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Celebrini cashes in: Sharks phenom Macklin Celebrini, 20, is set to become the NHL's highest-paid player ($18.8 million per season) after inking a five-year, $94 million extension with the team.
️ MLS wins All-Star clash: The MLS All-Stars beat the Liga MX All-Stars, 4-3, in Charlotte behind two goals from LAFC star Son Heung-Min. It was a repeat of their win over the same team last year, and their fourth win in five matchups since 2021.
Kawhi saga update: The NBA's investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers could reportedly extend into 2027. Such a delay would likely throw a wrench in the proposed trade to send Leonard back to the Raptors, which is currently on hold.
️ Trade alert: The last-place Angels are sending starting catcher Logan O'Hoppe and relief pitcher Chase Silseth to the Rangers in exchange for infield prospect Angel Arredondo. The sell-off has begun in Anaheim.
️ Poch contract talks: Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly "close" to finalizing a deal with the USMNT that would keep him under contract through the 2030 World Cup.
See what else is trending on Yahoo Sports.
(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
UNLV men's basketball coach Josh Pastner went viral over the weekend after suggesting that potential owners trying to buy an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas should instead "buy" Pastner's program for $10-12 million, writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken.
"You don't have to spend over a billion dollars to own our team," Pastner said in an interview with KTNV in Vegas. "You still get a great tax write-off and you can be as involved, and you can tell everyone you're the owner of the team."
Walking it back: After some backlash to his comments — and after calls started rolling in from wealthy folks who had taken him literally when he talked about the opportunity to "buy" the team — Pastner issued a clarification on Monday.
"We're not for sale!" he told Yahoo Sports. "I was saying it more, like, tongue-in-cheek. We need support, but we're really not for sale. The model's not set up for that."
State of play: Most of us who follow college sports closely understood what Pastner was trying to say. In the practically unregulated NIL era, where programs are spending as much on rosters as their donors are willing to give, it only takes one person with a wide open checkbook to become the de facto "owner" of a college team.
Just look at Texas Tech and the millions upon millions that mega-booster Cody Campbell has poured into NIL funding. No, he doesn't "own" the Red Raiders. But everyone understands he's the person most responsible for making them nationally competitive in football, men's basketball and softball.
"It's just a new day and age in college athletics," Pastner said. "Obviously teams can't be for sale. This is the students' team, the alumni's team, UNLV's team. No one can ever own the team. But it's interesting that it went viral. I just think that's the change in the landscape. Every program in the country is looking for ways to get more support financially."
Jerry Tarkanian turned UNLV basketball into a national brand in the 1970s. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Pastner is wrong about one thing. The idea of buying and selling college teams like pro franchises isn't that far-fetched anymore. In a sense, it's already in motion.
Utah finalized a nine-figure deal with Otro Capital earlier this year, forming a new company that will handle revenue-generating aspects of the athletic program.
Michigan State just unveiled a new athletic department structure with $100 million in seed money, part of which is a for-profit subsidiary called Spartan Media Ventures where investors will get a return.
Next month, LSU is gathering donors at the governors' mansion for a "first look at an alternative revenue-generating opportunity" that's expected to include some type of structure where investors/donors could buy a "share" of a privatized athletic department.
Bottom line: Given the increasing cost pressures to compete now, it's not a huge leap to think a desperate school that just wants to win — but can't really afford it with its donor base — might actually be willing to "sell" its football or basketball program.
Keep reading.
(Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports)
LeBron James is headed back East to a conference that is much better than it was during his previous stints in Cleveland and Miami. In fact, for the first time in forever, the East looks deeper than the West.
East rankings.
(Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)
The East may be deeper, but the West still boasts the league's two title favorites in San Antonio and Oklahoma City. How will the rest of the conference shake out?
West rankings.
Tarik Skubal may have pitched his final game as a Tiger on Wednesday. (Detroit Tigers)
Tick tock. No matter how much MLB front offices would prefer to procrastinate, time is running out for them to upgrade their rosters via trade before the deadline arrives at 6pm ET on Monday.
Jordan Shusterman, Yahoo Sports:
To be fair, these vacillating executives have more time than ever to determine their deadline strategies.
For years, the deadline fell on July 31, but now the league can place the deadline on any day between July 28 and Aug. 3 to avoid conflicting with games. And this year, the stopping point for swaps comes on the latest possible date.
This means teams this season will play more games before the deadline than ever before — roughly 112 games, which is five to 10 more on average than when the deadline was always July 31 — giving them more information to determine their plan but also fewer games on the other side to chase down a playoff spot.
Recent history indicates that the bulk of the transactions will not take place until the final 48-72 hours before Monday's deadline. But teams need to decide soon whether their goal is to upgrade the major-league team, make moves focused on the future or something in between.
Good reads:
(Luke Walker/Getty Images)
️ Women's British Open
The fifth and final major of the LPGA season is currently underway(4am ET, Golf/USA) at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in Lancashire, England, where a loaded field is competing for a $10 million purse.
Meanwhile, in Michigan: The PGA Tour's Rocket Classic tees off this morning(7am, ESPN+/Golf) at Detroit Golf Club, the penultimate stop before the playoffs.
More to watch:
Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. Get tickets now!
(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)
LeBron James' Sixers jersey set a new Fanatics record (across all sports) for jersey sales in the first 48 hours after a player changed teams.
Question: Which athlete previously held the record for first-48-hour jersey sales?
Hint: 2023.
Answer at the bottom.
(Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports)
With every NFL team officially at training camp, we recapped the biggest moves of the offseason and answered one burning question for each club.
Find your team.
Trivia answer: Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers No. 17)
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Continue reading...
HEADLINES
Celebrini cashes in: Sharks phenom Macklin Celebrini, 20, is set to become the NHL's highest-paid player ($18.8 million per season) after inking a five-year, $94 million extension with the team.
️ MLS wins All-Star clash: The MLS All-Stars beat the Liga MX All-Stars, 4-3, in Charlotte behind two goals from LAFC star Son Heung-Min. It was a repeat of their win over the same team last year, and their fourth win in five matchups since 2021.Kawhi saga update: The NBA's investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers could reportedly extend into 2027. Such a delay would likely throw a wrench in the proposed trade to send Leonard back to the Raptors, which is currently on hold.
️ Trade alert: The last-place Angels are sending starting catcher Logan O'Hoppe and relief pitcher Chase Silseth to the Rangers in exchange for infield prospect Angel Arredondo. The sell-off has begun in Anaheim.️ Poch contract talks: Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly "close" to finalizing a deal with the USMNT that would keep him under contract through the 2030 World Cup.See what else is trending on Yahoo Sports.
A COLLEGE HOOPS TEAM FOR SALE? IT COULD HAPPEN
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(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
UNLV men's basketball coach Josh Pastner went viral over the weekend after suggesting that potential owners trying to buy an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas should instead "buy" Pastner's program for $10-12 million, writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken.
"You don't have to spend over a billion dollars to own our team," Pastner said in an interview with KTNV in Vegas. "You still get a great tax write-off and you can be as involved, and you can tell everyone you're the owner of the team."
Walking it back: After some backlash to his comments — and after calls started rolling in from wealthy folks who had taken him literally when he talked about the opportunity to "buy" the team — Pastner issued a clarification on Monday.
"We're not for sale!" he told Yahoo Sports. "I was saying it more, like, tongue-in-cheek. We need support, but we're really not for sale. The model's not set up for that."
State of play: Most of us who follow college sports closely understood what Pastner was trying to say. In the practically unregulated NIL era, where programs are spending as much on rosters as their donors are willing to give, it only takes one person with a wide open checkbook to become the de facto "owner" of a college team.
Just look at Texas Tech and the millions upon millions that mega-booster Cody Campbell has poured into NIL funding. No, he doesn't "own" the Red Raiders. But everyone understands he's the person most responsible for making them nationally competitive in football, men's basketball and softball.
"It's just a new day and age in college athletics," Pastner said. "Obviously teams can't be for sale. This is the students' team, the alumni's team, UNLV's team. No one can ever own the team. But it's interesting that it went viral. I just think that's the change in the landscape. Every program in the country is looking for ways to get more support financially."
You must be registered for see images attach
Jerry Tarkanian turned UNLV basketball into a national brand in the 1970s. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Pastner is wrong about one thing. The idea of buying and selling college teams like pro franchises isn't that far-fetched anymore. In a sense, it's already in motion.
Utah finalized a nine-figure deal with Otro Capital earlier this year, forming a new company that will handle revenue-generating aspects of the athletic program.
Michigan State just unveiled a new athletic department structure with $100 million in seed money, part of which is a for-profit subsidiary called Spartan Media Ventures where investors will get a return.
Next month, LSU is gathering donors at the governors' mansion for a "first look at an alternative revenue-generating opportunity" that's expected to include some type of structure where investors/donors could buy a "share" of a privatized athletic department.
Bottom line: Given the increasing cost pressures to compete now, it's not a huge leap to think a desperate school that just wants to win — but can't really afford it with its donor base — might actually be willing to "sell" its football or basketball program.
Keep reading.
NBA POWER RANKINGS
You must be registered for see images attach
(Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports)
LeBron James is headed back East to a conference that is much better than it was during his previous stints in Cleveland and Miami. In fact, for the first time in forever, the East looks deeper than the West.
East rankings.
You must be registered for see images attach
(Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)
The East may be deeper, but the West still boasts the league's two title favorites in San Antonio and Oklahoma City. How will the rest of the conference shake out?
West rankings.
️ MLB TRADE DEADLINE: 4 DAYS OUT
You must be registered for see images attach
Tarik Skubal may have pitched his final game as a Tiger on Wednesday. (Detroit Tigers)
Tick tock. No matter how much MLB front offices would prefer to procrastinate, time is running out for them to upgrade their rosters via trade before the deadline arrives at 6pm ET on Monday.
Jordan Shusterman, Yahoo Sports:
To be fair, these vacillating executives have more time than ever to determine their deadline strategies.
For years, the deadline fell on July 31, but now the league can place the deadline on any day between July 28 and Aug. 3 to avoid conflicting with games. And this year, the stopping point for swaps comes on the latest possible date.
This means teams this season will play more games before the deadline than ever before — roughly 112 games, which is five to 10 more on average than when the deadline was always July 31 — giving them more information to determine their plan but also fewer games on the other side to chase down a playoff spot.
Recent history indicates that the bulk of the transactions will not take place until the final 48-72 hours before Monday's deadline. But teams need to decide soon whether their goal is to upgrade the major-league team, make moves focused on the future or something in between.
Good reads:
- Skubal sweepstakes:Breaking down who can, who should and who will acquire Detroit's ace
- Deadline tiers:Sorting out all 30 teams, from aggressive buyers to full-on sellers
- Trade candidates:Top 25 players who could be moved at the deadline
WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JULY 30
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(Luke Walker/Getty Images)
️ Women's British OpenThe fifth and final major of the LPGA season is currently underway(4am ET, Golf/USA) at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in Lancashire, England, where a loaded field is competing for a $10 million purse.
Meanwhile, in Michigan: The PGA Tour's Rocket Classic tees off this morning(7am, ESPN+/Golf) at Detroit Golf Club, the penultimate stop before the playoffs.
More to watch:
- ️ MLB: Nationals at Braves (7:15pm, ESPN) … The Nats (55-54) have far exceeded expectations and sit just two games out of the wild card.
- WNBA: Lynx at Tempo (8pm, Prime); Liberty at Aces (10pm, Prime) … Minnesota, Las Vegas and New York are the three favorites to win the title.
- Tennis: Mubadala DC Open (11am, Tennis) … Americans Jessica Pegula (No. 1 seed) and Ben Shelton (No. 2) headline today's Round of 16 action.
Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. Get tickets now!
TRIVIA TIME
You must be registered for see images attach
(Amber Matsumoto/Yahoo Sports)
LeBron James' Sixers jersey set a new Fanatics record (across all sports) for jersey sales in the first 48 hours after a player changed teams.
Question: Which athlete previously held the record for first-48-hour jersey sales?
Hint: 2023.
Answer at the bottom.
NFL REFRESHER
You must be registered for see images attach
(Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports)
With every NFL team officially at training camp, we recapped the biggest moves of the offseason and answered one burning question for each club.
Find your team.
Trivia answer: Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers No. 17)
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Continue reading...
