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Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper founded Eastside Golf in 2019 with the goal of creating a brand that opened doors and welcomed more people into the game that hasn’t always featured a lot of folks that look like them. The two alums of the Morehouse golf team started with the mantra “Be Authentic,” looking to create a brand that could not just sell in the golf space, but would allow more people to feel comfortable being there.

The phrase “grow the game” is often overused in the world of golf, with tournaments, sponsors, tours, and brands throwing it around with little substance to back it up. But it is truly at the heart of what Eastside Golf does, and they go about it in a few ways. One is creating a brand that people who aren’t from the traditional golf backgrounds can see themselves in and want to wear, which had to start with the logo and making sure the brand’s ethos shined through in it.

“When you think about a logo, you really think about the surroundings of that logo,” Ajanaku, who serves as the Creative Director, explained. “You take into account our logo, and you think about, what’s the surroundings on a … I’d say diverse gentleman, jeans, sweatshirt, and Cuban link chain, but he’s playing golf. I bet he has a very interesting story, you know? It’s a whole new way of seeing the golf realm, and truly growing from an aspect of a different lens. Early on, when we started this, our ‘Just Do It’ is ‘Be Authentic.’”

That logo quickly stood out in the golf space and resonated with a lot of people who haven’t always seen representation in the game of golf. Among them is former Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, who became an early investor in Eastside Golf after he began his own golf journey. Cruz picked up the game as his daughter started to play it, and felt an immediate connection to Eastside when he first saw the logo.

“The first time I saw the logo, the first time I saw some of the apparel, I saw myself in it. You know, I saw myself as the logo,” Cruz said. “I saw myself like, ‘Oh, that’s cool. I want to be able to embody that logo and be part of whatever that brings.’ I want to be part of that community that’s representing that logo and that can be like us. And I was like, okay, that is what’s going to encourage people. No matter what color you were — black, white, Spanish — you saw yourself, an inner city kid looking how you dressed in the moment, swinging a golf club. That’s cool.”

The challenge in truly growing the game of golf is finding ways to break down the many barriers of entry. The biggest of those is the cost of playing golf, from buying clubs to paying for rounds to even having apparel. Investment in public golf and municipal golf, which provides spaces to play and tend to be much more budget-friendly, is vital. The increase in sim golf options and interactive ranges like TopGolf have helped create more spaces for people to play and learn the game, stripping away some of the cost of entry by providing clubs to learn with and lowering the demands of traveling out to a course for those in the city.

However, the truth is that golf is a game of investment, both in terms of time and money. That means to truly grow the game, people have to want to spend both on golf, and that can only happen if they feel comfortable and welcomed. That is where Eastside Golf’s impact is at its largest. Creating clothes, shoes, and accessories people want to wear and have with them on and off the course is legitimately important to getting more people into the game. No one wants to stay in a space where they feel they don’t belong — much less invest as much time and money as golf requires — if they feel they have to become someone different at the course.

In their latest capsule, the tagline is “Everyone’s Game,” as Eastside focused on making something that allowed people to customize their look and add their own individual flair. The two shoes they designed with Nike, a Zoom Victory Tour and an Air Max 1 ’86 OG,’ come with interchangeable Swooshes of different colors and textures that give players the ability to change up their look from round to round. It’s the latest step in what has been a detailed journey for the brand, starting with their first shoe, a blue Jordan that was emblematic of the logo, through their Red Clay collection and then 1961 Change, which Ajakanu explained represented the move from the dirt to the grass. Now, it’s about making it “Everyone’s Game,” although they understand the work in creating that is only just beginning.

“When we get on the grass, that’s where we congregate everybody, and now it’s everyone’s game. Get everybody on the grass. Get everybody feeling comfortable about the game. And it was, honestly, a work in progress to get here,” Ajakanu said. “You can’t just come out and help as many people and have as many people understand what your goal is. It’s more of a work in progress. We’re still working in progress to affect change throughout the entire sport of golf. The more that we keep beating the drum and the louder that we get, the more verticals we’ll end up getting into. And that’s, most importantly, for us to grow. But then also, I would say most importantly for change in the purists in the game and a lot of non-golfers.”

Affecting change on a more tangible level is a more difficult challenge to address broadly, but Eastside golf has started with a group that is near and dear to their hearts: the Morehouse golf team. Giving back to the program that gave them opportunities in the game and giving the young men on the team the experiences they wanted to have, but didn’t have the resources for, is their mission.

To provide that, they’ve sought out partners that are willing to make that same commitment and think long-term about how to impact the game of golf, rather than swooping in for a one-off event or capsule to hit a benchmark or capitalize on the brand being hot. To ensure that’s the case, the philanthropy element is the starting point for Eastside when they talk with potential partners.

“When we get on partnership calls, I speak first,” Ajanaku explained. “Because I’m like, so this is Eastside Golf. What we’re about here is truly revolutionizing the game, and showing that changing the game can be shown through a different lens. Now the thing is, how we got here, Olajuwon and Earl, was somebody helping us, and truly putting forth that effort to show us that golf can be for us. Now, that’s one of our most important things. That’s one of our most important missions that we do. So I would start off by saying, philanthropy-wise, what does that look like for you? And that’s how literally we would start off partnership calls.”

That’s how their partnership with Mercedes-Benz came about in 2023, as the two found a natural pairing with common ground in the game of golf and in Atlanta, where Mercedes’ U.S. headquarters are located. As they began to talk, they found themselves aligned on that long-term mission in the game of golf, and began to work out how their partnership would take shape. For Mercedes, it allowed them to branch out to a different audience than the one they typically reach in the golf world, and provide a genuine opportunity to grow the game.

“We just were really excited about the freshness of the organization and their mission, and what they wanted to do,” Erica Bolden, head of Diversity and Inclusion at Mercedes-Benz, said. “And really nudging them to think about the opportunities and what can we do with long-term impact? So really pushing that mission. The value alignment, as far as what they’re doing to push boundaries in the organization and to increase accessibility to the sport. That was really exciting, of course, with me leading DEI efforts. And that is all about what that work is, right? So that was really exciting. And Monique [Harrison] and I just carving out what those opportunities could be for the brand alignment, not only for the visibility, as far as the Mercedes and Eastside Golf brands, but what the missions are doing.

“So really, to push the increased access, thinking about equity in the sport, the visibility of the brand. It’s perfect, especially as Mercedes-Benz, we’re trying to reach into younger, more diverse audiences. So it was great alignment. And then, of course, what we’re doing just as far as the next generation is concerned. Again, that’s the other part that was really uniquely aligned, as far as what Eastside Golf is doing to get younger folks involved into golf, and what we are trying to do as a brand, as far as access to education and empowering the next generation.”

For Eastside, working with Mercedes gave them a luxury brand partner with deep ties to the game of golf, most notably as one of the four main corporate partners of the Masters. That can open doors that would otherwise be shut, like this past year when they launched their women’s line at an event in Augusta for the 2024 Masters and were able to bring the Morehouse golf team down I-20 to Augusta National — a dream experience for any golfer, but particularly those in Atlanta.

In September, they put on the second annual Eastside Golf Invitational presented by Mercedes-Benz, which brought supporters of the brand out to Liberty National Golf Course for a tournament benefitting the Morehouse team. It was a celebration of the brand, the impact they’ve been able to have already, and the excitement for what is still to come, all while staying true to their mantra of “Be Authentic.” It’s not easy to put on a golf tournament and have sponsors, celebrities, and performances that feel natural to both the brand and being at a golf tournament, but Eastside managed to do just that.

The celebrities that came through, from Cruz to CC Sabathia to Anthony Anderson, weren’t there simply to make an appearance, but were there as earnest supporters of the brand, who wear it when they play at their home course. Anderson played with the Morehouse team, as Earl and Olajuwon continue to find ways to give them the experiences they would’ve loved to have had as young golfers. Fabolous rolled through for a performance at the after-party outside the Liberty National clubhouse, with Cooper serving as his hype man. For most brands and most charity tournaments, it would’ve felt like a forced and out of place appearance, but in this instance it felt, well, authentically Eastside Golf.

As we spoke two weeks removed from the tournament, Ajanaku had just one word on his mind as he reflected on the event.

“Man, honestly, just grateful,” he said. “I mean, at the end of the day, just grateful at having the opportunity. Because me and Earl remember what it was like growing up in the game [of golf] and what we wanted to see when we were growing up. And we have the opportunity to be that. To actually model that. And that’s for so many kids that look up to us. And so many kids that want to take up the game, or don’t think it’s cool, or just are inspired by the work ethic. At the end of the day, it don’t even have to be anything geared towards golf. So having the opportunity to influence, I’m grateful.”

Part of the challenge with the concept of “grow the game” is how daunting it can feel to impact change on a global sport. There are systemic changes that need to be made to fully open the game up that can’t be tackled by a single brand, but what they can do, and what they’ve identified as their opportunity, is to make that tangible impact on a local level and scaling that up when possible. As Eastside Golf looks forward to the next chapter, they have aspirations of expanding their reach in the college golf space beyond Morehouse and HBCUs, to find more ways to open up opportunities for young golfers. They are exploring partnerships with the PGA, USGA, and LPGA to try and create some of that systemic change.

And then there is the more abstract change that is where they can have a broader impact. As a brand, creating something unique in the golf space that allows more people to be comfortable as themselves on the golf course. That’s the way golf becomes something for people from all backgrounds, by showing there is space in the golf community for everyone and that you can be your authentic self on the course.

Uproxx was invited on a hosted trip for reporting on this piece. Mercedes-Benz and Eastside Golf did not review or approve this story. You can find out more about our policy on press trips/hostings here.

Ariana Grande just turned in a terrific Saturday Night Live hosting stint this past weekend. Among the highlights was the bridesmaids speech sketch (check it out above), in which Grande and other cast members sing a parody of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” The new lyrics reveal, much to the groom’s dismay, that the bride cheated during the bachelorette party.

For the sketch, Grande was playing a person who’s not an Ariana Grande-level singer, so she intentionally sung poorly. Carpenter used that as her hook to react to the SNL shout-out.

On her Instagram Story, Carpenter shared a clip from the sketch and wrote, “very nice and on pitch.” Grande then shared Carpenter’s post and responded, “tysm we tried.”

Grande wasn’t the episode’s musical guest (that was Stevie Nicks), but she still got to flex her vocal chops (and her killer Celine Dion impression) in a sketch. The bit, playing off of real-life Dion’s recent Sunday Night Football promo, sees Grande-as-Dion hilariously promoting the bloody combat of the UFC. Grande also gets the chance to sing, and given her natural vocal abilities, she’s one of the few people on Earth who can pull off a Dion vocal impersonation as well as Grande did here. As one YouTube commenter summarized, “You know the host is good when they have their own solo sketch.”

Check out the bridesmaids sketch above and the UFC bit below.

The NBA season is nearly upon us, and optimism is at its peak around the league. Once the games begin, those feelings will change for some teams, as they’ll start to look at their roster and come to the conclusion that it isn’t ready to get them where they want to go. Whether that’s title contention, the Playoffs and Play-In chase, or the race for lottery numbers, every team’s front office will start to evaluate their roster and what moves need to be made to get them on track for their goals.

Each team’s front office will work the phones and see what’s out there for them, although some will be far more aggressive than others in shopping particular players. Coming into the season, we know some of the names that will show up on the trade market, because they were already being discussed this summer (or last deadline … or even the deadline before that). Others will be newly introduced to trade talks, whether for basketball or financial reasons, and with that in mind we thought we’d take a look at each team’s roster to try and figure out the player most likely to get dealt.

That does, of course, mean there’s a spectrum here and we’re not saying all of these players are on their way out. For some teams, it’s pretty easy as you just follow the breadcrumb trail of rumors over the past year to find the name that keeps coming up. For others, there’s not an obvious answer — and some (see: Boston, Minnesota, Denver, etc.) it’s hard to imagine them making a deal at all — but we tried to figure out who could end up in talks depending on how the season shakes out.

Atlanta Hawks: Clint Capela

The Hawks have been trying to trade Capela and De’Andre Hunter for a couple years now, and I think both remain very available. However, Capela on an expiring contract is far more likely to be the guy traded than Hunter with three years left on his deal. There are a handful of contenders that could decide they need a rim protector and lob finisher inside and make the call to bring in Capela, with the Hawks happy to look to the future and Onyeka Okongwu.

Boston Celtics: Payton Pritchard

I’d like to preface this with saying I’d be pretty shocked if Boston made any trades this season, and they clearly value Pritchard and what he brings to this team. That said, financially speaking, he’s the guy that makes the most sense if they decided they needed to make a move to shore up their roster somewhere else. There are two guys not in their starting five that make more than the minimum, Pritchard and Al Horford, and with Kristaps Porzingis’ health concerns (and Horford’s status as a generally beloved presence in Boston), I can’t see a world where they move on from him. That leaves Pritchard as the main option if they decide they need to make a real rotation upgrade this season. Again, I don’t think they have any interest in moving Pritchard and the most likely scenario is they run it back in full to try and repeat.

Brooklyn Nets: Dorian Finney-Smith

I’d probably put DFS in the top spot on a list of the players most likely to be traded in the entire NBA this season. He is a quality veteran role player on an expiring contract on a team that is actively trying to lose as many games as possible. If he’s still on the roster by January it would be fairly surprising, and it’d be downright shocking if he’s in Brooklyn past the trade deadline.

Charlotte Hornets: Grant Williams

Williams was pretty good for Charlotte after simply not fitting in Dallas and getting traded at the deadline. If he gets off to a similar start to his second season with the Hornets, I could see some teams needing help at the forward spot giving Charlotte a call about his services. The Hornets should still be focused on their future and making decisions with an eye towards building around LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller for years to come. Perhaps Williams fits into that plan, but if he plays well and others are interested, the Hornets will at least have to seriously listen to offers.

Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine

Both the Bulls and LaVine would like to make a trade happen, but they need one of the other 29 teams to be interested in taking on his salary. They couldn’t find one this summer, but if LaVine plays well and stays healthy, by February there could be some interest. With all the caveats about preseason not meaning much, he did look good in his preseason debut and there’s perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel for both LaVine and the Bulls in his seemingly never-ending status on the trade block.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Caris LeVert

LeVert is the only significant expiring contract on the Cavs, and while they don’t have much in the way of draft capital to attach in a deal to bring in some help if they decide they need it, LeVert and second round picks might get them an upgrade from a non-playoff team if they wanted it. With Jarrett Allen getting an extension, it’s hard to see them moving anyone from their core group during this season, and they seem pretty well determined to give that quartet one more run at it with a new head coach before making any major changes. That said, should they have another early playoff exit, a more dramatic move might be on the table this summer.

Dallas Mavericks: Maxi Kleber

The Mavs have focused much of their effort on improving their frontcourt in recent years, drafting Derek Lively II and trading for PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, which has lessened their reliance on longtime veterans Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber. Kleber still makes $11 million per year, and if the Mavs were to try to make another midseason trade as they did a year ago — this time to upgrade their backcourt or wing rotation — Kleber makes the most sense as the salary going out as a guy who has been moved more to the periphery of the rotation.

Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr.

If the Nuggets are going to make a trade, unless it’s shuffling deck chairs by way of swapping minimum deals somewhere, they’re going to need to send out some salary. Perhaps that’s Aaron Gordon if they can’t work out an extension in time and he indicates he will leave in free agency, but all signs point to him either getting a deal done or at least giving them a good chance to bring him back next summer. If that’s the case, Michael Porter Jr. is, by far, the player that allows the Nuggets to take the biggest swing in a trade.

His fit between Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (who they just gave a max extension) hasn’t been perfect, although he has taken strides defensively and as an off-ball player to make it work, particularly in their title year. That said, it’s fair to wonder if Porter is being maximized in Denver and if the role they need him to play is worth the Nuggets paying him what he makes. He’s got three more years on his deal, and the financial crunch is coming soon for a Denver team that’s never been particularly keen on spending a ton — hence the departure of KCP this summer. If there were a team out there that sees MPJ as the kind of scorer they need as a No. 2 option, perhaps Denver would explore flipping him to bring in a couple high-end role players that could fill depth needs and provide a bit more future cap flexibility.

Detroit Pistons: Malik Beasley

Beasley signed a one-year deal with Detroit worth $6 million, and seems like a prime candidate to be a deadline target for a team needing shooting. If he can back up his shooting performance last year, there will be teams looking to add some bench firepower calling Detroit about his services. The Pistons are looking to take strides forward this season, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be willing to part with some of their veterans at the deadline and Beasley seems like one of the guys most likely to finish the season elsewhere.

Golden State Warriors: Moses Moody

The Warriors need a consolidation trade in the worst way, and Moody is the guy most in need of a change of scenery and some real opportunity. It’s clear he just doesn’t have the full trust of Steve Kerr, at least not enough to move up the rotation over a handful of veteran wings on the Warriors roster. Golden State boasts a ton of depth, but is in need of taking their roster that has 12 guys deserving of minutes and finding a way to turn a couple guys into an upgrade for playoff depth when rotations shrink. Moody has talent and I could see a team in the middle-to-bottom of the standings being very happy to add him as an upside play for the long-term to help the Warriors with their short-term goals.

Houston Rockets: Dillon Brooks

Speaking of rosters begging for a consolidation trade, the Rockets have a ton of interesting young players and not enough minutes for all of them — with big extension and contract decisions due starting this year. Their goal is to be a playoff contender right now, and while they’re hoping for some internal leaps to get there, they also are very much in play for any star that could come available. Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Jae’Sean Tate are all due for new contracts in the next two years, and I don’t think Houston is sure just yet which of those players are firm parts of their core group. Depending on how they start this year, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear rumblings about any of those guys. I also wouldn’t be surprised to hear about any of Green, Sengun, or Smith Jr. becoming untouchable.

The trick for Houston is, if the goal is to bring in a star caliber player — which was what they tried to do last year in pursuing Mikal Bridges — none of those guys make enough money to make that happen. That brings us to Dillon Brooks, whose contract was seemingly designed to get traded eventually, as he has three years left on his deal worth $63 million but it’s structured as a descending deal that pays him less each season. Brooks was solid for the Rockets last year, but certainly isn’t a core piece for the team and his $22 million salary would pair nicely with one or two of their young guys to help match money on a star.

Indiana Pacers: Jarace Walker

The Pacers are in on winning right now, and while I like Jarace Walker’s potential, he was buried on the bench last year and I’m not sure that changes much this season, especially after the team gave Obi Toppin a new contract this offseason. The Pacers are going to be one of those teams that needs to add some center depth this year, as it is bleak behind Myles Turner right now, and Walker could intrigue a team looking to add a young player with upside that has a veteran big man they’re willing to part with.

Los Angeles Clippers: Norman Powell

PJ Tucker is the obvious answer here as he’s literally not going to be with the team until they trade him or buy him out, but I’m a bit skeptical they’re going to find a trade partner for him before the deadline because of his salary. If the Clippers are going to make a bigger move, Powell is the guy that makes the most sense because he’s got the contract (~$20 million) with just one more year after this, and he has production to match that deal to where they could actually get some value in return from a team needing a scorer. With Terance Mann getting extended and seemingly the starting two guard, Powell is still in that sixth man role when he clearly believes he’s a starter (he literally said as much at media day). Perhaps there’s a team out there that agrees and needs his kind of scoring pop more than the Clippers, who are still building the ship around James Harden and Kawhi Leonard as their offensive hubs.

Los Angeles Lakers: D’Angelo Russell

Maybe it’s Rui instead, but Russell is on an expiring and has been in trade rumors for a full year (and, in all honesty, for almost his entire career). I will forever be skeptical of this Lakers front office making the all-in move that sends away their picks, but if they’re going to do that, Russell almost has to be part of it (perhaps alongside Hachimura) to make the money work and the Lakers have already proven they’re willing to shop him.

Memphis Grizzlies: Brandon Clarke

I have no idea what the Grizzlies are going to do this year, both on the court and in terms of transactions. I could see them looking at this as a bit of an evaluation year, as it’s been more than a year since we saw this team all together and now they’ve got a few different pieces. On the other hand, this is a team that was a contender two years ago and thinks it should bounce back to that status this season. If they are not playing at the level they want by the deadline, I could see them looking at their options. Clarke is an intriguing player, but his fit with this current Grizzlies roster isn’t crystal clear. There are a lot of things he is good at, but for what this Memphis team needs, I’m not sure he’s the best fit being a 6’8 rim protecting power forward that doesn’t space the floor. As such, if they decide they need to find more shooting and floor-spacing, Clarke could be an intriguing option for a team that could use his talents as a lob threat and help-side defender more than Memphis, provided he shows he’s back close to full strength coming off an Achilles injury.

Miami Heat: Duncan Robinson

If things really go south with Jimmy Butler, and Jimmy decides to Jimmy it up, you can probably put his name in here. Instead, we’ll go with Robinson, who the Heat have seemingly been trying to trade forever and whose contract (two years and a little less than $40 million remaining, although he has an Early Termination Option for next year) is pretty palatable. If they can find a big deal, he has the kind of deal that can easily make the money work.

Milwaukee Bucks: Pat Connaughton

If the Bucks make a trade to add some reinforcements around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the really appealing thing would be their unprotected 2031 first-round pick. But to make the money work, some combination of Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Connaughton have to go out the door. Lopez is particularly important to what Milwaukee does and Portis, while part of trade talks last year, is one of the Bucks emotional leaders. Connaughton — whose deal has two years and $18.8 million left on it with a player option for next year — has likewise been rumored to have been shopped recently by the Bucks, and seems like he’s the most likely to go.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Julius Randle

Minnesota already made their major trade by sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks, so it’s hard to see them making another major move. Randle, who they got back in that deal, can’t get packaged in a trade with other players until late November, which gives Minnesota plenty of time to figure out how he fits into their team and whether he fits into their long-term vision. He’s a good player, but one whose fit might be a little clunky next to Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. A player option for next year worth $30.9 million might be a risk other teams don’t want to take, and most of the Wolves’ draft capital is second-round picks, so the more likely option is they stand pat. But if they swing for the fences, Randle is the guy to monitor.

New Orleans Pelicans: Brandon Ingram

There was a ton of chatter this offseason about Ingram getting moved if the right deal came along for a lead guard. They got the lead guard in Dejounte Murray, but without moving Ingram. Now, the team has a gigantic hole at center, and Ingram is going into the year without the contract extension he covets. It’s one of the more interesting things in the league to watch play out, especially considering the contract negotiations going on right now in New Orleans with Trey Murphy.

New York Knicks: Precious Achiuwa

The tough thing with the Knicks is they already made their big moves this offseason, as they acquired Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. As such, we’ll go with Achiuwa, who has a chance to put up some big numbers in the months before Mitchell Robinson (another possible answer here) comes back from injury. He can’t get traded until December since he signed a deal this past offseason, but once that restriction lifts, perhaps the Knicks can move him for someone who won’t be a free agent this upcoming summer.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Aaron Wiggins

The Thunder have a ton of picks and a ton of players on really nice deals they can move around if they see a chance to upgrade their roster in a big way. We’ll pick one of them for this spot, as Wiggins is a nice 3-and-D player on an incredibly tradeable deal (he signed a 5-year, $47 million extension this offseason) that can help balance out the financial side of things. Oklahoma City has a ton of guys in his spot, and maybe someone else gets moved if they want to make a trade.

Orlando Magic: Goga Bitadze

Another player on a deal that should be easy to move, Bitadze is an effective center and one of the league’s best offensive rebounders who returned to the Magic this summer on a 3-year, $25 million contract. Orlando doesn’t seem to be in any rush to make a big trade, but if that comes about, Bitadze’s contract is really palatable and he’s shown he can help a team as part of a center rotation. The Magic have a ton of solid frontcourt guys, and if they decide to try and consolidate some of that, Bitadze figures to be more likely to get moved than Mo Wagner, who is the brother of one of Orlando’s two top stars.

Philadelphia 76ers: KJ Martin

Three words: Human trade exception. The Sixers gave Martin a 2-year, $16 million deal this offseason that fits very nicely into any potential trade they might try to pull off to bolster their team around Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. With how Daryl Morey is constantly tinkering, it seems safe to say that Martin getting moved for reinforcements is a matter of when, not if.

Phoenix Suns: Josh Okogie

Good luck trying to figure out what a trade involving the Suns looks like. We put Okogie down because he’s 26 and on a 2-year descending deal worth $16 million, but he also makes the least amount of money in the group of guys (himself, Jusuf Nurkic, Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen) who could balance the books on a deal. Still, maybe another team wants to get stingier on the wing and wants Okogie’s defensive tenacity.

Portland Trail Blazers: Robert Williams

Drafting Donovan Clingan makes this seem like a foregone conclusion. Williams is a very good player on a far more palatable deal than Deandre Ayton, but he has to stay healthy. If he can (and he’s already banged up so that’s a big if), we think that teams that a hungry for rim protection at center should over themselves to try and bring him on board.

Sacramento Kings: Kevin Huerter

Sacramento has a bit of a logjam on the wing now that DeMar DeRozan is here. While Huerter’s shooting is a valuable skill — he still shot 36.1 percent from deep during a down year last year — he saw his minutes and role decrease last year. Plus, he’s on a good deal over the next two years (he’s owed about $35 million) and teams are always looking for shooting. There’s a home for him somewhere in the league if Sacramento decides to move him in their quest to climb in the West’s standings.

San Antonio Spurs: Keldon Johnson

The big question with the Spurs is one of direction, and how serious they are about taking a big step forward this year. If they’re still trying to learn about what they have, standing pat with this roster makes sense. But between his reasonable, descending contract and how he saw his role decrease last year, Johnson would be a smart guy for opposing teams to try and poach, and an interesting player for the Spurs to dangle if they want to try and add more established talent around Victor Wembanyama.

Toronto Raptors: Bruce Brown

Seeing how close Toronto came last trade deadline to moving Brown — who they acquired in the Pascal Siakam trade last year — and how he doesn’t really fit their timeline, we’re willing to bet he gets moved here. He’s an unrestricted free agent after this year, too, so a team with championship aspirations that feels they are only one guy away should try to bring him on board.

Utah Jazz: Jordan Clarkson

Clarkson has been great for Utah over the years. But he’s 32, the Jazz keep getting younger, he doesn’t make a ton of money (about $14 million each of the next two years), and the way he can add some juice to an offense off the bench should make him incredibly appealing to contenders. It makes sense for Utah to move him, too, as those are minutes that can go to youngsters like Cody Williams and Brice Sensabaugh, and we all know Danny Ainge loves to wheel and deal.

Washington Wizards: Kyle Kuzma

Kuzma makes $22.5 million this year, $21.5 million next year, and $19.4 million the year after that. For a big wing who doesn’t make a ton of sense on a rebuilding Wizards team, that’s the exact sort of deal (and the exact sort of player) that good teams which have to get creative with how they approach the second apron should try to acquire. After staying in Washington despite deadline rumblings last season, we’ll see if someone meets the Wizards asking price this year.

Over the past week, Ethel Cain has been teasing something on her Instagram with eerie photos. It turns out it’s good news: Cain is releasing a new album. Perverts, the follow-up to Preacher’s Daughter (one of the best albums of 2022), is out on January 8, 2025. It will be preceded by first single, “Punish,” on November 1. You can see the artwork here.

Cain previously spoke to Mad Men and Longlegs star Kiernan Shipka for Interview about working on new music post–Preacher’s Daughter, now that she’s a big name in the indie community. “It’s been really fun. When that first big project of yours comes out, it’s like, ‘Okay, this is my debut to the world. Are people going to receive it well?’ I was stressed about making something that I felt had artistic integrity, but that would also be palatable to people.”

She continued, “I’m excited to push it farther into the direction that I’ve always wanted to go, which is 10- to 20-minute songs just drenched in reverb, so slow, and super repetitive. I have a huge affinity for slowcore and ambient music, so I’m excited to take a step in that direction. I feel a bit more confident doing that and less worried about what people will think.”

We’ve been in Charli XCX’s Brat era for a while now, and it seemed like the recently released remix album Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat would cap it off. Well, not quite: Today (October 14), Charli unveiled yet another Brat remix. This time, it’s Kesha joining in on an update of Brat And It’s The Same But There’s Three More Songs So It’s Not bonus track “Spring Breakers” (officially titled “Spring Breakers Featuring Kesha”).

Despite the widespread popularity of Brat, Charli didn’t think it’d be popular. In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, she spoke about her decision to go with the basic-but-iconic, text-only, green album cover art, saying, “Where the actual first idea of doing a text cover came from was to save money. I was like, ‘This album is not going to appeal to a lot of people.’ I was like, ‘I think I will do a press shoot and maybe save on the album cover.’”

Kesha, meanwhile, is working on a new album, and she’s pretty high on it.

Listen to “Spring Breakers Featuring Kesha” above.

Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat is out now via Atlantic. Find more information here.

Imagine buying your perfect home with Zillow’s help and having hip-hop and R&B icon T-Pain stop by as your first houseguest. For first-time homebuyers Lex and Hannah, that dream scenario became a reality when UPROXX partnered with Zillow to throw the couple the ultimate housewarming party.

In the video above, the pair share their home-buying journey, one that began when Lex went on Zillow shortly after the couple got married. After browsing the market and finding the perfect place in their hometown of Austin, TX, Lex connected with a Zillow Premier Agent partner and a Zillow Home Loans Officer to help them get the home.

“Making it a one-stop shop the way Zillow has in their app just freed us up tremendously to live our lives in the interim,” Lex explains with Hannah adding, “Honestly, it was insane to me that we used Zillow from beginning to end.” But the excitement of buying their first home didn’t end once Lex and Hannah closed. The couple’s Zillow team showed up with an unexpected guest as a housewarming surprise, proving move-in days are even better when GRAMMY award-winning artist T-Pain drops by.

The artist headlined an intimate concert for Lex, Hannah, and their closest friends as guests enjoyed local fare and wore out the DIY dance floor on the happy couple’s backyard.

Watch the video above to learn more about the couple’s homebuying experience with Zillow and stay tuned for T-Pain’s performance Live From The Backyard in our upcoming second episode.

Olivia Rodrigo has a scary moment on stage at a recent Australian stop of the Guts World Tour, but fortunately, she’s alright.

Fan-shot videos like this one show Rodrigo running around the stage and pumping up the crowd. Then, she accidentally ran into a lowered part of the stage, catching herself on the edge of the hole with her arms. The moment got a big gasp from the audience, but Rodrigo quickly put anybody’s fears to rest, cheerfully saying as she emerged from the hole, “Oh my god, that was fun! I’m OK! Woah! Sometimes there’s just a hole in the stage. That’s alright!”

Rodrigo continued the fun after the show, using the video to take part in the “subtle foreshadowing” trend that’s taking over TikTok right now, in which a seemingly innocent video is frequently interrupted by split-second clips of something unexpected that happens later in the original video.

As for things going well with the Guts World Tour, Rodrigo recently announced she has a concert film on the way. The concert special is coming to Netflix on October 29 and Rodrigo said in a statement, “I am so excited to share the Guts World Tour with my fans. For those of you who didn’t get a chance to rock out in-person, now you can have the best seats in the house! And to the fans who cheered, screamed, and danced with me, I am so glad we get to do it all over again!”

BTS is largely credited with bringing K-pop to the forefront of American pop culture and remains a phenomenon worldwide, even four years after the release of their most recent album, 2020’s Be. Since then, its members have been completing their compulsory military service, and all of its members, save one, have released their own solo albums. The last member to do so is the group’s eldest, Jin, who announced his solo debut album Happy today, one month before its release date (November 15). He previously released the single “The Astronaut” to a warm reception from both fans and critics.

Per a press release from BigHit, the group’s label and talent agency, “Jin reveals his honest thoughts and feelings on what happiness means to him in the hopes that those who listen to the album will also find joy. Happy is a genuine, heartwarming gesture that invites listeners to join him on a journey to find happiness, offering them a sense of strength and comfort in their day-to-day lives.”

진 (Jin) ‘Happy’

2024.11.15. 2PM (KST) | 0AM (ET)#진 #Jin #Jin_Happy pic.twitter.com/3tLYNvN7sE

— BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) October 14, 2024

In June, Jin became the first BTS member to complete his enlistment, with the group reuniting to celebrate him with flowers outside the base. During his enlistment, fans sent so many letters that BigHit released a statement asking them to chill out — something most K-pop fans have no concept of to this day. That could end up being a good thing for Jin on November 15, which could see his debut do big numbers — but not as big as the group’s inevitable reunion in 2025.

Happy is due on 11/15 via BigHit.

Megan Thee Stallion doesn’t need a “weird” biopic to be interesting. Her life is fascinating enough as is, and it will all be on display in a new documentary.

Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words is described as offering “unprecedented access to the multi-faceted woman behind the persona.” It follows the Houston rapper’s journey “on the road to stardom as she tenaciously navigates fame, grief, pressure, and success. The documentary unpacks Megan’s most vulnerable moments in a powerful way that allows fans to meet the real Megan Pete.”

When Will Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words Be On Prime Video?

It hits Prime Video on October 31.

Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words is directed by Nneka Onuorah, who won an Emmy for her work on Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls. “I feel so honored to work with Amazon MGM Studios, Roc Nation, and TIME Studios to share Megan’s story,” Onuorah said in a statement. “Her raw and beautiful spirit really shines through in the film. She is a champion for all women who deserve their truth to be heard.”

Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words continues Megan Thee Stallion’s huge 2024. She released a No. 1 single “Hiss,” hosted the MTV Video Music Awards (and won Best Trending Video for “Mamushi” and Best Art Direction for “Boa”), and sold out arenas on her Hot Girl Summer Tour.

The Detroit Lions lost a high-profile game to the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the regular season last year on a controversial decision by the referees to wipe a successful two-point conversion off the board. Some hard feelings must’ve lingered from that game, because on Sunday, the Lions beat the hell out of the Cowboys in Dallas. Behind nearly 500 yards of total offense and a dominant display from their defense, Detroit picked up an emphatic, 47-9 win that makes clear they are one of the teams to beat in the NFC.

After the game, the fine folks with the Lions’ social media team were feeling themselves a bit. During the game, the official account for AT+T Stadium celebrated the fact that 93,644 people attended the game — an impressive number, for sure. But there was a catch: They blurred out the score, which the Lions noted and pounced on.

How anyone on the stadium’s social media team thought this would not backfire in this specific way is unclear, but kudos to the Lions for seeing an opportunity to get in on what was a pretty bad day for the Cowboys. With the win, Detroit moved to 4-1 on the year, while the Cowboys fell to 3-3 ahead of a stretch that features games against the Niners, Falcons, Eagles, and Texans.