SI:AM | NBA Offseason Heats Up as LaMelo Ball Traded—and Jaylen Brown Could Be Next
SI:AM | NBA Offseason Heats Up as LaMelo Ball Traded—and Jaylen Brown Could Be Next
One All-Star guard is already on the move. Could Boston part ways with its cornerstone veteran?Dan Gartland|
In this story:
Charlotte HornetsMinnesota TimberwolvesBoston CelticsGood morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I’m glad the LaMelo Ball news broke when it did, instead of right after I sent this email.
In today’s SI:AM:
👋 LaMelo Ball traded
☘️ Jaylen Brown next?
⚾ MLB’s best young stars
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NBA offseason kicks into high gear
The NBA’s Western Conference just got even tougher.
The Timberwolves have agreed to acquire LaMelo Ball from the Hornets, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. Minnesota will receive Ball and Josh Green in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three second-round picks and three first-round pick swaps.
The deal comes just hours after Charania first said during ESPN’s draft coverage that multiple teams were in talks with Charlotte to acquire Ball. The Bucks and Raptors were among the other teams interested in trading for him, according to multiple reports.
Ball won the Rookie of the Year in 2020–21 and was named to the All-Star team the following season, but injuries limited him to just 105 games between the ’22–23 and ’24–25 seasons. He finally had a fully healthy season this year, playing in 72 games as he led the Hornets on a late-season surge to finish with their best record in a decade and reach the play-in tournament.
In Ball, the Timberwolves are adding a quality point guard who’s equally comfortable as a distributor and as a lead scoring option. He’ll help relieve Anthony Edwards of some of the burden of being Minnesota’s primary ballhandler and fill a hole in the backcourt resulting from Donte DiVincenzo’s torn Achilles tendon. It’s the second major trade the Timberwolves have agreed to this week. They also sent Julius Randle to the Nets in a three-team deal involving the Bulls. The Randle trade was a salary dump designed to clear up cap space so Minnesota could re-sign Ayo Dosunmu after his breakout postseason.
Ball might not be the only All-Star to get traded in the coming days. The Celtics are reportedly entertaining offers for Jaylen Brown after they already tried to trade him earlier this week for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
A Brown trade would be even more of a blockbuster. He’s coming off the best season of his career, assuming a lead role for the Celtics while Jayson Tatum missed the first four months of the season. Brown averaged a career-best 28.7 points per game and received MVP votes for the first time.
Brown and Tatum are one of the league’s longest-tenured star duos and have enjoyed tremendous success together. Since Tatum was drafted in 2017, Boston has the best record in the NBA (477–241). But Boston’s current roster is incomplete, and the team evidently sees an opportunity to swap Brown for a player that better fits its needs. Between Tatum, Brown, Derrick White and Sam Hauser, the Celtics have plenty of good wing players. Payton Pritchard is a solid point guard, and has Tatum and Brown to help him facilitate the offense. What the Celtics lack is a quality big man. They don’t have a paint presence like they did when Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis helped them win the Finals in 2024. Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Nikola Vučević aren’t cutting it.
“They are hunting a big man,” a rival executive told Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. “And they are willing to trade [Brown] to get it.”
The Celtics better hope they can find a suitable offer, because the public nature of the negotiations risks souring Brown’s relationship with the franchise. Brown has always been seen as Tatum’s sidekick. He finally had an opportunity to be the main guy, capitalized on it and lead the Celtics to an unexpectedly strong regular season, and then the team tries to trade him? Imagine how that must feel. It wasn’t just the Giannis trade, either. Mannix reports that after Milwaukee turned down Boston’s offer on Monday, the Celtics “continued to discuss Brown trades on Tuesday”—in some cases fielding calls from other teams, but in other cases initiating the conversations.
If the Celtics are going to trade Brown, it would be best for everyone involved if it happens relatively quickly. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday and can officially sign those players on July 6.
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The top five…
… things I saw yesterday:
5. Mr. and Mrs. Met doing the Norway row with a bunch of soccer fans at Citi Field.
4. Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa’s moment on the field with his kids after coming on as a substitute to appear in his sixth career World Cup. Ochoa was also mobbed by his teammates after the final whistle.
3. Paul Goldschmidt’s two home runs off of Tarik Skubal. The 38-year-old Goldschmidt is having his best season at the plate in years, and he’s been especially great against lefties like Skubal. He’s batting .408/.489/.816 with eight homers in 88 plate appearances against lefties this season.
2. Mateo Chávez’s great run for Mexico’s first goal.
1. Thapelo Maseko’s goal that gave South Africa an upset win over South Korea. South Africa will advance to the knockout stage for the first time in its history.
Published just now | Modified just now
DAN GARTLANDDan Gartland writes Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, and is the host of the “Stadium Wonders” video series. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
