NFL

Patriots sign RB Rhamondre Stevenson to four-year, $36 million contract extension

New England has prioritized retaining its own talent this offseason by locking up Stevenson, Mike Onwenu, Kyle Duggar, Hunter Henry and Kendrick Bourne to long-term deals. I can’t fault the process — keeping home-grown players around is normally wise — but the Patriots didn’t exactly receive a discount on any of the pacts. Stevenson’s extension, in particular, is a little too lavish for my liking, and includes some unnecessary incentives. New England could’ve moved on from the 26-year-old after this season and replaced him with a mid-round pick. Instead, the Patriots are guaranteeing a below-average starting running back $17 million. Bill Belichick would never.

Grade: C

NBA

Lakers hire JJ Redick as head coach

After striking out on Dan Hurley, it’s no surprise the Lakers circled back to Redick, a rumored target throughout the process for Los Angeles. The 39-year-old appears to have a sharp basketball mind, but at this juncture, it’s hard to trust any decision made by Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka. Surely, Los Angeles will look to surround the first-time coach with an experienced staff, as Redick will need guidance adjusting to the coaching side of the game. It’s risky to predict how someone with zero experience — good or bad — will fare at a job, but Redick is walking into a pressure cooker with unrealistic expectations.

Grade: B-

Bulls receive: Josh Giddey
Thunder receive: Alex Caruso

This is the type of transaction the other 28 teams hate — a trade that makes sense for each franchise involved. For Chicago, it’s time to stop chasing mediocrity and take a step back. Moving Caruso will certainly help the Bulls attain that goal, and adding Giddey, 21, gives Chicago a skilled ball handler to give the reigns to. At times, especially throughout the 2024 playoffs, Giddey appeared uncomfortable with the Thunder. Now, the guard should be granted the opportunity previously carved out for the injured Lonzo Ball.

It was beginning to feel inevitable that Oklahoma City would move on from Giddey this summer, and adding a high-end defender in the backcourt like Caruso in return is a borderline grand slam. With the tall Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at point guard, the Thunder can afford to have Caruso and Cason Wallace in the same rotation, a luxury that wouldn’t be granted to most teams. It’s going to be miserable for opposing guards to navigate the perimeter defense boasted by Oklahoma City next season.

Bulls Grade: B-
Thunder Grade: B+

MLB

Diamondbacks 5, Nationals 2

The NL wild-card race has been more of a crawl — that of a turtle — than a sprint so far, and that’s aided the 37-38 Diamondbacks. After advancing to the Fall Classic a season ago, the natural expectation for Arizona was a step forward. That hasn’t happened — at least not yet — but the Snakes are still crawling their way through the National League’s race.