CHICAGO — The 2026 NBA Draft Combine has come to a close and while the measurements, drills, and games produced plenty of information for decision-makers and draft lovers to digest, the real value in this event continues to be in the intel gathering. When every major agency and NBA front office are clustered in the same gym and hotel for a full week, along with numerous members of the national media and high-major college coaches, it’s an undeniable networking event. Amidst those pleasantries and authentic opportunities to reconnect is a very steady exchange of information.

The most immediate intel of the week was focused on the first four picks in the draft and the domino effects of various scenarios there. The headlines will follow what the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls do at the top of the draft with the four players widely expected to be the top picks – AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson.

But the draft really starts after those four players come off the board. As the week went on in Chicago, more and more information started to spread through Wintrust Arena and the connected Marriott Marquis.

NBA Draft Combine intel: AJ Dybantsa-to-Washington isn’t viewed as the lock everyone assumed

Adam Finkelstein

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Will it be four straight point guards?

We may not yet know the order that the top four prospects will be taken in, but there is a large degree of collective confidence that when the Clippers pick at No. 5, Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson will all be off the board. 

Many mocks, including the CBS Sports Big Board, list a quartet of freshmen point guards next. It’s Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, and Mikel Brown, in various and differing orders. What I’m hearing from NBA scouts though, many of whom are engaging in their own mocks in order to forecast plausible scenarios, is real skepticism that four point guards will be taken consecutively, despite the fact that three of those four teams (Brooklyn at 6, Sacramento at 7, and Atlanta at 8) have a void at the point.

A spot for a trade in the top 10?

The Clippers are the one team here that does not have point guard as a positional need after acquiring Darius Garland at the deadline. But the fact that Los Angeles picks at No. 5 means they’re farther away from any other options and thus may have a harder time justifying taking someone else with this pick.

Could this be a place to look for a trade? Many people are wondering that out loud, especially amid so much uncertainty about the Clippers long-term assets as they await the results of the Aspiration investigation. If they are committed to Garland long-term, and the best prospects available don’t fit alongside him, it may be logical for them to explore turning this draft pick asset into multiple assets, whether that be by trading down and adding another pick or moving it for multiple other future picks.

One way or another, most scouts suspect that something will break up these four point guards. Exactly what, or which player, remains to be seen.

Michigan trio rising

If it is a player who cracks the top eight, Arizona’s Brayden Burries is the most likely candidate. Tennessee’s Nate Ament is a possibility, although there is still a wide range of opinions on him. Another option is Michigan’s Aday Mara, who continues to build momentum in this process. Mara’s combination of incredible size, rim protection, deceptive mobility, passing, and touch could fit with any of those four teams, but the Clippers and Kings would have the most obvious need. It remains to be seen if either would pull the trigger at 5 or 7, but it is no longer viewed as impossible, particularly in that latter scenario.

Two more members of Michigan’s 2026 National Championship team also left Chicago trending. Yaxel Lendeborg’s dimensions, physical tools, and even basketball skills were already well known coming into this week. Some of the biggest questions centered around his maturity. He reportedly eased some of those concerns by making positive impressions in his interviews with teams, with particular credit given to his humility and unselfishness. That’s going to have positive implications on his stock.

NBA Draft Combine risers and fallers: The Big Three hold serve, Cameron Carr soars, Michigan, UConn flex

Isaac Trotter

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Morez Johnson Jr. was also one of the combine’s biggest risers.  Sources told CBS Sports he’s now in play in the late lottery, and other teams with picks in the early 20s acknowledged that they no longer expect Johnson to be available there.

If all three players end up going in the lottery, it will mark the first time since 2007 that a college basketball program has produced three non-freshman lottery picks. Perhaps not coincidentally, the last team to do it, the Florida Gators, were also national champions.

Koa Peat is asking questions

Koa Peat’s struggles shooting the basketball this week were well-documented as his new mechanics seem to have backfired and erased whatever progress he made during the season. The unfortunate truth is that Peat’s issues were a popular subject of conversation in the gym on Monday, and while that doesn’t take away from all the other things Peat can do to impact winning, it is expected to have some impact on his draft stock.

Consequently, many now wonder if Peat’s shooting concerns could impact his decision to stay in this draft, with both a major NIL payday and another Final Four-caliber roster waiting for him at Arizona. Also, the 2027 NBA Draft has significantly less star power, which could allow him to be a much higher selection. Well, apparently Peat may be wondering that too. Multiple league sources indicated that during his team interviews, Peat reportedly asked executives themselves for feedback about whether he should stay in the draft. While gathering that type of direct feedback is the exact point of going through the NBA Draft process, and he should be credited for his willingness ask questions and get the best advice available, it does reveal that a final decision for Peat has not yet been made.

New strategy for late first or second draft picks, as they decrease in value

Speaking of stay-and-go decisions, for all of the talk about the increased NIL market pulling players back to college this year, we have started to see the impact on the other side this week. For an NBA team who own picks in the late first or second rounds, there’s real concern that those assets are not as valuable as expected, or once were. Ironically, it may be the late first-round picks in particular, because of their correlating salary guarantees, that could be viewed as almost a liability at this point.

Both teams drafting in the late first round and second round are clearly incentivized to get as many players to stay in the draft as possible in order to maximize the depth of the class, and consequently the value of their picks. That can result in almost a recruiting-type process where teams strongly encourage prospects to stay in, even with promises of fully guaranteed contracts if they can land them in the second round. That may not be enough to pull them away from the college NIL market, but it is providing them with options.

Players like UNC transfer commitment Matthew Able, who performed well in the five-on-five games, could be a prime target for these types of overtures. He wasn’t viewed as a likely first-round pick entering this week and might have a real chance to boost his stock by transferring to North Carolina next year. But it’s totally logical for a team to try to get him to stay in the draft, lock him into a long-term deal, albeit guaranteed, but at low money. We’ve seen OKC and Memphis take similar approaches with players like Ajay Mitchell and Cam Spencer in recent years, and those have blossomed into two of the most team-friendly deals in the NBA.

It’s something for colleges to be aware of, and may just end up driving the NIL price up.

The debate and manipulation of Malachi Moreno’s stock

Speaking of stock that could impact a stay-or-go decision, there were reports this week that Kentucky’s Malachi Moreno had attracted attention from teams in the mid to late first round. While that certainly may be true, many of those teams also hold second-round picks, and many of the scouts I spoke to expressed skepticism that Moreno would crack the first round this year.

Instead, those reports could be viewed as negotiating leverage with Kentucky in order to command the highest possible valuation for Moreno’s return to college and Lexington. The fact that Moreno chose not to play five-on-five, while higher-ranked bigs like Rueben Chinyelu, Tarris Reed, and Flory Bidunga all opted in, was also being viewed as an indication that Moreno’s representation was being very deliberate about controlling how the big man was being perceived.

Ultimately, most still expect him to return to school.

Brio Northgate has reopened following a £12 million refurbishment

The upgraded facility includes a new gym, studios, sauna and steamroom

Energy-saving upgrades include LED lighting and additional solar panels

More than 3,000 members continued using the centre during the refurbishment

Brio Northgate – formerly Northgate Arena in Chester – has officially reopened following a £12 million refurbishment. When built in the 1970s, it was the largest leisure centre in Europe.

The refurbishment was carried out by Read Construction and supported by Cheshire West and Chester Council and operator Brio Leisure, a local authority trading company established in 2011.

Improvements include a fully refurbished gym with state-of-the-art equipment and versatile studio spaces, including a cycling studio. Sauna and steamroom facilities have been added and the changing areas refurbished.

The swimming pool has also been overhauled, with the addition of a new flume, while improvements have been made to the squash courts.

A library is now part of the offering.

LED lighting will help save more than 90 per cent in energy usage, while the pool plant systems have been upgraded with higher-efficiency circulation pumps. An additional 125kWp of solar panels added to the existing scheme will save around £34,000 annually.

The centre remained partially open during the refurbishment, with a temporary gym and racquet sports operating in the sports hall, alongside more than 74 fitness classes each week. More than 3,000 members continued to engage in regular activity.

“We’re really excited about the new site and look forward to getting back to full member capacity,” Matt Parker, managing director of Brio, told HCM. “We really want to make a shift and have a greater impact across the community as a whole. We want more people to be moving more and think we’ve got a vital role to lead within that.”

Home-game victories are the foundation of a college football program’s success and often correlate with teams at the top of the standings.

The tables below show the wins, losses, and win percentages for the region’s top programs over the last 10 seasons.

Oregon leads the way, followed by Boise State, Washington, Utah, and USC.

Home Winning % and Records by Program from 2016-2025

Dave Allen has delivered on his promise to come into his clash with Filip Hrgovic in decent shape.

The fan favourite Brit has blown hot and cold throughout his career, often revealing after defeats that he could have trained harder and prepared better.

This weekend, he looks to claim the biggest scalp of his campaign in Hrgovic, the world-level, well-schooled and durable Croatian, whose only defeat has come against new world champion Daniel Dubois.

Despite still viewing a headline slot at London’s O2 Arena against Lucas Browne as the greatest achievement of his career, Allen will fight in front of 10,000 home fans at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, and the significance of that has not passed him by.

He has clearly trainer hard, tipping the scales at 248.8lbs. It is an impressive drop from the 271 he weighed in his last outing – a first round blowout of Karim Berredjem in February. In fact, it is the lowest weight Allen has registered since his 2019 loss to David Price.

Speaking on the transformation, ‘Dazzling’ Dave said:

“I’ve just ate less chocolate, less sweets … People talk about sacrifice but I’m very fortunate really. I spend a lot of time with my family, my kids and I box for a living. Everyone in here doing 9-5, that’s a sacrifice. It would be unfair to me to talk about sacrifice, I live my dream every day. Sometimes in the gym it’s hard, sometimes I want to eat stuff, but I’m gonna walk out to 10,000 people in Doncaster against one of the best heavyweights in the world. That was my dream and I’m about to live it.”

Regardless of his shape, most see Hrgovic as too big a mountain to climb for Allen. He is aware of that, but believes he can produce one of the biggest upsets ever seen on UK shores.

“He’s a great fighter, but I’ve got no fear of him. All week he’s trying to tell me I don’t want to look at him. I couldn’t care less about Filip Hrgovic. It’s a boxing match.

“On paper I shouldn’t even be in the ring with him, but I just feel like tomorrow, in Donny, it’ll be a special night and I’m gonna get one of the biggest upsets in British boxing history.”

Should Allen fail to upset the odds, and Hrgovic comes out with the win unscathed, he is widely expected to face Moses Itauma in August.

Katie Taylor at Croke Park: A Milestone for Irish Women’s Sports

Having anything but Gaelic games at Croke Park can cause a bit of a stir. Consider that there has been an outcry over the decision to have Leeds United and Manchester United play a friendly game at Croker this summer. It’s not that everyone is annoyed when “foreign” sports are played on the hallowed turf; it’s more that the exception to the rule should be an exceptional one.

Which brings us to Katie Taylor and the push to hold the boxer’s final fight at the stadium. It’s not confirmed yet – we are still at the “advanced talks” stage – but there is a feeling we should get confirmation soon. It all sounds positive coming out of Taylor’s camp, and you get the sense that only a technicality could hold it up. The will is there to put it on.

And what a fitting way to go out for Taylor. She has already done so much to raise the profile of women’s boxing globally. Her Olympic gold, her almost unblemished professional record, her venerated trilogy series with Amanda Serrano, and her partnership with Netflix all served to put women’s boxing on the map in Ireland and abroad.

A big moment for women’s sports

Yet, the date at Croke Park – if it were to go ahead – feels like an important milestone for women in sport. There’s been plenty of great work done to elevate women’s sport in Ireland, especially in sports like rugby union. Yet, there is a consensus that more must be done. Having Taylor fight in front of 82,000+ fans won’t fix everything, but it will be emblematic of the extent to which Taylor has elevated women’s boxing. She’s probably the most famous boxer – of any gender – in Ireland right now.

An important aspect of driving interest in women’s sports is arguably giving it a separate identity from the men’s. The WNBA, for instance, has done a very good job of this, separating itself from the men’s league, driving engagement through everything from social media to WNBA betting to having separate arenas. The patient approach to building the league as a separate “product” is starting to pay off, though the league is taking a multi-decade approach as it expands.

Taylor has helped separate women’s boxing from men’s

Arguably, Taylor’s ascendancy was much the same, taking her to a position where women’s boxing was a distinct draw. The Netflix deal was a prime example of that. The streaming giant made a huge deal of the Irish star, releasing documentaries, publishing blogs, hype packages and, of course, showing the Serrano fight live. There was no sense of women’s boxing being in any way secondary.

And that’s what is so alluring about the potential Croke Park date. It will tell a generation of young girls that “this is a big deal”. Perhaps more importantly, it will showcase women’s sports to the decision-makers and the money-people who can make elite women’s sports events happen. The fight will be about Taylor – one of the greatest boxers in Irish history, and perhaps the best women’s boxer in history – but the event will be about building the distinct identity of elite-level women’s sports in general. Hopefully, they can pull it off.

In a major development for weightlifting in the South Asian region, the South Asian Weightlifting Federation (SAWF) has unanimously elected Sahdev Yadav as its new president during the federation’s election meeting held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Tuesday, May 12.

Sahdev Yadav, who currently serves as the president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, was chosen with the support of all member nations and officials present at the meeting. His appointment comes at a time when South Asian countries are looking to strengthen cooperation in the sport and improve standards across athlete development, coaching, infrastructure, and international participation.

Along with his responsibilities in India, Sahdev Yadav also holds key positions in global sporting bodies, including treasurer of the Indian Olympic Association, vice president of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation, and assistant to the president of the Asian Weightlifting Federation.

Leadership responsibilities expand

The unanimous election is being viewed as recognition of Sahdev Yadav’s contribution to the growth of weightlifting at both national and international levels. Federation officials stated that his experience in administration and international sports governance would help SAWF strengthen collaboration among South Asian nations and create better opportunities for athletes in the region.

Sabina Yadav appointed CEO

The meeting also confirmed the appointment of Sabina Yadav as the chief executive officer of the South Asian Weightlifting Federation. She currently serves as joint secretary of the Indian Weightlifting Federation and is also a member of the Innovation Committee of the International Weightlifting Federation.

Officials expressed confidence that the newly elected leadership team would help raise the standards of the sport in South Asia and promote sporting unity among member nations.

Other office bearers elected

The election process also saw the appointment of several other officials to important positions within the federation. Ram Krishna Sreshtha of Nepal was elected general secretary, while Ibrahim Hameed of Maldives and Sanka Ratnayake of Sri Lanka were named vice presidents. Bangladesh’s Shahria Sultana was elected an executive board member.

The Asian Weightlifting Federation also congratulated the newly elected officials and expressed confidence that the new administration would contribute significantly to the development of weightlifting across the region in the coming years.

The Minnesota Vikings will showcase a few position battles at training camp in late July, but none is higher profile than the quarterback competition between the incumbent, J.J. McCarthy, and the newcomer, Kyler Murray. And as of May, there’s a frontrunner to prevail — pretty heavily, actually: Murray.

Minnesota’s quarterback room suddenly has a betting favorite before training camp begins.

Carson Wentz will be there, too, but he’s realistically in line for the QB3 job.

Murray Enters Summer with a Clear Edge

McCarthy faces an uphill battle to seize the job he had last year.

Vegas Points to Murray as Overwhelming Frontrunner

Sportsbooks generally have odds for everything, and the Vikings’ quarterback race is no different. VikingzFanPage, an account with nearly 30,000 followers on Twitter (X), tweeted Wednesday, “Kyler Murray is the overwhelming favorite (-1000) to start week 1 for the Vikings, per FanDuel. J.J. McCarthy (+600) and Carson Wentz (+7000) trail him.”

As a point of reference, a -1,000 moneyline is close to the equivalent of an NFL kicker connecting on a 25-yard field goal. That’s how automatic Murray is for oddsmakers later this summer.

Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud

The telling part about the gambling odds? This is what most reasonable Vikings expect as the ultimate outcome.

When the Cardinals ousted Murray in March, it was just kind of a generalized assumption that he would land with the Vikings. The momentum emerged immediately, and with very little suspense, he signed in Minnesota.. That was that.

While every athlete should have to earn his spot on the roster, all signs point to Murray, pretty damn strongly indicating he was signing with the Vikings as the QB1. The team either insinuated it, or Murray is confident enough to know that he’s not losing a camp battle to McCarthy.

SI.com‘s Thomas Carelli noted on Murray this week, “While his QB1 job has yet to be confirmed, the expectation is that Murray will easily beat out JJ McCarthy, if that even is a competition. It is fair to question how good Murray is. However, he finds himself in the perfect situation. Murray plays indoors for an offensive wizard and quarterback expert in Kevin O’Connell.”

“He has Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings at his disposal. Beyond that, the Vikings roster includes TJ Hockenson at tight end and a solid 1-2 running back duo of Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. Murray is ranked just inside the top-20 quarterbacks as of now. Given the talent surrounding him, the upside is absolutely that of a top-10 fantasy football quarterback, if not even higher.”

Don’t Forget Injuries for Both Men

Why is Minnesota’s quarterback room so deep? Easy — the main three guys have documented and recent injury history.

Murray has missed 26% of all career starts due to injury. Hell, he played just five games in 2025. The speedy passer has two knocks on his resume: he’s not very tall, and he’s not very durable. One must assume that stature contributes to the injury history.

How about McCarthy? Well, he has a wild injury history after having no major ailments in high school or college. A clean bill of health is one thing that made his 2024 draft stock so attractive — McCarthy hardly ever got hurt.

However, he arrived in the Twin Cities and began experiencing a bizarre parade of injuries, including a torn meniscus, high ankle sprain, concussion, and broken hand. To date, McCarthy has been unavailable for about 73% of all Vikings games. Not ideal.

Finally, Wentz played five games for the Vikings last year before going down with a torn labrum. He claims to be fully healed now, but his shoulder failed him last season.

Between the three, the Vikings assume that one quarterback will stay healthy. They can’t all three get hurt and lost for the season, right?

Wentz and Brosmer Lurking

Murray as the sportsbooks’ frontrunner? Check. McCarthy as the probable QB2? Check. That leaves Wentz and second-year passer Max Brosmer as contingency plans.

Wentz played decently in five starts last year, guiding Minnesota to a 2-3 record on his watch. The offense showed more consistency with him under center than with McCarthy.

On Brosmer, he stunk as a rookie. He often played buffoonishly. Still, a quarterback isn’t defined by a couple of games in his rookie season. Like thousands before him, Brosmer still has time to develop as an NFL quarterback, probably a guy with QB2 upside.

The NFL schedule was released on Thursday night; Minnesota is hosting Green Bay in Week 1. It’ll be trial by fire for Murray against Minnesota’s main rival right away.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has explained why he decided against buying Arsenal despite years of interest in the Premier League club.

Dangote, who has supported Arsenal since the 1980s, had been linked with a takeover move for more than 10 years. His interest first became public in 2011 when he considered buying a 15.9 per cent stake in the club before it was eventually sold to American businessman Stan Kroenke.

At the time, Dangote believed the club’s valuation was too expensive and chose to step away from the deal.

Speaking in a recent interview shared by Soccernet, the Nigerian billionaire said his attention was focused on completing his major business projects, including the Lagos refinery, fertiliser plant and petrochemical company.

“I almost bought the club,” Dangote said. “But at that period, I was also handling the refinery, fertiliser and petrochemical projects.”

He explained that he had to choose between investing heavily in Arsenal or continuing to fund his industrial businesses.

“Arsenal was worth about two billion dollars then. I had to decide whether to put my money into the club or continue building my businesses,” he said.

Dangote added that he eventually decided to remain a loyal supporter instead of becoming the club owner.

“I still support Arsenal, watch their games and wear their shirt and scarf whenever they play,” he added.

The billionaire also admitted that he no longer has plans to buy the North London club because of its current value.

“It is better for me to remain a fan and continue growing my business. Today, the club is worth billions and it is no longer worth it for me,” he said.

According to Forbes, Arsenal is now valued at about $3.4 billion, making them the eighth most valuable football club in the world. Stan Kroenke remains the majority owner of the club.