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Red Sox stock up, stock down: Giolito shining as trade deadline looms

Red Sox stock up, stock down: Giolito shining as trade deadline looms originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox are entering the most important stretch of their 2025 season.

At 42-44, the Red Sox enter July seven games back in the American League East standings and three back in the AL Wild Card race. With the MLB trade deadline just 30 days away, Boston must give chief baseball officer Craig Breslow a good reason to invest in the team for a postseason run rather than part ways with key players.

If Breslow decides to sell, he could trade multiple players whose stocks have surged over the last month. Here’s our Red Sox Stock Up, Stock Down after an eventful June:

Stock Up

Ceddanne Rafaela, OF

From clutch hitting to his usual Platinum Glove-caliber defense, Rafaela has done it all for the Red Sox over the last month. The 24-year-old slashed .283/.327/.543 with a team-leading six homers and 15 RBI in June.

While swing-and-miss remains a big part of Rafaela’s game, the former top prospect has cut his strikeout percentage down from 26.4 last season to 20.1 so far this year. He has made noticeable strides at the plate while making plays like this look routine in center field:

Similar to what we used to say about Jackie Bradley Jr., Rafaela’s defense is so good that anything the Red Sox can get from him at the plate is a bonus. Lately, he has been among the team’s best players in all facets of the game.

Trevor Story, SS

Story has found his groove after enduring perhaps the worst stretch of his career in May. The veteran shortstop was second on the team with five homers and posted a .827 OPS in June.

The Red Sox couldn’t have gone on much longer with the Story they got in May, so his bounce-back is a relief. The question now is whether Story will stick at shortstop with rookie Marcelo Mayer at second base when third baseman Alex Bregman returns from injury, or if he’ll move to second with Mayer taking his place.

Lucas Giolito, RHP

Giolito has been nothing short of elite over his last four starts, allowing just two runs over 25 innings of work. All four were quality starts, including a gem in Seattle on June 16 when he tallied 10 strikeouts.

The Red Sox desperately needed one of their starters to step up as the No. 2 in the rotation behind Garrett Crochet, and it looks like Giolito has assumed that role. But with the MLB trade deadline looming, it’s fair to wonder how long that will last.

Giolito’s trade value has skyrocketed over the last month, so if Boston’s season continues to spiral, the club could move him to a pitching-needy contender for a decent haul. The soon-to-be 31-year-old is signed through 2025 with a team option for the 2026 campaign. It’s a $14 million team option if Giolito pitches fewer than 140 innings and a $19 million mutual option if he exceeds that number.

Brayan Bello, RHP

Bello has joined Giolito in stepping his game up since the calendar flipped to June. The Dominican right-hander posted a 2.87 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP, 23 strikeouts and 10 walks over five starts (31.1 innings).

Like Giolito, Bello has made four consecutive quality starts. That’s exactly what the Red Sox have needed from the 26-year-old, who arrived in the majors as a highly-touted prospect in 2022.

Aroldis Chapman, LHP

Chapman has been virtually unhittable since signing his one-year deal with Boston in the offseason. The 37-year-old southpaw has a 1.32 ERA and 0.79 WHIP over 37 appearances. Most importantly, he has cut his walk rate from 5.7 to 2.6 per nine innings.

Contending clubs are usually willing to pay a hefty price for elite bullpen options around the trade deadline, so Chapman is a prime candidate to be moved if the Red Sox’ season continues to spiral.

Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez, 1B

Say what you will about the Red Sox’ first base situation, but Toro and Gonzalez have done an admirable job holding down the fort in Triston Casas’ absence.

Toro has greatly outperformed expectations with by far his most productive big-league season at the plate so far. His defensive versatility has also paid off with a solid glove at first and third base.

Gonzalez continues to mash, especially against left-handed pitching. He posted a .926 OPS with three homers in 18 games, including this mammoth blast against Toronto:

The Red Sox could still use a more stable first base option if they buy at the trade deadline, but the Toro/Gonzalez platoon has worked like a charm since Casas went down.

Stock Down

Jarren Duran, OF

It has been a disappointing season for the 2024 All-Star Game MVP. While Duran has shown flashes of his elite potential with an MLB-leading nine triples and 20 doubles, he’s been a league-average hitter who has taken a significant step back defensively in left field.

With the deadline approaching, it’s fair to wonder whether Duran is the odd man out in Boston’s crowded outfield. The 28-year-old still has plenty of value after strong 2023 and 2024 seasons, plus he’s under team control until 2029. Don’t be surprised if this month is Duran’s last in a Red Sox uniform.

Will Red Sox trade Jarren Duran? Star OF candidly addresses rumors

Walker Buehler, RHP

Buehler is scheduled to make his next start, but if that one doesn’t go well, he may not last another day in the Red Sox rotation. The veteran right-hander has a 6.45 ERA on the season and an 11.07 ERA in June. He racked up as many walks (17) as strikeouts over the last month.

Considering how Buehler performed in October last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, clubs may still be willing to give something of value for him around the deadline. That said, his stock has undoubtedly plummeted as of late.

Craig Breslow, CBO

Breslow isn’t losing games on the field, but that doesn’t make him safe from the Stock Down category. Boston’s second-year chief baseball officer took a massive PR hit in June after he traded veteran slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a shocking move. He poured more fuel on the fire by stating he believed the Red Sox could win more games without Devers, only for the club to lose six consecutive games and four straight series.

Meanwhile, multiple reports shed light on the dysfunction within the Breslow-led front office. One report even revealed the Red Sox used AI for several rounds of job interviews with a baseball operations candidate.

June was a month for Breslow to forget. Will he make up for it before the July 31 trade deadline?

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Milwaukee Bucks waive and stretch Damian Lillard's contract, use money to sign Myles Turner

Despite expectations he would, Giannis Antetokounmpo did not request a trade out of Milwaukee this offseason, waiting for his team to make a bold move to get them back in the mix for the top of the East. Now, Milwaukee has made about as daring a move as we have seen in the NBA — and Antetokounmpo is not happy about it.

In a stunning move, the Bucks waived Damian Lillard, stretching the nearly $113 million remaining on his contract over five years to free up cap space. Lillard is expected to miss most, if not all, of next season as he rehabs from a torn Achilles suffered in the playoffs. This is a cold bit of business that will make Lillard a free agent and will result in $22.5 million of dead money on Milwaukee's salary cap for each of the next five years (this is the largest salary cap stretch in league history). Lillard was set to make $51.4 million this coming season (he still gets all that money).

Milwaukee then used the freed-up cap space from that move to sign Myles Turner away from the Pacers with a four-year, $107 million contract, all of this broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.

Turner had been central to Indiana's run to the NBA Finals, and, as a free agent, he had stated that he wanted to return to the Pacers, the only team he had ever played for in his 10-year NBA career. However, Pacers' owner Herb Simon's fear of the luxury tax (especially after the Tyrese Haliburton injury) cost them a key player.

This is a punch to the gut of Pacers fans, who just came off the high of their team's impressive and unifying run to the NBA Finals, only to have Tyrese Haliburton go down with a torn Achilles, and now to have Turner leave because ownership would not spend like a contender, even when they have a Finals team.

If you think adding Turner and pushing the Bucks closer to contention in a down Eastern Conference was going to make Antetokounmpo happy, guess again. He is a man who values relationships.

All of this leaves a lot more questions, starting with "Is Antetokounmpo unhappy enough to ask for a trade?"

Then there is "How do the Pacers rebuild this roster now by Haliburton's return?" and "Which team is willing to snap up a 34-year-old Damian Lillard coming off a torn Achilles?"

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Vancouver Canucks’ Noah Juulsen Signs One-Year Contract With The Philadelphia Flyers

Former Vancouver Canucks defender Noah Juulsen has signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Juulsen, who is from BC, will be joining his fourth NHL team throughout his seven-year career. Aside from Vancouver, he also played with the Montréal Canadiens and the Florida Panthers. 

Juulsen was drafted 26th overall by Montréal in the 2015 NHL Draft. He played in his first NHL game on February 22, 2018, and finished that season with a goal and two assists in 23 games played. He had eight points in the 44 games he played in with the Canadiens. He was put on waivers in January of 2021 and was claimed by the Panthers, where he only slotted into four regular and postseason games. 

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In October of 2021, the Canucks traded former 2016 first-round pick Olli Juolevi for Juulsen and Juho Lammikko. This was the first of four seasons that Juulsen spent with his hometown team, during which he put up a goal and eight assists in 109 games. He played in a career-high 54 during the 2023–24 season, also slotting into two of Vancouver’s playoff games during the same season. 

Jan 14, 2025; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Noah Juulsen (47) tries to skate away from Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter (62) during the second period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images

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Viral Diamondbacks fan who interfered vs. Giants addresses latest infraction

Viral Diamondbacks fan who interfered vs. Giants addresses latest infraction originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Diamondbacks’ viral fan has spoken. 

Dave McCaskill, the Arizona fan who interfered with a potential Christian Koss game-tying home run on Monday, addressed his latest infraction, which resulted in a ban from Chase Field for the remainder of 2025.

Remember, McCaskill is rumored to have been involved in five similar incidents, leading to a total of three ejections.

“So, number one: I’m a D-backs fan,” McCaskill told Arizona Sports on Tuesday. “I’ve been here in Arizona for exactly 10 years, retired military for 24 years. I caught a foul ball my first year, and then the lightbulb went off. I was like, ‘I need to catch a home run.’ 

“I kind of followed Zack Hample a little bit, and ever since then, it’s been fun.”

In his defense, however, the 55-year-old fan admits he has never intended to interfere with the game of play. If anything, the camera angles did him a bit of injustice.

“I never try to interfere,” McCaskill added. “If you look — there has been some other videos – I have been ejected three times officially. Two of those have been so close to the line, just like last night.

“If you watch the video, I catch the ball and my glove comes down. It wasn’t the best angle, but that’s my defense. 

“I apologize to the D-backs. I apologize to the D-backs fans. I would never interfere. Alek Thomas is my favorite player. He was talking to me during the game. It’s been fun. I love the D-backs.”

McCaskill confirmed that, following his latest incident on Monday night, he was escorted to the upper level of Chase Stadium.

If he has learned anything over the years, McCaskill claims it’s knowing not to lean over the wall.

“Last year, there was two home runs that were right at the wall, and I purposefully have been keeping my glove on the wall, telling myself, ‘Don’t go out, just go straight up,’ McCaskill concluded.

“Last night, if you noticed, I went parallel.” 

The Giants would like a word, Mr. McCaskill.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Blackhawks Acquire Sam Lafferty For Third Time

Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson has now acquired Sam Lafferty in a trade for the third time throughout his tenure. 

This time, it is a deal with the Buffalo Sabres that sends a 6th-round pick in 2026 in exchange for Lafferty, who has also had stops with the Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins throughout his career. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xwelcome back to Chicago, Sam Lafferty‼️👏 📰 ➡︎ https://t.co/SrGPYWevac

In 60 games with Buffalo last year, Lafferty scored four goals and three assists for seven points. It wasn't a productive year offensively for him on an underachieving Sabres team. With that said, he won over 50% of the faceoffs he took.

Lafferty is a big-bodied player (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) who can help the Blackhawks fill out their lineup in 2025-26. He won't be relied on in a big role, but he will provide depth over a long season.

Killing penalties, helping protect a late lead, and being scratched when young players come up and earn spots will make him a valuable addition for the time being. 

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Celtics to sign forward Josh Minott to two-year deal: Report

Celtics to sign forward Josh Minott to two-year deal: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics made another depth addition Tuesday in NBA free agency.

After reportedly agreeing to a two-year contract with big man Luka Garza on Monday, the Celtics are signing his Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Josh Minott to a two-year deal worth $5 million, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Minott, 22, was selected in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 2.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in 6.0 minutes per game off Minnesota’s bench last season.

So far in free agency, the Celtics have reportedly added Garza and Minott while losing prized big man Luke Kornet to the San Antonio Spurs.

Veteran center Al Horford remains on the market with Boston in need of frontcourt reinforcements. Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, leaving Garza and Neemias Queta as the only centers on the Celtics’ roster.

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Canadiens: Logan Mailloux Traded To St. Louis

Mailloux has been traded to the St. Louis Blues in a deal that doesn’t include Jordan Kyrou. The Montreal Canadiens had been rumoured to be after Kyrou, but in the end, Mailloux was swapped for Zack Bolduc.

It may be free agency day, but that’s not going to prevent Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes from pulling the trigger on a trade. Mailloux was a first-round pick, selected 31st overall in the 2021 draft.

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With Noah Dobson’s arrival, Hughes was given some flexibility when it comes to right-shot defenseman, and he visibly decided that Mailloux was surplus to requirements. As for Bolduc, he was also a first-round pick at the same draft, the 19th selection overall. A 6-foot and 187-pound right winger who shoots left, Bolduc recorded 36 points in 72 games with the Blues this season.

At 22 years old, Bolduc is an interesting project. In the 2023-24 campaign, he had played only 25 games in the NHL and gathered 9 points. His progress was impressive from one year to the next, and in his last two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, he recorded 99 and 110 points.

He skated on the Blues’ third line this past season alongside Oskar Sundqvist and Jake Neighbors, on top of skating on the second power-play unit. From the 4 Nations Face-Off break, he was the highest goal-scoring rookie in the league. 

While Mailloux had a good season with the Laval Rocket, at times he was prone to making the wrong read or decision, going for the big hit, and taking himself out of the play. The organization values David Reinbacher higher than Mailloux and decided to use its overabundance of blueliners to address needs up front.

With Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, and Michael Pezzetta not being re-signed, the Canadiens needed some reinforcement up front. They felt that going with three rookies next season in Ivan Demidov, Owen Beck, and Oliver Kapanen could have been too much. Bolduc is young, but he has some experience. The newcomer is just about to enter the last year of his ELC.

Overall, this is a good deal for the Canadiens and will help address the lack of offense, especially if Bolduc can reach his full potential.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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Portland Timbers’ Facilities Plan Eyes MLS Calendar Change

The Portland Timbers are expanding their current training grounds after making a $25 million land purchase. As part of the project to grow the Adidas Timbers Performance Center, the Timbers have an option to construct an additional indoor practice surface, augmenting the pair it already leases. Indoor facilities have grown in importance as MLS considers …

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Tuesday's Phillies-Padres matchup postponed, will play doubleheader Wednesday

Tuesday's Phillies-Padres matchup postponed, will play doubleheader Wednesday originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Cristopher Sanchez and the Phillies will have to wait one more day to try and collect a series win against the Padres.

Tuesday’s 6:35 p.m. matchup at Citizens Bank Park has been postponed due to inclement weather, the team announced.

Wednesday, July 2, will now be split doubleheader. The first game is still slated for the original 1:05 p.m. start time, with gates opening 11:35 a.m.

Tickets from Tuesday will be valid for the second game, with gates set to open 5:15 p.m. for the 6:15 p.m. start. The fireworks show anticipated for Tuesday will still take place after the Game 2.

Both games will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia, with coverage kicking off 12:30 p.m. with Phillies PreGame Live.

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Hurricanes Lock Up Standout Rookie On Max-Term Deal

The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to terms with Logan Stankoven on an eight-year, $48 million extension that will kick in for the 2026-27 season.

Stankoven, 22, was traded to the Hurricanes in exchange for Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline and he's fit in like a glove.

“From the moment he arrived in Raleigh, it was clear to us that Logan was a Hurricane,” said Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky in a press release. “We’re thrilled that he agrees, and is committed to being a big part of this organization long term.”

The rookie had five goals and nine points in 19 regular season games in Carolina, but he was a playoff beast with five goals and eight points in 15 games.

Stankoven might be a smaller player, but his hard-nosed, direct style of play makes him extremely noticeable whenever he's on the ice.

The Canes are making a big bet on a rookie with just 102 games of NHL experience, but it's one they're confident will work out and if Stankoven keeps progressing, that $6 million AAV will be a real steal.

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Panthers' Brad Marchand Stays Off The Free-Agent Market After Becoming A Two-Time Cup Champion

It seemed like it would be difficult for the Florida Panthers to re-sign each of Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand to new deals, but they got it done. 

Marchand completed the trio’s re-signings with a six-year contract extension, the Panthers announced Tuesday.

Marchand’s new deal, which carries an average annual value of $5.25 million, comes just days after Conn Smythe winner Bennett signed an eight-year, $64-million extension with Florida and one day after Ekblad signed his own eight-year, $48.8-million extension.

There was speculation about multiple teams wanting to sign the 37-year-old Marchand, including the Toronto Maple Leafs or even his former longtime club, the Boston Bruins. But in the end, the Panthers found a way to lock up the veteran forward for, more than likely, the rest of his career. He'll be 43 when the contract expires.

Brad Marchand (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Bruins dealt Marchand to the Panthers at the 2025 trade deadline in return for a first-round draft pick. While Marchand wasn’t an absolute game-changer in the regular season for Florida, contributing two goals and four points in 10 games, he more than showed up in the post-season. He had 10 goals and 20 points, including three game-winning goals, in 23 games. That effort also helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year.

Before his trade to Florida, Marchand had spent his entire career with Boston, playing 1,090 games and posting 976 points with the Bruins during his nearly 16 seasons with the team. During those years after Boston selected him 71st overall in 2006, Marchand and the Bruins made it to three Stanley Cup finals twice, winning the Cup in 2011. Marchand actually had superior stats in his second run to the Cup, as in 2011, he put up 11 goals and 19 points in 25 games.

Now that the Panthers have the trio of Bennett, Ekblad and Marchand signed for the foreseeable future, it is time to see if the Florida Panthers can be the first team to win three Cups in a row since the New York Islanders did so from 1980 to 1983.

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Daria Kasatkina vomits before overcoming nerves to revive Australia’s challenge

  • Kasatkina beats Emiliana Arango in one of four Australian wins on day two

  • Alex de Minaur, Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata also victorious

Australia’s Wimbledon challenge has been reinvigorated after a disastrous opening day, with the national No 1s Daria Kasatkina and Alex de Minaur leading a four-win revival.

On another sweltering day in London on Tuesday, the pair raced into the second round by early afternoon and were joined by Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata. Seven Australians had lost in Monday’s calamitous start, with only an injured Jordan Thompson battling through, but there’ll now be five in the last-64 draw.

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The Sixers' 2025 summer league roster, schedule and more

The Sixers' 2025 summer league roster, schedule and more  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CAMDEN, N.J. — Sixers summer league action is on deck.

The team on Tuesday announced its full summer league roster and schedule, which features No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe, No. 35 pick Johni Broome, second-year big man Adem Bona and second-year wing Justin Edwards. Two-way contract players Hunter Sallis and Alex Reese are both on the team. 

Player development associate coach T.J. DiLeo will serve as the Sixers’ summer league head coach. 

Jared McCain will continue to rehab from his left lateral meniscus tear and not play in summer league. He watched the team’s minicamp practice Tuesday, according to DiLeo, and and also took a few jump shots afterwards. 

The Sixers will first play in the Salt Lake City summer league (July 5-8) and then the Las Vegas summer league (July 10-20). Each team in Vegas will have at least one additional game beyond the initial schedule and the top four teams will advance to the semifinals. Below is the Sixers’ slate: 

  • Saturday, July 5 vs. Jazz at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/NBCSP 
  • Monday, July 7 vs. Thunder at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/NBCSP+
  • Tuesday, July 8 vs. Grizzlies at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV/NBCSP+
  • Thurdsay, July 10 vs. Spurs at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN/NBCSP
  • Saturday, July 12 vs. Hornets at 6:3 0 p.m. ET on ESPN2/NBCSP
  • Tuesday, July 15 vs. Wizards at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV/NBCSP 
  • Wednesday, July 16 vs. Mavericks at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/NBCSP 

Edgecombe will be intriguing to watch as he showcases his athleticism and focuses on honing his offensive game.

“Being more of a point guard, but also being aggressive and being a great teammate,” he said Tuesday. “I always want to encourage my teammates at all times. … But definitely being a better point guard. Continue shooting the ball and continue to work on every little aspect of my game, to be honest — finishing, playmaking, ball handling. Everything.”

Broome seems like he could be quite productive this summer after averaging 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 blocks in his fifth and final college season. 

“He’s got physicality,” DiLeo said of Broome. “He plays hard. He’s got a nose for the ball, really, on both ends of the court. … What’s good about him is he’s a guy that can play hard and also play smart and play with instincts. He’s got a good combination of both of those. 

“He had a great (college) career and he’s been successful at every step he’s been at. I’m happy to have him at summer league and (will) try to get him a little better here for the organization.”

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Knicks signing C/PF Guerschon Yabusele to two-year deal

The Knicks are adding a versatile piece to their frontcourt on Tuesday, and will sign power forward/center Guerschon Yabusele to a two-year deal.

According to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley, the two-year deal is worth $12 million and includes a player option for the second season, with the Knicks using the tax-payer mid-level exception to sign one of the best big men on the market.

Originally drafted by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft, Yabusele played two seasons in Boston before taking his career overseas, where he thrived both in the professional and international stage.

Helping France win Olympic silver medals in both 2020 and 2024, Yabusele has also won two Liga ACB titles in Spain while playing for Real Madrid, and also won a EuroLeague championship in 2023.

Following his success with France in the 2024 Olympics, Yabusele returned to the United States and signed a deal with Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 70 games (43 starts) last season.

Standing at 6-8, 260 pounds, Yabusele can play power forward, with the ability to step out and hit threes (38.0 percent from beyond the arc last season) and step in as an undersized center when needed.

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Thunder to give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander richest contract in NBA history, four-year, $285 million super max

If you can't give the NBA scoring leader, MVP, and Finals MVP a supermax extension, who are you going to give it to?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to the richest contract in NBA history, a four-year, $285 million supermax contract extension worth more than $70 million a season on average, a deal first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.

While that's a lot of money, it's also kind of a no-brainer. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5 rebounds a game last season, shot 37.5% from 3, is a plus defender, and led his team to 68 wins. He racked up a historic string of accolades: leading the NBA in scoring, winning the regular season MVP award, leading his team to an NBA title, and being named Finals MVP.

This new contract also locks SGA in with the Thunder for six years, through the summer of 2031. These four years will start after the two existing years still on SGA's current contract ($79.1 million total). This new contract would pay him more than $70 million a season for the final two years ($78.9 million in 2030-31). As a bit of accounting, that contract total could decrease slightly before it takes effect — the estimates are based on the NBA salary cap going up 10% a year for the next two years, and the league has already announced that it's first estimates for the 2026-27 season have the salary cap going up "only" seven percent. If that happens, the total on the contract decreases accordingly, it is 35% of the salary cap.

The Thunder are not done with extensions this summer: Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are both extension eligible off their rookie contracts. Both of them are max players (25% of the cap) who would be eligible for a Rose rule 30% of the salary cap extension if they make All-NBA (or, in Holmgren's case, is named Defensive Player of the Year) next season. All of those massive extensions mean the NBA's luxury tax and dreaded second apron will be coming for the Thunder, and how they've built out the roster, but that is still a few years down the road.

For now, to the victor go the spoils, and nobody was more of a victor last year than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.