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Cooper Flagg wants to win now. Mavs’ situation is perfect fit

The Dallas Mavericks were destroyed by the often unforgiving court of public opinion after they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Then, the Mavericks – and general manager Nico Harrison who has been reviled by fans for trading Doncic – got lucky.

With a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery and the No. 1 pick in the draft, Dallas’ ping pong balls came up winners.

On Wednesday, the Mavericks selected Duke’s Cooper Flagg No. 1, giving the franchise a stunning ability to recover quickly from the Doncic trade.

Dallas is a team with championship aspirations. Harrison made it clear that goal wasn’t possible with Doncic, professing a “defense wins championships” mantra.

With the Flagg pick, Harrison also got a reprieve. Rarely does a team that made the Finals one season (2024) get the No. 1 pick the following year. Mavs ownership has entrusted Harrison’s vision, and he caught a break with the lottery victory.

Dallas made the play-in game but missed the playoffs this season.

How soon can the Mavericks return to contender status? The West remains loaded with excellent teams, and champion Oklahoma City is the favorite to win the West in 2025-26.

All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who just reached a new three-year, $119 million deal with the Mavs, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in early March and will miss a significant portion of next season, and All-Star center-forward Anthony Davis has a notable history of injuries that have sidelined him. Other injuries contributed to a 39-win season.

Even with that, the Mavs have a quality roster with Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, Max Christie, P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall and Jaden Hardy.

Now, all those players might not be on the roster when the season starts in October. Given the number of big men, lack of shooting and Irving’s injury, Harrison will look for backcourt help.

And the Mavs are focused on developing Flagg. It’s a near-perfect situation for Flagg. He’s not headed to a team that lost 60-plus games last season and is in a painful rebuild.

“My mindset has always been to be a winner, so I’m going to try to win as hard as I can everywhere I go,” Flagg said. “I’m looking forward to being successful and winning a lot of games, for sure.”

As NBA-ready as he is with his maturity, skillset and physical attributes, he’s not going to Dallas as the sole answer on a team that needs massive help. There’s always pressure on the top pick, but this situation alleviates pressure and gives him and the team freedom for growth without a clock ticking and a referendum on his potential game in, game out.

Flagg gets to play for Dallas coach Jason Kidd, one of the game’s all-time great point guards. He knows the game and sees the game and can translate that to players, including superstars. He coached Giannis Antetokounmpo with Milwaukee and Doncic with the Mavs, and he loves being in the gym teaching. That’s going to help Flagg.

He also joins two former Duke players – Irving and Lively – on the roster. Though all three played just one season at Duke, Blue Devils ties run deep and bind.

“I’m really excited,” Flagg said. “I keep saying I’m excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just to be able to learn from them. It’s going to be an incredible experience.”

The Mavs leave behind a turbulent season and move forward with a plan that could convince fans that trading Doncic was the right decision.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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NCAA approves increase in regular-season college basketball schedule

A change is coming to the construction of regular-season schedules in men’s and women’s college basketball.

On Wednesday, June 25, the NCAA Division I Council approved a rule allowing schools to play a maximum of 32 games before the postseason starting with the 2026-27 season. Teams are currently allowed a maximum of 31 regular-season games.

Though the 32-game model was approved, the NCAA’s news release on June 25 noted teams can play fewer games. The change also ‘does not limit the opportunity for multiple team events to operate or exist,’ the release said.

The adoption of the 32-game regular-season model is the first change to the regular season schedule format in college basketball since the 2006-07 season.

Under the current structure, teams were able to schedule 28 or 29 regular-season games with either an additional two-game or three-game multiple-team event for a maximum of 31 games. Teams also had the option of scheduling 29 regular-season games without a multiple-team event part of their schedule.

‘The opportunity very much exists for teams to continue to play in multiple-team or bracketed events to prepare them for postseason play.’

The NCAA noted that oversight committees determined that the rule change provided greater scheduling flexibility for Division I programs. Teams can now play an additional game at a multi-team event or schedule a late-season marquee non-conference game — perhaps at a neutral site — to help boost their NET ranking and Quad 1 record for the NCAA Tournament.

In a time of college basketball (and college athletics) where more neutral-site non-conference games are taking place and the first NIL-driven multi-team event, The Players’ Era Festival, is now up to 18 teams, the allowance of having that additional regular-season game can be financially beneficial for teams and players.

The 32-game regular season schedule adoption comes a month after the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved changes to the pace and flow of the game in men’s basketball. These adoptions included a coach’s challenge at any point in a game to review out-of-bounds calls, basket interference/goaltending and whether a secondary defender was in the restricted-area arc. 

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Ben Roethlisberger: ‘I think you’ll get a better Aaron this year’

Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2022 and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still trying to replace him.

Next up on the list is Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl champion and four-time NFL MVP. The Steelers signed the quarterback to a one-year deal earlier this offseason, for what appears to be one final ride.

The four-time NFL MVP revealed that the upcoming season is likely to be his last, indicating he will retire following a 21-year career. It comes on the heels of two seasons with the New York Jets, but Roethlisberger said he thinks this year will be a better one for Rodgers – since he won’t be worried about the Achilles injury this time around.

‘I think you’ll get a better Aaron this year,’ Roethlisberger said on the ‘Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger’ podcast on June 25. ‘Just because the thought process of the Achilles, ‘what can I do, what can I not do?’ I don’t think he’ll think about it at all.’

The former Steeler suggested that fans will flock to the stadium each week in an attempt to see greatness one last time, adding that we’ll see what Rodgers has left in the tank.

Rodgers will have the chance to take on the NFC North in his final year – the division he played in for 18 seasons. While the Green Bay Packers will travel to Pittsburgh, he will have the opportunity to play a game at Soldier Field in Chicago against the Bears. Rodgers has famously suggested he owns the team, as evidenced by his 25-5 record against the Packers’ rivals.

However, Roethlisberger believes Bears fans will have a mixed reaction.

‘I think he comes in, at the beginning of the game, it’s boos,’ Roethlisberger said. ‘At the end of the game, win, lose or draw, I think there’s respect shown. Should be, that’s the way it should be for a player like that. You can hate him, and I’ll say sports hate him, all you want, but you still gotta respect what he’s done and his legacy.’

It’s been a rocky past two seasons for Rodgers, who battled injuries and regression. Regardless, the hope from Pittsburgh is that he will be an upgrade for a team that has been built to win right now in recent years – outside of the quarterback spot.

The Steelers have gone through three seasons since Roethlisberger’s retirement, starting five quarterbacks during that time: Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Roethlisberger said he also knew that it would be his final season in 2022, adding that his goal was to make every week special.

Rodgers won’t have the same experience as the former Steelers legend since Pittsburgh is his third team; however, winning has a way of fixing things. With a return to form, perhaps the Steelers can make some noise in 2025.

And that could be the best swan song of all.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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ESPN anchor laments NBA’s uncomfortable ‘hat situation’ at draft

One of the iconic moments of any pro sport’s draft is when a just-picked youngster steps up on stage with the commissioner to pose for a photo with a jersey and hat from his or her new team.

It’s a symbolic start to a new career, one the players can look back on later with a sense of pride.

Except when they know they’ll never play a single game for the team that drafted them.

The NBA has an odd custom where draft-day trades are officially announced by the commissioner after the picks are made. Which can lead to what ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt calls the league’s uncomfortable ‘hat situation.’

‘The league’s too smart to have the moment that they’ve waited their whole life for be a picture in the wrong hat. It just doesn’t make sense,’ Van Pelt ranted post-draft on SportsCenter.

Awful Announcing picked up on the disdain, which was apparently shared by many other NBA fans.

Of the 30 first-round picks in the 2025 NBA draft, 10 were traded shortly after they donned their original team’s hat – including No. 10 Khaman Maluach (from Houston to Phoenix), No. 11 Cedric Coward (from Portland to Memphis) and No. 13 Derik Queen (from Atlanta to New Orleans).

‘I don’t know why they can’t fix it,’ Van Pelt said.

There’s really no reason the NBA does things this way.

Other sports reveal trades before draft picks are made, though Eli Manning ended up in an awkward situation at the 2004 NFL Draft, posing with a San Diego Chargers jersey when he was selected No. 1 overall – while awaiting an official trade minutes later that sent him to Giants for Philip Rivers, who New York took with the fourth pick.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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EXCLUSIVE: Trump admin takes action after massive fraud uncovered at agency Dems tried to protect from DOGE

Following the uncovering of a massive bribery scandal at USAID, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is ordering a full audit of all government contracting officers who have exercised grant-awarding authority under the agency’s business development program over the last 15 years.

In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said the scale of the USAID fraud is a ‘damning reflection of systemic failures in oversight and accountability.’ She further said that the fraud ‘was not an isolated incident.’

In response, Loeffler instructed Associate Administrator Tre Pennie, who oversees government contracts awarded by SBA, to ‘act decisively’ to crack down on any potential similar abuses in the agency.

Loeffler instructed Pennie to immediately initiate a full-scale audit of the agency’s awarding officers back to 2010.

‘The role of federal government contracting officers is not ceremonial or self-dealing; rather, it is a position of immense authority and fiduciary responsibility,’ said Loeffler. ‘The contracting process must be transparent and built on merit, not personal gain.’

This comes after USAID, an agency tasked with administering civilian foreign aid, was essentially dismantled by the DOGE waste, fraud and abuse cuts made under Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. The move was met with massive protests from Democrats who claimed that cutting USAID would impoverish and harm recipients across the globe.

Despite claims of how much good the agency was doing, it was recently discovered that an influential contracting officer at USAID named Roderick Watson was able to carry out a massive, long-term bribery scheme dating all the way back to 2013.

Watson, 57, pleaded guilty to ‘bribery of a public official,’ according to a DOJ press release.

According to the DOJ, Watson sold his influence starting in 2013, with contractors Walter Barnes, owner of Vistant, and Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio, funneling payoffs through subcontractor Paul Young to hide their tracks. 

A DOJ press release said that Britt and Barnes ‘regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices.’

The statement said that Watson is alleged to have received bribes ‘valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.’

Vistant was awarded in November 2023, as part of a joint venture, a contract worth up to $800 million with one of the focuses of that contract being to address ‘a variety of issues affecting the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States,’ an issue that President Joe Biden tasked then-Vice President Kamala Harris with during his presidency.

Several days later, that contract was canceled after USAID published a notice that said Vistant was excluded from government contracting due to ‘evidence of conduct of a lack of business honesty or integrity.’

The joint venture then successfully sued the government over being put on that exclusion list and was re-awarded the contract and given a $10,000 payment in August 2024. 

In her letter, Loeffler said the USAID scandal ‘represents a collapse in the very safeguards that are supposed to protect American taxpayer dollars and ensure fair access for legitimate small businesses.’

She slammed the Biden administration for awarding the $800 million contract to Vistant despite the business being labeled by USAID as lacking ‘honesty and integrity.’

‘The fact that a federal official was able to act as the linchpin of a persistent, large-scale fraud operation speaks to a failure in internal controls and a breakdown in the contracting environment that demands immediate correction,’ said Loeffler.

She said that SBA plays a ‘critical role’ in federal contracting and ‘will no longer stand by while abuses are perpetrated at the expense of taxpayers and deserving small businesses.’

Loeffler said the agency’s audit will begin with high-dollar and limited competition contracts within SBA’s 8(a) business development program. The findings will be referred to the U.S. Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the DOJ.

Any officials or businesses found in violation of the SBA’s ethical standards or who have committed criminal misconduct will be referred to the appropriate authorities and SBA will assist the DOJ in recovering misappropriated funds, Loeffler said.

‘We will not allow public trust to be quietly eroded by backdoor deals and unchecked discretion,’ said Loeffler.

‘We owe it to America’s small businesses to get this right,’ she went on. ‘Your office has the authority, and now the mandate, to act decisively.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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FBI investigating Iran strike leaker, Leavitt says: ‘They should be held accountable’

Those who leaked a preliminary assessment — rejected by the White House — on the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities will face justice for sharing the document, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

President Donald Trump and multiple leaders are saying that the strikes destroyed three Iranian nuclear sites.  

A leaked report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, published by CNN and the New York Times, cast doubt on that though, saying that the strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by several months. CNN first reported the assessment’s findings, citing seven people who were briefed on the report. The outlet reported the findings were based on a battle damage assessment from U.S. Central Command. 

Leavitt pushed back on the early assessment’s credibility, claiming the report was ‘flat-out wrong.’ 

‘Everyone knows what happens when you drop 14 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,’ Leavitt said in a Tuesday statement. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the FBI is conducting an investigation to get to the bottom of the matter and who shared the document with the media. 

Additionally, Leavitt told reporters that leaking classified information is a criminal offense and that those who fail to follow the law ‘need to be held accountable for that crime.’ 

‘This administration wants to ensure that classified intelligence is not ending up in irresponsible hands, and that people who have the privilege of viewing this top secret classified information are being responsible with it,’ Leavitt told reporters Thursday. 

‘Clearly, someone who had their hands on this and it was a very few people, very few number of people in our government who saw this report,’ Leavitt said. ‘That person was irresponsible with it. And we need to get to the bottom of it. And we need to strengthen that process to protect our national security and protect the American public.’ 

Meanwhile, the U.S., Israel and Iran’s Foreign Ministry have all said that the three nuclear sites U.S. forces struck have encountered massive damage. 

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei told Al Jazeera Wednesday that the country’s nuclear facilities were ‘badly damaged,’ and Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission said the U.S. strikes were ‘devastating.’

On Sunday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said that initial battle damage assessments suggest ‘all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.’

Trump issued a word of caution to Iran Wednesday, should it attempt to repair its nuclear program once more, and said the U.S. wouldn’t hesitate to launch another strike against Iran. 

Trump personally called for the firing of one of the reporters who authored the story about the initial assessment, claiming in a Wednesday Truth Social post that the reporter should be ‘IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out ‘like a dog.’’

Even so, CNN came to the defense of the reporter, Natasha Bertrand. 

‘We stand 100% behind Natasha Bertrand’s journalism and specifically her and her colleagues’ reporting of the early intelligence assessment of the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities,’ CNN said in a Wednesday statement. ‘CNN’s reporting made clear that this was an initial finding that could change with additional intelligence. We have extensively covered President Trump’s own deep skepticism about it.’

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Women’s Tennis Association extends media rights deal with Tennis Channel through 2032

The Tennis Channel is extending its deal with the Women’s Tennis Association that will see the cable TV network and streaming service continue to broadcast more than 2,000 matches each season.

While terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, Tennis Channel CEO Jeff Blackburn told CNBC in an interview there was a “pretty big step up in our payments” to the WTA for the U.S. media rights, which includes international tournaments and the WTA Finals event. The new agreement lasts through 2032.

“Our goal and mission is to just cover pro tennis and the game of tennis like no one else, every day, every hour, all year round. There’s no offseason,” Blackburn said. “WTA plays a huge role in that and it was a big priority for me to make sure that we renewed our relationship and extend it as long term as we were able.”

The exclusive rights renewal comes as the Tennis Channel is in the midst of a transition on several fronts.

Last year, longtime Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon was ousted from the company. Blackburn stepped into the role in early May, following a 24-year career at Amazon, where he helped to build out Prime Video and expand the streaming service into sports, among other businesses.

Meanwhile, Sinclair, the owner of broadcast stations as well as the Tennis Channel, had recently considered offloading the network, CNBC previously reported. The parent company, however, is no longer exploring a sale of the Tennis Channel, particularly since Blackburn has taken the helm, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic details.

In the backdrop, the Tennis Channel, like its network peers, is contending with the continued loss of customers from the pay-TV bundle. While live sports garner the biggest audiences — and leagues have reaped huge rights payouts as a result — media companies are focused on growing the profitability of their streaming businesses.

In 2014 the 24/7 tennis network took its first step into streaming with Tennis Channel Plus, and later in 2022 introduced Tennis Channel 2, a free, ad-supported streaming channel. While Blackburn said Tennis Channel 2 has been successful and attracted a younger audience, he is focused on beefing up the Tennis Channel’s recently launched direct-to-consumer streaming app.

The app, which launched in November 2024, costs $9.99 a month or $109.99 annually and offers the same programming as the pay-TV network. Media companies are increasingly offering the same live sports featured on pay-TV networks on their counterpart streaming alternatives — most notably with the launch of Disney’s flagship ESPN app later this year.

“What’s important about the partnership is that they’re committing to doing more with us,” said Marina Storti, CEO of WTA Ventures, the commercial arm of the WTA. “They’re committed to that increased exposure across all of their platforms. They’re committed to ensuring this kind of equal exposure for women and men, where they have the rights. And they’re making a significant commitment. There is a substantial increase in the rights fees, which is a big milestone for us as part of our plan and commitment to growing.”

The Tennis Channel’s agreement with the WTA covers a large swath of the WTA’s tournaments outside of North America through the season-closing WTA Finals.

The audience for WTA events on the Tennis Channel has been growing, particularly among the younger demographic. Viewership among 18- to 34-year-olds on the Tennis Channel has grown annually for each of the past two years, according to a news release.

The deal comes as American female tennis players have shot to the top of global rankings and women’s sports in general have seen a rise in popularity and investment funding.

Already in 2025, two American women have won two of the top majors: Madison Keys took the Australian Open in January, and Coco Gauff was crowned the winner of the French Open in June. Gauff and Keys will be among the participants at Wimbledon, which kicks off on Monday.

“Tennis is really the only major sport where the men’s and women’s game is on equal footing, and that’s really important,” said Blackburn. “I think for tennis it makes it unique. The growth of women’s sports overall? Maybe basketball and soccer will get there, but I think tennis is way ahead in terms of providing that for the fan.”

The Tennis Channel 2 free streaming option has earmarked every Tuesday as “Women’s Day” — showing only women’s match coverage — and Blackburn highlighted the network’s roster of heavy-hitting female talent, including former players and Hall of Famers Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport, among others.

The deal extension also builds on WTA Ventures’ recent efforts to grow its commercial revenue and build the profiles of its athletes.

In 2023 the WTA formed a strategic partnership with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, which invested $150 million for a 20% stake in the newly created WTA Ventures. The entity was formed to focus on growing commercial revenue through sponsorships and media rights deals, with the goal of tripling its revenue by 2029.

In 2024 WTA Ventures said it expected to increase revenue by 24% in its first full year.

The media rights extension marks the first renegotiation with the Tennis Channel under the WTA Ventures framework. The WTA’s long-standing media rights deal with streaming service DAZN expires at the end of next year, and talks have begun for new deals that would begin in 2027, said Storti.

WTA Ventures said its global audience surpassed 1 billion viewers on broadcast and streaming last season, and Storti said the U.S. is among one of the WTA’s biggest growth markets, along with China and Poland.

“We are a completely mass-market product that attracts hundreds of millions of fans across the world, and I would say we deliver a product that stands kind of shoulder to shoulder with the men counterpart,” Storti said.

The WTA has also recently emphasized improvements for players.

This year it’s has announced a paid maternity leave funded by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, as well as a new policy allowing players to protect their rankings during fertility treatments

Still, tennis is not without its issues of disparity. While the U.S. Open awarded equal prize money to men and women beginning in 1973, it was decades ahead of Wimbledon and other majors. And while equal prize money is given at the majors level, there’s still a considerable pay gap at lower-level tournaments.

The sport also drew criticism around the 2025 French Open when the majority of prime-time slots went to men’s matches.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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2025 NBA Draft second round mock draft roundup

The second round of the NBA draft can be a crapshoot, with a history full of late fliers who never panned out, international stashes who never developed and college stars who couldn’t cut it at the next level. But there are enough examples of teams who hit big in recent years, or simply snagged a cheap and unexpected contributor, that it continues to be a valuable roster-building tool.

Nikola Jokic, Jalen Brunson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Nembhard were all second-round picks who became stars or starters in the NBA. So who might turn into this year’s find when the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft begins on Thursday night?

Lots of intriguing options remained after the completion of the first round, with college basketball all-Americans like Auburn’s Johni Broome, Marquette’s Kam Jones and Wisconsin’s John Tonje among the players still available to be picked. A couple surprises in the opening 30 picks left projected first-round choices such as Rasheer Fleming of Saint Joseph’s and Stanford center Alex Raynaud as prime candidates to go quickly.

Draft experts around the country are weighing in on how the second round might go with updated picks and predictions now that the first-round picks are in. Here’s a look at what several mock drafts think will happen when the second round of the 2025 NBA draft gets underway Thursday:

When is the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft?

The 2025 NBA Draft second round is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 26 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The second round will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, with live streaming available via the ESPN app and Fubo.

Watch the NBA draft with Fubo

2025 NBA draft second round mock draft roundup

31. Minnesota Timberwolves

ESPN: F Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s
The Athletic: F Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s
CBS Sports: F Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s
Sports Illustrated: F Adou Thiero, Arkansas

32. Boston Celtics

ESPN: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford
The Athletic: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford
CBS Sports: C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Sports Illustrated: C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton

33. Charlotte Hornets

ESPN: C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
The Athletic: G/F Sion James, Duke
CBS Sports: F/C Johni Broome, Auburn
Sports Illustrated: F Bogoljub Markovic, Mega Basket (Adriatic League)

34. Charlotte Hornets

ESPN: F Noah Penda, Le Mans (France)
The Athletic: C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
CBS Sports: F Adou Thiero, Arkansas
Sports Illustrated: F Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s

35. Philadelphia 76ers

ESPN: G Tyrese Proctor, Duke
The Athletic: G Tyrese Proctor, Duke
CBS Sports: F Bogoljub Markovic, Mega Basket (Adriatic League)
Sports Illustrated: G Chaz Lanier, Tennessee

36. Brooklyn Nets

ESPN: F Adou Thiero, Arkansas
The Athletic: F Noah Penda, Le Mans (France)
CBS Sports: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford
Sports Illustrated: F Alex Toohey, Sydney Kings (Australia)

37. Detroit Pistons

ESPN: G Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
The Athletic: G Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
CBS Sports: G/F Koby Brea, Kentucky
Sports Illustrated: F Noah Penda, Le Mans (France)

38. Indiana Pacers

ESPN: G/F Jamir Watkins, Florida State
The Athletic: G Kam Jones, Marquette
CBS Sports: G Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
Sports Illustrated: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford

39. Toronto Raptors

ESPN: G/F John Tonje, Wisconsin
The Athletic: G Alijah Martin, Florida
CBS Sports: G Tyrese Proctor, Duke
Sports Illustrated: G/F Jamir Watkins, Florida State

40. New Orleans Pelicans

ESPN: F Bogoljub Markovic, Mega Basket (Adriatic League)
The Athletic: F Adou Thiero, Arkansas
CBS Sports: G/F Jamir Watkins, Florida State
Sports Illustrated: G/F Koby Brea, Kentucky

41. Golden State Warriors

ESPN: C Rocco Zikarsky, Brisbane Bullets (Australia)
The Athletic: G/F Koby Brea, Kentucky
CBS Sports: F Noah Penda, Le Mans (France)
Sports Illustrated: G/F Sion James, Duke

42. Sacramento Kings

ESPN: G/F Koby Brea, Kentucky
The Athletic: G Javon Small, West Virginia
CBS Sports: C Rocco Zikarsky, Brisbane Bullets (Australia)
Sports Illustrated: G Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest

43. Washington Wizards

ESPN: G/F Sion James, Duke
The Athletic: F Bogoljub Markovic, Mega Basket (Adriatic League)
CBS Sports: G/F Micah Peavy, Georgetown
Sports Illustrated: G Tyrese Proctor, Duke

44. Oklahoma City Thunder

ESPN: F/C Johni Broome, Auburn
The Athletic: F Alex Toohey, Sydney Kings (Australia)
CBS Sports: F Alex Toohey, Sydney Kings (Australia)
Sports Illustrated: G/F Kobe Sanders, Nevada

45. Chicago Bulls

ESPN: F Alex Toohey, Sydney Kings (Australia)
The Athletic: G/F Kobe Sanders, Nevada
CBS Sports: F/C Lachlan Olbrich, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
Sports Illustrated: C Rocco Zikarsky, Brisbane Bullets (Australia)

46. Orlando Magic

ESPN: G Kam Jones, Marquette
The Athletic: C Vladislav Goldin, Michigan
CBS Sports: G Kam Jones, Marquette
Sports Illustrated: C Amari Williams, Kentucky

47. Milwaukee Bucks

ESPN: G Javon Small, West Virginia
The Athletic: Rocco Zikarsky, Brisbane Bullets (Australia)
CBS Sports: G/F John Tonje, Wisconsin
Sports Illustrated: F Eric Dixon, Villanova

48. Memphis Grizzlies

ESPN: G/F Micah Peavy, Georgetown
The Athletic: G/F John Tonje, Wisconsin
CBS Sports: G Alijah Martin, Florida
Sports Illustrated: G/F John Tonje, Wisconsin

49. Cleveland Cavaliers

ESPN: C Vladislav Goldin, Michigan
The Athletic: G/F Jamir Watkins, Florida State
CBS Sports: G Javon Small, West Virginia
Sports Illustrated: G Kam Jones, Marquette

50. New York Knicks

ESPN: F/C Lachlan Olbrich, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
The Athletic: F/C Johni Broome, Auburn
CBS Sports: G Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga
Sports Illustrated: G Javon Small, West Virginia

51. Los Angeles Clippers

ESPN: F Eric Dixon, Villanova
The Athletic: G Chucky Hepburn, Louisville
CBS Sports: G/F Sion James, Duke
Sports Illustrated: F/C Johni Broome, Auburn

52. Phoenix Suns

ESPN: G Alijah Martin, Florida
The Athletic: G/F Tamar Bates, Missouri
CBS Sports: G/F Dink Pate, Mexico City (G League)
Sports Illustrated: G R.J. Luis, St. John’s

53. Utah Jazz

ESPN: C Amari Williams, Kentucky
The Athletic: G/F Brooks Barnhizer
CBS Sports: G Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
Sports Illustrated: Izan Almansa, Perth Wildcats (Australia)

54. Indiana Pacers

ESPN: G/F Dink Pate, Mexico City (G League)
The Athletic: G/F Micah Peavy, Georgetown
CBS Sports: C Viktor Lakhin, Clemson
Sports Illustrated: G Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga

55. Los Angeles Lakers

ESPN: C Viktor Lakhin, Clemson
The Athletic: C Amari Williams, Kentucky
CBS Sports: F Eric Dixon, Villanova
Sports Illustrated: G Mark Sears, Alabama

56. Memphis Grizzlies

ESPN: G Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
The Athletic: G/F Mohamed Diawara, Cholet (France)
CBS Sports: F Grant Nelson, Alabama
Sports Illustrated: G Alijah Martin, Florida

57. Orlando Magic

ESPN: G/F Kobe Sanders, Nevada
The Athletic: F/C Lachlan Olbrich, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
CBS Sports: G/F Kobe Sanders, Nevada
Sports Illustrated: G/F Micah Peavy, Georgetown

58. Cleveland Cavaliers

ESPN: G/F Saliou Niang, Trentino (Italy)
The Athletic: G/F Saliou Niang, Trentino (Italy)
CBS Sports: C Vladislav Goldin, Michigan
Sports Illustrated: G/F Brice Williams, Nebraska

59. Houston Rockets

ESPN: G Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga
The Athletic: G Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga
CBS Sports: F Izan Almansa, Perth Wildcats (Australia)
Sports Illustrated: G/F Tamar Bates, Missouri

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Wisconsin women’s hockey star Casey O’Brien reflects as No. 3 draft pick

Casey O’Brien, who recently celebrated her victory in the 2025 NCAA women’s ice hockey national championship with the Wisconsin Badgers, has achieved yet another milestone in her career. She was selected as the third overall pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft, marking a significant moment for both O’Brien and the New York Sirens.

O’Brien’s career is highlighted by several notable achievements, including breaking school records with a total of 88 points, comprised of 26 goals and 62 assists. One of the most prestigious honors O’Brien has received is the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. This award is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey and recognizes exceptional individual and team skills, sportsmanship, and a passion for the game—qualities that O’Brien exemplifies.

‘I come from a family of hockey players with my dad and brothers. Their love for the game is what got me on the ice and ignited my passion for hockey,’ O’Brien said. ‘Their support and guidance have been instrumental in my career.’

Since capping off an impressive fifth-year at Wisconsin, O’Brien was a top pick for the New York Sirens in the 2025 PWHL Draft. The professional ice hockey league for women was established in 2023 and began its inaugural season the same year.

‘This entire year feels unreal. For two years, we heard that this league could become a reality, and when it did, I realized that I could take the next step in my career,’ O’Brien said. ‘There was no place I preferred to go ahead of the draft, and it couldn’t have been scripted better for me and my family than hearing my name called to play for my hometown team.’

New York Sirens select Casey O’Brien third overall

In the 2025 PWHL Draft, the New York Sirens selected Casey O’Brien, the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award winner and a center forward, with the third overall pick. This selection was part of a trade that sent veteran defender Ella Shelton to the Toronto Sceptres in exchange for Toronto’s third overall pick.

‘Now, returning to New York as a professional player and giving back to the community that shaped me is truly a dream come true,’ O’Brien said.

When does the PWHL season start?

The 2025 season schedule for the Professional Women’s Hockey League has not yet been released. However, last season began on Saturday, November 30th, and consisted of 90 games, with each team playing 30 regular-season games.

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NHL trade tracker: Analyzing Sabres-Mammoth, Panthers goalie deal

The NHL draft is on June 27 and free agency is around the corner on July 1.

But there are also trades to be made as NHL teams acquire or move players to improve their immediate future or get their salary cap situation under control.

The latest was a deal on June 26 between the Buffalo Sabres and Utah Mammoth, a three-player trade involving a pair of 23-year-old forwards. J.J. Peterka is heading to Utah and Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan to Buffalo in the trade, which involved no draft picks.

Also, the Florida Panthers acquired goalie Daniil Tarasov from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Trades will pick up with the draft and free agency approaching. Tracking the latest NHL deals:

June 26: Mammoth acquire JJ Peterka from Sabres

The Utah Mammoth will be aggressive this offseason as they head into their second season in Salt Lake City. Peterka is coming off a career-best 68 points and totaled 55 goals the past two seasons. The 23-year-old was a restricted free agent and signed a five-year deal with the Mammoth after the trade.

The Sabres, who need to adjust their roster to try to end a 14-season playoff drought, get back defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan. Kesselring, 25, had a career-best 29 points as he got more ice time because of injuries on the Utah blue line. Doan, 23, is the son of former Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan. He has another year left on his contract.

June 26: Panthers acquire Daniil Tarasov from the Blue Jackets

The Panthers give up a 2025 fifth-round pick for Tarasov, 26, a restricted free agent who became available with Jet Greaves emerging in Columbus. Current backup Vitek Vanecek is a pending unrestricted free agent. Tarasov has a career 3.44 goals-against average but those numbers should come down while playing behind a better Panthers defense. Sergei Bobrovsky will be 37 next season and has a year left on his contract. General Bill Zito potentially has found his future No. 1 goalie.

Also: The Seattle Kraken acquired two-way center Frederick Gaudreau from the Minnesota Wild for a 2025 fourth-round pick. … In a free agency move, the Dallas Stars re-signed captain Jamie Benn for one year at $1 million, plus an additional $3 million in potential performance bonuses

June 25: Oilers trade Evander Kane to Canucks

This was a salary cap move, saving more than $5 million with the Oilers needing to re-sign defenseman Evan Bouchard. The Oilers get back a fourth-round pick. Kane, a Vancouver native, adds help on the wing with the Canucks expected to lose Brock Boeser to free agency.

June 23: Flyers acquire Trevor Zegras from Ducks

Zegras wanted to play center and the Ducks didn’t have room for him there in their top six. The Flyers land a creative forward who has scored several lacrosse-style goals but also has dealt recently with injuries. The Ducks get back center Ryan Poehling, who wins faceoffs and kills penalties, two areas where Anaheim needed improvement. They also receive a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder.

June 21: Blackhawks, Kraken make trade

The Chicago Blackhawks traded for left wing Andre Burakovsky, sending center Joe Veleno back to the Seattle Kraken. Burakovsky was available after the Kraken earlier acquired Mason Marchment. Burakovsky has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons but bounced back to play 79 games during the 2024-25 season, netting 10 goals and 27 assists with Seattle. Veleno scored 17 points this season between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. – Elizabeth Flores

June 19: Kraken acquire Mason Marchment from Stars

The Stars needed to clear out cap space after re-signing Matt Duchene so they traded 22-goal scorer Mason Marchment and his $4.5 million contract to the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2025 fourth-rounder. In addition to his goals, he’s 6-foot-5 and throws hits.

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