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🏀 Five things to know Friday
- The Kawhi Leonard trade is on hold. The Clippers reportedly agreed to a blockbuster trade with the Raptors that would send Leonard back to Toronto, but it will not be processed until the NBA’s investigation into Aspiration is complete. If the league determines Leonard and the Clippers circumvented the salary cap via their sponsorship deal with Aspiration, it could go so far as to void the seven-time All-Star’s contract. In that event, the trade could be called off entirely. The NBA said Thursday it does not have a timeline for the conclusion of its investigation.
- France advanced to the World Cup semifinals, but at what cost? Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé each scored in the second half to lead France to a 2-0 win over Morocco in the tournament’s first quarterfinal match. But 17 minutes after he scored the opening goal, Mbappé went down with an ankle injury and left the match with France’s medical staff. He was later seen icing that right ankle on the bench, but he quelled some of the concern postgame when he said, “Everything is OK.” The question is whether the Golden Boot leader will be at full strength come Tuesday’s semifinal.
- Brandon Aiyuk might not play in the NFL again. The ongoing saga involving the 49ers wide receiver took its most significant turn to date when Aiyuk said he will not apply for reinstatement in San Francisco. Since the 49ers placed him on the reserve/left squad list, the NFL must reinstate him before he can join an active roster. So long as he remains on that list, the 49ers have no incentive to trade or cut him, which leaves him in a state of purgatory as he seeks his release from the team in time to play in 2026.
- UCLA and Texas landed elite college basketball recruits. The Bruins secured a commitment from Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica on the heels of his monster performance against Team USA in Sunday’s FIBA U17 World Cup championship. Not only does his arrival give UCLA a huge lift next season, but it also brightens the program’s outlook for the 2027-28 campaign as Kusturica is two years away from NBA Draft eligibility. He could be the No. 1 overall pick when eligible. Hours later, the Longhorns landed Marcus Spears Jr., who ranks as the top overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting class and will reclassify to join Texas this year.
- The Wimbledon women’s final is set. There will be a 10th new champion in the last 10 years in the women’s tournament after Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova punched their tickets to the final. It is an all-Czech matchup between the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds, and it will unfold Saturday. The two men’s finalists will be determined Friday when Jannik Sinner takes on Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev squares off against Arthur Fery in the semifinals.
🤼 Do not miss this: Predictions for McGregor’s UFC return
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We’re just one day away from Conor McGregor stepping foot in the Octagon for the first time since 2021. When he takes on Max Holloway in a rematch of their 2013 bout, he will be in search of just his second win in the past decade. Things are heating up between the two in advance of Saturday night’s fight. At Thursday night’s press conference, they went face-to-face and needed Dana White to intervene.
Taking such a long layoff between fights unquestionably works against McGregor in his quest for victory at UFC 329, according to our Brian Campbell, who detailed the challenge that lies ahead for the Irish MMA legend.
- Campbell: “When critics try and come to terms with exactly what version of McGregor is even capable of appearing on Saturday, the realities of his five-year layoff need to be taken into account. This wasn’t McGregor living a spartan lifestyle outside of the cage … McGregor has done nothing but flaunt his party lifestyle in recent years while being attached to a series of unscrupulous headlines and legal battles.”
Not only that, but Holloway presents a difficult matchup for someone in McGregor’s position. He holds recent wins over the likes of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje and is far less removed from the prime of his career. That’s why our Brent Brookhouse says picking Holloway is the safer bet, even at -225.
- Brookhouse: “McGregor will be at his most dangerous in the opening round, and if he can’t get a stoppage there, his chances of getting a win start declining pretty rapidly. Holloway has the tools he needs to win, as long as the jump to welterweight doesn’t prove to be too much for him, either in speed, power or cardio.”
⚾ MLB Rookie Rankings feature three All-Stars
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Next week’s MLB All-Star Game will feature four players from what might be one of the greatest rookie classes of all time. Kevin McGonigle, Sal Stewart and Parker Messick not only earned spots in the Midsummer Classic but also landed in this month’s MLB Rookie Rankings. Travis Bazzana, meanwhile, made the ASG roster but came up just short of our top 10.
Here’s where those first three landed:
1. Kevin McGonigle, SS, Tigers
3. Parker Messick, LHP, Guardians
4. Sal Stewart, INF, Reds
You’ll notice that we have one rookie ranked ahead of three All-Stars. That’s JJ Wetherholt, who is easily among the biggest ASG snubs, considering he is the NL Rookie of the Year favorite. Our Dayn Perry laid out Wetherholt’s résumé:
- Perry: “Another premium prospect before his graduation to the majors, Wetherholt won the second base job coming out of camp for the rebuilding Cardinals, and the decision has been justified and then some. The former No. 7 pick out of West Virginia has been, according to Statcast’s Outs Above Average, the most valuable defender at any position this season. With the bat, he’s no slouch, either. In 383 plate appearances this season, he has an OBP-forward OPS+ of 119 with 13 home runs and only one GIDP, and he’s also nine for nine in steals.”
Also, the next wave of young baseball stars will make the leap to the professional ranks this weekend when the MLB Draft gets underway. The first four rounds unfold Saturday, with Rounds 5-20 set for Sunday. In advance of the draft, we redrafted the 2016 class one decade after Pete Alonso and Bo Bichette heard their names called on the stage.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching this weekend
Friday
🎾 Wimbledon: Men’s semifinals, 8 a.m. on ESPN
⛳ Scottish Open: Second round, 11 a.m. on Golf Channel
⚽ World Cup: Spain vs. Belgium, 3 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Summer League: Cavaliers vs. Pacers, 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Summer League: Rockets vs. Nuggets, 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ Royals at Orioles, 7:05 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Red Sox at Mets, 7:10 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Mariners at Rays, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
🏀 Wings at Tempo or Valkyries at Sun, 7:30 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Current at Pride, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
🤼 WWE SmackDown, 8 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Braves at Cardinals, 8:15 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 Summer League: Celtics vs. Raptors, 9 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Blue Jays at Padres or Rockies at Giants, 9:40 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Sky at Sparks, 10 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Gotham at Royals, 10 p.m. on Victory+
⚾ Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Summer League: Trail Blazers vs. Suns, 11 p.m. on ESPNU
Saturday
🎾 Wimbledon: Men’s doubles final, 8 a.m. on ESPN
🎾 Wimbledon: Women’s final, 11 a.m. on ESPN
⛳ Scottish Open: Third round, noon on CBS/Paramount+
⚾ MLB Draft, noon on NBC and 2:30 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Liberty at Lynx, 1 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Fire at Dream, 4 p.m on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Summer League: Pelicans vs. Hornets, 4 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Red Sox at Mets, 4:10 p.m. on FS1
⚽ World Cup: Norway vs. England, 5 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Summer League: Knicks vs. Spurs, 6 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Mercury at Aces, 6 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
⚽ Spirit at Courage, 6:30 p.m. on Ion
⚾ Astros at Rangers, 7:05 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Royals at Orioles or Braves at Cardinals, 7:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Cubs at Reds, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
🏀 Summer League: Hawks vs. Nets, 8 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Angel City at Wave, 8:45 p.m. on Ion
🤼 UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2, 9 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ World Cup: Argentina vs. Switzerland, 9 p.m. on Fox
⚾ Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Summer League: Lakers vs. Mavericks, 10 p.m. on ESPN
Sunday
🎾 Wimbledon: Women’s doubles final, 8 a.m. on ESPN
🎾 Wimbledon: Men’s final, 11 a.m. on ESPN
⛳ Scottish Open: Final round, noon on CBS/Paramount+
⚾ MLB All-Star Futures Game, noon on NBC
🥊 WBO International Flyweight Title: Redstall vs. Courtney, noon on DAZN
⚾ Brewers at Pirates, 12:15 p.m. on Peacock
🏀 Summer League: Suns vs. Pelicans, 3 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Liberty at Tempo, 3 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Big3: Rig Hands vs. 305, 4 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚽ Thorns at Reign, 4 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Rockies at Giants, 4:05 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 4:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Blue Jays at Padres, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Big3: Amps vs. Riot, 5 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Summer League: Hornets vs. Celtics, 5 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Summer League: Magic vs. Trail Blazers, 7 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 Sky at Wings, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏁 NASCAR at Atlanta, 7 p.m. on TNT
⚽ Dash at Summit, 7 p.m. on Victory+
🏀 Summer League: Spurs vs. Bucks, 9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Fever at Aces, 9 p.m. on NBC
