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, Rui Hachimura, or even Peyton Watson. 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.

May 25, 2026

The NBA off-season is here, and I know you all have your Laker roster wish lists. Let’s start with this. The Lakers should forget going after Giannis. If we’ve learned anything about the NBA right now, it’s about depth, shooting, availability, and athleticism. The Lakers will compromise all of that if they trade for Giannis, who will suck up all their cap space and draft picks, if not even more assets. What they should be doing is calling every team they can to find creative ways to trade wings into cap space, like Herb Jones and Trey Murphy. They may also want to be a 3rd team involved in a Giannis trade to acquire that kind of 3-and-D player. I’m good with Austin coming back because you’re probably not going to trade him for a better player. He can be what Kyrie was to Luka in Dallas. As for LeBron, I think he stays because he has no better alternative, and the Lakers don’t either, but do you really care if he left? LeBron has been great, but spending another $15-20 million on credible depth is what might make this Laker team to be a real championship contender. They Lakers still need a center too, and while Robert Williams sounds nice and Walker Kessler is a pipe dream, I don’t know if $50 million is enough to fill all these holes on the roster. Maybe the rocket scientist they just hired as an assistant GM, Rohan Ramadas, can be of assistance. Except it shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Jared Vanderbilt isn’t worth $12 million a year when he can’t shoot.

Meanwhile, the Clippers off-season will center around what to do with Kawhi Leonard. I could see this going a lot of different ways. They appear to be on a youth movement and have a high lottery pick, so unloading Kawhi while he still has value makes sense. There’s also the idea that Kawhi will be very motivated to earn another max contract from either the Clippers or someone else, so he will probably ball out next year. You can be sure they are going to get calls on him, and since the free agent class is pretty weak, he will have a better market than people think.

To baseball, where the Dodgers are rolling into Memorial Day with 8 wins in the last 10 games and in 1st place in the NL West. They took 2 of 3 over the weekend against a solid Milwaukee Brewers team. However now the trade rumors are starting to swirl again around Tarik Skubal. The Detroit Tigers are sinking like the Titanic, and if Skubal can prove he is healthy before July 31st, the Dodgers are one of a handful of teams that could trade for him. In my mind, the Dodgers level of urgency to do this deal is going to be predicated on the health of their top 4 pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, and Tyler Glasnow. If any aren’t healthy, and Skubal can prove that he is, then I would make the trade for him. I wouldn’t go too crazy though for him. He’s going to want $400 million this offseason, and he’s already had multiple surgeries. I like him a lot more as a rental than a long-term piece, especially if the CBA is going to change and more restrictive. Nevertheless, with or without Skubal, I think the Dodgers are right about where we need them to be in the standings.

As for the Angels, I have to commend the fan base on the protests they are conducting at Anaheim Stadium every night. I love hearing the “Sell The Team” chants and “Arte Sucks”. He deserves it. I’m not sure however that it will get Moreno to sell the team. If he’s truly as narcissistic as everyone believes he is, Moreno will just look at this as though he’s the one getting the last laugh with all these people coming to the stadium and buying beer to pad his pockets. That’s probably the most interesting thing going on with the Halos right now because they absolutely stink on the field. Despite sweeping the Rangers over the weekend, they are still tied for the worst record in baseball.

Speaking of the Angels, Chris Taylor announced his retirement over the weekend. Forget Taylor’s tenure with the Angels, he was a gem as a Dodgers. He played 12 season, was a 2-time World Series Champion, NLCS MVP, and an All-Star. The remarkable thing about CT3 is that he was very much a late bloomer, and very typical of the Dodgers organization. The Dodgers developed him into an impact player late in his career, which is what they do. Congratulations on a fantastic career!

In the NFL, the Rams gave Matt Stafford a one-year contract extension for $55 million, so he will be under contract for the next two seasons. There is part of me that thinks this is doing Stafford a solid because they didn’t use their 1st round pick on giving him a player that can help them win now, and instead drafted his potential successor. However, $55 million for an MVP and Super Bowl winning quarterback is fair. Hopefully the Rams can cash in on that window this year and next.

In College Football, we have to hear all these stupid talking heads telling you why Notre Dame and USC have “renewed” their negotiations to continue their storied rivalry. All you chihuahuas that are yapping, respectfully, just shut your traps. Don’t come in here with your “Oh Notre Dame needs USC on their schedule!” Or “Notre Dame is scared to play USC!” These are just dumb, simple minded, shock jock takes. Both of these teams know that there is a storied tradition playing each other, and they want to continue that. However, with the landscape of College Football likely changing in the next 2 years to a 16 or 24 team playoff, I find it hard to believe these two teams won’t run into each other before 2030 with some high stakes on the line.

Finally, the LA Kings are reportedly in the final stages of their coaching search. I have a bad feeling that no matter the outcome, we aren’t going to be happy with it. The reality is that Bruce Cassidy isn’t available, because the Vegas Golden Knights are preventing him from coaching elsewhere. That is the most ideal choice. That means we are likely to get one of the two Edmonton Oiler rejects as coach: Jay Woodcroft or Kris Knoblauch, or last seasons reject interim DJ Smith. None of these scream “Stanley Cup contender” all over them.

May 18, 2026

Here we are, the NBA off-season for the Lakers. Get ready to hear six weeks a complete bs from the media, and from Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. I’m here to tell you to ignore it. I’m also here to tell Rich Paul to shut the hell up with your crap. At the end of the day we know that the free agent class this year is complete garbage, so the Lakers might as well spend money on Lebron. We also know that Lebron is 41 years old, and nobody is going to move heaven and earth to put him on their team, or offer him anything more than a mid-level exception. The Lakers and Lebron will settle for each other because in their own minds, their is nothing better out there for them. I would love to tell you that the Lakers could end up with Walker Kessler and Peyton Watson, but that’s just not happening. You would have to overpay so much to get those guys, and you would have no cap space left to re-sign Austin Reaves. Even with their cap space, the Lakers are going to have to get creative to improve the roster enough to compete with San Antonio and OKC.

To baseball, where the Dodgers crushed the Angels over the weekend, sweeping them in a 3-game set and outscoring them 31-3 over the 3-games. I’m not sure a series against the lowly Angels is a good way to determine if your offense is truly out of its slump. Shohei Ohtani definitely broke out of over the weekend, but I would still rather see Shohei the full time elite DH than the pitcher. Yes, he is a Cy Young candidate right now, but do you want to see that, or a 3-peat? Throwing 150 or 200 innings for Shohei doesn’t seem wise. He’s great, but he is human. I’d rather have Shohei as an elite bat for 162 games and the playoffs, rather than just 30 games as a pitcher. I say this even knowing that Blake Snell is going to be out for a while with his elbow injury. The Dodgers still have enough pitching to get them through the regular season. You need Snell, Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow for the playoffs. Keep them healthy and tune them up for October. Good thing Tanner Scott has been outstanding this year because Edwin Diaz may be going to the slammer for cock fighting. These closer free agent signings never seem to work out in the first year of the deal for the Dodgers.

As for the Angels, there’s not much to say other than this is a horrible team. They are the worst team, with the worst owner, and the worst farm system. Their stadium is being infiltrated by rats and possums, and they simply can’t do anything right. The especially disappointing thing is that their young promising players like Nolan Schanuel, Logan O’Hoppe, Zach Neto, and Reid Detmers just haven’t taken the next step in their development, and you can blame that on the Halos lack of player development within their organization. Jose Soriano is the only promising aspect of the Angels season right now, and he got lit up over the weekend by the Dodgers. Not sure why Mike Trout wants to continue to be part of this clown show, but when you’re making $35 million a year and living in Orange County, working 7 months a year, it’s a pretty comfortable gig.

Speaking of the Angels, Arte Moreno deserves to have someone take a crap in his Christmas stocking this year after they fired Patrick O’Neal from their broadcasts. Oh sorry, he actually decided to speak his mind and call out the franchise for being a hot pile of garbage? What are they worried we might suddenly start thinking that the franchise is completely incompetent? Like we didn’t think that already. Patrick O’Neal is a fantastic broadcaster, very passionate about Southern California sports teams, and whoever ends up hiring him will be very fortunate.

In College Football, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before we end up with a 24-team playoff. I have to say though, 24 teams is too many. 16 teams I can go for, but 24 teams creates too many teams that just won’t be competitive enough against the elite programs. I love the idea of abolishing these extremely outdated conference championship games, but the SEC and all those southerners are going to throw a fit if they lose their precious championship game. Sorry Greg Sanke, but the SEC has quickly succeeded power and relevance to the Big Ten in the NIL era. The conference is just as top heavy as it always was. This whole thing is funny because I’ve been told for years that Notre Dame needs to join a conference so they can have a shot at their conference championship game. It turns out they don’t, because their University is practically re-writing the rules of the sport.

I’m excited to see the World Cup coming to the US and SOFI stadium in the next few weeks! However, I’m floored by the ticket prices to see the USA play. The secondary market is asking for Super Bowl ticket prices just to see a mediocre USA team get smoked on their home turf. I have a much greater interest in watching teams like Iran and Belgium play each other at SOFI Stadium, or countries that are actually good at soccer, and ironically, are much more reasonably priced.

May 11, 2026

Don’t let them tell you otherwise Laker fans! Everyone thought the Lakers season was over on April 2nd. Instead, they overachieved and made it to the 2nd round without Luka, and without Austin for a good long stretch. They’ve been playing with house money. OKC is a great team, but it’s really their depth that has been killing the Lakers, not Shai and their starters. You can argue that this is the 3rd best team in the league when healthy. Even if it’s a distant 3rd, they have the draft picks and cap space to elevate from there. There is no more need to go star hunting because they have one in Luka Doncic. Everything else should be on the table to make this squad elite. That might include trading Austin Reaves for a better fitting piece or multiple pieces. This is a roster conversation for another day, but you shouldn’t be unhappy. Of course it’s about championships, but you also have to be realistic about what it takes to build a championship team, and this isn’t quite one yet. And for those of you thinking the Spurs and Thunder are gonna run this league for a decade, trust the apron and the salary cap will get them much sooner than later.

As for the Clippers, apparently their punishment for circumventing the salary cap was receiving the 5th pick in an upcoming loaded draft! In all seriousness though, they made out very well with Ivica Zubac traded, and getting a number of other assets. Even if they get punished for the Kawhi contract, I’m sure it will likely just be a fine and Kawhi’s contract voided. Is that even really a punishment anyway when they want to get rid of him now? Hanging on to Kawhi makes very little sense for this team. I really wouldn’t be surprised though if the Clippers traded their pick to collect even more assets. They are still in the hole in draft capital for a few years after that awful Paul George trade and building the Oklahoma City Thunder into the powerhouse they look like today.

In baseball, the Dodgers lost 2 out of 3 over the weekend to the Braves, and they’ve been hitting like Little Leaguers for the last 3 weeks. They are still tied for 1st place in the National League West with the Padres, but they have some things to figure out. Mookie Betts is coming off the IL today, so the question is what happen next? What they should do is DFA Santiago Espinal and keep both Hye Seong Kim and Alex Freeland on the roster. However, what I think will happen is Kim will get sent back to Oklahoma City so he can play everyday. I’m not going to like that move though because statistically, he’s been on one of the teams best hitters, not to mention been providing solid defense. I am missing Shohei Ohtani the hitter though. Two years ago when he was only a DH, he put up a spectacular 50/50 season on the way to an MVP. Nomar Garciaparra says it’s not fair to say his pitching is the reason he’s not hitting. Maybe not yet, but we’ll see if he can put the time into fixing his mechanics rather than focusing on pitching, because we know his mechanics are off.

Meanwhile, the Angel are tied for the worst record in the American League after losing 2 of 3 to the Blue Jays. Don’t worry though, Perry Minasian is telling us how competitive they have been in every game and that nothing is wrong. It’s hilarious how this guy just tries to gaslight us into thinking everything is fine in this organization. That’s what he’s paid to do, but this is truly an embarrassment. This franchise can’t do anything correctly, and it shows up from top to bottom everyday. I’m beginning to wonder if Mike Trout would even want a trade out of Anaheim because he’s just gotten too comfortable with the losing.

Kings fans were annoyed that the Ducks defeated the Oilers in a 1st round series after losing to them for 4 straight years in round 1. They will be even more annoyed if the Ducks beat Vegas and get to the Conference Finals. Anaheim’s power play is looking great, and their offense is very dangerous, which is something we haven’t seen in SoCal playoff hockey in a long time. One thing I will say though is that when the Ducks are in the playoffs, the fans in OC come out in full force!

Finally, interesting strategy by the Rose Bowl, doing a $30 million renovation on it’s seats to try and keep UCLA as a tenant.
If the Rose Bowl is going to continue to be a home for UCLA, then major renovations will need to happen to the stadium, beyond these. I think for this to truly work long term, UCLA will need to buy/lease land adjacent and build facilities for the football team to use before game days so this starts to feel more like a home field. Good thing UCLA doesn’t have to pay for it so they can focus on NIL talent!

May 4, 2026

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a genuinely shocking first-round upset over the Houston Rockets—a result that had all the predictability of a Hollywood reboot actually being good. Credit where it’s due: this team showed grit, defense, and just enough offensive rhythm to make you briefly believe in something bigger. Unfortunately, reality is looming in the form of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are younger, faster, deeper, and—crucially—healthier. No Luka Dončić means no chance. This next series has all the makings of a gentleman’s sweep, if the Thunder are feeling polite. Still, banner or not, this was a season-saving win. Hang the “Exceeded Expectations” flag proudly.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally remembered how to win a baseball game on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The weird part? It wasn’t the Avengers at the top of the lineup doing the damage. Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Will Smith, and Teoscar Hernández have recently been hitting like they’re trying to conserve energy for a marathon. Instead, the bottom of the order has been carrying the load like a group project where the quiet kids do all the work. As for Roki Sasaki—everyone needs to calm down. He’s young, electric, and inconsistent… which is basically the scouting report for every future ace ever. Putting him in the bullpen in June would be like buying a Ferrari and using it to deliver Uber Eats. October? Different conversation. June? Relax.

Out in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels have officially reverted to factory settings. That brief moment where they weren’t terrible? Fun while it lasted. But losing series to the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets is the baseball equivalent of tripping over your own shoelaces in public. The cruel twist: Mike Trout is actually having his best season in years. Which, logically, means this would be the perfect time to trade him and rebuild. Which, historically, means the Angels will absolutely not do that. This franchise treats common sense like it’s behind a paywall.

Now for something completely unexpected: UCLA Bruins football might… actually be cooking? Bob Chesney went from pulling a “meh” top-70 recruiting class in 2026 to suddenly flexing a top-5 class in 2027 like he found the cheat codes. It’s been six months. Six. And UCLA fans are already googling “Rose Bowl CFP scenarios” like it’s 1998 again. Is this sustainable? Who knows. But for now, Bruins fans are allowed to feel something unfamiliar: optimism that isn’t immediately followed by disappointment.

Speaking of disappointment, the Los Angeles Kings would like you to know they are “close.” Close to what, exactly, remains unclear. The Minnesota Wild scored as many goals in 40 minutes as the Kings did in an entire showing against the Colorado Avalanche. That’s not “close”—that’s being in a different zip code. But don’t worry, running it back with Cody Ceci (yes, we’re still doing this) and leadership under Luc Robitaille will surely fix everything. Because if there’s one thing that always works, it’s doing the exact same thing again and hoping for a different result.

And finally, the crown jewel of chaos: the Kentucky Derby. NBC’s coverage is truly a masterpiece. They spend hours giving you just enough information to feel confident—and just little enough to ensure you make absolutely terrible betting decisions. You learn about bloodlines, jockey strategies, and horse personalities, all so you can confidently put money on a horse named something like “Thunder Biscuit IV” because it “looked focused during warmups.” Congratulations to Golden Tempo for taking the win, and condolences to everyone who bet based on vibes and a cool name. Which, let’s be honest, is all of us.