Sports Roundup: NBA Free Agency (Damian Lillard!) and MLB All-Star Selections

In what has been a crazy summer for many sports, let’s dive into the NBA first, where blockbuster trades and the free agency market have made national headlines.

For starters, former Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard requested a trade out of Portland, a shocking yet understandable situation for the mega player. Lillard, who has been the face of the franchise since he was drafted in 2012, has stuck by the team through its highs and lows. Devoted to bringing a championship to his city, “Dame Dolla” fell short of reaching his goal multiple times, reaching the playoffs 8 times but getting to the Western Conference Finals just once (getting swept by the Warriors in the 2018-2019 season).

There are a number of teams that are suiters for Lillard’s hand. Lillard himself has expressed a great desire to play for the Miami Heat with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Heat, who were the #8 seed in the playoffs and forced to play in a do-or-die play-in game to even reach the first round, made it to the NBA Finals, beating the #1 seeded Milwaukee Bucks as well as the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics. Other interested teams include the Celtics and the Utah Jazz.

Around the league, several players have swapped teams over the offseason. Suns veteran and future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul was originally dealt to the Washington Wizards in a trade for mega superstar Bradley Beal. Like Lillard, Beal had stayed with the Wizards’ organization for his entire career, making the playoffs several times but never making it far enough for a real championship run. Paul on the other hand was immediately dealt to the Golden State Warriors for draft picks and youngster Jordan Poole, a move that sees the 38-year-old with sniper Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson along with other players Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. The trade puts Paul in position to win his first championship ring, the only pinnacle missing from his illustrious career.

The Boston Celtics have had a busy offseason so far, dealing the gritty, grinding, former Oklahoma State man Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three team trade that saw Boston become the new home of Kristaps Porzingis. They also moved on from young forward Grant Williams in a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks. The Rockets signed both Dillon Brooks and Fred Van Vleet to large deals, adding to their young core of Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. , and new draft pick Amen Thompson.

Around other sports:

Wimbledon recently kicked off, with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz leading the field.
The MLB All-Star Game Roster selection was released, with notable stars Fernando Tatis Jr., Elly De La Cruz, and Rafael Devers getting snubbed.

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