Joe Root has admitted England's batsmen "haven't adapted" to the surfaces they have encountered in the World Cup. England have lost their last two matches to leave their hopes of progressing to the semi-finals uncertain. In both cases, they have failed to chase down targets that might, in recent years, have appeared relatively modest.

Now they are in a position where they may have to win both their final group matches, against India on Sunday and New Zealand on Wednesday, to ensure their qualification.

Root, who has led the way with the bat for his team, conceded that pitches in the tournament have not been as good for batting as England expected. But while he accepted there are "a number of things we could have done slightly better" in the campaign to date, he still felt they were "more than capable" of making it into the last four.

"If you look at some of the par scores throughout this tournament, they have been very different to when we have played in bilateral series," Root said. "We have turned up to some venues in this tournament and things have been quite different to when we have played one-day series there in the past.

"We haven't necessarily adapted as well as we could have. It is frustrating and very disappointing that we have played in the manner we have in the last two games. There are a number of things we could have done slightly better.

"I just don't think we have played as well as we can. We have made some basic errors that we want to put right in the next two games. But I strongly believe we are more than capable of qualifying for the semi-finals. We have played both these opposition in the recent past and had huge success. So we have got to look at that, the other stuff we have done well throughout the competition and put it all together."

England defeated India 2-1 in an ODI series at home last summer, and New Zealand 3-2 away in 2017-18. But while they have enjoyed a number of decent individual performances with the bat - notably, Ben Stokes passed 80 in the defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia - Root knows they will have to play better in partnerships if they are to win their next two games. And he urged his side to keep calm and continue to believe in themselves and the methods that helped them enjoy success in recent times.

"When we have done well, we have had two substantial partnerships through the chase," Root said. "But we haven't really managed that in this tournament. We haven't had two guys who have batted for a long enough period of time - for 20 or 25 overs - to put the opposition under pressure. And generally, when we have chased, that is what has served us well.

"We have to be very calm about how we approach the next couple of games. The games themselves might get quite emotional, especially the atmosphere at Edgbaston, so being very clear and precise about the threats the opposition pose is important. And remembering how we look both individually and collectively when we are at our best. Being really strong on the basic stuff has served us well for a long period of time.

"It is almost like we see these two games as quarter-finals which, in a way, should serve us really well. You still have to win big games at some stage in the tournament if you are going to go on and win it. Ours have just come a bit sooner than expected.

"And it doesn't really matter how you get there - to the semi-finals - but when you do, that's when the tournament really starts to kick in."

The reverse of that, of course, is that England could be out before their own World Cup does start to "kick in". But as Root points out, their fate is still in their own hands. And if they can adapt better at Edgbaston on Sunday, they can still progress.

Glamorgan 287 (Selman 73, Labuschagne 65) and 188 for 6 (Labuschagne 82) beat Gloucestershire 313 (Dent 105, Hammond 61, Hogan 3-51) and 161 (Hogan 4-22) by four wickets

Michael Hogan claimed match figures of 7 for 73 as Glamorgan moved to the top of the Specsavers Championship Division Two table with a four-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol. Hogan added figures of 4 for 22 to his three first-innings wickets to help bowl out the home side for 161 from an overnight 41 for 2.

Gloucestershire lost their last five wickets for just 16 runs after lunch, Graham Wagg taking two of them. James Bracey and Benny Howell each made 33, but a target of 188 from 49 overs made the visitors clear favourites.

So it proved, Marnus Labuschagne continuing his prolific season with 82 and Billy Root contributing 31 as Glamorgan reached 188 for 6 with 6.5 overs to spare. They took 20 points to Gloucestershire's six and overtake Lancashire at the summit of Division Two by a single point, having played one more game.

A draw looked the most likely outcome when the hosts led by 67 at the start of play. But soon both overnight batsmen were out as Hogan had Gareth Roderick caught at second slip for 20 and Bracey's innings was ended when he was lbw to a full delivery from Dan Douthwaite. Jack Taylor made 16 before becoming another leg-before victim, this time for David Lloyd, who then spilled a straightforward catch at first slip to give Howell a life off Marchant de Lange with the score 129 for 5.

Gloucestershire were only 157 ahead at lunch and it looked a potentially costly error. Howell, who had also survived a tougher chance to Nic Selman at second slip, was unbeaten on 27 at the interval. But Lloyd soon atoned. With the total on 145 and the lead 171, he produced a sharp catch to his left to dismiss Ryan Higgins for 6 and give Hogan his third wicket.

Soon it was 149 for 7 as Hogan bowled Howell. David Payne was caught behind trying to withdraw the bat from a delivery by Wagg, who then had Josh Shaw caught at point off a loose shot.

Joined by last man Matt Taylor, Graeme van Buuren went on the attack and edged a catch behind the ball after pulling de Lange for four. Gloucestershire's tail had offered little resistance and, with the sun breaking through, Glamorgan set about their second innings in some of the best batting conditions of the match.

Selman fell cheaply, caught by Jack Taylor at point, cutting at a short ball from Payne. But Labuschagne and Charlie Hemphrey calmed any nerves in the visiting dressing room by adding 50 before tea.

Glamorgan still needed another 132 off 36 overs. In the final session Hemphrey was brilliantly caught by Chris Dent, diving forward at cover, off Shaw, without adding to his score of 15. But Labuschagne moved confidently to his second half-century of the match off 61 balls, with seven fours, before Lloyd was bowled by Matt Taylor off an under edge for 8 with the score on 85.

Not afraid to dance down the wicket to the seamers, Labuschagne showed why he is comfortably the leading run-maker in the Championship this season.

Root, dropped at mid-off by Matt Taylor off van Buuren, was mortified to lift Shaw straight to cover and when Labuschagne was caught behind off the tireless Payne, 35 were still required.

Douthwaite fell to Shaw near the end, but the experienced Wagg calmly saw Glamorgan home. It was Gloucestershire's first defeat in the competition since August last year, a run of 11 games unbeaten.

Pakistan 241 for 4 (Babar 101*, Sohail 68) beat New Zealand 237 for 6 (Neesham 97*, de Grandhomme 64, Shaheen Afridi 3-28) by six wickets
As it happened

It is incredible how Pakistan find ways of roaring back from hopeless situations. They were written off only a week earlier, languishing at ninth position with a solitary win in five games. They were yet to crack a chase - both above 330 - in two attempts this World Cup. Then when it seemed as if they would finally restrict an opponent to below 300 - New Zealand were 83 for 5 in the 27th over - Colin de Grandhomme (64) and James Neesham (97 not out) put together the side's best sixth-wicket stand in World Cup history to haul them back.

Then chasing 238, against two fast bowlers upfront - one who wickedly swings the ball and another who is often at their throat at 150 clicks - they lost Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq. The experienced Mohammad Hafeez played and missed, beaten on the inside and outside. Then, he was hit on the helmet by Lockie Ferguson. Who really gave them a chance?

Watch on Hotstar (India only): Neesham's 97 not out

Yet, amid the chaos, they found some calm in Babar Azam, who sealed victory with an unbeaten tenth ODI century, a pristine 101 that had a capacity crowd, a majority of it Pakistan fans, crooning with 'oohs and aahs'. In Haris Sohail, he found an invaluable ally, the pair conjuring an 126-run fourth-wicket stand to see Pakistan home with five balls to spare. Haris' contribution a noteworthy 68 that built on the 89 against South Africa at Lord's. Pakistan are now within two wins of a possible semi-final berth that will have their fans talking of the eerie similarities between 1992 and 2019 for at least another week.

For large parts of their chase, it was as if they were battling to save a game on a fifth-day surface. Hafeez had a leg gully for the short ball, deep square for the hook or pull, three slips for his open-faced pokes. This was serious pressure, and yet from time-to-time, as if to ask what the fuss was all about, he played delightful pull shots and oozed lazy Rohit Sharma-like elegance in gliding the ball behind point.

Babar showed patience early on, and exhibited enough class to keep putting the bad ball away. When he was attacked with short balls, he was happy to let go of both his ego and ignore them. The pair set out to rebuild the chase, least perturbed with the asking rate, focusing on milking runs and ensuring they wouldn't lose too many wickets going into the last 20 overs, where teams believe they can chase down 150 if it comes to that. Here they only needed 110.

ALSO READ: Sharda Ugra on Babar Azam, who beats himself up just to get better

Even as this strategy played out, New Zealand kept looking to pick up wickets. Invariably, this strategy brings with it the risk of leaking runs. As Mitchell Santner came on, there was grip and square turn. Suddenly, the two batsmen, tailor-made for such surfaces, struggled and New Zealand may have just begun to wonder if they had erred by not picking Ish Sodhi, the legspinner. This was evident when Kane Williamson brought himself on, but he struck gold immediately as Hafeez had a brain fade moment and holed out to deep midwicket.

It broke a 66-run stand that allowed Pakistan to get back on track after the two early strikes threatened to blow the lid off their chase. Fortunately for them, Babar wasn't going to give it away. At the other end, Haris attacked spin and pace alike, muscling Santner first and later the returning Boult for sixes even as Williamson tried his last roll of the dice. This partnership proved to be the ice to Shaheen Afridi's fire earlier in the day, when he ripped the heart out of New Zealand's batting in a searing spell after being introduced first change in the fifth over.

Shaheen's first spell read a magical 4-2-8-2, in which he accounted for the huge scalps of Colin Munro and Ross Taylor. The Taylor wicket in particular was as much because of Sarfaraz as it was Shaheen's angle and late movement.

Sarfaraz deserved credit for two reasons. One for being ultra-aggressive and looking to continuously make inroads, unlike in the past where was been happy to sit back and let the game drift. Two for leading the way with the catching at a time when they are trying to stave off the dubious distinction of being the poorest catching team at the tournament. The Taylor catch was right out of the top drawer, diving full-length to his right and taking it one-handed just as it was about to hit the turf.

Only a week ago, he was unfairly shamed, not just by a stray fan but also by a former cricketer who knows a thing-or-two to of playing in World Cups. Sarfaraz admitted this took a toll on him and his young family. Yet under pressure, this wasn't a bad way of shutting up the haters. In another intangible contribution no scorecard would ever reveal, he kept Shaheen on for a fifth over and he reaped the rewards with a third wicket when he had Tom Latham nicking behind.

This ripper of a spell from Shaheen came on the back of Mohammad Amir's early strike of Martin Guptill, as he chopped on trying to drive with minimal feet movement. In walked Williamson and he looked in control, knowing where the off stump was, and relying on the delicate dabs behind the wicket. If it was pitched up, he was happy to leave, frustrating the bowlers and then suddenly when they erred, he picked them off. Runs didn't exactly flow, but he rebuilt the innings slowly to make 41 off 68, when he was done in by Shadab Khan's mastery - drift, turn and bounce - to have him nicking behind in trying to jab at the ball. It was precisely at this moment you wondered if New Zealand erred by not picking Sodhi.

With half the side back, Sarfaraz slightly allowed the game to drift by introducing Imad Wasim's left-arm darts, when he really could've punted with Amir, who had only bowled four overs in his first spell. And by the time Amir returned, Neesham was well-set. De Grandhomme is a serial six-hitter for New Zealand - but here, he needed to hang in and take the game deep. And that is exactly what he did, until the 40th over, before taking off.

Neesham continued take calculated risks, never giving the impression that he was blindly swinging. After overcoming burst of genuine pace, they second-guessed the bowlers, waited for the slower balls, used the depth of the crease and whacked it downtown or square of the wicket. De Grandhomme's knock of 64 ended in the 48th over when an adventurous second to third man resulted in his run-out. Neesham batted right through, muscling the last ball for six to finish 97. This didn't bring with it the promise of victory, but the position New Zealand found themselves in was heaps better than the 166 they threatened to crash out at one stage (their score in that famous 1992 World Cup group clash). Yet, it came in second-best to Babar's masterclass that continued to give this tournament another wild twirl as it approaches the semi-final stage.

Sussex232 and 59 for 3 (Rushworth 3-11) need a further 378 to beat Durham 384 and 284 for 3 dec (Lees 143, Harte 77)

It was only three summers ago that Alex Lees was praised to the heavens by both Geoffrey Boycott and Dickie Bird yet still seemed certain to play for England. He carried accolades easily and batted as if it were his calling. So when Lees drove Chris Jordan for successive boundaries on this third morning, he disturbed memories of those days when cricket's table was laid out before him. But when he thick-edged Delray Rawlins to the third man boundary in mid-afternoon to bring up his century it was also salutary to note he had reached three figures for only the second time since September 2017.

Lees' batting at a Hove of sun and sea breezes recalled his early years with Yorkshire when the runs flowed from his bat and an England call did indeed seem a matter of time. But time passed and with it went Lees' consistency and application. He would play himself in, only to find a way to get himself out. Before long his place in the Yorkshire side was in jeopardy and his move to Durham last August appeared to make good sense after an early season in which he had scored only 50 runs in four Championship matches for the White Rose.

The geographical cure did not work at once. Lees managed only 256 runs in 11 Championship innings for Durham last season, meaning that his tally in the format that matters most to professionals had more or less halved in each of the two seasons following 2016, when he made 1165 runs. No one with a feeling for the game could take any pleasure in such a decline, so Lees' revival this summer has been greeted with satisfaction far beyond the County Palatine.

That said, the recovery has been relatively modest. Lees had made only 309 runs before this game against Sussex but that total included 63 and 107 in the win against Derbyshire, Durham's only four-day victory of the season, and his 143 this afternoon may well set up a second triumph. Cameron Bancroft's declaration on 284 for 3 challenged Sussex to score 437 in a minimum of 126 overs and by the close they had reached 59 for 3 after 30 wonderfully tense overs.

Sussex's pursuit began atrociously when Chris Rushworth's fifth ball of the innings hit Luke Wells high up on the right pad and the opener was caught by Jack Burnham at third slip. Most people at the1st Central County Ground, including, to judge from his non-involvement in the appeal, Rushworth, thought the ball had hit nothing but the batsman's leg. Umpire Ben Debenham took a different view of matters. Wells was aghast and Rushworth made a mental note to buy an extra couple of lottery tickets.

Four overs later there was a far less controversial dismissal when the wretchedly out-of-form Harry Finch drove a catch back to Rushworth, thereby collecting a pair. But Will Beer and Stiaan van Zyl prevented Durham making further breakthroughs until Beer was leg before wicket to Rushworth when only six balls remained of a long evening session in which Hove was at its glorious best. The sunlight was sharp crystal and the slips' flannels fluttered in the breeze like Eric Morecambe's plus fours. The only thing spoiling home supporters' satisfaction was their team's travails. Even a draw would be a very significant achievement and victory cannot be contemplated. Sussex's batsmen are in the foothills of Shishapangma.

Yet the current plight of the third-placed team in Division Two this season reflects very well on the bottom side, Durham, whose cricketers have dominated this game since midway through the second day. With the second ball of this morning's play the admirable Brydon Carse collected his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket when he bowled Rawlins. Reasonably enough on a good pitch but one taking some turn, Bancroft opted not to enforce the follow-on, and naturally enough, Durham's innings began badly when the skipper played forward to a ball outside his off stump but only edged a catch to Finch at second slip. Not since April 8 have Durham's openers put on more than 14 for the first wicket in a Championship and they have had 11 attempts at it.

The rest of the innings was controlled by Lees and to a lesser degree by Gareth Harte. The pair put on 215 for the second wicket with Harte making 77 before he drove Wells to Rawlins at short cover. The pitch was flat and the bowling unthreatening but Lees maintained his focus on the task of piling up runs. There were times late in his Yorkshire career when he seemed capable of getting out to the Brownies on the beach. This afternoon he batted as if the crease might once again become his kingdom.

UFC fighter Desmond Green is facing four DUI manslaughter charges for his alleged role in a five-vehicle crash last August that killed two people.

According to Broward County Jail records, Green, 29, was arrested Tuesday. Along with the manslaughter charges, the Broward County Court lists 19 total charges, including DUI causing serious bodily injury (four counts), DUI causing property damage (five counts), operating with a suspended license, and possession of cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

His total bond was set at $194,000, according to the jail records.

In August, Alvaro Feola, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol, told reporters that Green lost control of his Dodge Durango just before 6:15 a.m. on Interstate 75 in Davie, Florida. The SUV veered into the path of a tractor-trailer, causing a chain-reaction crash with three other vehicles.

Two people -- Emelina Morfa, 67, and Emma Suarez Hernandez, 76 -- were killed. Two others were seriously hurt. Green suffered minor injuries.

Green (21-7) has fought three times since the crash, winning his last two bouts.

ESPN's Greg Rosenstein contributed to this report.

Bob Ley, after a 40-year career at ESPN, announced his retirement from the network Wednesday.

Ley, who had taken a leave of absence in October, said in a statement that he will be retiring at the end of this month. He was ESPN's longest-tenured anchor.

"To be clear, this is entirely my decision. I enjoy the best of health, and the many blessings of friends and family, and it is in that context that I'm making this change," he said.

Ley, 64, thanked ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro and the network's senior leadership team "for their understanding and patience over the past months."

Too many folks to thank individually, right now, but know that I have you all in my mind and my heart. Some news to share: pic.twitter.com/Qydhpcy4MV

— Bob Ley (@BobLeyESPN) June 26, 2019

"Through the decades, and my innumerable experiences at ESPN, I have built many deep and fulfilling friendships. You know who you are. I hope you also know how much you mean to me. We have shared an American story unlike any other. And we will continue to do so in the years ahead," Ley said.

"I have been gifted by our viewers and consumers with a precious commodity -- your trust. To be invited into your homes was a privilege I never took for granted, one I worked each day to uphold. Thank you for that.

"In September, I signed off my last show saying, 'I'll catch you on the flip side.' Now it's time to take that vinyl off the turntable (ask your folks), flip it over, and drop the needle on the B-side. There are always great cuts, and hidden gems on the B-side.

"Thank you for a great run."

Ley joined ESPN as a SportsCenter anchor on Sept. 9, 1979 -- the third day of the network's operation. In 1980, he hosted the first NCAA selection show and live broadcast of the NFL draft and continued in that role for the next nine years.

He was the host of Outside The Lines, ESPN's investigative news program, since the show launched in May 1990 and also hosted ESPN's weekly E:60 show on Sunday mornings, leading the coverage of several important stories. As host of OTL, Ley was a leader in reporting on concussions and CTE and the NFL's handling of domestic violence cases.

Ley joined Jeremy Schaap on Wednesday's episode of Outside the Lines.

Norby Williamson, executive vice president of event and studio production, said in a statement that Schaap and Ryan Smith "will handle the bulk of anchoring duties" for OTL going forward.

Ley won 11 Sports Emmy Awards during his time at ESPN, including an Emmy for outstanding studio host in 2018. Ley and OTL won the DuPont Award in 2014 for reporting on issues in football at the youth level. Ley and OTL also won four Edward R. Murrow Awards.

"The standard of excellence that has become a hallmark of ESPN began in the early days when we were a start-up with a bold vision. Bob was there for all of it and, over the years, his unwavering commitment and unparalleled work ethic drove our journalistic ambitions. The best way we can thank Bob for what he's meant to ESPN and to sports fans is to continue to uphold the journalistic integrity and principles he's instilled in ESPN for nearly 40 years," Pitaro said in a statement.

Ley was inducted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame earlier this week.

Saying it's time to become "just another retiree in South Florida," goalie Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday after a stellar 19-season career.

Luongo had three more seasons on his contract at a $5,333,333 salary-cap hit.

"Thinking about getting onto the ice in late July, for the first time in my career, I wasn't excited about it. That was the sign for me. It's not that I don't love playing hockey anymore, but I had to listen to my body. I'm at the point where my body was telling me it just needed a rest. It didn't really want to get going," said Luongo, in a letter posted to the Panthers' website.

I've decided to take my talents to a South Beach retirement home ✌? pic.twitter.com/BTuZIo8XT8

— Strombone (@strombone1) June 26, 2019

"So I've decided to retire, and it's been really tough. One of the hardest things I've gone through in making this decision was when I told Gianni and Gabriella, my kids. Seeing them cry when I told them about it because they loved coming to the games and watching me play so much, it really broke my heart. We cried together. It was hard, it was really sad."

Luongo ends his career as one of the most accomplished goaltenders in NHL history. In 1,044 games with the New York Islanders, the Panthers and the Vancouver Canucks, Luongo amassed a record of 489-392-124, with a .919 save percentage and a 2.52 goals-against average. He ranks third all-time in wins, second all-time in games played, and second in shots faced (30,924) and saves made (28,409). His save percentage is 10th best all-time.

Luongo never won the Stanley Cup, although he helped push the 2011 Stanley Cup Final to seven games against the Boston Bruins. He won Olympic gold twice in 2010 and 2014, and golds at the world championships (2003, 2004) and the World Cup of Hockey (2004). A three-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the NHL's top goalie, his only award was the Jennings Trophy in 2011 for the lowest goals against in the NHL.

Off the ice, Luongo has made headlines from the moment he entered the league. He was drafted fourth overall by the Islanders in 1997, only to be traded to Florida in a lopsided deal in 2000 when the Islanders selected goalie Rick DiPietro first overall. He remained there until a blockbuster deal in 2006 sent him to Vancouver, where he played 448 games.

In September 2009, Luongo signed a massive 12-year, $64 million contract with Vancouver, a deal that proved too elephantine for the Canucks, who traded Luongo in 2013.

"My contract sucks -- that's what's the problem," Luongo said at the time. "I'd scrap it if I could now."

The Canucks found a taker for that contract in Florida in 2014, as Luongo relocated back to where his family still had a home.

After a strong 2017-18, his last season was statistically his worst in the NHL, with an .899 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average. There was speculation that Luongo could be placed on long-term injured reserve to get his cap hit off the books, but instead he chose to retire.

There are cap implications for both the Canucks and Panthers because of this decision. The latest NHL collective bargaining agreement retroactively punished teams that gave out contracts like Luongo's that front-loaded money in what was seen as an attempt to circumvent the salary cap. This "recapture penalty" costs the offending team the difference between what the player is really making and the annual average value of the deal. Since Luongo was slated to make significantly less than his $5.33 million AAV, the Canucks will be hit with a $3.03 million penalty for the next three seasons, while the Panthers are on the hook for $1.09 million for three seasons.

Luongo plans to live in Parkland, Florida, home of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed in a shooting in February 2018.

"I'm building a home in Parkland and it's going to be my family's permanent home for the rest of our time on this earth," he said. "I'm proud to be a Parkland resident. We've been through a lot, but we came together. We've tried to heal together and we've tried to make our community and our world a better place."

Luongo wrote that this is not the time to discuss future plans, though he expressed an interest in remaining involved in hockey.

Where are Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson heading in NBA free agency? Will the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets or LA Clippers be able to land two max stars?

The signings can officially begin at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, and so far there's little certainty about how this potentially league-altering offseason will shake out.

Our ESPN Forecast panel predicts the destinations for the top players and which franchise will be the title favorite when the summer is over.

More: Latest NBA free-agency buzz

On which team's roster will Kevin Durant be next season?

Durant is likely to miss most or all of next season after suffering a ruptured right Achilles in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, making his offseason move even more unpredictable.

In the February edition of these predictions, the Knicks were clear favorites. Now it's a toss-up, with the Golden State Warriors having a slight edge.

MORE: Warriors to talk future with KD, Klay this week

On which team's roster will Klay Thompson be next season?

Like Durant, Thompson is expected to miss a large chunk of 2019-20 after tearing the ACL in his left knee during the NBA Finals. Both players are still projected to command max offers in free agency despite the injuries, and our panel is unanimous in predicting Thompson will return to Golden State.

MORE: Ten free-agency and trade targets for Warriors

Where will Kawhi Leonard play next season?

The NBA Finals MVP is tough to read, but our panel now predicts a Toronto Raptors return as most likely. In February, the Clippers got 66.7% of the vote.

Wherever he ends up, pay attention to the number of years on Leonard's next contract. A two-year deal (maybe with a player option) would let him hit the market again with 10 years of service, and he then would be able to earn significantly more long-term money.

MORE: Which NBA teams can chase superstar free agents?

Where will Kyrie Irving play next season?

The Boston Celtics have gone from favorites to keep Irving in February to out of the running in these predictions following a disappointing season.

Now Brooklyn is the front-runner for the All-Star point guard.

MORE: 'Busy week' ahead for Ainge, recalibrating Celtics

Where will Kemba Walker play next season?

Walker has said that the Charlotte Hornets are his first priority in free agency and he would consider taking less money if it helped build out the rest of the roster.

Walker will receive interest from plenty of other teams with point guard needs, though no clear favorite has emerged to recruit him away from Charlotte.

MORE: Biggest NBA free-agency and trade decisions for all 30 teams

Where will Al Horford play next season?

Horford is expected to leave Boston after talks on a long-term deal fell apart, according to a report by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Dallas Mavericks are the favorites here, with Horford joining the dynamic core of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis (if he returns in restricted free agency).

Others receiving votes: Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz

MORE: How the NBA draft sets up a league-altering free agency

Will the 76ers re-sign their big midseason additions?

In February, keeping Tobias Harris but losing Jimmy Butler was the top choice at 63.9%. Since then, Butler's clutch showing in the postseason has made him look crucial to the Philadelphia 76ers' offense.

The Houston Rockets will make a run at recruiting Butler for a sign-and-trade, according to a report by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, though even if Butler is interested the cap mechanics there are complex.

MORE: The latest intel on this loaded free-agent market

Who is the next best free-agent target?

Khris Middleton and D'Angelo Russell get the nod here.

Middleton was essential to the Milwaukee Bucks' earning the league's best regular-season record, and the Bucks won't have many ways to replace him if he walks. Russell enters restricted free agency, but Brooklyn will need to renounce his rights to add two max players.

Others receiving votes: Julius Randle, Nikola Vucevic

MORE: 2019 NBA free-agent rankings: Top 30 players and potential fits

How many max-contract players will the Knicks add in the offseason?

The Knicks cleared room for two stars in the Porzingis trade, with Durant pegged as the favorite to take at least one of those max slots prior to his injury. Now the Knicks appear to be total wild cards.

If New York can't land the top free agents, all indications are that the team will pursue short-term deals, according to a report by ESPN's Zach Lowe.

MORE: The NBA draft's best, riskiest and most surprising moves

How many max-contract players will the Nets add in the offseason?

The Nets have telegraphed their intention to pair Irving with a second superstar, and Durant has been widely assumed to be that star, according to Lowe's report.

Our panel predicts Brooklyn gets at least one star -- and maybe two.

MORE: Kyrie or D'Angelo? How Brooklyn might handle a difficult decision

How many max-contract players will the Clippers add in the offseason?

The Raptors winning the title -- seemingly increasing their odds to keep Leonard in Toronto -- likely shifted these L.A. predictions.

The Clippers were projected in February to have an 86.1% chance to land at least one star, but that's down to 66.7% now. Still, those are strong odds at improvement for a team that took a healthy Warriors squad to six games in the playoffs.

MORE: How the Clippers can make their anti-pitch to Kawhi Leonard

Which team will be the 2019-20 NBA title favorite when the season begins?

With Kawhi expected to return, the Raptors take this one. Their Eastern Conference finals foes from Milwaukee are a close second.

MORE: NBA free agents: Team-by-team lists for 2019 and 2020

_{Image credits (in order of appearance): Ezra Shaw/Getty Images; Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images; Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images; David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images; Greg M. Cooper/USA Today; Michael Reaves/Getty Images; Paul Sancya/AP Photo; Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images; Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports; Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images; Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images}

Once free agency starts on Sunday, the Rockets are planning to recruit Jimmy Butler to push the Philadelphia 76ers for a sign-and-trade deal that would allow the All-Star forward to join James Harden and Chris Paul in Houston, league sources tell ESPN.

The Rockets don't have the salary-cap space to sign Butler, so they'd need the threat of the Sixers losing him for nothing to a team with the available room to motivate Philadelphia into a trade. The Rockets also would potentially need to make this a multiteam deal to satisfy the rules of base year compensation that would cover Butler's outgoing salary.

The Sixers plan to be aggressive in signing Butler to a new deal, sources said, and they could blunt a Rockets push with a full five-year, $190 million offer at the start of free agency on Sunday night. The Sixers could offer Butler a four-year, $146.5 million deal, too.

Butler would be eligible to sign a four-year, $140 million contract on the way to the Rockets, but Houston likely would need to include two of these players -- center Clint Capela, guard Eric Gordon and power forward P.J. Tucker -- to make the financial deal work, sources said.

Sources tell ESPN that the Rockets are offering the three players individually to teams with cap space to absorb salary, trying to acquire the best available first-round draft pick for any of those three, hoping to redirect the pick to the 76ers in pursuit of a Butler sign-and-trade.

The 76ers are facing a free agency that includes Butler, Tobias Harris and JJ Redick. They're expected to make a significant four- or five-year offer to keep Butler, whom they acquired in a trade with Minnesota for Dario Saric and Robert Covington in November.

The Rockets offered Minnesota four future first-round picks for Butler before the Timberwolves agreed to the trade with Philadelphia, league sources said.

In a potential trade with Houston, the 76ers could turn Butler into a large trade exception and redirect the Rockets' assets to additional teams.

If the Sixers were to lose Butler in free agency -- and were in position to keep Harris and Redick -- it is possible they could simply want the payroll flexibility and dismiss the potential idea of a sign-and-trade scenario for Butler.

ESPN's Zach Lowe contributed to this report.

The NBA is formally exploring how it might use its 75th anniversary season as an opportunity to test some of its bolder initiatives -- not only a mid-season cup and postseason play-in tournament, but also a reduction in the 82-game regular season schedule.

On a June 17 conference call, a committee that consists of approximately a dozen top team executives from both basketball and business operations discussed with the league office ideas for alternatives to the traditional NBA schedule for the 2021-22 season. In what sources characterize as a wide-ranging brainstorming session with accompanying documents, participants contemplated how the NBA could introduce the aforementioned tournaments, as well as an abbreviated slate of regular-season games to accommodate the additional events.

According to those with knowledge of the conversation, which sources regard as very exploratory, the proposed reforms would be adopted initially as a pilot program. The NBA would have the chance to observe the trial run and evaluate the long-term viability of such a schedule design.

Supporters of a new mid-season cup-style tournament acknowledge the difficulty of its implementation without a corresponding reduction in the number of regular-season games. For instance, trimming games off the current 82-game schedule would have vast revenue implications for teams which have commitments to local broadcast partners and rely on revenue from attendance at live games.

The length and density of the current 82-game NBA schedule has come under some scrutiny in recent years. Superstars such as Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard routinely sit out regular-season games to preserve their bodies for the NBA's intense nine-week playoff run. But apart from issues surrounding load management, voices at both the team and league level have made an economic case for making the NBA's regular-season games more scarce and meaningful in an increasingly competitive entertainment marketplace.

These more substantive conversations about contemplating new ways to construct the NBA's seasonal schedule demonstrate momentum for reformers inside the league. Advocates for change believe that robust revenue generated from new products such as the play-in tournament and mid-season cup posed recently by commissioner Adam Silver could, over time, recoup losses that would result from a reduction in traditional regular-season games.

The number of games in a reduced regular season discussed on the conference call ranged from 58 -- ensuring every team would host each of the 29 other teams in their arenas over the course of a season -- to a marginal cut of only a handful of games. According to sources on the call, the appetite among team officials for a major reduction in the number of games was limited.

Realizing wholesale changes to the schedule in a little more than two years' time doesn't come without major complications. The NBA would need the cooperation of numerous stakeholders, from the players union to ownership groups to national and local broadcast partners, sponsors, among others.

For example, the NBA's collective bargaining agreement requires the league and its teams to "act and use their commercially reasonable efforts to increase [Basketball Related Income] for each Salary Cap Year." If players interpreted a deliberate drop in the number of games as an abdication of that effort, they could potentially have grounds to object to such reforms.

The committee was formed as an advisory group to grapple with structural issues that touch on both basketball and business operations -- matters like playoff format and the contour of the NBA schedule. The committee has no official governing authority but can make recommendations to the NBA's Board of Governors.