SPORTS 6-30

NBA:

The Trail Blazers made a major move Monday, agreeing to acquire guard Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Reports say Memphis will receive Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in the deal.

Morant is a two-time All-Star, but played just 20 games this past season.

The second-overall pick in the 2019 draft has suited up for only 79 games over the last three years due to injuries or off-court legal issues.

The move is being second-guessed by media, fans, and NBA executives.

An official from a team not connected to the trade called it ‘confusing’ since Portland has plenty of guards, including franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard set to return from an Achilles injury.

Others around the Association believe the Blazers may not be done dealing, as there is still the possibility to somehow acquire Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

The NBA’s free agency signing period begins today.

LOCAL:

The Bend Elks are back at Vince Genna stadium for a midweek series against the Walla Walla Sweets starting tonight, which begins a week-long home stand.

SPORTS 6-29

NBA:

The Trail Blazers are still being linked to a potential trade with Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

There have been reports of this trade since the off-season began.

Another name popping up this past weekend in the rumor mill is Denver forward Aaron Gordon, according to Hoops Hype.

And as the NBA free-agency period begins forward Dean Wade from the Cavaliers is someone the Blazers may go after to shore up their three-point shooting.

The Summer League schedule is out. The younger players will begin July 10^th.

WNBA:

In WNBA action, the Portland Fire lost to the Washington Mystics 124-123 in four overtimes. The Fire are now 8-and-12 on the season and will visit Seattle on Saturday to wrap up their four-game road trip. Meanwhile, the Storm will visit the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday. Seattle is 5-and-15.

LOCAL:

The Bend Elks are back at Vince Genna stadium for a midweek series against the Walla Walla Sweets that starts a week-long home stand.

Upcoming races include the Bend Dirt Fest Trail Run, Gravel and Mountain Biking July 11th, the High Cascades 100 mountain bike race July 18^th, the Oregon Cascades 100 running race, July 25 and 26^th.

SPORTS 6-26

NBA:

The Trail Blazers introduced new head coach Micah Nori at a press conference yesterday (Th).

The long-time assistant has interviewed for many lead jobs over the years, and noted that makes him appreciate coming to Rip City.

Nori said: "A playoff roster, adding a future hall-of-famer, in this great city, with this fanbase, and the support that we get. It’s an opportunity I could not pass up and was ecstacic to take."

Coach Nori thanked General Manager Joe Cronin and owner Tom Dundon for the shot.

Meanwhile, Dundon told Portland’s city leaders he expects the proposed 600-million-dollar Moda Center renovations to be entirely funded by tax payers.

WNBA:

In WNBA action, the Portland Fire remain in the Windy City to battle the Chicago Sky again today. The Fire lost to the Sky 101-78 on Wednesday and sit at 8-and-10.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Oregon State right-handed pitcher Dax Whitney was named a second-team All-American by D1Baseball.com on Thursday.

It's his sixth All-American honor of 2026, becoming the first Beaver to earn that many since Travis Bazzana in 2024.

He's also been named a first-team selection by the College Baseball Foundation, Baseball America, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Perfect Game. He was also a second-teamer per the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

Oregon pitcher Tanner Bradley is also a D1Baseball All-American, placing the Ducks' reliever to its second team.
Over the last month, Bradley has been named a first-team All-America pick by the writers’, a second-team selection for Baseball America, and a third-team pick by Perfect Game. The four All-America honors in a single season are the fifth most in program history.

The Ducks’ Brayden Jaksa has been named a second-team freshman All-American as a first baseman by Baseball America.

A versatile player, he was named second-team All-America as a catcher by the NCBWA as well as a second-team pick as a first baseman by Perfect Game.

NWL:

The Hillsboro Hops suffered a loss to the Vancouver Canadians last night. The Canadians beat the Hops seven to two at Hillsboro Ballpark. The Hops are in a three-way tie for first place in the Northwest League as they head into the last three games of their series with Vancouver.

LOCAL:

The Bend Elks are in Portland to play Pickles in a weekend series starting tonight.

Beats & Buckets: Bend 3v3 is today through Sunday at the Boys & Girls Club of Bend.

SPORTS 6-25

NBA:

The Trail Blazers new coach Micah Nori is still the talk of the Association even with the draft finishing last night.

Most agree the long-time assistant deserved his shot, but many are questioning the reported deal of a below-market salary for only one-year guaranteed.

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff the NBA coaches association president called the minimal contract a ‘slap in the face’ to a coach’s value.

WNBA:

The Fire were crushed by the Sky 101-78 in Chicago. Megan Gustafson netted 17 points to lead Portland, which has dropped six of its last eight. The teams will rematch tomorrow in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Seattle Storm host the New York Liberty tonight.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Oregon State pitchers Albert Roblez, the Beavers closer; and Dax Whitney, the future MLB draft pick right-hander were named First-Team All-Americans by the College Baseball Foundation.

Whitney now has five All-American honors this season, including four first-team selections.

Roblez has been named a first-teamer three times this season.

The Beavs will open the 2027 campaign in Surprise, Arizona, for the 13th straight year, facing Vanderbilt, UC Santa Barbara, Nebraska, and Kent State.

More from Corvallis: OSU baseball will expand Goss Stadium, funded by a 15-million-dollar anonymous gift.

Renovations are planned for a new right-field structure with permanent bleacher seating, a dedicated clubhouse, office space… and added fan amenities.

MLS:

The MLS season remains on pause for the next month for the World Cup. The Sounders and Timbers will return to the pitch July 16 for a matchup against one another. Seattle is sixth in the Western Conference, while Portland sits in 13th place.

LOCAL:

The Bend Elks finish their mid-week series against Ridgefield tonight at Vince Genna stadium.

Beats & Buckets: Bend 3v3 is set for tomorrow through Sunday at the Boys & Girls Club of Bend.

SPORTS 6-24

NBA:

The Trail Blazers have their new coach.

Micah Nori was most recently an assistant for Minnesota and has coached at various levels with five separate teams in the Association since 2009.

Reports say Nori will be under a one-year contract with options for more years.

The deal’s length is being questioned by media and fans with some saying it’s another example of new owner Tom Dundon’s excessive frugality.

WNBA:

The Fire are set to begin a four-game road trip. Portland will take on the Sky tonight. The Fire lost its first matchup with Chicago 98-83 last month at home. Carla Leite scored a team-high 18 points in the setback. Portland enters the night with an 8-and-9 record.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Oregon State is headed back to Arlington. The Beavers are one of six teams that will participate in the 2027 College Baseball Series that takes place from February 26-28.

Oregon will be making its first trip to the season opening series.

No word yet if there will be Civil War baseball in Texas.

One last Poll-a-palooza to wrap up the 2026 season following the completion of the college world series.

The Beavers are ranked 20th in the coaches’ poll, 22 by d1baseball.com, 24 by the Writers and are unranked by Baseball America. OSU’s season ended in the Eugene regional.

Oregon advance to the super-regional before losing to Texas. The Ducks are ranked 11^th by the Writers, 12^th by Baseball America, 13^th by D1 baseball, and 14^th by the coaches.

LOCAL:

The Bend Elks continue their mid-week series against Southern division first place Ridgefield tonight at Vince Genna stadium.

Beats & Buckets: Bend 3v3 is set for Friday through Sunday at the Boys & Girls Club of Bend.

SPORTS 6-23

NBA:

Various local and national media report it will be quiet in Portland for tonight’s Draft.

The Trail Blazers have no picks, and no deals to get them into the Draft have been announced as of this airing.

There is also some chatter about The Blazers involved in a deal for Wizards forward Anthony Davis.

It could be a busy day ahead of the draft later this evening.

OSU FOOTBALL:

The Oregon State football team landed yet another commitment.  Unrated tight end Hudson Harbuck announced his pledge to the Beavers on Monday.  He is the sixth member of the class of 2027 to commit to OSU this week.

MLS:

The MLS season is on pause for the next month for the World Cup. The Sounders and Timbers will return to the pitch July 16 for a matchup against one another. Seattle is sixth in the Western Conference, while Portland sits in 13th place.

LOCAL:

The Bend Elks host a mid-week series against Southern division first place Ridgefield starting tonight through Thursday. The Elks are 6 – 12 for the season, trying to snap a three-game losing streak.

Beats & Buckets: Bend 3v3 is set for Friday through Sunday at the Boys & Girls Club of Bend.

SPORTS 6-19

NBA:

A championship winning assistant coach is apparently in the running for the Trail Blazers head coaching job. The Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin has the Knicks’ associate head coach Chris Jent in the running. New York coach Mike Brown endorsed Jent’s hiring during his Finals-winning post-game press conference saying he’ll help a team win at the highest level. Meanwhile Clutch Points reports the Blazers won’t be participating in a multi-team trade to land Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Postseason baseball will be back in Corvallis next season. Oregon State will host the Pac-12 conference baseball tournament in 2027, deputy commissioner Rick Hart announced earlier this week. The format of the tournament has yet to be announced.

LOCAL:

The Bend Elks are back at Vince Genna stadium for a weekend series against Kelowna starting tonight. A post-game Drone Show is tomorrow (Sa) and celebrate Father’s Day at the ballpark Sunday. Tomorrow is the Alpine Solstice Race starting and finishing at Swampy Lakes Sno Park. It’s a 55K and Half Marathon. Ridgeview High School Cross Country and Track is the beneficiary.

The Cascade Cycling Class downtown Bend criterium is Sunday. The prize purse for the Pro Men and Women’s field is the biggest purse for a one-day race in the U.S. Equal payout between the pro men and the pro women of $20,000. The CCC used to be a week-long bicycle race for many years. Watch for road closures in downtown Bend this weekend.

SPORTS 6-18

NBA:

Former Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter took the high road when asked if Portland’s financial situation factored in his taking the Chicago Bulls head job.

Splitter called it a quote ‘really good question but wanted to leave that behind.’

He went on to say there had been ‘too many things said already’ and he wanted to talk about the Chicago Bulls during the introductory press conference held by the Bulls.

Shortly after new owner Tom Dundon took over operations stories emerged involving the team cutting spending, and offering low-ball coaching salaries.

WNBA:

The Fire and Storm played their first ever regular season game on Wednesday. Portland beat Seattle 94-89 at home. Bridget Carleton led the Fire with 24 points, while Carla Leite added 20 points in the victory. Dominique Malonga led the Storm with 28 points and 11 rebounds.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

The Oregon State football team landed a local recruit. Three-star linebacker Kawai Chamberlin committed to the Beavers on Tuesday. The Eugene native chose OSU over offers from Boise State and San Diego State, among others.

Oregon State is reportedly considering whether or not to host its scheduled season opener against Texas Tech due to the recent court decision allowing an admitted college football gambler to play quarterback for the Red Raiders.

Brendan Sorsby has said he will not play in Lubbock this season, instead entering the NFL’s supplemental Draft this year.

Pac 12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has spoken to OSU officials about the game’s status, according to the Oregonian.

The paper further reports the Beavers game against Washington State to end the season November 28^th could indeed get moved to Seattle, as WSU doesn’t want to play the game in Pullman the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

LOCAL:

The Bend Elks finish their series at Yakima Valley tonight.  Then they’re back at Vince Genna stadium for a weekend series against Kelowna tomorrow.

SPORTS 6-17

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Oregon State Pitchers Ethan Kleinschmit and Eric Segura have received MLB Draft Combine invites.

It's being held starting June 23 in Phoenix.

Segura and 2B AJ Singer are Gold Glove finalists.

Beavers Pitcher Trey Morris is transferring to Florida.

The left-hander will follow former OSU pitching coach Rich Dorman to Gainesville where Dorman will take the head coach job.

Oregon designated hitter/infielder/right-handed pitcher Junior Lauaki has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 reports.

The redshirt freshman was a big part of the Ducks batting line-up hitting 14 homeruns as DH.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL:

The Oregon football team landed a high-profile recruit on Tuesday. Five-star wide receiver Dakota Guerrant announced his commitment to the Ducks. The Harper Woods, Michigan native chose UO over offers from Michigan and Ohio State, among others.

NBA:

The latest from the Trail Blazers coaching search is that Minnesota assistant Micah Nori is being courted by the Dallas Mavericks.

Former Blazers coach Terry Stotts is also in the running for the Mavs job.

WNBA:

The Fire and Storm will play their first ever regular season game against each other. Portland will host Seattle tonight. This is the first of four meetings between the teams this season. The Fire enter the night at 7-and-9, while the Storm have a 3-and-12 record.

LOCAL:

The Bend Elks are on the road at Yakima Valley for a three-game series through tomorrow against the Pippins.

Saturday is the Alpine Solstice Race starting and finishing at Swampy Lakes Sno Park.  It’s a 55K and Half Marathon.  Ridgeview High School Cross Country and Track is the beneficiary.  Today is the deadline to sign up to race.

SPORTS 6-16

NBA:

Tiago Splitter is going to be the new head coach for the Bulls.

Chicago was already interested in the Blazers’ interim coach, as reported following Portland’s playoff exit.

Those same sources now confirm Splitter’s hire.

ESPN notes Portland has narrowed their coaching search to either Boston assistant Tyler Lashbrook, or Minnesota assistant Micah Nori, who was also up for the Bulls gig.

Splitter took the reins for the Trail Blazers on game 2 of the regular season and led the team on an unlikely run to the 7^th seed before losing to eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio.

WNBA:

The Fire were bested on the road. Portland lost 107-74 to the Minnesota Lynx. Carla Leite and Frieda Buhner each scored a team-high 10 points in the setback. The Fire will return home Wednesday for their first regular season matchup with the Seattle Storm.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Oregon pitchers Tanner Bradley and Will Sanford, and catcher Brayden Jaksa have been invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

The three Ducks will join 53 other players invited to compete for a spot on the final 28-man Collegiate National Team starting on June 24.

Oregon is losing a freshman All American. Outfielder Angel Laya entered the transfer portal according to on3.com.

LOCAL:

Beats & Buckets: Bend 3v3 is set for June 26th through 28th at the Boys & Girls Club of Bend.

The event features 3-on-3 basketball divisions, skills contests, free throws, a 3-point contest, and live DJ music to give it a hoops festival atmosphere.

Registration is available online, with more details on Beats & Buckets social pages.

The Bend Elks are back on the road at Yakima Valley for a three-game series tonight through Thursday against the Pippins. The Elks have 4 wins against 8 losses in West Coast League play.

SPORTS 6-15

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Oregon State right-handed pitcher Dax Whitney has earned two more First-Team All-America honors.

Both Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) named him to their first teams Friday.

It's the third and fourth All-America honors of the postseason for Whitney, who has also been named a first-teamer by Perfect Game and a second-team honoree by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Whitney is the seventh Beaver since 2021 to earn at least four All-American recognitions in the same season.

Baseball America put Oregon relief pitcher Tanner Bradley its second team All-American.

Over the last week, Bradley has been named a first-team All-America pick by the baseball writers, and a third-team pick by Perfect Game.

The three All-America honors in a single-season is tied for the fifth most in the Ducks’ baseball program history.

(Facts credit OSUbeavers.com and GoDucks.com)

LOCAL:

The Cascade Cycling Class downtown Bend criterium is Sunday. The prize purse for the Pro Men and Women’s field is the biggest purse for a one-day race in the U.S.

Equal payout between the pro men and the pro women of $20,000.

The CCC used to be a week-long bicycle race for many years.

MLS Round Up

The MLS season is on pause for the next month for the World Cup. The Sounders and Timbers will return to the pitch July 16 for a matchup against one another. Seattle is sixth in the Western Conference, while Portland sits in 13th place.

Fire To Face Lynx

The Fire are back on the road. Portland will face off with the Minnesota Lynx tonight. This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season. The Fire enter the matchup at seven and eight this season.

SPORTS 6-2

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Oregon is getting set to head south for the Super Regional against Texas in Austin.

Head coach Mark Wasikowski said after the win over Oregon State Sunday how much it meant for the Ducks to compete against quality opponents in the Eugene Regional.

“To do it here at PK Park where the fans were just unbelievable and to be part of the growth of this program is really phenomenal.”

Over 25-thousand fans attended the six games over the weekend between UO, OSU, Washington State, and Yale.

The best of three series against the Long Horns is this weekend.

NBA:

Former Portland Trail Blazers coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Adelman has passed away.

In a statement, the Blazers called Adelman one of the most influential figures in franchise history.

He was on the team when it debuted in 1970, and played for four years.

Then became assistant coach in 1983 and as head coach guided the team to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, and won one-thousand-42 games as an NBA coach… the 10th most in league history.

Rick Adelman was 79.

LOCAL:

High School Playoffs-

Baseball 5A semifinals today have Summit against Thurston at the Storm’s homefield, and Ridgeview is at Central High School.

Softball 5A Semis, Caldera has Crater visiting.

The Conquer the Canyon 10K, 5K and dog dash at Redmond’s Dry Canyon is Saturday. Sign up to race and volunteers opportunities are also available…at Bend Races dot com.

SPORTS 6-1

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Eugene-

Oregon defeated Oregon State 4 – 1 last night to win the regional and move on to the Super Regional playing Texas in Austin this weekend.

The Ducks went 3 – 0 to advance, also getting past Washington State and Yale.

The Beavers’ season ends while going 2 – 2 in the tournament, beating Washington State yesterday to advance to the final.

The U of O is in a Super Regional for the third time since 2023.

Of note, UCLA the overall number one seed was knocked out of the tournament yesterday.

The Ducks lost to the Bruins in the Big Ten championship.

LOCAL:

High School Playoffs-

Baseball 5A Summit and Ridgeview advanced to the semifinals, potentially setting up an all IMC final if they both can win tomorrow.

Softball 5A Caldera is in tomorrow’s semi-final.

The State Track and Field Finals, 5A Girls, Summit is first and Caldera takes second.

On the 5A Boys side, Summit was again on top of the podium. Caldera is 3^rd.

The Conquer the Canyon 10K, 5K and dog dash at Redmond’s Dry Canyon is Saturday.

OSU Football 

The Oregon State football team landed a pair of commitments on Sunday. Three-star wide receiver Landon White and unranked linebacker Teave Brown announced their pledges to the Beavers on Sunday. Both players took official visits to Corvallis over the weekend.