For the first time in years, the NBA does not have an odds-on favorite to win the title. The dual impact of the Golden State Warriors falling in the NBA Finals then losing Kevin Durant in free agency (along with the expected loss of Klay Thompson for most of next season because of a torn ACL) created a power vacuum teams rushed to fill.

"This was a year where everybody saw the Warriors finally opened the door," a Western Conference executive said, "so the teams thought they could win.

"And they're going for it."

The collective chase to do so produced a truly frenetic offseason. Star duos have since formed in Los Angeles (twice!), along with Brooklyn and Houston. A constellation of big names -- including reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Durant, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker, Al Horford and Mike Conley -- have changed teams, including half of the starters from last season's All-Star Game alone.

The result is a landscape where six to eight teams will enter next season with realistic dreams of hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of it. And while the LA Clippers landing both Leonard and George was the talk of the summer, there was more than enough other action to keep the NBA buzzing. So ESPN asked 20 coaches, executives and scouts from across the NBA about what happened -- and what lies ahead -- on topics ranging from who is the best player in the league to which team will win next season's championship.

Here's what they had to say:

1. Who is the best player in the NBA?

• Kawhi Leonard - 12

• Giannis Antetokounmpo - 6

• James Harden - 2

Why Leonard, and not either of the past two MVP winners?

"Did you watch what just happened?" one Eastern Conference executive said with a laugh.

Another summed it up this way: "Because if he plays every game in the playoffs, he's the best player in the world. And if you can be good enough the rest of the way to get there, then great."

Leonard's dominant playoff run led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA title. And while he got the most votes in our survey, there was plenty of hemming and hawing. Several people said they would've at least considered Kevin Durant -- if not outright picked him -- had he been healthy and not recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Others also gave strong consideration to LeBron James, although ultimately no one selected him.

The arguments in favor of Antetokounmpo and Harden, meanwhile, go back to the same debate that was held throughout much of last season over their respective candidacies for the league's Most Valuable Player award.

"He's the best two-way player," an Eastern Conference assistant coach said of Antetokounmpo. "He gives it to you at both ends."

"His scoring is just special," an executive said, when asked to explain why Harden was his choice. "His ability to elevate a team with his offense as a passer and scorer is as good as it gets. To rely on him to carry an offense every night and stay healthy, he'd be my No. 1 guy."

And, not surprisingly, even among some of those who chose to ride with Leonard, there remains an expectation that Antetokounmpo -- still only 24 -- will soon put himself atop the heap for a long time to come. The one thing holding him back? His still inconsistent jumper.

"Giannis is coming strong," said a Western Conference assistant who picked Leonard. "I think he's gonna get that jump shot. He's going to be improved. I think he's that dude."

2. What move from the summer did you like the most?

• Clippers getting Leonard/Paul George - 10

• Jazz getting Bojan Bogdanovic/Mike Conley - 2

• Pelicans overall offseason - 2

• Josh Richardson/Al Horford to Philadelphia - 2

The Clippers received praise from people across the spectrum for their summer. Some praised the obvious: that getting Leonard, along with Paul George, vaulted the Clippers into title contention. Others, though, gave the Clippers credit for retaining the depth that made them so interesting last season. Despite all the picks they gave up, they still have considerable roster balance -- unlike, say, their co-tenants at Staples Center.

"They were a nice little team without him and Paul George," an Eastern Conference scout said. "Getting them gets them into another stratosphere."

"The Clippers are pretty impressive with how they finagled that," a Western Conference assistant coach said. "The [number of] picks are kind of crazy [to give up], but to get Kawhi and Paul George, that's what it cost.

"To contend, that's what it was going to take. That's what matters."

Besides the Clippers, there was a variety of respect paid to several teams -- though only three (the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz) got more than a single vote.

For Philadelphia, it was for the way the franchise managed to pivot from the potential loss of Jimmy Butler and recover to not only get Richardson in a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat, but also to get Horford as a free agent to play alongside Joel Embiid in the 76ers' frontcourt.

"With Jimmy walking, to be able to scramble around and get Tobias [Harris], Josh, Horford ... I think they made something out of a tough situation," a Western Conference scout said. "They couldn't bring back both [Butler and Harris]. They weren't good enough."

Now, in the eyes of some, they are.

"I think they've got the most talent," an Eastern Conference assistant coach said. "I think they're huge. I think those guys are going to be better."

Others receiving votes: Brooklyn getting Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving 1, Oklahoma City trading away Paul George and Russell Westbrook 1, Chicago getting Tomas Satoransky 1, Dallas re-signing Dorian Finney-Smith 1

3. What was the worst move of the summer?

• Knicks offseason - 6

• Ricky Rubio to Phoenix - 6

• Terry Rozier to Charlotte - 4

The criticism of the Knicks came on multiple fronts. First, after they struck out on superstar signings, they settled for middling players, rather than using their cap space to take on bad contracts and add draft assets.

"Some people were like they did a good job keeping their powder dry, but I don't even like [Julius] Randle, so I don't get what they did," an Eastern Conference executive said. "I guess it was better than spending $80 million on two free agents. But that's like saying you're eating healthier because you didn't go to McDonald's for lunch and Burger King for dinner.

"Yes, you're eating healthier -- but only because you couldn't eat worse."

Additionally, the Knicks were knocked for signing several players -- Randle, Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis and Marcus Morris -- who all play power forward. The glut of big men could potentially stunt the growth of last year's No. 9 overall pick, Kevin Knox, and second-team all-rookie selection Mitchell Robinson, who plays center.

"The Knicks' five-big attack is confusing to me," one Eastern Conference assistant coach said.

Phoenix, meanwhile, was both docked for the three-year, $51 million contract it handed to Rubio, but also for the price it paid -- De'Anthony Melton and two second-round picks -- to dump Josh Jackson's contract to clear the space to sign him in the first place.

"They paid him a lot of money, and he isn't very good," an Eastern Conference scout said. "Maybe it was the best they could do to finally get a point guard, but you're designed for less than mediocrity."

Rozier, meanwhile, was the beneficiary of Charlotte losing Walker, as Boston agreed to a sign-and-trade to send him to the Hornets and making him their new starter in his place. The price for doing so -- three years and $58 million -- was richer than many thought the Hornets should've paid.

"I thought that was a huge overpay without enough short term to justify it," one Eastern Conference executive said. "I think that's going to be a disaster to be a bottom-end team and throw that money around. I don't see how that's going to work out."

Others receiving votes: Wizards giving up Tomas Satoransky 1, Sacramento's offseason 1, Jimmy Butler to Miami 1, Russell Westbrook to Houston 1

4. What was the most surprising move of the summer?

• Al Horford to Philadelphia - 6

• D'Angelo Russell to Golden State - 6

• JJ Redick to New Orleans - 2

A stipulation off the top: Given how truly shocking the combination of Leonard and George going to the Clippers in one fell swoop was, those polled for this survey were not allowed to give that answer so as to make this category somewhat interesting.

As a result, the two runaway leaders instead were Horford winding up with the division-rival Sixers, and Russell being part of a sign-and-trade to go to the Golden State Warriors. For Horford, it was both leaving the Celtics and joining the Sixers that surprised people. Horford had been expected by most people to stay put when the season ended -- and few, if any, would've guessed he would be playing alongside Embiid in Philadelphia next season.

"I really thought he'd be a Celtic still," an Eastern Conference executive said.

"I didn't see Miami giving up Richardson to sign Jimmy Butler," an Eastern Conference executive said, "and I didn't see the Sixers punting on Jimmy to replace him with Al Horford."

Russell's move to the Warriors, meanwhile, was equally surprising to people. The idea that Durant would leave, and even go to Brooklyn, was somewhat expected. But that he would be included in a sign-and-trade sending Russell back to Golden State was not.

"That did not seem like a Warriors-type move," a Western Conference scout said.

A West executive, however, could at least understand it while being surprised it happened.

"There's always two ways to look at those things," he said. "They didn't want to give [Durant] up for nothing, but then, while they got [Russell], they gave up that first-round pick and Iguodala.

"I think they had to look at all those things. That surprised the heck out of me, but I thought it was an appropriate move."

Redick, meanwhile, was one of the first free agents to agree to terms on June 30, and his move to New Orleans -- both that he chose the Pelicans and that he signed for two years and $26.5 million -- was a stunner.

"For a guy who could've picked anywhere to play and who had been looking to be contending teams, then he goes to New Orleans?" a Western Conference assistant coach asked.

Others receiving votes: Nikola Mirotic going to Barcelona 1, Boston signing Kemba Walker 1, Marcus Morris to Knicks 1, Kevin Durant to Nets 1, Overall fiscal discipline 1, So many first-round picks being traded 1

5. Why are teams moving first-round picks more than before?

• Prioritizing winning now - 9

• Warriors' demise - 5

• Rookie scale salary changes 3

After the Boston Celtics acquired basically this entire decade's draft capital from the Brooklyn Nets back in 2013, there was a period of time when teams were hesitant to move first-round picks in trade.

Those days are over.

Over the past few weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers (three first-rounders and one swap right), the LA Clippers (five first-round picks and two swap rights) and Houston Rockets (two first-round picks and two swap rights) sent out loads of draft assets in trades for Anthony Davis, Paul George and Russell Westbrook.

Why the change? Because teams have decided that winning now is worth potentially mortgaging the future. The combination of shorter contracts and increased player movement has shortened title windows -- and created a sense of urgency to strike when they arrive.

"Shorter-term contracts for the star players gives them the leverage, and so now there is pressure that these stars want better players, not young rookies that are great for team building," said a Western Conference executive, who pointed at the lack of young players on teams with LeBron James over the years as an example of this playing out previously.

There was one other rather obvious thing that changed this summer, as well, that was pointed to as a possible catalyst: the fact the Warriors are no longer ruling over the league as a seemingly unbeatable foe, keeping teams from thinking it was the right time to swing for the fences.

"Would this have happened if the Warriors are still the Warriors?" an Eastern Conference executive wondered. "There are five to 10 teams that are really, really good, so those teams are thinking, 'Why not us?'"

"You basically would have been stupid to do that a couple years ago."

The other factor given credit for the surge in picks being traded are the changes in the last collective bargaining agreement that increased the salaries for rookie-scale contracts -- removing them from being the big-time bargains they were previously, and making the risk for taking on a "second draft" player taken with a lottery pick a more costly one. No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson will make more than $8.1 million in his rookie season, while the non-taxpayer midlevel exception is set at $9.2 million.

The No. 15 overall pick, meanwhile -- Detroit Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya -- will make $2.7 million -- nearly double the salary for a player making the veteran's minimum.

"I think the value of first-rounders might not be as high as it once was partly because those picks aren't quite as valuable contracts," a Western Conference scout said. "Now those contracts are [near] the midlevel exception for the top guys, so I think you're now not seeing guys get their options picked up if you can't come in right away and make strides."

Others receiving votes: Teams getting away with it 1, Draft being random chance 1, Big market teams doing it 1

6. Who will be the conference champions? The NBA champion?

• East: Milwaukee Bucks 12, Philadelphia 76ers 8

• West: LA Clippers 16, Denver Nuggets 2, Utah Jazz 1, Houston Rockets 1

• NBA title: LA Clippers 13, Milwaukee Bucks 2, Philadelphia 76ers 2, Utah Jazz 1, Denver Nuggets 1, Houston Rockets 1

In the East, those surveyed see it coming down to a two-team race between a pair of teams that were knocked out of the 2019 playoffs by Kawhi Leonard and the eventual champion Raptors: the Bucks and the 76ers, with Milwaukee getting the slight edge.

"[The Bucks] have the best player in the conference," a Western Conference executive said, referring to Giannis Antetokounmpo, "and it's Year 2 with [coach Mike Budenholzer]. Losing [Malcolm] Brogdon hurts, but Giannis will take another step forward, and they've proven to be a good regular-season team."

In the West, Leonard's new squad was the runaway favorite, although several of those polled, while choosing the Clippers, indicated that this will be very difficult field of competitors.

And while the Lakers came up as several people debated who their ultimate choice to win the conference would be, they were not among the four West teams picked by at least one person to reach the Finals -- let alone win the title.

"I'm going to say the Clippers right now," an Eastern Conference scout said. "Certainly I'd understand why someone would say the Lakers, but I don't trust the Lakers to get anything right."

Not surprisingly, the Clippers -- the team with the reigning NBA Finals MVP, Leonard -- got the lion's share of the votes to win the title next season.

"If you can get to the end of the season with those two guys [Leonard and Paul George] on the court, with the guards they have and some solid vets coming off the bench, they do it," an Eastern Conference executive said.

However, they were one of just six teams to get votes in this survey, a far cry from last year, when it was virtually impossible to find anyone picking a team other than the Warriors. Four Western Conference teams were picked as potential NBA title winners -- including the Rockets, who've been knocked out of the playoffs by the Warriors each of the past two years.

"They have two of the last three MVPs," an Eastern Conference executive said. "One is in his prime, the other just averaged a triple-double for a third straight year. I'm making a point because they're somehow being overlooked."

MINNEAPOLIS -- Loud shouts, random yells and blaring, bass-thumping, speaker-rattling music could be heard vibrating through the heavy wooden doors that separated the New York Yankees' clubhouse from the Target Field service-level tunnel late Tuesday night.

All with good reason.

Minutes prior, the American League-leading Yankees -- led in large part by shortstop Didi Gregorius' five-hit, seven-RBI night and Aaron Hicks' game-ending, diving catch -- had secured arguably their biggest win of the season, coming back and holding on in the most dramatic of fashions on the road to beat the Minnesota Twins, the current kings of the AL Central, 14-12 in a back-and-forth game that ended in 10 innings.

"That's a postseason game right there," Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge said, hinting at an October rematch between the teams. "They're going out there giving their best, we're going out there giving our best. It came down to who wanted it more at the end.

"We'll see them down the road for sure."

Following Wednesday's regular-season series finale, the next time the Yankees and Twins could meet, the games would mean significantly more, with World Series hopes on the line.

And Gregorius might have a hand in it, just as he did Tuesday.

"He's a big reason why it's noisy in there right now," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said as more postgame shouts could be heard across from his closed-door office in the visitors clubhouse.

It was Gregorius' bat that spoke the loudest. A perfect 5-for-5, Gregorius became only the fifth Yankee since 1920 (the year RBIs became an official stat) to post a 5-for-5 day with seven RBIs in the same game.

It's also the second time in his career he has had a 4-for-4 or better game with seven RBIs, making him one of just three Yankees in history to have enjoyed multiple such contests in their careers. Lou Gehrig accomplished that feat three times, while Joe DiMaggio also did it twice.

"It was really good to see him just barrel the ball up all over the ballpark, line to line," Boone said of Gregorius. "Right in the middle of everything."

Gregorius doubled twice, homered once and had a pair of singles to go along with a walk. By the fifth inning, he already had five RBIs and had supplied all of the Yankees' offense to that point.

New York had once trailed 8-2.

Given a day off as the teams opened the series Monday, Gregorius used his break to develop a plan for how he wanted to attack Twins pitchers once he got back into the lineup. He took that plan into Tuesday's pregame batting practice and saw positive results.

"I was trying to drive the ball to left-center, and trying to stay consistent and trying to keep that in the game," Gregorius said. "I did that with the first pitch I saw from [Twins starter Kyle] Gibson. I drove it to left-center."

The double carried over Twins center fielder Max Kepler's head and plated Hicks and Edwin Encarnacion to give the Yankees a quick 2-0 lead.

Why did the left-handed-hitting Gregorius make going the other way such a big focus?

"I can sit on every pitch, basically," he said. "If I can track the ball that way and stay back on curveballs and changeups, then I'm able to drive them, too, and hit them hard. It's a work in progress, but so far it's good."

Gregorius wasn't the only Yankee making a ruckus with his bat.

In the ninth inning, with the Yankees one out away from dropping their third straight game, Hicks -- once a first-round Twins draft pick -- delivered a laser to the bullpens in left-center that left many of the remaining 32,470 fans stunned. The two-run homer, which came right after No. 9 hitter Mike Tauchman had drawn a full-count, two-out walk, pushed the Yankees out in front 12-11.

A half-inning later, Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman struggled trying to pick up the save, walking the bases loaded. Of his 29 pitches, 17 were balls. His shaky performance led to Jorge Polanco's game-tying sacrifice fly that sent the game to the 10th.

"You're going to have those [outings] over the course of 162 where guys hit a little bump in the road here and there, and it just was a tough night out there," Boone said. "But guys kept picking each other up, and those guys that we've leaned on so heavily, especially at the back end, have picked us up time and time again this year."

Gregorius' fifth and final hit came in the 10th inning, kicking off a one-out rally that ended with him scoring the go-ahead run. The batter behind him, catcher Austin Romine, also scored to give the Yankees the cushion they needed.

Romine had just entered the game in the eighth inning after starting catcher Gary Sanchez had suffered a left groin injury that Boone said will lead to a "possible" injured list stint. Sanchez will have an MRI on Wednesday. Last year, he went on the disabled list twice because of right groin strains.

"It felt kind of like a cramp," Sanchez said Tuesday through a translator. "It's nothing like what I had last year. The pain is completely different.

"It just feels a little tight, and it's not preventing me from walking or anything like that. So I'm positive about that. But like I said before, we got to wait 'til [Wednesday] 'til we get the test done and see where it is."

In terms of the cushion Romine's score provided, it was necessary in part because reliever Adam Ottavino loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th and was replaced by right-hander Chad Green with Minnesota in a good position to end things with one dramatic swing. That swing came, but the drama belonged to the Yankees.

On the crack of the bat as Kepler lined a 103-mph missile toward the warning track in left-center, Hicks took off. He had expected a ball to be hit on that side of his body after seeing Romine set up for a pitch along the outside corner to the lefty-hitting Kepler.

"Didn't want anything crazy to happen right there. I wanted to keep my eyes on that one," Hicks said of tracking the liner. "Line drive like that, you have to keep your eyes on that one."

With his sprint speed maxing out at 27.4 feet per second -- his fastest on an out he's recorded this season, according to Statcast -- Hicks traveled 74 feet before needing to extend himself into a full-stretch dive on the track.

"One hundred percent I thought it was down off the bat," Twins reliever Blake Parker said. "[Kepler's] been giving us good at-bats all year. That's what he does. And we knew he was the right guy up in that situation."

For the Yankees, Hicks was the right man to be playing in center.

Hicks got back up with the ball in his glove and a mouthful of warning-track dirt that he spent the next few minutes trying to spit out as he celebrated with teammates.

"That was a do-or-die play. That was a play that needed to be made in order for the game to end," Hicks said.

Said Kepler: "You do everything right, and it gets caught. That's baseball."

As soon as he saw the grab, Green lifted his arms in the air, applauding his teammate for coming away with "one of the best catches I've ever seen."

"I'm not a pitcher that shows much emotion," Green added. "Obviously I was relieved. The game was over at that point."

The game may be over, but the intrigue in the New York-Minnesota series may only be beginning.

"That's one of those games for being late July that we'll probably be talking about for a long time," Boone said. "I mean, our guys are just really, really good at competition. And that was the ultimate competition out there, where it was tough for both teams on the mound, and so many guys did some really, really special things."

ESPN's Jeff Passan contributed to this report.

DETROIT -- The Philadelphia Phillies have put Brad Miller on the 10-day injured list, less than 24 hours after he made a game-saving throw from left field against Detroit.

The Phillies said Wednesday that Miller has a right hip flexor strain. They activated Sean Rodriguez from the injured list.

Philadelphia beat Detroit 3-2 in 15 innings in a game that ended shortly after midnight. Miller threw Nicholas Castellanos out at the plate in the 14th to keep the game tied.

Also Wednesday, Detroit put right-hander Victor Alcantara on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Sunday, with a right middle finger contusion. The Tigers recalled right-hander Jose Cisnero from Triple-A Toledo.

The New York Yankees have placed All-Star catcher Gary Sanchez on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain.

Sanchez suffered the injury and came out of the game after stepping awkwardly on first base while hustling out a ground ball during Tuesday night's 14-12 victory over the Minnesota Twins. He was set to undergo an MRI on Wednesday morning, and manager Aaron Boone had acknowledged that a trip to the IL was possible.

"It felt kind of like a cramp," Sanchez, who is from the Dominican Republic, said Tuesday through a translator. "It's nothing like what I had last year. The pain is completely different. It just feels a little tight, and it's not preventing me from walking or anything like that. So I'm positive about that."

Sanchez, 26, is batting .229 with a team-leading 24 home runs to go with 58 RBIs this season.

The Yankees announced the roster move before Wednesday night's game in Minnesota.

Catcher Kyle Higashioka and left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. were recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and right-hander Jonathan Holder was optioned to Scranton in corresponding moves.

One week before the trade deadline, teams around Major League Baseball are starting to get antsy. For 10 consecutive days in what is supposed to be the most intriguing, transaction-heavy time of the year, teams have not struck a single player-for-player deal. This July has put the dead in deadline.

MLB had hoped eliminating wavier trades in August would supercharge the weeks leading up to July 31. On the contrary, since Philadelphia acquired Jay Bruce in early June, only three teams have endeavored to enhance their playoff chances via trade: The New York Yankees dealt for DH Edwin Encarnacion in mid-June, the Boston Red Sox got starter Andrew Cashner on July 13 and the Oakland A's picked up Homer Bailey on July 14.

Since then, nothing. July has provided little, if any, clarity in standings rendered opaque with mediocrity. Of the 15 teams in the National League, 12 are on pace to win between 74 and 86 games. When one team struggles and starts to look like a seller (Pittsburgh), another goes on a run and plays itself out of that designation (San Francisco).

The lack of clear sellers has emboldened them to ask for strong returns. Buyers are waiting for prices to come down, fearful of overpaying. The ever-shifting market -- players available one day may not be the next and vice versa -- makes it especially difficult to read. Grinding it to a halt even more is that some of the best available players are not slated to hit free agency this winter. It's quite the security blanket: Sellers can compare offers now to what they believe they can get this offseason and hold out for the right package.

"Would someone just please make a trade?" one manager said Tuesday, as if uttering the words would will it to be. His wish is likely to be answered sooner than later, though executives do believe the vast majority of deals will occur closer to July 30 and up through the 4 p.m. ET deadline on the 31st. Currently, they say, the stalemate that has manifested itself over the past month or so remains in place, with the exception of a few players. Generating the most buzz Tuesday night was ...

1. Marcus Stroman, who is scheduled to pitch Wednesday for the Toronto Blue Jays. One executive with interest in Stroman questioned whether he would make that start, believing Stroman could be dealt before.

Such speculation is commonplace this time of year, though multiple executives said they've been led to believe the Blue Jays will deal Stroman before July 31. He is in the midst of perhaps his best season, posting a 3.06 ERA over 20 starts and posting a 57.1% ground ball rate, the second highest in the major leagues. And even more alluring, the 28-year-old is not a free agent until after the 2020 season.

The number of teams that have inquired about starting pitching this month is bountiful. There are those with clear, abundant needs (Milwaukee, Houston, Minnesota, New York Yankees, Atlanta, Philadelphia), others whose desire isn't quite as acute but is very real (Oakland, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Angels) and even those trying to buy and sell simultaneously (San Diego, Cleveland, Texas). In fact, the Rangers' plans to move ...

2. Mike Minor have come into focus in recent days, and while he may well make his scheduled start Wednesday afternoon, it is likely his last with Texas. The Rangers, rival executives say, are seeking a significant return for Minor because of strong interest in acquiring him.

The allure of Minor goes beyond his public numbers: a 2.86 ERA, 131 strikeouts in 129 innings and, according to Baseball-Reference.com, 6.0 wins above replacement, the most pitching WAR in all of MLB. (FanGraphs, which uses a different formula, credits Minor with 2.7 WAR, good for 19th best in baseball.) Two teams' internal metrics assign significant weight to Minor's performance this season because of strong competition and pitching at Globe Life Park, a hitters' paradise.

As with Toronto and Stroman, Texas doesn't have to trade Minor. His $9.5 million salary next season is plenty reasonable, and the Rangers could keep him around to start opening day as they christen Globe Life Field, their new $1.1 billion retractable-roof ballpark set to open next spring. The potential paucity of impact pitchers available, though, may bring the Rangers even greater value as they look to replenish an injury-wracked farm system. The fluidity of the market is that real, as ...

3. Madison Bumgarner so clearly illustrates. In this space last week, it was said, quite pointedly, that the San Francisco Giants were sellers in spite of a recent hot streak. Teams around baseball were operating on that premise, and some in the Giants organization believed it as well. The reality was the front office had yet to decide unequivocally how to treat the deadline. And since that day, all the Giants have done is go 5-1 and win four extra-inning games on walk-off hits.

The latest, a Pablo Sandoval opposite-field job, supported another strong outing from Bumgarner, who in his past half-dozen starts has a 2.00 ERA and 41-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Teams always have seen Bumgarner as a desirable rental, and when San Francisco was 34-46 on June 27, trading him seemed a certainty.

Then the Giants won 18 of 22 and crept to within two games of the second NL wild card. Barring a collapse over the next week, the Giants may find themselves incentivized to hold onto Bumgarner. Selling in the midst of a hot streak is particularly difficult because of the message it sends to players and fans. They don't care that the Giants were actually outscored over their past six games. There is value to winning now, to a competitive last two months, and it may well outweigh what can be gained in a deal.

All it takes is one offer to change that. Brandon Woodruff, the linchpin of a struggling Milwaukee rotation, is out until September with an oblique strain. Houston, which coming into the season believed its farm system would fortify its rotation, needs at least one starter. Bumgarner is the exact sort of pitcher who would look great alongside Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi in Minnesota. The Twins aren't on Bumgarner's eight-team no-trade list, which includes the Astros, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox and Yankees. That's another potential mitigating factor, one that doesn't exist for ...

4. Will Smith, whose value has been high all year. While the Giants' winning has certainly changed the calculus, it also provides an interesting sort of leverage in any trade discussions. Instead of just one option -- sell -- the Giants have a cornucopia. They can sell. They can sell a player, maybe two. They can sell and buy. They can buy marginal improvements. Or they can stand pat.

Certainly there's a scenario in which Bumgarner stays in San Francisco and Smith joins another team's bullpen. Smith brings everything. He's excellent (2.44 ERA). He throws with a desirable arm (left). He's cheap (about $1.5 million for the remainder of the season). He strikes out batters (65 in 44⅓ innings, to just 11 walks). He can go multiple innings if need be (two in Tuesday's win).

In a similar class is Tony Watson, who has the ERA and desirable-arm parts. Because of escalators in his contract, Watson is likely to make $10.5 million this season, which doesn't entirely nullify his market but keeps him a tier below Smith. Seeing as the desire for relief pitching this time of year is endless, Watson is still a plenty-good option, depending on the Giants' eventual appetite for upgrading a mediocre farm system. If the price on ...

5. Felipe Vazquez dropped and the Pittsburgh Pirates seemed motivated to move him, it would bump Smith and Watson from those top spots among left-handed relievers available. That has not happened -- and executives do not believe Pittsburgh will soften its stance on Vazquez despite dropping to 46-54.

Over the next two seasons, the Pirates owe Vazquez $12.5 million total. Then they've got two more club-option years after that at $10 million apiece. It is a spectacularly valuable contract considering Vazquez's performance: 1.91 ERA, 66-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, only three home runs in 42⅓ innings.

Is it right for the Pirates, then, to be seeking the sort of return the Yankees got in 2016 for Aroldis Chapman (Gleyber Torres) or Andrew Miller (Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield)? Of course. The Pirates should want more than that. While Vazquez is a number of teams' dream acquisition, the prospect package would need to be, well, sort of like the one ...

6. Edwin Diaz fetched from the Seattle Mariners when he got traded to the New York Mets. And the one the Mets are asking for during discussions for Diaz.

Yes, the Mets have been open to dealing Diaz, according to sources. This is not out of a desire to get rid of him but rather a desire not to potentially shut out avenues by which they can improve a moribund team. They'll do it, but only if they hit a home run.

The sort of home run, one executive said, that has them "asking for more than they gave up for him," referring to the offseason blockbuster in which the Mets acquired Diaz and Robinson Cano for Jarred Kelenic, now one of the top 20 prospects in baseball, and Justin Dunn, another top-100 talent.

Problem is, Diaz isn't pitching like Vazquez or Chapman or Miller. His ERA is 4.81. He has not been arguably the best reliever in baseball, as he was last year. He has been too inconsistent, too prone to meltdowns, and giving up at least two front-line prospects is a tough sell when Detroit's Shane Greene or Toronto's Ken Giles provide solid trade alternatives at a fraction of the price.

The Mets under new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen are a wild card. There's Diaz. There's the (slim-but-still-real) possibility that starter Noah Syndergaard could be moved. There's ...

7. Zack Wheeler coming off the injured list Friday to make one last start before the Mets try to deal him. The 29-year-old right-hander hit the IL with one of the ugliest two-word combinations in the baseball dictionary: "shoulder fatigue." Subsequent throwing sessions have gone according to plan, and Wheeler told reporters he felt good and was ready to face the Pirates.

Judging a pitcher's fitness based on one performance isn't exactly the definition of rigor or due diligence, and the offers on Wheeler, whatever they may be, are likely to reflect that. The Mets could just hold on to Wheeler, and one source this week wondered whether they would consider tendering him a qualifying offer -- a one-year deal for around $18 million -- this winter. His performance hasn't reflected it, with a 4.69 ERA, but Wheeler's peripherals are promising, and opposing teams are tantalized by his talented arm.

Should Wheeler go, he may not be the only Mets starter on the move. Left-hander Jason Vargas turned in his best performance of the season Wednesday: 6 shutout innings, 1 hit allowed, 8 strikeouts. Pitchers like Vargas and Cincinnati right-hander Tanner Roark may well be the ones who wind up getting moved on July 30 and 31 should the industry conclude ...

8. Trevor Bauer actually remains in Cleveland. The Indians' posture this July has left a number of executives in the industry confused. Some think they are primed to be aggressive and deal Bauer. Others believe they're simply not inclined to do much at all.

It would be unprecedented -- a potential playoff team selling its best pitcher at the deadline -- and certainly would need to return an enormous package of players, including at least one who can help chase the first-place Minnesota Twins.

The Indians do lead the AL wild-card race, a game ahead of second-place Oakland and three in front of the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox, who are in a virtual tie. Despite conversations about selling, the Red Sox are increasingly unlikely to do so, according to sources. The Rays have considered adding to help stop their free fall. Oakland is on the hunt, too.

Cleveland is almost a bizarro-world version of San Diego. The 47-53 Padres, teams said, have been assertive in talks -- and they'd like to buy a front-line starting pitcher the ilk of Bauer or Syndergaard. At the same time, they're talking with teams about dealing closer Kirby Yates and outfielder Franmil Reyes, among others. The Indians, meanwhile, are good -- 16 games above .500 with a positive run differential -- and still have considered, dating back to the winter, getting rid of a front-line-type starter.

Part of it is that next year Bauer will cost upward of $20 million in arbitration. For the Indians, that's a bug. Other teams see that as a distinct feature, the extra year of club control as alluring as Bauer's raw stuff. Otherwise known as the ...

9. Robbie Ray corollary. Great raw stuff, an extra year of club control. And yeah, it's easy for sellers to ask for plenty when the market is this volatile, but there's a very good argument to be made on the value of control.

Look at this winter. Teams that want to improve their pitching staffs -- i.e., all 30 -- have only a finite number of free agents who are even in Ray's neighborhood. Astros star Gerrit Cole is clearly the top free-agent pitcher this winter. He's looking at perhaps a $200 million deal. In the next tier are Bumgarner, major league ERA leader Hyun-Jin Ryu and Twins standout Jake Odorizzi. Wheeler and Alex Wood, who hasn't pitched this year, are young and talented. Cole Hamels and Wade Miley are solid veterans.

And ... there's not a ton more, at least in terms of starting pitchers to really change a team's fortunes. Ray has looked at least something like that pitcher in the past and at times this season. He has struck out 162 in 123 innings. He also has walked 58. He regularly hits the mid-90s with his fastball from the left side. His velocity also has ticked down in recent years.

It's part of what makes Ray so fascinating. His ceiling is mansion-high. And whatever team doesn't get Minor or ...

10. Marcus Stroman may consider Ray. That's how it works this time of year. All it takes for the dam to break is one trade -- or, at the very least, a ticking clock. Needs are needs, and not addressing them can be the difference between a good season, a great season and a championship season.

You see it every night. Tuesday reminded that the Twins need, at very least, a reliever -- now. So do the Braves, come to think of it. And the Nationals? They need two. Kansas City has Ian Kennedy and Jake Diekman, and Arizona has Greg Holland and Andrew Chafin, and for anyone who wants to go with the starter-reliever combo meal, Pittsburgh has Jordan Lyles and Francisco Liriano.

It's not exactly NBA free agency, where everything feels ... big. With a weak free-agent class coming and the best players in it on contending teams, there's a real possibility that 4 p.m. rolls around July 31 and Minor and Stroman are two of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- names dealt. And don't even bring up the practically nonexistent market for hitters, where Corey Dickerson, Nicholas Castellanos and David Peralta, who is on the injured list, constitute the best of the best.

It is July, of course, and all it takes is one team to get weird. Crazy deals can come together in hours and what once seemed anticlimactic, even lifeless, can feel positively alive.

The medals will be manufactured using precious metal extracted from recycled mobile phones and electronic devices

The one year to go milestone has been marked by the unveiling of the medals which thousands of athletes will compete to win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Fifty-six years after last hosting the Games, the Japanese capital will welcome athletes from July 24 to August 9 next year, with athletics action getting under way on July 31.

READ MORE: Tokyo 2020 timetable published

Athletics competition will begin with the men’s 20km race walk on July 31 and conclude with the men’s marathon on the final day of the Games.

An expected 11,090 athletes will compete across all sports, with 339 gold medals up for grabs.

READ MORE: Dual qualification system for Tokyo 2020 Olympics

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals will be manufactured using precious metal extracted from mobile phones and other small electronic devices donated by the public and the design of the medals is said to reflect the concept that in order to achieve glory, athletes have to strive for victory on a daily basis.

The medals have been created to resemble rough stones that have been polished and which now shine, with “light” and “brilliance” their overall themes.

The front of the medals shows the traditional design of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, in front of the Panathinaikos Stadium, while the back features the event name and logo, plus the Olympic five rings symbol.

“The medals collect and reflect myriad patterns of light, symbolising the energy of the athletes and those who support them; their design is intended to symbolise diversity and represent a world where people who compete in sports and work hard are honoured,” said organisers. “The brilliance of the medals’ reflections signifies the warm glow of friendship depicted by people all over the world holding hands.”

The medal design came after a competition was held for professional designers and design students, which attracted more than 400 entries.

Junichi Kawanishi, the winning designer, said: “It is a great honour that my design was selected for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medal. I never dreamed that the design I submitted only as a memorial to this lifetime event would be actually selected.

“With their shining rings, I hope the medals will be seen as paying tribute to the athletes’ efforts, reflecting their glory, and symbolising friendship.”

READ MORE: Tokyo 2020 marathon and race walk routes revealed

Ryohei Miyata, chairperson of the Tokyo 2020 medal design selection panel, added: “I am convinced that Japanese metal moulding techniques and the superb design have combined well, and that we have the best medal in the world – one that we can be proud of.

“There is also a beautiful balance between the design of the medals and their ribbons. It makes me want to strive for a medal myself.”

The 10-time global gold medallist will return to the iconic half-marathon in September

Mo Farah will bid to become the first athlete to win six consecutive Simplyhealth Great North Run titles when he returns to the iconic half-marathon on September 8.

Like last year, the 10-time global gold medallist will again use the event as part of his preparations for the Chicago Marathon, where he will defend his title on October 13.

READ MORE: Mo Farah speeds to Great North Run title No.5

At the 2018 edition of the Great North Run, Farah clocked 59:26 before breaking the European marathon record with his winning time of 2:05:11 in Chicago.

“I’m going to be giving it my best shot,” said Farah, on targeting a sixth victory. “Winning it once was special enough, to win it for the sixth time would be unbelievable.

“It was a massive part of my preparations for Chicago last year and it will be as important this year.

“The Simplyhealth Great North Run is one of my favourite races, it’s something that I always look forward to and I can’t wait to be back on that start line in Newcastle in September.”

READ MORE: Mo Farah to defend Chicago Marathon title

Farah has a winning record dating back to 2014 on the famous 13.1-mile course between Newcastle and South Shields.

Only Farah and Tanni Grey-Thompson have won five consecutive Great North Run races in the event’s 39-year history, with Grey-Thompson’s last victory in the wheelchair event claimed 20 years ago.

The full elite field for the 39th staging of the Simplyhealth Great North Run will be announced in due course. For more information on the event, visit greatrun.org/North

Charlie Da’Vall Grice, Morgan Lake and Richard Kilty among athletes selected for Bydgoszcz

A 54-strong Great Britain and Northern Ireland team has been named for the European Team Championships Super League in Bydgoszcz, Poland, from August 9-11.

Charlie Da’Vall Grice (pictured) makes his third appearance at the event, fresh from moving to fourth on the UK 1500m all-time list after running 3:30.62 at the Monaco Diamond League.

READ MORE: Charlie Grice on his magical metric mile in Monaco

Also having set a recent PB, at the Müller Anniversary Games, European indoor silver medallist Jamie Webb will run the 800m, as will European indoor champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke.

Jessica Judd will race the 1500m after having won the World University Games 5000m title earlier this month.

READ MORE: Jess Judd wins World University Games gold

Interview with a delighted @jessjuddxx following her 5000m PB and @IAAFDoha2019 qualifying time of 15:16.47 in London, which came after a 5000m win at the World Uni Games. “I still can’t quite believe I got a time. I think my dad’s probably right that I can be a 5km runner!” pic.twitter.com/2T7MQM3t2m

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 22, 2019

Grice, Webb, Oskan-Clarke and Judd are four of 20 athletes selected for the championships to have achieved a qualifying standard for the IAAF World Championships in Doha later this year, with that list also including Olympic finalist Morgan Lake (high jump), Rosie Clarke (3000m steeplechase), Meghan Beesley (400m hurdles), Sophie McKinna (shot put) and Greg Thompson (discus), who is one of 12 making a senior British debut.

This month has already seen international success in the British vest for a number of athletes selected, with Tom Gale and Cameron Fillery claiming high jump silver and 110m hurdles bronze respectively at the European U23 Championships. They also make their senior British debuts in Poland.

READ MORE: European U20 Championships

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Dwayne Cowan earn selection for the men’s 100m and 400m respectively, having both claimed victory at the championships two years ago in France. The event holds added significance for Aikines-Aryeetey as it was where he made his senior British debut, then known as the European Cup, in Malaga in 2006.

British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: “As ever, I am delighted to announce the 54 athletes chosen to represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the European Team Championships next month.

“The championships mark the start of a busy period leading up to the IAAF World Championships in Doha and once again we want to show ourselves as one of the leading nations in Europe.

“For some of the athletes selected the event presents them with an opportunity to test themselves in a team environment against high-quality international competition, while for others it offers an opportunity for them to put themselves in the mix for selection for the IAAF World Championships later this year.

“We have seen some fantastic performances at the European under-20 and under-23 championships over the past two weeks and it is great to see athletes being given the opportunity to show what they can do at senior level. We want to finish as high in the team standings as possible in Bydgoszcz and we look forward to seeing what our athletes can deliver.”

British team selected for the European Team Championships

MEN
100m: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
200m: Richard Kilty
400m: Dwayne Cowan
800m: Jamie Webb
1500m: Charlie Da’Vall Grice
3000m: James West
5000m: TBC
3000m steeplechase: Zak Seddon
110m hurdles: Cameron Fillery
400m hurdles: Chris McAlister
High jump: Tom Gale
Pole vault: Charlie Myers
Long jump: Jacob Fincham-Dukes
Triple jump: Ben Williams
Shot put: Scott Lincoln
Discus: Gregory Thompson
Hammer: Nick Miller
Javelin: Tom Hewson
4x100m: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Shemar Boldizsar, Oliver Bromby, Richard Kilty, Andrew Robertson
4x400m: Ethan Brown, Cameron Chalmers, Alex Knibbs, Martyn Rooney, Lee Thompson, Rabah Yousif

WOMEN
100m: Daryll Neita
200m: Jodie Williams
400m: Amy Allcock
800m: Shelayna Oskan-Clarke
1500m: Jessica Judd
3000m: Emily Hosker-Thornhill
5000m: Sarah Inglis
3000m steeplechase: Rosie Clarke
100m hurdles: Cindy Ofili
400m hurdles: Meghan Beesley
High jump: Morgan Lake
Pole vault: Sophie Cook
Long jump: Abigail Irozuru
Triple jump: Naomi Ogbeta
Shot put: Sophie McKinna
Discus: Kirsty Law
Hammer: Sophie Hitchon
Javelin: Bekah Walton
4x100m: Kristal Awuah, Rachel Miller, Daryll Neita, Ashleigh Nelson, Asha Philip, Bianca Williams
4x400m: Zoey Clark, Emily Diamond, Beth Dobbin, Laviai Nielsen, Jessica Turner, Jodie Williams

SARVER, Pa. – Many times, sprint car drivers fear seeing slower traffic in the closing laps of a race, but David Gravel embraced the challenge of working through the crowd on Tuesday night at Lernerville Speedway.

Gravel drove to victory in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup and a $25,000 payday, running away from the competition by passing cars more efficiently than anyone else around the four-tenths-mile clay oval.

The No. 41 Jason Johnson Racing sprinter was on rails as it cruised past foe after foe, reaching the checkered flag first by more than four seconds over Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson.

Tuesday night’s race, the 92nd World of Outlaws stop at Lernerville, marked Gravel’s fifth win of the season, the 44th of his career and his third at the tricky Pennsylvania facility.

However, it took a concerted effort by his Jason Johnson Racing crew in order to get the handling of the car to his liking when it came down to crunch time.

“I don’t know what it was about this car, but man, she was fast,” Gravel said. “Phillip (Dietz, crew chief) worked on the thing all night, and I was really picky, because it wasn’t good enough entering the corner all night until it was time for the feature. We finally got it good in (turns) one and two, where I was able to pick up the middle and carry a lot of exit speed so I was in a good position going into three and four. I knew we could pass cars.

“These guys did a great job and it’s awesome to win another one of these (Outlaw races).”

Though Gravel was the fastest man in town when it counted, the early rabbit was James McFadden, who charged to the lead from the outside pole on the initial start and drove out to a sizable lead twice despite early caution flags on laps two and six.

The pair of slowdowns – for a stopped A.J. Flick in turn one and a spun Danny Dietrich in turn two, respectively – did nothing to slow McFadden’s momentum early on, but when the final 34 laps ran uninterrupted it was clear that Gravel’s mount was built for long-run speed, and he showed it.

Gravel kept hitting his marks, lap after lap, chased McFadden down in traffic and surged past on the inside of the backstretch at lap 15. Once the Connecticut Outlaw was out in front, it was over after that.

“I just didn’t have to rely on the top (lane),” noted Gravel. “I think 90 percent of the guys had to rely on the top in the heat race and in the Dash, and even there in the beginning of the A … but I didn’t have to at all. I figured it would just get thinner and thinner as the night went on, so we just kept working below it and making our car better below (the top).

“We had a strong week at Eldora, but didn’t get a win,” he added. “To come here to Pennsylvania and check one off tonight feels pretty good, for both me and this team.”

Larson charged from sixth to second, closing a 2.5-second gap down to just under a second between laps 20 and 30, but had nothing for Gravel after the leader began to pull away inside of 10 to go and was forced to settle for the runner-up position in the end.

McFadden completed the podium after leading the first 14 laps, followed by series point leader Brad Sweet and 10-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz.

Tim Shaffer, Logan Schuchart, polesitter Shane Stewart, Daryn Pittman and Sheldon Haudenschild were the remainder of the top 10.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

LAS VEGAS -- The Vegas Golden Knights signed defenseman Deryk Engelland on Tuesday to a one-year deal for the upcoming season.

The contract includes a $700,000 base salary and incentives that could bring the total value of the deal to $1.5 million.

The 37-year-old Engelland played in 74 games last season and finished with 12 points and 18 penalty minutes. He set career-marks with 152 blocked shots and 165 hits.

The Knights took Engelland during the 2017 expansion draft.

The team also acquired goaltender Garret Sparks from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward David Clarkson and a fourth-round selection in the 2020 NHL entry draft.