Update on the latest sports
NBA-NEWS
CAVALIERS-DRUMMOND BUYOUT
Cavs buy out Drummond
CLEVELAND (AP) — Center Andre Drummond is now a free agent after reaching a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The agreement ends a partnership that became awkward when the Cavs benched Drummond to give young center Jarrett Allen more playing time.
Drummond hasn’t played since mid-February and began negotiating terms of the buyout with the Cavs after the club didn’t trade the 27-year-old before Thursday’s deadline.
In other NBA news:
—The Grizzlies expect forward Jaren Jackson Jr. back in the lineup by the end of April, nearly nine months after he hurt his left knee. It’s the first concrete return date for the third-year player. Jackson tore the meniscus in his left knee in his third game in the NBA bubble last summer.
— Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak says he’s not ruling out LaMelo Ball returning this season. Kupchak says the rookie point guard will be reevaluated in “four or five weeks” after fracturing his right wrist on March 20. If Ball is revaluated in five weeks on April 27 the Hornets would have about three weeks remaining before the end of the regular season on May 16.
NFL-NEWS
AP source: 49ers trade up for No. 3 pick from Dolphins
UNDATED (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have made a big move to grab their quarterback of the future by trading up with Miami for the No. 3 pick in next month’s draft. A person familiar with the deal says the Niners are trading their No. 12 pick along with first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 and a third-rounder in 2022 to get the third pick.
The Dolphins then immediately traded the 12th pick, the 123rd pick and a 2022 first-rounder to Philadelphia for the No. 6 and No. 156 pick in the draft.
The trade by the Niners puts them in position to draft a quarterback with Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Trey Lance all possibilities. Jacksonville is expected to take Trevor Lawrence first and the New York Jets also could take a quarterback at No. 2. Drafting a quarterback would likely lead to the end of Jimmy Garoppolo’s (gah-RAH’-puh-lohz) tenure in San Francisco.
In other NFL news:
— The Raiders have signed free agent wide receiver Willie Snead to a one-year deal. The 28-year-old entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Cleveland in 2014 and has played 86 games with New Orleans and Baltimore. He has 275 catches for 3,393 yards and 16 TDs.
— Police in Cleveland say Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore has been arrested there on suspicion of possessing a weapon. Police say Lattimore had a loaded handgun that had been reported stolen in a Cleveland suburb. He is suspected of receiving stolen property and failing to inform an officer he was carrying a concealed weapon.
— The NFL is planning to expand its international presence with more games abroad in 2022 if the 17-game regular-season schedule is approved. Team owners meet next week and are expected to rubber stamp the additional game, while reducing the number of preseason contests to three per club. The additional games will be interconference, all of them in current home stadiums.
MLB-NEWS
Correa turned down $120M, 6-year deal, says deadline stands
UNDATED (AP) — Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa says he turned down an offer for a $120 million, six-year contract covering 2022-27 and is not sure whether there will be a deal before his deadline of opening day next week.
Houston opens the season next Thursday at Oakland, and Correa ruled out talks after then.
Correa has an $11.3 million salary this year and can become a free agent after the World Series. He says he thought the long-term offer the Astros made several weeks ago was low and that as of now his plan is “to win another championship for the city of Houston and then explore free agency.”
In other MLB news:
— Pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and the Astros have finalized an $85 million, five-year contract covering 2022-26. McCullers agreed on Jan. 15 to a $6.5 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. He would have been eligible for free agency after this year’s World Series. The 27-year-old returned in 2020 after missing a season following Tommy John surgery.
— The Braves have optioned right-hander Bryse Wilson to their alternate training site for what is expected to be a brief stay. Wilson is expected to be recalled about two weeks into the season when he would take over as the team’s No. 5 starter. Wilson will be eligible to be recalled on April 11.
— Tampa Bay reliever Nick Anderson will miss at least half the season with an elbow injury that’s not expected to require surgery. The right-hander who’s been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball the past two seasons has a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow. Plans currently call for him to rehab and not play catch for at least eight weeks before starting a throwing program.
— The Boston Red Sox have scratched Eduardo Rodriguez as their opening day starter because of a “dead arm” that pushed back his final spring tuneup. Nathan Eovaldi (ee-VAHL’-dee) will face the Baltimore Orioles in the April 1 opener instead. Manager Alex Cora says Rodriguez missed a bullpen session on Wednesday, two days after lasting just two innings in a spring training start against Tampa Bay.
— Right-hander Casey Mize will be part of the Tigers’ starting rotation and Michael Fulmer will pitch out of the bullpen. Detroit manager AJ Hinch also said left-hander Derek Holland will make the team. Mize was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 amateur draft.
— The Brewers have released pitchers Brad Boxberger and Jordan Zimmermann as the team works to narrow down its season-opening roster. Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns says he hopes to keep both pitchers by signing them to minor league contracts and sending them to the organization’s alternate site in Appleton, Wisconsin.
— The Reds have released former National League batting champ Dee Strange-Gordon. He was a non-roster invitee who was brought in to audition at shortstop. His chances were hurt by the Reds’ decision to move Eugenio (ay-oo-HAY’-nee-oh) Suarez from third base to shortstop, and also by good spring performances from versatile infielders Jonathan India and Alex Blandino.
— The Los Angeles Angels have released outfielder Jon Jay and right-hander Jesse Chavez. The 36-year-old Jay batted 2 for 29 in 15 spring training games, while the 37-year-old Chavez had a 14.54 ERA in five appearances.
— Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona says Jake Bauers will open the season at first base despite being outperformed at the plate this spring by Bobby Bradley. Bradley was optioned to Triple-A Columbus along outfielder Bradley Zimmer and reliever Kyle Nelson.
— Second baseman Joe Panik has been told by the Toronto Blue Jays that he will be added to the major league roster. Panik entered Friday hitting .296 during spring training with five RBIs.
— Infielder Andrew Romine has been released from his minor league contract by the Minnesota Twins. The 35-year-old brother of Chicago Cubs catcher Austin Romine hit .185 with one RBI during spring training.
— Pitchers Iván Nova and Héctor Rondón have been released from minor league contracts by the Phillies along with catcher Jeff Mathis.
— Twins bench coach Mike Bell has died of kidney cancer at age 46. He was 46. The Twins planned to play their exhibition game as scheduled Friday night, at the request of Bell’s family to take the field in his honor. He spent one season with the Twins and had 13 years with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in player development.
— Former Cardinals player, minor league manager and big league coach Joe Cunningham as died at 89. Cunningham homered three times and drove in nine runs during his first two major league games. He was an All-Star in 1959 when he led the majors with a .453 on-base percentage and was second in the National League with a .345 batting average.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MARQUETTE-SMART
Smart move by Marquette
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Shaka Smart is leaving Texas to return to his home state as men’s basketball coach at Marquette.
Smart went 109-86 with no NCAA Tournament victories in six seasons at Texas after a remarkably successful six-year run at VCU, where he went 163-56 and led the Rams to a Final Four appearance in 2011.
The hiring comes a week after Marquette fired Steve Wojciechowski (woh-jah-HOW’-skee) and Smart’s Texas team was upset 53-52 by Abilene Christian in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
LSU-SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
LSU coach accused of ignoring sexual harassment complaint
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A 74-year-old woman told state lawmakers she spoke directly to Louisiana State University football coach Ed Orgeron about sexual harassment she endured in 2017 from one of his star players.
But the woman said Orgeron did nothing to reprimand then-LSU running back Derrius Guice when the player harassed her while she was working at her Superdome security job in 2017. The football coach denies ever speaking with Gloria Scott, whose testimony came at the second hearing called by female state lawmakers. The lawmakers are following up on an independent report that determined LSU for years mishandled its response to allegations of rape, domestic violence and assault.
NHL-SABRES-CANADIENS TRADE
Sabres begin overhaul by trading Eric Staal to Canadiens
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres have begun their overhaul by trading veteran center Eric Staal to the Montreal Canadiens for third- and fifth-round selections in the 2021 draft.
The 17-year veteran center was having a rough first season with the Sabres, scoring three goals and 10 points in 32 games while recording a -20. Staal will have to first go into a minimum seven-day self-quarantine under Canadian health regulations for those traveling from outside the country.
PGA-MATCH PLAY
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Just call this fantastic Friday at the Dell Technologies Match Play.
Not long after Bob MacIntyre hit driver to 3 feet for eagle on the 371-yard 18th hole to win his group, Sergio Garcia advanced in a sudden-death playoff with a hole-in-one on the fourth extra hole.
In other match play action:
—Kevin Na (nah) sent Dustin Johnson home. Na birdied his last two holes for a 1-up victory over the No. 1 player in the world.
—Tommy Fleetwood has made it to the weekend thanks to two great escapes on the same hole to beat Bryson DeChambeau.
SPORTS BROADCASTING-STOCKTON
Stockton announces retirement
UNDATED (AP) — Sports broadcaster Dick Stockton is stepping away after a 55-year career that included stints with Fox, CBS and NBC.
The 78-year-old Stockton called at least 1,545 games on network television. The moment that stands out is his call of Carlton Fisk’s dramatic game-winning home run in the 12th inning of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, giving the Boston Red Sox a 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Stockton called virtually ever sport during his career, including the 1992 and ’94 Winter Olympics for CBS. He was the network’s lead NBA voice for nine seasons and had a front-row seat for the league’s rise to prominence.