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Afternoon Edition

June 26, 2025

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Ace Bailey and his representatives tried to steer him out of the NBA draft’s top five despite him being the consensus third-best prospect. They failed—and still ended up with nearly $10 million less than if he’d been drafted third.

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

Ace Bailey’s Strategy May Have Cost Him $9M—and Preferred Team [[link removed]]

The Indianapolis Star

Ace Bailey drew a great deal of attention leading up to the NBA draft. The Rutgers star was once expected to be the No. 3 pick—but he declined to work out [[link removed]] for most teams, including the Sixers, Hornets, and Jazz [[link removed]], who held pick Nos. 3, 4, and 5.

According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Bailey and his representatives “preferred” that the forward land with the Wizards, Pelicans, or Nets, the teams that held pick Nos. 6, 7, and 8.

Bailey’s strategy was not necessarily new. Just last year, center Alex Sarr declined to work out with the Hawks despite Atlanta holding the No. 1 pick. Sarr’s plan worked as Atlanta selected Sarr’s fellow Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher [[link removed]], and the 7-footer fell to the Wizards at No. 2.

Perhaps the most prominent example of a player strong-arming his way out of a team in the draft was in 1999 when the Vancouver Grizzlies selected Steve Francis with the No. 2 pick. Francis said he did not want to play for Vancouver—then the league’s newest expansion team—and was traded to Houston before playing a single minute for the Grizzlies.

But the tactic doesn’t always lead to the player’s desired outcome, and Bailey served as the latest example.

When NBA commissioner Adam Silver read out “Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey” on Wednesday, the selection was made by Utah at No. 5. Bailey said after the draft that he had “no idea” that the Jazz were going to select him [[link removed]].

ESPN reported that teams were “perplexed” at the strategy of Bailey and his camp to dodge workouts. Teams and analysts appeared to be skeptical of his representation, led by agent Omar Cooper, a relative newcomer compared to big-name agencies like CAA, which represents No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, and WME, which represents No. 2 pick Dylan Harper.

It isn’t all bad news for Bailey and his team, however, as he will earn $3.8 million more over his four-year rookie contract than if he was selected with the No. 6 pick and nearly $10 million more than if he fell to Brooklyn at No. 8. As we wrote Wednesday night, however [[link removed]], he cost himself more than $9 million relative to the contract due to the third pick.

As Givony pointed out on ESPN’s broadcast, Wednesday’s outcome may end up being a blessing in disguise because the Jazz are set up to give Bailey a chance to become a star.

“I think Ace Bailey’s going to recover from this quickly and realize he landed in an outstanding situation with the Utah Jazz,” Givony said.

SPONSORED BY E*TRADE

Jonathan Mariner on Media Risk, Sports Valuations, and NIL Turmoil

In Episode 9 of [[link removed]]Portfolio Players, presented by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, former MLB CFO Jonathan Mariner explores the business models shaping sports—from media market risk to franchise ownership trends.

He shares why the most expensive teams don’t always win, how corporate ownership changes internal dynamics, and what might happen if college football’s power players don’t realign.

From investor demand in pro leagues to the fractured state of NCAA governance, Mariner offers a candid look at where the money is going—and where the red flags are.

Click here [[link removed]] to watch the full episode.

Browns $2.4B Stadium Plan Now Relies on Ohioans’ Forgotten Money [[link removed]]

Cleveland Browns/HKS

The Browns’ $2.4 billion plan to build a new stadium and mixed-use development [[link removed]] in suburban Brook Park, Ohio, has cleared one major hurdle, but it will likely soon face others.

The state legislature has likely mooted a legal battle between the NFL team and the city of Cleveland over Ohio’s Art Modell Law, named for the late former owner of the Browns and designed to keep pro teams playing in publicly supported facilities from moving.

The law blocks any team relocation without giving city officials six months’ notice and an opportunity to buy the franchise, and became the source of competing lawsuits from the team and the city [[link removed]] as the Browns look to depart Huntington Bank Field in downtown Cleveland. A last-minute change to the Ohio budget, however, alters the Modell Law to apply the limitations only to teams looking to leave the state of Ohio entirely.

The shift, not surprisingly, angered city officials, with Cleveland saying in a statement that “we strongly oppose this legislative maneuver because Clevelanders have invested hundreds of millions in the lakefront stadium and surrounding infrastructure. This proposed change fails to protect communities like us when a team decides to leave.”

The Browns and team owner Haslam Sports Group called that sentiment a mischaracterization.

“The General Assembly’s amendment of the Modell Law confirms that the law is intended only to prevent teams from breaking a lease or leaving the state,” the team said. “The Browns are doing neither of those things. The team is staying right here in Cuyahoga County, less than a mile from the city line, and HSG will honor every commitment of the Browns’ current lease.”

That lease at Huntington Bank Field expires after the 2028 season.

New Battle

As the state budget now moves to Gov. Mike DeWine for his signature, that monetary plan includes $600 million in previously approved funding for the Browns’ stadium in Brook Park. That money would be drawn from an account of unclaimed state funds, such as utility deposits, uncashed cashier’s checks, and forgotten bank accounts, and repaid through future tax revenues. DeWine has until June 30 to sign the final budget.

Two primary obstacles, however, remain in that plan. DeWine has line-item veto power and could strip out that particular piece of ratified legislation. A group of former Democratic lawmakers in Ohio, meanwhile, intends to file a class-action lawsuit against the move if it proceeds, calling the use of those funds unconstitutional.

“These are funds held in trust. This is not state property,” said attorney and former state Rep. Jeff Crossman. “These funds belong to all those hardworking Ohioans across the state with forgotten savings accounts, uncashed checks, overpaid utility bills—they’re not abandoned. … We’re not anti-stadium. We’re anti-theft.”

Bengals Strike 10-Year, $470M Stadium Deal to Stay in Cincinnati [[link removed]]

The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Bengals will remain in Cincinnati through 2036, after an expiring stadium lease had threatened their future in the city after this season.

The NFL franchise and Hamilton County have agreed to a new 10-year lease to continue playing games at Paycor Stadium, and give the venue a $470 million renovation. There is an option for a further 10-year extension through 2046. That total renovation cost is down significantly from previous proposals, which climbed as high as $1.2 billion.

The team’s current lease was set to expire in 2026, unless a new deal was agreed to by June 30. In April, Bengals EVP Katie Blackburn sparked concern when she said [[link removed]], “We could, I guess, go wherever we wanted after this year.”

On Thursday, Blackburn, who is the daughter of Bengals owner Mike Brown, heralded the new lease extension as a “significant day for the Bengals and Hamilton County as we secure the team’s future in Cincinnati.”

The Bengals will invest $120 million in the renovation project and cover 75% of the new improvements to the stadium. An official announcement said the franchise and Hamilton County would “continue to work collaboratively to secure meaningful funding from the State of Ohio to further support the renovation efforts.”

Specific details on how that public funding will be secured are unclear. Other NFL franchises around the country, including the Bengals’ in-state neighbor, the Cleveland Browns [[link removed]], have struggled to get public stadium funding. However, the cost of Cincinnati’s proposed project is far lower than new stadium builds and other upgrades that can be well into the billions.

Paycor Stadium opened in 2000 and was known as Paul Brown Stadium after the franchise’s late founder until 2022.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY NBA Draft: Good, Bad, and Ugly

FOS illustration

The first round of the NBA draft saw six trades, opposite crowd reactions for Adam Silver and Cooper Flagg, and Shams Charania (mostly) staying off social media to avoid spoilers for the broadcast. FOS multimedia reporter Derryl Barnes was at the draft, and he gives his thoughts on how the environment compares to the TV product. FOS newsletter writer Eric Fisher also discusses how draft-night trades impact the viewership experience for the fans.

Plus, we are joined by Andrew Witlieb of Ace Bailey’s representation on how the Rutgers star feels about being in Utah and why he declined pre-draft workouts for teams in the top five of the draft.

Watch the full episode here [[link removed]].

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Push

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Todd Bowles and Jason Licht ⬆ The Buccaneers have extended the contracts of their head coach and GM, following a fourth straight NFC South title this past season. Bowles is entering his fourth year as Tama Bay’s coach, and Licht is the fifth-longest-tenured GM in the NFL, set for his 12th season atop the Bucs’ front office.

Duke ⬆ Three Blue Devils were selected in the top 10 of Wednesday’s 2025 NBA draft—Cooper Flagg (No. 1, Mavericks), Kon Knueppel (No. 4, Hornets), and Khaman Maluach (No. 10, Rockets and traded to the Suns). The feat has been accomplished only three times in NBA history, and two of them were from Duke. The 2007 Florida Gators were represented by Al Horford, Corey Brewer, and Joakim Noah, while the 2019 Blue Devils had Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish.

DirecTV ⬆ The satellite TV company struck a distribution agreement with CBS Sports parent Paramount Global involving about 20 primary linear channels, including the CBS Sports Network, and all 15 of its major-market, fully owned local broadcast stations. The deal, critically, will fuel a marked expansion in its recently announced MySports skinny bundle [[link removed]], as it brings in a large concentration of NFL and college football games into that offering. With the pact, DirecTV has completed a sweep of new distribution deals with NBCUniversal, Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery, TelevisaUnivision, and now Paramount.

Commanders ⬆⬇ With political battles unfolding [[link removed]] over public funding for a proposed $3.8 billion domed venue at the site of RFK Stadium, the D.C. Council approved a bill to separate the new stadium discussion from the rest of the 2026 budget consideration. The split, contrary to the stated plans of council chair Phil Mendelson two weeks ago, is designed to give the Commanders issue a full airing away from a more time-sensitive budget deliberation. Mendelson said that even with the separation, the stadium will still be addressed “as soon as possible” and that the matter is not in jeopardy.

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Conversation Starters Cooper Flagg will sign a four-year deal worth $62.7 million, nearly $40 million more than the last pick in the NBA draft lottery. Check out [[link removed]] the contracts of the 14 lottery picks. Take a look [[link removed]] at the ad Gatorade dropped for Flagg immediately after he was selected with the No. 1 pick. Khaman Maluach was born in South Sudan and only started playing basketball when he was a teenager. The 18-year-old was in tears after he was picked No. 10 in the 2025 NBA draft. Watch it here [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks NBA Draft’s Most Shocking First-Round Pick Repped by LeBron’s Agent [[link removed]]by Colin Salao [[link removed]]Rich Paul and the Klutch Sports Group represent Yang. Pac-12 Rebuild Nears Completion With 2026 Texas State Addition [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]The Sun Belt school is likely joining the Pac-12 in 2026. Activist Investor Thinks the Knicks Are Trapped Inside MSG Sports [[link removed]]by Ben Horney [[link removed]]An activist investor wants the Knicks to be spun off or sold. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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