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Good morning! Decline that max extension today. Believe in yourself.
Sleeping Giants: All eyes on … Sacramento
The concept of a sleeping giant in college sports is almost a cliche at this point. Let this certain school get the right coach and recruiting staff! They’re gonna take off! See, currently: UNLV, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, so on and so forth.
Normally, this is all a little overblown. Take a large metro area and/or talent-rich state, find an athletics program that’s been meh and put them on the list. Some sleeping giants wake for a few minutes. Some stay in comas.
One I’m actually interested in, though? Sacramento State.
You have probably heard plenty of social media fodder about the big names and big money flowing into what has been a mostly dormant athletics program at a massive school. But, as Christopher Kamrani and Stewart Mandel write this morning, there is real momentum in Sacramento — and the program has specific, lofty goals.
Three nuggets I found fascinating:
- As with anything during this time in college sports, this is really an NIL story. Sacramento State has a potential donor base of nearly 300,000 alumni. The football program is plotting a move to FBS. The basketball teams are getting a new arena soon.
- Moreover, athletic success at Sac State is seen as a possible fiscal salve for budgetary issues at the university, and it’s easy to see the logic. A move to FBS — which has been denied for now — would bring millions in revenue. Then the media deal comes, which then brings more money and more stars, and the cycle of success churns upward.
- About those big names: Mike Bibby is the new basketball coach, and he hired Shaquille O’Neal as his general manager. Jaden Rashada — remember him? — is the new quarterback on the football team, coached by former UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion. Both the football and basketball teams have cajoled good talent from the transfer portal.
I find the Hornets’ story super compelling, and urge you to read the full saga for some fascinating details. The Pulse might have an FCS rooting interest this year.
Let’s keep going:
News to Know
Franco convicted
Former Rays superstar Wander Franco was convicted yesterday in the Dominican Republic on charges of sexual abuse of a minor. Franco received a suspended two-year prison sentence — though prosecutors sought a five-year penalty — meaning he’ll avoid incarceration so long as he adheres to certain conditions. The 24-year-old was accused nearly two years ago of sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old girl and, subsequently, paying the girl’s mother exorbitant amounts of money to continue doing so. The girl’s mother was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday. See our full report.
Reaves says no — for now
Lakers guard Austin Reaves formally declined a max extension from the Lakers, sources told The Athletic, which is a major sign that Reaves intends to hit free agency next summer. The extension offer was for four years and $89.2 million, and Reaves clearly — for good reason, too — thinks he’ll fetch more on the open market. Read all the tentacles here.
An NHL blockbuster
Late Wednesday, the Buffalo Sabres traded star winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth (still a cool name) for defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan, sources told The Athletic, which counts as our first major trade of the NHL offseason. Though Buffalo understandably did not want to deal Peterka, it became clear the young player had no intention of signing an extension; he’s already agreed to a five-year deal with Utah. He’s a fantastic fit among the Mammoth’s rising stars, too.
More news
- Other big news out of the NHL: The league and the players’ association agreed on an 84-game schedule starting in 2026-27, sources told The Athletic.
- The NFL suspended former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker 10 games after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
- The Trump administration threatened California with “imminent enforcement action” if the state did not change its transgender athlete policy. More details here.
- Louisiana police arrested the man who held up a Sudanese flag in support of Palestine during the Super Bowl halftime show yesterday.
- The Cleveland Browns are clear to build an indoor stadium in the suburbs. It’s been a contentious battle thus far.
- Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, will stay at Saudi side Al Nassr for two more years, the club announced yesterday.
- Oliver Boast, the highly touted 16-year-old Leeds striker, has chosen to continue his early career at Tottenham. Read up on him.
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Wait, What? The worst non-Luka trade?
Brad Penner / Imagn Images
Drafts can move quickly, which is a good thing. But sometimes we let a transaction slide past in the moment that deserves a heavily scrutinized follow-up the next day. Which brings us to the New Orleans Pelicans.
A brief recap before some context:
- In the first splash of Joe Dumars’ tenure in New Orleans, the Pels traded up 10 spots in the first round to draft Derik Queen, a capable big man out of Maryland. Queen pairs with fellow first-rounder Jeremiah Fears. In a vacuum, nice picks.
- But Dumars gave up the Pelicans’ unprotected first-rounder next year to get Queen. New Orleans was 21-61 this year, the fourth-worst record in the NBA. That pick could be top-five, and even No. 1 if things go poorly — which is extremely possible! That could mean losing out on AJ Dybantsa.
But I’m just a Pelicans fan still miffed about this shaky plan. Let’s excerpt two experts on the issue.
Here’s draft guru Sam Vecenie in his winners and losers column:
What are the Pelicans doing? That’s a question that was asked repeatedly in text messages from other teams following their decision to trade up … “This is the worst trade, non-Luka division, that we’ve seen in at least a decade,” one assistant GM texted me.
And here’s Zach Harper in yesterday’s Bounce:
New Orleans giving up this unprotected pick is egregious.
Go Pels? Pray for me.
What to Watch
📺 WNBA: Fever at Wings
7:30 p.m. ET on ION
If Caitlin Clark is healthy for this one, it’ll be the league’s brightest new star against the 2025 No. 1 pick in Paige Bueckers. Both teams could use a little help in the standings.
📺 MLB: Cardinals at Guardians
7:10 p.m. ET on Apple TV+
Both of these teams are treading water in the respective Central divisions, though I was intrigued to see Cleveland at 40-39 despite a -32 run differential. Both are theoretical sellers at the deadline, though there’s plenty of time left for things to improve or spiral.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Tom Moore is an 86-year-old coach who arrives at the Buccaneers facility before 4 a.m. Bucky Irving is a 22-year-old player who gets there by 5:30 a.m. The two are best friends.
The NHL Draft is here! We have the latest buzz. The Athletic Hockey Show also has a full preview. Listen up! Apple and Spotify. A ton of possible twists.
Matt Baker tried to answer an incredible question: How many college football teams could’ve won a national title with Nick Saban as head coach? Perfect offseason content.
What is Tight End University, the NFL-centric event that featured a surprise Taylor Swift performance? Jayna Bardahl has answers.
Jeremy Peña was supposed to be a superstar who filled the shoes of another superstar. He started flawlessly, then faltered. Now — still just 24 years old — he is back on top of baseball, writes Chandler Rome. Great story.
In case you missed it, the USMNT drama between Christian Pulisic, Mauricio Pochettino and some program legends is still raging. Adam Crafton’s overview of the squabble was helpful.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our list of every pick in the NBA Draft.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Winners and losers from the first round of the NBA Draft.
(Top photo: Courtesy of Sacramento State)
