year and he’s more ready if that happens again this year. And Kevin (McCullar Jr.) and MarJon (Beauchamp) both looked awesome out here (Las Vegas). We’re still figuring out the rest of the roster, but we hope all of those guys factor in somehow,” a Knicks scout said.

Orlando Magic

On adding Desmond Bane: “Do you think people forgot that happened? (laughs) It was so long ago! But we’re so excited to have him on the team now. It’s no secret we needed more shooting. Desmond will give us that. And he’s a better passer and defender than people realize too. We think that he’s a perfect fit with Paolo (Banchero), Franz (Wagner) and Jalen (Suggs) as a core foursome,” a Magic front office executive said.
On pushing up against the aprons: “It’s a new world for us, for sure. But our leadership believes in this group and is willing to pay what it takes to compete for a championship. We told them that if we wait too long because of finances, that we might not get there. A window is open now, and we’re young enough to keep that window open for a while,” a Magic front office executive said.
On adding Tyus Jones: “We needed more surety at backup guard. We’ve had injuries in the past and been caught asking too much of our primary guys. With Tyus, we get a guy who we know we can comfortably ask to start without any drop off from the guy he’s filling for. That’s huge for us as coaches and for our players too,” a Magic coach said.
On the team’s rookies Jase Richardson and Noah Penda and second-year player Tristan da Silva: “Neither guy had a very long stint out here (Las Vegas), but both Jase and Noah showed they can play. Jase is so tough. We took some losses in the backcourt with guys moving on, but Jase is going to be fun to toss in the mix some this year,” a Magic coach said. “Noah is tough. He’s a competitor. We’ve got a really deep frontcourt. But he’s going to get better every single day just by competing against our veterans up front. And don’t forget Tristan da Silva. I know he feels like a vet, but he’s only going into his second year. He’s got everything you need in winning players.”

Philadelphia 76ers

On V.J. Edgecombe: “For where we landed in the draft, we got the best player available, and we don’t think it was all that close. V.J. is perfect with the guys we already have, because he can do different things than they do,” a Sixers front office executive said. “We couldn’t be more excited to have him joining our team.”
On Quentin Grimes: “We want Quentin back. We believe he wants to be back. We all saw how great he was after he got to us last year. Hopefully we can get something done,” a 76ers front office executive said.
On the team’s offseason acquisitions: “Because of our position with the aprons and Quentin (Grimes) as a free agent, we had to be work around the edges. We feel like we got great value in the draft and free agency. V.J. (Edgecombe) and Johni (Broome) were the best guys on our board when they got picked. Getting guys like Trendon (Watford), Jabari (Walker), Dominick (Barlow) and Hunter (Sallis) without having big money to throw around, that’s adding championship-level depth,” a Sixers coach said.
On re-signing Justin Edwards: “We felt like Justin was a steal when we got him last year. When things went the way they went for us, you look for bright spots. Justin was the brightest spot we had. Very excited to continue that partnership together for the long-term,” a Sixers front office executive said.
On the team’s injury status (Note: This was before the news of Paul George having surgery came out and before the longform article about Joel Embiid was published): “We’re very aware that some of our key guys have things they are working through. We have tried to build depth to work around that, while also having talent we can pivot to, if necessary,” a Sixers front office executive said. “It creates a tremendous challenge for our coaches, but we believe in their ability to figure it out. We said multiple times heading into the offseason that ‘We need to build two different teams.’ One of those teams is going to play one way when our vets are healthy. We think that’s at a championship level. The other team is going to play fast and to take advantage of our youth. That puts a lot on the coaching staff to be that kind of multiple-style team, but we think they’re the perfect staff to pull it off.”

Toronto Raptors

On a quieter offseason: “Somewhat by design, to be sure. We did our work last year, when we acquired and then extended Brandon (Ingram). That doesn’t mean we didn’t look at things this summer, but we felt good about the group we had going into the offseason, and nothing came our way to make us think about changing that in any kind of major way,” a Raptors front office executive said.
On Collin Murray-Boyles: “We love him. Loved him at school, loved him in the pre-draft process, love him at Summer League. He’s tough. He plays hard. He has a high level of accountability for himself and his teammates. We’re excited to see what that looks like with our veteran guys. We think that our group of forwards/wings are going to push each other every day. That’s how they’ll all get better,” a Raptors scout said.”
On the team’s standing in the Eastern Conference: “We think we can be really good. One thing we’ve talked about is not putting a ceiling on any one player or on our team as a whole. We’re going to compete every day and we’ll see where things fall out. We think that will be in a pretty good place,” a Raptors coach said.

Washington Wizards

On the team’s roster construction (Note: This was pre-buyouts for Marcus Smart and Blake Wesley.): “We’re very conscious about not going too young. We’ve known for a long time that we were going to have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. But we know we need at least a couple of veterans around, or no one is there to guide the kids,” a Wizards front office executive said.
On the team’s young players: “(laughs) If we go through all of them, it’ll take the rest of the day! Let’s just say that we’re thrilled with every young guy we have. What’s important to us is that they all want to compete and to get better. We set a tone early on that if you don’t come into the gym to work, then don’t come into the gym at all. We’ve never had to challenge these guys to work. We challenge them in different ways, but they’ve all shown up to work every day,” a Wizards coach said.
On drafting Tre Johnson: “When you look at the other guys we’ve drafted, we didn’t have what Tre is going to bring us. We had defenders, we had playmakers, we had shooters. Tre is a pure scorer. He was born to get buckets. Tre is a guy who is going to play with great confidence from Day 1. Our other guys are confident too, but Tre is just different in his confidence as a scorer from a lot of young players. He’s going to be special,” a Wizards scout said.
On Khris Middleton and C.J. McCollum and Marcus Smart (Note: This was before the buyout for Marcus Smart): “The ‘adults in the room’, right? Khris was so good with our kids when he got here last year. They gravitated to him in a major way. Marcus too. C.J. will be the same way. We’re going to play our young guys a lot, but having guys like Khris, C.J. and Marcus to point them in the right direction is invaluable for our young team,” a Wizards front office executive said.

nba nba summer league nba offseason nba

Scheffler Wins The Open Championship, $3.1 million

Scott AllenJuly 20, 2025

Scottie Scheffler wins The Open Championship. Scheffler earns $3.1 million bringing his 2025 on-course earnings to $19.2 million and his career earnings to $163.9 million.

The Open Championship Top 10 Payouts

pga tour scottie scheffler

2025 MLB All-Star Game: Bonus and Incentive Totals

Dan SoemannJuly 16, 2025

Players are awarded various bonuses and incentives related to the All-Star Game and earned a total of $4,585,000 in 2025.

11 players earned contract incentives totaling $775k
42 players earned bonuses totaling $360k for finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd after Phase 1 of All-Star voting
8 players earned bonuses totaling $2.5M from the Home Run Derby
38 players earned bonuses totaling $950k from the All-Star Game

Note: Includes players who earned bonuses but did not play in the All-Star game.

Cal Raleigh (C - Mariners): $1,030,000
$1,000,000 (Home Run Derby Winner)
$15,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 1st place)
$15,000 (All-Star In-game Interview)
Junior Caminero (3B - Rays): $500,000 (Home Run Derby Runner-Up)
Oneil Cruz (OF - Pirates): $250,000
$150,000 (Home Run Derby Participant)
$100,000 (Home Run Derby - Longest HR)
Matt Olson (1B - Braves): $190,000
$150,000 (Home Run Derby Participant)
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (All-Star In-game Interview)
James Wood (OF - Nationals): $175,000
$150,000 (Home Run Derby Participant)
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Brent Rooker (DH - Athletics): $162,500
$150,000 (Home Run Derby Participant)
$10,000 (All-Star Game Tiebreaker Participant)
$2,500 (Phase 1 Voting; 3rd place)
Byron Buxton (OF - Twins): $150,000 (Home Run Derby Participant)
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (3B - Yankees): $150,000 (Home Run Derby Participant)
Jose Ramirez (3B - Guardians): $115,000
$100,000 (All-Star Incentive)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Jacob deGrom (P - Rangers): $100,000 (All-Star Incentive)
Freddy Peralta (P - Brewers): $100,000 (All-Star Incentive)
Nathan Eovaldi (P - Rangers): $100,000 (All-Star Incentive)
Francisco Lindor (SS - Mets): $90,000
$50,000 (All-Star Incentive)
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Edwin Diaz (RP - Mets): $75,000
$50,000 (All-Star Incentive)
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Josh Hader (RP - Astros): $75,000 (All-Star Incentive)
Javier Baez (OF - Tigers): $65,000
$50,000 (All-Star Incentive)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Pete Alonso (1B - Mets): $55,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (All-Star In-game Interview)
$10,000 (All-Star Game Tiebreaker Participant)
$5,000 (Phase 1 voting; 2nd place)
Julio Rodriguez (OF - Mariners): $50,000 (All-Star Incentive)
Christopher Sanchez (SP - Phillies): $50,000 (All-Star Incentive)
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF - Braves): $40,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF - Cubs): $40,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Freddie Freeman (1B - Dodgers): $40,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Clayton Kershaw (SP - Dodgers): $40,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (All-Star In-game Interview)
Manny Machado (3B - Padres): $40,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Ketel Marte (2B - Diamondbacks): $40,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Shohei Ohtani (DH - Dodgers): $40,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Will Smith (C - Dodgers): $40,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Kyle Schwarber (DH - Phillies): $37,500
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$10,000 (All-Star Game Tiebreaker Participant)
$2,500 (Phase 1 voting; 3rd place)
Kyle Stowers (OF - Marlins): $35,000
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$10,000 (All-Star Game Tiebreaker Participant)
Jacob Wilson (SS - Athletics): $30,000
$15,000 (All-Star In-game Interview)
$15,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 1st place)
Elly De La Cruz (SS - Reds): $27,500
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$2,500 (Phase 1 voting; 3rd place)
Eugenio Suarez (3B - Diamondbacks): $27,500
$25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
$2,500 (Phase 1 voting; 3rd place)
Jason Adam (RP - Rays): $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Andrew Abbott (SP - Reds) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Corbin Carroll (OF - Diamondbacks) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Brendan Donovan (2B - Cardinals) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Hunter Goodman (C - Rockies) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
MacKenzie Gore (SP - Nationals) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Trevor Megill (RP - Brewers) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Jacob Misiorowski (SP - Brewers) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Adrian Morejon (RP - Padres) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
David Peterson (SP - Mets) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Paul Skenes (SP - Pirates) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Robert Suarez (RP - Padres) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Fernando Tatis Jr. (OF - Padres) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Kyle Tucker (OF - Cubs) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Logan Webb (SP - Giants) $25,000 (All-Star Game Winner)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B - Blue Jays): $15,000 (Phase 1 voting; 1st place)
Tarik Skubal (SP - Tigers): $15,000 (All-Star In-game Interview)
Riley Greene (OF - Tigers): $15,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 1st place)
Teoscar Hernandez (OF - Blue Jays): $15,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 1st place)
Aaron Judge (OF - Yankees): $15,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 1st place)
Ryan O’Hearn (DH - Orioles): $15,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 1st place)
Gleyber Torres (2B - Tigers): $15,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 1st place)
Jonathan Aranda (1B - Rays): $12,500
$10,000 (All-Star Game Tiebreaker Participant)
$2,500 (Phase 1 voting; 3rd place)
Randy Arozarena (OF - Rays) $10,000 (All-Star Game Tiebreaker Participant)
Mookie Betts (OF - Dodgers): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Alex Bregman (3B - Red Sox): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Rafael Devers (DH - Giants): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Tommy Edman (2B - Dodgers): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Paul Goldschmidt (1B - Yankees): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Jackson Holliday (2B - Orioles): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Carson Kelly (C - Cubs): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Alejandro Kirk (C - Blue Jays): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Max Muncy (3B - Dodgers): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Ben Rice (DH - Yankees): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Bobby Witt Jr. (SS - Royals): $5,000 (Phase 1 Voting; 2nd place)
Jose Altuve (2B - Astros): $2,500 (Phase 1 Voting; 3rd place)
Dillon Dingler (C - Tigers): $2,500 (Phase 1 Voting; 3rd place)
Bryce Harper (1B - Phillies): $2,500 (Phase 1 Voting; 3rd place)
Nico Hoerner (2B - Cubs): $2,500 (Phase 1 Voting; 3rd place)
Jeremy Pena (SS - Astros): $2,500 (Phase 1 Voting; 3rd place)
Zach McKinstry (2B - Tigers): $2,500 (Phase 1 Voting; 3rd place)
JT Realmuto (C - Phillies): $2,500 (Phase 1 Voting; 3rd place)

Midseason MLB Contract Awards

Michael GinnittiJuly 14, 2025

MVP Extension

It’s not often that we get an actual MVP candidate to fall into this category, but Mariners C Cal Raleigh hits the ASG break with 38 HRs, 82 RBIs, and a 1.010 OPS. He’s the runner-up odds favorite to win AL MVP (Aaron Judge), but easily the biggest first half storyline.

Raleigh signed a 6 year, $105M extension this past March that bought out all three years of arbitration (at $34M combined) then 3 years of free agency (at $69M combined). He’s the 28th best value in all of baseball right now according to our True Value Stat.

Philly Special

The Phillies head into the break with 3 of the Top 4 NL Cy Young candidates. Front-runner Zack Wheeler began a 3 year, $126M extension this season (making him the highest average paid SP in the history of the game). 28-year-old Cristopher Sanchez started his 4 year, $22.5M extension in 2025 that bought out a pre-arbitration season, all of his arbitration years, and two possible free agent seasons if club options are exercised. Ranger Suarez (4th best Cy Young odds) was the odd man out contractually, as he is currently set to hit the open market this winter.

The Sox Swap

After one big year in Chicago, Garrett Crochet was acquired by the Boston Red Sox last December and subsequently extended out 6 years, $170M through 2031. The deal bought out Crochet’s final run through arbitration and won’t actually kick in until the 2026 campaign. The 26-year-old is playing out 2025 on a $3.8M arbitration salary, while giving Tarik Skubal a run for his money in the Cy Young race.

Back & Better Than Ever

When Matt Boyd hit the shelf for Tommy John surgery back with the Tigers back in 2023, many thought that would be the end of his time as a reliable starting pitcher at the MLB level. The Guardians helped rehabilitate him back to health on a veteran minimum contract halfway through last season, and he showed signs of rounding back into form down the stretch. So when the Cubs handed the 34-year-old a 2 year, $29M guarantee (plus incentives), there was a high level of risk/reward to be had with it. Boyd has rewarded them hand over hand to start the 2025 season, holding down a 2.34 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, including 102 strikeouts in 112 innings of work. He hits the ASG break as one of the best value veteran pitchers in the game.

Run it Back

After a tumultuous first run through free agency, Pete Alonso found himself back where he started, signing a 2 year, $54M contract with the New York Mets that included $30M in 2025, and a chance to opt out of the remaining $24M prior to 2026. He’s a lock to do just that, sending him back into the open market once again this coming winter for what he hopes will be a much smoother path toward a worthy multi-year guarantee. The 30-year-old is doing his part on the field, posting Top 5 MVP numbers at the break, including 26 HRs, 77 RBI, and a .907 OPS. He currently carries a $30M per year market value in our system.

The Value Plays

Cubs OF Pete Crow-Armstrong exploded onto the scene in 2025 and is currently the runner-up favorite for NL MVP behind Shohei Ohtani. PCA hits the break with 21 doubles, 25 homers, 71 RBIs, and a 5.4 WAR, combining with Kyle Tucker as one of the best 1-2 lineup punches in all of baseball thus far. The 23-year-old still holds 5 years of team control ahead of him, so the Cubs have plenty more value to squeeze out

Astros SP Hunter Brown has improved dramatically in each of the past 2 seasons, culminating with an All-Star selection this week. The 26-year-old holds 3 arbitration seasons going forward, and should be considered a strong extension candidate this offseason, with Logan Webb’s 5 year, $90M deal in San Francisco a likely target.

Mariners RP Andres Munoz hits the break with 21 saves, a 245 ERA+, and a second consecutive All Star selection. The 26-year-old is in the final season of a 4 year, $7.5M pre-arbitration extension, but Seattle holds 3 future club options on the deal through 2028, furthering the potential value.

Young & Cheap

The current list of AL/NL Rookie of the Year candidates combines plenty of notable names, but not a single contract extension. These 20 players are all currently playing out a first-year minimum $760,000 salary (some at a prorated level based on their purchase date), providing maximum value to their respective organizations. More than a few of these players (Anthony, Mayer, Caglianone) will be offseason extension candidates in the coming months.

(h/t FoxSports)

The “Winter Of” Candidates

While we don’t have a Judge, or Ohtanio, or Soto to hang our collective hats on this coming winter, a strong core of players to start watching closely is quickly forming.

OF Kyle Tucker, Cubs
Tucker remains the leader in the clubhouse despite a bit of a dip in power production halfway through 2025. He continues to fill-up the stat sheet and is a major contributor to the Cubs’ early success. Current Valuation: 12 years, $515M

1B Pete Alonso, Mets
Alonso is largely expected to opt-out of his contract in NY and rejoin the open market this winter, and the asking price really shouldn’t be changing all too much. Pete went into last winter looking for long-term guarantee at around $30M per year, locked in a 1 year, $30M deal with the Mets this season, and should be seeking a 5-6 year deal at that same annual dollar figure. Current Valuation: 6 years, $180M

SP Framber Valdez, Astros
Gave us all a bit of a scare last season when he missed time with an elbow twinge, but has rounded right back into top form for 2025. The 31-year-old settled at an $18M pricepoint for his fourth and final go-around in arbitration, setting himself up for a free agent deal that values near the $30M per year mark foundationally speaking. Current Value: 6 years, $168M

SP Ranger Suarez, Phillies
He’s dealt with back issues in back-to-back seasons which may give teams cause for concern when thinking long-term, but it shouldn’t completely halt his ability to lock in a strong contract this winter. The 29-year-old has age, talent, & postseason experience on his side. Current Valuation: 6 years, $170M

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2025 MLB Futures Game: Signing Bonuses

Dan SoemannJuly 12, 2025

International (12):

1. Leo De Vries (SS, Padres) - $4,200,000; signed in 2024 from Dominican Republic

2. Sebastian Walcott (SS/3B, Rangers) - $3,200,000; signed in 2023 from The Bahamas

3. Alfredo Duno (C, Reds) - $3,100,000; signed in 2023 from Venezuela

4. Lazaro Montes (OF, Mariners) - $2,500,000; signed in 2022 from Cuba

5. Jesus Made (SS/3B, Brewers) - $950,000; signed in 2024 from Dominican Republic

6. Josue Briceno (C/1B, Tigers) - $800,000; signed in 2022 from Venezuela

7. Josue De Paula (OF, Dodgers) - $397,500; signed in 2022 from Dominican Republic

8. Jhostynxon Garcia (OF, Red Sox) - $350,000; signed in 2019 from Venezuela

9. Esmerlyn Valdez (OF/1B, Pirates) - $130,000; signed in 2021 from Dominican Republic

10. Eduardo Tait (C, Phillies) - $90,000; signed in 2023 from Panama

11. Alimber Santa (P, Astros) - $75,000; signed in 2019 from Dominican Republic

12. Welinton Herrera (P, Rockies) - bonus TBD; signed in 2021 from Dominican Republic

Draft (36):

1. Charlie Condon (1B/OF, Rockies) - $9,250,000; signed for $179,200 over slot

2. Max Clark (OF, Tigers) - $7,697,500; signed for $644,200 under slot

3. JJ Wetherholt (SS/2B, Cardinals) - $6,900,000; signed for $76,300 over slot

4. Konnor Griffin (SS/OF, Pirates) - $6,532,025; signed for $315,425 over slot

5. Braden Montgomery (OF, White Sox) - $5,000,000; signed for $484,600 under slot

6. Jurrangelo Cijntje (P, Mariners) - $4,880,900; signed for exact slot

7. Harry Ford (C, Mariners) - $4,366,400; signed for exact slot

8. Trey Yesavage (P, Blue Jays) - $4,175,000; signed for $101,600 over slot

9. Enrique Bradfield Jr. (OF, Orioles) - $4,169,700; signed for exact slot

10. Thomas White (P, Marlins) - $4,100,000; signed for 1,679,100 over slot

11. Carson Benge (OF, Mets) - $3,997,500; signed for $221,700 under slot

12. Kaelen Culpepper (SS/2B, Twins) - $3,934,400; signed for

13. Frank Mozzicato (P, Royals) - $3,547,500; signed for $1,884,900 under slot

14. George Lombard Jr. (SS, Yankees) - $3,300,000; signed for $235,000 over slot

15. Slade Caldwell (OF, Diamondbacks) - $3,087,000; signed for $41,500 over slot

16. Tommy White (3B, Athletics) - $3,000,000; signed for $667,900 over slot

17. Kevin McGonigle (SS/2B, Tigers) - $2,847,500; signed for $538,000 over slot

18. Noah Schultz (P, White Sox) - $2,800,000; signed for $10,600 over slot

19. Joe Mack (C, Marlins) - $2,500,000; signed for $188,000 over slot

20. Brice Matthews (2B/SS, Astros) - $2,478,200; signed for $402,500 under slot

21. JR Ritchie (P, Braves) - $2,400,000; signed for $196,800 over slot

22. Alex Clemmey (P, Nationals) - $2,300,000; signed for $897,400 over slot

23. Sal Stewart (3B, Reds) - $2,097,500; signed for $275,500 under slot

24. Gage Jump (P, Athletics) - $2,000,000; signed for $923,100 over slot

25. Carson Whisenhunt (P, Giants) - $1,868,720; signed for $814,020 over slot

26. LuJames Groover (3B, Diamondbacks) - $1,783,000; signed for exact slot

27. Parker Messick (P, Guardians) - $1,300,000; signed for $107,100 under slot

28. Owen Caissie (OF, Cubs) - $1,200,004; signed for $450,196 under slot

29. Carter Jensen (C, Royals) - $1,097,500; signed for $304,500 over slot

30. C.J. Kayfus (1B/OF, Guardians) - $700,000; signed for $25,300 under slot

31. Zyhir Hope (OF, Dodgers) - $400,000; no slot value

32. George Klassen (P, Angels) - $297,500; signed for $14,600 over slot

33. Jonah Tong (P, Mets) - $226,000; signed for exact slot

34. Brody Hopkins (P, Rays) - $225,000; signed for $72,400 under slot

35. Marquis Grissom Jr. (P, Nationals) - $125,000; no slot value

36. Keagan Gillies (P, Orioles) - $50,000; no slot value

Undrafted (2):

1. Trent Harris (P, Giants) - $10,000; signed as undrafted Free Agent

2. Hayden Harris (P, Braves) - bonus TBD; signed as undrafted Free Agent

2025 MLB HR Derby Contestants

Michael GinnittiJuly 11, 2025

The 8 contestants for the 2025 MLB HR Derby have been finalized, led by Atlanta’s own Ronald Acuna Jr., league HR leader Cal Raleigh, and a few budding young power stars in James Wood & Junior Caminero.

This year’s winner will earn a $1M prize, which surpasses the 2025 salaries of contestants Oniel Cruz, Wood, & Caminero respectively.

RELATED: 2025 MLB Batter Salary Ranks

Recent Winners
2024: Teoscar Hernandez
2023: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
2022: Juan Soto
2021: Pete Alonso
2019: Pete Alonso

2025 Contestants

Matt Olson (1B, Braves)
17 HR, 134 OPS+
2025 Salary: $22M
Salary Rank: 31st
Free Agent: 2031
Career Earnings: $87M

Byron Buxton (OF, Twins)
20 HR, 138 OPS+
2025 Salary: $15.1M
Salary Rank: 59th
Free Agent: 2029
Career Earnings: $70M

Jazz Chisholm (2B, Yankees)
17 HR, 139 OPS+
2025 Salary: $5.85M
Salary Rank: 123rd
Free Agent: 2027
Career Earnings: $11M

Brent Rooker (DH/OF, Athletics)
19 HR, 131 OPS+
2025 Salary: $4M
Salary Rank: 147th
Free Agent: 2031
Career Earnings: $17M

Cal Raleigh (C, Mariners)
36 HR, 188 OPS+
2025 Salary: $2.6M
Salary Rank: 177th
Free Agent: 2031
Career Earnings: $16M

Oneil Cruz (CF/SS, Pirates)
16 HR, 101 OPS+
2025 Salary: $785,000
Salary Rank: 256th
Free Agent: 2029
Career Earnings: $4.1M

James Wood (OF, Nationals)
24 HR, 165 OPS+
2025 Salary: $764,800
Salary Rank: 352nd
Free Agent: 2031
Career Earnings: $3.7M

Junior Caminero (3B, Rays)
23 HR, 121 OPS+
2025 Salary: $764,100
Salary Rank: 355th
Free Agent: 2031
Career Earnings: $1M

2025 MLB All-Star Game: Phase 1 Voting Payouts

Dan SoemannJuly 11, 2025

Position players for the MLB All-Star game were decided during two separate fan voting periods. Phase 1 was open from June 4th - 26th and the top two vote-getters at each eligible position (six for outfield) in each League moved on to Phase 2 which determined the All-Star Game starters.

The following payouts are issued to players at each eligible position in each League based on Phase 1 voting results:

$15k to 1st place and top (3) outfielders
$5k to 2nd place
$2.5k to 3rd place

Note: Players do not have to make an All-Star roster to earn the bonus. 15 of the 42 total players listed below did not make an initial roster but could be added later as replacements.

American League

Catcher:

1st - Cal Raleigh (SEA): $15,000 (3,040,594 votes)
2nd - Alejandro Kirk (TOR): $5,000 (1,210,173 votes)
3rd - Dillon Dingler (DET): $2,500 (955,968 votes)

First Baseman:

1st - Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR): $15,000 (2,089,666 votes)
2nd - Paul Goldschmidt (NYY): $5,000 (1,588,603 votes)
3rd - Jonathan Aranda (TBR): $2,500 (1,333,443 votes)

Second Baseman:

1st - Gleyber Torres (DET): $15,000 (1,981,665 votes)
2nd - Jackson Holliday (BAL): $5,000 (1,302,186 votes)
3rd - Jose Altuve (HOU): $2,500 (1,181,690 votes)

Third Baseman:

1st - Jose Ramirez (CLE): $15,000 (2,777,085 votes)
2nd - Alex Bregman (BOS): $5,000 (934,133 votes)
3rd - Zach McKinstry (DET): $2,500 (858,691 votes)

Shortstop:

1st - Jacob Wilson (ATH): $15,000 (1,801,528 votes)
2nd - Bobby Witt Jr. (KCR): $5,000 (1,306,825 votes)
3rd - Jeremy Pena (HOU): $2,500 (971,733 votes)

Designated Hitter:

1st - Ryan O’Hearn (BAL): $15,000 (1,762,125 votes)
2nd - Ben Rice (NYY): $5,000 (674,120 votes)
3rd - Brent Rooker (ATH): $2,500 (649,487 votes)

Outfield:

1st - Aaron Judge (NYY): $15,000 (4,012,983 votes)
2nd - Riley Greene (DET): $15,000 (2,332,378 votes)
3rd - Javier Baez (DET): $15,000 (1.585.554 votes)

National League

Catcher:

1st - Will Smith (LAD): $15,000 (3,428,856 votes)
2nd - Carson Kelly (CHC): $5,000 (1,183,100 votes)
3rd - J.T. Realmuto (PHI): $2,500 (744,698 votes)

First Baseman:

1st - Freddie Freeman (LAD): $15,000 (3,392,751 votes)
2nd - Pete Alonso (NYM): $5,000 (2,186,338 votes)
3rd - Bryce Harper (PHI): $2,500 (771,593 votes)

Second Baseman:

1st - Ketel Marte (ARI): $15,000 (2,534,002 votes)
2nd - Tommy Edman (LAD): $5,000 (1,868,693 votes)
3rd - Nico Hoerner (CHC): $2,500 (884,343 votes)

Third Baseman:

1st - Manny Machado (SDP): $15,000 (2,495,554 votes)
2nd - Max Muncy (LAD): $5,000 (1,665,829 votes)
3rd - Eugenio Suarez (ARI): $2,500 (879,503 votes)

Shortstop:

1st - Francisco Lindor (NYM): $15,000 (2,296,443 votes)
2nd - Mookie Betts (LAD): $5,000 (2,094,921 votes)
3rd - Elly De La Cruz (CIN): $2,500 (1,144,725 votes)

Designated Hitter:

1st - Shohei Ohtani (LAD): $15,000 (3,967,668 votes)
2nd - Rafael Devers (SFG): $5,000 (1,362,363 votes)
3rd - Kyle Schwarber (PHI): $2,500 (920,003 votes)

Outfield:

1st - Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC): $15,000 (3,021,265 votes)
2nd - Teoscar Hernandez (LAD): $15,000 (2,343,058 votes)
3rd - Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL): $15,000 (1,888,867 votes)

Oklahoma City Thunder, Jalen Williams Agree to 5 year Rookie Max Extension

Scott AllenJuly 10, 2025

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Jalen Williams have agreed on a 5 year $239 million rookie contract extension. The deal has Designated Rookie language written into it that could allow the contract to reach up to $287 million. He can earn 30% of the cap if he earns an All-NBA team, MVP or Defensive Player of the Year award next season.

The agreement is based on a $165,472,000 cap maximum.

Estimated Salaries (25% of cap):

2026-27: $41,368,000
2027-28: $44,677,440
2028-29: $47,986,880
2029-30: $51,296,320
2030-31: $54,605,760
Total: $239,934,400

Estimated Salaries (30% of cap if triggered):

2026-27: $49,641,600
2027-28: $53,612,928
2028-29: $57,584,256
2029-30: $61,555,584
2030-31: $65,526,912
Total: $287,921,280

nba jalen williams oklahoma city thunder

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