The expectation is that NBA superstar LeBron James begins the 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

But is that the team he finishes the season with? If he starts the season with the Lakers, could he be moved at the trade deadline?

James has had a usual offseason – for the first time in his career, the team he plays for was not clamoring for his return or making a commitment beyond next season. He’s 40 years old, so in theory that makes sense. But he’s also not your typical 40-year-old hanging onto a career.

He was an All-NBA performer in 2024-25.

These are unusual times in the NBA as teams navigate a restrictive and punitive CBA and plan for a future – a future that sooner or later does not include James. His recent foray onto the golf course suggests retirement could be on his mind more than it ever has before.

But, as his agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said, James still wants to compete for a title. So his playing days are not over. It’s just for whom he’ll be playing that is atop NBA discussion.

How would a LeBron James trade even work?

A lot will depend on the shape the 2025-26 season takes for the Lakers and any other potential James destinations. If Los Angeles struggles, it could opt to become sellers prior to the February 2026 trade deadline as the Lakers plan to build a future around Luka Dončić. Still, because James has a no-trade clause in his contract, the team would need to accommodate and cater to James’ wishes.

James, though, has been a player who, historically, has fiercely protected his own self interests. And if at some point he deems the Lakers as a failing operation, he could be the one to request a trade.

In that event, because James carries that no-trade clause, the Lakers would then ask James for a short list of preferred destinations where he would waive the no-trade clause. Once the list of preferred destinations – which could theoretically be just a single squad – is established, the Lakers would then enter possible negotiations with those teams. If terms favorable for both sides are agreed upon, then James would be on his way.

There are two very important things to note, however. James is arguably the most calculated player in NBA history. Acutely aware of what a trade would mean for his legacy, James would feasibly make the decision to request a trade only if it improved his chances to win another title and if he could further his legacy and agenda. It’s logical to assume that Bronny James, his son and teammate in Los Angeles, would also be part of any deal.

It’s also important to note that the Lakers are under no obligation to trade James. Though they might want to do right by him, given his star power and stature within the NBA, the priority for Los Angeles is to advance its own interests for the future.

Possible LeBron James trade fits

Dallas Mavericks

This would be an interesting pairing in that James would be joining a pair of high-profile former teammates in Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving (who is expected to miss some time as he recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament). It also presents an excellent chance for No. 1 overall selection Cooper Flagg to join one of the game’s all-time greats. The Mavericks would need to get creative with their roster construction to make it work, but – assuming health – adding James would make the Mavs an interesting team in a very crowded Western Conference.

Miami Heat

During an Instagram live video in February 2024, a fan asked James if he missed Miami. James’ wife, Savannah James – who was off-camera – said ‘yes’ and then added ‘I miss the city.’ And although there were reports that James held disagreements with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra during his time with the team, the two have worked closely together with Team USA and any tensions seem to have been put to rest. Some of James’ best seasons came in Miami under Spoelstra, who encouraged James to be a distributor. Now, alongside Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, the Heat would get some much-needed offense with James.

New York Knicks

Of all the options, this one might be the most tangibly different one. The Knicks, however, would satisfy James playing in a massive market. And in New York, James would be reuniting with coach Mike Brown, who coached James in Cleveland from 2005-10. James would also bring leadership and basketball IQ to a team that made its first conference championship in 25 seasons. In a wide open East, James could be the piece that puts the Knicks over the top.

Los Angeles Clippers

For this one, the James family wouldn’t be moving far at all. They have built their life in Los Angeles, and playing games at the Intuit Dome would offer some comfort and familiarity. On the court, there would also be a great deal of familiarity; Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was the Cavaliers coach when James and Cleveland won the 2016 NBA Finals. And, when paired with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers would have three stars – albeit in the twilight of their careers – who would make L.A.’s offense difficult to stop, particularly in the clutch.

Golden State Warriors

LeBron and Steph. Steph and LeBron. We got a taste of that pairing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it would be entertaining to watch those two try to bring Golden State another title. The Warriors have made their timeline to win another title clear with Curry’s contract, which runs through 2026-27. LeBron James and Bronny James for Jimmy Butler?

Cleveland Cavaliers

Finishing his career where he started it and where he led the Cavaliers to their only NBA championship is a storybook ending. Maybe not the same Hollywood tale as wrapping up his career in Los Angeles, but it’s still a riveting cinematic arc. This, though, is also complicated given Cleveland’s trajectory with the current roster and who it would have to give up to make this trade work for a season or two with James. Do the Cavs want this? Does James?

Los Angeles Lakers

By now, you understand the difficulties of trading James, and if the Lakers still want to compete for a championship in the spring of 2026, having James is better than not having James. But that might not be their objective either. Maybe they’d like to accelerate their timeline in a future without James. Yet, the Lakers are not in control of that because of James’ no-trade clause. The scenario that makes the most sense for both sides is to play out the season with James and Dončić and see what happens, and re-evaluate where each wants to be next summer.

Possible LeBron James trades

Fire up the trade machine!

Using the model on Spotrac.com, here are a couple of potential frameworks for trades that would work, at least on financial terms. But the point remains that trading James and his salary would be complicated and would take complex salary cap machinations – with the inclusion of a third or fourth team possible.

LeBron James to the Clippers

Lakers acquire

A 2026 second-round pick
Derrick Jones Jr.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Ivica Zubac
Noah Clowney

Clippers acquire

LeBron James
Bronny James
Dariq Whitehead

Nets acquire

A 2027 first-round selection from the Clippers
Shake Milton
Kris Dunn

LeBron James to the Warriors

Lakers acquire

Jimmy Butler

Warriors acquire

LeBron James
Bronny James

LeBron James to the Heat

Lakers acquire

A 2027 first-round pick
A 2029 first-round pick swap
Andrew Wiggins
Nikola Jović
Terry Rozier

Heat acquire

LeBron James
Bronny James
Dalton Knecht

Free agency can become a waiting game for many experienced, high-profile veterans. Even former All-Pros can take their time finding a new home for the upcoming season.

One former Super Bowl MVP is now officially off the market: linebacker Von Miller.

The three-time All-Pro confirmed, via a post to his Instagram page, that he is signing with the Washington Commanders.

‘DC… What’s good??’ he wrote in the caption.

Miller, 36, played the last three seasons for the Buffalo Bills. He hasn’t started a game since 2022 but put up six sacks last season.

He teased in his post that he’d be wearing No. 24 with the Commanders — a nod to his former Denver Broncos teammate and Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey, who also wore the number in Washington.

Miller brings championship pedigree to the Commanders, who made the NFC championship game for the first time in three decades last season. Miller won a Super Bowl in 2015 with the Broncos and 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams.

He didn’t stay with the Rams following their Super Bowl victory and instead signed a deal with the Bills. This makes the Commanders the fourth team he’s played with in his storied NFL career.

Washington’s rookies are set to report to training camp on Friday, July 18. The veterans will report the following Tuesday, July 22, giving Miller nearly a week to get settled before camp starts.

Von Miller stats

Miller’s been a rotational player for the Bills over the last two years but he’s still been productive. Here’s a look at how he’s fared since winning Super Bowl 56 with the Rams:

2022 (11 games): 8.0 sacks, 21 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, one forced fumble
2023 (12 games): 3 tackles
2024 (13 games): 6.0 sacks, 17 tackles, 7 tackles for loss

Commanders free agent additions

Miller is the latest signing in what’s been a very busy offseason for the Commanders. They traded for former All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel and five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

Here’s a list of all of the notable free agent signings Washington’s made this offseason:

WR Michael Gallup
G Nate Herbig
DT Javon Kinlaw
DT Eddie Goldman
DE Deatrich Wise
CB Jonathan Jones
S Will Harris

Comedian Shane Gillis roasted quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his father Deion Wednesday with a joke about the controversial decision to retire Shedeur’s No. 2 at Colorado after two seasons in Boulder.

Gillis made the remarks while hosting the ESPYS in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 16, when he made fun of many sports celebrities and topics.

“Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year, and people are saying it’s because of nepotism, because of his father, and it’s not” Gillis said. “It’s because he went 13-12 over his career, and he almost won the Alamo Bowl. Definitely not nepotism, right?”

The joke drew a muted response from the audience, with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson shown on ESPN looking down and smiling.

Shedeur Sanders, now with the Cleveland Browns, actually went 13-11 as starting quarterback at Colorado across the 2023 and 2024 seasons while playing for his father Deion, Colorado’s head coach. But he is considered possibly the best quarterback in school history after breaking over 100 school records and reviving a program that went 1-11 in 2022, the season before he arrived.

The decision to retire his jersey number still was controversial, partly because it came less than four months after his last college game in the Alamo Bowl against BYU, which he lost, 36-14.

The decision also seemed to overlook other all-time Colorado greats, especially former Colorado quarterback Darian Hagan, who led Colorado to the national championship in 1990 and had a 28-5-2 record as QB. By contrast, Hagan’s jersey number never was retired by Colorado.

The university said the decision to retire a player’s jersey number is at the discretion of the athletic department administration and current head coach.

In April, the university announced the decision to retire the jersey numbers of Sanders and his teammate Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner. Before them, only four jersey numbers had been retired in CU’s 135-year football history and none since 2017.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

NEW YORK — About two hours before Wednesday night’s game between the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty, the scene outside of Barclays Center could have easily been mistaken for the crowds in Iowa City or Indianapolis that have been clamoring to see a glimpse of Caitlin Clark.

Thousands of fans sporting Iowa Hawkeyes and Fever jerseys were aplenty and awaiting entry to see this pivotal matchup of Eastern Conference rivals, and those who showed up to see Clark were sorely disappointed as she missed the game after aggravating her right groin in Tuesday’s 85-77 win against the Connecticut Sun in Boston.

Fever head coach Stephanie White again had to shuffle her lineup against the defending WNBA champions, noting that Clark is day-to-day with her injury and her All-Star weekend availability in Indianapolis, including being a team captain for the All-Star Game and Friday’s 3-point contest, is uncertain. It’s Clark’s fourth different muscle injury this year, after never missing a game during her collegiate career and her Rookie of the Year campaign last season.  

‘I think that we’ve approached it that way from a slow pace from the beginning,’ Fever coach Stephanie White said. ‘The big picture is the most important: for her health and wellness, long-term, and for our team.’

The impact of Clark’s absence on the floor cannot be mistaken. During her absence, the Fever have been an inside team, feeding the ball to All-Star center Aliyah Boston, who leads the WNBA in field goal percentage, and Kelsey Mitchell, who has picked up the scoring slack as well.

But before a sellout crowd of 17,371 in Brooklyn, the Fever were down as many as 17 in the first half, and were routed 98-77, suffering their worst loss of the season, thanks to poor shooting and the inability to stop New York in a transition or any other phase of the game.

Breanna Stewart led five New York players in double figures with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Sabrina Ionesua had 15 points and nine assists, and Natasha Cloud added 14 points for the efficient Liberty, who shot 58%, with 30 assists on 37 made baskets, while knocking down 14 of their 27 3-point attempts.

The Fever, who are now 4-6 without Clark in the lineup, were led by Mitchell, who scored 16 points, snapping a string of three straight games of her scoring 20 points or more, and Sophie Cunningham, who had 12.

Second half expectations

Both teams recognize that achieving their postseason goals depends on their health. While Clark will have to manage her groin injury for the time being, New York is set to welcome back center Jonquel Jones — who has missed a month because of a right ankle injury — when these same two teams meet in the first game after the All-Star break on Tuesday, July 22.

“It would mean everything,” Brondello said of the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP and five-time All-Star. “Every team goes through adversity with injuries, and we’re no different this year. I thought we managed it as well as we could, but I think we realized how important she is for how we play at both ends of the floor.”

The Liberty have been fortunate, still leading the conference at 15-6, despite posting a 5-5 record without Jones.

Clark’s injury puts more of a spotlight on Indiana, who head into the All-Star Break at 12-11. White said one of the things she is doing is trying to keep her All-WNBA superstar in good spirits, while looking at the big picture of championship goals set at the beginning of the season.

“The most important thing for us is to keep her upbeat, continue to support her and let her know we got her back and let her know we’re going to go battle for her,” White said about Clark before Wednesday’s game.

“I consider it good news. For me, anything we’re talking about still day-to-day is always good news for me,” White said about the injury. ‘Being injured and continuing to have setbacks is frustrating. Mentally, emotionally. Often times, being injured is isolating. The primary conversations we’ve had is checking in.’

MLS has seen its fair share of stars over what is now a 30-season lifespan. Whether those players were global icons, cult figures, or unknowns who used the league to make their name in the soccer world, the league has seen some outstanding talents grace its fields.

Some of the biggest names are obvious: Lionel Messi is a player with no equal, while even the most casual soccer fan in the U.S. knows names like David Beckham and Landon Donovan.

However, MLS history extends beyond the ‘retirement league” cliches, and to see the league as nothing more than a home for aging big names and U.S. men’s national team hopefuls would be a huge mistake. From the get-go, MLS has been home to some extravagantly skillful players, as well as some incredible underdog stories, comebacks and top-level international talent that real soccer heads know all about.

With that thought in mind, here are USA TODAY’s picks for the 30 best players in MLS history:

Jeff Agoos

Only Landon Donovan has surpassed Agoos’ five MLS Cup rings. The longtime USMNT defender, who today is the president and general manager of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, was a crucial piece for the most dominant team in MLS history (the D.C. United sides of the 1990s) and then arguably even more important on a San Jose Earthquakes club that won MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003.

Miguel Almirón

Almirón has only played three seasons in MLS, but his impact is undeniable. The Paraguayan put together two marvelous MLS Best XI campaigns with Atlanta United in 2017-18, helping a brand-new team redefine what it is to hit the ground running in this league. Almirón then joined Newcastle United in a reported $26 million transfer, which remains a league record. Moreover, the move validated MLS as a place for elite younger players to blossom before moving on to the world’s elite leagues.

The Five Stripes brought “Miggy” back this season in part hoping to recapture the club’s early success.

DaMarcus Beasley

As a fleet-footed winger, Beasley burst onto the scene with an excellent Chicago Fire side that won three trophies in his five seasons there.

The Indiana native – who is the only USMNT player to appear in four World Cups – then broke new ground with a transfer to Dutch power PSV, eventually playing in the Premier League and Bundesliga before returning to MLS in 2014 to join the Houston Dynamo. Remaking himself as a left back, Beasley became a leader in Houston, helping the Dynamo to the 2018 U.S. Open Cup.

Kyle Beckerman

The dreadlocked Crofton, Maryland, native owns the MLS record for minutes played by a field player (41,164), a remarkable achievement for a player whose career started before teams in this league really knew what to do with talented youngsters. His other MLS record (most yellow cards, with 152) speaks to a win-at-all-costs grit that made him a club legend for Real Salt Lake.

Beckerman played in six MLS All-Star Games and is one of 15 players with 400-plus league appearances.

David Beckham

Beckham’s place in MLS history is fascinating. The global superstar was an important piece of the puzzle for an LA Galaxy side that won MLS Cups in 2011 and 2012, putting up 20 goals and 42 assists in 124 appearances in all competitions. However, he was not the most important player on that team and missed time due to a torn Achilles tendon suffered on a winter loan to AC Milan that, at the time, went down like a lead balloon.

As a cultural force, though, Beckham’s impact was absolutely essential for MLS’ growth. His arrival served as rocket fuel for a league that was seemingly stuck in place, opening wallets domestically and doors abroad that were previously closed.

Sergio Busquets

Busquets’ career speaks for itself: nine championships and three UEFA Champions League wins with a Barcelona side whose stylistic qualities fundamentally changed the sport, and a pivotal role on the Spain team that won the 2010 World Cup to boot.

The 36-year-old may play an unglamorous position, but his presence in MLS remains mind-blowing for any long-standing league observer. Since coming to Inter Miami in 2023, Busquets has been nearly ever-present, functioning as a leader and the driving force of the possession-based style that allows Messi and company to make all the headlines.

Dwayne De Rosario

“De Ro” is a thoroughly MLS success story. De Rosario won eight major trophies and was named to the MLS Best XI six times in his 14 seasons in the league. With the San Jose Earthquakes, he scored a brilliant Golden Goal to secure the 2001 MLS Cup and later scored a physics-defying free kick that remains arguably the best goal in MLS history. In 2011 he won the MLS MVP award despite being traded twice after that season had begun (playing for Toronto FC, the New York Red Bulls, and D.C. United).

Between his wandering career, his trademark goal celebration, and a staggering highlight reel, the Ontario native is unquestionably an MLS legend.

Clint Dempsey

Dempsey started his career in MLS with the New England Revolution in 2004, eventually earning a move to the Premier League after three seasons. However, the second chapter of Dempsey’s MLS career with the Seattle Sounders is what earned him his place on this list. A blockbuster $8 million return to the league after European success with Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur broke new ground for MLS, with an in-demand USMNT star coming to the league at a time when that simply didn’t happen.

Dempsey’s swaggering, brash personality and creativity are ingredients MLS clubs have often had to find abroad, making him a uniquely important figure in league history.

Landon Donovan

Donovan’s MLS career was so impressive, and so important to what was a fledgling league when the California native arrived on the scene, that the league MVP award is officially titled the Landon Donovan Most Valuable Player Award.

No one has won more MLS Cups (six), made more Best XI lists (seven), or had more assists (136) than Donovan, who also sits third on the league’s all-time goal scoring list with 145. Between his time with the Earthquakes and Galaxy, Donovan lifted nine major trophies.

Marco Etcheverry

Etcheverry was the cornerstone of what remains the most successful run by a single club in MLS history. D.C. United won eight trophies from 1996 to 1999, including three MLS Cup victories and the first continental trophy in league history (the 1998 Concacaf Champions Cup).

Moreover, the Bolivian playmaker was exactly what MLS wanted to be: his skills would have fit in anywhere in the world, and his competitive fire (his nickname, “El Diablo,” was no joke) drove D.C. to heights it couldn’t have achieved otherwise. Etcheverry’s 101 assists in league play came in just 191 appearances, making him one of the most prolific chance generators MLS has ever seen.

Sebastian Giovinco

Giovinco wasn’t in MLS for all that long, but his four years with Toronto FC were unprecedented.

The pint-sized Italian won the league MVP award in 2015, leading MLS in both goals (22) and assists (15). TFC would go on to be the only team in MLS history to win a treble in 2017, claiming the MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Shield, and the Canadian Championship. In just four MLS seasons, Giovinco scored a league-record 13 direct free kick goals.

Thierry Henry

Henry’s numbers (52 goals, 40 assists in 135 appearances) speak to his class as a player, but where the Arsenal and Barcelona icon truly stood out came by changing perceptions about MLS.

Many global stars came to the league at the same point in their careers as Henry, who arrived in the league at age 33. However, none with his profile had brought the intensity and commitment to winning that the France legend did, and it’s fair to say he sparked a sea change at a Red Bulls franchise that had never won anything before his arrival.

Zlatan Ibrahimović

Whether you buy into the Zlatan persona or not, the towering Swedish striker made an impact in MLS that stands alone. Ibrahimović joined an LA Galaxy side in 2018, scoring 52 goals in 56 games for what was otherwise one of the worst teams in the league at the time.

Ibrahimović’s combination of skill, creativity and pure power remain unmatched in league history, and his subsequent success at AC Milan showed that MLS wasn’t as far from the world’s top leagues as some would say.

Robbie Keane

As much as the LA Galaxy’s best era as a team are defined by Beckham and Donovan, Keane was arguably that group’s most vital player. The Ireland striker was relentless for a Galaxy team that won the MLS Cup three times in four seasons, scoring 83 times in 125 total appearances.

His forward partnership with Donovan has arguably never been matched in the league, and Keane’s intense competitive nature was just as important in pushing the biggest club in MLS to capitalize on Beckham’s presence with on-field success.

Kei Kamara

A refugee who escaped the Sierra Leone civil war, Kamara has had a remarkably unlikely path to MLS stardom. The striker has played for a record 12 MLS teams, and he sits second on the league’s all-time goal scoring chart with 146.

Despite rarely staying with any team for more than two years, Kamara has aerial ability and an outsized personality that have won fans over across MLS. At age 40, Kamara is in the midst of his 18th MLS season, and he’s not merely hanging around. The target man is an often-used substitute for a serious contender in FC Cincinnati, and last season he had a similar role with another big-time franchise in LAFC.

Chad Marshall

Marshall’s 35,843 minutes played place him fifth all-time, and third among field players. A remarkable 16-year run in MLS saw the California native establish himself as a defensive cornerstone for the Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders, leading both teams to tremendous success. In Ohio, Marshall helped the Crew to an MLS Cup win in 2008 and three Supporters’ Shields.

The center back then joined the Sounders, lifting three trophies (including the 2016 MLS Cup), and was a model of consistency throughout his career. Despite long being on the outside looking in with the USMNT, Marshall is the only player to win MLS Defender of the Year three times.

Josef Martínez

Martínez may currently play for San Jose, but he is synonymous with the incredible early success Atlanta United experienced when the club entered MLS in 2017. Martínez bagged 111 goals and 17 assists in 158 appearances for Atlanta, terrorizing defenses with a wide range of finishes. There have been few players to feel as inevitable as Martínez did from 2017 to 2020, before a torn ACL slowed his output and hastened his exit with the Five Stripes.

While his performances at Inter Miami, CF Montréal and with the Earthquakes may not quite have matched the good old days, the Venezuelan is sixth in MLS history with 123 goals. His strike rate of 0.62 goals per appearance is the best among any of the 13 players to cross the 100-goal barrier.

Tony Meola

Meola was a vital figure in MLS’ first few years, lending the notoriety he gained as the USMNT’s starting No. 1 (which also resulted in an NFL tryout with the New York Jets, among other things) to a league that needed all the help it could get.

The New Jersey native remains the only MLS goalkeeper to win an MVP award, doing so in 2000 as he helped a defense-first Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City) to an MLS Cup victory. Meola’s 16 shutouts that season remain an MLS record, and we’d be remiss if we ignored what remains the best season a goalkeeper has had in league history.

Lionel Messi

If you’re regarded in plenty of quarters as the best player in soccer history, and you play in MLS, you definitely belong on this list.

Messi’s output for Inter Miami (49 goals, 24 assists in 59 games) is jaw-dropping, even knowing how good he has been at the very top of the sport, and only Beckham has come close to matching the Argentine’s cultural impact as an MLS player. He is, simply put, one of one.

Could MLS have more clearly capitalized on his presence? Certainly, but the GOAT being in the league has still been revolutionary.

Jaime Moreno

Moreno (133 goals, 102 assists) remains an icon with D.C. United, having been two different versions of himself in two stints with the club. In the ’90s, Moreno was the best forward in MLS, a classic speed-first No. 9 who was indispensable for a team that won three of the first four MLS Cup titles.

After a back injury that nearly ended his career in a 2002 trade, he returned to the District in 2004 slower but craftier, helping United win another championship in 2004. The Bolivian was a part of 12 of United’s 13 major trophy wins, landing on the Best XI five times. He and Donovan are the only two players to sit in the league’s all-time top 10 in goals and assists.

Pat Onstad

Now the president of soccer at the Houston Dynamo, Onstad won two MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2003 and 2005 (earning a spot in the Best XI on both occasions as well). Quiet and unspectacular, Onstad made positioning, sound fundamentals and organizational ability his top priorities.

The result? He was a key piece in the San Jose team that claimed the 2003 MLS Cup and 2005 Supporters’ Shield, then carried on when the team relocated, becoming the Houston Dynamo. That same group, now in Texas, continued an outstanding run, going back-to-back with MLS Cup wins in 2006 and 2007. In a nine-year MLS career, the Canadian posted a 1.14 goals-against average, one of the 10 best marks in MLS history.

Eddie Pope

In an era where center backs were big, mean, and slow, Pope was like a visitor from the future. The North Carolina native’s 12 MLS seasons were characterized with an unshakable calm with and without the ball, as well as the kind of mobility and comfort with the ball that became hallmarks in soccer over a decade after he had hung up his boots.

Pope won eight trophies in his years with D.C. United (scoring a legendary game-winner in the first-ever MLS Cup final), and landed on the MLS Best XI four times (twice with D.C. and twice with the MetroStars). He remains arguably the best center back the USMNT has ever had, another highly unlikely achievement for a player whose pro career was entirely spent in MLS.

Preki

Predrag Radosavljević had the kind of career that can scarcely be believed: Stints in Serbia, Sweden, and in the Premier League with Everton were broken up by years spent plying his trade in the various indoor soccer leagues that served as the best option in the U.S. before MLS kicked off in 1996.

In 10 MLS seasons (nine of which came with the Kansas City Wizards), Preki was named MLS MVP in 1997 and 2003, making him the only player in league history to win that award twice. With his trademark cutback move and powerful shot, Preki won two Golden Boot awards, while his 112 career assists rank him fifth in league history.

Steve Ralston

MLS’s first-ever Rookie of the Year, Ralston was a six-time All-Star Game participant and landed on the league’s Best XI three times (1999, 2000, 2002). The Missouri native’s 135 career assists are one shy of Donovan’s all-time record, while his 33,143 career minutes played rank 10th all-time.

Ralston thrived alongside Carlos Valderrama with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, then became a key cog for the best era in New England Revolution history once the Florida-based side folded in 2001. His consistent play over such a long span eventually won him a role with the USMNT, where he scored the goal that clinched the team’s qualification for the 2006 World Cup.

Nick Rimando

No player has spent more time on the field in MLS games than Rimando, whose 46,336 minutes played are easily the league record. He also holds league records for shutouts (154) and saves (1,701).

While Rimando is held in high esteem at D.C. United, his legend was truly built with Real Salt Lake, where he made 389 appearances over 13 seasons. There, the California native’s prowess at saving penalty kicks became mythical, and he would claim the MLS Cup MVP award in helping RSL claim its lone championship victory in 2009. While the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year award (controversially) never went his way, his place in MLS history is secure.

Carlos Valderrama

A legend in Colombian soccer, Valderrama was much more than his iconic hairstyle. One of the great playmakers on the planet in the ’90s, “El Pibe” piled up 114 assists in 175 MLS matches (the fourth-highest total all-time), including a 26-assist masterclass in 2000 that remains the league’s single-season mark.

During time with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Miami Fusion, and Colorado Rapids, Valderrama played the game with a casual ease that MLS has only really seen in one other player: Messi. Valderrama’s vision and ability to weigh a pass perfectly meant that he could play with casual ease and still be the most dangerous player on the field.

Diego Valeri

Humble, dedicated, and possessing lavish skill, Valeri is the kind of player every MLS fan hopes their team will sign. Portland Timbers fans fell in love with the Argentine straight away, as Valeri led MLS in assists and clinched the first of three appearances on the league’s Best XI after joining the club in 2013.

During his nine seasons with Portland, Valeri would become just the third MLS player ever to surpass 80 goals and 80 assists, and he helped the Timbers win the MLS Cup in 2015 by scoring just 27 seconds from kickoff, the fastest goal in the league final’s history.

Carlos Vela

Vela was LAFC’s first designated player, and it could hardly have found a better candidate for the job. The Mexican forward came to MLS in 2018 and was instantly dangerous in a 14 goal/10 assist campaign.

That was just the appetizer. Vela’s 2019 remains the single-season bar all other players aspire to: a 34-goal, 10-assist masterpiece that set a new MLS record for goal scoring in one year and helped LAFC to the 2019 Supporters’ Shield. That’s the kind of productivity that only Messi has really matched, and it helped set a standard for LA’s second club that has thus far seen the team in the discussion for trophies during every single season it has existed.

Chris Wondolowski

There is no better MLS underdog story than “Wondo,” who was the 89th player selected across MLS’ two different college drafts in 2005. Wondolowski earned a contract with the Earthquakes but saw little action, largely stuck out of position as a right winger.

By the time his 17th season in the league had ended, the California native had scored 171 goals, which still stands as the league’s all-time record. It’s a staggering feat, especially when you consider that he didn’t become a starter (or score more than five goals in one season) until 2010. What followed was unmatched consistency: 10 straight seasons with at least 10 goals, including five instances in which he broke the 15-goal barrier.

Bradley Wright-Phillips

Wright-Phillips didn’t look like he would be much of an MLS signing.

With a more famous sibling (his brother Shaun played for Manchester City) and a solid career in the English second and third tiers, “BWP” seemed like a shot in the dark when the New York Red Bulls signed him in the summer of 2013.

After a tepid debut half-season, the move turned out to be a stroke of genius for both parties.

Wright-Phillips scored 27 goals in 2014, equaling what was the league record at the time and landing the first of two Golden Boot awards during his nine seasons in MLS.

The English striker scored at least 17 goals in five straight seasons and sits seventh on MLS’ all-time goal scoring list with 117 goals in 234 games.

USA TODAY Sports’ 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today.

Shane Gillis served as host of the 2025 ESPYS and was front and center with a pair of Caitlin Clark-related jokes during his opening monologue.

Gillis’ first joke was met with a mixed reaction from the crowd as he compared himself to the Indiana Fever star.

“It’s been a big year for the WNBA, I love Caitlin Clark,” Gillis said. “She and I have a lot in common. We’re both whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of threes.”

Clark was not in attendance for the awards show, as the Fever were on the road for a game against the New York Liberty at the Barclays Center.

After what appeared to be a mixed reaction, Gillis paused and said, “There you go, lighten up a little. It’s not serious. We’ll see about this one,” before telling his second joke.

‘When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she’s going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist-fighting Black women,” Gillis said.

The remarks were a reference to the heated exchanges Clark has had this season with opponents.

Caitlin Clark wins at ESPYS

It was announced before the ceremony that Clark won the ESPY for Best WNBA Player. In 2024, Clark was named All-WNBA and Rookie of the Year.

The Oklahoma City Thunder just became one of the youngest teams to win an NBA championship.

The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to become one of the oldest.

The Clippers plan to sign a two-year deal with Bradley Beal, who on Wednesday, July 16 secured a buyout with the Phoenix Suns to become a free agent and sign with a new team.

Beal must clear waivers first, but that’s just a formality. No team will claim him — and the two years, $110.7 million remaining on his contract.

The Clippers have had an intriguing offseason and assembled a talented — and older — roster. They re-signed James Harden, 35, and Nic Batum, 36, and will add Beal, 32. They also signed Brook Lopez, 37, and still have Kawhi Leonard, 34. They also acquired John Collins via trade to a roster that also includes Ivica Zubac, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr.

What does Beal deal mean for the Clippers?

The Clippers were 50-32 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Denver Nuggets in seven games. They had a 2-1 series lead and lost Game 4, 101-99, on Aaron Gordon’s dunk as time expired in the fourth quarter.

They are an experienced, deep and talented team. For 2025-26, they lost scoring with Norman Powell’s departure, but make up for it with the additions of Beal (a low-cost, high-reward replacement for Powell) and Collins, and will be strong defensively after finishing No. 3 on that side of the court last season. Considering their No. 15 offense, the Clippers had the No. 5 net rating.

Harden had a bounce-back season, Zubac had a breakout season and Leonard when healthy (he played in 37 games last season) remains an All-NBA level player.

The Clippers will be a difficult matchup in the regular season and playoffs, especially if healthy. Deep and versatile rule the game in the NBA right now, and the Clippers have that.

What does the Clippers’ starting lineup look like?

Starters

Guard: James Harden
Guard: Bradley Beal
Forward: Kawhi Leonard
Forward: John Collins
Center: Ivica Zubac

Key reserves

Bogdan Bogdanovic
Kris Dun
Brook Lopez
Derrick Jones Jr.
Cam Christie
Kobe Brown

What does Beal deal for the Western Conference?

The West is loaded, and it will be difficult to emerge as the conference champion — even for the 2024-25 champion Oklahoma City, which needed two seven-games series to win the title.

The Clippers made it more difficult with their offseason moves. Looking at the West, considering what the Thunder, Denver and Houston did, there are six teams — maybe more — who could reach the finals.