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💰 Five things to know Thursday
The NBA is investigating the Clippers for allegedly circumventing the salary cap. Kawhi Leonard has raked in nearly $250 million in his six seasons in Los Angeles. And it would seem there’s more money changing hands under the table. Reporting from Pablo Torre suggests Clippers owner Steve Ballmer arranged for a $28 million “no-show” endorsement for Leonard to evade the NBA salary cap.Red Sox rookie superstar Roman Anthony to miss 4-6 weeks. After suffering a strained oblique, Anthony is expected to be out until the start of the playoffs. Since being called up in June, Anthony has boasted a slash line of .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs and 32 RBI. Boston’s run up the AL East standings just hit a major speed bump.The new CBS Sports 136 was released, and LSU was a notable riser. I guess that’s what a season-opening road win in (the other) Death Valley will do for you. The Tigers earned their boost from No. 9 to No. 2, but the news wasn’t as rosy for everyone. Alabama more than deserved its 18-point drop.Naomi Osaka reaches the US Open semifinals, keeping her Grand Slam streak alive. With her win over Karolína Muchová, Osaka reached 13-0 all-time in quarterfinal, semifinal and final matches at Grand Slam events. Osaka will now face a somewhat unlikely opponent in the form of American Amanda Anisimova, but more on that later.Lamar Jackson debuts at No. 1 in our NFL QB Power Rankings. Jackson gets the nod over reigning MVP Josh Allen, and while those two at the top may not be surprising, there is much more room for debate at No. 3 and beyond. Where is Super Bow LIX champ Jalen Hurts? How about three-time champ Patrick Mahomes?
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