Why Damian Lillard is massive winner after Bucks launch; Fever declare Commissioner’s Cup with out Caitlin Clark


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💰 Good morning to all however particularly to …

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER

It is protected to say it is a good time to be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Tuesday, simply over per week after profitable the NBA championship, he signed a four-year, $285 million tremendous max extension with the Thunder. The deal begins within the 2027-28 season.

  • It is the richest contract in NBA historical past by way of common annual worth ($71.25M) and the third-largest by way of complete worth, solely behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
  • Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, led the league in factors per recreation (32.7) en path to profitable MVP and backed that up with an impressive playoff run that concluded in him profitable Finals MVP, too.
  • He joined Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the one gamers in NBA historical past to finish that “Triple Crown” of kinds in a single season.

😁 Honorable mentions

🎾 And never such morning for …


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TOP SEEDS AT WIMBLEDON

Tennis is usually a fickle sport, and a number of other high seeds at Wimbledon discovered that out the arduous approach within the first spherical.

  • No. 2 seed Coco Gauff, recent off a French Open title, misplaced to Dayana Yastremska7-6, 6-1. Gauff had 9 double faults, together with an important one within the first-set tiebreaker, and dedicated 29 unforced errors general. She nonetheless has not superior previous the fourth spherical at Wimbledon. Gauff admitted to being “mentally overwhelmed” by the short turnaround from the French after the loss.
  • The No. 3 seeds on each the lads’s and girls’s sides fell. Alexander Zverev misplaced to Arthur Rinderknech, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, in a match that began Monday night time and completed Tuesday morning as a result of curfew. Jessica Pegula misplaced to world No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-2, 6-3.
  • Different top-10 seeds falling have been Lorenzo Musetti (males’s No. 7 seed) and Zheng Qinwen (girls’s No. 5 seed).

We’re maintaining with the entire outcomes and the draw proper right here.

😦 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 Bucks signal Myles Turner, launch Damian Lillard: Winners, losers, Lillard touchdown spots


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The wacky world of NBA free company continued Tuesday with a pair of stunners from a group everybody has their eyes on: The Bucks signed Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million deal and waived Damian Lillard in a single fell swoop.

  • Lillard, 34, tore his Achilles within the first spherical towards, coincidentally, the Pacers, Turner’s former group. Lillard is predicted to overlook most if not the entire 2025-26 season.
  • Milwaukee is utilizing its stretch provision on Lillard, who had two years and almost $113 million left on his contract. Now, Milwaukee owes him about $22.6 in every of the subsequent 5 seasons (by 2029-30).
  • Turner, who has a participant choice for the fourth 12 months of this deal, was No. 1 on Brad Botkin’s high 50 free brokers. The 29-year-old middle spent a decade in Indiana and has averaged 16.8 factors per recreation over the previous three seasons.
  • Turner’s 156 3-pointers over that span are second amongst all facilities, behind solely Naz Reid and one spot forward of Brook Lopez, who simply left Milwaukee for the Clippers.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo the topic of all kinds of commerce rumors, the Bucks’ short-term prospects acquired a lift, Sam Quinn explains in his winners and losers.

  • Quinn: “The Pacers liked having a taking pictures, rim-protecting massive man, however the Bucks completely want one. … They discovered one of many only a few massive males in all of basketball who plausibly matches subsequent to their finest participant. That finest participant reportedly had an lively hand in recruiting Turner, which ought to put an finish to the rumors suggesting he would possibly power a commerce not less than in the intervening time. … On Monday, the 2025-26 Bucks seemed lifeless within the water. As we speak, they’ve a shred of hope.”

In fact, the Bucks’ long-term future is a loser given they’re now financially tied to a participant not on the group. And even within the brief time period, given the roster’s shortcomings, Turner may not do sufficient to make the strikes price it. I do not really feel nice in regards to the technique, to be trustworthy.

However actually, there isn’t any greater winner than Lillard, who by no means needed to go to Milwaukee within the first place. The Bucks by no means reached the heights it envisioned pairing Antetokounmpo with a second celebrity, both. Sam has 5 potential Lillard touchdown spots, however actually, the world is his oyster, Brad writes.

  • Botkin: “We might do that all day, as a result of whereas a fifty-million-dollar Dame is a tough puzzle piece to suit, Lillard on a vet-minimum wage, or something near it, is likely to be the best talent-to-value ratio in NBA historical past. There is not a single group that would not need him at that sort of worth. It is solely as much as him.”

Lastly, Lillard’s wasn’t the one torn Achilles tendon that got here into play in these choices. Tyrese Haliburton‘s harm led to the Pacers being fearful of paying the posh tax in 2025-26 (which Haliburton will miss) and in flip not extending a large enough supply to Turner, Jasmyn Wimbish writes.

It is one more instance of the fragility of the NBA. Ten days in the past, the Pacers have been a recreation away from being NBA champions. As we speak, they’ve misplaced a beloved franchise bedrock who needed to remain.

Keep in mind, we’re nonetheless maintaining observe of each transfer proper right here.

🏀 Caitlin Clark-less Fever win Commissioner’s Cup championship


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With Caitlin Clark, the Fever have proven the offensive firepower to beat anybody. With out her, they only proved they’ve the protection that may assist them raise trophies. Indiana gained the Commissioner’s Cup championship with their celebrity guard sidelined with a groin pressure, beating the Lynx74-59.

  • Indiana acquired six double-digit scorers, led by Natasha Howard‘s 16 factors. She additionally had 12 rebounds, 4 assists and two steals.
  • Howard’s largest contribution, although, may need been the excellent defensive work she supplied towards Napheesa Collier, who managed simply 12 factors on 6-for-18 taking pictures and had 5 turnovers.
  • Aari McDonaldsigned a number of instances this season amid Clark’s harm woes, had 12 factors on 5-of-6 taking pictures, and Sophie Cunningham had 13 factors off the bench.

This wasn’t simply any group Indiana shut down, both. This was the Lynx — homeowners of the league’s finest offense and the No. 1 spot in Jack Maloney’s WNBA Energy Rankings — held to season lows in factors and discipline objective share (34.9%) and held and not using a single level over the ultimate 8:13 of the primary half.

Jack dove into the movie to interrupt down how Indiana ratcheted up its protection to safe its first in-season match title.

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

Cardinals at Pirates, 12:35 p.m. on MLB Community
Padres at Phillies, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Community
USMNT vs. Guatemala, 7 p.m. on FS1
USWNT vs. Canada, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
Yankees at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m. on Prime Video
Guardians at Cubs, 8 p.m. on ESPN
White Sox at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Community



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