This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
👀 Five things to know Tuesday
- Michigan AD Warde Manuel will step down at the end of the year. Following an internal investigation into the leadership of the athletics department, Manuel will resign from his post at the end of the year. Manuel's tenure in Ann Arbor provided extreme highs and lows. Michigan won a national championship in football and basketball, but that span also included the Connor Stalions saga and an ugly end to the Sherrone Moore era. Michigan's next hire will be critical as it ushers in new eras on the football field and the basketball court.
- Four coaches took the podium on Day 1 of SEC Media Days. The SEC's unofficial kickoff for the 2026 season is underway as four coaches went through the car wash in Tampa on Monday. One of those coaches was Kentucky's Will Stein, who has given that fan base several reasons for optimism. Meanwhile, Eli Drinkwitz provided a positive update on star RB Ahmad Hardy, and Oklahoma QB John Mateer admitted he learned hard lessons from losses to Texas and Alabama.
- The Wings got positive news about the status of Paige Bueckers. The Wings watched their biggest star suffer a scary collision with Nneka Ogwumike in Sunday's win over the Sparks, but Bueckers avoided the worst-case scenario. The team announced that Bueckers did not suffer a concussion, but she did miss Monday night's game against the Liberty. Averaging 20.9 points, 6.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds, Bueckers has been playing at an MVP level, so this is fantastic news for Dallas.
- The Protect College Sports Act could undergo a key change. Anyone looking to Congress for a solution to the madness that is college athletics may need to look elsewhere. Initially, PCSA essentially nixed further conference expansion. However, a new proposal would allow conferences to expand up to 20 teams, but Power Four teams looking to jump ship would have to go independent for five years. Best of luck selling Power Four athletic directors on that.
- The NFL has suspended a Cardinals executive indefinitely due to gambling violations. The league alleges that Cardinals director of scouting Ryan Gold provided insider information regarding the team's 2026 draft picks to unnamed parties. As a result, Gold has been suspended indefinitely, although his attorney denied the accusations in a statement. Gold is in his second season as director of scouting and his 13th with the Cardinals.
⚾ Do not miss this: MLB trade deadline guide
The MLB trade deadline is quickly approaching, and the landscape has shifted a lot over the last couple weeks. Most notably, the Red Sox have gone from dead in the water to invincible. Go figure.
So, between the scorching hot Sox and a lot of league-wide mediocrity, our own Dayn Perry decided to sort through the trade deadline buyers and sellers. Boston -- which has now won 14 consecutive games -- has elevated itself into "likely buyer" territory as it looks to keep the magic rolling into October.
- Perry: "Remember not so long ago when the Red Sox were cast as likely-to-obvious sellers? They've won 13 in a row at this writing. Throw in their heavy expectations coming into the season, and right now they're probably somewhere between likely and obvious buyers. We'll lump them here for now, but recent history suggests they'll soon punch their way into our top classification."
The Tigers land in the "Who knows?" tier, and that's fitting because there still isn't much clarity on the future of star pitcher Tarik Skubal. If Skubal does get moved, here are eight teams that could pull off the blockbuster trade.
One of the clubs looking to make a splash before the deadline passes on Aug. 3, the Braves, are reportedly pursuing a playoff-caliber starter to solidify their rotation for a World Series run.
📝 NBA offseason grades: 76ers ace every test
With one very notable exception, the NBA offseason has started to enter a quiet period. As we await a decision from LeBron James, our own Sam Quinn broke out his red pen and graded each Eastern Conference team's moves to this point.
The 76ers are the star pupil this summer, acing every test to this point. The splashiest move, of course, was acquiring Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster move with the Celtics. That said, Philly also did exceptional work in the draft and free agency.
- Quinn: "The 76ers turned the No. 22 overall pick into LaBaron Philon, a prospect many mocked in the lottery range. They turned one nontaxpayer mid-level exception into two valuable rotation players: Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons. And of course, they turned two first-round picks and one of the worst contracts in the NBA in Paul George into a Second Team All-NBA player at the same position who is six years younger in Jaylen Brown."
Not every team scored quite as well as the 76ers. Here's a quick look at the full report card:
- Bulls: C+
- Cavaliers: D+
- Nets: D
The 76ers may not be done either, especially as they make their free agency pitch to LeBron. Philly has some competition there, however. The Heat are believed to be in the mix, and Pat Riley has been feeling a little nostalgic.
🏀 WNBA Power Rankings: Valkyries soar to No. 1
The only sports team hot enough to rival the Red Sox is probably the Valkyries. Golden State just rattled off nine straight wins to go from 10-7 to 19-7 -- good enough for second place in the league and first place in our WNBA Power Rankings.
Gabby Williams has given the Valkyries a major offensive boost -- averaging 15.1 points per game -- but the team's defense has been the real difference. Golden State is now at the top of just about every defensive metric the game of basketball has to offer.
- Maloney: "The Valkyries ran their winning streak to nine games -- the longest in franchise history and the longest in the league this season -- with victories over the Fever and Mystics and have now taken sole possession of second place. Their defense continues to dominate. They've given up more than 75 points just once during the winning streak and now have the best defensive rating in the league (100.3)."
7. Liberty
8. Fire
9. Sun
10. Mystics
11. Sky
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
- Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson are set to battle for the QB1 job in Cleveland.
- Keep an eye on Eagles WR Makai Lemon as a possible OROY candidate.
- Is Patrick Mahomes the NFL equivalent of soccer legend Lionel Messi?
- "Who cares?": Cam Skattebo brushed off his controversial backflip at Fanatics Fest.
- For better or worse, the 2026 World Cup was a spectacle from start to finish.
- NFL players are making a renewed push for grass fields after the World Cup.
- Get to know Cayden Daughtry -- the hottest high school hoops star coming out of the Peach Jam.
- Eight women's college conferences have banded together in a call for improved officiating.
- The Usos stood tall ahead of their six-man tag match at Summer Slam.
📺 What we're watching Tuesday
⚾ Dodgers at Phillies, 6:40 p.m. on TBS
⚾ Reds at Mariners, 9:40 p.m. on MLB Network
