Reaves locks in $185M extension with Lakers; Mookie mashes No. 300 in Dodgers sweep
Austin Reaves secured his future in L.A. with a massive four-year deal, while Mookie Betts reached a historic milestone as Shohei Ohtani shut down the Twins in Minneapolis.
Good morning! It was an L.A. kind of Wednesday. The Lakers locked down fan-favorite guard Austin Reaves with a massive four-year, $185 million contract extension; Mookie Betts mashed career home run No. 300 as Shohei Ohtani overcame early trouble to complete a sweep of the Twins; the Angels walked off the Orioles in wild extra-inning fashion at the Big A; Manny Machado and Bryce Miller powered the Padres to another victory over the Braves; but the Sparks suffered a devastating blow with star guard Kelsey Plum sidelined for at least a month. Let’s get into it.
🚨 HEADLINES
· 🏀 Reaves locks it in. L.A. re-signs guard Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million extension, keeping the star playmaker alongside Luka Dončić — Carlos Yakimowich reports
· ⚾ Mookie’s milestone & Shohei’s sweep. Mookie Betts crushes his 300th career home run and Shohei Ohtani strikes out eight to guide the Dodgers past the Twins, 4-3 — Fredo Cervantes from Minneapolis
· 🏀 Plum sidelined. The Sparks lose star guard Kelsey Plum for at least four weeks due to a lower left leg injury, a massive blow to the rotation — The Sporting Tribune Staff
· ⚾ Halos walk it off. The Angels steal a wild 7-6 extra-inning thriller against the Baltimore Orioles to secure a chaotic series victory — Jack Haslett at Angel Stadium
· ⚾ Manny repeats. Machado makes Bryce Miller’s strong outing stand up as the Padres squeeze past the Braves for another tight win — Eric Evelhoch at Petco Park
See what else is trending at The Sporting Tribune.
📋 SCOREBOARD — WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
🏀 NBA / LAKERS: Austin Reaves agrees to 4-year, $185M contract extension
⚾ MLB: Dodgers 4, Twins 3 · Angels 7, Orioles 6 (F/10) · Padres 5, Braves 4
⚽ WORLD CUP: Bosnia-Herzegovina 3, Qatar 1 (Lumen Field)
🏀 LAKERS LOCK IN REAVES WITH A $185M MEGAMAX
The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t let their homegrown star test the open waters. Guard Austin Reaves has agreed to a four-year, $185 million extension to remain in purple and gold, declining his $14.9 million player option to cement one of the greatest undrafted success stories in modern NBA history.
Reaves, 28, has blossomed into an elite secondary playmaker and lethal scorer, boosting his averages every year of his career. Last season, the shifty Arkansas native put up 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game while forging a dominant backcourt partnership with NBA scoring champion Luka Dončić. With general manager Rob Pelinka making good on his promise to retain the fan favorite, the Pacific Division champions secure their core while turning their attention to free agency decisions surrounding LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard.
GO DEEPER
› Carlos Yakimowich: Austin Reaves agrees to $185 million deal with Lakers (The Sporting Tribune)
TOGETHER WITH BETONLINE
Today’s TST Best Bets are brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Join here — new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
⚾ MOOKIE MAKES HISTORY AS OHTANI COMPLETES SWEEP
Mookie Betts joined one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs on Wednesday night, crushing his 300th career home run to kickstart a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins. With the blast, Betts becomes one of only 30 players in Major League history to achieve 300 home runs, 400 doubles, and 150 stolen bases, finishing the night a triple shy of the cycle.
On the mound, Shohei Ohtani looked human for brief seconds in the second inning when the Twins loaded the bases and pushed across three runs. But the Dodgers’ ace responded like an MVP, striking out the side in the third and retiring 12 of his final 14 batters. Ohtani finished with six innings, eight strikeouts, and an RBI single of his own, lowering his stunning season ERA to 1.58 as the Dodgers secured a three-game road sweep to improve to 52-29.
🏀 SPARKS DEALT CRUSHING BLOW WITH PLUM INJURY
The Los Angeles Sparks’ season just hit a major speed bump. Star guard Kelsey Plum is expected to miss at least four weeks after suffering a lower left leg injury during recent action. Plum had been the engine of the Sparks’ backcourt, fresh off a spectacular 12-point, 7-assist performance in a thrilling 98-97 victory over the New York Liberty.
Losing an elite scorer and veteran presence for a month forces the Sparks to adjust their rotation heavily as they head into a critical midseason stretch. Expect heavy minutes from the remaining backcourt as L.A. fights to hold its position in the WNBA standings without its premier perimeter threat.
📺 WATCHLIST — THURSDAY, JUNE 25
🏀 WNBA: Sparks at Tempo — Spectrum — 4:00 p.m. PT
⚽ WORLD CUP: USA vs. Turkiye - FOX - 7:00 p.m. PT
🎟️ GOING TO A GAME TODAY?
Get-in prices across Northern California and Pittsburgh — brought to you by TickPick, the no-hidden-fee ticket marketplace.
⚽ WORLD CUP: USA vs. Turkiye - SoFi Stadium — $1.208
🌴 TST TRIVIA
Mookie Betts achieved history on Wednesday by hitting his 300th career home run. He became just the 30th player in Major League Baseball history to pair 300+ home runs with 400+ doubles and which other benchmark statistic?
Answer at the bottom.
🎧 THE SPORTING TRIBUNE TODAY
Today’s episode breaks down a historic day for Southern California sports—from Austin Reaves’ massive $185 million commitment to the Lakers to Mookie Betts’ entry into the 300-homer club. Plus, we dive into the fallout of Kelsey Plum’s injury for the Sparks. Hear it on the radio across Southern California and Las Vegas via Westwood One Sports.
› Listen to the latest episode
Trivia answer: 150 stolen bases. Betts reached the milestone on Wednesday, cementing his legacy as one of the most versatile power-speed threats to ever play the game.
Thanks for reading! Follow us on X and Instagram, or drop us a line at tips@thesportingtribune.com.