×
Las Vegas Raiders Three More Teams Facing Pressure in 2026 NFL Draft | Deadspin.com Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Las Vegas Raiders helmet during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images We can spot you the No. 1 team on the list, the Las Vegas Raiders, for being obvious captains of the NFL’s desperate.When it comes to the draft, the Raiders are long on misses. JaMarcus Russell was the last No. 1 overall pick for a franchise kluging together misfit pieces in recent years and stockpiling losses by the dozen. They bagged 14 of ’em last season, Pete Carroll’s only year at the helm, and start over in as many ways as they could afford in 2026.The climb out of the AFC West cellar is dark, steep and slippery. But there’s nowhere to go but up considering Las Vegas has 36 total losses since the start of the 2023 season.The latest reboot will mean a couple new quarterbacks for first-time head coach Klint Kubiak and for the sake of Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins, a lot more help on the offensive line and perhaps a receiver capable of beating man coverage. Mendoza might not make a start in September — GM John Spytek and Kubiak both suggested insulating a rookie QB would be part of the plan — while getting a feel for the pro offense and recent first-round brethren Ashton Jeanty at running back and tight end Brock Bowers.If you are getting Manning-Faulk/James-Pollard/Clark vibes, that seems to be the intent.Jeanty and Bowers had 17 of the Raiders’ 25 total touchdowns last season. Even with Geno Smith, moved to the Jets in a spring trade, running for his life and Jeanty rarely breaking the line of scrimmage before first contact with a defender, Las Vegas knows it has two capable playmakers. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.Hitting on the top pick and getting game-ready help is a must unless the Raiders enjoy the view behind the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs.Spytek isn’t alone as a GM feeling the squeeze to deliver this week.Minnesota Vikings Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Vikings are living on the back of the 2020 draft, when somehow 21 picks rolled by and Justin Jefferson (LSU) was still on the board. He’s an All-Pro and Minnesota should be thanking the sweet heavens they lucked into the pick. Because their second first-rounder in that draft, cornerback Jeff Gladney, was a poor investment. That’s been on-brand for the Vikings. In 2021, their second selection was Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond. He played one game and threw three passes in a Minnesota uniform.J.J. McCarthy, the top pick in 2024, had a fun debut at Chicago last season in his second year with the team. But right now he’s more famous for walking on the grass barefoot pregame than anything he’s delivered consistently in the NFL. The second first-round selection in 2024, Dallas Turner (17th overall), has 11 sacks in 33 career games. That’s three more than 94th overall pick Jalyx Hunt.To compete in the NFC North, you better have a quarterback. It’s Caleb Williams, Jordan Love and Jared Goff on the other side. The other option, if Kyler Murray and McCarthy can’t figure it out, is to be one of the best defenses in the NFL.New York Giants Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Now armed with two top-10 picks, new head coach John Harbaugh and the Giants are feeding expectations for a team that rises a rung above being competitive.Harbaugh might be a great coach — his resume in Baltimore points that direction — but he strolls into the locker room with a million salary, a paycheck for 2026 that is nearly double the take-home of Williams, Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud, Cam Ward and dwarfs the earnings of Giants QB Jaxson Dart (.6M this season).No, he’s not playing quarterback. But he’s clearly playing GM, and being paid at a rate exceeding all but three current players (Brian Burns, Andrew Thomas and Paulson Adebo).All of this to say, Harbaugh didn’t get this whopper of a contract to hit doubles. He needs to swing for the fences and park a few 400-foot tanks to be a hit in New York. What does that look like?This would be the third draft in four years in which the Giants had two first-round picks.Since 2015, the Giants have had nine top-10 picks. From Ereck Flowers (’15) to Eli Apple (’16), Saquon Barkley (’18) and Daniel Jones (’19) to Thomas (2020), Kayvon Thibodeaux (fifth, 2022) and Evan Neal (seventh, 2022) the results have been all over the map.If Harbaugh can bring anything with him from Baltimore, it should be the Ravens’ consistent wins on draft day by sitting still and selecting the best player on the board.Miami Dolphins Dec 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Miami is in the midst of a rebuild, and this isn’t a “wait ’til next year” kind of conversation.The Dolphins are carrying more dead cap space than any team in history having rid the roster of Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb and last year’s deadline dump, Jaelen Phillips.Jeff Hafley was hired to replace Mike McDaniel and knows there are more needs than impact players in Miami. Paired with former Packers co-worker Jon-Eric Sullivan (GM), the duo has been part of rebuilding a dynamic defense in Green Bay and has the benefit of basement-level expectations for 2026.They also have seven of the top 94 picks, plentiful ammunition to come out of the weekend with a handful of marquee prospects. #Las #Vegas #Raiders #Teams #Facing #Pressure #NFL #Draft #Deadspin.com

Las Vegas Raiders Three More Teams Facing Pressure in 2026 NFL Draft | Deadspin.com
Las Vegas Raiders Three More Teams Facing Pressure in 2026 NFL Draft | Deadspin.com Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Las Vegas Raiders helmet during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images We can spot you the No. 1 team on the list, the Las Vegas Raiders, for being obvious captains of the NFL’s desperate.When it comes to the draft, the Raiders are long on misses. JaMarcus Russell was the last No. 1 overall pick for a franchise kluging together misfit pieces in recent years and stockpiling losses by the dozen. They bagged 14 of ’em last season, Pete Carroll’s only year at the helm, and start over in as many ways as they could afford in 2026.The climb out of the AFC West cellar is dark, steep and slippery. But there’s nowhere to go but up considering Las Vegas has 36 total losses since the start of the 2023 season.The latest reboot will mean a couple new quarterbacks for first-time head coach Klint Kubiak and for the sake of Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins, a lot more help on the offensive line and perhaps a receiver capable of beating man coverage. Mendoza might not make a start in September — GM John Spytek and Kubiak both suggested insulating a rookie QB would be part of the plan — while getting a feel for the pro offense and recent first-round brethren Ashton Jeanty at running back and tight end Brock Bowers.If you are getting Manning-Faulk/James-Pollard/Clark vibes, that seems to be the intent.Jeanty and Bowers had 17 of the Raiders’ 25 total touchdowns last season. Even with Geno Smith, moved to the Jets in a spring trade, running for his life and Jeanty rarely breaking the line of scrimmage before first contact with a defender, Las Vegas knows it has two capable playmakers. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.Hitting on the top pick and getting game-ready help is a must unless the Raiders enjoy the view behind the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs.Spytek isn’t alone as a GM feeling the squeeze to deliver this week.Minnesota Vikings Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Vikings are living on the back of the 2020 draft, when somehow 21 picks rolled by and Justin Jefferson (LSU) was still on the board. He’s an All-Pro and Minnesota should be thanking the sweet heavens they lucked into the pick. Because their second first-rounder in that draft, cornerback Jeff Gladney, was a poor investment. That’s been on-brand for the Vikings. In 2021, their second selection was Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond. He played one game and threw three passes in a Minnesota uniform.J.J. McCarthy, the top pick in 2024, had a fun debut at Chicago last season in his second year with the team. But right now he’s more famous for walking on the grass barefoot pregame than anything he’s delivered consistently in the NFL. The second first-round selection in 2024, Dallas Turner (17th overall), has 11 sacks in 33 career games. That’s three more than 94th overall pick Jalyx Hunt.To compete in the NFC North, you better have a quarterback. It’s Caleb Williams, Jordan Love and Jared Goff on the other side. The other option, if Kyler Murray and McCarthy can’t figure it out, is to be one of the best defenses in the NFL.New York Giants Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Now armed with two top-10 picks, new head coach John Harbaugh and the Giants are feeding expectations for a team that rises a rung above being competitive.Harbaugh might be a great coach — his resume in Baltimore points that direction — but he strolls into the locker room with a million salary, a paycheck for 2026 that is nearly double the take-home of Williams, Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud, Cam Ward and dwarfs the earnings of Giants QB Jaxson Dart (.6M this season).No, he’s not playing quarterback. But he’s clearly playing GM, and being paid at a rate exceeding all but three current players (Brian Burns, Andrew Thomas and Paulson Adebo).All of this to say, Harbaugh didn’t get this whopper of a contract to hit doubles. He needs to swing for the fences and park a few 400-foot tanks to be a hit in New York. What does that look like?This would be the third draft in four years in which the Giants had two first-round picks.Since 2015, the Giants have had nine top-10 picks. From Ereck Flowers (’15) to Eli Apple (’16), Saquon Barkley (’18) and Daniel Jones (’19) to Thomas (2020), Kayvon Thibodeaux (fifth, 2022) and Evan Neal (seventh, 2022) the results have been all over the map.If Harbaugh can bring anything with him from Baltimore, it should be the Ravens’ consistent wins on draft day by sitting still and selecting the best player on the board.Miami Dolphins Dec 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Miami is in the midst of a rebuild, and this isn’t a “wait ’til next year” kind of conversation.The Dolphins are carrying more dead cap space than any team in history having rid the roster of Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb and last year’s deadline dump, Jaelen Phillips.Jeff Hafley was hired to replace Mike McDaniel and knows there are more needs than impact players in Miami. Paired with former Packers co-worker Jon-Eric Sullivan (GM), the duo has been part of rebuilding a dynamic defense in Green Bay and has the benefit of basement-level expectations for 2026.They also have seven of the top 94 picks, plentiful ammunition to come out of the weekend with a handful of marquee prospects. #Las #Vegas #Raiders #Teams #Facing #Pressure #NFL #Draft #Deadspin.comAug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Las Vegas Raiders helmet during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

We can spot you the No. 1 team on the list, the Las Vegas Raiders, for being obvious captains of the NFL’s desperate.

When it comes to the draft, the Raiders are long on misses. JaMarcus Russell was the last No. 1 overall pick for a franchise kluging together misfit pieces in recent years and stockpiling losses by the dozen. They bagged 14 of ’em last season, Pete Carroll’s only year at the helm, and start over in as many ways as they could afford in 2026.

The climb out of the AFC West cellar is dark, steep and slippery. But there’s nowhere to go but up considering Las Vegas has 36 total losses since the start of the 2023 season.

The latest reboot will mean a couple new quarterbacks for first-time head coach Klint Kubiak and for the sake of Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins, a lot more help on the offensive line and perhaps a receiver capable of beating man coverage. Mendoza might not make a start in September — GM John Spytek and Kubiak both suggested insulating a rookie QB would be part of the plan — while getting a feel for the pro offense and recent first-round brethren Ashton Jeanty at running back and tight end Brock Bowers.

If you are getting Manning-Faulk/James-Pollard/Clark vibes, that seems to be the intent.

Jeanty and Bowers had 17 of the Raiders’ 25 total touchdowns last season. Even with Geno Smith, moved to the Jets in a spring trade, running for his life and Jeanty rarely breaking the line of scrimmage before first contact with a defender, Las Vegas knows it has two capable playmakers. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.

Hitting on the top pick and getting game-ready help is a must unless the Raiders enjoy the view behind the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs.

Spytek isn’t alone as a GM feeling the squeeze to deliver this week.

Minnesota Vikings

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell reacts against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesJan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Vikings are living on the back of the 2020 draft, when somehow 21 picks rolled by and Justin Jefferson (LSU) was still on the board. He’s an All-Pro and Minnesota should be thanking the sweet heavens they lucked into the pick. Because their second first-rounder in that draft, cornerback Jeff Gladney, was a poor investment. That’s been on-brand for the Vikings. In 2021, their second selection was Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond. He played one game and threw three passes in a Minnesota uniform.

J.J. McCarthy, the top pick in 2024, had a fun debut at Chicago last season in his second year with the team. But right now he’s more famous for walking on the grass barefoot pregame than anything he’s delivered consistently in the NFL. The second first-round selection in 2024, Dallas Turner (17th overall), has 11 sacks in 33 career games. That’s three more than 94th overall pick Jalyx Hunt.

To compete in the NFC North, you better have a quarterback. It’s Caleb Williams, Jordan Love and Jared Goff on the other side. The other option, if Kyler Murray and McCarthy can’t figure it out, is to be one of the best defenses in the NFL.

New York Giants


Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesMar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Now armed with two top-10 picks, new head coach John Harbaugh and the Giants are feeding expectations for a team that rises a rung above being competitive.

Harbaugh might be a great coach — his resume in Baltimore points that direction — but he strolls into the locker room with a $20 million salary, a paycheck for 2026 that is nearly double the take-home of Williams, Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud, Cam Ward and dwarfs the earnings of Giants QB Jaxson Dart ($1.6M this season).

No, he’s not playing quarterback. But he’s clearly playing GM, and being paid at a rate exceeding all but three current players (Brian Burns, Andrew Thomas and Paulson Adebo).

All of this to say, Harbaugh didn’t get this whopper of a contract to hit doubles. He needs to swing for the fences and park a few 400-foot tanks to be a hit in New York. What does that look like?

This would be the third draft in four years in which the Giants had two first-round picks.

Since 2015, the Giants have had nine top-10 picks. From Ereck Flowers (’15) to Eli Apple (’16), Saquon Barkley (’18) and Daniel Jones (’19) to Thomas (2020), Kayvon Thibodeaux (fifth, 2022) and Evan Neal (seventh, 2022) the results have been all over the map.

If Harbaugh can bring anything with him from Baltimore, it should be the Ravens’ consistent wins on draft day by sitting still and selecting the best player on the board.

Miami Dolphins

Dec 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesDec 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Miami is in the midst of a rebuild, and this isn’t a “wait ’til next year” kind of conversation.

The Dolphins are carrying more dead cap space than any team in history having rid the roster of Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb and last year’s deadline dump, Jaelen Phillips.

Jeff Hafley was hired to replace Mike McDaniel and knows there are more needs than impact players in Miami. Paired with former Packers co-worker Jon-Eric Sullivan (GM), the duo has been part of rebuilding a dynamic defense in Green Bay and has the benefit of basement-level expectations for 2026.

They also have seven of the top 94 picks, plentiful ammunition to come out of the weekend with a handful of marquee prospects.

#Las #Vegas #Raiders #Teams #Facing #Pressure #NFL #Draft #Deadspin.com

Sports news

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Las Vegas Raiders helmet during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

We can spot you the No. 1 team on the list, the Las Vegas Raiders, for being obvious captains of the NFL’s desperate.

When it comes to the draft, the Raiders are long on misses. JaMarcus Russell was the last No. 1 overall pick for a franchise kluging together misfit pieces in recent years and stockpiling losses by the dozen. They bagged 14 of ’em last season, Pete Carroll’s only year at the helm, and start over in as many ways as they could afford in 2026.

The climb out of the AFC West cellar is dark, steep and slippery. But there’s nowhere to go but up considering Las Vegas has 36 total losses since the start of the 2023 season.

The latest reboot will mean a couple new quarterbacks for first-time head coach Klint Kubiak and for the sake of Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins, a lot more help on the offensive line and perhaps a receiver capable of beating man coverage. Mendoza might not make a start in September — GM John Spytek and Kubiak both suggested insulating a rookie QB would be part of the plan — while getting a feel for the pro offense and recent first-round brethren Ashton Jeanty at running back and tight end Brock Bowers.

If you are getting Manning-Faulk/James-Pollard/Clark vibes, that seems to be the intent.

Jeanty and Bowers had 17 of the Raiders’ 25 total touchdowns last season. Even with Geno Smith, moved to the Jets in a spring trade, running for his life and Jeanty rarely breaking the line of scrimmage before first contact with a defender, Las Vegas knows it has two capable playmakers. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.

Hitting on the top pick and getting game-ready help is a must unless the Raiders enjoy the view behind the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs.

Spytek isn’t alone as a GM feeling the squeeze to deliver this week.

Minnesota Vikings

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell reacts against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Vikings are living on the back of the 2020 draft, when somehow 21 picks rolled by and Justin Jefferson (LSU) was still on the board. He’s an All-Pro and Minnesota should be thanking the sweet heavens they lucked into the pick. Because their second first-rounder in that draft, cornerback Jeff Gladney, was a poor investment. That’s been on-brand for the Vikings. In 2021, their second selection was Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond. He played one game and threw three passes in a Minnesota uniform.

J.J. McCarthy, the top pick in 2024, had a fun debut at Chicago last season in his second year with the team. But right now he’s more famous for walking on the grass barefoot pregame than anything he’s delivered consistently in the NFL. The second first-round selection in 2024, Dallas Turner (17th overall), has 11 sacks in 33 career games. That’s three more than 94th overall pick Jalyx Hunt.

To compete in the NFC North, you better have a quarterback. It’s Caleb Williams, Jordan Love and Jared Goff on the other side. The other option, if Kyler Murray and McCarthy can’t figure it out, is to be one of the best defenses in the NFL.

New York Giants

Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesMar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Now armed with two top-10 picks, new head coach John Harbaugh and the Giants are feeding expectations for a team that rises a rung above being competitive.

Harbaugh might be a great coach — his resume in Baltimore points that direction — but he strolls into the locker room with a $20 million salary, a paycheck for 2026 that is nearly double the take-home of Williams, Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud, Cam Ward and dwarfs the earnings of Giants QB Jaxson Dart ($1.6M this season).

No, he’s not playing quarterback. But he’s clearly playing GM, and being paid at a rate exceeding all but three current players (Brian Burns, Andrew Thomas and Paulson Adebo).

All of this to say, Harbaugh didn’t get this whopper of a contract to hit doubles. He needs to swing for the fences and park a few 400-foot tanks to be a hit in New York. What does that look like?

This would be the third draft in four years in which the Giants had two first-round picks.

Since 2015, the Giants have had nine top-10 picks. From Ereck Flowers (’15) to Eli Apple (’16), Saquon Barkley (’18) and Daniel Jones (’19) to Thomas (2020), Kayvon Thibodeaux (fifth, 2022) and Evan Neal (seventh, 2022) the results have been all over the map.

If Harbaugh can bring anything with him from Baltimore, it should be the Ravens’ consistent wins on draft day by sitting still and selecting the best player on the board.

Miami Dolphins

Dec 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesDec 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Miami is in the midst of a rebuild, and this isn’t a “wait ’til next year” kind of conversation.

The Dolphins are carrying more dead cap space than any team in history having rid the roster of Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb and last year’s deadline dump, Jaelen Phillips.

Jeff Hafley was hired to replace Mike McDaniel and knows there are more needs than impact players in Miami. Paired with former Packers co-worker Jon-Eric Sullivan (GM), the duo has been part of rebuilding a dynamic defense in Green Bay and has the benefit of basement-level expectations for 2026.

They also have seven of the top 94 picks, plentiful ammunition to come out of the weekend with a handful of marquee prospects.

Source link
#Las #Vegas #Raiders #Teams #Facing #Pressure #NFL #Draft #Deadspin.com

Previous post

Titans’ NFL Draft odds show Jeremiyah Love as a strong favorite. Will he be the pick? <div><div class="g6j1tz1 g6j1tz2"><div class="_1nfb3k4n _1nfb3k4x"><img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 19 Mayhem at MBS - Notre Dame vs Georgia Tech" data-chromatic="ignore" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="w91vxg0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 700px" srcset="https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=376 376w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=384 384w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=415 415w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=480 480w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=540 540w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=640 640w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=750 750w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=828 828w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=1080 1080w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=1200 1200w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=1440 1440w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=2400"/></div><div class="_1nfb3k4m _1nfb3k4x"><img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 19 Mayhem at MBS - Notre Dame vs Georgia Tech" data-chromatic="ignore" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" class="w91vxg0" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 700px" srcset="https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=376 376w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=384 384w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=415 415w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=480 480w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=540 540w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=640 640w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=750 750w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=828 828w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=1080 1080w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=1200 1200w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=1440 1440w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=1920 1920w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=2048 2048w, https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=2400 2400w" src="https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2178671619.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0.0042527855745504%2C100%2C99.991494428851&w=2400"/></div></div><p><figcaption class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup ls9zuh2 rzoxl5a">ATLANTA, GA OCTOBER 19: Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on October 19th, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)</figcaption> <cite class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup ls9zuh2 rzoxl55">Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</cite></p></div> #Titans #NFL #Draft #odds #show #Jeremiyah #Love #strong #favorite #pick

Next post

US held secret talks with Cuba<img src="https://s.france24.com/media/display/f180244c-3d88-11f1-997c-005056a90284/w:1024/p:16x9/EN-20260421-153400-153548-CS.jpg" /><br>Cuba and the United States say officials recently held talks on the island as tensions remain high over the US energy blockade on the Caribbean nation. A US State Department official said the meeting took place on April 10th, while Cuba identified lifting the blockade as a key priority. Morgan Ayre reports.#held #secret #talks #Cuba

Related Posts

Deadspin | Kelsey Mitchell lifts Fever over Mercury in wild finish Jul 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) defends against Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston (7) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images There were five lead changes in the final 45 seconds of regulation, with the decisive basket coming on Kelsey Mitchell’s driving finger roll with 10.1 seconds remaining to lift the visiting Indiana Fever to a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday. Indiana (13-9) trailed by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, but an 11-0 run that included 3-pointers by Sophie Cunningham, Mitchell and Tyasha Harris set the stage for a wild finale. Phoenix (8-15) ended the Fever spurt on a DeWanna Bonner 3-pointer with 2:48 to go. The resulting 82-80 Mercury lead transitioned into a back-and-forth finish with multiple ties. Kahleah Copper finished with 22 points, matching Alyssa Thomas for the team lead. Thomas also delivered one of the lead-swapping buckets for Phoenix, cleaning up a deflected ball from Copper at the rim to answer Aliyah Boston’s make in the paint on the other end. Boston, returning to the Indiana lineup after missing Wednesday’s first leg of a back-to-back in Los Angeles, finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. Harris added 15 points, including seven in the final four minutes on a variety of clutch baskets. It was Mitchell delivering the ultimate game-winner, fittingly, to cap her game-high 29-point performance. After Thomas’ go-ahead score, Indiana cleared the floor to allow Thomas to operate one-on-one. She created just enough space driving left to get off her scooping layup and seal the win. Mitchell also dished out a game-high eight assists. Phoenix had one last opportunity, but Thomas could not get a clean look at the basket, and former Mercury player Cunningham drew a loose-ball foul on Copper to effectively end it. Cunningham’s ensuing free throws gave her nine points off the bench, pitching in as Indiana filled the offensive void with Caitlin Clark sidelined. Clark returned on Wednesday from a back injury sustained against Phoenix, but sat on Thursday with the immediate turnaround. Monique Akoa Makani scored 14 points off the bench for the Mercury. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Kelsey #Mitchell #lifts #Fever #Mercury #wild #finishJul 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) defends against Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston (7) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There were five lead changes in the final 45 seconds of regulation, with the decisive basket coming on Kelsey Mitchell’s driving finger roll with 10.1 seconds remaining to lift the visiting Indiana Fever to a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday.

Indiana (13-9) trailed by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, but an 11-0 run that included 3-pointers by Sophie Cunningham, Mitchell and Tyasha Harris set the stage for a wild finale.

Phoenix (8-15) ended the Fever spurt on a DeWanna Bonner 3-pointer with 2:48 to go. The resulting 82-80 Mercury lead transitioned into a back-and-forth finish with multiple ties.

Kahleah Copper finished with 22 points, matching Alyssa Thomas for the team lead. Thomas also delivered one of the lead-swapping buckets for Phoenix, cleaning up a deflected ball from Copper at the rim to answer Aliyah Boston’s make in the paint on the other end.

Boston, returning to the Indiana lineup after missing Wednesday’s first leg of a back-to-back in Los Angeles, finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. Harris added 15 points, including seven in the final four minutes on a variety of clutch baskets.


It was Mitchell delivering the ultimate game-winner, fittingly, to cap her game-high 29-point performance. After Thomas’ go-ahead score, Indiana cleared the floor to allow Thomas to operate one-on-one.

She created just enough space driving left to get off her scooping layup and seal the win. Mitchell also dished out a game-high eight assists.

Phoenix had one last opportunity, but Thomas could not get a clean look at the basket, and former Mercury player Cunningham drew a loose-ball foul on Copper to effectively end it.

Cunningham’s ensuing free throws gave her nine points off the bench, pitching in as Indiana filled the offensive void with Caitlin Clark sidelined. Clark returned on Wednesday from a back injury sustained against Phoenix, but sat on Thursday with the immediate turnaround.

Monique Akoa Makani scored 14 points off the bench for the Mercury.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Kelsey #Mitchell #lifts #Fever #Mercury #wild #finish">Deadspin | Kelsey Mitchell lifts Fever over Mercury in wild finish Jul 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) defends against Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston (7) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images There were five lead changes in the final 45 seconds of regulation, with the decisive basket coming on Kelsey Mitchell’s driving finger roll with 10.1 seconds remaining to lift the visiting Indiana Fever to a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday. Indiana (13-9) trailed by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, but an 11-0 run that included 3-pointers by Sophie Cunningham, Mitchell and Tyasha Harris set the stage for a wild finale. Phoenix (8-15) ended the Fever spurt on a DeWanna Bonner 3-pointer with 2:48 to go. The resulting 82-80 Mercury lead transitioned into a back-and-forth finish with multiple ties. Kahleah Copper finished with 22 points, matching Alyssa Thomas for the team lead. Thomas also delivered one of the lead-swapping buckets for Phoenix, cleaning up a deflected ball from Copper at the rim to answer Aliyah Boston’s make in the paint on the other end. Boston, returning to the Indiana lineup after missing Wednesday’s first leg of a back-to-back in Los Angeles, finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. Harris added 15 points, including seven in the final four minutes on a variety of clutch baskets. It was Mitchell delivering the ultimate game-winner, fittingly, to cap her game-high 29-point performance. After Thomas’ go-ahead score, Indiana cleared the floor to allow Thomas to operate one-on-one. She created just enough space driving left to get off her scooping layup and seal the win. Mitchell also dished out a game-high eight assists. Phoenix had one last opportunity, but Thomas could not get a clean look at the basket, and former Mercury player Cunningham drew a loose-ball foul on Copper to effectively end it. Cunningham’s ensuing free throws gave her nine points off the bench, pitching in as Indiana filled the offensive void with Caitlin Clark sidelined. Clark returned on Wednesday from a back injury sustained against Phoenix, but sat on Thursday with the immediate turnaround. Monique Akoa Makani scored 14 points off the bench for the Mercury. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Kelsey #Mitchell #lifts #Fever #Mercury #wild #finish

The NBA offseason still has a long ways to go, but the picture at the top and bottom of the league is already starting to solidify for the 2026-2027 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks feel like they’re in a class of their own as an elite tier of contenders. Who’s the fourth best in the NBA right now? Your guess is as good as mine.

The NBA’s new anti-tanking rules mean there are no more free wins on the schedule this season. Still, some teams are likely to be very bad, starting with the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls. This year’s draft lottery features a “relegation zone” which lowers the odds at a top pick for the league’s three worst teams, though it also comes with the added benefit of falling no further than the No. 12 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. Every other team could slide all the way to No. 16.

A second wave of offseason player movement is likely coming after LeBron James finally makes his free agent decision. There’s still hoops to talk about until then, so here’s our way-too-early look at the league power rankings for 2026-2027 in mid-July.

No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff is going to get a long leash to run the show in Sacramento, but he just doesn’t have much help. Will Domantas Sabonis or Zach LaVine still be on this roster come opening night? The Kings have a decent collection of young talent starting to form with Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, Nique Clifford, and Alex Karaban, and the goal of this season should be developing them alongside Acuff.

The Giannis era is over, and the Bucks are left with a funky roster that will probably be pretty bad. Will Tyler Herro actually play for Milwaukee this season, or get flipped closer to training camp? Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. actually looked pretty good last season, and Kel’el Ware is an exciting young big man coming over from Miami in the big trade. Most of the attention will be on how the Bucks’ two lottery picks Brayden Burries and Nate Ament develop.

The Bulls are going to be fun, but still project as an Eastern Conference doormat. Chicago’s two first-round rookies Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain should get plenty of reps, and it will be fascinating to see if last year’s lottery pick Noa Essengue can make an impact after a lost rookie season due to injury. A Matas Buzelis leap in year three would be huge for the Bulls’ long-term outlook.

A.J. Dybantsa is the star of the show after going No. 1 overall, and he’ll have a weird roster around him. Trae Young is on a new max contract for some reason. Anthony Davis is here for now, but maybe not for long. Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson are two former top-10 picks who need to develop around Dybantsa for Washington’s future to look bright.

The Clippers got great value back for Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac, but this season could be ugly. Rookie No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler has a lot riding on his shoulders long-term, and it will be interesting to see how he meshes with Darius Garland in the backcourt this year. There are still some solid vets here in Brook Lopez, Brandon Ingram, and Derrick Jones Jr., but I’m interested to see how youngsters Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Isaiah Jackson develop.

I think Brooklyn is going to surprise some people this year, and wouldn’t be surprised if they push for a play-in spot. New addition Julius Randle joins Michael Porter Jr. as the leaders of this team, and it’s possible Egor Demin can take a leap in his second season. Jordi Fernandez is an elite head coach and will get the most of this group.

The Pelicans haven’t done a single thing this offseason yet. Alright, man. There’s some talent here with Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Derik Queen, and Jeremiah Fears, but new head coach Jamahl Mosley has his work cut out for him to mold this into a functional team.

23. Golden State Warriors

Steph Curry is still elite, but the team around him is lackluster at this point. It’s too bad Jimmy Butler will miss most of this season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Is this the year we start to hear real Curry trade speculation?

The Grizzlies are young, but the talent is real. Cameron Boozer is a future superstar, Zach Edey could be awesome if he can ever stay healthy, and Cedric Coward complements the two frontcourt stars well as a long 3-and-D wing. I actually like the guard collection quite a bit too with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Cam Spencer all poised to make an impact.

The Hornets punted on LaMelo Ball, and in doing so killed their chances for this season. This team should still be pretty decent with Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Coby White launching threes around one of the league’s best offensive rebounding teams, but it’s hard to imagine they can make real noise without injuries to several other East teams.

Cooper Flagg, meet Dusty May. Dallas welcomes back Kyrie Irving from a torn ACL this season, and I like the trade for Santi Aldama. Can Dereck Lively II return from injury? I will be interested to see how Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz continue to put their stamp on this team, because it feels like a lot of these players could be flipped around Flagg.

The Suns feel like a classic high floor, low ceiling team. Devin Booker has some good role players around him in Collin Gillespie, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Mark Williams, and Oso Ighodaro. Miles Bridges is here now too to complete Mat Ishbia’s Michigan State dream. I’m mostly interested in how last year’s No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach develops in the middle.

The Jazz are ready to make a big leap. Darryn Peterson will be an instant impact rookie, and he joins a talented veteran core led by Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Keyonte George. If Will Hardy is as good as a head coach as everyone believes he is, this team should push for the playoffs.

Atlanta gave the Knicks their toughest playoff series in the first-round last season, and they continue to build out their future talent pool. Rookies Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor could be instant contributors, and picking up Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder for nothing was a nice move, too. Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and CJ McCollum feels like a high floor, low ceiling group for this season, but the Hawks continue to move in the right direction.

16. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers are going to be fascinating with the return of Damian Lillard and the trade for Ja Morant. That seems like a poor fit to me, but at least Portland gave up absolutely nothing to get Morant from Memphis. Donovan Clingan and Scoot Henderson are the two most important players on the roster for the future of the franchise, and both could take a leap this season. The defense should be really good, and Deni Avdija will continue to be a battering ram off the bounce, but I don’t know if this team has enough of a ceiling to build on last year.

Sean Sweeney is the new head coach tasked with getting the most out of a talent Magic roster. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner just haven’t worked as well as expected together, and this might be their last chance with a massive payroll looming. If Sweeney is good and Jalen Suggs can actually stay healthy, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Orlando ends up much better than this.

Pat Riley finally landed his next superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the supporting cast needs work. The front court should be elite defensively with Giannis joining Bam Adebayo, but the offensive spacing will be a question mark. The backcourt has almost no shot-creation, but Erik Spoelstra is better than anyone at developing diamonds in the rough. He’s going to need to do it again for this team to win a playoff series.

The Rockets have been strangely quiet this summer, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a big move coming before the season opens. For now, the main thing to get excited about is the return of Fred VanVleet. Houston’s young core of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. remains enticing, and it feels like all of them can still go up another level this season.

The Sixers are loaded with top-end talent after the stunning Jaylen Brown trade, but it’s hard to say how it will all fit together. Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe is a great foundation even before you get to Joel Embiid, whose uncertain health hangs over every Sixers season. I’m concerned about the depth and the defense of this team, especially when Embiid inevitably misses half the season.

Tyrese Haliburton is back from a torn Achilles, and the entire league will be wondering if he can pick up where he left off from Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The team around him is mostly pretty similar save for swapping out Myles Turner for Ivica Zubac, which should be a big upgrade. Indiana might be the most interesting team entering the season.

I expect LeBron James to sign here, but we can’t bake that in yet. The Cavs are pretty good without him coming off a conference finals appearance. Donovan Mitchell is locked in long-term, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen return in the front court. I just can’t count on a James Harden team (he’ll re-sign soon) to break through at this point.

I love the Raptors’ playoff ceiling after the Kawhi Leonard trade if he can stay healthy through an entire postseason run. That’s a huge if. Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Leonard should be an elite defensive trio. Getting anything from Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl this year would be a big boost.

The Pistons did some tinkering to the rotation, but it still feels like they have a lot of the same problems as last year. Cade Cunningham is awesome, and gives this team a high floor by himself. Jalen Duren should re-sign soon, and he’s better than he showed during the playoffs. Ausar Thompson might be the best wing defender in the league, and Ron Holland could make an impact there too if either of them could improve their outside shooting a little bit. Swapping out Tobias Harris for John Collins is … fine. Detroit could make the NBA Finals, but they have real pressure to at least make the conference finals this year.

The Nuggets haven’t done anything this summer as they wait out Peyton Watson’s restricted free agency. It definitely feels like they could make cost-cutting moves on the margins before the season starts, but we can’t factor those in yet. Denver looked old and slow last year, but they still have Nikola Jokic, who remains a top-3 player in the world. I can’t see the Nuggets falling too far as long as Jokic is around.

The Lakers went for broke to build around Luka Doncic this summer, and it better work. LA paid a ridiculous price for Walker Kessler, but he is exactly the type of defensive-minded center a team led by Doncic and Austin Reaves needs in the middle. My big hangup here is the lack of wing talent. I love Adou Thiero as much as the next draft guy, but it doesn’t feel great that the Lakers are legitimately counting on him to take a leap this year.

The Celtics are still going to be really good after trading Jaylen Brown. Boston is essentially replacing Brown with a full year of Jayson Tatum while adding Mitchell Robinson and Paul George. I’m buying a Payton Pritchard leap this year. The Celtics are going to launch threes, crash the offensive glass, and try to avoid turnovers, which is usually a great formula for the regular season.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

The LaMelo Ball trade will define this franchise for the next few years at least. I think Ball is a highly impactful star guard, but his constant injury issues have a chance to derail this entire experience. If Ball can stay healthy, his elite handle, pull-up shooting, and passing vision feels like a perfect fit next to Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels. This team really needs Gobert to fight off father time. I’d like this group more if they had a bigger player in Ayo Dosunmu’s spot.

The Knicks only won 53 games in the regular season before finding magic in the playoffs on their way to one of the most dominant championship runs in recent league history. The bulk of this team is back minus Mitchell Robinson, who was a sneaky important piece off the bench. The key for the Knicks is going to be avoiding any decline by Jalen Brunson, and keeping Karl-Anthony Towns locked in to the best version of himself. If that happens, another trip to the NBA Finals could very well happen.

How will Victor Wembanyama respond to his crushing NBA Finals loss? Wemby would be wise to pace himself during the regular season, but it doesn’t seem like it’s in his nature to do it. The De’Aaron Fox question hangs over this franchise, because there’s no doubt Dylan Harper is ready to take over as their lead guard. Harper and Wembanyama will be showtime, and the supporting cast around them is improved. I like adding Tobias Harris at power forward in free agency, and I think Stephon Castle could benefit from transitioning from guard to wing. San Antonio will be very, very good around Wembanyama for the foreseeable future.

The Thunder may have gone back-to-back if not for untimely injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Williams essentially lost the entire season with soft tissue strains, and the Thunder desperately need him back playing at his top level given how big his cap hit is now. Oklahoma City did a nice job keeping their core in place even as they trimmed some salary by trading away Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Will Lu Dort be on this roster opening night? Can Chet Holmgren shake off his horrific Western Conference Finals and regain his status as one of the league’s best bigs? The Thunder have an oustanding formula with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot creation and an elite defense. They remain the team to beat until further notice.

#NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #wild #start #offseason">NBA Power Rankings for all 30 teams after a wild start to 2026 offseason The NBA offseason still has a long ways to go, but the picture at the top and bottom of the league is already starting to solidify for the 2026-2027 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks feel like they’re in a class of their own as an elite tier of contenders. Who’s the fourth best in the NBA right now? Your guess is as good as mine.The NBA’s new anti-tanking rules mean there are no more free wins on the schedule this season. Still, some teams are likely to be very bad, starting with the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls. This year’s draft lottery features a “relegation zone” which lowers the odds at a top pick for the league’s three worst teams, though it also comes with the added benefit of falling no further than the No. 12 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. Every other team could slide all the way to No. 16.A second wave of offseason player movement is likely coming after LeBron James finally makes his free agent decision. There’s still hoops to talk about until then, so here’s our way-too-early look at the league power rankings for 2026-2027 in mid-July.No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff is going to get a long leash to run the show in Sacramento, but he just doesn’t have much help. Will Domantas Sabonis or Zach LaVine still be on this roster come opening night? The Kings have a decent collection of young talent starting to form with Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, Nique Clifford, and Alex Karaban, and the goal of this season should be developing them alongside Acuff.The Giannis era is over, and the Bucks are left with a funky roster that will probably be pretty bad. Will Tyler Herro actually play for Milwaukee this season, or get flipped closer to training camp? Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. actually looked pretty good last season, and Kel’el Ware is an exciting young big man coming over from Miami in the big trade. Most of the attention will be on how the Bucks’ two lottery picks Brayden Burries and Nate Ament develop.The Bulls are going to be fun, but still project as an Eastern Conference doormat. Chicago’s two first-round rookies Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain should get plenty of reps, and it will be fascinating to see if last year’s lottery pick Noa Essengue can make an impact after a lost rookie season due to injury. A Matas Buzelis leap in year three would be huge for the Bulls’ long-term outlook.A.J. Dybantsa is the star of the show after going No. 1 overall, and he’ll have a weird roster around him. Trae Young is on a new max contract for some reason. Anthony Davis is here for now, but maybe not for long. Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson are two former top-10 picks who need to develop around Dybantsa for Washington’s future to look bright.The Clippers got great value back for Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac, but this season could be ugly. Rookie No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler has a lot riding on his shoulders long-term, and it will be interesting to see how he meshes with Darius Garland in the backcourt this year. There are still some solid vets here in Brook Lopez, Brandon Ingram, and Derrick Jones Jr., but I’m interested to see how youngsters Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Isaiah Jackson develop.I think Brooklyn is going to surprise some people this year, and wouldn’t be surprised if they push for a play-in spot. New addition Julius Randle joins Michael Porter Jr. as the leaders of this team, and it’s possible Egor Demin can take a leap in his second season. Jordi Fernandez is an elite head coach and will get the most of this group.The Pelicans haven’t done a single thing this offseason yet. Alright, man. There’s some talent here with Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Derik Queen, and Jeremiah Fears, but new head coach Jamahl Mosley has his work cut out for him to mold this into a functional team.23. Golden State WarriorsSteph Curry is still elite, but the team around him is lackluster at this point. It’s too bad Jimmy Butler will miss most of this season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Is this the year we start to hear real Curry trade speculation?The Grizzlies are young, but the talent is real. Cameron Boozer is a future superstar, Zach Edey could be awesome if he can ever stay healthy, and Cedric Coward complements the two frontcourt stars well as a long 3-and-D wing. I actually like the guard collection quite a bit too with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Cam Spencer all poised to make an impact.The Hornets punted on LaMelo Ball, and in doing so killed their chances for this season. This team should still be pretty decent with Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Coby White launching threes around one of the league’s best offensive rebounding teams, but it’s hard to imagine they can make real noise without injuries to several other East teams.Cooper Flagg, meet Dusty May. Dallas welcomes back Kyrie Irving from a torn ACL this season, and I like the trade for Santi Aldama. Can Dereck Lively II return from injury? I will be interested to see how Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz continue to put their stamp on this team, because it feels like a lot of these players could be flipped around Flagg.The Suns feel like a classic high floor, low ceiling team. Devin Booker has some good role players around him in Collin Gillespie, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Mark Williams, and Oso Ighodaro. Miles Bridges is here now too to complete Mat Ishbia’s Michigan State dream. I’m mostly interested in how last year’s No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach develops in the middle.The Jazz are ready to make a big leap. Darryn Peterson will be an instant impact rookie, and he joins a talented veteran core led by Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Keyonte George. If Will Hardy is as good as a head coach as everyone believes he is, this team should push for the playoffs.Atlanta gave the Knicks their toughest playoff series in the first-round last season, and they continue to build out their future talent pool. Rookies Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor could be instant contributors, and picking up Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder for nothing was a nice move, too. Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and CJ McCollum feels like a high floor, low ceiling group for this season, but the Hawks continue to move in the right direction.16. Portland Trail BlazersThe Blazers are going to be fascinating with the return of Damian Lillard and the trade for Ja Morant. That seems like a poor fit to me, but at least Portland gave up absolutely nothing to get Morant from Memphis. Donovan Clingan and Scoot Henderson are the two most important players on the roster for the future of the franchise, and both could take a leap this season. The defense should be really good, and Deni Avdija will continue to be a battering ram off the bounce, but I don’t know if this team has enough of a ceiling to build on last year.Sean Sweeney is the new head coach tasked with getting the most out of a talent Magic roster. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner just haven’t worked as well as expected together, and this might be their last chance with a massive payroll looming. If Sweeney is good and Jalen Suggs can actually stay healthy, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Orlando ends up much better than this.Pat Riley finally landed his next superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the supporting cast needs work. The front court should be elite defensively with Giannis joining Bam Adebayo, but the offensive spacing will be a question mark. The backcourt has almost no shot-creation, but Erik Spoelstra is better than anyone at developing diamonds in the rough. He’s going to need to do it again for this team to win a playoff series.The Rockets have been strangely quiet this summer, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a big move coming before the season opens. For now, the main thing to get excited about is the return of Fred VanVleet. Houston’s young core of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. remains enticing, and it feels like all of them can still go up another level this season.The Sixers are loaded with top-end talent after the stunning Jaylen Brown trade, but it’s hard to say how it will all fit together. Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe is a great foundation even before you get to Joel Embiid, whose uncertain health hangs over every Sixers season. I’m concerned about the depth and the defense of this team, especially when Embiid inevitably misses half the season.Tyrese Haliburton is back from a torn Achilles, and the entire league will be wondering if he can pick up where he left off from Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The team around him is mostly pretty similar save for swapping out Myles Turner for Ivica Zubac, which should be a big upgrade. Indiana might be the most interesting team entering the season.I expect LeBron James to sign here, but we can’t bake that in yet. The Cavs are pretty good without him coming off a conference finals appearance. Donovan Mitchell is locked in long-term, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen return in the front court. I just can’t count on a James Harden team (he’ll re-sign soon) to break through at this point.I love the Raptors’ playoff ceiling after the Kawhi Leonard trade if he can stay healthy through an entire postseason run. That’s a huge if. Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Leonard should be an elite defensive trio. Getting anything from Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl this year would be a big boost.The Pistons did some tinkering to the rotation, but it still feels like they have a lot of the same problems as last year. Cade Cunningham is awesome, and gives this team a high floor by himself. Jalen Duren should re-sign soon, and he’s better than he showed during the playoffs. Ausar Thompson might be the best wing defender in the league, and Ron Holland could make an impact there too if either of them could improve their outside shooting a little bit. Swapping out Tobias Harris for John Collins is … fine. Detroit could make the NBA Finals, but they have real pressure to at least make the conference finals this year.The Nuggets haven’t done anything this summer as they wait out Peyton Watson’s restricted free agency. It definitely feels like they could make cost-cutting moves on the margins before the season starts, but we can’t factor those in yet. Denver looked old and slow last year, but they still have Nikola Jokic, who remains a top-3 player in the world. I can’t see the Nuggets falling too far as long as Jokic is around.The Lakers went for broke to build around Luka Doncic this summer, and it better work. LA paid a ridiculous price for Walker Kessler, but he is exactly the type of defensive-minded center a team led by Doncic and Austin Reaves needs in the middle. My big hangup here is the lack of wing talent. I love Adou Thiero as much as the next draft guy, but it doesn’t feel great that the Lakers are legitimately counting on him to take a leap this year.The Celtics are still going to be really good after trading Jaylen Brown. Boston is essentially replacing Brown with a full year of Jayson Tatum while adding Mitchell Robinson and Paul George. I’m buying a Payton Pritchard leap this year. The Celtics are going to launch threes, crash the offensive glass, and try to avoid turnovers, which is usually a great formula for the regular season.4. Minnesota TimberwolvesThe LaMelo Ball trade will define this franchise for the next few years at least. I think Ball is a highly impactful star guard, but his constant injury issues have a chance to derail this entire experience. If Ball can stay healthy, his elite handle, pull-up shooting, and passing vision feels like a perfect fit next to Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels. This team really needs Gobert to fight off father time. I’d like this group more if they had a bigger player in Ayo Dosunmu’s spot.The Knicks only won 53 games in the regular season before finding magic in the playoffs on their way to one of the most dominant championship runs in recent league history. The bulk of this team is back minus Mitchell Robinson, who was a sneaky important piece off the bench. The key for the Knicks is going to be avoiding any decline by Jalen Brunson, and keeping Karl-Anthony Towns locked in to the best version of himself. If that happens, another trip to the NBA Finals could very well happen.How will Victor Wembanyama respond to his crushing NBA Finals loss? Wemby would be wise to pace himself during the regular season, but it doesn’t seem like it’s in his nature to do it. The De’Aaron Fox question hangs over this franchise, because there’s no doubt Dylan Harper is ready to take over as their lead guard. Harper and Wembanyama will be showtime, and the supporting cast around them is improved. I like adding Tobias Harris at power forward in free agency, and I think Stephon Castle could benefit from transitioning from guard to wing. San Antonio will be very, very good around Wembanyama for the foreseeable future.The Thunder may have gone back-to-back if not for untimely injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Williams essentially lost the entire season with soft tissue strains, and the Thunder desperately need him back playing at his top level given how big his cap hit is now. Oklahoma City did a nice job keeping their core in place even as they trimmed some salary by trading away Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Will Lu Dort be on this roster opening night? Can Chet Holmgren shake off his horrific Western Conference Finals and regain his status as one of the league’s best bigs? The Thunder have an oustanding formula with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot creation and an elite defense. They remain the team to beat until further notice. #NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #wild #start #offseason

The NBA’s new anti-tanking rules mean there are no more free wins on the schedule this season. Still, some teams are likely to be very bad, starting with the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls. This year’s draft lottery features a “relegation zone” which lowers the odds at a top pick for the league’s three worst teams, though it also comes with the added benefit of falling no further than the No. 12 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. Every other team could slide all the way to No. 16.

A second wave of offseason player movement is likely coming after LeBron James finally makes his free agent decision. There’s still hoops to talk about until then, so here’s our way-too-early look at the league power rankings for 2026-2027 in mid-July.

No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff is going to get a long leash to run the show in Sacramento, but he just doesn’t have much help. Will Domantas Sabonis or Zach LaVine still be on this roster come opening night? The Kings have a decent collection of young talent starting to form with Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, Nique Clifford, and Alex Karaban, and the goal of this season should be developing them alongside Acuff.

The Giannis era is over, and the Bucks are left with a funky roster that will probably be pretty bad. Will Tyler Herro actually play for Milwaukee this season, or get flipped closer to training camp? Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. actually looked pretty good last season, and Kel’el Ware is an exciting young big man coming over from Miami in the big trade. Most of the attention will be on how the Bucks’ two lottery picks Brayden Burries and Nate Ament develop.

The Bulls are going to be fun, but still project as an Eastern Conference doormat. Chicago’s two first-round rookies Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain should get plenty of reps, and it will be fascinating to see if last year’s lottery pick Noa Essengue can make an impact after a lost rookie season due to injury. A Matas Buzelis leap in year three would be huge for the Bulls’ long-term outlook.

A.J. Dybantsa is the star of the show after going No. 1 overall, and he’ll have a weird roster around him. Trae Young is on a new max contract for some reason. Anthony Davis is here for now, but maybe not for long. Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson are two former top-10 picks who need to develop around Dybantsa for Washington’s future to look bright.

The Clippers got great value back for Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac, but this season could be ugly. Rookie No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler has a lot riding on his shoulders long-term, and it will be interesting to see how he meshes with Darius Garland in the backcourt this year. There are still some solid vets here in Brook Lopez, Brandon Ingram, and Derrick Jones Jr., but I’m interested to see how youngsters Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Isaiah Jackson develop.

I think Brooklyn is going to surprise some people this year, and wouldn’t be surprised if they push for a play-in spot. New addition Julius Randle joins Michael Porter Jr. as the leaders of this team, and it’s possible Egor Demin can take a leap in his second season. Jordi Fernandez is an elite head coach and will get the most of this group.

The Pelicans haven’t done a single thing this offseason yet. Alright, man. There’s some talent here with Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Derik Queen, and Jeremiah Fears, but new head coach Jamahl Mosley has his work cut out for him to mold this into a functional team.

23. Golden State Warriors

Steph Curry is still elite, but the team around him is lackluster at this point. It’s too bad Jimmy Butler will miss most of this season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Is this the year we start to hear real Curry trade speculation?

The Grizzlies are young, but the talent is real. Cameron Boozer is a future superstar, Zach Edey could be awesome if he can ever stay healthy, and Cedric Coward complements the two frontcourt stars well as a long 3-and-D wing. I actually like the guard collection quite a bit too with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Cam Spencer all poised to make an impact.

The Hornets punted on LaMelo Ball, and in doing so killed their chances for this season. This team should still be pretty decent with Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Coby White launching threes around one of the league’s best offensive rebounding teams, but it’s hard to imagine they can make real noise without injuries to several other East teams.

Cooper Flagg, meet Dusty May. Dallas welcomes back Kyrie Irving from a torn ACL this season, and I like the trade for Santi Aldama. Can Dereck Lively II return from injury? I will be interested to see how Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz continue to put their stamp on this team, because it feels like a lot of these players could be flipped around Flagg.

The Suns feel like a classic high floor, low ceiling team. Devin Booker has some good role players around him in Collin Gillespie, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Mark Williams, and Oso Ighodaro. Miles Bridges is here now too to complete Mat Ishbia’s Michigan State dream. I’m mostly interested in how last year’s No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach develops in the middle.

The Jazz are ready to make a big leap. Darryn Peterson will be an instant impact rookie, and he joins a talented veteran core led by Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Keyonte George. If Will Hardy is as good as a head coach as everyone believes he is, this team should push for the playoffs.

Atlanta gave the Knicks their toughest playoff series in the first-round last season, and they continue to build out their future talent pool. Rookies Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor could be instant contributors, and picking up Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder for nothing was a nice move, too. Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and CJ McCollum feels like a high floor, low ceiling group for this season, but the Hawks continue to move in the right direction.

16. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers are going to be fascinating with the return of Damian Lillard and the trade for Ja Morant. That seems like a poor fit to me, but at least Portland gave up absolutely nothing to get Morant from Memphis. Donovan Clingan and Scoot Henderson are the two most important players on the roster for the future of the franchise, and both could take a leap this season. The defense should be really good, and Deni Avdija will continue to be a battering ram off the bounce, but I don’t know if this team has enough of a ceiling to build on last year.

Sean Sweeney is the new head coach tasked with getting the most out of a talent Magic roster. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner just haven’t worked as well as expected together, and this might be their last chance with a massive payroll looming. If Sweeney is good and Jalen Suggs can actually stay healthy, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Orlando ends up much better than this.

Pat Riley finally landed his next superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the supporting cast needs work. The front court should be elite defensively with Giannis joining Bam Adebayo, but the offensive spacing will be a question mark. The backcourt has almost no shot-creation, but Erik Spoelstra is better than anyone at developing diamonds in the rough. He’s going to need to do it again for this team to win a playoff series.

The Rockets have been strangely quiet this summer, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a big move coming before the season opens. For now, the main thing to get excited about is the return of Fred VanVleet. Houston’s young core of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. remains enticing, and it feels like all of them can still go up another level this season.

The Sixers are loaded with top-end talent after the stunning Jaylen Brown trade, but it’s hard to say how it will all fit together. Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe is a great foundation even before you get to Joel Embiid, whose uncertain health hangs over every Sixers season. I’m concerned about the depth and the defense of this team, especially when Embiid inevitably misses half the season.

Tyrese Haliburton is back from a torn Achilles, and the entire league will be wondering if he can pick up where he left off from Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The team around him is mostly pretty similar save for swapping out Myles Turner for Ivica Zubac, which should be a big upgrade. Indiana might be the most interesting team entering the season.

I expect LeBron James to sign here, but we can’t bake that in yet. The Cavs are pretty good without him coming off a conference finals appearance. Donovan Mitchell is locked in long-term, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen return in the front court. I just can’t count on a James Harden team (he’ll re-sign soon) to break through at this point.

I love the Raptors’ playoff ceiling after the Kawhi Leonard trade if he can stay healthy through an entire postseason run. That’s a huge if. Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Leonard should be an elite defensive trio. Getting anything from Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl this year would be a big boost.

The Pistons did some tinkering to the rotation, but it still feels like they have a lot of the same problems as last year. Cade Cunningham is awesome, and gives this team a high floor by himself. Jalen Duren should re-sign soon, and he’s better than he showed during the playoffs. Ausar Thompson might be the best wing defender in the league, and Ron Holland could make an impact there too if either of them could improve their outside shooting a little bit. Swapping out Tobias Harris for John Collins is … fine. Detroit could make the NBA Finals, but they have real pressure to at least make the conference finals this year.

The Nuggets haven’t done anything this summer as they wait out Peyton Watson’s restricted free agency. It definitely feels like they could make cost-cutting moves on the margins before the season starts, but we can’t factor those in yet. Denver looked old and slow last year, but they still have Nikola Jokic, who remains a top-3 player in the world. I can’t see the Nuggets falling too far as long as Jokic is around.

The Lakers went for broke to build around Luka Doncic this summer, and it better work. LA paid a ridiculous price for Walker Kessler, but he is exactly the type of defensive-minded center a team led by Doncic and Austin Reaves needs in the middle. My big hangup here is the lack of wing talent. I love Adou Thiero as much as the next draft guy, but it doesn’t feel great that the Lakers are legitimately counting on him to take a leap this year.

The Celtics are still going to be really good after trading Jaylen Brown. Boston is essentially replacing Brown with a full year of Jayson Tatum while adding Mitchell Robinson and Paul George. I’m buying a Payton Pritchard leap this year. The Celtics are going to launch threes, crash the offensive glass, and try to avoid turnovers, which is usually a great formula for the regular season.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

The LaMelo Ball trade will define this franchise for the next few years at least. I think Ball is a highly impactful star guard, but his constant injury issues have a chance to derail this entire experience. If Ball can stay healthy, his elite handle, pull-up shooting, and passing vision feels like a perfect fit next to Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels. This team really needs Gobert to fight off father time. I’d like this group more if they had a bigger player in Ayo Dosunmu’s spot.

The Knicks only won 53 games in the regular season before finding magic in the playoffs on their way to one of the most dominant championship runs in recent league history. The bulk of this team is back minus Mitchell Robinson, who was a sneaky important piece off the bench. The key for the Knicks is going to be avoiding any decline by Jalen Brunson, and keeping Karl-Anthony Towns locked in to the best version of himself. If that happens, another trip to the NBA Finals could very well happen.

How will Victor Wembanyama respond to his crushing NBA Finals loss? Wemby would be wise to pace himself during the regular season, but it doesn’t seem like it’s in his nature to do it. The De’Aaron Fox question hangs over this franchise, because there’s no doubt Dylan Harper is ready to take over as their lead guard. Harper and Wembanyama will be showtime, and the supporting cast around them is improved. I like adding Tobias Harris at power forward in free agency, and I think Stephon Castle could benefit from transitioning from guard to wing. San Antonio will be very, very good around Wembanyama for the foreseeable future.

The Thunder may have gone back-to-back if not for untimely injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Williams essentially lost the entire season with soft tissue strains, and the Thunder desperately need him back playing at his top level given how big his cap hit is now. Oklahoma City did a nice job keeping their core in place even as they trimmed some salary by trading away Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Will Lu Dort be on this roster opening night? Can Chet Holmgren shake off his horrific Western Conference Finals and regain his status as one of the league’s best bigs? The Thunder have an oustanding formula with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot creation and an elite defense. They remain the team to beat until further notice.

#NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #wild #start #offseason">NBA Power Rankings for all 30 teams after a wild start to 2026 offseason

The NBA offseason still has a long ways to go, but the picture at the top and bottom of the league is already starting to solidify for the 2026-2027 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks feel like they’re in a class of their own as an elite tier of contenders. Who’s the fourth best in the NBA right now? Your guess is as good as mine.

The NBA’s new anti-tanking rules mean there are no more free wins on the schedule this season. Still, some teams are likely to be very bad, starting with the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls. This year’s draft lottery features a “relegation zone” which lowers the odds at a top pick for the league’s three worst teams, though it also comes with the added benefit of falling no further than the No. 12 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. Every other team could slide all the way to No. 16.

A second wave of offseason player movement is likely coming after LeBron James finally makes his free agent decision. There’s still hoops to talk about until then, so here’s our way-too-early look at the league power rankings for 2026-2027 in mid-July.

No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff is going to get a long leash to run the show in Sacramento, but he just doesn’t have much help. Will Domantas Sabonis or Zach LaVine still be on this roster come opening night? The Kings have a decent collection of young talent starting to form with Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, Nique Clifford, and Alex Karaban, and the goal of this season should be developing them alongside Acuff.

The Giannis era is over, and the Bucks are left with a funky roster that will probably be pretty bad. Will Tyler Herro actually play for Milwaukee this season, or get flipped closer to training camp? Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. actually looked pretty good last season, and Kel’el Ware is an exciting young big man coming over from Miami in the big trade. Most of the attention will be on how the Bucks’ two lottery picks Brayden Burries and Nate Ament develop.

The Bulls are going to be fun, but still project as an Eastern Conference doormat. Chicago’s two first-round rookies Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain should get plenty of reps, and it will be fascinating to see if last year’s lottery pick Noa Essengue can make an impact after a lost rookie season due to injury. A Matas Buzelis leap in year three would be huge for the Bulls’ long-term outlook.

A.J. Dybantsa is the star of the show after going No. 1 overall, and he’ll have a weird roster around him. Trae Young is on a new max contract for some reason. Anthony Davis is here for now, but maybe not for long. Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson are two former top-10 picks who need to develop around Dybantsa for Washington’s future to look bright.

The Clippers got great value back for Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac, but this season could be ugly. Rookie No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler has a lot riding on his shoulders long-term, and it will be interesting to see how he meshes with Darius Garland in the backcourt this year. There are still some solid vets here in Brook Lopez, Brandon Ingram, and Derrick Jones Jr., but I’m interested to see how youngsters Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Isaiah Jackson develop.

I think Brooklyn is going to surprise some people this year, and wouldn’t be surprised if they push for a play-in spot. New addition Julius Randle joins Michael Porter Jr. as the leaders of this team, and it’s possible Egor Demin can take a leap in his second season. Jordi Fernandez is an elite head coach and will get the most of this group.

The Pelicans haven’t done a single thing this offseason yet. Alright, man. There’s some talent here with Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Derik Queen, and Jeremiah Fears, but new head coach Jamahl Mosley has his work cut out for him to mold this into a functional team.

23. Golden State Warriors

Steph Curry is still elite, but the team around him is lackluster at this point. It’s too bad Jimmy Butler will miss most of this season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Is this the year we start to hear real Curry trade speculation?

The Grizzlies are young, but the talent is real. Cameron Boozer is a future superstar, Zach Edey could be awesome if he can ever stay healthy, and Cedric Coward complements the two frontcourt stars well as a long 3-and-D wing. I actually like the guard collection quite a bit too with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Cam Spencer all poised to make an impact.

The Hornets punted on LaMelo Ball, and in doing so killed their chances for this season. This team should still be pretty decent with Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Coby White launching threes around one of the league’s best offensive rebounding teams, but it’s hard to imagine they can make real noise without injuries to several other East teams.

Cooper Flagg, meet Dusty May. Dallas welcomes back Kyrie Irving from a torn ACL this season, and I like the trade for Santi Aldama. Can Dereck Lively II return from injury? I will be interested to see how Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz continue to put their stamp on this team, because it feels like a lot of these players could be flipped around Flagg.

The Suns feel like a classic high floor, low ceiling team. Devin Booker has some good role players around him in Collin Gillespie, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, Mark Williams, and Oso Ighodaro. Miles Bridges is here now too to complete Mat Ishbia’s Michigan State dream. I’m mostly interested in how last year’s No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach develops in the middle.

The Jazz are ready to make a big leap. Darryn Peterson will be an instant impact rookie, and he joins a talented veteran core led by Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Keyonte George. If Will Hardy is as good as a head coach as everyone believes he is, this team should push for the playoffs.

Atlanta gave the Knicks their toughest playoff series in the first-round last season, and they continue to build out their future talent pool. Rookies Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor could be instant contributors, and picking up Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder for nothing was a nice move, too. Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and CJ McCollum feels like a high floor, low ceiling group for this season, but the Hawks continue to move in the right direction.

16. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers are going to be fascinating with the return of Damian Lillard and the trade for Ja Morant. That seems like a poor fit to me, but at least Portland gave up absolutely nothing to get Morant from Memphis. Donovan Clingan and Scoot Henderson are the two most important players on the roster for the future of the franchise, and both could take a leap this season. The defense should be really good, and Deni Avdija will continue to be a battering ram off the bounce, but I don’t know if this team has enough of a ceiling to build on last year.

Sean Sweeney is the new head coach tasked with getting the most out of a talent Magic roster. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner just haven’t worked as well as expected together, and this might be their last chance with a massive payroll looming. If Sweeney is good and Jalen Suggs can actually stay healthy, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Orlando ends up much better than this.

Pat Riley finally landed his next superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the supporting cast needs work. The front court should be elite defensively with Giannis joining Bam Adebayo, but the offensive spacing will be a question mark. The backcourt has almost no shot-creation, but Erik Spoelstra is better than anyone at developing diamonds in the rough. He’s going to need to do it again for this team to win a playoff series.

The Rockets have been strangely quiet this summer, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a big move coming before the season opens. For now, the main thing to get excited about is the return of Fred VanVleet. Houston’s young core of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. remains enticing, and it feels like all of them can still go up another level this season.

The Sixers are loaded with top-end talent after the stunning Jaylen Brown trade, but it’s hard to say how it will all fit together. Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe is a great foundation even before you get to Joel Embiid, whose uncertain health hangs over every Sixers season. I’m concerned about the depth and the defense of this team, especially when Embiid inevitably misses half the season.

Tyrese Haliburton is back from a torn Achilles, and the entire league will be wondering if he can pick up where he left off from Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The team around him is mostly pretty similar save for swapping out Myles Turner for Ivica Zubac, which should be a big upgrade. Indiana might be the most interesting team entering the season.

I expect LeBron James to sign here, but we can’t bake that in yet. The Cavs are pretty good without him coming off a conference finals appearance. Donovan Mitchell is locked in long-term, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen return in the front court. I just can’t count on a James Harden team (he’ll re-sign soon) to break through at this point.

I love the Raptors’ playoff ceiling after the Kawhi Leonard trade if he can stay healthy through an entire postseason run. That’s a huge if. Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Leonard should be an elite defensive trio. Getting anything from Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl this year would be a big boost.

The Pistons did some tinkering to the rotation, but it still feels like they have a lot of the same problems as last year. Cade Cunningham is awesome, and gives this team a high floor by himself. Jalen Duren should re-sign soon, and he’s better than he showed during the playoffs. Ausar Thompson might be the best wing defender in the league, and Ron Holland could make an impact there too if either of them could improve their outside shooting a little bit. Swapping out Tobias Harris for John Collins is … fine. Detroit could make the NBA Finals, but they have real pressure to at least make the conference finals this year.

The Nuggets haven’t done anything this summer as they wait out Peyton Watson’s restricted free agency. It definitely feels like they could make cost-cutting moves on the margins before the season starts, but we can’t factor those in yet. Denver looked old and slow last year, but they still have Nikola Jokic, who remains a top-3 player in the world. I can’t see the Nuggets falling too far as long as Jokic is around.

The Lakers went for broke to build around Luka Doncic this summer, and it better work. LA paid a ridiculous price for Walker Kessler, but he is exactly the type of defensive-minded center a team led by Doncic and Austin Reaves needs in the middle. My big hangup here is the lack of wing talent. I love Adou Thiero as much as the next draft guy, but it doesn’t feel great that the Lakers are legitimately counting on him to take a leap this year.

The Celtics are still going to be really good after trading Jaylen Brown. Boston is essentially replacing Brown with a full year of Jayson Tatum while adding Mitchell Robinson and Paul George. I’m buying a Payton Pritchard leap this year. The Celtics are going to launch threes, crash the offensive glass, and try to avoid turnovers, which is usually a great formula for the regular season.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

The LaMelo Ball trade will define this franchise for the next few years at least. I think Ball is a highly impactful star guard, but his constant injury issues have a chance to derail this entire experience. If Ball can stay healthy, his elite handle, pull-up shooting, and passing vision feels like a perfect fit next to Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels. This team really needs Gobert to fight off father time. I’d like this group more if they had a bigger player in Ayo Dosunmu’s spot.

The Knicks only won 53 games in the regular season before finding magic in the playoffs on their way to one of the most dominant championship runs in recent league history. The bulk of this team is back minus Mitchell Robinson, who was a sneaky important piece off the bench. The key for the Knicks is going to be avoiding any decline by Jalen Brunson, and keeping Karl-Anthony Towns locked in to the best version of himself. If that happens, another trip to the NBA Finals could very well happen.

How will Victor Wembanyama respond to his crushing NBA Finals loss? Wemby would be wise to pace himself during the regular season, but it doesn’t seem like it’s in his nature to do it. The De’Aaron Fox question hangs over this franchise, because there’s no doubt Dylan Harper is ready to take over as their lead guard. Harper and Wembanyama will be showtime, and the supporting cast around them is improved. I like adding Tobias Harris at power forward in free agency, and I think Stephon Castle could benefit from transitioning from guard to wing. San Antonio will be very, very good around Wembanyama for the foreseeable future.

The Thunder may have gone back-to-back if not for untimely injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Williams essentially lost the entire season with soft tissue strains, and the Thunder desperately need him back playing at his top level given how big his cap hit is now. Oklahoma City did a nice job keeping their core in place even as they trimmed some salary by trading away Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Will Lu Dort be on this roster opening night? Can Chet Holmgren shake off his horrific Western Conference Finals and regain his status as one of the league’s best bigs? The Thunder have an oustanding formula with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot creation and an elite defense. They remain the team to beat until further notice.

#NBA #Power #Rankings #teams #wild #start #offseason

GOLF

Aditi tied 35th, Japan’s Iwai leads at Evian Championship

Indian golfer Aditi Ashok opened with an erratic one-under 70 to be tied for the 35th position after the opening round of the Evian Championship, which is a Major on the women’s circuit.

Aditi, a five-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, and a champion at Hero Women’s Indian Open in 2016, is playing the tournament for the ninth time, but has finished in Top-25 only once.

She trails Japan’s Aki Iwai by seven shots. Aditi had two birdies and two bogeys on the front side of the course and then one bogey and back to back birdies on the 14th and the 15th.

– PTI

Gill logs Top-20 in Asian Development Tour, stays on path to Asian Tour

India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill fired three consistent rounds of three-under 69 each to finish a tidy Tied-19th in the Ever Glory ADT Open on the Asian Development Tour on Friday.

The Ludhiana star, who won the Am Green IGPL Order of Merit in India in 2025, has been focussing on earning his way into the Asian Tour via the Asian Development Tour.

With 69-69-69, Gill totalled nine-under 204 and was Tied-19th. Gill, who plays for the Honer Homes Gurugram on the AM Green IGPL, is now sixth on the Merit Llist and stands a great chance of making it to the 2027 Asian Tour as the Top-10 players advance to the higher Tour.

Last year Karandeep Kochhar, a colleague of Gill on AM Green IGPL took the same route.

Among other Indians in the field, Khalin Joshi (68-67-69) totalled 12-under and finished Tied-12th. Kartik Singh (74-68) missed the 36-hole cut.

-PTI

MOTORSPORT

Indian duo of Puligilla, Sherif eye podium finish at Rwanda Rally 2026

Indian rally driver Naveen Puligilla and his co-driver Musa Sherif will look for another podium finish at the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, which is the third round of the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC), starting in Kigali City on Saturday. The duo completed the shakedown and qualifying stage on Friday.

The Duran Racing team’s Puligilla and Sherif of Kasaragod will drive a Ford Fiesta, serviced by MRU Motorsports Africa, in the ARC3 category. The total distance is 307.52 km, while the 18 Special Stages of competitive distance form 252 km of demanding mountain stages on Saturday and Sunday.

“The recce has given us a good understanding of the stages. The terrain is quite technical with changing grip levels of the mountain roads, and we are prepared for it,” said Puligilla, the Indian National Rally champion of 2025 in the 3T class.

The celebrated Indian duo started the season with a third-place finish in the WRC3 class in March 2026 at the WRC Safari Rally Kenya.

The rally was also the opening round of the FIA African Rally Championship, where Puligilla and Sherif secured second place in the ARC3 class.

The pair earlier became the first Indian driver and co-driver combo to achieve a podium finish in any WRC category in 2025 with a remarkable second place in the WRC3 class at the Rally Saudi Arabia and bagged the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India (FMSCI) Special Award at the federation’s 2025 Annual Awards ceremony.

-Team Sportstar

ARCHERY

Kirti, Prithika enter medals rounds in Madrid

Two teenagers, 19-year-old Kirti and 17-year-old Prithika Pradeep, entered medal rounds of recurve and compound women’s individual competitions, respectively, at the Archery World Cup Stage-4 in Madrid on Friday.

Kirti, who got two byes, shocked Worlds and Olympics medallist Michelle Kroppen 6-2, Olympian Lai Tsai-chi 6-4 and Worlds medallist Elia Canales 6-2 on her way to the semifinals.

After receiving a bye, Prithika got past Franziska Goppel 148-142, Park Jungyoon 145-144, Liko Arreola 147-146 and Andrea Munoz 140-135 to reach the last four.

Kirti also remained in the hunt for another medal as she and B. Dhiraj combined to make it to the mixed team bronze medal contest. They lost to China 3-5 in the semifinals and will meet Italy in the third-place match.

RESULTS
RECURVE:

ELIMINATION:

Men: Neeraj Chauhan got byes in first two rounds, bt Francesco Gregori (Ita) 6-2 (3rd round), lost to Mauro Nespoli (Ita) 4-6 (4th round); Atanu Das lost to Leon Zemella (Ger) 4-6 (3rd round); B. Dhiraj got byes in first two rounds, bt Federico Musolesi (Ita) 6-0 (3rd round), bt Berkim Tumer (Tur) 6-5 (shoot-off: 9-8) (4th round), lost to Leon Zemella (Ger) 5-6 (shoot-off: 8-9) (QF).

Women: Kirti got byes in first two rounds, bt Michelle Kroppen (Ger) 6-2 (3rd round), bt Li Tsai-chi (Tpe) 6-4 (4th round), bt Elia Canales (Spn) 6-2 (QF); Kumkum Mohod bt Zana Pintaric (Slo) 6-5 (shoot-off: 9-8) (3rd round), lost to Oh Yejin (Kor) 1-7 (4th round); Ankita Bhakat bt Elisabeth Straka (Aut) 7-1 (3rd round), lost to Marie Horackova (Cze) 3-7 (4th round).

Mixed team: India (Kirti, B. Dhiraj) got a bye (1st round), bt Netherlands 6-2 (2nd round), bt Japan 5-3 (QF), lost to China 3-5 (SF).

COMPOUND:

ELIMINATION:

Men: Rishabh Yadav got a bye (1st round), bt Marco Bruno (Ita) 147-147 (10*-10, shot closer to center) (2nd round), bt Eren Kirca (Tur) 148-148 (shoot-off: 10-9) (3rd round), bt Mathias Fullerton (Den) 148-147 (4th round), lost to Simon Morotz (Ger) 146-147 (QF); Kushal Dalal got a bye (1st round), bt Wu Wei (Tpe) 148-147 (2nd round), lost to Lorenzo Gubbini (Ita) 144-147 (3rd round); Sahil Jadhav got byes in first two rounds, lost to Shi Jingyu (Chn) 146-148 (3rd round); Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru bt Muhammad Tariki (Mas) 146-146 (shoot-off: 10-9) (1st round), bt Paolo Kunsch 149-148 (2nd round), lost to Przemyslaw Konecki (Pol) 144-146 (3rd round).

Women: Chikitha Taniparthi bt Kan Tsz Ling (HKG) 147-131 (1st round), Sofie Marcussen (Den) 149-147 (2nd round), lost to Sara Lopez (Col) 143-147 (3rd round); V. Jyothi Surekha bt Tohar Tamir (Isr) 147-142 (1st round), bt Sanne de Laat (Ned) 147-143 (2nd round), bt Wei Fangyao (Chn) 148-146 (3rd round), lost to Hazal Burun (Tur) 146-147 (4th round); Prithika Pradeep got a bye (1st round), bt Franziska Goppel (Ger) 148-142 (2nd round), bt Park Jungyoon (Kor) 145-144 (3rd round), bt Liko Arreola (USA) 147-146 (4th round), bt Andrea Munoz (Spn) 140-135 (QF).

Mixed team: India (Prithika Pradeep, Sahil Jadhav) bt Brazil 160-152 (1st round), bt USA 156-154 (2nd round), lost to Mexico 153-153 (shoot-off: 19-20) (QF).

-Team Sportstar

Published on Jul 10, 2026

#Indian #sports #wrap #July #Aditi #tied #35th #Evian #Championship #teenage #archers #shine #Madrid">Indian sports wrap, July 10: Aditi tied 35th at Evian Championship; teenage archers shine in Madrid GOLFAditi tied 35th, Japan’s Iwai leads at Evian ChampionshipIndian golfer Aditi Ashok opened with an erratic one-under 70 to be tied for the 35th position after the opening round of the Evian Championship, which is a Major on the women’s circuit.Aditi, a five-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, and a champion at Hero Women’s Indian Open in 2016, is playing the tournament for the ninth time, but has finished in Top-25 only once.She trails Japan’s Aki Iwai by seven shots. Aditi had two birdies and two bogeys on the front side of the course and then one bogey and back to back birdies on the 14th and the 15th.– PTIGill logs Top-20 in Asian Development Tour, stays on path to Asian TourIndia’s Pukhraj Singh Gill fired three consistent rounds of three-under 69 each to finish a tidy Tied-19th in the Ever Glory ADT Open on the Asian Development Tour on Friday.The Ludhiana star, who won the Am Green IGPL Order of Merit in India in 2025, has been focussing on earning his way into the Asian Tour via the Asian Development Tour.With 69-69-69, Gill totalled nine-under 204 and was Tied-19th. Gill, who plays for the Honer Homes Gurugram on the AM Green IGPL, is now sixth on the Merit Llist and stands a great chance of making it to the 2027 Asian Tour as the Top-10 players advance to the higher Tour.Last year Karandeep Kochhar, a colleague of Gill on AM Green IGPL took the same route.Among other Indians in the field, Khalin Joshi (68-67-69) totalled 12-under and finished Tied-12th. Kartik Singh (74-68) missed the 36-hole cut.-PTIMOTORSPORTIndian duo of Puligilla, Sherif eye podium finish at Rwanda Rally 2026Indian rally driver Naveen Puligilla and his co-driver Musa Sherif will look for another podium finish at the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, which is the third round of the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC), starting in Kigali City on Saturday. The duo completed the shakedown and qualifying stage on Friday.The Duran Racing team’s Puligilla and Sherif of Kasaragod will drive a Ford Fiesta, serviced by MRU Motorsports Africa, in the ARC3 category. The total distance is 307.52 km, while the 18 Special Stages of competitive distance form 252 km of demanding mountain stages on Saturday and Sunday.“The recce has given us a good understanding of the stages. The terrain is quite technical with changing grip levels of the mountain roads, and we are prepared for it,” said Puligilla, the Indian National Rally champion of 2025 in the 3T class.The celebrated Indian duo started the season with a third-place finish in the WRC3 class in March 2026 at the WRC Safari Rally Kenya.The rally was also the opening round of the FIA African Rally Championship, where Puligilla and Sherif secured second place in the ARC3 class.The pair earlier became the first Indian driver and co-driver combo to achieve a podium finish in any WRC category in 2025 with a remarkable second place in the WRC3 class at the Rally Saudi Arabia and bagged the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India (FMSCI) Special Award at the federation’s 2025 Annual Awards ceremony.-Team SportstarARCHERYKirti, Prithika enter medals rounds in MadridTwo teenagers, 19-year-old Kirti and 17-year-old Prithika Pradeep, entered medal rounds of recurve and compound women’s individual competitions, respectively, at the Archery World Cup Stage-4 in Madrid on Friday.Kirti, who got two byes, shocked Worlds and Olympics medallist Michelle Kroppen 6-2, Olympian Lai Tsai-chi 6-4 and Worlds medallist Elia Canales 6-2 on her way to the semifinals.After receiving a bye, Prithika got past Franziska Goppel 148-142, Park Jungyoon 145-144, Liko Arreola 147-146 and Andrea Munoz 140-135 to reach the last four.Kirti also remained in the hunt for another medal as she and B. Dhiraj combined to make it to the mixed team bronze medal contest. They lost to China 3-5 in the semifinals and will meet Italy in the third-place match. RESULTS RECURVE: ELIMINATION: Men: Neeraj Chauhan got byes in first two rounds, bt Francesco Gregori (Ita) 6-2 (3rd round), lost to Mauro Nespoli (Ita) 4-6 (4th round); Atanu Das lost to Leon Zemella (Ger) 4-6 (3rd round); B. Dhiraj got byes in first two rounds, bt Federico Musolesi (Ita) 6-0 (3rd round), bt Berkim Tumer (Tur) 6-5 (shoot-off: 9-8) (4th round), lost to Leon Zemella (Ger) 5-6 (shoot-off: 8-9) (QF). Women: Kirti got byes in first two rounds, bt Michelle Kroppen (Ger) 6-2 (3rd round), bt Li Tsai-chi (Tpe) 6-4 (4th round), bt Elia Canales (Spn) 6-2 (QF); Kumkum Mohod bt Zana Pintaric (Slo) 6-5 (shoot-off: 9-8) (3rd round), lost to Oh Yejin (Kor) 1-7 (4th round); Ankita Bhakat bt Elisabeth Straka (Aut) 7-1 (3rd round), lost to Marie Horackova (Cze) 3-7 (4th round). Mixed team: India (Kirti, B. Dhiraj) got a bye (1st round), bt Netherlands 6-2 (2nd round), bt Japan 5-3 (QF), lost to China 3-5 (SF). COMPOUND: ELIMINATION: Men: Rishabh Yadav got a bye (1st round), bt Marco Bruno (Ita) 147-147 (10*-10, shot closer to center) (2nd round), bt Eren Kirca (Tur) 148-148 (shoot-off: 10-9) (3rd round), bt Mathias Fullerton (Den) 148-147 (4th round), lost to Simon Morotz (Ger) 146-147 (QF); Kushal Dalal got a bye (1st round), bt Wu Wei (Tpe) 148-147 (2nd round), lost to Lorenzo Gubbini (Ita) 144-147 (3rd round); Sahil Jadhav got byes in first two rounds, lost to Shi Jingyu (Chn) 146-148 (3rd round); Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru bt Muhammad Tariki (Mas) 146-146 (shoot-off: 10-9) (1st round), bt Paolo Kunsch 149-148 (2nd round), lost to Przemyslaw Konecki (Pol) 144-146 (3rd round). Women: Chikitha Taniparthi bt Kan Tsz Ling (HKG) 147-131 (1st round), Sofie Marcussen (Den) 149-147 (2nd round), lost to Sara Lopez (Col) 143-147 (3rd round); V. Jyothi Surekha bt Tohar Tamir (Isr) 147-142 (1st round), bt Sanne de Laat (Ned) 147-143 (2nd round), bt Wei Fangyao (Chn) 148-146 (3rd round), lost to Hazal Burun (Tur) 146-147 (4th round); Prithika Pradeep got a bye (1st round), bt Franziska Goppel (Ger) 148-142 (2nd round), bt Park Jungyoon (Kor) 145-144 (3rd round), bt Liko Arreola (USA) 147-146 (4th round), bt Andrea Munoz (Spn) 140-135 (QF). Mixed team: India (Prithika Pradeep, Sahil Jadhav) bt Brazil 160-152 (1st round), bt USA 156-154 (2nd round), lost to Mexico 153-153 (shoot-off: 19-20) (QF). -Team SportstarPublished on Jul 10, 2026 #Indian #sports #wrap #July #Aditi #tied #35th #Evian #Championship #teenage #archers #shine #Madrid

Post Comment