Warriors G Stephen Curry has agreed to a five-year, $201M extension – the "richest contract in league history." Curry, repped by Octagon's Jeff Austin, is the "first NBA star who will sign a supermax contract," crossing a $200M threshold that "eventually will become the norm for the NBA's biggest superstars." The Warriors will "finalize the contract once the free-agency moratorium ends Thursday" (ESPN.com, 7/1). Curry has been the "biggest bargain in sports for the past four seasons," and has "had his big payday coming." He has "helped make everyone around him rich" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/2). 

The NBA salary cap for next season is $99,093,000 and the luxury tax line is $119,266,000, which are "slight decreases according to league projections in April." The "minimum team salary" for '17-18 is $89,184,000, which is "90% of the salary cap" (USATODAY.com, 7/1).

Meanwhile, LeBron James is "not actively recruiting free agents" on behalf of the Cavaliers as the franchise "zeros in on its targets." James' approach is a "departure from his conduct in the past" (ESPN.com, 7/1).

Thunder Exec VP & GM Sam Presti "pulled off a stunner Friday night" with a trade for Pacers F Paul George that "trumped even the Rockets' acquisition" of G Chris Paul on Wednesday. Presti "did the impossible" in finding a "reasonable facsimile" for departed F Kevin Durant. The Thunder "landed short-term boom for possible long-term bust." George has said that he would "like to be a Laker, his hometown team, and next summer George can be a free agent" (OKLAHOMAN, 7/1). The Thunder are "willing to take the gamble as they enter into the prime years" of G Russell Westbrook's career (ESPN.com, 6/30).

It is an "out-of-the-blue move for Presti, who's become known for them" (OKLAHOMAN, 7/1). The "out-of-nowhere trade" puts the Thunder "back among the Western Conference elite with a chance to make this a long-term proposition" (USATODAY.com, 7/1). ESPN.com goes with the header, "OKC Gambles On Paul George And Wins A Trade" (ESPN.com, 7/1). Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard was "going to be fleeced by whoever acquired George, because the Pacers had no leverage." But did the Indiana team "have to lose this badly?" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/1)

Derek Jeter "finally has the financial backing to execute his bid" for the Marlins, according to sources. Jeter reportedly "now has Wall Street money lined up" – though whether MLB "sees him as a serious 'control guy' is another question." Sources said that among the potential ownership groups, MasTec co-Founder & Chair Jorge Mas has the "biggest firepower and is the most likely to win the bidding," though the Jeter group is Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria's "favored pick." Loria is "expected to make a decision by the end of the month" (NYPOST.com, 7/2).

A federal lawsuit that "sought to block" $34.5M in public funding for Little Caesars Arena and a new Pistons HQ "has been dropped." The lawsuit was "initially filed June 1" by activist litigant Robert Davis and Detroit City Clerk candidate D. Etta Wilcoxon, who "argued the project should not be funded with public dollars without a vote of Detroit residents." A notice was submitted yesterday to "voluntarily dismiss the case" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/2). Another lawsuit "pending against Detroit's school board ultimately will decide whether voters should have a say in taxpayer-backed bonds being used" on the arena project (DETROIT NEWS, 7/2).

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero 400 before an "estimated crowd of 70,000" at Daytona Int'l Speedway yesterday. The hour or so leading up to the race’s start was a "mix of the usual Fourth of July ceremonies along with heavy attention" on Dale Earnhardt Jr., who started on the pole (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 7/2). Earnhardt "finished his full-time" career at Daytona with a "ride to the infield care center after a crash left his car too damaged to continue" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 7/2). It was "Junior's night." There were "flags for the No. 88 car all over the infield" and as "many Earnhardt flags as American ones" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/2).

We can't thank @DaleJr enough for what he's done for the sport & @DISupdates!

We're proud to present a painting celebrating his wins here! pic.twitter.com/Ci4z9YIeou

— Daytona IntlSpeedway (@DISupdates) June 30, 2017

MLB yesterday sent a memo yesterday to all 30 clubs "detailing the rigorous testing process its balls undergo, and concluding that 'there is no evidence that the composition of the ball has changed in any way.'" The league has been "stung by a rising level of consternation and suspicion regarding the composition of its baseballs." A USA TODAY story on Friday "cited 12 players, coaches and managers who strongly believe the baseballs are sailing abnormally off the bat, whether due to a production flaw or other intervention to possibly stimulate home runs." MLB is "on track to obliterate the home run record" set in '00, the "height of the so-called steroid era" (USATODAY.com, 7/1).

Red Sox manager John Farrell, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and P David Price "met before Friday night’s game over an incident in which Price verbally confronted NESN analyst Dennis Eckersley on the team flight from Boston to Toronto after Thursday night’s game." It was the "second such incident between Price and a media member." Price had "just pitched well in a 6-3 win over the Twins," but "apparently something didn't sit well with him." Eckersley "seemed glowing in his analysis of Price’s outing" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/1). No Red Sox player is "going to win a hissing contest with Eckersley," a Baseball HOFer and the "most refreshing color commentator" in the Boston market (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/2).

The USMNT yesterday defeated Ghana 2-1 in front of a "festive holiday weekend crowd at Rentschler Field" in East Hartford, Conn., which "totaled 28,494." It was the "third-largest crowd" for the USMNT at Rentschler Field, behind former USMNT F Landon Donovan's farewell game in '14 (36,625) and the 36,000 in attendance for the '10 World Cup send-off game against Czech Republic (HARTFORD COURANT, 7/2).

MLB tonight at 7:00pm ET will announce the All-Star Game rosters, which are "slightly smaller now, down to 32 per team." That will make for "more snubs," since "every team still must be represented." The game is on July 11 in Miami (NYTIMES.com, 7/1).

Charlie Sheen sold the 1919 contract of Babe Ruth's sale from the Red Sox to the Yankees for $2,303,320, and sold Ruth's '27 World Series ring for $2,093,927. The "opening bid on each item was $100,000" (LATIMES.com, 7/1). 

The Univ. of Tennessee-Chattanooga "hired a search firm and put together a 12-person committee tasked with hiring" a new AD. Atlanta-based Parker Executive Search has been "awarded the responsibility of guiding the process" to replace David Blackburn (TIMESFREEPRESS.com, 7/1).

"Vladimir Putin has invited me. I may only not be used as a referee, but everything else is possible" – Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who plans to attend the '18 World Cup in Russia while serving a FIFA ban from soccer-related duties (REUTERS, 7/2).

"It was not cheap. It was a very expensive production" – An unnamed Clippers exec, on a video that appeared on the Staples Center scoreboard in an effort to help lure Blake Griffin to re-sign with the team (L.A. TIMES, 7/1).

"I'm going with my comrade, Jeff O'Neill. The biggest reason why? There's so much to see" – TSN's Pierre McGuire, in a "cringe-tastic" moment during a discussion among a panel of hockey analysts about which of them would be a good model for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/1).

So tell me again why there's a cap on how much a player should get?? Don't answer that. Steph should be getting 400M this summer 5yrs. #JMTs https://t.co/jMYfI0umWK

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 1, 2017

LeBron is right: The super elite players are significantly underpaid, when you consider how much value they have to the NBA/teams.

— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixYS) July 1, 2017

Dam 200 mil. I'll b happy when they start giving football players what they deserve

— Shane Ray (@StingRay56) July 1, 2017

Sources close to Andre Iguodala reporting agreed to terms to return to the bay....

— Andre Iguodala (@andre) July 2, 2017

On Monday NFL Network will televise Ja’Marr Chase and Jordyn Adams announcing their college decisions. First time NFLN has done recruiting.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) June 30, 2017

There's a lot of people at @NIKEBASEBALL to thank for bringing the NIKE Force Zoom Trout 4's to the field!!

A post shared by Mike Trout (@miketrout) on Jun 30, 2017 at 7:00am PDT

The L.A. TIMES' Bill Shaikin pens several pieces on diversity in MLB front offices. In one, he argues, "The gulf between the faces who play the sport and the faces who run the sport has never been wider. And under its current strategy, the numbers could get worse before they get better." In another, he notes MLB is "emphasizing the recruitment and promotion of women." Meanwhile, NEWSDAY's Barbara Baker writes under the header, "Major Sports Leagues Long Overdue For A Female GM."

Elsewhere: 

• Stories that shaped Vegas sports: What if T-Mobile Arena was built earlier?
• Does QB Colin Kaepernick have "any legal recourse" against NFL?
• Wimbledon marks 50 years since pros began competing in tournament.
• BIG3 organizers look to maintain momentum after league's hot start.
• How former NBA reserve Ekpe Udoh became a cult hero in Turkey.