MLB trade deadline matchmaker; how NFL stars Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs can reset RB market

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⚾ Five things to know Wednesday

1. Teams are lining up for a potential Clay Holmes trade. The Mets’ two-time All-Star is out on a rehab assignment, and scouts from the Diamondbacks, Rays, Red Sox, White Sox and others were in attendance for his Tuesday start. That’s just one of the numerous rumors circulating five days out from the trade deadline. Elsewhere, Bryce Harper made a public plea to the Phillies’ front office to bring him some help, but manager Don Mattingly effectively told him to stay in his lane. Also, don’t expect the Nationals to part with All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Tarik Skubal, on the other hand, received a standing ovation during what might have been his final start with the Tigers. With all of the murmurs in mind, we played matchmaker to find perfect landing spots for 10 trade candidates.
2. Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are staging hold-ins at training camp. Robinson and Gibbs are arguably the two best young running backs in football, yet they rank 27th and 31st, respectively, among ballcarriers in total salary. Both are in search of contract extensions and the massive pay raises that come with them, and while they unveiled to camp, they are not participating in drills while they work towards new deals. Teams have been hesitant of late to give running backs large second contracts, but in the case of these two rising superstars, it is hard to argue against paying up to keep them.
3. Tua Tagovailoa and other big names joined the NFL training camp injury report. The quarterback battle between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. is on hold. Penix still has not participated in team drills due to his ACL recovery, and Tagovailoa also landed on the shelf with a back issue. Coach Kevin Stefanski mentioned the former Dolphin will “be out there sooner rather than later,” but Atlanta added veteran backup Cooper Rush to the roster nonetheless. Bad news also came in from Saints camp, where defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is feared to have suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Also, Bengals edge rusher Shemar Stewart was carted off the field with a leg issue, Panthers rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell II will miss up to eight weeks with a torn LCL, and the injuries are already piling up again for the 49ers.
4. Kelsey Plum does not plan on returning to the Sparks. The WNBA trade deadline arrives one day before MLB’s, and the league is now on Plum watch as she reportedly intends to look elsewhere in free agency this offseason. The Sparks thus might be inclined to get something in return for her at the deadline rather than watch her leave on her own. We identified three possible destinations for the five-time All-Star point guard.
5. Ohio State and Oregon took center stage at Big Ten Media Days. Two-thirds of the representatives at media days have spoken, and perhaps the two greatest conference title contenders were in the limelight Tuesday. Everything Ryan Day and Dan Lanning mentioned cemented the idea that it’s national title or bust for the Buckeyes and Ducks in 2026. We separated fact from fiction for the just in teams in attendance and determined that, thanks to coach PJ Fleck, Minnesota will remain a consistent overachiever in this loaded league.

🏀 Do not miss this: NBA Face of the League Rankings

When you think of the NBA, who is the first player that comes to mind? One superstar in particular has been in the news quite a bit lately, so I wouldn’t blame you if LeBron James was your answer. But it’s not just that he has been the biggest headline-grabber of the offseason. This is basketball’s all-time leading scorer we’re talking about.

James is the face of the NBA and will be for however long he remains active. His agent, Rich Paul, hinted toward more than just one more year before retirement, by the way. Will it be two years with the 76ers for King James? Three? Four?

Some of the other biggest names in basketball are also in the latter stages of their careers, like Stephen Curry, whom the Warriors seem content to let close out his playing days without contending for another title.

When those guys move on, who will become the most synonymous with the NBA? We constructed a short list in the just in edition of the Face of the NBA Rankings. And John Gonzalez says that Victor Wembanyama has next.

• Gonzalez: “Wembanyama won’t turn 23 until January. That’s a terrifying prospect for the rest of the league, given what he’s already accomplished. Wemby is the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history. He’s also the youngest player ever to make All-NBA and reach the NBA Finals in the same season. There’s nothing he can’t do on the court.”

If not Wemby, then who? Perhaps these stars will take the leap:

4. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

5. Jalen Brunson, Knicks

6. Luka Dončić, Lakers

🚩 Potential red flags for Super Bowl contenders

The Super Bowl champion is not crowned in the preseason. Any number of things could happen between now and February to throw the perceived frontrunners off course, so don’t chalk it up as a championship year for the Rams just yet. Their biggest challengers all have red flags, too. Who’s to say that the worst-case scenario won’t play out for any of them?

Look at the Ravens, for instance. They carry the second-best odds to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy, but there is a very large elephant in the room when it comes to their quarterback. That is, he does not often stay healthy for a full season. Our Jared Dubin explains why Lamar Jackson’s health is the biggest red flag in Baltimore.

• Dubin: “Every team is in some way subject to concern about their quarterback’s health, but the Ravens are especially so because of how dependent the offense is on Jackson’s unique skill set and how dependent Jackson himself is on his escapability and ability to threaten defenses with designed runs, which dried up last year as he played through his injuries.”

Staying healthy is a major challenge in a 17-game season. It is a universal issue that all 32 teams must contend with. There are also some team-specific deficiencies that could stand between the greatest contenders and the Super Bowl, too. Here are a few of them:

• Packers: Defense
• Texans: Pass offense
• Chargers: Secondary

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• You have to see this video of Ja’Marr Chase getting into a fight at training camp.
• Protect College Sports Act in danger of not being finalized before Senate deadline as Big Ten, SEC await critical bill language before making decision
• The Brandon Aiyuk saga reached a new low when he appeared to mock Kyle Shanahan over his recent car accident.
• Police arrested former LSU football star Demetrius Byrd for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
• The 2026 Rocket Classic gets underway today. One player you won’t see on the course, however, is Trey Mullinax. The PGA Tour suspended him through January 2027 for violating the tour’s anti-doping policy.
• Lincoln Riley explained why he hired Gary Patterson to serve as USC’s defensive coordinator.
• Despite a nearly two-year absence from the Octagon, Jon Jones is more convinced than ever that he would beat Alex Pereira in a heavyweight fight.
• Ole Miss sued former Rebels Princewell Umanmielen and Devin Harper for breach of contract following their transfers to LSU.
• Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly close to signing a new contract with the USMNT that would keep him on staff through the 2030 World Cup.
• The NCAA suspended Tennessee star linebacker Arion Carter two games over a flight he took during the pre-draft process.
• The Fever mentioned they had no knowledge of a rally that formed in support of Sophie Cunningham in the wake of her comments about transgender athletes.
• Former NFL general manager Ran Carthon unveiled his 2027 NFL Draft rankings for every offensive position, and Mike Renner ranked the top 10 interior offensive line prospects.
• The MLB trade deadline has our undivided attention, but there’s also still good baseball being played amid the chaos. These trends have, in part, defined the summer for three teams.

📺 What we’re watching Thursday

⚾ Yankees at White Sox, 2:10 p.m. on MLB Network

⚾ Cubs at Cardinals, 2:15 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited

⛳ Rocket Classic: First round, 3 p.m. on Golf Channel

🏀 Lynx at Tempo, 7 p.m. on Prime Video

⚾ Nationals at Braves, 7:15 p.m. on ESPN

⚾ Red Sox at Athletics, 9:40 p.m. on Peacock

🏀 Liberty at Aces, 10 p.m. on Prime Video

⚾ Mariners at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Network