If we learned anything from this week’s NBA draft, it’s that this is not a good time to be unemployed.

Remember when free agency was a pot of gold at the end of the NBA rainbow? A draft class for the ages and a salary cap well past its expiration date have conspired to change that.

The genesis of this problem can be traced to the mutual “we were the winners” response by both the players and the owners in the NBA’s last collective bargaining agreement.

The star players got what they wanted – a rapidly escalating maximum-contract figure that allowed 14 players to earn more than $50 million last season and another 31 to pocket $35 million or more.

Meanwhile, the owners were able to slow inflation in the salary cap, which hasn’t come close to matching the increase in salaries.

The result: Remember all those teams accused of tanking? Well, 29 of them ended the 2025-26 season over the cap, and the one that didn’t – the Nets – barely snuck under it.

Owners don’t like being north of the NBA’s assigned budget because it comes at an additional cost. The loophole-less taxes married to the dreaded second apron are even more painful.

The outlook for the upcoming season is more of the same – higher prices for gas, but no additional disposable income with which to afford an electric car.

Suffice it to say, player agents are going to earn their money this summer. Or probably more likely, they’re going to get fired by free agents who were promised riches but will have to crawl back to their 2026 employer, begging that they re-sign a guy they were hoping to see walk so the team could pocket the savings.

Salary raises? More like pay cuts.

Now let’s mix in the draft results.

You start with four bad teams – the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies and Bulls – who might otherwise throw big bucks at overpriced former stars, which desperate franchises are renowned for doing.

Instead, they were able to latch onto four potential superstar players, which helps point them to the future rather than a win-now free agent.

That said, it’s hard to find any team that wasn’t happy with its draft result, whether it was landing a real nice prospect at pretty much any point of the first round, or trading out of the guaranteed contract for some nice second-round sleepers without taking a salary-cap hit.

So now reality sets in: Happy owners don’t go Christmas shopping in July.

If anybody stands to benefit from the penny-pinching off-season, it’s a college graduate with aspirations of being an NBA general manager someday. It’s going to be that kind of summer, where the smartest teams find a way to get better despite seemingly having no money to do so.

Script a gameplan and earn yourself a job. You know, like the guy who just earned the right to trade Giannis — Jon Horst.

It no doubt would start with the three most important letters of the NBA alphabet these days: TPE.

It’s why the Nets and Grizzlies were able to get big-name players for peanuts. Only these peanuts are macadamias — blank checks for the total amount of the Julius Randle and Isaiah Stewart contracts, available to use on free agency for Timberwolves and Pistons teams that would ordinarily not have any money to spend.

Sign-and-trades figure to be big as well. At this point, it appears like the only way LeBron James can get out of Los Angeles, presuming he wants a serious shot at another title.

But now that the Spurs have bulked up with Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr., do they really need to sacrifice some of their precious young talent to get Victor Wembanyama a 40-something bodyguard?

Do the Warriors, having added a plug-and-play power forward in Yaxel Lendeborg, still have an interest in LeBron, short of the Lakers taking Kristaps Porzingis in a sign-and-trade?

Pity Porzingis, Jalen Duren, James Harden and Zach LaVine, let alone Peyton Watson, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins and Walker Kessler.

Take down those “For Sale” signs. They’re likely staying home.

Or can you say mid-level exception?

Don’t blink or you might miss UFC Fight Night’s main event. Rafael Fiziev and Manuel Torres, two thrilling strikers in the action-packed lightweight division, collide on Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Fiziev (13-5) might be the best pure Muay Thai striker in the division. He’s shown flashes of elite potential, but has struggled to fulfill it. His back is against the wall after a 1-4 stretch, which includes two losses to current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. Fiziev has newfound inspiration after witnessing Gaethje, whom many thought would never win the undisputed title when he overcame Ilia Topuria.

“I wanted him to win. I’m totally with him, but I didn’t completely believe he’d win…” Fiziev told CBS Sports’ Brian Campbell. “When I saw the damage on Ilia’s face, I thought, ‘Wow!’ I was screaming at home in front of the TV. I’m very happy for him. It’s motivated me because I fought him twice in Fight of the Nights.”

Sign up for Paramount+ and watch UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Torres live for no additional fee — every UFC numbered event and UFC Fight Night is included with your subscription! Plans start as low as $8.99/month or $89.99/year!

Torres (17-3) has one speed and one speed only. Every fight, except one, has ended in Round 1. The two-pronged finisher broke into the lightweight rankings with knockouts over Drew Dober and Grant Dawson. Now, he’s circling one of the division’s most fearsome but seemingly compromised strikers.

“Truthfully, I think Rafael Fiziev hasn’t seen my game really because I finish my fights within the first couple of minutes,” Torres told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I’m coming in with my plan and my pace, and I will impose myself.

“I’m always prepared to fight for five rounds, but it’s part of my strategy to win in the first round.”

UFC’s return to Baku has an interesting co-main event. Shara “Bullet” Magomedov has been nearly perfect inside the Octagon. He aims to reaffirm that against Michel Pereira, the explosive but inconsistent middleweight madman. Other notable names on the card include ranked flyweights Asu Almabayev and Charles Johnson fighting each other, plus Ikram Aliserkov and Abus Magomedov in separate bouts.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the fight card with the latest odds from DraftKings before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event below.

UFC Fight Night card, odds

UFC Fight Night viewing information

Date: June 27 | Start time: 12 p.m. ET (Main card) | 9 a.m. ET (Prelims)
Location: National Gymnastics Arena — Baku, Azerbaijan
Stream: Paramount+ (subscribe now for as low as $8.99 per month)

Prediction

Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres: Nothing raises alarms more than a first-round fighter. Torres is tremendously powerful, no doubt, but he’s not the most refined striker. That cost him against Ignacio Bahamondes, a fighter whom Fiziev beat cleanly. Fiziev’s combination of patience, striking finesse and experience will reward him the longer this fight goes. It’s probable that Torres tires out and gets caught slacking if this fight makes it past Round 1. Fiziev’s health is a bigger concern for me than his losses. He gave Gaethje two tough fights, lost to Mateusz Gamrot by knee injury and got starched by a phenomenally talented Mauricio Ruffy. Durability issues in mind, I think the 33-year-old has enough juice to outwork someone like Torres. Pick: Fiziev via KO, Round 3 

Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Saikhom Mirabai Chanu will lead India’s weightlifting team at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which begins on July 23 in Glasgow.Mirabai, who has won three Commonwealth Games medals — two gold and one silver — will compete in the women’s 48kg category.She will be joined by Bindyarani Devi in the women’s 58kg category and Harjinder Kaur in the women’s 69kg category. Both lifters won silver medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.In the men’s team, Lovepreet Singh, who won bronze in Birmingham in 2022, will compete in the +110kg category. The squad also includes Commonwealth Games debutants Rishikanta Singh (60kg), Ajaya Babu (79kg) and Dilbag Singh (94kg).The weightlifting competition will be held from July 26 to 30 at SEC Armadillo.The Indian team will leave for Birmingham on Sunday for a conditioning camp before travelling to Glasgow on July 23.India has enjoyed strong results in weightlifting at recent Commonwealth Games. The country finished on top of the weightlifting medal table in both 2018 and 2022.India won nine medals, including five gold, at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. At the 2022 Birmingham Games, the team won 10 medals, including three gold. India team:Women: Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Gyaneshwari Yadav (53kg), Bindyarani Devi (58kg), Harjinder Kaur (69kg), Sanjana (77kg), Martina Devi (+86kg).Men: Rishikanta Singh (60kg), M Raja (65kg), Ajaya Babu (79kg), Dilabg Singh (94kg), Lovepreet Singh (+110kg).

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke knew exactly what to expect from Ismael Saibari.

“He’s fast, he’s powerful and he showed against Brazil that he knows how to take chances,” he told reporters ahead of the World Cup Group C meeting between Scotland and Morocco in Boston last week.

A week earlier, Saibari had put the Atlas Lions ahead against Brazil with a brilliant chip over goalkeeper, Alisson. Scotland were warned but it didn’t make any difference as, less than two minutes into the game, Saibari again raced clear of the defense and fired an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.

A few days later, Saibari was on the scoresheet again when he stroked Achraf Hakimi’scutback into the net against Haiti. It was his 12th goal for Morocco in his 33nd international appearance, and it made him the first African player to score in all three group stage games at a World Cup.

Ismael Saibari: from Eindhoven to Munich

In the round of 32 on Monday night, Saibari will again lead the line for Morocco against a country with which he has an intimate relationship: the Netherlands, where he has scored 42 goals in 142 appearances for PSV Eindhoven since 2020.

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Last season, he was voted player of the season in the Dutch top-flight, the Eredivisie, after scoring 15 league goals as PSV won a 27th league title.

He also scored three goals in last season’s Champions League, including a long-range strike against Bayern Munich in January. PSV would go on to lose 1-2 but Saibari had caught the attention of Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany who, according to German newspaper SportBild, immediately made contact the player.

Sports Life – Football Powerhouse Morrocco

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A few months later and the German champions have reportedly already agreed to pay PSV up to €55 million ($62.85 million) for the 25-year-old, beating off interest from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.

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Saibari is set to undergo a medical while still at the World Cup, where is he demonstrating his abilities to a global audience – but who is Saibari the person?

Saibari: three nationalities, five languages

Born in Terrassa, near Barcelona, to Moroccan parents, the young Ismael moved to Belgium aged six as his mum and dad looked to start anew following the 2007 financial crash.

It was in Willebroek, in between Brussels and Antwerp, that the young footballer learned Flemish, French and English in addition to Arabic and Spanish, and obtained Belgian citizenship in addition to that of Morocco and Spain.

The regular changes of scenery have made Saibari an important cultural and linguistic conduit in the dressing rooms of the various clubs he has played for.

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“I’ve moved around a lot in my life, so I know how hard it is to adapt to new surroundings,” he told Dutch football magazine Voetbal International. “So, if I can help, I try to. I have the experience and I speak a lot of languages. I often function as an interpreter in meetings because I can speak to the younger players in their mother tongue.”

“He is very sociable – sometimes too sociable,” said PSV head coach Peter Bosz. “Even when he should be relaxing, he’s visiting friends. Because he’s just very friendly.”

Morocco: Saibari’s ‘choice from the heart’

Before joining PSV Eindhoven in 2020, he represented several Belgian clubs at youth level including Anderlecht and Genk. However, despite an approach from former Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez to play for the Diables Rouges (Red Devils) in 2022, there was only ever one choice for Saibari internationally.

“When such a big name in football contacts you, it was incredible,” he told Dutch newspaper Eindhovens Dagsblad. “But I let him know that I was choosing Morocco. When it comes to the national team, I had to make a choice from the heart rather than a sporting decision.”

Saibari made his debut for the Atlas Lions in September 2023 in a friendly against Burkina Faso and scored his first goals a year later in Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Gabon and Lesotho.

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He started every game of Morocco’s AFCON campaign on home soil earlier this year and scored in the quarter-final win over Cameroon (2-0) – but he played a rather less laudable role in the controversy which engulfed the final against Senegal.

Disciplinary issues

Following a tempestuous evening in Rabat, Saibari was suspended for three games and fined $100,000 for unsporting conduct after trying to prevent a ballboy from giving Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy his towel in the pouring rain.

AFCON 2025 Final: Is the real winner Senegal or Morocco?

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“When I got home, I saw how bad it looked,” he admitted afterwards when asked by PSV Eindhoven’s club media about the incident. “I immediately sent someone from Senegal to apologize for me. And then when I saw Mendy at the airport, I just apologized to his face. There were a lot of emotions, I’d never experienced so many emotions, so it was just the heat of the moment.”

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It wasn’t the first faux-pas in Saibari’s career. As a youth player with Belgian side Anderlecht, he was removed from the first-team squad one day before the start of the 2015-16 season due to being overweight. He called the club’s handling of the matter “disgusting” at the time but later admitted that he had been lazy in his preparations and called the incident one of the biggest disappointments of his career to date.

And last year, he was left out of the Eindhoven squad for a Champions League game away at Arsenal for disciplinary reasons after turning up late for a team meeting. “Everyone is allowed to come late once in a while,” said head coach Bosz. “But this wasn’t the first time. Or even the fifth. I’d had enough.”

Bayern Munich: How will Saibari fit in?

Saibari won’t be able to afford such complacency in Germany, but Bayern coach Kompany – a fellow Belgian polyglot – has proven himself adept at managing young players.

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In Munich, Saibari will be an immediate replacement for – and upgrade on – Senegalese back-up striker Nicolas Jackson, who has returned to parent club Chelsea. But even if he won’t necessarily dislodge Harry Kane from the central striking role, Saibari’s flexibility means he will also provide competition for fellow forwards Jamal Musiala, Lennart Karl, Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise.

Until then, though, the focus remains on the Atlas Lions and Monday’s last-32 meeting with the Netherlands in Monterrey, Mexico.

“I think he understands that the priority is currently Morocco,” said national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi – another Belgian-Moroccan who was a youth coach at Anderlecht during Saibari’s time in Brussels, and who knows Kompany “very well.”

“But we’re going to be very proud [of Saibari’s move to Bayern]. We want the best Moroccan players to play for the best clubs.”

Saibari himself said after scoring the only goal of the game against Scotland that it was a “childhood dream to play at the World Cup” with his country, adding: “I think we can go quite far.”

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Edited by: Matt Pearson

Based on his respective experiences against Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia insists that one man represented a more formidable opponent.

In an unexpected turn of events, ‘Tank’ could end up facing WBO champion Haney later this year after pulling out of negotiations with Floyd Schofield.

The Schofield fight would have offered him the chance to reclaim his WBA lightweight title, yet it now seems that Davis could make his ring return at 147lbs.

Taking to social media earlier this week, Haney claimed that ‘Tank’s’ team has reached out with a view to explore their potential welterweight showdown, but stopped short of revealing any specific details.

The 27-year-old comes off a unanimous decision victory over Brian Norman Jr, who he dethroned to become a three-division world champion in November.

This came two fights after his majority decision defeat to Garcia, whose triumph was overturned to a no-contest following his two failed doping tests.

Back then, Haney was attempting to retain his WBC super-lightweight title while Garcia, after missing weight by over 3lbs, had foregone the opportunity to claim his opponent’s belt.

A vastly different story unfolded against Davis, however, as Garcia was forced to contend with a rehydration limit and ultimately lost their 135lb encounter via a seventh-round stoppage in 2023.

Speaking with PBD Podcast, the American highlighted this rehydration clause as a significant factor against ‘Tank’.

“Haney actually caught me. Gervonta … it wasn’t a hard fight – I was just weak. You guys can pull up a picture of how I looked for the Tank fight and how I looked for the Devin Haney fight.

“I would beat Gervonta Davis worse than I beat Devin Haney – Devin Haney’s a harder [opponent] than Gervonta.”

While the ‘Tank’ fight represents a lucrative opportunity, Haney has already been ordered to defend his WBO title against mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis.

Rainbow flags in the stands, Pride events across the city, colorful parties in the streets. And right in the middle of it all: a football match between two nations united in their hostility toward the LGBTQ+ community.

Saturday’s World Cup Group G clash between Iran and Egypt in the northwestern US city of Seattle won’t just determine who will progress to the knock-out round; it is also generating significant political controversy in the buildup.

In the first official “Pride Match” in World Cup history, the two competing teams hail from Muslim-majority nations where the LGBTQ+ community faces immense hardship and even criminal prosecution.

Federations criticize FIFA

The fact that this situation has arisen is ultimately a coincidence.

Even before the World Cup group draw in December, and before the specific matchups were known, the local organizing committee in Seattle had designated the game a “Pride Match,” around a festival on the last weekend of June.

But the inclusion of the fixture in the city’s Pride celebrations has not gone down well with the two participating football federations.

A spokesperson for the Iranian national team told The Athletic that they were taking the matter “seriously.” In fact, they take it so seriously that the two opponents even joined forces before the match to stage a renewed protest, just as they had done when the fixture was first announced.

After all, the Iranian federation noted, Egypt and Iran are “two Muslim countries with deep cultural and religious commonalities,” countries that share “values ​​and beliefs.”

They have urged FIFA to take “the necessary steps” to “ensure that no such ceremonies or promotional activities take place in the stadium.” The aim is to prevent symbols associated with “the movement” — as the federation referred to the LGBTQ+ community — from appearing inside the stadium, including rainbow flags.

For weeks, there has even been talk of a potential boycott or the match being called off. However, experts consider such a drastic reaction unlikely.

The LGBTQ+ community faces intense pressure in both Iran, where the death penalty can be imposed for homosexual acts, and in Egypt, where homosexuality can also lead to criminal prosecution.

FIFA – political stances vary by host

FIFA has remained steadfast so far. In response to an inquiry from The Athletic, the organization stated that the World Cup is an “inclusive event” and that fans of all sexual orientations are “welcome” at the matches.

This demonstrates that the global governing body prefers to align its stance on political messages with the conditions in the host countries rather than adhering to a clear policy of its own.

In Qatar in 2022, the wearing of the “One Love” captain’s armband was banned. Fans displaying certain symbols, such as the rainbow flag, were denied entry to the stadiums.

The situation is different in Canada, Mexico and the United States, who are co-hosting this year’s tournament. According to the stadium code of conduct, “rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity” are permitted.

In Seattle, local organizers insist they will not be deterred by the homophobia and anti-queer sentiment of the Iranian and Egyptian federations.

“Let’s welcome people to Seattle,” Hedda McLendon, a member of the city’s World Cup organizing committee, told the website Outsports. “And let’s show them how proud we are.”

This article was adapted from German.

Elsewhere in sports news, Ecuador pulled off a stunning 2-1 upset over Germany. La Tri snatched victory late on and, with four points from the group stage, are guaranteed a place in the Round of 16 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.

It was a different story for Tunisia. The Carthage Eagles crashed out after a third straight defeat, falling 3-1 to the Netherlands. The Dutch top Group F ahead of Japan, who secured second place with a 1-1 draw against Sweden.

France face a major test on Friday as Les Bleus take on Norway, with top spot in Group I up for grabs.

Senegal, meanwhile, are out of second chances. After defeats to France and Norway, the Lions of Teranga must beat Iraq convincingly on Friday to keep their hopes alive of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams.

In Group H, Spain still have work to do. La Roja are not yet through and will look to seal qualification against Uruguay while continuing their impressive rise in the tournament.

Meanwhile, a new chapter begins for Alexia Putellas. After 14 trophy-laden years at Barcelona, where she won it all, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner (2021, 2022) is set to join Women’s Super League side London City Lionesses.

Finally, Sébastien Ogier moved into the lead at the Acropolis Rally in Greece.

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From the show

World Cup Debrief

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1 min

Despite an unexpected loss against Ecuador, Germany take top spot in group E. Ivory Coast are through to the knockout stage of the competition for the first time in their history. The Netherlands cement their position at the top of group F, thanks to a confident win over Tunisia. Despite being eliminated, Türkiye managed to win against team USA. Japan and Sweden stayed level at 1-1, as did Paraguay and Australia in a goalless game. Finally, France prepare for a clash against Norway later this Friday.