What MLB Team is the Most Disappointing After the End of the James Harden Era in Philadelphia?

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Good morning to everyone but especially to…

PATRICK MAHOMES AND TRAVIS KELCE

It turns out Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce can win more than just Super Bowls together. The Kansas City Chiefs duo dominated Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in eighth edition of The Match, a 12-hole charity golf exhibition at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas.

Mahomes and Kelce beat the Splash Brothers in 10 holes, giving the Chiefs quarterback a win in the event just over a year after he and Bills signal caller Josh Allen lost to Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

• The Chiefs duo raced to a 4 UP lead through the first six holes, but with a chance to win it on the seventh, Kelce missed a put after his tee shot left him 10 feet from the hole to extend the match.
• Mahomes and Kelce would then miss would-be match-winning putts on the ninth, resulting in the Splash Brothers’ lone win.
• As he’s done so often on the football field, Mahomes delivered the game-winning play for his team, this time being a short par-4 10th instead of a no-look pass.

While Curry and Thompson didn’t get the win, it wasn’t all bad for Warriors fans as Draymond Green — who’s hitting unrestricted free agency today — appeared and showed support. Perhaps that’s a sign he’s running it back with Golden State?

And not such a good morning for…

THE 76ERS

The James Harden era is over in Philly. After a season and a half with the 76ers, the three-time scoring champ has reportedly opted into his contract to allow Philadelphia to explore trade options.

While Harden has been linked to the Rockets — the team he won the 2017-18 MVP with — for several months now, an H-Town comeback tour is unlikely as they’re reportedly targeting Fred VanVleet. Harden will land somewhere, though, continuing what’s been a strange late-career odyssey for one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history.

• If/when Harden is traded, it’ll be his fourth team since the Rockets dealt him to the Nets in January 2021.
• Harden’s infamous postseason struggles followed him to Philadelphia, as the 76ers failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs in each of his two postseasons with the team.
• At age 34 with declining athleticism, Harden might not be as valuable a trade option as he was a player for the 76ers, though he has reportedly drawn interest from the Clippers and Knicks.

It’s unclear where the 76ers go from here. Harden, despite his flaws, helped unlock Joel Embiid’s MVP form with his steady playmaking. With Harden gone — and potentially without a commensurate replacement — the clock has to be ticking for Embiid as well, especially if Philadelphia struggles out the gate next season.

Kyrie Irving landing spots: Could the star guard reunite with LeBron in L.A.? 🏀

NBA free agency officially opened today, and Kyrie Irving is the biggest name available. The eight-time All-Star hits the open market as an unrestricted free agent after finishing last season with the Mavericks, but a return to Dallas is far from certain.

Irving has long been considered a Lakers target — they reportedly tried to trade for him in February — because of his connection to LeBron James, as the two led the Cavaliers to their first ever championship in 2016. A lot has changed since then, most notably Irving’s off-court antics making him somewhat of a depreciated asset. Teams always need scoring, though, and Irving is still one of the league’s best bucket-getters.

CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish laid out three potential landing spots for Irving, and here’s her case for the Lakers:

• Wimbish: “From an on-court perspective, Irving would be an immediate upgrade to [D’Angelo] Russell, and there’s already history to suggest that he’ll be a perfect pair alongside LeBron. He already has experience sharing the ballhandling responsibilities with James, and Anthony Davis will benefit from the passes Irving feeds him.”

If Irving can’t find his way to Los Angeles, he could stay in Texas — but not with the team you think. Wimbish listed the Rockets as one of the Irving landing spots, and while the fit may seem odd given Houston’s roster construction, Houston could pull the trigger anyway considering Harden is seemingly off the table.

• Wimbish: “Houston already has two high-usage guards on the roster in Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., so bringing Irving into the mix will almost certainly take the ball out of their hands. But Houston is one of the few teams around the league that has a significant amount of cap space, $60 million to be exact, and they have the type of money to offer Irving that max contract he was looking for when he was with Brooklyn.”

NHL free agency: A look at the biggest names hitting the market Saturday 🏒

With the NHL Draft in the rearview mirror, all eyes are on free agency opening Saturday. This class lacks a bona fide star, but CBS Sports’ Austin Nivison believes players such as Ryan O’Neill and Tyler Bertuzzi can be valuable additions to the right teams.

O’Neill headlines the list as a former Selke Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion, but at age 32 he likely won’t command the type of contract his resume would suggest.

• Nivison: “O’Reilly did take a step back in 2022-23, with 16 goals and 30 points in 53 games, but he started the season on a very bad St. Louis Blues team. Following his trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs, O’Reilly’s numbers did improve, and he showed that he still has some gas in the tank. O’Reilly is 32-years-old, so I wouldn’t expect him to get a massive, long-term deal, but he can still provide value for a playoff contender at the right price.”

As for Bertuzzi, he could be in line for a significant payday after breaking out with the President’s Trophy-winning Bruins down the stretch. However, injuries have been a concern, which could leave teams queasy about including him in their long-term plans.

• Nivison: “Bertuzzi is probably the most intriguing name on the free agent market this summer. When he is at his best, Bertuzzi is a pest with strong forechecking ability and some scoring touch. The issue is that Bertuzzi has struggled to put together complete seasons in the last few years.”

Here’s Austin’s full list.

Who is more disappointing, the Padres or Mets? ⚾

It’s been a season to forget for the Mets and Padres, two teams that once had sky-high expectations. Just which squad has flopped the hardest, though?

CBS Sports’ MLB experts discussed the topic on this week’s Batting Around, and the opinion was split.

Matt Snyder went with the Padres, noting he was particularly disappointed with the team’s offense, including high-priced veterans Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts.

• Snyder: “I think if you took the temperature of the fan bases, the Mets would probably “win” here in convincing fashion, but for me personally, it’s the Padres. … They should be better than this. They lead the NL in ERA. If someone told you heading into the season that as of June 29, the Padres would have the best team ERA in the NL, surely you’d think the Padres would be in first place. Instead, the bats have totally failed them.”

Dayn Perry, meanwhile, chose the Mets because of how drastically they’ve regressed this season despite owning MLB’s highest payroll ever.

• Perry: “While the Cardinals might like a word, I have to go with the Mets if given the choice between them or the Padres. The Pads compared to the Mets have a slightly better record and a significantly better run differential, and they’ve achieved those things despite playing a tougher schedule thus far. Given that the Mets won 100 games last season and are running the highest payroll in MLB history, they’re the ‘winners’ here.”

Here’s the full Batting Around conversation.

What we’re watching this weekend 📺

Saturday

⚾ Yankees at Cardinals, 2:15 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Sun at Aces, 3 p.m. on ABC
⚾ Diamondbacks at Angels, 10:07 p.m. on MLB Network

Sunday
⚾ Marlins at Braves, 1:35 p.m. on MLB Network
🏎 NASCAR Cup Series at Chicago, 5:30 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Liberty at Storm, 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
⚾ Giants at Mets, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN