Sak Sports Blog

The Kawhi Leonard saga is finally over... or at least taking a year-long break before he becomes a free agent in July 2019. The NBA world was shook in the early morning of July 18th with Leonard being traded to the Toronto Raptors for a package centered around DeMar DeRozan. In all, the trade sent Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green north of the border, while the San Antonio Spurs received DeRozan, forward Jakob Poeltl, and a protected 2019 first-round pick. With some potential re-working still on the way, the Raptors current starting five is interesting to say the least. Leonard would be surrounded by Kyle Lowry at point guard, Green or C.J. Miles at shooting guard, Serge Ibaka at power forward, and Jonas Valanciunas at center. It's not the superteam the Warriors are building in Golden State, but it's a collection of above average basketball players. (Note: This article is based under the assumption a healthy Kawhi plays in Toronto. There are rumors he may still sit out t

The Baltimore Orioles have a trade in place for shortstop Manny Machado, and while it was looking like the Philadelphia Phillies were close to sealing the deal , it appears a different team while acquire the slugger's services: the Los Angeles Dodgers. The news broke before the 2018 MLB All-Star Game, with Ken Rosenthal tweeting teams around the league have begun accepting Machado to the Dodgers. He leaves the door open for a surprise offer to swing Baltimore's mind, but that seems unlikely at this time. The 28-69 Orioles will likely fall even further from their .289 winning percentage without their star player. Don't be surprised if they look good for a couple weeks, ultimately this team will finish with the worst record in decades. On the other hand, the NL-West leading 54-43 Dodgers will get a much-needed push with the Arizona Diamondbacks breathing down their neck a mere half game behind at the break. The Dodgers will look to push the Chicago Cubs for the le

A quick update has arrived for a vote that ends tomorrow: the final two spots in the MLB All-Star game.  The early return has 1B Jesus Aguilar of the Milwaukee Brewers and SS Jean Segura of the Seattle Mariners in the leads for the NL and AL. All-Star votes aren't supposed to be popularity contests: but it's hard to hide that fans can show some bias in voting. So it's well deserved that these relatively smaller market standout players are beating the likes of New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, Boston Red Sox Andrew Benintendi, and Trae Turner of the Washington Nationals. Here are the full voting update results, per MLB Communications: 1B Jesús Aguilar of the @Brewers and SS @Jeansegura02 of the @Mariners are your current leaders of the 2018 @CampingWorld All-Star #FinalVote . Voting ends on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. Vote now at https://t.co/B3DJWKS3f0 pic.twitter.com/X9H9zgIXK3 — MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) July 10, 2018 Header phot

On July 6, the news broke that Carmelo Anthony would not be returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder: by any means necessary. Options include a trade, buyout, or using the stretch provision. With the highest luxury tax in NBA history on their books, Oklahoma City could save up to $100 million by moving the veteran. UPDATE 7/10: With the Houston Rockets losing Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns and Luc Mbah a Moute to the LA Clippers, there's a huge hole at small forward for the team. The Rockets are expected to be the most aggressive for Anthony's services. Anthony himself is done with the team too, due to some free agency signings pointing towards a more diminished role in the 2018-2019 season. By accepting his player option, he guarantees receiving that money, whether it's from another team or in a buyout agreement with the Thunder. Just hours after the news broke, three teams have already emerged as suitors: the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers.

It's becoming clear Manny Machado won't be a Baltimore Oriole in 2019, and maybe not even in August 2018 after the MLB Trade Deadline. Whether it's at the July deadline or in the free agency period, the Philadelphia Phillies have been linked to Machado for some time.  The Phillies could be aggressive at both the trade deadline, due to  their potential to compete in the NL East, and in the offseason, with the financial flexibility to add another key piece. Machado, who is playing his first full season as a shortstop in Baltimore, says he will not be returning to third base on his next team.  "I've been a shortstop all my life. I played third base for a couple years" he said. Adding Machado to the left side of the Phillies infield would be extremely valuable to the team, but it might block the progress of some prospects with potential. Maikel Franco is already a couple years along, typically manning third base. J.P Crawford, a natural shortstop, and C