Sports
What’s next in NBA offseason after LeBron’s decision? Harden, Draymond, Duren eye deals
After 24 days, multiple live show appearances without divulging anything and nearly a dozen podcasts from agent Rich Paul, LeBron James finally announced his free agency decision on Friday, choosing the Philadelphia 76ers as the final chapter in his illustrious career.
The news came as a pleasant surprise for the Sixers, who found themselves as a serious contender for James after trading for Jaylen Brown earlier in the summer, and a painful snub to the Cavaliers, Heat and Warriors, who were all holding out hope that they would be the ones getting the call from James.
James stretching his free agency out for more than three weeks held up some of the NBA’s business, including creating the 2026-27 schedule, but now that he’s in Philly, teams can shift their attention to finishing their offseason tasks.
At a league level, that means the schedule can start to take shape. Philadelphia was already a focal point in the East after the Brown trade, but will now grab even more spotlight games with James in town — dates on the opening night and Christmas day slates are now highly likely for the Sixers. At a team level, the James suitors who were holding out hope to land James now have to pivot to Plan B — of which the options are limited — and that could kickstart the restricted free agent market that’s been dormant ever since Walker Kessler’s sign-and-trade to the Lakers.
Let’s dive into what we can expect to see in the coming days and weeks now that James’ situation is settled.
When will James Harden, Draymond Green get deals done?
Both Green and Harden declined player options to clear space and have patiently waited to see if the Warriors or Cavaliers could land James. Now that James has chosen the 76ers, the expectation is that both Green and Harden will work out new long-term deals to return to their respective teams at a handsome price point that will compensate them for their willingness to be good team players to aid in the pursuit of James.
Green, according to The Athletic, is expected to sign a deal in the $28 million range — just about the same amount he declined on his player option. Harden’s new deal will likely not be worth the $42.3 million he declined on an annual basis, but a sizable long-term deal is headed his way. There is still a question of when those deals get done. Both the Warriors and Cavaliers need to fill some roster spots and having a bit more flexibility with Green and Harden not yet signed could help their pursuits of rotation talent.
What happens with top restricted free agents?
James dragging out his free agency for more than three weeks put the stagnant RFA market on the back burner, but now Jalen Duren, Peyton Watson and Bennedict Mathurin become the best players on the market. This is far from the first time restricted free agents have found negotiations hard, as the way the league operates in free agency has made it nearly impossible for top RFAs to get offer sheets. We’ve seen a handful of offer sheets go out this summer — the Grizzlies successfully poached Quinten Post from the Warriors, for example — but almost all of them are in the below mid-level range.
Very few teams enter the summer with significant cap space anymore, and even when they do, teams are afraid of having that money tied up in an offer sheet another team can match. The result is RFAs end up in one-sided negotiations with their current team, who never want to make the mistake of overpaying when they are the only team bidding. The way restricted free agents change teams now is typically in a sign-and-trade, and that’s been complicated this summer by the Lakers sending the Jazz a king’s ransom for Kessler.
Jalen Duren
Duren and Detroit have been at an impasse since before free agency began, with the Pistons seemingly daring Duren to find a team willing to offer him more than what they’ve put on the table. That hasn’t happened, and the Pistons have made it clear they have no interest in letting go of Duren. Even if they were to listen on the All-NBA center, they’d ask for even more than what L.A. sent to Utah for Kessler, and now that it’s late July, the list of potential suitors for Duren has dwindled.
Peyton Watson
The Nuggets are reportedly open to discussing sign-and-trades for Watson, but are setting the bar at the same price as what the Jazz got with two unprotected firsts and two pick swaps. That’s a steep asking price and they’ll try to squeeze Watson into signing back in Denver — with apron concerns complicating those negotiations even further. Denver also has to decide what to do with Spencer Jones, who reportedly nabbed a rare offer sheet from the Thunder worth $12 million over two years. If they don’t match that, they’ll be under even more pressure to bring back Watson.
Bennedict Mathurin
Mathurin is in limbo in Los Angeles, where the Clippers were considered a suitor for Watson, making things a bit awkward with their own restricted free agent, who was the most notable player they got back in the Ivica Zubac trade. The scoring guard may find himself in the wrong kind of era, as his top skillset as a tough shotmaker is less valued around the league these days.
What factors into these decisions?
Restricted free agency has always given teams an upper hand in negotiations, but with the introduction of the aprons and teams no longer operating with cap space in the summers — instead making major moves largely via trades — players who hit the RFA market find it nearly impossible to maximize their value. That’s the unfortunate situation for Duren, Watson and Mathurin, and all three will have to decide whether to sign the deal that’s been on the table for weeks or if any of them are willing to roll the dice on the qualifying offer to hit unrestricted free agency next summer.
Which notable free agents are available?
Now that James is in Philly, the market should open back up for some of the veterans on the free agency market. DeMar DeRozan, Jonathan Kuminga, Bradley Beal, Gabe Vincent, Russell Westbrook, Bruce Brown, Nicolas Batum, Kelly Olynyk and others will now start getting earnest offers, particularly from some of the teams that missed out on James.
DeRozan could be a target for the Warriors or Heat, while a reunion in Toronto is also in play. Kuminga has reportedly garnered interest from the Cavaliers and Lakers, with Cleveland potentially pivoting to him to fill their need on the wing after missing out on James and seeing Dean Wade also leave for Philly. Beal and Vincent would both make sense as targets for the Heat as they try to fill out their backcourt with more talent to supplement their star frontcourt of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
The Warriors are always on the lookout for veteran reinforcements to surround Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and the Nuggets and Timberwolves, while they knew they were long shots for James, still have work to do to bolster their rotations to try and contend with the Thunder and Spurs at the top of the West.
Sports
‘My bad’: Ishan Kishan’s hilarious run-out blunder goes viral; India star laughs it off — WATCH
NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan was the undisputed star with the bat as India sealed the T20I series against Zimbabwe on Saturday, but it was a comical run-out miss behind the stumps that had social media buzzing long after the final ball.
The wicketkeeper-batter, who smashed a brilliant 81 off 44 deliveries to earn the Player of the Match award, became the centre of attention for an amusing fielding lapse during Zimbabwe’s chase. Kishan later saw the funny side of the incident, joking about it during the post-match presentation.
The viral moment came in the 15th over when Zimbabwe’s Tadiwanashe Marumani nudged the ball towards deep backward point. A mix-up between the batters left both stranded near the bowler’s end, presenting India with what appeared to be a straightforward run-out opportunity.
However, Kishan casually underarmed the throw towards the stumps, seemingly believing the batter had already made his ground. The throw neither hit the stumps nor reached Ravi Bishnoi for a backup attempt, allowing Zimbabwe to escape.
Realising what had happened, Kishan immediately placed his hand on his head with a sheepish grin as teammates and fans were left in disbelief.
WATCH: Ishan Kishan’s run out miss
Kishan laughs off viral moment
The light-hearted moment quickly made the rounds on social media, and Kishan was asked about it after receiving the Player of the Match award.
“I thought the batter was already inside the crease, but my bad. I’ll be looking at the bails next time,” he said with a smile.
Fortunately for India, the missed chance had no bearing on the outcome as Zimbabwe were eventually bundled out for 129, handing the visitors a commanding 90-run victory and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
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Brilliant 81 powers India to series-clinching win
Kishan ensured his amusing run-out miss remained only a footnote by producing a superb innings after India slipped to 29/2 inside the powerplay.
The left-hander first rebuilt the innings with captain Shreyas Iyer in a 66-run stand before adding a match-defining 94-run partnership with Tilak Varma.
Kishan struck nine fours and two sixes during his 44-ball 81, bringing up his 13th T20 half-century in just 31 deliveries. Tilak provided the perfect finishing touch with an unbeaten 60 off only 29 balls as India surged to 219/5.
Zimbabwe never threatened the target despite Brian Bennett’s brisk 32. Debutant Yash Thakur impressed with 2/30, while Abhishek Sharma claimed 3/17. Prince Yadav struck twice before leaving the field with a hamstring injury.
India eventually wrapped up a comprehensive 90-run victory to clinch the series with one match still to play.
Sports
‘Anything can happen’: Blue Jays’ Guerrero Jr. asks fans for patience
Ahead of Saturday’s game at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox, Guerrero met with reporters to discuss the Blue Jays’ skid out of the all-star break and where things stand with the team 10 games under .500.
“(There are) 58 games left, and you know how baseball is,” Guerrero said. “Anything can happen. I know I can get better. Just frustrating. But we’re just going — myself and the rest of the guys — to continue to play hard, and we’ll see at the end of the season.”
Before first pitch Saturday, the Blue Jays sat 6.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the American League, and FanGraphs had their playoff odds at a season-worst 7.7 per cent.
But for as surprising as Toronto’s season has been, following its trip to the World Series in 2025, Guerrero’s struggles might be even tougher to fathom.
The 27-year-old entered the weekend slashing .262/.343/.354 with just six home runs in 99 games. His .093 isolated power ranked 139th out of 145 qualified hitters, and his slugging percentage checked in at 130th.
It has all added up to put the Blue Jays in an awkward spot, with the Aug. 3 trade deadline just over a week away .
Guerrero and his teammates, however, remain focused on taking things a day at a time as they try to flip the script in the second half.
“That’s all I’m thinking (about),” he said. “See how we can get better. That’s all I’m thinking right now in my head. How can I get my team better? … But now I’m not thinking about (trade deadline) here.”
The six-time all-star was also asked what his message would be for Blue Jays fans amid the frustrating campaign.
“Be patient. I know things are not going the way we wanted, but I can promise all our fans that every time we go out there, (our goal) is to win the game. We’re humans,” he answered. “Sometimes things don’t happen the way you want, regardless of your preparation or what you do.
“That’s baseball, but I can promise them we’re going to continue to work hard … We need for our fan base to be there right now because you never know, things can change”
Sports
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga live scorecard and fight result
Anthony Joshua looks to clear the final hurdle ahead of a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury as he takes on Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia.
‘AJ’ will compete in his first significant bout under the coaching of Team Oleksandr Usyk after his event with Jake Paul last year. The fight also marks his return following a tragic car crash in Nigeria, which killed two of his closest friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
In the opposite corner is Albania’s Prenga, who has 20 knockouts from 20 wins and just one defeat, but has fought nowhere near this level. The 35-year-old is seen very much as a warm-up for Fury – a fight that could be finalised and announced as early as next week if ‘AJ’ does the business.
Stay with Boxing News for a live scorecard and final fight result.
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga live scorecard
This is a Boxing News live scorecard and not the official score from the judges.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prenga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga fight result
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Sports
Filip Nowacki: Jersey swimmer wins island’s first medal at Commonwealth Games since 1990
Nowacki becomes just the fifth person to ever win a Commonwealth Games medal while representing Jersey.
The last time Jersey made it onto the podium was in 1990 when Colin Mallett won the island’s only gold medal in fullbore shooting, before teaming up with his father Cliff to win pairs bronze.
Four years earlier, bantamweight boxer John Sillitoe won bronze in Edinburgh, while Jersey’s first-ever medal was also in the ring when Albert Turmel won welterweight bronze in Perth in 1962.
Islanders have won medals for England – diver Dot Macready won 10m gold in 1934, while more recently Serena Guthrie was part of the England team that won netball gold in 2018.
In 2006 Rebecca Herbert was part of the England hockey team that won bronze, while there were two bronze medals in 2002 for islanders representing England – Elizabeth Cann in badminton and swimmer Simon Militis in the 200m backstroke.
With two more events to go, Nowacki has the chance to equal Colin Mallett as the only islander to win two medals.
But at the age of 18 who would bet against the swimmer going on to become the most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete in Jersey’s history?
Sports
Could Be Now or Never as Vikings FA Option Gets Opportunity with an AFC Foe

As it relates to veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Minnesota could be confronting a “now or never” scenario. The Vikings FA option and former All Pro is getting an opportunity to see if he wants to start his coaching career, doing so over in New England.
On Friday, Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team sent along the update: “#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel says WR DeAndre Hopkins is with the team helping out in a potential coaching/personnel role as he figures out his future and what he wants to do next.”
Others made note of the development.
Mike Reiss, for instance, wrote, “DeAndre Hopkins is here visiting the Patriots, per Mike Vrabel, with Vrabel saying Hopkins is considering the possibility of a coaching career.” Various other spots — Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, and so on — commented on the news on social media. Why all the fuss?
Vikings FA Option DeAndre Hopkins May Turn to Coaching
Hopkins, 34, is getting very close to the end of his career. As the dalliance with coaching suggests, the time may be over as it relates to Mr. Hopkins catching passes on Sunday.
In his prime, Hopkins was among the best in the game.
For the Vikings, the intrigue largely rests in his capacity to shore up the depth alongside his built-in chemistry with Kyler Murray. The pair played together with the Cardinals, putting a fright into corners for several seasons. Hopkins’ best year in Arizona arrived in 2020 — Justin Jefferson’s rookie season — a year where he tossed up 115 catches, 1,407 yards, and 6 touchdowns.

DeAndre Hopkins commands a pile of respect around the NFL as an accomplished talent who works hard and who has proven to be a winner. He understands the game well and is a leader, making his transition to coaching a logical move. Plus, he has a connection to Patriots coach Mike Vrabel from their shared time together with Tennessee in 2023.
That is, of course, as long as no team comes calling.
The NFL’s website passed along the news (among various other spots) that Hopkins wanted to play alongside Murray again. Since that time, the Vikings have added Jauan Jennings, seemingly eliminating the need for an older receiver who boasts good size and high compete. At the same time, though, Tai Felton has appeared to stumble, creating some intrigue about how things will unfold for the depth receiver jobs.
In 2025, Mr. Hopkins played for the Ravens, serving in a depth job. He had 22 catches for 350 yards and a pair of touchdowns. PFF was impressed by his play, tossing over an impressive 81.3 grade for his efforts.

In all likelihood, the Vikings will desire young, cheap talent in the WR4 and WR5 jobs. Hopkins therefore faces an uphill battle to command one of those spots in Minnesota even if he did sign for a bargain deal. Think 24 instead of 34 as the age that will create the most interest here.
Furthermore, there will be an emphasis on those players contributing on specials. Whoever functions as a depth receiver isn’t likely to demand a ton of targets within the Kevin O’Connell offense.
As a result, these depth guys need to find a way to help the team without getting the ball a ton. Being a bulldozer as a blocker would be a nice way to prove one’s value. Or, perhaps, be like Myles Price, who is an assassin as a returner. Hopkins doesn’t appear to be an option on specials apart from perhaps the “hands team” for an onside kick.
DeAndre Hopkins would add value to the Vikings. He’ll someday get into the Hall of Fame as one of the best of his generation. For several months, though, Minnesota could have signed him but opted not to do so. Seeing Hopkins put pen to paper to formalize a coaching contract could be the final move in ending the speculation.
Sports
Ravindra stars as Welsh Fire beat MI London to continue winning start
Rachin Ravindra’s superb 98 from 44 balls helped Welsh Fire win their second game in a row in The Hundred, beating MI London by 15 runs.
Sports
Commonwealth Games 2026: Team Wales win two more swimming medals on dramatic night in Glasgow
With four fourth places in Birmingham in 2022, Richards was looking for his first Commonwealth medal to complete the set of Olympic, world and European podium positions.
Wales opted for an entirely different quartet in the pool in the final after Kieran Bird, Harry Milne, Medi Harris and Meghan Higgs had qualified fourth fastest in the heats.
Sutton and Taylor had qualified for their respective individual semi-finals in the 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke, but both pulled out with a full focus on the relay.
The policy paid off and Taylor brought Wales back from fifth to third on the final leg.
Earlier, Rose Williams finished fourth in the women’s S14 200m freestyle final.
The S14 category covers swimmers who have an intellectual impairment, which typically leads to the athletes having difficulties with regard to pattern recognition, sequencing, and memory, or having a slower reaction time, which impact on sport performance in general.
Tyler Melbourne-Smith finished sixth in the 400m freestyle final, while Lewis Fraser qualified for the 100m butterfly final to be staged on Sunday evening.
Sports
Underdog’s improbable 3M Open run inspired by late grandma
Sports
Marlins’ Class A pitcher fails drug test, suspended 80 games
Sep 11, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; A general view of a illuminated Miami Marlins logo in center field after the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies split a double header at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images Miami Marlins minor league pitcher Eiver Mosquera has received an 80-game suspension for testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance.
This season with Class-A Jupiter and the rookie-level Florida Complex League Marlins in 12 games (nine starts), the 19-year-old was 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA, 30 strikeouts and 16 walks in 38 innings.
Mosquera joined the organization in 2024 as a $150,000 international signing out of Venezuela.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bronze for Eve McMahon in Los Angeles
Eve McMahon has claimed a bronze medal at the Los Angeles Sailing Grand Slam on the waters that will host the sailing competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
McMahon secured her place on the podium after a composed performance in Friday’s Final Series in San Pedro, California, bringing to a close a week of racing against many of the world’s best Olympic sailors.
Racing took place inside the bay in ideal conditions of 10–13 knots of breeze, with both McMahon and fellow Irish sailor Finn Lynch having qualified for the new-look Final Series.
The Women’s Dinghy (ILCA 6) Final Series began after a short delay while the light morning breeze settled across the course. Starting the day level on points for third overall, McMahon delivered when it mattered most, finishing third in the opening Final Series race to strengthen her grip on a medal position.
She backed that up with a fourth-place finish in the final race to secure the bronze medal, ending the regatta just two points behind silver medallist Charlotte Rose (USA) and four behind Britain’s Hannah Snellgrove, who took gold after leading for much of the week.
World Championships in Dublin
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the multiple Olympic medallist added, “We’ll take a short break now before getting straight back to work preparing for the World Championships in Ireland in September. There’s still plenty to improve, but that’s where our focus is now. Racing for a world title on home waters is a huge opportunity and we’ll do everything we can to be ready.”
In the men’s Finals, Finn Lynch began the day in fourth position but an entanglement with two competitors at one of the marks resulted in a first final race finish of 10th putting the medal opportunity out of reach. Lynch finished the regatta with an eighth place that gave him a final position of seventh overall. The final result was bittersweet in that Lynch missed a medal but will now have the confidence to know he is a contender for the podium in two year’s time.
Paris 2024 Olympic champion Matt Wearn secured gold, with Cyprus’ Pavlos Kontides taking silver and Britain’s Michael Beckett completing the podium.
Attention now turns to the ILCA World Championships in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, with the ILCA 7 World Championship taking place from 23–30 August and the ILCA 6 World Championship following from 5–12 September. This will be the first time since 2001 that Ireland has hosted a World Championship for an Olympic sailing class, presenting the Irish sailors with a rare opportunity to compete for a world title on home waters.
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