WASHINGTON -- The National Hockey League Players' Association and Professional Hockey Players' Association are affiliating with the AFL-CIO and joining the labor organization's sports council, they announced Monday.

Their membership brings the number of unions involved in the AFL-CIO, the biggest labor federation in the U.S., to 63, representing more than 15 million workers. It comes as collective bargaining talks are ongoing at multiple levels of the sport.

"Whether our work is on the rink, in the classroom or on the factory floor, every worker deserves a voice on the job and the power that comes with union membership," AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler said. "We are thrilled to welcome the NHLPA and the PHPA into the federation and our Sports Council, and we look forward to supporting their work to ensure strong union contracts, fair wages, safe working conditions and professional development opportunities for professional hockey players."

The NHLPA represents roughly 750 players across 32 teams, while the PHPA has 1,800 members in the American Hockey League and ECHL.

"The NHLPA's membership is proud to join the AFL-CIO and its sports council during this important moment in the labor movement," NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said. "We look forward to working together with other players' associations and unions from across North America to ensure that workers in all industries have a collective voice in fighting for fair wages and safe and equitable workplaces."

The AFL-CIO formed a sports council in 2022 and already included unions representing players in the NFL, WNBA, Major League Soccer and National Women's Soccer League.

"Our members are excited about taking an active role in working towards better outcomes for working people in every sector of the economy," PHPA executive director Brian Ramsay said. "As we begin collective bargaining negotiations, our members will now enjoy the full support of the AFL-CIO at the bargaining table. This is what solidarity is all about."

Tottenham Hotspur have signed Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel on loan with an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the season.

The move was initially expected to be a straight loan, but in the final hours of the window, Spurs successfully negotiated with Bayern to insert a clause to potentially make the deal permanent at the end of the season.

The deal sees Tel complete a dramatic deadline day U-turn by agreeing to join Spurs after sources told ESPN he stalled over a move to the club last week.

Spurs had agreed to a 60 million ($62m) deal for Tel on Friday, but he was unsure about making a permanent move. Talks then switched to a loan so Spurs could get their man and Tel could review his options in the summer.

But sources told ESPN that Tel decided to join Spurs until at least the end of the season after conversations with head coach Ange Postecoglou.

"We are delighted to announce the signing of Mathys Tel on loan from Bayern Munich, subject to international clearance and work permit," Spurs said in a statement.

"The France Under-21 international will join the Club on loan until the end of the 2024-25 season with an option to make the move permanent in the summer. He will wear the No. 11 shirt."

Tel's decision to express a desire to leave Bayern Munich over a lack of game time -- having joined the club for around 28 million ($29m) from Rennes in 2022 -- sparked interest from a number of clubs including Manchester United and Arsenal, but Spurs appear to have won the race to sign the highly rated France under-21 international.

Meanwhile, Spurs had an offer for England defender Marc Guéhi rejected by Crystal Palace last weekend, a source has told ESPN.

Spurs made an offer for the 24-year-old which was dismissed, and the north London club has not returned with an improved bid ahead of tonight's deadline.

Tel is Spurs' third signing of the window following the arrivals of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky and centre-back Kevin Danso.

Postecoglou has been keen to add players to his squad after a combination of injuries and poor form have left the club languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table. Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke are all currently sidelined for Tottenham.

However, Spurs have experienced more success in cup competitions and take a 1-0 aggregate lead into their Carabao Cup semifinal second-leg clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday.

Information from ESPN's Julien Laurens contributed to this story

Manchester United fear Lisandro Martínez could be set for months on the sidelines with the knee injury he suffered during the defeat to Crystal Palace, a source has told ESPN.

Martínez was stretched off during the second half of the 2-0 loss at Old Trafford on Sunday. The defender underwent tests on Monday.

He's set to have further scans this week, but there is concern Martínez has suffered a serious knee ligament injury which could rule him out for more than six months.

ESPN have approached United for comment.

Speaking at his post-match news conference on Sunday, United head coach Ruben Amorim said: "Licha is really important for us, not just as a football player, but as a character, especially in this hard moment.

"Now it's time to help Licha [Martinez]. I think it's a bad situation. Let's wait to assess things with the doctor but I think it's a serious situation."

It would represent another significant injury set-back for Martínez since arriving from Ajax in 2022. He suffered a fractured metatarsal in April 2023 which ended his first season at Old Trafford.

After making his comeback at the start of the 2023-24 campaign, a recurrence of the problem kept the 27-year-old sidelined between September 2023 and January 2024.

Following another comeback, knee and calf problems meant he was only able to start the final two games of last season -- the second being the FA Cup victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

Martinez's absence could mean new signing Ayden Heaven is fast-tracked following his January move from Arsenal. The 18-year-old is considered a first-team signing and, like Martinez, is predominantly a left-sided centre-back.

Manchester City have completed a deadline day deal with FC Porto for midfielder Nicolas González, adding the midfielder in the final hour of the midseason window.

ESPN reported earlier on Monday that the two teams were engaged in negotiations over his future, with the Premier League club originally unwilling to meet the release clause in González's contract before eventually paying the fee, believed to be around 60 million ($62m).

He signs on a contract that runs to 2029. Porto had been unwilling to reduce their valuation because part of the payment will be owed to González's former club, Barcelona.

The Spaniard moved to Portugal from LaLiga in 2023 and a source has told ESPN that the payment owed to Barcelona if González moves could be as high as 40% of the total transfer fee.

"This is the perfect opportunity for me at this stage of my career," González said of the move.

"I am 23 and I want to test myself in England. There's no better club than Manchester City for me to do that.

"Look at the squad they have here. It's unbelievable, full of world-class players. There isn't a footballer in the world who would not want to be part of this set-up.

"I know the reputation Pep [Guardiola] has and I cannot wait to work with him. In fact, I am honoured he wants me to play in his team.

"I am truly excited. I just want to meet my teammates, and the staff here and then I want to play in front of the City fans!"

The move takes City's spend in January to around 210m after the acquisitions of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis as well as González.

Information from ESPN's Rob Dawson and Sam Marsden contributed to this report.

For Europe's biggest clubs and leagues, the time for transfers in the 2024-25 season has come and gone.

The winter window closed at 11 p.m. BST (6 p.m. ET) in England, Italy and Spain on Monday, an hour earlier in France and even earlier in Germany. It remains open in select countries such as Turkey and the Netherlands, but there's little room for more major deals.

All parties -- clubs, players, managers and agents -- will now sit back and assess. Some got their wishes and some didn't. Some excelled in their movements over the summer, while others will be lamenting missed opportunities.

With that, let's look back at what happened during the window and neatly sort the results into winners and losers (with a few who sit in between). Here's who nailed it -- and who didn't.

WINNERS

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN

There is no doubting who won this window, as PSG landed one of the world's best wingers -- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia -- for a fee of just 60 million. The Georgia international's transfer was being valued at double that just a few months ago, so they really pulled off a coup and "Kvaradona" should have a major impact.

If that wasn't enough, the French champions also made a cool 46m profit on midfielder Xavi Simons' permanent switch to RB Leipzig for 50m, moved on defender Cher Ndour to Fiorentina, and also found a home for misfiring forward Randal Kolo Muani, who was sent on loan to Juventus for the rest of the season.

ASTON VILLA

Aston Villa were among the busiest clubs in Europe during this window and in one fell swoop, they were able to solve all of their profit and sustainability rules (PSR) issues.

A 77m move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr for 21-year-old striker Jhon Durán will aid the club's finances for years, and they did well to find permanent homes for Jaden Philogene (Ipswich Town) and Diego Carlos (Fenerbahçe), as well as loans for Emiliano Buendía (Bayer Leverkusen), Kosta Nedeljkovic (RB Leipzig) and Samuel Iling-Junior (Middlesbrough).

Marcus Rashford (on loan from Man United) will replace Durán with the hope of reigniting his career, and Donyell Malen (25m, Borussia Dortmund) should provide another option up front. The late loan move for PSG's Marco Asensio is another low-risk, high-reward arrival to help Villa push forward on multiple fronts between now and the end of the season.

A more experienced right-back than Andrés García (8m, Levante) might have been on the cards, but it was the loan signing of Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi that tipped Villa over into winners. If they hadn't signed someone to plug the gaps in their defence, it would have been bad.

MARCUS RASHFORD

Rashford had not featured for Man United since their Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen on Dec. 12 amid new head coach Ruben Amorim's concerns about the forward's application in training. And it will be a relief for him to have found a new club.

AC Milan, Dortmund and Barcelona were all in the running at various points, but Villa managed to persuade Rashford to join and also agreed to cover a substantial part of his wages (which is why United allowed him to go).

Rashford will have a lot to prove for the rest of the season, and what he does could very well define the rest of his career. For now, he'll just be delighted to be out of Old Trafford.

DANI OLMO

The fact that he can even play for Barcelona makes Dani Olmo a winner. At the start of January, it looked very much as if Barca's 60m summer signing would be kicking his heels on the sidelines for the second half of the season, as the club's financial issues prevented him from being registered with LaLiga.

But one court battle after another followed, and as it stands, the Spain forward can play for now -- though LaLiga chief Javier Tebas is trying to change that.

Otherwise, it's a bit of a sorry tale for Barcelona, who missed signing Rashford on loan and didn't move out Pau Víctor, Eric García, Pablo Torre or Ansu Fati on loan.

NEUTRAL

MAN CITY

On the face of it, spending over 200m to sign four players should qualify Man City as winners, right? Well, the problem is that while struggling City definitely needed an injection of new blood this window, the players they signed aren't a great solution to their immediate issues.

Young defenders Abdukodir Khusanov (48m, Lens) and Vitor Reis (35m, Palmeiras) aren't really yet ready for the pace of the Premier League, though they can fill some of the gaps left by City's injuries. Up front, the club spent 60m (plus another 10m in add-ons) to sign in-form striker Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt, but they are playing him out of position as a withdrawn striker (basically a No. 10) rather than as a No. 9 or out wide on the left where he would be more comfortable.

The only obvious fit was the signing of former Barcelona defensive midfielder Nico Gonzalez from FC Porto and even then, City were forced to fork over an extra 20m than what they wanted to, paying his 60m release clause.

It could be that it takes another year or so before these signings can be properly judged, but right now it doesn't feel as if they are the answer.

TOTTENHAM

Tottenham are in the middle of an injury crisis, especially in defence, and manager Ange Postecoglou was pretty vocal about needing some reinforcements if they are to move up from 14th place in the table in the second part of the season.

The loan signing of centre-back Kevin Danso (with an obligatory 25m deal set for the summer) will bolster them slightly, but an offer of 75m to land Crystal Palace's Marc Guéhi, which was rejected, showed how much the club wanted to do. And they failed to add more cover.

They needed a backup goalkeeper and 21-year-old Antonin Kinsky hit the ground running as he was thrown into action from the off, but 18-year-old South Korea prodigy Yang Min-Hyeok, who was then sent on loan to QPR, wasn't going to be enough in attacking areas.

So, tipping them from losers to neutral was the deadline-day signing of Bayern forward Mathys Tel on loan, with an option to sign permanently in the summer. The club did well to persuade him to join, given he rejected a 60m permanent move last week, and he could make an immediate difference in attack.

BOURNEMOUTH

This one is more about who the club were able to keep hold of rather than who they signed. Teenage arrivals Matai Akinmboni, Julio Soler, Kai Crampton and Zain Silcott-Duberry might not immediately make an impact as they are ones for the future, but Bournemouth will be delighted to have kept hold of their main stars as they push for a spot in Europe this season.

While loan exits for Philip Billing (Napoli) and Max Aarons (Valencia) were sanctioned, Bournemouth kept hold of Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen -- all of whom were attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe. That is no mean feat.

LOSERS

MANCHESTER UNITED

Will a 20-year-old full-back solve all of Man United's issues? The club did well to land highly rated Patrick Dorgu for 30m from Lecce and he is a good fit for Amorim's 3-4-2-1 formation, but they really needed more.

Loan exits for Antony (Real Betis), Rashford (Aston Villa) and Tyrell Malacia (PSV) opened up room on the wage bill, but the signing of 18-year-old defender Ayden Heaven from Arsenal was not going to set pulses racing at Old Trafford. A goal-scoring forward was needed, while a serious injury to Lisandro Martinez could see them regret not adding more to their defensive ranks.

ARSENAL

Arsenal are the second-highest scorers in the Premier League, but they still needed to sign another forward player if they want to challenge Liverpool for the title. Kai Havertz has done OK, with 15 goals in all competitions to date, but injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus have left the squad short of options up front and that's not going to change now.

A 40m bid to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins was rejected, while links to Bayern's Tel, Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic and Athletic Club's Nico Williams came to nothing.

The club also lost young defender Heaven to Man United for minimal compensation, which they would not have liked.

CHELSEA

An odd window for the usually free-spending Blues, as 19-year-old midfielder Mathis Amougou (15m from Saint-Etienne) and Trevoh Chalobah were the only incomings and the latter was a loan recall from Crystal Palace. Links with Man United's Alejandro Garnacho came to nothing and Chelsea were rumored to be interested in almost every central striker around but didn't sign one.

Out went young midfielder Cesare Casadei to Torino, where they got back the 15m they paid to sign him from Internazionale in 2022, and there were a number of loan deals for the likes of Renato Veiga (Juventus), Ben Chilwell (Crystal Palace) and João Félix (AC Milan). Do they feel any better off? Not really.

CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU

Sources told ESPN ahead of deadline day that Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku was desperate to leave after playing just 419 minutes in the Premier League so far this season. But when the deadline passed, the France international was still there.

Interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester United came to nothing, as the Blues reportedly wanted at least 60m for a permanent transfer and it's surprising that he didn't move out on loan in the end. Though it seems neither the player nor club were interested in a short-term deal.

It remains to be seen what part he will play in the rest of the season, but a summer move is almost certainly on the cards.

NEW ORLEANS -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did his best to shut down the popular notion that NFL officials are partial toward the Kansas City Chiefs, calling it a "ridiculous theory."

"This sort of reminds me a little bit of the script," he said during his state of the league address Monday. "That I write a script, and I have the script for the entire season ... I think it reflects a lot of the fans' passion, and I think it also is a reminder for us how important officiating is. And I think the men and women that officiate the NFL are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards."

He added, "Our officials are evaluated in several ways. It's not just the performance on the field, but it's things that go on in their own lives, and we have a very tight control over that. We monitor that very closely in a number of ways."

Goodell pointed to the Chiefs' performance in one score games this season: Eleven of their 17 games were within one score.

"I think that talks about the competitiveness of our game and the importance of how we officiate it, but also the competitiveness of how we play it," he said.

Goodell said the league is always trying to improve on officiating, and he credited replay assist with being beneficial this season and said the competition committee will meet this offseason to discuss expanding replay assist to include more plays, such as face mask penalties.

"We want to use technology to supplement and to assist and support the officials in getting it right," he said.

Other topics discussed by Goodell on Monday:

On the sexual misconduct allegations against Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker published by the Baltimore Banner: "I was surprised, but also, you know, there's a process for that, as you say, both civil and potentially criminal. We obviously have NFL investigations for that too. We don't want to impede on the criminal side of that, but so we will look into those issues. They're obviously serious issues."

On the potential of an 18-game season: "We haven't had any formal negotiating sessions about an extension. I'm certain it'll come up in the context of that in some fashion. It is something that [NFLPA director] Lloyd [Howell] and I have had informal conversations about. But there's a lot of work to be done."

Goodell said "18 and 2," or 18 regular-season games and two preseason games, might be a possibility depending on how discussions with the players go.

"We know that fans love football, they want more football, but we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart about the balance and how we deal with that," he said.

On international expansion and the possibility of playing a Super Bowl outside the United States: "I do think there's potential that someday we will have an international franchise. If we do, it would not surprise me at all if a Super Bowl follows and is played there."

He added, "This is a great example being here in New Orleans ... It's a great thing for the New Orleans Saints to be the host of the Super Bowl and have the world's attention. And I think the same thing will be true if we had an international franchise to be able to play a Super Bowl there to support that franchise."

On whether rules surrounding Tom Brady's role as an analyst for Fox and a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders need to be altered in any way: "I think he's serious that he separates these two and he doesn't put the league or anyone in a position of conflict."

ESPN's Katherine Terrell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- Wide receiver Cooper Kupp has been informed by the Los Angeles Rams that "the team will be seeking a trade immediately," he announced on Monday.

"I don't agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA," Kupp said in a statement posted to social media.

The receiver said the team will be working with him and his family to "find the right place to continue competing for championships" and that he is "highly motivated" and healthy as ever as he prepares to head into next season.

During the Rams' final open locker room session after the team lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs, Kupp said there was "no doubt" in his mind he wanted to play in 2025. He said while he "would love to be in L.A.," he has no control over what will happen this offseason.

I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships. I don't agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA.

Still, if there's... pic.twitter.com/XWmbGVscGy

Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) February 4, 2025

After a record-breaking 2021 season that saw him lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Kupp signed a three-year contract extension worth $80.1 million. He just completed the first season of that contract and is scheduled to have a cap hit of $29.8 million next season and $27.3 million in 2026.

Kupp's guaranteed salary next season is only $5 million, and he has no guaranteed money on the final year of the contract in 2026. If the Rams trade Kupp in a deal designated post-June 1, they will save $20 million toward their 2025 salary cap.

If the Rams cut Kupp this offseason, they will save $15 million in cash and $7.52 million against the salary cap. If the Rams release him without a post-June 1 designation, they will absorb $22.2 million in dead money due to the remaining prorated portions of his signing bonus and $5 million of his roster bonus.

Kupp has spent his entire eight-season career with the Rams, starting in 2017 as a 24-year-old rookie. He was a third-round pick out of Eastern Washington who had 62 receptions in his debut season.

After the team acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Lions in exchange for Jared Goff ahead of the 2021 regular season, Kupp had one of the best receiving seasons in NFL history. He capped the season with eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams' Super Bowl win over the Bengals, which earned him the game's MVP award.

The 2021 regular season was one of two seasons in which he played every game. Since then, he has played 33 games in three seasons with a season high of 812 receiving yards.

Over the past two seasons, the Rams have increasingly relied on wide receiver Puka Nacua in the passing game, which made it unlikely Kupp was going to return to the team on his current contract. Nacua missed six games this season but is averaging 88.4 receiving yards per game over the first two years of his career.

NEW ORLEANS -- In light of President Donald Trump's executive order to roll back DEI policies, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell faced multiple questions Monday about the league's intentions for equitable hiring.

During his state of the league address, Goodell doubled down on the NFL's commitment to inclusive hiring practices, such as the Rooney Rule, which the league created in 2003 and requires clubs to interview minority or female candidates for open head coach, general manager, coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and senior level positions.

"We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League, and we're going to continue those efforts because we've not only convinced ourselves, I think we've proven to ourselves that it does make the NFL better," Goodell told reporters. "We're not in this because it's a trend to get into it or a trend to get out of it. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League both on and off the field."

The league has made multiple updates to the rule since 2003 based on feedback from clubs and candidates. "There's no requirement to hire a particular individual on the basis of race or gender," Goodell said. "It's simply on the basis of looking at a canvas of candidates that reflect our communities and to look at the kind of talent that exists there, and then you make the best decision on who is hired.

"There are no quotas in our system. This is about opening that funnel and bringing the best talent into the NFL."

In 2021, the rule was updated to require clubs to interview two external minority candidates in person, for head coach and general manager jobs. This hiring cycle, the rule came under scrutiny because several clubs -- the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars -- had head coaching jobs open that were publicly linked to a white candidate before completing their two external minority in-person interviews. As a result, the in-person external minority interview requirement turned into a way for fans to track whether their team was compliant with the Rooney Rule and therefore determine when they were able to hire the leading candidate.

When asked if he was concerned about the validity of the interviews extended to minority candidates, Goodell said no.

"We follow up with the candidates," he said. "We speak about the sincerity and the thoroughness of an interview to make sure that we're doing that in a proper fashion."

Goodell said there have been minority candidates he has spoken to who thought otherwise.

"There have been candidates going back a ways where they didn't feel what was authentic or what they thought was thorough enough," Goodell said. "And so we go back to the clubs and we talk about that, and I think we've made changes to our policy to make sure we deal with that."

When asked about what the league will do about corporate sponsors that are participating in DEI rollbacks, Goodell said the league doesn't make policies for sponsors or corporations or networks of partners.

"We have a lot of conversations about the importance of it to us," he said. "There's a lot of conversations that go on about that."

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Officials delayed the start of Monday's game between the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies after a medical emergency occurred courtside just as the teams were set for tipoff.

With both teams on the floor set to start the game, emergency medical personnel quickly rushed to the aid of a man who had fallen ill in a courtside seat opposite of the San Antonio Spurs bench. EMTs administered CPR, including chest compressions as a group of medics wheeled a gurney across the court.

After several minutes, medical personnel carted the man off on the gurney as fans inside the FedEx Forum cheered for a healthy recovery.

Game officials immediately approached the scorer's table and announced they would start a 20-minute re warm-up period as both teams had returned to their respective locker rooms to await a restart.

Officials began the game after a 20-minute delay.

MEMPHIS -- The buzz surrounding San Antonio's trade for point guard De'Aaron Fox cut through the grogginess and morning chill Monday at the team's shootaround.

As Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama heaved one-legged 3-pointers from the wing, general manager Brian Wright found a seat courtside. Under the basket, acting Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson sat with Harrison Barnes to pick his brain about Fox, who was his teammate for six seasons in Sacramento.

"Even when there's so much talk about Victor, the timeline, winning and development and this evolution that we've all gone through, sometimes this league dictates the capacity or opportunity at which you can do that in the big picture," Johnson said. "When you add a player like De'Aaron Fox and you already have a strong foundation, there will be opinions and expectations that come with that, what that means, what the timeline is. We'll get into that, but we will not shy away from the reality of adding good players and things that come with that."

San Antonio officially acquired Fox on Monday as part of a three-team trade involving multiple players and draft picks, giving the Spurs an All-Star guard and clutch performer in Fox to pair next to a generational talent in Wembanyama, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year who is set to make his All-Star debut later this month. Wright and San Antonio's brass pulled off the deal without surrendering veteran Chris Paul, Barnes or any prized young prospects such as rookie guard Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan or Keldon Johnson.

In Fox, the Spurs add a speedy downhill scorer who ranks fourth in total points when shooting off drives this season. San Antonio also now features a potentially unstoppable pick-and-roll combination with Fox and Wembanyama. According to Second Spectrum data, Fox has averaged 1.13 points per direct pick as the ball handler on pick-and-rolls, sixth best in the NBA. Wembanyama, meanwhile, has averaged 1.16 points per direct pick as the screener on pick-and-rolls, second in the league.

Fox, 27, is averaging 25.0 points, 6.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds and has ranked in the top three each of the past three seasons in clutch time field goals. The Spurs are 9-11 in clutch time games.

"Who do you stop between those two?" Vassell asked just as shootaround wrapped up. "I think we're going to play a lot faster and we're going to be out in transition a lot. I think it's just going to open up a lot with Fox being our point guard. Him and Wemby on the screen and roll? Then you have me and [Julian] Champagnie and certain shooters around. It's going to be an exciting offense, and I think defensively we're going to be able to get after people, too. I know Fox likes to pick up full court and kind of change the pace of the game. He's going to help us on both ends."

That's precisely what Barnes was explaining to Mitch Johnson as shootaround commenced.

After their conversation, Barnes laughed when asked whether he and Johnson were already devising schemes to feature the club's new acquisition.

"It's always good to just share knowledge," Barnes said. "Obviously, [Johnson] has a perspective as a competitor playing against him. I have the experience of being a teammate with him. So [it's all about] blending that in. ... It's going to all come together. That's the thing with the NBA: Things change quickly, and you have to be able to adjust and adapt. I think we're ready for that."

The Spurs have lost six of their past nine games entering Monday's outing at Memphis and are 12th in the Western Conference. The addition of Fox means one of San Antonio's regular starters will likely be relegated to a bench role.

Johnson said Paul and Fox can co-exist in the starting lineup. If the Spurs go that direction, Castle will become a reserve after starting in 29 games as a rookie.

"The basketball speaks for itself. He's an elite point guard, elite player in this league, dynamic scorer. He's a great person, a family man, a Texas kid. More importantly, I think he's a high-character individual. One of the things I was most impressed with when I first came [to San Antonio] was everybody being high character in this organization from the top down. I think he fits that mold. I think the best is yet to come for him."

Spurs' Harrison Barnes on De'Aaron Fox, his former teammate in Sacramento

Fox is expected join the team in Atlanta ahead of Wednesday's game against the Hawks, according to sources, who added it's still to be determined whether the point guard will make his Spurs debut then.

"I know the trade's been announced by all teams, but you still just need to get all those i's dotted and t's crossed," Johnson said. "If there is an opportunity for De'Aaron and Jordan [McLaughlin] to meet us in Atlanta and be ready to go, then they'll be ready to go. They're in the season. There's no concern of ramping up, conditioning or whatnot.

"We know there will be a runway of learning our program and terminology. There will be some patience and some excitement on both sides from the group here waiting on them and then joining the group. It'll just be something we work through and trying to expedite as much as possible without having a ton of practice time."

That's not a concern for Barnes, who said the "basketball part will be easy" in Fox's transition to San Antonio, after spending the entirety of his eight-year career leading the Kings.

"The basketball speaks for itself," Barnes said. "He's an elite point guard, elite player in this league, dynamic scorer. He's a great person, a family man, a Texas kid. More importantly, I think he's a high-character individual. One of the things I was most impressed with when I first came [to San Antonio] was everybody being high character in this organization from the top down. I think he fits that mold. I think the best is yet to come for him."

Meanwhile, in Sacramento, Kings interim coach Doug Christie understood all too well what Fox experienced Monday, having also been traded midseason by Sacramento, where he spent the majority of his playing career.

"Ever since the first time I saw him play, (I) was a big time fan, and this doesn't change anything as far as always rooting for him," Christie said before Monday's game against Minnesota. "I told him as much."

The trade was yet another shakeup after coach Mike Brown's firing for a team battling to make the Western Conference playoffs. Christie said he had conversations with a few of the team's younger players about navigating the business side of trades.

"I wanted to let them know that I'm here for you, your teammates are here for you," Christie said. "That's part of what this is. You're not out there all alone."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.