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🏀 Good morning to everybody, however particularly to …

THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Coming off a powerful 2023-24 season, the Thunder weren’t content material to relaxation on their laurels. The highest seed within the Western Convention has already made some huge strikes to say themselves because the crew to beat as soon as once more.

The most recent of these strikes got here yesterday when the Thunder signed former Knicks huge man Isaiah Hartenstein to a large three-year deal value $87 million. Oklahoma Metropolis is overhauling its roster this offseason, and Hartenstein may very well be a key piece that places the Thunder excessive subsequent season.

As our personal Sam Quinn explains, Hartenstein does greater than convey improved protection to OKC. The brand new Thunder huge man ought to assistance on the offensive finish of the court docket too, performing as a stable distributor and a really sturdy offensive rebounder.

Mix Hartenstein with the Thunder’s different offseason strikes, and GM Sam Presti seems like the best government within the NBA.

• Quinn: “If Presti does nothing else, the Thunder might need already had the perfect offseason of any crew within the league, not to mention any contender. This signing, together with the Alex Caruso commerce and the team-friendly contracts they negotiated with Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, place them as a extra adaptable, playoff-ready crew than they had been final season, with inside improvement to come back and loads of flexibility sooner or later.”

Presti has already been somewhat busy this summer time. Simply final month, he flipped former No. 6 total choose Josh Giddey for Caruso in a take care of the Bulls. That transfer gave Oklahoma Metropolis a second-team All-Protection participant and a sneaky good shooter in Caruso.

Whereas Oklahoma Metropolis may be essentially the most profitable crew up to now this offseason, different groups have been busy attempting to revamp their rosters as effectively. Klay Thompson is about to affix the Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million deal. The Pistons are bringing again Tobias Harris on a two-year, $52 million contract.

As NBA free company rolls alongside within the coming days, comply with together with each signing through the use of our free company tracker.

👍 Honorable mentions

And never such an excellent morning for …

THE UNITED STATES MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

The USMNT ended their very temporary look at Copa America with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay. Now, this system should assess the place it is headed earlier than the 2026 World Cup.

The USA managed to hold round with Uruguay by the primary half, however Mathias Olivera notched the one aim of the match for his aspect within the 66th minute. Olivera punched in a rebound off a free kick and scored the game-deciding aim for Uruguay.

The USMNT’s loss, coupled with Panama‘s 3-1 win over Bolivia, meant they had been eradicated from Copa America within the group stage. That is a brutal consequence for the crew after getting an honest draw, and now there are questions on the way forward for head coach Gregg Berhalter.

Our personal Pardeep Cattry broke down the USMNT’s Copa America faceplant.

• Cattry: “The crew did not stay as much as the expectations, being positioned in a good group and coming into the match with eyes on a quarterfinal spot. Gregg Berhalter’s crew, although, didn’t ever put out a stable sufficient efficiency at this competitors and they also crash out of the match. It is a lasting stain on the crew’s file since Berhalter took over in 2019, and can linger as their subsequent huge recreation doesn’t arrive till they start the 2026 World Cup.”

The USMNT started the match on an honest word, notching a 2-0 win over Bolivia to kick off the group stage. Nevertheless, they adopted that up with a 2-1 loss to Panama and failing to attain in opposition to Uruguay. The crew finishes third in Group C with simply three factors and a fair aim differential.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏒 NHL free company spending spree

NHL gamers could not command the sum of money that NBA gamers do in terms of free company, however yesterday was nonetheless a file day for spending throughout the league.

For the primary time in NHL historical past, groups spent greater than $1 billion mixed in a 24-hour interval. That is smart, on condition that the wage cap jumped as much as $88 million after remaining comparatively flat for the primary few years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Predators had been the largest spenders, shelling out a complete of $108.5 million to herald forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, in addition to defenseman Brady Skjei. That does not even embody the $14.25 million they used to re-sign defenseman Alex Provider and add goaltender Scott Wedgewood.

After only one yr on the job, Nashville normal supervisor Barry Trotz has fully remade the crew’s roster.

The opposite main transfer was the Lightning agreeing to a seven-year, $63 million take care of winger Jake Guentzel. A Stanley Cup champion, Guentzel will attempt to fill the void left by Stamkos, a former captain who led the Bolts to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021.

Talking of the Cup, the newest champs made positive to maintain one among their most vital gamers round. Sam Reinhart, who notched 57 objectives final season, is staying with the Panthers on an eight-year contract value $69 million.

Listed here are a couple of extra notable offers from Day 1 of NHL free company:

• The Kraken added Stanley Cup winner Chandler Stephenson on a $43.75 million deal.
• Jake DeBrusk signed a $38.5 million contract to affix the Canucks.
• The Devils bolstered their protection by including Brett Pesce on a $33 million settlement.

Hold it locked on our NHL free company tracker to see each deal that goes down within the coming days and weeks. For that matter, be sure that to comply with our commerce tracker as groups proceed to tweak their lineups this summer time.

🏈 Texas, Oklahoma formally be a part of the SEC

SEC historical past was made yesterday when Texas and Oklahoma turned the fifteenth and sixteenth members of the convention. The query now’s whether or not they’re prepared for all times within the SEC.

The SEC is among the premier conferences in school athletics, however that is particularly the case in terms of soccer. The grind of enjoying within the convention means a tricky matchup or a visit to a hostile atmosphere virtually each week. That wasn’t all the time the case for the Longhorns and Sooners within the Huge 12.

Our personal Dennis Dodd spoke to key gamers at each Texas and Oklahoma, they usually’re prepared for the problem forward of them. Sooners head coach Brent Venables is aware of that even these middle-of-the-pack SEC groups are a risk to tug an upset each Saturday.

• Venables: “That is what I’ve seen learning the final six months. Whoever these groups are that perhaps did not have a shiny file on the finish of the yr, it is [still] a dogfight week in, week out. Oklahoma would not sneak up on anyone, so we’re not going to shock anyone.”

In order for you any proof of how tough the bounce from the Huge 12 to the SEC will be, simply take a look at the final two groups to make it: Texas A&M and Missouri. Neither crew has received the convention, and the Aggies have not even appeared within the title recreation.

That stated, the SEC additionally has to arrange itself for Texas and Oklahoma, two of the largest manufacturers in school soccer. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is already within the prime three of our SEC coach rankings, and he can current loads of issues for opposing defenses.

🏀  Favorites nonetheless lead WNBA Energy Rankings, however Fever rise

The 2024 WNBA season is about midway over, and a few groups are beginning to discover their groove. The Fever reside as much as their identify as they proceed to heat up behind star rookie Caitlin Clark.

Clark and the Fever are as much as No. 6 in Jack Maloney’s newest WNBA Energy Rankings following a pleasant little run. Whereas Clark is making historical past regularly, the largest purpose for Indiana’s turnaround has been the emergence of a legit supporting solid.

• Maloney: “However the purpose the Fever are successful video games is that the remainder of their younger core has shined as effectively. Aliyah Boston had a career-high 27 factors and 13 rebounds of their win over the Dream on June 13, whereas Kelsey Mitchell is capturing 50% on 3-pointers and NaLyssa Smith is almost averaging a double-double throughout this run.”

Right here is how the highest 5 shook out forward of the Fever:

1. Liberty
2. Lynx
3. Aces
4. Solar
5. Storm

📺 What we’re watching Tuesday

⚽ Euro 2024 — Spherical of 16: Romania vs. Netherlands, 12 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Euro 2024 — Spherical of 16: Austria vs. Turkey, 3 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Sky at Dream, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports activities Community
⚾ Phillies at Cubs, 8:05 p.m. on TBS
⚽ Copa America — Brazil vs. Colombia, 9 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Copa America — Costa Rica vs. Paraguay, 9 p.m. on FS2