The sport’s greatest shooter ever is now its highest-paid player ever. Congrats, Chef!🧑‍🍳

🎉 Happy birthday Caleb Martin, Cody Martin, Jose Calderon, Emeka Okafor, Juancho Hernangomez, and Khem Birch! 🎉

If you need a clutch three, Steph Curry is the man to call. If you need to borrow money, stay on that line.

Over the weekend, Curry inked a new deal with his lifelong team, signing a two-year, $116 million extension that will keep him in Golden State through year 20. With the new contract, Curry’s career earnings will reach $652 million, making him the first NBA player to surpass the $600M mark.

The deal, which features a player option for the final season in 2029, is markedly less than the two-year, $136.7M pact Curry was eligible for, but the pay cut gives the Warriors increased financial flexibility as they seek to build around Steph in his final seasons. With around $10 million in projected additional cap room next summer, we’ll see what the front office cooks up.

Enjoy some vintage Steph to celebrate ⤵️

While most teams are tipping off training camp with Media Day today, that doesn’t mean they’re done making moves. Let’s break down a recent deal between two teams out East.

Charlotte receives: Rob Dillingham

Chicago receives: Buddy Hield, cash considerations

Why Charlotte said yes: The Hornets have reshuffled their guard rotation in a major way this offseason, dealing LaMelo Ball and Josh Green while bringing in Dennis Schroder and Grayson Allen. Now, they keep the turnover going by swapping Hield, who they acquired just last week, for Dillingham. The #8 pick in the 2024 Draft, Dillingham carried substantial hype coming out of Kentucky thanks to his crafty ball skills, but hasn’t panned out so far through stops in Minnesota and ChiTown. Still, at just 21 years old, he offers a low-risk, high-reward option for Charlotte, and with Kon Knueppel sidelined by a hamstring injury, they need all the ball-handlers they can get. The Hornets also created a $9.6 million trade exception with the deal.

Why Chicago said yes: Hield has been around the block through 10 NBA seasons, and his seventh team could provide him one of his largest roles yet. On a Bulls squad flush with young talent, Hield will serve as a reliable catch-and-shoot threat while providing veteran leadership to guys like Dailyn Swain, the 15th overall pick from this year’s draft. Plus, our boy Kenny loves it!

The WNBA Playoffs wasted no time.

In the first game of the postseason, the Liberty knocked off the top-seeded Lynx, pushing Minnesota to the brink of elimination in the best-of-three series. Two-time MVP Breanna Stewart continued her hot streak after leading Team USA to gold in the World Cup, stuffing the stat sheet with 34 PTS, 12 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, and 2 BLK.

Lynx rookie sensation Olivia Miles was limited to 11 PTS on 3/12 shooting, while Minnesota as a team converted under 42% of their field goals. After trailing 44-40 at halftime, New York exploded out of the break, cashing 8 of their 12 second-half looks from beyond the arc.

Suddenly, the W’s best regular season will be forced to win back-to-back games to keep their season alive. Are they up to the task? Find out Tuesday…

On Sunday morning, A’ja Wilson was named the Associated Press’s WNBA Player of the Year for the third time. On Sunday afternoon, she showed why.

In the tip-off of a highly anticipated series between the Aces and Fever, Wilson led Vegas to victory with 38 PTS, 16 REB, and 15/19 from the floor. She’s the first player in W history with 35+ PTS, 15+ REB, and 75% shooting in any game, regular or postseason.

Indiana got 18 PTS from Aliyah Boston and a 15-point, 10-assist double-double from Caitlin Clark, but it was not enough against an unstoppable Aces offense— while Wilson ruled the post, Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd, and Stephanie Talbot shot a combined 6/12 from three, torching any look the Fever defense threw.

Be sure to tune into a Vegas game this postseason— it’s not often you get to witness the GOAT in real time.

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, try to be present wherever you are. It’s easy to get caught up in the past or future, but life happens in the moment! See you soon.

Walker Carnathan