The Golden State Warriors are planning to offer All-Star guard Klay Thompson a five-year, $190 million maximum contract when free agency opens Sunday at 6 p.m. ET -- which is expected to accelerate the process of general manager Bob Myers and Thompson's agent, Greg Lawrence, quickly reaching a formal agreement, league sources tell ESPN.

Thompson and Lawrence have indicated throughout the past year that the five-time All-Star guard planned to return to the Warriors if offered the full five-year max deal -- and that's on course to happen now, league sources said.

Thompson is one of the NBA's best all-around players and a foundational talent for a franchise that's won three championships and reached five NBA Finals with him as a star performer.

Despite suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in the NBA Finals, the Warriors remained committed to keeping Thompson out of free agency and bringing him into the franchise's new downtown San Francisco arena with Stephen Curry into the future.

Several teams pursuing Thompson in free agency have given up hope in recent days, believing that he was moving toward a return to the Warriors.

Now the Warriors will turn toward trying to retain All-NBA star Kevin Durant, who is entering free agency. Durant suffered a torn Achilles in the NBA Finals and could miss an entire season.

Thompson has had seven consecutive seasons with at least 200 3-pointers, tied with Curry for the most in NBA history. He has eight straight seasons of shooting at least 40% on 3-pointers, which is the league's second-longest active streak in the NBA behind Curry. His 1,798 career 3's are 16th all time.

Thompson is one of the league's elite wing defenders, too. He was a second-team All-NBA defensive selection this year.

Prior to the ACL tear, Thompson had been one of the most durable players in the NBA. He has missed only 25 games (including playoffs) since Steve Kerr arrived as coach in 2014. He's played at least 70-plus games, averaging more than 30 minutes each of the past seven seasons. Only James Harden, Damian Lillard and Thaddeus Young have had similar runs in that span.

Thompson was selected 11th overall by the Warriors in the 2011 draft. He's a five-time All-Star and two-time third-team All-NBA player averaging 19.5 points and 42% 3-point shooting in his career.

The London series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will feature a giant mascot race with a British spin.

Winston Churchill, Freddie Mercury, King Henry VIII and the Loch Ness Monster will race around the warning track at London Stadium. The four were chosen by fans who voted on four categories of notable Brits -- cultural icons, legends, historical figures and monarchs.

Mercury beat out Shakespeare and John Lennon in the voting.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will attend Saturday's opener and will accompany competitors from the Invictus Games onto the field to throw out the first pitch.

The Kingdom Choir, which stole the show at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018, will perform the national anthem on Saturday.

About 1,500 invited fans attended batting practice Friday. Movie director Spike Lee walked around in foul territory, while the grounds crew performed to the Village People's "YMCA," as they are wont to do in the Bronx. Delaware North, the stadium food contractor, brought over George Raub, a 39-year-old from Georgia, to teach staff how to hawk food in the stands.

"It's all about showmanship and bringing them outside of their shell," Raub said. "Joked a little bit: If they've ever wanted to be a West End actor here in London, this is their chance to really showcase their skills."

Players from both teams relished being able to do some sightseeing around the city without being recognized.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said he walked near the London Eye and reliever Chad Green toured the Churchill War Rooms under the streets of Westminster. Boston outfielder Mookie Betts played golf and ate with his family at Borough Market, while Rick Porcello and Red Sox teammate Brandon Workman went to Camden Market, Shoreditch and Piccadilly Circus.

"I was actually walking near the London Eye yesterday, and I ran into a couple people that had the Yankee hat on," Judge said. "They had no idea who I was or anything. I said this is all right. 'I'm Aaron, great to meet you.'"

Boston manager Alex Cora and Yankees counterpart Aaron Boone went to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard, and Cora visited Kensington Palace. A gala was scheduled for the Tower of London.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Authorities in the Dominican Republic say they have arrested the mastermind behind the shooting of baseball great David Ortiz earlier this month in an apparent case of mistaken identity.

Police said Friday that Victor Hugo Gomez was detained in the Caribbean country. No further details were immediately released.

Authorities had said last week that they believed Gomez was living in the United States.

He is accused of ordering the killing of his cousin, Sixto David Fernandez. Authorities say hit men confused Ortiz with Fernandez during the June 9 shooting at a bar in the capital of Santo Domingo. The two men are friends and were sharing a table.

Ortiz was flown to Boston and remains hospitalized there after doctors in the Dominican Republic removed his gallbladder and part of his intestine.

CHICAGO -- A potential final piece to the Chicago Cubs' bullpen made it back to the majors Thursday, as the team called up new closer Craig Kimbrel, who earned the save in a 9-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

After Kimbrel made four appearances at Triple-A Iowa, the organization is hopeful he'll help the team improve on its 60% save-conversion rate. Here are some key questions about the man some might think is the savior for Chicago's shaky bullpen:

The Cubs are 39-3 when leading after eight innings. Does Kimbrel make that big of a difference?

He does, but it has only a little to do with the ninth inning. The team has been short an arm since the winter, so adding a good one -- in any role -- was a top priority. Of course, it doesn't hurt to add a Hall of Fame-caliber closer, considering the ninth inning can be a different animal, but the biggest benefit could come before the ninth. That's when Pedro Strop will pitch once again, and before that, tough righties Steve Cishek and Brandon Kintzler will see action. The Cubs have blown seven leads in the seventh inning or later, so moving everyone down a notch is where Kimbrel truly helps.

"When everyone is [available] on a nightly basis, the length of the bullpen gets pretty deep," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

How will Kimbrel be used initially?

First off, he'll pitch only three or fewer outs. So one inning will be the right-hander's max. "Remember when I got Aroldis [Chapman] and popped him in there for three-plus [outs] and I thought it was cool?" Maddon said. "But it wasn't."

"He'll be slotted, and really carefully. As we get to the latter part of September, as it's necessary, that's where you look at the four outs sometimes. I hope not five. ... He'll be a three-out guy."

What about using him on back-to-back days?

Kimbrel pitched on back-to-back days one time last week at Triple-A, so he's prepped for it. It'll be a day-by-day thing between him and Maddon.

"I need him to tell me on a daily basis how he's feeling," Maddon said. "I will listen to him. ... Sometimes, these guys actually feel better after a couple days of pitching."

Is he in major league-ready shape?

Kimbrel was throwing at a local high school in Florida before being signed, so it's not like he was mimicking big league situations -- hence the time in the minors. The Cubs called it his spring training and will treat him accordingly.

"Guys have a few more restrictions in April because they're easing their way into the season a little bit," team president Theo Epstein said. "It wouldn't be appropriate to go full throttle right off the bat given the long season ahead of him. And given that they are just getting up to speed.

"It makes sense to look at it like April, where you're not going to push the pedal to the metal right away, and be smart about it."

What are scouts or other executives saying?

One assistant general manager of another team interested in Kimbrel saw him throw before the 31-year-old signed with the Cubs and said: "I'm curious to see how the next few years play out. Our scout said the velocity looked good, command was off. Even then, it's hard to put any stock into it."

A scout who saw him more recently, at Triple-A, said: "Velocity was good, and in the few batters I saw, no one squared him up. But the real test is coming. This was just to see how his arm looked, and it was fine."

How did he look Thursday?

Kimbrel hit 95-98 mph on the radar gun but lost command against Dansby Swanson, walking him on four pitches.

"His stuff is still electric," new teammate Cishek said. "He had, what? Seven or eight strikes in a row. That's pretty amazing in his first game."

So how did his signature setup on the mound -- with his right arm dangling -- come to be?

"It all started with an injury," Kimbrel said. "I didn't want to put my arm behind my back anymore. Started to let it hang because I was getting a little bicep tendinitis. Over the years, it got out of control. It became something that was more of a stamp in my performance, I guess. Now it's just something that I do. It's how I separate from a happy, fun-loving guy to turning into what I want to be on the mound."

Scot makes his comeback after injury at the British Milers’ Club meeting

A line-up of top British 800m runners will be on show for the third BMC Grand Prix of the season, which takes place at the Woodside Stadium in Watford on Saturday.

Jake Wightman will be racing for the first time since suffering a stress fracture to his sacrum in December, while Alex Bell – who broke the two-minute barrier at last year’s meeting – also makes her first serious appearance of the outdoor track season.

Wightman was the fastest British 800m runner last year after setting a PB of 1:44.61 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London and he will be joined on the start line by Elliot Giles (1:44.99), as well as last year’s Commonwealth silver medallist Kyle Langford.

All will be wary of Rio Olympian 1500m runner Charlie Da’Vall Grice, who opened his season in America earlier this month with a 1:46.47 800m and a 3:54.77 victory over the mile. Spencer Thomas and Jamie Webb are also entered.

In the women’s race, Bell can expect stiff opposition from European Indoor champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Sarah McDonald and Revee Walcott-Nolan, while Glasgow 2019 fifth-placer Mari Smith will also feature.

“I think we are looking at one of the finest fields of British 800m runners we have had for many years,” said BMC chairman Tim Brennan.

“We could easily be looking at a 1:45 time to win the men’s A race as we have two guys who ran 1:44 last year.

“We also have Alexandra Bell coming back to the track where she ran sub-two (1:59.93) for the first time when winning last year . Both A races are shaping up to be very exciting.”

The meeting is much more than just about the 800m, however. Rio Olympian Andrew Butchart joins a men’s 1500m field which also features the likes of Ellis Cross and Phil Sesemann while Jess Judd, who has won the 5000m at the opening two Grand Prix, will step down to the women’s 1500m and is joined by Hannah England.

Entries for the two steeplechase races headed by Zak Seddon and Elizabeth Bird, while some of Britain’s top junior distance runners will also be in Watford as the UK under-20 3000m trials are being incorporated into the meeting.

Morpeth’s Rory Leonard has already made a big impact over 5000m this summer so will be stepping down for some sharpening up work, while Cornwall AC’s Grace Brock heads a good entry for the women’s race.

The first race is at 5.30pm.

Warren Gatland will take over the Chiefs in his native New Zealand when his contract as Wales coach ends after the World Cup this autumn.

The 55-year-old is set to replace Colin Cooper who is stepping down.

He will coach the Chiefs in 2020, be released to take charge of the 2021 British & Irish Lions, and then is expected to return to Hamilton for two more seasons.

"I am really excited about the opportunity to come back home," he said.

"The opportunity to come back as head coach of the Chiefs is something that I am really looking forward to.

"The Chiefs are well known for the success they've had both on and off the field and the really loyal support they have from everyone within the Chiefs region.

Gatland had told BBC Sport earlier in June he wanted to coach a Super Rugby side.

"I would love to be involved with Super Rugby and to challenge myself with that," Gatland had said after being confirmed as Lions coach for the 2021 tour to South Africa.

"I want to go back. I have been head coach with Waikato and won a championship there, and I want to challenge myself with Super Rugby."

Gatland has been coaching in the northern hemisphere for close to three decades, holding roles with Connacht, Ireland, Wasps, Wales and the Lions.

In more than a decade with Wales, Gatland has won three Grand Slams, a further Six Nations championship and reached the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup.

The former Waikato hooker coached the Lions to a series win over Australia in 2013, a drawn series in New Zealand four years later and his stint next year will equal Sir Ian McGeechan's record as a three-time head coach.

Analysis

Chris Jones, BBC rugby union correspondent

The Lions hierarchy are believed to be supportive of Gatland's move, and feel he will be able to sharpen his coaching skills as well as gathering first-hand information on South African opposition.

Returning to the New Zealand system could also put Gatland firmly in the frame to eventually take charge of the All Blacks.

Israel Folau looks set to take his unfair dismissal case to Federal Court after failing to reach a settlement with Rugby Australia.

Both parties have said they were "disappointed" by the outcome of a Fair Work Commission conciliation.

Rugby Australia terminated his contract in May after the evangelical Christian said "Hell awaits" gay people.

"Thanks to those who have supported me. I will continue to stand up for the freedom of Australians," said Folau.

His lawyer George Haros said that "unless things change we'll be heading to court".

The 30-year-old, who also had his contract terminated by New South Wales Waratahs, believes the dismissal is an unlawful act of religious discrimination and could now apply to have his case heard in Australia's Federal Court.

Rugby Australia and the NSW Rugby Union issued a joint statement, which said: "Rugby Australia and NSW Rugby Union are incredibly disappointed that the Fair Work conciliation has been unsuccessful and did not reach a resolution.

"We remain confident in our processes and will continue to do what is required to defend the values that underpin our game."

After the first GoFundMe page set up to help the former player cover the costs of Folau's legal action was shut down, a second raised more than two million Australian dollars (£1.1m) in just two days.