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NBA commissioner Adam Silver is the latest member of the league to get a bag.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Silver is finalizing a contract extension that will keep him as commissioner through the end of the decade. The exact terms of the deal were not disclosed.
BREAKING: NBA commissioner Adam Silver is finalizing a contract extension that’s expected to take him through the end of the decade, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/jRYcYv4ZjQ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 28, 2024
The 61-year-old stepped in to replace former commissioner David Stern back in 2014. He served as Stern’s deputy commissioner for eight seasons prior to taking over.
Silver has masterminded several big changes since he took the NBA’s top job. Silver greenlit both the in-season tournament and play-in tournament, which have both received mostly positive feedback from the fan base.
Silver was also behind the NBA Draft lottery reform which disincentivized teams from blatant tanking in pursuit of better lottery seeding.
The Duke University alum also navigated the league through murky waters such as the Donald Sterling scandal and the NBA Bubble during the first year of the pandemic.
Silver last signed an extension in 2018.
With his contract extension in hand, Silver will be expected to spearhead the NBA’s new media deal negotiations as well as the looming prospect of league expansion.
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Bulls may have found gem in former 12th overall pick
The Chicago Bulls have lost in the play-in tournament in three straight years, thus securing a pick at the end of the lottery. Based on their first preseason game, they may have found a gem at No. 12 in 2024. 20-year-old Matas Buzelis scored 19 points in 18 minutes as the Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 118-117, Tuesday night. The young forward shot 8-for-11, grabbed eight rebounds, hit two three-pointers and blocked a shot in an all-around impressive performance. Matas Buzelis is a local product who could be a much-needed star The Bulls took Buzelis, a Chicago native who went to high school 20 miles from the United Center, out of the now-defunct G League Ignite team. He started slowly, playing minor minutes and averaging 6.4 points in the first half before playing his way into the starting lineup. After the Bulls traded Zach LaVine, Buzelis had a 24-point game, shooting 10-for-10 from the field with four threes. He started all 31 games after that, averaging 14.2 points in the season's last three months. In March, he had a 31-point game against the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by a 28-point game against the Dallas Mavericks a week later. On Tuesday, he continued to get buckets. Buzelis has more star potential than anyone on the Bulls roster Buzelis is intriguing because he combines size and skill. He's a 6-foot-10 forward who shot 36.1 percent on three-pointers last season, but who also gets to the rim. Despite playing 18.9 minutes per game, Buzelis racked up 65 dunks, taking over 30 percent of his shots within three feet of the rim and shooting 63.3 percent. He's a passable defender already, a rarity for a player who still can't legally buy a drink until Oct. 13 — his 21st birthday. All that means Buzelis is locked in as the team's starting power forward and should get 30 minutes per game and plenty of touches on offense, especially with top scorer Coby White banged up already. The Bulls find themselves in a peculiar position. They only have long-term commitments to Josh Giddey and disappointing forward Patrick Williams. The Bulls have a chance at massive cap space next summer, although they're likely to extend White's contract. Suppose Buzelis can emerge as a genuine scoring threat; that makes the Bulls' upcoming roster decisions much easier, especially since Buzelis should be able to play either forward spot. Chicago has shown no willingness to tank for a better draft pick, so finding a star requires a trade, a likely free-agent overpay, or getting lucky at the back of the lottery. It's only been one game, but Buzelis was scoring at will at Summer League in July. After years of being mired in mediocrity, Buzelis gives the Bulls a chance to go from play-in to playoff contender in the near future. For a team that often feels directionless, this Chicago native represents a tantalizing path to NBA relevancy for the Bulls.
Packers could see breakout star emerge on defense in weeks ahead
The Green Bay Packers’ secondary got lit up by Dak Prescott in a 40-40 tie against the Dallas Cowboys before heading off to the bye week, but help could be on the way. Through the season’s first five weeks, the Packers rank 11th against the pass, but they allowed 319 passing yards and three touchdowns to Prescott in their final game before the bye week. Help, though, could be on the way. Could Nate Hobbs elevate Packers’ secondary? With a showdown against the likes of wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on Sunday afternoon, a breakout star could be about to emerge. Mike Spofford of the Packers’ official website suggests that cornerback Nate Hobbs getting healthier could be a major asset for coordinator Jeff Hafley and Green Bay’s defense moving forward. “Nate Hobbs,” Spofford writes, when asked the player he’s most looking forward to see the rest of the season. “He’s getting further removed from his knee procedure during training camp, and he’s also back on the practice field after leaving the Dallas game to be evaluated for a concussion. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Hobbs yet in this defense.” Hobbs has appeared in three games for the Packers this season, posting 10 total tackles, one pass breakup and one tackle for loss. Given that the 26-year-old had the added time during the bye week to get further away from the injury he suffered during the summer, he could be a player whose best football this season is still in front of him. That would be huge for a defense looking for consistent playmakers to step up.
Eagles receive good and bad injury news ahead of matchup with Giants
The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off one of their worst losses of the season after the Denver Broncos scored 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter last Sunday to win 21-17. The Eagles have a short week due to playing their divisional opponent, the New York Giants, on “Thursday Night Football.” They have the opportunity to fix the problems on offense, as the Giants are one of the worst defenses (26th, 377.2 yards) in the NFL. However, the Eagles could struggle on defense, as they may also be down one of their better defensive linemen, Jalen Carter. The Eagles received one positive and one negative piece of injury news for two key players Being a short week, the Eagles have a limited amount of time to practice and formulate a game plan, but also have a limited amount of time for their players to heal after a few came out of the Eagles' loss to the Broncos battered and bruised. Running back Saquon Barkley was one of those players who wasn't 100% healthy following the loss, as he found himself on Monday's injury report and did not practice with the team due to a knee injury. Barkley taking time to rest seems to have paid off, as he was a full participant in practice as of Wednesday’s injury report. Defensive linemen Jalen Carter was a new addition to the report, as he was limited in practice due to a heel injury. Carter is currently listed as "questionable" for Thursday night's game. Eagles need both Saquon Barkley and Jalen Carter to win against the Giants Even without Carter and Barkley, the Eagles have a better roster than the Giants, but having both makes the gap even wider. Saquon is one of the best running backs in the league and has extra motivation to play the Giants, as they're his former team. In one career game against them since signing with the Eagles, Barkley ran for 176 yards on 17 carries and scored one touchdown in their matchup last October, per StatMuse. Not having a game with over 100+ yards rushing this season, Saquon could have his first one of the season against his former team, as the Giants have the 26th-ranked defense (140.0 yards) against the rush. Hopefully, Carter is available, as he is the glue that holds the Eagles' defense together. Carter is credited with playing in every game, except he was disqualified from the Eagles' season opener against the Dallas Cowboys after he spat on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Carter has three solo tackles, seven assists and has not recorded a sack. If Carter can't play, the Eagles will need to rely on Jordan Davis to step up and fill in for Carter. Davis has 11 solo tackles, eight assists and a sack in five games this season. Davis will also need to pick up the slack for Carter on special teams, as the two have a blocked kick on their stat sheet against the Los Angeles Rams, which Davis ran back for a touchdown.
Steelers Worked Out Two Linebackers, Including Isaiah Simmons
The Pittsburgh Steelers tried out two linebackers, including Michael Barrett and Isaiah Simmons, per the NFL Transactions wire. Simmons, 27, was a two-year starter at Clemson and won the Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker in 2019. The Cardinals used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 draft on him. Simmons signed a four-year, $20,664,055 rookie contract that includes a $12,588,404 signing bonus. Arizona wound up trading him to the Giants in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick. He was testing the market as an unrestricted free agent after the Cardinals declined his fifth-year option in May 2023, and he opted to remain in New York on a one-year deal. Simmons then signed with Green Bay this offseason but cut him loose at the end of August. In 2024, Simmons appeared in all 17 games for the Giants and made one start. He recorded 21 tackles and one forced fumble.
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