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Sources: Irving, Nets moving toward 4-year deal

Published in Breaking News
Saturday, 29 June 2019 18:41

Six-time All-Star Kyrie Irving will be meeting with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in New York, and both sides are motivated to reach a deal on a four-year, $141 million maximum contract, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.

The free-agent guard is part of the Nets' bold, two-part plan to acquire Irving and All-NBA forward Kevin Durant in free agency, league sources told ESPN. Irving plans to leave the Boston Celtics, whom he was traded to two years ago from the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources said. Irving is a native of South Orange, New Jersey, which is in the tri-state area.

Durant remains interested in the Nets and is expected to speak with them this week, sources said. Irving and Durant have built a strong relationship.

Irving averaged 23.8 points, 6.9 assists and 7 rebounds in 67 games for the Celtics. Throughout a tumultuous season, which ended in a Game 5 Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Irving's displeasure with the management, coaches and teammates was evident.

The ripples of an Irving commitment to the Nets will impact All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell, who is a restricted free agent. The Nets have no intention of bringing back Russell with Irving on the roster, and they plan to work with Russell and his agents to facilitate a pathway to his next team, league sources said.

The Nets could renounce Russell and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent, but first they could work with his agents at CAA Sports -- Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz -- on sign-and-trade scenarios with teams without the requisite salary-cap space to sign Russell, sources said. One team interested in finding a way to acquire Russell via free agency or sign-and-trade: the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka reached out to Russell's agents to set up a meeting to discuss a possible reunion with Los Angeles, league sources told ESPN. The Lakers, flush with $32 million in salary-cap space, are searching for a third All-Star to partner with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Both the Lakers and Russell are interested in exploring a potential return to Staples Center.

The Lakers traded Russell to the Nets with Timofey Mozgov for Brook Lopez and the No. 27 pick in the 2017 draft to clear space to sign two max-level free agents. The Lakers signed James, traded for Davis and could ink Russell.

Russell, 23, has matured a great deal since the Lakers selected him No. 2 in the 2015 draft. His time with the Nets molded him into an All-Star.

NBA free agents can begin negotiating agreements with teams at 6 p.m. ET Sunday. Contracts can be officially signed July 6.

NBA salary cap jumps $7M, set at $109.14M

Published in Basketball
Saturday, 29 June 2019 19:00

NEW YORK -- The NBA set the salary cap for the 2019-20 season at $109.14 million, an increase of just more than $7 million from last season.

The tax level will be $132,627,000, and the minimum salary, which is 90% of the cap, will be $98,226,000. All of those figures are virtually identical to what the league has been projecting for some time.

All the new figures take effect Monday. Teams may begin negotiating with free agents at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, and the league's annual moratorium begins at 12:01 a.m. ET July 1 and continues through noon ET July 6. When the moratorium ends, new deals can be signed.

The midlevel exception figures for 2019-20 are $9,258,000 for non-taxpayer teams, $5,718,000 for tax-paying teams and $4,767,000 for teams with salary-cap room.

Reports: Mirotic to leave NBA for EuroLeague

Published in Basketball
Saturday, 29 June 2019 14:35

Free agent Nikola Mirotic plans to return to Europe after five seasons in the NBA and sign with EuroLeague team Barcelona, according to multiple reports.

The stretch 4 was projected to have a starting salary of $12 to $14 million on a long-term deal if he signed with an NBA team, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Mirotic, 28, had a standout career at Real Madrid before entering the NBA with the Chicago Bulls before the 2014-15 season.

The Athletic was first to report Mirotic's plans to sign with Barcelona.

This past season, Mirotic was one of the biggest names moved at the NBA's trade deadline once again. After he was sent from the Bulls to the New Orleans Pelicans at the deadline in 2018, New Orleans moved him to Milwaukee on deadline day this time around.

Ultimately, though, Mirotic's impact in Milwaukee was less than expected, as a thumb injury kept him to only 14 games in the regular season -- although he returned for the start of the playoffs. He was later excised from coach Mike Budenholzer's rotation in the Eastern Conference finals against the Toronto Raptors, playing just nine minutes in Game 5 of that series before not playing at all in Game 6. He went 6-for-31 from 3-point range in the series overall.

Still, Mirotic had entered the summer as an intriguing fit for many teams, thanks to his elite shooting ability as a big man. He averaged over 15 points per game each of the past two seasons while shooting 37.7 and 36.5%, respectively, from 3-point range, taking over six triples per game. That kind of reliable shooting and scoring from a stretch 4 -- especially one who can survive defensively -- isn't easily found.

Mirotic averaged 15.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in sum this past season during his stops in New Orleans and Milwaukee.

Information from ESPN's Tim Bontemps was used in this report.

Sources: Butler plans to meet with Heat, Rockets

Published in Basketball
Saturday, 29 June 2019 16:21

Jimmy Butler is expected to meet with the Miami Heat in South Florida on Sunday ahead of a meeting with the Houston Rockets, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday.

Butler's meeting with the Rockets likely will take place early next week in Los Angeles, sources said.

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1:00

Marks: Rockets could offer appealing trade package for Butler

Bobby Marks breaks down how the Rockets could potentially land Jimmy Butler through a sign-and-trade, pinpointing what assets the 76ers would likely be taking back in a deal.

The Philadelphia 76ers haven't ruled out working with Butler on sign-and-trade deals, which Miami and Houston both would need to acquire the All-Star guard.

The 76ers are facing a free agency that includes Butler, Tobias Harris and JJ Redick. Butler was acquired in a trade with Minnesota for Dario Saric and Robert Covington in November.

Sources: Rose, Pistons to meet, eye 2-year deal

Published in Basketball
Saturday, 29 June 2019 16:18

Free-agent guard Derrick Rose is expected to meet with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, with both sides motivated to find a path to a two-year contract, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday.

NBA free agents can begin negotiating agreements with teams at 6 p.m. ET Sunday. Contracts can be officially signed July 6.

After several injury-plagued seasons, the veteran point guard appeared in 51 games (13 starts) and was third on the Minnesota Timberwolves in points per game (18.0) and second in player-efficiency rating (19.52), behind only All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns. 

Rose, who turns 31 in October, is entering his 11th NBA season (he sat out 2012-13 with a torn ACL). The three-time All-Star holds career averages of 18.8 points and 5.6 assists. 

Sources: Walker, Celtics to finalize deal Sunday

Published in Basketball
Saturday, 29 June 2019 14:54

Kemba Walker plans to be in Boston on Sunday to finalize a formal agreement for a four-year, $141 million deal with the Celtics, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday.

The Celtics have targeted Walker, 29, as the No. 1 priority in free agency and an elite replacement for the departing Kyrie Irving, sources said.

NBA free agents can begin negotiating agreements with teams at 6 p.m. ET Sunday. Contracts can be officially signed July 6.

Walker is coming off his best season as a pro during his eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 25.6 points while playing in all 82 regular-season games.

After a season of locker room turmoil often centered around Irving's discontent, the Celtics crave the stability and leadership that Walker will provide -- along with being an All-Star talent in the prime of his career.

Boston can renounce the rights to restricted free agent Terry Rozier to clear the space to start Walker on a four-year deal beginning at $32 million annually.

Walker can plug into a Celtics lineup that includes Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown. Boston can still pursue a center with its $4.8 million exception and deliver at the start of the season a team that could be competitive in the Eastern Conference.

Charlotte, meanwhile, has declined to exercise its qualifying offer on Frank Kaminsky, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent amid significant interest, a league source told ESPN.

The Hornets have been scouring the free-agent point guard market, considering such options as Elfrid Payton, T.J. McConnell, Ish Smith and Emmanuel Mudiay, league sources told ESPN.

Walker won a national championship at UConn in 2011 and is a New York City native.

Yankees' Voit sidelined by lower abdominal injury

Published in Baseball
Saturday, 29 June 2019 14:36

New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit left Saturday's 17-13 win over the Boston Red Sox in London due to what he described as a "lower abdominal" injury.

Voit said the injury wasn't to his groin or his hip and that he'll see how he feels on Sunday, and that will determine whether tests are needed.

"A little tightness, but nothing crazy," Voit said of how he felt following the series opener. "It kind of freaked me out when it happened. I guess there was really no point to me staying in the game, so that [getting taken out] was the right decision."

Voit doubled to lead off the fifth inning but said he felt tightness while rounding first base and then hobbled into second.

He would have been out at second, but Boston second baseman Brock Holt dropped the ball after applying the tag.

Gio Urshela ran for Voit and later scored.

Voit went 4-for-4 on the day with three doubles. Urshela stayed in the game at third base, and DJ LeMahieu moved across the diamond to replace Voit at first.

Manager Aaron Boone noted Voit's postgame physical exams "were all good." Still, he did acknowledge that he was a little uneasy about the injury.

"Sure it's a concern," Boone said. "[But] I feel like the evaluation of him was pretty good considering what I saw. And even when I went out there, he said, 'Actually, I think I'm OK.'"

The Red Sox, meanwhile, lost shortstop Xander Bogaerts to a left leg cramp. Bogaerts felt the cramp running the bases in the seventh inning but remained in the game before being replaced by Edwin Nunez in the top of the eighth.

ESPN's Coley Harvey contributed to this report.

Teen ump involved in brawl invited to MLB game

Published in Baseball
Saturday, 29 June 2019 22:54

DENVER -- Hey, blue, great call!

Major league umpire Chris Guccione invited a teenage ump who was involved in a game that ended in an adult brawl to attend the Dodgers-Rockies series finale Sunday at Coors Field.

Guccione and his crew just wanted to show their support for 13-year-old Josh Cordova, who found himself in the middle of a recent fight in Lakewood, Colorado. Authorities said the skirmish at a game between teams of 7-year-olds began when parents and coaches disagreed with the teen's decisions. The video of the conflict went viral.

"It is an extremely hard job to be an umpire and keep the peace and to make the calls," said Guccione, who is from Colorado and in his 20th season as a big league ump. "I just want Josh and his family to have a great time at the ballpark."

The family was brought in through UMPS CARE Charities, the official philanthropy of MLB umpires.

"The support has been amazing," said Jennifer Carriera, Josh's mother. "We are really looking forward to this experience."

Yelich, MLB leader in HRs, to compete in Derby

Published in Baseball
Saturday, 29 June 2019 22:19

Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich has thrown his name in the hat for the Home Run Derby.

Yelich, who leads the majors with 29 home runs, said Saturday night that he accepted an invitation from Major League Baseball to compete in the All-Star event on July 8 in Cleveland. The event will be televised on ESPN.

"They asked if I would do it a few weeks ago," Yelich said Saturday night after Milwaukee beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1. "I said as long as I was an All-Star I would do it -- obviously if I'm feeling healthy enough before the game."

Yelich, the reigning National League MVP, was the NL's leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game. He is slashing .327/.423/.704 with 63 RBIs.

Yelich joins New York Mets rookie Pete Alonso as confirmed participants as the field begins to round out, meaning the competition will feature MLB's two leading home run hitters. Alonso is second in the majors with 28 homers.

"I feel like now's as good a time to do it as any, so we'll see how it goes," Yelich said.

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper won last year's Home Run Derby.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cubs' Strop: Puig 'stupid' for fuming after HBP

Published in Baseball
Saturday, 29 June 2019 19:27

CINCINNATI -- There aren't likely to be any Christmas cards exchanged between Chicago Cubs pitcher Pedro Strop and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig after the two had words with each other as the benches cleared in the Cubs' 6-0 win on Saturday.

Puig got hit in the hip by a 3-0 pitch from Strop in the bottom of the eighth inning and began to walk toward the mound while screaming at the pitcher. Cubs catcher Willson Contreras and first baseman Anthony Rizzo held Puig back while Puig and Strop kept yelling at each other. Things eventually calmed down, and after the game, Strop didn't understand why Puig was so upset.

"He just reacted like that," Strop said. "Maybe because it was a 3-0 pitch, maybe it looks weird. I wasn't commanding my sinker, and I didn't want to leave a cookie 3-0. He'll swing 3-0 and hit it way out of the park. He just acted stupid."

Strop wasn't finished with Puig. The righty was asked what he was yelling at the outfielder as the two were kept separated.

"I told him, 'Why are you talking?'" Strop said. "'You have a chance to do whatever you need to do on the mound. Now you're just screaming.'

"It's not a secret he's stupid. He's stupid as f---. I have nothing against him, but he's stupid. There's no doubt about it."

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0:31

Puig not happy after being hit by pitch

Pedro Strop hits Yasiel Puig in the leg with a pitch, prompting Puig to move toward the mound before he is held back by players from both teams.

Puig told reporters that he hasn't had any previous issues with Strop and wasn't sure why he was hit with a 3-0 pitch.

"I don't know. You need to ask [Strop]," Puig said. "Myself and my teammates want to go out tomorrow and win the series. ... We'll play the game tomorrow and forget about what happened today."

Neither player got ejected from the game, as Puig took first base before Strop ended the inning by striking out Jose Iglesias. Reds manager David Bell did get tossed in the ninth inning, when Cubs righty Dillon Maples hit Reds infielder Jose Peraza without any punishment from the umpires.

Bell said he was asking why Maples was not ejected after both teams had been warned and was told that the pitch that hit Peraza was unintentional. It was Bell's sixth ejection of the season.

"The bottom line is I don't like it when our players get hit,'' Bell said.

Strop said there is no history of bad blood between him and Puig, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon stressed that Puig got hit in the hip -- not up high.

"I told Strop he threw his three best sliders of the year after that, to Iglesias, so he rose to the occasion," Maddon said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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