NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 15: Reed Sheppard #15 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates in the first … [+] half against the Texas A&M Aggies during the quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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After weeks of rumor-fueled speculation, the Houston Rockets landed their man with the third overall pick: Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard. It was believed that Houston could take Connecticut big man Donovan Clingan or trade down in an asset grab out of the third slot altogether, but once they were on the clock, it was ultimately Sheppard’s name that was called to the podium.
Sheppard, the most recent addition to Houston’s impressive core of first round lottery talent, is a 6’3 sharpshooter who shot a blistering 52% from long distance during his freshman season at Kentucky. He’ll eventually spread the floor for a Rockets team which was one of the worst shooting units in the entire league last season and had an overall anemic offense. The Rockets boasted a top ten defense for the entirety of the year.
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Of course, Houston only had the pick as a result of the 2021 blockbuster trade which sent James Harden to Brooklyn. The pick was originally projected to be ninth but leapfrogged others at the lottery drawing. The Rockets swapped future obligations owed by Brooklyn in 2026 and 2027 on Tuesday night as part of a larger trade which brought back swaps and picks into the future from the Phoenix Suns. Houston is betting big on a Suns implosion.
Sheppard joins a crowded Rockets backcourt which features veteran guard Fred VanVleet and fourth year shooting guard Jalen Green, now eligible for a contract extension. Sophomore guards Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore will see extended minutes off the bench. It’s unlikely at the moment that Sheppard will initially play a major role in the Rockets’ rotation though he could serve as a replacement for journeyman guard Aaron Holiday.
VanVleet, signed to a three year, $128.54 million last offseason has a club option on his contract in 2025-2026 when he will be owed $44.89 million. If Sheppard develops as hoped, the Rockets could decline the option and part ways with VanVleet, opening up extensive room under the salary cap. Sheppard, like VanVleet, brings a change of pace to Houston’s backcourt, with his shooting and playmaking prowess. He will also be under contract for four full seasons upon signing his rookie scale contract.
Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards has ruled against a motion made by three Jewish women seeking to challenge Kentucky’s abortion ban on religious grounds.
In a 9-page Friday night opinion, Edwards wrote the women do not have standing and that their concerns are “hypothetical.”
Citing several precedential cases, the judge said the issue was not yet a concrete problem and lacked “ripeness.”
“Individuals cannot manufacture standing merely by inflicting harm on themselves based on their fears of hypothetical future harm that is not certainly impending,” Edwards wrote.
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Louisville judge hears arguments in Jewish women’s challenge of Kentucky’s abortion ban
Therefore, he wrote, “plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate the existence of a justiciable controversy as defined by generations of case law.”
This comes more than a month after the judge heard oral arguments, which heavily focused on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the extent to which it overlaps with the state’s abortion ban.
One of the plaintiffs has nine frozen embryos that she’s paying thousands of dollars annually to preserve, just as Kentucky lawmakers are split on what protections exist for IVF in the state.
The women’s lawyers — Benjamin Potash and Aaron Kemper — argued that by banning most abortions, Kentucky had imposed and codified a religious viewpoint that conflicts with the Jewish belief that birth, not conception, is the beginning of life.
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They also said their plaintiffs — Lisa Sobel, Jessica Kalb and Sarah Baron — feel Kentucky’s current laws around abortion inhibit their ability to grow their families.
Benjamin Potash, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, told the Lantern in a text that the decision “makes numerous obvious errors,” such as basing part of the ruling on a reading of Roe V. Wade, which had established the constitutional right to abortion but was overturned in 2022 by the United States Supreme Court.
Assistant Attorney General Lindsey Keiser defended the law on May 13 for the state attorney general, who praised Friday’s decision “to uphold Kentucky law.”
“Most importantly, the Court eliminates any notion that access to IVF services in our Commonwealth is at risk,” Attorney General Russell Coleman said in a statement. “Today’s opinion is a welcome reassurance to the many Kentuckians seeking to become parents.”
Potash said the judge’s decision is “disappointing” and said “we look forward to review by higher courts.”
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“After 13 months of waiting, we received a nine page decision that we feel fails to comport with the law,” he said. “Our nation is waiting for a judiciary brave enough to do what the law and our traditions require.”
Register now for Kentucky Association for Gifted Education 2025 Annual Conference
The Kentucky Association for Gifted Education (KAGE) 2025 Annual Conference will be held on Feb. 10-11, 2025 at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington.
KAGE, officially organized in 1979, is a non-profit volunteer group of parents, teachers, administrators, other educators, and all citizens interested in promoting appropriate educational opportunities for gifted and talented youth in Kentucky.
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KAGE members are advocating at state and national levels for more appropriate educational opportunities for high-ability students. They commit to representing state education personnel and government officials, as well as state organizations, in the needs of children who are gifted and talented.
Members focus on providing workshops and conferences such as their annual conference that brings together educators, parents, and community members to expand the understanding of giftedness and the needs of these high-ability children and youth.
Early bird pricing is available until June 30 at the rate of $250 for members and $280 for non-members for the two-day conference.
You can find additional information and sign up for the KAGE Conference by visiting the KAGE website.
