DALLAS -- Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out Friday's 106-98 loss to the Dallas Mavericks due to a sprained right wrist.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's scoring leader and an MVP front-runner, was a late addition to the injury report.

The Thunder opted to sit Gilgeous-Alexander after he had an abbreviated warmup routine.

Gilgeous-Alexander wore a wrap on the wrist after Thursday's home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He said he felt some pain after falling during his 40-point performance.

"Was fine this morning and then came to the arena and was a little bit sore," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said before Gilgeous-Alexander tested the wrist during his warmup.

Gilgeous-Alexander played in all 40 games during Oklahoma City's 34-6 start, averaging 31.6 points, 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks.

MIAMI -- After playing for the first time in two weeks following his seven-game suspension from the Miami Heat, forward Jimmy Butler said Friday night that he and the franchise "are where we are" regarding their relationship less than three weeks before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

"I guess it's basketball at this point," Butler said after scoring 18 points in 33 minutes in a 133-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Kasaya Center. "I know what I'm expected to do while I'm here and try to do that to the best of my ability, but we are where we are."

The situation hasn't changed much since the team suspended Butler a couple of weeks ago -- the star forward still wants a trade away from the shores of Biscayne Bay, and the Heat have yet to find an acceptable deal.

Butler, who arrived at the arena for the team's afternoon walk-through, was back in the starting lineup Friday night. He went 7-for-15 from the field and finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a turnover.

"[Got to] get him back acclimated," Heat center Bam Adebayo said of Butler's return. "I mean, we know what Jimmy's capable of, so it's no shock that he found his rhythm at some point, and going forward, I feel like he's going to continue to find his rhythm and we'll keep trying to win games."

In Friday's game, Butler looked far from the player who has driven the Heat to the conference finals three times and the NBA Finals twice in the past five-plus seasons. His average touch length was 2.75 seconds, according to Second Spectrum -- his lowest in any game as a member of the Heat -- and he averaged 1.6 dribbles per touch, which was his second-lowest figure of the season.

When asked about Butler's effort level after the game, however, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra turned the question to Miami's poor defense against the Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, who had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

"I don't know," Spoelstra said when asked if Butler needs to be more involved offensively. "We haven't seen him obviously in a couple of weeks. He hasn't played a lot of games, so that is likely part of this.

"I know what storylines you're looking for. I'm not feeding into any of that tonight. We got our asses kicked. I know what you want to talk about. I know what I saw out there. From a defensive standpoint, it was not good enough, and that's three straight games now. We found our identity of how we can win games and then [the last] three games, we haven't been able to put that together, commit to that side of the floor, and we've paid the price."

Spoelstra's sentiment was similar to his pregame media session Friday, when he said the Heat were going to treat the game as close to normal as possible.

"We work in a league of complexity," Spoelstra said before the game. "We're in an unusual place right now, but really all it is is complex, and we fully plan on operating within this complexity. It's my job to prepare this team and get it ready to play at a high level, and that's what I'm doing. That's what the plan is.

"My methods for doing it are really none of your business. You're all looking for drama, I'm looking for getting this team ready to play at a high level. And as far as silly questions like, 'What is the temperature of the room?' or 'How is everybody feeling?' That just sounds so dramatic. We're professionals, we're fine. We're ready for tonight's game, and that's the only thing that matters. We're looking forward to getting back on the wood. We've been on the road for a while, and we're complete, so we're looking forward to getting this thing tipped off."

But until Butler is traded, or the trade deadline passes, the questions will continue. When Butler was asked whether the situation could be fixed, or whether he still wanted to find his "joy" again -- which he said after a game against the Pacers on Jan. 2 -- he issued a "no comment" both times.

When Butler was asked what would happen if he was still on the team Feb. 7, he smiled.

"We're playing a lot of 'what-ifs,' ain't we?" Butler said. "I'm going to hoop."

Sources have maintained that the Heat want to find a deal to accommodate Butler's wishes. But the Heat seek a trade that brings back some combination of players who can help the Heat win now, draft capital, movable short-term salary and young talent.

To this point, however, that deal hasn't materialized, and it is far from certain one will before the deadline.

Butler made it clear after Friday's game that he has no issues with his teammates.

"It felt good to get out there and compete and actually run around with these guys," Butler said. "As much as everybody may think, I don't got a problem with these guys. These guys are cool. They're my friends. ... My beef is not with them and never will be. Never has been. But it did feel good to get out there and play some basketball."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- - All-Star shortstop and two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager says he feels great and will be ready to go on the first day of spring training with the Texas Rangers after twice having hernia surgery last year.

"It's a pretty normal offseason, which is nice. First time in a while," Seager said Friday night before the team's annual awards dinner, where he was recognized as player of the year for the Rangers. "It's been good to kind of get in the gym and get in shape again and just kind of be ready."

Seager had a right sports hernia repair on Sept. 13. That was on the opposite side of his abdomen from the first procedure on Jan. 30 that forced him to sit out most of spring training last year, though he was ready for the season opener.

In between those procedures, Seager hit .278 with 30 homers and 74 RBIs in 123 games. After a slow start, he batted .296 with 28 homers and 66 RBIs in 94 games after the start of May.

"It might have been a little easier just because you know what to expect," Seager said of the latest recovery. "You weren't as nervous about certain feelings and stuff like that. So once the six weeks was over, I kind of hit the ground running and I got to kind of build into it slower than I did [last] spring."

Seager dealt with the left hernia issue throughout the postseason when the Rangers won their first World Series title in 2023. He still hit .318 with six homers, 12 RBIs and 15 walks in 17 postseason games.

CHICAGO -- About a month after apologizing for mistakes he made during his playing career, former Chicago Cubs star Sammy Sosa was elected to the team's Hall of Fame along with former first baseman Derrek Lee.

Sosa, 56, called it a "perfect storm" that brought him back to the organization after two decades away.

"I've been out for 21 years," he said Friday night at the Cubs' annual fan convention. "I believe the time was right. I'm looking forward to continuing with the great fans."

Sosa played 13 years for the Cubs, hitting 545 home runs for them, including 63 or more in three separate seasons. But rumors of PED use followed him during and after his career. He seemed to reference them in a statement last month. Previously, the team had intimated he needed to apologize before being welcomed back.

"There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games," he said in December. "I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize."

On Friday, Sosa apologized only for being away from the team for so long. He received a huge ovation when he was announced during opening ceremonies and ran onto the stage with an American Flag.

"People grow up," he said. "That's what happened to me. To give that statement out, it was the right time for me. The response right away was incredible. Now, the door is open, I have to continue to contribute (to the organization)."

Sosa and Lee will be recognized at a game this summer. It'll mark the first time Sosa has been at Wrigley Field in an official capacity since leaving after the 2004 season.

"The fans are supportive -- 90 percent [of them]," Sosa said. "I'm happy to be back here."

Roki Sasaki, the prized Japanese pitching prospect who has had scouts drooling over his potential since high school, has chosen the Los Angeles Dodgers as his major league team, he announced on Instagram on Friday.

Sasaki called this "a very difficult decision, but I will do my best to make it the right decision when I look back after my baseball career."

The Dodgers, long viewed as the favorites for Sasaki, had recently emerged as one of three finalists for the 23-year-old right-hander, along with the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres. On Friday morning, sources said the Padres began agreeing to deals with their prospective international signees in the Dominican Republic, a clear sign throughout the industry that they were out on Sasaki. The Blue Jays thusly acquired $2 million in international bonus pool space -- along with center fielder Myles Straw -- from the Cleveland Guardians in hopes of enticing Sasaki.

It did not matter. A Dodgers team coming off a World Series title with a roster headlined by two of Sasaki's most celebrated countrymen, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, again landed one of the biggest prizes of the offseason.

In the Dodgers, Sasaki joins a team that has built a reputation as one of the best at developing talent and one that expects to field an incredibly deep rotation in 2025. Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow return from last season's group. Ohtani, who will resume his duties as a two-way player, will be added. Blake Snell was signed to a five-year, $182 million contract in November. Clayton Kershaw is also expected to return at some point. And younger arms such as Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Bobby Miller remain in the organization, making it easy for the Dodgers to field a six-man rotation that would help ease Sasaki's acclimation process.

Because he is under 25 years old and spent less than six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, Sasaki essentially will sign a minor league contract and follow the path of a player selected in the amateur draft -- able to be optioned to the minors, scheduled to earn close to the major league minimum during his first three major league seasons and unable to become a traditional free agent until attaining six years of service time.

Teams were limited to giving him only their international bonus pool, which ranged from about $5.1 million to $7.5 million at the start of the signing period. The Dodgers were on the low end of that spectrum but acquired additional money by sending minor league outfielders Dylan Campbell and Arnaldo Lantigua to the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds, respectively, shortly after Sasaki announced his decision. With that, the Dodgers will pay Sasaki a $6.5 million bonus, a source said, roughly $2 million less than what the Blue Jays had prepared to offer.

The Blue Jays are all too familiar with the feeling of getting beat out on premier talent. Last offseason, they believed they were in good position to land Ohtani before he chose the Dodgers. Earlier this winter, they were also a finalist for Juan Soto before he signed the richest contract in baseball history to join the New York Mets. Corbin Burnes also seemed like a match until he took what amounted to a discount to join the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Sasaki's departure might sting even worse for the Padres, who lost a tightly contested National League Division Series to the rival Dodgers last fall and have not made any significant moves this offseason. The Padres and their general manager, A.J. Preller, have long coveted Sasaki and were seen by many as a logical landing spot due in large part to the presence of Yu Darvish, whom Sasaki idolizes. Now the Padres, navigating tight fiscal restraints and dealing with an ownership fight, must seek creative ways to address lingering holes in their rotation and throughout their lineup.

For as legitimate a threat as the Padres were, the Dodgers were always deemed favorites. Their footprint in Japan, solidified by last winter's additions of Ohtani and Yamamoto, is too big. Their recent success, with two World Series titles and five 100-win seasons over the past eight years, is unmatched. And, perhaps most importantly in Sasaki's case, their track record for developing pitchers is as good as anyone's -- though they struggled mightily last year to keep a lot of those arms healthy.

The Dodgers have been scouting Sasaki since high school and reserved a lot of last year's international signing bonus pool in anticipation of him being posted. When Major League Baseball determined Sasaki wouldn't be eligible until the 2025 signing period, the Dodgers essentially had to reset.

They got him anyway.

Sasaki's pitching arsenal features a mesmerizing splitter that has been lauded as one of the world's best secondary pitches and pairs it with a fastball that reaches 100 mph, adding a slider that has also been deemed a plus pitch. In four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Sasaki posted a 2.10 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP and 505 strikeouts against 88 walks in 394 innings.

In an April 10, 2022, start against the Orix Buffaloes, Sasaki pitched a perfect game while setting an NPB record with 13 consecutive strikeouts. Seven days later, he took the mound again and fired eight perfect innings before being removed from his outing. The following spring, Sasaki showcased his talents on a global stage, forming a star-studded rotation alongside Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Shota Imanaga and Yamamoto for a Japanese team that won the World Baseball Classic.

For years, major league scouts and executives descended upon Japan to catch a glimpse of Sasaki and salivated over the possibility of him someday being posted. When it finally happened in early December, upward of 20 teams made initial pitches, doing so with videos, letters and even books. Sasaki flew to the L.A. headquarters of his agency, Wasserman, later that month and conducted meetings with at least eight teams -- the Dodgers, Padres, Blue Jays, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants.

Earlier this week, five of those teams were informed they were out of the running, prompting Sasaki to take follow-up meetings in Toronto, San Diego and L.A. before reaching his decision.

Sasaki needed to select his new team between this past Wednesday, the start of this year's international signing period, and Thursday, the expiration of his posting window. His presence in the international amateur market left prospective signees of the three finalists in limbo on deals that are verbally agreed to years in advance, causing particular consternation within the Dominican Republic. The Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays needed to not only free up their international bonus pools for the potential of landing Sasaki but entertain the possibility of trading for additional space in hopes of sweetening their offers.

Sasaki starred in Summer Koshien, a prominent Japanese high school tournament, and was taken No. 1 overall in the NPB draft in 2019. The Lotte Marines handled him carefully, restricting him to bullpen sessions and simulated games in 2020 and limiting his workload whenever possible thereafter. Sasaki's numbers were down a bit last year, his ERA rising to 2.35. His four-seam fastball went from averaging roughly 98 mph to 96. At one point, he dealt with shoulder fatigue. There are concerns about how Sasaki will handle a major league workload, and many will acknowledge that his command needs improvement.

But few doubt his ceiling.

Within these next handful of years, several prominent evaluators believe, Sasaki could be an annual Cy Young contender.

Newcastle: Brown, Redshaw, Hearle, Spencer, Pepper, Wilkinson, Elliott; Rewcastle, Byrne, McCallum, van der Walt (c), Hawkins, Parsons, Leatherbarrow, Lockwood.

Replacements: Blamire, Connor Hancock, Callum Hancock, McDonald, Chick, Davis, Connon, Clark.

Montpellier: Tisseron, Lucas, Darmon, Serfontein, N'Gandebe, Miotti, Bernadet; Erdocio, Tolofua, Haouas, Soucouna, Tauleigne, Delemarle, Simmonds (c), Becognee.

Replacements: Akrab, Abuladze, Hounkpatin, Verhaeghe, Martins, Barreau, Cadot, Bouthier.

Sin-bin: Lyam Akrab (70).

Referee: Filippo Russo.

New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov received a three-game suspension from the NHL on Friday, one day after delivering a high hit to Philadelphia Flyers center Ryan Poehling.

Tsyplakov had a hearing earlier on Friday with the NHL Department of Player Safety.

The incident occurred at 8:14 of the first period in Philadelphia's 5-3 win in Elmont, New York. Poehling sustained an upper-body injury on the play but Tsyplakov was not assessed a penalty.

Also Friday, Flyers forward Scott Laughton was fined $5,000 for cross-checking Tsyplakov at 16:24 of the third period of the same game. Laughton received a minor penalty. The fine is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.

Tsyplakov, a 26-year-old rookie, has 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) and 26 penalty minutes in 44 games. He will have to miss New York's upcoming home games against the San Jose Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Flyers and is eligible to return Jan. 25 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Laughton, 30, has 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) and 14 penalty minutes in 46 games this season.

Poehling, 26, has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) and 12 penalty minutes in 43 games this season.

Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Napoli's star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Sources told ESPN that Kvaratskhelia's move is worth 60m ($61m) with a further 10m in add-ons. The 23-year-old has signed a contract with the Ligue 1 champions until June 2029 after passing a medical.

The Georgia international, who is PSG's first signing in January, will bolster Luis Enrique's attacking options as the club looks to secure their fourth successive Ligue 1 title.

"It's a dream to be here. I've heard a lot of very positive things about Paris Saint-Germain," Kvaratskhelia said. "I feel immense pride in joining."

The highly-coveted winger, who had been linked with Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona in recent transfer windows, had a contract with Napoli through June 2027. Sources told ESPN that the Italian club had wanted to extend his contract but the player refused.

Napoli coach Antonio Conte recently revealed the player had requested to be transferred, much to his disappointment.

Kvaratskhelia joined Napoli in a 13.3m transfer from Dinamo Batumi in the summer of 2022. He was voted Serie A's most valuable player in 2022-23 after he scored 12 goals and set up 13 more in 34 league games in his first campaign to help the club win its first Scudetto in 33 years.

He joins Enrique's side after scoring five goals and setting up three more in 19 appearances this season and could make his PSG debut against Lens on Saturday.

"Khvicha is one of the most exciting players in world football. A fantastic talent, but also a player who has courage and fights for the team," PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said.

"I know he will achieve all his goals with us. We are delighted to be strengthening our squad."

He starred for Georgia at last year's European Championship alongside fellow winger Georges Mikautadze, who plays in Ligue 1 for Lyon, and Zuriko Davitashvili, who is doing well for Saint-Etienne.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

On Friday morning in some areas of Paris, you could already see some PSG shirts with his name on it. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's move to the French capital from Napoli hadn't yet been made official, yet some of the fans could not wait. The thirteen letters of his name, the number 7 and their new hero was already appearing on their jersey.

To say that Paris is excited about the arrival of the Georgia international winger is an understatement. For a fan base that has been treated to the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé in recent seasons, there is a need for superstars, entertainers and showmen. "Kvara," recruited for 65m on a four-and-a-half year deal, certainly fits the bill. Of course, he is not at the level (either in football or celebrity terms) as the "MNM" of the past, but not many players are currently anyway.

Kvaratskhelia, who will turn 24 next month, is coming to Paris to write his own destiny, create his legacy and get to the next level.

It's fair to say he was a great at Napoli, arguably among the greatest to feature at the Diego Maradona Stadium. Two seasons ago, he took Serie A by storm with Luciano Spalletti as manager, Victor Osimhen up front (31 goals in 38 games) and a strong supporting cast. Kvaratskhelia was a total unknown when he arrived in Italy, but fans and pundits alike quickly discovered his pace, dribbling skills, eye for goal and bravery both in and out of possession.

The former Dinamo Batumi winger, signed for 13.3m, was breathtaking on the left wing, with his 12 goals and 13 assists in 34 league matches taking the Neapolitans to their first Italian title in 33 years and since the days of Maradona. Thus, the legend of "Kvaradona" was born: He was named Serie A player of the season and Champions League young player of the campaign too (two goals, four assists in nine games).

Even if the 18 months since haven't exactly reached the same heights, he left Naples this week with pretty incredible figures considering it was his first time playing outside of Georgia or Russia before. He departs Italy with 46 goals and 48 assists in 191 games in all competitions across just two-and-a-half seasons!

For PSG, Kvaratskhelia was the only option, especially having tried to recruit him last summer. When Marcus Rashford was offered to the Parisians a few weeks ago, the club said no. When Karim Adeyemi became an possibility, the club also demurred. Last August, they'd turned down the opportunity to bring Jadon Sancho, and even Milan's Rafael Leão, to the French capital. PSG manager Luis Enrique had only ever wanted Khvicha for his attack.

In his office at the brand new ultra-modern training ground in Poissy, a southwest suburb of Paris, Enrique has already been working on how to integrate his new No. 7 on the left, the right, as a false 9 or even a No. 10 behind the main forward. He believes "Kvara" can play anywhere.

In his fluid yet structured 4-3-3 formation, Enrique believes the Georgian is a game changer who ticks all the boxes: young, versatile, exceptional technically, willing to work hard and a good learner. Yet he still needs some polish, a challenge Enrique loves to tackle.

Paris had plenty of wingers and wide players in the first team squad before this signing, including Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé, and Lee Kang-in. Dembélé has been outstanding so far this season, Barcola started the season on fire only to go scoreless in his past 10 games, Doué didn't show his worth until December, and Lee is an effective option though limited in where he can play.

The arrival of Kvaratskhelia changes the dynamic. Regardless of where he plays, he will offer more balance to the PSG attack that had been far too reliant on the Achraf Hakimi-Dembélé duo on the right so far this season. It will mean more unpredictability for PSG's opponents, more diversity in attack for the Parisians, and less pressure on Hakimi & Co. to deliver all the time.

For Enrique and for Luis Campos, PSG's sporting director, their new winger is the perfect replacement for Mbappé. Not in terms of profiles -- they are very different players -- or in terms of stats, because Kvaratskhelia will never score 40 goals a season like Kylian used to, but in terms of balancing the team's attack and offering a consistent threat from either flank. He's a player who can unsettle a defence at any time and from anywhere on the pitch, especially in tight spaces.

In the end, PSG couldn't miss the opportunity to get their man, and everyone involved at the club cannot wait to see him getting started. Kvaratskhelia is so compatible with Enrique's vision that he's been noticeably excited about his arrival, a rarity for the usually cool manager.

The transfer likely won't be completed in time for him to play against Lens on Saturday, and he won't be eligible to face Manchester City in the huge Champions League game next week either, so it's expected that he'll make his PSG debut at home against Reims on Jan. 25.

The boisterous Parc des Princes will be ready to show him all the love their new team icon deserves.

PHILADELPHIA -- Running back Saquon Barkley doesn't believe Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse did himself any favors by declaring he "hates Eagles fans" in front of Sunday's divisional round playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.

"Probably not the smartest thing to say when you're coming to Philadelphia," Barkley said. "I've been on the other side [as a member of the New York Giants] and even if I felt some type of way, I probably wouldn't give them any extra fuel. I'm pretty sure Philly fans have seen that comment. It was already going to be loud and rocking so it's just only going to add to it."

Verse caught the city's attention with his comments in the Los Angeles Times, where he called Eagles fans "annoying" and said he has a physical reaction just seeing the team colors.

"When I see that green and white I hate it," he said. "I actually get upset. Like I actually genuinely get hot."

Verse went to high school in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia, but that did nothing to stoke any Eagles fandom. The Philly faithful further cemented his position in November by shouting obscenities at him during the Eagles-Rams matchup at SoFi Stadium in Week 12, by his account.

The forecast in Philadelphia is calling for 3-5 inches of snow Sunday, which could make things all the more interesting for Verse and the Rams come game day.

"He ain't the first person to hate Eagles fans. There's a lot of folks who don't like Eagles fans. There's some people that played for the Eagles that don't like Eagles fans," Eagles cornerback Darius Slay said. "That just comes with the sport.

"I think Eagles fans are fired up regardless. They [don't] have to say another word. And if there's snow out there, I won't be surprised if snowballs get thrown on the sideline."

Eagles join wildfire relief efforts

The Eagles announced on Friday they are contributing $500,000 to the California Community Foundation to aid in relief efforts from the southern California wildfires. The Eagles said in a statement the donation is "a way to help deliver essential resources to those impacted by the wildfires."

"Our hearts are with everyone who has been suffering from the destruction caused by the wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles area," Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie said. "We are grateful for the heroic efforts of the first responders who have bravely stepped up to protect those affected. Their courage and sacrifice during this critical time of need is inspiring."