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NBA Execs Reportedly Feel ‘5, 6 or 7’ Picks Could Be Traded in 1st Round of NBA Draft

Wednesday’s NBA draft could potentially feature a flurry of trades. “Two first-round picks have already been traded, and when you talk to league executives, they think there’s five, six or seven or more in play,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during Saturday’s episode of The Hoop Collective (54:55 mark). “That doesn’t mean they’ll be traded, but […]

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Wednesday’s NBA draft could potentially feature a flurry of trades.

“Two first-round picks have already been traded, and when you talk to league executives, they think there’s five, six or seven or more in play,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during Saturday’s episode of The Hoop Collective (54:55 mark). “That doesn’t mean they’ll be traded, but there’s several in play, including one or two [picks] in the top 10, which you don’t often see top-10 picks moved.”

While the first two picks appear set in stone, with Dallas in line to take Duke’s Cooper Flagg and the San Antonio Spurs expected to select Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, the wheeling and dealing could begin as soon as No. 3, when the Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock.

With no real consensus regarding who is the No. 3 prospect on the board—the group of Ace Bailey (who hasn’t worked out with any teams), VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson and Kon Knueppel, among others, appear to all be in the running—there could be movement in the top 10 as teams look to move either up or down the board.

There are also expected to be plenty of trades in general this offseason, with most teams lacking cap space, which could impact the draft as well. So it may end up being a fun, frantic event.



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USC’s JuJu Watkins headlines 13 new Unrivaled NIL signings

INDIANAPOLIS — Unrivaled announced 13 new NIL deal signings, headlined by USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Azzi Fudd. Sarah Strong (UConn), Olivia Miles (TCU), Madison Booker (Texas), Kiki Rice (UCLA), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Syla Swords (Michigan), and Sienna Betts (UCLA) […]

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INDIANAPOLIS — Unrivaled announced 13 new NIL deal signings, headlined by USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Azzi Fudd.

Sarah Strong (UConn), Olivia Miles (TCU), Madison Booker (Texas), Kiki Rice (UCLA), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Syla Swords (Michigan), and Sienna Betts (UCLA) are also signing NIL deals with the three-on-three league.

LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson is also continuing her partnership with Unrivaled with a new NIL deal, after inking a first one back in December. Unlike her last partnership, this one will not include equity in the league.

“Unrivaled was lit,” Johnson said. “When I watched the first game I was like, this is real. It was super professional and catered to the athletes.

“It’s going to get more and more active more and more competitive. I don’t know what’s happening in the back, but I think there’s just going to be more incentive to turn up.”

This group combines for 32 NCAA tournament appearances, 25 Sweet 16 appearances, 14 Elite Eight appearances, 10 Final Four appearances, and 4 national championships.

Last season, Watkins was named the Naismith Player of the Year and Big 10 Player of the Year, and Betts was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Strong was the Big East Freshman of the Year, while Booker was the SEC Player of the Year and Hidalgo won ACC Player of the Year.

These signings build off of NIL partnerships with 2025 WNBA No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers and Johnson. Watkins was also already involved with Unrivaled through her investment in the league as part of its Series A funding last December.

“Investing in elite women’s basketball talent is central to Unrivaled’s mission,” Unrivaled president of basketball operations Luke Cooper said. “This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women’s game and holistically supporting athletes.”



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Unrivaled league signs 14 top college players to NIL deals

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday. It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, […]

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INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.

It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, Unrivaled had deals with Paige Bueckers and Johnson.

Watkins, who plays for USC but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.

Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, were on hand for the announcement, as were Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong.

“Unrivaled is doing something amazing for women sports. It’s a big reason why we’re all here today,” Johnson said at Unrivaled’s pop-up headquarters in Indianapolis. “They’re doing it in the W and really giving us a chance in college to really go at it.”

Other players signed include TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Lauren and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords. The players range from sophomores to seniors.

“Just seeing from the first year what (the league) was able to build, you know it’s only going to get better,” Fudd said. “I’m super excited.”

Women’s basketball players have been able to take advantage of NIL opportunities over the last few years with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Bueckers and Johnson at the forefront of it. Reese played in Unrivaled in its first season.

As part of the initiative, the class will be attending a multiday event at the league’s headquarters near Miami, which will include skill development and content shoots.

“Our job is to try to bridge the gap between the current stars that are in Unrivaled and the future stars sitting on the stage right now,” Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations, said at the announcement. “Everyone that we asked to be a part of this said yes.”

Unrivaled completed its inaugural season in March and is gearing up for its second in January.

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Unrivaled announces 14 of the top NCAAW players have signed new NIL deals

Fourteen of the top women’s NCAA basketball players have signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, the professional 3×3 league announced Saturday, July 19, ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. The list of players includes Lauren and Sienna Betts, Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, Audi Crooks, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, as well as MiLaysia Fulwiley, Flau’Jae […]

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Fourteen of the top women’s NCAA basketball players have signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, the professional 3×3 league announced Saturday, July 19, ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. The list of players includes Lauren and Sienna Betts, Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, Audi Crooks, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, as well as MiLaysia Fulwiley, Flau’Jae Johnson, Ta’niya Latson, Kiki Rice, Syla Swords, and JuJu Watkins.

The move is a major one for Unrivaled, which will enter its second season in January 2026. The new players will also participate in a multi-day summit called The Future is Unrivaled between July 31 and August 2.

The relationship between the two leagues has been a hot topic for months, and conversation has reached a bit of a fever pitch during the league’s All-Star events. While speaking to reporters Thursday, Unrivaled’s president Alex Bazzell said that a lot of the speculation has come as a surprise.

“It’s funny we’ve laughed about it because we’ve never once looked at this as a competitive tool towards the WNBA,” he said. Bazzell also emphasized that there are “so many positives” from both leagues existing, and added, “I’m hopeful that they come to a CBA agreement, and play resumes next April, and for us, we’re not going to change anything we do based on what happens in those conversations, so the conflict of interest has never really made sense internally.”

WNBA GMs aren’t as sure about Unrivaled

Despite those positive feelings, not everyone seems to agree. In May, one WNBA GM speaking anonymously to CNN put blame for an increase in preseason injuries squarely on the new league. “They were surprised by the intensity, duration and amount of practices,” one person told ESPN — and writer Kendra Andrews noted that “multiple” GMs admitted too many injuries “could hurt our league” if it means players aren’t available during the WNBA season.

There have also been questions about whether the existence of Unrivaled presents a conflict of interest. The league was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, of the Lynx and Liberty respectively.

“I just see ourselves as such an additive to the space that it’s always confused us why people would think that it’s a conflict of interest,” Bazzell also said Thursday night. In reference to Collier (who is also his wife), and Stewart, Bazzell added, “If anything, there’s no one who’s more equipped to sit at that table than Napheesa or than Breanna because they’ve been through all the negotiations of media rights and sponsorships.”

That this topic hasn’t been raised before is likely due to the fact that Collier and Stewart are well known for their long-time advocacy for women’s basketball, equity in the WNBA, and the pursuit of greatness for as many women as possible. The idea that either could operate in bad faith is difficult to even begin to debate, let alone give any degree of seriousness.



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Unrivaled announces NIL deals with 14 college players, including JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday. It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, […]

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Unrivaled announces NIL deals with 14 college players, including JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.

It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, Unrivaled had deals with Paige Bueckers and Johnson.

Watkins, who plays for USC but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.

Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, were on hand for the announcement, as were Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong.

“Unrivaled is doing something amazing for women sports. It’s a big reason why we’re all here today,” Johnson said at Unrivaled’s pop-up headquarters in Indianapolis. “They’re doing it in the W and really giving us a chance in college to really go at it.”

Other players signed include TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Lauren and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords. The players range from sophomores to seniors.

“Just seeing from the first year what (the league) was able to build, you know it’s only going to get better,” Fudd said. “I’m super excited.”

Women’s basketball players have been able to take advantage of NIL opportunities over the last few years with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Bueckers and Johnson at the forefront of it. Reese played in Unrivaled in its first season.

As part of the initiative, the class will be attending a multiday event at the league’s headquarters near Miami, which will include skill development and content shoots.

“Our job is to try to bridge the gap between the current stars that are in Unrivaled and the future stars sitting on the stage right now,” Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations, said at the announcement. “Everyone that we asked to be a part of this said yes.”

Unrivaled completed its inaugural season in March and is gearing up for its second in January.

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ASU QB Sam Leavitt donating merchandise sales to teammates

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt will be donating 100% of revenue from his merchandise sales to his teammates for the 2025 season. Leavitt has a new line of merchandise through the NIL store. Items include shirts, hoodies and jerseys and can be purchased online. Giving back to his teammates is nothing new for the sophomore […]

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Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt will be donating 100% of revenue from his merchandise sales to his teammates for the 2025 season.

Leavitt has a new line of merchandise through the NIL store. Items include shirts, hoodies and jerseys and can be purchased online.

Giving back to his teammates is nothing new for the sophomore quarterback. In January, Leavitt was able to secure Arby’s NIL deals for eight ASU offensive linemen.

Last season, Leavitt donated all of his royalties from merchandise sales back to the ASU NIL collective. He was named a preseason All-American and Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year ahead of the 2025 season.

Leavitt is coming off a 2024 season where he threw for 2,885 yards for 24 touchdowns while adding 443 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns. Leavitt was a key player in ASU’s 11-3 campaign that saw the Sun Devils win the Big 12 Championship and reach the Peach Bowl as part of the 2024 College Football Playoff.

For his efforts, Leavitt was named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and was a member of the 2024 All-Big 12 Football Second Team.






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Unrivaled signs 14 star women’s basketball players to NIL deals

During WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Unrivaled – the 3v3 women’s basketball league – announced a major NIL activation. The up-and-coming women’s basketball league signed 14 star college athletes to NIL deals. UConn star Azzi Fudd headlines the group, which also includes LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and USC’s JuJu Watkins – both of whom previously signed […]

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During WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Unrivaled – the 3v3 women’s basketball league – announced a major NIL activation. The up-and-coming women’s basketball league signed 14 star college athletes to NIL deals.

UConn star Azzi Fudd headlines the group, which also includes LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and USC’s JuJu Watkins – both of whom previously signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, along with former UConn sensation Paige Bueckers. Bueckers and Johnson secured equity stakes in the league as part of their deals while Watkins was part of the $28 million investment round.

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, UCLA forward Lauren Betts, TCU guard Olivia Miles and LSU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley are also on board. Betts’ sister Sienna, Texas forward Madison Booker, Iowa State center Audi Crooks, South Carolina guard Ta’Niya Latson, UCLA guard Kiki Rice, UConn forward Sarah Srong and Michigan guard Syla Swords round out the group.

“Investing in elite women’s basketball talent is central to Unrivaled’s mission,” said Unrivaled President of Basketball Operations Luke Cooper in a statement. “This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women’s game and holistically supporting athletes.”

Unrivaled had its debut season last year after WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier co-founded the league. It includes six teams that compete in a 3-on-3 format, and the league is planning to add two expansion teams in 2027, as well.

Unrivaled continues star-studded NIL initiatives

Through its latest NIL activation, Unrivaled continues to invest in the rising stars in women’s basketball. Flau’jae Johnson and JuJu Watkins are widely considered two of the top names in college women’s hoops, and Azzi Fudd is a rising star after playing a crucial role in UConn’s national championship this past season.

Johnson boasts the highest On3 NIL Valuation in college women’s basketball at $1.5 million, which puts her atop the women’s college basketball NIL rankings. Watkins sits right behind her at No. 2 with a $739,000 On3 NIL Valuation and Fudd ranks No. 6 at $218,000.

Unrivaled also forged a partnership with Paige Bueckers last year before the Dallas Wings selected her No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft. She’s preparing for her first All-Star Game amid an impressive rookie season and signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled in April.

All 14 players who signed NIL deals with Unrivaled will participate in a summit July 31-Aug. 2. Called The Future is Unrivaled, it will include basketball development sessions and the players will also participate in content for the league.





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