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🏈 Five things to know Friday
- Diego Pavia is on the waiver wire. The Heisman Trophy runner-up did not even make it to training camp with the Ravens, as the team waived him just one day before rookies were set to report. The move takes Pavia — an undrafted free agent — out of the running for Baltimore’s No. 3 quarterback role and forces him to look for a new landing spot less than two months out from the start of his first professional season. We outlined potential destinations for the former Vanderbilt star, and not all of them are in the NFL.
- MLB trade deadline buyers and sellers are beginning to emerge. About one-quarter of clubs remain on the bubble between buying and selling at the Aug. 3 deadline, but with trade rumors flying in at dizzying speeds, the market is starting to take shape. Among the latest reports: the Reds are open to trading ace Hunter Greene, the Red Sox have their eyes on Zach Neto, and the Yankees want more outfield help with Aaron Judge still on the mend. What about Francisco Lindor? Our Matt Snyder laid out the arguments for and against the Mets trading their star shortstop. And as Mike Trout weighs his options, Snyder explained why he does not need to waive his no-trade clause to cement his legacy.
- Nic Scourton is out for the year with a torn ACL. The Panthers are merely one day into training camp, and they already witnessed one of their top young players sustain a serious injury. Scourton was carted off the field during team drills, and imaging reportedly revealed a torn knee ligament that will force him to miss his entire second year in Carolina. Scourton, a second-round pick in 2025, tied for the team lead in sacks as a rookie and was set to hold down one of the Panthers’ starting edge rusher jobs.
- SEC Media Days wrapped up with Texas football news, a Lane Kiffin filibuster and more. The biggest development of Day 4 came when Steve Sarkisian announced that five-star cornerback commit John Meredith III will reclassify to 2026 and enroll at Texas this fall. Meredith is the No. 4 overall player in the 2027 class and could see meaningful snaps as a reserve during his freshman campaign. Earlier in the day, Lane Kiffin unleashed a 16-minute opening statement to dodge tough questions ahead of Year 1 at LSU. One thing we did learn from the polarizing coach, though, is that he is taking a break from his social media shenanigans. Among the other developments from the media days finale: Arkansas’ Ryan Silverfield shrugged off his internet trolls.
- Caitlin Clark enters WNBA All-Star Weekend one technical foul away from a suspension. Clark picked up her seventh technical in 23 games during the Fever’s final outing before the All-Star break, which tied her with Angel Reese for the most in the league. The next technical will automatically trigger a one-game suspension, and with 17 games left (and because she is not backing down from her approach), Clark is well on her way to picking up that eighth foul. Clark’s next appearance will be in the All-Star Game, which, by the way, will be preceded by a new event: the Shooting Stars competition.
🏀 Do not miss this: 100 And 1 college basketball storylines
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We’ve reached the 100-day mark in the countdown to the 2026-27 college basketball season. The first 76-team NCAA Tournament is closer than you think, and it’s the biggest item in our massive list of 100 And 1 things you should know heading into the campaign.
Isaac Trotter compiled national storylines, burning questions, notable new coaches, All-American picks, impact transfers, NBA Draft projections, a Final Four prediction and a whole lot more in this guide to the upcoming season. I’m most curious about his thoughts on first-year coaches as an Oregon State fan myself, but I’ll share his first impression of an even bigger name with you: LSU’s Will Wade.
- Trotter: “Wade’s roster-building antics are jostling the status quo, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that if Saliou Niang, Brice Dessert and Michael Ruzic are all healthy, the Tigers’ front line will be one of the better units in the SEC.”
The Tigers are not quite in the same tier as the top national championship contenders, though. For those teams, we need to take a look at the best projected offenses. Here are five of Trotter’s favorites:
- Illinois
- Alabama
- Florida
- BYU
- Duke
👑 LeBron James free agency winners, losers
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Every day that goes by and LeBron James does not announce his next team, a small group of parties celebrates a little bit more. While the entire NBA and its fans grow more tired of the waiting game, people like James’ agent, Rich Paul, relish the attention that this saga commands. Our Brad Botkin named Paul — and his podcast, specifically — as one of the two big winners from James’ indecision.
- Botkin: “Every little crumb of information — from ‘the 76ers have our attention’ to ‘this will not be a money-based decision’ — is being gobbled up like a Michelin-rated meal. And in this case, Paul’s podcast is the restaurant.”
The biggest losers from this free agency odyssey, on the other hand, will not become clear until after James decides where he will spend (potentially) his final season of pro basketball. Who is in danger of coming out of this with the most disappointment? To answer that question, let’s look at the teams that need James the most desperately.
Our Sam Quinn ranked the five teams that would be in the most trouble if James plays elsewhere. Here are three who would be devastated if they receive bad news:
- Cavaliers: “Cleveland has actively lost players waiting for James, most notably Dean Wade and Keon Ellis.”
- Warriors: “The Warriors undoubtedly have the worst non-James roster of any of these teams. It isn’t close.”
- Heat: “James, right now, is probably Miami’s only path to a championship-caliber offense next season.”
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching this weekend
Friday
⛳ 3M Open: Second round, 4 p.m. on Golf Channel
⚾ Rockies at Brewers, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Yankees at Phillies, 6:40 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Braves at Orioles, 7:05 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Guardians at Rays, 7:10 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Blue Jays at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Dodgers at Mets, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
🏀 WNBA All-Star Friday Night, 8 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Stars at Pride, 8 p.m. on Victory+
🤼 WWE SmackDown, 8 p.m. on USA Network
⚽ Gotham at Thorns, 10 p.m. on Prime Video
⚾ Angels at Giants, 10:15 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
Saturday
🤼 UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Rountree Jr., noon on Paramount+
🥊 Joshua vs. Prenga, 1 p.m. on DAZN
⚾ Royals at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⛳ 3M Open: Third round, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚾ Padres at Marlins, 4:10 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Current at Legacy, 5 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Cincinnati at Crew, 7 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Dodgers at Mets or Mariners at Rangers, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Fire at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Royals at Courage, 7:45 p.m. on Ion
🏀 WNBA All-Star Game, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Whitecaps at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🥊 Spence Jr. vs. Tszyu, 9 p.m. on Prime Video
⚽ Galaxy at Earthquakes, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV
Sunday
⚾ Guardians at Rays, 12:15 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Big3: 305 vs. Trilogy, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Big3: Power vs. Rig Hands, 2 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏁 Brickyard 400, 2 p.m. on TNT
⚾ Astros at White Sox, 2:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Mariners at Rangers, 2:35 p.m. on Peacock
⛳ 3M Open: Final round, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚾ Angels at Giants, 4:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🥊 Zuffa Boxing 09: Berlanga vs. Butler, 5 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Reign at Wave, 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
⚽ Summit at Spirit, 7 p.m. on Victory+
⚾ Yankees at Phillies, 7:20 p.m. on NBC
⚽ Louisville at Angel City, 9 p.m. on ESPN
