England have dropped Moeen Ali from their squad to face Australia in the second Ashes Test at Lord's, with Somerset's left-arm spinner Jack Leach called up in his place. James Anderson and Olly Stone also miss out on the 12-man group through injury, as England attempt to fight back from 1-0 down in the series.

Moeen endured a difficult time in the opening Test at Edgbaston, taking three wickets at a cost of 172 runs to go with scores of 0 and 4; he was dismissed by Nathan Lyon in both innings, extending the offspinner's mastery over him to nine of his last 11 dismissals against Australia.

England seem set to hand a Test debut to Jofra Archer, who was included in the squad for the first Test but left out as a precaution while he continued to work back to full fitness after a side strain suffered during the World Cup. He played for Sussex 2nd XI in a three-day game this week, taking 7 for 106 and scoring a century to prove his readiness.

The other option to replace Anderson, who suffered a recurrence of his calf injury after bowling four overs at Edgbaston, is Sam Curran. The left-armer has played 10 Test, most recently for Ireland's visit to Lord's last month.

Despite coming into the Ashes as the leading Test wicket-taker in the world over the last year, Moeen's form had suffered a dip at the World Cup, where he lost his place in the starting XI after defeat to Australia in the group stage. His place is likely to be taken by Leach, who was England's spinner for the four-day Test against Ireland - winning Man of the Match for his 92 as nightwatchman, having only been required to bowl three overs.

While Moeen has been a valuable contributor for England since his debut in 2014, his career has not been without its ups and downs. He suffered a chastening Ashes in Australia two winters ago, losing his place on the New Zealand leg of England's tour - with Leach handed a debut in Christchurch.

He returned in style against India at the Ageas Bowl last summer, claiming nine wickets in the match, and was then England's leading wicket-taker on their tours of Sri Lanka and the West Indies, though his returns with the bat remained light.

However, presented with a turning Edgbaston pitch - on with Lyon claimed a nine-wicket haul - Moeen was unable to provide either control or wicket-taking threat. On the fourth day, with England hoping to limit Australia's lead, Moeen was ruthlessly milked as Steven Smith went on to record his second century in the match.

England's problems in the opening Test extended to negligible contributions with the bat from Jason Roy, Joe Deny, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, but the selectors, headed by Ed Smith, have shied away from making any major changes. Rory Burns did enjoy success, scoring his maiden Test ton, while Joe Root made 57 and 28 after moving up the order to No. 3.

England squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes

Moeen Ali has enjoyed as many highs as he has endured lows in his Test career. After his omission from England's squad for the Ashes Test at Lord's, we track his many ups and downs over the last two years.

Ashes 2017-18

Moeen went into the 2017-18 Ashes on the back of a brilliant 2017 home summer, which included a haul of 10 for 112 at Lord's and a hat-trick at The Oval in the South Africa series, and a swashbuckling hundred against the West Indies in Bristol.

But after spending weeks in the nets and with Mark Ramprakash preparing for a barrage of bumpers from Australia's quicks, he endured an awful run against Nathan Lyon: he was dismissed seven times in nine innings by him, and his struggles spilled over into his bowling, as he returned five wickets at 115.

New Zealand 2017-18

With Jack Leach in the squad as a possible replacement, Moeen needed to prove he was England's best spinner, and that he could contribute with the bat, in the pink-ball Test at Auckland.

Instead, he made 0 and 28, and took 0 for 59 in 17 overs, as England slumped to an innings defeat. By the time the Christchurch Test had come around, Leach was in for his debut.

Pakistan 2018

While England stumbled at Lord's and then bounced back emphatically at Headingley, Moeen was playing for Worcestershire in the One-Day Cup, his Test career at a crossroads.

With Leach injured, England plumped for Dom Bess as their first-choice spinner, who made one half-century and a 49, as well as taking three wickets in Leeds. The path back to the Test side for Moeen was far from clear.

India 2018

After controversially selecting Adil Rashid, who hadn't played a first-class game in 11 months, England raced into a 2-0 lead before capitulating at Trent Bridge, and then found themselves facing a turning pitch at the Ageas Bowl.

Step forward Moeen, to come into the side alongside Rashid, and take nine wickets at Southampton to propel England to victory. He was even promoted to No. 3 to allow Joe Root to return to his favoured number four, digging in for a 170-ball 50 at The Oval. Following six months in the wilderness, all seemed well with the world.

Sri Lanka 2018-19

Pushed back down the order after two failures in the first Test, Moeen didn't allow his loss of form with the bat to affect his bowling, as his 18 wickets at 24.50 underpinned England's stellar efforts with the ball.

With Leach (18 wickets) and Rashid (12) to keep him company, he formed part of a spin triumvirate that led England to an improbable 3-0 whitewash.

West Indies 2018-19

Despite 14 wickets in the series, including seven in the win in St Lucia, Moeen was outbowled by West Indies' allrounder Roston Chase, and managed only 77 runs in his five innings.

Following two brilliant series, this was a note of warning, and after an underwhelming World Cup and no red-ball cricket before the Ireland Test, Moeen was under pressure.

Ireland and Ashes 2019

Scores of 0 and 9 at Lord's against Ireland, including a particularly soft dismissal to Boyd Rankin's predictable short stuff, and only 4.2 overs in the match meant Moeen went into the Edgbaston Test sweating.

And after an embarrassing duck in the first innings - bowled by, you guessed it, Lyon again, without playing a shot - Moeen found himself on a spinning pitch in Australia's second innings, and needing to make a match-turning contribution.

Instead, he returned 2 for 130 in his 29 overs, figures that were shown up horribly by Lyon's 6 for 49, and not those of a man who leads the world for Test wickets since the beginning of August 2018. To make matters worse, he made only 4 when trying to save the game, prodding his opposite number to David Warner in the gully.

By the time Lord's rolled around, the selectors decided it was time up.

Adil Rashid, England's World Cup-winning legspinner, has been ruled out for the rest of the season as his shoulder injury continues to plague him.

Rashid's shoulder injury was first made public when England's World Cup squad was announced, and was cited as a reason for the inclusion of Liam Dawson over Joe Denly.

It was not sufficiently serious that it caused him to miss any World Cup games, but Rashid revealed that he had needed an injection to manage the pain, and said that bowling his variations in particular had hurt.

He declared himself "100% fit" after the group stages, but after a brief period of rest, told Yorkshire's medical staff that the injury was "the worst it has been this summer", and withdrew from their Vitality Blast squads.

Rashid will undergo a period of rehabilitation, and hopes to bit fully fit in time for England's T20I series in New Zealand in November.

An ECB spokesman said that Rashid was suffering from "chronic pain" and added: "We believe intense rehabilitation and rest will be sufficient over the next six to seven weeks. He might need further treatment ahead of the winter if this persists. That will be decided in due course."

"The aim was to come back after the World Cup and play for Yorkshire," Rashid said. "I enjoy playing for Yorkshire, but it just wasn't meant to be. I've had a shoulder problem for a little while and I got through the World Cup with an injection. Obviously, as time has gone on the injection has worn out and, after the World Cup, I started feeling a bit of a pinch in my shoulder.

"These things can happen and fortunately it hasn't happened to me earlier than it has. I've played 13-14 years of professional cricket and this is the first time I've suffered an injury to my shoulder.

"I'm very confident, after being ruled out for the rest of the season, that I can get myself fully fit before we go away in the winter. I've got two months now to get myself fully fit and it's as simple as that."

Rashid's withdrawal from Yorkshire's squads caused eyebrows to be raised, with his contract up at the end of the season, and director of cricket Martyn Moxon telling the Yorkshire Post there was "no guarantee" Rashid would play red-ball cricket for the club this season. He had opted out of first-class cricket last year, only to change his mind after being recalled to England's Test squad.

Yorkshire have subsequently re-signed South Africa's Keshav Maharaj as cover, who will be available for the rest of the Blast, as well as Championship games against Nottinghamshire and Somerset.

But Rashid quashed any idea that he might not be motivated to turn out for the county. "When I can play, I'll play," he said. "I just wasn't anywhere near fit enough to play. People may have other views, but I just can't play. Any other talk is nonsense. I enjoy playing cricket and enjoy playing for Yorkshire, but this year it wasn't possible with how the shoulder was."

The ECB is considering postponing the start date of some England player central contracts, though it has denied that is because it is facing cash-flow difficulties.

In the past, central contracts have run from the start of October to the end of September to reflect the English season. While the next contracts will be announced, as usual, in late September, ESPNcricinfo understands that England players on white-ball deals will have to wait until February 1, 2020 for their new contracts to begin. As a consequence, the terms of the current white-ball central contracts will be carried over for an extra four months, with the players' counties footing the bill for that time.

The ECB has said this is to move the contracts in line with its own financial year, which begins in February, a shift that will also take place with its Test contracts. England's only white-ball cricket between now and February 1 is five T20Is in New Zealand in November.

The ECB also pointed out that the manner in which white-ball contracts are paid will change, with players no longer receiving incremental payments on top of their county deal, but having their entire salary paid by the ECB - until now white-ball contracts have been paid as increments by the ECB on top of the players' county contracts. If counties are required to supplement their players' wages during the four-month hiatus, they will be recompensed by the ECB in February.

But some in the game have suggested the move is designed to buy the board time as it battles with cash-flow issues. They point out that expenditure and costs associated with setting up The Hundred have bitten deep into the ECB's resources. It has previously been reported that those set-up costs have more than trebled from an initial expectation of £13m a year to somewhere around £40m.

As recently as 2016 the ECB declared reserves of £73.1m in its annual report, but that figure was down to £11.24m in the latest set of accounts.

The value of white-ball contracts is understood to have increased by £100,000 a player a year, to £275,000, while red-ball contracts have increased in value by £175,000 a year to £650,000. The next tranche of money from the latest broadcast deal hits the ECB accounts in February.

A spokesperson for the Professional Cricketers' Association told ESPNcricinfo that talks were continuing.

Australians 266 for 5 dec (Head 109*, Khawaja 57) and 124 for 2 (Harris 67) drew with Worcestershire 201 for 9 dec (Milton 74, Morris 53*, Hazlewood 3-34)

Australia's captain Tim Paine and his touring party ventured from Worcester to London on Friday with a fierce resolve to play to the strengths that they showcased at Edgbaston, even if it means again spelling Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood at Lord's for the second Ashes Test.

Starc and Hazlewood both had their moments in a match curtailed on the final day by rain that fell overnight and then returned in early afternoon, signalling an early end to the fixture but also a chance for the Australian tour bus to beat the heaviest of the traffic on the trip back to the British capital.

Paine, who did not keep wicket in the game, suggested that his men were intent on maintaining a sense of control on proceedings that did not give up the search for wickets but instead kept it in balance with restricting the flow of runs on fast-scoring English grounds - something Starc and Hazlewood did with mixed results against Worcestershire.

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"We're always bowling to a plan to get batsmen out, but I think sometimes perhaps we've set slightly more defensive fields than we have when we've come here in the past," Paine said. "There's a balance between doing that. We don't want to have everyone out on the fence and have no fielders in positions where we think we can get batsmen out.

"So it's about trying to find a balance between attacking their weakness and also controlling their strengths and also where they can score quickly. In England, with the grounds being a bit smaller and the outfields being a bit faster the game can get away from you a little bit quicker.

"I thought that was one of the pleasing things that we did in the first innings at Edgbaston, is that we controlled the scoreboard and if you can do that, when you do get a bit of run-on or a little change in weather when the ball starts to swing you can get well ahead of the game. So there's certainly an element of control but we still want to be making sure that we're working to get their batsmen out all the time as well."

To that end, Paine stressed that Worcester was less a selection trial for Starc, Hazlewood, Michael Neser and company than a chance for them to keep engines revving at a pitch that would see them ready if needed. That need will depend very much on the character of the Lord's pitch, which will be the source of plenty of mystery to England as much as Australia after results so far this year.

"Mitch has obviously come in off a World Cup so it was good for him to get another red-ball bowl," Paine said. "As Josh said, it seems every time he's bowled [he's improved]. He has had a pretty long layoff with his back injury, so every time he's bowled on this tour he has got better. "I thought his first spell here - both their first spells here were really, really good. So we know the high-quality bowlers they are, Michael Neser the same - we know if he gets the right conditions in England with the Dukes ball he can be a real handful.

"So as we've said all tour, it'll be conditions based. They'll play a part in the Ashes if and when the conditions suit. We weren't looking at Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc thinking 'gee I hope they bowl well'. We know how good they are. We know what they can do."

Having spent most of the tour match observing things from mid-off or the team viewing area - he did not bat - Paine mounted a cogent counter-argument to the long held view that wicketkeeper captains had it tougher than their batting contemporaries.

"I didn't really enjoy it, it was a bit boring," Paine said. "It's different because you don't see what the ball is doing. People have said in the past that being a wicketkeeper and a captain might be a disadvantage. Now that I've done it a bit more, I see it as more of an advantage. I can see ball movement, I can see or feel when a bowler's getting tired from the way he's hitting my gloves.

"And I can see exactly where a batsman is moving to, or what mark he's batting on and stuff like that. So I found it a little bit harder in this game, when you can't see exactly what's happening. You're relying on other people's information a lot, I found. It was nice to have a bit of a spell from wicketkeeping but I'm looking forward to getting back behind them."

In London, the Australians will reconnect with their most indispensable batsman, Steve Smith, refreshed by a few days away and doubtless eager for a few thousand more throwdowns to regroove his game for Lord's. Paine received talk of fresh English plans for Smith with precious little discomfort.

"Steve Smith averages over 60 in Test cricket, so I think the beauty of Steve is you can come up with a plan but he's good enough to adapt really quickly," Paine said. "I've seen him do it between balls, I've seen him do it when guys have targeted him from one end a certain way and a completely different way from the other end. I think that's what makes him the best player in the world, his ability to adapt to any plan that is thrown at him. I think he processes it quicker than other players and adapts on the spot."

Resuming at 92 for 1, the tourists played out only another 13 overs before the rain returned. Marcus Harris got as far as 67 before his exit, but Cameron Bancroft is expected to retain his opening spot alongside David Warner for Lord's.

The heavyweight world title rematch between three-belt titleholder Andy Ruiz Jr. and former titlist Anthony Joshua will take place on Dec. 7 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing announced on Friday.

Hearn was mum on any other details about the event -- dubbed "Clash on the Dunes" -- for which there will be a news conference on Monday in London that will include Omar Khalil, the managing partner of Skill Challenge Entertainment, the group putting up tens of millions of dollars to bring the fight to Saudi Arabia.

Diriyah is a city on the outskirts of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The bout will take place at a temporary outdoor stadium that will be erected solely to host the fight, multiple sources with knowledge of the plans told ESPN.

The decision to take the fight to Saudi Arabia comes as a surprise. Days after Ruiz's massive upset of Joshua to take his world titles, Joshua exercised his right to an immediate rematch, and Hearn said the bout would take place at either Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, or at New York's Madison Square Garden, the same site as the fight on June 1.

England's Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs), 29, was torn between having the rematch on his turf in the United Kingdom or returning to New York to seek revenge in the same ring where he got knocked down four times and suffered his first loss by seventh-round knockout in his United States debut.

Hearn expected the decision on the date and location to be set by the first few days of July, but it dragged out for weeks as groups from other locations began offering deals to bring the fight elsewhere.

In the end, the group from Saudi Arabia agreed to put up more far more money than could be generated in either Cardiff or New York. Also, by going to a neutral location, it soothes Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs), 29, of Imperial, California, and the first fighter of Mexican descent to win a heavyweight world title.

Ruiz, who had no input into the site selection, has said he was uncomfortable having the rematch on Joshua's turf.

The fight will be televised on Sky Box Office pay-per-view in the United Kingdom, which is only two hours earlier than it is in Diriyah, meaning likely massive business for the fight compared to if it was in New York, which is five hours behind London, meaning the bout would take place in the wee hours of the London morning.

The fight likely will be streamed on DAZN in the United States, although that deal has not yet been finalized, a source told ESPN. DAZN, which carried the first fight, pressed for the rematch to be in New York but would pay eight figures less with the fight in Saudi Arabia than New York because of the seven-hour time difference, the source said.

While Saudi Arabia is not a usual place for a major fight, it has hosted two notable bouts in the past year, luring them there with large site fees.

In September, Callum Smith knocked out George Groves in the seventh round to win a super middleweight world title in the final of the first season of the World Boxing Super Series at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.

On July 12, popular welterweight Amir Khan knocked out Billy Dib in the fourth round at the same site.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he would "love" to see Colin Kaepernick return to the NFL "if he's good enough."

The president was asked about Kaepernick during a meeting with the media outside the White House. Kaepernick, who last played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, posted a video to Twitter and Instagram on Wednesday showing himself in a gym and saying he is "still ready" after two-plus seasons out of the NFL.

Asked about Kaepernick's return, Trump said: "Only if he's good enough. ... If he was good enough, they'd hire him. Why wouldn't he play if he was good enough?

"I think if he was good enough, I know the owners, I know Bob Kraft, I know so many of the owners, if he's good enough, they'd sign him," Trump said. "So if he's good enough, I know these people -- they would sign him in a heartbeat. They will do anything they can to win games.

"Frankly, I'd love to see Kaepernick come in, if he's good enough. But I don't want to see him come in because somebody thinks it's a good PR move. If he's good enough, he will be in."

Kaepernick drew national attention in 2016 when he sat, and later knelt, during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality in the United States. In the video released Wednesday, he was shown in a gym exercising, saying "5 a.m., five days a week, for three years. Still ready." The clip started with a countdown saying he had been "denied work for 889 days."

In 2017, at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama, Trump criticized NFL players who protested during the national anthem, suggesting that team owners release the players. He said the protests were "hurting the game" and that fans who were offended should walk out of games. Trump did not mention Kaepernick or any other NFL players by name at the rally, but earlier in 2017, he took credit for the fact that Kaepernick had not been signed.

Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March 2017 and has not been signed since. In October 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL under the collective bargaining agreement, alleging collusion against signing him to a contract. Both his grievance and that of current Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid were settled in February, with the Wall Street Journal reporting they would receive less than $10 million total.

Miami Heat big man Kelly Olynyk suffered a bruised knee in an exhibition, but he is still expected to play in the FIBA World Cup for Canada, coach Nick Nurse said Thursday.

Olynyk slipped and fell during the third quarter of Canada's win over Nigeria in a FIBA exhibition game on Wednesday. X-rays were negative, and Olynyk will sit out a week, including an exhibition game on Friday in Winnipeg, Nurse said.

Olynyk is part of Canada's national team preparing for the FIBA World Cup.

The NBA's free-agency frenzy is mostly over.

The NBA's sneaker free-agency frenzy is just beginning.

Most multiyear sneaker endorsement contracts include an expiration date of October 1 in the year they're up, but they also include a 60-day advance window where players can begin meeting with and negotiating with other brands. Meaning as of August 1, this year's crop of coveted players could begin lining up presentations, mapping out early contract terms and sorting through potential landing places for a new deal.

While the NBA's open market includes both restricted and unrestricted free agents, literally everyone in the sneaker game is a restricted free agent. Brands hold a standard 10-day "right to match clause" across all deals -- a key factor as negotiations get underway.

This year's footwear class could feature the most potential since 2012, when Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, James Harden and Dwyane Wade were all up. Of the four then-Nike athletes, two switched to Jordan Brand, Wade opted for a lucrative deal with Li-Ning, and Harden re-signed with Nike for just two years, before bolting for a 13-year deal with Adidas in 2014.

Once again, each of the top five players in this year's class are currently under contract with Nike. The brand would ideally like to keep all five: Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Kyle Kuzma, D'Angelo Russell and PJ Tucker.

In addition to the handful of players expected to move the needle, there's a depth to this year's free-agent class rarely seen in the industry. Both Draymond Green and Karl-Anthony Towns have expiring Nike deals this fall. Though no longer in Los Angeles and with Big Baller Brand facing uncertainty ahead, Lonzo Ball is expected to help push the pace for an exciting, young Pelicans team, and could do so with a new multiyear shoe deal in hand by the start of the season.

Other players around the league expected to draw interest include Marcus Smart, as Boston-based Puma has already moved into the lead to eventually sign the nearby Celtics guard. Though talks are ongoing, he was spotted walking into USA Basketball's welcome gathering clad in Puma gear, then laced up the brand's Uproar sneaker in white, blue and red to kick off USAB training camp. Thanks to their overnight free-agency haul, LA Clippers shooter Landry Shamet is also hitting the market at an ideal time, potentially able to take advantage both of the team's LA market size and their expected chance to contend for a championship right away this season.

While the class may feature a host of players that resurgent brands like Puma and New Balance could look to pick off from their existing Nike and Adidas deals, five players in particular are expected to draw the most interest to move the needle for a new company, should they end up signing elsewhere.

Devin Booker

While Booker has been part of a crowded roster at Nike, the company has found ways to spotlight his rise as one of the NBA's best young scorers. He was among a handful of players to be given player exclusive colorways of Kobe Bryant's ongoing signature line the past two seasons, notably the Kobe 1 and Kobe 4 Protro editions.

The company's lifestyle category, Nike Sportswear, also incorporated him into a special release of his very own Air Force 1 Low colorway, in tandem with a commercial and campaign with Foot Locker. He opted for a light blue and tan colorway that pulled away from the Suns' less versatile orange and purple hues, which was an instant hit with sneakerheads.

Booker's potential is seen both on the court in wearing a brand's key performance models, and off the floor, where he's become one of the league's featured players known for his tunnel fashion. With social media accounts like @LeagueFits launching, fully dedicated to highlighting players' arrival fashion, brands are placing more emphasis than ever on off-court style.

During the spring and early summer, which saw fellow rising young gun Jayson Tatum's transfer from Nike Basketball to Jordan Brand, Booker was also often discussed as an ideal candidate to add to Michael Jordan's roster of NBA players.

Luka Doncic

Doncic is in the rare position to immediately capitalize on a stellar rookie season. A year after entering the NBA with more hype than any recent European prospect, Doncic is set to have the Nike deal he signed as a young pro in Europe expire. His teammate Kristaps Porzingis fell into similar luck in 2017, when his lone NBA season under contract with Nike had been paying him shy of six figures and was set to expire. He turned his breakout rookie year in New York into a new seven-year deal with Adidas, paying him between $3 million and $6 million annually.

For Doncic, the market this summer and into the fall is expected to be similarly aggressive, with a variety of US-based brands and Chinese companies looking to enter negotiations.

Just this summer, Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first European-born player to receive a signature shoe. Brands see Doncic, the reigning Rookie of the Year, in the same category. He helped to headline the launch of Nike's auto-lacing Adapt BB sneaker in January and is thought to have potential to headline a variety of styles and designs.

In addition to his on-court production -- he averaged 21.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 6.0 APG -- he comes with a built-in global fanbase. His jersey was the 13th-best-selling in the NBA last season, and he finished second in All-Star fan voting among Western Conference forwards, behind only LeBron James.

His production on the floor has met the hype. His potential as a crossover star is already underway. Now Doncic will begin discussing brand deals, with the value of his next sneaker deal and the visibility from it expected to exponentially increase.

Kyle Kuzma

A relatively unknown late first-round pick in 2017, Kuzma's game and fame exploded during his rookie season in Los Angeles.

Now that he's expected to be a Laker for the long haul, having been spared from a potential trade to New Orleans, brands have significant interest in Kuzma. While his rookie shoe deal with Nike paid him less than six figures per year, his next deal will be significantly larger.

Nike quickly realized Kuzma's potential, using him in the Adapt BB launch and featuring him in several of Kobe Bryant's signature pairs as the ongoing torchbearer of the Laker franchise.

"It's been great," Kuzma said. "I've always been a Nike guy growing up. As a sneakerhead, you always have a special place in your heart for the brand with all of the different kinds of shoes they've done. To build that brand together was a no-brainer."

Along the way, he also added an innovative additional deal to his portfolio, signing an ambassador deal with the GOAT app, an online resale marketplace that features tens of thousands of rare and limited-edition sneakers. The concept earned praise from fellow players around the league, and also landed him on an episode of "The Boardroom" to discuss the unique partnership.

"It's definitely exciting," he said. "Going from where I came as an unheralded prospect out of high school and college, going into the NBA, it's going to be pretty cool to see sneaker companies take a big interest in me. It's a credit to my hard work."

D'Angelo Russell

When Russell was drafted by the Lakers in 2015, he immediately became one of the most sought-after players in his rookie class. After blossoming in Brooklyn and signing a max deal with the Warriors, he's once again expected to garner that level of interest.

From a sneaker standpoint, Russell checks several boxes for brands. He's known for both his on- and off-court style and loves to wear flashy colors and graphics in tandem with a series of accessories in games. His "DLoading" persona and signature "ice in my veins" celebration after big shots continue to raise his profile.

While the 23-year-old could continue to wear Nike Basketball's latest and greatest, he's also a prime candidate to stay within the Nike Inc. umbrella at either of its subsidiary brands. A transfer to Jordan Brand has been discussed among executives, which would land the Jumpman logo on a Warriors roster they've been absent from during the team's five consecutive Finals trips. It'd also be a natural fit for Russell, who has an Air Jordan 1 tattoo along his left leg.

As the company continues to invest in its Converse Basketball relaunch, Russell could prove to be a great addition there as well. He'd be joining forces with Kelly Oubre Jr. as one of the few faces of the iconic heritage brand, as it looks for additional expressive and versatile players to wear the new All Star Pro BB sneaker, a modernized take on the classic Chuck Taylor, built with today's materials and technology.

P.J. Tucker

Heading into his 10th season in the NBA, Tucker has established himself not only with his never-ending flow of rare sneakers on the floor, but also in his role as a 3-and-D glue guy on a contending Houston Rockets team. His rise in awareness across social media, at fashion week shows around the world and in legacy fashion magazines in recent years have earned him the title of "sneaker champ of the NBA."

"I never really cared, and I never wanted to be a champion of sneakers. I don't even know what that is," he said with a laugh. "Honestly, it's just something that's pretty cool to be thought of as."

Known for spending $200,000 of his own money on sneakers in each of the past two seasons, Tucker is expected to command a new high-six-figure brand deal this fall. Both New Balance and Puma are thought to be potential suitors, while several Chinese brands have also reached out, given his awareness level throughout the region and the country's longtime connection to the Houston Rockets.

Of course, Nike remains the favorite to sign the player that's provided some of the Swoosh's most coveted kicks with endless visibility, whether it was debuting Nike's Fear of God collaboration with designer Jerry Lorenzo, the Jordan 4 Retro created with musician Travis Scott or the variety of ridiculously rare "OVO" exclusives made only for Drake's inner circle. Wherever he lands, look for Tucker to continue his love for the sneaker game, as he always has.

"If there were no Instagram, if there were no video cameras at games, I would still change shoes and do it every single day like I do," he said. "It's part of my life, and something that I do every day."