Fireworks light up the night sky during the annual White Plains Independence Day celebration at White Plains High School July 2, 2026. The evening featured live music, giant inflatable rides, food trucks, and ended with a spectacular fireworks display. | Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Mike Evans is fitting right in with the 49ers (ESPN) – Standing at a lectern following a recent offseason practice, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans casually answered questions in his mild-mannered way for nearly seven minutes.
Dec 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Patrick Paul (52) in action during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Miami Dolphins offense is going to go through a little change, and the offensive line might look a little different this upcoming season. The team invested a first round pick on Kadyn Proctor this year and he should slide right into the left guard spot. Proctor is big and athletic, which is something this new regime is going to prioritize. Last year’s left guard, Jonah Savaiinaea, is making the transition back to right guard and will get a chance to compete for that spot. If all things go to plan, this offensive line should be better than expected when they all get a chance to start working together.
You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.
LeBron James during a a game played at New York’s Madison Square Garden. | ESPN | ABC
As we enter the fourth day of free agency, the best player available remains on the board and is mulling over his options before ultimately announcing his latest decision to the world.
Amid a LeBron James sweepstakes that points mainly toward one of three potential destinations — Golden State, Miami, and Cleveland — a couple of conflicting reports emerged on Thursday involving the New York Knicks and their level of interest in 41-year-old James.
For context, the 41-year-old announced on the verge of free agency that he would leave the Los Angeles Lakers while announcing he’d be back for a 24th season in the NBA.
James informed the Lakers he would keep playing but continue his career elsewhere, ending an eight-year run that included a 2020 championship. According to LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, James’ decision was driven by a desire to compete for a title and finding “happiness” rather than financial considerations. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Paul has received pitches from “a dozen” teams so far.
Before both Jake Fischer and SNY’s Ian Begley chimed in with the latest on the Knicks’ interest or lack of it in LeBron, it was reported that the Philadelphia 76ers have also emerged as a potential option, while teams such as the Denver Nuggets reached out to James, and the Minnesota Timberwolves also expressed interest.
Against that backdrop, Fischer reported that New York could be involved in the sweepstakes.
“The Knicks have shown some interest in LeBron James. That is the word we just got back right now.”
Fischer’s comments suggest the defending champions have at least explored the possibility of adding James, although he didn’t confirm if New York had reached out to the player or Rich Paul at the time.
Shortly after, Begley presented a different view of the Knicks’ stance, first with a post on X and then with a full story on SNY’s website.
“Every time LeBron James hits free agency, the big question around here seems to be: ‘Are the Knicks getting LeBron?’ Begley wrote. ”It happened in 2010, 2014, 2018 and again in 2026. When the most recent report (from Fischer) surfaced, I reached out to people on all sides of the situation.
“I gathered that the Knicks should not be seen as a potential destination for James. The Knicks are very happy with the core of their roster coming off the 2026 NBA title.”
The differing reports leave uncertainty around New York’s level of involvement in the James sweepstakes, which seemed to take a step forward late Thursday when ESPN’s Anthony Slater hinted at the Warriors losing ground on the race for the four-time NBA champion.
“The Warriors, meanwhile, have been given indications from James that they remain on his short list, but team sources have expressed a recent belief that they aren’t necessarily at the top of that short list, as James continues to survey the landscape.”
For now, all we know is that “there is no timetable” for James’ decision, although Charania “has a hunch” that James and Paul will give away “hints along the way here the next few days” regarding his destination of preference.
James averaged 20.9 points per game last season while shooting 51.5 percent from the field. He also contributed 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game and dragged the Lakers all by himself into the second round of the playoffs.
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: San Francisco 49ers Offensive Tackle Joe Staley (74) in pass protection as San Francisco 49ers Tight End George Kittle (85) begins his route during the first half of the season opener between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Bucs on September 08, 2019, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
49ers’ George Kittle shares hilarious ‘welcome to the NFL’ restroom story featuring Joe Staley “It’s one of those older, college bar vibes,” Kittle said. “So, the bathroom, it’s exactly what you think it looks like—like a rusty door that doesn’t really close, all that stuff. So, I’m peeing in the toilet in the stall, and there’s another rookie in there, in the other stall, and I just hear the door gets kicked open. And Joe Staley just goes, ‘One of you guys got to move! I got to go!'”
“He literally just takes the door off into my stall, and he goes, ‘Kittle, get out or move over,'” Kittle continued. “And I said, ‘I’ll move over, Mr. Joe Staley.’…..”I was terrified,” Kittle added. “That was like my second week on the Niners.”
49ers’ George Kittle raves: ‘I’m all-in on Mike Evans’ “One thing that I was talking to Purdy about a couple of days ago was that this is our first veteran wide receiver since we had Emmanuel Sanders,” Kittle said. “Like, I had Deebo [Samuel], I had [Brandon] Aiyuk, but they were both like years one through four—Deebo was like year five.
“But Mike Evans is a guy, like, just watching him and his savviness—you know the concept, you have coverage in the red zone, one guy has the corner, the other guy has the ‘now’ route underneath it—and the way he sets it up versus a defender with outside leverage and then just gets wide open, and I’m just like, ‘It’s so fun to watch….Just so savvy,” Kittle added. “Catches everything, runs great routes, gives great effort. I’m all-in on Mike Evans.”
Who was the 49ers’ most underrated free-agent addition? “When offensive line coach Chris Foerster was asked about the options at left guard in the spring, he said, “I don’t know if one person is going to win the job.” Toth didn’t do much during the spring, but Foerster said he’ll be the backup center, whether he starts at left guard or not.
There’s a hope that Connor Colby takes the Year 2 leap, but that is nothing but projection.
Process of elimination brings me to Robert Jones, who has played the position at the highest level in the NFL. Jones has played just under 1,900 career snaps and only committed four penalties. He allowed four sacks as a starter in 2024 but had a blown-block rate of 2.9 percent. For reference, Colby’s and Spencer Burford’s blown block percentage in the passing game was 6.3 percent last season.
Eagles center Cam Jurgens was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl in 2025 but he clearly wasn’t the same player.
The 26-year-old battled through injuries last season and they took their toll.
So after last season ended with a disappointing loss in the wild card round, Jurgens (and left guard Landon Dickerson) went to Colombia for stem cell therapy. And a few months later, Jurgens said he felt much better.
“Stem cells have been going on for a long time now,” Jurgens said. “I’m not the first one, won’t be the last one. Just a lot of good cases of people going down there and saying it helps me heal. It’s going to help you get into a better position. We’re paid a lot of money to do our job and we have to use all the resources we can.”
Jurgens was awesome in 2024 and somehow played through an extremely painful back injury in the second half of the NFC Championship Game and then the Super Bowl two weeks later. But after the season, Jurgens needed surgery. He then had to rehab and training camp came quickly. He never really got much of an offseason. PFF ranked Jurgens as the 18th-best center in the NFL last season.
The last few months have been key for Jurgens to get his body right; having a real offseason was helpful. And that’s a big deal. Because when Jurgens is healthy, he’s one of the best centers in the NFL.
This upcoming season with be Jurgens’ fifth in the NFL and his third as the Eagles’ full-time starting center. He took over that role when Jason Kelce retired after the 2023 season. Jurgens, a 2022 second-round pick, has definitely been worth that pick.
The Eagles will need him to get back to form in 2026 as they implement a new offensive scheme under new OC Sean Mannion. This wide-zone blocking scheme will accentuate the offensive line’s athleticism.
“I like the system,” Jurgens said. “I feel like I’ve always liked teams that run it. I feel like it lets you be a little more of an athlete, lets you run around and play free. So I’m excited for that.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 30: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during a game at State Farm Arena on March 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the offseason began, it felt inevitable that Jaylen Brown would spend the summer answering questions about his future, whether it happened in Boston, Milwaukee, or elsewhere.
What nobody expected, however, was that those questions would end with Brown wearing a Philadelphia 76ers jersey.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Celtics traded Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh
Now, being entirely honest, the writing was very much on the wall. Just a few days after trying to include Brown in a Giannis Antetokounmpo package, after endless rumors and commentary on the Celtics’ plans to get rid of Brown, and even after Brown himself never said he wanted out of Boston, we all knew where this was going.
Again, waht no freaking body could see coming was a trade that sent the 2024 Finals MVP to the team that knocked it out of the playoffs last May.
If Brown had been traded for Giannis, most people would’ve understood it, and nobody would have batted much of an eye. Instead, Boston pivoted to deal after deal, asked teams for up to four or five first-round picks, and ultimately found no real market for a seemingly overvalued player that ended up near-dumped by the C’s.
For context, Brown averaged career highs in 2026 with 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while leading the Celtics to 56 wins, even with Jayson Tatum missing most of the season recovering from his Achilles injury. He finished sixth in MVP voting and made Second Team All-NBA.
In exchange for that Brown, all the Sixers sent the other way was a package centered around a 35-year-old Paul George (who missed ample time last season with a suspension and is more injured than not) and four future draft picks (definitely not the ones the Celtics wanted).
There’s been nonsensical trades this season, but this one puts the cherry on top of the poop sundae Boston has been carefully preparing. Shout-out, Philly, you got a good one here.
George is still a very good player when he’s available, but availability has become an inevitable part of the PG8 equation. He played just 37 games last season, only more than 56 once since he left OKC in 2019, and he’ll turn 36 before next year’s playoffs. Will the draft picks help Boston? Probably, but this is most definitely not another KG-Nets-like trade for the C’s.
For the Sixers, not only do they get rid of Paul George and replace them with a younger, ten-times better player, but Brown also gives them another star capable of carrying the offense when Joel Embiid isn’t on the floor, which they know will happen at some point during both the regular season and the playoffs.
Brown also joins VJ Edgecome and Tyrese Maxey, none of whom will need to create that much by themselves anymore, let alone after Brown proved he can be a 1A leader after becoming Boston’s primary option last year. The former Leprechaun has also played at least 63 games in each of the last five seasons, a bill of health Philadelphia isn’t accustomed to seeing around those places.
As for the Knicks, this trade feels a little like a wash. I wouldn’t call it a win, but with a little bit of time to let it marinate, I might end up leaning that way.
For one, Boston signed Mitchell Robinson from the Knicks on Wednesday, and the lineup was looking complete with a healthy Tatum ready to go. Now, the PG-Celtics are definitely worse than they were 12 hours ago. Not only that, but the Celtics have replaced a player smacked right in the middle of his prime with one nearing the end of his.
The Sixers, on the other hand, are definitely much better. But there’s always a but, and we all know what the but is here. Maxey is a budding star. VJ is another one. Embiid was one. Brown is a superstar. Have you seen all Sixers play together for more than two games in a row? I bet you’ve not. Let’s see how the joints hold up heading into April and go from there.
I was going to write a bit about the impact of the trade in the broader Eastern Conference picture, but I’m doing that in a separate post because this one is running too long.
Let me finish with this. The Knicks are 7-3 against the Celtics in the last two seasons. They are 14-2 against Philly. I just don’t see those records flipping any time soon.
MIAMI (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made his sales pitch. So did DJ Khaled, the New York Jets and the Winnipeg Jets. Even the PGA Tour took a swing, trying to appeal to someone who has quickly become obsessed with golf.
Get in line. Every team and every league, it would seem, wants LeBron James.
The waiting-for-LeBron game is on, with the entire basketball universe — and, evidently, the political, entertainment, football, hockey and golf universes as well — waiting to hear what the greatest scorer in NBA history will decide about the 2026-27 season. All that is known so far are two things: He isn't retiring yet, and he won't be playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
James let the world know on Tuesday that he's coming back for at least one more season and that he's decided to move on from the Lakers, those decisions becoming known a few hours before the start of free agency. What happens next, and when it will happen, is anyone's guess. The oldest active player in the NBA is still a guy who moves the needle, and it's not even clear if he knows how long this process will take.
“LeBron James, come on, let's do it again,” DJ Khaled, a regular courtside patron at Miami Heat games, said in a video posting in an effort to recruit James back to the place where he won his first two NBA titles. “Come on, man. Let's do it again. After the game, we'll go play golf. You know Miami's the best city in the world.”
A person familiar with James' planning told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he wanted his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, to take meetings with interested teams — actual NBA ones, which means it doesn't look good for other online suitors such as the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and soccer's Minnesota United — before reporting back.
For the most part, James and Paul went into this process knowing much of what the teams would say. Cleveland's pitch would be that Northeast Ohio is home, that his career started there and that it would make sense to end it there. Miami's pitch would be that he won two titles there, that it's known he loves the city, that it just landed Giannis Antetokounmpo and James still has deep ties to coach Erik Spoelstra and the front office. Golden State's pitch would include playing with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, two guys who click with James on multiple levels.
Walz wanted James to see a newspaper clip touting that Minnesota has the best quality of life when compared to other states. The New York Jets pointed out that James wore green and white in high school, matching their color scheme. The Winnipeg Jets simply offered to change their name to LeWinnipeg Jets.
“Never say never,” the Bills posted.
Jokes aside, James is obviously worth all the effort that some team will make to get him signed.
He still plays at an All-Star level, even at his age — there have been 24 instances, including playoffs, of someone in his 40s scoring 30 or more points in an NBA game, and James is responsible for 17 of those. No player had averaged more than 15 points per game in a season after turning 40; James averaged 24.4 points in 2024-25 and 20.9 points this past season, even while often being the Lakers' third option.
Plus, James' next home will see an immediate rush of activity.
Season ticket packages, if any are available, will get gobbled up quickly. James' Lakers jersey was the fifth-hottest seller in the league at the end of this past regular season, based on sales from NBAStore.com, Fanatics.com and Fanatics partner sites; his next jersey (even if it is a Cavs or Heat jersey again) will fly off the racks as soon as they can be printed. And it'll probably make fans in that city, whichever city it is, truly believe they have a real shot at the 2027 NBA title.
