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What’s next for Thunder? OKC faces stark financial reality after Spurs loss
Every champion feels like a budding dynasty in the moment, yet we’re about to crown our eighth different champion in eight years after the Oklahoma City Thunder dropped Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at home to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night.
The collective bargaining agreement eventually comes for everyone, and the Thunder are about to experience the same. The 2023 Denver Nuggets lost key reserves Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, and then Kentavious Caldwell-Pope a year later. The 2024 Boston Celtics kept their roster together for another year, but traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis while losing Al Horford and Luke Kornet to free agency for the sake of avoiding the second apron.
The 2025 Thunder were as well-positioned to keep their team together as any recent champion has been. That was the benefit of having two All-Stars in Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams on rookie deals. But the bill always comes due. It’s what made this year’s loss to the Spurs so devastating. This was Oklahoma City’s last cheap season.
The Thunder had the NBA‘s 19th-highest payroll in their championship season, according to Spotrac. They ranked 13th this season. But next year? At this moment, the Thunder are set to spend around $28 million more than any other team… without including their draft picks. Things only get harder for the 2027-28 campaign, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s supermax extension kicks in, along with a possible rookie extension for Cason Wallace.
The Thunder have spent years preparing for this moment. They’re about as well-insulated against the effects of the aprons as any team reasonably could be. But decision time has officially arrived. Oklahoma City is no longer positioned to keep everyone. So let’s look at their finances and attempt to figure out where the cuts are coming.
So… how bad is it?
When you include their two first-round draft picks, No. 12 and No. 17, the Thunder are projected to be $39 million above the second apron for next season. Now, this raises our first substantial question: is the second apron an unofficial hard cap for the Thunder?
It doesn’t have to be. Most of the second apron’s restrictions relate to adding players externally. Well, the Thunder probably don’t think they need to add any big-name players externally. They’ve won 132 regular-season games over the past two years. They have a championship-caliber roster already.
Going above the second apron freezes draft picks, but draft pick consequences are mostly irrelevant to the Thunder. They’ve accumulated such a draft surplus and have so many paths to adding more picks in the future that frozen picks, or even picks moved to the end of the first round (a consequence for spending three years out of five over the second apron), just won’t hurt them that badly.
Nonetheless, I’d expect the Thunder to treat the second apron as a hard cap for this season because of what’s coming a few years down the line. The current collective bargaining agreement has an opt-out clause after the 2028-29 season. The NBA is certainly operating as though a lot is going to change after that, given that it included a 2029 sunset provision in its reformed draft lottery. Next year will be Oklahoma City’s first year of this era paying the luxury tax. You get three tax years before the now extremely punitive repeater tax kicks in.
So let’s reverse engineer this: you get two second apron seasons before the third pushes a future first-round pick to No. 30, and you get three tax seasons before the fourth introduces the repeater tax. There are three years left before the CBA presumably changes. It would therefore make sense for the Thunder to stay below those thresholds and hope the next CBA changes in ways that are more favorable to them than the last one. That’s probably why they ducked the luxury tax this season. They wanted to delay the repeater clock, and next year, they’ll try to delay the frozen pick clock as well. They’ll have plenty of second apron years to come. Next year doesn’t have to be one of them.
Which players are on the chopping block?
Here’s our second major question: who’s replaceable? There are three very obvious answers here:
- Lu Dort has an $18.2 million team option and is a 3-and-D wing on a roster with an endless supply of 3-and-D wings. He was mostly bad in the Western Conference Finals, and while his on-ball defense remains a strength, his offense has become a real weakness. You could argue that just removing him is a net positive. Wallace and Ajay Mitchell are better than him. They were underutilized on the bench, but Dort’s status as an elder statesman kept him in the starting lineup. If the Thunder can get something for Dort? Great. But there aren’t many teams positioned to take on his contract since he’s making more than the mid-level exception, and Oklahoma City’s preference is probably to keep him away from the Lakers, who would have the cap space to sign him outright if that option is declined. The last thing they’d want would be for Dort to defend Gilgeous-Alexander in a playoff series next year, especially after helping Dallas get Daniel Gafford in 2024 came back to bite them in the playoffs. That means the other cap space teams (Bulls, Nets) and the big trade exception teams (Celtics, Mavericks, Grizzlies) probably get the first crack.
- Jared McCain, making only $4.4 million with two years left on his rookie deal, may well have been acquired specifically to replace Isaiah Joe as the “designated shooter” in their rotation. Joe is set to make $11.3 million next season, but McCain played far more than Joe did in the playoffs. The Thunder wouldn’t have any trouble trading Joe into someone’s mid-level exception. He has a very affordable team option for the 2027-28 season as well.
- Aaron Wiggins is on another team-friendly contract. He’s making $9.2 million and has two more cheap years after that. He’s been buried in Oklahoma City, but he’s certainly a rotation-caliber player and possibly even a starter on another team. He didn’t factor meaningfully into Oklahoma City’s playoff rotation, and besides, the Thunder need to clear someone notable out of their perimeter rotation to accommodate former No. 12 pick Nikola Topić, who missed his rookie season with a torn ACL and most of his sophomore season recovering from testicular cancer. The Thunder need to see what they have with him.
Those are the easy ones. Merely removing those three salaries would leave the Thunder with 14 roster spots filled, with total obligations slightly below the second apron. That doesn’t mean we’re stopping here, though. Oklahoma City is likely to want to find more savings, both for long-term planning and to leave itself a bit of flexibility for moves during the season or to pursue a possible free agent or two. There are three more situations that should be monitored here:
- Isaiah Hartenstein has a $28.5 million team option. The Thunder have Jaylin Williams as a reserve center, and they drafted Thomas Sorber at No. 15 last year to be a long-term front-court project. Nonetheless, Hartenstein is unquestionably irreplaceable in the current construction of the team. The Thunder simply do not get offensive rebounds when he’s not on the floor. He’s among the NBA leaders in screen assists, a critical stat for springing Gilgeous-Alexander as a driver. His physicality was essential against Victor Wembanyama, and his parabolic flip shot is one of the very few shots in basketball that truly vexes Wembanyama as a rim-protector. Nobody else has a shot with such a high arc. Oklahoma City cannot let him go. He’s badly needed for next year’s championship pursuit. So odds are, the Thunder will work with Hartenstein on a long-term extension that will probably lower his salary for next season by a bit, but secure him for multiple seasons.
- Kenrich Williams has a $7.2 million team option. He doesn’t play much. That’s not a matter of quality. He’d play more on most other teams. But in Oklahoma City, he’s a beloved locker room figure. He’s another candidate to have his option declined only to re-sign for multiple years at a slightly lower figure. Locker room figures are eventually going to become an unaffordable luxury here, but for now, they’ll try to keep Williams in the fold.
- In a perfect world, the Thunder would probably prefer not to make both the No. 12 and No. 17 picks. They simply won’t have minutes for multiple rookies, and they’ve already had to purge several players they made meaningful investments in, like Tre Mann and Ousmane Dieng, purely because of a lack of minutes and money to spend on them. The Thunder also quietly don’t have nearly the pick surplus they once did. They have two incoming top-five protected picks coming from Denver, along with first-round swaps with the Clippers in 2027 and the Mavericks in 2028. After that? It’s only their own picks, which will probably be bad. They’d probably love to turn one or both of this year’s picks into selections in the 2029 or 2030 draft. Maintaining liquidity will be important for the Thunder if they ever want to make an aggressive pursuit of a specific draft prospect down the line.
This is likely what’s on the table. I’d imagine Dort, Joe and Wiggins — or at least two of the three — are unlikely to return. Hartenstein should be back on a new deal, and the Thunder probably won’t make both of their first-round picks. But those are the obvious concepts. What if we thought a little bigger…
Could the Thunder take a more extreme step?
Ducking the second apron next season is, as we covered, achievable. It’s off the table entirely for the 2027-28 campaign. At that point, the trio of Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren alone will be making roughly $150 million. Factor in the $21 million going to Alex Caruso, whatever they re-sign Hartenstein for this summer or next and the rookie extension Wallace is going to get (Stephen Noh’s salary model valued Wallace at around $28 million this season, so price an extension accordingly) and those six players alone might get the Thunder to the second apron. And on top of that, Mitchell has a team option for the 2027-28 season that the Thunder might like to use to get him to re-sign at a favorable, long-term number.
At a certain point, this just isn’t tenable. That’s not even an apron matter anymore. Eventually, most owners would just draw a budget when it comes to cash spending. That’s especially true in small-market Oklahoma City. The Thunder have spent far more generously on players than most teams in a market like that would. Again, they’ve spent years preparing for this, but there’s a limit somewhere. At some point, maybe in a year, maybe two, the Thunder are probably going to have to move someone from their core, not just their rotational surplus.
Caruso and Hartenstein, as the oldest of those core players, are the easy targets. They’re both still essential, and were probably the second- and third-most valuable players on the team in the Western Conference Finals. Sustainability is great, but Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, is in his prime right now. The Thunder aren’t going to take a step back lightly, and besides, those are the players that would return the least if traded. If the Thunder want to really replenish their draft stock, they have to consider more extreme alternatives.
There’s been plenty of speculation about the Thunder making a big move up this year’s draft board, with Duke’s Cameron Boozer (No. 3 on CBS Sports’ Big Board) most frequently cited as the target. They’re not getting him with a godfather pick offer. The Wizards, Jazz and Grizzlies, picking in the top three, all have pick surpluses as it is. They don’t need six first-round picks in the future. They need a franchise player, and they’re probably not going to trade out of the top of this loaded draft without getting one. The Bulls are more of a blank slate at No. 4, but Boozer will likely be gone by then, and even if he weren’t, it’s just hard to imagine Chicago giving up on a pick like that when so little else on their roster is settled.
Realistically, if the Thunder are going to get into that range of the draft, they’re going to have to dangle either Holmgren or Williams. That’s it. If they want a young star, they have to give up a young star, and even then, it’s no certainty. Williams played through a wrist injury last postseason and was ultimately felled by a hamstring injury this season. Holmgren has plenty of injury issues of his own, and his stagnation as a scorer might have cost the Thunder this year’s championship. They are both enormously valuable players. They’re both probably looking less valuable than they did a year ago.
Holmgren is probably less replaceable. He’s maybe the second-best defender in the NBA, and even if he’s not quite the shooter his reputation suggests, having anyone that big that can even kind of shoot poses real problems for opposing defenses. The Thunder saw what they looked like without Williams for most of this season. They could have won this Spurs series without him had Mitchell been healthy. If some team views Williams as its franchise player and is willing to compensate the Thunder accordingly, well, they almost have to listen. The chance to duck out of that max contract for an asset haul could make the entire rest of the team financially viable, or even open up bigger moves in other areas.
The Wallace and Mitchell situations are reminiscent of the James Harden dilemma that general manager Sam Presti botched 14 years ago. Mitchell very nearly led the Thunder in scoring in the Lakers series. Wallace didn’t post big offensive numbers, but he had five 20-point games in February while the Thunder were missing several key players due to injury. On top of that, he’s obviously among the NBA’s very best defensive playmakers. It’s unlikely that either ever comes close to the MVP ceiling Harden hit in Houston, but these are both young players capable of more than they get to do in Oklahoma City.
That doesn’t mean they necessarily want to leave. It does mean other teams would probably be eager to throw picks Oklahoma City’s way for the right to explore that untapped potential. They could both net multiple first-round picks through trade, or perhaps one fairly high one in this draft, if the Thunder feel any need to pursue someone outside of the established top four of Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Caleb Wilson.
Inertia is a powerful force in roster-building. Teams tend not to address issues until they have to. The likeliest outcome for the Thunder is some combination of moves from the last section. Anyone covered in this space is more in the “only if someone blows us away” realm of moves. The Thunder came one game away from beating the Spurs and returning to the Finals while shorthanded and still probably view themselves at least as next year’s co-favorite. There probably won’t be any crazy risks here.
But a financial cliff is coming, and the Harden trade all those years ago suggests Presti is at least considering it. Nobody but Gilgeous-Alexander has proven himself completely indispensable for the long haul. If anyone else had, well, the Thunder would probably be headed to the NBA Finals right now.
The 2026 Tower Unity Cup will get underway on Sunday, May 31, at Primary School, Ikot Ntuen Oku, with an exciting opening fixture between Ibiono Ibom Pro and Mayflower All-Stars.
The grassroots football competition is sponsored by former Akwa United and Nigeria U-23 midfielder Godspower Aniefiok, popularly known as Tower, who currently plays abroad.
The opening match is expected to provide an entertaining start to the tournament as both teams boast a blend of experienced players and promising young talents.
Although this will be the first meeting between Ibiono Ibom Pro and Mayflower All-Stars, both sides are known for their attacking style of play and ability to score goals. With quality players expected to be on display, football fans can look forward to an open and competitive contest.
Tower, a product of Greater Tomorrow Football Academy, enjoyed two spells with Akwa United and also featured for several clubs in Nigeria and overseas during his playing career. He represented Nigeria at U-23 level and remains passionate about the development of grassroots football.
According to the organisers, the competition is aimed at promoting grassroots football development in Akwa Ibom State and creating opportunities for young footballers to showcase their talents.
Seven teams are participating in this year’s tournament. They include Tower & Friends, Ibiono Ibom Pro, Royalty FC, Dynamic SPMD, Mayflower All-Stars, Greater Tomorrow Academy and Immortality FC.
Following the opening game, Dynamic SPMD will face Royalty FC on June 2, while Greater Tomorrow Academy will take on Immortality FC on June 3.
The organisers disclosed that the competition will feature players currently playing both in Nigeria and abroad alongside emerging grassroots talents. They expressed confidence that the tournament will produce exciting football and help discover future stars.
The first-round matches will be played on a home-and-away basis, with teams battling for places in the next stage of the competition.
Football fans across Akwa Ibom are expected to turn out in large numbers as the Tower Unity Cup begins with what promises to be an entertaining showdown between Ibiono Ibom Pro and Mayflower All-Stars.
Coco Gauff finally met a player in Paris who could match her court coverage in long baseline rallies.
Anastasia Potapova ended Gauff’s French Open title defense in the third round with a 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4 victory over the American on Saturday.
The match was played before mostly empty stands inside Court Philippe-Chatrier as French fans stayed away to watch the Champions League soccer final.
Gauff’s second Grand Slam title came with a victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the final at Roland Garros a year ago.
The 30th-ranked Potapova, who was born in Russia but now represents Austria, improved to 3-2 in her career against Gauff. She’s having quite a clay season after reaching a final in Linz, Austria, and the semifinals of the Madrid Open as a qualifier.
The fourth-ranked Gauff was coming off a run to the Italian Open final. She waved to the crowd and quickly walked off court when the match was finished.
When Gauff shanked a forehand wide on Potapova’s first match point, Potapova fell on her back and covered her eyes as she stuck her feet up in the air in celebration.
Osaka’s fashion statementEarlier, Naomi Osaka beat 18-year-old American opponent Iva Jovic 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4 after nearly three hours – in her 100th Grand Slam match – to set up a round-of-16 meeting with top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka beat Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 7-5.
For her second-straight match, Osaka wore a metallic gold bomber jacket over a sequined gold playing dress during her walk-on. But this time her outfit was offset by a tannish-gold colored train that stretched all the way down to the red clay on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
For her opening match, Osaka walked on in a ceremonial black skirt and sleeveless beaded bodice before revealing her gold dress, which she said reminded her of the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night. Then she had on the bomber jacket and an ivory-colored train for her second match.
“It’s a surprise every time,” Osaka said of her fashion choices.
“For me, it would be weirder to wear a normal tennis kit, almost, at this point. It’s the fun of it. For a long time, I didn’t have fun for a little bit. And you guys know that period of time in my life,” Osaka added, referring to how in 2021 she withdrew from the French Open because of issues with anxiety and depression. “Now I just want things to be fun, and I want to make it exciting for myself.”
Osaka’s outfits are planned a year and a half in advance and require at least four fittings.
“We have so many fittings throughout the year because your weight can fluctuate or the fabric can change a little bit,” she said. “There is a lot of effort that goes into it.”
Heat wave endingFor the seventh straight day of the tournament, it was hot and humid, with the temperature rising to 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit). The heat is expected to break for Sunday and the second week.
Midway through Osaka’s victory, a spectator was carried out of the stadium on a stretcher because of an apparent illness.
On the court, French player Diane Parry beat 2019 semifinalist Amdanda Anisimova 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (3), and Diana Shnaider of Russia defeated Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine 7-5, 6-1 after Oliynykova accused her of liking Russian propaganda posts on social media amid the war between their countries.
In men’s action, Alejandro Tabilo ended the run of 17-year-old Frenchman Moise Kouame with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (9) victory; and 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini required 5 hours, 13 minutes to defeat Francisco Comesana 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (13).
Berrettini banged his chest after winning on his fourth match point when Comesana’s shot landed long. Then he cried.
Flavio Cobolli beat Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 and will next meet unsung American Zachary Svajda, who defeated Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3.
Later, Felix Auger-Aliassime plays American opponent Brandon Nakashima. At No. 4, Auger-Aliassime is the highest-seeded player remaining in the top half of the draw after Jannik Sinner’s stunning defeat two days ago.
Organizers moved the small advertising boards at the back of the court to behind the line judges after complaints about safety. Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez had to retire from a doubles match after tripping over an advertising board on Friday.
NEW DELHI: After a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, Cameron Green’s struggles with the bat continued as the Australian all-rounder was dismissed for a duck in the opening ODI of the three-match series against Pakistan.
Green was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a record-breaking Rs 25.20 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, making him the most expensive overseas player in IPL history. However, the hefty price tag failed to translate into the kind of performances KKR would have hoped for.
The lean run continued in Rawalpindi, where Pakistan’s teenage debutant Arafat Minhas produced a dream start to his ODI career. Minhas, who finished with a five-wicket haul on debut, dismissed Green without troubling the scorers.
The young spinner delivered a slightly short ball on leg stump that turned sharply away. Green remained rooted deep in his crease and failed to pick the turn. The ball beat his bat and crashed into the top of the off stump, ending his stay at the crease instantly.
Green’s IPL campaign was also underwhelming. Representing KKR, he scored 322 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 145.70. Despite a few useful contributions, he was unable to consistently justify the record fee.
Green remains the most expensive overseas player in IPL history, while Rishabh Pant holds the record for the most expensive player overall after being bought by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore at the IPL 2025 auction.
KKR’s season mirrored Green’s struggles. The three-time champions failed to make the playoffs, finishing seventh in the standings with six wins, seven defeats and one no-result from their 14 league matches under captain Ajinkya Rahane.
The campaign got off to a poor start, with losses to Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad exposing weaknesses in both departments. Although they produced some memorable victories against Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians, consistency remained their biggest challenge.
A dramatic Super Over win against Lucknow Super Giants briefly revived KKR’s playoff hopes, but crucial defeats later in the season proved costly. A
six-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru dented their chances, while a 40-run defeat against Delhi Capitals in their final league game effectively summed up a frustrating campaign marked by missed opportunities and inconsistency.
Representational image from IPL 2026© AFP
Legendary Indian cricket team batter Sachin Tendulkar came up with radical reforms in order to bring back the parity between bat and ball in T20 cricket. In the recent past, the game has tilted heavily towards the batters with record number of 200-plus scores being registered in the ongoing IPL 2026. At the ESPNcricinfo Awards in Mumbai, Tendulkar urged for the Impact Player rule to be scrapped. “I feel there are a few things which, on a personal note, I can say. I think the Impact Player rule needs to go away. In a T20 format, you are already playing just 20 overs, and then you are adding one more batter to the line-up. When bowlers are already being challenged, I find that imbalance,” he said.
The legendary cricketer also suggested that the powerplay should be split into two parts – one for the batters and another one that will be decided by the bowling side.
“[In] the powerplay of six overs with field restrictions, only two fielders are allowed outside the ring. Let the first four overs be batters’ powerplay with the same field restrictions, and post that, the remaining two powerplay overs should be determined by the fielding captain as and when he wants to take. Those two consecutive overs will also get one fielder extra outside the ring at any stage of the game,”
Finally, Sachin suggested that one bowler should be allowed to bowl a fifth over. Right now, bowlers can bowl a maximum of four overs but Sachin said that the best bowler should be rewarded.
“One bowler should be allowed to bowl five overs. Because invariably the best bowler of the side is going to bowl that fifth over. Wouldn’t you want to see that best bowler bowl more? “The top batters are batting sometimes even 20 overs. Why shouldn’t the best bowler be bowling five overs?”
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Drones, 500 officers and Tube closures: Inside one of the Met’s largest policing operations for Arsenal trophy parade
Police are preparing for one of their largest operations of the year so far as Arsenal fans from across the world descend on north London to see their team’s victory parade.
The Gunners will be celebrating after securing their first Premier League title in 22 years, but will also be recovering from their loss to Paris Saint-Germain in Saturday’s Champions League final.
Behind the scenes, officers and emergency services have been working together for months in preparation for the festivities, with the club expecting a “huge” turnout of fans.
More than 500 officers will be deployed across the mammoth operation in Islington on Sunday, with specialist search and drone teams also out in force.
The event is also expected to cause significant delays on public transport as several Tube stations and major roads are closed throughout the day.
The Metropolitan Police said they expect the vast majority of attendees to behave “safely and responsibly,” but warned they “will not tolerate” anti-social behaviour, violence or any type of criminality.
What do we know about the police operation?
The Metropolitan Police has said Sunday’s parade is expected to be one of the largest policing operations so far this year. Around 500 officers will be working across the event, including specialist drone and search teams.
The force said it is difficult to estimate numbers, but Arsenal Football Club said it is anticipating a “huge turnout”.
Commander Stuart Bell, leading the Met’s public order operation this weekend, said: “The parade is an opportunity for Arsenal supporters to celebrate, and we want everyone attending to enjoy the day safely.
“There will be a police presence along the route throughout the event, supporting event organisers and stewarding operations. Officers will respond to incidents where necessary.
“We expect the vast majority of those attending on Sunday to do so safely and responsibly.
“However, anti-social behaviour, violence or any other type of criminality will not be tolerated. Officers will take action against anyone attempting to cause disruption or harm.”
What time is the parade and where does it go?
The parade will kick off at 2pm on Sunday, but fans are expected to be arriving throughout the morning.
It will start on Holloway Road from Drayton Park, before continuing east along Seven Sisters Road and down to Blackstock Road, Mount Grove Road and Green Lanes.
It will then continue south along Petherton Road, Beresford Road, Newington Green Road and Essex Road. It will then turn north at Angel underground station and onto Upper Street.
Finally, the bus will head towards Highbury and Islington Station and back onto Holloway Road.
The Emirates Stadium, Drayton Park and the surrounding roads will be closed throughout the parade and will not be accessible to the public.
Which Tube stations and roads will be closed?
A number of nearby Tube and train stations will be closed or operating on a reduced service on the day.
Highbury & Islington: Victoria line services will not stop at the station. London Overground services will operate exit only. The station will not be step-free on the day.
Holloway Road: will be closed.
Canonbury: will operate exit only.
Finsbury Park: will be the nearest station operating both entry and exit and is recommended for supporters requiring step-free access. Queues are expected, particularly after the parade.
London Overground: Services across the area are expected to be extremely busy. Highbury & Islington and Canonbury stations will not be available after the parade due to crowd management measures.
Caledonian Road: May operate exit only or trains may not stop if it becomes overcrowded.
Drayton Park and Essex Road stations will be closed on the day of the parade. There will be no Thameslink services to or from Finsbury Park through central London to Farringdon and Blackfriars due to planned engineering works.
All roads along the parade route, including side roads leading to the route, will be subject to temporary closures and parking suspensions.
You can find a full list of road closures on the Islington Council website.
Jones’ next taste of boxing will come on 13 June when she takes on Argentine influencer Federikita on another Misfits bill that also includes Tommy Fury and strongman Eddie Hall.
Jones – who took gold at the 2019 Taekwondo World Championships to add to her Olympic titles – has previously spoken of a desire to reach the top in her new sport.
But she says she also wants to enjoy the new experiences rather than get burdened by the pressures that she found after success in her previous sporting life.
“Since the day I won my first Olympics, I’ve had pressure on me and it’s never been the same since,” she says. “You’re never that young, underdog kid again.
“I did think that switching sports meant I got to start again, but you realise you’ll always be an Olympic champion with those pressures on you.
“The mistakes I made in taekwondo I felt it was everyone else putting pressure on, but really it was me doing it to myself.”
She says she now realises all that matters is what she does and where she wants to take it.
“I have to pull myself back sometimes because although I am one-tracked minded, and all-in to boxing now and wanting to be the best, I came into this wanting a new challenge and wanting to enjoy it and to see where it goes,” she adds.
“I’ve not set any sights that far.”
More information, advice and help on ADHD is available on BBC Action Line.
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Rajat Patidar: The injury replacement turned captain who changed the fate of RCB | Cricket News
For nearly two decades, Royal Challengers Bengaluru carried a burden that seemed impossible to shake off. Every season began with hope and ended with disappointment. ‘Ee sala cup namde’ became less a rallying cry and more a reminder of how elusive the IPL trophy remained.Then came a captain nobody saw coming.Soft-spoken away from the spotlight and measured in his demeanour, Rajat Patidar never fit the image of a franchise-defining superstar. Yet under his leadership, ‘Ee sala cup namdu’ finally became reality.Now, with RCB one victory away from defending their title, Patidar stands on the verge of achieving something only Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni have managed in IPL history.The journey from injury replacement to title-winning captain was never supposed to look like this.
The Reinvention of 2026
Most championship-winning teams struggle to sustain success. Patidar ensured RCB remained contenders. If IPL 2025 was about ending a drought, IPL 2026 has been about proving it was no accident. The season has showcased another evolution in his leadership. His captaincy has become sharper, his field placements more proactive and his management of bowlers increasingly astute. His batting has also reached another level.Patidar has scored 486 runs in 14 matches, his highest tally in an IPL campaign. He has smashed 41 sixes and once again established himself as one of the most destructive middle-order batters in the competition. The calm, understated captain continues to be RCB’s middle-overs enforcer.The defining moment came in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans. With a place in the final at stake, Patidar produced arguably the finest innings of his captaincy career, smashing an unbeaten 93 off just 33 deliveries. RCB posted a record playoff total and stormed into another IPL final.Now, the injury replacement who once went unsold at auction stands one victory away from achieving something only MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have managed as IPL captains.
The Captain Who Changed RCB’s Fortunes
Along with batting coach Dinesh Karthik and head coach Andy Flower, Patidar helped transform RCB from a star-dependent side into one of the most complete teams in the IPL. The batting became deeper. The bowling became more structured. The dressing room became less reliant on individual brilliance. Looking back, it seems obvious. At the time, it wasn’t.Ahead of IPL 2025, RCB faced a massive leadership dilemma. Faf du Plessis had moved on. Virat Kohli was available but chose to continue without captaincy responsibilities. Most expected the franchise to appoint a bigger international name.Instead, RCB placed their faith in Patidar, whom they retained for Rs 11 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Patidar had already demonstrated leadership qualities while captaining Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2024, where they eventually lost to Mumbai, led by Shreyas Iyer.RCB were betting on character rather than celebrity. It proved to be one of the smartest decisions in franchise history.
The Knock That Changed His Career Forever
RCB first picked Patidar at the IPL 2021 mini-auction for Rs 20 lakh. A top-order batter from Madhya Pradesh, he had already built a reputation in domestic cricket and would later play a pivotal role in ending the state’s 69-year wait for a Ranji Trophy title.Playing for RCB in his first season, however, Patidar had a miserable outing. He got only four opportunities in the middle order and scored just 71 runs. He was subsequently released ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, where he went unsold.Disappointed, Patidar moved on from his IPL dreams and even fixed his wedding dates for May 2022. Midway through the season, RCB wicketkeeper Luvnith Sisodia suffered an injury. RCB head coach Mike Hesson called Patidar as a replacement. Although Patidar later revealed that he initially did not want to join because he thought he would spend the entire season sitting on the bench, he eventually agreed after the insistence of his family.The rest is history.Patidar played eight matches and finished as one of the most successful uncapped players for RCB that season, scoring 333 runs, including a breathtaking 112* off 54 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator. He became the first uncapped player in IPL history to score a century in the playoffs.
Injury Nearly Derailed Everything
Just when Patidar appeared ready to establish himself permanently, another setback arrived. An Achilles heel injury ruled him out of IPL 2023 entirely. Missing a full season was a massive blow. He returned to domestic cricket after recovering from the injury and slowly rebuilt his career. Following a successful domestic stint for Madhya Pradesh, he earned his ODI debut for India against South Africa in 2023, where he scored 22 runs as an opener. He later made his Test debut against England in 2024. Across three matches, he scored 63 runs.
The Rise of the Spin Basher
Patidar returned to RCB and enjoyed a full season in the middle order, scoring 395 runs in 15 matches. More importantly, he showed the cricketing world exactly what he was capable of. Rajat smashed 33 sixes during the season and earned the reputation of being one of the best spin-hitters in the league. He concluded the campaign with a stunning strike rate of 177.33, establishing himself as a genuine middle-order match-winner.By the time RCB entered a leadership transition phase, Patidar was no longer merely a comeback story. He had become one of the most destructive middle-order batters in the tournament and one of the franchise’s most dependable performers – and now the IPL-winning captain. In a franchise built around superstars, an overlooked domestic batter suddenly became the hero.
Under orders from Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma is working to renew the contracts of its players whose contracts are expiring.
Stephan El Shaarawy has chosen to embark on a new adventure, and no news has emerged regarding Lorenzo Pellegrini’s contract extension.
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However, barring any surprises, Zeki Celik and Paulo Dybala will remain in the capital.
With the Argentine, there are still a few details to iron out, but an agreement is expected to be reached for a fee close to €2.5 million.
Meanwhile, for the Turk, there’s a gap of about half a million between supply and demand. Work is underway to secure a deal.
Celik currently earns two million net, and his goal, according to Il Corriere della Sera, is to reach three million.
In fact, the player’s entourage never offered the Giallorossi the four million they thought would have led the club to close the deal.
The Turk can leverage two factors: first, due to his versatility, he is a loyal supporter of Gasp, and the request for a contract extension comes from the coach himself.
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Furthermore, the 1997-born full-back still benefits from the growth decree. The full-back has long since given Gasp his word, who will wait for a move from Roma: the player rejected an offer from Galatasaray.
Amanda Serrano equalled the record for the most knockouts in women’s boxing history with a second-round stoppage of Cheyenne Hanson in Texas to retain her WBA and WBO featherweight titles.
The American dominated the encounter and, having pinned Germany’s Hanson, 28, in the corner, unloaded a flurry of unanswered punches that lead to the fight being waved off in El Paso, Texas.
The 37-year-old, who now has 32 wins by knockout, was the first fighter to stop Hanson inside the distance.
In the co-main event, former UFC star Holly Holm was again narrowly defeated by Stephanie Han to miss out on claiming the WBA lightweight title.
One judge scored it even at 95-95, but the other two saw it 96-94 for the undefeated champion.
Prior to the fight, Holm said she wanted to make a statement and then challenge Taylor in Ireland, but instead it was Han who called for that fight.
“The next fight I want, and I know every fighter wants it, is Katie Taylor,” Han said ringside.
On the undercard, Desley Robinson retained her IBF and WBO middleweight titles by winning a wide unanimous decision against Mary Spencer, while Mexican Lourdes Juarez retained her WBC light-flyweight title with a split decision against Yokasta Valle.
Elsewhere, O’Shaquie Foster impressed to beat Raymond Ford by a majority decision to retain his WBC super-featherweight title at the Fertitta Center, Houston.
Dillian Whyte has predicted a possible clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma, based purely on the Ukrainian’s performance against Rico Verhoeven.
Usyk was introduced to a surprisingly challenging assignment last Saturday, but ultimately retained his WBC, IBF and WBA world titles against the Dutch kickboxer.
There were times, however, when Verhoeven was making it too close for comfort, with one judge even scoring it 96-94 in his favour, while the other two had it 95-95 after 10 rounds.
In the end, it was a whipping uppercut that sent him to the canvas in round 11, and despite getting back to his feet, the 37-year-old was controversially waved off by referee Mark Lyson at the sound of the bell.
Usyk, meanwhile, was perhaps guilty of overlooking his opponent, whose only previous professional boxing match had come via a second-round finish over an 0-5 heavyweight in 2014.
At the same time, though, the 39-year-old’s post-fight admission – that his daughter had messaged him from a bomb shelter in Ukraine – could also explain why he underperformed.
Whatever the case, heavyweight veteran Whyte has told IFL TV that he believes Itauma would defeat Usyk, given where they are at this stage in their respective careers.
“[Based] on that performance last weekend, yeah, [Itauma would beat Usyk].”
Whyte felt the full force of an Itauma stoppage in August, not even making it through the opening round.
Since then, Itauma has defeated Jermaine Franklin, courtesy of a fifth-round finish in March, and placed himself as the No.1 contender with both the WBO and WBA.
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