Latest news with #Suns
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Wisconsin basketball forward signs professional contract to play overseas
Former Wisconsin basketball forward Carter Gilmore has signed a contract to play professional basketball overseas. The program confirmed via social media on Monday that the five-year Badger inked a deal with the Den Helder Suns of the Netherlands' BNXT League. Advertisement The Suns have been playing at the top level of Netherlands basketball since their founding in 2016. The team most recently went 12-24 in 2024-25, finishing 15th (of 19 teams) in the league standings and failing to qualify for the playoffs. While the Suns were far from the league's best, the 12-win output tied a franchise-best. Gilmore is set to start his professional basketball career after somewhat of a breakthrough campaign with the Badgers in 2024-25. He averaged 19.1 minutes, 3.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest, operating as one of the team's key bench contributors. His best showings were a 10-point, five-rebound, five-assist game against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, a 10-point, three-rebound effort in a win over Indiana and, most notably, a career-best 15-point, seven-rebound game against Northwestern. Gilmore originally joined the Badgers as a preferred walk-on ahead of the 2020-21 season. He was awarded a scholarship before the 2021-22 campaign, then went on to emerge as one of the program's key contributors. Wisconsin will have to fill the void left by Gilmore's departure next season, especially after top backup forward Xavier Amos entered the transfer portal. The Badgers may still have a final move to make to bolster their depth at the position. Advertisement Gilmore joins notable former Badgers playing overseas, including Brad Davison, Ethan Happ, Nate Reuvers and Sam Dekker. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Badger Carter Gilmore signs professional basketball contract
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Make Him Sit At Home": NBA Fans React As Suns Discuss Bradley Beal's Buyout From $110 Million Left On Contract
"Make Him Sit At Home": NBA Fans React As Suns Discuss Bradley Beal's Buyout From $110 Million Left On Contract originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Ever since the Suns failed to make the Playoffs in the 2024-25 season, it was imminent news that Bradley Beal was counting his days in Phoenix. Several reports claimed that Beal may have played his last game as a Suns player at the end of the last regular season. Now, sources say that the Suns are discussing a potential buyout from his contract so that he can become a free agent and join another team in the NBA. Advertisement Basketball fans did not take kindly to this news as they seemed to be frustrated with the former All-Star to the point that they even categorized his trade as the "worst" in NBA history. They took to social media and let their feelings be known on the three-time All-Star's potential buyout. "Just make him sit at home. No need to buy him out," said a Suns fan who wanted Beal to suffer through the same frustration as the Suns organization seemingly did with him. "This is such a bad idea, just have patience," said an NBA fan who felt that the Suns should allow him to contribute as much as he can, instead of taking the same hit to their finances, and yet not have him on the team. "Trading for Beal was one of the worst trades in history," said an NBA fan out of sheer frustration from seeing this saga go on for so long. Advertisement "This dude gamed the system. Should've never had a no-trade clause. Then he blocked a potential trade for Butler to Phoenix-now he's getting paid just to leave," said an NBA fan who seemed frustrated that Beal did not let the Suns trade him for Jimmy Butler before the trade deadline last season. "Don't buyout. Ice him on the bench for two years. It's the same amount of trash money," said a Suns fan. "Please no, rather Brad stay home than have to space out a contract over 5 years during Book's prime," said a frustrated Suns fan who is against the buyout simply because they don't want Bradley Beal's contract to affect them in the long run as it hampers their financial capabilities from capitalizing on Devin Booker's prime years. Booker will be 29 years old in the first month of the new season and is the cornerstone of this team. But he arguably has only 3 to 4 years left of his prime days before his output also starts declining. Therefore, if the Suns extend Beal's contract over 5-7 seasons, they may not be able to make superstar additions to the team for a while. Advertisement If the Suns and Beal do agree on a buyout, teams like the Warriors, Clippers, and Lakers are expected to show interest in signing him as a free agent. In the 2024-25 season, Beal averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting 49.7% from the floor and 38.6% from beyond the arc. That is a sharp fall in his production output from the time he was in Washington, while still receiving the ninth-highest salary in the league for the 2025-26 season. Hence, the common sentiment across the NBA world seems to be that he is no longer justifying the supermax money he is receiving. It will be interesting to see where he lands if the Suns agree on terms for a buyout. Related: Clippers Expected To Be Frontrunners For Bradley Beal If Suns Buy Him Out This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Top 4 NBA Teams With The Bleakest Future Right Now
Top 4 NBA Teams With The Bleakest Future Right Now originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Regarding parity and competitiveness, the NBA is in a great place right now. More so than in prior years, the league is rich with talent, and teams across both conferences are expected to be at least somewhat competitive. Of course, for those on the other end of the spectrum, the situation is especially dire. Advertisement Due to a rise in player empowerment and the NBA's new CBA rules, which place massive restrictions on teams who go over the cap, it's getting harder for some GMs to keep up with the rising level of competition. In the case of the worst-off teams, however, many of their problems go beyond competing for the championship next season. For some of those at the bottom of the hierarchy, the struggles often include a lack of tradable assets, a lost sense of direction, and/or a present culture of losing in the locker room. While there are several teams in rough spots right now, these are the four that stand out as the worst off, given their current trajectory as a franchise. Let's break it down: Phoenix Suns Suns owner Mat Ishbia has done everything in his power to make his team a powerhouse in the West, but he's failed every step of the way so far. Starting with the Kevin Durant trade, he gutted the team's draft capital to acquire him in 2023. While his individual performance was fine, he didn't make enough of an impact on the court to offset what the Suns lost in depth (Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks, two second-round picks, and four first-round pick swaps). Advertisement The deal for Bradley Beal only made things worse. He's owed $110 million over the next two years with a no-trade clause that keeps him on the roster for as long as he desires. Alone, he and Booker will not be enough to make the Suns a contender next season. What that means is that the franchise will be committed to an enormous payroll for a team with minimal assets and no hope of competing for a title. Chicago Bulls The Bulls have been in NBA purgatory for years now, dating back to Jimmy Butler's departure in 2017. They had a brief moment of prosperity before a string of injuries (including to their former point guard Lonzo Ball) derailed their progress. Now, they don't have Ball, Zach LaVine, or DeMar DeRozan to help keep them competitive. What the Bulls do have (Josh Giddey, Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, and Patrick Williams) isn't nearly enough to make them a threat in the Eastern Conference. To date, the Bulls don't have a true superstar, and they don't have an identity to help establish a unique culture. The franchise is very much stuck between a soft rebuild and front-office denial, with seemingly no clear-cut plan or vision for the future. Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards finally hit the reset button by trading Bradley Beal. The only problem is, they have practically nothing to show for it. For their franchise player, the Wizards only received Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly, as well as future second-round picks and pick swaps. They also parted ways with Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma, two instant scorers who kept them in games. Advertisement Today, the Wizards are a completely hopeless team, just waiting for one of their young prospects to have a breakout season. As it stands, they are completely irrelevant in the East, and with a poor draft history, few have confidence that they can build something meaningful from scratch. For a franchise with such a limited history of success, the cycle is likely to continue as they search for their next big star. New Orleans Pelicans On the surface, the Pelicans may have a decent-looking rotation, but this is a team on a downward spiral. Fresh off the trades involving Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, the Pels still have to rediscover their identity in an already crowded Western Conference. To make matters worse, their biggest star (Zion Williamson) is dealing with constant weight and conditioning issues. For a team that was considered on the rise just a few years ago, reality has set in fast for the Pelicans, and if Zion continues to go on like this, they may be forced to start over and wipe the slate clean. After years of underachieving seasons, faith is dimming in the Pelicans' future, and if they don't act fast, it could set back their recovery tenfold. Advertisement While no NBA team is ever truly stuck forever, these four franchises face a steeper climb than most. Whether it's poor roster construction, front office mismanagement, or a lack of player development, their futures are anything but bright right now. Turning things around will require more than a lucky draft pick or splashy trade; it'll take a complete shift in identity, vision, and execution. Until then, they remain the NBA's most uncertain and most unstable projects. Related: Potential Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup: Cooked Or Not? This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Australian
a day ago
- Sport
- The Australian
AFL 2025: Gold Coast star Touk Miller to miss month with hamstring injury
Gold Coast will push towards an inaugural finals berth without Touk Miller after the star midfielder was sidelined for almost a month with a hamstring injury. Miller was substituted out of the Suns' statement win over Collingwood on Friday night with the concern. The Suns managed to hold off the fast-finishing Magpies without Miller to announce themselves as a September contender. Gold Coast physio Lindsay Bull said Miller would miss 3-4 weeks on Tuesday morning. 'Scans have confirmed that Touk sustained a hamstring strain on Friday night which will see him miss the next 3-4 weeks,' Bull said. In more positive news for the Suns, key defender Sam Collins is poised to return from two weeks out with a calf injury, while Caleb Graham will also be available. Touk Miller will miss 3-4 weeks with a hamstring injury. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images The week at Punt Rd just got better as Richmond released a pair of players from the rehab room. Harry Armstrong will be available for selection after recovering from a long-term hamstring tear – a welcome setback for the Tigers without spearhead Tom Lynch. Jasper Alger, meanwhile, has also made a miraculously swift return. Alger was last week listed as 3-4 weeks away but recent scans revealed the ankle issue less worrying than the initial diagnosis. 'We scanned Jasper's ankle last week after the injury report and realised the injury wasn't as severe as what we thought originally,' Richmond performance manager Ben Serpell said 'Happy to say that he has pulled through training last week and is available for selection this week.' Tyler Lewis Sports reporter Tyler Lewis is a sports reporter based in Melbourne's south east. @tmlew_ Tyler Lewis
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Khalif Battle has Mixed Results in NBA Summer League Start
Khalif Battle has Mixed Results in NBA Summer League Start originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle had an up-and-down performance in his debut start for the Phoenix Suns during NBA Summer League action, illustrating both promising moments and areas requiring growth as the Suns lost decisively to the Atlanta Hawks. Battle, who gained recognition at Gonzaga for his scoring ability and assertive style, finished with 7 points. Most of his scoring came from the free-throw line, where he converted 5 of 6 attempts. Despite struggling to find his shooting touch from the field, Battle showed resilience and aggression, consistently drawing contact and earning trips to the foul line. Nonetheless, his overall effectiveness was somewhat diminished by a -7 plus/minus rating, indicating the team faced challenges during his time on the court. Advertisement The Hawks took control early in the matchup, preventing the Suns from establishing any momentum. Battle's inconsistent play mirrored the team's broader issues, but the Phoenix coaching staff clearly expressed interest by allocating him extended minutes to evaluate his potential thoroughly. These increased minutes suggest the Suns see value in Battle's ongoing development and are seriously considering how he might fit within their future plans. The Summer League remains a crucial evaluation period, providing players like Battle the opportunity to impress not only their current organizations but also scouts from other NBA teams. Despite modest statistical contributions, Battle's ability to draw fouls and capitalize at the free-throw line remains noteworthy and valuable at the professional level. The Suns' decision to grant Battle a starting role underscores their intent to provide him ample opportunities during this critical assessment stage. With more games ahead in the Summer League, Battle has additional chances to cement his position with the Suns or showcase his talents to other interested NBA franchises. Although his NBA future is still uncertain, Battle's offensive aggressiveness and determination will undoubtedly keep league evaluators attentive as the Summer League continues. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
