ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild have re-signed three restricted free agents: forwards Ryan Donato and Nico Sturm and defenseman Carson Soucy.

Donato, a natural center who mostly played left wing after arriving from Boston, received a two-year, $3.8 million contract.

He had four goals and 12 assists with 64 shots in 16 games for the Wild last season after the trade with the Bruins.

The 23-year-old has 15 goals and 19 assists in 68 NHL games.

Sturm and Soucy got one-year, two-way deals. Sturm made his Wild debut in April after signing as a college free agent from Clarkson. Soucy spent last season in the AHL.

The signings were announced Tuesday by the Wild, who have four remaining restricted free agents, including center Joel Eriksson Ek and left wing Kevin Fiala.

Seattle's new NHL franchise has its first general manager.

Hall of Famer Ron Francis will be named the expansion team's GM, a source told ESPN's Emily Kaplan, confirming a Seattle Times report.

Francis will receive a multiyear contract from the team, which is expected to make the hire official later this week, the source said.

The expansion Seattle franchise is set to begin play in the 2021-22 season as the NHL's 32nd team.

After longtime Detroit GM Ken Holland went to Edmonton, adviser Dave Tippett left Seattle Hockey Partners LLC to become the Oilers' coach, and Vegas' Kelly McCrimmon and Columbus' Bill Zito received promotions, there was a limited pool of experienced NHL executives to choose from for the Seattle job.

Francis, though, fits the bill.

The 56-year-old has been in hockey operations since shortly after the end of his Hall of Fame playing career. All of that time has come with the Carolina Hurricanes, including four seasons as GM.

Carolina didn't make the playoffs with Francis in charge of decision-making, though his moves put the foundation in place for the team that reached the Eastern Conference finals this past season.

As a player, Francis spent 23 seasons in the NHL, with stints in Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina and Toronto. A two-time Stanley Cup champion, the center had 549 goals and 1,249 assists in 1,731 games.

Toronto FC striker Jozy Altidore was fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Soccer after describing the league's referees as "some of the worst in the world" and "absolutely horrible."

The outspoken Toronto forward, who was at the Gold Cup with the U.S. national team when he posted the tweet, criticized MLS referees after his Toronto team had a late-game penalty call denied in their 1-1 draw against D.C United on June 29.

Atlanta United full-back Brek Shea is out for the season after suffering a serious right knee injury that will require surgery, coach Frank de Boer told reporters on Tuesday.

Shea was hurt early in Sunday's 2-1 loss at the Seattle Sounders. He tore the ACL and meniscus along with other damage in his knee, De Boer said.

"He has a really bad injury in his knee," De Boer said. "I feel really sorry for him. He was looking good, looking fresh, and he got this injury. Everything that almost can be destroyed in his knee is destroyed."

Shea, 29, joined Atlanta as a free agent in December on a one-year deal. He had one assist in 19 games (10 starts) this season.

He has 29 goals and 25 assists in 216 career games (156 starts) in MLS, along with four goals in 34 appearances for the U.S. national team from 2010-2015.

Meanwhile, The Athletic reported Monday that Atlanta agreed to trade for Chicago Fire midfielder Mo Adams, with compensation yet unreported.

De Boer did not confirm the move Tuesday, but said the team does have interest in Adams, a 22-year-old from England who would not fill an international slot.

Georgia Elwiss is determined to mark her international return by helping England make a "special" comeback of their own when they face Australia in this week's Test with the Women's Ashes on the line.

Elwiss, the 28-year-old allrounder who has played the past two WBBL seasons with Melbourne Stars, was named in England's 13-strong squad for the four-day match starting at Taunton on Thursday after being sidelined for more than four months with a back injury.

"Injuries are never nice and I think it's just made me really hungry to be able to contribute to hopefully us pulling off something special for the rest of this series and regaining the Ashes," Elwiss said.

England trail Australia six points to nil after losing all three of their ODIs and must win the Test, worth four points, to remain in the contest for the Ashes with three T20s worth two points each to follow.

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Elwiss admitted it had been difficult having to watch her team rather than taking part after she felt pain while playing England's one-day series in India in February and scans revealed a small stress fracture in her back, which then ruled her out of the tour of Sri Lanka, plus a home series against West Indies.

"Unfortunately I had to get shut down for a fair few months, so I'm on the comeback trail now and fit and raring to go," Elwiss said. "Hopefully I can contribute to the girls this week and bring some energy and bring something new to the dynamics of the team.

"It's been not very nice watching the girls out there playing while I'm stuck in the gym but I think that' s made me really hungry to do everything really well and properly and diligently and so I know that now I'm back I'll be back better than ever."

Elwiss has played two Tests, in the 2015 and 2017 Ashes, batting at No.4 in the latter where she made a second-innings 41 not out off 190 balls to help England hold out for a draw after Australia's Ellyse Perry had notched an unbeaten double century.

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Elwiss struck an unbeaten 44 batting at No.4 and 36 opening for England in a three-day tour match against Australia A, which finished on Sunday, and said while she enjoyed batting in the upper middle order, she was feeling good with bat and ball and was happy to do "whatever job is asked of me".

"I've got to break into the XI first and then see where we go from there," Elwiss said. "The ODI series was disappointing. We need to remember that we're not a bad team and we're not actually that far away from the Australians.

"They've played some good cricket, probably by their admission not the complete package in terms of their ODI game either. We've played some good cricket at times and I think we need to keep remembering that they're humans as well and they're going to make mistakes and we're ready to pounce."

Elwiss comes into the England squad alongside youngster Kirstie Gordon and Katherine Brunt, the 34-year-old fast bowler who is a veteran of 11 Test matches. Brunt, who is no stranger to back injuries with disc problems that require ongoing management, returns having missed the third ODI against Australia after hurting her ankle while leaping in the air to celebrate taking a wicket in the second match of the series.

"We call her the grandma of the group - she hates it," Elwiss said. "She's got all the experience but she's still got the heart and the drive and the fight of a 19-year-old coming in and that's testament to her.

"She's played a lot of Test matches and a lot of Ashes Test matches. She's been through a lot in her career and has got plenty of battle scars and things like that so she's a great person to have around the group. She's great for giving advice.

"She does waffle on a lot so you have to pick your moments to get advice from her because you could be sat there for half an hour listening to her answer, but she's great," Elwiss added with a laugh. "She's a great person to have around and she's great with the youngsters because she's always willing to offer that advice."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Weeks after both Terry Bradshaw and Baker Mayfield took verbal jabs at his starting quarterback, Texas Longhorns coach Tom Herman said Tuesday that he noticed, and his players "file things away."

Speaking at Big 12 media days, Herman called outside criticism of Sam Ehlinger "irrelevant," but he intimated that it could fuel the junior quarterback's fire.

"I heard it," Herman said. "I would be lying to you if I told you I don't know what you're talking about. I certainly do, but it's irrelevant. ... It doesn't really faze us.

"I do know, you know, our guys file certain things away. ... Sam loves to play with a chip on his shoulder, and I'm sure he will use this to crank it up a notch."

Bradshaw, an alumnus of Louisiana Tech, said Ehlinger "ain't that good" while speaking at an alumni function last month.

"One year, they signed three [five-star] quarterbacks, and two are now gone. One is playing, and he ain't that good," said Bradshaw, an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday. "Really? Five-[star] and you watch 'em throw the football and ... they can't throw the football. I'll take our boys any day."

Texas opens the season against Louisiana Tech on Aug. 31.

Mayfield, the former Oklahoma quarterback entering his second season with the Cleveland Browns, had choice words about Ehlinger last month during a radio appearance.

"He couldn't beat Lake Travis, so I don't really care [about] his opinion on winning," said Mayfield, an alumnus of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas. "Westlake is a great program, but the two best quarterbacks to come out of there are Drew Brees and Nick Foles. Sam can stay down there in Texas."

Ehlinger attended rival Westlake High.

"That will stir the pot," said Mayfield, the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner. "He doesn't like me, and I hope he knows I don't like him either."

The Longhorns, who went 10-4 last season in their first double-digit-win campaign since 2009, play Oklahoma in the annual Red River Showdown on Oct. 12.

Ehlinger was asked Tuesday if he likes Mayfield.

"Yeah, I do," Ehlinger said. "I respect his game."

Ehlinger said he wasn't concerned about the comments from Bradshaw or Mayfield.

"I don't really care," Ehlinger said. "I just don't pay attention to it. It's not something that fills my brain because ultimately you control what you put in your brain, and that also affects how you go about your day. Leaving that out of my train of thought is something that I try to do."

Ehlinger said he modified his Twitter settings so that he reads mentions only from people he follows, so he doesn't see much criticism on social media. He said he deleted social media from his phone last season, and it helped him focus.

"People don't text me about it, really," Ehlinger said. "I don't look at it on any other forum. Obviously, I'll hear it, maybe an ESPN update about it. It's crazy. I don't deserve to be on an ESPN headline. I haven't done anything, so it's crazy."

As for playing with a chip on his shoulder?

"I try to carry that with me wherever I am because it shouldn't take any extra motivation to play to the best of your ability," Ehlinger said.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Josh Jackson was entered into a diversion program to settle a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest stemming from his arrest at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami in May, according to online court records.

Jackson was entered into the program on July 2, according to the records. He also was charged with a felony charge of escape when he was arrested on May 10, but that charge was dismissed last month, according to the records.

It is not clear from the records what the details of the diversion program include. If he successfully completes the diversion program, the charge will be dismissed.

TMZ first reported the news that Jackson was entered into the diversion program.

Jackson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 draft, was traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Grizzlies earlier this month.

He was arrested at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami Gardens, Florida, after he attempted to enter the VIP area too many times without a proper pass. He was handcuffed by police and then ran away from the officers before being detained, according to the police report.

Jackson, 22, averaged 11.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 79 games (29 starts) last season, his second in the NBA.

Before entering the NBA, Jackson agreed to enter a diversion program in 2017 to settle a misdemeanor count of criminal property damage stemming from a confrontation with a University of Kansas women's basketball player in 2016.

METAIRIE, La. -- Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram said he's "pretty close" to resuming normal workouts as he continues to recover from surgery to address a blood clot in his right arm.

Ingram said he has not resumed shooting but has worked on his shooting form while conducting ball handling and passing drills, as well as lower-body workouts.

Ingram did not give a specific timeline for his return to full basketball activities with the Pelicans, the team to which the Lakers traded him this offseason as part of a multiplayer- and multidraft-pick deal for six-time All-Star Anthony Davis.

Ingram spoke about his health on Tuesday during formal introductions at Pelicans headquarters for him and three other new players: guard Lonzo Ball, swing player Josh Hart and center Derrick Favors.

Ball and Hart also were part of the Davis trade. Favors was traded by Utah to New Orleans.

Ingram was averaging 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds last season before he was diagnosed with deep venous thrombosis in early March.

It's official: Russell Westbrook is now a member of the Houston Rockets.

The long-reported deal that has the Rockets acquiring Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Chris Paul, two future first-round picks (2024 and 2026) and the rights to two first-round swaps (2021 and 2025) was announced by both teams Tuesday evening.

"Russell Westbrook is the most important player in the brief history of the Oklahoma City Thunder," OKC general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. "He has left an indelible mark on this team, city and state. None of us could have anticipated the player he has become, and we are all deeply proud of what he has contributed to the success of the franchise and to our community. Russell and his wife Nina, their three children, his brother and his parents will always remain part of the Thunder family. We wish them nothing but happiness and success in the future."

Westbrook was originally selected by the Seattle SuperSonics fourth overall in 2008, but never played a game for the Sonics. The team relocated to Oklahoma City just weeks after Westbrook was drafted and he spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Thunder, winning the MVP in 2017.

Westbrook leaves as Oklahoma City's all-time leader in points (18,859), assists (6,897), rebounds (5,760) and steals (1,442).

Westbrook made NBA history in 2016-17, becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double. He broke Robertson's mark of triple-doubles in a season with 42, and then went on to average a triple-double in two more seasons. Westbrook is tied for second all time with Magic Johnson at 138 career triple-doubles, behind only Robertson (181).

"I have a great deal of respect for Russell and there is no way to adequately describe our appreciation for what he has meant to Oklahomans," Thunder chairman Clay Bennett said. "His legacy here is immense, and he will be honored by the team for all he has done. We wish he and Nina and their family all the best. While this era of Thunder basketball now comes to an end, I'm confident our talented team of people will once again position the Thunder for success in the future."

It's official, RT to welcome @russwest44 to Houston! pic.twitter.com/XwN9zn1Dhj

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) July 17, 2019

Westbrook's mark on the franchise was felt most significantly in the wake of Kevin Durant's departure to the Warriors in 2016. With speculation growing that Westbrook would likely be traded, he instead signed an extension with the Thunder, and then re-upped again the following year for a five-year, maximum contract deal -- at the time the richest contract in NBA history.

But after Paul George requested a trade and was dealt to the Clippers on July 6, Westbrook and the Thunder intensified discussions about his future with the franchise, which resulted in both parties agreeing a trade was the best outcome.

"We recently had conversations with Russell about the team, his career, and how he sees the future," Presti said in Tuesday's statement. "Through those conversations we came to the understanding that looking at some alternative situations would be something that made sense for him. As a result, and due to his history with the Thunder, we worked together to accommodate this. Our ability to have these types of conversations and work so closely with Russell and his agent Thad Foucher is only possible because of the depth of the relationship that has been built over the last 11 years."

Westbrook is one of just 10 players in NBA history to record 15,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists with a single franchise. Seven of them are in the Hall of Fame; the other two are Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

During his 11 seasons with the Thunder, Westbrook appeared in 821 games (804 starts) and averaged 23.0 points, 8.4 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 1.76 steals in 34.5 minutes per game. He was named to eight All-Star teams and is the only player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring and assists in multiple seasons.

The Thunder add Paul, but as ESPN has reported, he is working with his representatives to redirect him to another team. The Miami Heat have been prominent in those conversations. As they survey available trade scenarios, however, the Thunder are moving forward with the mindset Paul will be on the team to begin next season.

Paul, a nine-time All-Star, played in Oklahoma City for two seasons, 2005-06 and 2006-07, as New Orleans dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"Getting a player of Chris' caliber gives us another experienced playmaker and leader, while the additional draft picks continue to allow us to further commit to the long-term vision that we are embarking on for the Thunder," Presti said. "We welcome Chris back to Oklahoma City where as a member of the Hornets he helped to pave the way for the Thunder's arrival in OKC."