The Minnesota Vikings are concluding their first week of organized team activities as we approach June in the NFL calendar. Training camp is just around the corner — less than two months away — and the rumor mill is already heating up.

This week’s headlines include an intriguing theory about Deebo Samuel, fresh trade discussions regarding Anthony Richardson, and a potential quarterback shift for the Vikings in preparation for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Welcome to the Purple Rumor Mill for May 31st — this is the second edition of the weekend.

Vikings WR and QB Rumors, Some beyond the Summer

Rumor: Deebo Samuel remains a free-agent fit for the Vikings, according to Bleacher Report.

Still available for any team to sign, BR’s Alex Kay wrote about Samuel this week, “The Washington Commanders moved on from Deebo Samuel after a single season, but the 30-year-old wideout should still have something left to offer another team as he gears up for his third NFL act. Samuel can be a dangerous playmaker when he possesses the football.”

“He’s amassed 800 or more yards from scrimmage and scored at least four touchdowns in all six of his healthy seasons — only missing those marks during an injury-shortened 2020 sophomore effort — and averages nearly 11 yards per touch on his career.”

Samuel seemed like a smart Vikings option prior to the Jauan Jennings addition. Then, when Jennings entered the mix, fans assumed he alone was enough to complete the WR room.

Kay continued, “While Samuel wasn’t a great fit in Washington and was limited by the lack of talent under center following Jayden Daniels‘ injury woes, he still managed to score six touchdowns on just 89 touches in 2025. He was a YAC machine — nearly two-thirds of his receiving yardage came after the catch — and he can be relied on to churn respectable gains if he gets the ball in space at his next stop.”

“Any team seeking a versatile weapon who can line up at multiple offensive positions, as well as contribute on special teams, should have interest in Samuel. Potential Landing Spots: Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots.”

It would be pretty wild if the Vikings signed Samuel after Jennings, but it evidently cannot be ruled out.

Rumor: The Vikings could trade for Anthony Richardson.

Analyzing trade scenarios for the league’s most tradeable players, ESPN’s Seth Walder landed on the Vikings as Richardson’s next employer.

He wrote, “Seth Walder’s offer: Colts get: 2027 fifth-round pick. Vikings get: Richardson. Why this deal makes sense: Richardson can come to the Kevin O’Connell school of quarterbacks and learn behind another mobile QB in Kyler Murray, who is on just a one-year contract with Minnesota.”

“Richardson’s deal expires in 2027, too, but his acquisition would give the Vikings more options going forward. Maybe Murray works out great and becomes the long-term starter in Minnesota. Or maybe Murray heads elsewhere and the Vikings see enough growth from Richardson to keep him around.”

The Colts drafted Richardson in 2023, and credible intel claimed Minnesota would’ve been interested had he tumbled down the draftboard.

Walder added, “In this scenario, the Vikings could keep both Richardson and J.J. McCarthy (though that’s a pretty risky backup room) or deal the latter in another trade. For Indianapolis, it can land a little draft capital now in exchange for a third-string quarterback.”

Stephen Holder from the same network added, “The win-win here is Walder’s offer from the Vikings. First, it gives the Colts a fifth-rounder without a pick swap like Solak’s offer from Detroit. And Minnesota’s fifth-rounder will likely come earlier than Green Bay’s fifth-rounder, giving this deal the edge over Fowler’s pitch.”

Like the Samuel theory, this one is a long shot: Minnesota already has Murray, McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer at quarterback.

Rumor: Minnesota is a dark-horse franchise to draft a Round 1 quarterback next April.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid browsed the whole 2027 quarterback class and opined at the article’s conclusion, “What is a sleeper team to watch at quarterback? Minnesota Vikings. They are in the middle of a QB competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy for the starting job, with Carson Wentz behind them as the QB3.”

“If Murray and McCarthy don’t drastically improve from what they put on tape last season, Minnesota could be looking for its next franchise signal-caller as soon as the 2027 draft.”

If the Vikings are forced to use a 1st-Round pick on a quarterback next April, it will feel like the franchise is starting all over again.

Here’s to hoping Murray or McCarthy pan out.

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

The NBA rarely produces playoff series like the 2026 Western Conference Finals. The bout between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder was the first series to feature two teams that won 62 or more games since the 1998 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. We haven’t seen a series hyped to quite the extent that this one was since, at least, the 2018 Western Conference Finals between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.

Well, the series — thanks to an unforgettable opener and dramatic closer — lived up to that hype. Game 1 was one of the greatest playoff games in NBA history, and the series went the full seven. In the end, the Spurs were crowned Western Conference champions with a 111-103 victory in Saturday’s Game 7. They will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals starting on Wednesday.

That’s four days away, and given both the stakes of this matchup and the quality of basketball that was played, we’re not ready to turn the page quite yet. So with this momentous series now in the books, let’s name some winners and losers for perhaps the most anticipated playoff series of the decade.

Winner: Victor Wembanyama

This isn’t supposed to happen. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the championship in his second season, but he had a full college career. Magic Johnson did it as a rookie… but on Abdul-Jabbar’s team. It took LeBron James four years to make the Finals and four more to make it back after he got swept.

But Wembanyama is headed to the Finals in just his third NBA season. In getting there, he took down the two-time reigning NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. More than that, he essentially neutralized his competition. Gilgeous-Alexander got to the basket at only slightly better than half of the rate he did so in the regular season. That forced him to live off of tough, contested mid-range jumpers. He made plenty of them in his 35-point Game 7, but not nearly enough in the rest of the series to move on.

Wembanyama is in rarified air now. He’s claimed the mantle of “best player in the NBA” at such a young age and with so much room left to grow that, if he remains healthy, it’s a title he might hold for another decade or more. His Spurs are favored in the NBA Finals, he plays for a young and asset-rich team, and he’ll have a chance to hold his coronation at Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena. 

Now seems like the perfect moment to truly begin his campaign to unseat James and Michael Jordan as the greatest players of all time. He has a long way to go, but he’s hitting the checkpoints he needs to earlier than either of them did.

Victor Wembanyama’s ‘greatest of all time’ trajectory is officially ahead of schedule after Spurs’ Game 7 win

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Loser: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Look, we can be reasonable here. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was at an enormous disadvantage in this series when Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell got hurt. He was the last high-level shot-creator standing for the Thunder, and Wembanyama taking away the rim as he did forced him into a very uncomfortable position. The series boiled down to him making tough shots off the dribble. He didn’t make enough of them for six games.

But here’s the thing about being a two-time MVP: you’re sometimes expected to do unreasonable things. Gilgeous-Alexander has spent the year getting compared to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Well, players of that caliber have won through adversity. Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t. He won a championship last season that may well have boiled down to injuries suffered by the Nuggets and Pacers before and during their matchups. He has the best roster in the NBA surrounding him, and that probably contributes to why casual fans don’t regard him as highly as his numbers suggest they should.

And the agonizing thing here is that he did those unreasonable things in Game 7. He was genuinely spectacular. It’s hard to ask for much more than 35 points and nine assists on 12-of-21 shooting when you’re getting doubled as frequently as he was. This could have been the game that changed the way he was perceived forever, yet most of his teammates didn’t join him. There’s not much anyone can do when three of their fellow starters score 14 combined points.

It’s not as though his career or prime are over. The Thunder will be back in the mix next year and beyond, and Wembanyama’s ascent means that they’ll probably be underdogs. But this was a chance for Gilgeous-Alexander to shed some labels, to win a championship that frankly would have been more meaningful than the one he already had and legitimately launched him into those exclusive clubs occupied by the other multiple-time MVP winners. As good as he was in Game 7, he just wasn’t at this level for most of the series, and it’s hard not to be somewhat disappointed by that. He may one day push his way through those doors, but he missed a chance to barge into the Pantheon with a victory in Game 7.

Winner: De’Aaron Fox

This series almost went very, very badly for De’Aaron Fox. He missed the first two games with a high ankle sprain, and Dylan Harper laid out the case that he should be the starting point guard next year with a huge Game 1. Fox returned for Game 3, but wasn’t especially effective. The Thunder barely guarded him from deep, and his struggles culminated with a 5-of-24 shooting stretch in Games 5 and 6. With a max contract kicking in this offseason and Harper potentially rendering him obsolete, Game 7 was undoubtedly the biggest game of Fox’s career.

The numbers weren’t gaudy, but every single one of them counted. It’d be hard to score 15 bigger points than Fox did against the Thunder on Saturday. Seemingly every one of them came to slow a Thunder run or accentuate one of San Antonio’s. His 3s started going in. And the one thing he’s done well really all series? He basically never turns the ball over. One of the stories of the games Fox missed early on were the 20 turnovers Stephon Castle committed. Oklahoma City lives off of the transition opportunities those live-ball turnovers create, but putting Fox back in the mix helped minimize them.

All of the long-term questions here still linger. Harper probably does have to be the long-term starter. Fox probably is overpaid. It might not be possible to play the three-man combination of Fox, Harper and Castle together too much because of their shooting deficiencies. But the trade for Fox and the contract that followed justified itself in Game 7. He was the difference between the Spurs reaching the NBA Finals and going home. They can address everything else later. For now, they are four wins away from a championship because he is on their team.

Loser: Chet Holmgren

Most of the time, the Thunder are perfectly happy to have a passive Chet Holmgren on offense. He’s among the NBA’s best defenders and his presence usually spaces the floor. When you have the best roster in the NBA, you can get away without much more out of him.

Well, the Thunder couldn’t get away with less in this series. Without Williams and Mitchell, they needed some measure of shot-creation out of Holmgren. He didn’t offer much of it. Like Gilgeous-Alexander, he was limited at the basket by Wembanyama’s presence. But he just doesn’t have a quick enough trigger to really scare the Spurs from deep, either. After launching four 3s in Game 1, he took only seven in the next six games. He was, by and large, invisible offensively for large stretches of this series.

This culminated with one of the worst Game 7s you’ll ever see. Holmgren played 33 minutes and attempted two shots. Two. For reference, do you remember the infamous Ben Simmons Game 7 against the Hawks in which he passed up an open dunk? He took four shots in that game. Holmgren had as many turnovers as he had field goal attempts. He couldn’t hold onto passes or rebounds. He was a mess.

Years ago, Holmgren vs. Wembanyama was treated as one of the great impending rivalries in basketball. There’s not a rivalry right now. Wembanyama is the best player in the world. Holmgren is an enormously valuable overall player who shares a similar physical profile but couldn’t adjust to the adverse circumstances this series presented. Like Gilgeous-Alexander, he’ll probably have more chances with a healthier overall roster, but we got a glimpse of what Holmgren looks like on something resembling a normal playoff-caliber team in this series, and what we saw was pretty underwhelming.

Loser: Lu Dort

We have to discuss another OKC starter in a negative light. It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that Lu Dort might’ve been playing for his job in this series. The Thunder are far above the second apron for next season, and Dort’s $18.2 million team option is one of their easiest paths to saving money. The Thunder have one of the deepest group of 3-and-D wings in the entire NBA. Even at his best, he might have been a luxury here.

What’s next for Thunder? OKC faces a stark financial reality, and only SGA is truly indispensable

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Well, he wasn’t at his best in this series. His offense has always been up and down, but it became a real problem against the Spurs. He shot just 20% on 3s, and in the first six games of the series, Oklahoma City’s offense was more than eight points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor. Part of the reason the Spurs kept jumping out to those huge first-quarter leads was the Thunder’s continued insistence on starting Dort. It was as if the game started for Oklahoma City four or five minutes into the first quarter when the team finally pulled him out.

Dort has specific functions in Oklahoma City. He’s great on the ball. He’s burlier than Cason Wallace and therefore better suited to taking on certain matchups. But Wallace and Alex Caruso are both better players than he is, and the continued decision to start Dort over Wallace was one of the reasons the Thunder lost this series. If they have to choose between the three of them as financial fits moving forward, Dort is the odd man out. 

Winner: New York Knicks

Look, the Knicks were going to be underdogs against either of these teams (they are +172 underdogs against the Spurs on FanDuel). There’s an argument to be made that they would have preferred the Thunder purely because of the injuries they’ve endured. But the Knicks haven’t beaten the Thunder since November of 2022. Conveniently enough, they faced off in early March under eerily similar circumstances as they may have in the Finals: no Mitchell Robinson for the Knicks, no Jalen Williams or Ajay Mitchell for the Thunder. Oklahoma City won the game at Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson shot 5 of 18.

The Knicks faced the Spurs three times this season and beat them twice, including in the NBA Cup final. Now, Wembanyama didn’t play his typical minutes load in that game, but it’s worth noting here that across those three games, the Knicks won the Wembanyama minutes by 16 total points.

Potentially missing Robinson or having a limited version of him stings against a star opposing center, but OG Anunoby is about as well-equipped to guard San Antonio’s martian as anyone in the NBA. Oklahoma City’s deep group of perimeter defenders likely would’ve been harder for Brunson to deal with than just Stephon Castle. The Spurs have more slightly weak links for him to seek out. Avoiding Isaiah Hartenstein‘s screens will probably help the typically contact-averse Mikal Bridges defensively. The Thunder have been there before. The Spurs haven’t. 

On balance, San Antonio is just a slightly more favorable matchup for New York. Really, though, New York’s victory came before the game even began. This is now the third consecutive series in which they will face an opponent coming off of a seven-game series… and the second in which they were coming off of a sweep. Their rest advantage cannot be overstated. The longer the Finals go, the better for them. If they pull off the Finals upset, they’ll be sure to send the Thunder a card for pushing the Spurs this hard.

Evans took full advantage of being the first driver on the road to set himself up for victory on Friday – winning stage two by 7.5 seconds.

Posting the fastest time on stage three, and again winning the afternoon’s second run through Isegami’s Tunnel, meant the Welshman led by 15.7 seconds at the end of the first day.

Toyota team-mate Oliver Solberg and English co-driver Elliott Edmondson cut that by more than five seconds with two stage wins on Saturday morning, but the 24-year old Swede crashed out of contention on stage 12 – earning a rebuke from veteran Ogier.

“Unfortunately it’s not really a surprise, but it’s a shame,” said the 42-year-old Frenchman.

“I’ve seen the risk he’s taking is too high.”

Solberg, who dismissed Ogier’s comments, rejoined to claim the maximum 10 Sunday bonus points and is third in the championship, 49 points behind Evans.

After three crashes this year in Tarmac events he is now looking forward to the remaining seven rallies on gravel.

“Gravel and so on has been very strong,” said Solberg.

“It’s only gravel from now, so I still believe everything is possible.”

Failing to win any of seven consecutive gravel rallies between May and September last season ultimately cost Evans and co-driver Scott Martin the title – as they finished championship runners-up for a fifth time in six years.

Running first as championship leader can be a disadvantage in gravel rallies, as the opening car ‘sweeps’ the road, leaving a cleaner run for those following.

Evans is mindful of the pitfalls ahead, admitting dry gravel rallies are “what we identified as perhaps the weakest point of our championships in the past”.

A stern examination of those skills, and a threat to his WRC lead, comes next – with round eight heading to Greece for the Acropolis Rally from 25-28 June.

Soccer Aid is back with England battling the World XI for bragging rights in the name of charity with funds raised for Unicef.

Last year’s spectacular at Old Trafford raised over £15m for Unicef to help children around the world.

Going strong since its inception in 2006, this year’s game is set to become the 15th edition with more than £120m raised in that time.

The World XI claimed the win last year at Old Trafford, mostly thanks to Carlos Tevez and the former Man United and Man City star’s four goals, taking the overall score across the series to 8-6 in the World XI’s favour.

And ahead of the serious football at the 2026 World Cup, fans will get to enjoy some legendary footballers rolling back the years, plus other celebrities ready to seize a famous moment on the pitch at West Ham’s London Stadium.

When and where is Soccer Aid 2026?

Soccer Aid is on Sunday, May 31, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30pm BST at West Ham’s London Stadium.

How can I watch Soccer Aid 2026?

Soccer Aid will be shown on ITV 1, and coverage begins at 5pm BST, fans can also live stream it for free on ITVX. While Independent Sport will bring you a live blog, including all the action, updates and analysis.

Who’s playing at Soccer Aid 2026?

England

Managers

Robbie Williams (England)

Harry Redknapp (England)

David Seaman (England)

Players

Wayne Rooney – Former Manchester United and England player

Jermain Defoe – Former Tottenham and England player

Jill Scott – Former Manchester City and England player

Jack Wilshere – Former Arsenal and England player

Shaun Wright-Phillips – Former Manchester City and England player

Tom Hiddleston – Actor

Paddy McGuinness – Comedian and presenter

Owen Cooper – Actor

Danny Dyer – Actor and TV personality

Damson Idris – Actor

Theo Walcott – Former Arsenal and England player

Angry Ginge – YouTuber

Chloe Burrows – Former Love Island star and radio host

Jack Whitehall – Comedian

Jordan North – Radio presenter and podcaster

Sam Thompson – Reality TV star and podcaster

Olly Murs – Singer

Steph Houghton – Former Manchester City, Arsenal and England player

Toni Duggan – Former Manchester City and England player

Joe Marler – Former England rugby player

Joe Hart – Former Manchester City and England goalkeeper

GK Barry – Influencer and podcaster

Alex Brooker – Comedian

World XI

Managers

Usain Bolt (World XI)

Clarence Seedorf (World XI)

Players

Jordi Alba – Former Barcelona and Spain player

Leonardo Bonucci – Former Juventus and Italy player

Lukas Podolski – Former Arsenal and Germany player

Michael Essien – Former Chelsea and Ghana player

Dimitar Berbatov – Former Manchester United and Bulgarian player

Nemanja Matic – Former Manchester United and Serbia player

Ali Krieger – Two-time World Cup winner with United States’ Women

Behzinga – YouTuber and member of the Sidemen

Dermot Kennedy – Singer

Edwin van der Sar – Former Manchester United and Netherlands player

Maisie Adam – Comedian

Jen Beattie – Former Arsenal and Scotland player

Nicky Byrne – Singer (Westlife)

Nitro – Former Team GB sprinter and Gladiators star

Chris O’Dowd – Actor and comedian

Simon Neil – Singer (Biffy Clyro)

Richard Gadd – Actor and comedian

Nikolaj Coster Waldau – Actor

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey – Former Commonwealth athlete and Gladiators star

Molly McCann – Former UFC fighter

TBJZL – YouTuber and member of the Sidemen.

Frankie Dettori – Former champion horse racing jockey

NEW DELHI: With his powerful strokeplay, ability to thrive under pressure, and knack for taking apart some of the world’s best bowlers, young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned praise from all quarters, including legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar described Sooryavanshi as “truly special” and said he would love to see the youngster play Test cricket, but cautioned against rushing him into the format.

Sooryavanshi enjoyed a remarkable IPL 2026 season for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.31. His tally of 72 sixes not only underlined his dominance but also shattered the record for the most sixes in a single IPL season, surpassing Chris Gayle’s previous mark of 59.

“Everyone is talking about Sooryavanshi, and I watched him bat – it was magnificent,” Tendulkar, who was named the best men’s international batter of the 21st century at Cricinfo Honours in Mumbai, said. “I mean he is something truly special. And not just the ability to hit the ball, but what also fascinated me was the wrist work that he has.

“To be able to play in all directions of the ground, you need good wrist work. And he is not slogging the ball. He is just picking the line and length earlier than the rest of the guys and he is able to clear the rope comfortably.”

There has been considerable discussion around a possible India call-up for Sooryavanshi. Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara had also backed the idea after the team’s defeat to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, saying the 15-year-old was “more than ready” for international cricket.

Tendulkar, meanwhile, said he would like to see Sooryavanshi play Test cricket.

“I would tell him to just be himself,” he said. “There is always a first time. In Test cricket, along with age, he will learn how to deal with various challenges. [It’s about] having a solution-oriented mindset. Problems are always going to be there. Problems will be there till the last day of your career, till the last ball you face. The bowler is asking a question every ball. Now, what solutions do you find? He’s kind of a player who looks very confident, very, very sure of what he wants to do and I would not want to play around with his natural instincts.

“The way he sees the ball and the way he responds to that, if that signal is interrupted – if you put a lot of hurdles in between that by telling him multiple things – that’s where the real challenge would be. I would give him the freedom to go out and bat the way he does. Along with time, he will learn to deal with other challenges of the game.

“Not just me, but everyone would want to see him [playing Test cricket] at some stage. I don’t know when that is going to happen. But an exciting talent needs encouragement. And if he’s doing well, then we need to encourage and support him and enjoy above all and not put pressure on him constantly, you know, he should play this, or he shouldn’t be doing this, or he should be picked in whatever squad. Leave that to the guys [selectors] who are responsible for that.”

Sooryavanshi has also been included in India’s 30-member probables list for the upcoming Asian Games.

The men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games is scheduled to be held from September 24 to October 3.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) said that its immediate priority is to keep the national team programs going after it got suspended by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

“The Federation acknowledges receipt of the FIVB communication dated 29 May 2026 and is carefully reviewing its implications with the appropriate advisers and stakeholders,” the PNVF wrote.

“PNVF’s immediate priority is to serve the Filipino athlete, preserve the country’s participation in international volleyball, and ensure continuity for the sport.”

READ: PNVF suspended by FIVB over governance issues, alleged violations

The FIVB suspended the Philippine National Volleyball Federation with immediate effect, citing “serious governance concerns and multiple purported violations.”

The FIVB Board of Administration made the shocking announcement Friday night, saying it was obliged to suspend the PNVF in accordance with Article 13.1.1 of the FIVB Disciplinary Regulations.

During the suspension, a committee will be tasked to oversee PNVF affairs. A path for the local federation’s reinstatement has also been established, according to the FIVB.

The Asian Volleyball Confederation Board of Administration also reaffirmed its full confidence in its president Tats Suzara and its “commitment to institutional stability and good governance.”

The Philippine Sports Commission also reportedly suspended its funding support and engagements involving the PNVF and PNVF-adjacent activities due to a breach of “contractual obligations” related to the recent Beach Pro Tour Nuvali and “continuing operational misalignment with the LOC and PSC in the handling and execution of events.”

READ: Alas Pilipinas withdrawals, De Brito case rock PNVF

The Philippine Olympic Committee is also set to suspend the PNVF in its general assembly.

“The Federation respects the important roles of FIVB, PSC, POC, and all relevant institutions in Philippine and international sport, and is prepared to engage constructively through the proper channels,” the PNVF said. “Given the seriousness of the matter, PNVF will seek a full understanding of the issues raised, the process moving forward, and the operational implications for Philippine volleyball.”

Alas Pilipinas continues to train ahead of the AVC Women’s Cup in Candon from June 6 to 14.

FIVB vows to continue supporting Philippine volleyball with several events scheduled, including the hosting of Volleyball Nations League (VNL) women’s division at Philsports Arena.

State of Origin returns on Wednesday night with a new-look rivalry set to unfold at Accor Stadium, where New South Wales and Queensland launch the 2026 series. With both sides unveiling several debutants and key stars missing, the opener shapes as one of the more unpredictable clashes in recent memory. The Blues enter as favourites after winning last year’s series opener, while the Maroons will be eager to respond after suffering defeat in Sydney the last time the venue hosted a decider.

When: Wednesday May 27, 2026 at 8:05 pm

Where: Accor Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

New South Wales Blues vs Queensland Maroons Odds

New South Wales Blues vs Queensland Maroons Preview

The 2026 State of Origin series gets underway at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night, with New South Wales out to continue its recent dominance after winning last year’s opener and entering the series as warm favourite. Ironically, home-ground advantage has meant little in recent campaigns, with neither side managing to win at its designated home venue since the Blues’ victory in Origin III, 2023.

There will be a fresh look to both line-ups following recent eligibility changes. Laurie Daley has named six potential debutants for New South Wales, including Tolutau Koula, Addin Fonua-Blake and Ethan Strange, who was promoted into the starting side after Mitch Moses suffered a hamstring injury. Queensland coach Billy Slater has also turned to new faces, with Jojo Fifita, Sam Walker and Max Plath all set to start, while Briton Nikora looms as an impact option off the bench. Reece Walsh headlines the Maroons’ omissions as Queensland looks to rebound from last year’s 18-6 opening-game defeat.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did all he could on Saturday night, but in the end it was too much to overcome that three of OKC’s core guys didn’t play in Game 7. Jalen Williams was out with a hamstring. Ajay Mitchell had a strained calf. And Chet Holmgren caught a case of the Ben Simmons bug. 

Yeah, Holmgren was technically on the floor for 33 minutes. He did about as much in that time as Williams and Mitchell did from the bench in street clothes, scoring four points on two shot attempts as the Thunder failed in their mission to become the first repeat NBA champion since the 2018 Warriors. 

It’s the Spurs who are marching on to the Finals to face the Knicks after a 111-103 victory in one of the most poised performances you will ever see from a team in a Game 7. It came on the road, against the defending champions, with three players age 22 or younger leading the charge. 

Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper were awesome in Game 6 to keep San Antonio’s season alive, and they were awesome again in Game 7 with a combined 48 points, 20 boards and 11 assists. Even those numbers don’t do justice to the absolutely enormous plays each of them made at the most critical points of this game. Huge bucket after huge bucket. Harper and Castle combined for seven offensive rebounds. 

This is what it looks like to step up in a big-time moment. Not a single player on the Spurs backed away from the heat of this game for even a single second. Holmgren, on the other hand, looked terrified. You don’t usually want to make that sort of judgment on a guy from afar, but this was too obvious to ignore. The guy wanted nothing to do with Wembanyama. Nothing to do with any pass that came his way. Nothing to do with the moment. 

I cannot stress the two shot attempts enough. This was not a case of Holmgren trying to make plays and just running into Wembanyama at every turn, or driving and kicking, or doing anything productive with the ball. He couldn’t get rid of the thing quickly enough. 

This is what it looks like to catch a pass, take a look at the guy in front of you, and simply say “no thanks” and hot-potato it right back where it came from, only to basically be forced to try something when it comes back to you and not even being able to stay on your feet. 

Meanwhile, this is what Wemby was busy doing to Holmgren. 

Let’s also be clear: Wemby wasn’t even Holmgren’s primary defender in this series. The Spurs put wings on him like Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie as Wemby roamed as a paint protector (he basically met Chet at every turn as a help defender), and yet he still couldn’t find a way to exploit the size mismatches as a seven-footer in his own right. 

To even say Holmgren was passive on Saturday night would be giving him too much credit. He was basically invisible. Of the four shots he took, zero came in the second half. Zero! That is inexcusable for a guy who will start a five-year, $239 million contract next season. A guy who was voted Third Team All-NBA this season. 

It’s exponentially worse that Holmgren pulled this disappearing act in a game in which the Thunder were, as mentioned, already without Williams and Mitchell. In a game like this, you need more than one guy who can create his own offense, and with those two guys out, SGA needed Holmgren more than ever. It makes you consider this answer from SGA after OKC’s Game 4 loss in which Holmgren tallied just three buckets. 

That is what you call saying everything without saying anything. So let’s just say it for SGA: Holmgren needed to get himself going. It’s cool that OKC coach Mark Daigneault did the honorable thing and tried to take the blame for Holmgren’s no-show in Game 7, but nobody’s buying that line. It bears repeating, this is a max-contract and All-NBA player. Holmgren averaged 10.7 PPG in this series, down from 17 in the regular season. He was held to single digits twice. If he wasn’t going to do anything offensively, he couldn’t even manage to pull more than four rebounds in Game 7? 

Western Conference Finals winners and losers: De’Aaron Fox steps up for Spurs, two Thunder starters disappear

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Wembanyama is going to outplay pretty much every opponent on most nights, but OKC needed Holmgren to at least pull his weight in this series. The fact that the Thunder made it to Game 7 despite the Mitchell and Williams injuries and Holmgren laying multiple eggs is a credit to their depth, defense, toughness and the ability of SGA to create offense when he’s not shooting efficiently himself. 

Alex Caruso gave SGA all the help he could muster. Jared McCain went out firing. Cason Wallace was a stud. Lu Dort, who was terrible all series, is going to get a pass because more is expected of Holmgren, and it should be. If Holmgren has an even halfway decent game on Saturday night the Thunder are probably going to the Finals. 

Holmgren is not going to become the next Ben Simmons. He was sensational all season and great through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Wemby just scares him to death. It wasn’t just this game or this series, either. In four regular-season matchups, he averaged just 10.7 PPG on 38% shooting against the Spurs. 

Holmgren takes this matchup personally. Everyone knows that. Wemby treats him like a little brother. He came into this series wanting to prove himself against Wembanyama. But once he lost confidence, which was almost immediately, he was done in this series. 

It will be a problem moving forward, because no matter how good Holmgren is against everyone else, Oklahoma City probably isn’t going back to another Finals without going through Wemby, in at least some capacity, for the next decade plus.

That said, the Simmons comp is striking. We all remember the meltdown Game 7 against the Hawks in 2021 in which Simmons was palpably terrified of even having the ball in his hands for fear of being fouled and having to shoot free throws. He ultimately passed up a wide-open dunk attempt for the defining lowlight of his career. In that game, Simmons took four shots. Holmgren taking two in this one felt eerily similar. 

It wasn’t the only reason the Thunder lost, but it was the biggest one. No question about it. Before the series started, I wondered whether Holmgren was up for this battle when I wrote the following:

Holmgren struggled mightily against Wembanyama and the Spurs this season. It was a big reason why San Antonio took four of the five matchups, which I don’t put too much weight on, but it can’t be discounted entering this series. The Spurs know they can beat the Thunder. That’s half the battle. 

OKC’s equation changes quite a bit if Holmgren emerges as a legit No. 2 scorer to take some weight off of Mitchell and Williams having to do that. He’s averaging 18.6 PPG on 60/39/88 shooting splits so far, but it’s not the Lakers, against whom he averaged 20 PPG with a big 24-and-12 showing in the clincher, or the Suns on the other side. It’s Wembanyama. Whole different ballgame. 

Holmgren takes this Wemby matchup personal. Everyone knows that. He tried to do too much in their regular-season matchups, hunting his own buckets outside the offense. It’s a fine line, because has to be aggressive. OKC probably can’t win if he isn’t. Especially if Williams’ hamstring issues pop back up. If Holmgren gets badly outplayed by Wemby, OKC will have a pretty steep hill to climb. 

Indeed, Holmgren was badly outplayed by Wembanyama. And in the end, the hill was too steep to climb. 

A heartbroken but defiant Vinesh Phogat launched a stinging attack on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) after failing to qualify for the Asian Games 2026, alleging that sections within the federation wanted her ‘to die’ while vowing to continue her fight against all odds. The former World Championships medallist saw her Asian Games hopes come crashing down after a 4-6 defeat to Meenakshi Goyat in the women’s 53kg semi-finals at the selection trials held here at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Saturday.

Moments after her defeat, the 31-year-old did not hide her frustration with the federation.

“WFI officials were cheering when I lost. Let them celebrate for now. I’m incredibly stubborn and driven, and setbacks only fuel my determination. I’ll make a comeback, and when I do, I’ll silence every doubter with my performance. Right now, the federation wants me to die quickly — that’s what they think,” Phogat told IANS after failing to qualify for the Asian Games.

Vinesh’s comments highlighted the ongoing tensions between her and the federation. Originally limited to the 50kg category, she was later permitted to compete in the 53kg trials after intervention by the Supreme Court and internal discussions within the WFI. Although she did not qualify, she clearly stated that she has no intention of giving up.

Vinesh’s run at the trials started strongly. After returning to competitive wrestling following a long break, she beat Jyoti 7-1 in her first match and then narrowly defeated Nishu 7-6 in a tense quarter-final, securing a spot in the semi-finals. With an Asian Games spot within reach, she entered the last-four match against Meenakshi Goyat full of momentum. However, Meenakshi remained resilient in a tight contest, winning 6-4 and ending Vinesh’s competition.

This defeat ends Vinesh’s attempt at a comeback and her opportunity to qualify for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, later this year. The loss wrapped up a tense and emotional 48 hours for the 31-year-old, who was only able to compete after interventions by the Supreme Court and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

Vinesh participated in the trials amid significant uncertainty about her involvement. The WFI initially restricted her to the 50kg category, a rule she strongly contested. After discussions within the federation and steps taken by WFI president Sanjay Singh, the decision was changed on Saturday morning to allow her to compete in her preferred 53kg division.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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The narrative for the Oklahoma City Thunder was clear as they entered Game 7: Someone needed to step up with both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out for the winner-take-all contest.

That someone could easily have been Chet Holmgren. Should have been, even. The 7-foot-1 big man was a third-team All-NBA selection and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored more points for OKC this season.

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It is hard to emphasize enough just how badly that idea worked out.

A potential duel with Victor Wembanyama might as well have been a shadow-boxing session, as Holmgren was a non-factor in the game that decided the Thunder’s season. He finished with 4 points on 1-of-2 shooting (two shots!) with 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks and 2 turnovers.

He had his moments on defense, but OKC needed far more than a defensively inclined big man in Game 7. What’s more, both of those shots came in the Thunder’s first four possessions. He made a step-back jumper after deciding against challenging Wembanyama in the paint. He missed a float with Wembanyama waiting for him at the basket.

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And then he didn’t take a shot for the rest of the game.

That’s not to say he didn’t get the ball. He just avoided doing anything with it while Wembanyama was looming. And the few times he did try to something, like on an iso with his team down five points in the fourth quarter, the results were… not star-level.

Maybe it’s unfair to expect Holmgren to do something he hasn’t all season. He is a shooter and finisher on offense, not a creator. With Williams and Mitchell out, OKC’s biggest problem in Game 7 was an offense that didn’t know what to do when Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t have the ball. Holmgren has never been a ballhandler and this wasn’t exactly the best environment to give it a try.

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However, we need to remember two things.

One, this is the player who has been frequently presented as a foil to Wembanyama, a physical freak approaching the absurdity of a 7-foot-4 Frenchman with guard handles. They are supposed to be rivals, and one of them decided it wasn’t even worth trying to go toe-to-toe in the biggest game of the season.

Two, Holmgren signed a five-year, $239 million max extension last year that goes into effect next season. If he can’t be something, anything, for the Thunder against the Wembanyama-era Spurs, there might be some re-evaluating to do in Oklahoma City.

Trade speculation was running rampant on social media before the game even ended. It could be a long offseason for the Thunder, which is suddenly facing the idea of a younger team that could blot out its future, much like OKC did to the West’s other contenders last year.

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No single player should have his future judged off just one game (though this wasn’t a great series overall for Holmgren before Saturday, either). It’s simply a sign of how catastrophic Saturday was that a contender trading a 24-year-old All-NBA defensive anchor is even a conversation.