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🏀 Five things to know Tuesday
- The Grizzlies traded Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers. Morant’s tumultuous tenure with Memphis is over. The Grizzlies reportedly sent the former No. 2 overall pick to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. In his first four seasons with the Grizzlies, Morant won Rookie of the Year and was named an All-Star twice. Injuries and off-court issues have derailed Morant since then, making him an interesting buy-low candidate. But were the Trail Blazers the right team to do that buying? Sam Quinn questioned Portland’s strategy in his trade grades.
- Paraguay eliminated German in a shocking upset. Four-time World Cup winner Germany is leaving the tournament much earlier than expected this year. Paraguay stunned the Germans with a win via penalty shootout after playing to a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes. Paraguay will now crash the Round of 16 party and will take on the winner of France vs. Sweden. On the whole, it was a terrific day of soccer as Brazil rallied past Japan for a dramatic win in the 95th minute. At night, the Netherlands and Morocco went to penalty kicks with the Morrocans pulling off yet another round of 32 upset.
- The Lions have released Terrion Arnold following his arrest. In the wake of his arrest on kidnapping and armed robbery charges, Arnold has been released by the Lions. Over the past two seasons, Arnold became a key cog in Detroit’s secondary, starting in 22 games while appearing in 24. In that time, he defended 18 passes and recorded an interception. As the Lions try to fill the large void in their defensive backfield, Rasul Douglas and Tre’Davious White are just two potential replacements.
- Victor Hovland beat Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to win the Travelers Championship. Monday’s playoff between Hovland and Scheffler lasted just one hole as the former notched a birdie to win the tournament. Meanwhile, Scheffler missed a three-foot putt that would have extended the playoff. This win was Hovland’s eighth on the PGA Tour, and the loss was another frustrating finish for Scheffler in a year that has been full of them.
- Malik Beasley was indicted on illegal sports gambling charges. Exactly one year ago, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Beasley was under investigation for gambling, including placing prop bets on NBA games. That investigation led to Beasley and fellow ex-NBA player Ed Davis being indicted on illegal gambling charges. Beasley and Davis are now the fifth and sixth current or former NBA players who have been indicted on federal gambling charges, with Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups among the others.
🏀 Do not miss this: LeBron James enters free agency
NBA free agency officially begins today, and as every rumor and signing rolls in, our team will provide analysis in our 2026 NBA free agency tracker.
For the first time since 2018, LeBron James is on the market, and that could lead to the formation of a dynamic duo in the Bay Area. Could James team up with Steph Curry and the Warriors?
With rumors swirling that Golden State might have something up its sleeve as it looks to acquire James and Anthony Davis, Draymond Green did his part to make that dream a reality when he declined a $27.7 million player option in a surprising contract decision.
So, do the rumblings about James and Warriors have legs? Our team of NBA experts logged their landing spot predictions for the biggest names on the free agency and trade markets. Robby Kalland could easily see LeBron and Steph joining forces.
- Kalland: “There’s more than just a little smoke right now regarding the Warriors’ plans to bring in LeBron and Anthony Davis. Perhaps there’s some 4D chess at play here, but I’m inclined to believe this, largely because I find it hard to imagine any other team has real reason to pursue Anthony Davis as aggressively as the Warriors. Reuniting with AD and playing with Stephen Curry would be extremely appealing to LeBron, and they can all relive the glory days of Team USA’s past while trying to chase one last postseason run.”
OK, but if James and the Lakers do part ways, where does that leave Bronny?
James might be the biggest name on the market, but he’s not the only impact player who could be in for a change of scenery. The Jalen Duren sweepstakes is heating up, and Zion Williamson is one of several stars on the trade block this summer.
⚾ Mets fail MLB’s first half
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We’re already halfway through the MLB regular season, and the first 81 games went much better for some teams than others. In the NL, the Braves and Dodgers have rolled. The Mets have flailed — or in this case, failed.
Our MLB experts handed out first-half grades for each NL team, and it didn’t take long to fill out the Mets’ report card. Hitting and pitching — two core elements in the game of baseball — have been a constant struggle all year. As Mike Axisa explains, the Mets haven’t looked further away from a World Series at any point in Steve Cohen’s tenure as owner.
- Axisa: “They’re near the bottom of the league offensively. The rotation started out shaky and has completely fallen apart over the last few weeks. Even some touted prospects in the minors have taken a step back. When Steve Cohen bought the team in 2020, he said he would consider it a disappointment if the Mets didn’t win the World Series within 3-5 years. Well, this is now Year 6 of the Cohen era, and they’re going to have to sell at the deadline. An unmitigated disaster from the top on down.”
If it’s any consolation for the Mets, they aren’t the only New York baseball team enduring adversity. The Yankees are 3-8 in their last 11 games, and the offense has completely vanished. Aaron Judge can’t return soon enough.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching Tuesday
🎾 Wimbledon: First round, 6 a.m. on ESPN
⚽ World Cup: Ivory Coast vs. Norway, 1 p.m. on Fox
⚽ World Cup: France vs. Sweden, 5 p.m. on Fox
⚾ Tigers at Yankees, 7 p.m. on TBS
🏀 Commissioner’s Cup championship: Aces at Liberty, 7 p.m. on Prime Video
⚽ World Cup: Mexico vs. Ecuador, 9 p.m. on Fox