Grantham lasted four games as Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator.
Marc-Andre Fleury receives emotional farewell in final game with Penguins
PITTSBURGH — Returning to Pittsburgh for one final farewell just felt right for Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fleury stopped all eight shots he faced during the third period of his final game with the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 4-1 preseason win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
“It was a little surreal, a little crazy, but also comfortable,” Fleury said. “When I played here with other teams, I always felt a little weird, but this felt normal … like it used to.”
Fleury officially retired from the NHL as a member of the Minnesota Wild at the end of last season. But the beloved 40-year-old goaltender signed a ceremonial professional tryout contract earlier this month to see old teammates and friends, come full circle and complete a 21-season NHL career that began in Pittsburgh.
“I feel bad because I’ve done so many laps and goodbyes and I keep coming back,” Fleury said. “I’m thankful I got the opportunity to come back for one more go-around.”
Fleury, a former Vezina Trophy winner who also played with Vegas and Chicago, is second in NHL history only to Martin Brodeur with 575 wins and 1,051 regular-season games played, and his 76 NHL shutouts are tied for 10th in league history.
But this night was meant to celebrate Fleury, who is most well-known for his time in Pittsburgh where he won three Stanley Cups and holds nearly every major goaltending record in Penguins’ history, including games played (691), wins (375), goals-against average (2.58), shutouts (44), playoff games (115), playoff wins (62) and playoff shutouts with 10.
Fleury, who practiced with the Penguins on Friday, wore his familiar bright, yellow pads and a specially made mask to commemorate the special weekend. Fleury was offered a choice as to when he could play on Saturday and he opted for the third period to try to win one more game with the Penguins.
The sellout crowd rose to its feet in unison and gave Fleury a standing ovation as he led the Penguins’ from the tunnel to begin the third period. Loud chants of “Fle-ury” “Fle-ury” and “One More Year” filled the arena minutes after the puck dropped to begin the period. Fans erupted with thunderous applause each time Fleury made a save or touched the puck, including stops on Hudson Fasching, Cole Sillinger and Erik Gudbranson.
In the final two minutes, with the game in hand, the crowd showered Fleury with chants of “Thank You Fleury.” When the final horn sounded, fellow franchise cornerstones Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang embraced Fleury one more time in the crease.
“Every time he touched the puck, the reception was unreal,” Crosby said. “It felt like a playoff game. It was nice to get him the win.”
Fleury spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Penguins. He helped Crosby, Malkin and Letang win the Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017 before Vegas selected Fleury in the 2017 expansion draft.
Pittsburgh traded up to draft an 18-year-old Fleury No. 1 overall in 2003 during a tumultuous period in which the franchise nearly moved. More than two decades later, Pittsburgh is no longer a playoff fixture, but Fleury helped stabilize the franchise and turn the Penguins into one of the NHL’s marquee teams.
His signature moment with Pittsburgh came June 12, 2009, in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against Detroit. Fleury made a last-second desperation, post-to-post diving save on Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom to seal a 2-1 win and deliver Pittsburgh its third Stanley Cup.
The fans remembered on Saturday.
Before the game, crowds gathered multiple rows deep behind the Penguins’ goal hoping to catch a glimpse of Fleury during his final pregame warmup with the team. Many took photos and video to commemorate the moment, wore familiar No. 29 jerseys and held homemade signs expressing their love for Fleury, who lobbed pucks over the glass in between facing shots.
“It was surreal to be back with the Penguins and seeing the guys in front of me,” Fleury said. “It was amazing. It was just like old times.”
Al Horford reportedly agrees to multi-year contract with Golden State Warriors
This signing has been expected since early in the offseason, but was on hold for months pending the resolution of the Jonathan Kuminga restricted free agency situation. Now, with training camps a day away, the Warriors can wait no longer.
Golden State and Al Horford have verbally agreed to a multi-year contract, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by other sources. He leaves a Boston team where he helped mature their young core and was a key part of their 2024 championship run, and Horford essentially confirmed the deal with the Warriors by thanking Celtics fans.
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) September 28, 2025
Exactly what Horford's new contract looks like still depends on how the Kuminga situation plays out (as Keith Smith of Spotrac explains). If Kuminga picks up the $8 million qualifying offer, Golden State can give Horford the full mid-level exception ($14.1 million this year, with raises after), hardcapping the Warriors at the first apron of the luxury tax. If the Warriors and Kuminga work out an extension before the Wednesday deadline (likely for north of $20 million a season), the Warriors can still offer the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7 million), and the team would be hard-capped at the second apron. Either way, the Warriors have to sign at least four more players with De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, and Seth Curry expected to make up three of those (all for the minimum).
Horford, 39, is a natural fit at a floor-spacing center backing up (at times next to) Draymond Green in the Warriors' offense, plus he remains a solid defender. That's why the Warriors targeted him early in free agency. Horford wants to compete for something in the final couple of years of his career, and the Warriors — with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler — provide him with that opportunity, if this older squad can stay healthy when the playoffs roll around.
Carlos Mendoza explains Kodai Senga joining Mets in Miami, Pete Alonso's potential last game with franchise
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza's pregame media availability for Sunday's game at the Miami Marlins, a 3:10 p.m. regular-season finale on SNY, included comments about Kodai Senga's presence and Pete Alonso's future.
Why Senga joined Mets in Miami
Senga has not been with the Mets since they optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse in early September, but their 32-year-old right-hander was on hand for Sunday's game.
"He's part of the team, in Port St. Lucie, he's doing his throwing program here and, hopefully, he gets on a plane with us," Mendoza said of the Mets potentially having a playoff roster. "That doesn't mean that's going to be on a potential playoff roster, because we've got to get there first, but that's why he's here."
If the Mets reach the postseason, it would be for a wild-card series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mendoza said that Senga would "most likely" fly with the team to Los Angeles for the potential matchup but did not go so far as saying if he would make the roster.
Alonso's potential last game
If the Mets do not reach the postseason, it could be the last game for Alonso with the franchise.
Alonso, 30, has a player option for the 2026 season.
"He means a lot to all of us," Mendoza said. "Homegrown player that knows what it takes to play here in New York. And when you see the production, I mean, he's unbelievable -- pretty steady, consistent and he takes pride in being in the lineup and posting every day. But hopefully it's not the last game for him."
Reds, Mets chasing final National League playoff spot on last day of regular season
MILWAUKEE — One playoff berth remains up for grabs heading into the final day of Major League Baseball’s regular season.
Cincinnati will earn the National League’s third and final wild card if the Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers or the New York Mets lose at Miami on Sunday. A New York victory and Cincinnati loss would send the Mets to the playoffs instead.
The Reds and Mets have identical 83-78 records. Cincinnati owns the head-to-head tiebreaker because it won four of its six meetings with the Mets this season.
“If you could have promised us this in spring training, I think everybody would sign up for it every year,” Reds closer Emilio Pagán said Saturday night after his team’s 7-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. “As cool as it is to clinch ahead of time and kind of know where you’re at, to have every single game be this meaningful is a gift. It doesn’t come around often. Hopefully we can make the most of it.”
Whichever team earns that last playoff berth heads to Los Angeles to begin an NL Wild Card Series against the defending World Series champion Dodgers on Tuesday.
The two teams fighting for the final spot offer a study in contrasts.
Cincinnati last reached the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Reds last earned a playoff berth in a full season in 2013, and they haven’t won a postseason series since 1995.
The Mets made it to the National League Championship Series last year and began this season with an MLB-high $322.6 million payroll.
Although the Mets owned MLB’s best record at 45-24 through June 12, they’ve gone just 38-54 since. That has enabled Cincinnati to move into playoff position despite going 16-18 over its last 34 games.
Cincinnati has heated up lately, winning eight of its last 10.
“We’ve felt we’ve been playing playoff baseball now for a while,” Pagán said. “Obviously we’ve needed some help across the league, and there’s no doubt we’ve gotten some. But right now we’re playing really good baseball. We’re excited to get to the field tomorrow.”
The Mets lost control of their postseason fate Friday when they fell 6-2 at Miami while the Reds won 3-1 at Milwaukee. New York bounced back Saturday afternoon by beating the Marlins 5-0, with Clay Holmes and three relievers combining on a one-hitter.
“It definitely felt good,” Holmes said. “It’s a game we had to win today. I just went out there and kind of gave it my all. I think once we finish the job here and get in the playoffs, it will be a little bit more satisfying.”
The Mets’ game ended before the Reds started playing Saturday night. Cincinnati then broke a scoreless tie with a six-run third inning and stayed ahead the rest of the way against the Brewers to move a step away from the playoffs.
“Obviously, we have a lot riding tomorrow and everyone’s going to be hyped up,” said Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott, the winning pitcher in Saturday’s game. “There will be a lot of pressure, a lot of excitement. But that’s good. Hopefully we feed off it and come ready to play.”
Cincinnati’s Brady Singer (14-11, 3.95 ERA) will start Sunday, while the Reds’ lineup will face All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta (17-6. 2.68). Sean Manaea (2-4, 5.80) will start for the Mets against Miami’s Edward Cabrera (7-7, 3.66).
A postseason run would represent the latest chapter in the illustrious managerial career for Terry Francona, who led the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007 and guided Cleveland to Game 7 of the 2016 Fall Classic.
Francona took a year off from managing for health reasons before the Reds hired him. Now he’s on the verge of getting back to the playoffs during his first season in Cincinnati.
“It’s exciting,” Francona said. “Don’t run from it. I know sleep this time of year is not great anyway. We’ll be ready to go.”
Pagán exemplifies the Reds’ sense of urgency as they chase this playoff berth. He pitched for the fourth straight day Saturday and retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 32nd save.
The only other player to pitch four straight days this season was the Athletics’ Tyler Ferguson, who did it from May 3-6.
After Saturday’s game, Pagán was asked how his arm feels.
“Right now it feels great,” he said. “Adrenaline is through the roof. I’m probably not going to fall asleep for a few hours. I’m sure whenever the season does end — hopefully a month and a half from now — it’s not going to feel great for a couple of days, but that’s OK. This is what you sign up for, for these opportunities and moments like this. If I can throw it over the plate tomorrow, then I’m going to try my hardest to get in there.”
Oregon moves to No. 2 behind Buckeyes in AP poll; Rebels, Sooners join top 5; Alabama back in top 10
Oregon moved up to No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, Mississippi earned its highest ranking since 2015
Gary Payton II still holds plenty of value, even if Warriors role decreases
Gary Payton II still holds plenty of value, even if Warriors role decreases originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
It was three years ago, after the Warriors’ improbable 2022 NBA championship run, that they were faced with a dilemma of having to part ways with one of two revered role players among coaches, teammates and the fan base.
When the Portland Trail Blazers offered Gary Payton II a three-year contract worth $28 million that offseason, he couldn’t turn down a contract the Warriors couldn’t match, despite his hope to stay with the franchise that first believed in him and changed his career. His departure also opened the door for Kevon Looney to stay in Golden State on a three-year, $22.5 million contract.
Three years later, Looney is the one on the move and Payton is the one walking back through the doors of Chase Center.
Looney and the New Orleans Pelicans agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract a few hours after the opening of NBA free agency on June 30, a number that the Warriors never were going to come close to. Indications going into free agency also suggested Payton’s time with the Warriors likely was coming to an end. But he always wanted to remain a Warrior, and after waiting three months, that became a reality Sunday.
Payton has committed to sign a deal with the Warriors, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday evening, citing sources.
And even if Payton’s role continues to drop, he still holds value to the Warriors for a handful of reasons.
He played 62 regular-season games last year, his most since that 2021-22 championship season, but Payton’s 15 minutes per game were his lowest ever as a Warrior. By now, it’s well known how unique of a player Payton is. At 6-foot-2, Steve Kerr uses him as a power forward in the dunker spot on offense and a point guard on defense who can go up against multiple positions and players of varying sizes and skill sets.
There isn’t a player on the roster Kerr trusts more to disrupt a top scorer on the ball. Payton will pick you up full-court and make you work for every inch. It’s in his blood.
The Western Conference is full of stars that make Kerr confident in plucking Payton from the bench and unleashing his tenacity to throw them off rhythm and flip the game in the Warriors’ favor. The list includes the likes of Anthony Edwards, James Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ja Morant and many more. But Payton last season wasn’t quite as effective as the past.
He finished the season with a 110.1 defensive rating, which was the same number as Buddy Hield, a 3-point specialist whose pluses aren’t associated with that side of the ball. Payton’s defensive win shares were among the worst on the team. But he also ranked fifth in the NBA in deflections per 75 possessions, and was the fourth-best wing stopper by D-LEBRON last season.
Some stats will be in his favor, others won’t. Some games will call for Payton’s duties, others won’t. Plenty of Payton’s services are based on matchups, and there will be nights where he undoubtedly is a game-changer.
There also is the fact he’s another player on Rick Celebrini’s long list of injury concerns, needing to find the right concoction to keep his motor running at the right times. That includes making sure Payton doesn’t keep popping up on the injury report with an illness, too.
But aside from his stingy defense and poster dunks, there’s another reason it was important to keep Payton in a Warriors jersey. Steph Curry is the reason.
Curry always has vouched for Payton’s importance. He’s one of a few who perfectly understand how to play next to Curry, freeing him with a mixture of screens, movement and knowing where he’s going to wind up on the court. The two played 53 games together last season and produced a 5.2 net rating with a 117.8 offensive rating and 112.7 defensive rating.
Those are essentially the same numbers Curry and Jimmy Butler had as a duo – slightly better, actually. Butler played 128 fewer minutes next to Curry than Payton and had a 5.0 net rating with a 117.5 offensive rating and 112.5 defensive rating.
In an 82-game regular season, Payton could receive more DNPs than in the past and might see limited action at times. There also will be games where he’s absolutely invaluable. That’s how it goes.
Payton’s personality is loved throughout the franchise and his impact is felt in the community. The Bay has become, and always will be, home to the son of an Oakland legend. Add in his play that’s uniquely him for a team and coach that best utilizes his ability and it’s easy to see why Payton still holds value in being on the Warriors’ roster.
'Inspiring': Penguins' Top Goaltending Prospect Reflects On Fleury, Game To Remember
Marc-Andre Fleury's final game in Pittsburgh was an unforgettable experience for many, fans and longtime teammates alike.
But there was one young Pittsburgh Penguins' prospect that had a front-row seat - and unique perspective - to all of it.
Goaltender Sergei Murashov, 21, was the other netminder who participated in Saturday's 4-1 pre-season win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. He manned the net for the first two periods of play, stopping 12 of 13 shots faced, and he had the best seat in the house to witness the third-period shutout performance by one of his childhood idols.
“Marc-Andre is a part of Penguins’ history, which I was watching growing up," Murashov said. "Yesterday on the bench, I caught myself, like, ‘Oh, it’s Malkin, it’s Crosby, Fleury, Karlsson, Letang, Rust… you know, all these guys are just playing, and I’m a part of all this.' So, it’s huge for me, and I’m grateful for it. Really, truly grateful."
Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) on XSergei Murashov: "Yesterday on the bench, I caught myself, like, ‘oh, it’s Malkin, it's Crosby, Fleury, Karlsson, Letang, Rust... all these guys are just playing, and I'm a part of all this.' So, it's huge for me, and I'm grateful for it. Really, truly grateful."He also said that, despite some language barriers, he was able to converse with and learn from Fleury throughout the evening.
“It’s an honor. It’s definitely a great honor for me to be a part of this memory of life and I’m grateful for it' moment," Murashov said. "I was a couple of times confused how to speak with him, but he’s a nice guy, he’s great, so it was pretty easy to figure out. So, overall, it was definitely a great night, great opportunity for me to learn and to watch him. Of course, we talked for a bit, but even just watching him is awesome."
Penguins Oust Blue Jackets On 'Fleury Night' In PittsburghWhat a game, what a night, and what a player.
Fleury, 40, officially called it a career at the end of last season with the Minnesota Wild, and he signed a paid tryout (PTO) contract a few weeks ago to join the Penguins for one last practice and one last pre-season game - creating a storybook-type ending by coming full-circle on a long, successful career in and out of Pittsburgh.
He joined the Penguins for practice on Friday, and he also attended Saturday's morning skate ahead of the tilt against Columbus. It was only a few short days, but Murashov learned a lot from being around Fleury, even in that short time.
“Yeah, I asked a couple questions of him," Murashov said. "So, I will keep it with me. Like, maybe, 20 years later, I will say the same thing to another young guy. But, it’s precious for me.”
'I'm Happy It All Worked Out': Fleury, Teammates Relish Chance To Share Ice One Last TimeNormally, NHL training camp is an all-business kind of affair, and that's exactly how it's been at Pittsburgh Penguins' camp this year.
Murashov was selected by the Penguins in the fourth round (118th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He has been - in simple terms - dominant at pretty much every level he's played, and that includes a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) rookie record-breaking 11-game win streak. He posted a .913 save percentage in 15 AHL starts and a .922 save percentage for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL last season, and that followed some remarkable play for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the MHL and KHL from 2021-24, when he never had a save percentage below .925.
His performance in training camp up to this point - as well as his track record - have led many to believe that he could be a long-term solution for the Penguins at the goaltending position, which has been a sore spot for the organization since their back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017. Murashov has a long way to go in terms of getting there, but the potential is more than evident.
"I really like him," Fleury said of Murashov. "He's a young goalie but still poised, and he's got some good abilities - how quick he is, how he can move, how he understands the game. He'll be very good for a long time.
The rookie and the vet 🫶 pic.twitter.com/ZhFIzCDt5T
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) September 27, 2025
In a lot of ways, having Murashov and Fleury take the net in the same game was poetic, as it offered a reflection of the past as well as a glimpse into the future at the position for the Penguins. Even the atmosphere itself had that kind of reflection, as the loud, sold-out house was simultaneously a relic of past success that involved future Hall-of-Fame players on the ice and a beacon of hope for the future with some of the young talent out there, too.
There are any number of lessons that Murashov could have taken from Fleury over the couple of days he spent with him, but more than anything, the Penguins' legend served as a reminder of why the young goaltender decided to play the game in the first place.
“Obviously, the best word to describe it is ‘inspiring,'" Murashov said. "It was really inspiring how he showed up in these last couple of days. There was huge energy on the ice, off-ice, from him. I think everyone got this feeling of joy, feeling of having fun, as he’ll be playing, he’ll be smiling.
"I think it’s a reminder to just enjoy what you’re doing.”
Marc-Andre Fleury Steals Show For Penguins On Saturday It was Marc-Andre Fleury's night in Pittsburgh on Saturday as the Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their second preseason win. They beat the Columbus Blue Jackets by three, 4-1, thanks to two goals from Rickard Rakell, one from Sidney Crosby, and one from Ville Koivunen.
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Rivalry renewed: Red Sox to visit Yankees for AL Wild Card showdown
Rivalry renewed: Red Sox to visit Yankees for AL Wild Card showdown originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Party like it’s 2021, Boston Red Sox fans.
The Red Sox secured their spot as the second American League Wild Card team with a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers in Game 162.
As the No. 5 seed in the AL with an 89-73 record, Boston will face the No. 4 seed New York Yankees — the top AL Wild Card team — in a best-of-three series, with every game at Yankee Stadium.
Here’s a look at the Red Sox’ playoff schedule, with Game 1 set for Tuesday:
Red Sox-Yankees Wild Card schedule
- Game 1 at New York: Tuesday, Sept. 30 at TBD (ESPN)
- Game 2 at New York: Wednesday, Oct. 1 at TBD (ESPN)
- Game 3 at New York: Thursday, Oct. 2 at TBD (if necessary)
The Red Sox are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021 — when they also faced the Yankees in the first round.
Boston beat New York that year in a one-game, winner-take-all Wild Card matchup at Fenway Park, then dispatched the Tampa Bay Rays in four games in the AL Division Series. They jumped out to a 2-1 series lead over the Astros in the American League Championship Series but lost three straight games to lose the series in six. The Astros outscored the Red Sox 23-3 over those final three games.
A lot has changed in Boston over the last four years, as Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck (who is currently on the injured list) are the only holdovers from that 2021 team on this 2025 squad. The Red Sox still have the same manager, however, as 2021 was Alex Cora’s first year back with the team after serving a one-year suspension from MLB.
Can the Red Sox recapture that 2021 magic in 2025? History will be on their side in the Wild Card round, as they’ve won eight of their last nine postseason games vs. the Yankees — a run that began with Boston’s magical Game 4 win in the 2004 ALCS and continued with a four-game series win over New York in the 2018 ALDS.
If the Sox advance from this best-of-three Wild Card series, they’d play the Toronto Blue Jays, who won the AL East and earned the No. 1 seed in the American League with a 94-68 record.
Boston’s ace, Garrett Crochet, will start Game 1 on Tuesday, manager Alex Cora confirmed Sunday. Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito will start Games 2 and 3, although it remains to be seen who will pitch each game.
Phillies wrap up regular season in walk-off fashion with win No. 96
Phillies wrap up regular season in walk-off fashion with win No. 96 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Phillies decided to wait until the last minute on Sunday to give their fans their proper present on Fan Appreciation Day. But nonetheless, they did … by scraping out a 2-1, extra-inning win in the last game of the regular season on a sacrifice fly by Nick Castellanos.
Trailing 1-0, Max Kepler tied the game in the eighth with a home run to right before Castellanos delivered the game-winner.
Except for the excellence of Cristopher Sánchez, the Phillies regular season finale against the Twins had all the excitement of an intrasquad game. Well, make that a preseason intrasquad game, because Wednesday’s contest among the Phillies at Citizens Ban Park should be quite entertaining.
The Twins took advantage of Sánchez’ early exit and scored the first run of the game when reliever Lou Trivino walked Austin Martin and then gave up a run-scoring double to Ryan Jeffers.
Sánchez–who will be the Game 1 starter on Saturday against the Wild Card Series winner between the sixth and third seed–threw a gem in 5 2/3 innings of work, as he allowed just two base hits, no walks and struck out eight. Of the 60 pitches he threw, 47 of them were strikes. In fact, he didn’t throw a ball until his 22nd pitch of the game.
With the score tied at one in the 10th and a courtesy runner on second, Orion Kerkering became the sixth pitcher of the day for the Phillies and promptly struck out the three Twins he faced. It was an outing somewhat needed for Kerkering entering the playoffs, so another box checked for the team.
On a day where fans were appreciated, substitutions plentiful and days off given (no J.T. Realmuto or Harrison Bader), the Phillies offense was truant as it accumulated just two hits through seven innings. Fitting, they scored the winning run in the 10th with a Weston Wilson sacrifice bunt that moved pinch-runner Harrison Bader to third before Castellanos’ fly ball to center.
Trea Turner did get his start at shortstop, his first game back since September 7 due to a hamstring injury. As promised by manager Rob Thomson before the game, Turner went five innings, made a play in the field and grounded out twice. He finished the season with a .304 average to garner the National League batting title.
Sánchez finished his wonderful season with career-highs in strikeouts (212), wins (13) and was among the leaders in the National League with a 2.50 ERA. Teammate Kyle Schwarber played in his 162nd game of the season and finished with 56 home runs, just two shy of Ryan Howard’s single-season record.
At Citizens Bank Park this season, the Phillies finished with a 22-3-1 record in series played and a 55-26 overall record. They drew more than 3,000,000 people for the third year in a row and Sunday’s sellout was the 40th in 81 home games.
Gary Payton II, De'Anthony Melton reportedly committed to sign Warriors deals
Gary Payton II, De'Anthony Melton reportedly committed to sign Warriors deals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors appear on track to reunite with two familiar faces for the 2025-26 NBA season.
Both Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton have committed to sign contracts with Golden State, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday, citing sources.
The Warriors also signed Will Richard to a four-year contract with two years fully guaranteed, Charania reported, citing his agents.
Payton II played five seasons with the Warriors across two different stints, first from the 2020-21 NBA season through the 2021-2022 campaign, before signing with the Portland Trail Blazers as a free agent in the summer of 2022 before he was traded back to Golden State at the trade deadline the very next season and has played with the Warriors ever since.
In 194 career games with the Warriors, Payton has averaged 6.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game on 59.2-percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent from 3-point range.
Payton once again will provide the Warriors depth at the guard position behind superstar Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield.
Meanwhile, Melton, who has been rumored to return to Golden State all offseason, will pick up where he left off before suffering a season-ending ACL injury last year. Melton signed with Golden State last offseason but played in just six games before suffering the injury and later being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. In six games (two starts), Melton averaged 10.3 points on 40.7-percent shooting from the field and 37.1 percent from 3-point range, with 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 20.2 minutes.
In the two contests Melton started, he dramatically helped elevate the offense alongside Curry, averaging 16.5 points on 47.8 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from distance, with 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals in 26.5 minutes.
The Warriors were 4-2 with Melton in their lineup.
Gabriel Magalhães stuns Newcastle with last-gasp comeback winner for Arsenal
During a year as a Newcastle midfielder under Rafael Benítez, Mikel Merino struggled to settle in the north-east. He departed for Real Sociedad without offering Tynesiders more than a few glimpses of his best work but, when Merino trotted on as a 70th-minute Arsenal substitute here, Eddie Howe had reason to be fearful.
At that stage Newcastle were leading thanks to Nick Woltemade’s second goal for the club but their manager did not need telling that Mikel Arteta’s reincarnation of Merino as an emergency forward last season proved one of the triumphs of his north London tenure.
Continue reading...Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened
Arsenal moved up to second after late headers from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Magalhaes gave them a precious win
Mikel Arteta’s pre-match thoughts
[On Eberechi Eze’s inclusion] We’re very happy with what he’s doing so he’s earned the right to start the game.
[On Cristhian Mosquera’s inclusion] Willy [Saliba] is coming back from an ankle injury that he is still trying to resolve. He’s played twice in six days and we have another two games coming up this week so we have to managed the squad.
Continue reading...Veteran Kevin Love will be in Utah's training camp
Kevin Love landed in Utah this summer as part of the three-team trade that saw Norman Powell move to Miami and John Collins to the L.A. Clippers. From the moment that trade became official, there was speculation — and maybe an expectation — that Love would be flipped to another team in a trade, or just bought out.
Nope. Love will be in Utah when the Jazz open training camp this week, reports Mark Stein and Jake Fischer at The Stein Line.
Love, 37, appeared in just 23 games for the Heat last season averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in the limited minutes he did play.
While not the All-NBA level player he was at his peak, Love is still a big who can space the floor as a shooter (35.7% on 3-pointers last season), a quality rebounder, an elite outlet passer and just a guy who knows how to play the game. As the season moves on and teams get a better understanding of their rosters (and injuries happen), there could be a team looking for veteran depth along the front line, and Love (making $4.2 million in the final year of his contract) would fit that bill. If not, Love is likely to get bought out after the trade deadline.
Rebuilding Utah is expected to be open to moving a number of its veteran players during this season. Love may be one of those, but for now he is in Utah and ready to suit up for the fourth team of his career.
Inside the NBA investigation into Steve Ballmer's Clippers
On the eve of Clippers training camp, owner Steve Ballmer and the team are facing pressures over an NBA probe into allegations that the team circumvented the league salary cap when a sustainability firm paid star Kawhi Leonard $21 million.
Since purchasing the team a decade ago, Ballmer has been on a quest to bring the also-ran Clippers their first NBA title. The billionaire philanthropist has been alternately encouraged and frustrated with a team that has posted a winning record every season under his ownership, but has made early exits from the playoffs a habit. He also spearheaded the construction of the most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly arena in sports — the $2-billion Intuit Dome that opened a year ago to rave reviews.
Now, a top-rated law firm hired by the NBA is trying to determine whether the team violated league rules by funneling extra money to Leonard through a separate company in which the Clippers' owner was an investor.
Over the last few weeks, Ballmer has been pressed for details about his $50-million investment and 2%-3% ownership stake in the firm Aspiration Partners, and whether the Clippers knew that the now-defunct company paid millions to Leonard through an endorsement deal. Aspiration provided what the company described as "socially-conscious and sustainable banking services and investment products.”
The Clippers have issued statements forcefully denying wrongdoing and saying they welcome the probe. Leonard and his representatives have not responded to requests for comment.
Read more:Adam Silver says NBA needs clear evidence Clippers made secret deal before lowering boom on Ballmer
“There’s nothing fun about being highlighted in this way,” Ballmer said at a recent forum hosted by the Sports Business Journal. “It’s a whole lot more fun to be highlighted for building a great arena. But this too shall pass.”
A Clippers spokesman said Thursday that they aren’t scheduling any interviews for Ballmer “at the moment,” but Ballmer told the SBJ forum he “feels quite confident … that we abided [by] the rules. So, I welcome the investigation that the NBA is doing.” He stressed his investment in Aspiration came well before it made its deal with Leonard, and that he was not involved in that deal.
The salary cap limits what teams can spend on player payroll to ensure parity and prevent the wealthiest teams from outspending smaller-market teams to acquire the best player. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has called attempts to circumvent it a "cardinal sin."
In this case, Leonard agreed to a $28-million contract for endorsement and marketing work for Aspiration, which went out of business in March. Players are allowed to have separate endorsement and other business deals. At issue in this case is whether the Clippers participated in arranging the side deal beyond simply introducing Aspiration executives to Leonard.
The most painful penalties the NBA could impose would be suspending Ballmer for a maximum of one year and docking the Clippers their first-round draft picks for up to five years. The team already is without a first-round pick in 2026 and 2028, having traded them away. Forfeiting the remaining picks through 2032 would make it harder for Ballmer to realize that championship dream.
The maximum fine the league can impose is $7.5 million, a pittance relative to Ballmer’s estimated net worth of $171 billion. Leonard’s performance has fallen short of expectations, so even the league voiding the last two years of his contract would have limited sting, and save the franchise the $100 million owed to the 34-year-old forward.
Proving that the Clippers violated the salary cap could be difficult, as NBA commissioner Adam Silver made clear at a meeting of team owners. Much is riding on the outcome of the investigation.
Ballmer, 69, has forged a strong relationship with Silver, who became commissioner the same year Ballmer bought the Clippers. The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is scheduled to take place at the Intuit Dome in February, and Ballmer chairs the league’s audit committee on the Board of Governors.
Ballmer’s philanthropy is well-established. He and his wife, Connie, have given away billions through their Ballmer Group to improve the economic mobility of children and families in disadvantaged communities. (The Ballmer Group is one of the foundations sponsoring the Los Angeles Times’ early childhood education initiative.)
Ballmer turned his attention to the Clippers in 2014, buying the team from disgraced owner Donald Sterling, who was forced to sell for making racist comments.
The price tag of $2 billion, nearly four times what anyone had previously paid for an NBA team, was considered ludicrous at the time. The value of the franchise has nearly tripled to an estimated $5.5 billion.
Read more:Clippers considered naming dome after bankrupt firm at center of Kawhi Leonard allegations
Bankruptcy documents show that Aspiration paid Leonard $21 million — and still owes him $7 million — after agreeing to a $28-million contract for endorsement and marketing work at the company. The Boston Sports Journal reported that Leonard was also promised a $20-million ownership stake in Aspiration.
There is no record of anything Leonard did on behalf of Aspiration. Several former employees told the Athletic that Leonard’s deal was a “no-show” arrangement in which Leonard wouldn’t have to do any endorsement work.
Former Aspiration chief operating officer and chief legal officer Mike Shuckerow told ESPN that he was one of three company executives who signed a statement that read, “The [Aspiration] team expressed concerns at the time regarding the high cost of the arrangement [with Leonard] and its lack of alignment with Aspiration’s brand and business strategy. While subsequent marketing efforts were undertaken, they were ultimately discontinued and should not be interpreted as support for the deal itself.”
However, former Aspiration CEO Andrei Cherny wrote on X that Leonard’s contract “contained three pages of extensive obligations that Leonard had to perform. And the contract clearly said that if Leonard did not meet those obligations, Aspiration could terminate the contract.”
Aspiration’s initial funding included a $50-million investment in December 2021 from Ballmer, which he has acknowledged. The Clippers also agreed to a 23-year, $300-million sponsorship deal with Aspiration, but turned down its $1-billion offer for naming rights to the new arena. Intuit, the creator of QuickBooks, TurboTax and other widely used applications, paid $550 million.
In December 2022, Clippers minority owner and vice chairman Dennis J. Wong — who was Ballmer’s roommate at Harvard in the 1970s — invested $1.99 million in the company nine days before Leonard received a $1.75-million quarterly payment from Aspiration, according to documents obtained by the Athletic. The Clippers declined to comment about Wong’s investment.
Read more:Steve Ballmer: NBA owner in search of a miracle
In March 2023, Ballmer invested another $10 million, according to the Athletic. The investment contributed to a last-ditch fundraising round by Aspiration at a time it was nearly out of cash.
The NBA investigation is now trying to establish whether the Clippers knowingly broke a league rule to slip more money to a player they were already paying the maximum allowed under the salary cap, which makes this situation different than what the league envisioned as motivation for a team to circumvent the salary cap.
Language in the NBA collective bargaining agreement describes skirting the cap as instances where a team pays a player a lower than market salary and makes up for it by paying him some other way in secret. That way the team would have more money under the cap to pay other players.
The Clippers situation differs because money Leonard made from Aspiration was in addition to the maximum salary he could be paid under salary cap rules and not a way to create cap space for teammates.
Ballmer acknowledged to ESPN that he introduced Leonard to Aspiration executives, but not until after the team had agreed to a contract extension with Leonard and the $330-million sponsorship deal with Aspiration.
“We were done with Kawhi, we were done with Aspiration,” Ballmer said. “The deals were all locked and loaded. Then, they did request to be introduced to Kawhi, and under the rules, we can introduce our sponsors to our athletes. We just can’t be involved.”
Read more:Questions over Kawhi Leonard payments put focus on NBA salary cap
Ballmer was adamant that he knew nothing of the details of the endorsement agreement, that in fact teams are required to stay out of negotiations between players and companies they endorse.
Michael McCann, a sports law expert and a visiting professor at Harvard, said the investigation will center on whether the investments into Aspiration by Ballmer were a quid pro quo for the firm to turn around and give Leonard millions.
Silver has indicated the investigation must demonstrate that the Clippers knew of or participated in Leonard’s deal.
Some experts believe Ballmer is entering the probe with a strong image and could maintain it depending on the outcome of the investigation. “The fact that he’s done a great job, that he’s captivated fans and sponsors, is likely to be in his favor as this goes forward,” said David Carter, a professor of sports business at USC and principal of the Sports Business Group.
Silver said the NBA will revisit its investment and endorsement rules as a result of the allegations involving the Clippers, Ballmer and Leonard
Around the league there is a belief that if the NBA does find wrongdoing, Silver will have to act.
“The only thing I hear consistently around the league is that they want the league to come down really hard to deter other teams from [circumventing the salary cap],” said an NBA executive who requested anonymity to speak freely. “Because if there is no big penalty, other teams are going to start doing that, and then competitive advantage is just going to be, the imbalance is going to be out of control.”
Leonard joined the Clippers in July 2019 on a three-year, $103-million contract after leading the Toronto Raptors to the NBA title. The 6-foot-7 forward from Moreno Valley signed a four-year, $176.3-million extension in 2021, when Aspiration made its sponsorship deal with the Clippers and Ballmer became a minority owner in the company.
After signing a three-year, $153-million extension a year ago, Leonard will have been paid or is under contract for $375 million in career salary.
The NBA looked into allegations that the Clippers paid Leonard or his representative and uncle, Dennis Robertson, a side deal when he first joined the team in 2019. No wrongdoing was found, although the Toronto Star recently reported that Robertson made demands of the Raptors during unsuccessful negotiations in 2019. The Raptors rejected the $10-million demand and Leonard signed with the Clippers, the newspaper said.
Neither Robertson nor Leonard’s agent responded to emails or texts asking for comment on the endorsement arrangement with Aspiration and the allegation reported in the Star regarding Robertson.
Times staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this story.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.