data-mm-id=”_7p15nnjxp”>On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks shocked the NBA world by trading Jrue Holiday, a first-round pick, two pick swaps, and four additional players for Damian Lillard. It's been a foregone conclusion for months that Lillard would end up a member of the Miami Heat, to the extent his agent was making threats that Lillard wouldn't show up for work if traded anywhere else. That will now be put to the test. After years of telling everybody he loved the grind and wouldn't run from it, Lillard apparently had enough and wanted to go someplace with a guaranteed shot at a ring. He's not in Miami, but he's definitely part of a championship contender now suiting up alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. The Lillard deal ultimately wound up a three-team trade, with the Portland Trail Blazers receiving Holiday and Deandre Ayton along with the Bucks' picks and the Phoenix Suns getting in on the action by taking Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Keon Johnson, and Nassir Little. It's a groundbreaking trade weeks before training camp. Legacies are on the line. This league! Let's dig into the winners and losers from the wild transaction. WinnersGiannis Antetokounmpo Giannis' media tour this summer during which he publicly put pressure on the Bucks' front office to keep the team in title contention suggested, among many other things, that he didn't totally believe the 2021 championship core was capable of making another run. Well, he got the change he was searching for. Holiday is one of the league's top defenders but Lillard is one of the league's top players, hard stop. Giannis has never played with someone as skilled offensively as Lillard and it could make a huge difference in terms of his efficiency. Who knows how this shakes out in regards to the superstar's future in Wisconsin, but he wanted reinforcements and got them. Damian LillardMaybe Lillard is in shambles right now as he imagines spending the next few years battling the Milwaukee winters instead of basking in the South Beach sun, but it seems like he got everything else he wanted! Lillard got out of Portland and while it was ugly it wasn't nearly as ugly as it could have gotten if things dragged into the regular season. He is now playing with arguably the best player in the world who boasts a championship resume and the sort of two-way dominance Lillard has never seen in a teammate. He is a winner, even if he didn't go to Miami. Portland Trail BlazersGM Joe Cronin stuck to his guns and got a significantly better deal than he would've if he adhered to Lillard's demands to only talk with the Heat. Landing Ayton to pair with their young core is a significantly better fit than Tyler Herro ever was and the Bucks' picks could end up quite valuable if this doesn't work out and Giannis leaves. But even if he doesn't and the picks are bad Portland got a 25-year-old center under contract for the next four years with a career double-double average. They can keep Holiday or flip him for more assets at the deadline. The trade they ended up making gave them more value and flexibility than anyone thought possible when this saga began, even if you don't buy Ayton as a long-term centerpiece. NBA Fans We can finally stop getting Damian Lillard trade demand updates. Rejoice! LosersMiami Heat Well, well, well. After months of hearing about how the Heat are dealing with the Blazers at their leisure because Lillard only wants to go to Miami, they got the rug yanked out from underneath them. We'd say we hate to see it… but we don't, really. Heat fans have been utterly insufferable about this for nearly two months and it feels damn good for the rest of us to see them speechless. In the basketball world they're now stuck running it back with last year's team minus Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, which is a problem. Maybe they can get into the running for Jrue Holiday! Jrue Holiday Speaking of, this poor guy did a big interview with Milwaukee media literally yesterday talking about how he wanted to retire with the Bucks. Sports are cold. His journey is not over yet as there is virtually no chance the Blazers want to hang onto him, so he could end up in a pretty good spot. But there are few spots better than playing alongside one of the league's three best players. At least he got that chip. Phoenix Suns The Suns are only kind of losers and ultimately moves like this don't matter a ton when you have Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal all on the same roster. But swapping out Ayton for the shambling corpse of Jusuf Nurkic and three average to below-average bench players doesn't seem… great. It's probably the best deal they were going to get for Ayton but that is the problem. They were selling really low on the big man. Everyone knew they didn't like him and treated him like a devalued asset. It feels like they could've gotten more impactful pieces if they let him feast on the empty paint his three co-stars were going to provide.
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The 39-year-old holds the record for the most caps and goals of any player in men s international football, netting 130 times in 212 games.
However, Ronaldo s future was called into question after an unconvincing Euro 2024 campaign in which he failed to hit the back of the net in five appearances.
The tournament in Germany was the sixth major finals Ronaldo has featured in, a record, and he became the first European player in history to make 50 appearances at major tournaments.
When the time comes, I ll move on, he said. It won t be a difficult decision to make.
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The January transfer window gives clubs an opportunity to reshape their squad for the second half of the season or for players to take on fresh challenges. Here, the PA news agency looks at who is making some of the headlines.
Manchester United
After performing way below expectations during the first half of the campaign, the need for a squad refresh at Old Trafford is clear. Primarily, Erik Ten Hag would seem to require a forward to give the attack more of a cutting edge and a defender, where he has not settled on a preferred centre-back pairing. New faces would also give the place a lift in general but some players may need to be moved on first. The futures of Rafael Varane and Casemiro are uncertain while Anthony Martial is again being linked with a move away. Outcast Jadon …
Julian Nagelsmann has given his approval to RB Leipzig s choice of Jesse Marsch as his successor and future Bundesliga rival.
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Marsch was also head coach of New York Red Bulls from 2015 to 2018, and Nagelsmann sees him as an easy fit at Leipzig.
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Brentford head coach Thomas Frank says that Ivan Toney will not be leaving the Bees on transfer deadline day.
England striker Toney has been linked with Premier League rivals such as Arsenal and Chelsea in the January window.
The 27-year-old has scored 34 goals in 68 top-flight games for Brentford and Frank insists Toney will stay put after a month of speculation.
“This will be breaking news, OK – but Ivan will stay,” Frank said at his press conference previewing Monday’s clash with Manchester City.
Composed finishing from
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Elsewhere, there were few big early moves from top-flight clubs – although Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Newcastle all completed deals to strengthen their squads.
Paris St Germain boss Luis Enrique has admitted his team’s start to the season has not been good enough as they prepare to host Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.
PSG have won just two of their opening five league games and suffered their first defeat on Friday when they were beaten 3-2 at home by Nice, leaving the reigning champions three points behind leaders Monaco.
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…
Liverpool came back from a goal down against Southampton at St. Mary s to earn the three points they needed to keep their Premier League title hopes alive, as Takumi Minamino cancelled out Nathan Redmond s 13th-minute opener in the 27th, and Joel Matip struck the winner in the 67th.
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“While today is an extremely difficult day for me, it is also one filled with reflection and immense gratitude. Playing for and representing England has been the greatest honour.
“During my eight years as a Lioness, I’ve always pursued success and winning football matches, while playing and training with the highest standards of competition, passion and perseverance.
“It has been the greatest honour to represent my family, my team-mates and the entire country. I have a lot of incredible memories during my time with England that have been pivotal moments.
“Winning the EUROs and then reaching the World Cup Final changed a lot for me, not only as a footballer but as a person. I’m so fortunate that I’ve been able to share that with so many remarkable pe…