Thunder bolsters squad with addition of Isaiah Hartenstein; USMNT fails to advance in Copa America, loses 1-0 to Uruguay

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🏀 Good morning to everyone, but especially to…

Oklahoma City Thunder

After a strong 2023–24 season, thunder They were not satisfied with their accomplishments. The top seed in the Western Conference has already taken some big steps to establish themselves as the team to beat once again.

The latest of these moves came yesterday when the Thunder Nix Big Man Isaiah Hartenstein to one A massive three-year deal worth $87 millionOklahoma City is overhauling its roster this offseason, and Hartenstein could be a key player that can lead the Thunder over the top next season.

As our own Sam Quinn explainsHartenstein does more than bring better defense to OKC. The new Thunder big man should also help on the offensive end of the court, serving as a solid distributor and a very strong offensive rebounder.

Combine Hartenstein with the Thunder’s other offseason moves, and G.M. Sam Presti Feeling like the most effective executive in the NBA.

• Quinn: “If Presti does nothing else, the Thunder will have already had the best offseason of any team in the league, let alone any contender. This signing, as well as alex caruso Trade and team-friendly contracts he negotiated Isaiah Joe And aaron wigginsEstablishing them as a more adaptable, playoff-ready team than they were last season, with plenty of internal growth and flexibility going forward.”

Presti has already had a busy summer. Just last month, They flipped the former No. 6 overall pick Josh Giede In an agreement with Caruso BullsThe move gives Oklahoma City a second-team All-Defensive player and a good shooter in Caruso.

While Oklahoma City might be the most successful team so far this offseason, other teams are busy improving their squads as well. Clay Thompson ready to join in Mavericks Three years on, $50 million deal. The Piston bringing back Tobias Harris Two years on, $52 million contract,

NBA free agency is set to kick off in the coming days, so keep track of every signing using our free agency tracker.

👍 Honorable Mention

And not so good morning…

United States men’s national team

USMNT Their all-too-brief run ended with a 1-0 loss to Uruguay at the Copa America. Now, the program must assess the direction it is headed ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The United States has somehow managed to hold on Uruguay for the first half, but Mathias Oliveira The only goal of the match came in the 66th minute. Oliveira scored the decisive goal of the game for Uruguay by scoring on a rebound from a free kick.

USMNT’s loss, as well Panama3-1 win BoliviaThis means they are knocked out of the Copa America in the group stage. It’s a cruel result for the team after getting a good draw, and now there are questions about the future of the head coach Gregg Berhalter,

Our own Pradeep Cattry breaks down the USMNT’s Copa America faceplant.

• Catree: “The team failed to live up to expectations, was placed in a favourable group and was entering the tournament with an eye on a quarterfinal spot. However, Gregg Berhalter’s side never produced a solid performance in this competition and hence they crashed out of the tournament. This is a permanent stain on the team’s record since Berhalter took over in 2019, and it will remain so until their next big game comes in the 2026 World Cup.”

The USMNT started the tournament well, winning 2-0 over Bolivia in the group stage. However, they then lost 2-1 to Panama and also failed to score against Uruguay. The team finished third in Group C with just three points and equal goal difference.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏒 NHL free agency spending spree

NHL players may not receive the same amount of money as NBA players in free agency, but yesterday was still a record day for spending across the league.

For the first time in NHL history, teams spent more than $1 billion in a 24-hour period combined. That makes sense, considering the salary cap increased to $88 million after remaining relatively stable for the first few years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Predators The biggest spenders were A total of $108.5 million was spent bring forward steven stamkos And Jonathan MarchessaultAlso defenseman Brady SkjeiThat doesn’t even include the $14.25 million they used to re-sign defenseman Alex Carrier Add more goaltenders Scott Wedgwood,

After just one year on the job, Nashville’s general manager Barry Trotz The team list has been completely changed.

The second major step was lightning Agreed on a seven-year, $63 million deal with the winger Jake GuentzelGuentzel, a Stanley Cup champion, will look to fill the void left by Stamkos, a former captain who led the Bolts to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021.

Speaking of the cup, the recently crowned champions made sure to retain one of their most important players in the squad. Sam ReinhartThe man who scored 57 goals last season remains in the team Panthers But $69 million, eight-year contract,

Here are some of the more notable deals from the first day of NHL free agency:

• Kraken Stanley Cup Winners Added Chandler Stephenson on a deal worth $43.75 million.
• Jake DeBrusk signed a $38.5 million contract to join the . Canucks,
• The Devils strengthened its defense by adding Brett Pesce A $33 million deal was signed.

keep it locked Our NHL Free Agency Tracker to see every deal that will take place in the coming days and weeks. In this case, make sure that Follow our trade tracker Teams will continue to change their lineups this summer.

🏈 Texas, Oklahoma officially join the SEC

SEC history was made yesterday when Texas And oklahoma They became the conference’s 15th and 16th members. Now the question is whether they are ready for life in the SEC.

The SEC is one of the premier conferences in college athletics, but that’s especially true when it comes to football. Playing in the conference means a tough matchup or a trip to a hostile environment almost every week. That wasn’t always the case for the Longhorns and Sooners in the Big 12.

Our own Dennis Dodd Talked to key players in both Texas and OklahomaAnd they’re ready for the challenge that lies ahead. Sooners head coach Brent Venables Knows that even middling SEC teams are a threat to pull off an upset every Saturday.

• Venables: “That’s what I’ve seen in the last six months of study. For any team that doesn’t have a good record at the end of the year, that’s a big deal. [still] There’s going to be a dogfight every week. Oklahoma doesn’t attack anybody, so we’re not going to surprise anybody.”

If you want any proof of how difficult the jump from the Big 12 to the SEC can be, just take a look at the last two teams to make it: Texas A&M And missouriNeither team has won the conference, and the Aggies haven’t even been to the title game.

In addition, the SEC must prepare itself for Texas and Oklahoma, two of the biggest brands in college football. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian already exists The top three of our SEC coaches rankingsAnd he can cause a lot of problems for opposing defenses.

🏀 Favorites still lead the WNBA Power Rankings, but the fever has risen

The 2024 WNBA season is about halfway over, and some teams are starting to find their rhythm. Fever is living up to his name as he continues to warm up behind star rookie Caitlin Clarke,

Clarke and Fever are sixth on Jack Maloney’s list Latest WNBA Power Rankings after a nice little run. While Clark Making history on a regular basisThe biggest reason for Indiana’s turnaround is the emergence of a legitimate supporting cast.

• Maloney: “But the reason Fever are winning games is because the rest of their young players are doing well as well. Aliyah Boston He had a career-high 27 points and 13 rebounds in the win over the Dream on June 13, while Kelsey Mitchell is shooting 50% on 3-pointers and NaLyssa Smith He’s averaging nearly a double-double during that time.”

The top five positions before Fever were as follows:

1. Freedom
2. lynx
3. Aces
4. Sun
5. Storm

📺 What we’re watching on Tuesday

Euro 2024 — Round of 16: Romania vs. Netherlands12 p.m. on FS1
Euro 2024 — Round of 16: Austria vs. Türkiyeon Fox at 3 p.m.
sky in a dreamon CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m.
Phillies vs. Cubs8:05 p.m. on TBS
copa america — Brazil vs. Colombiaat 9 on FS1
Copa America–Costa Rica vs. Paraguayat 9 p.m. on FS2