1st Down: Donovan Mitchell appears to be headed out the door of the Utah Jazz, and the only question seems to be where exactly he is going to land. The New York Knicks, by all accounts, are said to be the front runners, but they are not the only team involved, according to sources. Other teams are said to be intrigued about bringing him, including the Wizards, Hornets, and Kings. Some speculate that the Jazz are actually the ones floating this rumor, however, as they want to turn the urgency up on the aforementioned Knicks. Regardless, we should know something fairly soon as teams try to finalize their rosters before the season gets underway.
2nd Down: Kyler Murray will have some studying to do, according to reports following news of his new deal to stay on long term with the Arizona Cardinals. Four hours of it every week, to be exact. This is part of his deal with the team, requiring him to work on game film during the week when he is not with the team on official duties. The quarterback just signed a new $230 million extension to stay onboard with them for the foreseeable future, and this is viewed as a normal way for the team to get the most out of their investment.
3rd Down: Shaquille O’Neal’s son is headed to the NBA. Kind of. And it’s not necessarily to his liking. Shareef has signed a six-figure deal to play with the G-League Ignite after declaring for the draft earlier this summer and not being selected. The younger O’Neal has dealt with health and injury concerns, but he was a big prospect heading into college and has the height to eventually turn into a big-time player in the Association if the stars align properly. He played for the Lakers in the Summer League and averaged just under 5 points per game.
4th Down: Chase Elliott won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono on Sunday after Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, who finished 1-2, were both disqualified. After considering an appeal, the JGR drivers and their teams will not be moving forward with it, meaning the #9 will keep the win. NASCAR confirmed that “extra layers of vinyl” were the culprit, and it appears that the team’s lack of an appeal indicates that they know it would be fruitless to challenge.
