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Deadspin | Taylor Gray fends off Sheldon Creed, wins eventful race in Kansas Apr 18, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Taylor Gray (54) poses with his team after winning the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The early bird got the victory on Saturday night. The first of the frontrunners to pit during the final 95-lap green-flag run in the Kansas Lottery 300, Taylor Gray grabbed the lead during the cycle and held off charging Sheldon Creed to score the second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of his career. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who won at Kansas with driver David Green in 2003, called Gray into the pits on Lap 143 of 200. Creed and Brandon Jones, running first and second on Lap 146, emerged from pit road after stops on Lap 147 roughly three seconds behind Gray. Jones, winner of the first two stages, had to serve a pass-through penalty for a tire violation during his stop and lost the chance to win. But Creed, with Justin Allgaier behind him in third, began a methodical pursuit of Gray that ultimately came up 0.718 seconds short. “How about Jason Ratcliff?” Gray exclaimed after climbing from his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “That pit call was awesome. We had a car capable of winning. I thought the 20 (Jones) was a little better than us before the green-flag cycle started, but we just had to stay locked in, and we had to be a little bit freer. “Jason made a really good adjustment on the car and a really good pit call and got us in clean air. It’s been a long start to the year, man — not that we’re not bringing speed to the race track. It’s just that things haven’t really gone our way. So it’s nice to finally be able to close one out.” Gray gained three positions to ninth in the series standings. As it turned out, Creed also had plenty of reasons to celebrate. By finishing first among four eligible drivers, he earned a 0,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the first time in his career. It was Creed’s fifth attempt to win the Dash 4 Cash prize money. “It was a great day for us after starting in the back,” said Creed who dropped to the rear of the field at the beginning of the race after his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet failed pre-race inspection. “I kind of knew right away my car was really fast, and I was able to drive to the front, and I just had a lot of fun today… “It’s just really cool to be able to bring a hundred grand back to the Haas Factory Team. I definitely wanted to win and add to it, but the 54 (Gray) did a really good job short-pitting us. He ran a really good last 40 laps there and got through traffic quick and made it where I never really got close enough.” Allgaier came home third, followed by defending series champion Jesse Love and Brent Crews. William Byron, Cole Custer, Jones, Sam Mayer and Ryan Sieg completed the top 10 in a race that featured 11 lead changes among eight drivers. Allgaier finished third in both stages and added one point to his series lead over second-place Creed. The margin is now 131 points. Long before Gray took the checkered flag, there was plenty of action in the first stage. The race wasn’t two laps old when an accident on the backstretch launched the No.1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Carson Kvapil into the air and sent it flipping down the backstretch. Contact from Byron’s Chevy turned Kvapil’s car sideways near the front of the field. Parker Retzlaff piled into Kvapil’s car near the outside wall. The impact knocked the rear of Kvapil’s Camaro airborne, and the car proceeded to barrel-roll down the backstretch, coming to rest on its roof. With the use of tethers and a tow truck, safety workers righted the car, and Kvapil climbed out before a mandatory trip to the infield care center. “Maybe on dirt, I’ve flipped a few of them, but definitely never asphalt racing or a big stock car race,” Kvapil said after being evaluated and released from the care center. “It was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be, once I realized I was going over, but it just sucks.” On Lap 38, Jesse Love crowded Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill down toward the apron as the two raced side-by-side in Turn 4. Hill spun sideways, and as he fought to control his No. 21 Chevrolet, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of William Sawalich plowed into Hill’s car. “I’ll remember this,” Hill promised on his radio, referring to racing from his teammate he thought was unnecessarily close. Hill fell out of the race in 34th place. Corey Day saw his streak of eight straight top 10s end with a 12th-place finish after rallying from an accident on Lap 101 and subsequent flat tire. Gray, Creed, Allgaier and Love qualified for the third Dash 4 Cash race of the season, Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (4 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Kansas Lottery 300 Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas Saturday, April 18, 2026 1. (10) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 200. 2. (4) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200. 3. (3) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200. 4. (9) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 200. 5. (5) Brent Crews #, Toyota, 200. 6. (2) William Byron(i), Chevrolet, 200. 7. (36) Cole Custer(i), Chevrolet, 200. 8. (14) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 200. 9. (19) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200. 10. (12) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200. 11. (22) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 199. 12. (6) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 199. 13. (16) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 199. 14. (24) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 199. 15. (18) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 199. 16. (11) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 199. 17. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 199. 18. (27) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 198. 19. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 198. 20. (7) William Sawalich, Toyota, 198. 21. (13) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 198. 22. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 198. 23. (21) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 198. 24. (32) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 197. 25. (25) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 197. 26. (23) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 196. 27. (33) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 194. 28. (20) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 190. 29. (28) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Engine, 120. 30. (31) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 65. 31. (37) Blake Lothian, Chevrolet, Brakes, 62. 32. (35) Austin Green, Chevrolet, Engine, 61. 33. (34) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, Engine, 51. 34. (15) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 37. 35. (26) Luke Baldwin(i), Ford, Suspension, 4. 36. (8) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 2. 37. (1) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, Accident, 1. Average Speed of Race Winner: 116.946 mph. Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 33 Mins, 55 Secs. Margin of Victory: .718 Seconds. Caution Flags: 7 for 37 laps. Lead Changes: 11 among 8 drivers. Lap Leaders: C. Kvapil 0;C. Day 1-23;B. Jones 24-48;A. Alfredo 49-54;W. Byron(i) 55;B. Jones 56-70;J. Love 71;B. Jones 72-98;S. Creed 99-146;C. Day 147-149;R. Sieg 150-152;T. Gray 153-200. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Brandon Jones 3 times for 67 laps; Sheldon Creed 1 time for 48 laps; Taylor Gray 1 time for 48 laps; Corey Day 2 times for 26 laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 6 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 3 laps; Jesse Love 1 time for 1 lap; William Byron(i) 1 time for 1 lap. Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,17,7,2,96,54,00,19,27,88 Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,00,7,2,17,8,54,24,41,26 –By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media. #Deadspin #Taylor #Gray #fends #Sheldon #Creed #wins #eventful #race #Kansas

Deadspin | Taylor Gray fends off Sheldon Creed, wins eventful race in Kansas
Deadspin | Taylor Gray fends off Sheldon Creed, wins eventful race in Kansas Apr 18, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Taylor Gray (54) poses with his team after winning the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The early bird got the victory on Saturday night. The first of the frontrunners to pit during the final 95-lap green-flag run in the Kansas Lottery 300, Taylor Gray grabbed the lead during the cycle and held off charging Sheldon Creed to score the second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of his career. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who won at Kansas with driver David Green in 2003, called Gray into the pits on Lap 143 of 200. Creed and Brandon Jones, running first and second on Lap 146, emerged from pit road after stops on Lap 147 roughly three seconds behind Gray. Jones, winner of the first two stages, had to serve a pass-through penalty for a tire violation during his stop and lost the chance to win. But Creed, with Justin Allgaier behind him in third, began a methodical pursuit of Gray that ultimately came up 0.718 seconds short. “How about Jason Ratcliff?” Gray exclaimed after climbing from his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “That pit call was awesome. We had a car capable of winning. I thought the 20 (Jones) was a little better than us before the green-flag cycle started, but we just had to stay locked in, and we had to be a little bit freer. “Jason made a really good adjustment on the car and a really good pit call and got us in clean air. It’s been a long start to the year, man — not that we’re not bringing speed to the race track. It’s just that things haven’t really gone our way. So it’s nice to finally be able to close one out.” Gray gained three positions to ninth in the series standings. As it turned out, Creed also had plenty of reasons to celebrate. By finishing first among four eligible drivers, he earned a 0,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the first time in his career. It was Creed’s fifth attempt to win the Dash 4 Cash prize money. “It was a great day for us after starting in the back,” said Creed who dropped to the rear of the field at the beginning of the race after his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet failed pre-race inspection. “I kind of knew right away my car was really fast, and I was able to drive to the front, and I just had a lot of fun today… “It’s just really cool to be able to bring a hundred grand back to the Haas Factory Team. I definitely wanted to win and add to it, but the 54 (Gray) did a really good job short-pitting us. He ran a really good last 40 laps there and got through traffic quick and made it where I never really got close enough.” Allgaier came home third, followed by defending series champion Jesse Love and Brent Crews. William Byron, Cole Custer, Jones, Sam Mayer and Ryan Sieg completed the top 10 in a race that featured 11 lead changes among eight drivers. Allgaier finished third in both stages and added one point to his series lead over second-place Creed. The margin is now 131 points. Long before Gray took the checkered flag, there was plenty of action in the first stage. The race wasn’t two laps old when an accident on the backstretch launched the No.1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Carson Kvapil into the air and sent it flipping down the backstretch. Contact from Byron’s Chevy turned Kvapil’s car sideways near the front of the field. Parker Retzlaff piled into Kvapil’s car near the outside wall. The impact knocked the rear of Kvapil’s Camaro airborne, and the car proceeded to barrel-roll down the backstretch, coming to rest on its roof. With the use of tethers and a tow truck, safety workers righted the car, and Kvapil climbed out before a mandatory trip to the infield care center. “Maybe on dirt, I’ve flipped a few of them, but definitely never asphalt racing or a big stock car race,” Kvapil said after being evaluated and released from the care center. “It was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be, once I realized I was going over, but it just sucks.” On Lap 38, Jesse Love crowded Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill down toward the apron as the two raced side-by-side in Turn 4. Hill spun sideways, and as he fought to control his No. 21 Chevrolet, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of William Sawalich plowed into Hill’s car. “I’ll remember this,” Hill promised on his radio, referring to racing from his teammate he thought was unnecessarily close. Hill fell out of the race in 34th place. Corey Day saw his streak of eight straight top 10s end with a 12th-place finish after rallying from an accident on Lap 101 and subsequent flat tire. Gray, Creed, Allgaier and Love qualified for the third Dash 4 Cash race of the season, Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (4 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Kansas Lottery 300 Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas Saturday, April 18, 2026 1. (10) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 200. 2. (4) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200. 3. (3) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200. 4. (9) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 200. 5. (5) Brent Crews #, Toyota, 200. 6. (2) William Byron(i), Chevrolet, 200. 7. (36) Cole Custer(i), Chevrolet, 200. 8. (14) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 200. 9. (19) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200. 10. (12) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200. 11. (22) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 199. 12. (6) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 199. 13. (16) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 199. 14. (24) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 199. 15. (18) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 199. 16. (11) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 199. 17. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 199. 18. (27) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 198. 19. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 198. 20. (7) William Sawalich, Toyota, 198. 21. (13) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 198. 22. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 198. 23. (21) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 198. 24. (32) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 197. 25. (25) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 197. 26. (23) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 196. 27. (33) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 194. 28. (20) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 190. 29. (28) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Engine, 120. 30. (31) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 65. 31. (37) Blake Lothian, Chevrolet, Brakes, 62. 32. (35) Austin Green, Chevrolet, Engine, 61. 33. (34) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, Engine, 51. 34. (15) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 37. 35. (26) Luke Baldwin(i), Ford, Suspension, 4. 36. (8) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 2. 37. (1) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, Accident, 1. Average Speed of Race Winner: 116.946 mph. Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 33 Mins, 55 Secs. Margin of Victory: .718 Seconds. Caution Flags: 7 for 37 laps. Lead Changes: 11 among 8 drivers. Lap Leaders: C. Kvapil 0;C. Day 1-23;B. Jones 24-48;A. Alfredo 49-54;W. Byron(i) 55;B. Jones 56-70;J. Love 71;B. Jones 72-98;S. Creed 99-146;C. Day 147-149;R. Sieg 150-152;T. Gray 153-200. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Brandon Jones 3 times for 67 laps; Sheldon Creed 1 time for 48 laps; Taylor Gray 1 time for 48 laps; Corey Day 2 times for 26 laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 6 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 3 laps; Jesse Love 1 time for 1 lap; William Byron(i) 1 time for 1 lap. Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,17,7,2,96,54,00,19,27,88 Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,00,7,2,17,8,54,24,41,26 –By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media. #Deadspin #Taylor #Gray #fends #Sheldon #Creed #wins #eventful #race #KansasApr 18, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Taylor Gray (54) poses with his team after winning the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The early bird got the victory on Saturday night.

The first of the frontrunners to pit during the final 95-lap green-flag run in the Kansas Lottery 300, Taylor Gray grabbed the lead during the cycle and held off charging Sheldon Creed to score the second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of his career.

Crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who won at Kansas with driver David Green in 2003, called Gray into the pits on Lap 143 of 200. Creed and Brandon Jones, running first and second on Lap 146, emerged from pit road after stops on Lap 147 roughly three seconds behind Gray.

Jones, winner of the first two stages, had to serve a pass-through penalty for a tire violation during his stop and lost the chance to win. But Creed, with Justin Allgaier behind him in third, began a methodical pursuit of Gray that ultimately came up 0.718 seconds short.

“How about Jason Ratcliff?” Gray exclaimed after climbing from his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “That pit call was awesome. We had a car capable of winning. I thought the 20 (Jones) was a little better than us before the green-flag cycle started, but we just had to stay locked in, and we had to be a little bit freer.

“Jason made a really good adjustment on the car and a really good pit call and got us in clean air. It’s been a long start to the year, man — not that we’re not bringing speed to the race track. It’s just that things haven’t really gone our way. So it’s nice to finally be able to close one out.”

Gray gained three positions to ninth in the series standings.

As it turned out, Creed also had plenty of reasons to celebrate. By finishing first among four eligible drivers, he earned a $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the first time in his career. It was Creed’s fifth attempt to win the Dash 4 Cash prize money.

“It was a great day for us after starting in the back,” said Creed who dropped to the rear of the field at the beginning of the race after his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet failed pre-race inspection. “I kind of knew right away my car was really fast, and I was able to drive to the front, and I just had a lot of fun today…

“It’s just really cool to be able to bring a hundred grand back to the Haas Factory Team. I definitely wanted to win and add to it, but the 54 (Gray) did a really good job short-pitting us. He ran a really good last 40 laps there and got through traffic quick and made it where I never really got close enough.”

Allgaier came home third, followed by defending series champion Jesse Love and Brent Crews. William Byron, Cole Custer, Jones, Sam Mayer and Ryan Sieg completed the top 10 in a race that featured 11 lead changes among eight drivers.

Allgaier finished third in both stages and added one point to his series lead over second-place Creed. The margin is now 131 points.

Long before Gray took the checkered flag, there was plenty of action in the first stage.

The race wasn’t two laps old when an accident on the backstretch launched the No.1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Carson Kvapil into the air and sent it flipping down the backstretch.

Contact from Byron’s Chevy turned Kvapil’s car sideways near the front of the field. Parker Retzlaff piled into Kvapil’s car near the outside wall. The impact knocked the rear of Kvapil’s Camaro airborne, and the car proceeded to barrel-roll down the backstretch, coming to rest on its roof.

With the use of tethers and a tow truck, safety workers righted the car, and Kvapil climbed out before a mandatory trip to the infield care center.

“Maybe on dirt, I’ve flipped a few of them, but definitely never asphalt racing or a big stock car race,” Kvapil said after being evaluated and released from the care center. “It was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be, once I realized I was going over, but it just sucks.”

On Lap 38, Jesse Love crowded Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill down toward the apron as the two raced side-by-side in Turn 4. Hill spun sideways, and as he fought to control his No. 21 Chevrolet, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of William Sawalich plowed into Hill’s car.

“I’ll remember this,” Hill promised on his radio, referring to racing from his teammate he thought was unnecessarily close.

Hill fell out of the race in 34th place. Corey Day saw his streak of eight straight top 10s end with a 12th-place finish after rallying from an accident on Lap 101 and subsequent flat tire.

Gray, Creed, Allgaier and Love qualified for the third Dash 4 Cash race of the season, Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (4 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Kansas Lottery 300

Kansas Speedway

Kansas City, Kansas

Saturday, April 18, 2026

1. (10) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 200.

2. (4) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200.

3. (3) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200.

4. (9) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 200.

5. (5) Brent Crews #, Toyota, 200.

6. (2) William Byron(i), Chevrolet, 200.

7. (36) Cole Custer(i), Chevrolet, 200.

8. (14) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 200.

9. (19) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200.

10. (12) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200.


11. (22) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 199.

12. (6) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 199.

13. (16) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 199.

14. (24) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 199.

15. (18) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 199.

16. (11) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 199.

17. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 199.

18. (27) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 198.

19. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 198.

20. (7) William Sawalich, Toyota, 198.

21. (13) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 198.

22. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 198.

23. (21) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 198.

24. (32) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 197.

25. (25) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 197.

26. (23) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 196.

27. (33) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 194.

28. (20) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 190.

29. (28) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Engine, 120.

30. (31) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 65.

31. (37) Blake Lothian, Chevrolet, Brakes, 62.

32. (35) Austin Green, Chevrolet, Engine, 61.

33. (34) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, Engine, 51.

34. (15) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 37.

35. (26) Luke Baldwin(i), Ford, Suspension, 4.

36. (8) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 2.

37. (1) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, Accident, 1.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 116.946 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 33 Mins, 55 Secs. Margin of Victory: .718 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 7 for 37 laps.

Lead Changes: 11 among 8 drivers.

Lap Leaders: C. Kvapil 0;C. Day 1-23;B. Jones 24-48;A. Alfredo 49-54;W. Byron(i) 55;B. Jones 56-70;J. Love 71;B. Jones 72-98;S. Creed 99-146;C. Day 147-149;R. Sieg 150-152;T. Gray 153-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Brandon Jones 3 times for 67 laps; Sheldon Creed 1 time for 48 laps; Taylor Gray 1 time for 48 laps; Corey Day 2 times for 26 laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 6 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 3 laps; Jesse Love 1 time for 1 lap; William Byron(i) 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,17,7,2,96,54,00,19,27,88

Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,00,7,2,17,8,54,24,41,26

–By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media.

#Deadspin #Taylor #Gray #fends #Sheldon #Creed #wins #eventful #race #Kansas

Sports news

Apr 18, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Taylor Gray (54) poses with his team after winning the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The early bird got the victory on Saturday night.

The first of the frontrunners to pit during the final 95-lap green-flag run in the Kansas Lottery 300, Taylor Gray grabbed the lead during the cycle and held off charging Sheldon Creed to score the second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of his career.

Crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who won at Kansas with driver David Green in 2003, called Gray into the pits on Lap 143 of 200. Creed and Brandon Jones, running first and second on Lap 146, emerged from pit road after stops on Lap 147 roughly three seconds behind Gray.

Jones, winner of the first two stages, had to serve a pass-through penalty for a tire violation during his stop and lost the chance to win. But Creed, with Justin Allgaier behind him in third, began a methodical pursuit of Gray that ultimately came up 0.718 seconds short.

“How about Jason Ratcliff?” Gray exclaimed after climbing from his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “That pit call was awesome. We had a car capable of winning. I thought the 20 (Jones) was a little better than us before the green-flag cycle started, but we just had to stay locked in, and we had to be a little bit freer.

“Jason made a really good adjustment on the car and a really good pit call and got us in clean air. It’s been a long start to the year, man — not that we’re not bringing speed to the race track. It’s just that things haven’t really gone our way. So it’s nice to finally be able to close one out.”

Gray gained three positions to ninth in the series standings.

As it turned out, Creed also had plenty of reasons to celebrate. By finishing first among four eligible drivers, he earned a $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the first time in his career. It was Creed’s fifth attempt to win the Dash 4 Cash prize money.

“It was a great day for us after starting in the back,” said Creed who dropped to the rear of the field at the beginning of the race after his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet failed pre-race inspection. “I kind of knew right away my car was really fast, and I was able to drive to the front, and I just had a lot of fun today…

“It’s just really cool to be able to bring a hundred grand back to the Haas Factory Team. I definitely wanted to win and add to it, but the 54 (Gray) did a really good job short-pitting us. He ran a really good last 40 laps there and got through traffic quick and made it where I never really got close enough.”

Allgaier came home third, followed by defending series champion Jesse Love and Brent Crews. William Byron, Cole Custer, Jones, Sam Mayer and Ryan Sieg completed the top 10 in a race that featured 11 lead changes among eight drivers.

Allgaier finished third in both stages and added one point to his series lead over second-place Creed. The margin is now 131 points.

Long before Gray took the checkered flag, there was plenty of action in the first stage.

The race wasn’t two laps old when an accident on the backstretch launched the No.1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Carson Kvapil into the air and sent it flipping down the backstretch.

Contact from Byron’s Chevy turned Kvapil’s car sideways near the front of the field. Parker Retzlaff piled into Kvapil’s car near the outside wall. The impact knocked the rear of Kvapil’s Camaro airborne, and the car proceeded to barrel-roll down the backstretch, coming to rest on its roof.

With the use of tethers and a tow truck, safety workers righted the car, and Kvapil climbed out before a mandatory trip to the infield care center.

“Maybe on dirt, I’ve flipped a few of them, but definitely never asphalt racing or a big stock car race,” Kvapil said after being evaluated and released from the care center. “It was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be, once I realized I was going over, but it just sucks.”

On Lap 38, Jesse Love crowded Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill down toward the apron as the two raced side-by-side in Turn 4. Hill spun sideways, and as he fought to control his No. 21 Chevrolet, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of William Sawalich plowed into Hill’s car.

“I’ll remember this,” Hill promised on his radio, referring to racing from his teammate he thought was unnecessarily close.

Hill fell out of the race in 34th place. Corey Day saw his streak of eight straight top 10s end with a 12th-place finish after rallying from an accident on Lap 101 and subsequent flat tire.

Gray, Creed, Allgaier and Love qualified for the third Dash 4 Cash race of the season, Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (4 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Kansas Lottery 300

Kansas Speedway

Kansas City, Kansas

Saturday, April 18, 2026

1. (10) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 200.

2. (4) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200.

3. (3) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200.

4. (9) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 200.

5. (5) Brent Crews #, Toyota, 200.

6. (2) William Byron(i), Chevrolet, 200.

7. (36) Cole Custer(i), Chevrolet, 200.

8. (14) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 200.

9. (19) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200.

10. (12) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200.

11. (22) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 199.

12. (6) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 199.

13. (16) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 199.

14. (24) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 199.

15. (18) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 199.

16. (11) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 199.

17. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 199.

18. (27) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 198.

19. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 198.

20. (7) William Sawalich, Toyota, 198.

21. (13) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 198.

22. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 198.

23. (21) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 198.

24. (32) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 197.

25. (25) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 197.

26. (23) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 196.

27. (33) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 194.

28. (20) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 190.

29. (28) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Engine, 120.

30. (31) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 65.

31. (37) Blake Lothian, Chevrolet, Brakes, 62.

32. (35) Austin Green, Chevrolet, Engine, 61.

33. (34) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, Engine, 51.

34. (15) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 37.

35. (26) Luke Baldwin(i), Ford, Suspension, 4.

36. (8) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 2.

37. (1) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, Accident, 1.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 116.946 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 33 Mins, 55 Secs. Margin of Victory: .718 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 7 for 37 laps.

Lead Changes: 11 among 8 drivers.

Lap Leaders: C. Kvapil 0;C. Day 1-23;B. Jones 24-48;A. Alfredo 49-54;W. Byron(i) 55;B. Jones 56-70;J. Love 71;B. Jones 72-98;S. Creed 99-146;C. Day 147-149;R. Sieg 150-152;T. Gray 153-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Brandon Jones 3 times for 67 laps; Sheldon Creed 1 time for 48 laps; Taylor Gray 1 time for 48 laps; Corey Day 2 times for 26 laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 6 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 3 laps; Jesse Love 1 time for 1 lap; William Byron(i) 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,17,7,2,96,54,00,19,27,88

Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,00,7,2,17,8,54,24,41,26

–By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media.

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Deadspin | Seiya Suzuki delivers walk-off single as Cubs down Padres Jun 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) reaches base on a fielder’s choice while at bat scoring one run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Seiya Suzuki’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday night lifted the Chicago Cubs to a 3-2 win over the visiting San Diego Padres. Dansby Swanson started the winning rally with an infield single against Jason Adam (2-2). Pete Crow-Armstrong singled Swanson to second, and San Diego replaced Adam with Mason Miller. Alex Bregman singled to fill the bases, but Michael Busch’s flyout to shallow left became a double play when Jase Bowen gunned down Swanson at the plate. However, Suzuki drove a slider to deep left and Bowen couldn’t hang on at the wall, allowing Crow-Armstrong to score the winning run. Trent Thornton (3-2) worked around a one-out infield hit by Fernando Tatis Jr. in the ninth as Chicago prevailed for the seventh time in eight games. It was the third straight defeat for San Diego. Neither starter was involved in the decision. San Diego’s Griffin Canning yielded two runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out three. Chicago’s Shota Imanaga scattered nine hits in his 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs with no walks and four strikeouts. The Padres initiated the scoring in the top of the third when Tatis grounded into a fielder’s choice with men at second and third and one out. Freddy Fermin was retired at third, but Xander Bogaerts scored. Bogaerts made it 2-0 in the fourth, rifling a double into the left field corner to score Miguel Andujar (3-for-4). It was Bogaerts’ second hit in as many innings after entering the game 0-for-10 against Imanaga. The Cubs got on the board in the fourth via a two-out single from Michael Conforto that plated Suzuki, who had doubled to left with one out. The inning was extended when Canning plunked Nico Hoerner. Chicago tied the score 2-2 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Suzuki that scored Dansby Swanson, who had hit a leadoff double. Poor situational hitting kept the game even. The teams went a combined 5-for-24 with runners in scoring position and teamed to strand 20 runners. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Seiya #Suzuki #delivers #walkoff #single #Cubs #PadresJun 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) reaches base on a fielder’s choice while at bat scoring one run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Seiya Suzuki’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday night lifted the Chicago Cubs to a 3-2 win over the visiting San Diego Padres.

Dansby Swanson started the winning rally with an infield single against Jason Adam (2-2). Pete Crow-Armstrong singled Swanson to second, and San Diego replaced Adam with Mason Miller.

Alex Bregman singled to fill the bases, but Michael Busch’s flyout to shallow left became a double play when Jase Bowen gunned down Swanson at the plate. However, Suzuki drove a slider to deep left and Bowen couldn’t hang on at the wall, allowing Crow-Armstrong to score the winning run.

Trent Thornton (3-2) worked around a one-out infield hit by Fernando Tatis Jr. in the ninth as Chicago prevailed for the seventh time in eight games. It was the third straight defeat for San Diego.

Neither starter was involved in the decision. San Diego’s Griffin Canning yielded two runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out three. Chicago’s Shota Imanaga scattered nine hits in his 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs with no walks and four strikeouts.


The Padres initiated the scoring in the top of the third when Tatis grounded into a fielder’s choice with men at second and third and one out. Freddy Fermin was retired at third, but Xander Bogaerts scored.

Bogaerts made it 2-0 in the fourth, rifling a double into the left field corner to score Miguel Andujar (3-for-4). It was Bogaerts’ second hit in as many innings after entering the game 0-for-10 against Imanaga.

The Cubs got on the board in the fourth via a two-out single from Michael Conforto that plated Suzuki, who had doubled to left with one out. The inning was extended when Canning plunked Nico Hoerner.

Chicago tied the score 2-2 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Suzuki that scored Dansby Swanson, who had hit a leadoff double.

Poor situational hitting kept the game even. The teams went a combined 5-for-24 with runners in scoring position and teamed to strand 20 runners.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Seiya #Suzuki #delivers #walkoff #single #Cubs #Padres">Deadspin | Seiya Suzuki delivers walk-off single as Cubs down Padres Jun 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) reaches base on a fielder’s choice while at bat scoring one run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Seiya Suzuki’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday night lifted the Chicago Cubs to a 3-2 win over the visiting San Diego Padres. Dansby Swanson started the winning rally with an infield single against Jason Adam (2-2). Pete Crow-Armstrong singled Swanson to second, and San Diego replaced Adam with Mason Miller. Alex Bregman singled to fill the bases, but Michael Busch’s flyout to shallow left became a double play when Jase Bowen gunned down Swanson at the plate. However, Suzuki drove a slider to deep left and Bowen couldn’t hang on at the wall, allowing Crow-Armstrong to score the winning run. Trent Thornton (3-2) worked around a one-out infield hit by Fernando Tatis Jr. in the ninth as Chicago prevailed for the seventh time in eight games. It was the third straight defeat for San Diego. Neither starter was involved in the decision. San Diego’s Griffin Canning yielded two runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out three. Chicago’s Shota Imanaga scattered nine hits in his 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs with no walks and four strikeouts. The Padres initiated the scoring in the top of the third when Tatis grounded into a fielder’s choice with men at second and third and one out. Freddy Fermin was retired at third, but Xander Bogaerts scored. Bogaerts made it 2-0 in the fourth, rifling a double into the left field corner to score Miguel Andujar (3-for-4). It was Bogaerts’ second hit in as many innings after entering the game 0-for-10 against Imanaga. The Cubs got on the board in the fourth via a two-out single from Michael Conforto that plated Suzuki, who had doubled to left with one out. The inning was extended when Canning plunked Nico Hoerner. Chicago tied the score 2-2 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Suzuki that scored Dansby Swanson, who had hit a leadoff double. Poor situational hitting kept the game even. The teams went a combined 5-for-24 with runners in scoring position and teamed to strand 20 runners. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Seiya #Suzuki #delivers #walkoff #single #Cubs #Padres

If Jaylen Brown isn’t the biggest name on the NBA trade block right now, then Kawhi Leonard probably is. The Los Angeles Clippers have yet to discuss an extension with their 35-year-old superstar entering the final year of his contract, and it’s set off speculation that a trade is imminent.

Leonard remains arguably the best wing scorer in the world when he’s healthy, but his durability has always been an issue. He played 65 games last season, which is his second-highest since 2016-2017. Any team that trades for Leonard needs to be in position to win the championship right away, which makes finding a potential suitor for him even more difficult. While a Toronto Raptors reunion appears to have real momentum behind it right now, the door is still open for another team to make a deal.

It sure feels like Leonard will be dealt before there’s any sort of ruling on his Aspiration salary cap circumvention scandal. Here are six potential Kawhi trades that make sense for both sides.

Clippers get: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, Jonathan Mogbo, 2027 first-round pick

Raptors get: Kawhi Leonard

This is the trade everyone is expecting to happen. I wonder if there’s really enough coming back to the Clippers in this trade without the inclusion of Allen Graves or Collin Murray-Boyles. I think another team can beat this offer unless Toronto is willing to throw in a second draft pick.

Clippers get: Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, 2027 first-round pick via Atlanta

The Spurs were just in the NBA Finals, so maybe this trade feels a little too bold right now. I don’t think the Clippers would have interest in De’Aaron Fox as he starts a $228 million deal with Keaton Wagler and Darius Garland already in the backcourt, but Vassell would make sense for Los Angeles. The Spurs probably do not want to lose Vassell, and that might make this a non-starter. San Antonio certainly showed their need for more halfcourt shot-creation and shot-making during their Finals loss to the Knicks, and a deal like this could make them the championship favorites next year. It’s risky, but I like it for San Antonio, and I think this offer could win a bidding war.

Clippers get: Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, 2033 first-round pick

Nuggets get: Kawhi Leonard

The Denver Nuggets feel further away from a championship than at any other point in the Nikola Jokic era after a humbling first-round playoff loss to the Timberwolves. The 2033 first-round pick is the last real asset Denver has to build a contender around Jokic, and Leonard might be the best player they could add in terms of increasing their championship odds for next season. This is a ton to give up for Denver, but the Jokic, Leonard, Jamal Murray trio would be right there with the league’s best.

Clippers get: Jaylen Brown

Clippers get: Kawhi Leonard

This would be an all-time ‘my problem for your problem’ trade. The Celtics are reportedly motivated to deal Brown after dangling him in their Giannis offer, and this is the rare deal that could return a player potentially even better for next season. Why would the Celtics be willing to get five years older in this deal? Well, it’s possible Brown is just ready for his next chapter, but this trade would also probably make Boston cheaper and more flexible going forward. I like it as a 1-for-1 with no picks involved.

Clippers get: Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland, 2027 first-round pick

Pistons get: Kawhi Leonard

I’ll admit I can’t get the salaries to match in this deal on the trade machine, but something like this could work in broad strokes even if it has to involve a third team. A trade for Leonard would immediately vault the Pistons into championship contender status assuming he could survive a playoff run. Detroit seems ready to shake it up after trading Isaiah Stewart earlier this offseason, and Leonard truly feels like a perfect fit for what Detroit needs.

Clippers get: Paul George, Clippers 2028 first-round pick

Zach Lowe brought this one up on his podcast, and it’s so good I had to include it. The Clippers were wise to let Paul George walk to Philly in free agency, and now they can get him back in exchange for the unprotected 2028 first-round pick they once forked over for James Harden. I don’t actually think Philly would go for this, but imagine a world where Leonard and Joel Embiid stay healthy, and they’re flanked by Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Labaron Philon in the backcourt. Sheesh. Big risk, big reward.

#Kawhi #Leonard #trade #ideas #rumors #surround #Clippers #star">6 Kawhi Leonard trade ideas as rumors surround Clippers star If Jaylen Brown isn’t the biggest name on the NBA trade block right now, then Kawhi Leonard probably is. The Los Angeles Clippers have yet to discuss an extension with their 35-year-old superstar entering the final year of his contract, and it’s set off speculation that a trade is imminent.Leonard remains arguably the best wing scorer in the world when he’s healthy, but his durability has always been an issue. He played 65 games last season, which is his second-highest since 2016-2017. Any team that trades for Leonard needs to be in position to win the championship right away, which makes finding a potential suitor for him even more difficult. While a Toronto Raptors reunion appears to have real momentum behind it right now, the door is still open for another team to make a deal.It sure feels like Leonard will be dealt before there’s any sort of ruling on his Aspiration salary cap circumvention scandal. Here are six potential Kawhi trades that make sense for both sides.Clippers get: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, Jonathan Mogbo, 2027 first-round pickRaptors get: Kawhi LeonardThis is the trade everyone is expecting to happen. I wonder if there’s really enough coming back to the Clippers in this trade without the inclusion of Allen Graves or Collin Murray-Boyles. I think another team can beat this offer unless Toronto is willing to throw in a second draft pick.Clippers get: Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, 2027 first-round pick via AtlantaThe Spurs were just in the NBA Finals, so maybe this trade feels a little too bold right now. I don’t think the Clippers would have interest in De’Aaron Fox as he starts a 8 million deal with Keaton Wagler and Darius Garland already in the backcourt, but Vassell would make sense for Los Angeles. The Spurs probably do not want to lose Vassell, and that might make this a non-starter. San Antonio certainly showed their need for more halfcourt shot-creation and shot-making during their Finals loss to the Knicks, and a deal like this could make them the championship favorites next year. It’s risky, but I like it for San Antonio, and I think this offer could win a bidding war.Clippers get: Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, 2033 first-round pickNuggets get: Kawhi LeonardThe Denver Nuggets feel further away from a championship than at any other point in the Nikola Jokic era after a humbling first-round playoff loss to the Timberwolves. The 2033 first-round pick is the last real asset Denver has to build a contender around Jokic, and Leonard might be the best player they could add in terms of increasing their championship odds for next season. This is a ton to give up for Denver, but the Jokic, Leonard, Jamal Murray trio would be right there with the league’s best.Clippers get: Jaylen BrownClippers get: Kawhi LeonardThis would be an all-time ‘my problem for your problem’ trade. The Celtics are reportedly motivated to deal Brown after dangling him in their Giannis offer, and this is the rare deal that could return a player potentially even better for next season. Why would the Celtics be willing to get five years older in this deal? Well, it’s possible Brown is just ready for his next chapter, but this trade would also probably make Boston cheaper and more flexible going forward. I like it as a 1-for-1 with no picks involved.Clippers get: Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland, 2027 first-round pickPistons get: Kawhi LeonardI’ll admit I can’t get the salaries to match in this deal on the trade machine, but something like this could work in broad strokes even if it has to involve a third team. A trade for Leonard would immediately vault the Pistons into championship contender status assuming he could survive a playoff run. Detroit seems ready to shake it up after trading Isaiah Stewart earlier this offseason, and Leonard truly feels like a perfect fit for what Detroit needs.Clippers get: Paul George, Clippers 2028 first-round pickZach Lowe brought this one up on his podcast, and it’s so good I had to include it. The Clippers were wise to let Paul George walk to Philly in free agency, and now they can get him back in exchange for the unprotected 2028 first-round pick they once forked over for James Harden. I don’t actually think Philly would go for this, but imagine a world where Leonard and Joel Embiid stay healthy, and they’re flanked by Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Labaron Philon in the backcourt. Sheesh. Big risk, big reward. #Kawhi #Leonard #trade #ideas #rumors #surround #Clippers #star

If Jaylen Brown isn’t the biggest name on the NBA trade block right now, then Kawhi Leonard probably is. The Los Angeles Clippers have yet to discuss an extension with their 35-year-old superstar entering the final year of his contract, and it’s set off speculation that a trade is imminent.

Leonard remains arguably the best wing scorer in the world when he’s healthy, but his durability has always been an issue. He played 65 games last season, which is his second-highest since 2016-2017. Any team that trades for Leonard needs to be in position to win the championship right away, which makes finding a potential suitor for him even more difficult. While a Toronto Raptors reunion appears to have real momentum behind it right now, the door is still open for another team to make a deal.

It sure feels like Leonard will be dealt before there’s any sort of ruling on his Aspiration salary cap circumvention scandal. Here are six potential Kawhi trades that make sense for both sides.

Clippers get: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, Jonathan Mogbo, 2027 first-round pick

Raptors get: Kawhi Leonard

This is the trade everyone is expecting to happen. I wonder if there’s really enough coming back to the Clippers in this trade without the inclusion of Allen Graves or Collin Murray-Boyles. I think another team can beat this offer unless Toronto is willing to throw in a second draft pick.

Clippers get: Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, 2027 first-round pick via Atlanta

The Spurs were just in the NBA Finals, so maybe this trade feels a little too bold right now. I don’t think the Clippers would have interest in De’Aaron Fox as he starts a $228 million deal with Keaton Wagler and Darius Garland already in the backcourt, but Vassell would make sense for Los Angeles. The Spurs probably do not want to lose Vassell, and that might make this a non-starter. San Antonio certainly showed their need for more halfcourt shot-creation and shot-making during their Finals loss to the Knicks, and a deal like this could make them the championship favorites next year. It’s risky, but I like it for San Antonio, and I think this offer could win a bidding war.

Clippers get: Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, 2033 first-round pick

Nuggets get: Kawhi Leonard

The Denver Nuggets feel further away from a championship than at any other point in the Nikola Jokic era after a humbling first-round playoff loss to the Timberwolves. The 2033 first-round pick is the last real asset Denver has to build a contender around Jokic, and Leonard might be the best player they could add in terms of increasing their championship odds for next season. This is a ton to give up for Denver, but the Jokic, Leonard, Jamal Murray trio would be right there with the league’s best.

Clippers get: Jaylen Brown

Clippers get: Kawhi Leonard

This would be an all-time ‘my problem for your problem’ trade. The Celtics are reportedly motivated to deal Brown after dangling him in their Giannis offer, and this is the rare deal that could return a player potentially even better for next season. Why would the Celtics be willing to get five years older in this deal? Well, it’s possible Brown is just ready for his next chapter, but this trade would also probably make Boston cheaper and more flexible going forward. I like it as a 1-for-1 with no picks involved.

Clippers get: Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland, 2027 first-round pick

Pistons get: Kawhi Leonard

I’ll admit I can’t get the salaries to match in this deal on the trade machine, but something like this could work in broad strokes even if it has to involve a third team. A trade for Leonard would immediately vault the Pistons into championship contender status assuming he could survive a playoff run. Detroit seems ready to shake it up after trading Isaiah Stewart earlier this offseason, and Leonard truly feels like a perfect fit for what Detroit needs.

Clippers get: Paul George, Clippers 2028 first-round pick

Zach Lowe brought this one up on his podcast, and it’s so good I had to include it. The Clippers were wise to let Paul George walk to Philly in free agency, and now they can get him back in exchange for the unprotected 2028 first-round pick they once forked over for James Harden. I don’t actually think Philly would go for this, but imagine a world where Leonard and Joel Embiid stay healthy, and they’re flanked by Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Labaron Philon in the backcourt. Sheesh. Big risk, big reward.

#Kawhi #Leonard #trade #ideas #rumors #surround #Clippers #star">6 Kawhi Leonard trade ideas as rumors surround Clippers star

If Jaylen Brown isn’t the biggest name on the NBA trade block right now, then Kawhi Leonard probably is. The Los Angeles Clippers have yet to discuss an extension with their 35-year-old superstar entering the final year of his contract, and it’s set off speculation that a trade is imminent.

Leonard remains arguably the best wing scorer in the world when he’s healthy, but his durability has always been an issue. He played 65 games last season, which is his second-highest since 2016-2017. Any team that trades for Leonard needs to be in position to win the championship right away, which makes finding a potential suitor for him even more difficult. While a Toronto Raptors reunion appears to have real momentum behind it right now, the door is still open for another team to make a deal.

It sure feels like Leonard will be dealt before there’s any sort of ruling on his Aspiration salary cap circumvention scandal. Here are six potential Kawhi trades that make sense for both sides.

Clippers get: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, Jonathan Mogbo, 2027 first-round pick

Raptors get: Kawhi Leonard

This is the trade everyone is expecting to happen. I wonder if there’s really enough coming back to the Clippers in this trade without the inclusion of Allen Graves or Collin Murray-Boyles. I think another team can beat this offer unless Toronto is willing to throw in a second draft pick.

Clippers get: Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, 2027 first-round pick via Atlanta

The Spurs were just in the NBA Finals, so maybe this trade feels a little too bold right now. I don’t think the Clippers would have interest in De’Aaron Fox as he starts a $228 million deal with Keaton Wagler and Darius Garland already in the backcourt, but Vassell would make sense for Los Angeles. The Spurs probably do not want to lose Vassell, and that might make this a non-starter. San Antonio certainly showed their need for more halfcourt shot-creation and shot-making during their Finals loss to the Knicks, and a deal like this could make them the championship favorites next year. It’s risky, but I like it for San Antonio, and I think this offer could win a bidding war.

Clippers get: Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, 2033 first-round pick

Nuggets get: Kawhi Leonard

The Denver Nuggets feel further away from a championship than at any other point in the Nikola Jokic era after a humbling first-round playoff loss to the Timberwolves. The 2033 first-round pick is the last real asset Denver has to build a contender around Jokic, and Leonard might be the best player they could add in terms of increasing their championship odds for next season. This is a ton to give up for Denver, but the Jokic, Leonard, Jamal Murray trio would be right there with the league’s best.

Clippers get: Jaylen Brown

Clippers get: Kawhi Leonard

This would be an all-time ‘my problem for your problem’ trade. The Celtics are reportedly motivated to deal Brown after dangling him in their Giannis offer, and this is the rare deal that could return a player potentially even better for next season. Why would the Celtics be willing to get five years older in this deal? Well, it’s possible Brown is just ready for his next chapter, but this trade would also probably make Boston cheaper and more flexible going forward. I like it as a 1-for-1 with no picks involved.

Clippers get: Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland, 2027 first-round pick

Pistons get: Kawhi Leonard

I’ll admit I can’t get the salaries to match in this deal on the trade machine, but something like this could work in broad strokes even if it has to involve a third team. A trade for Leonard would immediately vault the Pistons into championship contender status assuming he could survive a playoff run. Detroit seems ready to shake it up after trading Isaiah Stewart earlier this offseason, and Leonard truly feels like a perfect fit for what Detroit needs.

Clippers get: Paul George, Clippers 2028 first-round pick

Zach Lowe brought this one up on his podcast, and it’s so good I had to include it. The Clippers were wise to let Paul George walk to Philly in free agency, and now they can get him back in exchange for the unprotected 2028 first-round pick they once forked over for James Harden. I don’t actually think Philly would go for this, but imagine a world where Leonard and Joel Embiid stay healthy, and they’re flanked by Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Labaron Philon in the backcourt. Sheesh. Big risk, big reward.

#Kawhi #Leonard #trade #ideas #rumors #surround #Clippers #star

Sweden will need to produce the performance of a ​lifetime to topple World Cup powerhouses France in their round-of-32 ‌clash, coach Graham Potter said on Monday, ​as his young outfit prepare to face ⁠a side with “quality all over”.

Sweden squeaked into the tournament after a miserable qualifying campaign and will proudly wear the underdog ‌tag against France on Tuesday after an erratic group-stage campaign, where they beat Tunisia 5-1 ‌but lost to the Netherlands by the same ‌scoreline.

Kylian ⁠Mbappe-led France, which romped into the knockouts with ⁠three straight wins, is nearly unbeatable, according to former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Potter knows his side will need to ​produce something special.

“We have ‌to be as close to perfect as we can be,” Potter said. “We know the quality of the opponent and we have full respect for that.”

Sweden’s hopes ‌rest on a youthful squad with limited World ​Cup experience, anchored by veteran defender Victor Lindelof, who can also be utilised in ⁠midfield.

MATCH REPORT | Paraguay knocks Germany out of FIFA World Cup

Potter shuffled his Sweden deck during its 1-1 draw with Japan, starting the Aston Villa centre back in midfield ‌before moving him back to defence.

“This is for many the first tournament with a tough journey to get as far as here,” said Lindelof.

“This is our World Cup adventure that’s at stake and we don’t want that to end.”

Potter divulged little of his ‌plans for Tuesday’s lineup during a pre-match press conference. Asked where ​he saw weaknesses to exploit in the France defence, the former Chelsea and West Ham ⁠United manager declined to entertain the idea that any ⁠weakness exists at all.

“I’m not sure weakness is necessarily a word I would use to describe ‌this French side. They’ve got quality all over,” said Potter. “We have to play the game of ​our lives.”

Published on Jun 30, 2026

#FIFA #World #Cup #Weaknesses #hard #find #France #defence #Sweden #coach #Potter">FIFA World Cup 2026: Weaknesses hard to find in France defence, says Sweden coach Potter Sweden will need to produce the performance of a ​lifetime to topple World Cup powerhouses France in their round-of-32 ‌clash, coach Graham Potter said on Monday, ​as his young outfit prepare to face ⁠a side with “quality all over”.Sweden squeaked into the tournament after a miserable qualifying campaign and will proudly wear the underdog ‌tag against France on Tuesday after an erratic group-stage campaign, where they beat Tunisia 5-1 ‌but lost to the Netherlands by the same ‌scoreline.Kylian ⁠Mbappe-led France, which romped into the knockouts with ⁠three straight wins, is nearly unbeatable, according to former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Potter knows his side will need to ​produce something special.“We have ‌to be as close to perfect as we can be,” Potter said. “We know the quality of the opponent and we have full respect for that.”Sweden’s hopes ‌rest on a youthful squad with limited World ​Cup experience, anchored by veteran defender Victor Lindelof, who can also be utilised in ⁠midfield.MATCH REPORT | Paraguay knocks Germany out of FIFA World CupPotter shuffled his Sweden deck during its 1-1 draw with Japan, starting the Aston Villa centre back in midfield ‌before moving him back to defence.“This is for many the first tournament with a tough journey to get as far as here,” said Lindelof.“This is our World Cup adventure that’s at stake and we don’t want that to end.”Potter divulged little of his ‌plans for Tuesday’s lineup during a pre-match press conference. Asked where ​he saw weaknesses to exploit in the France defence, the former Chelsea and West Ham ⁠United manager declined to entertain the idea that any ⁠weakness exists at all.“I’m not sure weakness is necessarily a word I would use to describe ‌this French side. They’ve got quality all over,” said Potter. “We have to play the game of ​our lives.”Published on Jun 30, 2026 #FIFA #World #Cup #Weaknesses #hard #find #France #defence #Sweden #coach #Potter

Paraguay knocks Germany out of FIFA World Cup

Potter shuffled his Sweden deck during its 1-1 draw with Japan, starting the Aston Villa centre back in midfield ‌before moving him back to defence.

“This is for many the first tournament with a tough journey to get as far as here,” said Lindelof.

“This is our World Cup adventure that’s at stake and we don’t want that to end.”

Potter divulged little of his ‌plans for Tuesday’s lineup during a pre-match press conference. Asked where ​he saw weaknesses to exploit in the France defence, the former Chelsea and West Ham ⁠United manager declined to entertain the idea that any ⁠weakness exists at all.

“I’m not sure weakness is necessarily a word I would use to describe ‌this French side. They’ve got quality all over,” said Potter. “We have to play the game of ​our lives.”

Published on Jun 30, 2026

#FIFA #World #Cup #Weaknesses #hard #find #France #defence #Sweden #coach #Potter">FIFA World Cup 2026: Weaknesses hard to find in France defence, says Sweden coach Potter

Sweden will need to produce the performance of a ​lifetime to topple World Cup powerhouses France in their round-of-32 ‌clash, coach Graham Potter said on Monday, ​as his young outfit prepare to face ⁠a side with “quality all over”.

Sweden squeaked into the tournament after a miserable qualifying campaign and will proudly wear the underdog ‌tag against France on Tuesday after an erratic group-stage campaign, where they beat Tunisia 5-1 ‌but lost to the Netherlands by the same ‌scoreline.

Kylian ⁠Mbappe-led France, which romped into the knockouts with ⁠three straight wins, is nearly unbeatable, according to former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Potter knows his side will need to ​produce something special.

“We have ‌to be as close to perfect as we can be,” Potter said. “We know the quality of the opponent and we have full respect for that.”

Sweden’s hopes ‌rest on a youthful squad with limited World ​Cup experience, anchored by veteran defender Victor Lindelof, who can also be utilised in ⁠midfield.

MATCH REPORT | Paraguay knocks Germany out of FIFA World Cup

Potter shuffled his Sweden deck during its 1-1 draw with Japan, starting the Aston Villa centre back in midfield ‌before moving him back to defence.

“This is for many the first tournament with a tough journey to get as far as here,” said Lindelof.

“This is our World Cup adventure that’s at stake and we don’t want that to end.”

Potter divulged little of his ‌plans for Tuesday’s lineup during a pre-match press conference. Asked where ​he saw weaknesses to exploit in the France defence, the former Chelsea and West Ham ⁠United manager declined to entertain the idea that any ⁠weakness exists at all.

“I’m not sure weakness is necessarily a word I would use to describe ‌this French side. They’ve got quality all over,” said Potter. “We have to play the game of ​our lives.”

Published on Jun 30, 2026

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