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The typical homebuyer’s down payment has shrunk by 1% year-over-year according to a new report from Redfin (NASDAQ:RDFN). This is the first annual decline in almost two years.
Median down payments now sit at $62,428, or 15% of the total home value. That percentage hasn’t meaningfully gone down— a year earlier it was 15.1% — but the dollar amount has.
According to the report, the last time dollar-amount down payments decreased was in the summer of 2023. At that time, home sale prices were shrinking, resulting in lower payments. Now, home prices are rising, jumping by 1.4% year-over-year in April.
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So what’s keeping down payments from rising right along with home prices? It turns out there are a number of factors at play.
For starters, the way people are paying for homes is changing. According to Redfin, nearly one-third of buyers are paying in cash, meaning they aren’t putting up a down payment. Those who are buying homes with a mortgage seem to be purchasing cheaper properties, which explains a lower dollar amount down payment.
As interest rates linger around 7% and economic uncertainties persist, Redfin found that prospective buyers were more sensitive to cost. Mortgaged homebuyers seem more inclined to keep additional cash in their bank accounts, rather than splurge on more expensive real estate.
Additionally, Redfin said that the number of buyers using Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Affairs loans to purchase homes has increased over the last year. Mortgaged sales using an FHA loan went up by 1.1% year-over-year, and those using a VA loan are at the highest level since 2020. These financing options require lower down payments, which helps to push the overall dollar amount spent on down payments.
Finally, as the overall housing market cools down and sellers begin to outnumber buyers, Redfin says that many homeowners are more willing to negotiate with buyers. These negotiations can include accepting lower down payments in order to capture a sale.
“The buyers who are moving forward today are being very careful with their finances because with housing costs near record highs, they’re typically spending a big portion of their paycheck to buy a home. I’m seeing an uptick in first-time buyers looking for starter homes,” Redfin agent Fernanda Kriese said in the report. “Combine that with concerns about layoffs and a potential recession, and people are doing things like cross-comparing mortgage origination fees, shopping around for lenders, and looking into down-payment assistance.”
The Final Fantasy Magic: The Gatheringset is here, and there’s never been a more perfect assemblage of Magic cards. The set features cards taken from every mainline Final Fantasy title, including the two MMOs, so there’s something for every generation of Final Fantasy lovers. And while Magic has featured other video game crossovers in the past (hello, Assassin’s Creed and Fallout!), with the way this set is constructed, from card mechanics to art, you can tell this one is a developer favorite, sure to appeal to the massive chunk of people who love both games.
But what if you don’t inhabit the center circle in the Venn diagram of Magic and Final Fantasy lovers but are still interested in experiencing this set for yourself? Magic: The Gathering is an intimidating game, even if you’re a seasoned player like myself. There are so many ways you can play, both in person and online, that it can be overwhelming to figure out the best way to jump in. So here’s a few tips and tricks to playing the Final FantasyMagic set.
Be warned, though: this is the best-selling set in Magic’s 30-plus-year history, and you will pay for the pleasure of this experience — if you can find the product to pay for it at all.
How to play: physical edition
Over the years, the designers at Magic developer Wizards of the Coast have realized it can be intimidating as hell for a new player looking to start their planeswalking journey. To help these new players along, Magic developers have created a line of products called Starter Kits. Each is a set of two 60-card decks featuring cards specifically designed for new players and an instruction booklet that goes over the game’s basic rules and cadence of play. Keep one deck for yourself, give one to a friend, and learn as you play together. For MTG x FF, the starter kit features two decks themed around Final Fantasy’s greatest rivalry: Sephiroth vs. Cloud.
Though this is Magic: The Gathering Arena, these are the two starter decks featuring Sephiroth and Cloud.Image: Wizards of the Coast
These decks are a decent introductory course to Magic. Cloud’s is themed around equipment cards (think the Buster Sword or the Ultima Weapon), which are essentially weapons you can attach to your creatures to pump up their damage and hit hard. Sephiroth’s deck is all about him. Kill creatures (yours and your opponent’s) to make him as big as possible. I played both decks against the set’s designers and managed to beat them both, a monumental feat for any Magic player. However, if you want to play them for yourself, the Starter Kit is currently sold out on Amazon, so your best bet to find one is to hit up your local card shop (known in the community as your LCS) to see if it has any in stock. Wizards’ website does feature a handy store locator if you don’t know where your nearest LCS is.
There are also four Commander decks you can buy and play, with each one themed around a specific title in the series. Commander is the most popular format of Magic, but the rules are slightly different from standard play, and matches can often include more than one opponent. The Final Fantasy Commander decks are beginner-friendly but expensive, running anywhere from $80 to $130 when Commander decks in other sets are much cheaper.
How to play: online edition
If you don’t have any friends you can beg, bribe, or beat into playing Magic with you, there is another, far easier option: the game’s online version, Magic: The Gathering Arena. Arena is the best way to experience the Final Fantasy set as there’s no worry about stock, it’s relatively cheaper, and there are so many different ways to play that in-person playing simply does not accommodate. Once you’ve made your account and downloaded the game, you can play through the game’s tutorial, which I recommend to get your bearings. Not only does it explain how to play, but the color challenges also give you a feel for the playstyles of Magic’s five different colors.
Choosing your slice of the color pie
Think of colors and color combos as characters in your favorite hero shooter. Each has different abilities and favors a specific style of play. Blue and white center on going over your opponents’ heads with flying creatures, while mono green (my favorite and the best way to play) favors big, stompy creatures that run over your opponents’ defenses. The Final Fantasy set makes it easy to find a color or combo that works for you.
If you want to get straight into the Final Fantasy set, you can simply skip the tutorial to unlock all of Arena’s many game modes and features, and it’ll still be there to try if you ever need to go back.
Once you’re ready, you have a number of options available. You can get right into the thick of things and start playing the game’s constructed modes. If you’ve never played Magic before, do not do this. It is expensive, costing a lot of resources your account will not have unless you buy them in the game’s cash shop, and it is hard. Making decks is difficult; even I don’t like it that much compared to playing decks preassembled for me.
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Some of my favorite cards from this set. Image: Wizards of the Coast
Your best, most economical option is to play Jumpstart mode. In Jumpstart all the hard work of making a viable deck is done for you. You are presented with a number of archetypes: Bold, Mage, Chocobos, Equipment, and more. You can pick two of them based on nothing more than vibes and personal preference, and the game will automatically create a deck using those two archetypes. Then you play your deck against other Jumpstart decks and rack up the wins or the valuable experience that comes with losing.
The great thing about Jumpstart is that it’s cheap — a new account grants you enough currency to try the mode three times — and the cards you pick are yours to keep. Do it enough times and you’ll eventually have enough cards to tool around with making your own decks to try out in the game’s friendly mode, Quick Start. I’ve enjoyed all the different Jumpstart decks I’ve made, but if you really wanna have some fun, pick chocobos whenever you get the chance. They’re creatures that get stronger whenever you play a land card (think of land like the gas that powers your deck’s engine) and have incredible synergy with other card types, leading to a deck that will overwhelm your opponent.
Also, they’re chocobos! What could be more Final Fantasy than chocobos?
If you are a Final Fantasy fan, I cannot stress enough how much fun its Magic set is. And if you’re intimidated by Magic’s difficulty, don’t be. There are so many beginner-friendly ways to play, and there are so many beginners trying this set out for the first time, that you’ll be in good company. Plus, I’ve found the community is always happy to help newcomers. When I played at an in-person event, my first opponent had never picked up the game before. Over the course of our match I taught him everything I knew as best I could, and before the end, he beat me. Badly. I’ve never had more fun. Thank You for visit our Todays News Portal Website.
It all comes down to this: Game 7. A new NBA champion will be crowned Sunday as the Indiana Pacers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Paycom Center.
Indiana dominated Game 6 in surprising fashion, leading by 30 points after three quarters en route to a 108-91 victory. Now things shift back to OKC, where the Thunder have been nearly unbeatable this postseason. What can you expect in Game 7?
Andre Snellings, Eric Moody and David Purdum offer plenty of tips on bets and insight.
Odds are as of publication time. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET
Bets for NBA Finals Game 7
Pascal Siakam over 11.5 assists and rebounds (+105). He contributes across multiple statistical categories, and with the championship on the line, I expect maximum effort from him and the Pacers, particularly with Tyrese Haliburton not at 100%. Siakam has cleared this line in three of the six Finals games. More importantly, Siakam has averaged 6.2 potential assists and 12.2 rebound chances during the Finals, which positions him well to surpass this mark in Game 7. –– Moody
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 44.5 points, rebounds and assists (-120). It’s been nine years since NBA fans witnessed a Game 7 in the Finals and only four have occurred since 2000. There’s a lot at stake for regular-season MVP Gilgeous-Alexander, especially with the Thunder entering the series as overwhelming favorites. SGA will need a masterful performance to give OKC a shot at the title and to solidify his claim to Finals MVP. While he’s cleared this line in just two of the six games in the series, SGA has gone over in eight of his past 11 games when playing at least 41 minutes, which he’s likely to do in Game 7. — Moody
Andrew Nembhard over 14.5 total points and assists (-120). While Haliburton was able to play well Thursday, he is still dealing with a calf strain and might be limited. Nembhard took on a larger role in Game 6, notching a series-high 17 points with four assists (21 P+A), and I expect him to be called upon again in Game 7. Nembhard averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 assists (17.5 P+A) in the first two games of the series, both in Oklahoma City, and the Pacers will likely need him to at least match those numbers in Game 7. — Snellings
Jalen Williams over 22.5 total points (-125). Williams was in his scoring bag going into Game 6, averaging 31.0 points with at least 26 in each of the prior three contests. He got off to a strong scoring start in Game 6 with 16 points in the first half before the team got blown out in the third quarter. I look for Williams to bounce back in Game 7, playing at home, and generate another high-scoring effort. — Snellings
Pascal Siakam over 20.5 total points (-110). Pascal is the only healthy All-Star-caliber player on the Pacers, and in a road Game 7 he will definitely be tasked with providing consistent scoring. Siakam has averaged 21.3 points in the past four games of the series, with at least 20 points in each of the three previous contests before he sat out most of the 4th quarter in the Game 6 blowout. I expect him to continue scoring at a high level in the finale. — Snellings
Line on the move
The line on Game 7 began shrinking Friday morning, dropping as much as 2.5 points, with reports of sharp money on the underdog Pacers showing up in Las Vegas.
The Thunder opened as 8.5-point favorites, but the majority of sportsbooks trimmed the line to -7.5 around 11 a.m. Friday. ESPN BET was an outlier and dropped its line to -6.5.
“Game 7 is the best two words in sports,” said Adam Landeka, vice president of sportsbook strategy and growth for ESPN BET. “We’re expecting a tight game and moving lines in accordance with a number of factors. Haliburton’s performance answered some important questions on his health, and the Pacers and their veteran leaders left no doubt in what continues to be a competitive series.”
Jeff Sherman, NBA oddsmaker for the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, told ESPN that it took a sharp bet on the Pacers -8, causing the book to drop the number to 7.5.
Chris Andrews, longtime bookmaker for South Point in Las Vegas, also reported seeing sharp money on the Pacers on Friday that caused him to drop his line to -7.
“Finally got some money back [on the Thunder] at -7,” Andrews told ESPN in a text message.
At 7.5, the line is the largest of any of the five Game 7s in NBA Finals since 1991, and the fourth largest in any Game 7 during that time period, according to ESPN Research. — Purdum
If the Thunder win, they will join the 2008 Boston Celtics and 2013 Miami Heat in having won at least two Game 7s in a season on their way to a championship.
The Pacers look to be the first No. 4 seed to win a championship since seeding began in 1984. Should they win, they will be the lowest-seeded champion since the No. 6 seed Houston Rockets won the NBA title in 1995.
The Thunder have scored at least 110 points in all 12 of their home games this season, most in NBA playoffs history.
The Pacers won 18 fewer regular-season games than the Thunder, and if they win Sunday, it will break the record set by the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers for largest win differential upset in Finals history.
The Thunder have a +247 point differential at home in the postseason, which is on pace to be an NBA record. No team in postseason history has finished with a +200 point differential at home.
The Pacers have had four different leading scorers this series, which ties the record for most in Finals history.
“Once I started working out for mental health, to have balanced mental health or endorphins, so that I don’t look at myself in the mirror and feel ashamed of myself, and feel disgusted with myself,” the “Good as Hell” singer explained in a May 2023 TikTok, “exercise has helped me shift my mind, not my body.”
She acknowledged in a January 2025 TikTok that she was on an “intentional weight loss journey,” her goal was simply to be the best version of herself.
“Even at the end of my weight loss journey, I’m not going to be considered thin by any means,” Lizzo said. “I will still be considered morbidly obese on the BMI and little bros on the internet are still going to call me ‘big backed.’ But I will be happy.”
A second later, the video jumped to Lizzo exclaiming, “And I am happy,” as she showed off a screen showing her body fat had gone down by 16 percent and she’d shaved 10.5 points from her Body Mass Index (BMI).
“Let this be a reminder that you can do anything—anything—you set your mind to,” she added. “Now I guess it’s time to set new goals.”
The globetrotting Rebel’s Romance added Royal Ascot to an impressive CV which has brought big victories in the United States, Dubai and Hong Kong.
At seven years old, he is oldest winner of the race for more than a century and adds to career earnings of more than £10m.
“We had one shot, one roll of the the dice left and what a partner. He’s a dream horse – I’m blessed,” said Buick.
“We gel together – he’s my best friend.”
The 6-4 favourite finished clear of Al Riffa with third place going to Ghostwriter, who was bought by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing for £2m this week.
In a week when temperatures reached 30C, Humidity was an aptly named winner of the Chesham Stakes.
The 4-1 shot, under James Doyle for trainer Andrew Balding, provided a fourth winner of the week for owners Wathnan Racing.
A brother of 2022 victor Holloway Boy, Humidity was bought by the Emir of Qatar’s Wathnan team following a winning Newbury debut in the Cheveley Park Stud colours.
Twenty-four years ago this week, I represented a group of bipartisan members of Congress in challenging the Obama administration’s decision to attack Libya without a declaration of war.
It is a curious anniversary of the litigation, because many of the politicians and pundits who supported (or remained silent on) the action of President Barack Obama are now appalled that President Trump is considering an attack on the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow, which is buried deep in a mountain.
Later, some Democratic members would move to expand presidential powers to launch attacks without approval. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the drafter of the current legislation to limit Trump’s authority, drafted legislation in 2018 to put the authorization for use of military force on virtual autopilot. That was during the first Trump administration, and I testified against that legislation as a virtual authorization for “endless war.”
In 2011, Obama approved a massive military campaign that not only attacked Libya’s capital city but also armored columns of the Libyan military. The clear intent was regime change supported by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who also rejected the need to consult with Congress, let alone secure approval before launching a massive attack on another nation.
Today, Trump is contemplating the use of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator or “bunker buster” bomb, to destroy the facility. It may be the only weapon that can reach the underground enhancement areas, and it can only be delivered by American B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.
It takes courage to oppose such actions by a president of your own party or against an unpopular foe. Notably, among my clients 24 years ago was Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), the father of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) who also believes that a president should secure approval of Congress before any such attack occurs.
The other group that would demand such approval was the Framers themselves. They saw foreign entanglements and military interventions as the markings of despots and tyrants.
At the Constitutional Convention, delegate Pierce Butler insisted that a president should not be able to “make war but when the nation will support it.” Nevertheless, he did not even receive a second to his motion because the Framers demanded real checks on this power. They imposed that limit by only allowing the nation to go to war with the express declaration of Congress.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 states that the “sole” authority to declare war rests with Congress.
In 1793, George Washington supported the denial of this power to a president as a clear and binding promise that “no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure.”
The Framers thought that they had solved the problem. In the Pennsylvania ratification convention, James Wilson explained the need for congressional approval as a guarantee that no one will “hurry us into war [since] it is calculated to guard against it.”
The purpose of such approval is not just to limit foreign wars but to secure the support of the people before such wars are commenced. After all, presidents get the glory of wars, but citizens pay the cost in lives and treasure.
Politicians, however, quickly became leery of taking such ownership over wars. Congress became increasingly passive in the face of popular military engagements, using ambiguous “authorizations” to preserve the ability to later insist that they were never really in support of wars.
While some of us opposed the Iraq War, politicians like then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) were all-in on the invasion. Yet, when he ran for president, Biden insisted that he had opposed the long, drawn-out war.
Then there was Sen. John Kerry. During the Democratic primary in 2004, Kerry portrayed himself as against the Iraq War, even though he had also voted for it. Later, when confronted by George Bush in the general election over his vote against spending $87 billion to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, he offered his notorious response that “I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.”
Despite the clear text of the Constitution, courts have repeatedly allowed this circumvention of Article I. Congress has only declared 11 wars while allowing more than 125 military operations, including Vietnam, Korea and Afghanistan. Congress has not declared war in the 80 years since World War II.
In my case, the Obama administration would not even refer to an attack on another nation as a “war.” It insisted that it was a “time-limited, scope-limited military action,” or a “kinetic action.” The court allowed the war to proceed.
Both Congress and the courts have effectively amended the Constitution to remove the requirement of war declarations.
As a result, the precedent favors Trump in arguing for his right to commit troops unilaterally. Whereas Kaine and others insist that there has been no attack by Iran on the U.S., Trump can cite the fact that Iran has killed or wounded thousands of Americans directly or through surrogates, including attacks on U.S. shipping through its Houthi proxy forces in Yemen.
More importantly, he can cite decades of judicial and congressional acquiescence.
For my part, I think the Framers were right then and they are right now. We have shown just how right they were with decades of undeclared wars and so little accountability.
The fact that these actions are presumptively unconstitutional is an inconvenient fact buried in decades of war hype and hypocrisy.
That is why Trump is unlikely to go to Congress and, as a matter of precedent, he does not have to. He will assume the same power his predecessors enjoyed, including recent Democratic presidents. With that history and politics on his side, Trump could turn Fordow into the most expensive hole in history.
Amazon’s mega sale is nearly upon us. This year, Prime Day will kick off on July 8th and run through July 11th, which, for those counting, is twice as long as previous years. Most everything else will likely be the same — well, aside from Amazon’s so-called “Today’s Big Deals” feature — making it a great time to stock up on essentials and save ahead of tentpole shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
As usual, we’ll be here to highlight all the discounts, limited-time promos, and Prime-exclusive deals worth picking up. We’ll also be pulling together any early deals we stumble upon in the run-up to the main event, along with a selection of tips so you can stretch your dollar that much further on robot vacuums, OLED TVs, noise-canceling headphones, and a variety of other Verge-approved gadgets.
The NBA transaction season has officially arrived, kicked off with the Orlando Magic acquiring their first player in a trade in more than five years when they landed Desmond Bane this week. The intrigue created by this opening trade will only increase until the start of free agency, 6 p.m. ET on June 30.
But it’s quite possible most of the impactful moves will happen before then — during or shortly after the draft on June 25-26. There isn’t much cap space out there — there’s a logjam that is expected to clear by summer 2026 — and the free agent class is shallow on star players.
Here are five of the biggest storylines — and 12 impact players — that will shape the 2025 offseason.
The potential frenzy that could’ve surrounded Giannis Antetokounmpo around the draft has been muted.
The Bucks are, for the moment, committed to staying the course and trying to construct a competitive team for next season with the hope Damian Lillard can return by the postseason.
Antetokounmpo, for his part, left the country for his offseason without showing his hand, which has created a bit of an uneasy stalemate between the franchise superstar and his team.
In the meantime, the Bucks have a handful of free agents to deal with, including center Brook Lopez and key reserve Bobby Portis, if he opts out of his contract.
There would be interest in Lopez and Portis elsewhere on the market, but the Bucks, with full Bird Rights for both, are in a strong position to keep both if they prioritize it. And Milwaukee seems ready to, believing Antetokounmpo will remain.
Either way, potential suitors for Antetokounmpo, who ESPN’s Shams Charania reports remains undecided about his future, are left to decide whether to hedge, keeping their powder dry in the event Antetokounmpo decides to request a trade later in the summer.
There’s certainly precedent for that. Over the years, a handful of blockbusters happened well after the draft and free agency, including landscape-shifting deals involving Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Kyrie Irving, Lillard, Karl-Anthony Towns and Dwight Howard, just to name a few.
But there is also the risk of waiting for a derby that may never get out of the starting blocks.
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Stephen A. sounds off on Knicks for lack of interest in KD
Stephen A. Smith breaks down why it is a mistake for the New York Knicks to have no interest in Kevin Durant.
When Brian Gregory had his introductory news conference as the Phoenix Suns’ general manager last month, he used some version of the word “alignment” 23 times as he stressed his plans to be in lock step with ownership and his coach.
Aligning with Durant, though, might prove to not be such a priority.
There are three angles the parties are considering in the trade discussions.
It must be a destination Durant wants. And, lastly, there’s the question of whether he’ll sign an extension — he is eligible for an additional two years and $120M. If he’s dealt to a team that isn’t on his list — which reportedly includes Miami, Houston and San Antonio — will he be willing to sign?
If he won’t commit to staying long term in a place like, for example, Minnesota, would the Wolves be willing to trade for him anyway?
The range and strength of offers change significantly depending on whether there’s certainty of Durant extending. That could affect how motivated the Suns are to trade him before the draft.
While it was their plan and their preference to do so, it’s not necessarily a reason to accept a deal they aren’t thrilled with.
So if this triangle doesn’t slip into that desired alignment and no one folds, would Phoenix just take him off the trade market?
Will stars opt out? Will their teams try to bargain?
LeBron James has a $53 million player option with a coveted no-trade clause. James Harden has a $36 million player option and is coming off an All-Star season. Kyrie Irving might miss the bulk of next season recovering from a torn ACL. He has a player option for $43 million. Julius Randle has a $31 million player option and just had a strong playoff run for the Wolves.
A year or two ago it would have been largely assumed these players would automatically opt out, even a star like Irving, who is dealing with a major injury.
But with (some) teams being more judicious as they navigate that apron world, those decisions are far less certain.
With a dearth of cap space this summer, it becomes a game of whether teams want to negotiate against themselves.
James, Harden and Irving likely aren’t going anywhere, and Randle, depending on what happens with Durant, might find his best offer ends up being in Minnesota as well.
But their teams know this and could play hardball, which could lead to some players, including those not on this list, just opting in and being on one-year contracts.
That’s a situation Durant could also find himself in, depending on how his situation plays out.
The fallacy of 15 Western Conference teams competing for the playoffs
When the Utah Jazz recently named Austin Ainge their new team president he was asked — after three years of varying degrees of tanking that included a $100,000 fine last season for violating the NBA’s player participation policy regarding sidelining Lauri Markkanen — whether the team would be tanking again, he responded simply: “You won’t see that this year.”
Well, that does it.
The Portland Trail Blazers finished the season 23-18 after starting 13-28, getting coach Chauncey Billups and general manager Joe Cronin contract extensions. The New Orleans Pelicans had players miss a collective 208 games, and the San Antonio Spurs had players miss a combined 385, leaving them expecting/hoping to have bounce-back seasons next year.
So if the Jazz, too, are “in” for next season — as much as they can be with their current roster — that means all 15 Western Conference teams are theoretically “trying” to win in 2025-26.
This is preposterous and not based in reality.
The Memphis Grizzlies appear to know this, as they are the first team in the West to evaluate the landscape and become a first-moving trader. They got a great haul for sending Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic, primarily for draft picks.
Are all these West teams really going to be acquiring/holding? No way. Will another team(s) join the Grizzlies in making a trade to unload talent?
Very likely.
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Why Brian Windhorst agrees with LeBron James on NBA ring culture
Brian Windhorst talks about LeBron James’ belief that winning a championship is a team accomplishment, not an individual one.
Free agency as ‘extension-agency’
With the changes to the collective bargaining agreement, plus a lack of salary cap space and big-name free agents, the drama this summer could largely be whether players extend their contracts with their teams. If they do, great. If they don’t, well, rumors about their futures will increase.
Here are some players who can sign huge new contracts this summer (or won’t):
Luka Dončić, Lakers: On Aug. 2, he can add four years and $229 million to his deal. But he could (and it might financially be smarter to) also sign for $165 million over three years with a chance to opt out in 2028.
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: For the past decade, Jokic has been a dream megastar — no stress, all production, MVP, champion. He has three years left, so there’s no real need to extend now, but he could add two years. Though the past two seasons have ended without a return to the Finals and the Nuggets have let quite a bit of talent go out the door, he hasn’t given any indication that he’s not satisfied with the team. So no reason not to sign for more years, right?
De’Aaron Fox, Spurs: On Aug. 3, Fox can sign for four years and $229 million and, after trading three first-round picks for him this past February, expect the Spurs to do so.
Devin Booker, Suns: The four-time All-Star can add two years and $150 million (not a typo, that’s $75 million per season) after July 6, and all signs point toward it happening. Doing so gets him under contract in Phoenix through 2030.
Trae Young, Hawks: He can sign for up to four years and $229 million, but after four straight years in the play-in tournament, and with a new front office, it’s not certain the Hawks will offer it.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks: Towns had a great first year in New York, but has three years left on his deal. This isn’t a referendum, but he could opt out of the last year and add a fresh three years and $212 million to have him under contract for the next five.
Ja Morant, Grizzlies: The 25-year-old guard has three years left on his deal, and could add two more. But he has also averaged just 44 games a season over the past four years because of injury and suspension, and the Grizzlies have routinely underachieved with him as the franchise face.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies: Memphis can use its cap space to renegotiate and extend Jackson — and the team is trying to do just that. He has one year left on a team-friendly deal at $23 million.
Tyler Herro, Heat: Coming off his best season, in October he can sign for up to $150 million over three years. Herro might not quite meet the criteria for getting that size of a contract, depending on whom you ask, and there’s a chance the Heat will look to get him into something worth less. He’s got one year left on his deal and if there’s no new contract, he’ll see his name in trade rumors.
Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics: Going into the last year of his contract, and making $30.7 million, he is in position for a new contract. But the Celtics are already very expensive and facing an uncertain future with new ownership coming, and Porzingis’ injury history could complicate coming to an agreeable number.
Born in 1993, Patrick is the oldest son of Arnold and Maria. And while having parents in the business is great and all, he’s also credited his brother-in-law Chris with helping him nab one plum part.
“I remember when Chris said, ‘Hey you know there’s this young role, Donny Mitchell, you’ll be the youngest in the platoon,”Patrick told Jimmy Kimmel in 2022 of booking a gig in the Amazon Prime Video series The Terminal List. “‘But if you want to get this role, I need you to go and try to get into character and really get this. I need you to gain 20 pounds and start tactical training, and know how they move, the body language, all this stuff.'”
Having the chance to train with real-life Navy SEALs, he added, was “a dream come true.” And more pinch-me moments have followed, with the actor going on to play Saxon Ratliff on The White Lotus and Tim Tebow in FX’s American Sports Story.
But even with all his connections, Patrick makes it clear he puts in the hard work.
“I know there are people who’ll say I only got this role because of who my dad is,” Patrick told The Sunday Times in February 2025 of his part on The White Lotus. “They’re not seeing that I’ve had 10 years of acting classes, put on school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions I’ve been on.”
Soon, he’ll be taking on a new role: husband. He proposed to modelAbby Champion in December 2023.
