Sports

Josh Giddey, Michael Porter Jr. and more underrated NBA offseason moves in 2025

Published

2 weeks ago

September 17, 2025

Buzz

Josh Giddey, Michael Porter Jr. and more underrated NBA offseason moves in 2025

Here’s the thing about the NBA offseason: So many deals happen in such a short burst of time that, inevitably, some of them slip through the cracks. That’s particularly true when a few blockbusters and/or jaw-droppers command the majority of our attention during the league’s brief but dense transaction season in late June and early July.

As a result, we can overlook some impactful deals and underrated signings that may not yield immediate blockbusters but have significant long-term impacts.

The emphasis today is on “underrated,” so I’m going to glide right past the obvious stuff that everyone lauded at the time. However, that still leaves some fertile ground to cover. Looking at my list from last year, two key moves — Golden State’s Klay Thompson sign-and-trade and Houston’s pick switcheroo with Brooklyn as a sidebar to the Mikal Bridges trade — both ended up being massive for the 2024-25 season, because they were necessary precursors to the Warriors getting Jimmy Butler and the Rockets getting Kevin Durant.

Bulls’ re-signing Josh Giddey

I’m about to upset some people. While I’m generally not a fan of much of what’s happened in Chicago lately, the Bulls’ four-year, $100 million contract with Josh Giddey is completely fine and sets up as a likely long-term win for the Bulls. I’m amazed more people don’t think this. It won’t get a draft pick back for Alex Caruso, but given Chicago’s situation, it was the right move.

While Giddey has some apparent weaknesses that become particularly magnified at the highest playoff levels (not that the Bulls need to worry about that), he’s also 22 years old and coming off his best season as a pro, particularly the second half of it. He even shot 37.8 percent from 3 last season (no, really!). Sure, Giddey wasn’t going to help the Oklahoma City Thunder when they already had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, but people act as if he sucks and he can’t get better from here. Both counts are just dead wrong.

Sports

Trent Alexander-Arnold Injury: Progress, Potential Return Date for Real Madrid Star

Published

2 weeks ago

September 17, 2025

Buzz

Trent Alexander-Arnold Injury: Progress, Potential Return Date for Real Madrid Star

Trent Alexander-Arnold only lasted five minutes in his Champions League debut for Real Madrid before going down with a hamstring injury.

Real Madrid’s first European match under Xabi Alonso was nearly a disaster. Los Blancos went down early to Marseille, Dani Carvajal was sent off and Alexander-Arnold became the latest player in white headed to the infirmary, clutching the back of his left thigh after just three passes at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The Spanish giants later confirmed Alexander-Arnold’s injury in a club statement: “Following tests carried out today by the Real Madrid Medical Services on our player, Trent Alexander-Arnold, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg. Further updates will follow.”

When Will Trent Alexander-Arnold Return From Injury?

According to The Athletic, Alexander-Arnold is set to be sidelined for six to eight weeks with his hamstring injury. Real Madrid have yet to provide their own timeline for the fullback’s recovery.

Still, Alexander-Arnold looks to be ruled out for the foreseeable future, leaving Los Blancos without their starting right back for up to 10 matches. The ex-Liverpool star will be unavailable for some of the biggest La Liga fixtures on Real Madrid’s early match calendar, including the Madrid derby on Sept. 27 and El Clásico on Oct. 26.

Alexander-Arnold will also miss Champions League clashes against Kairat Almaty on Sept. 30 and Juventus on Oct. 22. Question marks surround the England international’s availability for Real Madrid’s trip to Anfield on Nov. 4.

The obvious choice to replace Alexander-Arnold on the right flank is Dani Carvajal. The veteran right back has already played 276 minutes in 2025–26, showing no signs of the ACL injury that kept him sidelined for almost all of last season.

Carvajal cannot fill in for Alexander-Arnold in every single match for the next six to eight weeks, though, especially in the Champions League where he faces up to a three-match ban for the red card he received against Marseille.

Alonso will then have to look to David Alaba or Raúl Asencio to round out his backline, though both players have struggled at the position in the past. Fede Valverde is also an option should Alonso trust the natural midfielder at the back more than his other two remaining defenders.