August 10, 2026

THE DODGERS: EVERYBODY CALM DOWN

Yes, the Dodgers are losing.

Yes, they look terrible.

Yes, approximately nine guys appear to approach every at-bat with the enthusiasm of someone waiting for their number to be called at the DMV.

And no, I’m not panicking.

Welcome to the dog days of summer.

The Dodgers look exhausted and disinterested. The bullpen has been worked like an Amazon distribution center in December, and right now every reliever who jogs through that bullpen door looks like he just received a text saying, “Hey, can you cover another shift?”

This isn’t ideal.

It’s also August.

The cavalry is coming. Blake Snell should provide another major arm for the rotation this week, and eventually Tyler Glasnow should be back as well. That matters because suddenly you aren’t asking the bullpen to record 14 outs every night while simultaneously wondering why everybody’s arm looks like it’s about to detach from their body.

The Dodgers don’t need to win 12 straight games right now.

They need to get healthy.

They need to get their pitching lined up.

And they need to start playing their best baseball sometime around late September.

And while we’re here, can we address everyone complaining about the Dodgers’ spending and how their dominance is “bad for baseball”?

Please.

Cry me the Pacific Ocean.

Where was all this concern for competitive balance when the Dodgers were getting bounced out of the playoffs every year?

Where was the national outrage when other organizations were laughing at them?

Now they’ve built a monster, spent money, developed players, attracted stars and figured out how to operate like the Death Star with a scouting department.

Suddenly everybody wants regulations.

Funny how that works.

THE ANGELS: WAIT… ARE THEY ACTUALLY GETTING SOLD?

I have absolutely no inside information suggesting Arte Moreno is selling the Angels.

But I have eyes.

And this organization is starting to look suspiciously like a house that’s been professionally staged for an open house.

Think about it.

Interim GM.

Manager on a one-year deal.

Pieces being moved at the deadline.

Minimal long-term organizational commitments.

That’s an awful lot of flexibility for whoever might theoretically walk through the door next.

I’m just saying.

If you wanted to sell a baseball franchise, wouldn’t you want the new owner to have the ability to install their own president, general manager, manager and organizational philosophy without spending two years cleaning out the previous regime?

Because that’s basically what the Angels are creating.

Maybe it’s coincidence.

Maybe it’s organizational restructuring.

Or maybe one glorious morning we’re all going to wake up to the headline Angels fans have been waiting years to see:

ARTE MORENO AGREES TO SELL TEAM.

At which point there may be a parade down Katella Avenue before the new owner has even been identified.

In the meantime, there’s another fascinating development:

Angels tickets are disgustingly cheap.

You can practically attend a Major League Baseball game right now for the price of parking at a Major League Baseball game.

So if you’ve been looking for an inexpensive summer night out, congratulations.

The Angels have finally discovered their competitive advantage.

Affordability.

THE LAKERS: APPARENTLY WALKER KESSLER COST THEM THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE

I cannot take another segment of national NBA analysts explaining how the Lakers have MORTGAGED THEIR FUTURE for Walker Kessler.

Enough.

They traded two first-round picks and two swaps that, barring some spectacular organizational apocalypse, may never even convey.

And somehow this transaction is being discussed like Rob Pelinka drove to Utah, handed over the deed to Crypto.com Arena, surrendered every draft pick through 2047 and tossed in Magic Johnson’s statue.

Meanwhile, other teams make enormous trades and everybody suddenly becomes a Rhodes Scholar explaining roster construction.

The Pacers make a major move?

“Aggressive. They identified their window.”

The Knicks?

“You have to pay for talent.”

The Magic?

“I love that they’re pushing their chips in.”

The Lakers?

“THIS IS FINANCIAL MALPRACTICE. WHAT ABOUT THE 2032 DRAFT?!”

Please.

Hating the Lakers has become the NBA hipster position.

And here’s the inconvenient part:

They won 53 games last season.

That happened despite Luka Doncic missing roughly a quarter of the season and Austin Reaves missing about a third of it.

Now they’re younger.

They’re deeper.

They’re more athletic.

And they addressed several of the exact weaknesses everybody spent last season screaming about.

Do they still need wings?

Absolutely.

I’m not pretending this is the 1996 Bulls.

But can we stop analyzing this roster like it’s frozen in carbonite for the next five years?

This isn’t necessarily the team they’ll have in February.

It certainly isn’t necessarily the team they’ll have two summers from now.

They have Luka Doncic.

They have Austin Reaves.

They have Walker Kessler.

They have flexibility to keep changing the roster.

But apparently because they’re the Lakers, every transaction must be evaluated as though it’s the final move the franchise will ever be allowed to make.

THE CLIPPERS: THE KAWHI STORY SOMEHOW KEEPS GETTING WEIRDER

Every time I think the Kawhi Leonard situation can’t sound worse…

It sounds worse.

Now we’re hearing about another sponsorship arrangement raising questions about potential salary-cap circumvention.

Wonderful.

Because apparently the Clippers weren’t satisfied with merely having one bizarre Kawhi financial controversy.

They needed a cinematic universe.

If the NBA ultimately determines rules were violated, the league should come down hard on everyone involved.

Will it?

We’ll see.

There are enormous personalities, enormous money and enormous politics involved here.

But let’s appreciate the absurdity of the larger Clippers story.

This franchise finally convinced a legitimate superstar to voluntarily sign with them.

That alone was historic.

And what did it take?

They had to mortgage a gigantic portion of their future to acquire Paul George because Kawhi wanted another star.

They endured years of injury uncertainty.

And now we’re discussing multiple financial arrangements that have raised cap-circumvention questions.

All to get one superstar to choose the Clippers.

Do you understand how incredible that is?

The Clippers found someone weird enough to voluntarily say:

“Yes. This is where I want to spend the prime of my career.”

And apparently even THAT wasn’t straightforward.

Now their future is murky, the Kawhi situation is increasingly uncomfortable, and the organization that was supposed to take over Los Angeles is once again generating headlines for everything except actually taking over Los Angeles.

This franchise is screwed.

But hey.

Intuit Dome is beautiful.

USC FOOTBALL: ARE WE DOING THIS AGAIN?

USC enters the season ranked No. 14 in the preseason Coaches Poll, and I have no idea what to do with this information.

Because we’ve seen this movie.

USC has talent.

USC can score.

USC has athletes.

Lincoln Riley can design an offense.

Wonderful.

Now can they line up against a gigantic Big Ten offensive line in November and stop somebody on 3rd-and-2?

Because that’s the question.

USC doesn’t play in the Pac-12 anymore.

This is the Big Ten.

You occasionally have to travel halfway across the country in weather that feels like you’re playing football inside a Costco freezer and try to tackle a 238-pound running back who has been consuming whole milk since birth.

Are the Trojans tough enough?

That’s what I want to know.

Especially defensively.

Especially along the lines.

Because until USC proves otherwise, this still feels like a talented team trying to prove it has the physicality necessary to consistently win in a conference filled with enormous human beings.

But I’ll give Lincoln Riley this:

The opportunity is there.

People aren’t expecting USC to win the national championship.

They’re No. 14.

They’re relevant without carrying ridiculous expectations.

Go prove everybody wrong.

Because if USC can combine Riley’s offensive creativity with a legitimately physical football team?

Now you’ve got something.

UCLA FOOTBALL: WAIT A SECOND… WHAT IS BOB CHESNEY COOKING?

Meanwhile, across town, something interesting is happening.

Very quietly.

Bob Chesney is building something at UCLA.

Recruiting momentum has picked up considerably, talent is coming in, and suddenly UCLA doesn’t feel like the Big Ten program everyone circles on the schedule and writes a W next to in permanent marker.

Will the full impact show up in 2026?

Probably not.

Building a college football program takes time.

But I’m fascinated to see what Chesney can squeeze out of this roster immediately.

Because sometimes a coaching change doesn’t instantly produce a championship contender.

Sometimes it simply produces something much more important:

Competence.

Organization.

Development.

Players believing they’re supposed to win.

And UCLA has enough talent that if Chesney can get them playing disciplined, physical football, this could become one of those annoying teams nobody wants to play.

I’m not saying UCLA is winning the Big Ten.

I’m saying don’t be shocked if sometime in October you’re watching them knock off a ranked team and thinking:

“Wait… UCLA is actually good?”

That would be progress.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: GOOD. NOT GREAT. DEFINITELY NOT THRONES.

And finally, because Monday Morning recognizes that sometimes dragons are more entertaining than middle relief pitching…

House of the Dragon wrapped its season Sunday night.

My grade:

B.

It’s good.

I watch every episode.

I’m entertained.

The production is spectacular.

The dragons are awesome.

And yet…

It’s just not Game of Thrones.

And I finally figured out why.

The characters aren’t nearly as interesting.

Game of Thrones could give you 15 minutes of Tyrion drinking wine with Bronn and somehow it was more entertaining than half the television shows ever created.

Tywin could have a conversation at a dinner table and you’d be terrified.

Littlefinger could say three sentences and you’d spend the next week wondering which kingdom he was secretly trying to overthrow.

Varys was hilarious.

The Hound was hilarious.

Tormund was hilarious.

Even characters who hated each other were funny.

House of the Dragon?

Everybody is miserable.

All. The. Time.

Nobody tells jokes.

Nobody seems to enjoy dinner.

Nobody appears to have hobbies.

It’s essentially two families spending several decades angrily discussing succession planning.

Which, admittedly, becomes more entertaining when succession planning occasionally involves a 200-foot dragon incinerating a castle.

We know there’s only one season left.

And those of us familiar with the source material have a pretty good idea where this is headed.

So now the challenge is simple:

Stick the landing.

Give us the battles.

Give us the betrayals.

Give us the dragons.

Give us the chaos.

And maybe—just maybe—allow one person in Westeros to make a joke.

August 3, 2026

The MLB Trade Deadline is this afternoon, but the Dodgers have already done their work and acquired the best pitcher in the American League over the weekend. Tarik Skubal is now a Dodger, and their rotation is as stacked as ever! I’m hear to tell you that we do not care about all the complaining going on around baseball. The Dodgers are so much better run than every other organization, and the rest of baseball is just mad about it and wants the rules of the sport changed. We don’t care because these same complainers were laughing at the Dodgers 10 years ago when they were in bankruptcy, and just a couple of years ago when they were losing in the 1st round of the playoffs. Those laughs have now turned into tears. Skubal wasn’t signed by the Dodgers. They traded for him. Anybody could have traded for him. But Milwaukee and Tampa decided not to. As for the Dodgers play on the field, they had a rough weekend against Boston, but they’ll look to turn it around against the Cubs this week. I personally see no reason why Shohei Ohtani should be pitching for the time being. His bat is too valuable to be risked, but I don’t see him or the Dodgers giving up that part of his game. If you’re a Dodger fan you should be ecstatic and enjoy the ride, while everyone else thinks the Dodgers are “ruining baseball”.

The Angels actually made some moves as well at the trade deadline, and they were sensible. They traded Jose Soriano this morning to Toronto for 3 promising prospects. They also traded Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth to the Rangers for a prospect 3rd baseman. Earlier this morning they even traded Jo Adell to Cleveland for a catching prospect. Congrats to John Mozeliak for being able to convince Arte Moreno to let him make some trades that are sensible for the organization. The real question however, is if he can convince him to invest in some scouting and player development. Otherwise, the Halos need to hope that somehow the prospects they acquired can just naturally figure it out on their own.

While I was gone, something else important happened. Lebron James finally made a decision and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. I hold absolutely no ill will toward the man and neither should you. Lebron brought a championship to the Lakers, and turned the franchise around after one of the darkest times in the history of the franchise. With that being said, I wish him well, as should you, and both sides, the Lakers and Lebron, probably got what they want. The Sixers are going to be a good team, but the Eastern Conference is also loaded so it’s going to be fiercely competitive. As for the Lakers, to me, they have improved, but they still need another wing. Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson are still out there, so I’m still not ruling out one of them being a Laker. Even if that doesn’t happen, the likes of Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero make the possibilities on this team extremely exciting.

Meanwhile, the Clippers still have not executed the Kawhi Leonard trade with the Raptors. This situation has been so poorly managed by Adam Silver. He needs to create some urgency here and start negotiating punishments directly with Kawhi and the Clippers through an arbitrator. Otherwise, the situation is unfairly punishing the Toronto Raptors, and anybody else trying to do business with these two teams. The Clips are downplaying the idea that its a big deal if Kawhi is still on their roster. They are lying though. Having him would still be awkward for all parties involved.

The Rams are back…but one phone call could change everything

Training camp has officially opened.

Matthew Stafford looks healthy.

Sean McVay looks like he drank six espressos before every press conference.

The defense looks fast.

Everything feels normal.

Except…

Everyone is still waiting to see whether Aaron Donald decides retirement was overrated.

Every few weeks someone reports he’s working out.

Someone else reports he looks incredible.

Breaking news.

Aaron Donald has always looked incredible.

The Rams don’t need him to have a successful season.

But if No. 99 suddenly walked back through those doors?

Every offensive coordinator in the NFC West would immediately begin updating their résumé.

USC and Notre Dame finally put the nonsense to bed.

The rivalry will continue in 2030.

Excellent.

Now can everyone stop pretending one school desperately needed the other?

Every time this discussion came up, social media sounded like two people arguing over who did whom a favor by agreeing to go to dinner.

“Notre Dame needs USC.”

“No, USC needs Notre Dame.”

Actually…

College football needs USC-Notre Dame.

Some rivalries are bigger than conference realignment.

They’re bigger than television contracts.

They’re bigger than whatever scheduling spreadsheet someone in a corporate office came up with.

Besides, I have a sneaking suspicion this won’t be the last meeting before 2030 anyway.

With the expanded College Football Playoff, don’t be surprised if these two collide in December long before they line up in South Bend or Los Angeles again.

And honestly?

That would only make the rivalry even better.

Can somebody please check on LeBron James? Actually, never mind. He’s fine. He’s just enjoying the annual tradition of reminding the basketball world that the calendar doesn’t officially start until he says so.

There is absolutely no basketball reason his decision hasn’t been made yet. If you’re staying, stay. If you’re leaving, leave. If you’re retiring, announce it. Instead, we’ve reached the point where the NBA schedule is apparently sitting on Adam Silver’s desk with a giant sticky note that reads, “Waiting on LeBron.”

And here’s the funny part.

Everyone wants to blame LeBron.

Nope.

This is an NBA problem.

At some point Adam Silver has to simply say, “Here’s the schedule. Figure it out.”

Can you imagine the NFL delaying its entire schedule because Aaron Rodgers hadn’t made up his mind? Roger Goodell would release the schedule, shrug his shoulders, and tell everyone to enjoy Thanksgiving football.

The NBA created this monster. LeBron is simply taking advantage of it.

The Lakers’ Summer League, meanwhile, has quietly become the happiest place in Los Angeles.

No, nobody is planning the championship parade because Cameron Carr hit a couple of threes in Vegas.

But Cameron Carr looks like he belongs.

Adou Thiero looks like he belongs.

More importantly, both look like legitimate NBA rotation players—not just “Hey, let’s see what happens in garbage time.”

That’s significant.

Because every solid young wing the Lakers develop makes them just a little less desperate.

And desperation is expensive.

Which brings us to Jonathan Kuminga.

I still want him.

In fact, I’d absolutely pursue a sign-and-trade.

His athleticism fits perfectly with Luka. His age fits the timeline. His upside is obvious.

But every day his market keeps shrinking.

Suddenly the Lakers have leverage they didn’t have a month ago.

Funny how patience is a virtue…unless your name is LeBron James.

The Dodgers opened the second half exactly the way you’d want.

Two out of three.

On the road.

Against the Yankees.

That’s a successful weekend no matter how you slice it.

Now comes the part where Andrew Friedman earns his paycheck.

Please…

Trade for pitching.

Lots of pitching.

Because I’m apparently supposed to believe that by October we’re going to have Blake Snell healthy…

Tyler Glasnow healthy…

Shohei Ohtani healthy enough to pitch meaningful innings…

AND Will Smith surviving another season catching nearly every important game.

Sure.

While we’re making wishes, I’d also like to win the lottery.

The Dodgers should be making aggressive calls for Tarik Skubal.

Yes, it’ll cost a fortune.

Championships usually do.

They also need another defensive catcher. October baseball becomes a completely different sport when every pitch matters, every runner matters, and every passed ball becomes a season-ending highlight.

This roster is outstanding.

But outstanding teams still patch obvious holes.

Speaking of organizations that enjoy pretending everything is fine…

The Angels.

They currently own the worst record in baseball.

Congratulations.

Mission accomplished.

Now we’re hearing that Arte Moreno has supposedly signed off on trading Reid Detmers and José Soriano.

Really?

Now?

After spending what feels like fifteen consecutive years refusing to acknowledge reality?

I’m suddenly supposed to believe that Molly Jolly and John Mozeliak walked into Arte’s office, delivered one convincing PowerPoint presentation, and he finally said, “You know what? Maybe rebuilding is the right idea.”

Forgive me if I wait until the trades actually happen before I believe this organizational epiphany.

The Angels have teased rebuilds the same way Lucy keeps teasing Charlie Brown with the football.

At some point the fan base deserves to actually see someone kick it.

The World Cup has officially come to an end, and honestly…

I’m going to miss it.

For one glorious month, the entire sports world revolved around one event.

Different countries.

Different cultures.

Different languages.

Everyone watching together.

It was fantastic.

Unless, of course, you happened to be rooting for Argentina.

Because it felt like literally every neutral fan on Earth suddenly became Spain’s biggest supporter.

Argentina has become international sports’ version of the New York Yankees.

You either love them…

…or you’re desperately hoping someone—anyone—beats them.

And then there was halftime.

Madonna.

Coldplay.

Shakira.

Justin Bieber.

Burna Boy.

BTS.

Basically FIFA looked at Coachella and said, “Cute festival. Hold my corruption.”

Say whatever you want about FIFA—and there is certainly plenty to say—but they know how to stage an event.

The World Cup felt massive every single day.

That’s not easy to pull off for an entire month.

Finally…

The Rams.

The whispers continue getting louder that Aaron Donald may actually return.

Let’s be honest.

Nobody expects 2018 Aaron Donald.

Nobody expects Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.

But even if he’s only 60 or 70 percent of the player he once was…

Have fun blocking that.

Quarterbacks already lose sleep preparing for Sean McVay’s offense.

Now imagine having Aaron Donald collapsing the pocket again while Myles Garret continues to dominate the edge.

That’s enough to make offensive coordinators update their résumés.

Sometimes greatness doesn’t have to be fully restored.

Sometimes it just has to show up.

And that’s exactly why the rest of the NFC should probably hope these rumors stay rumors.

July 13, 2026

Well here we are, at the baseball All-Star Break. The Dodgers are at the break with an 11 1/2 game lead in the NL West, and the best record in baseball. I’m going to ignore the fact they were completely embarrassed by the Diamondbacks over the weekend, suffering a 3-game sweep and showing some awful defense, and lackluster offense. They have 6 players on the all-star team. I’m going to chalk this one up to a bunch of guys who were mentally checked out and ready to go to Cancun for a week to vacation with the wives and kids. As for the roster, they have 2.5 weeks to make an important decision. If Tarik Skubal is available, do they trade for him? As I look at the wear and tear on Shohei Ohtani, the questionable health of Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, and the incredible load on the shoulders of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, I think Skubal makes sense if you don’t have to gut your farm system. Since he will likely be a rental, he probably won’t require gutting their farm system either. Plus, keeping Skubal away from an NL rival like the Brewers is important. Justin Wrobleski has been nice, but I much prefer the idea of him and Emmet Sheehan coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs at this point.

As for the Angels, they enter the All-Star break with the worst record in baseball. They also just drafted 20 players in the MLB Draft. I’m sure everyone is wondering will anything change, specifically if they will be more process oriented, rather than rushing their prospects to the big leagues and ultimately seeing them fail. We know very little about these players that were drafted. Ultimately, development is the name of the game, and the Halos have yet to show us they can develop anybody. I think it’s also fair to say that if Reid Detmers or Jose Soriano are still on this team by the end of July, this franchise remains unserious, and firing Perry Minasian was simply just another move for optics. I also think now is the time to try and trade Mike Trout because his value is back up again, and he is an All-Star. They would have to approach him about a trade, but it’s the sensible thing to do.

To the NBA, where the off-season is slowing down but the Lakers are still waiting out a few things. Namely, Jonathan Kuminga to sign with them. Adding Kuminga would be a really nice acquisition for the Lakers, and I don’t see how there is a market for him outside of LA. Nobody is going to pay him over $20 million for him, and he might not even get a starting gig with another team. If the Laker can get him, this suddenly becomes a very interesting team. It’s especially interesting if you’ve seen the Adou Theiro and Cameron Carr play summer league ball. Theiro is an athletic freak who has the potential to be an outstanding POA defender if he puts his mind to it. Carr is quickly showing he can be a nice rotational wing player, which is exactly what the Lake Show needs to elevate them into true contender status. Otherwise, contrary to what the talking heads are saying, this has actually been a pretty good off-season for the Lakers. I still think though the sensible thing for Lebron to do is re-sign with the Lakers, even though it won’t happen. They have a perfect spot for him at the starting 4, plenty of depth around him, and two guys to take the scoring load off his shoulders. The longer this drags on for without him signing in Cleveland, the more it makes me wonder.

As for the Clippers, I told you last week a Kawhi trade didn’t make any sense! Sure enough, the league is putting the trade on hold until they are done with the Aspiration investigation. It’s embarrassing it’s taking this long for Adam Silver to put a deadline on this. Now he’s going to create all kinds of ripple effects on other moves and franchises. To make the only way to fairly punish the Clippers is to fine them heavily, take away a few draft picks, and if you’re really savage, suspend Steve Ballmer for a year. Kawhi is more complicated though. The real punishment for him I believe is making him play on a minimum deal for the season, although they could just suspend him for a year too. He ultimately wants to get paid again, so if his contract is terminated, he loses a year salary, and he has to risk injury on a bad knee to get paid again. At the end of the day, I don’t see a scenario where Kawhi doesn’t end up in Toronto so both sides can move on, but this could get a little messy in between.

The USMNT World Cup run came to an end last week against Belgium. Now we can all stop caring about soccer until 4 years from now. Look it was a nice run that created excitement, but in reality, the US benefitted from playing some weak ass teams, then just got exposed by Belgium. I’m also tired of hearing about the US not having its best athletics play soccer, as opposed to other sports, otherwise we would dominate. That’s a bunch of crap. The USA has 330 million people. Belgium has 11 million people. France has 68 million people, Spain has 50 million people, England has 58 million people, and Argentina has 46 million people. We have plenty of great athletes playing soccer, but we simply don’t develop the skill and talent the way these other countries do. Are we getting better? Ok maybe a little, but so are other countries relative to us so we aren’t closing the gap. It’s also not a problem that just throwing money at can fix. This isn’t college football where a $40 million roster suddenly vaults you into the World Cup Final Four. We just haven’t figured it out yet, and I’m not convinced we are any closer to doing so.

Finally, we are nearly halfway through season 3 of House of The Dragon. I have to say, this show doesn’t quite have the writing of Game of Thrones as much as I want it to. Game of Thrones is all about “the bad guys”, that loyalty gets you killed, and if you don’t resort to underhanded tactics, you will likely not come out on top. It was brilliant, despite its rushed ending. House of the Dragon seems more a story about how a botched line of succession from greed is going to screw up a dynasty, and cause some amazing dragon creatures to go extinct. I’m not saying I’m not going to watch it. I’m still in it, and plan to be until the end. However, it just isn’t capitalizing on reeling the audience in like Game of Thrones so far.

July 6 , 2026

Who says July is the dog days of summers for sports? We have a loaded edition of Monday Morning Coffee! We start with LeBron James leaving the Lakers. I appreciate everything LeBron did for this franchise, and the fact he was here for 8 years. I don’t buy this “he wasn’t a true Laker” narrative some of you are pushing. He is one of the greatest players of all-time, and he resurrected a franchise that was maybe at its lowest point in history. He delivered a championship under very difficult circumstances as well, and did so graciously dedicating it to the late Kobe Bryant. He should have you ultimate gratitude and appreciation. The Lakers are in the superstar business, so you have to accept the fact they are always going to have to cater to those stars and deal with that baggage. It’s the cost of winning. LeBron probably would have won more with the Lakers if he and AD didn’t get injured in 2021, or made the ridiculous Russell Westbrook trade that ruined everything. It still doesn’t take away from what he accomplished, and what was still a successful run with the Lakers. I’m actually sad to see him go because the Lakers should be where a superstar like LeBron finishes his career. However, it’s obvious that the new Laker ownership had the guts to push him out the door in the most tactful way possible. Also, this entire process has revealed that there are a lot of groups of weirdos out there. The LeBron fans that are just fans of him and wherever he goes, not the team. The Kobe fans that are only fans of Kobe, and not really the Lakers. How do you people actually enjoy basketball?

Lost in all this is that the Lakers are suddenly putting together what appears to be a much improved team than the last few years. They finally have young defensive center they can build around in Walker Kessler, and are going to be much deeper, younger, and more athletic. I’m still hoping they can find a way to add some combination of Jonathan Kuminga, or even Peyton Watson, and a back up big man. Any combination of those guys added to this team, and they are suddenly cooking with gas. Pay no attention to the Laker and Rob Pelinka haters that think the Lakers haven’t had a good offseason, because most of those people don’t even recognize the names of the players they added. That doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. I’m not sitting here telling you this is going to work, but what I am telling you is that this is how modern NBA championship teams have been built. Ironically, if LeBron came back for the minimum, this is the exact type of team he should be on if he wants to win another championship. Unfortunately, LeBron is too prideful of an individual to go back to the Lakers and make it work, even though he should. He is likely going to Cleveland, because that’s really the only fitting end for him.

The Clippers sure seemed in a big hurry to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors, with the looming decision on the Aspiration investigation. I suspect that if the league thought they were going to terminate Kawhi’s contract as part of the investigation, they would have not let the Raptors or Clippers complete the trade. Seems like a penalty is more likely to be fines or loss of draft capital. As for the trade itself, the Clippers were wise to move off of him. I still give them credit for going all in on Kawhi and Paul George, even though it didn’t work out. They simply tied their future to a guy with a degenerative knee condition, and paired him with a guy who doesn’t want much accountability in Paul George. Now they are starting from scratch. They have done a pretty good job of moving on from James Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Kawhi and re-couping a lot of their draft capital. Keaton Wagler is also a nice point guard prospect too they drafted at #5. Their best hope is to let their young players develop, and keep their assets and cap flexibility in hopes of landing a disgruntled start down the line. It will be a few years though before the Clips re-enter the championship contending conversation, but that’s something they’ve hardly been a part of throughout history anyway!

Let’s go the ice, where we’ve seen a busy off-season for both the Kings and Ducks. The Kings made a flurry of free agent moves last week. They signed forwards Matt Zuccarello, Erika Haula, and re-signed forwards Corey Perry and Scott Laughton. This team has gotten old, but one thing that has surprised me: their outlook is nearly the same as it was a year ago. The rest of the division, and even the conference, has done much better this off-season, and a few teams in the division like Anaheim, Calgary, and Vancouver are much worse. This is a borderline playoff team again. However, for a team that claims they are “win now” that just doesn’t cut it. It’s not a Stanley Cup contending team. They will need to rebuild sooner than later, so in my mind it would be better to do it now, but that won’t happen with Ken Holland here as GM. However, the best thing they did was give Brandt Clarke a 5-year deal at a reasonable contract, while not extending Drew Doughty. They also didn’t get involved in a crazy bidding for the likes of these restricted free agents, or superstar trades. That’s also because they didn’t have the assets for it. Get ready for more of the same from this Kings team in 2026-2027.

Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks have had an absolutely awful off-season, after what appeared to be a very promising future. They traded Olen Zellweger, Mason McTavish, they lost Jacob Trouba and John Carlson in free agency, and now the big blow: losing Leo Carlson to Philadelphia. All they have to show for it is 6 first round picks, which sounds like a lot until you realize it could take you a half decade to rebuild your team from where you are now. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is under a lot of heat now for not just destroying the Anaheim roster, but for completely destroying the NHL CBA and salary cap structure. The Flyers are going to pay $18 million to a player that is great, but has never had more than 67 points in a season. This man is by far the highest paid player in the NHL. More money than established stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and more money than emerging stars like Connor Beddard and Macklin Celebrini. Just when I thought the LA Kings had it bad, they can always look up the freeway and see and see an even bigger disaster going on right now.

Just when you thought UCLA Basketball was toast this upcoming season, they appear to be making a big splash. The Bruins are on the verge of landing Nikola Kusturica, a 17 year old phenom from Serbia. He would be paid a whopping $12 million and be with the Bruins for two seasons, before likely jumping to the NBA, where he is projected to be a top 3 pick. Mick Cronin hasn’t exactly been able to recruit much talent this off-season, so this would be a much needed win for his roster. Since the Tournmanet has been expanded to 76 teams, there’s a good chance the Bruins are going to the Tournament again, but whether or not they can do any damage there or in the Big Ten will be dependent on how this roster comes together, and just how big of an impact Kustirca has on this roster. Judging by what they are going to pay him, he must be able to play right away and be elite.

To baseball, where the Dodgers took 3 out of 4 from the Padres over the weekend, and now have a monstrous 14 game lead in the division. There’s not much to not like right now if you’re a fan. If you want to complain about Roki Sasaki go ahead, but the Dodgers can afford to start him and let him develop every six days when they have such a massive division lead, let alone the best record in baseball by a 5 game margin. Also, congrats to Freddie Freeman, Andy Pages, Max Muncy, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for making the NL All-Star team. Freeman is as consistent as they come and has aged like a fine wine. Andy Pages couldn’t even track down a fly ball less than 2 seasons ago, now he’s one of the best all around center fielders in baseball. Yamamoto is one of the toughest pitchers in baseball and worth every penny of his $325 million deal. And Max Muncy went from a guy who we questioned defensively at 3rd base two seasons ago, to the best 3rd baseman in baseball. Justin Wrobleski and Tanner Scott probably should have been all-stars too, but I get that 6 Dodgers is a lot at that point.

Congratulations to Mike Trout for making the AL All-Star team again. This is about the only good thing going on with the Halos right now. I was a little surprised that Jose Soriano didn’t make the team because he’s been a very good pitcher on a trash team. You probably also thought for a hot second with John Mozeliak in charge, he was going to do the sensible thing and trade some veterans at the deadline. However, the man was non-commital when asked about it, and said he isn’t comfortable revealing their strategy at this point. Look John…..let me enlighten you. Your team has the worst record in baseball right now. The franchise and owner that employs is one of the biggest embarrassments in Southern California. If you are not going to trade veterans for prospects now and can’t convince your boss to let you, you might as well just tell everyone to stop going to the games until the franchise is sold.

Finally, it’s show time for the USMNT tonight against Belgium. A spot in the quarterfinals is on the line tonight. This is going to be a tough match for the US, but I think they can win it. The real story thought is Folarin Balogun, who had his red card reversed, so he will be eligible to play in tonight’s match. I’m astonished that happened, but you know that Donald Trump is going to remind us all how much credit he deserves for the whole thing, and negotiating with FIFA. I remember when I was little and I used to see a character playing POTUS in a movie, and I’d ask my parents if that was the real President. They always told me absolutely not, because the President wouldn’t have time for such nonsense. It turns out that today, the President does have time for this type of nonsense!

June 29th, 2026

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to one of my favorite annual traditions: The Eve of NBA Free Agency, otherwise known as the 24-hour period where everyone convinces themselves their favorite team has already blown next season before a single contract has actually been signed.

The Lakers have become Groundhog Day.

Every rumor becomes gospel. Every anonymous executive suddenly has inside information. Every fan on social media is ready to fire Rob Pelinka before he’s had his morning coffee.

Relax.

Apparently Pelinka has already “lost the offseason.” That’s impressive considering free agency hasn’t even started.

I still don’t buy the LeBron James departure rumors. Every summer we’re told he’s leaving. Every summer someone invents a blockbuster involving half the Western Conference. Now we’ve graduated to Anthony Davis somehow winding up in Golden State. Sure. And while we’re at it, let’s have Shaq come out of retirement to back up Nikola Jokic.

The Lakers’ biggest concern isn’t LeBron. It’s losing Marcus Smart to Houston, where he actually makes a lot of sense. That’s a real basketball problem.

But if Los Angeles can somehow land Lu Dort and, say, Walker Kessler? Now we’re talking about a team that actually complements Luka instead of asking him to rescue everybody every night.

Keeping Austin Reaves was also the correct decision. People are acting like the Lakers handcuffed themselves financially. They didn’t. His current deal doesn’t suddenly vaporize their cap flexibility. Good player. Good contract. Keep moving.

What does scare me?

The idea that the Lakers spend the next year staring longingly at Denver, hoping Nikola Jokic eventually gets tired of mountain air and decides Hollywood sounds nice.

That isn’t roster building.

That’s buying lottery tickets.

Championship teams don’t pause their future waiting for a superstar who may never become available.

Speaking of awkward situations…

The Clippers suddenly sound like they’ve reached the point where they’re ready to move on from Kawhi Leonard.

Toronto? San Antonio? Those are the destinations everyone keeps mentioning.

But aren’t we skipping over one rather large elephant in the room?

If the league’s Aspirarion investigation ultimately results in Kawhi’s contract being terminated, then what exactly are the Clippers trading?

Imagine negotiating for weeks only to watch the league say, “Actually… never mind.”

The Clippers would receive exactly what every kid gets after forgetting to do his homework.

Nothing.

Baseball remains the one thing keeping Southern California emotionally stable.

The Dodgers took two of three from the Padres, still own the best record in baseball, and Mookie Betts has apparently decided baseballs have personally offended him.

When Mookie gets hot, Dodger Stadium starts feeling unfair.

One suggestion, though.

Let’s quietly retire the Tarik Skubal trade fantasy.

Every contender wants the Tigers’ ace, but if his recent form after returning from the injured list is a sign of what’s ahead, maybe Andrew Friedman should politely hang up the phone before Detroit finishes saying hello.

Sometimes the best trade is the one you never make.

Meanwhile, across town…

The Angels fired Perry Minasian.

Congratulations.

Now they’ll hire another general manager whose primary responsibility is explaining why Arte Moreno’s latest budget decision is actually brilliant.

This is like changing the waiter because you didn’t like the food.

At some point someone has to acknowledge the guy who owns the restaurant.

What’s next?

Fire Kurt Suzuki?

Replace the clubhouse attendant?

Bring in another “fresh voice”?

Everyone knows where the decisions originate.

Pretending otherwise has become the longest-running comedy in Orange County.

The Kings finally delivered some encouraging news before NHL free agency.

They’re reportedly not planning to extend Drew Doughty.

Before everyone grabs their pitchforks…

This isn’t about disrespecting one of the greatest defensemen in franchise history.

It’s about recognizing that every franchise eventually needs new leadership.

Dynasties don’t last forever.

Cultures evolve.

Sometimes the hardest decision is also the healthiest one.

I also wish the Kings had gone all-in during the draft instead of treating “win now” like it came with an asterisk.

If Ken Holland is only here another year or two, why are we halfway rebuilding and halfway contending?

Trade the picks.

Let’s be honest.

The Kings haven’t exactly turned drafting and player development into an art form lately.

If you’re pushing your chips to the middle of the table, then actually push them.

Half measures don’t win Stanley Cups.

Finally…

The World Cup.

Congratulations to Team USA on reaching the Round of 32.

That’s genuinely good.

Playing Bosnia should be fun.

But can we slow down with the “dark horse” conversation?

The United States has looked solid.

It has also played a schedule softer than hotel pillows.

Eventually you’re going to have to beat one of the giants.

That’s when we’ll find out whether this team is making a memorable run or simply enjoying a very favorable opening act.

Until then, let’s enjoy the ride without ordering championship rings.

Because in sports—as Lakers fans are about to rediscover in free agency—sometimes the loudest headlines disappear before the ink even dries.

June 22, 2026

There’s something wonderfully weird about the World Cup. Every four years, nations that spend most of their time arguing about trade policy, tariffs, and whose cuisine is superior suddenly gather together and pretend they’re one big happy family. It’s like a giant sleepover with cousins you never see because your parents are always fighting with each other.

And honestly? It’s been fantastic.

The atmosphere has been electric, the games have delivered, and Team USA has looked surprisingly competent. That sentence alone should qualify as historical fiction.

The Americans have taken care of business and might even make a little run. But before anyone starts printing “It’s Called Soccer” T-shirts, let’s acknowledge one small detail: they haven’t exactly played the murderers’ row of international football. Their schedule has been softer than hotel pillows, and thanks to the draw, it might stay that way for another round or two.

Eventually, though, somebody named France, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, or Germany is going to show up and remind everyone that there are levels to this thing. Until then, enjoy the ride. The vibes are immaculate.

Meanwhile, the NBA’s annual “Will Giannis Be Traded?” soap opera appears to be reaching its season finale.

Or maybe not.

Who knows anymore?

Supposedly, the next 24 hours could determine the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Miami apparently wants to gut its roster for him. Why? So they can become a really intimidating sixth seed?

Boston rumors involving Jaylen Brown continue to circulate, which feels strange considering Brown and Jayson Tatum already won a championship together. Usually, when something wins you a title, the response isn’t, “You know what this needs? A complete overhaul.”

The problem with modern superstars making $50-60 million annually is simple. If you’re committing that kind of money and surrendering half your roster, the player better check every box.

Elite? Sure.

Healthy? Mostly.

Perfect fit? That’s where things get murky.

Giannis is incredible, but if you’re going to trade your entire future for somebody, you’d better be certain he’s the answer and not just an extremely expensive question.

Speaking of expensive questions, the Lakers apparently told Luka Dončić, “Summer 2026 is when we show you.”

Okay.

We’re waiting.

That’s a lot of confidence from a franchise whose current offseason strategy resembles someone showing up to Costco five minutes before closing hoping there’s still free samples left.

The free-agent class is thinner than gas station coffee. Unless Rob Pelinka has a blockbuster hidden somewhere in his desk drawer, it’s hard to see where this dramatic improvement comes from.

Maybe they have something cooking.

Maybe they’re waiting.

Or maybe “Summer 2026” becomes “Summer 2027,” followed by “Summer 2028,” and eventually Luka is forty years old listening to promises about cap flexibility.

Still, Lakers fans remain optimistic. Delusion and optimism have shared season tickets for decades.

The Dodgers had a rough weekend against Baltimore, but let’s maintain perspective.

They still own the best record in baseball. Life could be worse.

That said, Kyle Tucker has looked completely lost. And when you’re making $60 million a year, “completely lost” tends to draw attention.

At this point, Dodger fans are already preparing for the inevitable “general body soreness” announcement followed by a mysterious 10-day IL stint that somehow doubles as a private hitting laboratory.

The Dodgers invented the Phantom IL. Tommy Lasorda would be proud.

Emmet Sheehan hasn’t exactly inspired confidence either, and the question everyone keeps asking grows louder:

Where is River Ryan?

The Dodgers have pitching depth, but lately some of that depth resembles the shallow end of the pool. Eventually they’ll need reinforcements, because October baseball tends to expose flaws that June can hide.

Still, if your biggest problem is a rough series while owning the best record in baseball, life is pretty good.

And then there are the Angels.

Ah yes.

Baseball’s longest-running experiment in organizational self-sabotage.

The club remains buried in last place, which somehow isn’t even the funniest part.

Reports surfaced that Arte Moreno has instructed the front office not to trade José Soriano, Reid Detmers, or Jo Adell.

Of course.

Why capitalize on your most valuable assets when you have arguably the worst farm system in baseball and desperate contenders willing to overpay?

That would make sense.

Instead, why not keep everyone together and continue the proud tradition of winning somewhere between 73 and 79 games? Consistency matters.

It genuinely feels like Arte wakes up every morning, pours himself a cup of coffee, looks out the window, and asks:

“How can I annoy Angels fans today?”

And somehow, every day, he finds a new answer.

It’s almost impressive.

At this point, Angels fans don’t dream about championships.

They dream about press releases.

Specifically one.

Three magical words.

“Arte Moreno sells.”

June 15, 2026

There are moments in sports that feel impossible until they happen.

The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series.
The Cleveland Cavaliers winning a title.
The Detroit Lions becoming competent.

And now we can add another one to the list:

The New York Knicks are NBA Champions.

For 53 years, Knicks fans endured bad contracts, worse ownership decisions, questionable draft picks, and approximately 17,000 annual reminders that Patrick Ewing’s finger roll didn’t go in.

Now it’s over.

Somewhere in Manhattan, grown men are crying. Somewhere else, Spike Lee is still crying. And most importantly, somewhere in Brooklyn, Nets fans are pretending they don’t care while quietly deleting old tweets.

Credit where it’s due. The Knicks built this thing the hard way. No superteam shortcuts. No “every All-Star in America suddenly wants to live here” strategy. Just tough defense, depth, and enough grit to make every game feel like it was being played in a back alley.

Congratulations to New York.

Now please return to being insufferable.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the Lakers continue their annual tradition of pretending they have a difficult decision to make regarding LeBron James.

Every report says the Lakers will give LeBron all the time he needs.

Of course they will.

The reality is pretty simple. If you were building strictly around Luka Dončić, you’d probably move on from LeBron. You’d probably listen on Austin Reaves too. You’d gather assets, create flexibility, and construct a roster specifically tailored around your 27-year-old franchise superstar.

That’s what a cold, calculated basketball operation would do.

The Lakers are not a cold, calculated basketball operation.

They’re the Lakers.

LeBron sells tickets. Austin is beloved. Luka is the future. And everybody knows exactly what’s going to happen.

The three of them will be on the roster next season.

There will be endless debate shows pretending otherwise.

Then training camp will arrive and they’ll all be standing there together while everyone acts surprised.

Speaking of confusing plans, the Clippers are reportedly lurking around the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade conversation, with rumors involving the fifth overall pick eventually becoming Jaylen Brown.

Jaylen Brown is an excellent player.

The problem isn’t Jaylen Brown.

The problem is that nobody seems entirely sure what the Clippers are trying to accomplish.

Are they rebuilding?

Are they competing?

Are they trying to contend for a championship?

Are they trying to extend the Kawhi Leonard era by six months?

Nobody knows.

Adding Brown would certainly make them better in the short term. But it also feels like the latest chapter in the Clippers’ ongoing strategy of acquiring very good players while avoiding the uncomfortable reality that a true rebuild might eventually be necessary.

To be fair, if your goal is remaining competitive while selling tickets in a brand-new arena, Jaylen Brown makes a lot of sense.

If your goal is building the next great Clippers team?

That’s a much harder question.

Over in hockey, the Carolina Hurricanes finally captured their first Stanley Cup since 2006.

And honestly, it felt overdue.

For years Carolina has been one of the smartest organizations in hockey. They draft well. They develop players. They spend intelligently. They consistently produce contenders without generating nearly as many headlines as some of the league’s glamour franchises.

Eventually competence wins.

The Hurricanes are proof.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the Kings responded to another disappointing playoff exit by hiring Peter Laviolette.

Was it exciting?

Not particularly.

Was it imaginative?

Absolutely not.

But it also could have been much worse.

Which somehow tells you everything you need to know about the current state of the franchise.

Laviolette is basically the hockey equivalent of ordering chicken at a restaurant.

You know exactly what you’re getting.

Nobody’s thrilled.

Nobody’s offended.

And everyone leaves feeling reasonably satisfied.

At this point, that might be enough.

The FIFA World Cup opened this weekend, and Team USA wasted no time making a statement with a convincing victory over Paraguay.

For one glorious evening, American soccer fans experienced an unfamiliar feeling:

Confidence.

The United States looked organized, dangerous, and composed. The attack generated chances. The defense stayed disciplined. The crowd actually had something to cheer about besides the beer vendors.

It’s only one match.

But in tournament soccer, one match can completely change the mood of an entire country.

The path gets tougher from here, but for now American fans can enjoy something they haven’t always received from their national team:

A reason for optimism.

As for the Dodgers, their weekend in Chicago was a reminder that even great teams occasionally have bad weekends.

Losing two of three to the White Sox isn’t exactly the outcome anyone had in mind.

Then again, this is what happens when you’re playing 162 games.

Sometimes the best team wins.

Sometimes a mediocre team gets hot.

Sometimes baseball just decides chaos sounds fun.

The important thing is that the Dodgers remain in excellent shape.

The lineup is still loaded.

The pitching remains deep.

And if your biggest problem is losing a series in mid-June while sitting comfortably near the top of the standings, life is pretty good.

Dodger fans should save their panic for October.

That’s when they usually schedule it.

Finally, we arrive at Anaheim.

Or more specifically, the now-famous “Tarp Off Crew.”

Every struggling franchise eventually develops a symbol.

The Angels have found theirs.

A growing collection of shirtless fans continues showing up, chanting for Arte Moreno to sell the team while turning every home game into a combination baseball game, protest rally, and reality television episode.

The best part?

They’re still going.

The team struggles.

The crowd grows louder.

The shirts disappear.

The movement continues.

At this point, they may be showing more consistency than the actual baseball team.

You almost have to admire the commitment.

Angels fans have endured enough losing seasons to qualify for emotional hazard pay. Yet somehow they continue showing up, continuing the chants, and continuing to believe that one day things might change.

Hope may spring eternal.

But apparently so do shirtless protests.

And honestly, that might be the most Angels thing of all.

Until next week, enjoy the games, enjoy the chaos, and remember:

No matter how confusing your favorite team’s direction may seem, at least you’re not trying to explain the Clippers’ long-term plan.

When you last heard from Monday Morning Coffee a week ago, I began speculating whether or not the Rams were done with their offseason roster improvements. Just hours later, they shocked everyone and acquired one of the best players in the NFL, Myles Garrett, to bolster their defense further. This is the type of move that you make to put you over the top and win the Super Bowl. Once again, credit to Les Snead for going all-in and recognizing that the window to win is right now, and it’s important to maximize it. As for the Aaron Donald rumors, I still can’t see him coming out of retirement, no matter how much we hear noise about it. Also, as cool as it sounds, he hasn’t played NFL Football in more than 2 years. People think that just because the dude is banging the weights and doing a few crunches at LA Fitness a couple of days a week that’s he’s ready to compete against NFL Players. When you are away from that level of competition for that long, even if you were great, it’s not always easy to get it back.

To baseball, where the Dodgers took 2 of 3 against the Angels over the weekend. They have won 18 of their last 24 games and have a 7.5 game lead in the NL West. The only concern for the Dodgers in the immediate is injuries, and how it impacts their outlook come playoff time. On the pitching side, Tyler Glasnow suddenly looks like he’s going to be out for at least another two months, while Edwin Diaz and Blake Snell are trending closer to mid-July. Those three are pretty crucial to the playoff hopes of The Boys in Blue, and it feels more like 2 of those 3 are strong bets to be healthy by October. Ironically, the one without the arm injury is the most concerning, in Glasnow. Slowly but surely though, Roki Sasaki is looking like an elite pitcher. Over his last 4 starts he’s gone 24 1/3 innings, with a 1.48 ERA, .74 WHIP, with 29 strikeouts. That’s changes the whole rotation outlook in the event that they can’t get Glasnow or Snell back healthy.

Then there’s the Angels, who still have the worst record in the AL, despite salvaging 1 win against the Dodgers. Memo to the Angel fans chanting “Arte sucks” and “sell the team!”: keep it up! However, don’t use any profanity, because you will apparently get thrown out of the games and nobody wants to see you get thrown out or else the protests will end.

After watching the first 3 games of the NBA Finals, the Lakers should really think about how to build their team. I know they talk a lot about building it around Luka Doncic the way the Mavericks did. However, they really should think about building it the way the Knicks did. They have two outstanding hard nosed two-way wings in Mikael Bridges and OG Anunoby, which the Lakers severely lack. They also don’t have a great big man either like Karl Anthony Towns, who is pretty versatile, despite all the criticism he’s taken over the years. They also finally learned that you need to play more than 5 guys guys, and have some depth behind their starters: Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado. $50 million sounds like a lot of cap space until you realize you need all these things.

Finally, the LA Kings are very close to naming their next head coach. The good news is that it’s probably not going to be DJ Smith, which would just be a lazy elevate the interim guy move. The bad news is, it will likely be some former Edmonton Oiler loser like Jay Woodcroft. The best hope for the Kings is that it’s Peter Laviolette, who would be a fresh voice and a solid choice. I still think they should fight harder with the league and wait for Bruce Cassidy to be available, because he would truly be the best coach out there for him. Ultimately though, this organization is going nowhere until they clean house from top to bottom.

June 1, 2026

Congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs for advancing to the NBA Finals, where they will face the New York Knicks. I know how this works though. It’s been 5 minutes and everyone already thinks that Wemby is the GOAT and that the Spurs are going to win the next 10 championships. The NBA is like no other league where the fans and the media become prisoner of the moment like you’ve never seen before. A couple of weeks ago, all we heard about was how OKC is the next dynasty and will run the next 10 years of the NBA. Before that we heard that the Celtics were going to be the next dynasty, and before that we heard the Nuggets were going to be the next dynasty. Guess what guys? We have really just entered the era of extreme parity in the NBA. 8 different NBA Champions the last 8 season, and most of those teams never even made it back to the conference finals the next season. That’s a product of how restrictive the NBA CBA is, and it’s exactly what Adam Silver wanted. Except its actually not good for business. Dynasties are what make people watch the sport because people love them or hate them. Yes, Wemby is probably already the best player in the game, but before you try to crown him the GOAT or the Spurs the next NBA dynasty, you may need a reality check. Oh and by the way, the Knicks might actually win the NBA Championship this year.

As for the Lakers, the new ownership group is already making sweeping changes to their organizational structure. That unfortunately included sweeping layoffs in marketing, corporate communications, and sales. Many of these people have been employed for decades by the Buss family. I’m sure there’s a segment of you saying thank goodness for cleaning house, but don’t lose sight of the big picture. This is a wildly successful organization for the last 50 years, most of which the entire Buss family was responsible for. Sure, they aren’t run in a modern way and it’s time for that to change, but at least have some respect for the people that contributed to the type of success that most other fans and sports franchises will likely never see in their entire life times.

Not only are the NBA Finals this week, but so is the Stanley Cup Final! This time it’s the Vegas Golden Knights against the Carolina Hurricanes. Are there any hockey fans outside of Vegas that are really cheering for the Golden Knights? I mean they basically rigged the expansion draft in their favor with all side deals they made with GMs, they get every free agent because of their state tax situation, and now they are blocking a coach they fired recently who is still under contract from interviewing with other teams in their division. They are truly the new villain in this sport, although they do have an amazing team. So do the Hurricanes, and that’s why they are favored to win the series.

To baseball, where the Dodgers are still rolling. They have won 14 of their last 17, and just took 2 of 3 from the Phillies over the weekend. They now have a 5.5 game lead in the NL West. I know their bullpen finally gave up some runs last week, which is basically an outrage with the way they’ve been pitching. Tanner Scott was due to give up a lead as well because he’s been so lights out. I wouldn’t lose any confidence in him with what you saw on Saturday night. It’s a shame that Teoscar Hernandez is going to be out for a month with a hamstring injury, but this team is plenty deep to absorb that. I sure hope they give Hyeseong Kim another chance and not as short of a leash as before. His speed, defense, and versatility give the team a completely different dynamic. Up next is 4 games at the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Meanwhile, the Angels are still at the bottom of the AL West after losing 2 of 3 to the Rays. Bill Plaschke wrote an article in the LA Times over the weekend, just pleading for Arte Moreno to sell the team. He very accurately described the team as “a glorified minor league team” with “no hope and no vision for a future”. At this point, the only reason I can imagine Arte Moreno hanging on to this baseball team is for his ego. Why would he want to continue to deal with the public thinking he is a completely incompetent owner though? If he sold, he would make a fortune based on what he bought it before, and would be the one laughing all the way to the bank. Unfortunately for the fans, his ego seems too big at the moment to get out of the way and sell the team. Plus if we’re being real, baseball is filled with a lot of Arte Moreno type owners. More on that in a moment.

Over the weekend, you heard about the MLB Players Union and the Owners exchanging proposals on a new labor agreement. Both of the proposals are so ridiculous, it was obvious that neither side was going to accept. It’s also not a big deal. This is going to take a while to negotiate, and they won’t get serious until after a lockout begins December 1st, when game checks are on the line. The owners are masquerading around trying to tell you that “competitive balance” is what’s important to them, but that’s a bunch of crap. What they really care about is their franchise valuations, and creating more value there. There are plenty of other ways to do this without inflicting a salary cap into the sport. Baseball has more parity than any other sport in terms of champions over the last 26 years. Most people have only been complaining about it recently because the Dodgers just went back-to-back and won 3 in 6 years. What’s actually hilarious though is that if the Union accepted the most recent proposal, the Dodgers might have more money in the immediate to spend on free agents, and they would have more young talent than other incompetent franchises, so MLB owners would look especially bad. In the end, I still don’t believe we will get a salary cap.

Finally, in the NFL, it’s June 1st but are the Rams really done adding to their team? There are a few things to keep an eye on. At one point I wondered if they would revisit the AJ Brown trade, but his medicals and concern about his knee make me think that won’t happen. However, what about adding more pass catching depth out of the backfield like an Alvin Kamara or James Connor, who will likely be cap casualties? What about a veteran deep threat like Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, or Deebo Samuel? These seem like low cost veterans with high upside, that could be productive in Sean McVay’s offense. Don’t rule anything out for the Rams just yet.