Quick Hits

• Kuminga to the Wolves. Free agent Jonathan Kuminga has reportedly signed with the Timberwolves, turning down a more lucrative offer from the Lakers to take a short-term deal that keeps him free to hit the open market again next summer.
• The richest contract in NHL history. Colorado's Cale Makar agreed to an eight-year, $163.2 million extension worth $20.4 million per season, per ESPN — making him the league's first $20 million player.
• A star goalie wants out. Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner (the NHL's best-goalie award), has requested a trade.
• NFL cutdown day is here. All 32 teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.
• WNBA title race shaken up. Las Vegas' NaLyssa Smith is out for the season with an injury — a major blow to a franchise that's won three of the last four championships, per CBS Sports.

Minnesota Teams

• Timberwolves: The Kuminga signing is the story of the day locally. The short-term structure is essentially him betting on himself — he passed up more money from the Lakers to keep his options open for a bigger payday (or a different team) as soon as next summer.
• Twins: With star Byron Buxton ailing, surging young prospect Walker Jenkins is getting the call to the big leagues — CBS notes he headlines the wave of September promotions as MLB rosters expand.
• Vikings: Like every team, they face Saturday's 53-man roster deadline, so expect a flurry of cuts and moves over the next 24 hours. Nothing headline-grabbing from the Wild, Lynx, United, or Gophers in today's batch.

NFL

• The big calendar item: preseason Week 3 is wrapping up and every team must get down to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET Saturday — meaning hundreds of players league-wide will be cut in the next day as teams set their regular-season rosters.
• Off-field news: Packers star running back Josh Jacobs was charged with two misdemeanors — battery and damage to property — stemming from a May arrest, and Green Bay's GM has addressed the possibility of an NFL suspension. (Vikings fans: yes, that Green Bay.)
• A fun footnote: former Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green made his NFL preseason debut for Cleveland with an electric scramble and a touchdown drive — now he waits to see if he survives the roster cutdown.

NBA

• WNBA trouble in New York: The Liberty, the preseason favorites to win the title, are struggling badly enough that CBS Sports is questioning whether they can salvage their season at all. They host Chicago Saturday (on CBS and Paramount+) with a chance to head into the upcoming FIBA break on a good note.
• Also per CBS: NaLyssa Smith's season-ending injury is a significant setback to Las Vegas' championship hopes, given the Aces have won three of the last four titles.
• Business corner: Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women's basketball league, nearly doubled its valuation to $650 million after a new $100 million funding round — only one WNBA team is worth more.
• For entertainment: CBS handed out "NBA summer superlatives" — craziest contract, biggest gamble, saddest offseason, dumbest quote — to close the books on one of the wildest NBA summers ever.

MLB

• The week's strangest story: MLB suspended a Cleveland Guardians prospect after discovering he had falsified his age and identity, with great lengths taken to make the young Dominican player appear several years younger than he actually is, per report.

NHL

• The Makar deal: Colorado's superstar signed the largest contract in league history — eight years, $163.2 million total, $20.4 million per season — becoming the NHL's first $20 million player. If you hear hockey people gasping this weekend, that's why.
• The Hellebuyck saga: One of the best goalies on the planet is officially on the trade market, and CBS Sports ran through the potential landing spots, expecting plenty of teams to come calling. Wild fans take note: that's a Central Division rival potentially blowing things up.

College Sports

• Football is (basically) back: "Week 0" — the small opening slate before most teams start their seasons — kicks off Saturday, headlined by Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels facing TCU in Dublin, Ireland. Yes, that Bill Belichick, coaching college ball abroad.
• College hoops news: Florida basketball coach Todd Golden signed a six-year, $49.5 million extension that makes him one of the five highest-paid coaches in the sport, earning $7.5 million this coming season.

Other Sports

• Soccer: The Champions League (Europe's elite club tournament) held its draw Thursday. CBS Sports' winners-and-losers verdict: Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid drew matchups with his former clubs, and Liverpool came out among the big winners.
• UFC: Saturday's Fight Night in Shanghai is headlined by bantamweights Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong — an important fight in that weight class, live on Paramount+.
• Golf: The PGA Tour and the content-creator brand Good Good Golf scrapped their sponsorship of a FedEx Cup Fall event amid backlash over a Callaway ad, making the Tour the latest major organization to cut ties with the brand.