Walker Kessler is being traded by the Utah Jazz to the Los Angeles Lakers, who will have the center under contract for the next four seasons and for a total of about $130 million, according to a person with knowledge… Source link
The Pac-12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are returning to Las Vegas. The Pac-12 announced the return to MGM Grand Garden Arena on Wednesday, the official relaunch of the conference with seven new members. “Bringing the next era of the Pac-12 and our basketball tournaments back to Las Vegas and the MGM Grand Garden Arena is a testament to the strength of our teams and brands,” Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement. “With combined dates and new formats for both our men’s and women’s events, our rich basketball legacy meets transformation with exciting new energy.” The Pac-12 previously played in Las Vegas from 2013-24 before an exodus of teams threatened the future of the conference. The conference played at MGM Grand from 2013-16. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State officially joined the conference on Wednesday. Oregon State and Washington State are the only remaining teams from the previous incarnation of the conference, which now has nine full-time members with 12 new affiliate members. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
NBA Summer League rosters are being finalized and announced this week. These squads feature a mix of top-flight draft prospects like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer, along with scrappy underdogs fighting and clawing for the limited remaining NBA roster spots. Multiple former Utah State basketball stars are in the former camp. The Aggies saw five players exhaust their eligibility at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, but none were selected in the NBA Draft. The options for professional basketball, if these players choose to pursue that career, lie in taking the long way around — through summer league, G League and maybe a two-way contract — or going international. We’ve already seen a mix of both options. At least four former Aggie standouts have signed professional contracts. Three will be participating in the NBA Summer League, with another signing a contract to play in Europe. There’s also an ongoing lawsuit involving two former USU players seeking an additional season of eligibility. Utah State 2026 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Transfer and Roster Tracker Drake Allen Exhibit 10 Contract with the Detroit Pistons Drake Allen is the most recent Aggie to join the pro ranks. He signed an Exhibit 10
The era of the Mountain West Conference is officially over for Utah State. July 1 marks the day on which all of the old MW logos are unceremoniously dropped in the trash and sandblasted off the fields, to be replaced by the newly redesigned Pac-12 shield. Still, the 13 years the Aggies spent as a member of the Mountain West were productive. Utah State went from a school questionably capable of competing in the league to winning nine conference championships in the 2025-26 academic year alone. That success made the baker’s dozen seasons largely enjoyable for the Utah State faithful. In honor of the 13 years the Aggies were in the Mountain West, here are the top 13 of those moments, ranked by a vague combination of significance to the prestige of Utah State and their perceived popularity among fans. Naturally, this is going to end up with bias toward football and men’s basketball, but there’s plenty of room for the great accomplishments of USU’s other often-successful programs. As a note, the definition of “moment” for our purposes is a bit broad. These can be something that happened within mere seconds or span multiple seasons. Some moments are also bundled
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Like the Winter Olympics, Masters Tournament and Formula 1 races before it, the World Cup is inspiring some young people to try a new sport and others to imagine themselves on an international stage someday. Researchers even have a name for the motivating influence of major sporting events: the “demonstration effect.” For many parents, though, such excitement can present daily challenges and weighty decisions. How much time and money should families put into a sport a child could outgrow after one season? How can parents tell whether an interest will last? And how can they distinguish between encouragement and too much pressure? Here’s what parents and academic experts say about supporting children in healthy ways and giving them some agency over their participation. Give children the lead in their sports experience When children discover a new sport, adults are tempted to invest in equipment, lessons and competition early on. But experts say a slower approach gives families time to determine if a newfound interest is likely to stick, especially since children often cycle through hobbies as they grow. Instead of committing to full seasons or ongoing lessons right away, consider more affordable, less time-intensive ways for
The NCAA recently passed a new age-based eligibility model for college athletes, doing away with the old system that had become a magnet for lawsuits and piles of waivers from athletes trying to game the system and play additional seasons. This new model provides athletes with five years from the time they enroll in college or from the time of their 19th birthday. No more 24-year-old professional players entering college for the first time, nor will there be a string of endless injury or mental health waivers. You get five years. No more, no less. The implementation of these rules opened the door to some confusion, primarily in how current athletes will be impacted by these rules. In its press release about the new rule, the NCAA clarified exactly how current and future athletes’ eligibility will be affected. Impact of new NCAA Eligibility Rules Athlete Situation Impact From New Rules Used final year of eligibility in 2025-26 No additional eligibility granted Current athlete with eligibility remaining beyond 2025-26 Either the previous rules OR the new age-based model, whichever is most beneficial to the athlete. Athletes who sign at any point during 2026-27 Either the previous rules OR the new age-based
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The top four picks in the NBA draft are receiving marquee billing in the NBA Summer League schedule released Friday. The Washington Wizards are expected to showcase No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa when they play the Utah Jazz and No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson on the opening day of the Summer League on July 9 in Las Vegas. All 76 games of the Summer League from July 9-19 will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center and Pavilion. The games will be televised by Prime Video or ESPN platforms. The regular schedule, with each team playing at least five games, ends on July 16. The semifinals are scheduled for July 18 and the championship is set for July 19. Peterson is expected to play in the Salt Lake City Summer League that begins on July 4, so the game against Dybantsa and Washington in Las Vegas is not expected to be his first opportunity to play for the Jazz. Even so, the matchup of the top two draft picks was highlighted by the NBA. Also notable is the matchup between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks on July 10. That will be four days after
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — After a trip to Canton, Ohio last weekend, the Utah Jazz felt more confident than ever in drafting Darryn Peterson. And Peterson felt peace knowing where his new home would be. “I remember telling my agent after meeting in Chicago (at the combine), there’s something about Utah. I liked their energy … so for them to come and meet me again, I still felt the same way. I knew if they were to take me, I was going to be super comfortable,” Peterson said. Utah chose Peterson, a 6-foot-6 guard from Kansas, with the second pick of the NBA draft on Tuesday night. “I want to show that burst that I’ve gotten back to after the season,” Peterson said. “I feel better than I ever have.” Peterson, who is reserved off the court, declined to visit and work out in Utah during the pre-draft period and his camp openly lobbied for him to be the No. 1 pick. But the Jazz flew to Peterson’s hometown to interview him over the weekend to judge his level of commitment. Peterson even paused a tattooing session on his biceps to chat with Utah’s front office, including President of
DENVER (AP) — The usually stoic Darryn Peterson couldn’t mask his feelings after being taken by Utah with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday night. His grandfather was crying. His mom was crying. So the Kansas standout got a little emotional, too. “It was surreal,” Peterson said, “to hear my name.” Now, the real work begins as Peterson tries to help the Jazz turn the corner inside a deep and competitive Northwest Division. Utah finished 42 games behind Oklahoma City last season — and the Thunder only got bigger (taking Michigan 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara) and acquired more shooting (picking up Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz). Peterson becomes a complement to emerging Jazz star Keyonte George. “He’s a really talented player and really hard worker,” Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said of Peterson on the team’s website. “He’s a culture fit, a talent fit and a game fit with our organization.” Denver, another team trying to keep up with the Thunder, took UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. at No. 26 but is in the process of sending his draft rights to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a deal to acquire more draft
The players selected in Tuesday’s first round of the 2026 NBA draft. BYU freshman forward AJ Dybantsa went with the No. 1 overall pick to the Washington Wizards. The Utah Jazz followed by choosing Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson with… Source link
