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Morning Edition

June 24, 2025

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The NBA Finals just wrapped up, but the draft is Wednesday night, trade season could reignite at any time, and historic team sales could be approved next month. Here’s everything you need to know about the NBA offseason.

— Colin Salao [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

NBA Offseason: Draft Drama, Free Agency, and a Critical Owners Meeting [[link removed]]

David Banks-Imagn Images

The NBA Finals are in the rearview mirror, but the league’s calendar continues to move along.

The 2025 NBA draft starts Wednesday, and Cooper Flagg is expected to be the first American in three years to be selected with the No. 1 pick [[link removed]]. However, there could be chaos across the board, especially as projected top-five pick Ace Bailey has refused to work out for teams [[link removed]].

The league couldn’t even wait for the Finals to wrap up before some major shake-ups, as two blockbuster trades occurred over one week. The Magic acquired Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies [[link removed]] for a package that included four first-round picks last Sunday. A week later, the Suns sent Kevin Durant to Houston [[link removed]] in a deal involving Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks.

The No. 10 pick in Wednesday’s draft will move to Houston in the deal, but the trade won’t be finalized until at least July 6 due to a restriction in Green’s rookie extension.

Several big names could be on the move, including Jazz star Lauri Markkanen and former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, last month, was reportedly “open-minded” about moving on from the Bucks [[link removed]].

“People think this offseason is going to be crazy. In talking to teams, there’s way more chatter on trade discussions at this point in the calendar than there is in most years,” ESPN senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst said earlier this month [[link removed]].

Even the NBA finalists face major decisions. Thunder stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren are extension-eligible this offseason [[link removed]], while the Pacers need to decide on the future of Myles Turner, an unrestricted free agent who may put them over the luxury tax for the first time in two decades [[link removed]].

Among the key dates on the NBA offseason calendar:

June 25–26: 2025 NBA draft June 30: Teams may begin negotiating with all free agents July 1: New salary cap and tax levels apply July 6: Teams can begin signing free agents July 10–20: Las Vegas Summer League Critical Owners Meeting

The NBA’s board of governors is expected to meet in Las Vegas during Summer League next month, and several key topics need to be discussed.

Approval for the two most expensive sales in NBA history should also be on the table in July. The Celtics were sold at a $6.1 billion valuation in March [[link removed]], while the Lakers were sold at a $10 billion valuation [[link removed]] last week.

League expansion is another topic, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this month on The Dan Patrick Show that the league will look at expansion this summer [[link removed]]. When exactly the expansion will happen is up in the air.

“It’s not obvious to me [that] we should expand. … I don’t mean to tease people with this, [but] this is the summer we’re going to look at it seriously,” Silver said.

The NBA’s expansion in Europe will also be discussed in Las Vegas. Silver announced in March that the league is “ready to explore” options for expansion [[link removed]] across the pond.

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World Cup, NFL Draft, New Stadiums in PA … and No State Cash? [[link removed]]

Caean Couto-Imagn Images

Pennsylvania is one of the most important states in the country for pro sports, and it has a fast-growing list of upcoming major events and stadium needs. Teams and leagues shouldn’t necessarily expect much financial help from Gov. Josh Shapiro, though.

Speaking Sunday at NASCAR’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, Shapiro said heightened fiscal challenges are complicating any consideration of taxpayer help for teams and facilities in the commonwealth.

“I’m very worried about the overall budget,” Shapiro said. “I’m very worried about the overall economic situation given the federal cuts. You want to balance investing in tourism, investing in sports, investing in great arenas and facilities, with making sure that you’re also investing those dollars in things that Pennsylvanians need most.”

Arguably at the top of the list of sports-related asks in Pennsylvania is a potential new or renovated home for the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles [[link removed]]. The team’s lease for the 22-year-old Lincoln Financial Field expires in 2032, and the venue is quickly falling behind newer NFL facilities such as SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in multiple respects, including technology and revenue-generating abilities.

Before the team’s rout of the Chiefs in February’s Super Bowl LIX, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie acknowledged, “We’re starting to talk all about it and think about what our options are.”

Center of Activity

Shapiro’s comments arrive as other upcoming events and stadiums with potential needs in Pennsylvania include:

The 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup, which will include six matches at Lincoln Financial Field The 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh First- and second-round competition in next year’s March Madness at a newly renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena [[link removed]] Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, home to the Steelers, is a facility three years older than Lincoln Financial Field PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Citizens Bank Park, MLB ballparks that are each more than 20 years old A forthcoming arena for the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Flyers. Shapiro has already said the commonwealth will not be involved in that building, but the project will also include a large-scale development of the South Philadelphia sports complex [[link removed]]

“We want to make sure the Steelers, we want to make sure the Eagles, and all of our pro teams have outstanding places to play, that are welcoming for fans, that generate revenue,” Shapiro said. “We’re going to continue to dialogue with them about what they need and what’s possible.”

Shapiro’s comments are notable on multiple fronts. He was a short-list candidate to be the vice presidential candidate on the Kamala Harris–led Democratic ticket last year, and he is expected to be a major contender for the party’s presidential nomination in 2028.

Many other states, such as Illinois, have shown growing resistance to public financing for pro sports facilities. Missouri is a notable outlier, recently approving bonding [[link removed]] for new or renovated facilities for the Chiefs and Royals, but that state is trying to prevent possible team relocations to neighboring Kansas.

Colleges Are Raising Student Fees to Pay for Athlete Revenue-Sharing [[link removed]]

Will McLelland-Imagn Images

As the revenue-sharing era begins in college sports [[link removed]] this year, the already complicated landscape around athletics fees charged to students is set to get even murkier.

Last week, South Carolina announced a new annual $300 athletics auxiliary fee that is similar to one implemented by in-state rival Clemson last year, and one charged by several other schools in the SEC. Separately, earlier this month, the Florida board of governors green-lit the use of up to $22.5 million in auxiliary funding toward athletics.

Those moves, and any others that may come in the near future, are simply signs of the changing times, according to several college sports business experts who spoke with Front Office Sports.

“If you’re a student, of course, you’re probably not loving it,” said Austin Elrod, founder of NIL (name, image, and likeness) solutions company TheLinkU. “If you are a student who loves sports and is very in touch with what’s going on, maybe you don’t mind. If you’re an athletic department that’s drowning for revenue and getting hit with all these added expenses, it makes sense.”

One problem, according to former Minnesota regent Michael D. H. Hsu, is that many students “don’t necessarily even understand student fees.” So, should more schools add similar athletics fees, it will be important to assess exactly where that money is going, Hsu said.

It’s important to note that the new $20.5 million “salary cap”—which will increase annually—is tied to athletic departments’ income. Jim Cavale, founder of the advocacy group Athletes.org and the former CEO of NIL app INFLCR, believes that needs to change.

“Student fees and tuition have long been overlooked as a revenue outcome that comes from great players playing well in the field or court,” Cavale said, citing football powerhouses like Alabama that have seen huge increases in enrollment coincide with their success on the gridiron.

However, tying things like tuition costs into the revenue-sharing cap would require collective bargaining, which would be yet another new frontier for college sports.

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The new Gatorade campaign “Lose More. Win More.” features a 30-second film [[link removed]], A History of Winning, celebrating Gatorade’s history of fueling athletes from the ’65 Florida Gators to icons of today such as Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Shedeur Sanders, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Dončić.

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Conversation Starters Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer explained on the Acquired podcast why his team is a “more secure” asset than Microsoft. Watch it here [[link removed]]. Panthers star Sam Bennett brought his Stanley Cup MVP trophy to a local humane society to promote adoptions. Take a look [[link removed]]. After losing to LSU in the College World Series, Coastal Carolina players collected dirt from the field in Omaha. Check it out [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks NBA Conference Gap Wider Than Ever Amid Injuries to East’s Best [[link removed]]by Colin Salao [[link removed]]A team from the West has won the NBA title 17 times since 2000. Max Kellerman’s Post-ESPN Comeback Begins With Boxing [[link removed]]by Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]Kellerman was laid off from ESPN in 2023. European Watchdog Clears Liberty Media’s $5B MotoGP Buy [[link removed]]by Ben Horney [[link removed]]Liberty Media now owns both the motorcycle racing league and F1. Question of the Day

Are you planning to watch the NBA draft on Wednesday?

YES [[link removed]] NO [[link removed]]

Monday’s result: 58% of respondents watched Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.

Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Colin Salao [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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