Thunder v trail blazers prediction

The Trail Blazers dealt most of their starting lineup – C.J. McCollum , Norman Powell and Robert Covington – at the last trade deadline. Portland kept Damian Lillard and is continuing to build around him . Relatedly, the Trail Blazers will re-sign the other starter they kept: center Jusuf Nurkic . Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN: Free agent C Jusuf Nurkic has agreed on a new four-year, $70 million deal to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6vmHrdOZI3 — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022 Nurkic is a solid starting center. He protects the paint, set screens, rebounds, can pass some and has improved as a finisher. The Trail Blazers have given Nurkic more defensive responsibility than he can handle in recent years. That likely won’t change with Lillard and Anfernee Simons taking prominent backcourt roles and a hole at small forward that will necessitate plenty of small, three-guard lineups … [Read more...] about Report: Trail Blazers re-signing Jusuf Nurkic (four years, $70M)

The Portland Trail Blazers have traded for Jerami Grant , re-signed Anfrenee Simons, re-signed Jusuf Nurkic , picked up the guaranteed year for Josh Hart , and poached Gary Payton II away from the defending champs. Not a bad offseason in Portland. Plus, they are offering Damian Lillard $100 million over two years to be the star of this team . But Lillard and his camp want to keep the pressure up on the Trail Blazers, hence this sourced note from Sam Amick of The Athletic. While it has been widely assumed Lillard will accept the two-year extension offer worth more than $100 million that is expected to come his way, sources say the Trail Blazers still needed to have a strong offseason to persuade Lillard to sign on through the 2026-27 campaign (when he’ll be 36). The deadline here isn’t until the start of the regular season, and I’m being told this is not a sure thing just yet. There are moves Lillard — and Blazers fans — can question. For example, … [Read more...] about Lillard camp keeps pressure on Trail Blazers, latest reports says re-signing not “sure thing”

Damian Lillard reportedly wants to evaluate the Trail Blazers’ dedication to winning before signing the two-year, $100 million-plus contract extension they’re offering . Trail Blazers owner Jody Allen, who also owns the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, is making her case. Trail Blazers: Statement from Jody Allen pic.twitter.com/oAezfb398o — Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) July 5, 2022 One report said Jody Allen – as a condition of her brother’s, late Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen’s, trust – must sell the team within 10 years of his 2018 death. Another report from this spring said a sale was expected within 18 months . But Jody Allen continues to set an expectation of steady ownership. Given Lillard’s longstanding loyalty to Portland and the Trail Blazers’ strong offseason , that could be enough to convince Lillard to sign the extension. … [Read more...] about Trail Blazers owner Jody Allen: No deadline for sale, focus on winning

The Trail Blazers have been looking for a trade partner to take Eric Bledsoe for weeks, going back to before the NBA Draft, but to no avail. Bledsoe has a $19.4 million contract for next season but only $3.9 million is guaranteed. That changes on July 10 when the full contract becomes locked in. Faced with a decision to pay him the entire amount to be a third point guard or let him walk, the Trail Blazers will waive Bledsoe, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Portland Trail Blazers plan to waive guard Eric Bledsoe ahead of his guarantee date approaching, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium . Entering his 13th NBA season, several teams are expected to pursue Bledsoe as a free agent. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 6, 2022 Bledsoe can be traded before Sunday, however, that team likely would do it for the financial savings and waive him. Bledsoe, 32, will be entering his 13th NBA season. He averaged 9.9 points a game for the Clippers last season, but … [Read more...] about Report: Portland Trail Blazers to waive guard Eric Bledsoe

Getty Images The Portland Trail Blazers will waive veteran point guard Eric Bledsoe before his contract becomes fully guaranteed, according to Shams Charania . Bledsoe will now become an unrestricted free agent and is expected to draw interest from multiple teams. Days before the deadline last season, the Blazers traded Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Bledsoe, Justise Winslow , Keon Johnson and a future second-round pick. Bledsoe was ruled out for the season with an Achilles tendon injury shortly after his arrival in Portland, however, and never played a game with the team. The Blazers were in full tank mode at the end of last season, so it was no surprise that they kept Bledsoe on the bench and eventually shut him down. Likewise, with a partial guarantee of just $3.9 million for next season, waiving him this summer was always the expected outcome. The interesting part now is what comes next for Bledsoe. He's … [Read more...] about Eric Bledsoe to enter NBA free agency after getting waived by Trail Blazers, per report

Getty Images As the 2022 NBA free agency period dies down, all eyes turn to the deals yet to be completed. It's presumed that Kevin Durant is headed out of Brooklyn, which could also trade Kyrie Irving, for whom the Lakers are angling. The Suns haven't resolved their DeAndre Ayton dilemma (will someone emerge as a sign-and-trade partner?). Philly is working with James Harden on an extension, but nothing has been announced. For now, taking into account the draft, trades and free-agent signings, here is my list of 2022 offseason winners and losers. This post will continue to update. Here's what we have so far. CBS Sports HQ Newsletter Your Ultimate Guide to Every Day in Sports We bring sports news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and get a winning edge. By submitting my email I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and other marketing and promotional emails from CBS Sports, which may include information from our affiliates … [Read more...] about NBA offseason winners and losers: Knicks’ star search incomplete; Spurs eyeing top pick; Thunder keep building

Getty Images The Atlanta Braves were one game under .500 at the All-Star break last year but went 44-28 in the second half to capture their fourth straight NL East title and proceeded to win the fourth World Series in franchise history. The club did not wait as long to recover from a poor start this year as it has gone 25-7 since June 1 after posting a 23-27 record over the first two months of the campaign. Atlanta (48-34) hopes to continue its surge when it hosts the St. Louis Cardinals (44-39) on Wednesday for the third contest of their four-game set. The Braves, who have won four of their last five, trail the first-place New York Mets by 2.5 games in the NL East, while the Cardinals are three behind Milwaukee in the NL Central after dropping three straight. First pitch at Truist Park is set for 7:20 p.m. ET. Atlanta is the -170 money-line favorite (risk $170 to win $100) in the latest Braves vs. Cardinals odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while St. Louis is the +143 … [Read more...] about Braves vs. Cardinals odds, prediction, line: 2022 MLB picks, Wednesday, July 6 best bets from proven model

Getty Images After making the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade in 2021, the New York Knicks were not able to build on that success last season. They took a major step back and finished in 11th place with just 37 wins -- a mark that wasn't even good enough for the play-in tournament. They've responded with an aggressive offseason approach focused on signing Jalen Brunson in free agency. In fact, they may have been a bit too eager, as league sources expect the Knicks will get penalized for tampering, according to Fred Katz . Reports emerged of a four-year, $104 million deal before free agency officially opened. Of course, the Knicks won't care, and any fine or loss of a draft pick will be worth the price to get their man. Speaking of draft picks, the Knicks traded out of the first round this year, using a series of deals to acquire future first-round picks and clear cap space to make a worthy offer to Brunson. That will make Knicks' Summer League experience … [Read more...] about 2022 New York Knicks Summer League: Roster, schedule, TV channel, live stream, players to watch