[{"id":4976118,"date":"2026-07-28T11:16:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T05:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/?p=4976118"},"modified":"2026-07-28T11:16:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T05:46:18","slug":"nba-active-basketball-news-this-is-business-spencer-jones-breaks-silence-on-return-to-denver-after-upsetting-nuggets-fans-with-okc-thunder-signing-denver-nuggets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-basketball-news-this-is-business-spencer-jones-breaks-silence-on-return-to-denver-after-upsetting-nuggets-fans-with-okc-thunder-signing-denver-nuggets\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThis Is Business\u201d: Spencer Jones Breaks Silence on Return to Denver After Upsetting Nuggets Fans With OKC Thunder Signing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Restricted free agency often forces players to make decisions that fans struggle to understand. Spencer Jones found himself at the center of that reality after signing an offer sheet with the OKC Thunder before ultimately remaining with the Nuggets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As questions poured in about why he would negotiate with a Western Conference rival, Jones offered a straightforward explanation that had little to do with loyalty and everything to do with the business of the NBA.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s official. I’m staying a Denver Nugget,\u201d Jones addressed the situation<\/a> in a lengthy LinkedIn post after the Nuggets officially matched Thunder\u2019s 2-year, $12 million offer sheet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlot twist,\u201d he wrote, acknowledging the reactions from fans. \u201cYes, I signed an offer sheet with Oklahoma City, and yes, Denver matched it. I know some people are confused, and some fans are even upset. How could I sign with a rival?<\/span><\/p>\n

He answered the question himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a business. Front offices treat it that way every day, and players have to do the same,\u201d Jones wrote. He explained that front offices make business decisions every day, and players have to approach free agency the same way. According to him, both the Nuggets and Thunder fit what he was looking for, making the offer sheet a practical decision rather than an emotional one.<\/span><\/p>\n

That explanation reflects how restricted free agency works.<\/span><\/p>\n

By signing with the Thunder, Jones guaranteed himself a contract that reflected his market value while allowing the Nuggets the opportunity to keep him.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what happened.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Nuggets accepted the $12 million agreement despite its significant impact on the larger luxury bill<\/a>. It raised the penalty to $68 million, further tightening its roster-building.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spencer Jones further explained that his priorities entering free agency were finding a team that suited his game, competing within a championship culture, and securing fair compensation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoth Denver and OKC checked those boxes. Either way, I was landing somewhere that made sense. The offer sheet was a business decision.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Above all, the contract also marked a personal milestone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI made a little history. The largest fully guaranteed offer sheet ever signed by an undrafted player converted from a two-way contract.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For a player who began his NBA journey without long-term security, that achievement carried as much meaning as the dollars attached to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, it\u2019s his rise that helped create that opportunity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After joining the Nuggets as an undrafted free agent, Spencer Jones developed into a dependable rotational piece capable of contributing on both ends of the floor. <\/span><\/p>\n

He appeared in 64 games last season, making 37 starts while providing efficient scoring, floor spacing, and defensive versatility whenever injuries tested the Nuggets\u2019 depth.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Nuggets clearly valued that growth despite the financial consequences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Spencer Jones ended the message with a different message.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow I get to keep building with the team that bet on me from the start. Back to work!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, the contract negotiations may have created uncomfortable conversations for some fans. <\/span><\/p>\n

The business side of free agency has ended. Now, as he put it himself, it\u2019s time to get back to work.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Restricted free agency often forces players to make decisions that fans struggle to understand. Spencer Jones found himself at the center of that reality after signing an offer sheet with the OKC Thunder before ultimately remaining with the Nuggets.\u00a0 As questions poured in about why he would negotiate with a Western Conference rival, Jones offered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214729,"featured_media":4972711,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.173","footnotes":""},"categories":[3332,19620,19209],"tags":[35080],"class_list":["post-4976118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball-2","category-denver-nuggets","category-nba","tag-spencer-jones"],"acf":{"post_history":"\u201cThis Is Business\u201d: Spencer Jones Breaks Silence on Return to Denver After Upsetting Nuggets Fans With OKC Thunder Signing","sentiment_score":"-0.173","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"fb_caption":"","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["External Link"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/skj21_its-official-im-staying-a-denver-nugget-share-7487522201064366080-aIrw\/","article_summary":"","newsletter_description":"","is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"published_by_pr_writer":"No","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"],"editor_name":{"ID":215528,"user_firstname":"Tanay","user_lastname":"Sahai","nickname":"tanay.sahai","user_nicename":"tanay-sahai","display_name":"Tanay Sahai","user_email":"tanay.sahai0101@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2025-02-04 04:40:21","user_description":"Tanay Sahai is an NBA Editor at EssentiallySports, with a decade of experience in digital media and a strong foundation in entrepreneurship. 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The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by Minnesota-based memorabilia seller David Allan Skalsky and his company, QCBRIPNSHIP LLC, which ran a livestream business called Quad City Breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Skalsky alleges the four defendants coordinated to push independent sellers off TikTok’s marketplace unless they agreed to sell Fanatics’ merchandise exclusively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“The object of the conspiracy was to exclude independent memorabilia sellers from TikTok unless they agreed to sell Fanatics’ merchandise exclusively,” <a href=\"https:\/\/courthousenews.com\/tiktok-fanatics-nfl-accused-of-conspiring-to-monopolize-sports-memorabilia-market\/\">Skalsky wrote in the complaint.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These independent sellers go by the name breakers in the hobby world. They go live on TikTok, crack open sealed boxes of sports cards and memorabilia in real time, and the customers who bought into slots watch the whole thing unfold and get whatever pulls out of the pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Skalsky claims his business was generating as much as $200,000 a month before repeated account bans beginning in 2024 wrecked it. The complaint gets specific about how that pressure allegedly played out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the filing, Steve Halupka, identified as TikTok Shop’s US Sports Collectibles Team Lead, texted Skalsky that his account would be reinstated if he signed an exclusive contract with Fanatics. A separate individual identified as Ceruti allegedly told Skalsky he would coordinate with Halupka at TikTok to get the account restored once that deal was signed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago805051941-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4392852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago805051941-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago805051941-473x315.jpg 473w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago805051941-225x150.jpg 225w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago805051941-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago805051941-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago805051941-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo illustration in Canada – 24 Feb 2025 In this photo illustration, the NFL National Football League logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen. Canada Copyright: xThomasxFullerx\/xSOPAxImagesx TFSPI_24022025-4902<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Skalsky argues the underlying premise, that Fanatics is the only lawful seller of this merchandise, doesn’t hold up. The First Sale Doctrine allows anyone who buys a genuine item legally to resell it, trademark and all, without needing permission from the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There’s a financial relationship at the center of this that the lawsuit leans on heavily too. The NFL holds a substantial equity stake in Fanatics and was reportedly the single largest investor in a $1.5 billion funding round the company raised in 2022. That dual role, licensor on one hand, financial stakeholder on the other, is exactly what Skalsky’s complaint says creates the incentive for the alleged scheme in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Skalsky’s argument goes beyond what happened to his own business too. He says the whole market got hurt when independent sellers were pushed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Defendants’ conduct harmed not only plaintiff but the competitive process itself by eliminating independent sellers from the livestream memorabilia marketplace, reducing consumer choice, suppressing output of competing products, increasing barriers to entry, restricting alternative channels of distribution and concentrating market power in Fanatics-controlled entities,” Skalsky wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jeremy C. Shafer of Banner Legal represents Skalsky and is seeking financial damages, restoration of his TikTok account, cancellation of the disputed exclusive arrangements, and a court order blocking the alleged practices going forward. Representatives for TikTok, the NFL, and Fanatics did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn’t the first time these three defendants have faced this exact accusation. Ohio-based GFC & Supply Inc. filed a nearly identical antitrust suit against the same companies back in October 2025, alleging the same core conspiracy to monopolize the breaker market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That earlier case is part of a much bigger legal picture surrounding Fanatics right now, one that’s produced mixed results for the company so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fanatics-has-faced-growing-legal-pressure-over-its-market-position-in-sports-collectibles\">Fanatics Has Faced Growing Legal Pressure Over Its Market Position in Sports Collectibles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fanatics has been in this position before, with outcomes that have gone both ways. Panini sued the company, arguing its exclusive licensing agreements locked competitors out of the trading card business, and a judge let the core antitrust claims move forward as recently as March 2025. Separate class actions, filed under Scaturo & Jones v. Fanatics, have accused the company alongside the NFL, NBA, and MLB of conspiring to monopolize the broader collectibles market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fanatics and the NFL haven’t lost every round, though. A federal judge dismissed a different antitrust case against both companies over merchandise restrictions in July 2025, following a similar dismissal the year before in a related MLB case, evidence that this legal terrain remains genuinely contested rather than settled in either direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stakes keep growing regardless of how individual cases land. The collectibles market has only gotten bigger since the pandemic, when TikTok’s livestream breaking scene first exploded and never really slowed down, meaning more money is riding on who controls that channel with each case that gets filed. Sellers across the hobby are watching Skalsky’s case as something bigger than one man’s dispute, with the earlier GFC & Supply lawsuit still working its way through the same court likely to shape how this one unfolds next.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The NFL, Fanatics, TikTok, and parent company ByteDance are all named in a new federal antitrust lawsuit accusing them of working together to squeeze independent sellers out of one of sports collecting’s fastest-growing corners. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by Minnesota-based memorabilia seller David Allan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215952,"featured_media":4128690,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.504","footnotes":""},"categories":[14551],"tags":[8652],"class_list":["post-4976015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-nfl"],"acf":{"post_history":"NFL Hit With Lawsuit Over Alleged Plot to Force Independent Sports Memorabilia Sellers Off TikTok","sentiment_score":"-0.504","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["External Link"],"article_summary":"","newsletter_description":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"No","editor_name":{"ID":215908,"user_firstname":"Siddid Dey","user_lastname":"Purkayastha","nickname":"siddid.purkayastha","user_nicename":"siddid-purkayastha","display_name":"Siddid Dey Purkayastha","user_email":"dpsiddid@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2026-04-07 11:09:16","user_description":"Siddid Dey Purkayastha is an editor at EssentiallySports\u2019 WNBA desk, where he oversees coverage, edits and publishes content, and ensures editorial quality across the beat. With a focus on game analysis, Siddid examines the decisions, matchups, and turning points that influence results throughout the season. Drawing on his background in literary studies, Siddid brings a detail-oriented approach to WNBA coverage.","user_avatar":"<img alt='' src='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/142de30503c564db889e13a3c350f3cf8b3ed2e7abc9a3ec1b5fa102a99bbdbf?s=96&d=mm&r=g' srcset='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/142de30503c564db889e13a3c350f3cf8b3ed2e7abc9a3ec1b5fa102a99bbdbf?s=192&d=mm&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' loading='lazy' decoding='async'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":215314,"user_firstname":"Subhomoy","user_lastname":"Sen","nickname":"subhomoy.sen","user_nicename":"subhomoy-sen","display_name":"Subhomoy Sen","user_email":"subhomoysen7@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-07-05 06:03:30","user_description":"Subhomoy Sen is a Senior NFL writer who plays a key role in our coverage of ES NFL Sundays. 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We can\u2019t wait too.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Subhomoy-Sen-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"published_by_pr_writer":"No","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"fb_caption":"","source_article_link":"https:\/\/awfulannouncing.com\/tiktok\/nfl-fanatics-lawsuit-alleged-plot-memorabilia-independent-sellers.html","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>NFL Hit With Lawsuit Over Alleged Plot to Force Independent Sports Memorabilia Sellers Off TikTok - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The NFL, Fanatics, and TikTok face a federal antitrust lawsuit accusing them of forcing independent memorabilia sellers off 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Champion Battles Through Brain Cancer to Make Commonwealth Finals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A brain cancer diagnosis could have ended Archie Goodburn’s career. Instead, it became the beginning of a story that captivated the Commonwealth Games. He didn’t need a medal to win over the crowd. All he had to do was step onto the blocks.<\/p>\n<p>Just two years after being diagnosed with an incurable form of brain cancer, the Scottish swimmer continues to fight battles far beyond the pool. The 25-year-old swimmer, who won the 2023 British Swimming Championships, broke down in tears after <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/status\/2081840327141318746\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">finishing seventh in the men’s 50m Breaststroke final<\/a> at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.<\/p>\n<p>“Outside the pool I dream of a future where brain cancer isn\u2019t the biggest killer of those under 40, where the UK government establishes a brain cancer lead to make that change,” he said. “I’d much prefer that change is made, and that dream is completed, than any of my personal goals in the pool because what families and young people are going through out there is really beyond the comprehension of many people out there and certainly harder than anything I\u2019ve had to do as a world-class sportsman.”<\/p>\n<p>If we take a look at his journey, the path for him has been anything but ordinary.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, Goodburn’s Olympic dream took a devastating turn. After weeks of experiencing seizures, numbness down his left side and recurring feelings of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, the then-22-year-old received a phone call after training that changed everything.<\/p>\n<p>Tests later confirmed he had three inoperable low-grade brain tumors known as oligodendroglioma, a rare form of brain cancer that accounts for only a small percentage of diagnoses. Doctors told him the disease was incurable, and the reality he faced was one no young athlete should ever have to hear:\u00a0he might not even see his 40s. But instead of walking away from the sport, Goodburn chose to keep fighting.<\/p>\n<p>He secured access to a pioneering treatment program that has helped slow the growth of his tumors while balancing elite swimming with a chemical engineering degree at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with first-class honors.<\/p>\n<p>Even after suffering a breakthrough seizure in April, just ten days before the Commonwealth Games trials, he returned to qualify for the men’s 50m breaststroke final with the seventh-fastest time, lining up alongside world record holder Adam Peaty.<\/p>\n<p>Monday’s final didn’t end with a medal. Goodburn finished joint seventh in the men’s 50m breaststroke, later jokingly calling it “joint last.” But by then, the result had almost become secondary to the story unfolding around him. Overcome with emotion after the race, he broke down in tears before reflecting on a week that had already exceeded his expectations.<\/p>\n<p>“It’s pretty indescribable,” he told BBC Sport Scotland. “Usually the words flow easily, but I’m finding myself quite speechless. The experience was everything I dreamed of and more. But the time, unfortunately, wasn’t there.”<\/p>\n<p>The Commonwealth Games had become a beacon through some of the darkest moments of his life. Yet even after achieving that goal, Goodburn’s attention quickly returned to something far bigger than swimming.<\/p>\n<p>“The goal was to make the final, and the dream was to win a medal,” he said. “That dream didn’t come true, but one of my other dreams is that we see a future where brain cancer isn’t the biggest killer of patients under 40.”<\/p>\n<p>His determination has left a lasting impression on those around him. Team-mate Duncan Scott described him as “inspirational,” while fellow Team Scotland swimmer Jensen Norris and his family praised Goodburn’s resilience. Nancy and Dreanna Norris, the mother and sister of Team Jensen, said that Goodburn’s journey had inspired many in and around the team.<\/p>\n<p>The support extended beyond Team Scotland.<\/p>\n<p>Spectators packed into Tollcross International Swimming Centre rose to applaud him. Goodburn may have left Glasgow without a Commonwealth medal, but he departed with something equally powerful: a reminder that some of sport’s greatest victories happen long before the finish line.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A brain cancer diagnosis could have ended Archie Goodburn’s career. Instead, it became the beginning of a story that captivated the Commonwealth Games. He didn’t need a medal to win over the crowd. All he had to do was step onto the blocks. Just two years after being diagnosed with an incurable form of brain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215135,"featured_media":4976202,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"0.566","footnotes":""},"categories":[2161,2207],"tags":[97841],"class_list":["post-4976131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-olympics","category-swimming","tag-archie-goodburn"],"acf":{"post_history":"National Champion Battles Through Brain Cancer to Make Commonwealth Finals","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/status\/2081840327141318746","article_summary":"","sentiment_score":"0.566","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"fb_caption":"","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","newsletter_description":"","is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"published_by_pr_writer":"No","editor_name":{"ID":215233,"user_firstname":"Srashti","user_lastname":"Sharma","nickname":"srashti.sharma","user_nicename":"srashti-sharma","display_name":"Srashti Sharma","user_email":"sharmasrashti8@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-02-16 07:06:57","user_description":"Srashti Sharma is a Newsroom Editor at EssentiallySports, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the site\u2019s NBA coverage. She began her journey at ES as an NBA writer, quickly building a reputation for sharp research, clear storytelling, and an instinct for the narratives that matter most to fans. Her editorial growth saw her take on roles as NBA Primary Editor and later Newsroom Editor, where she now drives content quality, style, and timeliness across the fast-moving basketball desk.\r\n\r\nSrashti\u2019s love for competitive sports goes beyond the newsroom, she has represented her school and university in badminton for over a decade, bringing an athlete\u2019s mindset and discipline into her journalism. This background fuels her ability to blend analytical depth with a personal touch, making her coverage both authoritative and relatable.\r\nHaving represented her school and university for over a decade at state level in Badminton, Srashti uses her expertise in sports to add a personal touch to the articles. When AFK, she finds solace in her adorable Shih-Tzu.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Srashti-Sharma-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":214580,"user_firstname":"Murtaza","user_lastname":"Bharmal","nickname":"murtaza.bharmal","user_nicename":"murtaza-bharmal","display_name":"Murtaza Bharmal","user_email":"mbk786110@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2022-06-03 16:22:53","user_description":"Murtaza is a seasoned WWE writer at EssentiallySports with a passion for storytelling in journalism. His love for pro wrestling began during the legendary Randy Orton-John Cena feud in the 2010s, and his enthusiasm for the sport reached new heights after witnessing the masterful performance of Sasha Banks and Bayley in NXT.\r\n\r\nAs an expert in the field of pro wrestling, Murtaza epitomizes the fans' perspective at ES. He combines his extensive knowledge of the sport with the emotional side of storytelling. Murtaza's coverage portfolio at ES includes marquee events such as WrestleMania 38, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble, as well as coverage of other major events from AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling. \r\n\r\nIn addition to his passion for wrestling, Murtaza has a keen interest in music and pop culture. He brings a diverse range of perspectives and interests to his writing.","user_avatar":"<img alt='' src='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2bcc0a2e63ce0198e1c71956854014613ca0bbe807fee37183df284d0e256a14?s=96&d=mm&r=g' srcset='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2bcc0a2e63ce0198e1c71956854014613ca0bbe807fee37183df284d0e256a14?s=192&d=mm&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' loading='lazy' decoding='async'\/>"},"current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>National Champion Battles Through Brain Cancer to Make Commonwealth Finals - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The 25-year-old Scottish swimmer, who has been battling through an incurable disease, makes it to the Commonwealth Games final.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-swimming-national-champion-battles-through-brain-cancer-to-make-commonwealth-finals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"National Champion Battles Through Brain Cancer to Make Commonwealth Finals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The 25-year-old Scottish swimmer, who has been battling through an incurable disease, makes it to the Commonwealth Games final.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-swimming-national-champion-battles-through-brain-cancer-to-make-commonwealth-finals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EssentiallySports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/essentiallysports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T05:02:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T05:05:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1071991756.jpg.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sayantan Roy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@roysayantan07\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@es_sportsnews\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-swimming-national-champion-battles-through-brain-cancer-to-make-commonwealth-finals\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-swimming-national-champion-battles-through-brain-cancer-to-make-commonwealth-finals\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sayantan Roy\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9af69a087e5f5a0d4e64acecf4b08cd3\"},\"headline\":\"National Champion Battles Through Brain Cancer to Make Commonwealth Finals\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-28T05:02:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-28T05:05:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-swimming-national-champion-battles-through-brain-cancer-to-make-commonwealth-finals\/\"},\"wordCount\":678,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Archie Goodburn\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Olympics\",\"Swimming\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-swimming-national-champion-battles-through-brain-cancer-to-make-commonwealth-finals\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-swimming-national-champion-battles-through-brain-cancer-to-make-commonwealth-finals\/\",\"name\":\"National Champion Battles Through Brain Cancer to Make Commonwealth Finals - 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Months of criticism over his on-air performance, capped by a rough AFC Championship broadcast in January that had fans openly calling for his removal, had CBS management reportedly considering some kind of intervention even before his July 23 arrest in Milwaukee added a legal problem to a professional one. Now, with Romo silent and CBS offering no public comment, the network’s actual position on his future has already become clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7468438\/2026\/07\/24\/tony-romo-arrest-owi-dui-cbs-sports-cowboys\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">According to The Athletic<\/a>, CBS had no comment on Romo’s OWI arrest, and nothing about his role for the 2026 season has changed. The network is keeping him, a position that lines up with what Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy had already reported months earlier, back when the controversy was purely about his broadcasting, not his arrest record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“CBS has a Super Bowl in 2028,” McCarthy wrote. “Romo’s under contract through 2030. He’s not going anywhere.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That certainty comes down to simple math, one that hasn’t changed regardless of which controversy is dominating the headlines. Romo earns roughly $17 to $18 million a year on a 10-year, $180 million deal signed in 2020, a contract that made him the highest-paid analyst in sports broadcasting history. Cutting him loose wouldn’t just be an enormous financial hit, it would leave CBS without its lead NFL voice just weeks before the season starts, and without the AFC Championship-caliber booth chemistry the network has spent years building around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“He might step back a little, short term, but he isn\u2019t going anywhere long term. That wouldn’t make any sense for us at all,” a source told The Daily Mail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1278\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1079483166.jpg-e1784306222223-1278x720.jpeg\" alt=\"Tony Romo\" class=\"wp-image-4950297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1079483166.jpg-e1784306222223-1278x720.jpeg 1278w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1079483166.jpg-e1784306222223-560x315.jpeg 560w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1079483166.jpg-e1784306222223-266x150.jpeg 266w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1079483166.jpg-e1784306222223-768x433.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1079483166.jpg-e1784306222223-1536x865.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1079483166.jpg-e1784306222223-2048x1154.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1278px) 100vw, 1278px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">STATELINE, NV – JULY 09: Tony Romo tees off on the seventh hole during the preview round of the American Century Championship on July 9, 2026 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, NV. Photo by Matthew Huang\/Icon Sportswire GOLF: JUL 09 American Century Championship EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260709175<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Splitting up Romo and play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz, a booth pairing that’s been intact since 2017 and includes sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, isn’t something CBS appears willing to do over an arrest this early in the legal process. And the legal process itself is fairly limited in scope. A first-offense OWI in Wisconsin is treated as a civil traffic violation, not a criminal charge. Romo is looking at a fine in the low hundreds of dollars plus a $435 surcharge, and depending on his blood-alcohol level, he could also be required to complete a year-long sobriety program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the arrest report, Romo was pulled over on southbound Interstate 43 around 6:15 p.m. local time. He was initially uncooperative and was cited separately for declining a field sobriety test before eventually taking one and performing poorly. He was booked into the Milwaukee County jail around 9:45 p.m. and released roughly an hour later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The arrest came the same day the Wisconsin Amateur Championship wrapped up in West Bend, where Romo had finished in a four-way tie for 73rd. He’s since withdrawn from a separate scheduled appearance at the M&P Group Texas State Open, his first confirmed step back from a public commitment since the arrest. He’s due in court September 21, a date that falls on the second Monday of the NFL regular season, meaning he’d likely be back in the CBS booth the day before his own hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The arrest lands squarely on top of that earlier controversy, not separate from it. Fans had already erupted over Romo’s performance during the Bills-Jaguars wild-card game and again during the AFC Championship broadcast, with some outlets openly asking whether that game could be his last of the season. It wasn’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>None of that criticism appears to be shortening his runway with the network, at least according to McCarthy’s own read on what happens once his current deal actually expires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“After 2030, who knows? Romo’s a scratch golfer who’s won many celebrity events. At age 50, he might be as likely to try out for the Champions Tour as stay in sports TV,” McCarthy wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That long leash makes more sense once you look at what Romo actually built in the booth, and why CBS still considers that legacy worth protecting through a rough stretch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tony-romo-remains-one-of-the-most-distinctive-voices-in-nfl-broadcasting\">Tony Romo Remains One of the Most Distinctive Voices in NFL Broadcasting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever noise surrounds him right now, Romo reshaped how NFL broadcasts actually work. His habit of calling plays before they happened turned color commentary into something closer to real-time coaching film, a style that earned him the nickname “Roostradamus” and made him one of the most copied analysts in the sport almost immediately. CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus explained the appeal plainly when Romo was hired in 2017.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Tony has been one of the NFL’s biggest stars for the past decade,” McManus said, per CBS News. “He will bring the same passion, enthusiasm and knowledge that he displayed on the field to the broadcast booth.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Romo spent 13 seasons with the Cowboys, all of them with Dallas after joining as an undrafted free agent, retiring as the franchise’s all-time leader in touchdown passes with 248 and passing yards with 34,183. His 97.1 career passer rating remains the fourth-highest in NFL history and the highest among retired quarterbacks. He made four Pro Bowls during that run and has not addressed his arrest publicly in the days since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That silence is likely to hold until at least September 21, when Romo’s court appearance will offer the first real, dated marker of how this situation actually resolves, right as he’s expected back on the air for CBS the day before.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tony Romo was already fighting for his job before he was ever pulled over on I-43. Months of criticism over his on-air performance, capped by a rough AFC Championship broadcast in January that had fans openly calling for his removal, had CBS management reportedly considering some kind of intervention even before his July 23 arrest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215952,"featured_media":4246319,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.151","footnotes":""},"categories":[22061,14551],"tags":[21912,22158],"class_list":["post-4975976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dallas-cowboys","category-nfl","tag-cbs","tag-tony-romo"],"acf":{"post_history":"CBS Makes Final Call on Tony Romo\u2019s Future After OWI Arrest","sentiment_score":"-0.151","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"article_summary":"","newsletter_description":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"No","editor_name":{"ID":215908,"user_firstname":"Siddid Dey","user_lastname":"Purkayastha","nickname":"siddid.purkayastha","user_nicename":"siddid-purkayastha","display_name":"Siddid Dey Purkayastha","user_email":"dpsiddid@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2026-04-07 11:09:16","user_description":"Siddid Dey Purkayastha is an editor at EssentiallySports\u2019 WNBA desk, where he oversees coverage, edits and publishes content, and ensures editorial quality across the beat. With a focus on game analysis, Siddid examines the decisions, matchups, and turning points that influence results throughout the season. Drawing on his background in literary studies, Siddid brings a detail-oriented approach to WNBA coverage.","user_avatar":"<img alt='' src='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/142de30503c564db889e13a3c350f3cf8b3ed2e7abc9a3ec1b5fa102a99bbdbf?s=96&d=mm&r=g' srcset='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/142de30503c564db889e13a3c350f3cf8b3ed2e7abc9a3ec1b5fa102a99bbdbf?s=192&d=mm&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' loading='lazy' decoding='async'\/>"},"allotted_by":false,"is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"published_by_pr_writer":"No","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"fb_caption":"","source_article_link":"https:\/\/x.com\/MailSport\/status\/2081879279537738237?s=20","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>CBS Makes Final Call on Tony Romo\u2019s Future After OWI Arrest - 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Out in the Open”: Paige Bueckers’ Jealousy Confession Fuels WNBA Analyst’s Caitlin Clark Theory After All-Star Clash"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Just ahead of the All-Star Game, Paige Bueckers appeared on Sue Bird’s podcast, the Bird\u2019s Eye View. During her conversation with the WNBA legend, the Dallas Wings star confessed to feeling something she wasn’t proud of. While answering how it felt when women’s basketball took off after her stellar freshman year, while she was out of the picture with an injury, Bueckers admitted to feeling jealous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I felt bad because I felt like jealous in a way, and I felt like envious. And I’ve never been that type of person. I was like, ‘What about me though?’ And ’cause I had worked so hard. I just wanted to play, and I just wanted to be a part of it. And part of me felt bad because I felt jealous,” said Bueckers. Now, independent WNBA analyst and podcast host Ben Daniel believes Bueckers’ admission is indicative of a bigger confession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Paige Bueckers admits her jealousy, her envy of Caitlin Clark. It’s finally out in the open.” <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/2z4CoHYs_A0?si=hUBnbbdEtMGLR07v&t=7\">Daniel said on his podcast<\/a>. “If Paige is envious that Caitlin Clark’s the one that took the WNBA to the next level, imagine how the rest of the league feels. Paige and Caitlin came up with each other. Paige is looking at Caitlin, saying, ‘That should have been me.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“If Paige is saying that, imagine what those old veterans are thinking to themselves. They probably are jealous and envious times ten when it comes to how jealous and envious Paige was.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniels’ broader theory is based on the fact that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/tag\/paige-bueckers\/\">Paige Bueckers<\/a> and Caitlin Clark were actually originally on track to enter the WNBA at the same time. Both were members of the same 2020 high school recruiting class, and were collegiate basketball stars. However, Buecker’s injury delayed her WNBA debut by a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By then, the Caitlin Clark effect was in full swing. With CC joining the Indiana Fever in the WNBA, the league saw historic viewership numbers, and most of those games featured CC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From selling out stadiums to boosting WNBA merchandise sales, Clark’s debut in 2024 powered the massive surge in the WNBA’s popularity. Clark’s debut game drew over 2.1 million viewers on ESPN2, while the 2024 All-Star game featuring Clark drew 3.442 million viewers on ABC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even today, the Caitlin Clark effect is going strong, with the Indiana Fever vs. Golden State Valkyries on July 15, 2026, becoming the most-watched game in USA Sports Network’s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Paige Bueckers never explicitly stated Clark’s name, her confession fueled his theory, in light of all the controversy the hard contacts on the Indiana Fever star have generated since Alyssa Thomas’s flagrant foul on Clark during their June 24 clash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just ahead of the All-Star Game, Paige Bueckers appeared on Sue Bird’s podcast, the Bird\u2019s Eye View. During her conversation with the WNBA legend, the Dallas Wings star confessed to feeling something she wasn’t proud of. While answering how it felt when women’s basketball took off after her stellar freshman year, while she was out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215864,"featured_media":4970629,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"0.032","footnotes":""},"categories":[3332,8839,27015],"tags":[42888,31941],"class_list":["post-4974922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball-2","category-news","category-wnba","tag-caitlin-clark","tag-paige-bueckers"],"acf":{"post_history":"“Finally Out in the Open”: Paige Bueckers’ Jealousy Confession Fuels WNBA Analyst’s Caitlin Clark Theory After All-Star Clash###\u201cFinally Out in the Open\u201d: Paige Bueckers\u2019 Jealousy Confession Fuels WNBA Analyst\u2019s Caitlin Clark Theory After All-Star Clash###\u201cFinally Out in the Open\u201d: Paige Bueckers\u2019 Jealousy Confession Fuels WNBA Analyst\u2019s Caitlin Clark Theory After All-Star Clash###\u201cFinally Out in the Open\u201d: Paige Bueckers\u2019 Jealousy Confession Fuels WNBA Analyst\u2019s Caitlin Clark Theory After All-Star Clash","sentiment_score":"0.032","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"fb_caption":"","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["YouTube Video"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/2z4CoHYs_A0?si=hUBnbbdEtMGLR07v&t=7","article_summary":"","newsletter_description":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"],"msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","editor_name":false,"allotted_by":{"ID":215230,"user_firstname":"Khelendra Kumar","user_lastname":"Yadav","nickname":"khelendra.yadav","user_nicename":"khelendra-yadav","display_name":"Khelendra Kumar Yadav","user_email":"khelendra98@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-02-16 06:57:57","user_description":"Khelendra Kumar Yadav is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, reporting from the ES Social Media Desk. 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Currently pursuing an MBA at Obafemi Awolowo University, he approaches the WNBA with an analytical perspective that connects on-court performances to the broader systems and management decisions shaping the league.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/inioluwa-olutayo\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/InioluwaOlutayo"],"url":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/author\/olutayo-emmanuel\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4974922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/215864"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4974922"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4974922\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4976348,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4974922\/revisions\/4976348"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4970629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4974922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4974922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4974922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":4975989,"date":"2026-07-28T09:55:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T04:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/?p=4975989"},"modified":"2026-07-28T10:00:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T04:30:52","slug":"wnba-basketball-news-going-to-be-opportunistic-cheryl-reeve-clarifies-minnesota-lynxs-stance-on-roster-changes-as-trade-deadline-approaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-going-to-be-opportunistic-cheryl-reeve-clarifies-minnesota-lynxs-stance-on-roster-changes-as-trade-deadline-approaches\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cGoing to Be Opportunistic\u201d: Cheryl Reeve Clarifies Minnesota Lynx\u2019s Stance on Roster Changes as Trade Deadline Approaches"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>With the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game behind us, the second half of the season kicks off with a packed five-game schedule on Tuesday. Besides a busy schedule, teams are staring at a looming trade deadline in less than a week, at 3:00 ET on August 2. So it’s not surprising that the league-leading Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was asked how she plans to improve their already successful roster before the window closes on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Every team is going to be opportunistic to improve their roster. Every team [is] maybe in a different spot in terms of what they think they need and whether they should or shouldn’t,” Reeve said during the media availability after their latest practice session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“We\u2019re certainly a team that\u2019s been ‘open for business’ and open-minded to things that are being talked about. It\u2019ll be a busy week for us,” she added in the clip shared by Lynx beat writer Andrew Dukowitz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/tag\/cheryl-reeve\/\">Cheryl Reeve<\/a> also addressed how the new CBA has affected roster moves, including the SEI designation for Emma Cechova, which opened a roster spot, and the Lynx’s second development spot. However, Reeve and the administration won’t pursue that before the trade window closes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Cheryl Reeve on the trade deadline and the Lynx\u2019s participation in buyouts <br><br>\u201cEvery team is going to be opportunistic, to improve their roster\u2026 we\u2019re certainly a team that\u2019s been quote \u201copen for business\u201d and open minded to things that are being talked about. It\u2019ll be a busy\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gwKx6zeJso\">pic.twitter.com\/gwKx6zeJso<\/a><\/p>— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/adukeMN\/status\/2081799003654480181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 27, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>“Yeah, the development spot, the SEI, the season-ending injury exception, which once the trade deadline is over, we will engage in, and we will get our second development spot.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I think it\u2019s been really good\u2026 being able to transact from a salary standpoint, a lot easier than what it was when we had all this hardship going on, and hard cap and hardships and everybody is over the cap,” Cheryl Reeve commented on the new CBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The historic CBA, the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), ratified on March 24, 2026, transformed the entire WNBA landscape, bringing in a five-fold increase in player salaries, which now exceed $583,000 on average; meanwhile, the supermax contracts climbed to $1.4 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only did that make team-player negotiations smoother, but the “hardships” of the $1.5 million hard salary cap that Cheryl Reeve referenced also rose to $7 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, just days ahead of the trade deadline, the Lynx acquired DiJonai Carrington from the Dallas Wings in exchange for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 second-round draft pick. Whether they’ll make a similar last-moment move remains to be seen, but the second half of the season will see Minnesota making some tweaks to their lineup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-cheryl-reeve-on-reintegrating-napheesa-collier-into-the-lineup\">Cheryl Reeve on reintegrating Napheesa Collier into the lineup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 22-6 Minnesota Lynx got their biggest star back on July 22. After missing the first 27 games of the 2026 season and spending nearly 300 days away from the court due to double ankle surgeries, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/tag\/napheesa-collier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Napheesa Collier<\/a> returned just ahead of the All-Star Break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In her first game back against the Seattle Storm, Collier dropped a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds despite playing just 22 minutes, and helped extend the Lynx’s win streak to seven games. Naturally, Cheryl Reeve will now “tinker a little bit” with the rotations to get Collier a regular spot in the lineup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“We’re not changing what we’re doing. Our identity is formed. We can move that identity. We can morph it into different things. But we have an identity that isn’t, at this point, going to change,” the Lynx head coach told the media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the coach also believes that she won’t have to work hard to get the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year back into the lineup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“Phee’s not a player that a lot needs to be run for her. She finds offense because of the way she moves and playing off of others,” added Cheryl Reeve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the coach did have a conversation with their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-olivia-miles-leaves-angel-reese-behind-to-make-history-in-her-wnba-all-star-debut\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rookie of the Year contender Olivia Miles<\/a>, who has helped carry the league leaders’ elite offense in Collier’s absence this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I know what’s in her head is ‘Oh, Phee’s back, where’s Phee, where’s Phee, try to throw it to her,’ and that’s just simply not the best basketball. So just making sure that she understood that Olivia Miles being Olivia Miles helps Napheesa Collier be Phee.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So with the trade deadline looming, the Minnesota Lynx will start their second-half journey against the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game behind us, the second half of the season kicks off with a packed five-game schedule on Tuesday. Besides a busy schedule, teams are staring at a looming trade deadline in less than a week, at 3:00 ET on August 2. So it’s not surprising that the league-leading Minnesota Lynx […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214660,"featured_media":4976036,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3332,27015],"tags":[65573,70931,28910,57435],"class_list":["post-4975989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball-2","category-wnba","tag-cheryl-reeve","tag-minnesota-lynx","tag-napheesa-collier","tag-olivia-miles"],"acf":{"post_history":"\u201cGoing to Be Opportunistic\u201d: Cheryl Reeve Clarifies Minnesota Lynx\u2019s Stance on Roster Changes as Trade Deadline Approaches","sentiment_score":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"],"auto_post_fb_channels":[],"fb_caption":"","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/x.com\/adukemn\/status\/2081799003654480181?s=46","article_summary":"","editor_name":{"ID":214660,"user_firstname":"Sagnik","user_lastname":"Bagchi","nickname":"sagnik.bagchi","user_nicename":"sagnik-bagchi","display_name":"Sagnik Bagchi","user_email":"sagnikbagchi24@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2022-09-26 17:15:27","user_description":"Sagnik Bagchi is an Editor and Senior Writer at EssentiallySports, with bylines spanning NHL, Olympics, Bodybuilding, Tennis, NFL, and beyond. From the Paris 2024 Games to multiple Mr. Olympia stages and the NHL Playoffs, his work has spanned both the grandest events and the stories behind them, drawing recognition from IFBB Pro Greg Doucette. His commitment to storytelling across sports earned him a place in EssentiallySports\u2019 Journalistic Excellence Program.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sagnik-Bagchi-3-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":215230,"user_firstname":"Khelendra Kumar","user_lastname":"Yadav","nickname":"khelendra.yadav","user_nicename":"khelendra-yadav","display_name":"Khelendra Kumar Yadav","user_email":"khelendra98@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-02-16 06:57:57","user_description":"Khelendra Kumar Yadav is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, reporting from the ES Social Media Desk. A former high-school basketball player, he brings a court-level perspective to his analysis, connecting box scores with the fan sentiment driving viral narratives. His expertise lies in using impact metrics to unpack the on-court stories that generate widespread reactions among fans.\r\n\r\nIn addition to his role at EssentiallySports, Khelendra has worked as a Sub-editor at a leading news agency, where he was responsible for creating and editing online news copies. He holds a postgraduate diploma in digital media, equipping him with the skills needed to produce engaging and credible content across multiple digital platforms. \r\n\r\nKhelendra combines his strong analytical skills and attention to detail to deliver insightful NBA coverage that resonates with readers. Beyond work, Khelendra can be found on the court, refining his shooting skills.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Khelendra-Yadav-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"newsletter_description":"","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"No","is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"published_by_pr_writer":"No"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u201cGoing to Be Opportunistic\u201d: Cheryl Reeve Clarifies Minnesota Lynx\u2019s Stance on Roster Changes as Trade Deadline Approaches - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"League leaders Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve opened up on how they plan to navigate the approaching trade deadline.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-going-to-be-opportunistic-cheryl-reeve-clarifies-minnesota-lynxs-stance-on-roster-changes-as-trade-deadline-approaches\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cGoing to Be Opportunistic\u201d: Cheryl Reeve Clarifies Minnesota Lynx\u2019s Stance on Roster Changes as Trade Deadline Approaches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"League leaders Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve opened up on how they plan to navigate the approaching trade deadline.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-going-to-be-opportunistic-cheryl-reeve-clarifies-minnesota-lynxs-stance-on-roster-changes-as-trade-deadline-approaches\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EssentiallySports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/essentiallysports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T04:25:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T04:30:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1079310355.jpg.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sagnik Bagchi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SagnikBagchi24\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@es_sportsnews\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-going-to-be-opportunistic-cheryl-reeve-clarifies-minnesota-lynxs-stance-on-roster-changes-as-trade-deadline-approaches\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-going-to-be-opportunistic-cheryl-reeve-clarifies-minnesota-lynxs-stance-on-roster-changes-as-trade-deadline-approaches\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sagnik Bagchi\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/be38addd09fa89456efce482d91995d7\"},\"headline\":\"\u201cGoing to Be Opportunistic\u201d: Cheryl Reeve Clarifies Minnesota Lynx\u2019s Stance on Roster Changes as Trade Deadline Approaches\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-28T04:25:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-28T04:30:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-going-to-be-opportunistic-cheryl-reeve-clarifies-minnesota-lynxs-stance-on-roster-changes-as-trade-deadline-approaches\/\"},\"wordCount\":730,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Cheryl Reeve\",\"Minnesota Lynx\",\"Napheesa Collier\",\"Olivia Miles\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Basketball\",\"WNBA\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-going-to-be-opportunistic-cheryl-reeve-clarifies-minnesota-lynxs-stance-on-roster-changes-as-trade-deadline-approaches\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-going-to-be-opportunistic-cheryl-reeve-clarifies-minnesota-lynxs-stance-on-roster-changes-as-trade-deadline-approaches\/\",\"name\":\"\u201cGoing to Be Opportunistic\u201d: Cheryl Reeve Clarifies Minnesota Lynx\u2019s Stance on Roster Changes as Trade Deadline Approaches - 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Earlier this year, Mychal Thompson\u00a0stated that Bron deserved a statue for the Purple and Gold franchise. Recently, the former champion even lashed out at critics who are celebrating his exit.<\/p>\n<p>“If any Laker fans are offended or bothered by LeBron’s decision, they’re all a bunch of hypocrites, and they’re idiots.” Mychal Thompson <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/V00tBm7Rexg?si=xzu4SIHpLaj6YZhb&t=325\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">didn\u2019t hold back on ESPN LA<\/a>: “Think about it, every one of us has made a decision, a business decision to better ourselves, to put ourselves in a better situation, to go to another job that’s better for us or our family. That’s all LeBron is doing: putting himself in a better situation. He thinks he can win a fifth ring, playing with a big four in Philadelphia.”<\/p>\n<p>Lakers fans are upset that LeBron James’ time yielded only one championship. Others have been highly vocal about the LeGM tag and its negative influence on the locker room. In fact, some of them are upset that the 22x All-Star did not give the franchise the same discount to continue the partnership with Doncic and Reaves as he did to the Sixers.<\/p>\n<p>But Thompson stated that the 76ers have a better chance of winning with the new-look Big 4\u00a0of Bron, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and Maxey.<\/p>\n<p>“And every one of the Lakers fans, I’m sure, who boo him, if they do it, have made that decision themselves in their professional lives. So they boo LeBron because he decided to go work someplace else? They’re hypocrites. Because I’m sure most of us, 99% of us have done that.”<\/p>\n<p>Even LeBron James stated that his final decision was about winning. That’s why the 4x NBA champion rejected a reunion with the Cavaliers and a Big 3 partnership with the Miami Heat.<\/p>\n<p>“I still want to work,” James said in his statement. “I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”<\/p>\n<p>It’s easy to blame LeBron James when the Lakers shifted their priority. Last off-season, they gave the keys to Luka Doncic, and Bron had to accept the role of being the third superstar on the team. Even this summer, the front office’s priority was to keep Austin Reaves rather than extend LeBron. So, the Akron Hammer ended his tenure with Purple and Gold and needed 24 days to decide on the 76ers as his next team.<\/p>\n<p>That’s why even Thompson concluded with “Let’s stop being so offended by and so sensitive about everything.” The former Laker is not abandoning cheering for LeBron James. \u201cA statue? He deserves three statues, buddy,\u2019\u2019 Thompson earlier this year told USA TODAY Sports. \u201cMiami, Cleveland and L.A. That’s how great he is.”<\/p>\n<p>If Bron breaks the 43-year championship drought for the 76ers, then Thompson most certainly will want the fourth statue in Philly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even though LeBron James brought an end to his Lakers tenure after eight seasons, a franchise legend is still rooting for him. Earlier this year, Mychal Thompson\u00a0stated that Bron deserved a statue for the Purple and Gold franchise. Recently, the former champion even lashed out at critics who are celebrating his exit. “If any Laker […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215235,"featured_media":4976109,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.861","footnotes":""},"categories":[3332,19618,19209,19632],"tags":[683,20271],"class_list":["post-4976087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball-2","category-los-angeles-lakers","category-nba","category-philadelphia-76ers","tag-lebron-james","tag-mychal-thompson"],"acf":{"post_history":"\u201cBunch of Hypocrites\u201d: Mychal Thompson Calls Lakers Fans \u2018Idiots\u2019 for Booing LeBron James\u2019 76ers Move","newsletter_description":"","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/V00tBm7Rexg?si=xzu4SIHpLaj6YZhb&t=325","article_summary":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"],"editor_name":{"ID":215528,"user_firstname":"Tanay","user_lastname":"Sahai","nickname":"tanay.sahai","user_nicename":"tanay-sahai","display_name":"Tanay Sahai","user_email":"tanay.sahai0101@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2025-02-04 04:40:21","user_description":"Tanay Sahai is an NBA Editor at EssentiallySports, with a decade of experience in digital media and a strong foundation in entrepreneurship. He is celebrated for his standout coverage of the Golden State Warriors, which has driven over 1.26 million pageviews of readership and earned high audience trust.\r\n\r\nHis journey as an entrepreneur, founder, and CEO has given him a unique perspective on content strategy, market analysis, and team leadership. 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From meeting Pat Riley to checking in on fellow trade compatriot Bobby Portis, Antetokounmpo didn’t hold anything back. That includes his initiative to make an instant bond with Miami Heat cornerstone Bam Adebayo. The transition kicked off when Antetokounmpo, fresh off hosting workouts with Heat guard Davion Mitchell in Greece, officially linked up with the Heat center on July 16 during his introductory welcome to the franchise.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"2\">In a candid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zVhuHeKTXN8\">behind-the-scenes<\/a> video on Antetokounmpo\u2019s YouTube channel, the two exchanged warm greetings inside the facility. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/tag\/bam-adebayo\/\">Adebayo<\/a> welcomed the two-time MVP to South Florida by noting, “It’s warm all the time.” Immediately, Giannis threw out an invite for an offseason training trip.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">“Come to Greece, man. Let me know if you want to come to Greece with me to get in the gym,” Antetokounmpo urged.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">A Heat representative standing nearby chimed in to remind the group that Adebayo was actually in Greece last summer, to which Adebayo enthusiastically agreed, “Yeah, Greece was fire.”<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">They’re referring to Michael Jordan hosting him, Luka Doncic, Carmelo Anthony, and more athletes for the 40th anniversary of the Jordan Brand in Athens in 2025.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"4\">When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/tag\/giannis-antetokounmpo\/\">Antetokounmpo<\/a> pressed further for a return trip, Adebayo hesitated on making an immediate commitment: “I’m going to try to come. Now, I’m not by myself.”<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\">Antetokounmpo quickly put two and two together, responding, “No, I know. Come to Greece with your wife.”<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\">But as soon as Adebayo replied with a casual “Bet,” Antetokounmpo caught himself, laughing and added, “Your wife. Sorry, I don’t know if you’re married.”<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\">The quick apology drew laughs from the entire room, though the sentiment behind Adebayo’s hesitation was clear.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">While Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to learn the personal connections of his new teammates soon, there’s a reason why Adebayo can’t bring his ‘wife,’ A’ja Wilson, on an impromptu European getaway. The Las Vegas Aces superstar is currently in the thick of the WNBA season, leading the Aces (18-8) while making a strong case for a fifth MVP title.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">The player leads the league in scoring at 26.1 points per game and blocking at 2.0 blocks per contest, alongside 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 53.3% from the field and 44.6% from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">Other than his girlfriend being in the busiest time of the year, there’s another thing. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/wnba-basketball-news-who-is-aja-wilsons-boyfriend-everything-to-know-about-bam-adebayo\/\">Wilson and Adebayo are not officially married or engaged yet.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">That, however, is in the works. In an interview with ESPN earlier this month, Adebayo revealed that he nervously approached Wilson’s father, Roscoe, to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-wnba-basketball-news-had-to-cry-a-little-bit-bam-adebayo-reveals-most-terrifying-marriage-conversation-with-aja-wilsons-dad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ask for his daughter\u2019s hand in marriage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">\u201cThat was the most terrifying question I had to ask him. I was like… \u2018Would it be cool if like, I married your daughter?\u2019\u201d Bam revealed on ESPN’s\u00a0<em>Life in the W.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">While he’s got Mr. Wilson’s blessing, he’s on the hunt for the perfect engagement ring.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"11\">Whether Adebayo and Antetokounmpo manage to squeeze in an offseason session in Athens this summer remains to be seen. However, as the Heat gear up for a high-stakes campaign, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-basketball-news-me-and-d-wade-started-it-shaquille-oneal-sends-clear-message-to-giannis-antetokounmpo-with-roster-advice\/\">the natural chemistry between their new star duo<\/a> signals a promising start for Miami’s newest era.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"11\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We finally got the inside look into Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first day in Miami, and it’s as good as we anticipated. From meeting Pat Riley to checking in on fellow trade compatriot Bobby Portis, Antetokounmpo didn’t hold anything back. That includes his initiative to make an instant bond with Miami Heat cornerstone Bam Adebayo. The transition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214999,"featured_media":4951854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.21","footnotes":""},"categories":[3332,19628,19209],"tags":[28909,19758,15060],"class_list":["post-4976014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball-2","category-miami-heat","category-nba","tag-aja-wilson","tag-bam-adebayo","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo"],"acf":{"post_history":"\u201cI\u2019m Not by Myself\u201d: Bam Adebayo Delays Greece Workout With Giannis Antetokounmpo for A\u2019ja Wilson","sentiment_score":"-0.21","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"fb_caption":"","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["YouTube Video"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zVhuHeKTXN8","article_summary":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"],"editor_name":{"ID":214441,"user_firstname":"Rohini","user_lastname":"Kottu","nickname":"rohini.kottu","user_nicename":"rohini-kottu","display_name":"Rohini Kottu","user_email":"rohinikrishnakumarkottu@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2021-10-03 07:54:36","user_description":"Rohini Kottu is a Newsroom Editor at EssentiallySports, bringing years of expertise in sports journalism and editorial leadership. 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Rohini\u2019s journey and impact were also spotlighted in the <a href=\"https:\/\/humansof.essentiallysports.com\/rookie-to-pro-reflecting-on-my-two-year-journey-at-essentiallysports-bf923af20514\">Humans of EssentiallySports series<\/a>, where she reflected on her evolution from rookie to pro in just a few years.\r\n\r\nToday, she continues to drive newsroom standards by delivering authoritative, reader-first content in an era where authenticity and clarity are more vital than ever.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/rohini-kottu-96x96.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":214745,"user_firstname":"Rohan","user_lastname":"Dharmalingam","nickname":"rohan.dharmalingam","user_nicename":"rohan-dharmalingam","display_name":"Rohan Dharmalingam","user_email":"rohan.dharmalingam@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2022-12-30 18:21:22","user_description":"Rohan Dharmalingam is an NBA Content Specialist at EssentiallySports. Over three years on the beat, he has delivered in-depth coverage of the Lakers, Warriors, Mavericks, and Celtics, earning recognition from Shaquille O\u2019Neal for his reporting. A former collegiate point guard, Rohan applies a guard\u2019s understanding of spacing, decision-making, and tempo when breaking down plays, adding on-court clarity to his analysis.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rohan-Dharmalingam-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"published_by_pr_writer":"No","newsletter_description":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u201cI\u2019m Not by Myself\u201d: Bam Adebayo Delays Greece Workout With Giannis Antetokounmpo for A\u2019ja Wilson - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Giannis Antetokounmpo's attempt to build team chemistry with Bam Adebayo falls flat because of A'ja Wilson.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-wnba-basketball-news-im-not-by-myself-bam-adebayo-delays-greece-workout-with-giannis-antetokounmpo-for-aja-wilson\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cI\u2019m Not by Myself\u201d: Bam Adebayo Delays Greece Workout With Giannis Antetokounmpo for A\u2019ja Wilson\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Giannis Antetokounmpo's attempt to build team chemistry with Bam Adebayo falls flat because of A'ja Wilson.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-wnba-basketball-news-im-not-by-myself-bam-adebayo-delays-greece-workout-with-giannis-antetokounmpo-for-aja-wilson\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EssentiallySports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/essentiallysports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T04:13:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T04:13:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1077021936.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Caroline John\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@J_Caro_Writes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@es_sportsnews\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-wnba-basketball-news-im-not-by-myself-bam-adebayo-delays-greece-workout-with-giannis-antetokounmpo-for-aja-wilson\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-wnba-basketball-news-im-not-by-myself-bam-adebayo-delays-greece-workout-with-giannis-antetokounmpo-for-aja-wilson\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Caroline John\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/743df6ad0eda022206eab61041d28800\"},\"headline\":\"\u201cI\u2019m Not by Myself\u201d: Bam Adebayo Delays Greece Workout With Giannis Antetokounmpo for A\u2019ja Wilson\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-28T04:13:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-28T04:13:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-wnba-basketball-news-im-not-by-myself-bam-adebayo-delays-greece-workout-with-giannis-antetokounmpo-for-aja-wilson\/\"},\"wordCount\":569,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"A'ja Wilson\",\"Bam Adebayo\",\"Giannis Antetokounmpo\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Basketball\",\"Miami Heat\",\"NBA\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-wnba-basketball-news-im-not-by-myself-bam-adebayo-delays-greece-workout-with-giannis-antetokounmpo-for-aja-wilson\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-wnba-basketball-news-im-not-by-myself-bam-adebayo-delays-greece-workout-with-giannis-antetokounmpo-for-aja-wilson\/\",\"name\":\"\u201cI\u2019m Not by Myself\u201d: Bam Adebayo Delays Greece Workout With Giannis Antetokounmpo for A\u2019ja Wilson - 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She holds a master\u2019s degree in Journalism and Communication and brings eight years of experience to the sports desk. Caroline made a mark in NBA media by covering the life of Shaquille O\u2019Neal, which led to an exclusive interview with Josh Halpern, CEO of Shaq\u2019s Big Chicken franchise. Her coverage was also personally highlighted by Shaq, who shared her article about his DJ Diesel persona and rapper GAWNE on Instagram. Drawn to the philanthropic work of LeBron James and Shaquille O\u2019Neal, Caroline started following the NBA for its character both on and off the court, and has since become a respected voice covering many of the league\u2019s biggest names. Her reporting stands out for accuracy, recognition from industry figures, and a strong connection with readers. 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Nose tackle Vita Vea has requested a trade from the team after spending eight seasons with them. But for McCoy, the worst part could be working in front of the camera and still maintaining his composure.<\/p>\n<p>“My first assignment of the season is in Tampa, now I have to sit on camera and act like I\u2019m not annoyed this is happening to us\u2026\u2026..,” <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Geraldini93\/status\/2081879248394916149?s=20\">Gerald McCoy said on X.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Vita Vea has asked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to trade him after both sides failed to agree on a new contract. His agent, Collin Roberts, has confirmed the trade request. Earlier this summer, Vea skipped on-field work during the team’s mandatory minicamp, which was a sign that he is unhappy with his contract situation. At that time, head coach Todd Bowles was not worried about the situation and said it was “part of the business.”<\/p>\n<p>However, now it seems pretty serious. Vea is entering the final year of his four-year, $71 million contract. He is set to earn $17 million this season, but none of that money is guaranteed. His contract also includes up to $1 million in per-game roster bonuses if he remains active. Since the two sides could not reach an agreement on a new deal, Vea has now officially asked the Buccaneers to trade him before the 2026 season begins.<\/p>\n<p>McCoy’s reaction makes sense as both of them\u00a0have known each other since 2018, when the Buccaneers picked Vea with the 12th overall pick in the NFL Draft. At that time, McCoy was the team’s experienced star defensive tackle. He welcomed Vea to the team, helped him adjust to the NFL, and guided him during the early part of his career.<\/p>\n<p>Losing a player like Vea is not an option for the team.\u00a0Last season, he played in all 17 games and finished with 4.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and 34 tackles.\u00a0 In his eight NFL seasons, Vea has recorded 35 career sacks and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021 and 2024. If the Buccaneers trade him, they will lose one of the key players in the middle of their defense, ahead of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-vita-vea-forced-to-take-a-shit-after-chasing-patrick-mahomes-tom-bradys-ex-teammate-reveals-hilarious-super-bowl-admission\/\">If the Buccaneers trade Vita Vea,<\/a> their defense will become much weaker. Vea is the player who controls the middle of the defensive line and makes it harder for opponents to run the ball. He often takes on two blockers, which gives his teammates more chances to make tackles. That is why CBS Sports said the Buccaneers would be “significantly worse off without him in run defense.”<\/p>\n<p>Now, it will be interesting to see how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to handle the situation after Vea is traded to another team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Bucs get unfortunate news ahead of training camp, and their former defensive tackle Gerald McCoy isn\u2019t happy with it either. Nose tackle Vita Vea has requested a trade from the team after spending eight seasons with them. But for McCoy, the worst part could be working in front of the camera and still maintaining […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215334,"featured_media":4463245,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.632","footnotes":""},"categories":[14551,23511],"tags":[28717,22461],"class_list":["post-4976032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","category-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-gerald-mccoy","tag-vita-vea"],"acf":{"post_history":"“Act Like I\u2019m Not Annoyed\u201d: Buccaneers Legend Forced to Hide True Feelings After Vita Vea Requests a Trade###\u201cAct Like I\u2019m Not Annoyed\u201d: Buccaneers Legend Forced to Hide True Feelings After Vita Vea Requests a Trade###\u201cAct Like I\u2019m Not Annoyed\u201d: Buccaneers Legend Forced to Hide True Feelings After Vita Vea Requests a Trade###\u201cAct Like I\u2019m Not Annoyed\u201d: Buccaneers Legend Forced to Hide True Feelings After Vita Vea Requests a Trade###\u201cAct Like I\u2019m Not Annoyed\u201d: Buccaneers Legend Forced to Hide True Feelings After Vita Vea Requests a Trade","sentiment_score":"-0.632","is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"published_by_pr_writer":"No","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"fb_caption":"","newsletter_description":"","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/x.com\/Geraldini93\/status\/2081879248394916149?s=20","article_summary":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"],"editor_name":{"ID":215233,"user_firstname":"Srashti","user_lastname":"Sharma","nickname":"srashti.sharma","user_nicename":"srashti-sharma","display_name":"Srashti Sharma","user_email":"sharmasrashti8@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-02-16 07:06:57","user_description":"Srashti Sharma is a Newsroom Editor at EssentiallySports, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the site\u2019s NBA coverage. 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When AFK, she finds solace in her adorable Shih-Tzu.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Srashti-Sharma-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":215314,"user_firstname":"Subhomoy","user_lastname":"Sen","nickname":"subhomoy.sen","user_nicename":"subhomoy-sen","display_name":"Subhomoy Sen","user_email":"subhomoysen7@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-07-05 06:03:30","user_description":"Subhomoy Sen is a Senior NFL writer who plays a key role in our coverage of ES NFL Sundays. He is a \u2018stat\u2019 specialist and is often among the earliest to write about game-changing moments (statistics-led) during intense Sunday games. He received accolades for his statistical coverage of the Eagles-Cowboys fixtures late in 2024 where he wrote on how the theory of hidden yardage \u2018Hurt\u2019 the Cowboys. Subhomoy is excited at the sight of Rodgers versus Green Bay this season. We can\u2019t wait too.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Subhomoy-Sen-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"}},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>"Act Like I\u2019m Not Annoyed\u201d: Buccaneers Legend Forced to Hide True Feelings After Vita Vea Requests a Trade - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Buccaneers legend Gerald McCoy reacts to Vita Vea's trade request, revealing frustration while explaining why the move hurts Tampa Bay.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-act-like-im-not-annoyed-buccaneers-legend-forced-to-hide-true-feelings-after-vita-vea-requests-a-trade\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""Act Like I\u2019m Not Annoyed\u201d: Buccaneers Legend Forced to Hide True Feelings After Vita Vea Requests a Trade\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Buccaneers legend Gerald McCoy reacts to Vita Vea's trade request, revealing frustration while explaining why the move hurts Tampa Bay.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-act-like-im-not-annoyed-buccaneers-legend-forced-to-hide-true-feelings-after-vita-vea-requests-a-trade\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EssentiallySports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/essentiallysports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T03:46:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T03:48:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1069279643.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1706\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Papiya Chatterjee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@quirky_mahila\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@es_sportsnews\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-act-like-im-not-annoyed-buccaneers-legend-forced-to-hide-true-feelings-after-vita-vea-requests-a-trade\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-act-like-im-not-annoyed-buccaneers-legend-forced-to-hide-true-feelings-after-vita-vea-requests-a-trade\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Papiya Chatterjee\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/c6e1866f96aec866773857306f85869d\"},\"headline\":\"“Act Like I\u2019m Not Annoyed\u201d: Buccaneers Legend Forced to Hide True Feelings After Vita Vea Requests a Trade\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-28T03:46:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-28T03:48:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-act-like-im-not-annoyed-buccaneers-legend-forced-to-hide-true-feelings-after-vita-vea-requests-a-trade\/\"},\"wordCount\":481,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Gerald McCoy\",\"Vita Vea\"],\"articleSection\":[\"NFL\",\"Tampa Bay Buccaneers\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-act-like-im-not-annoyed-buccaneers-legend-forced-to-hide-true-feelings-after-vita-vea-requests-a-trade\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-act-like-im-not-annoyed-buccaneers-legend-forced-to-hide-true-feelings-after-vita-vea-requests-a-trade\/\",\"name\":\"\\\"Act Like I\u2019m Not Annoyed\u201d: Buccaneers Legend Forced to Hide True Feelings After Vita Vea Requests a Trade - 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The Rams traded for Garrett in exchange for Jared Verse. Well, Los Angeles is building an impeccable defensive lineup with the intention of winning the next Super Bowl. And it seems like Garrett is all in for the action.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The former Cleveland Browns defensive anchor has put his Ohio home on sale with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DbT75-5gcNV\/?igsh=d2g5YzY1emk0cnFi\">asking price of $2.1 million<\/a>. He originally purchased the property for about $1.2 million back in 2018. Yes, it was just a year after being drafted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/category\/nfl\/cleveland-browns\/\">Cleveland Browns<\/a> as the number one overall pick. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Garrett is leaving behind an intricately designed 4,300-square-foot home that balances entertainment and comfort. The house has five bedrooms with five-and-a-half bathrooms spread across the wooded lot. In the center, there\u2019s a spacious kitchen with a huge walk-in pantry. The house also has a dedicated game room, theater, fitness room, and two custom bars. And to incorporate Garrett\u2019s indulgence in automobiles, there is a detached four-car garage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The home also serves as a subtle museum of his NFL journey. One of the two bars is decorated with pictures of Garrett in action during Browns games. There\u2019s also a wall dedicated to NFL jerseys that belonged to stars like Danielle Hunter and Dameon Pierce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Located about 37 miles south of Cleveland in the prestigious Hidden Lakes of Sharon community in Wadsworth, the property is infamous for the Halloween decorations. Over the years, Garrett put on displays related to Stranger Things, Jeepers Creepers, The Terminator, and fans loved the quarterback graveyard that featured <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-news-quarterback-gravestones-cleveland-browns-myles-garrett-puts-up-hilarious-halloween-decoration\/\">custom tombstones dedicated to all quarterbacks<\/a> he has sacked. The list included Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes. But there was a time when the pass rusher didn\u2019t want to sell the house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“I’m not gonna sell my house and pack up and leave,” Garrett said back in October 2023. “I definitely plan to be here for a long time. I’ll start a family here. I’m not just gonna rip and run once things are over and I hang up the cleats. I’m gonna be here supporting the Cavs, supporting the Browns for a mighty long time.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But now that Garrett is officially a member of the Los Angeles Rams, maintaining a primary residence in Ohio is no longer practical. Selling the Ohio residence is more of a long-term relocation than just a real estate transaction. The $2.1 million listing officially closes out a highly memorable Cleveland chapter for one of the league\u2019s premier defensive players.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As he begins training camp with the Los Angeles Rams, Myles Garrett is officially closing the book on his time in Northeast Ohio. The Rams traded for Garrett in exchange for Jared Verse. Well, Los Angeles is building an impeccable defensive lineup with the intention of winning the next Super Bowl. 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