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🏀 Good morning to everybody, however particularly to …

THE NEW YORK KNICKS

Do not forget to rewind your tapes, New York. A real blockbuster dropped final night time when the Knicks acquired ahead Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in alternate for a bevy of draft picks and Bojan Bogdanovich.

Buying Bridges did value the Knicks some important draft picks. They shipped 4 unprotected first-round draft picks, a protected first-round decide and a second-round decide to the Nets. The groups additionally swapped first-round picks in 2028.

However in Bridges, the Knicks are getting a six-year NBA veteran who’s coming off a season wherein he averaged 19.6 factors, 4.5 rebounds and three.6 assists per sport.

Nonetheless, that value shall be lots simpler to swallow if Bridges winds up being the lacking piece for New York. After falling simply in need of an Japanese Convention finals look this 12 months, the Knicks add a stud defender and a robust shooter in Bridges.

Now, the Knicks are authentic NBA title contenders and shall be an actual menace to the reigning champion Boston Celtics subsequent season. This commerce is a danger for New York, however it’s a worthwhile cube roll for a franchise that hasn’t gained a championship in 51 years.

Our personal Sam Quinn gave the Knicks a “B+” in his commerce grades on this deal.

• Quinn: “Nothing is assured within the NBA, and giving up all of this capital for a non-All-Star actually will not change that. However the Knicks have an opportunity to win the entire thing. That hasn’t been true in many years. The danger is appreciable. The reward is bigger. Irrespective of how this performs out, it was a worthy gamble for New York.”

This acquisition additionally unites the quartet of former Villanova stars. Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart have been all on the Wildcats’ 2016 nationwide championship staff, and all however Hart have been on the roster that gained one other title in 2018.

👍 Honorable mentions

⚾ And never such a great morning for …

GERRIT COLE

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole made his second begin of the season after coming back from elbow irritation final night time, and he acquired knocked round by the New York Mets in a 9-7 loss.

Cole’s closing stat line wasn’t fairly. He lasted simply 4 innings, permitting seven hits and 6 earned runs. 4 of these hits left the park for dwelling runs.

For simply the second time in his profession, Cole didn’t document a strikeout. The final time that occurred was on Could 20, 2016, when Cole was nonetheless a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cole additionally had the excellence of changing into the primary pitcher in franchise historical past to permit 4 homers and 4 walks with out notching a strikeout.

It was unhealthy sufficient that Cole didn’t punch out anybody within the first sport of the Subway Sequence, however his common lack of velocity and whiffs raised some purple flags for our personal R.J. Anderson.

• Anderson: “Cole didn’t punch out any of the 21 batters he confronted. He generated simply 5 swinging strikes and noticed every of his pitches common at the least one mph decrease than they did in comparison with final season’s norm, based on Statcast.”

Cole’s poor begin dug a 6-0 gap for the Yankees, they usually could not climb out of it. New York made a valiant comeback effort, together with a five-run effort within the eighth inning, however Cole’s struggles have been an excessive amount of to beat.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 2024 NBA Draft preview

Tonight, the subsequent wave of NBA stars will take the stage on the 2024 NBA Draft. Earlier than groups begin submitting their picks, the specialists right here at CBS Sports activities have all of your draft preparation wants coated.

The Atlanta Hawks personal the No. 1 general decide and have an enormous choice to make in a wide-open draft 12 months. Proper now, it looks like that call will come right down to one in all two French prospects, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr.

In his newest mock draft, our personal Kyle Boone has these two going back-to-back with the primary two picks. Past that, issues may get even murkier, however Boone has Kentucky star Reed Sheppard coming off the board to the Houston Rockets at No. 3 general.

• Boone: “Houston grabs probably the most potent 3-point shooter within the draft. Sheppard rated within the a centesimal percentile (!) in soar photographs as a real freshman at Kentucky and was aces as a catch-and-shoot weapon as well. He provides playmaking on each ends as a passer and defender.”

Hold it locked on our mock draft web page all day right this moment to be able to get the newest predictions from every of our specialists.

If you’d like a extra in-depth have a look at this 12 months’s draft class, our personal Cameron Salerno ranked the highest 5 prospects at every place. Middle shall be an fascinating place to trace with some massive names atop the draft board. Here is how Salerno has these gamers ranked:

1. Alex Sarr, France
2. Donovan Clingan, UConn
3. Yves Messi, Baylor
4. Daron Holmes II, Dayton
5. Zach Edey, Purdue

Outdoors of the elite prospects, all eyes shall be on Bronny James, the son of NBA celebrity LeBron James. Will the Los Angeles Lakers unite the father-son duo? Sam Quinn has the up-to-date odds on which groups are most definitely to choose Bronny out of USC.

What would draft night time be with out some trades to spice issues up? As groups wheel and deal, take a look at our record of the Prime 75 commerce candidates, which is headlined by a handful of massive names.

🏆 Lynx dethrone Liberty to win Commissioner’s Cup

The Minnesota Lynx are the Commissioner’s Cup champions for the primary time in franchise historical past after beating the New York Liberty, 94-89, and denying them an opportunity to repeat as Cup champs.

The Lynx actually did not make issues simple on themselves by recognizing the Liberty a 10-point lead within the first half, however they lower the deficit to 3 factors at halftime and took management of the sport within the third quarter.

Napheesa Collier took dwelling the MVP award after totaling 21 factors, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Collier’s teammates did not go dwelling empty-handed, although. The Lynx will cut up the $500,000 money prize pool that comes with profitable the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup.

One of many extra shocking heroes for Minnesota was Bridget Carleton, who torched the Liberty all night time lengthy.

• Carleton exploded for 23 factors, 15 greater than her 2024 common.
• She shot 80% from the sector whereas including 5 assists and three steals to her stat line.
• Carleton was unstoppable from deep, drilling six of her eight 3-point makes an attempt.

The night time did not go fairly as easily for Sabrina Ionescu and the defending Commissioner’s Cup champion Liberty. She did document 23 factors, however she hit simply two of her 11 three-point makes an attempt. Ionescu additionally turned the ball over seven occasions, accounting for greater than one-third of New York’s giveaways.

Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones stated they have been annoyed with having to play what they stated felt like a highway sport after being displaced resulting from Wednesday’s Day 1 of the NBA Draft at Barclays Middle. The Cup championship was moved to UBS Enviornment, dwelling of the New York Islanders, a visit of at the least an hour by public transportation.

🏈 NFL’s Prime 25 gamers below 25

They are saying youth is wasted on the younger, however not on the subject of these NFL superstars. Our specialists at CBS Sports activities put their heads collectively for their annual high 25 gamers below the age of 25.

A number of the NFL’s greatest stars are nonetheless comparatively new to the league, and people gamers are important to profitable a Tremendous Bowl. Being below the age of 25 means their finest years are nonetheless forward of them, and it additionally means they’re on comparatively cheap rookie offers.

This 12 months’s record features a slew of bona fide superstars, and my fellow fantasy soccer gamers will acknowledge them as early-round choices.

One of many gamers who cracked the highest 5 was Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Though accidents restricted Chase in 2023, there may be little doubt that he is among the finest wideouts within the sport right this moment, as our personal Jeff Kerr explains.

• Kerr: “Accidents dinged his marks in 2022, and quarterback questions might have completed the identical in 2023, but when there’s one wideout able to approaching Justin Jefferson‘s sheer big-play sizzle, it is in all probability his former LSU teammate. His 1,455-yard debut as Joe Burrow‘s No. 1 proved his game-breaking velocity.”

Here is the whole have a look at the highest 5:

1. Justin Jefferson | WR | Vikings
2. Micah Parsons | OLB | Cowboys
3. Ja’Marr Chase | WR | Bengals
4. Penei Sewell | OT | Lions
5. Sauce Gardner | CB | Jets

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

⚽ Euro 2024 — Slovakia at Romania, 12 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Euro 2024 — Ukraine at Belgium, 12 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Euro 2024 — Czechia at Turkey, 3 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Euro 2024 — Georgia at Portugal, 3 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Copa America — Ecuador at Jamaica, 6 p.m. on Fox
🏀 2024 NBA Draft — Day 1, 8 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Copa America — Venezuela at Mexico, 9 p.m. on FS1