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Kate Moss testified during the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial in May to dispute rumors that the actor had once kicked her down the stairs. (Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool)

Kate Moss is sharing why she testified in support of former boyfriend Johnny Depp during his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. In May the British supermodel appeared via video link to dispute rumors, which Heard referenced in her own testimony, that Depp had pushed her down some stairs during their relationship, which last from 1994 to 1998.

I believe in the truth and I believe in fairness and justice," Moss, 48, said during her appearance on the BBC Radio 4 program Desert Islands Discs on Sunday, per the Sunday Times.

I know the truth about Johnny," she continued. I know he never kicked me down the stairs. I had to say that truth."

Called as rebuttal witness by Depp's legal team, Moss explained the incident that sparked the rumors that the actor, now 59, had gotten violent during their stay at the Goldeneye Resort in Jamaica.

"We were leaving the room and Johnny left the room before I did," she told the court, noting that there had been a rainstorm.

"As I left the room I slid down the stairs and I hurt my back," she went on. "And I screamed because I was in I didn't know what had happened to me and I was in pain. He came running back to help me and carried me to my room and got me medical attention."

Moss testified that Depp "never pushed me, kicked me or threw me down any stairs" at any point during their relationship.

Moss and Depp dated from 1994 to 1998. (Photo: PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP via Getty Images)

The jury ultimately ruled in Depp's favor, awarding the actor $10.35 million in damages. Last week Heard's legal team filed to appeal the verdict, while Depp is seeking to throw out the $2 million the jury awarded his actress ex-wife stemming from one count of her countersuit accusing him of making defamatory claims against her.

In her Desert Islands Discs interview, Moss also spoke about being a "scapegoat" for the heroin-chic trend, the highs and lows of her modeling career and her defense of another notable figure: fashion designer John Galliano, who was ousted from Dior in 2011 after a video of him making anti-semitic remarks while drinking at a Paris bar went viral.

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"I know that John Galliano is not a bad person. He had an alcohol problem, and people turn, Moss said. People arent themselves when they drink, and they say things that they would never say when they were sober.

Moss has had her own brush with scandal, losing out on modeling contracts after she was photographed using cocaine in 2005.

I felt sick and was quite angry because everybody I knew took drugs," said Moss, who went to rehab and has abstained from drinking for the past four years. "For them to focus on me and try to take my daughter away was really hypocritical."

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Kate Moss explains why she testified in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial: 'I know the truth about Johnny' - Yahoo Entertainment

LOS ANGELES In May, Major League Baseball agreed to settle an 8-year-old lawsuit brought by current and former minor leaguers alleging the violation of various wage laws. Four days ago, it was revealed that the settlement totaled $185 million and included a stipulation that, going forward, teams will not be expressly forbidden as they had been previously from paying their minor leaguers outside the regular season.

On Monday, leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee exploring the continued utility of MLBs unique antitrust exemption sent a letter to commissioner Rob Manfred asking him a series of probing questions about how it affects minor league baseball in particular. The letter, which comes after a similar inquiry was sent to a minor league advocacy group last month, indicates at least some interest in pursuing legislation to remove or limit the scope of that exemption. The league has a week to respond.

In response to the settlement, the league issued a statement explaining, among other things, that, We are only in the second year of a major overhaul of the 100-year-old player development system and have made great strides to improve the quality of life for minor-league players.

And in response to the letter from the Senate Judiciary Committee, the league issued a statement saying, among other things, that, We look forward to providing detailed information to the committee regarding baseballs limited antitrust exemption.

All of this represents a crescendo of frustration and desperation from minor leaguers who have long been paid reprehensibly low wages that MLB lobbied to legalize with the 2018 legislation, cravenly entitled Save Americas Pastime Act, that exempted minor leaguers from minimum wage and maximum hours requirements. Advocacy groups and articles about living conditions have shone a spotlight on the situation and brought criticism down on the league.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the 2022 MLB baseball draft, Sunday, July 17, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Ahead of 2021, minor league salaries were increased, but the number of jobs was slashed as the league eliminated more than 40 teams affiliations. And this year, MLB introduced a housing policy to eliminate a major source of stress and expense for players, but the rollout has been uneven and the reception mixed.

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Even with these improvements, players are paid only in season and those without any major league experience make between $4,800 and $14,700 annually.

And yet, asked whether the issue is that the owners cant afford to pay the minor leaguers a living wage, Manfred said Tuesday that he kind of reject[s] the premise of the question that minor league players are not paid a living wage.

He explained, I think that we've made real strides in the last few years in terms of what minor league players are paid even putting to one side the signing bonuses that many of them have already received. They receive housing, which obviously is another form of compensation. I just reject the premise of the question. I don't know what else to say about that."

Granted, a living wage is more subjective than the federal poverty line, which MLB clears only at the higher end of minor league salaries. A recent study proposed $35,000 for minor leaguers to put them in line with a living wage. An MIT calculator that takes into account local cost of living puts the cutoff for a single adult without children at $18.08 per hour in Maricopa County, Arizona where many teams complexes are located. Elsewhere in the country, that number is slightly lower or higher.

Of course, for minor leaguers, the issue is less about where their salaries fall in relation to what is considered the bare minimum and more about their pressing financial struggles and an inability to negotiate for a larger portion of the multibillion dollar industry.

I have very little doubt that Major League Baseball will give more carrots to minor league players to avoid structural change, Harry Marino, the executive director of Advocates for Minor Leaguers, said shortly before Manfred addressed the media. Free housing is great, except, guess what, if Major League Baseball wanted to take away free housing next year, they could.

Hours before MLB hosts the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, he considered whether the league is worried about the status of the antitrust exemption that makes such unilaterality possible and benevolence necessary.

I think the league is very nervous, Marino said. And I think with good reason.

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MLB commissioner Rob Manfred rejects the premise that minor leaguers aren't paid a living wage - Yahoo Sports

Death, taxes and turnover among teams that make the playoffs in the NFL on a year-by-year basis. Those are the only guarantees in life.

Over the last 10 years, we've seen an average of 5.8 teams per year make the playoffs that didn't qualify for the postseason the prior year. Every year during that time, at least four teams made the jump from non-playoff team to playoff team. In years like 2017-18, we've seen that number as high as eight teams. The expanded playoffs implemented two seasons ago haven't changed the calculus either. Each of the last two years have seen seven teams make the playoffs after missing the season prior.

Sure, there are teams that make the playoffs on a consistent basis. New England has made the playoffs in nine of the past 10 seasons. For Green Bay and Kansas City, it's been eight of 10 years. However, for the most part, there's turnover. Since the 2012-13 season, 46.7 percent of playoff teams missed the season prior. Rosters change, there's plenty of parity in the league, and let's be honest, there's definitely some randomness involved when teams play only 17 games.

Based on history, we can expect at least four, and probably six or seven teams to go from in the playoffs to out of the playoffs and vice versa. Let's take a look at the betting odds at BetMGM to see which teams are most likely to fall out, and which teams are most likely to take their place.

Which teams that made the playoffs last season are most likely to miss the playoffs this season according to the oddsmakers?

Pittsburgh Steelers (+300 to make playoffs, 25% chance): The Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh is over. The team has been turned over to the combination of Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett. We know all about Mike Tomlin's track record and the fact he's never had a losing season, but the betting odds are telling you it might be a down year in the Steel City.

Las Vegas Raiders (+180 to make playoffs, 35.7% chance): The Raiders made the playoffs last season, hired one of the brightest offensive minds in the game in Josh McDaniels as their head coach and traded for arguably the best wide receiver in football in Davante Adams. Despite all of that, they're sizable favorites to miss the playoffs this season. The AFC is loaded, and in particular, the AFC West will be a gauntlet.

New England Patriots (+135 to make playoffs, 42.6% chance): While everyone in the AFC loaded up and stockpiled weapons, the Patriots had a quiet offseason. Is Davante Parker enough for Mac Jones to continue to develop? And just how high is Jones' ceiling? If we've learned anything, it's be careful when betting against Bill Belichick.

Arizona Cardinals (-105 to make playoffs, 51.2% chance): Well, at least the quarterback drama is over with. However, DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for six games and we saw this team struggle down the stretch last season without him. That embarrassing playoff performance against the Rams has people wary of the Cardinals this season.

Tennessee Titans (-115 to make playoffs, 53.5% chance): Speaking of bad playoff performances changing the perception of teams, the Tennessee Titans round out the top five here. Tennessee was the No. 1 seed in the AFC last year, but fell flat on their face against the Bengals in the divisional round. Derrick Henry is another year older, A.J. Brown is gone and Ryan Tannehill is hard to trust.

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The rest of the teams: Cincinnati (-140, 58.3% chance), Philadelphia (-160, 61.5% chance), Kansas City (-200, 66.7% chance), San Francisco (-225, 69.2% chance), LA Rams (-250, 71.4% chance), Dallas (-300, 75% chance), Green Bay (-450, 81.8% chance), Buffalo (-550, 84.6% chance), Tampa Bay (-600, 85.7% chance)

Of all NFL playoff teams from last season, the Steelers have the worst odds to make it back this year. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

If teams are going to fall out of the playoffs, there's going to be teams that take their place. Which teams are most likely to make the jump, according to the betting odds?

NOTE: There are no odds available for the Cleveland Browns due to the uncertainty with Deshaun Watson. If he isn't suspended or gets a light suspension, Cleveland is probably near the top of this list. If he's suspended for a lengthy amount of time, the Browns have little chance. With that much variance, oddsmakers have kept Cleveland off the board for most of the offseason.

Indianapolis Colts (-190 to make playoffs, 65.5% chance): The Titans are on the previous list, and someone has to win the AFC South and therefore automatically qualify for the playoffs. After adding Matt Ryan, the Colts are now favored to win the division. Even if Tennessee holds onto the division crown, the Colts should be in the mix for a wild-card spot.

Baltimore Ravens (-165 to make playoffs, 62.3% chance): The Ravens made the playoffs the three prior seasons before last year, and they were 8-3 last year before injuries to Lamar Jackson and others derailed their season down the stretch. The Ravens should be healthier and they are the betting favorites to win the AFC North.

Los Angeles Chargers (-150 to make playoffs, 60% chance): The Chargers let a chance to make the playoffs last season slip away on the final snap of the NFL regular season. Justin Herbert is elite and another year older. With additions like Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson, the defense is much improved. It should be a good year for the Chargers. But let's remember, it's the Chargers.

Denver Broncos (-140 to make playoffs, 58.3% chance): Denver acquired Russell Wilson in the offseason to greatly improve their roster and outlook for the upcoming season. The issue is that the AFC is loaded, and the AFC West in particular stands out. There will be a lot of competition in that division and wild-card race. Does Denver get it done?

Minnesota Vikings (-105 to make playoffs, 51.2% chance): Kevin O'Connell is another branch off the Sean McVay coaching tree, and there's hope that he better utilizes Minnesota's weapons than Mike Zimmer and company did. Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook make up one of the better group of weapons in the NFL.

Honorable mentions: Miami (+135, 42.6% chance), New Orleans (+135, 42.6% chance), Washington (+150, 40% chance)

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NFL betting: Which playoff teams from last year will miss this year? - Yahoo Sports

Less than two weeks into its soft launch, GameStops NFT marketplace is already courting controversy. Among the NFTs listed on the platform is an artwork called Falling Man that was spotted by Web3 is Going Great. Theres no mistaking it, the NFT references one of the most iconic photos of the early 21st century. The Falling Man is part of a series of images captured by Associated Press photojournalist Richard Drew on the morning of September 11th, 2001. Of the 2,753 people who died inside the World Trade Center and surrounding area that day, its estimated that at least 100 individuals fell to their death while the towers were still standing.

This one probably fell from the MIR station, says the NFTs description, referencing Russias decommissioned space station. The artworks creator is selling two different versions of Falling Man, with the cheapest listed at 0.65 Ethereum or about $990. As Web3 is Going Great points out, GameStop operates a curated NFT marketplace. Artists must apply and pass a vetting process before they can list their tokens for sale. The company takes a 2.25 percent cut of sales. GameStop did not immediately respond to Engadgets comment request.

Artistic theft is a major issue in the NFT space. On platforms like OpenSea where people can mint tokens for free, fake and plagiarized content abounds. While you could make the argument that Falling Man doesnt fall into those categories and that artists should be free to reference past works and tragedies, its also true that this NFT trivializes the falling mans fate, reducing his final moments into something to be sold for a profit.

Update 07/24/22 9:00AM ET: The Falling Man NFT is no longer listed on GameStop's marketplace. The company has yet to return Engadget's request for comment or tweet about the takedown. However, in a direct message to one individual, the company said it was taking action against the creator of the NFT. "This NFT will be removed from our marketplace entirely," the company said. "This user has already had their minting ability removed from their account, and we have already been in direct contact with the creator about these actions."

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GameStop is letting someone sell an NFT that references a famous 9/11 photo (updated) - Yahoo Finance

CHICAGO, July 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 2022 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, laboratory medicine experts will present the cutting-edge research and technology that is revolutionizing clinical testing and patient care. From July 24-28 in Chicago, the meeting's 250-plus sessions will deliver insights on a broad range of timely healthcare topics. Highlights include discussions exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in personalized medicine, advances in multiplexed genomic sequencing and imaging, real-life applications of human brain organogenesis, how to build trust with patients, and guiding clinical decisions with mass spectrometry.

(PRNewsfoto/AACC)

AI in Personalized Medicine. Precision medicine involves tailoring treatments to individual patients and, increasingly, clinicians are using AI in their clinical prediction models to do this. In the meeting's opening keynote, Dr. Lucila Ohno-Machado, health associate dean of informatics and technology at the University of California San Diego, will introduce how AI models are developed, tested, and validated as well as performance measures that may help clinicians select these models for routine use.

Multiplexed Genomic Sequencing and Imaging. Thanks to advances in multiplexed genomic sequencing and imaging, we can identify small but crucial differences in DNA, RNA, proteins, and more. These techniques have also undergone a 50-million-fold reduction in cost and comparable improvements in quality since they first emerged. In spite of this, healthcare is just beginning to catch up with the implications of these technologies. Dr. George Church, AACC's 2022 Wallace H. Coulter Lectureship Awardee and founding core faculty and lead at the Synthetic Biology Wyss Institute at Harvard University, will discuss advances and implications of multiplex technologies at this plenary session.

Applications of Human Brain Organoid Technology. The human brain is a very complex biological system and is susceptible to several neurological and neurodegenerative disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. In this plenary session, Dr. Alysson R. Muotri, professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, will explore the concept of human brain organogenesis, or how to recreate the human brain in a dish. Several applications of this technology in neurological care will be discussed.

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Building Trust in Healthcare. The world is having a trust crisis that is affecting healthcare delivery across the globe. Dr. Thomas Lee, chief medical officer of Press Ganey Associates and professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, will describe the importance of building trust among patients and healthcare workers in this plenary session. He will explore a three-component model for building trust, and the types of interventions most likely to be effective.

Guiding Clinical Decisions with Mass Spectrometry. In this, the meeting's closing keynote, Dr. Livia Schiavinato Eberlin, associate professor of surgery and director of translational and innovations research at Baylor College of Medicine, will discuss the development and application of direct mass spectrometry techniques used in clinical microbiology labs, clinical pathology labs, and the operating room. The presentation will focus on results obtained in ongoing clinical studies employing two direct mass spectrometry techniques, desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging and the MasSpec Pen technology.

Additionally, at the Clinical Lab Expo, more than 750 exhibitors will display innovative technologies that are just coming to market in every clinical lab discipline.

"Laboratory medicine's capacity to adapt to changing healthcare circumstances and use the field's scientific insights to improve quality of life is unparalleled. This capacity is constantly growing, with cutting-edge diagnostic technologies emerging every day in areas as diverse as mass spectrometry, artificial intelligence, genomic sequencing, and neurology," said AACC CEO Mark J. Golden. "The 2022 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting will shine a light on the pioneers in laboratory medicine who are mobilizing these new advances to enhance patient care."

Session Information

AACC Annual Scientific Meeting registration is free for members of the media. Reporters can register online here: https://www.xpressreg.net/register/aacc0722/media/landing.asp

AI in Personalized Medicine

Session 11001 Biomedical Informatics Strategies to Enhance Individualized Predictive ModelsSunday, July 245-6:30 p.m.U.S. Central Time

Multiplexed Genomic Sequencing and Imaging

Session 12001 Multiplexed and Exponentially Improving TechnologiesMonday, July 258:45 10:15 a.m.U.S. Central Time

Applications of Human Brain Organoid Technology

Session 13001 Applications of Human Brain Organoid TechnologyTuesday, July 268:45 10:15 a.m.U.S. Central Time

Building Trust in Healthcare

Session 14001 Building Trust in a Time of TurmoilWednesday, July 278:45 10:15 a.m.U.S. Central Time

Guiding Clinical Decisions with Mass Spectrometry

Session 15001 Guiding Clinical Decisions with Molecular Information provided by Direct Mass Spectrometry TechnologiesThursday, July 288:45 10:15 a.m.U.S. Central Time

All sessions will take place in Room S100 of the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

About the 2022 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab ExpoThe AACC Annual Scientific Meeting offers 5 days packed with opportunities to learn about exciting science from July 24-28. Plenary sessions will explore artificial intelligence-based clinical prediction models, advances in multiplex technologies, human brain organogenesis, building trust between the public and healthcare experts, and direct mass spectrometry techniques.

At the AACC Clinical Lab Expo, more than 750 exhibitors will fill the show floor of the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago with displays of the latest diagnostic technology, including but not limited to COVID-19 testing, artificial intelligence, mobile health, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, point-of-care, and automation.

About AACCDedicated to achieving better health through laboratory medicine, AACC brings together more than 70,000 clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists, and business leaders from around the world focused on clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science. Since 1948, AACC has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing programs that advance scientific collaboration, knowledge, expertise, and innovation. For more information, visit http://www.aacc.org.

Christine DeLongAACCSenior Manager, Communications & PR(p) 202.835.8722cdelong@aacc.org

Molly PolenAACCSenior Director, Communications & PR(p) 202.420.7612(c) 703.598.0472mpolen@aacc.org

Cision

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Artificial Intelligence in Personalized Medicine, Genomic Sequencing Advances, Human Brain Organogenesis, Building Trust with Patients, Guiding...

Who were the Minnesota Timberwolves competing against when they traded three playoff rotational players and the rights to seven of their first-round draft picks from this decade for 30-year-old center Rudy Gobert?

If you are the head of basketball operations on the other end of the phone, all it takes is one new ownership group or empowered executive desperate to make a splash, or both, to outbid a player's value. A reckless negotiation should never set a market, but the 2019 trade of Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, who also were not seriously negotiating against anyone, promoted a trend of unprotected pick-heavy packages.

The Brooklyn Nets, who are canvassing the market in the aftermath of Kevin Durant's trade request, are learning the hard way that there are only so many imprudent front offices. The Nets can and have asked for Scottie Barnes as the headliner of a deal that includes even more draft equity than the Timberwolves spent. That doesn't mean Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has to meet their request.

General managers have the option to say, "No."

Ujiri knows. He waited out the market to obtain Kawhi Leonard in 2018. The San Antonio Spurs sought pick-centric packages for him four years ago, but the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers were among the suitors who refused to mortgage their future for a superstar with one year remaining on his contract, so the Raptors kept their offer to DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected first-round pick.

Any price might have been worth the cost considering Toronto won the title and that is the argument you will hear in L.A., where the latest championship banner was unfurled before a bleak future. The Raptors may not have beaten the healthy Golden State Warriors in 2019, or the Lakers may not have won without a four-month layoff in 2020, but they did, so there is no second-guessing the moves. They won their coin tosses.

That is what all these draft pick hauls are at their best, a coin flip.

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At their worst, they feel like a two-headed coin. Three unprotected first-round picks and a pick swap felt like an overpay from the moment the Nets dealt them to the Boston Celtics for an aging Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in 2013. That the Celtics turned those picks into Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and four Eastern Conference finals appearances in the decade since makes it look worse. Danny Ainge won his coin tosses.

The former Celtics executive turned Utah Jazz decision-maker was also on the other side of the Gobert deal, and he will hope to flip his picks into All-Stars again. He could just as easily be left empty-handed.

Talent evaluation helps, but we saw the Sixers choose Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons over Tatum and Brown. That alternate universe does not excuse the Garnett and Pierce trade, but it softens the losses.

If pick-laden trades truly were a 50-50 proposition, the Nets are due for another win. As ESPN's Zach Lowe recently detailed, the six trades sending three or more future first-round picks to one team since 2019 equal the number of similar deals in 43 years prior. Brooklyn has been involved in three of those already; Durant could make it four. The first of them came in 2004, when the Denver Nuggets paid three first-round picks in a sign-and-trade for Kenyon Martin. The Nets turned two of those picks into Vince Carter five months later.

Brooklyn's recent trade of three first-round picks and four swaps for James Harden has yet to bear fruit for the Houston Rockets, but it hasn't much helped the Nets, either. Brooklyn still has Simmons, Seth Curry and two future first-round picks to show for Harden, which is more than Houston can say to date.

The first of the four swaps the Nets sent to the Rockets never conveyed, and the next isn't likely to either. Houston selected Tari Eason at No. 17 in June with the first of its three picks from Brooklyn. The rights to the Nets' picks from 2024-27 could become incredibly valuable if Durant is traded, which amps the pressure on Nets GM Sean Marks to maximize the return. Picks could all come out in the wash if Brooklyn fetches enough, and the Nets might soon be the same frisky team they were before Kyrie Irving, Durant and Harden arrived.

And maybe that's all a front office needs to gamble its future away the belief that it can flip player assets for draft assets and draft assets for player assets in perpetuity, so long as team ownership approves. That keeps the job alive, until you make enough mistakes that the assets are too far diminished to recoup any value.

Kevin Durant's trade value is not what the Brooklyn Nets expected. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Take the Chris Webber saga, for example. Try to follow the three first-round picks that both the Warriors and Washington Bullets traded for Webber in successive seasons, and they all eventually lead to the same end.

The Orlando Magic traded Webber's rights as the No. 1 overall pick and first-rounders in 1996, 1998 and 2000 to Golden State in 1993 for Penny Hardaway, who made the 1995 Finals alongside Shaquille O'Neal.

The first two of those picks landed at No. 11 in 1996 (Todd Fuller, two spots ahead of Kobe Bryant) and No. 5 in 1998 (Vince Carter), only the Magic didn't select either, because they had dealt both to the Washington Bullets in a salary dump of Scott Skiles. The return for both picks and Skiles was a first-round pick in 1998, which Orlando used to draft Keon Clark at No. 13. They traded Clark midway through his rookie season for a first-round pick in 2000, which they traded on draft night for a first-round pick in 2006. Orlando traded that pick to Denver in 2002 to avoid the luxury tax, taking a meaningless second-rounder back in return.

(The Nuggets later packaged that 2006 pick in the sign-and-trade for Martin.)

Orlando turned two picks it could have used to draft Hall of Fame players into absolutely nothing, all to save a few million dollars over a 13-year span. The third pick in the Webber deal? Strap in, my friends.

That landed at No. 5 in 2000, and the Magic drafted Mike Miller. He won Rookie of the Year honors, before they dealt him and a future first-round pick for Drew Gooden inside of two years. They were the worst team in the league again by 2004. On the same night they took Dwight Howard atop the draft, they dealt Gooden and the 30th overall pick for the right to overpay Tony Battie as a second center. That experiment mercifully ended in 2009, when on draft night Orlando packaged Battie in a trade for ... a 33-year-old Vince Carter.

The Magic somehow turned all three of the picks they received in exchange for Webber into Carter, 13 years after they could have drafted him with one of those same picks, losing value at practically every turn. What if the Magic kept Webber? What if Hardaway's left knee never gave out? What if they drafted Carter and/or Bryant? What if O'Neal never left in free agency? Would Orlando have won the title if one or two of those things occurred? Every time they flipped the coin, it came up a loser for five general managers.

This year, the Magic kept the No. 1 pick, rejecting overtures for Paolo Banchero. They're due for a winner.

Top-flight draft picks, or even picks with the chance to become top flight, are seemingly more valuable than ever, which makes the recent trend of trading excessive draft capital for complementary stars all the more curious. It just depends on where you are in the small-market cycle of trying to win or trying to lose, I guess.

The Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder traded every player of value for a slew of picks, tanking their own draft position, too, and early returns forecast bright futures for their growing collections of lottery selections.

Hit on Jalen Green and Jabari Smith, the Nos. 2 and 3 picks the last two years, and the Rockets will have Brooklyn's trove of picks to build around either through the draft or via trade. Same goes for the Thunder, who dealt Paul George to the L.A. Clippers in 2019 for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, five first-round picks and two swaps. They also landed Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren in two tanking seasons since.

It's still a crapshoot, considering the flattened lottery odds and the possibility of busts and injuries, but it's really the only option the league's non-glamour markets have left. And the more coins you have to flip, the more likely one of them is going to turn up heads. That appears to be Ainge's plan in Utah, where he has reportedly offered Donovan Mitchell to the New York Knicks for six first-round picks and more prospects.

It's been nearly 40 years, but hope springs eternal the Jazz land a John Stockton and a Karl Malone in consecutive drafts. Gobert and Mitchell are the closest they've come since, and the cycle is starting again.

Once you've drafted your foundation, you better start building quickly. The player empowerment era is closing windows faster than ever. The Jazz took their swing with Gobert and Mitchell when in 2019 they traded their first-round picks from 2018-20 and multiple players for Mike Conley. It didn't work out, and they are now conceding that Mitchell will eventually leave in free agency, unless he asks out earlier.

Sometimes it's your turn to spin the wheel. The Atlanta Hawks have a five-year window before Trae Young can become a free agent and a shorter one before his trade value diminishes in the final two years of his deal so they bet big on Dejounte Murray, trading all of their draft capital at the tail end of Young's contract to the San Antonio Spurs. It is not dissimilar to the bet Minnesota just made on Anthony Edwards, whose rookie contract extension will expire around the time the Wolves fulfill their obligation to the Jazz.

Their plan is clear: Draft a star, leverage every asset through the first nine years of his career and maximize his title chances before unrestricted free agency. If it works, great. If not, strip the roster down to the studs and start all over again from draft scratch. Minnesota and Utah are on opposite ends of that spectrum. They don't have the luxury of using free agency as a weapon to begin anew, like the glamour markets do.

The time is now for the Utah Jazz to maximize Donovan Mitchell's trade value. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Identify the teams in that space between tanking and starting the cycle again, and you may find your mark.

The New Orleans Pelicans are ripe for the picking. Zion Williamson is on the clock for six years fewer, if, like Davis, he seeks a bigger market earlier. They have Brandon Ingram, all their own first-round picks and six more left from dealing Davis and Jrue Holiday. Their turn to spin the wheel is coming sooner than later.

Same goes for the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies. Luka Doncic's five-year extension begins this season, and Ja Morant's starts next year. No matter how much loyalty they have shown to the franchises that drafted them, they will be leveraging their future free agencies to maximize the talent around them in short order. The Mavericks already made a bad bet on Kristaps Porzingis. They cannot afford another one.

Durant, an all-time great, may not be worth the gamble. He will soon be 34 years old, three years removed from a ruptured Achilles, having lost significant time to injury the last two seasons. His waning prime might close a team's window with a young superstar even earlier, if Durant's playoff performance opposite Jayson Tatum is an indication. That's a bet few teams, if any, will be willing to make. It is also one the Wolves may have just made for Gobert, who will be as old as DeAndre Jordan is now when Edwards turns 24 years old.

Pair Durant with Morant, and Memphis could win. Big. Or they could lose. Big. It's a high-stakes coin toss.

The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat always made the most sense for Durant, not just because they give him the best chance to win, but also because 37-year-old Chris Paul and 32-year-old Jimmy Butler have limited shelf lives. Same goes for the Lakers, who might have to attach their last two first-round picks this decade to flip Russell Westbrook for Kyrie Irving, hastily hoping LeBron James' swan song could have a ring to it.

When an executive wants your cache of future picks, what he is really saying is, We think you're going to be terrible before the last of these picks pays off, and the best bet against that is to pair complementary young stars who can build a sustainable winner together. The Hawks spent their pick-laden package to pair 25-year-old Murray with 23-year-old Young. We can debate whether Murray was right for Atlanta's one big swing, but with youth on its side, the front office at least mitigated its risk, and that makes a gamble easier.

On the flip side of that coin, the Spurs corrected the mistake they made with Leonard, not letting Murray get close enough to free agency to depreciate as an asset. They traded Murray after his surprise All-Star debut, with two years left on his rookie extension, at the height of his value. In the process, they transferred the risk of Murray walking at the end of his deal to the Hawks, whose picks will increase in value if he does.

And maybe that's the real trend here: Small markets preempting a non-contending star's empowerment play by dealing him before the mess of a trade request and impending free agency limits the return. Turn the disadvantage of small markets, where fans are generally more understanding of the degree of difficulty it takes to win every bet necessary on the road to a championship (i.e., drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo 15th overall, acquiring Khris Middleton as a throw-in and going all in on Holiday), into a position of power.

The Jazz were almost there. They drafted Mitchell and Gobert 13th and 27th, respectively, and went all in for Conley. They were a No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but now it's time to cut their loses at three first-round exits in four years. So, they're here now, in search of another desperate franchise, preferably one with a track record of dysfunction. It's no coincidence Ainge has New York on the other end of the line.

Remember, the Knicks can just say, "No," and that might be enough to reset this madcap pick craze.

Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach

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Desperate times: Behind the madcap craze of massive NBA draft picks packages - Yahoo Sports

HENDERSON, Nev. It wasnt the sharpest or most poignant metaphor to offer Josh McDaniels about the lessons he has learned over the years, but it struck a chord with him anyway.

The Las Vegas Raiders head coach had taken refuge in some shade Thursday, ducking out of the 106-degree heat following his teams first full-squad training camp practice. As he began to explain the importance of learning how to subtract from his coaching plate over the course of his career, a visitor floated a clunky, half-remembered proverb.

I remember someone once saying that perfecting your painting is learning to understand what shouldnt be in it, the visitor said.

McDaniels eyes lit up.

Thats exactly thats such a great way to say it, McDaniels said.

With his second head coaching stint underway (or third, if you count the McDaniels-scuttled Indianapolis Colts job), he has zero illusions about what needed to be removed from his canvass. Or more specifically, since his late-season firing from the Denver Broncos in 2010 after coaching the team less than two seasons. He was 34 years old when that happened. Hes 46 now. And in his mind, a lot has changed since.

What does he know now that he didnt know then? That he doesnt want to be a general manager; doesnt expect everyone on his staff to recreate the New England Patriots experience; wants to focus on his own design rather than tracing the one created by Bill Belichick; and would rather be good at a few jobs in his building than micromanaging himself into an abyss.

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Hes not spending this second chance trying to fit into the identity of a head coach he was never comfortable replicating in the first place.

Its 12 years since I left [head coaching] the first time, and sometimes you hear people say that they took some time and they tried to figure things out, McDaniels said. To each person, that means different things. For me, what I was trying to get done was, let me really stop and self-reflect on, what did I do that was clearly wrong? Its humbling. You have to really drop your ego and say to yourself, Man, I stunk at that. That was a really bad decision. Or, I didnt treat that person the way that I wanted to treat them all the time.

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At one point, McDaniels summed up the Denver experience about as succinctly as possible: It was crazy and I was young and everything else.

Since leaving New England this offseason to take the Raiders job, he has been expansive and humble about that part of his career. He doesnt treat it as a sore subject or some type of failure that hed rather avoid in conversation. That means something, given that most coaches are left with some mental scars after being ousted from their first head coaching job.

Instead, he draws that memory closer, talks about what he learned going 11-17 over those two seasons. History mostly remembers the fallout and trade of quarterback Jay Cutler and multiple run-ins with star wideout Brandon Marshall. McDaniels frames it as an overall struggle with not knowing how to navigate people, and not understanding himself and what an attempt at recreating the Patriots culture would take out of him. His results screamed of failed imitation rather than organic innovation.

Josh McDaniels says he has learned a lot from his failures in Denver, his reneging on Indianapolis and his reboot with New England. The Raiders hope it leads them to the Super Bowl. (AP Photo/John Locher)

In a way, thats how he was forced to begin recreating himself. After a one-year stint as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the St. Louis Rams in 2011, McDaniels began a decade-long process of reevaluation during his second stint as offensive coordinator of the Patriots. A period of reflection that helped him take a confident leap into a new job with the Raiders, an opportunity many predicted would never come after he backed out on an agreement to become the head coach of the Colts in 2018.

To go back to New England and be watching [Belichick] run such an incredibly first-class organization and hes got it working the way he wants it to work, I was able to see that for a second go-round, McDaniels said. But Bill OBrien left. [Matt Patricia] left. [Brian Flores] left. Joe [Judge] had left. So I got an opportunity to kind of watch [other New England coaches] from afar as youre processing some of the things you would do different.

Heres what he learned from that.

That its really important for me and for anybody that leaves there you can take a lot of the football philosophies and a lot of the strategic things that apply to winning and losing on a Sunday, but I think the interpersonal workings of every relationship in every organization are going to be different, McDaniels said. Thats what I learned the hard way. Now Im trying to make a concerted effort to do it all the right way as much as I can.

In retrospect, a large part of the failure in Denver was McDaniels butting heads with Cutler within his first couple months on the job and trading him shortly afterward. That initial misstep looks far more like the failure of two young and stubborn people who had a lot of maturing to do.

Even if McDaniels' steadfast critics are willing to accept that his hiring in Denver was too young and too soon, they wont let him off easily for what happened with the Colts. The fact remains that he hired three assistant coaches, changed the trajectory of their lives ... and then walked away. History will also remember that one of those coaches was defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who was one of the best coordinators in the NFL over the past four years before landing a head coaching job with the Bears this offseason.

Theres a few more layers to the Colts situation that haven't been adequately considered, too. Andrew Luck had missed the previous season with shoulder surgery and been remarkably beaten up in his short career. McDaniels also didnt have a track record with general manager Chris Ballard, and the two were getting to know each other during the courting process. Even when it looked like a slam-dunk of a job, McDaniels was uneasy about it. And when Patriots owner Robert Kraft sensed he might have an opening, he seized upon it to bring McDaniels back for four more seasons.

The fallout of that decision and the criticism that followed ultimately made the McDaniels-Raiders union possible. He knew that if he ever left the Patriots again, there would not only be no going back, but it would have to be accompanied by Dave Ziegler as general manager. Former teammates at John Carroll University and the best of friends, that is who McDaniels wanted to pair with. Because who needs to worry about being a GM when your longtime friend and trusted confidant is filling that role? And can shape a personnel department that knows precisely how to scout for the coaching staff it's working with?

Josh McDaniels learned a lot from Bill Belichick, but he knows trying to replicate his way of doing things elsewhere is a mistake. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)

This is what the Raiders have working for them now. Not only has the dynamic tension (often friction) between former head coach Jon Gruden and former general manager Mike Mayock disappeared into the blast-furnace wind of Las Vegas, it has been replaced by two leaders who are in lockstep in every single decision. And theyre being supported by a revamped supporting structure.

For perhaps the first time under Mark Davis' team ownership, departments are now fully streamlined and staffed at every level, from business to football to administration. The purse strings for more aggressive roster-building have been loosened. Even Davis is making himself more available to McDaniels and Ziegler than any previous regime, while also surrendering the full authority for the tandem to build out the football organization as they see fit.

Thats how you get a 2022 edition of the Raiders that reshuffled the entire coaching and personnel staffs but loaded up with pricey veteran additions like Davante Adams and Chandler Jones rather than rebuilding. Because McDaniels and Ziegler believed in it, winning the trust of Davis to sign off.

Even with all those changes, a lot of the success and failure will come down to the Raiders' culture. And the culture will come down to whether McDaniels can live up to his embrace of concentrating on people more, micromanaging less and trusting his functional design rather than trying to recreate a Stalinesque Patriots blueprint that has never been successfully replicated outside of New England.

Ive let that go, McDaniels said. Ive just realized over time, really at the end of the day, you have to give people a great opportunity to do their job. And sometimes that means youre going to have to accept different. And I think some of us that have left the Patriots have gotten frustrated at times with, man, everything isnt the way that I remember it being in New England. And you know what? It aint gonna be. Its never going to be. Ive come to that conclusion and honestly, Im at such peace with the way we do things, while understanding that isnt the way that everything was done there.

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The 'Patriot Way' wont follow Josh McDaniels to the Raiders. He's learned to make his own - Yahoo Sports

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco had $650,000 in jewelry stolen from his car while he was on a rehab assignment in June, according to ESPN.

The incident occurred while Franco was playing with the Triple-A Durham Bulls. The team was in Jacksonville when Kahlil Eugene Mathis, 24, reportedly broke into Franco's car and stole a $60 safe that contained the jewelry. Mathis was also wanted for three other vehicle break-ins, per ESPN.

Franco had a number of items in the safe, including two Cuban link chains. One was valued at $300,000. The other was valued at $200,000. The safe also contained a $70,000 gold pendant, a $44,000 Rolex watch, a $20,000 American League championship ring, a $20,000 Durham championship ring and a $5,000 pendant of Tom from "Tom and Jerry."

Officers arrested Mathis after he sold a few of the items at a pawn shop near the hotel where Franco parked his car. Mathis provided a thumb print to the pawn shop, which officers were able to identify. Officers also found the safe, and some of the jewelry, in a hotel room used by Mathis. Both Cuban link chains and the Rolex have yet to be recovered.

Mathis is in jail and due to appear in court Aug. 1. He faces a number of charges, including four felony burglary charges and 14 other felonies, per ESPN. Mathis was charged for allegedly being involved in nine separate incidents.

Franco, 21, signed a 12-year, $185 million extension with the Rays following the 2021 MLB season. He got off to a hot start in 2022, and was hitting .302/.326/.481 on May 13. Franco sustained a leg injury, however, and saw his numbers plummet. The team placed Franco on the Injured List in early June. The break-in occurred while Franco was on a rehab assignment from that injury.

Franco returned to the Rays in late June. He made it 13 games before sustaining a hamate bone injury that will keep him out of action for multiple weeks.

Wander Franco had jewelry stolen from his car while on a rehab assignment. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Wander Franco had $650,000 in jewelry stolen from his car while on rehab assignment in Florida - Yahoo Sports

The All-Star break gave us all a chance to catch our breath, and if youre anything like me, it also gave us a chance to miss baseball and realize how much more exciting life is with 30 Major League teams battling it out each day. For fantasy managers who are committed to winning this year, its time to get back to work. Lets find some long-term gems and weekend rentals.

Naylor is someone who often finds his way into this article, as his platoon splits (.921 OPS vs. RHP) make him an obvious target when the Guardians are set for a string of games against right-handers. Such is the case today, as Cleveland will play eight contests against righties in the next seven days.

The middle infield options on the waiver wire arent great right now, making a steady asset such as Hoerner feel more appealing than usual. The shortstop has been one of the most consistent helpers in the batting average category this year, hitting over .280 each month, leading to an overall average of .307. He also has a bit of speed (nine steals) and could help many roto teams until someone more exciting comes along.

Laureano continues to present a valuable power-speed mix, having tallied nine in both homers and steals columns across 64 games played. In fact, if you add up his totals over the past two campaigns, he has 23 homers and 21 swipes in 152 contests. This is the perfect time to find roster space for Laureano, as there is a chance that he is part of a contending teams lineup after the trade deadline.

Now's the time to add Ramon Laureano in fantasy leagues. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

I wont use too much space on Santander, who has little breakout potential from this point forward. But the right-handed hitter could finish the year with 30 homers and 90 RBIs, which makes him an underrated producer to fill out fantasy rosters.

Akil has put the Bad in Baddoo (sorry, I couldnt resist) this season, posting a .323 OPS and not showing any real signs of improvement since being recalled from a stint in the Minors. But he is just 23 years old and still possesses the skill set that led to 13 homers and 18 steals in 124 games last season. Those who can afford to keep Baddoo on their bench for a week or two could have someone with an exciting power-speed mix for the stretch run.

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Fantasy managers have been quick to pick up recently recalled prospect Max Meyer but not his rotation mate, Garrett. Their enthusiasm for Meyer may be misplaced, as Garrett is the one who has posted solid ratios (3.70 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) and a 40:10 K:BB ratio across eight starts. Coming off an 11-strikeout outing, Garrett should be rostered in most leagues for his start today against the Pirates.

Odorizzi has been solid in 10 starts this year (3.56 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) including posting a 12:1 K:BB ratio across 12.1 innings in back-to-back starts against the lowly As lineup prior to the All-Star break. The right-hander will make a third consecutive start against Oakland on Monday before wrapping up a two-start week vs. the Mariners. This is the time to grab him in weekly transaction leagues.

Stripling continues his successful conversion from the Blue Jays bullpen to rotation (2.84 ERA as a starter), and he should stick in the starting quintet from this point forward. The right-hander is a risky option in Boston this weekend but could help those in abbreviated points-league weeks. He has an advantageous matchup against the Tigers next week.

Crawford has been successful across four starts with the Red Sox, posting a 3.60 ERA and a 22:6 K:BB ratio. And with Chris Sale dealing with a broken finger, the right-hander should stay in the starting quintet for the foreseeable future. Supported by Bostons talented lineup, the 26-year-old has the potential to pick up a few victories, starting with a matchup against the Blue Jays tomorrow.

For the second straight year, Finnegan has been anointed the Nats' closer for the final months of the campaign. The right-hander picked up 11 saves from July 29 to the end of 2021 and is poised to do the same thing this year now that Tanner Rainey has been sidelined until 2023. With a lifetime 3.53 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP, Finnegan is far from a dominant reliever, but he should be good enough to help those in desperate need of saves.

Martin continues to look like the Rangers' top option for saves, having allowed his last earned run way back on May 29. The left-hander has collected three saves since Joe Barlow was relieved of the closers role in early July, and there is a chance that he never allows another Texas hurler to enter the closer picture. For those who have the option, I would grab Martin over Finnegan.

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Fantasy Baseball: Waiver wire pickups to start the second half off on a high note - Yahoo Sports

Enjoy retirement, turnover chain. You were a beacon of college football light.

Miami coach Mario Cristobal confirmed Thursday at his ACC media days appearance that Miami would no longer be breaking out the iconic jewelry after forcing a turnover.

The turnover chain was introduced in 2017 and its various iterations have been a big part of the Miami program for the past five seasons. Former coach Manny Diaz was the teams defensive coordinator when the chain made its debut. But the turnover chain era is now over, just like Diazs tenure as Miami head coach. And Cristobal really didn't seem too inclined to talk a lot about the chain being put out to pasture on Thursday.

"I think probably the media has put more thought into this than I have," Cristobal said Thursday when he was asked why Miami had retired the turnover chain. "We just really focus on getting better as a program and have focused on technique, fundamentals, regimentation, academics, strength and conditioning, sports science, community service, and that's what the focus has been on."

"It is not a shot or form of disrespect to anybody or anyone. Certainly history is history, and whether it's positive, whether it's inconsequential, whatever it may be, it's still history and part of your program. We're just moving in a direction that right now doesn't involve it. That's really the best way to address it.

"Let's put it this way. We've been working so hard and paying attention to so many other things that, in my opinion, are much more critical to winning football games and having success that it really hasn't been a subject or a topic. We won't be using it. You guys OK with that? We good now? Everybody got the chain stuff? OK. All right. Thank you."

We will not see a turnover chain on the Miami sidelines in 2022. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A Miami native, Cristobal came to the Hurricanes from Oregon after the team zeroed in on him as the replacement for Diaz. Cristobal played football at Miami and is very familiar with the outward displays of emotion that happen at Miami. He was part of the legendary Miami teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s that took the college football world by storm with their brash attitudes.

But Cristobal clearly doesn't think Miami should be celebrating defensive success with the chain. At least not right now. Hopefully, it makes a comeback in the future. The turnover chain was fun. And Miami being successful and having an attitude makes college football fun, too.

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Miami and coach Mario Cristobal are retiring the turnover chain - Yahoo Sports