Month: July 2022

Karl-Anthony Towns agrees to supermax contract extension with Timberwolves

Adrian Wojnarowski: Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed on a four-year, $224M super max extension, his agent Jessica Holtz of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Deal begins with the 2024-25 season and delivers Towns’ total contract …

Adrian Wojnarowski: Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed on a four-year, $224M super max extension, his agent Jessica Holtz of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Deal begins with the 2024-25 season and delivers Towns’ total contract value to six years and $295M.
Source: Twitter @wojespn

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42
Here are the numbers for Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns:
24/25- $50M
25/26- $54.1M
26/27-$58.1M
27/28- $62.1M
Both cannot be traded for 1 season – 12:03 AM
Jon Krawczynski @JonKrawczynski
Extension time in Minnesota: Karl-Anthony Towns will sign the four-year, $214 million extension that will lock him up in Minnesota for the next six years. – 12:01 AM
Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed on a four-year, $224M super max extension, his agent Jessica Holtz of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Deal begins with the 2024-25 season and delivers Towns’ total contract value to six years and $295M. – 12:00 AM
Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA
Timberwolves current cap sheet, using the new salary cap figures.
– Karl-Anthony Towns’ supermax extension (which he is currently eligible to be offered): 4 years, $213,669,792
– Anthony Edwards max extension (eligible to be offered in 12 months): 5 years, $197,590,050 pic.twitter.com/e6rTu8vrj9 – 8:14 PM

Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA
Chris Finch, today, on hoping to work out a contract extension for Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns is eligible to sign a 4-year, $211 million supermax contract, which would extend in addition to the two years and $70 remaining on his current contract (6 years, $280.8 million total). pic.twitter.com/nwNtnHoEIj – 12:54 PM

Jon Krawczynski @JonKrawczynski
The Timberwolves still have some holes to fill when free agency opens on Thursday. But first: Karl-Anthony Towns theathletic.com/3386564/2022/0… – 9:31 AM

More on this storyline

 

Finch on Tuesday seemed to believe working out an extension was not going to be a huge obstacle. “I think it’s all of our hopes, really,” Finch said. “We know he’s happy. We were extremely happy for him, for All-NBA and the ability to have this extension. I know he worked hard for it. I know he’s excited, so I think it’ll be a good moment, special moment for him and for this organization.” President Tim Connelly has spoken about wanting Towns to remain in a Wolves uniform for a long time. “I hope he’s here forever,” Connelly said. “I hope we have the type of team success that would allow us to look up and see Karl’s jersey being hung up in the rafters.” -via Minneapolis Star-Tribune / June 29, 2022
Because he was voted third-team All-NBA this season, Towns is eligible for an extension of up to four years and roughly $211 million. “I can’t wait to sit down with him and his representation ASAP and keep this thing going,” Connelly told The Athletic in a conversation not long after he was hired away from the Denver Nuggets. “He’s special and deserves everything that is going to come his way.” -via The Athletic / June 28, 2022

 

Grizzlies, Ja Morant agree to contract extension

Adrian Wojnarowski: Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN. Source: Twitter @wojespn What’s the buzz on …

Adrian Wojnarowski: Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN.
Source: Twitter @wojespn

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN. – 12:01 AM
Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Memphis’ Ja Morant are all expected to verbally seal mammoth contract extensions soon after 6 PM ET tonight … for those tracking notable sidebars to the Kevin Durant Requests A Trade blockbuster. – 3:57 PM
Mark Giannotto @mgiannotto
COLUMN: Ja Morant, Tyus Jones and the value of a great backup point guard. It’s a dilemma and a decision that will dictate how the Memphis Grizzlies proceed when NBA free agency officially begins today.
commercialappeal.com/story/sports/c… – 9:09 AM
Peter Edmiston @peteredmiston
Relevant to the Grizzlies, the likely cap number of $123.6mm means that a Ja Morant Designated Player extension agreed to this offseason would be either 5 yrs/$181.5mm at the current level, or if he qualifies for the Rose rule and gets a Supermax, it would be 5 yrs/$220.5mm. – 1:11 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Ja Morant showed up at Halle Park behind the Mt. Moriah precinct and helped refurbish 13 outdoor basketball courts across Memphis. Halle is one of the most legendary hoops spots in Memphis, and now the star PGs face is on it.
“It’s big time.”
Story: commercialappeal.com/story/sports/n… – 11:15 AM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Ja Morant came out to the Mt. Moriah Precinct court today, played 1v1 vs. some kids and Griddy’d his way onto the court. These are the moments the kids in Memphis will always remember, like how when Zach Randolph & Penny would just casually show up at schools. Memphis’ superstar. pic.twitter.com/TjkdPiCkSI – 7:27 PM

Dalton Johnson @DaltonJ_Johnson
Ja Morant tells @Damichael Cole there’s no rivalry between the Warriors and Grizzlies https://t.co/4yJ6WdTepy pic.twitter.com/PqJ1kB9OBE – 7:21 PM

Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
I caught up with Ja Morant today. Among the things we discussed: real estate.
He explained to me why he doesn’t consider Golden State a rivalry.
Story: commercialappeal.com/story/sports/n… – 7:08 PM

More on this storyline

 

Ja Morant: woj & shams not bs 😂 -via Twitter @JaMorant / June 30, 2022
Ja Morant: easy money -via Twitter @JaMorant / June 30, 2022

 

Schools the SEC should add following UCLA, USC joining Big Ten

Schools the SEC should add following UCLA and USC joining the Big Ten.

The Big Ten Conference announced Thursday the addition of UCLA and USC as future league members.

The Big Ten issued the following press release.

The Big Ten Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted unanimously today to admit the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California to the Big Ten Conference effective August 2, 2024. Competition will begin for all conference sports in the 2024-25 academic year.

After receiving written applications from the two universities, Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren, alongside conference athletics directors and the Council of Presidents and Chancellors, evaluated the applications based on a dynamic model weighting four primary principles with supporting criteria. The principles include academics and culture; student-athlete welfare, competition, and logistics; commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports; and financial sustainability. The model allows the conference to analyze criteria in a strategic and effective manner.

“As the national leader in academics and athletics for over 126 years, the Big Ten Conference has historically evaluated its membership with the collective goal to forward the academic and athletic mission for student-athletes under the umbrella of higher education,” Commissioner Warren stated. “The unanimous vote today signifies the deep respect and welcoming culture our entire conference has for the University of Southern California, under the leadership of President Carol Folt, and the University of California, Los Angeles, under the leadership of Chancellor Gene Block. I am thankful for the collaborative efforts of our campus leadership, athletics directors and Council of Presidents and Chancellors who recognize the changing landscape of college athletics, methodically reviewed each request, and took appropriate action based on our consensus.”

The Big Ten Conference has a lineage of transformation dating back to the historic meeting with seven university presidents on January 11, 1895, at the Palmer House in Chicago, Illinois. Those seven leaders created the blueprint for what grew into the modern intercollegiate sports model. Adding the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California continues the conference’s legacy of transformation and innovation in college athletics. The addition of the two universities remains subject to negotiation of final terms.

UCLA and USC’s move to the Big Ten comes after Oklahoma and Texas announced last year they will join the Southeastern Conference.

Vols Wire looks at schools the SEC should consider for expansion following the Big Ten adding the Bruins and Trojans.

Men’s basketball 2022-2023 home and road SEC opponents announced

Men’s basketball 2022-2023 home and road SEC opponents announced

The Aggies learned their 2022-2023 Southeast Conference home and road schedule earlier this week. Their home slate will consist of Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Their road schedule has the Aggies playing at Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi St., Missouri and South Carolina.

Game dates, tip-off times, and viewing information will be confirmed and released at a later date.

The Aggies’ non-conference schedule will be announced at a later date, as well, when opponents and game details are finalized.

The Aggies will look to improve in conference play in 2022-2023 as they finished 9-9 in regular-season conference contests last season – a 5-4 home record and a 4-5 record away from Reed Arena. Finding greater success in the 2021-2022 SEC Tournament, Coach Williams will look to get his guys off to a strong SEC-start this season as conference success is one of the clearest paths to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Do Panthers repent QB mistakes, take Justin Fields in 2021 redraft?

If the Panthers were once again given the choice between QB Justin Fields and CB Jaycee Horn, would they make the same decision? Here’s what PFF thinks.

If the Carolina Panthers had . . . one shot, or one opportunity . . . to redo the 2021 NFL draft . . . and seize a quarterback . . . would they capture it . . . or just let it slip (again)?

Lose yourself a year back in time with Pro Football Focus lead NFL analyst Sam Monson and find out. Monson recently rewound on last spring’s draft—setting up a similar scenario for the passer-needy Panthers.

As Carolina’s No. 8 overall pick turned up, Ohio State University quarterback Justin Fields and University of South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn—like they actually did 14 months ago—remained on the board. But, knowing what we do now with the franchise even more desperate for an answer under center, does Monson forgo Horn and grab Fields?

Nope. Snap back to reality.

“The Panthers would have to give serious consideration to going offensive line here the way Miami did, with Creed Humphrey the best-graded center in the game as a rookie, but taking a center in the top-10 would be unprecedented in the modern era,” writes Monson, who later sends Fields to the Denver Broncos at No. 9. “Ultimately, they stick with their decision and re-draft Horn. Horn looked impressive right out of the gate, allowing just one catch in three games before he was lost for the season.”

Time will tell if Horn was the right pick for this team, especially given the fact that Fields wasn’t the only impressive rookie passer on the board. That doesn’t, however, make him a bad pick.

Horn, as Monson alludes to, flashed just about everything you’d want to see out of a future shutdown star in the limited time he had. We saw the eye-opening athleticism, we saw the swagger and we saw the results—and we’ll see plenty more in 2022.

What we have yet to see, though, is an effective plan from this organization for the most important position in the sport. And even though Fields didn’t exactly set the football world on fire in his opening campaign, at least in the box score, there’s plenty of promise to be tapped into moving forward.

Well, the beat goes on . . . da-da-dom, da-dom, dah-dah, dah-dah.

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