SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- After the San Francisco 49ers made significant tweaks to the contracts of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in recent months, it left questions about whether both players were on their way out.

On Wednesday, Niners general manager John Lynch provided answers to those questions, revealing that the team plans to release Hargrave with a post-June 1 designation when the new league year starts in March. There are no such plans for Samuel, however.

"Deebo is under contract," Lynch said. "[He's] a good player and has done a ton for this organization and we're not in the business of letting good players out of here."

The 49ers restructured Samuel's contract in September, a move that meant if the Niners were to trade or release him before June 1, 2025, they would have to absorb a $31.55 million dead money hit on the cap. If they did want to move on from him with a post-June 1 designation before his March 23 option bonus is due, they could have decreased that number to cap hits of $10,751,753 over the next couple of years.

But while Samuel is coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued season in which he finished with 806 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns (career lows save for a 2020 season in which he played just seven games), he looked more like himself against the Miami Dolphins in Week 16 and said he had "no questions at all" about his future in San Francisco.

Hargrave, however, will not be back unless it's on a significantly reduced contract after the team makes his release official. That can't happen until March 12 when the new league year begins. He restructured his contract in early December to make a post-June 1 release more palatable for the Niners.

The post-June 1 designation means Hargrave will count $8.6 million in dead money in 2025 and $17.485 million in 2026 as opposed to a nearly $25 million hit in 2025 without the designation. Hargrave signed a four-year, $84 million deal with the 49ers in 2023, but he played in just three games in 2024 before landing on injured reserve with a partially torn right triceps.

"We do have some challenges and so this doesn't mean we can't compete for his services," Lynch said. "Rather than waiting until post-June 1 and being [out of luck] because free agency already happened, it gives him an opportunity to go see what his market is. And that may include us. ... We know Javon. He's on a good track coming back from his injury. And would we be interested in having him? Of course. Is that something we can come to an agreement on and is it something that fits in our plans? We will see."

Lynch also offered an encouraging update on left tackle Trent Williams on Wednesday. Williams missed the final seven games because of a bruise in his left ankle. Over the final weeks of the season, Williams was seen in the locker room using a scooter to keep the ankle elevated, though he was walking without the scooter Friday before the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

Lynch confirmed that Williams, 36, intends to return for his 15th season in 2025.

"Trent's doing well," Lynch said. "It probably took a little longer than anyone anticipated [for the ankle to heal] but sometimes that happens, and the good news is it's taken a positive turn. Trent's mindset is where it always is, and he's still very interested in being the great player that he is, and I think he's still got a lot left in the tank. Trent's as committed as ever and we love having Trent Williams a part of us."

Upon his return, Williams will walk into an offensive meeting that features a coordinator for the first time since 2021 when current Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel held the title. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday that while he's looking for new defensive and special teams coordinators, he's ready to promote Klay Kubiak to offensive coordinator.

Kubiak has been with San Francisco since 2021, holding the roles of defensive quality control coach, assistant quarterbacks coach and, most recently, offensive passing game specialist.

According to Shanahan, Kubiak has effectively been the offensive coordinator in recent years but hasn't had the title. Shanahan will continue as the primary playcaller but Kubiak will continue to have a big say in the game plan and get the occasional chance to call plays as he did against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18.

"I think Klay's done as much as anyone on offense these last two years," Shanahan said. "This is his second year doing that and he gets better and better each year at it. Just hasn't had the official title yet and now he'll get the official title, which he more than deserves. But it's more about recognizing what he's already been doing at a high level."

As for replacing defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen and special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, Shanahan said that process is ongoing. Shanahan acknowledged Wednesday that he would like to keep Sorensen in another role and said Sorensen could be a candidate for the special teams job. At defensive coordinator, Shanahan said he would likely interview Brandon Staley, an in-house candidate who interviewed last year before the job went to Sorensen, but also said there will be external candidates who get an opportunity.

"I feel there's some options out there that can end up being a better option in the situation that we're in for our team," Shanahan said. "I'm still hoping that we can keep Nick here, but I do feel there's some other avenues that in the long run will be better for the 49ers."

The highly anticipated matchup between the NBA's conference leaders -- the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder -- lived up to the hype and then some Wednesday night in Cleveland.

Both teams entered the game riding double-digit win streaks, and the game played out like a heavyweight tilt. The score was rarely beyond two possessions throughout, but a late Cavs run that featured clutch shooting and a few big stops secured a 129-122 win for the East's top seed.

Cleveland was able to move its win streak to 11 despite Donovan Mitchell scoring only 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley picked up the slack, combining for 46 points and 22 rebounds.

The loss snapped a 15-game win streak for the Thunder, who were in the game until the final minute despite foul trouble for star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and center Isaiah Hartenstein early in the second half. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 31 points and nine assists, while Hartenstein finished two assists shy of a triple-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The teams will meet again Jan. 16 in Oklahoma City, but first let's take a closer look at tonight's game. What did we learn about each team tonight? What should we be looking for in the rematch? And will we be seeing this matchup in June in the NBA Finals?

Our NBA Insiders Tim Bontemps, Kevin Pelton and Brian Windhorst break down the marquee matchup of the 2024-25 season so far.

What did we learn about the Cavaliers in this game?

Bontemps: That they belong. Even after the game, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged there were doubts about Cleveland's ability to win this game, and whether this team is truly as good as its record shows. But in a game in which Mitchell went 3-for-16, Cleveland was able to beat an Oklahoma City team that had won 15 games in a row and is seen as a true title contender. After this game, the doubts about Cleveland being in that category should no longer exist.

Pelton: Max Strus gives them another playmaker. It's hard to say the Cavaliers had missed Strus this season, given they were already 23-4 by the time he made his season debut Dec. 20, but his five 3-pointers and five assists off the bench Wednesday were difference-making. Strus was on the court down the stretch, giving Cleveland a bit more upside than with starting small forward Dean Wade and more strength than with sixth man Caris LeVert.

Windhorst: There is no true winner or loser in this game. Both these teams displayed a mastery of their systems. The execution in the third quarter of this game, which OKC won 43-41, was perhaps the most technically splendid 12 minutes of midseason basketball I've ever witnessed. The Cavs walking away with the win is meaningful, but they would admit there is very little space between these teams. Cleveland's ability to run their offense and generate their standard amount of open looks with their tight passing and spacing against such a great defense probably was most rewarding for them.

What did we learn about the Thunder in this game?

Bontemps: That Chet Holmgren remains this team's second-most-important player. Cleveland absolutely dominated this game in the paint, with Allen and Mobley going for 46 points on 17-for-21 shooting on 2-point shots. Hartenstein is an excellent big man, but he's the only true center aside from Holmgren in the Thunder's core rotation. If OKC had them on the court together in this game, it could have made the difference.

Pelton: They can survive a stretch without the MVP front-runner. Up one point when Gilgeous-Alexander went to the bench with four fouls midway through the third quarter, Oklahoma City went down six at one point but rallied to tie the game by the time Gilgeous-Alexander returned nearly five minutes later. Despite Gilgeous-Alexander's low foul rate, the Thunder will likely face a similar situation at some point in the postseason and can reference this moment as an example of what they can do without their star player.

Windhorst: The Thunder dearly missed Holmgren in this matchup. As well as the the Cavs' bigs played -- Allen played his second brillant game in the past week, including outplaying Anthony Davis on New Year's Eve -- it was hard not to picture how things would be different if OKC could match the Cavs double-big look. OKC is 15-2 in its past 17 games, including the NBA Cup loss to Milwaukee. Size was a big factor in both, and they have the fix already on their roster.

What's one thing we should watch for in next week's rematch?

Bontemps: The chess match between Cleveland's dominance on the glass and Oklahoma City's typical dominance in the turnover battle. The Thunder are obsessed with winning the possession game, and they usually do. In this game, both teams had 90 shots but the Cavaliers shot an extra 10 free throws. Oklahoma City forced 15 turnovers for 21 points, but Cleveland forced 19 for 21. And Cleveland's edges in points in the paint (60 to 54) and second-chance points (24 to 20) were the difference. The same formulas will apply next week.

Pelton: Better defense. In practice, it's not really true that the best offenses beat the best defenses. Since the 1996-97 season, top-five offenses have averaged almost precisely the league's average points per possession in matchups against top-five defenses. If we limit that to the No. 1 offense (like Cleveland this season) against the No. 2 defense (Oklahoma City), it's about 1% better than average. Yet the Cavaliers beat their seasonlong efficiency, shooting 52% from the field and 42% from 3, while the Thunder (53% from the field, 35.5% on 3s) weren't far behind. It's unlikely we'll see both teams shoot so accurately in Oklahoma City.

Windhorst: I'd be surprised if the Thunder allowed 129 points on their home court. The Cavs were repeatedly able to beat them with the "second pass," particularly as they peeled out of pick-and-rolls and beat the Oklahoma City help defense around the rim. It led to so many deep entry passes for easy baskets or situations in which the Thunder had to foul. I expect they will be better prepared for that next week.

Was this a Finals preview?

Bontemps: It might be -- which is something I likely wouldn't have said 24 hours ago. Cleveland showed a ton in this game. Mobley showed he's an All-Star lock. The Cavaliers took every punch from the Thunder and threw a stronger one back. The result was a 32nd win in 36 games. I wrote about the comparisons between this team and the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors ahead of Wednesday. Those Warriors came out of nowhere, were doubted throughout that season and eventually won a title. I won't say Cleveland will do that right now, but I will say the Cavaliers are good enough to make it to June.

Pelton: I'd still bet against it at even odds. Projections using ESPN's Basketball Power Index give these teams the two best chances of making the Finals and yet still show this specific matchup happening just 35% of the time. I'd pick the Boston Celtics over the Cavaliers to win the East. Although the Thunder are the clear favorite in the West, there's plenty that can happen to change that between now and late May.

Windhorst: I'm not saying a bad word about either of these teams out of respect after watching that display. I'm also not predicting the Finals in January. But I will give them this: There has been more than one championship team I've seen over the past two decades that wouldn't beat these two.

US Open finalist Jessica Pegula marked her return from injury with a dominant win over Maria Sakkari at the Adelaide International.

The American top seed took just 73 minutes to claim a 6-4 6-1 win over Greece's Sakkari and move into the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 event.

It was Pegula's first match since she withdrew from the WTA Finals in November with a knee injury.

Pegula reached her first major singles final at September's US Open, where she fell to a straight-set defeat by Aryna Sabalenka.

She will enter the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, as the seventh seed in the women's singles.

"It's always tough getting the first win of the year, you don't know what to expect," Pegula said.

"But it's good heading into Melbourne next week. My focus is on doing well here first.

"It's fun to problem-solve on court and have a good attitude to start the year."

The 30-year-old will face compatriot Ashlyn Krueger, who beat Spain's Paula Badosa, in the last eight on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Marketa Vondrousova's involvement in the Australian Open has been thrown into doubt after she retired injured from her match against Diana Shnaider.

The 2023 Wimbledon champion, playing in just her second match since undergoing shoulder surgery in August, was leading 6-4 1-1 before tearfully ending the match early.

Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, a two-time Wimbledon finalist, missed out on a place in the quarter-finals as she suffered a 6-2 6-4 defeat by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva.

In the men's event in Adelaide, Canada's fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime fought back to beat France's Arthur Cazaux 1-6 6-4 7-5, while top seed Tommy Paul moved past French lucky loser Manuel Guinard 6-4 3-6 6-3.

Nick Kyrgios says the abdominal strain that has forced him to withdraw from an exhibition match is "not too serious" and he is doing everything he can to be fit for the Australian Open.

The 29-year-old was scheduled to play in the exhibition alongside Novak Djokovic on Thursday but he wrote on Instagram an ultrasound had revealed a grade one strain.

He played his first singles match in 18 months last week at the Brisbane International but said afterwards the first-round defeat had left him in "throbbing" pain.

However, speaking to Australia's 7News, external on Wednesday, Kyrgios said he "knows his body" and will take precautions so he can appear at the first Grand Slam of the year, which starts in Melbourne on Sunday.

"I've still got five days up my sleeve," said Kyrgios.

"I'm probably not going to serve for the next couple of days, I've got a couple of practices scheduled and I'll do everything I can.

"It's not too serious. I'll just take it day by day and give myself the best chance."

Great Britain's Harriet Dart and Billy Harris have reached the final round of qualifying for the Australian Open, but Heather Watson and Fran Jones were beaten at Melbourne Park.

Third seed Dart, who has recently slipped out of the world's top 100, fought back to beat Australian teenager Taylah Preston 6-7 (7-9) 6-1 6-2.

Harris, meanwhile, needed just 70 minutes to race past Spain's Carlos Taberner 6-1 6-2.

Dart and Harris are the last Britons standing in qualifying after Jones suffered a grueling 4-6 7-6 (15-13) 6-3 defeat by Switzerland's Jil Teichmann and Watson lost 3-6 6-3 6-1 to American Varvara Lepchenko.

Dart will face Japan's Nao Hibino on Thursday, while Harris, who made his Grand Slam main-draw debut at Wimbledon last year, will play Poland's Kamil Majchrzak.

Players must win three qualifying matches to reach the main draw of the tournament, which begins on Sunday.

Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Jodie Burrage, Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley all have direct entry into the main singles draw.

Meanwhile, Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca moved one step closer to reaching the main draw of a major for the first time with a 53-minute 6-0 6-3 win over Coleman Wong.

Fonseca, 18, established himself as one of tennis' rising stars by becoming the second-youngest winner of the Next Gen ATP Finals in December.

Novak Djokovic targeting Australian Open glory is nothing new - but there will be one major difference this time around as great rival Andy Murray joins his team.

The 37-year-old Serb, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, announced the surprise appointment of long-time friend Murray in November.

Djokovic shared countless memorable moments and numerous battles for the sport's biggest prizes with Britain's three-time major winner Murray, who retired from tennis last year.

It is perhaps unsurprising that Djokovic - level with Australian Margaret Court for the most major singles titles in history - has credited Murray with "bringing a fresh look" to his tennis, given few know his game so intimately.

Here are the standout moments which defined their epic rivalry.

Wales have major Six Nations hooker concerns with Ryan Elias a fitness doubt for the start of the tournament because of a neck injury.

Wales captain and Ospreys hooker Dewi Lake has already been ruled out for most of the tournament because of a bicep injury and there are growing concerns about Elias' fitness.

Elias, 30, has not played for Scarlets since the end of November and will miss the Challenge Cup match against Gloucester on Friday, 10 January and is set to be absent for the visit of French side Vannes eight days later.

"He won't be right this week," said Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel.

"He has a neck/shoulder issue. He took some part in training today which is good to see but won't be ready for this week and probably won't be back next week."

Wales open their Six Nations campaign against France in Paris on Friday, 31 January with head coach Warren Gatland naming his squad next Monday.

Wales have lost 12 successive internationals with the previous Test victory coming against Georgia in October 2023 in the Rugby World Cup.

Feyi-Waboso's injury is one of the first for an England player since new contracts were brought in between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership clubs.

The winger is on an enhanced elite player squad contract, giving England the final say on when he plays and greater influence on medical matters under the new eight-year Professional Game Partnership between the RFU and top-tier clubs.

Baxter says the decision on whether to operate or not is slower than it would have been had it been down solely to England.

"I think it certainly would have happened quicker, without doubt," he said.

"We had things booked, ready to go, decisions ready to be made a week ago. The process you have to go through now has certainly slowed things down.

"That doesn't mean, necessarily, that it's wrong, but it certainly slows things down."

Club and country team-mate Henry Slade played through a shoulder injury last season, opting to have an operation after it worsened during England's summer tour of New Zealand.

Feyi-Waboso's absence for at least the opening rounds of the Six Nations leaves England looking at alternatives in the back three with full-back George Furbank still recovering from a broken arm that is likely to rule him out of their tournament opener against Ireland at least.

Northampton's Ollie Sleightholme, who started against South Africa and Japan in the autumn after Feyi-Waboso suffered a concussion, could step in once again, with Sale's Tom Roebuck and Harlequins' Cadan Murley, who scored two tries in England A's win over second-string Australia side in November, also in contention.

Bristol's Gabriel Ibitoye, who is joint top of the Premiership's try-scoring charts, is out of action with a leg injury.

Feyi-Waboso, who was nominated as World Rugby's breakthrough player of 2024, has scored five tries in eight Tests since making his England debut as a replacement against Italy last February.

The former Wales age-grade international, who was born in Cardiff but qualifies for England through family ties, has been touted for selection for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia this summer.

Gloucester have apologised for the use of a Russian flag on prop Kirill Gotovtsev's club shirt and said it will no longer be featured going forward.

Since 2015, the club has included national flags on the Premiership shirts of any player who has been internationally capped.

But a Gloucester statement on Wednesday said that following "internal discussion and Kirill's blessing" the Russian flag will no longer appear on 37-year-old Gotovtsev's shirt, while other nations will continue to be recognised.

Russia has been banned from international and cross-border competition by World Rugby since 2022 following the country's invasion of Ukraine.

"We remain entirely supportive of World Rugby's 2022 sanction regarding the conflict in Ukraine," the club statement, external said.

"Kirill fully co-operated with the requirements of World Rugby and DCMS [Department for Culture, Media and Sport] at that time and continues to do so.

"Kirill's national flag will not appear on his shirt in line with the sanctions. We understand the connotations of the flag in question and apologise for any offence this may have caused."