Category Archives: Sports

Dallas Mavericks sign No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to rookie contract

Dallas Mavericks sign No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to rookie contract

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks have signed No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg to his four-year rookie contract.

The team didn’t disclose details in announcing the deal Wednesday. The total value of the contract for the top pick on the 2025-26 rookie wage scale is in the range of $62.7 million, with a first-year salary of about $13.8 million, according to Spotrac. Those numbers can fluctuate slightly.

There are team options in the third and fourth seasons of rookie deals.

Flagg said during his introductory news conference last week that he intends to play in the Summer League in Las Vegas later this month. The Mavericks’ Summer League opener against the Los Angeles Lakers and Bronny James is set to be nationally televised on July 10.

Flagg was taken with the top pick after Dallas converted just a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery. The 18-year-old from Duke became the fourth freshman to win The Associated Press national player of the year honors in the 64-year history of the award. Flagg led the Blue Devils to the Final Four in his only season.

The 6-foot-9 forward joins a frontcourt that should include 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and promising young center Dereck Lively II, Flagg’s fellow Duke alum. The Mavs shocked the NBA by sending 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Davis in February.

Dallas guard Kyrie Irving is another former Duke player to go first overall in the draft, in 2011. He will be out, probably until at least midseason, while recovering from a torn ACL. Irving was injured in March.

K’Andre Miller is eager for his new start after trade from New York Rangers to Carolina Hurricanes

K’Andre Miller is eager for his new start after trade from New York Rangers to Carolina Hurricanes

K’Andre Miller is eager to start work with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes acquired the 25-year-old defenseman from the New York Rangers on Tuesday. They also signed him to a long-term deal. Carolina sees Miller as a strong fit for their aggressive, fast-paced system. The former first-round pick brings size and skating ability to the blue line. The Hurricanes are retooling the defense with veterans Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov likely departing. In a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday, Miller said Carolina is “a fun group to watch” and he’s eager to join the Hurricanes’ style.… Continue Reading

UPenn to update swimming records set by Lia Thomas, settling with feds on transgender athletes case

UPenn to update swimming records set by Lia Thomas, settling with feds on transgender athletes case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The University of Pennsylvania says it will update records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. The college says it also will apologize to female athletes it says were “disadvantaged” by Thomas’ participation on the women’s swimming team. The moves were part of a resolution of a federal civil rights case that found the school violated the rights of female athletes. Thomas, a transgender swimmer who last competed for the Ivy League school in Philadelphia in 2022, was the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title.… Continue Reading

UNC announces AD transition plan from Bubba Cunningham to RFK Racing president Steve Newmark in 2026

UNC announces AD transition plan from Bubba Cunningham to RFK Racing president Steve Newmark in 2026

North Carolina has announced its transition plan at athletic director from Bubba Cunningham to RFK Racing team president Steve Newmark for next summer. The school said Tuesday that Cunningham received a two-year contract extension and will serve as AD for the 2025-26 sports season. Newmark will report to him through the year as an executive associate AD working on “revenue-driving initiatives,” particularly related to the school’s football and men’s basketball programs. Then Newmark would take over as AD next summer. Cunningham has been the Tar Heels’ athletic director since 2011.… Continue Reading

Virginia swimmer Gretchen Walsh wins the Honda Cup, given to top female college athlete

Virginia swimmer Gretchen Walsh wins the Honda Cup, given to top female college athlete

NEW YORK (AP) — Virginia swimmer Gretchen Walsh has won the Honda Cup, given annually to the country’s top female college athlete. She’s the ninth swimmer to win the award and first since Simone Manuel in 2018. The other two finalists for the award were UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers and Texas Tech softball pitcher NiJaree Canady. Caitlin Clark won the award the previous two years. Walsh helped Virginia to its fourth straight NCAA team title. She won seven NCAA championships this year, including the 50-yard freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly… Continue Reading

Future of NASCAR’s downtown Chicago weekend is unclear going into the third year of contract

Future of NASCAR’s downtown Chicago weekend is unclear going into the third year of contract

CHICAGO (AP) — When it comes to NASCAR’s return to downtown Chicago, Julie Giese has a long list of responsibilities. The track president is monitoring an ambitious construction schedule for the street course, to go along with everything else that goes into the busy weekend. What happens next is going to have to wait. The future of NASCAR in Chicago is murky going into its third edition. The three-year contract that was announced in 2022 has two mutual options. Giese says there have been “good conversations” between NASCAR and the city, and there is time to work on the possibilities beyond the event.… Continue Reading

Aldrich Potgieter wins Rocket Classic on 5th playoff hole, outlasting Max Greyserman and Chris Kirk

Aldrich Potgieter wins Rocket Classic on 5th playoff hole, outlasting Max Greyserman and Chris Kirk

DETROIT (AP) — Aldrich Potgieter made an 18-foot putt for birdie on the fifth playoff hole, outlasting Max Greyserman to win the Rocket Classic on Sunday. It was the longest playoff of the season on the PGA Tour. The 20-year-old from South Africa is the youngest player on the tour and its biggest hitter. He became the ninth player to win for the first time this season. Chris Kirk was eliminated from contention after failing to make a 4-foot putt on the second hole after pushing a 9-foot putt past the cup on the first extra hole with a chance to win the tournament. Potgieter, two strokes ahead entering the round, closed with a 3-under 69, and Greyserman and Kirk each shot 67.… Continue Reading

Home-state favorite Chase Elliott passes Brad Keselowski on final lap to win NASCAR Atlanta race

Home-state favorite Chase Elliott passes Brad Keselowski on final lap to win NASCAR Atlanta race

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — Home-state favorite Chase Elliott passed Brad Keselowski on the final lap and won the the crash-filled NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta on Saturday night for his 20th career victory. Elliott, the popular driver from Dawsonville, Georgia, earned a spot in the NASCAR playoffs with his first victory since April 2024 at Texas. It was his first win in Atlanta since 2022. The race’s second crash early in Stage 2 took out many of the sport’s biggest names and left others with damaged cars. Pole-winner Joey Logano, who led the first 36 laps before light rain forced the first caution, was among the many drivers caught up in the big crash. Keselowski was second, followed by Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet teammate, Alex Bowman.… Continue Reading

NFL suspends Justin Tucker for first 10 weeks of the season for violating personal conduct policy

NFL suspends Justin Tucker for first 10 weeks of the season for violating personal conduct policy

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has suspended former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for the first 10 weeks next season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The league announced the punishment Thursday. It takes effect on Aug. 26, which is roster cutdown day, and Tucker is eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 11. He is a free agent after the Ravens released him last month in the aftermath of reports that he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. A five-time All-Pro, the 35-year-old Tucker has played his entire 13-year career with Baltimore. He’s considered one of the best kickers in NFL history, although 2024 was his worst season.… Continue Reading

Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft

Cooper Flagg the new Maine man for the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft

NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg is headed to the Dallas Mavericks, who may have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away. The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the draft Wednesday night, selecting the 18-year-old who was the college player of the year in his lone season. Mavericks fans were furious when Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, some immediately threatening to end their support of the team. But the ones who stuck around may quickly love Flagg, who averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while leading Duke to the Final Four. Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper was taken by San Antonio with the No. 2 pick.… Continue Reading

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