Apr 7, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan (10) warms up before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
A new team appears to be emerging as a favorite to land DeMar DeRozan, likely as part of a sign-and-trade agreement with the Chicago Bulls.
The Sacramento Kings are involved in sign-and-trade negotiations with the Bulls over DeRozan, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Wojnarowski said on “SportsCenter” Friday that DeRozan is certainly finished in Chicago, but that a third team will need to be involved due to the Bulls’ unwillingness to take on large salaries.
“There are some other scenarios for DeMar DeRozan, but I think Sacramento right now is the team to watch,” Wojnarowski said.
The Kings emerged as a dark horse suitor for DeRozan earlier in the week, but momentum appears to have picked up. He would likely operate as a third option and go-to scorer with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis as the Kings look to make a real impact in the Western Conference playoffs.
In recent days, the Kings have been consistently trying to land a third option to bolster their roster. DeRozan might be their best pathway forward at this point.
Aug 8, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A view of an official San Diego Padres New Era on field hat against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Padres are adding a player with some bling.
Robert Murray of FanSided reported on Friday that the Padres are signing veteran reliever Carl Edwards Jr. The righty Edwards is getting a minor-league contract from San Diego, Murray adds.
Edwards, 32, was a member of the Chicago Cubs team that won the World Series in 2016 and pitched in extra innings of Chicago’s Game 7 victory over the then-Cleveland Indians. He has been on five different teams since then, including a prior stint with the Padres in 2019. But Edwards has not made a big-league appearance since 2023 when he posted a 3.69 ERA and two saves over 32 appearances for the Washington Nationals.
Beyond flamethrowing closer Robert Suarez and rising star Jeremiah Estrada (who set an MLB record with 13 consecutive strikeouts earlier this season), the 48-43 Padres do not have very many dynamic righties in their bullpen. Edwards may end up getting the call for them in the second half of the year as the latest notable free agent addition for San Diego.
Nov 20, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the Dallas Mavericks logo during the game between the Mavericks and the Warriors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
One Dallas Mavericks player would like to be reunited with his twin brother.
Mavs forward Markieff Morris took to X this week to call for Dallas to sign his brother Marcus Morris Sr. in free agency. Markieff said in a post that Marcus would be “perfect” for their team.
While Markieff is still technically a free agent as well, he confirmed that he will be signing a new deal with the Mavericks.
“I’m coming back,” Markieff said in a subsequent reply to a fan. “I want bro to come with me.”
The Morris twins, both 34 years old, played together in college at Kansas and then were selected with back-to-back picks in the 2011 NBA Draft. They would also play together on the Phoenix Suns from 2013-15 before the Suns traded Marcus (much to the anger of Markieff). The two brothers have not been on the same team since then.
Markieff was a very well-liked locker room presence for the Mavericks this past season as they made it to the NBA Finals. But Marcus has always been and continues to be the more productive basketball player as a strong one-on-one scorer who hit 40.3 percent of his three-pointers last year. Marcus does have some other interesting options in free agency (including one of the hottest teams in the league right now). But Markieff definitely wants them to reunite in Dallas after nearly a decade apart.
Ryan Garcia speaks at a press conference at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on April 18, 2024. Photo Credit: Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda
Ryan Garcia has issued a response to the fallout from the recent comments he made about certain social and religious issues.
On Thursday, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said he was expelling Garcia over comments the 25-year-old had made on social media. Sulaiman announced his decision via a post on X. Garcia reacted to the decision with a statement of his own on social media Friday.
“Let me get this straight I’ve actually supported black communities. Have taken racism from Tim Bradley calling me a zoo animal on ESPN. And turn the other cheek but I’m racist bc everyone was drunk and saying s— people say all the time including black men,” Garcia wrote (edited by LBS for profanity). “If you get triggered by a word that means you are too sensitive.
“God knows my heart and how I would protect black children till the day I die. I was speaking against black on black crime. They took everything out of context. Including the musilim (sic) part I spoke against pedo activity in every religiousn (sic) and How I don’t stand for that.”
On a recent audio chat stream on X, Garcia talked about some social and religious issues, such as the Palestine-Israel conflict. Garcia views himself as a Christian and calls the Israelites God’s chosen people. Garcia also talked about protecting young children and disagreed with Muslims who defend having sexual relationships with younger teenage women, saying “f–k Muslims that r-pe little kids.”
Garcia went on a livestream on Instagram later in the day and showed no remorse over his opinions.
Garcia had already been serving a 1-year suspension from the WBC for a positive drug test after his fight with Devin Haney in April. He was also arrested on felony vandalism charges last month following an incident at a hotel.
Last month, Garcia claimed that he was retiring from boxing. His actions signal that he is committed to that decision.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks the sideline in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is on track to return to action for training camp after his 2023 season ended early due to wrist surgery. He may have one unorthodox method to thank for helping rehab that injury.
In a recent interview with Ben Felderstein of Complex, Burrow said he has been learning how to play the piano. The move came both out of a genuine desire to pick up the skill as well as a method for rehabbing his wrist injury.
“I’m learning the piano right now, hopefully I can get pretty good at that by next offseason,” Burrow said. “I guess it’ll be pretty tough during the season, but it’s helped my rehab too for my wrist, so that’s something I want to get good at.”
Burrow added that the piano is something he has always wanted to learn, but the rehab period provided an “opportune time to work on my hand and wrist dexterity.”
The Bengals quarterback had a ligament tear in his wrist that cost him the back half of the 2023 season. By all accounts, he has made essentially a full recovery and should be cleared for training camp. Perhaps the piano is at least partly to thank for that.
Mar 24, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) reacts after a foul against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports
The Milwaukee Bucks appear to be open to trading veteran center Brook Lopez this offseason, but they may have to lower their asking price if they actually want to make a move.
Longtime Milwaukee sportswriter Gery Woelfel reported on Friday that the Bucks are “very receptive” to trading Lopez, but they want a first-round draft pick in return. Considering Lopez is 36 and under contract for $23 million next season, teams might be hesitant to part with that kind of draft capital.
Lopez, a four-time All-Star, is still a solid defender. The 7-foot rim protector was named All-Defensive First Team in 2023 and has helped space the floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lopez is also a career 34.9 percent three-point shooter, which could make him valuable to a contending team.
Lopez has been very durable over the last two seasons and missed just seven total regular-season games during that span. He averaged 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this past year.
We know of one team that has missed out on free agents and might want to reunite with Lopez. If the Bucks are patient, they could find a team that is desperate enough for a quality big to give up a first-round pick for Lopez.
Jan 22, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen (24) warms up before the game between the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Lauri Markkanen is viewed as being one of the best players available on the trade market this summer, and another contending team reportedly has interest in the Utah Jazz star.
The Miami Heat are among several teams that have expressed interest in Markkanen, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. However, the Jazz are said to have attached an extremely high asking price to their sharpshooter, and there may not be a way to make a deal work.
There had been some talk of the Heat trying to trade Jimmy Butler, but it does not sound like that is going to happen. Instead, Miami is exploring potential ways to add a top scorer. The big question is whether they have the assets to make a significant move.
Markkanen averaged 23.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for the Jazz last season while shooting nearly 40 percent from three-point range. Contending teams view the 7-foot forward as a player who could have the type of impact Kristaps Porzingis had for the NBA champion Boston Celtics. Like Porzingis, Markkanen has also struggled to remain healthy and missed 43 games over the last two seasons due to injury.
We have heard of several notable teams that have interest in Markkanen, and Jazz executive Danny Ainge will almost certainly listen to all offers that come his way.
Jul 3, 2022; New York, New York, USA; American competitive eater Joey Chestnut ignited the smoke stacks before the game between New York City FC and Atlanta United at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Joey Chestnut did not compete in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July for the first time in two decades, and gambling markets were a lot quieter because of it.
According to ESPN gambling reporter David Payne Purdum, the BetMGM handle on Thursday’s Hot Dog Eating Contest was only one-third of what the sportsbook received in 2023. The drop-off can undoubtedly be attributed to Chestnut’s absence.
Chestnut had competed in every annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest since 2004. He was banned last month from participating due to a conflicting endorsement deal. Chestnut now has plans to compete against Takeru Kobayashi in a Netflix event in September.
On Thursday, Chestnut ate 57 hot dogs in just five minutes (the Nathan’s contest is 10 minutes) while squaring off against members of the military in an event to raise money for military families.
While there were some uniquely entertaining moments during the Nathan’s event on Thursday, the buzz surrounding it was considerably lower with Chestnut not involved. It is no surprise sportsbooks were impacted.
A player in the KBO League pulled off a rare feat on Thursday that we typically only see at the Little League level.
With runners on first and third in the bottom of the 4th inning of a KBO game on Thursday, a batter laid down a well-placed bunt that forced the pitcher to come off the mound to make a play. The first baseman could not catch the throw, and the ball slowly trickled into right field.
The runner from third scored with ease. After the right fielder had trouble handling the ball, he had to throw home to attempt to get the runner who had come all the way around from first to score. That throw was off the mark as well, which resulted in a three-run, bunt home run for the batter.
Obviously, the play was not scored a home run. It was really a base hit with a whole bunch of errors, but a bunt homer is still impressive to have on your baseball resume.
The start of the main event at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest was delayed slightly on Wednesday after a contestant from a previous competition vomited all over the stage.
Between the men’s and women’s hot dog eating competitions, Nathan’s holds a short contest where contestants see how quickly they can chug a gallon of lemonade. Eric “Badlands” Booker won the lemonade chugging event for a fourth straight year with a record time of 21 seconds, beating his previous record of 23.58 seconds.
Booker somehow held all the lemonade down while being presented with his title belt. The contestant to his right did not, however. The other contestant projective vomited all over the stage multiple times, drawing a big reaction from those in attendance.
The name plates for the contestants in the men’s Hot Dog Eating Contest were already set up on stage, so organizers had to delay the main event to clean up a bit. The lemonade chugging contestant who got sick continued to vomit as he exited the stage.
This year’s Hot Dog Eating Contest looked a lot different since Joey Chestnut wasn’t allowed to compete, but there were still plenty of entertaining moments. One of them just happened to involve a bit of extra cleaning.
