Dak Prescott‘s arm ailment will temporarily cost him some ability to participate. Prescott is limited for Dallas’ Thursday training camp session due to a muscle strain in his right shoulder, according to Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who described the injury as potentially a 2-3 day issue. Essentially, McCarthy said that Prescott will be available to participate in all activities apart from throwing the football. Left tackle Tyron Smith is also out of action Thursday with elbow tendinitis. Prescott left practice early Wednesday with soreness in his throwing arm, saying he “decided not to push things too far” in a statement released in the evening. An MRI revealed the muscle strain, leading to his limited designation Thursday.

A new era has begun in earnest for the Chargers, and it’s brought with it a new set of responsibilities for Joey Bosa. The Chargers’ star edge rusher enters his sixth training camp looking to improve his already elite skillset while tackling an added objective given to him by first-year coach Brandon Staley: mastering the tasks of an outside linebacker. “It’s not as much the athletic part of it as it’s just seeing in the field, understanding the formation, seeing shifts, getting the calls,” Bosa said Thursday, per the team’s official transcript. “I got to call last year. It was my call. I line up and do what I have to do. Maybe there’s a couple of checks here and there. But, there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of moving pieces. I think it’s great. It’s a dynamic defense. A good defense shouldn’t be easy to learn in two days, so it’s a fun challenge.

Randall Cobb is home again and couldn’t possibly be happier. Cobb practiced Thursday as a member of the Packers for the first time since the end of the 2018 season and seemed to be glowing from the combined joy of reuniting with Aaron Rodgers and an apparent relief to have left Houston. He entered the media room in Green Bay with his arms stretched wide, greeting reporters with “My people, I’ve missed you all.” “I can breathe again,” Cobb said when asked how it feels to be back in Green Bay, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “I’ve seen the other side.” Cobb spent the last two years of his NFL career as a receiving mercenary, enjoying a productive season in Dallas (55 catches, 828 yards, three touchdowns) before heading to Houston to play with Deshaun Watson in 2020. Cobb was part of a trio of receivers that also included Will Fuller and Kenny Stills, and the veteran played his part, catching 38 passes for 441 yards and three scores.

Cam Thomas came to the LSU basketball program a year ago with the intention of doing everything he could to be a one-and-done player.

That was accomplished when the 19-year-old Thomas, who led the Southeastern Conference and ranked fourth nationally with 23.0 points a game, announced on April 15 that he was putting his name in the NBA draft.

That decision should pay off handsomely Thursday night when Thomas, who trusted LSU coach Will Wade to help him get to the next level in short order, is expected to be a first-round pick in the NBA draft.

Most mock drafts have the 6-foot-4 Thomas, who played mostly as a shooting guard in helping LSU advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament this winter, going between the 20th and 26th picks in a first round that consists of 30 selections.

Two of Thomas’ LSU teammates — forward Trendon Watford and guard Javonte Smart — also declared early for the draft, but most mocks don’t include either player.

Thomas worked out for at least three teams since declaring for the draft — Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors.

It may not mean anything considering the unpredictable nature of the NBA draft, but Golden State holds the seventh and 14th picks, New York has the 19th and 21st selections and Atlanta is right between the Knicks’ two choices at No. 20.

During a teleconference after the visit and workout with the Warriors on July 14, Thomas was asked by reporters about his deep range off the dribble.

“Off the dribble, off the catch, people are really impressed by my range and how well I shoot the ball,” Thomas said. “The feedback I’ve been getting is that I shoot the ball really well.”

While he’s primarily a shooting guard, Thomas said he’s eager to show whatever team that drafts him that he can handle the point as well and showcase his playmaking skills — which he didn’t get much of a chance to do last season.

An NBA.com scouting report noted that he’s a natural scorer and “hunting shots as aggressively as any player in rhe country as LSU’s first option, Thomas is an instinctive three-level scorer with great footwork, versatility as a difficult shot-maker and tremendous one-on-one scoring ability.”

It added that he had the freedom and a green light in his lone season at LSU to “try and find his rhythm creating his own shot,” which should serve him well at the next level.

According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Indiana Pacers turned down a trade offer from the Los Angeles Lakers.View the original article to see embedded media.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Los Angeles Lakers tried to move up in the NBA Draft (which is on Thursday) and offered Kyle Kuzma and their 22nd overall pick for the Indiana Pacers 13th overall pick and a salary filler. The Lakers were turned down, according to Scotto.

The Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks have reportedly expressed interest in trading for Brooklyn Nets guard Landry Shamet ahead of the 2021 NBA draft.

Ian Begley of SNY reported “several” teams have contacted the Nets regarding Shamet offering their first-round pick. The Pelicans have the No. 17 selection and the Lakers sit at No. 22 pick Thursday night, but the Mavericks do not have a first-round selection.

Under the Stepien rule, the Lakers must make their selection at No. 22 because of draft picks sent to New Orleans as part of the Anthony Davis trade. They then can trade rights to that player after the selection is made.

Shamet will make $3.8 million next season, the final year of his rookie contract. His affordability is likely a significant factor in his interest around the league, as he’s proved himself a reliable threat from three-point range.

The 24-year-old averaged 9.3 points and 1.8 rebounds last season while shooting 38.7 percent from distance, making 2.1 threes per game. Despite playing for three organizations in as many NBA seasons, the former first-round pick out of Wichita State has been consistently able to adapt to his new surroundings and provide reliable floor-spacing off the bench.

The Nets may want to retain him on their roster for that reason, but any extension would increase their looming luxury-tax bill. If the team feels it can get a Shamet-level contributor in the draft and reset the clock on a rookie contract, it might be a prudent deal. 

The rumors around Ben Simmons continue to swirl as the offseason speeds along. New reports are constantly popping up with updates of the Sixers’ attempts to find a suitable trade for the former number one pick.

Toronto and Washington are two teams that have been linked to the situation previously, but Miami is a new name that has entered the fray. Out of all three mentioned, the Heat are the most puzzling. 

As we know, Daryl Morey is only willing to move Simmons in a trade that lands the Sixers an All-Star player in return. In Miami’s case, that only leaves one realistic option in Jimmy Butler. Bam Adebayo is also an All-Star, but he does not make much sense alongside Joel Embiid. 

Toronto and Washington are two teams that have been linked to the situation previously, but Miami is a new name that has entered the fray. Out of all three mentioned, the Heat are the most puzzling. 

As we know, Daryl Morey is only willing to move Simmons in a trade that lands the Sixers an All-Star player in return. In Miami’s case, that only leaves one realistic option in Jimmy Butler. Bam Adebayo is also an All-Star, but he does not make much sense alongside Joel Embiid. 

There is also another dynamic at play in a deal like this. Butler and Joel Embiid became close during their time as teammates, and Embiid was notably upset after Butler’s departure. If the franchise cornerstone has any say in what happens in a trade, a Simmons/Butler swap might gain traction. 

Bringing back an old friend would also give Embiid more incentive to ink the supermax extension he is now eligible for. 

Butler is now 31-years-old and looking to get back to the finals after falling just short to the Lakers in the bubble. The Sixers are trying to find the right win-now players to put alongside Embiid for his prime seasons. A deal revolving around Simmons and Butler feels like a long shot but is something to watch if the Heat remain in the mix to acquire Simmons. 

With NBA draft week underway, trade chatter is beginning to heat up around the Golden State Warriors.

While the Warriors have been linked to building a trade for a proven veteran like Bradley Beal, Bob Myers and Steve Kerr could be eying a move for a prospect near the top of the draft.

According to Chad Ford, the Warriors have explored trade packages that include the No. 7 and No. 14 picks to move up in the draft. If Golden State was able to move up, their target is Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs, per Ford. If Suggs was off the board, the Warriors would also consider a deal to move up for Florida State’s Scottie Barnes, according to Ford.

Along with Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham, USC’s Evan Mobley and G League Ignite guard Jalen Green, Suggs is widely considered as a player to come off the board within the top five picks on Thursday night.

During his freshman season at Gonzaga, Suggs averaged 14.4 points on 50.3% shooting from the floor with 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. Suggs was named the WCC Newcomer of the Year and voted a consensus second-team All-American. On his way to pushing Gonzaga to the NCAA national championship game, Suggs buried a memorable game-winning 3-pointer against UCLA in the Final Four.

Adding Suggs could give the Warriors a powerful young tandem alongside Jordan Poole to pair behind Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. However, it might cost a heavy price to land the 20-year-old out of Gonzaga.

Peace (then Artest) played for the Pacers in Indiana for part of five seasons, and was an All-Star during the 2004 NBA season with the Pacers. 

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