NHL
The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired Taylor Hall in a trade with the Boston Bruins. The Blackhawks sent pending restricted free agents Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula to Boston for Hall and the expiring contract of Nick Foligno. It gives some valuable salary-cap space to the Bruins heading into free agency. The 31-year-old Hall had 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games last season. Hall has played alongside at least five fellow No. 1 picks. He is likely to make it six because Chicago is expected to take Connor Bedard at No. 1 in this week's draft.
Connor McDavid has won his third Hart Trophy as NHL MVP after the highest-scoring season by a player in more than a quarter-century. McDavid fell one vote short of unanimous selection. McDavid also won the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL’s most outstanding player as voted by his peers. The Edmonton Oilers’ captain led the league with 64 goals, 89 assists and 153 points. That’s the most points since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. One voter out of 196 picked Boston’s David Pastrnak as MVP. San Jose's Erik Karlsson also became a three-time award winner, receiving the Norris Trophy as top defenseman.
NBA
Victor Wembanyama says he won’t play with France's national basketball team at this year's World Cup in order to protect his still developing body. The No. 1 draft pick for the San Antonio Spurs told L’Equipe newspaper it was a “difficult” decision to make and that it was “irrevocable.” The World Cup is scheduled from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. Wembanyama says he made the choice “on his own” after consulting with close friends and his medical team. L’Equipe reports that Wembanyama told the France coach and other players from the team about his decision over the weekend.
The Atlanta Hawks have cleared significant salary cap space by agreeing to trade forward John Collins to the Utah Jazz for veteran forward Rudy Gay and a future second-round draft pick, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. Collins was the subject of trade speculation during the offseason and again leading up to last week’s NBA draft before he finally was dealt to Utah, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade cannot become official before July 6. The 25-year-old Collins scored in double figures in each of his six seasons in Atlanta.
MLB
Joey Wiemer hit a go-ahead, two-run homer to straightaway centerfield in the sixth inning, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to a 2-1 victory that dropped the struggling New York Mets a season-worst eight games under .500. Wiemer’s 422-drive off Drew Smith hit off the black fence surrounding the Mets’ celebratory home run apple. Despite a major league record $355 million payroll on opening day, New York has lost seven of nine and is 6-15 since completing a three-game sweep of Philadelphia on June 1. They trail NL East-leading Atlanta by 16 games.
Meanwhile, the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies were off last night. The Yankees begin a three-game set against the Athletics in Oakland at 9:40 tonight. The Red Sox begin a three-game set against the Miami Marlins at home tonight at 7:10. The Phillies begin a three-game series against the Cubs at 8:05 tonight in Chicago.
It may take more than an injury to Jacob deGrom to knock the Texas Rangers out of first place. DeGrom is done for the season after Tommy John surgery, but the Rangers still lead the AL West by 5 1/2 games over Houston and by six over the Los Angeles Angels. Texas leads the major leagues with 458 runs scored. That's nearly six per game. The Rangers also have baseball's top run differential. The second-place Astros are scuffling at the moment. They've dropped seven of 10. DeGrom spent the first nine years of his career with the New York Mets before signing a five-year, $185 million contract with the Texas Rangers before the 2023 season.
Baltimore infielder Jackson Holliday, the top pick in last year’s amateur draft and a son of former All-Star Matt Holliday, was among 14 first-round selections chosen for the All-Star Futures Game at Seattle on July 8. Holliday is hitting .325 with 14 doubles, seven homers, 47 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 63 games this year for Class A Delmarva and High A Aberdeen. Holliday is MLB’s top-rated prospect and is joined on the rosters by Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio, the No. 3 prospect.
Major League Baseball wants to grow in Europe and is looking for ways to connect with the local fans. The league hopes to stage games in Paris in 2025 and sees fashion as a way to create more interest with French fans. Caps and jerseys with city and team names are proving fashionable. The league says France is one of its hottest markets in Europe for online merchandise sales with caps up 152% this year and overall sales up 25%. The New York Yankees are the top sellers. MLB plans to play games in Paris during the 2025 season and the Yankees have been lobbying to headline the bill.
WNBA
There was a time in Brittney Griner’s life when a mid-season coaching change might have been tough to handle. Her 10-month detainment in Russia has a way of altering perspective. The Phoenix Mercury announced on Sunday that they had fired coach Vanessa Nygaard following a 2-10 start to the season and elevated assistant coach Nikki Blue to the top spot. Griner said she’s taken those changes in stride as the franchise tries to right its season.
NCAA
LSU cranked up its offense a day after it gave up the most runs ever in a College World Series game and won its first national title since 2009 with a 18-4 victory over Florida in the third and deciding game of the finals. LSU staved off elimination three times in bracket play and bounced back from a 24-4 loss in Game 2 to claim(ed) its seventh championship. That's second to Southern California's 12. The Tigers wiped out an early 2-0 deficit with a six-run second inning against Jac Caglianone and Cade Fisher.
GOLF
Now that the PGA Tour and European tour have a deal with the Saudis, one step is deciding how players can return from LIV Golf if they so choose. That's part of the framework agreement that was signed last month. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the agreement. It was among documents requested for a Senate hearing on July 11. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, wants more details on how the deal came together. There still aren't many details spelled out in the agreement. One part is deciding how players return from LIV Golf and what would be a fair punishment.
SOCCER
Lionel Messi announced that he was joining Inter Miami in a move that stunned the soccer world and will bring the sport’s biggest face to the United States and Miami, where enthusiasm for the sport has been growing over the years. He is expected to make his Inter Miami debut at a July 21 home game against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, and the building anticipation has been evident in a boost in ticket sales to Inter Miami's games.
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